Surgery is done!

Micah finally had surgery!!! His bilateral cochlear implant surgery went very well last week, but it sure was a long day. He's healing up very nicely and activation is now less than 2 wks. away. WooHoo!!! Both Jacob and Micah are developing quite the personalities. As each day passes, they seem to enjoy playing with each more and more. We're all loving these precious days. Here's a clip of them playing together in Jacob's crib...

I'm the Birthday Girl today!

So, we're leaving again tomorrow for San Francisco! Micah's cochlear implant surgery is set for Wed. at 1 pm, and of course, he woke up with a cold today. I finally had my phone consult with the anesthesiologist's office and we're pretty much set. The dr's office said they don't usually cancel surgery unless the patient has a fever greater than 102, so we're okay there.

I had on one-hour massage this morning. It was wonderful. The massage therapist used hot stones on my back and it felt soooo nice! I went to Kohl's to see if they sold the hot stones, but couldn't find any. Now I have to search for that...

Speaking of searching, it's also time to start searching for cruises for our next anniversary. We'll have made it to 25 yrs. of marriage!!! I'm really hoping to make it into a small family reunion, too. I am so looking forward to an opportunity to get away. I sure hope it works out. We also have to decide on whether we'll take the twins along. We most likely will, but I'm not positive about that yet.

And, as today's heading says....I'm the birthday girl today! I can hardly believe that I'm 45 yrs. old already. Huh????

The boys are getting to be SO MUCH FUN! They've been chasing after each other, laughing and playing. It is soooo adorable! We're on the final countdown for Micah's surgery. He's scheduled for the 15th of this month.

They both adore going for walks and are enjoying our trips to the park. They love going down the slides and swinging on the baby swings. Their sign language vocabulary is growing by leaps and bounds. Jonathan seems to be getting more and more involved with the twins, as are the older kids. It's great! The twins especially adore their big brothers, and want to rough-house with them all the time. We're trying to make Tuesday nights our family night, where everyone comes over for dinner. They don't necessarily come if I'm working that Tuesday, but when they do come for dinner, it's great. I'm enjoying being down to part-time, and I'm finding that I have more energy to cook and clean than I used to. Maybe I'll start experimenting with recipes again soon ;-)

I'm really getting interested in reading other people's blogs. Some people have very interesting blogs. Maybe mine will evolve to be more interesting as I get used to blogging. We shall see......

Exercise

Well, my brand new commitment to exercise is already failing. Life just gets in the way. This week, I was able to get the boys out for a walk only one or two times. There was work, class, rain, and just plain exhaustion. It's depressing, really, that I have such a hard time motivating myself. I just have to keep trying, right?

I committed to ordering two Signing Time DVDs each pay period a couple of months ago, and seem to be making some decent progress on building up my collection. Two new Baby Signing Time DVDs were released this week, and I'm really looking forward to ordering them. We're learning so much from the DVDs. I have someone from Early Intervention coming twice a week to teach us, but I don't feel like I'm getting too far with that. I think I need the repetition that the DVDs offer (I can watch them over and over and over). I'm sure Rachel Coleman would be amused if she knew that I end up humming songs from them while I'm at work. ;-)

Trying to get fit again...

It's so hard for someone like me, who has a really hard time motivating myself! I think that I'm entering menopause, and I'm developing that spare tire that I've been dreading. So, I have decided that it's time to get my behind out the door and hit the sidewalks with the boys. I only managed to get out twice this week, because the week started out with a nice blister on my heel from last weeks' attempt to go walking. Then Jacob went and got sick. So, I managed to get out this morning. It is so enjoyable to me once I get out the door....it's the getting-out-the-door that's so hard for me. The boys love going on walks, though, so perhaps that will be enough to motivate me. I wish Micah could hear, though, so I could point things out to him from behind. Sigh....

Micah managed to climb onto the top of the table today when I ran to the bathroom. Boy does that child keep me on my toes! He was so stinkin' cute, though as he jumped in his crib with a huge grin on his face ;-) Jacob enjoys exploring all of my cupboards more than the climbing. Off to go shopping for crib tents....

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

Hi all! This is my first attempt at blogging, so please bear with me. I have two VERY adventurous twin boys. So, for the time being, will frequently be called away to rescue one or the other from something they're climbing or getting into. That will lessen (hopefully) as they grow.

This week has been filled with reminiscing for me. I have been so blessed to be given the family that I have. For those who might not know, I have five children--three that are grown and twin 17 month old boys. My oldest, Trevor, is 22 and lives with some friends. He is school and works as a CNA. Lydia, my only daughter, is 21 and is married. She is currently in her first semester of nursing school. Her husband, Steve, is in the Navy. My next son, Logan, is 19 yrs. old and goes to community college full-time, works part-time, and volunteers at church and for various people. He stays very busy. I was able to be home with them for most of their growing up years, then I decided that I needed to go back to school so that I could help pay for their college years. I have now been an RN for almost 8 yrs. and work in critical care at a local hospital.

During the years that my older three were growing up, I longed and longed for another baby. We had stupidly (in my opinion) opted for permanent sterilization, and ended up trying three times to reverse this, all without success. Which leads me to what I've been reminiscing about....

My twins, Jacob and Micah, came to us via donated gametes. They don't look anything like us. They have blond hair and blue eyes. We have brown hair and brown eyes. Though neither one is genetically related to us, I was able carry them, give birth to them, and we love them just as much as our older children. They're very active, curious, and loving boys. They keep us on on toes at all times, but they also love on us. I've been thinking, this week, about when I found out that I was, indeed, pregnant with twins. I didn't really believe it until we saw both heartbeats. In fact, it was quite surreal throughout the entire pregnancy. To this day, I find myself saying to myself, "I have twins!" in attempts to make it more real in my mind. Twins were never something I longed to have. In fact, I always felt that people who wished for twins were crazy (still do). I wouldn't have it any other way, though. I can't imagine my life without either one of the twins.

Another thing I've been reminiscent about is the fact that Micah was born deaf. I'm thankful that, in the big picture, this is a very minor disability. I'm also thankful that we have options. We're pursuing cochlear implants for him. He will be implanted bilaterally on October 15. He won't come home and be able to hear us that day, though. This will be a long journey for all of us as we strive to help him hear and understand. We're also working on learning American Sign Language (ASL). We're investing in the Signing Time DVDs (we all just LOVE Rachel!), and plan to continue with the signing after he hears as a form of backup communication.

So, be prepared-- most of my ramblings will likely have to do with the twins or with Micah's hearing loss.

Welcome!