Lots of Firsts!

My head is above water...barely! :)  Life has fallen into an organized chaos enough that I can blog again. :)  Right in time for the twins' first birthday!  So much has been going on and I have to say that amidst the craziness of everyday life, I find those rare and special moments throughout the day where I can take a few breaths and appreciate the beauty and special qualities of each of my children...all five and all incredible and all as different as they can be. :) 

Let's start with SCHOOL!  Andrew started second grade and is really loving it.  They have started a lot more science this year so he seems more excited about school than he has in the past.  Here is my grown up little guy that still loves to be tucked in at night and holds my hand in public.  I am going to hold on to that for I fear that is on borrowed time. 

All the kiddos waiting for the bus stop minus two little girls and a baby. 

And Ella in now a KINDERGARTNER!  She was beyond excited to go so school.   She is in the afternoon kindergarten class.  (I know...can't believe it is not a full day!) I wanted to take her to school the first day but she insisted on riding the bus and marched right on and didn't look back.  No tears from her but some were shed by me.  Here she is on her first day.

And we can't forget Elizabeth who is extremely disappointed that she is not going to school.  But she gets some one on one time with me in the afternoon when the babies are napping and that has been awesome.  Here is our little firecracker who is getting close to being four!!

And my precious little boys who will never go to kindergarten because I will not let them grow up.  Can't imagine life without them.  They have firsts on a daily basis so too many to mention.  The biggest first being their first birthday, but that deserves a post entirely to itself.  



6 Months (really 7)

So my intent was to blog about the last six months and as usual, time just got away from me. I am going to use the "I just had twins" card for the last time. ;)

Wow!  These past six months have been the most amazing but challenging months.  They have been filled with a variety of emotions as we brought our last little family members into the world.  To reflect on the past six months almost puts my mind into overdrive.  All that has happened and all that we have been blessed with has been purely from God's hand.  I look at my baby boys and can't help but play the "what if" game. What if they had health issues? What if they had been preemies and had a long stay in the NICU?  What if there were complication during delivery? And the list goes on and on.  And then I think about how lucky we were that none of that happened.  How lucky we were that we were able to leave the hospital with these perfect little babies.  So many others don't have that fortune.  Then I thank God AGAIN for such a blessing.

I look at these chubby bald babies and think of the tiny delicate babies that I held in my arms only months ago.  Both roughly 5 pounds by the time they left the hospital, they barely fit in their carseats.  It took them 25 minutes to eat 20 mililliters, then 15 or so minutes to burp, and then I had a date with the breast pump for 20 more minutes.  That was our routine, every three hours, around the clock for 6 weeks.  Then a magical day came when both babies learned to latch and stay awake long enough to get a full meal.  I had to restrain myself from not having a bonfire that night and throwing my breast pump in it.  I was so tired of it!  Then came nursing every 2-3 hours and I have to say that was my favorite time.  They would eat and then want to snuggle all together.  I would lay them both on my chest and they would just sleep and I hated to put them down.  I knew then that I only had a little while to enjoy that time.  Soon they would be wiggling to get down or pulling on each other's clothes, but for those moments, it was perfect.  Unforgettably, perfect moments.  They loved to sleep with their heads touching just as they did in the womb.  I spent hours a day just studying every feature about them.  Then they started to realize they were part of a bigger world and my snuggling time was getting shorter and shorter.  Then it seemed overnight, they were ready for solid food, rolling over, and now scooting around, venturing into the nearly mobile stage.  And just like that, those six months are over.  Did I appreciate those precious months to the fullest?  In every overtired, and blurry day, I hope I did.  So my goal for the next six months till that first birthday is to remember my mantra which is "This is a stage and it will too soon be over, appreciate the good and the bad days."

This seems like and eternity ago.  Were they ever this little?

And 6 months later...

Going Home!

We were cleared to go home on Sunday morning and we were packed up and ready to go!  Needless to say, we were more than ready to get home to our own bed and some home cooked meals! Will and Ben getting ready to go!

First nap at home!