please pray for us

Now Rafael has started crying inconsolably, too. Only he started at 7pm. If we're lucky, he will stop in time for Sylvia to start...

social smiling!

I have been looking forward to the 'social' smile for a long time, now. It's the smile that unmistakably is not because of gas or dreams, but responding to the environment. Sylvia, for all her wailing, is our smiler. She has always smiled more in her sleep. She also focuses her eyes more intently, so I figured she'd be the first to smile to me. It became a self fulfilling prophecy because I probably have tried harder with her, too, since it always felt like we were on the verge. She has smiled to a few people, D, Oma, Candy. It's hard to know if those smiles were responsive or not. Today, however, was for sure a social smile. I was trying to get lunch and twins decided they were hungry, too, so they both started wailing. Rafa took a pacifier, so I could tend to Sylvia who only calms in arms once she's gone haywire. While screaming, I naturally was smiling to try to calm her and she stopped crying to smile!!

new technology delays

So, I have a video and some great pics on my new phone, but they are in the process of updating the software for the new operating system that will allow me to post it... Stay tuned. Cuteness awaits.

the bewitching hour

Keep those prayers coming. Sylvia still loves to check out the house between midnight and 4. We now have the hernia under control, so this might be the dreaded colic. We are on night 5. Pray it's just a very short temporary phase... You can blame her for the lack of photos since it takes all day to catch up on sleep.

latest diagnosis

Went to the doc today and the latest diagnosis of Sylvia's malady is a hernia.  We will go see a surgeon mid-November.  She likely wouldn't have surgery until she's at least 6 months since there is a risk of complications with the anesthesia for infants.  Interestingly, both her parents had hernias, so I suppose it just runs in the family. 

Unfortunately, when she gets upset, her crying pushes harder on the hernia, which leads to more pain, which means more crying, and the cycle continues.  So, it seems that when she gets upset with anything, it will quickly escalate and we will be challenged to work on learning soothing techniques and how to press the hernia back into its place.  Just the latest challenge in our parenting adventure.

it's ba-ack

Whatever it is that is plaguing little miss doesn't want to be checked out by the doc because it conveniently goes away during business hours and reappears after hours. At least this time we knew what to do. Now if only it would quit reappearing or if it doesn't do that, then be present during the day so the doc can check it out...

malady update

The warm soak seems to have done the trick, so the doc said not an abscess, probably just a clogged gland. Not common in babies, but not as problematic as an abscess. Great news! Saved us a doc visit and potential antibiotics. After soaking Rafa's finger infection last weekend to fix that and now this, I might just start soaking both babies 2x a day as a preventative measure...