Smiling Faces

Dearest Blessings~

Good morning little ones!  Grace, you had us awake a little early today.  :-P  You woke at 5:30am hungry.  I changed and nursed you.  Then, I got ready for work.  I really got use to my time off this past holiday!  I haven't been to work in about 12 days!  I didn't want to go back and leave you two! 

But, I got to play with both of you two before leaving for work!  How fun!  That was the highlight of my day .... and coming back home to your smiling faces!

You two both ate well for Penny today!  And, you all had fun playing.  You had art time, music time, and story time.  Daddy had a haircut appointment after work today, so Mimi came over to relieve Penny around 3pm.  Mimi made some pork and rice for dinner.  It was good.  Joshua, you were really fussy at dinner this evening.  You wanted an additional boast drink, but you're only allowed to have one a day.  And, you kept pushing away your milk.

There was a late UNC basketball game this evening.  Joshua, daddy put you to bed before it started (tip off was at 9:30pm!) and I went to nurse Grace.  I was awake during the game, but I stayed with Grace and read.  Daddy watched it though.  We won!  Woo hoo! 

Tomorrow's another work day so Penny will be here again.  I'll come home as fast as I can!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!
 

I love you both!

~Mommy

Perfect

Dearest Gifts~

Guess what today is .... today is Aunt Katie's birthday!  We saw her on sunday for her birthday dinner.  We still had a piece of cake left over from the occasion, so daddy and I ate it after dinner to celebrate again.  :-)

Joshua, you woke up when daddy's work alarm went off at 6:30am this morning.  I woke Grace on purpose by gently changing her diaper so that I could nurse her.  We had an early pediatrician appointment, so we had to get moving to make it on time.  :-)

It was cold and rainy this morning.  The sun came out by lunch time, though still cooler.  I couldn't breathe all day.  I hope it's just allergies and not a cold.  :-P

Grace, you had a great check up!  Today was your 9 month appointment.  It was just a 'well visit' so you didn't need any immunizations, and you already had your flu shot.  So, it was a quick appointment too.  :-)  Here are your stats:

Weight: 16 lbs 11 ozs
Length:  27.5 in
Head Circumference:  43.4 cm

There was a medical student shadowing Dr. Medero today (little lady, you've met several medical students!) and both of them said that you were a 'perfect' baby!  :-)  You still have a teary eye (your left one) so she gave me a referral for an eye evaluation.  I made an appointment with Dr. Board since he sees Joshua and we have a relationship with him and our family.  We also discussed your skin.  You have a lot of eczema patches.  I will continue to place cream on it more regularly to see if it clears.  Dr. Medero will prescribe something stronger if it gets worse.

We were home by 11am.  You both played as I cooked some potatoes and veggies on the stove for my lunches this week for work  Then, we all played upstairs in bonus room.  This afternoon we went back downstairs and I swept the downstairs as you all crawled/ran around and played.  I went ahead and cooked some dinner and placed it in the oven.  That way, we only had to reheat it when daddy got home.  We made tacos.  :-)

You took a late nap Joshua.  I helped you fall asleep by rubbing your back.  You were snoring by 3:30pm.  :-P

After dinner I gave Grace a bath and placed more lotion on her back and shoulders.  We'll just continue this for a few weeks to see if your skin clears.

This evening as you all were falling asleep, I thought about what the pediatrician said this morning about Grace being 'perfect' .... I thought about how blessed daddy and I were for having you two!  You two are BOTH so perfect to us!  We are truly so blessed to have you both.  You two have perfect little features .... eyes, nose, fingers, toes .... perfect little smiles .... perfect little giggles .... I wouldn't change a thing!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

9 Months

Dearest Angels~

Little Grace .... today you turn 9 months old!  Wow!  I can't believe we've made it nursing this long!  I'm so proud of the two of us!  Let's see how long we can keep going.  Perhaps we'll make it a full year.  :-)

Joshua, you whimpered into our room at 3 something this morning.  I laid down next to you and you fell back asleep. By 4:30am daddy was changing little Grace and then I nursed her.

We were suppose to have a 9:30am occupational therapy appointment this morning with Mary Beth, and then an 11:30am speech therapy appointment with Kim.  But, I got a phone call this morning at 8:20am that Mary Beth was sick.  So, we went to Target instead for some things and to stretch our legs.  Joshua, you ate a cookie.  :-)

Once we were home, you two helped me prepare the Crock Pot for some chicken and dumplings.  That way, all I had to do was turn it when we got back from speech therapy.  :-)

Joshua, you did well for Kim at speech therapy. You did the signs for 'open' 'more' 'please' and 'I want' for her! Way to go little man! And, you did some noises with your lips and tongue. I was so proud of you! Grace, I had you in the little UNC umbrella stroller. This was the first time you weren't in the infant car seat. I'll have to get use to unloading you two and using a stroller now. :-) You two are growing up too fast!

Once home, we started the crock pot for dinner and then ate some lunch. You two are both eating the 'crunchies' crackers. Grace, you love crawling around and following Joshua. Joshua, you love having her follow you. You both giggle as you play together around the house.

Joshua, you were napping by 3:20pm.  Grace, I nursed you and then you fell asleep.  You woke up pretty quickly and helped me with some laundry as Joshua continued to nap.

You both got baths this evening.  While you were playing in the tub, daddy trimmed your hair little man!  Your hair was in your eyes, so it needed to be cut.  :-P

Tomorrow Grace has her 9 month check up with the pediatrician.  I hope everything goes well!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Overslept

Dearest Blessings~

Little Joshua, you whimpered into our room in the middle of the night.  Daddy went to sleep with you and then Grace woke up crying at 4:45am.  I changed and then nursed her back to sleep.

I got a quick pump in this morning.  I had a nice break from pumping over the holidays.  :-)  But, I have to go back to work this Wednesday, so I have to start building up some mommy milk for Grace for when I'm gone. 

We did lots of laundry today.  At least three loads were run!  Oh, we made chicken nuggets and veggies for lunch.  It was so nice to cook in my own kitchen again!  Woo hoo!  :-)

Daddy washed my car this morning as we had some music time and folded laundry.  I also swept the upstairs hallway and cleaned your bathroom .... sinks, counter, and toilet.  :-P

This afternoon Joshua and daddy had some art time while Grace napped on me .... it was only a 10 min nap though.  Actually, you both really fought naps today!  Joshua, you kept walking around with your chewy tube and fighting sleep. 

