Lois is 6 months old!

Now I'm sure you're all concerned about where Lois is on the growth charts since she is offically 1/2 year old today. Well, after talking with the developmental pediatrician, I've given up on tracking her growth based on anything but her actual age. So for a little girl with DS who is 6 months old and weighs 13 pounds, Lois is slightly above the 50th percentile. Amazing for a kid who weighed 3 pounds at birth and struggled to get to the 5th percentile for preemies. It must be the twinkies I've been feeding her every morning. (That's a joke, Mom.)








Lois has come a LONG way in 6 months - that's for sure. And along the way, we have met SO many kind, compassionate people who really seem to have taken a liking to our butter bean. Starting with our NICU nurse Harriet, who single handedly guided us through a very scary time. Then there's the multitude of speech therapists who have worked with Lois - starting with Sandra in the NICU who was so very patient with Lois and her mother. I walked in that NICU everyday convinced that "today was the day" the light would come on. Imagine my frustration when Lois would spend 30 minutes sucking down 10ml of milk. There's a special place in heaven for Sandra.

Then there's Dr. Meck who I just want to squeeze till she squeaks (as the Ya-Ya would say.) She's Lois's oncologist who is keeping tabs on Lois's white blood cells to be sure the whole leukemia thing doesn't come back. She so obviously cares so much for my little bean, it makes my heart glow. If I moved to Timbuktu, I would still drive back to Roanoke every month to let Dr. Meck check on Lois.








I'm afraid Jay and I can't take much credit for Lois's progress. We just sit here and feed her, change her pants, and make silly faces at her. We have had so much guidance and help, I can't imagine where Lois would be if we had been left to our own devices. How do first time parents with a "normal" kid do it? How do they know when to start giving their kid cereal without Emily the nutritionist to tell them? How do they know when to change from a number 1 nipple to a number 2 without a speech therapist?

And Ya-Ya, Maggie, and all you other non believers out there - take note. Lois is indeed wearing a dress today - for the first time. But don't you worry. I've got her Osh Kosh overalls on stand by - just in case.