Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Paul's birthday always falls at an awkward time. He usually has a test to take and then of course there is always something Christmas happening that leaves his birthday in the shadows. This year was no exception as he had to take his family medicine shelf exam 2 days after his birthday which makes if difficult to squeeze in a birthday celebration amongst the studying. I do try really hard to make it a special day though. I usually make him a special dinner or go out to eat somewhere nice. This year I made at his request fajitas. I would've made him a special dessert too, but he had an amazing family medicine preceptor who bought him a cake for his birthday! We are so proud of Paul for all the hard work he puts into his career and taking care of me and the girls at home. I hope he had a great birthday this year and many more to come!

Happy Birthday Dad!! Hadley (Left) Hailey (Right)

Dad got tons of grill goodies for his birthday!

Funny cake from his preceptor.

Twice as Fun Christmas

Christmas was a little different for us this year. We were so excited to celebrate with our girls, but it was weird at the same time to adjust some of our traditions due to the girls being so young. Nevertheless, we had fun starting some new traditions, and opening presents was more fun too even though the girls didn't open any and didn't really understand what was happening. It was just fun buying for them and wrapping for them. However, I did miss going to see a light festival, and going to TUTS for the Christmas play. Oh well there is always next year.

One of the new traditions we started was taking the girls to see Santa for the first time. I'm excited to see how their Santa pictures change over the years. This year we actually took their picture at our Vets. That's right our vet has Santa come to take pictures with all the dogs and cats. We took Dasher and the girls and got really great pictures for free!!

Hadley, Dasher and Hailey with Santa

Hadley and Hailey checking out Santa

Since we would be gone on actual Christmas we celebrated early on the 16th at home just the 4...I mean 5 (if you count Dasher) of us. Of course Santa was more than happy to bring the girls their presents early since they were sooo good this year (hey it was only 3 months) and it meant one less stop for him on Christmas Eve and he would have more time to get to all the other little kid's houses ;)

Hadley and Hailey so excited Santa came and ready to open their presents

Yum, Mom Santa uses yummy ribbon on his presents (Hadley)

Oh...How fun! (Hailey)

Hailey was very interested in all her presents

Hadley was not as impressed with opening presents.

Dasher with his presents

You're a mean one Mr. Grinch and Dasher will not let you steal Christmas.

 We had a lot of fun this Christmas, and look forward to many more. As the girls grow we hope to add lots of fun new traditions as well as share with them the traditions we have already started for our family. One of our traditions is to do some thing "Grinchy" every year. We started this the first year we were married when we went to the "ICE" exhibit at the Gaylord Texan and it was Grinch themed. Then the next year the Christmas play at TUTS was "The Grinch". So naturally our third year of marriage (last year) we had to keep the tradition going by buying and watching the animated movie while making gingerbread houses fit for Whoville.  This year Dasher got the Grinchiness with his Grinch themed presents. We also buy a Grinch ornament every year to hang on the tree, and read the girls "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" for the first time.

We hope you had a very blessed Christmas season!

My First Christmas...Hailey (left) and Hadley (right)

Hadley and Hailey with their puppy

3 Months!!

Hadley and Hailey turned 3 months old on December 4th!! Their due date was October 22nd so they are actually 6 weeks old adjusted.

Hadley (left) and Hailey (right)

 This month Hailey and Hadley are:
- are wearing size 1 diapers and 0-3 month clothes

- eating 4 oz roughly every 4-5 hours

- They are still sleeping well (5-6 hour stretches) for their age in a bassinet next to our bed

- They. have both rolled over from tummy to back!

- They are able to support their own heads for long periods of time while supported sitting. 

- They look for Paul and I when they hear our voices and will track us with their eyes as we walk around the room.

- They have begun to play with the toys hanging from their jungle gym.

- And best of all they have both begun to smile and coo a lot when talked to.

Hadley: 10 lbs 7 oz and 21 1/2 inches long

Hailey: 10lbs 8oz and 21 1/2 inches long

Great Grandma and Grandpa come for a visit.

The Wednesday after Thanksgiving my mom was able to come back for a visit and she brought my grandparents with her to meet the girls for the first time. I am so beyond grateful that my grandparents are healthy enough to travel to see me and still get around well. I am also grateful that they were able to coordinate their visit with my surgery so that the girls and I were well taken care of and I didn't have to worry about them the day of my surgery or while I was recovering.  Paul was able to take the day off for my surgery, but had to go back to work at his rotation on Friday so it was nice to have my mom and grandparents there to continue to take care of me.

My mom and grandparents arrived Wednesday evening just before my surgery on Thursday morning. We had a good visit and it was a joy to introduce the girls to their great grandparents. Hailey and Hadley are lucky little ladies because they have 7 great grandparents still living. My grandmother on my dad's side passed away when I was 14. She took care of me when I was little and I will always remember her fondly, and hope to share my memories of her with the girls when they are old enough.

