Happy Birthday to My Dad!

Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!

Sweet Singers

I need a chance to brag about my babies :)

Jenna (L) and Jilly (R) have mad skills :)

Check out this video of them at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L99pC_dI-CQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

This song is off the Tangled (Disney's Rapunzel) Soundtrack. One of their favorite movies. :)

3 Going on 13...

It is official. I no longer am the mother of babies (insert sad face here). I am the mother of two "Big Girls" who are 3...going on 13. However, if asked, Jenna will usually tell you that she is 3 (sometimes she says 4) and that Jillian is 2. And while 3 doesn't sound that old, all I can think about is where, oh where have my little babies gone? 

Jillian enjoying herself to the fullest at the park!

Jenna loving her new swing set. :)

As I write, the answer comes to me almost as quickly as my tears (which spring up a LOT more easily now that I am a mom- even commercials "make my eyes leak" dang it!)...they aren't gone; they are just... different. They don't need me every second of the day. They don't look to me first when wanting to play. They don't want me to tell them how beautiful they look in their dress up clothes ("No Mommy, don't tell me!!"). They don't want me to sing them songs as much as I used to (come to think of it maybe they just don't like my singing).

But I know what they DO love. They love to be with me in my bed early in the morning. In fact, they were coming into our bed so early (4:45 once!!) that we had to set a rule: You can't come into Mommy and Daddy's bed until the sun starts to peek out. I know that Jillian loves to know exactly where I am in the house, even if she doesn't necessarily want me for anything. I know that Jenna loves me to hold her like a baby when she has an owie. Jillian loves to help me in the kitchen with the cooking (or even cleaning...boy I hope that lasts!!). Jenna loves to cuddle while we watch movies.

Jillian (L) and Jenna (R) are my sweet bluebonnet babies big girls :)

I guess all of it lumps into this statement: I am the mother of 3 year old twins who also happen to be my best friends, and I am theirs. Instead of constantly caring (which still happens by the way...just more subtly) for them as babies, I am now developing relationships that I hope will last a lifetime.

In other news....drum roll please....both girls are now FULLY potty trained. Looking at the last post....OH MY GOSH, that seems like years ago!...Jillian (and Jenna) are no longer afraid to go #2 in the potty. It took about a week of the Poo Plan (3 doses of laxatives) for Jillian to figure things out for herself. Now that she isn't afraid and is regular she no longer complains of pain and has less accidents during the day and night. We still do rewards for #2s, but honestly as long as she is going I am fine with it. The rewards will fade out eventually so I'm not worried.

Jenna blowing bubbles

Jillian playing with play-dough

I will leave this post with a smattering (if you will) of fun things the girls say lately:

1. Me: Jilly!! Come here please, we need to _______ (insert here the activity....teeth...wash hands...pick up toys, etc.)

    Jilly: I comin' Momma. I comin' Momma. I comin' Momma (repeated several times over the next few seconds while she continues playing and makes ABSOLUTELY no effort to come see me.  

2. Jenna: Momma, it is so very windy outside...so very windy.

3. Jilly about Shelby: Shelby loves you momma, she just loves you. (She must think this because Shelby is part of the trio of shadows that follows me wherever I go).

4. I had an empty bowl in my hand in the car the other day. I planned to put together a salad I was bringing to an Easter dinner but was keeping my salad cold in a baggie in the cooler.

    Jenna: Momma, you sick? You have a bucket Momma?

5. Jilly: Momma, I just love you. I just wanna be with you Momma.

Words to make any Momma's heart soar....

PS: Here are all the latest pictures: http://www1.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4303063012/a=98102858_98102858/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

The Poo Plan

First, thank you to everyone who has been covering Jillian and our family in prayer. It has been a rough couple days and although I was nervous about her appointment this afternoon, I also couldn't wait to get her there.

So, we met with the urologist this afternoon. Not my favorite guy ever but I feel like he is being honest and genuine and what he says makes sense. The good news is that Jillian doesn't have any infections or abnormalities. The bad news? This isn't going to be an easy fix.

The doctor is very confident that Jillian's pain is due to her being severely constipated. Why is she severely constipated? Well, that is the bad news. Jillian is constipated because she is scared of going poo poo. Period. Won't go in the potty, won't go in her diaper. Just flat out refuses to go. The problem is that she is now holding her poo in so long that she can't get it out anymore on her own (currently she has been holding things for almost a week). How do I know that she is holding it in rather than something she can't physically push out? Because she talks to it...things like, "No poo poo stay in!!"

