Memorial Day

We made our first OVERNIGHT trip to the lake over Memorial Day! You should have seen our car packed up like the Griswalds-we took SO much stuff-but you gotta have it with two babies! I was quite nervous about the babies sleeping but they did great. This was their first time EVER to not sleep in their beds at night and they napped and slept well in their pack-n-plays. The first night, Kathryn had a little gymnastics party in her bed for about 3 hours so we were up for a while, but she was so happy-never cried-just flippin and partyin' in her bed...silly girl...she may do that every night for all I know!

Here are my 3 favorite men! Garrett, Brad and my Dad! I love this pic!

Memorial Day Babies! They were SO happy and giggly that day!

Here is why my children ALWAYS have bibs on and why we NEVER have a good family photo! I MEAN SERIOUSLY!!! When does the SPIT UP STOP???? YUCK!

Garrett made up for it in this picture though! I LOVE these three! This is DEFINITELY a framer!

Sweet babies inspecting the grass-I never could really get them to look up at me b/c they were so fascinated with the grass. I usually lay a blanket down - I personally hate sitting on grass-too itchy-but I wanted to get some cute pics of them in their denim. It is a sweet shot anyways!

PEACE, LOVE, TWINS! Thanks Nikki for these ADORABLE shirts-clearly they LOVE them!!!

B-O-B Buddies!

There was only ONE thing that I REALLY wanted for the twins before they were born...and it was the BOB double jogger! We LOVE this stroller (although Kathryn SCREAMS the whole time she is in it?) and it is SO easy to maneuver which is hard to come by with any double stroller. Justin and Jenny and Brody got their BOB on Tuesday and so yesterday we had to go walking! We all had a great time except Kathryn-hopefully she will learn to love it.
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Here we are at our very first bible class!!!! This was Mother's Day and we went to McDermott and there weren't any babies there and so K and G had their own little class...another little girl came in later so it was just the 3 of them. G didn't make it very long b/c he hadn't taken a nap at all during service but K did pretty good. The teacher ended up holding her by the end but that's ok. They did MUCH better on this first try than they did today at our church! OH MY THE MELTDOWNS!!! Whew-poor kids-I don't know what you do with them when they miss that long 2 hour morning nap!?!? Sundays are just going to be hard for a while but they will make it!K and G are both sitting up! G actually better than K but I think it is because K just wants to constantly GO GO GO! She just wants to get back down on her tummy and scoot all over the floor.

Rockin' It with Daddy! G is actually "talking" now - he says "DaDa" all the time - and will repeat it most of the time. He doesn't say it directly to Brad but he definitely says it! Brad is very proud of course! I don't even bother correcting him to say "MaMa" we work on it when he isn't saying DaDa!

Too Cool! Thanks James and Leslie for our cool shades. While K is acting all happy and sweet about them - she had them off before I put the camera down. G kept his on almost the ENTIRE walk - I was SHOCKED! Dr. Oz was just talking about how important it was to protect babies eyes - so I thought I would bust out the sunglasses. We will have to work on K to keep hers on better. She just wanted to chew on the ends.

Check us out in our new pack-n-plays!! We ran to Target on Saturday in the rain to go get them. We got THE most basic ones ever - we won't have to use them very much but we definitely needed something for the lake next weekend! We can't wait for our OFFICIAL first spend the night away from home-it should be interesting to say the least...but with all of our family here - we haven't had to go out of town at all...maybe now we can go visit some friends here and there around TX and Oklahoma!

Oh and thanks for all the love and concern for little G! He is doing fine as far as we know...although I panic everytime he cries weird or spits up (which he has always done so it's nothing new). Last night, he rolled himself over in his crib on his tummy and was stuck and so at 9:30 he starts wailing from his crib. Brad and I BOTH panic of course thinking it was happening again...ridiculous...the kid was just stuck on his tummy! He can roll from his tummy to his back very well - I think he did it in his sleep though and totally confused himself?! Who knows with that crazy monkey!

"Intessusception" - M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

We actually have had a rough couple of days! I have already missed my 2nd day of work!



Thursday morning, Garrett woke up and was REALLY fussy. He wouldn't take his bottle and he has NEVER done that-he would eat every hour on the hour and snack every 30 minutes in between...anyways...we had woken him up b/c he was sleeping so late and K had been up a while so I just thought at first...well, he is tired and woke up on the wrong side of the bed! :) He wouldn't smile or anything, just crying. So I put him back to bed, cry cry cry...he finally took about 4 oz of his bottle and then he had a dirty diaper. While I was changing it he pooped some more (typical little boy) and then he sprayed out some blood from his hiney...I PANICKED of course!!!



