Walloped

We are in fact getting walloped by this snowstorm. It's changed some plans we had today, but it really is beautiful, and based on the weather forecast, should still be on the ground on Christmas! A White Christmas!
So far Lily hasn't even asked to go outside. She isn't a huge fan of being freezing and several times today she has said "boy, it's freezing today." She put a sweatshirt on over the summer pajamas she chose to sleep in and then said "Good thing I'm wearing a sweatshirt. It's good to wear a sweatshirt on a cold, wintery day." We have at least 8 or so inches, maybe 10? right now, and apparently the "heavy snow" is still to come.
Imogene had one of her worst nights in a while last night. Her second incisor is taking a lot longer to come in. Poor thing, it's all puffy and red where the toothbud is. Wonder if it's a coincidence that this slow-to break-through tooth is on her right side. She is doing a lot of cute baby stuff these days. She likes to put things on her head (like my glasses) to play peek-a-boo. Imogene also loves unpacking things like boxes of toys and the books on the bookshelf. It's really fun to watch her explore where she can. Sometimes I feel sad for her because I know she wants to just go go go, and she's sort of confined to the area she can worm to, and then when she gets there she can't get herself to a sitting up position to play with the toy she worked so hard to get! But she's so determined, and PT Susan says that works in her favor - feisty, determined kids do well! Susan also mentioned the other day that Imogene has good awareness of her right side. She said many hemiparetic kids have very little recognition that their affected arm will do anything, and Imogene knows her right arm is there, it just takes her a while to remember, and it doesn't have the strength or muscle tone to do what she wants it to do.
You have never seen a more tenacious, frenetic eater. This baby loves to sit and eat. You cannot put the finger food on the table fast enough for her. She will literally bang on her tray until you put food on it, and if she gets down to one or two pieces on the tray she gets very worked up. She likes to know where the next bite is coming from!
Hopefully we'll have some snow pictures to post this week, and more from last week since I should have plenty of time to download pictures this weekend while we're snowbound!

A quick update

So for all 5 of our loyal readers - a quick update. We're up to our eyeballs in Christmas baking and cooking here and the nights have been late ones, but wanted to report that Imogene has TWO new teeth. She was playing in my lap on Tuesday morning and I looked down and there is one incisor on the top sticking out, and the other one just about ready. That brings her total to 10. Yes, at 11 months (TODAY!) she has 10 teeth. I think Lily was over 1 1/2 before she had that many teeth. Oh that Imogene, never one to let things go normally.
We had a great time with Naney and then Grunny & Charlie here this weekend. I'll post pictures soon of that and of Imogene's 11 month photo-shoot. I can hardly even type about how crazy it is to me that time has flown by so quickly-only one more photo shoot, and that's for her birthday. Where has the time gone with this little baby?
Also, if you'd like to sing along with Lily to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," you should know that it's "you'll go down in sistery." NOT history, as she has told me 100 times. Also, she has volunteered to be baby Jesus in the Christmas pageant at church when she's five (you have to be in kindergarten to participate). She said she'd be happy to wear the costume. Never mind that baby Jesus is a doll. But don't call her Lily, just call her Jesus. And if they don't need a Jesus, she'll be "present-girl."
If only I walked around with a tape recorder all day, the book I could write.

Give Me My Toy!

Imogene attempting to retrieve a toy from her faster friend. Of course later when I gave it to her, she wanted nothing to do with it.

Examines the other toys available. Decides that she definitely wants the rattle back.

Maybe if I just reach really hard she'll just give it back?

Don't make me come over there.

Gingerbread Fun

With Maggie in tow, we went to decorate gingerbread houses with two other families that we've become close with through church. Five kids and two gingerbread houses and a million little candies and a ton of messy, yummy icing - it was a blast and the kids all had such a good time. And what's a gingerbread party without a little dance party to none other than Taylor Swift?(God Bless Maggie. And I'm not just saying that because she is a loyal blog-reader. We are all so thankful for her in our lives. Lily is just in love with their entire family! Who can blame her?)The moms that we were with today are such good women, and such great moms. It is always nice to spend time with them, and reminds me yet again, how lucky I feel to be a part of the Westminster Presbyterian family.

Funny Lily story. We read a wonderful book called Christmas in the Barn by Margaret Wise Brown (you may know her as the author of Good Night Moon). It's such a dear story with beautiful illustrations-we highly recommend it. The words include "what child is this who is born here?" Lily screams every time we read it, "It's BABY JESUS!" Nothing gets by her.

Making a big mess and loving it.

Dance party time!

Maggie and Lily love dancing whenever they are together!

