F-O-U-R

My baby is 4 months old!

Current stats: 12lb 7oz - 24th percentile

24 inches - 26th percentile

(but 90th percentile for both compared to other preemies her age!)

My girl is catching up.

Her doctor is really proud of her progress and so far we have not really had any developmental delays. I guess no one told her she was a preemie =)

Her new "tricks"

Rolling over - she did this pretty soon after she turned 3 months old (of course not in front of me) and has been perfecting her technique ever since.

Chatting - we have regular chats that only she and I understand

Mimicking - this is done strictly for her father.  if he oohs she oohs; he aahs she aahs...you get the picture.

She still is one of the happiest babies I've ever been around.  She is sleeping through the night and naps well during the day.  Although, she does have her daddy's preference for late nights.  We rarely get her in bed before 10:30!  She loves to stand and gets really proud of herself.  She loves new people and smiles at everyone she meets.  When she gets really happy she wrinkles up her nose and squeals...its the most precious!

We recently went to Floresville to spend a weekend with Grandmama for a change.  Reagan hadn't yet met her great-grandmother and since travelling can be difficult on her we thought it would be a great time for Reagan's first overnight trip.

Oh, the lessons learned being a first time mom....

Reagan had her 4 month shots the Friday we left and although they made her fussy before I wasn't prepared for the 12 hours that were to follow.  You see, I had gone back to work that week and was horrified by all the sick people at work!  Here I was getting nannies to come to the house to keep Reagan out of daycare and I am basically walking though a minefield of disease!  Even with my best efforts of hand washing and staying away from as many people as I could, Friday morning she and I both woke up congested.  Well by the time we got to her doctor's appointment she still didn't have any kind of fever so they decided to give her her shots anyway....lesson learned.  That poor baby got so sick that night, fever of 102 and tylenol around the clock, all led up to a very tired mommy and daddy.    That precious heart though, even when she was miserable and crying, she still would do her best to smile at us in between sobs.

When we all got rested and were feeling better we got the chance to meet up with Kim and her daughter Braelyn who LOVES babies.  The second she saw Reagan she kept saying "hold me" "hold me"....clearly wanting to tote Reagan around like one of her dolls.  Reagan was absolutely fascinated by Braelyn.  Isn't it funny how kids are so enamored with other kids?  We loved our short time with them and Reagan had her first experience with grass.  She loved the texture on her feet and kept stomping in it.

It was so wonderful to see Great-grandma with Reagan.  She absolutely adores babies and showered us with love and compliments.  She read Reagan a story at breakfast and I will always treasure those moments.

Four Generations

Mom made her wedding dress into a baby gown.  Such a special keepsake.

This month has been quite an adjustment.  I've gone back to work, which couldn't be more difficult.  I feel convicted to be there though.  I'm not sure what the Lord has in store for our family, but its clear he has me where he wants me for now.  So I'm now finding the ever elusive life balance.  I will say one thing positive about working, it makes coming home that much sweeter.  I often wonder what I used to do with my time...it certainly wasn't as worthwhile as it is now.

Thoughts on 2011

I'm feeling rather sentimental when I think back on 2011.  In many ways it has been the most difficult year of Larry's and my life, and in many more ways it has been the year of infinite blessings!  Its funny how those things often go hand in hand. 

If I'm honest, I slept through the first half of 2011 and don't really have many thoughts there.  Pregnancy was NOT easy on me.  I praised God each day (well almost) of my morning sickness as I knew that baby was growing strong inside of me.  We made up for the abundance of sleep by the lack of it in the second half!  Praise the Lord though, Reagan is sleeping through the night in good 7-9 hour stretches now.

I can't believe I'm a mother.  I feel 100% different now and completely humbled by this precious gift I did not deserve.  One of my favorite things about parenthood is seeing Larry love our little one.  He is an AMAZING father.  Reagan is so lucky to have such a strong man of God as her daddy. 

 Our little 4lb 4oz miracle

So tiny!

This year has kept us on our knees and it has been a true joy to see how our Father answered our prayers so faithfully.   I have started keeping a prayer journal and writing the date next to answered prayers.  I highly recommend this!  I can be so dense sometimes and forget to thank God when he demonstrates his faithfulness to me.

