Well, I am sorry that I have not posted in a while. I started back at work recently, and with that and school is making it hard to post.
Here is an update on the girls. Earlier this week they had a weight check and nutrition appointment at WIC. The good news is that they are gaining weight. Sierra is now 8lbs 5 oz, and Alyssa is 8lbs. They are still a little under weight, but seem to be gaining so it is not so much a concern any more.
However, with them not having the weight that they should have had, their muscles did not develop quick enough, so now they have some development issues. Primarily because they were early, but also due to the weight issues.
Oklahoma has this program that I mentioned above. It is for children like mine that are behind in their development. It is a free program that offers weekly nurse visits, doctor visits, and visits by physical, behavorial, and speech therapists for up to age 3 for these children. To get in the program, a persons child has to be at least a cumulative total of 50% behind. My daughters qualified. It is one of those things that I am looking at in different ways now. While I did not want them to get this diagnosis, it is a good thing that since they need it they qualify. For that, and all they help we get from family and friends, we are blessed.
Thanksgiving was ok. Two weeks prior we went up to Kansas so the girls could meet Amy, her mom Cindy and dad Tom, and their Nana (my grandmother). Everyone, including the kids, got a kick out of the twins. They were loved instantly. What can I say, I have the BEST family, both in my husband's relatives, and in my own.
For thanksgiving, the girls got to meet more people. We went to see my cousin Shaun and his family. It is rather special for me since Shaun and I grew up more as brother and sister than cousins. His father was there for me when mine was unable to be, and my mother was there for Shaun in the same way. Again, everyone fell in love with the girls. They behaved rather well, and have even with the large amount of people that they have met. They remain calm through it all and still mainly fuss only when they need attention.
Well, the girls are now 14 weeks old. It has been a crazy road so far, and I know that there will only be more as we go on, but I would not trade it for anything. I would not like to repeat it, but I am also glad that I have this opportunity to be their mother. I continue to try to do the very best for them, and continue to just do, learning new things every day in their care. The strange thing is that it is not the basics that I am learning, but quirky things. For instance, the soft spot on a childs head is used to tell hydration. If it is caved in, then the child is dehydrated and needs fluids quick.
Since I am not breastfeeding anymore, I am only pumping, I have to mix the breastmilk with formula. I gave a bottle of this mixture to Sierra one time, not knowing that the breastmilk had gone bad. Sierra refused to eat it and continued to fuss. We gave her a new bottle with milk from a different container, and it was fine. So, there again, I learned that even if I can not tell, my daughter will tell me. Gosh, they are so smart.
Well, it is getting late. I am going to try to get some sleep (maybe) while I can.
The next set of photos came when we went to see my grandma. We went the week before Thanksgiving. My cousins son, Kaden, is looking so well. It was great to see him and his parents. It was also great to see how great of a big brother he was to Ava and will be to Brody. He really impressed my husband and I by helping his mom change my daughter's diaper.
And Cousin Amy bought a pretty outfit for both Sierra and Alyssa. Alyssa is in her outfit in the picture above with Miles, and Sierra is pictured below.
The week after Thanksgiving, we were visited by my uncle, David.
The week of Thanksgiving, our plans were cancelled. Instead of going to my fathers as we had planned, we went to Dallas and saw my cousin Shaun, his wife Erica, and his father Phillip.
