Last Day

Dearest Miracles~

Today is the last day of 2011 .... and the last day of my birthday month!  So, it's definitely a day to celebrate!  Happy New Year's Eve!  ;-)

I ended up nursing Grace on purpose at 6:45am since she didn't wake up during the night to eat.  She slept in her crib until midnight.  Then, you noodled into our bed little lady.  :-P

You two helped us with some chores this morning.  We cleaned our bedroom and bathroom.  Then, we straightened the downstairs.  :-)

Joshua, you had a poopy incident this morning.  You stuck your hand down diaper again and then wiped your poopy hand on our bed frame (which is white) and comforter.  Yuck!  Lets not do that anymore ok?

By mid-morning we were out and about.  I had two places I wanted to go to.  I put somethings aside to sell so that I can start saving some money to purchase a new digital slr camera!  We went to a music store and I sold an old french horn that I had gotten about 12 years ago (already used online at the time).  I haven't played it much, so I wanted to let something else have a chance to play it.  Then, we headed across the street to a book store where I unloaded some old text books.  I also posted some things online to sell.  We're well on our way to getting a new camera.  ;-)

We stopped at Shane's Rib Shack for some lunch.  Joshua, you ate well for us!  And Grace had a whole container of solid food!  We made a quick trip to Target afterward for some groceries.  Joshua ate two cookies and Grace ended up falling asleep on me.  ;-)

We were home by 2:30pm.  Joshua fell asleep in the car and kept napping in the house as I nursed Grace.  We all played this afternoon once Joshua woke up.  I also backed up my computer.  :-)

We all went on the front porch swing before dinner and rocked as a family.  It was such a nice evening.  :-)  We heard fireworks every once in a while for the new year.  Oh, Grace, I think you might be learning sign language for 'more' when we're eating.  It's so cute!

So, what are our new year's resolutions?  Hummm .... how about:

Grace:  Walk independently more and grow some more teeth.  

Joshua:  You also need your second molars!  ;-)  And, to eat more and have more progress with speech therapy

Both of you two:  Stay cute and healthy  ;-)

Daddy and I:  To get healthier for you two (we need to exercise more and eat better).  Also, to enjoy our hobbies more .... music, photography, art

All of us as a family:  To be better Christians and to love one another.  To be thankful and gracious for what we have.  We are truly so blessed!

Sleep tight little ones!

I'll see you next year!  ;-)

I love you both so very much .... forever and ever!

~Mommy

Out And About

Dearest Angels~

Little lady .... you slept again last night!  I woke you on purpose to nurse you at 6:50am!  You were still sleeping little lady!  Wow!  I was leaking and in some pain, so sorry for waking you.  You didn't seem to mind though.  :-P

We all played this morning.  Daddy cut Grace's finger nails.  I can't believe how fast those little nails grow! 

Once people were ready for the day, we made a quick trip to Khol's.  We were looking for a few clothing items, but they didn't have what we wanted.  And, they didn't have the Dr. Seuss books we wanted for Joshua.  Oh well.  I'm sure we'll be back in the future.  ;-)

We met up with Gigi and Uncle James for lunch.  We all played and visited for a little bit.  And, you all both got fresh diapers.  ;-)  Afterwards, we went to a camera store for fun and then relaxed at home.

We had a little time to regroup before leaving again.  We met Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Katie, Uncle Brenna, and (Great) Aunt Allyson for dinner.  We celebrated Uncle Brennan's birthday.  He liked the DVD that we got him.  (Great) Aunt Allyson was in town visiting from Virginia, so it was good to catch up with her too.

Oh, here are some things that Grace can do as I was observing her today:
- stand up on her own without pulling up in things
- bend over to pick up a toy and stand back up again (also without holding on to something)
- take more steps and has gotten better with balance

Good job little lady!  We're so proud of you!

Tomorrow is the last day of 2011 and the last day of my birthday month .... we'll have to celebrate!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Smell Like A Cracker

Dearest Blessings~

Today is (Great) Aunt Beth's birthday!  We called her and left a message.  We sang happy birthday to her on her cell phone.  :-)  Did I ever tell you how she bet daddy and I to skip down the aisle after we got married?  Well, she did .... and we did!  Ha!  People still talk about that and how we skipped down the aisle!  ;-)

Grace, you woke up a little early this morning.  I was nursing you at 5:45am.  What's up with the earlier wake up call then yesterday?  :-P

Joshua, guess what .... you stood on the scale earlier and it read 24.5 pounds!  Whoa!  You're getting huge!  ;-)

We had deer in our backyard this morning.  They're so pretty!  You two helped us sweep and vacuum the downstairs after breakfast.  Also, we did a lot of laundry today!  Grace, I had to give you a bath this morning after your snack time.  You smelled like your 'crunchie' crackers!  Plus, you had them all in your hair!  You love those things!

This afternoon we had some visitors.  We saw some good friends .... Harpreet and Om.  Harpreet and I went to dental school together.  She and Om have been married for 5 years now.  :-)  Harpreet went to our wedding, but Om was still in graduate school in Arizona and couldn't make it.  So, he and daddy met for the first time today!  Joshua, you've met Harpreet before.  This was Grace's first time meeting Harpreet and Om.  We all got to visit for a few hours.  And, they brought us brownies.  Joshua, you started to get fussy since you were getting tired and fought a nap.

I eventually got Joshua down for a nap by 4pm.  Then, I nursed Grace.  She played around for a little bit until Joshua woke up a little after 5pm.

We had a pretty relaxing evening.  There was another UNC basketball game on so we watched it.  We won!  Woo hoo!  Oh, you two helped wrap Uncle Brennan's birthday gift.  We're going out to celebrate tomorrow night.  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

10 Months

Dearest Miracles~

Guess what .... today Grace turns 10 months old!  Whoa!  I can't believe how old you are!  ;-)

Wow!  You both woke at 7am this morning!  Woo hoo!  Thanks everyone!  ;-)  I nursed Grace as we let Joshua curl up in our bed.  :-)

Once people were settled, we ran out to get some groceries this morning.  They didn't have any cookies out at the bakery, and Joshua got hungry.  We ended up picking up a little box of good fish crackers for him to snack on.  :-P

We had lunch with a good friend this afternoon.  Remember our friend Allison?  She's come over a few times.  Daddy and I saw her at Fr. Hale's funeral on monday.  She went to the same school as daddy and I when we were growing up.  Anyway, it was good to catch up with her.  After lunch, you two played as daddy helped her with a non-profit that she's starting up.  He's helping with the budget.

