One for you; one for me

My friend Leondra came over to lend us a couple of helping hands for a few hours on Friday. Leondra is a skilled mother of three. I never knew how she did it when she had her third child before her oldest turned five. (I guess I am starting to figure it out!) She was also ahead of me in creating a blog. Hers is funny, entertaining and thoughtful. You can check it out here.

Leondra's youngest is about to turn four. John and I are going to his birthday party today at Pump It Up (a place with a bunch of inflatable jumpy toys). A couple hours of nonstop jumping should help John burn off some of his pent up energy.

Thank you, Leondra, for bringing food, music, and your calm, caring spirit. We look forward to another visit.

" I like Dr. Mike"

Thursday was another new adventure day for John; he visited the Dentist!

This was John's first visit to the dentist and we were not quite sure what to expect. At the least, I was hoping he would sit still long enough to have a general looksy, but I was amazed at is calmness. John not only let both the hygienist, Linda, and Dr. Mike take a peek at his little chompers, but he also let each of them count his teeth , poke them, scrape them and brush them. He even let Linda squirt the cold water rinse and let him hold that spitty tube thing. He was such a big boy, acting very grown up and polite. I was really proud of him. John especially liked the free "big boy" tooth brush and the free toy he was able to dig out of the treasure box.

John now tells about his two Doctors, Dr. London and Dr. Mike. The latter of the two is one of my high school buddies, Dr. Mike Doroschak. He has his own private dental practice in Minneapolis - Doroschak Dental. If any of you are looking for a great place to take your kids, or even yourself, I can't recommend him enough . His office staff and hygienists are absolutely wonderful and make what can often be an unpleasant experience very comforting.

I now wish I still had my scanner here at home, I would love to scan and post that old picture I found this past summer. It was Mike and I, and our prom dates from our Senior year. We sure thought we were cool looking in our Military uniforms back then. You are safe for now Dr. Mike, just hope I don't get a scanner for my birthday.

Oh Brother

Here is a picture of all my little (and not so little) guys together. John is proudly displaying his "World's Greatest Big Brother" t-shirt. He was given this shirt by my big brother John. (I am quite certain that my brother John would also argue his case for the World's Greatest Big Brother title, but I can't call him that here since I have three other "big brothers" who are probably also reading this blog. As is the case with my sons, my brothers are all the greatest in their own ways - even my baby brother Joe. My sister Barb has no competition for the role of my favorite sister; even so, I can't imagine having a better one.)

As for my son John, he is warming up to the idea of having little brothers. His rhetoric has changed from "let's give the babies back to the doctors" to "hey, I think I like that guy." To John, I say: I am living proof that a person can survive having brothers. It may alter your sense of reality and force you to develop thick skin and quick wit, but that's not so bad. (Some may even think those are a couple of my better qualities).

Counting Our Blessings

After another visit by my dear friend Jane, I started thinking about the fact that we have been friends for almost twenty-five years. In that time, we have shared so many experiences. We played gradeschool basketball together and partnered up for National History Day projects and high school speeches (we were awesome ... in case you were wondering). We have listened and talked each other through junoir high boyfriend break-ups, high school prom dresses, college exams and pharmacy and law school graduations. We have stood with each other at weddings and funerals. Most recently, we have shared the wonderful experience of becoming mothers. Between the two of us, we have welcomed four little boys into the world in a little over three years. No doubt we will continue to help each other through new challenges!


It seems that during the pivotal moments in life we are allowed to see with greater clarity the simple blessings that make our lives meaningful. Blessings like the gift of friendship. Over the last few weeks, Davin and I have been reminded how fortunate we are to have healthy babies, great friends and supportive family. As we settle in for another night with the twins, we will be counting more than ounces of formula, hours (or minutes) of sleep, and dirty diapers.

In the Wee Small Hours

Sunday's Surprise

By the picture it is hard to tell who is more excited to see whom, though, Luke might have the bigger eyes of amazement!

Here Aunt Jean meets Luke. Actually, I think great-aunt Jean is more accurate. Jean Buckley is Angela's aunt, the sister of the boys' grandma Mary.

