Are You Ready for Some Football?

Go Lancers!!!!!!!

On Friday night, Addie and Alex attended the first Belleville East football game of the season. Mommy and daddy have gone to high school football with grandma and grandpa for years. Uncle Mike used to play football for Belleville East! Last year, mommy went to every single Belleville East game even being pregnant.

Tonight was a lot of fun for all of us! Thanks to Christina for the adorable outfits. They were a huge hit. When we arrived at the game, we were surprised that we were able to enter for FREE! Twins do get you a few discounts, these days. Addie and Alex were very good at the game. We all took turns passing them around. During Half Time, the twins visited with the cheerleaders. Daddy had commented during the game that the twins were very calm tonight and said that they could have remembered the sounds/cheering from last year, in the womb.

Tonights score: Belleville East: 7 and Mt. Vernon: 6 (overtime)

When we get back to Huntsville, we hope to follow High School football. But, Addie and Alex will always show loyalty to their Lancer Team!

Alex before the football game. His little outfit is so cute. I think that it will fit him in a few years.
Addie and Alex say, "We're ready for some football".
Do you like my dress? Christina did an amazing job on this dress. It is reversible so that she can wear it several times. Thanks again Christina!
Addie and Alex had a great time during Half Time! They visited with the Lancer cheerleaders!

I don't know who was passed around more, Addie or Alex. Alex was very content being passed around and Addie smiled at everyone that held her!

NICU News

Today was a very busy day!
We went to the NICU at St. John's Mercy where Addie and Alex spent a great deal of time after they were born. Alex spent 4 weeks and Addie spent 5 weeks. Dr. Klesh, the neonatologist that was present at the birth of Addelynn and Alexander came in on his day off to see the twins. Thanks Dr. Klesh! We visited him, Joann (our primary nurse) and Amy (mommy's friend from Antepartum). Then, we went to visit Dr. Jewell. Busy morning!
Mommy and daddy were able to tour the new NICU. WOW! What an amazing experience. When the NICU remodeling is complete. There will be room for 98 babies to have their own private room. The new NICU was very bright and relaxing! There was not nearly the noise that there used to be and things just seemed much more calm.
It is so hard to believe how attached you can become with NICU staff and what bonds you can form. I truly hope to get involved with the NICU someway in the near future!

Dear Amy,
Since we know you read the blog everyday, we are so sorry that we did not get a picture with you! Just wait, we will be back to visit in October and will have to do that then :)
Thanks for holding us today!
Addie and Alex

NICU follow up Appointment:
St. John's has a wonderful NICU follow up program. Today, Addie and Alex went for their 6 month follow up. We were seen by a NICU nurse, neonatologist, Dr. Dryer and also two physical therapists.
Addie and Alex are doing remarkably well. At the evaluation, they are compared to their adjusted age which is (6 months). Everyone seemed very pleased with their growth and accomplishments. We are already looking forward to their next follow up appointment!
What a great way for parents to stay up to speed with how their preemies are progressing!

Tonight, mommy and daddy took us to Toys R Us. Addie and I got to pick out a new toy! We have been very good the past 2 days and mommy and daddy are very proud of the results of our testing. Addie wanted a goldfish aquarium and I wanted blocks, but we agreed on a Farmyard shape sorter. Since I was a big boy sitting in the cart, I also got a STL Cardinals hat. When I visit Grandma and Grandpa, I always look at uncle Mike's hats. So, mommy and daddy bought me one today! Sorry Addie, but they did not have your size....... Addie did get a shirt though to wear tomorrow night to the football game. So, nobody was left out!
Joann and Dr. Klesh spend time with Addie and Alex. Words cannot explain how we felt to be able to meet with Joann and Dr. Klesh today. We have seen Joann several times since leaving the NICU. But, Dr. Klesh is always so busy that we don't have time to catch up. Today, Joann loved on the twins and then took mommy and daddy on a tour of the new NICU! Job well done! Thanks to all of the people that have donated their time, effort and money to creating a new state of the art NICU in St. Louis. I can't wait to see it in its final stages! We hope to see Joann and Dr. Klesh at the 1st birthday party in Decmber! Thanks to both of you for all your hardwork!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Our 6th Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's since May

Well, we packed the kids up when daddy got home from work Tuesday. We drove stright through to grandma and grandpa's house. With making four stops along the way, we arrived in just over 7 hours. Grandma and Grandpa waited up for us. Addie and Alex played for about an hour and then went to bed....

