A Final Walk in the Park

We promise, these are the last of our Loose Park photos… There were just so many cute options that we couldn’t squeeze them into one (or two) blog entries.

BTW, there’s some BIG news coming up in the next blog entry from Ms. Gwendolyn Marie! (We believe that's what the media types call a "tease")

We Must Have a Sweet Tooth

So we know that we did the whole “cake smash” shots a few weeks back. But one of the cool things we had done around the girls’ first year photo session was a studio version.


And of course, being the doting parents we are, we felt a need to include those shots before we get over a month removed from their actual first birthday.

Fear not... We’ve got some more candid shots of the Loose Park portion of the shoot that we’ll post later in the week. For now enjoy these photos and beware of flying icing! ;)



P.S. Maybe one of the funniest parts about this shoot was Braelyn McKee’s utter disgust over the way the icing from the cake felt on her hands. For some reason it totally freaked her out. Later into the shoot, it then got on her foot... That REALLY sent her over the edge. So, unfortunately most of her "cake smash" studio shots look like this:

At least she’s found a way of still looking precious in the middle of a meltdown!

Some More Updates

We’ve got quite a bit to fill you all in on… But just a quick note that inter dispersed throughout the blog you’ll find some photos from the one-year session we did last month in Loose Park. Needless to say, we think the shots came out GREAT! Thanks again Beth!!!

Firstly, we FINALLY heard back from the Pulmonologist in terms of Gwendolyn’s MRI. Unfortunately, it was more of the same in terms of there not being a clear path for us moving forward. He still felt as though the scan showed that Gwen should get decompression brain surgery but when he consulted with the Neurologist (The doctor that… You know, is the actual specialist and that would be called on to perform the surgery) there was a continued difference of opinion. So, after a lengthy conversation, the Pulmonologist decided to put Gwen on a month-long at-home sleep study with our good friend the apnea monitor.

The argument from Mom and Dad’s perspective is that the clinical sleep study isn’t a true rendition of Gwen’s normal sleep patterns because of a combination of several factors (being wrapped up like a mummy so the probes stay in place, getting moved on a regular basis by the person staying with her so they can chart how she sleeps in different positions, being in a strange place, it only being a one-night affair, etc.). As a disclaimer, we agree that she’s having some sleeping issues but we still aren’t convinced that they are as dire as the Pulmonologist thinks they could be. But since we “only” specialize in raising Braelyn and Gwendolyn, not infant sleeping patterns, we asked for an alternative test and that’s when this method was suggested.

While the apnea monitor isn’t as sensitive as the clinical sleep study diagnostics are, it is much less intrusive to Gwen's normal sleep patterns. So, we think it will tell them with a fair level of confidence how may true apneas Gwen is having and even pinpoint if they are central or obstructive in nature. We’re only about a week into the process so they won’t come back to get the information downloaded until around Thanksgiving. Then it will need to be looked over and interpreted by the doctor. So, that song-and-dance will go on for a little longer... Yep, we guess the great sleep saga continues. We can report that she’s done rather well in terms of it “beeping” off. Typically, she goes off 2-3 times a night and even had one evening without a single issue. Usually, when the monitor goes off it only happens because Gwendolyn wiggles on her back. That wasn’t as frequent of an occurrence earlier in the year but it is a happy side effect of her gaining continued mobility and strength in her legs. Now, she tends to flex those legs when she’s tossing and turning at night.

As for Gwen’s eating, she’s continuing to make good strides there. She and Braelyn now eat basically the same items (only Gwen’s portions are cut a little smaller and she’s learning how to actually feed herself so she still requires a parental unit to spoon-feed her constantly). She is still working on patience when it comes to eating food. As soon as she swallows the item in her mouth, she begins to whine because she’s so concerned that we’re going to take it away from her before she's full (as we did earlier when she could only eat a specific amount at each meal). The poor thing has been deprived of a “normal” feeding situation for so long that she’s got to kind of learn the whole process and hasn’t yet realized that she isn’t on a limited intake for the time being. But all things considered, she’s been a champ with her new diet!

