The boys

Tommy and Liam enjoyed the weekend.

Down on the farm

Chickens and goats... and it looks like our fruit trees will survive! Papa Bill gave us a start from a 100 year old pear tree. Mommy got two peach trees for her birthday and four apple trees! Yummy.

Grandma visited

We all have enjoyed Grandma Sue's visit! Mommy REALLY enjoyed grandma staying and lending an extra hand. Daddy set our travel trailer up as grandma's home away from home (which gave g'ma a somewhat restful night sleep) for three nights and four days. Tommy and Liam got to stay all day with grandma on Wednesday because mommy had a training in Tacoma and daddy went to work. Not only did the twins survive.... grandma was in one piece too and had dinner ready! Thank you Grandma!!!

An article from my dad to read...

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/07/05/20/100loc_a1zach001.cfm

Tommy's heart surgery

Today we were at Children's Hospital for an echocardiogram and a visit with our cardiologist. Our cardiologist thinks Tommy is a 'textbook case'..... the first time we have heard that term used with our sweet lil' Tom. The dr feels this will be the fix and soon we can put yet another surgery behind us. The heart surgery will be on June 13th. Please pray for a healthy little boy to stay healthy until then!

Twice the fun

Life with twins is exhausting! Just when we finish feeding Tommy I look to the spot on the floor that I laid Liam and he has rolled a few feet away. Yep, he has learned to roll over. What a big smile when his world flips upside down. Tommy is trying to sit with lots of support and smiles from mommy. His neck is still very floppy so we don't sit upright on mommy's lap for long.

Colin and I were making out our monthly Costco list ...... 500 diapers a month (16 diapers a day on average) plus a case of diaper wipes. Whew! Fourty fingernails and toenails to clip every other day (for some reason I have boys that grow nails super fast). I can't imagine the work that goes into triplets or quads. Glad I have two of the sweetest smiling twin boys I could ever imagine. We are thankful to have enough energy during the day to enjoy their smiles and giggles.

Therapy homework

Tommy continues to be a happy participant in his oral therapy homework. Using our pinky finger, a pacifier or trying a bottle has become part of our NG feeding sessions. We begin his feedings with sign language for 'eating' and he has become familiar with the sounds of his new enteral feeding pump. Soon we will receive our Zvibe and can begin using some vibrations in his mouth. With less than four weeks until his heart surgery.... we hope Tommy will have the energy and the oral stimulation to want to nurse or drink from a bottle.

Prenatal test article & mom's day album

This article was in the NY times today. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/us/09down.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

and most importantly, take the time to look at this album

http://picasaweb.google.com/BarbarasMommyLife/OurLittleExtrasAMotherSDayDownSyndromeCelebration?authkey=FkN3NRQpYFY

Sunshine

Tommy and Liam enjoyed sunshine this week! Mommy enjoyed having us on the porch so she could wash the new double jogging stroller that Aunt Debbie passed along to us. Tommy started speech therapy this week which helps him learn to suck a bottle and close his lips around the nipple or pacifier.

Cinco de Mayo

Tommy and Liam want to say "Hola!"

Next year they will be eating rice & beans!

Hannah and Nate brought these sombreros back from Mexico last December. Tommy LOVED looking at all the gold on the hat.

New Schedules

Dad and mom have started their new work schedules to keep us home and hopefully bug free until Tommy's heart surgery. This was the first week for mommy working until 11:30 and daddy working noon until 8:30pm. Whew! Tag team parenting. Mom and dad would love your prayers for staying healthy.... and a couple hours of sleep :)

Playful

Yesterday morning Tommy enjoyed an occupational therapy session where he rolled around on a ball! Daddy even got to join in the fun.

Tommy then had a therapy session in the afternoon at home which closed a bunch of loose ends that mom was having trouble tying up (like how to get speech therapy started and what do we do for therapy when we are at Children's Hospital for the open heart surgery). The home therapy session also referred us to the WA State Sensory Disability Services since Tommy has both vision and hearing loss.

Mommy picked up the toy (picture above) at a consignment store and I LOVE the 'bug eyed' creatures on it.....if only they would talk to me.