Little Giants !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

E squared had their 6 month check up this mornings and all systems are in check!!! They are both right on target developmentally and Dr. B is happy with their growth.....Ella is in the 25th percentile and Edie is about 75th. They only got 2 shots each which was a nice change from the 4 each they have gotten at past appointments. They won't get any at their 9 month check up unless we opt for the flu vaccine...which (shhh we haven't told them yet) we probably will. So without further ado.......here are their stats.

Ella Grace:
length -- 25 inches
HC -- 42.6 cm
weight -- 14 pounds 11.8 ounces (gain from birth weight = 10 pounds 1.8 ounces)
Edie Claire:
length -- 27.25 inches
HC -- 42 cm
weight -- 16 pounds 15.4 ounces ( gain from birth weight = 10 pounds 15.4 ounces)

Rubi:
length -- pretty long with her bushy tail
HC -- who knows....her snout is very long though
weight -- 89 pounds -- according to the vet that is about 11 pounds more than she should weigh.... she needs a diet and more exercise!!!

Now on to part 2.........

We are back from our little mini vacation and are ready to dive into the second half of E squared's first year!!! We had a great great time in Monterey......we walked around Carmel, Pebble Beach, Monterey......went to the Aquarium and Fisherman's Wharf. Just had a grand time........a great way to spend an anniversary (minus any romantic dinners but that's ok) and a half birthday!!! We have some fun pictures to share.
First.....just to remember our great fall before the trip on mommy's first day back at work.....here is Ella Grace sporting her ankle bracelet from her trip to the ER.
Edie getting really excited about heading down for a long weekend........

"Should we bring the couch mommy?"

Here they are on the bed practicing their synchronized bottle holding for the 2012 summer olympics......this was their first time staying in a motel.......we stayed in a motel on the way down on Friday night before checking into our luxury hotel (paid priceline price of course)... notice the rug burn on Edie's belly.......she loves to scoot around on the floor......fortunately it was a temporary irritation.....went away real quick. Please don't call CPS on us.......we are good parents I swear!!!

Edie and I at Pebble Beach......don't I look wonderful after a wind blown day haha!!!

Here we are at the beach in Carmel....what an awesome little town. We've been there before and it is always a great time........we have decided to make it our annual anniversary/half birthday spot!!!

Edie showed quite a fascination with the beautiful jellyfish....they were exquisite!!!

Ella and daddy with the baby bjorn for the very first time......she had such a great time. She squealed with delight very often this weekend........super cute!!!

Here they are with Monterey Bay behind them at Pebble Beach......

The Pebble Beach Lodge.....where we will NEVER be able to afford to stay....UNFORTUNATELY!!! Here they are after the Monterey Bay Aquarium......we had fun!!!

Ella.......relaxing with daddy at Pebble Beach.......

Just being cute!!!

Here are the bathing beauties........right before we took them swimming for the very first time. The water in the pool at our hotel was heated to 82 degrees..NICE. They loved it and believe it or not I did not get one single picture of them in the pool..drats!!!

Half a year old........

*** I am posting this a day early because we are heading to Monterey, CA for our 5 year anniversary and Edie and Ella's half birthday which are both tomorrow



My oh my....where has the time gone??? E squared is already 6 months old. That is half a year people!! I have a stack of pictures from the day they were born that my friend Lauren took and I keep looking at them over and over and over......it's unreal that these are the same little people. Born at 6 pounds and 4 pounds 10 ounces BUT now pushing 16 pounds and 15 pounds respectively. They are wonderful little ones.........we have been blessed that's for sure -- they were well worth the wait.

I went back to work on Thursday. It wasn't hard like I thought it might be - I actually enjoyed it. It's great to get back out there and feel like I am contributing again......even though I am doing alot by being with the girls at home. Jon was home with them and they had a wonderful "first full day" together.........IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM. Yeah that's right.....in the E.R.!!!

Poor guy -- he feels terrible. As he was trying to juggle both babies, he left Ella on the bed to run to the living room and get Edie....he thought this would be a safe option because little Ella hasn't been much of a roller.......UNTIL THEN!!! So he built her a pillow fort and sure enough she navigated that fort and landed on her little noggin right on the hard wood floor. She has a goose egg to say the least. He brought her to see me at the hospital hoping that the car ride would get them to go to sleep......since they hadn't napped all day for him.......I decided to take her in to get checked out. She had her very first (and hopefully very last) skull xray. No fractures. I got to look at it with the radiologist (perk of working there) and she had a suspicious area but he decided it was a venous channel and not a fracture...that made me a little nervous BUT all is well -- aside from her little lopsided noggin.

I will leave you with a VERY long photo montage.....it's hard to sum up such a beautiful life. (click on the picture below and don't forget to turn on your speakers -- the music makes it)
Enjoy 6 months in 6 minutes............


half a year old.........

All the rage!!!

Diaper tats........my kids are cool!!!

Monsters in the closet.......

It looks as though our sweet kitty Gumbo has found himself a brand new bed/hiding spot --- right in the bib bin!!!

Daddy Fashion !!!

I am going back to work this week -- 2 days anyway. Our schedule runs for 4 weeks and I am only scheduled for 2 days this time.....I will work more days starting with the next schedule. Maybe 2 days a week but 12 hours shifts. Jon will have E squared while I work so I don't feel as nervous and stressed as I might if someone else were keeping them. I am nervous because I haven't worked in 8 months......since January 13th. I do feel grateful that Jon and I can work around each others schedule and not have to use child care. That is one of the great perks of both of us being RNs and working in a place that never closes......24/7/365!!! We can work day or night, week or weekend, rain or shine, football season or not. Yeah...Jon plans his schedule around Alabama's football schedule -- but hey if you can do it, do it. Right?
I had some errands to run today so Edie and Ella spent some time with daddy while I was out. They always have a good time together....today daddy and Ella decided to put on a fashion show! Here she is in her plaid sun dress matched with an unmatching plaid mini skirt -- new this season.......
Here is an awkward sideways view showing that in fact she is wearing a dress and a skirt.

She doesn't care!!!

I am sure I will come home to many more of these "daddy fashion" concoctions and I assure you I will take pictures and you will get to see them. I am by no means complaining - I think it is adorable that he took the time to go through the closet to find something to change her into since she soiled the outfit I left her in. It was just too cute not to share..........

Uh Oh !!! What are we in for??????

It seems that Ella Grace has a new fascination with her tongue. She loves loves loves to stick it out........see
and here is a better one............

It seems that Edie does not enjoy this new fascination........see

It's their first fight!!!

Here is Ella listening to her nanny on the phone..........getting the latest update on their hurricane Gustav survival.

What? They don't feed me around here.........a girl has to survive and these fingers were all I could scrounge up........