Brothers On Maps
1 week ago
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
{tobi love}
Tobi has been struggling lately. His movements have become clumbsy. He falls on our hardwood floors. He can't make it up or down stairs anymore. But while he is physically struggling he is still our same sweet loving boy and doesn't seem to be in pain. We took him back to our vet a few weeks ago to be checked out and they sent us back to the neurologist that Tobi saw several years ago when he had his spinal stroke. When the neurologist saw him he was 99% sure that Tobi had a tumor on his spine in the neck region and that this is what was impacting his coordination. Last Thursday Tobi had an MRI to confirm the doctors suspicions.
We dropped him off at the vet in the morning and he underwent a series of tests throughout the day and then in the late afternoon they transported him to Childrens Hospital for an MRI - yes, they perform pet MRI's at Children's Hospital after hours. Crazy, who knew?! What I didn't realize is how late it would be by the time we got the call to come pick Tobi up. That evening when Randall came home from work without Tobi (he usually picks him up from Puppy Camp on his way home) Kenzie was distraught. She kept walking to the back door holding Tobi's stuffed bone crying "Tooobbbi, Tooobbi!" It was heartbreaking. I knew that the girls love their four-legged brother, but I didn't realize just how deep that bond already is until I witnessed Kenzie missing her Tobi boy. Both girls love their brother but Kenzie seems especially attached to him at the moment - she showers him with spontaneous hugs and kisses throughout the day :)
That night I was able to reassure her that Tobi was just at the doctor's and that he would be home in the morning when she woke up. But it brought tears to my eyes as I thought about the results of his MRI and what the prognosis would be. How would we be able to explain that to our girls?
Thankfully we got very good news on Friday. The doctor called to say that he himself was hugely surprised to see that Tobi does not actually have a tumor at all. Instead he has a ruptured disc between his 5th and 6th vertebrate. This means he will have to have spinal surgery ... not ideal ... but his long term prognosis is much more positive.
What a relief! The girls showered their Tobi boy with lots of love this weekend to celebrate!
little chefs
Last week the girls helped me cook dinner for the first time. We have baked together and the girls have "pretend" cooked while I make dinner, but this was the first time they actually helped me prepare a meal. They weren't actually that "helpful" but they enjoyed themselves and therefore I enjoyed myself as well. Kenzie was especially into the process of measuring, dumping and stirring and even took it upon herself to modify the recipe a bit based on her likings - who doesn't like a little extra cheese? :)
Love my little chefs and am looking forward to preparing many more meals together!
Love my little chefs and am looking forward to preparing many more meals together!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
{the one and only ever you}
It was a LONG weekend. A weekend filled with vomit & diarrhea … countless diapers and wipes… saltines, pedialyte and chicken soup. I lost track of the number of loads of laundry, the number of baths or Clorox wipes. There was lots of whining and there were many tears. The girls were struck by a stomach virus ... which Randall then also caught on Sunday (and to top it all off Tobi pooped in the house twice as the steroid the vet put him on is not agreeing with his stomach) ... and it was not fun.
While this was certainly not how I had hoped to spend our long weekend, and I absolutely hate when the girls are sick, there were some beautiful moments contained within this hot mess of a weekend. In addition to the brutal moments, there were lots of snuggles and those priceless moments of vulnerability where the only thing that would comfort our sick babies was "mommy" or "daddy's" arms. There were sweet moments of concern between sick sisters. There were even lots of giggles as sick stir-crazy siblings resorted to comic relief. And oh how we needed that.
We spent lots of time snuggling in our bed reading, and discovered a new favorite book, "On the Night You Were Born." The girls like it because it has lots of pictures of the moon. I like it because the line "You are the one and only ever you" made me really think about the fact that even though our girls were born on the same night, only 2 minutes apart, how very different they are.
Even their reactions to being sick couldn't be more opposite. Kenzie is happy go lucky even when she is feeling terrible. On Sunday morning, she ate some strawberries for breakfast, which she promptly threw up, and as she was getting sick she spotted the rest of the strawberries out of the corner of her eye and was ready to eat more. She's our "puke and rally" girl :) Within five minutes, she would go from being a totally lethargic heap of sickness melting into my chest, to a giggling clown trying to make us laugh with her antics. Lexi on the other hand does not like being sick and she especially does not like throwing up (we realized that this was actually the very first time that she has thrown up in her life and I think the gag reflex really scared her). She milks it for all its worth and would snuggle with you all day - which I was happy to do. Lexi likes to have her back rubbed and wants mommy, daddy AND sissy to be close by when she isn’t feeling well.
