Good Tummy Time

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

This was a sleepless morning .... here's how the morning broke down ....

1:30am - Grace was hungry so I picked her up, changed her diaper, and then nursed her

3:30am - Grace got hungry again .... another diaper change and nursing session, but she fell asleep

4:44am - Back up again since Grace realized she had fallen asleep still hungry

5:30am - Now I'm hungry!  I go downstairs to eat a bagel .... at this point I am very tired

7am - Grace is stirring but stays asleep

7:30am -  Hear daddy get up and go downstairs

8:30am - Grace up again and hungry

Needless to say I got no sleep, nor did I have a chance to nap during the day.  :-P

Some good news though .... Grace, you're doing really well with your tummy times!  You turned your head to the right and the left lots of times.  You fussed and fussed while doing so, but you did it!  Yippie!  Good job!  We have to continue to practice this everyday.  Joshua helps to encourage you!

Today we ran some errands around town.  We went to Lowe's to check out the lawn mowers.  We don't have one, and Grandpa Mike is still fixing his.  Daddy wants to mow the lawn this weekend while the weather is nice, so we scoped out what was in stock in case we needed to buy one.  I stayed in the car and watched Grace smile and listened to her coo's.  I thought she would get hungry, which is why we stayed in the car, but she played instead.  :-)

We made a quick trip to AC Moors after (a craft store) to get some ideas for Gigi's gift.  I think I have an idea on how to put it all together, so you all can help me with that this afternoon.  

Lunch was at Shane's Rib Shack .... we've all been there before.  Joshua, you liked the 'mac & cheese' but you poo-poo'ed some of the other foods.  Oh, you also liked the french fries.  :-P  At this point, we nudged Grace to see if she would take a little bit from a bottle.  We were outside enjoying the weather (they have lots of seats out there over looking a pond).  There were lots of other people out there taking advantage of the weather as well.  Grace, you took 2 ozs and then fell asleep.  Joshua, you loved looking at the ducks and the huge fish in the pond.  :-)

We finished our errands off at Target.  Here, we got groceries and things for the house.  It's time to change the air filters again, so we picked some up.  We also got a new bottle to try for Grace (this will be our 5th bottle and 4th nipple) and a cute shirt for Joshua.  :-)

Grace, you had the biggest poopy diaper ever .... I know I've said this before .... but this one really tops it!  ;-)

We worked on Gigi's gift this afternoon as daddy did things on the computer.  Joshua, you fought a nap so much that you fell asleep in my arms at 6pm after we tried to give you dinner.  I let you sleep on a pillow until 7pm.  Then, we woke you up and got you to eat a little something.  Daddy had made pancakes for dinner.  

We were able to finish the Narnia movie this evening.  Then, we all got ready for bed.  Daddy read us stories, and Joshua still fought sleep.  Eventually everyone fell asleep .... but pretty late!  I hope to get more sleep too!  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Two Month Check

Dearest Precious Children~

What a beautiful day it was today!  This weekend is suppose to be nice as well, so hopefully we'll be able to get out and enjoy the weather!  

Grace, today was your two month check up at the pediatrician's office.  I can't believe you're already two months old!  This time is really flying by .... too fast for me to keep up!  Here are your stats .... your head circumference is 38 cm .... your length is 22.5 inches .... and your weight is .... 11 lbs 10 ozs!  Whoa!  You go girl!  I was expecting something closer to 10.5 pounds so you exceeded my expectations!  

You did well today at your appointment.  You received a few shots and cried afterward.  I held you to calm you and you fell asleep in the car on the ride home.  Oh, you also peed on the examination table before the doctor came in.  :-P  The nurse helped me clean up.  And, the nurse said she 'loves' your hair!  ;-)

I had the MD look at your umbilical cord stump.  It's still attached and should have fallen off weeks ago!  We've been keeping it dry and placing alcohol around it at each diaper change.  She pulled it back and realized you had developed a granuloma and your stem cells in the umbilical cord were trying to regrow a cord!  So, she had to cauterize the area under it to stop the blood flow.  You don't have any nerves there, so it didn't hurt you, but you didn't like being held down.  It may take a few applications of her cauterizing the area before the stump falls off.  So, we have to see if it comes off over the weekend.  If not, I'll call the office on monday to get you back in.  Now, when you're a teenager and want all this 'independence' .... I hope you look back on this letter and remember that we literally had to 'cut the cord' twice because you didn't want to let go!  ;-)

We made a very quick trip to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner and breakfast.  It was getting close to feeding time for Grace, so I ran in and ran out!  We're making a lasagna for dinner and I'm hoping Joshua will eat some!

Joshua, you were playing with Mimi when Grace and I got home.  Mimi tried to give you part of an egg croissant, but you didn't eat much.  I fed you lunch as Mimi tried to give Grace a bottle.  You ate a pretty good lunch for me.  I made you a bowl of oatmeal that you gobbled and then a sippy cup.  I'm wondering if you're getting molars in and your gingiva is sore.  This might be way you're not eating as much solid foods.  I don't know. 

The bottle was a struggle!  I went upstairs to pump while Mimi was giving Grace a bottle.  Mimi tried for two hours to give Grace 4 oz.  By the time Mimi left at 2pm, she had taken 2 ozs.  Grace fell asleep for a little bit during that time from wearing herself out from crying.  Once Mimi left, Grace was screaming again.  I picked up Grace and the bottle .... within 15 minutes Grace had finished that bottle for me!  I believe Grace is getting use to me and I'm getting use to these bottles a little more (we're using different ones than the ones Joshua used .... these have different nipples to help with transition from breastfeeding to bottle feeding so the baby latches on differently).  Grace, you and I have developed little tricks to help .... so, now, other people have to learn these tricks to see if they can give you a bottle.  It helps if I walk around with you while feeding you.  If you sit and try to give you a bottle, you scream (which is what Mimi was doing).  You're also getting use to daddy and Gigi .... you didn't scream or cry once for her on wednesday!  This week, we'll let Penny practice with you.  If I'm alone, my preferred method is still to nurse you.  :-)

Once you finished your bottle, I ate my lunch.  It was about 2:30pm and I was starving!  Joshua, I drank one of your boost drinks .... it was a chocolate one that you don't like anyway.  ;-)

Joshua took a late nap and I woke him on purpose to he wouldn't sleep through dinner.  We don't need you sleeping through any meals little man!  You ate a good amount of lasagna for us!  Yippie!

However, Joshua, you really fought bed time again!  I don't know why you fight sleep so much!  I wish I could take naps and go to bed early!  :-P  Daddy read to us as I nursed Grace (daddy tried to give Grace a bottle earlier but she wasn't hungry and fell asleep).  Everyone eventually fell asleep very late at night.  :-P

Tomorrow is saturday and I hope we get to enjoy the weather and relax.  You two can help me with Gigi's gift for Mother's Day.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Power Outage

Dearest Little Blessings~

Ok, so here's the low down on your sleeping .... Joshua, you slept until 2am in your crib and Grace, you made it to 3am to eat.  :-P  Lets try not to be awake every hour for now on, ok?  ;-)

Joshua, you had an ok breakfast.  You ate some oatmeal and then took down a sippy cup.  You didn't want a lot for lunch, but you ate some spaghetti for dinner that I made.  

