Vegas, Dance Parties, and Schedules- Oh My!

I will be doing detailed 6 month updates on each baby, but that's another post.

Dave went off to Vegas last week for a work conference and came home with a cold :(  So far only Caroline seems to have caught anything.  He's been quarantined for the past couple of days.

While Dave was gone, my parents were here to help with the babies.  This worked out well when Leah's g button came out!  She had been screaming for about an hour when she threw up all over herself and me and the floor.  As I was putting her down to clean up, her tubing snagged on something and the whole button popped out just like that.  Of course, this happened at 10pm.  Since her button's only been in a couple of weeks and it's not fully healed, we had to go to the ER to have it put back in.  My dad and I made it there in record time and since having a g button out is a time sensitive issue, we avoided the 6 hour ER wait.  We got home at 2am.  She had her surgery follow up appointment this week and all looks good!

Exhausted after a feeding attempt with Leah

She's drinking and content!  Keep the progress coming Leah!

Leah has improved so much since being home!  This week we have progressed from the rocket ship controlled flow bottle to a normal bottle.  And she's taken a little bit of formula by mouth in addition to the breast milk.  Also, her new record is 35 cc by mouth in 15 min!!  I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see her do it.  Of course this has only happened once, but she doesn't fight eating like she used to.  She definitely has good days and bad days, but the bad days are much better than they were.  She typically screams several times as she falls asleep and when she's hooked up to the pump for bolus feeds.  She's throwing up about once a day, sometimes twice, but the volume has decreased and the projectileness too (yeah, I made that word up).  Generally, her demeanor is more pleasant (i.e. only mean mugging half the time).  Starting this week her night nurse coverage is being reduced from 5 nights to 3 nights a week.  So far it hasn't been that bad since she's been sleeping all night and I just get up to refill her pump bag.   I randomly hear from the others, but I don't remember the last time I got up to check on them.

With my parents officially gone, we're getting readjusted to caring for 6 babies and not having back up around all the time.  Some of my regulars- including Dave- were unavailable this week, but thanks to my trusty standbys we made it through!  One friend and I did the morning feeding today just the two of us- it was a little crazy, but we got the job done.  I will say 3 or more people is preferable at feeding time though :)

6 babies is absolutely harder than 5!  With Leah requiring so much one on one attention and being on her own schedule, it's more hectic around home.  Just for my personal record...  currently with the 5 babies, we feed them at 630, 1030, 230 (skip the 230am).  We "play" for 1 1/2-2 hours and then they are supposed to nap for 1 1/2-2 hours.  They go to bed at 730pm.  The napping has gotten shorter and less consistent since they started sleeping through the night, but I'm working on extending that.  Leah eats at 930, 1230, 330, 630 and is on the pump from 8pm-8am.  Generally takes 1 1/2 hours to feed her with bottle attempt and pump time combined.  She usually is upset during the pump time, so me or a volunteer attempt to console her so she doesn't work herself up so much she gags.  I don't get much time during the day to do anything besides feedings.

Just an action shot of a corner of our home 

Some fun things lately... we got to do a quick, fun photo shoot outdoors!  I don't have the pictures yet, but it involved babies, baskets, and balloons.  We traveled all together in Big Blue- girls were horrible, boys were awesome!  A care group from church came over last night and took over the evening shift so Dave and I could go out to dinner and attend our care group- they did an awesome job and it was so nice to get out of the house for a few hours!  And I was impressed I only got one phone call about Leah procedures :)  A new routine I've started that I enjoy so much- morning dance parties!!  For those of you who know me, I love to dance and back in college my roommates and I had dance parties all the time.  So, now every morning after the babies are dressed and fed, I turn on the music and dance around before their nap time.  They'll watch me act silly and I get a song in with each one- I think it double counts as exercise too.

Lastly, some reflections...  exactly a year ago I found out I was pregnant.  A week and a half later I found out I was pregnant with 6 babies.  Excitement to shock to worry to wishing some would magically disappear at each ultrasound to accepting that I would indeed have 6 babies.  So much has happened this past year it's almost overwhelming to think about it.  And 54 weeks ago if you told me this would be my life, I would've laughed and said you're crazy.  But, this is my life now and I don't regret anything.  When people ask how I do it, I say "I have good help and Jesus."  And my random reflection- which also shows how awesome and generous people are- I have literally not cooked dinner in a year!  People have been bringing us food since I got pregnant and started feeling sick.  Thank you for that blessing!!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."  Philippians 4:13

The onesies say "Heaven Sent"- so true!