Too long...

I know it's been a long time since I last posted. Every time I sit down to the computer nothing would come to mind. Then I started feeling hypocritical because I look everyday to see if the blogs I read have been updated without updating my own! The past few weeks have been pretty normal- sleep, eat, daycare, work, eat, sleep, etc. The girls are really growing and pretty much sprint to wherever they are going. They are really at a fun age!

Today they were promoted at daycare to the "1's class". I was a little nervous because they have been with the same teacher since they started 1 year ago. (I can't believe I've been back to work 1 year- at one point I had been on bedrest and maternity leave longer than I had worked!) When I picked the girls up, their new teacher, Miss Veronica, said they had a great day. They were only really fussing at nap time and plyed well with the other kids. I was very excited to hear they had a scheduled "nap time". They will also start to learn colors, shapes, numbers,etc and they are going to teach them Spanish! I was very happy to hear all of this- I really think the structure will be good.

On Friday the girls are having minor surgery to have tubes placed in each ear- that's 4 ears! Gracie is also going to have her adenoids removed to help with all the congestion and runny noses. We haven't heard when they go in- I'll keep y'all posted. We are really excited to get this done and hopefully it will help reduce the number of ear infections. They had their hearing checked at the doctor and both had a decrease because both ears were completely blocked with fluid. The audiologist said that everything they hear is like they are underwater. We also hope that with better hearing their speech will come along.

Other than the surgery we have a pretty normal week. Hope everyone has a great week-

Lindsey

As Promised...

GRACIE IS WALKING!!!!

Gracie has also begun taking 4-5 steps at a time. The other night she was trying to walk, but she wouldn't pick up her right foot so she was just going in a circle! Both girls prefer to crawl because it is faster, but I have a feeling by next week they will pick up walking speed. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

LILY IS WALKING!!!!!

Both girls have been standing up on their own and acting like they want to walk for about a week now. Lily has looked like she has taken 1-2 steps, but we didn't think that counted- today I got to the daycare and was met with much excitement- "LILY WALKED ACROSS THE ROOM!" It was probably 10 feet and last we tried to reinact the scene- she would take 4-5 steps and then go to her knees. She really likes to step sideways! Anyways, we couldn't get the video camera to work but I will put the video online as soon as I get some. Gracie is really close too!

Ruidoso, 4th of July & MORE Ear Infections

It has been a busy 2 weeks in the Henson family! It started with a family vacation to Ruidoso, NM. I can't remember the last vacation we took with my family. My parents were given a gift of a cabin for the weekend- it was fabulous! It was four bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, great room with kitchen, eating area and TV area. There was a big covered back porch with a hot tub- very nice in the cool, rainy weather! We were there Friday, Saturday, and then home on Sunday. The girls did well with the drive- although Lily's ears were bothering her in the altitude. Here's a pic of the cabin-

On Thursday, July 3, Gracie woke up with a fever and was very "clingy". I called the doctor because i wanted to get her checked before the holiday. The pediatrician was already on vacation, so they referred us to one of the local walk-in clinics. We saw a doctor and he said that both ears were red, so Gracie got yet another antibiotic.

On Friday Gracie started feeling better after lunch, so we decided to head up to Canyon,TX for the Phipps Family Reunion! (Janice's mom's family) We had our first experience with the girls in a hotel- not the best two nights I have ever had! It was really good to see all of Walt's family.

Monday was our 7th Anniversary! We both had to work, so it was a pretty normal day. Lily had continued to be fussy, so I called and got her into the doctor and both her ears still looked bad- another antibiotic. The doctor did make a referral to an ENT for an evaluation for tubes- FINALLY!! My parents watched the girls while Walt and I went out to dinner- very good.

My Beautiful Hot Pink Roses!

