The Naylor Twins

Blueberries, Bananas and our new Kitten

2010-05-28T07:47:00.001-07:00

A couple days ago, Keith and I took the girls to a local blueberry field where you pick your own blueberries. The girls each got their own bucket and off we went! Never in my life have I seen such humongous blueberries, and they were so delicious!

The girls had a blast filling their buckets, and doing taste tests along the way to make sure the blueberries were good. ;-) They each filled their bucket, and in all we brought home 4 pints of blueberries.

I got a little chuckle when Keith was talking to Kaylyn about how many blueberries were on the tree, and Kaylyn quickly corrected him and said "Daddy it is NOT a tree, it's a blueberry BUSH!".

Keith made a fabulous blueberry pie, and the rest of the berries were eaten up within 2 days. These girls could not get enough!!

In other news, both of the girls are back in panties and successfully using the potty!! What a roller coaster this whole potty training ordeal has been! It has now been over 2 weeks and they are both doing awesome! Let's hope that this is it this time, and we don't suffer any regression.

Last night Keith was cooking dinner and Kaylyn came out and told him that she pooped a Banana. Curious, Keith went into the bathroom to investigate. Sure enough she pooped a huge one shaped exactly like a banana. Go Kaylyn!!

About a week ago, we went to the animal shelter and adopted a new Kitten. The girls named him Bosco. We are still have no idea how they came up with that name, but that is what they picked and it stuck. He is just over 8 weeks old, and super tiny.

To say that the girls are enamored with this kitty is an understatement. They love him a lot. Maybe too much. Kylee totes him around, and he has quickly become her little side kick. Thankfully Bosco likes all the attention, and is very patient with them. They are a good team!

One on One Time

2010-04-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

For a very long time now, Keith and I have been talking about taking the girls out individually to have a little one on one time with them. Yesterday we finally did it. I took Kaylyn for the day, and Keith had Kylee. Next time we will switch.

Kaylyn and I started off our day getting pedicure's. This was a first for her and she loved every second of it. She picked out her very own color (pink) and sat on my lap for the duration. She put her feet in the water, and we enjoyed some good girl talk. The nail lady tried to rub some lotion on her feet, but she wasn't too keen on that part and made me wipe it off. She walked around like the little princess that she is after it was all done. She could not have been happier.

After we got our toes done, I asked her what she wanted to do next. Without hesitation she told me she wanted to "Ride the Escalators like Corduroy the bear" (one of her favorite books), so off to the mall we went. We must have went up and down the escalators at least 30 times. We then took a break and played in the mall play area. At first she was a little aprehensive without her sidekick (Kylee), but after a few minutes she was off and running.

We finished off our adventure at Build-A-Bear. What a cool place that is!! Upon arrival they gave Kaylyn a very fashionable crown, which she absolutely loved. Kaylyn decided to Build a Puppy. She then maneuvered the pedal to help the lady stuff her puppy, gave the puppy a heart (but refused to kiss it), followed by giving her puppy a bath, and then on to find the puppy the perfect outfit. At the very end, she named her puppy "Flower" and we printed up a birth certificate for her.

The entire time we were gone Kaylyn was inquiring about where Kylee was and what she was doing. She was very concerned that Kylee's car seat was not in the car. It was obvious that she missed her sister, but I think this alone time is good for both of them.

When we got home Kaylyn immediately had to show off Flower, and lets just say that did not go over very well. Kylee was not happy that she didn't have one, and Kaylyn wasn't too inclined to share. After 10 minutes of being home, Kylee and Daddy were on their way to Build-A-Bear.

They returned a couple hours later, with "Sparkle" in tow and now all was right in the world. Keith said that Kylee had an awesome time as well!

Both Keith and I were in awe of how easy it was with only 1 kid! I felt like I could conquer the world. It was such a nice treat.

Overall, it was a great day for all of us and we plan on doing it more often. My only regret is that we didn't start it sooner. We will switch off each time who gets to go with Mommy and who gets to go with Daddy.

Potty Training Hiatus

2010-04-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

No joke, after my last Potty Training blog post in March, the very next day both of the girls were back on Track with Potty Training. They were doing great, and accidents were very few and far between. This last for an entire month, and I was so relieved and thought the worst was behind us.

I was wrong.

Almost a month to the day, BOTH of the girls decided they were not going to use the potty any longer. They wanted nothing to do with it. And there was nothing that I could say or do to convince them otherwise. Accidents were occurring more often than success. They know how and when to use the potty. It was just becoming a battle of wills and I was losing.

I tried to ride it out in hopes that they would bounce back like they had in the past, but no such luck. My patience was wearing thin, and I finally decided that we ALL needed a break from this potty training business so I put them back in Pull ups.

I chose pull ups over diapers (despite the fact that they are much more expensive) so they could still use the potty if and when they felt the need to and they wouldn't be held back in anyway from making progress.

I am going to give them a month or so, and we will try again. I have done a lot of reading and talking to other parents, and apparently this is very normal, yet Frustrating nonetheless.

The girls are still very young. Most kids don't potty train until closer to 3 or later, so we still have time.

I am confident that one of these days we will truly be done with Diapers. Today is just not that day, and tomorrow isn't looking good either.

It Happened

2010-04-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

They gave each other Haircuts!!

I am not naive enough to believe that this could never happen. I am well aware of the fact that it happens often, almost like a milestone of sorts. However, I did not think that I would have to deal with this at 2! I thought I had a couple years, at least.

You are probably wondering how and why 2 year old's even have access to scissors, right?

The simple answer to that question, is that Keith innocently enough, left a pair of scissors on our bathroom counter. The girls are not typically in our bathroom, so he probably was not a vigilant as he could have been.

Keith and I were in our bedroom putting some laundry away and Kylee walked up to us with something in her hand. Keith asked her what it was, to which she promptly replied, "It's Kylee Hair!".

I had to have Keith assess the damage because I was literally sick to my stomach. Their hair was finally long enough for me to put back in a ponytail! Gah!!!

It turns out, Kaylyn got a nice chunk of her bags cut out. I of course was in the process of growing their bangs out (which is no east feat), so back to square one with that one. Kylee had 4 or 5 chunks cut out throughout her head (thankfully, all on the under side) to her scalp. Most of the chunks were on either side of her head, leaving the back of her hair to look rat tail-esque.

I took them in to the professional's where they trimmed their bangs, and cut about 2" off the back to even it out. It's not as bad as it could have been I guess, but I'm still sad. I won't be able to pull Kylee's hair back for quite a while.

It will grow back. It will grow back. It will grow back.....

Easter at the River

2010-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

Every year Keith's parents host a huge pig Roast at the River, and it is always so fun and so Yummy!! This year was no different.

Keith was able to trade a couple of shifts, so we could spend 5 whole days down at the River. I have to say that this was one of the best River trips ever with the girls. They could not have been happier enjoying everything the River has to offer. They went Kayaking, went on Jeep Rides, Flew Kites, played in the dirt, swam in their pool, rode their quads, and much more. They played hard, and loved every second of it!

Happy Half Birthday Kylee and Kaylyn!!

2010-04-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that the girls are already 2 1/2!! The girls are doing so well and are so much fun! They are always on the go, and definitely keep me on my toes.

A lot of times people try to bestow sympathy upon me for having twin toddlers, and I just don't get it. In so many ways, I think have 2 toddlers, the same age, is way easier than having one. They always have a playmate, and they keep each other busy. Watching them interact, and seeing the bond that they have is amazing! They use their imaginations to go on adventure's together, and find all kind of fun things to do. It's awesome!

Speaking of their imagination's, its by far one of my favorite things to watch them explore. They are constantly going on Space Ship Rides, Driving in the Car, Role Playing, pretending, and going on countless adventures. I have no idea where they come up with some of this stuff but they are having a blast doing it!

My little girls aren't so little anymore. They are both 39" tall (97th percentile +)!! Kylee weighs 32lbs, and Kaylyn weighs 34lbs. I went from barely having 5lbs of baby when they were born to almost 70lbs at 30 months! Unbelievable!

Hopefully the next 6 months go a little slower than the last 6 months have!

Kaylyn's Surgery

2010-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Today Kaylyn had her scheduled surgery at Children's hospital to scope her Airway to find out why she was getting croup so often and so severely.

It seems as though every time Kaylyn so much as gets a runny nose, within hours we are off to the ER to get her medicine to open up her airway so she can breath. After several episodes within a short period of a few months, her ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) Dr. recommended that we have her scoped to see what was going on.

So today was the day. Her surgery was not scheduled until 4pm, which made for a very long day of her not eating or drinking anything prior to the surgery. We thought it was cruel for her to see Kylee eat anything, so Keith took Kylee out to get her some food, and I kept Kaylyn busy. Although she did very well throughout the morning, and was in very good spirits, by early afternoon she knew she was hungry and was asking for food. It is awful to have to tell your hungry child that she cannot have anything to eat.

We had to get there by 2 to get checked in. By 3 we met with the Dr's and anesthesiologist and they took her back. Within 10 minutes the Dr came back with a picture and told us that they found multiple cysts in her airway (the culprit of the croup!), and they wanted our consent to take care of them. Of course we consented. The Dr explained that they scrape them off, and suck them out. There were 4 in all. The entire procedure lasted a little over an hour, and the Dr came out and talked with us when it was over to reassure us that everything went great.

The Dr explained to us that there is a possibility that the cysts can return, so she will have to follow up with her again in May to check her progress and we may have to repeat this surgical procedure up to 3 times. More than likely the cysts are a result of Kaylyn being intubated for 2 weeks when she was born.

Kaylyn spent about an hour in recovery. She was a little grumpy at first (understandably so), but as soon as they brought her a Popsicle she cheered up quite a bit. We were then clear to go home. More than anything I think she was happy to be reunited with Kylee!

As scary as it was to have Kaylyn go through this procedure, it is very comforting to finally have some answers. We have been dealing with Croup for almost a year and a half now and instead of it getting better, it was seemingly getting worse. Hopefully this will solve that problem, and we have seen the last of the croup!!

Here is a picture of her Airway. Those Bumps that you see are the Cysts, and have since been removed.

Mini-Bunks

2010-03-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to be married to a man with so many talents. Sometimes I feel like there is nothing that he can't do. He always finds a way....

We had a little sleeping dilemma in our Trailer down at the river when it came to the girls. It has 2 Twin sized beds in it, but no way to attach bed rails to it and it's pretty high off the ground. We were concerned that they weren't quite ready that transition yet. In the meantime, we had been using Crib mattresses on the floor, but neither one of us really loved the idea of them sleeping on the floor either.

So one afternoon we were discussing this issue and brainstorming possible solutions and we both thought it would be cool if we could bunk them somehow. That's when Keith took the idea and ran with it.

Within hours he was at Home depot purchasing the supplies to build a mini-bunk bed, and he got right to work. The girls had a blast helping Daddy build their new beds. All Keith had was the measurements of the mattresses, and the rest he built as he went along. Apparently the plans were in his head all along. From start to finish, Keith had it completed within a matter of hours.

They turned out Awesome!! They are only a little over 3 feet off the ground, and are incredibly sturdy. Keith built the ladder at an angle (more like stairs) so the girls could get up and down safely with ease.

I thought for sure we were going to have a huge battle over who was going to sleep on top but amazingly enough Kaylyn declared the bottom bunk as her own, and Kylee took the top bunk. No problems whatsoever. Who would have known???

Needless to say, they were a success!!!

I Refuse to be Outsmarted by a 2 year old!

2010-03-11T23:15:00.001-08:00

If there is one thing I love about my girls, it is their strong will! If there is one thing that frustrates me and wears on my patience more than anything about my girls, it is their strong will! These two constantly keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat, and this potty training adventure has been no different.

So I think where we left off last, Kylee was pretty much trained and Kaylyn had no interest at all.

Well within the last week Kaylyn asked to use the potty and this time she actually took to it! Success!! She has now been accident free for 3 days! Yay!!

BUT (there is always a But isn't there!), since Kaylyn has started using the potty, Kylee had completely regressed. She wouldn't use the potty at all, and she was having accidents left and right.

They completely pulled a fast one on me, and switched!!

One of the cornerstone's of Potty Training, in everything you read, is that you cannot get upset when your kid has an accident. Well, what if your kid purposefully soils the carpet, then do you have a right to get upset? And yes, I do mean Purposefully! After multiple accidents in one day, I finally put a diaper on Kylee. She fought it at first, but left it on for about 30 minutes until she then decided to take it off and pee right in the middle of the floor! She knew exactly what she was doing, and walked over to me and told me I needed to go clean up the Pee on the Carpet! Are you kidding me?!?!

I don't get it. Nothing had changed. She still gets just as much praise and stickers as she always had. What gives?

I knew it was too good to be true. No way could I have both of them trained and out of diapers that easily. And I was right!

They say that you shouldn't bribe your kid's, well I say you have to do what works. So bribery it was!

Yesterday after Kaylyn's 2nd day of Potty Success. I rewarded her at the end of the day with an ice cream. Ice cream is a big deal in our house, and Kylee was not happy that she did not get to partake in this special treat. I thought for sure that this was the motivation she needed to get back on the bandwagon.

I got her up this morning. We had the "talk" about no accidents, and Pee-pee goes in the potty, and wouldn't you know it 5 minutes later she peed right in the middle of the carpet!

Now I am waving my white flag!

I give up! I don't care if this kid goes to college in diapers. I am tired of cleaning carpets! Especially for a kid that *knows* how to use the potty, but for whatever reason is refusing to do so! So back to diapers for Kylee it was....

Then something magical happened at 5 o'clock tonight. Kylee told me she had to pee, I took her diaper off, and she Peed in the Potty!! I don't think I have made a bigger deal about anything in my life! I am still not even sure what caused the change of heart, but whatever it was I am not questioning it!

An hour and a half later, she put herself on the potty and peed again.....in the POTTY!!! WooHoo! Maybe we are making progress??

So, at the end of this day I am cautiously optimistic that Kylee is back on board with this Potty Training thing. I am also so proud of how well Kaylyn is doing! I feel like we are so close, yet so far away! I guess we shall wait and see what tomorrow brings!

Conniving Little Girl She is

2010-02-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

The potty training saga continues around here. Kylee is pretty much completely trained. Yay!! She hasn't had an accident in quite a while, and things are going good on that front.

Anyways, she is not my problem. Kaylyn on the other hand has Zero interest in actually using the Potty, which is totally fine with me. I am in no hurry, and I don't want to push the issue, but she is yearning for the attention and candy that Kylee is getting for being successful. So now she has started putting all kinds of effort into making me think that she is using the potty. She dumped her water glass in the potty, and told me she peed. She grabbed the bowl after Kylee peed in it, and said it was hers (I was sitting there watching, so I knew what she did). She even dumped her lunch in the potty and said it was Poop!

Seriously if this kid put half as much energy into actually trying to use the potty, as she does trying to convince me that she does go to the bathroom, we might be getting somewhere!

To further complicate things, she also now absolutely refuses to wear a diaper (since Kylee no longer wears them, she doesn't want to either). If I put one on her, she takes it off immediately anyway. She tells me she want's to pee in the potty, but she has yet to do so. We have had a couple poop successes, but nothing consistent.

I am trying to walk that fine line of letting her take the lead, and encouraging her to want to use the potty, and most of all not getting upset when she has an accident. It's definitely a delicate balance.

There is no question in my mind that she is smart enough to potty train. This kid is not dumb, and she knows when she has an accident. She comes and tells me, and has even gotten a towel herself and cleaned it up! I think this just comes down to her being stubborn and asserting her power.

Needless to say, it has been very tiresome but I am hopeful that she catches on sooner rather than later!

Potty Training

2010-02-15T15:33:00.001-08:00

Just the mere thought of potty training two toddlers, and everything that goes along with it was enough to make want to run far, far away!! After months of doing lots of reading up on all the different techniques and approaches, I finally decided to give it a serious go last week.

