Will's first teeth

Will' first tooth broke through on New Year's Day and we were so excited for him. His next tooth broke through the next day. He's so happy now that he has 2 bottom teeth to show off. He looks so much like a big boy with two beautiful pearly whites staring back at you when he grins from ear to ear. He loves to smile and show you his teeth. It is crazy to know that he has been teething since September and they finally broke through in January. The teething was awful and poor baby's mouth and gums were hurting him so bad. He would chew on everything in sight and barely eat. Now he is still chewing on everything in sight but it is not a constant thing. And eating is fabulous! He can tear up his bottle in about 15 minutes and loves his baby food. He even has started eating the gerber chew crackers which he loves. So thankful for him and his two teeth!

Will's First Christmas

Will's first Christmas was not at all what I was expecting or had hopes for in my mind. Will's first Christmas consisted of 101 degree fever, runny nose, congested cough, lots of throw up, and not much of an appetite at all. With all that said, Will's first Christmas present was the FLU. Yes, that's right our sweet baby had the FLU on Christmas. It was not fun at all. He hang in there and with lots of tamiflu, benadryl and tylenol we had a clean bill of health in 2-3 days. We managed to open presents and eat very well other than being sick.

Opening presents from Ross, Kalyn and Avre. They made him a Build a Bear for him. They named him Will. They put two hearts in the bear, one for Will and one for Drew. Oh how I LOVE my neices and nephews so much! Their imaginations and thoughts are what amazes me!

 

Will wants Dadda to open his presents.

 

Will got a visit from Santa

My sweet sick baby and his dadda checking out presents from Santa

Not really sure about this chair

Opening my new pair of shoes

I like to chew on my new slippers

 

 Opening presents with my Nana

 

 

Stay tuned! My next post will be about Will's FIRST birthday party! 

 

Happy 11 months Will

Happy 11 months to the most sweetest, funniest, giggliest, and craziest little boy that I know. Yes that's right our sweet little 1lb 1oz baby boy turns 11 months old today. I can't believe that next month we will be celebrating his 1st birthday. Yes this momma is already in party planning mode.

Some fun things about Will:
-He weighs close to 17lbs and is 27 inches long
-He wears size 2 diapers and is in 6-9 months clothes
-He is rolling over from back to front and front to back
-He is literally rolling all over the place. This morning he found a new hiding spot under our coffee table
-He is beginning to sit up like a big boy for just a few seconds then he topples over
-He so wants to crawl but just hasn't yet figured how it all goes together
-He thinks it is funny when he toots or passes gas
-He gags himself often with his hand which drives me crazy. Hopefully this will stop soon
-He thinks it is funny when he takes his socks off. I have a feeling he will hate socks like his daddy.
-Our dog, Maddie, is his best friend. They play together and then fight like brother and sister. So sweet!!!
-He sleeps about 1-2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the afternoon.
-He goes down for bed around 9ish and will sleep to about 8:30 or 9. This boy loves his sleep like his momma
-He loves to ride the pony on his daddy's knee but hates when the pony goes slow
-He has discovered he can stick his tongue out and it is hilarious!!
-He has found his feet and it is the sweetest thing
-He loves rolling all over on his mat and exploring new things to get into
-He eats about 3-4 times a day. Loves his new formula and his new level 2 baby foods
-He is beginning to understand what to do with his sippy cup

As you can tell we have an active little 11 month old. Who knows what we will be like once he is really mobile.

A few updates on his development:
-He still is on the development side of a 7 month old but we are ok with that
-He has no more ROP with his eyes but we are still following up with regular eye exams every 6 months to a year to keep a close watch in case it returns.
-He has been evaluated for PT, OT, and speech therapy but will only require PT and OT therapy which we are on a waiting list for

We are so thankful for our 11 month old sweet baby Will. Happy 11 months old Will and mommy and daddy love you to the moon and back.