But, by 4pm you two couldn't fight it any longer!  Everyone was sleeping!  I laid down and closed my eyes since Grace fell asleep on me nursing.  Joshua, fell asleep on the couch next to daddy.  Daddy moved him onto his bed and read next to Joshua .... but daddy ended up falling asleep too! 

Joshua, you woke at 5:45pm hungry and Grace was still sleeping!  I woke her once the boys were awake for some solid food.  Grace, you didn't eat a lot of solid food today .... I hope you sleep tonight!  :-P

Once people were settled, we quickly got ready since everyone overslept.  Aunt Katie's birthday dinner was at 6:45pm at her parents' house.  There was so much good food there!  It ran into bedtime though so we left as the cake was brought in.  We had everyone in pajamas with clean diapers and teeth brushed by 9:30pm.  Daddy read Joshua a story and I nursed Grace.

Oh, Grace, you're now taking steps while holding on to furniture!  And, Joshua .... you stood on the scale this evening and it read 25 pounds!  Whoa!  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Home Sweet Home

Dearest Miracles~

Little lady, I changed and nursed you at 5:20am this morning.  Once people were up and moving for the day, we went to the house to check on the smell.  It was mid morning.

It smells better in the house, but it was cold from having the windows open all night.  :-P  We made a quick trip to Ace Hardware and then changed out all of our air filters.  We'll change them again in a week to make sure we get all the dust and particles out.  While were were out, we picked up a birthday gift for Aunt Katie.  Her birthday is on the 29th, but her parents are having a birthday dinner tomorrow evening.

We ate lunch at Shane's Rib Shack and you both ate well!  I nursed Grace when we got there and then she ate a container of solid food.  Joshua, you ate a bunch of fries and chicken.  :-)

We quickly went to Target for some groceries afterward.  You two fell asleep in the car on the drive back home. 

Grandpa Jim met us back at the house (he had my bike in his truck) and watched you two as you slept.  Daddy and I cleaned the kitchen and moved food back into the fridge and pantry.  We got the kitchen table and chairs in from the garage. 

By mid afternoon we were back at Gigi's house to load more of our things.  We were finally in our house by 5pm.  We unloaded and then got the kitchen 'functionally' unpacked.  We're going to take our time moving things back in.  

After everyone was fed .... we all relaxed in the play room with laundry running by 6:30pm.  This was the first time we've relaxed and sat down as family of four in over a week!  :-P

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Lunch At Park

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Well little lady .... you did pretty well last night.  You slept until 5am.  Daddy changed you and then I nursed you back to sleep.  :-)  Joshua, you kept on sleeping. 

You two got to play with cousin Charlie this morning.  He's about 15 months older than Joshua and also loves the movie 'Cars'!  So, of course, we put it on .... again!  ;-)  Charlie has a lot of match box cars, and he 'shared' them with Charlie.  You all are still learning to share.  Joshua, you're still learning to share with Grace, and Charlie is still learning to share to prepare for his new little sister coming in January! 

Today was a beautiful day!  We pack you all up and had a picnic lunch at the park.  We needed to check on the house anyway, so we all drove to our house first and then the park.  The house still smells, so daddy washed off some screens to we could put them in windows to open the house up.  We'll 'air it out' over night and then check on it tomorrow.  We're so excited to get back into our house.  It's been almost a week since we've 'lived' in our house! 

You all played on the jungle gym, sand box, and the swings at the park.  Cousin Charlie, cousin Stephanie, (Great) Aunt Beth, daddy, Gigi, and Grandpa Jim were all there at the park with us. 

Little man, I forgot to mention this earlier, but in Richmond, you threw up in the hotel room.  At the park today, you did the same thing.  :-(  I wonder if you're still adjusting to your reflux medication?  I'll have to tell Krista at your next appointment at Rex.  That's very unusual for you to throw up two times in one week.  I hope your reflux isn't getting worse.  

While we were on this side of town, we unloaded somethings at the house.  Hopefully we can move back in tomorrow if the place smells better by then.  I was starting to get a little headache while there today.  :-P

We went back to Gigi's later in the afternoon.  You two played with Uncle James and daddy.

Grandpa Jim read Joshua his bedtime story.  He use to read to Uncle James and I every night when we were little.  :-)

We all slept in the rec room again.  We'll check on the house tomorrow .... I hope it smells better!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Thanksgiving

Dearest Angels~

Happy Thanksgiving little angels!  Grace, this is your very first Thanksgiving holiday!  Joshua, this wil be your third.  Your first was spent in the ICN (Intensive Care Nursey).  

Grace, you woke up at 4:30am.  You ended up sleeping next to me last night on a futon mattress.  Joshua, you slept with Gigi again and slept through the whole night!  :-)

We all got ready in the morning and then hit the road for Asheboro!  Before we left though, we saw (Great) Aunt Beth.  She came up this morning and started to make mashed potatoes with Gigi as we were leaving.  They were going to (Great) Uncle Laurence's house for lunch.

We got to Great Grandma's house around 11:30am.  We also saw Great Grandpa, Uncle James, Grandpa Jim, and (Great) Aunt Pops.  We had Thanksgiving Day lunch there .... there was so much good food.  I ate too much!  ;-)

Joshua, you found some toy cars and trains to play with.  Grace, you ate a whole container of food.  :-)  I nursed Grace and then she napped on Great Grandma as the rest of us went for a walk in the neighborhood. 

We left mid-afternoon and had to stop about 30 miles outside Cary to nurse Grace.  Boy were you screaming in the car little lady!  I guess we didn't time that right!  And, to top it off .... you bit me with your tooth!  I know you were just playing though.  Joshua, you fell asleep in your car seat.  :-P

We stopped by the house on the way home.  The floors look awesome!  It smells downstairs, but it looks great!  

 

We got back to Gigi's house by 6:20pm.  Two hours later, Gigi, (Great) Aunt Beth, Cousin Stephanie, and Cousin Charlie got there.  It was a packed house this evening!  The four of us spent the night in the rec room.  

We'll check on the house again tomorrow.  I'm hoping the smell will go down soon so we can move back in.  

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

4.5 Cookies

Dearest Angels~

Joshua, you ended up sleeping with Gigi last night and you slept through the night!  Grace, you on the other hand, did not sleep so well.  :-P  You did not want to sleep in your own little bed (the pack and play), so you noodled between daddy and I on a full size futon mattress.  You were back up at 5:30am, though you woke us through out the night tossing and turning.  :-P

We all had play time this morning.  Joshua, you had fun watching cartoons.  Daddy worked from the house since he had his laptop with him. 

