Maxx Update

Yeah, So this morning I bathed and changed Maxx and decided I would put him on the infant scale to see how much he weighed. Now, just as a quick update, the breastmilk and rice cereal wasn't cutting it...he was still just too hungry so we have been adding formula. So back to the good news.....The little fireplug weighed in at 9lbs 10oz! Can you believe it! I love it. We are starting to get chubby cheeks and we even have a little chub in the thigh region. So it is official! He definately has our genes! LOL I have enclosed a picture for your liking as well. He is just starting to smile!

Birdhouses! (better known by most as Gingerbread Houses!)

Ok for all of you out there who have never attempted a gingerbread house kit with your children....I say do it! Seriously...it was a ton of fun. I think the funniest part was being reminded over and over again that it WAS NOT a gingerbread house...It was a birdhouse! I know too funny. So here are a few pics of the masterpiece!

Enjoy

Santa time

Ok, So I thought I would post something with a bit of humor. Now, I try my best to stay up to date with kids pics and the season that we are entering but my favorite (well ok. besides Halloween, those always seem to turn out great) is Santa. So, the first year things were great! They loved him, personally I think it is the best Santa picture ever but it was just an all around great experience! Here it is for your viewing pleasure!

Now, as December of 2007 rolls around, I myself think....how can it get any better than last year! Well naturally, I should of stopped thinking right there. I for some reason thought that the kids were going to naturally jump right up on his lap and start smiling! BOY WAS I WRONG!!! I failed to realize that this big hairy man might actually be a bit intimidating! So, framed with pride in our house last year was....the second best Santa Picture ever!

(and no....I am not a mean mom...I simply believe in capturing the true moments in life!)

Now this year....adding to the fun we have Maxx. Boy do I miss the days of laying the little one in the arms of Santa, taking the picture paying for it and leaving. I mean now, I am prepping the kids, bribing the kids, re-prepping them, sitting with Santa, getting up running by the camera and trying to get them to look in the same direction! Geesh! So this year, the picture is not by any means "capturing a true moment" but I did with success take a picture where they actually have somewhat of a pleasant face. I hope you enjoy....I know I did!

Our Tree!

So it absolutely my most favorite time of year! Christmas time! We have had our decorations up for over a week now and we just last night hung our tree! Now, some of you may have heard the rumor last year but when I say we hung our tree that is exactly what I mean. Let me give you a brief background. This time last year we had twins that were a few months shy of turning two. They were into absolutely everything and I figured that teasing them with a tree, lights and ornaments (all which they are not to touch) would be simply mean. I mean, if all of these pretty things are staring you in the face wouldn't you want to touch them! So lightbulb goes off in my head.....lets hang our tree from the ceiling! They can't touch it then. So my brilliant idea is to have a short fat tree hang upside down from the ceiling, that way the 20 little anxious fingers wouldn't stand a chance at getting in trouble for touching the tree. Well, my plan was only 50% successful. For those of you who have never met my brother....he is one step beyond me of taking things to the extreme. He loaded up in the car with Wade, the kids and I on our venture to find the perfect tree to hang. We ended up at Target and although my heart was set on a short fat tree....to no avail. I was totally outnumbered. So, as I picked out cute decorations they stuck a 6ft tree in our cart. I know what you are all thinking why are we going to hang a 6ft tree from the ceiling. Doesn't that defeat the purpose. The answer is yes....but again, no amount of bargaining was going to let me win. So we came home and tah dah...Wade and Steven had complete success in hanging our tree. So as this year came around...we decided it is now a tradition, and this family is sticking to our upside down tree! The kids loved decorating it and they think that everyone else has there tree the wrong way. So, enjoy the following picture....it is our tree from this year!

Merry Christmas!

The Seesters 21st Birthday!

Ok, So as most of you may know my younger Sister Madeline (Maddie, Scruff....or as I call her Seester) turned 21 last Friday, December 5, 2008. If you have never had the privilege of meeting her, after doing so you would realize that we are the most opposite human beings to walk the face of the earth. Unlike myself she is very focused and determined. She takes her life very serious and definately does not enjoy in any sort of alcohol consumption of any kind. We offered to take her to Vegas for her big birthday celebration but she quickly declined! It finally came out that she thought we would embarass her and she didn't want to hang out with a bunch of "drunk people" as she so politely put it! So we opted for a quiet (well however quiet you can be at Wabi Sabi) dinner with presents and dessert to follow at the parental units home. Saturday we had a great party for her given by the parental units at the home of our friends the Gerritse's. My brother brought his DJ equipment, the taco man catered it, chocolate fountains were flowing and the best part in my opinion....the bungee run and boxing ring (both inflatable of course!) It was really a great evening. We sang Happy Birthday and did our usual Sisterly cake fight. I can't believe she is 21! Here is to you Seester! I couldn't be more proud of you! I love you!

