They're Back!

Tonight, my boys went from this...

with a little of this mixed in...

and this...

To this!!!  

Aren't they handsome?!?!?!?  

I've missed my short-haired boys!!!

Nifty Fifty

I remember very clearly being in 2nd grade and sitting in the back of the classroom with my teacher and passing off my 50 states that I had memorized...all in abc order.  Garrett was doing this in school a month or so ago and I have LOVED hearing him here at home, rehearsing his states.  He heard a song at school, which he promptly came home and asked to YouTube it so he could memorize it for the next day.  It makes me so happy hearing him sing it...mostly because I LOVED learning the states myself when I was little.

But, what makes me even happier is ETHAN singing the Nifty Fifty song - all day long!  He knows an impressive amount of them...some with his own 3 year-old pronunciation of the names, but he's really pretty good.  My personal favorite....Connetakick for Connecticut, Fontana for Montana, and the falsetto voice thrown in every few states!!!  It kills me!  :)  He skips over a few states here and there...but the next time he sings it, he'll remember those and leave out different ones, so honestly, I think he really does know them all!  I guess it pays to have an older brother!

ER trip in the making...

Does anyone else see an ER trip for us tonight? Seriously?!?!?! What makes this seem like a good idea? :)

Safe and Sound

We are well protected in our house right now.  

The boys lined up all their army men, fire men and police men and they are all diligently standing watch.  

Evil Dr. Vulture looms perilously over them...but they have held their ground (or my windowsill, as the case may be) for a good week now!  :)  

They make me smile every time I go up my staircase.  There's nothing like the peace of being well watched over and protected from evil bird villains!!!

Toes

So, I have a confession.  Apparently I didn't dust last week.  Or let me rephrase...the BOYS didn't dust last week (or for a few weeks, by the looks of it!).  Dusting is one of their jobs...so the blame doesn't fall on me, right?!?!  But regardless, I sat down on the floor the other day and came across this cuteness.  I know it's random, but it made me smile and made me laugh and made me sad for just how quickly my kiddos are growing up.  

These are Olivia's toe prints...caked in the dust on a little end table that sits at the end of our couch. (In the boys' defense, this table is hidden away and I know they did dust the other, more well-traveled areas!)  Anyway, I love seeing her toeprints.  They capture her entire personality in those 5 little dusty toes!  They are daring and adventurous.  Scaling the table.  Climbing up on top.  How is she old enough to even attempt such a thing?!?!  :) 

Lunch Conversation

This is how lunch went today.

Garrett (already in a starvation-induced, crabby mood):  WHAT?!?!?!?

Ethan (in the same hungry state...but able to still focus on his main purpose which is bugging Garrett to no end...replies in the same tone...just louder!):  WHAT?!?!?!?!?

Garrett : AHHHHH!  WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME!!!

Ethan: How else am I dowing (going) to STARE?!?!?!?  I HAVE to yook (look) at you!!!!!!!!!!

I am so incredibly sad that the summer is coming to an end...but I think my boys could use some time apart.  :)

bedtime conversations

The boys are all tucked in tonight...and supposedly falling asleep.  Though of course, I hear chatting going on for quite some time...

Me (trying a new angle of asking them to stop talking) - Hey boys...after this conversation...it's time to stop talking.  No more, okay?

Ethan - (not even pausing in his conversation to listen to me) still chatters along...

Garrett - (rolling over in bed) I'M NOT EVEN PART OF THIS CONVERSATION!!!  ETHAN JUST WON'T STOP TALKING!!!

Me - (thinking this is pretty normal and wondering how long it will be until Garrett refuses to let Ethan share his room) Okay, E...times up.  No more talking!

Ethan - (at least acknowledging me this time) Uh Mom?  Is there a Lightening McQueen Part 2?  

Me - (thinking where did that come from?!?!?)  Nope...just part one.  Go to sleep.

Ethan - I fink der is a part 2. (I think there is...)  Memmer dat one (remember that one) when Lightening drives on da dirt?

Me - (racking my brain) Nope E...still part one.  Good-night!

As I walk out of the room...I hear them both start in on the movie Cars and whether or not there is a part 2...and maybe Ethan is just thinking about part of the first movie...or maybe it's part of another cartoon...but what about Toy Story???  There's a new one of those coming out...hmmm...I wonder if we'll see that one?  No E...we can't see it tomorrow...it comes out in the summer.  No E...lightening McQueen isn't in that one.... 

I just shake my head and give up and try to convince myself of the benefits of picking my battles!

flippers

Here is Ethan...sneaking a chance to try on Garrett's new flippers while Garrett was still at school!

