RIP Dads...You Will Be Missed

Christmas has come and gone and the new year is fast approaching!  Unfortunately, Damian's grandfather passed away at the age of 96 on Saturday, December 20.  He was a great man who served our country and fortunately, he was able to meet the twins and spend time with them on several different occasions.  I am feeling grateful for the pictures I took of them during our visits. Mr. Brady (Dads as we called him) was such a loving man, who softened as he aged, from a military man to a gentle soul.  I feel as though we shared a very special bond.  I enjoyed listening to his stories when we visited and tried to send him pictures of the babies to his iPad when I could.  I will always cherish the times that we shared together.  Rest in peace Dads and kiss baby Tyler for us! xo

18 Months...

  The twins are eighteen months, that's half past a year and closer to being two! I need to get better at this blogging thing, but the twins take up so much of my time that when I have free time, blogging is the last thing on my mind.  We are gearing up for a trip to Ogdensburg to celebrate Thanksgiving and Pop's 80th birthday.  It will be a little different this year since my parents recently sold my childhood home. However, I guess it's time to start our own traditions here in CT.  This will be the very first Christmas I will be spending away from my family.
 The twins are definitely movers and shakers.  They love to dance and are obsessed with their big doggy sister Harley.  They are completely on solid foods are only getting a bottle 2-3 times a day.  They can both drink out of a sippy cup and Aven is finally walking steadily!  It is amazing how far they have come in such a short amount of time.  Over the summer, we were just teaching them how to crawl and now we can't get them to slow down.  They are truly a blessing...I swear I am going to try to be better at this blogging thing.  Hmmmm....may this will be my New Year's resolution?!

Goodbye Summer...

Tonight we kiss summer goodbye and at dawn will welcome the hustle and bustle of the school year. I will miss my time with Harper and Aven, as we have spent almost every hour, minute, second together this summer.  I have enjoyed being a mommy and not having to go to work each day, but I welcome the beginning of the school year and a fresh start! This summer the twins experienced many firsts (ice cream, Harper began crawling and is starting to walk, solid foods, drinking from a sippy cup, Puffs, etc...).  The twins loved riding in their cars and Damian and I both agree that was one of the best purchases we ever made! We had a tie-dye party with friends, swam in the St. Lawrence and Harper and Aven even experienced their first camp fire.  We visited Aunt Colleen's farm and saw cows, chickens, ducks, kittens and even a peacock! We can't wait to make more wonderful memories in the fall...

        

1st Birthday Party..

On Saturday, we celebrated the twins' first birthday.  I had been pinning Mickey and Minnie themed items on Pinterest for the past few months and finally, had brought the ideas to fruition.

     

First, I had my Instagram pictures printed and used them to create a garland with pictures of the babies from the time they were in the NICU until the present.  My father-in-law was kind enough to clear off his kitchen area so that I could display the cake and some of the other items I had purchased and made.

   

 The cakes were made by a baker at an organic cakery in Danbury, CT.  The woman made the babies' cakes vanilla bean with vanilla frosting and used marshmallow for the polka dots (Aven's smash cake (left) and Harper's smash cake (right)). The adult cake is in the middle. The bottom layer was vanilla buttercream and the top layer was chocolate with a raspberry filling.  The fondant was made of marshmallow and all three cakes were delicious!

                

I saw these awesome birthday boards made out of black foam board with metallic markers and just had to try to make them! They turned out great and were so easy to create! The boards list the babies birth date along with the things they love and their current estimated height and weight.

We attached Mickey ears to the paper lanterns to create lanterns that went along with the theme.

I used some of the leftover pictures to create a ONE on the refrigerator (maybe a little overkill!).

I put black and red balloons with white polka-dots in the front yard and secured them with golf tees.

I created cards embellished with Mickeys and listed an e-mail address I had created for each of the babies so that relatives could send them messages, memories, photos, etc....

(I will provide them with the address and password when they are old enough).

The party was great! I still can't believe my babies are ONE!!

To My Sweet Miracle Babies...

Harper and Aven-

You came into my life unexpectedly (before you were due to arrive) and now I cannot imagine a time when I was not your mommy. It was by far the scariest, happiest, saddest, most bittersweet day of my life! You were small and delicate with skin that was paper thin-so thin we were told not to rub your skin, just to touch you gently.  Your entire hand was the size of your father's finger.  You were both born with a full head of hair that we couldn't see for days because your head had to be wrapped in order to hold the tubes that helped you to breathe when you couldn't do it on your own.  We had to wait a few days to hold you; it seemed like an eternity.  I remember the startling sound of the monitors ringing and beeping in your hospital room, I remember giving you your first bath, being able to pick you up on my own from your incubator, watching you move into an open crib (and then back again, Aven), I remember getting a call in the middle of the night and the Dr. telling us you had an infection, I remember when you couldn't eat for ten days in order to give your intestines a rest, I remember when I got to hold both of you at the same time (it was one of the most special moments of my life), I remember when you took your first bottle (without needing a feeding tube), I remember breastfeeding you (for hours because you didn't have the sucking reflex to eat quickly), I remember when they started talking about sending you home, I remember when we had to leave Harper in the hospital for a few more days, I remember when we had one baby at home and one baby in the hospital, I remember when finally, on my 32nd birthday, we were all home together as a family.  I remember all of this because these were some of the most precious moments of my life. This past year we have had many ups and downs, trial and tribulations, heartaches, failures and successes, but most importantly, I learned that being a Mother is the most important role in my life.  I never want to disappoint you, I never want to see you get hurt or fail. You make me want to be a better person and most importantly, I want to make sure that you grow to be confident, independent, funny, hard-working, honest, loyal and most importantly, kind.  I will always be here for you no matter where your journey leads you.  I love you more than you will ever know (until you become a parent).  I look forward to watching you grow and celebrating all of your accomplishments. Happy 1st Birthday miracle twins! I love you today, tomorrow and always...

