Book Fair

Dearest Gifts~

Grace woke up congested and warm this morning.  I gave her some Tylenol.  Poor little thing. 

This morning was rainy, so the neighborhood Easter egg hunt was postponed.  I'm sure it will be rescheduled for next weekend.  

We did something different then our usual saturday routine .... we went to the fair grounds where the Wake County Public Library was holding a book sale!  We got some books for you two and had you two in the wagon.  You all had fun riding around the building and people were dressed up as story characters and a band was playing.  :-)  What fun!

Since we were out, we treated ourselves to a lunch at the mall.  We went to 'Q Shack' which is a BBQ place.  Joshua, you've been there before.  You two ate some mac and cheese, fries, hush puppies, chicken, and a cookie .... we also had lots of leftovers.  ;-)

We continued to stay out and went to Target for our groceries and to shop around a little bit.  Mimi's birthday is coming up after Easter.  We ended up just ordering her gift online since we didn't see anything in the stores while out.

You two helped us organize once home.  I packed away the pump, pieces, and snappies.  I still have some frozen milk, so I will thaw some to see if you'll drink it little lady.  We also continued to go through your clothes more and I ran you all's laundry.  And, we packed the baby swing .... you two are growing so fast! 

Joshua, you fought a nap and ended up getting really cranky/fussy at dinner.  You went down for nap at 6pm!  In the meantime, Grace ate 2/3 string cheese, an entire Gerber container, 2 pepperonis, and some cereal.  You still won't drink anything but water and a few swallows of milk, but we'll keep working on that.

We all played this evening.  Grace, you appear to be healing well after your eye surgery.  And, you're doing well weaning.  You really haven't fussed much and it's been 24 hours since our last session.  I'm a little sore, but better.  I'm so glad our last nursing session was positive .... you curled up and fell asleep on me Thursday evening ... I will always treasure that moment!  :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Eye Procedure

Dearest Miracles~

Grace, you woke up at 1:30am this morning.  But, when I picked you up and put you in bed next to me, you fell right to sleep!  Good job little lady!  I nursed you to sleep at around 8pm yesterday evening.  You can't have anything to eat or drink until after your eye procedure this morning since you were going to have general anesthesia.  So, I hope you do ok with nothing on your belly.  At 3:30am, Joshua came wondering into our room.  I put him back to bed and daddy stayed with him the rest of the morning.  My alarm went off at 5:20am, though I woke at 5am and just laid there next to Grace.  I didn't sleep well since I was anxious about your eye procedure little lady.  Though, I was surprisingly awake this morning.  It really didn't hit me that I was so tired until around lunch time.  :-P

Grace, you have a blocked tear duct in your left eye.  Dr. Board recommended that we go ahead have the blockage removed via surgery since it didn't clear on its own.  Joshua, you had a blocked tear duct as well, but yours cleared.  Grace, you and I were at Rex Hospital at 6:20am.  They put you in the smallest, cutest hospital gown!  :-)  You were pretty cooperative with all the pre-operative procedures .... temperature, height, weight (about 19.5 pounds) .... you went back with the anesthesiology team at around 7:45am.  

By the time I used the restroom, got a drink, and sat down in the waiting room .... it was 8am and Dr. Board was finished!  I knew it would be a short procedure, but I was still surprised!  You did great!  He said there's a 90% chance the procedure would need to be repeated if it wasn't successful, but if it comes to that you wouldn't have it again for another 6 months. 
 

You were in recovery for about 15-20 mins before I could see you.  Oh my oh my .... you cried and screamed in recovery!  I'm sure everyone could hear the little patient in Recovery II Bed #39!  It took me a while to calm you, poor little thing!  I had to walk around holding you and singing to you, but you finally calmed down.  You fell asleep in the car with a water sippy cup.  We were back home and settled by 9:30am.  I continued to hold you as you slept and watched Joshua play in the bonus room.  Daddy worked from home so that he could watch Joshua while Grace and I were at Rex.

You both had a good lunch once Grace woke up.  Grace, you had half a jar of Gerber food and then some hotdog.  Joshua, you ate an entire yogurt container with apple and then some hotdog.

It was such a beautiful day that I took you both for a walk after lunch.  We went for 1 hour 45 minutes as daddy worked.  I took you all to the bell tower again and back.  You two slept in the stroller.

Grace, your nose was a little runny and bloody today which was normal from the procedure.  Dr. Board had to clear the blockage from both directions.  We just have to continue to watch you over the weekend and make sure you don't rub your eye.

We had some play time with music after the walk.  I also read to you both.  I was exhausted at this point.  :-P  You two helped me clean and steam sterilize the pump pieces for the last time.  This was the first week I did not pump in almost a year.  Wow!

You both got baths after dinner.  At this point it was 24 hours since our last nursing session (since we couldn't do a morning one).  I put Grace down in her bed to see if she would be cooperative or if she would need a night time session.  You fell asleep in about 10-15 minutes with no real fuss.  Wow!  I think you're on the last phase of being weaned .... I can't believe we made it 13 months!  I'm so proud of us!  As Gigi said when I told her 'Awesome job today to both Crystal and Grace! Yahoo!'  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Cupcake

Dearest Gifts~

When my work alarm went off at 6am this morning Grace was still sleeping!  Whoa!  Thanks!  After the prior night I needed the extra sleep.  I was still a little groggy this morning, but it was much better then the crying/screaming fits yesterday.  Plus, it gives us hope that you'll be ok this evening and tomorrow morning as we get ready for your eye procedure at Rex.  Remember, you can't have anything to eat or drink after midnight tonight .... that includes water and nursing.

Penny was back today after being at a conference earlier in the week.  You all missed her and she missed you two!  You all had fun playing outside (we've had some beautiful weather recently), did some puzzles, used play dough, had art time, and listened to some music.  :-)

We got the information about Sam's husband's memorial service.  It'll be on sunday.  I brought ot home with me.  You all met Sam and her husband last summer when we went to her house for dinner with my other coworkers.  We'll likely go to the service this sunday.  It sounds like several people from the office will go.  

I got home late this evening.  I was the only dentist in the office today, so I was busy.  But, I brought a cupcake home for you all to have with daddy.  :-)  This evening we played and you all had some art time with daddy.

Grace, we  have to be at Rex Hospital at 6:25am tomorrow morning, so we need to leave the house at 5:50am.  I'll set my alarm for 5:20am.  I said a little prayer for you and Dr. Board this evening.  It should be a quick procedure .... to unblock your tear duct.

You can't eat or drink anything after midnight tonight, so once I did your evening nursing session that was it.  You fell asleep on me and I kissed you .... this might be our last nursing session.  I can't believe we made it this far!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Daddy Day

Dearest Blessings~

Well, well, well .... Grace, you wandered into our room at 3:20am this morning.  Joshua was still sleeping in his own bed at that time.  Instead of nursing you back to sleep, I put you in our bed to sleep.  I wanted you to learn to put yourself to sleep instead of relying on me.  Oh my .... you cried and screamed off and on for about 1.5 hours.  Joshua came in during that time and daddy had to put him back to bed. 

