Brotherly love

The boys have grown to become best friends.  They love each other, help each other, and of course fight with each other (especially when it comes to who gets what toy).

This week Cole was sick - Wilson kept sitting to put his arm around his brother to "take care of him."

This weekend we lit our first fire - both boys were enthralled by the fire - better than TV!  They were also inseparable. 

Jealousy and love

Usually these two words aren't closely related with feeling between two people (as opposed to external players - e.g. jealousy of a husbands / boyfriends / whatevers cute co-workers). 

Cole and Wilson are expressing themselves more and more every day, and continuing to grow into being TWO.  With this comes a great deal of jealousy and love.  The boys have been sick, so that doesn't help much.  Lately, if I'm holding Cole, Wilson cries to be held.  If I'm holding Wilson, Cole cries to be held.  If Wilson falls and I kiss his booboo, Cole fake falls and asks for kisses.  Here are some of the funnier examples:

• Cole work up from a nap the other day yelling "Wilson pushed me" - odd thing was they were in separate cribs 
• Cole fell and got a band-aide.  Wilson had already been told "no" on band-aides because his phantom ouchies are resulting in band-aide requests all over his body, so instead of faux-falling, he pulled his pants down for quick attention.
• Wilson put on rainboots, and Cole started putting on Crocs.  When they saw each other, they immediately wanted the same shoes the other had

Because of the last point we do occasionally bend to doing matchy outfits ... and it's so cute!

On the flip side, the boys love each other so incredibly much it makes my heart happy.  Sometimes early early in the morning I'll hear them talking across their bedroom.  Cole often brings Wilson leftover milk (given, it was in Wilson's cup) and Wilson often gives Cole his leftover food.  The boys also sometimes spur of the moment hold hands in the car or reach for Matt's and my hands for impromptu ring around the rosy. 

Halloween 2011 - Bob the Builders!

Halloween has come and gone and now it seems like jingle bells, retail swells, and turkey talk have taken over everything.  Halloween is still near and dear in our home, though, as the boys have now taken to saying "trick or teat" and waiting to see what we'll give them.

Matt's parents were in town this past weekend, so on Halloween the 6 of us went trick or teating around the neighborhood.  Poor Coley had a cough so we didn't last long.  Cole was hilarious - whenever we asked him "are you Bob the Builder?" he would reply "No, I'm Coley!"  Cole also struck up a conversation with a ghoast who was about the same size as him for a brief while, while Wilson decided between candy and bouncy balls at someone's house (in the end he got both).  Wilson also thought we were going for a bunch of play dates and kept walking into peoples' houses starting to take his shoes off.

My sweet boys.  I'm a lucky mommy!

Puddle time!

We had an awesome weekend with my dad (roundup to come).  The boys got their first haircuts, and we had a handful of "field trips."  Today, though, the boys were just ... boys.

In true Seattle fashion, it's been raining off and on.  The boys are taking full advantage.

Lego maniac

The boys' favorite aunt and uncle (Amanda and Gabe) gave them a lego set for their birthday and the boys are hooked!  Apparently when I was at work, my "sick" boys (they've been sniffling all weekend) were literally trying to climb the walls. 

Solution?  Legos!  Pure joy.

Weekend roundup: Portland!

Time is going way too fast and I feel like our short but loved summer is almost over.  Last weekend we packed up the car and made our way down to Portland to visit my aunts and mom who were prepping for an amazing looking camping trip (my aunt Laura is a five star camp organizer and had meals planned out and lodging to fit royalty - no kidding).  We couldn't go camping because I already used up my vacation time.

The car trip was ... long, but the boys did a good job.  The vast number of "diggers" and "BOOOATS" kept them entertained for a bit.  At one point on the ride home, the boys were silent for a while, then I heard Wilson cracking up laughing.  When I turned around he had managed to get his froggy backpack onto his head and had been sitting there waiting for us to see.  With Wilson's laughter came Cole's attempt to get the backpack on his head (I say attempt because it turns out Cole is a bit scared of the dark so the pack didn't stay for long).  My boys are hilarious.  I think they should do standup.  No, I'm not that mom that thinks everything her kids do is perfect ... my boys are just perfect.  Heh.

We're all in this thing together

Yes, I'm opening with an Old Crow Medicine Show line.  It's funny, the older the boys get, the more I feel like toddler parents (we) are all in this together, and I'm sure as the boys grow we'll be "in it" with the same set of parents whose children are growing.  It really does take a village ... even strangers. 

Last night after (an awesome) dinner with Lisa, Frank, Lila, Andrew and the boys we were hovering outside saying goodbyes when all of the sudden the boys and Lila started holding hands chanting "wing awound the wosie..." At the moment they started holding hands, another toddler we've never met before toddles up and gets into the circle with them.  I smiled at her mom, she smiled back, and all of a sudden we were all doing Ring Around the Rosie in the middle of downtown Ballard.  Strangers watched and smiled, strangers played, and we were all in it together - having a great time.

