Happy Father's Day!

It was a good Father's Day! We celebrated by staying home and relaxing most of the day. That is something that we just don't get to do much around here because of all the ball games and practices. Dana got to enjoy watching most of the Nascar race. He was forced to set up our swimming pool during breaks and this makes the kids excited about getting in it and enjoying the water. They absolutely love the water and are really good swimmers. Later in the day we visited with Grandma Billie and Grandpa Richard and then went to Grandpa Denny's and Grandma Diana's for pizza and homemade ice cream with all the toppings. This was the best part of the day for the kids. Grandpa Denny got Alayna to smile at him and that was the best Father's Day present! Way to go Grandpa!

Alayna keeps growing everyday and I'm really happy with how her neck and trunk muscles are getting stronger. She is holding her head up so much better and we are dedicated to doing exercises during the day to help her arms and other areas. She is actually enjoying the exersaucer more now and can sit in it for a longer period of time before she gets tired. Muscle tone and strength in babies is just something I always took for granted. Alayna is finding her hands more. She still keeps her fists closed up quite a bit, but does occasionally grab for a ring or swat at a toy. I work with her on grabbing things with different textures to help with sensory issues. She doesn't mind the different textures in her hands and on her feet right now and that is good. I also do a lot of massaging her hands (and feet) hoping this will stimulate her to keep her hands open more and want to grab at things. Again, coordination is something I used to take for granted too. She has also gotten a massage on her legs and lower abdomen every day since the massage therapist came last week and she still doesn't mind it. They come again tomorrow to teach me more! I plan on taking her in to the pediatrician this week for a weigh in, so I'll let you know how much she has grown. I took it upon myself and decided to introduce carrots yesterday. She ate a few teaspoons and seemed to enjoy it!

I think I'm going to contact my Utah family soon. I have some more questions that have come up. One of which is how early do these kids show separation anxiety? I dread that because with my other 3 kids, they showed it early and it was difficult leaving them with other people. I'll let you know what they have experienced with their daughter. Another thing Dana and I have been considering is switching to Iowa City Hospital. We plan on finishing our scheduled appointments in Peoria that go through the summer and early October and then we will decided what we should do. Being that we will probably be making quite a few appointments for Alayna throughout her life, it would be alot easier to go someplace half the distance compared to Peoria. I think it would be beneficial to everyone including our other children. That way an appointment isn't an all day endeavor. But we'll just have to see!

"You are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you." Isaiah 43:4 God sees each of us as a treasure.