The Briggs Family Blah. . .Blah. . .Blahg

What a Beautiful Fall

2012-01-15T21:57:00.010-06:00

I am still playing a little catch up on the blog. I have made it all of the way to September 2011. The most memorable part of September was the gorgeous weather. This fall was perfect. The boys wore shorts on and off into October. We spent a lot of time outside in September and October.

Isaac & Adrian turned 22 months in September.

We spent a wonderful couple of days in Columbia with great friends over Labor Day weekend watching Mizzou football. The temperature during the game was in the upper 90’s. I think it was the hottest football game I have ever attended. It didn’t dissuade us from having fun tailgating. In attendance: the Robinsons, the Wentworths, the Hamms, the Hulls, the Heines, Missy Monroe, Russ Gelbach, Ryan Robinson and my brother Jeff was able to come for a while. Isaac and Adrian spent the night with Gramps and Grandma Elaine one night and Grammo and Grandpa Dave the other night.

Adrian and Isaac with Grandma Elaine and Gramps Ron, celebrating Gramps’ birthday with a lunch out.

While visiting Grammo and Grandpa Dave, Isaac and Adrian went to see Grandpa’s goats. Adrian is such an animal lover, he always enjoys visiting the livestock. He fed the goats and, I believe, one or more of the goat chased him around. Later that week, Adrian was playing with his farm set. He picked up the goat, put his finger up to the goat’s mouth, made a grimace, and said, “Goat bites me!” It was so cute and he did it numerous times throughout the next couple of weeks.

Dave and I celebrated our ninth anniversary in September. The boys’ favorite babysitter, Lexi Drummond, came to watch them so we could go out to dinner and a movie. All four of us went out to dinner to celebrate our anniversary later in the week.

Several members on my mom’s side of the family spent a weekend in Columbia attending a Mizzou football game and participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in honor of my mom beating breast cancer. This is the second year we participated in the Komen Race. It was a lot of fun.

Adrian & Isaac tailgating at the Mizzou game.

Our entire team!

We are on Faurot Field!!

Towards the end of September, I spent a couple of days in Springfield at an event sponsored by the Missouri Dental Association, called Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM). It was an extremely large free dental clinic. It was an honor to participate and I hope that I can do it many times in the future.

We took the boys to their first air show in Kirksville on a steamy hot Sunday. They loved the airplanes, but their attention span was short and we left early because they started running all over the place.

Isaac and Adrian started a music class called Little Notes. It was a great experience for them, and it reinforced to their parents that they are social butterflies. I don’t believe either of them will ever be wallflowers. Most of the other toddlers (all of whom were older than our boys) stayed close to their mothers and Isaac and Adrian were all over the room. They didn’t always cooperate and we usually had to leave early because they were disrupting the class, but I think I might sign them up to take the class again this winter. I am a glutton for punishment.

A couple of funny stories that occurred during September: Isaac spent a lot of time proclaiming “Papa” in every tone imaginable when Dave was around and gone. Isaac was very, very attached to his Papa at that time - and he still is. One day, he started calling me “Papa” while Dave was at work, and I told him to stop doing that. I said, “I’m not Papa. What’s my name?” I expected him to say, “Mommy”, but instead he said, “Tisha!” My jaw dropped to the floor. I didn’t realize he even knew I had a name - other than Mommy. After that, he has called me “Tisha Mommy” from time to time. He comes up with some funny stuff.

We have known that Adrian has an amazing attention span for most things, whether it is sorting shapes, building towers, watching movies. One day in September when I was packing for one of our numerous trips, I put the movie “How to Train Your Dragon” in for the boys to watch. He sat and nearly watched the entire movie. During the movie, I asked him what that was on the TV and he said, “Dragon! SCARES ME!” and made a horrible grimace and shook his fists in front of his face. Looking back on September, it was probably the first month the boys started to really put at least three words together into sentences. I found it fascinating. Isaac liked to yell, “Papa, stop it!”

Stay tuned for October . . .

New Year’s Resolution

2012-01-06T21:29:00.010-06:00

This is it. This is my New Year’s Resolution. This blog. This poor abandoned blog. I didn’t admit to anyone that this was my resolution, because I am fairly certain that I will fail. I guess I can’t succeed if I don’t try.

I actually write this blog for my kids . . . or maybe it is just for myself. I don’t want to forget anything . . . or everything. I mean, I can’t even remember what flavor of coffee I drank for breakfast yesterday (I got a Keurig for Christmas!), so how on earth will I remember what cute little things Adrian said at 25 months when I am 52 years old?

So, here I am, diving back in.

I know I don’t have many readers - mainly my boys’ grandparents and a few of my close friends. But as the mother of TWO toddler boys, I am trying to cut myself some slack for skipping the last 5 months. Come on. I am busy - as you will see if you read this blog. So, for those few readers out there, I know I can’t just skip forward to today. I should give a small update on the last half of 2011. Who knows how long that will take. Here goes.

August was a hot month in our little corner of the midwest. We spent most of the month outside swimming in our little blow up pool on our deck. The boys love water almost as much as they love each other.

Dave and I had a fantastic day and evening at an awesome little music festival in Memphis, Missouri called the Old Lake Bash. Our great friends, Tim & Kellie from Kirksville joined us and Dave’s best friend, Mitch, put on a great show as the lead singer of 80’s hair band Tiger Blood. You had to be there.

We celebrated Isaac & Adrian’s 21 month birthday in August. I know. I know. Someday I will have to quit celebrating each monthly birthday - maybe around the age of 12.

Adrian had his first haircut in August. That was a special moment for me as his mother. He sat so sweetly in the chair, barely moving at all. We didn’t cut off all of his beautiful curls. We just shortened them. And the curls still blow in the breeze today.

Before - a little nervous

During - such a sweet boy

After - with his stylist Kim

The same evening of Adrian’s first haircut, we converted each of the boys’ cribs to toddler beds. Isaac started crawling out of [escaping from] his crib that week, so we really had no choice. They love their big boy beds. They are usually great about staying in their beds, too. Although, one day at nap time they were both continually getting out of their beds to goof off. I was getting very frustrated. As punishment, I finally began taking a stuffed animal, or “buddy", away from them each time they got out of their bed. Finally, after about the fifth time, Isaac had an arm full of “buddies”, ran to the door, said, “Here. Mommy. Buddies.” as he cried his eyes out. So sweet and so sad at the same time. I am still not sure if that was a parenting success or failure.

We celebrated my aunt Carla’s 50th birthday with a surprise party at my cousin Travis and his wife Jacqui’s home in St. Joe. It was great. The following day, the entire family loaded up and visited the KC Zoo. Isaac, Adrian, and their cousin, Palmer really enjoyed it. They had all been to the zoo one previous time. Adrian is such an animal lover. He just couldn’t get enough. They also enjoyed their first ride on a carousel.

Jacqui & Isaac

Gramo and Adrian

Palmer & Tonya

Isaac & Uncle Jeff

We spent one weekend in August running a 5K in our hometown of Memphis at the annual Antique Fair, a weekend festival. Their Grandma Oleva (“Gramo") and her friend Cathy pushed the stroller and walked with Isaac & Adrian while I ran. The boys enjoyed the parade with their cousin, Palmer. They each had several pieces of candy - a rarity. They really enjoyed those suckers.

Isaac & Adrian's Great Grandpa Burdett’s antique International tractor (that he bought new in 1954) was in the parade. The boys were able to sit on the tractor with Gramps (my dad, Ron) after the parade. Later that afternoon, we celebrated our friend Hilary’s first birthday with a party at her home. She is a cutie. I’m sure the boys will fight for her affections one day soon.

We rounded out the summer with lots of jogs and walks with me behind the jogging stroller, “The Bob”, while Isaac & Adrian lounged with a snack and enjoyed the ride. Oh, how they love The Bob. We usually made a pit stop at the Brashear Park for some swinging and climbing. Isaac & Adrian also spent a lot of time cruising our neighborhood in their little red wagon. They used that time to find their good fiends, Jersey, Payton & “Baby Brett”.

The best news of the summer is that Dave and his business partners completed their latest project, Park 1600. It is a large professional building housing a slew of physicians, Century 21 and his law firm. I’m so proud of him.

Isaac & Adrian visiting Papa while he was moving into the new office.

I will have to spend some time posting about September, October, No . . . Oh. My. Goodness. I can do it. I can do it. Stay tuned.

Brighter Than Sunshine

2011-07-26T14:15:00.021-05:00

Isaac & Adrian playing on top of their water table

20 Months

July 2011

Swim Lessons

20 Months

July 2011

Adrian & Isaac on their 20 Month Birthday

July 12, 2011

The Briggs Family on July 4

Me and Dave on the deck of our rental mansion in the Ozarks

June 2011

Lake of the Ozarks with great friends

Me, Ranina, Melissa, Missy, Davye, Angie

June 2011

Adrian & Isaac playing in the sand box Papa made for them. Isaac tends to get very dirty and Adrian usually opts to sit on the edge and stay clean

19 Months

June 2011

Adrian feeding his beloved giraffe, Jessi

June 2011

Isaac sweeping

19 Months

June 2011

Dave with his boys on Father’s Day

19 Months

Adrian & Isaac with their Aunt Susan

She came from Houston for a four day visit

June 2011

Adrian on Uncle Von’s Motorcycle

19 Months

June 2011

Adrian & Isaac “hugging”

June 2011

Adrian & Isaac playing in the pool

May 2011

18 Months

Isaac

18 Months

May 2011

Adrian in the pool

18 Months

May 2011

Palmer, Isaac & Adrian contemplating the pool

May 2011

Isaac

18 Months

May 2011

Adrian

18 Months

May 2011

Courtesy of Studio 1004

Adrian Elijah 18 Months

May 2011

Courtesy of Studio 1004

Isaac & Adrian 18 Months

May 2011

Courtesy of Studio 1004

Isaac Gabriel 18 Months

May 2011

This summer has been awesome! We have been so busy doing fun things that I simply haven’t had time to blog . . . at all. But, I am back. The boys have been enjoying a lot of time in the water all summer. They are taking private swim lessons again. They don’t really enjoy the lessons. They just want to play on their own terms at the pool. On July 4, they both insisted on jumping off of the diving board after watching their bigger friends jump. So, Dave caught them as I helped them jump off. They are both very independent. We set up a little blow up pool on the deck in our backyard. They spend a lot of time in that pool.

The boys had an extended weekend at Grandma’s house while Dave and I went to the Ozarks with some great friends. We stayed in a huge mansion right on the lake. We had a private pool that overlooked the lake. Great fun. Great memories.

We took the boys to Kansas City last weekend to their first Royal’s game. The temperature at game time was 102 degrees. It was a scorcher. They sat through the entire game . . . until the extra innings. We opted out of the extra innings. We were already an hour past bedtime at that point.

Isaac & Adrian started with their new babysitter June 1. We all love her. Her name is Teresa. They have so much fun with the other kids. It was sad to see Jessi go, though. Speaking of Jessi. Adrian has a stuffed giraffe that he insists on carrying with him most of the time. We named the giraffe Jessi in honor of our beloved nanny. Jessi the Giraffe is mangy. Yuck.

I want to tell you what the boys are in to these days. They love to read books. Lots and lots of books. Their favorite book is “My Truck is Stuck.” They really love “choo choos” i.e. trains. Recently, we have abandoned a lot of our sign language in favor of speaking. They say hundreds of words and add new words every day. Isaac’s favorite phrase right now is “Help! Please!” It sounds more like “Hepp! Peas!” Adrian’s favorite thing to say is “Choo choo” first thing in the morning. He wants to watch the cartoon Chuggington on the Disney channel.

They are mastering the use of the fork. They don’t walk anymore. They run everywhere. Someone always has a scrape, bump or owie of some sort. I have decided that they love each other more than they love their Mommy and Papa. They have so much fun with each other. Their bond is strong. They spend a lot of time chasing each other around, giggling. They love to give each other hugs and kisses. There is a wrestling/love session every night before bed. If one brother is crying because of an injury, the other is very concerned. It is so sweet. I love the twin bond. It is special.

