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!).

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).

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. : )

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!

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.

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!

Make a Smilebox postcard