2 weeks 1 day

Well..I have already dropped the ball as the family photographer. I took the above pics today, but I was planning to take pictures of Rider and Josie on each week. I couldn't catch Josie awake, but Rider was nice enough to keep his eyes open for the camera. Grandma and Grandpa Bewley came to visit today and brought Mother and Daddy some roast beef salad, crackers, preserves and jelly and Mother's very favorite--pumpkin cake! We got some pictures with them too. :) I have some excuses for my lack of pictures, yesterday was a big day for Rider (and for Mother and Daddy). At 8:00 am he was circumcised. Jeff and I sat outside the room and listened to him squawk. At 11:30 he and Josie had physical therapy evaluations. They both passed, but they get so tired afterwards they don't eat very well.

We were excited again to see that Josie had another day of growth for her 2 week birthday, AND she "joined the 4 pound club" as her Daddy put it. She weighed 4 lbs. 1.5 oz. She moved into an open air crib today and was able to maintain her own temperature well. It is another thing to check off our list. They have left the Isolette in the room just in case her temp drops a little tonight. Rider also continues to grow. He weighed 5 lbs. 3.5 oz. Josie is eating 40 ml and Rider is eating 45 ml. Today both babies nursed, and Rider took his entire feeding. Josie took about half and then finished the rest from the bottle. She has been doing better with her feedings this week, and that is another milestone that brings her closer to dismissal.

There is a list of things that have to be done before Rider and Josie can come home. Jeff and I took infant CPR on October 30th. Rider took a hearing test on Monday and passed that. We have an appointment with the physical therapist tomorrow at 11:30. She will teach us how to put Rider in the car seat safely. Because he is so small he can't just sit in the seat. They will also schedule a sleep study to make sure we don't need to take a monitor home with us. (One of the nurses told us that sometimes even full term babies go home with one.)

Josie will have to take the hearing test and do the sleep study as she gets closer to coming home.