Snyderville

Guess how long this lasted?

2012-01-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

If you guessed 1 minute, you are correct. Hazel and Jude like a lot of things. Snow is not one of them.

Practicing our instruments

2012-01-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

Hazel still thinks mama is funny

2012-01-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

This is quite old, but still worth posting. Enjoy!

Bath-time fun!

2011-12-31T18:41:00.000-08:00

The kiddos were being so cute in the bath today, so I pulled out my phone and started snapping photos. Enjoy!

New shirts and instruments!

2011-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Do you like our new shirts? Our mommy and daddy gave them to us for Christmas. We love them!

It's the beginning of the Snyder family band! Videos to come later...

A belated Merry Christmas

2011-12-29T09:05:00.001-08:00

We had a nice Christmas together after Noel got home from church (2 Christmas Eve services and 1 Christmas Day service). Our day consisted of eating homemade sticky buns in the morning, playing, opening presents, and skyping. Hazel and Jude still have no interest in gifts, so our present opening took almost the whole day as we tried to simultaneously keep them entertained.

Hazel's new Christmas dress from Grandma. So cute!

Best attempt at getting them both to smile.

Jude was happy to show off his new Christmas sweater from Grandma.

Interested in the ribbon.

We hope you all had a Christmas filled with joy and celebration!

Crawling Around in Our PJs

2011-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

Here's a little video of Jude and Hazel up bright and early this morning. They are getting so strong and mobile! Notice also that their favorite toys are the remote control and the coasters. :)

Just as we predicted

2011-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Jude has been teething for MONTHS and up until a few days ago, he had no teeth. All along, we've been saying that when he starts to get teeth, he's going to get a bunch at once. Boy were we right! Yesterday I felt in his mouth and both of his bottom teeth had come in. Today I felt in his mouth and his 2 top incisors came in! Whoa! 4 teeth all at once! I hope his front middle teeth come in soon or he may be sporting a vampire look very soon.

Also, now that his hair his getting longer, we're noticing that it's curly on the bottom. So cute! If we trimmed it, the curls would be gone, but I still don't think it's quite long enough to do that. It's not really curly, but there are definite curls. The pictures don't capture it that well, but you can see a couple!

Jude is also really into giving kisses, mostly to Grandma. He plants a big open mouth smooch on her cheek all the time. Very cute. He (and the rest of us) will miss her when she leaves tomorrow!

Busy

2011-12-18T20:19:00.000-08:00

What have we been up to? I think the question should be, "what haven't we been up to?". It's been really busy around here with Noel having extra services to plan, trying to organize shopping/mailing Christmas presents in a place where little shopping exists, going to the doctor, being pregnant, etc. Thank goodness my mom is here for a couple more days! Our freezer is now filled with meals and baked goods, we enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner today, and we actually WENT OUT FOR DINNER the other night (without the kids) for the first time since we lived here thanks to her! Whoa. It was great. Here are a few pictures from today.

Hazel's new favorite ride.

Hazel is GREAT at walking behind her car. She still isn't standing on her own, but boy can she walk fast behind this thing! We go round and round and round the couch. Hopefully she'll be walking on her own soon! Jude is just starting to push his car slowly.

Jude loves it too!

Family photo for grandma since I decided not to wear sweat pants today. :)

The kids are growing and changing so much! They are babbling a ton, but have no actual words yet. I think they're both close though! They are eating up a storm (especially Jude) and it feels like they are eating constantly (still 6-7 times a day)...seriously?!?!?! Someday we'll get to the larger quantity less times per day. They have the "larger quantity" down. They just still want to eat all the time. At least they're eating! And not barfing! They are early to rise and early to bed (which isn't really our style, but there's nothing we can do about it). Down at 6ish and up at 6ish. Ugh. They love making funny faces and Hazel is constantly playing peek-a-boo (at the table with her bib, on the changing table with her shirt, on the floor by putting her head down, etc.).

On a different note, I went to the doctor on Friday (25 weeks 4 days) and things are looking great. Praise God! We are so thankful and continue to pray for this pregnancy and new life.

Still here!

2011-12-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

No, we haven't fallen off the planet. It's always busy around here, but feels like it's been busier than normal lately. Hazel and Jude are fully recovered (thank goodness!), but it took quite awhile. Hazel is eating more than she's ever eaten before (probably trying to make up for the weight she lost), but her sleeping is now worse than ever. She was actually quite a bit better for a week or so before she got sick, but not so much anymore. Jude has decided he wants to follow in Hazel's footsteps and spends many nap times awake in his bed. It's always something! We've had some VERY long nights with Hazel and some very long days with Jude. I really can't even imagine adding another baby to the mix. It's going to be crazy.

We had family pictures taken recently and will try to post a few soon (we've been having some internet issues, which makes posting stuff challenging).

I'm 24 weeks pregnant and feeling really great. Things looked really great at my last appointment and we're so grateful that this pregnancy seems to be going smoother so far.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T18:42:00.001-08:00

What a difference a year makes! We are thankful for so much, but especially how much Hazel and Jude have grown this past year. They were fighting for their lives last year at this time and now they are thriving (still sick with a stomach bug, but a bit better today). We enjoyed a quiet meal with a family from our church and had a nice day overall. Maybe one of these years we'll actually spend it with family!

"Happy Thanksgiving! I didn't throw up all day today! Yay!"

"Happy Thanksgiving! I finally started eating better again today. Yay!"

This is the best we could do for getting them together.

Sick kids

2011-11-22T20:43:00.001-08:00

It's been a challenging few days here. Hazel and Jude are sick for the first time. Last week they had runny noses and congestion. That seemed to clear up on Sunday, but then they came down with a stomach bug of some sort. They seem to be doing a little bit better, but still aren't eating much and are not totally recovered. Jude's still sleeping more than normal and filling his diaper much more than normal, and Hazel is still struggling to keep food down. Please pray they get better soon! I can't even tell you how many extra loads of laundry I've done so far this week. Thank goodness we have our own washer and dryer!

Picture day!

2011-11-19T20:34:00.000-08:00

We attempted to have pictures of the kids taken today as well as a family photo since it's been awhile. The location was great, the weather was great (a bit cold though), but the kids were tired, snotty nosed, and cranky. Just great. Fortunately, Noel's mom's cousins, Marcia and MerriAnn, were visiting us today and snapped a few candid shots while holding all of our extra things. Hopefully we get at least 1 good photo out of the several our photographer took! Can't wait to get them back!

Hazel was beyond ready for a nap when we were done. In fact, she fell asleep in my arms as we walked to the car. That has NEVER happened. She even stayed sleeping when I put her in her car seat, which has also NEVER happened. And then, she was still sleeping when I took her out of her car seat! Wow! She must've been incredibly exhausted, because that was a first.

It's a girl!

2011-11-17T20:01:00.000-08:00

We had a great appointment at the doctor this week and found out that baby # 3 is a girl! We both thought it was a girl and everyone was guessing girl, so I was excited to find out we were all right. So far, everything with the pregnancy looks good. I will be going to the doctor a lot more frequently now due to my history of preterm labor. We continue to pray for an uneventful, uncomplicated pregnancy and a big, beautiful, full-term baby.

When I have a little more energy, I'll try to post a picture from the ultrasound. I guess another belly picture would be appropriate too. And maybe some more pictures of the kids. However, I'm tired tonight and am going to rest.

