The time change has brought a whole new world to Owen. Each night since, he's looked out the window and told us it is dark outside. He has an early bedtime, so it's been several months since he's been awake while it is dark. It is super cute to see his wonderment.
He was also happy to have footed pj's like brother's...he didn't remember those from last winter either.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Halloween Pics
My neighbor sent me some of her Halloween pics of Elmo, mini Big Bird, Don Mattingly and me. Elmo had a blast and his favorite candy are lollipops (and he's had way too many of them!). The boy across the street was over Saturday afternoon. I asked him what he was going to be that night. Owen ran over to tell him that he was going to be Elmo and that he was going to get lots of lollipops.
a
a 
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Chicken and Spinach
I've been on a spinach kick. Maridith brought us chicken and spinach rollups when Anderson was born. I called her yesterday for the recipe, but didn't have feta cheese on hand. I decided to go with what I did have and some ideas Maridith shared that she's thought about adding to the rollups. The rollups require butterflying and beating the meat. Since it was already noon and I'd just pulled my chicken out of the freezer, I decided to go the Crock-pot route. Below is what I came up with and it was delicious!
Ingredients
3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-8 oz cream cheese
2 small cans sliced mushrooms (1 would have been sufficient)
1 bag frozen spinach
Tastefully Simple pesto mix
Salt
Put the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle chicken with pesto mix. Add mushrooms. Slice cream cheese and lay on top of mushrooms. Add spinach. Sprinkle with more pesto mix and salt.
I cooked on high for 4 hours then on low for another hour or so. Normally, I'd cook on low all day.
If you want the pesto mix, or other Tastefully Simple products, let Alison know!
Let me know if you try it.
Ingredients
3 or 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4-8 oz cream cheese
2 small cans sliced mushrooms (1 would have been sufficient)
1 bag frozen spinach
Tastefully Simple pesto mix
Salt
Put the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle chicken with pesto mix. Add mushrooms. Slice cream cheese and lay on top of mushrooms. Add spinach. Sprinkle with more pesto mix and salt.
I cooked on high for 4 hours then on low for another hour or so. Normally, I'd cook on low all day.
If you want the pesto mix, or other Tastefully Simple products, let Alison know!
Let me know if you try it.
On a Roll
Literally! Anderson has mastered rolling from back to front.
Sleep has been ok the past 2 nights. Not 7.5 hours, but 5+, which certainly much better than the 3 we were getting.
Sleep has been ok the past 2 nights. Not 7.5 hours, but 5+, which certainly much better than the 3 we were getting.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Fingers Crossed
I've got my fingers crossed that last night wasn't a fluke. Anderson slept 7.5 hours for the first time in over a month. He'd been sleeping 8-9 hours a night....then, he hit the 4-month wakefulness/distractable baby age and started reverse cycling. If you google these terms, you will find a description of Anderson to a 't'. Since he turned 4 months, the longest he's slept has been 5 hours, which happened 1 time...yes, 1 time in the past month (and it was 7 to midnight, so didn't help me a whole lot). Well, as I posted yesterday, he hit the 5 month mark and miraculously slept wonderfully last night. Let's hope and pray it wasn't a fluke and will be repeated tonight and every night after.
On a side note, I don't know what individual determined that a 5 hour stretch is sleeping through the night. That amount of time certainly doesn't qualify in my book as STTN. The 7.5 we enjoyed last night doesn't either, even though it was heaven. I'm more for a 9-10 hour definition.
Anderson must have enjoyed the sleep too...he was even happier than usual this morning.
On a side note, I don't know what individual determined that a 5 hour stretch is sleeping through the night. That amount of time certainly doesn't qualify in my book as STTN. The 7.5 we enjoyed last night doesn't either, even though it was heaven. I'm more for a 9-10 hour definition.
Anderson must have enjoyed the sleep too...he was even happier than usual this morning.
Monday, October 26, 2009
5 Months
Anderson is 5 months old today. His newest trick is sitting independently which he started about a week ago and has been getting better at each day. He'll still topple over on occasion and gets very upset when that happens.
He's still drooling like crazy, but no teeth yet. I think I feel the tops of them through his gums.
Anderson continues to be very vocal, very cuddly and very happy.
No pictures for a bit...the home computer is done. But rest assured, we are taking plenty of our handsome boys.