While I could certainly think of hundreds of ways that I would rather have spent the last 3 days, I am glad that the girls were sick over the long weekend so that I could be there to hold them and comfort them. Thankfully, by Monday evening both the girls and Randall seem to be on the mend. They are starting to be able to keep things down and more importantly their typical energy and spirit is coming back!
While this was certainly not how I had hoped to spend our long weekend, and I absolutely hate when the girls are sick, there were some beautiful moments contained within this hot mess of a weekend. In addition to the brutal moments, there were lots of snuggles and those priceless moments of vulnerability where the only thing that would comfort our sick babies was "mommy" or "daddy's" arms. There were sweet moments of concern between sick sisters. There were even lots of giggles as sick stir-crazy siblings resorted to comic relief. And oh how we needed that.
We spent lots of time snuggling in our bed reading, and discovered a new favorite book, "On the Night You Were Born." The girls like it because it has lots of pictures of the moon. I like it because the line "You are the one and only ever you" made me really think about the fact that even though our girls were born on the same night, only 2 minutes apart, how very different they are.
Even their reactions to being sick couldn't be more opposite. Kenzie is happy go lucky even when she is feeling terrible. On Sunday morning, she ate some strawberries for breakfast, which she promptly threw up, and as she was getting sick she spotted the rest of the strawberries out of the corner of her eye and was ready to eat more. She's our "puke and rally" girl :) Within five minutes, she would go from being a totally lethargic heap of sickness melting into my chest, to a giggling clown trying to make us laugh with her antics. Lexi on the other hand does not like being sick and she especially does not like throwing up (we realized that this was actually the very first time that she has thrown up in her life and I think the gag reflex really scared her). She milks it for all its worth and would snuggle with you all day - which I was happy to do. Lexi likes to have her back rubbed and wants mommy, daddy AND sissy to be close by when she isn’t feeling well.
While I could certainly think of hundreds of ways that I would rather have spent the last 3 days, I am glad that the girls were sick over the long weekend so that I could be there to hold them and comfort them. Thankfully, by Monday evening both the girls and Randall seem to be on the mend. They are starting to be able to keep things down and more importantly their typical energy and spirit is coming back!
Monday, January 9, 2012
{22 month old sidekicks}
I haven’t been very good about capturing monthly milestones recently, so thought I would do a quick update on my 22 month old sidekicks … I can’t believe they are going to be 2 in less than 2 months!!!
In the past week, more than ever Kenzie & Lexi, have become true sidekicks … or should I say partners in crime. As we approach the terrible twos these two seem to be up to new hijinks every day. Just within the past week here are a few examples of the mischief they have been up to.
...
Every day when I come home from work the girls accompany me upstairs so that I can change out of my work clothes. Their latest thing is to “work” on the computer in the office/guest bedroom while I am doing this. They sit side by side on the single desk chair and take turns pounding on the keyboard and using the mouse as a phone. Too cute! The other day once I was changed, I tried to encourage them to come back downstairs with me so that I could start dinner. They protested, and so I told them they could stay upstairs for a few minutes as long as they played nicely together. After being downstairs for about 3 minutes I noticed that it was a little too quiet upstairs … a sure sign that they were up to no good. So I went back upstairs and found that in 3 minutes flat they had managed to empty 2 full desk drawers and were happily sitting amidst a pile of greeting cards, paper and office supplies. They also discovered the stack of old Christmas cards which I keep and now one of their favorite activities is sorting through pictures of family and friends.
pants optional at this office :)
The other incident also occurred upstairs. Another favorite activity at the moment is to stand side by side on their potties/which double as step stools as they “wash hands” with “soap.” I took the opportunity of them being happily occupied for a few minutes, to run into the office right across from the bathroom to upload some photos, and the next thing I know I hear water overflowing from the sink. How can this be?! They aren’t tall enough to reach the drain stopper and the sink has drainage holes in the top to avoid overflow? I rush in to see and discover that they have taken toilet paper (aka “towels/nakins”) to dry their hands and have put it in the sink which has clogged both the drain and the drainage holes. They found this hilarious. Thankfully there was no damage beyond what a towel and a plunger could fix.
