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Gockley Blog archives!
Thursday, 1 March 2007
March 2007 blog
3/19/07 The kids are finally starting to feel better, which mean the orneries are back out. They are such the little two year olds! Constantly pushing boundaries and checking to see if mama and dada will actually enforce the threats of time out or taking away the toys when they can't share. Aside from that, they are having a blast outside enjoying the warm weather. We are hearing more and more words, every single day it's something new. Will and I are getting ever more cautious of what we say around the kids too, since they repeat everything. We've learned to spell pretty well too. Bella started cereal and LOVES it. I have never seen a kid eat so much at once! We kept watching for her to turn her head away, or act disinterested or whatever to signal that she was done, but everytime she sees the spoon, she opens her mouth as wide as she can and starts kicking her feet. She looks just like a little bird waiting for a worm! I think she's gonna give Lucas (our BIG eater) a run for his money! Here come the grocery bills! 3/13/07 Good Lord, are we ever going to get healthy? We've been back to the doctor's office twice this week, once with Lucas and Soph, who were diagnosed with having "lingering infections", whatever that means, and once with Bella, who has an ear infection. GRRRR.... All of this adds up to no sleep for mama and dada. This is not such a great thing since we are both sick too! Come on Spring, we're ready for healthy kids! We've been busy this week, nonetheless. I learned that my kids are much smarter than I had guessed (ok that sounded bad, not that I thought they WEREN'T smart, but you know what I mean). I tried to teach them to sort the colored bricks up in the playroom, but apparantly they already knew how (or picked it up amazingly quick) because I didn't even get through the "demonstration" before they started going to town sorting by color. We had four HUGE towers of green, red, yellow and blue bricks, which of course had to be knocked down with a vengence. It turns out that they can also string beads pretty well. Since the box said 3+, I thought maybe it might be a little over their heads, but by the time I gave a brief demo, and then had to go change Bella's diaper, they both had necklaces in the works and I had to RUN to grab the camera. They are just too smart! Despite having temperatures and runny noses, we have played outside on our new playset a TON this week, It's been in the 70's here, and the kids have had a blast climbing the ladder and sliding down the big slide. We've definitely gotten the hang of BIG and little thanks to our two slides! They also have had a good time exploring their new backyard and getting to know the neighbors a bit too! Bella is fully into teething now. I had forgotten how insistant little ones can be with chewing when they want those first little teeth to pop through. She is constantly chewing on toys, fingers, our fingers, blankets, bibs, clothing, her brother and sister, shoes, and any other object that she can grab ahold of. She's 15 lbs. now, and squirmy as she possibly can be! She gave me the treat of her first refusal to sit in her carseat the other day (for you moms, you know the arching the back pose... it was lovely). Gotta love independence! 3/6/07 It's been a doozy of a week already! Yesterday, I took Lucas to the doctor because he had been up all the previous night wheezing and coughing. Turns out he has croupe.... again. and so we're back on the 'roids (steroids). Today, we had occupational and speech therapy. Since Lucas decided last night to rub his plate on his head after eating buttered noodles, he had a "gorgeous" hairdo going on. Sophia asked for pigtails this morning. They were adorable when we got in the car. 35 minutes later when I got her out, she had one pigtail and no rubber band for the other one. So i attempted to pull the other one out and give her a ponytail, but of course, the rubber band broke. So she went into therapy with a lovely 'do also. As we were coming out of therapy, the kids decided to show me how big they are. I usually just throw them in the stroller (without straps) and run them out through the parking lot to the car. Then I put Bella in her seat and put them in. Easy enough, right? Well today, as I was taking Bella out of the front pack (it takes about 7 seconds), they both threw up the trays on their seat and BOLTED out of the stroller. Turns out they both can run really fast, especially in two different directions. I ran after them and rounded them up about 50 steps from where we started, only to send up a small thank you prayer that there were no moving cars in the parking lot at the time. We had a long talk in the car afterwards about parking lots and cars (as if we haven't had that discussion a million times). Sophia, of course, threw a tantrum and refused to get in her seat. Once in, I decided to let them play the "put it down" game (see previous entry) on the way home since they were tired and it keeps them fairly occupied. Let me preface this with, "I had been warned." When I told my mom about the Put it down game, she said and I quote, "Just be careful or you will have shoes thrown out the window." So, everything was going fine until I noticed Lucas holding a shoe (and chewing on the laces). I calmly asked him to give me the shoe, to which he said, "NO". I tried to grab it, so Lucas threw it out the window to keep it away from me. Keep in mind this whole time I'm driving on a busy street with three lanes going each way (of course I'm in the middle lane). I had to cut across traffic to pull over and retrieve the shoe (since Lucas only has one pair that fits these days). Needless to say, we lost window AND shoe privileges in the car today. Mama's tired..... On a lighter note, Bella has a new game when nursing. When she's done, she "detaches" and looks up at me. As soon as I look down at her, she gets this huge coy grin on her face and DIVES back in to nurse again. She does this over and over until I cut her off. She's so silly! Hopefully, your week is going a little smoother than mine! :) Have to say though, as we were driving to therapy, Lucas and Sophia were having an independant conversation (independant of me) talking about all the people they love. It is pretty heartwarming to hear "and I love mama" from the backseat in little two year old voices. (Of course they also love the crossing guard that works for the school across the street, and the little boy who lives next door that they have only met once, but hey, we take what we can get. I'd like to believe they said they loved ME a little more emphatically than they did the other random people :) )
3/2/07 We've had several 65 or 70 degree days this week, so in honor of that we learned a brand new phrase! PUT IT DOWN!!!!! Ironically enough, Will and I have said this 50 million times to them referring to things they weren't supposed to be holding, but the kids finally picked up the phrase when it became to their advantange. We learned that when we scream, "Put it down!" in the car, the windows "automatically" go down! Then when we say "Up please!" they go up! As fun as it is in the car, it gets a bit annoying for mama when we spend 1/2 the day inside hearing, "Car, put it down!" and having to explain that we can't spend all day in the car. Bella likes the windows down too and it makes for a much more pleasant ride in the car. Plus the kids like to wave at the cars next to us when we hit stop lights. The imaginations have taken off in our house recently. The kids are having pretend picnics all the time, getting dressed up, and riding pretend horses all over the house. The feed their baby dolls at dinner, and change their diapers whenever they get changed. Tubby time, the kids become fish like Nemo, and the monster babies return occasionally too (if you don't remember that, they all the sudden start screaming like monsters and stomp around the house "scaring" mama and dada). We're singing, dancing, and playing our way through the beginning of March! Bella is still the happiest baby alive I think, and she loves to play with the kids. It amazes me, Lucas plays so rough with her, and she just smiles and laughs! Soph mothers her and makes sure she is covered up and has toys all the time. She runs up to her and tells her she loves her and gives her kisses too. Bella just grins every time she sees them. She actually cries in the car when the kids aren't sitting next to her, like when we drop off the kids at Mother's Day OUt. She's quiet and happy the whole way there, and then cries on the way home. At least they like eachother (for now) :) Happy March!
Posted by our3babies
at 10:28 PM CST
Thursday, 1 February 2007
February 2007 blog
2/25/07 So we've had an interesting weekend, weather wise. Saturday morning, a thunderstorm woke the kids up. Lucas was scared and woke up crying. I ran into his room and picked him up. We sat down and I explained to him that the flashes were just lightning and they wouldn't hurt him. What does Lucas do? He points to his "Cars" poster and asks me where Mater is. Ok, so cute, but then I tried to explain to him that the loud Boom he heard after the lighting is called Thunder, to which he says, "No No No, Boom (is) Mater." The rest of the storm, everytime there was lightning, he would yell, "Lightning! Mater!" and, "Mater! Loud!" What a goof. I also had to explain hail to the kids this weekend. It started hailing shortly after the previous conversation, and the kids were jumping up and down screaming, "Balls! Balls!" How do you explain little balls falling from the sky? Sophia has really taken to caring for all of her dolls. I think she has something like 10 that she carries around and cares for all the time. Will and I were laughing the other day because we came into the living room and there was a doll in every single one of Bella's "gear". The boucy seat, the swing, the Bumbo seat, the boppy, and her carseat ALL had baby dolls in them, all covered up with burp cloths (Phia's blanket of choice). She's become quite the little mother! Bella is giggling all the time and rolling all over the place. She pushes way up to watch the kids, and talks ALL the time, goo'ing and maa'ing. We had a little oscar party this afternoon. Mama's a bit of an awards show junkie, so we dressed up for the Oscars and colored pictures of awards today. Check out the pictures! 2/22/07 A Bella update!!!! Bella had her 4 month checkup yesterday and weighed in at 14 lbs. 9 oz. and is 24 3/4 inches long! She is growing so fast! She giggled and grinned through the entire checkup (except for the shots) and was so happy and cute, the doctor threatened to take her home with her. We'll have to keep an eye on this little one! Lucas and Soph are also getting so big. It finally got a little warmer this week, so we played outside on their new playset, and both kids enjoyed walking along the brick flowerbed (sort of like a balance beam!). The speech therapist asked me to make a list of the spontaneous words they say (not ones they repeat right after we say them). During the two hours they were in speech/occupational therapy, I came up with a list of about 100 words for each kid! GOOD LORD! Nana and Papa came for a visit this past weekend, which the kids LOVED. They drove the truck down, so they were able to bring the kids' tricycles from Christmas, AND their new toddler beds. We aren't fully sleeping in them yet, but they love to play in them! Lucas got a blue racecar bed and Sophia got a dollhouse bed (both Little Tykes). So far, Lucas and Soph have put their chairs in the racecar (without the mattress) and pretended to be the Wiggles riding in their big red car, and they put Sophia's PoppyPee in the dollhouse headboard of her bed. At least they are developing their imaginations! The kids got to play on the playground at Mother's Day out yesterday, so when I picked them up, Lucas told me he wanted "more school" and Sophia refused to get in the stroller. I wasnt' sure whether to be so happy they have finally decided to love school, or whether to be disappointed they were less than excited to see me :( I guess it's all part of growing up :) Keep checking for new pictures, and I swear, I am going to get Will to show me how to download videos from our camera soon. (The last one was from Nana and Papa's camera). Have a great end of February! 2/14/07 Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating with specially hand-colored valetines from the kids and heart shaped Jello jigglers :) Sophia hit a huge milestone this week. She actually asked to wear her glasses. We've been fighting her to wear them since before she turned 1, and the other day when it was time to watch for the school buses, she asked me to put her glasses on! She is also talking so much and spends the majority of her time carrying around babies and putting them to bed, covering them up, rocking them, feeding them, etc. She's also developing a sense of humor. She was fussing at me while I was on the phone with my mom earlier this week. I was talking and absentmindedly throwing a stuffed football up in the air and catching it while I talked. I missed one time and the football bonked me in the head, to which Soph stopped crying immediately and started giggling at me. This is now one of her favorite new games... Lucas is talking essentially in sentences now, which is fun. He repeats everything we say, which is a little scary. He has enjoyed riding the swiffer around this week, and also learned to use the broom and dustpan appropriately! WAHOO! He's fallen in love with ketchup, and I think would eat it on anything we would let him. He dances like a maniac everytime we hear music or sing, and he has started counting too! Bella has started to roll from her back to her side, so now she's rolling from front to back, and back to side, soon to realize that she could make it all the way over onto her tummy with just a little extra umph... She is giggling when we tickle her, and she is still totally in love with Lucas and Sophia. She goes for her 4 month checkup next week! Hard to believe it's been that long. We've been spending so much time indoors that we've come up with some interesting things to play with. We've made sock puppets, which love to tickle the kids, and we taught them to bowl with sippy cups as bowling pins and a 4 square ball. We also taught them to catch marshmallows in their mouths when we throw them up in the air. Ok, so maybe we don't catch MOST of the time, but it's fun ot play, AND watch! 2/9/07 BRRRRRR!!! It's SO cold here that we haven't been able to go outside much, so the kids are getting pretty stir crazy. Thank goodness we have the playroom! We've been using ALL the extra space in our new house to occupy the time and use up some of that toddler energy! They love playing in their rooms, and chasing eachother up and down the hall. They also LOVE to cook, which is fun as long as there are extra hands to help. Our last endeavor, we ended up with the kids covered in flour and the floor covered in eggs. Needless to say, that cleanup took a while :) The kids' had their valentine's party at school on Thursday, so they came home with little bags they made with valentines from the other kids. Lucas and Soph spent quite a bit of time last week coloring valentines to give the kids, and they turned out really cute! We've really taken dancing to a new level in our house. Sophia has created this new dance that is similar to one of characters in Charlie Brown (maybe Peppermint Patty? i don't remember) but she bounces and puts her head to one side (like touching her ear to her shoulder) then flips her head to the other side (touching other ear to other shoulder). She flips her head back and forth and just bops along. Lucas has incorporated marching, bouncing, arm waving, screaming, spinning, and various other moves into his dancing. It's quite a sight to see the two of them. I took some video this morning and will try to get it up soon. Bella is sick, but is growing so fast. She has a cough and runny nose this week, but hopefully will be over it soon. She is goo'ing and gaa'ing all the time to the kids, and she still has the most adorable dimples when she grins. She's typically such a content little one. Ok, I'll update more soon, but I'm getting screamed at to distribute goldfish crackers faster than I am right now, so gotta run!
