Update On The Repeat Audiology Visit

So, Eva Rose went for her follow up audiology visit today and pretty much nothing had changed from her last visit.  Her hearing is borderline normal, which isn't really the issue.  The biggest issue is that she continues to have fluid in her middle ear and the negative pressure in her middle ear was worse.  Her last appointment was 3 months ago and either nothing has changed or it has gotten worse.  We now have to see an otolaryngologist to evaluate what to do next.  We have an appointment in 3 weeks which is the soonest appointment that we could get.  I was thinking about an appoint on a different day of the week, but that would have meant that the appointment wouldn't be for at least 2-3 more weeks and the audiologist didn't want her to wait that long.  We may be looking at tubes for her if the fluid doesn't resolve by the next appointment.  She will also have another hearing test the day that she sees the otolaryngologist.

The good news is that even though she is borderline normal hearing, meaning that she hears fine at close distances, but may not hear so fine at further distances.  This also means that if there is a hearing loss it is not impacting her speech.  She, along with her brothers have all progressed quite nicely with their vocabulary.  There is some talk about whether or not they will be eligible for further services through EI.  I am hoping that they will still get services since they are doing so well with the services that they have!  I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens at the next appointment.  The best thing that could happen is that the fluid dissipates on it's own.

Amy

My Crazy Life

I don't know if it was just a bad day, the fact that I got my period (sorry if TMI), or what, but I had a horrible day.  The kids drove me crazy, the house is a disaster, and I was just in a plain crappy mood.  My kids are now almost 3 and almost 2.  In a couple of weeks, I'll actually have 3 two year olds for a month and a half.  They fight horrible, they destroy my house (and I hate to clean as it is),  and they just always want to be on the go.  Now that winter is here, we can't really go to the park.  They hate to keep mittens on so being outside for any length of time is pretty much out of the question.  The indoor play areas can get crazy expensive or just plain crazy with 3 little ones. 

With the new year coming, my goal is to have a schedule, albeit fairly flexible, but a schedule for both me and the kids so that I can make sure that they are having fun, learning, and I can get things done.  I haven't been very scheduled at all, and I think it is now time to put something into place so that I feel less stressed about the day!  I am hoping that with some scheduling, the craziness wll be alleviated somewhat, or at least I won't be as stressed about it.  Now, I need to get a plan in place for waht I want to do with the kids.  There is a resource network that I want to check out.  I am hoping to get together with some friends who have kids and do a playgroup.  I want to plan to have art time almost daily even if it is only for a short time.  I want have dress up time.  I guess I just need to put in some structured play time, and as stupid as it sounds, I'm not sure exactly how I want to schedule the day.  If anyone has any suggestions or wants to plan a playgroup, please let me know.  My newest goal is to start scheduling my day a little bit more than I have been.

Thanks,
Amy

Newest Crafting Projects

So the holidays are officially over and I didn't get a chance to make as many handmade things for the kids, or anyone else.  Hopefully things will settle down, and I  can get into a routine for me and the kids.  I am hoping that with a better routine, I will be able to get more done, including crafting for the kids.  I have so many things that I want to make, but there is just not enough time in the day.  I always knew that once I had kdis, I wanted to put my love of crafting to good use for them.  The next projects on the list are:  knit hats for all three as well as mittens, a doll and doll accessories like: quilt, clothes, maybe even a moses basket, a car caddy for each of the boys, since they are so into cars, especially Thomas.  There are also the multiple quilts that I want to make for the kids and others!  I better get that routine down so that I can set aside time to craft and get these projects done.  Thankfully, I set aside Monday nights to get together with a friend and create.  Oh, there is also the multiple scrapbooks that I need to work on.  Good god, I have way to many projects that I want to make!

Amy

Happy 23 Months Babies!

A few of my twin mom friends write letters to their children every month to document the different things that have gone on.  This can be developmental changes, activities that have happened, or just funny things/memories to preserve.  Since today is Eva Rose and Thomas' 23rd month of life, I figured I'd start today.  I don't think that I am as prepared as I'd like to be to really document all the different things that have gone on, but I definitely want to acknowledge that my babies aren't babies any more.  I will be sure to really document things for their 2 year birthday, but for this post, I will just briefly go over things.

