Happy Half Birthday!!!

It's hard to believe but it's true....Elliott and Aaron are 6 months old today!!! Sometimes it seems like just a few days and other times it seems like years that they have been here. I have been looking at the NICU pictures lately and I cannot believe that they were that small. I can't even remember that....I wish we had more pictures of us holding them and their entire little bodies in their isolletts....more pictures with our hands holding their hands and feet and on their backs so it would be easier to remember how small they were. They have come so far and are soooo very amazing!!! To start at less than 3 pounds and in 6 months be 14...probably 15 pounds....amazing!!! It hasn't all been easy...I remember freaking out every time one of them threw up an entire bottle and taking their temps ALL the time to see if they had NEC. I remember how hard it was in the beginning to juggle two babies once Andrew went back to work and how incredible our families were during that time. Aunt Sharon spent soooo much time at Annie's house helping me feed babies and giving me rest. How awesome it was for Sharon and our moms to spend the night and feed babies in the night to give Andrew much needed rest. I remember how awesome it was when we found out that the babies loved to be in swings!!! I remember how sad and happy I was when we moved into our house....which we couldn't have done without the help of Julie!!! Heck...we wouldn't even have the house without Grandma and Grandpa Bock!!! We had such a huge mess in the house and would still be working our way through all our junk if Julie hadn't spent weeks here. Words can't express our gratitude to Annie...allowing us to live in her house for 6 Months!!! I don't know how to ever repay her. We should have named a baby after her =)

I don't know when Elliott and Aaron became "real" babies but they did!!! They went from laying all day long being able to do nothing to being able to breathe on their own, then taking milk from a bottle....then losing their IV's....getting in open cribs....now they pick toys up and put EVERYTHING in their mouths...They talk and laugh and recognize people. Elliott usually sleeps through the night (with the exception of the past two nights) and Aaron has his super fun pattern of sleep...getting up and 3 and sometimes earlier. They used to just stare blankly and anything and now they are interested in their surroundings and love to see the people that love them. I think they have a favorite movie...they were both sooo interested in Pirates of the Caribbean yesterday when I was feeding them. Elliott almost rolled from his back to his belly yesterday...and both can move around the floor and in their beds on their backs...Elliott is getting lots of hair and Aaron's head seems to be getting less flat. They love to play in the applesaucer and their new jumperoo. We haven't use the swings in weeks!!! I can now be with the boys all day and not be begging Andrew to take one when he gets home. I have been feeding them at the same time which has been helpful...it used to scare me to do it and I would feed one while the other one cried....it was sad. Andrew and I are still very exhausted and need to figure out that it is best to not stay up until midnight or later when the babies are going to sleep around 8 every night.

My babies are sooooo funny too!!! They don't know that they are funny but they really are. Its a good thing because sometimes I am so tired that I need some comic relief in order to stay sane. We went from living in Elkhart alone with two cars to living in Peoria with twins and a VAN in less than one year!!! I went from a full time social worker to a full time mom...nothing could be better.

Thanks to everyone that has loved our boys, that has come and fed babies and changed diapers, that have allowed me to do a load of laundry or taken a shower!!! Thanks for coming to visit and praying for our family!!! I need a nap...
Jen

we are dorks

We bought a mini van today. We are dorks. I really really really really didn't want to be a van owner but we had to. We have been driving around for months in a tiny car. If the babies were in the car the front seats had to be so far up that the drivers knees were in the steering column and the passengers knees (if it was me) were touching the glove compartment. It was so very uncomfortable and probably not that safe to be so close to the air bags!!! If we had the stroller with us we couldn't bring anything else or buy anything. It just wasn't big enough. We plan on using the stroller for a few years and it just doesn't fit in trunks....it does but then you can't fit anything else in the trunk or in the back seat with two car seats there...we thought about an SUV but we would have had to had a big one and I think they use more gas. I cute little RAV4 just couldn't hold our babies and their stuff. So...we have a black Town and Country....its kind of awesome. We can open the sliding doors from inside our house!!! It's handy to have power doors!!!

I forgot to mention that on Mother's Day the babies talked to each other. It was the sweetest thing I think I have ever seen. They were napping on Annie's bed. I heard them and peeked in. They were looking at each other and talking. Then it was like one said to the other "lets cry so mommy picks us up". I love them so much

They have been going to bed around 8pm...and skipping their last bottles. It's so strange, but I love it!!! If only Andrew and I would get smart and also go to bed at 8 we wouldn't be so grumpy when Aaron wakes up at 3 wanting his paci.

