This is the Place

Looks like she's about to sneeze!
Yummy hot chocolate!

Helping Kayleigh make her Christmas spider ornament.

All together with Father Christmas.

Eating our candy canes from Father Christmas.

After visiting This is the Place Heritage Park this past summer we all thought it would be fun to go back at Christmas time. They have a lot of fun things to do there even though it's freezing outside. It would have been sooo cold to be a pioneer in the winter! There were reindeer for the kids to see, a train to climb on, crafts in the cabins to make, a live nativity in the stable, hot chocolate, dancing and singing and even Father Christmas! They also run the train but since it was snowing they didn't have it going. Kayleigh was very sad about that since she remembered riding it in the summer.

We went on the night of the 22nd with my family. It was a very pretty evening with gently falling snow that really set the mood. I am grateful for my nice, warm house, especially at this time of year. I was a little sad knowing we were having a family outing without Landon, but I knew he was better off in the hospital all nice and warm. (Not like we'd have taken him if he had been home from the hospital.) I love Christmas time and I was thankful for this time together to celebrate the season.

Christmas Eve snow

While Michael visited Landon in the hospital and I wrapped presents, Kayleigh got to hang with my family and play in the snow on Christmas Eve. Growing up we would always build a hill of snow with all the snow we would shovel from the back patio. Over the years we'd get some pretty huge hills, thanks to my older brother who had to try to beat the previous year's hill. Anyway, my parents have tried to keep that tradition for the grand kids the past couple of years and this year was no exception. I think Kayleigh really enjoyed playing with her cousins outside. Thanks for watching her while we got things done, Marie and Mom.

Landon's 1st day home

What a stud muffin!

We love you, buddy!

Bringing him home

She's already such a big helper!
She HAD to put him in her new baby high chair she got for Christmas!

Family photo at my mom's when we went to pick Kayleigh up.
First time holding her baby brother.

All ready to go.

Our lovely room at the hospital, it was rather special if ya know what I mean.

The night before Landon came home Michael and I had to stay in the hospital overnight with Landon. We were trained on his oxygen and heart monitor so we know how to use them. We hardly got any sleep as the monitor went off a ton! We figured out that we didn't have the monitor on tight enough and once we re-did it it was better.

Landon was discharged from the NICU on Sunday, the 27th at 11:30 a.m. What a journey the past 15 days have been. Landon did great and progressed each day while he was there. He was 5 lbs. 8 oz. when he was born, he dropped down to 4 lbs. 15 oz. and then was 5 lbs. 9 oz. when he left. We are grateful to all the staff at Davis Hospital that helped him breathe and learn to eat. We are so lucky he did so well and that he's home with us now.

Kayleigh was SOOO excited to see us come to pick her up from Nana and Grandpa's. She was waiting at the door. She was jumping up and down and wanted to hold Landon right away. It was a great reward for her to finally see him/touch him after 2 weeks of waiting. As we drove home she said " We are all together as a family." What a sweetie. We love our kids!

Christmas Dress

It's always kind of fun each year to find Kayleigh a new Christmas dress. This year we went to Kohl's and I found two different ones that I liked and then I let her pick. This is what she chose. What a cutie!

Our Christmas

Cookies for Santa.

Christmas Eve at my mom's, these girls were so tired!

Yummy dinner!

Kayleigh with her new book from Anna.

Visiting Landon

So cute!

Opening a present at Suzy's.

Check out my new dress up shoes!

Kayleigh on Christmas morning being ever so patient.

Christmas Eve, so peaceful.

New pajamas

Landon's wall in the NICU.

(Pictures in no particular order thanks to Blogger.)

This year Christmas was very busy, and felt a little disjointed to me. With all the running to and from the hospital and trying to finish wrapping and delivering gifts it was crazy. However, we still enjoyed ourselves and Kayleigh LOVED opening all of her presents and being with her cousins.

Even though Landon was in the hospital for the holiday, we made sure he was decked out with presents, too. After opening presents at our house on Christmas morning we went to the hospital and Kayleigh got to see Landon through the nursery window glass for the second time. She took him a little stuffed Mickey for Christmas. Landon sported his very cute Christmas bib (thanks, Mom) and a red sleeper someone gave us at the NICU.