                                                                         Love-

                                                                             Mommy xoxo

                                             

My beautiful girl...

11 Months...

I am a few days late on this post.  The babies are 11 months old! I can hardly believe it! They will be one in a month! A year ago at this time, I was lying on my back on bed rest only allowed to get up to go to the bathroom.  I had no idea just how much my life was about to change..for the better!

Harper and Aven can be a handful at times, especially when they are both crying. They are getting heavier and it becomes difficult to hold them simultaneously. Aven is finally holding his bottle completely on his own and Harper...well, she could care less about holding her bottle! Aven gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth like he is about to crawl. He hasn't quite figured out how to propel himself forward. He has no fear though! He doesn't think twice about leaning forward far enough to fall off of the couch, twist his body off of the changing table or dive out of someone's arms. He must be watched at all times! He has even learned to go from a sitting position into a kneeling position while he is in the Rock N' Play. I guess it's time to retire it at this point.  He loves to eat his cereal with fruit, while trying to grab anything within arms reach. He is such a happy, carefree little man and we couldn't be happier to call him our son.  

Harper loves prunes! She could eat them morning, noon and night! She still hates tummy-time, but is now reaching for things, putting her little feet in her mouth, screaming for pleasure, saying dada... and mama, but only when she cries! I am trying to teach her to say mama... and say dada when she cries! So far, no luck! Harper still isn't getting baby food every day.  The doctor says it is more important for little Harper to eat her bottle, so we are focusing on that. She is an inconsistent eater. Harper definitely knows what she wants and is not afraid to express her feelings via crying, screaming and grunts. She has also recently begun to throw small tantrums (I can't wait for the teenage years!). When Harper isn't voicing her frustration or disapproval she is the sweetest little girl. She loves to cuddle, play with her toys, giggle when she is tickled and her little toothy grin is enough to make your heart melt.  

Nanny...

Daycare is expensive!!! We are so very fortunate to be able to have my mom staying with us and watching the twins.  Harper and Aven love their Nanny! Mom has been so helpful with feeding, changing, holding, playing with the babies and helping us around the house.  We don't know what we do without her.  My parents recently purchased a home in Hudson, Florida and will be moving there permanently next fall.  It will definitely be a huge change for our entire family and hard to say goodbye to the home that we were raised in.  After all, there are so many memories of childhood and adult life that have taken place there- birthday parties, family dinners, laughter and tears, Christmas and Thanksgiving...the list goes on and on. But for now, we are enjoying our time with Nanny and cherishing the moments and memories we are making here with her here.

Sibling Rivalry Begins...

Thanks Kodi...

Harper recently received a gift from my childhood friend, Kodi! She made her this sweet headband!  It is such a nice change from all of the floral and bow headbands that they sell in stores and it definitely is more Harper's style (well, mine actually)! Kodi's daughter, Stella, Alyssa's daughter, Emmy and Kelly's daughter, Brooke, all have one! Now we just need to get a photo with the four of them wearing their new gear! Thanks for the headband Kodi! We are already getting a lot of wear out of it! We absolutely love it!

Sickness Stay Away...

Two weeks ago, when I returned home from work, this is what I walked into.  Harper, sitting proudly on the scale wearing only socks and a smile from ear to ear! She was celebrating.  It was the last of several shots she had to receive over the winter to keep RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) away!  The babies were given an antibody to help protect them from the virus since they were born prematurely.  A very nice visiting nurse named Lynne came to the house each month to inject the babies.  It was hard for her to say goodbye to them knowing she may never see them again, but I can assure you, they were happy they may never see her again...at least if she had to give them more shots! Hopefully(knock on wood), we have made it through the winter without any sickness!

Papa Comes to Visit...

Two weekends ago, Grandpa Geary , "Papa", came to visit.  He last saw the twins at Christmas, so it had been 3 months since he had seen them! When he first arrived, Harper was a little apprehensive about the strange man in our house with the red beard, but the next morning, she had him wrapped around her finger within a few minutes! Papa enjoyed seeing the babies and he couldn't believe how much they had changed in just a few months! I was happy to hear that he saw a difference because being with them each and every day, I don't always recognize how quickly they are growing.  Even though Harper is only about 13 lbs, she has grown 6x her birth weight! I have to keep this in perspective since they are still such little babies! We are looking forward to seeing Papa again when the twins celebrate their first birthday in May!

