Pumpkin Carving

Julian's masterpiece. He was very pleased with how it turned out.
Lilly attempting to crawl on all fours. She looks like a little doll
Julian looking at his pumpkin
Watch out, daddy has a big knife

We finally carved our pumpkin yesterday that Julian picked out at the pumpkin patch. Julian designed the face. He drew out what he wanted it to look like and Chris did his best at making that happen. We didn't have any fancy pumpkin carving knives, just the big kitchen knife, made it a little harder. We just haven't been as organized or planned this year. I need to get more motivated. I just bought the babies their halloween costumes yesterday. I had been taking to my best friend and said I didn't have them anything and she pushed me to do it, and I'm glad I did. I would have been sad if their was no costume pictures from their first halloween.

Everyone is finally feeling better including myself. I was really hit hard, but hopefully this will be our last cold for awhile. Although, I'm not so sure.

Happy Halloween

Our mornings playing together- pre shower for the day. Everyone is happy on mommy.



Well, I finally got the cold that has been going around and have felt very wiped out this weekend. I think I'm finally feeling a little better, which is good to start the week out not so sick. You would think we wouldn't get every germ in the air. Everyone washes hands continuously. I really need to make sure Julian gets a flu shot ASAP. (myself also) Chris and the babies have it.

Julian continues to make Chris and I laugh. He has these frogs as pets in a jar in his bedroom. They are suppose to be "water frogs" and he is always taking them out. I really feel sorry for the frogs. It just proves to me to me that he can't have a lizard or a snake. I can just see him want to take it out to play and it escapes. He also went to his school halloween party on Saturday in costume.

Lilly is almost a crawler. She looks like a rocking horse, not long now, and she is going to be into everything. Now to pick up all the little toys. She has also started to eat some solids and is doing pretty good with that. Maybe she is just ready to eat real food and not the bottle. Hopefully she will become a better eater.

Alex is doing great. Still getting bigger by the day. Eating hasn't come as easy for him. I know he needs it but we haven't quite figured out the tongue movements yet needed. He has done really good at night for the past couple of nights. I hate to say anything for fear that it is going to change, but I'll take what I can get for sleep.

7 months old

The babies were 7 months old on the 20th. Can't believe they are that old. I can't wait until they get a little more independent with sitting so they can play a little better without my assistance. I found Lilly yesterday on all fours after she rolled to her belly. I don't think it will be long before this little peanut is on the move. I think Alex still has a ways to go with that. It's funny watching them interact with each other. It will be interesting how their personalities play out in the future. Lilly is a little loud and tends to scare Alex, and Alex seems to have more Julian's personality. He likes things on the quiet side and loves to be held and cuddled. I think Lilly's going to rule the roost here.

Julian is doing good. He now wants to be an animal scientist when he grows up. So the other night, I was bathing the babies before chris got home and Julian was in scientist mode. He had taken the food processor and many "ingrediants" to make his experiment. He had mayo, milk, baby food, pretzels, and what ever else he could find out and mixed together. He is so funny, It will be interesting to see if he grows up to be a scientist.

Chris is back from his marathon travel, and maybe life will get back to "normal". We are so thankful for all of our company that came to help. Dee Dee and May May were here a lot, and it is a lot of work here so I'm sure they are relaxing back at home this week. I could have not done it without them. We also enjoyed company from Philip and Stacy that came up to meet their new niece and nephew. It was great spending some time with them. We also enjoyed having Kim and Mike down, and hopefully they will be close neighbors one day. I could use the company.

Julian picked a pumpkin for himself, Alex, and Lilly

Julian and I went pumpkin picking yesterday. We had a good day together. We went to a farm that took us on a hay ride out to a pumpkin patch and Julian was able to pick the pumpkins off the vine. He was so cute. Then we went on a scavenger hunt through a corn maze which he had a ball. I was running to keep up with him. We also got to feed goats, for my animal lover, was a great activity.