1 year old

2011-11-11T19:39:00.001-08:00

Hazel and Jude have grown so much the past year. Here is some info about them.

Hazel:

Weight: 17 lbs 7 oz (5% for actual age, 25% for adjusted age)
Height: 26 3/4 inches (less than 3rd% for actual age, not sure for adjusted age)
Head size measured at 45% for actual age, which I'm pretty sure is off because her head is not big, especially compared to the rest of her (which her other stats would indicate). Who knows about these growth charts.
She got her 3rd tooth on her birthday, but is working on at least one more (probably several)
She started clapping on her birthday and loves it!
She loves music and bounces/dances whenever she hears any kind of music or beat
She is not a great eater overall, but will eat anything I'm eating. She seems to really like garlic bread, pancakes, cheerios, but isn't too into fruits and vegetables (though sometimes she likes carrots and potatoes)
She loves crawling to the bath naked every night.
Hazel still hates going to bed, but is getting better about getting up in the night. She generally naps 1-2 hours twice a day, but it's a bit inconsistent.

Jude

Weight: 17 lbs 8 oz (less than 3rd% for actual age, we weren't given adjusted age)
Height: 27 1/4 inches (less than 3rd% for actual age)
Head size is 30% for actual age
Jude has no teeth, but is working on a mouthful. I can see at least 4 upper ones that are working their way down.
Jude loves to explore and play with anything that moves (opening and closing doors, gates, drawers, etc.)
Jude loves to eat and will eat pretty much anything we give him. I don't know if he has favorites because he eats everything. He's very impatient about food and isn't good at chewing (due to impatience I think). He tends to swallow a lot of things whole and I can't cut anything fast enough for him.
Jude is a little fussier and overall more needy than Hazel, but is still a pretty easy going guy.
He consistently sleeps 11-13 hours at night, but takes very inconsistent naps (usually 40 minutes 2-3 times a day, but sometimes 1 1/2 hours twice a day).

Though they're both small for their actual age, the doctor thinks they look great and they are growing fine. They're both doing fine on their adjusted age growth charts, but probably won't be very big kids (maybe due to prematurity, but most likely due to "small" genes). The doctor would like them to get on their actual age growth charts in the next 6 months, but all that really matters is that they continue to grow.

When we were at the doctor yesterday (a new doctor), he walked in and said, "Wow, I didn't expect to see a kid (referring to Jude) looking like this when I read about his brain bleed." As the appointment went on, he said, "Honestly, I've never seen a kid with his brain bleed doing this well. I worked in the NICU for a year and saw a lot and I've never seen this." Jude is a true testament to God's healing power and it's so nice to hear how surprised all the professionals are when they see him. Thank you for the many prayers prayed on his and Hazel's behalf. We appreciate the continued prayers to as we strive to encourage them in their development.

20 weeks

2011-11-11T19:33:00.001-08:00

This was taken last Monday at 20 weeks. I think it's kind of a forgiving picture because I'm pretty sure I look bigger than that. Anyhow, I'm definitely looking pregnant, but not as pregnant as I was with Hazel and Jude (thank goodness!). We hope to find out gender this coming week. Any guesses?

Birthday Fun!

2011-11-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

We had a great day celebrating Hazel and Jude's first birthday. Here are some pictures from the day. More to come later, along with stats, favorite things, etc.

Starting off the present unwrapping early. We had so many presents to unwrap (from us and sent by family and friends) that we didn't even get through all of them in one day.

Birthdays are fun!

I made them carrot cake cupcakes. Here they are holding the entire cupcake. It looks like Jude is guarding his with his life. They had no hesitation to dig right in. It was pretty funny.

"Yum! I love carrot cake cupcakes!"

"Yum! Me too!"

"Sugar makes me happy...until I get a stomach ache."

"Eating a whole cupcake makes me happy...until I barf it up."

Ready for more presents!

"I love my new jumprope! Finally a rope/cord that I'm allowed to play with!"

Riding on her new "car" from the Snyder grandparents.

Checking out his new "car".

A Few Funny Pictures

2011-11-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

This first series shows what happens any time Hazel and Jude see their mother with food: they have to have some! And since we want to encourage them eating more solids, Heidi likes to give them some if it is an appropriate food for them to eat. Here is Heidi trying to eat a bowl of cheerios in the family room. She got mobbed by the babies!

Part of our bedtime ritual is a bath. And part of our bath-time ritual is Hazel crawling to the tub naked and pulling to stand (and then half the time, peeing on the rug). Here she is, eager to join her brother.

Hazel loves to "help" us load and unload the dishwasher. In this one, she is sad that I have closed it up and started it running. She wanted to keep looking inside!

A Happy Week

2011-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

All the prayers we've prayed...

All the tears we've cried...

All the time spent at the doctor...

All the medicines, regimens, treatments, and therapies...

Now look at them!

On Wednesday, Hazel and Jude will be one year old, and all I can say is, this is going to be an emotional week.

Siblings

2011-11-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Jude are constantly interacting, mostly by pulling or pushing on each other to get where they want to go.

This is a few weeks old, but here Hazel is using Jude's face to help her stand. Surprisingly, he didn't mind.

Just a few days ago: Jude finally getting back at Hazel by pinning her down while she was trying to stand at the gate. She was not happy. He was also trying to get to the gate.

They have a lot of learning to do when it comes to playing "together". Basically, they just always want what the other one has. I can give them the exact same toy, but it doesn't matter. They still want what the other one has. And lately, Hazel's been trying to steal Jude's bottle if he's feeding himself. Who knew the jealousy would spill over into eating?! They are great kids though.

Hazel's news

2011-10-27T21:28:00.001-07:00

We received a call from Seattle Children's a couple days ago with the results of Hazel's labs that were drawn recently and everything is normal. Praise God!

Other great news regarding Hazel: yesterday she did so well in physical therapy that she graduated to every other week! Last week she was only pulling to stand on the couch (without the cushions). This week she's pulling up on EVERYTHING, dropping things and bending down to pick them up, cruising the whole length of the couch and around the ottoman, bear crawling (legs straight and butt up in the air) occasionally, getting out of standing without assistance, and more. Go Hazel! We're so proud of everything she's accomplished in 1 week! I'm constantly wondering if all parents are looking so intently for these milestones to be reached or if it's a "preemie parent" thing. Our PT thinks Hazel's on track to walk around 10 months adjusted age, which would be December. Whoa!

Jude will continue physical therapy on a weekly basis until he's a little farther along. He's not far behind Hazel, but is not at a level where slightly longer, every other week sessions would be a good idea. He continues to whine through PT since it's hard for him, but he's doing really well. He's trying so hard to pull to stand, but only has success on occasion (and when he doesn't, he whines and whines and whines). He'll get there! I'm hoping that in another month he can cut back to every other week as well, but we'll see.

Fun with Aunt Hillary

2011-10-25T07:38:00.001-07:00

These are a little old, but still worth posting. The kids just love it when Aunt Hillary is here! Jude is especially in love with her.

Climbing on Aunt Hillary.

Jude's new favorite smile.

Jude kind of doing his "smile" again, but mainly just spacing out as bed time is approaching.

