Our One Year Appointment

So I am about a week late in posting this. What can I say? Birthdays take it out of this Mommy! Here are Ethan and Ella's stats from their one year appointment last week

Ethan

Height 29" 21%
Weight 18 lb 9 oz 3%
Head Circ 44.6 cm 8%

Ella

Height 28".25 20%
Weight 18 lb 10 oz 12%
Head Circ 45.1 cm 51% (You go girl!)

So as you can see, we have 2 little tykes for sure!!! They are in a slightly higher percentile for the Preemie curve but not much. They were so good at the appointment. They got 4 shots and their iron levels taken. Both of them still have pretty low iron, so they have to stay on vitamin drops. Overall, they got an A + and the doctor is pleased with their development. They are slightly delayed on their milestones, but that should all even out over the next year. (I can tell you that I am in no hurry for them to start walking!)

Happy First Birthday!!!

Today is Ethan and Ella’s first birthday. Wow what a year it has been! Eric is taking most of the day off so we went to the Famous Loveless Café for breakfast to celebrate. My cousins Patricia, Sarah, and Collin are coming for lunch. We are excited to see them and for them to meet the babies. Can I still call them that? I think I can : )


Here are a couple of Then and Now pics of the babies…………


Ethan Then: 4 lb 4oz. 17” long






Ethan Now: 18 lb 9 oz. 29" long











Ella Then: 4 lb 17” long







Ella Now: 18 lb 10 oz. 28" long














Whew .....birthdays take it out of you. Just 364 days until we do this all over again : )

October 16, 2006

October 16, 2006 - This is the day that I thought I would finally get to meet my precious babies. I thought I had been doing pretty good up until the day before. The whole time I was in the hospital I was told I was having contractions 4, 6, or 8 minutes apart. Never felt them. I always thought "How weird! That isn't the way labor is on TV!" Well on Sunday, the 15th, I finally felt my first contraction that afternoon and it never stopped until I finally had them. That night lasted forever. I was in so much pain that I didn't sleep. My stomach just felt like someone was squeezing and squeezing and my back was in agony.

On the morning of the 16th I told Eric to call my parents and get to to come to Nashville. This was finally the day! I was so disappointed when Dr Evil came in and told me that they would just up my mag yet again. My only consolation was that he would give me something to help me sleep......I thought. Instead of it making me sleep, it just made me jittery and sick. Poor Eric stayed with me instead of going to work because he was so worried about me. He had to practically carry me to the restroom when I felt sick (which was often and I am not gonna lie - I was not small by any stretch of the imagination then!) So that was a very long 24 hours.

Finally the next morning came. When they were monitoring the babies heartbeats, as they did every morning, they noticed they were unresponsive. Apparently the mag was having the same effect on them as it was me. Then my OB came and said I was dialating and "It's time to have the babies, Stephanie!" Never have words been so sweet. Eric got nervous, teared up, and prayed with me. All I could think was "Thank you God!!!!! The time is finally here!!!!!" That was at 9:45 am and they were finally with us at 11:07 (Ethan Brent) and 11:08 (Ella Bailey). That is just about all I remember about the day my babies were born. I was in and out the rest of the day. That was actually a blessing since I couldn't go to see them until the next day. If I had been with it, then I would have been a basket case not being about to see them. Eric went to the NICU to spend time with them and took lots of pictures to bring back to me.

32 weeks and 5 days of pregnancy, 79 days of Bed Rest, 69 days in the Hospital, countless pills, shots, IVs, just a few tears shed, hundreds of thousands in medical bills - all for 2 wonderful gift from God. Absolutely priceless and I would do it again and again in a heartbeat : )

The Big 1st Birthday Party!

On Sunday, we had Ethan and Ella's first birthday party at Mimi and Papa's. We had a really good time. We visited with family and friends, opened presents, and ate cake. By the end of the day, Mommy and Daddy were beat. After cake, the kids were crawling around the house at warp speed! Luckily, they crashed only an hour later than usual. Unfortunately, I did not get the memo that said that babies quit taking their naps after their first birthday party! We had an entire day of nap strike today. I am hoping that by tomorrow the icing will have worked its way through their system!

Here are a few videos Eric took at the party. If you get motion sickness, you may want to take something. I think I am enrolling him in a course for Christmas........ : )

Singing Happy Birthday to Ethan and Ella






Ethan eating cake







Ella eating ALL the icing






So as I sign off, I also have a couple of tips for my friends who have yet to celebrate the big 1 with their kids.
1. Strip the kids down and be ready to run to the bathtub after the cake.
2. Your outfit......make sure you coordinate your colors with the icing. For example - me...Blue sweater and black cords with WHITE icing = BAD. Brown shirt with chocolate icing = GOOD.
3. If possible, coordinate the icing with your hair too or dye it. Otherwise you will hear "Steph you have icing in your hair" like 20 times. And for some reason, Mommies having icing in their hair is not as cute as the babies. Go figure.

