Thanksgiving Fun

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday with my in-laws. We went to their home in Candia, NH. The trip was a little hectic, as traveling with three kids under the age of 4 usually is. But it was nice to spend a few days letting someone else take care of us for a little while! Here are some pics from the weekend.

Esme and Iris

Happy Esme

Happy Iris

Eli goes right for the good stuff!

The Thanksgiving Feast

Exciting Updates and Random News

So, this entry is just a chance for me to catch all of you up on what's been happening around the Stenbak household for the last few weeks.  I have been working an evening job, five nights a week, so needless to say, we have been super busy.  So here's whats been happening at our house:

Iris and Esme are growing like weeds.  They are now 9 months old.  We just had their well child checkup and the doctor described them as super healthy!  Both girls are almost 30 inches tall and are around 25lbs.  I think they outweigh most of their friends by at least 6 or 7 pounds!  In the last month they have started sitting very steadily and moving around the house.  They are not crawling yet, but they certainly get around.  Both girls can get up on their knees, but haven't tried yet to move forward.  It wont be long now and they will definitely be crawling.  Also, they can both clap their hands.  That is really cute to watch.  If I clap my hands they will mimic me.  They are both starting to move away from bottles and on to more foods.  Their formula intake has dropped dramatically and they are eating more and more table foods.  They can both eat finger foods now, like cheerios, black beans, bananas, and small vegetables.  They also really enjoy playing with toys and have even started stealing toys from each other.  I can't believe how big they are getting!

Talk about getting big, Eli started preschool this month.  He is attending Prides Corner Nursery School in Westbrook.  His program is Monday, Wednesday, Friday Mornings from 9-11:30.  He really loves his new teacher, Mrs. Philbrook.  We have already received the Scholastic Book Order form and received our first group of books.  It is so fun to see the projects he brings home and to see how excited he is when I drop him off in the morning.

Jesse celebrated 10 years with Portland Magazine this month.  He first started working at Portland Magazine just before we were married in October of 2000.  I remember when he was offered the job.  He was so excited, but a little nervous to tell them he would need his second week of work off because he was getting married.  His office threw a party for him with take out from Beal's St. BBQ and Ice Cream Sundaes.  Myself and the kids went in for the party.  He was then given the rest of the week off and Colin and Nancy, Jesse's bosses, graciously offered us their Lake Cabin in Falmouth for the weekend.  It is from there that I write this entry.  Also, Colin and Nancy announced that to celebrate 25 years in publication they would be taking Portland Magazine's full time employees plus one guest on a trip to Bermuda this coming March.  That's right folks, this March, Jesse and I will be taking an all-inclusive vacation to Bermuda WITHOUT our children.  My mom has already offered to babysit!  Let me tell you, I am all over that passport application!

This past Friday, I had my first night off from everything (work, kids, life in general), since my girls were born.  I had to take a business trip to Calais, Maine, which is about 4 hours from Portland.  Calais is located in Washington County, which is the down-east section of Maine, right on the Canadian border.  I drove up on Friday and stayed overnight at the Redclyffe Shore Motel in Robbinston, Maine.  The Motel sat right on the shore line.  I had a beautiful view from my room and from the restaurant.  I treated myself to a delicious dinner, a couple drinks, and chocolate raspberry cake for dessert!  I watched whatever I wanted on the TV and went to bed at 8:00.  But the best part was that I slept until 10:00 am the next morning.  I haven't had that much sleep in months!  It was WONDERFUL.

Lastly, I am currently discussing with my former law firm returning to practice after the first of the year.  What a wonderful year it has been being home with my kids.  I don't want to give that up entirely, so returning part-time will be perfect!  I don't know all of the logistics yet, but I am definitely excited by the prospects.

September has been a big month in the Stenbak Household!  And despite all of these goings on, I have managed for the first time ever to get all of my kids Halloween costumes figured out and ready before October has even fallen upon us!  I feel so organized.  I can't wait to see what October will bring!  Hopefully, I will be able to post some updated pics soon.

Moving on Up

Yesterday, Iris and Esme had to give up the baby bucket car seats and move to big girl seats. I have truly mixed emotions about the move. First, I am glad that we won't have the bucket seats taking up space in our house any longer. It seems that they are always in the way. But, neither girl is really sitting up very well, so it makes it very difficult to bring them into a store. I have to take a stroller, which means I cannot push a cart, which makes it a struggle to get more than one or two things at a time. But the girls had exceeded the weight limits of their infant seats, so we had to make the move.

