Playing together...

The boys are starting to really interract with each other, they are really cute together. Nikolas is really standing up for himself and going after what he wants (in this case the pacifier). Nikolas is getting a couple teeth in on the bottom and hasn't exactly been the happiest baby either. He is trying to do more things and is pretty frustrated about things. Today he was trying to use the walker, he is actually starting to figure out that he can walk around the living room with it, it won't be too long before he starts trying to stand. I can't believe on the 5th of June he will be 10 months old already (and still only 16 1/2 pounds)

Casey hasn't been feeling very well, I think he has allergies & is teething, so he has been getting pretty upset with Nikolas for picking on him. He is finally recovering from his surgery he had last week- it has taken him longer than it did for Nikolas. Casey is taking more and more steps now and will just take off across the living room. He still mostly crawls to get around, but he has also been dopey from the medicine he has been on for the surgery, I think it was making him a little off balance. Oh yeah....Casey really isn't helping everyone hold Nik's bottle- but it sure looks like it :)

Too Cute !!

Nikolas & Avery

Amy & Avery came to visit this weekend. Avery had a lot of fun playing with the babies. She is getting so big, and SO smart! She told Nikolas that she was his big sister Avery...it was cute!

Eric is a Diamond Dad !!

Today Eric was nominated and chosen as a "Diamond Dad". All of the agency's in Texas had to nominate 2 foster fathers from their organization to be chosen as 1 out of 10 other dads to be recognized as an exceptional Foster father. He will be recognized at a baseball game on the day before Fathers day, and probably questioned by the media. He was given 6 tickets to the baseball game and I am not sure what else he will get...but we are excited. I am hoping now that he is a Diamond Dad that he will start helping me with all the foster care paperwork that has to be done every month (haha).

I have been sick :(

I think I have a sinus infection (fever & my face hurts and it feels like it is going to pop!). I have been trying to take it easy the past few days, but the boys have also not been feeling themselves either. Casey had his surgery on Monday. He is doing great, and did great in the hospital. The first day they asked us to try to keep him down because he was given an epidural-like medicine that numbs the bottom part of his body. He of course wanted to walk and crawl everywhere, so it was hard to keep him still. He is still on some Tylenol/Codeine medicine several times a day- but will probably be off of that soon, he is doing great. Nikolas has 2 teeth still coming through, and he isn't happy about it at all. My mother in law stayed Monday to watch Nikolas while I was at the hospital with Casey and then stayed yesterday to let me take it easy- she was a lot of help.

I will update the blog soon with some more pictures...in the meantime I think I am going to go crawl back in bed and rest while I can :)

Hi everyone, I hope y'all are doing great ! We have had a pretty good weekend so far. Eric and I were invited again to be guest speakers at the Foster Care/Adoption training today, this was our second time. It is great to be able to talk to other people who are planning on becoming foster parents, we didn't get the opportunity to ask questions to an actual foster family- we sure wish we had. It is also therapeutic for us- it is nice to talk about everything that has happened the past couple of years. After we left there we took a road trip to where Eric has been working the past several months. He has been helping a friend with a studio and his apartment out on 5 acres of land. It was neat to see it- they have been working really hard. I would love to live out on some land, I miss the trees and I would love the feeling of privacy. Tomorrow Eric will be out of town doing another side job with some friends, so it will just be the boys and I. On Monday Casey has his circumcision, we have to be at the hospital at 6am. I have a feeling that Casey will be a lot harder to deal with after surgery than Nikolas was...I wish I had someone going with me, but I think I can handle it, it will just be more of a challenge. Brian is here tonight, Eric and him are playing a soccer video game. It is great to see Bri- he is staying in College Station this summer to do a couple classes and work at Best Buy (he just started and likes working there so far). It is weird that both Brian and Scott aren't here...everyone is growing up. Thomas- this just means that you have to make up for them and come visit me more :)

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

With Love,
Rebecca

Silly Boys !

The boys are actually starting to play together now, instead of just side by side. They make each other laugh and babble at each other, it is adorable to watch !! Nikolas actually taught Casey how to say "dada", they mimic each other a lot.

Check out the size difference in the two of them...Casey just keeps on growing, he is actually getting too small for his 18 month clothes and needs 24 months now.

Uncle Brian

Uncle Brian came to visit today, the boys loved playing with him. So did Eric...they are playing Winning Eleven 10 as we speak :)

Me and the boys

I have very few pictures of me with the boys, this one was taken today. Of course Casey isn't looking at the camera right- but at least one is.

We have a name...

