Happy Birthday Savannah!

These past 365 days have been big for my Savannah. She is growing into a beautiful girl both inside and out. 

b-day @ Yahoo! Video

My worries of her never emerging from her shell have long since passed.  My concerns for her standing her ground, making sure her voice is heard, and believing in herself have been cast aside - at least for now anyway.

My Savannah has emerged!.  These past few years, she has spent much time peeking her head out of our warm and comfortable nest.  Recently, she has begun to venture outside of it.   Savannah has gracefully loosened her grip of my hand while trying to discover who she.  It breaks my heart - I mean really breaks my heart - to watch her forge ahead without my hand in her's.   However, as I watch Savannah create that necessary distance in order carve her way in this world, I see her standing strong on the foundation of values we worked hard to build.   She is smart, compassionate, and crazy-fun all at once.  Possibly what is most remarkable about her is how she lives her life outside of herself.  You only have to be around her for a small time to realize that this girl is different.  Savannah sees the world through the eyes of others.  Because of this, she has deep insight, endless compassion, and a burning desire to right all of the wrongs.  I always tell her that she is going to do great things in this world.  I just can't wait to see what they are.

Do you think they can be done from inside the nest?  I would even settle for one foot in and one foot out.

The Last Faces of Six

Here are Savannah's last six year old pictures.  The next time we see her pretty face, she will be seven.  She and her daddy had a great time taking these pictures.  Even Bunny got in on the action. Seven. . . really??? 

I thought she was turning 7, not 17!!!  Since when does she put a hand on the hip???

Babysitter

Savannah put the twins to bed for us tonight.  She read them their stories and tucked them in.  The girls were just as they are for us when Savannah tried to leave the room.  Fun to put to bed but won't let you walk out of their room.  That is when they get cranky and I get frustrated.  They wanted water, headbands, the door open and the lights on.  I let Savannah struggle for awhile because I knew she really wanted to have them quiet and in bed with no help.  I did have to step in eventually.

Once the girls were in bed Savannah and I came downstairs and this is what she said.  "They are just such sweet girls Mommy.  I really enjoy spending time with them.  It was nice reading their stories.  That was just so enjoyable."

Wow, I thought she would have been frustrated that she didn't get them 100% to bed.  I guess I could take a lesson or two and not get so frustrated by their bedtime tactics.  Savannah did mention that she could make it her job to put them to bed every Saturday night.  Hmmm, how old does one have to be to babysit?

4 Year Old Appointment

The girls had their four year old checkups this week.  It is always a brutal day because their doctor is all the way in the city.  It takes us a good hour door to door and always forces us to miss the nap.  Each girl is always thrilled to go until in the building and then fights me every step of the way.  I always arrive home exhausted.

Before we saw the docs, the girls had to have their weights, heights, and BP done.  There was a resounding, "NO squeezy squeezy!," which is what we call the blood pressure cuff.  Adeline was a mess just being in the same room with it but Lila put on her brave face allowed the cuff to be wrapped around her arm.  I was very proud of her.  The vitals are always the hardest part of the appointment for Adeline.  There is a lot of touching and it moves quickly.  We were barely able to get her to stand on the scale.  The unknown really freaks her out in these situations.  She screamed, "It's not noisy!" but couldn't process that it wasn't going to move or make noise when we told her.  Here she is sporting her fifth percentile weight.  30 pounds continues to elude the girl.  

While waiting in the room, the girls took out the crayons and entertained themselves which is a far cry from years past.  Here is Lila's drawing of Adeline with a squeezy squeezy (I drew the cuff).  She tried really hard to make her look scared and added tears.  I think she did a great job.

 

This visit went pretty well.  We love Dr. McNett but see him only once or twice a year since our Pulmonologist stands in as our sick doctor.  Dr. McNett sees special babies and we are happy to be under his care.  He has seen it all and always comments on how remarkable the girls are.  This time was no exception.

First, we are visited by his resident.  This is the only appointment that I will give a resident the time of day.  Why?  Because they actually read the chart!  They sit for at least a half an hour and read the history of the girls.  It is long, involved, and leaves them wondering who they will meet when entering the room, but they always do it. 

The girls responded well to the resident.  He started by asking how they were developmentally using questions such as, "I bet the stairs are really hard for them, can they do them independently yet."  He was surprised to hear how much they can do and really surprised when they started talking to him.  He wasn't expecting sentences and, boy, was he wrong.  We have to remember that he sees special babies and we the very lucky ones when it comes to this population of children.

