Mama & Liv

Photos by Kylie Turley / September 2015

Today is Mother's Day and I am finally getting around to sharing these beautiful photos my sister took of Liv and I last fall. Since Livvy decided to come so early I never got to get my maternity photos taken. It's so special to share them with her all these months later. 

Already Liv has grown so much. Van is looking less and less like a toddler and more like a little kid. My mama heart grows to love them more every day. With every milestone and every setback I am so proud to be their mother and feel so thankful I get so share my life with them.

Happy Mother's Day!

Blessing Day

VAN!!! Haha.

All dressed up!

June 28 was a special day for our little Liv. Drew gave her a beautiful baby blessing, she wore my baby blessing gown and bonnet, and family and friends came over after church for savory and sweet crepes. It took a few months, but we are happy to finally have her blessed. Liv is such a light in our life and we can't wait to see her grow into her own person and share that light with others.

My NICU Diary - Week 8

Car seat test: check!

Weight gain: check!

Infection gone: check!

After 58 days in the NICU and just one week away from her due date Liv finally figured out how to eat enough calories to grow! Checking out at 6 pounds 12.5 ounces the Doctors were pleased and Liv was finally able to come home. May 1, 2015 was the happiest day of my life.

See Liv's coming home post here!

My NICU Diary - Week 7

Notice anything different? Around 7 weeks old we experimented taking the feeding tube out since Liv's infection kept coming back despite two rounds of treatment. With no feeding tube her weight gain slowed down, but she was finally starting to get better. We spent more nights together in the hospital practicing feedings and our new goal was to pass her minimums. Slowly but surely...

My NICU Diary - Week 6

By the time Liv turned 6 weeks old we were ready to have her home. We never thought that Liv would be in the NICU this long, but the infection really put her behind on her feedings. Learning how to eat was her biggest hurdle and we really felt like we hit a wall. 

After so long in the NICU this became our new normal. I would visit Liv in the mornings or afternoon and Drew would visit her at night. We rarely saw each other between work and our hospital schedule, but it worked for us. Whether I was at home with Van or in the NICU with Liv I was missing one of my babies. I felt stressed, overwhelmed, tired, and lonely at times. It is not an easy task having your heart in two places.

Liv took her sweet time preparing to come home, but she was worth the wait.

My NICU Diary - Week 5

They say two steps forward one step back for a reason. Liv was doing so well, but then she got a bacterial infection called thrush that took time to go away. Although it wasn't life threatening, it felt like a major step back. Breastfeeding was difficult. Feedings were painful for her. My milk supply was depleting. Things were feeling hard again.

On the bright side, she continued to grow and continues getting cuter every day!

My NICU Diary - Week 4

Liv at 1 month old wearing her preemie size jammies and growing like a champ! She weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces and we got to spend our first night together at the hospital when she was 4 weeks old. 

These pictures are from when I helped give Liv a bath for the first time. The Nurses took such good care of her and I learned so much from them. So thankful Liv was in good hands.