Turns out Matteo has decided to take unfairness matters into his own hands… erhm… I mean mouth.
If you are 3 years and under in our house, the toy box is one of several interesting “places to gather”. And, if you are one of two little one-year olds in our home… and you see your buddy in the toy box, well then you also suddenly want to be in the toy box too. It doesn’t matter if you have to sit on your buddy or use his head as a source of balance, or attempt to pull him out to get in. You will ultimately work your way into that toy box and then proceed to have a stare down with your little buddy until eventually one of you surrenders and decides to climb out of the toy box. Sometimes fun is had by two little boys in the toybox. Yes, giggles do take place from time to time. But, more often than not, the toy box seems to be somewhat symbolic of power and/or defeat.
Yesterday morning, Matteo was sitting inside the toy box when Rocco decided he was going to join him. I was unloading the dishwasher. All of a sudden I heard a painful cry from Rocco and he was holding his finger in the air. Immediately, I thought “Huh… I wonder if Matt bit him.” But then I sort of blew it off thinking sweet little Matt wouldn’t do something like that. Usually, he is the one to be hurt by Rocco.
So when Rocco was still crying this painful cry 45 seconds later I decided to go over and save him with mommy hugs.
And wow! Sure enough. Matteo bit the heck out of Rocco’s finger! The teeth marks were pretty deep and stayed visible for a good 15 minutes. But… no blood. No broken fingers.
I hope this isn’t the start of a biting problem. Rather, my guess/hope is that this incident was a result of Rocco playfully sticking his finger in Matt’s mouth, and Matt playfully reacting by biting. Afterall, Rocco IS known to stick his finger in people’s mouths... a lot. He also loves to feed Matt and all the people in his life who feed him.
Crazy boyz.
1/23/09
GOOOOOOD hair day... ;-)
It melted my heart... Thursday - January 22, 2009
It melted my heart…
After four joyous, FABULOUS nights of healthy kids and all three kids sleeping through the night again (Rocco & Matteo sleep from 6:30-6am; Gabby typically from 10pm – 9am)… we spent the week battling yet ANOTHER round of sickness at our house.
This round of sickness involved all three kids and lucky me. There was coughing, running snot, puking, green sticky mucus, sneezing, more coughing, screaming, waking up in the middle of the night because it hurt to cough, more puking, short naps, more coughing, more night screaming, more night waking, etc. Yes, ALL three kids (but Gabby never puked). You get the picture.
Dan took Rocco in to see Dr. O on Wednesday, after Rocco spent the night screaming.
Immediately, we suspected an ear infection. The night before was all too familiar. Rocco would fall asleep in our arms and the second you’d try to lay him down he would scream like he was in pain. This went on from 2-4am. Meanwhile, we were also managing Matteo and Gabby waking up every hour because they were coughing so hard. Finally, Dan let Rocco sleep on him. And, I think both of us logged a total of 3 hours sleep that night. UGH!
Rocco was diagnosed with an ear infection, of course. His temperature before the appointment was 101.5 and he just looked hot and miserable and was beyond fussy and angry. Poor little guy. So… problem solved, right. Nope.
After two failed attempts to give Rocco his medication (think MAJOR puking about ½ hour after medicine and food intake), his temperature had now hit 103.5. And, it was getting late. He was lethargic and we were exhausted. It was time to page Dr. O. At this point, he might even carry a pager around JUST for our family. ;-)
While waiting for Dr. O to call (it was a LONG wait this time…), Rocco just wanted to be held. He was lethargic. It was 8:30pm – WAY past his bedtime. He just wanted mommy snuggles. So, I just swaddled him and sat on the exercise ball and bounced gently to soothe him. He would only take little tiny sips of water and I could tell he was trying to sleep but he couldn’t. He just kept looking at me to make sure I was holding him. All the while, Gabby was busting at the seams wanting to touch, talk to and play with Rocco (while we were trying to keep her quiet and at a distance). Finally I decided to let her come over and talk to Rocco because I noticed his eyes opening when he’d hear her voice. So, Gabby put both hands on his cheeks, tickled them and got right in his dish. And in her loud, high-pitched, baby-squeal voice said “Baby Rocco’s SO sick AREN’T you baby Rocco? It’s ok little buddy we’re going to make you better!” And Rocco got the biggest smile on his face and laughed so hard. It was like instant medicine. Gabby laughed and kept doing this for another 5 minutes and had Rocco laughing so hard his belly had to have been hurting from laughing so hard. It was CRAZY. To see him go from lethargic and making me worry so much to seeing him react to his sister’s attention and being so happy to see her. It COMPLETELY melted my heart.
We finally heard back from the MD and his advice was to give Rocco B.enadryl to calm his nausea. Followed by a steam shower for 15 minutes to loosen the pressure in his ear, and then a half hour after the B.enadryl we were to re-try the medicine. It worked! He kept it down. He woke up whining in pain about every 20 minutes until about 1am, but after that he slept until about 4:30 and was then starving.
