Settling In

Well, a big thanks to Todd for keeping things somewhat updated here! I finally have a moment, so thought I'd post a few pictures and say hi. Luke is going to be two weeks old tomorrow; I really am shocked to think that it's already been two weeks! I ended up with a c-section, so I'm on doctors orders not to do anything (no lifting, no carrying anything heavier than Luke, no cleaning, etc.) for six weeks in order for proper healing. That has been an absolute pain; how exactly do you parent toddlers when you can't do anything? We're trying to deal with it, after all, what can we do? But needless to say, it's been complete aggravation for both Todd and I. (Joel and Evan probably have mixed feelings regarding my inability to care for them; on the one hand, Mommy isn't picking them up when they want to be held. On the other hand, Mommy can't do much about them carrying meals into the living room, climbing all over furniture, and doing whatever else they'd normally be in trouble for.) Thank goodness for family and friends. My sister (Aunt Jessi) came into town for a few days and watched the boys while I was in the hospital. My stepmom (the boys Nonnie) came over for a few days last week to help out; she left exhausted, but it was wonderful having her! Then my mom (Grammy) came over for the weekend to help out as well; even with Todd at home, we still really, really needed and appreciated the help. She's coming back at the start of June, and I am really looking forward to seeing her again! We've got a few awesome friends filling in the gaps in the meantime, so Joel and Evan are able to hang out with some of their little friends instead of sitting around with boring ol' me. It's hard, but I'd say we're surviving!

Here are some pictures taken recently.

The big brothers holding their baby brother for the first time. Luke wasn't thrilled, but it went well.

Evan cuddling with his new brother. They really like him, sometimes a little too much! I've had to cut in on quite a few tickle sessions already!

My boys hanging out together!

Twin Power

The twins haven't missed a beat with the arrival of their brother. You might ask what they have been up to. Well they play and dance non stop, always keeping themselves entertained, as you can see.

Eyes Wide Open

Luke had his eyes open for a while today and we got it on video .

Now for the pictures!

First I want to let everyone know that there are professional pictures to view online at http://www.bellababyphotography.com/ . The password is 0507lukewhite and the photographer is teresa.

Any way, I on my way back to the hosptial for the evening.

Todd

The new arrival!

On Thursday May 7th at 10:07pm we added a new member to our family. Luke Danger White weighed in at 7lbs 7oz and is 19 inches long. Sarah is doing well in the hospital and is happy to have her little baby in the room with her as he has no health concerns and left the NICU in 4 hours. Aunt Jessie and I are getting ready to head to Sherman Hospital now and introduce Joel and Evan to their new brother. Pictures will follow later today.

Todd

Hello, April!

Geesh, did I really miss posting the entire month of April? Time flew by way too quickly. Things have been so busy in our house, that I feel like I barely even have time to sit down and glance at the computer screen, let alone actually sit and type anything. So, sure it is technically now May, but here’s the update from the month of April!




EASTER
We had a fantastic holiday with family. My parents (Bob and Janice) invited us to a great restaurant along with my siblings, aunt, and grandparents. Let me tell you, there is nothing better than NOT having to cook a big meal and instead just being able to enjoy spending time together. (Usually, I love making big holiday dinners, but honestly, it sure does remove a ton of stress by going out instead!)
The boys’ great grandmother (Juanita) had bought them little dress outfits as a gift earlier in the year. I was able to use the pants and button-up shirt, and decided to go on the hunt for spring-colored accessories. Any parent of boys can attest to the fact that STORES DO NOT CARRY ENOUGH CLOTHING FOR BOYS!! I notice this all the time, but particularly when it comes to buying dress clothes. The aisles will be all little girl clothing, and there will be one shelf or rack dedicated to boys. Then I look and realize only half of the shelf is boy clothing, the rest is more stuff for girls.
I don’t get where the reasoning behind this practice comes in. When you have a baby, you’ve got just as much chance of having a boy as having a girl. So the number of kids getting dressed each day has to be close to 50%. Most parents of boys like to dress them, and in fact, dressing them is just as socially expected as dressing girls. So why, pray tell, do stores not feel they should stock up on clothing that parents could actually buy in order to dress boys?
Then, heaven forbid you have twin boys that wear the same size clothing. Good luck trying to find two jackets, two pairs of pants, two of the same shirt in the same size!
Anyway, the reason for my rant is that Easter shopping was a complete nightmare. JCPenney didn’t have anything. Walmart didn’t have anything. Gymboree, Target… everywhere I went had one random suit in various sizes, but nothing that would actually work. Then I stopped at Children’s Place, and finally was able to do through various bins of random accessories.
The result? I am a style genius! Kidding, but seriously, these were the sharpest looking little boys I have ever seen! It definitely helps that my boys (especially Joel) love wearing hats!
Here are some pictures. Go ahead and drool over the cuteness!

