We're 10 months old on the 4th of July!!

Hadley and Hailey turned 10 months old on the 4th of July (36 weeks adjusted)! They no longer seem like babies to me. I now call them my big babies. They are full on movers and groovers now, and are into everything. They are such curious little bugs. All of their movement is now more intentional and they do things with purpose. It's a big change from the accidental learning that occured in the first few months.

This month Hadley and Hailey are:
- still wearing size 3 diapers and some 3-6 month clothes still and 6-9 month clothes

- eating 4 oz bottles roughly 3 times a day, and eating solids 3x a day (4oz at breakfast; 6oz at lunch; and 6oz at dinner). They also have an afternoon snack.

- they still love feeding themselves, and have started eating lots more table food. They eat cheese puffs, strawberry puffs, cheese cubes, diced fruit and veggies and have even had a hot dog, mac and cheese, lasagna, pizza, chicken nugets, and spaghetti!
- They have good grasps and easily get the food to their mouth
- On occasion they will sign more for more finger foods.

- we switched to a straw sippy cup and they are doing great drinking water from them.

- We went through some bad sleeping habits for the weeks between 9-10 months, but after using Dr. Ferber's sleep training method of progressive crying it out they are back to sleeping through the night. In fact, we can lay them down awake and they go to sleep on their own now for bed time and naps!
- They take 2, 1-2hr naps during the day

- Hailey is able to go from her belly to sitting on her own. She can also go from sitting to crawling position
- Hadley is able to go from sitting to crawling position, but still hasn't figured out how to go from crawling to sitting
- They both can crawl forward, and are going everywhere, but are still pretty slow.

- Hadley has started to pull up on the couch, jumper and really anything she can find.

- They still love to talk and play, and will interact with each other, us, other familiar adults and kids. They love to be imitated and imitate us.
- They love love love Dasher and enjoy 'playing' with him. He's starting to get concerned that they can now go to him on their own by crawling.

- They have learned what 'no' means, but don't always listen just yet.
- They are still getting into everything and pulling each others hair. Their favorite 'no nos' are their bows or sister's bow, cords, Dasher toys, remotes, phones, Daddy's play station, and magazines.

- They will look when their name is called and have great sound localization



Hadley (left) and Hailey (right) showing some personality

Hadley - 17lbs 1.5oz

Hailey - 17lbs 1oz

Pool time in Tyler

Paul finished with his last test in his 3rd year of medical school on the last Friday of June. We were all very excited for this rotation to be over and even though he would have to study a ton during July we were very glad that he was taking the month off and would at least be at home and we could have lunch together and go on little study break outings.

We decided to head to Tyler to visit Paul's parents and younger brother and sisters for the weekend. It would be our only chance all summer to visit with them. We arrived late Friday night and were grateful that the girls went to sleep pretty easy. They hadn't been sleeping well and we had been having some rough nights.

The next day Paul spent some time with his little brother and mom while watching the girls and I got to do some light shopping with his sisters before we headed back to the house for lunch with his cousin and our friend Mary Beth. Paul has known Mary Beth since High School, but in unrelated events Mary Beth and I met at a summer camp for special needs children and adults that we both worked at the summer before I went to graduate school. Paul and I were just dating then and it was such a small world when I found out they knew each other. And as luck would have it Mary Beth attended UTMB for Occupational Therapy school and we all got to hang out some here in Houston before she graduated and moved back to Tyler. Anyway, we were excited to get to spend some time with her while we were in town.

Me and Mary Beth with the girls

Mary Beth with Hadley on the left and Hailey on the right

 After lunch, we all went to the neighborhood pool for some fun. It was the girl's first time in the pool. They have been to the ocean, played in their splash pad and love baths so we were excited to introduce them to the pool. At first they were a little nervous and Paul didn't help the situation by jumping in the pool on them and splashing them, but after a while they loved it and had lots of fun.

Hailey and I in the pool

Hadley and Paul in the pool

 

 

My little fishes

Paul, Me and Mary Beth with the girls

The whole group

Hadley and Hailey swam until they fell asleep

family photo

We headed back to Houston Sunday afternoon so Paul could start studying for his second board exam, but we enjoyed our brief vacation to Tyler.

1st Official Father's Day

Paul had to work the morning of his first official Father's Day :(. We worked hard to make the rest of the day special for him though. Once he got home we showered him with his Father's Day gifts and then loaded up and headed to BJ's Brewery for lunch.