We lost the patriarch and dear mentor of our family Wilburn Tullar.  This has been such a tough time especially for Larry.  Because Larry spent so much of his time in the NICU with Reagan and I, he wasn't able to go see his grandfather before he passed.  I know God has an immaculate plan and this was part of it, but we lost "Whit" 3 days after we brought Reagan home.

I pray that 2012 will be a year in which we grow closer to God and one another.  My New Year's resolutions can be summed up in 2 words:  Patience and Discipline.  Pretty much name any area of my life and I would like to apply those two words to each situation.

I can't thank all of our friends and family enough for the support and encouragement you all have given us over the past year.  We love each and every one of you tremendously and want to wish all of you a blessed New Year!

Holiday Wrap Up

What a really fun time to be a new parent!  The holiday season is filled with so much love and joy and we are so blessed to have such incredible people to share it with.  I find myself so excited and optimistic for the future and feel so humbled God has given us so much to be thankful for!

We have been keeping Reagan pretty buttoned down as RSV season is gearing up.  Getting RSV is dangerous for any baby, but Reagan being a preemie puts her at a higher risk and we are doing everything we can to keep sickness at bay.  It is so easy to forget because she is doing so well!  At her 3 month appointment she was 11lbs and 23 inches! 

We did manage to spend as much time as possible with our families.  I'm so grateful to have such an amazing support system.  Everyone got flu shots and put up with our endless "is anyone sick" questions.  THANK YOU!

Our holidays can be best summed up in photos:

Reagan met her friend Tate!  We could hope for a marriage here but most likely these two will grow up more like brother and sister =).  Reagan had a hard time staying awake.

Mom got to go to the (disappointing) Texas A&M UT game so we had a little Thanksgiving at home

We also made it to Mimi and Papa's for a beautiful Thanksgiving and got a picture with our Nana(great-grandma) and cousins

 Grant and Katelyn came for a visit and Reagan finally fit into the hat Kate made her!  Check out her Etsy store...she has such precious stuff!

 I love this picture cause you can see Kate taking pictures.  She is so good at documenting her life...something I aspire to in 2012!

Bekki and Sara came to see us twice.  I treasure these two more than I can express in words.  They are my sisters....'nuff said.

Beautiful Bekki.  Reagan and her had a special bond.  I can't wait to see her and Alan as parents one day!

I love this picture of Sara!  Fits her perfectly!!

Reagan at 3 months old

 Merry Christmas Everyone!

My sweet friend Mary Kathryn had the great idea to make ornaments for the grandparents...it wasn't easy with a 2 month old but we got a few!

Nothing will make you appreciate your mom like having a new baby around.  She has been an overwhelming blessing to us!

Mom, Trevor, and his beautiful girlfriend Martha.  We love spending time with these guys!

As per tradition I read the story of Jesus' birth Christmas Eve.  I found myself overwhelmed with emotion this year as the story brought on a whole new meaning having a child of my own. 

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." - Luke 2:19

How Mary must have felt looking down on THE perfect baby.

What a blessed holiday season!

3 months

Wow how time is flying by.  Reagan is already 3 months old!  People are so right when they say the first year goes by fast.  I feel like she was just born a couple of weeks ago!

Reagan had a RSV vaccine appointment where we learned that she is now 11lbs and 23 inches!  She is growing really well and is slowly but surely catching up in size to other babies her age.  We are still going by her adjusted age (1 month) as far as milestones go, but for the most part she's right on schedule.

She absolutely loves her paci still.  This wubanubb is a fantastic invention.  It gives her something to hold on to so she can't spit it out as easily.

Praise the Lord she is sleeping through the night!!!  Just when I felt like I couldn't do one more sleepless night that angel decided to sleep...good girl!

She loves to sleep with her head and feet touching the side of her bassinet.  This makes me so nervous, but no matter how I re-position her, she always ends up this way.

This past month she has really become so much more aware.  In the past week she has gotten so smiley!  Such a happy baby, and it absolutely melts our hearts!