Next, Dr. McNett came in to see the girls.  They looked at books and just talked.  It gave him a chance to get a feel for them.  He was thrilled.  He was also able to help us out with some of Lila's stomach issues - possible constipation that presents as diarrhea.  Don't ask me how.  Other than that, it was no news is good news.  

The worst part of the appointment was the shots.  Each girl received four boosters!  It was awful and they were so hurt by it.  Dr. McNett held Adeline for me while Lila and I stepped out.  Miss Adeline was so upset when they opened the door.  I felt like I betrayed her.  Lila wasn't going to let Dr. McNett hold her so I had to which broke my heart as well.  

We left crying.  I walked down the side walk, in the middle of city, with a girl on either hand crying.  However, they recovered after I spied a Dunkin Donuts.  They were able to hold the tears in when ordering but when I mentioned that they had just received four shots to the man behind the counter, both girls broke out in sobs.  I guess the girls were a pretty compelling case because our donuts were free!

Looks Like Only One is Going to Fly the Next

When I asked Lila what she wanted to be when she grew up, her first reponse was, "A Pumpkin."  Funny how we were just looking at a pumpkin Savannah had drawn.  After a couple of pensive moments, Miss Lila said, "I can't be a pumpkin, it would get in my mouth."  I guess this is how a mind a four year old works?

We moved past the pumpkin and tried other options but she didn't bite.  Finally, I asked her if she wanted to have a baby when she was big like me and she said, "Yes."  Then she hesitated and asked, with wondering eyes, "Will the baby poop?"  I told her yes and she was thrilled.  Poop is in every round of the Baby/Mommy game that is played non-stop in this house.  I asked Lila if she was going to snuggle her baby and she said, "NO."  The baby will be stinky, YUCK."

Lila Grace ended the conversation a few seconds later with, "Actually Mommy, when I get big I just want to snuggle you. Okay?"

During this conversation, Adeline poked her head in my door and told me, "I am going to drive a BIG bus when I get big Mom." 

Looks like Lila and Savannah are planning to live with me forever, while their sister cruises through life driving a big bus.  Only time will tell. . .

Interantional Peace Day 2010

Today, West Chester Friends celebrated Peace Day 2010. The entire school comes together for a peace parade.  This year, the school participated in Pinwheels for Peace , which was a nice way for the students to feel a part of a larger communtiy. Because Savannah's school is Quaker, peace is a very serious subject.  The children don't just talk about it, they really try to put it in to action.  Some students are more successful than others, and I can tell you that Savannah takes this day seriously.

I had the pleasure of bringing Adeline, Lila and Charlotte to the parade.  Adeline wouldn't let go of Savannah's hand and assimilated to the first grade line nicely.  It is very excitng to be a first grader on Peace Day because each first grader holds a paper mache peace dove while leading the school on their 15 minute march.  This parade is a silent one as students are called to think about their community and communities across the world and how they can make a peaceful impact on both.  The three little girls did a great job respecting the silence and treking along with T. Connie's class.  Adeline was most proud of her big sister and wanted the entire school to know she belonged to Savannah.

After the parade, students placed their pinwheels in front of the meeting house in order to be a public display reminder to all those who drive by - and there are MANY cars each day.   Next, we came together as a circle of Friends and were recognized by the Mayor and Head of School. The celebration ended with some touching songs that were accompanied by four year old dancing.

Watching these three march with the big kids, sing, and dance was rather inspiring. Four years ago all three were figting for life, side by side, in the NICU. Never did I imagine that it was life where all three girls would walk, talk, and function independently. Imagine how I felt today watching them walk hand in hand with Savannah, so proud to be a part of the big kids! While they warmed many hearts today, mine was the warmest! I was the only one that knew the magnitude of their march.

Manners!

My friend Miss Sara brought Lila home from school today.  When I walked out to get her, she stood up in Miss Sara's van while looking her straight in the eye and said, "Thanks for driving me home in your car."  Her words weren't in the proper order and I don't know exactly how they came out.  But I do know that she was trying to say the above without any prompting from me.  I am thrilled that she recognized the need for a proper thank you!

Getting Older

On the way to school this morning, Savannah asked me if I remembered how she used to take Santa gifts.  I told her I did and that I always thought it was so sweet.  She responded with, "I think I am getting a little too old to do those kind of things now."

Two minutes later she told me that she wasn't sure that she wanted to have kids.  "I think I would just rather live with you and daddy when I grow up."

She is getting older but she isn't ready to fly the nest just yet.

Who's the baby?