It is hard to believe that this month the girls will be eight months old! Hard to believe that they have now been out of the womb longer than they were in it. The last eight months have certainly gone by so much faster than the eight preceeding them! The girls are now rolling over regularly. You can no longer set them down and leave the room for a moment and expect them to be where you left them. Both also really love the exersaucer and the jumperoo. They have started to play with toys. And recently, Iris figured out how to play Peak-A-Boo. Both girls are now huge! For girls who were born six weeks early, they have caught up and then some. At their last doctor's appointment both had reached 27 inches long and are now 23+ lbs. Whew, they are big babies! Eli, who is 3.5 years old is only 10 lbs heavier than his not quite eight month old sisters!

To get the car seats, we went to the Falmouth Fire Department's car seat program day. Falmouth does free inspections the first Thursday of each month to ensure that car seats are installed correctly and that parents know how to properly install them. All you have to do is show up and they will inspect your seats installation and double check that there have been no recalls. Additionally, they have car seats that can be purchased at wholesale prices, which is much less expensive than purchasing the seats at a store. However, because the girls had actually exceeded the weight limits of their infant seats, we were given car seats for free. That's right, FREE! They also checked Eli's seat to ensure that it had not be recalled. Had it, or had he no longer fit into it correctly, they would have also provided him with a free seat as well. Their main goal is to make sure that all kids are safely secured in the car, not to sell seats. They do not want any child to be in an unsafe seat because their parents cannot afford to purchase a seat at the time of inspection. These inspections are done in many local towns, not just Falmouth, and if you are a resident of Southern Maine, you may want to call around to your local fire departments to see if a program is being held near you.

We made a donation to the program to say thanks for the car seats! And thankful we are! When you are buying for two babies, the costs so quickly add up. Two copays at the doctors, double the amount of baby formula every week, twice as many diapers, etc., etc., etc. The list goes on and on. I am very thankful that this service is offered to the people of Southern Maine (and maybe other parts as well) and so are my baby girls, who now have comfy, new, safe, big girl car seats to ride in!

Big Girl Esme

Big Girl Iris

Weekends at the Cabin

Some of my best memories as a kid are the days we spent at our family camp.  There were always tons of us crammed into the one small building.  My parents, sister, brother, friends, my uncles, aunts, cousins.  All of us slept up in a loft on mattresses on the floor.  There was swimming, fishing, boating, tubing, marshmallows toasted on a campfire, walks down the dirt road.  The memories are so crystal clear.  I even remember the long car rides to the camp like I just took one yesterday.

Jesse's parents, Jan and Roger, have a cabin on Northeast Pond in Milton, NH.  Even though our lives are endlessly busy, especially in the summer, we try to spend as much time there during the summer as possible.  Being there brings back all those childhood memories for me.  I am thrilled that we have a place to bring our kids so they can have those same experiences.  

Here are some pics from a few weekends this summer.

Eli heading up to the Cabin from the Water

The View from the Lower Porch

Eli and I on the Dock

Jesse

Jesse and Eli on a Canoe Ride

Jesse and Eli Checking Out a Snail

Iris and Esme Napping on a Walk

Eli - So Proud of the Rock that He Found

A Day Trip to a Nearby Strawberry Farm

Esme and I

An Update on Iris

We had our 1st appointment in Boston at the Children's Hospital. We were able to get in a few weeks earlier than the original July 2nd appointment. Last Friday we met with Dr. Arin Greene, who is a pediatric plastic surgeon and the go-to guy for hemangiomas at the Children's Hospital.
What a relief it was to talk to someone who knew what he was talking about. He met with us for about a half an hour, answering all of our questions, not rushing us along at all. As I mentioned previously, all of the options for treating a hemangioma are less than desirable on such a small child. But, as it would turn out, we do not need to treat it at all right now. This was wonderful news. We do not have to pump our baby full of risky medications or have surgery while she is so young.

Dr. Greene told us that the growth period of the hemangioma has finished. Now, it starts to slowly recede. He did say, because of its size, that it will leave some fatty tissue and a knot behind when it does recede, which he expects to happen by age three. Also, it is pushing her earlobe forward and that will eventually need to be corrected. So, eventually she will need surgery, but not until she is older. He believes we should have the surgery done when she is around three years old but before she is three and a half. At three and a half, long term memory begins to form as well as self esteem. Therefore, we want to time the surgery such that she is likely to have no long term memory of it and before her self esteem can be effected by the growth itself and the slight deformity in her ear. Both the fixing of the ear and the removal of the remainder of the hemagioma will be done at the same time.

