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.

Fall.

I love fall. I love everything about it. It reminds me of growing up in Pennsylvania; the leaves, changing out the wardrobe from summer to "winter", fall decorations around the house, buying the newest fall scent from Yankee Candle, college football (Go Penn State!), and fall foods. I get "homesick" every year at this time and usually we get to go north for a visit. This year is a little different. So, I will have to make sure to make it very "fall-esque" around here. Can't wait to take the boys to see the fall leaves (oh, and even more importantly family) next fall!

In the meantime...here are some ways that we have been passing our time here in the "not-so-fall-like" state of Texas.

(up close of) Cam looking so sad after his vaccine. Ouch!
Chris feeding Sullivan a little afternoon snack and enjoying the cool(er) day.

Cam and I....(how cute is his outfit?)

Ahhh...what is it about babies in pj's that is so cute?

Brothers just chattin' it up in their rocker chair. (Sullivan in grey, Cam in navy)

Brave babies getting ready for their vaccines.

An afternoon outing at the library.

The Butlers....(Grandma with Cam and Grandpa with Sullivan)

Yum! Homemade Apple Pie! (I told you I love fall foods/recipes!)

Happy 4 months....a little late.

The days have just seemed to pass me up and I forgot to "wish" the boys a happy birthday (via the internet that is). On September 11th, when we all took a moment to pause and reflect on the disaster that hit our nation 9 years ago, the boys turned 4 months old.

We at the Butler house are all doing well. Cam continues to be a very content baby who is still (thank you) sleeping through the night. He gives us some very big smiles every so often and I don't thing (despite populare opinion) that it is "gas". I love seeing his sweet grin!

Sullivan's breathing has seemed to improve and we can actually see a little opening when we peer into his little nostrils. He reached the 8 lb mark the other day and is filling out a little more in his cheeks (which makes his nostrils even deeper!). We start his therapy tomorrow for his eating.

The boys are staying awake a little more each day...which means
that I am learning how to get things done and hang out with them. Here are some pictures of what we have been doing....

tonight it was Cams turn to hang out in the Moby (love that sling...thanks, Tiff!)

The boys kept me company while I cooked dinner. Thank you! I caught Cam talking....

Look at how cute that smile is!

We had a great time visiting with a sweet friend. The boys took their first trolley ride (thanks, L. for being so strong and helping us put the stroller in the trolley).

....and the results are in...

Sullivan had his upper GI today. The results are in. They came back normal. We are so glad to have some answers. We spent a long time with the speech therapy team at the hospital and after much consultation, they explained that Sully has a very "disorganized eating pattern". Basically, this means that when most babies naturally "suck (then) swallow (then) breathe", Sullivan is instead "suck (then) suck some more (then) suck some more (then) breathe (then) suck some more (then) swallow...etc.".

They also noticed that he has some sensory issues, meaning that when he gets over stimulated (aka when mommy watches Dr. Oz, talks on the phone, has Pandora radio streaming, and feeds him) he tends to get stressed and this causes more "chaos" in his eating. Who knew that the basic task of eating (which I know I definitely take for granted) can be so complicated to a little baby?

Oh, and he also has reflux, but it is a minor part in all of this.

So, the verdict is that we will go to speech theray (for those of you who are as confused as I was....speech therapists also work with eating and swallowing therapies...who knew?) twice a week and we will continue to be very patient and diligent at home to help him re-learn how to eat.

I did not mention, but feel that it is a huge piece of this, is that we continue to have lots of people praying for our little man. Thank you so much. Thanks for praying for answers (which we got) and for the right people to intervene in our lives that will/have helped us so much (pediatrician, nurses, therapists, friends, and family!!!!).

Here are a few pictures from today:

waiting.....

Sportin' a cute (and tiny) medical gown getting ready to have his upper GI (which by the way was really cool! We got to see exactly how the fluids (barium) flow down his little body.)