We are all going to my mom's for a week to house sit while she is gone on a cruise. It will be nice to be able to relax, take walks, do whatever all day long for an entire week. Our weekends seem to pass far to quickly and I always seem to find things that need to be done at home so I hardly ever get time to just play with the babies all day long. Thankfully Jackie is going to stay at our house and run day care the whole week so no one else will have their schedule disrupted.
Brady has discovered he likes to sleep on his stomach and it is driving me crazy! I am so worried about the chance of SIDS and roll him over onto his back but he is back on his belly the next time I check on him. What can I do to keep that kid in place??? Aubrey has decided she wants to take after her big brother and Ben and I put her back on her back 9 times last night!
We have had a couple nice days where we have been able to get out walking in the evenings. They have all learned to enjoy it for the most past and look at the sights as we are walking rather than napping. Aubrey likes to make sure the whole town hears he crying at least one time on our walk. I wish that every evening could be nice so we aren't cooped up in the house.
Our family pictures did not come out the way I had hoped. I LOVE the ones of each baby individually but I really don't care for any of the 6 of us. Ben and I look horrible! They were way too crabby to get any of just the four of them.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Friday, April 16, 2010
7 months!
Amazing that our babies are seven months old already. Our lives have changed so much in this time and we have had many ups and downs but we are finding our way and learning new things every day. Luckily life hasn't been as hard as people warned us it would be but with each new stage we are faced with different challenges. Sometimes I think back at how they were when we first arrived home from NICU and remember how hard we thought it was and now I think I wish they would sleep 20 hours for just one day so I could get things done. LOL! As they are getting older they are doing so many thing. Here is a run down of some of the things they are learning and we are learning about them:
Matthew
...is definately our funny man, he thinks everything he does is funny
...is a little instigator! Always stealing toys, pacis, poking his brothers and sister, taking Aubrey's head bands out
...shakes his head no
...says "mama" and "dada"
...rolls from one end of the room to the other
...sits unassisted for 10-15 seconds at a time
...loves his solids! We haven't found a veggie he doesn't like.
...is eating 7 oz bottles
...is wearing size 3 diapers
...is wearing 6-9 month clothes
...can take his paci in and out all by himself
...tries to hold his own bottle but usually makes more of a mess than anything with it
...is a side sleeper
...is sleeping all night in his own crib...FINALLY!
Brady
...likes his green veggies better than his orange
...is drinking 8 oz bottles
...rolls both ways
...discovered that he likes to play on his belly
...is wearing size 3 diapers but almost ready to move into 4's
...is wearing 12 month clothes
...hasn't figured out that he has to put the sucking end back in his mouth and always tries to put the handle in when he is playing with his paci
...insists on riding in the front of the stroller so he can kick at the fender or he has a fit the entire time we walk
...likes to wake up at 5 am and talk and laugh every morning
...is our happiest one. He always will smile if you talk to him
...holds his own bottle for at least a few minutes
...can sit unassisted for almost 30 seconds at a time
...is a side sleeper
Aubrey
...is our little diva! That girl can really screech if she doesn't get her way but turn it into a smile if you tell her she is beautiful
...is still our little peanut in 3-6 month clothes
...is wearing size 2 diapers
...has learned how to make her brothers mad by taking their pacis and toys
...loves the orange veggies but is not very fond of the green ones
...is our best sleeper. We almost always have to wake her for the morning feeding.
...can sit unassisted for almost 30 seconds at a time
...rolls belly to back and is almost there rolling back to belly
...mastered picking up toys from the ground to play with
...is drinking 6 oz bottles
...couldn't live without her snuggy
...has said "mama" a couple of times
Cameron
...is our most laid back one. He always waits patiently and hardly ever fusses
...likes his orange veggies but we have to trick him to get him to eat his green ones
...is starting to grab for toys
...loves to spit and talk
...loves to have stories read to him
...is rolling belly to back when he wants to
...is wearing size 3 diapers
...is wearing size 9-12 month clothes
...is eating 7 oz bottles
...is hard to get to laugh or smile when you are trying but when you aren't he will smile all day long
...likes to move around in circles without rolling
...has decided to take up permanent residence in the bassinette in our room now that Matthew has moved out!
