October 2017

The Twin Issue FREE October 2017

*Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital is owned, in part, by physicians.

Before Eye Rejuvenation/Lift and Specialized Skin Care Services

.

137 W Van Asche Loop Fayetteville, AR D. Heath Stacey, MD J. Alex Kelamis, MD 2 October 2017

2016

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The

Family KIMBERLY ENDERLE Editor-in-Chief editor@peekaboonwa.com | 479-957-0532

JONATHON ENDERLE Creative Director jon@peekaboonwa.com | 479-586-3890

Kim and Jonathon with Ava, Holden, Gwen and Grant Enderle.

PHOTO BY MAIN STREET STUDIOS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER/EDITOR Frances Wilson

DISTRIBUTION/ CIRCULATION Joyce Whitaker Judy Evans Marcedalia Salinas

Jeremy Whitaker Michelle Dodson

Peekaboo Publications PO Box 1036 Bentonville, Arkansas 72712

BEN LACY Dad’s View

Columnist

VERONICA ZUCCA Story Design

Please send inquiries to: editor@peekaboonwa.com or call 479-957-0532 www.peekaboonwa.com Peekaboo may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Views expressed herein are those of the authors and advertisers, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.

PEEKABOO Northwest Arkansas accepts writing contributions

6 October 2017

JENNIFER CRISTOFARO Events

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From the moment your baby is born through childhood and adolescence, your relationship with a skilled and caring pediatrician is crucial to the health and wellbeing of your child. That’s why it’s so important to find a pediatrician who makes you feel comfortable and confident every step of the way. At our Northwest Physicians practices, we focus on providing preventive care, such as routine checkups, sports and school physicals, immunizations, allergy care, and diagnosis and treatment of childhood illnesses.

WE’RE WITH YOU

EVERY INCH OF Northwest Pediatric Convenient Care

3057 Springdale Ave., Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: Noon-8 p.m., Sat.-Sun.: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

479-751-2522

Susan Averitt, M.D. Staci Graber, APN

Best Start Pediatric Clinic

Megan Kumpe, APN

5501 Willow Creek Dr. Suite 104 Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

479-575-9359

Mark Lovell, M.D.

The Children’s Clinic at Har-Ber Meadows 6636 W. Sunset Ave. Suite A Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Thur.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Fri.: 8 a.m.-Noon

479-306-4242

Laurie Anderson, M.D. Millicent Ford, M.D. April Durham, M.D.

The Children’s Clinic at Springdale 3057 Springdale Ave. Springdale, AR 72762 Mon.-Fri.: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

479-751-2522

Members of the Medical Staff of Northwest Health and Allied Health Staff of Northwest Health.

8 October 2017

Ask about our same-day or next-day appointments. To learn more or find a location near you, visit NW-Physicians.com.

THE WAY.

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Inside

OCT 2017

Also 24

Dad's View with Ben Lacy

26

A Half-Day in the Life

30

18

52

The Hedlund Twins

Life with Twins

BY: SARAH HEDLUND

BY: TARA HOOPER

Out & About Events of NWA

46

Twin Clips

62

The 4th Annual Homegrown Festival by: Sam Dinger

64

Inspired by Family: Dr. Ashu Dhanjal Focuses on Preventative Cardiac Care

66

54

A Triple Surprise

56

Our Unconventional Infertility Story BY: KIMBERLY SMITH

Navigating the Costume Conundrum by: Meagan Ruffing

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

ON THE COVER

CMY

K

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60

Answering the Call

Maryn and Lillian

BY: JACLYN WILLIAMS

BY: CHELSEA PALMER

Paislee and Kaitlynn with brother Kolton. Children of Tara and Jacob Hooper of Springdale.

Cover Sponsored by: Northwest Health www.northwesthealth.com 10 October 2017

Photos by: Maranda Wynne PhotographyNorthwest Arkansas

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www.siloamwomenscenter.com

Kyle Thompson, DO, FACOG

Chad Hill, MD, FACOG

Natalie Eiland, DO

Siloam Springs Women’s Center BOARD CERTIFIED OB - GYN SPECIALISTS SERVING SILOAM SPRINGS REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Focusing On:

• Comprehensive OB Care & Delivery • Gynecological and Laparoscopic Surgery • Female Incontinence • Pelvic Pain • Pelvic Reconstruction • Minimally Invasive Outpatient Hysterectomy • In-Office Surgical Sterilization

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A look ahead: If you have a story to share, or an idea for a story, email editor@ peekaboonwa.com and be a part of the Peekaboo family!

From the Editor

HERE IS A LOOK AHEAD! _____________________________ NOVEMBER is our annual adoption issue! We want to feature as many families as possible. For details, email editor@peekaboonwa.com by October 10th.

DECEMBER is our holiday gift guide!

Do you have a story or business that would like to be a part of this popular issue! Email editor@peekaboonwa. com by November 1st.

L

ast month, I found myself in a bit of a parenting crisis. Was the world about to come to an end? No. Was anyone hurt? No, thank goodness. I just felt lost in a decision that was needing to be made, and since it was in regards to one of my littles, it carried the weight of world.

Before full panic mode set in, however, I reached out to five different women through four different mediums - Facebook, text messaging, email, and even the dreaded original use of the phone... a real live conversation. I knew that each of these women would be coming from a different place with their advice. Some had children my kids' ages. Some of these moms had kids who were older than mine and had "been there, done that," (so to speak) and one doesn't have kids yet, but has played an important role in their life as a teacher.

I felt like I was using both my 'phone a friend' and 'ask an expert' lifelines like on the game show, "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." After the decision- had been made, I was left with a feeling of elation and comfort. I realized just how lucky I was to have such an amazing group of women in my mom tribe. Every woman needs her own tribe - especially moms! We have all heard the saying "It takes a village to raise a child," and this couldn't be more true.

Eveyone needs someone to walk with through this motherhood journey. Friends aren't just for kids! In the same way that we tirelessly work to make sure our kids are secure in their own social scene, always checking in to make sure they made a new friend at any activitiy we enroll them in, we should also be putting the same effort into making sure we have friends who will be there to support us.

When looking at my mommy tribe I realize that I fit into a number of different roles within my own circle of friends, and how those roles, and my friend circle, 14 October 2017

has grown so much over the years. I am no longer just the "new mom" who seems too young to even be having kids like I was when Ava was a baby. Now I am the "new mom again because I just had baby number 4, but this time I am much older than many of the women I meet who themselves really are "new, new! (aka first time) moms." To those first-time moms in their early 20's, I am the one with the experience and wisdom that comes from age. Gah! I secretly love visiting Ava's 6th grade classroom now, just to be the young mom again, instead of walking into Gwennie's baby play groups where I am the oldest of the group. Same mom, different roles in the tribe. Not as much fun being the older mom from a vanity perspective, I have to be honest, but the trade off is that I get to be the advice-giver, and the one who seems like I have this whole 'mom thing' figured out.

Little do these new moms know, though--I usually leave those meet-ups and ask for advice myself from those in my circle of friends who are ahead of me in the game!

This issue is dedicated to mothers of multiples, the superheroes of the parenting world. I always look forward to this issue, because it is filled with stories from moms who were double (or triple!) blessed.

This group of women has their own tribe, and an amazing organization, The Northwest Arkansas Mothers of Multiples Club. The NWAMOMC is a non-profit support group for mothers with twins, triplets, and higher order multiples in NWA and the surrounding areas. Their club provides a platform for moms of multiples to discuss the challenges of raising twins, triplets (and more), as well as providing information and support through educational meetings and fellowship. If you are interested in joining, email nwamultiplesclub@gmail.com for more information.

Until Next Month.....

- Kim Enderle

Math & Language Therapy

Academic

READING • SPELLING HANDWRITING • MATH GRAMMAR

Multisensory Language Therapy “Take Flight” , a comprehensive intervention for students with dyslexia based on OrtonGillingham concepts.

Reading • Spelling • Handwriting • Phonics Vocabulary • Fluency • Comprehension (classes available) Pre-Flight (Phonological Awareness) Multisensory Math • Counting and Numeration • Addition & Subtraction facts for instant recall • Multiplication & Division facts for instant recall • Fractions • Decimals & Percents • Integers & Algebra I & II Multisensory Grammar • Parts of Speech, Capitals, Punctuation …

Verbal to Written Expression (thoughts on paper) Writing Treatment for Hyperlexia (can read, but does not understand what is read) Study Skills • Time Management • Notetaking • Memory Technique • Test Taking Strategies …

Visit us at www.amltherpy.com or call 479-253-3256

Bentley

Greeter

104 North 37th Street Suite B Rogers, AR 72756

Karen Sykes — Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) 29 years experience teaching

Lisa Lundeen — CALT, 6 years experience in Social Work, 6 years experience teaching

500 SE Plaza Avenue Bentonville, Arkansas

16 July October 20172017

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The Hedlund Twins by: Sarah Hedlund

M

y husband, Rik, and I are originally from the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area. We got married in 2003, and had our daughter, Piper, four years later, in December of 2007.

When she was four months old, Rik took a job at Fellowship Bible Church, we moved to Little Rock, and eventually had our son, Charlie, in June of 2011. In August of 2013, we moved to Northwest Arkansas, and absolutely love it here! My husband is a pastor on staff at Keypoint Church, and I lead worship on Sundays. In September of 2016, we found out we were pregnant, and had our twins Jace and Parker on March 6th of this year. Rik and I have struggled with infertility for the last 14 years. We started fertility treatments after we lost three babies. Piper was born after that, and, three and a half years later, after one more loss, Charlie was born. After about a year of fertility treatments in 2014, we decided that we were done trying to have another baby. It was a hard decision, but we felt like the Lord was calling us to become foster parents. We had four placements over the eight months we were open. Our youngest was 10 weeks old when he came to us, and was 10 months old when he moved to his forever home. We closed when the boys were born, but plan to reopen our home sometime in the future.

18 October 2017

When I found out I was pregnant in September 2016, it was huge shock. We assumed we were done. A week after finding out we were pregnant, we found out we

were having identical twins. I have always wanted twins, so I was super excited. Rik was shocked, but excited, as well. We started seeing Dr. Canzoneri, a maternal fetal specialist, in October and pretty much saw him every week till the boys were born.

At 17 weeks, we began to suspect the boys had Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. TTTS is a rare, serious condition that can occur in pregnancies when identical twins share a placenta. Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and allow blood to flow unevenly between the babies.

We were sent to St. Louis a few weeks later and it was confirmed. We were told that our boys would probably not survive.

The best option we had was surgery. The hope was that Jace had at least 15% of the placenta.

They were not optimistic about Jace--he was just so much smaller than Parker. We had the surgery

The doctor gave us three options: 1. Terminate Jace, and deliver Parker at 24 weeks.

