Catching up Blog Post

First off I had a birthday... I am officially 35... The actual day was really nice.. The girls went to Music Class and then to daycare and I got a few things done at home. That evening I wore my new knitted top...yes I finished it) and Lee took me out for dinner. Afterwards we stopped by my knitting group where one of the ladies there presented me with some very very yummy Rice Krispy Treats... my favorite. The next day I worked on a cake for myself, mom and D since our birthdays are soo close together. I also made a cake for my daycare provider's son who just turned 5. The cake came out sooo well. S&D were spending the weekend at Grandma's so the girls and I joined them on Friday afternoon and spent the night so all 4 kids could play together. We had a great time even though Grandma and I didn't agree about a few things.

Here's the new top...

I heart Sock Monkeys

Yes I love Sock monkeys... and after watching Mr Magorium's Magical Emporium tonight with Lee I decided that I want to make sock monkeys for Anna and Lily.. I actually already have the supplies needed...though I need to find some thread, a needle and some straight pins. I had bought the supplies (ok it's a kit)... some time ago.. when having babies was on the horizon but not a reality yet. Heck I like to plan ahead.. I might need some assistance though from my mom. She made me a sock monkey when I was approx 6 years old. The ones I will be making are mini sized ones so we'll see how it goes.

I also want to make the sock monkeys at this point in time since one of my favorite kid clothing stores is coming out with a line who's theme is Sock Monkeys (though I'm not supposed to know this info already but I have reliable sources) and I am thrilled to pieces about this.. So I NEED to make Anna and Lily their own sock monkeys.. I may need to figure out a different way to do the eyes though since Googly eyes aren't safe for babies and that is what is in the kit.. I may also use some of my yarn in my knitting stash for the ribbon that goes around the monkey's neck instead of the ribbon given in the kit..

Wish me luck???

Walking , Talking and Teething

Wow I am so amazed by Anna's progress in trying to be more and more mobile over time. Today she has decided to try to start walking. She took 4 steps at one point at Grandma's today and then has taken up to 2 or 3 steps here at the apartment. We did get at least one of those steps on video today... Once again though I am left wondering how long it will take Lily to catch up to Anna and start taking steps herself (without anyone holding them as they take steps).

Talking has started.. I've heard so many words lately... "Thank you, Kitty (or Kitty cat), Momma, mommy, Dada, Daddy, Duck, Cat, Cup"... and these are the ones I can remember hearing them say.

As for the teeth.. I was trying (in vain) to count the teeth that we have yesterday. It didn't go well. I can definitely tell that Anna has at least 8 teeth that I can see but I can't tell if her 1 year molars have arrived yet. Lily I know has 10 teeth which includes her 1 year molars on the bottom but today she wouldn't let me check any of her teeth and instead showed me her tongue.. Lovely. Thanks baby.. I love you.

Two Years already.. (warning: TMI at moments)

I was driving last weekend with a friend to see the new Harry Potter movie and we were talking about kids and our journeys to having them...as we talked I realized that I was coming up on 2 years from when I started my journey to have Anna and Lily.

I did my first shots on July 31st 2007 and came home with the BIG BAG of drugs a couple days before that. That bag was a scary propositon for me. Up until the day that the BAG arrived in my life I was truly hoping to go low-tech for my babies. Unfortunately for us... Low-Tech wasn't working so we had to step our efforts up a notch and go High-Tech and eventually do an IVF cycle. This involved Birth Control pills (what an oxymoron when you're trying to GET pregnant) and the HUGE Bag of Drugs. I picked it up during my lunch hour and I swear I practically cried all the way back to the office. I was tempted to go through the bag at the office but somehow I was able to wait till I got home from work to go through the bag. The contents included: Lupron, Gonal-f, Repronex (the Gonal-f and the Repronex had to be taken together), HCG, Cefoxitin, Doxycycline, Valium,PIO (Progesterone in Oil) and Vivelle Patches.

The reason I remember the date was coming up was because I had heard that the Beach Boys were coming to Boston for a FREE concert (on 7/25/09) and it triggered the memory of being at the Free Concert that they's had 2 years ago (8/18/07)and how I had to scramble to get home to take my last Gonal-f and Repronex shot since I was scheduled to have blood drawn and an Ultrasound the next day (which was my 33rd birthday). I also remember the date because in true Cheryl fashion, I scrapbooked every little thing about our one and only IVF cycle that led to our Twin Pregnancy. I doubt that I'll ever be Pregnant again so I made sure to document everything that I could.

