First Superbowl

Soothing Sounds

2/5
Aiden and Evan are very sensitive to sounds now. They know David's and my voice very well. They also like to listen to music. We have many CDs for them - Everything from Veggie Tales Silly Songs, Sesame Street, Disney. They really like it when Mommy and Daddy sing along! However, Bob, Larry, Oscar, and Elmo's squeaky little voices can really drill on your nerves after a while! So, we thought we would try a soothing sounds CD for the boys, thinking it would be especially good at bedtime. Well, note to self: Always read list of tracks before purchasing.








They were the happiest babies on the block when the 17 minutes of Hair Dryer noise (Track 4) stopped and I finally turned off the CD.

Aiden and Evan gave this CD 2 pacifiers down!

2/1 - Thankful

We had a major first this weekend. We left Aiden and Evan for the first time (not counting grandparents and nurses). Since Aiden and Evan have been home, David and I have been rotating attending church. It is still not recommended to take the boys to such a public place. So, I'll go one week, David the next, and so on. Then, whoever went to church will preach to the other over lunch (just kidding). Well, this weekend, a couple from our Sunday School Class (Mark and Gayle) offered to keep the boys while we attended church together. We had no hesitations at all. The 11:00 AM hour is actually one of the best hours for the boys. They are happy, full, and usually tired. And, they did wonderful for their babysitters! We were so glad. I don't think David and I ever really worried about them. We knew they were in good hands. It was wonderful to be able to go to church together! The boys' baptism is scheduled for March 28 at 11:00 AM. After that, I believe we will start taking the boys to church (depending on how well they do). It will be July before we are allowed to put them in nursery care.

Also, please keep everyone in SW Oklahoma in your prayers. They have been without electricity since last week with no word on when it will return. From the way my family talks, it is very bad. There is a lot of damage to the trees from the ice.

Here are a few pictures from Sunday. I don't know what Gayle and Mark did, but the boys were pooped!



Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Happy 6 Month Birthday!!

Wow! It’s hard to believe that 6 months ago today David and I were driving to Seton Medical Center for what we thought were kidney stones. Wrong!! I had something a little (yes, just a little) bigger than kidney stones. I say it’s hard to believe it’s been 6 months, but the NICU experience itself felt like three years. The time we have had Aiden and Evan home has really flown by. Evan is now about 10.75 pounds; Aiden is about 11.5 pounds. Both boys are about 7 times their birth weights!! They are doing wonderful as far as their health is concerned. They have regular pediatrician visits for check-ups and Synagis. They get their eyes checked regularly. Evan sees the endocrinologist every couple of months. And, the occupational therapist sees them 2 times per month. No more lung doctor!! We are blessed to be celebrating this half birthday today!



Little Evan




Big Evan




Micro-Preemie Diaper Compared to their Size 2 Diapers




Little Aiden coming home from the NICU




Big Aiden

1/18

Crying… We have heard quite a bit of it lately. Don’t get me wrong, Aiden and Evan are both very good, happy babies. But, just like all babies, they have their fussy moments. Evan has a very loud cry (you would never know he was on oxygen up until a month ago). He sticks out his bottom lip and pouts. Aiden has a soft whining cry. He does not have near the volume that Evan has. It is such a blessing to have babies that can cry! This probably sounds silly, but I think our experience gives us a different perspective of crying babies. I remember the first time I heard Aiden cry. I had opened the door to his incubator and thought I might have heard a cry. I wasn't sure. It was so soft and weak. Then, he made a little louder, stronger sound that I knew for sure was a cry. David and I were so happy! It was the first “real baby” thing we had experienced. Then, we waited weeks and weeks just yearning to hear Evan cry. He was on the ventilator for so long and could not cry with the tube down his throat. He had some good reasons to cry! One of the complications with Aiden’s heart surgery was possibly clipping the vocal chord. After Aiden’s surgery we waited about a week before we finally heard him cry again. Each day we went without a cry, we worried more and more that he just might not be able to do such an ordinary thing. It may sound silly, but we are so proud our boys can cry! We don’t always love it when they do cry, but we know the alternative. And… cries are not the only sounds they are making now. There are a lot of coo’s, ahh’s, and ooh’s in our house. We have a lot more smiles than cries.

Evan in his car seat.

Aiden - His shirt says it all!

1/15

Big News!! Aiden and Evan slept through the night for the first time last night. It was mostly due to our decision NOT to wake them up to eat at 3:00AM. We have noticied at the 3:00AM feeding that they are starting to sleep more soundly. Their bodies are starting to adapt to a "sleep at night, awake during the daytime" schedule. This is good for our sleep habits, but I get nothing accomplished during the day! Well, I get a lot of diapers changed, babies fed, bottles washed, etc.

The boys are also starting to really develop personality. Evan is pretty calm but when he gets mad, he gets MAD!! He takes more naps during the daytime than Aiden. He has never mastered holding his binky in his mouth, so he has resorted to his thumb. He loves his thumb! Aiden, on the other hand, can be compared to Maggie from the Simpsons. The binky is a big comfort for him. He fights sleep. His eyes are always glued open during the daytime - very few naps for him, and it is a challenge to get those. I think he is afraid he will miss a feeding or something. They both love to eat!

Aiden - fighting sleep

Aiden - wondering when he'll eat again

Evan - the notorious thumb sucker

Evan

1/13

All Smiles!!!!

Aiden

Evan


Well, not all smiles....

1/9

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. There really is no news to report. Aiden and Evan are just regular little babies now that have to be extra careful about germs. They are all into smiles now. We have the camera handy at all times, because the cutest smile could come at any time. Evan's new best friend is his thumb. He has it in his mouth all the time, and he really likes to look at his hands. Aiden still prefers his binky over his thumb, but he will settle for the thumb if he has to. They both love to listen to music and think it's really funny when Mommy and Daddy sing along. I've gotten pretty good about taking them places by myself now. I think my arm muscles have just gotten bigger, and that makes lifting the 50 pound stroller easier. Pictures to come...

12/25/09

What a wonderful Christmas!! We had a great first Christmas with Aiden and Evan. They were so excited about their gifts that they slept through opening presents. They were finally able to meet their great-Papa and great aunt Della this week. My (Janel's) Papa and Aunt Della came all the way from New Mexico. David's parents came in on December 23 to celebrate Christmas with the boys. My parents got stuck in the Oklahoma blizzard, but will hopefully get to come soon! We are so blessed this year!

The best presents ever!

Happy Evan

What a wonderful Papa!!

Santa's Little Helpers