I called and left a second message with the nurse practitioner concerning Joshua's appetite stimulant prescription.  She doesn't want to call it in until she talks to either daddy or myself, but I can never get a hold of her!  This is so frustrating.  I've left a few messages. 

Joshua, Gigi gave you a washcloth this morning and you started to go around the house 'dusting' and 'cleaning' the windows.  It was so cute.  I got a photo of you 'cleaning' the back door.  ;-)

We had more playtime this afternoon after lunch.  Gigi read Dr. Seuss books to Joshua as I nursed Grace.  Joshua, you fought a nap again, but both of you were eventually napping by 1:30pm.

By 3pm, everyone was awake.  Grace, you woke with the hiccups!  Gigi and I packed you two up and made a quick trip to Walmart.  I don't think you two have ever been in a Walmart before.  :-P  I carried Grace in the carrier and Gigi pushed Joshua in the cart.

Joshua, we got you some cookies at Walmart and once we got home you ate 4.5 of them!  Whoa!  A serving size is only 3!  ;-)  Daddy was done working when we got home, so we all played together this evening as Grandpa Jim brought home BBQ for dinner.  Afterward, you all went into your pajamas and we all watched the movie 'Up.'  :-)

I made another small 'time lapse photography' movie of you two.  I took the photographs a while ago, but I compressed them into a little movie this evening just for fun.  I used a remote so that I could be in the movie with you all.  :-)

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and we're heading to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house in Asheboro!  Another road trip!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Back In NC

Dearest Blessings~

Grace, you woke up at 11pm last night.  I nursed you and then held you until 1am.  I couldn't keep holding you because I wasn't getting any sleep and I needed to be able to drive back to Raleigh.  Since Joshua was in the bed, I decided to move you.  Sorry little man!  Daddy helped put Joshua on some big couch cushions on the floor (we essentially made a twin bed) with a blanket and a pillow.  Grace, I don't know why you won't sleep in the pack and play.  You just cried and cried!  I think I eventually fell asleep around 2am.  I was back up and nursing you at 6:20am.  Everyone was awake by 7am.  :-)

We rode back to NC with Aunt Katie.  We only made one stop to gas up the car.  You all did pretty well again, but you started to get antsy right before we got to Gigi's house.  At that point I wanted to get out of the car too!  ;-)  

Aunt Katie's car was at out house, so we stopped there first.  I changed the water for the cat (he's living on our screened in porch) and I briefly spoke to the floor person.  There was one lady there putting a finishing coat on the hardwoods downstairs.  The final coat will be applied tomorrow, so we'll be able to walk on the floors on Thursday.  We can start moving furniture back on Friday, but we have to avoid laying down large area rugs for a while (10-20 days) as large rugs could keep the finish from curing properly.  We don't have any large rugs, but we'll eventually get one for the living room.  We'll probably do that around Christmas to give the floor time to cure.  But you can have people in the house on Thursday, but we'd have to make people take off their shoes.  :-) 

We were at Gigi's house by lunch time.  Joshua, you had some art time with Gigi and Uncle James afterward.  You threw some crayons and Grace almost put them in her mouth.  :-P

Joshua, you REALLY fought a nap this afternoon.  Gigi and I both tried .... but you did have fun giggling with Gigi as she tried to get you to sleep.  Grace, you played peek a boo with Gigi.  Daddy was back at Gigi's after 4pm.  Joshua, you finally went down for a nap at 5pm!  By then everyone was tired after driving today and yesterday.

Gigi gave you both baths this evening.  She said her house was way too quiet yesterday when you two were gone.  She was happy to have you both back this afternoon!  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Funeral

Dearest Miracles~

I felt crappy last night and couldn't breathe and was sneezy all day yesterday.  So, I had to take some NyQuil last night to get some sleep.  I woke with a headache this morning.  I hope I'm not coming down with something, especially if we're going to be traveling.  :-P

Grace, you woke at 5:30am this morning and you slept in your pack and play all night!  I changed and nursed you.  Gigi was a huge help this morning.  She helped get you all ready while I finished packing the car.  We left her house at 8am this morning and met Aunt Katie a little after 8:30am to head to Richmond, Virginia. 

This was Grace's first time out of the state.  Joshua, this is your second time to Virginia.  Remember, you went up to cousin Julia's wedding last year.  However, this was the first time for a funeral for both of you.

We got to the hotel around 11am.  Daddy and Uncle Brennan were waiting for us.  You both did surprisingly well in the car.  I didn't hear much from Grace during the drive since she slept.  Joshua, you took a tiny nap and played with toys.  Aunt Katie had to hand you toys a few times since you dropped them.  :-P

We were greeted with hugs and kisses.  Daddy hadn't seen you all in 3 whole days!  He really missed you guys! 

Once we got there, we ate lunch with daddy, Uncle Brennan, Aunt Katie, Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Vicki, and Leigh.  Everyone was happy to see you two.  You all are good at putting a smile on people's faces.  :-)

The funeral for (Great) Uncle Ned was at 2pm.  Very touching words were said .... daddy and Uncle Brennan got up to speak.  You two behaved yourself!  Grace, you fell asleep on me.  Joshua, you sat with Mimi and Grandpa Mike.  Then, you sat with daddy and Uncle Brennan. 

It will take awhile for this pain to deminish .... your (Great) Uncle Ned was loved and it is never easy to lose someone.  Continued prayers for everyone are still needed.  This is just the beginning for the healing process. 

You all got to meet family that you've never seen before .... like your Great Grandfather (Mimi's father).  Also, Grace got to meet (Great) Aunt Allyson (Mimi's sister). 

There was a reception at a restaurant afterward.  You two got passed around and continued to put little smiles on people's faces.  You all did see some familiar faces .... Penny was there!

We went to the hotel after to change and regroup.  Joshua, you did the funniest thing .... you babbled on the phone with Uncle Brennan and Aunt Katie!  I took a video of you wandering around the room talking to them on the phone.  You can even hear them saying a few things back to you on the other end!  ;-)

Daddy and I fed you two and then Mimi and Grandpa Mike watched you all as daddy and I ate dinner with Aunt Katie and Uncle Brennan.  You two were sleeping when we got back to the hotel room.  

Tomorrow we head back to Raleigh.  We'll check on the status of the floors.  I'm hoping we can get back into the house by this weekend. 

