Back on the wagon...

Yet again we apologize for being so long in posting. We are starting to see how four babies might spread one a little thin. We aren't even with them 24 hours a day yet. We have more videos to appease the masses. Hopefully, that makes up for the lack of consistency with our posts. Also, you all have to understand that we are in a deep depression. The news of the Tubres departure on Sunday hit us like a ton of bricks. We knew it was coming, and we're so happy for them, but we will definitely miss them like crazy. For those of you that don't know, Cullen and Abbey were discharged from the hospital yesterday to be reunited with their sister, Emma. The plan is for Jac, Torey and JT to take Cullen, Abbey and Emma home to Baton Rouge tomorrow while DeeDee stays with Tyger until he's discharged later this week. What an exciting time for them! Hopefully we'll be able to get together today and cook dinner at the apartment for one last hoorah.

As for the Graf Quad Squad, here goes:

Pius James, besides being the stinkiest baby alive, is also quite the oinker. He is now up to 5 pounds, 2.8 ounces. He continues to eat like crazy, but at times forgets to breath while eating or sucking on his pacifier. This morning, while I was feeding him, he dropped his oxygen quite a bit so we gave him a break from the nipple. He has been doing so well, and we might have pushed him a little too hard, too soon. His poor, little butt is still sore, red, and raw. It has got a little better with the change of diaper brand and being left open to air. His overly sensitive skin may be one of the traits that his daddy passed to him.

Pius getting his sore butt aired out (and not happy about it)

Pius getting ready to bottlefeed

Danna Lynn also continues to grow. She is up to 2 pounds, 4 ounces. She hasn't started nippling yet because they want to wait until she gets a little bit bigger. Her bottom, like her partner in crime Pius, is a little bit red too. Hers isn't quite as bad, but she still gets creamed and powdered with each change. She is breathing very well without needing much oxygen. Despite being the runt, she is really doing a banner job of keeping up with her brothers on attaining good doctor reports.

Forrest Michael, besides being the sleepiest baby alive, is also quite the oinker too. He is up to 5 pounds, 1 ounce. Pius and he are both taking 46 mL of breast milk (roughly 1 1/2 ounces) with each feeding. He is also learning to eat with the nipple, and doing a very good job. Sometimes he tends to forget the whole "suck, breath, swallow" thing and has spells of lowered oxygen saturation, but overall we would have to grade Pius and Forrest a B+ on the nipple feeding. The docs say they are well on their way to coming home.


Laine Ryan has also been kicking a** and taking names. He is up to 3 pounds, 5 ounces and is really long. We are thinking he might be built like Uncle Paul and be the tall, skinny kid with a great disposition. He is so much fun to be with because he always seems to be wide awake and alert. Momma thinks he is going to have daddy's light blue eyes, although it is still a little too early to tell. He is doing a great job with his breathing, and the doctors say he can start nippling his feeds once a shift if he shows interest (if he is awake, rooting, and trying to eat his hands).

Laine lookin' around at the world

Mom getting to hold Laine and Forrest together for the 1st time

As for mommy and daddy, we are doing well too. Moni's friend from nursing school, Melody, came to town to see her family and catch up with ours. As an NICU nurse back home, her insight and advice on the babies and their care was good to hear. We went to our old standby restaurant, Oregano's, for lunch after visiting the babes. Melody will be in town until Monday, so we plan to get together again on Sunday for more visiting and baby time.

Last night, Billy's cousin Mark took us out to downtown Tempe. Think Aggieville/OldTown without public smoking. We had a great time at Gordon Biersch and walking around the lighted streets (think Clark Griswald's house vomiting all over the city - in a pretty way). It was a beautiful town and the company, as always, was wonderful. Then he took us on a car tour of other parts of the city that we had not seen yet. It was good to get out and explore our surroundings. After all, our kids are Phoenicians and will want to know what their birth state was like when they get older. Despite popular belief, it does get pretty cold here in the Nix. Because Moni's feet were so swollen during the pregnancy, she didn't have any shoes but flip-flops to bring to Phoenix. No problem, right? Wrong! She was freezing her butt off in her sandals. Maybe it's time to go buy a pair of sneakers.



We haven't been able to get any good pics of Danna lately, but we're getting ready to head up to the hospital again to see the younguns. Hopefully she'll be awake and ready to pose for the camera. We'll post a new pic of her soon and give more updates!

Love you all like Jaclyn loves to put Ryno in a headlock!

Billy, Moni, Pius, Forrest, Danna and Laine