Holden's Follow Up Appointment at Riley

Today we made a trip back down to Riley for Holden's follow up appointments with the plastics and feeding teams. They couldn't believe how big he is! 14.2 lbs. to be exact! At just 2 months old!  First, the doctor that performed his jaw distraction came in. He said Holden looks great and that we're right on schedule to have his distractors taken out at the end of August. Next, the feeding team came in. We talked about making some adjustments to his feeds. And then we also talked about the possibility of him having a G-tube put in when they do his distractor removal. I've been trying to avoid him getting a G-tube, hoping that he wouldn't have to have even an NG-tube for very much longer, but nearly everyone I've talked to (doctors, other parents that have dealt with G-tubes, etc.) has said that a G-tube would be so much better for him and for us. It's possible he could be off of the NG-tube before his palate surgery at 12 months, but he'd probably start to pull the tube out as he got older. Also, after his palate surgery, he won't be able to have anything by mouth for 6 weeks. So really, the G-tube makes so much more sense for a number of reasons. He'll only have a small scar from it and it will get all the tubes off his face, which I can tell definitely irritate him. The doctors were so understanding about my reservations with the G-tube and talked me through each one. I swear, the doctors there put me more at ease every time we talk to them. He really does have, in my opinion, the very best people working with him. We left the hospital feeling really good about where he's at with everything!

On our way home from the hospital, we made a stop at the Fashion Mall for a late lunch at the Cheesecake Factory (so touristy, I know, but I love that place!) and a quick stop at Nordstrom since their #nsale is in full effect! There are several items that I've been impatiently waiting for to be back in stock, so I had to check and see if any of them were in the store. One of the shirts I've been tracking was, so I guess that's better than nothing, right? I'm going to try to do a later post on all my fav items from the sale, once they're all in.

That's all for now! Happy hump day! xo

Aurora's Birthday Fun

Like most 7 year olds, Aurora doesn't just have a birthday. She has a birthweek and a birthmonth. Really, the whole year is one big countdown to her big day, but once July rolls around, it's a daily (sometimes hourly) run through of her list of demands for the main event. 

Unfortunately, Jose had to work on her birthday this year. Of course she was showered with "Happy Birthday!" text messages and phone calls, she got to play with her bestie, and my grandma came over to hang out with Holden so I could play a few games with her. And we couldn't let the day pass without some cake so, on his way home from work Thursday night, Jose stopped and got a little cake and we sang to her and ate at 10:00 at night. :)

When I asked Aurora what she wanted to do for her birthday - a big party like she had last year, or a small sleepover with her cousins and a few friends - she was all about the sleepover! A Monster High sleepover, to be exact. Not going to lie, I cringed a little lot at the Monster High part. I'm not really a fan of character-themed parties, but this strong-willed little lady wasn't backing down. So I did something I've never done before. I took her to Party City and we picked up all the Monster High-themed crap we could find. I believe it was walking out of the store that day that I realized I'd better start accepting the fact that any control I ever had with this girl - over her birthday parties, over her outfits, over any of that - was quickly fading away and would soon be non-existent. 

Saturday was the big day. We had pizza and cupcakes, and the girls played outside for most of the evening, before coming in and settling into their sleeping bags for movies and popcorn. Pretty low-key, but I'd say it was a success!

Of course two of our island lights went out shortly before guests arrived and we had no extra bulbs!

Huge thanks to Jose's sis and our neighbor, Payton, and her friend for staying the night with us to keep the little chickies in line, while we took care of Holden! 

Aurora is 84 Months Old!

Kidding, she's 7. Aurora is 7. 

And what an incredible 7 years it's been! 

New swing set calls for a photoshoot.

Aurora, you have no clue how much you amaze your daddy and me on a daily basis. From the second you were born, our lives and the lives of those around us have been filled with an unfathomable amount of joy. You're smart and sassy (but also very sweet). You're loving and caring and you can't stand to see others in pain. You're so creative and could do arts and crafts for days. You love dancing and singing and making up little dances and cheers with your bestie. You're so independent, it scares me sometimes. You take such good care of your little bro - talking to him to calm him down when he cries, knowing if he needs to be changed (which, according to you, is all the time). You love to feed him and hold him and he seems so content in your arms. We are so very proud of the little lady you're becoming. We love you to infinity and beyond, my sunshine girl! 

Holden is Two Months Old!

Well, Buddy. You sure have been quite the adventure so far. Your daddy, sissy, and I love you so much more than we ever thought we could love another human. You're just the sweetest little boy in the world. You're most content while being held. You love baths. You could stare at the ceiling fan in the living room, or any light fixture for that matter, for hours. So many people have commented on how alert you already are. You also love to study peoples' faces, just like your sissy used to do. Your dad and I can't seem to agree on your eye color. He says they're blue. I say they're brown, just like his.

We've been home for a little over two weeks now. You cried a lot the first week and a half or so, just as you had been in the hospital. Maybe it was colic? The doctor prescribed you some medicine for reflux, and that seems to have calmed you down these past few nights. Now you can pretty much sleep through the night, aside from waking up to eat. You're a little over 12 lbs. now, you little chunker, you. We took you to mommy's work last Thursday and everyone just loved you. You also didn't cry at all the entire time you were there, so you have them fooled into thinking you're an angel. Daddy and I think it might be because you had your tube off for a those few hours, in between having it changed. You've gotten pretty used to co-sleeping, so we're trying to ween you off of that. We put you down in your bassinet last night, after each feeding. You did pretty well, sleeping for about an hour and a half to two hours each time. We'll try again tonight, hoping you sleep a little longer between meals, and then your crib will be the next step. Your sissy didn't sleep in her crib until she was nine months old. What can I say? We just love to cuddle with our babies.

We go back down to Riley next week and then you get your little distractors taken out at the end of August. I'm just so amazed at how much you've been through in your short, little life so far. Measuring the time in terms of feedings and appointments, it seems like it's just flown by. But I'm trying to just soak it all in. Even these tough times, because I know it won't be like this for long.

We love you, Holdy Man!