2. Have surgery to separate the vessels and possibly save them--but we would most likely still lose Jace.

3. Wait and see, and most likely lose them both. the following morning at 22 weeks pregnant, and it was terrifying. The surgery was supposed to take two hours, but ended up taking seven. The doctor came in afterwards and told us that Jace actually had more placenta than Parker, and they had stopped counting shared vessels at 45. The surgery was a success. We were told that Jace would probably continue to be smaller than Parker, but that he had a chance now. We went home the next day, and I was on bed rest for about a week.

We were still being monitored weekly, and Jace started to catch up to his brother. At 28 weeks, my water broke and we were admitted to Willow Creek Hospital. I was on bed rest for two weeks.

Those two weeks were so hard, but, looking back, it was probably the easiest part of this journey for me. I had amazing nurses, who took great care of me. I highly recommend having your babies at Willow Creek!

We delivered the boys on March 6th at 30 weeks. Jace was born first, which was a big surprise,

Turn the page …

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The Hedlund Twins We are so blessed by our miracle boys. They have completed our family in such an incredible way. They have shown us the power of prayer. Every single prayer that has been answered over the last year has built our faith more and more.

"

"

because he had been baby 'B' until he was born, weighing 2lbs 2oz. Parker came 7 minutes later, weighing 3lbs 6oz. Our NICU stay was hard and long, but the nurses and doctors were incredible.

They really became like family to us. They saw us at our worst, and loved us through it. They cried with us and laughed with us, and even celebrated our little victories along the way. We are still in touch, and a couple of nurses have even babysat the boys for us after Jace came home.

Parker spent a little over seven weeks in the NICU, and came home in April. He is doing well, though he has a small Atrial Septal Defect (a "hole" in the wall that separates the top two chambers of the heart, which allows oxygen-rich blood to leak into the oxygen-poor blood chambers in the heart) and is being monitored by cardiologists at Children's in Little Rock. As of now, he does not need surgery, and if he does in the future, he will likely be around three or four years old. It will not have to be open heart surgery.

Jace was diagnosed with a large Ventricular Septal Defect, and has had a much harder time. VSD is a hole in the wall separating the two lower chambers of the heart. In normal development, the wall between the chambers closes before the fetus is born, so that, by birth, oxygen-rich blood is kept from mixing with the oxygen-poor blood. When the hole does not close, it may cause higher pressure in the heart or reduced oxygen to the body. Over time, it may cause damage to the lungs. At 8 weeks old, Jace got a bacterial infection. He crashed and had to be placed on the ventilator. Two days later he crashed again, and at that point his doctor felt it was time for him to be moved to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for his first open heart surgery.

On May 11th, he had surgery to close a small

defect, and also p l a c e a band around his pulmonar y artery in the hopes it would stop his lungs from being flooded with fluid. He did really well, and eventually came home after 100 days in the hospital. We were home for about 15 days, then were taken by Angel One back to the CVICU and spent 3 weeks there. We worked on feeding and figuring out swallowing issues. We were home for 13 days, and were transported by ambulance back to Children’s on July 31st. This time, we will not be leaving until he has his full repair and will possibly be home by Christmas.

During this stay, Jace aspirated and developed pneumonia. He was intubated for 22 days. He was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), which is when you have high blood pressure in the arteries to your lungs, and will have his full repair on September 20th, barring any further complications. Because of PH, his heart has to work harder to pump the blood through. Over time, it can lead to heart failure. Jace has only been home a total of 4 weeks in the six months since he was born. The boys turned six months old this month, and we celebrated at the hospital by bringing cupcakes to all the nurses. I am currently living in Little Rock with Jace at Children’s Hospital, in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. Rik is home with our older two, and Parker goes back and forth between us.

In the midst of our NICU stay, both boys were diagnosed with Mosaic Trisomy 21. This is a rare form of Down's Syndrome. We had no suspicions during pregnancy, and were pretty surprised, since our genetic testing all came back negative. We found out the day Jace crashed and was fighting for his life, and two weeks later we found out

about Parker. From our research, mosaicism is not very common, and affects the cells in the body differently. With full Trisomy 21, every cell in your body has three copies of the 21st chromosome, instead of the normal two. With mosaicism, only some cells are affected. Parker has around 10% of his cells affected. Jace has around 30%. We have learned that there are adults who find out they have mosaicism much later in life, and have never known it, or had any problems. So, we have no idea how it will affect the boys throughout life. Jace seems to have the most health issues, where Parker has very little issues right now. Our genetics doctor will be doing more extensive testing at some point to help us know a little more specifically how the boys are affected. They may have delays, or they may not. We just won't know, and we may not even know if those delays are related to mosaicism or just them being premature. We are so blessed by our miracle boys. They have completed our family in such an incredible way.

They have shown us the power of prayer. Every single prayer that has been answered over the

last year has built our faith more and more. They are both so brave. They have fought, and are still fighting, hard battles. The boys' story has reached people all over the world. We have prayers going up from Jerusalem, Denmark, Spain, Germany, and Belgium. People have seen their story on Facebook, and have shared it so many times.

It’s such an amazing thing to know they are so covered in prayers. Jace is so small, and has simply lain in his hospital bed for the last six months, but he has touched so many lives. These boys have an amazing story already, and it is just starting!

This year has been a long, hard journey, and it's not over yet. We are looking forward to Jace coming home after his next surgery. We are hopeful that this will be the end of our needs for surgery. Our family has missed being together, and we cannot wait to be together again. We are so grateful for all the love and support we have received from not only friends and family, but people we have never met. The Lord has truly shown his love for us through this whole process, and we are so grateful for everything He has done in our family.

22 October 2017

PRODUCTION OF

Charlotte’s Web

The classic and beloved story comes to life in this creative production by by Northwest Arkansas’ professional theater for youth, Trike Theatre.

Nov. 17, 19, 25, 26 & Dec. 1-2 Trike Theatre is an Artistic Affiliate of Walton Arts Center

Produced by special arrangement with DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, Woodstock, Illinois

Adapted from the book by E.B. White

By Joseph Robinette

10

shows in Starr Theater!

Series Sponsor:

Walton Arts Center

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Dad’s View with Ben Lacy

o t g n i o g s i s …thi D

on’t you love it when you go to the doctor, and, when you ask “Is this going to hurt?” they say, “Not a bit!” ...right before you nearly jump from here to Zaire due to the sharp surging shot? Yeah, me too. I’m pretty sure any MD will tell you they answered honestly, since you didn’t ask “Is this going to hurt ME?" You know, since it didn’t hurt THEM at all.

Earlier this year, there was a bit of the aforementioned sharp surging pain in my shoulder. The first question the doctor asked was, very slyly, “How old are you?” Not cool, doc… not cool. In case you don’t know, once you get north of 40, doctors always ask you the age qualifier before giving their opinion on treatment. Because, let’s be honest, after you pass four decades, the odds of you throwing a no-hitter are pretty much zero.

Therefore, orthos and the like are less likely to carve you up when they know the Heisman is far,

24 October 2017

far out of your reach. However, my surgeon was very open and honest with my initial treatment-actually, too honest. “Let’s just try a shot,” he said, as I sat there praying for the oral kind instead of the intravenous one. No such luck. The syringe he brought over to greet me and my poor aching appendage had the approximate measurements and design of a medieval broadsword, and when I asked, “Wow, is this going to hurt me?” he looked me dead in the eye and said, “Oh yeah, this is going to hurt.”

Most people say the worst part about getting a shot is the anticipation--knowing the needle is about to sink into your skin. That’s kind of what this story is about – anticipatory pain. Knowing full well that something is going to hurt.

Come with me now all the way back to the turn of the century (Wow! that sounds old). The year

is 2001, and the Dad’s View dude had officially become a dad. A beautiful young daughter, in fact, certain to wrap me around her finger and squeeze my heart like an anaconda. Because her mom worked in Siloam and our home was in Bentonville, I was in charge of daycare drop-off and pick-up. Dropping her off the first day was tough, and I knew it was going to hurt. I only went back to the daycare facility seven times to check on her… before lunch. She was in great hands and doing fabulous. Me, not so much. My head was in my hands most of the day, crying because I missed her so much. But, we eventually developed a nice routine and I cut my daycare check-up trips down to 5 (ish) per day. We also developed a very close

There aren’t as many firsts as there used to be, but I know, soon, there is going to be a first that is really going to hurt. Like the shot… bond, as each evening we had at least an hour of Dad-and-daughter time before Mom got home.

That was special -- even though there were some bad parts. You know, like watching the same Little Einstein episode a bajillion times, or trying not to smack the TV when Caillou came on (something about that kid just annoys me), or constantly

cleaning up Cheerio shrapnel. But, those are days I’ll never forget.

Since that first daycare drop-off, there have been several other firsts. First day dropping her off at preschool, kindergarten, middle school, junior high, dance class, etc. Now that she’s in high school and drivig, she doesn’t need me to drop her off anymore. Well... except for the time she ran over a nail and was without transportation, so I dropped her off at school. Of course, I honked the entire way down the drop-off road, played obnoxious hair metal songs with the windows down and yelled, "I love you!" as she got out. There aren’t as many firsts as there used to be, but I know, soon, there is going to be a first that is really going to hurt. Like the shot, I know it is coming, though I’m not 100% sure when. One thing that's guaranteed-it'll sooner than I realize, and much sooner than I’m ready for... she'll be gone to college. For the first time, I’m going to go to wake her up in the morning and she’s not going to be there. And for the first time I’m going to wait for her to get home from dance practice to chat about her day, and she’s not going to be there. And for the first time, I’m going to look forward to watching Christmas movies with her in October (we get started early, guys... we’re jingle junkies!) and she’s not going to be there. I know this going to happen; and I know it’s going to hurt.

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by: Brandi Scraper

I

t’s 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday. I’ve been up for at least two hours because I am a morning person--a morning person who needs at least two hours of quiet before facing the chaos of the day.

At promptly 7:01 a.m., the thumping of tiny, heavy-footed feet reaches me on the couch where I lie nestled, absorbed in a book. Should I be cleaning? Yes. Should I be working out? Definitely.

However, I’m enjoying my life instead. I hear three pairs of feet shamble into the living room.

One brown and two dark brown heads of hair emerge from three different angles of the couch.

I am surrounded. The day officially begins with breakfast requests. Marigold wants waffles. Poppy wants pancakes. They are served cereal, unless the cereal happens to be a type that does not come with those compressed bits of pure sugar labeled as “marshmallows,” in which case they are given toast. Today, they are given toast.

26 October 2017

At 7:22 a.m., Marigold wanders to the room she shares with Poppy, her twin, and their older sister, Pearl. She begins to rummage through the dressup clothes looking for the “perfe-t” clothes to wear.

Poppy begins with the already timeworn question, “Can I play video games?” It’s a Saturday. It’s a Saturday and I’m tired from meeting the week’s demands, so I consent to video games “...for a little while.”