He's still drooling like crazy, but no teeth yet. I think I feel the tops of them through his gums.
Anderson continues to be very vocal, very cuddly and very happy.
No pictures for a bit...the home computer is done. But rest assured, we are taking plenty of our handsome boys.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Kid Vision
Yep, I've got it, do you? Kid Vision - looking for things your kid will love and appreciate, even when said kid isn't around. I was behind a truck with a bobcat on a trailer yesterday. All I could think was, Owen would love it! Anytime I'm out, I find myself looking for helicopters, diggers, tractors, motorcycles, police cars, fire trucks and big 'ole trucks.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Happy Birthday!
To my most wonderful husband and my boys most wonderful father! I can't imagine our lives without you. I was thinking that this is the 15th year I've celebrated your birthday with you. In honor of the 15th year, below are 15 of the many things I love about you.
1. Your smile
2. Your hugs
3. That you always make me laugh
4. Watching you interact and play with our boys
5. Your work ethic
6. That you live life to the fullest
7. Your mischievousness (as long as it's not at my expense) and your sense of humor
8. Your compassion for others
9. Your generosity with time, money and your skills
10. Your sense of adventure
11. Your determination to finish what you start
12. That you don't leave dirty socks and whatnot laying around or hairs in the bathroom sink.
13. That you support me
14. Your beautiful green eyes
15. That you are you!
I hope you have a fabulous birthday. The boys and I love you very very much!
1. Your smile
2. Your hugs
3. That you always make me laugh
4. Watching you interact and play with our boys
5. Your work ethic
6. That you live life to the fullest
7. Your mischievousness (as long as it's not at my expense) and your sense of humor
8. Your compassion for others
9. Your generosity with time, money and your skills
10. Your sense of adventure
11. Your determination to finish what you start
12. That you don't leave dirty socks and whatnot laying around or hairs in the bathroom sink.
13. That you support me
14. Your beautiful green eyes
15. That you are you!
I hope you have a fabulous birthday. The boys and I love you very very much!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Gym Time
Cousin Madelyn invited Owen for friend day at her Little Gym. Owen had a blast swinging on the uneven bars, practicing somersaults, crossing the balance beam, and running and jumping to his heart's content.
Anderson even got in on the fun when Madelyn shared a ball with him.
Anderson even got in on the fun when Madelyn shared a ball with him.
Monday, September 28, 2009
4 Month Stats
I took the little guy for his 4 month checkup and shots this morning. He is holding steady in the 10th percentile for weight at 12 pounds 12 ounces. He moved from the 10th percentile in height to the 20th at 24 inches.
He took his shots like a big boy with just a little fuss and no crying! Our doctor said she hated to give him his shots because he was just grinning away at her. We were both surprised with how well he took them.
He took his shots like a big boy with just a little fuss and no crying! Our doctor said she hated to give him his shots because he was just grinning away at her. We were both surprised with how well he took them.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Odds and Ends
Doing a little catching up here. I have a ton of great pictures to post, but that'll have to be a separate post.
By person updates:
Aaron has been doing a lot of landscaping work at his mom and grandma's houses. He should finish up the mulch at Granny's this afternoon. Both yards look so good. I need to take the camera to get some pictures. He went to his grandma's a month or so ago to start prepping her house for a new coat of paint. By the end of that weekend, almost all of her interior lights and fans had been replaced and he'd decided on a new landscaping plan for both houses.
Owen has been having a blast helping Aaron with the yards and playing in the dirt and mulch. He gets to excited to go to Grandma and Granny's houses. One morning last week he told me he wanted to go to Granny's instead of the babysitter's.
This age is so much fun and I love hearing what comes out of Owen's mouth. The other morning when I went in to get him up, he said he wanted to see daddy. When I told him daddy was at work, he responded 'oh bummer'. He's taken to greeting Aaron's mom by 'hi precious' the way she greets Owen and Anderson. He's really getting into music and always wants it on at the house. We do, however, need to work on the dance moves! He's also starting to sing along with some of the songs. When we sing the ABC song, he surprises us with the next few letters wherever we stop. We're working on the Happy Birthday song since his favorite person has a birthday a little less than a week away.
