Smiles, 9 lbs and Pre-School

I feel like so much has happened since I last posted.  I've been telling myself daily to update the blog but I've  just been too busy enjoying my life.  I can't use a lack of time for not updating because the reality is that I  have more time on my hands than I have had in a long time.  I never thought I would say that with six children but it's amazing how you perspective on time changes after spending 119 days going back and forth to the NICU.  Anyway, one of the biggest things that happened is that Veronica smiled!  Her smile was huge, from ear to ear, and all 7 of us were there when it happened, although not everyone got to actually see it.  It was wonderful and brought me to tears (shocker).  When she smiled, it was as if she said "Mom, dad, don't worry about those first four months. I am really happy now."  I think I was finally able to release that last little bit of guilt I had been feeling for her premature birth.

The next big news is that Veronica went for a weight check today and she weighed in at a whopping 9 lbs, 6 oz. Wow!! She is now officially 'huge' and weighs more than all of my other kids did at birth.  I know for a 4 1/2 month old, 9 lbs is quite small.  But when you compare her to other 1-month-olds, I think she is in pretty good shape.  It's funny how I still get so excited about her gaining weight.  Today I was nervous just before I put her on the scale and I think I might have even heard a drum roll in my head.  I was thrilled when the I realized she was over 9 lbs and also felt a sense of accomplishment, which might sound strange.  She has been home for 4 weeks and has gained over 2 lbs since her discharge so we are obviously doing something right. I know we have parented five other newborns, but I wondered if parenting a micro preemie would be much different.  Fortunately for us, it hasn't been too different, mostly because Veronica has done so well.  And we are now at the point where she is essentially exclusively breastfeeding. We give her one bottle feeding a day since we still have hundreds of bottles left in the freezer.  Anyway, this has made life so much easier.  I never realized how much more work bottle feeding can be, particularly in the middle of the night.

Finally, I feel the need to give Sebastian some attention since the others had a post dedicated to the first day of school.  Sebastian, our 4-year-old, started preschool today at St. Mary's. (A wonderful community by the way; they provided prayers and support to us during Veronica's NICU stay.)  Sebastian did wonderfully and didn't even look back. I was so proud of him. 

Here are some pictures from the week.

Chubby!!!

Veronica's serious face.  I promise she smiles now though. I'll try to get a picture up soon.

Big boy Sebastian on his first day of preschool.

Sebastian and Josephine.

Sebastian and Josephine (Both pics were so cute, I thought.  I couldn't decide which to post!)

Sebastian and his little sisters. No, he did not have to go to the bathroom. I was trying to get them to squat down next to Veronica but this was the best they could do.