The Daunting Task Ahead....

is learning to EAT. Apparently they really are NOT our kids, because both Matt and I do not seem to suffer from this phenomena.

UGH. Our poor girls. This is their last hurdle and they are SO very far from overcoming it that it's overwhelming and depressing to me at the same time. Even more depressing is that they tend to eat MUCH better for Daddy from the bottle than they do from Mommy or even the nurses. What sucks the most about that is that Daddy ONLY gives them a bottle ONCE a day. :( Poor girls.

I have to apologize for the lack of the blog, it just didn't happen. Between the storm and stuff around the house (that is STILL a disaster), I just simply didn't get to it. Matt was slaving in the girl's nursery (pictures to come this weekend because it will FINALLY be done), and thus I didn't feel right after he worked all day to ask him to write the blog too. So, I dropped the ball.

After my vent on Sunday night, I had long long talk with our NP Chris about my feelings over the weekend and what had happened with the nurse who told me she didn't have time to work with the girls. She took my feelings to the charge nurse and things are supposed to be getting better. The girls now have new types of bottles (a precursor to the Dr. Brown's bottles) called Mini-Haverman's by Medela (a speciality bottle that cannot be purchased outside of the medical field), notes in their charts that the nurses are to work with them for the ENTIRE 1/2 hour while they are with the bottle, and feed upon readiness cues. In addition, it was pointed out to me that the girls, especially Miss Olivia are not completely healed from their case of the thrush. Apparently they have a REALLY bad case of it. :( They said it's like burning your tongue and the sides of your mouth it hurts that bad and makes babies not want to eat. Stinky.

After Day 1 of the 'new schedule' things are okay. Neither girl did GREAT on the bottle, but Sydney continued to be a champion and Olivia (who has the more severe case of thrush) continued to not eat much.

The rest of week and into the weekend is promising to be pretty busy. Tomorrow is a crazy busy day for Matt, as he is going to MU to do mock interviews on campus and back to the Veterinary Hospital for Mr. Clay to get his check up from his radation treatments that he had back in July. Hopefully all goes well. Sadly the girls will not really get to see Daddy as a result of this. Hopefully he'll get in some seriious time on Thursday while I am at the Kenny Chesney concert with my friend Michelle. It promises to be a good time and not as hot as hades as it was last year. It makes for the best September 11th I've had since the year 2000. Friday is 'Aunt Nancy's' birthday, which I will celebrate with her on Saturday at our favorite breakfast place in Clayton, while Matt and the guys watch the MU game at our house.

I plan to continue to work with the girls all weekend long on feeding, as per normal. They SWEAR to me at the NICU that one day babies just get a visit from the 'nipple fairy' and the learn to eat. God I hope that happens soon. Until then we are not working on breastfeeding as much as we had been. Right now I just want to get them home, we can work on breastfeeding when they get home. Know what I mean?

Today I mailed my letter to Hazelwood appealing for time from the sick leave bank that I joined in my 3rd year of teaching by giving up 2 sick days. Hopefully they are able to give me some days so that I can stay home with the girls a little while longer, as our Dr's at Children's would like me too. With co-pays and medical bills things are getting TIGHT so I couldn't do unpaid leave days for as long as we wanted too. And since I've joined the sick bank and this is what it is for, I needed to apply. So, we shall see what happens. If they approve what I have proposed, I will be out of work until December 8th and will work for 2 full weeks before we are off for 2 weeks for Winter Break. Scary, Christmas is that soon.


I noticed that Matt saw fit to post another one of his Just My Opinion posts today...this one was rather hilarious and not as political as the other. Cute Sweetie, you continue to make me laugh, which is one of the many reasons I love you.

Well, today was boring, so, I'm off.

Here are some pictures of the girls from yesterday and today! You may notice as I have, that the closer they get in weight the more they look alike, which is scary because there are some pictures where I have a hard time telling them apart! Oh well...here goes, see for yourself!


Sydney....



Olivia...



Hope all is Well,
J