We went with the straight to panties technique, with an M&M reward for making it happen. The first day was hit or miss, but as time progressed Kylee was really starting to get the hang of it, whereas Kaylyn could care less. A week later, the same is true. Kaylyn just has absolutely no interest at all, but that is fine. It will happen in good time. Hopefully that time is sometime before she starts college! :D

Kylee on the other hand is doing incredibly well! She pee's and poops on the potty successfully, and accidents are becoming almost nonexistent! She puts herself on the potty, and can pull her panties up and down all by herself. We even attempted letting her wear panties for the 90 minute drive from Alpine to Temecula, and when we arrived home she was still dry!

So one down, and one to go!! As much as I feared this whole Potty Training endeavor, it has proved to not be nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

2009-Year in Review

2009-12-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

I can't believe another year is already coming to an end! 2009 has proven to be really busy, but completely amazing! I am happy to report that we had a wonderful year. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the girls grow and learn immensely. They both continue to amaze me each and every day! They have exceeded everyone's expectations of their developmental progress for being 28 week preemie's, and I could not be more proud!

The year started off with the girls having just learned how to walk, and venturing in talking with a few words here and there. Now, at 26 months old they speak in full, coherent, clear sentences and they love to run, jump, and dance all over the place.

Watching the girls different personalities develop over this last year has been such a joy! There is no doubt about it, these girls definitely have Personality! They are both little Ham's, and have the greatest sense of humor! They are constantly making me laugh and smile! It is amazing that although they share the same exact DNA, they are sooo incredibly different!

Kaylyn is our little dare devil! She is not scared to take risks when it comes to climbing, jumping or getting herself into precarious positions. The bigger the better in her opinion. I think she is going to be an adrenaline junkie like her dad! She has acquired the nickname "bruiser", because even when she does fall, she rarely cries about it. Typically she will just get up and keep going. She is also VERY talkative, and always has something to say. Kaylyn also tends to be very logical, and not much gets passed this kid!

Kylee tends to be a little more reserved both in talking and taking risks. She likes to talk in more of a one on one setting, where as Kaylyn likes to perform for an audience. Although Kylee doesn't like to jump off bar stools (yes, Kaylyn did this!) she does love Bugs and Reptiles, where as Kaylyn is a bit more squeamish in that department. Kylee is very sensitive in a lot of ways, and loves to cuddle.

They definitely balance each other out nicely, and are the best of friends. They share a bond like no other. As different as they are, they share a lot of similarities as well. They are both very kind and empathetic. They also have a wonderful use of manners. Both Kylee and Kaylyn tend to be a little shy at first around strangers, but once they warm up there is no stopping them! They are very sweet girls, and over all extremely well behaved. I couldn't ask for anything more!

In April the girls started dance class! It started off as a Mommy-and-Me class, but once they turned two they graduated to dancing on their own! Not only do they absolutely love dancing, but it has been really good for them developmentally to learn to listen to instructions, take turns, and play nicely with friends. I love watching them dance!

In October the girls celebrated their 2nd birthday. I still can't believe that they are two years old! It is hard to even wrap my head around the fact that they entered this world barely over 2lbs and not breathing! To look at them now, and see all that they have overcome is truly astonishing. Right after their 2nd birthday, the girls had their final developmental appointment to ensure that they are developing appropriately (because they were born so premature). The Dr that administered that standardized test was amazed at how well they are both doing, and cleared them from the developmental follow up program! Amazingly, they both tested at a 2 1/2-3 year old level in all areas! They are also both extremely tall, in the 97th percentile for height!

It has also been a year of a lot of learning. Their intelligence just blows my mind!! I am constantly trying to think of new ways to challenge them, and they never cease to amaze me. They are both very smart. Aside from their remarkable vocabulary and language abilities, they have learned a lot! They know their shapes (octagon, circle, square, triangle, rectangle, oval, and heart), they can both sing their ABC's all the way through, they can both count to 20, and we are working on colors. The girls have an amazing memory, and have memorized several books from cover to cover, and also have the ability to recall facts from months ago. The girls also use several Chinese and Spanish words and phrases (thank you Dora and Kai-Lan!). I am trying to make sure I keep up with them, so I know what they are talking about!

Their little imaginations have been running wild in recent months. From playing with their dolls and other toys, to playing with each other, I just love watching them pretend and role-play. It is crazy how at such a young age, they have the ability to pretend and make up their own story-line.

Then-January 2009

NOW! December 2009

What a difference a year makes!! 2009 has been a fabulous year, and I hope that 2010 will be equally as enjoyable if not more! Happy New Year!!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

I can't even begin to tell you how much more I enjoy Christmas now that I am a mom! Seeing my kids faces light up, and enjoying the magic of it all is truly priceless!

This year our Christmas schedule had to be altered a bit to coordinate with Keith work schedule. Keith had to work Christmas day, so we talked to Santa and he agreed to make a special appearance a day early for us. That Santa sure is a good guy! ;)

Christmas Eve-Eve, we went down to Keith's parents house and anxiously awaited Santa's arrival that night. We left out Cookies and Milk for Santa, and Carrots for the Reindeer. We talked to the girls about how Santa was coming that night, and he would come down the Chimney and bring all the presents. Kaylyn instantly questioned this logic and said, "Santa cannot fit [in the chimney], he will get stuck! He is too big!". Nothing gets by this kid! So we just explained to her it was the magic of Christmas and Santa would make it down just fine. I don't think she was fully convinced, but she let it go.

Christmas Morning (Christmas Eve) the girls woke up to some wonderful gifts! I was amazed at how much they enjoyed each and every present they received. They would open 1 present and play with it for 30-45 minutes before moving on to the next one. With each present came a variety of "Oohs, Aahs, Wow's and Cool!" as they opened it. It was great to see how much they loved every single thing! It took quite a while to make it through all the presents, but they did it and enjoyed every second of it!

Some of the biggest hits out of the presents they received were their new Big Wheel Tricycles, the Barbie Pretend Make-Up kit (that included a blow dryer that they absolutely love), a Little People Doll house, Baby Doll beds, and their Dinosaurs. Within a couple of hours the girls mastered pedaling their tricycles and were cruising all over the place. I could not believe how quickly they picked it up!

Christmas Day Keith had to work, so the girls and I went to the Fire Station to visit him and have dinner with him and his Fire-Family. It was a lot of fun, and the girls ate a ton of food! It's hard having Keith away on special days such as Christmas, but we are thankful that we got to spend some time with him that day.

That night the girls and I went over to my Dad's house to share Christmas with him and Grandma Darlene. Again, we opened more presents and enjoyed spending time with family.

It was a busy few days, but I couldn't ask for anything more. We are so lucky to have such a great family to share these special times, and create such wonderful memories.

"Mommy, I didn't Pee-Pee in my Panties!!"

2009-12-17T17:33:00.001-08:00

This morning when I got the girls up and went to change their diapers, Kaylyn was adamant that she was NOT going to wear a diaper. I gave her the option of wearing panties, and she decided that sounded like a good idea, so I went with it. Of course once Kaylyn was in big-girl panties, Kylee wanted to join the party as well, so she also got panties.

I put them on, and we had a long talk about how we don't pee in our panties, and if they have to go Potty to tell Mommy etc... Somehow this conversation evolved into them listing everything in the house they are NOT supposed to pee on, like the couch, the rug, the floor, the trampoline, their baby dolls and on and on.

I went ahead and printed them out some cool little Potty Training charts, hung them up, and explained that every time they went to the bathroom in the potty like big girls, they would get a sticker to put on their charts. Once all the squares on their chart are full, they can go to the store and pick out a new toy. They were all about that and very excited!!

So on we went with our morning. I periodically asked them if they had to go to the bathroom, and put them on the potties every so often, with no success. So then I was doing something in the kitchen, when I noticed Kylee went outside via the doggy door. I was curious to see what she was doing, so I went to the window to watch her.

She climbed up on Bandit's bed, pulled her panties down and Peed!! She then pulled them back up, and came back in (again, through the doggy door), and ran up to me and told me, "Mommy, I didn't Pee-Pee in my Panties!" She was so incredibly proud of herself!! I was trying not to laugh and to make sense of the fact that my daughter just went outside to go to the bathroom (when her potty was sitting in the middle of the living room floor), and told her it was Very good that she didn't Pee-Pee in her panties! Apparently, she thought the whole not peeing in the house conversation extended to her potty as well??? It was hilarious, and definitely a story we will share with her when she is older.

The girls wore their Big Girl panties from 8:00am-11:45, and it was then that they requested to have their diapers back. I think they were getting tired of me in their space, constantly asking them if they had to go potty. Thankfully there were only 2 accidents all morning, so that is pretty good I think.

I will continue to follow their lead with this whole potty training thing, and I am not going to push the issue. I have left their charts up in the meantime, in case they get the sudden urge to wear panties again.

SNOW- Southern California Style

2009-12-09T08:55:00.000-08:00

With the last storm that made it's way through Southern California, it brought a lot of snow to our local mountains. Since the snow doesn't come to us directly, we had to go to it, and it was definitely worth it!

We had such a great time! The girls went sledding with Daddy, built a snow man, and really enjoyed eating the snow!

Both Kylee and Kaylyn refused to keep gloves or mittens on, but that didn't stop them from picking up the snow to munch on it. The problem arose when their hands got really cold from holding onto it. At that point, I would take the snow out of their hands and put it on the ground, which then resulted in them being angry at me for taking away their snow. It was a no-win situation!

Fun was had by all, and I can't wait to take them back!!

In Search of the Perfect Tree

2009-12-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

It has become tradition that every year we all go with Grandma and Grandpa to cut down a Christmas tree for their house. There is a local Christmas tree farm by their house, and it is really fun to hike around and find the perfect tree and cut it down!

I was so impressed this year with how well the girls did. There is quite a bit of hiking and climbing involved in this adventure, and they did awesome!! I think they are better hikers than I am! We didn't find the perfect tree right away, but as we were getting ready to leave Grandma spotted it, and it just might be the best tree they have ever had!

The owners of this tree farm, also have 2 horses and the girls loved them!! The man even gave the girls carrots to feed them. Kaylyn asked me if she could Ride the Horse, but of course I had to tell her no. Right as we were getting ready to leave, the horse peed, and the girls are still talking about how much that Horse peed in the dirt! Apparently, it was very impressive to them!

RAIN!!!!

2009-12-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

We got our first big Rain Storm of the year in Southern California today!! This was the first storm that the girls were really old enough to somewhat understand what was going on. They woke up in the morning and saw it raining, and were very excited! They immediately asked me if they could go jump in the puddles, so of course I obliged.

At first, I think they were a little confused about it all, but after a couple minutes they were jumping like crazy and having a great time!! We went out several times, and each time they were pretty disapointed when we had to come back inside.

The Rain was definitely a welcome change!!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

2009-12-04T08:34:00.000-08:00

This year I really tried to gear up and get the girls ready to meet Santa. I bought several books about Santa, and we talked it up quite a bit. I was still unsure of how the meeting would go when we finally went to see him in person.

I think the picture says it all, and it couldn't sum up the girls personalities better. Kaylyn was as cool as a cucumber, and Kylee hated every single second of it!! Kaylyn even tried to calm her sister down by telling her that "Santa is Not Scary, Santa is nice!", but it didn't help. They did both, however, enjoy the Lollipops that Santa gave them after their visit.

Who would have known....

2009-12-03T08:18:00.000-08:00

That getting a good picture of all 4 of us for a Christmas card would be so incredibly hard!!! We went to a picture studio, and we got one taken there, but I wasn't in love. The girls weren't smiling, and the way they had us positioned was weird. Then we tried at home, took some in front of the fireplace, some in front of the Christmas tree, and various other spots around our house. Again, not in love. So then we went up to this beautiful waterfall by our house, tried several positions there. Nope, still nothing!!

Is it so much to ask to get them both to smile, and somewhat looking at the camera??? Apparently, YES! It didn't help that they have both been sick, and so has Daddy so no one was quite in the mood for this.

Out of pure desperation, I finally made a decision, chose a picture and went with it. No, it isn't my favorite, but it works and that is all that matters.

This year we sent out 122 Christmas cards to 34 different states and 5 different countries! It was a big undertaking getting all those addressed and stuffed, but well worth it.

Happy Holidays!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-27T08:03:00.000-08:00

Per tradition, every year we go to the River for Thanksgiving, and this year was going to be no different. Keith got the time off work, and we were super excited about our annual get away.

Leading up to the trip, the girls had both had runny noses for a few days, but nothing ever came of it, and they seemed fine, so we decided to go ahead and go anyway. We got there late Wednesday afternoon, unpacked everything and were enjoying the great outdoors.

All was well until around midnight, and we heard it. The infamous Barky-Croup cough from Kaylyn. We were not willing to take any chances (considering our past experiences with croup), so within minutes of hearing it, we were all up and loaded in the car headed back to Children's Hospital in San Diego.

Thankfully, I think we caught it early enough, that she wasn't in severe respiratory distress just yet, but we knew we were racing the clock to get those meds in her. Stupidly, we forgot her nebulizer and humidifier at home, so we were without any kind of intervention whatsoever.

The river is about 3 hours from San Diego, but we knew that if she got really bad we could stop at the Hospital in El Centro. Obviously, El Centro is not the greatest of the great when it comes to hospitals, so our first choice was definitely Children's in San Diego.

Whenever we tried to put Kaylyn in her car seat she would get really upset, which is the absolute worst thing you can do for a kid with croup, and their upper airway is already inflamed. We weighed our options, either put her in her seat and risk her going into respiratory arrest or let her sit on my lap, where she is calm and risk an accident. Obviously, neither of those choices are ideal, but ultimately we decided the second option was best for her and we decided to let her sit on my lap for the duration of the ride home, and that kept her calm.

We made it to San Diego in record time (just over 2 1/2 hours), and they gave her the usual cocktail of croup medications including steroids and breathing treatments. They watched her for a bit and set us home. At this point it was Thanksgiving morning, and we were all exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before.

We spent Thanksgiving day just the 4 of us. There was no big Dinner, and no extended family, but we were so incredibly Thankful for the medicine Kaylyn was able to get to help her breath better!

'Lil Lady Bugs

2009-11-04T15:26:00.001-08:00

This year the girls were Lady Bugs for Halloween, and quite adorable little ones if I do say so myself.

I am quickly learning that my opinion on what they should wear is no longer valid, and they are very clear about their own ideas of how they think things should be.

For about a week leading up to Halloween, I kept telling the girls that they were going to be Ladybugs. Kaylyn was not having it! I would gently remind her, "Kaylyn this year you and Kylee are going to be Ladybugs for Halloween.", to which she would staunchly reply "No Mommy. I'm a be a Dinosaur!". After going round and round with her on this issue, I let it go and hoped that it would resolve itself come Halloween.

We decided to forgo Trick or Treating this year as the girls are still pretty young, so instead we went to a Halloween Festival with Grandma and Grandpa at a local elementary school. The girls were fascinated with all of the different costumes, and enjoyed watching all of the kids. Wouldn't you know it that the very first costume we saw was a Dinosaur! I thought I was in for it. Kaylyn followed that kid around for a good 10 minutes, but ultimately must have been distracted by something else and eventually let it go.

It was a fun time, and the girls were so good. I think next year I will just let the girls pick what they want to be from the get go.

Pumpkin Patch 2009

2009-10-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trip to Bates Nut Farm again this year, and fun was had by all! The girls loved all the gigantic pumpkins, feeding the animals, and especially loved the hay ride. It has become such a fun family tradition!

"No More Mommy, No More Daddy"

2009-10-15T19:41:00.000-07:00

Now that the girls are 2, it was time to move up to the "Big Girl Dance Class", which means that it is no longer a Mommy (or Daddy)-and-me class and the girls have to dance by themselves without the parents. Seeing as though Kylee and Kaylyn both tend to be very clingy and shy, and this class entailed having a new teacher and a new routine I was a little nervous as to how it was going to go.

Keith and I had talked it up quite a bit during the week leading up to the new class, and the girls knew this was coming. If you ask them who their new dance teacher is, they tell you "Miss Collette" and that would always be followed by us reminding them that they are going to dance by themselves, which to that they would say "No more Mommy and No more Daddy". We were pretty confident they understood what was going to happen, but whether or not they would cooperate was still yet to be seen.

Once again, Kylee and Kaylyn did not dissapoint. These girls never cease to amaze me. Kaylyn walked right in, started playing with the other girls in her class and never looked back. Kylee was a little more apprehensive at first but once we talked her into it, she was all about it. They did great, and I would even venture to say they did better without us in the room with them.

