Ketchup, No...I Mean Catching Up

I've fallen behind on updating the blog with Henry and Emma happenings the last few months and I apologize. So tonight, I'm going to try and get everyone caught up. And probably the best way for me to do that is to break it down as it comes to me. So buckle up 'cuz here we go!

1.Potty Training-Yes, I know, I've mentioned pt more than I would have liked over the past 2 years, but this time I can honestly say, it's working! Emma took to it right away this time around and has really done a great job! She doesn't announce that she's going to the potty anymore, she just goes(in the training potty, of course). She goes in, takes care of business, cleans herself up, and washes her hands. The one little detail that doesn't always happen is (and she's going to want to strangle me one day for posting this) she "forgets" to pull up her panties and pants, so she comes shuffling out with her clothes around her ankles. Henry is doing well with the pt too. He isn't as independent as his sister, but he is getting there.

2.Chores-We are having the kids help with some daily chores around the house. Very simple things, but things they need to learn. Every morning they help make their own beds and pick up any toys(stuffed animals) from bedtime. They are also helping with preparing breakfast and lunch most days. Picking up toys and learning how to care for them is also a big "to do" right now.

3.Sharing and Taking Turns-We are working daily on sharing toys,crafts, games and taking turns. This particular developmental stage has been rough recently. They have tons of toys and tons of craft type things-enough for probably 4-6 kids, but do they share? Sometimes. I know this will be an ongoing issue or whatever you want to label it, but we have got to get this to a better point and soon. Taking turns is also difficult at this point. They are learning how to play age appropriate boardgames and a few other games and taking turns has proven to be a hard idea to grasp.

4.Prepping for Pre-k-That just sounds so weird. It doesn't seem like it's been 4 yrs since H&E were born, but it has. And we have been doing some research on preschools in our area. The good news is, we have found a dayschool right down the street that is affordable and has very good ratings. We'll be enrolling/registering the kids there within the next month and they will start school in September. So we are busy teaching them their full names, daddy and mommy's names, our address and phone number, ABCs, colors, numbers, shapes, etc.

5.Manners-Manners are a big thing with me. So ever since the kiddos started to talk and comprehend things, we've incorporated using our "please and thank yous". They do pretty well most of the time.

6.Art and Music- I think my kids are artists in their own way. Henry LOVES music! He loves to hear it, dance to it, sing along, and if possible play along on an instrument. He can be caught serenading us at the dinner table most evenings. And recently he has become more interested in painting and coloring. He actually painted more than Emma the other day and had a wonderful time doing it. Emma LOVES crafts and art. The girl cold color/ paint for hours on end and has when it's been manageable. And she can draw like you wouldn't believe. I've started carrying a pen and paper in the car just in case she asks if she can color when we are on the road. She likes creating things. I think it's great that they both are so into arts and music. It let's their imaginations soar and there's nothing better than that for a kid!

I wish I could post about recent or kinda recent Henry and Emma sayings because boy have they been funny and interesting, but I keep forgetting to write them down right away. The only other kinda big thing coming up is their fur year checkup which includes shots. They are aware that we are going to see the doctor next week, but Mommy has failed to mention the whole, "you're getting shots" thing. This time should be rather interesting. They have grown so much since last year and are so much more aware of things. I'm hoping that having the knowledge that a reward will be waiting for them when they are done will be good enough to get them through the "trauma" part of the exam. They get stickers!

Now, of course, I'm drawing a blank in my head. There's always something afoot at Casa H, but the great big muscle/tissue/oh whatever you wanna call it that is located in my skull isn't wanting to help me out.

And for those of you that know me or read the blog regularly, you know that I can't post without including pictures:) I know, I'm a freak.

Happy Anniversary!!!

I can't believe it! Jason and I are celebrating our 7th Wedding Anniversary today. Happy Anniversary Jason:) I love you!

AngelTwins

When Jason and I found out that we were having twins we had our concerns. We only had one scare throughout the entire process and that was a blood test that came back false/positive for Downs Syndrome. We were sent to a specialist for more tests. We were relieved to find out that neither Henry or Emma had Downs. Let me stop and clarify here that if the results had been different, Henry and Emma would have still been carried to term and brought into this world and loved every bit as much as they are. We were lucky, very lucky. And we are both very grateful for our healthy children. But there are so many other parents, not just parents of twins, that aren't.

I was recently told about a set of twin girls who were born with a fatal disease called NPC (Niemann-Pick Disease Type C).

NPC is a disorder affecting lipid metabolism (the breakdown and use of fats and cholesterol in the body), in a way which causes harmful amounts of lipids to accumulate in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow, and brain. These substances are building up in our bodies every day. As the substances build up in our brains, they cause neurological problems that worsen with time. The disease has been likened to a "Childhood Alzheimer's" - robbing children of their minds and their lives. -exert from cathrynandcorynne.org-angeltwins.

Their story and what their family's mission is is incredible. These two precious little girls and so many other children are no longer here because of this disease. Unfortunately, like so many other diseases, there is not a cure. What I'm asking is that you take a few minutes to go to their site and read about their journey and what the Bouchard's (Cathryn and Corynne's family) are doing to help find a cure.

Please help with whatever you can-volunteer, donate, spread the word.

