Big Girl Underpants!

I hope I don't jinx myself but I think we're almost a potty trained household!  I don't really mind diapers especially when you have two little ones.  I'd rather change a diaper than sit in a bathroom over and over again.  Because of my selfishness I let the girls drive this process 100%.  I waited to start potty training until they were ready so that the transition would be much easier.  They were already asking to go potty for 2 weeks before we officially said "bye bye" to our diapers.  We made a big production of throwing out the diapers and saying "hello" to big girl undies.   We had minimal accidents from day one.  Ellery goes 100% in the potty but is in a pull up for naps and overnight.  Emily goes pee 100% in the potty but she won't poop.  She will do it in her underpants every.single.time.  So now I'm struggling...do I keep her in a pull up or just try to catch her in the act?  Unfortunately she is pretty secretive about it and doesn't care at all that she pooped her pants.  As soon as she's done she'll tell me, but she won't say anything before.  I don't think she's doing it on purpose, I think she just hasn't connected the process yet.  In due time I guess, and when she sees her sis without pull ups I'm sure that may help.   All in all the girls have done awesome.   Phew!  I have been dreading this process, but it was much better than I thought it would be and I am almost positive it is because I let them take the lead rather than forcing them.  Pick your battles....words to live by!

2010 Year Review in Pictures

My little babies have grown into little girls this year. The best news of the year is that they officially grew out of their prematurity. They say it takes two years for a preemie to catch up to a full term kiddo and while I think they caught up earlier in some areas it really was this year that their prematurity became more of a historical element rather than being completely obvious. When people find out that the girls were born 14 weeks early they are completely shocked rather than saying "oh that explains why they are so small". They are still really skinny (must be from me...HA! I wish!) but they are as tall as others their age. They are always talking and asking questions. It's amazing to see how their little minds work. You can't sneak anything past these girls and if you tell them something they remember FOREVER!  

Enough with the words....look at how they've changed over the last year.....

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Where's My Next Present?

Honestly E & E could care less what was inside a gift wrapped box.  All they want to know is where the next present is.  I guess that kind of behaviour is somewhat appropriate for a 2 year old experiencing their first real Christmas.  We skipped Christmas last year because Andy and I were on a Mexico cruise and the year before the girls were so little all they did was eat wrapping paper.  Hopefully next year their bad manners won't be so embarrassing.

Is it time yet?

We're so excited!

Our favorite seats

Trying out Uncle Cody's new sleeping bag

Emily's turn

Emily's holiday dress looks almost like her Halloween lady bug costume.  Oops.

Ellery

Favorite game of Ring Around The Rosie with Grammy & Hannah

20 pictures later this is still the only one with the girls both smiling.  One or the other always had her eyes closed. 

Catching Up

Today is my last day of work for 2010.  WhooooHooo!  I realized that I've not blogged in 5 weeks, so this will be a long but thorough update of what we've been doing in those last 5 weeks.

Hawaii. Andy and I and another couple went to Maui in November. It was glorious. It was our first visit and I can honestly say that I now know why people go to Hawaii as often as they do. I always thought I was more of a Mexico person but now I'm not so sure. It was so relaxing and peaceful and warm and hot without being uncomfortable. We were all in bed by 11pm and up whenever we felt like it. We laid on the beach for hours and went out to dinners. That pretty much sums it up. Andy did have to take a break from the beach so he and his buddy went golfing and drove around Maui. I can't wait to go back and am already thinking about when we can reasonably go back again.  (Pictures to come later!)

Thanksgiving.  This year we went down to Eugene and spent time at Grammy Bobbi's and Grandpa Tweet (Bill's) house.  We all had a great time tearing the house apart, well two of us at least (sorry about the broken glass vegetable figurines mom!).  The girls helped Grammy cook dinner, they built a gingerbread house,  and they got to try out the new family room furniture.  They made themselves right at home. While we were there Andy and I went to the perfectly scheduled Duck football game.  This was the first one we've been able to go to this year.  We used to go to a few a season but since we've had kids it's much harder.  So now we try to go to at least one.  Mission accomplished.  We met up with a bunch of our favorite people and had a really great time. 

Thanksgiving Gingerbread house.  The candy caused a massive meltdown.  Our next one will be made with dry cereal, pretzels, and not a single freaking piece of candy.

I want another candy!

Emily

Ellery

Trying out the new furniture at Grammy Bobbie's. 

Helping cook Thanksgiving dinner

Ellery modeling her new scarf that Grammy made.  It's her color and the perfect size.

Hanukkah.  Shortly after Thanksgiving Hanukkah began.  We spent the week attending lots of fun family parties, and the girls definitely loved getting to open gifts.  I've realized that they don't care what is inside the gift they just want to open things.  So....for Christmas this year mommy will be wrapping books that we already own just so that the E's can unwrap things. 

Playing with a Hanukkah gift.  This is supposed to be a crib for a baby doll.

