We've been quite busy over the past few weeks, but we really haven't gotten a lot done. How is that possible?
Father's day weekend, we traveled to my parents house to spend the weekend with Mawma and Pawpa, my brother Aaron, and my sister Lyn and her family. The last time we were all there together was for my parent's 40th anniversary back in December! Friday night was our typical get together - enjoying a few adult beverages, and staying up till 2:00 in the morning talking. Unfortunately, the boys didn't stay up with us, so it was another night short on sleep, as our little guys like to get up early. Saturday we went to visit Leota Maier (my Uncle's mother) as she made afghans for the boys, and she has adopted them as her great-grandchildren. We really enjoyed our visit with her. Early in the evening, we went to church where we got to see Great-Grandma Emmie. She adores her great-grandson's - we only wish we could have visited with her more. Sunday, my sister Rachelle and her kids joined us at my parents for breakfast and homemade ice cream. It was a great ending to a perfect weekend. We love spending time with everyone, and everyone adjusted well to having 4 little ones in Mawma and Pawpa's house!
However, being gone all weekend, we had a lot to catch up on at home. Monday, the boys and I ran a few errands to get some things we needed. Tuesday, Brian wasn't feeling well, so he stayed home from work. Seems there must have been some sort of bug that half our family picked up over the weekend, as Mawma, Aunt Lyn, Uncle Aaron, and Brian were all sick last week. By now, everyone is mostly recovered, but still very weak.
Last week, Brian celebrated a milestone birthday, but as he was feeling a bit under the weather on his actual birthday, we celebrated on Saturday. He requested steak and potatoes for dinner, so we grilled some sirloins, made some real mashed potatoes, and topped it all off with homemade chocolate lava cake! Very rich, but delicious. We hope that Brian has a wonderful year, and we look forward to celebrating again next year!
The rest of the weekend went by way too fast. I moved some things around in our living room, trying to make room for all of the boys things. It's official - the kids now control the family room. We tried to fight it, but the adults lost the battle. For being two little boys, they sure require a lot of things (2 bouncers, a swing, an exersaucer, 2 bumbo chairs, and an activity matt!)
Saturday afternoon, the boys and I went and had lunch with my friend Jennie, so Jackson got a little spoiling from her.
Sunday the boys turned 5 months old, so we took a few pictures yesterday that we will share with everyone later in the week. In between pictures, we went to church, then the boys and I napped while Brian went to visit Janice. She is still in the SICU at University. We still aren't sure when she will be moving to rehab. When Brian returned home, we had a quick dinner, then went and picked up Brian's Father's day/Birthday gift from Uncle Aaron's house. Just need to program the remote, then his new TV will be all set up in our bedroom.
The boys continue to grow and are so much fun. Lincoln has been rolling around for quite some time, and he rolled clear across our bedroom floor yesterday. Guess we need to start closing the door, or he'll be rolling down the stairs! Jackson finally rolled over again yesterday (from his tummy to his back), and it's only a matter of time till he is rolling both ways and chasing after his brother. We really need to get the house baby proofed!
We have a few fun activities this coming week. We take Jackson to the doctor on Wednesday morning for the doctor's to look at his head. He has plageocephaly, and he may need to have a custom helmet for the next few months to help the shape of his head. This could be really fun!
Saturday, we have Stefani's graduation party in Fort Recovery, so we'll have more opportunities to visit with family and friends. Hopefully then we can spend the rest of our weekend working on more things on our "to-do" list.
Well, I better get back to work. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of June, and we'll write more later.
Our Family
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
TGIF!!!
Hi everyone -
Well, we survived another week - barely.
Last weekend was very nice - we enjoyed a bit of relaxing, but also got a few things marked off our never ending "to-do" list.
Saturday morning, we slept in a bit, trying to catch up on our rest. We then enjoyed lunch and visiting with Uncle John and Aunt Pam. They came down to see Grandma Hart in the hospital, and took the opportunity to see the boys again. I hadn't realized the only time they had seen our little wonders was at the baptism when they were just a few weeks old. The boys are twice the size they were then...and of course, twice as fun.
