Peas Please!

The boys tried peas for the first time today.  And I must tell you that I hate peas.  The smell of them makes me want to puke, so I was secretly hoping that John & Andrew would hate them too. I would love to never have to make them, but unfortunately for me, the boys loved them...especially John.

    

 

Before lunch, they worked up a big appetite cheering on the USA men's volleyball team and taking a few pointers from the pros...

Six Month Check-up

We just got home from the boys' 6-month well visit with the pediatrician.  Yes...I said six months.  Already. Boy, that sure came up quickly!  It's so hard to believe that they're that old already.

John 7.22.12

Andrew 7.22.12

One of the exciting things about today's check-up is that we went to a new pediatrician...and we loved, loved, LOVED him!  We didn't have any major complaints about our old pediatrician, but we weren't crazy about her.  We never left appointments unhappy, but also didn't really feel like we received a ton of information or attention.  We figured that over the next few years we may be at the doctor's office twice as often, so we might as well find someone we're really comfortable with! Several friends recommended today's doctor, Dr. Regnier, but his new practice in town wasn't open when the boys were born.  He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, & thorough, and we're so glad that we made the switch.  We realized we made a good choice when we heard Dave Matthews Band playing in the waiting room. :)

I don't know if I've explained this before, but every time the boys see a doctor (until they're 3 years old), they will be evaluated on their adjusted age, not their chronological age.  The boys were born on Jan. 22nd which puts their chronological age at 27 weeks.  However, they were 9 weeks early, so their adjusted age is only 18 weeks (27 - 9 = 18).  Basically what that means is that they should be growing and developing like a 4.5-month-old instead of a six-month-old.  Based on their adjusted age, the boys are huuuuge!  Their stats are below.  In a nutshell, everything looked great and we've got two healthy boys!

Andrew: 19.1 lbs, 26" long

John: 18.2 lbs, 25 1/4" long

More updates & photos from June & July still to come!

Fun Times & Assorted Cuteness - May 2012

If I try to detail all the things we've done in the last two months, I'll never get this written!  Instead, here are a few brief snippets from the month of May.

• This is what we get to wake up to in the mornings...smiles & cuteness.  The boys sleep in their own cribs but sometimes I just can't help having an impromptu photo shoot

5.16.2012

• Trip to Rochelle to hang out with Grandma & Grandpa Tolan, cousin Alexandria, and Tator.

5.17.12 Play time with with the kids

Alex helps John with his pacifier

Tator is always happy to see Ryan!

Alex has her own parking space in the garage

• The boys love riding in the car...aka "nap time". (Yes, they were buckled in while actually in the car)

5.25.12

• On Memorial Day, the boys took their first trip out of state!  We packed up for the day and headed to Grandma & Grandpa Harris' place in Wisconsin.

Andrew

John

Aunt Bethany & Andrew

Somebody's tired from all that fresh lake air!

Mother's Day 2012

Let's go back to May 13th which was my very first Mother's Day! It was really more of a Mother's Weekend than just one day. When I went to get the boys out of their cribs on Saturday morning, I found a card waiting for me...I'm not sure how the boys picked it out, but I loved it. The note inside said we were going on a field trip and they took me to the bike shop in downtown Sycamore. John & Andrew helped me pick out a new bike so we can ride around together when they're a little bigger. My old bike was the Murray 10-speed that I got when I was in elementary school or junior high, so it was time for an upgrade.

Sunday was another day of celebrating - John & Andrew were dedicated at church on Mother's Day. It was our opportunity to stand before our family & church family and promise to raise the boys in a Christ-centered home and to teach them in the ways of the Lord. As they grow older, we want to teach them that they're not perfect, and they'll never be "good enough" to EARN their way into heaven...that's not how it works. We want them to understand that we all constantly "miss the mark" that was set by the perfect God of the universe and because of that, we don't deserve to sit beside Him for eternity in heaven. But, BUT, BUT! God also loves us so much that he sent his Son to die in our place, to pay the penalty that we owe, so that once we acknowledge Jesus as our Lord & Savior, there is a reservation with our name on it in heaven! Romans 5:8 says "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us," and Ephesians 2:8 says "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God." (side note: I highly recommend reading "How Good is Good Enough"by Andy Stanley.  It takes about an hour and I'll even mail you a copy if you want.) 

We know that no amount of "book knowledge", Sunday school, or youth group will ever change their hearts. While we probably all wish we could make decisions for our children, the best that we can do is to lead by example and pray for God to work in their hearts once they are old enough to hear and understand who Jesus is. Ryan and I both spent years sitting through "boring" church services as kids, but it never even "clicked" until college. You never know when or through what circumstances He may draw you near to Him. 

(Which leads me on another brief side note...it's amazing that in today's world of technology, there are still cultures that have never even heard the name Jesus. Some dear friends of ours will be leaving behind their comfortable lives in just a few short weeks to begin training as missionaries with "To Every Tribe" to reach unreached people groups in places like Papua New Guinea. If you'd like to follow them on their journey or partner with them, please check out their blog   http://mattandashleyklock.blogspot.com/p/welcome.html.) 

Mmmm...cake

Anyway, back to Mother's Day...the dedication was so good. AND, even though we were only up front for a few minutes, it was a big relief that neither John nor Andrew puked, tooted, or cried. We had most of our immediate family over to our house after the service for lunch (complete with fried chicken & cake) and it was a nice relaxing afternoon for everyone!

J & A with Grandma Harris

John with Grandma & Grandpa Tolan

My first attempt at cookie-pops

The boys relaxing with Uncle Pat

Aunt Bethany, Andrew, Uncle Pat, & John