The Shoesmith Family

First Day of School

2011-08-17T13:09:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it...the first day of school...the first day of kindergarten for Lauren, and the first day of second grade for Katie. In many ways, they have been looking forward to school starting. Lauren is excited that she gets to go to school everyday, and Katie is excited that she gets to learn cursive writing this year. Because our school district went through a re-districting process this year, the girls are now attending a different elementary school than the one Katie has attended for two years. Instead of "Ranch Heights Wranglers," we are now "Wayside Warriors." Poor Katie was so nervous last night that she could not go to sleep. Finally, at 11:00pm, she got into bed with David and I slept with Lauren. This morning, however, they were both ready to go! Here's hoping it's a great school year!!

Katie requested sausage and egg casserole for breakfast!

~The Shoesmith girls~

Katie on the first day of 2nd grade

Lauren on the first day of Kindergarten

Excited girls, ready to go!!

Lauren and Mrs. Boyle

Already busy at her table...she was too busy to say "Good-bye" :)

Katie and Mrs. Tucker

Spring Break Fun

2011-05-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

This year we actually took a trip over Spring Break to--where else??--Big Cedar Lodge! We had a great week, including a birthday party for the boys (I'll do a separate post about that), fishing, swimming, shopping (by myself--yea!!), nature walks, and the list goes on. The week got off to an exciting start...Katie won a trophy at the kids' fishing contest for catching the longest fish!! She caught a huge, 5-lb. catfish that was 24 inches long! (She missed out on the trophy for the fish weighing the most by 2 or 3 ounces.) She was SOOOO excited and David was SOOOO proud of her! :)

A trophy-winning catch!!

Proud Daddy with his two fishing buddies!

Lauren is a bit of a wild sleeper...

I knew it was too quiet in our room...when I found the boys, they had opened the refigerator and started eating the grapes--stems and all!!

Tried to get a cute shot of all four kids...but the boys weren't interested and the girls got tired of me saying "Just one more picture...let's try one more time..."

Preston had fun climbing on anything and everything!!

Playing/hiding/rough-housing/getting wild with Daddy!

Hide and Seek

2011-05-27T15:20:00.000-05:00

Preston and Parker just love to be ornery!! Their new trick is hiding under the crib sheet...yes, UNDER it! Several weeks ago, this is what I saw when I went into their bedroom:

They thought they were really funny hiding from Mommy! A few days later, this is what I found:

My first thought was "Oh, my gosh! They have gotten out of bed...where are they??" Then I realized that they were still in bed...under the sheet! Apparently they had woken up earlier, played around and decided to get under sheet, and then they had fallen asleep! Look carefully in the bottom picture; you can see two little bodies snuggled up together. :) No, never a dull moment around our house....

Happy 5th Birthday, Lauren!!

2011-04-04T14:23:00.000-05:00

Lauren turned 5 on February 12th, and we had planned to have a big party with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. But...Mother Nature had a different plan! Because we had just received another 17 or so inches of snow, we had a small party with the 6 of us on her actual birthday. We had her bigger family party the next week. Here are a few shots of her special day:

She chose to eat dinner at Hunan, a local Chinese restaurant.

A pretty girl with her handsome daddy.

Lauren wanted a "cookie cake" on her birthday; she had a Tinkerbell cake at her family party the following week.

This birthday was all about Tinkerbell!!

Best Friends

2011-04-04T14:09:00.000-05:00

Preston LOVES to take off his clothes. This is typically how I find him before I go to bed at night!

Mommy's little "helpers"...

All snuggled up!

"Let me give you a great big hug!!"

I just had to post a few more pictures of Preston and Parker. They make us smile every day! :)

The Great Blizzard of 2011

2011-04-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

Lauren had fun on the snow Daddy shoveled from the driveway.

This was our back patio; the snow was as deep as the cushion on our chairs and drifted up to the grill.

The girls playing!

Katie lost her snow boot in a huge drift; she tried to step out of it and her foot came out of her boot! "Handy Daddy," as Lauren likes to call him, came to the rescue and poked around in the snow until he found it!

A blizzard in Oklahoma--definitely one for the record books!!

The boys played in the snow for a little while...and then they decided that was enough!!

Well, now that we are safely into April, I thought I would post some pictures of the blizzard that we had on February 1st. Wow...what a couple of weeks we had during the first half of February!! Record snowfall (15 inches when the blizzard hit, then another 17 inches or so the next week), record cold temperatures (-27 degrees in Bartlesville), and school was cancelled for 7 days (they had already missed two days for snow/ice previously). I must say that, although the snow made getting around town a real hassle for quite a while, it was beautiful and the kids had a lot of fun playing in it!

Silly Sleepers

2011-01-21T14:49:00.000-06:00

The boys have slept in the same crib since birth (excluding the 27 days they spent in the NICU). We never planned to keep them in the same crib this entire time, but they love being together. From the time they were just a few weeks old, they have slept with some parts of their bodies touching (arms, legs, etc.). Of course, now that they are bigger they don't have as much room in the crib and they are bound to touch, but they don't really even try to stay separated. I just love walking into their room and finding them like this:

"I love you, bro!!"

Still snuggling...

I guess they wanted to stretch...

And yes, Preston is really asleep on Parker's bottom!

Have I mentioned just how much joy these boys bring into our lives?? They are always making us smile!!!

First Snow of the Winter!

2011-01-14T14:32:00.000-06:00

The girls were so excited!

The boys liked the snow for awhile...

Big sisters are great helpers!

Parker had fun swinging...

But Preston wasn't so sure about the glider!

Lauren, our beautiful snow angel

The boys are saying, "Okay, Mom, we're done with this snow and stop trying to take our picture!!"

A few days ago we had the first snowfall of the season. We only received about 2 inches, but the girls were so excited and couldn't wait to play outside. I bundled up the boys and took them out also. They were happy to walk around in the snow to begin with, but it didn't take long for them to decide they weren't very impressed!

Sooner or Later...

2011-01-14T14:07:00.000-06:00

Sooner or later, I'm sure we're going to end up in the emergency room because these boys have put things in places they aren't supposed to be. Case in point...Preston recently put green beans up his nose, and then several days later he decided to put macaroni and cheese up there (FYI...this picture was taken AFTER we discovered what he had done; it was actually up inside his nose to begin with). This morning, Parker had a Cheerio in his left ear...oh my!! Have I mentioned how tired I am by the time the kids go to bed??

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-11T15:36:00.001-06:00

Christmas Day was a busy, fun, tiring day! We started by opening presents at our house, and the kids loved their new toys, clothes, etc. (The note Katie left for Santa read: "Dear Santa, Hope you like the cookies. Love, David, Heather, Katie, Lauren, Preston and Parker. That is a family of six. Yes we survived with six." -- I guess I wasn't the only one surprised that we have survived with 6!! HA HA!!) We then left for my cousin's house in Carthage, MO, where we had the huge Christmas meal with the extended family. We always look forward to this time because the food is FABULOUS and the people are a lot of fun, too! :) It is bittersweet because we have lost two of my cousins and my uncle within the past two years, so the time together is very special now and makes me appreciate my family even more. On Christmas evening, we went to my dad's side of the family and had dinner with them. Wow! We were stuffed and tired by the time we got to bed... :) On the morning of the 26th, we opened presents with Mom, Dad, and Brian's family. Three days later, on the 29th, we had Christmas with David's parents and his sister and her family. We had a great Christmas "week" and are truly thankful for our many blessings.