I am sure there are so many more things I could tell you about these babies! It is so amazing to see them accomplish new things and to see how proud they are of themselves as you praise them.
Matthew
...is definately our funny man, he thinks everything he does is funny
...is a little instigator! Always stealing toys, pacis, poking his brothers and sister, taking Aubrey's head bands out
...shakes his head no
...says "mama" and "dada"
...rolls from one end of the room to the other
...sits unassisted for 10-15 seconds at a time
...loves his solids! We haven't found a veggie he doesn't like.
...is eating 7 oz bottles
...is wearing size 3 diapers
...is wearing 6-9 month clothes
...can take his paci in and out all by himself
...tries to hold his own bottle but usually makes more of a mess than anything with it
...is a side sleeper
...is sleeping all night in his own crib...FINALLY!
Brady
...likes his green veggies better than his orange
...is drinking 8 oz bottles
...rolls both ways
...discovered that he likes to play on his belly
...is wearing size 3 diapers but almost ready to move into 4's
...is wearing 12 month clothes
...hasn't figured out that he has to put the sucking end back in his mouth and always tries to put the handle in when he is playing with his paci
...insists on riding in the front of the stroller so he can kick at the fender or he has a fit the entire time we walk
...likes to wake up at 5 am and talk and laugh every morning
...is our happiest one. He always will smile if you talk to him
...holds his own bottle for at least a few minutes
...can sit unassisted for almost 30 seconds at a time
...is a side sleeper
Aubrey
...is our little diva! That girl can really screech if she doesn't get her way but turn it into a smile if you tell her she is beautiful
...is still our little peanut in 3-6 month clothes
...is wearing size 2 diapers
...has learned how to make her brothers mad by taking their pacis and toys
...loves the orange veggies but is not very fond of the green ones
...is our best sleeper. We almost always have to wake her for the morning feeding.
...can sit unassisted for almost 30 seconds at a time
...rolls belly to back and is almost there rolling back to belly
...mastered picking up toys from the ground to play with
...is drinking 6 oz bottles
...couldn't live without her snuggy
...has said "mama" a couple of times
Cameron
...is our most laid back one. He always waits patiently and hardly ever fusses
...likes his orange veggies but we have to trick him to get him to eat his green ones
...is starting to grab for toys
...loves to spit and talk
...loves to have stories read to him
...is rolling belly to back when he wants to
...is wearing size 3 diapers
...is wearing size 9-12 month clothes
...is eating 7 oz bottles
...is hard to get to laugh or smile when you are trying but when you aren't he will smile all day long
...likes to move around in circles without rolling
...has decided to take up permanent residence in the bassinette in our room now that Matthew has moved out!
I am sure there are so many more things I could tell you about these babies! It is so amazing to see them accomplish new things and to see how proud they are of themselves as you praise them.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Second look
Ben's second look CAT scan came back clear and his blood work is looking great also. He still needs to go every 3 months for awhile to get checked but as of right now he is in remission. They are getting him back into the neurologist in Dartmouth to try and get his feet working a little better then it looks like he will be able to return to work soon! It has been a rough year having him out of work this long. We have never spent so much time together and even though it has been great having him hear to help with the babies we are driving each other a little crazy! Luckily as the babies are getting older it is getting easier to take care of them by myself when I need to.
It is Aubrey's turn to be sick. After two sleepless nights and many tears on her part I brought her to the doctors yesterday and she has an ear infection. Poor baby! She started her antibiotic yesterday and was able to sleep through the night last night.
Matthew had his check up for his helmet yesterday also and the doctor says he is already improving so it looks like he will be free of it in no time. I was worried about him having to wear it as the weather got warmer.
We have been trying many vegetables out this month...peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Next month we will do some fruits, I am thinking they will prefer them to the veggies but we will see. We are also going to try and introduce them to sippy cups with some water during feeding time to see how they do. Right now none of them will hold their own bottle for an entire feeding so I don't know how they will react to the sippy cups.
Saturday will mark them turning 7 months! The older they get the sadder I am that they will be one before we know it. I was looking at pictures of them the other night and could not believe how small they were and how lucky we are to have 4 rather healthy babies that you would never know were preemies.
