All Grown Up

This post is a little out of order (probably happened ~ 3 weeks ago, but here it is)

So the twins have really grown up recently and together have schemed to get into more and more trouble.
At roughly 18 months old, they have mastered the art of climbing (or jumping) out of their cribs.
So with great sadness, we had to say goodbye to the cribs and hello to the twins' new freedom in their toddler beds.

BEFORE


After

Yes, they are both wrestling over a bear in Matt's bed

And to top it all off, the twins have also learned how to open the door to their room! So now, not only can they get out of their beds, but they can also roam the entire house (ok, not really as we have put child locks on the inside of their room to prevent them from opening the door)



All 3 boys so grown up...eating dinner together



And Alex getting ALL BUFF with dad

Off to the Fair

Last weekend we decided to go to the Southeast Texas State Fair just down the road. The weather was nice but a little hot so we only stayed a couple of hours, but the kids had a good time.

Boys at the entrance

Alex getting on his first ride by himself

Enjoying the ride

If you look closely...Alex looks like he's about to lose his lunch....

The boys on the train ride

Alex and Dad on the carousel

Yes, thank you...I'm a very good co-pilot in bumper cars

The twins with Dumbo (the elephant...not Dad)

Matt on his first wave runner by himself

And mom enjoying yummy crawfish dinner afterwards

Off to "School" We Go

So the twins finally started pre-school with Alex (after a few more bouts of ear infections and pink eyes). They have officially been there for a couple of weeks now and seem to be adjusting very well. It's great having them all in one spot.

The first few days were definitely very teary, but when we're out of sight they seem to play well and appear happy. Even on the first day there, I was amazed to check on them during naptime and see them sleeping soundly on their mats next to each other. They can't even fall asleep in the same room at home because they just "talk" and laugh with each other...I guess it's the peer pressure.

I definitely think the teachers have underestimated their ability to eat as they seem to eat everything in sight at school and are still hungry when they get home. Last night, the twins had half of a large pizza by themselves (not kidding)...did I mentioned that they're only 19 months old! With 3 growing boys, I can't imagine what our food bill will be like when they're teenagers. Although the twins are the youngest kids in their class by at least 4 months, they are both probably one of the tallest kids if not the tallest. I guess the growth charts at the doctor's office have been accurate.

By the way, all the tests on Matthew came back normal and the leading case for his seizures are just fever related. I didn't want to subject him to more testing if the leading indicators seem to point to fevers. We will pray that this is all that was and that all the kiddos stay healthier (as well as the parents- last week I unfortunately got bronchitis and a sinus infection and some early pneumonia, but hopefully with all the meds I will be back to normal soon).
Why is it that a perfectly healthy adult can go 20 years without so much as a sneeze, but the moment that they have kids, that same healthy adult seems to get sick all the time and it seems to take way longer to recover)

Goodbye February!

We say goodbye to February and hope that March is a much better month! Although this blog is supposed to be showcasing all the great things that our boys are doing for getting this in their baby books later, unfortunately we have to document the not so great things that have been happening lately.

Since the last posting...

• Matthew unfortunately had 2 more seizures. I took Matt to Texas Children's Hospital last Friday to have some tests done to figure out the cause of his seizures. We should hopefully get some answers early next week.

Matt getting ready for his EEG...it's amazing that he was able to fall asleep with all those wires.

• Matthew also spent 3 days in the hospital a little over a week ago because he got severely dehydrated from having the flu and strep throat again!
• Yes, all 3 boys got the flu and strep again!

So to sum up February...it sucked! (Matthew with 3 seizures; Matt, Alex and me with strep throat; Matt, Alex, and Zach with both strep throat (again) and the flu; Matt ending up in the hospital for 3 days)

Knock on wood, March has gotten off to a better start...

• The boys are feeling better and the twins are going to start at Alex's pre-school tomorrow!
• Zach is starting to sound like a New Yorker...just listen to how he says CAR
  
  

• Alex is getting ready to start soccer next week...doesn't he look like a pro?
  
  

Strep Times Three, and a Seizure Please

So these last couple of weeks have definitely been probably one of the worst weeks in my life...

The last day of Jeff's parents' visit, Alex started running a fever and by the next morning it was at 105°F (yes 105, it's not a typo). Fortunately, Jeff's parents could stay a little longer and watch the twins so that I could take him to see a doctor.

