Long Time No Blog

So, here we are. The girls are 16 months old now and we are MOBILE!! Holy crap! Rebecca is walking full time now and Kayla is starting to take steps independently. While it is nice to see them become more independent, it makes me think of my babies growing up. They are doing great with Physical Therapy and will be starting Speech Therapy in a few weeks. There are some issues regarding their speech/language development. This is from the multiple ear infections last fall/winter. Also, I have noticed some issues with food textures and they both refuse to drink from a sippy cup for more than 2 seconds. At thins point I am waiting for the scheduler to call me to set up the formal evaluation. They had an informal screening a few weeks ago and the Speech Therapists said that the girls could benefit from their services.

Kayla's new thing is Dora the Explorer. She LOVES Dora!! She has a Dora book that she just HAS to look at every morning now and stops whatever she is doing the second she hears the beginning of the theme song. LOL. She has even started to dance to the music. So cute! I am trying to get it on video but the minute I start recording, she stops dancing.

Rebecca is also in love with Dora but not as much as Kayla is. Rebecca is into books and things that make music. She loves her piano and xylophone that they got for their birthday. She likes to dance as well. It is sooo cute to see them dancing in the family room. =D

Also, they have started to show affection towards each other. Kayla loves to "tackle" Rebecca and give her big kisses. Then they start rolling around hugging each other and giggling. One more thing I need to get on video. I am so happy to see that they love each other. I was starting to wonder if they realized that that other baby was their sister. I think they have figured it out.

Less than 2 months to go until school is out! I am excited but a little nervous about this. I am not sure what we will do with them during the summer when I have to go to work. Ross can't do it on his own and frankly, I don't think I could deal with 2 walking toddlers alone for 13 hours. So, we are looking into different options. Perhaps a summer camp type thing for little ones or sending them to a different daycare for part of the day.. We will see. There are still things to be discussed. I will keep you all updated.

Well, that is all for now. Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

Flying and such..

First of all, Happy New Year!! I realize I am almost a month late but better late than never. We went on our first out of town trip a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to let you know how it went. It went surprisingly well. We got to the airport at about 6AM on Thursday the 13th. Ross dropped me and the girls off with the luggage and we put the girls in their stroller. He left to drop off the car and returned with the car seats strapped to his luggage. We used a 1 1/2 inch "O" ring that we bought from Lowes and the latch belts to attach the car seats to the luggage. It worked pretty well. Going through security was tricky but not as bad as I had envisioned. We put all our luggage and bags on the conveyor belt with our shoes just like everyone else. I took the girls while he folded the stroller and shoved it through the machine. It fit! I was shocked!! I was afraid it would get trapped in there and we would lose our stroller. I declared the milk and food that I had and they searched it and x-rayed it to make sure there wasn't anything other than what I had said was in there. I carried the girls through the xray machine and the TSA guys helped us get situated again. That was nice. =)  We got to the gate and got our gate check tags for the stroller and possibly the car seats but after some buttering up and big smiles, they told us we could bring the car seats on with us! Score!! We get down to the plane and we take the girls out of the stroller. So, now I am carrying a diaper bag, a baby and pulling a suitcase with a car seat attached to it. Can you say pack mule?? LOL! Ross was carrying a baby, a backpack and a suitcase with car seat too. I am sure the other passengers were THRILLED to see us bopping down the aisle! We got to our seats and the flight attendant was AWESOME! He helped install car seats, held Rebecca for a second while I got everything put away and even provided some entertainment for the girls during the flight!

The flight went extremely well except that Rebecca got a little airsick but it was a tiny bit and was easy to clean up. I brought toys and books but the girls were more interested in looking out the window than playing or listening to stories. They even took a nice nap for an hour before we landed.

Getting off the plane, we purposefully waited to be the last ones off. It worked out better because then we didn't have to worry about hitting anyone with our luggage on the way out. We got our stroller back in one piece (yay!) and headed to the car rental area. That went pretty smoothly too. Once the car seats were installed and everything was loaded into the car, we were off to have fun with the family!

Coming home wasn't to bad either. The only issue was that they would not let us bring our car seats. We ended up gate checking them with the stroller. Again, not so bad because the girls were fascinated with the window and they slept through half the flight.

I am so glad we went to PA!! Not only to see our family but to prove that we could travel with 2 babies. We are flying again in October to see my family this time and to celebrate my cousin getting married. That will be a lot of fun!! Plus, we will have my mom with us! Yaay!

Well, that is all for now. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

One Year Stats!

We went to Pediatrician earlier this week and it went pretty good. The only problem was that the girls both have ear infections. Needless to say, the doctor and I were SHOCKED! No one has had any kind of symptoms to make me think that they were unwell. Granted, they do have runny noses and a slight cough but we went and had that checked out a few weeks ago and was told it was a good old fashioned cold. Nothing more. So, now everyone is on antibiotics and we will be going back in about 2 weeks to have their ears rechecked and to get the 1 year shots. They had blood work done and their urine checked. Everything came out normal (Yay!). On to the good stuff!

