Wow! It's so hard to believe it's time for 2012! This past year really did fly by faster than any before to me. I'm sure it's in part due to how busy we have been and the seasons of life all our children are in. I'm the only one up to ring in the New Year (except macy- our yorkie) as the older children are out with their girlfriend/boyfriend. I love sitting here soaking the Christmas tree lights in for a last little bit and hearing distant fireworks! I've made myself a mimosa and just wanted to be still and reflect for a moment on the year! It seems like we've heard of way too many tragedies or serious sickness in the last 3 weeks. It really made me aware of the blessings of health and family even more. God has really blessed us in the joys of this year in those ways as well as many others.
It's hard to believe the twins had their second birthday back in February, and now its time to plan party number 3! What amazing growth and change in their little lives over the year! Annabelle and Cade both have amazed us with their vocabulary and how they can communicate with us as little people now. It's a gift to watch them run and play not as much as babies or even toddlers now, but as small children. Oh how fast it all is going! It makes me realize a resolution to worry less about the house and just soak them up even more, is a necessity, before they're off to school and these sweet days are over!! Being organized is one thing, but missing life I can never get back is another! They'll never remember if it was all perfect or not anyway!
Precious Abigail has really come so far this year! How uplifting to watch her determination to crawl, climb stairs, and now take her first steps! The smile that sweeps across her face after her victories is absolutely contageous!It's like her little heart is dancing and sneaks up to let the world know how proud she is of herself! I just love it! Her infancy is over and toddlerhood awaits. I'm so glad she still lets me rock her every night for at least 5 minutes. I'll cherish that feeling for a lifetime! I've never rocked any of my children as often as I do her! I really believe it does more for me than it does her!
I constantly call Cade "Shane" because it really seems in my heart that Shane should still be little! It was almost unreal to watch the young man who is so grown (6ft 2in, 20 lbs) play football on Friday nights and drive away in a car during the days! Surely that wasn't us standing on the football field with him for senior night!! I still feel like at most, he should be in 7th grade!;) It was wonderful and sometimes painful to watch him through the joys and difficult times of the teen life this past year! His first prom, first serious girlfriend, first heartbreak. he's come a long way in his maturity. He has really worked hard in school, learned a lot of discipline, and hopefully felt a lot of love! He has had a great few last weeks of the year! He's dating a wonderful young lady, Kayla, and even got his first car (a garnet, or crimson,:)2004 Land Rover Discovery) just 2 days ago. Such a fun time for him! I'm so proud and ask God to guide his steps and watch over his heart daily!
Darby is offically a senior at BAMA! My goodness! It really can't be! She's about to be 21 next month! Amazing when I reflect on having her when I was 19. Her world got so much bigger this year! She studied abroad and I still can't believe I survived my baby living in South America for 4 months! Then traveling everywhere in between classes! She will be graduating at this time next year..then on to a new season of life for her! We're so thankful she has Jared, such a godly, amazing young man in her life! Once, over this past year, the house was quiet and Annabelle and I were painting when she asked me something and I answered her by starting my sentence with "Darby,..." I had to stop and just cry for a minute at how it took me back!!
Jamie and I stay so busy, I imagine time will continue to feel as if it's being stolen from us! I don't like to get bogged down with the resolution thing, but I really just want to take time to be still.. and to keep eating up every moment possible with those I love! Life is a gift and unfortunately I've seen in robbed from those way too young this year. Turning 40 on Christmas was surprising..since I'm only 32! ha ha! I'm reminded of a sign that hangs in Jamie's mom's house. It states: Don't regret growing older, for it's a priviledge denied to many! Think I'll savor that and smile!
Love to all and a very Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Summer days
Goodness, I can't believe it's been so long since I've blogged! Things have been so busy but great!!
Darby got back from South America and we enjoyed a few short weeks before she jetted back off to Texas for 7 weeks! She's a counselor for a summer kids camp and is working her tail off! Part of their protocol is to have their counselors only have access to their phones and computers for one 24hr period a week! It's been harder than when she was on another continent! agh! She'll be home August 16th, so not too much longer...but then she'll be home one week and then will head off to Tuscaloosa for fall semester!! Roll Tide!
Shane has been busy with football practice for several months! He enjoyed all the spring events of his junior year! Prom was great! Such a handsome fellow! Can't wait to get geared up for football games this fall!! It's really hard to believe he's going to be a senior! Where did the time go? Still seems like I should be able to grab him up and hug him so tight just like when he was 4. I guess I had better pass though as he's 6'+ and well over 200 lbs! When I sit down and play with Cade it brings back such wonderful memories of times with Shane when he was small! I guess I'll have to hold on tight as I know this next year will fly by!
Little Annabelle has been talking up a storm! We have funny new sayings come out of her mouth, like, "no problem", and "unacceptable' like her daddy says! She and Cade both love to watch the birds in the front yard and say, "mockinbirds" go "tweet tweet"! She is singing her alphabet and counting to ten! Such a little smart one! She has also learned to match pairs from her Disney deck of cards! She's still just as crazy about her daddy! Every day she asks him to stay home with us! I have to tell her no, it's only "Monday, or Tuesday, etc! But when we get to Thursday, she seems to get that it's just a couple of days until he gets to be home for the weekend! So sweet! We still say goodbye and blow kisses from the front porch when he leaves for work! She has spent a lot of time in her garden this spring! She loves to go check for ripe tomatoes and banana peppers in the mornings! Cade pulled a green one the other day and she told him, "it's not ready" and sat it back down in the garden! They are so funny together. Cade then toddled off like any little man would after being corrected by a female! He happily picked up a stick and seemed to send the message, "oh well, guess you don't need my help, pick your own tomatoes!"
Cade does just crack me up! He's so stinkin' cute that it's hard to stay frustrated with anything he gets into! I love his new little funny ways of playing! He runs down the slope of the backyard while singing so that his little voice shakes as his feet bounce onto the ground with every step! He stops and giggles at himself! I love it!!! He also lines up his trucks on the window sill in the den by his toy cubbies! It's so cute how he does it over and over and says "Voom" when he pushes them! I took a little semi truck of his and showed him where the driver sits, then pointed to the cab where he can sleep when he gets tired, followed by the gas tanks where he fills up to make the truck go. He listened intently. Then for several days after he would bring me that little truck and repeat in his version, the information I had told him. Oh, he makes me so happy! They have enjoyed having a little pool in the back yard this summer. It's quite difficult to keep it clean with all the rain! agh! They've also really enjoyed some play dates with their buddy Chase (Jared's nephew) at what Annabelle calls the "big pool"!ha ha! So many new experiences. At the end of April we took the to Zoo Atlanta and loved how much they enjoyed seeing all the animals! Fun times!