Actually we chose this name about 12 years ago. Eric and I talked about what we would name the baby girl if we got custody of her. We have decided to go with the name we have always had chosen...Jasmine Noelle . Noelle is my sisters middle name so it is very important to me that the baby has her middle name. So, now she has a name. I will continue to keep y'all updated as we know more :)

Thomas...

Here is uncle Thomas and Casey. He did really well, as long as he didn't hear or see me, he has turned in to quite the mommy's boy. The other picture is Paige and Thomas, Paige is one of Thomas' friend...she is really sweet.

Uncle Tom's Prom Pictures

Yes...my youngest brother is growing up! Here are some prom pictures, doesn't he look handsome? The boys and I went to say hi to everyone and take pictures before prom...it was great to see everyone dressed up, makes me want to go to prom again ! The girls all looked beautiful...very pretty dresses!

Nikolas playing...

Isn't he adorable !!

Niklolas is starting to stick up for himself...

When Nikolas first got here, Casey was quite the bully and Nikolas was pretty defenseless. Now...although weighing 10 pounds less than Casey- he sticks up for himself, it is really funny.

Babies in a basket...

The boys were playing around today with the basket that holds all their lids ( I collect all their formula lids, baby food lids and any other colorful lids), they love playing with them. I put them in the basket and at first they couldn't figure out what was going on, they liked it....and it actually entertained them for a few minutes. Check out the pug on Caseys shirt...it says "my mom said I can"...it is really cute !

It's a girl !!

Hi everyone-

We got an email today from Nikolas' caseworker, she said that the CPS adoption agency is at their office tomorrow and Nik's case will be moved to the adoption department tomorrow. We will still have to be contacted before he is an official adoption placement- but it will be soon :) She also said that the bio mom is having a girl ! The bio-mom has mentioned to the caseworker many times that she is considering giving her up for adoption and wants her to live with her brother (here!!). Of course she still has 1-2 more months to go before giving birth and she can change her mind at any time, and nothing is at all set in stone (especially with this girl). But, it is interesting that she has been thinking that. Even if she decides not to give her up for adoption, they will still take her from the mom and just like Nikolas she will have to proove she can take care of the baby, and has a good chance of having her rights terminated for this baby as well. If they get adopted as siblings, they would be "special needs", since they are a sibling group, this allows them to have their insurance, college and a small subsidy paid for them each month- this is huge. I will definitely keep y'all updated, as we find out more. Interesting things are happening, I am half excited and half very, very nervous !! I am also not sure what is going on with Casey and don't want to in anyway feel like we are giving up on him, that is the tricky part about CPS- you never know and can't count on anything (except Nikolas...he is for sure). We have had Casey 10 months now, his whole life, and although I can't picture life with out him- it is a good chance he isn't staying with us. I have kinda accepted it, but I am hoping by the time this baby is born we will know more about Casey and I can feel a little more sure about things :)

Hope y'all are having a good day !

WAY TO GO SCOTT !!

At Scott's graduation I just HAD to make a sign, Brian helped color it in (doesn't it look great). Of course we didn't hold it up for fear of embarrasment (can you believe no one else had signs???). So, Bri and I held it up for the cameras- after all that effort we had to get a picture of it. So...anyways I miss you Scooter and am proud of you !!

Scott disguised as a civilian

Scott got to wear his civilian clothes for a bit, I am still getting used to the short hair :)

Scott's Dorm

Here is Scott's dorm, notice the picture frame with Nikolas and Casey's pictures in it on the desk, Scott's such a good uncle !!

I love California !!

Here is a picture Scott & a beautiful picture of Monterrey !

Scooter on his off base trip to the Aquarium

Here is Scott on his trip to the Aquarium in Monterrey, California where he is at tech school. They are wearing their Blues (I love the Blues).

The boys

Here is Nikolas eating table food, he loves it ! Casey is doing his signature smile where his whole face squinches up and you can barely see his eyes...too cute !!

The boys playing guitar with daddy

Both boys were fussy this day, and I wasn't feeling very well since I had just ruptured my cysts. Eric came home and got out the guitar and it instantly quieted them, it was great. I need to learn to play :)

What a difference a day makes !

Hi everyone! Happy belated Mothers Day to all you mothers!! I had a great mothers day. I went to church with my parents and Thomas. We then went swimming (well I watched Nonna & Thomas play with the kids, the water was way too cold!). Then we watched a movie and sipped on Cosmo's while my dad and Eric cooked a really good dinner!!! It was a nice day :)

The boys sure are growing up, each day they are doing new things...

