10 months old..where does the time go...

Parker and Jesse are 10 months old today...

 Jesse weighs about 18.5 lbs.  He is such a happy guy he still love sleeping in...I wish he would pass a bit of that trait on to Parker...  He scoots around but the big brute would rather just gab what he wants and drag it over to him.  Even his biggest toys...it's amazing how strong he is.  When he crawls he usually pushes backwards and does not like it when he gets stuck in a corner.  He loves eating, but is not so fond of the puffs or cookies.  Jesse has 2 teeth on the bottom and one on top.

As I am typing this Parker is crawling around, rolling his bumbo chair with him.  Parker has really been moving the last 6 weeks or so.  He army crawls and loves to stand up.  He also can sit unassisted which he mastered this week.  He just has 2 teeth on the bottom, one working it's way out on top.  I would guess that he weighs 16lbs now.  We went to our last pediatric cardiologist appointment and his & Jesse's vales are completely closed and will no longer need to see Dr. Shula. He is wearing 9 months clothes for the most part.  He love food.  At this point during the daytime hours he prefers food to bottles.   

We have also started to give them baths in the big tub.  The love"swimming" and kitck their legs like little fish.  They love splashing about.  They also are starting to make more sounds.  Dad seems to be a favorite of Jesse... The both are startign to make each other giggle.  The other day Parker was tickling Jesse and making him laugh.  So cute...

8 months old...

I can hardly believe it...eight months old.

Time has gone by so quickly.  This time last year I had just had my cerclage.  The boys were just little sea monkey's, whom by the way I was so certain were girls...

Now here they are growing up.  I suppose that this feeling will only get worse.  All too soon they will be Sr.'s in High School and eating me out of house and home.

Although they are trying to do that now...they eat anout 6-8 oz of milk per bottle now, and are eating baby foods 2 times per day.  They really like food and it has help a lot with the re-fulx.  Most days I don't have to change their outfits due to spit up that it a HUGE improvement.

Over Christmas they were both sick and had multiple blow out diapers...to tell you the truth our Christmas tree is still up so I can get a good picture of them in the Christmas jammies.  Hopefully this weekend. ***update***

I got the jammie picture :)

Jesse has on tooth and the other seems not far away Parker seems to be working on teeth too.

6 & 7 months...Time flies when you're learning fun things...

The boys have had a busy last 2 months.  We go to RMH for their NICU follow-up tomorrow, so I will update this post with their weights, but I would guess they are about 15 lbs.

***This just in Parker weighs 14lbs 3oz and Jesse weighs 15lbs 13oz...chunky monkey indeed...***

They started eating some solid foods at the end of October.  So far their favorite is sweet-potatoes.  I have made about half of their baby food.  It somehow seems more worth the time when you have 2.  They just eat their baby food in the evening before their last bottle.  So, it's more like an appetizer than a meal.  They eat about 6-8 oz per bottle these days.

They are still sleeping at night really well.  And they have started to nap better.  They usually take at least one long nap either in the morning or the afternoon, but very rarely both.  Parker does wake up early in the morning sometimes, but he seems to back the our "normal" schedule this week.  Jesse is our sleepy boy and we almost always have to wake him up in the morning.  Which is awesome.  He even wakes up happy when you get him up...even better.

The boys got to have the first expedition to "Deer Camp" where Todd showed them various antlers and what size were the one to shoot.

The Curran family had a shower for the boys and they received so many nice things.  They even got some ornaments and stocking with their names on them.

Parker & Jesse were baptized at our church Faith UMC on November 25th.  It was so nice to have so many of our family, friends and church family there.  Pastor John has been their for us throughout all our struggles and he also baptized Eleanna.  I'm sure that was a special day for him as well.

So far for the holidays they went to see Santa they did not cry.  I think they told him something about toys...

We also had super cute pictures taken of them by a high-school friend of mine Tamara Roach. They turned out so good.

Parker aka "cheeser" is all smiles these days and is a mover and shaker.  Sometimes, I just don't know how he does it, but hell move 3 feet from where you left him in like 2 seconds... He rolls both ways very well and loves his feet.   He's always kicking them, grabbing them, sticking them straight up in the air. He doesn't crawl yet, but he has his ways to get where he wants to go. He loves his toys, play-mat and bouncy seat.

Jesse is much more laid back.  He too is moving around a bit.  He'll roll over when he wants to.  He love to play on the play-mat.  He especially likes these little toys that you pull on and the shake when you let go.  He still is the one that laughs the most.  His giggle is contagious.  Of course every-time I try to get it on video he stops... 

Both boys are to a point where they like to know where the other on is.  Especially, when we are in a crowd.

I'll be back later to update what the NICU clinic has to say...

5 MONTHS

Parker & Jesse are 5 months old...holy cow.

Parker weighs about 12lbs. and is 23" long.  He can roll over from tummy to back.  Right now Parker is in LOVE with his burp rag.  He hugs it grabs it, and plays with it like it is the most awesome toy ever.  He also it smiling all the time.  He loves having his diaper changed.  He still sleeps all night.  Bedtime is now closer to 8pm or earlier if we can get them all in jammies, fed and down.  Parker is not much of napper still.  His reflux seems to be getting better, but he still spits up quite a bit.  Poor kid we call him names like, Slimey, super chucker, chuckeroni, etc...  Of course the way we say it makes smile...

