A Few Randoms

Don't my babies look so big? I can't believe how huge Charlie(L) and Griff(R) are. While I'm thinking of it, some of you have asked about the 'birthmark' on Charlie's nose. It's called a hymangeoma (sp?). It's basically a deformation of capillaries that isn't visible at birth, then grows until about 6-8 months, then it shrinks and is usually gone by 2 years old. Strange, huh? But a great way to tell these identical babies apart:)

At our local Market (Eastern market). It's like a european market with all kinds of strange whole fish and pig parts that you've never heard of. You can also get normal things like fresh homemade ravioli (incredible), fruit, steaks and fish (and jelly beans as Irby did above), but the weird things are the most interesting to a 2 year old. Irby has been saving his 'monies' and every time we go he gets some jelly beans, very exciting. He is also showing off his special seat in the stroller. We call it the 'jump seat,' and he loves it. If it's really cold I will pull the cover over him too, so all 3 boys are warm and toasty in there together. Irby is usually very sweet to Charlie and Griff in the stroller, putting a paci in if someone cries, singing them songs, etc. He's a great big brother!

Irby and I went away for a night for my birthday (30 was a big one!!), and my very sweet and generous parents kept the boys. They did great, even slept all night for Nana and Doc and did great with their bottles. We went to Savage River Lodge in the mountains in Maryland about 2.5 hours from here. It was awesome, they'd had 180" of snow this year, we went cross-country skiing, sat by the fire, ate a delicious dinner at their 5 star restaurant and slept 11 hours!!! 2 nights worth of sleep in one night, amazing.

Outing at the Capitol Visitor's Center. We walked up there last week so Irby could run around (it was freezing and snow covered outside, we needed to get out...) Somehow Irby knew where the cafeteria was, we've never been there, but after about 5 minutes of Sacagawea and the Lady Freedom, he scoped it out and begged for pizza and chocolate milk. So, I obliged and the babies slept while I had an early lunch date with my sweet Irbs

Sunny Snow Pictures

My sweet neighbor Elizabeth took these pictures of Irby at the big slide they built off the statue at the park! He could not have had more fun, but I'm kind of happy the snow is finally starting to melt now!!

A Snow Day Necessity...

Irby got this awesome trampoline for Valentine's Day. Valentine's was just an excuse to get it for him, we were going crazy with all this snow! It hasn't snowed in a few days, but there is still so much out there it is hard for us to get out (can't fit down the sidewalk with the double stroller, so have to walk down the street, not a great idea in the middle of DC). He loves it, and I couldn't be happier that he is getting so much energy out! Sure wish we had had it a few weeks back:) We turn on his favorite CD, and he just goes to town.

The babies are doing great! I don't have a new picture, but we went to the Dr. yesterday and both Charlie and Griffin weighed 14 lbs and were 24" tall. That's 2 feet tall! Pretty funny when you think of it like that, that sounds huge. They are slowly catching up. The started at less than 0% for weight, last time we went they were 15%, and are now up to 30%! We also had a follow-up appointment with the Occupational Therapist they saw in the NICU, and she said they were acting like normal 4 month olds, they were 2.5 based on their due date(that was a few weeks ago). Amazing!! We are so thankful they are so healthy and growing so well.

They have also each (for a week or so) slept until 7. They actually did it on the same night once too! Usually Griff (but sometimes Charlie) wakes up at 4-5, and the other sleeps until 7. Hopefully we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of sleeplessness, and they will both start to do it at the same time, all the time. You will think I'm crazy, but seeing them in the middle of the night is really one of the few times I see them without a zillion other things going on, or other people needing my attention. Don't get me wrong, I do look forward to getting a little of my sleep back, because I am not a very nice person sleep deprived (poor Irby), but I'll miss that sweet time with them...LOVE my sweet boys!

Sledding at the Capitol.

Sleeping unswaddled!!!! (A major feat).

Charlie and Griff are also sleeping SO much better since they can now safely sleep on their stomachs. We started letting them sleep on their tummies after they started rolling over a few weeks ago. Also tried separating them at night, but Griff cried for 3 hours straight, and stopped as soon as he was back in the bed with Charlie....so I guess we will save that for another day. They sure do love each other! And they sure do look identical in the picture below. Even though the Drs said all along they were, but you wonder if they're right, and based on looks, they definitely are.

