Mommy's Journal

Excuses, Excuses

2009-08-18T12:49:00.006-04:00

So, I'm a little behind...

I'm sure most of you can imagine why, but in case you need help, here are some images to get you started...

My hands are usually too full to type...

Ian, the preschooler (he started yesterday)

Garrett, the messy eater (who went straight to the tub after this lunch)

Brennan, the climber (caught in the act, and happy about it)

Bedtime Conversation

2009-07-24T22:18:00.003-04:00

Ian: I love you 150 thousand million times!

Mommy: I love you more than that!

Ian: I love you more than you think I love you! I'll show you tomorrow when I give you your morning hug!

I can't wait!

Miscellaneous May

2009-07-20T12:55:00.005-04:00

Brennan likes Big Brother's toys best!

Bedhead Garrett

Happy Brothers!
(This is one of the best pictures we got of Brennan's unique teething pattern! He has since filled in nicely!)

"G-Man"

"Bren-Bren"

Matching Brothers

April '09

2009-07-20T12:42:00.002-04:00

Brennan figured out how to dump his basket of toys!

Happy Garrett

Babies' Dedication

2009-07-20T12:30:00.006-04:00

April 19, 2009

Uncle Andy and Emma surprised us by showing up at the service!

Family Dinner at Grandpa and Grandma's House
(Nana, Papa, Aunt Nancy, Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Andy, Emma, Aunt Helen and Uncle David were all there to share this special day with us.)

With Cousin Emma

Easter '09

2009-07-20T12:02:00.008-04:00

Egg Hunt in Nana and Papa's Neighborhood

Dying Eggs

Egg Hunt at Grandpa and Grandma's House

With Cousin Tavia

Jack Family Picture

Our Little Easter Bunny

Spring Break!

2009-04-09T10:51:00.025-04:00

We traveled to Pennsylvania over spring break, and celebrated lots of milestones!

1. GG (Mommy's maternal grandma, and the boys' only living great-grandparent) turned 89 years old on April 1st! Mommy's whole side of the family (Nana, Papa, Uncle Neil, Aunt Heather and Aunt Nancy) traveled from 3 different states to take part in the surprise celebration. GG only knew ahead of time that Nana and Papa were coming!

2. Garrett and Brennan met GG for the first time!

3. Garrett cut his first tooth!

4. Brennan cut his third and fourth teeth (on the top, and surprisingly not the 2 middle ones... he could be a sight to see if those middle ones don't show up soon)!

5. Garrett started sitting up well, and for extended periods of time!

6. Brennan rolled from his back to his belly! (Since then, he is a rolling machine! It's about time for baby gates because last night he rolled from the family room, through the play room, to the door of the kitchen!)

7. Ian slept in a big hotel bed for the first time! Apparently, we haven't stayed in a hotel for a while! He did fall out one night, but Aunt Nancy put him right back to bed.

8. We survived our first car trip as a family of five! 10 hours together in the car without a DVD player made for a long day, but was not as bad as you might be imagining! Mommy spent the day in the backseat handing toys to the babies, and playing with Ian. We were happy we went, but we were happy to be home!

Here's our trip in pictures:
Brennan and GG

Garrett is a happy boy despite the tooth that is about to appear!

Aunt Nancy lovin' two babies

The Clampetts unloading at the hotel

Playing in GG's apartment. Nana reserved the private dining room on the same floor so that we could have a little more space to spread out!

A trip to GG's is not complete without a trip to Hershey's Chocolate World!

Watching a great 3-D movie that engaged all 5 senses! Ian was so cute when he tried to reach out and grab things as they came toward us.

On the ride through the "chocolate factory"

The cake

She needed a little help!

The whole gang!

Ian entertaining us with an animated lecture on Star Wars

Lunch at Sandy's with Uncle John (GG's brother)

In the parking lot of an Amish-run store

GG and Garrett

Aunt Nancy and Daddy playing Bananagrams! GREAT game!

GG holding two babies!

GG with all three!

Hanging out in the hotel

Garrett

Brennan

On the Move

2009-03-30T19:26:00.005-04:00

Even though they're not creeping or crawling yet, the boys are beginning to be on the move. We put them next to each other on the blanket, and before we know it, they are off it in opposite directions. Today, Garrett rolled about 6 feet, and ending up near the bottom of the stairs.

This is the face of a boy examining the flight of stairs. I see baby gates in our future.

Swimming Lessons

2009-03-30T19:07:00.003-04:00

Ian took swimming lessons over the last two weeks at "Daddy's school" (our local high school). He went Monday-Thursday, and really seemed to make a lot of progress. The classes were taught by members of the swim team, and Ian's class had 5 kids, ages 3-5. The first two days were fairly traumatic. On the first day, the teachers dunked the kids completely under the water 3 times. Ian is not a huge fan of getting his face wet, so being forced under the water (and injesting some of it) did not go over well. At home, we talked about how brave he was, bought him a pair of goggles, and by day four, he was a pro! If you ask him what his favorite part of swimming lessons was, he would say enthusiastically "Bombs!" (We eventually stopped trying to correct this... he actually means "bobs," but we think it's pretty cute.) He's officially ready for summer; now all we need is warm weather!

Ian's on the left

Coming up for air after a "bomb"

Racing

New Neighbors!

2009-03-30T18:57:00.003-04:00

Grandpa and Grandma are our new neighbors! They moved here from Chicago last weekend, and we are excited to have them so close! Their neighborhood is next to our's, and they have a POOL! Also, Aunt Helen and Uncle David will be about 40 minutes from us as of next weekend! All this on top of Nana and Papa living 35 minutes away! It's so wonderful to have all of this family so close by! Lots of fun times ahead...

Family Walks

2009-03-18T18:12:00.003-04:00

We have been absolutely LOVING this nice weather! Sunshine, daffodils poking their heads up, warm air, and open windows sure lift my spirits! We have been enjoying taking walks after dinner for the last few nights. Ian busies himself by collecting pieces of nature for his "treasure chest" (the basket underneath the stroller), and races ahead to the next mailbox where he waits for us. Anything to burn off the energy! Last night as we were rounding the corner approaching our house, he said to Daddy, "Last one home is a broken egg!" The babies can now stay awake through a walk, and seem to like breathing the fresh air. Unfortunately, the forecast is calling for cooler temperatures, but I can see the spring light at the end of the end of this winter tunnel!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T16:11:00.003-04:00

Ian made this festive hat at school today.

Stephanie came over today to help us out. What a beautiful day!