Jesse weighs about 13.5lbs and is 23" long.  He can roll over from tummy to back.  Jesse loves to laugh.  He has this super cute belly laugh that I'm totally addicted to.  He loves having his diaper changed and that when he laughs the most.  Jesse sleeps all night.  The other night when I put him to be he was cooing and sighing as if to say..."thank you so much for putting me to bed, I love my beddy"...  Jesse will nap somedays pretty well others not so much.  Jesse eats like a chow hound and we call him names like Chunky monkey, super chunk, super cheeks... He looks so much like his Daddy he get's called mini me a lot too.

We went to the NICU reunion and saw our "roomie" Tinley.  She is so cute with her chubby cheeks.  It was amazing to see how may families were blessed with the RMH NICU's care.

That same day we also had the walk to remember and were able to take time to remember Eleanna.  We were able to share the day with Mike & Teresa, and think of Ayla too.  It was hard looking at the boys and knowing they would not be here if Eleanna was.  I know that God has it all figured out.  I feel so blessed to have the boys. I also feel so blessed to know Mike & Teresa.  All things are possible because of what God had planned for us.  Still being the human that I am it's hard to trust in him all the time.  But I'm learning.

is anyone else disturbed by this?

This weekend I spent some time with my niece and my cousins' children.  Peppa* Pig was on.  I looked over at Todd and said "this is just not right".

If you have never seen the before these disturbing little piggies talk with British accents which only adds to the funny factor...  In particular I find "Daddy" pig to be the most disturbing...

The Days are long but the months go by fast...

The boys will be 4 months old on the 10th.

Holy cow!  Somedays it seems like yesterday other times it seems like years...

I looked through my calendar from last year.  We are just about to the point where we were starting the cycle resulted in Parker and Jesse last year.  Their embryo transfer was on Halloween...crazy...

Parker if I had to guess is knocking on the door of 10lbs. He is wearing 0-3 month clothes.  We just put away the newborn stuff last week for him. He still is having issues with refulx and we had to put him on Axid.  We also put a tsp of rice cereal in his bottles.  Sometime it seems to help other times he just seems to yak everything up and cry...

Parker has been making lots more "cute baby noises".  He also smiles more too.  His umbilical hernia is getting much smaller.  I am hoping that it is gone before his 1st birthday.  Parker is such a snuggler he loves to have his blankie righ up by his face.  He has also found his thumb from time to time, which mostly results in him having slimey hands... Parker sleeps through the night which is awesome.  We start getting ready for bed about 8pm.  Usually, he's in bed asleep till 5am.  Sometimes we even have to wake him up to get ready to go to Kristina's.

Jesse if I had to guess is somewhere between 10 and 11lbs. He's been wearing 0-3 month clothes for a couple of weeks now. He's such a happy boy.  He hardly ever spits up.  He seems to sometimes need help in the #2 department and then all is right with his world.

Jesse is the favorite of the other kids at the babysitters...because he's so happy and less likely to spit up.  He has been smiling for a while and now will giggle when you tickle his belly.  Aww...so cute...  He fights sleep something fierce.  Watch out when he's over tired...  It seems that nothing will make him happy then...  Jesse is also sleeping though the night on Parker's same schedule.  He's also pretty much given up the pacifier...most of the time he just spits it out.

We just started the process of totally weaning them off the caffeine and monitors.  Hopefully we will be off all of those by October...  I feel so lucky that they are good sleepers at night.  It definitely helps with out sanity.  They both also love to be outside...when it's been not too hot I love taking them out in the stroller.  We even went to a parade a couple of weeks ago.

The older I get the better Heaven seems to me...

Death, Heaven, Forever...they are a part of everyone's life.

We think about it sometimes daily, sometimes hourly and sometimes not at all because this "life" we are living here on earth is too busy.

This past week my dear SIL Megan had to say good bye to her Gramms.  I really only watched this duo in action from afar, but it is very evident that there is and was a great love between her family and her Gramms.  None the less this all got me to thinking about heaven.

I can't help but think how much heaven has changed for me over the years.  From a simple explanation of where the kitten went to when it died to now a place that I look forward to calling my home.  Each time another amazing person who touched my life leaves this earth to enter heavens gates it makes me even more glad to know that heaven will be there for me too.

Of course all this talk about heaven does not mean that I'm ready "kick the bucket".  I'm pretty sure God's a whole lot more planned for me.  None the less, since Eleanna died I have felt even more at ease with death, because well, if Heaven is a good enough place to send my precious Eleanna, then it must be good enough for me too.

I suppose that there are some at the end of their life that would feel the same way I'm starting to.  I can only imagine that as my list of those I can't wait to reunite with in Heaven grown the fonder I will become of it.  Of course there are moments where I wish for just a few moments...maybe in a dream I could hold my sweet girl, sit next to my Grandpa's and meet my Father in Law.  Till then there will be times where I think of heaven as a wonderful place that I will get to some day.  Just like all those places on this earth that I would love to see as well.

On my journey to heaven Megan's Gramms's service reminded me that it's important to Pray, be joyful, do it anyway and love... It always amazes me how God uses his people to give his grace to this world.  Thank you Betty for being a part of God's Grace (Agape) in my life.