Happy 7th Birthday, Katie!!

2011-01-11T15:11:00.001-06:00

Lunch at Rib Crib...we required a "big" table!

Mmmm...a smore's brownie sundae

Party #2...after church and dinner

Party #3!!

Katie turned 7 years old on Christmas Eve. We ate lunch at Rib Crib, her favorite place to eat a birthday meal because they bring dessert and sing to her! Later than evening, after attending the Christmas Eve service at church, we had another celebration with presents, cake, and ice cream. Six days later, on December 30th, we had the big family party with grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins. It felt like we partied for a solid week! But it was so much fun ~ it's hard to believe that seven years ago she came into our lives. We love you so much, sweetie!!!

Christmas Fun at Big Cedar Lodge

2011-01-11T14:54:00.002-06:00

We spent December 18th-22nd at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson. We love to go there before Christmas; it is so beautiful and it really gets us in the Christmas spirit. Santa's elf came to visit the kids one night; they played games and read stories before the elf tucked them into bed. We even had a Christmas tree in our cabin, and the next morning the kids awoke to find presents under the tree! They had so much fun swimming in the indoor pool and, since the weather was nice, they were also able to play on the playground. The boys loved running around on the deck of our cabin--their very own fenced in play area! :) We watched movies, ate cookies, and drank hot chocolate every night. Such a nice, relaxing time!!

The elf's name was "Snowflake."

Preston and Parker weren't too sure about being tucked into bed...

They found presents the next morning!

"You can't catch us!!"

The girls cooperated, but the boys weren't too excited about having their pictures taken!

Halloween Cuties

2010-11-11T21:36:00.003-06:00

We had a beautiful Halloween this year...the weather was perfect for trick-or-treating! Katie was Minnie Mouse, Lauren was a genie, Preston was a horse, and Parker was a chick. They were pretty cute little kiddos!!

We're Still Here!!

2010-11-11T20:43:00.003-06:00

Well, I've said it before, but I'm sorry for not keeping this blog up-to-date. I admit, I post things on Facebook but I have neglected my little blog. I was recently admonished by my mom, who is not on Facebook, so I will try to do a better job of posting new pics of her little grandkids! :) Well, what's new?? David, the girls and I took a wonderful trip to Walt Disney World during Katie's Fall Break in October. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather, accomodations, etc. Really...just a perfect trip (except for the fact that the boys weren't with us...they stayed with David's parents because we thought it would be more "work" and not so much "fun" if we took them)! The girls were able to meet so many characters, we ate dinner inside Cinderella's Castle, they loved Space Mountain, we visited the beach...and the list goes on!!! I'm hoping to put together a great scrapbook of our pictures, but for now, you'll find a few of our favorite pics above.

Summer of Surgeries

2010-08-12T10:36:00.004-05:00

All "gowned up" and ready to go!!

A little pre-surgery rough-housing...

Preston in recovery (I forgot to take my camera back there for Parker but he looked the same...)

Katie playing doctor with her new baby doll

Katie in recovery with her nurse Audrey, who also took care of the boys the week before!!

Although we kept busy this summer with vacation, swim lessons, and church activities, we also had many trips to the doctor's office for strep, ear infections, and the like. The boys also were circumcised in the middle of July, and then ten days later, Katie had surgery for bilaterial inguinal hernias. In fact, some of the same nurses took care of both the boys and Katie! The staff at the Children's Hospital at St. Francis in Tulsa are fabulous! We are glad these surgeries are over and everyone has healed nicely. You know, if you are going to meet your health insurance deductible, you might as well meet it in a big way!!!

Summer Fun

2010-08-11T13:02:00.006-05:00

We spent our summer vacation at our favorite spot, Big Cedar Lodge, which is 10 miles south of Branson on Table Rock Lake. The kids had a blast swimming, fishing, and doing activities at the resort. They even went to a "dive-in movie"--a large movie screen was set up at one of the outdoor pools after dark and the kids swam/floated in the water while watching the movie. So much fun!! (The third picture shows Katie sitting on a lounge chair with Preston during the movie while they took a "popcorn break.") One morning the girls wanted to eat breakfast on our balcony, and when Lauren left her muffin on the table, a friendly little squirrel helped himself to it! We made a lot of fun memories on our trip...and we'll be going back in December!!

End of the Year...AWANA & Preschool

2010-06-17T17:12:00.003-05:00

The girls finished another fun year of AWANA (Cubbies for Lauren, Sparks for Katie) in May. They were both proud that they received awards for finishing their books. I think the parents deserve an award, too! Ha!! Lauren also completed her first year of preschool at our church. She has grown and matured a lot in the past year!

Back to the Blog...

2010-06-17T17:03:00.002-05:00

Where has the last month gone? I can't believe I haven't posted anything for over a month now. So here I go...my promise to myself...is that I will do a much better job of posting. So here is a snazzy little picture of our family on Mother's Day!

Wedding Fun

2010-05-04T21:16:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, April 24th, my cousin Julie got married to her sweetie, John. Julie had asked Katie and Lauren to be the guest book attendants and hand out the wedding programs. The girls took their jobs VERY seriously and were so excited to be wedding "helpers." I was supposed to stand with them and make sure that everything went smoothly, but, really, I was not needed! Those little girls had things under control! :)

A Beautiful Easter Day

2010-04-06T12:40:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Easter at our house this year, and it was such a beautiful day! The weather was warm and sunny (so different from recent years when the kids wore coats to hunt Easter eggs), and all of our children were here to celebrate! (Last year, the boys were still in the hospital on Easter, but they did get to come home two days later.) The grandparents Ross and Shoesmith were here as well. After church, we had a big lunch, and then the kids hunted eggs. Really, just the perfect day!

Happy 1st Birthday, Preston & Parker!!

2010-03-29T12:46:00.006-05:00

The boys celebrated their 1st birthday on March 18th. Wow!! I can't believe they are already 1! The past year has flown by. It's amazing to watch the boys grow, learn, and discover new things every day. It has also been very special to see the bond between the two of them. We celebrated their birthday with a party at our house. They were such little troopers...first eating dinner, then opening presents, then eating A LOT of cake! Both boys enjoyed eating their cake, but Parker did make more of a mess...I was up very late cleaning high chairs and the kitchen floor. But it was worth it! Love you, Preston and Parker so, so much!!

First REAL Hair Cut

2010-03-24T12:41:00.004-05:00

Preston & Parker before their hair cuts...
Preston cooperating pretty well!

Yea!! We're finished!

Parker started off pretty well...

...but he ended up on Daddy's lap!

Last Thursday, on the boys' 1st birthday, we took them to a local children's salon to get their first "official" haircuts. Boy, was that an experience! Overall, it didn't go too badly, considering they were only a year old, but I was exhausted when we left. Preston went first, and he just looked so cute sitting in the red car, wearing a tiny little cape. He actually sat pretty still for awhile, but his patience did wear out before the stylist was finished. She was a good sport; she had to assume many different positions to get that hair cut! Parker went next, and his good behavior didn't last quite as long as Preston's (maybe because he had to wait for Preston to get done...who knows?). Parker ended up sitting on the floor board of the car (instead of a regular beauty shop chair, they have a couple of cute little cars for the kids to sit in), and then he decided to start jumping up and down. I tried to hold him still, but that was a challenge, too. Finally we put him on David's lap (crying) and after a few minutes, we said it was "good enough." Poor lady, she deserved a bigger tip! :) The boys did look really cute when they were finished, and much more like "big boys!"