Pumpkin Patch and Bringing the Zoo to the zoo!

We had a very busy weekend. Aunt Amy (Tx), Emily and Meg came to see us!!!! The girls had a long weekend for Columbus Day, so they made the long drive to Tennesee. We were so excited to see them. The last time we were all together was for the 4th of July.

On Saturday we got up and went to Gentry Farms in Franklin. They have a large pumpkin patch, corn maze and lots of other things for kids to do. It was great even though it was so HOT!!! It didn't seem right to be at a pumpkin patch in your short sleeves and sweating but we perservered. Emily picked out a pumpkin for Ethan and Meg got one for Ella. Amy, Emily, Meg and I went through the corn maze and burned few calories. It was really fun. I look forward to going next year when our kids can enjoy it a little bit more. Hopefully it will be a little more like Fall too!

On Sunday we had an early birthday party for the family. Ethan got the Little People Garage and Ella got the Little People Doll House. So far (much to Daddy's dismay) the Doll House is the hit with both of them : ) We also had a trial run of the cake and it went pretty well. More went in the belly than on the floor, so we call that a success.

Our cousins from the Greer side had fall break all last week and this week too. To celebrate, Aunt Amy (TN), Houston, Elizabeth, Madeline, and my crew all packed up and went to the zoo. We really had a good time and are going to get a family pass so we can go more often. Ethan and Ella just really enjoyed the stroller ride. I don't think they cared a thing about the monkeys or elephants like their cousins did!

Not much else has changed with them. They are both working on yet another tooth. This is Ethan's 7th and Ella's 5th. They are keeping me on my toes crawling around and getting into anything and everything that is a no-no. Ethan would like to think that he can stand on his own with no help, but he isn't quite there yet. Ella is becoming more and more vocal - - - particularly at 6 am! She did the sweetest thing though earlier today. I was in a generally crabby mood because I had gone to Wal-Mart (natural side effect of shopping there) and my battery died in my minivan. She climbed up in my lap and gave me kiss after kiss after kiss for a good 2 minutes. It was great - I didn't even have to beg like I normally do! Kids are the greatest : )

HEY!!!! When did I get toddlers?????

Well it has happened. They have gone and grown up on me. It is amazing how every week they learn something new and exciting. They are both crawling around at top speed. It is amazing how quick they can go! I really have to be on my toes when they are playing.

Ethan is working on 2 more teeth. These are his incisors which I hear are some of the toughest teeth for them to cut. He hasn't been too fussy so we are pretty lucky. He has started a new habit that I am not too fond of.......biting. Or I like to think of it as "love nibbles." So far he saves these little "Love Nibbles" exclusively for Mommy. That either means he loves me best (my vote) or that I am just too slow to escape him. He really doesn't do it in a mean spirited way. He does it when he is really happy and excited. It is almost like he is saying "Oh my gosh!!!! I am so excited I just have to...chomp!" Maybe it can be attributed to me always nibbling on their toes? I can't help it - they are so so cute! Well I have little Ethan bite marks on both sholders and biceps. We are really working on the word NO.

Ella also has started something new. I prefer her new act. She has started giving kisses. Now she may have watched Majors give kisses a few too many times because her kisses resemble a dog's kiss a little more than people's. Wet or not, it is absolutely the sweetest thing ever. I will gladly get every single bug she has just so I can get a kissy from my sissy : )

Eric and I are doing well. Staying busy as always. I broke down last week and got my "Mommy Do." I was sick of spending forever drying all my hair, just to put it back in a ponytail. And it would only look marginally better than the ponytail before the shower! So I chopped it. I also started a big project last week. It dawned on me that my babies are turning 1 in a couple of weeks and I have not printed off any pictures since they were in the NICU. So I spent 2 days going through all our digital pictures organizing, deleting, fixing red eyes, etc. 700 pictures ordered from Snapfish and I am on my way! Next week I will work on world hunger....


We spent the weekend with Eric's parents (Nana and Papa) in Paris, TN. We had such a great time. Nana spoiled all the kids (Eric and Me too!) with her wonderful cooking. I was afraid they would reject Mama's food when they got home! I was so impressed that they slept so well while we were there. Must have been those full bellies : )

On Saturday morning we went to go get their 1 year (Oh my Gosh!!) and family pictures taken at a wonder photographer there. The proofs are on the following site if you want to take a look: http://www.pbase.com/pbym/greer_092907. I was so pleased with how well the babies did. A couple of funny stories from the session.....it is amazing that she got the one of them on their hands and knees because it was Ethan's MISSION to get Michelle's camera! As soon as we set him down, he was cutting a trail to get to her (please see the first paragraph). But she was great. She snapped it at just the right time. The last ones of the cake were so fun to watch. At first they just looked at us like " What are we supposed to do?" Then Eric mashed their hands in it and they caught on. As you can tell, Ethan put his foot in his cake. After that, he just held it up in the air the rest of the time. Ella looked over at him and started doing it too with the same foot. As if to say "Oh!! That is what we are supposed to be doing!!" It was great fun. It is going to be impossible to pick because I think they are all great.

