I had the privilege of writing a guest post for the Houston Moms Blog as part of their "How I Became a Mother" series. It was a challenge to condense 2 years of my life into a short post, but it was fun to reminisce about the whole infertility to sextuplets journey. I know most of you have heard this story already, but just in case you're interested...
Check it out!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Halloween with the Minions!
Once I had the idea to have 6 little minions for Halloween, I was set on it. I thought they would be easy costumes to put together- wrong! I could not find any solid yellow hoodies, onesies, or t-shirts in baby sizes. Nothing! Enter Mari Zag. She goes to my church and can crochet and sew like no other. She crocheted her poor fingers off to make 6 minion costumes in 2 weeks and she did an AMAZING job!! They really turned out better than I imagined!
On Halloween day it POURED in Houston. We made back up plans to just put on costumes at home and take a few pictures. But, luckily, the rain stopped just in time to go trick-or-treating! A couple last minute helpers assisted me in wrangling them into the costumes and walked with all of us around the block taking pictures and collecting candy. Leah, Allison, and Andrew had no problem wearing the costumes and riding in the wagons. Caroline, Ben, and Levi were quite opposite. Refused to wear the hats and tried to escape the wagons every time they stopped. So, I was constantly on the move! We only stopped at a few familiar houses to keep toddlers happy and candy to a minimum. I did let them try 3 Musketeers and Smarties (they make ya smarter, ya know) and they loved both! We were very thankful that the rain cleared and Halloween was saved! And 3 out of 6 toddlers cooperating isn't so bad ;)
On Halloween day it POURED in Houston. We made back up plans to just put on costumes at home and take a few pictures. But, luckily, the rain stopped just in time to go trick-or-treating! A couple last minute helpers assisted me in wrangling them into the costumes and walked with all of us around the block taking pictures and collecting candy. Leah, Allison, and Andrew had no problem wearing the costumes and riding in the wagons. Caroline, Ben, and Levi were quite opposite. Refused to wear the hats and tried to escape the wagons every time they stopped. So, I was constantly on the move! We only stopped at a few familiar houses to keep toddlers happy and candy to a minimum. I did let them try 3 Musketeers and Smarties (they make ya smarter, ya know) and they loved both! We were very thankful that the rain cleared and Halloween was saved! And 3 out of 6 toddlers cooperating isn't so bad ;)
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| Minion Allison |
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| Minion Andrew |
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| Minion Benjamin |
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| Minion Caroline- yes I'm holding her hat on for the pic |
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| Minion Leah- we rigged her wagon so she could ride along |
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| Minion Levi |
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| The whole family! |
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| All the minions |
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| Duck Dynasty Dave |
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Fall Photo Shoot
It was October. Everyone was posting cute pumpkin patch pictures on facebook and Instagram. I thought, why not me too? My kids would look adorable next to some pumpkins! I found a quaint little pumpkin patch at a local church. Not too far, not too big, with a few extra adults we could do this.
When a day came along that I just happened to have plenty of adults around I figured now or never. Then I went outside and realized we have a Perkins Patch fence sign with pumpkins and scarecrows all around it in the front yard. Change of plans! Now I was going utilize one adult as a photographer and the rest to watch 5 kids inside as I take 1 outside for pictures- we'd fly through these in no time. Or so I thought. The second I went outside to set things up, they all started screaming and banging on the front door and window wanted to get out too. So, we let them all run around in the front yard and got our neighbor friend to join in too. The photo shoot was a disaster with very few actually good pictures, but plenty of humorous candid shots. The kids had an absolute blast running around the yards! I wish our front yards were fenced so we could go out there more. Anyway, below are some favorites from the shoot and maybe next year we'll get to a real pumpkin patch!
When a day came along that I just happened to have plenty of adults around I figured now or never. Then I went outside and realized we have a Perkins Patch fence sign with pumpkins and scarecrows all around it in the front yard. Change of plans! Now I was going utilize one adult as a photographer and the rest to watch 5 kids inside as I take 1 outside for pictures- we'd fly through these in no time. Or so I thought. The second I went outside to set things up, they all started screaming and banging on the front door and window wanted to get out too. So, we let them all run around in the front yard and got our neighbor friend to join in too. The photo shoot was a disaster with very few actually good pictures, but plenty of humorous candid shots. The kids had an absolute blast running around the yards! I wish our front yards were fenced so we could go out there more. Anyway, below are some favorites from the shoot and maybe next year we'll get to a real pumpkin patch!