Wearing their I love Dad shirts!

All of Daddy's gifts! We love him sooo much

Paul and his girls

Paul is such a great dad to Hadley and Hailey and they just adore him. I am very lucky because I get to watch the three of them together and it is the best thing ever!  They have the best little belly laughs when they are playing with their daddy and their faces just light up when he enters the room.

Happy Father's day to the best Daddy ever!!

Ashley came to Visit!

My friend and roommate during graduate school cam to visit us in the middle of June. I love when Ashley comes to visit. It's like being back in grad school again. Paul spent so much time at our house during those two years that not much seems different except this year we added two more friends to the mix ;). It was Ashley's first time to meet Hadley and Hailey and we had a lot of fun!

We took a trip to the beach, and I don't know why we waited until Ashley's 3rd visit to Houston to take her on the Ferry. That is usually the first thing we do with our guests, but somehow Ashley missed out. I always get nervous that we won't see dolphins as I promise all of our guests that we will and that it is so much fun to ride the ferry. This time we didn't see any on the way there, but had a great show on the way back with a few dolphins playing very close to the ferry. This is easily my favorite free thing to do in the area.

Ashley with Hadley(left) and Hailey(right) waiting on the ferry

All of us on the ferry

After the ferry we headed to the beach for some fun in the sun and waves. The girls had so much fun they both crashed on the way home.

Playing in their pool on the beach with Ashley

with the ocean in the background

Hadley all comfy and crashed out...the beach just wears her out

Paul had to work most of the weekend for his Internal Medicine Inpatient rotation at Methodist Hospital downtown. During this rotation he worked 6 days a week for 12-16 hour shifts. He even had to work on Father's Day :(, and if he did get off early he spent the rest of the time studying.
Anyway, Ashley and I didn't let that spoil our fun.

We took the girls to the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see the new dinosaur exhibit and the Egyptian exhibit. They loved the dinosaurs and after a bottle, some crying and rocking they finally slept as we walked through Egypt.

Hadley (purple) and Hailey (pink) with Ashley and a dinosaur...they enjoyed looking at all the dinosaurs...they were confused why they couldn't touch the stuff behind the glass and I hope that the museum doesn't mind cleaning lots of tiny fingerprints off.

Ahh T-Rex is going to get us!

We ended the evening with a visit to Paul's favorite restaurant Lupe Tortilla. Hadley made friends with the little boy at the table next to us and Hailey ate a little too much and ended up making our waitress earn her tip.

I'm very grateful that Ashley has made the trip to Houston to see us the past three years. We always have a great time when she comes to visit and look forward to more visits with us.

We're 9 months old!!!

Hadley and Hailey were 9 months old on June 4th (32 weeks adjusted)! I cannot believe how fast they have grown. They are quite the little squirmers and love to chat. They have started being able to tell who people are and definitely have their stranger danger screams down. They both say dada, baba, yaya, and now they have started saying mama! Even though it's not for me yet it's still the best sound I have ever heard.

Hadley (left) and Hailey (right)

This month Hadley and Hailey are:
- wearing size 3 diapers and 3-6 month clothes and some 6-9 month clothes

- eating 4 oz bottles roughly 3 times a day, and eating solids 3x a day (4oz at breakfast; 6oz at lunch; and 6oz at dinner)

- they love feeding themselves. They eat cheese puffs, strawberry puffs, diced fruit and veggies and have even had a hot dog, mac and cheese, lasagna and spaghetti!

- we are still working on drinking water from a sippy cup.

- They are still sleeping well in their own room in their own cribs from about 8:00pm-6:00am; every once in a while they still will wake up, but it is still usually just if they aren't feeling well.

- They take 2-3, 1-2hr naps during the day

- They are able to sit without any support

- They are squirming all over the floor trying to crawl, and are able to get around by turning in circles, rolling and going backwards

- They both have gotten up on all fours and rocked back and forth, but no real crawling yet

- They still love to talk and play, and will interact with each other, us and even strangers on occasion. They love to be imitated and imitate us.

- They are beginning to learn what 'no' means as they are getting into everything and pulling each others hair

- They will look when their name is called and have great sound localization

- They love looking at things and Hailey has even used one finger to point to the fish in daddy's fish tank. 