Little lady .... you weren't hungry, you just wanted to be held all night.  If you layed down on top of me, you slept.  If I put you down on the bed, you cried.  :-P  This made for a long morning and a tired mommy at work!  I have no idea at what time you fell asleep. 

Friday is your eye procedure Grace.  We need to be at Rex Hospital at 6:25am and you can't eat/drink anything after midnight Thursday.  Ugh .... I hope we don't have a repeat of this morning since I won't be able to nurse you at all.  Maybe you'll be able to put yourself to sleep better by then. 

At work, we had a surprise birthday party for the other dentist, Dr. Rickert.  So, I was able to eat a cupcake and a cookie!  Ha!


You two had a Daddy Day since Penny was at a conference.  You all played and took nice naps .... though daddy had to hold Grace for her to nap.  :-P  Mimi watched you two as daddy got the lawn mowed.  When I got home, daddy had dinner made for us .... chicken nuggets and fries!  ;-)

Played this evening.  You two love the 'ninja fruit' game on our tablet computer!  Ha!  We'll have to thank Gigi for finding it!  ;-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Only Two Sessions

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Little man, you came wandering into our room at 11pm last night.  I wonder why you don't like to sleep by yourself?  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Grace, you woke up at 3:30am.  I nursed you back to sleep.  But, when you woke back up later in the morning, I did not nurse you.  Usually I nurse you a second time and then we go all day until our evening session.  Today, I cut out that second session and let the evening session be our second session and just do the two times.

Joshua .... you did really well for me this morning .... you ate your applesauce at breakfast.  The applesauce also had some strawberry in it.  :-)

I got some sad news this morning at breakfast.  The other dentist I work with, Dr. Rickert, texted me .... she heard from our coworker, Sam.  Her husband passed away this morning from his fight with cancer.  She, and her family, are in our prayers. 

We didn't have a lot of play time this morning since Joshua had his occupational therapy appointment at 9:30am and then speech therapy at 10am.  Joshua, you did well with Mary Beth.  In fact, she thinks you may be able to be discharged from occupational therapy after next week's appointment!  Woo hoo!  How exciting!  Kim gave us some more flash cards to work with.  I told her we've been focusing on the 'p' and 'b' since you had some trouble with me over the weekend.  Right after, we made a quick trip to Target since you two were running low on diapers.  And, I wanted to get Joshua some yogurt.

Joshua, you have been successful for me the past two days eating applesauce for breakfast and yogurt (with fruit) for lunch!  I got some puréed fruit/yogurts at Target and you ate an entire container once home (4 ozs)!  Yesterday, you ate 3 ounces of a strawberry puréed yogurt!  And, you went on to eat half a hotdog afterward.  Good job little man!

Grace, you took down about half a hotdog yourself and then half a Gerber spaghetti jar. If I distract you with a plastic fork of your own to play with, you'll eat more.

I cut everyone's nails this afternoon.  I can't believe how fast those nails grow!  Then, we had some play time upstairs.  Uncle Brennan came over to visit this afternoon.  You two played 'Life' on his tablet computer with him.  And, you showed him the aquadoodles, played with your blocks, and drew with your crayons.  :-)

I ended up forcing a nap at 4pm and drove to Gigi's for dinner.  Daddy had a soccer game this evening, so we went over there to visit and have some fun.  You all got to see Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, and Lois.  You all played with some blocks and a fun game on our tablet computer that Gigi found .... you swipe your finger across to cut the fruit as it falls at different speeds.  Grace, you also went for a walk in the stroller with Grandpa Jim and wore some Ironman socks (they were big on you, but it was getting chilly).  ;-)  Joshua was so cute .... he showed everyone how he 'kisses' .... he rubs his nose against yours! He 'kissed' Grace, Uncle James, and Gigi!  :-)

We were home by 8:10pm.  I did our evning nursing session (only the second of the day).  Grace, you were a little crabby in the car .... I think you were getting pretty tired.  I had you two in fresh diapers, pajamas, teeth brushed, ladybug nightlight on (I put the green stars on since that's my favorite color), and in bed by 9pm .... not bad by myself. :-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you two so much!

~Mommy

Yogurt Success

Dearest Blessings~

Humm .... little lady .... you woke at 2:45am.  I nursed you back to sleep and then had some insomnia.  :-P 

When we got up this morning, I noticed that both of you all's diapers had leaked during the night (Joshua in his bed and Grace in ours).  So, both beds had 'pee sheets' .... ew!  I stripped both beds and did the laundry. 

I made more french fries this morning while you two were eating breakfast .... you two love fries!

We had a little bit of play time and snack time this morning.  Then, we left for Joshua's speech therapy appointment with Kim.  Joshua, you waved at everyone in the waiting room as you were going back with Kim .... it was too cute and funny!  Everyone in the waiting room thought I had the cutest children .... and I do!  ;-)

We had a quick trip home for a bite to eat afterward.  I gave Grace more of a lunch and Joshua had more of a snack since we turned right around for a feeding team appointment to see Krista.

Little man, you got taller since the last appointment (I forgot to write down the measurement though), but you didn't gain any weight.  You're 24 lbs 10.5 ounces.  Krista, who's also a speech therapy, also thinks you have childhood apraxia of speech.  I spoke to her a little about it.  I'm still waiting on a phone call to see when we can schedule your evaluation with the child services agency.

Joshua, you ate almost half a hotdog, two nuggets, and 3 ounces of yogurt (with small strawberry chunks).  Now that we have some spoon success with you, we're going to expand your puréed food choices.  But, we're going to continue with the applesauce and yogurt too. 

You two fell asleep in the car on the way home.  We got home at 3:30pm.  I had you two nap in playroom as I read.

Once daddy got home, we had some left over pot roast for dinner.  Then, since the weather was gorgeous, we walked to the park.  You two played on the swings, slide, and played in the grass.  Joshua, one of your sandals flew off at one point when you went running .... you were so excited!  Ha!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

One Less Session

Dearest Miracles~

Hummm .... once again you two were on the same schedule.  :-P  Joshua, you woke at 2am and Grace woke at 2:30am.  I was still tired from last night.  Daddy put Joshua back to bed and I nursed Grace back to sleep. 

Grace, you woke up crying at 7:10am.  Why do you wake up so grumpy?  You do that more often than not.  I bet you're hungry, but you won't drink milk during the day to help fill your little belly.  You'll only drink a few sips here and there.  And, we're continuing to wean so you need to eat and drink more.

This morning you two helped me prepare the Crock Pot.  We made a pot roast so I had to cut up potatoes, apples, onion, and spinach.  We also added some carrots, corn, and broccoli.  Yummm!  Joshua, you even had a little at dinner!  ;-)

Grace, you're now trying to go up the stairs like a big girl .... you're holding on to the banister rails.  Once the rails are gone, you crawl up the rest of the stairs.  Oh, and guess what I found on you little lady .... two huge bite marks on your back!  Joshua .... I'm looking at you!  Stop biting people! 

