downtown outing

Thomas inside and outside the Central Library

(M and I were married here 7 years ago!)

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Thomas and I headed out for what was sure to be a good time at the Zoo this morning, but once we got there we decided to do something else. Instead, we parked the car in Goose Hollow and jumped onto the lightrail for a fun excursion. It was Thomas' first ride and he seemed pretty interested, but he didn't care much for the tunnel under Washington Park and some of the people on the lightrail seemed to make him uncomfortable. Public transportation is great, but it does attract some interesting people. Our little outing included a visit to Finnegan's (a fantastic toy store downtown) and the Central Library where we climbed the stairs all the way to the top floor and he charmed the librarians with his "do!" response to their questions.

...breaking news...

Boy Pees in Toilet!

Shortly before 7:30pm this evening and right before his evening bath, Thomas told us he had to go pee and when asked if he'd like to use his toilet, he replied Yes! For the past week, he's been telling us when he has to go pee, but he hasn't wanted to use the toilet. Wanting to use his toilet was a very big deal! He was very pleased with himself after using the toilet and M and I praised him over and over. Of course, all the praise encouraged him to try again and again and again. We haven't pursued toilet training but maybe later this summer would be a good time...?!

Happy Birthday, Bela!

Our little Bela is 8 years old today! It seems like just yesterday that we drove up to Chehalis, WA "just to look" at some adorable 7.5 week old Vizsla puppies (ha! - I knew we'd be coming home with one). She was the sweetest in her litter and made choosing one easy for us because she chose us. All the other puppies wanted to run around and play but she wanted to be near us -- we just knew she was the one!

play ball!

Thomas and I watched his cousin Emily's tee-ball game this evening. There's nothing more fun to see than a group of 4 to 8 year olds "playing" tee-ball. There isn't much catching, hitting or throwing going on but they sure have a great time playing the game. Thomas recently received this baseball jersey from his uncle and a tee-ball set from friends so he was all prepared to "step in" if Emily's team needed him!

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tummy time for two

Meredith is a strong little girl.

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Thomas enjoys tummy time with his sister.

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Out of the blue, Thomas kissed Meredith tonight for the first time! He actually planted a number of kisses on her. Very sweet!

"Thomas don't like that..."

We've seen an explosion recently in Thomas' speaking skills. He repeats everything we say. Everything. It's comical talking to him and trying to get him to respond because he doesn't necessarily provide a response. Instead he'll just repeat the last few words you've said. Over the past month we've heard things like...

"Thomas don't like... (insert any food item that has always been a favorite and usually something he has just eaten seconds earlier)"

"Mama hurt hair" [Thomas has decided he doesn't like having his hair washed]

"Daddy make milk so Thomas can drink it"

the kids are growing!

Doctor appointments today for both Thomas and Meredith:

Thomas at 2 years old is tall and lanky...
height: 37"
weight: 30 pounds

Meredith is growing...
weight: 7 pounds, 3 ounces (a gain of 13 ounces in a single week!)

Meredith

Happy 2nd Birthday!

Thomas turns 2 years old today!

T enjoying his baby sister

This morning we headed out for our first outing as a family of four. Getting out the door definitely took some extra time, but it was fun to all get into the car together. Thomas got to spend an hour at his friend Kaia's house while we took Meredith to her first doctor appointment with our family's pediatrician. Meredith's stats today...

height: 19.25" (25th percentile)
weight: 6lbs 6ozs (10th percentile)
head circumference: 13" (3rd percentile)

We are so used to seeing Thomas' percentiles shooting off the charts at this age that it was a little strange to see her numbers so low. Unfortunately, these numbers do not reflect her prematurity but instead compares her to full-term babies. But really, do the numbers mean anything anyway?

two weeks already!

How can 2 weeks pass so slowly and yet so quickly at the same time??

life with a new baby

We knew Thomas would make a fantastic big brother. He has the sweetest disposition and is always so eager to help. Pulling my breast pump off the chair and breaking off an important piece the other day while helping me was a miss, but watching him light up and interact with Meredith is definitely a hit. Adjusting to life with a new baby sibling is never easy, but he's already doing a really great job. We, of course, are also making a point to spend quality alone time with him and continuing some of his same activities to maintain some continuity for him throughout this change in our lives.

Our girls have also been doing a great job. Bela shows more interest than Greta and has been very careful sniffing Meredith and checking out her things. Both are nervous dogs anyway, but having me gone for several evenings while at the hospital and then watching us all go in and out of the house over the last week and a half has not been easy for them. They still are trying to figure it all out, but they've also started singing a new tune since Meredith came home. They were okay with Thomas before and tolerated him, but now they will actually sit right next to him on the sofa -- almost to the point of sitting on him. Neither would have sat within a foot of him before. Maybe, comparatively speaking, he's not quite so bad anymore?

Welcome home!

After 10 long days in the NICU, Meredith finally came home today!

Isn't she beautiful?

It was wonderful to visit Meredith this morning with M. We arrived between feedings so we were expecting to find her soundly sleeping but were we in for a surprise! Clearly she's gaining strength daily because this morning she was very alert and very active. We kept telling her to sleep but she wasn't having any of it. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come?

Improvements abound! We were pleased to see the feeding tube removed this morning and to hear there hadn't been a single incidence of apnea in the last 48 hours. The fortified feedings have also helped her put on some weight. Our baby girl is now back up to a whooping 5lb 12oz (still so tiny!). When feeding time came around, she took half from the breast and half from a bottle. We were really happy to see so many good things come together in one day.

While we were visting Meredith, Thomas enjoyed the morning at home with a woman we are now referring to as Supernanny. Have you seen the t.v. show? I opened our front door this morning to greet a smartly dressed, friendly woman complete with the Burberry tote and the British accent. The only thing missing was a British taxi like the one they use on the show.

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