Happy 4th Birthday, Lauren!!

2010-03-23T12:24:00.003-05:00

I know I'm a month late in posting this, but I am trying to get caught up. Lauren celebrated her 4th birthday on February 12th, and we had a party with her friends two weeks later at the ConocoPhillips Gymnastics Center. It was a lot of fun! She chose a "My Little Pony" theme, which is funny because we don't have many "My Little Ponies" (just the ones the girls got in some Happy Meals a few months ago), but it was cute! The kids had a lot of fun running, jumping, and falling into the "pit" (a big hole in the floor full of foam blocks). Happy birthday to my sweet, precious little Lauren!

First Hair Cut...Sort Of

2010-03-08T17:26:00.004-06:00

Preston before...
...and Preston after!

Parker before...

...and Parker after!

Where has February gone? I didn't get many tidbits posted last month, so I'll try to do better in March! A few weeks ago I decided I was so tired of Preston and Parker's hair looking shaggy, so I got out the scissors and started snipping away. The pictures above show a "before" and "after" for each one. Although I am not a professional, I do think they looked better when I was finished than they did when I began! So mission accomplished! :) However, they do need to go to a "real" barber/stylist to get their hair evened up and cut a little straighter (that's a pretty lofty goal with a wiggly, squirmy, almost-one-year-old!). Maybe within the next couple of weeks??

Twins' First Snow

2010-02-12T00:02:00.004-06:00

Although it has snowed a few times earlier this winter, the boys had their first encounter with it on February 1st. I bundled them up and set them on a blanket in the back yard. At first, they were kind of happy to be outside, but they weren't too excited about being all bundled up. After several pictures, their little faces started getting cold, and it was all downhill from there. When I tried to drop some snow on their hands so they could feel it, well, let's just say they weren't impressed with the cold, wet white stuff and they wanted to go INSIDE! Maybe next year they will want to build a snowman??

More Fun in the Snow

2010-02-11T23:55:00.002-06:00

I am a couple of weeks late in posting these pictures (of course), but they were so cute I'm doing it anyway. David took the girls sledding when we had our last big snowfall, and they all had such a great time! It was the first time that the girls have gone sledding, and they had so much fun the first day that they wanted to go back again the next day. David was a great sport! We got lucky because our friend Andrea (a professional photographer) and her family also went sledding on the same days we did, and she snapped these great pictures for us.

"Somebody, Please...Get Us Out of Here!"

2010-01-22T12:54:00.003-06:00

I just had to take this picture. When the boys are ready to get out of their crib (either they're up from their nap or they just don't want to be in there to begin with), they have figured out how to peek over the top of the bumper pad. I'll walk in and see these little faces looking out. So, so cute!

Snow Much Fun

2010-01-19T13:32:00.003-06:00

We had snow on the ground for what seemed like a record amount of time, about 3 weeks. The girls had so much fun playing outside, althoug it was pretty cold. David devised a way to help Lauren's hands and arms stay warmer; he cut holes in an old pair of white socks so she could slip the socks on her hands, then put her gloves on over the socks. That way she had another layer covering her wrists. She got a kick out of him cutting his old socks for her! She looked over and saw his dress socks and said, "Daddy you can't cut those socks. They are for your handsome days!" She makes us laugh all of the time! :)

Big Girl, No Teeth

2010-01-19T13:12:00.003-06:00

Katie has now lost all four of her front teeth! The first one on the top fell out (well, David pulled it out) on December 26th, and Katie pulled out the second top one herself on the 31st. Now she looks so grown up with so many teeth missing!

All Dressed Up

2010-01-19T13:06:00.002-06:00

Since we were in Branson the week before Christmas, the kids wore their "dressy" Christmas outfits to church on December 27th. They were quite the cute little kids, if I do say so myself!

Fun on Christmas Morning

2010-01-04T23:13:00.003-06:00

Christmas this year was certainly like no other Christmas we have ever had! Of course, the boys were celebrating their first Christmas, which was so much fun. Secondly, a blizzard swept through Oklahoma on Christmas Eve, and we were snowed/iced in on Christmas day. We weren't able to travel to Missouri and see my extended family, which we do every year. I really, really missed all of the delicious food that we have for Christmas dinner. However, I improvised and we had a nice meal (smoked pork chops--similar to ham, corn on the cob--similar to corn casserole, hashbrown casserole--what I had planned to take to my cousin's house, cherry dump cake--it was "Christmas red", and peanut butter fudge). The kids did enjoy playing with their toys the rest of the day, and we just had a nice, relaxing time around the house. It was a Christmas we won't forget!

Happy 6th Birthday, Katie!

2010-01-04T23:04:00.003-06:00

Katie turned 6 on Christmas Eve, but we had a family birthday party for her while we were in Branson the week before Christmas. Both sets of grandparents and Uncle Brian, Aunt Annett, and cousins Hannah and Connor joined us at Big Cedar Lodge to celebrate. It was such a fun party! Katie and Lauren recently watched "The Wizard of Oz" for the first time, and when Katie saw "The Wizard of Oz" party supplies, that was the party she wanted to have! It was really neat, because the movie played several times on cable during her party weekend, including during the party! What a great weekend we had!

Two Little Ballerinas

2009-12-26T00:03:00.003-06:00

Let me start by saying "Merry Christmas!!" I have some great Christmas pictures of the kids to post, but first I wanted to show how cute the girls were at their first dance recital two weeks ago! Lauren's class dressed up as presents and performed a ballet number to the song "Happy Birthday, Jesus." They were as cute as they could be! Katie's class wore matching tutus and did a ballet routine to the song "My Favorite Day." I was so proud of both of them!

Not Quite a Bible Verse...

2009-12-03T16:10:00.004-06:00

Several weeks ago, Lauren was working on her Bible verses for Cubbies (a program at church in which the kids learn Bible verses and earn patches for their uniform/vest). David had practiced with her the night before, and the verse was "I am wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14). When I asked her what the verse was, she thought for a minute and then said, "I am...so beautiful!" I wonder just what David was teaching her?! :) By the way, in the above picture, she had stamped her face with ink pads and put on the red lipstick we used for Halloween. Yes, she is ornery AND beautiful!

Happy Halloween!

2009-12-03T15:42:00.006-06:00

Well, as you can see, I have gotten far behind on posting new stories and pictures. I guess that's life with four children! :) I did want to show the kids dressed in their Halloween costumes: Katie was Snow White, Lauren was Sleeping Beauty, Preston was a penguin, and Parker was a skunk. We had a great time on Halloween--the weather was beautiful and it was fun to walk around our neighborhood!

Kisses for Daddy

2009-10-31T23:55:00.003-05:00

Several nights ago David was playing with Parker and giving him kisses. Parker thought that was so funny, and he started giving Daddy "kisses," too. Actually, David thought that Parker just wanted to suck on his chin, but it sure was cute to watch!

Katie's Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-31T23:47:00.003-05:00

Katie's kindergarten class took a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch last week, and they had such a fun time! She chose a pumpkin just the right size...one she could carry herself!

Katie, Meet the Tooth Fairy!

