Holidays

It's been a long time and we have been bad bloggers :-( (sorry). Moving on.

The holidays are here and we have been having so much fun starting new traditions and celebrating old ones. We did Thanksgiving dinner at our house and it was a very relaxed day. The kids had a lot of fun. Then we got up early the next morning and went shopping (thanks Uncle Brent)an annual event for us. We had a lot of fun together this year because last year I went alone and A stayed home with the kids.

Christmas is going to be soooo much fun with the kids and we are really looking forward to it. The kids have had the best time going around looking at lights and decorations. Our Christmas tree has survived (so far) even though most of the decorations are at the top as we have two crawling and cruising toddlers around.

The boys are growing and hitting milestones each day and have recently started going to daycare three days a week as our beloved nanny moved in October. They are doing very well with it and seem to really enjoy it! Sending them to daycare was a big step for us adn it seems to be going well.

LUCKY

Boys we hope that you always know how lucky and what a huge help your big
sister is. We have therapy several times a week in our house and the
therapists are always reminding us that Carleigh will be their biggest teacher.
It wasn't until recently that we really understood that.

We just came home from our fist vacation and as we were cleaning and
unpacking Drew began to really crawl well. We were busy and didn't really
notice but it was big sister that really celebrated how huge of an event
that was occurring. " YEAH YEAH YEAH DREW you doing it. Good job Drew!!!!
YEAH you can do it." This was the most amazing family moment.

Carleigh never under estimates Drew and always makes sure that he is
included. She reminds use to push him to do things that he may not be able
to do or have a hard time doing. We often let Brody do what Carleigh is
doing and she often says, "what about Drew".

She has picked up more than we think in the last year in regards to the
medical appointments, probably because she has been to way too many doctors
appointments. The other day we all went to take Drew to the eye doctor when
we got there Drew was crying and she told him " you ok Drew doctor fix you
eyes". Dee Dee took him in and we hung out outside and played. She was
acting worried or a little scared asking if Drew was coming to "our home"
and making sure that Drew didn't have to stay here. Very sweet but way too
much for a two year old to have to think about.

Today she had both boys in the play room sharing her letters. She would
tell them what they were and what sound they made very cute. A little
surprising because her letters are one of her favorite toys.

Brody and Carleigh are getting closer due to the fact they are able to
similar things. Brody invades her space often and she really gets upset but
there is not a day or night that she isn't asking "what is Brody doing now"



It is not easy to be a big sister. She went from being an only child to
having two brothers that were born early. We are so proud and truly believe
that she was our first for a reason. We love you big Sissy!

ONE

Well on June 19th the boys turned ONE! It was an honor to celebrate the first year of the boy's life with dear friends and the best family we could have ever asked for. What a year! It is truly amazing what one can handle.
Drew
The boys are reaching new milestones everyday. Drew has amazed us all. His personality has grown so much in the last few months. He is still working on teeth, but can eat like no other. Some meals he can eat more than Brody and Carleigh combined. Out of all our kids Drew is the one that has the worst sweet tooth. Besides Drew's binkie he love our two Boston Terriers, he laughs so hard when they play and now is chasing them. Drew is tipping the scale at fifteen pounds. Drew often has a lot to say but the only word that he says right now is MUM. Drew is the sweetest lil man that is continually shocks everyone that he encounters, not with his amazing personality, his long eye lashes and big eyes, not his contagious smile and deep but his determination and drive to be the best Drew.
Brody
Brod-man, Boo Boo, Meat, Tank, Handsome, Flirt. Brody is the happiest lil guy with a laugh that is contagious. Brody is crawling, standing, sitting up, and loves to climb. Brody is strong he is built like a little body builder and muscles his way through anything. I would have to say that Brody's favorite thing is really anything that Carleigh is doing. Brody has two bottom teeth an uses them well. Brody loves meat and unlike our other two he is not a fan of fruit and veggies, little does he know he doesn't get a choice in that. He is tipping the scales at 22 pounds. He says; momma, what's that, hot, and doggie.

This has been an amazing year of ups and downs. As a family we all have learned what is important in life. We take nothing for granted and have learned who and what is important to us.

Almost One!

Sorry I'm such a bad blogger, but come on we are a little bit busy!

