Millering Christmas

On Sunday, December 20th we celebrated Christmas with the Millering side. We went out to eat at Fisherman's Inn and then went back to Grandma Sue's for presents. The chitlin's really didn't know (or care!) what was going on. They weren't very interested in the packages at all. I tried to get them to rip the paper, but they didn't quite understand yet. Derek ripped a big piece off of one of the packages, but then playing with the paper was more fun than pulling more off. Emaleigh grabbed a handful of some, but then got bored with it and didn't even rip any. With 4 more Christmas gatherings to go, maybe they'll get better by the time the holiday season is done? Probably not!

This is about the only time they pulled at the paper.

It lasted just long enough for me to take the picture.

8 Months

8 Months already! My how the time has flown! There have been so many changes that it's hard to keep up.

We have moved into the new world of mobility. Emaleigh is actually crawling now, although she switches from regular crawling and "army" crawling. Derek is all over the place. That child never sits still. I don't think he is even still when he is sleeping! He loves to climb, especially the stairs. The other day I even found him climbing their little toy piano to try to get up on the couch. That one shows no fear!

Emaleigh is a story teller. She chatters about everything! What is really funny is when she tries to talk through her food! Oh the messes I have to clean up! =) Unfortunately, I have a feeling that they are nothing compared to what I am going to have to clean up in the future!!

Both now have 2 teeth; the bottom two. Emaleigh's came in a couple of weeks ago, and Derek's came in today.

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a lot to celebrate this weekend. The kids enjoyed their first Thanksgiving. We stopped by Grandma & Grandpa Rew's for about an hour and a half. Emaleigh and Derek had their lunch there. Yummy squash and cereal! After that, we drove up to Woodbury to Kory's cousin Phil's house to celebrate with the Weis side. The kids enjoyed playing with cousin Sadie and the 2 beagles, Gilbert and Heidi. Later that afternoon, we headed to my folk's house for some pie.

Friday, the kids and I enjoyed a relaxing day at home playing on the floor. I tried to get some homework done, but playing was much more fun. Derek is crawling all over the place now, and Emaleigh, while still prefering to roll, has started to do the "Army crawl". She hasn't quite figured out how to get her belly off the floor while moving yet, but she is getting better. Derek is pulling himself up on just about everything. He is not quite steady on his feet yet though and has taken a number of tumbles. So far, he hasn't hit his head yet, but I'm sure that day is coming.

It is so amazing to watch them grow. They are so much more aware of their surroundings, especially Jesse, the cats, and whoever happens to be sitting on the floor with them, even each other. There have been many times when one is on top of the other, pinning them to the floor. Neither one likes to be the one who is pinned. Momma has become their favorite jungle gym. They like to crawl up into my lap when I am sitting on the floor. Derek likes to give Momma "kisses" and will pull himself up as far as he can.

On Sunday, Emaleigh cut her first two teeth. She hadn't been sleeping well all weekend and I guess we now know why. She had been trying to chew on my finger when I noticed that there seemed to be something on her gums. I held her lip open while Kory held the flashlight and we saw the 2 pearly whites! Yeah Emaleigh! Derek is still chewing on everything, but no sign of a break through yet.

7 Months

It is amazing how much babies can change in only a month. At the start of the month, they were still just lying on the floor. Now they hardly stay in one spot for more than a few minutes. They are both sitting up unsupported and can catch themselves when they start to fall over. They are both also quite adept at transitioning from a sitting position to laying on their stomachs, although they haven't quite figure out how to get to a sitting position by themselves yet.

Derek is still our little mover. He loves to bounce and jump. When we put him in his saucer, he just bounces up and down. When he is on the floor, he is constantly moving. He scoots himself forward on his hands and knees or on his stomach. He can crawl forward about 3 paces at a time. He has even pulled himself to a standing position once! They have a piano that they sit up to that they play with. Derek was sitting in front of it with his hands on the keys watching the stars light up. The next thing I know, I see him standing on his tip-toes leaning on the top! I couldn't believe it! He's too young for that yet!