Late in the afternoon, we went back out to look for something for Uncle Brennan.  He's a New Year's baby, so we needed to get him a birthday gift!  :-)

Grace, you like to play with your 'puffs' when eating.  I hide them in my hands and you think that's so cute!  :-)

I got some sad news about our neighbors today.  There's a custody battle going on right now, and the ex-wife (she's not our neighbor) took the kids over Christmas and we don't know when they'll be back.  Will (the dad) and Sarah (the step mom) were devastated.  Joshua, you like seeing the kids, Cash and Charlotte, play.  The dog, Buddha, was still there.  Daddy and I felt bad for them, so we decided to bake them some pumpkin bread.  We need to pray for them!  I couldn't imagine losing you two!  

This evening we relaxed in the play room.  Tomorrow we'll see some more friends!  Everyone's in town for the holidays!  So fun!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Long Late Nap

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Whoa .... what an early morning!  I put Joshua back to bed at 4:30am and fell asleep next to him.  By 6:50am I woke Grace on purpose to nurse.  Wow you've been sleeping!  I woke up leaking and in pain again.  :-P

Daddy worked from home today.  He had off yesterday and will have off the rest of the week.  :-)

The three of us played upstairs this morning as daddy worked downstairs.  Then, daddy watched Grace as I took Joshua to his occupational therapy appointment with Mary Beth.  We didn't have speech therapy since Kim was out of town for the holiday. 

Joshua, you did well at your appointment.  You went on the swing, had messy play with the shaving cream, and did work on the therapy ball and puzzles.  :-)

We were home by lunch.  It was a cold and wet morning and afternoon.  It cleared up by late afternoon and early evening though.  We went upstairs and played with blocks after lunch.  Then, we all played with cars.  Grace, you can make a car noise.  You buzz your lips together.  :-)

I weighed Grace today.  The scale said 18 pounds.  Woo hoo!  ;-)  Joshua, you had some art time with daddy while he took a break from work.

Joshua, you fought a nap this afternoon.  I put him in bed and laid next to him.  He eventually fell asleep with a car in his hand by 3pm.  Then, I nursed Grace to sleep at 3:30pm.

You two ended up sleeping a long time and woke up late!  Daddy went to Mimi's for dinner (we didn't have time to get everyone together in time), so the three of us stayed here.  We had music time downstairs after dinner.  Then we went upstairs and played and watched 'Lord of the Rings' on television.  :-) 

 

Sleep tight you two!
 

I love you both!

~Mommy

Third Funeral

Dearest Angels~

Oh little man, you woke at 3am this morning.  I put you back to bed and fell asleep next to you.  Then, at 7am, I woke up in some pain!  Grace never woke up to nurse and I was leaking!  So, I picked her up to nurse her and wake her on purpose.  :-P

Daddy and I worked on cleaning the downstairs this morning as you two played.  You two helped us get some things done around the house:

- We cleaned, wiped down, and organized the kitchen
- We did the dishes
- We swept the downstairs, but you two like to follow the broom around which makes it a little hard some times  ;-P
- We went through some papers and the shred pile
- We organized the play room

Gigi and Uncle James came over by noon to watch you two.  Mimi came over and daddy and I went with her to Fr. Hale's funeral.  I've been to three funerals in the past three months.  :-(

Fr. Hale was the founder of the school that daddy and I went to growing up.  He was also the rector of the church I grew up in.  In fact, he was the one who baptized me when I was in the fourth grade and gave me the 'God and Country' award when I was in the girl scouts.  :-)  Wonderful words were said about a nice and caring man.  We sang all of our old Chapel hymns.  And, we saw many faculty members and classmates from years prior.  I wished I could have seen more, but I'm sure people were away for the holiday.

You two helped us write some 'thank you' cards this evening and we played in the bonus room.  Joshua, you had some art time with daddy.  You both played with some plastic blocks you got for Christmas from Aunt Katie and Uncle Brennan.  You also played with them with Uncle James earlier and with daddy this evening.  ;-)  You all made towers that were taller than yourselves!

This evening we watched the UNC football bowl game.  It was the last game of the season.  We lost.  Poo!  Oh well!  There's always basketball!  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Christmas

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."
Luke 2:10-11 (KJV)

Dearest Blessings~

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!  :-)  This is Joshua's third Christmas and Grace's first Christmas!  :-)  How exciting! 

Grace, you noodled into our bed by midnight.  Joshua, however, never came whimpering into our room early this morning.  He usually comes in around 3am or 4am.  It's a Christmas miracle.  ;-)  Grace woke up early though, so I was nursing her by 5:30am.  Joshua woke up at 6:40am.  We pulled him into our bed and we all snuggled together in bed on Christmas morning!  What a wonderful way to start Christmas!  ;-)

Oh, Grace, you can now crawl up the stairs by herself!  Whoa!  You sure are getting big fast! 

People got here around 10am.  We saw Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Uncle Brennan, and Aunt Katie.  You two got so many toys!  We have a lot of thank you cards to write!  ;-)

By 1pm, we were ready to make our cookies for the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) staff.  We made the dough earlier, so we just had to put them on a sheet and bake them.  We made snickerdoodle cookies!  Yummy!  We made over 100 of them and put them on three different plates for the nurses.  Plus, Gigi, Mimi, and Betsy (Aunt Katie's mom) all added cookies and treats for us to deliver.  We had a whole box and bag full of treats!  They loved it and took our picture!  They all saw how big you all have gotten.  Little lady, I told the lactation nurse that we were still nursing and she was so impressed!  Little man, the nurses were so proud of you and how healthy you are!  They love seeing 'graduates' come back and visit.  It really meant a  lot to them (and me) that we were able to see them today on Christmas.  It truly was one of the highlights of the day!   :-)

We were home with clean diapers by 4:30pm.  We went upstairs to play, nurse Grace, and watch the Charlie Brown's Christmas special.  :-)

Daddy and I were talking in the car, and we both agrees that, so far, this has been the best Christmas ever .... for several reasons! 

- This was the first one we've hosted
- The whole family was together .... both sides
- It's Grace's first Christmas
- We got some great gifts   ;-)
- We went to the ICN and spread some Christmas cheer to people who truly save lives
- We had a wonderful and relaxing evening together as a family

We have so much to be thankful for!  Our blessings are overflowing!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

Merry Christmas!

~Mommy

Christmas Eve

Dearest Miracles~

Today is Christmas Eve!  Woo hoo!  This time last year it was snowing!  Do you remember Joshua?  Now, it's in the 60's!  I can't believe this weather!

