20 Months

Alex and Spencer are 20 months old. Wow! Time goes by so quickly...too quickly. It doesn't seem like that long ago that they were those fragile, barely viable, tiny little babies in the NICU. You would never know it to look at them now. Most people would have looked at their little bodies, with their see-through skin, all the tubes and wires attached to them, and thought "There's barely a chance they'll make it, and if they do they'll have so many problems," but we were fortunate. Fortunate to be surrounded by people who believed in miracles, that with enough love, positive energy, and prayers anything is possible. My boys are so healthy! As I write this Spencer is standing behind me, not holding on to anything for support, and clapping his hands. Alex is cruising around the living room carefully inspecting everything, as he always does. Two colds so far this year and no panicked visits to the doctor's office, no getting up in the middle of the night to give breathing treatments. Their health is better than I could ever have hoped for, and I am incredibly thankful.

Spencer seems to have sprouted recently. Maybe it's because he's walking tall, taking up to eight or nine steps at a time; it looks like he's as long as Alex now. At last weigh-in two months ago Spencer was a little over 20 pounds, and Alex was almost 24 pounds. Who knows how much weight I'm carting up and down the stairs now. Spencer still has just six teeth, but is working on more. Alex has a mouthful. 10 at last count, with four more pushing their way through right now. They rarely seem bothered by teething, or much of anything really; they are such happy, good boys.

Alex repeats words from time to time but mostly babbles. He loves to sing to himself when he's happy, "la, la, la" and when he's upset he'll request to be sung to in the same manner. He even sings to his brother when Spencer is upset. It's the sweetest thing. Spencer's most frequently used words are "yogurt" and "Ally." The both say "I did it" and of course "mama." The boys babble to each other in their own little language and amazingly seem to understand one another.

Alex's favorite toy is the bead maze. He loves to move the beads up and down and can entertain himself for a long time that way. Spencer likes to climb onto his rocking horse and bounce, one knee under him and the other leg over the side. He also "talks" on the play phone, putting up to his ear and saying "hello." They're both easy to entertain and keep themselves and each other occupied much of the time. Alex is playing the toy piano now (while wearing his "rock star" shirt...Mommy doesn't have any aspirations for him musically, does she?). They both love the piano, and often play duets.

Favorite foods
Spencer: Yogurt, bananas, Annie's Mac & Cheese
Alex: Eggplant parm, chicken
Both: Applesauce, Goldfish, Fig Newmans, Kashi Heart to Heart, and Veggie Booty

Favorite activities
Trying to get into anything that is obviously off limits or out of reach
Playing with their cousins
Dumping toys all over the floor for Mommy to pick up
Climbing on top of each other

Things we're working on
Feeding themselves with a spoon
Walking
Drawing with a crayon
Learning body parts (they know mouth, nose, hand, foot, and belly) and how to treat others gently (the biting has significantly lessened)

Favorite toys
Anything with buttons and lights
Bead maze
Musical instruments
Little People castle
(okay, I admit, I have influenced them in the direction of the last two just a little)

Woo hoo!!!

Alex just made it through the firehouse siren going off without crying for the first time!

Mommy Doesn't Live Here Anymore

My mom used to say this sometimes when we were kids. Four kids in four years...who can blame her? Sometimes you just want to go away. I love my boys. Seriously....seriously! But this virus we've had over the last week (first me, then Spencer, then Alex) has made things tough. I need a break. That's why I'm finally cashing in on the massage gift certificate I was given months ago. Saturday. And I'm getting my hair cut, and my eyebrows waxed. Because I need it, and I deserve it. Seriously.*


*For those of you who aren't Grey's Anatomy fans, this is me trying to give myself a pep talk, Izzie style. Ah, forget it. If you don't watch you won't understand. Seriously!

My Lion and My Monkey

My Lion and My Monkey
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

It's a jungle in my house EVERY day!

The Zoo

The Zoo
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Speak No Evil

Speak No Evil
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Lion On The Prowl

Lion in the Jungle
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

POTD 10.27.06

POTD 10.27.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

One of the boys' favorite things to do when we first come down in the morning is to look out the living room window. I haven't put plastic up yet and the big windows get a bit frosty or dewy. I've showed them how they can "draw" in the dew with their fingers. Here's Alex enjoying his morning lookout.

