Pool Days

We have been visiting the local pool often these days and having so much fun. This week we met several friends including our Young Moms Bible Study for a swim get together.

Swimming is about to become much more serious business this week though as the boys take their ISR refresher course daily starting Monday. Here is Andrew's float exam from last year.

I have a feeling it's going to be a rough week, especially for Adam who has no problem expressing his displeasure with things and is much better at being uncooperative than he was last year!

School's Out for Summer!

The boys had their last day of toddler preschool and it was a sad day, especially for me because I don't know how I'm going to keep us occupied all summer! The boys were blessed with awesome teachers and we are going to miss them next year when the boys are in the 2 yr old class.

Here is a picture with Miss Carley & Miss Cathy and a few of their classmates that hadn't left before I got a picture

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar (jelly bean drawer)

The boys discovered where daddy hides his jelly beans and Adam got more than he bargained for when he was sneaking some and accidently closed the drawer on himself.

Memorial Day was a blast of swimming, eating, playing, and boating. Adam even swam in the lake for the first time and both boys jumped into the pool to us from the side. But sadly my camera battery died before I could get any pictures other than these.

Me & My Crew

Sweet Bailey

Here are some more pics from Kaylie's party that Rebecca sent me. This ones funny because I'm feeding the boys cake and Adam is following the spoon as I feed Andrew hoping I'll miss or that he'll intercept it! These boys love birthday cake!

Silly Andrew was swimming in the sand box while eating the sand.

NICU Reunion 2009

Last Saturday we went to the Woman's Hospital of Texas annual NICU reunion which took place at the newly remodeled Houston Children's Museum. It was a lot of fun to visit with the doctors that cared for our children and to see some of our good friends. I think the doctors enjoy it as much as the patients, one even saying that seeing kids like Andrew (& Adam) makes what they do every day worth it. They just can't believe that Andrew had a Grade IV bleed and were so impressed with his outcome. We are so blessed to have two healthy amazing children. Thank you to all the doctors & nurses in the NICU's all across the country that serve these tiniest and sickest patients. We are forever grateful!

The Children's Museum renovation was very impressive! The kids, both big & small, had a blast!

The Light Floor was really fun

Mooooooo! Breaking the rules by sitting on the cow

This photo reminds me of when we leave Old Navy and Andrew tells the plastic painted manikins "Bye Bye Fake People"

After the reunion, we'd all worked up an appetite so we went to Maggiano's for a family style feast that bordered on gluttony, it was delicious!

Adam got impatient waiting for the food so PeePaw was quick on his feet and showed Adam how to dip his finger in a sugar packet pile for a little snack.

Andrew LOVED sharing dessert with PeePaw

Yummy!!!

What a fun day!!

Great Grandmas & Great Fun

Adam & Andrew have gotten special visits with two of the great grandmothers in the past few days. First up was Great Grandmother Paula who came down to visit us for the first time in over 4 years because when my PawPaw was alive he was too sick to travel. The boys had a lot of fun getting loved on by Great Grandma Paula.

We went to Houston for the weekend and got together Friday night with some of our special NICU buddies for a yummy dinner at Lupe Tortilla. It was so great to enjoy an evening with these miracle kids and their awesome parents!

Adam was eager to give pretty Miss Ellie a big hug. When Ellie was first born she was in the bed right next to Adam!

Then Saturday we went to visit Great Grandmother Miggy at her apartment. It was a surprise visit and she was thrilled to have Adam & Andrew drop in and gave them the grand tour.

Adam loves his Miggy!

Miggy is so proud of her twins!

Adam was thoroughly exhausted from all the partying!

Notice how he has taken his right shoe off. He does this as soon as we get in the car, always the right shoe. It drives me crazy!!

Hanging out at Gammaw & PeePaw's house. The boys had a blast playing in the beautiful yard and on the "retro" swing set that daddy played on as a little boy.

The See-Saw was a big hit!

All the boys, big & small

More pictures to come from the rest of our fun weekend!

Party Time

This past Saturday the boys put on their festive Hawaiian shirts to party at Kaylie's 2nd Birthday Bash.

The sand was a definite hit and this is where the boys spent most of their time. Though I couldn't keep Andrew from eating the sand by the handful, strange child!

Waiting for some yummy cake!

