Hailey's Spotlight!

This weekend Hailey starred in the National American Miss Michigan State Pageant in Troy!! Back in the Spring she was invited to come to an open call and was selected from there as a state finalist and went on this weekend to compete! First of all we were so proud of her for even getting on the stage!!! She didn't place but had a great time and met some pretty great friends! Here's some pictures of my little princess in the spotlight!

She had to get up on stage at 7:30AM (!!) and introduce herself in front of the judges and the whole audience!

After with our new friend Keira :)

Waiting for her interview and got to pose with Miss Pre-Teen Michigan from 2010. All the 2010 Queens were so friendly and outgoing and so good with the little girls!

Doing the dance number on stage in the finale!

Hailey and Keira again after a great weekend's work!

Think we're a little proud of her?! She's adorable!!! Such a sweet and beautiful girl inside and out!

God gave us you

I know it's been so long since I've updated the blog and honestly have been overwhelmed at how far behind I am and haven't had the umph to start until last night...Hailey was so incredible with Landon I actually couldn't wait to share!!!

Hailey and I like to read the book God Gave Us You (click here if you haven't read it!!) and it shows children just how special they are in God's eyes and in their parents. She always loves that God gave her to us - to Nich & I, not anyone else. Last night she was stalling going to bed after Brooke & Brennan were already down and asked if she could help take care of Landon before he goes to bed. (Sigh, she SHOULD be going to bed first, but how cute of her to ask!:) Made my mama heart melt!) She helped clean his g-tube site and actually put the gauze pads around it by herself. She helped give him is breathing treatments (pushed down the inhaler while I held it to his face). She helped push the meds through the syringe and was very careful to go slow. And she primed his feeding pump! She WANTED to do it!

Posing giving him is meds :)

Priming the pump

Landon & Hailey have always had a different relationship...he can't play the way Brennan and Brooke can yet she always makes time for him. She tickles him, feeds him (yep she's given him a carrot stick to lick!), plays with him while he gets his diaper changed and pats his tummy to calm him down when he's throwing a fit. It just made my whole heart smile, and I realized the same about Landon and each of the other babies. God gave us them. How many other 5 year olds would take time out of playing to take care of Landon like she does?! She knows about oxygen, feeding pumps, developmental delays, therapy, surgery, ambulance rides and doesn't shy away from them. God gave Hailey them just as much as he gave them to us. He knew what he was doing when he picked this big sister for these babies!

Play yard...our new best friend!

Let me start by saying the babies LOVE being outside but keeping them in one place without them eating grass or dirt is so tricky! My parents had bought us a couple play yards and we broke them out this week! So nice!! While Hailey was at day care & Landon was sleeping, Brennan & Brooke got some fresh air!

The set up

Think he's enjoying himself?! He's the happiest baby I know!

Brooke was bouncing between toys and talking like crazy! She's getting so big!

Hopefully this video works, but they are jabbering up a storm! We LOVE being (contained) outside and enjoying the nice weather! Can't wait for the weekend...there's sun in sight! :)

Brooke's home and first steps!!

Brooke came home Sunday afternoon, for a total of 6 days in the hospital. WOW what bonding time we had! The breathing treatments she was getting in the hospital woke her up at night even though it was through a nebulizer so nothing touched her face and she'd be WIDE awake for hours. 2 nights in a row she was up from 12:30am-5am and 1:30am-6am. I was at one point PLEADING with her to sleep but she was so wild and awake! She's still needing a little extra help with oxygen, so on .25-.5 liters at night and napping (when we can keep it on her!) and breathing treatments every 4-6 hours. She is not the the kid to have extra equipment with, but we manage and comfort her later. :) The drive home with her was so incredible - she was so giddy when we left the hospital and got in the car! She kept looking at me and laughing, keeping a sly smile on her face the whole drive - like she knew she was outta there! Hailey was waiting at the door for us and gave Brooke a big hug and kiss the minute we were inside! I'm so glad they love each other so much!!

