Mommy is So Proud...

Today the boys had their neo-natal follow up clinic appointment up in Salt Lake. Since they were so preemie, they qualify for this program where once or twice a year they go in for a complete evaluation of weight, height, nutrition, vision, hearing, development, and speech. I have loved it because it's always nice to know that they are growing and developing normally! They were extremely patient considering we had to wake them up early and it took about 4 hours of seeing doctor after doctor! They loved the pyschiatrist and speech pathologist because they got to play with blocks and read books. Jackson hated the hearing test and Josh hated having his eyes dialated!!! The good news, they took a THREE HOUR NAP afterwards!!

Jackson weighed 29 pounds and was in the 45% for weight and 75% for height! He's tall and thin like his daddy! Joshy weighed 26 pounds and was in the 15% for weight (up from the 10% last year!) and 50% for height. Both of their vision and hearing were perfect!

The speech doctor did a series of tests with them and rated Jackson as understanding at a 2 year 6 month old level (which is how old he is) and his speaking was at a 2 year 9 month old level. Josh was rated as understanding at a 3 year 2 month old level and speaking at a 3 year 9 month old level! I was so impressed! In Jack's defense, he was in a pretty grumpy mood and didn't really feel like cooperating with the doctor, I really don't think there's that much of a difference in their speech.

The pyschiatrist rated Josh's cognitive development, analytical thinking, problem solving, etc at a 3 1/2 year old level! I couldn't believe it! He said by the time he starts kindergarten he will be a full year ahead of other kids his age! He loved the games he got to play and sat there trying to figure everything out, he's so daddy's boy! He rated Jackson's development at a 3 year old level! He did really well and there were only a few things he couldn't do. However, there were some things he did faster than Josh! Ok so I'm not blogging about this to brag...I'm blogging about it for two reasons, 1) personal history of their childhood and 2) I FEEL SO BLESSED!!!

I swear I was beaming from ear to ear when I left the clinic, because I am so proud of my little angels and how well they are doing. I feel so blessed to have kids that are developing so well and that are just so happy to learn. It's hard to believe they came into this world as tiny little 3 and 4 pounds sacks of skin hooked up to tubes and IVs in the NICU for 5 long weeks. So much could have gone wrong between then and now, and look at them just excelling! I am SO proud of my boys, I love them so much and can't believe how fast they are growing up! Our family has so much to be grateful for!

Just a reminder of how these guys started...

Poor little Joshy on oxygen...

Tiny little Jackson (notice the bruise on his little foot from getting poked so many times)...

Look how little Josh looks laying on me...Together under the biliruben lights...
Best buds in the hospital...

Ok so sorry if this was boring, but it was really for me. I cannot believe how far they've come, I'll never forget when the neonatologist came in to see me before the boys came..."since they are so preemie they will probably have many problems including brain damage, they may even die." Ya, he had great people skills. But, that was a reality for many preemies...but Jackson and Josh were fighters and mommy IS SO PROUD AND LOVES YOU SO MUCH!!!!!