Our friends have a relative who gave birth to b/g twins at 25ish weeks this winter. This morning I received a weekly update from their blog, and they finally got to bring home their little girl. Having been through that twice myself, I know exactly what they are feeling and experiencing, not only with bringing home their first preemie baby, but also leaving one behind. I was leaving them a comment of support when I realized that I couldn't remember some of the tiny details about Taylor and Livi. So I flipped back to our blog archives during that time. It amazed me to read what I had written and bring myself back. I surprised to see some similarities in our life now and some of the dramatic differences.
This post for example, just blew me away. I scrolled through these photos and realized just how much Ava does look like Livi at times. And Wes like Taylor...
One post from July I recorded Livi's weight, clothing size and average food intake... I was surprised to realize that Ava is there already, but Livi would have been 7months old then, and Ava is only 5... Truly amazing what 3 more weeks in utero has done.
Us
Wife, Parent, Nurse; my life raw and real, as I see it.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Here they are
Everyone happy except Ava, 3 out of 4 is as good as you are going to get with this group.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009
Col-ic - Damn you
Ava- 11lbs 8oz Wes- 8lbs 10oz
Wes has two settings: Crying or Sleeping
He has a very weak but shrill screechy cry that pierces your ear drums like an unexpected needle. Not unlike the sound of finger nails along a chalkboard. Sounds reminiscent of days long ago when Taylor was slightly older than him... although I still think Taylor was "better" at it. Since the crying, if you can really call it that, goes on before, after and sometimes during feedings and diaper changes, we can only conclude that this falls in the category of "colic". Like Taylor, though, he has an amazing ability to "turn it off" when people (a category that we are not included in) are around. IE all of his therapists (all of whom were part of Taylor's care team not so long ago) We are very happy that they are able to help with Wes, but hopeful that they will not be needed quite as long... Anyway, back when Taylor was colic, I read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" cover to cover in like a day, and while I think Dr. Karp was on to something, there are limitations to what the 5 S's can actually accomplish. It is his opinion that once you have actually shshed, swayed, swaddled, sucked, and sided the kid to sleep, that you can lay him/her down on their backs and they are "the happiest baby on the block"... I would add [for the next 5 minutes]...
I find the "5 S's" to be a fabulous tool for calming Wes, as I did for Tay, but after that he is either going drift off to sleep, or wind up again. The act of carrying out this theory has no bearing on which outcome we'll actually see. Wes has had a couple of hours of break through "happiness" in the past week. Brief periods of alertness that are not accompanied by the a for mentioned shrieks of terror. Like I said, they are brief. During those moments though, he actually has relaxed his face from the worry that is burned into it and looks around inquisatively... just as I remember Taylor doing. I am not certain if these things are related to prematurity, and if so, why the girls don't seem to have the same issues, or if they are boy things, or if its just my boys. I don't remember this period of Taylor's infancy so fondly, and they way its shaping up, I will feel the same about Wes... I hate that. I hate that I pick up Ava and think about how beautiful and bright she always is (even when she is spewing volumes of minutely digested formula...which she does daily, but is hardly phased by it...) When I pick up Wes, I worry about him and the worried look he carries in his eyes all the time. I can't wait for it to go away, so I can really enjoy both of my beautiful babies...
Wes has two settings: Crying or Sleeping
He has a very weak but shrill screechy cry that pierces your ear drums like an unexpected needle. Not unlike the sound of finger nails along a chalkboard. Sounds reminiscent of days long ago when Taylor was slightly older than him... although I still think Taylor was "better" at it. Since the crying, if you can really call it that, goes on before, after and sometimes during feedings and diaper changes, we can only conclude that this falls in the category of "colic". Like Taylor, though, he has an amazing ability to "turn it off" when people (a category that we are not included in) are around. IE all of his therapists (all of whom were part of Taylor's care team not so long ago) We are very happy that they are able to help with Wes, but hopeful that they will not be needed quite as long... Anyway, back when Taylor was colic, I read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" cover to cover in like a day, and while I think Dr. Karp was on to something, there are limitations to what the 5 S's can actually accomplish. It is his opinion that once you have actually shshed, swayed, swaddled, sucked, and sided the kid to sleep, that you can lay him/her down on their backs and they are "the happiest baby on the block"... I would add [for the next 5 minutes]...
I find the "5 S's" to be a fabulous tool for calming Wes, as I did for Tay, but after that he is either going drift off to sleep, or wind up again. The act of carrying out this theory has no bearing on which outcome we'll actually see. Wes has had a couple of hours of break through "happiness" in the past week. Brief periods of alertness that are not accompanied by the a for mentioned shrieks of terror. Like I said, they are brief. During those moments though, he actually has relaxed his face from the worry that is burned into it and looks around inquisatively... just as I remember Taylor doing. I am not certain if these things are related to prematurity, and if so, why the girls don't seem to have the same issues, or if they are boy things, or if its just my boys. I don't remember this period of Taylor's infancy so fondly, and they way its shaping up, I will feel the same about Wes... I hate that. I hate that I pick up Ava and think about how beautiful and bright she always is (even when she is spewing volumes of minutely digested formula...which she does daily, but is hardly phased by it...) When I pick up Wes, I worry about him and the worried look he carries in his eyes all the time. I can't wait for it to go away, so I can really enjoy both of my beautiful babies...
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Greg & Sonja & Ava
This was a really long time ago, ok like a month or so, anyway. All the kids enjoyed a visit from their favorite auntie and uncle from Missouri!
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Bambinos
I try not to do this but, this is copied directly from my facebook note, sorry for the redundancy...
The babies had their four month check up yesterday. Ava weighs in at 10lbs 12oz and Wes at 8lbs 4oz. Both had really good exams with little to discuss. Ava has a number of "pin point sized hemangiomas" but since they are so small we're not supposed to worry about them. Wes had an ultrasound of his hips a few weeks ago (because he was breech) and it showed that he has borderline hip dysplasia on his left side. Since this could lead to bigger issues later on, Dr. decided to refer him to an orthopod to get their perspective on whether or not to splint him at this time. Other than that, they both got their four month vaccinations. They were such good troopers though... they cried until I got them settled in their car seats, then they sucked on their nuks and went right to sleep within minutes of the shots. I am so proud!
We will go back in 2 months for their 6 month check up... when did my babies get so big?
The babies had their four month check up yesterday. Ava weighs in at 10lbs 12oz and Wes at 8lbs 4oz. Both had really good exams with little to discuss. Ava has a number of "pin point sized hemangiomas" but since they are so small we're not supposed to worry about them. Wes had an ultrasound of his hips a few weeks ago (because he was breech) and it showed that he has borderline hip dysplasia on his left side. Since this could lead to bigger issues later on, Dr. decided to refer him to an orthopod to get their perspective on whether or not to splint him at this time. Other than that, they both got their four month vaccinations. They were such good troopers though... they cried until I got them settled in their car seats, then they sucked on their nuks and went right to sleep within minutes of the shots. I am so proud!
We will go back in 2 months for their 6 month check up... when did my babies get so big?
Sunday, May 03, 2009
A Toast
To finishing what I started....
and my 400th post...
Hmm, would have though I would have more to say :(
Still looking for work
and sanity
and security
Whatever...
and my 400th post...
Hmm, would have though I would have more to say :(
Still looking for work
and sanity
and security
Whatever...
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