This Is Not

This is not an update on how the boys are eating fantastically. This is not to let you know that they are impressing both me and their EI occupational therapist for the last two weeks. This in no way is to let you know that we are only eight short weeks away from starting Feeding Clinic on April 27th, nor is it to share with you that I'm feeling pressure and great anxiety to get these boys to eat as much as possible in this very short time frame until the big guns give it a go at the clinic.

I am not going to tell you that yesterday Cameron and Evan ate a combined amount of food totaling about 1/4 of a jar of butternut squash puree, or that Cameron ate four Gerber cherry flavored puffs consecutively, or that Evan finished 4 ounces of milk in 30min. And what's more is, I'm also not going to tell you that they did it again today and combined at 1/2 of a whole jar of the butternut squash puree, Cameron ate 3 puffs and three big bites of a Baby Mummum and drank 4ounces of milk, while Evan licked a puff once and drank two ounces of milk.

I'm not telling you any of this because they have never done this much before and to talk about it would to be to jinx it. Just like when the nurses whisper about "discharge" of their teeny tiny patients, because to say it out loud and have them hear of something that resembles actually getting discharged and going home is certain to cause a preemie to have a set back, thus extending their NICU time. To talk about things as important as this is a big No No. If I were to have officially told you any of this everything we're working so diligently on would all go to hell in a hand basket for the next 8 weeks. So we will NOT be focusing on that. Because that's no big deal. Not at all.

What I will tell you is that the boys have been puking more of their formula up while sleeping than ever before, and last night Cam got really really really terrified so I think he might have choked on it pretty hard before I was able to get to him. The vomiting has been at an all time high again, and I wish I knew why. They have gone for several weeks at a time with nary a spit up, let alone Exorcist-like projectile vomits that we've been having from a deep sleep.

I will also tell you that yesterday the boys learned how to count to six and to say their ABC's to the letter F all very suddenly and in just two days. Yaaaaaay!! ::happy dance:: They are learning new words and phrases so fast, I'm not sure if I can keep track at all anymore. And they are becoming super social too, even though they are painfully shy at first. Once they warm up to you they really do love to interact with people, it just takes a long while to get there. Evan spent an entire hour sitting in our OT's lap today. He just walked over and plopped himself down on her lap without being invited. And we rolled with it and he ate while sitting on her lap, spilling all his milk and butternut squash puree on her pants.

The flavor of the week is Butternut Squash, and it must be the BeechNut brand as the boys do not seem to like the Gerber brand of squash puree at all. Still working on flavors. We know the boys love ice tea and I happily give it to them. Yes, I know, shocker that I would give my almost 2 year old kids caffeine. But when your child, who doesn't eat anything by mouth for a year, suddenly demands your beer/coffee/wine/tea/soda/soup/buffalo sauce/sushi, you will have an out of body experience filled with anxiety and joy as you watch yourself happily offer the bottle over. Go ahead, call CPS, I dare you to try and steal my joy. (I am joking of course. But I still gave them iced tea and plan on doing it again.)





















Yesterday (and today as well) were the first days warm and sunny enough to walk to the park. Here's some of the fun we had.


Evan's PT would be so proud of him too!


Only just five months ago this slide was really huge and scary for the boys. It's still a little scary for me because there is a two and a half foot drop at the end because they haven't put down any new mulch yet.