So very thankful...

We ended the month of October with some sweet weekly pictures of our babies. This was the first one with them both home!!!

And then they snuggled a little in their matching outfits from Grandma.:)

I was determined to dress them as Thing 1 and Thing 2 for Halloween, even though the smallest red pajamas that I could find were WAY too big.  My sweet friend Alli gave me the supplies to make the wigs and then my sweet friend Rachel made them.  

Of course, we had to take a few pictures before we took a decent one.  I sometimes think the outtakes are even cuter! Katherine was NOT a fan of the wig...:) 

Kaden was clearly embarrassed by his sister's behavior. :)

In November, they had their two month appointment.  

Katherine:

Weight: 5 lbs.  (less than 1%, less than 1% adjusted)

Height: 17.8 inches (less than 1%, 4% adjusted)

Head: 13.8 inches (less than 1%, 71% adjusted)

Kaden:

Weight: 6 lbs. 11 oz. (less than 1%, 34% adjusted)

Height: 19.5 inches (less than 1%, 53% adjusted)

Head: 14.8 inches (14%, 99% adjusted)

We started doing tummy time on the floor instead of on our chest and Kaden and Katherine were not a fan! They always seemed to "cuddle" while they did it.  It's as if they were comforting each other.:)

Grandpa came to visit when Katherine first came home and they very quickly became big buddies.  He seemed to have the magic touch when it came to soothing her. 

November 14th was their original due date.   Poor sweet Kaden got circumcised AND had his Synagis shot to celebrate. :( He did get some sweet snuggles from Daddy though while we were at the appointments. 

Katherine celebrated her due date by going to the opthamologist. :) She had been diagnosed with Retinopathy of Prematurity and they had to check and see how she was doing. Even though she was NOT a fan of the eye exam, her eyes looked good, and we were really thankful that she didn't have to have surgery. 

Every November, we always celebrate Thanksgiving and we take extra time to remember all of the things for which we are thankful.  This November, we were especially thankful for our first month together as a family of four! Having them home was truly the best feeling in the world and we LOVED not having the fast paced and exhausting busy NICU schedule.  People would laugh when we told them that we finally could relax and get more rest, but it was SO true!  Grandma came to visit the week before Thanksgiving and we all enjoyed her visit.

Grandma brought some sweet little turkey outfits for our little turkeys.:)

Gramps and Granny drove in for Thanksgiving Day and got some good snuggle time with Katherine and Kaden. Katherine spent quite a bit of time sleeping on Gramps' chest.  So sweet...

Kaden enjoyed Gramps' lap as well...

A little double snuggle time...

After all of our Thanksgiving guests left, sweet Dottie, a friend from church, came over to help with babies one day.  She offered to hold both babies, so I had to snap a quick picture.:) It was so nice to have help!

Here are a few sweet pictures from the end of November.  I had to snap one last picture of Kat in one of my favorite pajamas before they got any tighter!:)

My sweet friend Miranda sent me this picture and it just melted my heart.  Her precious son Ranger prayed for our sweeties at preschool.  So sweet!

I had to include this one last picture.  This was my sweet view for much of the day each day when they both wanted to be held.:)  Love these two so much...   

Sweet Kaden,

You are such a joy.  We just love you so much!  November was a big month for you.  By the end of the month, you had really become a very content little guy.  You   are starting to smile, and although we can't tell if you are smiling at us or not, we love every minute! You also make the most adorable little kissy face when we hold you. In the last few weeks, you have really started to like being on your tummy.  You are becoming so much stronger and you can even lift your head up for a little while when you are on your tummy.  You still eat every 3 hours, but you now eat about 80 ml per feeding.  You still nurse and then take a bottle at every feeding, but we are starting to drop the bottle after one feeding per day.  It may not seem like much, but we (especially mama!) are so glad that you are making progress with your feedings. You always want to hold mama's hair while you nurse, which is so very sweet.   You are becoming more and more alert every day, especially during diaper changes. You HATE those!!!  You love to be sprawled out on your back after you have been fed.    You have become a pretty laid back little dude.:)  We pray so many things for you, our sweet son.  We pray that you will grow up to be a kind man - a man who loves his family, friends, and most importantly, the Lord. We pray that God gives us the wisdom to be the best parents we can possibly be for you.  We are so proud of you and love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Daddy and Mama

Sweet Katherine,

You are proof that good things come in small packages!  We are amazed by you.  In fact, you are our hero. You are so strong and have had to go through so much. We are SO proud to be your parents. November was a big month for you as well.  You started having more awake time and you have really started showing us your personality.  Everybody who sees you comments on how alert and wide-eyed you are. You watch everything and everyone. You love to be curled up on your side in someone's (preferably Grandpa's) lap. You absolutely hate noise and lights, so we try as hard as we can to follow your rules.:) By the end of November, we had finally figured out some ways to help you be more comfortable.  Your poor little tummy just didn't want to cooperate!  You still nurse and then take a bottle every 3 hours, but you are now eating 1 1/2 ounces.  That is a huge accomplishment for you!  Now, if we could only figure out a way for you to keep some of it down so you can gain a little weight.:)  You are starting to really like diaper changes, which is good, because you really dislike being dirty or wet.:)  You are starting to tolerate tummy time a little better, and you are starting to try to lift your head a little.  Sweet Katherine,  we are so excited to see more and more of your personality each day.  We pray that God gives us guidance as we raise you.  We also pray that you always know how much we love you and how proud we are of you.  You bless us daily with your sweet cuddles.  We love you to the moon and back!

Love, 

Daddy and Mama