Saturday, July 31, 2010

Can You Guess...

...where we've been?
I have not been around the bloggy world for a few weeks...because we were busy getting ready and then enjoying our first real family vacation! We had a fun-filled week at the Jersey Shore and arrived home earlier tonight.

This is one of Papa's pictures...since my cord for my camera is still packed. Hopefully tomorrow I can unearth it and share a few more memories with you all!

There is much to catch up on! Watch for a few more posts this week as Sassy, Bruiser and I settle back in and Daddy heads out camping with the guys. For now, I'm going to go check in on a few of your blogs and then head to bed! It's good to be back!



Monday, July 19, 2010

I Scream, You Scream...

Well, Miss Wiggles has earned a new name! Her personality seems to be changing by the day and we now call her "Sassy." She has the attitude to match the nickname - bum wiggle and all! Thanks go to our friend, H, for coining the name!

So here is Sassy eating dessert after dinner tonight. She kind of missed the idea of eating an ice cream cone...and focused on getting as much of the yummy goodness in her mouth in anyway she could!

Monday, July 12, 2010

A Picture For Her Baby Book!

If you have been following us for a bit, you know we have been struggling with Miss Wiggles and her walking. She started walking at 10 months...well ahead of developmental milestones. The problem was that almost a year later and she still looked like she had just learned how to walk...unsteady, lots of tumbles, etc. At first we thought she was limping. X-rays and blood work showed nothing. Then Daddy noticed her feet appeared to be turning in...both of them and at random times. So, the pediatrician referred us to an orthopedist (more to shut me up than out of real concern!) and the orthopedist actually started to dismiss our concerns as well...until he saw her walk!

But let me back up a bit...

I called the orthopedist's office for an appointment and had to wait two months only to have that appointment changed as well. In the meantime I called Early Intervention and got that ball rolling (you know me - I don't sit and wait!). EI saw significant delays in her gross motor but decided to wait for the orthopedist's evaluation to develop a plan. I shared this with the doubting doctor (who, by the way, was older than dirt and a bit scary!) who couldn't understand why I contacted EI since she was only 20 months old! Duh! EARLY intervention?

Anyway...he really made it seem like we were over-reacting to her walking issues and questioned what we thought we were seeing. And then she walked down the hallway! His mouth fell open! He immediately took us back in the exam room and gave her a thorough evaluation. His diagnosis? Her left hip has not developed correctly. It faces forward in the hip socket instead of turning in like most toddlers do by this age. As a result her feet are not turning in but her whole leg swings out when she walks to avoid the discomfort.

As hard as the diagnosis was to hear (although we felt justified!), the treatment is even worse! For at least the next six months she will need to wear special shoes connected with a bar at night as well as knee immobilizers. Physical therapy will be integral too. We will continue with strengthening exercises at home as well as ballet class. All this should help avoid surgery in ten years...which would had been the outcome if we hadn't pushed for her to be seen.

So Miss Wiggles has moved into our bedroom so we can comfort her (without disturbing Tater) when she is uncomfortable. And so that she can enjoy the A/C while wearing all her apparatuses! Mommy cried the first few nights but Wiggles adjusted well! She fusses because she's tired but doesn't seem to mind the equipment too much at all! She's still trying to get onto her belly to sleep but is slowly giving in to our wishes!

The best part? I was going to take away her Nuks this summer...and now she gets to keep them until she's done with the braces!

Sunday, July 11, 2010

We're Lovin' Summer!

Miss Wiggles is expressing her individual sense of fashion!
(And she had just taken off the armful of bracelets while I was grabbing the camera!)
Our garden is actually growing...and producing veggies!
I have a small bowl of green beans to prove it...and these pictures!
The overview...

The pumpkins and cantaloupe

The celery

A cantaloupe bloom

The tomatoes...blooms but no tomatoes yet
The Squash...

...that we grew!
And more blooms!
(Except we don't eat squash!)
The bean plants
And we've been spending LOTS of time splashing in the pool!


Going under the water bridge!


Hope you're enjoying your summer, too!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Bruiser-isms!

It's taken him a bit longer than his older sister, but Bruiser has finally started talking enough to make us giggle!

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B: Momma, I want juice.
M: Okay, buddy, I'm coming to get it.
B: It's already! (juice and cup on the dining room table)
M: Wow! Look at you big boy!
B: I know. I smart!

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B: I want juice.
M: You can have water.
B: I don't like water.
M: But it washes out your inside.
B: Why them dirty?

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Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Hot, Hot, Hot!

It was so hot today...here and everywhere else!...that we waited until after dinner to venture into the pool. The kids had a blast splashing and playing in the cool water!


Even Daddy ventured in...it was that hot!


Wiggles took a break to call Papa and tell him about all the fun!

Love Bruiser's excited face!

And...FYI...even Mommy stuck her feet in the water...it was that HOT!

Monday, July 5, 2010

Summer Catch-Up!

Bruiser won tickets to our local baseball team, so we got Miss Wiggles a sitter and took the other two for a "fun"evening...in between the whining and refusing to sit. Wonder what it's like to go to a baseball game without children?
Bruiser didn't like the sun...and thought he had to hold his sunglasses on!

Tater was all smiles!

And Bruiser was much happier when Mommy pulled Taggie out of her bag!

Wiggles had her first ballet class and looked super cute!
Then on the 4th we headed to our favorite neighbor's grandmother's house for a day at the beach and a picnic in the heat. This has become an annual tradition that we all look forward to and the kids had a blast...in between the whining and begging for food! Ah, parenthood!

Wiggles (a.k.a. Vulture), snacking away.

Tater, mid-whining.

Handsome boy!

Snuggle time for Miss Wiggles!

Nuk and red, white & blue!

Bruiser found the cars!

Tater taking a 5 second break...there were so many kids to play with!

This is how nicely they were playing together this morning!

And Wiggles helped Daddy make breakfast...by snacking a bit!