Happy Valentines day!

I got the girls matching outfits for V-Day. They got the skirts too but Kathryn didn't want to wear hers and well Charlotte has been on Antibiotics and they have been making her have really bad diarrhea which make for having matching outfits for very long hard. So needless to say I didn't get any other pictures then this one with them in their shirts. Another day and they will be all prettied up and cute for pictures.

We tried pink eggs this morning. Kathryn wasn't so sure about them but after she had a bite and it tasted the same she was all for them. She even asked today when I got out and egg for my breakfast if I was going to make it pink.

Here they are. So cute I know. I guess it has been a little cold for a short skirt but I bought them in mind to were their tights under them.

We made cookies. I need to get more cookie cutters as this star one I have is the only big cookie cutter I have.

Charlotte's just chill'an as we decorate the cookies. I've since found out she is a big fan of cookies. She'll munch on cookies and sweets for that matter all day if I let her.

Some finished product.

Matthew even got in on the fun!

We had a nice day for Valentines day. I put cut out hearts all over the house and watched Charlie Brown's Valentine Special. what better way to celebrate love day with Charlie Brown and the little Red haired girl.

Curly Hair

Kathryn loves her curlers. She even doesn't complain about sleeping in them. And the end product is so pretty. I love her long hair. She's so pretty.

Thank you to Amber Tryon for the bow.

Isn't she silly. I"m trying to get a good picture and she does this...

I like this mirror picture. Isn't she so grown up. brushing her own teeth, having curlers in her hair, and such cute jammies. Matthew and I sure do make such beautiful babies!

Something I want to try

I went to the Dulles Expo Center with my neighbor Katie and was fascinated by one particular booth for kids toys and such. It was all fabric made, quite books and the like. I really like this one in particular. I want to try my hand at making this for my girls. Maybe get Charlotte's done for her 1st birthday in April. I'd have to have two sets of cups unless I did the Weir's and the Turley's. That would be easier for grandparents I'm sure.

My sister Shelley could do this in a jiffy so maybe I"ll have to get some advice on this and have her help me over the phone.

I think this would be a great shower gift or birthday present. Maybe I could get good at making this and sell them. Anyone interested?

Playing together

Kathryn and Charlotte have gotten to the point where they can actually start to play together. Here's a few shots I've gotten so far. I love my girls so much.

Oh yeah and you can't forget the play dates that Charlotte can now start to participate in. Or at least sit and watch and try to interact.

Maybe this will give her incentive or the now how to start pulling up like this or crawling if she's around other little ones to learn from them.

Kathryn's feeding Charlotte her watermelon.

This was so fun the watch and get pictures of. They play together so well. Kathryn is such a good big sister and Charlotte is so easy going that even if Kathryn is a little rough sometimes she's ok with it anyway!

SNOW STORM - late post but it was a doozy

So I've been complaining about how cold it's been with no snow to play in. Well the end of January the Snow came down! It started snowing about noon and didn't stop snowing until like 7 or 8 that night. It was heavy snow too. The news said it was a Thunder Snow Storm. It took Matthew 8 hours to get home from work, which it normally takes about 45 mins to an hour. But we did go out and try and play in the snow and slide down some hills this time.

This is a castle some kids in the neighborhood were making it was so cool!

The little thing sliding down in the middle is Kathryn in a big plastic garbage bag. She loved it!
I have a fear of sledding since my time at Ricks College but that didn't stop Kathryn and Daddy from having some fun.

The turtle didn't work so well. to many grooves on the turtles back.

Here's are second attempt at a snowman this time it's at least a foot and a half.

Just an awesome tree that is just down the way from us.

We had to dig out the parking space by the time Matthew got home. I went out to help our neighbor cause her car got stuck before she got into her parking spot and then Matthew pulled up and she helped us get him in as he got stuck as well. It's kinda fun to shovel snow. I don't think I'd want to do it more then a few times a year though.

It is quite pretty when it's all covered in snow!

This is just a few hours after it had started. I didn't move the van for 5 days after it snowed. It was so stuck in there.

I hope this was the last of the snow for this winter. I need some sunshine! Warmth!