Grace, you did a little better with your practice bottles today.  I gave you one this afternoon and you took about 3 oz.  Daddy gave you one in the evening and you took about 4 oz.  We're still trying to figure out how much you eat because half the time you're wearing yourself out from crying.  :-P  We both tried a different bottle to see if it would make a difference.  You took both bottles relatively well .... you cried with both but still took both bottles just shy of an hour.  

Daddy had a power outage at work, so he got to work from home for the afternoon.  :-)  We had some heavy storms south east of here during the day, but the power outage wasn't related.  Also, Virginia recently got some tornadoes up near (Great) Aunt Pops.  Thankfully, she's ok, but she lost power and there were fatalities.  This weather had been crazy.  It was really windy all day today.  

I cut Grace's nails today and Joshua helped me with some chores.  We swept the kitchen floor, did you all's laundry, and checked the mail.  

I got to play with Grace as Joshua napped.  You are so cute and you cooed for me!  You're getting better with your tummy time and I can tell your neck muscles are getting stronger!  You still favor the right, but we're working on that each day.  Joshua and I sang songs to you to encourage you to go to your left.  :-)

Oh my goodness .... Grace, you had the biggest poopy diaper I have ever seen!  It could have gone in the record books!  ;-)  Joshua did not help me with that chore!  :-P

But, here's my really good news of the day .... I was able to take more maternity leave from work!  I explained to them that Grace is still struggling to take bottles so they canceled patients next week so we can continue to work with her.  Yippie!  I get to spend more time with you all!  They were really understanding at work, and since I have more weeks to take, it wasn't an issue for me to delay my return.  Nothing compares to being with you two!  :-)

We played in the bonus room this evening.  Daddy read to us in bed, though Joshua is really fighting bedtime now.  He finally went down at 11pm!  Grace, you didn't do much better .... you were up crying as well and daddy and I were so exhausted.  Hopefully we can catch up on some much needed sleep this weekend.  :-P

Grace, tomorrow is your two month pediatric appointment.  I'm interested in what you weigh now.  Also, we need the MD to take a look at your umbilical cord stump.  It should have fallen off by now so I hope everything's ok.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Better Day

Dearest Miracles~

Today was a much better day than yesterday, though to be honest, it couldn't really have been worse.  :-P 

Joshua, you are getting a lot faster when you walk!  Some times I almost think you're about to run!  Grace, you're able to wear some outfits that say '3 months' on the tag!  You two are growing up too fast!

Today was another warmer day.  And, it was cloudy and rainy.  Joshua helped me check the mail, but we didn't see the neighbor's dog out.  

We played in the bonus room in the morning.  By mid-morning, I pumped in preparation to giving Grace a bottle.  I learned yesterday that it was painful to pump afterward, though you can't always time it correctly.  I ran into these problems with Joshua.  I pumped all the time for him and would get stuck pumping at weird times of the day, both before and after giving a bottle.

Grace, you did ok with our bottle adventure.  I tried you on a different bottle than yesterday.  It still took lots of crying and time in order for you to latch on.  However, once you latched on, you played with it for a while just to soothe yourself.  Therefore, you didn't drink much and you kept falling asleep!  I had to keep waking you up so you would drink something.  After almost 2 hours, you had drank 3 oz!  During that 2 hour time span, I also had to feed Joshua, eat something myself, and change your diaper!  It was a busy 2 hours and got frustrating when I would put you down (since you would fall asleep) and then you would wake back up hungry just as I would be eating or trying to feed Joshua.  After that feeding, I ended up nursing you for your next meal.  :-P

Joshua and I then played together as Grace napped.  We rocked and sang songs together.  Joshua, you really fought a nap today, and I almost thought you just wouldn't take one at all!  You finally fell asleep at 4pm and took a one hour nap.  :-P  Grace woke up during that time and Gigi came over for the next bottle round.

Gigi was much more successful with the bottle than I was.  I'm guessing you're associating me with nursing, but there's no one else here during the day to try to give you a bottle.  :-P  You didn't fuss with Gigi and took the entire bottle (close to 4 oz), though you did fall asleep again during the middle of it.  I think it probably took you about an hour to actually finish the bottle.  That was encouraging.  I guess we'll keep trying.  I contacted my work to see if it was possible to take more time off.  I'm scheduled to go back next week (which would be 9 weeks off) and I believe I can take up to 12 weeks if needed.  So, we'll see what they say.  That would be great if I can squeeze in 3 more weeks with you both!!  And, that would give us more time to work with Grace.  ;-)

Daddy made some breakfast foods for dinner.  Joshua, you had a lot of pizza again and some oatmeal (which you poo-poo'ed at breakfast and lunch!)  I guess we found something that you like .... pizza!

Joshua, I gave you a much needed bath tonight and daddy clipped your nails.  Grace, you're next .... your nails are sharp again!  ;-)

We all played in the bonus room this evening, but still had trouble getting Joshua to bed at a reasonable hour.  Also, you're still waking up at around 2am from your crib.  Oh, and Grace, you've gone back to adding 3am to your feeding schedule.  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Everyone Crying

Dearest Precious Children~

Today was not the best of days .... we've all had better ones.  :-P  But, this adventure between the three of us is a learning process.

The day started out normal with breakfast.  I nursed Grace in bed before Joshua woke up.  Once she went back to sleep, I changed Joshua's diaper and took him downstairs for some oatmeal.  He ate about three and a half tablespoons and took a sippy cup.  

We played in the bonus room during the morning.  I let Joshua wander around to stretch his legs and we all looked out the window to see the neighbor's dog.  We had a brief rainstorm during the day, but for the most part it stayed pretty dry.  It was hot again and Joshua helped me check the mail.  

Since we need to be more diligent about Grace taking her bottles, I attempted one around 11am.  This was quite painful for everyone involved.  It was painful for poor little Grace since she's not use to bottles .... and it was painful for me due to the 'let downs' I was having with her crying.  My body wanted to naturally nurse her, and the more she cried the more painful it was.  :-P  It took a full hour of crying, walking, and rocking to get her to take 3 oz from a bottle.  I immediately pumped right after, so you have 5 more oz of milk in the freezer!  Joshua kept trying to play with the pump while I was using it, and to be honest, I was in no mode at this point from Grace's crying.  :-P

I then tried to give Joshua something for lunch.  He didn't eat much in the way of solid foods, but he took down an entire vanilla boost!  

After lunch, we played some more, but I didn't have long before I had to change and feed Grace again.  This time I nursed her thinking I could alternate feedings .... for everyone's sakes!  

Joshua went down for a nap as I nursed Grace.  I moved him onto a pillow with a little blanket once I knew Grace was fine.  I continued folding Grace for a while as she napped.  I read a little and then closed my eyes.  I was thinking of what to do for Gigi for Mother's Day.  I think I have an idea, so you two can help me out with that.  

