Pumpkin Patch & A Ton of Pictures AGAIN....

We've been wanting to take the girls to the local pumpkin patch to get some fall pictures.  Due to the crazy mid-west weather, it has been too cold to take them out.  Yesterday we were blessed with a beautiful fall day with almost 70 degree temperatures.  We decided to put the girls in one of their many Halloween outfits and take them out for some pictures.  Both girls really couldn't have cared less about the pumpkins.  I think they were just happy to be out in the fresh air. 

Below is my favorite picture:  (Alexis left & Addison right)

All of the following pictures below are Addison.  I couldn't decide which picture I liked best so I decided to post them all.  Addison was once again more interested in chewing on her fingers than posing for pictures.  She kept leaning to one side or the other because she wouldn't take her hands out of her mouth for just a few seconds to snap a pic!  Silly girl!!!

All of the below pictures are of Alexis.  She did a little better sitting up for the pictures. 

I couldn't get a great picture of both of the girls together, which I was kind of bummed about, but here they are anyway.  Addison on the left & Alexis on the right.

Long Blog with Picture OVERLOAD!!!

It seems like we have been really busy with the girls lately, but honestly we haven't really done much.  I think the fact that the girls are more awake and active during the day makes it seem like we have more going on than we really do.  Both girls are VERY active!!  Both girls have been rolling over from belly to back for awhile now, but on Saturday, October 17th out of the blue, Alexis rolled from back to belly.  She just did it and looked up at both Terry and I like she couldn't believe it, but she was so proud of herself.  Addison gets so frustrated watching her sister do things.  She has been so adamant to flip as well.  She's been trying so hard and then yesterday while lying on the exam table at the pediatrician's office she flipped as well... Right in front of the doctor!!  Our pediatrician was very impressed that both girls are doing things based on their actually age.  She expected them to be progressing more in line with their adjusted age of 3 months.

Both girls are getting big.  Alexis is weighing in at 11 pounds 7 ounces and is 23 1/4 inches long.  Addison is weighing in at 10 pounds 6 ounces and is also 23 1/4 inches long.  The doctor keeps telling us that the girls are going to be very tall.  All & all they had a great visit and the pediatrician is VERY happy with their progress, as are we!!

See some of the below pictures from our appointment yesterday.

Waiting for the doctor to come in.  Alexis (right) had fallen asleep in the 5 minute car ride to the office and Addison was so mesmerized by her duck that she wouldn't look at me to take the picture.

At first they were waiting patiently......

(Addison left, Alexis right)

(Above) The girls were waiting for Nurse Michelle to come in and get their height and weights.  I thought that this was cute at first that they were holding hands but then I realized what was actually going on....

Alexis was trying to get Addison's hand so that she could chew on her fingers.  I guess chewing on

her own fingers is not enough.  She wants to chew on her sisters as well!!

And then the hair pulling started. Addison decided that she was going to try and get a hold of Alexis's hair.  There isn't quite enough there to get a hold of yet, but that didn't stop her from trying!

So we finally had to separate them to mediate the fighting.  Addison is pleased with herself that she is the one who got to stay on the table and Daddy had to take Alexis.

 Daddy holding Lex after she saw the doctor.  She has no idea that the nurse is about to come in and give her shots. 

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So, to be fair I did warn you in the title of this posting that there would be a lot of pictures.  So here are some recent pictures of bath time.  Bath time is always a challenge around our house.  We've tried several different options but we are still trying to figure out that perfect system still.  We have been bathing the girls on different nights, which has been working well.  The girls know that after they get a bath that they get their bottles.  Neither one of them is very excited to wait for their bottle while their sister is getting a bath so bathing them on different nights seems to work best.

Above is Alexis the Froggy.  She's not happy about posing for this picture.  As I mentioned before, she wants her bottle, and is not happy that her feeding is being delayed by the taking of pictures.

Above is Addison the bunny.  I'm pretty sure that Addison wasn't enjoying having her picture taken as well.  I think she just wanted her pj's on.  She loves her jammies and loves to cuddle after her night time bottle.

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Both girls loved their piggy back rides from their Daddy this weekend.  I think they would actually technically be considered "shoulder rides" but regardless the girls loved it. 

Alexis was all smiles (below) during her ride.

Addison wasn't quite sure what to make of her ride at first.  In the beginning she was making funny faces (see below top picture) but then she just started playing with Terry's hat instead.  She thinks it's hilarious to reach for his hat.  Terry plays this little game with her that makes her think she is knocking his hat off his head.  She laughs hysterically when she thinks that she has actually knocked his hat off.  It's too cute.

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A posting wouldn't be complete without pictures of Daddy with his girls.

Below is Terry and Addison hanging out watching some kind of sporting event.  I'm guessing it was the baseball playoffs, but it may have been football?  Note the drool all over the girls faces in a lot of these pictures!  They are seriously working on some teeth!

Alexis has become fascinated with watching Wheel of Fortune.  It's pretty funny to watch her become mesmerized while watching the wheel spin.  One evening she was laying on her blanket in the living room and the show came on.  She just layed there staring at the tv.  Terry loves Wheel of Fortune too!  Below is a picture of Terry and Alexis hanging out on the couch watching "Wheel".

