Look how far she has come. Leah update.

[WackyDan]

At Maggie Valley and Lamont's I didn't get around much without many of you asking about Leah. I wanted to bring her and my wife Terri, but logistically it just wasn't working this time around.

For those that are new to SpyderLovers... My daughter was born 13 weeks premature at 1 pound 4.2 ounces on October 6th 2010, due to complications in womb. She spent 79 days in the NICU.

Some History:
The beginning of it all:
http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/s...highlight=Leah

Leah is now over 12 pounds, eating solid foods + her formula. No teeth as of yet, but she is getting lots of hair, and she just started rolling over front to back and back to front.

She is visited by our early intervention specialist Sarah every three weeks. While Leah is closing quickly on 9 months old, her adjusted age is 13 weeks less, so at 9 months old, she is considered 5 3/4 months old. Her motor skills are right on track for her adjusted age. Sarah rates her cognitive abilities 2 months ahead of her adjusted age, so she is doing fantastic in that aspect and we can tell.

She studies everything she can or can't get her eyes on. Loves having books read to her and is starting to flip the pages on her own - even if she doesn't really know what a book is for yet. She must like the colors.

So...She is doing great. Quite the little miracle. She is so good natured and happy all the time. She only gets a little cranky after about 7pm when she fights being put down for the night. She sleeps through the night every night, and has been that way ever since we went to longer periods between feedings. She has only woke us up twice in the middle of the night for food.

She is still on her apnea monitor. I don't know why, but the doctors still want her on it. She hasn't triggered the alarm in months now... So hopefully another month or two and she'll be off it.

I could go on and on, but again... Thank you all for all the support you gave me, my wife, and Leah. From the day she was born, not knowing if she would survive the first week, to her release and big day out for the March of Dimes walk... You guys were then and are still the greatest. The hopes and prayers of you, your colleagues at work, and the prayer chains from your church congregations are what I know helped Leah thrive in that NICU and here at home. THANK YOU!

This one event in my life has changed me profoundly. It's not just becoming a father. It was the 79 days in the hospital NICU, the NICU nurses, my family, my friends, Spyderlovers, COMPLETE STRANGERS... I am a far better human today for having to experience the stress, the joy, and even the sadness for some of our little neighbors in the NICU that didn't make it. My fellow humans are what are most amazing, and it made realize how much better I could be and should be. Thank you again.

Here are some new videos and pictures.

First - This was taken soon after we got her home at 4 pounds 10 ounces. This is so you can compare her to the next photos I just took today.


Now compare to today:


Now... She is too big for the RC Spyder, but too small for the big one:


She is very active and happy:


Here is a video of her first giggles about four weeks ago:


She loves to pull her blankets around her head:


Talking to herself: ( I was on the phone at the time...)


Rolling over -Almost anyway.. She finally did the next day:


Anyway... That makes for a good update. Was due for one for quite some time, but we've been enjoying her far too much!

[spyder3]

Congrats dan, she is beautiful....and she already has grown out of her first spyder

john

[TLesky]

Speaking as a parent of a premie, I am very happy to see your little on progressing as she is.

Our youngest was about 12 weeks early, and was 2 pounds-3 oz, I can totally understand everything you have gone through and are going through. My daughter spent the first 3 months of her life in the NICU, and then about every other weekend in and out until she was about 16 months. At that point the doctors decided she needed reconstructive trachea surgery as hers was only about 1/3 of the size it should be.

To make a short story very long here,, my baby will be 16 in Sept, and with the a few small qwirks like mild asthma, she is doing great. And the best part is she wants her ownas soon as she gets her liscence.

I hope my story helps you to see that even though your little one was REAAALLLLY little to start off, she will do fine and be out drive her own before you know it..

[SpyderRyder2B]

Beautiful. Thanks for the update and the pictures. What a blessing !

[Bob Denman]

Such a cutie!! ...and she's big enough now for her SECOND Spyder!

[jimclarkf1]

Thank you WACKY, I have been thinking about her, and I will give a report to our PRAYER group. KEEP IT UP, she will be contolling that SPYDER soon.

[spyder-dude]

She is a cutie! Love the spyder pics too!

[DocRags]

Absolutely adorable pictures, WackyDan...thanks for sharing them and posting an update. We'll look for you at SITA next month. Now we're thinking of riding to Magog as well...haven't mapped that out on the GPS yet. Wondering how we'll do in a French-speaking province. Actually, I'm still wondering if we'll get our registration mailed before the event, given the Canadian postal strike! Hope your baby continues to grow in leaps and bounds!

[SpyderAnn01]

What a beautiful little doll. Thanks for the update on her progress.

[NancysToy]

Thank you, Dan. Hearing how she was doing, when we were in Maggie Valley, wasn't half a great as the pictorial update. She sure has a lot of concerned Godparents here!

[murphybrown]

Thank you for the pic update...Praise the Lord..what a miracle she is...totally awesome...you guys are soooo blessed...

[CyncySpyder]

I actually had goose-bumps while I was reading your update, Dan. It's so painful at the time to go through life events such as this, but like you said, it changes you as a person, usually for the better. And when you see all of the love & support that is out there, it can be overwhelming, but it shows you how much good their is in this world. Too often, we get caught up in our own lives & allow small annoyances to seem giant, insurmountable road-blocks to whatever our intended goal may be. Then, every now & then, we have an AHA! moment like many of us had when we 1st read about Leah, and then all of our own little problems seemed to pail in comparisson to what you were experiencing at that time. I know first hand, that the SpyderLovers Community is 2nd to none in their willingness to help out another community member, and I'm just glad & proud to be a part of it myself.

It's great see'n Leah do'n so well, and it looks like you'll be needing to get her, her own SpYder in not too long Teddy & I continue to pray for her wellbeing & your strength on a nightly basis.

[JimAlpha]

You have been blessed with Leah! She looks great. You have had quite a year, Dan. Good to see things are going well.

[musicarcade]

She is just priceless! Those photos are wonderful- especially w/ you and Leah on your Spyder.

I am sooo glad things are are working out so well.

[Trickie Dick]

This such good news to hear she is doing so well. Keep us posted. You have a lot extended "family" here and we all wish her well.

[wildbill6565]

Dan enjoyed meet you at Lamonts and seeing Leah makes me wish we could have a new Grandlady too BUT

[Yazz]

Baby Leah has come such a long way, and she's such a sweetie!

Before you know it, she'll be wanting to borrow the keys to your Spyder.

[ataDude]

She is a cutie, Dan. I'm so glad she is doing well!

.

[GloryRyders]

Great pics Dan................you are really blessed to have her. Now, I wonder if you can get a sidecar for the , then you could take her everywhere!

[Papa]

Thanks for the update. It doesn't get much better than this. Congrats

[wyliec]

Fantastic

[hotmanali]

Such a beautiful little girl... Keep her strong

[MarkLawson]

What a great update. Praise God for how well she is doing!

[dancogan]

That's just wonderful! You have so much to enjoy in the future, you just can't imagine. I just spent the morning hiking in Glacier National Park with my wife and my son. My son was born 30 years ago at just over 2 pounds and spent 101 days in the NICU. You are blessed.

[WackyDan]

That's just wonderful! You have so much to enjoy in the future, you just can't imagine. I just spent the morning hiking in Glacier National Park with my wife and my son. My son was born 30 years ago at just over 2 pounds and spent 101 days in the NICU. You are blessed.

If there is one thing I learned... Preemies, and micro-preemies are more common than I would have ever imagined. Met so many Spyderlovers and friends, + co-workers that went through the same thing. One co-worker even wrote a book about it... We learned a lot from those that had already been through it.