Come on in!

I have been feeling pretty guilty lately for not making all of you feel more at home with the Hodges. I mean, the title of our blog is not, "At home with the Hodges" for nothing! We really want you to feel at home when you visit, and every time you stop by I never offer you anything to eat or drink. Shame on me.

So, would anyone like some goldfish? It's fresh!

No?




Well how about some tasty Kix cereal instead?

No thanks?? You sure?



I know! How about something to drink?

We've got either 3 month old V8

juice that no one will touch,



OR...

Hmm... I guess we are all out of milk.

Well, thanks for stopping by!
I hope I made you feel more at home with the Hodges this time. Yeah, and I feel a lot better about myself now that I have offered....


(Sorry you're still hungry).

Tea Party

Ryan and I usually sleep in on Saturday and Sunday while the girls play downstairs or watch cartoons. Sunday morning/(afternoon ;) Ryan and I finally climb out of bed, and went looking for our girls (I know, we are such good and responsible parents! haha! Our kids could be burning down the house and we would be sleeping right through it. Good thing they don't know about matches...yet.)

Ryan found them downstairs having a tea party. Madi and Avery set up places for all their animals and each one had to eat all their food around the "table". It was really cute.

Madi would say, "No, doggy. You have to take three more bites before you go and play."

Hmm...I wonder where she learned that?

Guess WHO??

Let's see if anyone can get them ALL right! (hint: there are 9 pictures of Madisen, and 9 pictures of Emily.) I was thinking this might be pretty easy to tell them apart,(maybe that's just because I'm the Mom;) but after I posted all the pictures, I had Ryan and Madi sit down and guess, Madi only got half of them right. Of course she is only 4 and guessed Emily on most of them. But even Ryan got TWO WRONG! hehe.

Let's see how many you can get right and I will reveal the answers later!
Good Luck!

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.

N.

O.

P.

Q.

R.

S.

Wiped Out!

Last night I let the girls watch a movie because Ryan was working late and also so I could get a few chores done while Emily was sleeping. Avery didn't have a nap earlier in the day and so she was wiped out. And this is how I found her, laying on Madi. It was really sweet.

First Bus Ride

Madisen started riding the bus to school about a month ago, and loves it! The bus comes and picks her up every morning and then I go and pick her up from school. It's been so nice for me and especially for her. She has changed so much in just a month. Going to school has been the best thing for her. She is more independent, doesn't get frustrated as often and the throwing-a-fit stage I think, is coming to an end...well, at least until she becomes a teenager.

Anyway, enough rambling.... just wanted to share some pictures of the girls waiting for the BUS.

waiting...
more waiting...
Passing time by running...
running back...
running back and forth a dozen times....
Finally. It's here!!!Bye Madisen!! We love you!

Every day after Madi leaves Avery says, "I sad. I crying."
She is really attached to her sister and has a hard time when Madi leaves. It's so sweet.

6 months and 3 days old!

Where has the month gone! I told myself I would do better about blogging and journal what we have been up to and blog a few times a week, then I get on here and realize once again I have slacked off.... and it's been two weeks with no blogging.

My excuse?

Umm...I'm tired? ;)


Things are going well. It's been busy, but I really can't pinpoint why. Life is just busy. I can't believe my baby is 6 months old! She is now about 10 1/2 pounds! She is such a happy baby and loves to be held. She does have a few hours a day where she cries non-stop if you put her down, so during those hours I hold her and she does fine. She is a good eater and sleeper for the most part. She still wakes up around 3:30am to eat, but now sleeps about 5-6 hours straight compared to 3, so that's been a dream-literally!

She has still been getting weekly eye exams and this week the doctor told me the vessels are still growing in the right direction. The doctor seems more and more surprised every week and so I asked him, is it uncommon for the vessels to do that. And he told me that he has actually never seen a baby to have ROP to not have the laser eye surgery by now. That for her eyes to be doing so well, STILL is a miracle. He told me, your prayers are working!
What GREAT news!!! Ryan and I continue to count our blessings everyday. What a miracle!

"That's cute mom."

"Haha! Now that, is funny!"

"You sound like a squeaky squirrel."

"Do you really have to pull that face mom?"

"Ok, mom. That high-pitched noise is really starting to get on my nerves..."

"Come on. Seriously. That's enough with the pictures mom."

"Seek and Hide"

One evening last week, Ryan and I wanted to watch a movie in the living room, one the kids wouldn't really understand. Many of you I'm sure have seen it, Saints and Solders. (Great movie, I think!)

Anyway, while we watching our movie, Madi and Avery were in the computer room supposedly "watching" their movie, Mickey Mouse on the computer.

Yet, what we heard coming from the computer room just minutes after putting in on for them was a lot, I mean A LOT of giggling and laughing.


Hmmm....what's going on in there?

I thought I would get up and go SEEK...

What the....?? What happened to you?!

Madi points and responds: Avery did it.

My first thought: Yeah, right. But as I look across the room Avery is trying to HIDE by the dresser with a blue marker in her hand looking way to guilty. LOL!

Nice try Avery.

I guess Avery got into the drawer at the computer desk, found a marker and then proceeded to draw all over Madi's neck and face with it. And what was even funnier was Madi totally LET her!



You seriously can't leave kids alone for more than five minutes and you got a mess on your hands every time!

ALL Smiles!

Emily is getting so big! It's hard to believe that in just 2 short weeks she will be 6 months old! She is probably about 10 pounds or more, just a guess as she hasn't been weighed in awhile. She is just a joy in our lives! (well maybe not at 2 am and 5 am every morning...hehe, jk. Even then she is a blessing!) She is starting to smile more and more and I love every minute of it. We hope to wean her feedings to once a night soon now that she is a big girl. We will see how that goes. She is still being seen once a week by an eye doctor to check her ROP, Retinopathy of Prematurity. So far so good. Many babies get what is called, Rush disease. If you would like to read more about it, you can go to this website:

http://www.schepens.com/retinopathy_of_prematurity.htm

The doctor is quite surprised that her vessels are still growing in the right direction, because it is uncommon for babies that have ROP to do so. Many times they need laser eye surgery. We are still not out of the woods, but we are hopeful that everything will be fine with her eyes. As of right now she is in stage 2, zone 3 for her right eye, and stage 2 zone 2 for her left eye.

Anyway, here are some pictures of Emily.

Look at those cheeks! LOVE them!