Not to be forgotten, Braelyn’s also doing well. On Saturday she went to work with Dad while Mom and Gwendolyn spent some mommy-daughter time together. Dad totally thinks that Brae got the better end of that bargain, but he’s bias of course. Dad’s work assignment that day was to assist as the Chiefs halftime show practiced. The act for yesterday’s game consisted of Jazzercisers so Braelyn spent most of the time “dancing” to the music with her typical head bob and smiling at the random strangers that exclaimed “What a cute boy.” every time they saw her. (That’s what happens when you look a little too much like Dad and you've been allowed to leave the house in a blue shirt we suppose!)

Since Grandma McKee spent the weekend visiting with relatives back in Iowa, the girls and Mom stayed at home while Dad worked at the Chiefs game. Actually, Dad was a little jealous that he couldn’t just be a couch potato himself. Still, he’s sad to report that Braelyn fell asleep on the couch during the game… We guess she’s got a lot to learn!

;)

At least the Chiefs were able to hang up another “W” yesterday. Tough decision for the girls next weekend… Watch the Chiefs game or go trick-or-treating.

Has Anyone Seen Daddy's Hat?

In a household like ours, it doesn't take much for us to misplace items... shoes... cell phones... the occasional important note... and of course Daddy's hat.

Inevitably, we are running late trying to make our next appointment and Dad can't leave until he finds the ball cap that he's looking for. (Certainly it has nothing to do with reduction of work his follicles have been putting forth of late!)

As is typically the case, sometimes the most desperate of searches should begin (and all too often times end) right underneath our very noses.

Enjoy these photos because we sure did!!! (Now where's that hat?)

It's the Great Pumpkin, Braelyn & Gwendolyn

As you can see above, Mom & Dad took the girls to the pumpkin patch this weekend. In fact, the entire McKee clan went together so it was quite the family adventure. But before we get into that, there’s some housekeeping that we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention.

For those of you that don’t know, October is National Spina Bifida Awareness Month. Basically, this is a time to educate others and further understanding about Spina Bifida. It's also a way of celebrating the lives of the 166,000 Americans affected with SB. Yep, Gwendolyn is far from a unique case. In fact, Spina Bifida is the most common permanently disabling birth defect in the United States… Although we must admit that there’s absolutely nothing we consider a “defect” about our little Gwenner.

That being said, in celebration of October Gwen's being featured on this amazing blog: Beyond Measure. The blog's scribe, Cassie, has been such a valued resource for us and if you aren't already a regular reader, we highly recommend it by clicking on the orange "Beyond Measure" link in the previous sentence. Throughout the month, Cassie's showcasing kiddos just like Gwendolyn that have been touched by SB. Needless to say, we were quite touched to find out that Gwen herself would be featured... It is yet another reinforcement of just how special she is, not just to us but to others as well.

Getting back to the big orange squash we mentioned at the top of this post, we're going to reserve the majority of the rest of this space for some photos. After all, you can only use so many words to describe what it was like as the girls discovered pumpkins for the first time.

Wow... We finally took a family photo where everyone's looking at the camera and smiling for once.

Braelyn's still not sure about what these big orange things are.

We can only guess what Gwendolyn's thinking here... But we're pretty sure that it doesn't have anything to do with bobbing for apples.

The Castellanos and the McKees are ready for some real pumpkin fun!

I think THIS is the one for us Mom!

Hey Dad... Your head looks just like this pumpkin!

That's all for now...

What Does Their Future Hold?

Good news, even though we are only a year into this, we think that the girls have already figured out their future aspirations…

Braelyn is definitely a “book head.” In fact, those small 99-cent versions have more than once defused a brewing Brae Bear temper tantrum when we’ve been out and about. Obviously, words are currently of no consequence but as long as there are bright colors and cute characters, Braelyn is “all in.” Of course, another of her favorite pastimes is simply ripping all of her books off the shelf and then playing in the literary pile that results… Okay, so maybe JK Rowling has nothing to fear just yet!

And then there’s Gwendolyn. One of the gifts that the girls got for their first birthday was this cool piggybank that Grandma McKee tracked down. Well, the Gwenner has taken to that quite nicely. We don’t think that we’ve got the next Warren Buffet on our hands (although that would be nice for Mom & Dad's retirement fund) but Little Ms. Meticulous will undoubtedly make some rather well researched investment decisions in her future.

