The Farm

Today I took the kids down to my sister and brother-in-law's place where they are building a new house. Megan has always loved going there and often calls it "The Farm" because they have lots of animals. She hasn't been down for a while because they haven't been living there during construction. Plus, they have 10 new ducklings that Megan just had to see. So, we ventured out and I thought I would share a few pictures.

Meet the ducklings....

Molly was very curious about this little moving thing.
Hailey was quite eager to pet the duckling!
Just as with the zoo, Andrew was enthralled with the animals.
It's not very often that Molly sees things smaller than her that actually move!
Meet Bubba, the goat...
Megan always wants to feed Bubba when she goes to Auntie Brandi's house.
Molly isn't quite sure about this.
Andrew wants to be Bubba's friend. They share a namesake, sort of!
Meet the resident criminals....let me share a sad story!
These two ducks are former ducklings of the former mother of the new ducklings. I say former mother because she is no longer with the Gwin family. They aren't quite sure exactly what happened, but shortly after the babies were born, Angel, the mother, passed on due to injuries thought to be inflicted by the above suspects. The suspicion is that these two hoodlums were trying to get to the babies and Angel did what any good mother would do....she sacrificed to protect her children. Well, when Mr. Gwin returned home and found the victim, the two suspects were quick to make their exit. Given the facts surrounding this unfortunate event, it isn't hard to draw the likely conclusion! Tell me, what do you think? Fortunately, the ducklings have a safe home under a nice warm heat lamp and doing just fine. As for the suspects??? Their fate is yet to be determined!

....two steps forward

Well, in true Molly fashion, she is proving to be quite the champ. I may be jumping ahead, but I think she is doing wonderfully well and has recuperated very nicely. Not only is she back to her spunky, joyful self, but she is currently eating better than she was before she got sick. We'll see if she can keep it up. She pulled her tube out at 2 this afternoon, but it turns out it wasn't a problem, as her last 4 feedings have all been by mouth, and were 90 mL, 105 mL (x2), and 115 mL. That's more than she was taking per feeding before the pneumonia. Anyway, she gained another 2 1/2 oz. from yesterday, so something is working. I'll keep the news coming!

Molly Molly

Well, I'm very excited this evening so I had to get on and post. Some of you know that Molly had to go back on her feeding tube because she wasn't eating well and was losing weight. The pneumonia really wiped her out and she basically had no appetite. Needless to say, things around here have been a bit tense on that front. However, tonight we have reason to be happy! Maybe it's a learned response from having babies that clung to life on a day to day basis, but the little things can really be cause for celebration. Molly has gradually been increasing the amount she takes by mouth, about 60 mL, but tonight, she finished her whole 3 oz. bottle! Even though she was tired and ready for bed, she pushed through and came out a champ! So, though a small event to most people, for us it's a huge step in the right direction! Not only that, but twice yesterday she ate a little more than a teaspoon of pureed mango and applesauce! She's becoming quite curious about how things feel and taste in her mouth. Keep praying and sending positive thoughts that this re-visit with the NG will be short term!

Thanks everyone :-)

Hodge Podge

Here is what else we've been up to....and some practice shots with the new camera!

A few weeks ago, Megan and I got the garden planted. Soon we will be enjoying lettuce, zucchini, peas, beans, tomotoes, onions, basil, and chives.

Megan in the petting zoo at Olympic Game Farm park.

Tim practicing with the camera, getting outdoor, up-close shots.

Molly, enjoying her newest found love....black licorice :-)

Hailey's first taste of a popsicle!

Hailey, enjoying the outdoors!

Hailey, finding trouble like her brother!

First touch of grass!

You want my picture???

What is this stuff??

Beautiful Molly!

Look how big I am?

Mmmm, a cookie :-)

Megan, playing with sidewalk chalk.

A kiss and a smile from Auntie Biz!

Molly playing cards with mama and Megan on Mother's Day

Priceless!

Darn, she caught me!

Well, that about catches you up on what's going on in our world! Till next time......

Olympic Game Farm Park

Okay, I think I'm still standing....as some of you know, we have had a nasty virus come through our home, again. We seem to be on the tail end of it. Everyone but me was sick, thankfully! First, Megan came down with it, then Tim and Hailey. I thought we were out of the woods, but a week after Megan got sick, Andrew and Molly showed up with it. Fortunately, Andrew sleeps a lot when he's sick and it was the beginnig of a three day weekend, so I had Tim's extra hands to help me with the second round. I'd love to say that everyone came through it just fine, but Molly did have to go on antibiotics for pneumonia. She is doing better now and we are watching her weight carefully. As long as she at least maintains and stops losing, we can continue as is. However, if she loses anymore weight, it's back to the NG! I showed her the tube last night and low and behold, this morning she had a 3 oz. gain! I'll keep you posted on that front!

Aside from all the sickness, we have managed to get out of the house and enjoy some good weather. We hopped in the car on Sunday and headed over to Sequim to visit the Olympic Game Farm park with my dad. It's amazing how a car ride can be a ticket to sanity! The kids did great and Megan loved getting up close and personal with some of the animals. Well, sort of loved it :-) We also had a chance to really try out the new camera I got for Mother's Day. It takes beautiful pictures, I must say, now I just need to learn how to use it! We also ventured into this little burger joint on the way home called Fat Smitty's. At first we were just going to eat in the car on the road, but the babies would have nothing to do with that. So, we braved the high chairs and you know what?? They did great! Molly hung out on our laps while Andrew and Hailey sat like big kids.

All 4 kids enjoying lunch

Up close and personal

Hailey having a great time!

Big Buffalo
Fallow Deer ???
Resting Elk
Playing with Gampa
Feeding the Zebra

Grizzly Bear
Asking for Bread
Putting on a Show
Elk
Prairie Dog
Yak
Peacock
Deer
Large Horned Rhino
Okay, sorry for the mass amount of pictures. I tried adding a slideshow, but in true Heather fashion, couldn't figure it out on my own. I lack patience to actually read through all of the directions. I'll get it one day :-)

Sickies

Well, I hope none of you are experiencing this nasty virus that has found its way into our home. Megan, Tim, and Hailey all came down with it within days of each other. It lasts about 5 days and really wipes you out. I'm crossing my fingers that Andrew, Molly, and I can avoid it. Basically, all they could do was lay around, sleep, and basically feel miserable! Thankfully, Megan seems to have shaken it now. Tim and Hailey shouldn't be too far behind!

Fun in the Sun

With the recent nice weather, we did our best to get out and enjoy some of it. Here the kids are, ready to head out on a short jaunt around the cul de sac. Megan was till feeling pretty crummy, so we basically made a loop and headed back in. As you can see, we now have a triple jogging stroller. Hopefully, this will help us avoid cabin fever during the summer days. All three babies seem to enjoy the openess of it and being able to see their surroundings.

Megan and I filled her pool up and enjoyed some "cooling off" on Saturday when it was really hot. The water was definitely cold, but felt good after pulling weeds.