Well, little man, you woke up at 3:20am.  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  I was nursing little Grace by 6:20am.  

Grace stayed awake after I nursed her this morning.  So, I took her into the play room so everyone else could get some sleep.  She played around for a little bit and then fell asleep on a pillow on the floor!  It was so cute!  ;-)  I picked Grace up from the pillow and laid down with her .... we both fell back asleep as the boys were getting up!  :-P

You two helped us with lots of chores this morning!  Here what we all got done:
Downstairs swept
Rugs vacuumed
Pictures hung
Dishes done
Vacuumed play room
Did laundry
Organized for tomorrow

Everyone's coming here tomorrow for Christmas brunch and some fun!  So, we needed to get this place ready for company.  We took a break for lunch. :-)

After lunch, we completed a few more chores:
Cleaned kitchen
Vacuumed stairs
More laundry
Straightened play room
Steam sterilized pump pieces

Whew!  Just need everything to stay this way and clean for company tomorrow.  :-P

By mid afternoon we were watching some Christmas specials and resting.  You two were napping by late afternoon.  Grace, you fell asleep on me and Joshua fell asleep on daddy.  :-)

We all had a relaxing dinner (we made a pizza) and then played downstairs.  We each opened one Christmas gift!  This was Grace's first Christmas present!  You two got outfits from your Great Grandfather in Virginia.  Joshua will wear his tomorrow.  Grace, you still need to grow into yours, but you still have an outfit for tomorrow.  ;-)

Daddy got a CD from you two.  I got a 'drawn' check from daddy for a camera lens!  Woo hoo!  I've been saving my birthday money and my State Fair winnings for a lens!  I'm trying to find a good used or refurbished one to get.  :-)

You two got baths this evening.  Grace, I went ahead and put you in your outfit for tomorrow since it's something you can sleep in too.  It says 'My First Christmas' on it.  You're so cute!  :-)  Daddy trimmed both of you all's nails and neither of you fought it!   Yippie!

Sleep tight!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Barium

Dearest Gifts~

Today is (Great) Aunt Allyson's birthday.  Daddy called her and left a message to wish her a happy birthday!  :-)

Joshua, since you woke at 3:44am, I took you downstairs and you drank some water.  You weren't allowed to have anything to eat or drink after 4am.  Daddy then put you back to bed.  I stayed with Grace.  She fell asleep early, so I woke back up at 5:45am leaking through my shirt!  I picked her up to nurse her on purpose!  :-P

I didn't sleep well last night since I was nervous about today's procedure.  I'm a 'light' sleeper in general and don't always sleep well to begin with.  So, last night was even worse.  I said a little prayer for Joshua and the doctors this morning.

Daddy was already planning on working from home today.  So, he kept Grace here.  Mimi came over and rode with me to Wake Radiology near Rex Hospital.

Once I got into the room with Joshua, I learned something .... they weren't going to do the upper GI endoscope today!  They did the barium swallow test instead .... so they wanted Joshua to drink some barium and then they were going to take radiographs of his digestive system and GI system.  Well, you can imagine how uncooperative Joshua was with that!  If he doesn't eat much, what makes them think he was going to drink barium?  :-P  Ugh!

I had to try to get the barium down him, which was unsuccessful.  He cried and screamed.  The assistant helped in trying to keep him down as the doctor took the images.  At one point, all three of us were singing to you to calm you down!  We sang 'the wheels on the bus' and 'jingle bells' for you!  

So, they did some radiographs, but they couldn't tell a ton since he wouldn't drink the barium.  :-P  We know what your organs are in the correct position, but we still don't have answers on why you don't eat little man.  I'm so frustrated at this point.  I pray we get a diagnosis soon so we can go ahead and have you eating and gaining weight!  You were cute in your little gown though.  I had to wear a big lead apron.

Once we got home, we fed everyone and changed all the diapers.  We played in the bonus room after lunch and planned out what we wanted to make for everyone for Christmas brunch.  :-)  Then, we went to Target for the groceries.  We saw one of my coworkers there and she held Grace for a little bit!  It was such a beautiful day with wonderful weather.  I can't believe it's almost Christmas with this weather! 

Daddy grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for dinner.  You two helped make a potato and veggie side.  Then, we made some cookie dough.  We'll bake the cookies on Christmas for the staff at the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) at Wake Medical Hospital.  :-)

I took another little video of Grace walking again this evening.  Then, we watched 'Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas' together.  Uncle James and I grew up watching this!  Ha!

I do have some sad news little ones .... Fr. Hale, the founder of the elementary, middle, and high school where daddy and I went, passed away today.  He was at our wedding almost 4 years ago.  He touched so many lives!  Every year, the elementary school performs a huge 'Christmas Pageant' celebration.  This year, Fr. Hale will celebrate Christmas in Heaven with our Lord!  Our prayers go out for his wife and family at this time ....

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both dearly!

Tomorrow's Christmas Eve .... :-)

~Mommy

Winter Solstice

Dearest Miracles~

Today is the Winter Solstice.  Which means, today was the shortest day of the year .... or, it had the least amount of daylight.  :-P

Everyone was awake by 6:20am.  You two helped us get ready for work.  After today, I'll be on vacation until January 4th!  Woo hoo!  Plus, it's still my birthday month, so I can still celebrate for many more days!  ;-)

Daddy got home early today .... 4:30pm!  Woo hoo!  I didn't get home until close to 6:30pm.  Joshua, it sounds like you're trying to say the word 'baby'.  That's exciting!  :-)

So, while I was at work, Wake Radiology called me to schedule Joshua for an endoscope of his GI tract since we still don't completely know why he's not eating well.  They had an opening for tomorrow morning at 8:30am.  I took it to get if over with.  I'm scared, relieved, and anxious all at the same time! 

Daddy and I spent some time with you, little man, once Grace fell asleep.  We both played with you, hugged you, and kissed you!  I said a little prayer for you and the doctors tomorrow.  You're so precious to us (you both are) and I pray we can find a diagnosis for your food avoidance. 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Laughing

Dearest Blessings~

You two were on the same clock this morning.  Joshua woke up at 4:20am and I went to lay down with him.  By 4:40am, I was nursing Grace.  :-P

I jammed finger last night and now it's in so much pain.  :-P  I tried to ice it and took an anti-inflammatory last night.  But, it looks swollen today.  I didn't have anything to splint it with.  This will be fun at work!  :-P

Speaking of work .... I had a hard morning.  I saw a 4 year old boy with four unrestorable upper anterior teeth that required extractions.  The family had no insurance and wanted the teeth out so his infection would clear.  He cried as we worked, but I ended up taking out all four teeth.  It was so sad.  

