Auntie Chelsy Visits

Ode to Chelsy

We like Chelsy a whole lot

She has money, our parents do not

She took us to the zoo

Auntie Chelsy is pretty coo'

She will hold us when we cry

Mommy doesn't do that we don't know why

Her next visit won't be soon enough

Life without Chelsy is pretty rough

Next time our visit might be more fun

Instead of crawling we'll be on the run

Nashville has may things to do

Be like Chelsy and visit us too!

Now That's Funny

This past week my sister Chelsy came to visit and we wore the babies out. This picture is proof that Makaio was extremely tired. He usually falls asleep on his hands but then moves them at some point during his nap. This time was different. He fell asleep in the same exact position in which he woke up. The end result was hand prints on his face.

Perhaps he is working on war paint for Halloween. Whatever the case may be, we laughed just as hard as he did!

Bitter-Sweet

We have talked about this day off and on for the past week and now that it is here it's bitter-sweet. One year ago today the boys were supposed to enter this world but they decided they couldn't wait another 15 weeks and so they arrived in June of 2010. 

I think back on it and wonder how different our lives would have been had the boys been born full-term? It is hard to remember our three months in the NICU and how miserable life was at that time. If I could do it all over again I know that I wouldn't choose to be in the NICU, but maybe I would. We met so many wonderful people who changed our lives and more specifically the lives of our children!

We needed to be in Iowa at that time. God, with the help of the hospital staff saved the lives of the twins and our wonderful Iowa friends saved us.

So today we celebrate the boys' One Year Adjusted Birthday! We are so blessed to have such wonderful happy children. These are the things we did today to celebrate this special day.

• We went grocery shopping as a family. (I know, pretty boring)
• We went to the park
• We ate a lot of fun foods.
• Green Beans
• French Fries
• Raspberries
• Peas
• Macaroni and Cheese
• Watermelon
• A Big Sugary Cupcake
• We took a much needed bath after all of our eating adventures.

Here are some pictures from our special day.

 

Labor Day Adventures

My very best friend, roommate, sidekick and sometimes nemesis from college came to visit this weekend. I wasn't sure how the visit was going to go since we hadn't seen each other in almost five years but it went well. The babies and Sterling were able to spend time with one of my college roommates and she and I were able to relive and re-hash some of our past memories.

The rainy weather wasn't ideal for the weekend but we had a good time anyway. We went to Baskin Robbins where she tried the best Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream EVER! We visited the Parthenon museum and enjoyed the artwork on display. We tried "Nashville" pizza at Pie in the Sky Pizza, I would recommend it because they have amazing crust. We went on a couple of walks and she refused to push the babies. We did a lot of talking (which is normal for us) and we watched The Scarlett Pimpernel.  It doesn't sound overly exciting but I feel good about the visit. It made me realize that neither time nor distance can diminish what years of living together has created.

Of course we didn't take any pictures but here are a few new things that the boys tried out over the weekend.

1. Pizza
2. Grilled Kebabs - zucchini, yellow squash, green and red peppers
3. Peaches
4. Chicken
5. Peanut Butter Sandwiches
6. Whole Milk (not going well)
7. Blueberry Pancakes
8. Watermelon

They love food and we are so happy that they are not picky.

The Observations of Children

I love how children ask questions according to their knowledge or understanding. Children make me laugh and on occasion they manage deepen my  understanding and appreciation.

In church on Sunday one of the little boys in our primary class was playing with Makaio when he suddenly tapped me on the leg. I looked at him and while pointing to Makaio's head he said, "Your baby's head is broken." All I could say was, "It used to be, but now it is fixed." This simple answer was enough for him and he continued to play with Makaio.

This reminded me of something that was said when we were back home on vacation. One of our nephews was riding in the back seat with the boys and he asked, "Uncle Sterling, why does your baby have a hill on his head?" We laughed and then Sterling tried to explain the so-called hill on Makaio's head.

These comments were regarding Makaio's shunt. At first I was a little sensitive about the subject and even wanted to hide it the best that I could. Now I realize that it is part of him and that I would never be ashamed of my child whether he has a "broken head" or a "hill"!