Just a Swinging........

I simply cannot believe that we are less than a month away from Ethan and Ella's first birthday!!!

We have had a lot of excitement in our little world the last couple of weeks. We have braved Summer colds, had our first sleep over at Mimi and Papa's new house, played at the playground, grew new teeth, and have a new CRAWLER!!!!

Top Honors this week go to Sissy. She has worked hard and caught up with her Buddy. She now also has her 2 top teeth. And last Thursday, she crawled for the first time!!!! We were so excited. We knew she would do it. We just weren't sure how long she would keep us in suspense. I have been trying to catch it on video, but she stops what she is doing and strikes a pose. In addition, she still doesn't crawl a lot. She really gets around very well with her crawl/roll/lunge combo she does.

When it cooled down last week, we started walking to the playground in our neighborhood to swing. How have I deprived my children of such pure joy for so long?? I have never seen happier, more giggling babies when they swing! : )

We have finally gotten the hang of sippy cups so we are one step closer to saying "Goodbye Bottles!" The only problem is that sometimes when they are donw with it they like to fling it overboard off their high chairs. Well I think it has gotten a little to close to nailing Majors a couple of times. Now he runs and hides everytime he sees the Sippy cups. Poor Majors - this is going to be a long few years for you......

It's Football Time in Tennesseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Ethan and Ella have waited all year for our season opener last Saturday. We all got dressed up in our best Orange and White to cheer on the Vols. (Too bad they were already changed into their PJs and on their way to bed by they 7 pm kickoff!) It was a disappointing loss to Cal, but we had fun anyway.

Our tooth count is now up to 7. Ethan has 4 (2 bottom and 2 top) and Ella has 3 (2 bottom and 1 top). Unfortunately, Ethan has taken to giving little love nibbles and actually left teeth marks on my arm last week. Those little buggers HURT!!! Ella is getting closer every day to crawling. She is rocking quite a bit, but still goes backwards when she start to move. She is making good strides and is at least now showing an interest in moving. She is still on target with adjusted age of 8 months. Ethan is cruising at full speed and will take out anything or anyone in his path. He is like a little steamroller. He just crawls right over whatever is in his path. He hasn't quite figured out that he can go around something.....

This weekend Daddy is getting a real treat. He is going to Knoxville to see his first UT game in Neyland Stadium in 2 years! We are really excited that he is getting chance to go with his friends and just relax. UT Football is a way of life with his family, so it much overdue after our rough couple of years.

I was reminiscing with Mom last week about how last season was. I was in the hospital, so our tailgate was a little different but we tried to make it as "normal" as possible. Eric would hang up our UT flag in my room. He would wear his game day shirt and I would wear my best orange tank top with my sweats. My wonderful sister in law, Amy, would bring us grilled hot dogs, Rotel dip and Chips (a necessity for any tailgate.) Of course I would drink my milk and water and Eric would still sneak his whiskey drinks : ) The nurses and doctors knew they could always sneak in our room to get a score check or talk some football. After the game, Eric would disappear for an hour or so to go "make a call." After a couple of weeks I figured out that he was sitting in his truck listening to the post game radio show. Mom asked me if it made me sad to think about it and I said "No. It just reminds me how lucky we are to have such a great family."

First Big Kids baths, Pulling Up and Story time with Daddy

Bath Time Baby!!!




On Sunday we had our first "Bid Kids Bath" with no bath seats! We probably could have done it a little sooner, but I wanted to make sure they were nice and steady on their booty's first. They love splashing and playing with their rubber duckies. Although it kills my back even more, we save a good 15 minutes each night by bathing them at the same time. Hooray!!!!



Pulling Up

Ethan and Ella have both gotten to be very good at pulling up. These pictures are of them pulling up in their "pin." Their pin is a big play yard we have set up in our bonus room. It is really nice because I don't have to spend all day chasing Ethan around the room as he goes after everything forbidden! I did have to get another extension to it though alst week to make it a little bigger. As big as it is, I still felt like the walls were caving in on me after a while! Now I can lay in the center and Ethan can crawl right over me and Ella can tug on my hair : )

It's Story Time with Daddy

Every night after bath time, we get in our jammies and have story time. Eric and I will alternate ights on who reads story and who runs around and gets bed time bottles together. In this picture, Eric is reading them their favorite Curious George book.

And just cuz it's cute.......

Ella was so proud of herself for getting her leg through the bumper and the slats of Ethan's crib. She just giggled and giggled!

Farewell Formula and Bottles!!!

Farewell Formula and Bottles!!! No phrase has ever sounded so sweet. 63 days until we can say that. (and be a couple of hundred dollars richer each month!!!!!!)