Since this was a new teacher, I was a little concerned that she was going to have trouble telling the girls apart. So to help ease the transition, I did their hair differently. Kylee got pig tails, and Kaylyn got a pony tail. The teacher said that worked out great, so we will continue doing that for a while until she gets to know them better.

Even though we aren't able to be in the room with them, they do have one of those Mirrors that even though the kids can't see out, we can see in from the other side. It was nice to be able to take an hour, watch them dance and relax a bit for a change.

After it was all over the girls kept telling us "Dance class SO fun!!", and "Favorite Dance Class" over and over again. So apparently they enjoyed their little bit of freedom as well. My little girls are growing up!

Happy 2nd Birthday Kylee and Kaylyn!

2009-10-06T20:07:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe that my babies are TWO!! These last two years have flown by!

I can still remember the day they were born like it was yesterday. I will never forget when I called Keith and work (he had just finished running a call) and told him them were prepping me for an emergency c-section. Everything happened so quickly, and we passed each other in the hallway as they were wheeling me to the operating room.

When the girls were born, it wasn't the joyous moment that everyone envisions for the birth of their children. They weren't crying, they weren't moving and they weren't breathing. The nurses didn't even show them to me, they were just quickly carried away to be resuscitated. Keith went with them, and I went to recovery. Definitely Bittersweet to say the least!

In recovery I stayed until I could move my legs. I had no idea if they were alive or dead and I wanted to see them so badly. Finally after a couple of hours they wheeled me to the NICU in my bed. They were so so tiny, and had wires coming out all over the place but they were gorgeous!

After 10 long weeks in the NICU, where they plumped them up, taught them how to suck, swallow and breath we were finally able to take them home. They were perfect! They come home without any medications or monitors. You wouldn't even know that they were born so early!

From then on, they continued to thrive and do wonderfully! Constantly amazing us, and their Dr's with their accomplishments, and surpassing everyone's expectations of what they should be doing based on how premature they were.

That first year came and went, and now somehow they are 2! Wow! It's been a wild ride, but such a joy! Here are some of their recent accomplishments:

They can sing their ABC's (and lots of other songs)
They can count to 12 (sometimes to 14)
They talk in full sentences
They can dress and undress themselves
They love to sing and dance
They love to pretend, whether its playing with their baby dolls, having a tea party or pretending to be an animal of some sort
They are kind and loving and use the words please and thank you all the time!
They have opinions!! From what they wear to what they eat to what they want to do. They definitely let us know what's on their mind!
Next week they will start dance class by themselves, and I will no longer be in the room to assist them!
They are best friends! The bond they share is like no other, and it warms my heart daily.

I could not be more proud of my little girls, and amazed at everything they have overcome in 2 short years. I am so lucky to be their Mommy!

Our Last Developmental Appointment!!

2009-10-06T19:47:00.001-07:00

Today the girls had their routine developmental appointment. They have been followed periodically since they were born due to the fact that they were born so prematurely. All of the appointments up until now have been good, but this appointment went great!! They have officially been cleared from the Early Infant Special Care follow up program because they are going doing exceptionally well, and they don't ever have to go back to get checked again!!

This appointment took almost 4 hours for both of them to get tested. I was pretty nervous about the fact that it was running into lunch time and nap time and I feared a major breakdown from at least one, if not both of them. Amazingly, they both held up great and were in excellent spirits, and cooperated wonderfully. The reason it took so long is because of how well the girls were doing, they continue the tests until there are 5 things in a row that they cannot complete. This took quite a while!

The Dr. that administered the series of standardized tests has been the same person that has followed them since they were discharged from the NICU, so she is very familiar with the girls. The appointment included a series of different tests that tested their gross and fine motor skills, along with their language abilities. She was blown away by how great they are doing, and she made it known that these girls are definitely the exception not the rule when it comes to preemie development.

Not only are they caught up, but they are extremely advanced. They scored on the high end of all of their tests and averaged around the 30 month mark (2 1/2 years old). On their Vocabulary and Cognitive language abilities they scored between the 30-36 month old mark!! That was despite the fact that they were both being extremely shy!

On their growth stats, Kaylyn weighs 30lbs and is 36" tall and Kylee is 27lbs and 35 3/4" tall. Very tall girls! Their heads are still large, but they are both on the growth curve, so that is good!

The Dr. said that she could tell that we work with them extensively in all different areas. It blows my mind that 2 years ago we weren't even sure that the girls were going to make it and now they are thriving! They are definitely a preemie success story! I am a very proud Mommy!!

Party Time!!

2009-10-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today we had the girls 2nd Birthday Party!! They had threatened that it might rain, but thankfully the weather cooperated and it turned out to be a beautiful day!! This year we had their party at El Monte Park. It was the perfect location! There was lots of things to do, and the scenery was beautiful! We also got a jumper, and not to worry because the adults got plenty of play time in there as well.

I have never seen the girls play so hard! They were running from the Jumper to the Park area, and back All day Long!! Amazingly, Kaylyn did not nap at all today and she still managed to be in the best of spirits. I know they had a fabulous time!

As per tradition, the girls each got their own Happy Birthday song sang to them individually. Kylee wasn't too sure about all these people serenading her, but Kaylyn was all about it and soaked up the attention.

I decided I was not going to do goody bags this year for their party. They are pretty expensive, and most of the stuff that goes in them is junk anyway and gets tossed right away. So instead, I bought little plain canvas bags and fabric markers for the kids to decorate them. Then I got 2 pinatas (everything comes in 2's in our life!) and the kids used their cool decorated bags they made to collect the candy. It worked great, and I think all the kids really enjoyed them.

When it came time to open presents, the girls got through 2 or 3 and decided that they were done opening presents and they both got up at the exact same time and headed for the park area. They didn't even look back! The older kids that were at the party hung back and helped me get through the mountain of presents! They got so many wonderful gifts!

It was so fun to spend such a special day with all of our close friends and family. We are so thankful that so many people were able to make it out to celebrate with us!

Bad Blogging Mommy!

2009-10-02T20:45:00.001-07:00

I have not been as diligent as I would like this month in keeping up with this blog! This month has been super busy, and somehow it just got away from me! Keith was gone on a boys trip at the beginning of the month, and then I was gone 2 weekends in a row as well.

The girls are doing great, and they continue to amaze me! I will save their accomplishments for this month for their upcoming Birthday Blog, but I thought I would leave you with Part 2 of "Out of the Mouths of Babes" and share some of the funny things the girls have said and done recently.

Kaylyn: "Daddy, Drive Faster"
Keith: "OK, we can go faster" {Faster we Go!}
Kaylyn: "No! Faster Daddy!!!!............wait, COPS!!!"

Kylee and I were discussing their upcoming Birthday Party. I was telling her all the fun things we are going to do that day. After we were done talking about it, she says "and a Pony at the Party too???" I told her, "No, I don't think we are going to have a Pony". That was not what she wanted to hear, and she got the last word in by saying, "Yes, a Pony at the Party".

Kaylyn grabbed my chin, and turned my head towards her and said, "Look at Me Mommy!" So I look and she continues... "Say Sorry!" This was after I had just announced it was time to go upstairs and go to bed, apparently she was not too happy about that!

The girls love to rub Bandit's tummy. So we were giving Bandit some love and Kylee proclaims, "Bandits Nipple!!". Too bad it was NOT her nipple, and Kylee stuck her finger in the dogs butt!

After Keith finished changing Kaylyn's diaper, she told him to "Lay Down. Time to change Daddy's Diaper!". Daddy told her that he is a big boy and uses the potty, and he does not have a diaper. Well, Kaylyn didn't buy it and demanded that he "Take Pants off Right Now!".

Kylee walked up to me, latched on to my leg, patted my butt and said "Hi Honey!! I Love you!!"

I am sure there is more, as these girls keep me laughing all day long but those are the one's that come to mind at the moment. They are such special little girls!!

23 Months

2009-09-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

This is officially my last Monthly update before Kylee and Kaylyn turn 2!! :(

This has been a crazy eventful month. Unfortunately we have battled more than our fair share of sickness. It started out with both of them having Pink eye and Kaylyn having a double ear infection and evolved into Kylee getting RAD (reactive airway disease) and a double ear infection and Kaylyn getting Croup (which require a 911 Ambulance ride to the hosptial), Pneumonia (another trip to the ER), and yet another double ear infection ALL in the same Week! The Dr's have said that Kaylyn is more prone to the croup becoming extremely serious due to the fact that she was intubated for almost 2 weeks when she was born (Kylee was intubated for less than a day), therefore there is scar tissue in her airway so any inflamation at all can potentially completely cut off her airway. We are hopeful that the bigger she gets, the less of an issue this will be. I am happy to report that things are finally on the up and up health wise here and both of the girls are back to their normal happy selves.

It is unbelievable how aware of their surroundings they are becoming. They are both constantly telling me to "Look" and "Listen". They love to identify different sounds that they hear including puppies, cars, lawn mowers, airplanes, helicopters and more. It was really funny because we went to the River for a couple days a few weeks ago and we were standing outside and the generator was on and Kaylyn said, "Look Mommy!! The Moon in the Sky! ......Noisy Moon!". She thought the sound the generator was making was coming from the Moon!

Along with being aware of their surroundings is knowing what belongs to who, and especially if something belongs to them. They have become very possessive and "My", "Me", and "Mine" have become very popular words around here. They are both also very efficient in their use of Prepositions. They use them often to describe whatever it is that they are talking about. They are consistently talking in full sentences now, and their vocabulary and ability to utilize words and phrases correctly constantly amazes me. They also have the mastered the concept of opposites such as up and down, open and close, hot and cold, on and off, in and out, and more.

They can also identify "Owies" now and they tell me when something hurts them. They even point to and tell me the correct body part of the injury. Whenever they get hurt they instantly come up and tell me what hurts and tell me to kiss it. Once it is kissed they both announce that it is "All Better!".

They have begun to actively play together more and more, as opposed to mostly parallel play. They have such an amazing bond and friendship. I love watching them interact with each other. Their imaginations are fascinating and its so fun to watch them explore their world.

I think I have little clean freaks on my hands. These kids LOVE to clean! They love to sweep, do dishes, vacuum, and wipe things down. Hopefully if I encourage it enough they will still have this passion when they are teenagers!

I can't believe it was nearly 2 years ago that I was admitted to the hospital on bedrest with the girls. They really have come so far and exceeded everyone's expectations of where they should be right now both in development and growth. I am amazed by how much they have overcome in such a short period of time. They warm my heart daily!

I Spoke too Soon!

2009-08-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kylee woke up this morning with the goop!! I should have known better than to think that I was actually going to get away with only one of them getting Pink Eye. Thankfully, the medical group that their Dr belongs to has a walk in Clinic on Saturday mornings, and I just took her down there and got her checked out. Unlike her sister, she does not have any ear infections, so they gave a prescription for more eye drops and sent us on our way.

In a way I am glad that she got it because it means our quarantine can officially end tomorrow! 24 hours after she has been getting the drops she will no longer be contagious. It will be nice to get out of the house. We have now been on lock down since Thursday!!

Double Ear Infection and Pink Eye

2009-08-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

For the last couple of days, Kaylyn seemed to be a little "off". She just was not acting like her happy-go-lucky self, and she was more whiney and clingy than normal. I didn't think much of it, but then shotly thereafter her nose started running, she started coughing and sneezing a bit, and her eyes looked a little puffy. Keith and I decided that she must have allergies and kind of left it at that.

Yesterday afternoon when she woke up from her nap her Eye was all goopy and gross. I wiped it off (thinking it was sleep goobers), and not 10 minutes later there was more goop. I decided I better call the Dr and see what they say. I talked to the triage nurse and she wanted me to bring her in right away. She got us an appointment, and off we went.

I took Kaylyn to the Dr, and Keith stayed home with Kylee. The entire time we were gone, Kaylyn was extremely concerned about where Kylee was. She kept asking where her sissy was, and why she wasn't buckled in her seat. It isn't very often that one of them goes somewhere without the other one.

The Dr. determined that Kaylyn has Conjuctivitis (Pink Eye) and a double ear infection! I had no idea! Her eyes weren't even pink, so pink eye did not even cross my mind. Apparently, not everyone actually gets the pink coloring in their eyes with this infection. I felt so bad for my little bug! The Dr prescribed Eye drop antibiotics to do away with the Conjunctivitis and Oral antibiotics for the ear infection.

After wrestling her down, and fighting her to get the eye drops in her eyes to seemingly no avail, a friend of mine gave me some great advice! She told me to try having her close her eyes and put the drops in her tear ducts, then when she opens her eyes the drops with cover the entirety of her eye ball. I gave it a try, and it worked like a charm! Thankfully, Kaylyn loves the oral antibiotics so that is not a problem at all.

As many of you probably know, Pink Eye is highly contagious! It also has an incubation period of 1-2 weeks before any symptoms show up, but it is still contagious during that time. Right now, Kylee hasn't shown any symptoms of having it but that doesn't mean we are in the clear. We are currently on Pink Eye Quarantine and won't be going anywhere for a few days.

My Mini Choir

2009-08-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Kylee and Kaylyn have recently started to sing-a-long to all of their favorite songs! Some of the biggest hits are "Twinkle-Twinkle", "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes", "I'm a little TeaPot', "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "5 Little Monkeys", "Ring around the Rosie", "Wheels on the Bus", and "Wiggle, Wiggle". It's funny because they don't know all the words, but they fill in the blanks with La-la-la, or they just skip that section they don't know completely and go back to what they do know. It gives a whole new meaning to the term, "Broken Record"!

They also love to dance along to their favorite songs, while singing the words. It's funny because they are thinking so much about the words, they don't focus so much on their dancing and tend to lose their balance and fall over!

They have also recently begun to sing each other to sleep each evening after we put them to bed. It is very sweet listening to them sing together!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-08-07T11:27:00.000-07:00

The girls have both said and done some really funny things lately, and I thought you might get a kick out of a few of them...

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Kaylyn just put her baby on timeout! She was pushing her in her stroller and says: "No, No Baby.....One, Two, Three....Timeout Baby!!" She then put her baby in the timeout spot and said "No Get up Baby!" She left her there for a while, went back and picked up her baby and said "OK, Get up. I Love you", and gave her baby kisses. She is quite the little disciplinarian!!

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The girls love to help me with the laundry, especially Kaylyn. Well the other day, the dryer buzzer beeped and I went to the laundry room to fold the clothes and Kaylyn followed me in there.

Typically Kaylyn will pull the clothes out and hand them to me, but since the dryer had just stopped I warned her that it might be Hot and to be careful. So I opened the dryer, and she very cautiously leaned over and started Blowing in the dryer to cool the clothes off! Once it cooled off a bit she pulled out one of her dresses and blew on it as well!

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The girls were watching their favorite TV show, Yo Gabba Gabba and somehow Kylee got a hold of the remote. She pushed some buttons and caused it to interupt her show. She immediately came and found me, handed me the remote and said, "Uh Oh Mommy. TB (TV) Broken. Fix it"

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Both of the girls Love to feed the dog. This is a habit we have been trying to break because they prefer to feed the dog their food, rather than dog food.

Apparently Kylee was done eating her lunch the other day and said, "Bannit Hungee (Bandit's Hundry). Come Here Bannit!". So of course Bandit came. "Bannit Bite". Her plate was then empty and she proclaimed "All Done Mommy", as if I thoguht she finished her lunch herself!

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We put the girls to bed the other night, and after about 10 minutes of laying in bed Kaylyn felt the need to get out of bed and antagonize her sister who was resting peacefully.

She walked over to Kylee's bed and said "Hi Sissy!.....Kisses Sissy??" Kylee was pretty much ignoring her, but she persisted..."Tickle, Tickle Sissy" and she uncovered her sister and tickled her toes. She then went back to her bed and said, "Night, Night Sissy"

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These girls are just cracking me up!!

Our First Walk to the Park

2009-08-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

Although we go to the park pretty regularly, yesterday was the first time we all walked there instead of loading the girls up in the stroller and heading down there. The park is probably about 4 blocks away, and we figured this would be a good way for the girls to burn off some energy before bedtime.

