Lorelai is SIX months old

Six whole months...wow. Half a year...I really just can't believe it. How has a half a year has gone by since our precious girls were born. It seems like it was just yesterday, but in the same breath it feels as though it's been forever. I can't imagine our lives without this special little miracle. She brings so much joy to our lives!!! 

We've had a busy month and not a whole lot has happened I don't feel. We are just continuing to adjust to our new normal. Most days I feel completely out of sorts. Having Lorelai has been the hardest adjustment on me, but slowly I think we are figuring things out. 

Lorelai is all smiles almost all of the time. She loves to smile and it truly just melts my heart. 

I've tried to get better at tummy time, and floor time. She loves her play mat, and often will fall asleep on it, it doesn't matter if she is on her tummy or her back. 

She is really good about sitting in one place just smiling at her brothers!

We had the first a few long car rides with her this month. We drove up to Valparaiso this month to celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary!!! We had family pictures done, and Lorelai got her first official Hansen family picture done....She's 1 of 14 great grandchildren!!! 3 of which are just a 3 months apart. 

While we were up in NW Indiana, we made a stop by Uncle Andrew and Aunt Beth's house. Aunt Beth put her hair in her first "ponytail" Overall Little miss did great!! The trip was a challenge because I65 was closed, so it took us longer to get up there than normal but Lorelai did great sleeping! She's a great little traveler!

Lorelai has started to show signs of wanting to roll over. I have now had to strap her into her swing (which broke! ) or her bouncy seat because she likes to push up with one of her feet and almost rolls herself out of it. 

Such a goofball

Also this month we went to her first NICU reunion. Every year the NICU puts on this amazing event for all past NICU parents! It was so great to see some of her old nurses and show off how well she is doing at home!!!

and we met up with one of her primary nurses who couldn't make it to the reunion because she had to  work.

with Nurse Cheyenne! 

We continue to work on Tummy time, and she does a great job of letting me know how she feels about it. Lorelai is very expressive, and here are her thoughts on tummy time. 

I also celebrated a huge milestone this month, turning 30! But I got to spend the day with all the people I love most! We decided to make another road trip up to Chicago. It took us 5 hours to get up there thanks to the detour and the need to stop once for food for the boys and Lorelai needing to eat. But overall all 3 did great!!! While in chicago we got to celebrate my sister and Ian's ENGAGEMENT! YAY 

While up in Chicago we took tour around the city and she did awesome!!! She really is a great little traveler and I'm starting to figure out how to travel with a baby who requires to be bottle fed. The boys were so much easier because I could just breastfeed, but she's challenging in that I need to find a way to warm up her bottles since she is on fortified breastmilk. And also finding a place or timing it for me to pump.

Sleeping on TT

One of the reasons we were up in Chicago was because we wanted to got to Day out with Thomas. She again and of course did great and the boys had a wonderful time. These boys and their trains!!!

sleeping on Papa

her smile is just magical

I took this picture to show how big she has gotten. She is officially 5 times her birth weight at 10lbs 11 oz when this picture was taken!!!

Her reflux has been really bad this month. She was growing increasingly more uncomfortable. So when we went to the doctor and she hadn't gained weight quite like they had wanted we decided to change up her reflux medication. We also had a swallow study because she was struggling to really eat and we wanted to make sure that nothing odd was going on. We learned that she aspirates (her food goes into her lungs instead of her stomach) when she gets a little tired. We were instructed to pace her feedings. Giving her a break every 4-5 sucks (which is quite challenging at times) and then we follow up with speech therapy (they are the speciality that works with swallowing). We are hopeful that this new approach is going to help get her over her weight gaining and eating hurdles. If it doesn't get any better then we will have to move her to nectar thick liquids which according to them means she won't be able to use my breastmilk. But we will cross that bridge when we get there...for the time being Adam and I have really noticed a positive change in her. She is more comfortable when it comes to eating and although she sill pukes its not as often or as much. WIN!

whatcha gonna do mom? Reflux sucks

She's really getting big

She has started to sleep with her face up against things like this and contorts her body in the oddest of ways. Maybe it's me reading into things but I think this is how the girls slept together in utero. I'm not sure, obviously but to me it is the only thing that makes sense.

This month has just been such a wonderful blessing. Each day with her feels like a miracle. When I think back to where we were 6 months ago and the uncertainty of her and Laynie's survival I'm overcome with gratitude to everyones prayers and support but most importantly to our wonderful and powerful God who allowed us to have her with us here on earth. She's just getting so big!

Lincoln has really stepped up as a big brother. He's more like a little Daddy. He is always worried about her and wanting to help care for her. And just recently  he found a purple stuffed animal that giggles and he always carries it around and cares for it. He's going to be a great Dad someday (LONG time from now) but for now he really is the best big brother ever! 

I love these late night snuggles with my girl. It never gets old and really warms my heart when I'm missing her sweet sister. 

Life as a family of 6 just gets sweeter and sweeter and We just couldn't be more blessed. 

Sleeping through the craziness that is her brothers

This months pictures were a bit of a challenge. She puked twice and refused to smile when I was taking the pictures. The minute I put my camera down she was all smiles!

she puked right after I took this above picture. so it was on to outfit #2

then she puked again...so outfit #3 it is.

sneeze

I have a picture on my camera of her with this bear at 1 month old.
I intend to do a comparison picture

Lorelai Raegan Kimberly. You are so perfect and so beautiful We love you more than you'll ever know. You bring us so much joy and we can't wait to see where you go in the next 6 months!