In the meantime, we are just to apply Aquifer to the hemangioma several times a day to keep the skin smooth and prevent further ulceration, which is what caused the sore that is currently present. He also suggested that she wear a light cotton hat when she sleeps to prevent rubbing against the sheets. These are really easy enough recommendations to follow and much more palatable than the choices I thought we were facing. We see him again in 6 months, and then again when she turns two, at which time we will develop the further course of treatment.

A Medical Misadventure (Update)

We finally heard back from the dermatologist's office yesterday.  We will be taking Iris to the Vascular Center at the Children's Hospital in Boston on July 2nd to meet with a specialist.  Even though it was a scheduler for the children's hospital, I still grilled the woman who was scheduling us on the phone.  I made her tell me at least three times that the doctor or doctors we will be seeing understand that the patient is a baby and that the issue is a hemangioma and they will know what to do about it.  She was very kind and reassured me that most of their patients are babies and they would know what they were doing...I guess we will see...

A Medical Misadventure

As I am sure many of you have noticed, Iris has a large hemangioma behind her left ear.  For the most part, hemangiomas are harmless and most will go away on their own.  But, the placement and size of the one behind Iris's ear has started to push the cartilage of her ear forward.  Therefore, at her last well-child check up her doctor recommended that we see a dermatologist about whether or not it will need to be treated to prevent the ear cartilage from deforming.  Also, because of its size, there is a chance that it could interfere with her inner ear as well.

So, twice now, we have packed her up to go see a dermatologist locally.  The first time was a truly terrible experience.  Jesse took half a day off of work to come to the appointment.  I was unable to find child-care for Eli and Esme, so we all went together.  We waited for a very long 15 minutes in the waiting room, with both babies fussing and Eli running from one end of the waiting room to the other.  Finally, we were called into an impossibly small exam room with all five of us plus the double stroller.  We were scheduled with a dermatology nurse practitioner who came into the room, talked with us very fast, took a picture and then told us that we were mis-scheduled (despite the fact that Iris's doctor made it very clear her age and issue) and needed to come back to meet with a different doctor because he was not that familiar with hemangiomas OR with infants.  Despite this, we were still charged our co-pay.  We rescheduled.

Yesterday we had our second appointment.  This time, Eli was at his summer play-school so it was a little easier.  But we were still crammed into a very small exam room with the double stroller.  We were told that we would be meeting with a doctor who knew what to tell us.  So, this doctor came into the room, and looked Iris over, told us various treatment options, none of which sound all that appealing, and then told us that she is not an expert in these things so she is going to refer us to a specialist in Boston.  We should know on Monday when our appointment is.

So, we will be taking Iris down to Boston to meet with a pediatric dermatologist who will, in theory at least, know what he or she is looking at and whether or not we really need to treat it.  Besides the large hemangioma she has behind her ear, she has a much smaller one on her forehead and two very small ones on her chest.  She also has a soft bump on the back of her head, which the dermatologist said may be a deeper one under the skin.  Therefore, she is likely to have imaging done to ensure that there is not anything going on internally that we should be concerned about.

All of this has my anxiety up just a little bit.  I am trying not to get to crazy about it, but it is nerve racking to have to take one of your children out of state to see a specialist.  But, despite her little bumps and red spots, Miss Iris is still one of the cutest babies I have ever known.  She has truly captured my heart!

Some Firsts

The girls had their first bites of real solid food.  Last night, I smashed up some fresh avocado and gave them each a few tastes.  Both seemed surprised to have something in their mouths with a different texture and a different flavor.  At first they seemed a bit interested, but their interest quickly faded and the experiment ended.  In a few days we will try a different new food.

Iris With an Avocado Mustache

Esme says, "this flavor is a bit surprising!"

Iris rolled over for the first time last week.  She rolled from her belly to her back.  Esme is right behind her.  She can get her arm underneath her and start to push up, but she just hasn't been able to push quite hard enough to flip her body.

Iris Trying to Roll Over

Esme Trying to Roll Over

The girls have started using the jumperoo and the exersaucer. They do well in both. They have not quite figured out the rhythm to the jumper yet, but Esme has started bending her knees and bouncing around a bit. Not long and she will be jumping up and down.

Iris

Esme

The girls are both trying to help us hold their bottles.  When we feed them they grab hold of the sides and really push on the bottles.

It is truly amazing how fast these girls are growing and learning to do things on their own.  Their personalities are really starting to come out.  Here are some cute pics:

Iris and Esme Chillin on the Back Porch

Holding Hands

Esme

Iris

Esme Showing Off Her Belly

Stenbak Updates

It has been a busy few weeks around the Stenbak household.  Esme and Iris had their 4 month check up (a little late).  Both girls are doing so well!  Iris was 16 lbs 8.5 oz and Esme was 16 lbs 1.5 oz.  Both girls are above the 90th percentiles for their weight and in the 50th percentiles for their height.  A little short and stout...the apple doesn't fall that far from the tree.  It's hard to believe they were ever premies.  Tomorrow they will be 5 months old.  WOW, how quickly the time has passed.