At 8:30 a.m., Marigold has taken every single piece of clothing, every item of jewelry, every pair of shoes, and every hair accessory out of the dress-up drawers. Poppy has not moved from her perch in front of the TV. At 8:45 a.m., Marigold decides it’s “pwobably wunch time” and begins to pilfer through the cabinets. I tell her to remove herself from the kitchen, as it is a good two and a half hours until lunch, so she asks for a “wittle snack.” She takes an orange from the counter and skulks back to the

bedroom, where she peels the orange and tosses the orange peels helter-skelter. Poppy is putting the finishing touches on a fortress in Minecraft.

At 9:00 a.m., Marigold decides it’s her turn to play video games. Poppy disagrees. Marigold lunges for the controller and a tug-of-war on a level not seen since the 1920 Olympics ensues. I am forced to referee.

At 9:02 a.m., Marigold happily destroys Poppy’s fortress. Poppy wails.

At 9:10 a.m., Marigold is building her own fortress while I hold Poppy in my lap, unable to do any of the 636-ish things that are on my to-do list.

At 9:30 a.m., Marigold concedes the controller to Poppy, who leaves my lap and rests herself atop her perch in front of the TV. Marigold goes to the bookshelf, takes out approximately 35 books and scatters them onto the floor. She chooses five and takes them into my bedroom where she plops down to read.

At 10:00 a.m., Marigold decides to paint pictures.

This lures Poppy away from the video games.

They take every color of acrylic, non-washable paint from my craft box. They look through the bins full of old notebooks and notepads, but instead they choose a new ream of computer paper. I have just finished picking up the dressup clothes that would rival Mariah Carey’s closet and the orange peels, and have started picking up the 35 books. “Don’t spill the paint,” I warn. “Be careful!” I say. Why am I wasting these words?

The paint will be spilled. No care will be taken.

By 10:32 a.m., I am now the proud owner of an art collection. I have 240 drying paintings arranged on every flat surface in my home. I also have newly designed curtains. They’re an 80’s paint-splatter motif.

At 10:50 a.m., I go into the kitchen to prepare lunch for my starving artists. Since breakfast was toast (because the cereal had no marshmallows), lunch cannot be peanut butter and jelly because the jelly was used for the toast (because the cereal had no marshmallows.) The chaos theory is scientific law in my home.

At 10:56 a.m., I look in the sink, where I have two bags of apples soaking in a vinegar and baking soda concoction to remove the pesticides--firstly, because these precious children who drink creek water when I’m not looking cannot eat a

pesticide-covered apple, and also, I cannot afford organic apples--and I see, lo and behold, that someone has taken precisely one bite out of every apple and placed each apple back into the soaking solution.

At 11:00, I lovingly yell that lunch is ready. I give Marigold the ham sandwich (“No cheese!”) and Poppy the cheese sandwich (“No ham!”) each has requested.

At 11:15, I see that there are only 45 minutes until nap time. I smile, rubbing my hands together like a joyful cricket.

At 11:25, the twins are fed and full just after refilling their glasses with milk. They run off to play, Poppy finishing the fortress while Marigold meanders over to the Barbie bin.

At 11:32, Odessa, the family cat, has discovered the cups full of milk that I, the family mom, have forgotten to clear off the table. She tips both cups over. I am angry at Odessa, the family cat, for doing normal cat things instead of being angry at myself, the family mom, for neglecting mom duties and for not teaching the twins, the family monsters, to clear the table themselves.

At 11:51, I bellow the words the twins dread the most, “Nap time!” Cries of protest from the twins.

Orders to use the bathroom from me. I follow Poppy to the bedroom where she must spend the next nine minutes looking for her Spider-Man lovey. I see that there has been an explosion in the room. A nuclear Barbie bomb has been detonated.

I demand that Marigold help me. Instead, she spends the next nine minutes using the bathroom that she had just insisted she didn’t need to use.

At 12:00 p.m., I herd the twins into my bedroom and dive toward my three-inch slice of the mattress.

I pull the blankets up around my head. Marigold lies horizontally across the top of the bed, holding one of my hands. Poppy lies at the bottom of the bed, her head resting on my buttocks, which make for a great pillow, she has told me.

At 12:08 p.m., after telling “Handsome and Gretel” for the 436th naptime, I drift off to sleep. Marigold and Poppy have positioned themselves in the bed so that they can have a kick fight without robbing me of my three-inch slice of the bed.

At 12:19 p.m., awakened from my doze by the absence of noise, the only sound I hear is the whirring of the fan. I push Poppy off my legs and settle in for a deep sleep, a sleep that I hope will strengthen me for the rest of the day. peekaboonwa.com

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28 October 2017

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OUT&ABOUT

Fall Events in Northwest Arkansas

.......................................

Crystal Bridges Youth and Family Programs 600 Museum Way Bentonville crystalbridges.org October 18th 6-8pm WOW » Oktoberfest in the Ozarks Join Crystal Bridges Culinary Director Case Dighero and special guests as they discuss the art of beer making in the twenty-first century.

Open to guests ages 21 and above. $40 ($32 for Members), register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.233 Family Sunday Art for All October 8th 12PM-5PM Join us for a day full of artmaking with a focus on inclusion!

Teen Night Fright at the Museum October 21st 7PM-10PM High school students from all over Northwest Arkansas are invited to attend our annual Halloween-themed Teen Night, featuring live music, dancing, a costume contest, murder mystery, and artmaking!

30 October 2017

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Walnut Farm Fall Family Days

October 7th 9am to 12pm 4208 E Central Ave. Bentonville Pumpkin patch and decorating area, hay maze, 4-H animal encounters, sensory activites, reading nook, bake sale, BBQ and so much more!

Ticket price includes 1 pumpkin per child and access to all activites! There will be BBQ from Kersey Brothers Barbecue on site for purchase to satisfy your lunch cravings!

We will also be selling raffle tickets for $10 each. $500 case prize. Please contact WFMS or any attending families that you know to purchase tickets.

The winning raffle ticket will be picked at 11am on October 7th at Fall Festival.

.......................................

Homegrown Festival Saturday, October 7 10-5pm Twin Springs Park SILOAM SPRINGS The Homegrown Festival showcases locally handmade goods, curated vintage, food trucks, and live music.

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OKTOBEERFEST

October 7 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Downtown Rogers Please join us for a traditional German Oktoberfest-themed craft beer, food and game festival sponsored by Brick Street Brews.

The festival will take place at the Downtown Rogers Farmers Market on Saturday, October 7th

from 3:00pm-7:00pm following the Oktoberfest Strongman Competition!

.............................

Costumes, Candy & Cops Carnival

October 27 5-9pm Benton County Sheriff's Office 1300 SW 14th St, Bentonville Join us for a trunk or treating FREE family fun festival at the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Wear your costume, play some games, trunk or treat and watch a movie in our park. Free food, drinks, & Ccndy while supplies last. You won't want to miss this fun family event!

.............................

First Friday- Fall Fest

Downtown Bentonville October 6th 12-8pm On the first Friday of every month, Bentonville Square is transformed into a themed community block party with live music, outstanding food, and family friendly activities.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..

The Rodeo of the Ozarks Arts & Craft Fair Parson’s Stadium, Springdale 3-day event offering indoor and outdoor vendors with a wide array of products. Join us October 13th15th for a festival full of unique handmade items, holiday gifts, edible treats, and more!

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UA Homecoming Week Oct. 30-Nov. 4 The Homecoming Parade will be on Dickson Street before Friday night’s pep rally. The fun will end with the Arkansas Razorbacks football game against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 4.

Ghost Walks Rogers Histroical Museum Oct. 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 7-9pm Come take a walk around downtown Rogers and encounter tales of murder, mischief, and mayhem from long ago. Each story is taken from the obituaries of Benton County and told by a costumed interpreter. Over the course of 45 minutes participants will hear six mysterious or mischievous yet true stories from the first murder in Rogers committed by a woman to an unfortunate death by a lightning strike. Cost for the walk is $5.00 per person. The route is handicap accessible. Each group is limited to 16 people. Registration is required. Call the Museum at 479-621-1154 to reserve your date and time.

War Eagle Mill Arts & Crafts Fair Revel in the sights, sounds and aromas of the Ozarks while enjoying handcrafted work from national artisans.

War Eagle, Rogers

Fall Festivals

It's Fall Y'all Craft Fair Four Points by Sheraton Bentonville 211 Southeast Walton Boulevard, Bentonville

.......................................

Spanker Creek Farm Arts & Crafts Festival Visitors will enjoy an outdoor beautiful Ozark setting, with Spanker Creek running along one side, and rolling hills on the other.

Spanker Creek Farm, Bella Vista 8:00am-5:00pm

Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival Bella Vista 8:00am-5:00pm Rodeo of the Ozarks Arts & Crafts Fair A festival full of unique handmade items, holiday gifts, edible treats, and so much more!

Parsons Stadium, Springdale War Eagle Fair The War Eagle Fair features approximately 250 booths full of juried arts and crafts.

War Eagle, Hindsville

Arkansas Apple Festival October 6-7-8, Lincoln.

Arts and crafts, fair food, kids' activities and apples galore.

peekaboonwa.com

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Fast Lane Entertainment

Hosting NWA’s Best Birthday Parties since 2008!

Build your own party with: Bowling Laser Tag Roller Coasters Spin Zone Bumper Cars indoor Play Structure

Book Your Party Today And Experience The WOW! 1117 N Dixieland St. Lowell, AR | www.fastlanebowl.com 479-659-0999 32 October 2017

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OUT&ABOUT

Fall Events in Northwest Arkansas

2017 Zombie Epidemic

Modern Mission 3484 E. Joyce Blvd., Fayetteville 7-11p, Oct. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28th

Space is extremely limited. Please reserve your tickets in advance. Take advantage of our advanced tactical equipment as the zombie battle unit (ZBU) and Vulture teams engage in 4 fierce missions. Must be at least 12 years old. Price: $25.00 per person .......................................

Trunk or Treat event Octobery 27th 5-8pm Arvest Ballpark

Wear your costumes and join the fun! FREE admission, but must have tickets. Character appearances, fire trucks, fire safety house, bounce house, Arkansas' longest inflatable obstacle course from 16:9 Entertainment LLC and much more.For ticket details visit www. facebook.com/FayettevilleMacaroniKid .......................................

Tinkerfest Amazeum October 7 9am - 4pm

The Amazeum will bring together makers, artists, and tinkerers to showcase their work while inviting attendees of all ages to join in the DIY (do it yourself ) fun. Tinkerfest brings technology together with craftspeople, educators, families and artists to learn from each other. .......................................

Fall Harvest Fest

Fayetteville Farmers' Market October 7 at 9 AM - 12 PM

Celebrate autumn with the Fayetteville Farmers' Market Fall Harvest Fest! Enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of the season with a variety of activities for everyone! Activity booths and workshops. This event is free. .......................................