Anderson has left the newborn stage in the dust and I swear it happened overnight. I can't believe he's already 4 months old. He has found his thumb and his toes and has deemed them both worthy of sucking. Yes, I think we have a thumb sucker on our hands. It is absolutely adorable, but I'm already dreading how to break him of it. But hey, at least he can now soothe himself overnight! Speaking of overnight, he's also given up the swaddle and (I hope this doesn't jinx it), nighttime feedings.
Anderson is still an exceptionally happy guy and gives the best smiles and the starts of a laugh. He loves to sit in the bumbo and watch us. Most of the time when he is unhappy, it's because he can't see any of us. He is now enjoying having a toy to hold and chew on (as long as Owen let's him). Owen is once again going through a stage of wanting to put toys in his mouth. Owen has taken to telling Anderson that toys don't belong in his mouth.
I can't believe it, but Anderson is prepping for crawling. When he's enjoying tummy time, he gets those knees up under himself and basically into the yoga position of child's pose. He then starts kicking his legs out. There's a little forward progress, but definitely not intentionally toward a point yet. Owen came downstairs a week or so ago to find Anderson on his back and promptly rolled him to his stomach and proclaimed 'tummy time'!
I'm back to work full-time now and we are pretty much settled into our new routine after a crazy hectic first week. I'm still working to find time for some of the extras, including blogging, especially getting pictures loaded. I did take some time earlier this week for a facial...let me tell you, the neck and shoulder massage was heaven!
The TTTS Race went well, but was of course emotional. We had dinner with some friends the night before at a restaurant donating part of their proceeds that night to the Fetal Hope Foundation. I realized on the way home that I had seen very few sets of twins. I'm sure some of it is selective vision, but it is incredibly sad to realize how many babies are lost each year to TTTS and other fetal syndromes. Owen and Anderson both did well riding in the car both ways and riding in the stroller during the race. We got Owen out of the stroller to walk across the finish line with us and Aaron carried Anderson the last mile or so. I think the highlight for Owen was the bounce house.
This ended up being a long update. I'll get some pictures posted soon.
By person updates:
Aaron has been doing a lot of landscaping work at his mom and grandma's houses. He should finish up the mulch at Granny's this afternoon. Both yards look so good. I need to take the camera to get some pictures. He went to his grandma's a month or so ago to start prepping her house for a new coat of paint. By the end of that weekend, almost all of her interior lights and fans had been replaced and he'd decided on a new landscaping plan for both houses.
Owen has been having a blast helping Aaron with the yards and playing in the dirt and mulch. He gets to excited to go to Grandma and Granny's houses. One morning last week he told me he wanted to go to Granny's instead of the babysitter's.
This age is so much fun and I love hearing what comes out of Owen's mouth. The other morning when I went in to get him up, he said he wanted to see daddy. When I told him daddy was at work, he responded 'oh bummer'. He's taken to greeting Aaron's mom by 'hi precious' the way she greets Owen and Anderson. He's really getting into music and always wants it on at the house. We do, however, need to work on the dance moves! He's also starting to sing along with some of the songs. When we sing the ABC song, he surprises us with the next few letters wherever we stop. We're working on the Happy Birthday song since his favorite person has a birthday a little less than a week away.
Anderson has left the newborn stage in the dust and I swear it happened overnight. I can't believe he's already 4 months old. He has found his thumb and his toes and has deemed them both worthy of sucking. Yes, I think we have a thumb sucker on our hands. It is absolutely adorable, but I'm already dreading how to break him of it. But hey, at least he can now soothe himself overnight! Speaking of overnight, he's also given up the swaddle and (I hope this doesn't jinx it), nighttime feedings.
Anderson is still an exceptionally happy guy and gives the best smiles and the starts of a laugh. He loves to sit in the bumbo and watch us. Most of the time when he is unhappy, it's because he can't see any of us. He is now enjoying having a toy to hold and chew on (as long as Owen let's him). Owen is once again going through a stage of wanting to put toys in his mouth. Owen has taken to telling Anderson that toys don't belong in his mouth.
I can't believe it, but Anderson is prepping for crawling. When he's enjoying tummy time, he gets those knees up under himself and basically into the yoga position of child's pose. He then starts kicking his legs out. There's a little forward progress, but definitely not intentionally toward a point yet. Owen came downstairs a week or so ago to find Anderson on his back and promptly rolled him to his stomach and proclaimed 'tummy time'!