MOMS Trail over with great results!

My day has been full of reading articles and watching clips about the trial Charlotte and I were apart of at her birth.

Here are a few of the articles I've read n an watched.

New York Times

New England Journal of Medicine

NPR

another NPR

Diane Sawyer

Brian Williams MSNBC

I am over joyed that we got picked for the prenatal surgery. I knew that we did the right thing for her from the start. I wanted to do what I could for her and well I guess what we did actually was the best thing.

The trial was closed early because the benefits were clear it helped with Mobility and brain function. We were told that from the MRI we had before we excepted to be part of the trial that CHarlotte's hindbrain herniation was quite severe. That was probably the clencher for me. That part scared me more then the possible need for a shunt. And because of the surgery before, I'm sure that hindbrain herniation has reversed. and for CHarlotte the SHunt was still needed. So the main scare in my book was gone. When she was born she was kicking her legs and wiggling her toes too. I was overjoyed.

We delivered at 36 weeks 4 days. We actually had our c-section scheduled. The gal right after us delivered at the same time a month later. So there are still those of us that do not have premature babies. I knew that part of the risk was not a problem for us. I knew my body could handle it and each week I didn't deliver was a blessing in Charlottes life.

We go do CHOP for our 1 year Eval in May. I can't wait to show off our little Charlotte Bee.

And what a blessing this is for all those moms out there that there is a better option for those SB kids. I hope that the option doctors give now is not termination it's prenatal surgery!

Kathryn's birthday present and my Christmas present

I got a wonderful Christmas present this year! I got a sewing machine. It was so almost a suprise. I didn't know until Christmas eve when the gal in our ward that got if for Matthew came over to drop it off. But I was so Excited in side for that day when I got to open it up and try it out.

I wanted to make something for Kathryn for her Birthday coming up in 2 weeks So Matthew and I dropped by the Fabric store and I picked out 3 pieces of the quarter fats and made an apron. It's two sided. I made it from my own pattern in my head. I think she'll love it. I want one now. hint hint Rachel get that finished so I can cook in style with Kathryn!

I hope she likes it! I'm sure she will. Now I just need to be patient when she wants to help me cook.

My new machine. I love it. Does 10 different stiches and is just easy to use. I love it. Can I say that enough. I need some more things to make. Oh and Charlotte sat there watching me the whole time. I think she rather enjoyed it too.

ICE

We had a very ICY day this week on Tuesday. There was a layer of 1/4 - 1/2 inch of ice over everything. Very pretty but very scary trying to get anywhere. The whole patio was covered with ice. a big skating pad not just the turtle. It took me 10-15 mins to deice the car to head to the SB clinic at 11 in the afternoon.

Kathryn loves the Snow

We've only had a few snow's this winter, which I am grateful for. But Kathryn would so, like a lot more snow.
It was so cold that day so I was freezing. and holding Charlotte, so I made the excuse of having to come back in cause Charlotte was cold, but I"m sure it was just me as I had her bundled up pretty good. Kathryn sure had fun the 10 or so minutes we were out there. I don't have snow shoes so I wrapped my shoes in plastic bags and that worked great.

We made a ice skating rink in our turtle. Kathryn liked trying to break the ice the first day and then got into trying to skate on it or rather stand in her boots and try not to slip and fall.

Kathryn got a little snow shovel for christmas and she's only gotten to use it a couple times but the times she did need it she had a blast.

We tried a ice experiment and put this cup of orange juice outside to freeze that night and this is what we got the next morning.

You can't really see it but that says it's just over 20 degree's. I can't believe I can stand outside in that kind of weather and not totally FREEZE to death.

This is our fish pond that is and has been frozen on top for at least 2 months now and the fish underneath are still swimming around, slowly but still swimming. See the orange, red that's the fish moving around.

Our snowman after one day of melting.

Kathryn wanted to put a hat on the snowman like frosty!

I think our winter might be almost over. Spring is just around the corner. I can't wait for spring and the flowers and leaves to start to bud. I'm so grateful that this winter wasn't as bad as last years snowmageden.