2009-10-31T23:38:00.002-05:00

I'm a little slow in posting this, but Katie lost her first tooth on October 18th. She was so excited! She had gone to St. Louis with Grandma and PaPa Shoesmith to visit her cousins (and aunt and uncle, too!) over Fall Break, and she called the night before they came home to tell us that she had a loose tooth. Well, this was news to us! Apparently it had been loose for awhile and we didn't know it, because she called the next evening as they were traveling home to tell us that her tooth had fallen out. Actually, she said she was standing there, and it "just floated out!" David and I were disappointed that we weren't with her when the tooth actually came out, but as least she was home that night so the Tooth Fairy could visit! She now has two other teeth that are loose...our baby is growing up!

Not Too Sure About Peas...

2009-10-22T15:14:00.003-05:00

About two weeks ago the boys started eating vegetables--you know, the runny, flavorless, smashed up ones that Lauren likes to call "the Gerber." We started out with peas...and you can tell by the looks on their faces they weren't too crazy about them (can you blame them?). I am happy to report that now they do gobble them up (they've had peas, squash, and green beans in addition to the rice cereal and applesauce, pears, and peaches). It is hilarious to watch them eat, because BOTH of them do the funniest thing; once I give them the bite of food, they swallow, and then they immediately put their thumb in their mouth. It is amazing to watch them do so many things exactly the same way (oh, my, what will they come up with once they are old enough to plot and conspire against us??).

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

2009-10-22T15:00:00.003-05:00

"Look what I can do, Mom! I don't have to stay where you put me!" :)

Parker looking a little ornery...

And Preston is his little cohort!

Yes, the boys have been rolling over for some time now, but they have recently figured out that they can use that to their advantage...getting from point A to point B. The picture above shows Mr. Parker; he started out in the middle of the jungle play mat and eventually (actually, within just a few minutes) made his way off of the play mat, off of the area rug, and onto the hardwood floor. Oh, no...I guess this means they will be mobile very, very soon! Not sure if I'm ready for that...

Lauren's Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-11T23:50:00.003-05:00

Last week, Lauren's preschool class took a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. The boys and I joined her there; we had a lot of fun! This will be our first of several trips to the Pumpkin Patch (again for a MOPS field trip, then Katie's kindergarten class field trip, and then one more time so David can go and all six of us will be there together...hopefully for some cute pictures!). So, stay tuned for more pictures...

Starting Solids...

2009-09-25T22:54:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that it's time for the boys to start eating solid food! So...three nights ago we gave them their first taste of rice cereal. Surprisingly enough, they seemed to like it. As all babies do, they initially pushed it back out of their mouth, but then they caught on and realized they were supposed to swallow it. (Preston is in the first two pictures, Parker is in the last two pictures.) So now they are off and running with solids...they are becoming such "big boys!" And speaking of that, they both now weigh 11 pounds, 9 ounces and are 25 inches long (as of three days ago). In fact, they are about to outgrow (in length) the infant carrier car seats (at 26 inches) and go into the "big boy" convertible car seats. My, my...how quickly the past six months have flown by!!

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Boys!!

2009-09-19T00:02:00.004-05:00

I can not believe that today the boys are 6 months old (well, technically yesterday, since it is now after midnight and no longer the 18th)! Although it has been exhausting and so much work, it has also been so much fun--Preston and Parker are such blessings! I still think back to the day they were born...the anxiety of them arriving early, the speedy ambulance ride to the hospital 45 minutes away, being whisked into an emergency c-section, and finally, holding them for the first time. What a wonderful sound to hear them cry, and then to hear the neonatologist say, "They look great!" And as crazy as it may seem, those four weeks that they spent in the NICU were a special time, too. I think back on those days with very fond memories. God has been so, so good to our family and I think I am the luckiest person in the world to have such a wonderful husband and these four beautiful children.

Tired Girl...

2009-09-18T23:52:00.002-05:00

People have been asking if Katie has been really tired since school started. Yes, I would say that she has, although she hasn't come home quite as tired as I expected. More than anything, she is hungry (lunch is around 11:15am)! However, the new school routine has been VERY tiring for Lauren. She and Katie share a room, so when I go in to wake up Katie around 7:15am, Lauren usually wakes up then, too. For the most part, she has "outgrown" taking a nap, but on several days recently she just fell asleep while watching cartoons. You can tell in the pictures just how tired she was (yes, one of the pics shows that she was lying in the middle of the family room floor...no pillow, no blanket, nothing but the area rug to make the hardwood floors a little "softer"). Boy, when I can get Lauren AND the twins asleep at the same time, it sure is quiet around the house! :)

Just Like Mommy...

2009-09-05T22:49:00.004-05:00

About six weeks ago, Preston started sucking his thumb (top picture). I thought that was so cute because I used to suck my thumb until I was, well, old enough to know that if I didn't wash my hands first I was sucking a bunch of germs! (And yes, I did finally break the habit, and no, I did not need braces.) Once Preston started doing it, I thought "Great, another way to tell them apart when they are sleeping!" Well, about two weeks ago...you guessed it...Parker started sucking his thumb, too (second picture)! I know it's a habit they will eventually need to break, but for now it really works as a way for them to comfort themselves. It just continues to amaze me how alike the boys are and what a strong bond and connection they share. I just had to grab the camera and snap the picture of them sleeping; notice how their arms are intertwined and Preston has his other arm on top of Parker. The boys are starting to roll over, so we may need to move them to separate cribs in the near future. It makes me sad to think of that because I know they will miss sleeping side by side. We will keep them together as long as we safely can! As for the last picture, they just love to smile...which makes me smile, too! :)

First Days of School

2009-09-03T17:18:00.007-05:00

Yea!! I finally have my computer back and am able to post some new pictures. Let's go back about three weeks to the first day of school for Katie. She started Kindergarten and is loving it! I think she was a little nervous at first because she didn't know anyone in her class. However, being the outgoing little girl that she is, she has made some new friends and comes home with stories about the other kids in her class. She is also riding the bus...how convenient for me! She enjoys riding the bus because her friend who lives two doors down from us is in first grade, and they always have a play date cooked up when they get off the bus in the afternoon. My baby is growing up! (Can your firstborn, oldest-of-four-kids be considered your baby?)

Lauren started preschool two weeks ago, and she is loving school as well. She attends preschool two days a week at our church. She enjoys being Ms. Sherri's helper! I think she has a leg up on some of the academic skills because Katie has been "teaching" her at home. In fact, she likes to give her homework ("Okay, Lauren, write a row of L's, a row of A's, and a row of U's..."). I think she is getting used to Katie being gone all day. Lauren is a great helper with her brothers on the days that she doesn't go to school. I must say that I am exhausted with our new school schedule! :)

Two Dancing Princesses

2009-08-21T00:13:00.000-05:00

Wow, I have been so bad lately about updating the blog. A few people have brought that to my attention (well, mainly just my mom). Believe it or not, things have been very busy around our house! :) The time has flown by! Plus, we have been having computer problems, so when I thought about updating the blog, I wasn't able to do it. So here is a quick "Hello!" I have several pictures I would like to post--we've had some big events with school starting, etc.--but I will just stick with one this time because it's very late at night and I should be in bed. I will post some more pictures within the next couple of days.

Well, it's official! The girls have entered into the world of extracurricular activities, and I'm the designated taxi driver! Katie and Lauren both started dance lessons, and they are having a lot of fun. Don't they look so cute? :) They are very proud of their new leotards, tights, shoes, and bags. I can't wait for their first recital at Christmas. That should be a hoot!

Sleeping Through the Night...