Posted by our3babies
at 10:27 PM CST
Monday, 1 January 2007
January 2007
1/31/07 Wow, it's been while. No real excuses this time, just life.... The kids are doing pretty well. They have runny noses again, but I guess who doesn't when it's 3o degrees outside. Lucas and Soph are talking so much, and in such different ways. Lucas greets us formally with a "Hello mama, Hello dada." Soph is more laid back with a "Hiiieeeee!" They are repeating the alphabet now and know the Wiggly party dance from the Wiggles in it's entirety. They love to dance, and anytime music is on, they bust a move. When there is no music, I usually hear them singing Itsy Bitsy spider, or hush little baby, usually accompanied by rocking baby dolls. They also love to dress up and have fallen in love with my beads from New Orleans. They wear them everywhere, and it's like a little party everyday when they "rediscover" them in the morning. They are still loving running around the new house, and have perfected Marco Polo. I don't know if I have posted since then, but our Physical Therapist called and told us that the kids did not qualify for therapy anymore. As excited as we are for this GIANT milestone, we are pretty sad to see Salim (our therapist) go. He's been coming to our house for almost 2 years now and the kids are really attached to him! Congrats to the kids though! Sophia has named one of her babies Sissy and carries her around in one arm, and PoppyPee in the other. She breastfeeds both (Although not at the same time) and tries to fit them both in the doll carrier. What a goof! Lucas is really into reading and cars. We satisfy both of those with the "Cars" books he got for Christmas, which both Will and I have memorized and are now almost worn out. He also likes to tell us about EVERYTHING he sees first thing in the morning, so we get a play by play of what's going on in Lucas's world, For example, "Ditta (Sophia) is sleeping, Mama feeding Bella, Dada to work in his truck, Doggie sleeping.". All at once. It's quite a lot to hear first thing in the morning. Bella is getting SO big. We've blown through 0-3 month clothes and are now fully into 3-6 month ones. She's almost too long for the 3-6 month sleepers, so I guess we'll be into 6-9 month ones soon, She is sleeping better, although not great. She's SO interested in watching the kids, and she giggles everytime they are near, even if she can just hear their voices. She has finally started to like her swing and bouncy seat (thank god), so I actually get 5 minutes here and there to cook dinner, go to the bathroom, etc. As for Will and I, we are enjoying them. They are growing up so fast. We knew we'd love our kids, but who knew you could love them so much? :) 1/21/07 Bella's rolling like a pro now, and is pushing WAY up when she does tummy time. She's getting so big and loves to talk! How funny is it to hear the two kids talking in the backseat, and then shortly after they finish whatever they are saying, I hear a little coo or "aaah" or what sounds like an approval of whatever they have just said coming from the littlest car seat. Too cute! Lucas and Soph are talking like crazy now, They repeat EVERYTHING we say, and have picked up so many words lately. They say two and three words together, and really get their point across! They have been having a great time upstairs in the playroom, since we finally got the gate up and their playhouse up there. They love to run/stomp/march around upstairs and they are also loving throwing their bricks (don't worry, the cardboard ones) around the room. Lucas is still extremely obsessed with keys, and Soph can't go anywhere without PoppyPee (her baby... she named her...). PoppyPee has her own swing and carseat, and she gets carried around just like Bella. Speaking of, the kids realized the other day that Bella doesn't have any teeth. This was a very disturbing fact for Sophia, who got really upset and whined like "What do you mean she had no teeth???" I tried to explain that they will grow in when she gets older, but now we have to check EVERYONE for teeth, including the dog and random people we see on TV and on the street. Gotta love asking strangers to show their teeth..... Is there an appropriate way to ask someone to pacify your screaming two year olds who are pointing at their own teeth, then at the other's person's teeth and screaming "teeth! teeth!" It's an interesting site, I'll tell you that. The kids have also watched me breastfeed Bella enough that they are starting to respond to it. Not only do they breastfeed their baby dolls, but this morning, I was getting dressed in a hurry in the living room (right by the laundry room where all the clean clothes are) and I was putting on my bra. The kids saw this and started pointing at me and yelling, "Naaa eat! Naa eat!" Yes, that's where Naa eats, and when I asked where they eat, they both ran and pointed to their booster seats. Silly babies. Lucas has started to answer yes to any questions that he agrees with, or any questions that he doesn't know the answer or doesn't understand. He only answers no to questions that he doesn't agree with or knows the answer is definitely no. For example, do you like broccoli (NO). Does Bella have teeth (NO). Do you know the president of the US (yes... he doesn't understand that one). So Will and I get a kick out of asking all sorts of fun questions that he answers YES to, like , "Is mama the most beautiful mama in the world?" YES, hey gotta take the compliments where I can get em :) Lucas has also started telling on himself. When he does things he knows he isn't supposed to do, he comes to us saying, "No no no" and shaking his head no. Then he will take our hand and take us to what he did. They also tell us when they need a time out and when they are done with the time out. They'll learn soon enough to tell on eachother, for now, we're getting a kick out of the fact that they are telling on THEMSELVES! Soph has started really singing, which is so much fun. She sings to us, she sings to her babies, she sings to Lucas, she sings when she is playing by herself, she LOVES to sing to Bella (who coos back). I gotta get it on video. She's actually a pretty good singer too! Will update more later, gotta go get the kids ready for Mother's Day Out! 1/15/07 Bella ROLLED over today!!! She rolled over during tummy time, and then again after Will got home (I think the second time, she was just showing off:). She's growing up so fast! She loves to "talk" to us and also likes to stand on her own, just needs help balancing! She's so cute too! I know I know, where are the pictures???? Well, I'm working my way through boxes trying to find the powercord for the camera. I have a few new pictures, but I can't download them or take new pictures until I find it... GRRRR Lucas and Soph are doing pretty well. They have colds, but hey, who doesn't. They are LOVING the new house, with so much space to run around and explore. They have fallen in love with Marco Polo, and play with us and then with eachother up and down the hallways. I guess it's basically hide and seek, but they get clues when the "hider" responds. They are getting really good at it too! I'm having trouble finding good spots to hide these days! Another biggie this week, the kids got booster seats. We have abandoned the high chairs, and have substituted boosters, placemats, and non skid plates. They are doing pretty well with them, and are really excited to be sitting in big kid chairs. They have also started telling us before they go to the bathroom, so we have started sitting them on the potty when they say they have to go. We haven't caught any in the potty yet, but we JUST got the kids size potty seat yesterday, so we'll see. They really like sitting on the potty though, which is cute. All in all, a fun and productive week. I'll update again soon, hopefully with pictures next time! 1/9/07 We're back in Memphis! We drove in on Saturday night, arriving home around 3am on Sunday morning. Needless to say, Sunday and yesterday were days of readjustment. We're finally starting to get back in the groove today, which didn't actually take us that long. Wanna know why??? Because we are all healthy (yes, you heard me correctly, I said we are ALL healthy!). Amazing what 2 weeks away from Mother's Day out will do :) The kids had a great time on our trip. They got to spend quality time with relatives, and got to be ornery in someone else's house! Sophia spent most of the time carrying around baby dolls. She's become quite the little mother. I thought it was rough with two kids, but she had about 5 babies she was taking care of while we were at Nana's house. She spent most of her time carrying them, wrapping them in blankets, feeding them (both bottle and breast), and putting them to bed. My mom commented that she wasn't sure what was going on in our house though, because Soph would carry the babies to bed, put them in, THROW the blanket on them and scream, "Night Night!" at the top of her lungs at them. I guess she'd had enough of babies that day? I can relate some days.... :) Lucas has really gotten defiant, and is so cute about it that it's hard to be mad. He pushes and pushes, just to see how far he can go. For example, we were eating at Nana's counter and he put his foot up on it. I explained to him that we don't put feet on the table and told him to take it down. He looked me dead square in the eyes and put his other foot up too. I was so shocked that I almost laughed. Of course when Sophia saw that I was upset, she started scrambling as fast as she could to get her feet up too. They are characters! Lucas has also started talking SO much more. His favorite word contines to be NO though. Surprise Surprise... Bella is growing up so fast! She is already pushing up (see picture in album) and rolling from side to back or side to front. She pulls herself up when you hold her fingers, and actually pulls all the way up to standing. She's 2 months old!!! I went ahead and put all the pictures in the December album, so check them out (there are a TON). Will update again soon! 1/1/07 First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! We've been too busy to update! We left Memphis for Indianapolis on the 22nd at 8PM at night, shortly after we left the minor medical center with Bella, who still had ear infections. We arrived in Indy around 4am, with sleeping children, which was nice. We decided that we needed to make sure the kids understood that not all the presents were for them at Christmas time, since they just got done with birthdays and opening all sorts of gifts, and would be doing it again soon, so Will and I packed up Lucas and Soph on Christmas eve day to go to the Dollar Store. We let the kids pick out whatever they wanted for Nana, Papa, Aunt Neenee and Uncle Ryan, who would be there for Christmas morning. We decided that if they kids picked out presents, helped wrap them, and then delivered them to the people on Christmas, they might understand the concept of giving better. Well.... the people in the dollar store thought we were completely insane. As i stated earlier, we let the kids pick out WHATEVER they wanted, so phrases such as..." Super Glue, nice pick Lucas!" and "Glow Sticks are GREAT for Uncle Ryan, Phia!" were exclaimed throughout the store (keep in mind, they know that 2 year olds are picking out super glue and we seem excited about this). All in all, it worked out fine and the kids had fun giving the presents the next day too. The reactions to the gifts were definitely worth the dollar! :) Christmas was great... the kids are officially spoiled rotten. They got all sorts of wonderful things, including a basketball net and ball, to which Lucas about had a fit because we couldn't get it out of the box and put together fast enough (I think it took about 2 minutes to do). I am pretty convinced that we funded someone's early retirement at the Little Tykes corporation with the amount of stuff they got from them, including, but not limited to... Toddler beds (a racecar and a dollhouse one), a basketball net and a remote control car. Their stockings were also filled with leapfrog frogs that can be personalized, aqua doodles, and many many many other wonderful things. All in all a great success. New Years brought a little family new years party, even though dada had to fly back home on the 31st. We dressed the kids up as New Years babies (check for pictures to follow) and made a fort to play in. The kids are experiencing all sorts of new things at Nana and Papa's house, like Kindermusik CD's (they actually have rhythm and can keep a beat! Plus, we discovered that Lucas LOVES marching!) and baby cradles (Soph can't get enough of feeding and putting her dolls to bed). Bella is finally pretty much over her ear infections, although she is still on antibiotics that upset her tummy. She's happy and smiling alot of the time now, and really responds and flirts when people talk to her and smile at her. She's growing up so fast! She already pushes up during tummy time (ok, not all the way up... come on, she's only 9 weeks!), and loves to play the "pull on mama's fingers to sit up" game. She's a character and the kids are still in love with her. Ok, enough, it's bedtime and I'm exhausted. More fun and updates to follow!