 

And here is Garrett...excited to try on the flippers before we headed off to the first day of swim team.  

 

Apparently things don't change much as they get older! 

pure silliness...

and for some pictures, there aren't even words...

maybe not

The boys play this really weird game with each other - and anyone who happens to be talking - albeit, totally unbeknownst to them...

Whenever someone says 'Maybe' in any conversation, they will race each other to say 'Maybe Not'.  They then continue on as if nothing out of the ordinary has taken place at all.  It's all kinda twilight zoney, and I really don't know where it came from...but they have done it for months!  And now the funny thing about it all...Steve and I now do the same thing to each other...Maybe...Maybe Not!  Try it...it is guaranteed to make you smile!

Anyway, nothing important...but just one more quirky look into the craziness that is our family! 

distracted me...

Tonight I walked past the boys room after they were all tucked in and 'supposedly' already sound asleep...at least that is what one would think since it had been quiet in their room for a good 45 minutes or so!  I notice though that Ethan's lamp is still on.  Oh well, at least Garrett, the one who has to get up for school, is asleep.  Again...so I thought.  E sees me, shuts off his light and throws his books off his bed and lays down...all before I even make it into the room.  As I walk towards the bed...this is what I hear from the top bunk....

Garrett - Ughhh....Mom!  Ethan turned on his light and it distracted me!!!

Me - Distracted you?

Garrett - YEA...it totally distracted me!

Me - I'm so sorry......WAIT!  Were you reading?

Garrett - (silent for a few seconds and then dejectedly admits to it)  Yes.

Me - (laughing to myself)  So E distracted you and it forced you to read your book?

Garrett - (totally perking up and thinking I bought his logic)  Yeah!  It's totally his fault!

Me - (now laughing out loud!) Garrett.  Book on the shelf.  No more reading!!!  Not even if the light is turned back on.  No more!

The funniest thing about all this is...I never even would have known he was awake if he hadn't started blaming his brother!  

And then, as I pick up all the books that E had thrown off the edge of his bed as I'm walking out of the room...Ethan adds "Mom.  Don't lose my page.  Don't lose my spot!"  Uh yeah, me picking up the books off the floor is what is going to make him lose his spot!  And for heavens sake...it's a board book.  Is it really that hard to find your spot in a 7 page board book?  

Ahhhh....how I love bedtime!  

Boys will be boys!

Seriously, what makes boys such 'boys'?  I walked into the toy room the other day and glanced at the boy's new easel.  On it was the following chart...

Yes, you read it right..."G and E's Burp Chart"!

Come on!!!  Is this really necessary?!?!?  Is this honestly something that needs to be documented???Where do they even come up with this stuff?  And should I be worried about the crazy up-bringing of my poor 2-year old???

I don't know why I blog about all this...maybe I should pretend to have the all-polite boys who never burp and then laugh about it.  Then maybe people would believe I am a good mom, whose kids are perfect!!!  Okay who am I kidding...that will never be us and I love it!  These boys keep me laughing all day long!  And, if burping is my biggest worry, then I think I have it pretty good!

----------

And just to add, here is part of the drawing that was pushed out of the way for the above burp chart.  I should have taken the picture before he drew all over it...I think this cute alien ended up giving another alien on the corner of the page the laser-eye...and I'm sure a full-scale invasion took place after that!  Thus the scribbling and extra lines!  I love the things that  Garrett comes up with!

the children were nestled all snug in their beds

I got home from the grocery store tonight (yes, I fully prefer to shop w/o the kids...especially amidst all the crazy holiday crowds!) and Garrett starts calling my name from his 'already tucked in' state in his bedroom. I go up there (after it is evident that he wouldn't stop calling for either one of us if Steve or I  didn't go up and see what he wanted.)  Cute little boy that he is, just wanted to say goodnight to his Mom who had been gone off and on for most of the day...awww, so sweet!  Of course though in his calling throughout the house for me, he got his brother in the next room in on the action. "Mom...Dad...Moooooom....Daaaaad" - you know the sound...as our names get longer and longer with each call!  So, I make a trip up to his room too...and as I open the door, this is the conversation we have:

E: Tan I pweez have a tweenex? (Can I please have a kleenex?)

Me: Okay. (grabbing one off the shelf) Here you go.  Now go to sleep okay?

E: Mom?  Gar yewwing for you too.  (Garrett yelling for you too)

        Sweet that he's concerned for his brother's late night conversations!

Me:  I know...I already went and talked to Garrett.

E: Dat's funny.  We all just yewwing for each udder. (We're all just yelling for each other!)

