Bye Bye Snowflakes

Well, I now have to squeeze Rocco into his snowflake jammies so I wanted to do one last photo session with the two of them in their matching jammies.

Jillian and Rocco are discussing the economy.

They are watching Cinderell@ for the 500th time.

Bye, bye cute jammies. You cannot contain me anymore!!!!

Ringo Star

My favorite Beatle is Paul followed by John with no love to share with George or Ringo. My daughter is showing us that her favorite is Ringo.

When I was sick, Jillian got to visit with her Aunt Masure, Uncle Bill-Bill and Gavin. Gavin got a new drum set for Christmas and he let Jillian play them. She is a total rock star in the making, however, the real star is Gavin with his guitar. Take a look...

What was I thinking?

When I looked and compared Jillian and Rocco's 1 month old pictures, I really don't know what I was thinking. They do not look anything alike.

People always told me that Jillian looks like me. People are now saying Rocco looks like Bryan. I never thought Jillian looked like me as a baby and I don't think Rocco looks like Bryan at all. I think they look like there own little person but again, what do I know??????

Why I have not posted in 9 days

A great reason I enjoy being pregnant is that I never get sick. My immunities and antibodies are working in overdrive and I can enjoy 9 months of feeling great. However, now that the pregnancy is over, the protection is gone and I got sick...very, very sick. Puking my guts out and unfortunately out the other end too. My mom had it first, then Jillian and now me. I really hope poor little Rocco doesn't get it. He can't take anymore sickies. I know Bryan won't get it b/c he has a stomach of steel.
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Heart attack. Not me. My mother-in-law. She had a heart attack and has lost 50% of her heart. She received a stint (stent?) and is home from the hospital. However, her recovery will be long and hard b/c the part of the heart she lost is not coming back so she is a greater risk for a stroke now. Bryan has dealt with all of this OK.
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Jillian is just saying the funniest things lately. She ends most of her sentences with the word right. For example, I am going to school, right?, This is green, right? I wear a dress, right? Too funny. She has also started to say "of course." I asked her if she wanted turkey for lunch and she responds, "Of course, Mommy." She has absolutely fallen in love with a song from Sleeping Beauty called Once Upon a Dream. She can almost sing the song word for word. I have got to get it on tape and show ya'll.
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Bryan and I have started in a program at our church called 10 Gre@t D@tes. For a very small fee, the church watches our children every Sunday night and Bryan and I get to go on a date night. Isn't that great? Well, actually they only watch Jillian b/c Rocco is too young for the program but it is still totally worth it b/c he usually sleeps right through our date. We don't bother him at all. Ha ha! AND our last date was my choice so I took B to O1ive G@rden b/c I had a coupon (I know, I know, hold back your comments). The date was going so-so b/c we had to wait, lots of people, service not so great... you get the picture. At one point, an elderly lady came over to our table and commented how beautiful our baby was and we thanked her and then said good night. That's it - very short. At the end of the evening, Bryan and I received an awesome gift. That elderly lady had paid for our meal. Isn't that so nice??
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In the spirt of the elderly lady, I am going to share my new personal motto. I was watching the Oscars and one of the Indian guys from Slumdog inspired me (I know, I know, that sounds kind of strange). But this is what he said....

Every morning, I have a choice - to hate or to love and I choose love.

It is not original. Lots of people have said it. But on that night, it rang in my ears and has stayed in my head ever since. So I am taking it and running with it. I have been loving pretty good ever since. It is working for me.
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The good thing about having this horrible stomach virus is that my weight is dropping. Hopefully, all of my clothes will fit in no time.
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If all illnesses go away and stay away, hopefully I will return to my regular posting schedule.

1 month old

That's right! Rocco is already 1 month old. He is still recovering from that nasty RSV but I think he is getting better and better. We go for his follow-up with the pedi Dr. tomorrow. I am not a betting woman but if I had to guess, I think Rocco is closing in on the 11 pound mark. In one month, he has proven that sleep and eating are his priorities (hmmmm....sounds like another man in my family). As is our tradition, we had to celebrate the 1 month milestone with a photo session.

What a handsome young man!!

See my cute matching socks!

I am seeing stars!!!

Mommy is driving me crazy!!!

I am going back to bed!!!

Our Fourth Week with Rocco

Jillian loves a good slide. When we see one, she has got to try it out.

She loves pushing her babies in the stroller.

She loves climbing on the outside of the crib. (So glad she is trying to climb in and NOT climbing out!)

She loves reading with her sunglasses on.

Rocco has been awake and alert a lot more during the day.

First time in the swing and I am not sure that he likes it. Also, ignore the spit up on his face. Oh vey!

But he still likes to sleep....

My two cuties together....

You have to notice the matching snowflake jammies. Are they not totally adorable????



So sweet!!

The Dreaded Letters (edited with pictures)

RSV! Those three letters strike fear into the parents of preemies and newborns. Those three letters have brought havoc to my family for the past week. Rocco developed a horrid cough last Friday. It kept getting worse and worse and Saturday, Bryan and I could not get him to stop coughing. It seemed like Rocco could not get his breath so I took him to the ER at 3:00 in the morning. The ER doc diagnosed him with RSV. Since it was Sunday, she advised for us to take him to pediatrician on Monday morning. Monday morning, Rocco still had his awful cough and was wheezing loudly. Pedi doc took one look at poor Rocco and said we would be checking him into the hospital. Very scary moment.

I drove him straight from the office to the hospital. My dad came and got Jillian (bless her heart, she has been so awesome during this whole ordeal). We checked into the hospital with all of the other RSV babies. We waited hours to see the nurses, the Dr., the respiratory therapist, etc. They used major suction on his nose and mouth, gave him steroids and started breathing treatments right away. We are really lucky b/c as horrible a condition as Rocco was in, there were many other little ones who were worse including our roommate. She was older than Rocco but was receiving breathing treatments every hour and you could her terrible wheeze from across the room. I hope little Miabella is doing better.

The good news is that Rocco responded well to the treatment and they discharged us on Tuesday afternoon. We are now continuing the breathing treatments at home. I think he is getting better. Today his wheeze is back but the Dr. said he might have the wheeze for quite some time before he "grows out of it." We go back to the Dr. on Monday so I'll let ya'll know what the pedi doc has to say.

This is not the 4 week post that I had planned but I am so glad that we are out of the hospital that I don't care. I will celebrate this weekend with some fun pictures and stories about the kiddos.

Right now, I need some rest.

Getting a breathing treatment...

Fighting getting a breathing treatment.....

Hooked up to monitors...

Getting love from Poppy....