The Napping House

One of the children's books that we have in our burgeoning collection is "The Napping House" by Audrey Wood.  It's a funny story about how every person and critter in the house end up in the same bed (until one of the critters gets startled and they all go flying which is not too far off :-P.)  Here is the Horn family version...

My Emmy Date

Nick is gone to North Carolina and New Mexico for two weeks of training, with just one "refuel" day in between.  We made a snap decision that, instead of quiet time, I'd take our Emmy out on a Mommy-Daughter date while Nick stayed home with the others.  We really needed to "reset" and have some fun together.  I think the last time we did any such thing was when my mom was visiting in July. :(  Our first stop was lunch at "Old McDonalds."  At first she wanted to eat at a restaurant that served Cheetos (how she knows about Cheetos is beyond me) and pickle sandwiches (?), but then decided she wanted to look for Ronald McDonald when she saw the golden arches.  (Some background: In an effort to promote clowns, after she stumbled into a scary "clown show"/haunted house with Auntie Kristi, Uncle JP and cousins at the pumpkin patch, we had a long conversation about Ronald McDonald and how he builds homes for families to stay at while their sick children are in the hospital.  She was impressed by his altruism and her clown Halloween costume was once again acceptable.  Crisis averted.)

After lunch, our next stop was my old salon (from the days when I actually felt like spending two hours of precious "me" time at a salon) for her second haircut!  She did a WONDERFUL job, and looks so grown up with her new 'do!  We took a little more off that we had previously negotiated with Daddy (in the name of healthy hair!) and Emmy was a little concerned about Daddy's reaction.  As we drove away, she told me, "Daddy will say, 'Ah! Why is your hair short?' And then he will cry."  Luckily, he didn't cry, but did admit he'll need to get used to it...He agreed that she looks very beautiful, though.  Which made Emmy light up. :)

We went to Kroger to pick up some ingredients for the dinner Emmy chose to serve to her friends at church group on Sunday, and she got to push the kiddie basket around the store (something she's wanted to do for a long time, but we haven't been able to with Hannah in tow.)  We ran a couple more errands before heading home, with batteries recharged.  It was exactly what the doctor ordered, and something we'll need to do with much more frequency (minus the haircut.) The last couple of days she has been back to her sweet, helpful self, which I have missed dearly since the babies' arrival.  So grateful for the respite between Nick's trips for many reasons, and our Mommy/Emmy date being a big one of them!

Before

After!

I had to include this gem from our story time last night...She has been focused on the book "Madeline" for the last couple of days.  She asks to read it to me first and then asks me to read it to her.  Each time she reads it to me, she does an even better job...Watching our baby learn is the most exhilarating, awe-inspiring experience:

During

We conquered Lowes!

Since I absolutely refuse to be helpless...I gave shopping with all four another go last week, and it was a much different experience!  I am attempting to organize my life and keep up with Nick's crazy schedule with a family calendar/whiteboard on the fridge.  I needed magnets and I was a few days away from another Mom's Day Out.  Once I get my head stuck on something, I'm committed.  All four of the kids were super happy, and, I think grateful for the change of scenery! The earlier start time was clutch, as are these awesome new car carts, AND the Christmas decoration aisle had the girls squealing happily!  Emmy and Hannah were buckled in side-by-side (Hannah LOVED the steering wheel!)  Jules' carseat went in the front basket and I wore my big boy in the Ergo carrier.  I was stared at by nearly every person we passed, and got at least six "you've got your hands full" comments, but this time I was glowing with pride for my well-behaved foursome!!

Just Three Words...

HANDLED WITH CARE

At my six week post partum check-up, Dr. Anderson handed me two more "shameless plug" bibs to add to our collection.  I marveled over the fact that he has delivered all of our babies, which, he said is very rare, even for non-military families.  So, I promised him that I'd send him a picture of our crew, wearing all of their bibs. for one giant Dr. Anderson endorsement...

Sissy was being so sweet here :)

Newborn session photos

I just picked up our pictures today from the newborn session!  It's crazy how much the twins have grown since these photos were taken!  Here are some of the highlights! 

J&J 2 months old!

James

Head: 39 cm 47th%ile

Weight: 11# 10 oz 31st %ile (!!!!)

