Christmas

Well here we are only 3 days away from Christmas Day and the Wothers Family is ready. The boys will be 22 months on Wed. so this Christmas will be so much more fun than last year. Joshua has already scaled the playyard and started to open presents and this was all in the time that it took me to go to the bathroom. Since our tree is up we have the playyard around it, instead of keeping the boys in they are now being kept out. I haven't found a star or angel and anything else for that matter that I like to put on top of the Christmas tree so since we have children and they love Elmo we have one of their Elmo buckets that they used for trick or treating as our tree topper.

The boys saw Santa Claus but they were not happy with him at all as you can see.

We are headed up to NY to see my dad over the Christmas Holday and as of this morning they had 3 feet of snow. It better still be there when we get there since Joshua and Jared have boots and snowpants and we haven't had any snow yet for them to play in.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours.

Wow there is a lot to report here in the Wothers' house. Let's start from the begining, I quit my job and am now a Stay at Home Mommy again. I loved working at Aardvark but was not happy being away from the boys. with Dave working shift work the boys were also missing out on Daddy time and that was hard on all of them. So here I am at home catching up on things that I have missed since I went back to work this summer.
There was a virus going around school and the boys and I spent our last week at school at home being sick and then Daddy got sick too. No one would come over to visit because we were all sooo sick. Grammy said that she would come over but she was leaving stuff on the doorstep and ringing the doorbell.
Joshua still has fluid in his ears so we went to see an ENT (ear, nose and throat) Specialist yesterday. The Dr says that Joshua needs tubes in his ears. In order to make an appointment he has to be cleared by a Cardiologist. Go figure the kid had surgery last year and he didn't need an appointment now he does. Oh well.
Jared and Joshua went to see the Developmental Pediatrician today and they are soo smart. She was amazed at what they can do. They are falling right in sync with typical developing peers and in some areas a little better. Her suggestion: keep doing whatever it is we are doing with them since they are doing great. I love to hear things like that. With the boys being preemies sometimes I wonder if they are doing ok for their age. So far so good.
Grandpa is coming to visit this weekend and we can not wait. The boys helped clean his room and make his bed. They are all ready for a fun weekend with Grandpa.
Wow that was a lot of info in a short time. I will let you go now and I PROMISE that I will be better and keep up with the blog more often.

A Year and a Half

WOW how time flies. It has been a month since my last post and we have done so much since then. The boys are now 18 month old and changing so much each and everyday. They love to walk around the house and get into everything. They like playing in the playyard but it is getting harder and harder to get them to stay in their for very long (just enough time to take a shower). The new thing is pushing things across the floor whether it be a box or a chair it moves. Jared is very good about sharing with Joshua. If Josh leaves his cup somewhere Jared will pick it up and give it to him (whether he wants it or not). They are becoming very loving toward each other but also very boyish. They will hug and kiss one minute and then they are hitting or biting each other the next. I guess it is the age. All and all they are doing well. We tired to get their pictures done last week but they got sick so we will try again this week.
My Dad and sister came to visit the end of July for a long weekend. While they were here we went to the Zoo. The boys loved the animals. We had a BBQ and the boys went to bed for the 1st time with no nighttime bottle (YEAH!!!) and a month later they still don't need one. They get a large cup of milk after dinner and it takes them until bed to drink it since they don't sit still anymore.
We were all on vacation for the rest of the week so we went to Dutch Wonderland with Aunt Cailtyn. The boys loved Dutch Wonderland because there was so much that they could do alone and then with an adult. They rode on little trains that Dave and I pushed around a track, they rode on bulldozers all by themselves. Dave and I took them on big cars and Aunt Caitlyn took them on Monster trucks. It was a nice cool day and we all had a good time.
The day before we were suppose to go back to work I was at the Doctors with Jared, he had a bacteria infection that lead to a really high fever. Antiboitics it was and he was fine. The boys stayed home with Daddy on Friday and I came home early. Josh was next but he waited until Tuesday to spike a fever. Antiboitics for him and a very hectic week of leaving work early and then staying home 1 day. Thank God we are getting better and showing no signs of being sick anymore.
Summer is almost over. We have 4 days of school this week and then it is September and school officially starts. Josh and Jared's schedule won't change that much, a new room and teacher but that is about it. My schedule however changes quite a bit. No more playing all day. I have spent the past week reorganizing my room and making it my own. I am really excited to start teaching again. As I have started to plan I have realized just how much I have missed it. Granted if it were possible to still be at home and get to play with Joshua and Jared all day that is where I would be but teaching is the next best thing. Enjoy your last weekends of summer, I know we will.