On Thursday my surgery went smoothly and I returned home that evening a little groggy, but feeling great. I am blessed in that I continued to feel great the rest of the weekend. We spent most of the time hanging around the house playing with the girls. We did manage to get the boutonnieres made for my little brother's wedding and some corsages done as well. We did a little shopping and ended the visit by going to the Christmas program held at our church which had live animals and told the entire story of the birth and life of Christ. Everyone enjoyed it and it was a really great production. I am glad I thought ahead and got us tickets.

Hailey cuddling with great grandma

Great Grandpa entertaining the girls in front of the Christmas Tree

Hadley hanging out with Great Grandpa

Boutonniere that I made for my little brother's wedding

All dressed up and ready for the Christmas program in our pretty Snowflake dresses

With Grandma

with great grandma and grandpa

Waiting for the Christmas program to start.

I could not have had a better weekend surrounding a not so fun event of surgery. I am very grateful to my mom for coming to take care of me and the girls, and enjoyed spending some time with my grandparents before we go to visit them for Christmas and get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and preparing for my little brother's wedding.

A Tyler Thanksgiving

This year was our year to spend Thanksgiving with Paul's side of the family in Tyler. It was also the girls first long road trip (4 hours). We have taken many small car trips around town for doctors appointments and outings, but nothing over 30 minutes. I have to say the girls did great. They go about 4 hours between bottles so we fed them right before we left, popped them in the car and made it to Tyler before they got too fussy for their next bottle. It was a really easy trip with them. I am proud and grateful that they are such good travelers.

Hailey sleeping on the way to Tyler

Hadley was awake for part of the trip.

We had a good time in Tyler, and the girls had fun playing with their titias and titio. We even got a new camera as an early Christmas present from Paul's parents and were able to take some fun pictures. I am thankful for early Christmas presents, because Paul also let me have my present early this year and my new kindle fire made the 4 hour trip go by fast for me too.

making Thanksgiving dinner

making pao de queijo

sitting down to dinner

Paul and his mom feeding the girls

Our two little turkeys

Hailey playing with Titia Megan

Hailey with Titia Bethany

The girls being thoroughly entertained

Hadley chilling with Titia Jessica

Hadley hanging out with Titio Jacob

Hailey with Titia Anne

Our family (dasher wouldn't cooperate) on Thanksgiving

Hadley and Hailey with Vovo (voe voe) and Vovo (vaw vaw)

Hadley and Hailey with their Titias and Titio

We were able to stay in Tyler from Wednesday evening to Sunday morning. I am also thankful that Paul has time off around the holidays, because I know when he starts residency in 2 years we probably  won't be as lucky so it's nice to take advantage of it now.

The whole family right before we left on Sunday morning. I love how Dasher snuck into the picture.

Hadley and Hailey are 2 months old!!

Hadley and Hailey turned 2 months old on November 4th!! Their due date was October 22nd so they are actually 2 weeks old adjusted.

Hadley (right) and Hailey (left)

 
After speaking to the doctor I learned that she will use their actual age for administering shots and basically all other medical situations, but their adjusted age is used to gauge development. So even though they are 2 months old they are only expected to behave like a 2 week old developmentally. (by the way we love our pediatrician because she has twin girls herself that were born around the same time the girls were and spent about the same amount of time in the NICU so she has tons of first hand experience with what we are going through).

This month Hailey and Hadley are:

- still wearing newborn diapers and clothes

- eating 3-4 oz roughly every 4-5 hours

- they got their first round of shots and for the first time really cried after being stuck (it was weird when they were in the NICU they wouldn't even really cry when they kept putting in their IVs)

- They are growing and developing great according to the pediatrician although they are not on the growth chart ;)

- They are sleeping well (5 hour stretches) for their age in a bassinet next to our bed

- They are both doing well at tummy time and can hold their heads up for a good amount of time. 

- They enjoy sitting with lots of support for short periods of time.

- Hadley has rolled over from belly to back!! Hailey keeps attempting to, but hasn't rolled over just yet.

Hadley - 8lbs 7oz and 22inches long

Hailey - 8lbs 9oz and 22 inches long

Also I shouldn't forget to mention that Dasher turned 3 puppy years old on November 4th as well!! It was a huge day of birthday celebrations. We love our puppy Dasher!

10 Days with Grandma, Fish, and Halloween!!

My mom had planned a 10 day visit to spend time with the girls after they were born way back in June. I was so excited for her to finally meet the girls in person. We had been FaceTiming regularly since the girls were born which is better than just sending pictures. I am so thankful for technology since we live so far away from family, but nothing is the same as actually being there in person. I was also happy to have an extra set of hands to hold, feed and change babies. Typically it is just me at home with the girls all day, but for the past 4 weeks Paul has had an easy rotation where he only had to go into the hospital 3 half days (Wednesday morning, Thursday afternoon, and Friday morning). So when my mom was here there were three of us and it was amazing!!

