New Things

The boys are growing so fast! We had to lower their cribs so they can't pull themselves out! Jackson is an expert cheerio eater and Jaden just figured it out - but Jaden puts the cheerio as far back in his mouth as possible and doesn't chew or swallow it so he is constantly gagging himself!
Last weekend we got several inches of snow (which all melted Sunday night!). We decided to take the boys for a walk in their first snow. We bundled them up and put them in the stroller. When we got to the end of the driveway Jackson decided we must be killing him and wouldn't calm down so that was the end of that walk!
Jaden likes copying sounds. He often tries to copy you (though often unsuccessfully - but it's funny to watch him concentrating on it). The funniest thing is When you open a jar (and it makes that popping sound), or clap, or click your tongue - He will click his tongue back at you to copy the sound. It's super cute!
Jaden is also getting on his hands and knees now and rocking - he can even go backwards a little bit - I'll have my work cut out for me soon!
Here are some pictures of the past week....
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Jaden like so grab the end of the blanket he plays on and then gets himself stuck....


I'm pretty sure he's just learning to say his m's, but I like to say it's his first word! :)

Catching Up

The boys have been changing so much and my daily routine is drastically different than it was even a couple weeks ago! The boys are rolling everywhere (no crawling yet) and growing quite big. Jackson has 5 teeth and Jaden has two plus one of his top teeth just starting to surface. They're eating 3 meals a day on top of their bottles and doing some snacking (i often feel like all we do all day is eat when they're up!). Their naps are going a little longer which is nice for me and I now have several different things they can do when they're up so that helps them not get so fussy. It has been fun giving them different foods to try, it has been strange at the same time giving them bread and other "normal" foods when I'm so used to them only eating baby food! At their 9 month appointment Jackson weighed in at 17lbs 11oz and Jaden at 18lbs 11oz and they are both nearly 29 inches long (which means they're tall and will unfortunately outgrow their current car seats soon!)
I have alot of pictures and videos since I just took them off the camera, so here we go....
Here's a video of Jackson rolling. This was taken a few weeks ago and he rolls alot more now, but here it is anyway....


Someone gave us this jumper and the boys LOVE it. Jaden is just learning to jump in it but Jackson figured it out right away and jumped for an hour and a half straight when we first set it up....


Here's the boys working on their verbal skills...(I don't THINK I've posted this before)


Here's Jackson clearly ready for a nap...


Here's Jackson waving. I'm not sure where he learned to do this and he doesn't associate it with waving goodbye, but we're trying to teach him that and he likes copying us. In this video I'm waving at him while taking the video...


Here are a few miscellaneous pictures including the boys sitting in their high chairs for the first time....(our furniture is all in the dining room because we shampooed the carpets)
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Here's a video of one of the first times the boys had cheerios. Jaden has only managed to eat a couple but Jackson is getting pretty good. They get so excited when I put them in their chair for cheerios!....


We had a great Thanksgiving! Family and friends ate at Jared's parents house. It was fun to give the boys their first Thanksgiving feast! I brought them Turkey baby food and they also had mashed potatoes. Here are some pictures...
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And finally.... we got our Christmas tree this weekend! We decided to go cut one down. It was quite interesting to strap the boys on and go hunt for a tree. Then I had to hold both boys while Jared cut it down. Here are some pictures....
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Well, that's pretty much what's going on around here! We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!

Vegas Trip

We had a wonderful time in Las Vegas. My Grandparents spoiled all of us ROTTEN! It was just the break we needed to get away from our currently crazy life! The boys did VERY well on the plane. Slept most of the time actually. Now, when I'm out and about I only give the boys formula bottles. So my plan was to get them to heat me some water on the plane and feed the boys. If I had been to a "real" airport (something other than Bellingham) I would have gotten some at starbucks before boarding since you can't take liquid through security but Bellingham has no such thing. So I asked for some on the plane and here's how the conversation went....

Me: Could I get some warm water for baby bottles?
Stewardess: We don't have any.
Me: Um, do you have a microwave?
Stewardess: nope.
Me: Ok....
Stewardess: I could empty a soda can, pour water into it and heat it in the oven. (I'm not kidding, she really said this! I guess maybe I should give her points for trying though)
Me: Well, could I just get some bottled water?
Stewardess: That will be $2.

