Well everyone, it has been seven days plus one for the kids. It is hard to believe they are one week old at this point. Both of them have gained a bit of weight but still weight less than when they were born. Yesterday afternoon when we left the hospital, William was stretched out and actually looked like a bit of an old man, with a cap on. His long legs were spread out very majestically. He still needs more meat on his bones but the lanky Kuhn legs are there. Victoria's brother is 6-4 and their grandfathers were easily over 6' too. David is asleep as I write this note so I am not sure of the Addison's and Wilson's heights.

Grace's hair is very light brown, lots of it. She also seems to have long, slender feet (hopefully like her Mom -- he, he -- and my Nana would probably want to be included here too). She enjoyed an easy rock yesterday with me -- and I know, I have written this before, but I hope to have her on my chest today, listening to my heart rate and enjoying skin-to-skin contact. Her sucking reflex is not as advanced as William's and she certainly does not kick as much as he does. She continues not needing the bili light (for jaundice) - although William is back on the light.

We were especially fortunate last night, with the rug rats being assigned the same NICU nurse, Dori. She was filled with good info and very helpful. They are hoping to place the kids nearer to each other in the NICU although the babes on either side of William have very serious medical conditions and have been in the NICU for several months each. Boy, we hope and pray that our babes will be with us at home soon. Some of you have asked and maybe some of you have wondered -- we don't have any idea of when the kids will be coming home and we wish we did but we are preparing for them not to be home until my actual due date (Sept 9).

Placing your hopes and dreams with others has always been hard -- you know, giving up control. Now, I see my David struggling along with me and us just wanting to be custodial parents. Neither of us have been around many kids, not mention to babies so we want to be exposed to changing diapers, playing with the babies, rubbing their legs and hands, hopefully getting them to the same schedule, actually breastfeeding (rather than pumping), etc. We are striving to not be stressed over the setbacks and focus on the progress.

We have started to get into a schedule and are better about returning calls. We have friends joining us for dinner next week and will continue to extend invitations -- in part for my Mom to meet our special friends and partly because so many people want to bring dinner to us. So if you make the offer, bring something you like because we will want to break bread with you, so to speak.

Thanks to Mrs Tong, Karen Hallee, and Anne T for calling last night to check in. My Mom is a great notetaker so we have all of your comments -- and we appreciate them. How interesting that a friend of mine at Pyle Elementary School -- Patty O'Brien -- has heard of us and our kids. Even though my hometown is on the west coast and certainly far from Maine, it's ironic how people and which people learn of your situation and let you know that they are thinking of you. I liked Patty's response -- Victoria is having kids at are our age -- well, David and I were a bit slow to have our kids but we have made up for the slowness with the quantity of two!

I'm back to bed to rest for a while, pump, eat breakfast and then visit the rug rats at NICU. We hope to run into two social workers today who are helping us navigate the system. I also am starting to encounter a challenge with a bit of friction between the hospital and my insurance company. What a great opportunity to learn of each side's perspective any maybe there is room for improvement, whether communication or otherwise. Look out patient records, here I come!

David is focused squarely on a couple of process improvements from a partner's perspective and now a Dad's perspective and will be sharing his thoughts with the hospital soon. This is one of the reasons I love him so -- working to make the system better for others and us too.

From a humid, soggy Portland Maine, with our love,

David, Victoria, Grace, William and our four legged kids -- Harry and Sarah