Finally getting to the blogging!

I've totally been meaning to start a blog about Alexa's life for all my family and friends who we don't get a chance to see very often. Unfortunately, just as things go in a mother's life, time has flown by-- Alexa is now 5 months old! I am going to be doing some back blogging, starting with her birth and a few other memorable things that have happened over the past 5 months, it may be hard to pick just a few things, because each day is truly memorable.

I'm going to start by going over some highlights from the last few months... we have a ton of really cute pictures on Picasa web albums, so if you want to check out more pictures than what I have here, feel free!

http://picasaweb.google.com/karamcdonald03

Lets see- how to start??? I guess from the beginning...

• Alexa was born on April 3, 2008 at 11:45 am, via c-section. I had some pretty bad complications during my pregnancy complete with bedrest and severe preeclampsia, so she was born 4 weeks early, which makes her a late term preemie. She had pretty standard preemie complications when she was born- she needed oxygen, glucose, antibiotics and a bilirubin light. We couldn't hold her for 24 hours, which was the LOOONGEST 24 hours of my life. However, she was our little miracle baby- born on Thursday, off oxygen on Friday, out of the NICU on Saturday, off all machines on Monday and home on Tuesday! She stole my heart from the beginning!
  
  

• The first two months were full of new experiences- as new babies go, she was always pretty easy. She slept for 3-5 hour stretches pretty much from when we brought her home. She had a few nights where she was up at all hours, but she wouldn't be a baby if that wasn't the case! She started spitting up A LOT by about 4 weeks, so she was diagnosed with GERD (reflux for babies). The reflux caused her weight gain to be pretty much nonexistant, and she was pretty miserable. She got sick Memorial Day weekend and had to be admitted to the hospital for tests. Poor thing had to have spinal tap... it was so sad. We also had a test done to diagnose the severity of her GERD, which ended up being moderate to severe. She started on medicine after leaving the hospital at 9 weeks and still is on it everyday!
  
• Over the 4th of July, we traveled to Ohio to visit Grandma Cindi and all the crazy uncles and their Significant others... we also checked out the BalloonFest and got to introduce Alexa to fireworks! It was a great trip, although it was really hard leaving Grandma.

~ There have been thousand and one new experiences over the last five months... I can't believe how fast the time has already gone. I can't even begin to list all the things that have happened. Most of the things that have happened are everyday things, but to Alexa, everything is new, and each day is different. She has gotten to fly in an airplane to Ohio, see fireworks with Grandma, swim in Bamma's pool, go on walks with Papa, laugh at her daddy, learn how to give hugs and kisses, and melt her mama's heart everytime she smiles. I know all parents say this, but I really think I have the most amazing daughter in the whole world!

I look forward to sharing new moments with friends and family from near and far. We love you all so much!