Monday, December 29, 2008
You Should Follow This Link
Click here to read about twin-mama Dana's quick thinking when her son had a seizure on Christmas day.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Second Christmas
Christmas with kids who understand how to open gifts is one of the coolest things ever. There are some real perks to being a parent of two toddlers. Fun Christmases rank right up there on my list!
After going to Christmas eve service, we got the kids ready for bed and let them open one of their presents from us, a barn with sliding doors and animals.
Christmas morning at our house:
Paging Dr. Jonathan!
After the morning festivities and afternoon nap, we headed over to my grandparents:
The best we could do in terms of a family picture:
What a fun family Christmas!
After going to Christmas eve service, we got the kids ready for bed and let them open one of their presents from us, a barn with sliding doors and animals.
Christmas morning at our house:
Paging Dr. Jonathan!
After the morning festivities and afternoon nap, we headed over to my grandparents:
The best we could do in terms of a family picture:
What a fun family Christmas!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
So Jonathan
Last night Jonathan tried very hard to shove fruit snacks in his ears. Today, he put cheerios up his nose. Time to add tweezers to the first aid kit.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
19 Months-Things I Don't Want to Forget
On the 15th of the month the kids turned 19 months old. Ordinarily, this would not be a very special milestone. Yet, for us, 19 months is very significant, as it was the amount of months it took for God to bless us with a pregnancy. Pretty amazing to think that the kids have been outside of my womb for the same amount of time we prayed for their little lives to begin!
A lot has been going on in our household...here are a few updates:
Jonathan has been staying IN his crib, and hasn't had a night terror in well over a month.
Faith and Jonathan have begun stringing 2 and 3 word sentences together, often with signs thrown in for good measure. ("Mama, eat more?" "Milk-cup?" "Car, beep-beep!" "Snack, please?") Every day, they are expressing themselves more and more, now with temper tantrums! The other day I was out shopping and Jonathan got the phone, took it to Jay, handed it to him and requested "Mama?"
The signing continues to go great. I would say Jonathan consistently signs 15-20 words and Faith 20-25. I really need to learn some new words so I can continue teaching them. I have to say, one of the coolest things about signing is giving the kids instructions from across the room, especially when we are in a noisy public place, without the need to shout. "Help," "share," "please" and "thank-you" are some of MY favorite signs.
Jonathan is my little helper. He is extremely helpful at throwing things away, putting laundry in the hamper, putting the books, shoes and toys away. He LOVES it when I let him help me vacuum, he always wants to close the gate when we leave the yard and he is very consciences about putting things away in their proper order.
When he gets in trouble, he immediately rushes to whichever parent is upset with him and he wants to cuddle and snuggle, as an apology. As brawny as his body is he is actually pretty tender hearted.
Faith has to really be talked into helping out around the house. She will occasionally throw away the diapers, or put a book away, but if she is busy doing something and I ask her to put her shoes away, forget it! (This is when Jonathan usually hops up and does it for her.) I have been employing my mother's method (that she used on me) of taking her by the hand and walking her through clean-up time. It takes a lot of effort, but I am trying very hard to be the one who dictates what is going to happen at any particular time of day. Heck, if I allowed them to be in charge, we would never clean, eat and drink milk all day long while taking a 12 hour bath!
Faith has been very vocal this week, especially since she hasn't been feeling well. She chatters and narrates most of what happens ALL DAY LONG, and has taken to the word NO with vigor. In fact, I had very hurt feelings on Friday night when I asked her to give me a hug before bed and she said "NO!" and turned away from me. Ouch! The first of many slights I am sure! Today we went to the doctor's and found out that Faith has a double ear infection, and a pretty nasty one at that. I am hoping for an improved disposition once the antibiotics kick in!
Faith and Jonathan have begun playing games together...things like chasing each other, pushing a big ball back and forth, blowing raspberries on each other's bellies, feeding each other which they think is hysterical, and all manner of odd games they think up. It is very, very cool to see them interact positively. Unfortunately, the toy-stealing-space-hogging-personal-area-invasion makes up over 50% of their day to day life together.
Tonight, Jay and I took the kids back to the mall to ride the train. They knew exactly what to do, waited in line and then rushed for a seat. When they got off, they each grabbed a parent's hand, and with just a little prompting, grabbed each other's hand as well. We blocked the traffic flow for quite some time, 4 people wide, marveling at this new ability. Sometimes having twins provides such incredibly sweet moments that I feel bad for the people that only get to have one child at a time!
