Just when we think we have things figured out and feel like we are on the road to recovery, we come across a bump in the road.......like getting teeth!!! Kate was doing great with her feedings until a few days ago and now doesn't even like the bottle in her mouth. However, she loves to bite down on our finger, which is about all that will alleviate the pain for her other than Tylenol (of course). It's interesting because she is getting her 2 "eye" teeth on the bottom, which is not very common. It will be interesting to see how it changes her looks. She has also been up a lot during the night, which we haven't been used to.

On Saturday, I ran the Rex Lee 10k in Provo. I had planned to push Kate in her stroller, but it was a little bit chilly when the race started, so she hung out with Dad. I'm hoping to do a few more races this summer so she can be my running buddy.

Out for a walk

Kate has had 3 appointments this week, so we have been busy going back and forth to Primary's. We absolutely love the weather. It has been so nice to finally be able to take Kate out without worrying so much about her getting sick. It still takes her awhile to get used to the sun and the wind, but I think she really likes it.

This past weekend was a first. I took a trip down to St. George with some friends for a "girl's weekend." It was really hard because this was the longest I have been away from Kate (even when she was in the hospital). It was a nice change for her being with just Dad.

Devin, Drew, Kate and Gavin

We're Back!

It seems like this week has gone by way too quick. We had a great time in Fillmore with Grandma and Grandpa Roper and the cousins. Bryan left for Florida early Monday morning. Kate had an appointment to get her Synagis shot that day, so we planned to just leave right after her appointment. Well, we got the car all packed up and ready to go and were on our way. I got about 1 mile from our home when the car ran out of gas.....ahhhh! Are you kidding me??? I called the doctor to let them know the situation and they couldn't get Kate in until later that day so I just decided to drive to Fillmore and scheduled to get Kate's shot on Friday instead. well, I got a call the next day from her doctor and they are out of the office on Friday and wouldn't be able to give the shot until Monday (today). She strongly urged us to bring her in because she didn't want to take any chances with her getting RSV. So....Kate, Grandma and I drove up to American Fork on Tuesday to get her shot. I'm so glad I did, though, because I would feel horrible if she did get RSV. It's a good thing that Kate likes to travel : )

Bryan flew in last night and was so glad to be home. He bought Kate this cute little Disney outfit from Orlando. He loves to spoil her : )

Grumpy Pants

Not a fan of "tummy time"

Lately, we have been trying to get Kate to have more tummy time and she absolutely HATES it. So instead of just putting her flat of her tummy, we will prop her up against the cushion of the sofa and let her use her hands. She will tolerate it for a few minutes but will throw a fit. She's really getting a strong personality. I have to say that Bryan and I have spoiled her by not allowing her to get used to it from the start. So, we have our work cut out for us : )

On Wednesday, Kate had an appointment with her cardiologist. They were really impressed with how well she's doing. In fact, her heart is not requiring any additional oxygen.....which is great. However, her lungs are still recovering and trying to get stronger so she will need to be on oxygen until they can completely heal. We were a little disappointed that she couldn't go off of it sooner, but we look at it like we have done this for 8-months now so I think we can handle it for a bit longer. We are encouraged, though, because Kate's cry is a lot stronger which is showing signs that her lungs are getting more healthy. Unfortunately, we had to put the feeding tube back in on Tuesday. She's still not taking enough from the bottle to justify taking it out for good. However, with all of the experimenting we have done over the past few weeks, she still manages to gain weight. She is now up to 15 lbs.

Today we took Kate to church. She made it through all 3 meetings. WOW!! It's been so nice to be able to take her, especially now that the weather has been so nice. Bryan is leaving for Florida tomorrow for work, so Kate and I are going to Fillmore for the week. We are really excited.

We went to Peyton's 1st birthday party this weekend. Peyton was Kate's roommate in the NICU and he is doing so well. He was born at 24-weeks and weighed only 1 lb. 7 oz. It was fun to see him because we haven't seen him since we left the NICU 6-months ago. It is absolutely amazing the things that can be done to save a baby that size. It looks like Peyton is trying to make a move on Kate already :)

We also took out Kate's feeding tube this weekend. When we took it out, we changed her cannula and snapped a quick shot of her with no attachments. So, it was fun to see what she looks like without all those tubes. So far, she has done really well and we want to see if how she will do without it. We're hoping that she will be able to handle it. Basically, she just needs to continue gaining weight. I guess we'll find out when she goes up for her Cardiology appointment on Wednesday.

Elf or Yankees Fan???

Grandma and Grandpa Roper brought this cute little outfit back from New York a few months ago. We are so excited that she finally fits into it. By the way things are going, she will probably grow out of it quick (her thighs and cheeks are a good indication)!

The last couple of days have been awesome!! Kate has been reflux-free since Sunday. She is a much happier baby and sleeps so much better now. We think that she is finally on her way to outgrowing this reflux.