March 28th-Angel Twins 5k/1 Mile Walk Run in Frisco, TX.
runfortheangeltwins.org

or

Million Dollar Mission

Please visit Cathryn and Corynne's site
angeltwins.org

A Special Request

We-Henry,Emma, Daddy, and Mommy have a special request that we'd like to present to all of our blog readers. There are three very lovely ladies in our lives that we'd like to have around for a very long time who are currently battling a very nasty disease called Multiple Sclerosis. Our Aunt Julie, Aunt Tanya, and our dear friend Ali have all been diagnosed with this disease within the last 12 years. Here's the thing, on the 28th of March the National MS Society is having a charity walk/run in two of our major cities-Dallas and in Fort Worth to raise funds to help with research and treatment. There are walks being held all over the U.S. Chances are you either already know someone that has this disease or you know someone who does. So let's give them a hand and register to walk, donate to the cause, spread the word. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We've donated and we're walking this year and plan on doing so for years to come. Thanks for your help.

www.nmss.org

The above is the site address for the National MS Society where you can learn more. Take a moment or two to read and see what you can do to help.

or

Come out to cheer on the runners and teams as they raise money.
Go Team Shout Outs and Team Will Walk for JAM!!!

The Big Birthday Party!!!

To celebrate Henry and Emma turning 4 years old, we had a big birthday bash at our house on Saturday, the 7Th. Since the kids aren't in daycare or preschool yet, most of the guests were adults, with the exception of one kiddo their age and their younger cousins. We invited family and a few friends to come on over and help us celebrate. We had some yummy snacks to munch on since we knew the kids wouldn't sit still for a sit down meal. And we had birthday cake and ice cream with sprinkles! I was shooting for a themed birthday this year, but it was a no go. So we got a nice Spring themed cake and added a Tinkerbell candle for Emma and a Lightning McQueen candle for Henry. They were thrilled and thought the candles were great. Per Emma's request, Mommy even got streamers and decorated several rooms. You'll see that Mommy hasn't decorated with streamers in ages, but they were happy with the end result and that's all that counts:) Aunt Suza brought them each four helium balloons with some of their favorite characters on them so that added a bit more to the merriment. The kids and their friend Jacoby and the cousins played outside for a bit and then we called them in for cake and ice cream. They did an awesome job of blowing out their candles! And then it was on to the presents. Our kids are well loved. Something similar to a truckload of presents took over the family room. We crowded in and began the process of opening presents. The kids are pros at this now. The only problem we ran into was, Henry tore through his presents like a little tornado and got a little upset that his sissy was still opening more presents. After it was explained to him, he settled down. It was so funny watching Henry open the presents containing clothes-the bag would be opened and rummaged through and clothes tossed over his head and he would move onto the next present. Hilarious...so funny! Emma would at least pause and look at the clothes and maybe make a comment and then move on. It was a blast! And we are and continue to be so grateful to our family and friends for their generosity and love for our kids. We all had a great afternoon!

Happy 4th Birthday, Henry and Emma!!!!

Four years ago at this time, I had been successfully induced and my labor had started. It would be another 12-13 hours before our little man and our little lady would make their appearances. I didn't sleep, couldn't eat, and was anxious to meet the two little people I had been carrying for the past 39 and 1/2 weeks. Yep, 39 and 1/2 weeks! We waited and waited and were checked and then checked some more. I tried to be brave and wait until the last minute to have my epidural, but didn't quite make it. I was close enough though to where they didn't have to all the doctor for approval to give it to me. Most of my family were there all day and the rest arrived later when we got close. And Jason family was patiently waiting for the call. Then things started moving and they cleared the room. It was just me, Jason, my mom, and our L&D curse, Katie. She was the greatest! Things moved rather quickly from there. We were moved to a small OR across the hallway once my labor reached maximum velocity:) Here comes the fun part. Our hospital had just gotten in new delivery gurneys with adjustable stirrups, but nobody knew how to attach them or use them. So I got to sit/lay on my gurney and not push while they tried to figure it out. We didn't use the new gurney:) We didn't take any birthing classes. I didn't feel it was necessary since I had been witness to two other births before doing it myself and I had read a lot about the process and blah blah blah. Anyway it's totally different when you ARE actually delivering your child/children. During all the commotion with the faulty gurney the OR filled up with loads of people. We had two neonatal teams, my ob, my L&D nurse, Jason, my mom, and me and of course the two little newbies that would soon show up. So in total I had about 17 people with me and it was one of the smaller ORs. So we were packed in there nice and tight. I followed directions and pushed when told and the next thing I knew, Henry was here! Our little man had a bit of trouble getting started, but pretty soon he was howling and a few minutes later I met my Little Old Man. That is exactly what he looked like a little old man. And he looked just like his daddy. I barely got to hold him when the urge to push came again. Dr.Farmer and I hadn't really discussed this part(at least I don't remember discussing it). I kind of sat up as much as I could and asked him how long in between it should be before I would need to push. He looked at me and said that it should be 10-15 minutes in between deliveries. And then he looked over at my IV and asked if the drip had been turned off. It had not and I was more than ready to push. Our Little General came flying out 9 minutes after her brother. Poor Dr.Farmer got a shower. Emma had her cord wrapped around her little neck, but was fine and we quickly found out that she too had one good set of lungs on her! My mom(Nana) said that Emma was a little copy of me. I got to hold them both on our way back to our room. Daddy gave everyone who was out in the hall anxiously waiting for news two thumbs up and a big smile. We settled in for a bit in our room and then they had to get checked out further by the pediatrician. The rest of the story of that day wasn't good, but that's another story. Anyway, that's roughly how it happened four years ago today. We have had our struggles and lots of joy since then. And I am so glad my two little big people are here. So to our big boy and our big girl, Happy 4th Birthday!!! Mommy and Daddy love you so very much:)