This happened after Aunt Hillary left. The kids were standing at the ottoman and decided it would be a good idea to destroy all the magazines. (Don't worry, they were closely supervised.) I think Jude's look is hilarious. "Who, me? I wouldn't do anything naughty, mommy! It's all Hazel's fault!"

House

2011-10-22T12:18:00.001-07:00

Okay, this is kind of long, but I've had trouble posting the last couple days, so I'm just giving you a link for a walk through tour of our house: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YX4LLZ81vs
There are still a few things we need to do (like get a piano, spray paint the legs of the couch, hang pictures in the big bath, and a few more, but this will give you a pretty good idea of our house).

On another note, I'm finally looking pregnant and will try to post a picture of that sometime soon. :)

Beautiful Day!

2011-10-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

It was a gorgeous day here today, so Noel decided to take Hazel and Jude out for a walk while I got a few things done around the house. I LOVE Noel's day off! It's the best day of the week for sure. I realized that this was the first time I've ever been home without the kids since they've been home from the hospital. As much as I love them, it was GLORIOUS to have a quiet house.

Both kids got hungry right as he wanted to head back (I needed to get to choir rehearsal), so he double handed it, fed both of them at the same time, and made it back just in time. Nice work, Noel!
Our church threw a baby shower for Hazel and Jude on Saturday (they didn't know there was another baby on the way, but now they do). We received an incredible amount of stuff, it was just an amazing outpouring of love and generosity! One of the gifts was this farm activity center and Hazel seems to love it! It's our first "big" toy. :) She is really starting to pull up on things more and more. Noel was putting Jude down for a nap and when he came back, he found her standing up playing with it. What a big girl!

SURPRISE!

2011-10-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

We expect this one will be as big a shock to you all as it was to us: we're pregnant again! Before we moved to Oak Harbor, I was having symptoms of pregnancy, but I tested negative multiple times (at home and at the doctor). So when we got here, I went to the doctor to try to figure out what might be wrong with me. Turns out, I am in fact pregnant (and must have been in Pasadena, too). I'll be 17 weeks along on Monday and I'm due March 26!

Noel and I are overwhelmed with joy and tiredness at this news (now that we're over our denial and shock). Please pray for a full-term baby and uneventful pregnancy!

Good reports

2011-10-13T20:56:00.001-07:00

Well, I was totally dreading our day in Seattle, but it turned out to be quite good! We were supposed to have 1:00 and 2:00 appointments (after 3 morning appts), but they were able to get stacked onto our 11:30 and we were on our way home by 12:40! Amazing! Hazel and Jude did great in the car on the way there (even though we missed out exit, got caught in traffic, and added an extra half hour to the trip) and did okay on the way home (Hazel had a major meltdown the last 15 minutes).

The Neurodevelopment reports were good. The nurse who did the examination thought they were both doing great and said she didn't see any major reasons for concerns at this point. They are doing everything 8 month olds should be doing and doing many skills beyond that, which is a good sign. They want to follow them until they're 2 (standard for preemies) since they are still at high-risk for problems. But, so far things are looking great! We'll go back in 6 months. They also had to have nutrition appointments (part of Neurodevelopment at Seattle Children's), but since their growth is good and they eat well, we don't have to go back! Yay! Hazel had to have some labs drawn to follow up on some abnormal labs she had while in the NICU, but we're not expecting the results to be abnormal anymore. It's common for preemies to test positive for things they don't actually have and their levels just eventually even out. So, we're praying that's the case for Hazel and should get the results in a week or so.

Overall, the kids did fantastic the whole day. They were so tolerant of the appointments, ate well, and were surprisingly not too fussy even without much morning sleep. I was so proud of them!

More laughing

2011-10-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

It's rare to get Hazel and Jude laughing at the same time, but apparently they both thought it was quite funny to have a ball bounced on their heads. Sorry about the recording quality. It's hard to hold a camera with my left hand, bounce a ball with my right hand, and go back and forth between babies.

Behind

2011-10-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

As always, I'm feeling behind. I have lots of cute pictures of the kids and a few videos, but I've been sick with a cold (I know, horrible for the kids to be around, but so far they're still healthy!) and have fallen asleep on the couch for the past few nights very early. Noel was in Michigan for his grandpa's memorial service the past few dys and my sister, Hillary, came here to keep me company, finish the decorating, clean the house, play with the kids, etc. Anyway, we now have pictures of the house! I will try to post them soon.

We are headed to Seattle Children's tomorrow for Neurodevelopment appointments for Hazel and Jude. They also have a few other appointments and it's going to be a VERY long day. It's 2 to 2 1/2 hours away and our first appointment is at 9:15, followed by a 10:30, 11:30, 1:00, and 2:00. Yikes. We probably will be gone for 12 hours. We're really hoping that we don't have to go back for these types of appointments too many more times.

Hazel's new trick

2011-10-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

"Look what I did this morning all by myself!"

Graduation gifts

2011-10-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

It's getting harder and harder to get pictures of Hazel and Jude sitting together; they are always wanting to go somewhere! We were trying to get a picture of them with the little stuffed animals they received at Seattle Children's for their graduation, but it didn't work too well.

Jude: "I'm outta here."

Hazel: "I'll join you."

Jude: "On second thought, I think I'll stay here. Bye Hazel!"

Go Tigers!

2011-10-04T19:13:00.001-07:00

They may not look like Tigers fans here, but don't let that fool you! Hazel thinks Noel's Tigers' hat is SO funny. She laughs every time she sees it. Jude on the other hand, cries. He's very scared of it. Anyway, they are just very tired and ready for bed here...hence the faces.

Noel's watching the Tigers on his computer since we don't have cable. He couldn't miss out on seeing the Tigers in the playoffs!

Sunday afternoon play with Dad

2011-10-04T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse of Hazel and Jude playing with Noel. Hazel is completely obsessed with strings on sweatshirts (she's pulling Noel's here). I used to be able to hide mine from her, but now she's too smart and pulls it right out. Today, she "attacked" me pretty much all day just to get my string. You can also see her crawling on hands and knees here! She started doing this a little bit last week, but does it almost all the time now.

Jude and Hazel like to have "baby parades" a lot lately. They'll be playing on the play mat and then suddenly Jude takes off towards the kitchen with Hazel following. It's pretty funny. Jude always leads. They are crawling all over now! They have both crawled all the way from our family room to our bedroom, which may not mean much to most of you, but it's the farthest distance they can go in the house.

Jude's at it again

2011-10-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

Graduation!

2011-10-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

I meant to do a better post and post a picture, but I'm tired and I'm going to bed. But, I just wanted to announce that Hazel and Jude both graduated from the pulmonologist today! This is the last specialist that we've been going to regularly. We still have to see a few specialists here and there as well as continue therapy, but this a great accomplishment. The doctor (we just met him today) said their lung function looked good. It may not be completely "normal" yet, but they are doing great. Their growth is good, their development is good, and he said they looked just great. In fact, he said, "You've got a couple of good ones.". We agree and are constantly reminded of how well Hazel and Jude are doing, especially compared to so many other preemies who start the world with a similar course. Thank you for all your prayers!

More tomorrow hopefully...