We were blessed with Jean's presence this fine Sunday afternoon. Not only was it great to have some downtime with the help she provided, but it was great to have such a joyous heart in our home. Her visit allowed Angela to spend some time out of the house with John, and myself a chance to get caught up on some household duties.

Jean enjoyed holding and feeding each of the twins. She also spent some time with John, our 3 year old. She listened to him sing some of his favorite songs, shopped in his store, and got to see his cool spiderman room. She also brought John some really cool exploring stuff to play with. These cool gadgets will come in handy while exploring the woods and water at grandpa John's cabin this summer.

Thanks Jean for brightening our day today, filling our house with your joyous spirit, and showing us your amazing heart. Our boys are blessed to have you in their lives...me too.

DB

Hangin' with Uncle Tom

Here is a photo of Uncle Tom Brandt with Leo Thomas after a Friday night dinner that he and his wife Karen prepared for us...thanks!

This uncle Tom is my brother, the handyman go-to-guy for fixing stuff. As an HVAC sales professional he has saved most of our family when it comes to new furnaces, AC, or plumbing needs to name a few. He also has a pretty good shot while hunting pheasants at the boys' grandparents in Miller, South Dakota.

Speaking of good shots, the twins have another uncle Tom with a good shot. This Uncle Tom is one of Angela's older brothers, Tom Beranek. He is a few more miles away from us living in Henderson, Nevada just outside of Las Vegas. Tom is a successful pharmacist and along with his wife Robin, are awesome Las Vegas hosts.

Keeping the two uncles straight was a bit of a challenge at first for our son John. One day, after looking at a bunch a family photos, he differentiated the two uncles by calling one,"uncle Tom with hair" and the other,"uncle Tom without hair." Cute coming from a 3 year old, but for the rest of you remember, they both have good shots.

DB

Visiting Dr. London

Friday was Luke and Leo's first visit to Dr. London, our pediatrician. It was also our first road trip as a family. The idea of driving around with the boys is a bit unsettling for Angela and me. Not so much from the paranoid parent perspective, but rather from the I don't trust the car bed perspective. Luke fits in his car seat but Leo is too small for a regular car seat so the hospital gave us this "car bed". Take an infant bath tub or an enlarged boot box and line it with a fancy print pattern blanket and presto you have a car bed. We were glad to hear that it looks like Leo should be out of the car bed by his next journey, as long as he keep up his growth rate.

Speaking of growth rate, the Dr. appointment went well. We were immediately comforted with the new weight of the boys. Luke is at 6lbs. 7oz and Leo is 4lbs, 11oz. Both boys are growing at a rate of up to 2oz. a day. The average at their age is around 1/2 - 1oz a day. Everything else checked out well too, both boys are healthy and growing, just as the Dr. ordered.

Sizing up...

with a coke and a smile.

Several people have inquired as to just how big, or little, the boys really are. With Leo, you can fit his head in the palm of your hand. His index finger is less than an inch long. His finger nails are less than an 1/8". His forearm is about the size of a tasty buffalo wing and his footprint will fit on the the back of your business card.

The attached picture here should also help. The coke can is closer to the camera than Leo's head, but not by much so this is pretty darn actual in size reference. At about 4lbs. 9oz. at the time of this shot, you can trust us that Leo is still a little peanut. Check back later today, we will add another post with the results of Luke & Leo's first Dr. visit, including weights.

If the info and picture are still too difficult to visualize size, stick around, there are sure to be more pics in the future that will further show that great things can come in small sizes.

DB

A Stolen Moment (and I do mean moment)

Davin snapped this photo of the twins and me catching a couple of winks on Tuesday. It was quite a transition bringing the little guys home. Davin and I were up all night with the twins the first night. The novelty of having little brothers at home didn't stick with John for very long. I guess the best way to describe yesterday is challenging. A BIG thank you goes out to Jane for coming to our rescue in the afternoon. She helped me feed and hold the babies while Davin took John to run errands. She also brought us a bunch of food. All of the Brandts were doing much better by the end of her visit.

