8-9 months!

Hi Everyone!
Blogging and documenting is getting really hard... our days fly by, and by the time the girls are sleeping, we're out once we hit the pillow.. but I have A LOT to update!

The girls are doing great and are keeping us on our toes sooner than what we expected!!  Johnalyn has gone from scooting around the living room floor, to trying to climb stairs and pulling herself up! She into EVERYTHING, and gets into mischief all while grinning at us.  She loves to crawl over her sister, or just get half way over her just to reach a toy...  That girl's determination is incredible!  Johnalyn is also proving to be the one that doesn't require much sleep at night!  She is up crawling in her crib, crying, moaning, etc., multiple times a night.  I'm hoping its the little teeth coming in that's causing this... but I have a feeling she'll be a sleeper like her big cousin Jojo who still tosses and turns all night long... 

Danika is smiling and giggling ALL the time, and has started to scoot around everywhere and LOVES to talk.  She'll say "da, da, da, da" in the quiet voice.  She's so gentle.  She loves her bouncy seat, and LOVES to try to pet Shadow... but Shadow still isn't too sure about the girls yet, so we make sure they keep some distance.  If Danika sees Shadow move, she'll snap her head to his direction, get all excited, and shoot her arm out wanting to pet him. She proving that she is the more laid back girl but can also get right in there with Johnalyn... she lets Johnalyn pick on her, but will get back at her once in awhile.  They LOVE pulling eachother's hair (and it's quite the handful now!)  Danika is our little sleeper.  She'll go to sleep around 8:30 and will usually sleep all night.... and she wakes up with the BIGGEST smile on her face.  It would melt anyone's heart!  

Anyone want an update on their pooping issue?  ha.  I mentioned awhile ago that they weren't stooling much at all... and I had to give them a lovely suppository in order for them to go.  I'm so proud to say that I haven't given them a suppository in over two months!!  It really is the little things in life...  :-)  

We have started feeding them solids more consistently now.  Johnalyn LOVES her oatmeal and apple-prune baby food, but Danika could care less.  We just tried green beans last night, and to our shock, Danika LOVED it.  Totally Donny's child!  We hope this trend continues and we can introduce more and more foods in the next couple months.  Danika is still our challenge with feeding.  She still isn't gaining a substantial amount of weight, but she is gaining... so I'm not concerned,but there is a definite weight difference when you lift both girls.  

They had their first round of flu shots last week, and they didn't even know they were poked!  Daddy did a good job of distracting them!  They go in next month for their second round.  Now... I'm going to go on a rant here... 

(start of rant)--------

PLEASE consider getting your flu vaccine this year.  The closer we get to the winter months, the more nervous I am getting.  Last year, when I was on hospital bedrest, the hospital shut down ALL visitors because of the high percentage of people that came down with the flu.  I was in a bubble.  I felt safe that I would stay healthy, and the girls were safely (as safe as could be) tucked away from harm.  When they were born in February, we again were in a safe little bubble in the ISCN.  If you had a sniffle, you were asked to not come to the floor.  No bubble this year!  

When we were discharged on April 2nd, flu season was over, but they gave me the run down on "next winter"... well, here we are.  The girls were born at 31 weeks, their immunity was borderline non-existent at birth, and was forced to kick-start earlier than a term baby.  Because of that, they don't have the same kind of immune system as a term baby.  Even though the girls look great and healthy, they still carry severe risks due to prematurity.  They are vulnerable to germs and getting sick (specifically the flu, RSV, and pneumonia) and these sicknesses often become very scary with immunocompromized individuals, so anything we can do to prevent them from getting ill, the better.  Daycare is taking the needed precautions to combat this as well.  We know it's inevitable they will get sick... they go to daycare, they're out in the world... I get that. BUT that doesn't mean that we can all take a back seat and think it's out of our control.  We all have a huge role in keeping not only our babies healthy, but also yourself and everyone around you who isn't fortunate enough to have a strong immune system.  One can harbor the 'flu bug' and become contagious 24 hours before showing any symptoms.