Starting Therapy

2011-09-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Jude are starting physical therapy again today. Yay! It's been 2 months since they've had any type of therapy and we really still think they need it and benefit from it. They are doing very well for their adjusted age and are doing some things for their actual age, but still have some "catching up" to do, especially Jude. So, today we start PT. In addition to that, we will have 1 or 2 other therapists come to our house weekly for the next month or two and then hopefully less frequently after that (maybe twice a month). They will help us work on "adaptive" skills with both Hazel and Jude, which is an area they are both a bit delayed (Hazel's sleeping, their inability to self-soothe, getting them on more solids, etc.). Another area of concern for Jude is social-emotional (he has no stranger anxiety as well as a number of other things...I'm not sure how you develop that in a kid, but I guess we'll see!). So, here we go again!

Busy and Tired

2011-09-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Jude went to their first wedding yesterday! It was very small, outdoors, and on the casual side. They did great!

First picture attempt...not so good

Fourth attempt...a bit better for the kids, but I look like I'm wearing a potato sack (I'm not)

It's been crazy around here. We're both exhausted pretty much all of the time. Heather and Hillary came for a few days to get our house in order, which was great! Noel was a picture hanging, shelf hanging, curtain rod hanging master for 3 days straight. Our house looked GREAT the day they left (they cleaned and organized), but has not looked as good since. I can't seem to stay on top of it all! One of these days, when I'm comfortable with the mess level, I will take pictures and post them. I pick up stuff, wash dishes, do laundry, and care for babies all day, but at the end of the day, it's still a mess. Very defeating.

We are experiencing our first "cold" weather here. I don't really know if it's all that cold out, but it feels REALLY cold! Today was cloudy, rainy, very windy, and freezing. I'm sure this is just a taste of what's to come. Luckily, it doesn't really get below freezing here (so we're told), so that should not be too hard on our Southern California conditioned bodies.

Double Digits!

2011-09-14T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Jude turned 10 months old last week! I was hoping to get some cute pictures of them, but their naps did not coordinate well that day (which is pretty much the case EVERY DAY), so here's Jude having just woken up from a very short nap, and Hazel being her playful self.

Trying to get a smile at the same time. Almost!
"Hazel, where are you going?"
"Okay, Mom, I'll smile for you!"

The kids are doing great. Here are a few facts about them:

Hazel recently started babbling. The day she turned 10 months, she was only saying mama. She only said it though as part of a whimper cry that she does before she goes down for a nap. "Whimper, whimper whimper, hmmmma. Whimper, whimper, whimper, hmmmma. hmmamama". Now she also says, "baba, gaga, aga, ahhh", and occasionally, "da". She opens and closes her mouth a lot, trying to say "ba", but a lot of times no sound comes out. It's pretty funny.

She LOVES Cheerios, but is not too interested in most purees.

She HATES sleeping and this is a daily battle (naps and bed time) and no longer sleeps through the night. She will not "cry it out". We have tried...numerous times...and are tired of the several hour scream fests that take place.

Jude is having an occasional sound come out of his mouth too! It's usually either, ma, ba, or da.

Jude is a CHAMPION sleeper at night. He usually sleeps a little over 12 hours without a peep! However, he takes 40 minute naps, which is quite frustrating (especially since Hazel's naps are much longer...when she actually goes to sleep).

Jude has a new found love for screaming (for joy), which (I admit) gets under my skin, big time. He's SO loud!

Jude is doing great with purees and eats pretty much anything we give him. He's not ready for the Cheerios yet though (he chokes).

Well, I better leave it at that since I have 2 screaming babies calling to get out of bed. One slept. The other didn't.

Development update

2011-09-08T21:05:00.001-07:00

Hazel and Jude are doing remarkably well and we are so grateful for the many prayers said on their behalf. They are truly miracle babies and we are so thankful for that. Though they appear totally "normal" now, we still need to take some precautions. As we anticipate another flu season, we have to be much more cautious with them. A few weeks from now, we will not take them to church anymore (until next May), not take them to the store, ask people who come over to wash their hands, etc. Basically, we need to stay completely germ free because our pediatrician reminded us that if they get sick, they could not only end up in the hospital, but possibly in the ICU. So, we ask for your continued prayers for good health for them and for us.

They will be evaluated by an OT and a PT next week to see what services they qualify for here. They were receiving both OT and PT in Pasadena, but here in Oak Harbor, they will only get one or the other. We are sure that Jude will qualify for PT, but we're not sure about Hazel. Jude has made remarkable progress in his physical development (especially considering that some of the tissue in the motor development part of his brain was destroyed), but he is still working with some low muscle-tone and overall weakness. That being said, he's still right on track for his adjusted age. Miraculous!

We have a couple of appointments at Seattle Children's Hospital in October, one with pulmonology, one with Neurodevelopment (standard for all preemies), and one that needs to be made with Opthamology. We are hoping that we will only have 1 or 2 visits total with pulmonology since our pulmonologist at UCLA thought they were both doing great and wouldn't need medication much longer. So, our specialist appointments are really diminishing! Good thing since Seattle Children's is 2 hours away!

Both kids are still on reflux medication, but they seem to be over the massive throwing-up stage (thank goodness!). We tried to take them off the medication, but they were fussy and refusing to eat, so it's obvious they are still dealing with a lot of acid. We'll keep trying each month until they are ready. We're praying for full maturity of their digestive systems.

Thanks for journeying with us and supporting us in prayer.

Jude Thinks His Mother Is Hilarious!

2011-09-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

Jude can't get enough of his mother making gorilla sounds. (Sorry for the bad camera angle on the second video, but it shows Jude's laughter well.)

Eby's landing

2011-09-06T21:06:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful Labor Day here in Oak Harbor and decided to venture out for a family hike. Per the recommendation of a friend, we headed to Eby's landing, which is just a few miles south of Oak Harbor. Hazel and Jude actually did quite well! Jude "rode" with Noel and slept almost the whole way. Hazel was too curious and kept peeking out of her hood. We didn't complete the whole trail since we had Hazel and Jude with us, but we're hoping to do it someday! It's only 3.5 miles total, but with a pretty steep incline and babies on your chest, it was more than we were prepared for that day. Plus, we wouldn't have made it back before they got hungry. Maybe someday they can hike it with us!

Heading up...and up and up

Great view from the first climb.

Mount Baker in the background

The cloud passed by (see it in a few pictures up)

Yes, we started down on the beach. It was not the leisurely walk I was anticipating but very fun!

It's nice to discover some of the beauty we've been hearing about on the island. I'm sure we have many more hikes/walks in our future!

In other news...

2011-09-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I know you're all most interested in the kids, but I thought I'd let you know a bit of what we've been up to. I am adjusting to being with the kids by myself A LOT. Noel is gone all day and sometimes gone at nights too. It makes for some very long days, especially when the kids refuse to nap (like they have been this week). But, I have managed to accomplish a few things. I made blackberry jam yesterday from some wild blackberries that a church member picked and delivered to us. I have cooked a few things and hope to get my website going again very soon. I attended a girls movie night last week (which was a GREAT ending to a long week). And I haven't completely lost my marbles...yet. :)

Noel is SWAMPED with his job. Any new job is challenging for awhile, so we're praying that he settles in soon and can find some time to relax. He's planning all the music for 2 services, running a weekly rehearsal, filling out a TON of paper work, and trying to get the lay of the land. He's also preaching this week, which is just an added "bonus". He just moved into his office this week (it was under construction when we got here), but he still doesn't have a desk or shelves. Hopefully that will all be taken care of soon!