Watching 'Cars' in the fort with Ellie and Ansley while the grown ups eat dinner.

Picture before Charlie and Griffin's baptism. More pictures to come, this was one we took at the house before we went to church. I've got to be better about taking more pictures of the 5 of us, I don't have many!

Big Snow - Part Deux

We had another big snow this weekend...so fun! Thought I'd share a quick video...will try to get one with the kiddos up later today.

Big Snow

Sorry for the month-late post . . . we got 2 feet of snow the weekend before Christmas, it was BEAUTIFUL, and so much fun because the whole city was quiet, no traffic and people just enjoying themselves walking around in the snow and sitting by the fire. That doesn't happen much!

The sunny pictures are from they day after, they are all out of order.

In the snow fort at the park, it even hand windows (above) and a door! (We also built one on our front patio, which was pretty awesome).

Building our snowman at the park (notice the snow bunny we built on the right).

Irby couldn't have loved the snow more!

Posing with his brothers all snug under the wind/rain cover. This is my favorite baby item that we have so far, besides the stroller. Because we live a few blocks from Harris Teeter, I walk to the store and most of my errands. MUCH easier than loading everyone up in the car then unloading, then loading. I just use my stroller as a cart and can walk there and push it all the way home. In this cold weather, I couldn't to it without the cover. Irby even likes to sit under the cover when he gets cold in the 'jump seat' which is the front part where the babies feet will go once they get tall. Amazing that my double Bob is serving us as a triple! Kitty, you have to get this stroller, seriously.

Our front walk.

Our car.

Friends stopping by for hot chocolate and coffee by the fire.

Charlie vs. the Hair - Our First ER Visit

(I just added this picture so you could see what chunks my boys have become! The bottom picture is Charlie's foot the day he and Griffin were born. They have now tripled their birth weight!) Now the reason for this post...

We learned a new term this weekend. It is 'Hair Tourniquet.' Many of you know that about 2 months after you give birth you start to shed a lot of hair (after not losing a single one during pregnancy). Babies lose their hair about that time too. I read it was due to the huge decrease of some hormone (estrogen maybe?). Anyway, after a trip to the ER and the near loss of 2 of Charlie's toes I want to warn you about the hazard that a mother's hair can have to her own child.

So, I was feeding Charlie about 11pm Saturday night, and rubbing his toes. He kind of started to cry, which is strange because eating is like his favorite thing in the world, and I felt something crusty between his toes. So, I tried to look, but it was kind of dark, and he cried when I messed with his toes, so I just waited till he was done eating. Brought him into the light and looked on the back of his toes and see a little scabbing, but bend open his toes and it is really deep, like kind of looks like his toe is cut in half from back to front. I freak out, Irby looks with a flashlight and says, Oh My Goodness, his toe is only half hanging on, and it looks like he has hair wrapped around his toes! So Irby tries to cut the hair with a pocket knife, but it turns out to be much worse and deeper than we thought. It is so deep in there he can't see it, and there is open flesh back in the folds of his toes. From the front, it is not too noticeable and looks like another knuckle (is that even what you call toe joints?) or toe 'bracelet' as we call the baby wrist fat creases. I am freaking out, call the Dr., he says to go ER, so Irby took him, and they were able to get it out. I was sure he was going to lose his toes for not being able to find and cut the hair as it was so tightly wrapped and thus so deeply cutting into his skin. I cannot believe what damage a piece of hair can do. That is just one of the crazier things I've seen lately. Even crazier was the fact that they have a term for it, 'Hair Tourniquet,' so this is not the first time this freak thing has happened. It is looking much better each day and seems to be hurting him less.

PS-Todd, the ER doc is probably rolling his eyes about this one. Crazy, stupid mothers leaving hair around to entangle and possibly dismember their own child's toe. Praise GOD we saw it in time, and we think he will probably make it out of this with all his toes, after a little while of bandaging to make sure it heals completely. Hair, I mean seriously? If hair can be a hazard, ANYTHING can be a hazard. Not good news for this worrier of a Mama. So, I guess Bumble and Bumble 'Thickening" shampoo really works. Not sure if that should be a lawsuit or a commercial.