2 days of School

Well we have completed 2 days of school and all went well. The boys went trhough a lot of changes in 2 days. Getting dressed right away in the morning, playing with new friends, eating lunch at a really small table and sitting in really small chairs, taking a nap on a cot, eating new foods, playing with new toys and overall adjusting to a new routine. All and all they both did really well. On Thursday we (all the kids in the building eat the same thing for lunch and snack) had french toast sticks and saugage patties for lunch. The boys have eaten french toast before so that was not a problem. For snack it was pretzels, something the boys have not had yet but they are now on our shopping list beczuse they could not get enough of them. Jared had to be removed from the table because he would not stop eating and then taking pretzels from others.
I also had 2 good days. I think it helps that Joshua and Jared are downstairs and I can go and see them whenever I feel like I need to see them. I try not to let them see me but it happened yesterday and I just gave them both hugs and kisses and I left and I didn't hear any tears so it was good. I am very comfortable in my surroundings. I can offer ideas and not feel like I am out of place.
Dave was a little loney yesterday. He worked on Thursday but was off yesterday. It is a big change for all of us but it is a good one. It makes the weekends and dinner time more special for us to spend as a family.

School

Hello I am writing to tell you about the changes happening in the Wothers household. It has come to the time when I have to go back to work. It stinks but I have to. A couple weeks ago I went and saw a daycare setting and loved it. There was a possiblity to work there also. I started to fill out the paperwork and was getting ready to enroll the boys when something else came up. On our way home from Lancaster on Wednesday we passed a Preschool called Aardvark. It is a Child Care Learning Center. I called them when we got home to see if they had any job openings and was surprised to hear that they did. I had an interview Wed. night with the administrator. I absolutely loved the place. It was a friendly environment and the opporrtunities for little ones was amazing. I continued to talk to the adminstrator and she offered me a job. I went back on Thursday to follow a teacher around and see what it was all about. Again I had a great time and I loved what I saw. Today Dave and I took the boys to play. They took a little while to warm up but when they did they were off, playing with new friends. It was then that I knew that this was the place for us. We all start school next Thursday. I will be teaching Pre-K (4 year olds in the fall). For the summer is 1 room for 3-5 olds, so I will be there with another teacher. I can't wait to start but I am also scared. It has been an amazing 17 months, being home with the boys. I would love to stay home and continue but it is just not possible. I believe that everything happens for a reason and for whatever reason we drove past Aardvark and now Josh, Jared and I will start a new adventure. Dave is going to have some changes too, he is used to us always being around. He will now have his time to be home alone but I know he will miss us. After the 1st month or so he can keep the boys home with him on his days off if he wants to. We want them to get into a routine so he will have to wait but the option is always there. Although I will now be a working Mom Aardvark is only 5 minutes up the road. It will be nice, I am going back to work which sometimes I do miss and the boys will be socialized with other people besides Mommy and Daddy (we are the favorites and always will be but they still need to grow too). Well that is all the news here. Hope everyone is doing well.

Carnival Weekend

Well it has been awhile since we came home from NY and I thought it was time to show the world how much fun the boys had with Grandpa. We went to visit our family in NY and got to go to a carnival. Joshua and Jared had never been to one so it was nice to be able to share it with Grandpa. For little men who now hate the vacuum cleaner they sat front row at the parade and watched all the fire truck and listened to all the sirens and never once flinched. They loved it. I tried to cover their ears and they wanted nothing to do with me. Once we arrived at the carnival they had fun. The rode on a Choo-choo train, a merry go round and cars (until Jared stood up). That was about all they could do at their size but they had fun. Grandpa also gave them their 1st taste of a snowcone, lemonade and fried dough. Of course they enjoyed each new food. After to carnival was all over we went to Hamlin Beach which in on Lake Ontario. The thought for the day was to play in the water and then in the sand. Well the boys had other plans, the water was too cold for them and the sand well the sand was just sand and they didn't like it. So we played with our beach toys on a blanket with Grandpa and Aunt Shelby. A fun time was had by all.