We did have some fun though .... at lunch we had our Christmas party!  We did secret Santa and one of the assistants had me.  I got a gift card to Target!  Ha!  We never go there!  ;-)

You two had fun with Penny though.  For art time, Joshua made a star for our tree!  You all also went to the park.  :-)

Daddy made a pizza for dinner and then we watched the UNC basketball game.  Grace, you took a lot of steps today by yourself!  I saw you take about ten!  At one point, you were using the push toy to walk around the play room.  Then, Joshua came by and took it from you.  You were left standing there by yourself in the middle of the room.  So, you started to take some steps!  So cute!

I caught up with two friends on the phone tonight.  There was so much laughing!  It was fun!  I hadn't seen them since our wedding.  It was nice to catch up.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!  

I love you both!

~Mommy

Day Out

Dearest Angels~

Grace, you made it sleeping in your crib last night from 9:30pm to about 2am!  Woo hoo!  That's progress!

We didn't have a lot of time to play this morning .... we had a pretty busy day out on the town!

At 9:20am we left house.  Joshua had his feeding team appointment with Krista at Rex Hospital at 10am.  He ate some hotdog and chicken.  But, he also spit things out.  Plus, it wasn't enough to really count as a 'meal' with the amount that he ate.  You did do well with the dry spoon though.  We did 20 trials and you opened your mouth for each one!

We're going to try a dairy free trial for the rest of the I week and then call Krista to see if your eating or behavior has changed.  Perhaps you have a diary allergy?  I wish we had some real answers as to why you're not eating.  Plus, we're going to continue with the three medications.

By 11am we were leaving Rex Hospital.  We saw Uncle James by 11:30am for lunch, diapers, and a little bit of play time.  He wasn't far from our second appointment of the day.  And, I didn't feel like driving across town back home.  :-P  Grace, you showed off how you're beginning to walk now.  :-)

We left at 1:15pm to make it in time for Grace's eye examination at 2pm.  Grace, you saw Dr. Board for your blocked tear duct for your left eye.  He's the one who did Joshua's retinopathy surgery when he was still in the NICU.

I put Joshua in the stroller (he played with a car) and I had Grace in the carrier against me.  Grace, you have a mild case, so he wants to wait another 3 months to see if it clears up more.  If it doesn't then he might have to unblock it for you with minor procedure.  I'm hoping it'll clear up.  It's been looking a lot better recently and Joshua's cleared up eventually.

We were out in 15 minutes!  Woo hoo!  ;-)

We headed to Harris Teeter afterwards to get some almond milk for Joshua.  We're going dairy free this week, so I needed something for him to drink!  They gave me some formula powder to put in the almond milk to increase his calories too.

We were home with clean diapers and nursing Grace by 4pm.  Whew!  That was a long day out!  I hung up your stockings.  I had the ones that Uncle James and I used when we were little children.  One's a bear (mine) and one's a reindeer (Uncle James's).  They're so cute over our fireplace!

We had some company for dinner.  Barbara (one of daddy's former coworkers) came over.  You all last saw her when Grace was a month or two old.  She brought food and we visited.  Joshua, you were very fussy this afternoon and evening, but it ended up you were just tired.  You didn't get a good nap in with all the travels today.  :-P

Tomorrow is a work day so Penny will be here.  I'll rush home as fast as I can!
 
Sleep tight you two!
 
I love you both so much!
 

~Mommy

20 Minutes

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Well, you two both woke up at 5am.  It's actually much easier when there's only one 'wake up call' in the morning.  Thanks!  Daddy took care of Joshua and I took care of Grace.  :-)

Guess what .... we saw deer in the back yard this morning!  There were at least three sitting on the ground in the woods relaxing.  There might have been more.  They blended in really well!  ;-)

This morning we saw Mary Beth for occupational therapy.  You did pretty well little man!  You went on the swing, played in the sandbox, did puzzles while on the balance ball, and you made a Christmas tree!  You walked right up to Grace, smiled and gave it to her!  She tried to eat it!  :-P

We had a small break between appointments.  I nursed Grace in the car and Joshua ate a snack.  Then, we went back in for speech therapy with Kim.

Joshua, you did well with Kim.  You didn't make a lot of noises, but you're imitating mouth movements.  I'm hoping your voice will soon follow!  Would love to hear you say 'Mommy' and 'I love you!' little man!  :-)

We got home around lunch time.  You both fell asleep in the car.  Joshua, you continued to nap when I brought you in the house.  Grace, you woke up, started to play, and then had a poopy diaper.  :-P  You and I played around downstairs as Joshua napped on a pillow in the living room.

Once people were awake, everyone ate and played downstairs until 3:30pm.  Then, we went upstairs, wrapped our last Christmas gift and then played in the bonus room.  :-)

While you two played, I got 20 minutes done on the elliptical!  I know that's not a lot, but I needed it since I'm out of shape!  I really want to be healthy for you two!

We made eggs and veggies for dinner.  Then, we watched the UNC basketball game.  I uploaded some photos of you two on the computer while the game was on.  I few turned out ok.  ;-)  We had art time at halftime.  Joshua and I used crayons and markers .... you got markers on your hands little man.  Grace came to the table and wanted to draw too.  :-P

Tomorrow's going to be a busy day.  Joshua has a feeding team appointment at Rex Hospital in the morning and Grace has an eye appointment in the afternoon.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

One Week

Dearest Angels~

Woo hoo!  It's only one week until Christmas!  Have you two decided what you want yet?  Did you write your letters to Santa yet?  ;-)

Joshua woke up at 2am again.  I wonder what's going on little man.  Daddy put you back to bed.  I slept with Grace .... she noodled into our bed last night.  I nursed her by 6:50am!  You slept in little lady!  :-P

I strummed my mandolin this morning as Joshua played his ukelele.  Daddy was in the shower.  Then, I did a quick pump as you two had art time with daddy.

We all meet Mimi, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Katie, and Uncle Brennan for lunch downtown.  Santa was there and you two did better than I anticipated.  :-P  I thought you two would be a little scared of him.  Joshua was hesitant about him at first, but then did fine.  We got our picture taken with him.  Grace, you and I had 'Santa hats' on.  :-)

We were home and settled by 2pm.  Everyone got a fresh diaper and then I cut Grace's nails and nursed her.  Once you two were content, we went back out to finish out Christmas shopping.  I still had to get Grandpa Jim something.  Now, all our shopping is done!  Woo hoo!  Grace, you fell asleep in the car and continued to nap as we fed Joshua dinner.  You ate a container of solid food and lots of 'crunchies' when you woke up.

