Holly's Homecoming

Our little girl is finally home! The hospital called Friday (the 18th) morning and told us we could come pick her up and bring her home. That was after everything that happened on Thursday though.
Thursday was the day we expected to bring her home. I woke up at about 5 feeling sick and vomiting ensued. The hospital called at 7:30 and told us to come and pick her up. We decided to wait a while to see if I started to feel better because we didn't want to bring her home to all my germs! I guess we waited too long because they called back a couple hours later and said they wanted to keep her an extra day, just to be sure.
We were pretty disappointed, but at the same time we saw the blessing of it. Since I was sick there was no way I would be able to take care of her! Also, in the evening around 8 o'clock, our power unexpected shut off.

As you can see, we were the only ones with trouble. The entire city (about 25,000) people were without power.I called up to the hospital to check on Holly and everything was fine. Thankfully they have a generator so it was business as usual for them.
Friday morning came and I was feeling A LOT better. We called the hospital to see if a decision had been made, but they said they hadn't seen the doctor yet and were waiting for his final approval. They called shortly after 9 to have us come and pick her up. We hurried as fast as we could so they couldn't change their minds. Here are the photos of Holly's last moments in the NICU.

So now our little Holly is home and we get to do all the feeding and changing, playing and loving our little girl!

Holly & Atley

We've been taking so many pictures of Holly and she's changed so much in the last week and a half, so we though we'd share the pictures with you all in a slideshow!

There are some pretty great videos we've taken of both our kids. Enjoy!

Above is Holly having a meal with the help of a gavage tube and Dad.

Her sneezes are so cute!

Atley is as cute as ever. We tried to teach him the sign for "please", but somehow it got mashed together with "more". He always does this new sign when he's ready for more at the dinner table.

Things are going well with Holly. She's not just over 4 pounds, but we still have no estimate of when she'll be coming home. We've been able to feed her, change her, and even help with her baths! Unfortunately, Atley and Holly still haven't met because of the hospital policy of not letting anyone under 18 in the hospital unless they're a patient. We show Atley pictures of Holly everyday to try and get him used to another person being around and Holly has a picture of Atley hanging on her bed.Hopefully we'll be able to bring her home soon and they'll become best friends!

Happy Birthday Holly!

For our Thanksgiving week, we're extra thankful to welcome our little Holly to our family. She was born November 24, 2009 at 1:05 pm. She weighed 3lbs and 10oz and was 18in long. After an ultrasound Monday afternoon, they determined that she needed to be born so they could assist her in gaining weight. So, monday night around 7, Ian and I headed up to the hospital leaving Atley with some good friends of ours. They induced labor and I had mild contractions all through the night making sleeping slightly difficult. At around 8 the next morning, the doctor came and broke my water. Because I was preterm, it took a little while for the contractions to become regular, but once they did, Holly came so quickly. We pushed for around 5 minutes. Then I finally got to meet my beautiful little girl.

She looked really great and they were very pleased with her cry, though she was tiny. We got to see her for about a minute before they whisked her away to the NICU. Ian went with her, but they sent him back pretty quick because they had some further procedures to do. The next time I saw her, this is how she looked.

We left the hospital the next night because I hadn't been able to see Atley because of the hospital restrictions. Our little Holly did really well the first day or so, coming off the oxygen and breathing on her own. She even opened her eyes for a quick photo shoot. The following pictures and videos are really a treasure.

Since we left the hospital, we've been able to go back and visit her twice a day. The nurses that are taking care of her and really great at explaining things and telling us how she's doing. And, as any NICU parent knows, the time our baby spends in the NICU will be full of ups and downs. Currently, she's back on the oxygen and has a tube in her lung because, as I understand it, it sprung a leak. They've discussed transferring her to the hospital in Idaho Falls, but as soon as the ambulance was on it's way to pick her up, she turned around and was maintaining her oxygen levels. The doctors say that she's quite feisty and definitely a fighter. We have no idea when she'll be able to come home. We're so thankful for everyone who has been praying for her and our family and ask you to continue. Though there seems to be no long term problems, we'd like to bring her home as soon as possible and we certainly need the faith and prayers of everyone.

Videos!

Atley has been doing some pretty funny things latley so decided to share! Firstly, he's found his dancing feet! Ian says we should put him in tap dancing or clogging because he believes he's a real prodigy. I just think he adorable and it's good exercise. He always puts on the moves no matter the music, but this music comes from a toy he received for his birthday. He absolutely loves it! Check it out!

The second video is Atley at the dinner table. He's becoming more picky with what he eats and some foods he used to love he now refuses. This video is a game he was playing at dinner. He decided that he no longer likes shepherd's pie, but he wanted to pretend like he did so he'd whine for some and when it got close to his mouth, he'd make the "yuck" face. It was weird, but also pretty cute. Enjoy!

Happy 1st Atley!

Just after Halloween last year came Atley. We remember that day well and so we celebrated! The day got off to a rough start though. Ian and I forgot to change our clocks, so we didn't realize we were running an hour ahead of schedule until we arrived at church for Ian's morning meetings. Almost nobody was there! We hurried home and since we had an extra hour, we let Atley open one of his presents.

He and Ian played with it until it was time to go to church while I laid in bed contemplating how mean daylight savings time is to small children and their Moms.
Church was rough because nap time was thrown off, but we survived.
When we got home we hopped on the video chat to talk with Grandma Almeda and so she could watch Atley open the presents she sent.

We also got to video chat with Grandma and Grandpa Baron and Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen. It took up a good portion of the day, but it was nice to have them be able to see Atley and sing to him even though they live far away.

Later in the evening some of our friends came over to share Atley's birthday cake with us.

We got a free birthday cake from Albertson's, and I made cupcakes too! Atley was the center of attention since we gave him his very own cupcake and let him go to town.

I'm not sure he realized that there was cake under the frosting. He eventually got there, but left about half the cupcake scattered on his plate.
On Monday Atley had his 12 month check-up, too! He now weighs 19lbs 7oz (7th percentile) and is 29.5 inches tall (41st percentile). As we looked back at pictures of the day his was born (6lbs 3 oz), it was hard to believe he was ever that small. He now has 8 teeth, he walks, and we're still working on the talking thing. I think he knows what he's saying, we just have to learn his language.
It's such a blessing to have Atley in our lives. He brings us a lot of joy and laughter. We're excited to see his reaction to the new baby and to call him "big brother." We hope you guys had a great Atley day too!

Halloween

We had such a fun Halloween this year. Ian and I agreed it was the best we've had in a number of years. Atley dressed up as a California surfer dude.

We really enjoyed seeing him all dressed up and he was a pretty good sport about it too. Then, on Friday I was able to take him over to Ian's work where they did a "Trick or Treat" for the kids.
They had so many decorations from different movies and other things! Ian's team did "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." Ian was the best looking dwarf I'd ever seen.

The best part about thier decorations was the diamond mine they made for the kids to crawl through. Atley probably would've stayed in there all day if we let him.

That same night we went to our ward party where Atley was able to run around the gym and play with the other kids in his costume. Oddly enough, Atley was more interested in looking in the cabinets than getting candy.

Saturday, we went to a party that our friend put together. Atley made a Frankenstein mask, played with ghost balloons, and enjoyed a Halloween cupcake and popsicle. On the evening of Halloween, we stayed home to hand out candy to the Trick or Treaters. We were all suprised how many children came by, but we were glad to hand out candy!

First Haircut & Baby Update

Atley's hair was getting a bit shaggy around the ears, so I got brave and gave it a snip!

It's pretty good for my first baby haircut and he looks less like a girl, too!

As for Sorensen baby #2 (yes, she still remains nameless) we probably ought to give an update. I've been seeing the specialist for a little over a month to track her growth. It's been determined that she has IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction). The cause is unknown to us and the doctors. In the meantime, they're going to continue to track her progress in case things change. When I spoke to the doctor this morning, he said the #1 cause is that these babies are just small. There is a risk of prematurity, but since everything still looks good, Ian and I fully expect her to be born at term. The doctor also said this morning that the only reason they would bring her early is if her growth drops of significantly from where it is now so then they could help her grow from the outside. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for the baby and for our family. We feel very blessed and are confident that the Lord is watching over us no matter the outcome.

So, we're now making all the preparations as if nothing has changed because so far, nothing has! Our due date is still December 25, so we've still got well over two months. Though I must say, all these ultrasounds are really helping me get to know her before she's born. That's a privilege I didn't have with Atley. Needless to say, we're very excited to welcome her home, but we'll be happy to wait the two months until it's the right time!

First Snow!

The other day we had our first really good snow! Ian and I wanted to pull out all the Christmas decorations, but we held back since we haven't even passed October!

Instead, we decided to do our Fall tradition of Carmel Apples. The first batch was really hard to eat because, well so was the caramel, but we finally figured it out. The trick is to add just a tiny bit of milk. On our first try last year, we added to much milk. On our first try this year, we didn't add any. Here are the pictures of our adventure.

Mmm, Mmm, good!

11 Months and Update

Our little Atley is 11 months! He's becoming such a handsome little boy! Walking all over the house and talking to everyone and everything that will listen. Check out these pictures of our little boy!

It's getting cold outside so Atley knows it's time to bundle up. Doesn't he just look cute?
The swing. Popular as always.

He also has some new skills. He says "MAMA!"
Atley also got to enjoy General Conference with us.

We decided a tradition of Conference cinnamon rolls was a good start.

I think Ian liked getting to have church in his Pj's

And Atley liked being able to fall asleep where ever he wanted.

He also found a new talent and love for directing. The Mormon Tabernacle choir was the perfect to practice with!
He's growing like a weed. Soon he'll be 1! We'll be sure to take a lot of good pictures of our celebration to share with everyone!

Weekend Adventure

This past weekend, our family was really blessed to take a short trip down to Utah. Since Ian's brother, Jordan, recently returned home from his mission (just last week!) we were able to help his parents surprise him with a weekend in Orem with the family!

We headed down Friday to pick him up from the airport. We had some extra time before his flight arrived, so we decided to take Atley on his first trip to Temple Square. On this trip we came to a few conclusions: 1. Salt Lake City is a scary place (outside of Temple Square) 2. The newly renovated Tabernacle looks great and 3. I never ever want to live in a big city! Ian and I both felt as if it was just the two of us we would have no worries, but all of a sudden, walking city streets with a baby was scary! Here are some pictures of our trip!

This organ is so iconic in LDS culture. If you don't believe me, just check out the front of the hymnal. We just had to take pictures with it!

Atley loved the Christus statue and the other art in the Visitor's Center. He even took of walking towards in when he saw it!

Temple Square is certainly a safe haven in Salt Lake City and we loved our visit!

As time got closer, we headed to the airport to pick up Jordan. That evening, he, Ian, and Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen all visited the temple together while Atley and I visited with his Aunts Amy and Maria.

Saturday I cut all my hair off! Just kidding. It certainly is much shorter than I've had it in a long time though! Ian and Jordan spent the day preparing for the football game by watching more football, and I spent more time with my sisters at a baby shower for my sister-in-law Jennifer.

As I rushed off to the football game leaving Atley behind to play with his cousin Cadence, I felt a little sad he wasn't coming along. The truly sad thing was, he probably had a TON more fun than we did. Unfortunately BYU lost the game. As Ian and I discussed our loyalty to the team, we decided that win or lose, BYU will almost always be a good team to stand behind. They represent the school of course, but more so, we decided that they are great representatives of integrity. With all the stories about football players and even whole teams being suspended for poor conduct, we felt good throwing our money behind a team that doesn't experience the same problems, even if they tend to lose a game once in a while.

Sunday was church day and Grandma Sorensen made a wonderful dinner. We shared that with everyone, enjoyed a quick video chat with Ian's family back in San Diego, and headed for home! We made it home safe and sound, but I must admit we were all a tad on the grumpy side. Next time I think we'll be leaving a little earlier!

Laugh

Atley has a unique laugh that is quite contagious. Ian got him really going one day, so we took a video to share. Enjoy!

Birthdays!

September is a fun time for our family. My birthday is on the 12th and Ian's is the 14th! This past weekend we were able to celebrate together, though I must apologize for the lack of pictures. We kinds of got caught up in everything else and forgot.

Saturday morning, Ian made me breakfast (French toast) and then we opened presents. Ian got me a digital picture frame and I got him some of his favorite snacks and a history book. Atley was good enough to take a nap!

After lunch we headed to a new black light mini golf place in Rexburg. It was a fun game, even though Ian won. We played some arcade games too and Ian set the record on a basketball game!

The next thing we knew the BYU game was on television so we watched that until it was time for dinner. Some friends of ours watched Atley so we could spend some time alone. We were treated to dinner by Ian's parents at Stockman's Steakhouse. The food was great a very filling!

When we picked Atley up we decided to stay a while and watch another football game. By the end of the night, I was beat and went to bed nice and soundly.

Sunday we had some friends over for cake and ice cream. It was fun and Ian got to play a game he really loves.

Today, we received our package from my Mom. It was fun to open because it had presents for everyone! Atley got a new outfit, I got a necklace, the new baby got some clothes, and Ian got his jacket back that he left in Florida!

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. We really did have great birthdays and felt very loved!

10 Months

Atley is now 10 months old. He's getting to be so big! The good thing however, is that some things never change.

He still has a beautiful smile.

He still loves the swing.


Other things, are new discoveries. Ian showed Atley the keyboard and gave him a front row seat to playing it. He had a blast!

Also, we've discovered that Atley loves camping. Even though it was freezing, he did a great job and fussed very little. He was able to see his first real fire, crawl on the ground, sleep in a tent, and chew on all the rocks he could find! As for me, I enjoyed our experience, and I will never again complain that we run out of hot water too fast!

Vacation

Well, a lot has been going on for our family. First, I think we'd better give the update on our trip to Florida and California.

There are a lot of pictures, so here's a sideshow for your entertainment.

We had a great time visiting both of our families. Atley did wonderful on the plane (he slept most of the way), but he had a hard time adjusting once we got where we were going. Ian was glad to get away from work, and I was glad to be able to celebrate never having to do homework again!

Since we did so much, the details would be a little cumbersome, but enjoy the pictures and we'll deliver details by request.

Sorensen Baby #2

We've just been to visit the doctor about our new little baby. He says everything looks really good and we'll be having a little girl! She's measuring a little small (in the 12th percentile), but the doctor wasn't surprised since Atley was a small baby too. He says we're going to keep the due date as Christmas Day because it's the best estimate. We've been able to share the news with most of our family already, but an official blog update is tradition. Here are some pictures from the Ultrasound!

I know Ultrasounds can be hard to figure out, but thankfully the woman who did this labeled most of the photos. Enjoy these pictures, because hopefully they'll be the last ones before we get to meet her in person! Thanks for sharing our good news with us!