February Milestones

It's been a busy month in terms of milestones, but really, what month isn't? Kids just grow up so quickly, and they are always learning something totally new. A month in a baby or toddler's life must be like what, a year in an adult's life when it comes to learning and novel experiences? In any case, it's amazing.

Gabriel and Ariana had their 2 year pediatrician check-up. Both kids are growing well. Gabe is 30.5 lbs. and 34 inches (80th and 40th percentiles respectively). Ariana is 28.7 lbs. and 33.5 inches (75th and 50th percentiles respectively). I'm starting to vaccinate the kiddos again. Isabella hasn't gotten any shots so far (I'm going to get a couple next month & start on a revised schedule), and Gabe & Ari got their first set in a while. I stopped vaccinating the twins at 9 months old just to be cautious, but they've since turned two, and with preschool coming up and a lifetime of globe-trotting ahead of them, it's high time we got them caught up.

Gabriel has lots of new stuff in his repertoire this month. In his language development, he has an expressive vocabulary of between 500 and 1,000 words. He knows words that I have no idea how he learned, like "igloo" and "volleyball", referring to the correct objects of course. He has begun speaking in 3 word sentences, the first of which I remember was "Baby eat banana," (as I was feeding Isabella a banana). And of all the many wonderful vocab words Gabe is picking up, of course his favorite has to be "Nooooooooo!". Typical two year old.
Gabe is now learning how to count to twenty. He knows all the numbers, but he sometimes skips a couple in his impatience. Gabe has been able to read a couple sightwords like "cat", "Gabe", and "hi", which he picked up from the Your Baby Can Read DVD series. Speaking of DVDs, Gabe's new favorite is Disney Cars. He is obsessed with this movie. It is cute but difficult at the same time. For example, whenever anyone mentions a street near us called 'McQueen', Gabe gets really hyper, thinking that we are talking about Lightning McQueen (duh!), his personal hero (next to Daddy of course).

Gabe got a potty from Grandma for one of his birthday presents. He has begun to sit on it at his request. He hasn't actually done anything while sitting on it. I haven't been the best encourager in this department. I am just not ready to do the every 30-minute thing yet. We'll get there before preschool, and that's all that matters. After all, isn't early potty training supposed to be for my convenience?

Gabe did his first complete sumersault all by himself this month. :)

My personal favorite of Gabe's milestones this month is the singing. Gabe has been singing songs with tune and tempo and lyrics. It's literally music to my ears. Of course, he's no Andrea Bocelli, but it's just the cutest thing ever! He likes to request the songs we sing, "Sing song. Black sheep." His favorite songs are 'Skiddamarink', 'If You're Happy & You Know it', and 'Head Shoulders Knees & Toes'. He has to sing 'Apples & Bananas' every time we eat one of those fruits.

Ariana has been excelling this month in gross motor, and so many people have been mentioning how strong she's gotten. Amongst her achievements are bench sitting for short periods, pulling from a tall kneel from a sitting kneel using the ottoman, pulling to stand from bench sitting with help, and stepping while standing with assistance. For all of these new skills, Ariana still requires a lot of assistance, but this is the first time we've ever seen her attempt these feats at all. For many people, this might seem like not such a big deal. But for our family, it is! We are so proud of Ariana and how she is just so determined to grow and progress. She is such a bright light, and nothing will stop her from shining.What is probably Ariana's biggest accomplishment this month is pivoting on her tummy. What I mean by this is, while Ariana is laying on her tummy, she can essentially belly crawl in a circular direction (both to the left & right) to position herself facing whichever way she chooses. I've mentioned in previous posts that Ariana has been working on this. She has finally mastered it, and she moves around in circles like this really quickly. Now, if she could just move foward -- she would be overjoyed.

Also new this month, Ari has been trying to do the hand gestures to certain songs -- in particular, 'If you're happy & you know it'. She does the clapping, stomping, and says hooray ("aaaay") while raising her left arm. She anticipates the appropriate times in the songs to do the gestures, and it is so sweet. In some ways, she's just like any other two year old.

Ari has been practicing using a fork and spoon this month. She's getting really good at it. I still have to stab things for her with the fork, but she scoops pretty well with the spoon, and she can get the food in her mouth. Her eating has improved (for the moment) because of the novelty of getting to use utensils and a plate at meals. I need to mention that Ariana has been getting all her liquids from the sippy cup (no bottles) for at least three months, but I forgot to tell about it back then.

And what's not new for Isabella this month? Isabella is rolling from tummy to back and back to tummy in both directions and has been since the beginning of the month. She loves to grab at her toys and mouth whatever she can get her one strong little hand on, including her feet. When Isabella is on her tummy, she sometimes pulls her knees under her as though she's thinking about moving somewhere. Bella's favorite activity is definitely not sitting or laying around though -- it's bouncing. The girl loves to bounce! She will bounce in her jumperoo for a seriously looong time, happy all the while. I thought that four months might be a little early for that, but Bella can't get enough.