What? I wasn't sure they would even want it (especially cold) while we were on the plane so I decided to wait and they didn't get hungry. I now realize liquid baby formula is aloud. THEN the stewardess would not let us have the babies hooked into their front packs during take off and landing. I'm sure they have a good reason, but what's funny to me is that you can't hold a computer on your lap because it might become a projectile, but a BABY, well, that's fine AND you can't hook it to you to prevent it from being a projectile :) ANYWAY, the flight was good both ways and the boys did wonderfully. The flights were pretty empty too so we were albe to get a row to ourselves. Jared and I were able to get out some with my grandpa (and sometimes everyone) and see the sights. We saw many casinos and ate some GREAT food! We had alot of fun. And of course, the most special thing of all was that the boys got to meet their great grandparents and we have lots of pictures to prove it! Speaking of pictures, here they are below. You may wonder why we took pictures of the boys in pots. Apparently when I was very very little they did the same thing to me at my grandparents house so we decided to do the same to them! :)
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We had a wonderful time in Las Vegas and the boys did wonderfully! I'll post more on that and add pictures of our trip once I get them off the camera. This post includes pictures I hadn't posted before our trip.
We went with several friends to a pumpkin patch and then back to their house to carve pumpkins (i've seen alot of other people's blogs with similar pictures :). Anyway, here are some of the pictures along with a few other random ones....
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What a couple of weeks! I had my surgery a week and a half ago and am feeling much better. It was a lousy week but Jared did an AMAZING job of taking care of me and the boys and the house and lots of other stuff. I also have a wonderful friend that sacrificed alot of time to come watch the boys during the day and she did a great job! That was one of my worst life experiences but I'm glad I did it (though I wasn't sure when I woke up from surgery), I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it, and I'm glad it's over! The boys are great and teething away. They don't crawl yet but Jackson can roll accross the room at a surprisingly fast pace - and he is quite proud. Jaden sat up for a few minutes today. Well, it was a wierd kind of bent over sitting up, but it was all on his own! We're looking forward to our trip to Las Vegas in a couple weeks but we have alot to do! Time to get in gear. I'm not looking forward to the plane ride since I don't know how the boys will react and they're getting so big and squirmy I think we'll be pretty squished! Here are some picture of Jacksons teeth. These are not easy to get and did not come out well, but here they are anyway.... BubbleShare: Share photos - halloween photos

Here's Jackson Playing Peekaboo


Here's Jaden Playing Peekaboo


Jackson Grabbing Things...


The Boys Talking and Laughing

New Stuff

Here's what's up...
Jackson has 2 teeth now. They aren't completely in but boy are we glad that stage of teething is over! He doesn't show them often so it's hard to get a picture. Now I think Jaden's getting started.....
Jaden is JUST starting to grab things. He's still not quite there yet - I think he's been more interested in discovering what he can do with his voice.
Jackson is VERY grabby, grabs and touches everything and likes to flail it around and drop it - fun times ahead for mommy! It does make me laugh though.
Jackson is just discovering his voice. He's used his voice for quite a while but hasn't spent much time babbling. That's different now and he laughs and giggles alot even for no apparent reason.
Both boys enjoy eating much more now - ESPECIALLY Jaden. He gets ridiculously excited. Jackson gets only a little anxious. I think he could take it or leave it. He DOES however get quite excited when he sees his bottle.
The boys are going to bed earlier and earlier. They get fussy around 6pm but I'm always scared to move their bedtime earlier because they currently wake up around 7am and I'm scared they'll wake up earlier (i'm not a morning person at ALL). I'd much rather them stay up late and get up later even if it means (selfishly) they don't sleep as long. BUT they need their sleep of course and I'm SO grateful they're sleeping through the night!!! They're currently going to bed around 7:30 or 8 most nights and sleeping until 6:30 or 7:30am. So I feel like a free woman after they go to bed and I'm much more rested! I have a feeling it won't be long before they're going to bed even earlier.
It is also now time to be much more careful with them as far as them getting sick - which means constant hand washing. Hopefully they'll qualify for RSV shots this year - we shall see. I don't mind washing my hands constantly but I hate asking other people to - especially when they aren't interested in hearing it and then want to touch their tooth or something. It makes me feel like a paranoid mother. I don't think I would have been this way if they weren't born so early. Who knows. It makes me want to say HELLO! Why don't you do some research on RSV, what happens if babies get it, and why preemies are more likely to catch it. GRRRR. I'm sorry, I'm just venting, but this is a blog after all :) Maybe I am paranoid. Oh well, I don't care. I suppose in the scheme of life this phase won't last long.
Since they fuss at night we will quite often take them for a drive or walk which keeps them quite happy. So the other night off we went on a drive. We stopped to get gas, drove around a little, and then took the long way home. Jared's plan was to go about 3 exits past the last exit by our house and take different roads to get home. This exit is the last exit before you get to the border and that night it was a parking lot. Even when border waits are long it never gets backed up that far so I don't know what was going on. In any case we were stuck on the freeway only a few miles from home in border traffic for one hour! The boys were not pleased, in fact they were screaming - they are calmed by the motion of the stroller or the car - they are not interested in stopping. I would count this as one of the dumber things we've done :)
Well, that's it for now!

