Spreadin' a Little Christmas Cheer...

Click the following pic to see a picture from our visit with Santa and some others of H&H just hanging out at home today. The Wiggles were on, so H&H were looking at the TV in most of them... at least they were still!

Merry Christmas to all!

Pre-Christmas

Too much Blue's Clues?

Here's a picture of the shirt I put on this morning. It is a shirt from the school where Jay coaches. When Hank saw me, he took one look, pointed, and screamed, "A clue! A clue!"
(If you aren't familiar with Blue's Clues, just disregard this post!)

Movin' On Up...

We converted Hayden & Hank's cribs to toddler beds the other night. Hank had begun to climb out quite often, so we figured it was time. I bought them each a pillowcase that I thought would excite them enough to want to stay in their beds. Not so. We started trying to go to bed about 8:30, and they were both finally asleep by 10:30 (after several spankings). Here a few pictures of where they started out and where they ended up.






This was Tuesday night, and we've been pretty successful since then. That's not to say that they haven't gotten out of bed and gotten in trouble, but we're working on it.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

Happy Halloween, Pardners!

Get Your Own! | View Slideshow

October stuff

Here are some pics from the last week. Hank had an EEG on Monday (it was normal), and we had to stay up all night the previous night so that he would sleep through it. It was definitely an interesting night. I was beat. The kids school pictures also came in on Monday (see the post below). Hayden wore panties for the first time on Saturday (we weren't all that successful, but we'll try again), and we went to one of the local playgrounds this weekend to enjoy the beautiful weather.

Enjoy the pictures!

School Pictures

Sorry for the delay...

Things have been a TAD busy these days... With Jay teaching in Madison, and the kids starting school, it's just been crazy...

Here are some pics of our weekend at the great-grandparents' to hold you over until I can post something... All you really care about is pics anyway, right?

Spotlight on Hank

Hayden is usually the one who gets all of the attention (mainly because she DEMANDS it), but I've posted two cute videos of Hank below. The first one is of him eating a pizza. The second one is of him going down a slip-n-slide. He had a blast! Hayden was content just watching the action. I've also uploaded some pics, so check out the July album by clicking HERE

Things are great around here. Everyday they say something new. Hank loves to tell you to "be careful". And when we put them in the car each day, we usually put Hank in first because we can trust Hayden not to walk away from the car. She'll stand next to the car and say, "doooooon't moooooove". They have surprised us by being able to sing all of the words to Twinkle, Twinkle (must have learned it at school). Hank is doing something strange these days - when he points to an object or says a word, he says the letter that it starts with first. For example, he says "p-potty, d-daddy, b-ball" etc. I'm not sure where this is coming from unless his speech therapist has been doing that with him. He's VERY good with his alphabet. He can tell you every letter of the alphabet if you point to them - even randomly. Hayden is not as interested in that kind of stuff as he is, but they both love books, and can even recite a few of them. We're just amazed at all they can do, considering the odds that were against them. Right now, they're doing just fine!

Enjoy the videos!

Ring Around the Rosy

First Day of School

Hayden & Hank did great on their first day of school - so great, that we left them all day instead of the originally planned half day. We took them about 7:45, and they walked right in and started playing. They didn't even miss us. The teachers said that Hank whined for just a couple of minutes when it was time to come inside from recess, but that's the only time either of them was unhappy. They went right to sleep when it was their naptime (I think it's because of the comfy sleeping bags I sewed them) :) They have swim time on Monday afternoons, and they both loved it yesterday. We picked them up about 4:30 (Hayden saw us, pointed, and said "Oh! Look!"), and they were filthy! The playground is mostly dirt, and I think H&H must have just rolled around in it. After we picked them up, we took them to McDonald's for a sundae to celebrate their first day of school. They were both so tired that they just laid their little heads down on the table. Then Hank realized where we were and started chanting, "French Fry, French Fry..." So, we went ahead and got them a happy meal for dinner. After that, we came home and dunked them straight in the tub. You should have seen all of the dirt at the bottom of my tub when we got them out. Yuck! Hank was ready for his bedtime milk at 6:00 - he was just so tired! I kept them up until 8, but they were yawning like crazy. They crashed once we put them in the bed.

