Giving Thanks

Brianna and Summer bonding at Thanksgiving

This year has been a rocky toad...to state it lightly! With the last month of having Summer home we have been reflecting on things we are thankful for.

I am thankful to all those many (many, many) people in our lives who have helped us make it through....friends, family, nurses, doctors, even complete strangers who have offered prayers in our behalf. We couldn't have made it without all the support!

We are thankful for our beautiful kids....for Summer's continuing improvement. As of this week, her bilirubin has gone down to 3.8! Her labs show that her liver function is improving and she gained 29 grams per day last week! Summer now weighs 9 lbs 3 ounces! We are able to increase her feeds per hour and give her 20 more ML's in her bottle feedings. Next week I will be able to start adding a breastfeeding in every day. She is going to be a real baby after all :)

Brianna and Whitney love the babies...they love them too :)

We are thankful for Grandparents' houses too! My inlaws have this room stocked full of toys the kids love to play with and borrow ever time we go there

Tom and I have recently come to realize how important family is...and that the things we thought were important previously, just aren't so important anymore. Our perspectives have definitely changed significantly. We are looking forward to the Holidays with family and friends :) Hopefully 2009 will be better for all of us!

I am even thankful for cranberry salad...we have it every Thanksgiving. This time it was extra special. Jeanette was in charge of making it. The night before, she made the jello part of it and didn't have room in her fridge to chill it. It was cold enough outside so she set it out on her back porch covered in saran wrap. The next morning she went to bring it in and discovered she had really made the local squirrels' Thankgiving complete! There were perfect little footprints in the top and they had munched their way through about half of it! :) She panicked, called my mom in law for help and off they went to replace the ingredients. When the new salad was placed on the table, my mom in law added a furry little friend to commemorate the event :) Good job Jeanette! Too bad I wasn't around to catch this Kodak moment, haha!