Summer Update!

It has been a while since I posted, but I thought I would check in an give everyone a little update on life in the Snyder house.

On July 4th, Janae and Esther had their casts cut off. This was a most traumatic and long day for the girls (and Mommy and Daddy) resulting in lots of tears and screaming, some confusion as to instructions for the new braces, and some really good naps in the car on the way home (for the girls, not the parents :) But, the casts are off and the girls are really adjusting well to their hip abduction braces (also known as Rhino Cruiser braces). These are made of one piece of long plastic to which are attached pieces of soft foam that go around the thighs and waist and are held in place by velcro straps. They are really easy to put on, and more importantly, take off!

The girls will be in their braces for a while, though we are going to slowly start weaning them off of daytime wear this week. Then they will only wear them for 12 hours at night, though we aren't sure how many weeks this will be necessary. They are both sitting well on their own, both in their braces and out. Janae is crawling all over the place and really wants to stand - once the braces are off, it won't be long before her and Leah will be playing tag I am sure!

Speaking of Leah, she is having a blast this summer. As I write, she is out with Daddy picking blueberries. Most days she can be found outside playing with her babies, the wagon, or her new play centre (this was the girls' birthday gift this year).

Daddy is really busy with work, but is managing to get some work done around the house and spend time with his girls too. The veggie garden looks great thanks to his watering and fertilizing efforts, and the new trees are thriving under his care.

Mommy is surviving on little sleep and lots of house work, but is having a good summer too. I am getting geared up for the Fergus Scottish Festival in a few weeks (August 10-12) and working on some holiday planning for the big Germany trip in September.

And yes, it does take a long time to plan, organize and pack a family of five for such a big trip - can't leave that one until the day before!

Whoops!

I have been informed that I missed some very important birthday buddies of the girls.

So, please add to the list of people born on July 5th:

Great Uncle Doug Scott

Cousin Sean Harkins

And wishing them both a very happy birthday next week as well :)

One Week to Go! Some Statistics...

Well, we are down to the last week, and I thought I would share some interesting stats about my girls and other things in general.

1. By the end of the day on July 4th, Janae and Esther will have been in their casts for exactly 12 weeks, 84 days, about 2016 hours and 120,960 minutes.

2. The girls have been through collectively:

3 cast changes (Janae 2, Esther 1)

7 x-rays

2 CT scans

About 1000 size 1 diapers

3. Since getting their casts on, they have both cut 5 teeth - Janae has 7 teeth total and Esther has 5 (soon to be 6).

4. "Approximately 1 out of every 20 full-term babies has some hip instability and 2-3 out of every 1,000 infants will require treatment." - International Hip Dysplasia Institute

5. The girls will now be going into Rhino Cruiser Hip Braces, 24 hours a day for the first 6 weeks, slowly reducing the amount of time a day after that. It will likely be November at the earliest before the end of the whole process.

6. July 5th, Janae and Esther's first birthday is the 187th day of the year (in this leap year)

7. The girls share a birthday with:

Cecil Rhodes (1853)

 Robbie Robertson (1943)

8. It is independence day on July 5th in Algeria, Cape Verde and Venezuela

9. Slaves were emancipated in New York City on July 5th, 1827

10. The Salvation army was founded on July 5th, 1865

And 11. July 5th, 2011 The Snyder family welcomed two beautiful girls into their growing family.

Can't wait to celebrate!

9 Weeks In...

Well, we are nine weeks into this chaos and finally I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Three weeks I can deal with. Especially since Hubby is almost done his afternoon shift stretch, the weather is gorgeous, and I have the girls' first birthday to plan as well.

I am just stunned and amazed, as I am sure you all are too, that my little babies are going to be one year old. It seems like just yesterday I was waddling around, getting pitiful looks from friends, family and complete strangers alike. The first few days are kind of a blur, but I remember all of the love and support we received in those days (and still are receiving every day!) and I am so thankful that we have such great friends and family and neighbours too!