After lunch, we all drove down to the hospital to see how Grandma Hart was doing. Progress is slow and steady...which is better than none at all! Monday, they took out Grandma's breathing tube, and did a tracheotomy to assist with her breathing. This will also allow the staff to get her out of bed and moving. She is more alert now, and even stood for a few seconds by her bed! We thank everyone for their continued prayers and we hope that we can share more progress reports soon!
Sunday, Brian went to the hospital to visit his mom, and I took the boys on a few shopping trips for food and supplies. Monday evening the three of us also made a formula run!Tuesday was a very big day...the boys had their 4 month check-up!
Lincoln now weighs 14 pounds even, and is 25 1/2 inches long. He is really filling out, and trying hard to catch up to his little brother.
Jackson tipped the scale at 14 pounds, 14 ounces - still maintaining the "bigger" status regarding size. He measured 26 inches long.
Both boys are doing great in meeting their milestones. The doctor strongly suggested we begin baby proofing the house, as it will take longer than we think, and the boys will be mobile before we know it. Lincoln is already rolling over in both directions, and both of the boys "scoot" along the floor - mostly in circles, but that will change soon. Looking forward to taking the boys to the pool for the first time this weekend, if the weather cooperates.
Nothing to share for the rest of the week, as Brian has been sick. He came down with the flu Wednesday evening, so he's been home for the past 2 days. We hope he gets over this hurdle so that he can go visit his mom and see her progress in person.
Which brings us to Friday...and the weekend again. Nothing really planned except for catching up on sleep, more home projects, and inevitably some more shopping. However, we look forward to our weekends and spending as much time as possible with our little guys.
We hope you all have a great weekend, and we'll write more soon!Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln and Jackson
Friday, June 4, 2010
It's June already!
Like all parents, we have been on the go non-stop the past few weeks. I guess we better get used to it with two little boys!
We have established a nice routine for our weekdays. Up at 4:30 in the morning to get around for work, feed the boys, and take them to daycare. Work is from 7:30 to 4:30 each day, then we rush to get the boys (we don't have to rush, but we can't wait to go spend time with them!). The fun definitely begins once we pick them up from daycare. They greet us with a smile, then cry once we put them in the car and get on the road. They are usually very tired, but try so hard to stay awake! About half way home, they finally give in to a short nap. This is partly great, as it gives us an opportunity to run errands, or to do a few things up around the house before they wake up (like laundry, washing bottles, making dinner, etc.). However, they have a knack of waking up just about the time that Brian and I try to eat our dinner. How do kids know when your plate is fixed???
The rest of the evening we spend playing with the boys, giving baths, feeding and putting them to bed. We squeeze in a few more chores, then it is off to get our beauty sleep.
Weekends are very busy as we try to visit with family and friends, and also catch up on things around the house.
We made the trip to Grandma Hart's on May 15th to celebrate her birthday.
The next weekend we were preparing for all of the many visitors we were expecting the next week for Grandma Hart's surgery. Grandma arrived on Monday night, Aunt Lori and Aunt Lisa arrived on Tuesday. Aunt Rachelle, Aunt Lyn, Lylah and Knox arrived Wednesday evening to help watch the boys so I could spend time at the hospital with Brian. Uncle RJ came Friday afternoon, and Mawma and Pawpa Muehlfeld arrived on Friday evening, but stayed at Uncle Aaron's house, as "there was no room" at the Hart Inn.
Grandma's surgery went very well. She has had a few setbacks since the surgery, but we are hoping that her breathing tube can be removed today, and that she will continue to grow stronger and stronger in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, the week was such a blur that we nearly forgot it was a holiday weekend! With family in town, we balanced spending time at the hospital and visiting and enjoying the beautiful weather. Visiting hours are somewhat limited in the SICU, so we usually made 2 trips a day to the hospital, coming home to eat, spend time with the boys, and once in a while...NAP.
