7 Months Old

I feel like I've been a great blogger this week and have been posting so much that I don't have a whole lot of "new" information to share on the twins 7 month birthday that I haven't already shared this week.

We've been putting the kids to bed earlier at night and they've been doing well sleeping until about 7 each morning, but this morning Jack was up and talking in his bed at 5:45. This was much too early for our schedule, so Tony grabbed little man and I got to snuggle with him until he fell back asleep. While he was snuggling with me, he was cooing and babbling and playing with my hands- grabbing my palm, wrapping his smooth, little fingers around my fingers, and running his hands over my arm. It was the perfect way to start my day. It was the way I wish their birth would've gone- with me snuggling a baby, but 7 months later, I'll take our story and our path because it has lead me to precious moments like this one.

7 months ago, Tony and I had no idea how our lives would change and how dramatic the change would be- it has been drastic and chaotic and trying and beautiful and breathtaking and indescribeable. So, here's to you, Jack-Jack and Harp, Momma and Daddy love you very much and can't wait to see what the next 7 months hold for all of us!

ECI Visit

When we went to see the Developmental Specialist in June- the visit that started us on our whirlwind "failure to thrive" rollercoaster.  They suggested we contact ECI (Early Childhood Intervention) to see if the State could provide services to help Harper. Our appointment was this morning with a physical therapist who evaluated Harper to see if she had at least a 25% delay in any area, which would qualify her for assistance.

Here are Harper's test scores which reflect the age at which she's functioning:

Gross Motor Skills: 6 months
Fine Motor Skills: 6 months
Adaptive: 6 months
Cognitive: 5 months
Communication: 7.5 months
Personal-Social: 9 months

Harper's adjusted age is 4 months and 29 days; in order to receive assistance, she had to test below 4 months 29 days. So, we won't be needing any ECI therapy. Tony and I are thrilled to see that Harper is thriving in so many areas. The therapist did give us some stretches to do to help her range of motion in her neck, but he said that she looked pretty darn good. I guess all our stretching and positioning has paid off.

While the therapist was here, he looked at Jack a little bit too and said he looked pretty good too- doing just what he should be doing. He did, however, say he thought Harper was more advanced than Jack. Go Harp! After hearing how she should be out performing her brother by every nurse in the NICU, it is nice to see that she's finally pulling ahead.

We are so blessed that the kids are doing so well; I can't believe that after our long NICU stay, we have no long-term complications (that we are aware of). I know God has big plans for my little ones and I feel grateful to see them grow and learn, and I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds.

Here are a few pictures of the kids after ECI left; the evaluation was an hour long (during normal morning nap time) and the kids were wiped out when the testing was done. They have really started noticing each other more and I love to see them together.

Again, none of these pictures were posed, just snapped by a mom with good timing.

Lazy Weekend

This weekend was a great, lazy weekend spent cleaning up the house, taking walks, and hanging out with friends.

Harper is still working on her roll, scoot, and rock; she is on the verge of crawling, but is very mobile already. Here's an example of what she spent her weekend doing.  I promise I did not pose any of these pictures, just snapped them to document the moment.

 

In addition to playing on the play mat and Harper harrassing Jack, the kids also tried some sweet potatoes. Jack was very interested and has even started opening his mouth in anticipation of the next bite. Harper is a little less enthusiastic about eating off of a spoon, but I think she will come around.  Abby, on the other hand, has discovered that the kiddos make a big mess when they eat and she has chosen a new place to camp out. She is like a little shark that circles the high chair just hoping for a bite.

 I'll sign off with a couple of pictures of the kiddos getting ready for their walk and two of my favorite pictures of the weekend: the kids together (watching me sing and dance) and Tony and Harper- so sweet. We are very lucky, indeed.

 

Home Bodies

What have we been up to the last couple of days? Not much and we are all really enjoying the quiet time. Tuesday, aside from walking Abby, the kids and I didn't leave the house until we went to the gym at 6pm and it was wonderful. I know the kids are pretty good little travelers, but I also know that they love to be down playing and exploring more than they want to be in their "adventure chairs" stuck in the car (or in a doctor's office).

