6 months old. thankful.

On November 11th the boys turned 6 months old. Crazy! That half-year birthdate coupled with the month of November makes me ponder about things I am thankful for.

At the top of that list is definitely healthy boys who have changed our lives for the better for the past 6 months.

Camden is weighing about 13 1/2 lbs and Sullivan weighs about 10 1/2 lbs. They are pleasant and content the majority of the time. They are exploring the world around them, namely their hands and their voices.

Cam getting ready to go to the mall...all bundled up on a fall Texas day.
So...when mommy is running late for an appointment....you have to get creative. Look at how good the boys are at "feeding themselves". I think I will try to teach them to change their diapers next?...

All dressed up for the day.....(what exactly do you think Sullivan (left) is thinking?)

6 Months Old. Sullivan, Camden

6 Months Old. Camden, Sullivan

Some video footage.

(above video)
Who said dressing boys is not fun/cute? I love it! No seriously...I love picking out their outfits! Last week they both wore not only jeans...but sneakers. They are getting so big. Well, actually the jeans were size "newborn" and so are the sneakers I think. Look how strong they are...






So, Sullivan is our little noise box. They are both starting to find their voices, but this noise is just especially cute and he does this ALL THE TIME! So cute.

Happy Halloween!

This year for Halloween I got to celebrate with my two favorite lil' Indians. As you can see in the pictures, the boys are really excited about dressing up (?)!.
Here are my little Butler Braves!!!

Before we put our costumes on, we had a little MONSTER JAM (-mies)

Look at those cute little wiggly feet!

I tried the costume on first with those cute little bellies.....but we didn't want their little tummies to get cold...

Sullivan.

Cam.

Cam (again)

This week we have also learned how to sit in our bouncers, and have been practicing "tummy time" more and more so that our necks get stronger. The boys are smiling a little more every day and have each found their voices. This week we go to the doctor for our well-baby exam...so I will get to see how big they really are getting. It is already pretty evident when I go in their closet...I have to select clothes from the "bigger 0-3 and/or 3-6" shelf. Can't believe it!

Cam in his bouncer for the first time.

Sullivan ?enjoying? his bumbo. Actually, he is trying to stay awake. Look at those sleepy eyes!

Speaking of sleepy....this is how I found him sleeping after some tummy time. He was exhausted!

Cam telling Sully a funny story.

The brothers talking to each other.

Cousins.

This post is way overdue. Thank you so much to my family who came to visit a few weeks ago. We had a great time with you! It was so nice of you to travel all the way here to spend time with us and meet the boys.

Growing up, time with the cousins was so special. So many memories were created. I especially loved extra long time together at the beach and the holiday traditions (I only wish we could both fit on that piano bench now :). I remember spending time together with my cousin and we used to "play house". Wow....now we are "playing" it for real. I am so glad to be able to learn from the best cousin ever....cousin, friend, and twin mom! Thanks, Cath, for everything!

Here are some pictures from our time together.



Brings back memories, huh? Her boys, born at 26 weeks, are now healthy and wonderful 5 year old boys!
Us...and our boys.

How cute is that?

Little Mountaineers. (if they don't go to Penn State that is :) Cam in yellow. Sully in blue.

Feeding time...again.

Lovin' my boys. Thank you for the adorable shirts they are wearing.

The boys.

Aah. So cute!

words only.

I have not posted forever because my computer has been down. I am still having some problems, which is why this will not have pictures (I know...that makes me sad because I have some great ones to share...).

When I do get things back in working order, I will tell you all about the visit with the family, the cool things that the boys are doing, and a sad event that happened (regarding our beloved Zoey).

Until then, I am going to eat some halloween candy (why do I buy it early?) and crawl in bed to read a book that my sister in law just gave me....with the sweet sounds of two baby boys sleeping coming through the monitor.

Good night. Sweet dreams.

Happy 5 Months (yesterday)

Yesterday the boys turned 5 months old. Things have been going very well here at the Butler house. I can honestly say that I am getting very used to life with twins now. I won't dare say that it is "easy" or that I am now an "expert", but it just feels "normal" now. Taking care of two baby boys is my new normal...and I love it! There is more of a daily schedule now, we sleep more, and best of all I am seeing more smiles (which in turn probably means that I am smiling more!).

So, all in all life is good! We are in the middle of redoing our kitchen. Dare I say we, though.....Chris has been doing it all and it looks fabulous! Can't wait to show before and after pictures in a few weeks.