Emaleigh will get up onto all fours, but she hasn't quite got the forward motion yet. She rocks back and forth and I think I saw her scoot her knees forward the other day, but she still prefers to roll everywhere.

We have been adding new flavors to their diet recently. So far they have had bananas, squash, and peas. They are both really good eaters and have enjoyed all of them, however they weren't so sure on the very first bite. Derek made some interestingly funny faces! Emaleigh actually shuddered at the jarred bananas that I gave them this morning. Before I had given them actual bananas that I mushed. However, we ran out, so I gave them ones from the jar for the first time. She didn't like them! It was hilarious! Emaleigh does love peas though. I can't spoon them fast enough. Usually it is Derek who can't get food fast enough.

On November 8th, we had Emaleigh and Derek baptised. The pastor at the Byron United Methodist Church is my former youth pastor from when I was in high school, so Kory and I decided that we would ask her if she would do the honors. Sharon is wonderful and I am so pleased that she could baptise my children. Our good friends Dallas and Ellen Turner agreed to be their Godparents. Afterwards, we went over to my folks place for a brunch.

Poor Derek

I took Derek into see the doctor yesterday. The poor little fellow was just miserable. He has had a cold now for about a week and a half. His nose would run and he had a cough, but it wasn't that bad. Monday night, however, he was up most of the night screaming. He had a slight fever and was only comfortable when he was being held. If we tried to lay him down when he would fall asleep, he would start screaming again. We finally were able to get him to stay asleep for a while by putting him in his bouncy chair. It kept him a little more upright so it was easier for him to breath. The last time that he acted similar to this was when he had his last ear infection, so we figured that's what it was. I had noticed that the back of his right ear was bright red.
When we got up Tuesday morning, he still had a slight fever that went away as the morning progressed. I called the doctor's office and got him in that morning. The doctor came in and checked his ears and confirmed that he did have an ear infection. Unfortunately, he had infections in both ears, not just the right. He also said that Derek's breathing was a little faster than what he would like, so he wanted to do a couple of chest x-rays to check for pnuemonia. When the doctor came back in, he said that Derek had just a touch. He put him on a strong antibiotic, which we started yesterday. He has to take it twice a day for 10 days. So far he has been a trooper and takes it really well, although I'm not sure that he really likes the grape flavor!
Today, he seems to be a lot better. He was very lethargic and needy yesterday, but this morning he was his normal, cheery, smiley, babbly boy. Now if we can just get through the medication with no reactions, I will consider this battle a success!

Halloween

We took Derek and Emaleigh trick-0r-treating just to all of the grandparents' houses. They looked so cute in their costumes! They really didn't get any candy, but the great-grandma's both bought them new clothes!

My Little Flower and My Little Frog

Halloween Fun at Grandma Sue's

6 Month Check-Up

Emaleigh and Derek went in for their 6 month well-child check-up last Friday, Oct. 30th. Emaleigh is doing great. Derek, on the other hand, had an ear infection, which probably had something to do with why he wasn't sleeping well anymore. He never showed any signs of an ear infection, so we had no idea. The poor kid! The doctor said it looked like it was healing really nicely, so she didn't give him any medication. Weight wise, they are still about 2 pounds apart. Emaleigh weighed 18 lbs 14 oz, and Derek weighed 17 lbs 2 oz. Lenghth wise, they are the same at 26 3/4" long. My babies are growing up so fast!

Later that night, I was playing with them on the floor in our dining room. Derek decided that he wanted something in front of him that was just out of reach. He pulled his knees underneath himself and, using his forearms, scooted himself forward. That was a first! A little while later, I looked over and Emaleigh was on her hands and knees rocking back and forth. It's funny how they both pulled to their knees for the first time within a few minutes of each other. Sometimes they seem to be really in tune with one another and other times they aren't. It won't be long before they are both crawling all over the place. I am really going to get my excercise then!

5 & 6 Months

Wow! Time has really gotten away from me! I just realized that I am way behind. Between work, class, homework, housework, and "baby work", it's hard to keep up.