My First Christmas In Heaven

This poem is so fitting for what I wrote yesterday about missing Drew on his first Christmas but we know that he is spending his First Christmas in Heaven. God has a strange way of telling us that Drew is ok because Doug got this as a morning devotional and I thought I would share it. Its the little things that are so reassuring at this time of the year. Please feel free to pass this on if you know of someone who has lost a loved one this year as their loved one spends their first Christmas in heaven.



My First Christmas In Heaven

I see countless Christmas trees
Around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars
Reflecting in the snow.

The sight is so spectacular,
Please wipe away the tear.
For I am spending Christmas
With Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs
That people hold so dear,
But the sounds of music can't compare
With the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you,
The joy their voices bring.
For it is beyond description
To hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart;
But I am not so far away,
We really aren't apart.

So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear
And be glad I'm spending Christmas
With Jesus Christ this year.

I sent you each a special gift,
From my heavenly home above,
I sent you each a memory
Of my undying love.

After all, love is a precious gift
More precious than pure gold;
It was always most important
In the stories Jesus told.

Please love and keep each other,
As my Father said to do.
For I can't count the blessings
Or love he has for each of you.

So have a Merry Christmas
And wipe away the tear
Remember I'm spending Christmas
With Jesus Christ this year.

Visiting Drew's grave

We went to visit Drew's grave this past Sunday while the weather was good. We took Will with us and we put fresh flowers out for Christmas and we sang a few Christmas carols while we were there. Will had fun playing with his flowers. It was a great moment we had because we were enjoying our time as a family. While we were there I had this picture in my mind of Drew looking down at us from Heaven and sitting right there with us singing Christmas songs with us. Such a sweet memory I will always have as we approach Christmas Day and Will's first Christmas too. We miss Drew everyday but we know he is having a great time in Heaven and we will soon meet again to hear all about his journey.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends. This year we have so many things to be thankful for. God has truly blessed our family this year!

As I sit here and write this post, our son Will is rolling back and forth all over the floor. I'm so thankful that he can do that all by himself because back in January we never thought that would have happened. I'm so thankful for our precious 1lb 1oz baby Will who was born on January 19, 2012 to the 16lb baby boy he is currently today. He is full of laughter, smiles, hugs, kisses, and all the other things babies are. He is a special blessing from God. We are also thankful for his twin brother, Drew, who was born at 1lb 8oz but shortly died on January 20, 2012. We are thankful for him and the few short hours we got to spend with him. We are thankful for the salvation and assurance we have in knowing that ONE DAY we will meet him in Heaven.

We are so thankful for the NICU doctors and nurses who took such good care of Will during his 133 day stay. We never could have imagined how many new friends we would make over this journey. God put us through this journey for a reason and we will never know why. We are so thankful for each and every doctor and nurse in the NICU who took the time to love on, care for, sing to, talk to, and simply be there for not only Will but for us too. We will always be thankful for them! They will always hold a special place in our hearts.

We are thankful for our family who was there for us when the boys were born in January. We could have not done this without the love and support you gave us. We are also thankful for you as well for babysitting and taking care of Will when we needed someone to stay with him.

So as we pause and count our blessings on this Thanksgiving day, we thank God for all the things he has done for us this year. So from our family to yours, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Will's First Halloween

Will had a great first Halloween! We went trick or treating at both the grandparents houses. He had fun showing off his precious dragon outfit. Trust me, this was a big decision for momma to make on what he should go as for Halloween. I originally ordered a lion outfit but it was too big so a week before Halloween I was on the hunt for another costume. Luckily I found this precious dragon outfit at our local Belk store and I got it! He was so cute! We enjoyed our first Halloween with Will and we look forward to many, many more Halloweens!

Family photo

Sweet little dragon

The dragon got kisses from mommy and daddy

Sweet kisses from daddy

Daddy and Will

Mommy and Will

Too much trick or treating. Sleepy Dragon!