Monday, December 28, 2009

The Power of Bacon

We had a really nice Christmas this year despite 2009 being one of our more difficult years...  I took the week off and was home with the kids most of the week so I could work on table foods with the boys.  We have been struggling to get the boys off of baby food (the puree kind) for the last month.  I don't remember having such a difficult time with Gretchen in this area but the boys were two months premature so I am trying to cut them some slack.  Our pediatrician indicated that we would not worry about it until their 18 month appointment which is next month.   They will eat snacky food like goldfish crackers, baby crackers/cookies, cheerios, etc with no problem but will not attempt a bite of a banana!  All week I tried offering them various foods:  cinnamon toast, bananas, friend bananas, rice, cooked spaghetti, eggs and so on with little success.  Then I tried bacon!  I had to shove a little piece of bacon in Evan's mouth at first but once he got a taste of it, he ate it up.  Sean put it in his mouth with no problems and snatched the whole piece I was breaking into little pieces right out of my hand.  I was relieved and surprised....  It got me thinking...  Does bacon covered banana sound good?

Friday, December 11, 2009

Walking


Sean is really walking now with very little crawling.  Evan is not far behind though he is much more a risk taker than Sean.  Evan will leap body first from one piece of furniture to the next.  He doesn't usually cry when he falls but I think he must take calculated risks.  It is getting harder to keep them sectioned off but more of a necessity since they get into everything.  I used to have a clothes basket in the family room for the boys clothes (or Gretchen's) in case we changed them in pajamas or something downstairs but I had to remove it because Sean enjoyed emptying it out.   They both like to throw things behind their backs - they just crack up when they do it.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Happy Feet

The boys are definitely on the move.  I haven't had a lot of free time to post on the blog but they are definitely getting big!  Sean started cruising the room about two months ago.  He has been taking a few solitary steps without holding on this past week.  I think he will be walking by Thanksgiving.  Evan is probably about a month behind Sean.  Though Evan is quite the accomplished army crawler, he seems to have mastered cruising faster
 than Sean! Maybe he will walk soon too.  Their 15 month appointment went well but they are a bit behind in some areas.  We have to work on getting them off of bottles and eating regular food as opposed to baby food.  So, we have our work cut out for us.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

We must be crazy....


We took the boys, Gretchen, Steve's sister and niece camping this week to Devil's Lake WI. The boys were great for the drive to the park but I suspect that's because they were able to get a bottle while we waited for the Merrimac Ferry. We brought two play yards with us and two hanging high chairs plus the stroller so we could change their scenery up a little. We weren't going to let them crawl on the ground (Sean puts everything in his mouth right now) so they spent a lot of time in the play yards. Luckily it was warm enough to go the beach so they got to roll around in the grass for a while. Sean took a nap but Evan got to go in the lake with us. The girls really enjoyed the beach - the lake water was so clean and clear that it was fun just sitting in it and digging for rocks. We also brought baby backpack carriers so we could take the boys hiking but it didn't work out. The timing of the hike was later in the evening and they just were not up for it. We took a little hike the next morning but decided against trying the backpacks. I think it might have worked but I didn't have the energy for it that morning. We want to make this camp trip an annual tradition at least for the five of us since we love Devils Lake so much. I think next year will be a lot better - the boys will be walking and talking! While I wouldn't do this with babies again, it was a good trip. Check out the pictures we took!

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Sean and Evan turned one!


We did it! Steve and I survived the first year with twins! I mean.... Uh, Sean and Evan turned one! We celebrated our first year together with a party this weekend. Friends and families showed up to enjoy some food and sun in what ended up being a beautiful day. We rented a Dino Jump (bounce house) since the pool was only seventy degrees. The kids enjoyed the bounce house immensely to our relief as did some of the adults (several of us could not resist the urge to jump). A few of the older kids attempted to going swimming but didn't last long in the frigid water. The boys did well despite all the people. Everything I have read about first birthday parties says to keep it small and short... blah, blah, blah. Since this was a celebration for all of us really, we just put the boys down for a nap in the middle of their party. What else could be done? Once they got up, we had cake so they look a little sleepy in some of the pictures. All in all, it was a great day and we are so grateful for our wonderful friends and family. Without their support this last year, I don't think we would have survived as well as we have.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Father's Day



