Season's Greetings!

Okay, I know it's been forever... Sorry ;) I've just uploaded tons of pictures (70 to be exact). Some of them are in the Nov - Dec gallery and the rest are in the Christmas gallery, so be sure to check them out. We are having a ball with the kids. Hank is sitting up really well now, and he's starting to pull his legs up under him like he wants to crawl. He says Mama all the time and, in return, gets anything he wants. Hayden is pulling up and is such a little busy body. She had her first accident when she pulled a plant down on top of her at Nanny's house. It was very minor, but she did get a bo-bo from it. You can see it in some of the Christmas pictures. Hayden says Dada and is the apple of his eye! H&H fight like cats and dogs. I don't care if both of them have the same exact toy in their hands, Hayden will steal Hank's from him. Then she laughs at him when he cries. We are in so much trouble! They got so many great things for Christmas, but most of all they loved the paper and bows. Apparently, they taste pretty good - who knew?!? We've all remained pretty healthy and are trying to stay indoors as much as possible. I'm so ready for warm weather, so we can play outside. I guess that's about all. I hope y'all enjoy the pictures!

Preemie doll pics

I added some new pictures!!! I had some from November and December, so I just put them all together in one album below. The dolls that they are holding in some pictures are dolls that I had made to their exact dimensions when they were born. So, you can see just how much they've grown! Enjoy the pics!

Yuk!

Hayden's got an ear infection. We caught it very early, and it really doesn't seem to be bothering her. She's just a little clingy, that's all. Mommy has the weird December weather crud, so our house is kinda germy right now. Hayden is still crawling and loving it--especially when she crawls right over Hank. He doesn't like that part. She's also a little thief. Anything Hank has, she takes from him, and he just lies there and lets her do it. Hayden is sitting up all by herself now. It's so funny to find her sitting up in her bed in the morning. At night, we put her to bed awake, and she plays until she falls asleep. The past two nights we've gone in her room to find that she fell asleep sitting up and just flopped forward with her legs spread apart with her body lying between them. Hank is beginning to do the army man crawl where he pulls himself across the floor with his arms. I guess he just doesn't want to be outdone by sissy. Y'all have a great week!

Hayden crawled!

She did it this evening for the first time. She's not consistent with it, yet. She crawled on all fours a few times, and the other times, she would crawl two steps (is that what it's called?), then flop on her belly, then back up on all fours for some more crawling, then flop back down. She's really cute and looks way too small to be crawling. It figures that she'd wait until I got my Christmas tree up to start this... I can't wait to see what kind of mess she gets into! Yay for Hayden!

Eye doctor appt

Hayden's appt went well yesterday. The eye dr was very pleased and said that he wants to see her back in two years! He checked her for glasses and said that she was a little far-sighted with an astigmatism, which is normal for her age. No glasses anytime soon. The downside to yesterday was Hayden's being called a boy 7 different times at the dr office. Four people in the waiting room told me how cute my son was, then the dr said, "How's my boy?!", and two nurses did it, too. I know she's bald, but the ladybug and flower on her bib ought to give you a hint! Oh, well, her mommy was a "boy" until she was four and started growing hair, so I guess Hayden is just doomed. She did get her second tooth Monday morning. So, she's tied with Hank (even though his are just about all the way in, and you can see them when he smiles!). Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday. We enjoyed our trip to McComb. H&H are really getting mobile. They still aren't crawling, but Hayden is so close, and it's really frustrating her. She can sit up all by herself now, and she's so cute. She just looks way too little to be sitting alone. Hank is starting to sit a little bit by himself. He has begun to reach for me and has become quite the momma's boy. I found Hayden's first tooth Friday morning, so Hank is only up 2-1 now. His little bottom teeth are so cute. H&H go to the dr Tuesday for flu booster shots (they had their first flu shots last month). Then Hayden goes to the eye dr in Jackson on Wednesday. This is the pediatric ophthalmologist that saw them each week in the NICU and a few times after they were released. He saw them 6 months ago and wanted to see Hayden again in December and Hank again in May. It's just a check-up, so we hope to hear good news. I am so excited about the holidays and hope to have lots of fun pictures to share over the next month or so, so everybody, keep checking back!

First soccer game!

Tonight H&H went to their very first soccer game. They had a great time and were really good. There are some pics from the game in the November album. Hayden is starting to rock back and forth on her hands and knees. Crawling isn't far away! Hank has been saying consonant sounds: ma-ma-ma & ba-ba-ba. And Hayden can wave bye-bye, but she doesn't do it all the time. Hank can twirl his pacifier around in his mouth with his tongue if he puts it in upside down. It's a really cute trick. Apparently, I used to do it, too. I am getting ready for their first Christmas... I can't wait! We went to the dr yesterday for RSV shots and got new weights on the kids. Hayden was 14-10, and Hank 16-8. They seem to still be doing really well. Thanks for checking in! (Don't forget to check out the new pics!)

