Crazy!!!!!

This is how I found my family when I got home from work on Saturday. They looked so cute on the couch! Hayden kept calling himself a "rock star"

Hayden and Ava have been wearing their swimsuits for days now! I think they are ready for warm weather
Ava was obsessed about popping this balloon.

This was Hayden's outfit on Saturday. He was going to grandma's house in this. He looked so funny so I had to capture the look forever!

Hayden has been so funny tonight. All of a sudden I heard him say, "What up G?" Where does he get this? Then when I picked him up from the babysitter's house, the first thing he said was "Tell it to the judge" He kept saying this all evening. I have to say it was so funny! It kept us laughing tonight. The things they say are so funny! He used to say "picklelicker" for pumpernickel bread. (It came from a barney song) Anyway, I hope everyone had a great weekend.

Sidenote: I have added more blog sites that I check everyday and a special feature which shows where people are coming from. Pretty neat!

Flashback Friday and other pictures!

I got way too fustrated with these pictures. I couldn't get them to move. So they are out of order again. Sorry!

This is Ava and Hayden with one of the APNs and Neonatologists before we took Hayden home.

This is a great picture of Hayden and Ava with their Opa and Nana!

Our family picture. This is our first family picture from about 2 years ago. That is sad!

Three generations picture

Hayden and Ava with some of the nurses who took care of them

Another nurse who took care of them

Together at last. Hayden was coming home! We had a lot of Joy that day!!!!1

This was Hayden doing a car seat trial a few days before he came home. They wanted to make sure he could tolerate being in a car seat. He passed with flying colors (probably because he slept through the entire trial).

I haven't forgotten about Flashback Friday (don't worry Joy :)) Here are pictures and memories of Hayden's last day in the NICU. He was in the NICU for 4 1/2 months. He came home with oxygen, an apnea monitor, and a pulsox monitor (which shows his oxygenation). Little did we know that two weeks later we would be right back in the hospital with both Hayden and Ava. You think when you leave the NICU that everything will be fine and your journey has ended. That is not the case for preemies. Odds are you will be coming back to the hospital for something. For Hayden it was a big something. He had stopped eating and would throw a huge fit if we tried to feed him. Our doctor admitted him and they ran some tests. They found that he was aspirating his formula into his lungs. His trachea was "raw". Also, his suck/swallow reflex was not developed enough. So we got the news that Hayden needed a feeding tube (a g-tube) put into his tummy and a niccin (not sure on the spelling) which put part of his stomache up higher so he wouldn's have acid reflux. We were stunned and heart broken. Everything turned out fine in the end (God is in control!). He only needed the feeding tube for about 6 months and he was then able to start taking food by mouth. That was very exciting. But that, also, brought on a lot of other feeding issues and sensory issues. I will not get into that now. That is for another Flashback Friday. Anyway, here are some pictures of his last day and then some family pictures that we had taken with Brian's parents last weekend.

Easter and other news

Happy 32 Birthday to Brian!

This past Saturday we went to Alexander's Steakhouse for dinner. It was Yummy!

(Just so you know these pictures are out of order. Bear with me!)

We ate daddy's cake after dinner on Saturday. His parents came to visit this past Wednesday night. Paula made a very yummy "whacky cake". Brian's favorite.

Hayden, Easter morning before church. So handsome!

Ava, Easter morning before church. So pretty!

Hayden showing off his easter eggs from the Easter egg hunt at our house
Ava getting caught with opening more eggs!
Nana, Hayden and Opa at daddy's birthday dinner.
Grandma and Ava at daddy's birthday dinner
Daddy and his mom, Paula

Hanging out with Opa
This is the picture I took for daddy's birthday card from Hayden and Ava
Daddy and Hayden having a "smile off"
Ava and Hayden before the easter egg hunt in our backyard
All of their easter egg findings! They had a blast!

Bathroom update: It is basically done. We still have to find a mirror. Brian did an excellent job! I will post pictures soon.

