All About Tornadoes

Auntie Judy stopped over a few days ago with gifts for all the boys.  She always finds the coolest stuff!  The Discovery Kids Tornado Lab was awesome and gave us at least two hours worth of entertainment.  Before we started our lesson, I asked the boys what they thought a tornado was.

Tommy:  It's like a tomato...but its not red.  It's purple.

Cole:  "Toe-nados" are like ghosts and monsters except they are really tiny!

They are such a riot.  Tommy was pretty smart about thinking it MUST be something like a tomato!  :)  I explained a little bit - enough to catch their attention - then we sat down and watched the DVD that came with it.  We watched real tornado chasers and learned more about what a tornado was.  

After the video, it was off to the lab!  It came with a little simulator that created tornadoes in the water and we added little beads and foam squares to show what happened to houses, cars, etc when in the path of one.  This was their favorite part.  "This is mommy's car!"  "I'm throwing daddy in the tornado!"  By the end, we had Nana and Papa...their cars...Kevin and I and both of our cars...Cole, Tommy, Grant and our house in the mix.

After the lesson was over, I quizzed them on what they had learned.

Mom:  "What would you if there was a tornado?" 

Tommy:  "Go down the basement." 

Cole:  "You never play near a tornado...you run AWAY from a tornado."

Mom:  "Are tornadoes big or small?"

Tommy:  "BIG."

Mom:  "Where do tornadoes come from?"

Cole:  "The sky!  They go fast, fast, fast and whoosh down and swoop up things!"  (Said with LOTS of dramatic flair.)

I have to say, I am pretty impressed with how quickly they pick things up.  Let's hope they never actually experience a tornado, but it was such a cool thing to learn about with my favorite pals.  Thanks Auntie Judy!

My three sons!!!

Cole, Grant and Tommy

Grant is 3 weeks old in this photo.  It only took about 80 photos to get this one...but we got it!!!  Getting THREE kids to look all at once is a lot harder.  :)  My favorite munchkins!!!

Feeling better!!

Here's our little man!  All dolled up for this morning's photo shoot.  Those pictures will be coming soon! He is just such a sweetie.  

Day of beauty...

When Tommy complained to me that he couldn't see Thomas on TV because his hair was in his eyes...I knew it was time for a little boy beauty day!

Grant lost his belly button yesterday and was finally ready for a tubby.  (And boy did he need one!)  And the boys were LONG overdue for haircuts and nail trimming.  I actually had to GIVE the boys a tub before going to get haircuts as they were covered in paint from a project from yesterday.  Ahh...life with a newborn!

My mom showed up to give me a hand in taking them.  The boys look so handsome with their new haircuts!  The only problem is they keep looking OLDER to me.  This needs to stop immediately.  Here is a picture of my handsome boys.

Grant's first tubby was actually pretty funny.  He knew something was up and immediately got a case of the hiccups.  He kept looking at my face for reassurances, but the moment his toes hit the water he was not happy.  Look at his mad little face!

Coming out was a different story though.  Once he was all wrapped up and warm, you could tell he was feeling pretty dapper.  We got some little smiles and he did lots of *talking*.

Tommy was helping me to get Grant dressed.  This picture cracks me up.  You can almost see the question in Grant's eyes.  "Are you really leaving me alone with this guy?"

So mission accomplished!  Next step is a mommy day of beauty...only 4 more days until the hair salon!  I can't wait.  We're on the mend here and starting to look the part!

RSV

Well we tried to avoid it...but it was inevitable.  Our sweet baby boy got RSV.  For those of you who aren't familiar with it...RSV is basically a cold in adults and older children.  Often accompanied by fevers and a pretty decent cough.  For babies though, RSV can be very serious as it clogs up their breathing passages and the high temps are dangerous.