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Four Containers

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Grace, you woke up at 2am this morning.  You ate three containers of solid food yesterday, so I thought you would sleep later.  Yesterday it was closer to 6:30am and you ate the same amount.  :-P  

The three of us slept in the rec room at Gigi's house.  Joshua, you were on a twin mattress on the floor, Grace was in a pack and play, and I was on a futon.  I ended up holding Grace after she woke up and went to bed at 3am.  Joshua, you started to whimper at 3:30am so I got on your twin mattress .... still holding Grace!  I got no sleep.  :-P

After breakfast, I went back to the house.  I took a shower and packed clothes for daddy and I for a week since the floors will be sanded and finished starting tomorrow.  We'll have to be out of the house for awhile.  Tomorrow, we're driving up to Virginia with Aunt Katie.  The funeral for (Great) Uncle Ned is at 2pm.  We'll come back on tuesday.  So, I needed to pack everything for the funeral too.

As I was gone, Joshua went to grocery store with Grandpa Jim.  Grace, you stayed with Gigi at the house, but you apparently put up a fight trying to take a formula bottle.  :-P

We were all together for lunch.  Joshua, you made some Thanksgiving Day artwork.  Then, you fought a nap!  Grandpa Jim had to put you in the stroller to get you to sleep!

Gigi made some cookies this afternoon.  She made some chocolate chip ones and some sugar ones.  We also watched the 'Cars' movie .... Joshua, you love that movie!  And, we watched some UNC basketball .... we won!  I packed up the car for our road trip tomorrow.

Grace, you actually took a small 2 oz formula bottle from me this evening and then I nursed you.  I'm testing you on formula since I might have to give back the pump to cousin Stephanie.  If I do, I won't be able to pump while at work unless I rent one.  So, I don't know if my milk supply will dwindle.

Grace, you're starting to let go and stand by herself for a second .... until you realize what's going on!  I wonder when you'll start taking steps.

You both ate well today.  Grace, you ate four containers of solid food today!  14 ozs!  Whoa!  This is the most solid food you've ever eaten!  Joshua, you tried to put some shredded chicken on a spoon to eat it!  What a big boy!  And, Gig noticed that Joshua likes to hum songs now.  So cute!

You two had baths tonight before bed.  We have to be up early to be on the road. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Empty Downstairs

Dearest Angels~

Little man .... you woke up whimpering at 12:44am.  Gigi went and laid down with you so that you would go back to sleep.  I changed and nursed Grace at 6:45am.  Little lady .... you slept in your crib all night!  

We had a busy morning!  Gigi watched you two as Grandpa Jim and Uncle James helped me move everything out of the downstairs.  The place really echoes now!  ;-)  We had to move everything out so that all the hardwood could be sanded down and stained.  The existing hardwoods are about 13 years old, so we want the old and the new to match.  

We all took a break around 10am for snacks, nursing, and rest.  Once we rested, we finished clearing everything out into the garage, or upstairs, and then I packed up all of your things to move you two to Gigi's house.

We ate lunch at Gigi's house.  You two both ate pretty well.  Then, we spent the afternoon getting you two settled at Gigi's house.  We moved your clothes, food, booster seats, bottles, sippy cups, and toys.  It was a busy day.

Grace, you helped Gigi organize the upstairs for a play room.  Grandpa Jim read Joshua some stories downstairs. 

Later in the afternoon you two went with Grandpa Jim and me to Target.  They didn't have any cookies, but it was nice to stretch our legs and get out of the house.  

Once home, it was getting late in the afternoon.  And, we all needed a rest.  Grandpa Jim took Joshua out for a walk and I adjusted and fit both convertible car seats in my car.  I need to return cousin's Stephanie's infant car seat (which Grace has been using) since she's due in December.

You two ate a pretty good dinner.  We relaxed and played this evening and spent the night at Gigi's house.  Tomorrow I'll go back to the house and pack all of daddy's clothes and my clothes that we'll need for the funeral and the rest of the week.  Daddy called me and the visitation is on sunday and the funeral for (Great) Uncle Ned is on monday.  We'll drive up on monday morning with Aunt Katie.  We'll spend the night in Richmond after the funeral and then come back on tuesday.  You two have never met your Great Grandfather on daddy's side of the family, and Grace has not met (Great) Aunt Allyson. 

Joshua, you were sleeping by 8:30pm.  I nursed Grace to sleep.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Late Nap

Dearest Blessings~

Little lady .... you woke up at 3:30am crying and hungry.  I had insomnia after nursing you and was still awake by 5am.  Then, Joshua woke up at 5:44am.  I laid down with him but didn't really sleep.  No one really slept after yesterday's news.  :-(

Daddy went into work to finish things in the morning as I did laundry and had music time with you all.  I put the movie 'Lord of the Rings' on and we watched about 20 minutes of it.  :-)  Then, we did a quick Target run for some groceries.  We picked up some pizzas for lunch too.  Joshua, you ate 2 cookies! 

Once we were home, we made the pizzas for lunch.  Daddy came back home, and Aunt Katie and Uncle Brennan also came over for lunch.  After lunch, Uncle Brennan and daddy drove up to Richmond to be with Mimi.  Grandpa Mike was flying into town today .... he's been out of the country for the past two weeks!  He'll drive up to VA tomorrow.  Once we know the details about a funeral for (Great) Uncle Ned, we'll go up too to see the family.

Aunt Katie stayed with us after the boys left.  She read and played with you two.  Also, her mom, Betsy, came over.  :-)

Joshua, you had a really late nap!  You fell asleep at 5pm next to me as I nursed Grace.  I didn't let you sleep long though so you would sleep this evening.

Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James came over for dinner.  Joshua, you ate pretty well!  Grace, you ate 3 containers of solid food today .... 10.5 ounces!

You two helped with some laundry this evening as we all played.  Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James ended up staying with us since they're going to help us move all our furniture out of the downstairs tomorrow for the floor people.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Saddened

Dearest Precious Children~

Today is the first ever 'World Prematurity Day' sponsored by the March of Dimes.  People around the world wore purple to show their support and the Empire State Building even had purple lights on the top to honor the day!  

Joshua, you whimpered in your bed at 4am.  I checked on you and laid down with you.  At 4:20am I changed Grace and then nursed her since she was crying.  I was able to rest a little before getting ready for work.  I was able to play with you two before I left for work.  I love hearing you two giggle!

Today was a cold and rainy day, but you two still managed to have some fun with daddy!  The floors are now installed and everything looks good.  The sanding with begin next week.  Joshua, you waved to the floor people! 

