Vaccine Time ~ July 2, 2009

Today the boys had their two month check-up and first round of vaccines, so it was a very fun day for the two of them. Overall they are growing great, both are in the 50 percentile for weight, length and head size, so the pediatrician and mom are both very happy about that. Both boys have mild torticollis, which is a shortening of the neck muscles on one side, causing difficulty turning their heads in one direction. It is usually caused by lack of room in mom while they were developing. We have to see a physical therapist to try and work the muscles out and correct the problem, but it should be easily fixed with time.

The doctor also thinks that both boys have acid reflux, which would explain a lot of problems we have had (with Ryan mainly) during feeding. Ryan can get very aggitated during feedings, and spit up a lot, but hopefully the medicine will help with that.

Today was also our first round of vaccines, and so far the boys are doing well. Ryan was a little more cranky than usual tonight, but they are both sleeping well right now!

Let Grandpa Peterson know that we are ready for our first hunting lesson!

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Strong boys ~ June 30, 2009

The boys are getting so much bigger and stronger everyday. They are trying hard to hold their heads up and look around, especially when they are being burped. They haven't got the control down yet, we have been head-butted a few times by both guys, but they are getting better daily.

Both boys are around 11 pounds now, and still growing fast. They have been sleeping better at night, with some bad days... but they each can usually go about four hours between feedings at night, with Ryan going over five some nights. Matthew seems to be the more demanding one when it comes to food. They are staying awake more during the day, and I am trying to keep them up if they want to sleep too much, hoping that keeping them up a little longer will help them sleep better at night. I'm not sure if that approach is working yet. They both are still very noisy sleepers, hopefully that will be something they grow out of!

We have our first round of vaccines on Thursday. That will be an interesting day. Thankfully Jason has Friday off from work, in case the boys have a rough night. We will hopefully be in Springfield this Saturday, for cousin Ilona's birthday party, and then we will be making our way to Wisconsin Saturday night... I don't expect our plans to change, but it all depends on how the vaccinations go, and as long as everyone stays healthy! We can't wait to meet more family!

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More smiles ~ June 29, 2009

Ryan now wants to join in on the smile fun. He's a little harder to get to smile, but well worth the effort.

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Practice makes perfect ~ June 23, 2009

Matthew has been having a lot of fun trying to smile for mommy, Ryan... not so much, yet.

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Happy First Father's Day ~ June 21, 2009

The Smith boys - four generations

Today Jason and I took the boys on their first road trip. We went to Hannibal, MO to go to his family's picnic, about 3 hours from our house. The boys were really good on the trip there, we timed their morning feeding to be done just as we wanted to leave, and they slept the majority of the way. Ryan woke up about 30 minutes from the farm, but as long as we kept moving, he fell back asleep pretty fast.

We completely surprised everyone, since we only told Jason's parents that we were thinking about going to the picnic... it all depended on how everyone was doing that morning. It was great to get out of the house and see family. The boys enjoyed being outside, meeting new faces.

The drive home was a little more interesting. Ryan started to get upset about an hour from the farm, but we quickly realized that mom can just barely squeeze in the back of the car with the boys and be on binkie duty, if absolutely necessary.

So we have our first long car trip under our belts... the big test will be a trip to Wisconsin. We are still planning on July for that one. Hopefully our two month vaccinations go well so we can enjoy the trip!

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Rough Week ~ June 18, 2009

Sorry it has been a while since I got a chance to post. These past few days have been a little bit rough. I think the boys are going through a growth period since they are so hungry (CRANKY) all the time. The nights have been getting better, amazingly Ryan made it 6 hours between feedings last night, now if we can only get them to sleep that long. Both boys can usually give us a good 4 hour nap between feedings, but only at night. They have been staying awake more during the day now, which is good in some ways, not so good in others.

The wonderful pictures are from when I was treating the boys and myself for thrush. It kinda looks like the boys are ready to go to a KISS concert. Thankfully we are all better now and our lips are back to normal too.

We went to the pediatrician on Monday because Matthew still looked yellow from the jaundice. He has what the doctor called "breastmilk jaundice" where the jaundice just has not completely disappeared yet. The doctor said it can last for a few months, but is nothing to worry about as long as it doesn't seem to get worse. His bilirubin levels were not high enough to bring home the bili-bed again (thankfully) and we were told to try and give him a little indirect sun during the day to help breakdown the bilirubin. We will monitor his color, but thankfully it already seems to be getting a little bit better.

Other than all that, they have been growing like weeds. They are six weeks old now and both should be over 10 pounds now, I will check and see in the morning how big they are.

Also, I wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS to my brother Dale and his wife Tabitha. They welcomed their newest addition, Shiloh Victoria, into the world on June 12th. The boys will have a cousin right around their age to play with! Happy Thursday!!

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Tummy Time ~ June 12, 2009

The boys are both trying to get some tummy time in each day to strengthen their neck muscles. Ryan is definitely the stronger of the two at the moment. He is always moving!

Matthew was too hungry in this picture to think about trying to lift his head, although he is also getting better at lifting it on his own.

I am also trying to start cloth diapering the boys, especially during the day when I am fully awake. So far it has been going OK. Matthew has a diaper rash (from disposables) that I am trying to treat as well... and so far it has been slowly getting better. These diapers are nothing like the cloth diapers from long ago. With Velcro closures, and a microfiber insert, they are extremely easy to use and super absorbent. Plus they come in some pretty cute colors. I can usually get through about 2-3 half days of diapering before I have to wash the diapers. Not too bad! The only draw back is the bulkiness of the diapers. With them on, it's a little more challenging to find clothes that will fit right.

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