We found out that we were having twins when I was 11 weeks along in my second pregnancy.  I was so lucky to get pregnant so quickly after my first son.  We never imagines twins, though so many people joked about it with us.  I have twins on both sides of my family and even though the male doesn't really have anything to do with the likelihood, my husband has identical triplets on his side.  I was put on bed rest at 23 weeks and was so scared that I would deliver early.  At 35 weeks, my OB took me off bed rest and when I went for a routine non-stress test, I found out that I was having the babies that night because of pre-eclampsia.  They were born 5 weeks early and my daughter was 4 pounds 7 ounces and 17 3/4 inches and my son was 4 pounds 8.9 ounces and 17 inches.  They did great and were able to come home with me.  unfortunately after 2 1/2 weeks, my son got RSV and was taken to Children's Hospital via ambulance from a routine doctors appointment.  He was in the hospital for 3 weeks and did well.  His sister was admitted for RSV 1 week after he was and she was in for 2 weeks.  From the time they were discharged from the hospital, they just grew stronger and stronger every day!  Over the last month, I have seen such changes in both of their verbal skills.  We have had early intervention involved for about 3 months now and the improvement in their ability to express and understand is amazing.  My Eva Rose was always and continues to be my feisty go getter and I thought that she would be the one to speak first and have a more extensive vocabulary.  My Thomas is my little cuddle bug that loves to snuggle especially with daddy.  The funny thing is, he is the one who seems to have all of a sudden exploded with his vocabulary.  they are still only saying 1 word at a time, but they have gone from  maybe a 5 word vocabulary to at least a 25 word vocabulary and probably more than that.  They are able to point out pictures and name objects independently.  They are starting to play with toys in a more functional manner. 

My goal for the new year is to start really having some scheduled activities for them instead off me being wishy-washy about the day.  I think this will be a better plan for all of us.  I don't want to plan and schedule my day in a totally rigid manner, I just want to have a plan on what I want to happen that day.  I love being a mom too my 3 kids, and even though I always knew I wanted to have children and stay at home with them, I never realized how totally amazing it would be.  Don't get me wrong, I have my major stressors and don't always deal with things in the most rational way and my kids are not perfect angels, but I wouldn't change a thing!  As difficult as it's been having 3 kids in 10 1/2 months, I wouldn't change a thing.  I love watching them play together and overall they get along really well.  They are siblings after all so they do also fight, but when they kiss each other and play together nicely, it makes me tear up!

Wow, lengthy post, but so needed.  I may repeat some of this in next months post for their 2 year post, but after that I won't!  thank you bloggy friends for inspiring  me to write this type of post.  I know that this is not the best most in depth post (even though it is so long), but I think this is a great way to document different things in my kids lives since I can't scrapbook like I would want to (though I really need to get back to doing that!)

Amy

way Back When-esday: Christmas Eve

Four years ago, I got my engagement ring, after dating for 13 1/2 years.

By our 1st Christmas as a married couple I was already 6 months pregnant and one year later I was pregnant with the twins not realizing I would be giving birth to them 1 month later. 

This was me and my older son 2 years ago Christmas Eve, just one month before our twins entered the world!

Merry Christmas,

Amy

Eva Rose's First Haircut

Saturday, we took all 3 kids for their holiday haircut.  Both the boys had been before and were certainly not fan for their first haircut, but boy oh boy, Eva Rose was not a happy camper.  We take the boys to a traditional barber in Cambridge, that is not only inexpensive, but the staff have great personalities as well and they are actually really good with the kids.

This time, Eva Rose went first and as you can see from the following pictures, she was miserable.  Then Thomas went, and her was just as miserable.  I didn't think that he would be that bad since his first time wasn't too traumatic.  Finally, it was Mr Michael's turn.  He was amazing.  He didn't cry once.  This was probably his 5th or 6th hair cut  and the woman cutting his hair said that haircuts 2-6 tend to be the worst.  We have a few more to go with the twins before we have no crying.  That is if what she said is true!

Before we started

Even eating her candy cane wasn't making her happy!

Yay!  All Done!!!!

Thankfully we won't have to go back for a while!

Amy

Sleep and Lack There Of!

Ok, so I thought I had figured out the sleep issues with Michael.  I was so wrong!  My good luck lasted for about a week, before it took a sudden dive.  I'm sure that there will be plenty of people that say I am too lenient and never ever let your child sleep in bed with you.  Unfortunately, I succumb to the need for sleep and Michael often ends up in bed with me and my husband.  Maybe I should be more strict and just let him cry.  Sometimes it works and other times it doesn't.  I'm sure part of the reason it doesn't work is me.  There is a part of me that loves to cuddle him with me, then there is another part of me that feels like I am doing him a huge disservice.  If you ask my mom, she says "just let him sleep with you".  One of my younger sisters slept with my parents for the longest time and she turned out ok.  One of these days, Michael will learn to sleep through the night and we will all get some much needed rest.  For now, I am ok with him in my bed, even if there are others that don't agree.