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Still no big news around here. H&H are so mobile now. Rolling around is their major mode of transportation. They can roll across a room in no time! It scares us to think about crawling and walking. I turned my back the other day, and when I turned back around Hank had made it all the way to the corner of the room and was chewing on the wheel of his high chair. They were supposed to get another RSV shot today, but the drs office had written the date wrong on our appt reminder card. They called today to remind us of our appt tomorrow, so I called them back and told them that our appt was for today, and I had already made plans, yada-yada, but they couldn't change it. We'll go next Thursday morning instead. I'm putting more new pics in the November album, so y'all check it out!

Brief update

Everything's going great. Hank's still winning the tooth race 2-0 over Hayden.

Still truckin'

Just a quick note to say THANKS to everyone who bought us diapers & wipes as baby gifts. The twins have been home for 6 months now, and we STILL have diapers & wipes! We've got about 4 jumbo packs of diapers left, so we should make it to the 7 or even 8 month mark without having to buy any. What a blessing you have been!

We got good news today.

Dr. Parent doesn't think that Hank needs any surgical procedure right now. He can't see any blockage of spinal fluid and is thinking that Hank's ventricles might be enlarged due to his initial bleed and will always be a little larger than normal. He's going to keep monitoring him to make sure, so we go back for a CT scan and re-evaluation in January. Thanks so much for all of your prayers--we know they worked!

***NEWS FLASH***

Hank has a tooth!!!
Okay, so it just broke the gum, but still IT'S A TOOTH! Hayden got a flu shot today, but because Hank has a mystery rash, he has to wait until next week to get his. We see the neurosurgeon on Monday, so check back for an update then.

Not a fun day

Hank's MRI went well. He wasn't very happy while they were putting the IV in, and mom & dad almost cried too--he was so pitiful. Afterwards, they wouldn't let us leave until he opened his eyes, and it took FOREVER! We tried pinching, poking, rubbing, yelling, cold rag, but nothing worked. He was a limp ragdoll. Finally the nurse put the rag in some ICE COLD water, and that did the trick. He's been very clingy and sleepy since then, and she said to expect that for the next 72 hours, possibly. We have to wake him up every 2 hours to make sure he's okay. We'll get the results on Monday, so check back then for an update. Until then, enjoy the cute, new pictures under October. Thanks for checking in!

We love fall

We've had a fun weekend. The nice weather has allowed us to lie out in the shade on a blanket each day. H&H love it! Hank has recently found his feet, and Hayden has a crush on the WJTV-12 weatherman. She squeals whenever he's on tv--it's so funny! She also really likes Steve from Blue's Clues. She scooted from one end of the quilt to the other while we were outside the other day. Hank is content lying just where he is--soaking it all in. He does love when the wind blows and all the leaves on the trees move. He thinks that's really great. He likes to feel the grass, but Hayden isn't too interested in it. Hank's MRI is tomorrow morning. We have to be at UMC at 9:30--Think about us then! We won't know the results until next week, but I'll update Monday evening and let you know how the little man did.

Happy Columbus Day!

We enjoyed a fun weekend in McComb and a nice holiday yesterday at home. H&H saw their pediatrician yesterday and got a great report! Hank weighed 15-10, and Hayden weighed 13-7. They are getting so big! They were a little tired going into the appointment, so you can imagine what it was like when Dr. Smith started poking and prodding them. Then they got their RSV shots. They were NOT happy. Since Hank weighs more, he got 2 shots. She also gave them the go-ahead to start eating meats. It grosses me out to think of feeding them mushy meat out of a jar, but I guess I'll have to. Yuck. To her, she said they look like 7-month-olds developmentally. That's so great considering they are still about week shy of being 6 months adjusted age. I'll try to get some new pictures up this week. Hank is getting a little more hair, but poor Hayden has been cursed by her mommy and will probably be bald until she's 4. I joked to a friend the other day that H&H could star in their own soap "The BALD and the Beautiful". Fine by me, though. I wouldn't know what to do with her hair if she had any! Bows and braids are all foreign to me. Thanks for checking up on us--we're doing great!

p.s. Hank's MRI is Monday. The word is that he will have to be sedated, and I'm still not excited about it, but I don't think it's as bad as I thought. It's called conscious sedation, where he's just basically put to sleep rather than general anesthesia. Makes me feel only a tad better, but I guess I'll have to live with it.