He was still fussy, had a pitiful look on his face, and was very pale and greenish. I put him in bed and he fell asleep while I called the pediatrician. (Our new one at this point because we were about to switch anyways) We got into the pediatrician immediately (this is all before 10 AM) and while we are filling out the paperwork, G spit up. No big deal-does it all the time...When I asked where the restroom was to clean it up...he then started vomiting EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!! It was so awful - it was one of those nightmare situations that you just kind of freeze b/c you don't know what on earth is going on and where to even start. We were both soaked, the waiting room was a mess...it was awful! Way to make a grand entrance as new patients! But then I thought, well, ok, he just has a stomach bug...no biggie!



When we finally got all cleaned up and the doc checked him, he pressed all over G's belly. G was fine until he pressed in one spot and then he started crying really hard-I looked up at the pediatricians face and it was VERY concerned which then made me panic again...he said he had a MASS in his abdomen!! FREAK OUT HERE!!! Thankfully, Brad walked in at that point as I was starting to cry and the pedi sent us over to the hospital for an ultrasound and xrays STAT.



He screamed and screamed all during the ultrasound as we were both holding him down by his arms and legs. They determined he had an "intessusception" where the intestine telescopes in on itself. They admitted him, put in IV in his little head and said they would take care of it. Thankfully they have a non-surgical procedure where they place a tube up his little hiney, tape it shut and blow air and force the intestine free...it worked perfectly and actually was really cool to watch the intestine pop free on the screen! Once they got it free, he was already feeling better just extremely worn out. By about 5pm he was allowed to have 2 oz of Pedialyte and you would have thought it was the best thing ever. He immediately started smiling and was getting back to his sweet smiling self!Finally getting some MUCH NEEDED sleep! He was so funny in that crib...he would wiggle down to the bottom up against the plexiglass and finally fall asleep. Several times in the night I had to pull his legs out from the slats though - I am so glad we have bumpers at home in his bed!Ahhh! Friday morning! Feeling better and certainly smiling again! He looked so big to me because this was the first time he wore "big boy" pajamas! I threw them in the bag in case they needed more access to him vs with his zippered-footie pjs on...good thing. I love little boys in their pjs and couldn't wait for him to wear them but now I feel like he grew up on me overnight!

It was a strange feeling to be spending the night back in that hospital though! My awesome OB came to visit us and I got to see some of our nurses, too. It certainly felt like home - his first nurse was going thru all the room stuff like the TV and menu etc and Brad and I just started laughing...we told her our story and she laughed too and told us to just let her know what we needed!

As for sweet Kathryn, she was SUCH a trooper. That morning she played in her exersaucer while G was in bed and I was talking to the doctor. She quietly went with us to the doctor and never made a peep while there. She then waited patiently while we were at the hospital and then Papa and Uncle Chad came to pick her up. She was an ANGEL all day even though she totally missed her morning nap. She was so happy just to play with everyone and get all the attention I'm sure! I think she knew something was up and so she was on her very best behavior-Thanks sweet girl!

Thanks for all the prayers for Garrett for those who knew...It was a whirlwind but thankfully so much easier than it could have been...It is a scary thing to hear the word "Mass" - I am just glad it was a relatively minor problem that was fixed quickly. Oh and as for the title of the post...all day we had such a hard time learning and saying the word "Intessesception" - we kept laughing and feeling like we were back in second grade learning how to say and spell Mississippi...the ways you cope with stressful situations :)

Thankful for Happy Babies!

Seven Months Old!

Stripe Day! (Really I am just super anxious for SUMMER!!)

This is Kathryn saying: "HIGH-LARIOUS!"

WooHoo! No bib! I have 2 teeth now & have gained 2+lbs in the last 3 weeks!

Happy happy babies! We are rocking along...I have TONZ to post but I am super tired so I will write it all later. Have a great weekend!

Garrett's new trick: Eating his toes! He even tries this while trying to eat solids - NICE!

Kathryn is SO STRONG! She is ALMOST sitting up-she can hold herself up with her arms now!

Here is Garrett lovin' on YaYa at the Lake on Easter weekend!

Two happy babes with their daddy!


And my little Easter Bunnies!

We are doing Great!! After thinking and struggling and worrying, I decided to close down the "Mommy Cafe" and the babies are now getting all bottles and formula! I am a WHOLE new person - I have SO much more energy and we are able to get out and about more now and I don't worry if one wakes up early or this or that...It has been a GREAT decision for me. The only guilt I feel now is that I am so happy about stopping :) Most importantly though, they are gaining weight and healthy! They have started solids - veggies only and they love them! It is fun to feed them at this point - I'm sure it will get old and messy!

