Beware The "Twilight"

So when I was at home last time Mom gave me the book "Twilight". Maggie had already told me that the book was really good and I knew if she liked it, I probably would too. Mom, on the other hand, being in the Book Club, reads some strange stuff sometimes. Strange to me, anyway. So I still wasn't so sold on starting a book about a vampire. She tried several, several times to talk me into starting it while I was sitting around doing nothing for those three days, but I didn't. Instead I brought it home with me, and left it packed in Bailey's half un-packed suitcase, where it stayed until Monday.

Monday I went to the doctor and decided I'd take it along in case I needed something to entertain me. I wasn't able to really get a good start on it there, but did read the first few pages. So, the book has sat on the table for the past few days. Until Wednesday night...

Wednesday night I picked it up before I went to bed and read until I was absolutely positive that I would be miserable if I didn't get some sleep while Bailey was sleeping. Thursday morning, I picked it back up again, and did not put it down until 6:00 this morning, when I read the last word. Well, I mean I put it down to do the necessary things like feed myself and Bailey and bathe myself and Bailey. But that was it. When I tried to put it down at around midnight, I couldn't stop thinking about Bella and Edward and what was going on in their world. And since I couldn't sleep anyway thanks to Sid's annoying snore, I got up and finished the book.

It was totally addicting and if you haven't read it, I suggest you read it. And I suggest you don't just get the first in the series of 4, buy at least the first 2. Because I'm about to break my neck to get myself ready and packed for Alabama so I can get out of here and get to Wal-Mart to buy the second book so I can start on it. I hate it that I don't already have it. It's that addicting. And the sad thing is that I have a big ole gift certificate (Thanks NeNe!!) to Books-A-Million and I simply cannot wait to get to a BAM to start reading the second one.

So watch out Wal-Mart shoppers, I am officially a Twilight Addict and I'll run you over with my baby in tow trying to get to more of it!!

On a much more positive note, Sid, Bailey and I are headed to Bama shortly to spend some time with the fam and go to Leslie's baby shower tomorrow. And a quick update, Bailey weighed 8 pounds when she was weighed Wednesday. I was thrilled. I had her evaluated by the speech language pathologist here for swallowing because something just wasn't right when she would take a bottle. She would spit the formula out as she sucked it and she would get way out of breath and get tired and quit eating and then need to eat again 2 hours later because she was still hungry. I knew that being early and not sucking a bottle for the first week or so after birth was what the problem was, I just didn't know how to fix it. But the SLP we saw was FANTASTIC. I was very impressed. What is happening is that Bailey has failed to develop the suck-swallow-breathe reflex that full-term babies have naturally. She sucks about 6 times before she swallows so when she finally swallows she either A)has too much to swallow and so that's why half of it gets pushed out or B)she does swallow all of it and gets chocked. And because she is sucking and not swallowing or breathing, she is getting way out of breath and stops eating. Sooo...the fix?? I have to count her sucks for 5 sucks and then quickly slip the bottle out so she will swallow what she has sucked and breath. Now, this sounds really complicated, but babies suck-swallow-breath so fast that it is no more than one second or so and the bottle is back and she is sucking again. This has worked wonders for her. She is now taking at least 4 ounces and able to take it all because she has been given time to breathe. And the most important thing is that even though we haven't been doing this for even 48 hours, I can already tell that the S-S-B reflex is becoming more developed, as now she can take about 8-10 sucks while swallowing and breathing before I have to stop the flow of the milk to give her a break. For now, we are set up to go see the SLP 3 times a week for 3 months, but they don't think it will take that long to fix the problem. I was a very distraught Mama Wednesday and Wednesday night because once again, I had that depressing feeling that if I had just stayed on bed rest instead of worrying about work and trying to do Christmas, I might could have made it longer than I did and she wouldn't have been early or in the NICU or have this problem now. That might not be so, but I'll never know, and as her Mama I will always feel guilty because I might could have prevented all this. So I've learned from the experience. And I'll never go against my gut intuition again when it comes to Bailey's well-being.

Ok, I'll stop rambling now. But I'll leave you with this. My love for this child grows more and more every second that I see her, smell her, touch her, taste her, feel her. And I am so thankful to My Creator for giving her to me and entrusting me to be her Mommy. I am also so very thankful and praise God every night before I close my eyes that this baby is alive and well. So, we are off to see her Mimi and Poppy T and cousin Erin for the weekend, where she'll be loved on even more!!!! And since my Mom was the cause of no sleep last night, she gets the honors of one o'clock a.m. feedings while I'm there. I don't think she'll mind one bit!