Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Today was Daddy's Golden Birthday- 30 years old on the 30th!  We celebrated him all day long.  First, Emily and I headed to the Dollar Store where she hand-picked several gifts for him (more on this later).  Then she helped me to wrap them.  We presented him his gifts after Birthday Breakfast, which was French Toast (Daddy's pick). 

First gift: a small ceramic handyman!

Next gift: a bag of cotton candy!

Third gift: a set of "bracelets" for Daddy (really cup coozies but Emily insisted they are bracelets)!

Last gift: a beautiful ceramic African American angel!

Finally Paul opened his gift from me- a t shirt quilt I had made of all his old fraternity and college t shirts.  It's really amazing!

Then we had a yummy birthday dinner of pork ribs, sweet potatoes, green beans, and of course birthday cake!  Paul had actually asked for a birthday apple pie so we only bought a very teeny tiny cake:

And of course he had to have help blowing out the candles:

It was such a special day.  Here are 2 more of my favorite pics- a close up of some of his special gifts from Emily and one of the card she picked out for him.... his "cupcake card" as she said it...but it says, "For a Good Friend".  Ooooh Emily.......  never a dull moment around here!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!  We love you so much!

Christmas Recap 2010

We had a terrific Christmas! It was so wonderful getting to experience the excitement through Emily's eyes and have precious Audrey there to share it with us.  We headed to WV to spend the holidays with Paul's family. Emily treated all the people at Aunt Mary's house to a free dance recital:

Then we headed home to Granny and Grandaddy's house.  We donned our matching jammies (my BFF Aid even found a sock monkey sleeper so Audrey could match too...thanks Aid- you rock!) and got things ready for Santa. Emmy opted to leave him cookies, milk, and carrots, and she sprinkled her reindeer food on the front yard.

Do you love how I'm the only one looking at the camera? We took 10+ shots and this was the "best" one!

Then Emily and Audrey went to sleep and Mommy and Daddy commenced setting things up for Christmas morning:

We finally finished everything and went to bed around 11pm.

The next morning, of course, was Christmas!! Emily woke up and headed downstairs...and was so excited!  She loved the new things Santa left out:

Audrey even enjoyed her gifts!

Finally we let Emily into the living room for her BIG present from Granny and Grandaddy:

Her Jeep is being delivered to us later this week when Paul's parents come down to visit.  I know she's going to LOVE getting to ride it on our street!! Neighbors...watch out! :)

We are so thankful to have made so many good memories and to have our sweet girls to celebrate with.  There are plenty more pictures in the Christmas 2010 album...enjoy!  :)

A Fairy is Born...

According to Emily's Tinkerbell movies, When a baby laughs for the first time, a fairy is born!  Well, yesterday, a fairy was born for sure because our sweet little Audrey girl burst out in her first big belly laugh yesterday!! I will try to catch it on video... it's so cute!!

Emily is 3 Years and 2 months old!

Emily celebrated her Monthday today.  I can't believe she is so grown up already.  Paul and I were watching home video from this time last year and she was such a BABY just a year ago...now she's like having a 3rd adult in the house!  Here's what's going on with her this month:

- She continues to love school and her teachers so much.  She comes home every day and tells me all about her day.  What's really cool is the she can remember EVERYTHING about her day and (when she cares to share it) she will talk nonstop about it.  She knows what she had for breakfast and lunch, who brought what for Show and Tell or Book Day, what centers she went to that day, etc.  She even tells me who got in trouble that day, which is hilarious to hear because she gets so judgmental about it... "_____ pushed _____ today.  That was NOT NICE.  We don't push our friends.  That was NOT BEING KIND!" Nevermind the fact that she's gotten into trouble at school a few times herself..but she doesn't know about people who live in glass houses quite yet. :)

- She is very opinionated about what she wants and how things should be.  Lately she has been quite demanding about things like what toys to play with, what foods to eat, how long she wants to lie in my bed before she gets dressed, etc.  It is so funny to me (later...not so funny in the moment!) when she says things like, "Mommy, when we get home I want apple juice, veggie sticks, Tinkerbell movie, and my slippers."  And LORD HELP YOU if you should deviate from her plan...that's all I'm going to say!