Hadley: 16lbs 8.5oz and 27inches long

Hailey: 16lbs and 13.5oz and 27.25 inches long

Memorial Day Weekend

We had a great weekend here in Houston visiting with friends and spending some rare family time together.

We had a quiet Friday night at home. Paul had gotten his ukelele in the mail on Thursday so he got to tinker with it and we just hung out and relaxed. Hadley and Hailey are terrified of Paul playing the guitar so we were nervous how they would react to his ukelele, but thankfully they both loved it. Maybe one day they will like the guitar too.

Paul and his hula girls

On Saturday our friends Dave and Phebey were in town for a visit. It was a relaxing visit hanging out at our house with the girls. We went to Ben and Jerry's for ice cream and Hadley and Hailey enjoyed some mango sorbet. Then we grilled out hamburgers and hot dogs to celebrate memorial day! We were excited they came to visit and that we got to see them one more time before their trip to India. We will definitely miss them when they are gone, but are excited for their journey.  

Hailey and Phebey eating ice cream and mango sorbet

Dave and Hadley having ice cream

On Sunday we went to church, did some shopping and finally got to try out the girls splash pad I had bought for them about a month earlier. Hailey was a little skeptical at first, but Hadley thought it was the best thing ever. Hailey eventually warmed up to it and loved it too. Looks like we are going to have a great summer splashing in the back yard.

Playing in the splash pad

Hadley loved it!

Hailey had fun too

Monday was a day for visiting. We went to visit Paul's good friend from med school, Jose and his wife and their new little girl Christina. It was weird to see how much the girls had grown since we first brought them home. They are so big now, and I feel like it was so long ago that they were that small. After, we were done there we went to Texas Children's to visit a friend and then on to the galleria for more shopping and to grab lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Paul and I have been wanting to try all of their cheesecakes. In college we attempted to try every sno cone flavor from our favorite sno cone stand, and now our grown up version is cheesecakes.

Too little for cheesecake

I am looking forward to many more relaxing holiday weekends with my three favorite people in the years to come.

4 year anniversary

I can't believe it's been four years.  I could never have dreamed that Paul and I would be where we are today four years ago. We are beyond blessed with two beautiful little girls. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our little family.

This year Paul and I just hung out at home. Paul made a nice steak dinner and we enjoyed it together (we don't usually get to eat dinner together anymore) after the girls went to bed. In fact, we were very relaxed this year. I got Paul a ukelele for his gift, but had to tell him about it early since he's picky with instruments and I knew he would want to pick it out himself. For my gift Paul follows the traditional gift schedule and year four is linen. I have been wanting a new comforter set for a while now so I told Paul that would be the perfect gift! I lucked out and found a good deal on one that matched our decorations a few days before our anniversary. As we're getting older I find our anniversary surprises are less exciting, but I suppose that's on purpose since the girls keep us on our toes anyway.

I am so blessed to have married Paul and grateful that he puts up with all my craziness. I couldn't ask for someone better to share this life with, and am excited to continue on this amazing journey together. 

We're 8 months old!!

Hadley and Hailey were 8 months old on May 4th (28 weeks adjusted)! They are getting so big and are a lot more active this month. They are talking up a storm and are into everything! I love all the new noises they are making, and how they love to interact with us and each other.

Hadley (left) and Hailey (right)

This month Hadley and Hailey are:
- wearing size 3 diapers and 3-6 month clothes

- eating 4-6 oz roughly every 3-4 times a day, and eating solids 3x a day (3oz at breakfast; 4oz at lunch; and 6oz at dinner)

- they love eating cheese puffs and feeding themselves. 

- we are still attempting to drink water from a sippy cup. They think its more for banging on their tray than for drinking.

- They are still sleeping well in their own room in their own cribs from about 8:00pm-6:00am; every once in a while they will wake up, but usually just if they aren't feeling well.

- They are able to sit without any support

- They are squirming all over the floor trying to crawl, but not getting anywhere

- They still love to talk and play, and will interact with each other now and us.

- They are able to grasp objects and toys and can switch items from hand to hand

- They will look for things that they have dropped and then look back to me to get it.