Cole and Tommy developed bad colds the week Grant was born and we didn't learn that it was actually RSV until Grant was 7 days old.  We tried our best to completely isolate him.  (I was living in one room with him) but I think he had already been exposed.  He and I both came down with cold symptoms on Tuesday night and on Wednesday we brought him to the pediatrician and confirmed that he had RSV.  They immediately sent us off to the hospital where he was admitted and spent two nights under observation.    RSV usually gets worse around day four...so they wanted to monitor the progression of the virus.

Luckily for us, Grant has a great immune system!!  (Of course he does...he is superbaby!!)  He did GREAT during the three days we spent at the hospital and had all the nurses cooing over him.  You have to see these pictures as they are such a testament to his great temperament.

Here he is in his bed, checking out his digs....

You can see he isn't feeling too hot here.  Puffy, watery eyes, stuffy nose and a little cough.

Just hanging out with mom.  I love this picture. He is the sweetest baby and can focus on things that are pretty far away.  Of course, I am convinced he is brilliant.

They sent us home on Friday with confidence that he would do great at home.  There were so many sick kids in the pediatrics ward, I practically ran out with him in my arms.  During the two nights we spent there, we had two very sick little room mates.  Both were babies with RSV.  One was transferred to Children's Hospital ICU he was so sick.  The night they spent working on that baby, I sat up with Grant in my arms and thanking God that we weren't that sick.  Honestly, we were very, very lucky.

Coming home was beautiful.  There is no other word to describe it.  Tommy and Cole had never had the chance to get close or touch their baby brother as they were sick.  Watching them all together made me cry.  Cole was so excited that he could finally touch his brother.  (He is still asking me if it's okay.)  The doctor explained that since we all have RSV...we're safe to be together at last.  YAY!  He also feels confident that if Grant is exposed to the virus in the future, that he'll be able to fend it off on his own as he did so well with this first exposure.  All positive news. 

So...we're on the mend!  We're all still stuffy and congested, but getting better.  Grant has a check-up today at doctor's, so we'll see how things go.  Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers.  They worked!!

Growth spurt!

This morning I peeked in on Grant and started laughing.  You should see all the new hair he sprouted!!  He has the world's best hairline with a little Clark Kent swirl right in the center of his forehead.  Tommy and Cole were cue balls for so long.  I can't believe at two weeks old he already has this much hair!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Our best pals - Cole and Tommy.  Mommy and Daddy love you so very much!

We love you Grant - our beautiful Valentine!  

Valentine's Day was full of love, cuddles, crafts and fun.  With sweet Grant tucked safely away in our bedroom napping, the boys and I opened Valentine's and made some fun Valentine's ornaments to give to Nana.  Cole and Tommy love each other so much.  Watching them giggle together and play is just so special!

The boys have been so understanding with everything.  The entire time we were together this morning, I was wearing a surgical mask.   It is vital that I do not get RSV and Kevin was traveling today, so I had to play it safe with my sick little guys.  We pretended I was a doctor which they loved...and it just worked out perfectly that part of their Valentine's gift was a "Doctor Love" t-shirt!  

Tommy

Doctor Cole

It was great to have a morning with them...I've missed my best pals so much.  "I love you Mom." Cole said during a break in our play.  It was heaven to my ears.  How lucky am I to have two such special boys?  Hope everyone had a very special Valentine's day.  And happy birthday to the boys' Auntie Patti...we love you!  xoxo

SO many updates...so little time!

We've certainly been busy this week!  We arrived home on Monday afternoon after a long morning of waiting.  It was SO GOOD to be home with our little guy.  Just having our family all together at long last was such a great feeling.  And of course, nothing feels better than sleeping in your own bed!  Grant was so cute dressed up to head home.

Grant and daddy - we're busting out of here!!