Jonathan is a wrestle-maniac. That kid cannot get enough rough-housing. I think his favorite time of day is when Jay comes home, lays down on the living room floor and lets Jonathan jump all over him. Jonathan is so physical...he has started belly-crawling under the cribs to retrieve things, leaping off of the couch and stairs, and falls straight down as part of his dance moves. Most of Jonathan's interactions with his female relatives (Granny, Mimi, Nina, A. Debbie, A. Lori) end in a bruise or sore spot for the double-x carrying members of our family. He doesn't always intend to be so "LOVING," yet he hasn't learned to be more careful about who he runs in to, who he jumps on, and who he throws balls at from a 12 inch distance. Lets just say, if Faith survives childhood with Jonathan, she is going to be one tough little girl.
Faith is maturing in a lot of ways. Where she used to be 100% Mama-focused, she is now displaying more and more independence. She still cares when I leave them with a sitter, or at the gym day care, but she is also much more likely to run away from me in public or continue playing in nursery when I come to pick them up. She also is branching out in her affections, and has focused a ton on "Daddy." She points to his pictures, likes to call him on the phone, and points to his belongings and says "Daddy." Last month I went away for the weekend, and for the first time, Jay was in charge all weekend long. I think that was really great for all three of them, as I came home to a very bonded three-some. In fact, for the first couple of days home all I heard was Daddy this and Dada that. :)
Okay, better wrap this up...I could go on for pages! I am so thankful to have this blog as a record, as I have got to be one of the worst people I know at remembering long-term. Ironic that I am a gerontologist whose favorite area of aging was memory loss!
A lot has been going on in our household...here are a few updates:
Jonathan has been staying IN his crib, and hasn't had a night terror in well over a month.
Faith and Jonathan have begun stringing 2 and 3 word sentences together, often with signs thrown in for good measure. ("Mama, eat more?" "Milk-cup?" "Car, beep-beep!" "Snack, please?") Every day, they are expressing themselves more and more, now with temper tantrums! The other day I was out shopping and Jonathan got the phone, took it to Jay, handed it to him and requested "Mama?"
The signing continues to go great. I would say Jonathan consistently signs 15-20 words and Faith 20-25. I really need to learn some new words so I can continue teaching them. I have to say, one of the coolest things about signing is giving the kids instructions from across the room, especially when we are in a noisy public place, without the need to shout. "Help," "share," "please" and "thank-you" are some of MY favorite signs.
Jonathan is my little helper. He is extremely helpful at throwing things away, putting laundry in the hamper, putting the books, shoes and toys away. He LOVES it when I let him help me vacuum, he always wants to close the gate when we leave the yard and he is very consciences about putting things away in their proper order.
When he gets in trouble, he immediately rushes to whichever parent is upset with him and he wants to cuddle and snuggle, as an apology. As brawny as his body is he is actually pretty tender hearted.
Faith has to really be talked into helping out around the house. She will occasionally throw away the diapers, or put a book away, but if she is busy doing something and I ask her to put her shoes away, forget it! (This is when Jonathan usually hops up and does it for her.) I have been employing my mother's method (that she used on me) of taking her by the hand and walking her through clean-up time. It takes a lot of effort, but I am trying very hard to be the one who dictates what is going to happen at any particular time of day. Heck, if I allowed them to be in charge, we would never clean, eat and drink milk all day long while taking a 12 hour bath!
Faith has been very vocal this week, especially since she hasn't been feeling well. She chatters and narrates most of what happens ALL DAY LONG, and has taken to the word NO with vigor. In fact, I had very hurt feelings on Friday night when I asked her to give me a hug before bed and she said "NO!" and turned away from me. Ouch! The first of many slights I am sure! Today we went to the doctor's and found out that Faith has a double ear infection, and a pretty nasty one at that. I am hoping for an improved disposition once the antibiotics kick in!
Faith and Jonathan have begun playing games together...things like chasing each other, pushing a big ball back and forth, blowing raspberries on each other's bellies, feeding each other which they think is hysterical, and all manner of odd games they think up. It is very, very cool to see them interact positively. Unfortunately, the toy-stealing-space-hogging-personal-area-invasion makes up over 50% of their day to day life together.
