Celebrating One Year Home!

We simply cannot believe it. Tomorrow, March 26th, we will be celebrating the one year anniversary of bringing Jared and Anthony home! It seems like only yesterday I was so scared of them being in the back seat alone all the way home (so of course, I crawled back there to sit with them) or that we were introducing them both to their big brother Schnitzel as we brought them into the "pack." He loved them from the start, just like Jason and I.

Of course this year hasn't been without its ups and downs but each and every day we are thankful to have them home.

In the last few weeks, the boys have changed so much. On April 5th, they will be 15 months...crazy! They still love the bathtub and love dancing as we get the bath water and toys ready. They aren't walking yet (fine with Momma) but are well on their way. They cruise along the furniture as fast as ever and have begun to stand alone for very short periods of time. The newest thing they love is to be chased. They can really crawl so fast when they want to.

Anthony has begun to say a few words here and there. Recently "Apple, Ball and Bye" have been added to his already extensive vocabulary of "Dada, Mama and Dog." It is so cute how he really tries to mimic what we say and even do.

Jared hasn't taken much of an interest in talking but of course says Dada repeatedly when Jason gets home from work at night.

They respond to our cues very well and Jason and I were just talking last night about how well they listen and respond to us. They are so fascinated with Schnitzel's water bowl and each time they crawl by it we have to warn them with "No-No" several times before they pass it up completely. Not to say there haven't been times the entire bowl has found is way on the floor or a baby's lap :)

Schnitzel is in hog heaven these days with all of the food they drop for him at mealtimes. He is slowly growing tired of Cheerios but eats almost anything else that falls from the heavens. He is super great when he plays with them and he and Anthony regularly enjoy a game of tug-of-war with some of Schnitzel's toys. Jared and Anthony also are very well mannered with him. They like to pet him and play with his ears. Schnitzel's only complaint is when they climb on him or happen to kick him on accident.

In the last week, we celebrated the anniversaries of both Jared and Anthony's laser eye surgery. Those days were so hard for us last year and it was unbelievable to look back on those times at how fragile they were and see how far they have come. We had a routine follow up with the pediatric opthamologist last month and all seems to be going well. Jared was showing some signs of nearsightedness but nothing that needs correction at the time. She will continue to re-check each year to monitor their vision and any changes.

The boys have had a cold this past week, runny noses and yucky coughs. It has been a week full of Benadryl and bedtime and not much sleep in our house :( This cold comes just a few short weeks after Jared, Anthony and Jason had the stomach flu. It all started on a Wed night with Jared throwing up his bottle at bedtime. Then after a few days of him being fussy and not eating much, I was woken up on Sat morning by the sound of Anthony throwing up in his crib. All followed by the fullest dirty diapers ever. There were even a few that caused me to pause and think "What do I do here..." Needless to say Anthony had a few impromptu baths in his diaper. Then Sunday night, Jason started with the upset stomach and was even laid up for a day or two. These poor babies just can't catch a break. I guess it's just the fact that because there is two of them, they pick up twice the germs and share them between each other.

These days, germs seem to be the only thing they share. Keeping the peace is a constant task around here. They are continually swiping toys from one another and this is not without tears, of course. We have to continually explain "taking turns" and "being gentle" to them, concepts a little out of their grasp, but better to start early since they have to learn to share earlier than babies without siblings.

Other than the illnesses, we haven't had too much going on here. Just the normal, crazy, day to day life with twins. On days when the weather has been nice we have gone for walks to the park. Jared and Anthony really like riding in the wagon and also like the swings. It is so funny, because every time we go to the park they are both unsure about crawling on the grass. They both warm up to it and begin crawling around and chasing the dog, but at the beginning they just kind of sit there and touch the grass. Anthony especially seems to be a little unsure of new textures but Jared just dives right in. Go figure!

The boys enjoy climbing on things and I recently turned a box into a tunnel which they really enjoy crawling through. I think the Easter Bunny will be bringing them a play tunnel for Easter this year!

This week has been the first week of a new schedule for us. I have switched them to one nap per day. So instead of a nap at 10AM and another at 3PM, they have been going down at Noon for about 2-3 hours. Each day their nap has gone longer and longer, which has been great for me to get things done around the house. I have begun feeding them lunch a little earlier and then giving them a small snack when they wake up to hold them over until dinner. They still get a small bottle of milk at bedtime. I was considering cutting this out recently, but the bottle is the easiest way to make sure they get their multi-vitamin each day. Their transition from bottle to cup for meal time was not difficult and when they had the stomach flu they went to bed every night without a bottle so I don't see it being to difficult to get rid of the bedtime bottle when we're ready to.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers,

Fight On! Little Fighters!!
Love, Momma

Thirteen Months and counting...