Joshua was still napping when daddy got home.  We had some confusion when daddy got here because our neighbor drained their pond next door so the water was flowing onto our driveway and into the street.  Our other neighbor thought that we had a busted irrigation system, so we tried to find the busted piece not knowing it was the pond the whole time.  :-P  Long story short, daddy was able to turn the water off for the irrigation system anyway.  

We made a pizza for dinner and Joshua ate a LOT of it!  He almost ate an entire slice by himself!  I was feeding Joshua as daddy tried to give Grace her next bottle.  This bottle was disastrous!  Grace kept crying and crying and gagging on the bottle.  Then, I tried with the same result.  I was getting frustrated since she took 3 oz earlier.  Finally, after working herself up so much (at this point it had been at least an hour), poor little Grace threw up.  This was the straw that broke the camel's back for me .... my patience snapped and I had to walk away for my own sanity.  I took Grace upstairs, changed her outfit, and then just nursed her in the play room.

I don't know how to resolve this issue any time soon.  I've tried four different bottles and three different nipples (with different sizes and shapes).  I guess we just have to keep practicing, but it's just so painful for everyone.  In a perfect world, I wouldn't have to go back to work and this wouldn't be an issue.  But, with work around the corner, you'll need to be able to eat for Penny.  :-P

Daddy ended up going to his soccer game.  I called your Gigi and spoke to her about what to do.  Once I finished the phone call, I took Joshua into the nursery to change his diaper, put him in his pajamas, and to brush his teeth.  I then came back into the play room and Grace threw up again!  Ugh!

I gave Grace a sponge bath on the changing table, and placed Joshua in the crib next to me so I could see him.  This started a long crying session for Joshua.  He cried the entire time I gave Grace a bath and put her in a new outfit.  I then put Grace down to get something to drink.  She then started crying as well.

I walked into the bedroom and brushed my teeth.  The entire time I could hear both of you two crying and crying.  I was so tired at this point and defeated that I started crying.  It wasn't until 10pm that daddy was home, showered, and helping me to get you two in bed.  Joshua fell asleep around 11pm.  Needless to say, I did not even get a shower today.

I have to apologize to you two for my behavior.  I was so frustrated, tired, and worn out by the end of today with the bottles and constant crying.  There's really only so much one can take and listen to.  I'm sure there will be many more frustrating days in the future, but we'll get through them.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Stressful Evening

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Well, you didn't make it in your crib as long as sunday, Joshua.  You made it to about 1am or 2am.  Then, you noodled into our bed.  Grace, you slept pretty well though.  I nursed you about 3 hours after at 5am.  

We had fun together today.  It was another hot day, so we had the air on.  The play room gets hotter than the other rooms since it's over the garage, so we also had the ceiling fan on, which Joshua likes to point at.  He walked all around the play room, but almost tugged the strings right off the acoustic guitar!  Perhaps we need to put these instruments back in their cases?  :-P

Our neighbor's dog, Buddha, was out today.  He barked at Joshua and me as we checked the mail.  ;-P  Oh, almost forgot .... Joshua, you had a pretty good breakfast this morning.  You ate a lot of oatmeal  (almost 5 tablespoons) and then took a sippy cup.  At 11am, I took you back downstairs for a boost.  You almost drank the whole thing!  I was surprised!  I was anticipating you drinking it over the course of the day, but you took it down little man!  Unfortunately, that means you didn't eat that much for lunch.  You ate come chicken and some crackers, but then didn't want any more. 

Grace fell asleep during one of her tummy time exercises.  I let her sleep and just watched her to make sure she was ok.  It's ok for little babies to nap on their bellies, but for bedtime they need to be on their backs to help prevent SIDS.  This has changed from a generation ago.  When I was a baby, I was placed on my belly.  :-P

I rocked and sang with Joshua as Grace napped.  Once she woke up, I nursed her and Joshua went down for a nap.  As I was nursing Grace, she eventually fell asleep too.  I continued to hold her and read while the two of you all slept.  Then, I closed my eyes for a little since I was tired from all the people waking up early this morning.  ;-)

Mimi and Grandpa Mike are back in town after a trip to Arizona.  The wanted to come and see you all and were here around 5pm.  You all were just barely getting up from naps and I was in the middle of changing Joshua's diaper when the doorbell rang.  Grace, you were in the crib and getting hungry.  I was just about finished changing Joshua when they then knocked on the door.  I was rushing to answer (we weren't expecting company until at least 6pm) and Joshua went off to play downstairs with Mimi and Grandpa Mike.  I went back upstairs to change Grace's diaper and then to nurse her.  

Daddy got home a little after 6pm.  Mimi and Joshua had gone through his Easter basket and were eating animal crackers.  Grace was then getting fussy.  Daddy was hungry, I was hungry, and Joshua was getting hungry.  :-P  Since there was no plan (and about 6:30pm at this point), we placed Joshua in his highchair and started to feed him dinner.  He ate some chicken and a little of the potato casserole.  Then, he drank a sippy cup.  By this time, Grace had calmed down, but I knew we wouldn't make it through a dinner without having to feed her.  But, following orders, we packed you two up and took you out for dinner.  :-P  

It was getting late and Grace started to stir at 7:20pm.  She started crying and then had a poopy diaper.  Restaurants (I have come to learn) do not always have changing tables .... I couldn't tell you how many times I've changed Joshua in the back on my car!  So, there Grace went for a diaper change.  I ended up nursing her in the car (we're getting better at this little lady) at 7:40pm (the food still had not come to our table).  

Nursing Grace in the car was the first quiet time we had for a few hours, so I actually didn't mind it.  However, I did mind being out late with you two and getting you all off your evening schedules and missing dinner.  At this time, you two should have already been in your pajamas!  Ugh!  I ended up 'inhaling' my dinner in the kitchen around 8:30pm and finally being able to take a shower at 9pm.  

By 9:30pm, I was back nursing Grace and daddy was reading to Joshua in bed.  He fell asleep after 10pm.  Most toddlers go to bed about 2 hours prior to that, so we need to find a better night time routine and stick to it.  And, we honestly need to stop taking you all out late at night too.  That just adds to the confusion.  For example, we were suppose to try to give Grace a bottle this evening, and obviously, that did not happen. 

Needless to say, this evening was pretty stressful.  I had a headache by 10pm and daddy and I were both exhausted.  Hopefully tomorrow will go a little smoother.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Easter Sunrise

Dearest Precious Gifts~

Happy Easter!!  The Lord has risen indeed!  :-)  

At Easter, we celebrate God’s ultimate gift of Grace .... sending His son to redeem a hurt and fractured world. No life is too far gone for God’s restoration.  In fact, it’s in the messiest of situations when God often does His best work!  

Grace, did I ever tell you what your name meant?  Grace means 'favor' or 'blessing' but I like to think of it as God's Riches At Christ's Expense!  Your middle name, Elizabeth, means 'God' promise' or 'God is my oath.'  She was the mother of John the Baptist in the Bible.  My middle name, and Gigi's middle name, is Grace.  Daddy actually thought of 'Grace Elizabeth' and I loved the meaning.  ;-)

We had two Easter miracles occur this morning .... Grace slept for 6 hours and Joshua slept in his crib past 8am this morning!  Woo hoo!  Plus, when he woke up, he didn't cry.  He played with Scout.  I don't think he cried because he saw daddy walking around though.  But, in any event, it was wonderful to see Joshua sleeping in there for so long!