Little Abigail has been as busy as a bee! She learned to crawl in June and is so proud of herself! She can get into anything she wants to! The twins have been squealing as she plants herself in the middle of whatever they have going on! They've adapted pretty well to moving their precious items up on the couch away from her! However, Mrs. Melissa (her physical therapist) has been teaching Abigail how to climb up on the furniture and stairs, so their victory will be short lived at best! Miss Abigail has also been cutting teeth like crazy! She got her first one on the bottom (in the middle) at the end of her 9th mth, the second on the bottom in her 10th mth. Then after her birthday, I started thinking that it had been a while and I hadn't seen any new teeth! She was a bit fussy for a spell so I assumed she was teething again and put baby oragel on the top middle of her gums where the next ones typically would be coming in. I had dismissed the comment her pediatrician had made about babies with Down Syndrome can cut teeth in different order than what we are typically used to. Around the 4th of July, I did decide finally to tilt her head back for a good look and was quite surprised to find a top right molar in and a left top molar coming in. Wow! No wonder she was chewing food so well! Now, she's still cutting the molar and her top two middle front ones are about to pop through! Poor thing! She'll have 6 total when they all break in! She does eat almost everything the twins do! She is still just the most amazing blessing! It was such a joy to celebrate her first birthday in May! We had a party on the 14th at the house. So many friends came! Abigail really enjoyed her cake. She made quite a mess and wound up with it in her hair and all over her! Her little DS twin, Alyssa made it (Alyssa turned 1 on May 22). They are just beyond precious together! It was so neat to have such support for her from our family and friends! Our world will never be the same since she arrived, and I'm so glad!
Well, there is just so much I have left out and really want to get to, but it is late and my poor husband is trying to sleep while I lay in bed typing, so I better had give it a rest! I'll have to get back in the swing of making time to capture these wonderful memories again!
Darby got back from South America and we enjoyed a few short weeks before she jetted back off to Texas for 7 weeks! She's a counselor for a summer kids camp and is working her tail off! Part of their protocol is to have their counselors only have access to their phones and computers for one 24hr period a week! It's been harder than when she was on another continent! agh! She'll be home August 16th, so not too much longer...but then she'll be home one week and then will head off to Tuscaloosa for fall semester!! Roll Tide!
Shane has been busy with football practice for several months! He enjoyed all the spring events of his junior year! Prom was great! Such a handsome fellow! Can't wait to get geared up for football games this fall!! It's really hard to believe he's going to be a senior! Where did the time go? Still seems like I should be able to grab him up and hug him so tight just like when he was 4. I guess I had better pass though as he's 6'+ and well over 200 lbs! When I sit down and play with Cade it brings back such wonderful memories of times with Shane when he was small! I guess I'll have to hold on tight as I know this next year will fly by!
Little Annabelle has been talking up a storm! We have funny new sayings come out of her mouth, like, "no problem", and "unacceptable' like her daddy says! She and Cade both love to watch the birds in the front yard and say, "mockinbirds" go "tweet tweet"! She is singing her alphabet and counting to ten! Such a little smart one! She has also learned to match pairs from her Disney deck of cards! She's still just as crazy about her daddy! Every day she asks him to stay home with us! I have to tell her no, it's only "Monday, or Tuesday, etc! But when we get to Thursday, she seems to get that it's just a couple of days until he gets to be home for the weekend! So sweet! We still say goodbye and blow kisses from the front porch when he leaves for work! She has spent a lot of time in her garden this spring! She loves to go check for ripe tomatoes and banana peppers in the mornings! Cade pulled a green one the other day and she told him, "it's not ready" and sat it back down in the garden! They are so funny together. Cade then toddled off like any little man would after being corrected by a female! He happily picked up a stick and seemed to send the message, "oh well, guess you don't need my help, pick your own tomatoes!"
Cade does just crack me up! He's so stinkin' cute that it's hard to stay frustrated with anything he gets into! I love his new little funny ways of playing! He runs down the slope of the backyard while singing so that his little voice shakes as his feet bounce onto the ground with every step! He stops and giggles at himself! I love it!!! He also lines up his trucks on the window sill in the den by his toy cubbies! It's so cute how he does it over and over and says "Voom" when he pushes them! I took a little semi truck of his and showed him where the driver sits, then pointed to the cab where he can sleep when he gets tired, followed by the gas tanks where he fills up to make the truck go. He listened intently. Then for several days after he would bring me that little truck and repeat in his version, the information I had told him. Oh, he makes me so happy! They have enjoyed having a little pool in the back yard this summer. It's quite difficult to keep it clean with all the rain! agh! They've also really enjoyed some play dates with their buddy Chase (Jared's nephew) at what Annabelle calls the "big pool"!ha ha! So many new experiences. At the end of April we took the to Zoo Atlanta and loved how much they enjoyed seeing all the animals! Fun times!
Little Abigail has been as busy as a bee! She learned to crawl in June and is so proud of herself! She can get into anything she wants to! The twins have been squealing as she plants herself in the middle of whatever they have going on! They've adapted pretty well to moving their precious items up on the couch away from her! However, Mrs. Melissa (her physical therapist) has been teaching Abigail how to climb up on the furniture and stairs, so their victory will be short lived at best! Miss Abigail has also been cutting teeth like crazy! She got her first one on the bottom (in the middle) at the end of her 9th mth, the second on the bottom in her 10th mth. Then after her birthday, I started thinking that it had been a while and I hadn't seen any new teeth! She was a bit fussy for a spell so I assumed she was teething again and put baby oragel on the top middle of her gums where the next ones typically would be coming in. I had dismissed the comment her pediatrician had made about babies with Down Syndrome can cut teeth in different order than what we are typically used to. Around the 4th of July, I did decide finally to tilt her head back for a good look and was quite surprised to find a top right molar in and a left top molar coming in. Wow! No wonder she was chewing food so well! Now, she's still cutting the molar and her top two middle front ones are about to pop through! Poor thing! She'll have 6 total when they all break in! She does eat almost everything the twins do! She is still just the most amazing blessing! It was such a joy to celebrate her first birthday in May! We had a party on the 14th at the house. So many friends came! Abigail really enjoyed her cake. She made quite a mess and wound up with it in her hair and all over her! Her little DS twin, Alyssa made it (Alyssa turned 1 on May 22). They are just beyond precious together! It was so neat to have such support for her from our family and friends! Our world will never be the same since she arrived, and I'm so glad!
Well, there is just so much I have left out and really want to get to, but it is late and my poor husband is trying to sleep while I lay in bed typing, so I better had give it a rest! I'll have to get back in the swing of making time to capture these wonderful memories again!
