Picture Perfect

 

Today

Henry is happy...

       after a suture was removed when it came up through his incision

rather than dissolve as expected.

---- & ----

Claire is in love...  

with "Play Dough" Ice Cream from Jersey Junction.

Keeping up with Claire

Since I took the time to remark on Henry's monthly milestones, I thought I would also write a bit about Claire as she is officially 2 1/2 this month.  Big Stuff!

:: Claire, you weigh close to 28 pounds - a lightweight for your age, but somehow, you remain fearless.  

:: You sleep around 12 hours at night and still take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.  This is great, however, you could improve in the area of eating.  The challenge is getting you to sit long enough to eat a meal, but some of your favorite foods include tacos, pasta, rice, dried fruit, breakfast foods, and pretty much anything that would be considered "junk food", which I'm afraid you get from my side of the family.

                                                Likes                                    Dislikes

                                                Henry                                  sharing your blankets with Henry 

                                                playing outside                 having to come inside

                                                singing & dancing           carrots & green beans

                                                brushing your teeth       washing your hair           

                                                princesses                          dull colored clothing     



Your favorite songs: The ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and Baa Baa Black Sheep (Notice the pattern?)

 From your mouth to our ears:

:: "Mommy, I wanna snack."  We hear this one a lot.

:: "Daddy, wanna read a book?"  This is a close second.

:: "Mommy, where'd toothbrush go?"  I had to hide it, since you'd brush your teeth ten times a day if we let you. 

:: "Daddy, where are you?  Daddy at work.  Home soon."  You say this almost every morning, right before you ask for Henry.

:: "Mommy, where'd the sun go?"  A good question for a cloudy day. 

                                                          Foods you've tried to feed Henry:
                                                                    popcorn
                                                                    craisins
                                                                    peanut butter crackers
                                                                    your baby's bottle, at least a dozen times

:: Claire, you are a wonderful blend of fun-loving free spirit and sweet cuddly kiddo.  You're an incredible big sister, always so affectionate with your "Buddy".  It's true, being a big sister has made you grow so quickly.  What will you do, what will you say tomorrow that will surprise me?  There's always something!   And I can't wait to see what it is! 

3 Month Milestones

Henry is 3 months old!

**You're quickly approaching 13 lbs, which means you'll soon grow out of your size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes.

**At night, you typically wake to eat every 4 hours, but have ocasionally slept as long as 6 hours.

**Our goal is for you to eat 3-4 oz every 3 hours, and while you typically take only 2-3 oz, you're getting closer.  Meanwhile, we add a small scoop of formula to your milk to ensure you get enough calories. 

**You enjoy bathtime and your play mat, and still like your pacifier.

**You're right on track with your fine motor skills, such as cooing and smiling, but about a month delayed with your gross motor skills, like holding your head up during "tummy time".  This is to be expected, though, given your extended hospital stay.  With some time and a little extra attention, you're sure to catch up.  

**Your eyes are becoming a brilliant shade of blue.  I love that both my babies have their daddy's eyes.

**Last week, you were officially discharged from Spectrum Health's Continuing Care, which means no more weekly visits with Nurse Ruthie, Nurse Nicole and Speech Pathologist Dawn.  You're doing great, Buddy!  I can't wait to see what this coming month holds for you!

Pop Quiz

How well do you know your Puplis children?

There are moments when I think our babies look so similar, but in these pictures I can definitely appreciate their individual looks.  Difficult to compare though, because Claire is about 4 1/2 months at the time this picture was taken, and Henry here is not quite 3 months.  I'll be curious to see what the next few months reveal. 

So Long Summer

I know it still looks like summer, and it certainly still feels like summer, but in our house, we are longing for autumn.  Joe is back to school because they have a more balanced school year, and so we are beginning our farewell tribute to summer in an effort to wish the warm weather away and welcome a cool, crisp fall season.

It's been a different kind of summer.  In 6 weeks we've had 29 appointments with doctors, visiting nurses, and feeding specialists.  That's a lot.  But the stressfulness of our daily routine has been softened by sweet moments of love and laughter.  Here's a glimpse of our summer in snapshots.

 Claire's penchant for accesories led her to wear her bike helmet for 2 days straight.  Gotta love that!

While I appreciate her effort, the bathroom was more messy after I found her "cleaning the potty". 

Henry enjoys bathtime.  Notice how great his O. incision looks!

This one's for you, Kels!

Lazy summer day

 

My Little O. Baby looks like a Little Man 

Daddy-Daughter Date at the park.

More than anything, Claire has loved playing outside. 

This summer she's really enjoyed spending time at the lake.