Ellery in her crib.  Or her "baby Suzy's" crib

Happy Hanukkah!  We light traditional menorahs but we also have this one for the girls. Fabric & velcro are much safer than candles and fire. 

Showing off their Hanukkah gift.  Emily is the greater and Ellery is cleaning out the gutters.  She does this daily.

Emily showing off before a Hanukkah party.  Mini Boden clothes are FABULOUS!!!

Holidays.  There are so many fun actives going on right now during the holiday season.  Last week we went to the Tigard Christmas tree lighting.  It wasn't quite the event that happens in Pioneer Square, but it was perfect for us.  We were behind the crowd but happened to be right next to the spot where a firetruck pulled up and out hopped Santa.  We were so close!   Then we walked down to a local store for cookies and hot coco.  Santa and Mrs Claus came and the girls were able to meet them for the very first time. They were both very good and were really excited.  I'm not a fan of people dressed up so I wasn't sure how the girls would react, but they were totally fine.   We also went to PIR to see the light displays.  They had the entire track set up with thousands of lights.  The girls loved that too.  Hopefully these can all be traditions for us going forward. 

1st tree in a few years

E&E helped decorate.  See how there are like 10,000 ornaments just in that one small spot.

Showing off their work

Stockings were hung by the gas fireplace with care

Emily & Ellery meet Mr & Mrs Santa Claus for the first time

Andy.  Andy's new business has taken off like crazy.  He's now working normal hours, is home to help get the girls out the door in the morning, home to greet us at night, and home on the weekends.  It's great!   He's so much happier I can't believe it took this long to make the career change.  I don't know exactly what to call his new line of work, but basically he's a general contractor.  A GC who buys VERY distressed properties, completely rehabs them, and then puts the back on the market for a reasonable price.   The first project took 5 weeks and was completely torn down to the studs, new plumbing, electrical, the whole shebang.  I guess you could say he's flipping properties.  But, the focus is on quality construction, special details, and doing things "by the book".  These are small homes perfect for the first time home buyer.  We don't want to price them over the top so that people can't afford them, we want them less than what the rest of the neighborhood is selling things for so that they move quickly.  The first offer was accepted after 12 days on the market and as long as all goes well it should close shortly after the first of the year.  The second house is about halfway there and should be on the market at the end of January.  He is working with his dad and they make such a great team.

Me.  I'm just trying to keep up with life.  Things have been crazy at work, at home, and in life in general.  I'm so grateful for everything we have, but I wish time would slow down.  My little E's are almost 3 years old, and honestly they aren't little.  Emily has grown 2 inches in the last 3 months.  Ellery grew an inch. They are both just under 3ft tall.  Yikes!

E's.  Speaking of the E's growth, it's just not in height.  They are getting older by the minute.  They have amazing memories.  Just the other day Ellery told me that she knew when Grammy Linda's birthday was.  I didn't really think she did so I played along....and she knew it.  I also just asked them if they knew their left from right.  Sure enough, they do.  I don't even know that.  Seriously.  They also can spell their names.  It's crazy!  They have been thriving at school, I gush enough about it.  Three days a week they are at the Nike daycare center and 1 day I week I take them to the Nike drop in daycare.  They love both, and adore all their teachers.   They are assigned jobs at school so every night we ask about what job that have.  It's fun to be able to have discussions with them.   They currently have their first cold since FEBRUARY!.  Can you believe that??  Take that prematurity!  Luckily it's only been a nasty nose and nothing else.  I've also noticed that their friends at school get sick and we don't automatically get it, which is what i felt happened when we first started daycare.  I'm sure we'll have a few more colds over the winter, but I still can't believe how healthy they've been. 

Emily is doing wonderfully after her heart surgery.   We haven't noticed anything different about her other than she gained a pound the first month after the surgery and has shot up a few inches.  We will never know if the growth is related to the heart procedure, but I don't care.  She's perfect and healthy and so sassy.  I'm in trouble.  They both are spunky and have loads of attitude, but they also are the most loving little girls.  Right after they tell you to go away they will come running up and will snuggle on your lap for the rest of the night.

Enough for now.  I'll be sure to post again soon!

My Babies and their Babies

Emily & Ellery 

For a while I've heard about a company called Wee Bundles who specialize in custom preemie dolls.  These are not dolls to play with but ones that are created with all the specific measurements of your actual babies.  Finally this year I decided to order them, but then once they arrived I was afraid to look.  I see pictures and can tell how small E&E were but to hold and touch something that was their actual size was a little scary.  Once I opened the box I had all these crazy memories come rushing back.  Oh yes, this was exactly what it was like to kangaroo care hold them for the first time.  The girls were super excited to see "mommy's babies" and on a few occasions have asked to bring them out when we've had guests over.   

 Ellery with "2lbs 1oz baby Ellery"

 "why are the fingers so little?"

 Emily & "1lb 13oz baby Emily"

 "Pinkie Promise" with their mini me's

Sister Love