Weekend Fun

Mommy w/ Andrew at the park.


Giving up on trying to get a picture w/ both boys.


Grandma and Andrew


The boys love Jamba Juice. Matthew drank the entire cup without stopping.


Matthew pulling the wagon


Andrew pulling the wagon


Andrew pulling Mommy in the wagon.


Mommy and Matthew hanging out in the wagon as Andrew runs towards Daddy.


So much fun w/ Daddy!


Matthews turn.

Hospital scare and long month.

Good Bye February! What an exhausting month.

Andrew has been sick pretty much all winter. He developed a cough in the very beginning of December that wouldn't go away. We tried everything and had many doctor appts and chest x-rays done to try and figure out why he wouldn't get better. The cough was mostly at night and it would get pretty bad at times. He would wake up in coughing fits and not be able to catch his breath. So we tried asthma inhalers, allergy medications, humidifiers, etc.

Then about two weeks ago he seemed to come down w/ what we thought was the flu. He had three days of high temps and throwing up/diarrhea. His cough also got worse w/ a vengeance. We ended up racing in to his room on several occasions to check on him b/c he sounded so awful. On one of those occasions he couldn't breath. His coloring was pale/bluish to the lips and he was in this horrifying fight to get air into his lungs. I have never before in my life been so scared. I immediately threw him in the car and raced to the nearby Children's hospital. I was crying the entire way. In those minutes I thought that I could possibly lose him. I will never forget that panic. I could hear him in this weak struggle trying to breath in the backseat but was just relieved to hear that he was managing to get some oxygen into his lungs.

When we got to the hospital they took us immediately back and got Andrew some humidified oxygen while getting him hooked up to all the monitors and machines. I was told he had a severe case of Croup. The doctor also told me that more than likely he's a child prone to croup and has had it in varying degrees over and over all winter. He told me the signs and what I could do to help Andrew when his coughing gets so bad. I was so pissed at my pediatrician for not even considering croup. It all made sense. Most of the time croup isn't serious but it can be very serious in a small portion of children. Andrew is one of them. He has smaller than normal airway passages so when his throat swells from the croup he's affected more seriously than the average child. It's also more serious in children under the age of three. So I was told more than likely we'll have to deal with this each winter until the croup becomes milder as he gets older. But...I can give him a lot of relief by getting him lots of cold air which helps the swelling in his throat go down. I can take him outside when he first starts coughing and have him breath in the wet moist air. Or drive around with him while the windows are down. When it gets bad I have to take him in and get him on steroids and I have an appt w/ a pediatric nose, throat and eye specialist to see if there are any other factors contributing.

Andrew is doing much better now. He was on the steroids for 6 days and that seemed to do the trick. I haven't even heard him cough in days. Of course his brother has that same flu type virus last week (without cough) so it's been a bit difficult around here.

I'm drained.

But on a positive note: Operation CIO "cry it out" was a total success even w/ all that has been going on. Matthew has never slept better! He's sleeping through the night and taking a 2-3 hour nap each day (the longest naps he's ever taken) =)



Matthew on left, Andrew on right.

The start of operation CIO "cry it out"

Night one... OMG! So much worse than I had ever imagined. Matthew screamed/cried over 6 hours on and off. At one point it was 3 hours straight. He was crying... I was crying :(
Day 1- Would not nap.... Clingy, Wanted to be held all day, really bad mood. Long day! I questioned my decision a few times.

Night two... Still bad but better. About 3 hours of screaming/crying on and off.
Day 2- Would not nap.... Clingy, Wanted to be held all day, really bad mood. Even longer day!

Night three... Wow.. Only 5 minutes of initial crying and then he slept through the entire night! WOO HOO... I felt hope!
Day 3- Took 45 minute nap on my bed, still super clingy and in poor mood.

Night four... Woke 3 or 4 times w/ ten minute bouts of crying.
Day 4- First nap in crib since starting CIO... (lasted only an hour and i had to get him asleep first before putting him down.) Still very clingy and irritable at times.

Night five- Woke 2 times w/ a few minutes of crying each time.
Day 5- First nap where he fell asleep after being put down in crib awake. Continues to be clingy but mood has started to improve.

Night six (last night)... Matthew cried 3 minutes when we put him down and slept through the entire night until 5:30! =)
Day 6- (today) Matthew went down for his nap in his crib today and is sleeping as I type this! Woo Hoo!!!

