Happy 2007

We wish you all the best in 2007

We all sure had a wonderful Christmas. We picked up Grandpa Gregson on Christmas afternoon from the airport and we picked up Natalie and Sean on the 26th at 1:00. Lyndsey did not come.

We opened gifts that afternoon and the boys did pretty well for about 15-20 minutes then they got a bit overwhelmed. All their gifts were great. They got outfits that they needed, books, toys, an exersaucer and a johnny jumper thing but it doesn't go in the door frame it has a stand alone frame. They also each got a bumbo chair which is great and allows them to sit up on their own.

Natalie and Sean got awesome gifts and they were so appreciative of everything they got. They are such sweet kids. Natalie got a cell phone and I swear I think she sleeps with it. Sean got a new football playstation game that he has been playing non-stop. They also got money and gift cards to do a little shopping of their own. Pat and I will have to flip a coin to see who goes shopping and who babysits. Bet I win the shopping trip.

All I asked Santa for was a "Silent Night" and believe it or not the boys gave it to me. They went down about 9:30pm on Christmas Eve and slept until 6:00 on Christmas Day. I was so grateful and shocked and of course the first thing I did was to go make sure they were both breathing. I thanked them many times and told them they can do that any time they want.

Most of our snow has melted but we did get a little bit last night. I know the mountains got quite a bit since we got mostly rain. I am taking leave (Army vacation) this week so spend with the kids and my dad.

Pat got me a new laptop that I can use in the house since our office in our new house is outside in the garage. The previous owner had his home office set up and so we just decided to do the same. I'll try and take some photos of the new house soon and post them for you to see.

Well the kids go back to school Tuesday and I go back to work on Wednesday. Where has the time gone? Colby and Austin are off to the Doctor on the 2nd for the 2nd flu shot and their RSV shot as well. They both currently have stuffy noses, coughs and sneezes that I hope Dr. Cox will tell me is no big deal.

Austin managed to get one of the presents which turned out to actually be his from Lou Lou and Mikey so we opened it and it was one of his first Christmas ornaments.

I hope you've enjoyed our holiday photos. I have a lot more but I will just send them out via email as I have two sleepy boys I need to get in their PJs and to bed.

We wish each of you health and happiness in 2007 and we hope we have a less exciting year than 2006.

Blessings

Alexa

Merry Christmas

We are Santa's Lil Helpers

We want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. We are so excited for the boys first Christmas. Yes, they do have Christmas outfits for tonight Christmas Eve and another one for Christmas Day.

Let me catch you up on what has been going on in Utah since Thanksgiving. First of all we had a wonderful Thanksgiving as you probably read in the previous post. The boys went for their first neonatal follow up this month.

Austin was doing great. He weighed in at 14 and a half pounds. He's getting so big. They were very pleased with him. The neonatal follow up is a round robin of doctors. We saw physical therapy, dietician, opthamology, neurology and a neonatal specialist. The opthamologist wants to watch Austin a little more closely than Colby just because there is no way to know how or if his brain bleed will affect his vision in any way. They dilated his eyes and said his optic nerve looked great. They will check his eyes again in like 3 months. Physical therapy was very pleased with his motor skills and said he right in line for a 4-5 month old which is his age corrected. He just needs more tummy time to work on his neck muscles. They said we could start rice cereal so we tried some yesterday and Austin loved it. So he'll get it once a day for a week to make sure he tolerates it ok. Then we can move to baby food. He's growing too fast for me.

Colby also got a good report from his neonatal follow up. He weighed 12 and a half pounds. There is still a solid 2 pound difference. Colby has found his personality and he loves to talk now or should I say squeal. His big thing to work on is straightening his legs because he likes to keep them curled up and to work on bending his ankles and applying light pressure to the bottom of his feet. He doesn't like things touching the bottom of his feet therefore when we stand him up he doesn't want to put his feet flat down and apply pressure. He is doing great with his tummy time and he can roll from his back to his tummy. We are still working on tummy to back. He also got to try rice cereal yesterday and liked it too so we'll continue feeding him once a day.

Colby went to see the plastic surgeon last week about the shape of his head. He has favored his right side since he was born so now the has a flat spot on the back of his head and the right side of his forehead sticks out just a little. We've been keeping him on his left side for the past 2 months and we can see a difference. The Dr. said he won't do anything (helmet) prior to 6 months age corrected. So he told us to keep doing what we are and he'll re-evaluate in Feb. when Colby will be 6 months age corrected.

