Training Day

Well, today was training day at Joan's house! It went really well. Poor Joan was a wreck when I got there. I could tell she was really nervous. I took her through a diaper change and bottle/tube feed on Wednesday, and did it all again this morning for her. Then, for the noon and 3:00 feeds she did it all on her own with my coaching. She did great. She's gonna be fine. Her biggest concern is accidentally lifting Bella from under her armpits. That's a big no-no...just ask Nanny. DOH! Seriously though, she's been lifting babies 'normally' for over 30 years, so she knows she really needs to pay attention with Bella.

I "Bellafied" (as in modified for Bella) the two swings we bought as well as the outdoor pack and play. Inside, she's starting out in a cradle Joan has, because the pack and plays are just too low to pick Bella up safely from, or I should say the rails are too high. On Monday, I'm bringing an attachment for the pack and play that raises the floor significantly so we can spare Joan's back and give Bella a little more room to move around, because she is AS BIG AS A HOUSE!

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL Joan is willing to take Bella on! We are doing a two week trial 3x a week and then we'll reassess and see if it is just too stressful or time consuming for Joan. I hope it works out; Bella was delighted in all the kids to smile at today! She is perhaps even more social than Ali. For those of you that know Ali, you know that's almost impossible, but she connects with people in a way Ali never did at only 4 months. It's awesome to watch.

Alright, that's enough...just a quick update to let you know how the big day went. Thank you all for reading this, thinking of us, praying for us, and reaching out, offering to help out in some way or donating to the fund. All of these things help keep us afloat. I don't know how we could survive this without YOU. Thank you.

Please include in your prayers for healing the following people:

Barbara
The Sheridans
The Corradins
NIck on 5D
Chelsea's Dad
Dr. Wagner's mom & family

Good night, and God bless you.