Daddy and I continued to work in your clothes today.  We emptied all the dressers and rearranged things.  We packed away small clothes items and took out things for you all to wear and grow into.  It's a slow process.  Joshua, you don't have much spring/summer clothes, so we got through your things.  Grace, you have a lot, so we didn't finish.  We'll have to go out next weekend and see what we can get for Joshua.

Grace has found her tongue.  She plays with it now and drools.  When Joshua sees Grace do it, he'll imitate her and then they will laugh together.  :-)

Grace, you really fought a nap .... you cried and cried.  I laid down next to her in her toddlerbed until she fell asleep.  This was the first time I did not nurse her to sleep for a nap.  I cut out that nursing session to try to continue to wean.  Grace, you were not a fan of that, you poor little thing.  I ended up taking a motrin since I was a little sore from cutting out the session, but you ended up napping for two hours all by yourself!  We're now down to three nursing sessions a day.

Actually, when you went down, Joshua fell asleep in the play room.  So, we all ended up taking a nap!  I stayed with Grace and daddy stayed with Joshua.  I woke to the sound of rain falling after you all had been sleeping for an hour.  I did some things on the computer and took a shower as you all continued to nap.

Once everyone woke up, we made some homemade pumpkin bread with chocolate chips!  I love that bread .... I can eat a whole loaf by myself!  ;-)  We had it baking as the pot roast was finishing in the crock pot. 

We all watched the UNC basketball game this afternoon.  We played Kansas at a shot to become one of the Final Four teams.  Sadly, we had a heartbreaking loss so the season is over.  But, it was a good season!  We made it to the Elite Eight!  Woo hoo! 

You two both got baths afterward and then we headed to bed.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Clothes

Dearest Gifts~

Little lady .... you woke up at 1am this morning.  I listened to the rain fall as I nursed you back to sleep.  Joshua, you came in at 4:40am.  Daddy was sleeping next to you in your room but didn't notice you getting up.  You wandered into our room where Grace and I were.  I put him in bed next to Grace and I.  Daddy came in around 6am and found all three of us in bed together.  ;-)

You all helped us do some chores this morning.  We did the dishes and got the bills paid.  Of the joys of being an adult!  ;-)  We also ran some errands.  We went to the Post Office and then to Target for our groceries.  Joshua, you ate 4 cookies!  Whoa!  I bet they had to restock once you were done!  ;-)

We were home for lunch.  I made a quiche with veggies and bacon.  Joshua, you actually tried some!  You liked the cheese and egg.  :-)

It was rainy all day today.  We ended up playing downstairs after lunch.  Daddy worked on the downstairs bathroom and you two helped me sweep the floors upstairs once you were done playing downstairs. 

Grace, you're starting to imitate car noises with the toys.  It's so cute!

When you two went down for your naps (around 2:15pm), daddy continued to take down the wallpaper in the downstairs bathroom.  I had an idea for Mother's Day gifts for Gigi and Mimi, so I worked on that and got it all put together.  The weather cleared up as you two slept and the sun actually came out.  I also did some other work on the computer so as not to wake you two.

Once you two woke up, we 'face timed' with Gigi some.  You two showed her some of your toys.  :-)

I made a veggie dinner for us this evening.  We had potatoes, broccoli, carrots, corn, spinach, onions, and cheese.  Yummy!

We started to go through your clothes this evening.  You all are growing out of your clothes now, we needed to see what sizes we had and if we needed to get you all any clothes for the nice weather we'r starting to have.  We have some clothes from some friends, so we pulled them out and went through them.  We put the 12/18 months clothes aside for Grace and the 24month/2T clothes aside for Joshua.  Joshua, you need some spring/summer clothes.  Grace, you appear to have enough.  We'll flip the dresser tomorrow. 

Tomorrow UNC plays.  If we win, we'll be in the Final Four of the NCAA tournament!  Woo hoo!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Nice Walk

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Little lady, you woke at 4:40am this morning.  Joshua, you woke much earlier .... around 2:30am.  Daddy put you back to bed and I nursed Grace back to sleep.  

We had a busy morning .... since you two helped me with some chores around the house.  After breakfast, we swept and vacuumed the downstairs.  You all played in the sandbox yesterday, so we had to get the sand off our floor.  :-P  We also did the dishes and then ran the laundry.  We were upstairs and playing the bonus room by 10am. 

I heard from a child services agency (Penny gave me the information) yesterday to get Joshua evaluated for apraxia.  I tried calling the representative back yesterday but kept getting her voice mail.  I called her back again this morning and was able to talk to her .... she was so nice!  Joshua, you qualify for early intervention services based on your birth weight alone (you were less than 10% for your weight based on a 30 weeker).  But, she's still going to send someone to perform an evaluation any way.  It will be beneficial to them to see where you are on the spectrum in all the categories they test (gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, speech, social, etc).  You'll be assigned a service coordinator, who will come to our house to answer any questions we may have and to get us to sign release forms so they can access your medical records prior to the evaluation.  I tried to give her a lot of information over the phone concerning your birth and the different doctors/therapists you've  already seen at this point.  So, now I'm just waiting for the person who does the evaluations to give me a call to schedule it!  We'll have to thank Penny for coordinating that for us!

Ummm .... I found a few more bite marks on Grace today and I caught Joshua 'attempting' to bite her.  I found a bite on her belly and one on her leg!  Little man, you really need to learn not to bite!

We had some art time this morning with the crayons.  I put some music on the back ground.  You two sang with me again!  Ha! 

At 11am, the pest man came to spray inside and outside.  We haven't seen too many creepy crawly things in the house, but I had him spray inside since it hadn't been done a while.  You two watched him.  Then, we had some lunch.  You two didn't eat that well for me though.

I worked on some sounds and words with Joshua after lunch.  I only do a few at a time since you get frustrated little man, but have to keep practicing.

We played with blocks this afternoon.  I caught Grace trying to bite the chairs again .... you're such a beaver!  You know, your (Great) Uncle David chewed on that piano that Gigi has .... if you look closely, you can see little teeth marks on one of the legs.  I guess some kids just do that.  :-P

I ended up taking a little bit of Motrin for my back this afternoon .... ugh!  I must have done something at work again.  Plus, you two are getting heavier!  ;-)

Today was a beautiful day, I put you two in the double stroller and we went for a walk this afternoon!  We walked for over 1.5 hours to the belltower (in the next subdivision) and back.  It was hot out, but everyone had their own water.  You two fell asleep in the stroller.

We saw Mimi afterward.  She came over with some clothes for you two.  Daddy got home earlier than normal so we all ate dinner together.  We got burgers and chicken up the road but you two kept eating french fries!  We also got some frozen yogurt after. 

We were home in time for the UNC basketball game.  It went into overtime but we won!  Whew!  We move on to play Kansas on sunday .... that will be a tough game!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Poopy

Dearest Blessings~

Ok little ones .... for some reason you two did not sleep as well as you did the previous night.  :-P  Joshua, you started the show by waking up at 2:30am.  Grace, you weren't to far behind since you woke up at 3:45am.  You both went back to sleep after daddy and I helped you back to bed. 

