These are the days of our lives...with Addison & Alexis!!!

Loving this weather!

2012-03-19T13:46:00.000-04:00

We are loving the weather here in Indiana!! We have broken records for high temperatures the last four days. Saturday morning the girls got up earlier than normal, so I decided to take them for an impromptu trip to the zoo. This was the first time I had taken them to the zoo by myself. I take them alone all the time, but for some reason I was a little apprehensive of the zoo. We had a blast! We got to the zoo just a few minutes after it opened. The girls absolutely loved watching the animals being fed their breakfast. We also watched the dolphin show, which prompted some very wide eyes from the girls. They were super intrigued by the dolphins. All weekend they both kept saying "remember when the dolphin jumped really high out of the water" or "remember when the dolphins jumped through the big hoop". Love it!! And what trip to the Indy zoo is complete without taking a ride on the animal carrousel?

The minute we saw it Alexis declared she wanted to "sit on" the big blue fish. Addison wanted the tiger but I convinced her to ride the hummingbird by her sister.

Can you tell it was a little humid out? Those curls are back!

Love that smile!

Everytime we passed by a little stand with either facepainting or tattoos, the girls kept asking to do it. I have a seriously hard time paying $20 for something that is going to be gone a few hours later. But the girls did sucker me into doing a "handimal". I don't think they new what it was at the time, but I love them. I don't have an actual picture of the ones we did, but this was the photo on the stand....

We made butterflies. I'm currently looking for frames for them so I can put them in their room. Just having trouble finding a 7x7 frame??? After thinking about it a little, this is probably something we could of made on our own at home, but it's still a neat little souvenir. We are definitely going to try making more!

After a few hours the girls were ready to go. Oh, I forgot to mention this was also our first "real" excursion without the stroller, so their little legs were getting tired of walking. I had to take one last photo to text to Daddy to show him how much fun he was missing! It's always difficult to get them both looking at the camera (or my cell phone camera) at the same time.

If you look closely, you can see the flamingos (or Mingos as Addison says) in the background.

Vote for us!

2012-03-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

Please jump over to the multiples and more website (CLICK THE LINK HERE) and vote for my little cuties in the March photo of the month contest. Our photo is #1.

THANKS!!!

Pretend....

2012-03-14T09:52:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things right now is watching the girls play together. They are doing a lot of make believe and pretend play....like feeding and dressing their baby dolls, rocking them and telling them not to cry, pretending to make dinner like Mommy in their play kitchen....the list is endless.

Last night while we were playing outside, the girls were pretending to be Jimbo (our neighbor's dog). They would take turns petting each other, and putting each other in the "pretend" dog cage. Terry and I were cracking up just listening to them. Alexis would yell, "Jimbo stop barking so loud" or Addison would say "Jimbo roll over and you will get a treat", then she would give her a treat (which were actually grapes). Here are a few pictures of their make shift dog crate:

Addison wouldn't stop "barking" long enough for me to take her picture. You can almost hear her screaming Arfff Arfff Arff.

A Three Ring Circus....

2012-03-05T14:21:00.000-05:00

I'm forever telling Terry that our life is like a three-ringed circus. This weekend we decided to actually attend one! After doing some research online to find out what we could and could not take into the arena....I found out that the girls did not actually need a ticket. We invited Terry's parents to join us and use their tickets.

I think the girls had a great time. The circus lasted two and a half hours and they started to get bored during the last 45 minutes or so. But in all honesty, so was I. My personal opinion...It was about an hour too long!

The girls are still talking about the following things that happened at the circus....

The elephant(s) pooped..... Not once, but a bunch of times. A man with a "shobel" (shovel) has to come clean up everytime it poops.

They saw clowns named Yo-Yo, Stinky and Donald. (Donald is actually Ronald McDonald). Alexis gave Donald a high five. Addison talked to Stinky and he told her she was pretty.

They got to sit on a camel and an elephant. The camel did not poop like the elephant did. Sitting on the elephant was bumpy when he walked around.

A girl with a shiney dress did flips on a big swing.

HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES OF OUR TIME AT THE CIRCUS.....I'm so bummed that they didn't turn out better. The lighting in the area was really poor, making my pictures not so great.

Our elephant ride....I'm in the back with the girls in front of me. You can barely see Addison squished in the middle of us.

Again...us on the elephant.

Alexis telling Daddy all about getting to "sit on the elephant".

Pony rides...Alexis in the orange....you can kind of see Addison in the upper left hand corner in the green.

Talking to the clowns. They were scared at first.

The famous "Donald"....AKA Ronald McDonald.

Tigers!

Eating animal crackers and watching the tigers with Daddy.

Watching the girls on the trapeze with Pop Pop.

Waiting for their camel ride!

I love this picture of Addison's face. She was a little hestitant at first.

They loved the camel ride by the end.

Addison thought she could push/play with the ball that the elephant played with.

Addison thought it was really neat that she touched the same ball that the elephant played with.

Happy "LEAP" Day!

2012-03-01T09:48:00.000-05:00

We are LOVING the crazy temperatures here in Indiana. Yesterday topped out at nearly 70 degrees, which is almost unheard of for February. As soon as I got home from work yesterday, I grabbed the girls, and we played outside until dark. We rode bikes, went for a walk, blew bubbles and played with sidewalk chalk. Chalk is one of the girls favorites! In an attempt to help them release some pent up energy, I drew a hopscotch like design and tried to get them to "leap" and jump until they were worn out. Here are a few pictures. I apologize for the quality....they were taken on my phone.

Alexis drew about 2000 different lines on the driveway. She said she was drawing snakes and caterpillars.

At times, Addison was more interested in watching the neighbor boys who were rough housing and making lots of noise.

Teamwork? I love watching them play together!

Above two: Addison leaping away. I kept trying to capture her "mid jump" but I couldn't get it.

Above two: My little peanut, Alexis. She didn't want to go inside.

Immitation is the sincerest form of flattery....Right???

2012-02-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Lately the girls like to do EVERYTHING that I do. Cook, wash dishes, fold laundry, and their latest....Do makeup. Typically in the mornings, the girls get up while I'm still in the process of getting ready for work. Every morning is the same. It's actually makes me smile. Terry gets the girls up and dressed. I can hear them in their room. Terry tries to get them to go downstairs for breakfast. One of them will say...."we go see mommy". They come into the bathroom and everyday Addison walks in and says the same thing.... "watcha doooin Mommy? You do make up yet? I do make up too!" I started letting them play with my make up brushes to buy a little time. Letting them hang in the bathroom with me gives Terry a chance to make a pot of coffee and to get the girls breakfast ready. It's one of my favorite parts of the day. This morning I tried to capture them "doing make up" on my phone. Alexis apparently wasn't awake enough to have her photo taken, but Addison was all about it. She said she was closing her eyes like I do when I put my powder on. It truly amazes me how they notice every little detail.

1st Snowman

2012-02-14T09:25:00.000-05:00

I just got this picture via text message on my phone. While I'm fortunate that I have a job, I hate missing out on all the fun stuff my family does without me. This morning it was creating their first snowman.

Not the best quality picture but it was enough to bring a huge smile to my face. Terry said he took much better pictures with the real camera. Stay tuned....I will post them soon!

Happy Valentine's Day!

When did they......???

2012-02-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

Terry and I keep asking each other questions lately that all seem to start with the same thing....

"When did they.....".

For example, when did they become so independent, when did they get that attitude, when did they learn that? I could keep going. With every "when did they" question we ask, we thank God that our little kiddos are thriving and doing well. It's hard to believe that my tiny little babies are almost three.

Our most recent question....

When did these little girls who used to share a swing get so big???

THEN.....

NOW...

Play Doh Time!

2012-01-26T09:16:00.001-05:00

This past weekend the girls caught another nasty flu bug. They weren't feeling well and were just completely bored with being at home. I refuse to be one of those parents who takes their kids out even when they are sick. In my opinion, if you are sick you need to stay home as to not spread your germs to the rest of the world. So in search of something to do at home....we played with play doh. I'm not sure why we have never done this before, but this was the girls first experience with play doh and they loved it! They sat in their high chairs (which by the way are almost too small for them now) for almost ninety minutes playing with the doh. They kept telling me how squishy it was and made numerous pretend pizzas and getty (spaghetti).

Anyone have any other fun indoor activities? I'm all ears!

Crisis Averted!

2012-01-24T10:43:00.001-05:00

Lately the girls have really been into trains. Numerous times everyday you can hear at least one of my girls running around the house yelling "All Aboard" or "CHOO CHOO". A few days ago, Alexis was playing with her Thomas the train that she got for Christmas. She loves this particular Thomas. He runs on batteries and will not stop. He will keep going on the carpet and if it runs into something it flips and starts heading another direction. This particular evening, I was cooking dinner and I hear the girls giggling. I figured they were up to no good, so I went into the living room to see them playing trains with Jynxie (our cat). Alexis was on the left side of the living room and Addison was on the right side. Jynxie was laying in the middle of the floor. They were running the train back and forth watching Jynx freak out and bat at it with her paws. Every time that Jynx would start meowing the girls would giggle.

After being reassured that they weren't actually causing mischief I went back to working on dinner. A few minutes later, Addison comes into the kitchen and tells me that Alexis has a train on her head. I didn't really think much of it at the time. I just kind of blew it off. Then a few minutes later Alexis comes into the kitchen crying.... "Mommy, I have train on my head." Sure enough....She had a train on her head and that train was wrapped around and around and around her hair. As I previously mentioned....this Thomas does not stop! He also didn't stop when his wheels got tangled in Alexis' hair. It keep running and running until I turned him off. We spent close to 20 minutes trying to untangle Thomas from Alexis' hair. I was so close to getting the scissors. But thankfully we didn't have to cut her hair! It was so funny at first that I had to take a few pictures. And then the real craziness began....trying to get Lex to sit still so we could get Thomas out. Oh how this little girl really keeps me on my toes!!

PreSchool....

2012-01-16T15:35:00.001-05:00

I can't hardly believe that the time has arrived to enroll my little girls in preschool. I've said it before, but it really does honestly seem like just yesterday that they barely fit in the palm of my hand.....their tiny heads were barely the size of a pool ball...their bodies weren't much longer than a standard sheet of paper....and their lives in general were oh so fragile. There were so many times that we weren't sure that we would leave the hospital as a family of four.....and now, we are enrolling in preschool. It seems so surreal and we are truly and genuinely blessed.

I was casually talking to a friend a few weeks before Christmas. She asked me where the girls were enrolled at. At that point, the thought of preschool hadn't even entered my mind. We've always planned to have the girls start school in the Fall of 2012. I figured that I had a ton of time to do my research and pick the appropriate school. NOPE! Never did it occur to me that I should of been looking for a school several years ago. WOW! What an eye opener. A lot of the schools here have 12-36 month wait lists. I seriously couldn't believe it!

So, last Thursday, Terry and I did a few preschool tours and picked one that we really like. I went armed with a list of questions for each director, but in the end our decision was purely based on our gut instincts. Not to say that they don't have an excellent curriculum, but we honestly just want the girls to have fun. In our eyes, the purpose of preschool is not only to learn, but to interact with other kids and to learn social skills. In a few of the schools we toured, the kids were like robots. They were all sitting perfectly still in their chairs, hands folded on their laps, and acting like if they moved a muscle they would be punished. Yes, I want my kiddos to have discipline, but I also want them to have fun. We were looking for a casual learning environment with a pre-kindergarten curriculum.

I also was extremely shocked at the level of security a preschool environment has. I do appreciate that no random stranger will be able to grab my girls, but it also makes me sad that our world has to incorporate such strict policies because of a few idiots. One place has fingerprint identity. During enrollment, each child and their parents are fingerprinted. When picking up your kid(s), each child places their thumb on this little computer screen. The parents finger print must match the corresponding child for them to be released to you. Kind of cool, but still makes me sad.

Until now, I never fully understood when everyone told me to enjoy them being little because they grow up so fast. I still can't believe we are less than three months away from them turning three. I guess time really does fly when you are having fun!!

Bubble Wrap...

2012-01-10T08:52:00.004-05:00

A late Christmas present was delivered to the house today for the girls. They had a blast popping the bubble wrap this evening. It's so fun to watch them discover new things. If I only knew....I would have got them bubble wrap and cardboard boxes for Christmas instead. :-)

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Bicycle time...