On Wednesday morning, we work up and our busy day was off to a great start! Mommy took Addie and Alex to visit old grandma while daddy was working at Starbucks. Old grandma had a good time visiting with the twins. She is improving everyday. As you know, old grandma had surgery a few weeks ago and is making small steps everday! At lunch time, we went to visit Grandma's work. Then, we spent time at a few appointments in the afternoon. Wednesday night, we grocery shopped for old grandma and had mexican with grandma and grandpa. No Owen, we did not dance in our high chairs. We are waiting for you to teach us, next time :)

Here are some pictures from our very busy day, Wednesday!

Please keep OLD GRANDMA in your thoughts and prayers!

Mr. Personality, himself!
We love to play at Old grandma's house!

Old Grandma kisses Addie. During our visit, old grandma wanted to hold Addie. So, tomorrow, she will get to hold Alex. We are taking small steps!
Old Grandma and Addie!
Addie had a great time stealing all the toys from Alex.
We have not had a nap today, I am tired, mommy.....
What about me???????

Many the Milestones

Milestones:
Sorry for the delay in posting. As you know, daddy spent 6 days in Alaska. So, we kept mommy very busy! Now that daddy is back, mommy has some time to update the blog..... We wait til daddy got back from his trip to reach some of these milestones. See what we have been up to!
Addelynn: Well, I am what my mommy would say, "A Mess, with a capial M". I am up to just about anything these days. Now that I am moving about, I am hard to catch. But, here, try and catch me, now!
Tuesday August 19th: 8 month birthday
Thursday August 21st: Today, I really starting blowing rasperries and bubbles! I love to do it right after I have had a bottle.
Sunday August 24th: My daddy came home from Alaska yesterday.He did not bring me any presents. But, I was full of presents for him. I really started to crawl today and I am EVERYWHERE now! Alex was ahead of me for a few days, but I am catching up.
While we were at lunch today, daddy took me to change my diaper. While he was doing that, I let out an dadadadadadadadadadadada. Yes, it is not just dada yet, but still, it is the "d sound".
Monday August 25th: I now have 2 teeth. They are both on the bottom...

Alexander:
Well, as I have been a few days ahead of my sister, there is not really much for me to report. However, I can tell you that I will not let Addie get ahead of me for long! Not only am I moving all about the floor. I am able to go from my tummy to a sitting position. Yes, many times, I fall back and hit my head, but I am getting stronger. I have also started to hold my own bottle, at times. Please stay tuned as I will have something new to report, very soon :)

What do you think?

Hello Friends and Family,
So, what do you think of the new blog? I have wanted to have a blog makeover for quite sometime. Thanks to my friend Danielle for taking the time to teach me about how she could help me give my blog some color and design. Danielle has been designing blogs now for just over a year. In that short of time, she has created over 250 blog designs. Does your blog need a makeover? If so, August is a great month for you to take advantage of her Anniversary Special. Please just visit her blog at: http://blogsbydanielle.blogspot.com
Thanks Danielle for your patience and cooperation in creating this blog for our family.

Friday Night: Nashville Trip

Last weekend, we spent time with our friends, in Nashville. Since we arrived later in the afternoon, we decided that it would be best to just go to dinner. So, Mr. Jim, Ms. Adrienne and their little boy, Owen invited us to a Mexican Restaurant. Imagine that! How did they know that Mexican is our favorite?
You will see lots of pictures in the next post of this special family. Dinner was great! However, we are learning how hard it is to talk to even one another, yet another family. Not saying that Addie and Alex are loud or nor well behaved, but they just get antsy.... Owen was dying to teach Addie and Alex how to dance in the high chair. I hope that in a few months when they are sitting well in the high chairs that he will still want to be a good teacher! He is just so cute!
Thanks Ms. Adrienne for these special pictures!



On Saturday, we went to the Zoo and then, had a great time at Jim and Adrienne's house!
It was so much fun getting to know them more. We had a great time watching Owen in his own environment. That kid is incredible! He loads the dishwasher, walks the dog and even helps with laundry.....Adrienne and Jim are in the process of adopting another baby. Therefore, they still have a great stock/supply of baby things! Addie and Alex had lots to choose from. But, Sunday morning Owen was the first to put it all away...... Please pray for them in their adoption process!

Nashville Zoo Trip

Addie and Alex: 1st Trip to the Zoo

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Well, who would have ever guess that our kids would have not visited the St. Louis, MO Zoo first? As mommy and daddy both grew up witht the St. Louis Zoo, less than thirty minutes away, you would have thought that Addelynn and Alexander would have gone there first! However, their first Zoo experience was more than special! Last Saturday, we met some friends of ours in Nashville for the weekend! On Friday night, we had a mexican dinner with Mr. Jim, Miss Adrienne, and adorable Owen! For those of you that do not know, Adrienne and Jim our friends of ours. Owen is their son that was adopted a little over a year ago from Russia! He is adorable! We got such a kick out of him.... I could talk for hours about how special this family is. They are an amazing family that hopefully very soon will be blessed with another baby! Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers!