And the last picture, I can't help but post.  I think it's adorable, but I know Terry is going to kill me for posting it.  This weekend after I finished washing bottles I return to the living room to find Alexis asleep in her swing (not the one you can see in the picture) and Terry and Addison asleep on the floor.  So cute!!

H1N1??

While I have a lot to blog about from this past weekend and a ton of pictures to post, I wanted to ask a real quick question to get some feedback?  I will blog tomorrow about our crazy scary weekend!!

The girls have their 6 month physicals and immunizations today with the pediatrician.  I've spoke with the pedi about the H1N1 vaccination and she has both pro's and con's regarding the shot.  She has no strong feelings either way.  I've done a lot of research about the H1N1 vaccination and I'm on the fence about having the girls immunized for it.

I'd be curious to hear how everyone else feels, especially all my fellow parents of preemies out there.  Please leave me a comment or vote on my poll to the right.

IN REMEMBRANCE...

Today, October 15th is the National Day of Rembembrance for pregnancy and infant loss.

Today is a day to remember all babies who have died because of miscarriage, still births, SIDS, or any other infant death.

After experiencing a miscarriage and the loss of our Baby Girl Hope, today we will be lighting our candles in remembrance of  the babies that were taken from us too soon.  While we trust that God ultimately knew the plan that he had for us, we will never forget our Angels in Heaven.

Today we ask that you please say an extra prayer for somebody you know who has lost a baby at any age.  Please say a prayer for their baby and for their parents as well.  it will mean a lot to each of us who have experienced this type of loss.

You may also visit http://www.october15th.com/ for more information.

6 Months? WOW! Where did the time go?

It's incredibly hard for me to believe that my two babies are six months old already!!  It seems like just yesterday that they were born.  The girls go in next Monday for their 6 month physicals & immunizations.  I will post their six month stats at that time. But for now, here is a brief synopsis of each girl:

Addison: 
Oh my sweet girl!  Addison has the most laid back temper.  Addison still has the most beautiful blue eyes!  We are hoping that they will stay that way & not change!!  She wears Size 1 diapers and mainly 3-6 month clothes. She loves to swing and loves to be cuddled.  She has the brightest smile that just melts your heart.  She talks (babbles) more and more every day and has the sweetest, most delicate little voice.  She loves her cereal but still insists on blowing/spitting it back at me a few times each night.  She thinks this is hilarious and gets the largest smile on her face after she does it.  Addison hasn't mastered crawling yet, but she is very determined!!  She see's Alexis doing it and gets very frustrated.  She definitely has that Irish blood in her and the fight to keep trying!  She has the highest pitch scream that you have ever heard when she gets angry.  It doesn't happen very often, but her scream can make your brain rattle!  Addison is working on some teeth.  The drool is constant, and you can feel the hard bumps on her gums.  Addison loves her Fisher Price Glow Worm.  Actually I think it's a seahorse, not sure?  See below picture of her favorite toy.

I thank God every day for my sweet Addison because at one time we weren't sure that she would make it out of the hospital.


Alexis:
Alexis is our more "high maintenance" gal.  She has been since day one.  Alexis seems to get jealous if she doesn't have someone's complete attention.  She's learning to wait her turn and to share but I'm thinking that may come with time.  Alexis's eyes have changed to brown, like her Mommy and Daddy.  She is also wearing Size 1 diapers and mainly 3-6 month clothes but still can fit into some 0-3 month clothes.  Alexis has just about got the crawling thing down.  It's just a matter of days before she completely takes over the house.  She's scooting and lunging around on the floor now.  You can't turn your back for two minutes without her on the opposite side of the blanket. She will also scoot over to Addison and take her toys.  It's cute now, but I can tell it's going to be an issue in the future.  Alexis is a "Chatty Cathy".  She will have an entire conversation with you.  Sometimes she gets so excited when you talk to her, that she almost screams at you.  We have to remind her to use her "inside voice" already.  Lex is also seriously working on teeth.  She too is constantly drooling and you can see the "white's" of some little teeth getting ready to pop through.  She also has the biggest smile that can brighten anyone's day.


Terry and I tease everyday that Alexis is going to be our "wild child", as pay back for all the hell we put our parents through as children.  While Alexis keeps us on our toes, we wouldn't change anything about her for the world.  We are very blessed to have two beautiful baby girls!!


We are very anxious to receive our latest purchase.  As I mentioned above, the girls are seriously working on their crawling skills.  We decided that it was time to either put every single thing in our living room down in the basement or find some way to "corral" (for lack of a better word) the kiddos.  We've tried the pack 'n play...they hate it!! Our pack 'n play seems to have become more of a storage area in our living room anyway, so it's ok that they don't care for it.  But the changing table on the pack 'n play has seriously been great for us.  I wasn't too excited about having to run upstairs to the changing table in their room every time a diaper needed to be changed.  So, I'm thankful for the changing table built into our pack 'n play.  Here is what we purchase to "corral" the munchkins for now:

No that is not my child in the picture.  This is the picture that I took from Target's website.  We purchase the PlayZone and 3 extensions to make it bigger.  I'm hoping the girls like it.  We'll keep you updated.  It should be delivered on Thursday.

