Growing Independence

Mars is becoming his own little person so much lately. It's amazing what he can do each day that he wasn't able to do even just the day before. Perhaps that's why he's up late at night - planning the next day's adventures:)


Marley's reaching for the things he wants now. We've been giving him baths in the kitchen sink, which he loves. Now, every time we turn on the water, he reaches for it like he thinks he is getting a bath. So, we roll up his sleeves and let him put his hands under the water, which seems to satisfy him for a while. He's also beginning to use his spoon and his sippy cup!

Who needs sleep?

Well, there was no projectile vomiting last night. So, that was good. But, Mars was awake and being fussy for nearly two hours from about 3-5 am! That has never happened before, so I guess we were due. His sleep has been off ever since we got back from Michigan. I think that he is transitioning to two naps instead of three, which is messing with his night time sleep. All the new foods he's eating can't help the situation either. He fell asleep in his own bed fairly easily tonight. Hopefully he stays asleep!

I was wiped out after last night, so I left Jeff and Mars at home and spent the afternoon shopping for new school clothes. I haven't been shopping by myself in a LONG time. It was very refreshing AND I got some cute outfits:)

Cindy Turns Two

On Thursday we celebrated Cousin Cindy's second birthday. She was so cute opening her presents and eating birthday cake. We had lots of fun!


Last night Mars gave us a scare. About an hour after we laid him down, he projectile vomited his dinner up (that he had eaten six hours earlier!). I was in the room, so I saw it happen. It was very strange. One minute he was sleeping soundly, the next he was throwing up - a lot. He cried, but once we got him cleaned up he seemed fine. And he didn't have a temperature or anything. We think that the avocado he ate earlier in the day was just too chunky for him. He seems okay today, so who knows what happened.

Babe Note

As the Babe's mellow cooing reaches our ears, it may sound at some times forlorn, and at others like excited chattering. On a warm, lazy, summer afternoon, the Babe's voice seems to speak more of serenity than anything, and of a familiar, peaceful connection to nature. Listen for a flute-like and upward-spiraling sound often followed by gentle warbling music, or high-pitched galloping phrases. The joyful song of the Babe can be heard year round. During the summer months, the Babe sheds it's colorful garb, and bares it's tiny pink chest. See if you can spot one in your neighborhood today!

Sunday Visit from Nai Nai

We've all had such a busy summer that it's been a while since Marley last saw his Nai Nai. First, Mars ate his lunch at home. Then, we walked to the Farmer's Market where we bought carrots, broccoli, cherries, tomatoes, and strawberry lemonade. Shopping at the Farmer's Market always makes me hungry, so we went over to Lee's for lunch. I got the Thai Curried Garden Vegetables. Mmm... Sorry, no picture.

Developmental Evaluation, part I

Marley had his first developmental assessment at Swedish this morning. He got to see the same occupational therapist that he saw in the NICU (which was kind of exciting). She administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, which assesses cognitive development as well as fine and gross motor development. It was an hour long, and Mars worked very hard to complete all the tasks. The results?

Marley's Actual Age: 7 months 5 days
Age Corrected for Prematurity: 5 months 9 days
Developmental Age (according to the BSID): 4 months 20 days
Mars falls within the normal range for his corrected age. His therapist says that he is developing normally and she saw nothing that would be a cause for concern. Yay!

She sent Jeff and I away with several activities and exercises to do with Marley that will encourage his growth and development. It was a very positive experience and I think we learned a lot. The next follow-up is around 15 months or when Marley starts walking, whichever comes first.

Seattle Aquarium

Yesterday, we went to the Seattle Aquarium with Tanya and Jada. There were lots of colorful fish for Mars to look at. He especially liked the large tanks!