The girls also rediscovered their play house (which was a 1st birthday gift from Becky and Mac) this week and we have it set up in our living room again. However, instead of playing in it like a house, they like to flip it on its side and use it as a wrestling ring. They literally tackle one another with hugs and tickles and are a pile of giggles when in the ring. Of course this silliness can also lead to tears as one or the other is a little too aggressive. But most of all these sisters love one another fiercely. They are sidekicks and best friends.
Besides getting into mischief, this is what the girls are up to at 22 months:
Lexi’s vocabulary is exploding. It is so fun to sit with her and “read” a book as she will literally sit there and identify almost everything in the pictures… “baby, puppy, moon, star, mommy, daddy, sissie, potty, bread, cake, horse, cow, baa (sheep), truck, choo-choo, cat, flower, carry, up” and on and on. Her vocabulary literally amazes me every day. Lexi loves reading. She will sit and read books for long periods of time. This week she picked up a Nursery Design book off the bookshelf – an adult book that I bought when planning the girls’ nursery. She sat and flipped through it for a good 15 minutes, exclaiming “pretty!” and smelling the “flowers” and kissing the “babies.” This weekend when we met up with Tara, Brooke and Gavin at the bookstore Lexi was so excited to sit with Brooke and have her read books to her.
Kenzie is still slower in vocabulary development but she is starting to say many new words … “more, Sara, carry, potty” are among her favorites. While she is slower to speak she understands everything. The other day the girls were reading a Disney Princess book together which had different buttons that you push to play music. Randall said something like “Kenzie, push Lexi’s buttons,” and Kenzie proceeded to push the actual buttons on Lexi’s cardigan. Too funny! She also loves to run and get her toothbrush and toothpaste in the morning when you tell her to go brush her teeth and climbing up into her chair when you say it is time to eat.
Speaking of eating, Kenzie continues to be our eater. She takes her time and LOVES to eat! She has become a bit more picky and really isn’t much of a breakfast girl, but if you give her something that she likes (beans – black, pinto, refried – are her favorite food of the moment) she can go to town – and a sign of a good meal is that Kenzie is covered in food at the end. She isn’t afraid to wear her food :)
Lexi on the other hand, while also a pretty good eater, is much neater in her approach. She gets very upset when she gets a single spot on her, exclaiming “mess” and asking for a “nakin.”
Kenzie is our little engineer. She loves to figure out how things work and helping daddy with projects. The other day Randall discovered some dollar store squeeze rockets at our house and Kenzie immediately figured out how they worked – while Lexi continued to struggle even after we tried to show her how several times. Kenzie is also really good about cleaning up and will methodically put her toys into a box if you ask her to.
Both Kenzie & Lexi are really into their baby dolls and love changing their diapers, taking them for walks in their strollers, pushing them in their shopping carts, taking off their clothes and feeding them. It is so fun to watch their natural maternal instincts.
Both girls – but especially Lexi – are really into modes of transportation. Lexi loves trains, planes and trucks. This weekend we went to have lunch at Lunken airport to watch the planes take off and the girls loved it. Lexi would yell with excitement every time a plane took off!
They love playing dress-up, especially wearing their fancy high heeled shoes, jewelry and purses. They love music and dancing … they are full of life and energy and a room looks like it has been hit by a tornado when these two have been there for 5 minutes :)
They are starting to learn manners, saying or signing please and thank you at the appropriate times. They can also show empathy and say “sorry” and give hugs without being told to do so when they know that they have done something wrong.
Kenzie is our little clown. She is funny without even trying, and therefore captures lots of attention. She is silly and carefree … and at times this can lead her to be a bit too mischevious and defiant. She will do something even as you are telling her not to and will laugh while doing it (leading to lots of time outs). Lord help us. She has entered the stage of wanted to do everything on her own … she does not want help putting on her jacket, walking down stairs when there is a railing she can hold onto, etc.