Today, Hank cried a little when I dropped them off, but when I picked them up, the teachers said that they had a great day. Again, they were dirty, dirty, so they got a bath first thing. I think it's confusing them a bit, because baths were normally right before bedtime, but I just can't stand them being so dirty.

On another note, Jay was approved by the Madison County School Board last night, so he is officially the head boys soccer coach at Madison Central. There was a nice article in the Vicksburg Post today about his leaving. Click HERE to read it. He held his first tryout tonight and was so pleased with the talent that the kids have. I think he had about 42 kids show up, and there are several who were unable to attend due to vacations and camps. He's so excited!

I took some pictures at the reunion this weekend, and I also took some pictures of their first day of school. Oh, and before you look at them, I need to explain something. There are a couple of pics of Hank with what looks like a fake ear attached to is head. However, it wasn't fake - it was his real ear. Something bit or stung him on Friday morning, and it swelled up to inhuman proportions. It was the biggest ear I've ever seen. We went to the doctor, and she gave Hank a shot of decadron, and the swelling had actually started going down by the time I took the pictures. He felt really bad on Saturday at the reunion, but by Sunday he was back to normal. Click HERE to see them. Enjoy!

Monday is the BIG DAY...

...for two reasons.

#1. Hayden & Hank start school on Monday! We've found a great church daycare, and we'll take H&H for a visit there tomorrow, just to warm them up. Then Monday, we'll actually leave them there. I'm not really sure how this is all going to play out - will they have fun? will they freak out? Stay tuned!

#2. Jay has taken a new job, and it will be official on Monday. He is going to be the new soccer coach at Madison Central High School in Madison, MS. We are extremely excited about this opportunity for Jay - Madison is a great soccer community, and the school is wonderful!

We're headed to McComb this weekend for the Foreman family reunion. I haven't been in YEARS! I'm not even sure I'll know that many people, but we're going nonetheless. A little Foreman history for ya: My great-grandmother (Daddy's father's mother) had 12 children - 6 individuals & 3 sets of twins (one set of girls, one set of boys, & one set of boy/girl). Of these 12 children and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, I believe that Hayden & Hank are the first set of twins in the family since my grandfather and his twin brother were born nearly 80 years ago.

I've uploaded some pictures from this month. Click HERE to see them. It's been a fun month - we had Mother's Day, the kids went to McComb for 2 different visits, we went to the NICU Reunion at Baptist hospital, and I'm not even sure what else. The NICU reunion was fun but HOT. We saw several nurses who took care of H&H during their 3 months in the NICU. H&H played some games, won some prizes, jumped in the space jump, and ate McAlister's cookies. It was a good time.

Enjoy the latest pics and check back to hear about H&H's first day of school!

A Cheerleader & A Football Player

Hayden likes to do cheers, and Hank... well, Hank likes to tackle...

Watch...

Long time, no post

Well, we made it through Easter, and the kids had a blast. They went to see the Easter Bunny at the mall and had their picture taken. They thought he was great, but it took the photographer (if you can even call her that) five minutes to snap the picture, and by that time Hank had scooted down into the bunny's lap and was getting comfortable enough to take a nap. They both looked pretty bored in their picture. We hunted eggs after church on Easter Sunday, and Hayden loved it. She picked up each egg, proclaimed them to be 'dirrrty', then tried to pluck each piece of grass and dirt off the eggs before putting them in her basket. Hank, on the other hand, only found one egg. He picked it up, then chunked in out in the street (like, what's this trash doing in our yard?). We had a fun day, though, and the kids crashed for a nap on their bedroom floor amongst all of the pillows we have outside of Hank's bed in case he decides to jump out again (which he hasn't done since the first time - must have scared him!).