GO COLTS!!!

After the Cardinals season ended so abruptly this weekend, I decided that it was time to start focusing on football!!!  We put the girls in their Colt's blue to watch the game!  Ok, so really the girls were in bed before the game even started and the outfits only lasted for a few minutes, but they still looked cute.  Unfortunately their dresses are still a little big and the turtleneck that goes under them was more of a chew toy for Alexis than an actual shirt.

Above is Addison doing her touchdown pose.

Addison sporting her Colts "blue".

Addison's new socks.

Alexis in her "blue".  She wasn't really enjoying it.

Alexis wouldn't stop chewing on her fingers long enough to pose for a picture.  She's cutting teeth pretty badly these days.  None yet, but we can surely see some white on the bottom!

Alexis's new socks!!

ADDISON AND ALEXIS SAY "GO COLTS"!!!!

Coincidence? Or Just Weird???

Ok, so lately I've been having some issues sleeping.  I wouldn't say that I'm tired or an insomniac, I just can't fall asleep.  When I do, I only sleep for a few hours before waking up again.  Well, for about the last month now, I've been waking up at 3:33AM.  Yes, I roll over and the clock says 3:33 and then it flips to 3:34.  This has been happening about twice a week for about the last month.

I told Terry about this again, for about the third time last night.  I told him that I was hoping I would be able to sleep.  I explained the 3:33 thing and told him that I thought it was really weird that every night I would wake up at 3:33.  Terry said "Hey weren't the girls born at 3:34am?"

Is it me or is this very strange that my girls were born at 3:34AM and I wake up during the middle of the night at 3:33AM?

HAPPY BLOG-O-VERSARY!!

Yes, cheesy title I know....but it's hard to believe that one year ago I started blogging about our journey to have a baby (x2).  Looking back it's hard to believe that it's been a year.  Every shot, every doctor's appointment, every tear has all been TOTALLY worth it!!!  Who would have thought a year ago that we would be the proud parents of two beautiful healthy baby girls??

Big thanks to my Mom & sister Paula who came out to visit this past weekend.  We enjoyed some yummy BBQ on the grill to celebrate Mommy's birthday on Saturday.  They graciously baby-sat for us on Sunday so Terry and I could enjoy a brunch date.  We went to our favorite breakfast place in Fishers, Best Bet.  It's a poker themed breakfast/lunch restaurant.  It's a cheap, little hole in the wall place but we love it!!  Then Terry and I ran errands and just generally messed around doing nothing for a few hours.  It was nice to get away, but we also chatted about how we were missing the munchkins.

So, the girls have officially started chowing down on some cereal.  We started the cereal before bedtime routine about a little less than 3 weeks ago.  In the beginning, neither girl was that excited about it.  We started with just a couple of spoonfuls a day, and now they both are eating almost a small bowl every night before bed.  What a difference this makes with their sleeping habits!  We are so lucky that both girls sleep through the night (most nights).  Both girls are very messy eaters!!  I'm still working on trying to clean this up a little, but I'm not sure it's going to happen any time soon! 

See the below pictures.  Top is Alexis, Bottom is Addison.

Both kiddos still like to hang out on their boppys for tummy time every day.  They both manage to climb off of them but I think they generally still enjoy it.  Any day now, Alexis is going to take off.  She's been up on all fours for the last couple of days.  She's just about got the crawling thing down! 

See the below pics of the girls on their boppys.  Addison on top, Alexis on bottom.

Lately both girls have become very intrigued with each other.  Some days they will just lie on the floor staring at each other for several minutes.  They even babble back and forth like they are having a conversation, very cute!! 

See below picture of both girls. (Addison is the one whose face you can see)

As Halloween approaches us, the girls seem to be acquiring a lot of Halloween attire.  Unfortunately, Halloween is only one day, so we decided to start taking advantage of all the cute outfits that people have given us.  Yesterday the girls sported their "Happy Halloween" onesies from Old Navy.  Neither kiddo was very excited to have their picture taken. 

The below two pics are Alexis.  As you can see in picture #2, she wasn't having any part of picture

time with Mom & Dad.

The below three pictures are Addison.  I'm not sure what is going on in the third picture, but Terry seems to think that she is practicing her scary face for Halloween.

Stay tuned to see all our adorable Halloween attire!!

Thursday's Thought for the day:

Total amount billed to our insurance company since our first appointment with the fertility specialist in 2008, including all fertility treatments, my pre-natal care appointments, my time spent in the hospital prior to delivery, actual delivery fees, the girls hospital fees (11weeks in the NICU), and all follow up appointments since the girls have been home from the hospital:

$7,996,412.13

Having two beautiful, healthy baby girls:

PRICELESS!!!

Ok, cheesy post I know, but just thought I would share.  They are worth every penny!!