Spencer . . . took . . . threestepstoday!!!

Three times!

Picture of the Day 10.22.06

POTD 10.22.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Alex got new glasses, with an even stronger prescription. He's eating a Fig Newman in this picture. The boys love them.

Picture of the Day 10.20.06

POTD 10.20.06
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Dear God,

On the next model, could you please include a snooze button? Thank you.

Yours truly,
Slow to Rise

My Pumpkins

All this adorableness for just two dollars?!!?

Okay, they're at it again. They're telling me in their own little way that they're going to be just fine. I was starting to worry about language development. Everything I read says that by 14 months (their corrected age) they should have at least 3 words that they use regularly. Well, Alex and Spencer don't have any need to say "Mama" because I'm the only one here. They know that if they cry I'll come. They've said "Mama," but they don't use it regularly. I talked to their therapists this week about having them evaluated for language, just to make sure everything is okay. I've been paying a lot of attention to their speech, and I'm starting to notice that they repeat words. Alex says "that" and has even said some form of "Can I have that?". Spencer repeated "uh oh" several times this morning and also repeated "up" once when I said it to him. Add all this to Alex saying "ball" on Monday and I'm just reminded that I have nothing to worry about.

Alex Says His First Word

Alex said his first word today (other than mama or hi). He said BALL. He was playing with a ball and my sister and I said "ball" to him and he repeated it back, clear as day! I have a witness, so I know it wasn't just my hopeful imagination hearing it. Yippee!!! God, I love being a mom.

Centerpiece

How do you like my new centerpiece? Little bugger!
Centerpiece
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Spencer and Alex both had doctor's appointments on Monday. Alex saw the opthomologist for his six month check-up. He has become more near-sighted since his last exam. He can see clearly without his glasses only about two inches in front of his face. I was pretty upset that his eyes have become worse. I've been so diligent about making sure he wears his glasses. The doctor, however, reminded me that with the condition he had (ROP) many children end up losing part or all of their vision. The fact that he has full vision and can wear corrective lenses to see normally is a miracle of modern medicine. She's right, and I'm so thankful that he's not blind, thanks to two rounds of laser eye surgery. She said Alex's eyes will probably continue to get worse, but at some point it will stop; he can only be so near-sighted. He'll always wear corrective lenses, unless someday he has surgery again to correct his vision. I've told him that I'll pay for it when he's older if he wants it, but maybe he'll always want to wear glasses. He's so cute in them anyway!

I took Spencer in to the pediatrician for a weight check. The last time he was there was July 10th, and he was exactly 16 pounds. On Monday, two months later, he weighed 19 lbs. 11 oz.; that's nearly a four pound weight gain! He has also been off of Prevacid for three weeks now. I forgot to give it to him one day; by the time I remembered it was the end of the day and he was doing fine. I thought, "Why not try taking him off and see how he does?" He is eating and drinking just as much as always, and not spitting up. It seems Spencer's reflux has subsided, and now he's growing like crazy. He's actually getting a double chin!

Apparently Tuesday morning Alex woke up and decided "I think I'll learn to pull myself to standing on the coffee table today. Aw, heck, why don't I just go ahead and learn to cruise!" That's my Alex, continuing to catch up by leaps and bounds. He cruised halfway around the coffee table without any assistance! Now he's all over the place, getting more confident all the time. I swear he's going to walk before Spencer (their therapists think so, too). Don't worry, Spence, it's not a competition. We just utterly amazed that Alex is catching up so quickly after everything he's been through.

Alex is Amazing

Two weeks ago Alex began to pull up to standing when I held his hands. A week later he pulled himself up to stand in his crib (I had to move the mattress down right at bedtime!). Today he began taking steps when I held his hands, high steps like he was really trying to walk, not little foot shuffles. Tonight he went up four stairs in a row on his own! He is learning so fast and getting stronger every day. He watches everything Spencer does and wants to do it all. The funny thing is, Spencer doesn't take steps like Alex was taking today.

