It's been 7 months....

Even with cheek guards in - you can see the smile in his eyes! I love this little boy!!!! And this is our progress. Teeth are touching but sides still aren't in alignment with each other. As the doctor said "we are making progress but still have progress to make". We had a nice ride to Syracuse today. As we got off the exit I hear from the back seat "mommy, I don't feel good, I want to go home". He had me nervous but he didn't get sick. His nerves had kicked in. We got to the office and he wanted to play but we got called right back. He got the big TV all to himself. These offices do amaze me at what is available to the kid in the chair. Spongebob came on and we took our pictures. First them and then it's my turn. It doesn't look like much progress but those top teeth couldn't even touch his bottom - they do now. His palate tooth is moving. It's still in his palate but we have a wire hooked to it and we are moving it. His upper right tooth is still hanging on. Not causing issues for Cody so we leave it. There is no wire hooked to it. Dr. D said that it's really a "tooth fairy tooth" but right now he is gaining confidence in Cody so he is leaving it alone. He feels that when it does become loose there isn't really anything for him to grab onto and wiggle so he will most likely pull it...but for now...we leave it alone and address one thing at a time. The expander and Cody's anxiety. The other thing I love is right after Cody got in the chair and Dr. D started moving the wire and said something about tooth glue and Cody started to loose it. Dr. D reeled him in real quick. He got a little stern and told him he needed him to be his helper and that's all it took. So proud of Mr. Cody today. It is hard on me to sit in the chair and just hold his hand. After we were done we visited our normal - McDonald's.....We go back in 6 weeks.

Staying a mystery....

Some things are just meant to stay a mystery. I guess as a mom of 3 boys - I should get used to that. Brett took Tyler to the orthopedist yesterday for his follow up on his hand. Apparently the brace has been working. Tyler has had no more complaints of pain in the hand. They had told me that they would re-xray the hand at the follow up but Brett said they didn't. So we won't know if he actually might have had a hair line fracture...or if in fact he tore some cartilage.....but whatever he did - it appears to be all better! He is to wear the brace for another week and we are to notify them if he has any more complaints.

So - the hand hurting/injury is going to stay a mystery.......

And if anybody knows me........ I HATE THAT!!!! :) I can't help it! I like to know all the "W's"..what/when/where/why.....it's a fault of mine! :)

6yr. checkups

Tonight, Cody and Dylan had their check ups. It was very nice that Brett could go. He kept one in the waiting room while I only had to deal with one kid at a time. They feed off each other - so when in the room together - it can get crazy!

Dylan went first. He sat up and answered all her questions and she was very happy with him. He wasn't thrilled when he had to take off his clothes down to his underwear but he did it. He is very bashful. He got weighed....62 3/4 pounds. Yah, he's healthy! And he stands at 46 1/4" tall. I thought she would have more to say about his weight but she just said to watch the sugars in his drink. He is a very active boy - I think he's just been blessed with a slow metabolism like his parents. Everything else , BP, ears, heart, lungs, eye exam - all checked out great.

Next it was Cody's turn. He was over tired and therefor not cooperating as much as I know he could have. I'm watching the "tiredness", trying to figure out if he is in fact just tired or if his thyroid is having issues. I'll watch a little bit longer and then make the call. So I answered her questions about Cody. Honestly, she's a great pediatrician but for Cody's issues we have specialist and if I'm having a problem - I'll call them and we'll just update the ped. Cody weighed in at 53 1/4 pounds and stands at 45 1/4" tall. Everything for Cody checked out fine too!

Then we had to drop the bomb - they had to get shots! A booster to the Hepatitis shot and we decided to give the H1N1 shot. Dylan was fine with the news but Cody went into hysterics! Horrible! He has such a fear of needles that I feel so bad for him. So Dylan went first to show that it wasn't going to hurt. He did great. Cody freaked even more taking his shirt off and it took Brett and I to hold him so the doctor could give the shot. After the first arm we moved to the other arm and he says "no, not my favorite arm".....that's when Brett and I lost it. So not right to laugh at him but OMG that was too funny! Then poor Tyler who thought he was just coming along to play with the cool kitchen found out that he too needed a shot. I haven't told them yet that they all need to go back in a month for the second round! :(

This is one doctor visit out of the way. Tyler goes back to the orthopedist tomorrow for a re-check of his hand. Since the brace was put on and after the first 2 nights with the brace, he has slept fine and not complained of his hand hurting. I'll be curious to see if the x-rays will show anything tomorrow. On Monday, Cody heads back to Syracuse for an adjustment of his appliance.