- She has started giving us spontaneous hugs and kisses and it seriously melts. my. heart.  I love it so much!  For as bossy and stubborn as she can be, she is also very loving and sweet and I am so very glad for those tender moments.  Last week she asked me to lay with her while she napped and I agreed to for "one minute".  While I was cuddling with her she took her little hand and just rubbed my cheek and neck.  I fell asleep, haha..but so did she!  We haven't napped together since she was a little baby (like 6-9 months old) so that was just such a sweet moment for me.

- She is OBSESSED with all things Christmas.  We have an Elf on the Shelf who she named Tovey and she loves to look for him each day.  She cries on the rides around town during the daylight because the Christmas lights are turned off.  She believes that we took her to the North Pole to have brunch with Santa (we took her to a church in our neighborhood, haha!)  She dances around her Christmas tree in her room and talks about Christmas, Santa, and presents all the time.  I am SO excited for Christmas morning this year because I know she's going to be so excited (and we will be, too!)

- She had a mini recital at her dance class, which was precious!  She LOVES her reflection and unfortunately, that impeded her dancing a little on the Tap portion but the Ballet section was great.  My friend referred to Emmy as a "Mary Catherine Gallagher" and when she wipes out at the end she really, really reminds me of that character!  If these 2 videos are any indication of the year- end recital, we are in for a wonderful time!  Video 1- Tap: http://qik.com/22347351/cba8fbc3  Video 2- Ballet: http://qik.com/22347081/41546a31 .  Enjoy!

- She loooooves to sing and has quite a long repertoire of songs now.  I am planning another post here soon that will allow you to listen to her "version" of different songs...some of her renditions are really pretty entertaining!  Look for that one day next week- I need to start listening carefully so I can make sure I get it exactly how she sings it!

That's all the news I can think of for now.  I'm headed out to her classroom Christmas party...all the kiddos are wearing their jammies to school today- should be precious!! :)

Baby's First Sick Visit

Hi friends! We are experiencing Baby First Sickness right now!  I took Audrey to the pediatrician on Saturday AM because she had had another rough night of coughing, congestion, etc.  She was diagnosed with "prolonged upper respiratory infection" and given a 10 day supply of amoxicillin which we started that night.  Pedi was NOT concerned about her potentially having RSV or anything more serious than the upper res infection.  She perked right up on the amoxil and is doing perfectly now- hasn't been suctioned in 2 days!! :)  Looks like she is handling her first cold very well...I am SO thankful!  Of course, you can't tell she wasn't feeling well...she has the nicest disposition of any baby I've ever known!! 

   Also....that sweet baby is upstairs taking a nap UNswaddled...she's in a sleep sack!!  We are practicing a little every day to try to wean away from the swaddle blanket.  Oh, and as if that weren't enough, this morning she grabbed a toy and brought it to her mouth!!!!! SLOW DOWN, SISTER!  She is growing way too quick.

Photo Update :)

Sorry it has been a while since I last updated- I am very busy at work right now but today we have a snow day!! (Except there is literally no snow outside). :)  I thought I should take a moment and share some precious pictures of our little ladies. Enjoy!

Santa's Message to Emily

This is just too precious for words!

Click here for Santa's message!

Sisters

Some precious pics...

And now, for a little game I like to call Guess That Girl:

 

(Audrey, top, 3 months; Emily, bottom, 3 months). 

Audrey is 3 Months Old!

Audrey is growing like a little weed!  She is SUCH a delight and is seriously the best baby I have ever heard of...no kidding.  Here's what she's doing right now:

- she is now on mostly formula but still receives expressed frozen milk every day (well, I do thaw it first, wocka wocka wocka). :)  I was not able to juggle school and pumping so I am done with that but thankful that our frozen stash should last us through March!