Speaking of early, I had no intentions of starting Isabella on baby food yet. Her pediatrician said that she's in no hurry to see Bella eat solids, because she seems to be growing fabulously on breastmilk alone. But Bella had other plans. Since she turned 4 months, Isabella seemed to be somewhat anxious during family mealtimes. Her gaze fixated on my fork, visually tracking it back and forth from plate to mouth. She was very aware that we are eating, to say the least. So I offered her some baby oatmeal with breastmilk, thinking that she would reject it (like the twins did the first 100 times I tried), and that would be the end of that experiment. Well, that's just one more way that Bella and the twins are not so alike. Let's just say that it was love at first bite. Isabella is a pleasure to feed! This baby gets so excited in anticipation of the spoon, opening her mouth in a little kissy face O-shape -- adorable. This month, she's had baby oatmeal, baby peas, baby squash, and real banana, and she's loved it all. We're not on a regular schedule yet, but she typically gets one solids meal a day. And just in time for baby food, Isabella has begun razzing -- spitty bubbles galore.

Socially, Isabella has been babbling consonants. My personal favorite is "mamama". She does this now in addition to her squeals and coos. She has a tummy time mirror, and she thinks that her reflection is just hilarious. She "pops up" to surprise herself in the mirror and cracks up laughing every time. Likewise, she has started to love playing peek-a-boo. Gauranteed chuckles.

This month, Isabella has started demanding nursing prior to taking naps. One more reason she'll be attached to my side until she's a toddler. But, strange thing is, I don't mind a bit.

Therapy Service Cuts! What?!

I've said it before, but it bears repeating that both of my twins have received government-funded therapy services since they were babies. Ariana acquired these therapies because of her obvious diagnoses and developmental delays, and Gabriel was formerly delayed (due to his prematurity) and has been able to catch up to age level (and even surpass it) thanks to his therapists. Right now, Gabriel receives Physical Therapy (PT) and Developmental Special Instruction (DSI). Ariana receives PT, DSI, Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Therapy (SP), and has qualified for Feeding Therapy (FT). Gabe's program is state funded and is known as the Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP), and cares for children between birth to 3 years of age. Ariana's program is mostly federally funded and is known as Long-Term Care (Title 19) and cares for individuals with serious diagnoses from birth to age 19.

As of the end of March, the grand state of Arizona will be the first state in the nation to cut all state funded therapy services for babies (0-3 years old). AzEIP will be a thing of the past. Gone. Finito. Gabriel's services will be cut. This is not good, but it's not devastating, in and of itself, seeing as though Gabe has been making great progress and was getting ready to graduate out of the program anyway. But to think that this cut will leave Ariana unscathed is totally wrong.

Here's where it gets bad:

1) Ariana's DSI therapy is state funded. Every child's DSI is state funded. This means that every child, no matter how delayed, no matter how severe, is getting this crucial service cut, even if they are considered Title 19. Ariana is out a valuable therapy that will not be reinstated. We are also losing a beloved therapist, and she and so many therapists like her are out of a job. DSI has been one of the most beneficial therapies for Ariana (and Gabe), and has served as a parenting coach and invaluable support system for me, to say the least.

2) TCH is the company that employs Ariana's PT (as well as her DSI & SP). Since the budget cut, TCH and so many other companies like theirs is having to close its doors and shut down their program altogether. They simply cannot run a business without the state funded portion of their clients (which makes up the majority of their reimbursement). Therefore, even though Ariana's federal service funds are still available, the providers are not there to offer these services anymore. At the end of this month, Ari's PT will be out of a job, so she will need to decide if she wants to and is able to find a job with another company that is managing to stay afloat under these turbulent conditions. If and when that be the case, we will transfer service to her new company. If not, Ariana will be out her Physical Therapist as well.

3) Ariana's OT is the owner of a therapy provider company. She is also in a position to decide whether or not it is possible for her to keep her business afloat, given the sudden and drastic budget cuts. If (like so many others) she can't, Ariana will be out her Occupational Therapist.

4) The fact that Ariana won't be getting the feeding therapy that I've been fighting for and was recently approved is just moldy icing on a stale cake.

5) To say the least, Ariana and so many other children with special needs in our state are having their much needed therapy services terminated or interrupted. This vulnerable population of children is losing medical care, their parents are losing knowledgeable coaches, their families are losing valued relationships, and the providers are losing their jobs. This is happening by the thousands. It's simply NOT okay. There are Third World countries with better programs for children with disabilities (and, no, I am not making this up).

Currently, I'm a plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by TCH (The Center for Habilitation) against the State of Arizona. Wish me luck, right? It is an attempt to put a hold on the budget cuts for further review, seeing as though they are IN VIOLATION of Federal requirements! There was a rally at the State Capitol to protest the cuts last Thursday. People are writing their legislators left and right. The cuts have passed, so the only hope of reversing it is if the lawsuit is successful. So, although it may be a mute point, we are fighting the good fight anyway.