- They love being sung to and read to and have even started "singing" with us
- They are still doing well at daycare and making tons of friends

Hadley: 15lbs 12oz and 25 1/2 inches

Hailey: 16lbs and 25 1/2 inches

Feeding themselves

 

Eating cheese puffs

 

sitting up so good and sharing toys

Mother's Day

Mother's Day sure was interesting this year.  We were still in OK and scheduled to drive back home late that morning since Paul and I both had work the following Monday. I was happy to at least be able to start the day with my mom, and even though it would be spent in the car I still got to spend the day with my two beautiful little girls! However, Paul had other ideas. He ended up catching an awful 48 hour bug. I have never seen him so sick and I felt awful for him. He didn't leave the bathroom all day. My mom and I ended up spending the day together taking care of my sick husband and trying to prevent the girls from catching whatever he had.  I am very grateful my mom was there to help me. She's an amazing mom and always there when I need her. I just wish the day could have been more special rather than filled with laundry, cleaning and rocking crying babies.

Paul finally felt "better" that evening around 5:00pm and we decided to go ahead and head back to Houston so that I could at least go to work on Monday and if he did just have a 24 hour bug he could go to work too. I was nervous to drive the van for the first time on such a long journey and through the middle of both Dallas and Houston. Luckily, since it was so late at night when we were driving traffic was not a concern. The girls did great on the drive and Paul was able to rest the whole way home. We arrived shortly after 1:00am and Paul had put out my Mother's Day presents before we left so they would be waiting for me when we returned.

My gifts from Paul and the girls

The two best gifts ever!! and with their presents to me.

Overall, I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day because not only did I get to spend it with my mom, but I also got to experience the joy of being a mother and spend the day with my own daughters. No matter the circumstances if I am with them I am blessed and full of joy!

The reasons I get to celebrate Mother's Day!!

Uncle Brett's Graduation!!

My little brother Brett graduated from pharmacy school on May 11th. I took off that Friday from work and Paul was able to take a day off as well. Over Easter we made a big decision that at first I was not completely thrilled about, but now cannot imagine life if we hadn't decided to purchase my grandparent's van. My grandparents have been wanting to get a smaller crossover/SUV instead of their van since they don't travel that much and no longer feel like they need all the space the van has to offer. I am grateful to Paul and my grandpa for realizing that we needed more space when I didn't. My grandpa didn't want to trade in his van so he sold it to us instead! We decided to fly to Brett's graduation and then drive the van home after graduation!

We left early Friday morning for the airport and the girls 1st flight!! I was very nervous, as I am not a huge fan of flying and checking in/waiting at security/boarding is all very hard to predict without infants let alone with two unpredictable little girls as well. Luckily we made it through security and checking in just as the last passengers were getting on the plane. We missed our spot in line and family boarding, but were still able to get a row to ourselves and since the plane wasn't full we had an extra seat between Paul and I for the girls to play in before take off. The girls are amazing!! Have I mentioned what great travelers they are? Hadley enjoyed looking out the window while we waited for take off and her and Hailey both had a great time playing in the seat. When we finally prepared for take off, Paul and I picked the girls up, put them in our lap and they both fell right asleep before the wheels left the ground. It's a short flight to OKC and the girls slept the whole way. They woke up from the jolt of the landing.

Hailey (left) and Hadley (right) playing on the plane

Daddy and Hailey waiting for takeoff

Mommy and Hailey waiting for takeoff

Hadley looking out the window

My mom and grandpa picked us up from the airport in our new van and Paul was thrilled. As we were driving home from the airport, Paul was pushing all the buttons and raving about how amazing the van was. I have to admit it was a lot nicer than I imagined it would be and the girls can see out the windows too!

Me with our new van

Once we got to Minco we took care of paperwork for the van and visisted with my grandma, before getting ready for my little brother's hooding ceremony that evening. Paul and my youngest brother Steven stayed home and babysat the girls while my mom, grandparents and I attended the hooding ceremony. We met my brother's girlfriend Kayla there and were all very proud of Brett's accomplishments. He is the first Doctor in our family and it's nice having a pharmacist around to help guide you to what medicine works best for what ails you.

Brett getting his hood

Brett with my grandparents and mom

Uncle Steven and Hailey

The next morning we all woke up, got ready and headed off to Southwestern Oklahoma State University for graduation. It was sunny and a little warm so I spent most of graduation in the shade with the girls, and surprise surprise they slept through most of it, but did wake up just in time to cheer for Uncle Brett as he walked across the stage. I am so proud of my little brother and can't wait to see what the future holds for him.

Brett getting his diploma

Hadley and Hailey with Brett

Brett with his cake