When Alex and Spencer were in the NICU one of Alex's primary nurses (Debbie, who I adore and miss) said she thought Alex would go home before Spencer. I thought she was crazy, what with all the challenges Alex had had and Spencer having had very few. Spencer did come home first, but promptly returned to the NICU because of an apnea. Guess which baby came home for good first: Alex! He has always and continues to beat the odds, to disprove what the nurses, doctors, and therapists forecast for him. I pray that all the parents of preemies out there who are so scared by the statistics would reject negativity and BELIEVE that their child can and will be a miracle. Though Alex's prognosis was very bleak when he was born I always stayed positive, as did the many friends, family, and even strangers who were praying for him and Spencer. I truly believe that all the positive, healing energy that was sent to them is in large part why they are here today, whole and healthy.

The boys ate fish sticks for the first time this evening (organic ones made from fillets without a bunch of junk added). They LOVED them! I had to break them into pieces, but even Alex fed himself. I so glad they like fish, and that I've found a quick and easy meal that I feel good about giving them. I need to find more of those, since classes start in a few weeks and I'm going to be very busy.

Standing Together

Standing Together
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

I love watching Alex and Spencer play together: climbing the Tumble Forms, crawling through their tunnel, racing each other across the floor to get a toy, babbling happily to each other in their mysterious baby language. It's all so amazing. The best part of having twins is watching them together, even when there is conflict between the two of them. It's like my own little personal childhood development study, right here in my living room.

Alex is pulling to standing when I hold his hands. He tucks his feet under him and pushes up. He started this yesterday; the day before he was holding his legs straight and stiff when I pulled him up. He learns so fast! I swear it's from watching Spencer do all these things. He sees Spence and thinks "I want to do that, too!"

I stood Alex up at the coffee table. He held on with one hand and banged on the table with the other. He stood there doing this for about three minutes without any assistance. He's my amazing catcher-upper boy!!!

Spencer has hit two major milestones in the last two days. Yesterday he climbed an entire flight of stairs for the first time. Today, he got his first bloody nose. The life of a toddler; it's sooooo precarious.

Spencer Rides His Steed

Spencer has learned to ride his rocking horse on his own.

Alex Climbs

Alex Climbs
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

It's hard to see in this pic, but Alex is actually climbing. He's developing so fast!

Alex and His Steed

IMG_1041
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

"Do you mind? I'm workin' here. I think she needs an oil change."

Alex is fascinated by this toy...and a little bit scared of it, too.

Alex is crawling everywhere now and is pulling up to kneeling on toys and the bookshelf. He's grabbing books off the shelf and toys out of the toy bins, just like Spencer. I'm truly amazed at how quickly he's progressing. I believe having this big, safe space to roam in has really helped both boys' physical development.

Rock n roll, baby, yeah!

Alex's "kissing" of his brother has gotten a little out of control. He gets Spencer in a headlock and slobbers (and I suspect bites) all over his head. Spencer does NOT like it, rightfully so. I have to pull Alex off, tell him "no," and try to explain that Spencer doesn't want him to do that and that that's why he's crying. He doesn't get it yet, but someday he will. Ah, it's the onset of having to repeat oneself indefinitely: one of the many joys of parenthood.

Spencer is pulling up to standing a lot now. He really wants to be vertical more than anything. I think I saw the beginning of cruising today, but there was a toy in his way and after I moved it he just wanted me to pick him up. He's been that way lately; he cries until I pick him up, then he's happy until I put him back down again. If I'm sitting on the floor he doesn't do it; somehow if I'm on his level he's okay. Spencer has been such a ham lately. My niece said something so funny about him last week; I wish I had written it down. It was something like "Spencer got the baby handbook and he's learning all the tricks in it." Yes, he knows he's cute.

Spencer fighting bedtime

Yesterday I took a video clip of Spencer riding the rocking horse by himself. He's learned to bounce himself up and down without assistance. I sing the Lone Ranger theme music while they ride. After Spencer gracefully a lit from his steed (fell off backward on his head) I had him on my lap and was showing him the video clip. He started bouncing himself up and down on my knee. It was adorable!

Alexander Kisses Spencer

ALEX has started giving kisses. It's so sweet that he wants to give them, but his version of a kiss is a bit rambunctious. He grabs his subject's head (by the hair if possible), pulls it toward him, opens wide, and uses everything inside his mouth to kiss: teeth, tongue, and drooooooool. Ouch! And yuck! He's SOOOOO loving!