My sisters are coming in 2 weeks to visit and help decorate the house (and play with Hazel and Jude, of course) and I can't wait! It will be nice to have the house a bit more finished and great for Heather to meet her niece and nephew. Hopefully we survive until they get here!

Jude's on the move

2011-09-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

Jude's starting to get a hang of the army crawl. He moves quite far now (when there's something he wants to get).

Hazel laughs at Dad

2011-09-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Hazel got quite a kick out of Noel's funny faces/noises the other day. Jude did as well, but wouldn't laugh on camera.

Everyday fight

2011-08-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is an everyday occurrence. Hazel is constantly pulling Jude's hair. He grabs at her too, but she doesn't have nearly as much hair as he does, which makes it harder. Plus, she's stronger. Luckily, he doesn't seem to mind too much (though you can hear him whine in the video). They both pull out my hair by the handfuls. I now have to wear a ponytail everyday and pin my bangs back. They still manage to get a few handfuls out each day. Hopefully I still have some hair left in a few weeks!

Not your everyday

2011-08-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

Noel came home from church the other day to tell me that there was a deer outside our house. Somehow the babies and mom got separated from each other by the metal fence bordering the neighbor's yard. The mom ran back and forth for a long time trying to figure out how to get back to her babies. I watched them for awhile, but have no idea how they ended up getting back together. I looked away for a minute and when I looked back, they were all gone.

Here are the babies on the other side of the fence.

Who knew we'd have deer sightings in our own yard?

Jude's tricks

2011-08-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

When Jude learns how to do something new, he gets obsessed with it for a few days. He started doing funny things with his lips and tongue (blowing bubbles, sucking on his top lip, etc.) while we were traveling. He started doing these things about 90% of his waking time for a few days. He's over it now, but it still cracks me up when I think about it. He's a character.

He's getting a bit better at the army crawl, but still has a bit to work on with his coordination.

Hazel's big news

2011-08-27T20:36:00.000-07:00

This video is over a week old, but we're just getting around to posting it now. Hazel is actually much faster now (when she chooses to be). She gets up on her hands and knees all the time, rocks back and forth, and then drops to her stomach to move. Yesterday, she was slowly going towards a cook book that was on the floor. When Noel saw her, he started walking towards the book to move it. She immediately sped up and beat him there. That little stinker.

In other news, Hazel has gotten 2 teeth since we moved! She now has her bottom 2 teeth. They came in 8 days apart. No more gnawing on my finger! It hurts now!

Before we left...baptism

2011-08-25T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is old news, but still worth posting. Two days before we left Pasadena, Noel baptized Hazel and Jude (he was ordained the previous week, which worked out perfect!). It was a very special time and both kids did great.

"I'm not so sure about this!"

After church: Hazel was her hyper self and Jude was zonked.

My parents were able to witness the event as well. How special!

Paul and Marcia drove up from Temecula. It was so great to have them there!

What We've Been Up To

2011-08-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

As you might imagine, our life is still in disarray: plenty of boxes still needing to be unpacked, nothing hung on the walls yet, stuff that's been unpacked but not put away. . . and then there are the incidental matters of starting a new pastoral position, meeting a bunch of new people, and caring for two special babies!

But never fear! We've still managed to snap a bunch of pictures with our cell phones. We thought we'd post some here to show you what we've been up to.

We'll start with what we're leaving behind.

Goodbye, SoCal. *tear* (If this picture is not iconic of life in LA, I don't know what is.)

We had Hazel in our car most of the way, so here are three photos of her in her car seat on the drive up to Washington. (We strapped the other car seat into a rental minivan, which Heidi's parents drove. That way, each baby could have someone with him/her in the back seat.)

Zonked.

Both Hazel and Jude did much better than we expected, sleeping decently well in their car seats and very well in hotels! They also were able to eat some bottles while we were on the road, so we made great time.

Our fourth or fifth day in Oak Harbor, we managed to get out and take a walk out on the waterfront. We live about a third of a mile away or something. (You're never too far from the water when you live on an island!)

Our seventh day here, we made it down to Coupeville, a nice little town about 10 miles south of Oak Harbor. We got some soup and sandwiches out at the end of the pier.

Hazel loved sitting in the high chair and playing with a soup spoon!

(Jude was sleeping on my chest at the time.)

Yum yum!

And here are the kiddos playing on their play mat this afternoon. We finally have enough room to put all the tiles out! Both Hazel and Jude are "crawling" now (more like slithering like snakes). Hazel's crawl is a bit more coordinated, so she's really getting around now.

The kids seem to really like their new house, and the return of some regularity. And of course we all love having our own space! The welcome committee did a beautiful job getting the house all ready for us and stocking the cupboards with goodies. We'll post pictures of the house as soon as we have a few more things in order.

So there's a bit of what we've been up to. Stay tuned--there's more to come!

We're alive!

2011-08-18T17:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are alive. We're still pretty overwhelmed with unpacking and settling in, but we finally have internet again and will try to post some pictures/updates soon!

Dancing with Aunt Heidi and Uncle Brian

2011-08-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Noel's sister Heidi and her husband Brian have been in town since Wednesday. We don't know what we would have done without them, since they have packed half our apartment in the time they've been here!

This morning Hazel and Jude had a little dance party with their aunt and uncle before they left to go back home. Watch here.

Prayers during transition

2011-08-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

There are lots of changes happening now and that will continue to happen over the next few weeks. Our apartment is about half packed. Okay, that's probably an exaggeration. Maybe 1/4 is more realistic, if that. We'll get there though! We'll be loading a truck Monday the 8th and leaving either the 9th or 10th. We hope to arrive in Oak Harbor the 12th or 13th. Please pray that our stuff is delivered by the moving company on the 12th. If it isn't, it won't come until at least the 15th, which could make for a few interesting days in our new home (especially for Hazel and Jude).

Hazel and Jude are quite beside themselves lately. They have recently transitioned to formula and it is not going well at all (especially for Hazel). They are not eating nearly as much and are in obvious discomfort (so much so that Hazel doesn't even want solids anymore). We keep trying new kinds and are praying that we find the right match for each of them soon. Their teething also seems to be bad again. They've been teething for months and still have nothing to show for it! On top of the physical pain they're experiencing, we're sure they can sense the chaos around here. Please pray that they handle the lengthy car rides each day well, that they are able to tolerate formula so that they start eating more and are not in pain, and that they start sleeping better (Hazel has been up crying multiple times the past few nights).

We are very excited to get moved, settled, and start this new phase of life and are so thankful for the continued prayers of so many as we try and survive this period of major transition.

Reverend Snyder

2011-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of me taking my ordination vows yesterday, standing before a commission composed of ministers and elders from San Marino Community Church and other congregations in our presbytery. I was so thankful to have Heidi, Jude, and Hazel there with me--the first time we have all been in church together. And I was also happy to celebrate my call in the midst of the saints at San Marino who have nurtured us these past five years.