You two were both awake this morning before I had to leave for work .... so, I got to play and kiss you both!  :-)

You all had outdoor fun with Penny today, art time, and music time.  She said you all ate well for her .... and Grace, you had multiple 'good' poopy diapers today.  :-P

When I got home, daddy had made a pizza for dinner.  Afterward, we played with our aquadoodles in the bonus room.  All four of us drew on it, though daddy is the better artist then I.  ;-)

Daddy did flash cards with Joshua as Grace did her night time nursing session.  I think the weather is suppose to nice tomorrow, so hopefully we'll be able to get out.  UNC plays tomorrow evening, so I know we'll have the game on!  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Flash Cards

Dearest Miracles~

Little lady .... you were impressive last night and this morning.  You fell asleep before 9:30pm last night and you didn't wake back up until 6:15am this morning!  Whoa! I actually checked on you in the middle of the night since I never heard you, but you were sound asleep!  I wonder if that was a fluke, or if you'll continue to sleep through the night.  ;-)

Joshua, you were still sleeping when I left for work this morning.  So, I kissed you before I left.

We had a staff meeting at lunch today.  My coworker, Sam, is now on FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) and has taken leave for 12 weeks.  Her husband is not doing well, and his cancer is at the end stages.  We're continuing to pray for them.  We're going to take up a collection and get her a gift card somewhere for groceries and other things she may need during this time.  It's so sad.  :-(

When daddy got home, he found you all and Penny playing in the cul-de-sac with some neighbor kids.  Grace, you apparently had fun playing with the other girls .... though they were much older.  :-)

I got home at 6:30pm this evening!  Woo hoo!  We had leftovers for dinner and then we cooked some more hotdogs for you both since you two ate so well today for Penny.

Joshua, I've been doing some more reading on apraxia of speech.  It's scary to think about it the more I read about it .... I go to work and see children say things and wonder when I'll hear Joshua 'talk'. And, from what I've read, children with apraxia are usually dyslexic too.  It's kind of overwhelming, but we'll take it day by day.  We're going to get through this as a family and daddy and I are going to be diligent with helping you!

Once you two were asleep, I stayed up past 10pm working on Joshua's flash cards.  I was trying to laminate them myself.  I used glue stick and a protective covering to try to preserve them longer (you like to crinkle paper).  Gigi gave me the idea .... she's so crafty!  

Tomorrow's another work day, but I'll come home as fast as I can!  I always miss you two when I'm gone.

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

First Day Of Spring

Dearest Angels~

Today is the first day of spring!  Woo hoo!  Hopefully we'll continue to have some nice weather for a while.  :-)

Little man, you woke up at 1:30am.  Little lady, you woke up at 2:30am.  :-P  Both of you went back to sleep after some help from daddy and I.


We barely had any play time this morning.  We had earlier appts today .... a 9:30am occupational therapy appointment and a 10am speech therapy appointment.


It thunder stormed while we were at Joshua's therapy appointments.  Grace and I played in the waiting room.  Joshua, you did well with Mary Beth for occupational therapy.  You two worked on fine motor skill activities like threading small beads on a pipe cleaner and twisting a top off a pill container.  We're still working on your gross motor skill of jumping, though I do see you jumping on the beds at home.  :-P  You also did well with Kim.  She gave us more flash cards to go through at home.  You have trouble with the short 'i' and short 'o' sounds.  

Once home, I cooked some chicken nuggets and fries for you both.  I swear you all ate a ton of french fries at lunch!  Grace, you finished your spaghetti and meat sauce too.  Joshua, you also ate half a hotdog.  After lunch we went upstairs for clean diapers and play time.  Joshua drew with the aquadoodles and I put some music on.  You two sang with me!  :-)

I nursed Grace to sleep at 2pm.  Joshua, you were napping by 2:20pm.  Grace, you were congested and warm, but playful prior to then.


Once Joshua woke, we played with some blocks and Grace continued to nap.  Little man, you correctly identified blue, yellow, green, and red blocks.  Also, you distinguished between the small and big blocks.  :-)  Yippie!  I got you to make some 'b' noises for 'blocks' but then you got frustrated.

Once Grace was awake, we headed over to Gigi's house for dinner and playtime (daddy had a soccer meeting this evening and didn't come home).  You two got to see Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, and Lois.  You all ate some 'lunchables' packages for dinner and ate pretty well!  Gigi bought blocks for you two to play with and we brought our aquadoodles!  You all had lots of art time and drew with Gigi and Uncle James.  Grace, you walked around the cul-de-sac several times with Grandpa Jim.  :-)


We got home and did night time nursing session at 8:30pm.  By 9:10pm, I had you both in fresh diapers, pajamas, teeth brushed, and in bed with the ladybug night light on.  Not bad for being by myself.  ;-)  Since you all didn't get to see daddy all day, you'll have to spend some extra time with him tomorrow.  He kissed you all when he got home at 9:30pm.  Joshua, you were still awake but resting in bed.  :-)

Tomorrow's another work day, but I'll come home as fast as I can!  I hate leaving you two!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Aquadoodles

Dearest Gifts~

Wow .... Grace, you didn't wake up until 4am this morning!  Woo hoo!  Good job!  :-)

We had some art time this morning.  We had fun until Grace tried to eat the brown crayon.  :-P  I then ran some laundry .... once I saved the crayons from being eaten. 

Both of you two have hair in your eyes and need your bangs trimmed.  So, I decided to trim your hair!  I was surprised at how cooperative you two were for haircuts!  This was Grace's 'first' haircut!  ;-)  I save a little bit of hair to keep, like I did with Joshua's first hair cut.  :-)  I only did your bangs.  You all could use more of a haircut, but we had an appointment to get to and I wasn't sure how cooperative you all would be. 

We ran to Target before Joshua's speech therapy appointment with Kim.  Of course I didn't check the weather and we got caught in rainstorm!  We all got wet though you all didn't appear to mind.  I put you two in the cart basket since we weren't picking up a lot of things .... we didn't have time to get stuff over the weekend, and you all were out of hotdogs. 

Joshua, you did well with Kim today for speech therapy.  We also discussed more concerning childhood apraxia of speech.  Your vowels sounded better today.  You had the most difficult with the long 'I'.  Also, you have to split the vowel and consonant sounds instead of trying to put them together in the word.  For example, when doing a VC (vowel consonant) word, like 'up', you split the two sounds.  You tend to do a little better with CV (consonant vowel) words, like 'go'.  

Once home, I cooked some hotdogs for you two.  And, you two were so impressive!  Joshua, you ate one and a quarter hotdogs!  And, Grace, you ate about 3/4 of a hotdog yourself plus over half a jar of gerber spaghetti and meat sauce!  Whoa!  I may have to cook some more hotdogs tomorrow!  Good thing I got hotdogs at the store this morning.