I read this awhile ago, and it really stuck to me:  By simply sanitizing your hands while using a shopping cart, you could prevent a cancer patient by getting ill when their husband/wife takes the cart after you.  Their husband/wife may have the immunity to fight that potential sickness you carried on your hands, but the cancer patient does not.

Get your flu shot (and while you're at it, check to make sure you are up to date on ALL vaccines), wash your hands or sanitize frequently, and just be more aware of sanitation habits while we get through the tough germ-infested months... not just for our girls, but for all babies, sick, and elderly people who just don't have the strong immunity that most of us have.  Not only is it my job to protect my babies, but I also work in a cancer center, and simple sickness can become a very scary, life threatening issue.  

(end of rant) --------  

The girls were weighed last week:

Danika:  14 lbs 11 oz

Johnalyn:  15 lbs 4 oz  

They're both happy and healthy, and even though I'm 'self-conscious' of Danika's weight when people make comments.... she's gaining!  She's our little peanut, but her weight gain is trending upward.   Their next 'nine month' check up is December 24th... even though they'll be 10-1/2 months... I promise I'll do some blogging before that though!  

I have so many pictures to share, I will be posting them in separate blogs with more descriptive captions!  

Johnalyn eating 9/21/15

I had to share this video of our big independent girl!
This almost looks like a Resolve advertisement! It's in frequent use... between baby spit up and dog vomit, we should buy stock in carpet cleaning products...

SEVEN months!!!

I can't believe I'm typing their seven month post.... even with it being very delayed!

The girls were seven months on September 12th...they have been home for five months.  Wow!  When the girls were in the ISCN, one of the nurses said "Before you know it, their stay here with us will feel like a blink in time."  At the time, I just laughed because those were the longest 49 day of my life... and now I know what she meant.

The girls continue to do awesome.  Johnalyn is moving around everywhere... if she sees something, she'll find a way to it.  Today, she crawled over Donny's legs to get to a Zip-lock bag!

They are both really showing us their different personalities, and it seems like every day they discover or show us something new.  Danika has found her voice, and she thinks it's hilarious to try to get the highest pitched scream possible and then giggle... and she has mastered the cutest giggle ever.  She also gives us 'the eyes' that makes us believe she's going to be up to a lot of 'shenanigans' in the near future.  Johnalyn is our 'mover and groover'.  If she sees something, she will quietly find a way to it, even if it means crawling over her daddy's legs, or silently crawl under her rock 'n' play to get to our PS3 to try to turn it on... because she saw daddy do something over there that turned the light from red to green, and she thought she needed to figure out how to do that too!  https://youtu.be/v3ZXLEqFktA

One thing that's equal is they're brains are constantly turning!  I've said this before, but it's fascinating watching them grow and learn new things in such tiny bodies.

In my six month post, I mentioned that the pediatrician told us to hold off on trying solids until they're eight months... well... so... yeah, we failed at following recommendations.  Johnalyn started showing interest and smacking her lips, so we have been trying cereal here and there to get them used to the texture.  It's sure fun watching them try to eat!  Johnalyn thinks she can feed herself, but once she gets the spoon in her mouth, out comes the cereal, and in goes her fingers.  Danika is content with being fed, and she seems to know what to do with the oatmeal once it touches her lips. She's definitely our more dainty eater.

The last few weeks, we have had a team of therapists come out from the Help Me Grow program (early intervention).  Both girls had testing done to see where they were at with their milestones, and they basically blew them all away with fine motor skills and communication, but they both qualified for physical therapy to try to get ahead of some bad habits they are forming, just so it doesn't become an issue and potentially delay walking.  They have tight muscles between their hips and torso, so we're working on exercises to try to loosen them up, and we're working on their crawling technique and working on muscles to get them interested in sitting... all little stuff, but hey, it's a free service provided by the state...Stuff like this is where our tax dollars are going, so I'm going to take full advantage!  The girls will be retested every six months to see where they are at and if they need any therapy in other areas, which most likely they will need a bit of speech therapy in a few years.