- She drinks 4oz each time, about 7-8x per day.

- Are you ready for this? For a week straight now she has slept either 6 or 8 hours per night.  Amazing!

- She loves to smile and coo at us.

- She is trying to laugh (see video below).

- She is in size 1 diapers but will be moving to 1-2s once this pack is gone. I am SO tired of the blowouts!

- She has the cutest little rolls on her thighs...so precious.  She's definitely making up for being so small when she was born!

- She is wearing 3 month clothes for a week or 2 now because she is so long the newborn clothes weren't fitting anymore!

- She started at Miss Jamey's house on Monday of this week and is doing so well.  She loves to watch the other kids and has adjusted well to a new caregiver. I miss her so much during the day but I am thrilled that she is with Jamey.  Jamey is a part of our family and I am so, so thankful that she was able to take care of  my sweet girls.

- Audrey is focusing intently on us now and will follow us across the room with her eyes.  She also loves to stare at the Christmas tree!

- She LOVES Emily and will stare and smile at her for ever.  Emily loves to come over and put her fingers or hair near Audrey's hands so Audrey will grab at her. It is so precious!

- She is getting much better at holding her head up...I think we may try sitting her in the Bumbo seat soon.

- She weighs about 11-12lbs now (my estimate).

Be sure to check out her pictures!  We are visiting Santa on Saturday so hopefully I will get some cute ones of the 2 girls with jolly old St Nick.  Cross your fingers for me!

Audrey Tries to Laugh!

You'll have to pause the music on the page to watch this...but it's worth it!! :) 

3 Years and 1 Month Old!

Emily is 3 years and 1 month old today!  She is growing bigger, stronger, and cuter every day.

Here's what's going on this month:

- She has picked up "but why?" at school.  Now everything is "But WHHYYYY? WHY Mommy?"  It was cute for the first couple of days... :)

- She can ride her bike and pedal and steer at the same time.

- She saw the number 2010 the other day and said, "Look Mommy....'fousand ten!"  I was floored!  Her class does calendar math every day so I guess she's picking up on it!

- She can get herself fully dressed- all clothes!

- She can zip her own jacket.

- She can cut with scissors and use liquid glue.

- She can count to 28.

- She can make a snake with Play Doh.

- She is getting so much better at cooking with me.  Paul even braved letting her stand on a chair and help with making pancakes!  I was shocked and scared but she did so well.  She is doing better with following directions when we cook together.

Overall she's had a great month.  She is acting out a little more (maybe she has realized Audrey is here to stay?) and we are working through it.  Some days I feel like she's the most irrational person in the world, haha!  My friends who have 3 year olds tell me that they're kids are doing it too so I guess it's par for the course.  When is her next birthday? ;)  Just kidding.  She is my sweet big girl and I love her more every day (even on the hard days).  Make sure you check out her pictures on the Albums page!

3 Year and 2 Month Check Ups

The girls had their pediatrician appointments today for their 2 month and 3 year checkups. 

Stats:

Audrey:
Weight 9lbs 9oz (50th%)
Length 21.5in (25th%)
Head Circ: 15.5in (90th%)

Emily:
Weight 32.5lbs (60th%)
Height 36.75in (36th%)

Audrey got 3 injections and an oral vaccination and Emily got her flu shot (she had all her other shots at her 2.5y appointment last March).  I had them do Emily's shot first since I knew Audrey would be in hysterics and I didn't want Emily getting freaked out about the shot unnecessarily.  Emily didn't even cry!  Right as the nurse gave her the shot I told it was going to feel like pinching and by the time she understood what I was saying it was over!