For the three people reading this who might be interested, here are the vows:

a. Do you trust in Jesus Christ your Savior, acknowledge him Lord of all and Head of the Church, and through him believe in one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?

b. Do you accept the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be, by the Holy Spirit, the unique and authoritative witness to Jesus Christ in the Church universal, and God’s Word to you?

c. Do you sincerely receive and adopt the essential tenets of the Reformed faith as expressed in the confessions of our church as authentic and reliable expositions of what Scripture leads us to believe and do, and will you be instructed and led by those confessions as you lead the people of God?

d. Will you fulfill your office in obedience to Jesus Christ, under the authority of Scripture, and be continually guided by our confessions?

e. Will you be governed by our church’s polity, and will you abide by its discipline? Will you be a friend among your colleagues in ministry, working with them, subject to the ordering of God’s Word and Spirit?

f. Will you in your own life seek to follow the Lord Jesus Christ, love your neighbors, and work for the reconciliation of the world?

g. Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church?

h. Will you seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love?

i. Will you be a faithful minister, proclaiming the good news in Word and Sacrament, teaching faith and caring for people? Will you be active in government and discipline, serving in the governing bodies of the church; and in your ministry will you try to show the love and justice of Jesus Christ?

I answered them all in the affirmative.

Neurology Update on Jude: Still Good

2011-07-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple months, Jude's head size has grown at a faster rate than the rest of him, and he has sometimes displayed mild symptoms of hydrocephalus (which could just as easily be normal baby things, except for the "sunsetting eyes"). Given his history, the pediatrician thought it best to have him checked again by the neurologist, even though Jude had previously "graduated" from neurology. So we went in for a cranial ultrasound last Friday and had an appointment with the neurologist yesterday. The news is still good: Jude again got the "all clear." His ventricles are still on the high side of normal, but he is otherwise still looking good. The neurologist thinks that his head growth is just him "catching up," which is consistent with his other areas of growth beginning to catch up as well. (His length recently jumped into the 10th-25th percentile for his actual age.) The wonder of Jude's recovery continues!

Medicine-Time Funny

2011-07-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

Jude and Hazel's schedule got messed up by a doctor's appointment that ran long, so we got them up to give them their Prevacid after they had refused to nap for a long period. Jude was obviously still tired, so I shot a quick video of him because he and Hazel were cracking me up.

Our picky eater

2011-07-25T15:53:00.001-07:00

Well, we were finally given the go ahead to try solids with the kids, but Jude has other ideas. He wants nothing to do with it. I have tried pears, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, and bananas. He says, "no" to all of them. He makes a horrible face and after a few bites, he looks like he wants to barf. I keep trying, but all he wants right now is rice cereal. A picky eater already? Oh no! What will I ever do? Will he not like my cooking? We will have to work on this. C'mon Jude.

Hazel's Favorite Toy

2011-07-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

With all the toys Hazel has to choose from, which one do you think is her favorite? Watch and see.

She loves to play with the tags on all her other toys as well. Simple and fun!

Unexpected Graduation

2011-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment at the GI yesterday and it went better than expected. Both Jude and Hazel's growth was great and Jude made a major leap on the length chart. His weight just can't seem to keep up with his length so he's still pretty skinny. Anyway, the GI said that she didn't want to make any changes to their medication or high calorie formula at this time since we're about to enter a major transition with moving. Once we're settled though, she said to start weaning them off their reflux medication and their high calorie formula. And we can start trying more solids now. Yay! She also said we shouldn't need an appointment with a GI in Seattle, which is great! One less specialist to make an appointment with. Way to go, babies!

It's Official: We're Moving to Washington!

2011-07-20T12:23:00.001-07:00

The picture above is not a painting. It's a wobbly photo that I (Noel) took with my cell phone last Saturday in Oak Harbor, WA. I had a great weekend up there at First Reformed Church, although I wished Heidi, Jude, and Hazel could have come with me. It went so well, though, that last night they extended a call for me to become their new associate pastor, and I accepted. So next month we are moving to Washington! The position is called "Minister of Worship and Discipleship," and as the title implies my responsibilities will be primarily in the areas of worship and music and adult discipleship.

Obviously, there's going to be lots to do between now and mid-August. In addition to packing, getting the babies ready to move, and saying goodbye to friends and neighbors, there will be the "minor" matter of my examination and ordination by the presbytery. And then, of course, all of the other loose ends as far as my employment and education are concerned. Please pray for us as we embark on this next phase of our journey!

Happy Boy

2011-07-20T09:03:00.000-07:00

Jude welcomes a new day with a half-dazed smile (he just woke up):

Hazel crawling?

2011-07-19T16:53:00.000-07:00

Uh oh, look out! Hazel is starting to pull herself forward with her arms, which makes her much more mobile. She's going to be all over the place any day now. The physical therapist thought it would be another couple months before she crawls, but I don't know. She looks to me like she's getting close. Check it out:

More pictures

2011-07-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

"Hi!" They are both very happy because Jude is officially done with one of his lung medications. Yay! He should be done with the other one in 2 weeks.

Our little prodigy?

The physical therapist that works with the kids brings a piano like this every week. Ever since the beginning, Hazel has loved it. We were hesitant to buy one because we want it to be special when the therapist comes, but it really helps her with her sitting/balancing and I thought it'd be good to use on a daily basis. I hope I didn't spoil it for our therapist!

Morning Fun

2011-07-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Orange and white stripe day

2011-07-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

It didn't start out as an orange and white stripe day, but it ended as one as Hazel is in outfit number 5 and Jude in outfit number 3. I think we need a bigger cloth diaper size because these kids are suddenly soaking everything! Calling Dy-dee Diaper Service was on my list of things to do last week, but it didn't get done. Too bad. I didn't realize we were so close to growing out of the old ones. Anyway, they ended up looking cute! And all the laundry they dirtied was done by Aunt Hillary. Thank goodness!

So cute holding hands! Hazel was quite insistent on chewing on Jude's hand. We've got some serious teething going on here. Jude was not a fan, but he tolerated it alright. He's a pretty easy going guy.

We sure are going to miss Aunt Hillary, but we are eager for Noel to get home!

Party in the park

2011-07-14T18:48:00.001-07:00

Aunt Hillary, Hazel, Jude, and I went to celebrate our friend, Katie's, graduation today at a park. This was one of our first "big gathering" outings. We've had a few, but not many. We're glad to be able to get out more even though we still have to be very cautious.

Jude was quite the party animal.

Congrats Katie! We're so proud of you and are glad we were able to celebrate with you!

Let me have it!

2011-07-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

Aww, how cute! Jude and Hazel's first fight over a toy ...

Tummy Time

2011-07-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

This one goes out to all the physical therapists in the family (Noel's parents and our brother-in-law, Jason): Jude and Hazel doing morning tummy time, with Jude showing off his improved neck strength and Hazel showing off her pivoting skills.

Oak Harbor Interview

2011-07-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

We are happy to report that this week Noel is heading to Oak Harbor, WA, as the leading candidate for an open position, Minister of Worship and Discipleship at First Reformed Church. Pray for him, and for our family as we try to discern what God is calling us to next!

We are really excited about this opportunity and hope it goes well for him. If all does go well, this may be at the end of our drive to our next home:

Deception Pass Bridge

Photo from Yahoo! Travel

1 bedroom frustrations

2011-07-09T21:11:00.000-07:00

It is becoming more frustrating by the day to be in a 1 bedroom apartment. Hazel and Jude have become much more susceptible to noise and are constantly waking each other up, waking up from neighbor noises, and waking up from our noises. It's especially frustrating for naps when one wakes up early, starts crying, and wakes the other up. Jude's usually the early riser, he wakes up Hazel, and she WILL NOT go back to sleep (she may, but by the time she does, it's time to get up and eat again...ugh). We are so looking forward to having more space someday. The first thing we're going to do is put them in their own bedrooms. We'd love for them to be able to share, but it's not working.