For the first time, the girls swung on the Big Kid swings, and they absolutely loved it! Kaylyn even figured out how to pump her legs to get moving.

They had a great time, and were not happy when we had to leave!

22 Months Old

2009-08-06T12:37:00.000-07:00

OK, this is getting ridiculous! Time is just going way too fast! I can't even wrap my head around the fact that the girls are going to be 2 in just two more short months!

This last month has brought some new independence for the girls. They are now successfully transitioned into their big girl beds! I thought for sure it was going to be a nightmare, but it was such an easy transition for all of us, and we have had no issues whatsoever! They sleep so much better in their new beds. The other night they did a little switch-a-roo on me and switched beds without me knowing. I went into their room the next morning, and I was really confused! It has been a while since I have had to do a double take, and it definitely took me a minute to figure out what was going on!

The girls also decided the other day that they were "All Done high chairs". They now sit at the table in booster seats. Now that they are finally over their plate flipping stage, I figured now was just as good of time to do it than any. They do a great job sitting at the table like big girls!

The newest thing around here is that the girls want to know where everyone is. Every morning they do a roll call of all the people in their life that they see often, and I tell them where everyone is. This list even includes C.J., who is Grandma and Grandpa's dog!

"Mine" and "My ...." are also getting to be popular words around here. They are sure to let us know what belongs to them! A couple of weeks ago we were at the play area at the mall, and both of the girls were off playing. A little boy came up and sat next to me and was showing me his car that he had. Kaylyn saw this and immediately ran across the entire play area, climbed up on me and told the little boy "My Mommy!".

They are also big letting us know what belongs to who. They are constantly properly identifying different belongings and associating them with the rightful owner. For example, if they find one of Keith's shirts, it's "Daddy's shirt", if they see my sunglasses, it's "Mommy's Glasses". The list goes on and they do this with everything!

These girls definitely have a gift of gab! The talking never ends, and if for some reason it is quiet chances are that they are doing something they aren't supposed to! They now speak in 2-4 word phrases a lot of the time. I am amazed by the stuff they pick up!

With the remodeling of the girls new room for their new beds, we finally got their growth charts hung up. As of last week both of the girls were just a hair under 36" tall. I cannot believe that they are not even 2 yet, and they are already 3ft tall!

It has been a really fun month! Everyday they continue to grow, learn and amaze us!

Sweet Sleeping Babies

2009-07-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

I took some pictures last night of the girls asleep in their Big Girl beds, and I just thought I would share. They look so Peaceful and Content.

Kylee

Kaylyn

Toddler Bed Transition Update

2009-07-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

We are now 2 nights and 2 naps in, and I am happy to report that everything is going wonderfully!! This transition has been surprisingly painless and uneventful for everyone. The girls go right to sleep within 5-15 minutes of being put down, without any issues. I actually think they are sleeping better in their new Big Girl Beds, than they did in their cribs.

The one thing that has shocked me the most is the fact that they don't get out of their beds to explore at all. They stay put in their own beds, yet they didn't even do that in their cribs!! . Maybe they know we are watching them?!?! They each have rolled out of bed a couple times, but that is also improving as they are starting to get the hang of it.

The hardest part of this transition has been having to face the fact that my babies are growing up! They look so big and independent in their new beds!

I have read/heard my fair share of horror stories pertaining to transitioning to beds, but thankfully such was not the case for us. I am sure some nights will be harder than others, but that also happened with then were in cribs. I would have never thought that this transition would have been so easy!!

Big Girl Beds

2009-07-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that both of the girls are able to get out of their cribs at their own convenience, Keith and I decided that it would be a lot safer to go ahead and make the transition to toddler beds. After a lot of planning, we finally got their new room ready for them today!

We wanted to make it somewhat of a big deal for them, so we pretty much redecorated their entire room. The girls "helped" us as we got everything together. They were so incredibly excited about their new Big Girl Beds!

The funny thing is, when they were in their cribs Kylee was Always in the crib on the left and Kaylyn on the right. Well, with their new beds we let them choose which one they wanted. Kylee chose the bed on the left and Kaylyn the one on the right.

We knew the true test was going to be getting them to bed. Nervously, Keith and I tucked them into bed, left the room and turned on the video monitor to see what they were up to. I am happy to report that it was highly uneventful! Kylee got out of bed once to give her sister a teddy bear, but went right back to bed. There was no crying, no wandering, no playing. They were both sound asleep within 15 minutes.

Being that this is only the first night, I am cautiously optimistic about what the future holds, especially when it comes to nap time. Overall I would say the transition so far has gone seamlessly, and the girls seem to be very happy in their new Big Girl Room!

No Potty Training for Now

2009-07-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

This morning was the day I was going to start Potty Training the girls. They have both shown signs of readiness, and I figured that there was no harm in giving it a go. The girls got up, and we had a talk about big girl panties, going pee-pee and poo-poo in the potty, and telling mommy when they had to go. My plan was to put them in their panties, and take them to the bathroom every 15 minutes.

Well, one hour into Potty Training I made the executive decision that WE are not ready! Right now I have to be with them, and help them every step of the way despite the fact that they both have the ability to communicate if they need to go. It was very overwhelming! That is a lot of work when you have to do everything twice! I think I am going to wait until they can go somewhat more independently. It is definitely more work to stay on top of both of them, when I can just keep them in diapers for now and just stock up on the Duct Tape!

So maybe I am halting this mission based on my own reservations, but I just don't think now is the time. In the meantime, I won't discourage them using the potty. If they tell me they have to go, we will go but I am just not going to push the issue. It will all happen in due time.

However, I do have to say that they looked awfully cute in their Elmo Panties!

We have Poop!!

2009-07-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

This time in the Potty!!!! Today Kaylyn told me she had to poop in the potty. I took her to the bathroom and she went! Although they have both peed in the potty on several different occasions, this is a first for #2!

I was hoping to hold off on Potty Training for a little while longer. Especially since we will be transitioning to toddler beds next week, due to the fact that my little monkey's LOVE to climb out of their cribs all the time now. I really didn't want to take on all those changes at once. It seems as though the girls have a different plan. They are both showing many signs for Potty Training readiness, and I am afraid if I don't at least give it a serious attempt, I may miss my window of opportunity.

So next Monday is the day we will hunker down and get this Potty Party started!! If it works, and we are successful, Wonderful! If not, that is OK too. There is no harm in giving it a go, and seeing what happens! Wish us Luck!!

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

2009-07-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

These girls are just cracking me up lately imitating each other and everyone else lately! For example, if one of them falls down and gets hurt, the other one dramatically "falls" to the ground and pretends to cry!

It never fails, whatever one is doing, the other one has to give it a try. It is all fun and games, until they are breaking the rules. If one of them is doing something, and I tell her no, her sister has to see if she can get away with it as well.

Recently, they have begun to interact and play with each other! Up until now, it has all been pretty much parallel play. Now they play peacefully together for long periods of times. They follow each other around trying to see what they can get into! I love watching their little imaginations at work!

Not Even Duct Tape....

2009-07-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Can keep a diaper on my child! What can I say?? My girls like to be naked! Although I would love to let my kids romp around in their birthday suit, the mess that ensues is not fun!

Lately we have been having lots of talks about how Poop goes in the potty and not in the diaper. Kylee must have taken in some of that pep talk because yesterday she somehow managed to get her Duct taped diaper off, and she pooped on the kitchen floor. She then brought me her clean Diaper and said "No Poo Poo Diaper Mommy!". I reminded her that Poo Poo goes on the potty and not on the floor, but I digress.

Unfortunately, this is not the first diaper removing incident we have encountered. It has been going on since they were 6 months old, resulting in many not so pleasant messes. For a while there I was beginning to wonder if maybe I was just not competent in proper diaper application, but I think it just comes down to the fact that my girlst have a burning desire to be free!

A Day at the Beach

2009-07-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

Today Keith and I took the girls to the beach and we met up with Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Danielle down there. It couldn't have been a more gorgeous day to enjoy the sunshine!

The girls had a blast, and this time they even loved playing in the water (last time they weren't so stoked on it). Kylee was even trying to jump over the waves as they came. It never ceases to amaze me how toddlers manage to cover every inch of their bodies in sand, but they sure have a great time doing it.

They played hard at the beach for a good 4 1/2 hours, and missed their usual afternoon nap. By the time we were finally done and in the car headed home, they were asleep before we made it to the end of the street and slept the entire way.

I didn't realize until I got home, that I had spent all day making sure that the girls were good and suncreened up that I neglected to put sunscreen on myself! Sadly, I have quite the sunburn because of it! Regardless, we had an awesome day!

21 Months

2009-07-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already time to do another monthly blog update?!?! Well here we go....

Over the last month I have had some very comical conversations with the girls, and I thought it would be fun to share a couple of them:

Kylee: "Whoa Mommy, be Careful!!" (as I accidentally hit the curb while driving)
_______________________

Me: Girls it's time for Bed now
Kylee: In a minute Mommy
Kaylyn: Why?
Me: No we are heading up to bed now.
________________________

Kylee: Mommy, Sissy do it
Me: Sissy Did what? (so of course now I have to check it out....turns out Kaylyn pulled out about 5,948 wipes out of the container and spread them across the living room floor)
Me: Kaylyn did you take all those wipes out?
Kaylyn: Yeah!
________________________

Kaylyn: Ice Keen Cone please??
Me: No Kaylyn, we are not having Ice Cream for breakfast
Kaylyn: Ice Keen Cone Please???????

________________________

One big thing the girls have learned this month is that they can both count to 10 by themselves!! I honestly believe that they are understanding the concept of counting as well, and not just memorizing a sequence of words. They count all sorts of different things, from the blueberries on their trays, to their blocks, to the number of magnets hanging on the fridge and more!

I love that with each passing day, I am able to communicate more and more with the girls. They are starting to use more complete sentences, and are very good, for the most part at letting me know what it is they want and when they want it.

I think our wonderful 7pm bedtime is quickly coming to an end. Lately as 7pm rolls around the girls are still rip, rearing and ready to go with no sign of being tired in sight. I don't think it helps that it is still very bright outside during this time. I am hoping that we can reign in the bedtime to maintain around 8pm.

Last week Keith and I were able to get away for four days and go to Vegas!! The girls were lucky enough to spend all 4 days with Grandma and Grandpa!! They did lots and lots of swimming! These girls love the water, and are making good progress at learning how to swim. Thank you G&G for the nice break!

These little girls bring us more joy than I ever knew possible. They are constantly making me laugh and I just can't get enough of them!

5 Stitches...a Father's Day to Remember

2009-06-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Kylee took a little spill today and ended up in the Emergency room and had to get 5 stitches to her forehead. She was playing with the Hammock and somehow lost her balance and landed right on her head. The cut itself wasn't very bad at all, maybe only 1/2" long and 1/4" wide but it was Deep. It was a full thickness laceration, so it went all the way down to her muscles in her head. Amazingly, she only cried for a few minutes and then she was perfectly fine.

Keith was actually working when it happened but thankfully he was able to meet up with us at Children's Hospital. Keith knew several of the nurses working there, and they utilized some "Professional Courtesy" and got us back right away. Which was so nice!

Once she was back in a room, they numbed the area with a topical pain reliever and let that soak in for about 20-30 minutes. Once that had set in, they put her in a "Papoose" (like a big toddler swaddle) so she couldn't move and fight the stitches. She definitely was not a happy camper about this, but who would be?! Once she was all tied down, they gave her a shot of Lidocaine to numb the area, and proceeded to put in the 5 stitches. They used the Dissolving stitches, so they will not have to be removed. The cut itself was very straight, so the Dr said that it should heal up very nicely. The Dr. was very quick and it was all over in a matter of minutes. When the Dr was all done sewing her up, the nurse quickly brought her a Popsicle and she was instantly happy and had forgotten about the traumatizing events leading up to that point.

She is quite the little trooper. This whole incident hasn't seemed to phase her in the least bit. In fact, she was already up and climbing again before we left the hospital! It definitely didn't knock any sense into her either, she is still as fearless as ever!

Flower Girls

2009-06-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Kylee and Kaylyn had their flower girl debut today for my good friend Erika's wedding. I have to admit that I was a little nervous going into it, not know how it was all going to turn out and if the girls were going to cooperate or not. I am happy to report that they both did so well, and they looked so cute!

Kaylyn charged down the isle like she was an old pro. Kylee needed a little more encouragement but she made it down the isle with a little help and encouragement from Auntie Danielle. Neither one of them so much as dropped one pedal on thr ground, but that is OK. Once they got to the end of the isle, they both turned around and faced the audience and smiled. The audience then gave them both a nice round of applause! It took a little coaching on our part to get them out of the isle to make room for the bride, apparently they liked being in the spotlight.

After the ceremony was over Auntie Danielle took the girls home so Keith and I could enjoy the rest of the wedding without having to chase after two toddlers. It worked out perfectly! Erika looked phenomenal and I could not be more happy for her and her new husband!

This was the first of 3 weddings that the girls are going to be flower girls in this year. I can honestly say now that I am a lot less stressed about the remaining two now that I saw what they are capable of.

Happy Fathers Day!!

2009-06-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

Since Keith is working on Fathers day we celebrated this special day today! The girls made him some beautiful cards, and gave him a framed picture that says, "DAD...a daughter's first Love". That statement could not be more true!

I am so incredibly lucky that my girls have the most amazing father in the entire world. I could not ask for anyone more loving, caring and wonderful than Keith is. His love for his girls, and their love for him is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. I could not do this without him, and he could not be doing a better job! Happy Father's Day Keith and Thank you for everything that you do and being such a wonderful Father!!

Blossoming Personalities

2009-06-18T08:08:00.000-07:00

I have to say that one of the best things about having twins is watching them both grow into their own individual people. Despite the fact that they share the exact same DNA, their personalities are still uniquely their own.

Kylee is proving to be our little princess. She loves to get all gussied up in big costume jewelry, my heals, and sunglasses and parade around the house proclaiming that she is "Pretty"! Kylee is obsessed with shoes, and she will find their rightful owner and put them on for them (after of course she has put them on herself and prances around for a bit). She also tends to be more of a social butterfly and warms up to people a lot quicker than Kaylyn does. She has also been known to have a bit of an attitude and can be very dramatic from time to time. She is very nurturing to her baby dolls and loves to feed them and take them for walks in the stroller, where as Kaylyn likes to see how far she can throw the baby across the room. Kylee always has to be in the know of what is going on, what people are doing and where they are. Although Kylee has always been smaller, she is actually our better eater and loves veggies!

Kaylyn is a little bit more rough and tumble and very happy go lucky! She takes everything in stride. She can take a really hard fall and get up and laugh. Sometimes I think this kid is fearless! Kaylyn likes to solve puzzles, put things together and stack and build things. She wants to know how things work and doesn't give up until she can figure it out. She is completely happy playing independently, and can entertain herself for very long periods of time. She also has a love for books and reading, this kid always has a book in her hands. Kaylyn loves being my little helper, and she is a lot more apt to putting her toys away in the appropriate bins.

As different as they can be, they also share many similarities. They are both very cuddly and loving. They love to dance around and put on a show for anyone who is willing to watch. They both love being outside and exploring. They are my little monkeys and much to my dismay they love to climb on anything and everything. They love to draw and color, and make me the most beautiful masterpieces! They both have an amazing imagination, and love to pretend! The bond they share is awesome, and I love that they are best friends!

I feel so fortunate to be able to experience the joys of having twins. Although it comes with its own set of unique challenges, it is by far the most amazing and rewarding thing I have ever experienced.

Legoland!!

2009-06-12T16:12:00.001-07:00

Today the girls and I went to Legoland with my friend Kristin and her 14 month old twin girls. It started off kind of rough though!

I was really excited because I figured out this really cool way to get there that cut the commute time in 1/2 and I was totally stoked. Well, the girls didn't wake up until 8:30 so I quickly fed them breakfast and got them dressed and off we went. This "new" way included a really windy 2 lane road, and the girls got car sick and puked EVERYWHERE! Both of them. Of course this happens the one time I fail to bring an extra set of clothes! So then I had to go in search of a target (thank your Kristi for googling where one was for me!) so I could get them new clothes. So with them all pukey, we paraded into Target, and now I was covered in Puke as well. We all got new clothes and finally made our way to Legoland!!