Posted by our3babies
at 10:26 PM CST
Friday, 1 December 2006
December 2006 blog
12/16/06 Today marks the two year anniversary of the day we lost our Emma. Will and I(and the kids) did our annual dinner at Chick Fil A yesterday (that's where we went the night before Emma died, and we sat in the parking lot and decided that we were going to give her every last opportunity to survive, unless she was in pain). We're blessed to have the two we have, and that they are doing so well, but it doesn't make the loss any easier. We still miss her and think about her daily. She was, is and always will be loved. Today, we spent most of the day dealing with 3 sick children. We started antibiotics for all three, and are both sick ourselves too. We're laying low tonight and hoping that tomorrow brings a healthier and happier morning. 12/15/06 We've had a crazy week! Since I last updated, the kids had their birthdays, including presents, cake and the works. We moved! We're finally officially in our new house, although we are living out of boxes. We just got the internet/phone/ cable hooked up yesterday, so we're finally back in touch with the world. This house is significantly bigger,so the kids have just started to venture out on their own to explore (previously they followed me around like little ducklings). I taught them Marco Polo today, so now when they are in the bedrooms and I am in the kitchen (down the long hall apart), I can yell Marco and be able to find them easily as they yell back some version of Polo (most often Popo!) Lucas and Soph are sick... again. So far, Lucas only has a runny nose, but Soph was up last night with 103 fever, so we're watching it. Hopefully it will all be gone by next Friday when we make the trek to Indiana. This week, we saw Santa at the mall. That was a true adventure that went a little something like this... Mama packs up all three kids and the triplet stroller and heads toward the mall. We get there thinking, hey, it's Wednesday morning at 10am, no one will be there to see Santa. Not so much. We got there just in time to be next in line after about 6 classes (yes, I said classes) of headstart kids. There were probably 80-100 kids in front of us. I decided that, since they were going as classes and not individually, it would be better to wait than to go home and then have to get the kids dressed and back to the mall another time. So after about an hour of waiting, we finally made it to the front of the line. Now let me preface this with, Lucas and Soph, for the two days prior to going, talked about NOTHING but HoHoHo. We talked about going to see him and what they were going to ask for for Christmas, and that this Santa is a real person and not just a blow up like in all the front yards. I thought we were ready, but when we crossed that threshold to see Santa, Both kids FROZE. They just stood there staring at Santa like he was some alien from another planet. They refused to talk to him, or even say Ho ho ho. He was really sweet to them and waited for them to get a little more comfortable, but you can see the fear in both kids faces in the picture (check it out in the December folder!). Bella slept through the entire line, right up until we were next, and then woke up just long enough to have her picture taken! Go team! Overall, we're doing pretty well. The Physical Therapist did their evaluation yesterday and said that they won't qualify for services anymore, so as sad as we will be to let hom go (we've gotten really attached over the last 2 years), we are so proud and happy at how well they are doing! Bella is growing like a weed. She had a cardiology appt. yesterday because the pediatrician was worried that she heard a murmur, but after an ultrasound, the cardiologist said she is perfect and discharged her. She weighs 10 lbs 15 oz. now. She is an evening baby, which is difficult for us since the kids go down at about 7:30pm for bed. Bella likes to stay up until about 11 or 12, and then we're up again at 6:30am with the other two. We're working on that.. Overall, we're doing pretty well. Things I have learned this week.... :) 1. Glitter floats, even in toilets (toothbrushes do NOT- even if you flush) 2. Cable men can't open baby gates, and often trip over them when trying to step over them 3. Dishwashers can be restarted over 20 times in a row and still not get the dishes clean if they never make it to the soap cycle (the kids have access to the dishwasher in this house) 4. Santa knows what a Baba ball is (he knew immediately it was a basketball!) 5. Trains can be made of two toddlers, moroccas, and a purple boa 6. Whoever thought up orange pedialyte should be shot. Anyone who thinks it's ok to make a product designed for vomiting children and puts a staining dye in it doesn't deserve to live (and should pay to have my carpets cleaned)
That's all for now, I'm sure I've learned many other lessons, but it's naptime and I have two screaming children (soon to be three if they wake the little one up!)
12/8/06 Lucas and Sophia are 2!!! It's hard to believe it's been two years since they were born. As I watched them today, walking, talking, running, pretending, dancing to the Wiggles, spoon feeding themselves, telling me what they want and need, telling me when they have poopy diapers :), and yes, even being openly defiant, I realized that they really aren't my little babies anymore. And they aren't those tiny newborns that we watched with petrified anticipation, wondering whether or not they would survive each minute. Those days in the NICU seem like a lifetime ago, but it's amazing how it can also seem so recent. Two years ago, I was crying scared/worried/sad but hopeful tears, knowing that our tiny babies would never have the normal infant experience, but still hopeful that they might someday be like other kids. As I watched them throw food at eachother and laugh, and then climb up on the back of the sofa and laugh at me two seconds after I told them to get down, I realized that we have two "for real" two year olds. We are so blessed to have such healthy children, considering all they have been through these past two years. They have been through more than many will go through in a lifetime, and they have bounced back remarkably well. So after way too many presents (they are spoiled rotten!) and their favorite dinner of pizza, followed by cake, I feel amazingly blessed to kiss each little two year old goodnight, and to know that they have such bright futures ahead of them. The dreams we had for them(and that we worried could never come true when they were born so early and tiny) are coming to fruition right before our eyes, in the form of a beautiful little girl and a handsome little boy. Happy Birthday Lucas and Sophia! 12/7/06 We had Lucas and Sophia's 2 year doctor's appointment and Bella's 2 month (well, she's really 6 weeks) appointment yesterday. Lucas weighed in at 32 lbs. and is 35 1/2 inches tall. Sophia is 27 lbs. and is 34 inches tall. Bella weighs 10 lbs. 10 oz. and is 21 1/2 inches long/tall. They are all growing like weeds! Everyone is relatively healthy (we're still getting over the stomach flu, which the doctor diagnosed as roto virus). It was quite an adventure for me to take them all to the doctor by myself though! Imagine me, with the double stroller (with almost 60 lbs of kids in it) and Bella in the front pack, plus the boppy in the bottom of the stroller and the giant backpack/diaper bag on my back. I told the receptionist that I think I probably have reached my maximum capacity for travel :) Our funny for the day.... Lucas and Sophia were playing in the playhouse this morning, kind of just hanging out in there. Soph struck her "I'm about to make a dirty diaper pose." About two seconds later, Lucas stopped everything he was doing, pinched his nose with his fingers, ran out of the house and started yelling "dirty! dirty! dirty" and pointing at Sophia. She just stood there like, "What? What did I do?" They are so silly! It's hard for me to believe that they are just about two years old. They have developed such funny little personalities and they really do keep us laughing most of the time (when we aren't ready to kill them for being so mischievious and defiant!). 12/4/06 The stomach flu has hit our house!!! :( Two toddlers and a mama with the flu is not a pretty sight. I'm pretty sure Bella has it too, although she's not vomiting as much as the rest of us. We've had a rough last couple of days... but hopefully we are on the mend now. As for the kids, lunch today was an adventure. I had the kids in their high chairs and I was feeding them the lunches I had made to send with them to Mother's Day out, which of course they didn't go to, and Sophia insisted on feeding the majority of hers to Sadie and then making the sign for dog.... Lucas kept making a fist and bonking himself on top of the head in a gesture similar to the sign for apple. Then he would point over the rack where we keep the kitchen utensils. After about 5 minutes of the game, "is this what you want? yes or no", I finally gave up and carried him over. He picked up a whisk and started rubing his head with it like a hairbrush. Um, ok. If that isn't strange enough, two minutes later, I find both Lucas and Soph (she had to have one too, of course) stirring the diaper pail lid (it has a round hole in the top) with the whisks and making smacking noises like they were cooking. So strange... sometimes it's hard to imagine what's going on in their little heads. They both have also become obsessed with Ho ho ho. Everywhere we go, they see him and when we are home, they beg to go outside to see him. Christmas should be interesting this year. Bella is getting so strong! Her neck is getting so much stronger and she is trying so hard to roll over. I keep telling her that she is a baby and that she should stay that way for a while, but she doesn't seem to be listening. She's such a good baby too. She spends so much time just staring at things and watching how the world works. We're looking forward to Friday, which is Lucas and Soph's 2nd birthday. It's hard to believe they are 2 already. On one hand, they've been through so much in the last 2 years, on the other hand, where has the time gone? Check for new pictures in the December album!
