Myrtle Beach Pics

I know it's been a while since I posted anything, but I have a few very good reasons.

#1 - Brandon had his second set of tubes put in on Friday was well as an adenoidectomy. His recovery has been uneventful, but he has needed a lot of extra hugs and love. He is such a strong little boy!

#2 - During his surgery on Friday, I was battling a stomach virus. I even took myself to the doctor because my stomach pains were unbelievable! I made it through my c-section recovery with only 2 pain pills, but whatever virus I got knocked me down...hard.

#3 - When Connor got up from his nap on Friday, I dragged myself into his room only to have him say, "mommy, Connor shrow up in bed" Oh boy! I'm barely alive myself trying to clean him up and everything he "shrew up" on and trying not to get sick myself.

I spent the weekend recovering. Thank goodness no one else got sick. Eric came home not feeling well, but was able to sleep it off. I'm super glad Brandon didn't get it because that could have made his recovery really hard!!!

Anyway, those are my excuses and every one of them is valid! Without further ado, here are some pics from our fun trip to Myrtle Beach.

Brandon being himself! It's hard to guess that this poor kid is recovering from double ear infections diagnosed only 2 days before. Nothing stops this boy!

Connor chilling on the drive...
They LOVED LOVED LOVED feeding the birds. We had an awesome time with these super smart, death defying seagulls. We even feed them right off our 17th story balcony.
Even though these pictures are blurry, they still capture the unparalled fun of jumping on hotel beds...a Murphy bed to be exact!
Brandon's turn
Sitting outside the Ripley's Aquarium.

Connor and some super big fish!
Brothers holding hands while watching Sharks swim above!
Like WHOA!
Brandon sporting Daddy's hat
Connor in the hat

We had a great time at the beach with our friends from Ft. Drum New York. They have 5 year old triplets and a 15 month old. I tell you what, those kids are the sweetest most well behaved 5 year olds I've ever been around...and there are THREE OF THEM! They were very sweet to their baby sister and included my boys in their games and toys...even their NEW ones the Easter Bunny brought them. It was a great time! Eric and I need to be better about getting a family picture. We didn't get one the whole time we were there. Oh well, that just means we need to go to the beach more often.


The boys had a developmental appointment last week. They are both testing at the 23-25 month level and they are almost 27 months old. Once premies hit the age of 2, their age is no longer adjusted. What Connor tested high on, Brandon tested on the lower end of the spectrum and vice versa. Once they warmed up, they showed off their knowledge of shapes, colors, climbing, throwing/catching, and much more. We're pretty sure Brandon is going to end up a lefty...man can he really throw a ball with that left hand...and straight! Baseball is most likely in his immediate future. Connor can count to 6 and Brandon can count to 4, misses 5 and 6 but knows 7 comes after 6. Brandon's vocabulary and verbal skills are higher than Connor's now. I'm sure it's due to his Speech Therapy. What a blessing it was to get approved for that!!! His hearing problems early on are definitely a thing of the past. Since they are doing do well, they won't be going back until they turn 3 years old.

We are heading to Florence this weekend to spend some time with my (Kate's) side of the family. Bridget will be in town from Maryland and Ann will be driving in from Indy. I can't wait to spend time with my sisters and parents. The boys are so much fun, and generally well behaved that it's ashame we are so far away from each other. Maybe the military will move us back to KY in 2 years...fingers crossed.

Now that I'm all caught up, I'm going to head back to the couch to relax a little bit. 2 year olds are way more exhausting than newborns. I need to make a better effort of taking some time out for myself. I never seem to stop, and I can't let it get me down. There's nothing wrong with sitting on the couch, cuddled up with the hubby, and catching up on DVRd shows!

Quick Update

Hey readers! We went to Myrtle Beach for a quick family vacation this weekend. The boys were angels and we had a great time visiting with some friends of ours who are stationed in New York. They have 5 year old triplets and a 15 month old. We have some really cute pictures, and I promise to post those soon. The boys hated the indoor pool, but loved feeding the birds and playing in the sand.

