July 2012

 7/1 Bailey continues to enjoy the iPad, and goodness she has really learned a lot from it. The therapist (occupational therapist) even commented that she thought it had helped improve her attention span. She can work that iPad better than her dad can. LOL

 

 7/2 Brianne and I went to see Tangled at the movie theater. We made it very special by letting her dress up and painting her nails. I don't usually paint her nails because in a couple of hours she has peeled all of it off!

 

7/3 The one thing Wyatt will eat like a champ is cookies! I have caught him in the pantry more than one time taking cookies. We were in trouble the day he figured out how to open closed doors. We were in even more trouble when he figured out there were cookies in the pantry. This month we have put away the baby food for Wyatt. He is still working on having strength in his mouth, but he is able to eat enough to do without baby food. He is still getting the majority of his calories and vitamins from Boost.

Nothing sweeter than a baby's hand filled with a cookie (Bailey's hand). She loves to lick food. She prefers chips though.

7/6 For Brianne's birthday we drove down to Maw's house. Can she really already be 6!! She is one sassy little girl, and I love seeing her grow. She is my payback for being sassy when I was growing up. I am sure that my mother thinks this is very amusing.

 

 My cute little babies in their cute little clothes do not equal cute with all that dirt they have there. Wyatt and Brianne both looked like raccoons.

Maw and Grandaddy made the sail boat into a pool this trip. Thank goodness because they were some nasty little kids.

She loves her Grandaddy. He didn't even mind that she was getting him wet.

7/7 It is harder and harder these days to find reasons to get Tyler to take a picture. He is growing up too fast!

Brianne showing them how to play on her new LeapPad that she got for her birthday. She better hide it well because Wyatt can now open her bedroom door. It is then all open game for the two little shorties.

She modeled the costumes she got for her birthday.

7/9 What major thing are we working on this month? Potty training!! I like potty training about as much as I like getting up with a newborn baby every 2 hours at night.

7/9 The same day we started potty training we also started sleeping without the nap nanny. We had tried taking it away before but he cried. This time I bought him a new pillow case and that did the trick. It is made out of minky dot fabric which is almost exactly the same as the outer cover of the nap nanny.

7/10 Oh yeah! What is potty training without a box on your head? Wyatt had going to the potty without accidents down in less than 3 days. Of course I am not talking about night time. I am not worried about nighttime. He was the easiest of all 4 kids. We started potty training Bailey the same day as Wyatt. I was worried about how that would go since she is cognitively delayed. She has surprised me. I have had (or tried to) her sit on Wyatt's potty off and on for the last few months and every time she would scream bloody murder. I was really just testing the waters. This time we bought her a pink Minnie Mouse potty and luckily she didn't cry. She did on the other hand think she was suppose to poop on the potty every time I sat her on it. It took a couple of days for her to understand. We still have lots of accidents and if you put her in her car seat without a pull up you will be washing it for sure.  

7/13 This summer Tyler and Brianne each participated in one of the week long (8A-12) camps at the YMCA. Tyler participated in wrestling and Brianne soccer. Tyler went to his first overnight camp with Church. It was for 2 nights. He also did a week long camp at the Nature Center here in Millbrook. He loved this camp. He came home smiling every day and hopes to go back next summer. It is from 8AM to 4PM each day. Some of the things they did were swimming, canoeing, archery, fishing, and mud wars.

7/20 Wyatt has finally gotten his own costume. Maybe his sister will stop trying to dress him up as a princess. He loves being a superhero.

7/20 Tyler wanted to meet Glenn from the swamp people show. I guess I am stating that correctly. I don't watch tv, and if I did hunting and fishing shows aren't my cup of tea. He was in Birmingham so we made it an overnight trip so the kids could all swim.

7/28 Please no one worry about Lee's lack of exercise. The babies are making him follow a new regimen. I have no idea why Bailey seems to have lost her clothes. We have been keeping them naked from the waist down due to potty training, but I don't know why her shirt seems to have fallen off.

June 2012

6/6 The first week of June we made a trip to Gatlinburg. I really thought I took more pictures and goodness where is my sign picture. I will have to look on the camera again! How could I live without my sign picture? We spent a couple of days in the park cooking out. We were very disappointed in how they have "upgraded" the little picnic area we usually go to. Since the twins we now spend most of our time there making sure the twins don't roll down a hill or get into traffic. It is more stressful now than it is usually worth. Bailey's vision makes it hard for her to maneuver around the area, and she thinks she can do just like the big kids. I swear my heart can't take the stress.

 

 

  What is the outdoors without a few army men to play with?

  Fire. Really?! I guess I would have been shocked if she really got a spark.

 6/8 Another day (well actually a couple) we went to Daddy's favorite camping store. They have a climbing wall at the front of the store, and Tyler wanted to climb it. Guess who else begged to climb it? Bailey and Wyatt! They could just see themselves danging up there. They do the same thing when they see the roller coasters at Dollywood. 

They are waiting for brother to climb in this picture. We had to make a quick exit after he climbed the wall because the twins were crying because they couldn't take their turn.

 

  Later that afternoon we took them to a place on the strip in Pigeon Forge that has kiddie rides. There were lots of tears when we left this place. Remember back to the time when your kids had a melt down when they had to leave the playground..... and times that by 2. Fun times I tell you.