Hank is talking like crazy. He (and Hayden, too) can count to 12 (then they start saying 'uh-teen, uh-teen, uh-teen'), and they can say most of their alphabet, too. Hank will shout "H-I-J-K" just out of the blue for no reason. Hayden said "uh-oh spaghetti-o" this morning. It was so cute. We're just having a ton of fun with all of their new things they come up with. Hayden gives the best hugs - she wraps both arms around your neck and pats your back and says, "awwwww". So sweet.

I've finally got some new pictures to show, so click HERE to see them. I've also got a video of them fingerpainting pictures for Jay's birthday. Let's just say that there wasn't a whole lot of paint on the paper. Here it is...

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What a fun weekend!!!

We had a ball this weekend... First, we went over to Ruston (which is where Jay & I went to college) for Jay's cousin Alan's wedding to India. Everything from the rehearsal dinner to the reception was beautiful and perfect. The kids were really good (considering that they are two years old), and they had a great time. The rehearsal dinner was at Squire Creek Country Club. When I was in college, I babysat the founder's grandchildren, and the now championship golf course was just a cattle farm. Jay even drove a hayride through the property for our church's Fall Fest. Now, the grounds are gorgeous, the clubhouse is huge, and there are neighborhoods popping up all over. What a change! Hayden danced for everyone at the dinner - even though there was no music whatsoever. She is such a performer. And we couldn't contain Hank. Everytime we put him down, he headed off to explore. He's fast, too! Hayden loved the ketchup that came with her fries (we had a more formal dinner), and Hank ate his fries with no hands. He'd put one in his mouth, then chew it on in without using his hands. You'll have to watch the following slide show to see what I'm talking about. Afterwards, we went back to the hotel, and Hayden slept with me, and Hank slept with Jay. They did really well.

The next morning, they watched the cars on the interstate go by outside the hotel room window. Each time one went by, they'd yell "CAAAAAAAAR!" That morning, we went down for breakfast then over to my adopted family's house to visit. No, I'm not really adopted, but my church in college (Temple Baptist Church), where I also worked for 4 years, had an adopt-a-student program where families in the church would "adopt" a college student. These families would invite the students over for lunch or dinner, let them wash their clothes at their houses, or just provide a quiet place to study. It was a wonderful program, and I was lucky to be "adopted" by a wonderful family - the Coxes. Three of the family members weren't around this weekend, but we got to visit with the daughters, and Hayden & Hank loved them. I can remember when these girls were so young - in fact, Mallory was about 4 when I was adopted, and she's almost 15 now. Bethany was 8, and she's almost 19 now. Time sure does fly.

The wedding that afternoon was beautiful, short, and sweet - just how I like them. H&H stayed in the nursery during the wedding, so Jay & I really got to enjoy it. Afterwards, Hayden danced her little tush off at the reception to a wonderful little jazz band, Equinox Jazz. I know two of the guys in the band, so if anyone is looking for a great band, talented and entertaining, you should check them out - and tell 'em I sent ya! We left the reception, and the kids fell asleep in the car immediately. I took a quick trip through Tech's campus to see all of the changes that have occurred in the 7 years since Jay & I left.

On Sunday, the kids and I drove up to Money, MS, to meet my old college roommate Janie who is down here from Boston. I got to meet her son Tucker for the first time, while we visited at her in-laws' hunting camp. Hayden loved baby Tucker, and Hank was really interested in the stuffed alligator head.

Now our normal schedule returns tomorrow, and it's back to work for mom & dad. It was a fun weekend, but not a restful weekend... We'll have to wait another week for that. In the meantime, enjoy the following slideshow of the weekend, and click here to check out Hayden dancing at the reception.

March 2006 Slide Show

We took the animals to the zoo...

Hayden & Hank had their first trip to the zoo on Friday. We went to the one in Monroe, LA, and we had a great time. The kids really liked the monkeys and the ducks. We started to leave them in the monkey cage, but decided that it would probably endanger the REAL animals.

Saturday the kids were horrible. They were definitely practicing their "terrible two" skills. Long story short: they both dumped their lunch of mac-n-cheese in their laps, then they got punished and sent to bed for a little while, where they took their diapers off, and Hank used the bathroom in his bed. They were definitely trying our patience.