So, here are some pictures of our time spent at home. Abby has been a big focus of the twins' attention and Harper has been petting Abby (with my help). Well, Harper finally got her chance to get close to Abby when we were all the twins' room and Abby let herself get backed into a corner. The whole exchange was very sweet and I thought I would see Harper crawl for the first time- she was so determined to get to Abby (no crawling yet, still scooting and rolling).

We also got in some great naps on our days at home. Today I had Harper sleeping on top of me and Jack curled up next to me and Abby was on the floor to our right- it was a wonderful moment and I thanked God I got to experience it- it's the little things in life that mean the most. I know that I'll miss my nap time with the kiddos when I head back to work (in less than a month-ugh).


The other thing we had time for was more food experiences. After talking with the therapist, she suggested I try oatmeal and a fruit or veggie because the texture would be easier for the kiddos. So, for the past couple of days we've been working on oatmeal and butternut squash. The kids aren't quite sure what to think about it. They both made silly faces and were not overly excited about actually eating the food, but they were both thrilled to feed themselves. Jack and Harper both grabbed onto the spoon and wouldn't let go. If this is how all our eating experiences go, it will be very messy. The therapist said the inital eating is just practicing new textures and learning how to gum and swallow and not push food out, so I'm trying to make the experience as pleasant as possible for the kids (and end on a high note, with smiling faces).

One last thing- I want to brag a little bit. Tony and I cleared out our deep freeze and I donated almost all of my leftover breast milk to a milk bank that will pasturize it and send it to NICUs to help preemies. I heard about the program through a friend before we had the kids and my kiddos had donor milk the first 48 hours of their lives, so I was thankful to be able to donate and give back to the bank that helped give my little ones life. Tony and I donated four coolers full this weekend and they were logged in this week; I donated 15 gallons. I am amazed that we had that much (and we still have some left at our house for baby cereal and such). Anyway, all my hard work did not go to waste! So thankful and blessed. What a good week.

Therapy Success

Harper did a great job at therapy today- she was a little rock star! Our normal therapist is on vacation, so we saw a different person today and Harper responded really well to this therapists techniques. She had Harper sit on the floor with her to eat (instead of a Bumbo chair) and Miss Harper finished her bottle (she will normally only take an ounce during her appointment). Because Harper ate her bottle so well, she got to move on to some rice cereal and pureed squash.  I was a little hesitant about this because Harper has pretty much just pushed the food I've tried to give her around with her tongue and out down her chin. The therapist showed me some tricks to get Harper to eat and swallow what she's eating and that Little One really liked eating. She ate 5-6 really good bites and smiled and did a great job.

When we got home I tried out some oatmeal and squash with Jack; he took a couple of bites, but seemed very skeptical about this whole spoon business. I also tried giving Harp some squash and oatmeal again, but she was not as excited about eating for me at home. I will try again tomorrow. The one thing that we learned at therapy that did work today for me was a new way to sit while feeding the kids. This is the position the therapist used to feed Harper and she ate really well like this. While feeding Harp, the therapist said, "this works great with multiples too" and I thought, "I will never be able to feed the kids at the same time, so it won't work for me."  Well...never say never...

The kids got a little off their feeding schedule and were both due to eat while Tony and I were at the gym, so I decided to feed everyone 30 minutes early- no problem...except Tony wasn't home from work yet, and when he did get home, we would have 15 minutes before we had to leave. So, I thought "what have I got to lose?" and here is the result....

Pretty cool, huh? I felt like a real twin mommy!

Oh, and while I'm at "mommy moments" both Jack and Harper surprised me today. At the gym, someone opened the door to the kids' room and I saw Jack and waved at him, and then the door closed and I could hear him start crying. I guess I hadn't realized he recognized me and wanted to be with me- kinda sweet that he wants to be with his Momma. Harper also looked to me quite a bit today when the new therapist came in; she didn't smile or really interact until I started talking and laughing with the therapist. I never realized how much the kids look to me as they decide how to respond to a situation- this will be something I need to remember for years to come; it will be motivation for me to act the way I want them to mimic. So, here's hoping I can be a good example!

Drumroll Please...

As you know, Harper had her GI appointment and weigh in on Friday...it went well! The doctor had warned us that if she wasn't gaining weight like he wanted, he would make a new plan and Harper would need to be seen again in a month. The doctor cleared us until October!  Tony and I both heaved a sigh of relief when our little girl weighed in at 10 lbs and 13 oz. Harper gained a whole pound since we were at the doctor's in June and the GI was imipressed with her turn-around. Our little "failure to thrive" is battling back and won't be kept down for long.