Hope you enjoy a few of the pics from the weekend celebration!

Singing Happy Birthday at Dad and Moms on Friday night

The dueling chocolate fountains (white and milk chocolate)

The tables, My brother set up music in the far left corner and the boxing ring in the back
Maddie getting ready to box!
Happy Birthday Seester!

Maxx Rene' Shuey

Ok, so this is the beginning of my blogging so everyone must bear with me as I learn this. I have set this site up in hopes friends and family will be able to check in to see how are famlily is doing as getting updates to everyone with pictures can be difficult. I am going to try and update this at least every couple of days (or a week) so everyone can stay in touch with our family.

The questions I get asked the most right now (and rightfully so) is about Mr. Maxx. So here we go. He will be the topic of our first post. Please note that the other posts will not be this long (unless something truly amazing happens) I am just trying to get everyone caught up. Some of you may know all of this information already but alot of our friends and family living out of state may not, so just go with the flow!

I guess first off I will explain his name. After realizing that there was a baby in my belly, our daughter Kadence (Kady) starting refering to the baby as Maxx. Let me remind you that we did not find out the gender of him until he was born but still she insisted it was Maxx. We never really talked about using the name Maxx, until he was here. While I was laying in recovery, Wade and I were talking about boys names and no matter what we brought up it just didn't sound right. Kady must of known all along that she was going to get a baby brother because he was meant to be Maxx. My mom had brought up at one point using double "x's" for the name and we both totally loved the idea of it! As for Rene' if you know my father enough said! He is an amazing man and I am so happy that I was able to give my son a little piece of him!

Ok, so back to the details of how he arrived. I went into labor while at dinner at Olive Garden on October 8, 2008 and contractions kept persisting. My brother and Lissa came over to watch the twins while we went to the hospital to get checked out. ( I must of known that something was different, cause I folded my laundry, laid out outfits for the kids and packed a bag to take with me!) When we got there they hooked me up to the monitor and yes I was having contractions about every 5-7 minutes. They gave me a shot of Terbutalyne (that is what they use to stop labor) and they are supposed to give the following 2 doses at 30 minute increments. Well, the side effect of this medication is that it can increase your heartrate. Well it did this and my heartrate was up around 130 so they couldn't give me the next dose. Without giving me these meds, I continues to stay in labor. Well after a long and uncomfortable night, the Dr. on duty the next day decided it was time to do a csection. (They didn't like the fact that I was having consistent contractions and were worried about my previous c-section scar rupturing).

So after waiting a couple more hours and family and friends arriving we went into the operating room and at 1:26pm Maxx Rene' Shuey was born weighing in at 6lbs 5oz and 18.25in long.He initially started crying and I was so excited to hear him, but things turned for the worse quickly. He had severe difficulty breathing and they rushed him to the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) where they administered an IV, breathing tube and other medications to mature his lungs. I was discharged after 3 days and I think that was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Leaving the hospital without your baby is an emotional roller coaster I wasn't ready for. We went back as often as we could (mind you we had to have babysitters here to take care of the twins as you have to be 5 years old to visit the NICU and I wasn't able to drive). He eventually developed jaundice and had to be put on a phototherapy blanket and light treatment to get his billirubin in a normal range. (In the next picture the things that are covering his eyes is so the light didn't get to his eyes. It can cause blindness if it does.)

After about 8 days, we went in for our normal night visit and were happy to find our favorite night nurse on duty. She explained that she needed to change his bedding and give him a bath so it was my lucky night....I got to hold him for the first time!

After this it seemed like everytime we went in things got better and better. First he lost the intubation tube and went to just oxygen and then just room air. Then they started feeding him through the tube in his nose, then they alternated with bottle feeding, then I got to start nursing him. He came off of the billi lights and finally on day 11 the Dr. said "Today is the day...he can go home!" I wanted to take him right then...but a few things needed to be done first. We went and got his carseat and packed him up and brought him home!The kids finally got to meet him and it was like they already knew him. He was just a part of our family. Our biggest struggle right now is gaining weight. Today Maxx is 7.5 weeks old and weighs in at 7lbs 9.3oz as of yesterday. The neonatologist has recommended that we put a bit of rice cereal with his night feedings so I will just pump breastmilk for those feedings and mix it with the cereal in a bottle. Hopefully this will solve our problems. Other than that, life is adjusting well around here and I will keep you updated a bit more as I find the time!