The boys are six months old today! And get this, Chase has officially caught up to Austin and they are exactly the same size. I know, big shock, given the size of his cheeks and his many chins... For the longest time Chase was about a pound smaller but now, both boys are 14 pounds and 25.5 inches long. While modern medicine gives Austin and Chase two full years to catch up to term babies their same age (that is other babies born in mid-November 2007) the boys are nearly there. It's amazing and we are so proud. It's also nice to not be doing math everytime we try to figure out what clothes should fit, etc. It's so much easier this way! So, as someone recently said, "they like their groceries." Of course, we still correct their age, because while they are six months old, they are acting somewhere in between three and four months, with regard to development, etc. For example, we aren't starting rice cereal or any other solids until at least the end of June.
The boys are really starting to develop personalities. Austin is our cuddler and he suckers mommy into naps whenever he can. He is laid back and really quite content. He talks a lot and is overall happy. Chase is feisty as always. He has found his thumb and seems to prefer that to the pacifier at times. He has totally discovered his brother and when we put them in front of each other, he lights up the room with a huge smile while reaching for Austin. It really is the cutest thing. Chase is our worrier. He just looks so concerned sometimes but luckily he smiles and laughs a lot too - a ball of emotion is the best way to describe him.
The boys were recently part of a "Then & Now" poster campaign (see their poster below) and charity walk sponsored by the March of Dimes. We're in the process of finding ways to become more involved with the March of Dimes in addition to the Dartmouth Hitchcock ICN Parents Council. If we can't prevent some of the hardships we've gone through for others, our goal is to help others cope with premature birth, loss and overall complicated pregnancies. While our journey has felt grueling at times, we would do the past six months again in a heart beat if it gave us the honor of being parents to these amazing little boys. Journey on!
