Robert & Danica's World: 2010

Monday, November 22, 2010

4 Month Check Up

So today was the boys' four month checkup and here is what the doctor said. They are both very healthy and look great!! Yes, it's okay that Tanner is still so much smaller than Dylan. Dylan weighed in at 17 lbs (!) and measured 25 3/4", which puts him in the 75th percentile for his weight and length. Tanner weighs 11 lbs and is 23 1/2" long. He is in the 5th percentile in length and 'almost the 5th' percentile for his weight. We get to start on cereal, so maybe that will help him fatten up! And it might help them sleep more at night! Yeah, cereal!!

They got shots which might hurt Mom as much as they hurt them...

Look at those legs!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

4 Months

This week Tanner & Dylan will be four months old. We can hardly believe how fast the time has gone by! And we can hardly believe how much they have changed from tiny, sleepy newborns into fun, active babies.

They are starting to interact, which is so fun to watch. They smile and sometimes 'talk' to each other. We're sure they'll be best buds...

The cooler fall weather has been wonderful! Both the boys really love to be outside, so we take walks pretty much every day, at least once.

Dylan & Tanner still look very different and we constantly get 'Are they twins?!' Their personalities are so different too that it would be hard to imagine them looking the same.

Both boys really like to be held right now and when Mom is by herself, sometimes this is the only way she can console them both.

Tanner is still the cutest little baby you have ever seen. His smiles cover his whole face and he is such a talker! He is happy to be held by pretty much anybody that is willing. The caretakers at the church nursery actually compete to see who will get to hold him! He sleeps well at night, but still only takes short naps during the day. Tanner loves to be straight up and down, not so much flat. But when he is laying down, he is starting to roll from his tummy to his back. He likes to be held high in the air and has started to giggle, which is so cute. Tanner is very active and alert and needs lots of attention!

Dylan is a lot more laid back. He can entertain himself on the playmat or in the swing for quite a while. He is a little more shy and tries to cling to Mom when new people are around. Dylan's smile can just melt your heart, even at 3am. And his giggles are super cute too. He loves to sit up and watch everything. He is trying to hold his bottle, which will be very helpful when he masters it. He doesn't talk as much as Tanner, but he has discovered his volume, which is cute for now.

With the holidays coming up, we are very excited to see all our family and let the boys get to know them more. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

As an aside, Robert and Danica both turned another year older this week too. Not as exciting for us anymore, but still worth mentioning!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

3 Months!

Dylan and Tanner are 3 months old now! Wow, it is truly hard to believe! We are very busy keeping up with them and they aren't even moving yet! They are smiling and talking and staying awake longer so we can 'play' with them a little more. They are even sleeping for six hours at a time... sometimes... and yet never together! : ) Sigh! Twins are always an adventure!

In September, Danica was brave enough to make the three hour trip to Oklahoma City to visit the Taylor family with the boys all by herself! It was really pretty easy. Just had to stop once for a quick lunch.

We got to see Samuel play baseball where he made an amazing out at first base!

Danica very much appreciated the extra help from Auntie Erin!

Merideth enjoys baseball her own way!

The weather in Texas has finally cooled down, so we get to spend a lot more time outside for walks and naps under the trees.

Grandpa visits us almost every week and we love to see him.

He has been helping Dad with a lot of house repairs lately.

Grandma came for a visit and couldn't believe how much the babies had changed in two months.

In October, we made another trip to OKC and this time Grandma helped with the travel.

When Merideth was little, she had a yellow Bumbo seat, but she outgrew it.

Now Dylan can hold his head up and sit in it.

And Merideth and Dylan are both happy!

Tanner being cute!

Tanner being cute and quiet.

Some of Robert's family made the trip from Tulsa and Perry, Oklahoma to visit the little ones. Julie, Vicki, Susan, and Lois took turns loving on Dylan and Tanner.

Even Natalie got some baby time!

We will try to keep taking pictures and keep you updated on what's going on in our crazy world!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

8 Weeks!

This week our little guys are 8 weeks old! Hard to believe! Life is still pretty crazy and Mom and Dad still don't get much sleep, but seeing the boys grow and change every day is such an amazing blessing!