Bentonville Community Center Free Pumpkin Painting

2-6 p.m., Oct. 27.

Free Halloween Party/Family Costume Event

5-7 p.m., Oct. 28. .......................................

Crescent Ghost Tour Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs Through October 31

Tour America’s most haunted hotel. Ghost tours are intended for ages 8 and up. For families with younger children we recommend taking the 7pm ghost tour, which has been designed in a more family-friendly manner. .......................................

Trick-or-Treating on the Square Goblin Parade, Downtown Rogers, 3:30-5:30p, Oct. 31

Fayetteville Square 3-5pm, Oct. 31 Trick-or-Treating at the last Farmer’s Market of the season on the Bentonville Square 7:30a-1p, Oct. 28.

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Walton Arts Center

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone™

waltonartscenter.org

October 7th 7pm; The Amp

Oct. 17: Live Nation presents Shopkins Live!

Shop It Up! Oct. 27: Secret Agent 23 Skidoo Oct. 30-31: The Rocky Horror Picture Show .......................................

Film starts at 7pm. | Tickets start at $20 Music of a live symphony orchestra. Momentous scenes from the film play on a giant screen in highdefinition while John Williams’ unforgettable score is performed by members of the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas (SoNA).

34 October 2017

36 October 2017

PUMPKIN PAT CHES MCGARRAH FARMS Pick your own pumpkins, either in the field or from a variety of pre-picked pumpkins. Children’s mule train ride, tall grass maze, complimentary tractor-pulled hay rides, a picnic area, and hay stacks to play on.

They also schedule group functions, birthdays, and school field trips!

www.mcgarrahfarms.com

Ozark Corn Maze Come get lost with us! Fall family fun. 7.5-acre corn maze (farm scene), 4-acre pumpkin patch, petting zoo, corn cannon, cow train, hay maze, kids’ play area, covered picnic tables, pony rides and helicopter rides (only on certain weekends - watch website and Facebook for dates!).

12880 Hwy 112 Cave Springs

www.ozarkcornmaze.com

Farmland Adventures Giant corn maze, a mini maze, a kids' play area, pony rides, a petting farm, wagon rides, a pumpkin patch, pig races and campfires.

5355 Parsons Road, Springdale (479) 799- 5033

www.farmlandadventures.com

Exerter Corn Maze Corn maze, pumpkin jumps, zip line, pumpkin cannon, cow train, Lil Kernels Raceway, petting zoo, corn cannons, The Shootout Shack, free campfire areas, hayride, Zombie Paintball, The Harvest of Terror, the Haunted Barn and more.

State Hwy MM, Exeter, MO (417) 846-3959

www.exetercornmaze.com

Bullwick Farms Pumpkin Patch Pick and purchase your perfect pumpkin! Bullwick Farms will have a pumpkin patch at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks this fall! The pumpkin patch will be set up outside garden gates next to the parking lot. Admission to the patch is free, and it will be open from September 30 through October 29, on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays from 9:00 am4:00 pm.

www.bullwickfarms.com

&

CORN MAZES

Legacy Pumpkin Patch We have over 5 acres of unique and beautiful pumpkins to choose from. We also have corn stalks and gourds. We can help you design your own fall display. Playhouse village, - hang clothes on the line, dig in the “garden,” and more! Corn box, hay rides, hay play and more. We also host birthday parties on the farm! Please contact us for more details.

www.legacypumpkins.com

Annabelle’s Fun Farm Annabelle’s Fun Farm is Northeast Oklahoma Premier family fall destination!

Come enjoy a day of fun at the farm. Take a hayride to the pumpkin patch and pick your own pumpkin from the field. Ride the Annabelle Express mini train, navigate your way through the giant corn maze, mine for gemstones, feed the farm animals, and try your hand at the New 3/D Paint Ball Barn!

www.annabellesfunfarm.com

Right Choices Corn Maze Located in the Ozarks of Southwest Missouri, we have many activities for your family to enjoy!

Corn maze, pick-your-own pumpkin patch, hay rides, cow train, corn cannon, corn jump, Roller Slide, corn box, Pumpkin Ball, crafts in the Pumpkin House, plus many more family-friendly activities! 1161 Manning Rd, Southwest City, MO

fryecomputers.com/RightChoices/

Fun Farm Pumpkin Patch Make a day trip to Kansas City’s newest fall adventure destination. We have activities and games for kids of all ages, from the young to the young at heart. Your children can enjoy activities like our tricycle track, pumpkin cannon, barrel train, rubber duck races and more. They can explore playgrounds, enjoy our slides, and bounce to their hearts’ content in our jumbo jumper.

funfarmpumpkinpatch.com

Pick Your Own Pumpkin at: Vanzant Fruit Farm www.vanzantfruitfarms.com

Riverside Haunt Attractions

Appel Farms

Lost Corn Maze. Improvised Zombie Shoot and Haunted Warehouse.

Dickey Farms

haunts.riverside-entertainment.com

www.facebook.com/AppelFarmsNWA www.facebook.com/dickeyfarmsar peekaboonwa.com

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38 October 2017

ENROLLING FOR FALL ER - MAY ss R SEPTEMincBlud SCHOOL YchEA ing a Bridge cla ildren ages 3-5 years

Classes offered for

Our staff of early childhood professionals provide children learning opportunities to promote growth of the whole child and tailored to develop individual skills and needs. High quality, developmentally appropriate environment for children ages 3,4 and 5!

905 South 13th Street • Rogers

A MINISTRY OF FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Call today! 479-636-3338

VIEW POSTS OF ACTIVITIES, CLASSROOMS AND PLAYGROUND BY VISITING US ON FACEBOOK

LEVEL 3 CENTER MEETS OR EXCEEDS ALL STANDARD AREAS OF ADMINISTRATION, STAFF AND FACILITY REQUIREMENTS

peekaboonwa.com

39

OUT&ABOUT

Fall Events in Northwest Arkansas

.......................................

Night at the Museum

Prairie Grove Battlefield Battlefield Park October 28 6-9pm

Legend says that the exhibits in Hindman Hall and the structures along our Ozark Village come to life after dark.

Don't believe us? Chances are you will run into General Hindman, some Union soldiers, perhaps an old storyteller, some local families from the 1800's, and maybe even a blacksmith! So many stories are part of the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park heritage; come see these stories come to life... after dark, that is. .......................................

Tombstones That Tell Tales October 15 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Hobbs State Park Visitor Center

Tombstones don't just mark a burial site.

According to graveyard researcher, Abby Burnett, "Epitaphs can be funny.

Epitaphs can be serious.

Epitaphs can be revealing.

Epitaphs can tell tales of murder, hangings, and unusual deaths. I'll show you clues on tombstones of the names of the 40 October 2017

murderer or hints that something has happened." .......................................

Howl-O-Ween Spooktacular October 28 7- 9:00 p.m.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge Eureka Springs, AR www.turpentinecreek.org

Join TCWR for their annual Halloween celebration during the only time of year to see the Refuge's animal residents at night.

Enjoy music, games, costume contests, haunted hay rides and more during this family-friendly event. .......................................

Treats at the Tracks Family Carnival Oct. 27 - 6:30pm Arkansas Missouri Railroad SPRINGDALE

The public is invited to a special birthday party on Tuesday, October 10th. In addition to exploring the garden, guests can enjoy ice cream (while supplies last), gardening tips from the BGO horticulture team, a photo booth, balloon animals, music and more!

Also don't miss the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks Little Sprouts Costume Parade, starting at 10:15 a.m., Oct. 25

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Bible Walk & Fall Festival at Rogers First Church of the Nazarene Oct 28 5:00-7:30 pm Rogers First Church of the Nazarene 4911 W. Pleasant Grove Road Rogers Rogersfirst.com

Treats at the Train will provide a fun, safe place for families to come trick-or-treat on the train, enjoy carnival games and live music, and have lots of fun. There will also be a haunted train for the older and braver kids. Proceeds benefit the House of Hope Rescue Mission, helping us feed the hungry and help the homeless of Northwest Arkansas. Canned good donations for our food pantry will also be accepted. Admission is $5.00 (Kids 2yrs and under are Free). .......................................

FREE fun family event! Discover treats through the Bible stories at our Bible Walk! Enjoy exciting games, bouncy houses, a photo booth, a huge maze, lots of candy, and much more at our Fall Festival! And don't forget to visit our chili supper fundraiser! You won't want to miss out on all the fun! .......................................

Botanical Gardens 10th Birthday

October 6th.

Life is full of reasons to celebrate and Young ChefsÂŽ Academy takes these celebrations to a whole new culinary level!

Botanical Gardens Tuesday, October 10 4-8pm

Mom and DaughterSon Cooking Class Young Chefs Academy

rogersar.youngchefsacademy.com

Family Foto Fest October 28th and 29th Mt. Sequoyah and Turnbrow Park

Family Foto Fest is an annual fundraiser in which donors purchase a 30-minute, outdoor, professional photo session for $150. Sessions will be available the weekends of October 28/29 and November 4/5 at either Mt. Sequoyah in Fayetteville or Turnbow Park in Springdale. Family Network’s home-based prenatal and parenting education program is modeled after Healthy Families America, a national initiative, to help parents of newborns get their children off to a healthy start. They serve pregnant women and atrisk mothers, in Washington County. Photo sessions for Family Foto Fest can be reserved by emailing fff2017@familynetworknwa.com .......................................

Halloween Monster Dash October 29 downtown Fayetteville halloweenmonsterdash.com

A Halloween-themed 5k and Fun Run

involving a costume contest and candy treats along the course. This is a unique themed run which celebrates health, an active lifestyle and the changing of the seasons while still getting to eat some chocolate! .......................................

HallowZOOeen Tulsa Zoo October 27 – October 31 6-9pm For tickets: www.tulsazoo.org/boo

Princesses and Komodo dragons can enjoy HallowZOOeen from 6 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 27, 30 and 31, with last tickets sold at 8:30 p.m. To allow more time for candy and costumes, the Tulsa Zoo will open one hour early on Sat. and Sun., Oct. 28 and 29, at 5 p.m.

Kids of all ages will enjoy the Pumpkin Patch Playroom with a hay maze, pumpkin decorating and carnival games. Be warned, brave souls, that a tour through the Haunted House can be a hair raising experience.

Corporate-sponsored Goblin Stops line the zoo to provide a safe trick-or-treating environment where your kiddos can fill up goodie bags – and with more than 3 tons of candy, expect plenty of treats.

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MORE EVENTS - OCTOBER

October 7th

Purple for a Purpose 5K & Fun Run Arvest Ball Park 8am-10am Its purpose is raising awareness around the issue of domestic violence here in our community. The chip-timed race will start at 8:00am with the Fun Run to follow at 8:05am. In addition to the 5K, this year’s event will include a 1K Kids Character Run for children 12 & under and accompanying family members, starting at 9:00am.