Isaac typically wakes up from naps earlier than Adrian. A couple of weeks ago, when getting him up from his nap, he said, “Sshh!”, put his finger by his mouth, said, “Adrian”, which sounds more like “Adeen” and signed “sleeping”. I was shocked that he put it all together. He recently started calling Adrian, “Baby”. Which is so hilarious to us. Teresa, our babysitter, told us that she calls them “Baby”.

Isaac may be the master of words, but Adrian is the master of engineering. He spends a lot of time trying to put things together and figure every object out. He enjoys putting pieces of toys back together after Isaac has torn them apart.

They both enjoy “helping” do anything we do: throw trash away, put their milk in the fridge, fold clothes, take the dog out, feed the dog. They are great boys. They don’t get intimidated by strangers or older kids. While in KC last weekend, we went to a kids’ play center called Paradise Park with our great friends the Williams family. Isaac and Adrian loved the ball pit. Isaac thought he was the biggest kid in the pit (he was the smallest next to Adrian) and took over the place. It is funny to watch.

There are a million other interesting anecdotes I should share, but I have already forgotten them. I will just do this more often.

I came across a song that speaks to me. I think the lyrics explain exactly how I feel about my two little men after Dave and I struggled so long with infertility to get them here. It is Brighter Than Sunshine by Aqualung. Of course, the song is simply a love song, but I think it is a perfect love song to express my love for Isaac and Adrian.

I never understood before
I never knew what love was for
My heart was broke, my head was sore
What a feeling

Tied up in ancient history
I didnt believe in destiny
I look up you're standing next to me
What a feeling

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, i don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine

I never saw it happening
I'd given up and given in
I just couldn't take the hurt again
What a feeling

I didn't have the strength to fight
Suddenly you seemed so right
Me and you
What a feeling

Love will remain a mystery
But give me your hand and you will see
Your heart is keeping time with me

This blog is dedicated to the memory of my friend, Foster Courtney. This world will have less joy and laughter without you. 12/15/81 - 7/4/11

Easter Til We Drop

2011-04-25T14:39:00.008-05:00

What a wonderful surprise to wake up to new toys!

4/23/11

Isaac & Adrian with their baskets

4/23/11

Adrian & Isaac loved the Easter Bunny

4/23/11

Isaac just ran right past that egg

4/23/11

What am I supposed to do with this?

Country Club Hunt 4/23/11

Country Club Hunt

4/23/11

No matter how much Papa coached Isaac,

he just didn’t care about collecting eggs.

4/23/11

Adrian at the neighborhood hunt

4/23/11

Palmer at the neighborhood hunt

He was determined to get the candy in his belly.

4/23/11

Jackpot!

Adrian at our neighborhood hunt

4/23/11

The neighborhood kids

4/23/11

Grandma Oleva and her boys

4/23/11

Isaac finding an egg at Grandma B’s

4/24/11

Adrian with an egg at Grandma B’s

4/24/11

Family Photo in front of Grandma B’s tulips

4/24/11

Running Boys

4/24/11

Isaac playing with a dandelion

4/24/11

He just spotted a dandelion - not an egg.

4/24/11

Adrian is Grandpa B’s boy

4/24/11

Palmer - Let the hunt begin!

4/24/11

All 3 boys at Grandma Oleva’s

4/24/11

Adrian, Carson, Palmer, Isaac and Rick

4/24/11

Isaac with Grandpa Ron

4/24/11

Adrian with Grandpa Ron

4/24/11

This Easter weekend was fantastic. But we are all so exhausted on this Monday. Isaac and Adrian had five Easter egg hunts in two days and collectively put about 10 eggs into their baskets during those five hunts. It was so much fun, though.

The Easter bunny came to our house Friday night, so the boys found their baskets and hunted for eggs in our basement Saturday morning. We did let them eat a few pieces of candy. It was the first time they have ever had candy (as far as we know). They enjoyed that. They were not too interested in placing their eggs in their baskets. They really just wanted to put one in each hand and run around.

Saturday morning we went to the Kirksville Country Club and hunted eggs, met the Easter Bunny and had brunch. The boys loved the Easter Bunny. They kept running over to him and putting their hands up so he would hold them. That was fun to watch. Between the two of them, they picked up a total of one egg during this hunt. Isaac just wanted to run. Adrian picked up an egg, stood there holding it, watching the other kids run around. It was a bit overwhelming for him.

Saturday afternoon, we had a neighborhood Easter Egg hunt. Grandma Oleva and the boys’ cousin Palmer came over to participate in this hunt. Dave and our neighbor Tim hid 436 eggs in our back yards for around 17 kids. The boys participated slightly better for this hunt, but mostly they just wanted to run around. They are like caged animals when they are let loose outside.

Grandma Oleva took Isaac & Adrian home with her Saturday night and they attended 6:30 am sunrise Easter services with her and Grandpa Dave.

Sunday, we had a delicious lunch at Grandma and Grandpa B’s and another egg hunt with more baskets. We had Sunday dinner at Grandma Oleva and Grandpa Dave’s with more baskets and another egg hunt. Then we went to visit Grandpa Ron and Elaine and got some dump trucks to put in their sand box, some huge chocolate bunnies and some cookies. I’m just exhausted typing it all.

I can’t wait to teach the boys why we celebrate Easter. I want them to know it’s not all about eggs and candy.

Shenanigans

2011-04-21T20:02:00.008-05:00

Isaac & Adrian’s 17 Month Birthday

4-12-11

Adrian & Isaac shopping at Hy-Vee in their rain coats

4-19-11

Adrian putting on a fashion show

2 different shoes, pajamas, fisherman hat, and a mitten

4-12-11

Adrian riding his John Deere on the deck

4-5-11

Adrian running 4-5-11

Isaac running 4-5-11

Adrian 4-3-11

Isaac & Adrian with Mommy after finishing the

Rock the Parkway Half Marathon 4-2-11

Dave, Adrian, Isaac, Leigh Ann,

Elsie, Owen & Jeff

Kansas City Plaza 4-2-11

Adrian’s Sweet Face 3-29-11

Isaac’s Smiling Face 3-29-11

Adrian & Isaac visiting the baby ducks at

Farm & Home

3-26-11

Snack time during Mommy’s jog

3-21-11

We are loving the few nice Spring days that we have had. Isaac & Adrian love being outside. They get very angry with me when I make them come in. For some reason, we taught them the sign for “outside”. They spend a lot of time looking out the windows, signing “outside” on the yucky days when we are stuck in the house.

We went to Kansas City the first weekend of April so that I could run my first half marathon - Rock the Parkway. It was a great experience. I think I am addicted. I finished in 2 hours and 23 minutes. We were able to spend time with our great friends, the Williams family. We stayed on the Plaza and the boys had fun with the fountains and the large Easter figurines.

Isaac and Adrian enjoy doing somersaults, being chased by Mommy and Papa, and going up and down the stairs. Their language is rapidly developing. They will attempt to say almost any word we ask them to say. They know around forty signs, also. They are little sponges. Adrian loves wearing shoes and changing them frequently. He is just like his Papa. :) Isaac really enjoys being held by Mommy or Papa. He loves attention. I don’t know where he gets that . . .

Two Irish Men

2011-03-18T21:08:00.003-05:00

Adrian & Isaac

St. Patrick’s Day 2011

16 Months

Adrian & Isaac

St. Patrick’s Day 2010

4 Months

Isaac’s 16 Month Birthday

3-12-11

Adrian’s 16 Month Birthday

3-12-11

My nephew, Palmer, turned 1 on March 2nd.

He had a great time at his party.

I don’t have much time to post, but I thought I would share some pictures of Isaac and Adrian on St. Patrick’s Day this year and last year for comparison purposes. So much has changed in a year. They are starting to run all over the house. Things are wild and crazy (and so much fun). They are absolutely obsessed with any vehicle with wheels. They are all referred to as “truck” - car, boat, airplane. It is funny. They are true boys. They run from one window to the next all day looking outside for trucks.

Won’t You Walk With Us?

2011-02-18T22:41:00.003-06:00

Well, they did it. The boys started walking. I was beginning to wonder if it would ever happen. Isaac decided to take more than just a couple of steps on February 3rd and Adrian followed his lead on February 11th - just before they were 15 months old. I couldn’t be prouder. Isaac is a little unsteady. He is the wild walker. He doesn’t feel quite as comfortable doing it yet. Adrian is a cool cucumber when he walks. He does laps around the house all day every day. He will be running soon.

Lately, it seems like Isaac and Adrian are discovering something new about their world every day. It is amazing to witness this. Let me tell you what they love to do . . .

They love to crawl up and down the stairs, knock on doors, clap their hands, give a fist bump, blow kisses, dance, listen to music, climb onto the furniture, empty the kitchen cabinets, tear the leaves off of plants, eat anything off of Mommy & Papa’s plates, “help” Mommy & Papa unload the dishwasher, tear up magazines, push each other on their riding toys, run to the pantry, dishwasher or refrigerator anytime I open one of them, empty the pantry, read books, try to turn the stove top burner knobs, try to open the baby gate at the top of the stairs, baths, and 100 other things I have already forgotten.

Let’s not forget that they are individuals and their personalities are very different. So, there are lots of things that they each love to do independent of the other . . .

Adrian loves to touch the oven and say, “hot”, bite his brother, kiss his brother, stick his tongue out when he is concentrating (he is always concentrating), eat and eat and eat, especially marshmallows, drink out of a water bottle, being tickled, animals.

Isaac loves to blow on his food or on the air when you say, “hot”, to be held by Mommy or Papa, to go downstairs to take Tori (our dog) outside, watch TV, steal Adrian’s toys, drinking milk, attention of any kind.

Words they both say a lot right now: up, truck, duck, hot, stuck, no, yeah, go

Words they both sign a lot right now: dog, Papa, Jessi (our nanny), bath time, milk, eat, sleepy, more, shoe, ball, brush teeth, all done, light, truck

The amazing thing about the boys is that they understand every word that comes out of our mouths.

Isaac got his second haircut today. Dave took him and we decided to cut off all of his curls. His hair was getting a little too shaggy. I already miss the curls . . .

Isaac sledding 2-12-11

Adrian sledding 2-12-11

Adrian & Isaac reading a book at bedtime 2-17-11

Isaac 15 Months

Adrian 15 Months

Isaac & Adrian on their 15 Month Birthday 2-12-11

Adrian, Isaac, Palmer with their Great Grandfather Kice on his 84th Birthday 2-5-11

Isaac & Adrian reorganizing the cabinets February 2011

(notice Adrian’s tongue)

The boys spend a lot of time looking at trucks through the glass on the front door.

One of their many trips down the stairs 2-1-11

Adrian & Isaac with Dave on his 40th Birthday. This was also the day we got a blizzard and 14 inches of snow. 2-1-11

Isaac in his Valentine’s Shirt

Adrian in his Valentine’s Shirt

Go! Go! Go! January 2011

Two Little Tigers, Sitting In A Tree

2011-01-15T20:58:00.005-06:00

I just wanted to share some pictures. The boys dressed up in their Mizzou tiger suits today to cheer on the Tiger basketball team. I happened to catch a couple of pictures of them kissing each other. It is so sweet.

Duck, Stuck, Truck

2011-01-13T21:54:00.006-06:00

Adrian & Isaac’s 14 Month Birthday 1/12/11

Adrian and Isaac on the wrong chairs, climbing around

Here we are with my girlfriends from growing up and most of our kids. 1/1/11

Adrian & Isaac love their riding toys.

Adrian & Isaac love to climb up on the hearth and run their trucks up and down it. They already make truck noises.

Yesterday was Isaac & Adrian’s 14 Month Birthday! This is such a great age. The boys are constantly learning new things. They both are saying a lot of words. Isaac said, “Duck, stuck and truck” for the first time all this week. He likes the “uck” sound apparently. Adrian’s favorite things to say right now are “Go, go, go” or “No, no, no”. I am just realizing that my boys like rhyming words. Interesting. Adrian has recently said, “truck” also. They both have lots of signs and we use them all day long.

