Grandpa and Ya-Ya

If you've paid close attention and are a stickler for details, you'll notice a change in the spelling of Ben's mom's grandma name. It's really more of a correction than a change. It used to be Ya-Yai; now it's Ya-Ya. It's Thai for grandmother (she's Thai, in case you missed that). It's a bit tricky in Thai. There are two names based on whether the grandmother is the father's mother or the mother's mother. Ya for father and Yai for mother. I confess I don't really have an ear for languages, so all this time I thought she was pronouncing it Ya-Yai - the Ya is like ya-ya sisterhood, and the yai almost has the sound of the y in my. Almost, I say, because I haven't been pronouncing it correctly for over a year. I thought I had cleared the spelling with her, but it seems I have not. It's a good thing really, since I was a little confused as to why we were using the combination of the father's mother's name and the mother's mother's name. Also, I can actually pronounce Ya-Ya, so altogether it's a change for the better.

So, after that long, verbose explanation over a missing letter, on to the real topic of this post. It's to inform you all of what amazing grandparents Grandpa (sounds kind of dull after all that explanation, doesn't it (sorry, Grandpa)) and Ya-Ya are. They have been just wonderful to Natalie and Abigail.

Of all the grandparents, Grandpa and Ya-Ya live the closest - a mere 1.5 hours. Compared to my parents at 5 and 6 hours, this is as good as the next town. Because of their proximity, Natalie and Abby get to see them every two to three weeks on average. They are kind enough to often come here for the day (a real gift during the days of nearly $4 gas and a having an SUV). Ben sometimes takes the girls on overnights to give mommy a break. (BTW Daddy, the girls told me they LOVE those visits and want to go every other week from Friday to Sunday night:-)). Grandpa and Ya-Ya even kept the girls on their first overnight while we went to a wedding in Wilmington. Well, technically it was the second. Last Thanksgiving my family took the girls to a nearby hotel for a night when I was about to lose my mind. Anyway, they cared for, feed, entertained, and got the girls down for bed and a nap the next day. It was very impressive.

Natalie and Abby have so much fun when Grandpa and Ya-Ya visit. They are both great about getting on the floor with them and playing with them. They have helped Ya-Ya pick beans in her garden and checked out Grandpa's motorcycle. They visited a park and took their first train ride. Their doggy, Candy, is a big hit as well. Hanging out pool side on the deck was also a great way to spend an afternoon. Ya-Ya also provides the cutest clothes - including some adorable outfits from Thailand.





Grandpa and Ya-Ya have been just amazing and for that I am so grateful. It's time to confess that things haven't always been warm and fuzzy between us. Let's just say...there was a time of tension - like two or three years:-) But, as I have watched them love on and spend time with my girls, I have been overwhelmed by feelings of gratitude and thanksgiving. My own grandmother, Mema, is the most amazing person. We spent weeks during the summer with her and went on vacations with you (DisneyWorld, The World's Fair, the beach, the mountains). She would pick us up and take us for treats at Dairy Queen and take us to the park when we were little. We cherished every minute with her - and still do. Even though we were rarely closer in location than 3 or 4 hours, she always made time for us and our bond is so close. I have always wanted that same relationship for my children and their grandparents.

I am so grateful that Grandpa and Ya-Ya live close enough to see Natalie and Abby so often. I am so grateful that they want to see them so often. Their love for Natalie and Abby is so evident and lights up their faces whenever they are with them. Even better is the joy and love on Natalie and Abby's faces when they see them.



I am truly beholden to Doy and Richard for the love and affection they give to Natalie and Abby. It's never the toys or clothes or expensive trips that kids cherish the most - it is time. It is truly the most valuable of all gifts. Thank you, Grandpa and Ya-Ya, for taking the time to cultivate relationships with Natalie and Abby and enrich their lives in the way that only grandparents can. I am so very thankful.