Birthday Celebration Re-cap

Wow - what a truly wonderful fun 6th Birthday the boys had! It all started Friday at school. Brett and I headed to their classes for some parties. Cody's class was first. We walked in and everybody was waiting. Cody in his birthday hat. The teacher had a new idea to try out. All the kids got in a circle and Cody in the middle. Cody was to choose 6 friends to be his "candles". After he picked them - the "candle" kids all knelt with their hands stretched above their head. All the kids sang Happy Birthday and at the end Cody blew each "candle" out. Then they sat down and it was time for some chocolate chip cookie cake. Brett passed out supplies with the help of Cody and I cut. The kids were "starving" (or so they said). Cody had a smile pasted ear to ear! We left and all the kids thanked "Mr & Mrs Luckey"...to cute! Cody and Mrs. Cluck!

Then we headed down the hall to Dylan's room. The kids were waiting for us too and Dylan had his birthday hat on. Mrs. Matyas pulled him upfront with her and all the kids sang. After they were done, it's her tradition to give the bday kid "high 5's", one for each year and then pinches (on the shoulder) to grown an inch. We took the same role as in Cody's class. Dylan's class was a little more wilder but the kids had so much fun. Dylan was so embarrassed when the kids sang but it was so cute. He tries to play Mr. Macho to much. Dylan giving High 5's to Mrs. Matyas

Friday night Kevin, Kristie and Jack arrived. They stayed with us (something that they haven't done since having Jack) and it was fun to have some time with them. Brett cooked us a good dinner and then the boys played some Wii. Cody and Dylan were getting excited that when they woke up it would be their birthday!

Saturday morning came and the fun began. We headed to Karly's basketball game early. Only got to see 2 cheers but the girls looked great. It's still so neat to see her on the court. After that we headed back home. Coming with us were my Dad and Uncle Ken to hang out with for the day. Brett cooked us a yummy breakfast and the boys were getting excited for their friends to come. To bad this was about 11am and the friends weren't coming till 4. Shortly after my mom arrived and then my sister and crew. Grandpa Jim (Brett's dad) got there about 2:30 and we had a house full. It was so much fun though to have everybody together (only wish Brett's mom could of joined us to celebrate) and the boys took it all in. Next came presents to pass the time. They got new bikes, Wii game and accessories, some cash/gift cards and then their presents from us.

Dylan first opened his present from Tyler. Tyler wanted to get Dyl a new monster truck. Then Dylan opened 2 more monster trucks from us. First was Grave Digger (his favorite) and Iron Warrior. The picture above shows him holding a cool card and a ticket (blurry camera, I know). The ticket is for him and us to go to PA to see a real Monster Jam show. He freaked! Just as Brett said he would. The show is 2/20 and we can't wait. He will get to see his favorite driver and truck in person. You guess it...pictures to come! Another blurry picture (love my camera)............Cody wanted a DS. Thankfully I got a great deal and couldn't pass it up. He loves it!!!! He's busy growing his new zoo. Karly and him were sitting for the afternoon raising their animals.

Finally 4pm came and their friends showed up. We all ate and then had cake. In our tradition with twins...we sing to them separately. I made their cakes...ok, let me rephrase that...Brett made their cakes and I decorated them. Happy Bakuday Cody.......get it Bakugan - Bakuday! :)Happy Diggerday Dylan...........Grave Digger......Digger......you see where I am going with this! :)

Then it was finally time to head to the hockey game! What a fun night. It was also Star Wars night so the kids got to see clone troopers and get a group picture with Darth Vader. Then we found our seats. Now not sure if these were the best seats in the house but for a birthday party with 7 kids - it was perfect. We were 3 rows off the ice. We sat right as the Senators came in/out of their dressing room onto the ice. The kids got "high 5's" all night long. At the end of the first period....Karly was getting her hand slapped and one of the players gave her the game puck. Totally made her day! Then the end of the second period - Cody also got a game puck given by #5. Max the mascot came to hand out the treat bags and we got another photo. There were lots of fights. I mean drop sticks, take off gloves, punch until the refs pulled em apart. Plus the Senators won! 5-2. yeah! So much fun! I think we all enjoyed them turning 6.

Continued.....

I got out of recovery and headed to my room. By this time the family had seen the babies and were watching them through the nursery windows as they cried out about having to be weighed and such. It wasn't long and they brought them into me. My first moment "really" seeing my boys. I didn't know what to think. I was numb - I was excited but this is NOT what I thought I would be feeling like. I looked at Cody and his lip that was pushed up into his nose and honestly had no idea what our future held. Would he even live? Nurses were coming in, my family there and Brett and I just looking at each other. Everybody was telling us the same thing..... "he's going to be OK...they can fix that". 6 years ago I felt like everybody was lying to me. I am almost ashamed to write it but I took to Dylan first. I held him, fed him and just looked at his little round face. Brett took Cody...he held him, feed him and learned first how to feed him. I really really remember the whole hospital stay and I felt very numb.

The next couple of days I went through the motions. We changed the first dirty diaper, we fed them lots, took them for their first picture....by the time of dis-charge I had gotten angry with my nurses for not showing me how to work Cody's bottles. That's when I started to take the bull by the horn. My sister had printed me out information about cleft lip and palate and I read that a little. I knew that we were going to make it.