I love about 95% of my day with my precious, oh-so cute babies. The 5% that I hate is when I feed them their afternoon bottle at 12:45 CST every day. As with everything we do, we do it at the same time. They haven't been able to figure out holding their own bottles yet, so I do it for them. I sit in between them with them in their little seats facing me. Ethan is always on my left and Ella on my right. (Anal Mommy thing. Ethan was Baby A and Ella was Baby B, so I always put them in that order) So they are both on either side of me and I hold a bottle in each of their mouths........or try my darnedest to do so. Ethan is a little monkey. He wraps his arms and legs around my arm. And just to make it interesting, he hooks at least one of his big toes in the bottom of the bottle. Ella is a squirmy wormy. She wiggles around so she can watch the TV, Majors, the fan or anything that isn't right in front of her. Then so she can make it interesting, occasionally, she will bat at the bottle and knock it out of her mouth and my hand. Ugh. Serenity Now!!!!

Content and Curious

Content and Curious. Those are the 2 words that can describe Ethan and Ella. Ethan is a very curious little boy. Once I sit him on the ground he is off exploring. Anything and everything he can get to and into - he is there. Ella....she is perfectly content where I sit her. If she can reach some toys, great she will play with them. If not, her toes will do! I am starting to wonder if she will ever crawl. She really is perfectly content to be where she is and kick around there. I am sure that will be a quality that will serve her well in the future. Ethan's curiosity will lead to great things too (and possibly some bumps, bruises, and a few time outs!) They are both starting to pull up occasionally, so we have moved both of their cribs all the way down.

In addition to getting into everything he isn't supposed to, Ethan is also getting one of his top front teeth! You can barely see it, but you can definitely feel it and the nasty effects of teething. He has been drooling a gallon an hour the last week. He has also gotten into a nasty habit of biting......but only Mommy. He will learn the word NO before this is all said and done! Ella has been teething too and I am sure her's will not be far behind her Buddy's! Thank God she is so much more even tempered than Ethan! She barely fusses a bit. And she wouldn't dare bite Mama : )

Ella's exciting news is that she is saying Mama!!! I am thrilled. I was completely prepared for the first words to be Dada! (I am really working hard at not dancing and singing Na Ne Na Na Boo Boo to Eric!) She says it to Majors, the TV, her Linkadoos, and whatever else she sees. She may not realize that Mama is me, but nonetheless I am enjoying it!

We are continuing to try new foods and having fun with it. Ella has such good, healthy tastes. She loves steamed veggies, oatmeal and thanks to Mimi....sweet tea. Ethan is a true carboholic like me. He likes Pancakes, Grilled Cheese and Mac n Cheese. Don't worry I limit how often he gets them. But when he does, he inhales it! 2 chews and down the trap. And all the while he is grunting. Ella eats them well too, but she chews everything at least 50 times. Good girl. We have taken them out to eat with us a couple of times since they can sit in "big kid" high chairs. It is so much easier!! They just sit, watch the people, and munch away on their little finger foods. So much nicer than when they were in their car seats. Talk about a ticking time bomb.

I have kept trying to get a video of Ella because I feel dreadful that all the videos I have are of Ethan so far. We have 2 problems though. Number 1 - Ella likes to pose for the camera. She is an aspiring model. When she sees the camera, she stops what she is doing and gives you the most adorable grin. She doesn't quite get the whole video needs action thing. Number 2 - Ethan is just plain odd. Now I say that in the most loving, motherly way. But the kid is weirdo. He just gives so much good material! I finally got this video of Ella playing with the furry Triplet, Majors.

August 3rd - This day in History

Five Years Ago - 2002
This is the happiest day of my life. Five years ago, I was blessed enough to marry the most wonderful man in the world. We went fortunate to be surrounded by our family and friends as we exchanged our vows at Lyndon Baptist Church in Louisville, KY. It was the hottest day of the entire summer and we had to turn off the AC so the candles wouldn't burn out. I am sure there were a few groomsmen that had a few choice words for me : ) The ceremony was beautiful despite the sweat on our brows.
Four Years Ago - 2003
On the day before my best friend, Jodi, got married in Lexington, KY. We had such a wonderful time celebrating with her and Tobin. On our anniversary, we drove to a small Bed and Breakfast out in the horse country. It was so beautiful. That evening we went to Shaker Town for a very yummy dinner.


Three Years Ago - 2004
Neither Eric or I remember this anniversary. Obviously we didn't do anything too interesting. Probably our standard dinner at Carrabba's! Perhaps there was too much wine and that is why?

Two Years Ago - 2005

For our 3rd anniversary, we were both out of town. But fortunately, we were in the same town! Indianapolis. It was actually quite nice. We worked during the day, then pretended to be on vacation that night. We ate at Maggiano's and pretended our hotel was at the beach and not the burbs of Indy.