Daycare is going very well for them. I think they may get this from their mom, but once they got into the routine of going every day, all day, they fell right into the groove and are doing great.  The gals taking care of them are wonderful.  They are so willing to help us with therapy exercises, they give us cute little art projects every week, and they get them out and about to the playground and grocery store.  They tell us that the girls are a "delight and are always so happy".  I miss them terribly during the day, but I know they are very well taken care of when I'm not around... and they are experiencing things that they otherwise wouldn't if I were home with them... I have yet to conquer a park with them..

I think that brings us up to date!  We are busy... crazy busy!  August and September have flown by so fast!!  Hopefully it's not another month before my next post.  

This gives me hope that they will love each other!

Ready... set...go!

Checking out their homework from the therapist!

Mom takes our ear protection seriously when it comes to loud events!  (My cousin's wedding)

Nom Nom Nom

Happy babies

I do have a longer post coming, but time is just getting away from me.  SO, here's a video that will make you smile.  Excuse the mess around them... but we like to play with every single toy that's in the house.  :-)

Six month appointment

The girls had their six month doctor appointment last Thursday, and they are both doing awesome!

Danika:
Weight - 12 lbs 13 oz (2%)
Length - 24 inches

Johnalyn:
Weight - 13 lbs 4 oz (4%)
Length - 24 inches

We switched to a new pediatrician (a nurse practitioner), and she is amazing.  We established a primary pediatrician as soon as the girls were discharged, but she left to be a full-time hospitalist, so we've been doctor shopping and finally found 'the one'!  She is very realistic and sees the girls for who they are, just not stats on a chart.  Yes, they are six months.  Yes, they are small for six months.  Yes, they're barely on the charts as far as height and wight.  BUT they are gestationally 4 month and are right on track for an average 4 month old and are growing steadily and strong.  They're on their own growth chart.

Developmentally, they are exceeding in communication.  They will look at you and blabber and tell you 'stories' until they fall asleep.  You talk to them, they respond back in baby gibberish.  You tickle them or act silly, they will belly laugh. They interact with each other.  They get angry at each other when one has a toy the other wants.  They scream when they're hungry, moan when they're tired... everything they should be doing.  It's so incredible watching this stage of development.

Johnalyn has now decided to start scooting everywhere.  That girl has to be moving all. the. time.  She sees a toy that lights up, she will maneuver herself over there in record time just in time the toy is done with it's song... but she doesn't care because she just wants it in her mouth.  Danika is more content to stay put.  She'll take whatever is within arms reach and chew on it.

They both LOVE their exercausers, but we were told to 'put them far away' from them by the Help Me Grow therapy program because they are both showing signs of tight quadriceps, so we're doing some exercises to get them stretched out and become a little bit more flexible.  Mom confession:  We only put one away.  I didn't have the heart to take them both away.  Both of the girls love it and interact with the toys on the exercauser so well... watching their face light up when we put them in there is priceless.  We just limit their time in it.  Everything is okay in moderation, right??

One of the biggest concerns we're dealing with is their feedings.  They both randomly fight their feeds.  They will arch their back, scream, and bat the bottle away if they see it coming towards them.... randomly.  Sometimes they take the bottle with no problem, other times it's a battle.  We've thought of and tried everything and anything about this... daycare being the biggest hurtle.  It seems that they eat the best with NO stimulation around them.  No talking, no visual stimulation, or auditory stimulation.  At daycare, the only way for them to take a good bottle is if the daycare director brings them into her office and feeds them.  Now, that's just not realistic when they start daycare full time (on Monday).  SO, our doctor suggested we try a sippy cup! She said that some babies just don't take to bottles, and sippy cups might be the answer, so stay tuned!

We're delaying introducing solids for another month, or so.  Our doc (Vickie) doesn't think they are ready... they're not showing some signs that they ready, and the American Pediatric Association has decided now that it's best to wait to introduce solids until six months because they're finding that introducing solids sooner may harbor issues later in life such as gluten intolerance, Crohn's  disease, food allergies, etc.  Basically, they believe that introducing solids before the intestinal tract is fully developed may cause issues... so we're waiting until the girls are 6 months adjusted (8 months actual).