Posted by our3babies
at 10:24 PM CST
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
November 2006
11/27/06 Well, we made it through the first night (and morning) without all the people to help us, and even managed to get about 4 1/2 hours of sleep! :) First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MELISS! Also, we have updated our Yahoo Photos, so all the new pictures are now at the bottom of the album each time we update, so be sure to scroll down and see the new ones. The November folder has the Thanksgiving pix up, as well as some outtakes from our attempt at Christmas pictures. SO CUTE! So here are a few things our crazy kids have been up to. Since it's after Thanksgiving, We've been introducing the kids to Santa and Christmas songs. They've decided that the name Santa and Ho ho ho are interchangeable, so whenever we see Santa on TV or as a blow up in someone's front yard (they are actually quite popular here in Memphis), we get a chorus of Santa and Ho ho ho, depending on their moods. Also, I decided to start them with Deck the Halls, so now when I sing "Fa la la la la", they both finish the song back to me with, "LA LA LA LA!". Ok, so maybe not in tune, but they do actually try to sing it! And they understand EVERYTHING, for example, I asked Lucas the other day while we were outside if he wanted to go in and have a snack. He said yes, so we went inside. Of course, by the time I got all three inside, I was distracted. A minute or two later,I realized that Lucas was missing, and I found him in the dining room, sitting in a chair (not his high chair, but one of the "grown up chairs") doing the "eat" sign. I couldn't help it, I fell out laughing. Also, we went to put his shoes on yesterday so he could go outside, and we found goldfish (crackers) in them. Will tried to explain to him that there are better places to save snacks for later. Soph refused to eat any of them, even though Lucas offered her some. When he tried, she said, "dirty" and turned up her nose. Lucas ate them though! :) Soph has been saying this rambling phrase for a while now and we finally figured out what it means (and where it came from!). She says what sounds like, "ooh-gay ooh-gay ooh-gay" (over and over and over). Well, we finally realized after a temper tantrum that I say to Soph (OK OK OK OK OK!). She is just repeating what she hears! She says it when she's frustrated too, like when Mama says it. :) Also, when she asks for more of something at mealtimes and I go to give it to her, she gets very insistant that I give some to Lucas also, even if he doesn't want it. She will tap his tray frantically and say MORE MORE MORE! until I give him some too. Guess they gotta look out for eachother. Bella is doing pretty well. She's losing her hair, and she is starting to get much stronger neck muscles, so she moves her head around A LOT! She is also trying to roll over all the time, thank goodness she can't yet! Ok, it's mother's day out day, and Bella's sleeping, which means NAPTIME for the mama. Peace out Y'all! 11/24/06 We had a great Thanksgiving with Grandma (Will's mom), Nana, Papa, Aunt Neenee (my sister) and Uncle Ryan. The kids ate tons of turkey and everything else we cooked. They have picked up so many new words, including one of their favorite foods... Noonles (aka noodles). When we emptied the diaper pail last time, Lucas saw the trash bag and noticed the stinky smell. Now, every time he sees a trash bag, he holds his nose says "dirty" or "stinky". Sophia has discovered the wonders of the words, "Up", "Down" and "More". She loves to be carried around, even though she weighs 26+ pounds... I'm definitely gonna have back problems. Bella is having a bit more of a difficult time at nights now. She is up every two hours or so with an upset tummy. We're hoping that it's a phase and she'll get over it soon, because Will and I are really tired and my mom (and the rest of the company aka "help") goes home Sunday! We're working on packing the house for moving, as well as our big trip to Indy and Chicago for the holidays! We're just busy..... 11/18/06 It's almost Thanksgiving and we're getting ready! Grandma Barbara came in today and Aunt Momo comes in this afternoon. Papa, Aunt Neenee and Uncle Ryan come in on Thanksgiving day too, so we're gonna have a full house! The kids are doing really well. Their new favorite game (since Halloween) is to hide and then jump out and say Boo! to scare us. They love to see our "overreaction" and it's become commonplace in our house to be walking by a room and see a little head pop out with a devious smile and then hear, "BOO!" followed by giggles and running away. SO SILLY! Our other favorite new game is when the kids run back into the hallway and turn into "monster babies!'. Sometimes they initiate the game and sometimes we ask them if they are going to turn into monster babies, but either way, they run back into the hallway where we can't see them, then come back out stomping/running/doing the "monster walk" and screaming/growling/ roaring with their hands up and out... reminiscent of the monster mash :) What else... Phia got new shoes from Nana for the Christmas season, red sparkle shoes that look like the Wizard of Oz. She wears them with everything. Today it's red sparkle shoes, white sports socks, jeans and a pink t-shirt. I guess it's a fashion statement... Oh, and also, frequently, the only way we can get Soph to eat something/do something is to tell her not to. For example, "Sophia, don't you DARE eat that broccoli!" to which she shoves it in her mouth, just to spite us. She's gonna be a tough one! Lucas knows the signs for just about everything, but continues to talk almost exclusively about trucks, cars and buses. Bella is on a 3 hour eating schedule at night, dictated by her. She is just like her mama and HATES to be cold, whether it's during a diaper change, bath, or just a cool night. She's starting to lose all of her dark hair and I think will end up a little baldy like her brother and sister did. She finished nursing this afternoon with a huge grin on her face, and when I sat her in the boppy to "re dress" myself, she closed her eyes, scrunched up her face into a huge smile and started giggling (I mean a body shaking giggle). I know everyone says at this age, it's gas or whatever, but I couldn't help but laughing because she was. It's the little things. We're working on getting the camera fixed, I'm not sure why we have such bad luck with cameras (or maybe I overuse it), but we'll update the pictures as soon as we can get the camera back, or until we steal someone else's and use it. Have a great holiday! 11/12/06 Wow, I had to look at the calendar 3 times to get the date right... guess that is what sleep deprivation does to you. Bella has a stuffed up nose, so sleeping is difficult, plus, she must be growing because she's up every two hours to eat.... She's beautiful, and is such a good baby! Lucas and Soph are doing well too. Nana brought them each a baby doll that they could carry around, and Lucas has started breastfeeding his (they came with bottles). Soph likes to wrap hers up in blankets like we do with Bella. They have officially nicknamed Bella "Naa". Whenever they talk about her, they call her that (that's the sound she makes when crying.) They have also learned so many new words and are doing so many new things! It's hard to keep track. They know almost every single animal we can think of, and can make the correct sounds for each. They also have learned a bunch of songs and fingerplays, and know how to ask us to sing them. When did this happen? When did they get so big and grow up so fast? They look older every single day too, and cuter, but I guess I'm biased.... :) As for us, we're gearing up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Starting to buy presents and get the house in order since.... WE GOT A NEW HOUSE!!! We found out today that we got a house that we put an offer on yesterday. It's 4 bedrooms and has a game room too (so no picking up toys every time we want to sit on the couch!). We are so excited to have a bigger house, and get posession in just 3 weeks! We'll keep you updated as we prep to move and get a new address and stuff! The Gockleys are BUSY! 11/6/06 Yes, we're still alive and slowly getting into a routine with all three kiddos. Lucas and Soph are still adjusting, we're having some temper tantrums, and both kids have taken to acting like a baby (literally) and trying out all the baby toys and gear. They like to lay on the ground on a baby blanket and scream "NAAAA" which is what they have decided that babies say when they cry. They also have gotten very good at feeding their own little babies bottles (there's a picture of Lucas feeding his in the album!). They are doing great with Bella though, and are most times very gentle and loving with her. They love to give her kisses, and Soph throws huge tantrums if she says it's her turn to hold Bella and we tell her no. The kids have their "school pictures" today at Mother's Day out, so hopefully they will smile cute and we'll have some cute fall photos to put up. I'll keep ya posted on that one. Bella is doing GREAT, she is such a happy and easy baby (so far). She really only cries when she is hungry, and is really happy and observant when she is awake. She just looks around and watches everything going on, which in our house, is ALWAYS an event. She is breastfeeding SO well and, please tell me why my little "not even 2 week old" is scooting so that she gets from her back to her side (starting to roll!!!!) and grabs our fingers and pulls her head up off our laps already? Seriously, it's completely different with this one. We're adjusting too :)
Posted by our3babies
at 10:23 PM CST
Sunday, 1 October 2006
October 2006 blog
10/29/06 We're home and adjusting... The kids are unbelievably interested in their new little sister, and she is pretty interested in them too, when she's awake. I'm healing, slower than I would like, but I'm up moving around pretty well. Bella is sleeping quite a bit, although we're working on the whole night vs. day thing. We ended up staying in the hospital an extra day because when they did my epidural, the anesthesiologist punctured my dura (?) and I ended up with spinal headaches because of leaking spinal fluid. Sounds much worse than it is, however the headaches were unbearable, so I had to get a blood patch, which worked instantly, and the headaches were magically gone the instant the patch went in! Go team! Lucas and Soph are growing up so fast! I was only gone a few days, and I swear they have grown several inches and have learned a million new things. They are talking in sentences now, with a mix of words and signs. Literally 3-4 words in a row. For example, we ordered pizza tonight, and Will asked Lucas if he wanted to ride along in the car to go pick it up. Lucas ran out to Nana and said " Bye Bye", "Car", "Dada" and then made the car sign and sound. I guess just letting her know he was leaving.... They both say please and thank you now on their own, and appropriately... TOO CUTE Ok, I'm off to try to get a little rest before Bella wants to eat again, but check outthe new pictures in the October album, as well as the entire album dedicated to Bella (so you can all see her and get to know her too!), cleverly titled Bella's Birth. I'll update again soon with the million and a half new things they have learned this week! 10/25/06 Yesterday at 3:40 PM, we welcomed our newest member of our family. Weighing in at 6 lbs 13 oz and 19.5" long, Isabella Grace came into this world. She is a happy and very healthy little girl and Lucas and Sophie are already practicing being big brother/sister. Jess is recovering well and will be in the hospital until Friday/Saturday. 10/19/06 They are growing up so fast!!! Both Lucas and Soph have really started telling me exactly what they want/need, which is nice sometimes (less frustration), but also not so great sometimes, since they often tell me they want ice cream or a piece of candy, or a toy that was taken away since they were fighting over it. They are combining several signs and words to let me know exactly what they are thinking. It is really neat to watch their little brains work! I put Lucas in his Big Bird sweatshirt today for Mother's Day Out, and we started talking about going to "school" today. He started making his sign and noises for ducks and birds (quack quack and put your pointer and thumb together to make a beak - open and close). I kept asking, "Are you going to see birds at school?" Finally, he got frustrated and just pointed to his sweatshirt. Duh! Big Bird is a bird and he was excited to be wearing it.... Come on Mama, catch up! Soph had a rough day yesterday after a not so great naptime, and threw a few SERIOUS tantrums. She was in the back hallway throwing one, and I told her to let me know know when she was done. I walked just out of sight and acted busy, while listening to her. She started to wind down pretty quickly until she was just whining, then I saw her little ornery butt walking toward me until she could see me. She then FELL OUT again with a huge tantrum once she knew I could see her. I laughed so hard that I think it distracted her and she ended up laughing too. What little characters! As for the family news, Will and I have decided that we are going to stay in Memphis for his next job rotation. It just seemed like, with the options we had, it would be best for the whole family to stay here for a while. That way, the kids wouldn't have a lapse in services, and Will could do his ideal job, plus we have developed a pretty nice support system here. Now all we need is a bigger house! The baby is due next Tuesday and Nana is driving in tomorrow, with Papa George following on Sunday or Monday. Wow! A full term baby... we won't know what to do with ourselves! As for the family news, Will and I have decided to stay here in Memphis for his next job rotation. Although we would love to be closer to family, 10/14/06 We've survived another round of being sick! This past week, the kids didn't have their mother's day out program because it's fall break around here, so my sister, Aunt Hannah (Neenee as the kids named her) came down to help out. It's a good thing too, cause I'm not moving around nearly as well as I used to and of course, they got sick AGAIN! We spent the first 5 hours on Monday in the pediatrician's office while they decided whether or not to hopsitalize Lucas with Croupe. He was coughing really bad, but was also having trouble breathing, so they watched him to make sure the steroids they gave him kicked in and helped out. We initiated Neenee by spending all morning in the doctor's office, complete with shot, three breathing treatments, and two large vomits (all over himself and me). Nothing like throwing our help to the wolves! Luckily, she stayed for the rest of the week, and she developed two small shadows while she was here. Both kids fell absolutely in love with her and chased her around relentlessly (they didn't even wait for her to have her coffee in the morning before bombarding her with books to read and games to play). They spent most of their time showing off all their tricks and skills, like brushing their teeth by themselves and spoon feeding by themselves. We can't wait for her to come back at Thanksgiving and bring Uncle Ryan (who I'm sure will also get a cute nickname). Other than that, we've been talking alot about halloween and we got the kids' costumes. We can't decide who gets to be Pooh bear and who gets to be the honey pot (check out the pictures... soo cute!) The kids got mini pumpkins (gourds) and realized really fast that they don't taste as good as they look. We've found a new way to bribe them.... candy corn! It's an all around favorite, and a VERY special treat. As for me, I'm moving pretty slowly these days. I have about 10 days left until baby-day, so i'm trying to enjoy the last few days of moving without pain (C-section) and picking up the munchkins (I have to stop for a month!!) I'll update again before then, but we're quickly moving toward having the next one! I'll have Will update as soon as we/he knows whether it's a boy or girl! 10/4/06 We've had a really busy week! Now that the kids are feeling better, we decided to go to the Mid South Fair last Sunday. The kids got to pet a bunch of animals at the petting zoo (thank goodness for hand washing stations) and also got their first taste of fair food. They both loved the sheep and goats, and were pretty interested in the pigs and llamas too, but I think the ducks and chickens stole the show. As for the food, they both really liked the funnel cake (I think they want the recipe) and the lemon shake up, but the cotton candy was another story. Soph tasted it first, and actually made the Mr. Yuck face. She refused to try any more. Lucas tasted it and got this look like, it's sweet so I probably SHOULD like it, but the texture...... WOOH! I think they thought I was trying to feed them insulation. They just kept looking at me like, Are you kidding me? You really want me to EAT this? They had the best time just watching all the people. I mean, it was the fair, so there were some pretty interesting characters there. They spent an enormous amount of time waving to people (again, like we were in a parade or something), and overall had a pretty good time. The only downfall was that Lucas managed to get a little sunburned, even though we slathered on the sunscreen. :( Today, my little kiddos decided that the best way to let Mama know that they have poopy diapers is to stick their hand down their diaper and show her exactly what is in there. Soph tried it first, and managed to get it not only on her hand, but her pajamas too, and by the time I got finished cleaning her up, Lucas walked right up to me and shoved his little poopy hand in my face to show me that he too was ready for a new diaper. How thoughtful! We can't WAIT for potty training!:) Other than that, I had my 34 week checkup yesterday and the baby is officially scheduled to be born on October 24th. As long as everything goes as planned, we'll have a new one 3 weeks from today! Hard to believe we're doing this all over again. Will and I realized the other day that we are going to have to do rice cereal and baby food again, as well as 8 feedings a day, learning to roll over, figuring out specific cries and burping (hopefully without reflux this time). What an adventure. I guess to go along with all that, we get to see the first smile and laugh, we get to watch the baby figure out toys and learn about it's surroundings and big brother and sister, and we get to share love with yet another beautiful child. It's a toss up, alot of work, but alot of reward. Overall, we're excited and a bit overwhelmed. We're also just really excited that I've made it this far in the pregnancy and that everything is looking normal and healthy! Go Team Gockley! :)
Posted by our3babies
at 10:21 PM CDT
Friday, 1 September 2006
September 2006 blog
9/28/06 It's hard to believe it's almost October. Where did September go? I think we spent most of it under the weather, but still, it's hard to believe another month is gone and we are that much closer to Lucas and Sophia's 2 year birthday!!!! WOW! The kids are finally feeling better, and are playing more. They are getting new words (or at least new word sounds) daily and are figuring out so many new things they can do daily. They move heavy things from room to room, they go into other rooms to get things when we ask, they understand EVERYTHING and they tell us NO when they don't want to do or don't want something. HMMMM.... the No part, I could do without sometimes, but I'm glad they can express themselves. Will has been gone on a few job interviews this week, and Lucas and Soph can't quite seem to understand where he is and why he isn't here. Lucas wakes up in the morning crying for Dada and pointing to his side of the bed. He asks many times a day, "Dada Uck?" Meaning Dada's truck, which is how they know he is home in the evenings. I keep explaining to them that Dada is bye bye for now, and that he will be back (today actually), to which they typically wave and say bye bye to the door. Our friends Don and Ann have been coming over in the evenings to help put the kids to bed (since I am having an increasingly difficult time leaning over the cribs). Ann used to work in Labor and Delivery, and brought over a doppler last night so the babies could listen to the baby's heartbeat. Sophia went first, and she looked really serious for a few seconds, then smiled a HUGE smile and started giggling. When it was Lucas' turn, he listened intently for a several seconds, then looked at me and waved at my tummy! It makes you wonder what they understand, or if they remember that sound from when they were in my tummy. They then proceeded to fight over whose turn it was to listen to the baby, and they each took several turns until the baby decided it was done and kept moving away. Ann was sweet enough to leave the doppler here for us to use for the last few weeks (since Will hasn't even heard the heartbeat yet!), so we're going to try to get some pictures of the kids listening... SO CUTE!