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| Allison ready for fall! |
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| Andrew stole Ben's book |
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| Free at last! |
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| Sadly, the best group shot |
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| Leah and I |
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| chubby skeleton |
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| Andrew reading |
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| Caroline, Levi, Allison, and I |
Sunday, November 3, 2013
18 Months- Officially Toddlers!
I feel like I can't really call them babies anymore. I still do sometimes, but just out of habit. Like when Dave calls their sippy and straw cups "bottles". I sure don't miss bottles. Speaking of cups, we're starting to work on open cups in the bath tub (with fresh water, not bath water!) and only using straw cups. They don't seem to like sippy cups much these days which means less cup changing for me, so I'm good with it.
Ben: 25 lb 3 oz, 30.5 in tall, he is still super silly and most likely to throw a full on tantrum if he doesn't get his way or someone takes his toy, he loves to throw things, slide, read books, grunt and laugh at himself, get into anything I say not to, give kisses, watch bubbles, pick out pieces of food he doesn't want and hand them to me, and sway to music
Caroline: 21 lb 8 oz, 30 in tall, she has the biggest crinkle-nosed smile and the loudest wail which she lets out all too often, moody (we don't call her Cranky Caroline for nothing) and independent but still needs her Caroline cuddles when she's tired, loves to throw her cup for attention, likes to read books, slide, ride the rocking horse, run outside, help load the dryer, dance, belly laugh when tickled, play with Maggie, block of the play area so she has it to herself, and nap
Leah: 18 lb 0 oz, 28 in tall, generally the best behaved and happiest unless her tummy hurts, loves music, stories, cuddles, therapy, pinwheels, pom poms, brightly colored balls, tambourines, and counting, she's sleeping better at night and is making steady progress in therapies, her latest favorite real foods are bananas and pudding and banana pudding (go figure), and we've been making big changes to her feeding schedule because she's a big toddler girl now
Allison: 17 lb 4 oz, 28 in tall, she loves praise and acknowledgement of anything she is doing, still pushes around the big boys, always carrying around a book or stuffed animal (usually Minnie Mouse or a monkey), will plop in your lap for you to read to her, likes to dance, run outside, read, point to pictures (especially Elmo) and name objects (in her own way), loves to point to things if you ask her to (she even knows all her siblings' names), help with laundry, get into the fridge, tug on your clothes, unplug the baby monitors, press buttons, and do low scale climbing.
At 18 months these toddlers are all over the place! I can hardly get a non-blurry picture or decent video without them moving or grabbing at the camera. They're always on the go from one play area to the next to the tupperware cabinet to the hallway (great running space) to trying to get in the pantry or fridge to the windows and back door... People ask me how I contain them- I don't! They're in the pen in the early morning and right before bed for dressing purposes and quieting down for sleepy time, but besides that the house is free reign.
The weather has been so nice lately we've been outside almost everyday. They love it! And it wears them out, so I love it too! At first they were scared of the grass so it was really easy to monitor them as they stuck to the patio, but now they're everywhere and I really have to watch the dirt/mulch/grass eating. If it looks like they had a snack of oreos, it's really just dirt. Ben and Andrew find it hilarious to put anything in their mouths I tell them not to. They're all fascinated by bubbles and squeal with delight when a good batch is flying at them.
They all still LOVE books. Allison is rarely seen without one in her hands. They're all speed readers- quickly flipping pages, pointing at pictures for you to name, then it's over and on to the next one. They don't like to sit and listen to a whole book, unless it's God Made You Special VeggieTales book. I read it everyday after lunch; I had to take it away because it caused too many fights, so now it's group reading time. It plays a song at the end and they get so excited! They take turns pushing the button for the song and they just hold out those little pointer fingers in anticipation.