Well..I'm off to bed!!!
Jen

Mother's Day

I am a little sad about this first Mother's Day. I didn't really have any expectations but somehow feel disappointed. I had a good day. I fed Elliott at 7 and Andrew fed Aaron at 7:30. I took Elliott to bed with me and we slept until 10!!! That was very very nice. Then mom came and picked us up to go to Annie's house. It was fun to be with the family. Everyone was playing Wii but I didn't. I guess I was just too lazy to go down stairs...or I knew that the babies wouldn't sleep very well so I might as well stay upstairs to put their pacis back in their sweet little mouths. Andrew brought home two new Singstar games last night and I guess it's nice but not very Mother's Day like you know....Now the day is done....I guess I should have told Andrew that I would have liked something to remember my first Mother's Day...like framed NICU pictures with now pictures to see how far the boys have come...or something like what we did for the grandmas....hand and foot prints on something. He is busy and probably wouldn't have had time anyway but I still feel sad....kind of like the day went by and he didn't think it was important. I am still going to make his first Father's Day as memorable as possible and I guess I will just make something from the babies for myself for Mother's Day....
Jen

GRRRR COMPUTER

I shouldn't be mad at the computer...I need to be mad at AT&T I guess for not having good service way out here in the country...oh wait...we don't live in the country...what the crap? I thought maybe it was Snapfish so I tried to put pictures on walmart. That didn't work either. I am not trying to put 100 on at a time....just one...that's all I ask...just let me put ONE in the 3-6 month album!!! Now the silly Internet will not allow me to shop on line for car stickers...yes that is right...the Hickses (yes you say HicksES...not the Hicks...)are getting car stickers....the family stick figure stickers to stick on the car window. I cant' wait...but will have to since the internet is too crappy to load stick figures!!! Okay...I will be done with my rant and talk about the boys...
First off I would like to apologize to our wonderful friend Eric for not mentioning that Elliott and Aaron finally were able to meet you and also to the old wise one....you were here ALL the time and it was great!!! Grandpa Shurts stops by usually once a week and Sharon too. We all really miss the rest of the aunts....especially Joy since we haven't seen her since Christmas....she will fall over when she sees these guys now!!! Too bad I can't down load any pictures!!!

So...I do believe that they still love their cribs but they have been a little more difficult lately. I just don't think that 10 minutes counts as a nap!!! They are doing a little better today but that just means that maybe they won't tomorrow or maybe they will do even better because Grandma Bock brought presents this weekend!!! Now they boys have their own mobiles for their cribs. They are super awesome too!!! I kind of want to steal the Ocean Wonders one for my bed!!! It makes fish and star's on the ceiling!!!

Since we brought them home, they have been sleeping on sleep positioners that I used to put blankets under to make them very inclined to help with reflux and help with breathing. They are made out of memory foam. Elliott has been trying to seep on his side but has a difficult time because this bolster thing prevents him from rolling. I decided that maybe he didn't need the thing anymore and took it out his crib. He didn't sleep for an entire day. I put it back in and he went right to sleep. They can't sleep on those things forever....do they make a memory foam mattress pad for cribs? What picky little babies I have. Aaron can't tolerate generic formula and Elliott won't sleep unless he is on memory foam...goodness

Elliott and Aaron on Earth Day...sorry you have to tilt your head for this one...I flipped it but it flipped back...maybe its me and not the Internet...Elliott's shirt says "Hug Me Hug a Tree" and Aaron's says "Love Me Love the Earth"

On a super happy note....the next Peoria Mothers of Twins thing is this Thursday...I hope it fun!!! Also....I alphabetized and categorized ALL our CD's....so happy that is finally done. I know I am crazy...

I think that Elliott and Aaron are learning something new everyday. They can pick up their favorite monkey teether thing while in the applesaucer (it's an exersaucer but Andrew calls it the applesaucer and I think its really funny) and chew on it...I always miss when they actually get it because I am usually feeding the baby that is not in the applesaucer, but I know they are getting it by themselves. They amaze me. They still can't wear their 3-6 month Old Navy jeans but will soon be in 6-9 month sleep and plays. The crazy health department lady (yes I can call her crazy because I believe that she is...I am not using her name so she cannot sue me just in case you were concerned) was here on Monday. She said that developmentally they are on target for being 3 months. She always tests them at their adjusted age. They do some things that only 5% of 3 month old babies do. They will be caught up in no time...she also reassured me that Aaron's head is fine...so hopefully he won't be wearing a helmet to correct his flat spot. She also weighed and measured them. They are both almost 14 pounds and she measured them as being the same length. Aaron looks shorter when they are laying next to each other but I guess I will believe the crazy health department lady until we see Dr. Maini at the end of the month. Can you believe 14 pounds!!! I am not sure that their year old cousin Cassidy weighs 14 pounds!!! 9 month old cousin Jackson I think only weighs 15 or 16...I guess I shouldn't compare Elliott and Aaron to other babies. Julie has these little tiny babies and apparently Katie does too. Mine must be the regular version. It's just hard to believe the 5 months ago they weighed less than 3 pounds..which makes me wonder why I gained so much weight!!! I was not even carrying 6 pounds of baby and I gained 50!!! And boy oh boy is it coming off slow....or not at all. Grandma Bock said that since it takes a year sometimes to get back into pre-pregnancy clothes...I get until the end of January because that was when the babies were supposed to come...I think I'll need those extra two months!!! Well...that was a tangent...

they are trying to hold hands =) You can't tell me that this isn't one of the cutest pictures you have ever seen....It looks like Elliott is saying "don't worry Aaron...I got ya". These little outfits say "runs on natural gas"...Julie found them and I had to get them since I have the gassiest babies EVER!!!