They are climbing all over the furniture, the mantle of the fireplace, up and down the stairs. We started a “feet first” campaign in our house a couple of weeks ago in order to encourage them to get off of the furniture feet first instead of head first. Both boys have recently started biting each other. Wow. That is a difficult thing to stop. They both love to hug and kiss some of their favorite stuffed animals. They love taking baths. They love getting in one of their cribs together and wrestling, bouncing around and kissing each other. We do that a couple of times per day. They are both dare devils. They slide down their little slide all of the time and learned how to do it on their own.

They love being pushed on their riding toys and walking behind their push toys. One afternoon this week they were both pushing their John Deere pedal tractor, side by side. Isaac decided he wanted to ride, so he got in the seat and Adrian pushed him. Now if they could just figure out how to steer, Mom and Papa’s backs could get a break.

Isaac shows his love for Adrian by following him around all day, copying his activities and stealing his toys. Adrian shows his love for Isaac by giggling at him and giving him lots of kisses. They are so much fun. We are lucky.

They Love Each Other . . .

2010-12-30T21:56:00.003-06:00

so much! It warms my heart. This is why I love being the mother of twins.

Take a Little Off the Top, Please

2010-12-30T20:50:00.003-06:00

Isaac got his hair cut today! He did a great job. He received a lot of attention and that is really all it takes to keep him happy. Dave ran the camcorder and I ran the camera. I was so proud.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

2010-12-28T20:51:00.010-06:00

Christmas was so wonderful this year. I loved every minute of it. The boys visited Mrs. Clause and Santa a week before Christmas. Their cousin Palmer went along as well as Grandma Oleva, Dave and myself. I didn’t know how they would like the experience but they loved it. Isaac was saying “Ho! Ho! Ho!” as soon as he saw Santa. Adrian just leaned back on Mrs. Clause and rested. It was precious. It helps that we visited the real Mr. and Mrs. Clause. I have known them for years. They are authentic.

The boys had 3 full days of Christmas. The four of us spent Christmas Eve at home. We woke up to snow and it snowed most of the day. It was magical. We took the boys outside sledding and Adrian seemed to really love it - not to mention that he was great at balancing. Isaac took a couple of fistfuls of snow into his mouth and seemed to enjoy it in the beginning, but soon decided he hated it. Grandma Oleva gave them a big fancy blow up sled for Christmas. We will try it soon.

The boys opened their presents from me and Dave Christmas night. They really didn’t understand what was happening at all. Christmas morning they got their stockings and gifts from Santa. We ate some homemade monkey bread, got dressed and headed to Grandma Oleva and Grandpa Dave’s house. We enjoyed Christmas there with my family. The boys had fun with their cousin Palmer that is 3 1/2 months younger than them.

We then spent a couple of hours in the evening with Grandpa Ron and Elaine and Great Grandpa and Grandma Kice. They received a new pedal tractor and fire truck - big hits!

Sunday morning Dave’s family came to our house and we celebrated Christmas for the third and final time. We had a great day and even visited with Dave’s sister Susan and brother in law Bill on Skype. They were with us when we opened presents. By the third day of opening presents, the boys finally figured out how to do it on their own. They were attacking presents that weren’t even their own.

They received so many new toys that we may have to add a new wing on to the house.

Adrian & Isaac visiting Mrs. Clause and Santa

12/18/10

Adrian, Palmer, Grandpa Ron & Isaac on Christmas Day

Adrian opening presents at the Briggs Family Christmas 12/26/10

Isaac opening presents at the Briggs Family Christmas 12/26/10

Me with Isaac 12/26/10

Adrian with Grandpa Briggs 12/26/10

Deb (Dave’s Sister), Dave, Adrian, Grandma Adrianna & Isaac 12/26/10

Isaac riding his new fire truck from Grandpa Ron & Elaine on Christmas

Adrian, Palmer & Isaac with Great Grandma June and Grandpa Burdett on Christmas

Adrian riding his John Deere pedal tractor from Grandpa Ron & Elaine on Christmas

Adrian with Grandma Oleva on Christmas

Isaac hugging his monkey from Uncle Jeff on Christmas

Waiting to open presents with Papa at Grandma Oleva & Grandpa Dave’s House

Isaac with his presents on Christmas

Adrian attacking the presents

Palmer (the boys’ cousin), Isaac & Adrian at Grandma Oleva’s and Grandpa Dave’s

Family Photo Christmas Morning

Isaac & Adrian Christmas morning

Isaac & Adrian opening a present from Santa Christmas morning. Look at the concentration on their faces. I love this photo.

The boys getting into their stockings Christmas morning

Papa helping the boys Christmas morning

Christmas Eve night family pajama photo

Isaac the elf

Christmas Eve at home - it snowed about 4 inches!

Adrian & Isaac’s first go at sledding on Christmas Eve. Adrian loved it. Isaac loved it for about 2 minutes.

Adrian watching the snow come down Christmas Eve morning. This is precious.

Christmas Eve Morning.

Happy First Birthday, Isaac & Adrian!

2010-11-15T20:23:00.007-06:00

Click here to see a slideshow from the birthday party!

It is mind-boggling, exciting, sad, joyous, bitter-sweet, simply unbelievable. My miracle babies were a year old on Friday, November 12. I was not prepared for the overflowing emotion this day would bring. Two years ago, Dave and I didn’t know if we would ever get to celebrate our child’s birthday. Here we are, celebrating two at the same time. We couldn’t be happier. Life couldn’t get any better. But I can’t help but feel that this first year went a little quicker than I expected. I understand that motherhood continues on like this forever.

The four of us celebrated with dinner at Ruby Tuesday Friday night. The boys did great and loved it! They were a big hit with the other diners, as well. We don’t take them to restaurants often.

Saturday, we had a huge Dr. Seuss themed birthday party at our house - my little Thing 1 and Thing 2 were in attendance. We had around 35 friends and family. Our house is now overflowing with toys. Dave and I both felt overwhelming gratitude for all of the love and support shown by our loved ones. So many people have been rooting for us for so many years and those same people continue to show support as we navigate through parenthood. We are so blessed.

Big Shoes to Fill

2010-10-27T21:05:00.005-05:00

Adrian at the Pumpkin Patch 10/16/10

Isaac with straw in his mouth at the Pumpkin Patch 10/16/10

Isaac in Papa’s shoes. 10/16/10

Halloween Jammies 10/16/10

Adrian in Papa’s shoes 10/19/10

What a great team. They are already fixing cars together. 10/25/10

10/25/10

At home (with Grandma & Grandpa Briggs), preparing to cheer Mizzou on to a victory over #1 ranked Oklahoma while Mom and Dad were at the game.

We have had a busy fall. Adrian got his first tooth on October 25 - at 11 1/2 months! It was an exciting day for us. Isaac already has 3 teeth.

The boys are pulling themselves up on everything and anything all over the house. Adrian is already graceful with getting back on his bottom. Isaac . . . not so much. He basically does the splits and then falls back on his bottom. They are walking with the support of the furniture. It is getting a little dangerous here.

Today, Grandma Oleva spent the day with the boys. She turned her head for a second and when she looked back, Isaac was doing a chin-up on the dining room table. That kid is strong - and hilarious. When you ask him where his eyes are, he blinks them and makes a funny face. If you ask where his nose is, he snorts air in and out of it while he scrunches up his face.

Adrian has been particularly loving lately. Yesterday morning, soon after the boys woke up, Adrian reach over and gave Isaac two kisses. He loves his brother so much. He will hate me someday for sharing that.

Life is good.

11 Months Old!!

2010-10-12T20:51:00.003-05:00

Adrian 10/12/10 11 Months Old

Isaac 10/12/10 11 Months Old

Partners in Crime . . . already getting into trouble together - getting into Mom’s purse 10/12/10 11 Months

Unloading the Dishwasher

10/11/10

10/4/10 10 months, 3 weeks

Isaac & Adrian are 11 months old today!!

They are both pulling themselves up to standing better every day. They cruise around the couch. They have colds right now, but we took pictures today anyway.

Isaac & Adrian migrate around the house together most of the day. They have lots of fun working on projects together - like unloading the dishwasher and Mom’s purse.

Isaac has 3 teeth and Adrian still has none. Somehow, Adrian does a better job eating solid food. Isaac would rather have a bottle or pureed baby food.

Many Firsts

2010-10-07T21:49:00.002-05:00

Isaac, cousin Palmer, Adrian before the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure

September 19, 2010

Komen Race for the Cure September 19, 2010 Columbia, MO

LtoR:Me, Dave, Travis, Jacqui, Mom (Oleva), Dave, Jeff, Tonya, Carla

Stroller row: Adrian, Isaac, Palmer

Palmer, Isaac, Adrian

Mizzou Tailgate 9/18/10

Isaac Swinging

9/14/10

10 Months

Adrian Swinging

9/14/10

10 Months

September was a month of many firsts. The boys tailgated at a Mizzou game for the first time. They also attended their first Mizzou game on September 18th. Mizzou beat San Diego State 27-7. My family also got together for our first Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in Columbia, MO. We put together a team in honor of my mom. She has been cancer free for 1 year! Yeay! I had custom pink t-shirts made for Isaac, Adrian, and their cousin, Palmer that stated “I Wear Pink for My Grandma”.

Dave and I celebrated our 8th anniversary on September 14th with take-out Mexican food and a trip to the park with the boys. Adrian loves the swings. Isaac isn’t so sure about them. For each of our anniversaries, Dave always buys me a gift that is a “traditional” gift for that year. The eighth anniversary gift is bronze and small appliances, so naturally Dave gave me a margarita maker and some bronze-looking serving dishes. Fun.

We started teaching the boys sign language a couple of months ago and it is going well. They enjoy it. They both signed “light” and “milk” right away (around 10 months). The other signs are coming slowly. We have decided that Isaac’s first official spoken word is “light”. He babbles “Mamamamama" and “Dadadada" indiscriminently, but he actually knows what “light” is when he says it.

I & A are both pulling themselves up to a standing position and cruising around the furniture just barely. They both crawl all over the house - usually side by side. One will crawl right over the other to get to a toy. They spend a lot of time stealing toys from each other. Adrian loves to walk while holding someone’s hands. His new favorite activity is kicking a ball around the house. We may have a soccer player on our hands.

1, 2, 3 Grow! 10 Months, Really??!

2010-09-12T20:47:00.004-05:00

It is so sad to see the summer wind down, but we love fall at our house, so I guess we will survive. We spent Labor Day weekend in St. Louis with our great friends Brian, Ranina, Mayson and Ryles Robinson. We ventured to the St. Louis Zoo and to a Cardinals game - two firsts for the boys. They did great with both experiences. I was quite worried about how the boys would do at the game and it went much better than I expected. The Cards beat the Reds 4-2 and we saw Holliday hit a 3 run home run. Great memories.

What’s new with the boys? So much I can’t even list it all here. The biggie is that they are both crawling. They do an army crawl with their bellies only barely getting off of the floor, but they manage to zoom very quickly all over the house. It seems like the fun is just beginning.

We already had our first incident today. Isaac loves crawling over to any furniture, cabinets, a person, etc. and getting on his back and kicking said item or individual. He has a true love for kicking anything and everything. So, this afternoon I was actually laying on the floor with both boys while he was kicking an end table that toppled and landed right on his forehead. He has a huge goose egg. Ugghh! I feel awful about it. So, the baby-proofing of the house has been stepped up a notch.

Adrian still loves to walk/run everywhere, but he still needs support from someone to do so. They have both recently started self-feeding small snack foods. That is a mess and so much fun. I am also incorporating more solid foods into their diet. It is always an adventure when we add something new. Isaac makes the most ridiculous faces when he experiences new foods. Adrian makes the most ridiculous faces for no apparent reason.

Isaac has just recently started to have some attachment issues with both Dave and myself. When we walk in the door from work, he insists upon being held and loved up. We are fine with it, but he occasionally gets upset when we put him down. It is always very short lived though. We just eliminated Isaac’s pacifier four days ago. That has been an experience. I actually thought it would be much worse. There have been a handful of fits at nap time or bedtime. I think the worst is behind us. Luckily, Adrian never took a pacifier.

Adrian is a studier. He spends a lot of time studying his environment and toys. This is why walking is so appealing to him. He has lots of areas in the house he needs to explore. He enjoys holding toys in his left hand and hitting them repeatedly with a toy that he is holding in his right hand. He always seems to be trying to figure things out. We have a thinker on our hands.