All dressed up to go to our first wedding. September 19th

Emaleigh and Derek started going to daycare when school started again. September 8th to be exact. We found an in-home daycare that specializes in infants and toddlers. So far, they seem to really like Nicole and she is really good with them. There are only 4 other kids with Nicole, 3 of them under the age of 2. She has her hands full, but she really seems to like it.

It's really amazing how fast babies grow. We can see changes in them almost daily. Both Emaleigh and Derek are rolling over and like to be on their tummies when they are on the floor. Emaleigh has figured out how to roll to get someplace or thing and that if she leans to one side, she can reach farther. Derek, however, tends to scoot himself around using his knees and feet or pushing with his hands. He will bring his knees up underneath himself and then push up onto his feet so that his little bottom is way up in the air. Unfortunately, (or fortunately depending on how you look at it!) he hasn't quite figured out how to push up onto his hands at the same time yet. It won't be long before he is crawling all over the place.

Shortly before they turned 5 months old, we started them on rice cereal. Derek just loved it!! Emaleigh wasn't so crazy about it at first. We tried giving them oatmeal instead and they both really liked that, but it did something funny to Derek's skin. He would develop red welts on his face and his butt, so we stopped giving them oatmeal for now. I am still breast feeding both of them when I can, but they also still get their bottles. It has become much easier to feed them with the bottles as they can now both hold their own. All I have to do is hold the bottle in front of them and they reach for it. They can grab it on their own and can bring it to their mouths. They do really well with them, but I can't go too far away. They still haven't quite figured out how to pick up the bottle and get it back to their mouths if they drop it, so I still have to keep an eye on them.

Grandma and Grandpa Millering bought them both high chairs from The Amish Store where I used to work. When we were visiting the other day, I pulled out the high chairs and tried them in them to see how they would do. Surprisingly, they did really well. Emaleigh sits up on her own very well, if a little unsteadily, so she liked being in the high chair. Derek, on the other hand, tolerated it. He does not like to bend in the middle and is still not sitting up much. He would rather be standing or laying. The high chairs are still a bit big for them, and they tended to slide down in the seat. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the towels that we used to keep them from sliding!

They have both had their first colds, and are still congested. Derek developed a 24 hour fever with his. We called into Urgent Care and talked to a nurse and were told to give them warm water or apple juice a few times a day to help clear the congestion and keep the mucus loose. Emaleigh did not like the apple juice right away. She made lots of funny faces the first time that we gave it to her. Now she thinks it's great stuff. Derek took the apple juice really well and seemed to want more. A couple days later, we noticed a bunch of small red dots all over Derek. The poor kid had them everywhere! While they didn't seem to bother him, mom and dad were concerned. The only thing that we can think that caused them is that he is reacting to the apple juice. I am almost afraid that we are really going to have to watch what we give the poor boy.

Sleep in our house has gone out the window. At 4 months, Derek started waking up about once a night to eat again. That wasn't too bad, but now we are up to 2 times a night. Emaleigh has also decided that she can no longer wait all night to eat either and is up once during the night. Wouldn't you know that they can't both wake up at the same time! Needless to say, momma isn't getting a whole lot of sleep anymore. To top it off, Derek has decided that he can't sleep on his back anymore. Up until last night, we were still swaddling both of them. During the night, Derek would roll himself over to his stomach and then panic because he couldn't move his arms. So, last night, we tried putting him in a sleep sak instead of a swaddle. I wasn't sure quite what that would mean for my sleep, but he did really well. I put him down to sleep on his back after his last feeding and, wouldn't you know, when I got up to get ready for work, he was on his stomach. He had rolled himself over and never made a sound. We tried to put Emaleigh in a sleep sak last night too, but found out that she won't calm down to sleep unless she is swaddled. So for now, that's what we'll do. They are still in the pack 'n play in our bedroom for now, but I am going to have to move them to their crib really soon. I'm just not sure that I am ready for that yet!

They both go in for their 6 month check up at the end of the month, so I will know soon how much they weigh and how long they are. I promise to get that information posted as soon as I can!

4 Month Doctor Appt and Update

Emaleigh and Derek visited the doctor on Monday for their 4 month check-up. Both of them are very healthy and checked out wonderfully. Emaleigh is 16 lbs 12 oz and 24.5 inches long. Derek is 14 lbs 3 oz and 25 inches long.