2012-01-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned many times how very fortunate we are to be the recipients of a lot of girl clothing, toys, and tons of other items. Terry's sister has twin girls and we are so grateful to them for passing down their old items to us.

For Christmas the girls got "new to them" tricycles. They have been begging to go outside and ride since the day they got them. Unfortunately, it has been way to cold until yesterday to let them go out and play. They had a blast! We were all loving the unseasonably warm weather and the ability to get out of the house for awhile. We played outside for several hours last night and for several hours today. The girls were having so much fun that they didn't want to come inside and take a bath. After bath time they insisted on riding their bikes in the kitchen. Here are a few pictures and a video...

Earlier in the week the girls went to the museum with Terry's parents. They had a train exhibit there. The girls love trains! They got a conductor's hat that they pretty much haven't taken off since. You can see the hat in a few of the above pictures. They seriously won't go anywhere without those hats!

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What's more fun than catching snow flakes on your tongue....

2011-12-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

One of the things I hate most about being a working Mommy is all the fun stuff I miss out on with my girls. Today, it was their first experience playing in the snow.

Today we got our first significant snowfall this season. It's mostly gone now, but the girls had a great time playing outside. I love the phone calls that I get at work when they are so excited to tell me what they just did. I just hate the fact that I miss out on being a part of it. Here are a few pictures that Terry took to capture their fun....

My favorite....

Bounce U...

2011-12-24T22:32:00.001-05:00

Friday evening we took the girls to a local bouncy house. We were scoping out a possible location for their birthday party next year as well as hoping to let them jump off some pent up energy! We all had a blast and slept very well that night. It was kind of hard to get great pictures because the girls were constantly on the go but here are a few as well as a video....

No fear these kiddos!

She looks petrified but was seriously having a blast!

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Magical....

2011-12-23T12:21:00.002-05:00

I can't tell you how much fun we are having in our house this holiday season!!! While I'm not 100% sure that the girls fully understand the concept of Christmas, it absolutely melts my heart watching them trying to comprehend it all. Here are just a few thing that I need to document:

I've tried to incorporate the birth of Jesus story into our holiday traditions. While playing Santa is super fun, I also want my girls to understand the "real" reason for the season. We have two nativity scenes in our home. One is "supposed" to be off limits to tiny hands, and one is the little people toy nativity scene. The girls love to sing "Happy to you" (their version of Happy Birthday) to baby Jesus. They know that Baby Jesus has a birthday soon. They also know that there is usually cake involved when we celebrate a birthday. Addison has requested a "shock-lat" (chocolate) cake. The Baby Jesus figurine has also been MIA in our house on numerous occasions. Last night I found him in the freezer.

The girls LOVE Christmas lights and decorations. The first house you see when you enter our neighborhood has a few of those large blow up decorations. One of them is a polar bear with Santa sitting on it and the other is a penguin with a Christmas tree. The other night we took the girls to get hair cuts. For whatever reason the penguin wasn't on. I thought Alexis was going to freak out. She kept saying "penguin broken". Luckily when we came home the penguin was inflated and all was right with the world.

I made Christmas cookies Monday evening. I always try to let the girls "help". This usually ends up causing me more work in the end, but I love getting the girls involved. I look at it as a teaching opportunity. We always count everything. Two eggs, 3 cups......the girls love this! Every night since then, Alexis has declared that we need to "cook more cookies".

The girls like to point out everything Christmas related. For example: If they see a snowman, they point and say "Mommy, look a snowman". Same thing for Angels, Snowflakes, Santa, Christmas trees and a million other holiday related items. Last weekend after reading bedtime stories, Addison declares that she sees and angel in her room. I asked her where? She pointed to a little angel ornament that is setting on a shelf in their room. This particular angel ornament was left at the girls bedside while they were in the NICU. It has been on the shelf since they came home. Terry told Addison that we got that angel when she was a baby. He also told the girls that the angel is on that shelf to remind us of how lucky we are, because they were so tiny when they were babies. Not only did hearing that conversation bring tears to my eyes.....but every night since then, one of the girls will point to the angel and say "Angel, tiny babies". I'm tearing up just typing this.

I'm sure I will have a several more of these little holiday things that I want to document over the next week or so. Here are a few pictures of the girls from our recent trip to see Santa..... Happy Holidays to you all!!!

My tiny dancers....

2011-12-21T11:27:00.000-05:00

Several months ago the girls started taking dance classes at Wishes Dance Studio. I have no clue why it hasn't occured to me to blog about it until now. Seriously, a super cute program for little toddlers! The class is 40 minutes long, which in my opinion is the perfect length of time for my kiddos. It keeps their attention for just long enough before they are ready to move on to other things.

Each week of their class has a different theme... ballet week, fairy week, hula week, tea party week, princess week, stuffed animal week etc. etc. Each class includes learning new dance techniques, story time and ends with a little coloring time. The girls have really enjoyed dancing and are looking forward to the new class sessions starting.

Here are a few pictures.

CRAFT TIME...

2011-12-16T12:47:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been reading about a lot of people making homemade Christmas ornaments. Last night Terry was going out with some friends and I figured the girls and I would have some "craft time". I got the idea from a fellow blogger, whom followed this recipe. Like her, I felt that the recipe needed a little more water to help the dough take shape. The girls had a great time helping me measure out the ingredients. Rather than kneading out the dough, we let the dough hook on my fancy mixer do all the work.

Alexis waiting for the mixer to do it's work. She told me several times that it was taking too long.

Addison checking out the dough's progress. Yes, she insisted on wearing that hat all evening long. She put her bib on just in case she made a mess.

Before they went into the oven..... The dough was kind of sticky. If we do this again, I would probably recommend spraying your child's hand with cooking spray first if possible. The dough really stuck onto their hands. We had to do Alexis' a few times. Rather than pressing her hand into the dough she wanted to smoosh her hand into it and squeeze.

UPDATED: I forgot to originally add....I also baked these for probably an hour and 15 minutes to make sure they were hard enough. The recipe states 45 minutes. At 45 minutes they were still relatively soft

Terry came home during the middle of our process. I had a tiny bit of dough left so we decided to make a family ornament with all of our thumb prints. It didn't turn out great but I didn't want to waste the dough.

Terry laughed at my chart that I drew to remember who's hand print is who's.

The almost finished product. After the girls went to bed I started painting them. I knew better than to let the girls attempt to paint them by themselves. Painting in our house always turns into a ginormous mess. I didn't have any white paint on hand to paint the middles. I'm hoping to get that done tonight.

We are having a great holiday season at our house. I love all the traditions we are starting and the memories we are creating. I'm not sure the girls fully grasp the concept of Christmas yet, but it has been so fun to watch them as the begin to understand the meaning of the season.

ABC'S....

2011-12-09T20:41:00.000-05:00

Terry and I have been working with the girls on learning their Abc's and counting. I've really been trying to get it on video. Tonight I got it. Yes, I did have to bribe Addison with a cookie to get her to comply. You will see proof of that at the end of the video.

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Thanksgiving Part 2

2011-12-02T09:37:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure who had more fun on our trip to Missouri?? You be the judge....

Grandma had two little helpers anytime she set foot into the kitchen. This particular day I believe they were helping to make french toast. Alexis is hysterical when cracking eggs. She's getting better, we eat fewer and fewer eggshells with each meal she helps prepare.

I'm not really sure what was going on in the above pictures. I came into the dinning room to find Gamma and the girls reading under the table??? For someone who used to tell me not to sit so close to the TV because my eyes would explode in my head....she didn't seem to concerned about my girls eyes, while reading under the dark table? Just saying.....

Coloring with Gamma.

I'm kinda bummed that this picture didn't turn out better. Addison keeps asking us when she can ride on Grampa's tractor (lawn mower) again.

We also made a trip out to Eureka to visit Santa's Magical Kingdom. If you are in the area and you have never been there, this place is really neat. It's a park that has been converted into a winter wonderland with over eight million lights. It's a few miles long and took us about 30 minutes to drive through. Below are some videos. The quality of the videos are horrible because it was dark and had just started to rain. But make sure to turn your volume up to hear the girls reactions to the lights.

Thanksgiving Part 1

2011-12-01T09:11:00.000-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving we made a trip out to Missouri to see my family. My family celebrated Thanksgiving on Sunday which worked out perfectly for us. We were able to drive out on Thursday while most people were at home, leaving us with a traffic free drive. We came back on Monday, again while most people were working, allowing us to have a great drive. The girls did awesome on the almost five hour drive. We were very happy that we didn't experience any car sickness and the girls were generally very happy to watch DVDs most of the way.

Friday in Missouri was absolutely gorgeous. Who can complain about 65 degree weather in the end of November? We decided to join Aunt Paula, Cousin Luke, Aunt Sandy and Grandpa at the park. Grandma was nice enough to help out with the girls the night before. Alexis woke up in the middle of the night confused and scared. She wasn't sure where she was. Grandma let Terry and I sleep and took care of Lex. She unfortunately decided to stay home and take a nap. Here are some pictures from our fun time at Suson Park in St. Louis.

Luke and Alexis on the 'ole tree stump.

Luke, Lex and Addison on the tree stump.

Aunt Sandy and Addison looking at the horse.

Aunt Paula and Alexis. Love Lex's eyes in this picture. She was not sure about that thing!

There was a big sign that said don't climb on the tractor. Even though the girls can't read, I'm sure this is why they had to climb on it.

Grandpa and the kiddos.

Feeding the ducks.

Love feeding the ducks. Both my kiddos also decided to eat some of the bread.

Terry thought the duck with the mohawk was pretty cool. He took most of these pictures.

Looking for fishies on the bridge.

What trip to the park would be complete without playing on the slide? Thanks Aunt Sandy for climbing to the top and helping them down!

Don't you just want to squeeze those cheeks?

Addison thought the monkey bars were pretty cool. She almost didn't need anyone holding her up.

My little monkey. She will climb on anything!

Love that smile!

See....Monkey!

One of my favs.... left to right, Addison, Grandpa, Aunt Paula, Cousin Luke, Aunt Sandy, Alexis and Me.

An attempt at a family picture.

We had a great time at the park and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather. Part two with more pictures from Thanksgiving coming soon!!

Rough Week!

2011-11-17T13:33:00.001-05:00

Our poor little Addison has had a rough week. It all started last Saturday evening (the 12th). We had planned on attending a bonfire that was a work function. I had the girls all loaded up in the car. No sooner than I got onto the highway....BAM vomit city!! Every inch of Addison and her car seat, were covered in vomit. I immediately got off at the first exit and headed right back home. I didn't really think a whole lot of it because Addison is prone to car sickness, she didn't have a fever and she was acting perfectly fine.

On both Sunday and Monday we had another couple bouts with vomiting but she again had no fever and was acting perfectly fine. She was eating fine, and other than the vomiting she was fine. We just thought she had a small flu bug and were keeping a close eye on her.

Tuesday morning as soon as I get to work (shortly after 9), I get a call from my mother in law. She said that Addison was lethargic, shaking, and constantly crying. Addison is always such a happy girl so I immediately knew something was really wrong. I called the pediatrician and made an appointment for 12:20. I called back home to let them know about the 12:20 appointment. By that time Terry and Linda had decided to take her to immediate care and not wait for the 12:20 appointment. The immediate care doctor rushed Addison to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital. By this time, I've left work and I'm driving 85 miles an hour to find out what is wrong with my little girl. (Thanks Jody for reminding me to slow down and breathe)

Long story short, My little sweet girl was admitted for a very serious viral infection, labored breathing and severe dehydration. Our ER doctor reminded us once again that "once a preemie, always a preemie". He said that her little lungs just couldn't handle it and what might be just a routine flu bug for most kids, really hit her like a ton a bricks. While I'm so thankful that my girls continue to thrive, I'm also reminded that "once a preemie always a preemie" and to never let my guard down. This is something a lot of people just don't understand!!

Here are a few pictures of our chaotic few days:

Addison's and her IV cast. She was such a trooper during this whole process. I guarantee that I cried a whole lot more than she did!!

