Laverne & Shirley

Auntie Laverne is the auntie who filled in a pair of hands while I finished my last position just after the tomatoes came home from the NICU. Tabitha came home a week earlier than Jackson. She had a great time, loves the babies very much and is willing to do anything to help out. She is very, very sweet. At home she is studying in undergrad, she has completed two semesters so far. This semester there has been a lot of frustration because administration is debating salaries, contracts and the like. It has been so bad that Aunt Laverne hasn't even begun her semester! She very much likes school and speaks so well. I think she should transfer what she's done so far and move here to finish. I found out yesterday, from her, that her brother, Roger, agrees.

Maybe she hesitates because she has a boyfriend at home. She's suggested her hesitation is related to other concerns. She loves these babies so much and is a very bright girl. There could be many benefits to her moving here. The tomatoes don't have any family here other than their parents. Everyone is a plane ride away. She could see them every day, help out and have more options. In her school system if she makes less than an A- she is unable to go into a specific program in graduate school. Undergrad, she has to get at least a 90. Right now she's earning a solid B, 83 average I think. And her home is a very, very angry place.

On the tomato front, I've taken comparison pictures. First was taken just before auntie left in August. The bottom one I just took this morning. On the top Tabitha is on the left, on the bottom she's on the right. I singled her out because she was pretty fussy this morning and not her usual smiley self. She wanted to eat and she wanted to eat right then!

They've both grown so much. Both of them really look like they could be six months old. Which is great since right around Christmas they will both be seven months old, really, really doing so well.

The GI told Roger and Sara to keep Jackson on the same medicine unless they'd like to stop the myl@nt@ because it's such a low dose it's probably not making a difference. We're trying that today. But he gained 8oz in two weeks and seems to be doing better. I've been encouraging Auntie Laverne and Auntie Shirley to feed both babies as much as possible. Roger and Sara aren't encouraging Auntie Shirley to help as much as they do Aunt Laverne, but they don't seem to mind that I do. I think it's tough for Roger because she's his youngest sister and he still sees her as very little. When Sara is here she doesn't seem to mind at all.

All in all things here are good. Chilly, but good. I'll have more pictures to post very soon, I took some great photos the first night of Chanukah and yesterday they were even more adorable than usual.