Audrey's shots were a whole. other. story.  Oh my goodness!  She cried like I have NEVER seen her cry before- it was terrible!  She was totally inconsolable for about a minute afterward when she finally calmed down.  I laid her back on the exam table and accidentally dropped her outfit on the floor so I stooped down to pick it up.  On my way to standing back up I saw Emily reach over and PINCH Audrey on the arm!  I was stunned and so, so, so saddened that she hurt Audrey.  :(  Audrey started crying all over again and it was miserable. I was so disappointed in Emily but felt like I couldn't really do/ say anything because we were right in the middle of the stinking doctor's office!  It was all I could do to take them out of there and get home before I started crying.  :/

Now Audrey is napping upstairs and I took Emily to school... I know she was late getting there but I was so mad/ hurt about her pinching Audrey that she HAD to go to school.  Plus I asked her in the car and she made it very clear that she wanted to be with her friends.  Hopefully we won't have many situations like this because it honestly hurt me when she hurt Audrey...like made me feel physically ill. :(  Not a fun way to spend our morning, that's for sure!  I won't be making another double visit like this again- I think they can go one at a time from now on!

Bowling Birthday Party!

Emily was invited to a really fun birthday party last weekend at a bowling alley! She had so much fun celebrating her friend Audrey's birthday and experiencing bowling for the first time.  She enjoyed it so much that I think it might be a good family activity for us! :)

Waiting her turn behind Miss Holly and Audrey.

Picking just the right ball!

You guessed it...she had to carry it BY HERSELF.

Rolling down the ramp with Maddie's daddy!

Audrey is 2 Months Old!

Sweet Audrey girl is 2 months old today!  She is growing so quickly and we love her so much.  She is a GREAT baby!

- She tracks us when we are talking to her and will follow with her eyes if we move in front of her.

- She has been "unfolded" for a few weeks now and looks sooooo long!  She doesn't stay curled up like a newborn at all now.

- She has started making little sounds in the past few days.

- She has smiled at Emily, Paul, Grandaddy, and me...but she doesn't smile all the time by any means.

- She is getting 1 formula bottle before bedtime, which buys me about 4-6 hours of sleep before she needs to eat again...this is wonderful!  As much as I would love to get rid of that 2-4am feeding, I am so thankful that she is making it as long as she is and I am getting that sleep...especially with my return to work in under 3 weeks.  I'm proud of her!

- She has times of the day when she absolutely does NOT want to be held and instead wants to lie flat and kick her legs and wave her arms.  It's so cute- like her own exercise routine. :)

- She still likes to be swaddled up tightly to sleep, but she slides down her sleep positioner all the time because she wiggles so much in there!  She cannot sleep without the swaddling though...I mean, could you sleep if your arms were constantly flying around? ;)

- She is still such a good cuddler...oh she's a good cuddler.  She likes nothing more than to be held and snuggle up on your chest.  I love it!  I wish she would stay snuggly like this forever.

And now, time for some brutal honesty: 
 
It's a little difficult and disheartening to compare Audrey's development with regular, full- term baby developmental milestones because due to her prematurity, she is considered "behind" on most things (which doesn't bode well for this hyper-competitive, teacher-mommy...I admit it!) For instance, I looked up when Emily began smiling and by 2 months she was smiling a lot, and consistently...but Audrey's adjusted age is only 1 month today....and if she were truly 1 month old, I wouldn't expect ANYTHING from her. So it's really hard for me to analyze her progress without getting stressed out.  This is tough for me because most of this blog centers around what my girls can DO...and while yes, Audrey's adjusted age is only 1 month, the fact is that she is 2 months old...which means I've have 2 months to sit and wait for a real, honest-to-goodness smile, for her to bat at a toy, for her to do more than eat/play/sleep, repeat.  It takes patience and that is hard impossible for me.  So, bear with me.  Cross your fingers for me.  Pray for me that I can be patient and wait for my sweet girl to progress and develop.  I am very, very proud of all the things she CAN do now, and I hope me being honest here doesn't sound like she's disappointing to me at all...because she definitely isn't!  I am just a mommy who has some adjusting of my own to do...and that takes time and patience...two things that are not easy at all for me. :)

Now...onto a more uplifting note....do you think these girls look ANYTHING alike? Paul and I really don't think so! :) 

Emily- 2 months

Audrey- 2 months