Another couple of milestones

In the past week my babies have reached a couple of new milestones.   On Friday we were at my in-laws and I gave Conor a cup of the Gerber meltaways.   He spilled them and Keira grabbed a couple and ate them.  I was waiting for the gagging but it never came.  Finally, she can have some finger foods.   We still have to watch what we give her as her gag reflex is still strong but at least she knows what to do with the food in her mouth.  She has also started kneeling at the step from the living room into the main hall (its maybe just over half the height of a regular step).  She lifts her knee as to crawl up the step but hasnt quite got it figured out. 

Conor started having food from a spoon again which makes life easier.  Now I can get him to have cereal and get some iron in him.  He can pull himself up the step and his quick to get around w/ his commando crawl.  It was so cute today.  Cheryl from infant development came and she had brought a ball for them to play with.  It got pushed to the corner and the race was on!  Keira is the faster crawler now, Conor is gonna have to step it up. 

Keira finally slept from 8 pm till 5 am only waking once at 9 but easily went back to bed.  I was so happy.  They both had their 8 month assessment (to measure their corrected age) and both did very well.  Keira has no red flags as to having any brain damage so far and Im very thankful for that.  They have both come so far since they were the little 3 1/2 lb babies in the NICU. 

On Thursday, Lynn and her twins came over.  Lynn and I both work for CRA though never actually met there even though we worked close to eachother.  We actually found eachother on a chat room for mothers of multiples.  Her babies are just over 8 mos.  Two beautiful girls with the bluest eyes I’ve seen.  Keira just kept stealing whatever toy they were playing with.  When Regan would talk, Conor would cry (weird b/c he never cries).  It’s nice having another mother of twins to talk to.  Especially since our babies have had some of the same difficulties. 

Well hopefully I get another night of sleep!

Some More Pics

Conor in Keiras Ikea Drawer

Keira at Easter

Flames Fans in the Making

I have been so bad about posting pics to this blog.  I find it frusterating but I figured I should put some more since not everyone who reads my blog is a friend on facebook (feel free to request me as a friend, I post a lot more pics there).  I cant wait to go outside w/ them more so I can take some pics outside.  We plan to go to Butchart Gardens soon.  Hopefully the weather will be good.

Its almost been a year since we lost Cadence.  Im trying to plan a private little memorial for Shaun, the kids and I to do.  I was going to spread the ashes but dont feel as though I can let go of that part of her.  Its the only tangible thing I have left of her.  Instead I think I will have her ashes spread w/ mine when its time for me to leave this world.  So at the end of May we will go to the ocean and do something special for her. 

Keira has decided not to nap today.  But thats ok, she is in good spirits.  She has been laughing at our cats.  I love her smile, she has the cutest little dimples. 

Yesterday Shaun put the baby gate at the top of the stairs up.  Now I can sit on the computer w/ the babies on the floor and not worry about them falling down the stairs.   We failed to measure where we put the gate so of course it was too short.  He put some blocks of wood between it and the banister, looks kind of ghetto but oh well.  He also cracked teh banister and damaged the wall.  At least we dont have to fix it till we take the gate down.

They’re crawling!!

Shaun agreed to give me Saturday night and Sunday off from being with the kids.  Saturday night all I did was go to London Drugs to pick up some pictures and then home to watch the Flames lose, not impressed!  I helped Shaun get the kids to bed.  We have been giving them a bottle to go to bed.  I know your not supposed to do this but Conor always drains his and Keira takes hers out of her mouth when shes done so I dont think there is too much teeth rotting going on.  Its the only way to get Keira to go to bed and it doesnt take 2 hours like other things we have tried.  Anyways, Keira woke at her usual 4 am time for a feeding and I could not for the life of me get Shaun up.  He kept mumbling stuff that made no sense, so I fed her.  But Shaun did let me sleep in!

I went to church w/ Keira and then dropped her off at home to go shopping.  I find I have to leave the house if I really want a break, which means spending money.  If Im home, even if Shaun is doing a great job w/ the kids, I feel the need to help.  It will be forever before I scrapbook again!

But I felt very relaxed at the end of the day.  And it was nice to come home to a little boy who missed me very much.  Conor actually crawled up a step for the first time, well it was more like he dragged himself up.  Time to put up the gate across the living room.  Keira has been rocking back and forth on all fours for a week and a half and today she actually crawled.  Not very far but she did it!  Hopefully she will stop crying so much.  She gets on all fours and cries b/c she is frusterated in herself for not being able to do what she wants to.  Her physio therapist said she is a perfectionist, I believe it!

