Thursday, February 25, 2010

So Very Blessed

I can't count how many posts similar to this one that I have done on here, but I just can't help it.

You can never be too thankful for the blessings God gives you in life, so I like to take the time and think about everything I have to be thankful for every day.

I thank my lucky stars every day for Connor and Merasia. I don't even remember what my life was like before they came into this world, and I don't care. I don't want to worry about my life then, or spend precious new moments thinking about those days. Some of them were nice, others...not so much. It was a time of intense struggle within myself, my marriage, and our trying to conceive journey. The moment that test turned positive, my life changed forever, and I was on a whole new high...a whole new journey.

Connor and Merasia make me thankful for so much. They remind me to take in the little moments, even the bad, frustrating, difficult times, because even those will be precious memories of the past all too soon.

Yes, they make me want to yell, scream, and pull my hair out at times. But in the next second, they make me smile, laugh, and cry tears of joy. My heart melts every time I look at them...every time a new milestone is reached...every time I hear Connor giggle as I tickle his belly...every time Frank takes Merasia out of her crib in the morning and she walks over to my side of the bed, lifts the blanket off my head, and says "Hi! Hi! Hi!" in her high pitched, girly, squealy morning voice.

Everyday is an adventure, but it's an adventure unlike any other, and I learn something new everyday and would not change one second of the life I have as Connor and Merasia's mama.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

13 Months!

I am at a loss for words that my babies are now 13 month olds! I just can't get over how they used to be teeny, tiny, scrunchy faced, and, in Merasia's case, pudgy, newborns, and now they are walking, talking, rambunctious, independent 13 month olds!

These angels never cease to amaze me each and every day with something new, cute, funny, or...not so funny. ;-)

Connor has recently started putting both hands on his head, as if to say "OH MY GOSH!" LOL It's beyond cute, and I need to get a picture or video of him doing it, but I can never catch him doing it at the right time when I have a camera ready! Every time we say "uh oh!" he does it. I love it!

Merasia is constantly exploring her language skills and walking skills. When she wakes up from a nap or in the morning, the stands up in her crib and walks over to the side, where she looks over the edge at her brother, who may or may not still be sleeping. But, if he IS still sleeping when she does this, she wakes him up with talking to him or screeching, playing, etc. She loves her brother so much!

I can't count the times that I put them both down for a nap, go in to check on them a few minutes later, and they are both standing up, holding hands, talking to each other, and playing between their cribs. I lay them both back down and they go to sleep, or I leave them and they will lay down by themselves a little while later and drift off to sleep.

It's amazing and melts my heart to see the bond that they have and the love they have with and for each other. They are truly best friends and I can't wait to see their bond continue to blossom as the months and years go by.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

A Year Ago...

Just a little trip down memory lane...




Connor & Merasia, 1 year ago at this time:










So Long Ago...

Today is Connor & Merasia's follow up, one year hearing screening. When they were born, they had the hearing screening that most (or all) newborns get upon delivery and before being discharged to go home. But, because they were preemies and Connor was low birth weight, they have to have a follow up hearing screening every year. I know there's nothing to worry about, but it's just routine.

We have to go to our big hospital here in Vermont for all follow ups, and that's an hour and a half away from where we live, in "the city," if you can call it that in teeny tiny Vermont. ;-)

I was at this hospital for 3 whole weeks while on bed rest with the twins. From 32-35 weeks, I laid in bed, endured a 20-30 minute non stress test every single morning (and sometimes longer, if I was actively contracting and in labor, which happened a few times...), ate frosted mini wheats for breakfast, watched A Baby Story, Jon and Kate, and my soaps, read books upon books and magazines as well, filled in all I could of the twins' baby books, ate...and ate....AND...yep, you guessed it...I ATE. Getting out of my room and down the hall to take my morning shower was the highlight of my day. Well, that and whenever Frank was with me (usually afternoons and at night) and he took me for my one half hour wheel chair ride a day and I actually got to see outside and get some fresh air. I developed my own little routine and made myself at home. Hey, what else was I to do anyway? I was stuck there until the babies decided to finally make their appearance, or I made it to at least 35 weeks...whichever came first.

