April 3, 2011

A Weekend of Firsts!!

Our first trip to Mommy's favorite store...



It lasted all of 7 minutes. =(

As of right now, it is definitely not Jack's favorite store.
Will was happy to just look around...he might become Mommy's Target buddy!

Our first birthday party for a friend!

The boys really seemed to have fun looking all around at the people, kids, and balloons!

Our first trip to church!

We LOVE Hope, our church, and are so happy to be able to be back there with our boys!
The boys all dressed up and excited to be on their way!
Daddy and the boys...
Mommy with her boys

It is just so much fun to be able to take them out in public!  I felt like I was breaking the rules in church today by having the boys be around so many people!  I guess it is just something I'll have to get used to!  They are so much fun to show off also...they love giving people big smiles!

PS...I know the picture in the header is blurry, but I just love it and had to share it anyway!

April 2, 2011

7 Months Old!

 My babies are 7 months old!!!  I just can't believe how fast their lives are flying by!  We are absolutely enjoying and relishing every single moment...


This month the boys have continued to make huge gains, and are just seeming so grown up!

-As of their last weigh in, Will was 16 lbs 6 oz and Jack was 16 lbs 5 oz and both 26 3/4 inches long.  Since that was a few weeks ago, I'm pretty sure that they are pushing 17 lbs...at least!  They are big boys!

-Still in size 2 diapers...Huggies during the day, and Pampers (they run larger) for overnights!

-They eat about 32 oz of formula a day, and are now both enjoying solid foods!  Now on their menu is rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes! As of right now, they eat about a tablespoon or two of oatmeal and a tablespoon of a fruit or vegetable at lunch time. We will continue to add foods over the next few weeks!

-The boys LOVE their feet!  This month they really have discovered them, and spend a majority of their time pulling them up, sucking on them, and even putting them in each other's faces and mouths!  It is just too cute!

-They love their exersaucer and their doorway jumpers!  They have so much fun discovering all the toys they can sit and play with! We don't last too long in either one right now, but it is a nice change of pace from the play mat!

-Neither boys is yet a fan of tummy time.  We have tummy time daily, and are working hard on upping the time they are able to lay on their stomachs.  Will has a little bit more core strength than Jack does right now. He can push himself up on his arms more than Jack can, and is more willing to stay on his tummy. Just today, he rolled himself over back to front, pushed himself up on his arms and played for a bit, then turned back over onto his back!  I was so happy to watch him do all that completely on his own!  Jack is definitely working hard though to catch up with his brother...you can tell he really wants to be able to hold his head up longer to see his toy that I have up by his head!  Oh my big-headed boys!  It's definitely hard work holding up those heads! =)

-They are great night time sleepers--sleeping 11-12 hours a night!  Mommy and Daddy are VERY happy!! Daytime naps--usually 3 or 4 are pretty regular, but not exactly on a schedule yet.  They take some sort of nap after each of their daytime bottles and after playing for a bit.  In the last month, Will has definitely been the better sleeper.  Especially in the last few weeks, Jack has decided that catnaps work just fine for him!  Makes it a little bit hard for Mommy to get too much done, but that's alright!  If it means that I get to sleep all night, I'll take it!

-They are out of RSV season and passed with flying colors!  No sickness so far for our healthy boys!  We're hoping to give them a bit more time to build up their immune system before they catch something, but now that we're out an about, I have a hunch its just a matter of time! =(

-They absolutely LOVE standing!  They are not too much interested in sitting, so we are always holding them up so they can stand like big boys!  It is so much fun watching them look around from this position, studying everything and everyone that they can see!   They are just taking everything in!

-They love to smile!  Of course, not too much for cameras, but they are super-smiley babies!  They smile, laugh, and giggle all day!  We are so blessed to have such happy babies!

-Still no teeth breaking through the skin, but they are definitely on their way!  We have lots of drool and chomping in the Steiner household!

~~~~~~~~~~~

My parents helped me (attempt) to get some fun 7 month pictures of them.  They are just so wiggly right now, it is definitely hard to get ones without arms, legs, or heads in motion!

With our pals, Frog and Dog

and for comparison...look how big frog and dog looked at 7 weeks!!

Happy boys!
Jack telling Will a secret!
Mmm...Your hand tastes great Will!

Will

Jack




These boys are just delightful in every way!  I just love their little personalities, and it is so much fun to watch them figuring out their world!  7 months old...it has definitely gone much too quickly!

April 1, 2011

Freedom!!!!

Can't you just hear William Wallace from Braveheart in your head??  'Freedom' is what we're yelling from the rooftops here in the Steiner household today! (Along with happy 7 months to our big boys--post coming later)

We have officially made it to the all clear...we are out of RSV season!!  According to the NICU and the boys' doctors, October to April is the high-risk season for RSV for preemies, and that was our time requirement for house arrest.  And like the type-A rule follower that I am, I can honestly say that I followed the rules 99% of the time!  Other than taking the boys out for doctor's appointments, I think I only broke the rules a total of 5 times, one of those being today!  I think that is pretty good for 5 whole months!

The truth is that it really wasn't that bad staying home 99% of the time!  I thought I would get antsy to be out an about, but for the most part, it is actually just a whole lot easier just to be home! We have really missed our friends and especially going to church, but, you parents know how much work it is to go anywhere!  And with two...sheesh...it's a 30 minute process! Getting the boys fed, changed, and sufficiently burped before loading into the carseat...prepping the diaper bag, bottles, and mommy too...loading everything and everyone into the car...hoping they'll still get their nap while you're driving...and then getting them out of the car, into the stroller...you get it!  Quite the process! So really, staying home is just easier!

But we're free, and I am so excited to be able to take my boys places, to FINALLY get to show them off to all our friends, and to be a complete family in public! I'm looking forward to the challenge of becoming a pro at getting us places with ease.  I'm so looking forward to getting back to our church (even though they still won't be going into the nursery for awhile). I'm sure we'll still just be hanging out at home a lot, but it is just great knowing we CAN go somewhere if we want to!

But the very best part about it all...

It was absolutely worth it!

The boys have been 100% healthy!  No RSV, flu, cold, cough...nothing!  I know that will change, and it is probably only a matter of time before they share their first sniffles, but at least we have made it through without anyone getting sick! God has definitely protected our boys!

Just had to share the good news! Freedom!