Graphic - don't look if you don't want to see staples

At first I couldn't see the staples but if you look in the exact middle of the picture you can see two of the three clearly. Poor baby!

But this was taken just two days later and does she look like she's hurting? Maybe it's the bottle of wine that is easing the pain......KIDDING!

If You Are Afriad of Messes....Close Your Eyes Now

FULL BODY PAINTING.........................

Ellery

Emily

Now doesn't that look like fun!?! Thank goodness they do activities like this at school so I don't have to feel like a bad mommy for never letting my kids make messes like this!

Ellery is in the top left corner and I think Em is one who isn't really getting painted

Emily's ER Visit

Our Star

Check this off our list of firsts. Emily had her first visit to the ER on Sunday. She was sitting in her booster seat that attaches to the dining room chair. For some reason she was starting to throw a tantrum and was pushing with her legs off the table and making her chair rock. Before we could get to her she pushed hard enough to push the chair over backwards. The chair hit the floor followed by Emily's head hitting the chair seconds later. I thought she was just scared and mad until I saw the blood and the cut. We wasted no time and loaded Em & Elle into the car and headed for the ER. An hour and a half later we were home and Emily had three staples in the back of her head. She's doing great and if you didn't know she had hurt herself you'd never guess. Girlfriend has a high pain tolerance and she didn't get it from her mom.

At school on Monday her teacher was singing "Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" and when she got to the part that said "one fell off and bumped her head" Emily started to giggle and say "Emi, Emi, Emi", while patting the top of her head. What a smart girl! We go to the Dr on Friday to have the staples removed. That should be fun.

Both girls are talking up a storm. They will attempt to say anything you tell them. They repeat EVERYTHING. They said "mommydaddy" over and over and over again. They've turned into little girls and are no longer little babies. We have the tantrums and attitudes to prove it. They are acting their age in every way possible.

Snow!

Yesterday the Portland area got quite a surprise when it started snowing. We ended up with a few inches and a messy traffic situation for the evening. I wasn't a nice mom and didn't take the girls outside but we watched in the window. The girls thought it was really cool! Chloe the dog came in with snow on her back and once the girls realized the white stuff was cold and wet they didn't have any desire to go outside.

December Activities

This month has flown by! We've celebrated the Hanukkah season, Andy and I and my parents took an 8 day cruise to Mexico, and while we were gone the girls stayed with their Grammy and papa for 9 entire days! Everyone seemed to have a blast whether they were on vacation, babysitting their granddaughters, or staying with grandparents for the longest trip yet. Here's a few pictures of what we've been up to.

Happy Hanukkah

Ellery & Emily with their new Teddy Bears
Ellery feeding her baby doll
Emily feeding her baby doll

Hanukkah with Grammy & Papa

Coolest Hanukkah present. A Bouncy Castle!! Thanks Uncle Joe, Auntie Tayva, and Ziva!

bouncy, bouncy, bouncy!
Static!

Playing "nap time" in the bouncy castle

Pitiful Christmas Tree

Since we were on the cruise over Christmas we kind of skipped it this year. We didn't do a tree - mostly because we wouldn't be here to enjoy it and also because the girls are at that age where they'd be messing with it and probably trying to figure out a way to pull it over or climb up it. I figured we could take this year off and next year start the holiday traditions.

This picture had to be taken on or around Christmas so I figure this counts as the "E & E's second Christmas" photo.


Seaside

While Grammy & Papa were watching the girls they spent some time in Portland but most of it in Seaside.

Doogers with Grammy & Papa

E & E's favorite store. COSTCO! They love the "try-outs"

Watch out world, we've got two new drivers

Um, Papa....please tell me that is water. ;)

Big News for Emily!

On Tuesday the girls went to the Developmental Pediatrician for their 18 month (adjusted) follow up (they will be 22months later in Dec) The appointment went amazingly well and the girls were given glowing reports on just how far they've come since being born 14 weeks early. The best news of the day was that Emily is FINALLY on the full term baby growth chart! She's in the 3rd percentile and I couldn't be happier. Ellery made it on the chart at our last appointment is in the 25th percentile. Emily now weighs 21lbs and Ellery is 23.5lbs. I could swear that they weigh more than that and when I checked our weight records from August they haven't gained very much. BUT...those weight measurements were taken at different Dr offices so each scale is a little different. I was hoping we'd be done with the program but the Developmental Dr said while she doesn't have any concerns she still wants to have a least a yearly check in. I'm not sure how I feel about that since these appointments haven't been very helpful, but I'll see how things go.

Fun at School!

PONYTAILS!!

Look at all of those teeth!!!

Emily playing "peek" on the playground.

Thankgiving Weekend!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! We have a lot to be thankful about this year. Our precious miracle babies are healthy and happy and amaze us each and every day. We have wonderful family & friends and are truly blessed to have them all in our lives.

This is our big holiday with both sides of the family this year. Everyone was in Portland and it was a lot of fun. However, as our cruise over the Winter holiday rapidly approaches I get a little more apprehensive. I can leave my babies for a weekend very (if not too) easily BUT can I really leave them for 9 days? I know they will be fine, but really if I had known they wouldn’t be coming on this trip I would have planned a little shorter of a vacation. The more I think of it the more stressed out I get. So….trying not to dwell too much but then I start to think about how to pack for Mexico in December and now I have a second thing to stress over.

A cute delivery from Diapers.com. (note, Em's pony tail!)

Eating breakfast with hats!

Pre-Thanksgiving!
They are in the wrong chairs. Actually...they always seem to be.

Nerds!

Ellery found the pen with all the "sign here" tabs and proceeded to pull our every single one of them and stick them to her head. Why her head you ask?? I have no idea.
Emily decided to join in the fun but her "sign here" fell off and landed on her shoulder.

Playing in the laundry basket or toy box is so much fun! So fun that we do it EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!