I tried to dress the boys like Steve a little for Father's Day so I think they look pretty cute in their Hawaiian shirts. We had a nice day weather wise so Chris and his kids came over so we could go strawberry picking. We brought home two big baskets of berries though some of Gretchen's were not too ripe. We took turns between picking with Gretchen and entertaining the boys. They seemed to enjoy playing with the empty baskets. Afterwards, we had an early dinner at home of shiskabobs, pita bread, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. All in all it turned out to be a nice day... Steve didn't get to try out the Electric Gutter Cleaning Robot that me and the kids bought him for Father's Day but when he does, I will be sure to post some pictures (I hear it is messy!).

Monday, June 15, 2009

Little Swimmers


Finally, a beautiful day in Chicagoland! Steve and I got the kids in the inflatable pool since the big pool is still not open. They loved it so much! The boys are fascinated by the water and splashing it around. Gretchen was excited because the babies were finally doing something she could appreciate it. I slathered them in sunscreen but I think they still got a touch pink (Steve reminded it me that it was the boys' first exposure to sun after all... real intense sun...). The water works did the trick - all the kids were very, very tired after all the squealing, splashing and playing. For us, it was a relief to get outside for a while. The rain has kept us in a lot in the last few weeks and I think we all needed some fresh air. Now the boys will be ready for their birthday party on the 25th! Save the date! (I've posted some more pictures here if you're interested).

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Are You Sure They Were Preemies?


Next to "Are they twins?", I get the preemie question the most, especially from the doctor's office. Sadly we have seen a lot of winter illness so the boys have seen the doctor and hospital a lot more than I think I could handle (put it this way - we have already used up our medical flex account money by May). The boys just had their nine month appointment a few weeks ago and they weighed in at 22 lbs (Sean) and 21lbs (for Evan). Evan got his first tooth on May 1st and then his second tooth about two weeks later. Sean just got his first tooth Memorial day weekend. They are both sitting up fairly well though Sean is the more restless of the two, rolling around the floor looking for a way to get from point A to B. Evan is still very much our little professor, studying his toys, people and the cats with an intense and serious gaze. Sean on the other hand flashes his newly toothy grin at everyone he sees with a high pitched squeal if you look at him the right way. The teething has been trying for us since the babies have been moody and their sleep patterns have been interrupted. For me personally, every time I think we are in a groove and can add more to our plate, get back to some of the things we used to do, we end up sleep deprived and worn out somehow. Sigh.... It's a good thing they are cute and cuddly because it really does make up for all the inconveniences babies to your life. : )

Monday, April 6, 2009

Doctor, Doctor

Well I never thought about it before but it is possible to take all three kids to the doctor separately in one day. I had a half day today to take Sean back to the pediatric pulmonary doctor at Central DuPage Hospital (nowhere near us!). Evan has the same illness Sean had plus a double ear infection so I took him to see the pediatrician before I drove an hour to see the pulmonary guy. Meanwhile, Gretchen has been running a fever the last two days so Steve took her to sick call as well. Whew! I am beat. I am so sick of breathing treatments and antibiotics and snow. I cannot wait for spring and summer if it means no more of that! Of course, there's bug bites and sunblock to worry about..... Hee!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Baptism


We originally were going to baptize the boys at the beginning of March but then Sean was in the hospital that weekend for the RSV like illness. We had rescheduled for the 29th not knowing of course we would get a foot of snow. I woke up this morning and let out a big sigh - it was going to be a long morning! Steve got up and dug us out so we could drive to church while I tried to get everyone feed and ready. If we hadn't cancelled once already, I might have been tempted to call but I wasn't going to reschedule it again. Easter is coming in a few weeks and it will be May before you know it. Most of the people we invited did not come (we called them and told them to stay at one) but it all turned out fine. Steve's mom and sister did make it and we had a really nice day with them.