Anyway, we thought you’d enjoy this blog detraction from your regularly scheduled work week… You may now resume that monotony.

Enjoying the Girls While We "Decode" Them

One thing has become abundantly clear during our short year as parents… Kids give us so many instances to pause, think, and enjoy the moment. Even when they aren’t feeling well, sometimes it is more entertaining than anything else. Granted, nothing is more pathetic or tugs at our heart strings quite like a sick child. Still, there are different stages of “sick.” It can be Gwendolyn spending pretty much the first four months her life cooped up in the hospital because of her Myelomeningocele and then severe breathing issues. Let’s be honest, in that case there’s nothing at all that can be or should be “enjoyed” about that moment. Then there’s the situation that played out for the Castellanos this past weekend.

It began innocently enough. Braelyn was going through her semi-regular ritual of deciding that she wasn’t in the mood to sleep, even at 2:30 in the morning. So after we finished with a futile back rub attempt to sooth her and get her back to sleep, Dad took his still wailing daughter and went into another room to lay down with her. (As a side note, this is a downfall of having twins... We typically can’t let one of the girls just “cry it out” because they will ultimately disturb the other and then a dual meltdown ensues… But we digress.)

As parents, it amazes us how even though we’ve never really done the whole mom and dad thing before, you just know certain things about your kids. Like you can pretty much tell when something isn’t right with them or, even at this young of an age, when they are just milking something for all its worth. True to form, after a few hours of Dad getting an up-close-and-personal look at Braelyn’s thrashes as she dramatically tried to settle down, he called Mom over. It was obvious that Braelyn was in discomfort… And maybe even more abundantly clear that it wasn’t nearly as serious as our little drama queen would like to portray it as. Soon, a thermometer confirmed a slight fever and hours later the constant runny nose backed up those findings. Knowing it wasn’t anything serious, all we could do is laugh at the Oscar-worthy performance put in by Braelyn.

And that’s what we meant earlier. Funny or serious, we do try to enjoy the circumstances as much as possible, especially given the journey we’ve already taken. It amazes us how many things a child will do, good or bad, which just comes naturally to them. Sometimes for us its mannerisms, habits, or even a certain look that Braelyn and/or Gwendolyn gives. As soon as it happens, much like an “ah-ha moment,” you can immediately connect it back to either one of us or a relative of ours. And sometimes it’s like the picture that leads this post off today. In their "community," Braelyn lies on her back snuggled up next to Gwendolyn looking for sympathy. Almost instinctually, her little sister is there to comfort Braelyn the only way she knows how… With a series of grunts and moans (a.k.a. baby babble). It’s one of those small moments as a parent that just fills you up with emotion… The good kind for sure!

So this whole long lead-in was to basically say that in the span of 72 hours we went from one child with a cold… To two children with colds… To everyone feeling fine and dandy come Monday morning. And unfortunately we also decoded another trait that Braelyn has in common with one of us. The way our Brae Bear constantly tilts her head back and moves extra slowly while she's “sick” is without a doubt a carbon copy of her father trying to milk every last ounce of sympathy from those present when he’s under the weather. By the time this “bug” made it to Gwendolyn, it was also evident that she already has mastered a much more mature way to dealing with sickness than her dear old dad or older sister does. But at least they are both "recovered" and back at daycare today. As this post’s other pictures portray, everything is back to normal while Mom and Dad have yet another memory to hold near-and-dear to our hearts.

Talk to you all soon!

A Bonus Post with a Funny Friday Photo

Yep, it’s a bonus post this week that just couldn’t wait. Here’s the background… When our photographer, Beth, was editing the shots from last weekend’s grandparents session with the twins, she came across this one and immediately sent it on to us. Honestly, this picture is probably going to be funnier to those that have been around the girls before and know their personalities… But we still HAD to share it with you all. What do you think?

As you might remember, Braelyn has already become quite the passionate individual. (That must be the combination of Italian and Irish in her!) Typically, when she sees her sister, she gets so overwhelmed with excitement that she’ll let out a shrill and then rather vigorously try to give Gwen hugs and kisses… It’s all a pretty cute series of events.