They all like to walk backwards into your lap with a book, or just back up until they can lean on you or perch on your knee. The bigs can get on and off riding toys which is nice for me! The littles try, but their legs are just a tad too short still. We're still working on using utensils; they can get them in their mouths, just can't quite scoop food or stab it well enough. We've introduced coloring which mostly involves swatting crayons from mouths. Our dance parties are more fun as they're all developing their individual moves from swaying and clapping to little feet jigs- I still need to catch this on video! Diaper changes are more interesting depending on their mood and level of wiggliness. I've gotten pretty good at changing diapers and clothes on the move. Toy and food stealing and cup/utensil throwing are sport around here. Our vet is surprised Maggie's not overweight from cleaning the floor :) But, despite the moodiness and fits, they all like to give hugs and kisses. The girls will blow kisses too!
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| Andrew's turn to push the button |
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| The fridge is open! The fridge is open! |
They all like to walk backwards into your lap with a book, or just back up until they can lean on you or perch on your knee. The bigs can get on and off riding toys which is nice for me! The littles try, but their legs are just a tad too short still. We're still working on using utensils; they can get them in their mouths, just can't quite scoop food or stab it well enough. We've introduced coloring which mostly involves swatting crayons from mouths. Our dance parties are more fun as they're all developing their individual moves from swaying and clapping to little feet jigs- I still need to catch this on video! Diaper changes are more interesting depending on their mood and level of wiggliness. I've gotten pretty good at changing diapers and clothes on the move. Toy and food stealing and cup/utensil throwing are sport around here. Our vet is surprised Maggie's not overweight from cleaning the floor :) But, despite the moodiness and fits, they all like to give hugs and kisses. The girls will blow kisses too!
At their 18 mo well check, they were able to run all over the place in their diapers. Luckily, there were plenty of helpers with me to chase them around, but it was a nice reminder of how busy they are when we're not in our regular environment. Overall the appointment went well and the only concerns were their lack of independent utensil use and Caroline's lack of curving on her growth curve. She's been added to the extra calorie diet plan Allison and Levi are on. At 18 months...
Andrew: 25 lb 13 oz, 32 in tall, he shovels food like no other and is quick to steal more when he's done, he's most likely to steal toys and most likely to give you a hug, loves push and pull toys, riding toys, books, peek a boo (if you say Where's Andrew? he'll cover his eyes.), laughing, bubbles, getting into the fridge and pantry, and lounging in his little chair
Ben: 25 lb 3 oz, 30.5 in tall, he is still super silly and most likely to throw a full on tantrum if he doesn't get his way or someone takes his toy, he loves to throw things, slide, read books, grunt and laugh at himself, get into anything I say not to, give kisses, watch bubbles, pick out pieces of food he doesn't want and hand them to me, and sway to music
Caroline: 21 lb 8 oz, 30 in tall, she has the biggest crinkle-nosed smile and the loudest wail which she lets out all too often, moody (we don't call her Cranky Caroline for nothing) and independent but still needs her Caroline cuddles when she's tired, loves to throw her cup for attention, likes to read books, slide, ride the rocking horse, run outside, help load the dryer, dance, belly laugh when tickled, play with Maggie, block of the play area so she has it to herself, and nap
Leah: 18 lb 0 oz, 28 in tall, generally the best behaved and happiest unless her tummy hurts, loves music, stories, cuddles, therapy, pinwheels, pom poms, brightly colored balls, tambourines, and counting, she's sleeping better at night and is making steady progress in therapies, her latest favorite real foods are bananas and pudding and banana pudding (go figure), and we've been making big changes to her feeding schedule because she's a big toddler girl now
Levi: 17 lb 8 oz, 28 in tall, he could swiffer all day long, but any push/pull toy will do, besides swiffering, he doesn't do one thing for long, least interested in tv, loves Maggie's toys and teasing her, likes books, dancing, head stands, independent play, talking, tilting his head to look at you, peek a boo, and carrying around toys
About a month or so ago it was time to bust out the 18 month clothes. I HATE switching clothes sizes. It's at least a week long process since I can only work on it for short spurts. First I get all of the new size out of storage (VERY THANKFUL for hand-me-downs!), sort it for initial give aways, wash all of the new size, sort by gender and clothing type, then see what I'm really keeping as I start to run out of room in their drawers and bins. This is all after I've already boxed up the current little kids clothes and moved the big size down to the little ones' drawers and bins. Anyway, here was my 18 month laundry pile...
