HOT DOG...IT SNOWED

Today we had actual flurries of snow...It is barely mid-November!...I am not sure I am going to make it. To be clear, the snow was really barely anything. However, for a true Southerner, it was if not massive at least note-worthy. Though at first I thought that some tree must be blowing off lots of little leaves (and while that sounds weird, I will let you know that it has been raining leaves lately....so much so that I actually couldn't find my rake cause it had fallen and had been covered with leaves!!)

I took a video of the snow, but you really can't see much of anything. But since I had the camera I thought that I would document the girls eating their first hot dogs (they were all turkey, if that makes it any better.) The girls are on a permanent boycott of baby food and insist on real food. However, they don't seem to like a lot of the real food. So each meal is an adventure. So here is a 2 minute video of them eating--really only for the die hards!

BATHING BEAUTIES

What could be cuter than some naked baby bottoms??

UPDATES:

Audrey had her little procedure yesterday and it went fine. She was under general anesthesia (which they let me be there for) and then they did an IV and numbed her head. Then the doctor (her dermatologist) was going to scoop out two of the sores/hard spots - similar to how they scoop out if they are taking off a mole - and have them analyzed. Apparently when they did the first scoop, they realized that underneath it was a hole to her skull that had puss in it (gross!!) So it was much deeper than they thought. So for the second one, they cut it out to get a bigger area and stitched it up. We should get results in about 2 weeks.
She handled it all very well! Actually amazingly well. How cute is she in her little hospital gown??

Brooke climbed up our stairs for the first time yesterday. I took a video but it is awful as I am also trying to make sure she does not fall backwards. So here is a video of her playing with her birthday balloon instead.

ONE YEAR AGO...

I headed to Women's Hospital at 7 am for our weekly non-stress testing to be followed by my 35 week appointment with our OB. D was planning to come to the appointment so that we could get all our last minutes questions answered about our birth plan. But that was not to be. Instead we found out that the babies were coming that day!! So at 5:00 and 5:01 pm little Brooke and even littler Audrey made their appearance into the world. What a wonderful day! So here is a little look back at that day:

K is giant...and here is a picture (4 days before) that really does my belly justice.

Sweet, beautiful baby Audrey at only 3 lbs 14 oz...she has more than quintupled her weight in one year!

Lovely, adorable baby Brooke at a hefty 6 lbs and 4 oz.

AUDREY'S HEAD

Just a quick update about Audrey's head. We have been to the pediatrician several times and have tried various treatments. He recommended that we see a dermatologist and even called to get us in sooner (otherwise the first appointment was 2 months out). So we saw the dermatologist and he didn't really know what was going on but thought that it looked deeper than just the top layer of skin. He wanted to cut out a little chunk to biopsy it (not for cancer or anything like that). As Audrey is still tiny, this is going to be done under general anesthesia. So this Thursday at 8am she will be having the procedure done. I am nervous about it, but know that this really needs to be done to help us get rid of this and keep it from coming back (hopefully!). So say a quick prayer for us on Thursday!

PARTY!!

This past Saturday we had the girls' birthday party. I am calling it a complete success (though Brooke was a little bit of a grump for part of it...which I am attributing to teething). The weather was wonderful so we were able to sit outside which is helpful with a small house! We had the party at noon and served BBQ (which we bought from Red Hot & Blue!) and cake. Almost all of their friends up here were able to attend so we had a packed house...there were 8 kids who were all 17 months and younger roaming about and of course their parental units. Family wise, my dad was able to come up from MS and my Aunt and Uncle and pseudo-cousin were also able to come. Here is a little recap in pictures:

My dad and Brooke all ready for the party!


The girls all ready for their first taste of cake!


A picture of the cake...adorable!!...and the two little cakes for the girls.


Their first taste of cake...now they know what they have been missing!


Brooke was a bit more messy during her cake eating - she did get it in her hair and eye, but cleaned up easily.


The damage done to the cakes - they mainly just ate icing.


Random opening present pictures....Virginia obviously agrees with me as I am looking younger, thinner, and better...OK I admit this is not really me. It is our "cousin" Lisa! Audrey kept her hat on all day!

A FEW THINGS

There have been just a few things that I wanted to jot down and a few random pictures that I wanted to post, so here is a little hodge-podge of our life. Both girls are great crawlers -Audrey has really picked up some speed- and great puller-uppers. Audrey cruises around on the couch more than Brooke, but Brooke will stand independently for seconds at a time (I have counted up to 7 seconds!) So I am going on record and saying that I think that Brooke is going to walk first.

This past weekend the girls had their first swim lesson. They were stars! Brooke especially was adorable. She was just sqealing with delight and doing her little scrunched-face, lots of teeth smile to everyone. The only downside of the lessons is that it required the parentals to also wear swimsuits...no one looks good in a bathing suit in November (or at least that is my rationale). Brooke is cutting another tooth - possibly more than one, but I can definitely feel one - in the back. I am guessing a molar.

Audrey has started pointing a ton. She is a little ET....which may explain her obsession with the telephone! Both girls have also recently started to put the little rings back ON the stacker. Audrey seems to be a little better with her fine motors skills.

Audrey getting to the point.


Brooke is helping with the laundry and Audrey identified an area that I had not totally baby proofed in the bathroom! They are mommy's little helpers!


They stand at, and frequently shake, the gate looking longingly out at freedom. Audrey has started to put things through the gate...here she has lined up some of her blocks.


Greeting Daddy when he got home from work...suddenly Mommy is chopped liver!


Brooke says "I'm all done!"


Audrey says "No, I don't get the irony."

A VIDEO

Here is a little video of the girls from Saturday night. They were being so adorable playing together that we just had to record it...it melts my heart to see them having so much fun with each other! This was the second time that we put up the big crawling tube, but the first since Brooke has been able to crawl.