The girls are doing all kinds of things now.  They love to look at each other.  It is fun to watch them interact.  They will coo back and forth like they are having a conversation.  Iris rolled over today from her belly to her back!  What a big girl.  And both girls can belly laugh.  I love it when they giggle.  It is so funny.  No matter how I am feeling at the time, I can't help it but start laughing myself!

Look How Much We Have Grown!

The Census job is going well.  I was promoted in my first week from Enumerator (a census taker) to a Crew Leader Assistant.  I still do some enumerating (counting people) but mostly I organize people and paperwork.  It is a pretty good job and I can do most of it from home.  But it will not last long.  We have a deadline to complete Non Response Follow Up (knocking on doors of those who didn't mail in the form), which is the phase of the census I am working for, by June 27th.  So I am on the search for a new part-time opportunity for the summer.

I am really enjoying being home with the kids during the day.  Honestly, I wasn't sure how this was going to go.  I never thought I would make a very good stay-at-home mom.  I thought I would be going crazy by the end of the week.  While there are some weeks like that, most are pretty good.  I am really starting to get a routine.  Like any job, there is a learning curve, and we are definitely on the upswing!  I think it is going to be a really fun summer!

I joined the Greater Portland Mother's of Multiples Club.  Just before Mother's Day we had a Spa Night.  It was really very fun.  Our meeting was held at Cherry Pie in Portland.  We got the choice of a few different mini spa treatments.  I chose a parafin treatment for my feet.  It was wonderful.  It was also nice to connect with other moms who have a similar family situation.  And the icing on the cake, there was a door prize, and I won.  A free Mani/Pedi!  Now I just have to find time to schedule it!

Here are some pictures from Mother's Day.  We went to Candia to celebrate with Jesse's parents, but first we stopped into the Prenatal Care Unit at Maine Medical Center where I lived all last fall to drop off some flowers for the current patients.  I know how much it sucks to be in the hospital on a holiday and I know what a wonderful thing all of these women are doing for their babies even before they are born!

Flowers for Prenatal Patients

Esme

Iris

Look at Iris Checking Esme Out.

The Proud Grandparents

Iris Covering Eli's Yawn

Bunny Love

We received as a gift these two cute little bunny loveys for the girls.  They are really soft and very adorable.  Additionally, they have wrist loops on the backs of them so we can loop them around the girls arms so that they can hold on to them.  Both girls really seem to enjoy the bunnies.  How cute it is to see them snuggle with them!  Thanks Melinda and Ted!  The bunnies are a big hit!

Iris and Her Bunny Lovey

Esme and Her Bunny Lovey

First Fast Food

I was out shopping this morning with the girls and I forgot to bring bottles with me. It just isn't in the forefront of my brain. Eli nursed until he was almost a year so food was always on tap. Although the girls had just eaten not even an hour before, Iris woke up in the middle of Babies R Us and started screaming. Screaming as though she had never been fed ever before in her entire life. A little dramatic, I know, but I had to do something. Thankfully, I was in a baby store, so I knew I would find something to help me. What did I find?  Her first "fast-food" meal -- a single serve 8 oz bottle with nipple of readymade formula. Hallelujah! For $2.50 I was able to make the crying stop. I bought an extra just in case Esme decided to follow in her sister's footsteps!

Easter Weekend

What a beautiful weekend we had here in Southern Maine. Temperatures were in the 70's both Saturday and Sunday. We had a wonderful Easter day. Jesse's parents came to our home to spend the day with us and then took Eli home with them for a couple of "special Eli days" with Grammy Lil and Papa.

Iris taking a little snooze...

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Iris

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The Easter Bunny visited our house Saturday Night, leaving Eli an Easter Basket and hiding the Easter Eggs we had decorated earlier in the week. He was so exited to find his new stuffed lamb waiting for him Sunday morning and had such a fun time finding the eggs hidden around the house.

Eli checking out his Easter goodies

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Eli finding the Easter Eggs

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Papa and Jesse with Eli and Esme

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Grammy Lil with Iris

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My beautiful family

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Pretty girls all dressed up and chillin' on the back porch

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An Easter Brunch of Quiche, Fruit Salad and Hot Cross Buns
Served Outside

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Eli eating a freshly frosted sugar cookie

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Eli sitting in the back of Grammy and Papa's car waiting to get on the road for his adventure.