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!

Being a Mom

Once again, I am sorry for the lack of blogging. I haven't had any motivation to blog. At all, really. I don't know why either-!? Being a mom is awesome. But also a lot of work. And when I finally get time to myself I either enjoy working out, reading a good book, or catching up on some much needed Zzz. I love reading everyone else's blogs, but my own blog has lost my attention. Sometimes I think, well if I just change the background on my blog maybe that will spark something in me to get me to blog. But when that doesn't work, I slowly slide out of the chair, defeated and sighing and hit the couch with a good book instead. What's my problem!?

So I am really pushing myself right now to sit here and type. Whatever comes to mind and let you all know (those that still check this dormant thing), that I am still here. Barely, but here.

I think I have just been utterly exhausted with everything lately. You know; cleaning the house five or more times a day (once you clean up one mess, another mess is already in the process...), the endless loads of laundry, making something suitable and healthy for dinner (or at least striving not to give in to cereal, waffles, or pancakes every other night). Scrubbing floors, or dried on spaghetti sauce on dishes left from the night before (yes, sometimes I don't get around to finishing the dishes, so sue me! haha. jk.), feeding, burping, changing dirty diapers left and right, cleaning up spilled...well, anything that can be spilled. Making lunches, and snacks in between and then cleaning that up. Giving baths, going to appointments, grocery shopping, and oh, I can't forget vacuuming! Vacuuming my whole house at least twice a day as you can see every little speck on our lovely green carpet, which drives me crazy. Seriously. (I vow now, that I will never again rent or buy a house with green carpet. And if I do, it will be the first thing to go before moving in). I wouldn't be surprised if I had OCD-obsessive compulsive disorder with how much I vacuum. Sometimes I feel the neighbors are peering over the fence wondering why the vacuum is always running.

We all know how exhausting it is to be a mom. Yet, I love it! I really do. I love being able to stay home with my kids. I am not the best mom in the world, but I think I am a good mom most days. Or at least I try to be the very best mom I know how. There will ALWAYS be things I need to work on, like the volume of my voice as it rises a few decibels when I get upset with my girls, or getting impatient with them after telling them to do something for the tenth time! But I truly love being a mom. And when I go to bed most nights I think, today was a good day; my girls and I laughed together, played games, had funny conversations at lunch or in the car, got many hugs and sweet kisses from them (never enough though!), heard many giggles as the girls played together, made Emily smile at least a dozen times-every one melting my heart, read great adventures in books, splashed and sang songs in the tub, felt the spirit during scripture reading and prayers.



Yes. Today was a good day.

And when I have days like this I can't help but get teary-eyed as I see all the beautiful things around me that I have been blessed with. When I am holding Emily in my arms, staring into her cute face the tears start to fall even before I know it. Or when I see Avery's big cheesy grin and those cute kissable cheeks as she is running towards me, or Madi's sweet whisperings to her sisters, I smile and take in as much of the moment as I can, because time goes by so fast and I wish I could remember everything. Every little grin, giggle, embrace, movement, sound and feeling. Even with all the endless messes, spills and vacuuming, I wouldn't trade these moments with my kids for anything! I LOVE being a mom and I try to remember not to take it for granted.



Yessssss! I did it!

I blogged.