Easter 2011

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!

Timmy is texting while driving and Emma is drinking while driving.... oh,no!

A few random pictures...

In continuing my "palate picture" series, here is Emma's mouth on April 17, which is just short of 3 weeks post surgery. She went to the doctor on the 15th, and just days before that she started leaking liquids out her nose. I was so bummed! She didn't do this for 2 full weeks, then all the sudden... out came the ice cream. I could see a hole in her left side of the mouth, and she was leaking out the left nostril. At our appt. on the 15th, Dr. C got a great look at it and confirmed there are no holes!!!!! I was so happy! He used a flash light and examined every part of her palate (I got a great look at everything, so I know he did...) and he said there were no holes and we don't have to go back for a year. At that time he will decide if he wants to adjust her lip a little bit. If not, we are in the clear until her orthodontics have to be done around 9 or 10 years old.

The place where I had seen a hole a few days before was the place where he had to remove tissue to repair the middle part of the palate. The tissue grows back, so I guess when she was leaking it was because the tissue had not grown in. In the picture, this is the spot that looks a little darker on the right side (her left side.) She is allowed to have a normal diet now, so life is back to normal around here. Doesn't it look great?

I walked out on the deck to find this. Many times I will find Emma in the middle of the table.

Oh, my heart. Love this little girl.

They keep me busy!

My kitchen table is a baby magnet. If you let these two out of the gates, they go straight for the chairs and climb the table. We have been through this before with the others, so I am happy to say it is just a stage. But it is exhausting. Emma is so much worse than Timmy. If you can't find her... chances are she is on the table. And to think that 6 months ago she couldn't stand with support.

Emma has to feed herself, and on this particular day, she would not sit in her high chair, she wanted to be at the big table eating by herself. She is growing up way too fast.

Just a normal day around here.

First games of the season...

Matthew and Andrew have both started their baseball seasons. We are at the park 4 days a week... yikes! That sure does make life busy with us working full time, managing 4 little kids, 4 games a week and Emma's therapy. Rick is coaching Matthew's T-ball team and Andrew is playing coach pitch. Andrew is doing really well. He is getting a lot of good hits and he is running faster this year. They follow the rules a little more in coach pitch, so that will be an adjustment leaving the "everyone wins" mentality. Matthew says he loves baseball, but he plays in the dirt, refuses to wear his glove in the field, and dances on base while he is waiting to run. Love that kid. He makes life so much more fun! As long as he likes it, that is all that matters! Here are some pictures from their first games.

waiting on second base... do you see the seriousness of this kid?

I love this picture. I was stuck with the babies and one was in my lap, so I had to take it through the fence.

Getting ready for his first hit of the season. Coach Daddy is helping him.

Andrew got the game ball on his first game. The team had 3 outs, and Andrew got two of them playing first base. Way to go, Drew Bug!

He is so serious when he runs... look at that tongue hanging out of his mouth!

Ready to bat... he is doing great with batting this year!

Babies dressed up for church...

(FYI... big boys would NOT participate!)

packing fell out...

Those white/yellow fillers were indeed packing. Something she ate the other day caused them to fall out. There were also stitches hanging down from behind her teeth. I (of course) freaked out and called the surgeon. He asked me to describe it and I said it looked like there were craters on the side of her mouth. He said that is normal... that is where he took the skin and tissue so that he could repair the middle. New skin and tissue will grow on the sides over time. He said as long as there is no hole in the middle, then we are fine. I felt much better after I talked to him. It will be nice when we don't have to worry about anything damaging her mouth!!!

The Timmy Boy

This kid can throw a pretty fierce tantrum. He screams A LOT... he doesn't say a word (besides "eat") and he is the most stubborn little guy I have ever met. But, with that being said... he is a pretty cool kid (and cute, too!)

Rick took the boys fishing and they had a good time! I think they liked walking around and exploring more than the actual fishing part.

This is their favorite book, a little people Christmas book. They fight over it many times a day.... but here is a rare moment when they were actually looking at it TOGETHER and not fighting!

Life with 2 babies

You know that really annoying stage when a baby wants to feed themselves? Well, that is my life x2. I know, the more independent the better. But I am really too busy to be cleaning up messy clothes and waiting 30 minutes to finish one little bowl of food. I can feed them so much faster (and cleaner!) But, Timmy (now 18 months old) basically refuses to be fed by another person. He will turn his head, scream... throw a fit. So, I gave up and let him do it. EG HAS to do everything he does, so she swipes the spoon and does it herself, too.

Let me tell you what these babies have been doing! They love to play in the lazy susan. They stack up the cans, spin it around and pull everything out. The other day I noticed that my sweet and low supply as well as my canned goods supply was looking a little low. Then, I actually caught them in the act! They have been throwing away my canned goods (and sweet and low!) They are certainly a dynamic duo!!!! I lost my iphone somewhere in the house a few months ago and I am almost certain Timothy threw it away.

The mouth...

I have searched the internet for pictures of post cleft palate pictures. When I say post... I mean within days or weeks. I want to see what it looks like as it is healing. So, since I couldn't find any, I have been taking pics of Emma Grace. Maybe it will help someone else one day. Her surgery was on March 29, Tuesday. I have a picture from March 31 in the post below this one.

April 4... what is that yellow thing? Can't wait to ask the doctor about that one.

This is April 6. Doesn't it look good? I know he cut the sides (where there actually was skin) so maybe that is why she has those yellow/white fillers on both sides. Hmmmm, again... can't wait to go to the doctor on April 15 to talk with him about everything!

Overall, we have had a pretty easy time. Dr. Chariker wanted the arm restraints on her for a week, that was the only hard part because she sucks her thumb. Exactly one week later, we ditched the arm bands. We are careful about what she eats and I don't let her walk around with toys in her mouth, but really we haven't had to do too much differently. Her pain was very easy to control and in many ways this surgery was less stressful than the lip. I know it was more painful for her, but because it was tucked away and safe in her mouth, I didn't worry as much. The stress of watching that lip heal was really hard on us, but this palate... not so much!