Tony, the kids, and I spent our weekend running errands, spending time with friends, going to the gym, and doing some things around the house. We didn't have too much excitement and it was nice to be able to have a low key weekend. Sunday the kids didn't get out of their pjs until almost noon.

We did have a scary moment Sunday morning when I let Abby out around 6:30 and fell back asleep instead of letting her back in. Our doorbell rang an hour or so later and I sat up in bed and said "It's Abby, something's wrong with Abby"; Tony went racing to the door out and, sure enough, our sweet neighbor was holding Abby by the collar. The neighbor said she went out to get her paper and found Abby wandering around our front yard. Puzzled, Tony and I inspected the yard and found four fence posts that had been shredded creating quite a nice Abby sized hole. I'm sure it took her quite awhile to pull the fence apart, but who knows how long she was out or where she went. That girl came in and drank a whole bowl of water and then collapsed, panting, on the kitchen floor. I know she didn't spend an hour just sniffing in the front yard. If only she had a little Abby cam on her collar... We are very thankful she is home, safe and sound, and I am feeling grateful we didn't lose our girl.

Here are two smiling kiddos to end our weekend post and help everyone have a great start to their week:

Our Trip to Nana and Pop's

The kids, Abby,  and I took a little mini-vacation this week to see my parents in Arlington. The drive was an hour each way and we stayed two nights, so it was a good trial run for a potential longer weekend trip sometime in the fall.

We left late Tuesday morning and the kids did a great job on the drive- no tears and lots of napping. Packing to leave took me all morning, and putting everything in the car, including the stroller, and allowing Abby a spot to sit in, was like a giant Tetris game (I think a bigger car will be in our future). Tuesday afternoon we played in the living room and looked around Nana and Pop's place; Harper and Jack were wide-eyed taking everything in. Even though they've been there a few times before, it was like they were seeing everything for the first time. We ended Tuesday night watching the All-Star game; Jack came prepared with his All-Star pjs and had a good time sitting with Pop and talking baseball.

The kids also got to sleep in my old baby bed (Tanner's old baby bed too), so it was neat to get to see them all stretched out together. I also took a picture last time we were at Mom and Dad's of Jack with my very first teddy bear, Huggy- I thought this might be a good time to share that one as well.

Wednesday mom and I packed up the kids and took them on their first shopping trip. We went to the new outlet mall in Grand Prarie and strolled around so I could get some back-to-school items. Harper was a great shopper! She sat in her seat and looked at everything going by and smiled at the people who talked to her; she didn't fuss, even once. Jack was a little fussier when we would stop moving the stroller, but the moment we got outside to move store-to-store, he would laugh and squeal- that boy loves being on the move and loves being outside.

We wrapped up our Wednesday night with a very special birthday celebration. My Granny turned 87 on the 17th, so we went to dinner and had cake and ice cream at Mom and Dad's with our family. Here are some pictures of the kiddos with the birthday girl. They love their Great Granny and we were so glad we got to spend some time with her on her birthday.

One more birthday shout-out to Aunt J, Tony's sister Jennifer, who also had a birthday on the 17th. She has been an amazing aunt to the kiddos, and a big help to their Momma. I hope you had a great birthday, Aunt J!

On the dockett today is a follow-up trip to the pediatric GI for Miss Harper to do a weight check and see how her eating has progressed. Prayers are appreciated and updates will be coming.

A Great Way to Start the Week

My little ones are doing great and I wanted to brag on both of them a little bit.

Jack:

-cough is almost gone

-slept 12 hours Sunday night

-big smiles all day on Monday

-sat up by himself a few times

-did great at sister's therapy appointment

Harper:

-ate one bottle overnight and then slept until 9:30 am

-rolled and practiced her rocking getting ready to crawl

-had a great therapy appointment

-ate an ounce total of formula for the therapist from a bottle, syringe, and spoon

-came home from the therapist and ate a 4 ounce bottle without a fuss

-ate 19 ounces total yesterday (remember when she was only eating 10?)

Both the kids were good at the gym and played well last night and had fun getting baths. We just had such a good Monday that I thought I should document it so I can remember this when we have a bad Monday.

God is good!