Rock Star!

2009-03-11T15:16:00.001-04:00

Ian said, "Mommy, Garrett's hair is sticking up like a rock star!"

Tooth #2

2009-03-11T15:15:00.001-04:00

Brennan's second tooth (bottom left) poked through yesterday!

The Wheels on the Bus

2009-03-10T22:06:00.007-04:00

Last week, Ian got to go on his FIRST bus ride for his FIRST field trip! They went to a local pizza place, got a tour of the kitchen, and practiced dough techniques. The morning ended with a pop, a slice of pizza, and a cookie... all before 11 a.m.! Papa went as a chaperone, and humored Mommy by taking some pictures. They had a great time, and the report was that the bus ride was the main attraction!

They Might Be Giants

2009-03-10T21:38:00.002-04:00

On our way to visit Nana and Papa today, we were having a conversation about trains, which led to talking about Kiddieland, which led to talking about the zoo, which led to talking about giants, which led to talking about God and Jesus. I'm sure it seems very logical in the mind of a 4-year-old.

Mommy: "I've never actually seen a giant before. Have you?"
Ian: "There are only two giants in this world. Do you know who they are?"
Mommy: "No. Who?"
Ian: "God and Jesus. But, they are friendly giants who love us very much. They would never hit us in the face or anything."
Mommy: "You're right. They do love us very much."

Ian went on to explain to Garrett and Brennan about God and Jesus. "They are giants, but they don't live on Earth. They live up in the sky and can see everything... even Chicago and Florida! We can't see them, but they're there, and they love us."

The Marshmallow Test

2009-02-26T16:30:00.002-05:00

*Let me preface this post by saying that Ian LOVES marshmallows. He often asked for them as a snack, so I was not too sure how this would unfold.*

One of Daddy's colleagues told him about an experiment performed on 4-year-olds. Here's the jist:

A Deferred Gratification Experiment
The marshmallow experiment is a famous test of this concept conducted by Walter Mischel at Stanford University and discussed by Daniel Goleman in his popular work. In the 1960s, a group of four-year olds were given a marshmallow and promised another, only if they could wait 20 minutes before eating the first one. Some children could wait and others could not. The researchers then followed the progress of each child into adolescence, and demonstrated that those with the ability to wait were better adjusted and more dependable (determined via surveys of their parents and teachers), and scored an average of 210 points higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test.[2]

Ian was our lab rat today, and I'm happy to report he was able to wait for the second marshmallow. He squeezed, sniffed and rubbed the first one, but he never took a bite!

First tooth!!

2009-02-24T15:15:00.002-05:00

Brennan's first tooth made its appearance today! With two babies, I think this marks the beginning of a LONG phase of teething!

Lunchtime Theology

2009-02-24T15:12:00.003-05:00

A brief peek into the mind of a 4-year-old:

"God must have a TV that he watches of earth."

"How can God walk? He's too big and the sky can't stay together."

Both comments were, of course, interspersed with other random thoughts and topics. I love four.

Sleep Update

2009-02-24T09:14:00.003-05:00

BABIES:
I have hesitated to post about this for fear of jinxing ourselves, but the babies are doing SO WELL sleeping! They both nap well during the day, and are sleeping an average of 10-11 hours at night. Garrett has his moments every now and then (like waking up yesterday at 5 a.m. to chat in bed, then fill his pants!), but otherwise, they're great sleepers! What a blessing!

IAN:
We have decided that Ian no longer needs naps. It's a sad day for this mommy! Don't get me wrong, we have a great time together, but a little peace and quiet in the middle of the afternoon was priceless. If he does happen to give into sleep during the day, he is up until 11:30 at night, and that's not good either! When Daddy was little, he had to have "book rests," and so that's what we're calling his hour or so in his room every afternoon. He loves the time to read by himself, so everyone's happy.

MOMMY:
I figure it's been over a year since I had a good night's sleep! I'm trying to remember how to sleep through the night!

Star Wars

2009-02-19T16:16:00.003-05:00

Ian is very into Star Wars these days, which means a lot of role playing. I am usually assigned the role of Princess Leia, but today I was Darth Vader. Here was the line I was directed to say:

"Bring me Princess Leia. I think she's in Menards."

Try to say that with a straight face while breathing like Darth Vader. Not easy.

My Boys and Their Shoes

2009-02-10T11:08:00.001-05:00

First Veggies

2009-02-10T10:51:00.015-05:00

Last week, we started vegetables with the boys. Ian got to choose which one they would try first, and he chose peas. (Interesting, because he doesn't eat them!) I love to look back at Ian's baby pictures when we first fed him veggies, and I can't get enough of these little faces, either!
Brennan's turn!

Pea-flavored thumbs are good!

Looking over at Garrett, as if to make sure he wasn't the only one being put through this!

Brennan all done!

Garrett's turn! It didn't take him long to get used to the taste, and want more!

Garrett all done!

Power Button

2009-02-04T21:54:00.002-05:00

Daddy: "Ian, can you go over there and press the button next to the green light?"

Ian: "Oh, you mean the one that says 'power' on it?"

Daddy: "Yeah, that's the one."

Snowmen (and woman)

2009-02-01T16:00:00.004-05:00

Daddy, Mommy and Ian had some fun in the snow today while the babies were napping. A plan that started with one huge snowman became an entire snow family! (Actually, Daddy and Mommy did most of the work while Ian ate snow.)

6 months old!

2009-02-01T15:45:00.006-05:00

Garrett Edward and Brennan Paul are 6 months old today!

While these early months have had their challenges, we still can't believe they are already through the first half of their first year! They bring us such joy, and we are thrilled to have them as a part of our family.

Their 6 month check-up went very well. They are finally big enough to be on the growth chart! This is a great accomplishment because up to this point we haven't been able to plot them next to their peers. Here are their stats:

Garrett: 15 lbs. 5 oz. (11th percentile); 26 inches (30th percentile)

Brennan: 14 lbs. 15 oz. (10th percentile); 25 1/2 inches (15th percentile)

Garrett has more than tripled in size since birth, and gained almost 5 pounds in the last 2 months! Brennan has almost tripled in size, and is showing catch-up growth as well. The doctor was very pleased overall with their growth and development.

Here are some pictures that we took today. (Garrett is on the left, Brennan on the right.)

Roll Over!

2009-01-31T12:24:00.001-05:00

Garrett rolled over from his back to his belly this morning! Yeah!