One Year Ago - 2006

I was 22 weeks pregnant with Ethan and Ella. I had to go to a follow up Ultrasound because my cervix had started to shorten the week before. After a week of bedrest at home, I felt sure that my condition had improved. After my Ultrasound, I was sent to my doctor's office where they immediately sent me to her private office to lay on the couch. (Never a good sign) I was admitted to the hospital and found out that I was having contractions every 6 minutes and never even felt them. They pumped me full of liquids and drugs to get them under control. Eric stayed with me in the hospital the whole time. (although I did excuse him to go get my Wendy's for lunch and Chili's for supper!) It was a scary day. Dr Blake just kept saying that we had to get the babies another couple of weeks so the babies were viable. We were scared, but we knew that God was watching over all of us. One of the funny memories I have is of my IV Pole. I was in a really big Labor and Delivery room because the High Risk floor was all full. The bathroom was a long way away from my bed, so I had to unplug my IV Pole every time I went to the bathroom........which was a lot since I was pregnant! Apparently the battery was low, so the whole time it was unplugged it would beep really loud and get quicker the longer it was unplugged. It reminded Eric and I of either a bomb or the theme to 24. Nonetheless, it stressed me out every time I had to pee : )

Today - 2007

Eric took the day off so we could spend the day together. We just finished a big pancake breakfast. We don't have any big plans for the rest of the day......no trips to KY or IN or even the hospital. Just going to spend the day as a family and count each one of our blessings. God blessed me when he brought Eric into my life 10 years ago at the University of TN. Then he doubly blessed us when He gave us Ethan and Ella. We may go on a family date to dinner. Sure it will have to be at 5 so we can get home for bathtime, storytime, bottles, then bedtime. And sure there will be Diet Coke and Water instead of a bottle wine. And there probably will be a little more baby talk than about what is the next trip we will take. But it will be absolute Heaven for us. (Plus our trip to Florida was our anniversary gift to each other ; )

A visit from Great Grandparents!!

We had some very exciting visitors this week. Great Grandma and Papatch came to visit from Missouri! It was so good to see them and for them to finally get a chance to meet Ethan and Ella. They stayed with Mom and Dad, but we were sure to go visit each day. On Friday, we all went to the famous Loveless Cafe for breakfast. It was a real treat. Ethan and Ella get to sit in "big kid" high chairs for the first time and did very well. They got to sample the biscuits and LOVED the pancakes. It was great to be able to visit with Grandma and Papatch and show off my little munchkins.

On Saturday we made a day trip to see Nana and Papa (Eric's parents). Nana's birthday was on the 31st so we had a family bar b q. It was great to be able to see Eric's extended family. We hadn't been able to see them since Christmas 2005 so it was long over due. We look forward to seeing them again this Christmas at the big family dinner if not before!

We have been busy trying new foods and continuing to practice using our fingers to eat. They are getting better every day at it. I still have quite a bit to clean up after meals (with the help of Majors of course!) This morning when I was changing Ella after breakfast, I found a pancake piece in the footie of her PJs! I tell you that takes some real talent to do that!

Ethan has been burning up the carpet with his hands and knees. He has reached the level of "expert crawler" pretty quick! He loves to crawl to Majors room and the mini fridge best. Or anything BESIDES his toys. Buddy has definitely kept me on my toes. Actually, I can blame my posting late because. I simply cannot do anything but play in the carpet with them when he is up. If I turn my back for a second, he is in Major's room. So my computer time is now limited to only when they nap.

Ella is perfectly content doing sitting or laying on the blanket. Sure she might roll over a time or two, but not often. She will play for hours with her gumball machine, linkadoos, phone rattle or just her oh so adorable toes. I have tried to move toys a little further away to try to coax her to crawl, but she wants no part of it. She will either reach and reach until she can get it or just forget about it and grin. It is amazing how she can reach some things. She will be sitting up and then just lean over so her belly is flat on the ground so she can reach it. She may be a ballerina or gymnast someday with that flexibility! We aren't worried about her lack of crawling. She will do it when she is ready. My only concern is that in the church nursery, Ethan will be "graduated" to the next class of crawlers. Ella won't care a bit to be away from him for a little while. Ethan will have a tough time though.

Eric had a great trip to Chicago. He went to a training class that teaches accountants how to establish the net worth of a company. It is something he would like to be able to do in his job more going forward, so it was a good seminar for him. I think he enjoyed the Cubs game and catching up with his friend Ty more though! We were very happy to have him home on Tuesday night. We took the picture above this weekend when we realized that we have almost no pictures of us with the kids.

Things are about the same for me. Just keeping humming along. I have gotten quite nostalgic about the last part of my pregnancy lately. Yesterday was the year anniversary of when I was put on bedrest at home. It seems so long ago but like yesterday at the same time. One of my best friends, Kristin, had a beautiful little girl last week. I went to go see her in the same hospital I lived in for almost 3 months then went to every day for 5 weeks when the babies were in the NICU. It was like no time was lost. It is funny how that was probably one of the hardest times of my life, but that I look back at it now with a sense of fondness. I think that is only by the grace of God. Only He could help us through it, and only He could make me not want to hurl every time I think of living in an ugly hospital room with NO privacy and awful food : )

Finger Foods and more crawling!

