World Prematurity Day

Today, November 17 is World Prematurity Day.  This year marks the second annual day of awareness worldwide.  This article is a decent place to start for raising awareness.  Over 15 million babies a year are born before 37 weeks.  The most shocking statistic for me though was that "along with stillbirths, prematurity claims the lives of about 4 million babies each year and is the leading cause of death in the newborn period."  

Gabriella and Benjamin were considered late term preemies at 34 weeks.  I realize that the differences between 24 or 25 week old preemies and my preemies are indescribable.  However, without serious medical intervention in the NICU at Christ Hospital for two full weeks for my sweet baby girl and for exactly one month for my brave little boy, I would not have them at home with me today.  I know this.  They absolutely would not have survived.  If not for the grace of God and the knowledge and skill of our medical team, our story would have ended in tragedy.

Gabriella Margaret - shortly after birth

my tiny Gabriella was such a trooper 

my first time feeding her, just 5 ml of breast milk was such a challenge for her

we were so blessed to be able to hold Gabriella about 10 hours after birth
Benjamin is in the incubator in the background, directly across from his sister

Benjamin Ryan - shortly after birth

my sweet Benjamin had to be stronger than any little baby should have to be

after 11 very long days, I finally got to hold my baby Benjamin in my arms, still intubated

pumpkin patch and Halloween

Last Friday we took Gabriella and Benjamin to a small, local pumpkin patch.  They really got a kick out of the straw maze!

And then yesterday, for Halloween, Gabriella dressed up as a pink birdie and Benjamin was a friendly dragon!

play time, all of the time

We spend so.much.time. in the playroom.  The playroom is actually our dining room, but before we got Lucy we moved the dining room set to the basement and made the space into the babies' playroom.  Gabriella and Benjamin are growing so fast and changing so much!!  Here are a few pictures of an afternoon in the playroom this week:

Gabriella loves snuggling in laps and being tickled!  She loves watching Lucy outside from the playroom window and always shares lots of food off of her high chair tray with her puppy!!!

Benjamin loves reading books (especially the touch and feel truck board book), playing with his cars,  and giving kisses.  He is crazy about his puppy Lucy!!!

I just die when this baby girl flashes her pearly whites!
(15 months)

Benjamin's smile just melts my heart!
(15 months)

Daddy and the babies having some quiet time reading.

Mommy and Benjamin reading his new truck book.

July recap in photos

all ready for the big bash

Gabriella and Daddy

Benjamin and Mommy

Lucy is 4 month old and weighs 55 pounds already!

Happy 1st Birthday!

One year ago today was the happiest day of my life - the day Gabriella and Benjamin were born.  I can not believe how fast this last year has gone by.  It's bittersweet; I want my babies to stay babies but am just thrilled to have happy, healthy babies in my arms that are getting bigger and stronger every day. 
We had a small celebration today with some presents and a couple of smash cakes and a big Mickey and Minnie Mouse cake that Uncle Nick and Auntie Brooke bought for the babies:

life lately

Daily life over here has been pretty uneventful, which is just fine in my book!  Gabriella and Benjamin will typically sleep in until between 7:15 and 8:30, but that's after having an early morning bottle.  Then they'll play and eat and play some more until it's nap time, around 3 hours later.  After naps, it's more of the same.  If it's nice out, we'll head outside to play or splash in the baby pools, or we'll take the short ride over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a dip in the big pool.  A couple of times a week we'll have playdates with Auntie Brooke, Dominick, and Owen.  All of this excitement is followed by more food and bottles and an afternoon nap.  Once Jamie gets home from work, they can't get enough of him.  Just this week Gabriella started saying Dada; up until now it was just hi.  So, here's life lately, in pictures:

