My sweet little 27 weekers.

We sent our laptop that we thought was a goner because it took FOREVER to turn on to our computer guy (who's 19 years old) for a last ditch effort. He repaired it and it runs great so I am on it currently. It is so nice to have back because now the boys play computer games and they each have their own laptop. This gives me some down time during Addie's morning nap and they are learning while playing. Win, win!

Anyways, while on this computer I started looking at the old photos that were taken well before I started blogging. I thought I'd share them.

This is me doing kangaroo care with Alex. So tiny.

This is Jared with Alex. We weren't able to hold Eli at this point because he was too sick and breathing was his priority.


This was taken about a month before they were born. I look at this Jared and feel like I need to warn him about what our lives will be like and how difficult our first several months with our first born children will be. He looks SO young.

This is me. I was considered full term size at this point which was not quite 6 months into the pregnancy.


Sometimes where we came from is a good reminder for how good we have it. This afternoon I am headed to meet with a woman who works with high risk 4 year olds to prepare them for kindergarten. We are not in the program but are on a waiting list. This all started when our pediatrician referred us to neurology due to some tip toe walking. The neurologist felt there was a deficit due to their inability to copy his drawing of a square. It has since been explained to me that they were watching to see if their brain had developed to the point where they are crossing a midline meaning using both hemispheres at the same time. (I am probably butchering this explanation but this is new to me.) Anyways, they may not be doing this SO they were referred for MRI's (yuck, they have to be sedated) to make sure it is not fluid pressing on that particular part of the brain. And they were reffered for a educational eval. and occupational therapy.

I didn't really see this coming because they know all their letters and their sounds, some sight words, numbers, etc. I felt like I'd prepared them but if their brain can't cross this particular midline they won't developmentally be able to do certain things. This is where OT will come in and part of the reason that I am meeting with her today is for her to give me a book on fine/gross motor games and activities.

It's been a couple of weeks since this was all thrown at us and we are taking it in stride. Doctors warn you when your children are struggling for the first few months of life as a preemie that learning disabilities are a possibility and you feel like laughing at them because that seems so trivial compared to what they are facing BUT now that school is approaching it kind of hits closer to home. No Mom or Dad wants there child to have to struggle. We are definitely not freaking out and the boys are SO bright and do so well but this is a bridge we are currently crossing. We want to give them every bit of help they may need and look forward to being given the tools we need.

So LOTS of appointments for us over the next several months. We are not sure if kindergarten will be in Fall 2012 or 2013. All of these evals. will give us more of an idea of what we are working with.