Every morning when I wake up to feed Lilly, her little body is full of life. As soon as I open the shades, her blue eyes sparkle in the rays of light that shine through the window. Typically, she maneuvers herself out of the swaddle and is on the other side of the crib! It's these type of moments where I get the uncontrollable urge to kiss her all over her face. It's the one trait of my mothers that I already can't resist!

Lilly and Great Grandma Bombria

As you can see.....I've been busy learning lots of new things today!

When it was time for Lilly to get out of her bath she was crying so hard she had little tears running down her cheeks! Daddy got her towel ready and put her pacifier in her mouth and it was as if nothing had ever happened. Too bad her little head is too small for the hooded part of the towel!

Our first full week

It has been so nice having Lilly home with us and watching her grow.....and she really is growing! During one of her late night feedings last night I was holding her head and realized that it's not as lightweight as it used to be! She's slowly starting to fit into her preemie clothes. She continues to only cry when it's time to eat and when I'm changing her diapers. When it's bathtime she only cries when it's time to wash her hair! Her only appointment this week was for her eyes. The doctor said that although her eyes are still immature, they look okay. She REALLY cried for that appointment.....poor thing has to do it again in two weeks! Today is wash day and I thought that since I had to wash her sheets, I would give her some tummy time while I did some chores. Lilly has a rough day ahead of her too.....we're going to go for a walk and I'm going to get her dressed up again! I can't help it.....she looks so cute in everything she wears!

Daddy's Little Girl

While holding Lilly, Dan said "Take a picture of me and Lilly with her little pink boots on."

Sleeping Beauty

Destiny Fulfilled

I finally found the one thing missing in my life…..being a mom. I’ve always known that being a mom was the one thing I wanted most in life, but to finally be one is such a gift. Lillian truly is my destiny. Since bringing her home, I find myself in tears from time to time. Tears of absolute joy. Dan has given me an even greater gift…..the opportunity to spend my entire day with her. I can’t imagine someone else being there for all of her “firsts.” How lucky I am.

What a busy week for little Lillian! Yesterday she had her first bath at home and she did some naughty things!! First she went number one all over my shirt while I transferred her from her room to the bath......then she did number two during the bath! At least she's smells like Johnson & Johnson now! Then today we had her first appointment with Dr. Gurski. Every one in the waiting room was telling me how cute she was and asking how much she weighed. I of course had to get her dressed up for the occasion! She weighed 4 lbs 7.2 oz today so she's doing really well at home! I'm really enjoying having her home as is Dan. He's been really cute with her and still asks me if it's okay for him to pick her up and hold her!

She's finally home! We arrived at the hospital around 10 this morning and Lilly was a bit hungry so we had to feed her before we left. When I started dressing her in the outfit that Aunt Betsy bought her I realized just how small she is! She weighed 4 lbs 1.2 oz as of last night and the doctor said that everything looks great! She seemed to enjoy the long ride home and didn't wake up once! As soon as we got home we took her for a walk since it's supposed to rain later on. I already feel so much more relaxed now that she's home.....like this is the way it was meant to be. I wish that my mom and Dan's dad were here to get to know her.....but I know that they're with us every step of the way. What a great July 4th and the world's greatest birthday present for me!

She's coming home!

Tomorrow is the big day! Although the past 4 weeks have gone by really quickly, tomorrow couldn't come soon enough! I spent last night at the hospital in one of their family suites that they provide for mothers who are nursing so we can get used to dealing with a preemie at night. Although I only got 2 hours of sleep, Lilly did great through the night. I think that the only reason that I didn't sleep is that I was worried that I would wake up and she wouldn't be breathing. The doctor is really happy with her progress and doesn't forsee Lilly having any problems in the future (knock on wood!) Sadly the weather is supposed to be bad tomorrow, but if the report is wrong like it so often is we're going to go for a walk.....if not she'll enjoy a nice bath!

See Lillian in action!

Check out my Kodak gallery to see a movie of Lillian that I took yesterday! This is when she was being a little fussy in between feeds and she just happened to have the hiccups!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/MyGallery.jsp?autologin=true&c=b3_hom_sign_ret

The Princess's room!

Lilly's room still needs a few finishing touches but for the most part it's all done! Dan has to touch up her dresser a little bit and I need to add a few more decorative pieces until I'll be completely happy with it. Hopefully the paintings that I did added a bit of color to a really white room. The paintings that I liked the best were the Calla lillies that I painted that I put on each side of her mirror. All in all I like the way that the room turned out....I think that it turned out really sweet.