Also, Hazel is getting more mobile by the hour. We didn't plan on having to "baby proof" this apartment and I think we'll probably still be able to get by without it as long as we move soon and keep an eye on her at all times. She's rolling more, pivoting around on her tummy, and scooching a little bit (backwards). If we look away for 30 seconds, we often turn around and wonder, "how did she get over there?". I'm sure she'll be crawling sooner than we expected!

Jude

2011-07-08T19:22:00.000-07:00

Jude says, "hello" and shows off his foot trick again.

Not much going on

2011-07-06T21:24:00.001-07:00

There's not a whole lot going on around here other than the usual feeding and playing with babies. We did go to UCLA yesterday for Jude to see the pulmonologist. His last labs were good, so we're in the process of weaning him off of 2 of his medications. It'll take about a month to be done with both of them, but they are the last 2 meds that he takes with his milk. It will be so great to not have to think, "what meds get put in this bottle?" 6 times a day.

The kids are still testing our patience with their inconsistent eating, but we're managing. We're still praying for progress in this area, and patience for us.

Hazel is sitting quite well on her own, but not well enough to be left alone. Today she sat for over a minute for the physical therapist. Jude actually sat for quite a long time too, propping himself with his arms. It's the first time he's done it without our support! Our physical therapist can get these kids to do things better than we can. They always show off for her. We think they really like her. It's funny because they often do less than what they're capable of for the OT. Interesting.

We're looking forward to Aunt Hillary visiting next week!

Do you like our new sunglasses?

2011-07-03T18:12:00.001-07:00

Yum ... Feet!

2011-06-30T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hazel and Jude have a new trick to show you. Both of them are fond of sticking their feet in their mouths every time they are on the changing table. Good thing they can't walk yet, or this would be a yucky trick.

6 month pictures

2011-06-29T17:04:00.001-07:00

These pictures are a bit old now, but we did have their 6 month pictures taken (when they were almost 7 months old). Our talented neighbor, Sara, of www.onelove-photo.com generously agreed to capture our little ones. Unfortunately, they were not very smiley that afternoon. Oh well. They still look cute!

Classic Jude look

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

2011-06-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry we can't be there to celebrate with you. Maybe next year!

Sleep

2011-06-26T12:30:00.000-07:00

It took a week of no therapy for us to realize that our kids really need to nap more. Both of our therapists canceled this past week and it gave us an entire week to create our own schedule. Therapy is only 2 days each week, but it seems that it really affects our overall schedule. We have to revolve our schedule around having the kids ready, fed, and awake for the therapists (or wake them up if they happen to be sleeping). It makes it impossible to keep a consistent daily schedule. But, we found out this past week that our kids do MUCH better when we can have the same schedule each day and not have to be woken up for therapy. They took great naps and were much less fussy this past week. I guess we'll just have to make sure the 5 days they don't have therapy are all pretty consistent because we like happy, sleeping babies!

Good growth? I don't think so.

2011-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment with the GI doctor yesterday. For the first time, we were not feeling desperate since our kids are eating better than they have been every other time we've gone. However, their weight gain over the past month was not that great. Both of them have fallen farther away from the curve in terms of weight (this is the first time they haven't followed or exceeded the growth curve). However, they both jumped up on the curve (actual age measurements!) for length. Jude is at the 3rd % for length and Hazel is at the 10th % (for 7 month olds...yay!). The doctor said we need to increase their volume and not feed them solids since they are lower in calories. What a bummer. We gave Hazel sweet potatoes the other day for the first time and she loved them! It's a challenge to get them to eat more. Although they are eating better, they would still rather eat less than what we are feeding them. We feel bad for stuffing them so full. But, since yesterday, they have been eating almost everything we've been giving them. So, maybe our new plan will work just fine.
We know their weight gain wasn't great this past month, but they look good. I can't imagine how chubby they'd be if they were actually on the weight growth chart. They'd look ridiculous! We're praying that they bulk up a bit before their next appointment so that we can go back to trying solids and try to decrease the calories we put in their bottles.

Other than that, it's been a pretty quiet week around here.

Happy Father's Day/Go Tigers!

2011-06-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

Jude and Hazel got Noel a ticket to the Dodgers/Tigers game tonight for Father's Day (accompanied by some friends). We all dressed for the occasion today. Go Tigers!

No kids!

2011-06-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

We did it! We went to the U2 concert on Saturday thanks to a couple of great people who offered to watch our kids. We had a GREAT time and the kids did well! Hurray for dates!

Saturday Morning Jam Session

2011-06-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday morning! Here is a little clip of Jude making some music. He doesn't hold the maracas here as long as he often does, but he does manage to accidentally give himself some accompaniment!

Fussy

2011-06-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

Nothing really new going on here. The kids have been SUPER fussy the past couple days. We think they're teething. It's quite early, but they appear to have all the symptoms. 2 teething kids is quite a handful!

Apparently the oxygen company didn't receive the doctor's orders to pick up the equipment until today, so they won't be coming until tomorrow. It'll be great to see it all go! More champagne in order? Or maybe just a trip to 21 Choices? We'll see!

We have our first NICU follow-up appointment tomorrow. All kids who spend time in the NICU get followed periodically for 2 years to check for developmental issues. We think our kids will impress the staff! We are most excited to have the OT evaluate them again. We loved working with her in the NICU and the kids are doing so great now!

It's official: no more oxygen!

2011-06-13T15:13:00.000-07:00

The pulmonologist read the results of Jude's sleep study today and confirmed our suspicions: he no longer needs any oxygen! The company will probably come by tomorrow and take away all our tanks and get the oxygen concentrator out of here. Thank God!

"I'd like to propose a toast to no more oxygen."

No more oxygen?

2011-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

We had an appointment with the pulmonologist yesterday, which went very well (other than the 2 hour car ride home due to traffic, Jude screaming, Jude eating, and Jude barfing). We were able to pick up the equipment for the sleep study for Jude to test whether or not he still needs oxygen for sleeping. We did the study last night and we think it went great! He made it through the whole night without setting off the alarm (which would indicate that he was desatting too much)...unless we slept through the alarm, but we're quite sure we didn't. So, we're very hopeful that once the doctor reviews the test, she will order no more oxygen. We will return the equipment on Monday and are hoping she'll be able to review the results Monday or Tuesday.

As for the breathing treatments....ugh. The doctor said she usually continues them until the kids are a year old, but never beyond that. We told Jude, "Don't worry, you only need these treatments about 300 more times." Good thing he doesn't know how to count. Too bad we do.

It's possible that our apartment will be machine free and oxygen tank free a few days from now. So, if any of you are having trouble breathing, don't come here for help.

Daddy/Hazel games

2011-06-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hazel loves to grab at everything these days. She wants to drink from my water glass, talk on my cell phone (don't worry--we don't let her!), and rip our noses and lips off our faces. Here's a clip of her having fun with her daddy, grabbing at his hair.

Scratch

2011-06-09T15:36:00.001-07:00

"I won't let my mommy cut my fingernails. That's why I have this scratch on my nose."