Now, I saved the best news for last... They don't need helmets!!!  She said that they aren't even remotely close to needing helmets!  Thank you Dr. Shawn for all the chiropractic adjustments!!!  PROOF that chiropractic care worked!  Our girls had a definite flat spot on the right sides of their heads when they met Dr. Shawn... now, they are perfectly round with no cosmetic concerns at all.  Sometimes doctors worry about misaligned ears (making sunglasses crooked) due to lasting issues with a previously flat spot, but they have no lasting effects of the flat spots, and torticollis isn't even a diagnosis anymore.  And even better, now that they roll over to their bellies, they can now sleep on their bellies if they want, which they do, which is even better for their head alignment!  Woo hoo, girls!!
Enough jibber jabber! Until next time...

Happy Saturday!

Mama had to do a Target run on this hot day, but they didn't mind... they LOVE their car seats (and I swear they love Target too because they never cry when we're there!!)

Happy 6 months!!

Happy six months to two of the most happy, smiley, lovable, strong, talkative... little girls in my life!

Watching these two girls grow in this world from 31 weeks gestation has been an unfathomable blessing.  We live and breathe for these girls.   These last six month have been hard...VERY hard (actually the last 8.5 months)...and the word exhaustion doesn't even touch how tired we are... but... when we see those smiles and hear those uncontrollable belly laughs, exhaustion is the last thing on our minds.

Last night, we just finished their last bottles of the night at 10:30.  Typically they go right to sleep in their cribs... but Johnalyn decided it was a perfect time to cry for 'no reason'... and Danika decided it was time to play.  Donny and I were (are) exhausted.  We each took a baby... (I snatch up the non-screaming one)... what happens?  We both get HUGE smiles out of them for no reason.  That is the biggest reward a parent can get.  In the midst of all of the parenting criticism, questioning, and self-doubt we, as parents, experience... the only approval we really need comes from these two delicate souls.  

I ended up taking Dani into our bedroom and laid her on our bed, and she laughed uncontrollably for probably two minutes as she keeps grabbing my nose.  Hearing my babies laugh is the BEST sound in the whole world.  We prayed for these little miracles, and looking back eight months ago, I'm more emotional now than I was in that moment. I keep thinking of the day laying in that hospital bed at 23 weeks pregnant on December 21st after an hour and a half ambulance ride, prepped for delivery, and being asked the question "Should we resuscitate once they're delivered?"   And now I look at these faces who look at me and smile...
Life is SO precious.  SO, SO precious. I need to sit back sometimes in the midst of all of the stress, busyness, and anxieties of raising these two miracles and remind myself how simple and damn near perfect our life has actually gotten.  We smile and laugh at these beautiful faces and we get two gorgeous giggling babies in return ... that makes our hearts complete... how profound and yet so simple is that??

They're six month appointment is next week, so I'll have fresh stats next week!  Until then....

Just a quick Tuesday hello!

Any guesses what we're working on???

Johnalyn

Danika

It's been awhile!

I'm sorry!  I know you've clicked into this blog on a weekly basis, only to be disappointed!  Things have been a tad bit crazy, and I'm kicking myself for not jotting down notes the past three weeks so I don't forget to document something.

Short update:  We're all still alive!!

Long update:  Ugh!
I HATE germs.  Between the two girls, We have been to nine doctor appointments, two chest x-rays, six blood draws, an RSV test, and two hospital admissions.  THAT'S what's been going on the past three weeks.  The girls came down with a nasty bug.  It started out with just the simple snuffles, Johnalyn first.... and then it quickly migrated to her chest.  Being that they are still considered preemies, they made it clear to me when they were in the hospital for 49 days in Rochester that there is a very low threshold for RSV and/or pneumonia.  So, being the hypochondriac that I am, I rushed Johnalyn into the doctor as soon as she coughed the first time (not really... but kinda)... They told us it was most likely due to environmental components.  It made complete sense to me because the day before was the day the whole state was being smothered by the smoke and stench of the fires in Canada.  The week went on, and she was getting worse, to the point where it was painful to watch her try to breathe and eat.  Her intake was becoming less and less, and she was vomiting, I worried about dehydration.  I took her into urgent care and they did a chest x-ray, blood work, and tested her for RSV.  RSV was negative... HUGE relief.  Although it's not RSV season, they still hold a small chance of getting it because of their underdeveloped lungs.  The chest x-ray showed some fogginess, so pneumonia couldn't be ruled out.  She was started on antibiotics and nebulizer treatments and away we went.  Two days later she was still getting worse and spiking a fever, so back into the clinic we went, and they were concerned about her oxygen levels... they were staggering between 74 and 85 percent and they want it 95 or above.  The doctor was being very proactive and decided in was in her best interest to be admitted for observation.  In the hospital they used, what I call, the 'brain sucker' and they got a lot of mucous out, and I could already tell she was feeling better.  They nebulized her a few more times, and her oxygen levels shot back up.  We went home and she very quickly turned around and is now back to herself.