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The sun finally came back today! It was so great to get the babies back outside after so many rainy days! We started the day with a unique celebration. We headed to Kennesaw Memorial Gardens to remember and celebrate an old friend's son's (Shane's) life! Shane was a fine young man, a Marine, who stepped into heaven 5 yrs ago (on April 3rd) at the age of 22! Today, his family and friends attended a mass early (which we had to miss with the babies nap schedule)and then headed to the cemetery to celebrate more. When we arrived, the twins were quite curious! I spread a little blanket out on the grass where Annabelle and Abigail could sit in their delicate little smocked long dresses. Cade joined them too as he watched all the events. Each attending child was given a balloon along with some of the adult guests, to hold for a bit and then release at a certain time. The twins and Abigail let theirs go and watched as they rose higher and higher! Their eyes got even bigger as the guests opened tiny envelopes to release beautiful monarch butterflies! It was really beautiful to see! One particular butterfly decided to stay around a bit! Mrs. Amy was next to us and her butterfly sat resting on her hand for quite a long time. It shouldn't have surprised us as Mrs. Amy is Victoria's mother- Darby's best friend that was killed in a car accident a couple of years ago. Victoria loved butterflies and they became a signature item in her life as well as in those now going on without her! Darby was given a butterfly ring by Mrs. Amy along with Victoria's other close friends to always remember her by. Victoria is actually buried a few feet from Shane as everyone knew eachother so we were able to visit with her mother too and let the twins see her picture on her grave while learning to say "Victoria"! Darby would've loved it! I of course pulled out my phone, got a video of the babies touching her beautiful picture and practicing her name, and shot it off to Argentina! I couldn't help it! Darby still struggles through many hard days without Vic. I can remember that sinking feeling all the times Darby would call from college or in the middle of some other ordinary day, have that tone in her voice and say, "I miss her so much mom"! It got to where she didn't even have to say her name. I just knew! I hope the video made her feel connected to the day celebrating Shane and remembering Vic too even though she was on another continent! It is hard to believe Vic isn't here! I remember all the times she would be at the house for sleepovers (she loved waffles with peanut butter for breakfast), going to Alabama to go sailing with Nanny and papa and Darby's cousins, cheerleading with Darby and Mary, and all the dances those girls went to. Darby and Vic acutally tied for Homecoming Queen in middle school. It was so fitting as they were best friends! Shane was Mary's older brother and always looked out for the girls! Although we had moved over to Harrison High School district and the girls didn't get to see eachother as much anymore, Darby still loved and missed her so much! After she died, Darby borrowed her prom dress to wear to the Harrison senior prom! It was her way of taking Vic along with her! It's still hard to believe she and Shane aren't with us! I love their mothers dearly! As the three of us posed for a picture, one of them commented on how much we had seen and been through! So true! After the events at the cemetery, we all headed to Shane's favorite Mexican restaurant and enjoyed visiting, laughing, and remembering! The twins were passing out hugs and kisses to several of Shane's family members! It was cute!
We finally came home, got in comfy clothes, and curled up for a nap. 3 hours later, the twins woke up, eager to get outside to have neighborhood time! All the kids were out playing while most of the parents were cutting grass! Stella held little Abigail and the twins ran around soaking up the sunshine! It was good to visit with everyone! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening out there until it was time for dinner and a bath!
While in the bathtub, Annabelle was sitting behind Cade and started to scratch his back! He froze! It must've felt great! ;) She stopped and soon he said "back" again as he scooted closer to her. She scratched it again! So funny!
We have been short on sleep this week since converting the cribs to toddler beds! Cade woke up at 5am the first morning after sleeping in it. then the second night, at 1:29am, he got up, opened his door, walked in the pitch dark across the open landing, down the staircase, across the den floor (littered with toys), through the baby gate, to bust our double bedroom doors wide open (loudly) and said, "mama"! I nearly had a heart attack! Each night has been so challenging to get them to stay in bed and go to sleep. One night they had a "lets take everything out of the drawer" party! Annabelle's clothes were everywhere! There have been some spankings and fussy parents in the Anderson house!! Hopefully it will get better soon!
Little Cade has also mastered turing the deadbolt on the front door and opening it! Off to the store tomorrow to handle that! He is so smart and logical! I crack up that his favorite little TV show is Bob the Builder! Maybe another little engineering mind like his Daddy! He smiles and gives me a proud look when he accomplishes something new..especially when its something he shouldn't! :0! I got a stool for Abigail to use in physical therapy the other day and he proudly put it next to the wall so that he could reach the light switch! If I had a dollar for every time that light goes on and off! He is picking up a lot of new words still! Friday night we got them a hamburger and fries while on the way to Costco. (It's a weekend thing, I promise I cook and we all eat together at the table on weekdays, but you know, even the good Lord rested one day out of the week) Anyway, Cade has learned to say "hamgeburger"! It's so cute!!
Annabelle just keeps me giggling! The other day I dropped a 3 ring binder full of recipes on the floor and of course they all fell out! I said, "oh no, You've got to be kidding me" as I leaned over to pick them up! Later at the next meal, Annabelle plunked down her sippy cup onto what she thought was the table. Unfortunately, it was on her open faced fake peanut butter and jelly sandwich! She picked it up, surveyed the messy bottom, and said with a big sigh and perfect inflection, "oh no, you've got to be kidding me". It was hysterical! WE laughed so hard! The other day, Jamie asked her if she loved her Daddy a little (with his hands barely apart) or a lot(with his arms wide open)? She answered with her little arms stretched as far apart as she could get them, "a lot"! Oh, that grin on Daddy's face didn't fade for hours! She's quite methodical too! When we had burgers and fries in the truck Friday, the twins held their hamburger and tucked their fry container into the side of their car seat. Little Abigail expected a cut of the yummy goods as she thinks she's a triplet. I found a little squishy fry and gave it to her. Oh how she worked it with her 2 little teeth! Annabelle wanted to give her more but I told her no, that the baby could only have little mushy ones since she doesn't have many teeth. The next thing I knew, the baby was happily chewing and Annabelle had resolved the issue! I watched her and realized she was pinching off little pieces of french fry, putting them in her own mouth, chewing it up a bit, then giving it to the baby! If you discount the gross factor, that's pretty brilliant! 25 mths...I'm definitely in trouble! She has also been really keeping her baby doll with her all the time. That poor baby has to wave bye bye to Daddy every morning, ride in the toy stroller endlessly, even get her diaper changed. She had to look at the cake Annabelle baked the other day..but unfortunatley, looked a little too closely! When Annabelle pulled her back, she had icing on her head..not to worry, Annabelle did what any good mother would...she licked it off! ha ha!
Abigail is determined not to be outdone! She makes her mark among the twins! She decided to start waving while we were at Costco! She did it 3 times to different people over about 45 minutes. I was determined to get a video on my phone and finally did! I'm sure all the people watching me try to get it thought I was crazy and that it wasn't a big deal. But when it comes to Abigail, its all a big deal to me! Most people don't realize that she has Downs just by seeing her while we're out and about. They all seem surprised when we chat and I tell them. (Because I never meet a stranger, I know). Usually only a precious soul who has devoted time to working with special needs children or those who are blessed enough to have them in their families can tell! (today the photographer at the cemetery gave a warm smile to Abigail and photographed her during the events. She later was chatting with me and I told her Abigail had Downs. She indicated that she had taught special education. I stated, "then I'm sure you could tell", she nodded, but understood how most people can't with the way Abigail functions and looks!) She said she loved working with children with Downs most and it was evident she was drawn to Abigail. That sweet baby just claps and giggles and enjoys her little life! That makes mommy's heart happy!