Brandon is scheduled to have his second round of tubes and an adenoidectomy Friday morning. I spent the morning at his ENT for pre-op and then on to the outpatient clinic for preregistration. I'm pretty sure Connor has an ear infection too, and scheduled an appointment for him first thing tomorrow morning. It's always something!!!!

Also, I loaded a program to the blog that tracks who views it. It's amazing to see WHO is looking at our blog, WHERE they are from, and HOW long they stay on the site. I have readers from Colorado, to Pensacola, across the ocean to Israel. It's really interesting to see the statistics. I wonder why some people look at it and how others even know about it. Hmmmmm...it's all very interesting.


UPDATE...I just want my devoted readers to know that I think it's fascinating to see where my readers come from. I'm glad that I have such a diverse audience!!! No worries, I'm not planning on making the blog private or anything like that. It's just neat to see who is following our family on our journey through life. KEEP ON READING!!!!

Matchbox Cars :) and Ear Infections :(

Brandon hasn't been himself lately. It started with a high fever on Saturday. I thought he had a little virus, but the fever is still around 5 days later. After a trip to the Expresscare today (of course my pediatrician's office closes at 12 on Wednesdays) he has been diagnosed with double ear infections. Poor little guy.

While we were waiting for his prescription at Target, I let them pick out a toy for Easter. Eric's parents sent the boys some money and told me buy them something. Bring on the matchbox cars!

Connor and his "cheese" smile



Brandon trying to smile...he really doesn't feel good :(

Family Room Picnic

I'm a big believer in changing things up from time to time. Today, the boys had lunch at their card table in the family room! They didn't end up eating much, but I think they had fun.





Also...take a look at my NEW oven! The springs on the door of my old one have been broken for a while. The door wouldn't stay shut, and I'm sure it wasn't very energy efficient. This one is a flat top and even has a convection bake fan on it, a fifth burner for warming, and a dual small and large burner. The florentine pizza pie came out BEAUTIFUL!!!! Thanks Eric for my new stove!!!!!

It's hard to be 2

It's so hard to be 2. Is it too much to ask for one brother to stand still so the other brother can put a hat on his head....apparently the answer is yes!

Park

We took the boys to 2 different parks after dinner tonight...here are some pictures!

The Newest Addition

We added to our family today!!! Don't get too excited...this addition isn't alive! We started renting a storage unit last year. We have SO much baby stuff and Army stuff that our garage was getting too full! The rent on storage units has risen so much that it wasn't worth it to keep it anymore. Instead, we purchased a brand new shed for our back yard. The price was cheaper than renting a unit for 2 more years. Not only is this cheaper, but we have MORE storage in the shed than in our rental unit. I'm not sure that we will be able to move this shed with us when we move in 2 years, but we'll deal with that later. Who knows, the military may keep us here even longer.

Empty
All of the loot to be stored...
Army and dental stuff on the left...baby stuff on the right...
Christmas/misc in the middle...with room to spare

Day at Home

We have been so busy lately!!! Our calendar was totally clear on Thursday so we just had a HOME DAY! After I finished my workout, the boys played with my aerobic steps. Brandon found the old mittens and summer hats from last year. Time to play dress up!

Brandon "HEARTS" Rena

The boys love Jade and Rena, but I think Rena and Brandon have a very special bond. They love to have her up on the deck with them while they play and get upset when she runs in the house and behind the couch. They are very gentle and loving towards her, and she is very complacent in return. Here are some cute pictures Eric took of Brandon and her buddy while Connor was still in the tub.

"This is my dog, Rena"
"I like to give her kisses"
" and lots of hugs"
"I LOVE YOU RENA" Poor Rena started to choke a little due to OVER HUGGING. She's so good with the boys. Jade is good wqith them too, she's just very high strung and can be a little too excited for them. Plus, she weighs 70 pounds and can knock them over with her tail!!!

Here are a few cute videos Eric took of the boys the other day...