Tonight, Jay and I took the kids back to the mall to ride the train. They knew exactly what to do, waited in line and then rushed for a seat. When they got off, they each grabbed a parent's hand, and with just a little prompting, grabbed each other's hand as well. We blocked the traffic flow for quite some time, 4 people wide, marveling at this new ability. Sometimes having twins provides such incredibly sweet moments that I feel bad for the people that only get to have one child at a time!
Jonathan is a wrestle-maniac. That kid cannot get enough rough-housing. I think his favorite time of day is when Jay comes home, lays down on the living room floor and lets Jonathan jump all over him. Jonathan is so physical...he has started belly-crawling under the cribs to retrieve things, leaping off of the couch and stairs, and falls straight down as part of his dance moves. Most of Jonathan's interactions with his female relatives (Granny, Mimi, Nina, A. Debbie, A. Lori) end in a bruise or sore spot for the double-x carrying members of our family. He doesn't always intend to be so "LOVING," yet he hasn't learned to be more careful about who he runs in to, who he jumps on, and who he throws balls at from a 12 inch distance. Lets just say, if Faith survives childhood with Jonathan, she is going to be one tough little girl.
Faith is maturing in a lot of ways. Where she used to be 100% Mama-focused, she is now displaying more and more independence. She still cares when I leave them with a sitter, or at the gym day care, but she is also much more likely to run away from me in public or continue playing in nursery when I come to pick them up. She also is branching out in her affections, and has focused a ton on "Daddy." She points to his pictures, likes to call him on the phone, and points to his belongings and says "Daddy." Last month I went away for the weekend, and for the first time, Jay was in charge all weekend long. I think that was really great for all three of them, as I came home to a very bonded three-some. In fact, for the first couple of days home all I heard was Daddy this and Dada that. :)
Okay, better wrap this up...I could go on for pages! I am so thankful to have this blog as a record, as I have got to be one of the worst people I know at remembering long-term. Ironic that I am a gerontologist whose favorite area of aging was memory loss!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
A Craft They Can Do
Yesterday, I assembled the gingerbread house Nina got for the kids and I to do. I decorated the front, and then the kids helped me do the sides and back. They were SO into it. I made "dots" of icing on the roof, and showed them how to stick a candy on the "dot." They grasped the concept immediately, and were faster at sticking their candies than I was making the dots. Jonathan was especially into the project. He loves a clearly defined task, and was an old pro at decorating the gingerbread house. Faith was very excited about it as well, but didn't get as much practice because Jonathan was working at a slightly faster pace and kept taking her dots. So, while Jonathan worked on the roof, Faith concentrated on the bottom of the house, lining the walls with gumdrops. I did not alter their placement of the candies, except where they weren't quite sticking to the icing. I think they did a pretty good job!
Thanks for a fun project Nina!
Thanks for a fun project Nina!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
911
This little dude is trying his best to give his mama heart failure.
You may remember my post(s) last week about Jonathan climbing out of his crib, and our solution. And as scary as his tumble out of bed and thoughts of putting him into a toddler bed was, tonight's scare was much, much worse.
My long time blog followers may remember this post about doing the Heimlich on Jonathan when he was 9 months old. Well, tonight we had a repeat performance.
Jonathan was throwing a fit because Faith was playing with a ball that he wanted. Jay took him by the arm and made him sit down. And of course he was upset. I was in the kitchen, when my "mom radar" went off. I walked into the living room where Jonathan was sitting in front of Jay, beet red. At first I thought maybe he was just mad, and then I realized he was choking. I said to Jay "He's choking!" and picked him up. A faint wheez was all that I could hear, and as I flipped him over I saw that he was starting to turn blue. Somewhat in disbelief, I alternately started pounding on his back (infant Heimlich style) and trying the one-fisted child Heimlich. Neither was working, and he was quickly turning VERY blue. I shoved my finger down his throat as far as I could go and felt something...and so I went deeper. His gag reflex was triggered, and he started vomiting. Unfortunately, his airway was still blocked, and his face was blue from nose to chin. This whole time, Jay was on the phone with 911.