So it has been a long and exhausting week. I am glad I was determined and ready to do the CIO. My biggest suggestion to anyone considering it is to be sure. It would be cruel to start and then give up after one or two nights. You'd put your child through all that for nothing plus you'd be in a worse position than before you had started. CIO is not for everyone and it took me many months before I decided it was right for us. We tried everything and were at our wits end. If you do CIO surround yourself w/ support and cut off those who oppose CIO for a while until you feel more confident and see that it is working. Also be prepared that days will be affected. Both tiredness/fussiness during the day and nap time issues will have to be addressed.

Some notes: We separated the twins (for now) so they sleep in different rooms. This is essential. We tried to keep the environment the same. Dark and w/ sound machines in both rooms. We try to keep the bedtime and nap time routine consistent. Oh and Andrew (the good sleeper) is sleeping even better than ever! So that is an added bonus.

I will post again to followup and let you know how this week goes.

Wish Me Luck!

As of tonight we will be separating the boys and starting the "cry it out" method. Hopefully this will be very temporary b/c we want the boys to share a room for a long time to come. But...we have reached our limit. Matthew is a terrible sleeper and we are all exhausted. I cannot go through one more sleepless night. J and I are running on fumes. We were both up for hours on end last night. We are usually up multiple times every single night. Plus...Matthew is not getting nearly enough sleep. This in not good for him. I have never been a fan of the crying out of method but nothing else has worked. This has to work. Please please please!!!!! I also hope we survive how difficult this could be.

Almost 16 Months...Updated w/ Pics!

We just had our 15 month check-up 3 weeks late and the stats were:

Matthew: 33 inches tall (90 percentile)
21.2 pounds (10th percentile)

Andrew: 31.5 inches tall (60th percentile)
22.1 pounds (25th percentile)

I worry just a touch about Matthew's weight. He doesn't look overly thin or malnourished. The pediatrician isn't worried at all. But...I do try to feed him extra and put butter on his waffles and English muffins. He's so active...constantly running around and he is sooo picky at meals. He hates vegetables and almost all meat items. He's used to love fruit but I've noticed he leaving more and more fruit on his plate at meals. He seems to be a carb addict. He wants crackers, cookies, granola bars, etc... although at times he cracks us up b/c he'll love something spicy that we're eating. I gave him spicy onion meatloaf that I had made for J and both boys loved it. Eww! I personally don't like meatloaf. I ended up feeding that meatloaf to the boys for three days b/c I was so excited that Matthew was eating meat. I also gave them chili lime chicken patties one night and Matthew loved that too. Only that one time though. I'll have to make another meatloaf and see if they still like it.

Andrew is less of a concern. He always been and continues to be a great eater. He likes pretty much everything. The only thing is he's not a huge fan of water. He'll drink it but only a few sips whereas Matthew guzzles water all day long.

They do love milk! Love it! Can't get enough. I give them a sippy cup w/ 8oz in the morning when they first wake and they get another 6-8oz in the afternoon w/ their snack. They could easily drink more but my doctor said to keep it below 16oz per day.

Milestones and more:

• Matthew has had 16 teeth since 13 months and Andrew has had 16 teeth since 14 months. So no more teething until they get their very back molars which shouldn't be for another year. Both boys got their first tooth at 8 1/2 months so that's a lot of teeth in a short period of time.
• Matthew can run...truly run no problem. He goes up and down stairs, he goes down the slide by himself, and plays on the small children's play equipment at the park no problem. He's like Forrest Gump b/c he never stops. He goes goes goes....
• Andrew is still crawling most of the time. He takes a half dozen independent steps a few times a day. I think he gets impatient w/ his wobbly walking when he wants to keep up w/ his brother so he speed crawls and he can crawl super fast.
• Andrew can climb almost as well as his brother although he's not as sure footed. He sure tries though. Both can get up and onto the couches...including on top of the back of the couch *sigh* They also like to stand on the recliner and ride it like a surf board *sigh* and they pile their toys in front of the entertainment center so they can climb them to reach non-baby items *sigh* Luckily they can get down fairly easily most of time so I don't worry as much as I used to.
  
• Matthew has decided it's fun to bash toys into Andrews head and he also likes to push him into the wall. So Matthew is now in time-out several times a day. I put him in a pack in play that's in our master bedroom. I say "No... Not Nice... Time Out" while shaking my head and then put him in the pack and play. I leave him for about one minute and then bring him back out. I'm hoping I can warn him off w/ the shaking of my head in the future.
• Both boys get very physical but Matthew is "rougher" about it. Sometimes I wish Andrew knew he was bigger so he could push Matthew off him.
  