After lunch we all went upstairs for some play time.  I picked up a fun art set called 'Aquadoodles' that we used.  The markers fill with water so you don't mark on the carpet.  :-)  You two loved it, though Grace kept trying to put it in her mouth.

Once you two were done, I put you down for a nap.  Grace, you were fussy and your nose was really runny.  So, I ended up nursing you to sleep.  Joshua, you went down around 3pm.

When you two woke from your naps, you both waved at each other and smiled .... it was adorable!  I literally said 'awww' out loud!  ;-)

You two got to 'face time' with Gigi late this afternoon.  You showed her the aquadoodles.  Once daddy got home, we had some leftovers for dinner and then played upstairs. 

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Baby Shower

Dearest Blessings~

Today is (Great) Aunt Peans's birthday!  Woo hoo!

Grace, you woke at 3:50am.  I nursed you back to sleep and listened to the rain fall.  To be honest, I had insomnia once you finished nursing.  So, I did some research.  I researched childhood apraxia of speech, what Kim suspects Joshua has.  Joshua appears to show signs of 'volitional' speech, oral apraxia, and verbal apraxia .... from what I can tell.  It's going to take a lot of work to over come.  Generally, children are in speech therapy for years and years.  We'll keep working little man.

We had a little bit of play time this morning.  I cute Grace's nails.  She's congested with a runny nose, so I gave her some tylenol.  I posted some photos of you both online.  Then, after lunch, we headed to Hope Mills for a baby shower.  :-)

The baby shower was for our friends (and Joshua's Godparents) Stephanie and Kevin Dove.  It was held at the fire station where Kevin is the assistant captain.  So, you two got to see real firetrucks up close!  You two ate some cupcake and gold fish crackers.  They were so happy to see you two.  Joshua, you showed them your transformer fire truck toy.  :-)  They liked our gifts .... a photo album, diapers, and clothes.  We had you two stretch your legs while there since we spent so much time in the car (1.5 hours there and 1.5 hours back).

Stephanie had some problems last night and will call the OB tomorrow.  But, their baby may come sooner than excepted.  She's due at the end of April.  I'll keep you two posted, but they're in our prayers. 

Grace, I found out that you are part beaver.  I found you biting on the little table and chair set in the play room today.  Now, one of the chairs has teeth marks.  :-P  But, at least you ate a nice dinner.  You had almost an entire Gerber turkey and veggie jar!

This evening we watched the UNC basketball game.  We won and move into the Sweet Sixteen!  We'll play again on friday.  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Saint Patrick's Day

Dearest Gifts~

Today is St. Patrick's Day!  Woo hoo!  Since you two are both Irish (from me! maybe some from your daddy?), we dressed you all in green.  Daddy and I wore green as well.  :-)

Well, after you two both woke up at 1am, you two both slept pretty well .... neither one of you woke back up until around 7am.  :-)

Grace, you had a runny nose today, but playful.  We had to wipe your nose off and on, but you appeared relatively fine other than that. 

We had our birthday lunch for daddy today.  Gigi, Grandpa Jim, Uncle James, Mimi, (Great) Aunt Allyson, and Aunt Katie came over.  Grandpa Mike is overseas and Uncle Brennan had to work.  We had lasagna, bread, salad, cake, and cookies!  Whoa!  You two definitely need to encourage me to workout this week to make up for that!  :-P

Daddy opened some birthday gifts, we all visited, and then we walked to the park for some fun.  It was such a beautiful day!  We had to take some water though because it was a little hot.  Plus, you two get red easily since you're Irish!  ;-)  Uncle James was dressed as a leprechaun today!  People were asking to take photos with him at the park!  How fun!

You two were snoring by 3pm .... late naps.  I had to nurse Grace in order for her to nap.  Wonder what we'll do when you're weaned!  :-P

Mimi and (Great) Aunt Allyson came back around 5:30pm and watched you two.  Daddy and I walked up to the restaurants near our house (about one mile from here) and had dinner to celebrate our anniversary.  You two played on the porch some, had some chicken nuggets, and then both had baths. 

I missed you two at dinner.  It was weird just getting a table for two, but it was nice to spent time with daddy.  And, since it was a beautiful day, we had a wonderful walk (a little over two miles total).  :-)

We relaxed this evening before bed.  Tomorrow we head to Hope Mills, NC for a baby shower for our friends Stephanie and Kevin.  We're going to go to a real fire station and see real fire trucks!  How fun!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Runny Noses

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Little man .... you were awake at midnight congested and in our room.  I put you back to bed and then fell asleep next to you.  Little lady .... you were awake at 1:40pm so I nursed you back to sleep.  You had crawled out of your bed and walked over to me sleeping next to Joshua.  :-P

Joshua, you were congested this morning with a runny nose.  Grace, you had some red diaper rash (I had to put desitin on you 2-3 times today).  I was clogged and took some head medication this morning.  We're all falling apart!  :-P

After breakfast you two helped me sweep and vacuum the downstairs.  I noticed later that Grace also had a runny nose.  Uh oh!  That makes all three of us!

You two both ate a pretty good lunch.  Joshua, you had half a hotdog.  I ended up cooking more hotdogs for you both and then we cleaned the kitchen.  

Joshua, you were so cute today .... you were clingy and wanted to be held and hugged all day.  I took advantage of that since you're not always huggy!  :-)

You two helped me do some laundry this afternoon and then I cut Joshua's nails.  He was surprisingly cooperative with that.  Yippie!

You two were napping by around 3:15pm .... late!  You two fought your naps.  I gave you both some tylenol and rubbed Vic's on you all at 3pm before you fell asleep.  As you two slept, I organized a few things and then watched the UNC basketball game.  This time of year is called 'March Madness' because of the NCAA tournament.  :-)  We recorded the game for daddy since he was at work when it started.

We all had leftovers for dinner then made a quick grocery run.  Joshua, you ate three cookies at the store!  We had to pick up some things for a birthday lunch tomorrow for daddy!  People are coming over tomorrow to celebrate, so we picked up a lasagna, bread, and salad to serve.

We relaxed this evening and watched the recorded basketball game from earlier in the day.  We won!  Woo hoo!  UNC will play again on sunday.  Then, we put more Vic's on everyone before bed.  It started to rain this evening, so we listened to the rain fall as everyone fell asleep.

I got some sad news about a coworker today.  Her husband is sick from cancer and has been battling it for years.  It doesn't look good and he's in the end stages.  They need our prayers!  Please pray for Sam and her husband.  You met them last summer when we went to her house for dinner.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Four Years

Dearest Angels~

Four years ago today our lives changed .... daddy and I got married and started this journey together as husband and wife.  Today is our wedding anniversary!  Now, we have two precious angels .... what a blessing!  I know I tell you all that I love you in each letter that I write, but I also love your daddy and we tell each other 'I love you' every day just like we tell you two every day!  ;-)  We usually tell each other 'I love you forever and ever!' which is something that I sometimes write to you two.  :-)

Joshua, you poor little thing.  You woke around midnight congested.  You fell asleep when daddy put you back to bed.  Grace, you were up at 2:15am.  You fell back asleep after I nursed you.  Joshua, you woke up again at 5am coughing and coughing!  You worked yourself up so much that you actually threw up a little in your bed.  Daddy and I stripped and changed your sheets.  We tried to give you something to drink but you refused.  I think you ended up coughing yourself back to sleep around 5:40am.  We got ready for work shortly after that.  Joshua, you were still sleeping when I left for work, so I kissed you before leaving.  Grace, you were awake and playing with Penny.