I think I tried the Heimlich again but I am not sure, as it is all a bit blurry now. I reached back down his throat, and was able to make him throw up again, and to my great relief, up came some food and he went from blue to pasty white. Jay was still on the phone with 911, I told him to have them come anyway. Jonathan's cry was very wet and rattly, and his color wasn't good. Faith was screaming and terrified...Jonathan was screaming and he, I and the floor were strewn with vomit. And Jay asked me if I wanted to talk to the 911 dispatch, and I said "No! Just tell them to come!"
Once we ascertained that Jonathan was okay, Jay started cleaning up the puke, and then took Faith upstairs to settle her down while Jonathan and I waited for the EMS. They knew he was breathing again, so they were very calm and kind when they arrived. And get this! The paramedic is a mom to a 10 year old and 7 year old quads! She listened to Jonathan's lungs and said they were clear, monitored his respiration's and amused him with a pen light. They were great, and were very nice about it all. I signed paperwork saying I was refusing transport (he had completely pinked up, was breathing fine and was being playful.)
You know what the ironic thing was? It was just this morning that I was talking to some other mom's at a play date and I said "I really need to talk a refresher CPR course." I have only had one refresher since obtaining my EMT certification in college (which has long since expired).
I now have first-hand knowledge about the importance of knowing CPR and the Heimlich maneuver. And I am incredibly grateful to my EMT instructor, Terry Scott, for drilling this stuff into my head. If you are unsure about your emergency skills or need a refresher, would you please watch these 15 second long videos?
CPR for a child
CPR for an infant
How to help a choking child
How to help a choking infant
I am so very thankful to God for sparing my son's life (again.) Hug your kids extra tightly tonight, okay?
------
Cross-posted at HDYDI
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Update on Crib Climbing and Other Random Happenings
Thank you all for your comments and suggestions for keeping Jonathan in his crib safely! I also wrote about Jonathan's crib climbing on HDYDI. The outpouring of suggestions and horror stories (a broken collar bone and arm) had me researching crib tents and watching installation videos. However, I think I might have come up with a less costly solution, but time will tell.
What was this magical no-cost fix? Well, I simply turned his crib around.
Because our cribs are the sleigh style, the back part is higher than the front, and the sides are sloped as well. Jonathan has proved that this was not a fluke by giving us an encore performance the other night, as well as repeatedly climbing out of the pack 'n play at my parents this weekend. If he somehow manages to climb over this MUCH higher side, I will put him in a sleep sack like Eva suggested.
Another change we have made to our daily lives is the introduction of the Graco DuoGlider as our everyday transportation. I was able to find one at a local consignment store in perfect condition for $40, and I am so thankful that our mobility has been restored. We began our stroller journey with a Snap n Go, which is useful only while the kids are still in their infant seats. We then moved on to a Combi side-by-side which was great until we hit 15 months. Then the hair pulling-foot biting-knock everything off of the displays shenanigans began. They reached a level where I would get so frustrated I rarely took the kids anywhere unless I could use shopping carts. It was maddening to suddenly be limited in what we could do and where we could go. We also own a Baby Trend double jogger, which is great for the outdoors, yet too big to get into most indoor areas. Once day it took me 3 tries to find a door large enough to fit through at a local mall. And oh yeah, did I mention the foot-biting?!! A change was needed, and the DuoGlider is working. Granted, I have to put Faith in the back where Jonathan can't get to her, and I had to take the canopy off of Jonathan's seat, but gosh darn it, we went to the mall today, and lasted more than 7 minutes!
At the mall, we played in the play area until I got fed up and declared play time over. Faith has developed a cute/annoying dash mechanism, where she takes off running and doesn't stop for anything. Jonathan, following her lead but not her direction, veered left toward footlocker while Faith went right to Easy Spirit, signing and shouting "SHOES!"
After her 5th run, I had had enough, and was rapidly losing control. And my patience. So we headed upstairs for dinner. Jay joined us at the tail end of our meal, and we strolled through the mall in our posh, used, Duo Glider. I made a quick stop at Claire's where I bought Faith a few new hair accessories, to go with her new HAIR CUT! Yep, I finally took a pair of scissors to her mullet and did a passable job of giving her a cute little bob. It was so straggly and made her look like a little orphan child when it wasn't in pigtails. I will miss the pigtails, but am liking her new look.
(blurry, but you get the idea right?)
