"Bend it like Beckham"

 

We decided to start the girls in a soccer program earlier this month.  I know what you are thinking, soccer already?  Yup.  The program starts at 18 months and runs for 6 weeks.  It's a parent participation program and is more like "organized play" with a few soccer balls thrown in.  

I enjoyed running around with the girls and really seeing their personalities come out.  L, like normal, was a little more reserved and quiet.  She was a slower to start and get into the activities.  A, she observed for a minute and then jumped right in.  She really takes to it and dribbles like a star!

Putting them in soccer is helping them with their gross motor skills, listening and following direction.  They do jumping jacks, arm stretches, run around like airplanes, dribble, and kick goals.  After all of that, they get to crawl through a tunnel and play with the big soccer balls.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a lot of pictures.  When they say "parent participation" they mean PARENT PARTICIPATION.  Adam and I came out sweating!

What's in a name?

Choosing a name for your child is hard.  It's not only a personal choice, but it is also something that you want to make sure fits the child and, in my opinion, is timeless.  When we were "shopping" for names, we decided to first consult the Bible.  We only wanted first names that were Bible names.  We felt that those were classic, timeless names.  From there, it was choosing names that either we liked or had special meaning to us.  

Telling people the name (or names) you have chosen for your child before the birth is a personal choice.  Some people choose not to so that they don't have to listen to the opinions.  Me, I am a strong person.  I didn't care.  I was proud and excited.  I couldn't wait to tell the world.

We chose the name Abigail because it is something that both of us really liked (after dismissing a lot of names that one of us liked, but not the other).  Her middle name is a family name.  Her middle name comes from Adam's side.

Elizabeth's middle name came from my side of the family.  Her first name, that was a little harder.  More so for me, than for Adam.  First, it is a Bible name.  From there, it is not only a name that we like, it will always hold a special place in my heart.  Elizabeth is the middle name of Godmother/Aunt Jane.  Sadly, my Aunt lost her battle with cancer two years ago.  Today is her birthday in Heaven.  I had really wanted to tell my Aunt that I was pregnant before she passed, but didn't have the chance.  I am sure she would have been happy for us.  

A year and a half after choosing those names, I am still in love with them!  Not just the name, but the person holding them as well. 

Bear Down!

Are you ready for some football!

Daddy found Bears shirts for the girls the other day, so of course they had to wear them!  Unfortunately, they had to wear them on Sunday even though the Bears play tonight.

Here is a look back at last year, opening day:

What a difference a year makes!

And finally, here is a quick shot of how things REALLY occur in our household:

The hardest part

The hardest part of the girls having epilepsy is the worry.  I don't worry about the life they will lead or having limits in the future.  The "perk" about diagnosing early is that they will never know any different.  Also, we are determined to ensure that they live a life as normal as possible and never feel like they have to miss out on something because of this.  No, I worry about every day, every movement, every noise. Did they get their medicine? Are they on the right dose?  Is the medicine the right thing?  Even more, I worry about the root cause.

Unfortunately, as of right now, we have no answers for their epilepsy.  Neither side of the family has a history or seizures or epilepsy.  Neither of the girls have anything going on in their brains that would disrupt the "flow" causing the seizures.  And because I have a habit of over-thinking, analyzing and worrying, I can't stop thinking about their birth.  They were 6 weeks early and did not need any oxygen.  Did not giving them oxygen cause the epilepsy?  Should they have gotten it?  I know that I can't go back and get a do-over or any answers.  I also know that I have to trust the wonderful NICU doctors and nurses at the hospital.  But hey, I am a mom.  They are my babies.  I worry that I did something wrong that caused this.  If only I could have left them cooking for longer, maybe they wouldn't have to live with this.

A and L have what is called "drop attacks."  So, when I say that they have seizures, it is not what you see on t.v.  The fall to the ground and shake.  A's have always been really slight and L's a little more dramatic.  But, many people probably wouldn't have noticed them.  Shot, for awhile I didn't recognize them as seizures.  Because of this, I feel like we are very sensitive to every movement they make.  If they had the stereotypical seizure, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.  Maybe I wouldn't be second guessing every movement they make.  As it is now, every time I see them move their head or stare into space I wonder "was that a seizure?"  

And oh my goodness, when they are sleeping, forget about it!  I can hear them on the monitor and I hear them move or make a whimper.  Immediately I freeze and listen.  Is everything o.k.?  I know in my head that they are just tossing and turning.  Tell that to my heart and my irrational side. 

Right now, we are just kinda stuck in limbo with their epilepsy.  They continue to take the medication twice-a-day.  That in itself is an adventure.  They continue to be, what we think, seizure free.  We will continue on with the medication until the Spring of 2012 (that's so far away!) then wean them off and see what happens.  That is scary.  

These are my babies.  I want to make sure I can give them the best of everything and give them the best life possible.  If could take this away from them, I would.  But it is part of who they are. I may not always be the best mom and I may not always make the decisions that others may think I should, but I am their mom.  I will always do my best for them. 

Toys = I need a bigger house

The girls are getting so bored with the toys that they have.  They have been playing with many of the same ones for at least 6 months.  I have added a couple of things over the summer, but nothing major.  I feel bad for them.  But, I have no idea what toys to get them.  The other issue is that I have a small house with limited space for toys while still allowing room for the girls to run around. Since Christmas is approaching fast, I don't want to go out and buy toys now.  But, I have been trying to do a lot of thinking about what toys to ask for them. 

At daycare, they love playing with the baby dolls and little doll strollers.  Recently, they wrapped the babies in blankets, told them "ni-ni" and put them to bed.  I think they would also enjoy a toy kitchen, but it needs to be a narrow one to fit against the wall in a small space.

Help!  I need lots of suggestions for small, but fun, toys for two year olds.  I say two because their birthday is shortly after Christmas.  

Let's see, what else do they like.  They love talking on the phone.  They love books.  Puzzles are so-so at this point.  They really just enjoy dumping all the pieces off. 

Will you read to me?

We have two little girls who LOVE to read books.  Actually, love is a gross understatement.  Given the opportunity, they would sit there and be read to or read on their own all day.  Our little book worms.

What was your favorite childhood book? What is (or was) your child's favorite book?

The current favorite in my house which is seriously read four or five times, by each of us, every day:

Other past fav's:

Mommy's favorite book of the girls:

Wordless Wednesday

From love to takedown!