About a month or so ago it was time to bust out the 18 month clothes. I HATE switching clothes sizes. It's at least a week long process since I can only work on it for short spurts. First I get all of the new size out of storage (VERY THANKFUL for hand-me-downs!), sort it for initial give aways, wash all of the new size, sort by gender and clothing type, then see what I'm really keeping as I start to run out of room in their drawers and bins. This is all after I've already boxed up the current little kids clothes and moved the big size down to the little ones' drawers and bins. Anyway, here was my 18 month laundry pile...
And I leave you with my favorite question from our last zoo trip... "Are those quadtriplets?"
Oh, and this video of the "Freak Out"... http://youtu.be/sqVJmGgOb50
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Baby Shower
A couple weeks ago I had the honor of co-hosting Aunt Mae's (as my kiddos know her) baby shower! I personally can't wait for Miss Olivia to enter the world and it was so fun to spend time with friends planning the party and celebrating Megan! She is such an amazing friend to me and has been a huge support to my family. And she threw me an incredible shower, so I had to live up to those standards!
I couldn't have done this shower alone and the other hostesses did such a great job on all the details! From hanging pom poms to collapsing cakes, we definitely had our mishaps, but that's all part of the fun we can laugh about now. Now Olivia needs to hurry up and get here so we can put her in all the cute outfits Meg got!
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| Meg hostess, Lauren pregnant one |
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| Meg pregnant one, Lauren hostess |
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| All the guests made applique onesies. Here's Megan with the Olivia collection- so cute! |
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| The display table! |
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| Taking a break for Mary's yummy punch |
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| Super cute favors Vaniesa made |
Friday, September 20, 2013
What are we going to eat?
The question that haunts my brain CONSTANTLY!! With 3 meals and 2 snacks to prepare everyday, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. With meal planning, shopping, and my general love of food I also spend a lot of time thinking about meals.
I am so thankful the 5 eat what we eat and they're not picky at all. They all have their moments of not wanting some particular food, but nothing consistent yet. And I'm all for redistributing, sharing, and trading food that's not being eaten, because what I decide to make is what you get!
Establishing healthy habits with my kids, as well as myself, is important to me. I try to fit in all the appropriate servings of all food groups in a day- doesn't happen everyday, but it's what I shoot for. I do let them have a dessert if they've eaten well and seem like they could go for a little extra something.
So, I thought I'd compose a go-to list of meal and snack ideas that the kiddos have liked. Won't be everything we've tried because I've tried so many different recipes (I LOVE trying new recipes) and honestly, just don't remember everything. I may add to this list in the future or I may start doing recipe posts, but I don't like to make such promises!
Breakfast
Pancakes- any kind, especially blueberry or sweet potato (use puree), and oatmeal pancakes
French Toast- plain or deceptive style with a veggie puree in the batter for a healthy boost
Oatmeal- overnight crock pot style- apple cinnamon, pumpkin, carrot cake- love it all or baked oatmeal
Muffins- just use a mix, or from scratch like pbj muffins, healthy banana muffins, really any kind
Omelet Biscuit Cups
Baked Eggs- plain or lunch meat style
Scrambled eggs- plain or with cottage cheese beat in- I sneak veggies in too
Eggos- my go to quick breakfast
Toast- butter, cinnamon, or cheese- they love it all
Biscuits
Lunch
Grilled cheese- I often sneak veggies in here, especially spinach and tomatoes
Quesadillas- they love bean and cheese, but I sneak veggies in and sometimes random leftovers I need to get rid of
Noodles and Special Sauce- not so secret family recipe of noodles, butter, plain tomato sauce
Corn dog muffins
Homemade lunchables- crackers or tortilla pieces, lunch meat, and cheese chunks
Artichoke bread
Tamales
Taquitos
Pizza- frozen, homemade, rolls, whatever you got they'll eat it!
Ravioli/Tortellini
Cans of soup drained- especially chicken noodle or anything else really chunky- super easy, go to quick meal!
Burgers- with or without cheese, beef or turkey or black bean- we love burgers!
