One Rough Weekend

We have a sick little boy at the Collett house. Jack started feeling bad Wednesday night- he refused to finish a bottle and acted cranky. By Thursday evening, he was throwing up and continued to do so all day Friday. Thank goodness Tony was off work and Durinda could come in to watch Harper. Tony took Jack to see our pediatrician and he was diagnosed with the first stages of a stomach bug- we have been living out the middle and, hopefully, later stages of said bug all weekend.

Friday Jack kept one bottle down because he fell asleep while eating and was too sleepy to throw up. Saturday he threw up every bottle, all of the Pedialyte, and cried out in pain. We decided to take him to the emergency room Saturday evening because we thought he might be on the verge of dehydration. We got to the ER about 6:15 and finally made it home around 9. The nurses were great and Jack was given some medicine to help with the stomach cramps and they fed him some Pedialyte via syringe. Jack drank it like it was going out of style and cried when the syringe was empty. We spent 20 mintues getting two ounces into him and when we got him home we gave him four more ounces throughout the night.

I don't know what I was thinking, but I expected Jack to feel so much better this morning- that was not the case. He has spent the day laying on me or Tony or sleeping in his crib. I managed to get a giggle out of him this afternoon and Tony got a smile from him, but he's been pretty lethargic. We are slowly introducing some formula to the mix, so I hope that will give him a little more energy.

Harper, on the other hand, has been moving around the house all weekend. Tony and I took turns watching her climb and explore. I am amazed at the things she picks up on. Tony was cleaning off toys and put one up on the mantle; Harper crawled straight to the hearth and stared up at the toy, then she tried to pull her leg up to climb onto the hearth. She also crawled over to Abby and made a very loud "barking" noise (not a squeal like she normally does and not a noise I've heard her make before).  She sounded like a little dog barking and it scared Abby who quickly scrambled to her feet.

Harper also went through the clothes bag that Aunt J sent us. She was very fond of this hat and looked super cute sporting it all morning. I hope that Harper doesn't get Jack's tummy bug (which I have also managed to pick up-ugh). Please say a prayer that Harper stays healthy; we don't know what a stomach bug like this would do to her eating progress.


I will update again when our house comes out of the "sick zone"; here's hoping that is sooner rather than later.

Catching Up

This week the Collett house has been busy this week. We had Open House at school, Tony and I both managed to get to the gym a few times this week, and we have two active kiddos that we are trying to keep up with. Sadly, the blog fell by the wayside the past couple of weeks. I am going to make it a priority next week and post more often!

Jack and Harper are both learning and growing. Jack is now in 6 month clothes (which I should've moved him to a few weeks ago) and 9 month pjs. He still hasn't got the hang of crawling, but he's supporting his upper body much better now and pushes up really well. He is such a sweet, happy guy, but he gets so upset that Harper can crawl and he's still stuck on his tummy. I know with a little practice, he'll be moving soon.

Harper, on the other hand, is into everything. She found Abby's water bowl and splashed around; she has tried to climb up the stairs, pulls up on everything, and even grabbed the fireplace screen and almost pulled it on top of herself. She has really gotten the hang of eating off of a spoon and is good at trying new foods. 

We are really enjoying watching the kids develop their little personalities. Here are some midweek pictures- enjoy!

Headed to the gym with mom

Going upstairs, anyone?

Big boy in his new clothes

Pulling up-agghhhh

Fresh and clean after his bath

New Skills

I spent this evening on the living room floor rolling around with the kids. We sang silly songs, clapped, giggled, made funny noises with our tounges, and smiled a lot- a whole lot. I don't know what I did to be able to have these little moments, but I thank God that amid all the stress, the schedules, the trying to "get it right" as parents, that I have the opprotunity to savor these glimpses of goodness.

Here are some pictures of our weekend, punctuated by both Jack and Harper doing something new. Jack is now a clapper- he claps along when another person claps and grins like it is just the best thing. This new found skill has caused me to want to spend all evening singing any song that I can think of that invovles clapping.

Harper's new skill is a refinement of her crawling. She has gone from an "army crawl" to a conventional "all fours" crawl. This has helped Harper with her speed, and now that girl can crawl- fast, and this speed has allowed Harper to crawl further than ever before. While Tony and I were getting ready to head to my parent's house Saturday afternoon, Harper crawled from the living room into our bathroom, much to our surprise. I suppose we need to baby proof the rest of our house this week because when Harper reaches any piece of furniture, she pulls up.

We also spent the night with Nana and Pop on Saturday and went to brunch after church Sunday morning. Harper was awake when we walked in and happily got to sit in a high chair. She was such a cuttie eating applesauce and avacados like a champ. Jack slept in his car seat until we were about ready to leave and then Harper started playing with his toes. I hope they always want to play together and enjoy each other's company.

Here are two "bonus pictures" of the kids- some silly shots. The first one is of Jack watching Abby eat; Abby is still getting used to having a fan club. The second picture is of Harper taking a bath; this is the way she prefered to sit and spent the whole time like this. I had to pry her hands off the side of the tub to get her out! Silly girl!

Buddies

We had to make a change this week to bigger pjs- look out the kids are growing and getting big!