October 14th

Fun with Mother Nature - Bats - Not Really So Scary 10:30-11:30am Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area Circle around Mother Nature while she tells stories and teaches about the nature surrounding us.Take a closer look at the often misunderstood, but very beneficial, lives of bats! Children of all ages are welcome, but most stories are best suited for children 3-6 years of age.

National Youth Science Day 9 AM - 1 PM Cross Church Student Building 5415 Pinnacle Point Drive, Rogers Come join us in the nation's largest annual science experiment.

Developed by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, the Incredible Wearables kit is a fun way for kids to build wearable fitness trackers. The 70- to 90-minute hands-on project is suitable for 4th to 12th graders. Sign up now for this free event! www.facebook.com/OzarkSTEM

Storytime at the Museum of Native American History 10:30-11am Storytimes are geared towards preschoolers, but are great for all ages.

Hands Full Consignment Sale October 13 from 7 am to 7 pm and Saturday October 14 from 7am to 2pm.

First Security Bank Annex, 125 Main, Springdale.

KIDS EAT FREE EVERY MONDAY AT BLISS! Kids 10 and under get a free Mini, frosting shot, or pretzel rod with purchase of a regular cupcake all day!!

BLISS CUPCAKE CAFE 637 E Joyce Blvd Suite 112 FAYETTEVILLE 4204 W Green Acres Rd

(Promenade Blvd across from Taco Bell)

ROGERS www.blisscupcakecafe.com

Library Story Times: Bentonville Public Library: bentonvillelibrary.org Fayetteville Public Library: faylib.org Springdale Public Library: springdalelibrary.org Rogers Public Library: rogerspubliclibrary.org Siloam Springs Library: siloamsprings.com

October 15th

Hero Half Marathon 8am - 1pm Lake Fayetteville Startline herohalfmarathon.com Run For Your Hero #fayettevilleherohalf. Receive a free t-shirt, finisher medal, and congratulatory beer after running the Hero Half Marathon! Just want to wait on your family and friends to finish running or watch firefighters finish running in FULL GEAR? Hang out in the beer garden, sponsored by Columbus House Brewery, and listen to live music.The Hero Half Marathon started in 2014 as a 9/11 memorial event to commemorate the sacrifices made then and now by firefighters, law enforcement, and first responders. All proceeds support organizations that meet community needs, celebrate an active lifestyle, and honor the heroes in our everyday lives.

Ozark Catholic Academy Open House BBQ 1 PM - 3 PM 192 E Henri de Tonti Blvd, Springdale You are invited to join John Rocha, Head of School and founding committee members at an Open House BBQ at our new location on Sunday, October 15th from 1-3pm. Take tours of the school and the new campus, meet with the Head of School, hear about admissions and how you can help support us as we prepare to open our doors August 2018.

October 18th

Parent Cafe: Food for Thought The Amazeum 6-8pm We are ‘cooking’ something special here at the Amazeum. The Parent Cafe is filled with some pretty tasty tidbits of parenting ideas. Workshops will provide adult caregivers new play-filled recipes that support children’s growth and development. Parent Cafe is an education opportunity for parents/caregivers of children ages 10 years and younger. Adults may register to attend all of the Parent Cafe sessions or may select individual sessions according to their interest. Advanced registration and payment required. www.amazeum.org

October 28th

Tru Lit Festival for Families 10:00AM Fayetteville Public Library Join us in the Children's Library to speak to local children's authors Kristen Gray, M.J. Peters, Rich Davis, Thomas Cochran, Karen Akins, Darcy Pattison, Margaret Holcomb, John L. Colbert, and Len White.

A GET AMP C L COO LE V ON IL BENT !

RT T-SHI

NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

THANKSGIVING CAMP 2017 A DAY OF SPECTACULA R SCIENCE LEARNING!

CE A EXPERIENF MIN D O FULL DAY SCIENCE! G N I BLOW

AGE APPROPRIATE FOR 4 TO 13 YEAR OLDS

Monday, November 20 10-11a.m.

11-12p.m.

12p.m.

1-2p.m.

2-3p.m.

3-4p.m.

Build Your Own Estes Rocket Rocket Launches, and yes you keep the rocket!

Lunch and T-Rex Dinosaur Tooth Castings Fun Science Games interactive with participants Laser Light Show and Make Colorful Butterflies Finish Fossil, Clean up & Cotton Candy for All

Bentonville Community Center • 1101 SW Citizen’s Circle • Bentonville, AR

www.super-sci.com • 479-444-0303

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G

PlayStron

is...

a pediatric therapy group who specializes in speech, occupational and physical therapy. We also recognize there is a need for more education and activities for all children who don't always need individual therapy, but will benefit greatly from enrichment activities.

OFFERING CLASSES AND BIRTHDAY PARTIES! BABY AND ME CLASS • MOMMY AND ME CLASS TODDLER • PRE-K • GYM KIDS • STRONG KIDS SENSORY ART • BIRTHDAY PARTY PACKAGES

PHYSICAL THERAPY Physical therapy focuses on gross motor skills, including learning to walk, run and jump.

Gross motor skills play an important role in peer play and the organization of the child's developing neuromuscular system.

Serial Casting Kinesio Taping Toe Walking Orthotic Management Torticollis Theratogs Gross Motor Delays

44 October 2017

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY Occupational therapy helps the child to learn activities of daily living such as dressing, brushing teeth and shoe tying.

Our therapists can also intervene with children with sensory processing disorders or handwriting difficulties.

Sensory Processing Theraputic Listening Sensory Diets Self-care/ADL Handwriting Fine Motor Delays

SPEECH THERAPY Speech therapy aids the child in acquiring and understanding language, working on word articulation and problem solving. In addition, our speech therapists have training for feeding problems and social difficulties.

Speech Delay Apraxia Tongue Thrust Stuttering Feeding

MEET THOMAS Thomas was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive seizure disorder at 4 months old that left him developmentally delayed. Before attending Playstrong, Thomas had low muscle tone and a regression in milestones.

At 5 months old, Thomas started attending Playstrong Pediatric Therapy appointments. During his first few months at Playstrong, Thomas made great strides during his therapy sessions towards reaching his developmental milestones again.

Unfortunately, Thomas had a stroke at 8 months old that created yet another setback in development.

After the stroke hospital stay, one thing we did not have to worry about afterwards was where Thomas would receive all the therapy that he desperately needed. We knew right where we were going to go - back to Playstrong.

Thomas attends Physical, Occupational and Speech therapy at Playstrong, and he would not be doing as well as he is today without their loving and caring staff. On top of taking great care of Thomas via their trained therapists, Playstrong has helped us every step of the way to get the equipment that Thomas needs in order to thrive.

If you need a therapist in Northwest Arkansas, we'd highly recommend Playstrong Pediatric Therapy!

-Natalie & Joseph Wilson

PEDIATRIC OCCUPATIONAL , PHYSICAL AND SPEECH THERAPY

3625 W. Chestnut St, Rogers | 479-246-0101

playstrongtherapy.com

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45

Twin THE

FC ALMI P I LY S

by: Audra Shaw

Every year in elementary school, my identical twin sister and I would take a picture together on school picture day. Of course, our mom loved having a picture of us together, but it was meant to show the photographers that there were indeed two kids that looked just alike. Sometimes we even held up a sign that said "twins." Despite our best efforts, inevitably, one of our sets of pictures would get thrown away because the developers thought it was a duplicate set of pictures that got printed twice by mistake! Despite this picture mishap every year, being an identical twin has always been a blast!

As identical twins, we loved dressing alike, and did so every day from elementary school through middle school. We even had the hairdresser stand us side-by-side to make sure our hair was the exact same length because we loved being identical! This posed a real problem when we went back to look at pictures, and couldn't tell who was who. You see, we never had to tell each other apart, like our family and friends did. So, when we looked at pictures, we would have to ask our mom, cousin, boyfriend, etc. who was Audra and who was Amber. We were literally in high school before we could tell each other apart in pictures! It's easier now with us fixing our hair and makeup slightly different. As adults, we finally know how to tell ourselves apart in photographs!

Above: 6.5 month old twins Estella 'Stella' Rain and Phoenix B Y Â Storm M A L L'Storm' ORY ROEDER P Hand OTO B Y ELong V E R A F T E R P O RT R A I T U R E Right: Kahlan Hayden 46 October 2017

Specializing in: Early Gender Determinations 2D, 3D/4D Fetal Realistic View Ultrasounds Jensen Hunter and Judson Douglas

4D Ultrasound Studio 3810 N. Front Street, Suite 2 Fayetteville, AR 72703 479-438-0728 or 479-214-1188 Hello Baby 4D Ultrasound of NWA

Heroes, Princesses & More Heroes, Galactic Heroes, Princesses, & MORE that create memorable experiences for parties and event of all types!

Mallory and Grier

Beau and Brett

We strive “to bring smiles to faces one event at a time�!

Currently taking bookings for our seasonal characters for Halloween, Christmas and Easter events as well!

BOOK TODAY!

To see pictures of our wonderful characters and for more information message us on Facebook or call at 479-899-5393! peekaboonwa.com

47

Twin THE

FC ALMI P I LY S

by: ceej littrell

Aidan and Bentley were born on May 21, 2011, when they were 35 weeks along. I was at home, preparing for my baby shower that was to take place the next day, when my contractions started. About half an hour later, we were on our way to drop off my son Elliott at a friend's house on our way to the hospital. The contractions were getting closer and closer, so we pulled over and called for an ambulance that ended up taking me to a hospital in Dayton, Ohio. Aidan came out with just a few pushes; Bentley, on the other hand, decided to crawl right up under my breasts and refused to be moved, so I was prepped for a C-section. Half an hour after Aidan came into the world, Bentley was delivered with the cord wrapped around his neck, and he wasn't breathing. They rushed him off while they finished sewing me up. I don't remember much, but I remember being wheeled in my bed into the NICU, and getting to hold each of my baby boys for the first time.

I am still amazed that God decided to give me two miracles at once. They've both done very well, though Bentley has ADHD and struggles a lot with learning at the pace of other children his age.

Aidan is behind as well, but not by much. They started first grade this year together, despite the school trying to hold them both back.

The principal kept telling me how Bentley wouldn't receive one-onone teaching if I didn't hold him back, and said that he wouldn't learn as fast as the others. I took this as a challenge--that my child will receive the help he needs--and I kept pushing till it was done. I want my children to have the very best, and won't settle for less. It is very hard to get him to sit still and do any homework even with him on medication, but it can be done with patience.

School has been a challenge from the start. Last year, Aidan was bullied a lot, and when he started to defend himself, his teacher would call me and tell me that Aidan had gotten into trouble. I watched on two different occasions where a child was picking on him and his teacher completely ignored it. My biggest fear is that, because they're different and have more needs, their teachers will choose to ignore it and push them aside instead of helping them more. Bentley came home from school yesterday with a bunch of school work he had done, and not on a single paper could you tell that he was helped. It was all him just drawing and doodling. I called the superintendent, and all she could say was to give them time to get his IEP testing done. She said they didn't have enough aids to have extra help with the children.