Flashback Friday

This was Ava's last day in the NICU. She was in the hospital for three months. It was a very happy and sad day. For some reason I was really sad because I felt like we weren't a complete family until Hayden came home. I felt like we couldn't start our family until he was home. It was silly becaue we were coming back to the hospital that night. I felt like I was leaving him more that day then any other. On the other hand we were happy because Ava was coming home! She came home on an apnea monitor to make sure she was breathing and that she had a heart beat.
Almost time to go home!

We stayed over night the night before she came home. It was like a practice run. Well, let me tell you, we didn't sleep at all!!!! I recommend that parents who have a preemie do not spend the night on the baby's last night. It was terrible to go home so tired!

This is a car bed. Since Ava only weighed 4 pounds when she came home, she couldn't be in a regular car seat. The car bed was really nice. She laid flat in it and it was buckled in to the van.

I think this is a precious picture of Ava on her last night in the NICU. How I miss the days of watching her sleep!!!

People always ask how did we do it with one baby at home and another in the NICU. I have to be honest and I don't really remember. I think we were on autopilot. I remember being with Ava during part of the day and then going to the NICU in the afternoon and the evening. We just did what we needed to do to be with our babies.

Next week I will do pictures and memories on Hayden's last days in the NICU.

MUSIC!!!!

Ok, so you probably have heard that I have added music (Thank you, Megan!). I absolutely had so much fun finding the music to put on my play list. Some is old school. I was cracking up to the music and it took me back to my high school days. There are many more songs that I could add but I thought I would ask if anyone would like to hear anything specifically. Let me know. Hope everyone had a great weekend! Back to school for me tomorrow.

Updates and More....

He wore this cow costume ALL day today!

She was posing for me, what a ham!

CHEESE!

Brian tiling our bathroom (he did an awesome job. it was his first time)

Hayden played music for daddy while he was tiling

(more about his patch in a later picture)

I gave in and let them play in our sandbox the other day (it was beautiful outside)

Hayden had fun with the truck

They really enjoyed watching daddy work in the bathroom

Hayden's patch came in the mail today. He has to wear it for 4 hours during the day to strengthen his other eye. At first he hated it but then he forgot about it. I am super proud of him for keeping his glasses on. What a trooper!

Daddy was taking a little break

Ava on her new scooter she got from Santa

Hayden on his new scooter

Yes, Hayden was trying to eat the bubbles!

Hayden was helping my brother make the cut line for the flooring

Hayden got these chairs out so they could watch Uncle Caleb

Flashback Friday and updates

They used to love playing in the laundry basket

What a cutie!

She will love me later when she sees this!

She loves her peas!

Brian was making funny faces!

They used to take turns doing this all the time

There's that smile!

I think this picture is so adorable!

These were his doctor glasses

I caught her taking ALL the cd's out one day before we baby proofed the cabinet

I had so much fun looking back at old pictures! Ava was looking with me and she got a kick out of her baby pictures. It really made me realize how fast things have gone. They have gotten so big so fast. Just the other day Ava was sitting on my lap and out of the blue she said, "Mom, you rock!" I couldn't believe she said that. I thought it was hilarious!!! Also, I think my son is probably the only child who sleeps with his "crocs" on for night time and nap time. He loves those shoes. Now he is starting to want his sandals on. Ava keeps putting on summer shirts. I guess they are letting me know they are ready for spring and summer. Aren't we all! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. My spring break is over after this weekend, but I am ready to go back to school to get the semester over with.

Bathroom update: My friend, Megan, and I went to Target and I decided to buy the sea life accessories. So, she gave me the great idea to paint the walls a sand color (so it could be a neutral color for when we get sick of the sea life). So, Brian has the walls painted and my brother is here right now laying the floor for the tile. I am hoping it gets done by Wednesday (Brian's parents are going to be here), but we shall see. I will post some pictures of the renovation later.