Anyhoo, the doctor has seen it all before and has come up with a "Poo Plan" involving laxative suppositories and a change in breakfast and snack diet (high fiber breakfast cereal and dried fruit for snacks -which have lots of fiber too). Basically, he wants to make it impossible for her not to poo, thereby having her poo daily and trying to get her comfortable with the idea that poo just... happens. Once she is comfortable again with going we can cut back on the daily laxatives (he assured me they would be gentle and safe) unless of course there has been no movement within a certain time period in which we have to start the laxatives again.

So, now I wait...and pray.
More to come,

A Prayer Request for Jillian

Jenna and Jillian LOVED being cowboys at their birthday party!

Happy New Year Friends and Family!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday. We sure did! The girls were SO much fun this year. In fact, this is the first year they've wanted to open gifts for their birthday or Christmas. It was really fun to watch, especially their reactions to some of their presents.

MY FAV REACTION: I think their favorite present to open/receive by far was a princess doll they received. Jilly got Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) with long hair to brush in a pretty pink dress (with a matching dress for Jillian of course!) and Jenna got Rapunzel (the one from Disney's Tangled) who has LOOOONG hair (duh...it is Rapunzel!) and a purple dress (again with a matching dress for Jenna). When Jillian opened her she started pawing at the box, trying to get to the doll. I had to hurriedly open and unpack her. Jenna opened hers and then waited patiently while I finished with Jillian's doll and then finally once I got Jenna's doll out and handed it to her she actually started shrieking with joy. I am not kidding! It was so stinkin' cute!

MY LEAST FAV REACTION: Santa brought the girls a princess tent with tunnel. I know right?! How fun is a huge pink and purple tent/hut with an entrance, window and tunnel?? I really thought they would LOVE seeing it after coming out of their room Christmas morning....but not so much. They kind of just stared at it for a while and then ignored it for the next few days. They finally are starting to play in it some but it for sure wasn't the reaction Santa-or mommy- expected.

In other news potty training has been....going. I won't lie, it has kind of been a tad on the brutal side, especially in the beginning. I would say in the last two weeks the girls have been doing really well with tinkling in the potty. They really have very few accidents anymore (knocking as hard as I can on wood here); however, they are truly scared of going poo in the potty. What is worse is now that we've backed off on the push to poo in the potty (doctor's advice) and are offering them their diaper back if they need to go (they are in big girl panties all the time now when they are awake) they are scared to go in that too. Yes, that is right they are scared to poo, period. Even in their diaper. In fact, Jillian has managed to hold hers in for almost a week now. The holding has led to severe constipation, and even a bladder infection for Jillian.

In fairness we've had some success....Jenna did go poo on the potty the other day at Grammy's house (never imagined myself doing a jig over poo in a potty but I sure did!), but now she still won't go at our house--she is scared because it isn't Grammy's potty. Ummm...a potty is a potty....right?! We've talked about it, sung a song about it (no, I won't sing it for you- DON'T ask me either), everything I can think of. In fact, for those family and friends we see regularly, you've most likely been mentioned in our discussions. Talks about how EVERYONE goes poo poo on the potty (specific names have been mentioned people!!). I've even seriously considered buying the book with the same name...it is a tad graphic (meaning: ewww! gross!) so it really is going to be my last resort.

The other thing is....Jillian. Bless her heart, she was diagnosed with a bladder infection a few weeks ago (she was severely constipated at the time which is what led to the infection according to the doctor). Poor thing! Thankfully I don't get many bladder infections but I've been told they are truly excruciating. Jillian was and is still in a lot of pain and pretty much uncomfortable most of the time-even though it has been over a week since finishing her antibiotics. The doctor has run several urine cultures (for bladder infections and UTI) and all of the results have been normal. The doctor isn't sure why Jillian is so uncomfortable and hurting. She isn't sleeping well, she hasn't been eating as well, she runs fevers now and then. So our doctor has a referred us to a Urologist. I made the appointment yesterday and the first opening they had was next Wednesday (the 4th). I took it, feeling relief that they weren't booked too far out...but still, 6 days is also a long time to wait when you have a sick toddler.

So, I ask you to please pray for my sweet Jillian. Pray that the over the counter medicines (Azo, Vaseline and Tylenol) will help manage her pain until we can get her into the doctor. Please pray that the doctor has some idea of what is ailing her so that we can take the steps to begin healing her body. I've begun to hate WebMd (and once again I am swearing never to use it) because all it does is make me paranoid that she has kidney failure or leukemia or some other kind of drastic illness the symptom checker matched us to). Please pray for a gentleness of spirit for Jared and I while we wait for her appointment(she is VERY persistent with her cries of "my bobo is hurting"). Lastly please pray that both Jillian and Jenna would have the courage to be able to poo on the potty- or even in her diaper for Jillian. The fact that Jillian holds hers in for so long is not helping her situation.

