Half & Half

Believe it or not, Braelyn and Gwendolyn turn six months today. Happy Half-Birthday girls!

Flying By

Our weekend went by so quickly. One of the few productive things we did was finally introduce the girls to cereal. Well... as you can see below Braelyn got her first taste while Gwendolyn caught up on some sleep instead. Maybe next time Gwen will have the energy to give it a try herself.

Never a dull moment in the Castellano Household we suppose.

;)

Under the Weather

Well, unfortunately Braelyn's had quite a last couple of days.

We got a call yesterday from daycare that she had been extremely fussy, then woke up from a nap with a fever and some projectile vomiting. We picked her up and took her to the pediatrician's office only to find out that she's got that most common of infant ailments, an ear infection. Seems that "daycare cold' that the girls just can't shake caused Braelyn to have an overabundance of fluid build up in her ear because of all the congestion.

So, Gwendolyn flew solo at daycare today while Braelyn spent the day waiting for her fever to pass at Grandma McKee's. Hopefully the girls can shake this cold soon so that at least Gwendolyn can escape unscathed.

Oh well... in the grand scheme of things, it could be much worse than a simple ear infection we guess. Hopefully our little quirky Brae Bear will be back with us smiling up a storm in no time!

Talk to you all soon.

***BTW, Jen I got your text and feedback on the blog. We totally need to meet up for a "play date" with the kids. Works been crazy of late and the girls always seem to keep us on the go but I'll try to find some dates that work and text you back. Sorry that this reply is so informal but you know how things can be sometimes and I didn't want you to think I was ignoring you.*** :-)

Lazy Days

Well, the Castellanos had a lazy weekend indeed. With mounds of snow piling up outside, we just stayed indoors and kept warm. In fact, we had enough time to put the girls' high chairs together. (And by "we," we mean "mom" put them together, as you can see below.) Braelyn and Gwendolyn seemed to enjoy hanging out and playing from a higher local. Now, once the girls FINALLY get over these colds, we'll be all ready for them to start eating cereal.

Have a great week and we'll catch up with you all again soon!!!

An Update on Our Little Leprechauns

Gwendolyn had a St. Patrick's Day check up with her neurosurgeon today. The news could have been worse but it also could have been much better. In reviewing the ultrasound of her brain, Dr. Horning noticed that her left side still has a slightly enlarged ventricle. While it is much smaller than when she was first born, she obviously shouldn't have any fluid there now. However, at least the right side of her brain was completely clear of any fluid. The neurosurgeon did say that she doesn't have swelling in her head and that it's circumference is right where it should be on the growth chart. So, the decision was made to give it a couple of months and then to rescan her head. Ultimately, Gwen might have to have the shunt repositioned to ensure that it's properly draining both sides. But again, since she isn't showing any serious symptoms right now, the doctor didn't feel there was need for immediate action.

We started off our visit at the hospital with yet another visit to the Occupational Therapist. Gwen has been cleared to start having small doses of cereal every day. Wow, our girls are staring in on solid foods... how quickly they grow up!!!

While Mom, Dad & Gwen strolled the halls of the hospital, Braelyn played a "get out of jail free card" and skipped day care so she could spend the day with Grandma McKee instead.

That Didn't Take Long

While the girls survived their first week of daycare fairly unscathed, they did end up spending this weekend dealing with the results of one negative aspect. It seems that BOTH Braelyn and Gwendolyn contracted a small cold that reared it's ugly head by the weekend. You can't really tell from these photos, but Mom & Dad spent the weekend tending to fussy babies nearly the entire time. Noses were cleaned... Temperatures where checked and rechecked... Sleep was sporadic at best (which stunk, especially on a weekend that we were already going to lose an hour of sleep)! Still, given the health issues we've had to deal with these first five months, we'll take a pair of little colds any day!

Almost Through Week 1

Well, we've nearly made it though the girls' first week of daycare. Braelyn and Gwendolyn continue to adjust just fine, which is awesome. Even Mom and Dad have sort of settled into a daily routine now.

Not So Bad After All

Okay, the good news is that the girls did just fine at day care today... the better news is that we can even say the exact same about Mom and Dad!!!

=)

As you can see, we left the girls in the morning rather content (all be it a little confused about where exactly we were going without them)... and that's the way they were found when Mom picked them up this afternoon.

BTW, we've had a lot of questions about the photo of the cousins in their crocheted hats from yesterday's blog entry. "Aunt" Julie's mother, Barb, did an outstanding job making them! And as you can see in yesterday's entry below, they each fit like a glove.

Well, we guess that's all for now. We'll talk to you all soon.

Here Comes Our Day of Reckoning

We've known for a while that Monday would be here before we knew it... We were also aware that when it did finally arrive, it would be a time of extreme excitement and sorrow all rolled into one. Tomorrow morning (or for those reading this entry on Monday, today) Braelyn and Gwendolyn officially start day care. It's sad because they won't get to visit with Grandma McKee daily and that means Mom and Dad won't have the security blanket of knowing exactly what's going on with the girls at all times! ;)

But it's also going to be very good for the girls. Firstly, it means that Gwendolyn is healed up and has been cleared to attend a formal day care. It also means that the girls will obviously be able to start honing their interpersonal skills. Making it all the better, we really couldn't have picked a better option for the girls. The place where they will be going actually has Gwen's physical therapist in-house on a part time basis. So, Gwen will be able to get the work she needs mainly while she's at the day care facility, save for a monthly or semi-weekly in-house visit to make sure we are up to date on her needs and progress. Needless to say, that will make life very easy for her as she transitions into her next stage of development.

Other than that, there really isn't a lot of news to report (which is a welcomed change). As you can see by the photos, the girls spent their Sunday visiting with Grandma McKee and their McKee cousins. Other than that, there wasn't anything too exciting about their weekend.

Before we sign off (as if we haven't already asked enough of those that read this blog), we have yet another favor to ask of you. If you're reading this and you don't mind, say a little prayer for us on Monday (and by "us" we don't mean the girls, because we know they'll be just fine... But Chuck and Heather are already starting to worry that our five-month olds have begun to grow up too quickly)!

Seriously, we guess that's all for now... We'll do our best to have an update for you all on Monday evening.

... So Says The Good Doctor

Today was Gwendolyn's follow-up visit with Dr. Singhal. He's the plastic surgeon that saved her from getting a tracheotomy earlier this fall. It was Dr. Singhal who exhibited cool confidence a mandibular distraction (a.k.a. jaw extension) would correct Gwen’s breathing and possibly eating issues. As we sit here now, that’s exactly the result that’s played out.

We are glad to report that this should be the last time Gwen sees Dr. Singhal for a year or so. She looked so smashing (as you can see from the photo of her and the doctor above) that he said Gwen will only require annual follow-up visits to chart her jaw’s growth from here on out.

For those keeping track, we did find out that Gwendolyn's up to 12 pounds 6 ounces and is just under two feet in length.

She will get to visit with her other champion, Dr. Horning, later this month. He's the neurosurgeon that insisted Gwen didn't need another brain surgery (contrary to what the pulmonologist said). Furthermore, he was also the initial individual that identified Gwen's issues as being physical in nature, not central. Because of that stance, we eventually had a bedside consult with Dr. Singhal and the rest is history. Dr. Horning is also the person that closed Gwen’s spinal defect and inserted her shunt shortly after she was born.

So, within the span of a couple of weeks, she’ll have office visits with a pair of doctors that have forever benefited her quality of life… Now that’s pretty cool!!!

Going for the Gold

Well, we got conformation on Sunday that Braelyn was in the Olympic spirit. As she, her sister and father watched the Canada vs. USA men's hockey final, things looked bleak for the stars and stripes. They trailed 2-1 with less than a minute to play. Then, USA F Zach Parise (a N.J. Devil, Dad would like noted) found the back of the net with less than 25 seconds to go, tying the game. (We've decided to simply end the narration of the contest there instead of going through the angst of noting it's ultimate outcome.)

Dad jumped up and down like a fool... Gwen napped, rather unimpressed by the heroic events of the afternoon... And Braelyn laid on her floor mat contemplating a much more appropriate celebration. As the start of overtime neared, Braelyn flashed her trademarked smile and rolled over for the first time. Much to her disgust, she soon started crying as she tried to figure out how she went from being face up one second to face down the next. Kudos to mom for quickly snapping this photo of the aftermath and documenting this wonderful occasion!

As for Gwendolyn, she continues to look better and better each day but she's had some bouts of fussiness where she just can't seem to get comfortable. We think her jaw just gets sore from time-to-time. Usually, a little infant Tylenol does the trick.

Nana made it safe and sound to Florida yesterday so the girls are soaking up their final week with Grandma McKee before they start daycare next week.

My how time flies!!!