She's almost there......4 lbs to be exact! Tonight Lilly weighed in at 3 lbs 13 oz and she has been completely off of the supplement for 2 days! We're still unsure of her exact release date but we know it will be soon. Her face is really starting to fill in and she's awake even longer now which has been a lot of fun.....and a lot of work! It's been a lot harder feeding her the past couple of days but I know that it's a learning process for the both of us and that we'll get the hang of it sooner or later! We're still very thankful that she has continued to do so well!

It just keeps on getting better!

Everyday we continue to receive good news! Today when we visited we were greeted by Lillian sitting in her carseat! The monitors never went off so she passed her first test! Then to top things off she is completely off the monitors and shouldn't have any wires attached to her tomorrow when I visit. Finally.....as of last nights weigh in she weighed 3 lbs 9.4 oz! I'm hoping that she'll be home this weekend, especially since Aunt Betsy will be visiting. In the mean time I have a bunch of little things to make sure I have before she comes home which will keep me busy in between my visits. I'm including a pic of Lilly in her carseat......it really does put into perspective just how little she is!

Lilly had visitors today! Aunt Lindsay and Donna stopped by to say hello! She was asleep most of the time since she had just finished eating but she was still cute nonetheless! She weighed
3 lbs 8.4 oz as of last night and will be weighed again tonight. We brought her car seat in so that she can hopefully start sitting in it sometime this week!

No real news to report today other than her weight which is up to 3 lbs 7.2 oz! She's gaining roughly an ounce a day so at this rate it's a possibility that she could be released later next week! I'm still planning on her coming home the week of July 4th so if she does come home sooner it will just be a bonus! I'll be bringing her car seat in next week because they require that she sit in it an hour after her feeding to make sure that she can handle sitting up. I'm almost done getting her room done and should have it complete by this weekend. I just can't wait to see her in her own crib, in her very own room. I thought that today's pic looked like she was puckering up for a kiss......so I of course gave her one!

She's getting bigger!

Little Lilly is up to 3 lbs. 5 oz! Our evening nurse said that the only thing that Lilly has to do to be able to leave is come off of the monitors (which she said she "could" do now but they usually wait another week) and gain some more weight. We are truly lucky considering that her neighbor was born at 1 lb and has been there for over 3 months and will probably be there after Lilly leaves. It's become a lot harder for me to leave her in the evening as she's becoming more alert and has her beautiful blue eyes open longer.....but I know that she is in a good place and that she's being taken care of.....I just wish she was home.

Happy Father's Day!

Dan received a wonderful father's day gift by seeing Lillian in her new crib! She's doing really well and is starting to eat more on her own. She even started sucking her thumb today while Aunt Betsy was holding her!

Each day we receive good news! Lilly is being taken out of her isolette today and is being put into an open air crib since she's been maintaining her temperature! She also started gaining weight and is now 3 lbs. 4.4 oz!

Today was a good day! I was able to take Lilly out of her isolette on my own which was a great feeling! I held her for almost 3 hours the first time which was even nicer since they limit the time you can hold her in the NICU. The doctor said that Lillian was the easiest report that he gives everyday and that she has been an absolute joy. All of the nurses comment on how perfect her little face is and I must say I agree!

She graduated!

Lilly was moved to the CCN today! When me and Mary arrived at the hospital I had a feeling that she wasn't in the NICU anymore and I was right! Lilly is looking better every day and we are so thankful that she is doing so well. She's been having a bit of trouble with her feedings since she's eating a lot more but we've been told that during the next couple of weeks she'll remember that she needs to breathe when she eats!

The Lilly report!

Lillian is doing absolutely wonderful! Her IV was taken out yesterday so she is now able to go to the Continuing Care Nursery as soon as a bed opens! She started gaining weight and the doctor expects that from this point on she'll start getting bigger (although she may continue to lose some weight for a couple more days.) Once she moves into the CCN I'll have more access to her as they want me to learn how to take care of her on our own so that we'll be ready once she's been discharged. So far they've been allowing me to feed her and change her diapers, but once in the CCN I'll be able to take her out of her crib on my own without asking permission (it really feels strange asking someone if I can hold my own baby!) I'm really thankful that she is doing so well and that we haven't had any complications (knock on wood!) Dr. Piccerella expects that Lilly should be home in around 3 weeks.......we can't wait!

What a smile!

Just thought that I would add this cute pic that we took last night. Lilly had just returned from a vacation under the lights and was all tucked into herself. What a cutie!

She's here!