SPRING IS HERE!
I love spring. I complain all winter long, because I hate cold weather. I hate snow, I hate ice, I hate everything about cold winter days. Then, one day we all wake up, and birds are chirping, grass appears, and life suddenly becomes enjoyable again. People always asking me “Where are you from?” thinking that I have been tricked into moving to this foul-weathered place called the Midwest. Nope, I’ve been here all my life, and all my life I’ve complained about the misery that winter brings.
But that is in the past, and I will be a jolly ol’ gal for at least another month! (Then summer will bring horrid heat and it’s own type of misery, and I’ll start getting grumpy again and imagining all the much better places to live.)
Unfortunately, this year we haven’t spent nearly as much time outside as I would like. I’m just too big and pregnant, and I can’t chase the boys when I need to. They run, oh yes, they run far and fast whenever given the opportunity, so I’ve got to be very careful with determining how much work is going to be involved with taking them out.
Regardless, we have managed to at least somewhat take advantage of the beautiful weather! The boys play out in the backyard quite a bit. They really enjoy drawing with sidewalk chalk, and Joel is a huge fan of making messes with the dirt in the flower pot. (Evan does his best to clean up all the dirt as Joel throws it everywhere.) The boys have a bubble machine that they play with constantly; Joel, for some reason, insists on standing directly in front of the machine as the bubbles blow out, so he gets a faceful each time! The other day, he turned and looked at me, and opened his mouth, and a bubble blew out! (I’m not joking. It was practically a scene from The Little Rascals!) We’ve got a dog that lives behind us, and Joel and Evan love to run to the fence and interact with her. They are starting to talk more each day, but still uses “Ga” and “Da” a lot of the time. Imagine my surprise when Joel (or was it Evan?) turned to me the other day and said “Sa-ee” for Sassy, the name of the dog!


GROWING BOYS
Speaking of, um, speaking, it is amazing to finally hear Joel and Evan using actual words! They still use plenty of their own language, but now are imitating on a consistent basis. As we get to converse with them, we get to see their individual personalities coming out more each day. They are now (successfully) sleeping in their toddler beds in their “big boy room”. Naptime was very difficult for a while there, but they’ve adjusted well and get excited when I tell them to go upstairs for blankies and pillows.

Joel is definitely a born entertainer. He loves to make others laugh. He loves to make himself laugh. In the middle of the night, he wakes up whimpering. As soon as we head into his room to check on him, he starts laughing! He is a huge goofball! And, oh, what a little troublemaker as well. I’ll catch him doing something wrong, tell him to stop, and he’ll continue to pretend to do it, looking at me out of the corner of his eyes. He likes to test boundaries and see how we’ll react. For us, this usually means doing our best to fight back a smile as best possible, because it’s humorous to watch him in action.

Evan continues to be a headstrong, but lovable little boy. Of course they are both “lovable”, but this kid LOVES to give hugs and kisses! If there were awards given for “best hugger” Evan would win hands down. If you see him, ask for a hug, and you’ll understand. He is an absolute doll… when he is happy. Like all toddlers, Evan feels the need to have his way all the time, and if he doesn’t get it, the world must suffer. He throws some incredible tantrums when he wants to. Luckily, this doesn’t happen too often, and for the most part, we have two happy little boys on our hands.

Painting the Easter Eggs (and themselves!)




BABY LUKE

Finally, a quick update on our soon-to-be boy #3. I’m still pregnant, but not for too much longer. I’m due at the end of May, but once again I have that itching condition (ICP, or Cholestasis), so I have to deliver before hitting 38 weeks. This means that by mid-May, Baby Luke will be here! I’m uncomfortable, but actually dealing with this pregnancy quite well. (I haven’t written any eviction notices this time around!) I’ve continued to babysit throughout the entire month of April, so for the most part, I am feeling much better than I had with the twins.
At the start of April we had a bit of a scare. I went to see a specialist because my dr. thought Luke may be a bit on the large side (I have Gestational Diabetes again, which tends to result in larger babies.) While doing the ultrasound, the doctor noticed that the umbilical cord is missing an artery (there is only one instead of two.) This concerned him, as oftentimes this could lead to kidney and heart problems in utero. A few days later we had an appointment with the cardiologist, and are happy to report that Luke’s lungs and heart look to be fully functioning, no issues whatsoever. Thank you Lord!
As for the size issue, at that checkup he measured 5lb 5oz (the 68%ile.) So, I don’t foresee him being a huge baby, but he is certainly going to seem big compared to the other two! We’ll be meeting him anytime between now and May 12th, so keep checking back for updates! We’ll post the birth news on the blog as soon as we get the chance.