Garrett's Belly Laugh

2009-01-30T15:48:00.003-05:00

Grandpa and Ian were playing catch, and Garrett was getting a HUGE kick out of watching his big brother. (NOTE: No babies were hurt by flying balls during the making of this film!)

The Big Snow

2009-01-30T15:32:00.008-05:00

On Tuesday night, we got our first big snow of the winter... 12.5 inches!!! (Good timing for Nana and Papa's trip to Florida, don't you think!?) Up to this point, we hadn't even had enough snow to cover the grass, so needless to say Ian was excited. He finally had the opportunity to try out his new boots!

Brotherly Love

2009-01-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

Ian said about his brothers, "I love them so much! I love them to FOREVER!"

That's my sweet, sweet boy.

Babies' 1st cereal!!

2009-01-16T15:17:00.015-05:00

Since we have such hungry babies, we decided yesterday to give some cereal a try. Overall, Brennan did pretty well, but I'm not sure Garrett ever swallowed any! It was fun to have them in their seats at the table, and big brother Ian was excited to get in on the action!

The Before Picture

Garrett's first bites

Brennan's first bites

Ian loved helping

Maybe the thumb helps him swallow? (Brennan, of course!)

Garrett all done!

Brennan all done!

In 3-D

2009-01-16T13:44:00.001-05:00

Daddy and Ian went to see Bolt in 3-D! Ian enjoyed the movie, but apparently only wore the glasses for about a third of it!

Ian's well check

2009-01-15T23:14:00.002-05:00

Ian had his 4-year-old check up yesterday. He was very excited to see his doctor. He told me that he didn't remember what he looked like, and that's probably because he hasn't seen him since last January! What a blessing to have such a healthy child! He gained 5 pounds and 4 inches since last year (40 lbs. and 41 3/4 in.), and is in the 80th percentile for both. (Since I'm not too up-to-date on his scrapbook, and will probably lose the paper from the doctor, I'm recording his stats here!)

Christmas (Part 3 - Grandma and Grandpa's house)

2009-01-15T23:05:00.007-05:00

Christmas (Part 2 - Nana and Papa's house)

2009-01-15T22:44:00.013-05:00

Garrett

Brennan

Bowling on the 26th, and sporting his new sweatbands from Santa!

Christmas (Part 1 - our house)

2009-01-15T22:07:00.005-05:00

Ian had a very unique list for Santa, and unfortunately it was formulated after Mommy and Daddy were done shopping. (Note to self: save some money for last-minute Santa requests!) His list included a skateboard, skates, a castle and a dragon... and he never waivered! He didn't realize that 4-year-olds really aren't ready for skateboards, and Mommy and Daddy were not too thrilled with the castle and dragon idea. Santa had to get creative. He brought 4 little mini "finger" skateboards, blocks to build a castle, and a small (inexpensive) dragon.

Ian was so excited on Christmas morning. He actually slept until 8:30 when he ran into our room to get us. He said, "Mommy and Daddy! It's Christmas morning and Santa was here! Hurry! Come on! Let's go! Quick!" Before emptying his stocking, he looked carefully at Santa's plate and mug, and couldn't believe he ate and drank it ALL! "He must have really liked our milk and cookies!" Then, he began to unpack his stocking. His little hand was shaking with excitement as he pulled things out. It was precious, magical and heartwarming to watch.

Mommy and Daddy gave Ian the roller skates he wanted. The fact that they had Spiderman on them was icing on the roller skate cake!

He immediately fell, and hasn't put them on since.

Christmas Eve gift

2009-01-14T22:41:00.004-05:00

We are continuing the tradition of the gift of new jammies on Christmas Eve. He was not impressed, but wore them anyway.

Christmas Prep

2009-01-14T22:35:00.006-05:00

Ian's letter to Santa

Baking cookies

Being silly - I told him to pretend to take a bite

Sprinkling magic reindeer food on the grass before bed on Christmas Eve

Thanksgiving Revisited, Again

2009-01-14T22:03:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed seeing Mommy's siblings before we headed to Chicago for Thanksgiving.

Aunt Heather, Ian and Ian's dog-cousin, Honey

Ian and Honey

Brennan double-fisting it

Aunt Nancy proud to hold two babies

Aunt Nancy with all three

Ian and Uncle Neil

Brennan and Garrett

Garrett and Uncle Neil

Thanksgiving Revisited

2009-01-14T20:33:00.010-05:00

Not unlike the laundry, I'm behind on the blog. Somehow I completely overlooked Thanksgiving, so better late than not at all!

Tavia with a sleepy Brennan

Uncle Brian and "Aunt" Laura (They're engaged! Yeah!)

Thanksgiving in Chicago (Garrett and Brennan slept through it)

Brennan and Garrett taking turns with the outfit made by their late Great Grandma Jack

A new generation of cousins (Tommy, Sean, Emma, Brennan, Ian and Garrett)

Ian's 4th birthday!!

2008-12-20T23:14:00.011-05:00

We can't believe our little boy turned four today! Here are some pictures of the festivities!

Ian's birthday tree

New lightsaber

Clone trooper

With his sidekick and cousin, Emma

A big boy bike

New jersey (to replace the one he wore out!)

Car cake

The family (One boy: 4 years, Two boys: 4 months!)

Happy Boys

2008-12-14T23:01:00.003-05:00

I have to tell you that these are good days! All the feedings, diapers and laundry are worth it when you get paid with grins and giggles!

Happy brothers

Brennan giggling

The Night Before Christmas

2008-12-14T21:44:00.000-05:00

The Grinch

2008-12-10T09:54:00.002-05:00

Ian called me in his room this morning to tell me, "Mommy, I have a Grinch in my heart, and it's making my throat hurt."

Ian was watching The Grinch (the Jim Carey one) at Nana and Papa's house last week, and asked them to turn it off because he was scared. He thinks he'll watch it when he's 5 or 6.

Giggles!

2008-12-10T09:52:00.004-05:00

Brennan laughed yesterday! What a sweet sound!

Our almost-4-year-old

2008-12-07T09:43:00.003-05:00

Have I said lately how much I love this age? Here are some reasons why:

1. Cream corn = "soup corn"

2. Egg nog = "egg bake" (I think we have this straight now, but only after a very frustrating conversation between Ian and Daddy.)

3. Apparently one of his preschool classmates keeps hugging him. He told me at lunch the other day that he didn't want him to hug him. When I asked why not, he said, "Because I don't know his address or phone number!"