Super exciting news....Brooke took her first few steps Sunday afternoon! Straight from the hospital, little nap, then walking!! I know we're in for it but I've been so ready for them to be toddlers! I feel like they've been babies forever and am really excited for her independence! Check out the video below - she's taking 2-3 steps!!!

2 hospital admits

So let me start by saying this was STARTED on Monday!!! Having 2 babies in the hospital is so much work! Especially when one of them is Brooklyn :)

As scheduled, Nich and I brought Landon & Brooklyn to UM for their surgeries. Brooklyn was just getting ear tubes placed while Landon was getting eye muscle tightening (like Brennan for Strabisimus), ear tubes and circumcision. We got there about 6:30am, MUCH to early for the babies and got ready in pre-op. Both were prepped and ready to go at the same time but Landon went back first. Brooke was next case so waited behind a bit. We played like crazy and tried to keep her entertained as we waited. ** Side note - God has given us such peace about surgeries, that we kind of view them as "just another procedure" and don't worry about them. Our main worry was Landon's recovery. Pulmonary doc's ordered that Landon stay one night for

observation and here's where it starts to unravel.....(Landon's surgeries went great by the way!!)

Brooke got her sleepy medicine and was really loopy (and hilarious by the way!) so when it was her turn, we handed her off to the nurse anesthetist and off she went! We headed up to the Family Surgery waiting room to enjoy our very expensive, insurance paid for date! We weren't even up there for 10 minutes and got a call that the docs wanted to see us about Brooke. We got down there and she had o2 blow-by. She progressively got worse and ended up admitted on 3 liters nasal cannula. Thankfully both babies were in the same room which made it easier on me and we got a room all to ourselves! Both of them needed oxygen and breathing treatments. Landon started out needing more but then Brooke got worse just as he started getting better. They have bronchiolitis (from a virus) so it just has to run its course. Landon really surprised us and was able to come home on Thursday!! Brooke is still at UM and making improvements. She has a harder time oxygenating when she's sleeping and today has been on .5 liters o2 during the day and even was off for 4 hours (!!) but she needs 3-5 liters during the night. Here's pics of our crew! Pray she gets better fast!! :)

Landon hanging out! He knows the whole hospital routine :)

Feeling better, ready to go home!!

She kept breathing through her mouth so they had to put the cannula in her mouth. Creative!

Brooklyn not as thrilled...she stands at the edge and shakes the crib until you get her out to play! She's definitely not liking being confined in the crib and attached to the wall.

Landon can see!!!

As I'm writing this tears are flowing! Check out this video of Landon SEEING the toy and playing with it! After his bath he was just laying on my lap and I put a toy in front of him and he GRABBED IT! He didn't have his glasses or his hearing aids in so it's clear proof that he can SEE! He was/is diagnosed with probable cortical blindness which means he's blind from his brain (his eyes work fine)...the vision pathways were damaged but the brain (and GOD!) are amazing and they must've re-written themselves! Last March the hospital did a test with electrodes on his head and measured his brain's response to light. They flashed a bunch of different lights, patterns of light flashes and at different spots in his vision path and he completely failed - his brain showed no response, thus the diagnosis of cortical blindness. Before he's always stumped us, not knowing if he heard us and responded or if he saw something and responded, but tell me this boy can't see!! PRAISE GOD!!

March of Dimes 2011

What a fantastic day!! The weather was beautiful and we had so many family and friends supporting our family today!

Team LifeWays/Pollak Family! Look at all those blue shirts!

Hailey cutting the opening ribbon with the Mayor!

We were so honored to be the Ambassador Family for the Jackson County Chapter! We had the chance to share our story and show the importance of March of Dimes research. Our kids wouldn't be here without prayer and the advances March of Dimes has been able to make. Our kids have had most of the preemie complications and thanks to history, the doctors anticipated what may happen (and generally DID happen) and knew how to treat them, right at the onset. Incredible! Thanks for all your support, whether you walked, donated or were with us in spirit!