Our last stop at the mall was the train ride. J and F did great, no fear or hesitation, but I wasn't able to get a very good picture of them. Jonathan was grinning the whole time, and they both were very brave.
Stay tuned for more "adventures!"
What was this magical no-cost fix? Well, I simply turned his crib around.
Because our cribs are the sleigh style, the back part is higher than the front, and the sides are sloped as well. Jonathan has proved that this was not a fluke by giving us an encore performance the other night, as well as repeatedly climbing out of the pack 'n play at my parents this weekend. If he somehow manages to climb over this MUCH higher side, I will put him in a sleep sack like Eva suggested.
Another change we have made to our daily lives is the introduction of the Graco DuoGlider as our everyday transportation. I was able to find one at a local consignment store in perfect condition for $40, and I am so thankful that our mobility has been restored. We began our stroller journey with a Snap n Go, which is useful only while the kids are still in their infant seats. We then moved on to a Combi side-by-side which was great until we hit 15 months. Then the hair pulling-foot biting-knock everything off of the displays shenanigans began. They reached a level where I would get so frustrated I rarely took the kids anywhere unless I could use shopping carts. It was maddening to suddenly be limited in what we could do and where we could go. We also own a Baby Trend double jogger, which is great for the outdoors, yet too big to get into most indoor areas. Once day it took me 3 tries to find a door large enough to fit through at a local mall. And oh yeah, did I mention the foot-biting?!! A change was needed, and the DuoGlider is working. Granted, I have to put Faith in the back where Jonathan can't get to her, and I had to take the canopy off of Jonathan's seat, but gosh darn it, we went to the mall today, and lasted more than 7 minutes!
At the mall, we played in the play area until I got fed up and declared play time over. Faith has developed a cute/annoying dash mechanism, where she takes off running and doesn't stop for anything. Jonathan, following her lead but not her direction, veered left toward footlocker while Faith went right to Easy Spirit, signing and shouting "SHOES!"
After her 5th run, I had had enough, and was rapidly losing control. And my patience. So we headed upstairs for dinner. Jay joined us at the tail end of our meal, and we strolled through the mall in our posh, used, Duo Glider. I made a quick stop at Claire's where I bought Faith a few new hair accessories, to go with her new HAIR CUT! Yep, I finally took a pair of scissors to her mullet and did a passable job of giving her a cute little bob. It was so straggly and made her look like a little orphan child when it wasn't in pigtails. I will miss the pigtails, but am liking her new look.
(blurry, but you get the idea right?)
Our last stop at the mall was the train ride. J and F did great, no fear or hesitation, but I wasn't able to get a very good picture of them. Jonathan was grinning the whole time, and they both were very brave.
Stay tuned for more "adventures!"
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Triplets for a Weekend
A few weekends ago, our buddy Toby came to stay for the weekend. Toby's parents, Megan and Bob, are two of closest friends. And as far as Faith and Jonathan are concerned, Toby is their best friend.
Jay was in a poker tournament on Saturday, so my Mom came down for the weekend, and she and I took the kids to the Children's Museum, which again was a huge hit. We were able to watch all three pretty easily, except at one point I took J for a diaper change, Mom was watching Toby and Faith saw her opportunity and took off. Mom had to chase her up a ramp, but being a great Granny she noticed she was gone pretty quickly.
At the end of the weekend, J, F and T hugged and hugged. It was so darn cute. It was a very fun weekend for all of us!
Faith at the Museum.
Toby
All three looking at the train.
Tobester.
Faith and Toby.
Playing with playdough.
Toby-eating lunch.
Jonathan.
Faith.
On our way to church.
Jay was in a poker tournament on Saturday, so my Mom came down for the weekend, and she and I took the kids to the Children's Museum, which again was a huge hit. We were able to watch all three pretty easily, except at one point I took J for a diaper change, Mom was watching Toby and Faith saw her opportunity and took off. Mom had to chase her up a ramp, but being a great Granny she noticed she was gone pretty quickly.
At the end of the weekend, J, F and T hugged and hugged. It was so darn cute. It was a very fun weekend for all of us!
Faith at the Museum.
Toby
All three looking at the train.
Tobester.
Faith and Toby.
Playing with playdough.
Toby-eating lunch.
Jonathan.
Faith.
On our way to church.
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