Lexi is a bit more serious and cautious. She is our thinker and is so observant. She notices every new detail as she enters a room – new pillows on the couch, a cabinet or door that is open that is usually closed, etc. She adores her sister and when she sees her sister getting attention for doing something funny she copies it. Lexi seeks attention and wants to share everything good that is happening with others…. so I am constantly hearing, “Mommy! Mommy!” as she wants to point something out to me.
As different as they are, they are still best friends and playmates. I love watching them share experiences together. This past Saturday morning as we were heading downstairs for breakfast, Lexi spotted a “nest” on our windowsill outside the window along the staircase. She immediately yelled for her “sissie” as she wanted her to see it as well. They were so excited. Kenzie kept saying “Wooowww!” while Lexi was asking “tweet, tweet, go?” They insisted on eating their breakfast while sitting on the steps together waiting for the bird to return to its nest, jabbering with excitement in their twin language the entire time. (The bird never returned, as it turns out it was a squirrel collecting materials for a nest high up in one of our large oak trees – but they still check for the tweet tweet every time they go up and down the steps.)
At 22 months Kenzie & Lexi wear us out … they are little balls of energy and their whining can be trying at times … but we wouldn’t change a thing. They make us laugh 24/7. Their hugs/“squeezes” make me melt and there is nothing better in the world than the sound of their laughter! I love them beyond words, and my attempt to capture their personalities in writing really doesn’t do them justice. They are pure bliss!
In the past week, more than ever Kenzie & Lexi, have become true sidekicks … or should I say partners in crime. As we approach the terrible twos these two seem to be up to new hijinks every day. Just within the past week here are a few examples of the mischief they have been up to.
...
Every day when I come home from work the girls accompany me upstairs so that I can change out of my work clothes. Their latest thing is to “work” on the computer in the office/guest bedroom while I am doing this. They sit side by side on the single desk chair and take turns pounding on the keyboard and using the mouse as a phone. Too cute! The other day once I was changed, I tried to encourage them to come back downstairs with me so that I could start dinner. They protested, and so I told them they could stay upstairs for a few minutes as long as they played nicely together. After being downstairs for about 3 minutes I noticed that it was a little too quiet upstairs … a sure sign that they were up to no good. So I went back upstairs and found that in 3 minutes flat they had managed to empty 2 full desk drawers and were happily sitting amidst a pile of greeting cards, paper and office supplies. They also discovered the stack of old Christmas cards which I keep and now one of their favorite activities is sorting through pictures of family and friends.
pants optional at this office :)
The other incident also occurred upstairs. Another favorite activity at the moment is to stand side by side on their potties/which double as step stools as they “wash hands” with “soap.” I took the opportunity of them being happily occupied for a few minutes, to run into the office right across from the bathroom to upload some photos, and the next thing I know I hear water overflowing from the sink. How can this be?! They aren’t tall enough to reach the drain stopper and the sink has drainage holes in the top to avoid overflow? I rush in to see and discover that they have taken toilet paper (aka “towels/nakins”) to dry their hands and have put it in the sink which has clogged both the drain and the drainage holes. They found this hilarious. Thankfully there was no damage beyond what a towel and a plunger could fix.
The girls also rediscovered their play house (which was a 1st birthday gift from Becky and Mac) this week and we have it set up in our living room again. However, instead of playing in it like a house, they like to flip it on its side and use it as a wrestling ring. They literally tackle one another with hugs and tickles and are a pile of giggles when in the ring. Of course this silliness can also lead to tears as one or the other is a little too aggressive. But most of all these sisters love one another fiercely. They are sidekicks and best friends.
Besides getting into mischief, this is what the girls are up to at 22 months:
Lexi’s vocabulary is exploding. It is so fun to sit with her and “read” a book as she will literally sit there and identify almost everything in the pictures… “baby, puppy, moon, star, mommy, daddy, sissie, potty, bread, cake, horse, cow, baa (sheep), truck, choo-choo, cat, flower, carry, up” and on and on. Her vocabulary literally amazes me every day. Lexi loves reading. She will sit and read books for long periods of time. This week she picked up a Nursery Design book off the bookshelf – an adult book that I bought when planning the girls’ nursery. She sat and flipped through it for a good 15 minutes, exclaiming “pretty!” and smelling the “flowers” and kissing the “babies.” This weekend when we met up with Tara, Brooke and Gavin at the bookstore Lexi was so excited to sit with Brooke and have her read books to her.