one year ago today - 33 weeks

I have this habit of viewing time in relative terms, which if fun when you're anticipating something but can be a downer when you're looking back.  Like vacations - my mind works like this *one week from today we'll be going on rides at the Magic Kingdom* OR *this time last week we were watching the sunset in Maui* (for example).
I've got a few posts to catch up on: we got our Saint Bernard puppy back in May; Benjamin qualified for physical therapy services through Early Intervention; party planning for the big birthday bash.  But in the meantime, here's what's on my heart right now...
One year ago today I was 33 weeks pregnant and sent to the hospital because of my blood pressure.  I remember the details of that night so vividly.  It seems like it just happened, but at the same time it feels like Gabriella and Benjamin have been with us forever.  My ob instructed me not to eat and head straight for Christ Hospital, just in case they had to pull the babies.  I remember that the babies kept falling off of the monitors all.night.long no matter which way I slept.  I remember in the morning how my heart raced and my bp sky-rocketed when the mean maternal fetal medicine doc that I had during the first week I was in entered my room to go over things with me.  He was just as mean this time around.  Looking back, I wish I would have filed a complaint.  Or demanded a different doctor.  Or something.  But I guess the bottom line is, he was part of the team that kept me and my babies safe, so for that I am grateful.
I have been playing back *one year ago today* all day and I continue to be just flooded with emotions.  I cry a lot.  I look at my sweet babies and just thank God for them.  I still feel pangs sadness for everything that my babies went through in the NICU, especially Benjamin.  I still feel like I was robbed of part of the picture perfect scenes that all mommas-to-be envision, water breaking, holding a newborn, rooming in, beaming as I held my newborns when we were discharged days later.  That just wash't our story.  I accept that.  I am grateful that we have our own happy story to share even if it wasn't a typical, run of the mill type of event.
One year ago today I was scared silly that my babies were going to be born too soon.  I was terrified of having a stroke or seizures.  But I was also blessed to be pregnant with two healthy babies.  I was happy to just take it day by day and keep them in as long as it was safe for all three of us.  I was excited to meet my snuggle bugs very soon.
 I was thankful for everything God had given me; and some things will never change.

embracing the camera

I recently came across this adorable family blog.  A once weekly bit that she participates in  is *embrace the camera*.  The link below is the info page on her site, but in a nutshell it's all about mommies getting into more pictures!  Ummm, hello.  That's me.  Even before the babies, when Jamie and I would go o n vacation there would be about 300 pictures of him and like 6 with me in them.  It was like he had his own photographer documenting his travels.  I swear, people would ask "hey, didn't you go with Amanda?"  =).

Anyways, one of my new year's goals was to make sure to take pictures of Gabriella and Benjamin every week, video at least every other week, and once a month to get pics of me and Jamie with the babes.  The first two goals weren't too hard; it was pretty much already happening.  It's that last one... get in the pictures that I haven't rocked it on. 

I got a tripod for my DSLR for Christmas, so we have set it up and used the self timer for a few whole family shots, but not as often as I had hoped.  And definitely not enough candid, natural, silly, normal, this is our life shots.  It's my own fault.

I am guilty of sliding down the slippery slope of being a stay at home mommy - I don't take a shower every day.  I don't wear make up every day.  Some days I stay in my jammies and go right back to bed in them at night.  And some days when I do get dressed it's sweats and tshirts.  ::sigh::  So, I'm a bit self conscious and not wanting to hop in pictures looking all raggedy.  But then I read Emily's Embrace the Camera page.  And what she said makes sense.  I know she's right. 

One day all that will be left of me for my kids, besides their memories of course, is pictures.  They won't care if mommy had greasy roots in her ponytail.  Or unconcealed dark circles.  Or pimples.  (oh, the pimples!  I went back to the derm yesterday, btw)  They'll treasure the  pictures of their mommy and them and likely wish they had more, no matter how many there are.  I know I do with my baby pictures.  I LOVE seeing my mom and dad with me and my brother in the albums.  Never once have I ever thought 'mom should have put makeup on/ fixed her hair/ worn nicer clothes'.

So, I took the leap and got into some pictures.  My first day I was still in my jammies, not a touch of makeup.  Yesterday, I ran upstairs and put a little powder and blush on, fixed my ponytail, and threw on a cute tee and sweats.  I used the self timer to get me with both babies.  I took a few shots of me individually with Gabriella and Benjamin holding my arm out to get us in the frame. 

And ya know what?  It wasn't too shabby.  I'm totally uploading later today to share my results!!!

http://andersonfamilycrew.blogspot.com/p/embrace-camera.html

walk it out

Lovin' the sun hats!  Since Gabriella has a really big brain like her mommy, she'll outgrow hers in no time.  But that's ok, just another reason I'll have to go shopping for my princess!

what the babies have been up to

The weather here is crazy... it's mid 70s!  We're totally taking advantage of the unseasonably high temperatures and going for walks in the double stroller. 

Gabriella had front row seating!

Benjamin enjoyed having bars to rest his feet on and was very interested in how the straps worked!

Benjamin took his first nap in his crib in the nursery today! 

my little Benjamin, having sweet dreams
lullabies, loose swaddle (arms free), paci, and shh-shh puppy

We're slowly trying to get both babies in there for naps, but not overnight yet.  The American Academy of Pediatrics' safe sleeping guidelines {click full text, and it's recommendation 3} for reducing the incidents of SIDS has as one of their recommendations that babies co-sleep (but never co-bed) until the age of 1.  Gabriella is still sleeping the the NapNanny because of her reflux.  Knock on wood, she's been doing great, so we're trying to transition her back to the bassinet so she's laying flat, and then after she's used to that, she'll try out her crib for naps.