Spencer Stairs 013

Spencer Stairs 013
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Spencer Stairs 011

Spencer Stairs 011
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Spencer Stairs 010

Spencer Stairs 010
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Spencer Stairs 009

Spencer Stairs 009
Originally uploaded by doublethefun.

Spencer attempted the stairs for the first time today. I found him trying it at home this morning. When we went to my sister's house this afternoon he caught on really quickly and made it up three steps before tiring out. He can't walk or even crawl with his belly off the floor, but he's climbing the stairs.

Alex is commando crawling all over the place. He's totally keeping up with Spencer. In fact, watching him, I think he's going to do an actual crawl before Spencer. That's the thing about Alex: he always defies expectations.

Alex and Spencer are now one year old corrected. Yesterday was my due date. They are still behind where they should be even for their corrected age, but they are making progress every day. Alex has started creeping. He's getting into the toy bins. I can't trust him without gates anymore. I was beginning to feel like he'd never get to this point, but here he is, and every day he goes a little further.

We had a little carrot cake with the boys' therapists yesterday to celebrate their due date. The boys made such a mess that they ended up having the rest of their therapy session in the bathtub. They loved it. I hope they're not going to expect that every week!

Last week the boys went to the pediatrician for their 15 month check-up. Alex weighs 20 pounds, and Spencer is at 16. They are both growing at a good rate and are healthy. We don't go back for another three months, and then that's it. No more well baby checkups, and no more shots for awhile.

Spencer now has 3 teeth and is working on a fourth. Alex has five and is working on a sixth. Alex gets to go to the dentist earlier than most children. His teeth have come in discolored because of all the medications he's been on, but that's not a cause for concern. The problem is that he has a receding gum line on the bottom. His gums look like they are barely holding his teeth in. The boys get their teeth brushed after breakfast and dinner (if I remember). They seem to love it (I think it tickles them).

Alex's favorite new trick is fake crying. There's just one problem with his little act: he smiles while doing it. I look at him and say "What's wrong?" and there's this little indication of a smile on his face while he's screaming. I tell him "You can't smile and cry at the same time. It doesn't work. People won't believe you," and then he just breaks out in a smile. He hasn't given up trying, though.

Spencer is crawling and climbing everywhere. He's always falling and bumping himself. He cries, but then gets up and tries again. He even loves to crawl around in the bathtub, and doesn't mind getting his face wet. He's my little froggy.

I had a yard sale and freecycled a lot of things last week. The house is getting more cleaned up and organized. It finally feels like our little family is getting settled into our home. Family...home...I am blessed.

Alex gets the hiccups when he laughs really hard.

Anyone who remembers Nickelodeon's '80's show "Turkey Television" might be able to appreciate the song I was singing to the boys this evening as I was preparing their dinner. Alex is sometimes bothered by loud noises, and I could tell tonight that he wasn't too sure about the sound that the Zyliss chopper was making as I pounded on it to cut up their pasta. To alleviate his nervousness I did what I often do when one of the boys is upset. I started singing:

My mommy, she went downtown
She bought some spaghetti
She brought it home
Now she's chopping spaghetti
Chopping spaghetti
Chopping spaghetti
Chopping spaghetti

Thank you Dana Carvey, Nickelodeon, and Turkey TV for giving me a song I'll never forget and can even pass on to my children!

The Cheerio Wiggle

Every morning I put Spencer and Alex in their highchairs for breakfast. While I boil the water for their hot cereal or cut up fresh fruit for their yogurt, I give them Cheerios to snack on. I ask them "Do you want Cheerios?" and then I bring out the box. That's when it happens: The Cheerio Wiggle. The boys wave their arms around frantically and wiggle their little hineys in their seats, big smiles on their faces. I love our morning ritual.

My babies are growing up too fast. What is it about we moms? We await each milestone with eager anticipation, we encourage, even push, our babies to learn and grow, and when they finally reach each goal our joy is tempered with sadness. This week I bought Spencer's big boy car seat. My little, itty bitty, tiny guy is outgrowing his carrier. He's not my little tiny baby anymore. Even though he's still little (just over sixteen pounds) he is crawling, trying to pull up, and doesn't want to be held still and cuddled anymore. He wants to go, go, go!