Vomit - fest Nov 08 - not for those with weak stomachs

They say if something sounds too good to be true - it probably is. Specialized milk at 45 calories an ounce...babies only needing to drink 15-18 ounces to get more calories than they ever have before...a miracle in the making. Ha. Our saving grace - Resource Just for Kids 1.5k/cal. turned out to be a big fat teaser. Until we stopped it two days ago, the girls had been throwing up for two weeks. Usually both would throw up at least once, sometimes more than that. It was so sad for them. And so gross for me.

I have to say that vomit is one thing I do NOT to well. I never have. I even have to close my own eyes when I throw up myself or I'll just throw-up more. In general, baby vomit isn't too bad. Since they don't eat much, it's just milk, and prior to this past week, usually a small amount. Recently though, it's been really gross. The Resource is very full of fat and very rich. Since they weren't digesting it well, when they threw up it looked like curdled milk or cottage cheese. Yuck. Just to be more clear on how thick and fatty this stuff is: I left a sippy cup in the car over-night. When I got it out, the milk was solid - like hardened grease on top of chicken broth. No wonder they couldn't digest it.

So, as of two days ago, we went back to 100% Pedisure. They only had small episodes yesterday: Natalie just had a little spit-up, more like reflux. Abby started coughing in Target and threw up some, but I really think it was due to the coughing more than anything. Today (Friday) has been entirely vomit-free. Yea!!

We are going to try to Resource again - in smaller quanities and more slowly. We pretty much switched from Pedisure to staright Resource. We are going to wait until Monday and then start a 1 oz Resource/5 oz Pedisure mixture. If they tolerate that, we will add another ounce after a few days. Maybe we can at least get up to half and half which will really help with the calories.

Just a note: from the Preemie forum I am on, I know there are some kids who throw up multiple times a day, every day. They often either have really bad reflux or allergies to lots of different foods. All I can say, is God-bless the parents of these kids. Cleaning up vomit and changing clothes over and over sucks. Changing the sheets of a crib (which is way harder than you think) sucks too. I now have even more admiration, respect and awe for those parents who deal with it on a daily basis. I am not worthy.

Move Over Mia Hamm!

Our little Abby is preparing to take the UNC soccer world by storm! I'm not when or how she mastered this skill. We would sometimes take her foot and help her kick the ball, but I've never seen her try it on her own. Suddenly today, however, she's kicking the ball all over the place! It's pretty exciting.

Natalie also likes playing with the balls, in fact she has previously shown more interest than Abby. Natalie mostly likes picking the balls up and carrying them around.

The girls have been really funny lately. They are very into squealing and running up and down the halls and around the living room. I love the running and I'm okay with noise making, but the squealing sort-of gets to me. When I was on staff and served as a counselor at Johns River Valley Camp, one of my cabin rules was, "NO SQUEALING - You are not pigs!" I really don't like squealing. I'm torn though, between trying to quiet them down and encouraging their vocalization. I also want them to learn the concept of "indoor voices" so when we go to restaurants, we aren't obnoxious. I hate it when little kids are screeching and squealing in restaurants and their parents just sit there and don't even bother to try.

Also on the verbal front, Natalie and Abby are adding sounds every day it seems. In the past few days Natalie has added "baa-baa" for sheep. She also seems to be trying quack, quack for duck. Abby is regularly doing "quack, quack" and will sometimes do "baa-baa". Abby will regularly make the sign for doggy and sometimes add a little "oof, oof". Abby is doing really well with the sign "more". We are trying to also apply it to when she wants us to read her book again as well as more food or milk. Natalie will also make the sign for doggy with prompting. Natalie also uses "more" and even more often, the sign for "eat". She will use it when she is thirsty as well. Both use the sign for "all done" when finished eating.

Other than chasing balls, Natalie and Abby are really into their books right now. You can often catch them sitting and turning through the pages of their favorite books. Their favorite books, by the way, include: Brown Bear, The Foot Book, their Baby's First ABC picture book and Baby's First Words, a couple of animal books and anything with cats in it or on it. As you can see, they are very into animals. I have an old fashioned, "The cat says...." spinning toy. It's the kind where you pull the lever and the pointer spins around and says whatever it's pointing to. Natalie LOVES it. It's hard for her to pull the lever, but she's working on it.