It breaks my heart that they are struggling in an environment that should be encouraging them, but I won't stop fighting for them to get the help they need. My children are my life, and I couldn't imagine it without them.

48 October 2017

peekaboonwa.com

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Twin THE

CLIPS

Ashton and Avery by: Allie Elliott

The newborn timeframe with twins was a blur – my husband and I had a very systematic approach to doing everything. Our house was like a baby assembly line, and it worked for us. Our “Type A” personalities were beneficial in finding efficient and creative ways to juggle two newborns at once, but we also had to learn how to be more flexible and go with the flow. There were some days we went through 6+ outfits due to reflux! We learned to start preparing to leave the house 30 minutes before we actually wanted to leave, because, inevitably, one baby would need a diaper change, or would spit up as we planned to walk out the door! There were many nights that I stayed awake making sure Avery was breathing, and then, when I assured myself she was fine, I stayed up just a little while longer…

Raising twins has forced us to raise the bar with our parenting, as well as our relationship as husband and wife. We learned what true teamwork is, and how important it is to rely on each other when we feel overwhelmed. There were times when we thought that there was no way we could successfully handle two screaming babies at the same time. However, every time we reached our wits end, we’d recall the terror we had felt as our daughter Avery was fighting

for her life in the NICU when she was first born, and how thankful we were that her lungs had healed and allowed her the ability to scream – it immediately put things into perspective!

The challenge of raising two babies has made us stronger in all aspects of our life together – mentally, spiritually, and physically (hey, hauling around twins and all of their stuff is quite the workout!).

Before having twins, I was a small business owner, and work was my life – all of my time was scheduled to the minute, and I was spinning my wheels. Since having twins, my days are filled with PB&J's, ABC’s, racing toy cars with my little buddy, and watching my little girl twirl around the house in her princess dress – all pretty wonderful ways to spend a day. Sure, we have our challenging days, but the good definitely outweighs the bad!

Oftentimes I’ve been told by well-meaning people, “Better you than me!” and I just give them a knowing smile. Yes, it sure is. I’ve been double blessed, and it’s the best.

Ella and Emelia by: Brittney Wheeler

When someone sees we have twins, we often hear the words, “Double trouble,” but we like to say, “Double blessed!”

Our girls are five years old and just started kindergarten. As they have gotten a little older, it has become easier to get things done around my house, as they can play together and entertain each other often. It's not all roses though--it also means they argue over the same toy, when there are two of that toy, just alike. We often hear that, “She took my toy,” or “She is in my seat,” and the list goes on and on. They have been together since birth. They have eaten together, slept together, played together, and been in the same classes together, but, over the last couple of months, we have been going through a lot of changes, what with being in separate classes in school and choosing to do different extra 50 October 2017

curricular activities.

One of them is a rule-follower most of the time, while the other one--well, it just depends on her mood.

It is so fun to watch how much they love each other and care about the other one’s well-being. If one is sick or hurt, the other worries and doesn’t want to leave her side. We have always tried to spend individual time with each one of them, but every time my husband and I take a girl to do something different, they tell us how much they miss their sister, even when it’s only a been a couple of hours. The bond between twins is something truly amazing, and I cant wait to see how it continues as they get older.

peekaboonwa.com

51

Life Twins O N T H E COVE R

WITH

STORY BY: TARA HOOPER

MARANDA WYNNE PHOTOGRAPHY - NORTHWEST ARKANSAS

M

y husband and I met back in high school, and were together three years before finding out we were expecting our first little blessing, Kolton. He was the biggest shock of our lives, as my boyfriend (now husband) was 19 and I was only 18--just two months away from my high school graduation. We thought life was hectic then, but we just knew that if we could make it through the first year of parenthood at such a young age, we would be golden. Three and a half years later, we decided to start trying for another baby. We got our positive HPT in mid-September. On October 20th, we went in for our 9-week check-up and first ultrasound. While waiting for the nurse to call my name, I looked at

the magazines on the side tables. My husband was well aware of my coworkers joking with me about multiples, so when I looked down at the table and saw the 2016 October Twin Edition of Peekaboo magazine, we both had a pretty good laugh over it.

Next thing we know, a mom walks in with a double stroller. You guessed it! A mom with a set of twins!

My husband pointed her out and then the room just seemed to get really quiet. When we were called back for the ultrasound, I was a complete nervous wreck. What if all these things were some sort of sign that we were really having twins of our own!? Once the doctor placed the ultrasound probe on my belly, we instantly saw two little

heartbeats. TWO! Two babies in two separate amniotic sacs, all in one ultrasound picture!

Nervous wreck turned into emotional wreck. We had a long, very quiet ride home. and you'd think I was crazy by the combination of laughs and tears.

I was feeling so much happiness and excitement, yet I was absolutely terrified and wondering how we were going to make this work. Needless to say, I spent a lot of my time the following days crying, and just praying that God would help guide us through this new chapter in our lives that we had no idea how to manage.

Thankfully, I had the best twin pregnancy that I could've ever asked for. Of course, I had the normal symptoms of nausea and fatigue, but I had no complications whatsoever. 37 weeks and 3 days into gestation we welcomed our two little angels into the world! Twin A, Paislee, was 6lbs, and Twin B, Kaitlynn, was 6lbs 2oz, and neither baby had to do any NICU time. We spent some extra days in the hospital due to both babies having higher than normal bilirubin levels, and our last day in the hospital we found out that Paislee had a heart murmur. After having a heart echo done, we learned that our sweet baby girl had a 3mm

mid-muscular VSD in her heart. There's just nothing in this world that could prepare you for these things to occur. We got to go home a few hours later and begin our new adventure on our own. Our 4-year-old son was absolutely in love with his baby sisters, and very cautious about who touched "his babies." He's been the biggest helper he could possibly be, helping with diaper changes, holding up bottles, and, most importantly, matching hair bows to their outfits-because that's what big brothers do!

In all reality, you don't plan for two babies at one time. You always think it happens to all these other people, but it could never happen to you!

On May 4th, 2017, our DiDi twin girls were born and blessed our lives more than we ever expected! Double the tears, double the giggles, double the feedings and double the diapers, but, most importantly, double the love. I thank God every day for allowing us to go through this journey. Our family of 3 grew into our perfect family of 5 quicker than we had planned, but I am forever thankful to have been blessed with the twin life. It's the most hectic, exciting, stressful thing we've been through, but we love this crazy, beautiful life of ours!

100 West Center, Ste 101 Fayetteville 479-444-7778

A Triple Surprise Family Grows by Three at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital

Photos by: Laura Febbo

It was a happy surprise the day Cassie and Thomas Parker found out they would be having another child, a surprise that soon doubled and then tripled in size.

“The Willow Creek Neonatal Intensive Care Unit has been our practice's go-to NICU since they first opened, due to the fact that they offer the highest level of acuity in our region and also always treat both our patients and providers with a great deal of compassion and courtesy,” Dr. Hill says.

Cassie went to a doctor appointment to discuss changing her birth control medication, only to find out that she was already pregnant!

"Many triplet deliveries are performed early either by being induced or via caesarian section, as in this particular case, because it would be riskier to take the birth to term than to deliver early," explained Jessica Janes, RN, supervisor of the hospital’s NICU.

The Parkers soon found out at an ultrasound appointment that they would have twins. As if two surprises weren’t enough, they received a third surprise at their next ultrasound appointment: their family was going to grow by three.

“To have triplets was definitely a shocker,” Thomas said.

The Parkers have three children who were born prior to the triplets; Odell, 9; Wyatt, 6; and Augustus, 4.

Reflecting back on the reactions to her pregnancy, Cassie told of her four-year-old crying, the reason being that he wanted two babies, but not the third one. Fast forward a few months, and Augustus loves his little brothers and likes to give them their pacifiers when they are fussy.

The Parkers see Chad Hill, M.D., who is an obstetrician and gynecologist at the Siloam Springs Women’s Center. Dr. Hill knew that it was likely they would need the support of a local neonatal intensive care unit, so he recommended the couple deliver their triplets at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital in Johnson.

Natalie Eiland, D.O., obstetrician and gynecologist at the Siloam Springs Women’s Center, performed a caesarian section, delivering the triplets on May 19, almost two months prior to Cassie’s due date.

The triplets, born premature, stayed in Willow Creek’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for about three weeks. Instead of going home themselves, the Parkers decided to stay in Willow Creek’s courtesy room while the triplets were in the NICU. It was the first time they had used a NICU, as they had been in and out of the other three fairly quickly.

Hospital staff encourages parents to stay in the hospital while their babies are in the NICU, according to Tina Babb, MSN, RN, NICU director at Willow Creek and Northwest Medical Center – Bentonville. This in turn encourages the parents to participate in the care of their children, while also helping the

newborns bond with their parents.

The staff was nice, helpful and there for any questions the couple had. “I liked Willow Creek,” Cassie said, “They were awesome.”

Willow Creek’s lactation consultant helped Cassie with any breastfeeding questions or difficulties.

The consultant showed her how to feed two of the infants at one time and then rotate them. The staff was also very informative and kept them up to date about the triplets’ care.

“They took great care of the babies,” Thomas said.

“We didn’t have to worry.”

Hospital staff also encouraged kangaroo care. This involves placing the infant directly on the mother’s bare chest. In Cassie’s situation, she held all three boys at the same time.

These education practices helped Willow Creek become the first in the state to earn the designation of a "Baby-Friendly" hospital. Baby-Friendly is an international designation from the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer a high level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Deliveries of triplets are rare at Willow Creek. About two sets of triplets are born at the hospital each year. It is especially rare that the Parkers’ triplets were natural, since many triplets are the result of fertility treatments.

Cassie, Thomas and their six children are now healthy and happy at home. The Parkers named the triplets Ty Warren, Connor James and Duke Allen.

The three older boys help with their baby brothers by holding them, feeding them and giving them their pacifiers. The oldest child, Odell, even said that he is “so glad the babies are home.” He helped a bit when Augustus was born, but he is helping even more now. He can even tell the triplets apart from the backs of their heads.

“He’s like a mini adult,” Cassie says.

Odell thinks the triplets are cool. Though, he mentions, it’s not very different from when his other brothers came home after being born.

“There’s a lot more crying,” he says.

Overall though, Cassie says the experience has been great.

“They’re pretty good babies,” she says. “They’re content.”

For more information about obstetrics and maternity care at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital, call 479-684-3000 or visit northwesthealth.com.

Expectant mothers may schedule a tour by calling 479-684-3054.