This evening we played around in the bonus room.  We watched some more Christmas shows.  We've been watching some Christmas specials that were on when I was a little girl .... so you know they're older!  Ha!  ;-)  This evening we watched 'Rudolph' .... the little elf wanted to be a dentist!  Ha!

Tomorrow Joshua has his occupational therapy and speech therapy appointments.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Diaper With Tape

Dearest Blessings~

Little man .... you were awake at 2am this morning.  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you on your mattress.  I was up nursing Grace at 6:10am. 

Little lady, you're now getting teeth #O and #P!  Woo hoo!

This morning we all went to Target for groceries and finished our Christmas shopping for my coworker.  We're doing a 'Secret Santa' at work and I have the other dentist!  I got her a gift card for some coffee and a mug.  She'll love that!  Joshua, you ate some cookies while there.  :-)

We were all home by lunch.  We changed your diapers, but one was defective from the packaging!  Ugh!  So, I put that one on Grace and added some tape!  Ha!  It lasted for a few hours!  ;-)

Joshua, you pulled poop from diaper .... again!  Yuck!  I hope this is just a tiny phase you're going through!  :-P

I swept the downstairs as dinner was cooking.  You two helped me make a hash brown and veggie casserole.  Yummy!  You all also played downstairs and we had a CD going for some music. 

Watched a UNC basketball game this evening .... we won!  I gave Grace a bath at halftime.  I put more aquaphor on your back and shoulders.  It's looking better.  :-)  Daddy gave Joshua a bath after the game.

After the game Joshua did the cutest thing.  He sat with his ukelele and strummed the strings and babbled about like he was singing and playing!  Ha!  :-)

Tomorrow you two get to see Santa!  We're going to see him at lunch!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

First Shoes

Dearest Miracles~

Joshua, you did better this morning.  You didn't wake up until 5:30am.  I went and laid down with you in your bed.  Then, Grace woke up, so I was nursing her by 6:30am. 

You two helped me get some chores down around the house.  I made some hotdogs for Joshua since he ate all of his.  And, we did your laundry.

While we were doing some chores around the house this morning, Mimi texted to see if you all wanted to get some new shoes.  Grace is beginning to walk, so we met up with Mimi around 11am.  Grace, you are a size 2.5 and Joshua is a 6.5 .... this was Grace's first pair of shoes!  Joshua, you have a pair, but it's a size 6.  We went ahead and got you a 6.5 as well.

While we were out, we had lunch.  Joshua, you had some chicken fingers, fries, and chips.  We were home by 12:30pm, since we had an earlier lunch.  You two fell asleep in the car.  I put Joshua in his bed for a nap.  I nursed Grace in the play room and then read.

Joshua, you woke up after about an hour and came whimpering into the playroom where Grace and I were.  I picked you up, rubbed your back, and you fell asleep on me as Grace played.  I got to hold Joshua as he napped for almost an hour this afternoon!  I never get to hold him while he's sleeping.  It was wonderful!  Grace was playing the whole time!  :-)

I called Great Grandma this evening.  Great Grandpa was going out singing tonight.  I tried to get you two to say something to her on the phone.  Every time I put the phone up to Joshua, he started at it.  But, if I put it away, he would whine!  :-P

We made pasta and veggies for dinner.  Daddy got home late.  He's had some busy days recently at work.  Hopefully it won't be so bad once the holidays are over.  We played a little downstairs after dinner.  Joshua, you ended up with a poopy diaper .... you stuck your hands down it .... and then walked around with a poopy hand!  :-P  Ugh!  Gross man!

Grace is standing more and walking around holding on to the furniture.  She loves to walk behind the push toy. 

This evening we all relaxed.  It rained, so I put some Christmas music on and we had some play/music time together as we wrapped Christmas gifts.  :-)  We're almost done with our shopping!  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Small Cavity

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Whoa .... I had some bad insomnia last night .... which made for another sleepless night, unfortunately. Ugh!  Sometimes I really hate being a light sleeper.  :-P

Joshua, you had a better night though.  You didn't whimper into our room like you usually do.  I believe this was the first time you stayed sleeping in your bed in your own room.  Grace, you woke at 5:40am so I nursed you back to sleep.

You two had fun with Penny today.  You all went to the park and saw some other little children.  Joshua, you apparently ate pretty well for daddy when he got home for dinner.  You ate 3 chicken nuggets and 3/4 of a hotdog!  Whoa!  Way to go little man!

Guess what I got done at work today .... an examination .... on myself!  Ha!  We had some downtime and the other dentist did a quick exam on me and one of the assistants took some radiographs.  I had some good news .... my two small amalgam restorations are still intact and doing fine (I couldn't even tell you how old they are!).  I do have one small cavity on a top right tooth.  It's little, so the other dentist will be able to fill it fast!  Woo hoo!  

We watched 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' this evening.  Joshua has the book and we've read it several times.  Since we watched it after dinner, we counted that as your bedtime story!  Ha ha!  Just kidding.  Daddy still read to you.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

First Steps

Dearest Angels~

This was the morning of no sleep.  :-P  Joshua, you woke up at 3am.  You came whimpering into our room so daddy put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you had noodled into our bed and started to kick around.  By 4am I was up and nursing you.  I laid back down to rest at 5am.  By 6am, I was up from my work alarm.  I was exhausted.  :-P

You two had fun with Penny today.  For your art time, Joshua colored some paper and then Penny cut the paper into strips.  She rolled them and then you two decorated the Christmas tree!  How cute!  

At work today I saw a disabled 11 year old girl.  She had rods removed from her back a few months prior.  She has never walked independently.  Her grandfather lifted her in and out of the operatory chair and into her wheelchair.  I am so thankful for you two and so blessed!  We think we have hard days when something goes wrong, but we can at least walk independently.  You two are so precious and I thank God each and every day for you both!

Grace took her first steps today!!  We were playing in the bonus room and she started with walk!  I got a little video!!  She ended up taking several steps.  And, she can stand by herself for at least ten seconds!  Woo hoo!  I'm so proud of you little lady.  Joshua, you also tried to get some attention .... you were standing on your table at the end of the video!  :-P  Please get down from there .... you're going to hurt yourself!  :-P

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Bleeding

Dearest Blessings~

Whoa!  Joshua didn't wake up until 5am this morning!  That's much better than the usual 3-3:30am whimperings.  :-P  Daddy went to lay down with him.  I was nursing Grace by 5:40am.