Took the kids to Costco for the first time today.  They did very well.  COnor kept reaching out his hand to touch everything.  I cant wait to be able to do more w/ them. 

Feeding still isnt going very well.  Keira so far, only likes pears, bananas, and sometimes she will eat sweet potatoes or oatmeal cereal.  They are 10 mos old and still having a bottle every 2 hours.  But I cant get them to eat more than they do at meals.  Keira cant eat anything not pureed b/c she gags like crazy.  Conor has been eating peas, carrots, blueberries, gerber meltaways, pasta, but nothing pureed.  Not even cereal.  How on earth can I get them to eat more!!  Getting frusterated b/c I would like to be giving less bottles. 

Well, kids are in bed and there is an hour b4 my bedtime so Im going to go relax, probably read twilight.

Another Cold

Conor has yet another cold.  I think this is his 4th one since February.  So frusterating.  Last night wasnt too bad.  He slept in his crib from 8 till 12 and then I had to move him into the swing in our room so that he was sleeping at more of an incline.  Slept til 5 and then was up for the day.  5 is too early for me but Im not doing too bad.  Hopefully tonight will be no worse, although last night really wasnt that bad.  He is really whinny today so Im guessing he doesnt feel too hot.

Got to take Keira to church today.  Have to admit I brought her b/c of the pretty dress she was going to get to wear.  She was pretty good today.  Even let Randy McClure hold her for pretty much the whole service.  Its so nice when your babies let other people hold them.  She used to be horrible at that but is getting a lot better. 

Gonna have to make this short.  Keira is screaming downstairs (prob b/c Conor stole her toy) and SHaun is out grocery shopping. 

Happy Easter!!

So I brought the kids to my work today.  They were actually pretty good and Keira even let a couple of people hold her.  Pushing my huge stroller around at work brought me back to the days of working in the mailroom pushing the mailcart.  It was nice to see everyone.  Its almost been a year to the day that I left work.  I think it was April 4 that I stopped going b/c of the contractions I was having. 

I cant believe it has been a year since the whole nightmare started (and by nightmare I mean bedrest, contractions, worrying about Cadence).  I also cant believe that I made it a year.  Those 10 weeks of bedrest where all I did was think and pray for my babies felt like it would never end.  I had drawn myself a little calander and would cross off each day, thankfull to be still pregnant another day.  In my soduku book, I would do one puzzle a day.  So on the puzzles that I would acheive another week in pregnancy, I would mark it in advance and try to reach those puzzles.  The heartburn from drinking water, the constant hunger and then feeling sick after eating, all that water I drank, the trips to the perinatologists office on a weekly basis where all I seemed to get was bad news, it all seems so far away.  I am so thankful that I had 3 babies in me b/c when I lost Cadence, I still had 2 babies to carry home.  But only I can say that to me,  please dont ever say to me, “at least you have Keira and Conor”.  In no way does it make up for the loss of Cadence. 

Now I find that the times her absence hits me most is when I hear of someone dying or when I watch a movie and someone passes away.  I used to be one of those people who may get teary eyed at a sad movie but now the tears gush and I get a big lump in my throat.  In the last week I watched Marley and Me and 7 pounds (in segments of course b/c I never have time to make it through a movie in one sitting!) and I couldnt believe how much I cried.  I cant wait for the kids to be older so I can talk to them about their sister.  I still pray every night for her to come into my dreams so that I can meet her.  And I also pray that my auntie Carole is with her. 

Conor and Keira are doing so well.  Conor is doing the commando crawl and is getting better at sitting.  He says “dub dub dub” all the time and is quick to smile when a camera comes out.  Keira squeals a lot.  I find it so cute.  She loves to be naked and gets upset when you put her sleeper back on.  She is just starting to pull herself on the floor and is very good at sitting.  Her hair is curly and I hope it stays that way.  It is getting a bit longer but I refuse to cut it yet.  I dress them up everyday now, even if we arent going out.  I used to only put them in sleepers for the convenience of it but now I love to dress them up. 

Having issues feeding them solids.  Keira’s food has to be very smooth, no lumps so she really only likes the fruit.  Conor refuses to eat baby food, he wants to be able to pick it up to eat it.  So I have trouble coordinating the cooking of this food w/ his eating time and just figuring out what to give him.  I also struggle to give them 3 meals a day.  So they still have a lot of bottles.  Hopefully I can figure this feeding thing out. 

Well I should get back to them.  No screaming yet but it is only an hour till bedtime.