Emily kissed a boy.

Our little Emily kissed a boy on Wednesday. Her first non-dad, non-brother kiss. So sweet. Andrew and Matthew were at our house for a playdate and when they were leaving Andrew's mom asked him if he could give Emily a hug. They stared at each other for a second and then Emily leaned in and kissed him. Then she did it again. A nice, big, sloppy kiss. Then she asked Matthew if he could give Emily a hug and he just looked at her like she had sprouted two heads and then he walked off. Hilarious. It's probably a good thing. Kissing both boys on the same date, brothers no less, would be totally inappropriate.

Side-note: Our little cubs give totally different kisses. Zach's are neat and precise. Emily's are wet and sloppy, almost the equivalent of being licked by a dog. Silly cubs. They sure are sweet though. I love cub kisses!

We go all out.

So I haven't "officially" blogged since May 19th. Hmmm. It's funny that I don't think we've done very much, yet I feel like we've been so busy that my head is spinning. Perhaps it's because the cubs are getting older, are more active and taking shorter (if any) naps. I feel like I've been going non-stop from sunrise to sunset and yet I don't have much to blog about. We've been spending a lot more time outside and taking walks almost daily around the neighborhood. The cubs really like their stroller now, and when I bring it out they climb in all by themselves.

We've had some of our friends over now too. I always felt like the old house was too out of the way and the apartment was way too small to have our friends over. Now that we actually have some room to move, I thought it would be a good idea to invite over some of Emily and Zach's friends that have so graciously invited us over to play in the past. So we've been busy with playdates too, three in the last eleven days. I thought I better start out small so I have only invited one set of twins over at a time, but I might just get wild and invite over more than one set. Won't that be a huge circus of fun??

I've been pretty busy during the evenings too. My LCMOM meeting was May 19. My dinner with the THC girls was on May 21 at The Covey Restaurant and Brewery. Yummy. Next week is just as busy. GNO on Monday and my "scrapbooking" meeting on Tuesday. Steve's been really great about letting me get out and enjoy some adult/girl time while he stays home and puts the cubs to bed. Sometimes he'll even give them their baths. Way to go Stevie! It just seems funny that I have more of a social life now than I did before the cubs were here. Steve and I even have to use a calendar to plan out all of the week's events. HA!

The cubs both had a speech therapy visit last week as well. I obviously didn't expect much on the first visit and I wasn't disappointed. We didn't get much. In just a few weeks we'll be starting the feeding/speech clinics at TWU. I am still so excited and hopeful about it.

We had a surprise visit from our friend Brad on Saturday (the 23rd). He currently lives in Minot, ND, so we were really shocked when we received a call from him that he was here in town. Luckily Steve was off so we both were able to enjoy a short visit with him.

We purchased booster seats for the dining room chairs this week. So far Emily has done pretty well. Unfortunately they seem a little short so Emily's elbow is up to her chin as she tries to shovel in her food. Soon we'll move Zach into his and see how he does.

Today Zach treated me with what I would classify as one of his top three temper tantrums of all time. In public. In the witness of some friends, no doubt. NICE. We were at the park and he was in the swing which he just loves loves loves. When it was time to go, he threw a colossal fit. COLOSSAL!! Embarrassing. At least it was big enough to be note-worthy. Why not go all out?! If you're going to pitch a hissy fit in public, you should definitely make it a good one. Good job Zach. Maybe Mommy can convince Daddy to go swing-set shopping this weekend.

I'll try to post some fun pictures over the weekend. Stay tuned!

Our sweet cubs.

Last Thursday I witnessed one of my favorite mommy moments. Steve and I were putting the cubs to bed and we told Emily to give Zach a hug. We, of course, received our usual response....the blank stare. Then I told Emily to give Zach a kiss....and she did it!! Then they both giggled. Such a sweet moment!