4. Ian is absolutely loving to read The Night Before Christmas. On Friday morning, I heard him reading it in his bed before he even let me know he was awake. I went in and sat with him on his bed. After he finished the story he said, "Mommy, let's snug. You snug on that side," pointing next to him on his bed, "And I'll snug on this side." He covered us up with his blanket while I tried to soak in the moment!

5. Ian has really been enjoying drawing and writing lately. He has begun to draw things that are recognizable, but may still need some explanation. Here is a nativity scene he drew earlier this week. See if you can find these things: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, a pig, two monkeys, a cow, a leaf and a star.

Christmas Fun

2008-12-03T13:23:00.006-05:00

Christmas is coming, and we're having fun talking about it and preparing for it. We decorated our tree last night, and Ian had the honor of putting the angel on top. Today was our MOPS Christmas Brunch, and Ian had his first performance in front of a live audience. He did a great job singing and dancing. As you can see from the short clip, he was "all business" with the dancing!! (He's in the middle wearing the gray sweatshirt and jeans.)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T08:28:00.001-05:00

From our little turkey!

Sleep is a wonderful thing!

2008-11-13T09:57:00.006-05:00

The boys have been sleeping so well lately! We've had a 7, 9 and 11 hour stretch each of the last 3 days. I hesitate to say they are "sleeping through the night" because we all know that can change in an instant, but we sure are enjoying it while it lasts! (Unfortunately, our excellent sleeper Ian has been awake once a night with cold symptoms! Oh, well!)

The boys are still sharing a crib for now. Garrett is on the move, though, so it may soon change. I know there will come a day soon that I won't remember them being small enough to lay the "short way" in the crib.

It's official. Brennan is a thumb sucker.

2044 Election Photo

2008-11-13T09:37:00.005-05:00

Can you commit to vote for Garrett and Brennan in 2044? Depending on their party affiliation, wouldn't you be able to cross party lines to vote for these cuties?

Which picture should we save for the campaign? This one?

Or the one with the spit up?

Pictured with their Chief of Staff

Thanks, Aung Marge, for the onesies!

Halloween and Preschool Politics

2008-10-31T23:07:00.007-04:00

I think Ian knew what he wanted to be for Halloween 2008 on November 1, 2007. I did my best to persuade him in other directions, but finally decided to reward him for his decisiveness! He was Spiderman, and enjoyed every minute of it! Halloween started on Tuesday this week with a party at preschool, continued on Thursday night with trick-or-treating at "Daddy's school," and finished tonight with trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.

Ian's preschool class

Ian's friend and classmate, Dalton... the other Spiderman!

Garrett the ghost, Brennan the pumpkin

Spiderman and his friend Megan in front of our house.

We had pizza with Megan and her family before trick-or-treating this evening. They ate together at Ian's little table and chairs, and even had their own impromptu political discussion. This is how it went:
"I'm voting for John McCain," said Megan.
"I'm cheering for Obama," said Ian.
So cute! Their choices may or may not represent their parents' choices, but I'm just impressed they both knew the names of the candidates, and chose to discuss it over dinner. Two very well-informed future voters! (Please don't comment with your political opinions... not the purpose of this post!! Just a cute little exchange between preschoolers!:)

See Ian read. Read, Ian, read.

2008-10-30T22:09:00.005-04:00

Over the last couple of weeks, Ian has made great strides in his reading. He has been working on sounding out words for quite a while, but has now mastered many sight words, too. We decided to introduce the classic, Dick and Jane, and he is doing great! We are very proud of him!!

The Pledge

2008-10-23T10:24:00.002-04:00

Halloween Fun!

2008-10-23T10:08:00.003-04:00

Ian learned this at preschool!

Omnipresence

2008-10-22T20:48:00.004-04:00

I was heading upstairs to our bedroom to feed the babies this morning. I invited Ian to come up there with me so that he wouldn't be by himself downstairs. His response was, "Mommy, I'll know you're with me." I couldn't help but think how profound that was... it just seemed to be such a great metaphor of God's omnipresence.

(In my hormonal, sleep-deprived, fuzzy state-of-mind, I'm just impressed I remembered what he said long enough to be able to blog about it tonight, let alone use a word like "omnipresence!")

A Great Weekend

2008-10-19T15:38:00.005-04:00

We had a great weekend visit from Uncle Andy, Aunt Kathy and Emma. Andy and Kathy met the boys in the NICU, but this was cousin Emma's first time to meet the babies. Thanks for coming, Andy, Kathy and Emma!

A full couch!

Emma holding Brennan for the first time!

Ian and Emma had a great time playing together in Ian's playroom!

Ian's Halloween Cake

2008-10-17T15:00:00.002-04:00

He's very proud of his creation, and can't wait to eat it with his cousin Emma tonight!

Say cheese, Garrett!

2008-10-15T20:19:00.003-04:00

All smiles!

2008-10-13T22:30:00.001-04:00

Brennan smiled today!!! I thought I saw it this morning, Nana thought she saw it this afternoon, and Daddy and I KNOW we saw it this evening!

October pictures

2008-10-11T10:29:00.005-04:00

Uncle Neil and Aunt Heather came on October 1st, and stayed with us for a few days. They were a huge help, enjoyed meeting Garrett and Brennan, and had a lot of fun with Ian.

Brennan has been finding his thumb quite a bit lately. We're not jumping to any conclusions about this, other than the fact that we think it's very cute for now!

Ian is getting used to having two babies around, and likes to be near them. (In fact a couple of weeks ago, he was near them a little too much. Both babies had a cold, and Brennan had his first ear infection! Poor babies!) I was debating which of these pictures to post, but I think I like the progression of the three together. I love Ian's expressions, and look carefully at the last one... screaming and spit up at the same time. Pretty funny, but a true snapshot of our lives right now! (Brennan on the left, Garrett on the right.)

The State of the House Address

2008-10-11T10:02:00.004-04:00

Good morning, fellow Americans. As you all know, this has been a very busy time for our family. As I sit here in the rectangular family room, it pains me to know that many of you are anxiously awaiting more posts to this blog. I understand your disappointment, and I'm doing everything in my power to deal with this recent crisis. I promise to post when I can, and make the entries as meaningful and picture-filled as possible. In between posts, please know I am spending the majority of my time trying to care for the newest citizens, striving to be the best diaper changer, feeder, dishwasher, launderer, daughter, sister, friend, wife and mother I can be. In the meantime, let's band together as citizens and blog readers, praying for better days ahead.

