First video. . . sort of. . .

Okay, so until someone can help me figure this out, I give up on trying to upload a video to the site.  Instead, here is a link to you-tube, where you can see the boys swinging.  Hope this works!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMYds7jcmfM

Enjoy!  If folks find this okay, then I will add our virtual tour of the nursery next.

I'm not saying you're fat, but . . .

So the big weigh-in was today.  Bowen is (as I guessed) 11 lbs 7 oz.  And Luke is (drumroll. . . .) TEN pounds even.  That means he gained a half a pound (in 3 days) since his visit to Dr. Sorrells (for his hernia) last Friday.  Needless to say, I've abandoned the over-the-shoulder baby carriers when I'm on double baby duty.  Today was the first time to use the double stroller with a car trip. . . also from this visit:  The boys are starting to leave the preemie growth curve (in a good way).  They are now moved to a normal well-baby check-up schedule (less frequent visits).  Dr. McLaren has cleared us to start really adding rice cereal as the boys are able to take it.  And once they're up to 2 servings a day, it's onto veggies. . . All a far cry from where we were just 4 months ago!  

I tried multiple times over the weekend to post a virtual tour of the nursery, but for some reason am unable to upload videos to this site.  Any suggestions?  It appears in the blog's q/a area that many people have this problem.  I do know that the videos are the correct file type and are not too large.  Not sure what else could be the problem.  Hmm. . . . I also see you can do a you-Tube link.  I'll have to play around with it a little more, because I also have some videos of the boys I'd love to post.

Also, I'm adding a link (see the sidebar) to our friends the Patricks.  Renita was in the same room I was in at LSU, and just gave birth to ~28 1/2 week triplet boys.  (And I thought I was seeing a lot of blue!)  I know how much prayerful thought kept us going for the NICU experience, and now they are on the same journey.  So for any of you who would like to send them warm thoughts & prayers, I know they would appreciate it.

We survived

Chris returned from Amsterdam last night.  His 8 days away were much less worse than I had imagined they would be.  I am sure that is thanks to help from the family, friends, & neighbors.  Tuesday was the only day I truly ran the show solo.  We are continuing to enjoy the boys waking only once at night since adding rice cereal to nighttime bottles (do you also hear angelic choirs singing over that report???). . . So Chris confirmed the appropriateness of the pre-trip warnings he received.  He describes Amsterdam as "Bourbon Street on speed."  I will try to coax him into giving a further report.  He brought home the boys a children's book written in Dutch, which was very entertaining to attempt to read aloud.

And I did not get around to posting nursery pics, as I forgot that Chris of course had the camera for his trip.  Hopefully I'll get around to it soon.

The boys will see Dr. McLaren (their pediatrician) on Monday.  I'll definitely tune in to give updated weight/growth info.  Bowen has long outgrown the newborn clothes, and I'm really pushing it to put Luke in them still.

I'm amazed at the difference just in the last week in how much more aware they are of their surroundings.  Bowen often smiles at his mobile and makes happy little squeals here and there.  They both study everything, particularly the faces of any person talking to them (especially new people).  And they both enjoy following a rattle.  It is fun to watch them change into little interactive babies.

More tomorrow . . . .

So far, so good

Chris left for Amsterdam yesterday, which prompted me to move forward with the boys' food intake situation.  After much polling amongst the girlfriends, I decided to add rice cereal to the nighttime bottles for the first time last night.  (I know, this is really exciting stuff here.)  Just a few teaspoons, but WOW what a difference!  They woke up only once last night.  Perhaps it's just coincidence.  But hopefully not.  Regardless, I felt so incredibly refreshed on 3 and 4-hour stretches of sleep.

Our sweet Bowen - we think we saw some "social" smiles this week, though very fleeting.  Of course, they were for Daddy & our friend Tracy, and not for the lady that takes care of him the majority of 24/7.  Such is mommyhood.

Our funny Luke - one night this week I had the boys all tucked in their crib, apparently asleep.  I crawled into bed and turned out the lights, just as Luke let out a loud "whaa" - so obviously a pick-me-up cry (and not hungry, wet, etc.).  I waited a few minutes hoping he would fall back asleep, but he persisted.  Not really sure what I was hoping for, I yelled from my bed across the hall in a very sing-song-y voice "Luuuu - uuuuke."  Without missing a beat, he matched my tune with "aaaaah - aaaaah."  Oi, such comic relief.  We repeated this little back & forth calling a few times before I caved. . . . 