There are so many other things but it's late! More later! Night
We finally came home, got in comfy clothes, and curled up for a nap. 3 hours later, the twins woke up, eager to get outside to have neighborhood time! All the kids were out playing while most of the parents were cutting grass! Stella held little Abigail and the twins ran around soaking up the sunshine! It was good to visit with everyone! We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening out there until it was time for dinner and a bath!
While in the bathtub, Annabelle was sitting behind Cade and started to scratch his back! He froze! It must've felt great! ;) She stopped and soon he said "back" again as he scooted closer to her. She scratched it again! So funny!
We have been short on sleep this week since converting the cribs to toddler beds! Cade woke up at 5am the first morning after sleeping in it. then the second night, at 1:29am, he got up, opened his door, walked in the pitch dark across the open landing, down the staircase, across the den floor (littered with toys), through the baby gate, to bust our double bedroom doors wide open (loudly) and said, "mama"! I nearly had a heart attack! Each night has been so challenging to get them to stay in bed and go to sleep. One night they had a "lets take everything out of the drawer" party! Annabelle's clothes were everywhere! There have been some spankings and fussy parents in the Anderson house!! Hopefully it will get better soon!
Little Cade has also mastered turing the deadbolt on the front door and opening it! Off to the store tomorrow to handle that! He is so smart and logical! I crack up that his favorite little TV show is Bob the Builder! Maybe another little engineering mind like his Daddy! He smiles and gives me a proud look when he accomplishes something new..especially when its something he shouldn't! :0! I got a stool for Abigail to use in physical therapy the other day and he proudly put it next to the wall so that he could reach the light switch! If I had a dollar for every time that light goes on and off! He is picking up a lot of new words still! Friday night we got them a hamburger and fries while on the way to Costco. (It's a weekend thing, I promise I cook and we all eat together at the table on weekdays, but you know, even the good Lord rested one day out of the week) Anyway, Cade has learned to say "hamgeburger"! It's so cute!!
Annabelle just keeps me giggling! The other day I dropped a 3 ring binder full of recipes on the floor and of course they all fell out! I said, "oh no, You've got to be kidding me" as I leaned over to pick them up! Later at the next meal, Annabelle plunked down her sippy cup onto what she thought was the table. Unfortunately, it was on her open faced fake peanut butter and jelly sandwich! She picked it up, surveyed the messy bottom, and said with a big sigh and perfect inflection, "oh no, you've got to be kidding me". It was hysterical! WE laughed so hard! The other day, Jamie asked her if she loved her Daddy a little (with his hands barely apart) or a lot(with his arms wide open)? She answered with her little arms stretched as far apart as she could get them, "a lot"! Oh, that grin on Daddy's face didn't fade for hours! She's quite methodical too! When we had burgers and fries in the truck Friday, the twins held their hamburger and tucked their fry container into the side of their car seat. Little Abigail expected a cut of the yummy goods as she thinks she's a triplet. I found a little squishy fry and gave it to her. Oh how she worked it with her 2 little teeth! Annabelle wanted to give her more but I told her no, that the baby could only have little mushy ones since she doesn't have many teeth. The next thing I knew, the baby was happily chewing and Annabelle had resolved the issue! I watched her and realized she was pinching off little pieces of french fry, putting them in her own mouth, chewing it up a bit, then giving it to the baby! If you discount the gross factor, that's pretty brilliant! 25 mths...I'm definitely in trouble! She has also been really keeping her baby doll with her all the time. That poor baby has to wave bye bye to Daddy every morning, ride in the toy stroller endlessly, even get her diaper changed. She had to look at the cake Annabelle baked the other day..but unfortunatley, looked a little too closely! When Annabelle pulled her back, she had icing on her head..not to worry, Annabelle did what any good mother would...she licked it off! ha ha!
Abigail is determined not to be outdone! She makes her mark among the twins! She decided to start waving while we were at Costco! She did it 3 times to different people over about 45 minutes. I was determined to get a video on my phone and finally did! I'm sure all the people watching me try to get it thought I was crazy and that it wasn't a big deal. But when it comes to Abigail, its all a big deal to me! Most people don't realize that she has Downs just by seeing her while we're out and about. They all seem surprised when we chat and I tell them. (Because I never meet a stranger, I know). Usually only a precious soul who has devoted time to working with special needs children or those who are blessed enough to have them in their families can tell! (today the photographer at the cemetery gave a warm smile to Abigail and photographed her during the events. She later was chatting with me and I told her Abigail had Downs. She indicated that she had taught special education. I stated, "then I'm sure you could tell", she nodded, but understood how most people can't with the way Abigail functions and looks!) She said she loved working with children with Downs most and it was evident she was drawn to Abigail. That sweet baby just claps and giggles and enjoys her little life! That makes mommy's heart happy!
There are so many other things but it's late! More later! Night
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Bye Bye Cribs!
What an adventure this evening has been! It was that time,.....time to convert the cribs to toddler beds! The babies started climbing out at 18mths and we coerced them into stayting in at night for a few more months until Cade could stand it no more! He was flopping out at bed time and nap time over the last 3 days! It was worth the pain to him! I was so scared he was going to get hurt really bad, so Jamie took the cribs apart this evening! There was much dancing and squealing going on as soon as they realized what was happening! Annabelle jumped up and down while singing "happy happy happy" over and over! Cade just danced and squealed! We let them be a little crazy hoping the novelty would wear off and that they would be exhausted! Those little stinkers were tucked into bed at 7:30 and didn't give up until right at 10pm. agh! Round 1: Jamie opened their door to find Annabelle whispering loudly, "Cade"! Then they discussed the artwork that hangs on the wall that was painted by their (great grandmother) Ma Carrie! Round 2: Jamie peeked through the cracked door to see Annabelle tiptoe across the floor to pick up Cade's pillow that had fallen on the floor and give it to him. She went back to her bed, but the game was on. Cade hurled the pillow and she was up and running! Round 3: "need wa wa"! Round 4: Jamie opened the door to find Cade in Annabelle's bed and Annabelle in his! They must be fascinated that they've never been in eachother's beds before. Round 5: Sitting up talking! At this point I decided to lay on the floor and monitor the events for a while. Those stinkers would pick their heads up to check and see if I was still awake every few minutes! I don't know why they were having a hard time going to sleep, I could barely keep my eyes open! After 45 minutes, I left and told them to go to sleep. Shane checked in on them and they pulled the "wa wa" trick on him! After my shower I went back up and they were finally about to give up and in their own beds! Whew! At 10pm they were finally out! I can only imagine what will happen when they wake up in the morning! I should probably get some rest so I have a chance of getting up before them! I do have to admit, it was a bit sad to see that chapter of their little lives pass! Jamie commented that I will really be upset when Abigail's crib is taken down! I don't even want to think about it! She's already growing too fast as it is!
