Autonomy

Lilly is so grown up. It's both sad and beautiful at the same time. She keeps me company, loves to chat, loves crafts and cutting with scissors. She loves her family and loves helping me with Ella. She's funny and smart. She's sweet and spunky. She's a risk-taker yet careful. She loves to be outdoors and doing anything physical. I enjoy our time together so much.

Today, while Ella napped, Lilly worked at the kitchen table on some "projects." She wanted to cut and glue. She made a lion and a birdhouse and did a few other projects. Then she found some princess tattoos. She wanted her arms adorned in these tattoos. It's her spring break so why not!? Party like a rock star, right?

For the last month Lilly has been dressing herself. I thought it would bother me but it really doesn't. I even find that I let her go some days without brushing her hair!? She picks out her outfit including socks, shoes, and hair accessories. It's always interesting and usually involves a dress of some sort over pants with several hair clips and jewelry. Today she put on a new sundress, Valentine socks, princess light-up shoes, two randomly placed hair clips, and her favorite Hello Kitty watch. The tattoos added a nice touch.

I'm not sure why this doesn't faze me. I am still completely unnerved by the mixing of playdoh colors. It's just who she is and she's so proud of herself when she goes out that I can't deny her that simple happiness. Oh, I forgot the light-up princess sweatshirt that she always wears as a finishing touch.

Family!

Sunday my sister Stephanie and my nieces Brooke and Bailee came to visit from Florida! Last year they visited during spring break and they received 3 free tickets on their return to Florida (I think they were bumped or offered to be bumped) and they expired on April 1st. I told Stephanie to go somewhere exotic but she chose to come back to see us in very very rainy New Jersey! Lilly was very excited. She loves to see her cousins!! She had just seen Kate and Elizabeth and couldn't wait to see Brooke and Bailee.

The visit was wonderful. The girls are so grown up. Brooke is 13...

Bailee is 10.

Cousins.

It rained every minute of their visit. We went to see the Easter Bunny at the mall today. We were the only ones there. Lilly was pumped.

Ella wanted to ride in a police car stroller so I rented one but Lilly liked it more.

Sisters.

I needed to get Lilly white Mary Janes for Easter so we hung out in Payless where Brooke had a little fun.

Cousins at the mall.

Poor Ella. She has Strep Throat and Bronchitis and I stuck her on the Easter Bunny's lap. I knew she'd cry so I prepared the photographer and they quickly snapped the picture and I took her off of his lap.

When we got home Lilly matter-of-factly told me that the Easter Bunny was just some guy dressed up in a costume. I was shocked but then I thought about it and of course she probably thinks the Easter Bunny is a real bunny and the costume had to seem obvious to her this year at the ripe 'ol age of four. My baby's growing up.

When we got home the girls dyed Easter eggs. Ella played with plastic eggs.

Ella pretended to dye eggs with a plastic egg and water.

Then they had an Easter egg hunt in the house.

We had a great time though it was too short! I look forward to their return visit in July when the boys arrive.

Fab Friday

Today, Ella played with Playdoh for the very first time. I thought she'd eat it but she didn't. Nor did she even attempt to put it near her mouth. She's growing up, sniff, sniff.

She focused very hard on the task at hand.

The cheeks kill me. I love them so very much.

And the hands... oh the little tiny puffy hands.

Lilly worked hard too using her awesome imagination to create some really cool creatures for me. She also made me jewels. This afternoon we're going to go to Target to get some new Playdoh as ours has seen better days. I'm wondering if Lilly's past the mixing-until-you-get-gray stage? I would love that.

This morning I had my anatomy scan ultrasound to check in on the babies. It's a very in depth ultrasound described here:
" The ultrasound anatomy scan, or level 2 ultrasound, is an amazingly interesting experience for parents-to-be. Your baby will be measured from crown to rump, around his middle, around his head, etc. The four chambers of the heart will be viewed, as well as the kidneys, bladder, stomach, brain, spine, and sex organs. Measurements are taken to make sure your baby is growing appropriately (and that his or her gestational age is still on target). A survey of the organs, including the umbilical cord, ensures that they are developing normally (or identifies any potential problems as soon as possible). The sonographer will also be looking at your amniotic fluid levels, the location of the placenta, and the fetal heart rate."

I knew the sex of the babies but was eager to confirm that they are indeed still little boys. ;)

Here is Baby A sucking in some amniotic fluid.

And I feel a little funny about showing his boy parts and all here but just don't tell him I did it. Here, in all it's glory, is Baby A's penis. I never thought we'd see a penis in our lifetime of having babies.

Baby A is our rowdy little guy. He is always active, usually not very cooperative during scans, and likes to kick the wall that separates him from his brother with both feet very hard. I felt sad to see him kicking his brother in the head this morning. Boys will be boys?

Baby B is usually calm. He is all stretched out way up high above my belly button. He's shy and often covers his face with his hands. Just like his twin he too was sucking in fluid for his profile shot.