Random

I've added a few pictures taken lately. I'm not as quick with the camera as I once was! The boys had their NICU followup appointment this past week and that went well despite the fact that we had to drive to Everett (where Jaden was in the hospital). They test within the ranges of their adjusted age range, so that's good to know. jackson, however, who is a rolling pin at home refused to do so at the dr's office. We told her he rolled all the time - I'm not sure she believed us :)
I'm having sinus surgery next week and I think it's not going to be a big deal. I also have a fabulous friend coming to be with me during the day the rest of the week to help with the boys. If you think about it please pray for quick healing for me, patience and energy for Jared and for the boys to be little angels for my friend and the rest of us :)
I have yet to take an "after" shot of Jared's hair (sigh) BUT you will see it in some of the upcoming photos!
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I've posted a bunch of pictures I took recently and haven't gotten around to posting. Jackson is rolling all over the place and has decided he prefers to sleep on this stomach. Oh well, I guess there's nothing I can do about that! The good news is that they've graduated to going to bed at about 8:30pm and so far they're sleeping until around 8. Hooray! This is great for me!
Jared decided to finally cut his hair! Hooray! Actually, I really didn't mind it and there were points where I liked it but I think it had reached the point where it was driving us BOTH crazy. I will post before and after pictures, but I have yet to take an after picture so that will be coming soon.
We just decided we will take the boys to Las Vegas at the end of October! My grandparents live there and we will have the opportunity to introduce them to the boys. Jared will fly out with me and the boys and my dad will fly back with us. Fortunately, there are reasonable priced flights from Bellingham straight to Las Vegas. Our 7th Anniversarry will happen while we are there, so that will be fun too! We are very excited.
on to the pictures....
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New Stats

The boys had their 6 month appt yesterday. This is always a big ordeal. I have to have someone with me to help me get them in the door (the office isn't big enough for a double stroller) and entertain one while the other is being examined. Then of course there are the shots which start them screaming. not to mention they missed their nap as a result so were getting quite cranky! So I am always worn out at the end :)
Here are their stats:
Jackson: weight: 14.6 1/2 (5th percentile for normal babies), height: 27" (75th percentile for normal babies)
Jaden: weight: 15 (10th percentile for normal babies), height: 26 3/4" (approx 75th percentile)
Jackson should be getting his teeth any day now - you can almost see them on the surface. This explains why he has been waking up screaming in the middle of the night. I don't know why I didn't think of that - but am glad to know the reason.
Now it's time to start thinking about getting things out of their reach and moving poisoness things higher up.
That's it for now. I have a few pictures on the digital camera - I'll get those later :)

I have been so busy lately I never get around to posting. The boys are 6 months old today! Here are some milestones they've passed in the past few weeks.
1) Jaden can easily sit and stand if you are holding his hands.
2) Jaden rolled over once. It was a fluke but they both try alot so it won't be long!
3) They have decided to give in and eat rice cereal. In fact, Jaden gets quite excited about it.
4) They moved to size 2 diapers
5) They moved to 3-6 month clothes
6) They both smile and laugh ALOT
7) Jackson has decided he enjoys waking up in the middle of the night :(
8) Jaden likes to hear himself babel
9) Jackson can grab things
10) Jackson has discovered his feet
Here's a bunch of pictures from the last month.
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Here's Jared calming the boys down so we can play bocce ball (I have no idea how to spell that) in the back yard...


Here are the boys having a chat....


Here they are playing...


Here's Jaden sitting and standing with my help. I'm recording and helping him so the top of his head is sometimes chopped off....


Ok, this video is sideways. I wasn't thinking about it when I took it but it's a cute video of Jaden telling Aunt Emily all about his life so far...


And Here's Jaden talking to Grandpa Holden...

Time to eat

Well, we just started trying to give the boys rice cereal. They are not pleased. They think it's gross. I have to admit that after feeding them I tasted the tiniest bit and I'm pretty sure it tasted like glue. Here is a video of each of them taking their first bite!

Jaden's first bite...


Jackson's First Bite....

I haven't posted in a while - time has gotten away from me.
My mom came to visit for a week and we had some friends shortly after. Here's a bunch of pictures I've taken over the past few weeks. Both boys are smiling lots now and I've finally been able to capture it on film. I'm pretty sure I've heard a few small laughs out of them and Jackson is just starting to grab things.
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George Bryant

Last Saturday, June 30, Jared's Grandpa passed away. Though his health had been gradually failing the end was quick and sudden, which is a blessing. Grandma passed away a little over a year ago and he missed her terribly.
They were great people and always called me their granddaughter even though I married into the family.
Here is a picture of them not terribly long ago as well as some pictures of Grandpa with the boys just a few weeks ago.