Derek rolled over from back to front for the first time on Monday morning. The first time, he got his arm stuck under his body and couldn't get it out. By the 3rd time, he was able to get it loose and look up at me from his stomach. He has started to sleep on his side too. The other day he was laying on the table by me. He rolled to his side (which is normal) facing away from me and got really quiet. I went around the table to check on him and he was fast asleep!

We tried Emaleigh and Derek in mom's excersaucer about a week ago, and they both loved it. Emaleigh likes to try to grab the toys that we put on the tray, while Derek likes to spin himself in circles. They will only stay in it for 20 or so minutes and then they get tired. It's hard work to use all of those new muscles!
We visited my cousin Carrie and her 3 kids last Tuesday. Her youngest daughter, Claranna, is exactly one week younger than the twins. It is fun to see how different they are and how much alike.

All of the Millering Grandparents visited us last Thursday. Emaleigh and Derek really enjoyed all of the attention!

They are growing so fast and getting so big. I am constantly going through their clothes and putting away the things that are getting too small. So many outfits that they look so cute in and they are now in a box. Oh well. Time to get out the new cute outfits that, for now, are a little big.

4 Months

4 Days

4 Months

What a difference!! Time just seems to go so fast! It's amazing how they change overnight. They seem to go to sleep one night and wake up the next morning with a new skill. The truly amazing thing is that they seem to develop them at the same time!

They have really begun to notice things around them, especially if they make noise. Derek is extremely fond of music. They are not to the point of reaching for things yet, but they are fascinated with movement. Emaleigh loves to watch and laugh as Jesse, our black lab, plays.

They have also started to notice each other. Usually it is at different times, but there have been a couple times when it has happened at the same time. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get a picture of it yet.

Both of them have discovered their hands. While Emaleigh likes to chew on her fingers, Derek has found his thumbs. He prefers his left thumb, but we have seen him with the right one. One time he even had both at the same time! At first, he just seemed to chew on them, however, recently, he has actually been sucking on them.

This one's for you Hal!! I finally got a picture of Emaleigh with "The Lip". No other explaination

needed.

We took our first family only vacation at the end of July. We went to Brookside Campground in Blooming Prairie, which is just outside of Austin, MN. We had a good time even though the weekend was hot! We drove in to Austin just to cool off Saturday afternoon.

Brookside has a nice swimming pool and kiddie pool, so we took the kids for their first dip Saturday evening. It was a little chilly by the time that we went in, but they did really well. The kiddie pool was shallow enough that they could put their feet on the bottom and the water came to about mid-chest. Neither of them really knew what to think. They didn't smile, but they didn't scream either. Kory would dip Derek's feet in and he would try to pull his knees up so that they were out of the water. Emaleigh was too busy watching all of the other kids in the pool to react.

They are both getting so big. They go in for their 4 month checkup on Monday, so we'll know where they are size wise then.

3 Months

A month goes by so fast, and with it brings something new everyday. Emaleigh and Derek are still sleeping through the night, usually going to bed between 10 and 11 and waking up between 6 and 7. We usually get a good 8 hours of sleep a night. The daytimes are filled with all sorts of new things. Their vocabulary of sounds grows each day! They are also eating more during the day. I guess it's to stock up for the coming night!
They both have lost most of their newborn hair. Derek lost his a while ago and was sporting what we called "The Old Man Style". He had no hair on top, but had hair around the sides and back. It's the same style as Great Grandpa Tom! It has now started to come back in and is really light. We think he will be a blondie. Emaleigh's has just started to fall out and the new fuzz is already underneath. Her's is a bit darker and, in some lights, I think that it looks like it's going to be red. Kory doesn't see the red. He thinks that she will be a brunette. Heaven help us if she does turn out to be a red-head!

We try to have tummy time at least once a day, but don't always get to it. Most of the time they tolerate it for about 10 minutes or so and then they get tired. They both hold their heads up really well and are getting really strong. Derek especially. He will even support his weight on his legs and stand up! They enjoy sitting up and enjoying all of the new sights!