Jared and I do appreciate your prayers for our Jilly and I will be sure to send updates once we've met with the doctor next week.
Love

PS: CLICK HERE for all the latest pictures which are WAY over due (they go back to Halloween!!)

Merry Christmas Papa Marty

Merry Christmas, Dad! I so wish you were here spending this holiday with us. We miss you very much. I hope this video will help (http://youtu.be/AfXdZWCnB7I ) on your end with missing us. It is definitely the girls at their fidgety finest. :) I am not sure why the sound is off, it drives me crazy... but I couldn't for the life of me get the girls to sit down and film another video. Wishing you the very merriest Christmas to you and Meyong Hee.

Love,

Jared, Jessica Jillian & Jenna

 

Big Girls

Oh my goodness...it has been so long since I've posted a real post...with words and stuff! The days seem to vanish now. Jillian and Jenna are SO busy lately that I can hard keep up. In fact, during nap and after bedtime I find myself more often than not in a total state of vegetation watching the most mindless show on TV available just so my brain can keep up with things. Really...it is sad how much I resemble a potato. :(



Jillian and Jenna with their lovies. We had to recover the lovies after almost 3 years of cuddles. Same lovie on the inside, new dress (picked by each girl) on the outside. It was a surprisingly smooth transition.



Jillian enjoying the sun

Jenna getting creative with their baby slide. :)

I walked in the playroom to find the girls "napping" on the floor with their pillow, blankets, and books. Jillian is "smiling." I can't get that child to smile with her eyes open for anything.

The phase the girls are in right now has been really fun, but also very complicated and stressful. They are typically happy as clams but HIGHLY emotional and dramatic. They have a short attention span, and the word "no" has completely escaped from their brains. I am convinced they longer understand what "no" means. For some reason (I've read it can be common) they've also become very fearful of lots of things. The tub drain, cars, vacuum, bugs (that's a big one), garage door, The Wiggles (I know!! They will still watch them though!), people....anything and everything is fair game for "Mommy I skeered."

Jillian's small moment of fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Pretty much how Jenna looked the entire time at the Pumpkin Patch

Jared...holding Jillian at the church festival.

Actually, the fear phase has gotten quite bad. Last year at the Pumpkin Patch the girls had a blast. They wanted to pick their "punkins," they wanted to try the bouncy house, hay ride, inflatable slide, kid rides, etc. This year at the Pumpkin Patch you would have thought we were torturing them...pulling them apart limb by limb. Seriously...it was that bad. I didn't even want to take a pumpkin home with us...no use remembering that field trip, right?! The festival at our church was only a tad better...but I had learned from the Pumpkin Patch....as long as the girls are being held, they are happy as clams. :/ Halloween was much the same, although they did warm up and walk up to the houses eventually. Jenna even said "Trick-er-Treat!" and "Thanks!" a few times. Jillian is for sure the shyer out of the two and I only got a coherent "Thank you" once.

Jillian, Katie, and Jenna right before Trick-or-Treating time. The girls were butterflies (their antennae didn't make it past the church festival) and Katie was a punk rock skeleton...type..of...thing. ;)

On the bright side, both Jillian and Jenna are hilarious. :) They sing, they dance, and they gallop and hop from place to place. They say funny things (like... Mommy, I have boogers) and sweet things (like...I miss you too Mommy, or this is MY sister). I would say their favorites right now are playing dress up, dancing/singing, and painting.

In Big Girl news they are both in a "toddler" bed right now (still in their crib with one side removed and only a bumper under the sheet). Big Girl beds are on the horizon. We are also in the middle of a trial period of trying to share rooms again. Back when we got rid of the pacifier we moved them into their own rooms because they were keeping each other awake...I am not confident our trial period will work. During this nap hour I can hear them from across the house NOT sleeping. Next week we plan on putting them through Potty Training Boot Camp...so we will see how that goes. :}Cross your fingers!!!

Jillian enjoying her Big Girl bed for the first time. Jenna has had much sucess with her bed and Jillian has only fallen out once...I think it was operator error though, the bumper was in wrong. Ooops...my bad. :( It was traumatic at 3am.

Love to all,