Joshua had his occupational and speech therapy appointments this morning.  You did well with Mary Beth.  You went on the platform swing and through the tunnel.  You wouldn't go through the tunnel a few months prior little man!  You had 'messy play' with shaving cream on the mirror.  This was the first time you've done that by yourself .... you actually wanted to touch the cream yourself!  Good job little man!  You did pretty well with Kim too.  You signed for her but you didn't make a lot of sounds/noises.  We'll keep trying at home.

We were home by lunch.  I organized the kitchen a little more as you two played.  I brought down a comforter and put it in the study area and then put toys on it (since we don't have a rug in there yet).  It's a temporary fix, but you two didn't seem to mind.  :-)

We stayed downstairs for a while.  I swept the downstairs as you two played.  I also put a child lock on the pantry door.  Joshua keeps trying to pull things down from the shelves.  I'll likely need to place one on the closet in the study now that the area is open.  When you two get excited you almost close doors on your fingers!  :-P

While we were playing downstairs, Grace fell and her lip started to bleed a little.  Once she calmed down (I rocked and held her) we went upstairs and I nursed her to sleep.  Later, Joshua fell while trying to stand on a ball!  His lip also bled a little.  :-P  I hugged and rocked him .... my oh my!  What's up the bleeding today?

We had lots of music time today.  We listened to my CDs from you two for my birthday all afternoon!  I love them! 

Joshua ate ok for dinner .... it was mostly snack foods though.  Oh, Grace, you're beginning to take little steps!  Woo hoo!

Tomorrow Penny will be here since daddy and I will be at work.  I'll rush home as fast as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Lots Of Meds

Dearest Miracles~

Little man, you didn't even make it to the next day before you started whimpering.  :-P  You woke up and wandering into our room at 11:30pm last night.  I got up and put you back to bed.  I ended up sleeping next to you all night on the mattress on the floor.  You woke up a few times and sat up, but then went back to bed when I rubbed your back and kissed you.  I went back into our room at 6:30am to nurse Grace. 

We had a busy morning.  We had to be at Rex Hospital for Joshua's feeding team appointment by 9am this morning.  Joshua, you are now on three medications.  You're taking prevacid for the reflux twice a day, cyproheptadine for the appetite stimulant once a day, but about to go to twice a day, and then erythromycin (an antibiotic) to ease your digestive track three times a day.  :-P  I honestly hate giving you all these medications, and I don't even know if anything is working.  You didn't eat very well over the weekend at all. 

Krista is still concerned as well.  She's going to talk to Nannette later in the day.  She would like to do scope you earlier than later.  You appear to have something more going on internally that's giving you pain when eating.  I'm in agreement.  You should be eating more than this at 2 years old.  I wish we could finally find a diagnosis so that we can start treatment!

Oh, did I tell you both that we put a tree up for Christmas?  Gigi brought it over on my birthday and we put it up for you two.  It's 4 feet, so we ended up putting it on a table.  You two love to look at it.  :-)

We got home by lunch.  We made a quick stop at Target for a few supplies.  You all were about to run out of diapers and wipes.  You probably would have lasted until the end of the week, but the cat also needed food and litter.

This afternoon we played in Joshua's room.  I read a book and then we all played around the bed with the stuffed animals.  I tried to get Joshua to take a nap, but that didn't work.  :-P  So, we went and played in the bonus room.  I ended up rocking Joshua to sleep at 2:30pm.  I put him on a blanket and pillow in the play room.  I put a second little blanket on top.  Then, I nursed Grace to sleep and read.  :-)

I kept calling Grace 'nay nay' today since she says that all the time now.  I one point I asked Joshua, 'where's nay nay' and he pointed at her!  Ha!  Too cute!  :-)

Daddy brought home some dinner for fun!  We had chicken sandwiches.  Joshua, you ate a little of a nugget.  Grace, you ate a lot of the 'crunchie' crackers!

This evening we played in the bonus room.  It was a pretty relaxing afternoon and evening.  Daddy played us some banjo music too.  Tomorrow Joshua has his occupational therapy and speech therapy appointments.  So, rest up!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Tackle

Dearest Gifts~

At 3:30am, like clockwork, Joshua came whimpering into our room!  I went to sleep with Joshua in his bed.  I didn't sleep well though.  It was hard to go back to sleep.  I was nursing Grace by 6:15am.  Busy morning! 

Daddy and I worked on putting some pictures back on the walls downstairs this morning.  We're slowly putting the house back together, and it's looking pretty good!  :-)

Grace, you climbed up three steps this morning with no help!  Whoa!  Later in the day, you climbed up the entire staircase!  I was behind you helping you!  You're growing up way too fast little lady! 

We cleaned and did laundry this morning as daddy did some work on the computer. 

This afternoon we went out.  It was chilly so we bundled you all in little jackets.  We stretched our legs at some local stores and bought Penny a Christmas gift.  We're almost done with our shopping.  :-)  We did most of our shopping online, so we should be getting some packages in the mail soon.  :-)  You two can help wrap everything once the gifts come in. 

Grace fell asleep on me this afternoon.  I pulled her little lip out and daddy got a picture of her first tooth .... tooth #P!  I sent it to my coworkers since they're so excited about her tooth!  

Oh, I almost forgot, you two were so funny this afternoon playing together.  Grace crawled right up to Joshua as he was playing and pretty much 'tackled' him to the ground.  I think she was trying to give him a hug.  It was so funny and cute.  Joshua, you giggled at her!  :-)

This afternoon we watched the UNC men's soccer team on television.  It was the National Championship game.  We won!  Woo hoo!

We made eggs, veggies, bacon, and toast for dinner.  Joshua, you have not eaten well the last two days.  Literally, I think you're almost on a liquid diet at this point.  We'll see what they say tomorrow.  We have another feeding team appointment at Rex at 9am.

Oh, we made a chocolate pie afterwards!  Yummm!  Hummm .... my diet will start in 2012!  ;-)

Daddy helped us move a few more things into the house from the garage this evening.  We'll continue to organize some things tomorrow and the next day.  The house is looking so much better!  :-)

This evening we watched some Christmas things on television .... I  hope you two are getting excited!  This will be Joshua's third Christmas and Grace's first Christmas!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy

Birthday Lunch

Dearest Angels~

Well people, we had a little bit of a sleepless night.  :-P  At 3:30am Joshua came whimpering into our room.  I went into his room, put him back to bed, and then fell asleep next to him.  By 5:45am I was up nursing Grace.  :-P

This morning you two helped daddy and I clean the downstairs.  Daddy made a lasagna for my birthday lunch party.  Everyone came over by noon.  We saw Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Uncle Brennan, Aunt Katie, Mimi, and Grandpa Mike.  The lasagna was so good .... daddy did a great job!  We also had salad, bread, and a big cookie for dessert.  :-)  Yummm!

