6 Months Old!

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

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!

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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!