The boys were really sweet and excited to finally have their "baby Grant" home.  They were curious about everything and very protective.  Both boys had colds and one afternoon Tommy got a bloody nose.  While Kevin and I were tending to him, Cole quickly ran upstairs to Grants bassinet and said, "Don't worry!  I'll make sure baby Grant is okay!"  I almost cried!  You can't teach that...that is just instinct.  And Tommy calls Grant "our baby Grant".  When he wakes up, the first thing he asks is "where is our baby Grant?"  It's so sweet.  Honestly, the boys have been amazing considering everything that has been going on.  I couldn't be prouder.

Grant celebrated his 1-week birthday on Thursday with a check-up at the pediatrician's office.  He is doing great!  Gained weight, eating well, healthy and pretty strong for his age.  At only 7-days old, his legs are strong enough that he uses them to flip himself over.  Can you imagine?  He can also hold up his head for several seconds at a time and has great focus with those big beautiful eyes.  He is like a superhero baby!  :)

It's such a different experience from the boys.  Grant is a bigger baby, so he sleeps for long stretches and has no issues with eating at all.  When he's awake, he loves to talk and really listens and focuses when mommy and daddy are talking and playing with him.  Just a sweetheart.  Here is a picture of Grant at 6 days old.  I took it in our living room.  Doesn't he look so much older than 6 days?

It wasn't long after this photo that Cole and Tommy's little *colds* started getting worse.  Long story short, as of today BOTH boys have RSV and ear infections.  RSV is a viral infection that is pretty dangerous for newborns.  Oy!  Just what we needed.  So serious in fact that Kevin and I are living in separate rooms and he is tending to the boys and I am tending to Grant.  Never a dull moment around here as of late!  No worries though.  We are parents of twins.  We can handle this!  :)

The debate is still on as to who Grant looks like.  I was so certain he was going to look just like his brothers, but he is definitely his own little person.  He has dark hair with a different hairline than the boys.  The cutest little swirl right at the top.  Perhaps he looks a bit more like me?  I think he may resemble my mom's side in terms of the eyes and nose...and his lips remind me of my Grandmother Anna.  He has little dimples when he smiles...  Hmmm...who has dimples?  I want to collect a few more baby photos to see if I can track resemblances.  Here is my baby photo...versus his very first photo.  (Poor child...has no idea he was born to a paparazzi mother.) But I can certainly see a little resemblance!

Another shot...

What do you think?  Comments or thoughts?  Aside from all that, he is honestly the BEST little baby ever and we feel so blessed!  Just a perfect little miracle.  He lights up when he sees his daddy and I always catch him staring intently at me when I'm doing things.  I can't stop kissing his head...those sweet cheeks...it's heaven!!  God made newborns so we would continue to procreate.  The whole experience is just so intoxicating!!  

Will update as we can in the weeks ahead as we are all trying to mend here.  I am looking forward to spring...days spent with my boys and Cole and Tommy feeling better.  The doctor says we have two more weeks of isolation.  Here's hoping it passes FAST.  Thank you to everyone for your well wishes and kind words.  We are over the moon about this little guy and feel lucky that he is surrounded by so much love.

Grant - 10 days old

Grant - 3 days old!

Kevin took the kids home tonight, so Grant and I were on our own.  We had the best day.  We cuddled, relaxed, napped together...did lots of talking and with the exception of one return visit to the nursery for a blood test, he's stayed in the room.  They offered to take him tonight, but I just couldn't let him go, so I parked his bassinet beside my bed for the night.  He was sleeping, or so I thought.  Then I looked over and saw this....  

He was just sitting there watching me...eyes wide open...not a peep.  LOL  So cute!

He loves to stretch!  This was a cute shot from today when I was changing him.  Arms up...big yawn...its exhausting being so cute!

He was really alert today and I got this cute shot of his big blue eyes.  Well they are blue at the moment. We'll see what color they end up being.

We had just finished a feeding and I was wrapping him back up when he decided my finger would be a good snack.  

Nana and her new grandson!  

The big brothers overseeing a diaper change.  Tommy yelled, "HE OPENED HIS EYES!!!"