They are both sleeping pretty well at night. They usually eat around 8:00-9:00 and go to sleep until around 5:00. Every once in a awhile one will wake up around 2:00 but not very often thank goodness.

Natalie and Sean are doing great. Natalie has her orchestra performance a week ago and she played very well. She is growing into a beautiful young lady. She is still taking ballet and tap and we saw her ballet recital and she's great. She is also still taking piano lessons and still manages make to make excellent grades. Sean or should I say lil Pat loves the 3rd grade and is doing great. He has become quite the reader and every time I turn around he's telling me about a book he's reading....Luckily it's not always the same one. He is getting ready to start basketball in January so we'll have more photos of him soon.

Pat is doing great with his real estate. He stays very busy but it's nice to know he's coming home every night unlike his last assignment in the Army when he was gone so much. The boys get so excited when they see him walk in at night. He is their nightly entertainment.

I closed out my semester at school and commissioned two new Lieutenants into the Army. I am loving being able to still teach and mentor future Army officers and still be able to enjoy motherhood. I'm not saying it's easy and I have no free time for myself but it's all worth it.

We bought a new house in North Salt (closer to the kids) and we love it. We have been moving it over the past couple of weeks and we think we are almost done. I'm not saying everything is put away but we have a place to eat and sleep. We did put up a Christmas tree and have decorated some. The kids love the new house and are so excited we live so close. We live about 1.1 miles from their mom. I know that should make things interesting. Moving here will help us be able to support the kids more and not have to do so much driving all the time. As our boys get older and get involved in activities (sports) that will make it easier to support all the kids.

We had lots of snow and I've actually made it skiing a couple of times. We have great babysitters who have been willing to watch the boys so I could go with Pat, Natalie and Sean. We aren't taking the boys out much due to RSV and flu season and we have to be very careful who comes to our house. Everyone has to be healthy.

They boys got their December RSV and Flu shot and Jan.2nd we go back for another round of shots. I'm still so thankful they qualified for the RSV. One little girl at the neonatal follow up was getting the RSVshot but had already gotten RSV and was in the hospital for awhile. We just don't want that to happen to us.

Heather has gone home for the holidays and we'll miss her so much but I know she misses her family in New York as well. She got the boys a new bumbo chair and the love it. It helps teach them to sit up and gives them the support they need to do so. We'll be sure to show you pictures when we take them.

Well I have two babies to get ready for the day. We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we hope you take the time to reflect back over all your blessings from 2006. We have so much to be grateful for and we thank each and every one of you for your support, thoughts and prayers during 2006.

Blessings,
Alexa (and family)

Hello Everybody and Happy Late Thanksgiving

We had a great first Thanksgiving with our family and friends in West Jordan. We didn't get any turkey this year but Mom did let us taste a lil bit of cool whip. It was quite yummy. Austin is the Indian because Daddy calls him "Big Chief" and Colby is the pilgrim.




We went for our 6 month check up on Friday. We got our RSV shot, Flu shot and 3 more 6 month vaccination shots. We weren't too happy and we cried very very loudly. Our Mommy and Heather were upset too. We know we need them to keep us healthy but just to make it clear we don't like the shots.

I, Austin, weighed 13.11 pounds. My mom guessed I would be close to 14 pounds and she was right. I've also gotten much taller. The Dr. said we could even start on cereal if Mom and Dad think we are ready for it. Hopefully we'll get to try it this week.

I, Colby, weighed 11.10 pounds. I am still about 2 pounds smaller than Austin but that's ok I'll catch up with him. I have gotten taller too and my head is now the same size as Austin's head. My Dr. said I have to go see a plastic surgeon because my skull isn't rounded like it should be. Hopefully I won't have to wear a helmet. I've loved lying on my right side since I was born and therefore it has mishapen my head. I'm not sure when I go to see that Dr.

Our mom and dad are doing great. We still don't let them sleep that much, especially mom. She is so good to hear our first little noise of hunger and she comes running to feed us. We even stayed with Aunt Abby one Saturday so everyone could go snow skiing. We love for Aunt Abby to watch us because she spoils us with hugs and kisses and lots of play time.

Here is our Mom and Dad out having a fun time. They promise as soon as we are old enough we get to go too. Our big brother, Sean is going to be teaching us how to snowboard because he is so good. He will be doing jumps once he gets older.

