The Long Lost Blogger

I haven't blogged in a looooooong time. I'm just going to pick up here and try to fill in some of the blanks later. It's been a tough spring. Health issues have taken their toll on my body and my life. Things are changing, getting better, but it's slow and I'm the kind of person who wants change to happen overnight.

On the other hand, it seems like the boys change every day. That's the upside of the so-called "terrible twos." The downside is the whining, crying, and temper tantrums; the climbing and falling and bleeding and sobbing and getting back up and doing it all over again; the gobbling down of a favorite food one day followed by throwing it all over the kitchen floor the next. Oh yes, it's all part of the learning process, I know. I love that they are becoming more themselves every day, but the process requires a whole lot of patience!

Alex finally started really walking a few weeks ago. He went from only taking a few steps with a lot of encouragement, to almost running on hardwood flooring in socks within a matter of weeks. That's Alex: he takes his time in doing something, studies every detail, makes sure he knows exactly what the situation is, and then proceeds.

Spencer, on the other hand, charges into things full steam ahead. Right now the boy has scabs on his nose, forehead, and scalp. There's nothing he doesn't try to climb. And no matter how many times he falls he just keeps going back. He's fearless, which is great for him, but challenging for me.

Spencer said his first real two-word phrase today. Our next-door neighbor (the boys' sitter) has a dog named Monster (a little Jack Russell). Spencer recently started going to the window and calling Monster's name. This morning I said to him "Did you see Monster? Is he out?" and he said "Monster out."

Alex has been getting speech therapy for about three months and seems to have at least one new word every week. Speech therapy seems to have done him a lot of good with his play and social skills, too. He had a cognitive evaluation last week. The psychologist recommended increasing his speech therapy to twice a week and adding a social worker for play therapy and a teacher once a week.

We have our IFSP meeting next Wednesday. I think both boys will be continuing OT and PT once a week. Their PT said their gross motor skills are at about 15 months. I can't believe that micro-preemies are expected to catch up by the time they're two years old. Practitioners are supposed to stop correcting preemies' ages at two, but it just doesn't make sense for babies who were born as early as Alex and Spence. It doesn't really matter, though, as long as they are getting the services they need. They are learning and developing rapidly, and I have no doubt that they will be fine.

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)