They haven't started to interact with each other yet, but they do sleep together... sometimes.

This is our first family photo.

The boys had their two month check up this week and the doctor said that they both look very healthy.

Tanner weighs 7 1/2 pounds and is 20 1/2 inches long. He's still little, but gaining a half a pound a week. Tanner doesn't seem to like to sleep very much and we can already tell that he is going to be a very active little boy. He makes the funniest faces...

Dylan now weighs 12 pounds, 13 ounces and is 23 inches long. He is our little mellow, sleeper. His awake times have been a lot more interactive lately though. He smiles and 'talks' and takes everything in with his big eyes.

We love having visitors!! Extra arms are always welcome at our house!

Grandma stayed for a whole week, although we wish it had been longer!

Papa came all the way from Holland for a quick visit.

Guess he wore Tanner and himself out!

We have been able to use Skype a couple times to let our other family members see the babies and even watch them.

We made a trip out to Rockwall and the boys got to spend time with their Aunt Sandy and cousin Alex.

The Taylors came down for a weekend, which is always so much fun.

Samuel got to meet and play with the babies for the first time. He can't wait for his cousins to be old enough to really play with!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Four Weeks Old!!

Our precious boys are four weeks old today! AND we are all home together! God is good!

They are both eating a ton and gaining weight. Dylan weighs 8 pounds 10 ounces & Tanner has gained a half pound since he got home on Friday and weighs 5 pounds 8 ounces.

We are thrilled to be together with our happy, healthy babies!

We even got our official 'Parent' badges, so I guess no one can deny that Robert and Danica are now Daddy and Mommy!

Our Tiny Tanner...

Erin loved this picture of Dylan being a 'true guy'. Notice the placement of his hand in his waistband...

We've had many visitors and helpers since July 20th. Kristofer is Maisy's new best friend.

Aunt Denise drove from Memphis just for a day and a half with us!

Julie and her kids stopped by on their way through town to Oklahoma.

Things have been a little crazy, so we haven't taken a ton of pictures yet, but we're sure that will change. Danica has been experiencing a little bit of the 'baby blues', but is hoping to overcome this hurdle soon. Thank you again to everyone who has been there for us all!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Big Accomplishments for Little People!

We haven't had time to download any new photos (this parenting stuff sure is time consuming!), but we do have some new news to share.

Tanner has reached 4 pounds! He is doing great and is such a little fighter. Several nurses have commented on how loud he can be. He certainly won't let anyone overlook him! He is so little, but it is a miracle to watch him grow every day!

Dylan is up to 5 bottle feeds a day! They both eat eight times a day and started out eating 4 times with a bottle and 4 times through their little feeding tubes. To go home, they have to be able to finish 8 bottles a day, so adding a bottle to their schedule is a great accomplishment. Dylan is turning in to quite the little eater!

Monday, July 26, 2010

Happy 1st (Week) Birthday!!!

We are so very proud to introduce our boys Tanner Joseph & Dylan James!

Today they are one week old!!! They were born on July 20, 2010.

Tanner was born at 4:45 pm weighing 3 lbs 14 oz.

Dylan was born at 4:46 pm weighing 6 lbs 3oz.

Both babies and mom and dad came through the birth just fine!

Mom is recovering from her C-section. Tanner was taken to the NICU because of his low birth weight. Dylan joined him a short time later because his breathing was a little labored. (But we think he really just wanted to be closer to his brother!) The boys spent their first three days being watched after 24-7.

Dylan with his 'bow', really just a little IV.

Tanner with his wild hair!

Mom & Dad could visit any time they wanted and certainly took advantage of these times.

On day four, both boys 'graduated' to the Special Care Nursery where they will stay until they are ready to go home.

This is their little suite. Complete with bed for mom & dad, fridge just for their milk as well as one for adult food, a TV, and a great view. We love that they can be so close to each other. We cannot wait until we can all go home as a family!

Dylan James: