A special thanks for support

Whew, the last few days have been everything everyone said they would be. Katie (who hasn't slept more than 4 hours in a stretch for the last three months) is probably now getting 4 hours a day in the form of two naps.

Some of the time Katie just curls up with one (or more) of the girls after a feed and shares a nap. Of course, since the babies are now enjoying the nap spot which used to be Leroy's (the cat's), he buts in too. He is unafraid to walk across the girls. I think he has no idea that in a matter of months they'll be able to grab his tail ... they'll have pay-back!



Yesterday saw a minor melt-down after we brought Hollister home. Thanks to traffic conditions, a trip back from the hospital that normally takes 45 minutes took an hour and 45 minutes. That meant that all of the girls were very hungry and fussy by the time we got home. K & I totally frazzled ourselves trying to tackle all their little issues at once. We had to phone a take-out order and ask our neighbor to pick it up for us (thank God we have great neighbors). Katie was shot, I was shot, it was a rough evening.

So now for some good news...

Keller and Quinn's first checkup revealed they had both gained weight since discharge on Monday. That was the care team's top concern. They didn't consistently hit their feeding goals, but they are gaining weight and that's what's important.

Keller is now up to 6lbs even. Quinn is 6lbs 7 oz, and Hollister is a whopping 6lbs 11 oz. She's gaining extra weight because we're having to put a little extra thickener in her feed and it's giving her more calories.

Another spot of good news is that my mom is coming thru in a pinch. With the doctors "assuring" us as of last week that none of the girls would be home before late Feb, we asked the grandma's and friends to postpone their trips until March to help us. Of course, the Renken girls dazzled the world and basically went home at their due date ... so we needed to re-do the care plan. Dad made the travel arrangements and Oma Renken will be here next week for 2 & a half weeks. We need the help. This is as tough as people said it would be!

Last bit of thanks/good news is that we can finally show off the girls in some of the really sweet gifts. Now everyone's gifts have meant the world to us, and lord knows the pack 'n plays, boppy seats, outfits, diaper back-packs, swings, etc have all been life savers; but some of the gifts were just beautiful and deserve some special showcasing.

These quilts were a special gift from Gradma Mary. They are amazing, and many people from Katie's old congregation from Palisades church in San Diego tie little knots on the quilt indicating their commitment to pray for the girls. (We're believers in the power of prayer!)

These afghans were made by my Aunt Hella in Pennsylvania. They are a perfect size to wrap the girls up and so soft. This was a really sweet gift because I can tell these are not easy to make.

I LOVE Keller's pose ;)

These afghans were made by Nana Jean. They are perfect for keeping the girls warm in their bouncy chairs. If you look close you'll see the little mouse (Angelina Ballerina) printed on the fabric of Holly-Mouse's bouncy seat (also from Nana Jean and Grandpa Bill). Makes it look like she has little mouse ears.


In all of the pics the girls are (left to right) Hollister, Keller, Quinn. Right now they're doing one of the two things they do best (the other two are eating and filling diapers). We may try to grab a nap too!

Again, special thanks to the many people who have been so generouse in helping us.