Natalie and Daddy are up on top of the mountain getting ready to go down. We hear Natalie is super awesome on skis and never falls down.

Well Mom is saying it's nap time so we better close for now. Hopefully she'll let us back on the computer soon. Oh yeah we are moving into a new home in a couple of weeks too. We are are not leaving Utah just moving to a different town so we can be closer to Natalie and Sean. We are sad to leave our nursery that Granny Lou Lou painted but she promised she would come do our new room.

We love you

Colby and Austin

WOW...We are 6 months old today

I can't believe my lil bundles of joy are 6 months old today. As I was driving home yesterday I was thinking about all the excitement, fear, joy and worry that was occurring 6 months ago. We've come so far since then and I thank God every day for the two lil miracles he gave me. The boys are doing great. They are changing every day and growing so much.

Colby is now outgrowing newborn clothes and moving into 0-3 months and Austin , my big boy, is moving into 3-6 month clothes. They are just growing too fast for me. They each have their own personalities and they are so different. Colby is learing to squeal and he does it all the time and just laughs. Austin is my big talker who has so many stories to tell me when I come home from work each day.

They are both starting to move around a lot. They are only allowed on the floor now since Colby rolled off the couch onto his head. He was ok but it scared me to death. I cried a lot longer than he did. They can both scoot off their pillows now and are starting to try and roll over.



Austin had his CT scan and consult and everything looks the same. His head has grown but it's normal growth and his still where he should be on the growth chart. He'll go back for another check up in Jan. but he will not have a scan done that day. Dr. Kestle is still planning to remove it next summer sometime.








They have their 6 month check up on Dec. 1st and they will get their 2nd RSV shot and also their flu shot. We have pretty much gone into hibernation for the winter. We just can't risk having the boys around people who might be sick because it's could be deadly for them.

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving this week which will be at our house with a few of our close friends. As usual I'm sure we'll all eat way too much.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you take time to give Him the thanks.

We know we have so much to be thankful for this year.

Blessings~
Alexa

Happy Halloween....We're 5 months old

Can you believe Colby and Austin are 5 months old.... I can't. They are growing so fast that it's hard for me to remember when they weighed just 2.5 and 2.13. They have both developed their own personalities and they have turned into quite the lil charmers. Colby has dimples that will melt you heart and Austin is just as sweet as can be. They are wearing newborn and 0-3 month old clothes now so I plan to send all their preemie clothes to the NICU since I don't ever plan to need them again.



















I weighed Colby this weekend and he weighs 10 pounds and Austin weighs 11 and a half pounds.

We got wonderful news that both boys received authorization to get the monthly RSV vaccinations. Each shot is $2,000 so needless to say we are glad the Army has come through once again. They will get the shots each month from November through April and possibly May. They will also get their flu shot at their 6 month check up. They aren't going to be happy about getting the shots but in the long run it's the best thing for them.



I got my flu vaccine last week and Pat will be getting his soon. We are doing the nasal mist and since it's a live virus they recommend not touching the boys for 24-48 hrs so we are having to spread our vaccines out. Heather has already gotten hers so she is safe to be around the boys too.

Work is going ok. I sure miss the boys while I'm gone. I am pretty much back full time with the exception of doing physical training at 6:00am. I am usually up by 4:00am and by the time I nurse both boys it's 5:30 or so and I hop in shower get ready and head to work to be ready to teach at 8:00. Our program is doing really well and the cadre that I work with are great and very supportive.

Pat is doing well with his real estate. Now that the boys are home he can have a set schedule and seems to get a lot more done during the day. He seems to be really enjoying the life change and he just knows there is so much potential out there he just has to keep sticking his foot in the door.




Grandpa Gregson came to visit and I think he was shocked at how big the boys are now. They sure loved seeing Grandpa and are looking forward to his next visit.









Natalie and Sean are growing like crazy. Sean is playing tackle football and loves it. Saturday is his last game for the season. He has really learned a lot playing this year. He also went on his first hunting trip with Pat last weekend. Three dad and their sons all spent the night up on the moutain and started deer hunting bright and early the next morning. They didn't kill anything but Sean thinks he saw a big buck. Sean is doing very well in school this year. He is in the 3rd grade and it's amazing how much he loves to read.



Natalie is in her first year of Junior High and loves it. She hasn't had any problems adjusting and her grades are awesome. She continues to play in the orchestra and hopefully will be trying our for drama when it comes up. She has so much potential that we can't wait to see how she finishes this year.