16 months

16 months and growing. Time really does fly by. I look at Jared and Joshua and can not believe all the new things they are doing. They can pull themselves up on anything. They love to walk with help whether it be a person, furniture or their push walkers. It is only a matter of time before they are off and walking/running. They get so excited to be free of their playyard. They can get anywhere fast by means of crawling and yes now they do go in separate directions. Jared has recently decided that he likes the baskets that hold his toys. He crawls into it and sits there. He will play for quite awhile in his basket. Josh sees this and wants to do the same. He needs a little help getting in but then he will play too. It is odd to see them both sitting in toy baskets but hey whatever makes them happy.

15 months

The boys went to the Doctors yesterday for their 15 month check up. They are both doing well. Joshua weighs 24lbs 14ozs and is 31 inches long. Jared weighs 24lbs 2ozs and is 30.5 inches long. Both boys have doubles their length since birth and the weigh about 8x as much as they did when they were born.
For Mother's Day I bought Wee Bundle dolls. The dolls are a representation of just how little preemie babies can be. I ordered them to match the sizes of the boys when they were born. The dolls arrived about 2 weeks ago. Sometimes I forget just how little Joshua and Jared really were. Dave and my Mom think that they are weird looking. I dressed the dolls in preemie clothes that the boys actaully wore the first time they wore clothes in the NICU. I look at them and it is a joy to see how far each one of my little miracles has come.
Some people see twins and they automatically say "Double Trouble" I tell people that I am "Doubly Blessed." I got 2 for the price of 1 and would not change anything about that.

Secret Language

If you sit in another room of our house and just listen to the boys talk to each other it is an amazing thing to hear. I was always told that the boys would probably develop their own language since they were twins. I love listening to them "talk." Jared is a little more talkative but Joshua gets his voice heard (usually by yelling).
They are both saying "real" words too. They both say Mama, Dada and book. Jared is also now saying bird (not sure where this came from). They love to sit and "read" or be read to. When they are playing in their playyard there are time when they will both be in the book corner looking at books, sometimes together and other on their own. I love it.

Water Babies

The boys started their Parent-Tot swim lessons yesterday. Mommy and Daddy are int eh water with them so it makes it a little easier on them. They were a little scared at first but warmed up fast. It is a big bathtub. Daddy got both Joshua and Jared to splash. They even went under water. We dunked them both and to our surprise they did ok with it. No tears the whole class. The teacher put out noodles and boats but Joshua and Jared were not really interested in those toys yet. They just stayed with us. Being as though I was a lifeguard and I taught this class I have a heads up as to what types of things we will be doing. Daddy had the boys farther down in the deep end where he can stand better and he was going under water and the boys were laughing because Daddy disapeared. The boys did great for their 1st lesson. We didn't have anyone to take pictures but for our next class we will get someone.

Off and rolling

My dad calls about once a week to check in on Joshua and Jared. The most frequent question is what kinds of things are they doing now. We are going to NY in June for carnival weekend and my dad just asked last week if the boys would be walking by then. I told him maybe maybe not. Now I know that NY is a month and a half away but who knows what can happen between now and then. Yesterday when I was putting Josh into his highchair I turned around to get Jared and he was up walking around with his walker. WOW. Dave and I have picked the boys up and helped them walk with their walkers but no one has done it on their own. Josh must have seen this and felt left out because when I went to get them for their bath Josh was up walking around with his walker. They were showing off for Dave when he got home from work, they were both up and moving all around and "yelling" at each other when they were in the other ones way.
After the boys went to sleep I felt I needed to call my Dad and change the walking status for June. I am pretty sure they will be up and mobile by carnival weekend in NY.

Giggling Babies

Well I have never seen 2 little boys who were so excited about being free. We went to Raymour and Flannigan to buy a new bedroom set yesterday. The boys were doing so well, eating snacks and playing with the balloons that the nice lady gave them. Daddy was talking to the lady when all hell broke loose. Joshua and Jared both started yelling and crying. I took them out of their stroller and put them on the floor and off they went. Their mood changed instantly. Instead of crying now we were laughing and giggling away. They were free to go where they wanted (we were in a furniture store so they had lots of room). Thankfully they went in the same direction. Thank goodness for big open spaces.
On another note Dave is officially a college graduate. He finished his online Associates degree this week and I am so proud of him. His shift work prevents him from going to school like a typical person so he started the online program a few years ago and got word this week that he is officially done and has a degree. He never gave up, he had a really bad professor at one point but he did the best job he could, the boys came early and threw him for a loop with a class but again he never gave up. we are so proud of him.

