Wednesday, April 30, 2008

boots with the furrr...



This is what happens when Landy comes to town! :-)

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

bogged down

I sometimes feel like such a loser. My "to do" lists keep growing, not getting smaller. I need some organizational tips, so feel free to leave some comments and help me out! I am so bogged down with work that I feel like my life revolves around it right now. I still work "part time", but I'm having a hard time doing my paperwork from home while trying to be a stay-at-home mom. I just work on Mondays and Tuesdays (and make-up appointments one other day), but my paperwork at home keeps piling up. I'm thinking about hiring a babysitter for a couple more hours a week and specifically doing paperwork during that time. That way, I have a set time with no distractions and can get something done instead of starting something and changing a diaper, then starting again and getting somebody a drink, then starting again and drying some tears, then starting again...and never finishing ANYTHING. I don't even finish changing a diaper before my mind is racing again, thinking of what I'm doing next. I'm ready to just slow down and enjoy life more!!!!! Again, if any of you have any suggestions or tips, I'm all ears (or eyes, I guess since I'll be reading them).

On a much happier note, Ellie and Ava are doing really well! Ellie loves her KinderMusik class and her dance class and she's now in a tumbling class until the end of May that has been a big hit! She scored at 51 months in her fine motor skills of writing, holding a pencil correctly... and at 63 months in the fine motor skills area of cutting on a line, cutting out a circle, using buttons... It was fun to hear the results of the evaluation, although we don't have the written results yet. She did qualify to receive some occupational therapy though, for a delay in the area of sensory integration.

Ava says hi now, walks with help, and is on a much more normal napping schedule (short morning nap, long afternoon nap, and sometimes a really short cat nap in the evenings). She's working so hard on cutting teeth, but the silly things just won't come through. She loves it when Ellie hides - she will reach and stretch as far as her little neck with let her to try to find Ellie...then Ellie jumps out and scares her and she laughs a big belly laugh...then it all starts over again. She's our little jokester and she knows it! She loves to be funny!

My Nannie will turn 75 years young tomorrow (my mom's mom)! She never gets on a computer so she'll never see this, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANNIE!!! We went to Texas Roadhouse the other night and they made her get on the saddle!! I have the video and will post it one of these days. We also went to see the Gaither's Homecoming concert and we're all going to eat lunch with her tomorrow. Then, my cousin Landy is coming to spend the night and we're all so excited!!! Ellie can't wait.

Friday, April 18, 2008

I love pictures!


Ellie is so affectionate with Ava! (and Ava eats it up!)
PRECIOUS!

Ellie on our way out the door to Ava's check up.
this is one of my new favorite pictures of the girls together -
I may have to make it black and white and print some of this one!
I love hooded towel pictures!

we visited some friends in Nashville over the weekend

EARTHQUAKE

I can honestly say that I was the most scared of my life at 4:30 this morning when I realized we were having an earthquake. I woke Jeff up (he sleeps through everything) and took off to get the girls...my fear was not being able to get to them. I had to think fast because I wanted to get one and have Jeff get the other, so my reasoning was that if I needed to for whatever reason, I could maneuver better holding Ava and Jeff could handle Ellie better, so I yelled for him to get Ellie and we stood in their doorways. The weirdest part for me what that I could tell that it started on the end of our house that our bedrooms are on and moved to where the office is. Thankfully, we are all fine and we had no damage, it just wiggled a safety gate loose outside going to our swimming pool.

Ava had her 6 month check up today. She weighs 18lbs. 5 oz. and is 27 3/4 inches long - those measurements, along with her head are in about the 95th percentile. (We think they measured her length wrong at her 4 month check up because they said it was 27 1/2 and there is no way she has only grown 1/4 of an inch in 2 months.) Anyway, all is well and she's growing and meeting milestones wonderfully.

Ellie had an evaluation on Wednesday because we're dealing with some sensory issues. Nothing big, just little things that if targeted, will help her in school. She chews on things a lot, has trouble with balance/vestibular, and really doesn't like her hands to be dirty. Although some of the things sound quirky and silly, I didn't want to just let it go, so she will receive Occupational Therapy for a short time to try to help her in some of these areas. (Being a developmental therapist makes me so much more aware of some of these things.) She also tested her fine motor skills, and Ellie scored in the 98th percentile, so she's well above average there!

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Friday, April 04, 2008

Locks of Love




Jeff and a fellow BCM'er, Cole, finally cut their hair for locks of love tonight! Here are the before and after shots.