Thank goodness for piglet! He also got an IV cast. I can not say enough positive things about this hospital! Everyone there was so incredible.

Poor thing! You can't tell it but her eyes are actually open in this picture. She was so pitiful!

Starting to perk up a little. Showing Daddy her ouch-eee on her arm.

Once we got home we were all exhausted! This picture proves it 100%.

Addison told me she was going to sleep in her cabinet. I didn't believe her. I just thought she was going to play with her toys in the cabinet.

We have one cabinet in our kitchen that is the girls for their "cooking stuff".

Nope, she was serious....she climbed right into her cabinet and went to sleep.

We are all grateful to be back home now and on the mend. Alexis has also had a few small episodes with vomiting but nothing as major as Addison. For now we have stocked up on Popsicles, jello and crackers and we count our blessings that it wasn't nearly as serious as it could have been.

On another note:

Due to the fact that I have been MIA because of this whole hospitalization thing, I haven't had a chance to promote my Shutterfly giveaway. I will keep the contest open until next Monday, November 21st. At that time not two..... but three winners will be announced. CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Give Away Time....

2011-11-02T10:28:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again, where I begin scrambling to find the perfect outfits to put together our annual holiday photos. Obviously for some reason, I feel compelled to wear a red sweater every year?? Might need to switch that up this time.

I love looking back at our holiday cards and reflecting on how far we have come.....

2009 Holiday Card

2010 Holiday Card

One great thing that I don't have to worry about is designing my cards. The past two years I have used Shutterfly to help create my Christmas cards. Even for the working mom, who finds herself technologically challenged at times...IT'S SUPER EASY AND FUN!

All I have to do is pick the perfect photos and pop them into the pre-designed cards and viola! a perfect family memento. In years past, we have also designed mugs and key chains for the family as gifts. Grandparents LOVE these keepsakes. Shutterfly has tons of photo gifts that you can personalize with your own family photos to make your own.

For those of you who prefer to send "holiday cards" as opposed to Christmas cards, Shutterfly has awesome options to help! With thousands of different design ideas, there is sure to be something that will fit you and your family perfectly.

Shutterfly's original and distinctive designs make a great choice when you want to leave a lasting impression. This holiay season show your friends and family they mean more to you than an email or a store-bought card, and send a personalized photo card that reflects your unique style. Peruse their collection of personalized Christmas Cards, and photos gifts today!

AND NOW FOR THE FUN PART!!!

I have been invited by Shutterfly to offer two of my readers with 25 FREE holiday cards from Shutterfly!!!

Here is what you need to do to enter....

1. Become a follower of this blog. You MUST be a follower to win!

2. Leave me a comment on this blog post with your email address to contact you if you win.

3. In your comment let me know if you are a new follower or an old. If new, let me know how you found my blog....If old, let me know how long you have been following.

Winners will be chosen via a random drawing and notified by email on or after November 15, 2011. So be sure to get your entries in before November 15th. GOOD LUCK!!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T21:24:00.000-04:00

Due to the fact that I've been under the weather with bronchitis, which seems like it has hit me like a ton of bricks.....I'm severely behind on my blogging. I'm hoping to catch up soon!

Our Halloween started with Mommy taking a sick day from work, not sure if she would actually make it out trick or treating with the kiddos. So far the only downside I have found to being a parent, is that you don't get a sick day from being a Mommy. We spent most of the day like this....

I finally convinced myself that if I didn't go with the girls that I would regret it later. So we headed out. Here are a few pictures. They aren't the greatest but I was struggling to chase the kiddos, take pictures and be sick all at the same time. The girls had a blast.... Addison saying "trick my feet" her version of trick or treat smell my feet, and Alexis saying "treat or treat".

One of our neighbors had dressed up like a witch. Addison ran the other way screaming "she scary mommy she scary", Alexis wasn't quite sure but wasn't about to pass up getting her candy.

Pumpkin Patch Part DOS...

2011-10-14T21:49:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday we visited the actual pumpkin patch. The girls took a hayride out to the field to pick their pumpkins. They both had a blast! We love this place because there are a ton of fun activities for the kiddos. As promised here are more pictures....

Addison driving the tractor.

Addison not interested in roping the bull.

Alexis spotted the petting zoo.

Alexis wanted to touch EVERYTHING!! Here she is petting a mini pony, while I sent Terry back to the car for the hand sanitizer. Yes, I'm a germaphob!

In the corn maze.

This picture shows little Miss Alexis and her attitude. She always puts her hands on her hips when she wants something.

Addison waiting for our turn on the hayride.

The girls thought the hay stacks were cool.

Alexis was adamant that she wanted to sit by herself.

Addison picking her pumpkin.

Alexis in the petting zoo. Addison didn't want any part of this, but Lex was chasing those things like crazy.

My favorite picture of the trip!

We originally started out with the girls in the wagon, but decided to leave it back in the car. This was our first excursion without a stroller or a wagon and the girls did incredible.

The pumpkins the girls picked out. We opted for less mess and no carving this year!

Pumpkin Patch Part UNO...

2011-10-10T20:58:00.000-04:00

This weekend we visited two local pumpkin patches. In an attempt to enjoy what we think is going to be the last nice weekend, we wanted to be outside as much as possible. The first patch we visited is nothing more than a church parking lot with pumpkins on the grass. We visit this local patch every year, since all the proceeds go to supporting a local food pantry. I'm hoping to have the pictures from our trip to the "real" pumpkin patch and our hayride up later this week. We took over 300 pictures between our two trips. I had trouble picking out my favorites. Here are a few of the best pictures:

Alexis always picked up the pumpkins that were a little off.

Addison liked the ones that weren't orange.

How can you not love this face?

Climbing on them was so much fun. Not sure the owners appreciatted it much.

Addison wanted to get a baby one.

Failed attempt to get a picture of them both in the pumpkins. Sadly, this is the best one I got.

The wagon ride was "super fun" according to Addison.

When we got home, we decided to take a walk around our neighborhood. The fall colors this year seem to be amazingy vibrant. Terry showed the girls how to play in the leaves....

Love this little Sassy Pants...

Another attempt at a photo of them both.

Addison trying to carry her loot.

The girls had so much fun playing in the leaves on Saturday that they had to do it again on Sunday. Love this photo!! I wish I could capture the giggles and sqeals of excitement. I only wish I had a video of this.

Stay tuned for part two soon!!!

"Chalk" it up to One Fun Day!!!

2011-10-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the four of us enjoyed some outside time. It's been really cool here lately, so we were excited for a sunny and rain free day.

The girls were ecstatic to "draw" outside. But now I'm now having a little trouble explaining to them the difference of why it's ok to draw on things outside but it's not ok to draw on anything other than a coloring book inside.

Addison helping to complete the elephant.

Alexis found a dandelion in the yard and was super excited about it.

Then she realized she could blow all the seeds off of it...

The finished elephant. Created by Terry and Addison.

Alexis told me to draw a boat. This was the best I could do.

Addison wanted a punk-in. Her new obsession is with pumpkins.

Love these two photos!

Terry was super proud of his elephant that he made with Addison that he said it deserves two photos!

We all had a blast playing outside with chalk.

I've quickly learned that chalk is only to be played with on bath night.

The Apple doesn't fall far from the tree....

2011-10-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

Just like thier Mommy, both the girls have major sweet tooth's.

They both were all smiles after enjoying some homemade chocolate pudding. To say that it was a mess, is quite the understatement!!!

Shopping....

2011-09-12T15:25:00.001-04:00

Over the last few months, many of the appliances in our house have begun to crap out. Most recently, our refrigerator has been failing to perform up to par. I've known this for awhile and haven't done much about it. This past weekend we decided we needed to purchase a new fridge before we were left without one. This involved a trip to Sears in our local mall. The girls were super excited. They know the mall has a fun play area and lots of rides. After selecting our new fridge we let the girls loose in the play area......

(sorry for the quality....all pictures in this blog post were taken from my phone)

I typically don't give in to letting the girls play on rides when we go to the store, but in this case, they had been so well behaved in the store we decided they deserved a treat.

Alexis really wasn't so sure about the horse.

Addison wanted to take the horse home with us.

Loved the Mickey car.

The girls loved this race car until Terry turned it on.

It was moving and shaking and they were not having any part of that.

Addison couldn't get enough of Mickey. She kept saying "hug Mickey, hug Mickey".

So in two weeks, we will have a brand spanking new, top 'o the line refrigerator. Fingers crossed that our existing fridge doesn't totally crap out before then.

Labor Day Weekend 2011.....

2011-09-07T10:19:00.000-04:00

This weekend we did a lot of just "hanging out" around the house...

But we did have a fun visit from Grandma and Grandpa. The weather was rather so random this weekend. Saturday it was 102 degrees outside. Then a cold front came through and Sunday and Monday it was barely 65 degrees. We did take advantage of the cooler weather and made a trip to the zoo. It was so strange to have to put jackets on the girls when just a few days prior it was so miserably hot.

I SOOOO wish that I would of had the video camera readily accessible when we made our first stop. We were in an outside area that was surrounded by large glass windows. A few people were gathered around the windows so we went to check it out. There was a large tiger just pacing back and forth in front of the windows. Addison walked right up to the window and yelled "WOW, A TIGER!". It was one of those things you had to actually see to understand how excited she was. Alexis kept saying "hold you tiger, hold you tiger", which means she wanted to hold and pet the tiger. I love experiencing the zoo through the eyes of two, two year olds. Watching them enjoy seeing new animals is so priceless.

Once the girls saw the train, we knew that there was no way we were going to escape without taking a ride. Here are a few pictures of the train ride and our day at the zoo:

Grandpa and Alexis on the train.

Addison and Me in front,

Grandma, Grandpa and Alexis in back.

Me and Little Miss Sunshine.

Addison in the big snake.

Alexis wanted to pet the snake.

Playing in the big snake.

Addison wanted to touch everything.

Watching the dolphins.

Lex looking at the polar bear.

Watching the fishies.

Love that Alexis gets so excited. She kept pointing at everything.

More fish watching.

Petting the sharks.

This was really neat. I think the girls were just excited to be playing in water. I don't think Alexis actually got to touch a shark. One came right by us, and when Alexis reached out to grab it, I freaked out and pulled her back. My protective insticts kicked in a little too strongly.

Grandma and Grandpa with Addison. Grandma got yelled at for holding onto the shark's fin for too long.

More shark petting.

Over all a great weekend! So glad the cooler weather is back, but not looking forward to the project of pulling out and washing all the fall/winter clothes for the girls.

You decide....

2011-08-25T15:46:00.001-04:00

When coffee creamer cups become building blocks.....

Does this mean Mommy drinks too much coffee???

Or does this mean Mommy is using creamer cups as a diversionary tactic to keep two little busy bodies occupied until the food comes???? You decide!!

NICU Reunion 2011...

2011-08-22T14:31:00.001-04:00

You may remember reading my previous posts about our family attending the annual St. Vincent Women's Hospital NICU reunion.

(If not they can be found here.... 2009 reunion and 2010 reunion)

This is definitely an annual tradition in our home. It truly is incredible to celebrate so many miracles in one location. God's handywork was definitely on display all morning.

It's surreal to me to go back and look at how much the girls have changed in the past two years.

It was so great to see all the doctors and nurses who took such great care of our kiddos. An eternal gratitude is not even close to explaining how we feel about each and everyone who cared for our precious girls like they were their own.

Here are a few pictures...

Addison on her pony. The pony's name was Sunshine. She kept repeatedly asking for Sunshine the remainder of the day.

Addison

Alexis not quite so sure.

After dismounting her horse...Alexis kept saying "sit on, sit on". She wanted to keep sititng on the horse.

No fear this child....I think we came close to losing a few fingers. She was so eager to pet the mini-pony.

Alexis was mesmerized with the pony that was her size.

The girls also spent a few minutes attacking a bunny.

Of course the famous train ride where the parents have to squeeze into a car way to small. Alexis was so intense with the steering wheel.

Addison ready to roll.

Two of the most amazing nurses ever. Carrie on the left holding Alexis and Liz on the right holding Addison. Liz was our primary day nurse.

The duck pond.

Addison just couldn't choose. She told Terry... "I take all duckies".

Addison gave the Fire Pup a big hug. Alexis was petrified of him.