Amy

Way Back When-esday:

Michael Christmas last year

Thomas and Daddy with Thomas making his favorite face

Christmas 2009

Eva Rose Christmas 2009

Happy Holidays!

Amy

Silhouettes

Thank you http://sotorrifictwins.blogspot.com for this fabulous idea!  I'm actually doing my second post of the day.  This is the gift for my mom.  I was thinking of doing a scrapbook, but I just don't have time.  This is such a great idea and so quick too.

Michael, Eva Rose, and Thomas

Michael (Excuse the flash)

Eva Rose

Thomas

I think they came out really good, and I know my mom will love them!

Happy Holidays!

Amy

Handmade Christmas Update

My Christmas cards are pretty much all stuffed and ready to be mailed.  No, I did not make them myself, but I did pick out the pictures and the card myself.

I have completed 4 felt eggs and a few felt bow tie pastas for the kids for Christmas.  I have a few Oreo looking cookies that still need to be sewn.  I have a few other cookie to cut out and sew and I still want to decide on a few other felt food items for their Christmas gifts.  I really need to move on to making aprons to go along with the food as well as some scrubs to go along with the doctor kit that I bought them.  I also want to make a doll for Eva Rose and something else for the boys.

I have my silhouette patterns to cut out for my mom's gift.  I need to get together an album of the kids for my grandmother (which is probably something I should do sooner than later since she is in a nursing home and is declining and is out of state).  I have a few wine sacks to sew and I would love to make some wine bottle stoppers to go along with them.

As you can see I have way too many projects and so not enough time to complete them.  I'll probably have to hold off on some of the kids gifts so that I can get the others done.  Someday, I'll learn not to wait until the last minute, but wait in 37 years I haven't learned it yet.  I probably shouldn't hold my breath, but it is something to strive for!

Happy Holidays,
Amy

Sleep and Christmas

Hopefully by writing this, I am not jinxing myself.  Michael has had almost 1 week of sleeping through the night (with a little of going in and rubbing the head or the back but only 1 out of the bed nights).  The only night that he woke and was uinable to be quieted in his bed was the only night that I didn't go in and check on him.  In the past he has always fought having a blanket on so I haven't been putting it on him figuring he's like his dad and tends to like to sleep on the cooler side.  He has since started letting me put the blanket on him and it seems to make a huge difference.  Yeah, I know, bad mom.  I should have figured this out sooner, except like I said he would always kick the blanket off almost immediately.  I have to admit that the one night that I had to take him out of his room, not only did I have an upset stomach, but he sounded like he was going to get sick also (we've also been fighting sickness in our house as well as a lot of stomach things going around).  Let's hope that this continues and we all get some good much needed rest.

On another note, Christmas is 12 days away.  Can you believe it?  This will be our second Christmas as a family of five.  I think the kids are going to love getting presents this year.  I'm not sure that they are going to get Santa, but gifts should be much more fun.  This year, we are giving them some new toys and some recycled toys that were given to us.  Given that we got so many toys given to us, they are getting a ton of things.  They would not be getting nearly as many things as they are if we had to buy everything.  We are getting them some new toys.  I got 3 Mr. Potato Heads.  Mainly, I got these because I am trying to get gifts that will help with their speech so I was looking at getting things that EI (early intervention used) and also the Potato Heads are from Toy Story, which they love!  I also got them some puppets, some blocks, and a doctors kit.  I am making them some things also.  I had wanted to try to make sure that they got something handmade every year, but this is the first year that I am able to do it.  I have started on some felt food.  So far I have eggs and farfalle pasta.  I want to make a few more things (even though I asked for play food for Christmas).  I also want to make aprons for the kids and maybe even some kid sized scrubs if I can get around to it.  I am trying to have a somewhat handmade Christmas this year.  I am, as usual, last minute susie here, but I know that the things I want to make for everyone, can get done by Christmas.  My friend over at http://firstcametwins.com/ has inspired me to get my butt moving and make things.  I need to stop stting and vegging out at the TV.  I can hand sew things, make my scrapbooks, do my clay, even set up my sewing machine if I have to all while I watch TV.  This way, I can be rpoductive rather than just a lump doing nothing.  Plus, it's way better for my mind!  I never watched TV growing us and here I am as an adult and I am wasting precious time in from of the TV.