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Specialist

Sean saw a pediatric pulmonologist today. After looking at his x-rays, he determined there is no foreign body in Sean's lungs. We were afraid they were going to have to scope him to see his lungs better. He listened to Sean and didn't hear a lot of wheezing but said he was very congested still. He thinks because of the eczema and longevity of the congestion, it could be an allergic reaction to cats or that the cat dander is making it difficult to recover. This sounds terrible but I would be okay with getting rid of the cats. I love having pets but if one of the kids is reacting to them, sayonara! My only worry is that the cats are getting old (Lolo is 14, Pepa is 13 and Quique is 12) and we would have a hard time finding homes for them. Anyway, we go back to see the pulmonologist in a few weeks to see if Sean is any better.

On a happier note, both Sean and Evan are really starting to "talk" with repetitive sounds like da da da, ba, ba, ba, etc. It's very cute. I'll try to post some video of it soon! They don't roll over very often and they are getting better at sitting up but not on their own yet. Evan is exactly one pound heavier than Sean (we think Sean did not gain as much because of all the illness). Though Sean is about two inches longer than Evan. Growing boys!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Sean and the Wheeze


I got into a car accident on Friday the 6th with both Sean and Evan in the car. Everyone involved in the accident was not injured but I agreed to go to the ER because I wanted to make sure the boys were okay. They determined right away that they were not injured but they heard both babies wheezing. So.... They gave them albuterol breathing treatments to see if it would improve. Evan sounded better but Sean did not. Sean's blood oxygen was too low to release him so he had a chest x-ray that indicated a lot of congestion and viral pneumonia. They kept Sean for five days treating him with several different steroids (to reduce swelling in the lungs) and breathing treatments. He is not wheezing a lot but it's still there as well as his coughing and vomiting due to coughing. Because the x-rays were questionable and he did not improve much, we were referred to a pediatric pulmonologist to see if he can determine the issue. It's possible that Sean has a milk allergy or sensitivity (he is on soy now). It's possible he aspirated something into his lung (like food or a small object give to him by his sister). We're not sure. Monday we see the pulmonologist and hopefully get some answers. Thanks to everyone who posted nice things on Facebook, those who have emailed me and those who read the blog. We will update it next week after we see the specialist!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Winter Blahs


Have not had much time to post - even this post has been a work in progress for a few weeks. The months after Christmas have been laden with a series of winter illnesses. Between the five of us, we have been cycling through one cold or two colds or three colds in our house. Someone has a cough at any given time. Gretchen had green snot and a cough for weeks before and after Christmas. She was better and then this week the green snot is back. Poor Sean has been coughing for two solid months. Although the boys have been getting RSV vaccine shots every month, Sean has had some wheezing and two RSV tests in the last four weeks; luckily, they have come back negative. We are doing breathing treatments on him but they do not seem to do much to alleviate the cough and vomit cycle. Evan has been the most resistant against the colds but it caught up with him the last week or two. So....

Although we have not felt good or 100% in what seems like an eternity, we are getting a little more sleep. Sean and Evan are sleeping from 8pm to 4am or so. We started them on solids about a month ago and I definitely think it helps their sleeping. They have rolled over from back to front once - both on the same day! Sean wants to roll over in the worst way and gets very close every time he tries. I just know I am going to find him on his tummy one morning. Evan is also trying but seems fond of the crescent shape he makes with his body.

The boys are getting so big – Sean is wearing 9 month and 12 month outfits. Evan is still in 6 month clothes but his little arms look like Popeye arms (I will have to post a picture of him in his diaper!). They are at the 18 pound mark but Sean is longer than Evan. Their personalities are showing already. Sean is very happy go lucky but adapts to new people and situations at a slower pace than Evan does. If Sean gets upset, he usually bounces back very quickly. Evan on the other hand adapts to new stuff very quickly but does not budge from his moods. If he is upset, he stays like that for a while. Developmentally they are a little behind but seem to be gaining ground every month. They should be sitting up soon (and rolling over more consistently).

Things are not feeling quite "back to normal" yet. Our house is still a pigsty. Even though they are sleeping more, it does not give us very much time in the day to clean. On the weekends, we do what we can but since we are still getting up early, both Steve and I just want some sleep. There are so many things that need to be done and so little time to do them that I feel overwhelmed at times and just want to pull the covers up over my head.... I know that our lives are so blessed so I am not saying I am not happy, just tired!

We have lots of pictures up on my Flickr page. Here are holiday pictures and Winter 2009 pics.