9/21/06 We're all still alive, although exhausted and still recovering from being sick (I think me now, more than anyone). Soph is feeling the best out of all of us, and Lucas is not too far behind, although he's still pretty clingy (but he's been through quite an ordeal!). I'm still up all night coughing with a sore throat :( Other than that, we've had a pretty slow week. Lucas has learned how to say Car and Bus (although it most often sounds like Ca (he's from Boston?) and Bu. Soph is so close to calling herself Phia. We realized the other day that they know over 20 signs in sign language too (they just build up so fast!). They are finally coming out of the "being sick funk" and are starting to play again, which is good because Will is out of town on an interview tonight and tomorrow, and it's Mama home with the babies... Should be an adventure. That's all for now, hopefully we'll have more fun things to report next time! 9/16/06 Where in the world have we been? Did we fall off the face of the Earth? No, although there were moments this week that I wished we did! So, the short version (which is not so short)…. Last Saturday, Sophia and Lucas started to get colds with really runny noses. Soph started a fever on Saturday also, and both kids were pretty fussy on Sunday too. By Monday, Soph’s fever was still around, and she was feeling so bad that I kept her home from Mother’s Day out. Finally, after no sleep on Tuesdayand Soph’s fever steadying out at about 103 degrees, we took the kids to the doctor and they were diagnosed with sinus infections and….. are you ready for this???.... ear infections. But they have tubes, right? Yes, well apparently Soph’s tubes have already shifted (which is normal with growing ear drums, but two weeks of growth?) So now, instead of being placed where they were at the bottom of her ear drum to drain ANY collected fluid, they are now about ½ way up her ear drum, meaning that there is a basin at the bottom where fluid can collect. So basically, she had the painful, pressure ear infections that we had tried to avoid by getting tubes. This was compounded by the sinus infections. Both kids went on antibiotics, but Wednesday night, Lucas woke up at 11:00PM wheezing worse than we had ever heard. We had been giving him breathing treatments since Saturday to try to avoid this, but apparently it wasn’t enough. I threw him in the car (after another failed breathing treatment) and we ran to the Emergency room. We spent most of the night there (11:30-3:30AM) trying to get him to stop wheezing. They finally felt he was stable enough to go home, so we got a few hours rest (until 7AM) before we started Thursday. Will stayed home late and took Soph to Mother’s Day out while I took Lucas to the pediatrician to figure out a plan for the wheezing so we don’t have to go to the ER every single time he starts again. She gave him new meds for the nebulizer, steroids for the next week, and put him on a maintenance “asthma” med until he’s 2, at which time they will re evaluate and decide whether to actually label it asthma or not. Lucas and I got about an hour nap before we picked Soph up from MDO. The kids played for about an hour before I noticed Lucas acting strange. He kept curling up on the floor and “resting”. I picked him up to snuggle him and realized he had a really high fever (over 103 degrees). I the process of giving him motrin (which he threw up all over himself and me) I called Will and he called the pediatrician. They recommended I put him in a lukewarm bath and try to cool him down (like with did with Soph. As I got him undressed, I noticed purple splotchiness on his legs and arms, and they were cool to the touch. We got in the bath together, since he was very wobbly, and I tried to cool him off(Soph was in the portacrib in the bathroom with us) That’s when the “fun” started. Lucas went limp and started seizing, and then stopped breathing and turned blue. Well, needless to say, I jumped out of the tub with him (remember, I am about 8 months pregnant, so jumping is all relative), and called 911. They walked me through mouth to mouth and after a few tries, I got him shallow breathing again. I kept him “awake” (barely responsive) until the paramedics got there (in the meantime I had grabbed a robe, thank goodness). About 8 men ran in and took Lucas out to the ambulance to stabilize him, while I grabbed Soph, got dressed and ran outside too. Our neighbors had seen the ambulance and grabbed Soph to watch her, while I got in the ambulance and answered questions. Will got home (he was on his way the whole time) and took Soph back to the house where one of our friends, Ann and Don, came to watch her, then followed us(the ambulance) to the hospital. They got Lucas’s fever down and stabilized and diagnosed it as febrile seizures, which are apparently relatively common in little ones when their fever spikes suddenly. We are not expecting any long (or short) term negative effects from this, thank goodness, and he was back to his ornery self again in the hospital (he pulled out his IV and was flirting with the nurses) before we even left that night. He was released Thursday night around 10:30PM and, other than exhaustion and a few bruises from the IV’s and stuff, he’s pretty much back to normal. We have been monitoring fever and wheezing, but at this point, both kids are back to having just bad colds and runny noses. My mom flew in to help out this weekend so we can get some rest, thank goodness, and we’re trying to get back to “normal” . It’s been a crazy week around here, but we are all ok and probably stronger, and definitely more exhausted, from the whole ordeal. Here’s hoping the next update is totally boring and uneventful…. 9/7/06 We had a great weekend last weekend with Nana and Papa George. The babies actually called them by name all weekend (Nana and Papa) which was exciting. They are talking a lot more now that they have the tubes in and can hear better. We had to go to the doctor for a follow up and she commented on how they acted like completely different kids since the surgery. She would always see them after several sleepless nights when they were in pain from ear infections. This time, they were running around the exam room, laughing, screaming, and playing. She said she wasn't sure she had ever seen Soph smile before (to which Soph gave her a HUGE grin!). Both kids have also learned to say Thank you appropriately. We were leaving Mother's Day out yesterday and a dad held the door open for me (I was pushing the double stroller through a very TIGHT doorway). Both kids did the sign for Thank you, to which he asked if they were blowing him kisses. I told him they were doing the sign for Thank you and he couldn't believe it. The speech and Occupational therapist also commented on how well they are using the signs. Although they aren't "fluent" in ASL, they really are seeming to get a great grasp on the language, and can tell us so many things. In verbal language, both kids are working on Truck (so far it's Uck or Tuck). Soph figured out VAVAVA and runs around saying it all the time. We're having a great time, and we're looking forward to the new one coming in 6-7 weeks! (I've been talking to the kids about it and we're still working with the baby doll - they now rock the baby, sing to the baby, kiss the baby, and put the baby in the "crib"). They are going to be such big helpers! 9/1/06 Not writing much today out of sheer exhaustion. Lucas's surgery went well. He had a bit of trouble coming out of the anesthesia (he's my sleeper), but he did finally. When he did, he was a bit congested, which means wheezing, but he was off the canula of oxygen pretty quickly and we were able to go home a few hours after we thought we would. The surgeries themselves went really well, although he's a little uncomfortable now. He's sleeping it off with a little help from the tylenol with codeine, and hopefully will be in a little better mood when he wakes up. Soph did pretty well in the hospital while Lucas had his surgery. She got pretty antsy towards the end, but fortunately they had a playroom and she enjoyed the playhouse and watching the older kids run around. Will and I are exhausted, both from stress and from getting up before 6AM, but hopefully we'll sleep it off too. We're looking forward to a visit from Nana and Papa George this weekend, and I'll update again soon! Goodnight! :)
Posted by our3babies
at 10:20 PM CDT
Tuesday, 1 August 2006
August 2006 blog
8/29/06 Sorry it's been a while. We've been busy (and sleep deprived) and I'm getting more and more tired every day as this pregnancy progresses! Both kids recognize and can point out about 15 different animals, favorites being pigs, dogs, kitties, horses, sheep, and fish. They make the sounds for cows, sheep, pigs and fish too (ok, the face for fish). They learn and discover so many new things every day that it's hard to keep up! For example, I couldn't figure out why every single time Lucas pointed at the scissors in the book and I told him what they were, he then pointed at Sophia. At first, I thought maybe it was because they both start with S. It took me about a week to realize that scissors and sister sound an awful lot alike. These kids are smarter that I am sometimes! Soph has a favorite book that has flip pages with babies doing different things. Such as, there is a baby who wants her mommy, and then you flip the page and it says MAMA. Soph loves to scream out the answers before we flip the pages. She also has developed this whiny, sad baby voice for the baby who is sad (the baby says Boo hoo), which she blurts out before we can flip the page. She's got the whole book memorized (so do we- and one of many for both of us). We're still working on getting back into a nighttime routine after surgery (which by the way, she's healing VERY well). Just in time for Lucas to have his surgery on Friday! So much for sleep!