Danika:  A week after Johnalyn's sniffles started, Danika started in with the sniffles.  I braced myself, knowing what was coming.  I won't repeat everything because basically everything in Johnalyn's situation, Danika mimicked.  She was struggling to breath, not eating much, vomiting... took her in ... blah, blah, blah.   She ended up with a hospital stay last Friday.  She is now on antibiotics and is quickly bouncing back to her self.  We're on the road to recovery... until the next bought of sickness. This mommy doesn't do well when her littles are sick.

Now, the fun stuff!

They are growing beautifully.  Johnalyn hasn't been weighed since before her sickness... but she is now... pudgy.  She lost quite a bit through her sickness... but there is no concern over her weight now (you'll see in the pictures below).  Danika's weight has been fluctuating, but I expect her to gain quite a bit now that she is feeling better.  As of their last doctor appointments they were both 11.5 lbs +/- a few ounces ... but I KNOW Johnalyn is WAY more than that now (my prediction is nearing 13 pounds).

On Saturday (July 25th), Johnalyn discovered how to roll from back to belly, so now she is our rollie pollie, and on Sunday she discovered her toes! She is SO proud of herself. When she completes her rolling she will look up at whomever is watching her and give them the biggest smile (Video) She is SO strong.  She will hold onto our fingers while laying down, pull herself into a sitting and then hoist herself onto her feet, and then give us the biggest smile.  I think she will be our more reserved and laid back girl, but she will be the strength and the eater.  She loves to smile and 'shriek' when she's excited... and she likes to babble.

And speaking of babbling... Danika is our talker.(Video) She will babble, no kidding, an hour straight with you.  She will babble to her toy bug, to her toes, to her sister... and she will babble herself to sleep. (Video) Her brain is constantly working.  She is looking at, grabbing, and studying her toys constantly.  She is a pro at rolling from tummy to back, but still working on the back to tummy skill.  She can also pull herself into a sitting and then standing while holding our hands, but she isn't as confident in her strength yet.

Since their sickness, they have been struggling to sleep all night... between their snuffles, coughing, and hunger, it's been a struggle.  For a few days, we were lucky to get two straight hours.  They're getting better now that they are feeling more like themselves.  Every day is becoming more and more fun as they learn and develop new skills.  I never imagined how rewarding it would feel watching our littles do something so simple, but SO profound in the littlest ways.

We're coming up on their 'half birthday'...  I know people say all the time, "it goes so fast, don't blink"... and as much as you hear it, and prepare yourself for that, nothing can really prepare yourself.  I have to keep scrolling back to pictures of when they were in the hospital to remind myself how far they have come and what absolute miracles they really are.  I feel like I partially blocked my emotions at that time when the girls were born, I can even see it from reading back on my blogs from that time.  It's not like I didn't process what was going on at the time, but while on bed rest, I prepared myself for the complete worst (oxygen deprivation, intubation, brain bleeds, heart issues, blindness, cerebral palsy... everything that comes hand-in-hand with prematurity) so when they were born it was a complete joy instead of fear because they had none of the 'common' prematurity issues that many parents are faced with.  I knew people around me (family and friends) were still afraid for us, or reserved/held back their joy in part because of the lack of education the majority of people have on prematurity.  Not that it's a bad thing... when it doesn't affect you, why become educated on the matter? I just focused on the fact they are were healthy... yes, they were preemie, yes they very thin, yes it looked scary... but the fact that we had two healthy, screaming baby girls is all what I focused on.

