A hairstyle?

Couldn't let this go undocumented. I think Adeline may be starting to sport a hairstyle. This unruly hair didn't look half bad left out of the ponytail

Is it finally happening?

Are my girls really starting to "play" with one another? I continue to ask my mommy friends who have three kids, "How do you get them to play together and without being the facilitator?" Well, I am not sure you do.

I have been told it emerges over time and I am starting to believe.

Just the other night, Savannah points out, "Look Mommy, all three girls are playing Legos." And by golly, they were!! Of course, five minutes later Savannah was mad at Lila for tearing her tower down and Adeline was getting inched out of space but. . . five minutes is a start!!

Today, Adeline woke up with a cough and Lila thought it was great fun to mimic her. This, in turn, made Adeline laugh which sent Lila over the top with laughter.

Savannah and Lila have taken to chasing one another and find it very entertaining. Thank goodness Lila is tough because she can take a beating from time to time. She slips and falls, runs into walls and is often pinned down by her sister during her hysterical attempt to get away.

Yes, I am happy to have "my girls," as one friend always puts it. It may be harder, more hectic and frustrating at times but I am beginning to see how three is a good number.

As stated by my good friend Becky, "The greatest gift you can give your children is a sibling."

I am finally a believer!!!

A glimpse of what the future holds. . .

Overworked and Under-napped

After a long morning without a nap followed by a session of occupational therapy, Adeline passed out on the family room floor. I had to take a picture because this something Savannah and Lila Grace would NEVER do. Adeline, on the other hand, will take her nap where ever she is.

The poor baby didn't even make it through her bottle!

A Trip to Costco/Memory Lane

A few evenings ago, I decided to pack the girls up and head out to Costco. It sounded much more appealing than listening to the whines and fusses of the nighttime "witching hour." On our way there, Savannah asked, "Mommy do you remember when you had to sit in a wheelchair at Costco?" At first, I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about but suddenly it came to me, along with that reminiscent pit in my stomach.

And so the story goes. . .

After being discharged just over 48 hours after having the girls, I was a lost soul. Driving home without the babies, leaving them fighting for life, wondering how we were going to do this for months - not days, and finally, trying to figure out how to fit back into my old life left me overwhelmed. My first line of defense - outside of lying in bed and crying all day- was pretending it was all just a bad dream. "I am going to regain NORMALCY!" And like any faithful Washingtonian would do, I headed to Costco.

I head into Costco, thinking that I am really in the state of mind to browse. Of course, five minutes later I am weak in my feet, dizzy and dripping with sweat. In the name of "NORMALCY" I tell Alex to push me in a wheelchair and we will continue our outing. I know, it all sounds far from normal but in my wacky state of mind I thought it was.

Those days were surreal, one moment I was fine and the next moment I had such a severe pit in my stomach that I had to sit down in order to not pass out. It took a good two weeks for me to stand in the NICU while being debriefed by a doc or nurse.

So what is my point???

Looking back to that day while, at the same time, driving all three of my girls to Costco, I count my blessings. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that my girls would be hanging out in the backseat while Mommy drives them to Costco when just 17 months prior, the thought of my "girls" made weak on my feet.

Just when I start to fed up with typical toddler fussiness, I am given a bit of perspective by my four year old. God works in mysterious ways!

Heaven

Savannah just can't wrap her head around the concept of Heaven. It seems like every day there is a conversation about Heaven that leaves her puzzled and me without the perfect answers. As I am driving this evening, Savannah asks:

"Can you take your toys with you to Heaven?"

"I don't know sweetie."

"Why don't you know?"

"Because I have never been there."

"Well, just call Heaven and see if we can? Just call Mary and Joseph, they will be able to tell you."

"They don't have phones in Heaven."

"Just give Mary your cell phone. Let her borrow it so she can talk on it."

"I don't think that is going to work."

"But Mommy, I need to know if I can take Bunny to Heaven."


Between the questions about eating and sleeping in Heaven and Savannah telling us we can keep something forever ("You can even take it with you to Heaven) I am at a loss of how to explain the unexplainable. Can someone please tell me how to explain Heaven to a four year old because this Mommy doesn't seem to have all the answers?

Never a Dull Moment

I have spent many hours (days??) worrying whether or not the girls will be "normal." A large part of "normal," is the picture I have in my head. Girls who can WALK, talk and move like your average person. It is hard to believe, but there was a time when no one could tell me whether or not either girl would do any of the above. I had visions of wheelchairs, walkers, and walking with a limp. Well, those visions are slowly being pushed to the back of my mind. Not forgotten entirely, but by no means as big of a concern as they once were.

I look at my girls and I can't believe how much they have accomplished. Lila Grace continues to move, climb and walk in ways that I never imagined. Having never experienced a climber, explorer or mischievous child, I am constantly surprised when I walk around the corner. For example, I hear the twins babbling to one another and banging toys around on the train table while I clean up after dinner. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would find Lila Grace standing in the center of the table while Adeline happily cruises from side to side.
Adeline, is making slow but steady progress. She has learned to cruise, get up and down from standing (while supported), and climb in and out of things like train table drawers. This is the baby that five months ago couldn't sit up!!!! Slow and steady wins the race, right???


Although this ability to move and transition into a variety of positions keeps me on my toes and some days, continually wiping tears away, I am grateful for it. I guess that is why I have mixed emotions when I see my children in precarious positions. Do I grab the camera or assist them to safer grounds? I guess it all goes to show that children don't ever disappoint. Although, I may underestimate my girls at times, they never underestimate themselves.

These Shoes Were Made for Walking!

I finally broke down and bought the girls a pair of shoes. They have been wearing the Robeez moccasin shoes for the past four months. I love them because they are like walking around with bare feet and don't come off unless Mommy takes them off. Unfortunately, the girls' physical therapist started requesting time in shoes which sent me to the shoe store in search of shoes!

Well, Adeline doesn't seemed bothered by her shoes. Off or on, she doesn't care. Lila Grace cares!! She can't stand wearing them on carpet. She stumbles, trips and eventually sits down and takes them off. Often I see one hanging from the mouth as she "limps" over to me requesting that I take the other shoe off as well. This "shoe frustration" seems to subside when she is downstairs. Oh, the clickety clack of the soles on the hardwood floors is music to Lila Grace's ears. If you catch her with her shoes on downstairs, she is most likely doing laps. . . back and forth with a few giggles in between.