So many funny stories to share! I'll have to get back on tomorrow! Goodnight to all!
So many funny stories to share! I'll have to get back on tomorrow! Goodnight to all!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Wonderful Saturdays of Spring :)
Whew, what a fun day! We started by heading out to the Touch a Truck event in Downtown Kennesaw! The City and many local construction/ service businesses brought out their firetrucks, ambulances, and construction equipment for all the children to touch and see!! It was really neat, but did draw a larger crowd than we had planned on! Barbara Bradley (BB- an adopted grandparent) told us about it and went with us! It was so great to have her with us! She was wonderful at helping juggle the twins and Abigail as Shane wasn't with us! Annabelle was a little frightened by the horns, sirens, and lots of noise. Cade was overwhelmed by the huge crowds and all the activity. They went into a "watching, stay close to us mode" but did seem to enjoy looking at everything! We wrapped it up in 45 minutes and headed to Chic Fil A (the twins favorite lunch place:) They ate and played on the indoor playground! It sounds like a small thing, but Cade actually climbed all the levels of platform stairs and went down the slide by himself! Annabelle has been doing it for a while but Cade only does it when we go with him. It was great to see him go up and then appear grinning at the bottom of the enclosed slide. He scotted off and clapped his hands and exclaimed, "yay"! He knew he had accomplished something by himself! He was so proud! We were too!
Anoter wonderful part of our lunch time was that our friend who manages that Chic Fil A, had been wanting us to meet one of her employees for a while. We finally got to! She was a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed, articulate teenage young lady who attends a local high school and has done very well there. She is heading off to college in Tennesee in the fall! What was even more wonderful about her was that she has Down Syndrome!! Amber was amazing! She looked us in the eye, shook our hands firmly, and told us about herself and her job! There was no evidence that she struggled with any serious deficiencies...at all! She is succeeding in all regular classes!!! Wow! We are very optimistic about Abigail's future, but honestly, it's hard to know what to expect and what is realistic to hope for! We have promised ourselves and Abigail that we won't treat her any different and that we will allow her to progress as she is able ( and of course, we'll be adding in as much therapy as possible in every area that she will welcome)! But it was really neat to see a young lady who is doing so well and even going to college at a special school that far away from home! I really want to meet her parents and chat! I may have to start working on that one! What a blessing!
We came home and all got a nice nap! The twins were pooped after all he walking and then playing! They awoke, eager to get back outside! They love being outside! Yesterday evening, we had a ton of kids in our yard again playing with them! We had to keep them in and make them eat a very early dinner! They were waiting at the front door while I cleaned up from dinner! We got Abigail's blanket and toys all situated on the grass, and out we went! They loved it! I laughed so hard when I heard 5 year old Alexis scream " the babies are outside!!!" to all the other children as she rode her bike down the street! In no time, we had several kids back in the yard wanting to read to Abigail and play with the twins! Cade and Annabelle eat it up! Abigail just wants me to stay in sight! Which brings me to a neat thing that happened in physical therapy Thursday...
Melissa, the therapist, had finished working with Abigail, and had brought some fun things to show Cade! I needed to go get Cade up from his nap, but also needed to feed Abigail a bottle. Melissa offered to feed her while I went upstairs. It was going well until Abigail couldn't see me anymore. She started screaming!!! I could hear her while I got Cade up and changed him. He wakes up slowly, so it was hard to rush him to let me get back downstairs. When we started out over the open bannister and staircase, the baby caught sight of me again and stopped crying and started sucking! I sat down and held Cade while Melissa finished feeding Abigail! Melissa looked up at me and said, "That was typical for babies to do.....but not for a baby with Down Syndrome"...I just sat there for a minute recalling that all my babies have gone through some separation anxiety...then being grateful that Abigail did too! ;) little things! ahh!
On a funny note, Annabelle is on to us! We have given the twins older remote controls to vcr's, etc..to play with! Cade holds his in front of the TV and wonders why it won't work. Annabelle however, came running to us the other day holding one saying, "needs batties" she knew the back casing was off and that there were no batteries in it! ha ha! We smiled! Also, Jamie was working on the treadmill last night and had been using the flashlight ( Its a huge, heavy maglight that we keep in the drawer in the kitchen) Annabelle has never touched it before. She "held" it to help Daddy while he worked! When Daddy said that he was done, Annabelle ran to the kitchen, opened the drawer, and put the flashlight in. We hardly ever take it out, so it amazed me that she knew where it went. She likes things in their place. ;)
She also still thinks all food set before her is hot and that she must blow on it! Too bad she didn't have that "blowing" figured out for her birthday cake last month! ;) It cracks us up to see her do it! Cade looks at her kind of funny!
His favorite word is "no" even when he means "yes"! Such a typical 2year old! He is trying to be more independent. He must've walked up and down our huge hill in the front yard 20 times fetching his truck ( and struggling to walk back up with it) even though several older kids were offering to help him. He would say "no" whenever they got near him or the truck. They all snickered.
Tomorrow we're supposed to have pretty weather again so I'm sure we'll be back outside!
I'm forgetting so much, but will update as the old brain has something trigger it! lol Goodnight to all!
Anoter wonderful part of our lunch time was that our friend who manages that Chic Fil A, had been wanting us to meet one of her employees for a while. We finally got to! She was a beautiful blond haired, blue eyed, articulate teenage young lady who attends a local high school and has done very well there. She is heading off to college in Tennesee in the fall! What was even more wonderful about her was that she has Down Syndrome!! Amber was amazing! She looked us in the eye, shook our hands firmly, and told us about herself and her job! There was no evidence that she struggled with any serious deficiencies...at all! She is succeeding in all regular classes!!! Wow! We are very optimistic about Abigail's future, but honestly, it's hard to know what to expect and what is realistic to hope for! We have promised ourselves and Abigail that we won't treat her any different and that we will allow her to progress as she is able ( and of course, we'll be adding in as much therapy as possible in every area that she will welcome)! But it was really neat to see a young lady who is doing so well and even going to college at a special school that far away from home! I really want to meet her parents and chat! I may have to start working on that one! What a blessing!
We came home and all got a nice nap! The twins were pooped after all he walking and then playing! They awoke, eager to get back outside! They love being outside! Yesterday evening, we had a ton of kids in our yard again playing with them! We had to keep them in and make them eat a very early dinner! They were waiting at the front door while I cleaned up from dinner! We got Abigail's blanket and toys all situated on the grass, and out we went! They loved it! I laughed so hard when I heard 5 year old Alexis scream " the babies are outside!!!" to all the other children as she rode her bike down the street! In no time, we had several kids back in the yard wanting to read to Abigail and play with the twins! Cade and Annabelle eat it up! Abigail just wants me to stay in sight! Which brings me to a neat thing that happened in physical therapy Thursday...
