Diaper free....

We are diaper free and not turning back...pray for my sanity!

Friends....

I'm fortunate to have a few really, good girlfriends. I hope this for Addy & Lilly, because it's one of the best relationships in the world. Some of my girlfriends live local, others live at a distance. The ones I appreciate the most are those who may visit sporadically, but each time you get together, it is like no time has passed at all. They're the kind of friends who you can sit around and talk for hours or not talk at all and we know what the other is thinking. Jenny--you are that friend to me and I thank you! And thanks to Grandma & Grandpa Ash for letting us escape for a weekend and catch up with a few of these friends of ours!

Trip to the Movies = Failure

It feels more like monsoon season in Indiana than the peak of summer, so after it rained EVERY bit of the night last night, I knew our outdoor activities were limited for the day. That coupled with the fact that Lilly has some weird summer cold, I was looking for entertainment. There are only so many puddles to jump in before this mom gets tired. I decided it was a perfect day to try one of the local $1 movie matinees for kids (and a tub of buttery, artery clogging popcorn for me). I checked online and the nearest theater was playing "Alvin & the Chipmunks" so we put on our rainboots and headed out. Arriving at the theater, we learned that the movie was "Kung Fu Panda" instead and I knew the outcome wouldn't be good. Addy's never been to the movies before and Lilly has only gone once, so I worried this wasn't a good starter movie for them, but we were there, so we bought our popcorn and settled in....

Then a mere 28 minutes after the movie began, we headed home....not quite ready for Kung-Fu Panda just yet.

Back to the Grind...

Well, if "Back to the grind" you mean splash parks, blow-up pools in the backyard, sprinklers and A LOT of popsicles. It's tough being 2, right??? The important thing is that Addy has had no ill effects from the fall last week and only remembers it as the "boo-boo that made me go to the regergency doctor", so we are thankful! We've been dodging thunderstorms and having summertime fun. Knowing I can't put my baby in a bubble, I've done my best to just let things go. We went to our annual twins club summer picnic and the girls LOVED every minute of it. Enjoy the pictures below, most of them courtesy of the uber-talented Jennifer--so thanks!

Lilly giggles as she pours water over everyone's feet and thinks it's hilarious!
Mastering the "big kid" playground at a very young age....
Fill it up...dump it out....repeat...
Addy, just hanging out with her "twwwwiiiiiiinnnnnnn friends"
Lilly looking as cute as ever....

I told you it was a tough life!

Pretty in Pink & Addy's ER Visit

The cutest patient in the ER that day!

Addy's sick and I get a chocolate doughnut--life is good for Lilly!

Jeremy left for a mancation/bachelor party weekend (more like half a week) on Thursday morning for a really good friend, John, who is getting married in July. I was happy he was going, he needs to get away every once in a while and a trip into the mountains, white-water-rafting and golfing was perfect for him. That said, I need to plan a solo get-away STAT. Anyone with me?

During the 4 days he's been gone, it has gotten progressively and uncomfortably hot in Indiana, so we've been spending a lot of time in water. Thursday was no exception, we met a friend at the Splash Park mid-day and had a blast. Addy took a spill, backwards, when she ran into another kid, but recovered quickly and I didn't think much of it. Later that day, she seemed fine even though I knew she'd have a nasty goose-egg (nothing new for her). She went down for bed fine that night, but woke up in agony on Friday. She was hysterical, the egg on her head had grown and she was refusing to walk, move her neck or do much besides cry in pain. If she laid perfectly still on my chest, she was fine, but if I tried to move her, she screamed. It was terrifying for us all. After Lilly got dropped off at Grandma Jody's and a panicky chat with my peds office, we were off to the ER. They did a CAT scan to rule out all the things my mind went to (brain bleed, spinal injury, etc, etc) and about 4 hours after she had woken up, she took her first steps of the morning. My active, crazy, run-around girlfriend was not herself and I was carrying a lot of guilt for blowing off the fall the day prior. However, the doctor reassured me that it was probably just muscular. He compared it to an adult car accident--always worse the day after. He said if she was having muscle spasms coupled with a monster headache from the swelling, it was just pain she was unfamiliar with and was more scared than anything. Thankfully, Uncle Jon was able to join us at the hospital to keep A entertained and besides a bit of a stiff neck, she seems great now!

So, we've been trying to have a few boring days to follow-up on the craziness of Friday. We are anxious for daddy to return and will keep trying to beat the Indiana heat!

All dressed up for church with Grandma Linda

All smiles!

And a bit of mischief...