One of the most amazing woman ever, and our girls. Lisa was our primary night nurse and is still a huge means of support to our family.

Dr. DeSanto, Nurse Lisa and our girls.

Dr DeSanto was one of our primary doctors in the NICU. You may remember this post (click here to read) that my Mom wrote a few years ago. Dr. DeSanto was the one who told us about the initial findings of Addison's brain bleed. She was also the doctor who told us that Addison would probably never walk or use the left side of her body.

When we ran into Dr. DeSanto she imediately remembered our case. She quickly asked how things were going and if the girls have any residual preemie issues. She told us that having to give us that bad news was one of the worst days of her career. She said she remembers it like it was yesterday. She continued to tell us that God is the only explanation because what she saw in those test results just doesn't go away. Good thing I had my sunglasses on because the tears were flowing out of my eyes.

The girls can't pass by a slide without giving it a try. Addison was having a blast.

Alexis wouldn't get off the slide. This girl can spot a playground a mile away.

Both girls loved these quack quacks.

This always is such an amazing event designed to recognize the strength and accomplishements of former patients of the NICU and allows all families to reconnect with other NICU families and the staff members who cared for their children.

As always, it was great to see all our doctors and nurses again. It really does take a special type of person to be a NICU employee

State Fair....

2011-08-19T11:54:00.000-04:00

I'm sure by now you have all seen the below video of the tragedy at our local state fair.

http://www.theindychannel.com/video/28859295/index.html

After attempting to go to the zoo on Monday, only to find that they had closed early, I was a little leery of heading to the fair instead. I had the girls all pumped up to see animals so we had to find some form of backup plan to appease their requests to see some animals.

Terry quickly suggested that we go to the fair. After the horror stories that I had been seeing and hearing on the news, I was a little nervous about going. I'm not sure why, but I just didn't want to go. The girls were in the back of the car begging to see animals so I agreed.

I'm not really sure how it happened, but Terry and I ended up being ushered into the park grounds and directed into a media parking area. No joke, we parked next to at least 75 television news vans from all over the country doing stories about the tragedy that had happened a mere two days before. There was a very quiet calmness that lurked around the area where the stage once was. I wish I could find the words to describe how creepy that feeling was.

They had this area roped off but we were still able to get strangely close to it. I'm convinced that since we somehow parked in the media area, we weren't really supposed to be where we were.

Immediately tears welled up in my eyes. I wanted to go to this concert, but because of our trip to Chicago I didn't. My heart was (and still is) aching for all the families that lost loved ones or had a family member or friend injured in this horrific fluke accident caused by mother nature. I felt the strange need to kiss my kids and give Terry a ginormous hug. There really are no words to explain it. I even caught Terry with a small tear running down his cheek.

*********************

Any who... The girls had a fantastic time walking around all the animal barns. We saw the worlds largest and second largest pig. Addison's words explain it perfectly, she pointed and yelled...

"BIG FAT PIG". The pig's bodyguard actually burst out laughing. Yes, the pig does have a body guard! Weird I know!

One of my absolute favorite things at the fair is corn. I don't know why... but a big fat ear of corn, soaked in butter is so much better at the fair than it is at home. Once we left the swine barn, we ran into a booth that was selling corn. Terry and I both got an ear. Alexis immediately started yelling, "bite, bite bite". I didn't figure they would like it since they have never really eaten corn well at home. Needless to say we ended up going back to the booth and buying two more ears of corn. They girls also enjoyed pigging out on other fair food such as corn dogs, french fries, funnel cakes and ice cream.

Sadly I had forgotten my camera at home and my cell phone battery was getting low so I was only able to capture a few pictures.

When we were leaving the fair we were once again reminded of the horrific events that had happened just a few days prior. Our prayers continue to go out to all the victims of the tragedy at the fair.

My two Princesses...

2011-08-16T16:53:00.001-04:00

This past weekend we made our way up to Chicago to celebrate our twin niece's (Greta and Amelia) fifth birthday. Our kiddos were invited to join in the celebration at their very first princess party!

Our girls were such troopers in the car on the way. Despite being stuck in Chicago traffic for over an hour and a half, the girls did great minus one small vomit issue from Miss Addison.

Addison appears to have inherited her mother's aptitude for getting car sick. Luckily I saw it coming and was able to grab a cup to mitigate some of the damage. She still was in need of an immediate bath upon arrival, and her stuffed piglet doll also took a quick bath in Aunt Gretchen's wash machine.

*****quick note and a big thank you to my good friend sherri for helping me hem the girls dresses. i couldn't of figured it out without her help!*****

Here are a few pictures....

The very cool "gates" upon entering the party.

The girls and Ga Ga. (Terry's Mom)

An attempt at a family photo. Not the best but it was all we got.

Both girls were obsessed with the balloons.

Addison and her cousin Greta.

Addison people watching.

Alexis checking everything out.

My Girls with the birthday girls. Amelia in pink and Greta in blue.

The very cute princess crown cupcakes.

Alexis and her droopy eyes. She was so tired.

Lex again.

My little Miss Addison.

Best Friends. I'm still shocked that they wore those crowns for as long as they did.

A very intense conversation between Addison and Pop. (Terry's Dad)

The Limbo

The girls watching the real live princess that was at the party.

Alexis and Ga. This is Alexis' cheese face. Luckily we had brought a change of clothes for the girls. They were getting very hot in their princess dresses.

Getting pedicures at the party.

Sitting for story time with the princess.

And here are a few videos.....

If you're happy and you know it....

*B*I*N*G*O*

Alexis was all over the place and wouldn't sit still for too long.

My little jumping bean. Addison is constantly jumping all the time now. This video captures it perfectly. Again, poor Alexis was just so tired.

We had originally planned to stay in Chicago from Saturday through Monday. Unfortunately, on Sunday afternoon the girls began to melt down. Terry made the executive decision to pack up and head back home. We were very surprised that we made great time getting out of Chicago, only to be disappointed to be stuck and parked on the highway just 30 minutes from home. Again the girls were such troopers. I really do credit their good travels to the portable dvd player we installed in the car. What a lifesaver! We finally got home around 9:15 Sunday evening.

Since I had already taken Monday off work we decided that we couldn't waste such a beautiful day.

Stay tuned for Part TWO.....

(sorry too many pictures for one blog entry)

Painting...

2011-08-13T09:38:00.004-04:00

Keeping with the theme of finding indoor activities to "beat the heat".... earlier this week, we turned to painting with water. About a month ago I found some neat puppy paint books where all you have to do is add water for the "paint" to appear. I thought this would be a perfect indoor activity to help with the boredom of being stuck in the house. The girls were in heaven, although I quickly learned that any form of painting needs to be an outdoor activity from now on.

For the first few minutes the girls were very intense about carefully placing their paint brushes into the water and precisely painting their dog pictures. Then came their version of "splatter painting"....smash the paint brush into the water cup (which was barely filled with a Tbsp of water, at most), then press the paint brush as hard as possible onto the paper and flick the water in every direction except for that of the picture. It was actually quite comical to watch.

Once my little Picasso's decided that they would try to drink their colorful paint water, we had to end the paint session for the day and headed straight to the bath.

Ring Around the Rosie.....

2011-08-10T09:56:00.000-04:00

They don't quite grasp the concept of when exactly to fall down but they have a blast "swinging" each other around. This went on for probably 30 minutes with Addison saying "I do again" about a million times. Her laugh is so contagious in our house. If it doesn't make you smile, I'm not sure what will! Please excuse my singing. I have never claimed to be a great singer!

Enjoy!

A morning at the Park....

2011-08-06T20:34:00.001-04:00

With temperatures here in Indiana being the warmest that it has been in over 25 years, we recently broke a record for the hottest summer since 1948. Today marks the 22nd day of 90 degree plus weather. We have been trying to find fun indoor activities for the girls, but this morning we decided to hit the park before it got too miserable. Even at 9:30 in the morning it was still 83 degrees, but it was at least tolerable. We found a new park that is relatively close to our house and the girls had a blast. It truly amazes me how quick and daring they are. Alexis has no fear! Addison follows her lead but usually isn't the first to try new things. Here are a few pictures from our fun morning at the park....

The park is really neat with high walkways and plenty of stuff to climb one.

Alexis freaked me out when she said she wanted to go down this slide.

Seriously...NO FEAR this kid!

Addison had to try it once she saw how much fun Alexis had.

Driving the ball pit. Turning the steering wheel makes the balls in the pit rotate.

We had some difficulty making Alexis understand that you only go down the slides not up them.

She got half way up this rock wall before I had to put the camera down and grab her.

Loving the xylophone.

And the chimes....

Addison would play the chimes and say "chime chime chime chime".

Ringing the bell.

Addison like to people watch. The big kids intrigue her.

And as you can tell by Miss Addison's hair....it was starting to get really humid so we all headed back home for lunch and a nice long nap!

Hope your weekend has been just as fun!

Out for a Walk....

2011-07-29T20:18:00.002-04:00

What I'm loving Wednesday...

2011-07-20T20:14:00.000-04:00

I'm loving that lately the girls have been super obsessed with each other. It's actually rather cute as long as both of them are into it. More often than not....Addison wants to hug Alexis and Alexis wants no part of it or vice versa. This evening they couldn't get enough of each other. It melts my heart that they are growing up to be best friends!!! I just love these two to pieces!!!

What the hell was I thinking?

2011-07-07T13:19:00.001-04:00

So, as many of you may already know (since I'm so late in blogging), we attempted our first family camping trip over the fourth of July weekend. Many months ago, some friends of ours called and asked us if we would be interested in joining them on a camp out for the weekend. Terry and I discussed it and thought, why not? Maybe we should have discussed it a little more!

Terry headed out with his friend Friday morning and I was in charge of bringing the girls out by myself on Saturday afternoon. Long story short, the girls screamed almost the entire 90 minute drive out to the campground. Once we got there they were fine. We swam a little bit, played at our campsite and just enjoyed the very hot, but none the less, beautiful day.

Here are a few pictures of camp....

Did I mention it was really hot? You can tell by my shiny face and how tight Addison's curls are.

Alexis liked climbing into the big people chairs.

We also brought the girls little picnic table thinking they would play on that. Not so much!

And then came bedtime. The girls were not having it!! After two long hours of trying to get the girls to go to sleep, I made the executive decision that I was just going to head back home. They had been crying (like crying & screaming hard) for almost 45 minutes straight and I couldn't handle it anymore. Alexis almost immediately passed out in the car. Addison cried for about 15 minutes before zonking out. About half way home, both girls woke up and screamed for at least 20 minutes. This was the most stressed I think I have been with the girls in a long time. Being alone with the girls in the middle of the night, was enough to make me thankful that I'm not a single parent raising these kiddos by myself!!

So, the girls and I spent the weekend at home and Daddy stayed at the campground. It was nice to spend some alone time with the girls by myself, but we were all happy when Terry came home Monday afternoon. Sadly, we also didn't get to show off our cute little 4th of July outfits.

Lex running away from me so I won't take her picture. This is the best one I could get of the monkey.

Tried to sneak in a quick pic while they were captivated by something on TV.

Addison's new favorite thing is to show you her muscles.

So, I'm pretty sure that I can say that we won't be attempting another camping trip for quite some time! As with all things, we operate on a trial and error basis. This one goes into the huge FAIL category!

Cake Time...

2011-06-18T20:26:00.001-04:00

I had the brillant or actually, not so brillant idea of having the girls help me bake a cake for Terry, for Father's Day. Ummm, yeah.....to say that it was a mess is an understatement!

These pictures don't fully portray the amount of chocolate goodness that was smeared everywhere. I had to make the decision on whether or not to keep taking pictures or to clean up the mess before it got totally out of control. Cleaning up the mess won!!

Pool Time/Splash Park....

2011-06-15T09:50:00.000-04:00

With the miserably hot temperatures here in Indiana lately, we've been spending a lot of time doing this......

And we've been spending a lot of time at our local splash park...

This is one of my favorite pictures ever of Addison. She was so excited.

Alexis kept trying to figure out the water. She kept saying "up down up down".

They made a new friend while we were there.

This summer is turning out to be load of fun for all of us!!

Carnival....

