My usual Krysten plug!

Shea was photographed by Krysten Halek this week-end and, as usual, I have to HIGHLY ENCOURAGE anyone who wants fantastic photos of their children to contact her right away. These are just a few samples that she posted on her blog. I can't wait to see the rest!

Last Catch-Up?

I'd like to say that this is the last time I'll post photos that were taken well over a month ago, but it's probably not! These are the last of our Christmas photos (I think)! We've had a good week-end, with D.R.'s brother Jon seeing some good improvements...

Christmas morning, D.R. reads the kiddos Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Shea looks a little bored. Maybe she's not a sci-fi gal.

As usual, boxes CONTINUE to thrill the boys to no end. This time, a few streamers made their "houses" complete. Dex-left, Jax- right.

Jaxon

Dexter

My little Dex-in-a-box.

Shea was seriously cracking me up, right here. Her big thrill was removing her sock over and over again. It's the little things, right?

Of course, Theresa is still an all-time favorite for the boys. She surprised them with some super-fun games, which continue to be HUGE hits. It doesn't hurt that one involves superheroes and the other hammers!!

Entertaining Shea

This video is a month old, but it still makes me smile. These days, the boys get such a kick out of presenting Shea with treasures and trying to get a smile or a giggle out of her. Dex, in particular, can be found almost constantly presenting her with matchbox cars or action figures, which, interestingly enough, thrill Shea to no end. Here, the boys do their best "baby talk," and naturally, Shea understands every syllable. :)

Shea sits!

Shea decided this week would be a good week to learn how to sit up on her own. Yay, Shea! Yesterday, we were timing her in terms of seconds... today, she's up to six minutes! (Yes, sometimes it truly is the little things that make our days so exciting around here!)

I also realized I neglected to post her 4 month stats. Not a biggie for most people, but this is where I keep track of that information! So... at four months old, Shea was 14 pounds an 25 inches long. That put her in about the 50th percentile for weight and the upper 80's for length. Her noggin is much smaller than the boys at 16", 25-50%.

On that note, I'm being summoned by a hungry Shea and two boys who are trying to "put me in pillow jail."

Shea Bug

A few of my favorite shots of our little Shea Bug, taken well over a month ago (as usual!!!). I think I took these right around her 4-month birthday. Let's see... things she's been doing lately, other than keeping us all smiling...

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She's a little roly-poly, in more ways than one! She's been rolling from back to front since she was four months old and is a bit undecided on whether or not she can roll from front to back. Some days, she's a pro and other days, she seems to have no idea that she's capable of getting off her tummy. Too funny!

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In addition to her sweet little coos, growls, grunts, aahs, gaahs and goos, she has added a "ba" to her vocabulary. How is it that such a little thing can be so much fun to listen to?

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She's napping like a pro (let's hope this doesn't jinx anything!), allowing me to carry her into her bedroom, place her in her crib, give a quick kiss and a goodnight and walk out the door. LOVE IT! Two nights ago, she even beat her nighttime sleep record and gave us 14 hours straight. Yay, Shea!

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We started rice cereal this week. I wish I could have videotaped it, but I was alone, so I'll have to give my best account of what happened. First spoonful, I got the scrunch face I was fully expecting. Second spoonful, Shea was lunging forward trying to grab the spoon and put it in her mouth, herself! I love how easily she takes to things. Of course, two days into rice cereal, she broke out in a rash all over her body, so we've decided to wait a week, reintroduce it and see what happens.

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She continues to ADORE her brothers. Dex and Jax are great at making her smile and giggle (even when they're not trying to). She thinks they are about the greatest things EVER. Equally fascinating for Shea are the boys' toys. If given the option of playing with a baby toy or a big-boy toy, Shea ALWAYS reaches for the latter. Now, I frequently hear the boys exclaiming things like, "No, Shea! Give that back! That's my toy!"

She still prefers being held to anything else, but I don't mind one bit. It was far too difficult to get good cuddle time in with the boys, as there were two of them and I almost always felt like I was neglecting one of them. I'm just loving the fact that I can hold our little Shea Bug, while playing with or helping the boys, and I don't feel like anyone is wanting for anything. What a great feeling.

No matter what else is going on around us, Shea manages to make us all smile, laugh and relax a whole lot more than if she weren't in this family. Thank you, Shea!!!

If I must

It's been difficult for me to think about posting on the blog, recently, considering how preoccupied we've all been with Jon and all that he's going through, right now. But, as D.R. reminded me the other night, perhaps that all the more reason I should be posting... to remember just how important family is...

So, here are a few photos of our family in the weeks before Christmas. Please continue to remember Jon. We want so desperately for him to be back with us soon. One of my favorite phrases, these days, is, "Let's do a project, Mom!" The boys are cute as pie rummaging through parenting magazines for project ideas. Here they are, making snow pictures. I love Jaxon's giant pile of snow and how deliberate Dexter was in placing each little cotton ball.

More projects on the wall.

If only I could save all of these! I guess I should just get in the habit of photographing them more. How lucky we are that our walls change so frequently!

Putting up Christmas decorations was a big hit, this year. Of course, trying on the stockings was the funniest part. This is Dex.

This just makes me laugh.

Jax couldn't be left out, of course!

Aren't I silly?