Tortilla Wraps- whatever you can think of to put in them
Mac n Cheese- a staple here, also a great way to sneak veggies
PBJ- I spread greek yogurt on for my littles to give them an extra calorie/protein boost
Chicken nuggets
If I'm not already sneaking healthy stuff in the main dish, I'll add a side of veggies and/or fruit. Mine like: frozen peas, frozen mixed veggies, homemade regular and sweet potato fries, zucchini/squash crisps
Dinner
*all of the lunch items I've also used at dinner- they're interchangeable to me
Crock pot chicken alfredo- I usually add broccoli
Crock pot pasta e fagioli
Crock pot red beans and rice
Crock pot fajitas
Tamale Pie (layer tamales, corn, chili, cheese, and fritos in casserole and bake at 350 until bubbly)
Parmesan crusted tilapia filets from Sam's
Turkey Veggie Meatloaf
Regular meatloaf
Lasagna
Enchiladas
Crock pot ribs- or any BBQ style meat
Tacos
*I love my crock pot and use it frequently! The Crockin Girls Cookbook is excellent and where I get many of these recipes.
Snack
*some of these snack recipes I'll also use at breakfast time
Smoothies
Toddler Muffins- I always have a stash of these in the freezer
Banana Roll Ups
Healthy Cookies- also good for a no guilt mommy dessert :)
PBJ bars- just peanut butter, jelly, oats, and a mashed up banana
Fruit- I always do a snack of fruit- fresh unless I'm out then I'll go to canned. Mine love all fruits!
Puffs/Cheerios/Goldfish/Cheez Its/Graham crackers- you get the idea
Cheese chunks
Yogurt
Pudding
Dessert
Graham crackers
Popsicles (break off small chunks)
Special treats are regular cookies/cake/ice cream, etc.
Beverage
Milk- breakfast and dinner
Juice- VERY diluted at lunch
Water- any other time- sometimes with a little Crystal Light flavor :)
Well, there you have it! How I feed our family. Even though I usually eat my own separate breakfast and lunch because I don't mind making myself something different than everyone else ;)
I am so thankful the 5 eat what we eat and they're not picky at all. They all have their moments of not wanting some particular food, but nothing consistent yet. And I'm all for redistributing, sharing, and trading food that's not being eaten, because what I decide to make is what you get!
Establishing healthy habits with my kids, as well as myself, is important to me. I try to fit in all the appropriate servings of all food groups in a day- doesn't happen everyday, but it's what I shoot for. I do let them have a dessert if they've eaten well and seem like they could go for a little extra something.
So, I thought I'd compose a go-to list of meal and snack ideas that the kiddos have liked. Won't be everything we've tried because I've tried so many different recipes (I LOVE trying new recipes) and honestly, just don't remember everything. I may add to this list in the future or I may start doing recipe posts, but I don't like to make such promises!
Breakfast
Pancakes- any kind, especially blueberry or sweet potato (use puree), and oatmeal pancakes
French Toast- plain or deceptive style with a veggie puree in the batter for a healthy boost
Oatmeal- overnight crock pot style- apple cinnamon, pumpkin, carrot cake- love it all or baked oatmeal
Muffins- just use a mix, or from scratch like pbj muffins, healthy banana muffins, really any kind
Omelet Biscuit Cups
Baked Eggs- plain or lunch meat style
Scrambled eggs- plain or with cottage cheese beat in- I sneak veggies in too
Eggos- my go to quick breakfast
Toast- butter, cinnamon, or cheese- they love it all
Biscuits
Lunch
Grilled cheese- I often sneak veggies in here, especially spinach and tomatoes
Quesadillas- they love bean and cheese, but I sneak veggies in and sometimes random leftovers I need to get rid of
Noodles and Special Sauce- not so secret family recipe of noodles, butter, plain tomato sauce
Corn dog muffins
Homemade lunchables- crackers or tortilla pieces, lunch meat, and cheese chunks
Artichoke bread
Tamales
Taquitos
Pizza- frozen, homemade, rolls, whatever you got they'll eat it!
Ravioli/Tortellini
Cans of soup drained- especially chicken noodle or anything else really chunky- super easy, go to quick meal!
Burgers- with or without cheese, beef or turkey or black bean- we love burgers!
