Saturday, May 23, 2009

Groundhog Day!



I realize that I haven't written in awhile and I don't really know why. I guess it is because life is a tad bit crazy and also it feels like groundhog day every day.

I am still loving having four kids and realize how lucky I am to have 2 girls and 2 boys. Thankfully everyone has someone to play with and keep them company! Emma and Claire work great together and the boys get cranky when they are not together! So that leaves me with a day that keeps on going and going and going with feeds, naps, diapers, getting kids dressed, combing and doing girls hair (multiple times a day!!!)washing bottles, picking up all day long it seems and the list keeps going. I know all you mom's out there understand our life and day!!! I guess that is why I haven't written lately. There are some things I want to update on. Beware...this is a long post so you can stop reading now if you want. I won't be offended!:)

Emma has officially gotten to start the right hand twinkles on the harp! That might not seem like much to most of you but honestly, it has been a year of left hand twinkles before this day has come. I am so proud of her and realize that it is not about the amount of pieces she learns, it is about the skill of sticking with something and learning that I am happy about! She also finished her first year of preschool and is asking daily when she can go back. I hope this enthusiasm keeps up when real school starts!

Claire is starting to string words together. Now you have to tell her everything to say but she is mimicking everything and that gives Kent and I so much hope! Hope that she will one day be able to speak for herself and that she might be able to communicate like everyone else! I have had a little bit of a realization with her this past week. I am so used to her disabilities that I don't really even notice them anymore but this past week we started a little mom and tot gym class with just "regular" kids. This little class once again brought home to me the reality of her weakness's that I had forgotten and made me realize that I have no clue as to the future of my sweet little girl! It all hit home when they asked the kids to wiggle their toes and she was wiggling away her right foot like normal while her left just sat there. Such a simple thing that I take for granted and yet it made me remember the bumpy road we have ahead. I just hope I am up for those challenges that are to come with her socially. Who knows?!

The boys are doing awesome! They are both now about 6 1/2 pounds and are sleeping pretty well. Other than the fact the Mack's heart medicine is very hard to come by (long story!). He has not had any episodes and for that I am truly thankful! We had his first cardiology appointment this past week and I asked him what I should do if he has an episode. He calmly told me that if he has an episode that lasts 30min or longer to take him to Primary Children's ER. Lovely! He said don't bother with any other ER because they won't have a clue what to do with him and his condition. Again...Lovely!:) Morgan is such a little sweetheart and he and Mack are just such great blessings in our lives.

I have asked myself this past week many times what it was like to have healthy kids that didn't have specialist, meds, a billion appointments etc.? I realized though that with all the appointments and time spent going there I get the opportunity to spend quality alone time with each child. I get the opportunity to have these challenges and I just hope that I am learning the lessons I am supposed to be learning.
I once had a harp teacher in London who said that if you didn't learn the lesson that you were supposed to the first time, then the opportunity to learn it would keep coming back until you learned what you needed to. I thought that was only about hand position and music.:) I think my life right now is a bit like groundhog day...these trials will keep coming back until I learn what I need to. Wasn't that the gist of the movie with Bill Murray? It has been a long time and unfortunately I don't have the time to watch again! Have a great holiday weekend!

Monday, May 11, 2009

Let me introduce you too...


My cousin Liz Hoke gave me this shirt and it fits Mack completely! Not just in size but in personality as well.:) Let me explain...

Mack was the one in my stomach who wouldn't stop moving and kicking making Morgan seem very mild. Mack was the one who at the last week turned breach so that had we not had to have the emergency C-section we would probably would have had to have one anyways. Mack was the one who decided that he and Morgan needed to be born 2 months early. He was the one who needed to be life flighted both ways, to and from Primary Children's. He was the one who when the boys got circumcised last week the Dr. told us that it was "official" that Mack was definitely going to be the trouble maker in our duo! Mack is the one child I have had who will not take a binky to save his life and mine. Mack also seems to be the one who wakes his brother up almost every time, and today he was the one who had the first blow out of many to come!:)

I don't want to label my boys all ready but I must agree that the evidence seems to point to Mack in all directions. With all this being said though we love him and wouldn't trade him in at all. Just thought it was funny that Liz had given us this shirt and it fit him all too well! Thanks Liz!!!:)

I hope you don't think I am being a mean mom! I really love my little guy it is just fun to see the personality traits in the boys develop so early! Do you think personality traits are visible this early in babies?

Friday, May 8, 2009

Happiness


Brotherly love!


Fun girls tea party!

Just thought I would show you what happiness looks like to me today. :)

Have a great weekend and Happy Mother's Day!

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Boys home week 2






We are having a great time with the boys home and adjusting to life with 4 kids! I must say that having them home has been a bit easier than I thought it would be. It does help that the NICU put them on a great schedule and that the girls are a HUGE help! I was telling Kent last night that before I had them I could not comprehend having two babies at once! Now I could not comprehend having only one of them at a time. I couldn't imagine what Claire and Emma would do if they actually had to share a baby. This way they each get their own!:) Every morning Emma comes into our bed after Kent and I have fed them and asks to hold one of them. Kent always asks her who and she will yell out randomly whoever she can think of. So yesterday it was Mack and today it was Morgan. Her day I guess can't start without her boy fix!
The only difference between 2 and 4 is the amount of free time I have. With 2 I had a little bit of free time when Claire went down for her nap and Emma watched her show. Now I have zero free time from 6:30am-11:30pm. It just never lets up! That is an adjustment I am learning to make!

I did venture out myself with all the kids twice last week. Once to Target then to Costco. It wasn't that I needed anything so desperately that I needed to brave the stores. It was more about me knowing that I could do it if I needed to. Kent thinks I am crazy and he is probably right! It is easy right now I think because they are just sleeping and not mobile. Check back with me when they are actually moving and having a voice.:)

On a small update of how they are growing they weighed them last week and they were 5 pounds and 2 ounces exactly. That is the 16% on the preemie charts. Not even close to the "normal" baby charts. They are getting bigger though and other than not having enough preemie clothes to fit them life is great! I defiantly can't complain!!!!

Also, yesterday all my sisters and sisters-in-law came over to "help" but really it was just a good excuse to get together and have an awesome lunch and let the kids play. It was so nice and thoughtful of them to come and a ton of fun. What would I do without family and especially sisters/sister-in-law? Thanks you guys!

(still can't figure out the pictures! Honestly, I need help!!!)
1.Mack and Morgan in custom made onesies. Thanks Ellen and Liz Hoke!
2.Emma holding Morgan (I think?!)
3.Hannah holding cousin Charlie
4.Sarah holding Mack, Mom holding Morgan
5.Action shot! Mack wouldn't hold still. Custom made onesies thanks to Aunt Dree!