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Beach

I haven't been too good with the videos lately.... I'll try to post some soon.
It's so nice to live so close to the water! I take the boys almost every day for a walk along the water at Birch Bay state park and LOVE it. We went with some friends the other evening to make smores on the beach and here are some pictures....

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Stats

The boys had their 4 month checkup today and here are their stats.....
The percentiles compare them to other 4 month olds and are not adjusted for their prematurity...
Jackson: 11 lbs 9.5 oz (3%), 24 and 3/4 inches long (50%) (He's tall!)
Jaden: 11 lbs 11 oz (4%) (Yep, finally passed his brother!), 24 and 1/4 inches long (25%)
They are both healthy and doing well. They both show only slightly delayed developmentally - which is a GOOD thing since they were premature and this compares them to full term babies.
They're definately growing and changing FAST!

Fame

Ok, well, I'm not famous but I'm pretty certain I could not be a celebrity. Everyone comes up to us to see the boys and then tells us about whatever relative or friend they know that has twins and what they did. It is nice I suppose but sometimes after multiple occasions of this happening in less than an hour I just want to say - "Could we just have some family time please?" :) I'd never make it as a famous person :)

I haven't posted pictures in a while so here some are. First, Jared's younger brother, Evan, graduated from HS this year and here are some pics. Some are blurry because the lighting was wierd and I didn't know what I was doing....

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I will now attempt a new blogger feature - video upload. Here is Evan coming on stage. You do not see him receive his diploma. My intent was to record him being announced and coming on stage (which was successful) and then quickly switch the camera and take a picture of taking the diploma... but I messed up :) We'll see if this works!



Ok, now here are pictures of the boys. They are growing so fast! They have just started smiling which is fun but often hard to catch on camera. I weighed the boys yesterday and Jackson was 11lbs 7.5 oz and Jaden 11lbs 6.5 oz so it appears that Jaden is catching up! They have their 4 mo appt on Monday so we'll get the official numbers then. Here are some pictures...!

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I have not been very good with posting lately. I have taken some pictures and video... but they're still on my camera - I'll work on that soon.
The boys are doing well and are both over 11 lbs! When I look at older pictures I'm shocked at how chunky they've gotten! Both boys are pretty good at holding their heads up and are just starting to smile back at us which is fun. Grandpa Holden came for a week and was a huge help to me and lots of fun for the kids!
Pretty much all our hospital bills came in last week which was quite a bit to pay all at one time. However, some exciting news is a bill we received for $3200 (because our insurance said they didn't cover it) turns out to be somewhat of a mistake. When I called to get the details so I could ask my insurance to reduce it they discoverd the problem and now that's $3200 we don't have to pay! Yay!
We're settling into our house pretty well. I seem to find a few minutes here and there to get things together. I THINK the fence situation is worked out. Our fence will be mismatched - but what can you do? At least it saved us a bunch of money!
I'm getting ready to start doing some outside work from home. I'll primarily be doing Quickbooks and can work pretty much as little as I want to on pretty much whatever schedule I want to so that will be nice. We'll see how it goes over the next months.
I promise to post pictures soon!

Interesting Day

I can't really say today was a BAD day, but not really GOOD either. I suppose it all worked out in the end. But here are a few strange things of the day.

First I wake up to discover our next door neighbors (who haven't moved in yet) are putting in a fence. Now, this isn't really a problem except that they put in a NORMAL fence and the people behind us just put in some sort of PLASTIC fence (It's actually nice and is apparently better than wood) On top of that the two fences don't connect. We were waiting until the lawn got put in (TODAY finally)to talk to both neighbors about fence plans. Apparently we're too late. So now we will have a mismatched fence that doesn't even connect! I guess we should have just had the builder put in the fence instead of waiting to talk to people. AHHHH! We'll see what we can come up with. On the bright side, we don't have to pay for 2/3 of our fence!

Second, the people putting in our fence used our water to fill the post cement. Of course WE pay for the water. Actually this is no big deal, but I find it odd that people would use someone elses water without asking, especially when the people's house they are at have water of their own.

Third, we found just the right spot for our sprinklers and then the people putting in the lawn just came over and grabbed one to put on the lawn they laid. I appreciate them wanting to water that part of the lawn, but again, I find it strange.

Also, we've been in our house 2.5 months now and have yet to have our 30 day warrenty. They are only open when Jared is at work. Now these people are all very nice but it's getting frustrating because we have no rack in our coat closet and our ceiling fan/light switches don't work. There are other things too, but they aren't annoying. Also we've had a couple other problems that aren't the builders fault so we're not quite sure what to do, nor do we have alot of time to deal with them :)

And finally, I THINK the boys are teething....WHAT? OK, so I think it's WAY too early for them to be teething. Part of me wants to be wrong, but the other part wants to be right because otherwise we need another explanation. They have been fussy, and have a RIDICULOUS amount of drool. They eat their hands and move their mouth like they're eating but when I feed them more they just chew and don't eat (except at normal feeding times) I thought they were having a growth spurt and are just hungry (which I still haven't ruled out) but they seriously won't eat MORE. So now I have no idea what's going on or what to do. I called the dr. who told me the phone number was good 24/7 only to find out it's only open Mon-Fri during certain hours.