Tortilla Wraps- whatever you can think of to put in them
Mac n Cheese- a staple here, also a great way to sneak veggies
PBJ- I spread greek yogurt on for my littles to give them an extra calorie/protein boost
Chicken nuggets
If I'm not already sneaking healthy stuff in the main dish, I'll add a side of veggies and/or fruit. Mine like: frozen peas, frozen mixed veggies, homemade regular and sweet potato fries, zucchini/squash crisps
Dinner
*all of the lunch items I've also used at dinner- they're interchangeable to me
Crock pot chicken alfredo- I usually add broccoli
Crock pot pasta e fagioli
Crock pot red beans and rice
Crock pot fajitas
Tamale Pie (layer tamales, corn, chili, cheese, and fritos in casserole and bake at 350 until bubbly)
Parmesan crusted tilapia filets from Sam's
Turkey Veggie Meatloaf
Regular meatloaf
Lasagna
Enchiladas
Crock pot ribs- or any BBQ style meat
Tacos
*I love my crock pot and use it frequently! The Crockin Girls Cookbook is excellent and where I get many of these recipes.
Snack
*some of these snack recipes I'll also use at breakfast time
Smoothies
Toddler Muffins- I always have a stash of these in the freezer
Banana Roll Ups
Healthy Cookies- also good for a no guilt mommy dessert :)
PBJ bars- just peanut butter, jelly, oats, and a mashed up banana
Fruit- I always do a snack of fruit- fresh unless I'm out then I'll go to canned. Mine love all fruits!
Puffs/Cheerios/Goldfish/Cheez Its/Graham crackers- you get the idea
Cheese chunks
Yogurt
Pudding
Dessert
Graham crackers
Popsicles (break off small chunks)
Special treats are regular cookies/cake/ice cream, etc.
Beverage
Milk- breakfast and dinner
Juice- VERY diluted at lunch
Water- any other time- sometimes with a little Crystal Light flavor :)
Well, there you have it! How I feed our family. Even though I usually eat my own separate breakfast and lunch because I don't mind making myself something different than everyone else ;)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Catchin up in 5 points or less
Not sure why I felt the need to title this post "5 points or less" because it's going to be hard to fit it into 5 stretched out bullets! Guess it sounds better that way :)
1. Strangers
I don't think I will ever get used to strangers knowing who I am and all about my family. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does it always takes me by surprise. This has happened several times in the past few weeks- I'm making small talk with a stranger (at the pool, a mom's group, etc) and ask about their kids and when I offer up some factoid about one of my kids I get a response like "Oh I know about your family, I follow you on (fill in the blank)/I go to your church/I see you walking all the time" I never really know what to say after that. I think I usually say something super intelligent like "Oh, that's cool".
2. Sensory Bags
Again, I copied my Quad Mama friend and made these neato burrito sensory bags for the kids to play with. I had visions of 15-20 minutes of pure entertainment as they squished and smashed the bags to see the colors/ glitter/ confetti/ soap suds move around before their very eyes. Um, not so much. Maybe 2 minutes? We've tried this several times now and each time has gotten better. At first only Andrew liked the bags, now everyone but Levi likes them (of course, Levi doesn't like new things). Levi and Ben mostly like throwing them off the table. I even switch the bags around every 30 seconds-ish so they don't get bored with one bag.
For those curious readers, I made the bags by filling ziploc gallon size bags with various household items. Hand sanitizer, baby shampoo, baby oil, hair gel, and water were all used as bases. Then I used puffy paint to color the liquid base and added fun materials like glitter, confetti, and beads. Voila! Mediocre sensory bags! Buyer beware- they can leak! Duct tape and double bagging saved me from a huge mess.
3. Leah
Leah's had some pretty cool things happen to her lately. We found a new ophthalmologist who specializes in CVI! She was much more thorough and informative than her last one. The best part was she informed me about weekly national conference calls for parents of kids with CVI (based in NY) where parents call in to ask questions and consult with each other. They even have expert professionals every couple of weeks to speak to us. I've been listening in for a few weeks now and it's truly a great resource. Leah also has received her bath chair and her stander! Haven't needed the bath chair yet, but she's done really well in the stander and her therapist can already see a difference :) Lastly, she is now taking her liquid antibiotics by mouth!! This is a huge deal for her! Her eating still varies a lot, but teeny tiny baby steps are where she's at and as always, I'll take a little progress over none at all.