He was a little more shy with his boy parts so they're more of a blur but here they are exposed for the world to see. Sorry buddy.

The babies are doing well thankfully. They each weigh about a pound and are almost 11 inches from head to toe. I still feel good and am still (believe it or not) processing this whole twin thing!

Sisterly Love

This morning I wanted to mop the floors. I sent the girls into the basement to play. They played beautifully and I was able to mop the floors and they dried before Ella came climbing back up the stairs. I thought she had a black eye at first.

Then I realized she'd been the victim of Lilly's make-up artistry.

Awesome Luck

Andy and I were just discussing how Lilly's bike is too small for her. I never realized how teeny tiny a 10" bike is! The tires are smaller than a salad plate. A couple of nights ago I received a mass email from a preschool mom that she was hoping to give her older daughter's bike away to a good home. She mentioned it was a 12" princess bike. How perfect is that?

I emailed her back and today we received the bike. Lilly was pumped to say the least. Princesses, a basket, tassels... what more could a girl want? To top it off it was free! What more could a parent want?

Life

**Update: ACKKK!!! Once again the video is chopped off!!! Anyone know why this happens? It looks perfect on You Tube and on the blog when I upload it. I can't take it.**

We've been crazy busy with diarrhea viruses, tubes surgery, trying to maintain a clean home (my goal as of late), and daily living. I've missed peoples' birthdays and forgotten what day it was. But I've resurfaced! And here's a little video to keep you entertained.

Why won't babies perform for a camera? The minute I turned the video off Ella said, "Please!!! Bye!!!" Figures.

The New Ella

Ella is well! Yay! Huge sigh of relief.

Things went very well this morning and we were home in 2 hours.

When I arrived, Ella was a bit unsure and kept "pinky" close by. Her thumb was her comfort. She stayed in my lap while we talked to the anesthesiologist, nurses, and doctor.

They informed us that they would be giving Ella "happy juice" so that she would separate from us easily. I had no idea "happy juice" = totally wasted. Within ten minutes the child was so drunk she could hardly function. She stared at Andy's hand for a long time.

Drunk baby.

The surgery went well. The doctor said he drained a lot of fluid. He told us she would notice an immediate difference in her hearing which was really great. Ella woke up from anesthesia very peacefully which was surprising to the nurses. She was starving and drank juice and ate crackers. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in 15 hours. They let us leave (without pain meds!) since Ella was doing so well.

When we were driving home Ella started crying. By the time we got home she was hysterical and screamed for a solid hour. She wouldn't let me near her and wouldn't even let us touch her. She laid on the floor sobbing. I eventually called CHOP back and asked what we should do. I was regretting not getting the pain medication for her before we left (they would have administered it there). The nurse reassured me that this was a normal delayed exit reaction and that she needed to just work it out. This is what she did for an hour (but without sucking her thumb for most of it).
It was so sad.

Andy came home from the pharmacy with chocolate and decided to give Ella some. I was unsure but it worked!! The nurse on the phone said, "Chocolate is good! Whatever works!" so I went with it. A small bag of Cadbury Mini Eggs later and she was happy again!

She took a short nap and awoke her happy self. We already notice that she's much steadier on her feet! Unreal! She has been a very wobbly walker for months and she's walking steady for the first time.

Lilly's first words when I picked her up from school were, "How's Ella and how are her ears?" When she got home she kissed her and looked in each ear. She saw the blood and gook and said, "Oh my poor baby." I'm so glad she has empathy!

Thank you for thinking of Ella today. We really appreciate your thoughts and prayers.

Buds

Ella loves to do exactly what Lilly's doing. She loves to have exactly what Lilly has. And she loves to make the same noises Lilly makes. It's really cute.

When Lilly was sick recently, she propped herself up on some pillows to watch TV. Ella took her own pillow and plopped it right next to Lilly and got under the same blanket. Lilly had her lovey so Ella got her pinky. Together they sat and watched TV hand-in-hand. It was adorable.

Tomorrow morning is Ella's surgery to place tubes in her ears. I am keeping it together but could fall apart at any minute thinking of her going under anesthesia. She is battling a stomach virus involving diarrhea and I think she has a double ear infection as well. I am a nervous wreck about the entire process from getting there by 6:30 a.m. when Ella's naturally a late waker, to the anesthesia while she's already ill, to the recovery and reaction to the anesthesia. But I'm staying positive and thinking how much she needs this surgery.

I will be taking Ella at 6:30 a.m. and Andy will be getting Lilly up and dressed for school and dropping her with a friend at 7 a.m. Then he will meet me at the surgery center and our friends will drop Lilly at another friend's house at 8 a.m. and the second friend will take her to school. That is stressing me out also. I am very rigid when it comes to our routines and schedule but I know that Ella needs us and Lilly will be fine.

When I told Lilly what was going on tomorrow she started sobbing and clutching her own ears. She said she didn't want Ella to be hurt and she wanted to see and be with Ella. It killed me. I told her Ella would be fine (God I hope this is the truth) and it would make Ella's ears better. Lilly really has a soft and tender heart and her raw emotion in response to Ella's surgery was so touching.