Happy Holidays,
Amy

Handmade Christmas Gifts

I am attempting to make a few handmade gifts for Christmas this year.  For my sisters and my sister in-law and their husbands, I am making a wine sack and thinking about adding a handmade bottle stopper to the gift as well as a store bought bottle of wine.  I think my mom is getting an album of the kids in 2010.  No idea for my husband.  But the kids are definitely getting some handmade felt food.  After I read a post from my friend over at http://firstcametwins.com, I was reminded that this was a project that I wanted to make for the kids.  She had a couple of post about a couple of handmade items that she made for her twins for Christmas.  She made the most adorable aprons, which I have to attempt as well as some fabric food.  After making my apron for my swap, I decided that I want to make the kids an apron also.  I had also seen a ton of felt food on multiple blogs that made me want to make some.  So far, I have made a few felt bow tie pasta.  When I asked my husband to tell me what I was making, he knew right away.  How awesome it that!  I also have a few egg shapes cut out that just need to be sewn.  The next step is to pick out a few more food items and make them to put under the tree for Christmas.  I figure, I can always make more after the holidays are over and there is less pressure to get things done!  My other goal is to make at least Eva Rose a baby doll.  I may even try to make the boys a doll also.  I did ask for both the play food and dolls for Christmas gifts, but you can never have too many dolls or play food right?  Now I just need to get my butt in gear and get moving so that these gifts actually get made and it is not just another idea that never comes to fruition.

Happy Holidays!
Amy

Good News!

We had EI (early Intervention) today and we talked about the fact that the twins are coming up for their re-evaluation in a couple of months.  Amazingly enough, the EI workers feel that they may not qualify next time.  This is such great news, but it also stink in the fact that I have loved having people to come in and help with the kids speech.  At least, I now know what to do to help them get their vocabulary going.

Michael is coming up for his evaluation at the same time, only the biggest difference is that he is going to age out of EI at his next evaluation.  He will then be evaluated by the school system and I am really hoping that he will get picked up for pre-school through the schools.  He is progressing, but is at at least the same point as the twins and maybe even a little behind them.  Given that he is 10 1/2 months older, I am assuming that he should be further ahead than he is.  EI is going to do an evaluation also prior to the schools evaluation, I think.  They are at least going to do their own evaluation before Michael turns 3.    Hi EI worker doesn't think that he'll qualify for pre-school since he really only has speech delays.  She does think that he may qualify for speech therapy, but that may be it!  It will certainly be interesting to see how things go over the next couple of months!

Amy

If anyone has other suggestions for helping with speech, I'd love to hear them.  Anything else that I can do to continue to get the kids to progress is great!

Way Back When-esday: Christmas Card

Monday, I posted this years picture with Santa, which will eventually become our Christmas card.  Last year, we did the same thing, our picture with Santa was our Christmas card.

This was our picture last year.                              2009

It's amazing what a difference a year makes!

Amy

Makes My Monday: Santa Picture

I've been waiting to get this year's picture with Santa, but I wanted to do it soon so we could send out our Christmas cards.  We went at the last minute yesterday, and as we were waiting, I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out.  All 3 kids just wanted to run around.  The twins were at least interested in Santa, but when Michael saw him, he said his favorite words, an emphatic NO! (he may not have  huge vocabulary, but he can say NO!).  Thankfully, when it was our turn, all 3 did really well.  It took a lot of being crazy and silly on mommy and daddy's part, but isn't that what being a parent is all about?

Waiting to see Santa!

Here's this year's Christmas card!

(I couldn't find anything to match for Michael, so I sewed him a tie)

Enjoy the holiday season!

Amy

Way Back When-esday: Lighting the Christmas Lights

This week last year, we took the 3 kids to the lighting of the lights on the common in our town.  The twins weren't even 1 yet and still in their infant car seats and Michael 1.75 and we were still using our triple decker.  This year, we will have a 2.75 year old and the twins are 22 months old.  This year they are able to walk at the lighting if we so wanted.  Unfortunately, I have to work, so I don't  know if we will be at the lighting or not.  I would love to have a picture of this year though.  Maybe I'll try to talk my husband into taking the kids, and I can meet them after work.

Happy Holidays,

Amy