Longest day ever

Today was a long day. We started our day at 10 am when we left Vicksburg for Jackson. Hank's neurosurgeon appt was at 11:10 but the dr was behind, and we didn't get seen until after 12:30. We saw Dr. Parent, and he said that Hank's middle and lateral ventricles are definitely dilated (overly filled with fluid), but his frontal ventricle is not. This leads him to believe that there is some sort of blockage between the lateral ventricles and the frontal ventricle, prohibiting a steady flow of spinal fluid to the frontal and out and around the brain. It doesn't seem to be bothering Hank developmentally, and Dr. Parent said that Hank's brain "looks like a happy brain", so he's not too worried right now. He did order an MRI for Oct. 18, and we'll see him again on the 25th for him to go over the results. If the MRI confirms what he thinks is happening, Hank will need surgery to implant a shunt. Mom is not excited about this, nor am I excited about Hank being put to sleep to have the MRI--it just makes me nervous. Anyway, we left UMC at 1:30 to head over to Baptist for H&H's appointment at the developmental clinic. We fed the kids in the car in the parking lot, but Princess Hayden's bottle was too cold, so I had to go into Baptist in search of a microwave to heat it up. I fed her in a waiting room while Hank finished up with Jay in the car. We had a great visit at the clinic. The therapists played with them on the floor, testing various skills. Both kids scored ahead of schedule developmentally. Their corrected age (since their due date) is 4 months, 28 days, and they scored anywhere from 5.2 to 6.8 months in different areas. They were very pleased with them and want to see them back Feb. 24. After we finished up there, we went upstairs to the NICU to visit all of the wonderful ladies who took care of them for so long. It was great to see them all again. We are so thankful for everyone who nursed them during their 94 days in the hospital, but we are even more thankful that they are home and healthy and happy. We finally made it back home at 5 pm, and we were all exhausted. Jay had soccer practice, so the kids and I went promptly to sleep for a couple of hours. What a full day--we can't wait for the weekend! Please keep Hank in your prayers. Pray that the MRI will show that there isn't any blockage. But if it does, pray that we are prepared to accept the news, and that Hank will come through the necessary procedures with flying colors--not that we don't already know that he's such a trooper! Thanks so much for your continued support of our family. We couldn't do it without you! p.s. Hank weighed 15 lbs. & Hayden was 13.4 lbs.

I know, I know...

I've been MIA for a while. Would you believe it if I said I'd been slightly busy? :) Everything is going great around our house. It seems like the kids are doing new little things every day. Hayden is about to roll over from back to belly. Hank is holding his bottle pretty well. They are both on the verge of sitting up alone. It's a very exciting time for us. We have our appt with Dr. Parent (the pediatric neurosurgeon) on Thursday. We also have an appt at the developmental clinic at Baptist that day. The neonatologist that helped deliver the twins along with one of the nurse practioners who took care of them while in the NICU will be working with them on Thursday to see if they are on-track developmentally. Of course, I think they're doing great, and our pediatrician also thinks so. But I guess we'll find out this week. And after our appt we'll head upstairs to the NICU to visit all of the nurses we loved for 94 days! We are so excited about that! We took Hank to the dr on Wednesday. He had a little rash on his head which turned out to be eczema. A little hydrocortisone cream has solved the problem. She also started both kids on Zantac for their reflux. It seems to be helping already, but boy, that stuff surely does smell bad. And H&H hate the taste of it. They took their first trip out of state today. We went to visit my good friend Susan and her family in West Monroe, LA, today. They had a great time, and of course, I enjoyed showing them off. Please remember our dr appts in your prayers this week. I promise to update Thursday evening with news from the dr's office. Check out the Sept gallery for new pics!

Jay's Christening

I added one new pic to September from an incident that happened last night between Jay & Hayden. ** Yuck factor: 8 **

Sorry about the delay.

New pics are in the September gallery! Enjoy!

Labor Day weekend

I hope everyone had a good Labor Day holiday. I know we enjoyed the day off. We spent the weekend in McComb and had a great time. Hank talks up a storm now. He just babbles on and on. Hayden won't take her feet out of her mouth long enough to try to say anything. She is constantly pulling off her socks and sucking her toes. She is the early bird--waking up first each morning. She wakes me up by talking and playing in her bed about 7:30. The toes of her footed PJs are usually soaking wet from being in her mouth. Hank thinks everything is funny now. He laughs and smiles all of the time. We are practicing using the sippy cup now, and Hayden loves it. Hank isn't quite sure about it. Hayden also loves to "feed herself". She holds my hand while I'm holding the spoon, and she guides the spoon to her mouth pretty well. This is how I keep her interested in eating--otherwise, she fights the spoon. She'd eat 4 jars of baby food if I let her feed herself--Miss Independent! Hank doesn't want to help feed himself. He just sits with his mouth wide open waiting for the next bite. He's so laid back. I weighed them at my Nanny's--Hank was 14 lbs. 7 oz. and Hayden was 12 lbs. They are really close to sitting up. They do very well with a little support. I took some pics this weekend and I hope to have them uploaded by Tuesday afternoon, so y'all check back. Please continue to remember Hank's neurosurgeon visit on the 23rd in your prayers. Thanks for checking in!