While I'm sitting at the hotel...

This weekend we are in Dallas for THE big volleyball tournament. It's a three day tournament and a pretty big deal. Maddie has been anxiously waiting for this tournament. She is having so much fun running around with the other players in the hotel. Yes, they've already gotten in trouble for being loud, running, etc. but it comes with the territory. They just headed to the convention center and I'm back at the hotel waiting for the babies to wake up from their nap. Hopefully, the babies will do okay this weekend. I'm sure we'll have some fun pictures to share after the weekend is over.

Until then...

Pictures from my school carnival...

Bluebonnet pics...

Chloe was loving it!

I think this is my new favorite!

Cooper was not having it!

Let's try with Mom...

Nana and Cooper holding hands...

Chloe's Turn!

Let me start off by saying that Little Miss really has been a good sleeper for the most part. The need to do "tough love" hasn't been as great as the need was for Cooper. Oh, by the way, Cooper is doing AWESOME! Even when he was sick, he went straight down and slept through the night. For naps and bedtime, Cooper doesn't even cry when we take him to the crib. I'm very proud of him (and us for sticking it out). Back to Little Miss. We took a few steps backwards with Chloe when she got sick. We couldn't let them sleep in the same room because one would wake up the other with their coughing. Chloe also needed to sleep on an inclined position so she either slept on the boppy in the playpen in our room or in bed with us (I know, I know). After she started feeling better, she didn't want to return to her crib and she wanted to stay up really late with us to ensure her spot in our bed! Before she got sick, when Cooper went to sleep, we would rock Chloe to sleep and then put her in the crib. This was typically a very easy task.

On Monday, we did it. We put her in the crib awake and she cried so very hard. It broke my heart. She really knows how to lay it on thick. Not really the screaming cry Cooper did, more of a pathetic, you are torturing me, ruining my life, kind of cry. She cried for 30 min. and finally fell asleep. In the meantime, Cooper was put in the playpen and was already asleep. After we were sure that Chloe was asleep, we transferred Cooper to the crib. All was well, both slept until we woke them up the next morning.

Tuesday (day 2) - 3 minutes

Wednesday (day 3) - Are you ready for this? We put BOTH babies in their cribs at the same time awake. Chloe cried for a few seconds and we didn't hear a sound from Cooper. Both were sound asleep and stayed asleep until we woke them up this morning.

Shelley was also rocking Chloe to sleep and on Wednesday gave it a try for her nap. She has Cooper and Chloe's playpen next to one another so she said they kind of talked for a few minutes with each other (no tears from Chloe) and then fell asleep.

So, I think we are figuring out this twin thing with the sleep! I will greatly miss my cuddle time with Little Miss. She really isn't much of a cuddler unless she is sleepy. But, she is giving some sweet little hugs these days that I will cherish.

Both babies seem to finally be well and seem to be very happy!

Day late on the Easter Post!

I didn't have the energy to post last night for Easter. We had a wonderful day!!!!

Waiting for the kiddos to wake up...

Rise and shine, the Easter bunny came!

They would have been happy with just the grass!

Looking pretty for church!

And handsome too...

After church we went to Aunt Donna's.

Bella Boo!

Cousins...

The big girls hid the eggs this year, it was the first one where they didn't hunt. They grow up so fast!

The big girls giving directions...

She's practiced and is ready...

Check out those boots on Lily...

Madison, Cooper, Bella, McKenzie, Chloe, Caiden, Conner, Lily and Lindsey

Moms!

Dads!

Our attemp to take a family picture!

Aunt Donna and her boys!

Looks like Zachary might need some sunglasses!!

Catching up before the big post tomorrow!

I thought I would catch up before tomorrow, Easter Sunday! I know we will have lots of fun pics to share since my whole family will be at my Aunt Donna's. We've enjoyed this weekend greatly for many reasons. First, I believe my babies are finally getting better. Two Wednesdays ago, our babysitter called Todd to come get Chloe who was running a fever of 101. By that evening she was coughing like a seal! By the next morning Cooper had joined in on the fun. Both went to the doctor and received the shot for the croup. Typically, the shot helps pretty quickly and we are back to normal in 24 hours. That wasn't the case this time. Chloe's cough lingered, she ran a slight fever and had no appetite until the following Monday (6 days). Cooper had all the same symptoms but on a worse scale. His fever spiked at 103 and hung around 101 until that following Wednesday(8 days). He also threw up mucus every morning and afternoon. He wouldn't eat or drink and he slept on and off all day and night. When he was awake he just wanted to be held. It was terrible. To make things harder, Todd had to go out of town on Monday. I stayed with them Monday and Tuesday. My Mom stayed with them on Wednesday and they were finally able to return to Shelley on Thursday. Oh my, it was a rough week!

On Thursday, Dad returned and we were all so eager to get out and enjoy the weather after our week of staying inside. Being out made me so happy that I let them play in the restaurant's sandbox. This is saying alot for me since back in my college days I had to clean out the sand box of this resaurant when I worked there! Let's just hope that job duty is still on the board for the wait staff! We all enjoyed it and it was a great way to start our Easter weekend!

We went to my mom's church today for their Easter festivities. The day began with taking pictures with the Easter bunny...

No wonder they are scared of the Easter bunny!

The church hosted a Easter egg hunt (more like Easter egg grab). It was the babies very first Easter egg hunt so we were excited to see if they would participate.

Do you see how many people are ready for the guy to yell, "GO?"  

At one point, I lost them in the crowd. Here's Cooper looking around.

He looks like he's thinking "What's all this about?"

Big Sis helping Chloe...

He's catching on...

All done! It ended in what felt like 5 seconds. So many people!

We decided they needed to practice more with the egg hunt. When we got back to my mom's house we tried it again. I think they will be ready for the family one tomorrow for sure!

Nana playing Peek-A-Boo with Cooper!

Chloe looking ever so adorable in front of Ms. Jocelyn's azaleas! Ms. Jocelyn has been my Mom's neighbor since I was four years old. Her azaleas have been the backdrop to MANY Easter pictures over the years!

We've had a wonderful Good Friday and Saturday and cannot wait until tomorrow. I've gotten some great one-on-one time with Madison. We went to see the Miley Cyrus movie, Last Song, and balled our eyes out together. We liked the movie but cried throughout at least half the movie. Today we went to get manicures, pedictures and waxing done. Dad grilled us some scrumptious steaks and the babies allowed us to have a nice dinner together. Easter is my favorite holiday. I always feel so happy on this holiday weekend. It's a reminder of how so much we are loved by our Heavenly Father and how blessed we are to have family to share it with. How can you NOT enjoy this weekend? Until tomorrow...