MeAndBaby Bits

The past few weeks have been full of activities and appointments.   I'd like to get it all down here and in order to do that, I need to bullet. 

• The twins and I had our first professional (if you don't count studio pictures at JCPenney -and I DON'T) photo shoot.  I received the shoot and some prints as a Christmas gift last year.  While I haven't seen the pictures yet, the photographer was awesome.  He asked what we like to do as a family and I told him go to the park.  So off to the park we all went and he spent over an hour with us taking candid and some posed pictures.  I cannot wait to see the photos.  The Dynamo was a tough cookie - refusing to smile or sit with me on the blanket at first.  Sweet Potato was a ham the entire time!
• We made our third trip to the zoo.  Great fun and the twins almost actually paid attention to the animals this time. 
• I took the boys for a visit to my old job.  The people there were like family to me and so good to me when I was pregnant and when the babies were first born.  I left that job when they were five months old and we have visited twice since then.  (once also when I was on maternity leave).  It was a nice visit but I think it was our last.  As unhappy as I am with my current work situation (re: schedule), I need to close the book on that part of my life.  My old job was my whole life for so long that it's been an adjustment to end that "relationship" but I think I am finally there.  I will stay in touch a bit with a few former co-workers and that's fine.
• The boys had their 2 year check-ups.  I have been taking them one at a time separately but the schedule didn't allow it this time so Fabulous D joined us (thank God).  I will update their "Grow With Me" pages with their full stats but in summary, they are doing pretty well health wise.  Sweet Potato hasn't gained any weight since his last check-up but the doctor isn't too concerned about it.  He was concerned, however, with both boys' lack of speech.  And honestly, I am too, and have been for awhile.  I think I am encouraging the lack of words, though, by not forcing them to say what they want when I already know.  The guidelines are that they should have at least twenty words (they maybe have 10?), a few two word phrases (none), and are understood at least fifty percent of the time (maybe 20% of the time of the words they do say).  The interesting thing is there are words they have said in the past (like "dark"), that they don't say now.  They were referred to the Early Intervention Program and so far, we have had the evaluation portion.  More on this in a coming post but the short story is they are both "severely delayed" in speech but at or exceeding development in all other areas for their age.  They will be participating in weekly speech therapy.

The Dynamo and "bubbo!" (bubbles).

Sweet Potato at the zoo.