14 months/March for Babies

Another month that flew on by. Other mom's have told me that their kids grow up too fast. They were right. I am home with the boys everyday and I am still amazed on how fast they are growing and all the new things that they can do. The boys are doing well. Jared is holding steady with 6 teeth while his "big" brother Josh has 8. We thought we saw new ones coming in but I guess it was a piece of food. Josh has found a favorite toy, a little tikes Zebra from their Noah's Ark playset. It is by far the best toy in the playyard according to Josh. It is the first thing he looks for each morning and each time he enters the playyard. He plays with other toys but the Zebra is always in a hand. Jared really hasn't found a toy that he loves yet but I am sure he will.
The boys and I along with some family and friends walked in our 2nd March for Babies today. It was a rough start and ending but the middle was nice. You have to arrive early to check in and then wait until the walk starts and Joshua and Jared have the patients of a 14 motnh old ( which is non exsistent) so they were fussy before we started. As soon as we moved they were good for the most part. We are at the stage where we can move on our own and sitting for long periods of time are not fun. Overall it was a good walk, the weather was in the mid-60's and it was kinda overcast so it wasn't too hot (unless you count the sweat beading off my head on the way UP the hill). We made our goal, YEAH!! Grammy made her goal, YEAH!!

No more DuPont

Well all is well here in the Wothers' household. Joshua had a follow-up visit to DuPont today in regards to his surgery. The Dr. gave him a clean bill of health and discharged him. We don't have to see him unless we/doctors feel the need to see him. No more DuPont, that is until next January when both Joshua and Jared return for a follow-up for their eyes. They will see an opothomologist (sp?) 1x a year until they are old enough to take the test at the doctors office.On another note Dave is done his shut down and will return to a normal schedule as of tonight. It was nice having him home with us everynight but the boys missed out on lots of Daddy time. The schedule that we have all learned to rely on is now back. Although I love taking the boys to the grocery store with me (they are very good) it will be nice to either leave them at home or have an extra set of hands to clean up the messes that they make just by sitting in the front seat of the cart (it is amazing what they can reach).

Little Woodchucks

I have 2 little woodchucks. The sides of their cribs prove it. Their cribs are side-by-side longways so when they stand up and look at each other they chew on the siderails. I bought Crib Bitter strips to see if they will help but who knows my children will probably figure out a way to get them off or bite through them too.
I have also rearranged the livingroom again to better suit the needs of 2 active 13 month olds. They now have half of the livingroom instead of just a little part. We are usign the dog cage to hold up one end of the playyard gate and my toy box to hold up the other. It is quite amusing to see all the toys that the boys have accumulated but they love them all and rotate around the playyard when they play.
Joshua and Jared have started to play with each other instead of just along side each other which is great. They "share" toys and also take tosy from each other. They are big readers. Whenever someone is in the playyard with them Jared will bring you a book and when you are finished reading it he will go and find another one to give you (or throw at you depending on his mood). I love watching them grow into little boys. It is the best feeling.

13 months

Wow the boys are 13 months old already. This past year was full of ups and downs. But look at them now. Joshua and Jared have come such a long way. They started out weighing 2lbs 11ozs and 2lbs 12ozs and now they are 22lbs and 23lbs. Joshua has 8 teeth and Jared has 6. They are now eating big boy food and drinking milk. Just about anything you can cut up small they will eat. They love their fruits and veggies. Both boys are crawling all over. The good thing so far is that they explore together. So as of now we are chasing in one direction most times. They are pulling themselves up and letting go everynow and then. Joshua is more adventurous than Jared is but he is not far behind his "big" brother. I am not quite sure they know what to do with their feet as far as walking yet. Mommy did it. I separated them. They are now in separate cribs for naps and overnight. I think I had a harder time with the new step than they did. The boys are in the same room but their cribs are next to each other, they can still touch for that security. I have been doing it slowly for naps but it was only this past week when the boys were both sick that I put them in separate cribs. It was a move that needed to be done. The boys are getting bigger and they were rolling over onto each other and waking each other up.