We got our first light snow this week. We didn't have much of a fall again this year and we are headed straight into winter. The kids are getting very excited about going skiing and snowboarding. I'm actually looking forward to hitting the slopes this year, just hope I remember how to ski.






I hope to get back in the habit of updating our blog more often. I just never imagined how busy I would be from son up to son down. (get it...son not sun). Ok so much for my Mommy humor.




Well we hope you are all doing well and we wish you a happy fall seaon if you are having a true fall unlike Utah. Also, if there are any spelling or grammar errors just overlook them, I've had a baby in my lap the whole time trying to help.

Alexa

We are finally home!!!

Well our journey at the University of Utah NBICU has come to a close...thank goodness. We've been there since April 25th and it's so great to have everyone at home in West Jordan. I look back over photos from May 21st and I can't believe how far we've come. Those were some dark days for us not knowing what was in store for our lil boys. Some days it seems like years ago and some days it seems like yesterday.

So here's what's been going on.


Colby is doing great. He is steadily eating and growing. The preemie clothes he has actually fit him now and a couple are starting to get a little too tight. I remember when none of them fit him and I wondered if they ever would. He currently weighs 7.3 pounds and he looks great. He still sports his mohawk hairstyle, mainly because his hair is so curly and the mohawk is the easiest way to fix it. He loves to lay on his tummy and is doing really well at picking up his head up to look around or rotate from side to side.





Colby still loves his bath too. A funny story for you....the other night I was bathing him and I had decided to let him just relax in the tub for awhile...next thing I knew the tub had turned into a jacuzzi and he was grinning from ear to ear. He thought that was so funny and all I could do was laugh. It reminded me so much of the movie Shrek. Guess his tummy felt better after that.









Here is Colby decked out for the Texas Longhorn football game. Yes, his Daddy dressed him.

Colby had a double hernia surgery on the 24th of August and he has recovered nicely from that. They went in to fix the hernia we knew hehad on the right side but the doctor also scoped his left side and found he had one there as well so they fixed it too. Apparently hernias are very common in preemies due to immaturity. Everything seems to be common in preemies and our boys seem to have hit all of them so far. We also have Colby on reflux medicine for a couple of weeks to see if that helps with his fussiness. I haven't seen any big change in the last 6 days so I am thinking maybe he's just a colicky baby and hopefully he will outgrow that very soon.




Austin is loving being home. He came home weighing 8.9 pounds and he looks so good. He feedings are going extremely well and in fact he has turned into quite a pig. The amount they would like him to eat each feeding is at least 70 ml but he usually eats around 100 ml. I guess all that extra time in the NBICU turned him into an eating monster. He gets so excited when you put his bib on because he realizes food is on the way. He is still on his reflux medicine and he does still reflux but he is able to control it on his own. Only once has he kind of scared me by turning a little pasty but he took a deep breath and was fine.


He's had his first doctor's visit since he's been home. They each had to go 1-2 days after being home for initial baseline weight with Dr. Cox our pediatrician. He was very pleased to see how well he is doing. Dr. Cox's wife was one of our doctors in the NBICU so it had made the transition pretty easy as far as doctor to doctor.

Austin still loves to swing. In fact both boys do so we had to purchase another swing. That's the only thing that lets me get a shower on weekends when our Nanny Heather is off duty. By the way I know some of you are wondering how that is working out and let me say she is a true blessing. She is doing great with both boys and I will feel very confident leaving the boys with her when I return to work on October 2nd. Yes, I dread that day more and more. I just can't imagine being without them during the day after having been with them every day and the roller coaster we've been on for 4 months, but I know they'll be fine. I survived my first weekend by myself with the boys last weekend. Pat and Sean took off to Austin, TX for the Texas Longhorn football game. Luckily for me the boys were pretty good. I'm not saying I got a lot of sleep but they did at least take a nap at the same time so I could shower and eat a quick bite.

Well our journey continues but it's a whole new journey. One of sleepless nights, lots of bottles and feedings, tons of dirty diapers and more love than I can possibly know what to do with. I look at these two lil miracles each day and I just thank God for holding them in the palm of His hands and taking good care of them. Without Him I don't know where we would be or how we would have survived these past months.

We also thank each of you for your continued support, cards, meals, emails and prayers. We feel very blessed to have the family and friends that we do and we can't wait for you to watch our boys grow and to see what God has planned for them.

Hope you enjoyed the photos.
Alexa and Pat