Within the last couple of weeks the boys seem to play together a lot more. They also fight over toys frequently. Adrian is definitely more tenacious than Isaac. Isaac just gives up. We have seen a few head locks and of course Isaac loves to try to kick Adrian. That doesn’t go over well with anyone. There have also been some sympathy cries from a brother here and there. They are going to have so much fun together very soon. I can’t wait!

Ranina, Brian, Ryles Robinson Dave, Adrian, Tisha, Isaac

Mayson opted out of this picture. He was tired of being photographed.

Ryles is one month younger than the twins.

9/5/10 St. Louis

The Briggs Family at the boys’ first Cards game. Many, many more to come.

9/5/10 9 Months, 3 Weeks

“Let’s Get Papa!!” and the fun begins.

9/10/10 10 Months

The boys are officially crawling - although they don’t get their bellies off the floor. This is what chases me around the house all day. I am the luckiest girl to have two handsome fellows like this on my tail. 9/9/10

Adrian & Isaac

10 Month Birthday

9/12/10

Isaac is actually taller than Adrian, but Adrian has better posture while sitting. Funny.

Happy 9 Month Birthday, Isaac & Adrian

2010-08-12T15:41:00.005-05:00

Isaac & Adrian 9 Month Birthday 8/12/10

Adrian 9 Month Birthday 8/12/10

Isaac 9 Month Birthday 8/12/10

Isaac & Adrian before swim lessons 8 1/2 Months 8/5/10

Swim Lessons 8 1/2 Months 8/5/10

I know it is hard to believe, but my babies are 9 months old today! I took the two of them to the Truman State campus for some pictures this morning. It was an adventure. Isaac had a hunk of grass and mud in his mouth in less than 1 minute. Adrian was so focused on the grass, trees, noises, etc. that he refused to look at the camera. Fun, fun.

Adrian is busy walking (while holding our hands) all over the place. That is all he wishes to do. Isaac’s hair is getting so long his Papa says he needs a haircut. I say, “No way!” We are going to try to get some curls.

We started swim lessons the first week of August and the boys both enjoy it. They kick their legs, blow bubbles and scoop their hands. It has been lots of fun. They both seem to get a lot out of it. Bath time is a lot of fun now.

Adrian & Isaac in the bath 8 1/2 Months 7/23/10

They have been taking baths together. They splash and play with toys. We were remembering back to baths when they were newborns. This is significantly less stressful. I will try to get some bathtime video up sometime.

There is still no crawling. Adrian sleeps on his tummy with his face buried in the mattress and his legs tucked up under himself with his butt sticking straight in the air. It is quite a sight. I can’t get any good pictures of it without waking him. Isaac sleeps with blankets on his head.

They keep us laughing!

My Love & Sunshine

2010-07-24T21:59:00.005-05:00

The older the boys get (they are 8 1/2 months old now), the more their differences are highlighted every day. We cherish them both for so many reasons. I am amazed by them daily. They are not yet crawling, but they roll all over the place. I am not pushing the crawling too much, because I don’t know what I will do when they go in two separate directions.

Adrian is my love. He has the most affectionate heart. Every mother loves a child that wants snuggles and kisses. He is so sweet, gentle and loving. He loves to run his fingers through my hair (without pulling it), will put his hands on my cheeks, and always wants an extra few kisses at bed time. He was the first to start giving kisses, also. Someone told me that he has an old soul. That may be true. I think he might be my sensitive son.

He recently started walking while holding our hands. The kid only weighs 15 1/2 pounds. He is a skinny baby, so it is interesting to see him cruising around on his chicken legs. He refuses to sit. He would prefer to stand, please. He thoroughly enjoys books. Dave and I think we can actually see his wheels spinning at times. He spends a lot of time studying his toys, the dog, anything new that he sees. He is a thinker, like his Papa.

Isaac is my sunshine. He is simply happy. You can count on him for a smile. It is impossible to be unhappy in his presence. He is only unhappy when extremely tired, hungry or if he doesn’t feel well. Don’t tell him I said so, but we call him our little maniac. He is a wild man. I may sound like a broken record, but his Uncle Jeffy was the same way as a baby.

He is a busy guy, also. He does not stay still for a single moment. He is constantly kicking his feet, rolling every which way on the floor, shaking his head, clapping, dancing. He has lots of interesting noises to share with us, too. He spends most of his time shrieking, babbling, blowing bubbles in his everflowing drool, clicking his tongue.

Adrian & Isaac 7/20/10 8 Months, 1 Week

Grandma Oleva reading the boys a bedtime book 7/20/10

Adrian & Isaac’s first bath together 7/23/10 8 1/2 Months

Vegas, Baby!

2010-07-24T20:40:00.003-05:00

Well, we did it. It was the first time Dave and I hopped on a jet plane and left the boys behind. We had the opportunity to go to Vegas with our friends Tim & Kellie Herbst and Darren and Alice Allinson, so we did it. We had a great time. The boys went home with Grandma Oleva for the long weekend. Grandma Oleva and Grandma Adrianna shared custody of the boys. They had a fabulous time, as did we. Everyone survived. Maybe we will do it again.

Grandma Oleva with Isaac & Adrian

First Grandma Weekend 7/8 - 7/11/10 8 Months

Dave, myself, Darren, Alice, Kellie & Tim

Me & Dave after Blue Man Group 7/9/10

Me with Alice & Kellie in front of our Hotel, the Venetian 7/9/10

Did I mention that I met Pete Rose?! 7/9/10

Busy Summer

2010-07-05T21:25:00.005-05:00

Happy Fourth of July!!

Jeff, Owen, Leigh Ann, Elsie Williams 7/4/10

We have had a busy summer and I haven’t done well keeping up with the blog. Over the Independence Day weekend, the Williams family from Lee’s Summit came to visit us. We had a great time. Jeff ran in the first annual Kirksville Marathon on Saturday, July 3. He placed second. Isaac decided to get up at 5:15 that morning and Adrian woke at 6:00. (That is a little earlier than usual.) So, I put them in the stroller and we walked out to the end of our subdivision to cheer on the dedicated runners.

Isaac & Adrian bundled up watching the Kirksville Marathon (at 6:15 am) 7/3/10

On June 26, I enjoyed a lovely afternoon with good friends at a baby shower for my great friend, Melissa Hamm. She is expecting a baby girl sometime at the end of August.

Melissa’s Baby Shower 6/26/10

Missy, Me, Melissa, Ranina & Angie (she is expecting, too!)

Me with my boys after we attended Melissa’s Shower 6/26/10

My Aunt Elaine and Cousins Paula and Michael from Phoenix came for a visit.

Cousins 6/21/10

Damian, Paula, Isaac, Michael, Adrian, Jeff

Grandma Adrianna, Grandma Oleva and Adrian walking in the Cancer Survivor’s walk at the Memphis Relay for Life

Isaac was scared by motorcycles before the walk, so I was holding him.

6/11/10

Uncle Jeffy, Isaac, me, Adrian 6/19/10

The boys enjoyed their first time in Grandma Oleva’s pool. Isaac splashed all of us the entire time. Adrian is a little more mellow. He just took it all in.

Dave with his boys on his first Father’s Day 6/20/10

Happy 7 Month Birthday, Adrian & Isaac!

2010-06-13T20:24:00.002-05:00

Adrian 6 months, 3 weeks

Isaac 7 Months

Adrian & Isaac 7 Months

Yesterday, Saturday, June 12 was the twins' 7 month birthday. I don't have time to post much more other than pictures. Adrian has been standing (with some help) a lot lately. Isaac is very close to sitting up on his own. They have both been sick over the past couple of weeks, so that hasn't been much fun. They are so much fun!

6 Months Old!

2010-05-29T21:23:00.007-05:00

Isaac and Adrian 6 months, 1 week "Go, Cards!"

Adrian 6 months

Isaac 6 months

I'm sorry that I haven't blogged lately. Summer is here, so we have been busy. We had our first family vacation to Branson. That was a 5 hour car drive that turned into a 7 hour car drive. The boys did great. We got to have lunch with some old friends, Kevin, Hilary, and Zachary. Kevin and I went to dental school together. It was great to see them and catch up. Hilary has been a huge source of support for the past 15 months.

Catching up with old friends

This picture was taken on the deck of our one-bedroom log cabin at Big Cedar Resort on Tablerock Lake in Branson.

Two Busy Boys

2010-05-07T21:25:00.005-05:00

Isaac & Adrian during tummy time 5 months, 3 weeks

Isaac 5 1/2 months

Adrian 5 months, 3 weeks

Adrian & Isaac 5 months, 3 weeks

Time continues to slip away from me. Things have been crazy at our house. Adrian is recovering from a double ear infection. He was miserable for several days, therefore, there have been some sleepless nights. The poor guy. He is feeling much better now.

We continue to add a new baby food each week. Although Adrian only weighed 12 lbs. 8 oz. at his pediatrician visit this week, he is a great eater. He loves any and all new foods, including his rice cereal, but doesn't care to have too much of the formula anymore. Some of his food doesn't have many calories, so I mix formula in with his cereal to make sure he continues to gain weight. He has long skinny arms, legs, and fingers. His eyelashes go on for miles and miles. His eyes are hazel - sometimes looking brownish, sometimes greyish, sometimes dark greenish. They are just like his daddy's. He is as sweet as apple pie. He is a lover. He loves nothing more than receiving kisses. He is very soft spoken, but talks a lot. Sometimes it seems like he is trying to sing. He is a little mores serious than his jolly brother, but when he smiles and giggles, it will melt your heart. He is great with his hands, grabbing at everything. And he doesn't let us forget that he rolled over before Isaac did. I am keeping a mental tally of the number of people that say he is too pretty to be a boy . . . Papa doesn't like that too much.

Isaac, on the other hand, could care less about the baby food and rice cereal. He makes the funniest face when he eats pears. He puckers up. But he loves those bottles of formula. Isaac hasn't been weighed at the pediatrician's office for almost 2 months, but I think he is at least 15 pounds, if not more. He has cheeks that are to die for. His eyes are as blue as the ocean. All of a sudden within the last couple of weeks, he has really started using his hands. He grabs everything and anything, including our noses, his brother's hand, Mommy's warm bowl of pasta, Mommy's glass of ice water, Papa's wiskers. He is continuing to discover his voice. He makes lots of noises as loud as he can just to hear himself. He acts just like his Uncle Jeffy (our nickname for my brother, Jeff) did at this age. He also continues to roll a lot.

The boys don't interact with each other a lot yet, but they sure know that the other one is there. Adrian spends a lot of time looking at Isaac. Isaac spends a lot of time touching Adrian. They tend to play a little longer when they are on the floor together. If they are both really tired and out of sorts, one will start crying if he hears the other crying.

The boys are so different in personality and appearance. At birth, Dave and I thought that Isaac was going to be the very dramatic child and Adrian would be laid back. Then, it seemed like Isaac was the happy go lucky child and Adrian was high strung. Now, Isaac is just plain jolly. Although Adrian is quite serious, he is so happy. They seem to go through one stage after another. We are so blessed. They are the best. How did we get so lucky?

We Are Eating Baby Food!

2010-04-21T22:19:00.003-05:00

Adrian at 5 months Sometimes he makes the funniest faces.

Papa and Isaac at 5 months

Adrian and his green bean mess 5 months

Isaac is so jolly even eating his green beans 5 months

Isaac and Adrian started eating oatmeal cereal the first week of April, at the age of 4 1/2 months. At 5 months, we started them on baby food! The first food was green beans. What a mess! Adrian LOVES it. Isaac tolerates it to satisfy his Mommy and Papa. This week we started on carrots. They both love the carrots. What an adventure!

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Adrian & Isaac

2010-04-12T09:00:00.004-05:00

Adrian & Isaac 4/12/10 5 Months Old

Isaac

Adrian

I can't believe they are 5 months old today. Time keeps speeding by. They are eating green beans now! Adrian loves them - can't get enough. Isaac is eating them just to please Mommy and Papa. So, perhaps the green beans will help Adrian catch up in size. I think that is his master plan. With the weather being so great, we have been going on lots of walks. They boys usually just fall asleep in the stroller. I can't wait until it gets warm enough to put up a little kiddie pool in the backyard. Summer is going to be great!