Davin and I quickly figured out that having both of us up all night was not going to work very well. We each found a way to feed both little guys at once, so we were able to split up the graveyard shift last night. Having even a few hours of sleep in a row does wonders! Today, John is much more settled; mom and dad are more rested; and the sun and our hearts are shining.

One (tiny) Foot Out the Door

It has been an emotional couple of weeks since this photo of Leo's foot was taken on his second day of life. Walking out the door of the NICU and leaving my babies behind hooked up to monitors, sensors and breathing devices was probably the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. It is not easy to accept that you can only "visit" your newborn babies. As much as I knew it was a possibility that they would end up in the NICU, I certainly was not prepared for the experiences of the past two weeks. That being said, I am extremely grateful for the care that I received from my doctors and that the babies received in the NICU.

What a wonderful sight today as I entered Luke and Leo's room and discovered that neither of them were connected to any wires, tubes or monitors! When Luke started crying, I was able to pull him right out of the crib without worrying that I would disconnect his oxygen sensor or set off the alarm that measured his respirations.

Provided all goes well overnight, we are scheduled to bring both boys home tomorrow. In some ways, I feel like I have significantly missed out on their first two weeks of life. However, I intend to make up for it starting tomorrow. For now, I better go get some sleep.

Images from God's Country

Last night, as I was driving back from an evening at the NICU with Luke & Leo , I was reminded that 2-13-09 was the 100 year anniversary of the Superior National Forest. The radio guy said that Teddy Roosevelt signed it's national status Feb 13,1909.

Those of you that are not aware, we are owners of 20 acres in the Superior National Forest. No fancy log cabin, but we do have a cozy little place to stay. Over the last few years my visits "up north" have been pretty limited due to several factors mostly of which involve my little buddy John. Before John and even before Angela I spent a boat load of time up north. I Enjoyed everything from improving the land, building stuff, exploring, days of reflection, grouse hunting and lots and lots of fishing.

These days my up north time has favorably shifted more to my family. Yes, I still fish, hunt, hang out in the woods a bit, but my family is usually close by. I do though look forward to the day when the two will meet and we can enjoy the great outdoors together. Teaching our boys about our forests & waters is sure going to be neat. However, Angela says I need to wait several years before applying for a BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) permit. In the mean time I sure do enjoy the winter nights imagining all the fun to come.

The above shot was taken a few miles from our land. My dad and I were on our way to a morning trout fishing adventure...

DB

We'd Like to See You

A Bright-Eyed Luke

We know there are a number of folks out there following our blog. It would be fun for us to know who you are. Please click on "Follow This Blog" on the right hand side of the page. This will allow you to receive emails when the blog is updated and will let us know that you are out there.

Thanks for following along through this difficult and wonderful journey.

The Master

We are anxiously awaiting the day when the boys have made it over the last hurdle before they can be released from the NICU - eating on their own. Their dad has become very skilled at getting them to drink from a bottle. Here, Davin is enticing Leo with some warm milk. Even though the bottle is almost as big as he is, Leo was not deterred.

Luke and Leo will soon discover what John already knows - they are lucky to have such a wonderful father who has a heart big enough to share with all of them and the patience to make each of them feel special.

The Boys Reunited

Today I was able to hold both Luke (on the left) and Leo (on the right) at the same time. They didn't seem to pay too much attention to one another. Grandma Mary was very pleased to have pictures of them side by side to take back to Miller tomorrow. I'll give it until Sunday before the whole town has seen them.

-Angela

My view from a room without windows...

db

Grandma moments

Today the boys are 1 week old. This picture was from yesterday, Luke with Grandma Terrie and Leo with Grandma Mary. Both Luke & Leo are now in cribs in the same room with only feeding tubes left for hardware. It was nice to see the last IV get pulled today.

Angela and I spent several hours this afternoon with our little buddies while Grandma Mary and Grandpa Leo hung out with our 3 year old son John. During our visit today we just couldn't get enough of those little buggers. The baby smells, the little eyes, the little hands that reached out, the mouths looking for some food and the intense love in the air. For a room with no windows, heaven seemed a little bit closer to me as I sat gazing at the wondrous view.

DB

Heard Around the House

John: "I had good dreams last night. I dreamed of Jesus .... and my CDs .... and doughnuts."