2011-06-11T20:59:00.000-04:00

Tonight we took the girls to a local church carnival. Despite the humidity (which you will obviously see in Addison's curls) and the warm temperatures, the girls had a great time. Terry and I always find it fascinating to experience new things with the girls. We always find it interesting to observe the perception of life through the eyes of our two year olds. Here are few pictures:

Despite the fact that Alexis looks like she is miserable in most of these pictures, she really did have a great time. I'm fairly certain that she may be like her Momma and was experiencing a little motion sickness. After the last ride (the lady bugs), we decided that we needed to give the girls a little break from all the kiddie rides which only go around in circles.

The girls were also rockin' their "micro-preemie" shirts today. We got several comments on how cute their shirts were. I designed this shirt on cafe press,after my sister Sandy showed me the local St. Louis chapter of March of Dimes recent shirt. I think they turned out great.

First Zoo Trip.....

2011-06-01T11:02:00.002-04:00

Last Saturday we made an impromptu trip to the zoo! The girls received a membership to our insanely expensive zoo for their birthday. Awesome gift! One trip to the zoo for a family of four would have cost us over $60 without food, and that even include the girls being free. Love the fact that we can go whenever we feel like it now!! The weather was halfway decent, the kiddos were in good moods, so we decided to load them up and head off to the zoo. This was the girls first time at the zoo. I can't tell you how amazing it was to see the zoo through the eyes of my two year olds. They were more and more excited with every animal we saw.

I'm not sure why, but both girls LOVE elephants. The sky started to cloud up and it began to look like rain. We wanted to make sure that we definitely saw the elephants before we left. Sadly the only pictures we took were of the elephants, but I seriously can't tell you how cool it was to watch them take in the scenery.

Before they really realized that the elephant was there.

Addison spotting the elephant for the first time.

While we were watching the elephants through this little viewing window, the large male elephant (yes, it was obvious it was a male) pooped. Not to be graphic, but If you have ever seen an elephant do #2 it's a pretty large, disgusting mess. The girls though this was pretty funny. They keep saying ewwww, elephant poop. Now whenever you ask them about their trip to the zoo, the only thing they will tell you about their visit is....elephant poop poop!

Very strategically I'm sure, the exit of the zoo is placed in a gift shop. You have to walk through the gift shop to leave. The girls proclaimed their love for these stuffed elephants. I couldn't tell them no, since it was their first trip to the zoo. Next time we may have to reevaluate our exit strategy. The girls are still carrying around their elephants. Addison even pretends that her elephant is pooping. Nice huh?

Way behind....

2011-05-25T13:10:00.000-04:00

I just realized that I neglected to do a 24 month and 25 month update on the girls. Seems like I'm running around in circles lately. But I wouldn't change one single second of it! I don't even know where to begin? There is so much about the girls that I want to document on a daily basis and by the time I think about doing it, I have forgotten what I wanted to write down. UGH!

Let's give it a try...

Height & Weight: Good question. Addison was just shy of 23 pounds when we took her to the pediatrician on April 15th for her 2 year check up. I'm guessing she is around 24 pounds right now. She was 34 1/2 inches tall at that appointment as well. The pediatrician predicts Addison's height to be 5'8".

Alexis was just shy of 24 pounds when we took her to the pediatrician on April 15th for her 2 year check up. I'm guessing she is around 25 pounds right now. She was 34 1/4 inches tall at that appointment as well. The pediatrician predicts Alexis's height to be 5'7".

Both girls have become pretty finicky eaters lately. They both still love their fruits and veggies, but getting any form of meat into them has become near impossible. They both constantly ask for Mac N Cheese. Whenever they get Mac N Cheese, they say "yummy tummy". It also includes an adorable rubbing of their little bellies.

Addison still despises her crib tent. (I need to take a picture of these to post) Several weeks back the girls discovered they could climb out of their cribs. Terry and I made the executive decision that they are/were not ready to be in toddler beds yet. We purchased crib tents to help with this issue. Addison is not a fan.

Addison is a serious chatter box. Talks non-stop. I love it. She cracks me up with some of the things she says. Last Sunday night, Terry was mowing the yard. It was nasty, hot and humid. Terry had his shirt off. The girls were watching him in the backyard through the window. Addison looked at me and said "Daddy vacuum outside?" She wasn't quite sure what he was doing. Then after a few minutes she said "shirt off, shirt off", and was trying to take her shirt off. Once I told her that she needed to keep her shirt on, she pointed outside and said "Daddy shirt off". She wanted to take her shirt off like Daddy. She didn't understand the concept that it's ok for boys to be topless but not little girls. At least once a day, Addison pipes up with some funny comment. It's so fun to watch that little brain work and watch as they finally comprehend something. Love it!

Alexis is still struggling with her speech. She has gotten better but really struggles. This breaks my heart! Alexis trys so hard to communicate with us verbally and gets so frustrated when we can understand or figure out what she saying. We are hoping the speech therapy will help her. I will blog about that another day. I'm in the process of fighting the system and once I win that battle I will explain more. Until then, we continue to work with Alexis to help her verbally. Watching her struggle is like ripping a knife through my chest.

Addison has become the bully of the two lately. She doesn't want to share. Anything Alexis has she immediately wants. She pushes, yells and hits. We are really working on this, but are finding it to be very difficult to make her understand what sharing is. Alexis is so patient and laid back. 99% of the time she will let Addison have whatever it is she wants. The other 1% of the time she gets really mad! Recently, Addison kept taking every toy Alexis had. Alexis would go get something else. Addison would take it away. After getting about 5 or 6 different toys and having Addison steal them from her, Alexis got fed up. She walked right over to Addison, ripped the toy from her hand, grabbed her arm and bit it. I guess she can only take so much??

While Addison has become the bully she also has developed a very caring and nuturing side to her personality lately. She always makes sure that everyone is "ok". A few nights ago, I stubbed my toe on our kitchen island. I yelled. I've been very good at not cursing, but I did yell. Addison came up to me, patted my leg and said "Mommy ok?". She proceeded to ask me, "Mommy boo boo?" I showed her my foot and she kissed it. Both girls love to give kisses and hugs. But also love to have their boo boo's kissed. Every slightest little thing is a boo boo that must be kissed. I don't mind all the kisses one bit!

Both girls love animals. Pretty much just about any animal there is they love it. We are always on the look out for dogs, birds, bunnies and ducks. Our subdivision has a pond/lake in it. There are frequently ducks walking around our subdivision. Several nights ago, we were playing on our back deck and two ducks wandered into our yard. Addison said "feed ducks". I asked her what we should feed them. I really wasn't expecting any form of response, but she said cheerios. So we fed the ducks cheerios. Alexis cracked up laughing that the ducks were eating the cheerios.

Both girls are wearing 24 month or 2T clothing. Alexis wears a size 5 diaper and Addison wears a size 4 diaper. We still are using Costco brand diapers and wipes.

Both girls love music and dancing. Terry and I are both music lovers, so they come by this honestly. Alexis always asks us to turn on the stereo so she can dance. She is infamous for bringing me my ipod so she can hear music. Addison follows her lead and will dance whenever she notices Alexis getting all the attention because she is dancing.

I'm sure that there is a million other things that I can document, but none of them are popping into my head at the moment. I really need to be better at documenting all of this. They are growing so fast!

I will leave you with a few pictures from a few days ago. Our neighbor Trina has an adorable little puppy that the girls love. The puppy came over to our deck a few days ago and the girls were in heaven.

Patience my child.....

2011-05-06T09:21:00.002-04:00

Last night Addison told me to "cook faster". If only my sweet little girl could understand how many things I wish I could "do faster".

I do believe her exact words were "cook faster Mommy, I hungee (hungry)".

My little impatient gals waiting for their chicken nuggets to "cook faster".

(sorry for the picture quality, my camera phone was the only thing I could grab quick enough to capture them at the moment)

The makings of a band???

2011-04-27T21:14:00.001-04:00

Terry's brother has a drum set in his basement. The girls were in heaven banging on the drums.....

And if they do start a band....

Here is the lead singer...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T12:52:00.001-04:00

Happy Easter from the Smith family!

Birthday Party.... warning another picture overload!

2011-04-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

We want to thank everyone who made it out to the girls birthday party this year. Unfortunately the weather was once again not on our side, but we appreciate each and everyone who made the trip. Also a big thanks to everyone for the amazing gifts. My little monkeys love all their new climbing toys!!

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I didn't have the opportunity to take as many pictures as I would have liked, but here are a few...

I was actually very proud of my Elmo cupcakes. Plain and simple... but I thought they turned out pretty cute, especially on my Elmo cupcake stand. Much cheaper to make them myself than to buy them from one of those expensive "cupcake stores". They must of been good because I made 36 of them and only had 4 left.

Veggie platter #1

The above two pictures where one of the cutest things. I wish I would of had the video camera to record Alexis. My Sweet little Alexis doesn't talk much (that's another blog posting about her speech therapy), but she loves her Elmo. We decorated the house while the girls were napping. When Alexis came downstairs from her nap, she was in Elmo heaven. When she saw the table cloth in the above pictures, she walked up to each and every one of the different Elmos and pointed to it and said "Elmo". She walked all the way around our island, pointing and saying Elmo, Elmo, Elmo, Elmo.

Alexis was also very intrigued by the life size Elmo balloons. I think both girls were a little scared of them at first. Now they love to hug the big Elmo's and tackle them.

Above two pictures:

Terry made his famous ribs for the party. They were delicious and Addison obviously concurs! I personally would of never thought to give Addison ribs to eat. But she climbed right up on Linda's (Terry's Mom) lap grabbed some off of her plate and went to town. I think she liked the honey BBQ sauce.

Above four pictures:

Alexis eating her cupcake. She didn't dive in as much as I expected her to. She seemed fairly concerned about getting her hands dirty.

Above five pictures:

Addison on the other hand was not as concerned about getting her hands dirty.

I really do not love this picture but it's the only one that we had taken of the four of us.

Above three pictures:

I didn't get any great pictures of the girls opening their gifts. It was a little congested in our house and the other kiddos kept jumping into the pictures.

Another side note...seriously, Alexis' hair doesn't always look so ratty. The girl plays hard all of the time and sweats a lot. She also has become very interested in doing summersaults and rolling around on the floor, thus making it impossible to keep her hair somewhat orderly.

Above four pictures:

The girls received this neat climb and slide from the Kurtz family. They love it. It is still sitting in the middle of our living room waiting for warmer weather. (sigh!)

Above two pictures:

Addison getting ready for bed after the party. She wanted to give Elmo hugs and take him to bed with her.

Once again a big thanks to all that came to the girls party. We love you all!

Birthday Presents....WARNING, picture overload!!

2011-04-19T11:44:00.001-04:00

I'm trying to play catch up on my blogging. I know a lot of you are waiting on the actual party pics, but I need to start where I left off before I get even more behind. I hope to have the actual party posting up by the end of the week.

The weekend prior to the girl's birthday party was one of the most gorgeous weekends this year. We played outside from almost sun up to sun down both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday morning we played outside with bubbles and the girls played on their picnic table that Aunt Gretchen, Uncle Adam and their cousin's Greta and Amelia got for them for their first birthday. This was the first time they have used this table. Last summer they were too small to actually play with it.

They really are sharing. It was quite cute.

Alexis was infatuated with the sticker on the table. She eventually pulled it all off.

The longer we were outside, the curlier Addison's hair got. Love what the humidity does to her curls!

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On Sunday the girls Ga Ga (grandma, aka Terry's Mom) brought over part of their birthday present so that Terry could put it together. Terry built their play house while they were napping. The girls absolutely love it! Thanks guys!

Alexis' first time in the house.

Addison's first time in the house.

Addison's new "cheese face".

Pretending to "cook" on the stove.

I think I've mentioned a time or two that she might be part monkey??

Alexis coaching Addison how to climb into the house rather than using the door. She told her to "be careful sissy". It was adorable.

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While we were playing outside on Sunday we had a few visitors. The girls had a great time throwing bread at the ducks. They still look out our back door rather frequently to see if the "quack quacks" have come back.