Grace, I nursed you at 5am.  Then, I held you for a little bit.  Once I knew you were ok (wouldn't get the hiccups and would stay sleeping) I placed you back in the bassinet and went to pump.  I got to see an Easter sunrise!  Also, I've been able to pump once a day for the past 3 days.  I think I may have enough for one day's worth of milk in the freezer for you!  ;-)

We went to church this morning and even had 10 minutes to spare in getting there!  We met Grandpa Jim there and everyone loved seeing you two!  This was the first time we've made it to church since Grace was born!  Grace, you got to meet Fr. Gibson .... he baptized daddy and Joshua and married us!  He'll baptize you as well one day!  :-)

After church, we ate lunch with Gigi and Uncle James.  They came over and brought a little Easter basket over for you all.  Gigi brought over a different bottle for us to try for Grace.  Joshua got some cookies and Grace got an outfit with hearts on it.  :-)

Gigi helped me try to give Grace a bottle this afternoon.  You cried and cried little lady.  And, you kept falling asleep and wearing yourself out.  But, then you'd wake back up crying again because you'd be hungry.  :-P  Finally, Gigi was successful in giving you two little bottles each two ozs.  One was 2 oz of formula and one was 2 oz of mommy milk.  We wanted to see if you didn't like the liquid, or just didn't like the bottles .... you don't like bottles!  

As we were finishing the bottles, Grandpa Jim came over.  He had gone to Asheboro to see your Great Grandparents.  They had a grill they weren't using too much and Grandpa Jim brought it over for us!  Wasn't that nice!  So, we now have a nice grill on our back deck!  We'll have to get some meat and try it out soon.  I can't wait!  ;-)

Joshua, I made a potato casserole again for dinner.  You ate a good amount with daddy and I.  Afterward, we watched more of our Narnia movie.  We didn't finish it though because we tried to give Grace another bottle this evening.  It took a while, but she finally took 2 oz from daddy, but only if he walked at the same time.  She cried and cried for me when I tried sitting down. 

Tomorrow, daddy doesn't have a soccer game, so we'll be able to spend the evening together as a family!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Toilet Locked

Dearest Miracles~

Today was a beautiful day, so of course we had to go out and enjoy it!  We ran an errand to Target this morning.  Grace, I carried you around on me in the infant carrier.  Joshua, you sat in the chart with daddy.  We had to get a few groceries, but there were some other things on the list that we wanted to check one .... one thing being bottles for Grace.  We've been having trouble giving you bottles little lady since you're so use to nursing.  We found a bottle today that had a different shaped nipple that is suppose to help babies go from nursing to bottles.  And, the baby should still be able to nurse even after taking a bottle.  I want to be able to nurse you on days when I'm home from work.  But, when I'm gone on wednesdays and thursdays, you'll need to be able to take a bottle for Penny.  

So, we ended up buying this new bottle and testing you this evening.  Boy, did you fuss and fuss!  It's also a learned process for daddy and I too, so we all need to be patient, and we can't give up.  You took one bottle this evening, but it was a true struggle and I hate hearing you cry little lady. 

After Target, daddy made some pumpkin bread while I nursed Grace.  Uncle Brennan and Aunt Katie came by to visit for a little afterward.  You showed them your sandbox.  Grace got fussy, but eventually calmed down.  I did a few chores around the house, including putting a child lock on the toilet lid in the bathroom near the nursery.  Joshua some times wanders in there when I change Grace.  We keep the toilet lids down anyway because of the cat, but Joshua's now getting to the point where he can lift them.  And, any source of water for a toddler, baby, or child is dangerous.  So, we locked the lid to that one for now.  The downstairs bathroom generally has the door closed at all times, and you two hardly ever go in the master bathroom.  So, we'll need to see if we need to lock the other ones. 

I did you all's laundry today since someone kept throwing up yesterday!  :-P  Speaking of which, Grace appeared fine today and didn't have any throw up incidents during the day or evening.  :-)  Yippie!

Oh, Grace I almost forgot .... you slept another 5 hours last night!  Good job!  This is becoming more of a habit.  I hope it continues.  Joshua, you need to start sleeping through the night a little better too!  :-P  Grace, we did lots of tummy time with you today and stretched your neck to the left.  You're getting better and fell asleep to the left a few times.  But, when doing tummy time, you still have a hard time moving from right to left, whereas going from left to right is a piece of cake!

Joshua drank another boost today and it was strawberry.  So, the vanilla and strawberry are a hit, whereas the chocolate was a bust.  :-P  We bought some more vanilla at the store today.  Also, you ate more chicken nuggets for lunch.  Daddy made some turkey burgers for dinner and you ate a little bit of that, but you mostly ate chicken then as well.

We started the Narnia movie 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' this evening, but we only got through 15 minutes before we had to try Grace on her bottle, and that took a hour.  :-P  So, we'll try again tomorrow to see if we can get through more.

Daddy read to us again tonight as I nursed Grace.  Tomorrow's suppose to be nice .... and it's Easter!   

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Good Friday

Dearest Precious Gifts~

Well, Holy Week is coming to an end and today is Good Friday.  Today is the day that Jesus Christ died on the cross, but then He rose again in three days (Easter).  Most churches have services today, but we didn't go since we were seeing family.  We'll be at church on Easter sunday though.  :-)

Wow!  Grace, good job!  You slept 5 hours last night again!  Woo hoo!  Perhaps this is a new thing for you?  Now, if you could teach Joshua how to sleep that long.  He made it one and a half hours in his crib.  :-P

This morning we all played.  I walked Joshua all around the house and we looked out the window to see the neighbor's dog.  We didn't see him though because it was raining.  It was rainy and cool all day today.  

Before lunch, Gigi and Uncle James came over.  They helped feed you two and get you all ready to head to (Great) Uncle Laurence's house for an Easter egg hunt (obviously to be done indoors due to the weather).  We were suppose to be there at 1pm and we were right on track until we loaded everyone in the cars.  We put Joshua with Gigi and Uncle James rode with Grace and I.  As soon as we put Grace in the car .... she threw up!  And, it wasn't a little spit up either.  It was a lot!  All over herself and the carseat.  :-P  Yuck!  So, back in the house we went to clean and change Grace.  Gigi went on with Joshua.  We followed once we got Grace situated again.  ;-)  Grace, you never cried or fussed, so I wasn't sure why you threw up.  You just sat there before and after throwing up. 

We had fun at (Great) Uncle Laurence's house.  Joshua, you had fun playing with cousins Erik, Mia, and Charlie.  Grace, you slept for a little bit before getting hungry.  Once you got hungry, Gigi gave you a bottle (we're still trying to give you at least one a day to get you use to them).  You fussed and fussed, but you eventually drank it.  :-P  Once I knew you were ok with the bottle, I went upstairs and pumped to keep my milk supply.  Grace, this was your fourth bottle.  

