Haley and Rachel - Amazing Girls!

Rachel and Haley are just 2 months away from turning 3 years old!  My miracle little girls are growing up and are making progress in their development.  I can't say it enough, but Rachel and Haley are amazing little girls.  They are fighters.  They don't give up.  They have come so far since their unexpected birthday (August 4, 2009).  Yes they have challenges, but those challenges don't seem to slow them down.  Just amazing! They are beautiful daughters of our Heavenly Father.  Thomas and I love them so very much! 

Rachel and Haley

Haley :
Haley is so active.  She just doesn't stay still and has been climbing on the sofa and climbing on her toys.  She is a little daredevil.  She is doing great at getting around even with her very limited vision in her right eye.  She doesn't have any vision in her left eye.  She loves to be held and cuddled.  She is doing well at wearing her hearing aids.  We can tell she hears good enough with her hearing aids on, but she is still not saying any words.  She is vocal, but no words yet.  She is doing good with her eating, but we are still working on increasing texture in her foods.  She is still drinking Pediasure to help with her growth.  She is a small petite girl (she wears 12-18 month clothing).  Haley is a sweet little girl.  She has a cute laugh.  She is so ticklish! She is a lovable little girl. She loves to be picked up so she can give you a big hug. We just love and adore our precious little Haley. Haley is just a sweet happy little girl despite her vision and hearing loss. God be thanked for this beautiful little girl.

Haley

Haley laughing

 I just had to add this picture (below) from Mother's day.  Haley is just so beautiful and I love her smile!

Haley

Rachel :
Rachel has had a growth spurt.  She is getting so big and is getting taller everyday.  Rachel wears 24 month to 2T clothing, except for shirts.  She has to have 3T size shirts to be long enough.  Rachel is feisty!  She is strong willed, determined and persistent.  If there is something Rachel wants she won't give up until she gets it.  She lets us know what she wants in her own way.  She is not saying any words yet either.  It has been a challenge to get her to wear her hearing aids.  She pulls them out and puts them in her mouth.  She is so quick at putting them in her mouth.  We try to prevent her from doing it, but we don't always catch her quick enough.  We have found out that when she does put them in her mouth, it decreases the sound amplification from her hearing aids.  So currently her hearing aids are being fixed.  So Rachel continues to learn sign language.  Rachel is a visual learner.  She watches closely what we do and tries to imitate some things.  Rachel likes to watch cartoons on Saturday morning.  Rachel is still not eating by mouth.  She loves to put food in her mouth, but we have not been successful in getting her to swallow the food.  It has been a challenge!  I look forward to the day I can announce on our blog that she is eating by mouth.  I'm sure it will happen, but it's going to take time.  Rachel will figure it out, she is smart.  Rachel is such a beautiful girl. She has a smile that can light up the room. She has come so far from where she has been. She loves people, she loves all the attention she gets from the various therapists that come to work with her each day. We are so blessed as well to have this beautiful girl with us. God be thanked for her precious life.

Rachel

Rachel watching the Doodlebops

 Here is Rachel (below) on Mother's day.  So beautiful!

Rachel

Memorial Day 2012

For Memorial Day we traveled to Katy, Texas which is about 45 minutes from where we live.  We visited with Thomas's brother, wife and kids.  Thomas's parents were visiting as well.  We spent the afternoon swimming and eating good food.  Rachel and Haley enjoyed the pool.  Rachel enjoyed the pool much better than last summer.  Rachel was so scared of being in a pool a year ago.  Haley loves water and had a good time splashing.  Little Kayla had her first time in the pool.  She was a little scared and cried at first, but then got used to it and did just fine.  She enjoyed watching everyone and seeing what was going on.  Our Memorial day was good and we enjoyed spending time with family.

Haley - on our way to Katy

Rachel

Kayla

Haley

Rachel

Rachel and daddy

Haley and Grandpa Stansel

Thomas and I with our girls

Howard (Grandpa Stansel), Thomas and John (Thomas's brother)

 

Sweet Dreams

Rachel and Haley are active and most days they wear themselves out with all the playing they do and after all the therapy they get.  Sometimes they fall asleep at the table while eating.  Rachel and Haley definitely sleep well at night!  After my girls go to bed every night I love to just look at them as they peacefully sleep.  My sweet little girls just dreaming away....