Rebecca: weighs 20 lb 14 oz and is 28.5 inches tall

Kayla: weighs 21 lb and is 29 inches tall

They are getting so big! We are into 12 month size clothes and Kayla is starting to wear 18 month stuff already!! Yikes!

On Tuesday we went to PT and the therapist was so excited to see that Kayla was crawling for longer distances. Before she would crawl a little bit and stop. Now, you set her down and she is off and crawling all over the place. LOL. Rebecca has started cruising. Oy! She has figured out how to get from one side of the coffee table to the other on her feet!! She is going to be walking before we now it. This weekend we will be installing baby gates in the family room. Also, I plan on putting down those foam mats to make the floors easier to crawl on and if they fall down, it won't be too scary for them. Right now there is tile in there and I am terrified that one day they will lose their balance and go face first into the tile. Ouch! Tonight there is a holiday party at the place where we go for PT. I am looking forward to taking the girls to their first non-family holiday party. It should be fun. Radio Disney will be there along with other neat stuff. If Dora is there, they will be sooo excited. Well, I think they will. They have never seen life sized characters. It should be interesting. =)

Well, that is all for now. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week and an awesome weekend!

P.S. Shhh! Don't tell anyone but I think we are going to Philly in January (MLK weekend)! Ross is looking into flights and logistics. Eeek!

Happy 1st Birthday Kayla and Rebecca!!!

I can't believe they are a year old already! I am not sure when it will sink in.. Well the following are letters to my girls. So, here it goes..

Dearest Kayla,
Today is your 1st birthday! You have certainly come a long way, kiddo! I remember the very first time I laid eyes on you, all 3 lbs 2 oz of you. You were this tiny little baby but you were (and still are) a fighter. You endured 3 months in the NICU where you had 2 intestinal surgeries, a bone infection and severe Reflux. Every time the odds were stacked against you, you proved them wrong. You came home to us on March 16, 2010 weighing in at 6 lb 7 oz. You looked so skinny next to your sister but I knew that soon you would catch up and even surpass her in weight. And you did! You started growing and gaining weight as soon as you got home and you haven't looked back since. Now, on your 1st birthday you are crawling, babbling, clapping your hands and pulling up to stand. You even have 2 teeth! You love to eat cheerios, puffs and cheese as well as yogurt. You are also on to stage 3 foods now. Every day I am more and more amazed that this tiny little creature that came into this world fighting for every breath has grown into this beautiful, smart, happy little toddler. I am so incredibly proud of you and what you have accomplished in your first year of life. I am also extremely proud and honored to be your mom. Happy birthday my sweet little Kayla. I love you very very much.

Love,
Mommy.

Dearest Rebecca,
Happy 1st birthday! It's so hard to believe you started out so tiny. You came into this world weighing 3 lbs 6 oz and once you started growing, you took off and never looked back. You spent 1 month in the NICU and came home to us on January 15, 2010. You only weighed 4 lb 8 oz and I was shocked that they were handing me this tiny person to take home! When you came home the 1st few nights were tough only because I kept waking up to check on you and make sure you were ok. The first couple of months at home you had a bad case of Reflux and Colic. It seemed like your worst time of day was from 4-6 pm. While Mommy and Daddy were off visiting your sister in the NICU, you were at home with Grammy. Some days you would cry the whole time we were gone. Everything changed once we finally figured out what was wrong and got you some medicine. You proved that you too were a fighter in September when you came down with Meningitis. You scared us to death but just like your sister, when the odds were against you, you proved everyone wrong! You made it through that experience like it was nothing. Here we are on your first birthday and you are eating all the same things your sister is even with no teeth yet! You are also crawling, babbling, clapping hands and laughing at everything (LOL). You are even on the verge of walking! I can't believe my tiny little baby is now this beautiful, smart, funny little toddler. I am so proud of you I can't wait to see what the future holds for you and your sister. Happy birthday, Rebecca. I love you very very much.

Love,
Mommy

1 week til Thanksgiving!!!

Holy crap! How is there only 1 week left to do about a million and 1 things??? As I have probably mentioned before, I am hosting the big day at my house this year! Eeek! I am VERY excited about this and also very nervous. Most of the big stuff is done but all the little things are on the verge of driving me insane! LOL. Thankfully, I have a team of very experienced women around me ready and willing to do anything for me. I am also excited that this will be the girls' first Thanksgiving! They still inside babies at this time last year. How weird to think that 1 year ago today I was laying in a hospital bed praying to make it to 32 weeks... Incredible.

We have some big news to share!! No, I am NOT pregnant! LOL. Kayla and Becky are crawling!!!!! That's right, you heard it here first! We are finally mobile. While they are still perfecting it, I would say they are at 95%. The PT lady was quite impressed that they were able to crawl a few "steps" here and there. She says they will be at 100% in no time. Oh boy. Guess it's time to start baby-proofing. Oy! That will have to wait until after next week. Too much to do, not enough time to do it in!