Penny said that Joshua signed 'more please' today and then Grace did it too!  That's too cute!  I'll have to see if you sign for me little lady.  :-)  Mimi came by and took Joshua to the library this morning.  Then, he ate some french fries from 'Chick fil A' for lunch.  Grace, you played and napped with Penny.

We had left over BBQ for dinner.  Yummy!  ;-)  I got home a little early from work to celebrate our anniversary!  Daddy was home early too!  He got home around 4:30pm!  Yippie!  I wore my 'love' socks to work (have hearts on them) and everyone wished us a happy anniversary! 

This evening we surprised daddy with our anniversary gift .... a new banjo case!  We picked it up the other week on our secret errand.  I had to carry Joshua on my back and put Grace in the stroller or else you two would have touched all the banjos in the store!  ;-)  It has a beautiful green interior!  We've been hiding it in the playroom.  Daddy loved it!  His old case has a broken handle and worn down, so he needed a new one.  And, daddy got us a camera lens!  Woo hoo!  It's a used IS (Image Stabilizer) zoom lens.  It's a step up from the basic one that I have, so I'm going to sell mine and replace it with this one.  :-)  Now, we should have all our 'ranges' covered from 10mm to 250mm (on a crop body sensor).  Yippie!

This evening we relaxed.  We put more Vic's on you both and gave some tylenol to Joshua (he still feels warm).  We don't have any appointments tomorrow, so we can rest and hopefully start to feel better.  

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both .... forever and ever!  :-)

~Mommy

Happy Birthday To Daddy

Dearest Blessings~

Happy birthday to daddy!  He turns 32 years old today!  Whoa!  ;-)  We both had to go to work, but we all got to celebrate this evening.  :-)  Today is also 'Pi Day' because the date is 3/14 like the number pi .... 3.14 .... cool!  ;-)

Daddy ended up sleeping with Joshua since he wasn't feeling well.  Grace, you noodled into bed with me.  We were nursing by 2am.  Then, 10 minutes before my work alarm went off, you woke up screaming right next to my ear.  :-P  In fact, that's not the first time you've done that.  You have a habit now of waking up crying or screaming .... and 99% of the time my head is right there since you noodle into our bed.  :-P  Joshua, you were still sleeping when I left for work this morning.  I kissed you before I left though.  :-)

You two had fun with Penny today.  She brought us a hummingbird feeder and put it on our back deck.  It was a gorgeous day.  I think it reached 80 degrees!  You all had a lot of outdoor play time.  We had to put the AC on when we got home.  Penny had you two in just overalls when we got home .... no shirts since it was warm .... it was too cute! 

My ears were clogged and popping this morning .... I must be catching whatever is going around.  I was congested at work and ended up taking 2 extra strength tylenols today.  I hope we all feel better soon!  

I picked up some BBQ and sides on my way home to surprise daddy for his birthday!  He opened his birthday cards at dinner.  We love BBQ!  ;-)

This evening we celebrated daddy's birthday.  We sang to him and then he opened the gift that we got him (which we 'wrapped' in Grace's pink unicorn bag!).  We got him a 'wah pedal' for his electric guitars.  He loved it!  He hooked it up to his guitar and amp and you two got to play with it too.  :-)  Of course, I know spending time with you two was the best gift!  :-)

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Sickness

Dearest Miracles~

Grace, you did better this morning.  We didn't nurse until 3:40am!  Woo hoo!  ;-)

Poor little man .... by 9am you had thrown up three times.  Obviously I cancelled your occupational and speech therapy appointments.  Kim knew you were sick from yesterday, so they were understanding on the phone, despite the late cancellation (your appointments started at 9:30am and I called around 8:20am).  The first two throw ups were clear and waterish.  The third time was a tad bit more.  I took your temperature (no fever) and gave you a bath.  I rubbed Vic's all over your chest and back.  You refused any apple juice and pedialyte.  I wish you would at least drink the pedialyte.  Afterward, I had you rest on the futon mattress in the playroom.  It was hard to keep Grace away since she wanted to climb on you.  :-P

By 9:30am, you had thrown up a forth time.  Yuck.  Grace was getting fussy because she was hungry.  So, I tried to just get Joshua to rest while I nursed Grace.  Joshua, you were napping by 9:40am.  I took Grace in the bedroom to play and then we went downstairs to let Joshua rest.

Grace, you and I had finished lunch at 11:30am.  Joshua was still napping.  I didn't do any 'chores' (dishes, vacuuming) because I didn't want to wake him.  I continued to keep Grace downstairs to play.  She's such a little busy body!

I forced a nap for Grace by 1pm.  I had to nurse her to sleep.  Joshua, you were awake by 2:30pm!  Whoa!  Your body must have really needed to rest!  What a nap! 

I took you both downstairs for a snack time at 2:45pm.  Joshua, you wanted cheese square crackers and gold fish crackers.  Grace, you ate a few too.  Gigi called to check on Joshua.  I had contacted her earlier when he threw up multiple times and I was worried.  But, you were playful at that point.  As you two played, I made some taco meat for dinner this evening.

Since you all were playful, I decided to take you all out for some fresh air.  We spent 30 minutes at the park stretching our legs.  I brought the soccer with us but you two were more content to play with sticks.  :-P Then we took a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood.  I got pretty good at steering the wagon backwards up and downhill.  :-)

After dinner, it was still early and light out, so we went to Target for diapers and a few things for the week.  You all were running low and I didn't want you all to run out of diapers while Penny was here.  Then, we rested this evening and filled out our NCAA basketball tournament brackets.  UNC plays on friday!

I hope Joshua feels better tomorrow for Penny .... it's also daddy's birthday tomorrow!  Woo hoo!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

After Dinner Play

Dearest Miracles~

Poor little people .... at 12:30am I was nursing Grace.  I stayed in you all's room next to Joshua before then.  I tried sleeping next to Joshua, but he was so congested and warm.  You felt like a little fireball man!  I had the fan on but since you didn't sleep I couldn't either.  Poor baby.  I had daddy some in to help me by 1am.  We gave him some tylenol and daddy continued to sleep with him.  I took Grace into our bedroom and nursed her back to sleep.  I don't know what time everyone actually went to bed.  But, I do know that Grace was awake again by 5am.  :-P

Joshua, I gave you some more tylenol this morning.  You were playful, but you had a runny nose, were sneezy, and still slightly warm.  I cancelled your Rex feeding team appointment but kept Kim's since it was right around the corner and you appeared to be playful.  I took your temperature and you had no fever (97.3 degrees).