8/24/06 Soph's surgery went VERY well. Her eye surgery straightened her eye (actually, right now, it is turning out a little instead of in, which apparantly is normal right after the surgery for a few days). She got her ear tubes, which is a good thing because the ENT said that she had quite a bit of fluid behind her eardrums, which meant we were headed for massive ear infections by the weekend. Whew, crisis averted! She was pretty groggy yesterday and last night (she got morphine), but slept pretty well last night, and was in a MUCH better mood today. She ahd her follow up eye appt. today and all is well, no signs of infection and the surgery was a success! Her eye is still really red and kind of swollen (don't expect any pictures for the next few days), but is healing quickly. As for Lucas, we think we have his latest ear infection in check for now, and he gets his tubes next Friday. He went to Mother's Day Out all by himself today, and did well! They are growing up so fast! I'll update with more milestones and stories later, but the bed is calling my name....... 8/22/06 It's been a while! We've had an interesting and difficult week. The kids went off the oral antibiotics on Friday of last week for ear infections. By Saturday afternoon, Lucas had a temp of 102. He stopped sleeping at night, and by the time I got him into the doctor on Monday morning, he had full blown ear infections in both ears again. Did you know that ear infections can develop in 4-6 hours? Anyway, he had to get a shot yesterday and another today (fever still hadn't broken), so needless to say, he's been a total basketcase. Soph actually has been doing really well. She's been sleeping through the night really well and doing a great job learning new signs and words. She's trying so hard to talk. We'll see how things go after tomorrow, when she gets the ear tubes. She's also having eye surgery to straighten her right eye (still repercussions of prematurity). Lucas's ear tubes go in next Friday (Sept. 1st). Other than that, we've been just trying to get through the days after long long looooooooooong nights. I must have started the "nesting" phase, because both kids have started obsessively cleaning all the time. Lucas takes wipes out of the container and scrubs the playhouse and floors, and I caught Soph wiping down the couch with a burp cloth the other day. They take turns with the "pop pop" vacuum, and sweep so frequently I think they may have worn ruts in the carpet. If only they could use windex..... I'd have a couple of Merry maids on my hands :) I'll update again soon with the results of Soph's surgery tomorrow! Keep us in your thoughts/ prayers! 8/15/06 These kids are SO quirky!! I figured I would share a few of the funny/strange/downright bizarre things they have been doing lately that keep me laughing all day long... LUCAS 1. Lucas was wearing shorts today that have rivets (the little metal bumpy things) on the back. He noticed at the doctor's office that if he leaned against the cabinet and shook his butt on the door, it made a scratching sound. He proceeded to rub his butt on every door and wall he could find the rest of the day (laughing of course) 2. The physical therapist asked me if we get bad cell phone reception in our house. I said yes, and he pointed out that Lucas always takes his phone over to the corner when he talks on it (the one place we get reception in the living room) - pretty observant kid! 3. Lucas learned to tighten and relax his tummy muscles. He now "ripples" his stomach, and does it on command - we gotta get this one on video :) 4. Lucas is working on jumping. He squats down and then lets out a huge grunt when he stands back up quickly. He isn't quite making it off the ground yet, but it's funny to watch him try! Almost there though! SOPHIA 1. Soph loves animals. She is currently working on a lamb sound, which sounds like "buh- hahahaha". She makes the B sound, and then laughs - too cute 2. Soph now growls at us when we tell her no. She gets this expression on her face like, "who do you think you are telling me no?" and then lets out this fierce growl. 3. Nana brought us a keyboard for the kids to "type" on since they love ours. Ever since the first time we put it on the floor, Soph rolls over on her back ON the keyboard and laughs. We're not sure if it's like a backrub, but Lucas tried it a few times and didn't seem to see what all the fuss was about. She continues to do it every time we get it out though. 4. Soph likes to "surprise" us by walking up behind us and putting her face right by one of our ears. It is not uncommon to turn your head and find her little "grinning in anticipation of being found" face waiting for you. BOTH 1. The kids picked out "loveys" which they have become very attached to. They like to "snug" their loveys, which consists of holding the stuffed animal in one hand, then holding it up to their ear/side of their face and squeezing it tight. They both do it the exact same way. 2. Both kids have some strange obsession with closing doors. Everytime they leave the playhouse, or the new garden playyard, or a room, they stop and shut the door behind them. Sometimes they forget and get a few steps away, only to turn around and go back and close the door... strange 3. Dada and Lucas created a special secret handshake. Well, not to be outdone, we (Lucas, Soph and I) were reading the NFL ABC book today, when we came upon the word VICTORY, which has a picture of a player with his arms up. Well, now, anytime I say VICTORY!, both kids throw their hands straight up in the air and wait for me to come and give them high fives. *** And the laughs just keep coming..... 8/14/06 We started back to Mother's Day out today, and they didn't cry when Ieft them!!! They got a little weepy, but they had their stuffed animals and they actually were interested in the teachers and other kids! GO TEAM! Both Lucas and Sophia have started helping me do all sorts of things now. Their favorite is to carry the dirty diapers to the diaper pail. As soon as they get up from getting changed, they will stand up and grab their diaper, and then go stand at the nursery door. It's so cute! I guess they WILL be big helpers when the new baby comes after all! Ring around the Rosie is a new favorite in our house. They still don't really like to hold eachother's hands to do it, (mainly because Lucas likes to pull Soph over before the song is over - you know, when she isn't expecting it), but they will either hold my hands, or just spin around in circles. Lucas makes his way over to the beanbags most of the time so he has a soft place to fall down.... Other than that, here are a few things the kids taught me this week... 1. Toothbrushes are not just for teeth, they are also for hair, noses and foreheads 2. When thrown overhand directly at my mouth, wooden blocks leave swelling and bruising (did you know lips could bruise?) 3. New toys, even when bought at garage sales or used on craigslist, give mama at least an hour of quiet time while they explore them 4. Yogurt makes GREAT hair gel (serious holding power) 5. I have no willpower to tell Lucas no when he grins and laughs at me after I say it, and I have no willpower to tell Soph no when she crinkles up her nose at me (this does not apply to biting or shoving) HAVE A GREAT WEEK! 8/8/06 Good news! The Occupational Therapist and the Speech therapist did reevaluations on the kids today and said they are improving with leaps and bounds! The Speech therapist said that both kids tested at 1 year 9 months on receptive language (what they understand) which is pretty amazing considering they are only 1 year 8 months old (and should be 1 year 4 1/2 months old). Their expressive (spoken) language is still delayed a few months, but we are hoping the tubes will help that. The Occupational therapist didn't calculate the months, but said that both are doing really well with their fine motor skills and development. They are very pleased with both kids' progress! We're catching up, Finally! Today, when Will got home from work, he got the treat of hearing the kids sing. Sophia has been singing since she was tiny, she used to sing herself to sleep. But Lucas has started singing too now. The great part about today was, they started singing a duet. Lucas would sing for maybe 10 seconds, then he would stop, and Sophia would start. They went back and forth like that about 5 times. I think we have an aspiring Donny and Marie Osmond on our hands! 8/7/06 We've had a busy week again! Lucas and Soph went back to the doctor on Friday of last week with ear infections. Nana came in on Wednesday, so we had some help and fun playtime! The Physical Therapist came on Thursday and told us that he is very happy with both kids' progress and that they are close to being caught up, FINALLY! He said they are practicing 20 month skills, which is what they are now, even though they should only be about 16 1/2 months old. CRAZY! We found the greatest playground at the mall, and Lucas and Soph got to interact with some older kids this past weekend, which they haven't done before. They did remarkably well, better than I did, I think. I got pretty hypervigilant making sure they didn't bother the othre kids or get pushed around. Will reminded me that they need to interact and learn, and they did much better after I calmed down and took a trip to the bathroom alone. Hey, I gotta worry, they are my little munchkins! Lucas is saying Nana all the time, but refused to say it while she was here. He can point out probably 30 different pictures in his books when asked, and knows everything there is to know about trucks. Sophia started saying "grandpa" today, which began as "gapa" and ended as "papa". She also has been taking a whack at "diaper" sounding like "daipa". We're hoping the ear tubes help a bit with the pronunciation. Both kids have been feeding themselves with forks and spoons at each meal, and are getting really good at it. They like the "stabbing" part best with the fork, although the accuracy is not quite there most of the time. When they get frustrated, they usually pick up the food and shove it on the end of the fork, then eat it off the fork. It gets the job done :) We've also started instituting "time outs", which honestly have been working remarkably well to stop the behavior immediately. Can't say it works so well stopping the behavior permanently, but it's pretty hard to have a serious conversation with a 20 month old about the importance of using words instead of bites when they aren't even really talking yet. They really stay in time out when we put them there (it's fror 15-30 seconds), but it makes me so sad to see them, because they just sit there facing the wall with their heads hung down waiting to be told to get up :( I guess it beats biting and tackling though. As for me, I had to give up wearing rings as of last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and my fingers were so swollen that I had to have Will stick my fingers in his mouth and yank my rings off my fingers (I would have tried, but I had a kid on my arm...). We agreed that they don't go back on till after the new one arrives. Other than that and being exhausted, I'm doing pretty well. Growing bigger by the day! I'm 26 weeks now and have about 11 to go! Check out our new August album, the kids just keep getting cuter! 8/1/06 Happy August! We're biding our time with the ear infections until we can get tubes in. It's not going to be until at least August 23rd, so we're just hoping the next few weeks go better than the last. Lucas was in today with ear infections again, but Soph was clear, so hopefully we can at least stagger them a little. So what have we been up to? Well, Lucas likes to say Nana now, but refuses to do it while I'm on the phone with her (it's ok, she's coming tomorrow, so he can say it for her then). Today, I kept getting close to him and saying, "Lucas, say Nana!" and he would either laugh or say Dada or something else. Then when I would get all the way across the room, he's say quietly, "Nana...Nana" and laugh. He's such a stinker! He's also developed this "I'm about to be ornery" run. He bends his knees really low and extends his arms out with tickle fingers ready, and then runs at whoever he intends to tackle/tickle/ run into. He usually lets out a scream on the way to the "victim" too. Sophia is "talking" up a storm. She babbles endlessly, and stops only to do sign language, which she's picked up several more words, including book, bird, ball, hat, and a few others I'm sure I just can't think of right now. She has taken to stopping whatever she is doing anytime there is music or rhythm (she does it with certain rhyming books too) and dances. She will even put down a toy and stand up to dance. Also, today, not sure where she learned this, but she "passed gas" quite loudly and then walked away clapping and cheering for herself. Hey, whatever works!