Once we finally got there, the girls had a great time and they were so good. They loved the little toddler play area with various play houses and slides. It was a little challenging at times to keep track of both of them, but somehow I managed. It was so good to see Kristin, Sara and Siena!! It is very empowering taking them to places like that by myself!!

Funny Faces!

2009-06-09T07:54:00.001-07:00

By far, the girls favorite show to watch is Yo Gabba Gabba. I have to say that you have to actually see this show to appreciate how, ummm...... interesting it is! Keith and I swear it has some kind of subliminal messages in it for the kids, as they do not move at all (aside from dancing!) for the duration of the entire episode! We call it "Toddler Crack".

Anyways, on this show they have a segment where the kids do silly faces, and the girls get such a kick out of it!! They love making their own Funny Faces!

Teething Torture!!

2009-06-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

These last few days have been beyond rough, on all of us! The girls are both getting all 4 of their canine teeth, and 2 molars each!! Yes, they are each getting 6 teeth at one time! The joys of being an identical twin and having the same teething schedule! Poor little things have had every possible teething symptom, including Fevers, diarrhea, and runny nose. Not to mention they are absolutely miserable despite motrin and baby orajel. They really don't want to have anything to do with anyone but me. Although that is flattering, I am worn out! Never before has teething been so terrible! Nothing will make them happy, and I can't blame them, it has to be extremely painful! I am hopeful that these teeth break through completely very soon!! I don't know how much more any of us can take of this!

20 Months Old

2009-06-06T15:46:00.000-07:00

For some reason 20 months seems like it is so much older than 19 months! It must be the "2" at the beginning of it, or the fact that we are just that much closer to approaching 2 years old. :( Either way my babies, I mean toddlers are yet another month older!

The girls have both become fiercely independent.

They refuse to be held going up or down the stairs any longer. They want to do it themselves, and they don't even want to hold my hand! They hold on to the hand rails and go up and down themselves (with my supervision of course!).
They absolutely will not let me feed them anything, again, they want to do it themselves.
They want to dress themselves, however they are not exactly proficient at that quite yet. But they are really good at putting their shoes on and off by themselves.
They are no longer willing to ride in the shopping cart, they want to push it!

With this newly found independence has brought new challenges, but I love watching them turn into such wonderful little people!

The girls love to talk and they do it all day long! I have no idea how many words they have now, I stopped counting after it hit 100, but I do know its well over that. It is rather entertaining though! The things they come up with and put together blows my mind.

They are always asking me, "Daddy Doing" (or insert any other name, including the puppy), apparently they like to be in the loop as to what is going on. They are also aware when someone/something is missing and walk around saying, " W'are you??"
When you ask Kylee what her name is, most of the time she replies "Kaylynkylee", despite the fact that we have corrected her many times she still believes that is HER name.
If they so much as bump any part of their body, it is an "Owie" and require a kiss to make it "all better!".
They can identify and say almost every part of their body including Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Tongue, Teeth, Tummy, Arms, Hands, Fingers, Butt, Legs, Knees, Feet, Toes, and my personal favorite Boobies!
Keith told Kylee the other day that she needed to drink to stay hydrated, and ever since then whenever she has her sippy she proclaims, "Hi-dated!".
Their demands also crack me up, "Hurry Up", "Come Here", "Hold On", "Come On", "Do It".
They are getting better and better about using manners. "Please", "Thank You" and "Bless You" are all becoming regular words in their vocabulary!
Whenever they need help with something they come up to me and say, "Help You?" I think they picked that up because I always ask them "Can I help you?"

Both of the girls are very good at identifying different sounds without actually seeing the object. For example when they hear an airplane they say "Ayy-Pane" and point to the sky. The same is true for Birds, puppies kitties and more. I had Keith on speaker-phone yesterday and Kaylyn heard his voice and immediately identified him as "Daddy" and walked over and kissed my phone!

I have two very talented little dancers on my hands!! These girls dance all day. They know the dance/hand motions to lots of different songs including, "I'm a little tea pot", "itsy-bitsy spider", "5 little monkey's jumping on the bed", "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands", and "Head and Shoulders, knees and toes". It is seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen! They are always mooving and grooving!

They have both mastered jumping, complete with getting both feet off the ground. They are thrilled with this new accomplishment! They have been working on it for several weeks and it is very neat to see their hard work pay off.

As wonderful as the girls are they still have their moments, as all toddlers/kids do. They have been pushing their limits more frequently lately trying to figure out what they can and can't get away with. It is very frustrating and repetitive, but for the most part they are both very good listeners. Sometimes they will even try to discipline each other and say "No, no Sissy!".

I still can't get over how lucky we are to have these two wonderful little girls! They are such a joy! I can honestly say that there is never a dull moment around here, and they definitely keep me on my toes!

Our Adventure to the Beach

2009-05-18T21:17:00.000-07:00

Today we took the girls to the Beach!! This was the first time since last summer that we took them to the beach, (and at that time they were still pretty tiny), so this was a fun, new and exciting thing to do! The girls loved the sand, the water, the waves, the birds, the sea shells and the tide pools. They loved it all!

It is amazing to watch them explore and absorb new things. It's almost as though you can see the little wheels turning in their heads. I am constantly in awe of their desire and ability to learn and understand everything around them.

Ice Cream!!

2009-05-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

We gave the girls their very 1st Ice Cream cones today and they LOVED it!! What a wonderful treat for a hot day! I have to say that I got such a kick out of their different eating styles! Kaylyn just went for it! She stuck that entire ice cream cone on her face and devoured it! When she got down to the bottom (where her tongue could no longer reach) she stuck her fingers in there and scooped out the rest. Kylee was much more methodical with her ice cream cone. She took delicate little bites and savored each one.

Ring Around the Rosie

2009-05-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

I taught the girls how to do Ring around the Rosie, and it is so cute!! Please disregard my terrible singing voice! Enjoy!

My Little Escape Artist

2009-05-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

This is a post I had hoped I would never have to write, and if I did I was hoping it would still be a while down the road. Unfortunately that is not the case.

It happened. Kaylyn figured out how to climb out of her crib! The first time it happened, I put her to bed upstairs (at grandma and grandpa's house) and I proceeded to do the dishes and the next thing I know I see lights flicking on and off. So a little confused, I walk over to see what is going on and there is my beautiful daughter flicking the light switch! So not only did she climb out, she made it all the way down the stairs as well!!

Hoping that it was just a fluke thing that she got out, I went back upstairs and returned her to her crib. This time I didn't even make it to the bottom of the stairs and she had freed herself! So then I thought I would switch her from the crib to the pack and play and hoped that would contain her. Not a chance. She escaped yet again!

So at this point, I was waving my little white flag and admitted defeat. Since I was alone at G&G's house (Keith was at work), I waited for them to get home to save me! Save me they did, and Kaylyn finally fell asleep in G&G's bed with grandma sometimes after 10pm that night.

It looks as though we are going to have to invest in some crib tents to keep these two contained. They are nowhere ready for big-girl beds, and neither are we! Thankfully they haven't managed to climb out of their cribs here...yet. I am sure its not that far off though as I have already seen Kaylyn get her leg up and almost over the railing.

Pee-Pee on the Potty!

2009-05-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

We have been doing a lot of talk about going Pee-Pee/Poo-Poo on the potty around here. I take the girls in the bathroom with me every time I have to go. They also have their own potties that they sit on every night before bath time. So they are pretty familiar and comfortable with them.

Then last night at grandma's, seemingly out of nowhere Kylee tells me, "Pee-Pee Potty Mommy". So grandma rushed her to her potty chair and she Peed!!! Then Kaylyn thought it was a good idea and she peed on the potty as well!!

I don't know that we are quite ready for full blown potty training just yet, but we are definitely going to keep working on it, and continue to follow their lead as to when they are ready.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Keith and the girls made me to most amazing Mother's day gift ever! Keith took their itty-bitty foot prints and hand prints from right after they were born and in the NICU, and then took their current foot and hand prints and framed them all together, along with a beautiful work of art that the girls colored for me. It was the best present ever! It is amazing to see how tiny their little hands and feet were. They also got me some gorgeous flowers!

I am such a proud mommy, and I am so very thankful for my wonderful family!

19 Months Old Already?!?!

2009-05-06T10:32:00.000-07:00

Another month has passed and this one went by especially quick since we have been so busy!! We had weddings, and birthday parties, and visits to grandma and grandpa's that kept us on the go.

The girls are both doing exceptionally well. Every single day they continue to amaze me with their brilliance, sense of humor and abilities!

They have started using several prepositions and verbs, and are starting to form more coherent sentences. "Up", "down", "on", "off", "open", "close" and "more" are the most frequent ones. I made a list of all of their words that they use, on their own and in context and it is now over 100!! Wow! They are picking up approximately 5-10 words a day. It is phenomenal how much they understand and how quickly they are able to use and remember the words they learn.

We have still been reading A LOT. It is most definitely one of their favorite pastimes. They are getting more into books that have stories over picture books. They both seem to prefer Dr. Seuss books, and I can't blame them. They are timeless classics.

They are both working really hard at learning how to dress themselves, and spend quite a bit of time practicing with different articles of clothing. They love to work with zippers, buttons, and snaps.

Lately we have been doing a lot of puzzles, shape sorters and alphabet flash cards. Sometimes they get a bit frustrated trying to get the piece perfectly in the slot, but without fail they always know where the piece goes and eventually get it in correctly.

We have also been working on Colors and counting. They both know the color yellow really well for some reason, but we are still working on the other one's. We have these really cool color boxes that have things with the corresponding color inside of them, and the girls have to sort them appropriately. They are both very good at completing this task. As far as counting goes, they can count to 3. Sometimes they try to count higher than that and it goes something like this, "One, Two, Three, two, three, two, three etc...". We have to work on getting them past 3! We count everything though, including the stairs when we walk up and down, our gold fish on our trays, the blocks....you name it, we count it!

I am so glad that I decided to get them an easel! It works out great for the two of them, and they love to color. They have made us some beautiful art work. I am thinking that they are both going to be right handed as they both prefer to use that hand. Time will tell for sure though.

They are also getting more efficient at using a fork properly. We still need a little work with spoons, but we will get there. We have also been letting them learn to drink out of a regular cup, and they are pretty good with it. As the girls are getting older, they are getting a tad more picky with what they will and will not eat. Thankfully, its not too bad...yet. Neither one of them really seems to like peanut butter, so maybe they will be like their mom in that aspect.

The girls shows that they were on debuted over the last couple of weeks. It was so weird to see them on TV! Since it was recorded months ago, they were both so small! I think my favorite was the "According to Jim" show where they played boys! Their hair really looked Red! It has become a lot more blond since then. In both of the shows, they both got a chance to be on and I thought that was cool. On "24" Kylee was on first, and then Kaylyn was in the second part. On "According to Jim", Kaylyn was in the first scene, and Kylee was in the second scene where she won the race. There are 2 more episodes to air in May if you didn't get a chance to see them this time around.

Keith and I are celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary today. Time is really flying by! I am so thankful to be married to my best friend, who also just so happens to be the most amazing man in the world! On Monday night we stayed downtown at the Ivy and had a wonderful time. My brother Ryan and his girlfriend Brookelyn watched the girls for us. It was so nice to get away for the night.

18 Month Dr. Appointment

2009-04-20T16:08:00.000-07:00

The girls 18 Month Dr's appointment went very well today. They each only had to get 1 shot, and neither one of them cried at all. It was as if nothing even happened. They are little troopers!

Kaylyn weighs 28lbs (95th percentile) and Kylee weighs 25lbs (90th percentile). They are both 34" tall and in the 97th-100th percentile for height (on the actual age charts), so they are going to be super tall!

Kaylyn's head has not grown since the last time they saw her, so she is finally growing into it! It is still between the 95th-100th percentile, but that is perfectly fine. It's back on the charts so that is good! I don't remember the actual numbers, but Kylee's head was in the 90th-95th percentile. So they both continue to have big heads, but I say it's just more room for all those brains!

Their pediatrician said that the typical 18 month old has between 10-20 words, and the girls each have over 60 and are starting to put small sentences together so they are way ahead there as well!

It was a great appointment and the Dr was very pleased with their progress! He could not believe that the girls were born at 28 weeks gestation, and not only are they caught up but they are both significantly advanced. I am so proud of them!!

Mark Your Calendar!

2009-04-15T20:20:00.001-07:00

I am very happy to announce that ABC is going to resume airing the remaining episodes of According to Jim, Season 8! We are going to see our little "boys" on TV after all! In this picture is one of the outfits they were in on the episode that will be airing April 28th.

So here is the schedule of when the girls should be on TV:

Monday, April 20th: 24-"2:00am-3:00am" (9pm on Fox)

Tuesday, April 28th: According to Jim-"The Daddy Way" (8 or 8:30pm on ABC)

Monday, May 18th: 24-"5:00am-6:00am" (9pm on Fox)

Tuesday, May 19th: According to Jim-Season/Series Finale (8 or 8:30pm on ABC)

These dates are all based on my own research, so they could be off. I hope that they are accurate though and you get a chance to see them "working"!

Communicating what they want...

2009-04-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

The girls vocabulary is expanding from just being able to identify certain items to telling us what they want (and when they want it)! They have both been saying "Up" for a while now, but just recently they started using other commands as well. Here are some of their new ones:

Down
On
Off
Open
Bite (when they want a bite of whatever it is that we are eating)
Hot (they even tell me when they are getting too hot!)
Eat (they use this as a command to let me know they are hungry, and sometimes they even tell me what they want. For example, "Eat Banana".)

The best part of it all is that the whining is our house has gone down significantly now that they are able to talk and tell us what they want. It makes things so much easier!

Kylee has started saying "I Love You", which sounds more like "I Lub Yooou"! It's so sweet. She is also able to go down two consecutive stairs without holding on to anything!!

Kaylyn love's to "talk" on the phone. She is constantly chatting away to who knows who. Apparently whoever she talks to makes her mad from time to time because she has a tendency to start yelling at them and giving them a piece of her mind! :)

Last night Kaylyn climbed in her baby doll stroller and Kylee took that opportunity to take her sister for a ride. It was a riot! They had such a great time and laughed hysterically when they would crash and fall over. They even took turns as to who got to push and who got to ride. What will these two think of next?? (or do I even want to know??)

Dance class continues to go well, and the girls love it! Every week they get that much better! It's a nice break for me as well to get out of the house and socialize with adults. They both are desperately trying to learn how to Jump, and spend quite a bit of time trying to do so but haven't yet mastered it yet. They have both perfected their twirls and are pretty good at Shuffles as well! They love to stomp around in their tap shoes. They would do it all day if I let them.

Easter at the River!!

2009-04-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

We just got home from the 3rd annual Easter Pig Roast that Keith's parents put on down at the River each year! We had such an amazing time! There were a ton of people down there to celebrate and enjoy the yummy food.

On Saturday we attempted dying Easter Eggs with a couple other kids that were also down there. The girls first thought that the dye was juice and they attempted to drink it! The dye of course went all over them and turned Kylee Blue and Kaylyn green! After that minor incident things went fairly smoothly and their eggs turned out great! Thankfully the dye came right off in the tub!

On Easter Sunday the girls enjoyed their baskets from the Easter bunny, and also did a small Easter egg hunt with the help of one of the other older kids. They got the hang of it really quickly and loaded their baskets up with eggs, and had a blast doing it.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous the entire time we were down there, and the girls were as happy as ever playing outside. They are definitely good little campers!

Learning to Ride a Bike

2009-04-08T12:32:00.001-07:00

Keith's parents got the girls their very first bike!! The girls are very good at steering, and getting their feet on the pedals, but they have not quite mastered how to actively pedal to make the bike move. We are still working on that! It has become very cumbersome bending over to help them. Well leave it to Keith to come up with a creative solution!! He tied a rope around the front of the bike and pulled them along! It worked great and the girls were thrilled with it! I'm sure it won't be long until they get the hang of it! Don't worry, once they officially are on the move, they of course will definitely have helmets on!