Alex began sitting up on his own without propping himself on his hands yesterday. He is getting so much stronger. Every day I see improvement. This despite the fact that he has had two surgeries in the last two weeks, the first to excise the scar from his ostomy takedown, and the second to reopen the new incision because it became infected. The kid has a big, open wound on his belly right now, which I have to pack with wet gauze several times a day, and he is just as happy as ever. He's such a trooper. I clap and cheer for Alex every time he works on his developmental milestones. Just today I began teaching him how to clap, too. It's so cute when he actually gets it right. We'll be practicing!

Tonight for dinner I cooked Annie's Organic Whole Wheat Shells and Cheddar for the boys. I chopped some broccoli and threw that in with the shells. This is the first time they've had "real" mac and cheese. I didn't cut up the shells at all, and they ate them. In fact they ate several shells at a time. They are eating like toddlers (and they look like messy toddlers when they're done, believe me). I love every minute of it!

The biggest change is that Alex and Spencer are now drinking regular cow's milk. I am so glad to not have to mix formula anymore, but it's just another reminder that my babies are growing up. I know they can't stay babies forever, and I'm looking forward to watching them learn and grow. I just wish I could still feel the way I did when I cuddled my tiny, warm, soft, precious babies against my chest.

Spence and Alex went to the park the weekend before last with their cousins. Here they are their first time in the baby swings.

Alex just sat up for about five minutes with absolutely no assistance. This is a major development for him. He also began rotating when on his tummy this evening (to reach his favorite Baby Einstein toy). Spencer is beginning to use his knees and get his belly off the floor when doing his "commando crawl"; he's getting so close. They had an amazing PT session today. Both their therapist and I were astounded by how they just took off. Where is this coming from? Is it the fact that they'll be 12 months corrected next month and they're saying to themselves "I've gotta start catching up!"? I don't know, but I am so blessed and so incredibly proud of them.



Click on either of the photos above to go to my Flickr site and see more.

Spencer said "mama" for the first time today!

Today Alex finally figured out this little game I've been trying to play with him. He loves to hit his highchair tray with the palm of his hand. When he does I often respond by hitting it with my hand. Today he finally realized that I was mimicking him, and that he could mimic me. He thought it was so funny!

Spencer figured out how to make the "b" sound for the first time today. The way he scrunches up his upper lip to make the sound is adorable. He's so pleased with himself.

Spencer Milestone

Spencer is getting pretty close to crawling. He moves all over the floor on his belly (I love when he does a 180 to see something or reach a toy). Today he discovered the rack of toy bins we have in the living room. I found him on his belly trying to reach into one of the bottom bins to get the toys. Go Spencer!

I've lost count of the number of times we've been to the pediatrician in the last two weeks. Let's see: last Monday for the boys' allergies; back on Thursday for a fever and cough for Spencer, which resulted in a two day hospital stay for aspiration pneumonia; back on Monday for follow-up for both, which led to a diagnosis of an ear infection for Alex; and now, we're going back today because they both have rashes on their trunks. They were supposed to go see the developmental pediatrician today, but I had to cancel that because it's possible that whatever is causing this rash is contagious. Right now both boys are on antibiotics, Spencer is on a new medication to help his reflux, Alex's breathing treatments have been beefed up because he's been wheezing...I have to have a chart to keep up with it all! Fortunately, both boys are doing much better than they were. I really thought we were on our way back to normal, but then this rash manifested itself. The most important thing is that Alex and Spencer seem happy. I can't really ask for more than that, can I?

I watched the movie Little Man this past week. It's a documentary about a micro-preemie and his family. It paints a very accurate picture of life in the NICU, and of the effects having a preemie has on a family. The film was both painful and joyful to watch. Two years ago it would have bothered me to see some of the images in the film; now I see how absolutely beautiful this child is, what a miracle he is. Watching the film brought me back to the faith I relied upon when Alex and Spencer were in the NICU, and it reminded me of just how lucky I am that they are doing so well.