So, this was a strange day but it ended up quite good. I'm STILL up at 1 in in the morning because I thought the boys would wake up to eat and they haven't and I still want to stay up because i know the moment I get comfy, the tears will start. I have no idea what I'm doing! :) Maybe I should just go wake them up. They ate ALOT today though (since I kept feeding them!)

Here are some random photos...
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We've gotten out with the boys more lately which has been nice! Sometimes they're angels....and sometimes they're not! This weekend we took them to Burlington to look at furniture and then walked down to the bay on Monday to get ice cream - of course they couldn't have any so they didn't care but they'll like it when they're older!
They are growing fast and doing well. They both are really pretty good at holding their head up and they're sleeping well at night. Last night they were in bed by 10:30 - did a little fussing over the next hour (which actually isn't normal for them) then didn't get up until 6:30! That is SO nice for me!

I took the boys pictures with the bear again. I think Jaden hates the bear - he wouldn't cooporate this time either! Here are some comparison photos....

on the left is Jackson at 8 weeks, and on the right, Jackson at 15 weeks.

on the left here is Jaden at 8 weeks and the right at 15 weeks. He obviously is not pleased.

I gave the boys their first "real" bath (not a sponge bath) the other day and I wish I could have had pictures (but I was alone). It was very funny to see they boys reactions to having water poured on them and sitting in water. I think Jaden decided he liked it and Jackson is still unsure.
We took the boys down to Renton on Saturday to visit their Great Grandpa (Jared's Grandpa). He was SO excited and the boys were perfect angels. The other older people there got to hold them too which was nice. I've posted pictures of Great Grandpa Bryant holding the boys and a few pictures of their cute jogging suits from Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Spence (Actually, what do you call your parent's aunt and uncle?)!
We then took the boys to Ikea and it was downhill from there. They screamed and screamed. Then we fed and changed them in the parking lot and they still screamed. then we got some dinner and ate it using the trunk of our car as a table because they were still screaming. I think it may be a while before we try THAT again! :)
Enjoy the pictures!
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Today Jackson weighs 9lbs 6oz and is twice his birth weight. Jaden weighs 8 lbs 15oz - they're getting big! Last night they slept from 1am - 7am which gave me 6 hours of sleep - so I'm happy about that! Today I also finished unpacking! We still have more pictures to hang and things to organize but the last box was unpacked - hooray!
I had a great Mother's Day. Jared and others took over most of the feedings to give me a break and some sleep and we had a crab dinner at Jared's parents. We dressed the boys up in an actual outfit complete with shoes for the first time and I must say they were quite handsome, however, they really didn't seem to want their picture taken :) In any case, here are some pictures of that and a few other things...
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Today Jaden weighs 8lbs 6oz - exactly twice his birth weight! Jackson weighed 8lbs 12oz.
Here's a picture of Jaden in his "airlift northwest" hat. They have these hats to put on babies when they ride the helicopter, but Jadens' head was way too small so they gave me the hat and it actually fits him now...

Today I took some time and took TONS of pictures. Jackson was really into it at first. Jaden was not. So there are many more pictures of Jackson. Here are some of my favorites!

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Random

Here are some recent pictures...
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To the Point

I have just two words to say... "FRONT" "PACK" - fabulous!

Here are some pictures of Uncle Michael holding Jackson for the first time - we even convinced him to feed Jackson his dinner! Also, some pictures of me holding the boys in the comfy chair my grandparents bought me, as well as some of the boys nursery stuff which we'll have finished when the curtains come in this week...!

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Here's a video of Jackson trying to hold his head up....

Baby Dedication

Here is a video of the boys baby dedication on April 14th. The boys were crying most of the time on stage and we were very stressed about it. We later found out and confirmed by video that no one could really hear them because there were no mics on them. All that worry for nothing! Also, I realized I am humongous (i have no idea how to spell that). Oh well, I guess that's what happens to us pregnant people. The weather is getting nicer and it's time to get in gear to lose those pounds!
I edited this video with a free trial software (thus the green ad at the top of the video....sorry) Anyway, I thought everyone would rather see the green ad then watch another family they don't know dedicate their son also... it makes for a much shorter video. So, if you're interested, here it is...