18 Months!!

2009-04-06T21:32:00.000-07:00

The girls are officially a year and a half old!! This last month has been a lot of fun and extremely busy!! The girls will have their official 18 month Dr's appointment on the 20th of this month, and that is when I will have all of their up to date stat's, including height, weight and any other updates.

The girls vocabulary is exploding! They both have well over 60 words each and counting. It grows on a daily basis. The clarity of most of their words is truly amazing! I am constantly surprised by random words they mange to pick up. Just the other day we were reading one of their favorite Elmo books and out of nowhere, Kylee pointed and said "Alligator" (it actually sounded more like Aa-yee-gato), and she was right! On another day we were outside and the girls heard an airplane overhead and both of them instantly pointed to the sky and said "Airplane" (pronounced Ayy-pane). Now, everytime we are outside they are on the hunt for Airplane's, and if they can't find them they tell me "Ayy-Pane Night Night".

The girls have become VERY attached to each other. If they are not within an eye or ear shot of each other, they go searching for their "Sissy". Today Kylee woke up from her nap about 30 minutes before Kaylyn, and she spent the entire time looking for her Sissy. Kylee could not have been happier when Kaylyn finally woke up and was back with her.

We have been keeping busy with lots of fun activities!! Some of their favorite's are:

Books (Lots and Lots of reading here!)
Blocks (Mega Blocks and Wooden Blocks)
Stickers
Coloring
Playing outside (Sandbox, water table, slide and play house)
Dancing (both at home and at Dance Class)
Chasing the Cat and the Dog all over the house
Playing with their Baby dolls

Our March of Dimes walk is quickly approaching!! I can't believe it is just over a week away. If you haven't already done so, you can sponsor our team by going to this website: http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=644409. Contributing online is fast, easy and secure. Any donation, large or small is greatly appreciated. This cause is obviously very near and dear to our hearts! The money we raise for March for Babies will support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy that help babies get a healthy start. Thank you for your Support!!

Such a Great Day!!

2009-04-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

We didn't do anything new and exciting, or go anywhere out of the ordinary but today has been such a wonderful day!! Both of the girls have been in the best moods all day and it has been such a joy! I played with them, we read a ton of books, and they even played independently for quite a while all without any whining or crying! They shared their toys so nicely and even played with each other beautifully! I have never seen them get along so well for such a long period of time! Even when I put them down for their nap they didn't even make a peep. They just laid down and went right to sleep and slept for 2 hours! Why can't everyday be so blissful?

24 Update

2009-03-30T22:18:00.001-07:00

I did a little research as to the Air Dates for "24", that the girls are going to be on. I cannot be 100% certain but it looks as though the first episode they are in, is going to air April 20th (Day 7: 2:00am-3:00am), and the second one will air May 18th (Day 7: 5:00am-6:00am).

In case you forgot the girls were cast as a singleton (so only one of them will be on a time). Also since they both got time behind the camera I have no idea who will actually be on these episodes (It very well could be both of them depending on how they did the editing). In both of the episodes they are wearing Pink footed pajamas (as shown in this picture). The first episode they are in a crib, and in the second episode they are in a high chair.

Again, I am not completely positive that these are the exact dates. The only way to know for sure is to watch every episode! Hopefully I am right, and you all can see the girls on TV!!

I did it!

2009-03-25T16:30:00.001-07:00

I successfully took the girls to dance class this morning all by myself!! I have to admit I was pretty nervous beforehand, wondering how I was going to do it but everything worked out great! Their teacher helped me quite a bit, and the girls cooperated nicely. There was also an "extra" grandma that was there watching her granddaughter and she helped me out as well. I already noticed improvement from both Kylee and Kaylyn today compared to the first class on Monday.

I think I was more tired afterward than they were! It was definitely a workout chasing after both of them for that hour! After class was over we came home, ate lunch and the girls took a 3 hour nap!!

Kaylyn has started to become VERY possessive of her Daddy! If I am cuddling with him, she comes over and pulls on me to get me off! She then proceeds to climb right on him and make sure she is number one in the cuddle line. It is very sweet!

I am loving all the kisses I have been getting from the girls! They are so funny about it, because they just come out of nowhere and lay them on me! Also every morning when I get them out of their cribs I am inundated with kisses! Complete with them saying "Muuaah!"! It's wonderful!!

My Little Artists!

2009-03-24T16:41:00.000-07:00

I got the girls an Easel not too long ago, and today I went and got them some paint and paintbrushes. Although we have finger painted in the past, this was the first time painting with brushes. It took some coordination their part because in order to get more paint on the brush they had to insert the brush into the little hole in the paint cup. The brushes are color coordinated with the cups and the corresponding color. They did get a few of the colors mixed up, but that's OK. They did a great job, and created some fabulous masterpieces. Kaylyn especially loved the painting and stood there diligently for quite a while. Kylee on the other hand preferred to walk around with her paint cup and do a few paint swipes on her paper here and there. Thank Goodness for Washable Paint!!

First Dance Class!!

2009-03-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

Today we signed the girls up for their first dance class! It is a Ballet, Tap and Jazz combination class. We did a trial run today to make sure the girls would like it, and they loved it! It is a tiny-tot's class with about 6 kids ranging in age from 18 months-2 years old.

Keith and I were both very impressed by the instructor Ms. Lana. She was immediately able to tell the girls apart and called them by their names for the duration of the class. The first half of the class was tap, and they stood at the dance bars and practiced shuffles and stomped around in their tap shoes making fun noises. The second part they put on their ballet shoes, practiced stretching and different ballet positions, and the last part they danced with pom-poms, played with a huge parachute, and put fairy wings on and danced around. The girls had a blast!

At first the girls were a little taken aback by all the different kids and everything going on. It didn't take long and they warmed right up. I think the classes will be good for them, not only to learn dance but to socialize with other kids, learn how to take instruction, and take turns.

I have to say that I love their little itty-bitty tap shoes, ballet shoes, leotards, tutu's and tights. It really is adorable!! We signed up for the Wednesday morning class, so we will be going once a week. It will be so nice to get out of the house!

So Much to Share!

2009-03-21T21:00:00.000-07:00

I had trouble coming up with a title for this one, because I really have so much to share. I have slacked off a little bit on keeping this up to date like I used to. I guess that's what happens when you are chasing after two toddlers all day!

Both of the girls are starting to put 2-3 words together now! Some of the most common are "Night Night Momma" (or whoever happens to be around), "Bye, Bye (insert whoever is leaving here) and "No, No Puppy". Their vocabulary continues to grow each day, and if I had to guess I would say they each have about 35-40 words now. They are constantly talking all day long! They do tend to get a little shy around strangers, but usually once they warm up to them a bit they start talking up a storm! I was blown away tonight after I gave them a bath and I was getting them ready for bed, and I got out their pajamas and Kaylyn said "Hippo Jamma's", then Kylee was pointing and saying "Sissy Hippo". It was adorable!

I am amazed at how long of an attention span both of the girls have. They both love to read, and will sit with me while I read their favorite books over and over again. I have also noticed it when they are coloring, trying to put on their shoes, playing with their mega blocks, and other activities as well. For the most part, they both really like to figure things out and get it right before they move on.

The last couple of days we have been working on counting. Both of the girls can count to 3, however I don't think they actually have the concept of counting down as much as they have memorized how to say "One, Two,Three". It is still progress nonetheless.

I let the girls color with Markers for the first time the other day. I got them an art easel, and it works out perfectly because they each have their own side. I stripped them down to their diapers and let them go at it! They both did a great job, and actually managed to get most of their markings on the paper rather then themselves. The markers were washable and it came right off in the bath. I plan on getting them some paint and paintbrushes in the near future to see how they do with that.

We are currently in quite the clingy phase. They constantly want "up", or if I am sitting they are all over me. Although it can make it hard to get things accomplished, I am enjoying all the cuddles I am getting.

Last week I got our backyard all ready for outside playtime!! I moved their playhouse, slide and Cozy Coupe cars outside (yes, they were all in my living room until then!), and I also got them a sand box and a water table. They LOVE being outside and playing with all of their fun toys. It keeps them entertained for hours. Neither one of them are happy campers when I make them come back in.

The climbing continues, and it continues to drive me crazy! I have to say that I am definitely ready for this monkey stage to be over! If I keep taking everything away that they climb on there isn't going to be anything left in my house! I just had to put the kitchen table chairs in the formal dining room (that they don't have access to) because I was tired of peeling them off of the kitchen table all day.

They are getting a lot better at listening, but they still have their moments where they just completely blow me off. I don't anticipate that fun little trait to end anytime soon, if ever!

Mini-Rockband

2009-03-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

So last night while I was making dinner, the girls were making music!! This is exactly how I found them, rockin out with the Drums and Guitar from the Rockband2 Game for the Wii. They make quite a cute little Mini-Rockband! The sad part is, I think they are better than I am!!

17 Months Old

2009-03-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Can someone please tell me where the last 17 months have gone?? I seriously cannot wrap my head around how fast time is flying. The girls are doing so good, and getting so big.

No real new milestones to report in the last month, but they have been perfecting a lot of their skills. Everyday their vocabulary continues to grow and improve. I reported last month that neither one of them knew how to say the word "No", unfortunately that is no longer the case. It is very cute because when they say no they also shake their finger back and forth. Their current favorite word is "Up", and although I am thrilled they are starting to communicate their wants/needs, I have to admit that it gets a little old hearing it ALL day long from 2 toddlers!

Kaylyn is saying "Shoooooe" as she grabs her daddy's shoe!

Their understanding of things is phenomenal. They are extremely good at following all kinds of simple commands. They have also started communicating when they need their diaper to be changed. They will walk over grab a diaper, bring it to me and say "Poo-poo Mamma" or "Pee-pee Mamma", and they are right. We have 2 potty's in their bathroom and they sit on them every night before bath time. They have both actually peed in the potty a handful of times, but nothing consistent. I have been doing a little potty training research and although it is good that they are recognizing that they need to be changed, it usually just means that they are uncomfortable. Once they proactively start telling me that they need to go to the bathroom, I will start potty training. I have heard and read that 20 months is optimal for potty training girls. Of course all kids are different. We won't venture into all of that until they show interest and are ready. I don't want to set the girls or myself up for frustration and disappointment. It will all happen in good time. In the meantime, they love being my audience every time I go to the bathroom!

I am in awe of what good eaters these girls are. The only food that they refuse to eat is oatmeal, and I think that was mostly due to the texture. Other than that, they eat anything and everything!

I think the girls are working on cutting some new teeth. I know for sure that Kaylyn got a molar recently, but it is really challenging to figure out what is going on in those little mouths. It is dangerous business sticking my fingers in there to investigate. From what I could tell, their gums on both sides are pretty swollen and I wouldn't be surprised if more teeth popped through any day.

Both of the girls love to try and put their shoes on all by themselves. I think we are at the beginning stages of them wanting to be independent! Depending on which pair of shoes they are working with, they actually do a pretty good job getting them on and off. It is funny how they will spend upwards of 20 minutes at a time working at it, sometimes longer. These two are definitely determined!
The days of 2 naps is quickly coming to an end. I find this milestone to be both bitter-sweet. I love nap time for my time, but I think I would prefer 1 long nap vs. 2 short naps, especially if the short naps are hit or miss. The last couple of days the second nap has been pretty much non-existent, so I think its time to just adjust their one and only nap to the middle of the day.

I can't believe we are only a month away from being a year and a half old!! I am so proud of my little girls. They are both doing awesome, especially considering they are only 14 months adjusted! I don't know how I got so lucky!

The girls pushing their own shopping cart through petsmart!

We Finally Made it Back to the River!!

2009-03-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

It seems like it has been forever since we have been out to the River, but we were finally able to make a trip down there again last weekend!! The weather could not have been more perfect, it was sunny in the mid-70's the entire time! This trip was the best trip we have had with the girls there yet! We all had such a great time!

They played in the mud, collected rocks, and ran around endlessly. The ground at the river is fairly uneven with lots of rocks and I was very impressed at how well they maneuvered through it. We made it home without one skinned knee! I also took this opportunity of being outside to introduce playdoh for the first time. Sadly, the girls were not overjoyed with it, and were more concerned about the jars that the playdoh comes in.

Now that the girls are following commands fairly well, we began teaching them an essential river trick- Getting Mommy and Daddy a beer out of the Cooler!! Here is Kaylyn practicing her new "skill"!
Now that the girls are older and much more independent, I am hopeful we will be making many more trips to the river and more often!

Sponsor Me at March for Babies!

2009-02-22T19:18:00.001-08:00

On April 18th I am going to be walking in the "March for Babies" in Carlsbad for the March of Dimes, as team Naylor Twins. For those of you that are not familiar with the March of Dimes, it is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. This obviously hits very close to home for us as Kylee & Kaylyn were born 12 weeks premature at 28 weeks 1 day. We experienced first hand how important this cause is.

I would be thrilled if you could join me in this walk, and/or sponsor our Team! Please go to http://www.marchforbabies.org/s_team_page.asp?seid=644409 to support team Naylor Twins!

First Haircut

2009-02-13T18:26:00.000-08:00

Today we took the girls to get their first haircut! We went to a kids salon up by our house. Amazingly, both of the girls did great and weren't even too squirmy. They both have bangs now, and I think it makes them look so much older. The stylists were very quick and obviously experienced with little kids, so that helped as well. After it was all over, they mounted the girls hair to a little card and put their name on it so I can keep it forever. (Kaylyn is in the Red Car, and Kylee is in the Yellow car.)

I am very happy to report that today was Keith's graduation from the fire academy!! I am so glad that it is finally over. It was an extremely long month for all of us, but somehow we managed to make it through. It was a very nice ceremony. Keith's Mom, Grandma and Dee were also able to come, and I think that meant a lot to Keith. I am very excited for things to go back to "normal" and have Keith home again!

Be Careful what you Say!!

2009-02-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

I am starting to realize that the girls understand far more than I ever imagined. Even though they cannot communicate everything they want/need, they have started following simple commands. Yesterday Kaylyn wanted to go Bye, Bye and I told her it was cold outside and she needed more clothes on. She then proceeded to walk over to the laundry basket, grab some clothes, put them on her head and pointed and said "Bye, Bye" again! I was in shock she understood what I had said!

They are also very good at following simple commands, like:

Where is your Sippy? (they will then go get it)
Where is Kaylyn/Kylee? (they will locate each other)
Where is your puppy, baby, blocks etc... (they will retrieve or point)
Show Mommy how you can ride your Pony. (they will walk over and get on their pony and start riding)
If I ask them if they need a new Diaper, they will go get me one to change them
When I tell them it's time to go "Night, Night", they walk over to the baby gate to go upstairs

It is so fun to watch their bond grow. More and more they are playing together and even starting to share (sometimes!!). The other day Kaylyn was eating a pear, and Kylee came up and sat next to her. Kaylyn handed to pear for Kylee to take a bite, and Kylee handed it back to her once she was done. They passed it back and forth until the pear was all gone. It was so sweet!

One of my favorite things that they just started doing is giving each other Kisses! I haven't been lucky enough to get a picture of it just yet, but it just might be the cutest thing I have ever seen.

16 Months Old!!

2009-02-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

Here we are, and the girls are 16 months old already!! The last month has been crazy busy with all of us being sick, Keith's academy and everything else going on. But I have lots of new and exciting things to share!

I just made a list of all the girls words they say now, and each one of them has about 25 words (not including Animal sounds)! I don't count a word until they use it fairly consistently, and in the proper context. They both can say about 10 different animal sounds correctly. They can also identify about 8 different parts of the body. Kaylyn's vocabulary has increased tremendously in the last month and she is now pretty much caught up with Kylee. I find it funny, that out of all of the words that they have that neither one of them has learned how to say "No"!

Kaylyn is my little climber through and through, and it is going to drive me crazy!! She attempts to climb in Everything! This child is seriously fearless! I spend the majority of each day just getting her down from places she managed to climb up on.
Kylee's favorite thing to do is play with her baby dolls. She loves to push them in her little stroller, and feed them their bottles, cuddle with them and put them in their bed. It's very cute! She also loves to "dress up", and wear pretty necklaces and bracelets, and she tries to get pretty things to stick in her hair.