You all had music time this morning.  Grace, you had a good breakfast.  Joshua, you had a few golden graham crackers.  Daddy had a cookie and cereal bar.  ;-)

Daddy said you two played together well while in the bonus room.  Daddy did some work on the computer so he appreciated how nice you all played.  But, daddy mentioned that Joshua did push Grace down one time.  We'll work on that.  ;-)

Grace, you had several poopy diapers this morning.  Joshua, you did something cute today.  You looked right at daddy and said 'da da'!  You also heard Buddha bark and daddy asked where Buddha was.  You put both your arms up at your side as if saying 'I don't know'!  ;-)

Grace, you napped on daddy while he and Joshua watched the Muppets Christmas movie.  Joshua, you ended up taking a two hour nap, even with all the noise from the floor people!  Wow!  

At 4pm though, daddy had a work phone call and you two apparently cried!  Oops!  At 5pm, Grace fell asleep.  Daddy put her in the swing and Joshua kept giving her toys as she slept!  How cute!

Precious children .... remember how I mentioned my Nana passing away 10 years ago, and Allison's mother passing away recently?  Well, I have some very disturbing news to tell you both.  Mimi called daddy with an update on your (Great) Uncle Ned's heart surgery today.  He did not survive the operation and is now in Heaven with some of our other loved ones.  This was a sad evening for all.  This news came as a shock and I, for one, am still in a state of denial.  I can only imagine what daddy, Uncle Brennan, Mimi, and Grandpa Mike are feeling.  None of us expected (Great) Uncle Ned to pass from this surgery.  He was Mimi's only brother. 

Sweet children .... daddy was so sad this evening.  Joshua, you helped put a smile on daddy's face.  Grace, daddy held you after you fell asleep nursing.  He continued to hold you as I put Joshua to bed.

Promise me this little children .... as you grow older .... stick together and never take each other for granted.  Joshua .... you have just one sister.  Grace .... you have just one brother.  Love each other!  Encourage each other!  Support each other!  Be there for each other!  Life is so precious!

Daddy will likely drive up to Richmond tomorrow with Uncle Brennan.  We'll see what happens as far as funeral arrangements.

Please say an extra prayer for Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Brennan, and daddy .... prayer helps the healing process .... 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so very much!

~Mommy

Daddy Day

Dearest Angels~

Little lady .... you woke up at 5:50am this morning.  I changed and nursed you and then got ready for work.  Oh, you slept in your crib last night!  Joshua, you made some noises around 1am this morning, do daddy went in to check on you.  He ended up falling asleep next to you.  

You two were awake this morning.  I got to kiss you before leaving for work!  Today was a daddy day while Penny was with family for the holidays.  You all had lots of fun together!

First, you all saw Mimi in the morning.  She was on her way out of town to see (Great) Uncle Ned in Richmond.  He had heart surgery two years ago (Joshua, you may remember this .... we saw him right after at Christmas and you had just come home from the hospital).  He hasn't been feeling well recently and now has two aneuryms that require surgery.  Tomorrow is his surgery and Mimi will be staying at the hospital with him as he recovers.  This surgery is more complicated so we need to say some extra prayers!

Mimi and daddy took you all to the park and you two went on the swings.  Joshua, you also played in the sandbox and jungle gym. 

Daddy said you two ate pretty well today and you both took nice naps.  Yippie!

I was able to scoot home by 6pm!  Woo hoo!  Oh, I've seen Joshua hand Grace toys recently.  We're trying to teach Joshua that 'sharing is caring'!  ;-)

This evening daddy and I got most of the things out of the living room and study.  The floor people are going to come tomorrow and tear out the carpet.  Then, they'll install the floors.  The finishing and sanding portions will start on monday.  

Tomorrow's another work day but daddy will be here to watch you both!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Greenway

Dearest Blessings~

Joshua, you woke up whimpering a little before 6am.  I put you back in your bed and laid down with you.  You got up and stayed up when daddy got up at 6:30am for work.  I didn't change or nurse Grace until 7:20am!  And, she slept in her crib all night!  Wow little lady!

I sang to you all as I folded laundry this morning.  You two seemed to like it.  You smiled at me, so might have just been polite.  I don't sing very well, but we were having fun.  :-)

Joshua you did well at your appointments today!  You had occupational therapy with Mary Beth first.  You went on the swing, rode the push toy, and even played with play doh.  Afterward, you had speech therapy with Kim.  You did multiple 'more' signs!  And, you signed 'all done' and 'open' for us!  I barely had to help you with the PECS cards!  You're so smart!  I changed all your appointments up until the end of the year.  We made some appointments with the Rex feeding team yesterday, so I have you all set for the next two months!  We're going to have some busy mondays and tuesdays!

We played this afternoon and then went for walk.  We had some beautiful weather for November!  It was in the 70's!  We went on the greenway behind our house to find a waterfall that Sarah (our neighbor) told us about.  I didn't find it, but we still walked around for almost 1.5 hours.  You two fell asleep in the stroller.

Joshua continued to nap once we were home.  Grace, you crawled around as I made my lunches for work and thawed some mommy milk.  You also helped me bake some cookies.

Daddy got home late .... around 6:35pm.  We gave him the cookies we made!  ;-)  Also, you two had baths tonight and then you all drew with daddy this evening.  :-)

Tomorrow's a work day, but guess who's going to watch you all .... daddy!  This week you two have daddy days since Penny is with family!  I'll come home as soon as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

First Tooth

Dearest Blessings~

Grace you slept until 6:30am!  Of course, you slept in our bed so there's still room for improvement.  :-P

We had a busy morning!  You all helped me clean and vacuum the downstairs now that the couch is gone.  We found a block under the couch.  :-P  Then, we cut up some veggies, potatoes, apples, onion, and got the crock pot all ready for a pot roast for dinner.  Yummy!  I nursed Grace one more time before getting everyone ready for Joshua's appointment.  He had a 'feeding team' appointment at Rex to see Krista. 

You did 'ok' little man.  You refused a dry spoon but you ate chicken nuggets, hotdog pieces, and pieces of string cheese off the spoon.  We're going to continue to let you finger feed and put food on the spoon.  They're going to add the decongestant medication for you to take.  The side effect is suppose to be weight gain, so they want you on it for an 'appetite stimulant' for now.  I was able to make three follow up appointments in December too.  They want to monitor you closely with the new medication.  Also, we're going to continue on the prevacid.