Who needs a play mat?

2011-06-09T14:12:00.001-07:00

Hazel has been rolling back to front and front to back for a few weeks now, but never in the same direction. We put her in the center of the mat on her back today (2 different times) and found her rolled all the way off. She's getting mobile!

Off to Target we go!

2011-06-08T21:42:00.001-07:00

Good News

2011-06-07T14:53:00.001-07:00

We got a call this morning from the GI doctor and Jude's liver enzymes are all normal now. Praise God! He's done with another medication. Yay!

Hello

2011-06-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

Hazel is getting bored with the playmat, so Noel set her up in her bumbo to change things up a bit. She loves it!

"Hello!"

Concentrating very hard.

"Hello again!"

"And hello one more time!"

"I might be worried...

...or maybe not!"

The Week Ahead

2011-06-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

We are grateful for the prayers of so many and continue to ask for you to pray for Hazel and Jude. We have an appointment at the pulmonologist this Friday and will repeat the sleep study for Jude sometime over the weekend (assuming we can get the equipment). We are praying that his lungs have gotten stronger over the past month and that he will be done with the oxygen completely. Wouldn't that be amazing? It would be so freeing! The doctor called us with his electrolyte results already and decided that even though things look good, she doesn't want to wean him off the meds until after he's done with the oxygen. Boo. Oh well. Hopefully it will all be done within a couple of months. (As a side note: Lung strength often correlates with growth, and since Jude's growth hasn't been outstanding over the past month, we're not sure how much stronger his lungs got.) We are also praying that both of their lungs are strong enough to not need breathing treatments anymore (they are very time consuming and Jude hates them).

Also, the kids still don't eat great and yesterday was a VERY challenging day. This may sound trite, but we have tickets to a U2 concert in less than 2 weeks that we've been looking forward to going to for a year and a half. If the kids aren't eating like halfway normal babies, 1 of us won't be able to go. We would REALLY like to go together, but the kids can't be left with anyone with the way they are right now. It seems like the medicine worked for 2 days and then stopped working as well. I don't think that's possible, but that's what it seems like. Maybe we still haven't found the right medicine. Who knows at this point. It's beyond frustrating. We pray everyday for a miracle of healing, that all acid, pain, gas, discomfort, and fear will be removed so that they can be comfortable, eating will be pleasurable, and we can have more freedom.

Last labs?

2011-06-03T09:41:00.001-07:00

Jude is getting labs drawn this afternoon to check his liver enzyme that was elevated last month as well as his electrolytes. If the results come back normal (which we think they will), he will stop 3 of his medications. This would be so great! It would mean his liver is now functioning properly and his lungs are much stronger than they were. Plus, it would mean we wouldn't be washing medical syringes in addition to bottles all day long. :) But, that's beside the point.

We love Prevacid!

2011-06-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that the kids are doing MUCH better on their new reflux medication, Prevacid. They are still not eating great, but it's better. Hazel has actually been crying because she's hungry the last few days, which has not happened in weeks. We still have to do a song and dance (literally) during most feeds to get them to finish, but it's more manageable than a week or 2 ago. We are still praying that things continue to improve and that they start to eat well enough that we could actually leave them with a babysitter and head out on the town! Okay, not really, but we are praying that they start to eat well enough that I (Heidi) can care for them on my own without wanting to pull my hair out every second of the day. There will come a day (maybe someday soon!) that Noel will no longer be around for the majority of most days and I will have to be able to do it alone. So, we're praying that things are well under control before that time.

The kids are developing "normally" in other areas. Yesterday, the physical therapist said she didnt' think they'd need therapy long term because their movements are normal and they are progressing normally. It's still too early to tell for sure that there will be no problems, but thank God there are no warning signs yet (especially for Jude)!

Jude is now rolling front to back and tolerating more tummy time. Hazel is getting very close to sitting on her own. She can sit for several minutes while leaning on a toy in front of her, but isn't quite balancing on her own yet.

Happy Memorial Day!

2011-05-30T17:07:00.000-07:00

Daddy/Kid time

2011-05-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Family Movie Night

Daddy/Daughter reading time

Jude talks too!

2011-05-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Jude entertained himself for a good 20 minutes like this!

Hazel's voice

2011-05-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hazel is "talking" more and more. She was laughing and blowing bubbles a lot before I started the camera, but stopped doing it once the camera appeared. Anyway, here's a little glimpse of some of her new sounds.

Some of Hazel's other favorite new things:

Her daddy - she lights up whenever Noel's around
Showing her excitement by "flapping" her arms and legs
Putting EVERYTHING in her mouth
Rolling from her back to tummy

Hazel, Jude, and Dr. Yamaga say, "Don't worry so much!"

2011-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

We had a great appointment at the GI yesterday. Even though the kids didn't gain any weight in over a week, their overall monthly gain was still very good. Hazel's was better than Jude's and she is even closer to getting on the growth chart. Jude is growing and is following the curve of the growth chart, but not making any progress getting up to the curve (he's just following steadily below the curve). We're still trying to figure out why the kids aren't eating well and what's causing them so much discomfort, so we have lots of new things to try. We started a new reflux medicine this morning, we're switching the formula that gets added to the milk to one that's easier to digest, and we're giving Hazel a medication to help her empty her stomach and intestines a bit faster so she doesn't get so filled up with gas. We are hoping that all of this enables them to not have any more stomach pain, which in turn should help them eat better. And the best news is, we got permission to let them sleep longer at night! Woohoo! We slept for nearly 7 hours straight last night (though we still woke up COMPLETELY exhausted).

Tired

2011-05-25T09:26:00.001-07:00

We're still baffled and frustrated at both of our kids refusal to eat. It just doesn't make any sense. Are they both having bad reactions to their reflux medicine? Is it something in the milk? It seems like our days are filled with these conversations, trying to make sense of something so that we can help our kids. One of the most frustrating parts of their poor eating is the fact that we can't let them sleep through the night. We let them skip one feed, but usually wake them up at 4 AM or so to eat again. This makes us VERY tired (since we often don't go to bed until midnight) and frustrated (especially when we're waking up to feed babies who don't want to eat!). Even with waking them up in the night to eat, they don't eat enough in a 24 hour period. Neither of them have gained any weight in over a week. This is very concerning to us and we're just praying that things will turn around soon. Thanks for you prayers.

Rough Days

2011-05-24T13:06:00.000-07:00

We've had a rough couple of days here. Hazel's eating refusal is really bad again and both kids have barfed a number of times in the last 48 hours. We finished feeding them this morning and thought it'd be fun to take them for a walk in our new stroller. But, as soon as we got them buckled in, Jude barfed all over the place (himself, the new stroller, the carpet). Needless to say, we never made it out for the walk.

The kids (especially Hazel) are in need of prayer. Her eating problems have been going on for a long time and we can't seem to find a medication that helps. Therapy has not really helped either. So, we just keep praying that she'll be healed. She has started gagging when spoon feeding now, which she never used to do. It's frustrating to feel like we're going backwards, and hard to see her in so much discomfort. We have an appointment with the GI on Thursday and hope to get some answers.

Wiping Hazel's Face

2011-05-22T15:52:00.001-07:00

It's so hard to capture Hazel's smile on camera, but here's proof that she does smile! She loves getting her face wiped after eating.