Whew. I am tired. I have underestimated 2 more things this week. Finger foods and crawling. I feel like all week I have been either picking up Puffs or chasing a baby around the bonus room! It is all fun of course, but it makes me long for the days of just feeding 6 bottles a day or just watching the babies lay on their backs and chew on Linkadoos all day!! Those days are SO over.

Ella is the master of finger foods. It took no time at all for her to learn then "pincher grip" so she could eat her puffs. On Saturday we decided to try scrambled eggs (yolks only due to allergies to whites) and pancakes. Eggs went over like a lead balloon (see to the right) but the pancakes were a hit! Another new food we tried was Yobaby (baby yogurt). I believe they would both eat that all day and night if I let them. Shhh.....I tried it and it ain't half bad! Ella isn't crawling yet, but she is definitely more mobile. She is rolling around quite a bit. She will get up on her arms, but poor thing, she pushes herself backwards! I guess she will do it when she is gosh darn ready! Although she hasn't been very mobile, I swear she is the most active girl ever. She loves to kick her legs and clap her hands. She can jump in the jumperoo for 30 minutes solid smiling and laughing the whole time. I have tried to get her on video doing it, but she gets shy everytime the camera comes out. It is my mission though to get her precious giggle on video this week though! I feel bad because all my videos are mostly of the ham - Ethan!

Speaking of Ethan.....he is particularly wearing me out. He isn't 100% crawling yet, but he can sure get around. He does a combination rock, roll, lunge, crawl. It is very effective! He loves to crawl to anything that is forbidin. The coffee table, Major's room, Major's chew toy, the mini-fridge, the rocking chair, remote control, you name it. If it is off limits, he is there in a second. We got a big play yard a couple of months back. I think that we may just spend the next few months in it. Ethan is thoroughly enjoying trying out new foods too. He is struggling a little bit more with the finger foods, but he is getting it. I guess I didn't think it would be too hard. I mean they put everything in their mouth, so why would food be so hard??? He is still using his whole fist to feed himself. Sometimes he used both and just shovels it in. Hey - whatever works! He has got the chewing down...keeping the food in his mouth while he chews.....not so much. Everyday we get a little better. Last night we tried Mac N Cheese and it was a HIT!!! I think he would have eaten the whole box! The video below was taken of him after the Mac N Cheese was all gone. He just randomly started shaking his fists and yelling then laughing. He did this for 5 minutes before I got off the floor from laughing and got the camera. Ella was just staring at him like "You are one weird dude." I agree Ella. I agree.

I am doing pretty good despite my running around. In fact, last week I decided it was time to get in shape. I decided that I couldn't quite use the excuse that I just had twins since I am already thinking about their first birthday. And bedrest can't be an excuse because I have been off bedrest for three times the amount I was on it. Tired? The babies sleep 11 hours at night and nap about 4 during the day so scratch that. So now it is time to Get in Shape Girl. (You were a little girl in the 80s if the song for "Get in Shape Girl" ran through your head:) I laced up my tennis shoes, synced my iPOD and dusted off the old treadmill. I am not going to run a marathon or anything. I already have enough t shirts and I am not particularly fond of sweating. But I would be happy if I can just run a mile without dropping. So we will see how that goes. I had a great weekend. My best friend, Jodi, came down from NY for our friend Kerri's engagement party. We had a great time catching up and celebrating. Afterwards we went to a couple of Honkytonks downtown. It was fun to kick loose for a little while. The picture to the right is Jodi, Christy, and me.

Eric has been busy too. He was at the festivities this weekend too, but wouldn't pose for a picture. He left early Sunday morning to go to Chicago for an accounting conference. Too fun, huh? He made the most of it though. He stayed with a good friend, Ty, that is in law school there. They went to see the Cubbies on Sunday and had a great time. He had seats 3 rows up from the field. He has eaten at some pretty neat restaurants while he was there. He ate at Twin Anchors, some famous steak restaurant my dad recommended, and he is enjoying deep dish pizza as I type. So I imagine he has made the best of an accounting conference! He comes home late tonight and we can't wait. Eric is the top of the babies list. Then comes Majors. Then Mama. No Respect. : )

Happy 9 month Birthday Buddy and Sissy!!!!!

Wow - I cannot believe that they are NINE months already!! Where has the time gone? In just 3 short months we will be celebrating their first birthday! Before we know it, we will be packing up the car to take them to college....