Ariana's AFOs

We picked up Ariana's AFO's (leg braces) last Thursday after two months of waiting for them. Her new insurance plan with CRS (APIPA) has been a big pain in the butt with giving authorization for various medical equipment etc. (hence the reason for the delay). I was beginning to worry that she would outgrow the AFO's before she even got a chance to wear them. Not the case though. They fit fine, and she's been adjusting really well to them. We have been putting them on her after breakfast and taking them off for nap. Afer she wakes up from nap, she wears them until bedtime. The AFO's haven't left any real red marks on her legs, although they're always puddled with sweat when we take them off (she wears Coolmax socks which have sweat wicking properties so her socks stay relatively dry). Her AFOs also came with cute special sneakers (size 8) that offer support and traction for standing. She's a real sport, and sometimes I think she might even like them. We refer to them as "Ari's special shoes", and I think that they make her feel... well, special. I take this with a grain of salt right now though, because the weather has been beautiful, to say the least. In not much more than a few months, we'll be seeing temperatures rising to 120 degrees F (and above) if you can believe that. Speaking for myself here, I hate having to wear anything in the Phoenix summertime. I can't imagine having to wear plastic leg braces and knee socks and sneakers all summer long (except for when playing in the water). But, we'll just play it by ear. Like everything, these are definitely not a cure all, so I'm not going to stress about them too hard. What I do like is that now Ariana is permitted (encouraged even) to practice standing. She loves this, and even likes to pull herself to a stand from sitting with a little help. Now is the time to strengthen those leg muscles for crawling and walking.

Cute story: Ari and Gabe were at the park with Brooke the other day. An older girl commented that she really liked Ari's shoes (what's not to like? They're dalmation spotted!). Gabe then proudly piped up, pointing "Yeah. Ari's shoes. Ari's shoes!" acknowledging that yes, indeed they are cool shoes and he is proud to be her bro. At least, that's what I got out of it. ;)

THE Truck

As mentioned previously, Grandma Starr gave Gabe & Ari a Ford F-150 truck for their 2 year birthday. They love it. No really, LOVE. Gabe doesn't know how to steer it yet, so we just let him drive it around the park in concentric circles, while barely pressing the pedal because he is several inches shorter than most 4 year olds (because he is 2!). He is quite the big boy in that truck. And Ariana is just the happiest passenger you've ever seen. She's actually sitting up really well in it, to my surprise, and she laughs and waves pretty much the entire time she's in the truck. Yesterday, Gabe wanted Ari to drive, because his foot was getting tired so he kept pointing to the driver's seat and saying "Ari chair!," so Ari got to drive them home (I pushed the accelerator while she "steered" & Gabe just went along for the ride). I can definitely tell that we are going to get Grandma's money's worth out of this toy.

ThE TaYLoR tWiNs ArE 2!

My babies aren't babies anymore! This past week was birthday mania. When two very loved kids under one roof have their birthdays on the same day, it's just crazy (in a very good way). Gabriel and Ariana loved every minute of birthday festivities. They reveled in the birthday song, enjoyed reading and rereading their birthday cards, had a ball with tearing open gift wrap, obsessed over each and every birthday gift, and of course, savored their birthday cakes as if they were heaven-sent.

The kids had some awesome moments and got some super presents. I won't attempt to recall and name everything that they did & got, but some birthday highlights include: Sprinkles cupcakes from grandma, reading birthday cards with stickers and tunes, doing the birthday princess parade around the neighborhood, playing at the park, catching up with friends at the party, Gabe chasing grandpa, & yummy party food. Some birthday present favs include: 'Cars' DVD, adorable summer clothes, pretend dishes & makeup/accessories for Ari, a dresser & nightstand, Maddacrawler, Swim n Float bathing suits, pretend aquariums, a potty for Gabe, sand toys, water toys, bubble toys, art toys, and the king of the birthday present jungle... a Ford F-150 truck.

Thank you to everyone who made this day(s) special for us!

Gabriel's cupcake experience
Ariana's cupcake experience
Princess Parade

BiRtHdAy PaRtY!

Birthday Girl

Birthday Boy

Isabella
Tumbleweed Park Playtopia

Cake again

Valentines Day

This Valentine's Day was special for me. I think Jake was trying to convince me that corny Hallmark holidays really do mean something to him since they do for me. He did a great job. Jake surprised me with a beautiful chocolate dipped fruit bouquet and scrumptious sugar cookies. We spent the day hanging out as a family at a birthday party and then Tempe Town Lake. The weather was beautiful. Later that night, Jake took me out to Wildfish, which is one of my favorite restaurants in Scottsdale (he even had reservations!). After, we went dancing in Scottsdale to commemorate how we first met. We picked the wrong night for dancing (it was NBA All Star night) but it was so fun just to be out with him anyway. I love him.

"HOPE for Ari" Button

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