They redeemed themselves on Sunday, though. Jay & I had to keep the nursery during church, and they were really sweet. Hayden found a little boyfriend named Peyton, and they flirted like crazy. They chased each other around the room and giggled and giggled. Hank was mostly interested eating his snack and reading books. That's our boy! Laid-back Hank!

This weekend will be Hayden & Hank's first wedding. Jay's cousin Alan is marrying India over near Ruston where Jay & I went to college. It will be great to be back in our old stomping grounds. Maybe I'll get some good pictures this weekend. Stay tuned...

Back to normal...

The kids are back from McComb, and we have resumed our normal schedule with no hitches! They fell right back into routine, which shouldn't have surprised me because they've always done well with change. They changed formulas several times with no problem and never knew the difference when they changed to regular milk. They got off of the bottle and pacifier and didn't bat an eye, so I'm hoping potty training (whenever that happens) will be a breeze!

Here are some sweet pics taken today. We had a full day of eating out, shopping, and playing in the backyard. Enjoy!

Return of the Kids (plus a new feature)

We're getting the kids back today! We're really excited about seeing them... it's almost like Christmas morning! They've learned lots of new words while they've been gone and have provided continuous entertainment for the family.

I know there are alot of you who still check this site (after two years - AMAZING!), but I don't update it quite enough for you to keep checking it everyday. So, I've added a new feature to the site. I'm not sure how well it's going to work, but we're going to try it out. If you'll look on the right side of the page, down below the individual pictures of Hayden & Hank, you'll see a place to enter your email address. Once you do this, you'll be notified each time I update this site.

I'll be updating this weekend on our reunion with the kids, and I'll be posting some pictures soon, too.

Oh, I almost forgot! Today is the last day of the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children Radiothon. This is where Hank had his shunt surgery, and any revisions to his shunt will also take place here. I've known many kids that have been treated at this hospital - Mississippi's ONLY children's hospital - and it's a wonderful place, specially designed for children. So, if you feel so inclined, please donate by clicking HERE. Also, those of you from McComb may know that my good friend Ashley Jones Garner's son is at Batson and will be for some time. You can read about him on their website by clicking HERE. He & his family would surely appreciate your prayers!

Have a great weekend!

The Empty Nest

Our house is so quiet! The kids are in McComb with my family for a few days, and Jay & I just don't know what to do with ourselves! This is the first time in nearly a year since we've been without them. We certainly miss them, but after Captain Rotavirus staged an attack on our home, we needed a break. Hayden ended up catching the virus and strep, too. Then Jay got strep, I ended up catching some sort of fever virus for a few days, and our house was one big infirmary. We finally got back to normal toward the beginning of last week, but we had it rough there for a while. I'm sure the kids are getting spoiled rotten by all of the grandparents and great-grandparents, and we'll have lots of damage control to do once they get home, but it's all worth it. Jay & I get the break that we need, plus the kids get a break from us, too. I've not been doing very well with my picture-taking lately. Actually, I've been taking them, but they are just random, silly pictures that no one would be interested in. I'll try to take some when they get back from McComb and post them for all to see. They sure are getting big!

Germs, germs everywhere!!!

Don't come to our house... Don't even come down our street... We've got GERMS!!! Hank has been fighting strep & rotavirus since Wednesday, and Hayden just threw up a little while ago, so the rotavirus must have gotten to her despite all of our precautions. For Hank, the virus started out with a couple of throw ups on Wednesday followed by about 7 - 10 diarrhea diapers each day. So, Hayden's little incident tonight is either a sign that the rotavirus has found a new host or it could mean that she had the play screwdriver stuck a little too far in her mouth. Either way, she got a bath and a suppository and should be out like a light shortly. After talking to the nurse on the phone both Wednesday & Thursday, we decided to take Hank in yesterday when we got the two diagnoses. Hopefully, the shot of penicillin he got yesterday will keep Hayden from getting strep, too. Regardless, we are homebound for the next several days... Which doesn't bother me... it's too darn cold out there! I've taken a few pictures and put them in the February album for all to see... Click here to see... Have a great week and stay healthy!!!