Posted by our3babies
at 10:17 PM CDT
Saturday, 1 July 2006
July 2006 blog
7/27/06 We've had a very busy last couple of days. We've seen several doctors (ear infections again, never went away again - had to get shots... again, also scheduled surgery for tubes for next month) and learned several new things! So , ok I know it's the epitome of laziness, but we got a clapper for our bedroom nightstand lamps. I'm pregnant ok? Gimme a break, it's harder and harder to roll over and reach to turn out the light. Anyway, the clapper also works if you knock on our headboard. Lucas discovered this the other day, and now, everytime he gets the chance, he knocks twice on our headboard and then whips his head around to watch my lamp. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but he gets the biggest kick out of it. He also has learned the sign language sign for night night, so he tells us when he's sleepy and wants to get ready for bed. He has developed an obsession with trucks and cars, and gets VERY excited everytime he sees a truck. He's working on the sign for truck, and is able to point out every truck and car in every book we own. Sophia has learned to click her tongue, and she walks around clicking it all the time. She too is obsessed with books and we spend the majority of the day reading now. I think it may be getting close to time to get some library cards, since we have worn out almost every single book we own. As we were leaving the doctor's office this morning, some geese flew overhead, and I said, "Listen guys, GEESE!". Sophia looked right at me and said, "Geese?". Of course, I flipped out and said, "Yeah! GEEEEEESE!" So all day, she has been walking around talking about geese. Sometimes it comes out like Geeth, but it's still a new word! As for me and the new baby, we are having a little "family party" tomorrow. I will be 24 weeks and 5 days pregnant with this pregnancy tomorrow, which was when my tiny munchkin triplets were born with the last pregnancy. It's hard to imagine that this is only how far I got last time. The good news is, yesterday, I was officially discharged from my high risk OB because everything is looking so good and they are very optimistic that this will be a "normal" pregnancy. Go team! Keep us in your prayers that we can go full term this time (we won't know what to do with ourselves!) 7/24/06 (You'll have to excuse the extended entry today, but, well, it's been an eventful day). I'm writing this, hoping that those of you out there who are mothers will get a kick out of my day, because, well you've probably been there.... Let me start with.... THEY FINALLY SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT AGAIN IN THEIR OWN ROOM! Although this probably seems like it's not a big deal since they are 19 months, let me assure you that it is. We were getting up 4-8 times a night during the last 2 weeks with these horrible ear infections that wouldn't go away. So at 5:45AM this morning when Lucas finally started crying, Will and I thought, Hey, not too bad. Usually we would bring him/ them into bed with us for the last hour of sleep, but since Soph had an eye appt. scheduled for 12:30 (wait, interjection.... The doctor's office had to reschedule her appt. while we were out of town in May, and they picked 12:30PM. I must have been insane not to realize that is directly in the middle of naptime and reschedule immediately, but I didn't. Cut me some slack, it's been a little hectic around here!). Anyway, I decided to let them stay awake from 5:30 on, hoping they would take an early nap before the appt. Well, they did in fact get fussy, but refused to take a nap. So I figured I would throw them in the car at 10:30 (it's 35-45 min. drive to the doctor) and hopefully they would get a nap in still. Oh they did.... for about 30 minutes (which by the way, is NOT enough). They woke up around 11:15, so I pulled into a parking lot and tried to entertain them with toys and the lunchable that I brought (wow, I thought ahead!). No, they weren't having it. We finished the drive to the doctor and I decided to get them out, change them in the office, and try to feed them in there. As I went to get Soph out, I realized that her diaper had not just leaked, but had SOAKED through her shorts. I went to pull her emergency outfit out of the diaper bag, and of course, I bought a new diaper bag this weekend and figured I would wash the emergency stuff while it was being transferred. It being Monday, the emergency stash was still in the washer. GRRRR..... So we go into the office, Soph in a Tshirt and diaper, and check in. The kids STILL refuse to eat, but have no problem THROWING all the toys and fussing (go figure). So, since the office building is built around a circle, we walk... and walk... and walk. Let me give you a visual. Two screaming (1 half naked) children, one visably pregnant and tired mama, a stroller, and a giant new diaper bag going around and around and around..... Well, we get in the appt. and things go well until the doctor tries to talk to me at the end, during which both babies refuse any toys/food/drinks and insist on screaming and arching their backs while I desperately try to listen to the doctor while battling them to get into the stroller. She must have thought we were something else. They fuss all the way to the car, after which they refuse to get in their seats. But, the kicker is, after i got in and turned on the Raffi CD, they started laughing, both of them. I'm not sure if they were laughing AT me, or just found the song humorous, but I was about beside myself. And to top off this lovely afternoon, as I was trying to get them in the car the very first time to go to the appt., I broke my pointer fingernail on my left hand (I'm left handed, so the finger I use MOST), so it kept getting caught on EVERYTHING... just one more little nuisance... And then I remember back to all those days I dreamt about being a mother, and couldn't wait to have kids and how wonderful it would be.... Ever have those days when you wonder "WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?????" However, before I get too crazy, they took a nap when we got home and the peaceful look on their gorgeous faces helped. Maybe it didn't make the day all worth it, but it did remind me that I have precious children and that hopefully, tomorrow will be better.
7/22/06 We actually had to go back and get a second shot of antibiotics the next day, HOWEVER Lucas and Soph seem to be feeling better, finally. They were actually laughing and playing yesterday. I told Will it made it want to cry since I hadn't heard the pure laughter in a while. Mostly just fussing and not feeling well. We're still working on getting them to sleep better, but we are getting more sleep each night, and are feeling a bit more rested each day. I'll start taking pictures again now that they are feeling better, they were just so grumpy all the time this week! We like to watch the Ellen Show and we dance with Ellen. Well, sometimes in her monologues, Ellen says, "How daaaare you!" in this funny voice. Lucas was doing something crazy the other day and I pointed my finger at him and said it like Ellen does. Lucas then proceeded to wag both his little index fingers at me and say, "Da Da DA!" He got such a reaction that he does it all the time now. It's WAY cute! Soph LOVES to have her hair brushed and will sit for 10-15 minutes at a time as long as I am brushing or playing with her hair. Sometimes she will start to get up, and I'll say, "all done?" and she will turn back around and sit down again for more. Little miss priss, loves to be beautiful! We're working hard on jumping, spinning round and round, and coloring with crayons this week. They really seem to love it, and I'm sure wax is somewhere in the food pyramid... vegetable maybe? 7/19/06 So we set up the consult for ear tubes, however, apparantly it was not soon enough. We went back to the doctor this morning after three sleepless nights and found out that the ear infections from last week are not gone. SO, Lucas and Soph had to get antibiotic shots again, and if they aren't better by tomorrow afternoon, we have to go back again and get another. POOR BABIES! and poor mama and dada who are exhausted too. Lucas now loves to dance in circles. He turns "round and round and round and round..." He thinks it is really funny. He also likes to look at books with us, and will point to an object and say, "uh uh uh" until we tell him the word for it. If he knows the word, he will laugh when we say it. If not, he will keep pointing at it and "asking" us to repeat it. Then he will come back to it later and laugh when we say it. Sophia loves to dress up and will wear anything "out of the ordinary" she can come up with. It is not uncommon to find her with dada's hat on her head, or a towel draped over her shoulders like she is a queen or something. She's really getting the hang of saying "my turn", even though Lucas doesn't always honor that. It's funny to see them say my turn back and forth, and then neither one gives in. They still think that if they say it, it will automatically be their turn no matter what. Oh well, the first lessons of sharing I guess.
7/14/06 Lucas and Sophia are finally feeling better; Lucas is breathing easier and both are sleeping better and less fussy. Lucas has figured out how to cross his fingers, and he loves to "tell us" alla bout it. He will run up to either Will or me and shove his little twisted fingers in our face, and then proceed with, "uh uh uh uh." Like he's telling us how they got that way. He does it over and over again. Sophia's new favorite game at mealtime is to hold the spoon out like she's going to give it to us, and then as soon as we reach for it, she pulls it back in to her chest and gives us her little devilish grin. She's thinks it's hysterical. Both kids are working on jumping, and it's so cute. They will start bouncing up and down, bending their knees, then one foot will start hopping off the ground. They haven't quite got the "launching" down yet, so they haven't made clearance, unless of course they are on something bouncy like the couch or beds. As for me, I've gotten the slow down from the OB, so I'm only supposed to pick them up as needed, and no heavy housecleaning (oh darn...) or picking up other heavy things. Oh well, it's time for more self-sufficient toddlers! 7/11/06 And the answer is... No, it doesn't ever end. Last night, Lucas started wheezing in the middle of the night and Will had to sleep sitting up with him so he could breathe. Sophia was up most of the night too, tossing and turning, so I didn't get any sleep either. I took Lucas (and Soph for the ride) to the doctor this morning because his nebulizer didn't seem to be clearing his breathing, and they added an additional medication to his nebulizer and put him on steroids for a week to open up his breathing. He also has ear infections (AGAIN!) so he had to get a shot. Turns out Sophia also has ear infections (AGAIN) so we are calling to get a consult about tubes for their ears. GRRRR.... We're hoping for some sleep tonight since they should be exhausted with little naps and feeling yucky. In the mean time, Lucas runs around chasing Sophia (and everyone else) with his tickle fingers extended. Sophia has perfected the art of "plopping" on her bean bag, and she practices many times daily. She walks up to the bag, throws her arms up and her head back, and just falls into the bean bag. Sounds like bedtime in the living room, so i'm logging off with hopes of sleep for everyone.... 7/10/06 We spent the last few days in Chicago for Grandpa John's funeral, which was beautiful and very sad. They babies got a chance to play with their cousin Maydee who was born two months after they were. I think Maydee was a little overwhelmed by our guys. She is pretty quiet and reserved, and well, Lucas and Soph just AREN'T! But they still had fun and played fairly nicely together. Soph is starting to run now and learned how to SCREAM from Maydee. She wails at the top of her lungs both when she's happy and upset. She is very friendly and waves at everyone, and we're pretty sure she ate her weight in food at TGI Friday's last night at dinner. She is making all sorts of sounds, so we're pretty sure that words aren't too far off now. Lucas learned how to snap his fingers (ok, he can't really make the sound, but he puts both hands up and makes the snapping motion). He also is trying so hard to get words out. He drags us all over and points at things and says (uh uh uh!). He signs a lot and most of the time, gets his point across. We had an adventurous day yesterday. Sometime during the day, the A/C went out. Will and I noticed at about 1PM that the house felt warm (86 degrees warm!). It was about 95 degrees outside, and sunny, so the house eventually got up to 89 degrees. We took the babies and went shopping, and then out to eat. When we got home, we all pretty much stripped down. We fed the babies ice cream and ice chips (also rubbed them down with ice chips, which they loved). Then, when it got unbearable, we got in the pool. Will sprayed the hose on the mist setting, they they had so much fun running in and out of the mist. They went to bed with cool bodies, and, thank goodness, the A/C is getting fixed today! I don't know how much longer I could handle it! I'm off to my 22 week appointment for the new baby! Have a great one and check for new pictures (hopefully this evening or tomorrow!) 7/3/06 We're really starting to communicate now! They both use sign language to tell us "More", "All done", "no no no" and "My turn". Lucas has found a towel that is now his favorite thing to drag around, and Sophia has really taken to wearing hats alot of the time (although not hair rubber bands). We've been having a GREAT time with Nana and Papa George so check out the pictures! We will be making a trip to Chicago tomorrow, as Will's stepfather passed away last night. Please keep the Gockley family in your prayers as we all mourn this loss, especially Will's mom.