Joshua, you had a good appointment with Kim.  She suspects you may have 'verbal apraxia' .... which hinders mouth movements and speech.  You obviously 'understand' things and can point to correct objects, but you can not express things back correctly .... like when someone has a stroke and knows what to say but can't say it.  The treatment would be the same, but it'll just take longer.  So, we'll likely be in speech therapy for a while.  We'll try to be more diligent with your flash cards and words so that we're practicing all the time at home.

Once home, we had some lunch.  Joshua, you kept sneezing and I had to keep wiping your nose.  :-P  I hope you feel better soon.  Afterward, we went upstairs for some play time.  I ran some laundry.

You two helped me wrap daddy's birthday gift.  We used a bag that Grace got for her birthday .... it's pink with a unicorn on it!  Ha!  I'm sure he won't mind that we recycled.  ;-)

Joshua, you had a late, congested nap.  You fell asleep at 2:50pm.  I nursed Grace until she fell asleep.  Grace, you fought your nap little lady!  Nursing you was the only way I could get you to rest!

After dinner, we all went outside and played in the front yard!  We took advantage of the extra sunlight from daylight savings.  I took photos of you all while playing with daddy.  It was such a beautiful day!  Then, we played upstairs until bedtime.  We gave Joshua some more tylenol prior to bed and put some more Vic's on his chest.  I sure hope you feel better tomorrow!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Daylight Savings

Dearest Angels~

Today is Daylight Savings .... we lost an hour but we gain more daylight during the day.  So, we'll be able to play more outside after dinner if the weather is nice.  Woo hoo!

Grace, you noodled into our bed all night and daddy had to sleep with Joshua.  Once everyone was up and moving, we made pancakes for breakfast.  Joshua ate some by himself!  I made a tiny one for him to hold .... it's the first time he's eaten one (or the majority of one) and not spit it out!

We did our grocery run at Target this morning since we were out of town yesterday.  Joshua, you ate almost 4 cookies!  Whoa!  Grace, you fell asleep on my back in the carrier.  ;-)  Once home, daddy mowed the yard .... it's a another beautiful day!  We made lunch together.  Oh, Grace, you bit Joshua today.  Hummm .... now I have to keep an eye on both of you!  :-P

We watched the ACC basketball tournament championship game this afternoon.  UNC played Florida State.  It was a heart breaking loss.  We lost by only a few points.  Oh well, the season's not over though.  We'll play this week in the NCAA tournament.  :-)

We made a pasta and veggie casserole afterward for dinner.  Yummy!  And, it was such a nice day we went for a walk.  We put you all in the stroller.  Grace, you took a nap.  Joshua, you stayed awake and fought a nap.  :-P  When we got home, you fell asleep at the dinner table drinking a sippy cup! 

Grace, you had a bath after dinner and then daddy trimmed your nail.  Once Joshua woke, I gave him a bath.  I placed Vic's on his chest.  You're congested little man.  I hope you don't come down with something but you have a runny nose.  :-(  

This evening we all played and daddy worked on our taxes.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Asheboro

Dearest Gifts~

Whoa .... what a tiring morning.  :-P  Grace, you woke up at 1am.  Joshua, you weren't that far behind at 4:15am.  Then, Grace, you were up again at 6:20am.  My oh my!  Grace, you sounded a little congested when you woke back up.  I hope you're not coming down with anything. 

We had a busy morning .... you two helped daddy and I pack the diaper bag with food and drinks.  And, we packed a bag with just toys.  We also loaded the car with your booster chairs for meals and then headed to Asheboro to see everyone!  We had to stop at Starbucks on the way (I'm sure they're still around by the time you read this) for a coffee (daddy) and a hot chocolate (me).  Those early morning wake up calls were causing us to drag around!  ;-)

We got there at lunch time.  Gigi and Grandpa Jim fed you two and then we all visited.  It was a beautiful day so we took a walk outside since Great Grandma and Great Grandpa live on a cul-de-sac.  You all got to meet their neighbor (who baked brownies for you two) and see a few dogs.  Grace, you tried to eat a leaf.  ;-)

Everyone was in town for a visit.  You all got to see Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, Grandpa Jim, Gigi, Uncle James, (Great) Aunt Peans, (Great) Uncle Tom, (Great) Aunt Pops, and Bryan.  Whoa!  

While there, you all had some art time and play time as we watched the UNC game.  It was a nail biter, but we won by 2 points!  UNC will play for the ACC championship tomorrow.  If we win, we'll have 18 ACC championships.  :-)

We left around 4pm and got home around 5:45pm.  We had left over veggie quiche for dinner and then relaxed this evening.

While we were gone, Aunt Katie came over and worked on our downstairs bathroom .... she took the wallpaper down!  Wow!  What a difference.  We'll still need to paint it, but what a help that was!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Biting

Dearest Angels~

Little lady .... you noodled into our bed again last night.  We were up and nursing at 12:30am.  I continued to leave you next to me in the bed since I was too tired to move you.  :-P

After breakfast this morning, you two helped me sweep and vacuum the downstairs.  Our floor was so dirty!  I think you all track in some sand from the park on your Penny days.  Which is fine .... I'm glad you all are getting out.  I just wanted to make sure the place was clean though. 

Joshua, you had some pain with your big toenail and came up to me whining.  Then, you hit my face when I tried to help you!  That's not nice and you got a little pop on the bottom!  Plus, my back was hurting so I had to take some more motrin.  Ugh.  :-P

We all had some art time this morning with the crayons.  Joshua, you will imitate my circles some, but not the straight lines.  We will continue to work on that.  Joshua appears to know his colors though.  He can correctly hand me the color that I want.  Good job little man!

For our mid morning snack time we had some string cheese.  I went ahead and made a veggie quiche for dinner while we were downstairs.  I had it baking during snack time.  We put corn, carrots, peas, green beans, onions, and spinach inside!  Yummy!

We saw Aunt Katie later in the morning.  She played with you two and we call got to catch up.  She's going to help us with the downstairs bathroom.  We want to remove the wallpaper and paint it.  Once that's complete, most of our 'downstairs house projects' will be complete.  ;-)

After lunch we started some laundry and watched some of the UNC basketball game ..... tried to resist but I couldn't.  We only watched part of the second half .... don't tell daddy!  :-P  We were recording it so daddy could watch it later this evening.  ;-)

Joshua, you were napping by 2pm.  I nursed Grace and then rested.  Oh, I didn't 'see' it, so I didn't 'punish' him .... but I'm pretty sure Joshua bit Grace.  Lots of screaming was involved.

When you two woke up from your naps, we went for a drive.  I had to run an errand, so you two got to get out of the house a little.  We brought some toys and sippy cups to keep you two occupied.  We called Gigi while we were out.  She's going to bring some almond milk tomorrow to test on Grace.  Perhaps you just don't want regular milk on your tummy?  