On Saturday, mommy and daddy bought a family membership to the Zoo. This membership will allow us to get into 170 different zoo's and attractions for FREE! Unlike the St. Louis Zoo, the Nashville Zoo costs $13 to get in. When I was told that, I was like, ok, well, what do you get for that price. They said, "that is our admission price". So, if we go to the Zoo two times in a year, we have gotten our money out of it! Mr. Jim, Ms. Adrienne and Owen met us at the zoo for a fun filled morning. We arrived before it was too crowded and hot! It was nice to be able to walk through the shaded Zoo with no crowd. The animals were all very active.

Here our some pictures from our field trip! I honestly don't know who takes more pictures, mommy or Ms. Adrienne!

Addie and Alex ride in their new stroller! We are finally getting the hang of it...
We are wide awake and ready for the ride!
Owen's favorite animal was the monkey! You should have seen his monkey backpack that he brought to the Zoo. How cute! The Nashville Zoo is just the right size. You can hear the monkeys just about anywhere in the Zoo. Due to them being outdoors, you get a true feeling of their life and noise that they make.

Thanks Mr. Jim, Ms. Adrienne and Owen for a wonderful weekend in Nashville! It was so much fun getting to know you better! We are looking forward to the next time that we can meet up. How old do you think Owen is? I will give you this, he still gets in for the price of an infant, but not without an argument!
Look Here! Imagine that, did you ever guess who would not be sitting in the stroller?

Yes, you are correct... Addie had a hard time staying in the stroller.
Just chilling!
Just relaxing!

Addie and Alex turned 8 months old yesterday, August 19th, 2008. It is so hard to believe how fast time flies!!!!!!!!!! Here are some pictures from today! Alex has been very fussy as he is still working on that tooth. I hope that he gets to feeling better soon. Last night, he spent over an hour in the swing as it was the only thing that would make him happy!

Awwwwww.......
I was working around the house and when I went to check on the kids, here is what I saw. I hurried to get my camera! At one point, Alex was trying to crawl on top of Addie.....

Addie is really starting to get around!
Both Addie and Alex love moving about the hardwood floors! She is trying to always figure out how to get to the nightlights!
Alex has learned to sit up from laying on his tummy! He surprised me today! Yea Alex!
Are you looking at me, mommy?
CHEESE!!!!!!!!!!!

Addelynn: Quite the Little Ham!!!!!!

Addelynn has turned into quite the little ham!

Here she is posing for the camera.... Between her smiling from ear to ear and making those growling noises, she is a mess. We call her MESS, with a capital M, now! Do you think that she still looks like Alex?????????

Can't wait to read your comments!

Watch Out!!!!!!!! Big Boy Alex is Crawling

Alex Crawls Far Away: August 12, 2008

Alex is crawling all over the place. He is really on the move. He likes to leap towards his bottle and is a HUGE FAN of shoelaces! We don't have shoes laying around anymore! Enjoy the video. He is really something else, these days!

Alex has been trying to crawl for about 2 weeks now. He started by getting on all 4's and rocking. During the twin play date, he was really trying to keep up with some of the other kids. However, this week, he has made lots of progress. While we were on the business trip with daddy, he REALLY STARTED TO TAKE OFF!!!!!!! Here is a video of how Alex is trying to get around..... How funny!

1) He starts off by getting on all 4's

2) He rocks and even tries to stand on his legs by putting all the weight in his arms.

3) He leaps forward landing on his belly and then starts all over!

Addie and Alex: Take Your Twins to Work Week

Road Trip for Addie and Alex

What a fun time we had this past week. On our way back from St. Louis, mommy and daddy decided that since daddy had to leave for a week that we could travel with daddy on his business trip. Mommy and daddy took us to Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky! Then, since we were really good all week, we were able to spend the weekend in Nashville, TN to play with our friend Owen. While daddy worked and had meetings, we played in the hotel room with mommy! We went for lots of walks and played lots of toys! Thanks daddy for allowing us to come to work with you!

Enjoy these pictures from our trip! Be sure to stay tuned for our Nashville Weekend pictures, coming soon!