Happy Easter (& More)

2010-04-07T21:16:00.003-05:00

Adrian & Isaac's First Easter April 2010

Ike-Man April 4, 2010

Adrian fell asleep while sitting on Mommy's lap. April 2, 2010

We had a great Easter with family. Isaac and Adrian stayed with Grandma Oleva all day Saturday and spent the night. They are quite popular. Everyone swarms to her house when they are there. Aunt Tonya and Palmer visited, Grandpa Ron, Aunt Carla. They are not lacking attention.

They got up earlier than usual to go to Easter sunrise church services with Grandma Oleva, Grandpa Dave and his entire family. We had lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Briggs' house and an evening meal at Grandma Oleva's. We put together Easter baskets for the boys - just so we could take pictures of them with the baskets. They got lots of toys from Aunt Tonya, Aunt Carla and Grandpa Ron. Grandma Oleva gave them candy. Go figure. Next year will be so much fun. They will be old enough that the Easter Bunny will come for a visit.

I must sound like a broken record when I continually post that the boys are changing constantly. They will be 5 months old next week. I can't believe it. They are both eating cereal now. We are going to add vegetables this week. They still sleep together in the same crib. It is so sweet the way they snuggle up together when sleeping. Lately they have been sleeping nose to nose. They go to be between 7:30 and 8:00 every night and sleep at least 10 hours. I am such a lucky mommy.

They are starting to notice that the other one is there during play time. Isaac likes to put his hand on Adrian's head. From time to time they turn and stare at each other. Adrian just started kicking his legs a lot more during the past week. It makes him so happy to kick. He can keep up with Isaac now. I think they are training for a 5K. They sure burn the calories when they kick. Isaac is very close to sitting up on his own and from time to time he acts like he wants to hold his bottle.

Adrian continues to roll over. He rolled from his tummy to his back for the first time today. He usually only rolls from back to tummy. I think he will crawl first and Isaac will walk first. Isaac appears to have no interest in rolling over. They love books and music.

Isaac's reddish hair is falling out and he is slowly starting to get new hair. It is either dark blond or brown. It is hard to tell. Adrian continues to get more hair - it is dark brown. It has been so cute to see his eyebrows get darker and darker. Isaac has bright blue eyes and Adrian's are hazel/grey. From a distance and in a lot of his pictures, Adrian's eyes look brown, but he has his Papa's eyes. At any rate, they both have gorgeous eyes.

I think Adrian looks a lot like his Papa (Dave). I have just recently heard from several people, that they think he looks like me. Sometimes I feel like I took a time machine back twenty years when I look at Isaac. He is so much like his Uncle Jeffy was at the same age (that is the twins' nickname for my brother, Jeff). Isaac talks and giggles like Jeff did. He also kicks and smiles like him. It gives me a daily case of deja vu. I think Isaac's Uncle Jeffy is proud.

Thanks for reading. More adventures to come.

Gratitude

2010-04-02T20:53:00.005-05:00

It's been a while since I have gone to that deep, introspective place on this blog. I am sure that you all (3 of you that read this) have missed it. I have recently been thinking a lot about the gift of motherhood. I believe that Good Friday is a great day to express my overwhelming feelings of gratitude (to a higher power) that I have been given the privilege of being a mother. Is there really anything better than motherhood? Ok, so if I were a rock star mother - like Gwen Stefani or Sheryl Crow, that would be better.

Anyway, Isaac and Adrian are simply the best gift that God has given me. I know . . . I do share them with Dave. He thinks fatherhood is pretty cool, too. But I think I am the winner. To steal the words of E.E. Cummings, "I carry [their] heart with me. I carry it in my heart". I have heard many people say that you can't understand the love that your parents have for you until you have your own children. Well, it's true.

It is an amazing joy to see my beautiful boys transform daily before my own eyes. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for them. They also carry my heart with them.

March Madness

2010-03-26T15:55:00.002-05:00

Adrian & Isaac on St. Patrick's Day 4 Months

Adrian on his 4 Month Birthday

Isaac claiming his major. Ha. Ha. 4 months

March has been a fantastic month of many firsts. We had our first family trip out of town last week. We left Thursday night, March 18, to head to Kansas City for the weekend. While we were there, a huge snow storm blew in and dumped about 6 inches. I had a dental conference and the opportunity to meet up with lots of old friends. We stayed in a hotel and the boys did great. We did some shopping and several meals in restaurants. They had a couple of meltdowns, but overall the trip went better than I expected. I & A had their first ride in their stroller and first trip to a mall while we were in Kansas City. They did great with all of it.

Adrian rolled over for the first time this past Tuesday the 23rd. Once he gets on his tummy, he is mad as hell. He has never enjoyed tummy time. Since Tuesday, he just keeps rolling over. On Tuesday, we took our first walk around the neighborhood with the stroller. The weather was finally nice enough to get out and socialize with the neighbors. We are looking forward to more days out and about throughout the spring.

The boys are continuing to change so drastically. Isaac spends a lot of time babbling and kicking. He just loves to lay on the floor or in his crib and kick his feet. He is very close to sitting up on his own, too. Adrian is still obsessed with his hands. He loves to look at his left hand and both boys are grabbing for toys now. It seems as though both of them have already started the teething process - lots of drool and chewing on fingers and toys. Adrian is such a snuggler. He absolutely loves getting kisses. His hair is starting to grown in a little thicker (finally). He is so cute with his dark eyebrows.

Life is always an adventure with Isaac and Adrian. It seems like it just keeps getting better and better!

It's Our Four Month Birthday

2010-03-12T23:31:00.004-06:00

Isaac and Adrian are four months old today! This is their four month birthday picture.

The boys have a new cousin. His name is Palmer. He was born on Tuesday, March 2nd. He is my sister Tonya's son. I can only imagine what kind of trouble these three boys are going to get into in the future. It will be so much fun!

It's amazing how big I & A look next to a newborn. It makes me happy and sad all at the same time. I am happy that they have gotten so big considering they had such an early and difficult start in this world. It makes me sad, because my babies are already growing up too quickly. I guess that is the story of motherhood. You gotta love it!

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T11:47:00.003-06:00

Isaac and Adrian would like to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day.

The boys were 3 months old on Friday the 12th. It is hard to believe that they have been with us for that long.

The boys' first wedding 2/6/10

They both sleep in the same crib and we swaddle them to get them to sleep better. It works. They have been sleeping through the night for a few weeks. Anyway, we lay them about a foot apart and by morning time, they usually are touching each other. This picture is one example. They must realize that the other one is there and I believe they might be communicating with each other. So sweet.

Back to Work

2010-02-05T11:01:00.004-06:00

Isaac 1/23/10

Adrian 1/24/10

Brotherly Love 1/25/10

Big Boys 1/30/10

As of Monday, February 1st, I am a working mom. It is a new phase of my life. It is probably going to be one of the longest phases of my life. It will also be a time filled with guilt. Ugh! In my case, I was looking forward to going back to work somewhat. I love my job - a fact that I truly realized when I was gone for 3 1/2 months. I missed my co-workers and patients. I missed getting out of the house once in a while. I missed adult conversations. But, one thing trumps all of those things - I miss my boys when I am at work. So, that will be the ever-present theme for the next 18 years.

Oh, well. That is life. I am working three days a week. I think it is going to be a perfect balance between my career and my boys. I'll keep you updated.

Isaac and Adrian were 12 weeks old yesterday. They are doing fantastic. I think Adrian is determined to pass Isaac up in the weight department. He has been eating a lot. They are constantly changing. They are smiling a lot more, holding their heads up more, talking and cooing more. It is getting more and more fun all of the time. They have already spent the night at Grandma Oleva's house twice. Life is good!

We are Two Months Old!!

2010-01-19T20:28:00.003-06:00

Isaac & Adrian 1/12/10 We are two months old today!!

1/12/10 Adrian "Aren't I so cute?!"

Isaac 1/12/10 "How you doin'?"

Isaac & Adrian 2 Months Old 1/12/10

Isaac & Adrian turned two months old on Tuesday, January 12th. It is hard to believe that they are already that old. They are changing so rapidly. Isaac can hold up his entire upper body and is smiling often. Adrian is now wearing clothes that were too big for Isaac when we came home from the hospital. I think he is bound and determined to catch up to his brother soon. Adrian gave us his first voluntary smile on Sunday the 17th.

Here are a few fast facts about the boys that I hope I never forget: Isaac loves to look up at our recessed lights. He spends a lot of his time with his head tilted back looking at the ceiling when we hold him. Adrian sleeps with his arms in the air. Adrian has the sweetest, most angelic face. I tell Dave that Adrian is too pretty to be a boy and he (of course) hates that. Everyone is always telling us how much Isaac looks like his uncle Jeff when he was a baby.

I have so much more to share, but so little time. I will attach photos instead.

Tiny Miracles

2009-12-15T20:52:00.005-06:00

Isaac & Adrian on April 4, 2009

Isaac Adrian on December 1, 2009

Isaac & Adrian on December 12, 2009

I meant to post a blog on Saturday, December 12, Adrian and Isaac's one month birthday, but, as you can imagine, it has been hard to find the time to blog. Even though our boys have been with us for a month, it still seems like a dream at times. They are such miracles. I found myself thinking about the little embryos that we met on April 4. When I remember back to that day, the feelings of excitement, anticipation and fear come rushing back. I wondered if those little embryos would one day be our child/children. I wondered if they would be healthy. I wondered what they would look like. I wondered what it would feel like to finally be a mom. The dream came true.

They have changed so much during their first month of life. Isaac started out weighing 5 lbs. 12 oz. and now weighs 7 lbs. 7 oz. Adrian began at 4 lbs. 2 oz and now weighs 5 lbs. 9 oz. They are getting so big. Adrian's hair on the top of his head is thinning out and getting lighter. Isaac's hair is just as thick and long as ever. Although it is blond, it is starting to get a reddish tint. Isaac is lifting his head frequently and turning it from side to side. He makes little smirks from time to time. He will look directly into our eyes when we talk to him. Adrian just started lifting his head last week. He still has the most beautiful big, dark eyes. For the past week, they have only been waking us once in the night to eat. They are such great babies. We are so, so blessed.

Keeping Our Heads Above Water

2009-12-03T11:23:00.003-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted anything on the blog. I just wanted to quickly jump on here (in between feedings) to say that the boys are doing great. Dave went back to work on Monday and his mom, Adrianna, helped me with the boys Monday, Tuesday, and yesterday. But I decided to try to get through today all by myself. It is 11:25 and I haven't brushed my teeth, showered, or changed out of my pajamas, but Isaac and Adrian have been fed twice, changed into new outfits, and I even lotioned them up. So, I am okay with my hygiene taking a back seat to theirs.

I thought I would write a few tidbits about each of my beautiful boys. I am doing this more for myself - so I don't forget. Isaac is gaining weight rapidly. He eats well. He tends to be a little bit of a drama queen. If he is hungry or has a dirty diaper, we find out about it quickly. He even started screaming a little bit. I think it is cute. He has so much beautiful blond hair. It is already longer than his ears. I am wondering how soon he will need a haircut. His complexion is perfect, too. Isaac's eyes are a beautiful dark blue. He has already acquired three nicknames: Mr. Sunshine, Ike, Snoozie Bear.

Adrian is our little comedian. It isn't intentional, though. He makes the most hilarious facial expressions all day long. He tends to furrow his brow often, pucker up his lips and his skin gets so red when he gets angry. He is such a sweetie. He doesn't cry much at all, except during diaper changes and at 1:30 in the morning - of course. He really loves to have his hair washed during his baths, but hates to have anything else washed. He also has the biggest beautiful eyes. We still can't tell what color they are. They look like a dark hazel/grey. Adrian's hair is starting to thin a little and it was very dark at birth, but also appears to be lightening up. His nicknames are: Moon Beam, Ace, Snuggly Bear.

We took the boys to the pediatrician Monday, Nov. 30 and they both gained 4 ounces in one week. Adrian weighed 4 lbs. 9 oz. and Isaac weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz. They are doing great with the nursing and we are supplementing their feedings with special formula made for preemies.

