Introducing Super Girl!

Yesterday I was busy attending to something I can't remember what and then all of a sudden all I heard was this big crash, boom, scream.  I knew that Isabella got hurt and for some reason I couldn't go right away and help.  The next thing I heard was..."Super Girl...to the rescue".  And the big sister was on her way to help the baby in need.  I just started to giggle to myself.  Olivia has really started to let her imagine run wild and it is so fun to watch.  I can see it now...she was running with her arms out like she was flying to help the victim to safety.  Later that night we always have to tell a funny story before we can officially tuck her in for bed and I told her the story of Super Girl.  She started to smile kind of embarrassed and she said, "That was me, I was flying....".  I hope she never looses this wonderful talent of imagination.  

Life Tutorial #1

How to split the back of your head open.

1.  Empty rolling metal laundry basket.

2.  Put most prized possessions inside like: favorite blanket, favorite stuffed otter, and a few cars.

3.  Get inside of laundry basket.

4.  Have older sister push you down tiled hallway.

5.  Have older sister lean you backwards in rolling metal laundry basket on tiled hallway and have one of the wheels get caught in grout line.

6.  Have laundry basket fall over with you inside and all of you valuables.

7.  Smack head on metal handle which is now on the floor.  

8.  Cry a little bit then panic because your older sister is crying and screaming, "Blood, there's blood".

9.  Go to the doctor with favorite stuffed otter and hope you don't need stitches.

10.  Luckily you don't need stitches and all you do need is matching head wraps and no shower for a few days.  

Good Luck!

The Twins turned 1 and we survived!

The "Babes" as Harrison calls them turned one year old on March 2, 2008.  This has been a long anticipated day.  As we look back on the last year it has dragged on and flown by at the same time.  I love this new stage they are at and would not change anything.  We have been able to ditch the baby carseats and now use the big kid seats and they are lovin' it.  They are able to watch the movies and see the world facing forward.

  

Isabella is our attitude girl and dug into her cake.  But not before she got burned on her candle because her mom was trying to do everything at once.  Maxwell was a little bit more reserved and cried every time he got frosting on his hands which of course got smeared on his head which made him cry even more.  It if so funny how opposites they are.  

The Babes are so close to walking.  They walk everywhere holding on to stuff and Max will stand up every chance he gets and will just stand there but his feet are planted and will not budge, but is starting to get a little braver and dive onto his face, (too bad he still have to wear that silly ole helmet to protect himself...shucks).  Isabella doesn't have her balance yet but will walk her little legs off if you hold on to her.

Both Isabella and Maxwell have 8 teeth.  Four on top and four on the bottom, (Max's 4th bottom one just barely broke the skin).   At their one year doctor appointment Isabella weighed 19 lb. 7 oz. and was 27 1/4" long.  Maxwell was 19 lb. 13 oz. and was 28" long.  Max isn't going to let his little sister beat him any more.  He is catching up and passing her since she weighed more at birth at 5 lb. 1 oz. and he was 4 lb. 14 oz..     

They are so fun to watch.  Isabella will hold on to the back of Maxwell's pants while they are crawling and she is having so much fun laughing and giggling "riding" her brother.  Meanwhile Maxwell is crying his head off because his sister is holding him down and sometimes sitting on him.  Isabella is our wild, usually shrilling, outgoing girl.  Maxwell is our sweet, content, comes to check in with mom little boy.  Different as can be but have so much fun playing with each other and smiling when ever they see each other.  I love it.  

Olivia and Harrison have been the best big sister and brother.  With Olivia only being 4 and Harrison being 2 when the twins were born their whole world as they have known it has been utterly spun around.  What a  crazy life, 4 under 4.  Olivia has been there to help be the second mother to Harrison and the twins.  Thanks Olivia.  Harrison has kind of got caught in the middle.  I have caught him thumping, dumping, I think even bitting the babies a few times. Harrison is a good kid and has recently had a change of attitude if you address his as the big brother rather than HARRISON STOP IT!  Amazing how that works.  

I am so looking towards the long anticipated spring weather so I can actually get out of the house without having such a big load to haul around.  I definitely wont miss getting the stroller out of the back of our suburban and pushing it with the two car seats hooked in and usually Harrison sitting up on the handle bars and Olivia in tow in a blinding snow storm into the famous Wal-Mart to get groceries.  Instead of that maybe we could bask in the sun and go to the park, or maybe the pool with a diet coke.    

 

Looking back on the last year has brought a lot of great times and lot of times to reflect on life. Sometimes my life feels upside down and backwards, yet so right all of the time.  It takes me roughly 2 hours to get ready to go anywhere.  And with out fail I am always an hour late. Here's to another year and maybe not an hour late.  Happy Birthday Babes!!  We love you.

Graduation Day

Yesterday, March 7, 2008, Maxwell officially graduated from wearing his fabulous helmet. We are so excited. From being in Primary Children's hospital for 2 months as a brand new baby Max laid a lot on his back, thus causing him to suffer a flat head. As he got older we noticed his facial characteristics starting to shift. His ears were rotating around his head and his left side of his face was a lot fuller than his right. We were having a occupational therapist come to our house to help Max with his torticollis, which caused his head to tilt to the right. His neck muscles were really tight and we were having to do stretches to help him straighten his neck. She noticed the shape of his head and suggested that we have a cranial facial specialist look at it. So we made an appointment with Dr. Morales at Primary Children's. It brought back a lot of tender memories and feelings of gratitude returning to the hospital.

We had Maxwell fitted for his helmet the end of October and he received his new head gear right around Thanksgiving. To fit the helmet they used the same stuff they wrap around your arm when you get a cast. They cut strips of the gooey wrap to on the top of Max's head to go from ear to ear. He was so good he just sat there. By the time they were all done he looked like a mummy with his head hung down from all of the weight. We had to go to the Orthotics office to have the helmet looked at and adjusted to make sure it was putting pressure in just the right spots. We saw Dr. Morales every six weeks to report his progress. Luckily Dr. Morales came to Idaho Falls at the Pediatric Center so we didn't have to drive to Primary Children's for a 5 minute Dr. visit. When Max started the remolding process his head deformity was considered to be 8 out of 10. Now he is a wonderful 2 out of 10. All of the perseverance paid off. He still has a little bit of flatness on the back but not enough to really worry about. Dr. Morales said he may continue to grow out of it.

We will be every so grateful to Janice the occupational therapist who suggested the helmet in the first place. It gave us that extra push to do it.  And I know Maxwell will be even more thankful since it is his head that he has to live with for the rest of his life.