2009-07-17T16:25:00.005-05:00

...pretty much, anyway! Yes, this week the boys have done a great job of sleeping for 5-6 hours at night. It doesn't sound like much, but it is a welcome milestone! They go to bed around 11:30pm or midnight, and then wake up between 5:00-6:00am. After that feeding, they go right back to sleep, and so do I! Do I dare say that things are becoming easier? No, I don't want to jinx it! :) (By the way, in the above pictures, Parker is sitting with Katie and Preston is playing on the play mat.)

Fun on the 4th of July

2009-07-08T23:21:00.003-05:00

Our family had a great 4th of July holiday weekend! We started the party on Friday, the 3rd with David's family. He had an aunt, uncle, cousin, the cousin's sons, grandma, and grandpa travel to OK from Topeka, and his sister and her family came from St. Louis. We had a fun time visiting with them!

The next day we drove to Joplin and saw my aunt, uncle, and cousins on my mom's side in the afternoon. Katie and Lauren were introduced to a whole new world, how to play the Wii. Actually, it was a new experience for me, too. I guess having boys in the house now, we will have to learn more about technology and video games! Later that evening we went to my dad's side of the family and enjoyed seeing my aunt, uncle, cousin, her boyfriend, and some extended family for dinner. We drove home the next day. Whew!! What an exhausting weekend but we sure did have a great time getting to see everyone and introducing the boys to some of them for the first time!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-28T19:16:00.003-05:00

I know I am a week late in posting this, but better late than never, right? :) We had a nice Father's Day with both sets of parents over for lunch. So here are pictures of three generations of Rosses and three generations of Shoesmiths...plus one family of six! I was proud of us; we even made it to church by 9:15am so the kids could have "Donuts with Dad!"

Two of a Kind

2009-06-18T15:57:00.004-05:00

I realized that I didn't have any pictures posted of the boys that show their eyes open. And I am happy to report that they are staying awake more during the day and sleeping more at night. Yea!! They still wake up to eat during the night, but at least they are going back to sleep afterward, which means I can, too. In case you are wondering, Preston is in the brown, and Parker is in the blue! You know, bouncy seats aren't really meant for two babies to share, but the boys are so little that they both fit so I could snap this picture of them together...and they don't mind being squeezed together!

Snuggle Buddies

2009-06-09T09:22:00.002-05:00

Preston and Parker LOVE to sleep together. It's so funny...I can put them two feet apart in the crib, and when I go back to check on them later, they have wiggled and scooted until they are touching. I'm not sure what they will do when they get bigger and have to sleep in separate cribs!

Back From Vacation

2009-06-02T14:03:00.004-05:00

Yes, we made it back from a week-long vacation in Branson. We did have a lot of fun, but it probably wasn't our most restful, relaxing trip! Ha! The boys slept very well...during the day. Not so much at night.

We spent the week at Big Cedar Lodge, a resort in the Ozark mountains on Table Rock Lake, just south of Branson. One highlight of the trip was the huge bass that Katie caught; David estimated it weighed around 5 pounds! Since she caught it in one of the ponds on the Big Cedar property, we weren't able to keep it. We also had fun at Silver Dollar City, swimming in the beautiful pools at Big Cedar, and doing art projects (including face painting) at Big Cedar. It's always hard to leave such a beautiful place. We'll be back at Christmas time!!

Sleeping Sweeties

2009-05-18T12:28:00.003-05:00

I snapped this picture of the boys after they finished eating and had fallen asleep. Don't they look so sweet and innocent? You would never believe that they like to sleep during the day and stay awake all night...

When the Cat's Away...

2009-05-15T20:20:00.002-05:00

(taking a nap), the mice will play (with scissors and a green ink pad)! Yes, you guessed it, when I was taking a nap a week or so ago, Katie got into the top of the cabinet in the bathroom and got out a pair of scissors. She then thought that her hair needed a trim, so she made herself two variations of bangs...one set was about four inches long, and the other set was about a half-inch long. Very stylish! On another day when I just HAD to have a nap, Lauren found the one ink pad I had not put away after their "craft time," and proceeded to decorate her face in all shades of green. The funny thing is that sometimes, a nap is so worth the consequences I face when I wake up!! :)

A New Milestone

2009-05-06T14:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday the boys went back to the doctor for a checkup, and Parker weighed 7 pounds and Preston weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces. Yea! We've passed the 7-pound mark for each of them! Today they are 7 weeks old...hard to believe! They went to church for the first time on Sunday morning; our Sunday School department had a diaper shower for them. It's so great to see so many packages of diapers now stacked in their room! :)

People have asked how they are sleeping at night. Well...it depends on the night. We are waking them every 3 hours to eat (if they aren't already waking up on their own), and sometimes they go right back to sleep...and sometimes they don't. When I am so very sleepy after those long nights, the words to a popular song run through my head: "You're gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back. You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast..." And I know that's very true!

Growing and Growing...

2009-04-24T21:55:00.003-05:00

Preston and Parker went to their doctor in Bartlesville for the first time on Tuesday, and they are still growing! Preston weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and Parker weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces. They are finally approaching the size that Katie was when she was born...6 pounds, 11 ounces (they have a bit to go before reaching Lauren's birth weight--8 pounds, 2 ounces!). Tomorrow (April 25th) is the date when I would've reached 38 weeks, the point at which my doctor had told me that he wouldn't let me go past. So, the boys would have definitely been here by tomorrow. Instead, we are now celebrating the fact that they are five weeks old and healthy!

One Month Old

2009-04-20T11:12:00.003-05:00

I am two days late in posting this, but Happy 1 Month Birthday, boys!! We have developed a semi-routine since the boys came home last Tuesday, and Katie and Lauren have been great little helpers! They both enjoy feeding the babies their bottles (with some help) and they have also helped with changing diapers. The girls are also good pacifier-finders. Feeding two babies at once is a little tricky (especially nursing, but they are doing well!), and the hardest part is during the day when David is at work and I'm trying to feed the boys with only two hands when I really need ten! But we are all catching on...

Welcome Home!!

2009-04-15T19:13:00.004-05:00

Preston and Parker came home from the hospital last night, one day shy of being four weeks old. Before we left the nurses put them into a crib together for the first time since they were born. I think that will be the first of many pictures of them together! Katie and Lauren were waiting for us in the NICU Family Waiting Room, so when we left the NICU they met their brothers for the first time. Comments included "They're so sweet! How beautiful! He's so soft!" Then we all walked together to the van, the nurses officially handed them off to us, and we went to Olive Garden for dinner. I guess that would be considered their first trip out in public! We are so thankful that the boys are healthy and able to be home with the rest of our family. Yea! Finally!

Big Boys

2009-04-12T21:08:00.004-05:00

Preston and Parker are such big boys now! They have graduated from the isolettes into the open-air cribs, which makes them look so much more mature. I have also nursed each of them a couple of times, so they are making progress in that area as well. Preston currently weighs 6 pounds, 2 ounces (wow!) and Parker weighs 5 pounds, 14 ounces. Way to go, boys! In fact, they should be coming home sometime this week if all continues to go well.

Three Weeks Old

2009-04-09T21:36:00.003-05:00

Preston and Parker turned three weeks old yesterday...wow!! I say this every time, but they really are making great progress! In fact, we are hoping they will get to come home sometime next week. The feeding tubes have been removed and they are now taking all meals from the bottle. The boys sure do love the milk! Once the bottle is put into their mouths, they just gulp it down. They are eating so well that Parker now weighs 5 pounds, 7 ounces and Preston weighs 5 pounds, 11 ounces! In addition, they are both probably going to transition to the open-air cribs tonight. Hopefully they will continue to maintain their body temperature and can kiss the isolettes goodbye!