I got some wonderful birthday gifts!  I got another charm for my bracelet, another bracelet, a gift card (hummm .... I wonder what I should get), and a crock pot trio station!  ;-)

While everyone was here, they helped us move some furniture back in the house.  The big bookcase was moved back inside and we now have two 'loveseat' sized couches in the living room.  Our house is looking more like a home!  :-)

Once people left, we tried to wind people down.  Joshua, you took a late nap.  You were snoring by 3:20pm.  I nursed Grace to sleep at the same time and then just held her. 

We had leftovers for dinner.  Then, we played downstairs until 7pm.  By then we were watching the UNC basketball game.  We won! 

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Birthday Wishes

Dearest Gifts~

Today's my birthday!  Woo hoo!  I love birthdays!  What a blessing and celebration of the miracle of birth!

Everyone jumped into bed to wish me a happy birthday this morning!  Such a wonderful way to start my day!  I couldn't help thinking how blessed I am!  

What a great morning .... daddy made pancakes for breakfast and I made myself a little hot chocolate!  Yummm!  :-)

You two gave me your birthday gifts before breakfast.  I got two CD's.  You two had wrapped them .... so cute!  They were two CD's that I wanted.  Both folk and bluegrass.  We listened to them downstairs as we ate and cooked.  :-)  Thanks! 

As daddy was cooking the pancakes, you two helped me roll out our new rug for the kitchen area (Grandpa Jim picked it up for us yesterday).  Daddy moved our table and chairs onto it.  Now, we won't scratch up the new floors.  :-) 

We played upstairs this morning.  I did some laundry and then took photos of you two .... we're still working in Av mode.  And, we had some Christmas music on.  :-)  Daddy worked a half day from home, so we tried to stay out of his way in the morning.  Joshua, you had art time with him by mid morning.  :-)

Today was a little chilly .... it stayed in the 50's. 

As I cooked lunch, you two played downstairs and also helped me prepare a potato puff casserole for my birthday dinner.  Daddy gave me his birthday gift .... it was a book that I wanted!  I got three thoughtful gifts from three thoughtful people!  Thank you so much!

I gave Grace a bath after lunch and then cut her nails.  Then, we headed over to Pam's this afternoon.  Joshua and I got haircuts.  We look so much better!  ;-)  Well, Joshua's always cute .... but she helped trim and clean up what daddy and I tried to do.  :-P  Joshua, you slept on daddy throughout the appointment! 

We're having a birthday lunch at our house tomorrow, so we went to pick up some groceries for that afterward.  We were home in time to cook our casserole for dinner.  :-)

Guess what .... I got a little check in the mail from the State of NC .... it was my 'prize' money from my photograph at the State Fair!  I'm now a 'paid' award winning photographer.  Ha!  ;-)

This evening we all relaxed and just had fun.  We ordered some Christmas gifts online and then watched some television.  :-)

What a wonderful birthday .... I got to spend the day with a wonderful husband and two precious children .... what other gifts could a girl ask for?  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you two so very much!  :-)

~Mommy

Party At Work

Dearest Blessings~

Today is one of my coworker's birthday!  Woo hoo!  Since tomorrow is my birthday, and one more employee, we had a nice party at work during lunch.  :-)  We're always looking for an excuse to have a party!  ;-)  

Plus, in dentistry, we generally don't work on fridays.  So, thursday is our friday.  Which means, today can be considered friday for us at work .... therefore, today is also my birthday!  Ha!  ;-)

Both of you two woke up at 4:30am.  Daddy went to sleep with Joshua and I nursed Grace back to sleep.  I ended up holding Grace afterward, but didn't really go back to sleep.  When my alarm went off, I got ready for work.  Joshua eventually curled up in our bed too.  You two were so cute sleeping together.

You two had fun with Penny today!  You had art time and made me pictures with your hand prints on them!  So precious!  Joshua, you also colored yours.  :-)  

I just got news that one of my friends from college just had her third child.  She had a little girl and she was 6 weeks early and now in the NICU.  I saw photos this morning .... that really brings back memories from when Joshua was in there!  She'll come home pretty soon though .... she's in an open crib and over 5 pounds.  But, I know it's still scary for my friend.  Joshua, I still keep your NICU photograph on my nightstand.

Grace, you really want to stand a lot more now.  If you pull up on something and we take your hands away, you'll stay standing for a few seconds!  I wonder when you'll start to take a step.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Power Outage

Dearest Miracles~

Today is (Great) Uncle David's birthday!  I called him while I was still at work, after I had finished seeing my last patient.  Sounds like he had a great day!  He turned 49 .... next year will be a big celebration!  Ha!  ;-)

Today is also Pearl Harbor Day which is when we remember and honor all those who died in the attack.  On December 7, 1941, America's naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by Japan.  The day after, World War II began with America declaring war on Japan.  

So, little man, you came whimpering into our bedroom at 3:30am this morning.  Daddy went to lay down with you and you both fell back asleep.  At 6am, Grace woke up.  I nursed her and then got ready for work.  :-P

But, before I left, I got to play with you both .... Joshua showed off his stacking cup abilities as I changed Grace.  :-)

You two had fun with Penny today.  You all went to the park, had art time, story time, and nap time.  

We had a short power outage at work this evening.  It was during the last patient of the day, but I was (thankfully) almost done.  :-)  We were able to finish the restoration.  

This evening we all played together.  You two helped me wrap two birthday gifts for my coworkers.  Tomorrow is Hilsy's birthday, and friday is Judy's birthday (and mine!).  I'm going to bring both gifts to work tomorrow.  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!  :-)

~Mommy

Crayon Eating

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Joshua, you whimpered into our room at 12:30am.  I put you back to bed and then laid down with you.  I fell asleep but then woke up at 4:30am when Grace was hungry.  Daddy changed your diaper and then I nursed you back to sleep. 

Grace, you like to say 'nay nay nay' now.  It's so cute!  I wonder what your first real word will be.  :-)

We all had some play time this morning before getting ready for Joshua's feeding team appointment at Rex Hospital.  I have some clothes in the playroom and Joshua likes to walk around with them like he's playing dress up!  Ha!  There's only scrubs and hats in there!

