10 Months Old

We are having SO MUCH FUN!! Just when we don't think it can get any better, it does! I was rereading my 9 Months Old Blog and everything in there is still the same.  But we do have a few exciting things to add to this months update.    Erin is now Army crawling.  She is able to quickly move across the rug and get her toys (or dog, brother, dog toy, you get the idea). One of her favorite things is the wheels on her pump pole (which is an IV pole).  Every time we roll her pump out, she heads right for the wheels. It's not something we want her to play with so we cover it with a blanket. Erin is getting much better at sitting up by herself. She is able to sit for a few minutes with a Boppy around her. I am so proud of the sitting up progress she has made in the past few days. 

Erin is eating 2-3 tbsp. baby food (We skipped cereal because neither baby really liked it.) twice a day.  She LOVES carrots and green beans.  She isn't a fan of bananas or any other sticky fruit.  We still go to Mary Free Bed twice a week. Erin is working on swallowing and figuring out what to do with her tongue.  We use a NUK brush and electric baby toothbrush (Who knew they had such a thing?) to stimulate her tongue. She likes it and we use it during feedings (along with using the spoon). We aren't moving forward with bottles and will wait for her to start sippy cups.

She has let me rock her to sleep almost every night for the past couple of weeks.  Erin doesn't like to be strapped in her bouncy seat while she is eating. Instead, she wants us to hold her. She settles right in on our lap and sucks her pinkie finger.

Erin 16 lbs. 1 oz
Will 17 lbs. 1.4 oz

On Thursday, Will and Erin went for their RSV and Flu shots.  There were only 15 babies in our doctor's office who qualified for the RSV shot (which is actually 5 shots at a time) and we were two of them. We will go once a month between November and March to get shots.  Each round of shots costs $3,000 per baby! It is so expensive because the shots are so hard to come by.  We are thankful for having insurance.  These shots could possibly save Will and Erin's life.  It is easy for us to forget that they have weak immune systems and chronic lung disease. They look and act like normal babies. But, with the Cold, Flu and RSV season upon us, we are thankful for shots that can help keep our babies healthy (along with frequent hand washing and hand sanatizer).

Can you tell it was bedtime?

Will is rolling over!! He can quickly go from his back to tummy. He actually sleeps on his stomach now because he rolls over.  He is still a thumb sucker. He has two teeth also! They came in about a week after Erin's teeth.  We didn't even know his teeth had popped through. I've said this before, but he is such a good baby! So easy-going, happy and content.
Will is sitting up for a long time now (with the help of a Boppy). He likes to play with the toys around him. He holds a rattle in one hand and bangs on it with the other hand. He has the biggest smiles lately! I mean they are huge!! He kind of has orange hair right now. It is very cute.
Will eats anything.  We are kind of worried that he eats too much and doesn't know when to stop.  He loves all of the baby food and always finishes his bottles.

Both babies are still getting 190-200 of mostly milk. I am proud to say that I am still pumping! It's been 10 months now and it is part of my daily routine. I've noticed a decline in my milk (due to pumping every 5-6 hours vs. 3-4 hours) I do pump 5-6 times per day, but I am still producing enough to provide each baby with 3 of their 4 bottles with milk. My goal was to pump for a year and it seems like this might be possible. It's just another one of the many, many things I am thankful for.

We were trying to get them to smile for their pictures. But, it was almost bedtime and WE had used up all of their smiles.

A blast from the past. This was one of the first pictures we had of Erin smiling.

Will had an IV in his head because he was probably getting a blood transfusion (He had 14 while in the hospital.) I would call it his unicorn horn. You can see how his skin looked yellow from the TPN.