1st grade!

Derek and Blake started 1st grade last Thursday. It is a difficult transition for me (but I've eased my pain with shopping therapy and some pampering) but they are doing okay. We had a little bug go thru our family last week and Derek got sick the day before school started but being the total suckers that we are, we let him go to school. So things were a little rough because he started feeling bad at school. But he was sooooo anxious to be there.

First grade is so much more intense than when I was in elementary. They have 3 classes each day and they have to change classes. So I've been walking them in the school to their classes but Blake is already giving me the brush off this week saying he's got it!

I'm sure it will be a great year. They love their classes and teachers and seeing their friends again. I'm still not quite sure what to do with myself in the afternoons while the babies are asleep and the boys are still at school. Right now I'm giddy and running in circles. The second the babies go down my plan for whatever I was going to accomplish is out the window. But hopefully I'll settle down and start to use this time well.

Derek choose to wear a BYU Football shirt on his first day at school. The funny part about this is that he claims that he doesn't like BYU football. He says this mostly to spite Brent. He gets a lot of pleasure out of rooting for the other team, whoever they are. He also likes Red and Orange better than blue.

They're not babies any more!

So it is official, our babies are no longer really babies. They are full-on toddlers. They say no non-stop (with a lot of encouragement and praise for doing it from Blake and Derek), they are starting to say mine, they fight with each other over toys, and they are throwing insane tantrums. So my babies aren't really babies any more. This brings me to my issue - what should I call them? I am used to having collective names for my sets of twins. For two years now we have had the boys and the babies. We can't seem to come up with a new collective term for Brandon and Katelyn. Here are the criteria: 1- can't be something that should also describe the boys - like the cutie pies or the sweethearts. I mean, come on, they are all cutie-pies and they are all my sweethearts. 2- has to be shorter than saying Brandon and Katelyn, otherwise what's the point? So please help me with a new name for the babies!

Candy Stand

Lately Blake and Derek have been obsessed with money. We decide that we needed some way to teach them a little about money. We stole an idea from some good friends of ours, the Sinemas. We held a candy stand.

Grandma Fox made a stand out of PVC pipes and Amy found a great place to get a good deal by buying candy in bulk. We made up fliers and the boys ran around the neighborhood an put them on the doors of our friends and neighbors. The fliers mentioned that the kids should bring their bathing suit if they wanted to play in the sprinklers. We ended up holding it and two different days and it was really successful. Blake even said at one point that “It was the best day of his life.”

In addition to having friends visit and making money, it gave us a chance to teach them about tithing and saving money. We also helped them calculate and understand profits. While the boys loved to earn money they are also very generous with their money. Blake wanted to buy presents for everyone and he is very willing to share his money.

Video from July

Can We Still Call This a Birthday Post??

Well I think it is really shameful that we haven't posted yet about Brandon and Katelyn's 2nd Birthday! So sit down, get comfortable - here is the birthday post and its going to be long. (Can I tell you how much better I'll be able to sleep tonight knowing I finally got this done).

The day did not go unnoticed or uncelebrated at our house even though it has gone unblogged about so far. We went first thing to the hosptial. This many seem odd to some, but it is really one of the high points of the day. Visiting the people that saved their lives is just so meaningful on their birthday. We saw many of our favorite nurses and favorite docs in the NICU and in Perinatology. I unfortunately left my camera in the car. But it was fun to see them that day at the hosptial. Cake and presents were so fun this year I think they appreciated the cake a little more. They were so cute and charming! It is so hard to believe they are two years old! I can't believe we've all survived the last two years, but we have. We are in such a happy place now, but part of being here and appreciating it is looking back. I certainly did a lot of reflecting that day and part of that was the hospital trip I guess, but also just pausing to rejoice in our two amazing children.

We went in for thier 2 year old check up and the doctor was so impressed with how well they were doing. He was frankly shocked I think. He tried to be polite about it, but he was obviously really amazed at the progress they had made over the summer since we last saw him. (can you believe it has really been that long since we've seen him????) Although I am waiting for the official check at the Endocrinolgist, I can say that according to the pediatrician's office they are officialy ......... (drumroll please...) ON THE CHARTS!

Okay, so the numbers might not be impressive to most, but to us they are. They are both in the .02 percentile for weight! Katelyn weighed in at 18 lbs 14 1/2 oz and Brandon was 19 lbs 2 1/2 oz. Although the didn't get a good height on Katelyn, they measure her at 30.5 inches and that puts her in the .9 percentile and Brandon was 31.5 and in the 1.96 percentile. They are really catching up in height especially. We go to Endocrinology in a few weeks for the first follow up since they started their shots and we'll report on the "official" progress then.

They are both catching up in development too. Brandon has made a ton of progress and during his recent developmental assessment he was almost right on for his age. Most of his delays are related directly to his physical limitations. Katelyn is where she should be as well so I am declaring them basically caught up. This is what everyone hopes for - that they catch up by 2. No more adjusted age. They are just 2 and they are doing it well! Here are some pics before I tell about the rest of the birithday festivities.

Hi! Uh-huh, that's right, it's my birthday!

Mammaw showing Katelyn her new pajamas - she loves clothes!

Kisses from the birthday boy!

Katelyn playing with new toys.

They were more than happy to share their cake with everyone!

Here are my two little miracle babies!

Derek and Blake were both pretty excited about the new toys!

The day after their birthday we went to the zoo. It was so fun. Both Brandon and Katelyn loved it, but Brandon was over the top for it, especially the bird show. He waved hi to each animal we showed him. It was so cute.

Oh and since we were in the area, we stopped by the PCMC NICU to see Joni, the Rn who took care of Brandon all but 1 shift while he was there. She loved him and took such good care of him, but we haven't seen her since December 07 so it was so great to see her!