Sunday April 20, 2008

It has been another one of those weekends. With hopes up and down we are feeling more and more connected with those in the NICU. We have made some really good friends and hope to continue getting updates on babies, families, and friends after we leave.

Carmen has had a slight set back. As Melissa was getting more and more comfortable with feeding the kids, either tandem or individually, little miss Carmen decided that she would play more than eat. With this in mind Carmen posted records LOSSES in weight. She lost 10 grams on Friday and then another 40 grams on Saturday morning. This prompted a visit from a couple of the NICU staff which offered some very meaningful ideas and insight. Melissa has since backed off on tandem feeding Carmen and the boys and feeding Carmen by herself. This has proven to pay off as Carmen was able to gain 20 grams through last night. The NICU Doctors would like to see her gain another day before getting to excited about anything.

Breagan and Ayden continue to enjoy their time with Mom and Dad. They keep us going all night long and my feeling of being tired has turned from a lack of sleep to just being tired in general. Melissa has had a little more time to adjust but has enjoyed catching me asleep her and there. Then Melissa gets the nurses in on the joke and everyone is against me. There comes that middle child syndrome once again... I swear it is all true!


Here is one of our special friends with the kids. Carmen is on your left, then Ayden, and on the right is Breagan.















Carmen enjoying her bath today. She was quite fussy until she was put under the nice heat lamps and in the warm water. Then she melted away to another place... Melissa described it as a beach with white sand, the clear light blue water slowly inching it's way up the beach, and the warm sun rays beating down making your skin turn a nice golden brown color... Then Melissa broke the news to me that she was describing our next vacation away from the kids... Right???




This is the love of a brother and sister... Melissa was able to "tactfully" take this picture one day while feeding Breagan and Carmen. The kids do this on a regular basis. Thank heavens Melissa was able to get the picture.






And so concludes another day. As I keep telling Taylor, "We are just one day closer." We have been blessed beyond our wildest ideas, dreams, and prayers. We continually thank our Father in Heaven for the good people that we have met, will meet, and already know. We know that it is only through Him that gave us life and the ability of knowing such GREAT people. We cannot begin to thank people... So many have given us things for the babies... Hand made quilts from their mother that has now passed on to greater serving ventures, diapers from people that know we could never have enough, outfits for the kids from those who know that a washer/dryer cannot stay unfilled, words of comfort/wisdom from those that have experienced similar adventures, and the list continues to grow. I wish that I could thank each and every one of you for everything that you have helped to bless us. Melissa and I shall try to keep the thank you notes coming out but in the event that we do not get a card to someone please know that your efforts have not been in vain. We know who that this has been a monumental adventure and effort. I have thought this many times and have never wanted to quote it because I am DEFINITELY not going to get political. I am not sure that I ever imagined understanding the validity of this quote. However, I am going to change some of the wording on purpose because I do not agree with the majority of the other things this person endorses.... Have I made my point clear that I am not affiliating myself with this person??? It has not taken just a couple of people to get Melissa, Taylor, myself, and the babies to where we are currently. It has taken an entire community of family and friends to get us here. (Not a village, we live in America and we call them communities, towns, cities, and so forth.)

Thank you everyone, good things are still to come!!!