Rachel asleep in her high chair

Haley fell asleep while eating

Rachel asleep in her crib

Haley asleep in her crib

I had fun doing a photo shoot of Kayla as she was sleeping.  I practice my photography with Kayla because it is much easier since she is not as active as Rachel and Haley.  That will change as she gets older.  It won't last forever so that is why I'm taking the opportunity now while she is little to be creative and practice my photography.

So sleepy.  Big yawn.

Flashback Friday: Look alikes

I came across some old pictures of Thomas and I when we were young and couldn't believe the similarities that Rachel, Haley and Kayla have of Thomas and I.  It's so neat to see these similarities in our girls.    

My sweet Rachel with her beautiful blue eyes and pretty curls looks so much like me:

Me (2 years old)

Rachel

My precious Haley with her big brown eyes and petite stature looks a lot like her daddy:

Thomas (~18 months)

Haley.  Even her smile is similar to daddy's.

My little Kayla with her dark hair, without a doubt looks a lot like her daddy though she has my eye color (blue/grey):

Thomas (~2-3 months)

Kayla

Mother's Day 2012

My beautiful girls and I

Mother's day is and will always be special to me.  I am a mother of nine children - my 3 beautiful girls here and my 6 angels in heaven.  I am so very blessed.  Being a mom is something I have always wanted to be and I am so lucky to be a mom.  I love my beautiful daughters so very much.  I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be a mom to all of my precious children.  I feel privileged to be their mom.  I know someday I will be able to raise my other 6 children.  I look forward to that day so very much.    

Rachel, Kayla and Haley

 I am also so very thankful for my mom and for all that she has done for me and for her love for me.  She has been there for me through it all.  I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for my mom.

For mother's day, Thomas gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  He also surprised me with a couple of things that I have been wanting - Adobe Photoshop and a new lens for my camera.  I have a wonderful husband who loves me so very much! 

Kayla is 5 Months old

Another month has gone by and my baby girl is continuing to grow and learn.  Kayla weighs 12 pounds, 11 ounces.  She seems to be gaining about a pound a month.  She is little and petite, but she sure has some cute chubby legs.

 Kayla continues to eat small frequent formula feedings.  She is just not a big eater.  Kayla is moving toward sleeping through the night consistently.  A couple of nights ago she went 9 hours straight!  That is the longest she has gone.

Kayla loves her big sisters Rachel and Haley!  She enjoys watching them play and smiles so big when they come near her.  I can tell she wants to be on the floor playing with them.  Kayla has been working on her tummy time though its still not her favorite thing to do.  I usually put her on her tummy when the girls are playing in the living room.  It keeps Kayla's attention on something other than being on her tummy.  Kayla did roll from her tummy to her back on April 13.  Way to go Kayla!

I'm loving her smiles, squeals and giggles.  She has the cutest laugh.  It makes me smile!  Kayla loves to be held and is definitely a mommy's girl.  I just love holding her.  I will miss these days when she is older.  She is just a delight to our family. 

I fed Kayla rice cereal for the first time on May 9th and she did well.  She didn't push it out of her mouth with her tongue like I thought she would.  She seemed to like it, so I will be incorporating more rice cereal in her diet.  Kayla is also starting to hold her own bottle though I still have to hold it quite a bit.  She still likes to hold my finger(s) when she eats.  I just love that!

Eating rice cereal for the first time

Holding her bottle

Family Pictures - Spring 2012

We had family pictures taken back in March at the Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.  I just got the pictures from the photographer.  We are so grateful and appreciative for these pictures who were taken by a friend in our church.  She did a wonderful job!  There were several that I really liked.  Here are my favorites.

Love this one of all of us

Rachel and Haley

Haley with her big smile

Daddy tossing Rachel in the air

Little Kayla - 3 1/2 months old

Thomas and I