The greatest gifts really do come in the smallest of packages! Lillian Grace Bombria decided it was time to come out on June 7 at 8:29 a.m. at 32 weeks along. She weighed in at 3 lbs. 1 oz and measured 16 1/2 inches long. We are truly grateful for the prognosis that she has been given thus far and by the grace of god she hasn't required any oxygen to this point. Her feedings are increased daily and she should be gaining weight sometime this week (the doctor says that it's normal for a preemies weight to fluctuate the first couple of days.) She has a full head of hair and her dad's eyes at the moment! It's been a very scary week for all of us, but we are thankful that Lilly is doing so well and we pray that things will only get better from here on out.

Lazy but productive weekend!

With all of the rain we had this weekend we decided to stay in and finish up working on Lilly's dresser so I can finally get things started since there's only 8 weeks left until she's here! Dan did 95% of the work (which was fine by me!) and I supervised to make sure everything went okay. We decided to take a break in the afternoon and went to the Chinese Buffet for a late lunch. When we returned, there was a huge box in front of the door. We received a beautiful high chair from Rebecca and I was so excited to put it together. Luckily it only took 4 screws so it was up and ready in no time. Other than an appointment this week, I don't have anything planned other than making my thank-you notes for the upcoming showers and painting some canvases for her room since it's so white at the moment. And hopefully, I'll be able to kick this horrible cold out the door!

Lazy Memorial Day Weekend!

We did absolutely nothing this weekend which was nice and even if I wanted to I don't think that I would have had the strength! I've been sick for the past week which has been rough on poor Dan! He says that I've been snoring horribly (which is hard for me to believe) and I've been coughing non-stop. Hopefully I'll feel better by the end of the week. Dan started painting the dresser and although it's going to need quite a few coats of paint I think that it's going to turn out really nice. I think that once that's all set I can start getting some things together and figuring out what I'm going to put on the walls since everything is so white at the moment. I've got another appointment tomorrow so hopefully everything will be okay. I have to order her diapers too sometime this week which I'm excited about. If only they magically cleaned themselves after she did her deed!

Today is a day of rest after the day we had yesterday!! I went to my doctors appointment in the morning and I thought that everything would be okay. First I noticed that she put 12# weight gain on my chart!! 12 POUNDS in 3 weeks! Then my blood pressure was up once again. Then to top things off she didn't like the amount of swelling that she saw in my feet and face. So, she proceded to ask me if I had any plans for the rest of the day and I of course said nothing major. She then asked me to go to the hospital for observation! I was shocked to say the least since I have been feeling fine other than the swelling. She said that the weight gain is because of the swelling and since I was on my feet everyday last week to help Betsy out, I never had a chance to rest. So, I called Dan and let him know (crying the whole time!) and asked him to stay at work unless I called and told him otherwise. So, I was in the hospital for around 4-5 hours while they monitored my blood pressure (which was normal the whole time) and ran some labs. I'm on moderate bed rest which is basically what I was doing before. I'm still able to do things but I just have to make sure that I rest. The doctor that saw me was confindent that everything will be okay but that I just need to take it easy which I plan on doing anyways. I was confident the whole time that everything would be okay......except while I was on the phone with Dan.....that's when I became scared! Luckily we're both doing okay and Lillian even had the hiccups while she was being monitored! Now if I could only stop snoring......poor Dan!

We're finally home after a long week in Syracuse! Betsy's wedding was beautiful and even though it sprinkled a little it was still a picture perfect day. She looked absolutely amazing in her dress with her hair all done up. Hopefully she'll get some pictures soon since I forgot to give Dan my camera! Other than that I'm happy to be back home. My feet were REALLY swollen throughout the week which prevented me from wearing my shoes for the wedding. The swelling has gone down a bit but they're still a little puffy. I've been trying to take it easy which is hard for me to do because I have a lot of stuff that needs to be done to get ready for Lillian. We picked up my aunt's dresser this weekend and I'll be cleaning and sanding it during the week so it can be painted white to match her crib. The only piece of furniture left to get is a small bookcase to hold the mounds of books I hope to buy for her. Hopefully I'll find one tomorrow when I go shopping after my doctors appointment. I just hope for a clean bill of health for both me and Lillian. Only 10 weeks to go!