One last thing and then I will be done with the crazy blog...For mother's day Annie painted a plate for Grandma Bock (seeing as it's hard to go to a pottery painting place when you have two babies). I took the boys there when she was finished and we painted their hands and feet and made prints on the plate...they didn't do so well with their hands...they kept making fists...but their feet were very cute...grandma Schwiderski has too many grandkids for a plate so she is getting a bowl...hope she doesn't read this tonight!!! When I saw the finished plate I wanted to keep it!!! It was the sweetest thing I have ever seen in my life..but then again I have this thing with baby feet. I LOVE LOVE LOVE baby feet!!! I am so happy I get four!!! OK...I am done now I think...I will attach one more picture...I am so glad blogspot lets me have pictures to share!!!


So....Andrew caught two smiles!!! Elliott does smile super big like Aaron is doing but they get so distracted by the camera!!! Check out their chunky legs!!! I am so proud of their chunky legs...they certainly didn't start out that way =)

Thanks for reading!!!
Jen

almost a month!!!

I feel kind of bad that we have had (crappy) internet for a while and I haven't blogged!!! I have been somewhat conflicted about blogging because I was told that I am a little too blunt and shouldn't say some thing. I have decided that I am who I am and this is my blog...I can say whatever I am thinking and feeling.

So...The boys are growing and growing!!! They are wearing size 2 diapers!!! That makes me sad. My 3 year old niece had an accident and refused to wear a pull up. She said "I want to wear Aaron's diaper" so we put one of the size 2 diapers on her and it fit!!! Either her butt is tiny or Elliott and Aaron are huge!!! She is pretty small....

Elliott rolled from belly to back for the first time on April 6 and Aaron did it on April 12. I had Elliott on his tummy for tummy time...he was fussing and looked like he was trying to swim. I looked away for a second and when I looked back at him his was on his back smiling sooo big!!! We tried to get Aaron to do it but he just cried =( Then the old wise one (Julie) turned him on his belly and he flipped over like he had been doing it for years!!! He cried after he rolled....he was hungry = ) Elliott would do it usually once a day for a while and Aaron just cried. Just last week Elliott decided that he could do it everytime and this week Aaron has been rolling like a champ. They are both very very close to rolling from back to belly. They get to their sides and stop...they like to be on their sides and not their tummies so I don't know that they will ever actually get to their tummies.

Both boys like to spend time in the exersaucer and also under their gyms. Elliott is super good and grabbing and holding onto this little spinning monkey. They started to notice each other too!!! It's so cute when they smile and talk to each other. I can't wait until they are best friends!!!

They made the big move from the bassinets in our room to their very own cribs in their room. It was a sad night for me but an important one. They LOVE their cribs!!! Elliott wakes in the morning so happy!!! He talks to the ceiling and his blakents...so sweet. Aaron does the same thing but for a shorter amount of time...he isn't as patient when it comes to breakfast. They will both sleep from 9 or 10 until between 7 and 9:30 in the morning. We do get up often to replace paci's. Aaron has this habit of getting up around 3 every morning and then up every hour after that until about 6. Sometime he gets up several times in one hour...I think that I am more tired now then I was when they were eating every 3 hours!!! They have been pretty good nappers too. Elliott slept from 9:45 to 1 today!!! He was super hungry. Aaron has had a tough napping day today. I didn't give him Zantac yesterday to see if he was done needing it....he is not done needing it!!! He has been pretty fussy and pukey today. Poor baby....I will never keep it from him again!!! Both boys are sleeping peacefully now...they look so sweet. I don't know how we got so lucky to get such perfect boys!!! I can't wait to have our set of perfect twin girls to match our perfect twin boys!!! Maybe I can wait.....

As for Andrew and I....we love our house. We are pretty much moved in now. The futon is still in the garage and we have a few boxes left to unpack. Most are CD's. We also took the rest of our stuff from Annie's last weekend. I didn't know we had so much crap there!!! I was able to listen to my very much missed John Ralston CD today....4 times!!! They boys like him. Aaron used to move alot in my belly when I played that CD. He hardly moved any other time...I always thought something was wrong with him...it turns out he is just a laid back baby. John Ralston was also the first concert the boys went to. I think I around 27 weeks pregnant when we saw him and Dashboard and Augustana. Little did we know the boys would be making their grand entrance a month later!!!

Well...I think I am going to try to post pictures on snapfish again...I haven't had much luck...the computer keeps freezing and making me crazy....later taters!!!

Here is a picture from Easter.... They looked like little old men....Aaron looks like an angry Irish cab driver =)