• Matthew gives me hugs and kisses all day long. I can open my arms wide and Matthew will run into them to hug me. I love this of course and forgive him immediately for everything naughty he's done all day long. =)
• Andrew loves to be thrown into the air or ride horsey on your knee. He laughs a full belly laugh. He also cannot have you chase him around the house enough. Never tires of it. Around and around we go....
• The boys love mega bloks. We play w/ them all day long. J and I enjoy them too. We build stuff as fast as we can while they knock it down.
  
• Andrew's favorite toy is a big blown up balloon. He bats it all around the house.
• The boys hate having their teeth brushed. We sing the alphabet song while brushing their teeth so I wonder if they'll hate that song since they'll associate it w/ something unpleasant to them.
  
• Andrew is a wonderful sleeper! He rarely wakes up at night. When he does it sucks though since he's very difficult to get back down. Matthew... not a great sleeper.
• Both boys will try to help you dress/undress them. They will raise a foot or arm which is something they've only been doing the last month or two.
• They aren't saying a whole lot. Both say MaMa, DaDa, Ut Oh, will point and say "that", and that's all I clearly understand. Sometimes I think they'll say something but then I won't hear it again so I'm not sure. Andrew can sign the word water very well... I think he just likes that he's communicating w/ me b/c he'll sign the word and get excited when I give him his sippy cup but not really want it.
• Both boys wave good-bye.
• Both are in size 4 diapers and wear size 18 month clothing.

I just can't believe they are already almost 16 months. Where does the time go. One of my friends just had a baby girl and she weighed exactly what Andrew weighed and I can't get over how tiny she seems. I don't remember Andrew being so small. Matthew was even smaller and the memory is so distant. I was lucky enough to hold this baby girl two hours after she was born and it made me a bit sad and touched at the same time. I had never before held a two hour old baby. I wasn't even able to hold Matthew until the morning after he was born and I never even saw Andrew for the first 24 hours. I just feel like everything happens so fast and I want to capture it all and remember it forever.


Naughty naughty "happy" Boys!!!


Notice that they both use toys to reach off-limit objects. More and more of my stuff is being put away since they always manage to reach it.


Little Monkeys...





Daddy w/ his boys...


Mommy w/ Matthew...

X-mas 08' and more...

First part of this post is only a few weeks late but I figure better late than never ;)

Christmas was such a nice day. We spend the day at J's Dads w/ J's side of the family. J's Dad made the boys name plaques for the wall. I'm always touched by gifts that are hand crafted. On top of that the boys received a zillion gifts. We need a four thousand square foot house just for their stuff alone. I put many of the toys away for a later date. I like the idea of bringing out a new toy every few weeks so they have something new and exciting to play with.

I created a 36 page photo-book of the boys through Shutterfly as a gift to both J's and my parents for X-mas along with my Grandmother. I think it turned out pretty good. It documents some highlights from birth up until right before X-mas. I hope to continue this trend and create new ones as the boys grow older.

December was a rough month for us illness wise. We seemed to catch non-stop colds and the entire family was seriously ill w/ the flu. Not fun!!! I'm hoping 2009 brings about a healthier household. I was starting to get depressed being stuck inside all day w/ cranky babies. Right now we're pretty much all better. Although Andrew has had a lingering cough that won't go away. The doctor said to give it 8 weeks which seems like forever. So now I'm thrilled to be able to go out and do my exercise class and infant play-dates again. Of course this just mean I'm upping our chances of catching another bug since we're around so many children. It's kind of a no win situation. But I cannot stay cooped up all day or I go mad... I honestly start to lose all my energy. I get lethargic and moody. Not good for anyone...especially the husband =)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now on to current stuff. We took Matthew to his GI reflux Doctor yesterday and she thinks he's ready to be off Prevacid. I'm so happy. They say if a child still has reflux issues at 2 years of age that they'll more than likely have it for life. So I was getting nervous as Matthew passed a year and still have symptoms. Luckily they've steadily decreased over the last few months. Now we just need both boys to be completely cleared from their "kidney reflux" so they can be off that medication and done w/ these constant appts w/ specialists. We also have another eye appt for Andrew at the end of the month and I'm not looking forward to that. Really hoping that one goes well so we can cross that place off of our list too.

What else... Twilight Series was completely addicting. Made me feel like a school girl w/ a crush all over again. I read all four book in less than two weeks. Fun... I recommend them.

I need shopping rehab. I can't seem to resist all of these unbelievable post holiday sales. Bought my first 100% cashmere sweater/jacket plus some other nice pieces. I've stocked up on tons of Christmas decorations, children's toys for upcoming birthdays, etc.