So..... fast forward and my babies are now 6. Cody and Brett and I have gone through such a growing stage. We've gone through stuff that some parents never will. We've met some parents walking the same shoes. We've dealt with the people that think once his lip/palate surgery was over - that he is all fixed. Only wish it was that simple. He's had to grow up a little quicker. He is the best little patient and we don't sugar coat it much for him. He's taught me that no matter what you look like...you are still a person and need to be treated that way. He really will never know what he has taught me. He has a smile that will brighten a room. And the biggest eye lashes that will make any girl jealous. He's caring and understanding. Dylan is the best big brother ever. Or maybe is it little brother seeing as though Cody is a minute older and trust me that does come up! :) Dylan is our teddy bear. He is rough and tumble one minute and sittin on my lap, cuddling the next. He is his daddy through and through. I love his little dimple when he smiles. He has a love for the out-doors that I'm thinking he didn't get from his parents. Both of them are amazing! Their likes, dis-likes, at times they are so much alike and at time they are completely different from each other.

Happy 6th Birthday to our boys!

Getting ready......

This time 6 years ago, I was settling in on the couch for my last night of rest being pregnant with twins. I had watched them grow on the screen, I had felt them twist, turn, hiccup, flop inside my belly. A feeling I LOVED with all my heart. A feeling I longed for after they were born. That closeness is amazing. I had planned what they were going to wear home, we planned what we would do if Brett was off reffing a basketball game, the due date game was complete and I honestly don't know who won it now but it was fun then. We knew our life was about to change - we were getting 2 babies and not just 1 (like normal people). Bottles were washed, clothes hung, crib made, the list goes on.

What I didn't know when I went to bed that night is that when I woke up on that Friday morning, I would have my water break. Only I didn't know it. It wasn't like the lifetime movies that I had grown to watch in my board em where the water broke and there was instant pain and labor. So I went back to sleep, got up and ate some cereal and then called my sister. When I told her what was up she nicely told me that she was hanging up with me and to call the doctor. So I did! They told me to "get to the hospital". I called Brett at work, the receptionist had been awaiting my call. They were all excited. I hung up from telling Brett to come home, that "it is time" and I went and took a shower, did my makeup and my hair. I was standing in the closet looking for something to wear when he rushed through the door. He ushered me along!

We got checked in and I got all hooked up to monitors. A little more equipment because of 2 babies and the fact I was only 35 weeks along. We called my parents and they quickly got in the car and made it out here in time. They were lucky though - because of that cereal I ate and having a c-section (because baby A was breach) I had to wait.... With that waiting I got to feel labor pains. They weren't fun! I have more vivid labor pain memories from when Tyler was born. Brett got suited up and off I went to the OR. The family went to waiting room. (Here is where I should insert what they were thinking...maybe my sister will write that) Things started to move along quickly. I got on the table, my spinal done and all of a sudden I couldn't feel my legs. Blue drapes everywhere. Lots of people in and out. Brett at my head - neither of us talking as we were both so nervous and excited. The doctor tells me he has made his cut. I wait......I wait for that first cry....it didn't come.....baby A was out and out of the room he went. We had agreed that Baby A was to be named Cody James. We did know that the babies would be taken out of the room to go to their own little team of NICU staff to check them over and make sure they were doing OK. So I got past the "no cry" and waited to hear of Baby B out - he cried! Out of the room he went. Baby B was to be named Dylan Thomas. A few seconds/minutes went by and they came to get Brett. He left. I was a little jealous he was seeing them first. What I didn't know was that he got "the news" before me and all by himself. The babies were both doing great. Breathing on their own and they looked good.......except......Baby A was born with a cleft lip and palate. WHAT?!?! He went to see them and shed a tear or two for his sons. Then he wheeled them into me.....Cody in front/Dylan behind him........."what is wrong with his lip". Gosh, I'll never forget those words. Brett told me what was wrong.....I cried....I looked away and I threw up. I went to recovery to be by myself...wish I didn't have to be....I had no idea what was happening with them......Brett walked with them down the hall to our family waiting.......

Here they come....

Dylan.....Cody

To be continued......

Isn't he cute!?!?

Here he is sporting his brace. He smiles for everything. When the girl was taking x-rays a couple days ago she said told him to say "cheese" when she took the picture - so he did! Yah, my kids are used to cameras in their faces!
He got this on Friday. Friday night he had a rough night. On and off during the day on Saturday he complained of it hurting and then again Saturday night he had a really rough night. It's so hard to see your kids cry about something that you have no idea what it feels like for them and then to not be able to take the pain away. Sunday was a good day though. I stuck to the motrin every 6 hours and Sunday night he slept all night - like a baby! So.....we just watch it and pray for a good night every night.