  If you aren't able to see her little smile, click on the picture and it will pop up a bigger picture. It is priceless and shows you how much she has a need for speed.

  Wyatt comes off all the rides screaming 'gain, 'gain.

He also has a need for speed. Brianne not so much...

6/15 I had the bright idea that I would get the kids outside and let them play in the shaving cream. Several therapist recommended it for messy play to help the twins with their sensory issues. Ha!! I thought to myself "self it will be easy to clean and surely when they see the big kids having a good time playing with it they will join in." Ha! The big kids used ALL 4 cans of shaving cream on themselves.

Wyatt screamed because it touched him. I put some on his hands and then he wouldn't move his hands. Brother put some on him. No part of it I tell you!!

Bailey wants you to know she certainly wants no part of it. Tyler tried to put some on her, and she ran and hid on the porch. Don't tell her, but everyone could still see her.

6/16 They may not like shaving cream but they love water! Brianne still doesn't know how to swim. She is terrified of putting her head under the water. I hope I can find someone else next year (summer 2013) to teach her. The YMCA really doesn't teach them to swim.

6/18 You would think that with chocolate all over your face that some of that cookie was chewed and swallowed. Nope!! Bailey still doesn't understand how to chew and swallow her food. We have lost yet another 2 therapist. To say that Lee and I are angry over that is to put it mildly. They knew that Bailey was not a mild feeding delay case. I also know that they had to have had an idea that they might be moving. Couldn't they have at least warned us so we could make an informed decision? Especially since we have to pay for so much of her therapy out of pocket. Every time we go to a new therapist it is like starting over. Wyatt is also still in therapy and still eats some baby food. You have no idea what this does to a family. 

6/22 This month we are working on getting Wyatt to drink some of his milk out of a cup with a straw. The nice previous therapists said we must immediately get them off bottles and on cups. They also don't have to come home with us and make sure they get enough liquids and calories a day. They don't have to go to the hospital when one of them goes into renal failure due to lack of liquids. The one thing that irks me with therapy is the lack of accountability. They tell you to do all this stuff, but they don't have to worry about what happens if it fails. I think they should have to weigh the kids and also make sure they are getting enough liquids. Luckily for my 2 Lee and I are in the medical field so we understand all the concepts. I really get tired of telling them that at this point Bailey can either drink out of a bottle or get a feeding tube and getting a feeding tube is not an option for Bailey. This month we are working on Bailey holding her own bottle. I don't see Bailey not drinking her milk from a bottle in the next year. Wyatt drinking solely out of a cup is also questionable. He has low muscle tone in his mouth has tires easily. Oh and when I say milk I am talking about Boost. Thank you so ever much to Walmart because they special order Boost for us. It is much cheaper than Pediasure.

Brianne continues to love dressing them up. Bailey loves being a princess.

Poor Wyatt just doesn't know the fun I will have showing this to his future wife.

6/25 We got another new therapist with early intervention. We are like a revolving door. This time we have lucked out!! It has been the best thing EVER!! This therapist also works with the school system and will see Bailey in the school system when she ages out at 3. She is a vision therapist so it is just what Bailey needs. She introduced Bailey to the iPad on her first visit. Why has no one else ever tried the iPad with her? She really responds to therapy with it. Thanks to Maw and Grandaddy she now has her own iPad.

Bailey has these days where she absolutely shocks you. She will do this one little thing thing that is amazing for her that she may not do again for a year. I have always personally thought that it was like God letting the sun peak through the clouds on a stormy, stormy day. He knows when I am about to give up and am losing hope. An example would be on this day, June 28, when Bailey fed herself pudding and baby food, which is something she has NEVER done before. She won't do it again for months but that one time is enough to bring you to your knees.

6/30 Poor Mac has tried and tried to ship himself to another family, but they just won't let him go. He even tried to starve himself to get out of the family. Poor, poor Mac Mac.

End of School, Awards, and Graduation, May 2012

May 19

My dad's brother and sister and their family all came over to my parent's house for a "mini" family reunion. It was nice to see everyone and the kids loved playing in the sand. 

The rare picture of my brother with the kids. Shhhh don't tell him I put it on here because he would be mad. 

Loving the sand..... Mom not so much... It is like being at the beach and trying to wash off all the sand and it never happens.

 Bailey got my brother to hold her, and she tried to stay with him the whole time he was there.

 

 Maw and Grandaddy made the boat into a sand box just for this day.

 Jacob and the kids

 The kids were really glad that Katie and Aaden were able to come play with them. I wish we lived closer so they could get together and play.

I swear if they told Maw to jump off a bridge she would ask which one and go do it. They wanted to play in the water and that is just what she let them do.

5/22 The last day of school!! Two excited kids came home this day. I made Tyler a deal at the first of the year that if he made all 100's on his Bible test that he would receive $100. Oops!! He really did it.

5/24 Guess who graduated Kindergarten? How fast the time has gone! Brianne will get to go to 1st grade ALL day the next school year.

 Brianne with her teacher Mrs. Bowman

Brianne with Mr. Todd, principle

 5/24 Tyler got an award for making all 100's in Bible. This is his teacher Mr Nolin giving him his award.

Wyatt and Bailey ended the month of May by relaxing and wearing their sibling's shoes.