Playing in the party decorations

Adam & Andrew were very interested in Kaylie gifts

Andrew had sand in every crevice of his body

Andrew, you are a mess but you sure enjoyed yourself!

Happy Mothers Day!!

A VERY Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! For all those that are longing to hold a baby in your arms, know that you are not alone, hang in there and know that God has a plan for you. I feel most blessed to be a mama and I never take it for granted. Every difficult moment and painful tear shed to get to this point has been more than worth it.

Being a Mom is the hardest job I've ever done and only now do I understand and appreciate all that my own mother has done for me. Thanks Mom!

Thank you Andrew & Adam & Kenny for making me a Mama, I'm happier than I ever expected or imagined I could be. Every day is a precious gift and every sweet smile, hug and laugh is worth more to me than gold.

We got to spend time with cousin Ben today. Here he is all snuggled up in his carrier.

So Precious!!

Here are some pictures from a play group a while back that I never got around to posting. Two year old social dynamics are interesting and exhausting to navigate but they are sure cute!

Notice Adam sitting in time out in the background.

Andrew is trying out some new therapies to hopefully help his spacticity in the left side of his body. He's wearing a weighted vest and an arm wrap. And is supposed to do this about an hour a day.

Wednesdays are "Adam Days" when he gets to spend special time with me while Andrew is at school. After biblestudy we went with Lauren & Blake to Gatti's and Adam had a great time checking out the world of coin operated amusements.

Adam has started showing interest in something other than "hockey-ball-game" (basketball) and has really enjoyed hitting things with his bat. Here Daddy is giving him a lesson in swinging.

I stole this one from Aunt Dana's blog but I couldn't help but share our March for Babies smallest team member. We missed you at the walk Ben but we understand it's hard work being a newborn!

And while I'm stealing pictures, I had to share this one from my brother of my niece Kate the flying lady bug super hero. Cracks me up every time I see it!!

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend!!

Introducing Bailey

When Reagan's puppies were born my heart fluttered when I saw that one yellow puppy be born. It was so neat that out of 2 chocolate parents, and 10 puppies, there was one little lone recessive yellow puppy. But I learned that the stud dog owner's were going to choose this pup so I tried to distance myself from her and not get attached. Well by a twist of fate, they decided they wanted a male puppy and not a female, so we are getting to keep little miss yellow after all and we are naming her Bailey.

So here is Sweet Baby Bailey shortly after she was born:

Adam & Andrew think she's pretty great and she seems to be a very sweet and laid back little lady so far. We are so excited. So now we have 6 adorable chocolate labs available if you know of anyone that is interested, please let me know!

And now nearly 6 weeks later, she has grown so FAST!!

We went to the neighborhood pool twice this week and I have a feeling we'll be there a lot over the next few months. Here are some pics of the boys sporting some "cool hair" at the pool.

Lounging after a swim with Kaylie & Connor

The boys

Celebrating

After we walked our 3.5 miles for the March for Babies on Saturday, we headed to Austin to celebrate Kenny's brother Steve's graduation from law school. We had such a fun time! Congraulations Steve!!

March for Babies 2009

We had a great day yesterday at the March for Babies. It was a lot of fun and Adam & Andrew had a great group turn out to walk with them. It meant so much to me to see so many people come out to walk with us because they care about my boys. We are blessed!

Andrew & Adam's wonderful team!!
Our family

The boys check out their poster

Adam & Andrew pose with their friends from their class at school that walked with us

The boys help us share our story

Adam was so excited to check out the real fire truck

All the kiddos on our team, SO cute!!

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Thanks to everyone who came out to support Adam & Andrew and all the other little ones. Together we made a difference for tomorrow's babies.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart

We're Back!!!!

"Thank You" just seems so inadequate. I am truly and forever grateful to every single one of you who helped make our fundraising a major success this year. The March of Dimes is not just another charity to me, it is so much more than that. I look at my children every day and see how they are thriving and how they are here with us and how they LOVE LIFE! And I'm indebted to the March of Dimes for that and I'm so honored to be able to give back to the organization that has given us so much. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us, for loving Adam & Andrew, and for taking the time to care about God's precious children.

And it goes without saying, the ultimate Glory and Praise is unto the Lord.

Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.

Psalm 63:3-4