Dang. I hate having sick kids. Not only are you completely worried... but it is mentally and physically exhausting. I’m so thankful to have such a helpful husband and Julia (our fabulous au pair from Germany) around. Both so willing to jump in and help when needed.
And, I have to say… seeing the heart-melting interaction between sick, lethargic Rocco and silly Gabby almost made it worth the two puke-cleaning sessions (w/in 4 hours of eachother) and 5 loads of laundry, etc. ALMOST... ;-)
After four joyous, FABULOUS nights of healthy kids and all three kids sleeping through the night again (Rocco & Matteo sleep from 6:30-6am; Gabby typically from 10pm – 9am)… we spent the week battling yet ANOTHER round of sickness at our house.
This round of sickness involved all three kids and lucky me. There was coughing, running snot, puking, green sticky mucus, sneezing, more coughing, screaming, waking up in the middle of the night because it hurt to cough, more puking, short naps, more coughing, more night screaming, more night waking, etc. Yes, ALL three kids (but Gabby never puked). You get the picture.
Dan took Rocco in to see Dr. O on Wednesday, after Rocco spent the night screaming.
Immediately, we suspected an ear infection. The night before was all too familiar. Rocco would fall asleep in our arms and the second you’d try to lay him down he would scream like he was in pain. This went on from 2-4am. Meanwhile, we were also managing Matteo and Gabby waking up every hour because they were coughing so hard. Finally, Dan let Rocco sleep on him. And, I think both of us logged a total of 3 hours sleep that night. UGH!
Rocco was diagnosed with an ear infection, of course. His temperature before the appointment was 101.5 and he just looked hot and miserable and was beyond fussy and angry. Poor little guy. So… problem solved, right. Nope.
After two failed attempts to give Rocco his medication (think MAJOR puking about ½ hour after medicine and food intake), his temperature had now hit 103.5. And, it was getting late. He was lethargic and we were exhausted. It was time to page Dr. O. At this point, he might even carry a pager around JUST for our family. ;-)
While waiting for Dr. O to call (it was a LONG wait this time…), Rocco just wanted to be held. He was lethargic. It was 8:30pm – WAY past his bedtime. He just wanted mommy snuggles. So, I just swaddled him and sat on the exercise ball and bounced gently to soothe him. He would only take little tiny sips of water and I could tell he was trying to sleep but he couldn’t. He just kept looking at me to make sure I was holding him. All the while, Gabby was busting at the seams wanting to touch, talk to and play with Rocco (while we were trying to keep her quiet and at a distance). Finally I decided to let her come over and talk to Rocco because I noticed his eyes opening when he’d hear her voice. So, Gabby put both hands on his cheeks, tickled them and got right in his dish. And in her loud, high-pitched, baby-squeal voice said “Baby Rocco’s SO sick AREN’T you baby Rocco? It’s ok little buddy we’re going to make you better!” And Rocco got the biggest smile on his face and laughed so hard. It was like instant medicine. Gabby laughed and kept doing this for another 5 minutes and had Rocco laughing so hard his belly had to have been hurting from laughing so hard. It was CRAZY. To see him go from lethargic and making me worry so much to seeing him react to his sister’s attention and being so happy to see her. It COMPLETELY melted my heart.
We finally heard back from the MD and his advice was to give Rocco B.enadryl to calm his nausea. Followed by a steam shower for 15 minutes to loosen the pressure in his ear, and then a half hour after the B.enadryl we were to re-try the medicine. It worked! He kept it down. He woke up whining in pain about every 20 minutes until about 1am, but after that he slept until about 4:30 and was then starving.
Dang. I hate having sick kids. Not only are you completely worried... but it is mentally and physically exhausting. I’m so thankful to have such a helpful husband and Julia (our fabulous au pair from Germany) around. Both so willing to jump in and help when needed.
And, I have to say… seeing the heart-melting interaction between sick, lethargic Rocco and silly Gabby almost made it worth the two puke-cleaning sessions (w/in 4 hours of eachother) and 5 loads of laundry, etc. ALMOST... ;-)
1/12/09
One year growth stats are in!
Well... the one-year growth stats are in!
At birth, Rocco was 5lbs 13oz and 19.5 inches long. Today, Rocco's stats are:
Weight: 24lbs 10oz (75th percentile)
Height: 30 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Head: 49.2cm (off the charts)
Here are a few photos of Rocco shortly after birth:
At birth, Matteo was 5lbs 9oz and 18.5 inches long. Today, Matteo's stats are:
Weight: 22lbs 14oz (50th percentile)
Height: 30 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Head: 49.5cm (off the charts)
Here are a few photos of Matteo shortly after birth:
At birth, Rocco was 5lbs 13oz and 19.5 inches long. Today, Rocco's stats are:
Weight: 24lbs 10oz (75th percentile)
Height: 30 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Head: 49.2cm (off the charts)
Here are a few photos of Rocco shortly after birth:
At birth, Matteo was 5lbs 9oz and 18.5 inches long. Today, Matteo's stats are:
Weight: 22lbs 14oz (50th percentile)
Height: 30 1/4 inches (75th percentile)
Head: 49.5cm (off the charts)
Here are a few photos of Matteo shortly after birth:
These boys are BIG boys. For the sake of comparison, Gabby's one year stats were:
Weight: 17lbs 6oz (10th percentile)
Height: 29.5 inches (58th percentile)
Yes... that's right. I don't pump iron... I pump kids. Big kids. Daily. ;-)
1/11/09
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, ROCCO & MATTEO!
ONE! They're ONE! WOW!This year really flew by fast. And, we survived it!
We had a little birthday party to celebrate the boys turning one on Saturday. It was lots of fun and even more fun because the celebration was shared with family and lots of good friends who have kids in the same age group.
Each baby had their own chocolate car cake... designed and created by me (by fluke!) and decorated by Julia (our au pair from Germany).
Here is Rocco with his cake:
Matteo with his cake:
I'm pretty sure the boys had a good time at their party. I think they knew it was their special day, as they got a LOT of attention and got to play with some of their "little buddies". Matteo was constantly trying to put the moves on his little girlfriends... Kiya and Leah. He was charming them with his piano skills and trying to run his finger through their hair (although, that move didn't go over so well with Leah!). The little girls are just SO CUTE... and he really likes them.
Rocco was very busy chasing balloons and trying to keep up with the big kids both in the house and on the trampoline. Would you believe that he was actually standing and jumping on the trampoline?! He enjoyed chasing his sister and her friends outside. And, he also was pretty stuck to Grandpa Kenny and would reach for him whenever he walked by.
I thought the boys would destroy their cakes with enthusiasm. But, when it came down to it... Gabby had more fun putting her face in the cake and eating it with no hands.
Rocco didn't like the taste of the cake at all... and would spit it out. Matteo liked it and would put his fingers in the frosting and happily lick them clean. Matteo ended up playing in his cake a bit more than Rocco and Rocco's hands had chunks of cake and frosting on them from picking at the side of the cake.
When finished... both cars looked like they had some serious side impact. The adults then enjoyed some cheesecake and a chocolate bundt cake I had made.
It was a great birthday!
For more birthday pictures - visit our Shutterfly Web site.
A short logistical summary of the last year...
A quick summary of the last year:
* Burp cloths: When Gabby was a baby, I always wondered what on earth I would do with all the burp cloths I had. I rarely used them. With the twins, I learned about the love affair people have with their burp cloths. I never had enough (even though I have piles!) and used them ALL DAY LONG. Rocco had really bad reflux and Matt was a good burper and drooler after eating. They'd both always have milkfaces.
* Toys: At one point, our TV room was a minefield of baby apparatus. Now, it's just a minefield of toys. Yes, we trip constantly. Yes, major cleanup in needed daily. But, it's not as crazy as it was at one point during the summer.
Here are photos of the babies shortly after birth:
Photos from the day we brought them home:
4 months:
6 months
:
7 months:
8 months
:
* Dishwasher: In the first 3 months of the babies life, the dishwasher would run 3 times daily. Now it's back to only running once. Rarely do we need to run it twice on a normal day.
* Laundry: In the first 3 months of the babies life, I would do at least 2 loads of kids and baby-related laundry daily. Now we throw one load in every night. Rarely do we need to do 2 loads.
* Diapers: In the first 3 months, we were using almost 30 diapers a day. That's approximately 900-930 diapers and $215 per month.
* Breastfeeding: Didn't last long. It was too difficult for me to manage a very active 2 year old all the while nursing two little boys who treated me like their snack bar. They would nurse and nap and I didn't have time for it. I would have loved to keep nursing them... but logistically, it wasn't working.
* Pumping: I pumped milk for 6 months and then I threw in the hat. It was getting hard to find the time to pump. It was exhausting and sucking me of every last ounce of energy. And, quite honestly... my body was having a hard time keeping up. But, I do admit that at one point I was practically on "cow status", as I pumped 18 ounces+, during a single pumping, on more than one occasion.
* Formula: When the pumping stopped... we went from filling a bottle 50/50 with formula and breastmilk to all formula. This also meant spending a lot of money on formula. At it's worst, we were going through a 38oz package ($27 at Costco) every 2 days. That's roughly $405/month. YIKES!
* Burp cloths: When Gabby was a baby, I always wondered what on earth I would do with all the burp cloths I had. I rarely used them. With the twins, I learned about the love affair people have with their burp cloths. I never had enough (even though I have piles!) and used them ALL DAY LONG. Rocco had really bad reflux and Matt was a good burper and drooler after eating. They'd both always have milkfaces.
* Toys: At one point, our TV room was a minefield of baby apparatus. Now, it's just a minefield of toys. Yes, we trip constantly. Yes, major cleanup in needed daily. But, it's not as crazy as it was at one point during the summer.
Here are photos of the babies shortly after birth:
Photos from the day we brought them home:
A few photos during the first month of their life:
1 month old:
3 months:
4 months:
5 months: 
6 months
:
7 months:
8 months
:
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