The slide is still a big hit, of course. They have even discovered the space under the slide which can somtimes get a little tricky if they get stuck. Ususally, however, it's up the steps, down the slide, up the slide, down the steps, up the steps, down the steps, up the steps, sit on steps, up the steps, push sister off steps, roll ball/car/spoon/block/etc down slide. Two days ago Abby actually took a ball, went up the steps, rolled it down the slide, went down the steps, retrieved the ball, went back up the steps and repeated the process at least 4 times in a row. Now, if I can just get Natalie to fetch the ball and give it back to Abby they will officially be playing a game together.

They do "play" together though - especially in their cribs. Their cribs are end to end and they pass things back and forth before they fall alseep and when they wake up. I will often find all the toys on one side or the other. The girls laugh and babble and touch hands. It's just adorable. Tomorrow, I will post a cute video of them playing after a nap:-) It just makes your heart burst with joy.

Okay - this is long enough...enjoy the video!

18 months old

The girls have had colds, and I just wasn't able to schedule their "official" photo session for this month. So, I've just picked a few cute ones from around the 15th.



Abby and Natalie


Natalie (L) and Abby (R)



At 18 months old, Natalie and Abby are about 14.5 months adjusted age. Their progress has been nothing short of miraculous. I have a copy of some of the criteria they use to test where they are developmentally. From what I can tell looking at the charts, they are even ahead of their actual age in some areas. (Beware - this is very long - it's as much for my own record-keeping as informational for all of you. If child development doesn't thrill you, skip to the end!)

Gross Motor still working on
15 months - crawls up steps (can go up a whole flight!); gets into standing position without using hands; picks up toys from floor without falling
16 months - walks up stairs with help; stands on one foot, slight support
18 months - climbs into adult chair, turns to sit; seats self in small chair; runs; pushes and pulls large objects; throws ball without falling (haven't quite mastered throwing - Abby is close)
19 months - carries large teddy or doll while walking
21 months - creeps backwards down stairs; walks with one foot on walking board (we've never tried this - not surewhat a walking board is)
Fine Motor
12 months - removes lid to find hidden toys; beats 2 spoons together; builds tower of 2-3 blocks after demonstration (we are working on this); places one cube in cup; marks with pencil (we've never tried)
14 months - scribbles vigorously in imitation (an aqua doodle is our next purchase); unwraps toy (haven't really tired this, but I'm sure they can); inserts round shapes into foam board (can put circle in shape sorter); holds 3 cubes
Language - comprehension is much greater than verbal
10 months - responds to verbal request; stops activity when told no-no; calls parent ma-ma and da-da (says the words but not to us really - will point to ben's picture and say da-da)
12 months - follows simple instructions; says 2 words besides ma-ma and da-da (will say kitty, not much else other than animals sounds); jabbers expresively
13 months - looks in appropriate place when asked, where is the ball? (will also go get the ball - can also find sister in another room); imitates simple sounds on request (meow, quack, quack, ruff, ruff, ooo-ooo(monkey), will also do sign for dog, more and all-done)
15 months - uses jargon (what does that mean?); points and vocalizes to indicate wants (brings books to you, hands you toy, will also use sign for more to ask for food or to read book again; also grunts while handing you something to indicate they want you to do something)
18 months - points to pictures in book (ususally cat or cat-like animal such as tiger or fox that looks like a cat); names one object (kitty, doggy - sometimes by sign, Abby will do "fish-face" if she sees a fish picture); follows two direction (this is where they excell - they can follow instructions to do lots of things - get the ball, doll, kitty, book, diaper.. yesterday Nat heard be tlaking about poopies and went and got a diaper and brought it to me); points to one body part when asked (feet, mouth, head, and belly button - eyes, ears, nose all get general points at head area)
Self-help
12 months - finger feeds self for most part; takes off hat, shoes; cooperates in dressing; inhibits drooling (???)
14 months - chews most foods well (well enough for only having 4 teeth with two coming in!); pulls off socks
15 months - climbs stairs on hands and knees (very well and very fast); shows wet or solied pants; overcomes simple objects (and not-so-simple objects); vocalizes and gestures to indicate wants
16 months - holds cup and drinks with some spilling (can hold sippy straw cup and drink well); imitates housework (fav new toy - duster!)
17 months - Fetches or carries familiar objects
18 months - uses spoon with little spilling (they are learning to scoop(yogurt) and eat(put spoon in mouth - they are pretty good); walks up stairs with one hand held; places only edibles in mouth (I wish); Moves about house without adults; Hands empty dish when finished eating (will indicate "all-done" with signs); upzips zippers; gets into adult chair unaided (and adult couch, baby chair, baby kitchen, ottoman, and will use a step, other piece of furniture or toy for a boost); uses toilet when taken by adult (seriously?)
21 months - creeps backwards down stairs
Social/Emotional
9-14 months - Responds to name with head turn, eye contact, smile; responds to verbal request, usually in regard to nursery games; repeats laughed-at performance; begins to establish meaning of no; gives toy to adult upon request; increased dependence on mother during walking stage (certainly attached now!);increased resistence to bedtime (they are very good with bed and naps); wants to be near adults
15 months - stranger anxiety reappears (didn't have it before, but it is here in full force now!)
16 months - imitates grownup activities
17 months - picks up and puts tpys away on request (will pick them up, but not put them away!)
Cognitive (my chart is missing a page but here's a compilation of some things I found from the internet
Between 1-2years - spend more time exploring an object than she has before; turns pages of books (Abby is so cute - she will take a book and sit and flip through it over and over); pays more attention to the actions of others, and may try to imitate those actions like feeding his doll with a cup or spoon.

As you can see, they are doing great! The only area they are having trouble in is their verbal expression. Our feeding therapist (speech therapist) did a small evaluation last week. She agreed their comprehesion is great, but their verbal is not as developed. They are still within normal range for their adjusted age, but compared to everything else, it just looks more delayed. It's hard to know though if it's a preemie thing or a twin thing.

So, for those who are still reading...I'm impressed. For the rest of you who skipped to the bottom - here's the recap...
The girls are brilliant. With the exception of low verbal expression, they are at or ahead in every category for their actual age. It's like watching miracles take place every day.

And as a treat for hanging in this long...a few more pictures:-)

So much to write about...

Where to start...

Well, we have recent teeth sightings. Both Natalie and Abby are getting the teeth on either side of their top two teeth. Natalie's are actually poking through a bit more than Abby's. Fortunately, both girls love having their teeth brushed. I've been using my sonicare, and they love it. They fight over it:-) I bought a new toothbrush for them today so mine won't be all over the house.

Teeth brushing is actually going to be very important. From the preemie forum I'm a member of, I learned that the Pedisure they drink is full of sugar and prone to rotting kid's teeth. One mom said her 2 year old's dentist wants to cap all her teeth already because of the damage. Great. Just great. For those of you who don't know, I'm pretty neurotic about my teeth. At 34, I don't have any cavities. It's takes me at least 4 minutes to brush my teeth. Personally, I can't figure out where that 2 minute thing came from. I mean, if you have 30 teeth, and each tooth has 3 sides (front, top, back), and you spend 3 seconds on each side, that's 270 seconds right there - that's 4.5 minutes right there! Anyway, I digress...so teeth are a big deal to me. I have a reoccurring nightmare that my teeth are falling out in my hands. It's awful. So, the idea that Natalie and Abby's teeth are rotting by the minute is pretty unnerving for me. So, there will be lots of teeth brushing.