Myself

The boys are trying very hard to do everything on their own now which is awesome and challenging at the same time.  Getting into the car now takes at least 5min longer than normal.  Getting shoes on - add another 5.  But the rewards are so great.  When Cole flings himself into his carseat on his own the look of pride on his face is staggering.  Wilson is now trying to get his pants and t-shirts on by himeself in addition to his shoes and sweatshirts.  Pants turned into a mini game of twister and pouty lip yesterday as he got one leg, then proceeded to put the other leg in the wrong side of his pant leg, then get completely tangled up.  The lower lip popped out quivering and all I could do was laugh because he was so friggin cute.

In addition to wanting to do everything themselves, the boys want to pick things on their own.  Both Cole and Wilson were a little overzealous at daycare when the sprinklers were out so had to pick clothes from the "backup" closet.  Cole came home touting a bright orange tank top and Wilson was wearing the shortest red shorts I've ever seen (diaper hanging out the bottom).  Too cute!

Happy Birthday Cole and Wilson

Happy Birthday to my loves - Cole and Wilson are officially TWO!

It's been quite a year - we moved to Seattle, the boys started walking, the boys started pre-school, Cole chipped his front teeth, Wilson got breathing probs - and both of them are moving past it - the boys colored their first pictures, the boys learned more than 20 words and can now count no 5 ... yes, lots of great milestones.  And we can't wait for more!

Air - often under-rated

Last night was another tough one as a mom (and dad for Matt).  The boys started getting sick late Monday afternoon, and yesterday sick turned into major troubles breathing for Wilson.  At 7pm I rushed him back into the ER and they barely asked a question before hooking him back up to a nebulizer to help breathe.  Wilson knew it would make him feel better and was even holding the mask on by himself (my smart boy).

Matt stayed home with Cole who kept waking up crying for "Wishun" which was heartbreaking.

Today both boys were feeling sick so Matt gave them a treat ... TV.  I'm afraid they were too tired/icky feeling to truly enjoy it, though...

While the hospital and our pediatrician won't say if it's "asthma" (there really isn't a way to say definitively it's that), we're going to start looking into common allergens to see if something is triggering this.

Here are the most common allergens: pollen and dust mites
Here are the most common food allergens: milk, wheat, soy, eggs, nuts, seafood, and legumes, which include peas, beans, and peanuts

Respiratory problems in toddlers

This weekend we experienced our first ER visit for Wilson and it was incredibly tough.  Friday afternoon Wilson came home from daycare with a cough and sniffles.  By late Saturday morning he was clearly sick and lethargic - ready to lay down and sleep an hour after getting up which our little energizer has never been.  By evening Wilson was struggling to breathe - he was still chasing Cole and trying to run and jump off the couch, but he was clearly struggling and was slowing down. 

After a call to after hours care, we decided to take Wilson to the ER "just to be safe."  Immediately when I got to the ER they sent us to a room and two nurses appeared to simultaneously take his vitals and give him meds.  He was struggling so much to breathe they gave him steroids and an hour long treatment of albuterol, then put him on oxegyn. 

When the albuterol only kind of helped his lungs open up, they wisked Wilson off for an x-ray.  He's such a sweetheart the whole time he was getting the x-ray he was dancing and waving at the nurses (he loves girls and attention so all the nurses were better than a day at the aquarium for him).  The x-ray showed Wilson didn't have pnemonia (hurray) but he was still struggling, so they made us check in.  Through the night they gave Wilson oxygen and albuterol treatments - finally, Sunday at 2pm we were allowed to check out. 

I HATE giving our boys prescription meds and was hesitant about the albuterol.  When I got home from the hospital (I got home and Matt went to be with Wilson on Sunday), Cole and I scrubbed the entire house (OK, I cleaned and Cole sat on the broom and vacuum saying "Wishon?..." while pointing at the door alternating with "mesh" pointing at the floor).  We're seeing the prescribed treatment out because we do NOT want our baby back in the hospital and we're also on the hunt for what's going to help.

I have to say, Wilson handled being in the hospital and sick a lot better than me.  Bringing him in and seeing him hooked up to a machine, I wept.  Wilson on the other hand had a ton of fun playing with all his new friends and getting to watch tv for the first time.

Pink eye

There's always something ... just as we're coming out of colds, the boys got hit by pink eye last week.  Daycare'll do that.  First Cole got it, then Wilson.  Then we all got colds again.

Joy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Love Wilson ...

And Cole ...

And then there were teeth

He's playing shy, but Wilson is really pretty darn proud of his teeth.  Every time a cute girl walks by he flashes his pearlys ... then milk pukes a little.

The boys learned to clap today!!!

Wilson rolling over!

You caught me ... I've become one of those moms with a video camera ... I now have Cole with the hiccups, Wilson with the smiles, and the newly added (drum roll please) Wilson rolling over!!!


Just wait until they start walking - I'll have to get mini camera helmets for the boys.

