I'll Be Home for Christmas...

DAD: So mom must have been born with an unlucky star in the sky. She has the bad luck of being a "December Baby." Just a few days before Christmas is her birthday. So what is a loving, appreciative husband to do? Give her the batteries on her birthday for a gift she will get just days later? Or tell her to pick a present from under the tree and a birthday present? Well if you roll like I do, you give her cold hard cash...and throw in a dinner as well. And since we were in the bustling metropolis of Odessa for her birthday, we went out (without the kids) to a fancy dinner. Before going any further, you Dallasites reading this have to readjust your idea of a fancy dinner. Actual cloth napkins go far in west Texas! :')

The day after Christmas we took the girls to the Dr. for a wellness visit and to get another round of shots. They hate shots, and by hate I mean they might end up in therapy as 20 somethings from the experience of injections. Brooke checked out just fine except a bit underweight. We had to turn her car seat back around so that she is facing rearward again. She is just so darn active that she burns so many calories exploring every nook and cranny. We were told to beef up her calories and start to administer some peanut butter into the mix.

Allie on the other hand is a bit more of a concern. Dr. B is worried that her development has plateaued and would like to have her brain re-scanned by a pediatric neurologist. We will do that after the new year. She has always been about 2-3 month behind her sister in milestones. When Dr. B was examining Allie he noticed that she is showing signs of hypotonia. Her joints are real stiff when being manipulated and her toes curl almost all the time. She has never been as fluid as her sister but has grown leaps and bounds in her own right since coming home! We pray for wisdom in the Dr's that will be working with Allie and that they do not find any damage from the brain bleed (IVH) she suffered moments after her birth.

The norm for 12-15 month old's is to be pulling up to standing - if not walking - and having about 5 words. Our girls have a few words like, Dad, Mom and ball. They also can mimic us with clicking noises or raspberries and I just taught them to give high 5's!

The girls really appreciated all the presents they got form family this Christmas...but plastic toys taste no where as good as the paper that they were wrapped in.

A member of the "greatest generation" meets the newest generation. Mom's granddad playing with Allie in Odessa.

Ever tried to herd cats? I can only assume that it would be like getting multiples to both pose for a picture.

Any question where my girls get their good looks? Check out mom! Hubba, Hubba!

Of course, they get their pot bellies from Dad!

The girls in their Christmas dresses. Mom and two grandmothers bought dresses. Do the math: 2 girls with 2 dresses each x 3 dress purchases. That is a ton of dresses!

The cousins enjoying Christmas morning! Promise we didn't mean to dress them all alike. Great moms must think a like.

As usual, the girls loved playing with the bows, ribbons and boxes more than the toys they got. And they got a ton of toys!

Doesn't this all look yummy? Heck I wouldn't mind having someone come and cut up my food for me. A little boiled egg, a little green beans...and some chicken stix!