I still feel so blessed (even with so little sleep) to have been given this gift. Sometimes I just look at them and I fill up with tears, because I am so happy. The only sad thing about being a parent is that I can tell that they are already changing and I don't want that to happen so quickly. I know I should prepare myself for rapid changes in the future.

Home! Home! Home!

2009-11-24T22:26:00.002-06:00

We made it home today!!! We left Columbia at about 12:45 and ended up spending 57 minutes in the Burger King parking lot in Moberly feeding two hungry babies and changing two very poopy diapers. But, we did make it home and both boys have had a bath. Gary & Adrianna were waiting at the house for us with a wonderful homemade meal. All is well.

We Are Going Home Tomorrow

2009-11-23T10:08:00.003-06:00

HALLELUJAH!!! We just found out this morning that we will most likely go home tomorrow morning. We have to complete hearing screenings, circumcisions, Hep B vaccines, shots to prevent RSV, parent education and then we room-in at the hospital with the boys tonight.

We are so excited to finally go home. It has felt for the last few days like we have been held hostage in this place - mainly because Adrian & Isaac have been doing so well. It just got to the point that it seemed unnecessary for them to be here. I feel like Dave and I can do a better job taking care of them at home.

Both boys were moved to open cribs yesterday and they both did a fantastic job maintaining their temperatures. They have been eating like little champs. Adrian is Dr. Sherman's little superstar. I think Dr. Sherman likes to cheer for the underdog.

By the way, I was reminded of some details that we have left out. We have been staying at the Ronald McDonald house this entire time. It has been nice. Also, we never mentioned the boys' full names: Adrian Elijah Briggs and Isaac Gabriel Briggs.

Going Home Soon

2009-11-22T10:46:00.003-06:00

Another big day today. Adrian and Isaac both moved out of incubators and into open beds. This was the last big hurdle to getting them home. Now they just have to continue to maintain their temperatures and continue to gain weight and we can all go home. It will be nice to get home and sleep in our own bed. The Ronald McDonald House is a nice place to visit, but we are ready to let some other parents have our room.

If all goes as planned from here, Dr. Sherman says the boys will be discharged Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest. Now Mom & Dad have to watch some videos and do our part to meet with the discharge requirements.

It definitely looks like we will be home for Thanksgiving.

2009-11-21T19:15:00.002-06:00

Today has been an eventful one. Adrian has surpassed the body temperature regulation minimums and is supposed to graduate from the incubator to an open bed this evening. The only issue is that there may not be an open bed available for him to move into - there are a lot of babies in the NICU right now. That is a little frustrating.

Also, his NG feeding tube was removed today and he was changed to all breast/bottle feedings. He has done fantastic. Now neither boy has a feeding tube. Isaac and Adrian both developed a little bit of irritation on their bottoms over night (while Mom and Dad were gone). I wonder if the night nurse left them sitting in poopy diapers for a little too long. Maybe I am just a little paranoid.

One concern that came up today is Isaac's tummy, he has been having some issues. Dr. Sherman ran some tests, including a belly x-ray and some blood work to see if anything comes back abnormal. Poor guy. He acts like a perfectly healthy baby, so we are expecting all tests to come back negative. Isaac continued to nurse very well today. He is a hungry boy.

Dr. Sherman again said today that if everything turns out fine with Isaac, we will be home by THANKSGIVING.

More Great News

2009-11-20T15:37:00.002-06:00

We have lots of good news today. Isaac's NG tube was removed - by him. Dr. Sherman, the neonatologist, wanted to remove it at his 11:00 am feeding, so Isaac went ahead and pulled it out while Dave and I went to eat some breakfast around 9:30 this morning. It was the third time that he had pulled his tube out. Anyway, this means that all of his feedings are now breast or bottle. This is a huge victory.

Adrian is still doing great. He is still alternating two breast/bottle feedings with one NG (tube) feeding. Maybe he can get his tube out tomorrow. Dr. Sherman had a conversation with Dave and me this morning about the last few things that need to be done before we go home. He also told us that it looks like we will be home before Thanksgiving!!! Of course, it is all up to the boys.

I think they would send Isaac home tomorrow, but Adrian is lagging behind a day or two. I think it is funny that this is the case, because Dr. Sherman tends to favor Adrian and thinks he is a superstar for his tiny little size. He keeps bragging about how well he is doing with his feedings, temperature, etc.

Both boys are still in their incubators, but they are regulating their temperatures well. I foresee that they will be in open beds in the next day or two. Adrian tends to run a little warm because he has a high blood volume for his small size. Dr. Sherman said that he believes he wasn't getting everything he needed from his placenta during my pregnancy. This has led to his small size. Therefore, his body produced a lot of extra blood in order for him to get all of the oxygen he needed. This is also why his head is close to normal size, he is normal length, but he has no fat on his body. All of his energy in the womb went to brain development.

Last night, Isaac was almost up to his birth weight. He weighed 5 lbs. 11 oz. His birth weight was 5 lbs. 12 oz. Adrian weighed 4 lbs. 2 oz at birth and he weighed 4 lbs. 1 oz last night. They are doing fantastic. Adrian gains 1 - 2 ounces every day. We will keep you posted.

I'd Do It All Over Again

2009-11-19T10:33:00.003-06:00

I am feeling a little reflective on the one-week birthday of my beautiful baby boys. This morning, I got an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for the gift that I have been given. It was a long road to get Adrian and Isaac, but I would go through every bit of it again. They are perfect. I never knew I could love like this. I have so many hopes and dreams for them. I am so glad that Dave and I never gave up. We struggled through trying to get pregnant for 3 years, spent thousands and thousands of dollars and shed millions of tears on fertility treatments, and we both suffered through a very difficult pregnancy and an even worse birth. I am glad that we thought it would be worth it. I guess I never realized the reward would be so great. I feel like we are the two most blessed people on earth.

Big Break Tuesday

2009-11-18T09:23:00.003-06:00

We had a very good day yesterday (Tuesday the 17th), both boys started real breastfeeding. The boys are still in Level 2 NICU. It is home to healthier babies which require less care than Level 3 where we started out.

Isaac has had some issues with stomach irritation from his NG tube, so we are really hoping to get him off of it soon. Adrian is doing very well with his breast feeding and is actually a little ahead of brother on digestion. His feedings will be increased again today.

Other than feeding and gaining some weight, the boys also need to be able to regulate their own body temperature before they can go home. Again, surprisingly since he has zero body fat, Adrian is a little bit ahead of Isaac. Both boys are still in their incubators to help with body temperature. They are still being monitored for their respiration and heart rate, but the other monitors are off and they no longer have IV's.

Both boys are gaining weight, Adrian is gaining about 2 ounces per day and is back up to 3 pounds 15 ounces. Isaac is almost back to his birth weight, he weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces last night (Tuesday).

Although visitation is very restricted Grandma Oleva and Grandpa & Grandma Briggs have each been to visit twice. Uncle Jeffie got to see the boys on Thursday, but has been sick and not allowed back in. We were happy to have lunch with our friend, Leigh Ann Williams, her kids Owen & Elsie, and her mom Susan yesterday. It has been great to have visitors.

Life is Good

2009-11-15T16:16:00.002-06:00

I have so much to report that I couldn't possibly know where to begin, so my post may be all over the place. Today has been a fantastic day, but let me start with yesterday. I (Tisha) arrived in Columbia Saturday, November 14 with my mom after I was released from Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville. As yo probably know, I had a surprise C-section Thursday morning. Dave has been in Columbia since early Thursday afternoon. He made it down just a few hours after Isaac and Adrian arrived in Columbia. In case it wasn't clear in the earlier posts, the boys are at Columbia Regional Hospital in the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Unfortunately for everyone else, Dave and I are the only ones allowed to hold the boys. Visitation is very limited due to the hospital regulations for illness prevention in the NICU babies. Only 2 visitors per patient are allowed other than the parents. Grandma Oleva and Grandma and Grandpa Briggs have all seen the boys as has Uncle Jeffie.

Yesterday I was able to hold Adrian for the first time. His condition at birth did not allow me to hold him before he was transferred to Columbia. It was a very emotional moment for both of us. Hallelujah!! Of course, I was able to hold Isaac, too. They are both absolutely perfect and I am not biased at all. The most fantastic news is that they are brilliant preemies. They were both able to nurse yesterday and they have both done the same again once today. They are doing this while being fed through a naso-gastric (NG) tube. Unfortunately they have to have a little formula until they can get enough milk from me.

They are both so very healthy. We were just given the news that both boys will no longer need their IVs this evening and they will be moved from the Level III NICU to the Level II NICU. Being in the Level II NICU means that they require less care and are one step closer to getting home. There has been no indication of a time frame in which we can take them home at this point.

There is a bit of concern that they may have some jaundice. That will be checked again tomorrow. Once they get the hang of feeding and we figure out the jaundice situation, they may get to go home, assuming all else continues to go well. We will keep you posted.

Meet Isaac and Adrian

2009-11-13T11:38:00.007-06:00

Well, Mom finally did it. Our twin boys, Adrian and Isaac were born yesterday, Nov. 12. Tisha's water broke around 6:30 in the morning. We called the doctor and were advised to go to the ER in Kirksville because of the amount of blood. We rushed to NRMC and checked in. Thankfully our good friend Sonya was working. It was a real comfort to have someone we knew and trusted there to help us through. It turns out one of the placentas had partially abrupted and a c-section was necessary. Dr. Boling performed the surgery and Isaac was born at 8:05 and Adrian was born at 8:06. Because they were premature and their chest x-rays were a little hazy, they were transferred to the NICU at Columbia Regional. The boys took a helicopter ride to Columbia and arrived in good shape. Isaac slept the entire flight and Adrian kicked his brother the whole way. By the time they got to Columbia, Adrian was off his oxygen by the time they got to Columbia. Mom is still in Kirksville at NRMC, and the boys are both stable and doing well in the NICU. Hopefully Mom will join us in Columbia on Saturday.

34 Week OB appointment

2009-11-10T20:33:00.004-06:00

Tish isn't feeling too well lately, so you get an update from me for week 34. Tish has been having lots of contractions and is feeling very nauseous the last couple of days. We've called the on-call line a few times to make sure we did not need to go in. Since Tish and the boys had appointments with Dr. Grant and Dr. Morse today, we waited and went to the regularly scheduled appointment. The boys had their biophysical profiles determined and were measured. Both boys scored 10 of 10 although A gave us a bit of a scare. Baby A weighed in at 4 pounds, 6 ounces and B weighed 5 pounds 12 ounces. Both are doing fine, but we are going back Thursday for another check to make sure Baby A is doing ok. He is now in a breech position and has developed a slight problem with his umbilical artery which will require some increased monitoring. I have no idea how he managed to find the room to flip over, but he did. Since we have to keep a close watch on his cord, from here on out, the monitoring is upped to twice a week. The doctors want Tish to hold on a couple more weeks, but I think these babies are coming soon. We'll keep everyone updated.

32 Week Update

2009-10-30T20:51:00.004-05:00

I was 32 weeks pregnant last Monday, October 26. I realized I haven't shared any ultrasound photos or belly bump photos for a while, so I am writing a quick post to attach some photos.

I officially quit seeing patients in my dental practice last Friday, October 23. I have been spending a lot of time at home . . . doing a lot of nothing. I am bored. So, if anyone wants to come and hang out with me, just give me a call.

I am continuing to see my Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, Dr. Grant, and my OB, Dr. Morse, every Tuesday in Columbia. Dr. Grant completes a biophysical profile on the boys (a detailed ultrasound with fetal heart rate monitoring) weekly and then I see Dr. Morse. Everything is going well. Both boys have had a perfect score on every biophysical profile.

The only concern is that Baby B is a lot bigger than Baby A. It actually is not much of a concern because Baby A is in normal range for size. If Baby A were really small and Baby B were very large, it would definitely be more of a concern.

Baby A hasn't cooperated for good ultrasound pictures of his face during the last two sessions, so there are no great recent pictures of his face. We did get to see some hair on his head this week and last. The ultrasound tech says that probably means he is blond.