I nursed Grace in the car when Joshua's appointment was over, and then we headed home for lunch.  You two had fallen asleep in the car when I was driving home.  You two continued to sleep as I brought you inside.  I ate lunch and then caught up on emails.  Once you two woke, we played together.

Guess what .... I can feel Grace's tooth #P erupting!  This is your lower right primary central incisor.  I'm so excited!  You can barely see it and she won't stay still for a photo.  :-P  I emailed all my coworkers and they're so excited too!  Perhaps we should start thinking of weaning if you're going to bite soon!  ;-)

While you two were playing upstairs I did two miles on the elliptical this afternoon.  It wasn't a lot, but at least it's something.  Afterward, Joshua kept wanting to stand on the machine and play with his cars on it.  I let him since the cars rolled down the steps.  :-)

We did Joshua''s flash cards this afternoon and then I let him walk around with his chewy tube!  He loved chewing on it!  Krista sad your chewing looked good at your appointment this morning.  

This evening we played with daddy in the bonus room.  Tomorrow Joshua has his occupational therapy and speech therapy appointments.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  

~Mommy

Church

Dearest Miracles~

Both of you woke up at 4:15am this morning.  Joshua, you came running into our bedroom whimpering and Grace, you woke up crying.  We changed both your diapers and then I nursed Grace.  Daddy laid down with Joshua in his bed.

Joshua, you've eaten some golden graham cereal with me the past two mornings at breakfast!  Grace, you ate some oatmeal.  This morning I also got a quick pump in before we headed out the door.

We finally made it to church .... I think the extra day light savings hour helped us, though we were still a little late.  :-P  We spoke to Fr. Gibson about baptizing Grace and he's excited!  We're going to wait until after the Christmas season so it's likely be in January.  I took you up with me for communion and Fr. Gibson said a little blessing.  Joshua, you wanted to run around so daddy ended up taking you outside halfway through the service.  :-P  Lots of people were happy to see you all.  They were so excited to see how big you two had gotten!

We were home for lunch and we made a pizza.  I vacuumed the kitchen right after .... Joshua, you sure make a mess when you eat now! 

Daddy didn't feel well this afternoon and took a little nap.  I put air in the stroller tires and took you two to the park for a little bit.  I put you both in the swings and took turns pushing you!  Then, I put Grace in the stroller so I could watch and follow Joshua on the jungle gym.   Joshua started to get a little cranky, so I took you two on a little walk up the road and then back home to 'force' a nap time.  Joshua, you were napping by 2:40pm.  Daddy was awake and met us at the house once we got there.

We started to clean out the downstairs.  We took down everything from the walls in the living room and the study and removed most of the furniture.  Uncle Brennan came over for the UNC basketball game.  He helped daddy move the couch during halftime into the garage.  We need to have everything out of the living room and study by thursday.  That's when the carpet will be torn out and the new floors will be installed.

Joshua, you ate a good dinner.  You had some hotdog, chicken, beef, and chips!  Grace, you ate at least 2.5 containers of solid food today.  :-)  Tomorrow's our follow up appointment at Rex for Joshua to see the feeding team.  I think he's been eating better for us.  We'll see what they say.  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Flag Football

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Little ones .... we need to work on this sleeping issue.  Grace, you woke up as soon as I put you in your crib last night and started to cry and cry!  But, once daddy put you in our bed you fell right asleep!  Hummm .... sounds familiar!  Joshua, you woke up at 4am and came into our room whimpering.  I put you back in your bed and then I fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you were still snuggled with daddy.  :-P  At 6am, you woke up hungry so daddy changed your diaper and then I nursed you.

We played this morning as we waited for the weather to warm up.  Daddy left this morning at 8am to play flag football in Cary.  One of his coworkers helped organize a tournament, so daddy volunteered to play.  He got to play in three games.  :-)

We got there around 11am.  We got to meet some of daddy's coworkers and they all though you two were cute!  Joshua, you walked all around with your soccer ball.  We also let Grace crawl around some.  We got to see our friends Matt and Mandy (they went to college with us and knew daddy) and their daughter Savannah.  Savannah is only 6 weeks younger than Grace. 

We got home around 2pm and daddy got home shortly after.  We relaxed when we got home and then went out for a walk.  

When we went outside, we saw our neighbors out with Buddha (the dog).  We all got to talking and we ended up visiting with Sarah (the mom) and the two children.  The daughter (Charlotte) is 7 and the son (Cash) is 6.  Joshua, you LOVED running around with them!  You made friends!  We even went into their house briefly and you got to see the fish tank!  I don't think you wanted to leave, even though it was late and dinner time.  :-P  Now that we know our neighbors more, we'll have to visit and invite them over.  We told Sarah about our house project downstairs.  She had been in our house before we moved in, so I think she'll be impressed once everything is done.  :-)

Daddy made some eggs, toast, and veggies for dinner.  Grace, you had a chicken and apple mix for the first time.  You ate a whole container!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Veteran's Day

Dearest Gifts~

Today is Veteran's Day!  On this day, we remember and give thanks to all who serve, who have served, to protect our freedom!  It's always on November 11th .... and, today happens to be 11/11/11!  So cool!  :-)

Grace, you woke up at 5am this morning.  Daddy changed your diaper and then I nursed you.  Once you two were both awake, we had some music and play time upstairs.  You two also helped me run some laundry.  We then went downstairs for more playtime and I boiled some hotdogs for Joshua since he ate all of his.  :-)

Joshua, you did pretty well with our mid morning snack time.  You ate half a string cheese stick.  Then, you two helped me sweep and vacuum the kitchen.  Did I tell you all that we covered the wood pile in the study?  I put a big blanket on it since I didn't want you two to get any splinters.  :-P

We saw Gigi and Uncle James for lunch.  They had off for the Veteran's Day holiday and stopped by.  Joshua, you ate some chicken, hotdog pieces, and a cookie.  Grace, you didn't eat the 'stage 3' gerber food .... I think it's too chunky.  Gigi and Uncle James watched you two as I made a really quick trip to Target for some groceries.  It was so strange to go somewhere shopping without you two!  Every time I saw a mom with a child I missed you two!  Usually you both are right there as I'm shopping! 

Joshua, you took a late afternoon nap.  I nursed Grace and then read a little.  Once you two woke, I put a lasagna in the oven and Joshua ate some cheese crackers.  Grace, you ate two containers of a turkey and rice mixture (7 ozs) and some puffs!  Then, I cut Grace's nails.  ;-)

This evening was the official start of UNC basketball with the first season game against Michigan State.  Woo hoo!  We won!  They played on an aircraft carrier, the Carl Vinson, as part of the Veteran's Day celebration.  The president and the first lady were there!  This was the very carrier that had Osama Bin Laden burried at sea in the North Arabian Sea .... I'm sure you'll read all about this is your history books!  Anyway, it was a great way to honor our troops and all who serve .... God bless America!

 Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Hardwood

Dearest Gifts~

Grace, you woke up crying from your crib at 12:45am.  :-P  My oh my!  Daddy changed you and I nursed.  You ended up in our bed to sleep for the rest of the morning so we all could get some rest!  I was so tired at work! 

Guess what came today as you all were playing with Penny .... our hardwood floors!  They have to stay in our house for a week to get adjusted to the temperature before they place the wood down.  The wood is piled in our study downstairs.  Next thursday they'll come back to tear out the carpet and then install the wood!  How exciting!  Our home project keeps going!  ;-)

Some of the wood pieces look a little sharp with splinters, so Penny took you all upstairs for the majority of the day.  You also went to the park, had music time, and art time.  :-) 

I had a late Provider's Meeting from 6pm-8pm this evening.  It's an organizational meeting for all the doctors at Wake Health Services.  I got home around 8:45pm and I missed you both!  You two were playing with daddy as he was strumming the guitar and picking the banjo for you all!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Sponge Bath

Dearest Miracles~

Grace, you fell asleep around 8:45pm last night and stayed sleeping in your crib at 9pm when I put you down!  Wow!  You eventually woke up at 2:45am this morning.  Daddy changed you and then I nursed you. 

You two had fun with Penny today!  You all went to the park and had some art time.  Joshua, you got marker on you.  :-P  

Daddy had a meeting after work this evening, so Gigi and Uncle James came by to relieve Penny.  Grandpa Jim came over as well once he was done with work (his office is right around the corner from our house).  You all were playing together in the bonus room when I got home.  Grace, you had a big poopy diaper, so Gigi gave you and Joshua a quick sponge bath!  ;-)  

We played together after they left and waited for daddy to come home.  Grace, I've noticed that my pumps have been producing less milk recently.  I think it's because you've eating more solid food.  Perhaps you're starting to wean more?  I hope I'm producing enough.  I don't know if I'll have to start supplementing you with formula.  We'll see.

Little angels .... I saw a sweet patient this afternoon.  He was 16 and mentally disabled.  His mother was in the operatory with me trying to help me complete the examination.  As I watched her interact with her son, I said a little prayer to myself .... I am so blessed to have you two!  I thanked God for your health!  You two are truly miracles!

I have a late meeting after work tomorrow .... our quarterly provider's meeting.  I'll rush home as soon as I can!  

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Signing More

Dearest Blessings~

Well little lady .... you woke up at 1:18am this morning from your crib.  I nursed you and then you ended up staying in our bed the rest of the morning.  Joshua, you came whimpering into our room at 5:50am.  You ended up in our bed too and then Grace wanted to play!  ;-)  I ended up nursing you, little lady, at 6am.

You all helped me do some chores this morning.  We organized and straightened the playroom.  Then, we swept and vacuumed the kitchen.  We ran the dishes.  We're trying Joshua on some hard top sippy cups now.  So, we ran a lot in the dishwasher to make the transition.  Little man, you're now biting through the soft tops ones, so you need to be using the hard ones.  Plus, you're a big boy now so you should be on those anyway.  :-)

Joshua, you did well today at your occupational therapy and speech therapy appointments.  You held a marker correctly for Mary Beth using the pen grasp all by your self!  You also went through the tunnel, the swing, and used play doh.  You're getting more and more adventurous.  And, you even signed 'open' for Mary Beth!  Woo hoo! 

You also did great with Kim for speech therapy.  You didn't do the 'mmmm' noise, but you correctly identified action words with 60% accuracy.  You also signed for her!  You did 'eat' 'drink' 'all done' and 'open' .... way to go little man! 

You two fell asleep in the car while I was driving home.  So, I let you all continue to sleep when we were back at the house.  Joshua, when you woke up you ate a good lunch for me!  You had some chicken, hotdog, and pizza! 

It was later in the afternoon when you two woke, were fed, changed, and content .... so, I decided to stay here even though it was nice out for a walk.  You two helped me bake some chocolate chip cookies! 

Oh, Joshua, you apparently found a pen on the kitchen table this afternoon while I was trying to put the cookies in the oven.  Before I could stop you, you had drawn on the living room wall!  You can't really notice it right away unless someone points it out.  In fact, I don't even think daddy saw it.  :-P  You know, your Uncle James use to draw on the walls too when he was little!

This afternoon Joshua and I had a cheese snack.  You did your own version of 'more' and 'all done' for me!  I was so proud! 

We ended up spending the whole afternoon downstairs playing.  We didn't even go upstairs until 4:30pm. 

Oh, Joshua, you ate well for dinner too!  Grace, you on the other hand, cried with some strawberry yogurt.  I don't know if you just didn't like it, or if you just weren't hungry when I put you in the chair.  We'll try again later.  :-P

We all played in the bonus room this evening.  Grace, you like to pull my hair.  Joshua, you played with cars, blocks, and drew with daddy. 

Tomorrow's a work day so Penny will be here.  I'll come home as soon as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Good ST Appointment

Dearest Angels~

Grace, you successfully noodled into our bed again last night.  Then, you woke up at 4:40am to eat.  Joshua, you woke up when daddy's work alarm went off at 6:30am.  You went downstairs with daddy and saw some deer in the backyard! 

I got a quick pump in this morning.  Then, we played and had lost of music time.  You two helped me straighten the play room as I had the radio on.

We left the house early since we had to drop off our box to mail.  We packaged it last night and put the shipping label on it, so all we had to do was hand it off to a shipping place near our house.  I ended up leaving more time than I thought and we got to Joshua's speech therapy appointment 30 minutes early!  :-P  You two fell asleep in the car on the way there, so I let you all sleep for a little bit before I unloaded everyone. 

Joshua, you did really well with your speech therapy appointment with Kim!  You put the PECS cards on the sentence strip and handed the strip to Kim by yourself!  This was the first time you've done that with no help!   had to help you with the majority of them, but you did it by yourself two times!  Good job little man!  We're still working on the 'mmmm' noise. 