Nikolas started yesterday crawling on all fours...all the time. He crawled all over my parents house and loved it. He was so proud of himself ! He also ate a ton of table food yesterday- Nonna had him and he wouldn't stop eating, which is great because now I can pretty much feed the boys the same foods. Also...while she had her fingers in his mouth she felt his first tooth (which definitely explains all the fussiness). He is still busy pulling himself up on things and is getting much more sturdy. He has also figured out how to get down from the standing up position which is great !! He wasn't too sure about the swimming yesterday, but he got used to it. It was cute because everytime I tried to put his feet in the water he would lift them up so they didn't touch...but he warmed up to the pool idea and I think he will have a lot of fun swimming this summer.

Casey is just amazing too. He took several steps the other day and we have been practicing a lot. He was playing in the grass at my parents house and was working on getting his balance. He loves to stand up by himself and clap his hands, it is too cute !! He loves Jack (their dog) and cracks up everytime he comes near him. Nonna was leading Jack around the house yesterday and Casey was crawling after him, it was hillarious, and I am sure that it has something to do with him sleeping so well last night. He did get a boo-boo while we were there, he hit his face and his mouth full of teeth cut his gums (he has 6 teeth already). He didn't cry too long though, he is a trooper. He continues to do the sign "more" when he is eating, it is so amazing how quick they catch on to things like that. He did it alot last night, Eric gave him ribs for dinner- it is no surprise Casey LOVES meat !! He loved the pool too. He was splashing, kicking, laughing and even went under. He loves the bathtub, so it isn't any surprise- this summer will be a lot of fun !!

We haven't heard much about Christy (Nik's Bio-mom), we think she is about 7 months pregnant right now...so only time will tell about Nik's new brother or sister. I will definitely let everyone know as soon as I do :)

hi...

I haven't been feeling very well so I haven't been keeping the Blog up as well as I should be. I found out on my birthday, none the less that I ruptured 2 ovarian cysts. I have been in a lot of pain, have been very dizzy and nauseus. I am supposed to be on bed rest, but I haven't been able to do that too well with the boys. The Dr's were talking to me about possibly taking my ovaries out...I refuse at this moment, but am just buying my self time :( My mom, dad and Thomas came over and brought presents and food, it ended up being a good birthday. I even had candles in my mac n' cheese...it was awesome!!

The boys are doing well. They are both teething and aren't doing too well with mommy not holding them as much. I have been working on them saying "ma-ma"...I can't believe either of my boys say that yet (Jordan spoiled me and started it at 5 months and never stopped).

I have some ADORABLE pictures I will download tomorrow. The boys are really starting to play together so they are pictures mostly of both of them. Eric was singing to them and playing the guitar tonight for them and I took A LOT of pictures of it. The boys loved it, it was so cute. I wish I knew how to play...it quieted them down really quickly.

Well... for now I am planning on heading to bed (Dr's orders).

PS Thomas..I have smelled like Vanilla Suger since I saw you last, it smells SO good !! I have your mix Cd in the Cd player in my room but the boys woke up before I got a chance to listen to it. I plan on it :)

I have Well babies !!

The boys had their Well baby checks today at the DR. It is always quite an adventure when I go to the DR with both of them !!

Nikolas is 27 inches tall and weighed 16.3 pounds today (a little more than last week). He is under the 5th percentile (taking in account that he was a preemie). She says he is probably just going to be a small baby...but we set up a follow up next month to make sure he continues to grow. He still wears 3-6 month clothes and is itty bitty. But, he is right on targer on his milestones and she was very shocked how active he is.

Casey is a big healthy boy !! He is 30 inches, and 27.6 pounds ! She says he is above target on his milestones (which we already knew). She says he is just genetically big, and is above 95th percentile on height/weight for his age. She has seen him since he was born and was very shocked how big he continues to get.

They both didn't have to have shots today (yeah), and aren't due back til they are a year old. She said she wasn't sure how I did it, she was worn out after our appointment trying to juggle them both :)

Hi everyone....

How are y'all ? We have been staying busy lately with the boys, and this weekend we tried to get a little spring cleaning done (it isn't as easy as it used to be). We finally went and bought the toy box we have been wanting to get for a while (thanks Aunt Ellen, Aunt Linda & Uncle Joe!!). The boys love it because they are able to pull up on it and get the toys out, we had them in a flimsy container and it would always fall over on them and it didn't hold many toys. Here is Nikolas playing the drums...he wants to be just like his uncle Tom Tom...he turns everything over and starts to hit it , sometimes Casey claps along with him...we are planning on starting a band. We were planning on going and swimming today at Nonna and grandpa's house...it was a pretty overcast day today. It has been raining / storming a lot the past days. We needed the rain, but our backyard is now covered in mud and our Boxer, Ramses is rolling in it and loving it way too much- I am ready for it to dry up.