Joshua, you had fun wit the egg hunt!  You showed everyone how you can walk all around, pick up the eggs, and put them in the basket!  You threw most of them, but you managed to get 20 in your basket!  And, Grace, you got one too!  Your (Great) Aunt Beth had eggs that looked like animals for you guys, so Grace's egg was a chicken.  ;-)

Joshua, you also took a late nap.  You fell asleep at 4pm on (Great) Aunt Marti as Mia read to you.  You didn't sleep long though, especially since we needed to head back home and pack you up.  

Gigi and Uncle James stayed with us for dinner.  Daddy got home a little late and then we picked up Chinese food.  Joshua, we ordered you some chicken nuggets and you ate two big pieces (daddy cut them into little pieces of course).  Good job!  Also, we've learned that you do not like the chocolate flavored boost drinks.  I thought every child would drink chocolate, but oh well!  You'll drink the vanilla though.

Grace, I don't know what happened to you today, but you threw up again this evening!  You were in your swing and just started to throw up like you did this morning.  Daddy gave you a quick sponge bath and changed you as I took apart the swing to wash it.  Gigi read to Joshua.  Again, you didn't fuss or cry, and you were fine afterward.  I took your temperature and you had no fever.  I hope you feel better tomorrow.  

This evening daddy read to us in bed again.  I nursed Grace next to Joshua.  Tomorrow is suppose to be nicer.  It's still going to be cloudy, but at least it's not suppose to rain like today.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

A Lot Done

Dearest Little Angels~

We got a lot of chores done today while Penny was here helping!  First off, Joshua .... you ate more for breakfast this morning!  You almost finished your bowl of oatmeal with whole milk and you completely finished your sippy cup!  Woo hoo!

I was nursing Grace when Penny walked in.  Oh, Grace, almost forgot .... you slept pretty well this morning.  I believe it was close to 5 hours!  

It rained a little this morning so it was cooler outside.  Joshua, you still got to walk around though once the sun came out.  You and Penny got to see Buddha and go to the park.  Later in the day, you walked with me to the mailbox.  :-)  I finished more 'thank you' cards today so you helped me deliver them!  :-)

I got a lot of chores done this morning.  I did three loads of laundry, swept and vacuumed the master bedroom, changed out my night stand for an end table downstairs (I wanted something with more space for the pictures I have of you two), and I organized and dusted some of the books and shelves in the play room.  Oh, I also moved a rolling cart into the nursery so I can organize Grace's clothes better.  I still need to see what she still fits into though.  ;-)

We all spend some time on the screened porch.  We had fun watching Joshua dance around .... kick the soccer ball ... and play in the sand box.  Grace napped.  ;-)  Penny brought over an Easter card for us and a little basket with eggs in it!  The eggs had gold fish crackers for Joshua!  

I had to rock Joshua to get him to go down for his afternoon nap.  Then, I held him for a while as Grace napped too.  :-)  I didn't have long to hold him though since Grace got hungry.  But, I enjoyed holding him and rocking him as long as I could!

Joshua, you must have heard that the pediatrician wants you to eat more .... you actually ate a lot today.  You didn't eat a variety, but you at least ate!  For breakfast, you had three tablespoons of cereal and a sippy cup.  For lunch, you had some pasta and a sippy cup.  And, for dinner, you had six tablespoons of cereal, part of a pancake, and a sippy cup!  Good job little man!

Joshua took a longer nap this afternoon.  So, I folded all the laundry then and played with Grace.  You're getting stronger with your tummy times, though you still favor the right.  If I put your head to the left, you can easily lift your head up and move to the right.  If your head is to the right, you tend to keep it there instead of going to the left.  So, I've been trying the neck exercises that I had to do with Joshua.  You fuss, but we need to get it done.

Daddy got home late again .... he's been covering for another person at the office this week so he's been busy.  We got to relax in the play room this evening.

Grace, I gave you another bottle this evening.  It was a small 2 oz bottle.  After much fussing, you finally took it!  We're just going to have to keep practicing.  This was only your third bottle.  Each time we have to go slow because you gag on the bottle. 

I put Grace in a cute outfit this evening .... it says 'Mommy's Sunshine' like the song that we sing together!  It's a 'newborn' outfit so it was a little short, but you've never worn it yet so I wanted to put it on you for fun!  ;-)

Tomorrow is Good Friday and the Wilmington folks are going into town.  Your (Great) Aunt Beth wants to do an Easter egg hunt, so I'm sure we'll get together with them.  Joshua, do you remember getting Easter eggs last year?  It may rain, so we'll see how the weather holds out.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Woof Woof

Dearest Blessings~

Today we had a fun morning with Penny!  And, Uncle Brennan showed up to visit as well.  He needed to borrow the lawn mover (which isn't even ours .... we're borrowing it from Grandpa Mike!) so he came mid afternoon to pick it up and see you all.  Joshua, you showed Penny and Uncle Brennan how you can walk and play in the grass.  You all went up to the neighbor's fence and saw the dog, Buddha, too!  He barked at you all and Joshua apparently tried to copy Buddha back!  Penny and Uncle Brennan said that Joshua kept saying 'woof woof' when Buddha would bark!  How precious!  I missed it because I was inside watching and nursing Grace.  But, I'm sure he'll do it again for daddy and I.  :-)

Joshua, you've started to wave more.  For a while there you stopped waving, but now you're doing it again.  :-)  Also, you and I sang together .... we sang your 'nanana' song as I nursed Grace.  :-)

Grace, we all tried to help you with your tummy time today.  Penny and I were on either side of you encouraging you to turn your head.  Joshua even tried to help though it eventually went off to play with a toy.  :-P

Today was such a hot day!  We had the air conditioner on during the day and the ceiling fans.  The play room gets hotter since it's over the garage.  So, I wanted to make sure you all weren't getting too hot as you napped and played.

Grace, I gave you a nice little bath this evening.  Your hair got all fluffy again.  It was so cute!  ;-)

Daddy got home late again from work.  We had dinner already made though .... chicken and pasta.  Plus, Joshua actually ate some pasta with us!  You didn't eat much of a lunch so I was so happy!

Daddy read to us at bedtime again.  Joshua, you're still not sleeping in your crib during the night.  You make it to about 2am and then start crying.  :-P

Grace, I tried giving you a little bottle again this evening.  This time it wasn't so smooth .... you fussed, wined, complained, and cried.  Daddy had to put you in your swing for you to calm down!  Then, once you were out of the swing, I just nursed you, though I don't know if you really ate anything, or just soothed yourself with me.  I guess we'll try again tomorrow.

