Another winter storm & Valentine's Day

We got another 2 extra days off of school this week due to winter weather.  Thursday, Friday, and Tuesday were planned furlough days, and Monday is President's Day so I get another 8 days with the girls!  The bad news is that unfortunately the weather kept Nana from coming again this week.  We know she'll be able to make it over soon though. 

More Snow?!?

We finally pulled out the swing last week and both girls seem to love it.

Caroline enjoying the swing and her WHOLE hand

Claire fast asleep in the swing

Caroline continues to "talk" and laugh more and more each day.  She is getting so much stronger.  It is becoming more obvious that she really wants to start moving on her own.  She is a pretty active baby and gets really fussy when she's hungry and is pretty much inconsolable until she eats (I have no idea where she gets that from).

Caroline ready to move

Tired of trying.  Her legs just aren't moving the way she wants them to move

Claire loves to smile and stick out her tongue and is always looking around. She is more calm than  Caroline overall.  She continues to be inconsistent with eating.  But she seems to be gaining weight.  We go for shots on Monday so we will get both babies' weights then.

Happy Claire

For the past two nights the girls have slept in their cribs in the nursery. They have been sleeping in rock and plays in our bedroom since they came home and we decided it was time to try sleeping in the cribs. So far Claire has had a little easier tranistion than Caroline,  but overall they both seem to like being able to move around more.

And finally, the girls celebrated their first Valentines Day yesterday.  Thanks to Aunt Pam for the cute shirts!

Happy First Valentine's Day!

Caroline is happy to get the bib off!

Claire isn't so sure about this holiday

Sisterly LOVE

Snow days & 5 months old!

Tuesday of this past week a HUGE winter storm hit Atlanta. It dumped almost 3 inches of snow on the city! All joking aside, it really did paralyze our unprepared city.  Schools were dismissed 2 hours early on Tuesday and it took me over an hour to get home.  Normally it is a 15 minute drive.  I was very lucky to make it home so quickly (compared to others) and safely.  We didn't have school the rest of the week and I enjoyed every minute of staying home with the girls.  I say it often but I really can't believe how big the girls are getting.  Both LOVE to be to talked to and love to play on the activity mats. Caroline hits and kicks like a champ when she is on her mat. We really have to watch her now because she has been moving herself off the mat pretty quickly. Claire is a little more calm and watches everything very carefully, but she gets her kicks in too.

Mom, Claire, and Caroline freezing the snow

Dad, Claire, and Caroline enjoying the snow

Claire sleeping on the activity mat

Caroline in her Bumbo

Claire sitting in her Bumbo

Caroline busy playing

 Today the girls turned 5 months old!  Where has the time gone? 

Happy 5 months sweet girls!

Sisterly love

Porter loves his sisters

Back to Work

Before I went back to work on Monday we took our first family walk around the neighborhood.

Dad, Caroline, and Porter

Claire snoozing on the walk

 The girls had a busy week with Dad.  On Tuesday they had their 4 month check-up and shots. Claire weighed 9 pounds 4 ounces and Caroline weighed 10 pounds 2 ounces.  They are getting so big! Wednesday Caroline had a physical therapy session, and then on Friday they had another Synagis shot.  Both girls are smiling and interacting with John and I so much more now.  Their little big smiles just melt my heart.

Claire

Caroline

 Caroline is getting very strong.  She rolled over from her belly to her back the for the first time this week! She loves tummy time.

Playtime

Sitting in their Bumbos

Happy New Year and 4 months old!

We had a quiet New Year's Eve at home this year. Claire was wide awake at midnight and Caroline was fast asleep.

Claire

Caroline

January 1 marked 4 months for the girls!

Caroline- 4 months old

Claire- 4 months old

Claire cheesin'

And I can't leave out that last week Claire weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces when she went to the pediatrician!

Merry Christmas!

We had a very quiet Christmas this year.  We just hung out at home with our undecorated fake Christmas tree!  John helped Caroline open her presents from Nana and I helped Claire.  Claire pretty much slept through all of the excitement.  Here are a few of the pictures from Christmas day that I have uploaded to Shutterfly.  Hopefully it works!

Caroline & Claire's photo album

Doctors, doctors, and more doctors!

Last week was a very busy week with lots of different doctors' appointments.  Tuesday Claire had an appointment at the pediatrician.  And BIG news, she gained weight!  She is now just a little over 8 pounds!  YAY Claire!!!  Overall she has been eating much better.  She went a few days without spitting up, but the past couple of days she has spit up several times.

Claire, 8 pounds and worn out from all the appointments!

Wednesday was Claire's pulmonology appointment.  She got a Synagis shot, which isn't a vaccine, but an antibody that helps lessen the effects of RSV (respiratory illness, similar to a cold, but could be fatal for an infant).   Then Thursday Caroline had her Synagis shot.  Both girls hated the shots, but who can blame them?!?

Porter supervising tummy time

Friday Claire had an appointment at the ENT and also an eye exam.  Her retinas are now fully developed and no longer premature, so she won't need to go in for another appointment for 6 months.

Saturday Caroline had her first in home physical therapy appointment.  I didn't think she'd have a ton of feedback on the first appointment, but she did.  And it honestly has freaked me out. She is worried about Caroline's head shape and that Caroline is not tracking objects.  The PT is also concerned that Caroline didn't blink when she brought her hand to Caroline's face.  Blinking or closing their eyes is a natural reaction in babies so the PT said that Caroline could be having seizures.  Obvivously something we need to have checked out with the pediatrician.

In other news, Claire has found her thumb and Caroline is still trying very hard to find hers.  Caroline hasn't been taking her pacifier recently and Claire will only take hers when she's too tired of searching for her thumb. 

Claire enjoying her thumb and not a pacifier...

Caroline can't figure out that her thumb is under her fingers.

Claire comes home!

Wow, I can't believe it's been over a week since Clarie came home. She was able to come home last Friday evening. Time has really flown by!  Our biggest concern with Claire coming home was her feeding issues.  She has good days where she eats very well and then days when you basically have to force her to eat.  Before she left the hospital we learned how to insert the feeding (NG) tube, just in case she was having trouble eating. Ok, I'll be honest I practiced only on the dummy, John actually inserted the tube in Claire.  Just like at the hospital she has had good days and some rough days. The first few days at home weren't easy.  We went to the pediatrician on Monday and she lost an ounce from her discharge weight on Friday.  We are hoping it was just a difference in the scales, but we will go back this week for another weight check. 

Claire kissing the hospital GOODBYE!

No more hospital crib!

And we are ALL ready to go!

One HAPPY momma!

The girls are doing well at home together.  At first when one would cry there wasn't a reaction from the other, but it seems like the longer they are home once one cries the other has to cry, yell, or scream louder.  Last night around 1AM they had a yelling/screaming/crying contest.  I decided that I didn't want to be left out so I joined.  And I won, because eventually both girls must have decided they couldn't compete with me and gave up!

Apparently, a leather chair isn't the most effective place to have to babies sit for a photo!

Just hangin' out at home