Melissa, the therapist, had finished working with Abigail, and had brought some fun things to show Cade! I needed to go get Cade up from his nap, but also needed to feed Abigail a bottle. Melissa offered to feed her while I went upstairs. It was going well until Abigail couldn't see me anymore. She started screaming!!! I could hear her while I got Cade up and changed him. He wakes up slowly, so it was hard to rush him to let me get back downstairs. When we started out over the open bannister and staircase, the baby caught sight of me again and stopped crying and started sucking! I sat down and held Cade while Melissa finished feeding Abigail! Melissa looked up at me and said, "That was typical for babies to do.....but not for a baby with Down Syndrome"...I just sat there for a minute recalling that all my babies have gone through some separation anxiety...then being grateful that Abigail did too! ;) little things! ahh!
On a funny note, Annabelle is on to us! We have given the twins older remote controls to vcr's, etc..to play with! Cade holds his in front of the TV and wonders why it won't work. Annabelle however, came running to us the other day holding one saying, "needs batties" she knew the back casing was off and that there were no batteries in it! ha ha! We smiled! Also, Jamie was working on the treadmill last night and had been using the flashlight ( Its a huge, heavy maglight that we keep in the drawer in the kitchen) Annabelle has never touched it before. She "held" it to help Daddy while he worked! When Daddy said that he was done, Annabelle ran to the kitchen, opened the drawer, and put the flashlight in. We hardly ever take it out, so it amazed me that she knew where it went. She likes things in their place. ;)
She also still thinks all food set before her is hot and that she must blow on it! Too bad she didn't have that "blowing" figured out for her birthday cake last month! ;) It cracks us up to see her do it! Cade looks at her kind of funny!
His favorite word is "no" even when he means "yes"! Such a typical 2year old! He is trying to be more independent. He must've walked up and down our huge hill in the front yard 20 times fetching his truck ( and struggling to walk back up with it) even though several older kids were offering to help him. He would say "no" whenever they got near him or the truck. They all snickered.
Tomorrow we're supposed to have pretty weather again so I'm sure we'll be back outside!
I'm forgetting so much, but will update as the old brain has something trigger it! lol Goodnight to all!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
busy busy
My goodness! time has been flying since I last I blogged! So much is happening in our world!
Darby has been in Argentina now for about 6 weeks! Oh how we miss her! Her boyfriend, Jared, went to visit her last week and they had a wonderful (adventurous) time touring around! He was so sweet to carry lots of things to her from me! I couldn't let her go through a spring without thin mint girl scout cookies, or peeps! lol! The poor fellow probably packed more of her forgotten items than he did his own clothing and stuff! ;) The babies still love seeing her on skype (mom does too)! Can't believe how she's growing through this! Most young adults are a bit nervous about navigating downtown Atlants, and she is surviving in the heart of Buenos Aires (population 15million) knowing not a soul upon arrival! I'm so proud of her!
Shane is still enjoying football practice almost daily and is still so involved with the babies. ( and teaching them not so great habits, I might add) ;) He is so funny! Can't believe he'll have prom and all the other spring events coming up soon! he'll be 17 next month too! Goodness, hard to believe it! It's a gift to watch him become such a amazing young man!
and the twins......ha ha! Someone told them for sure they have now turned 2! lol! More little pushes and spats as well as hugs! I can't begin to get all the funny stories in here! Anyway, Sometimes Annabelle just has a stressful moment here and there and needs to be held! ;) She will all of a sudden come up to her Daddy and say, "hold me"! Which of course he does...with a big grin! The other day, he was at work and unavailable so she walked up behind Cade and said it! He looked at her and then wrapped his arms around her and held her for a minute or so! She then ran off to play and all was well! Such a female! I'm taking notes and have tried the "hold me" with outstrecthed arms to Jamie as well, but for some reason it seems to work better coming from Annabelle! LOL! She's also very caring and demonstrative! We have a book ( 10 Tiny Kisses) in which there is a picture of a baby crying on the first page! She holds the book close and kisses the baby every time we read it! It's so cute! She has a funny little sense of humor too! Jamie will ask her something and then say, "maybe"? She will then play right into it and say, "maybe not"! They are quite the little comedy routine!
Cade Man has a new love! On my......it's Nascar on a 52" flat screen! Jamie flipped to the Daytona 500 a few weeks back and we thought the little guy was going to have a heart attack! He stood up on his toes, stiffened his entire body, pointed to the TV, and said "Oh, oh, oh, Car, car"!!!!! We laughed hyterically! Cade was glued to it! Oh my! He has not been using as many words as Annabelle ( she's speaking in full sentences- sheez) so the speech therapists will be starting back up with him so he can tell Annabelle what he's really thinking! But again, he can do many things she can't so I'm sure they will have different strengths always! I think all women are given the ability to verbally communicate early on! :o!
Miss Abigail!..ahh! Can you hear and feel the smile coming across my face! That baby is my therapy! She is doing so great! She giggles when I blow on her tummy and neck! I love it! I have maintained my routine of rocking her 3 times a day. ( 2 times for naps and then bed time) She falls asleep in the first 5 minutes, but its heaven! The world just stops. I don't worry about being productive..the twins are napping..I don't even answer the phone! It's just sanity time! She's kind of now starting to want me to just lay her in her bed to go to sleep, but its hard for me to give it up! She has mastered the sitting a while back and now she has started the sweetest thing!! When she's sitting and I start to sing, she sways. Not a little sway, but a big sway back and forth to my voice! Oh, I melt!!!! When I stop singing, she stops swaying! ha ha! Sometimes she will sing and sway! ;) Last week in therapy, she stayed on her hands and knees in a crawling position for a long time and started practicing reaching for a toy with one hand while in that position. She seems motivated to get ready to think about crawling. We are prepared that she can throw a roadblock up and slow progress in therapy down whenever she gets the idea, but so far she seems very willing to keep trying and working! She also leaned to the side (while sitting) and grabbed the tiniest string ( the size of angel hair pasta) that was attached to a toy and used it to pull the toy to her and play. Our therapist told us that was amazing for her age and that it was such a good sign for cognitive and fine motor reasons! yay! So proud that she's driven about getting what she wants....well she is an Anderson, not sure why I'm surprised! ;) The rest of us certainly do our share of trying to get what we want! Lol! I'll deny that later I'm sure! ;) I think one of her most exciting recent accomplishments is cutting teeth! !!! I was so excited to find her first tooth around the end of her 9th month and the second came 10 days later in her 10th month! Wow! We were told that it most likely wouldn't happen until way after her first birthday. Many babies with Down Syndrome dont get them until 14-17mths. It was so exciting! We know the road ahead will be filled with difficult challenges in her little life (as well as victories) , so forgive me for being so proud, but I do plan on cherishing every little wonderful step she makes!