If you're reading this and you want to lift a prayer up for Ella and the doctors and anesthesiologist I would be elated. I am not nervous about the procedure itself but am fearful of the anesthesia as Ella's pretty sick going into the surgery.
Thanks, and I'll update tomorrow.

Talking

Ella is 15 months old and really starting to talk a lot! She also understands everything we say and will answer questions by shaking her head "no" or "yes" while saying, "Ya." It's really really cute and makes communication so much easier!
She now says:

Hello
Bye
Ma
Da Da
Lilly
Uh-oh
Pinky
Cat
Duck Duck
Woof Woof
Ho Ho Ho
Baby
More (Ma)
Thank you
Please
Doggy

Each day brings a new word and it's really exciting for all of us. Lilly loves that she's talking and they can start to communicate at a much higher level!

We also had her 15 month well visit and she is 93%tile for height and 50%tile for weight. She's scheduled for surgery to get ear tubes on Tuesday so I'm hoping we will not have anymore ear infections as she's had 12 in just 7 months. Otherwise she's healthy and very happy.

Cousins!

Today we had a special treat! Sherry stopped by for a couple hours with Kate and Elizabeth. Lilly was so excited to see her cousins that she woke up at 5 a.m. She love, love, loves all of her cousins and talks about them often.

Ella was here but was very clingy as she's not used to having company. It takes her a while to warm up and I pulled my camera out at the last minute so I didn't capture her in any pictures but Sherry did so I'll post one when she sends it to me.

We had a great visit. We chatted, the girls played, Lilly opened up an adorable pair of rain boots for her birthday in perfect timing for a weekend of rain forecasted, and we enjoyed lunch together. Then they headed back to Virginia after a quick trip to PA, NJ, and NYC!

It's hard living far away from my sisters and family but it makes visits that much sweeter. Thanks for stopping by Sherry, Katherine, and Elizabeth! We missed you Jeff.

New 'Do Video

I have no idea why Blogger is chopping off some of the videos when I post them. I know it's a problem with other bloggers too. Here's the link to the full screen video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C41oXYvb3dk

New 'Do

This morning Lilly got a haircut! It was only her 3rd haircut. I was in her preschool class on Monday and I noticed it looked very scraggly. Lilly has hair like mine and it is a bit wavy underneath and straight on top so unless it's blown out it looks messy. She also won't let me put it into ponytails so I asked her if she wanted to cut it and she said, "Yes!"

I was thinking of having them cut a chin length bob but I didn't have the courage. We'll have to work up to that. For now, it's shorter and healthier and she loves it!

DISNEY WORLD; The Final Day

On Wednesday we were headed back to Magic Kingdom for the day but first to The Grand Floridian for a character breakfast at 900 Park Fare. The Grand Floridian is amazing. It's so beautiful and we were able to take the monorail to get there which was fun.

Ella was having a rough start to the day. I stopped in the gift shop and bought more Motrin (left ours in the room) in hopes that it would give her ears some relief, my poor baby.

The characters at the breakfast were not as familiar to Lilly but she still had a blast and it gives us something to read about now that we're home! Mary Poppins stopped by our table...

Hey Tigger, we see you everywhere!

Alice tried to cozy up to Ella. Ella doesn't like you Alice!

Lilly liked her though.

Ok, seriously, The Mad Hatter was a complete freak! He was screaming and scary. But not much scares Lilly.

Pooh again!

After breakfast we went to The Magic Kingdom for our final full day. It was very relaxing and fun. We toured Minnie Mouse's house. Minnie wasn't home.

The girls spent time playing in a couple different playgrounds. They loved it. Lilly kept asking to go back and Ella loved the freedom. It was a chilly day (hence the hat) though the sun was shining and it warmed up. I was being a bit overprotective of Ella's ears.

Everybody likes a carousel ride!

I didn't take as many pictures because we rode many rides as a family on our final day and took another boat ride. We filled our day and enjoyed every minute of it.

We ended our final day with a character dinner at The Crystal Palace. I really loved the meal and it was in a beautiful dining room. Here the girls are waiting for them to call our name. Lilly befriended a duck. Ella says, "Duck duck duck!!"

My personal Disney travel guide (thanks Christine!) informed me that this is the only place you'll see Piglet in the parks. It was indeed our only sighting and Lilly and Ella were both really excited! There were other characters there but we already had pictures with them so Lilly just enjoyed hugging them. Ella kept pointing to Piglet. It was cute.

Watching Piglet in her ears...

On Thursday morning we took our time getting up and out. Lilly and I had breakfast together at the hotel food court while Ella slept in. Then we packed up, took the kids to the resort playground for an hour, and were picked up by Magical Express to be taken to the airport to return home. This was the final picture I snapped...

We had an awesome vacation. I loved our family time and am so happy that we went. I do miss Disney as it was sad leaving on the last day! I hope Lilly will remember our trip and we'll surely return one day with our whole brood.