OUR UNCONVENTIONAL INFERTILTY STORY by: Kimberly Smith

A

fter the birth of my oldest daughter at age 23, I decided to have my tubes tied. I always wanted a big family, but, at 23, I had two small children, no savings, and was just starting my career in education. I made the decision that most young mothers in my situation would. The decision to have my tubes tied would become one of the biggest and most costly regrets of my life.

At the age of 31, I found myself a divorced mom of 2 young children. On September 4, 2009, I met the love of my life. Tray was 35 and, having never been married, had no children of his own.

There's nothing like love, happiness, stability, and security to bring back the desire to add to your family. We were married the following July and immediately scheduled an appointment with a fertility specialist about tubal reversal. I had done a lot of research on tubal ligation and reversal procedures, and felt extremely confident in our doctor and this method of trying to concieve. The surgery itself was outpatient and cost just under $8000, and our chance of pregnancy success was about 80%. It was a no-brainer decision, and we proceeded pretty quickly. The surgery was deemed to be a success. For the next 15 months, I charted ovulation and consulted every website known to man on how to increase my chances of pregnancy.

Every month was a complete emotional breakdown of negative pregnancy tests and crushed hopes.

Out of desperation, we scheduled an appointment with Dr. Fry at Lifespring in Bentonville. She immediately scheduled a hysteriogram to check the viability of my tubes, after which we received another devastating blow--both tubes were completely blocked. That was utterly devastating. I was angry, distraught, hopeless... you name it. My emotions ran the gamut.

56 October 2017

At that point, we were told that our only option would be IVF treatment. IVF is not only a tough rollercoaster, physically and emotionally, but is also extremely costly. One IVF cycle costs between $12,000-15,000. It meant many miles of travel, blood draws, ultrasounds, mass amounts of hormone injections, two outpatient surgeries, and then MAYBE you will get pregnant. We were okay with this, though, because the desire to have a child was more important than anything that we would have to go up against. It was still scary, however. It took every bit of financial finagling to finance the first treatment, and we had all our eggs, no pun intended, in that basket. We just knew that it was a done deal. We did successfully end up pregnant, but the pregnancy miscarried at just 6 weeks -- another devastating blow. Not only was it a blow to us, but it was a blow to my two children and our families. We were just done. Our marraige was suffering, our jobs were suffering, our financial reserves were gone, and our emotional stability was rocky at best. We had to let it go, and, for just about a year, we did just that.

We stopped talking about it. I think we were both scared to bring it up to each other for fear of making the other person break down. I couldn't stand being around other pregnant women, and I was constantly reminded that I already had two wonderful and healthy children, and I should just be happy with that -- how awful to say that to someone!

One year later, I was attending a church event and visiting with a friend who had recently had a baby, and I gave in to holding her. That was all it took for me to look at Tray and start crying. We found out that both of us really weren't over it. We wanted to try again, but how in the world were we going to fund it, and what if it didn't work again? Could we emotionally handle that? Could our marriage handle that?

Through some soul-searching and financial assistance from our families, we did move forward with a much more aggressive, more costly IVF cycle. Due to the disappointment of our last cycle,

still only having three good graded embryos, and my age (35), our doctor recommended transferring all 3 of the embryos. The rest is history! I was wellcared for during pregnancy by Dr. Fry (OBGYN) and Dr. Canzoneri (Perinatologist). Hudson, Grant, and Charlotte were born December 13, 2013, at 31 weeks. They were born at Northwest in Bentonville and were immediately transferred to Willow Creek, where we were in the NICU for five weeks. The babies weighed 3.13 lbs, 4 lbs, and 2.8 lbs. Today, they are thriving, healthy, active preschoolers and will be turning four in December.

Raising triplets isn't for the weak, but, with the right support and mindset, we found the joy! My advice is: don't give up. Try every avenue and be sure your choices won't leave you with regrets.

Know it will be tough in every way possible, but, oh, the reward when you finally hold your baby or babies -- all the trials and sadness are forgotten.

Please reach out to me if you have more questions or are looking for triplet support in NWA, at kim. smith.temp@gmail.com

ANSWERING

CALL

THE

by: Jaclyn Williams "We have 15-year-old twins that we would like for you to consider adopting," the adoption specialist told me when I answered the phone. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

It was a warm summer day in 2012, and I was at work, just like any other day. I told her that I would speak to my husband, and give her a call back.

2012 was a year of change for my husband and I. We had begun the process to adopt in March of that year. At the time, it was just us and Oswald, the dog. As we prepared and prayed for the future children God would bless us with, we decided that we were going to open our home to a sibling group of two, possibly somewhere between the ages 5 and 12. Babies kind of scare us (I’m joking… a little)! We knew sibling groups and older children were often harder to place, and we very clearly felt like that’s who God was calling us to adopt. We prepared two of the rooms in our three bedroom, one bath house to receive these future blessings.

The rooms were finished in April, right before I headed back to school to complete my Bachelors degree, followed by my Masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Each time the phone rang, we would wonder if this was the call that would change our lives, and our future children’s lives, forever.

58 October 2017

And that call, on that warm summer day, was just the call we had waited for. When the adoption specialist came over to share more about these 15-year-old girls, we found out that the twins had a younger sister, age 11, that we could adopt as well.

So much of this story was outside of what we had planned for when we began the adoption process.

Then, the specialist asked if we might be willing to let one of the girls bring her cat. After she left, we knew we needed to pray! Going from no children to 2 already seemed like a pretty scary and Godsized goal, but 3 teenagers and a cat—that seemed downright impossible! And did I mention we only had one bathroom, and rooms set up for two?! We prayed about it, and knew that these three beauties were definitely supposed to be ours.

We made rooms meant for two into rooms for three in just a few days, and prepared as best we could.

Due to their older age, and the fact that school was about to start, things moved quickly. We met them one week, and they moved in the next. They moved in on our youngest's 12th birthday, so as you can imagine that birthday consisted of Taco Bell (her choice) and cash as a gift! That day, we became a family of five with a dog AND a cat (have I mentioned I’m not really a cat person?!)

One of our earliest conversations after the girls moved in was about the fact that this new thing we were doing would at times be awkward, and sometimes it was. When strangers become family, lots of grace and flexibility is required. As parents, we skipped the potty training stage and jumped right into all things teenager, like learning how to drive and how to navigate high school.

One of the side effects of adopting teenagers is an increase in your prayer life. Many nights I fell asleep with tears in my eyes as I thought through the day, and how ill-prepared I was for this huge, God-sized task. But that was the thing: it was a task that was too big for me, and too big for my

The CALL is mobilizing Christians from multiple denominations and churches in local communities around Arkansas to meet the needs of local children in foster care. The CALL works with local churches to assemble a support team of volunteers to wrap around their foster and adoptive families.

thecallinarkansas.org husband (and he’s pretty awesome!) We knew if God didn’t show up, we would fail miserably. In the way that God always does, He did show up, and He showed up in beautiful and unexpected ways!

Our daughters showed us grace as we figured out this parenting thing, most of the time on the fly.

We all made mistakes, but we just kept going. It’s now been five years since these three beautiful girls walked into our lives and took up residence in our hearts! Our house has been a little chaotic at times, but it has been the best kind of chaos. They are absolutely the best, and the bravest girls I know, and I can barely remember what our lives were like before them.

So far the only downside I’ve seen to adopting teenagers is that they leave you just as you’re getting to know them really well. Our twins have graduated from high school, and don’t live at home anymore. One is serving in the United States Marine Corp, and one still lives and works in the NWA area. Our youngest daughter is just beginning her junior year of high school, so we only have a few more years left with her. The path that God called us to has not always been easy, but thanks to a whole lot of prayer, grace, and one of the most amazing support systems ever, our lives move forward for the better!

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Maryn & Lillian

O

ur journey began on March 11, 2017.

We attended an infant CPR class at Washington Regional Medical Center that morning, and Danial and I went to lunch afterward, where we joked about how it might be our last "date" before the babies were born. Little did we know, it was. It was our last date, and our last day, as a family of three.

At 12:30am on March 12, 2017, at 33 weeks and 5 days, I was brushing my teeth before bed when my water broke. Luckily, our bags had been packed for weeks. I gathered up my remaining essentials and headed for the car. Just as I got to the top of the stairs, however, I felt a bigger gush. My sister-in-law and brother-in-law were pulling in the driveway to stay with our oldest daughter, Quinlyn.

We literally raced to the hospital. A drive that would normally take us 45 minutes to one hour only took about 25 minutes. Did I mention it snowed that day? As soon as my feet hit the ground in the parking garage, a huge gush soaked me to my ankles. Praise the Lord! We made it! I waddled into Labor and Delivery at Washington Regional Medical Center at about 1:10AM. Dr. Scott Bailey was the on-call physician. Coincidentally, he had delivered my oldest daughter as well. Hearing that he was "the guy" put my mind at ease (somewhat; remember--we are having twins!) It was daylight savings time, so, as they were prepping me for surgery we watched the clocks move forward, which was so ironic, because I literally couldn't believe everything was happening so fast.

60 October 2017

by: Chelsea Palmer Photo by: Main Street Studios

The twins' delivery was night and day compared to my first C-section. My first delivery was a walk in the park by comparison. I couldn't breathe. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest the entire time. I vomited twice (into my own face.)

It. was. awful. Maryn Ruth Palmer (Baby A) was delivered at 4:42AM, weighing 4lbs 15oz. Lillian Belle Palmer (Baby B) was delivered at 4:46AM weighing 4lbs 11oz. I saw them for a brief second before they were taken to their team of doctors.

Danial had to go with the babies and I was alone.

Dr. Bailey still had to remove a large blood clot that had formed between the babies to be sent to pathology. After they finished patching me up, I waited in recovery for any word on my girls. I was so sick. I vomited off and on for the next hour.

After the babies were stable, they wheeled them into recovery one at a time so I could see them before they went up to the NICU. They were so tiny. I remember thinking, how could they possibly be smaller than Quinlyn? Quin had been 5lbs 15oz at 37 weeks. I just couldn't wrap my head around how little they were. Beautiful, but oh so tiny.

I remember asking over and over when I would be able to see my babies again. I tried to rest as much as possible, so I would be able to go upstairs to the NICU. It is agonizing being stuck on the labor and delivery floor. You hear babies crying all day and night when you want nothing more than just to see your baby (or, in my case, babies.) I laid in bed at night and cried myself to sleep. I was discharged three days post-partum. We were so fortunate that the Ronald McDonald House had an opening the

day I was being discharged from the hospital. The RMHC was such a blessing to us during the most difficult time in our lives.

After two days in the Bay, the girls were stable enough to be moved to a private room within the NICU, and so began our 21-day NICU stay. The days were long and monotonous for me.

W

e watched the clocks move forward, which was so ironic, because I literally couldn't believe everything was happening so fast.