A Weekend of Pictures

Wednesday when I posted we were anticipating Harper's appointment with the therapist on Thursday, so that's where I'll start.

Harper's appointment on Thursday went well and she seemed to have fun playing with her therapist, Jenny. After the horrible swallow study, I was hoping that Harper wouldn't be a screaming mess when she had to put the bottle in her mouth, but she did great. She took about an ounce with Jenny (her long term goal is two ounces without a fight- she will do that at home, but this goal is during therapy). Harper got to watch a video while she played and got to experience some new toys and smiled quite a bit. I was relieved and pleasantly surprised- one therapy session down, quite a few more to go.

Friday the kids and I met Tony for lunch and played around the house. I'm officially finished with work for the summer, so I have started on my around the house to-do list. This list is proving to be much harder to accomplish with two little helpers. But, I did spend the day today catching up on all the things I thought I'd be able to get done on Friday.

Saturday morning the kids and I took Abby for a walk while Tony was at the gym and Jack laughed as we zoomed down the sidewalk; I could listen to that laugh on every walk I take for the rest of my life and still not get enough of it. He made my day. Harper spent all afternoon Saturday working up the nerve to crawl. She is not quite there yet, but she is up on her hands and knees, rocking back and forth. I know that she will be crawling soon, but she gets around quite well rolling and scooting. She smiles so big and is so happy when she is on the move. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Saturday night we went out with some friends for my late birthday dinner. The evening started out with great promise and ended with two screaming kids- ugh. The kids were asleep when we got to the restaurant and stayed alseep for at least 1/2 of our 40 minute wait for a table. When we got to the table, they were hungry and it was hot in there; I made bottles as fast as I could, but I wasn't quick enough and there were quite a few fussy noises coming from both of them. That's where the night started to go downhill. From there, the loud restaurant seemed to scare them and the pair were only quiet when they were eating their bottles. They finished eating about 8:30 and Jack started screaming shortly thereafter, not crying, but ripping toenails out with tweezers- screaming. We tried everything to quiet him down, nothing worked. By 9, Tony and I had to-go food in the truck and we were headed home with two screaming kiddos. That's right, two; Harper decided that she couldn't let Jack cry alone. 

We got home, pulled the kids out of their carseats, put their pjs on and played and rocked and sang. Harper stopped crying as soon as we got home, Jack finally wore himself out and fell asleep in my arms about 10:15. What a long night! Tony and I did manage to eat some dinner and have some dessert, compliments of our friends who left us some sweet treats on our porch. Now I understand how it feels to be "that family" with the annoying crying kids- I apologize for judging all those families when I didn't know better. 

Thankfully, today was scream free (for the most part) and included some wonderful moments. The kids sat up by themselves; something we hadn't tried before, but were glad to see them check off their developmental milestones. I also got both kiddos to laugh out loud today, at the same time. It was a chorus of little belly laughs and Tony and I couldn't stop smiling. 

I hope this week will have us hearing more laughing than screaming at our house.

Pictures, As Promised

Our house was much more calm today- no trips to the doctor for the little ones, thank goodness. We did make a trip to the vet because we found a lump on Abby's rear end, towards her tail. We found the lump last night and Tony called this morning to try to get us an appointment for the afternoon and they could fit us in. So, I loaded up the kids and Miss Abby and we took the Collett Circus to the vet's office. The kids were great, Abby's lump is a cyst that we need to watch, but no need for alarm, and Tony arrived at the vet's office just before Abby got the all clear to go home, so he helped us walk out. It was a pretty low key day.



Because we didn't have much going on, I thought it would be a good time to finally upload those pictures from our fun 4th of July Family Week. Enjoy!

We started our week with visitors from Chicago. The kids got to meet their Aunt J, Uncle Steve, and cousins Madi and Beckett:

On Tuesday we went out to Aunt Becky and Uncle Rex's house where the kids swam for their first time and saw their cousins Wyatt and Sloane:

We also had a fun 4th of July at Becky and Rex's house and Madi (our niece on Tony's side) got to meet and play with Sloane (our niece on my side); they were fast friends:

We had a profesional family photo taken with the Colletts and Tony took some pictures of the kids in their cute outfits:

We also took some much needed naps:

We ended the week by trying some avacados and then having some pajama time to celebrate my birthday.










What a great week!