A Long Overdue Update

It's been so long since I've written about the boys. I don't even know where to begin. They are 13 1/2 months old now (10 months corrected in 3 days). We went to the doctor today because of allergies. Alex is 18 lbs. 13 oz. and Spencer is 15 lbs. 7 oz. He is really taking off with growth now, getting chubbier every day. He loves to eat, and eats just about anything I offer. Alex is a pickier eater, but it doesn't seem to be hurting his growth.

We've been living with family since the boys came home from the hospital. On May 1st we moved out on our own, into a little two bedroom house in a quiet village. We are still getting settled, but it's coming together. It's wonderful to have our own space, and so much of it. I even have my own washer and dryer in the basement. How lucky am I?!!

On May 2nd my father passed away of congestive heart failure. It was a shock and I still can't believe he's gone. He was Alex's and Spencer's Bhapu (that's Sanskrit for father). He was so loving with them. I have a picture of him down on the floor laying side by side with Spencer, playing. I'm so thankful that he knew them, but it makes me very, very sad that they're too young to be able to remember him when they're older. My father loved his grandchildren so much, and it showed. I hope that wherever he is, in spirit, he is watching them and smiling.

We celebrated Mother's Day by taking my mom out for a big brunch. My sister, her husband, four of their children, myself, and Alex and Spencer all went together. My mother is a wonderful mom and grandmother. She gives so much of herself, so much love, so much positive energy. We are blessed to have this bright, beautiful, spiritual, intelligent, loving woman as our matriarch. A lot of what I do as a mother to Alex and Spencer comes directly from what I learned from my mom. I get a lot of compliments on being a good mother, so thanks Mom for teaching me how to love.

Alex now has four teeth. He got his first one the six days after his first birthday. Spencer got his first tooth the weekend we moved into our house. They are both feeding themselves things like Cheerios and bread cubes. We are working on getting switched to whole milk. They eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, and chicken, among many other things. I'm trying to instill good eating habits in them early on so they'll have them for life.

Alex and Spencer both babble a lot, primarily saying "da da da da da" to which I respond "ma ma." Alex just laughs at me when I do that. They have conversations with each other. They've become such good buddies. I love watching them play together, even when they're playing tug of war with a toy. Why is the toy Spencer has never as good as the one Alex has? I have finally separated them into two beds. They are rolling around so much that they were disturbing each others' sleep. I can't believe how much they've grown. They've come so far. One year ago Spencer weighed 2 lbs. 8.5 oz. and Alex was 3 lbs. 1 oz. What miracles they are!

I stood over Xander's and Spencer's crib tonight watching them sleep, marveling again at the miracles the universe has blessed me with. In just a few short days my babies will be one year old. Where in the world did the past year go? Can they really be a year old already? Do the first three and a half months, the days and weeks spent attending to them in the hospital every day, really count? They came home just eight and a half months ago. It doesn't make sense. Part of me feels cheated; if they are really just like 8 1/2 month old babies, how can we be celebrating their first birthday already? I can't really wrap my brain around it, can't really fully understand the way I feel. What I do know is that despite my attempts to enjoy every moment, to make the most of my time with them, as people kept telling me to, I still feel like the time has gone by much too quickly. Did I do everything I was supposed to do? Did I love them enough, give them enough attention, take care of them to the best of my abilities? If I didn't, is it too late to make up for lost time? Oh the agony of being a parent. One is never satisfied that she is as good a parent as she wants to be.

My beautiful baby boys, my Allybear and Spenceroni, I love you so dearly, so completely, a love such as I never knew before I first laid eyes on your tiny, weak little bodies. We have been through so much together and you have come so far. You have beaten all the odds, all the statistics, and I am in awe of how healthy, strong, vibrant, and wonderful you are. I hope with all my soul that I bring you half as much happiness in this lifetime as you've brought me in the past year. You are my heart's joy, my precious miracle boys.

The most special moment yet in my life as a mother happened this morning. Alex said "mama." Yes, that's right. He lay there on the changing table and when I bent down out of his view to get his clothes he said "ma ma ma ma ma." I popped back up and he laughed. We played that game for a few minutes and he kept doing it: "ma ma ma ma ma." He's figured out the sound, now he's got to put it together and realize that "mama" is me.