Afterward we all played in the bonus room and then I nursed Grace.  Today was a beautiful day with gorgeous weather!  So, we went for a nice walk!  We did a shorter walk though .... only 4 miles.  Grace, you started to cry when we were 2 miles from the house.  :-P  You eventually fell asleep for the walk back.  :-)

We all got to play in the living room when home.  I put the radio on and Joshua danced!  It was so cute!  Oh, Joshua, you ate a pretty good dinner for us!  Yippie!  A week from today is your follow up appointment with the feeding team at UNC.  We'll see what they say!

The evening we all relaxed in the play room with daddy.  I think we're suppose to have nice weather tomorrow too!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Daylight Savings

Dearest Gifts~

Today is daylight savings!  That means that we turned our clocks back and hour and gained an entra hour .... that makes today the longest day of the year.  Unfortunately, you two didn't know we gained an hour and woke up at all hours.  :-P

Grace, you fell asleep on me after nursing last night.  Once I put you in your crib, however, you rolled over and like clock work started to scream and scream.  So, you ended up sleeping in our bed.  At 2am, Joshua woke up whimpering and came into our room.  I put him back in bed and slept with him until 5am.  Grace, you woke up again at 5:50am hungry.  So, we changed you and then I nursed you. 

Guess what, they announced the list of winner for the State Fair competitions.  I'm official!  ;-)  They only gave out 4 Honorable Mentions .... or, 4th place, awards for photography.  Go me!  ;-)

This morning I got a quick pump in and then I steam sterilized the pump pieces.  You all helped me prepare the crock pot this morning for our dinner.  We made a potato soup and it was good!  I added more veggies into it than what the recipe calls for.  ;-)

You two also helped daddy and I do some laundry this morning.  Joshua, daddy cut your nails and I gave Grace a bath.  You still have a lot of rough skin and I keep putting lotion on you but I don't see a difference.  We'll have to mention it again to Dr. Medero at your 9 month check up later in the month if things don't clear up.

This afternoon we had a lot of fun.  Remember when we went to Target yesterday?  Well, we got Joshua the movie 'Cars 2' since he loves the first one and he had some birthday money to spend.  We watched it this afternoon with you two!  Joshua, you love those cars!  ;-) 

After the movie, we walked up to the park.  We waited until it was a little warmer out to take you two out.  Joshua, you played in the sandbox, went down the slides, and climbed all over the jungle gyms.  Grace, I pushed you in the swing.  :-)  Then, we put you two in the stroller and we walked up to the shopping center near our subdivision and back.  It was only 2 miles round trip, but you two took a little nap and we all got to stretch our legs and enjoy the weather! 

Speaking of getting out and exercising .... Grandpa Jim did the City of Oaks ½ marathon today and got 2nd place in his age bracket!  Woo hoo!  We'll have to see his metal the next time we see him.  I bet he'll let you two wear it!  :-)

Joshua, this evening was your turn for a nap and I did a quick pump.  Afterward, we all relaxed in the play room.  You two helped me package a box to mail out tomorrow.  Gigi and I are trading in a few electronics that we're not using for some store credit.  We'll see what happens!  We'll drop the box off tomorrow to mail while we're out for Joshua's therapy appointment.

Joshua, you go to bed with a little wooden plane now .... it's the wooden plane that Penny got you from the Fair.  It's so cute!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Lots Of Pizza

Dearest Blessings~

Today is Uncle James's birthday!  He's 33 years old!  Woo hoo!

Grace, you cried when I put you in the crib last night even though you had fallen asleep on me nursing prior.  So, you ended up sleeping in our bed.  Hummmm .... Joshua was about this age when he started doing that as well.  :-P

Joshua came whimpering into our room a little before 7am.  I was holding Grace from nursing her.  Daddy pulled him up into the bed.  The four of us cuddled together until 8:30am!  This was such a precious moment!  :-)

We all played downstairs after breakfast.  You two crawled all around daddy.  Once we got ready for the day, we ran to Target for some groceries.  Joshua, you ate 1.5 cookies.  We saw Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James while at Target.  We were home by lunch and we made a pizza.  Then, we watched another UNC football game.  UNC lost .... it wasn't a good game to watch.  But, guess what .... basketball starts on the 11th!  ;-)

Joshua, you fought a nap all day.  In fact, you never napped at all!  Daddy and I both tried to read to you and we both tried to lie down with you on your bed.

Gigi, Grandpa Jim, and Uncle James came over for a birthday dinner.  We had more pizza and ice cream cake.  Uncle James liked our birthday gifts.  We got him two books related to 'Alice in Wonderland.'  He's translating it into his own language 'Babel' to be published later.  :-)

Tomorrow is Daylight Savings.  So, we gain an hour!  Woo hoo!  This means that tomorrow is the longest day of the year!  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Lazy

Dearest Angels~

Whoa .... we had a hard night last night.  :-P  Grace, you cried when I put you in your crib, even though you had fallen asleep on me nursing.  So, you noodled into our bed last night.  Then, Joshua woke up at 1:30am.  He got out of his bed and started to whimper in the hallway.  I got up and put him back in his bed.  I laid next down next to him and we both fell back asleep after listening to the rain.  Grace, you then woke up at 6:20am crying.  Daddy and I changed you and then I nursed you.

Grace, you ate 3/4 of a banana custard container for breakfast.  I started you on some apricots, but I got some mixed reviews on that.  :-P  After breakfast, we played upstairs and straightened the play room.

We had an landscaping company come over this morning to winterize our irrigation system.  The company, Greenscape, is owned by the husband of one of the dental assistants that I work with.  The guy who came out was really nice.  He fixed our control box.  We had a rain sensor on so it kept saying 'No AC' even though we had power.  :-P  Anyway, we should be set until the spring.  Last year we didn't get it winterized and our backflow system busted. 

Today was a cold and wet day, so we didn't go anywhere.  In fact, we were all pretty lazy this afternoon!  Joshua, you went down for a nap at 2:30pm.  I nursed Grace and then she fell asleep.  I read and relaxed on the couch while holding her.  Then, I closed my eyes too.  We all ended up taking a nap.  It's been a really long time since we all did that at the same time!  ;-)

We made some eggs, bacon, veggies, and toast for dinner.  Then, we watched a folk music concert in the play room this evening. 

As you two were playing, I was thinking to myself.  I was wondering what you two will be when you grow up.  I know it's early .... I mean, Grace doesn't even have any teeth yet .... but it was fun to think about it.  :-) 

Tomorrow is Uncle James's birthday, so I'm sure we'll see him at some point.  The gifts that we ordered for him came in the mail this week, so we'll wrap them tomorrow.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy