The Aaron Family Booklet

View Project at Shutterfly

King and Queen of Hearts

I just couldn't resist!

Yesterday, Gage and Lila went to the pediatrician's office for immunizations. It didn't go well. Gage just got mad at those old nurses who stuck him. Then, he got over it after a little while. Lila just couldn't believe that they would do her that way. Her little heart was broken. She just cried and cried and would start up again after she thought about it for a minute or two.

Gage weighed in at 11 pounds 13 ounces and was 23 inches long. Lila had gained to 9 pounds 9 ounces and was 21 inches long. They are growing and developing so quickly.

Gage has laughed out loud, turned over by himself, and slept all night long. Lila is catching up, but she's still really small. She doesn't like being a baby. She wants to stand and walk. Once she does take off, Katy bar the door.

Two months today

It's so hard to believe that Lila and Gage were born two months ago today. My, how our world has changed. More accurately, though, Brit and J. P.'s world has been impacted more. Click on the link on the right to visit her blog and read all the things she's learned in the past two months.

I thought I'd post a couple of more pictures. They are just so cute!

Mini Me's

Take a look! Brit and J. P. have mini-me's. They love their car seat/stroller combo. Brit takes them for strolls and they are completely content as evidenced by the pictures above.

Trying to focus

It's hard for some of us to focus on the tasks at hand. I know that I get busy with my job and my health issues and I focus on those details. I forget to take time to step back and look at the big picture. Like Lila's picture I get kind of unfocused at times. Weary from the hectic pace of the manic flurry of spring activities in a 2A Texas high school, I begin to lose sight of myself and the people I love. Instead, I seem focused on the school events. Although they are very important to me, I have to make myself disconnect from school whenever I exit the building.

I do my best to keep my personal life and my school life separate. That way whenever I leave, I can "free-wheel". That's a term I use to describe letting my mind rest and my body unwind. I try to relax like Gage. The weekends help me to rejuvenate and get geared up for the next week.

Staying focused on school at school and focused on my family away from school is not as easy as it might seem, but it's the only way right now to keep me sane.

I'm saying to myself, "Come on June."

Family is great

Brit and J. P. are very fortunate to have his family. Last Friday afternoon, J. P.'s mother went with Brit, Lila and Gage to the pediatrician's appointment. Lila weighed in at 7 pounds 7 ounces and Gage weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces. They really filling out and growing already.

Later, his sister, Marla, came to help Hunny keep the babies. They told Brit and J. P. to have a night out. So they decided to go to the movies.

Hunny and Aunt Marla were happy to bathe the babies and get them ready for bed. They kept them all night so that Brit and J. P. could get a good night's rest. Brit said she slept for nine hours. She felt like a new woman.

Today, Hunny came back to keep the babies while Brit went to her doctor for her six-week checkup. What a comfort it is to know that the babies are loved and cared for by the best.

Exhausted

Because of the Synagis shot taking seven days to take effect, I had been unable to see the twins all week. It is amazing just how much they have changed this week. They have really filled out and their eyelashes have come in. They are really long lashes, like their dad's.

Brit called late Saturday night and asked if I could come over on Sunday so they could get some rest. They are exhausted from lack of sleep. Of course, she had to twist my arm just about a nanosecond. I shot this picture of J. P. as he napped while holding Lila.

I took them household supplies and groceries. I cooked some meals for them to have this week. I made chicken spaghetti and a roast. They'll be set for a few days anyway. They didn't have much laundry, but it's also caught up now, too.








As you might expect, I took a few more pictures. Look closely and you can see Lila's long eyelashes (or as her mother used to call them lielashes). Also there are pictures of Lila's little hand. Since I had pictures of Gage's hands, I had to have pictures of hers as well. Gage's picture show just how much he has grown. J. P. says he thinks he's a 10-pounder now. All I know is that he is a very handsome young fellow. He looks so much like his dad. Enjoy these new pictures.

The twins' Honey and Pa (Ricky and Elizabeth--J. P.'s mom and dad) will be visiting them today (Monday). I know that they are anxious to see and hold those little blessings. Honey intends to bring baby pictures from J. P.'s side of the family to compare. Without even seeing the pictures, my vote is that Gage resembles Cade. Once they are able to compare, we'll see what everyone else thinks.

Have a great day!

Gigi

Friends who have become grandparents before me say that it is the very best thing on earth. Of course, since I have not had the experience myself, I could not relate. Most said it is actually indescribable, but that there is a love there that only being a grandparent can provide.

I’d have to agree with them now. Our two little miracles are wonderful. Whenever I hold each of Brit and J. P.’s little babies in my arms, I marvel at how perfect God has made each one. I experience awe and amazement that these little beings are genetically part of my child and, therefore, of me. The wonder of these newborns evokes a joy and bliss that I have only known when my own two children were born, however, this is somehow still a little bit different. I feel like the elation and adoration for them has to be shared. Whenever I had my own children, I didn’t feel like I could boast about them, but now, with these grandbabies, I feel compelled to shout from the highest mountain that they are the most remarkable infants since the first Christmas.

When I give them their bottles, they make sweet gulping noises. As I cuddle them on my shoulder, I close my eyes and listen to them sigh. Their soft breath falls delicately on my neck. Little grunts emanate from them as they sleep. While holding them in my arms, I just gaze at them and drink in their splendor. The little noises and expressions they make amuse me. With each small movement, I surrender to a deeper bond. Needless to say, they have charmed me and captivated my heart. Every little motion and gesture exhilarates me. . . like it’s never been done before by any other baby. . . which is silly, of course, but still I am mesmerized by them.

Lila and Gage are two unique little babies. Because they are twins, they share many likenesses, but in many, many ways, they are very unlike each other. The Lord has blessed Brit and J. P. with two perfect little souls to nurture and protect. With the role of grandmother comes special privileges. I can share with Lila and Gage that unconditional love without reservation. I can boast of their accomplishments no matter how minute. I am justified in being impractical and biased where they are concerned. Others will have to overlook my gaffes because, after all, I belong to them now. I am their Gigi.

Two hands are better than one

Brit has her hands full with her twins, but as you can see, she already has perfected her techniques for comforting both at the same time. She's such a good mommy.

Priceless pictures

I think that babies' fingers and toes are so precious so I just had to take snapshots of Gage's. He was sitting in Lila's bouncy seat, thus the pink, but nevertheless, they are his hands and feet.

Lila sleeps with her little hands in front of her face a lot of the time so I took her picture as she slept.

Brit and J. P. dressed them as little Christmas presents on Christmas day. There was a little gift tag on them. Those pictures are below.

Of course, there are more pictures to follow. Stay tuned.

What a way to spend a Christmas

It's been one of the sweetest Christmases ever. The twins are home and thriving. Each has a personality all their own. Let it suffice to say that they are precious. I'll share more thoughts as time goes along, but right now, I'm answering the deluge of requests for more pictures. So here goes. . .



That little seahorse is a life saver. When all else fails, the soft lullabies that it plays puts them asleep.










Gage loves the swing. He's just as happy as he can be when he's just a swingin'.




Lila, on the other hand, prefers her bouncy seat. She loves the way it vibrates and plays music.

They are pretty happy campers as long as they are dry and fed. But, I guess, aren't we all?

Babies

Little bundles that bring such joy!

Together Again

Gage and Lila are together again. This time out of the womb. They used to be wombmates and now they are roommates. I just had to share these pictures with you.

Twins Pictures

Good news!

Yesterday, the NICU took all of the IVs, tubes, and electrodes off of Gage. He is functioning very well without them. Britney and J. P. were able to feed him a bottle. He took 40 ml which is great for him. One of the nurses will feed him 50 ml. Needless to say, he's about to take off.

His preemie clothes don't fit. So, they took him NB and dressed him along with a little cap. Brit said he looked so handsome. He is also out of his NB diapers and into a size 1. That's another milestone.

Lila looks fabulous in her preemie clothes and her NB Swaddlers. She may be the "little" sister yet. Who knows?

Brit and J. P. said that Gage has a test today. He will have to pass his car seat test. That means that he'll have to sit successfully for an hour and fifteen minutes in HIS car seat. Once he passes his test (and I know he will), then maybe he'll be coming home very soon.

Daphne, Brit and J. P.'s poodle and my Granddog, got to come home last night. Pops (Kenneth) brought her. Lila was in her little Pack & Play asleep when Daphne got there. Lila kind of squirmed and let out a little grunt. Daphne whipped her head around and looked in her direction. She tiptoed over to that area to see what she'd heard. Daphne would turn her head first left and then right and look at the play pen to try to figure out what that noise was.

Finally, Kenneth picked her up and finally got her to see that little baby in the play yard. Her nose was going crazy trying to take in all those baby smells.

When Brit and J. P. got home from seeing Gage, J. P. held Lila down to Daphne and she inspected her. I think she's going to make a fine big sister for the twins.

Pictures of Gage and Lila

I posted a blog below that gives details about Gage and Lila and their progress.


Look at the twins' pictures. Gage has tubes; Lila is free from tubes on her face. Enjoy!

They're here and they're grand!

As you might have suspected, Brit had her babies on Thursday, Dec. 11. Both were born at 7:54 a.m. which the doctor says is very unusual. Usually there's at least a one or two minute gap even with Caesarean birth. Although Lila was actually taken first, they will have the same birth time because she arrived at the first of the minute and Gage arrived at the end of the minute. Neat, huh?

To clear up some confusion, the actual birth statistics were: Lila Kail, 5 pound 5 ounces, 18 inches long; and Gage Preston, 6 pounds 4 ounces, and 20 1/2 inches long.

Gage had some breathing problems from birth. Both the OB and the pediatrician said that was typical. They told us that he had the "wimpy white male syndrome". That is, of all the races and genders of babies, the white male's lungs are the last to develop. When babies are pre-term (35 weeks and 4 days) and even more common in twins, the white males are more likely to have respiratory problems because their lungs simply are not developed enough to function without help. Interesting, huh?

Gage was Careflited to Scott and White to the NICU within a couple of hours of birth. He was greeted by his Aunt Karen and Aunt Brenda Edwards. Shortly thereafter, J. P. and his dad, Ricky, arrived. Of course, they immediately began working with him. Someone has been with him 24/7 ever since. Although we knew that there was nothing that we could actually do for him, we wanted someone from the family with him always.

Saturday, Brit was released and she went over to see him. A He was already doing better. She couldn't stay long, but at least she got to touch him. Yesterday, they took the oxygen away and he is breathing on his own. They also removed the feeding tube. Both Elizabeth ( J. P.'s mother) and J. P. were able to hold him and feed him. His respirations were down to 48 late yesterday evening and they want them to stabilize around 60. They had been up to 120. Once he can maintain the breathing rate and is nursing vigorously, he may be released.

Lila was released on Sunday. J. P., Brit, and Lila went home. They were offered a place at the Ronald McDonald house in Temple. However, J. P. didn't want Lila nor Brit to be subjected to any sickness since their immune systems are so fragile. He thought it best that they go home.

Brit is doing pretty well. She looks great and is getting around good. I hope she doesn't overdo it. She stays really busy with taking her own meds, pumping for the babies, and tending to Lila. Don't misunderstand, There's been someone with her 24/7 as well. She just enjoys tending to her.

In my family, we have always had big, healthy babies. Even Landry was bigger than the twins. So, knowing exactly what to do with them is still an exploration. That brings me to the nature of pre-term babies. Brit's pediatrician said that she should not take them out except for the doctor's appointments for 2 months. He also said that their immune systems are in a suppressed state. He advised that she limit visitors and those that do come must either wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before touching them.

That causes distress for her and J.P. They're so proud of the babies and want to share them with others, but they simply can't yet. I guess she'll be posting pictures and so will I so that you can at least see them.

Thank you so much for your continued prayers for them. However, everyone wants to see pictures so, I have attached the better pictures that I have. The pictures of Lila are good, but I haven't had an opportunity to get a really good picture of Gage because he's been in a situation where I couldn't get pics without the tubes. Basically, though, Lila resembles Brit and Gage resembles J. P.

Please continue to include their little family in your prayers.

Patience. . .

They say that patience is a virtue. I agree. I have quite a bit of patience. That comes from dealing with high school students for 30 years. However, the rest of my family does not have patience. Whenever they were made and the Lord passed out the patience, they misunderstood and took none. Now as they sit on pins and needles awaiting Gage and Lila's birth, they are learning patience. I've told Brit many times that God is still instructing her daily. These days, the lesson is, having patience. I must admit, though, that even my patience (that of Job) is stretching thin. I'm antsy to meet those two precious little ones.

Lila and Gage as ducks

Lila might be a little like this duck except for we think Lila will have dark hair.

The ladies at Brit and J. P.'s church gave them a shower a couple of weeks ago. One of the ladies at the church is 96. Along with her other gifts, she gave burp pads for the babies that her daughter had made. They are simply precious.

As Elizabeth (the twins' other grandmother) and I sat there, we agreed that the little ducks on the burp pads are probably precursors to our grandchildren.

We could envision Gage as this little boy. He is scooping out the sand from his pail just after he had spent time filling it.



Can't wait for them!

And the beat goes on. . .

No Thanksgiving Day travesty this year. My oven didn't go out or anything. All the food was properly cooked at my home in my oven. No snags whatsoever. It was even very good. You might remember that last year on Thanksgiving day, my oven went out before I had a chance to warm the turkey and to bake the dressing, the pies, and the rolls. I nearly had a meltdown, but luckily I remembered that in the Home Ec. department at our high school, there are 5 working ovens. So, I just transported my food to those ovens and wa-la, the food was all baked to finish at the exact same time. Thanksgiving dinner saved!

This Thanksgiving was uneventful in comparison.

Ken and I have re-painted the two bedrooms at the end of the house and the Jack 'n' Jill bath between them. They look so nice and fresh.

We got the baby bed out of storage and, of course, we were missing 2 essential pieces. Lucky for us, our son-in-law is very clever and he can make us replacement parts. When we get those parts, we'll be able to dress the bed and we will be finished with that room, as well. I have all the little baby things (blankets, bibs, burp pads, and clothes, etc.)washed in Dreft and stored in the dresser.

B. C.'s room is nearly finished. I repapered a couple of walls and repositioned his furniture. Also, I sorted, categorized, and organized his clothes and other "stuff". He can find everything for a while until he messes it all up again.
That will take only about 3 days or so.

So, now we are listening for the beat. You know the beat that goes on and on and on. That means that our lives are steadily moving forward. I suppose that's a good thing.