Tired

I am so tired. The good news is that the boys will occasionally sleep 5 hours and that helps alot!
Jackson weighed in at 7.13 the other day and Jaden at 7.6. They still wear preemie clothes but I don't think it will be much longer! Unfortunately, Jackson has a cold which seems impossible with how crazy we've been making people wash up and not taking them places! Pray for him to get well soon and for noone else in the family to get it!
A friend of Jared's took some pictures of the boys for us which was so nice - he does a really great job. Here is a link if you'd like to take a look at some of them!
Pictures of the Boys

Family Photos

I have a huge bear Jared won me at a fair years ago that I think I'll take regular pictures of the boys next to to see how they are growing. I was using a smaller bear but I think it's really too small. The boys were not fond of getting their picture taken with the bear. Here are some of the photos anyway with the boys at 8 weeks...
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Checkout these pictures of Jared feeding the boys at the same time....



We had a family photo session and here are some of the results....
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Grandpa and Grandma's Photos

The boys had their two month appointment the other day and here are the stats...
Jackson - 7 lbs 7 oz
Jaden - 7 lbs 3 oz
They each gaind nearly 10 oz in 4 days and the weighing before that they gained almost the same in 6 days so they are growing FAST!!!

Here are some pictures that my parents took while they were visiting....
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More Pictures

Here are some more pictures of the boys and what we were doing today!
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Here's a video of Jackson playing...


Here's a video of Jaden playing...


Here's a video of the boys playing "together"...

Visiting

My parents (Holden side) are visiting this week and have been a huge help! For one, they are doing the night feedings which is so nice for us, but unfortunately for them the boys have chosen this week to stay awake ALL NIGHT!!!! We're trying to resolve that. The boys are doing well and growing SUPER fast! Jackson is 6 pounds 14 oz and Jaden is 6 pounds 3 oz. They have an appointment on Friday and I'm secretly (well maybe not so secretly) hoping that he will tell me I don't need to wake them up every 3 hours!
Here are some pictures we've taken so far of the boys with Grandpa and Grandma Holden as well as a few additional ones!

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Pictures Finally!

Here are some pictures from the past few weeks.....

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Here's a video of Jackson waking up....



Here's Jaden Waking Up....



Here are the boys swinging...

Blessed

We felt so blessed this weekend! Our friends Raeanne and Caleb came to visit us this weekend. They brought our changing table, which was wonderfull because we had been using a desk and hadn't had a chance to go down and get the changing table. Caleb is a chef and fixed us all kinds of wonderful meals all weekend and left us some to eat this week! They helped with some things around the house and even fed the boys through the night so we could get some sleep. What a huge blessing - thanks guys!
Our Bellingham house sold and is closing in 10 days! Please continue to pray that it goes smoothly. We still have to move the garage over, but hopefully that won't be TOO huge a task.
I would just like to say how thankful I am for health insurance. It gets annoying to make those payments every month when we don't even use up enough to pay our deductible each year, but we are beginning to get insurance statements (LOTS of them) and though this ordeal will cost us much more than we were planning at least we will not be going bankrupt!!!
I'm finally getting my hair cut today. Hopefully that will make me feel like much less of a slob!

Random Questions

We should get the "office" set up next week so it will be easier for me to post pictures....which I haven't done in a while. In the meantime I'm just going to list out a bunch of random questions and thoughts that have popped into my brain over the last weeks. This will be a form of venting :)

• Why would someone in the medical profession tell you you have to wait 6 weeks to drive when, in fact, you do NOT have to wait 6 weeks to drive?
• Why is it necessary for there to be a sign on the front of the childbirth center doors that says "no weapons aloud"?
• Why do nearly all nurses and drs have different opinions from each other? Is this just to confuse us?
• Why do people feel the need to tell me what to do with my children? Especially people I don't know - I think that's wierd. Extreemly wierd. My mind cannot understand it. I hope I never do that. I'll have to watch myself.
• Will I ever stop doing laundry?
• How is it possible for 2 extreemly small babies to create so much laundry?
• Why do Drs expect you to be able to come to an appointment at any time and then be frustrated that you took your children off their feeding schedule?
• With so many appointments how is it possible to even have a schedule?
• Why am I so blessed with so many people that care about us and help us out when so many others are not?
• Should I take a nap or should I unpack? I always seem to choose to unpack.
• Will I ever have to resort to using formula sometimes out of necessity and if I do will I look back and see how much more sane I would have been if I started it earlier?
• Will I ever go to church again?
• Why did I stop losing weight?
• How can I continue to lose weight when all my time is used up and I can't cut back on the calories?
• Is it really possible for any baby to ever fit into barbie clothes? And if so, would any parent actually dress their child in them? (Don't ask)