I'm back to work full-time now and we are pretty much settled into our new routine after a crazy hectic first week. I'm still working to find time for some of the extras, including blogging, especially getting pictures loaded. I did take some time earlier this week for a facial...let me tell you, the neck and shoulder massage was heaven!
The TTTS Race went well, but was of course emotional. We had dinner with some friends the night before at a restaurant donating part of their proceeds that night to the Fetal Hope Foundation. I realized on the way home that I had seen very few sets of twins. I'm sure some of it is selective vision, but it is incredibly sad to realize how many babies are lost each year to TTTS and other fetal syndromes. Owen and Anderson both did well riding in the car both ways and riding in the stroller during the race. We got Owen out of the stroller to walk across the finish line with us and Aaron carried Anderson the last mile or so. I think the highlight for Owen was the bounce house.
This ended up being a long update. I'll get some pictures posted soon.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
2009 Race for Hope
We are participating in the Charlotte Race for Hope on September 19 through the Fetal Hope Foundation. This event raises money to fund research, provide support and raise awareness of fetal distresses and syndromes, in particular (to us) Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS). As you know, we lost Evan, Owen's identical twin, to TTTS at 33 weeks.
Twice as many babies die each year from TTTS than die from SIDS, and hundreds of thousands of pregnancies are affected by fetal distresses each year, but many go undiagnosed and/or untreated. With more than 200 babies lost every day, some may have been saved with proper diagnosis and treatment.
Through the Fetal Hope Foundation, we are helping to change the outcome for other parents who might have the chance to have both of their twins with them. The event is a very powerful way for us to honor Evan's life and his spirt. The walk itself is also very poignant time for us as it gives us a place to have time with Evan and for Evan.
In addition to Owen and Evan, we will be thinking of and honoring TTTS survivors Xan and Ellie and TTTS angels Ian, Gavin, Cole, and Mary Katherine.
Twice as many babies die each year from TTTS than die from SIDS, and hundreds of thousands of pregnancies are affected by fetal distresses each year, but many go undiagnosed and/or untreated. With more than 200 babies lost every day, some may have been saved with proper diagnosis and treatment.
Through the Fetal Hope Foundation, we are helping to change the outcome for other parents who might have the chance to have both of their twins with them. The event is a very powerful way for us to honor Evan's life and his spirt. The walk itself is also very poignant time for us as it gives us a place to have time with Evan and for Evan.
In addition to Owen and Evan, we will be thinking of and honoring TTTS survivors Xan and Ellie and TTTS angels Ian, Gavin, Cole, and Mary Katherine.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Daycation
We took a daycation last Tuesday and hit the beach. We had perfect weather and so much fun. Owen loved the sand, but was a little intimidated by the 'big pool' as he calls the ocean.
This way to the beach, Daddy!
The seagulls were quite a nusance. Owen had a chip in his hand and Aaron told him to back up so we could take his picture with the ocean in the background. The birds started coming at Owen going after the chip. Poor kid was terrified and hit the deck. The phrase of the day then became 'back off birds'. Here he is, pre-bird attack...notice the enticing chip.
Anderson found the breeze and the sound of the waves to be perfect for sleeping. We had planned to leave him home, but I decided I needed him to go.
Aaron is the best dad...he and Owen had a lot of fun in the sand. Owen was buried...
Then, grew sand boobies (definitely not my idea!)...
Then climbed in the hole Daddy dug to China...
We then headed out on the pier. Proof that Anderson made the trip...
Farewell to the summer of 2009...it was a great one!
This way to the beach, Daddy!
The seagulls were quite a nusance. Owen had a chip in his hand and Aaron told him to back up so we could take his picture with the ocean in the background. The birds started coming at Owen going after the chip. Poor kid was terrified and hit the deck. The phrase of the day then became 'back off birds'. Here he is, pre-bird attack...notice the enticing chip.
Anderson found the breeze and the sound of the waves to be perfect for sleeping. We had planned to leave him home, but I decided I needed him to go.
Aaron is the best dad...he and Owen had a lot of fun in the sand. Owen was buried...
Then, grew sand boobies (definitely not my idea!)...
Then climbed in the hole Daddy dug to China...
We then headed out on the pier. Proof that Anderson made the trip...
Farewell to the summer of 2009...it was a great one!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