Basically the only thing we are waiting on is for their heart rates to remain stable. They have been on caffeine (added to their milk) because once in awhile their heart rates would drop below 80 beats per minute. This is called a "Brady" episode (bradycardia), and the caffeine is supposed to keep those heart rates up. They will need to go for three days with no Brady episodes once the caffeine is stopped. Pray with us that they will be successful when the caffeine is stopped (probably within the next few days). I must say that I am not avoiding the Dr. Pepper and chocolate and they should be receiving a shot of caffeine from my milk (is that considered cheating??). :)

Mystery Solved

2009-04-06T10:54:00.002-05:00

Last Thursday I had a follow-up visit for the nurse to check my incision. I asked her a few questions about the boys' delivery since I had been on some hefty painkillers at the time. After she reviewed the doctor's notes, I found out just what the labor and delivery nurses had felt when they checked me (remember--they couldn't decide what they were feeling...an arm? an umbilical cord? a hand? anything but a head...). Apparently they were feeling Preston's scrotum, cord, and foot. He must have been sitting there like a little frog ready to hop on out. Parker's membranes had not yet ruptured, so Mr. Preston was the one who was anxious to make his appearance!

Both boys are making great progress! Yesterday Parker was up to 5 pounds, 1 ounce and Preston was up to 5 pounds, 5 ounces. Wow! I never imagined that I would think 5 pounds sounded like a big baby. It's amazing how your perspective changes in situations like this. The boys are filling out and are such a joy to hold and kiss. David and I are just warming them up for the affection they will get from their big sisters!

Two Weeks Old

2009-04-02T17:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday Preston and Parker turned two weeks old. It's hard to believe that it has been two weeks since they were born and we are just now nearing the period when we expected them to arrive. The boys continue to do well. As of today, Preston weighs 5 pounds and Parker weighs 4 pounds, 14 ounces. They are also making progress in the area of feeding. Today I was able to give Preston a bottle and he didn't choke! Yea! Parker decided he would rather sleep during lunch time so he received his milk through the tube. Hopefully they will both continue to develop their sucking/swallowing skills and we can transition to nursing.

Katie and Lauren were recognized with "Big Sister" awards at church. Can't you see how proud they are?? They are both ready to meet their little brothers and shower them with hugs and kisses!

Two of a Kind

2009-03-31T23:17:00.003-05:00

With each day that passes, we can really see that the boys look alike. Preston does have a birthmark on the left side of his jaw/neck, so if the mark doesn't fade we will be able to tell them apart. They are just so sweet and peaceful when they are sleeping! Yesterday we took some fun pictures of the boys together (I'm sure the first of many...)

Katie loves doing "art projects," and yesterday before David and I went to visit the boys she made them each a card. On the back she wrote each one's name and signed it "Love Katie." David and I are "reading" the cards to the boys in the pictures above. Both Katie and Lauren are so anxious to meet their baby brothers!

Growing and Growing...

2009-03-29T10:34:00.002-05:00

Preston (being held by Mommy and Daddy) and Parker (top picture with his eyes open) continue to grow! As of 9:00pm last night, Preston weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces and Parker weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces. Today the nurse gave each of them approximately half of their noon feeding through a bottle. Yea! Progress! David and I were there for the 3:00pm feeding, so the nurse let us try using a bottle then as well. However, Preston gulped it down and got choked, and Parker took several swallows and then fell asleep. So both finished their feeding through the tube. It is exciting to see them taking these steps in development!

Fun in the Snow

2009-03-29T10:01:00.003-05:00

Saturday we had about 6 inches of snow, so Katie, Lauren, and David decided to build a snowman. Since this was the first snowfall this winter that was actually a "wet" snow, the girls had so much fun building their snowman with Daddy. The snow covering the trees was beautiful!

1 Week Old...

2009-03-25T21:34:00.003-05:00

Today Preston and Parker are one week old! That is hard to believe...what a week it has been. They continue to make good progress. Today their feedings were increased to 30mL, which is the maximum, so the IVs were to be removed at 6:00pm tonight. Yea! That means that they will only be on the tube feedings and monitors but no oxygen or IVs. Now you can see their little faces much better without so many tubes around them!

Yesterday I was able to take Preston's temperature and change his diaper. Today, David did the same with Parker. They are also able to wear onesies we brought from home. In case you are wondering about the colored paper in the background of some pictures, David had the idea of using different colors to tell the boys apart in pictures. So, Preston's color is green ("Pr" and "Gr"), and Parker's color is blue. Now if we can only remember to put the colored paper in the incubator before taking the pictures...

Introducing Preston David & Parker Drew!

2009-03-23T21:16:00.006-05:00

Once we arrived at the hospital, I was checked by my nurse. She got a strange look on her face and paged another nurse. In came nurse #2 to check me, who in turn called another nurse. Pretty soon there were about six nurses around my bed discussing just what it was that they were feeling. Was it an arm and hand? A foot? A prolapsed umbilibal cord? One thing they did agree upon...it was not a head. The doctor was paged, and after what seemed like a very long time (but really only about 10-15 minutes), he arrived and did an ultrasound. Those crazy babies had flipped around (the ultrasound four weeks ago showed them both to be head-down), and they were both now breech. In a matter of minutes, I was whisked off for a c-section (a new experience for me). It's amazing just how quickly anesthesia can be given and babies can be delivered!

Preston David made his entrance at 11:58am weighing 4 pounds, 8 ounces and measuring 17 1/2 inches long (picture #4 above). Parker Drew arrived at 11:59am weighing 4 pounds, 7 ounces and measuring 18 inches long (picture #2 above). It was a beautiful sound to hear each of them crying when they were delivered! Once they were cleaned and snugly wrapped, David followed them down to the NICU. The few hours after that are a blur to me (I was pretty groggy for most of the recovery time), but I was happy to see the friends and family who came to the hospital to welcome our babies into the world.

That evening, a video camera was placed on the boys in the NICU, and we were able to see the boys on the t.v. screen in my room. Katie and Lauren were excited about that, because they were not able to see the boys in person (the NICU is currently closed to children under the age of 16 because it is RSV season). In fact, that's one of the hardest things in this situation; the girls have been so excited for so long about having new brothers, and they haven't yet been able to hold them or see them in person.

Today is March 23rd, and Preston and Parker are still in the NICU. They are making good progress with tolerating increased tube feedings and stabilizing their heart rates. Hopefully, within the next couple of days they will be weaned off of the oxygen they receive through their noses and the IV fluids they are receiving to supplement the feedings. Parker has gained back up to his birth weight (4 pounds, 7 ounces), and Preston now weighs 4 pounds, 10 ounces. Yea! They are such sweet little boys and love it when we talk to them. We have also been able to hold them for over an hour at a time using skin-to-skin contact (called Kangaroo care), and we all enjoy that so much! Tests done after delivery have revealed that the boys are identical twins...I think we're in for some crazy, interesting years! Ha!

I will do my best to keep our blog updated with reports about the boys as well as pictures. Thanks to everyone for your prayers and well wishes! The boys are lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who care about them!

An Early Morning Surprise...