Garrett's "firsts"

2008-10-11T09:47:00.004-04:00

The boys are growing and developing, and it is so exciting to see! The fact that they were born 7 weeks early means that their developmental milestones will be adjusted, at least that's what the doctor tells us. In some cases, yes, in others, NO!

On October 3rd, Garrett ROLLED OVER! At first we thought it was a fluke, but as we kept flipping him back onto his tummy, he would just roll to his back again. He probably did it four times in a row that evening, and has done it several times since. "Normally" a baby does this at 3-5 months of age, so we are very proud of our over-achiever. In general, Garrett's personality is the "fiestier" of the two boys, starting with his broken bag of water at 32 weeks gestation!

On October 7th, Garrett SMILED! Up until this point, both boys have had very happy looks, but no all-out grins. Our friend and babysitter-extraordinaire, Stephanie, came on the 7th, and was holding Garrett after a feeding. He had his first huge grins, and we were so excited! I called Daddy and left him a message to tell him the exciting news! I regret the fact that I didn't grab the camera, so no smile pics yet. Sorry!

I love 3 3/4 year olds!

2008-09-23T07:59:00.005-04:00

Here are three things Ian said just yesterday that made us crack up! I LOVE this age!

* Ian was reviewing his calendar on the refrigerator with Nana yesterday afternoon. (He is VERY busy, you know!) He was saying several dates like "the 7th" and "the 13th." Then he said, "Today is the twenty-twoth!"

* We went on a walk after dinner this evening. He likes to walk right next to the stroller and talk to the babies, which involves a lot of foot-hit-by-the-wheels incidents! It must not have been too painful because he continued to do it for the entire walk. At one point he leaned over the stroller and said, "What's your status babies?"

* We were watching Dancing with the Stars before bedtime. The 82-year-old actress, Cloris Leachman, was dancing with her partner, and it caught Ian's attention. I'm pretty sure he thought we were watching old home movies because his response was, "Is that when GG got married?" He calls my 88-year-old grandma "GG" (Great-Grandma), and I don't think Cloris would take it as a compliment!

A List of Firsts

2008-09-16T14:56:00.008-04:00

We've had a lot of "firsts" over the last couple of days.

1. IAN'S FIRST WATCH - Daddy bought Ian a new Spiderman watch, and it has left his arm only once to take a bath. We have been very punctual lately because we are getting updates on the time every 2-3 minutes (on average - we may have gone as long as 10 minutes at times!). In the picture below, he's also showing off his new jammies and a fresh haircut. Mommy is back as the hairdresser!

2. IAN'S FIRST HOMEWORK - Ian filled out an "All About Me" page for his preschool class. He used markers, scissors and a glue stick, and loved every minute of it. When we're working on pre-calculus in high school, I'm going to try to remember this happy day!

3. IAN'S FIRST SELF-PORTRAIT - Ian came home from preschool today ready to draw a picture of himself. He said they drew them at school today, and he wanted to do another one to show me. I was so impressed, and it's on the refrigerator waiting for oohs and aahs from Daddy when he gets home from work!

4. GARRETT AND BRENNAN'S FIRST BATHS - We finally got around to tub baths for our baby boys! They were clean up until this point, I promise! Nana and Mommy accomplished this while Ian was at school. It's definitely a 2 person job! I washed Brennan first, wrapped him in his towel, then handed him over to be dried off. Then, I grabbed Garrett and did it all over again! As I was shampooing, I realized I was giving new meaning to the back-of-the-bottle directions that say, "Lather, rinse, and repeat if necessary." In this case, it's definitely necessary!

A week with Aunt Helen

2008-09-14T15:26:00.003-04:00

We all had a great time with Aunt Helen. It was so nice of her to leave work and her family for a week so that she could help us out. (Just ask her... we need all the help we can get!) Doesn't she look comfortable with 2 babies?

She brought with her some great ideas and interesting food choices. Ian was excited to eat an octopus, spiders, a caterpillar and a fire engine. Mmmmmmmmm! Tavia came for a night at the end of the week, and she and Ian had fun decorating with and eating icing!

Packing on the pounds...

2008-09-10T11:57:00.002-04:00

...or at least the ounces!! We checked in with the pediatrician yesterday, and I think he couldn't believe the scale! Garrett now weighs 6 lbs. 11 oz., and Brennan weighs 7 lbs. 6 oz.! The HOPE was that in 10 days they would have gained 5-10 ounces, but they blew that goal out of the water! Garrett gained 18 ounces and Brennan gained 20. They are now the size of average newborns, and we are excited to have made this progress! Grow boys, grow!! I'll try to get some double chin pictures taken to post later! :)

Pictures!

2008-09-06T22:52:00.006-04:00

Days (and nights, for that matter) are busy here! Here are some snapshots from the past week.

Our three sons!

They are beginning to have some "wake time" together.

Personalities are emerging... Garrett likes to be held and Brennan is very easy going.

Brennan immediately after removing the screaming Garrett from the swing. He wasn't phased a bit.

First day of school!

2008-09-02T17:50:00.005-04:00

We are officially the parents of a preschooler! Ian had his first day of preschool today, and it went very well! (He had a much easier time with it than Mommy, but I'm pretty sure he didn't understand the magnitude of the moment. Little does he know, this is the beginning of 19 years of education, not including med school!) He had a lot of fun, thinks his teacher is "very kind," and met some new (and not-so-new) friends. The majority of today's report covered the toys in the playroom, but I'm sure some education happened, too! But, fun is good!

(FYI - He really was happier than his expression shows, and the cell phone in his hand is a toy that stayed in the van!)

The help continues...

2008-09-02T17:41:00.003-04:00

...thank goodness!!

Nana and Papa spent last week at our house, helping with everything. With all the sterilizing, changing, feeding, laundering, burping, eating, rocking, entertaining and consoling, it takes a VILLAGE to keep this household in motion these days!

If you want to be worn out, come spend some time with us! (My dad looks how I feel, but since I'm the editor of this blog, the picture is of him, not me! Sorry, Dad!)

Aunt Nancy is spending this week with us, and has been a big help already! (Let's just say she has mastered the art of the quick diaper change... mostly out of necessity after an unfortunate shower given by Brennan!)

Ian's first NFL game!

2008-09-02T15:03:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, Daddy and Ian were invited to go to a preseason Colts game in the brand new Lucas Oil Stadium! (This is just the second game to be played in the new facility!) They had a great time, even though Peyton Manning and Jeff Saturday (their favorite players) didn't even play! Our little Peyton dressed for the occasion...