For Christmas Eve we went to my parents house. We enjoyed a great dinner spread, music, presents and laughter. Kayleigh was extremely thrilled when she opened her cash register, something she has been wanting very badly.

Christmas Eve night we came home and she got to open her new Christmas jammies. I love the ones I found for her, so soft and cute! She likes them too and stayed in them all day on Christmas. We also had her put cookies and milk out for Santa, along with some carrots for his reindeer. She thought that was pretty neat.

Later on Christmas day we headed to Michael's parents house for dinner and more presents. I was completely worn out by the end of the day. I was grateful to be able to see Landon 2 times that day and be with family. My parents also came over later at night to see what Kayleigh got from Santa. The first thing she showed them is her Handy Manny tool set which she loves.

He's coming home!!!

Landon will make his long awaited arrival home tomorrow. We are very excited! He will come home on oxygen and a heart monitor. We have to spend the night in the hospital tonight to learn how to do his oxygen and monitor. Once again, thanks to everyone who has helped and prayed for us.

Merry Christmas!

We hope that you all have a wonderful day spent with loved ones. We are grateful for the birth of Jesus and all the gospel means in our lives. At this time we are so thankful for all of your prayers in our behalf. With any luck we'll have Landon home on Sunday. Thanks again to everyone and have a very merry Christmas!

An update on our baby

My buddy getting a sun bath (photo therapy for his jaundice, soon he'll be done with the lights)

What a freakin stud! Not many of you can say you own sunglasses like that! And yes, the nurse drew eye lashes on there for him.

Love this picture of me with my little guy! It's pretty awesome when you walk in and the nurse says, "I don't think I've met you." Well, yes, you have, I'm his mom, but today I have make-up and hair done. :-)

He is finally opening his eyes!

Fast asleep after his feeding.

So precious!

One of my only pics with Daddy holding his son.

Landon's first bed in the NICU, he's graduated to the incubator now.

Don't you love the hospital gown?

He has very long toes and fingers.

Kayleigh was very proud of the gifts she brought.

Sorry it's taken me so long to update you all, we've been a little busy! Landon is doing very well! He is on 30% oxygen (we breathe 21%) at a flow of .1 liters. He's up to his full feedings of 40 cc/ml's. (30 ml is one oz.) When we go to feed him he does great and gets it all down from the bottle, but he seems to not want to do as well for the nurses when we aren't there. So, what he won't finish they put down his feeding tube.

It's hard for him to stay awake long enough to eat all that. Plus, he is kind of lethargic from being under the lights from his jaundice. His bilirubin levels were at an 8 today, down from 13.2 so he will soon be done with the lights. hooray!

He's been losing weight, all the way down to 4 lbs. 15 oz. until yesterday when he started to gain and is now at 5 lbs. 1 oz. He's the biggest baby in the NICU right now (13 babies total) and we are grateful for that. Can you imagine if he'd stayed in full-term??? Thanks, buddy, for not stretching me out even more! I'll admit, I would have liked you to stay in for a few more weeks though.

He is doing very well and all the docs/nurses are very optimistic. We still aren't sure when we'll be able to bring him home, but we hope before the new year. Tomorrow Kayleigh gets to see him through the nursery window for the first time. We are very excited for that and will post a new family picture soon.

Thanks to all who have helped us thus far and who are praying for us. Michael and I know we are receiving help from our Heavenly Father and we can feel your prayers. Life is pretty crazy right now as we try to get to the hospital twice a day. Kayleigh has been a trooper and a HUGE help! It breaks my heart when she says she wants to go to the hospital with us and hold him. I hope that really soon he'll come home to see her. Every time before we leave to go to the hospital she gives us a kiss in our hands and we hold it till we get to the hospital and then we give it to baby Landon. He's lucky he has such a great big sister!

Sometime when life isn't so crazy I'll write about his birth and how it all happened. Believe me, it's a good story and I still can't believe it all happened! I'm really tired but hanging in there. I feel that my recovery is going better than after I had Kayleigh, I know that's just one of our blessings. Thanks again to everyone!