Anthony enjoying his birthday party

Jared enjoying his birthday cake

The four of us!

Anthony and Jared having fun in the bath

Well, time flies when you're having fun...or when you have twins that just turned one!!

The boys had their one year check up with their pediatrician and are continuing to do well. They both weighed in at 20 lbs. (Jared just a few ounces shy) and are continuing to grow by the minute, it seems.

They are one the move. Although they are not walking yet (Thank goodness!) they certainly are speed crawling ;) They love to pull themselves up and cruise along the table or couch and we have found out that Jared likes to climb (lucky us!).

Great news update: We finally met with a plastic surgeon regarding Anthony's metopic ridge in his forehead and he recommended we do not operate at this time. He said that his ridge and positional molding issues are very minor and if it were his child, he would not run the risk of the operation as it is a very invasive procedure. Jason and I were relieved, mostly because we did not want to have to make the decision to have the surgery or not. There are so many pros and cons to both sides and we weren't exactly ready to decide. The plastic surgeon recommended a follow up each year with him just to see how his growth progresses. He said it is possible that everything may just work itself out as his brain and head continue to grow but at the same time, it may stay the same even though his brain and head will continue to grow. Only time will tell. Just as the neurosurgeon indicated with the CAT Scan, there is still room in his scull for his brain to grow so it is not a medical issue at this time.

On a fun front, we are continuing to attend Kindermusik classes each week and the boys are still enjoying it. I have also started a 5 week sign language class with them. The class is more for me and proves to be an hour long play time for them, but it really benefits them in the long run. Sign language is supposed to help babies communicate long before they can talk. Although it seems clear that they understand what I'm telling/signing to them, they are not really picking up on signing back. Miss Annette (our teacher) said that it is normal and some kids don't pick up on the signing until long after the class is over. This is slightly frustrating for me, since many of the babies (some younger) in the class are repeating many of the signs to their parents. Just the life of parents of preemies I guess. You try not to compare them to other babies, or even compare them to each other, but in the end sometimes its hard to do.

Jason and I celebrated our first Valentine's Day with the boys home yesterday. It was, lets just say, not our most relaxing Valentine's Day together. Both Jared and Anthony were having a rough night and ended up going to bed a little earlier than normal due to a shortened afternoon nap. Jason and I finally sat down to dinner at about 9PM. Its days like that, although hectic and stressful when you are in the moment, that make you look back and realize how blessed we are to have our babies home with us every day.

I recently started bathing them together in the regular bathtub. They love it and have so much fun splashing and playing with their toys together. It is a lot easier (and faster) for Momma too!

Pretty soon here, I am going to change up their nap schedule. They are still napping twice a day, but soon we will switch over to one long nap in the mid-day. We will see how it goes. Last time I changed their naps it took me almost two months (and some help - Thanks to Nicolle and Darcy) to get Anthony switched over.

They are clearly going through a "Momma Phase" now. It is getting to where I can hardly leave the room these days. When I'm not home they are little "Angels" for whomever is watching them, but if I am home but not in the same room as them, they go crazy! If they can see me but not exactly touch me, all hell breaks loose! I know it is sweet that they want me, but it is getting a little upsetting because I can hardly get anything done anymore (whether Jason is home or not). A few of the Moms in our Kindermusik class reassured me that this is just a phase, but couldn't tell me how long it will last...keep your fingers crossed that it ends soon (for my sake).

They both have four teeth now. Two on top and two on the bottom for each. Jared's second top tooth just broke through yesterday, while Anthony's second bottom tooth it making its way in now. They have their fussy moments, but with Orajel, Tylenol and teething rings, we're making it day by day.

Jason and I still greatly appreciate all of your continued love and support and I keep you all in my prayers each night as well.

Fight on! Little Fighters!!

Love Momma

Happy Birthday Jared & Anthony!

First of all, Happy New Year to you all. Danielle and I must say that 2011 so far has turned out to be much better to start than last year. As you all have figured out by now, today is the boys' 1st Birthday.

We are truly blessed to have two amazing little miracles. It seems like every day that I return home from work the boys have grown an inch, gained a pound, or started doing something new. At this stage they are crawling, babbling, pulling themselves up to stand, sprouting teeth (not fun), and doing everything a baby of one year should be doing.

