The Swing of Things

Family Photo

We are starting to get into "the swing of things" now. I'm not posting as much, mostly because I rarely feel like I have a minute to spare, but also because there is less to report on. It is becoming a regular routine we are in. I get up and feed babies usually once, sometimes twice a night; I send kids to school and pick up Otis afterwards; I try to make dinner most nights; I feed the twins when they are hungry, but also about every 3hours during the day. Zed and I have been watching "Last Man Standing" as our evening feeding entertainment. Tim Allen is great. We've loved that show and are almost caught up on all the Netflix episodes. So recommendations a new show of similar style/taste would be great.

Mike on the Left, Will on the Right

Mr J is holding Will and Otis is holding Mike

Mike and Will are doing really well. They are about the sizes that Mr J and Otis were when they were born. They are outgrowing most of the newborn clothes now...which with my older two only lasted about a week! We aren't due back to the pediatrician until December, so no new news on that front.

 I love this shot!

So my sister got the boys these little REF onsies. I thought they were most appropriate to wear on STATE days. So I dressed my guys up as KHS' favorite REFs when the Volleyball team went to the state tournament (&placed fifth!!) and when the football team played for STATE- they took 2nd.

I did take Mike and Will down to see the Ophthalmologist again last week. Their eyes are getting so much better. We've kept taking these boys to the doctor down by my mom's because he has a great reputation. It's a long drive, but both Zed and I felt very comfortable having him check these guys out. Originally preemie babies see an ophthalmologist to check on or treat "R.O.P." which is Retina Opathy Prematurity. If a baby has this and it goes untreated it can lead to a detached retina and also blindness. Mike and Will do not have ROP, but their eye muscles were very immature at birth. We have been following their eye maturation. Mike and Will were first seen by this Dr while in the NICU and he estimated at that time that their eyes would be matured around 45 or 50 weeks gestation. At 44+ weeks when I had them down the Dr said that they were looking good, but not fully ready for him to sign off on them yet. So we have another appointment with him next month also, but he fully anticipates them being ready at that point. At that point we will officially cut all ties from Drs in Las Vegas and transfer Mike and Will to an Ophthalmologist closer to us.

My mom came up to go Trick-or-Treating with us. She inspired my boys to be Pirates! I have a pretty fantastic mom.

Me and My boys

The babes and I: Cat in the Hat with Thing 1 and Thing 2

Zed and I went to a Halloween Party, it was dark and apparently made for a blurry picture, but it's not very often this guy dresses up,  so I had to document it!

These are the treats I made for the Halloween Party. It's a little graveyard.

The day after Halloween we went to church and Zed gave Mike and Will a name and a blessing, placing their names on the records of our church. It was a fantastic day!

So they weren't super happy, but Zed's mom made their adorable blessing outfits. Their shirts are made out of one of Zed's grandpa's old shirts, and the rest of their outfits are made from left-over satin from when Zed's mom made my wedding dress almost 8 years ago

One of the reasons I wanted to blog today is because it is Veteran's Day (ok, I started writing this on Veteran's Day but life just kind of happened, so we are almost a week later now). This day means a little more to Zed and I now because this year we know people who are serving overseas away from their families; I know a lot of wives and mothers who are pulling double duty right now while they unselfishly support their soldiers who are away. I am so grateful Zed came home early. I was putting on my brave face while he was gone, as I'm sure so many military wives do, but I didn't realize just how hard everything was until he came home. I realized how fragile I was through this whole ordeal. I don't know how I could possibly be surviving my current lifestyle without him being home, let alone the roller coaster that we were on during mine and the babies hospital stays. Because I see how much I really needed Zed I feel so much more for those wives who are still going it solo. I have the utmost respect for you strong, strong women.

When I was in high school I went on a trip to Washington DC and visited the Korean, Vietnam, and WW II Memorials. These places were all so humbling. I remember so vividly now, walking through the Korean War Memorial. My Grandpa had served in Korea so it seemed to resonate close to home for me. They say that no matter where you stand in that memorial that there is at least on soldier statue looking at you. I think it is a really beautiful spot to take some time and ponder. In there is where I first came across, first read the words that here are literally carved in stone: "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE". It hit home. It struck a cord with me. I've had a different perspective since then. To me, those who serve in the military are amazing. They risk their lives. Simple being in the service of their country, by having a national pride, endangers their lives. I respect it because they don't have to do it. It is a choice. They have chosen to be our protectors, the defenders of what our nation stands for--freedom.

Yes, we all will have a time that we disagree with what the government is doing, laws that are put in place, and the choices that political figures make on our behalf. But there are always soldiers fighting for our opportunity to have the FREEDOMS to have and voice those opinions.

I am so happy to have a Soldier for a husband. I love him. I love that he has chosen to defend our nation and our liberties. My kids, my 4 sweet boys, can grow up in a place where they are free and protected. God Bless the U.S.A. and is my continual prayer