Patrick, Leslie, Geneva, Lexa, Evan & Whiskey

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Ears, The Craziness of Genetics

OK- we are bored being snowed in. The second snow day brought up an old subject...that both girls, especially Geneva, have Patrick's ears. Patrick still doesn't see much favoritism thinking that the girls don't look like him at all (I know he's crazy) so I took some pictures to prove it. Again keep in mind that we are very bored.

Patrick's ear

Geneva's, an EXACT carbon copy

Lexa's, not an exact replica but you can see the relation

Whiskey didn't want to be left out although he is our adopted furry child

And...our neighbor's snowman. Don't you love the arms? And the cigarette in his mouth.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Snowed In

We are snowed in! Being in the medical profession, I don't get snow days unlike some people who are on their 6th this year... but I happened to have already put in for Friday off (more on that in another post) so it worked out well. We started to have sleet and freezing rain about 6 p.m. Thursday night & all this morning & it has changed over to snow about noon & has not stopped with huge flakes coming down as I type. It may be 8 inches before it is all over plus the 1/2 inch of ice. So far we still have power & I have been cooking all day. What is it about being snowed in that makes you ravenous? It has been a relaxing day. I think my first full day with the girls since Christmas... no errands and no work!!

Lexa striking her new pose. She loves propping up on her side. She is such a happy baby now that her reflux is FINALLY better!! She is officially medicine-free now for 3 weeks.

Geneva catching up on beauty sleep

Corkie & Whiskey (who is barely visible to her right) both sleeping today

Daddy sleeping in while mommy feeds the munchkins :) Do you see a theme here? Lots of sleep. I even got in a nap!! No pictures though.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

For Amy

I THINK it is working now... might have to advance the bar a little to get it started.

This clip is for my sister-in-law, Amy, who is also a speech path but deals with kiddos not adults. I called her concerned last week because Geneva has learned a new trick...literally bouncing herself in her bouncy seat, over & over & over again to the point that we are having to ban her from the bouncy because that is all she wants to do. My first thought...is this normal?? It was cute at first but after hours of it, not so sure. So Amy wanted to see proof. (That is Lexa in the background laughing).

P.S. After a rough night Thursday night (literally 3 hours of sleep put together) Lexa has already cut her SECOND tooth! And the girls are now on baby food 2 times a day--breakfast/supper schedule.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Prayer Requests

Two quick prayer requests for our family: Patrick's 89-year-old grandmother, Oma, fell & broke her hip Thursday & had surgery today. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her. We feel helpless living so far away and with 2 kids, it makes it harder to get down to see her. Please keep her in your prayers.

Also, I have a very important event coming up Wednesday morning. Please wish me luck & I hope to have good news soon.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Lost the Bet

We have been very busy. I am now officially working 3 jobs...can't get into details right now but a 50+ hour, 6 day work week was brutal last week. This week doesn't look any better as I worked today, but hopefully my schedule will soon change. More later. Patrick is finally back to school after a 2 week Christmas break plus a 1 week snow break. The girls are growing before our eyes. Their motor skills & verbal skills are progressing & now Lexa has a new tooth! Couldn't quite get a picture of it, but it is barely poking through the surface after a 30 minute screaming fest yesterday. Patrick & I had a two-part bet over Christmas, which girl would get the first tooth & when (high/low). I picked January 15th as the date, I got Jan. 15th & the low end & Patrick got the high end. Well...the tooth came in at 10:00 a.m. on January 16th!! I lost the bet by less than 24 hours not to mention I picked Geneva first!! So I lost both ends of the bet. My punishment... I have to cook dinner for 2 whole weeks straight.... Maybe Patrick will forget.

Lexa with her dolly. She was rolling around on the floor & the next thing I knew it was awfully quiet. This is what I found when I walked back in the living room. Fast asleep. And with her butt showing. (Blackmail later in life)!

Geneva studying & talking to her doll. She has a brown-headed dolly & Lexa has a blonde one.

Lexa loves her new toys. She gets overwhelmed sometimes because she doesn't know which toy to ring, buzz, make sing, or just chew on.

Lexa is SO close to crawling. She pushes her butt up in the air & tries so hard. She just can't quite get her arms going.

Geneva has discovered her feet & loves looking at them, talking to them, & sucking them. Patrick has a baby picture that looks JUST like this--he loved his feet, too!

Once again, straight for the feet. Notice how she pulled off her socks to get to them.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

New Year's--Looking Back on '09

2009, a year I will ALWAYS remember!!!!!

BEST OF 2009

5. Being pregnant in general--ok until the end when I was too fat to move, but I tend to forget that part. I loved it & sometimes miss it in a weird way. I loved my baby showers, the way people treated me, wearing maternity clothes, feeling the babies kick, dreaming of what their faces would look like...
4. The day the girls were baptized--October 24th.
3. The day we found out we were having 2 girls--February 12th! My dream come true.
2. The day we brought them home from the hospital--June 22nd
1. Birth of our beautiful babies, Geneva & Lexa--May 25th & seeing their faces & being told that not only would they make it but had an excellent prognosis.

