Milestones - Part II

Layla Rolls Over

As you moms know, nowadays you're supposed to have your babies do "tummy time" a few times each day so they can practice lifting their necks and they can get stronger. I haven't done this enough with Lilly and Layla so they absolutely hate it. But today I decided we needed to have a few minutes of practice. As soon as I put them on their stomachs, Layla arched her back, curved around, and rolled onto her back!!!!! I couldn't believe it. She rolled over! And I started to cry.

I tried to get her to do it again for the video camera but of course she wouldn't do it. I'll try to get it captured another time.

Aren't they beautiful!? I'm biased I know. (Lilly's on the left, Layla on the right)

Milestones - Part I

First Time to Church
We took the girls to church for the first time on Jan. 25. Lilly slept the whole time and Layla woke just once for a bottle and went back to sleep. It was fun to take Layla to Young Women's, and Lilly went to Priesthood with Doug. These are things I never thought I'd get to experience.

(Layla had tights on too I promise, but this picture was taken a few hours after we got home. And I know, the flowers are a bit big (Doug calls them satellite dishes), but I think they're adorable.)

First Trip to WalMart, Just the 3 of Us
A couple of days ago I finally took the girls to WalMart ... without anyone else with us. For some reason I have avoided taking the girls out alone. It takes so much time for me to prepare just to leave the house. Maybe I'm not organized enough, but before we leave I have to make sure they have both eaten enough, have clean diapers, I need to have pumped recently, etc. etc. and by the time we're ready to leave it seems they're ready to eat again and need their diapers changed again.


Anyway, the trip to WalMart went pretty smoothly, until I got to the checkstand, emptied everything I was going to purchase onto the counter, and realized that I had left my wallet in the truck. The checker let me just put our stuff to the side and run out to the truck for my wallet. Not until we were back in the truck did the girls get grumpy, so we cut short the rest of our trip and headed home.

Out to Lunch
This week we also went to lunch for the first time, with Brittany and Isabella. All three girls were so good and their mommies had a great time.

Christmas 2008

So I'm obviously not so great at finding time to update our blog -- I barely find the time to take a shower each day -- but I'm going to try to be better. I'm also not so good at journaling so maybe I can kill two birds with one stone, as they say, and journal here.

Anyway, here are some pictures from Christmas 2008 -- I know I'm a little late but better late than never.

Sitting: Olivia, Danielle, Dax, Kari, Emi, Adriana, Lilly, Jershon, Layla, Taylor, Gabbi

Standing: Gage, Buddha, Doug, Parker, Ryland

We had a very nice Christmas Eve where we ate Doug's famous fajitas (so delicious) and exchanged presents. Then we went to Aunt Margie's and opened our Christmas Eve presents (pj's).

This of course was our first Christmas with the twins. What fun it is going to be to share Christmas with two little girls. I have so many great memories of Christmases past, and I can't wait to pass on some fun traditions to my little girls.

Here's their first annual picture with their Christmas loot. Aunt Margie went a little crazy with the present-buying.
Layla

Lilly

No Such Thing as 'Half'

Just a quick note because I don't have much time ... I have got to do some cleaning while the babies are asleep ...

Last week my Aunt Trisha and Uncle Robert stopped by for a quick visit while they were in town. It was very fun to see them and for them to meet our new babies. Click below for Aunt Trisha's blog about their visit.

http://buboppy.blogspot.com/2008/12/visit-with-greg-and-margaret.html

Seeing Aunt Trisha reminded me of something my dad used to say ...

Aunt Trisha and Aunt Nellie are my dad's sisters -- they share the same father as my dad and have a different mother. As my brothers and sisters and I were growing up, we sometimes differentiated my father's siblings as 'real' and 'half'. Every single time my dad would hear us differentiate his siblings this way, he would make sure to remind us ...

"There is no such thing as a 'half-sister'!"

Just wanted to write that as I was thinking about it.

My Mom

A few lucky people in this world are granted one of the greatest blessings of all ... a wonderful mother. I have said many times that if everyone had parents like I was blessed with, the world would be a much better place in which to live.

I do happen to be one of the lucky ones. My mom is absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for her. She is my best friend. She has come to my rescue a million times, whether providing a much needed laugh, a shoulder to cry on, a prayer raised up to heaven on my behalf (and I know she has spent many many hours on her knees because of me), or just by being there with me.

During the last few weeks of my pregnancy she came to visit us three times, not wanting to miss the birth of our little babes. She was with me at my doctor's appointment on Oct. 17 when the doc told me to head to the hospital, and the girls were born two days later.

She stayed for about seven weeks after the girls were born and honestly, I don't know how Doug and I would have survived without her. Not only was she a lifesaver in keeping our house in order, but she was my lifesaver as well. She spent many many hours by my side in the NICU holding babies, changing diapers, feeding babies, and wiping my tears. I had such a great time being with her during those weeks, and I will cherish the time as long as I live.

Doug and the girls and I miss her a ton and can't wait for her to come back for a visit in January.

I love you Mom.

Layla Sandra Hancock is Home!

This morning when I arrived at the NICU to visit Layla, the nurse said, "did you bring her goin' home clothes?" "YES I DID!". So we packed up and brought her home.

So 19 days after they were born, Layla and Lilly are finally both home with us.

Layla weighed 4lbs 14.2 ozs last night and is finally eating really well now. They are both so precious. I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for granting me with such wonderful blessings: a loving, kind, handsome, caring husband who I love very much; two beautiful baby girls; a mother who is absolutely the best, more so that I can put into words; and a fabulous "extended" family.

The doctors and nurses at Banner Desert NICU are really great I must say. Dr. Hamburg was absolutely wonderful and I'm grateful she took care of our babies while we were there. If you gotta use a NICU, I highly recommend Banner Desert ... although I hear Maricopa County Hospital has at least 1 fabulous NICU nurse and 1 marvelous pediatric nurse.

Love Forever.

Lilly Ann Hancock Comes Home

We were able to bring Lilly home today!!! We're getting ready for our first night together :) It was a bittersweet day for me ... so exciting to finally have a baby home (I feel like a real mommy now) but very sad to leave one baby in the hospital. Although not quite as difficult as the day I was released from the hospital and didn't get to bring home a baby at all, it was very sad to leave Layla alone in her pod and take her sister away.

Lilly is just beautiful and is doing great, sleeping right now on my chest as I type this blog. At her final NICU weigh-in last night she weighed 5lbs 1.5ozs ... we all cheered as she passed the 5lb milestone!!!! Layla is having a hard time eating and most of the time is just not interested; eating is really the last thing she has to master before she gets to come home -- hopefully soon!