Today we went to the pediatrician to check on all of Brie's bruising and cuts. We all came to the conclusion that she very likely has something called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. We will see a genetist to confirm it. It involves having very loose joints and easy bruising. I very likely have it as well although she is likely more affected. There are really no long term problems with it, just the easy bruising and sometimes dislocations of joints. There is really no treatment for the easy bruising. We discussed trying some soccer shin guards for the winter to see if it allows them to heal.

Last pool day in PA?

On Friday we enjoyed what may be our last 90 degree day of the year in PA. The girls played with the hose and jumped in their little pool.

Brie filled the pool with water and Sophie added a few bubbles.

I was a wonderful way spend a warm afternoon. I am sure we will not have too many more 90 degree days here in PA. Good thing we are on our way to Puerto Rico in two weeks to enjoy the beach and pool.

Apple picking!

This weekend the weather was beautiful so we decided to take a little drive up to Troy to do some apple picking. The girls took a nice nap on the way and were eager to get picking.

We started the afternoon with a horse drawn wagon ride through the orchard. The girls enjoyed the ride.

We then headed off to the orchard to pick the apples. Unlike last year the apples were few and far between. There was a late frost that destroyed many of the apples and the kinds we were looking for had been pretty much picked through. We did manage to get 4 bags of apples so there will be lots of yummy pies and applesauce in our future. In fact we ate our first pie tonight!

Not again!

After a wonderful day of picking apples and going out to dinner we came home to another medical fiasco. Marcus was holding Sophie and stepped back onto Brie. Somehow his shoe must have scrapped Brie's already bruised shin and of course it lead to a gaping wound. This one bigger then all of the previous. Brie of course wanted a big bandaid and no stitches, but it needed stitches. Luckily I had some at home and our brave little girl got six more stitches in her leg. She did wonderfully and only cried a little while I put the numbing medicine in.
This leads us wondering how these falls, with very little trauma have lead to so many bruises and lacerations. She does not seem to bleed alot when she gets cut, but she does form large bruises that seem to take forever to heal. Her shins are constantly bruised and she really does not fall that often anymore. I think we will be calling the doctor to discuss seeing the hematologist to make sure there is no skin or blood problem.

What . . .

What

will

It be a butterfly or a moth?

Hopefully we will get to see in a few weeks.

To dance or not to dance

Yesterday Jenna took Sophie to her first dance class. She loved the mommy and me class that she attended on occasion with Brie last year so we thought it would be a hit. I found a 2 year old class that Jenna was able to take her to. She loves to dance at home, but would not even go into the dance room with the other kids. Brie, Jenna and the teacher all tried to get her to go into the room, but she refused. Hopefully next week she will be more willing to give it a try. Unfortunately we cannot do the mommy and me class that Brie did last year because of the timing. We have to go to a completely different dance studio so it is all new. Maybe watching Brie again this week at her class will also help.

Nannie comes to visit

This weekend the girls got to meet their Nannie for the first time. They had a great time.

We went for a bike ride, out to dinner, and spent some time just relaxing and getting to know each other.

I can dance all by myself

At the end of last year's dance class Brie said she was ready to dance without mommy. Today was her first day of real dance class. No longer is she in the mommy and me class. She did pretty well today.

At first she didn't want to go into the room without me, but she eventually did. She did a little bit of tap and some of the ballet. She was definitely the quietest in the room, but she seemed to have a good time. She says she wants to go back next week so I think she had fun.

Attitude!

This little one has started with some real attitude.

She has been hitting and then running away laughing.

Throwing shoes.

Pinching

Biting

And being very defiant

So she has been spending alot of her time in the corner.

Missing out on fun things

like

snacks, reading books, and even bath time.

Hopefully she will start to behave soon so we can spend less time in the corner and more time having fun

Three and a half

Can you believe our little peanut is 3 and a half already?

It seems like just yesterday she was born and we were not sure what was going to happen.

Was she going to be normal.

Would she walk, talk, or even make it out of the NICU.

We watched many of the people we met in the NICU walk out with empty arms and were blessed to bring our little miracle home.

She has certainly surpassed our expectations.

Brie knows her letters, numbers, shapes and colors.

She is now working on writing them.

She is left handed.

She loves to talk!

and color

and read books (her favorites are dinosaurs and fancy Nancy this week)

and play with her little sister

She protects her little sister

She can ride a two wheeler and asked every night to go for a bike ride

She loves to play outside and her new favorite snack is smores. (Thanks Nana and Pop for the outdoor fire place)

She is now 30 lbs

She wears 2T clothes which are still a little too big