Once the quack quacks departed, Addison started to complain that she was hot and wanted to go inside to play. Terry decided to let them color. The coloring books and crayons were a small part of our birthday gifts to them. Terry learned very quickly that crayons are only acceptable while either outside or strapped into a highchair. Within minutes our ceramic tile entry way was colored with red markings as well as a few purple marks made their way onto the walls in our entryway. Magic eraser is a wonderful thing, but I'm hoping Terry learned that crayons need to be supervised a little bit better! :-)

Can you tell it's getting close to bed time and little crabby pants was worn out from playing all day?

Not enough time in the day.....

2011-04-18T15:29:00.000-04:00

I'm working on posting about the girl's birthday party. It seems like I'm running around like a crazy person lately trying to catch up. I promise a few posts in regards to the girls birthday are coming soon. Until then....here is a picture of the girls, while we were shopping for all the food for their party.

We found a new grocery store close to our house that has this double cart attached to the shopping cart. The girls loved it! Not the best picture but I was just super excited to find another place with a "double" shopping cart.

(Also, not the best photo since it was taken from my phone)

TWO YEARS OLD!

2011-04-13T09:42:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that I'm actually writing "two years old".

Two years ago today, at 3:34 AM our lives were blessed with our beautiful baby girls. It really does seem like just yesterday that my little munchkins were born. Just like last year, this day has already been very emotional for me. I've caught myself tearing up several times already today remembering and thanking God for how far they have come. I can't help but reflect on how very fortunate we are to have these two healthy, (knock on wood) little girls in our lives.

Stay tuned the next few days. I have a lot of pictures to post of new gifts that the girls have already received. Their party is scheduled for Saturday. I just read that we are supposed to have snow flurries on Saturday. Awesome! At some point, maybe I will learn that outdoor parties in April just aren't going to work for us.

Fashion Sense???

2011-04-11T09:05:00.000-04:00

Who knew that little plastic ring toys could provide hours of entertainment value? The more "bracelets" Addison put on the more excited she got. Alexis was not at all interested in the make shift bracelets. I'm pretty sure she was off climbing on something at the time.

Hard shoes to fill....

2011-04-07T08:40:00.002-04:00

The girls are very fortunate to have the greatest Daddy in the world. He loves his job as a stay at home father and does it a million times better than any of us ever could of imagined.

My Dear Sweet Addison, while you look adorable trying...those are some hard shoes to fill!

Have I mentioned that I live with a Monkey?

2011-04-05T08:47:00.002-04:00

Seriously this girl has no fear! No mountain is too high for my sweet little Alexis.

My curio cabinet of collectible Mickey items has now become an obsession for Miss Alexis. The chair was originally placed there to help discourage the girls from my valuables. Instead of a working as a deterrent it now serves as a step stool for Alexis to get a better look. Once again, we move to Plan B....

Trial and Error is the motto in our household!

A little perspective....

2011-04-02T20:33:00.000-04:00

I've been on a huge spring cleaning kick lately. I've been trying to de-clutter our house and get rid of the "baby" stuff that we no longer need. I've also been putting away clothing that is too small and started washing the girls summer clothes, in hopes that I can bring on some warmer weather. In the process of trying to organize the chaos that is our basement storage area, I came across a huge bag of baby bottles. You know those little three ounce plastic bottles that we got in the NICU. No joke, we probably had 150 of those bottles. I found a few other random plastic things that I brought up from the basement to put in the recycle bin. When I came upstairs the girls were very interested in what I had. This is what Addison chose to play with:

Yes, we were having a "stay in your pajama's kind of day".

Remember that pink little plastic tub that we got from the hospital? The ones that the girls took their first baths in?

Hard to believe that once upon a time, both my girls fit in that little pink tub. At least once a day, I have a "wow" moment. A moment where I think to myself...."wow, we've come so far and we are so incredibly blessed". Today, seeing Addison play with that little pink tub, that was my wow moment.

No more Mullet!

2011-03-29T10:01:00.000-04:00

I feel like I'm so behind in my blogging. Due to this horrible flu bug that has entered our house, I'm finding it difficult to keep up with everything. We are entering week number two of sickness and I'm completely over it!! Hopefully these nasty germs will exit our house SOON!!

Any who....The girls got hair cuts a week and a half ago. Instead of dragging them back to my stylist, we decided that they needed a more "kid friendly" place. Alexis and her wild mane was way past the point of needing a trim. I've been cutting her bangs myself for a few months now, but it was time to figure out how to manage her crazy mullet. As you can see from the following pictures, her hair was getting seriously out of control! (You also can tell that she seriously has become our resident climber/monkey of the house.)

Upon arriving, the girls were thrilled with the huge slide and play area that greeted them. They could of played on this slide for hours. Terry commented that we should get one of these for our living room. My little monkeys have no fear and were climbing all over this thing.

Alexis was less than thrilled about getting her hair cut. I also wasn't happy about cutting her hair. It was getting so long. The lady cut nearly two inches off the back to trim up the craziness.

She sat still but you can tell she isn't happy about it!!

Check out that sour puss look! I'm sure she was cursing me under her breath!

Over all Alexis did very well. Sadly, I forgot to take an after picture. I will post some soon.

We also figured that since we were there, that we would have her straighten up Addison's hair. Like I said, I've been trimming the girls bangs for a few months. I'm no stylist, so Addison's hair needed a quick little trim.

Addison on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, loved getting her hair cut. She loved pretending to drive the car and was completely mesmerized by the lady and her spray bottle of water. Her only complaint was that she wanted the pink car, which sadly had already been taken by another kid.

A welcome visitor...

2011-03-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

You may remember reading older blog postings about one of our favorite night nurses, Lisa. (If not, and you want to, a few of them can be found here and here.) Lisa was one of our nurses who I can honestly say, helped me maintain my sanity during our three months in the NICU. She took care of my girls as if they were her own. We feel forever indebted to her and she will always hold a special place in our hearts. They're truly are no words to describe how amazing of a woman Lisa is. Lisa was the one who revived Addison when she was born not breathing. In my eyes, she saved my little girls life. She doesn't see it that way.

Two Sundays ago, before the sickness entered our house (that's a blog posting for another day), Lisa came over to visit. My girls, who are generally skeptical of everyone and have major stranger anxiety issues, went straight to Lisa like she was their best friend. I'm fairly certain that there is a bond between the three of them that can never be broken.

Addison, Lisa & Alexis... three beautiful ladies enjoying story time!

Learning to play nice...

2011-03-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

The girls have a love/hate relationship with our cat Jynxie right now. Some days it's like a WWF wrestling match at our house, where Jynx is being tackled on an hourly basis....

Other days, Jynxie is a great conversationalist.

All and all, Jynx is a great sport about the abuse. Except for when it comes to having her picture taken, and then she just runs and hides. I may be a little partial....but I think this picture is cuter without Jynx.

If you think my hands are full....

2011-03-11T09:16:00.001-05:00

So last night Terry and I loaded the girls up in the car and made a trip to Costco. Normally we go to Costco on the weekends after the girls are fresh from a nap. Wanting to be able to have a relaxing weekend at home, we decided to go yesterday evening after I got home from work. The girls were a little crabby since they are getting some new molars.

We got to Costco and Alexis doesn't want to sit in the cart. Terry and I immediately go into power shopping mode, both knowing it's a matter of maybe ten minutes before we have a full on melt down. Armed with our usual shopping list of diapers, wipes, paper plates, Cheerios, applesauce, peaches, green beans etc etc. Terry heads in one direction and I take the cart with the girls and head in the opposite direction.

Long story short, as I'm trying to load two massive boxes of diapers into our over sized cart, Alexis is trying to climb out of the cart and Addison is crying "where Da Da go". I'm sure I was looking frantic and a little stressed. A woman walks up to me, puts her hand on my shoulder and says, "it looks like you have your hands full." I reply with my usual response when people say this...."yep, but I wouldn't change one second of it." She then says.....

"I'm sure no matter how full your hands are, your heart is even fuller."

Yep, she is/was 100% correct. I couldn't have said it any better myself!

We're going Streaking!!

2011-03-07T10:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen the movie Old School? It's one of mine and Terry's favorites. Remember when Will Ferrell yells, "We're going streaking! Through the quad and into the gymnasium. Come on everybody!"??

Well this is my current dilemma.....My dear sweet Addison has become a streaker! During the day she will not keep a shirt on. Every morning when I get her up she has taken off her footed pj's and her diaper, and is standing in her crib completely nude. She has the biggest smile on her face like she is super proud of herself. I've tried different pj's thinking maybe she was getting too warm in the footed ones. Nope, didn't work.

Until yesterday afternoon, she hadn't pee'd while running around diaper'less. I went to get the girls up from their naps and Addison once again was buck naked sporting a huge smile in her crib. She had pee'd all over her bed, blanket, pillow and her two stuffed animals. When I ask her why she did it she looked at me and put her hands in the air and said, "what just happened?" This is the same response I get every time I ask her why she has taken off her shirt. Terry always yells "we're going streaking" every time he sees her running around naked. Maybe we are a little lax in our parenting style, but if you been through everything we have, you have no choice other than to keep things light and laugh about the small stuff!

Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can keep my sweet little Addison from exposing herself to the world? I don't mind her running around naked when we are at home, I just can't have her going diaper'less. I've tried putting the diapers on backwards that doesn't work. I've tried safety pinning her zipper to her shirt so she can't unzip her pj's, that doesn't work. My little Houdini manages to figure out how to escape her clothing no matter what I do. Even overalls don't work.

I've also been told by several parents with toddlers that this is her way of telling me that she is ready for potty training. This is not the case!!! She wants nothing to do with the potty. I will not force this issue and will let my girls decide when they are ready. Just like with everything else since they were born, they will let me know when they are ready. I will do some encouraging, but I will not force them. She screams when you sit her on the toilet or on any of our three different types of potty chairs. She takes her diaper off regardless of whether it is bone dry or wet, so I'm not sure I agree with that assessment. I've never claimed to be a parenting expert so If you have any suggestions or ideas, I'm all ears!!

On a side note.....Yesterday when we were changing the sheets on Addison's bed, I told Terry that we might as well wash Alexis' as well. I was changing the girls diapers while Terry put on new sheets. Alexis was walking around the room holding her stuffed cow and proclaiming "mooooo" "mooooo". I told her "Good job honey, a cow does say moo". Then she started "baaa'ing" (you know the noise a sheep makes). I told her that the cow says "moo" not "baaa". She started "baaa'ing" even louder. I kept telling her that there was no sheep in her room and that she was being silly. She kept getting louder and louder. I asked her to show me where the sheep was. She walked right over to the mattress that Terry was holding, pointed to the sheep on the mattress tag, looked at me and yelled "BAAA" as if she was saying, I told you so and you are an idiot not to believe me! The girls have Serta mattresses in their cribs and on the mattress tag is a picture of a sheep....You know the sheep that you count when you can't fall asleep. It was actually pretty comical, but I'm fairly certain that Alexis cursed me under her breath for not believing her.

What can you do? How to help a NICU family....

2011-02-22T12:11:00.002-05:00

I recently learned that a distant family member delivered a beautiful baby girl at just 25 weeks. While it is not my place to disclose any of their information, I have been asked to write a blog post to give advice on how to "help" a family in the NICU.

Please note: These are just my personal opinions and suggestions. I spent over three months riding the NICU roller coaster so I feel just as qualified as any to tackle the request of writing this. If you do not agree, please refrain from sending me hate mail and posting ignorant anonymous comments. Those rude comments are not appreciated and will be deleted.

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Being in the NICU environment is both emotionally and physically exhausting. I know that I probably aged five years during the three months we spent in the hospital. If a new parent doesn't return your call, text or email right away, don't freak out!

What can we do to help? We received this question a million times. I've also been asked this recently by family members wanting to help the new parents of a NICU baby. My response....PRAY AND PRAY ALOT!!! I don't care what religion you practice, what this family and all NICU families need most are prayers! I remember receiving prayers cards and signed prayer petitions from churches all around the world. Hundreds of people were praying for my family. These cards meant the world to me. There were many days where I could barely put one foot in front of the other and these cards were what got me through the day. Here are a few other suggestions:

Offer to run errands, including getting preemie clothes and other hard to find preemie items, such as diapers, sleepers & a preemie"coming home" outfit.
Help prepare the baby’s room that may not be ready yet
Offer to walk the dog(s) or care for a pet if the family is away for long periods of time.
If the family has other children, offer to help with child care so they can spend guilt free time with their new baby.
Offer to mow their grass! This one was huge for us. We were at the hospital from sun up to sun down most days.