Next week (after T-day) we will be having their 1 year photos taken. I am excited about this but also in complete disbelief. I say it all the time but I am still in shock that they are almost a year old. How did that happen???I have the dresses already picked out and ready to go. Now on to shoe hunting. Which, I might add is taking a lot longer than I had imagined it would.. Who knew finding size 4 baby shoes would be soooo hard!!! I have looked in 3 different stores and if I find what I am looking for there is either only 1 pair left or they are ridiculously expensive. I am sorry but I am not spending $30 (each) for a pair of shoes that they will wear twice! If they were walking, that would be different. I am off to do more searching this afternoon. =D

Well, that is all for now. I am off to do some cleaning and shoe shopping. Hope everyone has a great day!

Wait, What?

It's November?!?!? Wasn't it just October a few days ago? Well, here we are almost 11 months old and I can't believe it!! October just flew by. Halloween was fun. The girls had a Halloween party at school and came home with like 4 bags of candy! Then on Sunday we went up to visit Grandpa Alan and got to see cousins and family we hadn't seen in a long time. The girls got to meet the cousins for the first time. We also went Trick-or-Treating. Well, technically we just went around with the other kids and got to see everyone in their costumes. I don't think the girls really knew what was going on. Next year they will probably have a better idea of what Halloween is all about. They dressed up as pumpkins this year and they looked so cute! I was very impressed at how well the girls did being away from home for an entire day! No major issues and Mommy remembered to bring plenty of diapers and Cheerios! LOL.

Now that Halloween is over it on to Thanksgiving! Holy crap the countdown has begun! I am hosting Thanksgiving this year for the first time. I am a bit nervous but VERY excited! There is sooo much to do and only a few weeks to get it all done. Mainly, I have to start de-cluttering the house. Luckily most of the common areas are clean but the family room has been taken over by baby stuff and I need to get some of it out of there to make room for seating areas and tables. The girls will be at their Grammy's house playing with their aunt, uncle and cousins while Mommy, Daddy and Grandma cook and set up stuff. There will be at least 20 people at my house! I have NEVER had that many people in my house at once before. Not even for the girls' naming party. I can't believe their 1st Thanksgiving is coming up soon! It blows my mind even more that a year ago I was pregnant, at home and on bed rest. It's crazy how time flies and now here we are getting ready to throw an awesome party! =D

In other news, this Saturday I am going to a MoMs sale for the first time. I am sooo excited about this! Why, you ask? Because I finally get an opportunity to go to a sale that is specifically for Moms of Multiples. If I find something cute, the chances of find 2 of them in the same size are quite high!! Woohoo! Also, I am hoping to find an awesome deal on another double stroller. We bought a new side by side (SBS) stroller for them and new carseats about a week ago. They LOVE them!! I want to get a second SBS stroller to have in the house in case we need it. I have also decided that I do not like my diaper bag. It does not zip shut and with everything I have to carry for them now, I need one that zips shut. The girls have a bag that zips shut for daycare and now I need one for me to carry. I am hoping to find one that is like a backpack b/c my new stroller has crappy baskets at the bottom so it would be easier to just carry my bag on my shoulders.

So, that is what's going on here. I will post some pics soon! Hope everyone has a great week.

Happy 10 Month Birthday (2 days late)!!!!

So, my little girls are now 10 months old. I cannot believe how fast the time is going! I say that all the time but it is so so true! I feel like they were just born and now here we are 10 months later. The girls are doing great. They are on the verge of crawling. I really think they will be crawling by the end of this month, if not sooner. They are also starting to eat Cheerios and we gave them Biter Biscuits this past weekend and they LOVED them. I had given them Cheerios about a month ago and they were not interested but I tried again a weeks ago and they loved it so now I try to give them the Cheerios for a snack every afternoon. They are getting very vocal. I don't know who will be talking first but I know they will be talking very very soon!! Becky will just start going on and on and before you know it Kayla is there chattering away too. So cute! I love hearing them "talk" to each other. I can't believe how big they are. They weigh about 20 lbs and are 28-29 inches long!! They will be graduating to big girl car seats in a couple of weeks. They will also be getting a new stroller b/c the stroller I have now is just a frame that you snap the car seats into. It worked great when they were small but now their legs are getting so long that whoever is in the back kicks the one in the front. Good times!

20 more days until Halloween. I keep going back and forth about what I want to do. I wanted to buy them some costumes but now I am thinking maybe I should make them (with my mom's help). I really want them to be dressed up as something b/c they are going "trick or treating" at school. We'll see what I can come up with. Next year I am buying them costumes and we are going around the neighborhood. =D

Well, that is all for now. Hope everyone has a great week! Talk to you later.