Again, sometimes I get busy with dishes, or laundry, or Shea... and I turn around to check on the boys and just start cracking up when I see what they're doing. They may be hidden under couch cushions, sitting on top of each other (a classic Dex/Jax game), flying in a make-shift spaceship or wearing black boots, a Batmask and cape, no pants AND drawing at the easel. Hee hee.

Recycling Christmas cards was fun when we turned them into lacing cards. I particularly get a kick out of how both boys stick their tongues out when they're concentrating. D.R. does this too.

Elf Jaxon.

Elf Dexter.

Daddy and his boys, getting ready to visit Santa. (jax-left, dex-right)

When will Daddy no longer be able to do this?!

Shea and Mommy.

I think family pics are going to be kind of tricky for a few years!!!

Dex thought Santa was pretty goofy. Jax was ONLY interested in the present Santa was going to give him. Oh boy!

Checking each other out. Jax- left, Dex- right.

Dexter's lovely bathtub do.

Here's Jaxon, lovin' the faux hawk.

For Jon

As many of you know, my brother-in-law, Jon, has been in the ICU since the 22nd of December with ARDS. So many people have been lifting Jon up in their thoughts and prayers... and we're continuing to pray that Jon will make a complete recovery from this incredibly scary illness. For those of you who are just finding out about this, please pray for Jon and his family.

Updates can be found at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/jonschroeder

Christmas Catch-Up

FINALLY, after a mad month of getting ready for Christmas, I find myself with a few moments to start catching up on blog posts!! We had a great day today. The boys were in full form as three-year olds... tearing through presents, happily playing with everything, they were so good at helping Shea, Mommy and Daddy open presents and were thrilled to tell Daddy what was inside of each of his. Too cute. Eventually (give me a month or two), I will post photos of this Christmas season... we have had so much fun with art projects, letters to Santa, baking, decorating... the boys LOVED making paper chains for our Christmas tree, as well as a paper star for the top... every morning, they would ask me if it was Christmas morning... all of it was far-too magical for me, as a mom...

For now, I will post this video of Shea and Granddad from Thanksgiving. I came across it tonight and I can't help but post it. Jaxon is pretty sweet, as well, counting his treasures.

In other news, D.R.'s brother has been hospitalized in the ICU with a nasty case of pneumonia, and now, a collapsed lung, as well. Prayers and good thoughts for him would be wonderful.

Be my Tauntaun

The boys' newest obsession is all things Star Wars. No, they haven't seen the movie. They found an Empire Strikes Back storybook of D.R.'s from his childhood and have listened to that story everyday for a good month. It amazes me, because it's long enough that it takes me a good half-hour to read the whole thing!

As usual, they have incorporated their newest love into their role playing, which is oh-so- entertaining for me.

Thing that have made me laugh, recently:

- They have these great phonics connecting blocks, which they ONLY use to build light-sabers.

- Today, climbing on my back, Jaxon said, "Mommy, be my Tauntaun!"

- They are convinced the Dark Side is an actual place, and have deemed the kitchen, the Dark Side. They are frequently shouting, "Mommy, I'm going to the Dark Side! Love you!"

- The other day, Jaxon told me, "My daddy's at work. Darth Vader's my daddy. I'm Luke Skywalker." Much improved from the day before when Dex kept following me around saying, "You're my dad, Mom! I'm Luke Skywalker!!"

- This morning, Dexter told me he was Princess Leia and Shea was Chewbacca. When Shea grabbed his phonics light saber and stuck it in her mouth, he shouted, "No!!! Stop eating my light saber, Chewbacca!!" This made me giggle.

- The couch is still the Batmobile, but the armchair across the living room is the Millenium Falcon... naturally.

- Jaxon can frequently be found hunched over. When asked why he's stumped over, he'll answer, "Yoda's on my back." Hmmm...

- Their bedtime stories HAVE to include all the characters from Batman, The Justice League, Transformers and, now, Star Wars. In addition, there must be frequent travels between Earth, Tatooine and the planet Hoth. It helps if Dex and Jax get to build a space ship and become Jedi Masters, as well. Too fun.

So, yes, they're keeping me smiling, as usual.

Identical!

The results are in... the boys are identical...same DNA! Though neither result would have surprised me, as there were days I was convinced they were identical and days I thought they looked nothing alike, I have to admit, this makes me look at them so much differently! Weird, right? It also makes me me marvel, all the more, at their individual character traits and personality differences. It's crazy stuff.

Being an identical twin, I assumed that it was impossible for me to have identical twins, myself. I had always read that fraternal twins were hereditary, but identical twins were more of a genetic fluke. It seems, however, that there must be a genetic link, of some sort. I have been able to find other cases of identical twins have identical twins, though, according to D.R.'s medical texts, the likelihood of being an identical twin born by an identical twin is 1 in 92,000. Crazy! (Roughly 3% of all births in the U.S. are twins, 1/3 of those being identical twins.)

Anyway, I feel a LITTLE less guilty for indulging myself early on in dressing them alike so often. :) And, since it makes shopping so much faster and easier when I can just buy two of something, I'm going to continue to let it slide... especially since they're usually each in different colors. Besides, they are very much in the "if he's wearing it, I want to wear it, to0" phase.

Most of all, it feels great to be able to answer that most-popular of questions, "Are your twins identical or fraternal?" :)