4. New Skills
With my almost 17 month olds, the new skills are constant! I'll probably miss some on the blog as I don't remember to jot everything down. Andrew is walking!!!!! FINALLY!! He also said his first word- "go". They are all much much more vocal, not many real words, but lots of pretend talking and attempts to let us know what they want, including some head shaking. We've started 'word of the week' flash cards and their little faces light up when we review the word. No one has said the words yet, but they do point some of them out in books. Ben can walk backwards and the girls walk reeeeally fast. They love riding their push cars and after my back was tired of bending over one day, I taught them how to push each other! Success!! Now if only they could steer around obstacles... They are all getting better at getting into things- doors, drawers, and cabinets- any container really- are all fascinating. They're starting to figure out climbing. Imitating has increased dramatically and is so much fun! We love to make faces and sounds and watch them focus on copying us. They do imitate each other as well. Alli has started going over to Leah's pump when she hears it beeping and pointing at it and looking at me- it was so funny to me to realize that she picked that up from watching me. They're starting to dance more on their own too; they LOVE music and seem to enjoy bouncing/shaking to the beat. I've also gotten Caroline and Andrew into helping put toys back in containers :)
Negative new skills- throwing (Ben), hair pulling (Andrew), and biting (Allison). Can't wait to see what the others come up with!
http://youtu.be/y1vjB_i4u4A several minutes of free play time
http://youtu.be/l6rp3SdCHgY Caroline dancing
http://youtu.be/j79n_Zpa3XU Alli pushing Ben
5. Big Events
I got brave and trimmed Alli and Caroline's bangs. They were way too long and had been in their eyes for weeks. Alli would not stop squirming, so hers are a tad shorter than I intended, but Caroline's came out pretty good. I keep forgetting to take a picture though! And, no, I didn't save any hair. It was a mess.
We had our last swim day of the season :( It was extra special though because Daddy, Nona, and Grandpa were there to share it with the kiddos! Also several of our favorite friends! I hope they continue to enjoy the water and I'm looking forward to some splash pad fun next summer.
Ben, Allison, and Levi all tested out of ECI physical therapy and have moved on to communication/developmental skills! This is the typical natural progression for preemies in the program. I'm glad they're having so much success, even if we miss our ECI PT!
We attended a birthday party a few weekends ago for our neighbor friend turning 1. All was well until it started getting really crowded and Dave and I had a hard time keeping track of where everyone was and which adults had which kids- so we trekked home. Andrew did manage to crawl around and steal food off strangers plates! How embarrassing!!
Lastly, my wonderful friend who has been helping 3 days a week for the past year decided to return to work part time and reduce her Pack days to once a week. She has been an enormous help to me through pregnancy and the first year. I could never thank her enough and the kids adore her! I've consulted with her so many times it's been strange to not get her opinion before making a decision. She's always up for one of my crazy ideas/adventures/whatever new thing I'm trying with the kids which I've always appreciated! And as God would have it, a few weeks before she returned to work, a new neighbor moved in who is recently retired, looking for a way to volunteer- preferably with kids, is really bored and doesn't know anyone, and her husband works and her kids are grown. Um, walk across the street and help me please! And she has! And she's wonderful and just the sweetest lady ever. I always tell people that God has blessed my family and truly provides for us, and this is just another example!
http://youtu.be/38ar-6rUDO0 just for laughs :)
1. Strangers
I don't think I will ever get used to strangers knowing who I am and all about my family. It doesn't happen that often, but when it does it always takes me by surprise. This has happened several times in the past few weeks- I'm making small talk with a stranger (at the pool, a mom's group, etc) and ask about their kids and when I offer up some factoid about one of my kids I get a response like "Oh I know about your family, I follow you on (fill in the blank)/I go to your church/I see you walking all the time" I never really know what to say after that. I think I usually say something super intelligent like "Oh, that's cool".
2. Sensory Bags
Again, I copied my Quad Mama friend and made these neato burrito sensory bags for the kids to play with. I had visions of 15-20 minutes of pure entertainment as they squished and smashed the bags to see the colors/ glitter/ confetti/ soap suds move around before their very eyes. Um, not so much. Maybe 2 minutes? We've tried this several times now and each time has gotten better. At first only Andrew liked the bags, now everyone but Levi likes them (of course, Levi doesn't like new things). Levi and Ben mostly like throwing them off the table. I even switch the bags around every 30 seconds-ish so they don't get bored with one bag.
For those curious readers, I made the bags by filling ziploc gallon size bags with various household items. Hand sanitizer, baby shampoo, baby oil, hair gel, and water were all used as bases. Then I used puffy paint to color the liquid base and added fun materials like glitter, confetti, and beads. Voila! Mediocre sensory bags! Buyer beware- they can leak! Duct tape and double bagging saved me from a huge mess.
