The Parable of the Lost Sheep...

So we haven't died and we haven't abandoned the blog.  I happened to be sick all weekend after getting a pediatrician-recommended flu shot that made me pretty sick.  With me being sick, my exposure to the babies was limited, so (Super-Mom) Jen had to pretty much do it all herself.  We also had to rely on family and friends to pick up the slack so I would not get anyone else sick.  I hate being sick, but when it interferes with me spending time with the babies, it is even more frustrating...especially when the illness was purposely injected.

As for an update, Dylan is still doing very well.  I think we can say he is completely adjusted and he is in a pretty good routine (well, as good a routine that a newborn baby can be in).  Everyone keeps telling us that you can't spoil a newborn and you can't hold them too much, well, I am pretty sure you can spoil a baby.  Dylan is getting pretty spoiled.  Sweetest baby ever as long as he is in our arms, but set him down, he starts grunting and making all sorts of interesting noises.  Other than that, he is doing awesome.  I weighed him tonight (I actually weighed myself on the bathroom scales and then re-weighed holding Dylan and subtracted the 2 weights) and he was 7lbs 10oz, so his good weight gain seems to continue. 

Little Kaylan is also making good progress.  They lowered her oxygen flow from 2-liters on Thursday, to 1.5 liters on Friday, to 1-liter today.  She still requires a good deal of oxygen support, but the amount of flow is starting to taper, which is a sign of progress.  She also has really started to take off on her bottle feeds.  The combination of Dr. Brown's bottle with a number 2 nipple plus a small amount of nectar thickener has been a recipe for success.  They have even increased her bottle feeds from 2 a day to 3 a day.  She also is weighing 4lbs 9oz! 

In our small group Bible study, we are reading through the book of Luke.  As I was reading the other day, I read about a shepherd, who tended a flock of sheep.  This shepherd had a sheep go missing, so he leaves all the other sheep to go get the one that is separated from the flock.  This particular shepherd knows how important each sheep is, and then, when he finally does find the sheep, he brings it home and calls all his friends and tells them to throw a party because the sheep that was separated, is now back with the flock.  The story goes on to say that there is more celebrating for that one displaced sheep coming home, then for all the other sheep that did what they were supposed to. I had read that story before, but I now relate to it on a whole nother level.  Me and Jen are the good shepherd(s), Dylan is the sheep that is where he should be (and we often leave him at home while we go to the hospital to see Kaylan), and Kaylan... I can't tell you how much I look forward to "rejoicing" when the separated sheep is FINALLY back with the flock and home for good.