Maya: This is Maya's last week of night nursing! AHHHHH! I am enjoying the freedom that has come with not having day nurses, however, I REALLY loved having someone care for her from 11PM until 7AM. On the bright side we will get to go to bed earlier and not have to stay up for the nurses to get here. Unfortunately, when Maya is sick she will need some care during the night to keep her oxygen on her, and her feedings going. Also, she has been doing some night waking where she wakes up as early as 1AM and stays awake the rest of the night. I am hoping that the absence of the nurse will bore her and she will go back to sleep on those nights...I guess we just have to wait and see. Maya also has a wonderful teacher that has been coming to the house and signing with her 3 mornings a week Mon, Wed, and Friday. She and Maya have a terrific bond and Maya is making some good communication progress with her. Maya also is going to speech once a week for the summer and we are hoping speech and her teacher will keep her progressing until school starts again in the fall. Maya has now had two challenging colds since her trach was removed and she did really well. The nasal canula kept falling off because of all her secretions, so we had to use "blow-by" oxygen. She was really cute, because she would fall asleep and just grab the blow by oxygen and hold it to her face...so cute! Her stoma is still open, and the doctors will look into closing it (if it does not close on its own) by November. In the meantime, Maya wears some pretty cute handkercheifs around her neck so that she does not irritate her stoma by poking it...which she likes to do. Maya LOVES the summer time and being around her sisters more. She has signed "baby" a few times for Baby Teya, and has been trying to copy Addy's attempts at somersaults...Let's just say Maya has mastered the Downward Dog yoga position (head on the ground and bottom in the air)! All in all we are pleased with Maya this summer and enjoy having more time with her during the day, however I am trying to not freak out too much about our upcoming nights with no nursing and a newborn!
Maya 7/18/08
Addy: Addy continues to amaze us with her physical and verbal abilities. She is not two yet, but has decided that there is nothing better on Earth than dancing and gymnastics. As she watched the Olympic Trials for gymnastics with me she shouted "sommiesault" over and over until a commercial and then she asked for "more sommiesault". She also watched some of So You Think You Can Dance the other day when I was watching a recording of the previous night's show. She started spinning and would not stop until the dance finished and then she quickly said "more." Tonight as I tried to keep her occupied while I nursed Teya, I turned on a children's music CD and she just danced around the living room the entire feeding, which I think lasted at least a half an hour. She is also starting to use more sentence like speaking, and asking tons of questions ussually beginning with the word "where"..."where did (fill in the blank) go? (Daddy,Shasta,Maya,Teya, Mommy) She is a ton of fun and a fireball of energy!
Addy 7/18/08
Teya: Teya hit 6 weeks old on Thursday and continues to be a terrific baby. She does cry a little more, especially in the evenings, but she definitely is a pretty easy going baby. Teya ussually will sleep a chunk at night from 10 or 11-4 , then feed and go back to sleep until 6:30 or so. We are managing to find some sleep so that really is what gets us through our busy days. Our sweet baby loves to go for rides in the baby carrier, the car, and loves to cuddle. Maya loves to play with her feet and Addy really just wants to attack her with hugs and kisses. She is growing every day and filling out the clothes that once were very baggy on her. Her hair (eventhough it seems to be falling out some) is light brown and her eyes are still blue...they could still change. We are anxiously waiting for our first smiles...they should be just around the corner!
Baby Teya
Mom and Dad:
Are tired and wish we could actually find some time to talk just the two of us...but that should come in time. For now we are grateful for every uninterupted hour of sleep and breaks to go work out or visit a friend. Mom is pretty much all recovered from her C-section and back to normal activities. In a few weeks Dad is flying to Wyoming with Addy to visit his mom and dad, and Mom, Maya, and Teya are going to Portland to spend time with her folks. Overall, the transition could not have gone smoother and we continue to be showered with meals and visitors and Marty is beginning to wonder what meals will look like when she has to find time to make them.