They are really starting to notice all of the things around them. The other day, Kory was playing with Emaleigh and she was staring intently at his hat. He put it on her and she loved it! She is her father's daughter! They love to be social and carry on a conversation with whoever will talk to them. (See the comment about the vocabulary!) They have even started to notice each other. Unfortunately, they seem to do this at different times. I am really looking forward to the day that they start talking to each other!

To go along with seeing new things, they have also been following sounds now. They will look and try to see where a sound is coming from, especially a voice. The other day, Derek was sitting in his bouncy and I started talking to him. He looked all over until he found my face. Then he smiled! It was so cool!

Fourth of July weekend we spent up in Alexandria at Kory's aunt and uncle's cabin. We took the camper and spent the weekend by the lake. His cousin Jana came up with her 18 month old daughter Sadie. Sadie just loved the babies! We tried to get some pictures of the 3 of them together. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get 2 infants and 1 toddler to cooperate?! Oh well. We had fun anyway! Some of them didn't turn out too bad.

The following weekend, we went camping again at Forestville State Park with my brother Mark, my niece Rachel, and our friends Becky and Tony. The twins are professional campers now! They seem to like to be outdoors.

Mystery Caves are a part of the park that we were staying at. Saturday morning we took a 1 hour tour of the cave. It was really cold in there, but the twins seemed to handle it really well. They slept through most of the tour, until the end, when Derek woke up hungry!
Emaleigh and Derek attended their first county fair last week. The Dodge County Fair, which is just 2 blocks from our house, ran from Wednesday to Sunday. We went up every night except for Wednesday. Thursday night was a truck and tractor pull, and Kory entered his truck in the diesel division. He did pretty well, taking home 3rd place out of 7 trucks. The kids were not very impressed however. They slept through the whole thing!

2 Month Dr. Appt. and Shots

I took the kids in for their 2 month appointment this afternoon. The doctor said they were doing great. Emaleigh is 12 lbs 9 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. She is in the 52nd percentile for height and the 84th percentile for weight. We had the doctor look at her eye while we were there. She has been having a lot of puss in the corner of her left eye. The doctor figured that it was a blocked duct and gave us some drops to use. He also told us to massage the duct about 5-6 times a day. Derek weighed 11 lbs 1 oz and is also 22 1/2 inches long. His percentiles are 34th and 32nd respectively. They also had to get their vaccination shots. Each of them had 3 shots in the thigh. They did really well considering that shots hurt! They only cried a little and didn't scream too loud. So far they have had no reactions to any of the immunizations. Hopefully they won't!

They have now been sleeping through the night. Last Thursday, on the eve of their 2 month birthday, they went to bed somewhere between 11:30 and midnight, and didn't wake me to eat again until shortly after 7 the next morning! I couldn't believe it! Seven and a half hours straight! I was thrilled and worried at the same time. I woke up thinking that something was wrong! Since that night, they have slept at least that long, if not a little longer. It has been great to actually get some sleep at night!

To go along with the sleeping at night, they have been awake more during the day. They like to lay on our bed and stretch, kick, talk, and smile! Here's a short little video of them so you can see.

2 Months

Two months have almost gone by and the twins are growing and changing daily. They are now sleeping longer at night, up to 5 hours at a stretch. This makes momma very happy as I now get a lot more sleep too! They are also starting to be awake more during the day and like to lay and stretch and coo. They are also giving us rare, fleeting smiles. I just happened to capture one on camera. I guess I got lucky. We weighed them the other day at my folks house, and (Unofficially!) Emaleigh weighs 12 lbs and Derek weighs 10 lbs. They no longer fit into any of their newborn clothes! Emaleigh had to have an ultrasound on her hips at 6 weeks to check for a rare form of hip dysplasia that can develop due to being breech. All results came back normal which is a relief! They have their 2 month check up next Monday, so we will find out exactly how much they have grown!

The past month has been a very busy one for the twins. They had their first sleep over at Grandma and Bapa's. Kory was helping my dad plant sweet corn, so instead of going home and getting up early the next morning to come back, we just stayed at the farm. Grandma offered to take the night feeding shift, so I actually got a good nights sleep! I got 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep (the first in over 6 months!) and Grandma got some good bonding time with the twins!