Flowers, cookies, Balloons, Gift cards??? What's best? Gift cards were great in our particular situation. My personal opinion, skip the flowers. We had many people send us flowers after the girls were born. Sadly, once I was released from the hospital I never really got to enjoy them. We spent 12+ hours a day at the hospital. By the time I got home I had no energy to water flowers or even to look at them. All I wanted to do was crawl into my bed. Most NICU's have restrictions on what can be kept near the children's bed sides. In our particular NICU, flowers & balloons were not allowed. If you really want to send something to the new parents, my advice would be a gift card. After spending all day at the hospital, both of us were physically and mentally exhausted. We didn't really want to eat but knew that we needed to stay healthy. Neither one of us wanted to cook. Luckily my Mom was with us in the beginning to make sure we remembered to eat and take care of ourselves when everything was falling apart around us. After she left we had several gift cards that were sent to us for fast food restaurants. Several of our close friends had found out what restaurants were close to the hospital and purchased us gift cards to them. This was great! My suggestion.....google the hospital that the new parents are spending their time at. You can find out what restaurants are close. Now days you can purchase everything online. If you must send them something, a gift card is a great idea. Gas cards are also great if the NICU family is traveling long distances everyday to see their kid(s). You can also have food delivered directly to their home. We had friends in California, over 3000 miles away, have a pizza delivered to our house from a local pizza parlor. The Internet is a great resource.

To visit or not to visit? Call, Text Email? What's Best??? Again, please remember that this is from my point of view only! Imagine after delivering a child, the doctors told you that your child may not live. And if your child does live, it will most likely have severe birth defects. Take a second and imagine how your life would crumble around you. Would you be able to handle telling that story over and over and over to the hundreds of people who are calling you?

In our situation, rehashing it over and over became more painful every time would would tell our story. We knew that everyone had the best intentions with their phone calls but it was very difficult. Being in the NICU is emotionally draining enough without having to retell our story 50 times once we left for the evening. My advice would be to start a blog or website. If the parents are not physically up to it, designate one person in the family to maintain it and update it regularly. This way distant relatives can check in and find out what is going on. Cell phones were not permitted in our NICU. When I would leave in the evening, I generally had 10-15 voicemails wanting to know what had happened that day. This may sound awful but I had no energy to return calls. I usually would call my Mom and let her know and have her pass around the information. Terry would do the same with his Mom. They were our "spokeswomen" when we couldn't speak for ourselves. If you feel like you must call the best thing to say when you leave a voicemail is this "Hi this is Janet, I just wanted to call you and let you know that I'm thinking about you and praying for your family. I know that your life has been turned upside down, I just wanted to let you know that I'm here for you if you need anything." I would refrain from asking for a call back. Let them know that you are there for them no matter what it is. I would keep text messages to the same context.

Visiting is another area that I feel is taboo in the beginning. Terry and I were like walking zombies for the first few months. I personally was recovering from delivering triplet girls. I was exhausted and hormonal. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat, and some days I couldn't figure out how to tie my shoes without crying hysterically. Terry and I had an understanding that if one of us was able to fall asleep for even ten minutes, we would not wake the other. Neither of us had really slept in weeks and if we could fall asleep, no matter what time of day it was, we obviously needed it! I remember falling asleep for the first time in a few days only to be woken up by someone who stopped by wanting to know how the girls were doing. I really recommend calling first!! The new parents have gone into survival mode and if they are up for visitors that's awesome, but make sure they asked you to stop by and you didn't invite yourself!

Visiting in the NICU is also a touchy subject. Our NICU was fairly stict on their rules about visitors other than the parents. Sadly being a parent of a NICU child robs you of those days were everything is supposed to be sunshine and roses. You imagine all throughout your pregnancy how those first days will be. You imagine all your friends visiting and telling you how beautiful your new child is. NOPE, not for a NICU parent. You don't get to introduce your child(ren) to the world for many, many, many months. Several of our friends asked to visit the girls in the NICU. Please know that there is a reason why it's call the intensive care unit! Not just anyone is allowed in there. If you aren't invited in to the NICU to meet the new child don't push it! If you are asked to visit the baby do it!! Most of the time this is a cry for help from the parents. They don't necessarily need you to see the baby but they are reaching out for help from you. They are looking for support from a friend during this difficult time.

What not to say! While I know that everyone means well, here are a few things that you should NEVER say to a parent of a NICU baby or to someone who has just lost a child!

Everything happens for a reason. (Really, what possibly could be the reason this is happening to me right now. I hated this one!)
God has a plan. If he didn't think you were strong enough to handle this he would of let this happen to you. (I think this one was on the top of my list of worst comments. Your faith is being tested more than anything in the world right now. You don't need any more of a reason to doubt your faith in God. Yes, ultimately He controls everything, but during this time you don't need a reason to be mad at God. You need to trust in Him, not question Him.)
When is the baby coming home? This is like pouring salt into a wound. It's just a constant reminder that you've been released from the hospital empty handed.
She's/He's going to be ok. Really? Do you have a crystal ball? How do you know this?
Don’t tell the parents how scared you are. THEY ARE MORE SCARED.

Things you can/should say!

Say congratulations! This may seem like a no brainer, but I can probably count on one hand the number of people who congratulated me on becoming a new Mom. Having a baby is supposed to be an amazing event regardless of the situation.
Ask questions. Just like you would ask a mom with a healthy baby how breast feeding & weight gain is going, ask a NICU parent how their baby is doing. Don’t be afraid to ask what acronyms and medical terms mean. The parents will be happy to talk about their child – it makes the baby more real, more THERE, even when the baby is miles away.
Ask to see pictures – just like you would with a healthy baby.

Again, while I don't feel like it is my place to disclose this particular families information without their permission, I ask for your prayers for this family as they continue their journey through the NICU.

"2" "2" MONTHS....Terrible "2"'s

2011-02-18T11:28:00.001-05:00

Ah yes, I believe we have entered into the terrible two zone, or as I have recently been told it should be called, the "trying twos". The girls are really testing their boundaries, swinging from chandeliers (YES, this is not joke!), pushing all our buttons and generally seeing what they can get away with. Don't get me wrong....I love every second of it, but there are some days where I have to remind myself how lucky we are that they are alive and well enough to be making my hair turn gray. I do not take one single second for granted!

Here are our latest stats:

ADDISON GRACE:

Man what a little fire ball this girl is! Her personality is a bright as ever. She has the sweetest little voice with every word she says....and she says a lot of words! Her vocabulary continues to amaze me. Everyday a new word or two or three is added. I think my favorite thing she says right now is "LUB YOU" (love you). Hearing her say "lub you" when I leave for work in the morning makes it incredibly hard to leave, but it also puts a huge smile on my face before walking out the door. She brightens my day.

Has broken her attachment with her "blankeee". This makes me very happy! I never intended for her to get attached to a blanket, it just happened. This thing was gross! She would chew on the corners and I could never get it clean. One day just recently, she threw it out of her crib and hasn't really wanted it since.
Wearing 18 month & 24 month clothing. She is still a skinny little thing but is getting taller everyday.
Still wears Size 4 Costco Brand diapers
Can count to 11 with help. We have 11 steps that she counts every time we go upstairs. She can get to 5 by herself. Also becoming more fluent with the alphabet. For the longest time the only part of the alphabet she would sing was "E, F, F".
Loves to sing. She probably is tone deaf like her Mommy, but it's music to my ears every time she sings.
Loves animals. For Christmas, the girls received a subscription to National Geographic magazine for kids from their adopted Auntie Sherri. She loves to read/look at this magazine.
Makes the following animal noises: cow, pig, duck, sheep, cat, monkey, dog

ALEXIS FAITH

Alexis is so determined and has such a strong will about her. Nothing stops her. She has no fear and is definitely the ring leader this month. Just the other night while I was changing Addison's diaper, Alexis managed to use one of the kitchen chairs to climb up onto the table. She grabbed a hold of the hanging light fixture above the table with both hands. I looked up to see her just as she was about to put all of her weight onto the fixture and begin dangling from the light. I continue to joke that it's a good thing she is so adorable and has a sweet side to her. She still gives the sweetest kisses completely out of the blue. We will be sitting on the floor playing and Alexis will get up, come over and give you a kiss. She melts my heart every time.

Loves to sleep with a book and at least one bunny. Since the girls were born the day after Easter, they have a ton of stuffed bunnies. Alexis insists on going to sleep with a few bunnies and a random board book. All of these items usually end up outside of the crib by morning.
Wears 18 month & 24 month clothes. She is starting to look more and more like a little girl everyday instead of my sweet little baby.
Wears Costco Size 5 diapers
Can count to three. She is not as vocal as her sister and still has a limited vocabulary. We continue to be told that with multiples, you generally have one that is more of a mover/climber and one who is more vocal. This seems to ring true in our house.
Loves to dance. When she shakes her little tush it is one of the cutest things I have ever seen. She also loves to march. Terry's mom started a game with them where they march around the island in the kitchen. Recently Alexis will march everywhere. It's hilarious to see her lift those little knees in a marching type fashion.
Loves Dogs! Her favorite thing to watch is the Beethoven movie. And No, we will not be getting a dog anytime soon. We are fortunate to have Trina as a next door neighbor who lets us come visit her dog on a regular basis. There are days that I wish we had a dog only for the purpose of cleaning up what food the girls toss on the floor during meal time.
Can also make the following animal noises: dog, cat, cow, sheep, monkey

I still can not believe that I have started the planning process of birthday party #2. My sweet little babies are growing up so fast. I always love going back and reading my blog posts from the past and looking at old photos. They have come so far.

Ready for Spring!!

2011-02-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

This was the view from our front porch this past Saturday. It seems like it has been snowing and icing here forever. The picture does not reflect the 5 inches of ice under the snow and the severe case of cabin fever we are experiencing here in the Smith household.

Here's a few things we have been doing to occupy our time indoors. (We are open to suggestions if you have any ideas of what to do with two very active toddlers!)

We help Daddy install safety locks on the drawers that we have recently discovered that we are tall enough to open.

We play in the cabinets. Correction...We play in the one cabinet that Mommy & Daddy haven't locked us out of yet.

We chill on the couch with Daddy and drink milk.

We lay in front of the door watching Mommy shovel/chisel out the driveway, wishing we could be outside too. But she says it's just way too cold!!

We yell out the door hoping Mommy can hear us and will let us go outside and play. (She doesn't let us)

We run away when we realize that Daddy is trying to take our picture AGAIN! Doesn't he know I haven't had my hair done yet today???

And our favorite so far....We make blow faces on the window/door wondering why Mommy is laughing at us and she still won't let us go outside and play!

We hope that groundhog was right! Even though we don't really know what a groundhog is, Mommy says when it gets warm enough we can go to the zoo and see one. We are waiting!!! Not very patiently, but we are waiting!!! 40 days until spring!

I WANNA ROCK!

2011-01-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The girls are the lucky recipients of some great toys (and also a ton of clothes) from their older twin cousins, Amelia & Greta. After watching Addison attempt to ride her turtle pillow pet this evening, I thought it would be a great time to bring out these toys. Previous attempts did not go so well. They had a great time. Addison said "rock rock rock" at least a thousand times this evening!

I was even able to get the girls to slow down for a few seconds to pose for a couple of pictures! I'm really loving this age. The girls surprise me every day with something new.

The Future???

2011-01-18T15:25:00.002-05:00

I was listening to some random talk radio show on my way home from work the other night. The dj was discussing how so many people live in the past and don't focus on the future. It got me thinking. I do this almost everyday. I think about how my girls entered this world early and I focus on the past so much that sometimes it becomes an obsession. One of my biggest goals in 2011 is to become more relaxed and live in the moment. I'm really working on this, I really am!! The dj goes on to discuss the future and what things will become obsolete in the future. He talks about how children today will never know the following things:

Phonebooks, encyclopedias, paper checks, dial-up Internet, pay phones, disposable or 35mm cameras, floppy disks, land line telephones, vcr's, newspapers/print media, cd/cassette players, movie rental stores, answering machines, handwritten letters, drive-in movie theatres, maps.