This kid is sooo funny....I love the constant commentary of our lives through his eyes.  Never a dull moment when he's around...even when he's stating the obvious to a very tired mommy who would rather not make another trip upstairs at bedtime!  I love these kiddos!

ironic

Glad we sprung for the net enclosure! Go figure! But hey, at least they're getting their money's worth out of the 99 cent swim noodle...the most logical item to play with on the trampoline! :)

Honestly, these boys can keep themselves entertained for hours with the most random things!!! I love their creativity!

patience

Patience is an ever-going process in our house! I will be the first to admit that I have a LONG way to go until I reach that perfectly patient state that I am striving! But I see that same flaw in my boys...but in a comical way lately!

Ethan's little brain is spinning a million miles a minute and he has started stuttering as a result. The poor kid is just thinking too fast for his mouth to catch up! It's actually pretty cute! The funny part is watching Garrett wait for Ethan to (finally) finish his thoughts! His patience wears so thin and you can almost see the steam come out of his ears!!! This is probably only because Ethan is ALWAYS talking, so it is a constant irritation for him!!! The only reason this is so funny to me is the fact that Garrett (at the exact same age as Ethan) stuttered in the exact same way and was the same chatty little boy...always having something to say...almost never even stopping to take a breath!!! Funny how things come full circle!

Sessel??? I mean Wrestle???

The boys are so into wrestling (or any sort of rough-housing) right now. Ethan can be heard all day long saying "Mommy, sessel?" or "Gar, sessel?" Can you guess who gives into him more??? Let's just say that Garrett is going to be sorely missed by us all when he goes back to school!

Life

Life continues to revolve around trips to the hospital, time with the boys - and apparently no time at all spent on the computer keeping everyone updated! :) Sorry!!!

We are doing great. Olivia is continuing to do well...she officially has gained 1 pound since birth...so we're excited about that! She's up to 3 pounds 11 ounces now...really packing it on! She's still feeding through a tube and doing great. We're anxious for a few more weeks to pass so we can try a bottle feed...just one more thing she has to master before she can come home! They say, it's usually around 34-35 weeks that babies can figure out how to suck/swallow/breathe at the same time...so hopefully she'll be a natural eater (like the rest of the family!!!) and figure all that out quickly! :) She's also starting to reach the weight where some babies can start to regulate their own temperatures...so we've been able to put clothes on her now and it is soooo fun! She's adorable in her 'way too big' onesies and outfits!!!

The boys are doing great still too. My mom has been here since the day after Olivia was born, so they have pretty much had their normal life...just minus the parents a little more than usual! But they've done so well and have had SOOOOO much fun with Grandma! Grandmas are just way better than Mom's...nothing but fun! :) Between trips to the library, swimming at the pool, puzzles, toys galore, walks, sidewalk chalk, extra bedtime stories, lunch dates, sprinklers, and puddle jumping...the boys are busy and happy and perfectly content with their new-lifestyle! Grandma left last night though, so we'll see how this next adjustment is handled...I know I'm not nearly as fun as Grandma!!!

Steve and I are doing well too...just trying to continually find the ever-changing balance. Steve's been back to work...though with a completely flexible schedule, which is such a blessing!!! We've still been able to go to the hospital together most days which is so nice! I'm healing up well from the c-section and feeling pretty good still since delivery. I'm sure the transfusion is still carrying me...got to love blood that has actual necessary components to it! But hopefully my body will find some way to regulate itself and continue this upward trend. The doctors are still baffled and offer no explanation, but at least they're hopeful that post-pregnancy will be better than pregnancy...so we'll see how it all goes!

Here are some pics from the week...

Wide awake!

She's growing...still teeny tiny...but growing! :)

When she straightens her legs, she has the cutest baggiest knees! I guess my dream of having a cute chubby baby with all the rolls and dimples has officially come to an end...I get the scrawny little bird-like babies! Not that I mind at all!!! She's just as perfect scrawny as she would be chubby!!!

Olivia's first real outfit...the boys picked this one out for her! Plus, it was my first time dressing my little girl...sooooooo fun!

Aunt Debby's outfit...minus the cute flowered pants. I think the nurses get tired of putting pants on after every diaper change...but they she looks adorable anyway! Thanks Deb!!!

Sweet baby!

I LOVE that her hand is on the puppy the boys gave her! Makes her seem not so lonely in her little box!!!

Apparently we missed out out on 'SUPER HERO NIGHT' at home...but it looks like fun was had by all!