The girls are obsessed with Music and Dancing!! Both of the girls can do all the hand motions for "Itsy-Bitsy Spider", "Head and Shoulders, Knee's and Toes" and "Patty-Cake". Kylee can even sing the Alphabet until the letter G! She also has the "E-I-E-I-O" down for the song "Old McDonald had a Farm", and she even inserts different animals at the appropriate time.

We have been working a lot with blocks and learning how to stack, as well as doing different puzzles, sorting different shapes, and building with Legos. They are both getting really good at it! They are obsessed with books, and love to be read to.

One thing they both figured out how to do recently, (that I am not too excited about) is Opening doors! Nothing is safe anymore! I went out and bought the locks to put on the door handles to keep them out of places they don't need to be. Now that I finally have everything Baby-proofed in this house, it's now time to Toddler-proof!

We are down to the final stretch of Keith's academy!! Only one week left, thank Goodness!

First Scab

2009-02-01T06:42:00.000-08:00

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, but last week Kylee took a tumble and scabbed up her poor little nose. It doesn't seem to bother her at all, and she has left it alone so it is healing nicely. If nothing else, it is an easy way for other people to be able to tell them apart!

On the sickness front, I finally think we are all starting to feel better! It was an incredibly long week with all of us being sick at the same time, and Keith being gone at the fire academy. The girls still seem to have a little lingering chest cold, nut nothing serious and they seem to be back to their old happy selves.

I think we are quickly approaching a serious need for a hair cut for the girls. By hair cut, I mean I am almost certain I am going to have to give them bangs. I would have preferred not to have to do this, but it is impossible for the girls to keep anything in their hair to hold it back out of their eyes. They either pull it out, or assist their sister in pulling hers out. It's rather frustrating! I have even tried the little elastic hair ties, and somehow they manage to get those out as well. They both have some serious cow-lick's as well which makes for some entertaining hair do's to say the least. It really is at that awkward length right now where it's too short to do a lot with it, but too long to leave it alone.

I hope everyone is doing well and has a fantastic Super Bowl Sunday today!!

Update on Kylee

2009-01-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately after Saturday's trip to the Urgent Care, Kylee did not seem to be doing much better. Sunday she did not nap at all, and getting her to bed was a nightmare. She was coughing so hard she kept waking herself up. I don't think she fell asleep until after 1am, and even then every 10 minutes or so she was disturbed by her coughing.

I decided yesterday that it was probably best to make an appointement with her pediatrician. When we got there they took her O2 sats were only 75%, which is not good at all. They immediately gave her a breathing treatment and that brought them up right away. The Dr. agreed that she does have bronchiolitis, but she also found that she has a pretty bad ear infection in her left ear. The Dr wrote us a prescription for 5 different medications, including a nebulizer so we can give her breathing treatments at home.

Today she seems to be doing a little better, so that is good. The Dr. said that this illness can take up to two weeks before it starts to get better. So far Kaylyn seems to be doing OK. She does have a cold and some coughing, but not nearly to the degree that Kylee has it.

Through it all I definitely consider us incredibly fortunate. For the girls being 28 week preemies, each one of them has only gotten really sick once. So in that aspect we are very lucky. Hopefully in the next couple of days, once the medications have time to fully work their way into her system, Kylee will start to be back to her old self.

Kylee's Turn

2009-01-24T20:30:00.000-08:00

This time it was Kylee's turn to get sick and scare the heck out of her Mommy!

For the last 3 days or so, the girls have both had chest colds. As Kaylyn's seemed to be getting better, Kylee's was getting significantly worse. This morning she was very "crackly" with every breath she took. I called the after hours nurse hotline, and she suggested I put her in the bathroom for 20 min with the shower on HOT so she could get a steam treatment to hopefully clear her up. So we did that, and although the steam seemed to work for the Crackles, she was now wheezing pretty bad. UGH! So I called the nurse back, and she told me to take her to Urgent Care. So off we went.

We got there and we were seen within 5 minutes, which was very nice. The Dr. listened to her lungs and initially was concerned that is was pneumonia, so he ordered a chest x-ray. He told me up front that if it is pneumonia, she would definitely have to be admitted to the hospital. "Oh great, here were go again", is what I thought to myself. Well they did the chest x-ray and thankfully she doesn't have pneumonia, but she does have bronchiolitis (not bronchitis). Bronchiolitisis an illness of the respitatory tract caused by an infection that affects the tiny airways, called the bronchioles, that lead to the lungs. As these airways become inflamed, they swell and fill with mucus, making breathing difficult.

They gave her a breathing treatment there at the Urgent Care, and wrote us a prescription for an oral steroid that she will need to take for the next 5 days. The breathing treatment made such a difference, and she started to sound better immediately. I am going to call the girls primary Dr on Monday and see if she can arrange to get us a nebulizer for us to keep at the house so we don't have to run out and get these breathing treatments all the time... it seems to be a rathercommon need for us.

Right now she is in bed for the night, and I am hoping she is able to get some rest so she can start to get better. These girls are going to give me gray hair before I am 30!

The Results are In!

2009-01-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

So the Dr called today with the results of Kaylyn's MRI and everything is Normal!! There is a little extra fluid around her brain, but all of her valves are working properly and apparently that is normal for kids and doesn't indicate any problems! I am so incredibly relieved! Apparently she just has a huge head!

We have had such a busy week! Aside from the MRI, we also managed to make it to the Zoo and Sea World. The weather has been gorgeous, and it just wouldn't have been right to waste it by sitting at home. I have lots of new pictures to share from our adventures, but we are still at Keith's parents house and my camera cord to upload the pictures is at home, so those will have to wait.

Next week Keith will start a new schedule at work (he is going from a 56 hour work week to a 72 hour work week), and he will also begin the month long fire academy. After the completion of this academy he will officially be a Paramedic/Firefighter. Although the money will be better, this also means that it is more likely that he can get called away on strike teams whenever a big fire hits (possibly for weeks at a time). The academy is going to be 6 days a week, and he will also still be scheduled his normal work days. Unfortunately that means in that month long period, he will only have 2 days off! I am glad that we got some good family time in before this starts.

Thank you so much for all of your kind words and positive thoughts in regards to Kaylyn's situation. It definitely paid off!

Hurry up and Wait

2009-01-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

Today was the big day of Kaylyn's MRI. We had strict instructions that she was not to have any solid food after midnight, but she could have clear liquids up until 3 hours before her procedure. I had this great idea to stuff her FULL of Jell-O before that 3 hour mark so that she would not get hungry awaiting her procedure. Well, my plan backfired and apparently the 4 containers of Jell-O that I gave her caused her to throw up not once, but 4 times! Resulting in several outfit changes. So at that point, she was no longer able to have anything to eat or drink, and there was nothing left in her stomach. Way to go Mom!!

Every time we go to Children's hospital I find it to be an incredibly humbling experience. It is extremely hard to see so many kids and parents that obviously have a lot going on and so much to deal with. It really makes me feel extemely fortunate to have such healthy kids, despite everything we have gone through.

Thankfully, they we had a fairly early appointment, and they were running on time. They got us checked in and took her back to the MRI center. We got to be with her as they put her out, which involved giving her some gas via a mask. Once she was out (which only took about 1 minute), we had to wait in the waiting room for the duration of the procedure which only took about 30 minutes or so. Once the MRI was complete they wheeled her over to the recovery room so that she could fully wake up.

Apparently Kaylyn really likes being high. The nurses said that most kids her age freak out when they come out of the anesthesia, but she was as happy as can be gorked out of her mind. She could hardly hold her head up and her eyes were all glazed over, but she was very content in such a loopy state.

After an hour or so, after the anesthesia has mostly worn off and she was able to keep juice and crackers down we were able to go home. Now we start the waiting game. The results of the MRI will not be back for 2-3 business days, and the Dr that ordered the test will be calling us with the results. I am so ready to know once and for all if there is anything going on up there.

Macrocephaly

2009-01-09T14:58:00.001-08:00

So Kaylyn's official diagnosis at this point is Macrocephaly, meaning Big Head. We went to the Dr this morning, and she agreed that the increase in head size is significant enough that an MRI needs to be done to rule out any abnormalities.

Kaylyn's MRI is scheduled for next Wednesday at 10:30. She will have to be there 2 hours prior to the start of the MRI to get her prepped. As of midnight the night before she will not be allowed to eat anything, but thankfully she can still have clear liquids up until 3 hours before the procedure. The MRI of the brain typically takes about 45 minutes, and she will be sedated and intubated through it all. We will not get the results for 2-3 business days, so it is possible we may not know anything until that following Monday.

I am extremely concerned, but I am trying to remain as optimistic as possible. I keep reminding myself that it is a very real possibility that it may just be genetics. Either way it will be good to know one way or the other so we don't have to worry about it anymore.

Developmental Appointment

2009-01-09T07:01:00.000-08:00

The girls had their developmental follow-up yesterday and I am proud to report that they have surpassed everyone's expectations, even the Dr's that have been following them! Amazingly, they are already caught up to their actual age with their size, gross & fine motor skills as well as their vocabulary. The Dr said they are both doing remarkably well, and they don't need to be seen again until after they are 2!!

I don't remember the exact numbers, but the girls are both above the 90th percentile in Height and Weight for 15 month olds. It looks like they are going to be tall and thin, go figure! With a mom that is 5'9", and a dad that is 6'4" I wouldn't expect anything else.

The only concern out of the whole appointment was the size of Kaylyn's head. It is no secret that the girls have always had big heads, but up until now Kaylyn's head was growing on a curve. For some reason her head circumfrence has shot up, and it's now off the charts. Today we are taking her to see her pediatrician, and they will most likely order an MRI to make sure there is nothing going on up there. One of the fears, especially since she was a preemie, is that she may have hydrocephalus (water on the brain). The Dr told us yesterday that since she is doing so well developmentally, the chances are it is probably just genetic but she does just want to make sure. She previously measured both Keith and my head for comparison and Keiths was in the 98th percentile, and mine was in the 78th percentile!. To do the MRI, Kaylyn will have to be sedated which means that she will also have to be intubated, but I am hopeful it will be an outpatient deal and she will be home the same day. I should know more this by this afternoon as to what the plan is going to be.

15 Months Old!!

2009-01-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Don't ask me how, but another month has passed and the girls are now 15 months old!! I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this age! I love watching their personalities grow and their skills develop on a daily basis.

Kylee has had quite the vocabulary explosion in the last week, and the clarity of her words is just amazing! She does still babble quite a bit, most of which I can't understand. Some of words she has down are:

Baby (If you ask her where her Baby is she will go retrieve it for you)
Kitty (pronounced "Titty")
Puppy (If you ask her where her Puppy is, and she is outside she walks over to the sliding glass door to find her)
Ball (identifies any round object as such)
Uh-Oh
Daddy
Mommy
Pretty
Papa (for Grandpa)
Hi
Bye, Bye (with a Wave)
What's That?

Kaylyn does not have as many words but she is coming along! She is constantly babbling up a storm, and I am certain the words are going to start flowing in no time! Kaylyn's words include:

Ball (identifies any round object as such)
Uh-Oh
Daddy
Mommy
Papa (for Grandpa)
Bye, Bye (with a Wave)
What's That?

They both make an effort to mimic you when you introduce new words. I really believe that they understand way more than they can actually say.

Both of the girls are walking all the time now, and they can both stand up without pulling up onto something. They are excellent at maneuvering uneven surfaces. They are definitely on the verge of running! Time to break out the leashes!

We are still doing well with No Bottles! Yay!! I am amazed at how much food they are eating now. Even though the first couple of days were tough, I am so glad that we made the transition to sippy cups when we did. Not only is it healthier for them (nutrition wise), but the longer we would have put it off they would have been that much more emotionally attached to them and it would have made it that much more difficult.

This Thursday the girls will have their second developmental appointment to check on how they are coming along. I know that I probably shouldn't worry, but I can't help it! I am just ready for this appointment to be over, and I can know exactly where they stand. This stress is killing me!

No More Bottles for my Big Girls! :(

2009-01-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

I am happy to report that we are starting off 2009 with a new accomplishment! The girls have not had a bottle since Thursday night!! I have come to learn that most of the things you are required to do as a parent are usually harder on you than they are for your little one's, at least that is what I keep telling myself to make myself feel better! I decided to do the "Cold Turkey" approach and do away with the bottles all at once, rather than dragging it on forever. The first day (yesterday) was not an easy day for any of us, but we survived and today has proved to be much better!

There are several reason's I chose to do this now, rather than later. The first being, the longer I wait the more attached they are going to be to their bottle therefore making this process even more difficult. The second reason being now that the girls are completely transitioned to whole milk, they do not need the same volume that they were getting with formula as it does not provide adequate nutritional value. Most of their nutrients need to come from their food, and if they are filling up on milk they are not going to be taking in enough food. Already in just two days the girls food intake has gone up dramatically! Thankfully this process has not seemed to interupt their sleep habits in the least, and they still slept through the entire night last night.

So there you have it! My toddlers are now Bottle Free!

*I posted that picture for you Grandma, I thought you might like to remember the last time you got to feed them their bottles!

Goodbye 2008!

2008-12-31T16:57:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe how incredibly fast this year has gone. It has been so much fun watching Kylee and Kaylyn grow and learn everyday. It definitely had it's challenging moments, but somehow we made it through! I feel like I have grown so much this past year as a person, as a mother and as a wife. I could not be happier with my wonderful family, and I am so thankful for all that life has given me. I am very excited to see what 2009 has in store for us!

Today we started practicing self feeding with spoons and bowls, and they both did Awesome!! I was so impressed! I expected it to be a huge mess with hardly anything actually making it to their mouths, but I was mistaken. I bought these cool bowls at babies R us that suction to their high chairs to keep them from throwing them on the floor. On the advice of other moms that have already been there, done that I started with yogurt because it's semi-sticky and easy for them to spoon up. Tomorrow morning we will venture with Rice cereal for breakfast and see how that goes.

So I thought I would try giving the girls sippy cups this morning in leau of their normal bottle, and the girls weren't having it. Kylee especially was not happy with this idea. She looked at the sippy cup, then looked at me and instantly started crying. So I made them a bottle and that fixed the problem. I guess they are not quite ready for that yet, so that is fine. I will keep encouraging the sippy cup until they are ready to transition completely.

I hope everyone has a Fun, Safe and Happy New Year!!

1 Year Old Adjusted!!

2008-12-28T12:59:00.001-08:00

Today was the girls due date one year ago, and it is also marks their adjusted 1st Birthday! Developmentally I think they are already ahead of their adjusted age, but their Dr's will continue to use the adjusted age until they are 2. I am so amazed at how well my 28 week preemies are doing. We are so incredibly lucky! I am going to be making a follow up appointment with the developmental clinic in January so we will know exactly where they stand. I don't think at this point that we have anything to be concerned about.

A year ago they had both been home from the NICU for a couple weeks at this point and were so little. I remember not getting any sleep, working so hard with them just to eat 3-4oz, and constant Dr's appointments. Those first few months of them being home were exhausting, but I have to say that being a mom is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends that helped Keith and I through it all. We could not have done it without you!

We have waited until now to start transitioning the girls to Cow's milk because their pediatrician felt that they should still get the added nutritional value and extra calories from formula. Right now I am giving them 1/2 Milk and 1/2 formula. When we get to the last can of formula that we have left we will do 3/4 Milk and 1/4 Formula, then onto just straight milk. Our next goal will be to wean from bottles and onto Sippy cups. They are also getting 3 meals a day of table foods and a couple snacks here and there if they are hungry.

These little girls truly are my little miracles!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T12:07:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday whatever you choose to celebrate! I know we did! Santa was very good to all of us, especially the girls. They got so many new toys to play with, and I don't even know what to do with them all!