This was a small portion of the lists that they were discussing. One of the things that kind of surprised me was that he said Facebook would be out of commission within five years. I'm not sure why this shocked me but it did. So a few nights ago, during one of my insomnia moments, I started looking back at all my old Facebook postings. Yes, I know that this doesn't really go along with my goal of moving out of the past but sometimes in order to live in the future, you must relive the past to move on. I went back almost two years and read my updates back to the day Addison and Alexis were born. Man, talk about a good cry!!

Seeing as how they say that Facebook is going to be obsolete, I want to document these moments for future reference. Notice I said "future"? I want my girls to know how much they were/are loved and cared for and how people around the world were praying and supporting them. I won't share every comment from every person, because this blog post would be a million pages long, but I do want to document my updates. So here we go!! We shall begin on Easter Day 2009.....

***is spending Easter in the hospital with her hubby. My water broke this morning and we are trying to keep these girls inside for as long as possible. I'm not due for another three months. PRAYERS APPRECIATED!!! --April 12, 2009 @ 4:22pm

***is still in the hospital. Trying to get two rounds of steroids in before we decide what our next step is. I'm hanging in and appreciate every one's kind words and prayers. The babies aren't supposed to be here for a few more months. --April 12, 2009 @ 8:33pm

***had two baby girls around 3:30a..m. this Monday Morning!! --April 13, 2009 @ 6:48am

***has two new baby girls that are feisty and holding strong. No news is good news right? We will know a lot more in 48 hours. Thanks for every one's prayers. Keep 'em coming!!! --April 13, 2009 @ 6:34pm

***the girls are holding their own. Brain scans tomorrow a.m. & if all goes well Addison may have her breathing tube removed. Keep up the prayers, they are working!! God is Great! --April 14, 2009 @ 8:04pm

***is numb. Trying to stay positive but it's SO hard. All I can do is pray. I feel so helpless!! --April 15, 2009 @ 11:46am

***was just pee'd on by her daughter Alexis. How can something so normal mean so much? Both girls are still in critical condition in the NICU and need your prayers. Miracles happen right? --April 15, 2009 @ 8:06pm

***Faith makes things possible, Not Easy!! Thank you all for all your prayers and support. Please keep them coming! Everyday is a blessing from God!! -- April 16, 2009 @ 2:55pm

***leaving the hospital without my two miracles. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the heart with a knife over and over again. Trying to be strong..... --April 16, 2009 @ 6:21pm

***is asking for extra prayers today! They are going to try and take my baby girl Addison off her breathing tube today and put her on c-pap. Keep your fingers crossed! --April 19, 2009 @ 12:38pm

***has two feisty little girls who are both breathing without the help of respirators!!! Both babes now on c-pap!!! Prayers are slowly being answered one by one!!! --April 19, 2009 @ 5:23pm

***is hoping and praying that the weather is the only yucky thing I have to deal with today! Praying for some good news! --April 20, 2009 @ 8:13am

***is wishing my baby girls, Addison and Alexis, a happy "one week" birthday!!! Too bad they aren't home to celebrate. --April 20, 2009 @ 9:18pm

***has officially removed the word "why" from her vocabulary. --April 21, 2009 @ 9:25am

***is the happiest I have EVER been!!! I just got to hold both my girls for the first time!!! --April 23, 2009 @ 6:38pm

***is driving to the hospital to see her girls with the sunroof open. What a beautiful day! Praying for more good news. Trying to stay positive! --April 24, 2009 @ 1:42pm

***is struggling!!! --April 25, 2009 @ 10:59am

***is once again irritated by people who complain about trivial things. When you think your life is bad, look around, count your blessings and be grateful for all God has given you!!! There is always someone worse off than you! --April 26, 2009 @ 9:53am

***just to clarify, before you decided to have a pity party for yourself, take a look around and count your blessings! It's the only way I make it through the day lately. A positive attitude is a lot easier said that done, but it sure helps alot!! --April 26, 2009 @ 4:53pm

***I'm usually up and at the hospital by 10. It's almost noon and I just got out of the shower. I'm pretty sure I'd lose my head right now if it wasn't attached! --April 27, 2009 @ 11:49am

***Please check the blog for updates on the babies. Please don't be angry if we don't return your call, text or emails. We spend 85% of the day in the hospital where phones are not allowed. The other 15% of the time we are trying to figure out how to function. Don't judge, be supportive please!! --April 27, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

***is trying to relax. That's what everyone keeps telling me I "need" to do. It's not really working. --April 27th, @ 11:59pm

***is thinking....current life situation + allergies = I should buy stock in Kleenex. --April 28, 2009 @ 10:13an

***has not been very fond of Mondays lately, but I'm hoping and praying we get some good news from the doctors today!! Fingers crossed and praying!!! --May 4, 2009 @ 9:07am

***is hoping today goes as planned. Today could be another major milestone in my little girls lives. --May 6, 2009 @ 10:00am

***loves listening to her hubby talk to our girls. It's so sweet and their reactions are priceless. I thank God everyday for our two little miracles. --May 6, 2009 @ 4:12pm

***is on a mission to find clothes (not onesies) for her daughter's one month pictures and the first time they will actually be allowed to wear clothes! GRRR!!! You would think a store designed specifically for babies (babies 'r us) would sell preemie clothes??? --May 8, 2009 @ 6:28pm

***can't believe everything that all the doctors and nurses in the n.i.c.u. are doing to try and make my first mother's day so special. Everyone has been so great to us! --May 9, 2009 @9:33am

***has used about a half a box of kleenex already today and it's only 1:00. --May 10, 2009 @ 12:54pm

***is not fond of the metric system or military time. I'm sure there is a good reason why hospitals have to make things more difficult than they really are? --May 11, 2009 @ 6:39pm

***is looking forward to getting out of the hospital and going to bible study group for the first time in months. --May 12, 2009 @ 4:34pm

***wishes she had a magic wand. --May 13, 2009 @ 8:21am

***is having a good week and hopes it continues. --May 13, 2009 @ 9:44pm

***is off to the hospital to give the girls their first bath and put them in real clothes. They are officially off their warmers and can wear real clothes now. YEAH!!! --May 14, 2009 @ 11:52am

***is playing the hand she was dealt. --May 17, 2009 @ 8:33pm

***is looking forward to a much needed date night with the hubby tomorrow....Elton John and Billy Joel concert. Should be a great time and we can totally use the escape for awhile!!! --May 18, 2009 @ 9:18am

***is having a fabulous day!!! The sun is shining and both of my girls got excellent reports from the doctor today. GOD IS GREAT!!! --May 18th, 2009 @ 3:53pm

***is driving to see the girls and was singing my face off to some old school Dave Matthews until I realized that a car full of teenage boys were laughing hysterically at me. --May 21, 2009 @1:32pm

***got to hold both my girls at the same time today for the very first time. VERY COOL!!! (pics to come soon! just waiting on Aunt Sandy to send them to me!!) --May 23, 2009 @ 10:38pm

***is off to see the girlies....officially six weeks old today. Man how time flies!!! --May 25, 2009 @ 11:06am

***is researching pediatricians. Where to begin? FUN FUN!! --May 29, 2009 @ 12:04pm

***is feeling very blessed to have such amazing friends and family!!! --May 29, 2009 @ 1:17pm

***is off to the car dealership to hopefully get a new family car. Man, buying/selling cars gives me a headache!!! --May 30, 2009 @ 12:54pm

***Is blah! --May 31, 2009 @ 12:41pm

***finally finished the laundry and is off to see the girlies in my new car. NOTE: I said CAR....not mini-van. WE now own a SUV and a 4 door car. NO MINIVANS!! --June 1, 2009 @ 1:06pm

***is snuggling with my girls in the nicu. AWWW!!! --June 1, 2009 @ 3:55pm

***is wondering how much more I can deal with before I lose it? --June 2, 2009 @ 12:19pm

***has had a rough day but tomorrow will be better! What doesn't kill me is definitely making me stronger!!! --June 2, 2009 @ 11:10pm

***is not sweating the small stuff. --June 4, 2009 @ 11:04am

***just had a disturbing conversation at the hospital with a 14 year old girl who just had triplets. Some things in the world just aren't right!!! ---June 6, 2009 @ 5:16pm

***is actually in bed before midnight, for the first time in 8 weeks. Just laying here with Jynxie trying to relax....I think I've forgotten how? --June 7, 2009 @ 10:06pm

***if all goes well (fingers crossed) Alexis should be home by the end of the week and Addison by the end of next week!!! Keep praying!!! We want them home soon!! --June 8, 2009 @ 8:54pm

***I KNEW IT! I JUST KNEW I WAS GONNA CURSE HER!! WHY DID I HAVE TO OPEN MY BIG MOUTH??? CRY! %$^@*))@&!+-+!!!!! --June 9, 2009 @ 12:45pm

***is teary eyed. :-( --June 9, 2009 @ 9:39pm

***my house looks like baby land central. It's just missing two major things....Addison & Alexis. Insert sad face here!!! --June 10, 2009 @ 11:33am

***Yes! Yes, I am having a pity party. If you'd been through half the stuff I'm dealing with right now, you would crack too! If you don't like my status updates then stop reading them!!! --June 10, 2009 @ 5:16pm

***where is my brain?? If you've seen it, let me know! I've definitely lost my mind!!! --June 10, 2009 @ 8:35 pm

***Faith makes things possible.....NOT EASY!!! --June 14, 2009 @ 10:25pm

***is very nervous! --June 15, 2009 @ 8:34am

***is bummed once again. This week is not starting out very well. --June 15, 2009 @ 8:58pm

***WHAT ELSE??? Seriously are you freaking kidding me? Whatever it is that I have done to deserve all of this I truly am sorry!!! --June 16, 2009 3:39pm

***two babies in the NICU costs over a half million dollars for just ONE day!!! Really?? This is exactly what is wrong with our health care system!!! ---June 17, 2009 @ 9:53pm

***has a nervous knot in her stomach. I can't eat or sleep once again. --June 19, 2009 @ 12:40pm

***I'm so excited and I just can't hide it! I'm about to lose control and I think I like it! --June 20, 2009 @ 11:08am

***ALEXIS IS HOME!!! One kid down....one to go!!! it was kinda bittersweet leaving Addison behind but we are glad to have Lex home! --June 20, 2009 @ 9:45pm

***has never been so happy to be exhausted and functioning on no sleep! It's just the start and I couldn't be more elated! --June 21, 2009 @ 11:48am

***GOD IS GREAT!!! ENOUGH SAID!!! --June 22, 2009 @ 12:55pm

***has already accomplished more by 10am this morning than I usually do in an entire day. (happy sigh).....the joys of motherhood! --June 23, 2009 @9:46am

***is taking one kiddo to see the other kiddo. --June 24, 2009 @ 11:50am

***is sitting on the deck enjoying a muggy evening, but the moon looks really cool tonight. I have learned in the last few months to appreciate everything God provide for us....and tonight the beautiful evening at home with my daughter is it! --June 24, 2009 @ 10:34pm

***ok, so now I officially have two car seats installed in my car. Here's hoping we get to put baby #1 in car seat #2 tomorrow!!! Fingers crossed!!! Say a prayer....whatever we want her home!!! --June 25, 2009 @ 7:14pm

***trying to get myself and daughter #2 (Alexis) ready to go break free daughter #1 (Addison)!!!!--June 26, 2009 @ 11:47am

***driving home from the hospital for the last time with BOTH MY GIRLS IN THE CAR!!! GOD TRULY IS GREAT!!! Thank you to everyone for their continue support and prayers for our angels!!! --June 26, 2009 @ 3:38pm

Ok, so if you have made it to the end of this, I'm very impressed! Probably my longest blog post ever. But truly sometimes you have to look back to see how lucky and blessed you are to have made it to today!!!

I leave you with one final thought.....My latest Facebook status:

"just went back and read all my FB status updates since my girls were born. I was literally moved to tears reading every one's comments and wall posts during our NICU months. God truly is great and what a great reminder of his handy work through my kids!!! We've come so far and God can be the only explanation why!! --January 13, 2011