Here's my cuddle bug all nestled in for our nap.  I love napping with him.  The newborn smell is SO intoxicating. 

Busted out of NICU!!!

The former NICU diggs...

Grant is out of NICU!!!  We are SO happy...  Late last night he was brought down to the regular nursery and the nurses (knowing how desperate I was to have him in my arms again) brought him to our room right away.  He was so cute - eyes open, checking everything out, smiling and cooing.  He was so content!  After polishing off 2 ounces in less than 10 minutes (!!) went right to sleep.  Today the doctor said that he is eating so well that we can actually offer him more.  So we'll be upping the amount.  He's also already back up to his birth weight, so we can postpone that first doctor's visit by a few days.  Overall, she said he is one healthy little boy!  Such great news...

Here is a picture from last night when he and I were cuddling.  He is just so sweet!  I was certain that he was going to be the spitting image of his brothers, but he is actually very different!  I need to dig out my baby photos to see if there is some resemblance.  I am just so excited that he has dark hair like mommy.  I hope it sticks around!

My aunt Judy pointed out the ultrasound picture from earlier in the pregnancy and when we looked we were pretty impressed!!  It's amazing!  Here is that picture compared to how he looks today.

We'll have more photos soon!  Now that things are settling down, we'll have more opportunities for photos, cuddles and fun.  I can't wait to bring our bundle home!!

Baby update!

I'm just sitting in the room waiting for our next feeding.  Grant is still in the NICU and we're *hoping* that today might be the day he comes back to the regular nursery.  The NICU is so far away from our room -- we actually have to leave the maternity unit to get there.  So it will be nice when he can be closer to us and spend time in the room.  Once I get my hands on him he'll be in here 24/7!!!  I just miss him so much!

The main reason he is still in there is his blood sugar levels.  Everything else is great, but they are in the process of weaning him from his IV.  This means he has to get his blood tested after each feeding to see if his levels have gone up.  I finally gave in last night and let the doctors give him some formula to help expedite the process.  After three overnight feedings, his numbers are looking GREAT.  So that is good news for us!!  

The boys were so cute yesterday visiting their brother.  They tentatively entered the room and I could see their relief that it was just me in the bed.  But after a few minutes of playing, they wanted to know where Grant was.  So we made arrangements with the NICU where they could peek through a glass window to see him.   I will never forget that moment - ever.  They were so cute peeking through the glass at their new baby.

Cole: "Why doesn't he say goo-goo, gaa-gaa?"

Tommy: "He won't open his eyes!"

Cole:  "I want to go in that room!!"

Then Tommy leaned in and kissed the glass window.  I am tearing up just thinking about it.  Can you imagine?  Kissing his new baby brother good-bye.  I can't WAIT for Grant to be here so the boys can see him up close today.  Send a quick prayer that he'll be back to our room soon!

We'll post more pictures tonight...thank you to everyone for your well wishes, love and support.  We are so proud of our new little man and can't wait for everyone to meet him!

Our new little man...

WELCOME TO THE WORLD BABY.....

Grant Kenealy Riordan

Born 2/3/11 at 12:47pm

Weight 8lbs 1oz  Length 21 inches

He is perfect, we are elated and Tommy and Cole are proud to be BIG BROTHERS!   Mommy and baby are both doing well.  Pictures will be posted soon.  Stay tuned!!!!

WE'RE BIG BROTHERS!!!!

My babies...

Tomorrow they won't be my "babies" anymore.  We are excited to meet our newest little man, but watching these guys run around in fire hats tonight is making me feel a bit nostalgic...

I'm a ball of nerves tonight!  Knowing that this time tomorrow we'll be parents again feels so surreal.  Knowing that this baby bump will be gone is so strange!  So many worries, fears, concerns...I have to give it up to God and hope for the best.  Say a little prayer for us tomorrow that all goes smoothly and we have a healthy baby boy.  Then continue to pray that he'll survive childhood with these two wild boys.  

The big day has finally arrived!