As far as opening presents go, I would not say that either one of the girls were overjoyed with it although they did start to get the hang of ripping the paper towards the end. They especially like to take the bows off the packages and hand them to whoever was near. Some of the big gifts the girls got this year was a new playhouse, 2 Fire Truck Cozy Coupes, 2 Powerwheel Quads (that they have both figured out how the maneuver already!) and 2 Beautiful Rocking horses that make noise, shake their head and wag their tail. They also each got a Cabbage patch kids newborns that they love to give their bottle to, crayons, coloring books, big legos, puzzles and more. I would say they did pretty well!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day down at Keith's parents house. Christmas day there was a big celebration with about 35 people in attendance for dinner. I think it was a little overwhelming for the girls, but they did pretty good overall and even still managed to stay on their nap schedule. It was so nice to see everyone that we don't get a chance to see very often. It was great that it just so happened that Keith did not have to work Christmas or Thanksgiving this year! Hopefully we can get that lucky next year as well!

Kylee has added a few new words to her vocabulary in the past couple of days including Kitty, pronounced "Titty" ;) and Tree pronounced "Tee". Those are just a couple of the words that we are able to understand, but they are both constantly babbling and saying things that we have no idea what it means. They are both very good at watching intently at how you say each word and they try to mimic it to the best of their ability.

The girls love to brush their own hair, and they even attempt to brush mine! It's funny that how they know whenever they have a brush or a comb in their hand what it is used for, and it's not even the same brush every time.

I hope everyone has a fabulous New Years celebration! The girls and I won't be doing much. Keith is working so it's definitely going to be low key. Happy 2009!!

Visiting Santa, picking out a Christmas Tree & More!!

2008-12-16T17:43:00.000-08:00

This last week has been incredibly busy!! Last weekend we went down to visit Keith's parents and while we were there we went to visit Santa and picked out a Christmas tree!! Santa didn't phase Kaylyn at all, but Kylee was not so stoked. If you look closely at the picture with Santa, Kaylyn is holding on to Kylee's arm to comfort her!

Every year Keith's parents go to a local Christmas tree farm in Alpine and cut down their own tree, and this year was no different except this was the first time the girls got to go! We found a beautiful tree and Keith and Auntie Danielle cut it down. Both of the girls loved the lights on the tree, and Kaylyn even tried to climb the ladder and help Grandpa put them up.

Unfortunately somewhere during our adventures both the girls acquired a little cold, and have had non-stop runny noses and a little cough. So that is never fun! I hope they get over it before Christmas!

Yesterday was really the first rainy day we have had yet this year, and the girls were fascinated by it! They stood at the sliding glass window almost all day pointing out the window and "talking" about the rain. It was very cute!

Kylee and Kaylyn have both mastered standing up in the middle of the room unassisted without pulling up on something! They also love to "talk" on the phone, and even put the phone up to their ears. Kylee loves her baby doll, and carries it around with her all the time, and she can even say "Baby" now as clear as day. If you ask her where her baby is, she will go get it and bring it to you. I really think they are starting to understand a lot more of what we say!

On a little bit of a gross note, we had a fun toddler moment this morning! Apparently Bandit threw up and unfortunately the girls found it before I did and decided it would be a good idea to finger paint on the tile with it! EWWW!! They were both very unhappy when I disrupted their finger painting party!

I hope everyone is doing well!

14 Months Old!!

2008-12-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well the girls are 14 months old today (just over 11 months adjusted) and they are both doing great!! I am finally starting to admit to myself that my babies are turning into toddlers, and it makes me sad. However, this stage really is a lot of fun. They are both walking now 95% of the time, and they get better and better everyday. Kylee is nearly ready to start running! It's funny because I was so fearful of two walking babies at the same time, but really it actually makes things a lot easier. They are much happier because they can get where they want to go, when they want to go there.

In the last week or so, the girls have really started to become little cuddle bugs. Before they were always way too busy to give me (or anyone else for that matter) Love. Now they walk over to me and give me hugs and kisses all day long. It's the sweetest thing ever! I was giving Kaylyn a hug yesterday and I was patting her back, and she started patting mine. It was adorable!

They both currently have 6 teeth (2 on top and 4 on bottom). I haven't been brave enough to stick my fingers in there in the last week or so, so I really don't know if there are any more coming in or not.

We are definitely entering the "Monkey-See, Monkey-Do" phase. As funny as it is to see them mimic us, we really have to be careful now of what we say and do! These two are like little sponges! We are currently working on teaching them the hand motions to the song "Itsy Bitsy Spider", and the girls will consistently put their hands together to do the spider, and they can also do the "down comes the rain" part with their hands. And of course we always clap in celebration after every song. It's so cute!!

I cannot even tell you how many weird sounds and noises these girls makes. They have quite a few "tricks". Kaylyn just learned how to blow bubbles with her spit, so that's always fun. And I never knew there could be so many different variations of raspberries! They also love to click their tongues, and make silly sounds by moving their fingers up and down on their lips!

Sharing is also a new thing in this household. When I started teaching them this I never thought that would include their food as well. They love to try to put their bottle in your mouth, and they even put their bottle to their baby dolls mouth and try and feed them. Their other new favorite thing is to do is put food in their mouth, chew it up, take it back out and feed it to you. I graciously deny this wonderful gift. They will also give us what is in their hands upon request (most of the time!).

This is also a special day to us because One Year ago today, Kaylyn was discharged from the NICU!! Last week when Kaylyn went to the Dr for her follow up, they both got weighed and Kaylyn weighed 23lbs 15oz, and Kylee weighed 22lbs 5oz. I am continually amazed at how well they are doing. They have made so much progress in such a short amount of time. They truly are my little miracles!

Kaylyn is home from the Hospital!

2008-12-04T14:21:00.001-08:00

This is going to be a long one...

These last few days have been incredibly stressful to say the least. It all started Monday night when Kaylyn woke up around 10pm wheezing really bad and having a really hard time breathing (when she went to bed at 7pm she was perfectly fine). Keith went in to check on her, and the next thing I know he is standing in the doorway with her saying we need to take her to the Emergency Room immediately. So we get her pack up and we head to the ER up here in Temecula. Let's just say that this hospital's care and staff were sub standard at best.

When we first got there, we waited for about 20 minutes for a nurse to come and triage Kaylyn. Finally, when nobody came and Kaylyn was working even harder to breathe Keith approached the secretary sitting at the desk to find out when she was going to be triaged. The receptionist told him that she didn't know and he needed to go outside and use the phone to call the nurse himself! So he did and the nurse finally came out and agreed that she needed to be brought back immediately.

So we finally got a bed (in the hallway in the middle of the ER) and we wait even longer. No one comes over to help, no nurses, doctors or respiratory therapists and my baby is working hard to breathe! So again, Keith gets up and demands to know who the Charge nurse is. He spoke with the Charge nurse and she called the respiratory therapist to come over and take a look at her. Keep in mind that we have now been at this ER for over an hour! They proceed to give her a breathing treatment, followed by an RSV swab in the nose. This is when things started to go downhill fast.

The swab totally pissed her off (as it would anybody) and she got really upset which resulted in her not being able to breath at all. She was working so hard to move air but she just couldn't. She was turning blue in front of our eyes and no one was doing anything. There is nothing worse than watching your child struggle to breath. Keith and I both thought that she was going to die right then and there. It was beyond scary. Thank goodness Keith was there and he demanded the equipment to help her himself. Keep in mind that this is all going on in the middle of the ER where everyone is watching.

Finally after what seemed like at eternity, Keith was able to calm her down and she received several more breathing treatments. She still sounded awful and the decision was made that she needed to be transferred down to Children's hospital. She was so sick that they were originally going to fly her by helicopter to get her there quicker, but unfortunately it was too foggy so she had to be sent by Critical Care Ambulance.

While she was being transferred I went home and picked up Kylee (my mom stayed with her while Keith and I were at the ER). Poor thing had to be woken up at 2am, but she was a trooper and we rendezvoused with Keith and Kaylyn at Children's.

By the time we got to Children's Kaylyn was stabilized and doing better, however she was still very sick. They determined that she had a very severe case of Croup (which is an upper respiratory infection). Keith took Kylee to his parent's house and I stayed with Kaylyn. It was a very long night, but I knew that she was finally in capable hands.

Amazingly, Kaylyn was in such good spirits the entire time she was in the hospital. You wouldn't even know she was sick if you couldn't hear her breathe (which was an absolute awful sound!). She dazzled all the nurses, doctors, and staff with her goofy animated personality.

She continued to improve and thankfully was discharged yesterday afternoon. I don't think I have ever been awake so many consecutive hours, I was nearly a zombie! Keith's parents were absolutely wonderful and kept Kylee the entire time so that we could be with Kaylyn. I don't know what we would have done without them.

She is home now and doing well. We took her to the Dr this morning for a follow up and he said that the worst of it is behind us. Somehow Kylee managed to evade this sickness, which I am oh so happy about. Needless to say, the last few days have been crazy to say the least. I am just so thankful that she is home now and doing better.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-29T16:52:00.001-08:00

Sorry I am a couple days late on posting this, but we just got home from the River late last night. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We had such a great time at the river! It was a little rainy and we spent more time inside than I would have liked but it was still a great trip. The girls were so good, and managed to keep their same sleep schedule(including sleeping through the night!)! They tried walking on the uneven ground actually did pretty well. They also experienced their first ever bon fire. The girls also went fishing and golfing with daddy as well and they loved it! I was amazed at how much Turkey the girls gobbled up. They really like it a lot. I am so Thankful for my wonderful family!!

Our drive back last night was a little stressful. It started out with Keith noticing our rear right tire pressure dropping via the digital readout on the dash. We were hoping something was wrong with the gauge, but we pulled over and sure enough we had a hole in our tire. Keith had to plug the tire and re-inflate it, and then we were on our way. The girls were not stoked on the drive home. They never took an afternoon nap before we left and they were not wanting to sleep in the car. It didn't help that we were driving straight into the sunset so the sun was in their eyes for quite a while. Thankfully we finally made it home, and the girls went right to bed.

Another Episode of "24"

2008-11-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

Keith and I took the girls up to LA again today so they could shoot their second episode of "24". On this season of "24" the girls are playing baby Teri, who is Kim's daughter. Kim is Jack Bauer's daughter (Kiefer Sutherland). So essentially they are the granddaughter of the main character Jack Bauer.

This time we were on location at a beautiful home in Woodland hills (just north of Hollywood). Kaylyn did the first 2 takes, but they turned out great so they didn't end up needing Kylee behind the camera this time. Kaylyn's scene was in the kitchen with her "Daddy" in the middle of the night, sitting in her high chair drinking a bottle and eating cheerios. I didn't actually see the taping this time because the house was a lot smaller and Kylee wanted to run around and play and while they are shooting it has to be incredibly silent. Keith stayed in and watch them do the shoot. Apparently she did great, and everyone was very pleased with her "Performance".

They did get some still photo's of Kylee in her wardrobe that are going to be used as a prop of some sort. I'm still not sure how it all fits together. I guess I am going to have to start watching the show!

The cast and crew were exceptionally nice. The casting director even gave us some of the extra baby stuff they had laying around like 2 really nice bibs and bowls with spoon and fork (all brand new!). The girls studio teacher this time used to be Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen's studio teacher when they were on Full House. She was with them from when they were 8months old on. She has lots of interesting stories to tell us and she was incredibly good with the girls!

Now for the not-so-good news. I didn't get any pictures yesterday!! Things just happened so quick and I really didn't have time to shoot any pictures. The girls were in the same wardrobe that they were in last time (the pajamas). I believe this episode is the 3rd to last before the completion of the season because they told us there were only 2 more episodes to shoot. I will keep you posted with an air date!

Video of my Big Walkers!

2008-11-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

I just thought that I would post a video of the girls cruising around after bath time tonight. They both get such a kick out of themselves and their new mode of transportation!

Ah, they Love each other!

2008-11-15T14:02:00.001-08:00

The cutest thing happened this morning... Kaylyn fell down and started crying, and Kylee walked over to her and sat down next to her, rubbed her back, and patted her head. Then she also started crying. It was precious to see the obvious compassion that she has for her sister, and how sad it made her to see her sister upset.

The picture I posted is obviously not recent, it is one of the first pics I have of the girls together when they were still in the NICU and it also happens to be one of my favorites.

I have TWO Walkers!!!

2008-11-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

In the last couple of days the girls have really started getting the hang of this walking thing. Kylee especially is walking all over the place, and Kaylyn is up to 10 or so steps. It is so funny how differently they go about it though. Kylee is very methodical with every step she takes. She thinks about what she is doing and plans it all out. Kaylyn couldn't be more different. She just gets up and goes, usually resulting in falling but it doesn't phase her any. She just bombs right along. Neither one of them has quite figured out how to stand up without holding onto anything just yet, but I am sure that its not too far off.

The girls have been getting teeth like crazy in the last week. Kylee has 3 teeth on the bottom and one coming in up top and Kaylyn has 4 teeth on the bottom and 2 coming in up top. I really thought that with all these teeth coming through at the same time that they would be in an incredibly amount of pain, but it really hasn't phased them at all. They are just as happy as can be, and other than the excessive drooling they are just fine.

I am now truly starting to appreciate having twins. The newborn days were harder than hard and absolutely tiring. But now that the girls are older they spend an incredible amount of time playing together, laughing together and chasing each other around. It is so cool that they have a playmate with them all the time.

13 Months Old Already!

2008-11-06T07:12:00.000-08:00

If this last month is any indication of how this next year is going to go, they are going to be 2 in no time!! Seriously, where has the time gone?

The girls are learning and exploring more each and every day. I am continually amazed at how far they have come!

Now for Some Milestones:
*Both girls are taking several steps at a time on their own
*They both shake their heads "No", and Kaylyn has mastered "Yes" as well
*Clap their hands and dance (When I ask them what sound a Duck makes, and then I say "Quack" they think I am saying "Clap" and they instantly start clapping...LOL!)
*When you ask them how old they are, they hold up 1 finger
*Their favorite toy is their little push cars, their ball pit and best of all the empty ice cream buckets that they love to put on their heads
*They are climbing onto and into Everything!! They even move their toys around so they can climb on those and get to higher locations such as the couch
*LOVE the water
*Eating table foods and doing great with it
*We are getting better and better at Sippy Cups
*They know what a Cow and a Sheep says
*Both say "Momma" and "Dadda". Kaylyn also says "Wha Da" (What's That?)
*Love to imitate what other people are doing, both sounds and actions
*The favorite game in this house is definitely Peek-A-Boo
*Just learned how to Blow Kisses
*Love to be read to
*They are obsessed with their reflection in the mirror and will give themselves kisses into it
*Wave "Hello" and "Goodbye"
*Love to play in forts made out of blankets

I'm sure there is more, but that's all that comes to mind at the moment...

Today also happens to be Keith's 27th birthday, although he won't admit it! He prefers to say that he is 21 with 6 years experience!

"According to Jim" Grand Finale!!

2008-11-05T19:51:00.000-08:00

Today my brother Ryan and I took the girls to Hollywood to do another taping of "According to Jim". I was pleasantly surprised when we got there and found out that this time the girls were going to be cast as Jim Belushi's (the main character on the show) twins, so they were both going to be on at the same time!!

The girls did such a great job, and were as happy as can be watching all the people, lights, and everything going on. They especially liked watching the microphone boom move around above them. They were both boys again this time, but I think they make quite handsome little fellows! This time they had to sit in high chairs and munch on Cheerios.

This taping was the last show of season 8, and the last "According to Jim" show ever as the show is going to be retired after this season. It's pretty cool that the girls were there for the finale!

Coming home we had quite the commute and it took us 3.5 hours to get home! Gotta love LA traffic! The girls did great in the car and maintained so well. I am exhausted after our busy, busy day!

They're Quick....What Can I say!

2008-11-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

The other day I was going to take a shower...I decided to get a couple of toys for the girls to play with so they could play while I took a quick shower. Apparently they are quicker than I thought. As I was getting undressed they both managed to make their way into the shower, while it was running, with their clothes on!! They had a blast and played in there together for about 20 minutes!

On Sunday I planned a surprise outing for Keith's 27th birthday (which is this Thursday on Nov. 6th). Grandma and Grandpa graciously watched the girls for us! First we went to Balboa park, and then we went and toured the Midway. After our day of sight seeing, I surprised Keith by telling him I had booked a hotel room downtown at the Hyatt and we would be going to dinner with some friends at a restaurant in the Gaslamp. It was so much fun!! I am pretty sure I am still recovering...I definitely cannot hang like I used to!