I got really depressed today when I sat down and started thinking about going back to work and leaving you two.  This has been such a blessing to be home with you both.  I go back to work in two weeks!  I was cooking dinner and got sad!  Joshua was playing and Grace was crying because she was getting hungry.  I actually smiled and enjoyed all the noise around me!  I will miss it in two weeks .... I love you two so much!  I wish I had more time with you both!  At least I'll only be gone for two days a week. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you so much!  :-)

~Mommy

18 Month Check Up

Dearest Miracles~

Today was a busier morning.  Joshua had his 18 month pediatric appointment at 9:30am.  So, I had to get everyone changed, dressed, fed, and loaded in the car by about 8:50am to make it there on time with traffic.  Daddy was a big help though since he changed Joshua before heading to work.  :-)

Grace slept through most of the appointment.  She got a little fussy towards the end .... but so was Joshua.  And, to be honest, I was getting a little anxious myself!  We were there for over an hour, which is always a long time to be in a little room with two kids and no real toys.  :-P

Joshua, you got one shot today, but you did pretty well with it.  You're 31 inches tall, but only 20.5 pounds.  You're tiny!  The pediatrician was concerned about your weight, which we are too!  She gave us some supplements for your to drink each day (a children's 'boost' drink) and also wants us to see a speech therapist and food aversion therapist.  I told her how you don't eat very well.  You hardly take any bites of food that we place in front of you.  You'll mostly just eat oatmeal, crackers, and yogurt .... though recently you haven't been eating the yogurt either.  I'm wondering if this is also related to you not sleeping by yourself too?  Are all these things related?  She wants the speech therapist to check your swallowing and gag reflex.  Also, the MD was concerned about your talking since you're not saying a lot of words.  You use to say 'dada', 'mama', 'nana', and 'buddy' a lot, but now you don't.  So, it appears we're going from one therapy to another with you Joshua!  ;-)

I got to play a lot with Grace as Joshua napped this afternoon.  Grace, you can follow me with your eyes.  We did a lot of tummy time .... no, you don't like it, but it's for your own good!  And, we sang together!  You smiled and 'cooed' for me!  :-)  It was so precious!

Grace, I gave you your second bottle this evening.  I was slack sunday and monday so you didn't get bottles those days, but you need to keep practicing.  Your first bottle was 4 oz (remember Gigi gave it to you on saturday).  This evening, I gave you a 2 oz bottle (still formula since I don't have much milk in the freezer for you).  You had a big burp for me afterward!  I didn't like giving you a bottle, but you need to get use to it for Penny.  It was a slow start, but you eventually took it.

Daddy was home late this evening.  I made a pizza for dinner, but burned part of it.  Grrr!  But, we all ate it .... even Joshua!  Woo hoo!  After dinner we all went out to grocery store to pick up some items.  We got some of the kid boost drinks for Joshua.  I'll start him on that tomorrow.  This was just a quick trip to the store though ... Grace got fussy so I ended up walking around with her in the parking lot and talking to Joshua as he sat in his car seat as daddy ran in.  

Joshua had some ice cream with us this evening.  We'll give him anything to increase his weight!  Then, daddy read to us at bedtime.  Joshua sat with daddy in bed as I gave Grace the bottle and then held her. 

Tomorrow Penny's coming over.  The weather is suppose to be nice so I'm sure we'll go walking.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Discharged

Dearest Blessings~

What a busy day!  First, I had an OB appointment and then Joshua had his physical therapy appointment.  Grace, you had no appointments, but you had to be present for both of them!  ;-)

My OB appointment was my last follow up visit.  And, I don't need to go back for another year!  Since I didn't think Joshua would like being contained in a stroller and the exam rooms are small, I had Uncle James come over to watch Joshua when I was gone.  I was only gone for about 45 minutes (short appointment) so you two couldn't get into that much trouble!  ;-)  The MD said everything looked fine and I was healed!  Woo hoo!  The MD also said that Grace looked 'like an angel' as she slept in the corner.  You cried at the last appointment, remember?  Before we walked in, you actually had the hiccups so I had to rock you and walk around with you in the parking lot.  Then, once you were calm, I put you back in the car seat and went to my appointment.  You fell asleep in the waiting room.  Good job little lady!  ;-)

As I was gone, Uncle James walked all around the house with Joshua.  You two made a 'fort' out of the couch cushions and looked out the window at the neighbor's dog.  You two had cartoons on when Grace and I got back home.

We drove Uncle James back since he was dropped off by Gigi (who visited for a little bit before going to work).  We saw so much debris on the roads and in subdivisions from the tornadoes over the weekend.  I heard on the news that 4 children were killed.  That's so heartbreaking!  I can't even imagine what those families are going through.  I'm so grateful that you two are healthy and safe!

I thought I had enough time to take Uncle James back with no problems, since you two were content  when I got home .... but, Grace started to cry as we drove and continued to cry during the entire trip.  :-P  And, of course, I hit every red light imaginable on that drive!  Plus, you wouldn't believe it .... but we also got stopped by a train!  Ugh!  It was miserable!  :-P

Once back home, everyone had a quick diaper change and Joshua had a sippy cup.  I nursed Grace and everyone was content for a while.  

Eliza came over for Joshua's physical therapy.  Remember how you didn't want to walk on grass by yourself yesterday at the park?  Well, you not only walked for Eliza on the grass, you crawled, played, and picked up toys on the grass!  You picked up toys from standing without getting to your knees.  You stood by yourself!  You never cried!  You were throwing a ball around on the grass and then chasing it!  I was so impressed and proud!  You also had good neck rotations.  So .... you got discharged from physical therapy!  There are still things that we need to practice, but you don't need intervention with a therapist anymore!  Woo hoo!  We all gave Eliza a hug before she left and thanked her for all the work she's done over the past year with you!  You started therapy on May 7th 2010 and finished today!  If we notice any problems in the future, we're free to call her, but I'm praying we won't need to.  You go back to the Special Infant Care Clinic in July to see the neonatologists again.  Hopefully they won't find anything either.

Joshua, you had a late nap (I did some chores, read, and cleaned a toilet .... fun times!) and late dinner.  Daddy got home late from work and helped feed Joshua since I ended up nursing Grace.  We had breakfast foods for dinner and Joshua had some eggs.  :-)  Afterward, we finished the 'Great Muppet Caper' and then relaxed.  :-)

Tomorrow is Joshua's 18 month check up with the pediatrician.  We'll she what she says about your eating and weight.  I wish you'd eat more!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Grass

Dearest Precious Children~

Today we tried to relax and enjoy the day since we were in a car a lot yesterday.  After we all had breakfast and got ready for the day, we made a quick trip to Target to pick up some things.  However, we didn't time our trip just right because Grace started to cry halfway to the store.  Daddy ended up taking Joshua into Target to pick up the supplies while I stayed in the car with Grace and nursed her.  She also had a poopy diaper, but, of course we didn't have anything since we thought we would run in and run out fast!  I should have known there's no such thing as a quick trip with you two!