Boys are doing great. We have their 15 month check-up next week. Our doctor has been out of town so this was the soonest we could get them in. Andrew took his first independent steps a few weeks ago. He is still basically crawling with a few steps here and there. He's so fast at crawling that I think he gets impatient w/ the wobbly walking. I'm ready for him to be up on two feet. Matthew's been walking since before 9 months so it would be good for Andrew to be up along with him. Matthew is always running over him plus w/ this wet winter weather I'd prefer Andrew wasn't on his hands and knees at the park and so forth. I am grateful I didn't have two 9 month olds running every which direction at the same time though! I can't imagine how hard that would have been. It's hard enough keeping up w/ these two and how they are. Which is into everything and up on top of everything. They are such climbers. Both climb all over the furniture and they move their big toys in front of the entertainment center and side table so they can get to items above their reach. Having them in the kitchen is a nightmare since they both climb on the kitchen chairs to get up and onto the kitchen table. A fall from that high could be serious so I've had to eliminate their time in there a much as possible. Of course this means less cooking gets done. And can I say they both laugh and smile non-stop while doing these naughty things! They know they shouldn't be doing them!

So a few questions... how do you or did you discipline a 15 month old? A short timeout? Or a firm No and redirection? And how do you handle full on tantrums from a 15 month old? Should you ignore them or distract them or????? Mathew can have long full on screaming tantrums that go on and on and on.. He'll even hit his head on the wall. I tend to want to ignore him so we don't feed his behavior but when it gets too bad we usually distract him by taking him outside. I worry that this just teaching him to hold out b/c we'll eventually give him what he wants. Not that I usually know what he wants. He seems to have one of these everyday right at the start of dinner. We try to feed him and he starts the minute he is placed in his highchair. Ugh.


Our Family


Grandpa made the boys name plaques.


Mommy and Matthew.


Grandpa w/ the cousins.


Cousin Trisha w/ Andrew


Cousin pile-up =)

A Day in the Life w/ 14 Month Old Twins

Happy Boys!!!











Andrew goes down the slide by himself...tummy style.


Matthew...





I walked into the playroom and this sight awaited me... How in the world did he get up there all by himself?


Trouble w/ a capital T!
Did I mention that Matthew can climb completely out of his crib now! Can you say Crib Tent?

Thanksgiving Weekend 08'

We had a nice trip up North for Thanksgiving. The car ride was a bit long (non-stop crying babies) so a portable DVD player may be a required purchase sometime soon. We still have the boys rear facing and are thinking of turning their car seats around in a month or two. I'm hoping that helps w/ car rides as well. We heading back out of town this weekend and I'm dreading another long drive. Anyone have any tricks/ideas/suggestions to share? Playing my Sesame street CD over and over isn't cutting it anymore.



Matthew & Andrew


Both boys love to clap now.


Clap Clap Clap... so cute.


Matthew liked the bells on the X-mas tree.


This little RadioFlyer Rocket was a big hit.

Thankful....

So Very Thankful for:
My Beautiful and Healthy Children
My Supportive and Loving Husband
My Family that has helped shape the person I am today
My Strong, Brilliant, Witty, and Funny as hell Friends

This is truly a year to pause and give thanks. For I have all that I could ever wish for. I pray that we all stay safe, healthy and together...wrapped in love and laughter.

The boys will be 14 months tomorrow. They are amazing in every way.

• Andrew is playful, sweet and always with a huge smile. He tries his hardest to keep up w/ his brother. He claps his hands in triumph when he's successful. People radiate towards Andrew b/c he's always so happy. No one can light up a room like my Andrew. He loves to play ball and can push it right back to you. He's a mini "da da" in both looks and spirit. There is no way I could love him more than I do.
• Matthew is smart, stubborn and loving. He is into everything and climbs every piece of furniture w/out fear. He throws the biggest tantrums I've ever seen but also stops to give big hugs many times throughout the day. He is so advanced...more like a 2 year old than a 14 month old. He's difficult, challenging, exhausting, yet I think of Matthew the second I'm away from him. He loves his "ma ma" and I love him. He has my heart.

Andrew


Andrew


Matthew


Matthew


Matthew

Santa Came Early!

We went and bought a play kitchen and J out it together last night. It's in our actual kitchen right now but we plan to turn our guest room into a playroom for the boys soon and then we'll set it up in there. I think the kitchen's pretty cute and am hoping the boys play w/ it for years to come. A lot of the knobs make sounds and the coffee actually sounds like it's bubbling. The toy ice cubes come out of the ice machine and the grill lights up and sizzles.





















...AND CAUGHT IN THE ACT!