Baby A 30 Weeks 10/13/09

Baby A Hair 31 Weeks 10/21/09

Baby B 32 Weeks Sucking on his Cord 10/27/09

Baby B 32 Weeks 10/27/09

I thought I would post some comparison pictures of my pregnancy progress. I can't believe how much has changed!

14 Weeks 6/22/09

20 Weeks 8/3/09

26 Weeks 9/14/09

32 Weeks 10/26/09

OLEVA KICKED CANCER'S BUTT!!

2009-10-23T14:59:00.004-05:00

On Saturday, October 17, twenty-one people gathered at Keith's Cafe in Memphis to celebrate a very momentous occasion. My mom, Oleva, finished all of her breast cancer treatments on Wednesday, October 14!

This all started with a mammogram in December 2008. She had a biopsy completed on January 27, 2009. She had another surgery on March 1, 2009 and we learned on March 10, 2009 that she was diagnosed with Stage III Metastatic Ductal Cell Carcinoma of the left breast. Her first chemo treatment was March 31, 2009 and her last radiation treatment was October 14, 2009. What a long journey. It was not an easy one, but she made it!!!

She had a follow-up appointment this past Tuesday, October 20, with her oncologist, Dr. Perry, at Ellis Fischel in Columbia. They did some blood work, checked out the blood clots and swelling in her leg, and examined the burns on her skin from the radiation. She will be taking Coumadin forever (unfortunately) and another medication that will be determined based on her blood work. This other medication will also be taken forever. It will be a hormone to help prevent the return of cancer. Because of her clotting disorders, it is apparently difficult to find the correct medication that will not increase the possibility of her getting future blood clots.

So far, everything is going great. She spent Wednesday afternoon and evening doing yard work - something she enjoys. She is already starting to feel better, but still frustrated with the swelling in her leg. Dr. Perry explained to her that it could take up to a year for the swelling to subside. She is also still having some pain from the radiation treatments. Dr. Perry said that she should be back to new in a month or so.

Mom sent a nice note to her supporters. I want to share it with you.

I'm a Breast Cancer Survivor

I thought I would forward a quick note to those that thought of me during my trials and tribulations.

The above says it all! Although I thought at times I would never get through this, as of October 14, 2009, I have completed all the chemo and radiation required to state that I am a survivor.

I cannot express enough gratitude to family, co-workers, friends and Dave. Even if it was just a phone call or you stopped by, I appreciated your concern.

I completed 20 weeks of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiation. Now, it is just a matter of wait and see. As far as we are concerned, I am considered cancer free. There will be blood tests, scans and more pills than I care to think about, but I think the hard part is behind us.

I have a great future planned with Dave and with the expected arrival of three new grandbabies within the next five months, God has blessed me. I intend to live life to the fullest!

Again, thank you and I hope you are all as blessed as I feel that I am.

-Oleva

Size Discrepancy

2009-10-21T20:05:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to write a very quick post. I have a million things to blog about, but they will have to wait until later. One very exciting bit of news to share is that MY MOM IS FINISHED WITH ALL OF HER CANCER TREATMENTS!! She is doing well. I will follow up on this soon. Also, I am done seeing patients at work as of this upcoming Friday morning. I saw a few on Monday and will see just one on Friday and that is it!

I have been seeing my OB, Dr. Morse, weekly since September 29 for ultrasounds, fetal heart rate monitoring, etc. They call these appointments a biophysical profile. They do not measure the size of the babies at each of these appointments. They do that every third week. My over-achieving boys have scored a perfect score on all of their biophysical profiles.

Yesterday, there was a bit of concern. Baby B measured 4 pounds 5 ounces and Baby A measured 3 pounds 5 ounces. That put Baby B in the 77%ile and Baby A in the 32%ile for overall size. That is a bigger size discrepancy than my doctor was comfortable with, so she sent me back to see Dr. Grant, the maternal fetal medicine specialist.

I saw Dr. Grant today and he completed another biophysical profile with an ultrasound and both of the boys scored perfectly again. The size discrepancy was very similar to yesterday. There is a 19% difference in there size. He says he gets concerned when there is a 20% or more difference in their size. Dr. Grant also checked the blood flow through the umbilical cord of both babies and that looked good. That was actually a relief, because there was a little concern on Dr. Morse's part that there could have been some clotting in Baby A's cord (or maybe it was placenta?) affecting his growth.

Dr. Grant thinks that we just have one really big baby and one slightly small baby. He wants to keep a close watch on them, so I will be seeing him weekly as well as Dr. Morse weekly. I will continue with weekly ultrasounds, biophysical profiles with Dr. Grant and then Dr. Morse will look over the results. My next appointment is Tuesday, October 27.

Just a side note: we got to see hair on Baby A's head. It was so sweet.

Oh My Goodness . . . So Much To Do

2009-10-05T19:55:00.002-05:00

I am starting to enter the "freak out zone". I don't exactly know what the "freak out zone" is, but it is making me a little anxious - I mean a LOT anxious. I am officially 29 weeks pregnant today. Yeay! I am so torn between desperately wanting to meet my baby boys and being completely terrified that I am not ready for them to get here.

Here is a short list of my worries:

I have no idea how to nurse two babies. How are we going to work out that schedule?
I so desperately want them to be healthy with limited or no time in the NICU. I want them to stay in my belly as long as possible.
Where are they going to sleep when they come home? Our nursery furniture is not here yet.
How do I know what they want, need? Are they eating enough? Can we keep them alive?
Will I ever sleep again?
When should I stop working? Am I doing too much (physically) right now?
Perhaps this should be at the top of the list. Will I be a good mom?
I haven't decided on a name yet. Dave has his ready to go.

Here is a short list of the reasons I can't wait to get them here:

I can't wait to see their beautiful faces. What do they look like?
What will their personalities be like? Will one be like me (Type A, perfectionist) and one be like Dave (laid back, an intellectual book worm)?
I have been waiting so long to meet them. It is painful that I have to wait another day. Time moves the slowest during pregnancy.
I can't wait to shower them with love, kisses, cuddles. I have so much that I want to teach them.
Have you seen my belly? It is HUGE! How could it possibly get bigger? Is it possible that I could actually get more uncomfortable than I am right now? Wait a minute . . . how am I still working?

Saturday, Dave and I attended an all-day child birth class. It contributed to both of the above lists. On the way home Saturday and once we got home, I was having several Braxton Hicks contractions. Dave frantically threw together my hospital bag. We both realized that if we had to rush to Columbia in a hurry that we are not ready. So, now my bag is somewhat packed.

I debated whether or not to share this on the blog, but I had some testing completed by a maternal fetal medicine specialist, Dr. Grant, a couple of weeks ago and I got some bad news. In addition to testing positive for a Prothrombin Gene Mutation (Factor II), I also have two additional blood clotting disorders: Factor V Leiden mutation and elevated Plasminogen Activator Inhibitors (PAI).

I know - it is all Greek to me, too. To simplify, these disorders are referred to as thrombophilias. It means that I have a very elevated risk at developing a blood clot at any time. Blood clots, of course, may lead to severe pregnancy complications, stroke, pulmonary embolism . . . It is fairly rare to have one of these disorders. I think it is pretty much unheard of to have three. Who knows how I got so special.

Dr. Grant also informed me that my levels of C Reactive Protein were through the roof. To summarize this, it means that I have a lot of inflammation in my body. This can lead to heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, periodontal disease and the list goes on. Dr. Grant has doubled my dosage of daily heparin. He also added Vitamin D to my daily regimen of prenatal vitamins, folic acid, fish oil, and baby aspirin. I am currently having weekly OB appointments with ultrasounds and non-stress tests.

Despite all of this, I have had no serious pregnancy complications. Everything seems to be going great. The boys got a perfect score on the non-stress test last week. I want things to stay that way.

OLEVA REPORT

This is long overdue. Mom was supposed to be finished with radiation today, but she was having some serious pain, peeling of her skin, and bleeding. So, last week, her radiologist decided that she should take a week off from the radiation. She stayed home from work and any place public all last week. She started radiation again today. She will do radiation today, tomorrow and Wednesday and then again Monday - Wednesday next week and then it will all be done!!!

The radiation is causing some severe pain, bleeding, burning of her skin. She is also extremely fatigued following her treatments. It is difficult for her to stay awake on her car ride home following radiation. So, today, she had lunch at my house and then rested for a while before going home. I know that she can't wait for this to be done and I am so excited that it is almost over. I can't even imagine what she is going through right now.

3D/4D Ultrasound at 27 Weeks

2009-09-22T19:29:00.007-05:00

Today, Dave and I traveled to Columbia with my mother-in-law, Adrianna, and my father-in-law, Gary. We had a 3D/4D ultrasound. It was amazing. We got an amazing look at both boys. I was overwhelmed with emotion to see how perfect they both were. I feel as though Dave and I are so blessed to have these little miracle babies on the way. We couldn't ask for anything more. We are so lucky.

We all agreed that it appears as though the boys look quite a bit different. They seem to have different facial structures. Baby A has a very broad nose and a heart-shaped face. Baby B has an oval shaped-face. It was difficult to get good pictures of Baby B because he kept his hands in front of his face and Baby A's spine and butt were also in Baby B's face half of the time. We came home with a disc that has 75 pictures and video clips. I am sharing some of the best with you.

Baby B 3D Ultrasound 9/22/09 27 Weeks

Baby B with his hand in front of his face. 3D Ultrasound 9/22/09 27 Weeks

Baby B 3D Ultrasound 9/22/09 27 Weeks

Baby B with his hands in front of his face 3D Ultrasound 9/22/09 27 Weeks

Baby B

Baby B Profile

Baby A Smiling 3D Ultrasound 9/22/09 27 Weeks

Baby A

The label says Baby B, but this is actually Baby A

These are short videos that you can play. The first and third are Baby A. The second and fourth are Baby B.

Baby Shower Weekend

2009-09-21T20:14:00.011-05:00

On Saturday, we celebrated the approaching arrival of Baby Boys Briggs at my baby shower. It was held at the Kirksville Country Club. There were so many friends and family there to celebrate. I have such thoughtful friends that went out of their way to make it so very special. How do I express my gratitude to so many people for making my baby shower such a special event? That is not a rhetorical question. I don't know how to make each of you know how special it was for me. I am fairly certain that you will never know. We received so many wonderful gifts. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I will never forget it.

This is me with my mom, Oleva, and my mother-in-law, Adrianna. They are both so excited to meet their grandsons.

This is me with the Great-Grandmas-to-Be, my grandmothers, June & Roberta.

These are the wonderful girls that made it all happen! They made homemade invitations and thank-you cards, elaborate centerpieces, homemade mints, put together an awesome theme - just to mention a few things. I have no idea how much went into the preparation for the shower. From L to R: Missy Monroe, Davye Heine, Ranina & Mayson Robinson, myself, Melissa Hamm & Angie Wentworth

I love you guys! You brought tears to my eyes.

These are my awesome friends that spent the weekend with me. This picture was taken at my house before the shower. From L to R: Ellen Berry, Leigh Ann Williams, Nisha Fisher and my large self. Ellen & Leigh Ann came all of the way from Kansas City and Nisha flew in from Boston. Leigh Ann & Nisha make up my Momtourage. I have learned so much from you. You all made my weekend so special. Thanks for giving me a little more "girl time" before the babies arrive. I love you tons!

Grandma June, my sister Tonya, my mom's friend Cindy, Mom, my aunt Carla.

Dave's sister, Debbie, Adrianna, and Adrianna's friend, Edna

The delicious cake

The centerpieces

This is the most embarrassing belly bump buddy picture that I have taken to date. In case you were wondering - yes, Ranina is pregnant. I know it is hard to tell. Let me explain. Ranina is due THE EXACT SAME DAY that I am - December 21. We are a couple days short of being 27 weeks in this picture. She is expecting her second boy. I am so excited for her, but I do curse at her in private . . . under my breath.

This is me sitting in the nursery with all of the amazing gifts that we received after the shower. It was a bit overwhelming. We received some great stuff.

Dave washed all of the baby clothes and blankets on Sunday. Today at lunch, he sorted out all of the socks and counted 56 pair.