Posted by our3babies
at 10:15 PM CDT
Thursday, 1 June 2006
June 2006 blog
6/28/06 Another milestone! When I left Lucas and Sophia at Occupational Therapy yesterday, They DIDN'T cry!!! As sad as that was for me, I'm glad they are starting to be a little independent, and that they realize that I will ALWAYS come back. My little munchkins... Also, they have started telling me when they are tired. We used to base naptime and nighttime on when they got fussy and rubbed their eyes, etc. But recently, when they get tired, they get our attention and then stand outside the bedroom door. hey, WORKS FOR ME! Soph is starting to run now too, so they are chasing eachother everywhere and laughing the whole time. They have also discovered a deep love of reading, and spend several hours a day reading or being read to. They will actually choose a book over a baby einstein video, which I love, but sometimes I wish I had the extra 10 minutes of video time. Happy 4th of July to everyone. My parents are coming down to visit, so bring on the cookouts and fun! 6/26/06 Another weekend over, and another Mother's Day Out beginning. I have so many things to do around here that I am exhuasted just thinking about it, and the day hasn't even started yet! The kids have figured out how to do several "requests" in a row now (development calls them "demands" but we prefer the nicer version). So if I say, "Sophia, put your bottle down and go get your bunny", SHE DOES IT!!! Wait, did you hear me? They do what we tell them to do!!! I know it's going to be short lived, so I am celebrating now, while I can. Sophia wiggles her tongue back and forth now to make the "babababa" sound (the sound she used to make by rubbing her hand over her lips), and Lucas has FINALLY figured out how to snort like a piggy like Soph does. He's been working on it for weeks now. Both are throwing overhand, which is a great skill, however it isn't so nice when they are throwing bottles/ food/ heavy toys/ etc. I guess we take the good with the bad on that one. All right, gotta go maximize my "free" time if I am going to get anything done today. Have a great one! 6/23/06 Well, we had a busy day yesterday. It started out normal enough ,but then we had physical therapy, which went REALLY well (both kids cooperated, and Sophia has started playing on the tilt board, playing on the gym ball and throwing overhand! Lucas rides the tild board like a surf board and is RUNNING and CLIMBING everywhere!). When Dada got home, we had dinner and then went on an outing to Baskin Robbins to celebrate! We loaded the kids in the back of the Expedition (once we parked safely in the parking lot, of course) and we sat with the tailgate up and enjoyed ice cream on a hot summer evening! They LOVED it and mama got her Wold Class chocolate fix. While we were driving home, it started raining, which was odd because because it was sunny and about 95 degrees outside. So we parked in the driveway and let the kids enjoy their first summer rainstorm. They couldn't quite figure out the drops at first (although theyboth made the sign in sign language for rain). Then they splashed in the puddles and played in the "stream" that ran in front of the driveway. Check out the pictures, they are so cute! Overall, a productive day and we're looking forward to another one today. Oh, also, Sophia got pigtails yesterday, but Lucas kept pulling them out, so we settled for a "Pebbles - style" ponytail.
6/21/06 And we're sharing!!! What??? I know, I was surprised too. Today at lunchtime, each kid had a spoon, and Sophia kept handing hers to Lucas. He would play with both, then a few seconds later, Soph would say "Uh" and point at the spoon. Lucas would then hand the spoon back to her. They did this several times, and then I started praising them for sharing, at which time they both started to give the other their spoon (hey, anything to get a little cheer and attention). They proceeded to play this game all through mealtime, which of course made spoonfeeding a bit difficult. They started to share food too, although I think it's mostly stuff they don't want. When we clap for Lucas for doing something well, he now throws his hands up in the air and waves them up and down like he wants the crowd to get louder. One can never get enough cheering for themselves.... Sophia has become every MORe affectioniate (is this even possible?). She always gives everyone she knows kisses and hugs,and constantly wants to be sitting in my or Will's lap. She just crawls on up and turns around and sits down, sometimes right on top of the new baby if I'm not careful! So I attempted to see the future today. I got out the triplet stroller and figured out how to put two big seats and one infant carrier in it. Wow, if I wasn't overwhelmed before...... Should be an adventure!
6/18/06 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! We are having an eventful Father's day today. We had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, and then we went to the park, where Dada and I spent quitea bit of time chasing the two monkeys around. They both LOVE the slide and to climb all over the equipment. Lucas cried when we had to leave, but it was getting ready to rain, and it broke loose shortly after we got in the car. We made a picture frame for Dada for Father's day with the babies' hand and footprints. Last year, we were able to fit them in much smaller spots in the collage frame. This year, we literally had to get 5x7 openings to fit each footprint and handprint. THEY ARE HUGE! Well, Soph had to go back to the doctor for a shot of stronger antibiotics to clear up the ear infections. She seems to be feeling better now though. It's been a rough go this time with the ear infections, plus they got a cold on top of it. We've almost perfected the art of somersaults, and they both are climbing everything they can. We've worked really hard to get them to SIT on the couch, which has actually been pretty successful, although they still want to jump and walk across it. We played in the pool while Nana was here this week and it turns out, Lucas LOVES to be splashed, and Soph is slow to warm up to the idea of the pool, but then doesn't want to get out. They are learning so many new things every single day it's hard to keep up. Also, at the doctor, Soph is now 24 1/2 lbs and Lucas is just over 29 lbs. Will update again soon. Check out the new pictures! 6/14/06 We're sleeping through the night again! Go team! The kids seem to feel much better now that we have the ear infections under control again. They are really getting the hang of sign language, and they understand SO many things, things that I don't even remember teaching them. For example, when they stand on the couch, which they love to do, I usually tell them to sit down and they do. But today, I said put your bottom on the couch and they did! I know it's the same thing, but the words sound different, so I was impressed. They are also helping me clean up now, which is nice. Since my tummy is getting larger by the day, I've decided that it's getting to be quite a strain to pick up my 28 lb. son and hike him essentially above my head to put him in our beast of a car (Expedition). So we have been working on getting him to climb into his seat. We got him a stepstool with two little fold up steps we keep in the backseat, and ti took about two tries for him to figure it out. He now climbs right up, although he usually gets distracted once he's in the car by some toy or something and forgets to get right in his seat. It's a HUGE help though. We also listen to Raffi alot, and there is a song that goes, "Oh me, Oh my!..." Well, Lucas has started taking both hands and lightly banging on his cheeks and head evreytime anyone says Oh me Oh my. It's so cute! He's also running everywhere now. Soph has truly figured out walking and popping up in the middle of the room, and is getting much faster now. We had apparantly forgotten how to say Mama, and both kids had been calling me Dada. Now though, Soph calls me Baba, which is MUCH closer to Mama. She is figuring out so many of the toys, and has fallen in love with several foods, including dill pickles (mmmm, can't say I blame her). She has started to like hats, which is a HUGE switch from the past 6 months or so. She wore a big floppy hat around for about an hour today. Well, I'm signing off, as we are going outside to have yet another Popsicle party on the sidewalk. This will be the third? this week. We found mini (bite size) popsicles and they love them, even though they are VERY messy. It's bath night and it's over 90 degrees, what can I say? 6/9/06 So after several sleepless nights and fussy days, we went to the doctor yesterday morning to find out that both Lucas and Sophia have ear infections in both ears. GRRR... I thought we were past this. Oh well, the good news is, now, after 2 doses of meds, their moods are MUCH improved and Lucas actually slept soundly through the whole night last night (Soph was still pretty restless). While we were there, the doctor decided to go ahead and do the 18 month checkup (yes, I know, they are a year and a 1/2 old - It's gone SO fast!). Lucas is 28 lbs. (stablilized and actually lost a little since he has been walking so much) and 331/2 inches long/tall. Sophia is 24 lbs and 32 inches long/tall. Everything looks great, AND we got to cancel the additional appt. we had scheduled for next week! BONUS Sophia has gotten very cuddly lately, not sure if it's the ear infections or just plain love, but she crawls right up on either my or dad's lap any chance she gets. She also reads books to us. It's so cute, she will open to a page, then start jabbering. Then she's turn the page when she's done, and start all over again until the book is done. She uses different "words" and intonation for the different pages. Lucas is ornery as ever. He has this little devilish grin and laugh he uses when he does something he knows he shouldn't be doing. He also has started using sign language pretty regulary, which is nice, so now we can understand him better. Also he has gotten very kissy. Yesterday, Soph was in the playhouse, and Lucas opened the door to walk in. Soph greeted him at the door and they gave eachother a kiss, then just kept on playing. I'm sitting there thinking, "Ok, who's letting them watch Nick at Night Donna Reed reruns after I go to bed? (Hi honey, I'm home!)" Strange the things they learn... 6/6/06 It's been a bittersweet realization for Will and me the past couple weeks that our babies are no longer babies. They understand MOST of what we say, and they follow commands so well now. We ask them to bring something from the other room, like, "where is your bottle?" and they will turn around, look around the room, walk down the hallway and bring it back. They know where about 10 different body parts are, and several songs and fingerplays. You ask them to dance, and they do. You tell them to get down off the couch, and they do (begrudgingly). At bedtime, you tell them to put their heads down, and they do. It's amazing that they have come so far, and so fast. On a lighter note, the somersaults are coming along nicely, although I'm not sure it was a good idea to start with. Everytime I turned around this morning, all I saw were two little bottoms sticking up in the air. They both wanted me to help them roll over, so they looked like ostriches with their heads in the sand. Since, Sophia has begun to try to roll over on her own (and is really pretty close!). Lucas tried a few times too, although he mostly just waits, upside down, for me to help. Also, I have been talking to them about the baby in my tummy. So now when I ask, "where is the baby?" They both run over to me and pull up my shirt. Oops, guess we won't try that one in public. They both like to kiss my tummy too (and only after one request of "do you want to kiss the baby?") What cuties!
6/5/06 And the panic attacks ensue.... Today is Lucas and Sophia's first day of Mother's Day Out. I have never spent more than a few hours away from them before, and during that time they were either with Will or my parents, whose lives were threatened if something happened and they didn't call me immediately. So I dropped them off, and.... I cried. Ok, so I'd like to blame it on the pregnancy, but honestly, I would have cried anyway. Sophia was a little dazed, but was playing with toys by the time I left. Lucas kept calling, "DADA!" and looking for me, but the staff did a great job of distracting him. So now until 2PM when I can pick them up, i am glued to my cell phone in case they call, and I am panicking until I pick them up and see they are just fine. In all reality, they probably won't even want to come home, since the MDO program has all new toys and an outdoor playground for little ones. Oh well, one more hurdle of parenting, sort of overcome.... Lucas popped another molar through. That makes 3 molars and 11 teeth total. Sophia is learning to do somersaults. She puts her head down and looks between her legs and calls for me. Then I help her roll over and she giggles and giggles. SO SILLY!
6/4/06 Wow! It's been a WHILE! We are finally back from our trip to Indianapolis. We left last Saturday at 1:30am (yuck, but babies slept most of the car ride). We have learned and tried SO many new things this week. Lucas now calls me Nana, which was originally intended for Nana (my mom), but somehow got switched to me. So now, he calls for Dada and Nana. It's close I guess. Sophia FINALLY figured out how to pop up in the middle of the room by herself, so NO more pulling up on things. She will actually fall near something and crawl away so she has room to pop up without touching anything. Phia has also fallen in love with her Brown Bear Brown Bear book. She carries it everywhere she goes. Lucas is still into climbing everything (and EVERYONE for that matter). They both tried to pool while we were in Indy, and Lucas LOVED it! He kept crawling in and out and splashing around. Sophia was more partial to the hot tub (i don't blame her, it was MUCH warmer). She kicked her feet around like she was swimming and wanted to spend her time in the middle (the deep part!). We explored the playground at Orchard - my mom's school- and they both LOVED the slide and climbing on the equipment. Sophia liked the garden around the playground, and of course, Lucas wanted to play in the mud and the greenhouse. As for the tooth count.... Sophia has four top fronts and four bottom fronts. She popped two molars trhough (both on the top) before we left. Lucas has four top fronts and four bottom fronts. He had a HUGE blood blister on his bottom gum for about a month where a molar was coming in (he has the one right above it, so I think it was irritating the blister?). Finally, we were eating animal crackers in Indy and he started drooling blood. We looked in and, sure enough, there were three pin pricks of blood where the molar had popped through. So we are officially at 10 teeth each. I'm sure I will think of a million other things this week that we did, so I will try to update again soon. We shouldn't be going on any more trips, since I will probable be confined to the Memphis area from now on. I'm abuot 17.5 weeks pregnant and I went into labor with the babies at 20 weeks! So far everything is going well, and I have the BIG exam tomorrow, where they measure all the bones and everything in the new one. I may even find out if it's a boy or girl, but DON'T ASK me, because Will doesn't want to know until it's born, so we aren't telling anyone (we'll see how long that lasts:) ). Hope all is well with you and check out the new pictures. They are all in the June folder, even though some were taken in May- oh well close enough! :)
Posted by our3babies
at 10:13 PM CDT
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