Kenzie is still slower in vocabulary development but she is starting to say many new words … “more, Sara, carry, potty” are among her favorites. While she is slower to speak she understands everything. The other day the girls were reading a Disney Princess book together which had different buttons that you push to play music. Randall said something like “Kenzie, push Lexi’s buttons,” and Kenzie proceeded to push the actual buttons on Lexi’s cardigan. Too funny! She also loves to run and get her toothbrush and toothpaste in the morning when you tell her to go brush her teeth and climbing up into her chair when you say it is time to eat.
Speaking of eating, Kenzie continues to be our eater. She takes her time and LOVES to eat! She has become a bit more picky and really isn’t much of a breakfast girl, but if you give her something that she likes (beans – black, pinto, refried – are her favorite food of the moment) she can go to town – and a sign of a good meal is that Kenzie is covered in food at the end. She isn’t afraid to wear her food :)
Lexi on the other hand, while also a pretty good eater, is much neater in her approach. She gets very upset when she gets a single spot on her, exclaiming “mess” and asking for a “nakin.”
Kenzie is our little engineer. She loves to figure out how things work and helping daddy with projects. The other day Randall discovered some dollar store squeeze rockets at our house and Kenzie immediately figured out how they worked – while Lexi continued to struggle even after we tried to show her how several times. Kenzie is also really good about cleaning up and will methodically put her toys into a box if you ask her to.
Both Kenzie & Lexi are really into their baby dolls and love changing their diapers, taking them for walks in their strollers, pushing them in their shopping carts, taking off their clothes and feeding them. It is so fun to watch their natural maternal instincts.
Both girls – but especially Lexi – are really into modes of transportation. Lexi loves trains, planes and trucks. This weekend we went to have lunch at Lunken airport to watch the planes take off and the girls loved it. Lexi would yell with excitement every time a plane took off!
They love playing dress-up, especially wearing their fancy high heeled shoes, jewelry and purses. They love music and dancing … they are full of life and energy and a room looks like it has been hit by a tornado when these two have been there for 5 minutes :)
They are starting to learn manners, saying or signing please and thank you at the appropriate times. They can also show empathy and say “sorry” and give hugs without being told to do so when they know that they have done something wrong.
Kenzie is our little clown. She is funny without even trying, and therefore captures lots of attention. She is silly and carefree … and at times this can lead her to be a bit too mischevious and defiant. She will do something even as you are telling her not to and will laugh while doing it (leading to lots of time outs). Lord help us. She has entered the stage of wanted to do everything on her own … she does not want help putting on her jacket, walking down stairs when there is a railing she can hold onto, etc.
Lexi is a bit more serious and cautious. She is our thinker and is so observant. She notices every new detail as she enters a room – new pillows on the couch, a cabinet or door that is open that is usually closed, etc. She adores her sister and when she sees her sister getting attention for doing something funny she copies it. Lexi seeks attention and wants to share everything good that is happening with others…. so I am constantly hearing, “Mommy! Mommy!” as she wants to point something out to me.
As different as they are, they are still best friends and playmates. I love watching them share experiences together. This past Saturday morning as we were heading downstairs for breakfast, Lexi spotted a “nest” on our windowsill outside the window along the staircase. She immediately yelled for her “sissie” as she wanted her to see it as well. They were so excited. Kenzie kept saying “Wooowww!” while Lexi was asking “tweet, tweet, go?” They insisted on eating their breakfast while sitting on the steps together waiting for the bird to return to its nest, jabbering with excitement in their twin language the entire time. (The bird never returned, as it turns out it was a squirrel collecting materials for a nest high up in one of our large oak trees – but they still check for the tweet tweet every time they go up and down the steps.)
At 22 months Kenzie & Lexi wear us out … they are little balls of energy and their whining can be trying at times … but we wouldn’t change a thing. They make us laugh 24/7. Their hugs/“squeezes” make me melt and there is nothing better in the world than the sound of their laughter! I love them beyond words, and my attempt to capture their personalities in writing really doesn’t do them justice. They are pure bliss!