Yes, this is the actual view from their seats!!

Failed photo shoot

2008-08-23T20:00:00.003-04:00

We tried to take some pictures of the boys earlier this week, but the shoot didn't go well. You'll be relieved to know we had a professional help us out, so more (better) pictures to come soon! For now, these will have to do!

Our first week together

2008-08-23T19:42:00.004-04:00

We've had a busy week getting to know our babies. Grandma has been here this week helping us out, and we couldn't have done it without her! Daddy had to go back to work yesterday, and Grandma and I managed just fine. What I'm not sure of is how things will go in a few weeks when I'm on my own with my three sons!

These are pictures from Monday when Ian arrived home to see his brothers.

Ian and Thomas

2008-08-18T16:05:00.001-04:00

Ian had a great time seeing Thomas. We're not sure who enjoyed it more - Grandpa or Ian!

First 24 hours at home

2008-08-15T21:51:00.007-04:00

We are home safe and sound! The first 24 hours has gone fairly smoothly. Ian went to see Thomas the Tank Engine today in Chicago, and will spend the rest of the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma. We miss him very much, but it has been nice to have some time to figure out how things are going to work these first few days. The four of us (Daddy, Mommy, Garrett and Brennan) are working on a routine. Between thrush treatment, vitamins and milk fortification, things are a little more complicated than we expected!

The drive home yesterday from the hospital went smoothly. I sat in the back seat to keep a close eye on the boys. The drive from the hospital to home takes about 40 minutes, so I decided the front seat was not an option!

Once we got home, I was anxious to hold them at the same time. Because they were hooked up to monitors in the hospital, I wasn't able to try this before. It felt great, and I'm sure my technique will improve with time!

The boys pretty much stuck to their NICU feeding schedule of every 3 hours. It takes about an hour to feed both of them, so we were able to get several 2 hour blocks of sleep... not as bad as I remember with Ian on night #1, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens!

We took the boys to their first visit to our pediatrician this afternoon. Garrett weighed in at 5 pounds even, and Brennan was 5 pounds, 10 ounces. The doctor said they look great, and wants to see them next week for a weight check. It was fun to take them out in their stroller. I remember reading in a twins parenting book that you should allow extra time for errands because people will want to stop you and chat about the babies. It's true - every person we passed had to peek or make some kind of comment!

Nana and Papa came for a visit this evening. We are definitely all enjoying having them at home where we can hold them, relax and just enjoy our tiny little miracles!

This is the day...

2008-08-14T15:25:00.002-04:00

...we think!

Ian is on his way with Grandpa to Chicago. They are going to see Thomas the Train tomorrow! Very exciting!

Daddy and I are heading now to bring the babies home! After yesterday's experience, we will believe it when we are in the van on the way home, but it's definitely starting to seem real!

Keep arms & legs inside the ride at all times...

2008-08-13T19:20:00.002-04:00

I hope you've strapped yourselves in for our roller coaster NICU ride!

Today's agenda went something like this:

8:30 a.m. - Get a call from the neonatologist that one of our carseats is too big

11 a.m. - Get staples removed from my incision (doctor's office is connected to the hospital)

11:30 a.m. - Nana and I go to Babies R Us to buy new carseat

12:30 p.m. - Take new carseat to the NICU

1:45 p.m. - Leave hospital with plans to return with Daddy after work to pick up the boys

3:20 p.m. - Daddy arrives home from work

3:30 p.m. - Get a call from the neonatologist - wants to keep the boys at least another day because they have not been feeding well last night or today (Ugh!)

3:40 p.m. - Daddy and I head back to the hospital to be there for the 5 p.m. feeding

7:00 p.m. - Arrive back home in time for Daddy to get to a meeting

We're trusting the doctors to do as they have said all along, "Not a day too early or a day too late."

Last Day in the NICU!

2008-08-12T18:47:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, we bring our little boys home!

Side by side in their beds

Garrett

Brennan

First day home (for Mommy)

2008-08-11T21:51:00.002-04:00

We made it through my first day home. I felt like I was planning my entire day around a set of stairs! I'm still pretty tender from surgery, and the fact that I didn't move a whole lot in the hospital is making moving around a little bit of a challenge.

Daddy brought his mini refrigerator home from work so that we can use it in our bedroom for a while (basically for drinks and breastmilk!). Ian and I hung out upstairs most of the morning, then came downstairs for lunch (Daddy came home long enough to make lunches for us) and playtime with Megan in the backyard (thanks, Lisa, for coming!). I went back upstairs to put Ian down for his nap, and stayed up until Daddy got home from work. I'm having to think hard about what I'm going to need for the next several hours to minimize the stairs!

Good (and somewhat surprising) news about Garrett and Brennan... they are on target to come home on WEDNESDAY! We knew they were doing well, but wow!! They both kept their temps up in open beds and ate well today. There are a few other hoops for them to jump through, but things are looking VERY good for our little boys!! Keep the prayers coming.

I'm going home...

2008-08-10T12:57:00.003-04:00

...back to the place where I belong!

The doctors have released me, asking me to be on the lookout for signs of infection. PLEASE continue to pray that this is OVER, and nothing more will need to be done! Our little boys are doing so well, and I want to be healthy when they are ready to come home!

It will be so nice to see my house after 17 days away, to sleep in my own bed, and to be with my family in our space! Thanks especially to my mom and dad who have helped with all of the day-to-day logistics of caring for Ian (eating, sleeping or napping, and where and when... more complicated than you might realize!). Teachers start back to school bright and early tomorrow morning, so I'm arriving home just in time for Daddy to head back to work! Once the little boys come home, he will take some time off for us to get adjusted.

Again please continue to pray for physical healing for me, Garrett and Brennan. Next blog entry will be from home! Hooray!

(You know you've been in the hospital a long time when the nurse hugs you goodbye, tells you her work schedule, and wants me to stop by and visit as I come to visit the babies!)

Change in plans... again!

2008-08-09T17:01:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm here another night. :(

They stopped my IV antibiotics as of noon today, and want to watch me for 24 hours to make sure I don't develop a fever. They are worried that the infection might have just been suppressed by the medicine, but not eliminated.

Daddy, Ian and especially I want so badly for me to be home and healthy! Please, please, please pray for this infection to not rear it's ugly head!!!