Emaleigh and Derek finally got to meet their Great Uncle Hal. He was back in Minnesota for their annual fishing trip and spent some time with the twins. Unfortunately, we were out of town for part of the time he was here, so hopefully next time we'll get to spend more time with him while he's here.

Derek got his first Band-Aid. (Yes, they make Band-Aids that small!) Mom needs a little more practice with the fingernail clippers. Sorry Bug!!

This past weekend, we took our first camping trip of the summer. For being only 8 weeks old, the twins did excellent!! We went to Goose Island in La Crosse with a couple of friends. The twins enjoyed being out in the fresh air. It was the first time that they slept for 5 hours straight. They are going to be seasoned campers by the end of the summer!

We were a little concerned about the weather. When we pulled in on Friday, it was raining. It rained all night and we were worried that it would continue throughout the weekend. By the time we woke up on Saturday morning, it had stopped raining and turned in to a gorgeous day! We were able to be outdoors all day and had a campfire that night.

Thank goodness that Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day because we took the kids to their first picnic. Our friend Amy threw a "Meet the
Babies" shower for us for some of our college friends. They really enjoyed being outdoors and were absolutely spoiled rotten!!

After packing up on Sunday, we took the kids to their first Cheesefest Parade in Pine Island. They were a little worm out from the long weekend and slept through the entire thing! After the parade, we took them uptown for the fireman's water fights and showed them the midway where they will one day beg to go on all of the rides!

While I wish that they could stay this small for quite awhile, I am enjoying each day and each new milestone with my kids. They are absolutely beautiful and precious. Of course, I may be a little biased!

May 12, 2009

We have reached Emaleigh and Derek's official due date!! They obviously couldn't wait this long to be known! I'm not sure I would have wanted them to. It probably didn't help that their Poppa kept asking if they could come out to play; "Just for a little while. We can put them back in!"

They have been doted on and spoiled since the day they arrived. They had so many visitors in the hospital and since we've been home! Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, gifts, and food! A special thanks to my friend Maria for all of the wonderful frozen hot dishes! I haven't really had to cook yet!

Great Grandma and Grandpa Rew

Great Grandma Weis

Great Grandpa Millering

2 Weeks Old Already!!

It hardly seems like 2 weeks have passed since the twins were born! The time has just gotten away from me! As of Monday at their 2 week weight check, Emaleigh was at 6 lbs 13 oz and Derek was at 6 lbs 7 oz. Both of them have grown over two full inches as well!

Two weeks old today - May 3, 2009

Derek

Emaleigh

Baby Details

So much has happened in such a short amount of time. Just a week and a half ago I was needing to update the blog with the last three doctor's appointments and wondering when I was going to find the time, when all of that became irrelevant. My water broke at 12:47 am on Sunday, April 19th. I had had no contractions or any other signs of labor at that point in time. It took me a little while to even realize that is what had possibly happened. I woke Kory and had him call the Birth Center. They told him to get our things together and come on in! We gathered a few things (thank God that I already had my bag packed!), and were on the road by 1:30. By 2 am we were admitted and in our new home for the next three days. The nurses checked for the rupture and did a dilation check. I was only dilated to 1, and still had had no contractions at all. The doctor came in with an ultrasound machine to check Twin A's position, and determined that she was still breech. They gathered the surgical team for the c-section, got everything (including me!) and delivered Emaleigh Sue (butt first!) at 4:37 am and one minute later, out came Derek Thomas! I had no time to even hardly think about what was going on and then there they were! Pappa was so proud and excited that he had to be reminded to take pictures!!

Our new little Family of 4!!

Sharing a bassinet

Kory Multi-Multi-tasking!!

36 Weeks, 5 days - April 19, 2009

Welcome to the world little Emaleigh Sue and Derek Thomas!!!!

Born April 19th by c-section!

6 lbs 1 oz, 17.5 inches long

Born at 4:37 am

5 lbs 15 oz, 18 inches long

Born at 4:38 am

More details coming soon!!!