Uhhh Mom...this pillow they gave us is nice, but I don't think it's going to work.

Avery trying out the exersaucer

I LOVE rice cereal!

Jill rocking her button!

Our first Thanksgiving!

So we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, but most of all that we have two healthy baby girls! We have had a minor setback in Jillian's recovery though, she doesn't want to eat. It's not that she can't or doesn't remember how, she just doesn't want to. I'm not positive, but my gut feeling is it's the medicine they are giving her to wean off of the pain meds. She's very happy, but has no appetite. We are back in the hospital tonight and she is receiving continuous feeds through the night so she can make up for what she's missed. Tomorrow we will work on bottle feeding, but we have the feeding tube in now so that she can get the full feed even if it's not through the bottle. We're not at all happy to be back here, but we know that we have to do something now before she gets dehydrated. Otherwise, we'll have a much bigger problem on our hands.
In the meantime, Avery is VERY close to rolling over. We are all watching her and willing her to just have a little more momentum. She, unlike her sister, is very hungry and has started rice cereal. She LOVES it and we LOVE watching her eat it. She gets very excited and let's you know if you're not moving fast enough.

We are so very grateful for our precious girls, and they are most definiatly the best things we never knew we wanted. Please continue to pray for both of them, but most of all for Jillian's recovery and that her eating improves quickly so we can go back home.

Sister time

Sisters who play together...
nap together!

Jillian is doing awesome and should get to go home tomorrow as long as all of her tests in the morning check out! Grandma had a dentist appointment today so Avery came to visit and Steph helped out.

Moving on up!

Happy to see you sister!
This picture says it all.

Rolling to my new room

So glad to be awake!

I don't know about this...do you have a license to drive this wagon?

Jillian is doing AWESOME today! She started the day by pulling out her feeding tube and then not taking her bottle for the nurse so Dr. Roten was concerned it was going to be a rough day. However, she has taken all of her bottles for me and is nothing but smiles when she's awake. It's almost like she's seeing things for the first time, I can really tell how awful she felt before her surgery. I am so grateful for the doctors and nurses who have helped us all get through her surgery and recovery. All we have to do now is prove that she can take her bottles and gain weight, then we'll be homeward bound. God is amazing and I know he has been by our sides through this whole experience. He gave us Jillian and has helped make her healthy, I know she is going to accomplish great things in her life!

Jill's Back!!

Jill watching the Cowboys

Big eyes

Taking a bottle!

Snoozing

Snoozing Avery

Jillian was much more herself today! She took one full bottle and 3 partial ones. She remembers what to do, she just gets tired. She had some really good naps today and was sleeping very well when I left this evening. It was good to see her acting like her old self, and it made a mommy very happy to see her sweet smiles!

No pics tonight

Today was a rough day for all of us. Jillian is going through withdrawls from her pain medication and had a hard morning. She was very jittery, out of it, irritable, and running fever. We hope that the fever is just due to the lack of medication. The doctors gave her something to "take the edge off" and she finally gave in and went to sleep around noon. This was the first time she really slept in a couple of days so we're hoping that it helps her heal and that when she wakes up she feels much more herself. When Wes and I left the hospital around 9 she was still sleeping and her nurse was going to leave her that way. We're praying for a much better day tomorrow and that maybe she'll show some interest in taking a bottle.

Jill Bug

Very awake...and still a little loopy!
My favorite nurse Krystalynn

Daddy I don't want my paci.

Jillian had several milestones today! She had her art line, chest drain, and pacing wires removed. She also kicked one of her IVs right out of her foot. She's feeling much better now that some of that stuff is out of her. They started her feeds today and she's tolerating them so hopefully her central line can come out tomorrow. Right now she's getting her formula through a feeding tube because she has to relearn to take a bottle. This was something that I hadn't even thought about, and was a little upset because we're just so ready for her to be out of the hospital. The doctors assure me that this is very normal for kids who have had big surgeries and had to be intubated for a significant amount of time. She did take her paci for a little while tonight, but then was acting like she couldn't figure out what to do with it. Much like when she was in the NICU, it should just click and then she won't turn back. Maybe tomorrow will be her day.

Breathing on our own!

Avery visiting Jill
Looking good thanks to my favorite nurse!

Cuddling with mommy

The first time I've held Jill in a week!

The doctors took Jill off the vent today and she's breathing great on her own! Her numbers all look good so they're ready to start trying to feed. The next things to work on getting rid of are her art line, central line, and her chest drain.