 It was also this time last year that Hubby and I celebrated our fifth anniversary. Hubby whisked me away for an amazing getaway just the two of us in Collingwood - it was the most thoughtful and romantic surprise he has ever given me. It also gave us some much needed down time together. Something we could really use this year for our sixth anniversary! 

But have no fear, we are going to get some hours to ourselves this weekend - the kids are taken care of and we are going out! No idea what we are doing or where we are going, but I really don't care as long as it is just the two of us and we can eat our food hot, hold each other's hands and walk at our own pace.

Here are some updated photos of the girls - have a great night!

P.S. They have leg warmers on - Janae's new cast is green and Esther's is rainbow!

June!

It is the 1st of June and it looks like April out there! at least the corn is up and my garden is looking great so far (just ignore the weeds :)

Sorry I haven't written an update in a while!

Last Friday, Janae and Esther had their casts changed - which means we are half-way! Well, now we are over half-way, 7.5 weeks in. The girls are looking good in their new casts and their hips are where they should be! Janae is sporting a new bright green cast and Esther is gorgeous in a colourful rainbow pattern - you gotta see it to believe it! I will work on posting some pictures soon (once I can get a good shot that is!)

We also were given the date for their final cast removal! July 6th! So, the countdown is on. This is the day after the girls' first birthday, so we will have two things to celebrate that week - we'll most likely combine the two events in one big party :)

They did just fine at the hospital and seem to be comfortable in their new casts, though I am a little concerned about space for growing, especially around their legs. But we'll monitor their feet and make sure circulation is good for the next 5 weeks.

Janae has figured out how to "crawl" in her cast and is having fun pulling herself around and pushing herself in circles. Esther is less enthused about being on her stomach, so she hasn't ventured there yet. It will be fun to see what mischief these two will get into when they are really able to motor around!

I can't wait!



The First 6 Weeks

Well, it is hard to believe, but it has been six weeks since Janae and Esther got their casts on. What a wild ride so far!

I would have to say that generally, overall, they have been pretty content. Thanks to the wonderful chairs Daddy made for them, they have some independence, they can feed themselves, and they don't seem to have sore backs. These chairs really are a life saver!

Tooth update: The crankiness has been worth it! Janae now has four teeth and is working on her fifth

and Esther is in the process of cutting her first two top teeth! At least there is a reason when they cry!

I am so glad to be half way through the first part of this process, though I have to admit I am dreading the next six weeks already. The main reasons: 1) The weather is getting warmer and the stench from all of the sweat, pee and poop is not going to get any better, even with the cast change this week. 2) Matthew will be on afternoon shift for three long weeks. 3) The girls are getting tired of their toys and they want to move! Because of this, I am getting more tired trying to keep them entertained.

And probably the hardest thing to deal with right now is Leah's behaviour. Some of it I know can be attributed to her age (she's 2.5) but I know that all of the attention we've been giving the twins (and deservedly so) is taking a toll on her. She is a tough kids, but lately she breaks out in tears at the smallest perceived misdemeanours, or all out wails when she doesn't get what she wants. I so want to help her, and be patient and react the way I should every time, but the truth is my nerves and my brain just can't always do that.

One thing I am learning though, is that her actions and reactions are directly influenced by my actions and reactions. If I raise my voice with her, I can expect a yell or scream in return. If I am calm and quiet, often, but not always, her reaction is much more subdued. Now if only it would always work like that. But then we wouldn't be a normal family with three small kids!

Anyways, Janae and Esther go in for their cast changes on Friday, so we will have a full day in London, while Leah hangs out with Grandma and Grandpa. Then, it is Memorial Day weekend in the USA, and it is Life Celebration Memorial day weekend for the Scott/Whiteley clan as well, with my Papa's memorial on Sunday. The photo board is looking great.

So many great pictures of Papa with my girls!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's day to all of my favourite Mommys!

I love you all and you all do such a great job, every day (and night)!

And to my own Mommy, I love you so much and I am so glad that I have you here to help me, support me, laugh and cry with me, pray with me, sing with me,
cook with me, eat with me,

hug me and just plain love me.

I only hope that some day me and my own girls will be as close as we've become.

I love you!