Twins 2, Parents 0

Sorry about the lack of updates but I'm back at work now and the last few evenings have been "All Twins, All The Time." Sharon is going to be hitting the blog sphere though shortly and will be able to give you more updates. I've posted several sets of pictures for your viewing pleasure:

• Baptism in the NICU


• Evie's Homecoming from the Hospital


• Twins First Day Home Together


• Twins with Visitors (Nov. 1st, 2nd)

Evie had her first pediatrician appointment and her first followup with the cardiologist last Thursday. The pediatrician's scale showed that Evie had gained some weight and was 5 lbs., 5 oz., but the cardiologist's scale showed 5 lbs., 11 oz. We'll just say she's "bigger," which is good progress, and call it a day.

The cardiologist said that Evie's numbers were good (good heart rate and good oxygen saturation levels) for the time being and that he thought she was doing remarkably well right now considering her condition. Her color is great and even her fingers and toes show good color. The doctor feels that she is right on track for an early December surgery for the unifocalization procedure.

Bottle feedings with Evie have become quite a battle lately, so any parents out there: feel free to post a comment at the end of this post with some tips. Sometimes she'll be completely calm and take the whole bottle. However, most times she's very, well, combative and fussy. She'll take the bottle for a few seconds, then push it away and whine, then want it right back. It takes forever to get her to swallow 2 ounces of formula.

Evenings have been hit or miss with crying bouts. She's only be super-fussy and crying two evenings the past week, and both nights she spit up all over me several times, so perhaps it was some stomach upset. Gavin has been so easy lately, and he's eating a ton; sometimes 4 1/2 ounces a bottle. He has his one month check-up later this week (can't believe it's been a month!). He looks bigger and feels heavier; he's got to be 6 1/2 lbs. by now. However, he continues to pee through at least two or three outfits a day (no matter how tight I make the diapers).

Sharon was able to get out of the house on Sunday afternoon for a bit and hit Target with another mom from our twins' parenting class. I was home alone with the twins for about two quarters of the Packers-Eagles game, and all hell broke loose 5 minutes after Sharon left. Gavin decided it was a good time to have his first "diaper blow out" (and it was so loud the neighbor's had to have heard it).

After I went through a half package of wipes cleaning him up and changing his outfit, both of them decided to be fussy and want a bottle at the same time. So I laid Gavin on the couch cushion next to me and fed him with my left hand, while I propped Evie up on my lap against a pillow and fed her with my right hand. Thank God that it was not a "fussy feeding" and we got through it okay. Here are a few pictures around Halloween and the end of the week. I'll get weekend pics up soon!

Here's Grandma Cordes reading Gavin the Legend of the Great Pumpkin.

I wish Evie was this calm all the time!

Nana Cermak has her hands full here. I'm not sure what's off camera that is sooo interesting to Gavin. Evie is passed out her, but ten minutes after the grandparents left Evie fussed for hours. She must have missed Nana's magic touch. Grandpa Cermak picked up the Art of the Bottle right away (first time bottle feeding a baby ever!)

Here's Uncle Kevin and Aunt Diana keeping the kids busy so that Dad can blog!