Enough venting for the day. Off to feed the boys

Home At Last

Well, the boys were scheduled to come home on Sunday and then we were told they should get a shot for RSV as that can be life threatening for premature babies - however it is expensive so they don't have it at the hospital. We waited until Monday for it to arrive and took them home that evening. It has definately been crazy around here! Jared took a couple days off work but as he's out of vacation and not getting paid he'll be going back tomorrow. Our house is a DISASTER but I still feel like I've done OK unpacking despite feeding the boys every 3 hours (except when Jared does some to let me sleep :)) Today a nurse came to the house to check up on them and their temp was really low. Apparently we needed to be doing more to keep their temp up (would have been nice for someone to tell us that!) and they almost readmitted them to the hospital. Instead we were able to raise their temp and are now working hard to keep it up there. Our house is quite toasty and I had to go to the store to buy more blankets. I usually do 3-4 loads of laundry a week all in one day - yesterday I did one and today I did 2 - JUST baby stuff. Another reason I bought a few more things. I'll try to update this as often as I can. I do have some more pictures to put up - just not the time....

Exciting News!

The boys began taking full feeds from me and a bottle on Tuesday and their feeding tubes were removed on Wednesday. I'll be staying at the hospital for a 24 hour period on Friday with the boys in the room with me instead of the nursery and then we'll be bringing them home on Sunday! Praise God!
Also... we're moving this week and the majority of that will be done on Friday and Saturday! Crazy times!
I don't have much time and will post more later but wanted to update everyone on the exciting news!

Photo Shoot

I took a bunch of pictures today (mostly of Jackson and then ran out of time - I'll get some of Jaden a little later)

Here's Jared building a crib!

Ok, these videos will be most interesting to the Grandparents but here they are....

Jackson up and ready to eat...



Jackson and his pacifier....

Brief Update

The boys are doing well... they just need to learn to eat. Jaden is actually doing way better than Jackson. I think I might start living in the hospital camping rooms next week and/or begging my dr to let me drive because this is getting ridiculous! On top of this we are moving at the end of next week. Please pray for the boys, that our house sells (someone seemed interested today and we should know more this weekend), pray sales come in for Jared, our health insurance comes through, that we're able to pack and unpack everything, and that we won't forget anything important! I'll continue to update as I can!

Finally Together

The boys are finally together! We went down to Everett this morning and followed the ambulance up. Jackson has been moved out of his isolette and they now share a crib!
On a side note, I found out that when I got to the hospital a couple weeks ago I was fully dialated - wierd.
Here are some pictures from today!
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Back to Bellingham!

Jaden is scheduled to leave Everett in an ambulance this morning (Sunday) at 11! Jared and I will head down there and follow them up. The boys will probably both be in their individual isolettes until sometime next week and then together in a crib. Thanks for your prayers to bring Jaden back up! They're both doing well. Please continue to pray for them to grow quickly! I'll post some pictures later.

The boys are both doing well. We went to see Jaden on Wednesday and got caught in a snow storm and had to stay in the hospital in Everett. While we were there he had the cannula (sp?) giving him normal room air as an extra help) removed. He's increasing on his feeds and reducing what must be supplemented. They hope to have him to the Bellingham hospital sometime next week. At that point both boys will be working on being able to eat without the feeding tube. Please continue to pray for them.
Here are a few pictures of Jaden after getting the air tube taken out (the first time I've clearly seen his whole face!)
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We went out to our house today and took some pictures! It's ALMOST done - maybe by March 15th - which means our work is cut out for us! Pray our current home sells!
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Update

The boys are doing pretty well. Jackson is a hungry little guy and is working up his feedings quickly every day. Jaden is having a harder time but still working hard! They anticipate Jaden will be in Everett for at least another week and then probably in the Bellingham Hospital until around April. Jackson will probably come home before Jaden but he still has a while to go! After their initial weight loss they are just beginning to gain again - though they are still so small! Jackson is 4.88 pounds and Jaden is 4.08. When we see just born babies come into the nursery we are sure they are at least 6 months old when comparing them to ours!
It is getting emotionally draining to do this but we are incredibly blessed with friends who have helped us in many ways. We're trying to get to Everett every other day to see Jaden so some of our days are pretty long!
Here is a photo album of Jared holding Jaden...

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Happy 1 Week Birthday, Jackson and Jaden!

Today we drove down to Everett to visit Jaden. He's doing well and we both had the chance to hold him. He needs to tolerate full feedings before he can come back to Bellingham to grow more before coming home. He's still under the blue light and has a picc line (goes from arm to heart to help take test) Jackson is doing really well and we held him quite a bit today. He's very active and connected only to his feeding tube. He still has some weight to put on before he's ready! Preemie clothes are big on him!

To the left is a picture of Jared holding Jackson for the first time. He held Jaden for the first time today too but my hands were full and I wasn't able to take a picture.

Here I am holding Jackson. He likes to grab his face.

Jared, Rachel, and Jackson Bryant

Jaden sleeping today.