Aside from visiting the hospital, Friday afternoon, the boys and I spent some time catching up with some friends. Friday evening included a wonderful meal that Aunt Lyn and Uncle RJ made for us, and winding down from the stressful week. Saturday included a delicious lunch of grilled pork medallions (thanks Mawma) in the middle of the afternoon, then some yummy snacks later in the evening. Sunday morning we made our weekly trip to church, then we ALL headed the hospital. The boys aren't allowed in the hospital to visit, but Great Uncle Bud and Great Aunt Lorae came to visit Grandma, and wanted to meet our little guys. We enjoyed visiting with them!
After visiting hours were over for the morning, we went downtown to enjoy some local cuisine and a few adult beverages at the Taste of Cincinnati. It was a great afternoon, other than it was VERY warm. After a few hours, it was time to take everyone home to cool off and relax.
Brian returned to the hospital to visit, while I took the boys home. That evening, we did the traditional "grill-out" for Memorial day, and made homemade ice cream.
Monday brought the close of the holiday weekend. :-(
Unfortunately, it was time for all of the family to return home, and our house suddenly was very quiet. Brian went to the hospital to visit his mom, while I stayed at home with the boys. Great Uncle Ralph and Great Aunt Janet stopped by in the afternoon to meet the boys before going to the hospital. It was wonderful to share our little guys with them, and we hope we can do it again soon!
Unfortunately, it was time for Brian and I to return to work on Tuesday, and back to our regular routine. Brian went to the hospital to visit his mom after we had dinner that night, and Uncle Aaron came over to help me with baths, and getting the boys to bed.
With the limited visiting hours, Brian was only able to spend about 45 minutes at the hospital on Tuesday. So, we thought we would try another plan on Wednesday to allow him to spend more time with his mom. We dropped his truck off at the hospital on our way to work, then I took him back to the hospital after work. We thought he could visit from 5-6:30, then come home and spend the evening with the boys. Unfortunately, I had to call Brian and he had to leave the hospital around 6:00. You see, after I picked up the boys from daycare, had them all strapped in their car seats ready to go, my truck wouldn't start! Uncle Aaron came to our rescue (again), and drove the 3 of us home. Brian spent the evening calling AAA, meeting the tow truck driver, and then driving to Auto Zone to get a new battery put in my truck. Wasn't exactly what we needed this week, but my mom keeps reminding me that God doesn't give us any more than we can handle. I understand that, but hope we agree that my bucket is about full.
Thankfully, Thursday night went as planned, and Brian was able to visit with his mom more than the other nights this week. He even made it home in time to help me get the boys settled into their cribs for the very first time! Overall, they did well - I only had to get up once in the night to settle Lincoln down. Now, we just have to rearrange all the baby stuff (again), but in the end, Brian and I will get our bedroom back!
Tonight, Brian is heading back to the hospital to see how the breathing tube removal is going, so I'm on baby duty again. Hopefully we can spend some quality time together as a family later this evening/this weekend, but also get some items checked off our "to-do" list.
We hope everyone has a great weekend, and enjoys the start of June! We will write more soon!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson
We have established a nice routine for our weekdays. Up at 4:30 in the morning to get around for work, feed the boys, and take them to daycare. Work is from 7:30 to 4:30 each day, then we rush to get the boys (we don't have to rush, but we can't wait to go spend time with them!). The fun definitely begins once we pick them up from daycare. They greet us with a smile, then cry once we put them in the car and get on the road. They are usually very tired, but try so hard to stay awake! About half way home, they finally give in to a short nap. This is partly great, as it gives us an opportunity to run errands, or to do a few things up around the house before they wake up (like laundry, washing bottles, making dinner, etc.). However, they have a knack of waking up just about the time that Brian and I try to eat our dinner. How do kids know when your plate is fixed???
The rest of the evening we spend playing with the boys, giving baths, feeding and putting them to bed. We squeeze in a few more chores, then it is off to get our beauty sleep.
Weekends are very busy as we try to visit with family and friends, and also catch up on things around the house.
We made the trip to Grandma Hart's on May 15th to celebrate her birthday.