3. Leah
Leah's had some pretty cool things happen to her lately. We found a new ophthalmologist who specializes in CVI! She was much more thorough and informative than her last one. The best part was she informed me about weekly national conference calls for parents of kids with CVI (based in NY) where parents call in to ask questions and consult with each other. They even have expert professionals every couple of weeks to speak to us. I've been listening in for a few weeks now and it's truly a great resource. Leah also has received her bath chair and her stander! Haven't needed the bath chair yet, but she's done really well in the stander and her therapist can already see a difference :) Lastly, she is now taking her liquid antibiotics by mouth!! This is a huge deal for her! Her eating still varies a lot, but teeny tiny baby steps are where she's at and as always, I'll take a little progress over none at all.
4. New Skills
With my almost 17 month olds, the new skills are constant! I'll probably miss some on the blog as I don't remember to jot everything down. Andrew is walking!!!!! FINALLY!! He also said his first word- "go". They are all much much more vocal, not many real words, but lots of pretend talking and attempts to let us know what they want, including some head shaking. We've started 'word of the week' flash cards and their little faces light up when we review the word. No one has said the words yet, but they do point some of them out in books. Ben can walk backwards and the girls walk reeeeally fast. They love riding their push cars and after my back was tired of bending over one day, I taught them how to push each other! Success!! Now if only they could steer around obstacles... They are all getting better at getting into things- doors, drawers, and cabinets- any container really- are all fascinating. They're starting to figure out climbing. Imitating has increased dramatically and is so much fun! We love to make faces and sounds and watch them focus on copying us. They do imitate each other as well. Alli has started going over to Leah's pump when she hears it beeping and pointing at it and looking at me- it was so funny to me to realize that she picked that up from watching me. They're starting to dance more on their own too; they LOVE music and seem to enjoy bouncing/shaking to the beat. I've also gotten Caroline and Andrew into helping put toys back in containers :)
Negative new skills- throwing (Ben), hair pulling (Andrew), and biting (Allison). Can't wait to see what the others come up with!
http://youtu.be/y1vjB_i4u4A several minutes of free play time
http://youtu.be/l6rp3SdCHgY Caroline dancing
http://youtu.be/j79n_Zpa3XU Alli pushing Ben
5. Big Events
I got brave and trimmed Alli and Caroline's bangs. They were way too long and had been in their eyes for weeks. Alli would not stop squirming, so hers are a tad shorter than I intended, but Caroline's came out pretty good. I keep forgetting to take a picture though! And, no, I didn't save any hair. It was a mess.
We had our last swim day of the season :( It was extra special though because Daddy, Nona, and Grandpa were there to share it with the kiddos! Also several of our favorite friends! I hope they continue to enjoy the water and I'm looking forward to some splash pad fun next summer.
Ben, Allison, and Levi all tested out of ECI physical therapy and have moved on to communication/developmental skills! This is the typical natural progression for preemies in the program. I'm glad they're having so much success, even if we miss our ECI PT!
We attended a birthday party a few weekends ago for our neighbor friend turning 1. All was well until it started getting really crowded and Dave and I had a hard time keeping track of where everyone was and which adults had which kids- so we trekked home. Andrew did manage to crawl around and steal food off strangers plates! How embarrassing!!
Lastly, my wonderful friend who has been helping 3 days a week for the past year decided to return to work part time and reduce her Pack days to once a week. She has been an enormous help to me through pregnancy and the first year. I could never thank her enough and the kids adore her! I've consulted with her so many times it's been strange to not get her opinion before making a decision. She's always up for one of my crazy ideas/adventures/whatever new thing I'm trying with the kids which I've always appreciated! And as God would have it, a few weeks before she returned to work, a new neighbor moved in who is recently retired, looking for a way to volunteer- preferably with kids, is really bored and doesn't know anyone, and her husband works and her kids are grown. Um, walk across the street and help me please! And she has! And she's wonderful and just the sweetest lady ever. I always tell people that God has blessed my family and truly provides for us, and this is just another example!
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| Dave with the Bigs at the party |
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| Aunt NeeNee with the kids before she goes back to work |
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