Given where we started on January 5, 2010 it almost seems unreal. We could have never anticipated when we left the house that morning what was to come. We could have never guessed our babies would be born that day. It was certainly a fear as we made our journey to the hospital, but not one that seemed realistic to us.

I don't think we can ever explain enough how traumatic that day was. I don't know that we can ever explain the anguish or pain of that day, which is why this day has been somewhat bittersweet for us.

Danielle and I talked about how today would be for us. We wondered how we would treat this day and how we would feel. Sadly, the day our children were born is a day that doesn't bring back thoughts of joy or happiness. We didn't know if today we'd wake up sad, anxious, or happy. In the end, I think it was a little of everything. I know that the second I woke up today I went back to January 5, 2010. I found myself reliving many of the moments. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say the events recorded here in this blog are as vivid to me today as the day I wrote them. I can remember the day as if it were yesterday (it still feels like yesterday sometimes). For much of the day it was difficult to remember that the boys are home, the boys are okay, and the boys are thriving.

I know what you are thinking: "Look at the positive! Look at how well they are doing!" Trust me, these thoughts are there, and honestly, they have outweighed any negative feelings we have. Yet, the gravity of our experience surrounding their birth still weighs on us, especially on this day. Keep in mind that just because the boys are home and doing well, doesn't mean the emotional pain and trauma from their birth and stay in the NICU have gone away or will go away for us. That is why I have taken a moment to share with you a little bit of what Danielle and I are feeling today.

With these thoughts in mind we planned our day today. I couldn't take the whole day off of work as my boss needed coverage of some cases. I did however, take the afternoon off and came home at 12. Danielle and I decided that we wanted the day for just the four of us. Given that we weren't sure how we were going to be feeling, we didn't want a big production on their actual birthday (the big production, and trust me I'll have the bills to prove it, is this Sunday). So, we went to lunch with the boys at the Shoppes at Chino Hills and then walked around a bit.

We stopped into a cupcake shop there and bought the boys each a birthday cupcake (more on that later). As is the norm for us now, several strangers commented on the twins and asked how old they were. It was a lot of fun telling people that they are the Big 1 today! The boys behaved well, and even cooperated and took their normal 3 o'clock nap.

Earlier tonight we gave the boys their cupcakes. We sat them together in their high-chairs and placed each cupcake in front of them. Because I guess we aren't as smart as we thought, we placed one candle in each and lit it. We then started singing Happy Birthday, at which point Jared lunged forward (he's shaping up to be the crazy one, by the way) and almost burnt himself on the candle. We both stopped our song midstream, lunged forward ourselves and saved our two children from our stupidity. For those of you thinking, "I'd like to see that!" don't worry. It's on tape, at least for a second, before the camera starts shooting the floor and you hear me cussing.

After the near fiasco, the boys tore into those cupcakes. They both grabbed the frosting covered things and went to town. Anthony grabbed a handful of frosting and sort of mashed it all over his face. Jared, clearly taking after his Momma's sweet tooth tried to shove the whole thing in his mouth. I have to say I'm shocked because that kid almost ate the whole cupcake. Anthony did a number on his as well. Schnitzel enjoyed the scene too as shards of cupcake made their way to the floor and then quickly into his mouth. For Momma and Daddy it was a blast. Seeing those little monkeys covered in cupcake was a hoot. It was yet another reminder of how far they've come in this past year.

The rest of the night saw relatives from both sides of the family calling the boys. Of course everyone wanted to sing Happy Birthday, which the boys adored. We put Grandma and Grandpa, Aunties and Uncles, Cousins, and even Great-Great Grandma and Grandpa on speakerphone for the boys. They both sat and stared at the phone, smiled, and lunged for it. Anthony even clapped along a couple of times.

Danielle and I can't thank you all enough for the phone calls today, and for all of your support over the last year. Without it, we'd have surely cracked a long time ago. We are blessed to have you all in our lives. All four of us love you all very much.

So, the boys are in bed now and have been since about 8 o'clock (bedtime). Danielle and I have the rest of the night to ourselves, unless another rabid tooth decides to rear its ugly head.

We get the rest of the night to think about the wonderful family we've created. We get to think about those amazing little miracles in the next room. We get to think about all of the joy that on January 5, 2010 was so uncertain. Some things are still uncertain. But, we are hopeful, we are grateful, we are blessed, and we know one thing is certain: our love for Jared and Anthony.

Happy Birthday Men!

Fight On, Little Fighters!-- Love, Daddy