Awww......Poor Little Baily

Three visits to the doctor's office in one week for Baily. I think she'll be okay now.

The other day my Mother and I took the babies to the mall along with big brother.

We stopped to get a drink and big brother was holding Baily's hand and she was twisting

herself lose and trying to drop to the floor. My Mom told him not to let go of her arm and

to help her drop herself to the floor so she wouldn't hit her head on the floor. Well when she

got up she complained about her arm hurting. By the time we put her in the car she couldn't

move her arm without crying in pain. I rushed her to the hospital and it seems she had pulled

her little elbow out of place and the doctor had to pull it back into place. She felt so much better

right away. She was playing like normal after that.

All was well, until yesterday. My Mom and I took the girls to Baskin Robbins and my Mom was holding the babies hands when Baily tried to free herself. She pulled and twisted around and tried to drop herself to the floor, in doing so my Mom could feel popping in Baily's wrist. Of course my Mom didn't want to just let go because she was afraid Baily would hurt herself. She tried to help her drop to the floor, but her wrist pulled anyway. I took her right in to see the

doctor and sure enough, she pulled her wrist out of place (on the opposite arm this time). The

doctor told me it was pretty common with little ones, in fact his children had done this a few

times. He sent us home and told me to keep an eye on it and if it didn't get better, bring her back in the next day. It didn't get better, she cried and fussed most of the night. She didn't use her arm at all, she was too uncomfortable. By morning she was still babying her arm and saying owie, owie, it hurt. I took her back to see the doctor and he ordered x-rays, so we went in for

the x-rays. I had to help hold her arm and she kept pulling and twisting trying to get her arm free from me. By the time we went back to see the doctor after the x-rays (about 30 minutes), Baily was playing with her arm, at least a little bit anyway. The x-rays didn't show any fratures or breaks and it looked like she was doing okay, so again we weren't sent home and told if she is still babying her arm and not using it then bring her back in and they would do more testing.

The girls were wearing their harnesses and as we were leaving I made a comment about Baily goind back on her harness instead of holding their hands and the doctor commented back, "it could help to keep her from coming back here, they are handy little contraptions."

Just when I was feeling like all was good, I get a voicemail from the doctor and he said the radialogist felt there was something of question in the x-rays, but the doctor and consulting doctor felt that Baily would be okay. He did state that if she still shows symptoms that it isn't healed, bring her back in.

Anyway, we've determined since Baily tries to pull away from our hands, she will have to be on her harness for awhile instead of holding her hand. It's hard when your trying to old both their hands and they both start trying to pull away from you.

I can't believe they are 18 months old already!!

I can't believe my baby girls are 18 months old already! It feels like yesterday that they were newborns. They amaze me daily. They have gone from tiny little babies to toddling toddlers in the blink of an eye.

Baily began walking first, at about 13 months, then Ally followed a few weeks later. Their teeth started coming in around 4 months. Baily now has seven teeth and Ally has six. They seem to be coming in the same order, but Baily's comes in first and Ally's follow shortly after. Baily says more words than Ally so far, but Ally's catching up with her. Developmentally, they are doing great!!!

These two little ladies are just so cute to watch. I've noticed one is more affectionate, and the other one not so much. One seems more independent than the other.

Lately we've been taking the girls out of their stroller and letting them walk. We've decided to use harnesses for when we are out in crowded areas. I know harnesses aren't for everyone, but they are working for us. When I saw people using them I used to think, "they aren't dogs, why are they using a leash on him/her?". I didn't think I would ever use them on my kids, but so far so good. The girls are loving their independence and I love watching them explore.

Am I the only one.......

that doesn't get the comment "I want them to have their own identity" when referring to not dressing twins identically. No matter how they are dressed their identity comes from within. Not having their own identity lies within the individuals whom address them or by those who label them as "the twins" and don't know each of them as an individual.

No matter how I dress my girls, they will be referred to as "the twins" by some people. Some people will know them enough to tell them apart and treat them as individuals and other people won't. In my family, they are referred to by their given names, I rarely hear anyone call them "the twins". My Dad sometimes calls them "the twinies", but he also knows them individually and he can see their different personalities even at their young age now (17months old).

I dress my girls the same, day and night. So far it hasn't given them "one identity". No matter how I dress them they will develop their own identities, that can't be controlled by the way I dress them. I realize they will start to have their own opinion as to how they want to dress. When this happens I will let them pick their own way of dressing and clothing, with limitations of course. (I've already been through this with my older son and daughter.) I can't see dressing my twins identically when they are older, that will be their choice to do so or not.

This statement isn't meant to offend anyone. I just wanted to put my opinion out there about what I think when it comes to dressing twins alike and their not having their own identity.