We have been enjoying some pleasant evenings outside in the neighborhood again! Thank goodness for the nice weather! Its so much better when the twins can get outside and play! They both say "pay pay" when we tell them its time to stop for a nap or bedtime! ;) Funny little toddlers! Its good to get to spend time with the neighbors again too! Love doing life with the group we have here on Waldenbrooke Ct. Annabelle cracked us up the other day when she chased after Samuel ( the blond haired, blue eyed, very cute, 3 yr old, youngest Newton across the street) and said, 'Samul, hold me"! He ran far and fast as he didn't understand that all she wanted was a hug! He later told his mommy that he was too little to hold her! ha ha! I'm telling myself that she was associsating him with having a brother and that surely she won't chase a boy ever
again! ;)
There's so much more, but I must go cook dinner. I've had this up all day working on it! whew, its hard to get things completed! ;)
Darby has been in Argentina now for about 6 weeks! Oh how we miss her! Her boyfriend, Jared, went to visit her last week and they had a wonderful (adventurous) time touring around! He was so sweet to carry lots of things to her from me! I couldn't let her go through a spring without thin mint girl scout cookies, or peeps! lol! The poor fellow probably packed more of her forgotten items than he did his own clothing and stuff! ;) The babies still love seeing her on skype (mom does too)! Can't believe how she's growing through this! Most young adults are a bit nervous about navigating downtown Atlants, and she is surviving in the heart of Buenos Aires (population 15million) knowing not a soul upon arrival! I'm so proud of her!
Shane is still enjoying football practice almost daily and is still so involved with the babies. ( and teaching them not so great habits, I might add) ;) He is so funny! Can't believe he'll have prom and all the other spring events coming up soon! he'll be 17 next month too! Goodness, hard to believe it! It's a gift to watch him become such a amazing young man!
and the twins......ha ha! Someone told them for sure they have now turned 2! lol! More little pushes and spats as well as hugs! I can't begin to get all the funny stories in here! Anyway, Sometimes Annabelle just has a stressful moment here and there and needs to be held! ;) She will all of a sudden come up to her Daddy and say, "hold me"! Which of course he does...with a big grin! The other day, he was at work and unavailable so she walked up behind Cade and said it! He looked at her and then wrapped his arms around her and held her for a minute or so! She then ran off to play and all was well! Such a female! I'm taking notes and have tried the "hold me" with outstrecthed arms to Jamie as well, but for some reason it seems to work better coming from Annabelle! LOL! She's also very caring and demonstrative! We have a book ( 10 Tiny Kisses) in which there is a picture of a baby crying on the first page! She holds the book close and kisses the baby every time we read it! It's so cute! She has a funny little sense of humor too! Jamie will ask her something and then say, "maybe"? She will then play right into it and say, "maybe not"! They are quite the little comedy routine!
Cade Man has a new love! On my......it's Nascar on a 52" flat screen! Jamie flipped to the Daytona 500 a few weeks back and we thought the little guy was going to have a heart attack! He stood up on his toes, stiffened his entire body, pointed to the TV, and said "Oh, oh, oh, Car, car"!!!!! We laughed hyterically! Cade was glued to it! Oh my! He has not been using as many words as Annabelle ( she's speaking in full sentences- sheez) so the speech therapists will be starting back up with him so he can tell Annabelle what he's really thinking! But again, he can do many things she can't so I'm sure they will have different strengths always! I think all women are given the ability to verbally communicate early on! :o!
Miss Abigail!..ahh! Can you hear and feel the smile coming across my face! That baby is my therapy! She is doing so great! She giggles when I blow on her tummy and neck! I love it! I have maintained my routine of rocking her 3 times a day. ( 2 times for naps and then bed time) She falls asleep in the first 5 minutes, but its heaven! The world just stops. I don't worry about being productive..the twins are napping..I don't even answer the phone! It's just sanity time! She's kind of now starting to want me to just lay her in her bed to go to sleep, but its hard for me to give it up! She has mastered the sitting a while back and now she has started the sweetest thing!! When she's sitting and I start to sing, she sways. Not a little sway, but a big sway back and forth to my voice! Oh, I melt!!!! When I stop singing, she stops swaying! ha ha! Sometimes she will sing and sway! ;) Last week in therapy, she stayed on her hands and knees in a crawling position for a long time and started practicing reaching for a toy with one hand while in that position. She seems motivated to get ready to think about crawling. We are prepared that she can throw a roadblock up and slow progress in therapy down whenever she gets the idea, but so far she seems very willing to keep trying and working! She also leaned to the side (while sitting) and grabbed the tiniest string ( the size of angel hair pasta) that was attached to a toy and used it to pull the toy to her and play. Our therapist told us that was amazing for her age and that it was such a good sign for cognitive and fine motor reasons! yay! So proud that she's driven about getting what she wants....well she is an Anderson, not sure why I'm surprised! ;) The rest of us certainly do our share of trying to get what we want! Lol! I'll deny that later I'm sure! ;) I think one of her most exciting recent accomplishments is cutting teeth! !!! I was so excited to find her first tooth around the end of her 9th month and the second came 10 days later in her 10th month! Wow! We were told that it most likely wouldn't happen until way after her first birthday. Many babies with Down Syndrome dont get them until 14-17mths. It was so exciting! We know the road ahead will be filled with difficult challenges in her little life (as well as victories) , so forgive me for being so proud, but I do plan on cherishing every little wonderful step she makes!
We have been enjoying some pleasant evenings outside in the neighborhood again! Thank goodness for the nice weather! Its so much better when the twins can get outside and play! They both say "pay pay" when we tell them its time to stop for a nap or bedtime! ;) Funny little toddlers! Its good to get to spend time with the neighbors again too! Love doing life with the group we have here on Waldenbrooke Ct. Annabelle cracked us up the other day when she chased after Samuel ( the blond haired, blue eyed, very cute, 3 yr old, youngest Newton across the street) and said, 'Samul, hold me"! He ran far and fast as he didn't understand that all she wanted was a hug! He later told his mommy that he was too little to hold her! ha ha! I'm telling myself that she was associsating him with having a brother and that surely she won't chase a boy ever
again! ;)
There's so much more, but I must go cook dinner. I've had this up all day working on it! whew, its hard to get things completed! ;)
Friday, February 18, 2011
Gorgeous day!
What a beautiful day! It was in the 70's here and everyone was getting outside to enjoy it!
