Milestones

In the past few days, the girls have hit 2 big milestones: they can both sit up & they both got their first tooth!

Anna (L) & Kate (R)

Chow Hounds

I have had so much fun making the girls' baby food and boy have they had fun devouring it!  We have tried lots of yummy fruits and vegetables including: peaches, pears, apples, bananas, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, mangos, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and peas.  The only thing they have refused to eat is avacados.  On this particular day, they were having a snack of fresh bananas and frozen strawberries (which I am sure felt good to their teething gums).

Bye Bye Neutropenia!!

We have the most AMAZING news to share!  The girls are no longer considered neutropenic!!

We had a monumental visit to the Hematologist today!!!  After visiting a Hematologist in Miami and Anna's counts being in the 400's, we weren't expecting the girls' neutrophil counts to be much (if any) higher than they were at our last visit in May.  When Dr. Briones came into the room to give us the report of their CBC's and told us the numbers, both of us were in SHOCK!  Anna's ANC was 1750 and Kate's was 2000!  WHAT??  We both couldn't stop smiling and kissing the girls' cheeks!  Here are a few pictures from our BIG day!

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much   James 5:16
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all of you who have prayed for us and with us, given of your time and resources, and supported us through this journey. The Lord has truly blessed us with an amazing family, church family, and friends and I know that Phil and I could not have gotten through the past 8 months without ALL of you!

But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10
This verse has been such an encouragement to me through this journey.  It has been a constant reminder that God is in complete control and that He alone is able to sustain me!

Our third week at Mimi & Pop Pop's

This week the chaos cousins arrived!  What a CRAZY and FUN time we had.  10 adults and 12 kids ages 8 months-7 years makes for one busy week!  Phil and I joined in on as much as the fun as the girls could handle and spent the rest of the time taking the girls on golf cart rides and pushing them in the swing under the big tree.  We have such an amazing family and we are so blessed to be able to spend this much time together a few times a year!  Thank you Mimi and Pop Pop for your generosity and your incredible ability to tolerate the chaos that invades your house!

Here are some pictures of our amazing time together!

We took the girls swimming for the first time!  Thank you Momma Buck for the adorable matching suits and name towels!

 

Bam Bam is a TROOPER!  She voluntarily stayed a whole extra week just to spend time with us and she was such a HUGE HELP! We all enjoyed spending the week with her and I know Mimi was so thankful for the extra set of hands around the house!

Fun around the compound.

One night we were able to go out to dinner with just the adults.  Chad and Lauren got a sitter for their kiddos and after we put the rest to sleep at Mimi and Pop Pop's, we headed up the road to enjoy an amazing dinner and each other's company.

Here are all of the cousins from oldest to youngest:

 It is so sweet how excited these kids get to spend time with their cousins!  We really try to savor every moment knowing that they will be all grown up before we know it!

Counting down the days until we are together again.....

Our second week at Mimi & Pop Pop's

We had a GREAT second week at Mimi & Pop Pop's house.  Our time was filled with lots of family and friends and adjusting to a little more chaos than is typical at our house!

Mom and I did some organizing while I was down.  Here, the girls are helping us clean out Mimi and Pop Pop's closet.

My sweet friend Adena and her little guy Mateo came to visit and meet the girls!

And seriously? Isn't Mimi the best sport ever??

Aunt Erica, Uncle Matt and Great Aunt Barb (aka Bam Bam) were able to come for a visit.  In fact, Bam Bam spontaneously stayed the entire week and it was such a treat!!  She was AMAZING!  I felt like every time I turned around she was cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, pacifying kids...you name it! Not many people would voluntarily stay an extra week in a house full of 12 kids.  WE LOVE YOU Bam Bam!!

The only downer to the week was that Anna had a fever of 102.2 on Thursday afternoon.  Thankfully, a pediatrician friend of mom's had set us up with a Pediatric Hematologist in Miami and we were able to take her in before the end of the day.  We think that she somehow got a spider bite and it became more than her body could fight off.  Thankfully, the doctor just put her on antibiotics and sent us home rather than having to be admitted to the hospital!  The bite cleared up within a few days and all was well!  Thank you Lord for your provision!

Our first week at Mimi & Pop Pop's

Our first week at Mimi and Pop Pop's house has been great!  We have had so much fun hanging out with family and having fun in the sun!  We can't wait until all the cousins get here!

Uh oh!

Yesterday, Chad, Lauren (with Brycen in tow), and I (with the girls in their stroller) were out by the hangar while Landyn was riding his go cart.  Chad was washing his truck (with Dylan's help, of course) and Lauren and I were chatting away.  When I looked up, Landyn had flipped his go cart onto its side and was screaming.  I raced out to him and turned the go cart right side up and could immediately tell that he had broken his left arm.  They took him to the hospital and confirmed that it was broken.  They transported him by ambulance to the Children's hospital where they put a CAMO cast on!  Chad and Lauren said he was a champ and barely complained the whole time!  He was excited to tell everyone about getting to ride in an ambulance and a wheelchair and to show off his new cast!  I am sure he will love all of the attention, but I also know that it will stink to have to miss out on some of the fun activities when all the cousins get here.

I took this picture right before he broke his arm:( 

This was right after it happened. 

Yeah......looks broken :(

Casted up and ready to leave the hospital!

What a brave and tired boy!

So proud of his CAMO cast!!!

Signing his new CAMO CAST!

Landyn you are one TOUGH COOKIE!!  We love you and pray that your arm heals very quickly!!! (And we are also praying for your mommy and daddy....they're gonna need it with 3 boys!!!)