Height: 21.5in 2%ile

James started smiling this past week!! He still bores a hole through me with his stares, as if he's trying to memorize my every move.  He has a firm grip and will hold onto the bottle, my shirt, my hair, whatever he can get his little fingers around.  I love wrapping my arms around our little moose, he is such a solid little guy! I just love the feel of his weight on my chest. :)  James got a clean bill of health at his 2 month check up!  He has his first set of vaccines on board and took them like a man! Luckily, aside from a slight increase in fussies on the day of, there were no adverse reactions. :)

Julia

Head: 37cm preemie scale 45%ile (regular scale 15%ile)

Weight: 8# 11 oz 40%ile (2%ile)

Height: 20.5 inches 11%ile (0%ile)

Julia's smiling!! She is also beginning to coo as of a few days ago!  She, too, tracks my every move with her eyes.  Jules has started helping me hold her bottle, too.  These guys are starting to become a tad more interactive, which is so exciting. :)  Juju also passed her two month well check with flying colors...The vaccines weren't fun for about 15 seconds and then she was a-ok.  I am so grateful that these guys responded so well.  Our night time sleep has been pretty predictable...I have managed a couple of four hour stretches, but I'm still waiting for something longer.  I automatically recalculate their gestational age based upon their due date, which leaves them about a month old; so I don't expect that sleep will improve much for another month or so...Just grateful to be getting what I do. :)  The day after I get a 6 hour stretch will be the day I conquer the world!

Our Bigs

EMMY

47 months

Our Emmy is 3 1/2 going on thirteen, or at least that's what she thinks.  She is such a loving little thing, and couldn't be sweeter with her youngest siblings (Hannah's a different story.) Hearing her coo to them when she doesn't know I'm listening warms the cockles of my heart.  She has an intense maternal instinct, and is usually right on the money with determining the best way to soothe the babies.  Most of her imaginary play is based upon caring for babies, and, if left up to her, she would spend all of her time as my right hand girl.  She thrives when she is given a grown-up job to do; she'll wipe up spillage on the kitchen floor or check to see if Hannah has a dirty diaper without hesitation, but is none-to-thrilled to complete kid chores like cleaning up her toys.  She can be lured into completing such tasks when there is a reward on the other end, and, like her father, is notorious for negotiating a better reward.  It's hilarious to hear the two of them attempt to "make a deal" with one another. Just a few days ago, I told her that she could pick out 3 Halloween candies to keep and that she could trade the rest in for $2.  She countered that she give me three candies and get paid $5. Not a chance, little one. During the last visit, Pam confirmed that Nick and Emmy are alike in more ways than just their looks; Emmy's behavior is very similar to that of her father at three years old.  The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. :-P 

She tries to "mommy" Hannah, by bossing her around.  Of course, she has no threshold for Hannah's defiance (interesting, seeing as how she learned from the best) and they get into screaming matches multiple times a day.  I like to think it will serve them well in the future when it comes to working through conflict.

Lately, at bed time, she has insisted on saying our prayer.  I love listening to everything she thanks God for...Just tonight she thanked God for helping us sell Mommy's old car (finally!) and blessing us with a new car than we all can drive in together.  Some of her thoughts come way out of left field, but it sure is a wonderful clue as to what's on her mind.

Elephant Ears Emmy would prefer if I always talk to Auntie Kristi and Mimi on speaker, because it kills her that she doesn't know every detail of every topic of conversation that we are engaged in.  She is a truly empathetic little girl and loves to know other peoples' stories.  She loves to make things for friends, especially food.  Just a couple of days ago I was devouring my latest vice: crockpot peach applesauce, and she told me to stop eating so that I could share it with our friends.  She is well-meaning. We have a system when we're working in the kitchen together: I measure, she pours and stirs.  She can also crack eggs well, and is fairly proficient at fishing out any broken shell pieces.  

She also loves to practice writing her letters.  It's incredible to watch, really.  We have mounds of papers covered with letters.  She is becoming very interested in how to spell certain words (especially peoples' names) and is working on memorizing certain books (Brown Bear, Brown Bear) and nursery rhymes like Mary, Mary Quite Contrary and Hickory Dickory Dock, among others.

She loves playing with her babies and Barbies, coloring, play dough, reading books, dancing, and swinging (she knows how to pump her legs now!)  She is also into fantasy play; it's perfectly normal to hear her acting out some drama in the other room with her babies.  She loves to have tea parties and her favorite is Friday movie day, when, so long as she's earned it with good behavior, she gets to watch a movie and eat popcorn.  Her favorite movie is the classic "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers." Unfortunately, I had to put the kibosh on that for awhile after I found all of her barbies sitting in their convertible with doilies on their heads, as she acted out the kidnapping scene. A little disturbing, for sure. Her new favorite movie is "Pollyanna" and, strangely, her favorite scene is when she falls out of the tree.  I'm beginning to think I should be worried.

