Sister Marilee!

Charlie and Adella still haven't got to meet Marilee yet but are getting very good at attaching her to pictures and objects.  Charlie calls her Sister Maramee!  Adella is still a bit behind verbally and says Me, but we know who she's talking about!   They LOVE to look at pictures of her and will ask for more anytime you show them one.   Adam was showing them pics on his phone and they were having so much fun looking!

More blocks for the win!

Blocks are really the best toy ever!

Especially when the attach to cars.  Win win

And look!  I got all of Adella's hair in one pigtail/bun!  I wish I could have put her in a leotard and tutu and pretended she was a ballerina!

Marilee update!

April 15th

Marilee had been doing OK with her feedings, taking the full bottle (about 40-45 ml or 1 1/2 ounces) at a time on just about every other feeding.  The rest she would get through her NG tube.  However, last weekend (the 13th) she started to take less and less to where the most she would take was about 20 ml.  This all happened right around the time she had a Hep B shot and also had her eye exam.   It was a little frustrating that she stopped really progressing.  The Dr's and nurses assured us she just needed time, which I know is true, but still we want our girl HOME!  

April 15th

Last Friday a speech therapist came in, I know sounds weird, but they work with feeding issues too.  She listened to her swallow and breath while eating and we tried a few different nipples.   It was actually quite amazing!  She instantly stopped drooling as much and took nearly her full bottle in that feeding even with us changing the nipple out a few times.   We finally seemed to have found something that has worked for her!  Since then she has taken many more bottles and has finished a full bottle - now 50+ ml several times!   In the last 24 hours she took a bottle all but 1 time (so 7 for 8) and took the full or at least minimum amount in most of those feedings.  As soon as she takes the full/minimum amount for 8 straight feedings her tube will come out and then 48 hours later she can come home!   We are sooo excited and are hoping this will happen later this week.

April 17th

Yesterday the nurse actually took the tube out so I could do some Easter pictures (the tape was getting pretty bad and it was only a matter of time till Marilee pulled it out as she has been known to do!   She made it through 4 feedings but had to have it put back in on the 5th.   But really, it has been so much improvement!!

April 18th

Gifts from Great Grandma Heck

My Grandma sent a care package, we didn't realize till we opened that it was supposed to be an Easter package.   Adella loved playing dress up!  Charlie wasn't really in the mood.

Pink much?

In case I haven't mentioned it a billion times before, Adella LOVES pink, followed closely by purple.  She is so girly and it's so fun!  And as much as she is girly, Charlie is all boy!   Cars, basketball and baseball are his life!

Recently I was trying to get all our diapers prepped and ready for use again, she got a hold of the basket and pulled out all the pink and purple diapers and laid them out in a circle.

Marilee Week 6

Marilee continues to amaze us with her growth!  She is becoming 'chunky' and seriously almost can't wear her preemie clothes!  Hopefully she doesn't grow out of the newborn stuff too before she comes home!

 Here are her goals/plan.   At this point we are really just waiting on her to become a little older and stronger.  She can eat by a bottle, but doesn't always have the desire or energy.  From what they tell us one day it will just click and then the tube will come out and we will be home in 48 hours!

Grandpa Button got to hold her for the first time last Sunday.  See she doesn't look so small anymore!

Trying to get back into it

After my mom left, I tried to keep a little bit of fun and normalcy with these kids.  We hit the park, I don't know why they look so unhappy, they were pretty timid that day though.  I don't know if it was because there were other kids around or just because it had been so long since we'd been to a park.  

Adella got to hold her Cousin McKenna.  Such cuties!  She's doing some good practicing for when Marilee comes home! 

We got some new PJs as a gift and they are adorable!  I never would have bought PJ's like this, but she loves them (they are PINK!) and I love them too!  

My friend Laurel raided my fabric and made a dress for Adella.  It turned out so cute!

Speaking of Pink, Adella really is obsessed with pink, and purple is close behind.  She picks out everything pink first when it comes to blocks, blankets, clothes, pretty much anything.  She won't drink out of a Sippy cup unless it's pink or purple.  She'll only wear pink shoes.  It's so crazy how opinionated a little two year old can be!   

As for Charlie, he just likes basketball and baseball.  Serious obsession.   Oh and still everything cars.   Charlie is a very good talker.  He understands words and their appropriate usage almost immediately and can recall them after hearing them just once or twice.  I'm constantly amazed at the words he says!  He knows most every color and can even tell me when a stoplight is green or red and tell me to go or stop!

Playing with Nora

Here are some pics of the kids playing with Nora over the last several weeks.  My kids have this wierd thing where they don't like to act like they are having fun.

I'm so glad they have a good friend that has wanted to have lots of play dates with them over the last couple months!