We started the day with Abigail's 9 month check up at her pediatrician's office! That little stinker weighs 20 lbs! She is the height of a 13 mth old baby (on the Down's curve) and the weight of a 21 mth old. Oops! I have been cutting her back but I guess she just hasn't grown in length a lot so it takes a while to get the weight in proportion. The doctor said it was fine and just keep trying to watch it. She was thrilled to see her sitting and doing so much! They weren't expecting that! Abigail has the Anderson/Paulk drive! That's for sure! She has things to do and twins to keep up with! I really think that baby thinks she's a triplet as she sits right along with them in the bath tub and splashes as much as they do, she sits in her high chair and eats with them, she plays on the floor with them..etc! So I guess she wants to get moving with them now! LOL! The doctor got tickled at Annabelle. As she was examining Abigail and listening to her heart, Dr. McGee had to scoot over because there was this 2 yr old standing on the stool and holding on to the table to see what that lady was doing to her baby! I finally sat her up on the table next to Abigail! They had to lay the baby on her back to give her shots in her thigh and Annabelle knew what was coming. She rubbed Abigail's hair and loved on her during it! After the shot, she told me "Ah gail crying"! It was so sweet to see how concerned she is! Cade was just happy it wasn't about him today! ;)
We were so blessed while we were at the doctor's office. Cade's blood work was back from Wednesday and with the formal blood draw, his hemoglobin was fine and there were no signs of anemia! Thank goodness! We are all not sure why the toe prick sample came back bad, but are just relieved that this one came back good!
Afterwards, I took the twins over to the Avenues to return a couple of things and grab birthday presents for some twin friends. Of course, they love to stop at the huge fountains and watch the water fall. Annabelle went to my purse and got out my wallet. She wanted pennies! She had seen me give her one just once before! So funny! She doesn't forget anything! They had the best time throwing pennies in and "making wishes". Little Stella across the street asked me later when I told her about it, " do they really know how to make wishes"? She's precious!
This afternoon, they got out and enjoyed sidewalk chalk with the neighborhood kids! We got a surprise visit from Jared, Darby s boyfriend! He had come home for the weekend to get his yellow fever shot and pick up some things for Darby as he will be flying to Argentina to see her in early March! He played outside sliding down the hill with the twins and Stella as well as drawing on the sidewalk. Annabelle was so excited to play with him! They chatted, although my suspicion is that it was mostly one sided. I told him if he wanted to know what Darby was like as a toddler, she was a lot like Annabelle...always having a lot to say and things to do, and her way of doing them! LOL! They were precious playing! Cade got tickled at the kids rolling down the hill and blessed us with his great belly laugh! The twins really didn't want to see Jared go! Annabelle gave him a huge hug (which she doesn't do often) and wrapped her arms around him until they were clasped together behind his neck! Cade man blew him kisses and gave him a big hug too! Shane and Jamie got home just as he was leaving and got to say hello! Somehow, I felt like I was a bit closer to Darby just getting to see him! funny!
We wound up being outside for over 2 hours! Stephanie from across the street held Abigail the whole time. It was so nice to be back outside again! How we've missed it! We blew off cooking for a while and just relaxed! As Annabelle says, "How nice"!
Shane headed off to his dad's for the weekend! We'll miss him but are sure he'll have fun! We have a playdate/ belated birthday celebration with Joanna and Ismini tomorrow downtown as neither of us could make the other's parties. The two twin sets were born within 4 days of eachother, so bring on the 2's for all of us! We do wish we could see all our family in Florida this weekend! Lots of people coming in for special events! I know the week has been long and exhausting for Jamie, so we'll just have to get down there as soon as we can!
Wishing everyone a wonderful, beautiful weekend!
We started the day with Abigail's 9 month check up at her pediatrician's office! That little stinker weighs 20 lbs! She is the height of a 13 mth old baby (on the Down's curve) and the weight of a 21 mth old. Oops! I have been cutting her back but I guess she just hasn't grown in length a lot so it takes a while to get the weight in proportion. The doctor said it was fine and just keep trying to watch it. She was thrilled to see her sitting and doing so much! They weren't expecting that! Abigail has the Anderson/Paulk drive! That's for sure! She has things to do and twins to keep up with! I really think that baby thinks she's a triplet as she sits right along with them in the bath tub and splashes as much as they do, she sits in her high chair and eats with them, she plays on the floor with them..etc! So I guess she wants to get moving with them now! LOL! The doctor got tickled at Annabelle. As she was examining Abigail and listening to her heart, Dr. McGee had to scoot over because there was this 2 yr old standing on the stool and holding on to the table to see what that lady was doing to her baby! I finally sat her up on the table next to Abigail! They had to lay the baby on her back to give her shots in her thigh and Annabelle knew what was coming. She rubbed Abigail's hair and loved on her during it! After the shot, she told me "Ah gail crying"! It was so sweet to see how concerned she is! Cade was just happy it wasn't about him today! ;)
We were so blessed while we were at the doctor's office. Cade's blood work was back from Wednesday and with the formal blood draw, his hemoglobin was fine and there were no signs of anemia! Thank goodness! We are all not sure why the toe prick sample came back bad, but are just relieved that this one came back good!
Afterwards, I took the twins over to the Avenues to return a couple of things and grab birthday presents for some twin friends. Of course, they love to stop at the huge fountains and watch the water fall. Annabelle went to my purse and got out my wallet. She wanted pennies! She had seen me give her one just once before! So funny! She doesn't forget anything! They had the best time throwing pennies in and "making wishes". Little Stella across the street asked me later when I told her about it, " do they really know how to make wishes"? She's precious!
This afternoon, they got out and enjoyed sidewalk chalk with the neighborhood kids! We got a surprise visit from Jared, Darby s boyfriend! He had come home for the weekend to get his yellow fever shot and pick up some things for Darby as he will be flying to Argentina to see her in early March! He played outside sliding down the hill with the twins and Stella as well as drawing on the sidewalk. Annabelle was so excited to play with him! They chatted, although my suspicion is that it was mostly one sided. I told him if he wanted to know what Darby was like as a toddler, she was a lot like Annabelle...always having a lot to say and things to do, and her way of doing them! LOL! They were precious playing! Cade got tickled at the kids rolling down the hill and blessed us with his great belly laugh! The twins really didn't want to see Jared go! Annabelle gave him a huge hug (which she doesn't do often) and wrapped her arms around him until they were clasped together behind his neck! Cade man blew him kisses and gave him a big hug too! Shane and Jamie got home just as he was leaving and got to say hello! Somehow, I felt like I was a bit closer to Darby just getting to see him! funny!
We wound up being outside for over 2 hours! Stephanie from across the street held Abigail the whole time. It was so nice to be back outside again! How we've missed it! We blew off cooking for a while and just relaxed! As Annabelle says, "How nice"!
Shane headed off to his dad's for the weekend! We'll miss him but are sure he'll have fun! We have a playdate/ belated birthday celebration with Joanna and Ismini tomorrow downtown as neither of us could make the other's parties. The two twin sets were born within 4 days of eachother, so bring on the 2's for all of us! We do wish we could see all our family in Florida this weekend! Lots of people coming in for special events! I know the week has been long and exhausting for Jamie, so we'll just have to get down there as soon as we can!
Wishing everyone a wonderful, beautiful weekend!
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