Well, we suppose it is probably cute to everyone except for poor Gwendolyn. You see, while she’s made tremendous strides in her stability thanks to physical therapy, Gwen still doesn’t have quite the same level of body strength that her sister does - especially in her southern hemisphere. So, usually when Braelyn reaches in to give Gwen this typical head-lock styled hug, the scene captured in this photo will inevitably play out.

That’s why you might notice in Gwen’s facial expression that she’s already bracing for the fall… Been there, done that we suppose!

And the kicker to it all just might be that even with her sister in the middle of a freefall she unintentionally induced, Braelyn’s still sure to pause, turn, and mug for the camera.

At least we know that Gwendolyn will be a pro at “Ring Around the Rosie” (or at least the “we all fall down” part) when she gets to school.

You’ve got to love those wacky Castellano girls!!!

More Party Pictures

Well, we'd be lying if we said that all of the decorations have been taken down by now (Ah, those procrastinating Castellanos)… But other than that, the remnants of the girls’ first birthday party are nearly a memory. Still, we found a few more photos from the weekend that was and so we thought we’d share them with you. Without further adieu, here they are:

It's almost time for the party to start... And these three peas-in-a-pod are ready for cake!

The twins dig into their cakes quickly... While Mom and Dad remain clueless about the mess transpiring just below them!

Dad helps Gwendolyn with her cake... Hey, that IS good!

A trail of icing and cake shrapnel but little else is left strewn on Braelyn's face and high chair tray... Hey, where's that ice cream at?!?!

Mommy helps the girls open their gifts... And as you can see, one favorite on the day was a sensory ball set from Uncle Kyle and Aunt Susan.

Gwendolyn reads her favorite book to her favorite Poppa... Let me show you how to make the "smile" face, Poppa.

Braelyn and Nana also share a book and some quality time... We aren't sure what selection Nana picked out but it looks from Braelyn's face like it's a pretty intense read.

Party On!!!

Well, we are happy to report that the girls, and maybe more importantly Mom and Dad, successfully survived their first birthday party.

We weren’t really sure going into things how the twins would react to the cakes (which by the way Mom did an AMAZING job decorating) but they really did well once they got the hang of it!

Braelyn dug in like a champ. First, she used her pointer finger to “smash” her “Brae Bear” cake’s eyes (just like she typically does when she’s eating peas for dinner). She then swiftly realized that it was food after a quick initial lick. Before long, she was devouring her Bear’s head... That poor cake never had a chance! The best part is that the cake’s eyes, nose and mouth were made of black icing so Braelyn soon looked like she had a thick trucker's beard around her mouth. And of course, once her piece of cake was done she moved on to Gwendolyn’s cake and nearly finished off that piece as well.

Gwendolyn was a little more timid with her "Big Bird" cake at first (For reasons unknown, Gwen breaks into song whenever she sees a Big Bird doll, so her cake choice was nearly as easy as picking out Braelyn's "Brae Bear" cake). She got the icing on her hands but wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Eventually, her hands made their way into her mouth. At that point, she realized what was on her hands (or at least that it was REALLY good) and some serious finger sucking ensued. The funny part is that she enjoyed it so much that she wouldn’t take her hands out of her mouth to get more icing on them. Apparently she thought it was more like a Slim Jim than just an icing dipped hand... So she assumed that if she just kept licking, the flavor would last and last. We keep forgetting that given her eating limitations Gwen’s still figuring out foods and textures. That’s why it was almost a sensory overload for her. But much to her credit, once she figured the whole thing out she seemed to really enjoyed it.

Yesterday, we took the girls on a field trip of sorts along with their grandparents to Loose Park, which is located just off The Plaza. Luckily for us, it was a magnificent day as we had set up a photo shoot to capture the fun the twins have been having with all three of their grandparents. All-in-all, it was a great weekend for sure!

Anyway, as always we thought we’d include these photos of the weekend that was for you all to see... After all, our words just can’t always tell the story the way it needs to be shared. We hope you enjoy them and we’ll be sure to keep you all updated on the joy that is watching Braelyn and Gwendolyn grow and mature.