Since then Emily has been rubbing Zach's head, especially when he is upset. Yesterday he was sitting on the floor and Emily stood behind him and gave him a hug. So sweet. We're still waiting for Zach to return the favor. Emily is always getting L.E. (Zach's elephant) and giving it to him, but he is all boy. Right now his big thing is to take Emily's husky, throw him out of the room and close the door so Emily can't get to him. Hmmm. I guess we'll have to work on that.

They are playing together more now, rather than just the parallel play where they play next to each other. It is a constant laugh fest in their room (especially during nap-time). I just listen to all the giggling and squealing. Such sweet cubs.

The next Bill Gates.

Emily and the outdoors.

Mom and Emily spent a little one-on-one time outdoors while Zach was finishing his nap.

Hmmm...what to tackle first??


Staying refreshed. Love the sunglasses!


Having a serious conversation with mom.

Mani/Pedi

Mom is jealous...she needs a mani/pedi too, but she'll leave hers to the professionals.

Our bathtub is a waterpark.

Who needs Schlitterbahn??

We love BUBBLES!!

What are the odds??

Steve went golfing on Friday afternoon. He went to Tour 18 Dallas in Flower Mound. He went as a single and was paired up with another guy. Steve and the guy started talking and he told Steve that he just moved into a new development in our area. Interesting...we just moved into a new development in our area. Out of the whole Metroplex he lives in our little suburb. Then the man told Steve what street he lived on. Holy cow. We live on the corner of the same street. Then Steve asked him his address and it just so happens to be the house across the street. The ONLY house across the street. So Steve went golfing on a random Friday to a random course and played with a random man who ended up being our only neighbor. What are the odds? I told Steve he should have bought a lottery ticket on his way home.

Our local wildlife

Is that a skunk I smell??? Wow....and a viciously fragrant one too! We didn't have this problem at the apartment, but here at the new house I have had the misfortune of detecting one malodorous creature. MALODOROUS. We will not be enjoying the patio or opening the windows this evening. The man across the street also informed us that a coyote usually strolls between our houses around 9pm each evening. Steve witnessed a duck waddle across our yard over the weekend. We have our own little animal preserve...skunks, coyotes, ducks...and CUBS!

To eat or not to eat.

There hasn't been much going on here at Cub Central. We've had a few playdates since Mother's Day. We went to Jessica's last week and then Kelli and her girls came over yesterday. It seems like it has rained every weekend, especially if it happens to be one of Steve's days off. We spent this weekend putting flooring in the attic so we can store some things that we don't need right away. I have been putting off the unpacking because I just don't want to do it anymore. It seems like I spend more time moving boxes than unpacking them. We have been trying to spend more time outside. I have taken the cubs on a few walks this week. It is really nice to be in a neighborhood where I feel safe to do this. I didn't feel comfortable taking the cubs for walks around the apartment because of all the crazy drivers speeding through the complex and there were no sidewalks. I never felt safe taking them for walks at the old house either. SAD. I'm really happy that they have done so well in their stroller lately. I'm sure it is only because we are walking outside. If we are inside a mall or department store, the stroller is not very well liked by the cubs. Inside our house it becomes a playpen, they can't stop crawling all over it. Silly cubs.

Zach had his first therapy session with the new speech therapist for his feeding aversion issues. I'm a little irked that they have only scheduled him for two half hour sessions per month. However, today I received some encouraging news. Zach was accepted into a summer feeding program at Texas Women's University. Specifically, it is a group feeding program for toddlers with sensory-based feeding disorders. He will be introduced to a variety of foods with different textures, tastes, and temperatures to increase sensory experiences and improve oral intake. The sessions are led by master’s level graduate students under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist. It runs for 6 weeks, from June 16 to July 23, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings for 1.5 hours per session. Each session is planned around a weekly theme and includes circle time, rotations through non-food sensory exploration, sensory exploration with food, and language enrichment activities. I am so hopeful about this! As an added bonus, Emily will receive individual speech-language therapy at the same time. Can it get any better than that?

I haven't updated in ages about all of the new foods we've introduced. Lately (because it will probably change tomorrow) Emily likes black olives and broccoli. She recently started eating steamed carrots but stopped eating potatoes. She likes the small frozen individual pizzas. She likes toast but not bread. She loves fish sticks, especially when she can dunk them in ketchup. She doesn't like sandwiches, but will dunk her toast in jelly. She likes waffles without syrup. She loves to share cereal and milk with Mom. She loves burritos but not mexican rice. She likes chips and hot sauce from Taco Bueno. She loves mandarin oranges. She will eat a whole banana but doesn't like it if you slice it up. Silly cub.

Zach's list is much shorter but at least it consists of things other than baby food in a jar. He still loves refried beans from Taco Bueno. I still add sour cream to them for the added calories. He still likes macaroni and cheese. I give Emily a chicken and rice meal and he will eat the rice, but not the chicken. He likes potatoes but no longer seems to like McDonald's fries. He will eat the cheese from the individual pizza but not the crust. He tried the sauce from Mom's chicken enchilada casserole. He still eats his daily yogurt and Pediasure. He thinks crayons, books, and chalk are meant to be eaten. Foods, however, are not. Silly cub.

The good ol' outdoors

Playtime:

So helpful:

This looks like Emily's ball:

Giving Husky a kiss:

Feeling generous enough to give Mom a kiss too:

The week in pictures.

Sharing their space:

Close-up:

Another close-up:

Playing:

Sweet little man:

Who me???

Sweet girl:

Little Emily Bear:

Mom and Zach:

Mom and Emily:

So cool that she has to wear shades:

Soccer ball:

Hanging out in the "fort":

Such a sweet little guy:

Mine, mine, mine:

Fun times:

Happy Mother's Day to our moms!

Steve and I would like to wish our moms a very happy Mother's Day. We wouldn't be who we are today without your love and guidance. Thank you for all you do!!! We love you!!!

My Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a special day for me, especially considering how long and difficult the road was to get me here. I definitely don't take it for granted. As I celebrate my third Mother's Day I reflect on how lucky we were to be able to undergo IVF and to have it be successful. We are so grateful to Dr. Nackley and Lisa, our embryologist, who paired up our little guys and watched over them from the very earliest stage. We are also grateful to Dr. Zwernemann and Dr. Thigpen who kept such a close eye on me during pregnancy so that our little miracles would be brought into the world as safely as possible. We also thank the Doctors and nurses at Cook Children's who took care of Emily and Zach during their first weeks. I remember celebrating my first Mother's Day in the NICU and praying for the day that I could bring them home. What a difference two years makes. Today we celebrated our third Mother's Day at home together.

Random happenings around the Swine Flu

Emily and Zach had their two year check-ups on April 29th. We got out of there with only one shot each, however I think they managed to pick up a cold while we were there too. BOO HISS! I originally thought that they were suffering from allergies due to this crazy weather, but then it developed into a crummy cold. Commence nose mopping. UGH.

Stats:
Emily weighs a whopping 28 lbs. which puts her in the 68%tile for weight. A few weeks earlier she weighed 29 lbs., so she actually has thinned down a bit. I guess all of the running in, out and around the house has really melted away her baby fat. She is 36" tall which puts her in the 95%tile. That means that 95% of children her age are shorter than her. YIKES. She's going to be a tall girl.

Zach weighs 23.4 lbs. which finally puts him on the growth chart at a stunning 5%tile. That means 95% of children his age weigh more than he does. Big surprise. He's going to be tall and skinny. I'm ok with that. He is 34" tall which is the 40%tile. That's pretty close to average. Good enough for Mommy. He isn't throwing up anymore and for that I am so thankful.

That night I celebrated with another one of those tasty raspberry margaritas with my "scrapbooking" girls. I have a lot to be thankful for.

Thanks to the Swine Flu we didn't even attempt to go to Paradise Pond. Or anywhere else for that matter. Most of the school districts were closed here, so the Pond was probably closed anyway. We've been staying at home and playing outside when the weather cooperates.

On Saturday (May 2) Steve treated me to a day away. He took care of the cubs while I had a spa treatment (if I had money to waste I'd have one of these every day) and then lunch with my fellow moms at Brios. What a great day. Except for the weather -- it was pretty crummy. That afternoon a storm collapsed the roof of the Cowboys' training facility. We were fortunate and didn't receive any damage but sadly others weren't as lucky. Mother Nature can be very ugly.

Tuesday night was another GNO with my friends. I love that Steve is willing to put the cubs to bed so I can enjoy dinner with friends. We went to Cheddars, where I of course indulged myself in the onion rings (yum) and a Cookie Monster (more yummy)...and a raspberry something or other. This has become such a frequent order that Steve actually bought me my own bottle of Raspberry mix so I can make my own at home. I hope he doesn't think that this means I'll stop going to GNO. Hee hee.

Yesterday was Emily and Zach's ECI evaluation. Emily qualifies for speech therapy and I'm excited to get started with that. She speaks in her own little language. She changes her tone and uses facial expressions and hand gestures as if she's telling a whole story. Unfortunately I can't understand a single word. I do think that once she starts talking, she'll really take off. Zach also qualifies for speech therapy and occupational therapy to help with his eating aversions. No surprise there. That is the reason I called them. Zach has come a long way but he still has a way to go. We know he'll get there!

Boo to the Swine Flu.

I grabbed my calendar so I could blog about all the fun activities that we did last weekend.

I wanted to go to Mayfest on Saturday.

On the www.mayfest.org website:
"City of Fort Worth - official statement regarding closure of Mayfest.

MAYFEST 2009 IS CANCELED.

For 37 years Mayfest has been proud to be a part of the greater Fort Worth community. From all of us at Mayfest, thank you for your support and patronage.

Mayfest has a long, rich history of serving the Fort Worth community. The festival began in 1973 as a celebration of the beautification and improvement of the Trinity River and greenbelt.

Mayfest has now evolved into a four day family festival. The festival includes an Art Market, Children’s Area, Riverbank Area, Sports Area, The Zone (Teen Area), the Mayfest Run, Special Needs Day, Senior Citizen’s Day, Military Day and tremendous entertainment on over six different stages. There are a number of attractions, free activities and a delectable offering of food and beverage. From young to old, Mayfest includes something for everyone and strives to entertain the entire family."

BOO! Thanks Swine Flu. I think this was the first time Mayfest has ever been canceled.

Then I wanted to go to the Cook Children's NICU Reunion on Sunday. I thought it would be a really neat experience for the cubs to be reunited with the great nurses that took care of them during their first weeks here. Plus I was excited for the nurses to all see how well our miracle cubs are doing. We were unable to go last year because it was scheduled on their birthday weekend so we really made a special effort to go this year.

For www.cookchildrens.org website:

"The Cook Children's Neonatal/Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) reunion scheduled for Sunday, May 3, has been canceled as a precautionary measure..."

BOO! Thanks Swine Flu.

That sums up our family activities last weekend.

Lots of pictures with a little commentary.

Thank you to everyone for all of the awesome birthday gifts. Our cubs are well-loved!! Here are just a few of the birthday pictures.

They weren't big fans of the cupcakes. Don't worry, they didn't go to waste, Mom and Dad took care of them.:



Holding all of her outfits from Great-Grandma Betty and Tom. Included are the cutest swimsuits....perfect to go with the fun outdoor sprinkler they received from Grandma and Grandpa Bear.


Elmo phone and CD player from Grandma Shirley and Grandpa John:


Emily is all about the phone:


Caught red-handed trying to break into the Sand and Sea play table that Uncle Craig and Auntie Leslie sent. We can't wait for the weather to clear up so we can play.:


Zach is trying to distract me so I won't notice that Emily is still trying to break into the box.