Merry Christmas!

We had a very quiet Christmas this year.  We just hung out at home with our undecorated fake Christmas tree!  John helped Caroline open her presents from Nana and I helped Claire.  Claire pretty much slept through all of the excitement.  Here are a few of the pictures from Christmas day that I have uploaded to Shutterfly.  Hopefully it works!

Caroline & Claire's photo album

Doctors, doctors, and more doctors!

Last week was a very busy week with lots of different doctors' appointments.  Tuesday Claire had an appointment at the pediatrician.  And BIG news, she gained weight!  She is now just a little over 8 pounds!  YAY Claire!!!  Overall she has been eating much better.  She went a few days without spitting up, but the past couple of days she has spit up several times.

Claire, 8 pounds and worn out from all the appointments!

Wednesday was Claire's pulmonology appointment.  She got a Synagis shot, which isn't a vaccine, but an antibody that helps lessen the effects of RSV (respiratory illness, similar to a cold, but could be fatal for an infant).   Then Thursday Caroline had her Synagis shot.  Both girls hated the shots, but who can blame them?!?

Porter supervising tummy time

Friday Claire had an appointment at the ENT and also an eye exam.  Her retinas are now fully developed and no longer premature, so she won't need to go in for another appointment for 6 months.

Saturday Caroline had her first in home physical therapy appointment.  I didn't think she'd have a ton of feedback on the first appointment, but she did.  And it honestly has freaked me out. She is worried about Caroline's head shape and that Caroline is not tracking objects.  The PT is also concerned that Caroline didn't blink when she brought her hand to Caroline's face.  Blinking or closing their eyes is a natural reaction in babies so the PT said that Caroline could be having seizures.  Obvivously something we need to have checked out with the pediatrician.

In other news, Claire has found her thumb and Caroline is still trying very hard to find hers.  Caroline hasn't been taking her pacifier recently and Claire will only take hers when she's too tired of searching for her thumb. 

Claire enjoying her thumb and not a pacifier...

Caroline can't figure out that her thumb is under her fingers.

Claire comes home!

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a week since Clarie came home. She was able to come home last Friday evening. Time has really flown by!  Our biggest concern with Claire coming home was her feeding issues.  She has good days where she eats very well and then days when you basically have to force her to eat.  Before she left the hospital we learned how to insert the feeding (NG) tube, just in case she was having trouble eating. Ok, I'll be honest I practiced only on the dummy, John actually inserted the tube in Claire.  Just like at the hospital she has had good days and some rough days. The first few days at home weren't easy.  We went to the pediatrician on Monday and she lost an ounce from her discharge weight on Friday.  We are hoping it was just a difference in the scales, but we will go back this week for another weight check. 

Claire kissing the hospital GOODBYE!

No more hospital crib!

And we are ALL ready to go!

One HAPPY momma!

The girls are doing well at home together.  At first when one would cry there wasn't a reaction from the other, but it seems like the longer they are home once one cries the other has to cry, yell, or scream louder.  Last night around 1AM they had a yelling/screaming/crying contest.  I decided that I didn't want to be left out so I joined.  And I won, because eventually both girls must have decided they couldn't compete with me and gave up!

Apparently, a leather chair isn't the most effective place to have to babies sit for a photo!

Just hangin' out at home

So much to be thankful for and 3 months old!

Last Thursday we took our first family picture (finally!).  It was Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for this year!

We also got a sweet, sweet card from Claire. 

On Sunday the girls were 3 months old.  To celebrate Claire's feeding tube was removed and she also took her car seat test, technically called the angle tolerance test.  She had to sit in the car seat for 90 minutes and she did a great job sitting, and crying/screaming pretty much the entire time!  She wasn't a fan of the car seat at all!  But that puts us one step closer to bring Claire home.  She weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces tonight.  She is still just working on her feedings but she is doing a great job.  We are going to be trained tomorrow on how to insert a feeding tube, but were told that she will probably come home on Thursday or Friday as long as she continues eating and she has a good next couple of days.

Claire- 3 months old

Poor Claire doesn't love the car seat like Caroline

Caroline continues to do well.  She has really been enjoying tummy time the past few days.  She has an appointment at the pediatrician on Thursday so we'll have an update on her weight then.  But as you can see below she has been growing over the past month!

Caroline at 2 & 3 months

Caroline- 3 months