It seems like everytime we turn around, the kids are doing something new. This week Jack has been much more mobile than he has been in the past. He has been able to roll over for months now, but he's finally understanding that this skill can be put to good use. Jack rolls all over the living room and giggles with delight when we help him stand up. Jack has also been trying to hold his own bottle and he has been showing off hs flexibility. Here are some shots of him this week:

Little Harper has had a big week.  She has decided that she tired of crawling and has begun teaching herself to walk. Harper pulls up on anything and everything- her favorite spot is our hearth and she has started pulling up and side-stepping the length of the hearth. Her problem lies in the desire to turn around walk out into the room; she hasn't quite figured out the whole balancing act yet, and will let go and fall resulting in tears every time. Durinda did say that Harper went from a standing position down to one knee to pick up a toy and then stand back upright, so we're hoping she's starting to figure out how to get back on the ground without a free fall.  Here are some pictures of her this week:







































The last picturee is of the kiddos looking out the back door together- they just melt my heart. I hope that they like to play together like this when they get older- best buddies...

Nana's Birthday Party Weekend

This weekend was pretty uneventful, minus Nana's birthday celebration on Saturday night. Friday Tony and I spent the evening at home with the kids, trying to relax (even though we were chasing Harper all over the place). Harper has been crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything available to her- the chair, the couch, Mom, Dad, she even tries to pull up on Jack when he's sitting up playing. The only thing Harper hasn't managed to pull up on is Abby and that's only because Harper hasn't cornered her yet. Here's a picture of Miss Harper in her crib- needless to say, her crib has now been dropped to the lowest setting.

Harper has been surprising us with her mobility, but Jack isn't too far behind his sister. Jack still isn't crawling, but he can get pretty much any place he really wants to go by rolling and scooting- the same thing Harper did about a week before she started crawling. He is no longer screaming when he gets high-centered on his tummy, and seems to be much happier about his ability to move.

So Saturday night, we took our two little mover and shakers to Nana and Pop's house to celebrate Nana's birthday (which isn't really until Tuesday). The kids had a great time seeing Nana and Pop, Aunt Becky and Uncle Rex, and Great Granny. They were pretty good at dinner- Jack got the star diner award for sitting in his high chair and people watching the whole time. Harper was not happy sitting, but she was lucky Aunt Becky was willing to walk her around. The kids had fun exploring a different place and sampling a little cake icing. Tony and I were very happy that they slept the whole ride home and didn't wake up when we put them down in their beds.

Sunday we did things around the house and started "baby proofing". We now have electrical outlets covered and we are working on doing something to try and make our fireplace less attractive to little thrill hands. We are also borrowing a long fence that Tony has nicknamed "the jail cell". This was not Harper's favorite addition- when we put it up, she pulled up and started climbing the fence crying. Ugh, Tony and I had not thought about having a climber, but it looks like we might.  I guess we'll have to continue to baby proof as we see what the little ones can reach.

I want to end tonight wishing a very happy Grandparent's Day to Mimi and Papa, Nana and Pop, Great Granny, and Great Grandpa and Great Mama Reba; we love you very much and are so blessed to have you in our lives!

Growing Up in Pictures

The twins turning 8 months old has changed our little family of 5. Abby is much more aware of the babies, mostly because they are more vocal and mobile than ever,  Tony and I are much more aware of the kids too, mostly because it's becoming difficult to turn your back for even a moment without Harper getting into something or Jack babbling up a storm.

Here is photographic evidence of some changes we've encountered in the last week or so...

Ganging up on Mom and tearing up her  papers

Using Dad to pull up to a standing position

Our first pirate party and party favor

Harper sitting up by herself  (and hitting Mom)

Jack "eating" his first apple

Shoes!

Shoes!

First time to pull up in the pack-n-play (she is not allowed to be unsupervised in the pack-n-play anymore)

First bubble bath and he loved splashing in those suds!

Father and son moment

With all of these changes, Tony and I have been prompted to go back and look at pictures of the little ones 8 months ago. I still can't believe how fast the time has gone by and how truly blessed we are- I thank God everyday that these little miracles are ours. How did we get so lucky?  Here are a couple shots that are our favorites- enjoy!

 

8 Months Old and Labor Day Weekend

The twins were 8 months old on Friday the 30th; it is so hard for me to believe that it's been 8 months already. I remember people telling me that the infant phase would pass by too quickly and amidst the sleepless nights and round the clock eating, I thought they were crazy. Now, however, when I look at these little ones, it's hard to remember when they were newborns. It's also hard for me to wrap my mind around the thought of the kiddos turning one in four short months- I'm not ready to talk about that yet.

Here are some highlights of month number 8:

Jack
-sits up very well and has wonderful posture
-plays by himself very well
-good hand/eye coordination
-smiles and laughs all the time
-Abby is a great source of entertainment
-loves to be outside and walking Abby is a treat
-getting the hang of eating off a spoon- not pushing out the food so much and chewing better
-wearing 3-6 month clothes, but starting in on 6 month pjs
-trying to learn to pull those knees up; he wants to crawl so badly

Harper
-has become a very good eater (I hope this doesn't jinx her)
-loves to eat off of a spoon
-loves to help Mom eat apples (she squeals when she sees me get an apple from the fridge)
-sticks out tongue when smiling or laughing
-squeals for attention
-can crawl pretty well and get anywhere she's headed
-can pull up to her knees (to feet once)
-still likes baths and splashing in the water
-wearing 3 month clothes, but starting in on 3-6 month pjs

Here are some pictures of our little ones on their 8 month birthday.


On their birthday we were also visited by Aunt J and Cousin Madeleine who came down to see cousin Emmy get baptized this weekend.We had a great time with our visitors and were sad to see them go back to Chicago today. We also had a fun time in Waco and the kids did an okay job sitting through mass. Harper was hungry and let us know it, but she was much better after she ate. We were happy to be able to celebrate with Ryan, Erica, and Emmy and were glad the twins were good travelers.