On Monday we went to see Dr Betz for their 9 month appointment. They both got an A + and "good looking babies!" Ummm of course!!!!! The only concern is Ella's iron level was low so he put her on a prescription Iron supplement. Here are their stats:

Ethan - our pipsqueak
Height - 26.75" 7th percentile
Weight - 16 lb. 12 oz 4th percentile
Head circum - 43.3 cm 7th percentile

Ella - our sweet girl with the big head : )
Height - 26.5" 16th percentile
Weight - 17 lb 5 oz 23rd percentile
Head Circum - 44.2 58th percentile (Wowza! No wonder none of her hats fit anymore!)

They did really well while their blood was drawn. Just smiled at the nurses and looked at them like "Why do you keep pulling at my toe??" That was a relief becuase it was like torture when they did it at their first appointment. Of course they were skin and bone then. While Ethan was being examined, he just smiled at the doctor and giggled. Ella was trying to get the doctor's attention the whole time by grinning, laughing, and slapping her bare boodah belly : ) It was really cute. I have noticed this is a growing trend with Ella......she isn't the center of attention, so she does what she can to turn it to her. Exhibit 1 and 2 can be found in the videos below! All in all it was a good visit. I wish all appointments could have no shots!

Today we can just going to play and have a good time. Nana (Eric's mom) and Amy's kids are going to come by this morning. That should be fun. Ethan and Ella LOVE to see their crazy cousins!

Ethan Crawls and Ella Sings

We have had a very exciting week here! After a month of rocking and rolling.....drumroll please.....Ethan Crawled!!!! He is only going about a foot or two before he decides to plop over. If he is really motivated, then he may go further. If he sees the camera, a remote, or any phone he is determined to get to it. Ella is still perfectly content laying on her back, playing with her feet and singing in her gurgly voice. I am sure she could crawl, but she is just waiting until she is good and ready! Here is a video of them from the other day






Eric tells me I talk too much in the videos. But then he probably thinks I talk too much period. My mom says it is good for the babies development that I talk to them so much, so I will go with that! You can also hear Majors in the background barking at someone walking down the street (how dare they!)

At any rate, my cousin Deidra taught me how to add pictures and videos to my blog so I am going to try to jazz it up. I took another video this morning while we were feeding the babies. Ethan has the wierd habit of randomly starting to shake his head. It is really funny. He started doing it this morning, so I grabbed my camera. Here it is!

First and Last Mommy & Daddy Only Beach Trip!

Last weekend Eric and I went on our first (and last for 18 years or so : ) no kid trip to the beach. We cashed in the last few of our Marriott points and headed to Florida. We have been to a lot of the beaches in Florida, so we decided to go somewhere different this time. We went to Hollywood Beach - home of the only "Broadwalk." No misspelling. It actually is BROAdwalk. Lots of walking and lots of broads. Oh and it also happens to be pretty wide.

We had a great time. We were slightly delayed getting down there because of rain, but we made the most of it. We enjoyed sitting in the airport restaurant and having a beer as we waited for the rainstorm to pass. Friday night we went to a Greek restaurant called Taverna Opa. It was a sight for sure. Belly dancers, patrons and waiters dancing on tables, loud music, and people throwing napkins everywhere. It was a lot of fun. We only smelled like Greek food for the next 24 hours too! The next couple of days we were just beach bums trying to soak up as many rays that got through the many, many clouds. We managed to do pretty good to. I got a nice tan and Eric..........well he got a very funky burn. We tried the new spray sunscreen and I am not sure much actually ended up on him. But he is nice and tan now. Saturday night we went to the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (RIP Anna Nicole). Since that was 7/7/07, they had a huge wedding for 77 couples at 7:07. Ummm interesting folks. The whole trip was great. Very relaxing and just the right amount of time away. By Monday morning I was ready to get back to my babies.

I had a few minor breakdowns before we left, but while we were there NONE! Both sets of grandparents and Aunt Amy from Texas helped watch the kids. I am sure they thought I was crazy from the amount of notes I left for them. I made a spreadsheet of their entire daily routine. (Old habit hard to break courtesy of GE!) In addition to the spreadsheet, I had 2 typed sheets of other notes and several notes left around the house. You would think I thought they had never raised any kids ; ) They did so well. We have been back for 2 days and it is like they never skipped a beat.

I am glad we went. We really need a little time to just relax. The last couple of years have been pretty stressful on us. It was nice to get away and just enjoy some time just the 2 of us. Now we are looking forward to planning our first trip to the beach with the babies next year!

Majors - The Furry Triplet???

Many of you know that Eric and I's "first born" is our 4 year old daschund, Majors (aka Sir). When we were getting ready to bring the kids home from the NICU, we were worried about what kind of a reception they would get. Would he be jealous? Would he leave "presents" in their room? Would he be scared of them?