24 Week Ultrasound Pictures & Painted Nursery

2009-09-07T14:51:00.005-05:00

I really don't have anything clever to write about today. I just wanted to share a small sample of the ultrasound pictures taken last week. Both babies are doing great.

I am also adding some pictures of the nursery's final paint job with the chair rail up. You won't believe what Dave is doing today since he is finished painting . . . He is cutting all of the tags and wrappers off of all of the baby blankets, crib bedding and clothes that we have purchased for the babies and he is washing them. We have nowhere to put the stuff once it is clean, but he doesn't care. It is so sweet.

Both Babies' Heads at 24 Weeks 9/1/09

Baby A's Feet at 24 Weeks 9/1/09

Baby A at 24 Weeks 9/1/09

Baby B at 24 Weeks 9/1/09

Final Paint Job and Chair Rail in Nursery 9/6/09

24 Weeks 8/31/09

24 Week OB Appointment and Ultrasound

2009-09-02T20:51:00.003-05:00

Dave and I went to Columbia yesterday for my 24-week OB and ultrasound appointment. Everything was perfect! The boys were in full performance mode during the ultrasound - as usual. They were head-butting each other, kicking, rolling around. It was so much fun to watch. The ultrasound was at 2:00 and they usually don't move much during that time of the afternoon, so it was as if they knew they had an audience. They are already little geniuses - or just very ornery.

I told Nan (my ultrasound tech) that we are coming back in 3 weeks for the 4D/3D ultrasound and she said, "I wonder who is doing that. I hope it's not me." It was funny. She said that I will be the first patient pregnant with twins to do the 4D/3D ultrasound since they started doing them in their office. I think she is a little worried that it may be hard to get good pictures of my very active boys.

My OB, Dr. Morse, arranged for me to see a maternal fetal medicine specialist next Tuesday. A maternal fetal medicine specialist is basically an OB/GYN that specializes in high risk pregnancies. It isn't because I am having complications or problems. It is just because she knows that I will rest easier if I see a specialist. I explained to her that I want to take every precaution possible to get these babies here healthy.

The boys' measurements during the ultrasound were great. Baby A is 1 lb. 8 oz and Baby B is 1 lb. 9 oz. They are in the 54th and 62nd percentile for size. Their heart rates were good. All fluids and placentas looked good. They are both in the vertex position (heads down), so that is a positive sign towards possibly avoiding a C-section.

OLEVA REPORT

Mom seems to be doing great with her radiation treatments. She completed her seventh treatment out of 30 today. Most appointments only take 15 or 20 minutes, but she has to drive 45 minutes each way to the George Ray Cancer Center in Kirksville. She says that she does feel a bit tired, but no other side effects have surfaced yet. Her skin seems to be handling it well. She has been wearing the pressure stocking on her leg for a week. It seems to be decreasing the swelling in her leg. Thank goodness. We figure that she has endured enough with the blood clot issue in her leg. Hopefully the radiation will continue to be easy on her. She deserves it.

I will try to get ultrasound pictures scanned over the long weekend and posted on an upcoming blog. Have a great holiday weekend!

He Has Waited So Long For This

2009-08-31T20:01:00.008-05:00

He is transforming into a Daddy right before my eyes. He is so committed to baby preparations that I find myself sometimes wondering, "Who is this man? Where is my husband?" Dave is usually such a laid back person. He is usually the one that says, "We can do it later. We have plenty of time." But, he is now the one that is frantically trying to create a perfect little nest for our babies as I sit on the couch and say, "I'm too tired. Let's do it later."

When is the perfect time in a man's life to become a Daddy? Obviously, the answer differs for each Daddy, but I'm certain that it isn't coming a moment too soon for Dave. He has already put so many hours into the nursery painting and striping. He is putting up a chair rail. He will also assemble all of the nursery furniture. I am just so proud of him. I can't wait to see him with the twins in his arms. It won't get here soon enough.

As for me, the twice daily heparin injections are not as fun as I thought they would be. I give them to myself most of the time - in my thigh. I have several knots and bruises in my thighs. The needle is tiny, but the medicine burns terribly when it goes in. I think I will survive.

The babies have been moving a lot lately. I can see my belly bounce around all of the time. They seem to be on the same schedule. If one is moving, the other starts moving soon after. Dave and I are off to Columbia tomorrow for my 24 week OB appointment and ultrasound. I can't wait to see the babies tomorrow!

By the way, we hired a nanny today!! We both really like her and she is excited about the job. What a relief.

I want to share some pictures of Dave's progress in the nursery.

The nursery prior to the transformation. The multi-color circles on the wall are some paint swatches that Dave tried out before we settled on our final colors.

Dave painting the nursery. 8/22/09

Dave striping the walls. 8/29/09

The final stripes. The chair rail is soon to follow. 8/31/09

Not So Subtle Blessings

2009-08-23T18:48:00.003-05:00

Where to begin?? I am so behind on this blog. So, you will be getting a long one today.

Mom is finished with chemo!! She starts six weeks of daily radiation tomorrow. She will drive to Kirksville five days a week for this. She is doing well with one exception. She is still struggling with the blood clot issue in her leg. She still has a lot of swelling and pain in her leg. She will be fitted for some sort of a pressure stocking to help get the swelling down. She is not excited about the stocking but is ready to eliminate the swelling. It is preventing her from exercising and other physical activities that she enjoys.

Because Mom also had a blood clot in her leg many years ago, Dr. Perry (her oncologist) completed some testing to rule out a genetic cause. Unfortunately, it was determined that she has an inherited clotting disorder that has contributed to the blood clots. The genetic condition is called a Prothrombin Gene Mutation or Factor II Mutation. She produces more prothrombin than the average person. Prothrombin is a protein in the blood that helps blood clot. She produces too much of it and, therefore, is more likely to develop clots. This puts her at risk for throwing a blood clot to the lungs, stroke, etc.

It was very disappointing to learn of this issue, especially because Dr. Perry says that it is likely that she will be on coumadin (a fairly strong blood thinner) for the rest of her life. But, on the other hand, I am glad that we know what is causing the blood clots. Perhaps we will be able to prevent future complications.

The story continues . . . Mom's oncologist knew that I was pregnant and suggested that I be tested for the Prothrombin Gene Mutation. Unfortunately, I also have the disease. Not a lot of research has been completed on the effect of the disease on pregnancy, but it is believed that it can cause late pregnancy loss, preeclampsia, placenta abruption, and other serious pregnancy complications. So, my OB wants me to take heparin injections at home twice daily for the rest of my pregnancy and for six weeks after I deliver. Heparin is a mild blood thinner that is safe during pregnancy. It should help prevent the above complications. Apparently, many pregnant women have to take Heparin injections for various reasons.

How do I feel about all of this? I'm still processing it, but currently I feel very blessed. Weird? I know. I feel lucky to have learned of the Prothrombin Gene Mutation. Obviously, I would give anything for Mom to not have developed cancer and I really wish her leg would finally heal, but the timing of everything is just too perfect. It seems like everything this year is happening for a reason. It is all God's plan. If Mom never would have had cancer, we may have never learned of her Prothrombin Gene Mutation. If we never learned of it, she could have had a stroke someday, I could have lost one of the babies - or worse, both babies.

I have a sense of peace and calmness that I have never experienced previously in my lifetime. I am a worrier by nature and I currently don't feel the need to worry. Mom will be done with her treatments soon and I know that we will never have to deal with this cancer nonsense again. I know my babies are going to be okay, because Dave and I deserve to be parents.

None of this is a coincidence. I feel God's presence in our lives like I never have before. Usually, I keep my religious beliefs private, but I had to share this with all of you. I have never had so many answered prayers. I am just so lucky. I have so much to look forward to. Everything will be okay.

Dave spent the weekend painting the nursery. He completed the base coat, but is planning to add a chair rail and some light blue and chocolate brown stripes below the chair rail. It is going to be so cute. He also ordered the nursery furniture this week. We went to Kansas City last weekend and picked out some beautiful furniture.

The babies have been moving a lot over the past couple of weeks. Dave can feel them move a lot more. I can actually see my belly move very frequently. I love it! I feel very good right now. I am very tired, have a lot of heartburn and I look like I am at least 7 months pregnant, but that nasty nausea has been gone for 6 weeks now!! I am starting to feel a sense of urgency in getting everything ready for the babies. Dave has prematurely started nesting. It is so cute.

We have decided to hire a babysitter/nanny to come into our home to watch the babies when I go back to work after my maternity leave. We have interviewed several people that we like, so it seems that we have good options. It is a huge relief. I will be working three days per week after my maternity leave. I think that will give me a good balance.

Here are my 22 week belly picture from last Monday. I will be 23 weeks tomorrow.

Boston

2009-08-11T10:14:00.003-05:00

I am so behind on this blogging business. I am so sorry. I actually do have a lot to blog about. I took my last flight during this pregnancy a couple of weeks ago. I drove to Lee's Summit on Wednesday, July 29 and hung out with my great friend, Leigh Ann's family. She has two beautiful kids - Owen is 4 and Elsie is 15 months.

I am really kicking myself for not getting any pictures of them. You wouldn't believe how gorgeous they are and they have the personality to match - extremely sweet and fun. So, Leigh Ann, Jeff, and the kids bought me dinner and I stayed the night. Leigh Ann and I got up early the next day and flew to Boston to visit Nisha. This was Leigh Ann's first time away from Elsie. She survived!

We went to Boston to visit Nisha and her family - Matt, Rhiya (age 2 1/2) and Dylan (3 months). This was the first time Leigh Ann and I met Dylan. He is such a perfect little baby. He is so mild-mannered and cute. Nisha also has beautiful children - as you can see below. Leigh Ann and Nish have put the pressure on me. I hope my kids are just as gorgeous.

We had a lot of great girl time in Boston. We did a little shopping, eating and the two experienced mothers helped me with a ton of information about what I do and don't need for my babies on the way. We spent at least 2 1/2 hours in Babies R Us perfecting my registry. Thanks, Nish & Leigh Ann. I don't know what I would do without ya. We even went to Providence, Rhode Island. It was only a half hour drive from Nish's house.

The trip just reminded me how much I miss Nish & Leigh Ann. I am so blessed to have such great friends and wish we could spend more time together. I know that we will always continue to carve out time for trips like this. They are both coming to my shower in September, too!

I would like to share some pictures from the trip.

Nisha & Rhiya

Dylan & Leigh Ann

The Fisher Family

Leigh Ann, Nish, Dylan, Rhiya and a pregnant Tisha

We are having TWO BOYS!!!

2009-08-04T18:51:00.002-05:00

I had my 20 week ultrasound today and it was confirmed that both babies are boys! We are very excited. I had a gut feeling that Baby A was a girl, but I guess my Mother's Intuition was not accurate. That concerns me a little. The ultrasound was 90 minutes long. Everything looked perfect on the ultrasound. I am too tired to scan pictures tonight. I will get that done this week and add them soon. I have a lot more to blog about, so I will be back soon. I promise.

Crazy Saturday

2009-07-26T18:46:00.003-05:00

Dave and I had a very busy day yesterday. I went to my future cousin-in-law, Jacqui's, bridal shower Saturday afternoon with my mom, aunt Carla and my grandma. The shower was great. Jacqui & Travis received a lot of nice loot. I am very excited for their wedding on Saturday, September 5th.

This is me with my mom, my aunt Carla, and my Grandma after the shower.

This is my aunt Carla (the mother of the groom) with Jacqui and my Grandma.

Saturday evening, Dave and I headed to the Willows to celebrate his 20th high school reunion. I am kicking myself for not getting more pictures, but I thought I would share the ones I did take. We both had a great time. He really enjoyed talking to all of his old buddies.

Sonya, Dave, Angie & Deana

The Class of 1989

Dave and Adam - he came all of the way from Australia

Saturday was a great day, but it completely exhausted me. I have done absolutely nothing productive today. Dave decided that we should watch the movie Knocked Up again. I was slightly embarrassed that I cried my eyes out at the end. Then, for some reason, I thought we should watch the movie Juno. I seriously cried like a baby at the end of that movie. Two pregnancy movies in a row!! It was funny. My pregnancy hormones are kicking into high gear. It didn't help that both movies have the main character delivering a baby at the end. It was an interesting choice of movies.