Days 8 & 9 July 11-12th

Well it's been an eventful two days that's for sure. Tim was laid off. Our one income was cut down to zero incomes. This is one of the only times I have ever been thankful for the twins having cerebral palsy. Thankfully the boys get social security disability so everyone will be fed, sheltered, and clothed. For our new readers our youngest two Gavin and Gabe were born at 30w2d gestation after complications resulting from twin to twin transfusion syndrome. When the boys were born they both had traumatic brain injuries due to lack of oxygen secondary to a full placental abruption and massive internal bleeding. 

So our fun frugal urban homestead just took a crash coarse. We now have to cut bills enough to survive until Tim finds a new job, which is hopefully very, very, soon. We are thankful for friends and family's support, advice, and encouragement. It's always stressful for a family when they lose income but it's especially hard for a family with not one, but two special needs children and two other small children in the home. 

Enough about the doom and gloom. 

Speaking of Twin to twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS, Cincinnati children's hospitals maternal fetal care unit contacted me Friday to ask if we could be a part of an on going medical study. No one really knows the long term effects of twin to twin transfusion syndrome because before the surgery was pioneered the survival rate of children with ttts in utero was only 10-15%. This means without their efforts and trials and error with the complication our boys wouldn't have survived to be here with us. When we were diagnosed Gavin was already in the first stage of heart failure and Gabe was on the verge of kidney and liver failure while in utero. 

Needless to say we said we'd LOVE to be a part of the study. They will be in contact with us on whether they can get us out there all expense paid or if the team of doctors will meet us at a hospital in Springfield. How exciting! I am very proud that my boys and I have survived and made it this far, special needs or not,  and it would mean the world to Tim and I to be able to make the decision to terminate or have surgery that much easier for parents that were in our situation. We took a shot in the dark with the boys and I'm happy everyday that we did.

Garden 

Planning, planning, planning 

We are ready to rock and roll for our fall garden. Now we just need our summer garden to produce it's harvest and then we can turn it over and direct sow and transplant the rest. I am getting antsy though because were just 90 days from our first hard frost. We are slowly running out of time. Thankfully I've been reading up on how to overwinter onions, garlic, and carrots, the longest growing crops. Tomorrow Tim and I are going to start our  onions, cabbages, and broccoli. We are also going to try to build a scare crow! 

Today Ethan and I went on errands. We sold a few things, visited my aunt Cathy and uncle Kyle, who gave Ethan apple juice and a super cool motorcycle toy he's held on to all day. Then we went and saw my mom, granny, at my sister Katie's. Mom got the boys some clothes off the awesome dollar rack at Kokes Kids zone, a local consignment store. I also made my second successful Craigslist sale, selling my twin plus my Brest friend nursing pillow. 

With the silks of my corn browning and the ever blossoming cucumber plants are producing tons of fruit, canning is in my very near future. This should be interesting 

A fire argues?