After dinner (by the way, daddy liked our quiche), we went upstairs and watched the UNC basketball game.  We won so we move on to the next round of the ACC tournament.  We play State tomorrow at 1pm.  

Grace, your right cheek bruised up this evening .... now I know Joshua bit you.  There's clear marks on you.  Poor little thing.  Joshua, we're really going to be watching you now.  You need to learn not to bite!

Tomorrow we're heading to Asheboro.  We're going to see Great Grandma. Great Grandpa, Grandpa Jim, Gigi, (Great) Aunt Peans, (Great) Uncle Tom, (Great) Aunt Pops, Brian, and Uncle James.  Whoa!  That's quite a crowd!  Everyone's excited to see you all .... some of them have never even seen Grace yet!  We're going to spend the day there and head back tomorrow afternoon.

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Roof Repairs

Dearest Blessings~

Little people .... let's try to get some more sleep ok?  :-P  Joshua, you were up at 2:30am.  I put him back to bed and then fell asleep next to him again.  But, little lady, you were awake at 3:20am.  I nursed you back to sleep.  I was so tired at work today.  :-P

It was another beautiful day today.  It actually got a little hot in the house!  The fans were running when I got home and a window was open in the play room.  

I got home a little earlier today .... 6:30pm.  Daddy had made a pizza for dinner.  :-)

Grace didn't drink well at all today.  I brought home some chocolate syrup from work.  I'm going to put a little bit in some milk to see if Grace will drink more.  It's worth a shot.  :-P

The roofers came back today.  They cleaned out our gutters and fixed our roof shingles.  Now we shouldn't have any more leaks.  We'll still need to paint the wall in the play room though were the water damage shows.  

Tomorrow's friday!  Woo hoo!  UNC plays at noon .... it's the ACC tournament!  Daddy will be at work, so we'll record it and watch it with him tomorrow evening .... we may watch a few glimpses though.  ;-)

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Gorgeous Day

Dearest Miracles~

Little lady, you woke at 2:40am this morning.  I nursed you back to sleep.  Joshua, you were still sleping in your bed!  Actually, you fell asleep at 8pm last night since you didn't nap yesterday.  :-P

Today was a gorgeous day!  You two got to play outside with Penny a lot and you all went to the park.  You all also had art time, story time, and music time.  :-)

One of my coworkers brought some rice and veggies for us at lunch.  It was really good!  I will need to get her recipe so we can make it at home.  Perhaps you two will like it too!

I got home late this evening .... around 7pm.  I gave you all kisses when I got home.  Hopefully I'll get home sooner tomorrow.  

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Too Many Cookies

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Ok, little man .... you didn't even make it until this morning in your bed.  You came into our room at 11:15pm last night.  I put you back to sleep and then fell asleep next to you.  By 12:45am, I was nursing Grace.  You didn't sleep well at all little lady.  You kept tossing and turning next to me and crying.  Which, also meant I was up all night.  Ugh. 

We had a little bit of playtime this morning and then headed to Joshua's appointments.  Joshua, you did well with Mary Beth today for occupational therapy.  You two worked on your fine motor skills (opening a container and twisting the top back on), self feeding (more work with a spoon), and gross motor skills (jumping).  You also did well with Kim.  You two worked on consonant and vowel sounds more.  Your vowels are better in isolation, verses together with a consonant.  We have to keep reminding you to keep your tongue in your mouth.  

Once home, we had some lunch.  You two ate pretty well for me.  Afterward, I made some more chicken nuggets and french fries to get you two through the week with Penny.  Then, we went upstairs to play.

You two both fought nap time.  I ended up catching up with a friend on the phone as you two played.  My friend is a professional wedding photographer, so it was good to bounce some questions off her too to help with my photography hobby.  :-)

I called a roofing company and one of the them came over afterward.  We have a suspicious area in our dry wall in the playroom.  He went on the roof and took some photos and came down to show me .... we have a leak.  :-P  We also need some small repairs on some other shingles and our gutters need cleaning (which we already knew).  So, they'll likely come back in the next day or so to do the repairs for us.  Oh the joys of home ownership.  :-P

We got to see Aunt Katie afterward.  She read and played with you two.  You two also got to 'face time' with Uncle Brennan on the phone. 

We had leftovers for dinner.  Grace, you did the funniest thing at dinner.  You said 'mama' while pointing at the cookies .... hummm .... perhaps I eat too many of them!  Ha!  ;-)

You all had art time with daddy this evening  before heading to bed.  Tomorrow is another work day but Penny will be here.  I'll come home as fast as I can!

Sleep tight you two!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy

Windy

Dearest Joshua David and Grace Elizabeth~

Jd woke around 1130- why so early man?  I put him back to bed and he fell asleep next to me while playing with my  hair.  Slept next to him until G got out of her bed at 3- nursed her back to sleep

This morning the therapy office called and told us that Kim was sick.  So, they cancelled Joshua's speech therapy appointment.  With the extra time this morning, you two helped me fold the laundry.  Then, I bundled you two up and we walked to the park.  It was chilly and very windy!  It it hadn't been so windy we would have stayed longer.  But, we were able to stay for 30 minutes.  I brought a soccer ball and we practiced kicking it around.  I also took some photos of you two at the park.  I got some funny pictures of your hair flying around because of the wind!  ;-)

We were home by lunch time.  You two both ate well for me!  I made more hotdogs to get you two through the week.  Grace, you're also into chicken nuggets.  ;-)  Joshua, you ate 4 oz of applesauce and 3/4th of a hotdog.  And, you also had some chicken and pepperonis.  Wow!

After lunch, you two continued to play downstairs.  I took advantage of your playtime and went ahead and cooked some sausage and veggies.  I prepared it all for a 'tater tot' casserole for dinner.  All we have to do is bake it.  :-)

Since Joshua ate so well for lunch, he was napping by 1:15pm.  I played with Grace for a little bit and then nursed her.   Grace was napping by 2pm.  I laid down next to you two and read.

Once you two were awake, we played downstairs as the casserole baked.  Daddy got home late so we face timed with Gigi on the phone.  :-)

This evening I baked up my computer as everyone was playing.  I don't want to lose these photos of you all!  Daddy cut everyone's nails.  I can't believe how fast your nails grow little people!

Grace, you're still not drinking a lot.  We cut down to about 4 nursing sessions a day.  Perhaps you just need more time to get use to the milk?  You only take a few ounces a day and then drink water or nurse from me.  We'll keep working on that.  You're so active you'd think you would want some more to drink!  :-P

I got some news today from a friend who had a 'micro preemie' (a baby born less than 2 pounds) years prior (she has two sons who were micro preemies because she had pre-eclampsia and HELLP with both pregnancies).  He's a little older than Joshua (about a year or two) and he's just now 26 pounds!  He still needs help with his feeding (tubes and IV's), but he's grown two pounds since his last doctor's visit!  Wow!  When I read something like that I can't believe how blessed we are!  God is good!

Sleep tight little ones!

I love you both so much!

~Mommy