She's a part-time napper, and truth-be-told, I am totally ok with late bedtimes so long as I get a little peace and quiet during the day.  When she does sleep, she can sleep for up to 3 hours, and I cherish every moment of it!

Love that little girl.

HANNAH

22 months

Hannah carries a stepping stool around so that she can always be in the middle of the action!

Helping Daddy carry Jules' carseat.

Squishing up bananas for our banana bread recipe.  She is flanked my Molly and Darla whenever she has food in her hands.

Dancing to the music in her head.

Nudie patoodie.  This is what I get for "squeezing" in another pump and feed at the end of nap time.

Ooooooh, Sissy.  I think if there was one word to describe our Hannah these days it'd be "expressive."  She wears her heart on her sleeve and has the tendency to laugh and cry all in the same minute.  She is a goofball whose sense of humor seems well beyond her time.  She takes flak from no one and can and will throw down with the best of them.  I envy her decisiveness; she is just as quick to say "yeah" as she is to say "no." She is a cuddlebug and would be more than fine if her precious feet never touched the ground.

She is infatuated with animals and their sounds.  She closely inspects our "Brown Bear Brown Bear" book, and lingers on the final page with the drawings of all the animals to recite their noises.  She loves dogs, and calls each one she happens upon "puppy."  She follows them around well after she's worn out her welcome.

She's talking up a storm.  Each day, there's something new.  It's not always easy to decipher what she's saying, but when we have trouble understanding, Hannah is quick to grab our hand, command us to "walk," and then show us what she's talking about.  I adore how playful she is:  When I let out a big sigh and say "ooooooh, Sissy!" She responds with "oooooooh, Mommy!"

We're still working on voice control, but she does like to be a helper, which is definitely a step in the right direction.  Her very favorite way to help is to "wash."  If something should spill, she will march over to the kitchen drawer with the dish towels, retrieve one, and "clean" the floor all on her own.

She loves to transport things in things.  She loves to look at books, and carries whichever flavor of the week around with her until it's fateful arrival in her crib, where books go to die.

She's become very proficient at taking off her clothes.  There have been more than a handful of occasions where I've found her wearing nothing but her birthday suit bouncing in her crib after nap time.  She has a bit of a shoe fetish, and one of the first stops during her morning rounds is unloading a basket of shoes, selecting a pair, and modeling them for us.  The bigger, the better!

She loves to dance, and, can be found bouncing to any up-tempo song.  She especially loves Katie Perry's "Roar" and several of Nick's favorite Mumford and Sons songs.  We have fun turning up the song "I will wait" in the car and watching her head bob and all of her extremities flail in the review mirror.

Hannah loves James and Julia, and, like Emmy, is incredibly clued into their needs.  She alerts me with a concerned cry "Mommy, Baby!" when she hears them crying and offers to "help" offer them their bottles.  She regularly rests her head on them when she are laying in their infant seats in an attempt to hug them.

As for sleep, she wakes, on average, around 7 each day, still takes a phenomenal 3 hour+ nap at 1230, and goes to bed around 8 each night.  I am so grateful that our kids are great sleepers...It's my saving grace.

Their sleep habits almost makes up for their picky eating.  Hannah is still a carb fiend.  Pancakes are by far her very favorite meal.  She can out eat Nick when it comes to pancakes.  She loves strawberries and cheerios for breakfast as well.  For lunch, her faves are: peanut butter and jelly, bean and (a little) cheese quesadillas, ham, hummus and pita chips, and grapes.  For snack, graham crackers and applesauce and crepes with nutella top the list.  Dinner is her most pitiful meal of the day.  Anything with pasta is well-recieved.  Otherwise, her meals are largely fed to the dogs.  If I left it up to her, she would make a meal of condiments: ketchup, syrup and parmesan cheese.  As for beverages, both girls exclusively drink almond milk (and halve for the last year and a half or so) and love it.  Since making th switch both of their bellies are comfortable and we have kept excema at bay!  They don't drink much juice (I honestly don't buy it because I know we would spend an obscene amount of money on it to satisfy Nick's habit) and love drinking water.

Hannah makes life quite a bit more exciting, her every move is done with gusto!  We absolutely adore her and her spunky little self. :)