Well at first he just stared at them from afar. Sometimes when we would be feeding them a bottle, he would try to get in our lap too. Over the last couple of months, he and the babies have gotten more and more interested in each other. Their faces absolutely light up when they hear Majors walk into the room. They love to sit and pat him and grab at his many fat folds. He has been really good natured about it too. We will spend a couple of hours each day on a couple of blankets with their toys. Majors just pulls Chewy and Scooby onto them too. It was put there for him too, right? He will even get one of his chew toys and plop it in front of them and wait for them to throw it. Maybe next month, Majors! When I am putting the babies down, he will lay under Ethan's crib and peek his head out. I have accidently shut him in there a few times. I think that suits him just fine though.

So when Ethan and Ella get into their big boy and big girl beds, I have a feeling our bed will be a little more roomy. And that suits us just fine : )

First Teeth, First Big Roadtrip, and First Father's Day!

We have had a big week! Ethan and Ella have been working HARD on 2 bottom teeth each. People have been telling me for months that they were teething because they were drooling so much. Well the day is finally here! And now Ethan is drooling double time. I swear the kids drools at least a gallon a day! And he thinks spit bubbles are hilarious - particularly after he gets some Oragel : )

We went on our first big roadtrip to Macon, GA. We went to go see a friend from college, his wife and his 16 month old boy twins. We left Thursday night so we could drive through the night so the babies would sleep. Nice theory and it worked for the most part. I am so proud of them. They did really well even though they were sleeping in a strange place in Pack N Plays. The room we stayed in had room darkening shades and a box fan. I am adding those to my list of "must haves" for parents (along with Jumperoos, Baby Einstein and Linkadoos) Eric went to Home Depot to get them as soon as we got home yesterday. They napped so much better! Apparently, we just have to trick them into thinking it is night time and have some really loud white noise! The only bad part about the trip was the ENTIRE trip home. It was about 6 hours and Ethan cried/whined/wimpered about 80% of the trip home. The only time he wouldn't cry was when I was singing along with their Baby Counting Pal toy (oh add that to the list too) Well Mama can only do that so much..... But we got home ok and they went to bed at 6 last night. We weren't far behind!

It was neat (and a little scary) to watch the twin boys. I think I will have no problem dropping the other 5 pounds I would like to loose once they are mobile. I think I have no time to sit now!! They were EVERYWHERE. We have a ways to go before they are walking. They are getting closer to crawling though. Ethan can pretty much roll anywhere he wants to go. He also gets on his knees and rocks back and forth. Ella is perfectly content to lay on her back and stare at her hands or her Linkadoos. I can't blame her - they are aweful cute hands. She is very much the type that will watch Ethan struggle, learn from him, and then do it with no effort a couple of minutes later.

Since we spent most of the day on the road, Father's day wasn't as big as I wish it could have been. Eric is such a great father. I think he had it the hardest when I was pregnant. Do you know that he stayed with me almost every night in the hospital on a pleather pull out bed? Then after an awful night sleep, he had to go to work everyday while I laid around and watched TV. So Ella, Ethan and I worked on a very special Father's Day project for Eric. We made a wall hanging that had them spelling out "We Love Daddy." I took a picture of them each day holding a different letter, then spelled them all out in a 20 x 30 frame. I was really pleased with how it turned out.

Mimi and Papa got moved in safely last week. They came over tonight for a belated Father's Day celebration. It was so nice to get to see them and know that we don't have to wait a month to see them again. Dad is leaving on Saturday to go to Ghent then Sydney. I imagine after a couple of stressful weeks of moving, he is anxious to leave the country and his house of boxes!

Baby Nap Bootcamp

So for the last couple of weeks, we have been having our "Baby Nap Bootcamp." We are very fortunate that Ethan and Ella have been sleeping through the night for a couple of months now. Napping is another story though.....

Prior to out bootcamp, I had been rocking them to sleep and praying that they sleep for more than 45 minutes at a time. I did this because it was what I had to do to get them to sleep and because I just liked the snuggle time we had together : ) I would put Ella in her Aquarium Swing and rock Ethan to sleep. Sometimes it would take 5 or more minutes to get Ethan to give up the fight and finally go to sleep. Then I would get Ella up and rock her for a little bit and lay her down. Sometimes Ethan would wake up then and we would do it all over again. It was pretty tiring.

I finally decided to bite the bullet and start laying them down while they were still awake and let them cry it out for a little bit. At first I would go back in a check on them periodically so they knew I hadn't deserted them. Ella did fantastic. She would grab her blankie, stick her thumb in her mouth, roll on her side and go to sleep. Ethan gave it a good fight. I swear I have never heard anyone who could cry SO pitiful. For the first few days, I think I cried as much as he did. They are now doing great (most of the time). They are sleeping twice as much during the day and also are sleeping much more soundly at night. In addition, they are also eating better because they are more well rested and don't fall asleep during their bottles. It has made an amazing difference in my day. I always have time for a shower and Eric always appreciates that! And during their longer afternoon nap, I can actually get some things accomplished around the house. And sometimes I can even relax. Last week I just floated around in their baby pool and read a book. I looked like a dork, but it was heaven and we have a tall fence : )