Where has the time gone??? It seems like yesterday we were all in the hospital and they were these tiny little creatures and now they are big and not looking anything like a premie! I saw a new baby the other day at the store that was 2 weeks old and bigger than both of them at birth and I just though, oh my word how tiny is she! It's hard to believe these big boys were so small and that it was 9 months ago!
My how quick this month has passed. It doesn't seem like it has been 2 months since I last worked and hard to believe I go back next week. We have been extremely busy this month, but the nice part is that we've been able to travel with Alan a lot of is, so it has been great family time. The boys have been on their first vacation to Charleston. They loved the beach, which makes this Momma extremely happy! Hopefully it will continue! We were so happy to get to introduce them to all our friends in Charleston, as well. We then took on the trek to Virginia and Knoxville with Alan and they handled a 9 days trip like champs!
The boys:
Zachary is weighing a whopping 21 lbs 8 oz! He hasn't slowed down on the gaining weight! He and Ayden eat the same amount, he just packs it on! He is quite the ham and entertainer. He has learned this month to growl like a dog (thanks to Brady and Beau being at our house for a few weeks) and growls at people and animals just alike….he thinks that is how you get attention. He, also, has continued on his fake cough (which he learned that Ayden got attention when he was sick with a cough). He even fooled the doctor's office receptionists with this trick! He loves making people laugh. He LOVES his Daddy, even more. Alan will just peek in a room and he lights up. He has started making his brother laugh and they are having a lot more conversations! They are, also, learning to play together, even more. He still isn't into crawling and is quite content where you leave him most times. His hair is growing long and is quite blonde! He is becoming more assertive in playing with his brother. He is working hard at it, but still no teeth!
Ayden is weighing in at 18 lbs 6 oz. He is loving more foods and has become quite the eater. He is crazy busy, though, so the weight doesn't stick on him. He loves to be moving at all times, even in bed. He has crawling backwards down pack, but now has to learn to go forwards. He can get pretty much anywhere he really wants with rolling and reaching. We went to the GI doctor this month and he believes he has food allergies which are causing his GI issues and eczema, so we are working on figuring those out! He is king of stealing toys away from his brother, because you know whatever he is playing with isn't as fun as what his brother just grabbed! Zach is getting better about not letting this happen as often. He has pushed through his second tooth! It is so crazy seeing my baby boy with two teeth! He is becoming a little more vocal. He is definitely the clingy child and loves to be attached to his Momma's shoulder at all times (if it was up to him)…being on his own is quite tragic! He is still working on consistently sleeping through the night.
They still LOVE Frozen. We even bought them other Disney movies with singing, but Frozen still wins out and stops any tantrum in its tracks! It definitely made the car ride all over the southeast doable! They have conquered the southeast (all but Florida after this weekend). This month they have traveled to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee and this weekend will conquer Alabama and Mississippi.
We had their neurodevelopment check up this past month. This is where the neurologist, NP, and physical therapist evaluate them from the hospital team that took care of them in the NICU. Both are doing pretty well on their milestones, hitting all of their corrected age milestones and even advanced into actual age on some of them. We were informed it could take up to age 2 for them to "catch up" to actual age. Ayden has "loosened up" and is doing perfectly well! They are still concerned with Zachary and his low tone of his muscles and ligaments. We are working with him to strengthen his muscles and joints. They are wanting some extra physical therapy for him, so we are considering that.
I am quite nervous about returning to work but excited in the same. I have wanted to return to general medicine, so excited about that. It is just nerve wrecking to be leaving them for a full day and not being able to put them to bed at night. Also, we have hired a nanny to help Mom out so she won't have to be here every day I work. It will be the first time a "stranger" has kept them. We are excited about this opportunity, as well. We are, also, excited about our house being built and ready for it to be completed so we will be close to church and my work!
We are looking forward to the next month and the changes ahead. Looking forward to celebrating Alan and my 3rd wedding anniversary in the next few weeks. It has been a wild ride and I love that it has been with him! We are excited to continue to watch these boys grow and hope it slows down, just a little!