Alex and Addie are ready to rock and roll! Yes, Alex, we see your toes! I think that Addie is starting to be the little picture taker!
Are we ready to go down to the lobby for dinner? We were able to really use the new stroller this week! It will take awhile to get used to!
Adorable Addie! She has really become vocal over the past 2 weeks. I am trying very hard to get a video of her new "GROWLING NOISE".
Alex can almost sit up by himself now! Go Alex!
This little guy cannot keep shoes on as his feet are always working their way to his mouth!
What a smile, Addie!

Alex's Breaking News: Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Alex's Breaking News

Story Reported at: 6pm

Reporter: Jennifer (Mommy)

Through the house what busy joy,Just because the infant boyHas a tiny tooth to show!I have got a double row,All as white, and all as small;Yet no one cares for mine at all.He can say but half a word,Yet that single sound's preferredTo all the words that I can sayIn the longest summer day.He cannot walk, yet if he putWith mimic motion out his foot,As if he thought he were advancing,It's prized more than my best dancing.

WOW! Mommy and daddy have been wondering why Alex has been a little fussy. Well, tonight, I happened to feel Alex's gums and felt something sharp. His first tooth is giving him trouble... Poor Guy!

Play Zone Fun

Dear Oma,
Thank you very much for our new play area! Mommy and daddy put it together for us. It is a great place for us to keep lots of our toys! We can't wait til we are a little bigger and can try and use our "Twin Power" to try and figure out how to get out of here!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Addie and Alex

OOPS, Addie and Alex at Grandma and Grandpa's House

More Pictures from Grandma and Grandpa's House

Sorry for the delay in posting these pictures. I have so many pictures to work with these days, that it is hard to keep them straight! Even though they are from a few weeks ago, I know that you will enjoy them!

Grandma and Grandpa bought Alex and Addie their first life jackets on this visit. Go figure, Alex was taking a nap and did not get his picture taken. Addie says, "I'm ready, where is the water?" Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for the life jackets!
I guess that you had to be there to totally laugh at this picture. Addie and Alex love playing on the floor. However, this morning, Addie was a TOY HOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything that we would put down for them to play with, she would try and take, and then she would smile :) Poor Alex~

Mr. Personality, himself!
No, this is not Addie! We forgot Alex's sun hat. So, he had to borrow his sisters!

TWINS, TWINS EVERYWHERE

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
Today was just a little crazy for all of us! Daddy was still out of town on a business trip and mommy had lots of plans! We started off the day not really going to go anywhere as we were kind of crabby. But, then, within 10 minutes mommy had us dressed, packed up and ready to go! Our first stop was to visit mommy's friend Pam in Columbia, but she was not home. So, we headed to St. Peters, MO for yet another twin playdate! Mommy's friends have taken turns hosting the playdates. We sure wish that we could have one at our house, but I don't think that they would be willing to travel 6 hours for just that!
Our twin friend Evan and Leah along with their mommy, Alicia welcomed us into their home. It took us over an hour to get there, but it was well worth the drive! We had lots of fun!
More twins at the playdate were: Louise and Otis, and their mommy Rebecca and twins, Huck and Frances, and their mommy Kristen.
The whole time, I was thinking, I don't know how anyone could do it with that many babies~
The kids played really well together! It is always fun to see how they interact with other kids as well as new toys! Of course, there were plenty of toys for everyone. However, they all tend to like the same ones :)
We tried getting a group photo of all 8 babies, but it was so hard!!!!!!!!!!!!! I tried my best! I just am happy that I was able to get a good shot of everyone......
Huck, Frances, Otis and Louise went home for lunch and to take a nap. However, since we had plans to meet mommy's teacher friends, we had lunch with Alicia. Both Evan and Leah tried to take a nap, and Addie fell asleep on the floor. However, Alex was awake for the long haul!
We can't wait til our next twin playdate! Thanks again to all of you for letting us play!

Addie was so tired by the time that all the twins went home. While mommy and Alicia had lunch, she slept on the floor for all of 20 minutes.......
Alex loved this bongo drum set! He liked it so much that we bought one of our own yesterday! Addie and Alex have had a good time playing with it at Grandma and Grandpa's house!
Twins: Leah, (Louise and Otis), (Frances and Huck).........
Alex says, "Thanks Evan, for sharing your toys with me".
St. Louis Cardinal Fans!!!!!!!!!!!
We had tried to sit all of the twins up against the couch. But, now that they are mobile, it is just so hard to get 8 of them to line up against the couch and not move. Since Addie and Alex are not sitting on their own yet, they sat in the chairs. We did not want them falling over!

After leaving Alicia's house we went to visit mommy's old school where she taught. The teachers had fun playing with us. We had a tasty dinner at Eileen's house before heading back home. We will be anxious to visit again over Christmas Break!