Stats!

Kathryn:
Weight: 12 lbs 15 oz 5%
Height: 25" 25-50%
Head: 16.5 cm 50%

Dr. G said she was doing great and was developing really well! No concerns with her! The nurse was laughing at how much she was twisting and rolling around. After all that activity though, she DRENCHED her daddy on his nice - fresh - from - the - cleaners shirt! He was not happy - he was actually holding her b/c she usually doesn't spit up as much as Garrett...ooops! Thankfully, we live across the street from the doctor's office so Brad was able to come right home and change and then go to work!


Garrett:
Weight: 13 lbs 11oz 3%
Height: 26.3" 50-60%
Head: 17.3 cm 50-75%

We are a little more concerned with Garrett b/c he dropped from 10% on the weight chart to 3%. He was following a perfect curve last week when we went to the pulmonologist so I am not too worried about it. Dr. G just told us to get him on foods quickly-he is ready and needs the extra calories. As for the MAJOR spit-up issues, he gave us some samples of Enfamil A.R. to help reduce it. Supposedly it thickens when it hits the stomach therefore reducing the reflux-worth a try and I was needing to get some formula anyways to use at night for their bottles-the freezer stash is almost gone-only 5 bags of milk left :( It used to completely fill the freezer.

So there are our latest stats and reports! I will have to post some pics of the adventures in eating as they occur! Happy Tuesday!

SIX MONTHS!!!

Making Funny Faces!

Sweet Jenny and Brody brought K and G a Happy 1/2 Birthday Cookie Cake! It was so cute and DELISH!!

Here is Kathryn on the move! She is definitely mobile - not crawling at all but certainly rolling and scooting to where she wants to go. Gotta watch that girl!

T
The gang's all here! Ranger, Tripp, Brody, K & G, and Luke! We love these baby boys and most of all I love their mommies. They are so encouraging and uplifting and I treasure our get-togethers!

Meet Pete! Pete is Emily's pet monkey that went everywhere with her while she stayed with Mimi & Papa last week. We were luck enough to get to spend some time with them and K & G love their cousin Emily!!

RayRay & BobBob came over and got some good lovin' from the babies! I will have to download the pics from our video camera too - G was being a super cuddle-bug with RayRay!

Garrett's newest trick is holding his own bottle! It is FABULOUS! He can't always keep it upright especially when it is full but he can certainly get it to his mouth and back if it falls out. HE LOVES HIS BOTTLE!!!

We have been practicing sitting in our booster seats anxiously awaiting starting solids. They have had a few bites of avocado but nothing major. We go to the dr tomorrow for their 6 month check-up so we will start after that - depending on what he says!

Kathryn is still my little rock star! She is so strong and LOVES to be on her tummy! Can't keep her off of it! I think she is going to have excellent tricepts.

Garrett is my silly boy for sure. Mr. Personality. He FINALLY will roll over to his side from his back but not to his tummy. If you put him on his tummy he is back on his back in literally 2 seconds! He was having so much fun wrapping himself up in his blanket the other day! He thought he was really funny!

Sweet baby Reagan! The Robertson Clan came over to see us a few weeks ago and Reagan had a great time on the playmat! He was so happy and focused!He is also quite a bit bigger than my two yahoos...he is about 2 and 1/2 months younger and weighs more than Garrett :) The clan came over because Reid was ready to give Kathryn her "Gankies" or her lovies! Their names are "Tickle" and "Rub" and no one but Reid can tell them apart! She can just feel the edges and tell you which one is which...it is so funny. Anyways, I told her that Kathryn was sucking her fingers just like her and she decided that K needed the Gankies. It was a VERY big day for Reid - we were all so proud of her that she gave them up. I think she had quite a few hard nights but overall she has done awesome!! Thank you Reid!!

She was so excited to get to hold K and G. She rushed to the bathroom and washed her hands and kept telling me how much they liked her! It was so cute!

Garrett wasn't so sure about the whole thing. There was A LOT going on with 3 kids running around, another baby, and 3 other adults there...my mom and Brad's mom were here too.

Here is just a random picture that I love! I let them "watch" Praise Baby in their seats - mainly to distract Garrett so he would sit in it and not cry! They had a good time and sat there pretty well. I forget why they weren't dressed - but with the amount of spitting-up that goes on around here I am sure that they were just "in between" outfits! Who knows?