Now, I look back at their journey in the ISCN/NICU, I tear up and get overwhelmed.  How did we do it? Everyday for 49 days, sitting there watching our girls' in incubators/plastic bassinets with tube feedings, hooked up to wires, unable to be wrapped up in our arms whenever we wanted.  With the good Lord on our side, we did it.  God gave us strong little girls and they would conquer this... that's what I kept telling myself over and over and over.

God willing, I took the pregnancy as far as I possibly could, and our miracles were ready to do their job when they were brought into this world, and I had complete confidence in them... I had expectations of my little 31 weekers!  They are amazing, they are strong-willed, and they are two of the happiest babies I have ever seen, and I still can't believe they're ours.

Phew!  I think that's all I got for now.  I do have a question for other mama's out there... We're looking at splurging and purchasing a nice baby carrier (we have a Baby Bjorn, but we want another one... a nicer quality one).  It's quite the investment, so just wondering if any of you fellow mamas out there have any strong recommendations or are selling their nice baby carrier that is no longer needed??  We're looking at something like the  Lille Baby 6-in-1 or the Ergo Baby.... because eventually our mom's won't be around as often, and I'm going to have to start doing laundry again, but with a baby strapped me!  Reality bites!!  :-)

Pictures!  LOTS of pictures!!

Johnalyn getting the brunt of her sister's silly personality.

Danika left, Johnalyn right

Daddy painting Johnalyn's toes

Johnalyn getting some rest at the hospital.  7/10/15

Johnalyn left, Danika right

Mommy comes home from the store to this.... Daddy knows how to parent!

Johnalyn in green, Danika in pink

Danika in yellow bow (not feeling good), Johnalyn in white

Johnalyn showing off her standing skills

Danika watching her oxygen sats.  7/23/15

Johnalyn in her exersaucer for the first time! 7/24/15

Danika coming home from the hospital!  7/24/15

"I got my toes!" Johnalyn 7/26/15

Five months old!

Happy 4th everyone!
Hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I was laying in bed at 10:00 last night listening to the 'pows' from the St. Peter's fireworks, and I can't help but get excited for a few years from now when we can all go and watch the girls' excitement of popcorn and fireworks!   It's hard to believe that summer is at it's halfway point already...

We made our first big road trip last Sunday to go visit their new cousin, Brayden... over by LaCrosse!  It was a VERY last minute decision, and the girls were rock stars!!!  They slept the whole way there, and all the way home!  Three hours both ways!  Thanks girls!  Even though it was a short visit, I couldn't wait to meet that little man and nothing was holding me back... and I was really missing Jojo!  :-)

Colds are running rampant in our house!  I had the girls into the doctor on Tuesday for their stuffy noses... I just called asking if we can put Vicks on their feet, and the doctor preferred to see them.  The main concern was to check for fluid in the lungs.  At this point, their immunity is still low, that it wouldn't take much for them to come down with RSV... even in the summer.  So, we're on high alert.  Thankfully, the doctor wasn't worried... their lungs and ears were clear, just stuffy sinuses. So, we're have the daily battle of getting saline drops in their noses and using that evil nose sucker. The look of terror the girls give us when they see that thing coming at them is almost comical.   Donny has come down with a cold too... I'm on edge, waiting to catch the nasty bug... For once it's not me that's sick!?!

The girls are otherwise doing great.  Still talking like crazy and so strong.  Johnalyn is nearing complete control of her head and loves pull herself up when we hold her hands... and we know she loves doing it from the smile she gives us as she's pulling up onto her feet!  She gives us that "Look at me!" grin.   Silly girl.

Danika is close behind her and is holding her head up pretty steadily except for a few times it gives out.  The chiropractor made a comment, too, that the progress on her torticollis is slower than Johnalyn's, even though Johnalyn had a worse case of it.  Danika's neck muscles are a bit weaker and stiffer, but this will get better.

As far as progression and regression of their flat heads... To my eye, they haven't gotten worse, but there's still a definite flat spot on both of their heads.  We won't know if they will still need to get helmets until their 6-month check up.  We will be going with a new pediatrician from  here on out, so getting another opinion will be nice, and maybe it's not as bad as we think.  

