CHRISTMAS PART 5...the last one

D's parents came up to visit us on New Year's Eve so that we could have Christmas with the Haddens. So on New Year's day we pretended it was Christmas day and opened presents in our pj's once again...and by this time the girls were pros, even wanting to help open other people's presents. The girls got several fun toys, including a little rocking horse and a little play kitchen that they love!

On a nice sunny "warm" day we all went to lunch in Old Town Alexandria and walked along the Potomac river. Another fun activity (at least for me and D) was date night! The grandparents babysat and we went to dinner and a movie....such pressure picking a movie cause it may be the only one you see for 6 months so you want it to be good. We saw Frost/Nixon and really enjoyed it...two thumbs up!

Presents are so much fun!!


Giddy-Up!!

Grandma - I think that you got the drinks backwards!


This is us on the "warm" day at the Potomac

CHRISTMAS PART 4 aka Christmas with the Mitchells

So I continue to post about Christmas....

Our final Christmas celebration in MS was with my entire extended family on my dad's side. Our family is rather small, so that totaled 12 adults and 6 kids (all under 7). The day was quite warm, but a good time was had by all. As is our tradition we dined on steak and potatoes and it was scrumptious!

As a funny side note to the end of the MS Christmases, D and I decided that on the way home from the airport we would stop for Mexican food as our meal of the day. So we ordered the girls a cheese quesadilla kids plate. The waiter brought it out on two plates and we decided that we would try using the plates rather than our usual just dump on the table method. So we were very careful the whole dinner to hold on to their plates....just to set the scene, the manager had already been to our table twice due to a small issue with my food and had ended up comping us my entree. Then at the very end, I let go for just a second, and wouldn't you know it, Audrey hoists it into the air and throws it overboard. As the plate shattered to the floor, I thought I guess now is not a good time to ask if we get the ice cream that came with the kids meal.

Here are a few pics of the cousins playing together:


and of course here are the pictures of all the kids - posed for posterity :

CHRISTMAS PART 3

I realize that no one is really interested in my family (other than family) to read multiple posts about Christmas. However, I still have 3 more to do...unfortunately I have zero memory these days so the posts will be shorter and shorter!

Christmas morning...how adorable!!


Getting Christmas dinner ready - with "help" from Will. Great excitement that the turkey was DONE!


Not yet Brooke....Go Audrey!!


We have been working on body parts...they have mastered BELLY!!

CHRISTMAS PART 2

Christmas Eve Day was spent with my dad, his wife Jane, my sister and her family. It was lots of fun to hang out together and open presents. It was extremely warm - which we were not totally prepared for. Audrey was still a bit puny, but she was quite a trooper. They both enjoyed opening presents - but it took them quite a while on each one. Here is a little photo montage of the day:

CHRISTMAS PART 1

For Christmas this year, we flew to MS to be with my side of the family. Unfortunately, we all were sick at some point during the trip. We flew out on Sunday around 4pm (which we were quite worried about cause that is about the time that the girls develop their split personalities.) But since they both had fevers, they pretty much slept the entire way there....we apologize to any unsuspecting people on the flight that we may have infected. This was only the second time that Audrey had a fever and for Brooke it was a first. Brooke's little face gets very pink and Audrey just gets listless.

Such a sad little Audrey...and I think that we could call Brooke, Rudolph!

So the first few days the girls were pretty mellow and did lots of sleeping. They were both intrigued with the Christmas trees and lights as well as my dad's cat Max. The girls enjoyed playing with the "new" toys that both my parents had gotten for them to play with (thanks to the introduction of Craig's list!)

Brooke petting the cat and the tree.

Audrey going shopping for "two chicken legs"...seriously cutest toy ever, so of course it is discontinued!

VIDEO OF WALKING

We have a lot to post to catch up from our Christmas, but in the meantime here is the video of Brooke walking. She has now begun to walk (aka take a couple of steps) without even realizing it (aka even when we don't stand her up and put out our arms and say WALK!!)

Since Audrey is still not walking, I thought that I would post a picture of her feeding herself some yogurt (she even would put the spoon in the container to get the yogurt!)

UPDATES

We had our one year doctor's appointment on Friday...it is this late because it was originally scheduled for the same day that Audrey had surgery and they won't do the well baby the same day as anesthesia. Unfortunately this "well-baby" appointment featured two babies who were not actually well. Brooke (who has had a cough off and on since October) started to really cough and have a runny nose on Thursday. By bedtime she had a fever and was just laying on the floor (so sad!) Since she was wheezing and breathing fast, she is now taking puffs from the albutoral inhaler. Of course, now all 3 of us gals are all sick (though I don't have fever) Hopefully we will get over this in time for the holidays...or soon after our vacation starts!

The first of many wrapping paper sword fights...it's never too early to instill a competitive spirit, right?

Here are the stats for the girls:
Brooke: 32 inches (over 95th percentile) for height, 22.5 lbs (between 75th and 50th - though she had not been eating well and probably lost a few oz), and her head is 46.4 cm (75th percentile)

Brooke LOVES her chair...she gets in and out of it constantly and when sitting she smiles and pats the armrests!

Audrey: 30 inches (around 50th percentile) for height, 20.5 lbs (25th - though she is legal to be forward facing!), and her head is 44.4 cm (25th percentile).

Audrey loves to chat on the phone...she will even hold it up to her ear (occasionally!)

The girls seem to be on the same growth curve as last visit and everything looks good. They got their chicken pox and MMR vaccines and got blood taken for iron and lead screenings....FYI Audrey's earlier bloodwork for liver functions and anemia came back great and she won't need bloodwork again until the first of the year...and her head is looking much better-only one big spot left!

Audrey rocking her Pepples do (this makes her bald spots less noticable!)

Here is a video of Brooke dancing. Still no photgraphic evidence of her walking....as she has been just laying around lethargically since then.