Oh the eating front...
The girls seem to be eating better. Natalie has been draining her 6 ounce bottles usually twice a day, sometimes more. We do high chair feedings twice a day and then they nibble from our plates in the evening. We have also started using something called Resource Just for Kids. It's like Pedisure (complete nutrition), but more caloric - 45 cal an ounce. The good thing is that they can drink way less and still get more calories. For instance, if they drink only 15 ounces of Resource it's the same as 22.5 ounces of Pedisure (which they may never do). It's 675 calories which is more than they have been getting. I've estimated they've been eating about 470-540 cal (16-18 ounces) of pedisure a day, and they need nearly 1000cals. It seems like they drink a little less of the Resource, but I'm hoping their volume will increase again. It makes sense since the Resource has more fat and calories and should be more filling.

On the down side, the girls have been throwing up more than they ever have before - especially Abby. I can't quite figure it out. I have identified two definite causes: When they get really upset and cry too hard, they throw up. This is pretty normal for kids though. Lots of kids do this. This doesn't worry me as much. Second, Abby has a tendency to drink really fast from the bear cup. She can drain nearly 5 ounces in about 5 minutes. It's unbelievable. it would be fantastic if she didn't then throw it all up.

Both girls have also been gagging a lot. Natalie seems to do this more. This I'm a little confused about. It seems their reflux has returned, and we are going to restart their Prevacid. But, I'm not sure WHY it's back. We cut out adding cream, duocal and benecalorie (except when they need to poop - that stuff is a great laxative!), because we thought the high fat content was bothering their stomach. But, the vomiting has continued. I'm wondering if it is because they are eating more and at times their stomachs just can't handle it. I have read that some kids do vomit a lot on Pedisure, but they were on it a while before the vomiting really started. Now, I'm also wondering if the higher fat content in the Resource is a problem for them. We are currently using Pedisure and Resource so the problem is hard to isolate.

I'm not a big fan of the vomiting. It's especially troublesome on road trips - like to and from my dad's. Abby woofs down Pedisure, throws up all over herself and her car seat (it even drips through the strap openings to the base), and then I have to spread a blanket on the ground, strip her, change her, clean her up, hold her with one arm so she doesn't eat God-knows-what off the ground while I use a dozen wipes to clean out her car seat. Then I have to fashion some kind of cover so she doesn't have to sit on a wet car seat cover. The whole thing takes at least 30 minutes. On the bright side, at least she's not a projectile vomiter. I mean, it could go all over the back of the seat.

Okay, on to more pleasant things...
I think I gave birth to monkeys. Natalie and Abby climb on EVERYTHING. They love their slide and climb up and down it every way possible. They can also now climb on the couch unassisted, which is not necessarily a good thing. Since they have no concept of depth perception or the idea that if they climb over the arm of the couch, they will fall on their heads, it could be a little dangerous. Yesterday, Abby had a little routine: use the book shelf next to the ottoman to climb on the ottoman. Crawl across ottoman sometimes pausing to stand up, just because she can. Then using the ottoman as a launching pad, she climbs across a small gap across the arm of the couch onto the couch. Then she walks across the couch to the other side where she wants to climb over the other arm of the couch. That's usually where I stop her since that's the part that could result in a concussion. I take her off the couch, and she starts the whole thing over again. Monkeys, I tell you, monkeys.

More to say, but if I don't post now, I may never get this out!

There and Back Again

Obviously, we've been gone :-) Natalie, Abby and I have been in VA since Saturday. If you remember, my dad still uses dial-up and using the computer is just way too frustrating. It's not Dad's fault really; cable (ie. high speed internet) simply doesn't come out to his house. It's odd really, he's not even far from town. The Super(24 hour) Walmart is only about 7 minutes away. It's very odd. Poor Dad.

In any case, I couldn't post because I simply don't have the patience for it. Right now, I don't have the time, but I will catch everyone up in the next few days. I just wanted to let everyone know we are still here!

I will add one small thing. When we finally arrived home this afternoon, the girls chased the cats around the house laughing adn shouting, "kitty, kitty". It was so funny. They were so excited to see their kitties. The cats were less enthused.