Well I cannot believe it our boys are almost one! This has been a crazy, emotional, rewarding, hard, amazing, wonderful, trying, adjusting year! We have all learned a lot and are settling in to being a family of five! We went through a lot this year but we have stuck together and although things have been hard at times our love for each other is stronger than ever. We feel that our family is wonderful, the boys are far exceeding everyone expectations including ours and we are looking forward to the next chapter in our lives!

Finally Spring

Lane family is so excited. It is spring! We have been waiting for spring to take the boys out more often. Public places have been off limits during the winter months and cold and flu season.So much to see and experience. CAN'T WAIT

First pictures 9 months (actual age) 5 months (adjusted)

AHHH HA

"What's that Momma?" as she points to Drew's scar. "That is Bubba's scar from his shunt" She looked at him concerned for a minute and touched it. "COOL Bubba" as she ran off. I wasn't sure what to say to her when she first asked me because she is only 2. When in fact, she made me have a AH HA moment. Kids are so cool, they ask questions out of concern/curiosity. They find differences COOL and their judgments are quick to be positive not negative. I thought we had a lot to teach her/them really she has taught us a lot.

Holidays as a family of 5!

Holidays

We are starting to get the hang of having all three. After Amber recovered from gallbladder surgery it wasn't too long that Christmas was here. We probably had more fun this holiday than our kids, Thanksgiving we stayed home and cooked the whole meal by ourselves. It was fun. Carleigh helped and enjoyed having us both home together.
We made toffee for friends and went around and delivered it to get out of the house all together. Getting out at night and looking at lights was a big hit with Carleigh, and the boys really like the car.
Christmas was so exciting. We had great friends to celebrate the holidays and the boys being home. We both argeed that this was the best Chistmas in a long time.

OH DOCTOR APOINTMENTS

We thought is was hard to advocate for the boys when the were in the hospital it is even harder going to all the different doctors. When Brody came home he had 5 appointments set up for us when we discharged from UCD. When Drew was discharged he had 7-8 that we had to set up ourselves. This is when having a HMO became a problem. REFERRALS SUCK. We also had to switch Pediatricians during this time. Traveling to hospitals was so hard but this became a whole new type of hard. No sleep didn't help. Amber had her gallblader removed in December just to add to 2009 year of the hospital.
Each doctors appointment they keep getting better and better. They are so impressed with both boys progress.

There is was many times that we never thought that we would see the day.

Drew is home!!!! He is amazing! He came home on November 4th 2009. He came home with no medical assistance. No oxygen. No medications. No feeding tubes. I think we have a little over achiever on our hands. He will be missed at UCD. Drew Lane gave a lot of families hope and doctors and nurses as well. He beat all odds for sure.
When Amber was on hospitalized bed rest the NICU doctors came and saw us and handed us a sheet of odds. Along with that sheet they gave us a list of things that micropreemies may be facing. Honestly I think that Drew had the majority of the medical problem that were on that list. It was so bad at one point that Doctors and nurses discussed having us make a choice to discontinuing care. For those of you that can't fathom what that means it means stop all cares and let him pass. In the moment it felt like they were pushing us in a certain direction. Overall we felt that decision wasn't up to us. If he couldn't fight anymore he could leave on his own. Drew fought so hard to be here and we fought with him all the way. We discussed this with each other and we always knew that we wanted him we just didn't know how much he wanted us. After 138 days of fighting he was able to come home and be a baby and not a patient.

When Drew came home he had a very hard time adjusting. He may have been on full feed (with a bottle) for a little over a week and wasn't very good at eating. Honestly he still isn't very good. He only gained 4 ounces in the first month. Drew also had a hard time being unswaddled. We think that is because of his low weight and body temperature. Open spaces were difficult for Drew. He was in a isolette for a long time because he had the stoma and didn't wear clothes. Having all three under one roof was what we had been asking for and wishing for months. Finally!
Drew has had this little smile with of coures his little dimple through out the whole time. He is a surviver. Drew has made it through pre-term labor, emergency c-section, being intibated, out of the delivery room, PICC lines, spontaneous perforation in his intestines, heart surgery (PDA), stoma, infections, blockages, chest tube,fluid on the lung,head being tapped over 30 times, countless Brady's, Shunt, many breathing systems and so much more. Watch out world!