Home for the Weekend...

This weekend, we traveled home to Ogdensburg to celebrate my friend Stephanie and Matt's engagement! On Friday, we spent the day at my friend Alyssa's house baking cookies for the party.  Harper, Aven and Alyssa's daughter, Emmy, spent the afternoon playing together.  They were so cute! I learned that we are in big trouble when the twins start crawling! Emmy can move pretty quickly and I suspect that if you have two little ones moving that quickly, it will be difficult to keep tabs on them!

The engagement party was a lot of fun and I think everyone who attended had a great time! I am looking forward to celebrating again at Stephanie and Matt's wedding on May 22, 2015!!

Home Away from Home...

The riverbank is aglow from campfires that melt the gooey white mallows from a branch held by sticky little fingers. The night air is crisp and the water looks like glass reflecting the moon hanging in the polka-dotted sky. Crickets chirp and laughter echoes in the night to mark the end of another hot humid day of summer.

Childhood memories are filled with my time spent at camp. A small cottage nestled along a rocky dirt road that leads families to their home away from home. Their place of solace. My place of solace.  Daytime is spent cruising along the shore by boat or jet ski, as you zig-zag through the water speckled with fishing boats, usually ending up at the swimming hole or the sandbar. Looking over the edge of your watercraft you can see straight to the bottom of the river.  It is clean. It is comforting. It is my happy place. 

We celebrated our wedding reception in the lawn. A vast white tent covered sweaty bodies dancing the night away. Friends and family...food and drinks plentifully filling bellies while laughter, music and love filled the night air. Magical. The moments are burned in my mind, to tell my children the tale of our wedding one day.   

Time passes and life changes, but the river is always there to remind me of the simple life. To remind me of the days when we ran barefoot across the lush grass, over the dock and propelled ourselves into the cool water that seemed to wash our cares away. Pot-luck barbecues and fireworks,  family-friends, picnic tables, sunbathing, fishing, swimming, boating and bonfires.  A place that I hope to share with my children, so that they too can have a place to be carefree and create memories that will last their lifetime.

The mighty St. Lawrence River-my home away from home.
  

 To read more about other people's home away from home go to the dogvacay page on Facebook or check out dogvacay.com
  

10 Months...

The babies are 10 months old!  Harper is finally sitting up without support and Aven loves to bounce! They enjoy playing together on their mat and sharing their toys. The twins each have two teeth, which has caused them a bit of discomfort.  They are both eating cereal, fruit and veggies now!  Currently, their favorite is sweet potatoes and pears. Harper's hair appears to be growing a little bit each day (slowly but surely) and Aven has quite a bit of hair.  Both of the babies are sleeping exclusively in their cribs at night.  Aven won't be able to sleep in his Rock N' Play much longer, as he has learned to sit up and almost crawl out of it. He currently weighs almost 16 lbs! Harper is still a little peanut at 12lbs 12oz.  

Growing...growing..growing...

Harper and Aven are growing! We attended their 9 month checkup today and the doctor said that they are looking really good and are on track for their adjusted age of 6 months! Harper weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs and Aven is a bit heavier at 13 lb 14 oz.  Harper is 23 inches long and Aven is 26 inches long (he grew 4 inches in 3 months)!  We have been given the go-ahead for Aven to begin eating fruits and vegetables. Harper is still hesitant to eat her rice cereal, so we will continue working on eating with her.  Tomorrow the babies will be evaluated by Birth23 of CT to see what services (PT/OT/Speech, etc) they will receive to make sure that they continue to meet the milestones for their adjusted age.  

9 Months...

Today, the babies turned 9 months old! Can you believe it?  They are doing great sitting up by themselves, have started to eat cereal with banana and are babbling all the time! Harper even sounds like she is saying "hi" and "dada"! Aven is always on the move and is such a carefree little man! Harper is a little stubborn and has recently started making strange when she doesn't recognize someone.  She hates doing tummy time and prefers to be held rather than sit.  She has quite the diva-esque personality!  It is hard to believe that they will be 1 in only 3 short months!!!

Happy Valentine's Day...

Recently, while browsing Pinterest for Valentine's Day gift ideas for Harper and Aven's grandparents, I came upon a pretty cute idea! I was a little hesitant about how they would turn out, but I am very pleased with the end result! I bought the platters at TJ-Maxx and the acrylic paint from Michael's.  The babies loved the feeling of the paint on their feet! I am already thinking about craft ideas for St. Patrick's Day! 

8 Months...

Can you believe it?  The twins are already 8 months old!  Harper is laughing and razzing every chance she gets!  Aven also razzes and loves to smile.  He can almost sit up by himself!  Mommy is preparing for her dreaded return to work in 2 weeks…. (sigh)!  Where has the time gone?  My babies are growing up too fast.  Luckily, I will return to work knowing that they are in great hands, as Nanny Geary will be taking care of them.

Happy Belated New Year...

The twins celebrated the new year in style, with Aven sporting a tuxedo onesie and Harper wearing a beautiful tulle tutu onesie with sparkles (we're still finding them everywhere) adorned with a  satin bow!