It's been a busy week for me and Lillian! Dan drove us to Syracuse last Saturday to be with Betsy before the wedding to help out. I've been feeling okay but have been experiencing some swelling in my face, hands and feet. Luckily, wearing flip-flops and putting ice on my face has helped. Sadly, my wedding ring doesn't fit anymore. Since I feel lost without them on, they've been moved to my pinky finger. Betsy been keeping my busy and working me like a pregnant slave (luckily her whip doesn't hurt too bad!) Only a couple more days until the big day which we'll both be looking forward too. We made a trip to Babies R' Us yesterday to find out whether or not some of the items were discontinued and since we verified that they were, I had to make different choices. I'm just glad Betsy noticed for me!

Today I went to the Antique show which is held a couple of towns over hoping that I would find a dresser and a bookcase for Lillian's room. Although I got a lot of great excercise, I wasn't able to find anything in our price range. I was able to find one dresser that matched perfectly with her crib.....unfortunately it was $800.....$400 more that I was planning on spending! So now we'll be off to the unfinished furniture store again to buy a dresser that we can paint ourselves. Hopefully it will turn out as nice as our kitchen table and chairs did!

I had an appointment today with Dr. Molinari to make sure that Lillian is growing normally since my blood pressure is always high when I go to the office. She's measuring at exactly 27 weeks so everything is perfect. Unfortunately, at the moment, she's standing upright which explains the added pressure on my bladder. Luckily, the doctor says that she has plenty of time to flip!

We picked up the crib this past weekend! As soon as we got home we started working on it and putting it together since I'm so impatient. Luckily it took less than 30 minutes. I was expecting that there would be some scratches on it from shipping but it's thankfully in perfect condition (for now!) Now it's time to decorate! I'm going to make a canopy for over her bed to add some color and hopefully I'll be able to add a light fixture to go underneath it to give it a more custom look. We're going to wait to buy the rest of the furniture until the Antique fair comes through town in a few weeks to see if we can find anything. I still have to add some more color to her rocking chair since it's a little dull now, but hopefully everything will come together in the end. Lots of work to do and only 13 weeks to do it in!

Just a little note to say that Dan felt the baby this morning! I don't think that I've ever seen such a face on him before! She's usually really active in the morning and today it seems like she's exercising in there. I'm glad that he was finally able to feel her because I could tell that he was a little disappointed up until this point.

I had our 25 week appointment yesterday and everything seems to be going well. Other than the lack of sleep, everything has been wonderful! My blood pressure was high again at the appointment, partly due to my being nervous about the glucose test. I'm relieved to know that my blood pressure is always normal when I take it at home though. Dr. Molinari wants me to come back in 2 weeks for a sono just to make sure that the baby looks okay. She says that moms with high blood pressure tend to have smaller babies so she just wants to be sure. She said that there isn't a cause for real concern since she looked normal at our last sono and I'm measuring normally. I'm not worried either since I've ALWAYS had high blood pressure whenever I walk into any doctors office.......it's the fear of the needle! I felt Lillian kick on the outside of my stomach for the first time this past weekend and I've been able to feel her with my hand ever since. She's been really active, especially when I first wake up and right before I go to bed. Unfortunately, she stops kicking right when Dan comes over :o( So hopefully I'll have another picture to post in 2 weeks. Only 15 weeks to go!!!

We're off to Syracuse this weekend for Easter which I'm looking forward too since it's been awhile. Me, Betsy and Mary have a bridal shower to go to on Saturday and then hopefully me and Betsy can do something afterwards. My dad has been anxious to find out the baby's name which he'll finally find out when we come home.....it's just a matter of whether I want to wait until Saturday or right when we arrive! We also get to see my dad's new house which will be exciting and a little strange at the same time. It will be wierd not pulling into Laurelwood, but I think that it's a good change. Once the baby's room is cleaned after this weekend I'll post pics so I can start to show the progress of how it'll be decorated (I can't wait!)

Well we finally found out and we're having a GIRL! We are both shocked since we thought from the beginning that it was a boy, but we're very happy to say the least! Dr. Molinari says that everything looks fine with the baby and that she a little over a pound now and is a perfect size. She gave me even better news by letting me know that everything was alright with me and that my blood pressure was down. So now we get to start buying clothes and decorating her room. We'll post her name as soon as we tell our families. I can't believe that I'm having a little girl!!!!!

Well tomorrow is the big day! I've been keeping my fingers crossed that we'll be able to find out, especially since I'm so impatient! I'm really ready to start shopping and getting the baby's room decorated and start buying some clothes. Even though I don't want to paint since this is just a temporary home, I still want it to feel like a baby's room so I'll be doing my best to make sure it's perfect! I'm hopeful that the doctor will tell me that all is well both with me and the baby!