WORST OF 2009

5. The ice storm of January 2009. Being pregnant, without electricity or heat, cold, cold, & did I mention COLD.
4. In general the recovery from a c-section. Maybe I am just a wimp but being cut open did not go over well with me. For a good 6-8 weeks I was in quite a bit of pain, every move I made was terrible. I still can't figure out why women voluntarily opt for one???

3. The day I went back to work--August 31st. Why can't I be independently wealthy??
2. The day I was discharged from the hospital without my babies--May 29th. My heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. I literally cried myself to sleep that night.
1. The day I went into labor--May 20th (and the long days to follow while I was in labor with little drugs!). Not only was it painful & so draining, it was such a disappointment since my pregnancy had gone so well & I knew it was way too early to have them. May 20th was a long way from the due date of July 14th.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Christmas Post

Finally time to blog about Christmas. After a week and a half of "vacation" time to get stuff done (yeah right) I have completely given up on the idea of baby books. So this blog will serve as my memory as these years, I have been told, will soon be a blur. So feel free to skip over, but Geneva & Lexa this is for you when you feel sorry for yourselves in 20 years...my mom didn't love me enough to make me a baby book. Yes your mommy loves you but God blessed me with two of you at once...we are just trying to keep you fed & happy!

G & L's first Christmas was wonderful!! Just a disclaimer before we get started...now that Patrick has a $600 camera, it is HIS responsibility to take pictures. He forgot the camera at 3/4 Christmas' which is why certain family members are not pictured. Every Christmas gathering we go to requires moving-- the diapers, wipes, bottles, formula, rice cereal, changes of clothes, toys, bouncy seats, etc. so the camera stayed in the suitcase most of the trip. Funny note on that--one of my cousins laughed at us carrying in a laundry basket with all of their stuff but then quickly said...I guess a diaper bag is too small for twins!

We made the 3 1/2 hour trip to Dad's Christmas Eve in.... 5 hours... the girls did GREAT until the traffic jam! They slept & talked back & forth through the POURING rain while Mommy was very nervous. We got 2 miles from the city limits of my Dad's town...and STANDSTILL!! Apparently a stretch of I-30 was CLOSED & the traffic from Memphis to Dallas was rerouted through my Dad's smalltown of 3,400 people. You can imagine how that worked out. It was so frustrating as we could have made it to Dad's on foot quicker than sitting there. Well, the girls got understandably hungry so with us being in two separate cars I did the best I could mixing the bottles in the front seat & climbing in the back without unbuckling my seatbelt mind you to feed the girls. No burping could be managed, however. It was quite stressful trying to get there during one of the worst floods in history with 2 babies & a dog in your tiny car! I NEED a min-van. What happened Santa??

We had a great time staying with Dad & Scarlet. The girls slept in their portable cribs (thanks, Libby for letting us borrow Mason's). The girls are now too big for one. We only moved about 1/2 of our house with us!! We had Christmas morning breakfast with Patrick's family which involved another interesting car trip with a 45 minute detour thanks to yet another interstate closing because of the flood. The girls got lots of clothes at Granny & Granddads & their highchairs (which were delivered so we wouldn't have to transport them back)! Christmas lunch we were back at Dad's extended family's where we caught up with cousins we hadn't seen since last year (when I was pregnant!). The girls were SO happy being passed back & forth. Never once cried or fussed. People were actually fighting over who could feed them & change them!! WHAT?? We had gift opening with more clothes, books, & fun toys that make lots of noise! Then back to Dad's house for more gift opening with Pop, GiGi, Amy, Eric, & Luke. The girls got their jumpers/exersaucers & more clothes. The girls slept like rocks Friday night. Back up early & off to Mi-Mi's for day-after-Christmas festivities with Mom's family. We had a delicious southern dinner complete with chocolate pecan pie & turnip greens & yes more gift opening. The girls loved it. Most people thought the girls wouldn't understand the ritual...but I really think they did. They loved ripping the paper & smiled & laughed especially by this point (what the 4th opening). Back to Dad's to spend the night. We relaxed on Sunday & had catfish dinner Sunday night at Uncle Joe & Aunt Bet's with our cousins who were in from Michigan. The girls did great once again. They love being in a new environment, looking around & learning. They sat in their bouncy seats & just watched us eat. I don't mean to brag but everyone is just amazed at how great the girls are. We just take them from house to house & they never cried or fussed. They just fit right in. Never got off their feeding or sleep schedules. Never even cry in their carseats (unless we are stopped in traffic). Everyone comments on how happy they are. It makes me so happy as our only wish is for them to be happy & healthy. We love our babies & Christmas was the best ever because of them.