Our little boys continue to do very well. Daddy spoke briefly with a neonatalogist today. Their feeding tubes are gone, so our goals for them are now consistent weight gain and body temperature control. The temperature control is strictly a maturity issue, and they are very close to accomplishing this. They are both eating well, so this just needs to continue. So far, I'm able to keep up, and it's nice to know that I am still able to help them out even if I'm spending most of my days in a hospital room! The doctor mentioned they COULD come home as early as THIS WEEK! (Another reason to pray for health for ALL of us!)

A New Day!

2008-08-09T07:56:00.002-04:00

Mommy here. Daddy has been posting ever since I went into labor... hasn't he been doing a wonderful job?! I know we will all be very busy soon, so I have a feeling we will both be contributors, regardless of the fact that it's "Mommy's Journal."

I made it through last night with NO FEVER!! If I make it to dinner time today with no fever, I can GO HOME!! (This is my 16th day here, but who's counting?) PLEASE PRAY FOR NO FEVER!! The nice thing is they will remove my staples before I leave, so I've stayed here long enough for that to heal well. Not too many moms get that opportunity!

Thank you for all of your words of encouragement, cards, e-mails, phone calls, visits, gifts, and especially for you prayers for us. It has been a difficult part of this long journey, but we feel so blessed to have Garrett and Brennan join our family...

My three sons... WOW! Still can't quite absorb this abundant blessing!!

Ian Visits His Brothers

2008-08-08T17:13:00.008-04:00

We finally decided to take Ian for his one and only permitted visit to meet his brothers today. WE told him about 30 minutes before his visit and tried to prepare him for what he was going to see. He was very excited and was not intimidated by the NICU at all. Our nurse had to meet us at the door and escort Ian to the babies.

He was very gentle with them and really enjoyed getting them to hold his finger. He was very curious and had lots of questions for us. Our nurse was great and even set us up for a family picture. Mommy nursed Garrett and Daddy fed Brennan a bottle. Ian was eager to help feed the boys too.

Proud Big Brother

Getting His Robe On

Peering in on Garrett

Getting Garrett to Hold His Finger

Tickling Brennan's Foot

Holding Garrett

Ian is Loving Garrett

Ian Helps Daddy Feed Brennan

A hospital is no place for rest

2008-08-07T16:31:00.005-04:00

Mommy is trying to beat this infection and being in the hospital seems to be hindering that process. Nurses are coming to set up her next IV medicine on such a regular basis that she's having trouble getting any solid sleep. Last night it was 1:30 am, 4:00 am, 7:30 am,... it just keeps going. Mix in regular pumping for our very hungry boys and she can get a few cat naps. I guess she's practicing for when the babies come home.

The boys continue to improve. Mommy nursed Garrett this afternoon and Brennan was wide awake for his bottle. The nurses are going to try both boys in bassinets again tonight or tomorrow. Brennan is finished with his antibiotics and hopefully he is done with IVs.

Feeding time

2008-08-06T22:04:00.005-04:00

Mommy and Nana got to bottle-feed the boys this afternoon. They forgot a camera, so no pics. Sorry. The nurse on duty did take some pictures and printed them for mommy to have in her room.

Brennan put on a few more ounces today and he is in the bassinet holding his temperature so far... They continue to increase his milk allowance.
Garrett held firm on his weight today and can now eat as much as he wants.

Garrett is excited about eating. Everyone has to wear a gown when holding the babies unless mommy is nursing.

Brennan has his IV in his head. It looks bad, but there are good veins up there and he can't mess with them as much.

The CAT scan on mommy showed no problems. Her blood cultures are coming back fine. Her temperature spiked again this evening. The doctors seem confident they are ruling out the big stuff and continue to treat it as an infection with strong IV antibiotics.

Stumped

2008-08-06T10:49:00.003-04:00

The doctors are stumped with Mommy. They changed an antibiotic, ordered a CAT Scan, and will keep her another night tonight. Hopefully she responds to the antibiotic and/or they find the problem. She is tired of being in bed at the hospital.

Garrett and Brennan finished their whole bottles this morning. The nurses continue trying the boys dressed without heat to test their ability to maintain their body temperatures. This appears to be the major goal for our boys. The nurse said that Brennan is ahead of most babies his age, and Garrett is acting beyond his age- especially the way he's eating. Go boys, go!

The Battle Continues

2008-08-05T23:31:00.004-04:00

Mommy continues to fight a fever tonight. It only seems to appear in the evenings. The doctor's solution is to continue the antibiotics. Hopefully, with some rest tonight, she can fight this infection once and for all!

Daddy got to bottle-feed both boys tonight. Garrett finished his bottle in a record 4 minutes. Brennan was very sleepy, but he got most of his bottle down before completely falling asleep. Both boys' weights are up and they are now past their original birth weights. We are grateful for their progress and continue to pray for even more.

Another Day

2008-08-05T17:43:00.006-04:00

The boys continue to make progress. The doctor increased the amount of food they are given again.

They tried Garrett in a basinett today, but his temp. was a little too cool, so now he's in a coverlet to maintain his body temperature. They also took his IV out this morning. As long as he continues to gain weight, he'll stay off an IV. The only things he's connected to now are heart and breathing monitors and a temperature monitor. Mommy nursed him again today.

Brennan is still going strong. He has been too sleepy to nurse, but they said he was wide awake at 8am this morning and drank well from a bottle.

Mommy's infection just won't go away. They continued antibiodics all day today and will keep her one more day. Hopefully, she'll go home sometime tomorrow afternoon.

Ian and Daddy slept in their own beds last night. Ian was happy to be home with some normalcy. He'll be happy when he gets back on his normal schedule of Curious George after breakfast and then playing with dinosaurs, trains, cars and his "park" (the playset) the rest of the day. He keeps asking when mommy will not be wearing her hospital pajamas. We are trying to find the best time to take him to the NICU to see his brothers. He is only allowed one visit, so we want less wires and tubes on the babies when he sees them.

Mommy and Boys Get Acquainted

2008-08-04T15:25:00.007-04:00

Mommy made it to the NICU today! She held Brennan for 15-20 minutes and then she got to nurse Garrett. He is a natural and true to his reputation, he ate very well. He was so full, he wouldn't even take any more from the bottle afterward. It was a great meeting. Now mommy is exhausted and will try to get a nap.

Garrett peeking around

Brennan

3 Days Old

2008-08-04T10:47:00.002-04:00

Garrett is always hungry. The nurse said he demands to be fed first and she is hoping the doctor will approve increasing his food today. He seems to be a "feisty" boy- a word several nurses have used. At this point we like feisty, but this will be a new thing for us if it continues. His jaundice levels are down, so he may go off the photo light as early as today.