Therapy Thursday

Today was not our best therapy day. Imogene was so cranky and uncooperative. Who does she think she is? A baby? Really Imogene. We did learn what the call from Susan was about last week. They want us to start occupational therapy with Imogene. I was pretty much expecting this. Fortunately our insurance covers this, but unfortunately they do not cover both PT and OT on the same day. So we'll have to find a different day and time to go out there for OT. I know this has to be done, but boy, twice a week sounds daunting!

. Lily has a dance recital on Saturday. The dance recital is for a local assisted living facility - so we just drop her off, which is kind of disappointing. Wouldn't we love to see what Lily thinks of that!

Santa Train 2009

We had a great time on the Walkersville, Md Santa Train on Saturday. We drove up to Frederick and visited with Bill's grandmother, and then met our friends for the fun. The best part, it was snowing the entire time. Lily was so excited about Santa when he was on the train and asked 100 times when he was coming. Then it came time for her to sit and talk to him and she would not look at him and only gave him a high-five. The best part was that Santa kept telling Lily that "mommy always visited me and sat with me each year." That's actually not true, Santa. Mommy was terrified of Santa Claus (and the Easter Bunny) and NEVER went to see him at the mall, until she was 12. That year sweet five-year-old Ryan begged her to go with him, and she did. So Mommy can't really blame Lily for her reaction. And just see for yourself what Imogene thought of the big guy. But both girls loved the train ride and Imogene was so tickled by the snow falling down and kept trying to catch it with her hand - even her right hand!

Our house is decorated for Christmas- the boxes are put away. Yeah! Lily was a big help in her own way. She adopted several ornaments and has picked out her favorite that she would like to keep once Christmas is over. Everything was "so beautiful" and her "most favorite ornament ever." She really was so cute about the whole thing. It really makes you realize how special it is to be surrounded by children this time of year. And yes, baby Jesus is still a girl. Even if he is swaddled in blue. Still a girl.

Happy Girls on the train.

Not so happy about this guy.

Her only contact with him.

But see how happy she was that he was on the train? She was just beside herself!

This guy she never liked, but he really wanted the kids to take pictures with him (Santa-envy I guess?) She really wanted him to just take her ticket and be on his way. Had to include the picture because you can just tell she's not liking this guy at all!

It's beginning to look ...

like a giant mess! We have boxes everywhere in our house right now. Decorating for Christmas used to last over the course of one or two days - plus the time to do the tree. With two children in your house, it takes a week-plus! It doesn't help that every time I take something out of a box Lily takes something else out and hijacks it for her collection of things she's taking care of in the playroom. Each morning she gets an ornament in the Advent calendar. They go on her little table-top tree in the playroom, where they last about 5 minutes. Instantly they turn into a daddy or a mommy or an animal that needs her. Currently all the ornaments are taking a nap on my nice needlepoint Christmas pillow. She has asked me approximately 10 times today when Santa is coming. We are hoping to get our tree this afternoon, and I can't imagine how many times I'll have to ask Lily to put the ornaments back where she found them. I just know she'll have a special family in the playroom for them!
She loves her new stocking (she and Imogene got 'kid' stockings with their names on them) and is very curious about why Bill and I have stockings too. She does not think Santa will bring us toys since we aren't kids, but accepts that we might get things in our stocking.
Lily " Where does Santa get the toys?"
Me "He makes them with his elves in the workshop at the North Pole." (and then I waited for what followed...)
Lily "But does he know how to make the dolly I want?" (Ha! I knew that was coming.)
Me "Sometimes he shops from magazines or catalogues if he has to."
Lily "Oh that's good."

I asked her to focus on something today. She is so easily distracted and so good at procrastinating. She said "I am focusing!" To which I asked her if she knows what it means to focus. She said, "Umm no Mom I don't."

Imogene had a decent therapy session yesterday. She's really close to being able to go from laying down on her tummy/side and get herself back to sitting up. Of course we couldn't get her to show this to Susan at PT. During PT, Lily was playing rough on an exercise ball and fell over and scraped her arm, while I was trying to focus on Imogene. I only saw it because I could see her in the big mirror on the wall in the therapy room. It was a little bit of a mess of a session on that end. Lily just does not handle all that attention focused somewhere other than on her, especially when she knows I need her to play on her own - without getting hurt! So yesterday afternoon I got two calls from Susan - home and cell phone - with a message she wants to talk to me about something. She has not called back. Why do I feel like I've been called into the principal's office??????

