Feeding Frenzy

Well, whoever sent up prayers, thanks! They're working so far. Yesterday, Molly took 10 or more bites of a banana/pear mixture, plus yogurt, three separate times. This morning, she had 16 bites of squash, and had there been more in the bowl, I'm pretty sure she would have eaten more. She gagged just a few times today but was willing to continue, so I consider that good!

Way to Go Molly!!

New Toys

The little ones got some pretty neat toys for their birthday so I captured a few pics of them playing.

Andrew was the first to enjoy the tunnel they got from Grammy! He bolted right in and hasn't stopped since. Fortunately, it is easy to take out and put away so we have short playtimes with it and then it goes away! Hailey, of course, was reluctant to go in and chose to be a bystander/cheerleader for about two days. Now she goes through it with no problem.

On the other hand, Hailey is pretty sure she's a superstar and is ready to climb her toys.

Apparently, tables are for sitting, not chairs!
Oh look, tears! I guess she wasn't too happy about being corrected. I have to say though, she loves this learning chair they got from Rich, Shellie, and Colton. She plays with it all the time is actually quite skilled at turning the book pages and pushing each crayon one at a time.
Molly has been busy crawling around and practicing eating, so I haven't gotten any pictures of her playing with toys. I will soon though!

Special Visitor

We had our special friend and nurse from the NICU visit us yesterday. It was wonderful to see Heidi and the kids had a great time playing with her. She was so amazing with Molly while she was in the hospital and we love her like she's family! We hope she sticks around to see these little ones grow big!

She helped Molly take down another batch of bananas and pears!

How cute the two of them are!

We owe so much to Heidi and appreciate everything she did for Molly while she was in the NICU! We are very grateful to have her as a friend and blessed that she continues to stay a part of our lives!

Thanks Heidi :-)

Exciting News

Hold on to your hats people, I've got some exciting news. Molly, little tiny 12 1/2 lb. Molly, has a tooth! That's right folks, it's finally happened. Perhaps this is why she hasn't wanted to eat or sleep soundly??? But it doesn't stop there. Now here's the real kicker.....she ARMY CRAWLS! Yes, you read that correctly. Molly is now mobile in a forward motion. Hmm, three babies on the move? Yikes!

....Molly eats her food

This is the way Molly eats her food, eats her food, eats her food.....

Spoon feeding herself sweet potatoes

A pretzel rod

A carrot
Licorice dipped in sweet potatoes
The Picasso of feeding therapy All clean!
I figured it was probably time for a feeding update. After two bouts of illness, we are working hard to get back on track. Unfortunately, she did not eat well both times she was sick, which happened within 6 weeks of each other, so we have some ground to make up. However, she is showing more and more interest in putting things in her mouth. Every toy goes in and most foods that she has control over. Imagine that, Molly wanting to be in control :-) She has even allowed my mom, whom she adores, to feed her strawberry banana yogurt! Last night she let me feed her ice cream and she has taken a liking to sweet potatoes. She will lick them off her fingers and occasionally open for a bite or feed herself. This is progress, but hopefully it will be enough for the docs at Children's to let us continue. Her weight gain is slow, which is concerning, but her ped. feels confident that being sick is a contributing factor. He also feels the alternatives to what we are doing, increasing calories or a g-tube, are not that great so it's worth giving it more time. We shall see! Thank you for keeping Molly and the rest of us in your thoughts and prayers. She has come so far, but she needs to grow faster! Get Fat Molly! How nice to be told that, huh???

Just for Fun

I figured I'd post a few pics just for fun while I pass the time waiting for Molly's next feeding.

Hailey, deep in thought!

The garden before.......

......the garden after!

Soooo Big!

Hailey, enjoying some of Molly's licorice. Apparently with feeding therapy, if one gets it, they all get it!

Hope you enjoyed :-)

The Tooth Fairy

The True Story of the Tooth Fairy

as told by the parent of a teething baby

Once upon a time on a dark, sleepless night, the sounds of teething babies were ringing in parents' ears all around the world. Crying, whining, thrashing about....it was endless. In one particular home, however, something magical happened. Just as another round of bawling began and the mother was heading to the nursery, she spotted a beautiful, angelic looking creature in the corner of her room. She had wings that shimmered in the moonlight and a smile that spread warmth and peace throughout the home. The mother just stood there, staring, unbelieving in what she heard. Nothing.....absolutely nothing. This creature that stood before her was the true tooth fairy. The one who knows that it's not the kids who lose a tooth that need a gift; it's the parents who sacrifce sleep, food, sanity, and the comfort of their own beds in order to console their inconsolable children, that need reprieve. So instead of a coin or treasure that the "other" tooth fairy leaves behind, this one places a spell on teething babies, freeing them from gum pain from age 3 months to 3 years, and grants the parents the one thing in the whole world they want.....peace and quiet during the sleeping hours. Now that's what I call a tooth fairy! May the "true" tooth fairy bless you!

Written by Heather

* For all the parents who love their children enough to go through this teething thing with them, may you find your peace soon :-)