It is Aubrey's turn to be sick. After two sleepless nights and many tears on her part I brought her to the doctors yesterday and she has an ear infection. Poor baby! She started her antibiotic yesterday and was able to sleep through the night last night.
Matthew had his check up for his helmet yesterday also and the doctor says he is already improving so it looks like he will be free of it in no time. I was worried about him having to wear it as the weather got warmer.
We have been trying many vegetables out this month...peas, green beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and carrots. Next month we will do some fruits, I am thinking they will prefer them to the veggies but we will see. We are also going to try and introduce them to sippy cups with some water during feeding time to see how they do. Right now none of them will hold their own bottle for an entire feeding so I don't know how they will react to the sippy cups.
Saturday will mark them turning 7 months! The older they get the sadder I am that they will be one before we know it. I was looking at pictures of them the other night and could not believe how small they were and how lucky we are to have 4 rather healthy babies that you would never know were preemies.
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Magic Helmet
We jokingly call Matthew's helmet a magic helmet because as soon as you put it on him he transforms into a perfect baby. He was always our most difficult one to please and the past week he has been so good. We were sure that he would be screaming all day with that thing but we were so wrong. He has even learned to roll both ways with it on.
Yesterday I took the babies for a walk and to get groceries and they all stayed awake for the entire time. AMAZING! They loved seeing the sights and all the people. Aubrey was not at all happy that it was a little windy. She was talking and laughing then the wind would come and she would screach! The boys could have cared less about it.
Yesterday I took the babies for a walk and to get groceries and they all stayed awake for the entire time. AMAZING! They loved seeing the sights and all the people. Aubrey was not at all happy that it was a little windy. She was talking and laughing then the wind would come and she would screach! The boys could have cared less about it.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Family Picture Day
We had Pixie Studios come again for picture day today. We have them come in the fall to do all the day care kids then in the spring to do them and their families. They do such a great job! I can't wait to see the pictures of the babies and our family pictures.
Brady and Aubrey were very photogenic and laughed very easily. Matthew got into it when it was shots of only him, during the family shots he was grabbing at his brothers and sister, taking the bow out of Aubrey's hair and generally trying to irritate them! Cameron was not in the mood to be taking any pictures but finally gave in and smiled a bit so he could be done.
I will post some finished pictures ASAP!
Brady and Aubrey were very photogenic and laughed very easily. Matthew got into it when it was shots of only him, during the family shots he was grabbing at his brothers and sister, taking the bow out of Aubrey's hair and generally trying to irritate them! Cameron was not in the mood to be taking any pictures but finally gave in and smiled a bit so he could be done.
I will post some finished pictures ASAP!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Matthew's big week
Matthew has been a big talker this week. He started off saying mama then learned to say dada then learned how to drive us crazy by sticking out this tongue and saying the opposite of what we tell him to. He of course laughs at how funny he is!Yesterday Matty and daddy went to pick up his helmet and Ben drilled dada into his head the entire trip so that is all he says now!
He is doing so much better with his helmet than we anticipated. He doesn't like me to put it on but once he has it on he is fine with it. The doctor seems to think that if he wears it as directed we should be seeing results next week and that six weeks from now he may be helmet free!
Today was their last Synagis shot and we are sad not to be seeing Dr. Rhodes every month. I have to say having a neonatologist come to our home once a month was very comforting. The babies all got weighted in today:
Matthew 16 lbs 7 oz 28" long
Brady 20lbs 29" long
Aubrey 13 lbs 11 oz 25.5" long
Cameron 17 lbs 2 oz 26.5" long
He is doing so much better with his helmet than we anticipated. He doesn't like me to put it on but once he has it on he is fine with it. The doctor seems to think that if he wears it as directed we should be seeing results next week and that six weeks from now he may be helmet free!