Sullivan continues to eat well; he averages about 3 oz every feeding time (sometimes we get excited because he will eat 4...and others he only finishes 2.). His brother, Camden, eats 5 ounces every 3 hours. Their breathing still causes people to ask "are they okay?", but we always assure them what the doctors have told us...it is just because their noses are small. Because it is already hard for them to breathe, we suffer from (what some might call) "germ-a-phobia". We have been reminded that it is imperative that they don't get sick. Their lungs just can't take that. RSV season is creeping up on us....so we will probably be even more protective. This certainly makes me sad, because I would love to just show them off to the world, but I definitely don't want to be showing them off (again) at a hospital. So, for now.....bring on the hand sanitizer!

Another awesome thing to see happening, other than the boys smiling more, is that they are naturally putting themselves on a "schedule". For example, at night around 9pm these little guys are tired. We will see them rubbing their eyes, getting a little fussy, and/or falling asleep wherever they are. So, we try to respect their self-imposed bedtime and put them to sleep around this time every night. They (usually) sleep until about 6am...but....just want a little snack and then they go to bed again until about 9am. They also are pretty consistent throughout the day. They are awake in the morning and then desire a nap around 2pm. It is really awesome to see how their little bodies just adjust to what they need (it is also great that they are staying on the same schedule. Woohoo!)

Well, this has been a lot of text. Sorry, I just had a lot to share! Oh wait...one more thing:

About 5 years ago, my cousin had preemie twins. They were born at 26 weeks and I am so happy to report that her boys are doing GREAT....AND.....they are all coming to visit this weekend. I can't wait! What a lucky family we are to have two sets of healthy preemie boys! More to come later!
Happy 5 Months, Camden and Sullivan!

Their 5 month old outfits (although they are both size 0-3). Cam in blue, Sullivan in orange.
Waking up all smiles.
Camden thinking about which pumpkin he wanted to pick.
Cam loves the pumpkin patch!
Sullivan seriously thinking about why his mom dressed him like it is fall, when really it is 90 degrees in Texas?!?
Sneakin' some kisses....
My boys....(they look really happy to be out at a pumpkin patch don't they?)
Scott joined us at the pumpkin patch! What a great Uncle!
Sullivan enjoying the moment....
Our family.
Ha! too cute!
Getting situated so we could get a picture. Next year the boys will be able to sit up all by themselves.
A beautiful afternoon at the park.
The boys have their own seasonal library (aka their mom used to teach first grade!). I can't wait to (hopefully) instill the love of reading in them.

October.

My favorite month ever! I can't wait to introduce the boys to all of the wonderful things that October brings.

I realize it has been a while since I have given an "update" on how the boys are doing. So, forgive the wordiness, but a lot has been happening here.

Sullivan James. Born 2 lbs 11 oz. Now weighs (as of a few days ago) 9 lbs 12 oz. For a long time he has struggled with eating, and it is almost as if overnight things have improved. He eats (about) 2.5 -3 oz every 3 hours during the day. It is like the appetite that we have been praying for finally kicked in. It is a sweet sight to see him actually sucking on his hands like he is hungry.

Through the process of figuring out why he doesn't eat much, we have visited several specialists and had many tests done: GI, ENT, Ultrasound, MRI, CTscan, Upper GI, and several visits to our (wonderful) pediatrician. We are thankful that all tests and doctors have said that they can't find anything wrong and that we will just need to be patient. It looks like our patience has paid off in this case. Thank you for answered prayers!

Sullivan also had an eye appointment yesterday. His eyes are doing very well in regards to the ROP (retinopathy of prematurity). He is almost 100% developed. We have to go back in a month (which in the beginning was every week). The eye doctor, however, did see that Sullivan has a pretty strong stigmatism and he projects that he is near-sighted. So, he says that the little guy will more than likely need glasses. When we asked him "when", he said (sigh) probably about a year old. (aaahhh!!!!!). Not that little boys in glasses aren't adorable, but we would love it if you could join us in praying for his eyes to heal.

Sullivan is a very happy baby. He is content and pleasant and we are seeing him smile more and more. His dimples will steal your heart and his blue eyes are just perfect! Oh, and.......he is sleeping through the night!

Camden Ryan. Born 3 lbs 2 oz. As of a week ago, he was 11 lbs. He is doing great, and at times I forget that he was even a preemie. All it takes is a quick look back through pictures or looking at his tiny first diaper to bring it all back though. Cam loves to eat! He eats about 4 to 5 ounces every three ounces during the day, and he also loves to sleep. His bedtime is about 9:30pm and he sleeps through the night. We love waking him up in the morning because he is such a cuddler! His hair is growing in more and more....as are his cheeks!

Time for some pictures from the past week!



...a little family time with our favorite nephew and niece! (that's Philip by the way :).
A fall (attempt) at a photo shoot. Sullivan in front, Cam in back.

A stroll around town with Pumpkin spice latte in hand....and cute sweaters!

A little video footage of our awake time before the last nighttime feed.