Today we put together our stroller! We wheeled 'round and 'round upstairs since it was raining so hard outside! I think they liked it-it would help if I tightened the straps but we were just trying it out - INSIDE so who cares!!! Garrett seemed to love it more than Kathryn which is odd b/c he doesn't do new things very well! We are thankful for the soaking rain today but are ready to try out our stroller as soon as it is dry. This will be our out and about stroller to replace the Snap-N-Go with the carriers and we can now start using our fancy BOB jogger stroller too! Fun times...It will give us something to do besides play upstairs :)

So here is Kathryn happily sleeping away on her tummy. Although this makes me nervous, I can't seem to do anything about it...she just does her gymnastics in bed and finally settles in on her tummy. Not all the time but a majority of the time. She also loves her fingers-I know-it's my fault. Even with the paci though, she was taking it out and replacing it with her fingers. She is drooling by the bucket too-teething possibly although I think it is too early for her especially since she was preemie. (What do I know about teeth anyways?)

She certainly wakes up happy though! I mean look at that grin. She is really developing quickly and I don't feel like she is very behind at all. She is rolling over both ways. She LOVES being on her tummy and pushes up now with her arms. She even started scooting herself backwards with her arms. While up on her arms, she can balance on one arm and grab a toy with another - super impressive!

Garrett is developing too - although they are doing different things. He can roll over best from tummy to back - K is the opposite. As long as you keep him SUPER entertained he will stay on his tummy and push up - but I am talking major distraction here to keep him from rolling over. He is REALLY noticing Kathryn now. She has loved him for a long time but now he is starting to really pay attention to her. He now reaches for her hands and stares at her and smiles at her. I am hoping they are becoming big buds! He is also noticing things on her like her hairbows. He was fascinated with her bow while we were taking pics with our new bears!

I am most proud of Garrett right now for FINALLY taking his inhaler without crying. He actually smiles with it and breathes very easily and doesn't scream at all. It is so easy now to give it to him. I will have to take a picture of it but I my hands are full of the inhaler and him so I will have to have Brad help on that photo!

We ran up to the hospital on Tuesday night to see our friend Jennifer and Macie and to see our nurses. Sweet Christelle (the wonderful nurse that basically saved my life after K and G were born) got the babies these precious bears. They absolutely LOVE them. They were really sweet all cuddled up with them during the pics. We will have to take lots of pics with our bears as we get bigger. I am a HUGE bear fan so it is fitting that they each have a big bear to love on like I did when I was little.

I feel like I have been so negative the last few posts and I don't mean to be at all. We are just going thru a rough patch but are getting it all together. They are sleeping great at night and the morning nap is relatively consistant - about 2 hrs so that is wonderful. It is just the afternoon that is still sketchy but we are making progress. If it weren't for a STINKY diaper today - I think we would've had a great nap but ahh, what do you do! And no matter how frazzled I seem about it all, it is so worth it and I wouldn't trade those too stinkers for anything!

Have a happy Friday!!!

I lied! Things are the same. Maybe we have the morning nap down but heavens to Betsy this afternoon has been torturous! Kathryn is finally asleep in her bed - she took a 15 minute nap for her second nap while Garrett slept. Then of course she was EXHAUSTED so she finally fell asleep while doing flips in her bed for oh 40 minutes. Then 20 minutes later, G is UP! SCREAMING? What in the world...tried and tried to get him to go back to sleep but I finally took him out of the room so K could sleep a little. He is now asleep in the swing...humm...I don't know how I really feel about that but I am just going to ignore it b/c it has been quiet now for 27 minutes :) On another note...I tried to give G his paci back b/c he was SOOO upset...NOPE...didn't want it. Gagged on it-which I had to laugh. I even tried when he calmed down...still nope...guess that answers that question for him...K would take hers in a heartbeat though.

On a FUN note: Kathryn and Garrett "played" outside for the first time today. Like out in the backyard laying on the playmat in the shade of the tree their daddy planted for them while I was in the hospital. I think they liked it...I love K's expression in this picture..."Ahh, fresh air and sunshine...Nice!"

Here is Kathryn Hoodini the other day. I let them watch Praise Baby while I got dinner together. I walk over to check on them and there she is happy as can be hanging off of her bouncy seat...don't call CPS...we will buckle her in now. She had even turned on the vibration and music with her back - and I promise you...she was so happy laying there all arched back...silly girl!

When do babies start holding their own bottles...we work on that every night but I need an approximate answer - we MIGHT be closing in on the end of breast-feeding due to some painful things going on that I don't want to blog about but I won't quit until they can hold their own bottles...I want to go a year unless my issues continue and I have to quit earlier...just curious...