We are getting some use out of the bumbo seat, but we're not really feeling the whole sitting up thing....we'd much rather stand.

I finally got her to wear shoes!  Happy Day =)

Little Reagan you are a treasure and a joy.  You have made our lives so much richer just by being in it.  We love you!



2 months

Reagan and I have been home for a little over a month and I can't believe how much she is growing and changing every day!  We seem to be finally getting into a little bit of a routine at home.  The days still seem to fly by and I'm always very proud of myself if I can get just one thing done!

We had our 2 month well visit and it went great!

Her current stats:

Weight 8lbs 5oz (5th percentile, 75th percentile for preemies her age)

Height 21 inches (10th percentile, 80th percentile for preemies her age)

Weight for heighth: 50th percentile up from 5th last month!  She's gaining folks!

Reagan is officially out of preemie clothes.  Made me a little sad to put them away.  Its hard for me to remember that she was ever that little.  She has doubled her birth weight and is doing so well!

The doctor was really happy with her development.  She's right on track as she should be for a 2 month old....she's just tiny!  She's grabbing and batting at the toys above her, doing the "superman" trying to roll over, and pushing off our hands to try to scooch places.

That sweet girl had already smiled at my mom and Larry, but hadn't smiled at me yet.  Then on the day of her 2 month mark she looked at me (all cross-eyed) and then gave me the cutest crooked little grin!  Melt my heart!  Since then she has given us a few more.  We can't wait until we get them all the time!

We had her 2 month vaccinations and she only cried on the last one...I mean a girl can only be tough for so long!  We also got approved for the RSV vaccine which will make me breathe a little easier through the holidays.  Its a very expensive shot (~$2500/month) so you have to get insurance approval, and we did through December but not without a little fight....Now that she has this vaccine and is doing so well we are able to get out and about a bit more.  We had already been going to the park and getting some fresh air, but now we are able to run errands. She did great on her grocery store trip and received lots of attention!  I've had to ask people to give her some space a couple of times.  I always hate to do that, but her health comes first!

She is such an incredibily easy baby. She really only fusses when she's hungry and sleeps really well...just not for very long. We still get up every three hours on the dot! I think her NICU stay made her very regimented...hopefully we will start getting some longer stretches of sleep in soon.

She loves her bath so much.  I got a few pictures...they crack me up!

One of my very best friends Bekki and her husband Alan gave us a newborn session with the very talented Stephanie of Stephanie Shirley Photography.  Her newborn session was really a 6 week session, but she was newborn size so we went with it!

I often have moments that steal my breath away.  I can't believe this is my life and how lucky I am to have it.  I look at my husband holding our girl and wonder how on earth God saw fit to give me so much in life I don't deserve.

Love my girl and thank you Reagan for not peeing on our bed!

Happy Halloween and other fun stuff

Aww Reagan's first holiday....I must say we didn't do anything really over the top (or anything besides take pictures for this first holiday).  Since we are still in quarantine we'll wait on AMCC's Trunk or Treat for next year.  That gives me some time to think up a cute costume idea too.

We did take a few pictures of her Halloween outfit thanks to Aunt Kitty

We have an upcoming "Pink Out" A&M football game.  So Reagan and her dad got pink BTHO (Beat the Heck Outta) Breast Cancer shirts.  Reagan's Mimi has battled breast cancer so Reagan wanted to show her support!

As you can see Reagan is taking gaining weight VERY seriously!  I can't wait to see how much she weighs at her next doctor's appointment next Monday.  Its hard when I look at pictures from when she was first born to remember how she was ever that little!

She's finally 1 week adjusted!  That is so fun and much easier for me to tell people instead of she's ___ weeks but due on October 27th.  Although now I'll have to explain adjusted age...oh well, milestone hit!

My mom came in town this weekend as well to give Larry and I some together time.  We've been cooped up in the house so it was so nice to get to go to dinner together and catch up on us!  Man I love that guy!  Then my Uncle Wally graciously gave us tickets to the Aggie game.  It was a really tough loss for the Ags, but the weather was gorgeous and I got to saw Varsity's Horns Off with my family so that more than made up for it!

Staying at home watching the game with Grandmama