Masks & Muscles...

Here are a couple of cute pics from last night... First, Hayden ran through the den with a hat all the way over her head... Out of the blue... It was so funny & cute... And the next picture is of Hank, hanging out shirtless...

Happy Birthday H&H!!!

Hayden & Hank turned TWO on Tuesday, January 17!!! We celebrated with my family in McComb at my Nanny's house on the weekend before their birthday. The kids had SO much fun eating cake and playing with the balloons. It was such a good time. Then, we celebrated here in Vicksburg on Thursday the 19th. They ate more Doritos than cake and had a really hard time going to bed that night... they were really worked up! Here are some pictures from this month, including their birthday parties... Click here to see

Both H&H are talking up a storm. Hayden more than Hank, of course, but Hank is really starting to progress. We got a new speech therapist who is really helping out a lot. Hayden's favorite things to say are "Hey Bubba" (Hank), "WannaGet Down" (out of her chair or bed)", "Whoa", "Gone Gone" and for some reason she says to everyone (even strangers in the store) "Hey, Doggie!" Not sure about that one... She knows her basic colors and LOVES to draw. Hank is saying things like "Kix" (his cereal), "bear", "chair", "cake", "circle", and can do lots of animal sounds like "meow" and "roar". Hayden weighs about 21 pounds, and Hank weighs about 26 pounds. He's probably an inch taller than her, and from the pictures you can tell that Hayden is still pretty bald... definitely MY child!

That's all the update I have for now. It's 8:00, which means it's time for our 30-minute, full-out, no-holds-barred playtime in their bedroom. This is the time of night that we turn all of our attention to the kids, don't answer the phone, and play, wrestle, sing, and do whatever else comes up for the next 30 minutes. We wear them down, then they get a cup of warm milk and hit the sack. Hayden is so funny about bedtime. Once she finishes her cup of milk, she sets it down and announces "night, night!" She blows kisses to whomever is in the den at the time and says "night, night" all the way down the hall until we put her in the bed. She is the queen of bedtime. Hank, on the other hand, isn't so excited about it. He cries about half of the time, but it's usually for less than 5 minutes, and he's out. Then they wake up between 8:30 and 9:00 in the morning.

Y'all have a good week!

It's almost official!!!

Although Hayden has been pronouncing that she's two for a few weeks now, it will finally be official on Tuesday the 17th. Tomorrow, it will be two years since Jay rushed me over to Jackson, not having a clue that our babies would arrive about 30 hours later. Wow, does time fly!!! We had a birthday party this weekend at my Nanny's in McComb. We had a lot of family in attendance, and the kids had a blast! We hit two milestones this weekend... well, sort of... Hayden dialed 911 for the first time & both kids climbed out of their pack-n-plays that they sleep in when we're staying away from home. Neither of them hurt themselves, but it scared us to death. Hank did it first, which was surprising since Hayden is usually the instigator. Jay ended up taking Hank to bed with him while I stayed up late visiting with my grandmother. About 11:15 Nanny & I were talking on the couch, and all of a sudden Hayden just appeared! So, now we don't know what in the world we're going to do. As for the 911 call, Hayden loves to play with phones (real ones, not toy ones - and yes, she knows the difference). She was playing with the real phone, and Nanny took it away from her. Two seconds later, the phone rang, and it was 911 calling us back to see if we had an emergency. No emergency, but it definitely was an action-packed weekend! I've got pictures from their party that I'll upload when I get a free minute, but I'm sure you realize that there aren't many of those around here. I promise to get them uploaded before their next birthday, though! I'm off of work tomorrow, so hopefully I'll find the time. Until then, just keep checking back (those of you who are still checking this thing two years later!).

Happy New Year from the Harrisons!

I have new pictures posted HERE from Christmas and other stuff. I have more pictures from Christmas that I haven't sorted through yet, so I hope to have those up soon. Happy New Year!