SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS EVERYBODY SHOTS

Do you hear that? Exactly, hear what? It is the sound of silence, glorious silence. Morgan is at the gym, both babies are sleeping, and I'm sitting at the dining room table enjoying my first cup of hot coffee in three months. Merry Christmas me! All you advice givers out there were right, it gets easier and better. In the thick of the insanity it is so hard to realize there will ever be a cup of hot coffee, shower, workout, or solid seven hours of sleep again (all of which happened today)! Chances are good it won't happen tomorrow, but I'm enjoying it while it lasts.

This week we are all about shots here at the McGarvey house. Unfortunately the shots we're talking about don't come with a chaser. We've traded shots of bourbon for shots of Synagis and various immunizations, but they all have the same side effects. When Clara and Wilson get their shots they turn pale, try to pass out, and are incredibly grumpy for the next 12-24 hours. The medical term for this is vasovagal, but it looks like severe alcohol intoxication and then mirrors a terrible hangover.

Our little party animals get shots at least once a month to help prevent and lessen the severity of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). RSV disease usually causes moderate-to-severe cold symptoms. However, for some babies, complications from RSV can lead to a serious lung infection. To learn more, click here. All you really need to know is RSV is VERY BAD for Clara and Wilson. If they get RSV we are looking at another lengthy stay in the hospital...or worse. Clara and Wilson will get the Synagis shots throughout the duration of RSV season, November - March, possibly April. In addition to these shots, this Friday, they will get their 6 month immunization and flu shots.

To help try and keep Clara and Wilson healthy we are limiting visitors through cold and flu season. If you would like to visit (and we would love to see you because we still can't take the kids anywhere), our doctors have requested all our visitors get a flu shot if they are going to be around the kiddos. And if you are feeling sick, please do not come over. We'll also pounce on you as soon as you walk through the door and have you wash and sanitize your hands as if you were scrubbing-in for surgery. I know these ground rules seem kind of strict, but they are "doctors' orders" and after spending 14 weeks in the NICU, we're not in a rush to go back. Part of the reason I'm bringing this up now is because Wilson currently has a cold and low grade fever. We are watching him closely hoping it goes away soon, but it reminded us that we needed to spread this info as another precaution.

On a more positive note, we instituted a bedtime routine this week, thus the silence. We feed Clara and Wilson at 7:30 p.m. and read a book before putting them to bed in their cribs. It didn't go well the first few nights, but Wilson and Clara are starting to get the hang of it. Wilson typically falls asleep within five minutes, while Clara fights sleeping until she finally conks out after 10 - 15 minutes. Shocking, right? Every other night before bedtime they get a bath- here is a picture right before getting dressed after bath time.

Wilson - 11 pounds!!!!

Clara - 10 pounds!!!