Great to be home with my BOYS!!!

Things are finally getting back to a normal speed around here!
That includes Tony hitting all kinds of growth spurts and Augie spending lots of time in "time out" until he learns what things are "no-nos!"

Quick review on the boys:

TONY -
Tony is 6 weeks as of this past Monday!
Where Augie was growing width wise at this stage (all stages up to a couple months ago), Tony is growing in length!!! He is already breaking into his 3 month old onesies because of the stretch in smaller ones! My sweet little long body!

Unofficial weigh in is around 10 lbs. I really need to get a digital scale so that we can be more accurate.

He's also found his fingers - sometimes he still has trouble, but the pacifier is usually close by for those angry moments of frustration.

And he is having some tummy time - when big brother Quadzilla is sleeping - and he's lifting his little head up like a champ!


AUGIE-
He has mastered saying please - although it sounds more like "meeeeeeeze" with his little bottom front teeth in full view! It's hilarious!

Well, it's funny most of the time - when he's not yelling it at me at the top of his lungs because he still can't fully communicate what he wants! At least he's "using his manners."

Then, he learned to like bubbles. We had issues with a bath toy that blew bubbles - and it created an unpleasant experience. But we're good now! Chasing bubbles everywhere.


He also LOVES showing off his dance skills. . . it is so much fun to see how kids interpret what they see!


And then there's the independence - he is really attempting to do a lot more on his own . . . which is honestly more of a bad thing right now. For example, he used the coffee table to help himself get on the couch the other day! I hope he figures out what "be careful" means quickly!


But, no matter what he does, I love him with all my heart, AND . . . he'll always be my sweet little man . . . our "Bubby Snake!"


TOGETHER -
The best part of being home is not only getting to watch my boys learn more and grow up, but getting to watch them grow together and learn each other!!! I am SO BLESSED!!!

WE ARE HOME!!!

And we're still trying to play catch up.
Once we knew Anthony was going to be ok, the hospital was actually a restful place - I realized that when I returned home and got right back to chasing Augie, cleaning house, caring for Tony, and working on making sure that Field Day is prepared for my other 400 children!!!

Hence, the lack of blogging.

Plus, I'm still going through all the stuff that took to the hospital and brought back home. You can fill wagon pretty quickly when you've been at the hospital for 10 days!!!


We'll try to catch up quickly!
We'll be back soon!

Day #8 - Month #1

We're on day #8 in the hospital - which sounds awful, but is really good - because that means we only have 2 days left!!!
Also, today marks Anthony's official 1 month birthday!!!

Some fun pictures to remember our day -
Anthony did some sleeping!

And some chillin' in the boppy!

We had our first "Tummy Time!"

Which left us questioning how we felt about being on our tummy!

But it helped us to show off our awesome baseball outfit! (I didn't get to put a whole lot of these cute boy onesies on Augie in the Winter season - so I really love that Anthony got to wear a huge baseball on his butt.)

And - then - more sleep! (It's easy to forget how much they sleep when they're so little!)


And, Gus, Mom, and Augie came to see us! What a great end to pretty great day!
We are so blessed to have these silver linings!!!

On the Home Stretch

It doesn't feel like it, but we've been here for more days than we have left - so you could say that we're on the home stretch now.

Updates:
Today is Anthony's 4 week birthday - what a handsome growing little man he is!


Unfortunately it was a rough 4 week day though. Anthony needed to get his IV re-done AGAIN!!! It was probably one of my roughest days so far. They took him to put in the new IV, and 40 minutes and who knows how many pokes later, they still hadn't had success. He came back to me exhausted from screaming and with more little holes in his body. Finally, they got someone from the ER, and she did it on the first try! Poor guy is still sleeping - EXHAUSTED!!!
WE'RE PRAYING THAT THIS ONE WILL LAST UNTIL WE GET TO GO HOME!!!


Then, tomorrow marks one week that we'll have been here.
. . . and Friday (or Saturday - depending on the time of final antibiotic treatment), we will get to go home.


And then there's the NOW: it's a waiting game. I would say that the most draining part - is all the emotional wear and tear that a mom's heart has to go through during this waiting game.

There is so much that you never think of - that you never want to have to think of - when it comes to having kids. Like the fact that when you have to go to the hospital to stay with your baby - you still have another baby at home that needs you. He is still your baby too, but he's older and doesn't need you quite as much as your nursing infant. But my heart aches to have us back together. I miss my Augie!

I got to spend some good quality time with him on Sunday. The children's area here at the hospital is pretty neatly decorated, and we took Augie down to run around and use some of his excess energy.
The front desk looks like an ant farm!

They have a skylight with butterflies hanging everywhere.

And a huge tree with a walk through - and funny mirrors inside!

There are also these circles - that I think look like dinosaur eyes - that when you step on them, the jelly inside them moves around like a lava lamp.

Augie loved those!!!

I really needed the time with him. Honestly, it will not be enough until I'm home with all of my boys again.

Then there's my biggest boy - my husband. I've been sleeping on a queen sized air matress for almost a week now - without him. I see him briefly for a visit. I talk to him briefly for an update on the phone - because we're trying to keep up with the son that each of us has for now. I miss our team - our teamwork to take care of these kids. I miss my love!
And, my loving husband - never ceases to make me laugh either. He bought this candy - special for me:

What a great guy!

And then - they had to go home - without me. You'd think I'd get used to it or that it might get easier to deal with. Truth is - IT GETS HARDER EACH TIME THEY HAVE TO GO! I MISS MY FAMILY!
There are SO many things that I miss.
Gus is working so hard to help me with this though. He calls me to help wake up Augie in the morning (on speaker phone) and at night to say prayers together as a family. Augie even sends kisses through the phone - but they will never compare to the real hugs and kisses that I would get if I were at home.

So, the home stretch - yeah - we're on it. BUT REALLY I JUST WANT TO BE WITH MY WHOLE FAMILY - AT HOME!!!