Since going to the chiropractor, the girls no longer fight/gag on their bottles (they had a tilted vertebrae that affected the swallow reflux).. and spit up has become a very rare thing!  I was amazed!  I will now vouch for chiropractic care in infants.  You can do your own educated research on chiropractic care and infants... but don't just use Google and believe everything you read... talk to your pediatrician AND go in for a chiropractic consultation before their first adjustment... and then tell me you regretted it.  :-)  That's my PSA.

Daycare is slowly getting easier for all of us.  I'm so thankful we started doing two days a week before going in 5 days a week... that would have been SO hard for me.  I think as the teachers in the room get used to the girls, and vice versa, things will go smoother and they will soon fall into a routine.  Here I go again with that word 'routine'...  :-)

Pictures!

Happy 4th Everyone!

Danika hanging out on Daddy

Johnalyn-left, Danika-right

Who needs sleep....?

Perfectly fit puzzle pieces

Where is time going?? 19 weeks!

I'm letting the girls watch TV while I make this blog entry...otherwise it'll never get done (We never let them watch, and if we see them fixate on the flashing screen, we shut the TV off).  So, oops... I'm using the TV as a 'babysitter' already... they have to watch KARE 11 Sunrise News, so they will fall asleep soon!

Last Tuesday, the girls had their four-month check up and.... they are on the charts!!  As preemies, they are considered 'failure to thrive' on the charts, because their little bodies are based off of their birth date(9 weeks early) not their due date. So, when they bring up their growth chart they are much smaller than the other babies born February 12th.  SO... as of June 16th, at 17 weeks:

Danika 

11 lbs 4 oz (6%)

 22 inches (.97%)

Johnalyn

10 lbs 15 oz (4%)

22 inches tall (2%)

This is amazing as 9 week old preemies aren't expected to hit the charts until a year, or so, after birth.  It typically takes that long to catch up with their peers.  They both had rounds of shots and they are champs.  

During the exam, they were both diagnosed with torticollis.  Torticollis is "a condition in which the head becomes persistently turned to one side, often associated with painful muscle spasms" (thanks Wiki).  Because of this, this is causing the right side of their head to be flat, because that's the side they favor.  We have been working on neck exercises and rolling a blanket under the right side of their back to force them to sleep on their left cheek, LOTS of tummy time, and now we have started going to a chiropractor.  We are doing everything possible to try to avoid a helmet.  If they do need helmets, that's how it'll have to be, but who wants their kid to sport one of those sweaty things??  Johnalyn's torticollis is more severe than Danika's.  The chiropractor rated Johnalyn at 4.5/5 (5 being the worst) at presentation, and Danika at 3.  After three adjustments, he is now rating Johnalyn at a 3 and Danika 2.  He said that when he felt Johnalyn's right neck, when he pushed on it, it was so tight it was pulsating.  Poor baby girl!!  So, we are hoping with everyone's efforts we can avoid the helmet. 

We are also still dealing with their lack of stooling.  I still give them a suppository once every five days (girls, if you're reading this in 18 years, I'm sorry!)... and they refuse to stool on their own.  We have now started 1 tsp of Karo syrup in their nighttime bottles... so we're hoping for results... the doctor doesn't seem to concerned about it at this point. Because of them being premature, all of their insides weren't fully matured, including their anal sphincter (again... sorry girls), so their sphincter isn't developed enough to coordinate what needs to be coordinated to make a stool.  Ok... done with poop now.

They are STILL sleeping through the night!  We put them to bed around 9:30, and one of them is always up by 5:15.  It's awesome!  They are such happy babies... I can't wrap my head around how incredibly blessed we are!!  

We went through some more life changing moments this week... I am now starting to work more and the girls had their first day of daycare yesterday.  I know how moms say they cry all morning the first day of daycare, but I thought because I've been to work and the grandmas have been taking care of the girls, and the fact that we are easing into this with daycare only Wednesdays and Fridays, I honestly didn't think it would be that 'heartbreaking'.  Ha... who was I fooling.  I got there and the gal in the infant room was a gal I hadn't met, very sweet, but I didn't know her.. and I handed my children to her.... and I started tearing up.  I gained composure quickly because I don't want to look like 'one of those moms'... Let's face it... I am 'one of those moms'... but I try to hide it.  When I got back to the van, I cried all the way to work. but coffee makes everything better, so I ordered a large.  They did very well, but I was glad the day was over.  We will do two days of daycare until they can start full time in August.  