We spent most of the time hanging out at the house, shopping, and doing wedding things for my little brother who is getting married this December. Luckily all of us girls were able to find dresses for the wedding, and we all should look great at the wedding!  I love weddings and volunteered to make the corsages and boutonnieres so we also practiced some techniques we learned on YouTube on how to make them. There is nothing you can't do with YouTube.

Grandma on double baby duty.

Grandma bouncing Hadley. They both loved to be bounced.

Hailey talking with Grandma

A sample little corsage. We had the wrong flowers to begin with (one of Mallory's friends is making the bridesmaids bouquets and we want them to match of course; so we had to go exchange out the flowers.) so the actual corsages will look similar, but nothing like this.

Paul really enjoyed this visit with my mom because she helped talk me into letting him get a fish tank.  I have been telling Paul no to a fish tank for 3 years now. Then my mom comes and my little brother was putting together a new fish tank for her while she was visiting us, and the next thing I know we are getting the same fish tank for our house.  I have always had fish growing up and I just didn't want a fish tank for our house because it grosses me out when you find them dead in the tank, and it makes me sad when they die. However, Paul claims he wasn't allowed to have fish as a child and has always wanted them. Paul loves animals and will still at times tell me that maybe he should've gone to vet school.  It's too late now though ;)

Anyway, the girls got to go to PetSmart for the first time and Paul got all the supplies he needed. He was bummed to find out from the PetSmart guy that you weren't supposed to put fish in the fish tank for 2-3 weeks or they may die. So we got just got one fish. A Dalmation Molly named Pongo. While setting up the tank I told Paul about a black Molly we had when I was younger that had babies and that Molly's give live birth and not lay eggs. Paul really wanted babies and talked about getting another Molly, but I said no because the fish eat the baby fish and that is just cruel. After, Paul was able to keep the Molly alive for 48 hours he went back to PetSmart and got two Guppies (OhNo and Romo) and a Mickey Mouse Platy (Walt). The fish seemed to be thriving, and the next morning Paul came running into the bedroom after waking up to feed the fish and informed me that one of the fish had babies!!! So we talked to my sister-in-law and older brother whose molly had also had babies about what they did and they just hid the baby in the plants in the tank, but we wanted to make sure ours survived so my mom and I watched and made sure the other fish didn't eat the two baby fish we found while Paul went and bought a nursery tank to put inside the fish tank. One of the baby fish didn't survive, but we were able to save one that is growing so big now. As it turns out our Molly was pregnant when we bought her, and that is how Pongo became Perdita!

Paul with his new fish tank

Paul saving his baby fish

The surviving  baby fish in it's nursery tank

After all the fish drama calmed down we were ready for Halloween.  We were excited for Grandma to be here for the girls first holiday. Since the girls were still wearing newborn clothes and were too small to fit into any store bought costumes I made them little outfits for Halloween. I made them tutus and onsies that said 'trick' and 'treat'. I also enlisted the help of Dasher to make the costume complete and made him 'or'. So for Halloween we had our very own "Trick or Treat". After shopping that day, Dasher helped me pass out candy while my mom watched the girls and Paul returned OhNo who had passed away and came back with another guppy named Rae. These fish will be the death of me one day I am sure.

Hadley (left) and Hailey (right). Thanks Ms. Tonya for the shirts!

This picture was so hard to get them both to cooperate with. They were not in the picture taking mood, but Dasher looked perfect in every shot of course. Silly puppy

Having my mom here also gave Paul some time to go fishing with his friends Robert and Jose after they took an end of rotation exam or shelf exam. After each rotation that Paul does during his 2 remaining clinical years he has to take a standardized exam to gauge what he learned and his skill level in that area of medicine. Anyway, Paul stayed on the island Friday after going to rounds and met up with his friends to go fishing since flounder fishing is good after the weather turns "cold". Luckily, Paul, Robert and Jose all caught a flounder!! Paul ate his the next day, and my mom had some too. I did not try it, but was thankful it did not stink up the house when he cooked it. They said it tasted very good and neither of them are big fish eaters.

Paul with his flounder (the one he is holding) and his friend's flounder too. Paul's flounder was 19 inches long.

Paul eating his flounder. Dash was very jealous.

Overall, we had a great visit with Grandma and hated to see her go. Thankfully we don't have to wait too long for Grandma to come back though because she will be back at the end of November with Great Grandma and Grandpa to spend more time with the girls and help me while I am recovering from my surgery to remove the lump from my breast. I am so grateful that plane tickets are very reasonably priced and that my mom is able to come see the girls as often as she has been able to. It is especially tough living so far away now that we have the girls, but technology and plane travel make it more bearable.

Me and Hailey with Grandma and Hadley and of course Dasher too. If there's a picture being taken you better believe Dasher makes sure he is in it.