Weighing In

The girls are starting to talk up a storm, and we think it won't be long before they say their first word. They're certainly trying.

They're smiling like crazy, when they're not wailing approaching midnight, just to make sure Mom and Dad get their exercise pacing the bedroom floor, which we are glad to do (see "smiling like crazy").

Yesterday, our latest visit to the pediatrician told us how much our little girls are growing. They seem to have gotten heavier in our arms, and seem about ready sometimes to leap to the ground their legs are so strong. Well, they have both gained two pounds since the last doctor's visit. Rory is up to 10 lbs 13 ounces, while Danni is up to 8 lbs 6 ounces. In the doc's words, their weight gain "is fantastic." Now, to some, these weights for babies at five months and a week may seem small. But to us, who have seen their weights practically triple in that time, they seem like giants. Glorious giants.

Meanwhile, two weeks ago they had their latest, and it turns out, final preemie check-up at the ophthalmologist. The final trimester is when the retina forms, so special care has to be taken to ensure a preemie's eyes have fully and properly formed. The doc gave the girls an "A" report and said he was no longer concerned about the development of their eyes. This is good for more than one reason, because the test is tough to witness, let alone for the girls to experience. The doc has to hold each of their eyes open with a tiny metal speculum for about a minute each while he presses and prods on the eye itself with another special device, and peers into the pupil with what might as well be a glaring headlight stuck to his forehead and studies all corners of the retina. It was all we could do not to scoop up our babies and race out of there, but they stuck it out courageously and soon it was over. For many reasons, we are quite sure that their first word won't be ophthalmologist.