Another picture of Jared holding Jackson

Visiting Jaden

Today Jared and I went down to Everett to see Jaden and take him some food. This is the first time I've seen him much. He was taken off the ventilator today which is great news and did much better on my milk than on the formula. He could possibly be in Everett another 2 weeks which will make feeding the two boys quite tricky! I've posted some pictures below as well as a video of me holding him for the first time...

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Early Arrival

The twins have arrived! Jackson William Bryant was delivered on Saturday, February 17 at 4:54 pm weighing in at 4lbs 13oz. Jaden William Bryant was born by C-Section at 5:29pm weighing in at 4lbs 3 oz. They are 8 weeks early. We had no reason to suspect they would be so early as my pregnancy has had no complications or bed rest. My water broke on Friday night and I didn't know that's what it was. My contractions began at around 9am on Saturday and again, I did not know that's what was happening. I went into the hospital at around 3:00pm and they could feel Jackson's head so they rushed me to the operating room (where they always deliver twins), got me medication just in time (praise the Lord!) and I delivered Jackson. They couldn't get Jaden turned around so they delivered him by C-Section. I was in the hospital until Wednesday evening and am home now, but still recovering. Jackson is in the Special Care Nursery under the blue light and connected to several things. Overall he's doing fairly well - just young and under developed. On Sunday night they airlifted Jaden to a NICU in Everett as his lungs were very underdeveloped. Today he is doing well though he is still being given a very small amount of oxygen, under the blue light and breathing over a vent. Jared has visited Jaden several times and today will be my first time. Both babies were put on a feeding tube but will not tolerate the formula - they will only tolerate my milk. So... it's alot of driving back and forth between home, the hospital, and Everett (approx 1 hour away). I will give more details later but wanted to give a quick update and include some pictures. You can click through the album below to view the pictures. Another place to view them is at http://jacksonandjaden.shutterfly.com - at shutterfly you can also order prints for yourself.

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Here is a somewhat long video of me holding Jackson for the first time. We didn't realize it would take so long to get him disconnected!

Valentines Day and Other News

Happy late Valentines Day! Jared and I spent the evening at home - he cooked me a wonderful meal! Then we watched the movie Hitch - we'd seen it before but it was pretty funny.

In other news we found out that our cabinets have been delayed so our house will be delayed a week or so (at least March 22nd I think). Part of me is glad to have more time to sell our current home and the other part is worried because that will be 3 weeks before my due date and we'd really like to at least have our stuff moved before they are born! We'll see what happens!

Baby Shower at Work

My Friends Angel and Kim threw a baby shower for me at work on Tuesday. There were lots of people and lots of yummy food. I again felt very blessed by people's generosity. An idea I thought was wonderful was a raffle - a pedicure was begin raffled off and you could get a "ticket" if you brought in a package of diapers (the first letter of your name determined what size you brought) - what a GREAT way to get TONS of diapers! In one game we played everyone took a turn while we were eating to diaper a doll blindfolded. Whoever had the fastest time won. I went last and had to do TWO dolls. As you can see from the pictures I did NOT do well - I need some serious help!


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Baby Shower in Renton

On Sunday my friend Jenica threw me a shower down in Renton, where we used to live. It was lots of fun and I felt very blessed! Her mom was gracious enough to throw it at her house and there was LOTS of yummy food INCLUDING a chocolate fondue fountain (I ate way too much!) If you click on the right arrow you can view all the pictures in this photo album!




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Our House

Our house is getting closer and closer to being finished! They are laying the flooring and starting the cabinets next week! We had to go in this week and pick new bathroom floors because what we chose was backordered. I think we'll still really like the new one we picked though. Closing is still scheduled for about March 15th so that's coming right up! Please pray our current house sells. We lowered the price slightly and someone is coming to look today. It would be nice to sell it quickly! We were really nervous about the outside paint color we chose. It's so hard to tell what it will be like looking at a small sample - but we are relieved to really like it. Hopefully all the other things we chose we will feel the same way about.

Baby News

I'm 31 weeks now and the babies are healthy and growing! They are currently both head down and we hope they stay that way! They are measuring in the 58th percentile and at around 3.5 pounds. We also find out that their heads are measuring quite large. Not exactly what I wanted to hear but at least they're growing! If they are NOT head down at 36 weeks we will probably schedule a C-Section at around 38 weeks. Otherwise, I will hopefully be able to deliver them but more than likely that will also be somewhere around 38 weeks. Keep praying that the boys stay healthy!

Sigh

Everyone is always asking to see pregnant pictures of
me - which I am not a fan of taking or showing anyone - but I guess someday I can look back on them and laugh! I feel so huge, but we're almost there!

I'm Giving In to Blogging

Here we are when I'm just 5 months pregnant! Now that we're starting a family I wanted to find an easy way to keep family and friends updated with news, pictures, and video. This seems to be much easier than our old website! I hope to update regularly so check back often!