Well I hope everyone had a great weekend !! Next week is another busy one. Both boys have well baby check ups tomorrow. Nikolas was cleared by his Neurologist last week...he is perfectly healthy and won't be needing to go back. They said he has grown 2 inches since the last time we were there and is thinning out (although I never really thought he was thick). He is under 5 percentile, but he is proportional and is just little, he said nothing to worry about. Tuesday is my birthday (not too thrilled about it this year, I am not looking forward to being 29, not sure why but it is bugging me!). Eric and I also have been together 13 years on the 9th- crazy huh? On Wednesday we have a consultation to schedule Caseys circumcision and then Thursday we have to have Nik's checked out to make sure it is healing fine. Friday I am hoping to find a sitter so that Eric and I can have a night out or alone, I thought that would be nice for an anniversary present. Saturday is my little brothers prom....THOMAS is actually going to prom, I really am old. I am going to go and see him and his friends before prom so I can take pictures and make a fool out of him ! Then I have a bachelorette party for my bridesmaids little sister, that should be a fun girls night out. Then on Sunday we have mothers day brunch with Candy (and I think Jed will be meeting us), then lunch/dinner with Nonna for Mothers day...and it is my Mothers day too !! What a week, it looks much busier on paper :)

Hope y'all have a great week !!!

Their Cute Matching Outfits...

Deb, Penny & Cathy (my mom's friends), bought the boys these matching outfits. I tried very hard to get them both in the picture together- they just weren't cooperating today. Nikolas is doing his signature pose and sticking out his tongue :)

Thanks y'all for the adorable outfits, I promise I will try to get a better picture of them both in them.

Busy Boys...

Wow...these kiddo's are growing so much everyday, and they keep me SO busy!!

Nikolas is crawling/scooting everywhere and gets faster each day. He follows Casey everywhere, it is so cute. He had cooked carrotts for dinner tonight, the first meal not in a jar. He made faces each time he ate a piece, but then he would just pick up another bite and eat it (and make another face). He pulls himself up on everything, he has to know what is going on at all times. Casey is still knocking him down when he pulls up...so now he starts to cry when Casey even gets close to him (if he is pulled up on something). He says "da-da" all time when Eric is around, it is so cute. We are working on Ma-ma next! Jordan said Ma-ma first and when I would try to teach him to say da-da, he would say ma-ma instead, it was cute. I can't wait to hear Nik say ma-ma. He has started throwing fits like his brother, he hits his hands on his leg and gets mad, this is a change from the little, quiet, passive baby we got 3 months ago, it is so funny.

Casey took his first 2 steps today! It was great because Eric was here and was sitting in the middle of the floor playing with the boys. Casey was standing up near Eric and let go and stepped toward the couch...his motivation was the remote control that we never let him play with. We of course clapped for him and made a big deal out of it before we took the remote away. I was glad that Eric was here to see it, usually things don't happen for real unless Eric sees them as well. I had to record Jordan rolling over to show Eric because he didn't believe me for weeks that he could. So...this was witnessed and I can write it in the babybook :) It really won't be long now before he is walking (CRAZY). He is such a smart boy, he tells me "uh uh" when he is playing with something he shouldn't have. He turned off the TV today and I said "Casey", he looked at me and said "uh-uh"...it is really hard not to laugh. He is doing the sign for "more" almost everytime he wants more food, he caught on to it quickly. Now, we have to work on "all done". He has also started clapping his hands when I sing "If you are happy and you know it clap your hands..." . In no time he will have Nik clapping as well. Casey has been approved to get circumcised, he will most likely have his surgery in a few weeks. After this I am done with circumcisions (2 is enough), I need a girl.

Thank you everyone for the great gifts. I have Thank you cards already written, but I have to gather the babies and go to the store and get stamps, they will get sent out within the next few days.

The Devereaux family....I Am SOOO excited that y'all are coming in July. I can't wait to introduce y'all to the boys. I am hoping on having their birthday party during the time you are are (if it all works out). I can't wait to see everyone :)

Congratulations Amy C...she gets married this weekend and will be in Honolulu this time next week (I am so jealous). Tasha & Brian are going to Hawaii as well...but I am not sure where. Must be nice guys, I may go buy a kiddie pool and go sit in my backyard with the kids !!

I got an update today on Nik's bio-mother She ran away last week and was taken into custody again later the week. The caseworker is pretty confident that she won't be able to keep her anywhere with out her running. She has not been to the DR yet for a prenatal-nor do they know how far along she is. She is trying to get a medical history on the mom so that I can have it for Nikolas, I had to say "I don't know" to so many questions when he was in the hospital...I would love to know as much as I can about his mothers family history, anything will help :)