For the locals - The boys stayed with Honey & Dude last weekend so we could have a date before Chris went out of town.  We went to the new Robinson Film Center downtown.  We give it two thumbs up - nice atmosphere, quaint & cozy, with big cushy leather seats.  We watched "Forever Young," the documentary about the choir "Young at Heart."  This choir consists of folks aged 73 and over who tour with concerts featuring songs by artists like Coldplay, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, etc.  Imagine a group of very senior citizens belting out "I want to be sedated!"  It was such a heart-warming, funny film.  Go see it if you get a chance!  (Must warn, you'll cry a little too.)

I must head off - the boys are getting hungry.  Will try to add nursery pics this weekend.

The week in subheadings

This week recounted, starting from Monday . . . 

CLOSE CALL

on Monday.  But the story starts on Sunday, when Chris accidentally cut a power cord with the weedeater, unknowingly tripping a breaker.  That night, he commented that our $20 bathroom CD/radio combo was not working.  I promptly put it in the trash (I'm in clean-it-out mode) without bothering to test it in other outlets.  (You can kind of see where this is going.)  The next afternoon, I was getting ready for Luke's f/u appointment for his surgery.  I plugged in my rather expensive flatiron (in the same bathroom), and it would not turn on.  I tried different outlets in the bathroom, no luck.  Hm.  I plugged in an older cheaper flatiron.  No luck.  Perhaps a brush & hairdryer would suffice - but my rather expensive hairdryer - you guessed - dead.  Then the light bulb above my head . . . I traipsed out to the garage & sure enough, the breaker for the bathroom had been thrown.  I flipped it back on, and when I did, I heard the deep freezer cut on.  My heart sank.  Not because of the 3-year-old deer meat (maybe I should add cleaning out the deep freeze to my list).  And not because of the ready-to-eat frozen casseroles.  No, it was the 3 months worth of breast milk.  Three months of days & nights of being tied to that yellow machine, a permanent coffee table fixture (the Medela Symphony, for those of you familiar).  I panicked!  I threw open the lid and began checking bags.  Fortunately, only the very top bags had begun to defrost, which was okay because we could use them that day.  So thank God for Luke's hernia surgery, or I would not have been getting ready to leave the house and would not have discovered the breaker was thrown, possibly for days!  (Chris does not use anything electrical in the bathroom dept - meanwhile, I don't flatiron my hair for a day spent with 2 dogs & 2 babies.)  Oh, and the casseroles were okay too.  And we were able to retrieve the CD/radio.  And yes, Chris & I also think it is weird that the garage and our bathroom are on the same breaker - they're on opposite ends of the house.  Whatever.

LUKE KEEPS IT INTERESTING

by getting a localized infection around his umbilical hernia repair.  Fortunately it cropped up during the week, and not on Saturday morning.  He went back to Dr. Sorrells today, who concurred with our diagnosis and handed us a prescription for antibiotics.  I think Luke just likes making me take him to a Dr. appt at least once a week.  Perhaps he misses the hospital.  Poor kid.

AND CHRIS GETS READY TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY

for real.  He leaves on the 12th for Amsterdam.  10 days.  I'm bracing myself for 10 days of going it alone.  It makes me really admire moms whose hubbies are off and away for long stretches when a newborn (or two, ha!) is around. . . um, military wives, trucker wives, professional athletes' wives (that's for you, Leann! - I will so feel your pain from last year!). . . Which means, he will not be home for his first Father's Day.  That part really stinks. . . Oh yeah, so it's for his MBA which he is pursuing long-distance from Auburn.  And no lie, his agenda says they will be discussing the use of "hashish" for medicinal purposes??.  He'll have to post about that.  Good, groovy times!  He better bring me a really good souvenir, but not that kind:)

AND SPEAKING OF CHRIS' MBA WORK,

the photo at the top depicts Luke helping Chris with homework.  It's tough, but somebody's gotta help Daddy out.