Quack Quack Waddle Waddle

anyone else remember that McDonald's commercial besides me...

Anyway.. Lee and I took the girls to the Children's Museum in Boston today ... the weather wasn't perfect (torrential downpours at some points) but it started out as a nice day. The girls seemed to have a fabulous day since after we left the museum they both took naps in the umbrella strollers that we had them in.. When we left the musuem the rain had cleared up and Lee took us for a small stroll down to the Harbor via the Harbor Walk. Before we got too far though I realized that one of my Dad's buildings (Fed Reserve) was just about perfectly aligned from where we were and I couldn't pass up the photo opportunity (photos to come soon) since it means so much to me.. (heck we might even need to do this many more times in the future as they get older). We eventually wound up at the NEAq's (New England Aquarium) Harbor Seal exhibit. Lily totally was in love with the seals and I bet could have watched them for the rest of the day if we had let her.. eventually we wandered down to Fanueil Hall for cookies from the Chipyard and happened to see an exhibit of some sort for the Wii Sports Resort game. Oh yeah we had to definitely stop and play. Lee is much better at Canoeing than I am but we are both spookily good at Archery. I wanted to do the Bowling game but the line was long and we wanted to go to Haymarket to get some fresh Fruits and Veggies. We got that done and then were literally heading to the car (at Wellington station - I don't drive into Boston unless I absolutely have to) when we noticed that it was about to rain again. We barely got the girls into the car and Boom ... here comes the rain. I got totally soaking wet and it had barely let up when we got back to the apartment and then it started downpouring once again when I went back out to the car to get the fruits and veggies we had bought.

Quack Quack Waddle Waddle... I feel like a duck today...

They <3 Rubber Ducks

So we used to have a blow-up frog spout cover in the tub. But recently someone (Lily) bit it and it just hasn't been the same. So I knew I needed to go to Target to get something that they couldn't bite and make useless. At my mom's house, she had gotten a duck spout cover when S was little and took tons of baths at Grandma's house. So I knew that they loved that one and that I needed to find something similar.. I found the perfect one today and I couldn't wait to give them a bath tonight so they'd see it.

The reaction was hilarious... they saw it and got all excited and started talking to it like it was a long lost friend.. They were so into it they would barely let me wash their faces.. which were covered with spaghetti sauce from dinner. They just wanted to talk to the "uck".. Anna must have been overly excited.. I was washing Lily's body and I happen to look at the water... Ewww (I'll you guess what she did). I had to call for Lee to help me get the girls out so I could let the water out and clean the tub before I re-ran the water and finished washing the girls while Lee took care of washing the toys that had been in the tub with them.

I'm so glad that I saw and bought a 3D Rubber Duck cake mold for their 2nd birthday (yes I know that it's like 10 months away but i had a coupon and it was on sale). I guess that Rubber Ducks will definitely be the theme of that party.

Please hand me a Brick...

Someone is growing up almost too fast for her momma's liking... Today Anna, Lily and I were in their room and I was trying to get them into the living room so I grabbed just one of Anna's hands and had Lily in my other arm.. Holy Canolis the girl walked with me just holding the one hand.. I tried to get it on video but I'm not sure if I was able to get it when she tried with Lee. I'm sure that there will be other opportunities to catch it along with the money shot of her walking all alone without our hands at all. I'm in shock and in Awe. My Baby is growing up.. and I'm not ready for that yet.. but at the same time I keep seeing Facebook statuses from my friends stating that their babies (some of them younger than mine) are taking 1st steps, I do get a little jealous.
I guess for now Lily will continue to be my Baby Baby. Then again she is starting to do all sorts of new things too. She's turning pages in her books as she "reads" them. Vocalizes all the time and is starting to say more and more everyday. I love hearing her call for me with "Momma" and "Mommy". She's also saying so many new things I can barely keep up with her. I think I heard the following from her: "Kitty", "Ball" (her favorite word ever), possibly "Grandma", "More", "Thank You" and many others that I can barely remember.
Anna is also adding to her vocabulary on a daily basis. Last week we heard something that sounded like "Hi Lily" and she said it more than once. She also says "Momma" and "Mommy" along with "Daddy" and "Dada" (Lily says Daddy and Dada also). I thought I heard "Grandma" and she definitely says "Thank you" and "Ball".

I wish I could keep them this little forever.. I guess that is why video is so important to have.