Today was their last Synagis shot and we are sad not to be seeing Dr. Rhodes every month. I have to say having a neonatologist come to our home once a month was very comforting. The babies all got weighted in today:
Matthew 16 lbs 7 oz 28" long
Brady 20lbs 29" long
Aubrey 13 lbs 11 oz 25.5" long
Cameron 17 lbs 2 oz 26.5" long
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Babies 1st Easter
We were supposed to go to my mom's for Easter today but unfortunately they aren't having all the Easter fun we thought they would be having today because Matthew and Aubrey are sick once again. Up all night coughing and gaging so they are quite crabby today. Brady spent some time in the ER this weekend and he has pneumonia and an ear infection so you can imagine how he is. The one thing that is nice is he is cuddling like crazy. I would gladly trade the cuddling for a healthy baby boy though. The only one happy this morning is Cameron. He is getting over his bronciolitis and starting to feel better. Hopefully he doesn't catch whatever his siblings are getting.
Matthew is saying mama! I thought for sure that he would say daddy first because he is a total daddy's boy but he said mama several times yesterday and this morning when he was laying in his crib. Of course he won't say it with the video camera rolling though! Brady has been whining maaa when he cries the past couple days so it won't be long for him I don't think.
Yesterday we were able to enjoy Easter with some of my relatives from away before the babies got too sick. It was nice to all get together and visit for awhile. Ben and I both were able to eat hot meals with all the extra hands around. First time in awhile!
We hope you all are enjoying your Easter and having a great time with family!
Brady
Aubrey
Matthew
Cameron
Cameron
Aubrey, Kari, Brady, Zachary, Brandon, Matthew, Caitlyn, Cameron, Melissa and Matthew
Matthew and Caitlyn
Melissa and Brady
Aunt Susan and Aubrey
Memere and Cameron
Aubrey
Aunt Dana and Matthew
Uncle Dave and Aubrey
1st Easter Eggs!
Thursday, April 1, 2010
They are on a roll!
All the babies have rolled over now! It is so exciting to see except when Matthew gets on his belly and forgets that he know how to roll back over so he screams bloody murder until someone shows him again then he is all set. Brady thinks it is the funniest thing to roll onto his tummy, he just laughs and laughs about it. Cameron is very selective and has only rolled a couple times belly to back for us. He likes to just watch the rest of them. Aubrey is a little stinker! She can roll belly to back when she feels like it but if her big brothers are close enough when they attempt to roll she will kick them back onto their backs and make them cry. She tries to look so sweet and innocent when she is really a little devil!
They are all sitting up for a few seconds at a time by themselves and getting more and more balance every day. I think their bumbos have helped with that. I just love those things! I have no idea how we would do story time without them.
Brady has graduated into his big boy car seat! He was getting too heavy to lug around in his carrier at his 20+ lbs so tonight when he power puked in his car seat on our way out the door we decided to install his big seat. He loves it!
All of the babies are now sleeping unswaddled! I think this was a bigger step for daddy than it was the babies. He kept insisting that they would not sleep without being swaddled. I think he just doesn't want to admit they are getting bigger. Sleep has been much better in this household the past week thankfully! I am loving the fact that they are in bed at 8 pm now and I have some free time in the evening.
Well, I will have some Easter pics to post this weekend as we are doing Easter with my dad's family on Saturday and many of them have not met the babies yet and others haven't seen them since they were a couple weeks old. Sunday we are going to my mom's for lunch and then probably just relaxing the rest of the day. I can't wait to see them all dressed up!
They are all sitting up for a few seconds at a time by themselves and getting more and more balance every day. I think their bumbos have helped with that. I just love those things! I have no idea how we would do story time without them.
Brady has graduated into his big boy car seat! He was getting too heavy to lug around in his carrier at his 20+ lbs so tonight when he power puked in his car seat on our way out the door we decided to install his big seat. He loves it!
All of the babies are now sleeping unswaddled! I think this was a bigger step for daddy than it was the babies. He kept insisting that they would not sleep without being swaddled. I think he just doesn't want to admit they are getting bigger. Sleep has been much better in this household the past week thankfully! I am loving the fact that they are in bed at 8 pm now and I have some free time in the evening.
Well, I will have some Easter pics to post this weekend as we are doing Easter with my dad's family on Saturday and many of them have not met the babies yet and others haven't seen them since they were a couple weeks old. Sunday we are going to my mom's for lunch and then probably just relaxing the rest of the day. I can't wait to see them all dressed up!
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