Yesterday, the twins had the most phenomenal day together.  Alex and I sat out on the deck researching cars while the twins played a solid 5 hours together.  One must brace him/herself for this one. . .  THE TWINS LEFT US ALONE THE ENTIRE TIME!  Yes, they never fought, never checked in, and never needed us for one thing.  They played and played and played some more.  They made up games, role played as a mommy and baby, cooked food (Thomas Train track pieces) and laughed their little heads off.  They even tried to play a board game together.  It was so cute, very endearing and, most notably, rare.  My friend always tells me that we have the kids we raise.  Suffice it to say, we don't raise very independent kids.  Somehow, our kids are always sharing our space, attaching themselves to our hips or, if ignored, biting at our ankles.  This was clearly not the case yesterday.

A day later, the tides have changed.  While sitting at the dinner table, Adeline played the mommy card.  Alex and I are always encouraging Lila to eat but tonight, Adeline felt that she needed to be the boss.  After telling Lila that she needed to eat her chicken or go sit in her bed, I turned to Adeline and said,

"Adeline you are not the Mommy."

A:  (very serious) Yes I am

Me:  Are you a Mommy Adeline?

A:  Yes!

M:  Well who is your baby?

A:  That girl right over there.  (pointing across the table with a very straight face)  Lila Grace is my baby.

We were all laughing hysterically which helped her bypass the point I was trying to make.

First Full Week

School has officially begun.  Savannah and Adeline had a full five day week and Lila Grace had her typical three day week.  It has been exhausting and exciting all at the same time.  Here are some of the highlights - if I can stay awake to type them.

Adeline started the first day of school at her mainstream preschool.  It was very hard to not walk into Mrs. Stueve's classroom.  She has been her teacher for two years now and part of the family as well.  Luckily, Adeline is my go with the flow girl when it comes to school.  After expressing over and over again in the car that she wanted to go to Mrs. Stueve's classroom, Adeline put on her happy face and walked in to Mrs. Feinstein's classroom.  She didn't have any nerves and happily joined some boys playing with cars.  I should note that Mrs. Feinstein was Mrs. Stueve's assistant when Adeline was in the twos program.  It is clear that she is proud of my little girl.  I look forward to watching Adeline fall in love with her all over again!

All of the feedback has been positive for Adeline. Mrs. Feinstein says that she is very independent, rarely wants help, and is engaging in all of the activities. They made an art display of rainbow feet and out of 14 colored feet, Adeline was able to pick out hers (honestly, they all looked alike to me). I was thrilled.

On Tuesday, Lila Grace started swim lessons. I was expecting a lot of push back from my not so flexible girl. She powered through with no tears. I have her enrolled in a 30 minute weekly private session which is over the recommended time for 4 year olds. Lila hung in there and I was very pleased. It is my hope that swimming helps strengthen her core as well as enhance her motor planning.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent looking at new, or new to us, cars. Daddy's car has sprung a fuel leak and, unfortunately, the part is no long manufactured. It looks like the car I brought all three of my babies home in, is going to be replaced. Existing as a one car family isn't really working for us but lugging all three kids to a car lot isn't so great either.

Our week ended with Savannah running in her first race.  Elementary schools from around the area gather in a local park for half mile runs.  Savannah was very excited to run this morning.  However, when I picked her up this afternoon, she had changed her mind.  I believe that her nerves were getting to her since she didn't know how the run was going to play out.  I encouraged her to give it a try and she did.  Luckily, her friend Ella was there to be her running buddy.  Actually, there were a lot of West Chester Friends students running by her side.

Savannah ran the entire way at a nice pace.  She and Ella heeded the "slow and steady" advice and crossed the finish line in the middle of the pack.  I was pretty proud of my big girl.

I think we are all excited that the week is over.  It was full of fun activities but all three of my girls appeared very tired this evening.  We will be sleeping in an taking it easy tomorrow.  I'm exhausted and this is only week one. 

First Day of 1st Grade

How different first grade is when compared to Kindergarten.  I was an emotional wreck last year.  This year was a different story.  It appears that my once shy and timid girl, has grown into quite a strong and confident girl.  Savannah was not nervous for her first day of school in the least bit.  She couldn't wait for the day to come.  She loves T. Connie and has heard that students learn a lot and do many interesting projects in first grade.  Savannah is my girl who loves to learn!

So, as I tucked my not so little and shy girl into bed, I read her, The Kissing Hand, just like I did last year.  The difference was that, this year, she only thought it to be a cute story.  Last year, she needed to believe that she held my love in her hand throughout her days at school.  Yes, I know, this is all just a simple step in letting go (just a little bit I hope) and starting to carve her way through the world without her Mommy with her every second of everyday. 