2 Weeks

Sorry for the lapse in posting...life is just a little crazy right now to say the least! :)

Here we are at day 14...Olivia is officially 2 weeks old. She's still doing great...gaining a little weight even - last night she was up to 3 lbs 3 oz! Wahoo! She's having some episodes where her heart rate drops and a few apnea spells, which they say is totally normal for someone her size and age...but it's still hard for me to hear. But overall, the trend is still upward so we couldn't be happier! We get to hold her a lot more now and get to do more...diaper changes, baths...stuff like that. So it's fun to be a little more involved than we were before...makes it seem a little more real!

The boys are doing great...still having a total blast with Grandma! We all went down to the hospital earlier this week and Garrett got to see Olivia again. Ethan was beside himself with excitement to spend a few hours with the massive fish tanks in the waiting area, so the trip was a success! Then my mom took the boys to the Children's Museum for a few hours and they all had a fun day out. So, slowly we seem to be finding the balance in all this. Life is crazy, but good. We are still so blessed and find such comfort in each and every one of those blessings.

Here we are in Olivia's new room, complete with a sleeper couch that we are sure to take advantage of in the coming weeks.

Olivia and friends (Garrett and Winky the lamb - thanks Deb!)

Now that Olivia is in a more stable area, they are letting us use our own blankets and things so this is the first time she has her pink little girly blanket to sleep on.

It is hard to appreciate her size...she doesn't look small to me but when you lift her up, you can feel how light and small she is in your hands.

balance

Well, I figured that it was time to make time for an update. That seems to be what life is all about right now...making time for all the things that we need to do. That balance is out there...it's got to be, right??? So hopefully we'll find it soon! Although, I think that balance is something that will change daily...or even hourly!!! But that's okay...how can it not when you are dealing with life on a normal basis...not just in crazy-mode like we are right now! :)

Olivia is doing amazing! She is absolutely perfect! (Can you tell, I'm slightly in love?!?!?) She is increasing her feedings and tolerating them well. She's 2 lbs 15 oz...so we're making progress! She's still on the CPAP, but doing great with it. They've mentioned trying to take her off again and see how she does with a few more days under her belt. So we'll see how that goes. They put a different type of CPAP machine on her this second time around which seems a whole lot more comfortable for her and didn't need to be adjusted because of it always falling out. It's held on by this mask thing that fits over her face...so she looks like a little scuba diver/super hero and I think it's adorable!

She was more awake yesterday than I've ever seen her...he eyes were wide open and she seemed to be taking everything in (as much as you can while laying in your little incubator box!) My mom was able to come up with us yesterday...so that was so fun to see her fall even more in love with her too. Olivia seemed to love having a new face to look at and you could see the bond form between them instantaneously! It was so fun!!!

The boys are doing great! That's been the other major balance thing in life right now. But having my mom here has been the greatest blessing. Their lives are still constant...just minus the mom and dad around the house! But they're having so much fun with Grandma that I don't think they mind! It's been nice to focus on them more though too...just to make sure they know that they are still loved as much as ever. All those extra things in life just don't seem as important right now...thus my early morning blogging - it's the only time I can justify spending more than a minute on the computer. I'd rather be with the boys while I'm home...not plugging away at all the extras!

We try and take some video at the hospital each day...so when we come home, we all snuggle up on the couch and watch Olivia, so hopefully they'll get to know her through that a bit and be able to be a part of all this in their own way. Garrett can come in to the NICU but poor Ethan is too little...so that's our way of sharing her with them. It's pretty cute though to see them soooo enraptured by the baby on tv. Ethan is always so concerned she cries and asks if she is sad. He can't quite say Olivia...which is the cutest thing...it's more like 'Yee Yaa' (I'll have to try and get a recording of him saying it and post it on here!) Garrett is enthralled by her size by way of diapers. The nurse gave him one of the teeny tiny diapers to take home and show his friends when he came up to see her and so that is how he tracks her progress. I brought home the next sized diaper for him yesterday and he was so excited by how much bigger it was! It's pretty funny!

We went out for burgers and ice cream last night...here's the boys being as goofy as ever. Yeah, I think they'll make it through all this okay!!!

So that's our life as of today! We just feel so blessed and loved, so thank you for all the prayers and thoughts sent our way from all of you. We could not make it without that extra help that is definitely carrying us through all this! We see the hand of the Lord in our lives so clearly right now, that it's hard not to be overwhelmed by the immense joy we feel even though things are so hard! The emotions and feelings are almost too crazy to describe...but even as everyday is challenging, it is also wonderful at the same time. We get to spend time with our three children and life is good!

My Boys!

This is the new favorite past time in our house. The boys LOVE to go for a ride and they both request it every chance they can get! Ethan's just learning how to hold on and actually ride while Garrett's rides tend to end up a bit more like a buckin' bronco ride instead! I love my boys!