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.

Well, we made it through the week on our own. It was long, but I know it can be done. The babies had a couple of rough nights, then they did a little better. I think I even got them a little on "mommy schedule" as Chris would say by the end of the week. Julian had a busy week at school. He is mister social. I don't know if he likes going to learn or just to talk to other kids. He keeps getting notes home to talk less to his friends. That wasn't a big surprise. He is my little talker. It is never dull while he is at home. Alex has been a little fussy this week. These teeth are taking forever to pop through. That's the only thing I can think of. He is also a lot like his brother. I found that he loves sleeping in mommy's bed. I let him fall asleep laying there and then usually carry him to his bed. Lilly is doing good. Chris actually thought she looked a little bigger when he got home this week. I don't know if it is the new medicine or what, but she is eating better and what she eats seems to be staying down. She is still eating about the same quantity, but she at least is hungry for what she is eating. That is a definate improvement. We did have a speech pathologist come to the house to evaluate her eating and she thinks she could use some assistance to get her to eat better. I will take any outside help that wants to give it to me.

Well, we have another busy week ahead of us. The babies have a follow up eye doctor appt, to make sure their eyes have developed appropriately. Sometimes, preemies have eye problems due to the prematurity or as in Alex's case, severe lung disease and needing oxygenation on ventilator. Hopefully they will say they are good and no more f/u is needed. Lilly also has other appt with the speech pathologist about her eating.

"God sends children to enlarge our hearts and to make us unselfish and full of kindly sympathies and affections."

Lillian at 6 months old:

Weight: 10 lb 7 oz. ( mommy deserves points for every oz, it sure has been work for that)

She loves to smile and laugh and is a little more independent than older brother Alex. she does let you know when she thinks it is her turn though. She tends to have a little attitude when she needs to be heard. She is a mover and shaker at her little 10 lbs. She rolls over and I bet in no time will be crawling. Being little doesn't mean she's behind.
Alexander 6 months old:

Weight 15 lbs

Alex loves his bottles and we are starting to learn how to eat solids. He loves to be held, and is such a cuddler. He loves to be around mommy, daddy, Julian and Lillian. He's very affectionate. He still sleeps poorly at night. He is just like Julian when Julian was a baby. We'll get there one day.