Monday, January 2, 2012
{happy 2012!}
2011 was a pretty fabulous year and I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be grand. With the risk of sounding totally sappy, I must say that life gets better by the day since the girls were born. And while my life was pretty great before K&L were born, I now can't imagine life without them. 2011 was filled with so many big milestones and so many wonderful little memories. In 2011 we celebrated K&L's 1st birthday, got to witness their first steps, hear their first words. We got to take the girls to the beach on both the Atlantic & Pacific coasts. We had a visit from older cousins and welcomed a new cousin. It was a year filled with many hugs and kisses - and I will never tire of those. It was a year where we got to watch little personalities emerge and the bond between twin "sissies" grow stronger.
It is hard to imagine 2012 being much better than that, but I am up to the challenge and am so excited to see what the girls have in store for us. I have a feeling it will be a year filled with lots of change, lots of laughs and hopefully not too many tantrums as we enter the terrible twos times two.
I've also been thinking about resolutions - because that's just what you do this time of year. I am not usually big on resolutions as they just seem bound to be broken and I try to avoid putting myself in situations where I'll just feel guilty later. But this year there are a few things that I really want to try to be better about and maybe by writing about them here it will make them stick.
I am going to make an effort to take better care of my body by eating better and exercising more regularly. I used to be pretty good about this and had so much more energy when I did.
We are also making an effort to simplify things (i.e. take advantage of dry cleaning pickup/delivery, hire someone to help with yard work, get the house organized) in order to allow time for resolution #1 and more time with the girls.
I also want to find more time/ways to let the people I love know I appreciate them. I am so grateful for my wonderful family & friends and want to make this more of a priority.
Happy New Year! Wishing you a 2012 that is filled with health, happiness and laughter!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
ringing in the new year
We had a fabulous New Year's Eve celebration with the Stealey's. They hosted a wonderful kid-friendly celebration complete with Cincinnati football, carnitas, crafts, cupcakes and lots of good cheer! The girls enjoyed trying to keep up with all of the older kids.
The kids even got to count down to New Year (at 8pm :))
It was the perfect way to close out 2011. We have spent many New Year's Eves with the Stealey's and while the type of celebration has evolved over the years it is always great to ring in the new year with great friends and family! Thanks Tara and Kevin for including us in your celebration!
The kids even got to count down to New Year (at 8pm :))
It was the perfect way to close out 2011. We have spent many New Year's Eves with the Stealey's and while the type of celebration has evolved over the years it is always great to ring in the new year with great friends and family! Thanks Tara and Kevin for including us in your celebration!
more holiday fun with granny & papa gene
We had a fun filled week with Granny and Papa Gene.
We visited the nativity and trains at the Krohn Conservatory...
The girls spent some time creating masterpieces on their new art easle. Lexi also created a "self" portrait when we weren't watching for 2 minutes ...
We had fun at the Jump Zone. I was so proud of how brave the girls were and how they stuck together and helped one another ...
We took a trip to Findlay Market to get ingredients for our New Year's Day meal of black eyed peas and cabbage and to stock up on fresh fruit and produce to kick off a healthy new year!
We had such a fun visit. The girls love their "Ganny" and "Pop-Pop." This morning Kenzie searched the entire upstairs for them when she woke up and Lexi kept raising her hands questioningly asking, "Go?" They were very sad that Granny and Papa Gene had to go home. But we are so happy that we got to spend such a fun Christmas and New Year's with them! Thanks Granny & Papa Gene for coming to see us in Cincinnati!
We visited the nativity and trains at the Krohn Conservatory...
The girls spent some time creating masterpieces on their new art easle. Lexi also created a "self" portrait when we weren't watching for 2 minutes ...
We had fun at the Jump Zone. I was so proud of how brave the girls were and how they stuck together and helped one another ...
We took a trip to Findlay Market to get ingredients for our New Year's Day meal of black eyed peas and cabbage and to stock up on fresh fruit and produce to kick off a healthy new year!
We had such a fun visit. The girls love their "Ganny" and "Pop-Pop." This morning Kenzie searched the entire upstairs for them when she woke up and Lexi kept raising her hands questioningly asking, "Go?" They were very sad that Granny and Papa Gene had to go home. But we are so happy that we got to spend such a fun Christmas and New Year's with them! Thanks Granny & Papa Gene for coming to see us in Cincinnati!
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