Tree Trimming

We put up our Christmas tree last night.

They each got to pick an ornament for the tree.
Jason chose this because it is British.

Jack chose Captain America

Shawn chose the Grinch in a Santa suit

This ornament cracks us up. This is a little view finder
we got from Magic Mountain thirty years ago!

Shawn was quite pleased with the finished tree

We asked the boys what their favorite parts of Christmas is. Shawn's favorite part is decorating the tree. Jack likes presents. Jason liked finding Elfie every morning.

Speaking of Elfie, he is supposed to return on the first!

Friday Five

Today is Friday, right? lol

Well, this week has been lovely, even with all of the rain. We didn't do anything major this week. We slept, and played games, and spent time together. It was much needed for all of us.

I think a week off every month is in order. We could seriously get used to that!

~~~

Jack's stomach bug has morphed into coughing and congestion for him and the rest of us. He is clearly the worst of us, but we are all dealing with something. He says he feels okay, although his cough is keeping him up at night. Le sigh.

~~~

The rain this week brought lots of snow to our mountains! It is so pretty out there today. It is also SO cold out there! (It was only 45* at 9 this morning!)

We had rain on Wednesday and Thursday, and we'll have more rain at least tomorrow. Even more rain comes throughout the week.

~~~

We managed to sneak in some family pictures today. The boys did so well, and the photographer always manages to get such great shots. I'm excited to see how they look.

~~~

We put up our Christmas tree today. I love, love, LOVE having our tree up. Jack does, too, because he turned it on first thing this morning and has been enjoying it all day. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful family day today!

Way Back Wednesday

This day in 2011. They were so tiny!

Cleaning and Lounging

The chores and lazing around continue. Much the way we like it! We could get used to this whole vacation thing. :)

Chores Day

The congestion continues, but everyone is doing fairly well today. They were doing so well in fact, we made it a chores day. Yay! The all had 4 chores to do, and all had no trouble getting down to business. Better yet, I think they all like doing the chores while they're doing them. Double yay!

Shawn:

• cleaned bedroom
• stripped sheets off his bed
• sorted clothes and got them ready for the laundry
• cleaned the pantry

Jason:

• loaded the dishwasher
• washed the hallway walls (where their grubby hands leave marks)
• cleaned Gracie's food area/dishes
• stripped sheets off her bed

Jack:

• cleaned his bedroom
• stripped his sheets off his bed
• washed the living room sliding door (inside and out)
• dusted the living room

They did a great job! Way to go boys!

Lazy Weekend

We've been lying low this weekend while Jack rests up. His fever broke Friday night, but he hasn't really been back to himself yet. He keeps trying to convince me he's 100%, but his congestion and cough say otherwise.

The other two have been congested and sneezy. If this is as bad as it gets, then I think we'll be okay. The plan is to not be sick during our week off!

Cute Big Boy Saturday

Playing racing. He's so good at playing it now!

We made it! All of us have a full week off this week. We are so excited! (Well, I am excited, so I vote that they are excited, too.)

~~~

We woke up last night (this morning) at 4 am to the sound of vomit hitting the hall floor. He had already managed to vomit in his room, and then proceeded to vomit again before hitting the bathroom. Poor Jack woke up with a fever and some sort of stomach virus. He was miserable for most of the day. Thankfully, his fever broke late this evening. He's not back to himself yet, but at least the vomiting is over.

~~~

We got report cards for everyone this week. Everyone did really well. Mr. Jason got all A's on his report card - awesome job! Mr. Shawn got two A's for math and Spanish - way to go! Mr. Jack did pretty well in everything and earned 3's - you're working so hard, Jack!

Good job, guys!

~~~

We also got the big boys' fitness results. Shawn didn't do the physical part of the testing (that would just be dumb), but he was at "standards met for his BMI. Jason participated in all areas of testing and met standards for everything except running the mile within the time limit. I think that was just AWESOME. I'm so proud of him!

~~~

Can't wait. This week we get to put out our Christmas Tree. Oh, and we get to celebrate Thanksgiving, too!

Another Tooth

Jack's been working on a loose tooth for a while now. Tonight he came to me and asked me to pull it for him. I reached in and found that the tooth he wanted pulled is a different tooth than the one I knew was loose. Not only that, he had a molar already trying to poke through when we got it out. This kid is growing too fast! (For the record, Jack is 4 foot, 8 inches tall. So, yeah.)

Holding his tooth in the baggie - it's by his right hand. :)

Wordy Wednesday

Jack found a new song to sing for us...

 

Learning

This week, Shawn has a lot of vocabulary words to learn for his Social Studies class. They're talking about Mesopotamia in school, so we're talking about Mesopotamia at home, too. We're learning about bartering and their social structures and building ziggurats out of Legos. Shawn is doing really well with the vocab, but we've found that repetition is key...so repetition it is.

That said, we all can't wait until Friday when we'll reach 9 full days of break. So excited!

Monday Memory

November in 2015. He's so tiny!

World Prematurity Day

This post was first published November 17, 2011...

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Today we are purple.

Purple to honor all of the millions of babies worldwide who were born too soon.

Purple to honor the fight of those babies and their families for survival.

Purple to honor those babies who can fight no more.

Today we are purple to honor those we love who have been touched by prematurity.

Today I was purple to honor our super boys, Shawn and Jason.

I will forever be amazed by the strength and determination our two boys showed in the early days of their lives (and continue to show today). They endured more in those months than many people ever experience in their entire lives. It seemed like every complication possible was thrown their way, but together they conquered the NICU.

They captured the hearts of everyone who worked with them. (I think they still do. :) )

Our guys survived and thrive.

We are the lucky ones.

---

Born at 28 weeks and 3 days, our guys were not even 3 pounds and about as long as a Barbie doll. (As tiny as they were, they were huge for their gestation.)

Shortly after the boys were born. This is Isaac's ring.
It would have easily slid all the way up to their armpits.

Isaac's ring on a foot.



A little hand barely able to hold daddy's thumb.

A small round band aid to protect a delicate knee 
(their knees were so delicate that the skin would
get raw when they'd lay on their bellies)

Our guys were tiny but mighty.

Shawn, Baby A:

The first time I was able to see Shawn.
I didn't even get to see him in the delivery room.

Shawn - not even a week old.

Holding Shawn for the first time. I am so grateful to
our respiratory therapist who made this happen.

Shawn in his first clothes.
They were preemie size and still swam on him for weeks.

Mommy and daddy with Shawn.

Shawn in December 2007

Jason, Baby B:

Meeting Jason for the first time. I was given a brief glimpse
of Jason in the operating room, but they held him up for me for literally a second.

Mommy and daddy with Jason

Jason under the Billi lights for jaundice.

 

Holding Jason for the first time.
He was on a ventilator to help him breathe.

Daddy with Jason

Jason in December 2007

Our first picture as a family of 4 (and the first time I'd held both boys together). 
December 2007

 ---

They had a rough start, but our super boys are strong, smart, determined, and funny.

Shawn holding a picture of himself that was taken on the exact
same calendar day - 10 years apart!
2007 and 2017

Jason holding a picture of himself that was taken on the exact
same calendar day - 10 years apart! 
2007 and 2017

We are the lucky ones -- I hold that knowledge in my heart -- because our boys are here with us.