You two had a lot of laundry build up, so we ran a load today.  Daddy also gave Joshua a nice bath.  :-)

Grace, I have some news for you .... you're officially too big for newborn clothes!  I tried to put you in a 'newborn' onesie and it wouldn't button because you were too long.  You're growing too fast little lady!  I couldn't believe it!  We have some outfits that have tags that say '0-3 months' which you can wear.  :-)

We all went to the park this afternoon.  Joshua, you had fun in the swing and watching all the other children.  We walked you around on the wood chips and the grass, but you wouldn't walk on them by yourself.  In fact, Joshua started to cry on the grass if we let go of him!  We walked some more on it and he eventually went to his knees and touched the grass.  I think you got less scared as you played with it, but you were still very hesitant.  But, you did walk on the sidewalk by yourself! 

This evening Grandpa Mike came over and we all went out for some burgers for dinner.  Joshua, you ate some of my burger and some french fries.  Grace, you got fussy during dinner and I had to pick you up and hold you, rock you, and walk with you.  

This brings me to another point little lady .... you don't soothe yourself very well.  I think you're trying to suck your thumb and fingers, but you haven't gotten the hang of it yet and get frustrated.  You won't take a pacifier, so the only thing that will calm you is if you suck on me like you're nursing.  We're going to have to work on that because you're getting into a habit of being fussy from 6pm to midnight unless I'm there for you.  I can hardly take a 5 minute shower without you crying and crying with daddy. 

Daddy and I had some ice cream back at the house after dinner.  Joshua, you had a few bites with us.  :-)  As we ate ice cream, we started to watch 'The Great Muppet Caper' on television.  We started to fall asleep, so we'll finish it tomorrow.

Joshua, you'll see Eliza tomorrow for physical therapy.  I think she'll be impressed with your standing, walking, and bending over to pick up toys.  You never know .... perhaps you'll be discharged?  We'll see!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

First Bottle

Dearest Miracles~

Happy one and a half years to Joshua!  You sure are getting old!  Before you know it, you'll be two!  ;-)

Today was a busy day!  We all got up relatively early and got ready for our big adventure to Asheboro.  Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James were here around 8am.  Joshua was still finishing his breakfast and we were finishing packing the diaper bags.  We packed two bags because Grace rode with daddy and I, while Joshua rode with everyone else.  Joshua's bag was in one car while we kept Grace's bag.  

You all have Great Grandparents in Asheboro (Grandpa Jim's parents) and Grace has never met them.  Joshua, you've met them before and have been to their house, but it's been a while.  We were suppose to see them over Christmas, but then we got that snow and ice storm.  

We got to Asheboro by mid morning and everyone immediately got a diaper change!  :-P  Then, Grace got hungry.  Remember, little lady, how I said you'll need to drink from a bottle soon?  Well, today was your very first bottle!  I didn't bring any milk with me since I didn't have much in the freezer (you haven't given me time to pump recently), so I had to give you 'newborn' formula.   Joshua was smaller when he had his first formula bottle.  We watched you throughout the day to make sure you had no reactions. Gigi actually gave you the bottle and I pumped at the same time.  You fussed at first but eventually drank from it.  We'll have to keep practicing with them so that you won't fuss with Penny.  You got hungry a few hours later and I nursed you then.  :-)  I'm still going to nurse you during the day, but we'll get daddy to give you a bottle each day too so you can continue to practice.  I'll pump at the same time to keep my milk supply up for you.  :-)

Your (Great) Aunt Pops also drove down to see you two!  We celebrated Great Grandpa's birthday and opened Christmas gifts that we didn't get to before.  :-)  Grace, you got a pretty pink blanket and Joshua, you got a singing story book.  :-)

We left Asheboro after Grace's second feeding so as not to get caught in the car with her crying.  There was a nasty band of weather moving through the state so we waited for that to go through as well.  However, we ended up catching it as we drove.

We caught the storm just outside Apex and I couldn't see the car in front of me even with my windshield wipers going at the highest speed they could go!  Of course, I pulled over and we waited a good 20 minutes for the heavy rain to die down.  Daddy checked the weather as we were waiting and a tornado had touched down in downtown Raleigh!  I was scared!  The other car was ahead of us with Joshua in there!  Once we got back on the road, we had to go slow into Raleigh.  There were trees down and power lines down.  Street lights weren't working as we drove so people had to be careful.  

We all finally made it back to our house a little before 5pm.  Everyone immediately had a diaper change and Grace was hungry.  ;-)  The change in weather was amazing!  The sun came out for a little before setting, but you all should see the pictures on the news of all the damage!  Also, at least two dozen lives were lost across the state from this storm and the tornado.  We said a little prayer for the families.  

Daddy made a pizza for dinner and Joshua ate quite a bit.  :-)  This evening, we relaxed in the bonus room and watched some Muppets.  Tomorrow we'll probably relax some.  It's suppose to be beautiful, so we might go up to the park for a little while.  :-)

I'm so happy you all got to see your Great Grandparents and (Great) Aunt Pops, and that everyone remained safe on the drive back. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Taxes Done

Dearest Little Gifts~

Today we were a little sluggish in getting ready for the day.  My original intention was to get out the door and go to the store this morning and stop by to see Grandpa Jim.  I needed to put the taxes in the mail today and had a question for him.  I called him on the phone and ended up getting the taxes in the mail before the mailman came.  We never got our act together to go to the store though.  By the time I had finished feeding Joshua breakfast and changed his outfit, Grace was hungry again.  So, I fed her and then didn't have a lot of time before lunch.  So, I decided to stay here with you all and just relax.  The things on our list weren't imperative, and daddy said he wouldn't mind going to the store too. 

I let Joshua walk all around the upstairs and downstairs today.  He's pulling himself up more to stand, but his preferred method is still to pull up on furniture or walls.  Today was a pretty day, so Joshua walked with me to the mailbox a few times.  I did some more 'thank you' cards and put those in the mail with the taxes.

Grace, we did more tummy time today.  You're getting stronger everyday!  You can lift and clear your head from right to left and then back again.  But, daddy and I noticed that you tend to favor the right side, which is what Joshua did when younger.  That worries me a little since he developed the mild torticollis and needed the helmet due to the flat spot.  So, I've been trying to move your head in each direction every time you fall asleep.  You get mad at me, but it's for your own good.  ;-)

Joshua, this afternoon, once I nursed Grace and put her down, I noticed you rubbing your eyes.  I picked you up and rocked with you.  You ended up falling asleep on me (after fighting sleep for a little bit).  I held you for a while and just enjoyed the moment since I don't always get to hold you like that.  I'm usually rocking or feeding Grace as you play.  It was so nice to hold you as you slept.  While you were snoring, I asked you if you remembered falling asleep on me just weeks prior when I was pregnant with Grace .... you would fall asleep and she would kick you!  ;-)

After rocking you in the chair, I sat down on the couch with you.  You continued sleeping as I read.  After a while, I closed my eyes too and got to rest until I put you down on a pillow to go feed Grace.  Joshua ended up waking up once I put him down.  But, he continued playing as I nursed Grace.