Joshua, your appointment was at 11am.  We saw Krista and the nurse Nannette.  You ate a lot for Krista on a spoon (finger foods on the spoon) ....  about half a hotdog, some string cheese, some pepperoni pieces, gold fish crackers, and golden grahams.  You showed some growth on the length and weight charts (not a lot for weight, but we're still going to take it). 

They want to start you on cyproheptadine.  This is a decongestant, but the side effect is weight gain, so it should help to increase your appetite.  It's a small dose to begin with and we'll give it to you once a day for the first week.  We'll likely increase it to twice a day after that.  It may make you a little sleepy.  We have another appointment next monday.

Little man, UNC will call me to schedule a 'scope' in January.  Krista still thinks you have things more GI related that perhaps these medications won't completely resolve.  We're going to try these medications this month, but will likely have a scope in January at the hospital to see if you have any inflammation in your GI system.  You'll have to be sedated, so I'm not happy about that, we need to do whatever we have to so that you're comfortable and eating right!  They still think you're having 'pain' from something since you resist the spoon so much.  Also, I've noticed that sometimes to come over and whine when I'm feeding Grace some pureed foods.  Perhaps you think I'm hurting her?  I hope we get this resolved soon though .... I wish you would eat better and gain weight more .... I have no problems gaining weight!  Ha!  ;-)

I nursed Grace in the car after the appointment.  We didn't leave Rex until 1pm.  You two fell asleep in car.  Once home, you two woke up and I was starving!  Finally got a lunch at 2pm.  Everyone was fed with a clean diaper by 2:30pm.  We went upstairs and played.  I put some Christmas music on. 

Late in the afternoon we had lots of art time .... until Joshua ate a crayon!  Ugh!  You bit the top right off!  Luckily you didn't swallow it, but that definitely put an end to art time.  Then, we read a bunch of stories .... Joshua just kept bringing book after book over to me.  We were in his room where he keeps a lot of books.

This evening, you two helped me move the kitchen table and chairs into the living room.  Since we have a rug there, I wanted to protect the remaining floors.  We're already scuffing the kitchen area a little from the chairs.  So, we ate dinner in the living room.  :-)  I tried cleaning the marks off the floor as you two were playing.  We made a quick pizza for dinner.

Once daddy got home, we went to the play room and watched the UNC basketball game! We won!  :-)

Tomorrow's another work day so Penny will be here!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Our Band

Dearest Blessings~

Little lady .... I changed and then nursed you at 2:20am.  I was so tired.  It was only a few days ago that I had to wake you just to nurse you.  What's going on with the 2am nursing sessions now?  :-P

We only had a little bit of time to play this morning.  Joshua has a feeding team appointment at Rex on tuesday, so we have occupational therapy and speech therapy today.  Our first appointment was at 9:30am with Mary Beth.  You did really well little man!  You went on the swing, used play doh, did puzzles, went all over the crash cushions, went through the tunnel .... you are really showing signs of improvements!  I'm so proud of you!

We made a quick trip to Target between the appointments.  I had to get some birthday gifts for some coworkers.  One assistant has a birthday on the 8th and another has one on the 9th (like me!).  :-)

Our next appointment was at 11:30am for Kim and speech therapy.  We were back at the office by 11am and I nursed Grace in the car before going back inside.  Joshua, you didn't do as well with the PECS pictures as you have in the past.  But, you did make noises and sign for Kim.  You're moving your lips like you want to say thing .... if only we could turn on your vocal chords!  ;-)

We were home by 12:30pm.  You two ate a small lunch.  I'm starting Grace on a water sippy cup so she can practice.  You're a big girl now so you don't need to be on the bottle anymore.  We can start to transition you to a sippy cup.  :-)

This afternoon we did a lot of laundry and listened to Christmas music.  You all played together.  Grace, you took a little nap this afternoon after nursing.  I read to Joshua since he did not want to take a nap.  :-P  Once everyone was awake, you two helped me fold laundry and we had more Christmas music on.  Woo hoo! 

Once the laundry was done, I decided to switch out my mandolins.  I've had the acoustic out for a while and wanted to play with a different one.  I put the acoustic away and took out my 5 string electric mandolin.  This was my birthday gift from last year!  I put Joshua on the ukelele and Grace on the toy keyboard.  We made quite a band!!  Joshua kept wanting to play with all the instruments though .... he must want to be a solo artist.  :-P  We'll keep practicing! 

Joshua, you had a really good dinner this evening.  You ate pieces, of cheese, cheerios, lots of crunchies crackers, lots of golden graham cereal, some tater tots, and part of a cookie!  Way to go little man!  I hope your feeding appointment goes well tomorrow!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!  :-)

~Mommy

Chocolate Pie And Casserole

Dearest Angels~

Joshua, you woke up early and whimpered into our room.  Daddy laid down with him and fell back asleep in his bed.  Grace, you slept in your crib!  But, you woke at 3:20am.  I nursed you back to sleep and then we stayed in my bed together.  :-)

We did lots of chores this morning!  We vacuumed the baseboards to get all the dust from the installation of the new floors downstairs.  I also vacuumed some cobwebs that were on the ceiling and scattered about.  Daddy cleaned the master bathroom.  We did laundry and swept the downstairs.  You two helped organize the play room.  

I gave Grace a bath by lunch time and placed more aquaphor on her skin.  Little lady, your skin is looking a lot better!  Woo hoo!  :-)

You two helped make a potato puff casserole during lunch.  We're going to have it for dinner, so all we needed to do was heat it up this afternoon.  :-)

We all met Grandpa Jim at the rug place a little after 1pm.  We decided to get the rug we saw yesterday that was a great price for the size.  It's not the 'best' quality, but it'll be fine for us since we're anticipating spills and traffic on it.  ;-)  We also got a padding to place under the rug to help protect the hardwoods.  This rug will go in the living room.  We'll take our time with the rest of the rooms. 

Joshua, you had some art time with daddy when we got home.  We put the new rug out.  We were intending to keep it rolled up to let the floors cure longer, but Grace was playing with the ties.  So, we decided to unroll it since the ties weren't child friendly.  :-P  It looks nice though!  :-)

Our potato puff casserole was a hit for dinner!  Joshua even ate a little bit!  And, we had a homemade chocolate pie for dessert!  We got the recipe from Great Grandma .... it was so good! 

We all relaxed this evening and caught up on some television, since we didn't have it on earlier in the day.  Tomorrow will be busy in the morning.  Joshua, you have occupational therapy at 9:30am and then speech therapy at 11:30am.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both!

~Mommy