Brennan continues to make great progress. They turned off his warmer today and dressed him. Hopefully he can keep his body temp and both boys can go to cribs soon.

Mommy is feeling better today, although she is running out of spots for the IV port. The latest one is precariously on the top of her left hand. It has to be at just the right angle to work, so she is being very careful not to move it too much. Because of her infection and the course of antibiotics they are giving her, she is going to stay another day here.

The exciting news is she will be cleared to see the babies today! She is excited about nursing the insatiable Garrett during her visit.

Sunday, August 3

2008-08-03T14:25:00.004-04:00

Brennan is off C-PAP!! They decided to try him without it this morning and the nurse says he is breathing better by himself than he was with C-PAP. Your prayers are working- keep it up!! Daddy got to pick him up as the nurse was preparing to give him a bath.

Garrett is doing well too. They put him under the photo light for his jaundice today. Daddy got to feed him his bottle again this morning and change his diaper.

Mommy had another low grade fever this morning, but she is feeling better this afternoon and will most likely be discharged late tomorrow. She is anxious to see the boys again.

1 Day Old - PM

2008-08-02T23:22:00.005-04:00

Garrett continues to make progress! He has begun to drink from a bottle!! Daddy was able to feed him tonight after changing his diaper. This is all very exciting, because learning to suck, swallow and breathe all at the same time is one of the key elements to going home. Garrett still has a way to go, but he's making big progress.

Brennan is still working on his breathing and enjoys blowing bubbles. He always seems to be stretching his legs- trying to get taller, I guess.

Mommy got a fever for a while today. It's under control and she's feeling better, but now she has to wait another 24 hours to see the babies. This is starting to wear on her, but she continues to pump and it's going straight to Garrett for now.

1 Day Old

2008-08-02T10:31:00.003-04:00

Garrett is breathing on his own today! The nurse said that when mommy's water broke, he started to mature more quickly and so his lungs were more mature. It's so nice to see his face without tubes! They started feeding him through a tube today! Mommy started pumping, so he got mommy's milk. They also gave him a bath and dressed him. The doctor said Garrett was a little jaundice and would probably go under the light soon.

Brennan still needs the C-PAP and probably will stay on that or oxygen for a while. They say his lungs are getting better. The Dr. hopes to start feeding him on Sunday.

Mommy is feeling more pain today. The nurses are taking good care of her and she is resting today. She hopes to get to see the babies via wheel chair today.

They're Here!!

2008-08-01T06:41:00.007-04:00

Garrett Edward and Brennan Paul entered this world at 3:16 and 3:17 AM. Mom is resting well. Garrett weighed 4lbs 8 oz and is breathing with the help of some extra oxygen. Brennan weighed 5lbs 4oz. and is using the C-PAP to assist him with taking deep breaths. Both boys are doing great!

Garrett

Brennan

The nurses rolled mommy's bed up to the babies in the NICU around 6 this morning.

Here We GO!!!

2008-08-01T02:45:00.001-04:00

It's 2:45 AM. Mommy is 5-6 cm dialated. Nurses are scurrying to get her ready! Babies will be here soon.

Action

2008-07-31T23:40:00.002-04:00

Daddy here.
Mommy is contracting every 3 to 4 minutes. They will not attempt to stop the contractions, but have given her a shot for the pain. The doctor said the contractions will either go away or intensify and lead to delivery. It looks like we're going to make it to August!

A little excitement

2008-07-31T16:49:00.002-04:00

Well, last night I began to have some contractions that were more uncomfortable than I had experienced so far. They subsided enough for me to sleep (in fact I don't remember my nurse bringing me my pill at 1 a.m.!), but started up again early this morning. I got the doctor's attention, so he ordered bloodwork, to be followed by IV fluids and some medication to stop the contractions. While the bloodwork was being processed, the contractions tapered off and I started to feel much better. The bloodwork came back clear (no sign of infection), so the IV and meds were avoided! I know God is fully aware of my next goal (August 1st), and so far, He is agreeing with me!

We were able to take a tour of the NICU today (me in my wheelchair). We were glad to see it ahead of time, and even saw a baby girl that was similar in size and age to our boys. She was doing well, but was SO tiny!! It will be an adjustment from our 9 lb. 5 oz. baby Ian!!!

33 WEEKS!!

2008-07-30T13:25:00.007-04:00

Yeah for reaching 33 weeks! A week ago, I would not have thought this would be such a major milestone, but today is one to celebrate! On the wall in my hospital room, there are wooden blocks with numbers on them that you can change each day. Changing it this morning to 33 weeks and 0 days felt very good! My next small goal is to get to August... just 2 days away! Pray with me!

Last night we had another wheelchair ride. After being in my room for nearly 48 hours since the last ride, I was ready! Ian was happy to push again... no "contractions" this time.

I scheduled a NICU tour for tomorrow and a meeting with the NICU lactation consultant. I figure since I'm going to be here, I might as well do some planning ahead!

Ian's "first" haircut

2008-07-29T14:46:00.004-04:00

Since I'm the barber at our house, we had to come up with an alternative for Ian's overgrown hairdo. Daddy took him to Cookie Cutters this morning, and I don't think he'll ever want me to cut his hair again! Apparently, he was pretty apprehensive about the whole thing, but a never-before-seen Thomas movie and a race car seat solved everything! He's the most handsome soon-to-be big brother we've ever seen!

Same old, same old for me. Just trying to be patient. Back massage followed by a nap was today's highlight! Keep the prayers coming!

New games for Ian

2008-07-28T23:30:00.003-04:00

We introduced Ian to 2 new games today: Old Maid (which he kept calling "Old Mermaid") and a Word World spelling game. He enjoyed both very much, and loves the fact that they can be played on a rolling table!

Nothing new for me. Time to get some sleep before my 1 a.m. antibiotic. And hopefully, the resident will not make another 5:30 a.m. visit to ask me how I am feeling!

Doing well

2008-07-28T11:52:00.002-04:00

Just 9 days to go! Turns out the cellulitis in my arm was probably a reaction to the plastic in the IV, and having lots of IV antibiotics pumped through it. It's all better today, though!

The doctor ordered massages for me... doesn't that sound great? ORDERED! I'll look forward to that tomorrow!

Otherwise, not much else to report. I'm developing a bit of a routine here, and I'm being well cared for my the hospital staff, friends and family. Thanks for all of your notes of encouragement. It means a lot!