Even though things have been hectic, we have had a lot of fun with family! The girls have been really good sports traveling so much when they aren't feeling well- I'll keep you posted on the "tubes". Check out new pics on Flickr

1-Year Check-up

Yesterday the girls had their 1-year wellness check. They are pretty much the same in all objective categories (height, weight, etc)- in fact, the doctor asked at first glance if they have always been so close. They both are 29.5 in long (although I do think the whole lay them down and put a line at the feet and top of the head trick may be slightly flawed) and just under 23 lbs (Gracie is 22.15 & Lily is 22.13). Both of those measurements put them in the high 70- low 80 percentile. Now for the measurements that put them high on the charts. I can't remember the exact numbers (and I don't have the paper in front of me) but both girls have inherited their parents' huge heads. Gracie is in the 96th percentile and Lily is "off the charts".


We did discover that both girls still have ear infections. This really stinks because we just finished meds about 3 weeks ago (maybe) and the girls don't really have symptoms when their ears are bad. They have been fussy when you lay them down to change or going to bed, but we just figured this was "independence" starting. We got more medicine and hopefully it will clear everything up. The doctor did tell us about a device for home use that helps to monitor fluid in the ears. She said that some doctors even used it when she was a resident, and if it wasn't too expensive it would be worth the purchase. She told me that they use to sell them at Walgreens. After work I stopped by the Walgreens to see if they still carried the "ear thing". I looked by myself and couldn't find it so I asked the pharmacist if she had heard of such a device. After she looked at me like I had three heads, she proceeded to help, but it couldn't be found. I decided to do some research online before asking at another store. I found what the doctor was speaking of and it looked like it might do the trick. It is called EarCheck Monitor. They have a website and it is available through many different retailers. I am looking forward to getting ours in to see if it really works. It costs about $50, but that is the co-pay if we take both girls to the doctor, so it will pay for itself.

The doctor also said that the girls could start on whole milk. I was excited about this because formula can be pricey when you are feeding 2. We did switch to the transitional formula (9-24 months) about 2 months ago and it is cheaper. The catch is, the daycare workers mentioned that if the girls were on milk the daycare provided it for us while they are there. I haven't figured the difference in cost yet, but I am pretty sure that will help us on our grocery bill! I figured the girls would have no problem switching to the "real stuff", but the doctor said that some kids have to develop a taste. We decided to try some whole milk at dinner last night (about 2 oz)- the girls LOVED IT! They drank it very quickly and wanted more. I didn't want to over-do-it the first time, so I mixed up some formula to top them off. Lily was fussiest so I gave her formula first. While I was in the kitchen making Gracie's, Walt started laughing really loud. I came around the corner to see what had happened, and this is what he said - Lily took the cup, started to drink and then pulled the cup away from her mouth. She then proceeded to look at the cup, then threw it on the ground in disgust! He said it was priceless! She did eventually finish the formula, but I don't know how happy she was about it.

I know this was a lot to read, but it has been awhile since I have written. This upcoming weekend we are going with my family to Ruidoso. I am looking forward to some time off from work and getting to see the girls outside of the normal surroundings. We are staying at this big rental house, with 4 master suites, that my parents were given as a gift from the church choir to spend some time at. Walt and I went to Ruidoso a few years ago with our friends Brandon & Danyel, and really enjoyed the town and the scenery. I will post some pics when we get back- have a blessed day!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY & GRACIE

Well, we survived the girls' 1st birthday! It is hard to believe that 1 year has gone by. (I know everyone says that) The girls' actual birthday was on Friday, and we had a pretty quiet day. Saturday was the party, and we had a blast! We celebrated with family and friends all afternoon. The girls received tons of fun and beautiful gifts (see Flickr for details). The girls had mixed responses to their 1st taste of processed sugar- Lily enjoyed picking off the icing, Gracie was more reserved and has issues with different textures.


Thanks to everyone who helped us this past year through prayers, babysitting and encouraging words! The first few months are a blur, but the past months have been so much fun with the girls development- physically and personality-wise! I am excited about the years to come! Please check out Flickr for many more pics of our big girls!