The soundtrack of our lives

When I run I typically have a song lineup:

• Marc Cohn, Walking in Memphis to warm up
• Bruce Springstein, Secret Garden to start revving
  
• U2, Viva la Vida to pick up
  
• Javier Martinez, Betty Davis Eyes to keep pace
• Manu Chao, Cadestino pace still
• White Stripes, Seven Nations Army to kick it into a higher gear
• Pearl Jam, Life Wasted to keep new pace

Then I'll throw in some Madonna and Avett Brothers to hold steady 'til the end of the run.

Cole and Wilson come with their own soundtrack and it's backed up by the city - and it is amazing. Our neighbor is a music teacher so in the background almost all day we hear piano, guitar, singing, and more. Then, our downstairs neighbor's stereo kicks in with some mellow '80s as they're undoubtedly getting ready for the evening. We have the occasional parrot sighting in the backyard adding to the soundtrack and then the trolley flies by the front of the house adding a little "ding ding" (think SNL "more cowbell").

Cole and Wilson are the main event with:

• Cooing
• Wannabe burping (when they know it's almost burp time at the end of a meal they both grunt - I think they're faking)
• Crying (this is the part of the soundtrack that breaks my heart)
• Hming (when it's time to feed, Wilson folds his chin up, raises his brows thus creasing his forhead, and "hmmms" for a moment before opening up)

I can't wait to hear their soundtrack pickup. Minus the crying - that's a chorus I could do without (more because I feel so terrible when I can't figure out how to soothe them).

And then there were four

I am thrilled to say our baby boys have arrived and are home happy (I think - they smile when they fart) and healthy. I'll start with the punchline - meet Cole and Wilson!
This past week has been pretty nuts, so I'll give you the abridged version.

Wednesday, July 8, my water broke - in the middle of an interview! No, I wasn't interviewing anywhere, I'm not so bold, we're hiring right now at work. One thing I should note, water breaking is not at all like in the movies or on TV - there's no gush, no pants wetting, no drama. Thank goodness! Imagine that poor interviewee if he had known. After calling the doctor he told me to head in to the hospital to "check things out." Then came the call to Matt - Matty flew over the bridge (he was at work) to pick me up and off we went not knowing what would happen.

At the hospital, we got checked out and admitted. I was allowed to go home for 1-hour to change (heals and work clothes are no way to be in labor) so we ran home to grab our pre-packed bags (and a few others - somehow Matt got to the door with 4-bags) and made a quick stop at Linzy's to hand her the keys to our place.

The final preg pic:









At the hospital we were admitted to room 207 where we waited (labored). It was a loooooong wait - around 2am I was dying of pain so the painkillers started. Jump forward 36 hours - Cole's heart beat kept dropping with each contraction and Wilson's water hadn't seemed to have broken yet. At midnight on July 9th our doctor came in to have a "stern talk" about considering a c-section. Knowing the side effects I REALLY didn't want to, but 26-hours and Cole's little heart made us sign the OK.

The delivery:
Off we were wheeled to the operating room where 4 nurses, our doctor, the anesthesiologist waited and the "fun" began. The c-section only took 20-minutes and by 1:14 and 1:15am on July 10th we had two perfect little boys.

Cole was the first out - he was eager to come! He weighted in at 5lb 12oz and was just perfect. Wilson followed immediately weighing in at 5lb 7oz and he too was perfect. Wilson had a weird growl, though, so after the scrub down he was admitted to the NICU.

What happened next:
What happened next was rather a blur. The morning and afternoon of the 10th were filled with nurses checking my vitals and then showing us how to breast feed (they show you this within a few hours of birth). On the 11th I woke up with a horrible pain in my stomach and everything started swelling. Nurses stopped to look at me and say it'd be already, then walk away worried. One told me that the swelling I had only happened in 5% of new moms. Great.

Hospital oops:
As the pain continued I was wheeled off to an x-ray. A few hours later 4-nurses came into our room and cleared out Matt's family. Scary. Turns out, a fetal monitor was left IN ME! At this time I was also told that if I didn't improve I'd have to have a gastric surgeon come and tube out my tummy - ick. So, I was put on liquids only - through an IV.

Wilson's story:
Wilson was put in NICU because his lungs needed a bit of help. He was put in a "hot box" to regulate his temp and have all his vitals monitored. Visiting Wilson broke my heart every time, but he was an uber trooper. In the NICU he was actually something of a giant as the other surrounding babies weighed in at 1lb-4lbs.

After two days in NICU, Wilson got out of the hot box. Then his air tubes were removed. Long story short, he was released in just a few days and we were thrilled!

We are now thrilled to be home with our beautiful boys! We checked out this morning and are getting used to feeding, changing, swaddling, repeat. In the hospital we did all the "parent things" too, but there were nurses everywhere if we ever felt too tired or needed help.

What's next:
I can't run for at least 6-weeks (I can barely walk - the IV drip made me so puffy my legs have turned to stay puff legs and my feet water balloons). I get 6-weeks off work to "hang" with the boys and am then working from home for 6-months. My mom is helping in August and we have just the best friends EVER coming by to help and volunteering.

To be continued...