They are both complete jabber boxes.  They will jabber to us, to eachother, to their boppies... they'll 'talk' to anything and anyone.  Danika started belly laughing on Tuesday.  I was changing her diaper, and she thought it was hilarious!  They are exceeding in communication, that's for sure!

Here are a couple videos.. and of course... pictures!

Daddy and Dani

Saturday Morning Talks

16 weeks!

The girls are growing so fast and developing more skills everyday.  Donny and I just sit and watch them in awe most evenings.  

Last week, both girls have started to look at us and give us a big gummy smile.  It just so happened that it started in the middle of the night when we are exhausted and the last thing we want to be doing is changing diapers.  I mentioned before that I was getting concerned about their lack of eye contact with us...  I really need to keep reminding myself that they will develop on their own timetable because they love to study our faces now! 

I mentioned in my 14 weeks post that the girls did a 6 hour sleep stint in the middle of the night... well, they're now going on four days straight of sleeping 8 hours!  Does that mean mom and dad are getting eight hours too?  HA!  We are getting more sleep, so I'm definitely not complaining. I just need to stop going into their room randomly throughout the night to check on them.  Now that they're sleeping more at night, I miss those nighttime snuggles.  Johnalyn is always the first one waking up, around 5:00-5:30.  They don't scream when they wake up anymore either... they just kind of mumble and moan for a bit.  Danika is definitely our sleepy one... she'll wake up after Johnalyn and always with a BIG smile.  She wakes up SO happy...she gets it from her dad... NOT her mom!  

I get a lot of weird looks when I say we have to stay on a schedule.  As they're getting older and our life dynamics are changing (me starting work), it's becoming more crucial we stay on a schedule.  We are SO fortunate that the girls have grandma's that come to our rescue!  Grandma Cindy is coming twice a week, so I can get my feet wet at work again and establish a new routine for our family.  We are up between 5:00-5:30.  Donny takes one baby, I take the other.  We diaper, change clothes, and feed.  Donny has to be getting ready for work by 6:00, and out the door by 6:30.  That's when I pump.  When he's out the door, I get ready for work clean bottles, and mix bottles for the day.  Grandma Cindy comes by 7:15-7:30, and I'm out the door!  When I get home, I pick up the feeding schedule, figure out supper, feed the girls, eat, clean, and then we make sure the girls are awake and playing around 7:30-8:00 to tire them out before bed, we give them a filler bottle at 9:00, and they're down for the night.  I love routine.  I love this routine.

Last week, the girls and I ventured out to their future daycare, Kids Corner in St. Peter, to meet their teachers, visit the kids they'll be with, and get a full tour.  This place is going to be great for them, and us.  I was really battling with having our kids go to daycare.  Both Donny and I grew up with our moms at home, taking care of our every need day in and day out.  Donny and I considered all of our options and really looked into all aspects of me staying home versus going back to work.  We decided that it would be best for me to stay working... not just because of the money, but also because I really do enjoy my job, and my work family... and I'm also nearing my 10 year mark at Mayo Clinic, and I really do have good benefits.  SO, daycare it was.  Kids Corner was the only place we considered as a daycare because it is center and it's curriculum based.  Also, being that it's a center, it's always open.  We feel that they will not only be a daycare all day, they'll also be at school because they will be learning ALL the time and developing their social skills.  We don't have a huge social circle with where we live, so we wanted them to get to know other kids their age, other than just each other.  

Anyway!  We are soaking in every little tiny developmental milestone with the girls.  They've both found their fists to suck on.  They love to giggle with their daddy.  Johnalyn is starting to scoot, and Danika is right on her heels.  They are finding their voices and babbling and cooing.  They mimic our facial expressions. These are all new things from the past two weeks.  I LOVE it, and we are cherishing every moment and every stage