Hope's 300th Blog Entry

In honor of the 300th post on Hope's blog, I decided to post some recent pictures of the cutiepie herself. Please, brace yourself, there is about to be a cute overload!!!!

Hanging out with Great-Grandma

Hello, I'm waiting for some food to taste

Hope's Mommy put some of Grandma R's applesauce on Hope's tongue... her eyes got HUGE and then....

Super big smile. She LOVES the applesauce (rightfully so)

The. Cutest. Girl. EVER

I think this was mid "bouncey bouncey"

She just doesn't stop smiling

Aunt Em, you are so funny!

Hope is SOOO big

So much fun and cuteness... Hope must sleep

Growing Hope

Just a few pictures to keep you updated on how Hope is growing....

Clearly Hope LOOOOVES playing with Aunt Em

Hope and her dad

Hope being silly

Hope got woken up from her nap to go to Great-Grandma's house.... she is boycotting

Hope and Grandma Robinson

Hope was giggling so hard, she was having so much fun!!

Hope and Grandpa Robinson

Two peas in a pod

Hope loves to tell Aunt Em lots of stories

Hope and her mom on Mother's Day!

Hope and Grandma Robinson on Mother's Day

Easter & Doctor Updates

Hope in her Sunday Dress

All Smiles

Surveying the Easter Bounty

Cuddling with Great-Grandma Anderson

Hope has had a wonderful couple of weeks. Now that we are coming out of RSV season (cold and flu season to the rest of us) Hope is able to get "out and about" more. She celebrated her "freedom" by making a trip to church on Easter Sunday. Everyone was so happy to see her and she was so happy to get all of the attention :)

After church Hope headed up to Great-Grandma Anderson and Great Aunt Dawn's house to see what the easter bunny had left for her there. After surveying all the colorful eggs E.B. brought she headed home for a nice long nap.

Hope had so much fun at church on Easter that she wanted to go back again this past Sunday, so she put on her pretty white dress and her most sparkly shoes and headed back to church. The easter bunny didn't come to visit her again this week, but she was okay with that because she got some good cuddle time in with Great Grandma Anderson instead. Both Hope and Great Grandma were so comfy that they dozed off and tried to skip lunch.

In doctor news.... Hope's latest trip to the pulmonologist was VERY successful. They lowered the amount of some of the medications she is getting and they have begun to lower her ventilator settings. This is the first of many, many small steps to getting Hope off of the ventilator and eventually without the trach. So far Hope has tolerated the changes VERY well. She has to go in for lab work this afternoon to make sure that everything looks good. Hope doesn't like having blood work drawn :( Hopefully the technician will be very nice and gentle.

Daily Dose: Merry Christmas 2009

Hope on Christmas Eve

Hope wondering how many more presents she has to open

Hope and all of Daddy's family on Christmas Eve

Hope's Christmas Ladybug outfit

Hope with Mommy & Daddy on Christmas Day

Hope and her stocking

All of the excitement wore Hope out

After the presents, Hope hanging out with Grandma & Great-Grandma

As you can see from the pictures. Hope had a great Christmas. She was very glad to be home for Christmas this year instead of in the NICU like last year. Hope got to spend lots of time with family which she always loves to do.

We'll put more of a substantive post up soon, but couldn't wait to show you all of Hope's Christmas fun!!

Daily Dose: Tuesday, December 22

Hope & Great-Grandma

Hope looking cute in her cute slippers

Hope hanging out in the living room

As you can see from the adorable pictures, Hope is doing pretty well. In the first picture, Great-Grandma was worried that Hope's hands were getting cold so she decided to share her gloves, always thinking. Hope also has some great little bunny slippers.

Hope has been doing good. Her weight has been pretty consistent, she is weighing in at 23 pounds!!!

The only big change for Hope is that she has currently been relocated from her bedroom to the living while her bedroom is being remodeled. Hope definitely misses her bedroom, but she has enjoyed looking at the Christmas Tree nonstop and has been pining over all the boxes under the tree, imaging all of the things that are inside of them. Hope definitely likes Christmas but DOES NOT enjoy the snow and the cold. She has been wondering why the family farm isn't in Florida and why Great-Grandma was a farmer not an alligator rancher in the warmth.

Daily Dose: Wedesday, November 11

Ever since Saturday when Hope officially became an 11 month old she has been BUSY!!!

On Sunday the weather was so nice that Mommy & Daddy decided to take Hope for a walk. They walked up to Grandma & Grandpa R's house and saw them for a little while.

They then left Grandma & Grandpa R's house and went to visit with Great-Grandma Vivian & Aunt Dawn. As you can see, Great-Grandma Vivian and Hope Vivian had a lot to talk about. Both of them really enjoyed their little visit.

Hope is becoming such a big girl. Today she did some finger painting. She thought it was fun at the beginning and played along. But....

As you can see, at the end of her paint session she wasn't feeling so artistic. At least she was able to make a finger paint turkey before her inspiration ran out.


In other news... Mommy & Daddy are still in contact with a surgeon to do Hope's cochlear implants and are hoping that next spring they can have them done.

Daily Dose: Tuesday, September 15

Hope sucking on her knuckle

Hope looking mighty cute in her "London" onesie

Hope & her mommy

Hope & Aunt Em

Hope laying low

The good news: no news is good news. Which is why we haven't updated lately. But we thought we'd give you a little update on what Hope's been doing lately.

Last week Hope had a busy week after she came home from the hospital. She had many adventures. She went to her first appointment with her pulmonologist. They were a little concerned because she appears to be very "healthy" in her weight. Her diet was adjusted so hopefully her increase in protein will help her grow longer and leaner.

Hope also had an appointment with her hearing doctor. Hope was a very good girl and sat very still in Daddy's arms while doctors took impressions of her ears to make the molds that her hearing aids will be built out of. Her hearing aids should be coming in the next few weeks and we'll be very excited to see what kind of an effect they have on Hope's ability to hear.

Hope also took her first walk around the orchard. Daddy put Hope in her baby bjorn on his chest, Mommy pushed Hope's kid-kart, and Grandpa R hauled all the bags full of "very important" things while Hope walked the long way, around the orchards, to Great-grandma's house for lunch. Hope loved doing all these things and is glad the weather has stayed nice and warm for her.