Christmas Day and Christmas in Ohio

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. The babies were a lot of fun on Christmas morning. Santa brought them each a tricycle, a Cabbage Patch Preemie doll, and a piano to share. They also got some clothes.

Christmas Day we celebrated with Drew's Dad's side of the family. 27 people were in attendance that afternoon. We always have a big kickball game at these get-togethers. Drew and I were on the winning team this year so we had a great day!

Around 4pm we loaded up the babies and drove 8 hours to Cleveland, Ohio to see my parents. The first couple hours with the babies were not much fun but by 8pm they were both asleep. I broke out the DVD player and Baby Einstein and that quieted Will down a lot. Lindy is a better car rider. We were very happy to arrive at my parents' doorstep.

On the 26th my sister and her family arrived. We had Christmas with my family that afternoon. We started while the babies were asleep and then finished when they woke up. They got a lot more fun gifts to play with. Will got some cool nesting blocks and a shopping cart. Lindy got a cute baby doll and stroller. The babies also got a swing set, to be delivered when it's warmer.

The babies have decided they don't much like sleeping in Ohio. Naps and bedtimes have not gone well. Drew and I have a revolving bed at night. We get one baby asleep and in their bed and the other wakes up. The joys of traveling with little kids. We're hoping the last couple days get a little better!

Christmas Morning

Nanny, the matriarch of Drew's Dad's family.

Candace and Joey Jr, a cousin who was a preemie too.

The whole gang!

Kelsey and Abbey

Christmas in Ohio

Sleepy babies that had just woken up.

Cousin Rylee, Lindy and Will. Yes, their 6 month old cousin is bigger than Lindy and almost as big as Will.

Pretty Lindy in a new outfit. Her eyes are turning into a lighter blue.

Sweet Rylee

Will and Papa

Christmas Eve and Happy Birthday Mimo!

We went to Charlotte today and spent Christmas Eve with Mimo, Aunt Anna, Uncle Ed, Corbyn, and Molly. Today also happens to be Mimo's birthday! A good time was had by all. Good eats and good gifts for everyone.

I got my Christmas present a little early this year (because I found it on sale) - a new camera! Woohoo! More and better pictures of the babies!! And they thougth they had a lot of pictures taken of them before I got this camera. Of course, I have to learn how to use it. But here are the first pictures taken with my new Nikon.

Happy Birthday Mimo!

Back at home, getting ready for bed!

Milk and cookies for Santa!

Merry Christmas!

Bad Mama

I missed Lindy's One Year Homecoming Anniversary. Lindy came home on December 19, 2007 after 143 days in three different NICU's. She came home on oxygen and a pulse ox monitor. We were SO happy to get her home and back from Durham. It was the best Christmas present EVER! We had spent the month and a half prior to her coming home as a split family. Someone was home with Will and someone was at Duke with Lindy.

Drew had been in Durham for the weekend so he was already there. Drew's Dad and step mom drove up to our house that morning. Suzette watched Will and Bob drove me to Durham. Drew had already gone through all of the medications and a lot of the discharge information. We ate lunch and not long after that we loaded her up in the car. We were so nervous about the oxygen and the monitor. Lindy slept most of the way home. As soon as we got here she got her first bottle at home. She was reunited with her brother who she had only been near a couple times since birth. Neither seemed to notice, but we sure were happy to see the two of them together!

Lindy has come SO far in the past year. Most noticeable is her personality change. For the first few months she was home she was not a very happy baby. And then one day she learned to suck a pacifier. She is now the happiest baby we've ever seen. She smiles all day long, until it's time to go to bed (that's a whole other story in itself!) With severe brain bleeds and severe vision and hearing loss, we really had no clue what the future held for Lindy. And although we still don't know what the outcome will really be, we know that she has exceeded all expectations we had for her. We are so proud of her when she accomplishes a new milestone. She might be taking a little longer to do things, but she is doing them. She is a little miracle.

Check scrolling down, I've posted a couple times lately.

Round 1 of Christmas and Santa's Visit

Saturday we celebrated Christmas with GrandBob and Suzette. The babies got some cute outfits and fun toys. Will loved his new collection of balls and Lindy stared intently at her new glow worm, waiting for it to light back up. Lindy was very interested in the bows. She had a lot of fun taking them apart.

Sunday afternoon we had a special visitor come to the house. Santa Claus made a house call for us. I was way too chicken to take the babies to a mall or retail store to see Santa. I could only think of the 1000's of sick, snotty-nosed kids who have sat on his lap and touched his beard. It was so kind of Santa to come to our house again this year so the babies could visit with him and stay healthier! Lindy was very interested in Santa and his beard. She had clumps of his beard in her hands. Although Will didn't cry, he didn't make any expressions either. He sat pretty stone-faced the entire time! I really wondered how he would react. He has gotten so incredibly shy. He did his obligatory sitting on the lap and allowing Mommy to take her pictures but he didn't seem to enjoy it like his sister!

And because I'm never in any pictures, I'm posting a couple that I'm actually in. Santa's wife (does that make her Mrs. Claus?) took these pictures while she was here.