The boys were weighed the Friday before last and both gained 1 pound 4 ounces in a month. Alex is up to 17.4 and Spencer is at 13.4. Spencer is finally gaining at the same rate as his brother. He still seems like a little peanut, but he is really growing.

Alex started rolling over from his belly to his back that same Friday. He is doing so much better with lifting his head while on his stomach, and is even beginning to bear a little weight on his arms in that position. We've also started working on sitting up.

I've been planning the boys' first birthday party. They will be christened that morning at the same church I was christened at as a child. Then we'll celebrate at my parents' house with family and friends. I realize they won't understand the celebration, but I'm going to spoil them rotten. Lots of balloons and presents and cake from my favorite bakery. It will be a special day for me, and I'll make sure there are lots of pictures taken so that I can share the memories with them when they're older.

Here are some recent photos.

My favorite picture of Spencer and Alex so far

Spencer during floor play

Alex during floor play

Alex trying a bagel

Spencer trying his sippy cup

So Happy Together

"I'm having fun playing with you, Alex."

"Oh no! She caught us!"

"I'm so happy we have each other!"

Best Buddies

The boys are 7 months old corrected today, but they'll be 11 months old in just two weeks. It's hard to believe they're almost a year old! Just this past week Alex and Spencer have really started interacting with each other. They babble at each other, laugh, and reach for each other. I love watching them. This is what I've been waiting for. How lucky they are to have each other!
A week ago yesterday I took Spencer to the pediatrician for a weight check. He was up to 12 pounds 10 ounces! This week he started taking between 8 and 9 ounces per feeding, when just last week he was taking 6.5-7. The Prevacid has really helped his voice, too. He doesn't sound like he has laryngitis anymore, and he's been babbling more.

Xander's physical therapist told me Thursday that she believes his torticollis is resolved; the tightness in his neck seems to be gone. Now the task is to strengthen his weak neck muscles. We're working on it every day. He seems to get a little stronger every week.

My niece, M, helps out a lot with the boys. She and her mom (my sister) are both twins. There's a distinct possibility M could be a mother of twins someday. Something tells me she'll be a natural at it.

Happy Valentine's Day


The Loves of My Life - Alex and Spencer

Almost Famous

This morning I took Alex up to AMC to see the nurse practitioner in pediatric surgery. He was due for a follow-up appointment next month, but I rescheduled the appointment because of some concerns I've had about his incision. There are deep sutures under the skin that have created small bumps in the incision where they are trying to push through. At our last visit the nurse practitioner said that his body would eventually push them out and I could just trim them off. I did this with the first one that pushed through about a month ago and it got infected. None of the others seem to have made any progress. The surgeon decided today that he should remove the sutures. Alex will return to AMC and will be under anesthesia for the removal of the sutures. It will be a one-day visit to Ambulatory Surgery. Hopefully his scar will then begin to flatten out and become less noticeable.

I took Alex by the NICU for a quick visit with one of his former primary nurses. She ducked into the March of Dimes volunteer's office and returned with a humongous print of me kangarooing Alex and Spencer. The volunteer takes beautiful pictures of babies and parents during their NICU stays and uses them (with permission, of course) as part of her program. Apparently she is now going to be hanging several of her photographs, including the one of us, around the NICU. Now I really need to send an "after" picture of the boys up there so that other parents might be encouraged by my miracles.

I'll try to get some of those pictures scanned in and posted here. They really are beautiful and priceless. Thank you, Lori!

Another Milestone

Spencer rolled from his stomach to his back for the first time today. He was having a bit of a rough day today. I put him and Xander on the floor for tummy time and he was MAD. So mad that he turned himself over. I kept putting him back on his belly and he kept pushing himself back over. "See what a little anger will help you do?" I said to him. He's my little mighty might, that Spencer.

Aunt G makes Spence laugh

Xander now has a Boppy Tummy Play pillow, which was recommended on the Torticollis Kids website. I wish I had gotten this sooner. He's had a lot of trouble learning to lift his head while on his stomach. I put him on the pillow for the first time and he just took off. It is just the right height to support him and he loves playing with (and teething on) the attached toys.

Xander's Tummy Time

Xander and cousin M 

Zany Xander