We made chicken for dinner.  We still had some potatoes left and we finished those tonight as well.  Joshua, you ate more potatoes for us, so I'll have to make more later since I know you like them!  :-)

Everyone played and relaxed in the bonus room this evening.  I prepacked the diaper bags a little today to prepare for our trip tomorrow.  Grandpa Jim, Gigi, and Uncle James are coming over in the morning.  Then, we're all heading to Asheboro to see your Great Grandparents!  Everyone's excited to see you both, and I'm sure you two are excited to go on a road trip and see them.  ;-) 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Another Birthday

Dearest Precious Children~

Today is your Great-Grandfather's birthday!  We're going to see him this saturday to celebrate!  Also, we have Christmas gifts for them that we still haven't delivered.  ;-)  We called and left a message on their answering machine singing 'Happy Birthday' to him.

Joshua, you woke up earlier today.  Yesterday you weren't really up and moving until 9am!  And to think on tuesday we were all dressed and ready for the day and in the mall at 9:15am!  ;-)  This morning, I had already given you some cereal with whole milk, a sippy cup, changed two diapers, and changed your outfit before Penny got here.  ;-)

Penny took Joshua all around the house today.  We're going to keep practicing walking on the sidewalk and grass since he appears to be scared by himself.  He had to hang on to Penny the entire time, even though he knows how to walk.  Joshua also had a fun time playing in the sandbox this morning.  I sat out there in the screened porch watching while holding Grace.  She had gotten the hiccups and freaked out!  Little lady, every time you get the hiccups you start crying uncontrollably!  They really scare you!  Once I picked you up and walked with you, you settled down and they went away.  Then, you fell asleep in my arms as we played with Joshua.  

Joshua, you took an early and short nap!  You fell asleep a little before noon and Penny placed you in the crib.  Once she left, I rocked Grace for a little bit and then I heard you crying about 45 minutes later!  So, I brought you into the play room with us.  I thought you might go back to sleep since I rubbed your back and placed you on a pillow.  But, you got up and started to play with your toys.  :-)  For a brief moment in all that, both of you all were asleep so no one helped me check the mail today.  But it was beautiful out there so I'm glad Joshua was able to get out and walk all around.  Grace, you and I got out too, but we stayed on the deck until you got hungry.

Grace, you're doing well with your tummy time and getting stronger.  You're also eating all the time and I'm worried I won't be able to keep up with you and your hunger!  I might have to start supplementing you, which I don't want to do.  However, I don't want you to be hungry all the time.  I need to try you on a bottle soon anyway because you'll need to be able to eat from a bottle for Penny.  I don't have enough milk pumped since I haven't had time to pump for weeks, so I'll have to try you on a formula bottle.  This will also give me a chance to see if you have any reactions.  I looked back on these letters to see how old and big Joshua was before he had formula.  Joshua was 14 weeks and 2 days old and 8 lbs 4 ozs.  However, with his corrected age, he would have been 4 weeks and 2 days.  Grace, you're almost 7 weeks and you've got to be close to 9.5 lbs.  Perhaps 10 lbs?  I weighed myself today and then weighed myself again holding each of you two .... there was a 21 lb difference with Joshua and 10 lb difference with Grace .... though I don't know how accurate that is.  :-P  If accurate, then Grace is half Joshua's weight!  ;-)  Anyway, by the time I test you on a formula bottle (maybe this weekend?) Grace will be older and bigger than Joshua was.

We had bacon, eggs, and more potato casserole for dinner today.  Joshua, I was so proud of you.  You ate a lot of the eggs and potatoes off my plate!  I alternated the two on a spoon and you ate a good amount.  :-)

My intention was to go see Gigi bowl this evening since today is her last day her bowling league is playing for a while.   But, life had other plans.  :-P  Daddy didn't leave work until late and then got stuck in traffic.  Once we all had dinner and had time to breathe it was 7pm.  So, bowling had to wait for another evening. 

Instead, we all played in the bonus room after dinner.  Daddy did work on the computer, Grace sat in her swing and napped, and Joshua walked all around and I sang songs to him.  :-)

Tomorrow's friday!  Woo hoo!  We'll try to relax tomorrow since saturday will be busy.  It's going to be an adventure to get everyone ready, packed, and loaded to drive to Asheboro .... and then ready, packed, and loaded to drive back.  Grace, this will be your first long car trip.  :-)

Sleep tight everyone!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Sandbox

Dearest Blessings~

Well Joshua, you slept in your crib until the wee hour of 3am!  :-P  Then, daddy had to take you out of there and you noodled into our bed.  You then woke back up at 7am, crawled around, and then fell back asleep!  You didn't get back up until 9am!  I nursed Grace right next to you in the bed .... put her down .... ate breakfast .... got dressed .... you were still sleeping!  Finally, when you woke up, I changed your diaper and outfit just in time for Penny to have breakfast with you!  You ate a whole bowl of oatmeal with whole milk for her.  Good job little man!

After you finished breakfast, I helped Penny with a new project .... she brought some play sand over (you can buy big bags and she bought 2 fifty pound bags though we only used one) and we poured it in a storage tupperware.  We placed it on some crates and you kids now have a sandbox!  Of course Joshua is the only one using it now, but Grace will be able when she's bigger.  ;-)  Joshua had fun in the sand and even got some in his hair!  Ha!  :-)

While Joshua played, I nursed Grace.  Then, all four of us were able to go to the park together!  I pushed Joshua in the swing as Penny rocked Grace in the shade.  She got fussy in the stroller and needed a diaper change.  Of course we didn't bring anything since we live a block away, but another mom there also had a newborn and gave us a diaper!  :-P  So, Penny changed Grace as Joshua continued to swing.  This mom also had two older kids.  She had a 3 year old, 2 year old, and a month old.  Joshua liked watching the two older girls run around.  

I took Joshua onto the grass to walk around and he would not walk by himself!  I never realized that he always held daddy's hand at the park.  When I let him go, he cried and would not walk by himself on the grass or sidewalk!  He just stood there and cried!  Penny and I got him to take a few steps, but that's something we definitely need to work on!  I wonder why you'll walk all around the house, deck, and porch .... but not the sidewalk or grass.  

Joshua, you also fought your afternoon nap.  I rocked you after Penny left and you finally fell asleep on me.  I held you for about 30 minutes enjoying the moment, but then Grace started to stir.  So, I placed Joshua on a pillow to sleep with a blanket and then nursed Grace.  Grace stayed awake as Joshua napped, so I took a little video of her sitting on my lap (with me propping her up).  I forgot to tell you that you make little baby 'coo' noises some times!  It's so cute!  Joshua use to do that as well.  ;-)

We finished our book 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' and are now reading 'Gulliver's Travels.'  We just started, but it's good so far.  :-)

I made a potato casserole for dinner this afternoon.  Remember we picked up some potatoes yesterday because we had moldy ones the other day?  Daddy cooked steaks when we got home to go with it.  Joshua, you ate a lot of the potatoes with us!  Yippie!  There's plenty left over, so we'll see if you eat any tomorrow.  :-)

This evening we finally got to relax and spend time together as a little family.  No one had any meetings, games, or dinners!  I know daddy has missed spending time with you all in the evenings, so he got to catch up with everyone this evening.  We told him all about our day at the park and the sandbox.  :-)

Tomorrow's suppose to be another beautiful day!  I wish we didn't have any pollen though .... makes it hard to breathe!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy