An Entire House In Motion!

Tuesday, August 08, 2006 at 9:56 AM PDT

This was written a few days ago and I did not send it before I went to the hospital so the news is a little old but here you are none the less.....

It is amazing what a difference a week can make. Last week Tuesday, Laura was walking two or three steps and sitting down. The day after she must have decided today is the day that I walk. I could hardly believe my eyes. With hardly any wobble she got up and just walked across the apartment. It is the cutest thing to see. Out of the five older babies she is the smallest (8kg or 18 pounds) and to see her so confidently walking was just priceless. We were all cheering her on and she just looked at us as if to say: What is the big deal? So now she is eating and walking, singing and walking and swing her arms and walking. After the weigh in yesterday Angel and Laura are almost the same weight.


I was really interested to see what was going to happen with the other babies and Nina was the first one to attempt to walk. She got up and just did it. She is wobbles a bit more and it not always sure of herself, but that is understandable. She is extremely proud of her ability to do this and just beams when she reaches her destination. She has a tendency to lunge the last two steps and sort of falls into your arms. Last night, she was walking about 5 meters between the two armchairs and was so excited and did it again and again. We were clapping ever time she did it and so she just kept on going. Jonas is also showing signs of walking but he is still at the one or two step stage.

Angel, Jade and Benjamin are all sitting up by themselves and it is too cute to see. Jade sometimes falls over but she is getting stronger and stronger. I have a volunteer Deborah who was here on a part time basis in May and June and when she came back again she was absolutely thrilled at the progress that Jade has made.

I must say I am grateful for Motrin because if it was not for that I would have gone crazy by now with all crying while the babies are teething. Jonas has it particularly bad at the moment. All four his incisors are coming in at the same time. Benjamin is also working on number two and out new addition to the list is Jade is who is pushing two out at the same time. Antoinette has finally started filling the gap between her vampire teeth. She loves to smile with the tongue sticking out. Laura is also adding seven and eight and by the Angel is fussing at the moment I would not be surprised if that is what is going on.

As for the three youngest babies they are eating me out of house and home. Gabriel and Michael are finishing 7 or 8 ounce bottles. Gabriel grew a whopping 4.5 cm last month!!!! Sarah also added 2.5 cm to her little body. It would seem that the effects of the milk powder has kicked in because their skins are looking so beautiful. Gabriel and Michael are incredibly strong. They started holding up their heads up a few weeks ago and now their legs are weight bearing. They look so different from when they first arrived. I think Gabriel is going to have big hands and feet for the rest of his life. I thought he night grow into them but that has not happened. We talked a little and I told him he could be a world class swimmer with those feet as propellers and the hands as oars.

I have two volunteers living at the foster home at the moment. Conny is Belgian and lives in Spain. She is here until the end of August and Deborah is from Australia. They have been super helpful not only with the babies, but both of them are great cooks and I am eating so well. The other news is that I have a nanny who is training right now to do the night shift. Who would have thought!!! It will allow me some more sleep but I will also be able to be away from home if I need to take the babies for surgery. Angel, Benjamin and Jade all need heart surgery and I will not put so much stress on the volunteers.

With love and laughter,

Amanda and the dirty dozen.