2009-03-23T12:48:00.004-05:00

We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of our twins for months...but it still took us by surprise when my water broke at 3:15 am on Wednesday, March 18th. I was 32 weeks along and not expecting the boys to come for another 3-4 weeks. However, they had different plans! I called the hospital and very calmly explained that my water had broken. The nurse said to come on in...then David suggested that I tell them I was 32 weeks along with twins. Oh, yes...minor details! Once I explained that, the nurse said I should definitely come to the hospital so they could check me. Well, since I wanted to look good for the pictures, I took the time to fix my hair, put on my makeup, and pack my bag. Around 4:00am, the nurse called me back to check on me. I told her I had had a few contractions but they weren't hurting yet. She said, "Well, we want you to be safe, but you need to get here as soon as posssible so we can see what's going on." I guess maybe I was a little too calm?? So we picked up the pace and arrived at the hospital around 4:30am. (The picture above was taken just before we left for the hospital.)

Since I was only 32 weeks along and having twins, my doctor wanted to transfer me to St. John in Tulsa where the babies could receive the best care for preemies. I was given magnesium sulfate to slow the contractions and get me stable. Once that happened, I was taken to Tulsa by ambulance...lights and sirens blaring! I have to say that was an exciting ride! Once I got to St. John, the excitement was really just beginning...

Lauren's 3rd Birthday

2009-02-17T20:30:00.004-06:00

Last Thursday, February 12th, was Lauren's 3rd birthday. We had a party to celebrate on Saturday...what a fun age for a birthday party! She has been wanting an "Elmo" party for several months now, so she was excited when the big day finally came. It's hard to believe that she is already 3, and it's even harder to believe that soon she won't be my "baby" anymore. Love you, Lauren Brooke!!

25 Weeks and Counting...

2009-01-29T15:25:00.002-06:00

Well, here I am, 25 weeks along and counting down! The beginning of the pregnancy seemed to go by slowly (probably because I felt rotten!), but now the time is passing more quickly. I am starting to outgrow some of my maternity clothes, so you may see me wearing the same things frequently (until they are outgrown...what comes after XL??). The other night, Katie was beside my tummy talking to the babies and I said, "Katie, can you believe how big the twins are getting?" And she so innocently replied, "I know! And look how big YOU'RE getting!!" I just had to smile and agree! :)

Katie's 5th Birthday Party

2009-01-12T21:45:00.006-06:00

Last Saturday we had Katie's 5th birthday party celebration with her friends (we had a "family" party the week before). For months she had been asking for an "Ariel" party. Of course, no store in the Bartlesville area had "Ariel" party supplies, so I ordered them off the internet. They did turn out really cute! I made her Ariel cake for the family party, but I decided that I didn't want to tackle that project a second time (within one week), so I ordered the cake for the second party. Definitely a good idea!!

We had 13 of Katie's closest friends (15 kids including Katie and Lauren) at the party! The big disaster of the day came Saturday night when I realized that 10 of the pictures I had taken at the party were NOT on my camera. Gone. Missing. Not there at all. The one shot that I REALLY wanted was a group shot of all of the kids with Katie around the "birthday table"...you guessed it...one of the missing shots (as well as a picture of the four--actually six--of us in the family and another one of Katie blowing out her candles). David reminded me it wasn't the end of the world; I did still get some cute shots of her with some of the friends, just not all of them together. Oh, well! I have come to realize that being a mom of four kids will mean that I must let some things go! I am learning. We are thankful for Katie's five years and can't believe that she is growing so fast! Love you, Katie-O!

And the Ultrasound Said...

2008-12-23T19:30:00.007-06:00

Today we had THE ultrasound--the one to tell us the genders of the babies. To our great delight, surprise, and excitement, we found out that we are having...two BOYS!! Daddy David had a big smile on his face (of course, I did, too!). All of the necessary parts were there, including arms, legs, hands, feet, heads, and hearts. They were beautiful! Of course, there were so many baby parts to see that the ultrasound tech had to keep explaining, "This is Baby A's arm" and "This is Baby B's leg..." Wow, and to think that they will keep growing??!!

The first picture shows Baby A's profile, and the second picture shows Baby B's profile (with the edge of his brother's head on the right of the picture). David is excited that he won't be so outnumbered now! When we first told the girls, Katie smiled really big, put her hand over her mouth in disbelief, and said, "That's just what I wanted!" And FYI--the babies are in separate sacs, which means that they could be either identical or fraternal twins. So, it will be a few months after they are born before we will know. If anybody has advice on boys, I'd be happy to hear it...I won't have any idea how to fix their hair, if I can't put a bow in it! :)

Roomies

2008-12-13T10:53:00.004-06:00

A couple of nights ago we decided to try having the girls sleep together in Katie's room, since that is what will happen once the twins arrive. The girls were excited and fell asleep pretty easily. When I checked on them before going to bed myself, I was a little confused because I saw Katie on her pillow, but no Lauren. I hadn't heard her running around anywhere else in the house, so just as I was about to start looking for her, there she was...stretched across Katie, lying sideways in the bed (it was harder to see in the dark...the flash of the camera makes it easier to see in the picture). This wasn't a great surprise to us since we know, after having slept with her on a few occasions, that Lauren is a wild sleeper and changes positions MANY times during the night! David repositioned her and we went to bed. The next morning, about 6:00am, I heard a door open and then close. Sure enough, when we got up later that morning, I found that Lauren had gone back into her room and crawled into the crib. I think it will take just a few more nights of practice before she gets the hang of it!

Christmas Fun in Branson

2008-12-12T14:56:00.004-06:00

Last week we went to Branson, MO for some fun and relaxation. We enjoy staying at Big Cedar Lodge on Table Rock Lake. While we were there, we had a lot of fun swimming in the indoor pool (well, not me, but David and the girls!), shopping, and looking at Christmas lights. We also went on a horse-drawn wagon ride around the Big Cedar property, and afterwards we made s'mores and drank hot cocoa. What a fun time!! On another night, the girls were visited in our cabin by Santa's elf. They read a story together, and Katie and Lauren told her what they wanted Santa to bring them. It's fun to witness the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child!

Exciting News in Our Family...

2008-11-07T19:56:00.005-06:00

Well, most of you know by now that we are expecting a baby next spring. However, a few weeks ago we found out some shocking but very exciting news...we are expecting TWINS!! Yes, that's right, two babies!! I can not even tell you how shocked we were. I was completely speechless after the doctor announced, "Here's the head, here's the heartbeat...and here's the other head and the other heartbeat!" David didn't believe the doctor at first; he said "She's so gullible, she'll believe anything you tell her." My response: "No, honey, I think they are serious," to which the doctor replied, "Oh, yes, I'm very serious!" I found out later that we were the talk of the doctor's office that day because we were so funny (my wide-eyed, shocked expression, David's disbelief, my asking "How did this happen?").

The girls are very excited. When we first told Katie, she got a big smile on her face and then said, "Oh, my...OH MY! We're gonna have to get a bigger house!" We assured her we wouldn't do that just yet. As many people have asked us, yes, twins do run in both sides of our family, but after two pregnancies, I thought "Oh, what are the chances?" Apparently, pretty good! We should find out in December if they are boys, girls, or one of each. The picture above was taken during the ultrasound last week. The babies' heads are together near the middle of the picture; during the ultrasound they were head-butting each other and I said, "Oh no, they're going to be mean!"