We were given a tour of the NICU, in case we became familiar faces there at any point, and it was depressing to say the least. We were also given a tour of the Ronald McDonald Children's Hospital unit, where sick children and their families stayed. It had special rooms for parents to get quiet, non interrupted sleep for a night or two, a living room with TV, a computer with internet access, books, magazines, and a kitchen with all sorts of goodies to munch on for everyone there. It also had a bathroom with a shower and washer and dryer, which Frank got some good use out of while we were there. And the best part was all of it was free for patients and their immediate families, so had we needed to stay there longer with our babies, we would have had lots of great resources available to us.

We were a few of the lucky ones though, and I was discharged at 35 weeks exactly, still pregnant. In fact, more pregnant than I had ever felt before. The babies had grown considerably bigger and this was very apparent in my round belly that now measured to be that of a woman who is 45 weeks pregnant with a singleton. The doctor laughed out loud when he put the tape over my belly and measured me before discharge. It was pretty comical, if you think about it.

I felt like they were going to fly out of me at any minute with my heavy belly that just kept dropping lower and lower every day.

They did "fly" out soon after that...about 10 hours after being discharged from the hospital and only 3 hours of sleeping in my own bed, to be exact.


Stepping back into that hospital for the first time since I left, on January 8, 2009, is going to be so surreal. It was an extremely emotional time in our lives, and will no doubt bring back a flood of emotions.

We are, however, looking forward to seeing some of the nurses and doctors that so graciously took care of me during that time, but have yet to meet the precious babies that they so worried over for 3 stressful weeks.

:-)

Saturday, February 6, 2010

We Have A....

WALKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, that's right!! Merasia is WALKING!!!!! I have been waiting MONTHS for this!!!! It will make my life sooo much easier when I am alone and have to go to the store, run errands, etc. She can hold my hand and walk, and I can carry Connor until he starts walking!

It all started the other night. She would pull herself up to stand on our bed (she's done this for mooooonnnnttthhhssss!), and then take about 2 steps from the side of the bed to daddy, sitting in his chair a few inches from the bed. She did that all that night, back and forth, back and forth. The next day, alllll day, she did that, and then added a step and would walk from the chair to the bureau a few inches away from the chair. She would take a few steps, and then either fall, sit down, or grab something to balance and steady herself.

And now, she walks alllll the time. She even walked outside with me earlier today! Granted, it was a couple of steps in her fancy new boots, but it was walking, regardless. :-) She actually took 4 or 5 steps at my friend's house today, which is the most she has done yet! She's not running all over the house, but she is taking steps any chance she can get, and will walk with someone if we hold her hand and walk with her. It's the cutest thing!!

Every new milestone she reaches makes me cry. It seems like we wait FOREVER for them to meet a "special" milestone such as crawling, sitting up, talking, walking...and sometimes we feel like it will NEVER happen, and then, in an instant, it does and it's the most amazing experience of our life...


Thursday, February 4, 2010

Poop!

Dear Merasia,

Thanks for taking your diaper off, running all over the house naked, pooping on the living room floor, and then peeing in the hallway.

It's a good thing mommy and daddy think you're cute or you'd be in deep trouble little lady! ;-)

Monday, February 1, 2010

NEW TATTOO!

Hubs and I got a new tattoo this weekend...mine on my ankle, and his on his upper arm. We got the babies' names...mine with flowers, his just plain, of course. ;-)

Here's a pic of mine:

It doesn't look as good in the pic...my skin was sooooooooooooooooooo DRY, and this was fresh after it was done, so it looks kinda yucky...not to mention my legs are WAY pale this time of year! (Gotta love Vermont winters!)

All in all, I love the new tat (this makes 3 for me!), and it will be my last for a looooooooooong time. :-)