Dear Santa and Baby Jesus too

Lily's Letter to Santa as dictated to Mommy today. (which we 'mailed' at MACY'S, where each letter dropped off means a dollar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation!).
"Dear Santa,
I want a dolly. I would like new clothes for my dolly. And a special closet for my dolly's clothes that has a pink window. I love you Santa. I think you are the best Santa Claus ever. Please bring me some candy. I like you and I like American flags and I like pink, red, blue and green.
Lily"

Imogene's Letter to Santa, as dictated to Mommy by Lily.
"Dear Santa,
My sister Imogene would like toys, pink toys, that talk.
Love, Lily
Imogene's Big Sister"
There was an decoration in our house right next to Lily that was red, white and blue, so that's where she came up with the flag thing when I asked her if she had anything she wanted to tell Santa. Don't worry, I made a copy of both letters to show the girls when they get older. It was a fun activity! And yes, Santa is bringing her a closet for the doll clothes, but it doesn't have a pink window! Where did she come up with that????
We started getting some decorations out, and every time I took anything out of a box, no matter how mundane, Lily would say in her best dramatic voice, "Oh Mom, that's the most beautiful flower I've ever seen. I love it. Thank you so much for putting it in our house. (Kisses my leg.) Are those kissing flowers?" A Clara doll (from the Nutcracker), gets "Oh my goodness my doll. I just love her. She's so beautiful. What's her name again?" Clara was invited to sleep in the bed with Lily, which is a sign of cherished status in Lily's hierarchy of animals and dolls.

Lily has two Nativity scenes, one plastic and much bigger than the other which is a carved wooden set. The wooden baby Jesus is 'little baby Jesus" and the plastic one is "bigger baby Jesus." Despite many attempts, she refuses to accept that baby Jesus is not a girl, even though she agrees that Jesus as an adult is a man. While playing with it, baby Jesus and Mary had many conversations, and each time she had Jesus say "Mommy" I would think she was talking to me and I would say "yes, sweetie?" and she'd reply, "Mom, I'm not talking TO you, Jesus is talking to his mommy." This went on a few times and she thought it was so funny. Sadly, I kept forgetting what she was doing, I'm so programmed to respond anytime anyone says "mommy!"
She set the 6 wisemen and the sheep and shepards and animals and two Josephs and a Mary (we're missing one) all mixed up between the two mangers (I think she decided one was a house and one was a barn?), and is all taken with the angel that sits on top of the plastic one, which of course sings a song, and she is just captivated by all of it. She then looks over and asks me in complete amazement at his absence, "Mom, where's God?"
I was just overwhelmed by her awareness and what a profound thing and here was this opportunity to talk about the whole Christmas story, and then about 10 minutes later she's still playing and says, "It's okay Mom, you can just be God for now." Oh goodness.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed a wonderful day with Naney, Grunny & Charlie. Lily and Bill ran in the Alexandria Turkey Trot with our neighbors and Erin. Lily had a really good time, and also enjoyed watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Dog Show on TV. She wanted to help with everything involved in the cooking for Thanksgiving supper and was so excited to sit down and eat. And then she ate about 5 bites. Big fan of the raw pie dough, crescent rolls and cranberry sauce. That's Mommy's little girl! Imogene loves sitting and eating, and she absolutely loved everyone being together sitting and eating for an hour. Her favorite part was everyone clapping for her and saying "yeah Imogene" - she would then do her fisted-clap and laugh. Precious.
This Thanksgiving Bill and I just want to say thank you to all of you who have been there for us this year. It's been such a blessed but challenging year for us, and we are reminded today of how lucky we are. Sometimes it can be hard to remember that, but we know we are lucky parents of these two beautiful, happy girls.

New Gear

Imogene is going to be sporting two types new physical therapy gear soon! The first is the pair of Hip Helpers that I mentioned last week. She tried them out at therapy today. They are just like bike shorts, only the legs are sewn together. We ordered her first pair today - in a very bright hot pink! She will wear them for 30 minutes to an hour a day to start with, and then we'll see how she's doing. This should help with her hip abduction.
Imogene does not engage her abdominal muscles very much, so she'll start wearing kinesiology tape in an "X" pattern around her tummy soon. She's wearing a test-patch this week to make sure she doesn't have any allergies to the tape. It's an interesting therapy tool, this tape. You may have seen athletes wearing it during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. This website has a good explanation of what the benefits of the tape are.
Naney is on her way here right now for Thanksgiving and Grunny & Charlie arrive Thursday morning. Imogene is going to love Thanksgiving because she Loves to eat! She could sit and eat all day we think. Funny thing is she isn't that big of a baby for all the food she's consuming!
We're excited for the holiday and then to head to Charlottesville on Saturday to cheer on the Hokies against UVa!