Diagnosis...Alex has Strep Throat! (#1) So he gets put on antibiotics and we go on our merry way. Over the next 3 days his fever keeps coming back up to near 105 eventhough he's taking the antibiotics and we keep pumping him full of Tylenol and Motrin. By the 4th day when his fever just does not want to break and I get a reading of 105.7°F...I take him to the ER and they put him on a different antibiotic (IV of course) and that finally seems to work. He stays at home for a few more days and eventually gets back to his wild self again.

A few days later, as I come back from work, I get greeted by a nasty surprise...As I walk in the door into the kitchen...our nanny is holding Matt who appears to have been crying. As she says that he just woke up from his nap and is super cranky with a slight fever...Matthew has the "Exorcist Moment"...he starts vomiting all over her (and I mean all over...her hair, her clothes...you get the picture). I don't know for whom to feel more sorry...Matthew for being sick or the nanny for getting a "shower of her life".
The biggest irony in this whole situation...I was planning on firing our nanny when I walked in the door as our twins will be getting into Alex's pre-school soon. I just didn't have the heart to tell her right at that moment (I waited a couple of days).

So after the vomiting, Matthew seems to feel 100% better and I hold him on the couch for a little bit. As I hold him and he rests his head on my shoulder he appears to get a chill...but then I realize that this is something much more as the shaking doesn't stop. As I pull him away from me, I see what I hope no parent ever has to see...Matthew is having a seizure! and as he starts turning gray and does not appear to be breathing, I dial 911 and I try my best to stay collected so as to not to scare Alex and Zach. The seizure lasts about 4 minutes, after which Matt loses consiousness, and as I prepare myself to have to do CPR to save my son's life, the ambulance arrives!

Within a minute or so, Matthew starts coming out of it and appears responsive. The paramedics indicate that he most likely had a febrile seizure (seizure due to a fever - eventhough his fever was less than 101) and they get him undressed to cool him off and they get him in the ambulance. With the nanny already gone and Jeff still at work, I load up Alex and Zach and follow the ambulance to the hospital, trying not to freak out knowing that Matthew is with complete strangers and there is nothing I can do at that moment.

Jeff meets us at the hospital and Matt endures all kinds of needle pricks, IV's and tests. At the end...they determine it was a febrile seizure most likely due to some virus...WRONG!!! A follow-up with our doctor the next day indicates that Matthew has Strep Throat! (#2). We get sent home with antibiotics, anti-seizure medication and directive to give him Tylenol/Motrin at the first sign of fever as it's possible to have another febrile seizure in the future. As it turns out...I had several such seizures when I was a baby...I don't know how my parent handled that.

So as we sleep on pins and needles worrying about Matthew having another seizure, I start feeling a sore throat. The next day I go to the doctors office...Diagonosis: I have Strep Throat! (#3) I end up staying home for 2 days as the fever and chills get the better of me. Although I'm finally feeling better today, the strep must have turned into tonsillitis as swallowing has become unbearable with my tonsils swollen and red.

So as you can tell by how late I make this post...I still can't sleep very well...constantly worried about Matthew having another seizure, but hopefully he will be back to normal soon.

Grandparents in Town

Jeff's parents made the long drive from Kansas City to visit it us a couple of weeks ago, and we really enjoyed their stay. We weren't very good at taking lots of pictures, but here's at least one of the twins with grandpa and grandma...

Jeff and I got to go to the movies for the first time in a really long time while the grandparents babysat...we were really thankful to get some kid-free time together!

A little random... a little before the grandparents visit, Alex got yet another haircut...I swear his hair grows like weeds!

Before

After (although it's back to before 2 weeks later)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Ok...so I'm a little behind on my postings. It's been very busy around here with work, holidays, travel, and illnesses, but hopefully I'll get caught up with the next couple of posts.

We spent Christmas with my parents in Corpus Christi. My sister and her husband flew down from Wisconsin as well.


Alex and Mom waiting for Santa...Matt, on the other hand, is not thrilled


Matthew

...and Zachary

Alex is super excited to see Santa...let's open some presents!



Look at those coveralls for the twins!


Mom, could you please hurry up with getting the tags off.

Matt and Zach seemed to enjoy the bows the best.


Everyone enjoying all the fun, and Aunt Ewie has matching footsie pajamas!


Mom and Dad...and Aunt Ewie and Uncle Jake getting their Xmas Blanket


Here are some other pictures from our trip to Corpus.

Alex at the USS Lexington

Matt and Zach enjoying the slides at the nearby park...Corpus is known for being windy, but we actually had gusts of over 50 mi/hr that day. I don't know what we were thinking about going to the park, just to get blown around.