Good Nite

Last nite was pleasurably uneventful. Lauren had about a three hour nap in the afternoon, so she was happy and enjoyable to be around--my Lauren was back! I fell victim to exhaustion and passed out on the family room floor while the girls hopped from room to room playing with their toys and reading their books. And I'm delighted to report that we all slept well; it was truly a good nite.

This morning started early as we had to get everyone up, fed and dressed to head into Dayton for our appointment with the GI. For the first time in weeks Geoff and I watched our girls run, play and giggle the way little girls should. And for the first time in weeks, a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The medical staff was very helpful. Their belief is that it is a virus, but that the girls are having continued problems because of the damage that may have been done to their stomachs by the bacteria. It is nothing that will cause serious or long-term damage, it will just take time, maybe months to fully recover from. After listening to both of their stomachs, they were convinced Lauren is closer to recovery than Abby, whose belly is distended. Abby still has a lot of gas in her belly, which my nose could have told anyone if it could talk. They recommended we give them Lactate, which is easier to digest than regular milk, since the sugars have already been broken down. But ultimately the best thing for their stomachs is to make sure they are eating, because an empty stomach can cause that bacteria to act up more.

So with that news and with happy babies, it was time to celebrate and we were off to the Olive Garden! The girls shared a child's pasta, ate salad, breadsticks, and then shared a bowl of soup. No joke, if we would have stayed there, Lauren would have kept eating! They were both so hungry, and what better place to go than somewhere with food they can actually eat. Geoff and I were both happy as well, and I made off with a tiramisu to go!

We need to check in with a phone call to the doctor next week to let them know how the girls are progressing, then have a follow-up appointment after the new year. Until then we're back to collecting stool samples and feeding them the right diet to get them back to the normal Abby & Lauren we miss so much. For now I'm hanging out with the girls, and my tiramisu is hanging out in the fridge with Lauren's stool. It's a great day!