The next weekend we were preparing for all of the many visitors we were expecting the next week for Grandma Hart's surgery. Grandma arrived on Monday night, Aunt Lori and Aunt Lisa arrived on Tuesday. Aunt Rachelle, Aunt Lyn, Lylah and Knox arrived Wednesday evening to help watch the boys so I could spend time at the hospital with Brian. Uncle RJ came Friday afternoon, and Mawma and Pawpa Muehlfeld arrived on Friday evening, but stayed at Uncle Aaron's house, as "there was no room" at the Hart Inn.
Grandma's surgery went very well. She has had a few setbacks since the surgery, but we are hoping that her breathing tube can be removed today, and that she will continue to grow stronger and stronger in the coming weeks.
Unfortunately, the week was such a blur that we nearly forgot it was a holiday weekend! With family in town, we balanced spending time at the hospital and visiting and enjoying the beautiful weather. Visiting hours are somewhat limited in the SICU, so we usually made 2 trips a day to the hospital, coming home to eat, spend time with the boys, and once in a while...NAP.
Aside from visiting the hospital, Friday afternoon, the boys and I spent some time catching up with some friends. Friday evening included a wonderful meal that Aunt Lyn and Uncle RJ made for us, and winding down from the stressful week. Saturday included a delicious lunch of grilled pork medallions (thanks Mawma) in the middle of the afternoon, then some yummy snacks later in the evening. Sunday morning we made our weekly trip to church, then we ALL headed the hospital. The boys aren't allowed in the hospital to visit, but Great Uncle Bud and Great Aunt Lorae came to visit Grandma, and wanted to meet our little guys. We enjoyed visiting with them!
After visiting hours were over for the morning, we went downtown to enjoy some local cuisine and a few adult beverages at the Taste of Cincinnati. It was a great afternoon, other than it was VERY warm. After a few hours, it was time to take everyone home to cool off and relax.
Brian returned to the hospital to visit, while I took the boys home. That evening, we did the traditional "grill-out" for Memorial day, and made homemade ice cream.
Monday brought the close of the holiday weekend. :-(
Unfortunately, it was time for all of the family to return home, and our house suddenly was very quiet. Brian went to the hospital to visit his mom, while I stayed at home with the boys. Great Uncle Ralph and Great Aunt Janet stopped by in the afternoon to meet the boys before going to the hospital. It was wonderful to share our little guys with them, and we hope we can do it again soon!
Unfortunately, it was time for Brian and I to return to work on Tuesday, and back to our regular routine. Brian went to the hospital to visit his mom after we had dinner that night, and Uncle Aaron came over to help me with baths, and getting the boys to bed.
With the limited visiting hours, Brian was only able to spend about 45 minutes at the hospital on Tuesday. So, we thought we would try another plan on Wednesday to allow him to spend more time with his mom. We dropped his truck off at the hospital on our way to work, then I took him back to the hospital after work. We thought he could visit from 5-6:30, then come home and spend the evening with the boys. Unfortunately, I had to call Brian and he had to leave the hospital around 6:00. You see, after I picked up the boys from daycare, had them all strapped in their car seats ready to go, my truck wouldn't start! Uncle Aaron came to our rescue (again), and drove the 3 of us home. Brian spent the evening calling AAA, meeting the tow truck driver, and then driving to Auto Zone to get a new battery put in my truck. Wasn't exactly what we needed this week, but my mom keeps reminding me that God doesn't give us any more than we can handle. I understand that, but hope we agree that my bucket is about full.
Thankfully, Thursday night went as planned, and Brian was able to visit with his mom more than the other nights this week. He even made it home in time to help me get the boys settled into their cribs for the very first time! Overall, they did well - I only had to get up once in the night to settle Lincoln down. Now, we just have to rearrange all the baby stuff (again), but in the end, Brian and I will get our bedroom back!
Tonight, Brian is heading back to the hospital to see how the breathing tube removal is going, so I'm on baby duty again. Hopefully we can spend some quality time together as a family later this evening/this weekend, but also get some items checked off our "to-do" list.
We hope everyone has a great weekend, and enjoys the start of June! We will write more soon!
Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson
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