Alex and Lilly are doing a little better. Still very congested, but only seems to cause them a problem at night. I try to remember how hard it is to sleep at night when I can't breathe. It helps me make it through the long, sleepless nights right now. Just wish there was a magic cure to stuffy noses for babies. I guess we'll make it through this also.

Poor baby with his runny nose

Loves his passy but can't keep it in his mouth by himself very good.
Lilly loves to stick her tongue out. She's so cute.
We have had a good week, except the little colds that all the kids have had. You can tell the weather is changing and winter is coming along with all the cold that this house will probably experience this fall/winter. I knew it was coming, just hoping it would hold out a little longer. The thing I feared the most about having preemies was the cold season. Hopefully, this will stay "just colds" for the duration and nothing more serious will develop. You just feel so sorry for them with stuffy noses and no way to make them feel better. You would think there would be some kind of medicine safe for babies to take in this day and time. I guess I am a huge medicine fan. Other than that we are doing good, babies are growing and continue to develop as they should. The babies had their 6 month check up this past saturday (I'm a little behind schedule since they are almost 7 months) They did great. Weights are 16.3 for alexander and 11.8 for Lillian. I'm very happy with that. Alex is actually on the curve for a "normal" 6 month old. Actually higher than Julian was at that age. Lillian is growing, just still hasn't started to "catch up" yet, but am hopeful we will get there. They got some vaccines and the flu shot, so they weren't too happy about that. Thank goodness Mary was here to go with me. It's much easier to do that and comfort 2 babies with an extra hand. I've been very thankful to have had so much help these past couple of weeks. Mom came 2 weeks in a row for several days along with our friends Kim and Mike, and Mary has been here this week to help. Chris promises me that his schedule slows down a little soon. My house is a little crazy, I'm afraid everyone wants to leave here screaming not to return for a little while. Thank goodness the babies and Julian are so cute, or we wouldn't have any visitors.

Julian has had a good week. He went to see a movie the other day with MayMay and had some special time with Mommy lately. He is learning to read and is so smart. He can tell you more than you would want to know about reptiles, dinosaurs, and really all animals in general. He is dying to get a pet lizard or snake, much to Mommy's dismay. (Plus, Blake has said he may not ever come visit again if he does, and Julian loves his Uncle Blake, so maybe that will convince him to hold out a little). We are going pumpkin picking tomorrow, so that will be fun. He wants to carve a Kamono dragon into one of them.

Lilly had her head u/s today and bloodwork. I am hopeful that it will turn out normal. She is so strong and such a little woman that she didn't even cry for the blood draw. She continues to impress us.

Julian watching morning cartons in his chair. Still looks tired, because he gets up so early.
Bath time for the babies

Julian holding "sister"
DeeDee and Alex.

Well, we made it through another week. Hard to believe it was still such a long and tiring week when I had help this week without chris home. Blake came down Sunday, and DeeDee came to help tuesday. I think my kids have a ban on sleeping or they are teaming up to take shifts. The new medicine lilly is on is working well, I think. She seems to want her bottles more, it's just hard because she still has a small stomach and can't tolerate too much or she just gets really bad reflux and gets really uncomfortable. I just wish I had a magic spell to make her like the eating experience and it feel good for her. I have a scale (Chris says I'm obsessed), and it seems like she's growing a little faster than she was. Alex still good, just a big cuddler. He's a big boy that likes to eat. I think mom and I added up that he probably eats 42-48 oz a day. That's incredible since Lilly eats 15-20. You can see why there is such a size difference. Julian is great. He's my big helper while Daddy is gone. I love our time alone once the babies are asleep. He's still very sweet and loving.

On another note, we made it this week without the neighbor calling the police on my babysitter because she parked her car in front of their house. ( this is one of the most unfriendly places I have ever lived)

The babies had a eye doctor appt this week, eyes are great on both. No need for any further follow ups. One less doctor to mark off our list.