Savannah woke up extra early on her first day of school.  I didn't matter much because she was still the LAST child to arrive and found that her line had left her behind.  It rattled me a bit but not my girl.  She was happy to take staff member's hand and be escorted to class.  With quick wave and goodbye Miss Savannah Mae officially entered first grade!

The traditional Quaker handshake at end the day with, Head of School, T. Matt.

I should mention that she loved every minute of the day and told me, once she was in the car on the way home, "Mommy, this is the first time that I am not excited for you to pick me up.  This is the first time that I would rather stay at school."  Of course this is what I have wished for but you know the saying that goes something like this:  Be careful what you wish for . . .

Miss Lila's First Day of School

Lila started school today.  She was so excited that she went to sleep wearing her backpack.   Lila didn't get all the glory that she would have typically gotten because her preschool is devastated by the loss of Aidan.  The moms tried to put on our brave faces and leave the tears at home but the attempts were futile.

Lila was a little nervous upon entering her classroom and froze like a statute.  She had no desire to move or put her name in the basket.  Luckily, Lila's good friend Miss Hayden was already there and upon realizing this, Lila promptly picked out her name, deposited it in the the basket, and sat down to play cars.  I asked Lila if I could have a hug and kiss goodbye and she said, "No Mommy.  I just busy playing."  I squeezed on out of her anyway and went on my way.

She looks so old!

Dentist and Special Day Out with the Big Girl

After dropping Adeline at school, both Savannah and Lila had dentist appointments. I was pleased to hear that they are brushing well. I think I can allow Lila to brush without my coming in behind her to ensure the job was well done.

Lila was referred to an Orthodontist. She has a very small palate which is going to need expanding if the upper jaw is to grow along with the lower jaw. I knew it was coming but didn't expect it so soon.  It is common for preemies to have high/small palates from all the tubes that were in their mouths for weeks on end.

Later that evening, I had our babysitter come over to watch the girls (Daddy is gone) so that I could take Savannah on a special night with mommy before her first day of school. She chose a paint your own pottery place. We were both very excited to get away together.

Unfortunately, we received some devastating new on the ride there. One of Savannah's old classmates collapsed suddenly and died on Saturday. I was a sobbing mess upon hearing the news and was forced to tell Savannah. We held each other and cried together. We prayed and cried some more.

I knew I had to push forward with our plans and am glad that I did. Savannah recovered and really enjoyed herself. She understood the tears that were running down my cheeks during our painting session. She went back and forth with her conversations. Questions about sweet Aidan and why he died and then on to her birthday party plans. I guess it was age appropriate under the circumstances. I was happy that she wasn't devastated by my sadness.

Here Savannah is working on her ladybug plate that is meant to hold her ladybug cake for her upcoming ladybug birthday party.

Adeline's First Day of Preschool - school #1

Adeline's developmental classroom started up again this week.  Miss A was so excited to go back to school that she would name off her teachers one by one randomly during the days before.  There are five of them!  She was equally excited to see all five. 

Adeline couldn't fall asleep the night before and was chatting up a storm until 11:00 p.m.  No worries about being cranky in the morning.  Once I extracted her from the bed (not and easy task) she perked up and couldn't wait to wear her backpack. 

Here she is, Miss swollen sleepy eyes!

Adeline was the first to arrive at school.  Yes, that was a first for her as we are always the last.  She got the undivided loves from her teachers.  Once she spotted Miss Lois, she broke free from my hands and ran - really ran - chanting, "Miss Lois, Miss Lois."  I caught the loving embrace! 

Unfortunately, her day ended on a sad note.  Miss Louise, her beloved bus driver, was rerouted and Adeline was assigned to a minivan.  She was beside herself.  The little yellow bus is the best part of her day.  Last year, if I picked her up and didn't let her ride the bus, I had to drag a kicking a screaming Adeline to my car.  This day, I was holding a sobbing and sad Adeline who was chanting, "I want my Louise, I want my Louise."  It really broke my heart.  I suspect I will be her transportation home as a minivan with a who knows where this car seat has been ride is not my idea of safe transportation for my four year old. 

Speaking of Faces. . .

This girl has one for every occasion!  She is adorable one moment and has her tongue and eyes popping out of her head the next.  I think she is the queen of funny faces.

Faces We Love and Miss

Wolf family faces. . .

Shaw family faces. . . not as many photo ops with the Shaw side :(