Monday Memories

This day, 6 years ago. Jack putting on mommy's socks!

Almost Ready

This little guy is almost ready to emerge. Should be any time now!

He's hanging from the handle on the water spigot!

Tree Trimming!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! 

We had lots of fun trimming our tree tonight!

Friday Five

Somehow we blinked and managed to speed through our week off! It was blissfully lazy and non-scheduled. 

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This Thanksgiving, we kept the food pretty minimum, but for the first time, everyone ate it! It was very nice to not have to make an alternative meal for anyone this time. lol. (It's really the little things that make me happy. LOL)

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If given the chance, the boys would waste the days away on their iPads, so during this week off, they had big blocks of time they could not use their iPads. They spent a lot of the time outside playing, but we did see quite a bit of creativity happening, too. It was really nice.

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This weekend the Christmas tree goes up! We are all ready for that!

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Speaking of Christmas, today was spent watching Christmas movies! Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had ourselves a quiet little quarantine Thanksgiving this year, and it was just perfect. 🍂🍁💕

Way Back Wednesday

Thanksgiving 2015...

Now This Is How It's Done!

So, SO proud of these two!

Now, that's how you do a report card! P.S. Shawn has one less class because his APE isn't listed. (It's run by the county, not the school.) He got an A there, too!

Monday Memory

On this day, 6 years ago...

War

Things got serious. lol!

They even had to pull out protective eye gear! 

Art

Jason's drawing inspired by M.C. Escher...

 Pretty fantastic, if you ask me!

Friday Five

We are so excited to be on a week break! Woohoo! 9 days before we go back to school again!

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We had two butterflies emerge from their chrysalises today! Both looked pretty good and were busy drying their wings when I last saw them. We still have 7 chrysalises (that we know of) out there and a number of caterpillars left in the milkweed.

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We had conferences this week for all of the boys. It is so nice to here words like "He's so sweet!" and "He is phenomenal!" and "He is doing a superb job this trimester!" about our boys. All are doing well, and we are happy with how they are handling this online learning thing. 

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Speaking of online learning, we finally have had the district start talking about whether we would like the boys to go back to school once we are able or whether we would rather have them continue online for the remainder of the year. Apparently, they'll be sending out a survey next week.

While there is the good news of an upcoming vaccine on the horizon, the cases in our county, and specifically our zip code, are on the rise. Today, we had one of the largest one day totals of cases since the pandemic began. With the holidays nearing, I suspect that the cases in our area will continue to climb well into the new year. Sigh.

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This week will be Thanksgiving, and then you know what that means...time for our Christmas tree! Yay!

Epitome

of life with boys.

Demolishing an old Hot Wheels car.

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

Someone lost a tooth tonight!

Tooth number 18!!!

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

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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.