Thanks for sharing in our joy! This has certainly taught us that, even though we may have things planned out ("We are only having three children, that's it, we're done!"), God has His own plan (and a sense of humor). The twins are officially due on May 9th but will probably come 3-4 weeks before that date. We will keep you updated with the latest news! :)

Halloween/Fall Festival Fun

2008-11-03T21:12:00.003-06:00

Last week, of course, the girls had a lot of fun dressing up for Halloween. Lauren was so excited to tell anyone who would listen that "I gonna be Tinkerbell for Halloween!" In keeping with the "Princess" theme, Katie dressed up as Sleeping Beauty. Our church hosted a Fall Festival on the Tuesday before Halloween, and the girls had so much fun seeing their friends. It's amazing how much the kids change from year to year...I remember our first year to attend (Katie was 10 months old and dressed as a strawberry). My, how she has grown since then! And although Lauren is 2 1/2, she keeps up with Katie and her friends and insists on being with the "big girls."

A Mini-Vacation...Just for Adults!

2008-10-27T21:24:00.005-05:00

Last week, David and I took a fun mini-vacation down to St. Petersburg, FL...without the kids (well, without two of them, anyway)! He was attending a Raymond James conference and I was just along for the ride (and the delicious food). We had never been to that part of Florida, and it was beautiful. We stayed in an old hotel (the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club) that had been refurbished years ago, and it was just gorgeous! It was right on the water of Tampa Bay, and there was a beautiful park nearby. I spent a lot of time sitting in the park reading (yes, a real book!) and watching the boats out on the water.

Apparently, the Vinoy is where the pro teams stay when they come to the Tampa/St. Pete area, and as luck would have it, we were there during the American League playoffs between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. When we arrived at the hotel, the Red Sox were staying there. Two days later, after they lost the series in game 7 to the Rays, they left town and in came the Philadelphia Phillies for the World Series. I was sitting on the verandah of the hotel reading my book when four chartered buses arrived and off walked these young, athletic men in suits. At the end of the line were some wives carrying a "Go Phillies!" sign...so then I knew who they were! Although David and I don't really follow baseball, we caught the fever when in St. Pete so we are now rooting for the Rays (although as of this evening, it's not looking good for them!).

I must say that I was so impressed on this trip...David had made arrangements for several activities during our stay and surprised me with them! We went on a carriage ride, a sunset cruise on a sailboat, and ate at the best restaurants on the water. We really did have a wonderful time! I'm already looking forward to going back (although for me, it probably won't be next year...mommy duty calls!)! :)

Flu Shot Fun

2008-10-23T21:19:00.003-05:00

Today the girls and I got our flu shots...yes, a fun adventure. After I got mine, Katie and Lauren started fighting over who had to go next. Finally, I grabbed Katie and plopped her down on the table. A little screaming, a couple of tears, and it was over. Then it was Lauren's turn, and she is usually the "tough" one. Well, not so much today. She cried when she got the shot, she cried after the shot, she cried while I tried to put her shoes back on (the shoes had nothing to do with getting the shot, she was just entertaining herself while waiting for the nurse to come in). Finally, when it was time for the sticker, she calmed down and all was well with her world. The nurse explained that, since she was under age three, she was given a different dosage than Katie and I were, and it might have burned more than ours did.

Well, tonight while I was giving Katie a bath, she explained to me that Lauren had not wanted to take off her Band-Aid during her bath because she had gotten the "patriotic" shot. I asked her, "Lauren got the patriotic shot?" And she said, "Yes, she got the patriotic shot and it probably hurt more than ours did!" She was right...Lauren had gotten the pediatric version of the shot!

Have You Heard??

2008-10-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

Well, have you heard the news? Our family is growing! Yes, Baby Shoesmith is on the way. He/she is due May 9th. The picture above was taken at 10 weeks (David says you can't even tell...but I sure can! HA!). The girls are so excited. They don't quite realize that it will be a long time before the baby arrives. A couple of days ago, Katie asked me, "Mom, when is that baby gonna pop out of your tummy?" If only it were that easy!

Fall Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-16T15:25:00.004-05:00

This past Saturday we went to the Pumpkin Patch here in Bartlesville. I'm not sure who has more fun there...the kids or myself. To me, it's just the perfect place to visit in the fall. We were very lucky because the weather was BEAUTIFUL...sunny and warm (but not hot). David was along for the ride but not quite as enthused as the rest of us. Something about allergies and hay...

Here Come the Brides

2008-09-29T21:49:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had a lot of fun attending the wedding of a relative in Arkansas. The girls just idolized April, the bride and our second (or third?) cousin. They followed her around during the reception and wanted to dance when she was dancing. The next day, April's mom gave the girls each one of the bridesmaids' bouquets to take home. Once we arrived back in Bartlesville, Katie immediately put the flowers in some water and told us, "Now the flowers will be ready for us when Lauren and I get married!" David tried to explain that, even in water, the flowers wouldn't quite live for another thirty years or so! :)

Class Field Trip

2008-09-23T18:23:00.003-05:00

Today Katie's preschool class went on a field trip to the library. Since they were walking there, the teachers asked for some parent volunteers to help corral the kids so Lauren and I tagged along. It was a perfect, sunny day for a walk through downtown Bartlesville. Lauren even had a t-shirt that matched the "older" kids, so she felt like (and looked like) a big kid, too.

Labor Day Fun

2008-09-04T17:53:00.004-05:00

We had a nice, relaxing Labor Day weekend. Most of it was spent with David's family as his grandparents from Topeka and his sister and her family from St. Louis were visiting. The girls enjoyed playing with Cousin Emily and Cousin Andrew; the kids went to Kiddie Park on Saturday night...always a fun time!

David took the girls to the lake for a little tubing on Monday. He told Katie she needed a hat...so, she went to her room and came back wearing a stocking cap David brought her from Chicago when he went on a business trip. We tried to explain that type of hat would just be too hot to wear, but she wasn't convinced. Sometimes they just have to learn the hard way...

Out of the Mouths of 2-Year-Olds

2008-08-26T14:47:00.000-05:00

Isn't it funny how smart 2-year-olds can be? Last night we had spaghetti for dinner, and of course, Lauren had it all over herself by the end of the meal. She wanted a wet rag, and I asked her why. She said, "For my feet--they are dirty." I asked, "Why are they dirty?" She said, "They have miss...missbeggies (spaghetti)." I asked again, "They have what?" And she replied, "Sauce and noodles!" :)

Katie and Lauren both started "school" last week; Katie now attends preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays at our church, and Lauren attends Kids Day Out on Thursdays, also at our church. The picture of them with their backpacks was taken on their first day, last Thursday. Don't they look ready to tackle "school?"

I've also included a couple of other pictures taken this summer when we were in Branson. Hope you enjoy them!

Welcome to Our Blog

2008-08-23T20:06:00.000-05:00

Hello to our friends and family! I am trying my hand in the world of blogging so that those of you who don't live near us can stay "in the loop" with what's going on in our lives! We have had a great summer, full of vacation days, play dates, lazy days, and trips to Kiddie Park, Bartlesville's own version of an amusement park for the little ones. Katie (age 4 1/2) and Lauren (age 2 1/2) grow so much every day--they are quite the "big girls" now! In fact, as I was struggling with Lauren trying to get her to take a nap today, she was crying and waved her finger at me as she proclaimed, "I don't wike you anymoe, Mama!" I thought that would come a little later, maybe around 16?

Here are a few recent pictures...the one of Katie by herself was taken when she had vanilla bark on her mouth after eating a cookie before it had time to set up (just couldn't wait!), and the picture of Lauren with a red mouth was taken after she used a stamp all over her face...I guess she was making her own "lipstick!" :)

Please check back often as I will do my very best to keep this blog updated with funny stories and crazy pictures! For now, enjoy!