My sister kept Quinlyn for us and brought her to the hospital almost every day to visit. Quin had a horrible fear of doctors prior to this. To make matters worse, they had to take her temperature prior to allowing her entry into the NICU, which sent her into hysterics before she even got to our room. We finally worked it out so that my sister took her temperature. That made things go a little more smoothly.

feedings I felt so defeated. Feeding them was the only thing I could do for them. After a week, they graduated to open crib. Holding their temperature was another big step toward going home followed by passing the car seat challenge. Then came the word were thought we'd never hear: "discharge!"

We felt such excitement and anxiety.

Without Quin and Danial, I looked forward to feedings when I could snuggle the girls. Luckily, they both nursed like little champions. After a few days, I started tandem nursing them and never looked back. They slowly began to gain weight.

They tired so quickly breastfeeding, that they had to be supplemented with a feeding tube to achieve a full feeding. Sometimes they wouldn't wake up for feedings at all. At that point, they would receive their entire feeding through the tube. Those

Those 21 days were the most difficult days of my life. I felt so isolated and alone, even though I was surrounded by people endlessly and constantly.

We were so blessed to have such an amazing team of nurses and doctors. The care they provided our girls was outstanding. We are beyond grateful for their hard work and dedication. Maryn and Lillian are healthy and thriving due to the care the amazing NICU team provided them in the first days of their lives.

The Homegrown Festival showcases locally handmade goods, curated vintage, food trucks, and live music. We'll see you there on Saturday, Oct 7th, from 10am-5pm in historic downtown Siloam Springs!

Here in Northwest Arkansas, people are working with their hands.

They’re moving into old houses and pulling up the linoleum to polish wood floors. They’re trimming the oldgrowth trees that have been here since this land was owned by France.

Here in Arkansas you’ll find gardens in backyards, and hot loaves of good bread coming out of ovens. In the fall you’ll smell woodsmoke in the air from cooking fires. Here, you’ll find piles of sawdust outside propped-open back doors and old windows getting polished for the first time in years. You’ll see painters teaching people how to stroke a figure onto a canvas, a pale designer mapping a mural onto the long-blank side of an old building. Amateur brewers are gathered in somebody’s garage around a fermenter. Beadmakers are nursing their torches. Musicians are tightening their strings and drum heads, licking their reeds. Bakers are caring for their levains. Gardeners are regarding their ruddy fingernails. Cooks pressing tortillas. Anglers tying flies.

Cheesemakers are warming their milk.

Yes, it is a beautiful thing. The October 7th Homegrown Festival in historic downtown Siloam Springs will be a celebration of this idea -- this tradition of making.

62 October 2017

The handmade object is a treasure.

Better yet, the made object is a treasure.

If it weren’t, then mass-produced images hung in hospitals wouldn’t have little wisps of clear acrylic laid over prints to simulate brushstrokes, and nation-wide restaurant chains wouldn’t advertise homestyle cooking. I simply say made and not handmade because things mass-produced are, as the description suggests, products. A car seat isn’t made.

A hand-carved rocking horse is.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I don’t suggest that everything you need, you should make. We can’t all become a carpenter every time we need a bookshelf. And if we had to make every piece of art we hung on our walls, I would have even more decoration problems than I already have. The point is, there are people all around us in Northwest Arkansas who are wonderful makers. Getting the things we need from them not only encourages makers to devote themselves to their craft, it helps us understand our home, Arkansas, and it makes for a better bookshelf--or beer, or pair of earrings.

I can’t tell you that every object you buy, in order to live a happy and healthy life, should be handmade. But I do suggest that living a life in closer proximity to real objects, made by a person--a life spent eating more food and less food products--is far more beautiful (if not healthier and better for the environment) than the alternative.

On October 7th, from 10am to 5pm there are going to be a whole bunch of people that make this living a “made” life more possible--at tables and under tents in the park and lined up along Broadway St. in historic downtown Siloam Springs--people who make things with their hands and hearts and minds. They make music and jewelry.

Ice cream and poetry. T-shirt designs and makeup. Coffee and pottery.

Hammocks and tacos. And a whole lot more. Between the old buildings and by the meandering Sager Creek you’ll find live music, a pumpkin patch, and tons of free activities for kids that encourage hands-on creativity and making. You should come by. It’s called the Homegrown Festival. And it’s going to be beautiful.

Sam Dinger is a fiction writer and an adjunct instructor of English at John Brown University.

peekaboonwa.com

63

Inspired by Family.

Dr. Ashu Dhanjal Focuses on Preventative Cardiac Care A

shu Dhanjal, M.D., FACC, knew from the age of five that she wanted to be a doctor. She also has a couple of uncles who practice medicine, inspiring her to enter that career field as well.

“They were my mentors,” she said.

Years later, Dr. Dhanjal’s father passed away from a heart attack. This loss shifted Dr. Dhanjal’s focus to preventative care for cardiology patients.

Dr. Dhanjal is a board certified non-invasive cardiologist, who recently joined the active medical staff of Northwest Health, practicing at

Northwest Cardiology – Fayetteville at 1695 E Rainforest Drive, Suite 4.

Dr. Dhanjal moved to the U.S. from India about 10 years ago. She said she can help patients more in the U.S. because the medicine and technology in the U.S. is more up to date than in India. The U.S. also has a better working environment for medical professionals.

Dr. Dhanjal volunteered for three to four years with an organization called Impact India before she moved to the U.S. She was a volunteer surgeon on a mobile hospital train for one week each year. The train moved locations every one to two months to different rural parts of India, while the volunteer doctors provided free care for needy patients.

“That was so much fun,” she said.

Dr. Dhanjal received her medical education at Lady Hardinge Medical College in Delhi, India. She then completed an internal medicine residency and a clinical fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

While at Marshall University, Dr. Dhanjal was involved with the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women program. She explained that women’s cardiac health is a very important subject to her, and the program helped her to get in touch with the community. She hopes to be involved in the program in Northwest Arkansas.

Dr. Dhanjal lives with her husband and two daughters. Outside of work, she likes to travel and enjoys art and music.

Dr. Dhanjal is currently accepting new patients. Visit NW-Physicians.com or call 479-757-5200 to schedule an appointment.

64 October 2017

to A COLUMN FOR MOMS, BY MOMS, AND FOR THE LOVE OF MOMS

By Meagan Ruffing

and What to Expect on Halloween Night for Your Sensory-Sensitive Child

W

by: Meagan Ruffing

ith the new school season well on its way, it seems like our kids are more eager than ever to pick out their Halloween costumes for this year’s fright-filled night. Picking out the perfect costume is just half of the fun when you and your family are gearing up for Halloween, but for those parents who have kids on the Autism spectrum, this time of the year can be a catalyst for unavoidable meltdowns. Your first insider tip?

Consignment stores are the way to go. Keep reading to find out why... and for 5 ‘tried and true’ tips from a mom who has done the work for you.

Consignment Stores

are your best friends for Halloween costumes. Why? Simply put, kids change their minds every few minutes about what they want to be. Add in the fact that your child hates the feeling of any sort of tag on his or her skin and you’ve got yourself a recipe for one unhappy child. Avoid the struggle altogether, and take your kid to a consignment store. For a couple of bucks for each costume, you can let them pick out more than one. That way, if their Spider-Man costume doesn’t feel right on Halloween night, you can let them pick from the other ones you picked up, and not feel bad about the price. As you know, what feels good one day to these children, does not always feel good the next time. Take the worry out of what they’re going to wear and buy several costumes for less money.

66 October 2017

Role Play your way through Halloween night.

Have your son or daughter get all dressed up in their costume and pretend that it’s really Halloween, before it even happens. This technique helps you work out all the kinks you might run into on the real night, but gives you time to make things right by doing it early. Sometimes the slightest mishap can set off our sensory-sensitive children. Maybe it’s the loud noises, or sensory overload of going from house to house while repeating “trick or treat” over and over again. Ask a neighbor if your daughter can ring her doorbell, and do a mock run before the real deal. Many times these kids are socially delayed, and need to be coached and taught on how to appropriately do the trick-ortreating thing. Setting your child up for success is the key to a smoother Halloween.

Set a Limit on How Much Candy Your Child Can Eat before you start trick or treating. Doing this before the actual night will create a boundary with your kid about what they can expect when candy starts flying his way. Being lenient about their candy consumption is okay for Halloween, usually, but for children who have trouble with impulse, too much candy can be a recipe for disaster. You might say, for instance, that every tenth house they can eat one piece, or maybe one every 35-40 minutes. Do what works for you and your child. If waiting until you get home for the night and laying all of their candy out first is what you decide, then go for it! Kids do better when they know what to expect.

Scary Costumes and Screaming Kids can

set any child off, but for children who are sensitive to loud noises and get scared easily, these two things can get them off-kilter to the point where they emotionally shut down. This looks different for everyone, but some physical expressions of this from your child might be screaming back, crying, yelling or even acting out because they can’t process what just happened. To prepare for this, talk to your daughter or son about what Halloween night might be like. Tell them there will be loud noises (do they want to wear headphones?) Tell them there will be scary costumes (do they want to stop and get a hug from you when they see one?)

Tell them there might be older kids who run past (remind them to stick close by to avoid getting separated.) Ask them if they have any questions, reassure them that Halloween is a fun night, and

With an 8-year-old son who has Sensory Processing Disorder, Meagan Ruffing makes it one of life’s missions to set him up for success. You can read more about her story in her new book, “I See You: Helping Moms Go from Overwhelmed to In Control” available on Amazon. remind them to tell you if they need anything while you’re out and about collecting candy. Most of the time, these kids just need to know what to expect, that they’re safe, and that you’ve got their back if they need you.

Take Another Adult if You Can.

Having another person with you is helpful if you need to take your kiddo back to the car to cool down for a few minutes. Having that extra person will help things run smoothly for your other children who are not on the spectrum, and want to continue trick or treating. As the parent of a child who has special needs, guilt can creep in when we feel our other children are having to compromise all the time. Holidays are usually that time when the guilt just piles on. Take a deep breath. Have fun. You’ve got this!

Halloween is a great time of the year to let loose and have some fun, but avoiding the stress that can come with busy nights will benefit everyone.

Use these tips to get your sensory-sensitive child ready for a night they’ll want to remember and try to enjoy watching this Halloween through your child’s eyes. peekaboonwa.com

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Now Offering Aesthetic Services Women's Health Associates is excited to now offer skin care services to look and feel your best!

We offer medical-grade products and treatments including:

LATISSE | OBAGI VI PEELS | DERMAPEN MICRODERMABRASION DERMAPLANING This allows us to provide individualized, high quality care for each patient. We would love the opportunity to discuss your cosmetic and skin care needs. Initial consultations are always free.

Meet our Aesthetician Randi Saunders, LMA, CLT, PB

Randi is a licensed medical aesthetician, licensed permanent makeup technician and certified laser technician with over eleven years of experience.

She received extensive laser training from the IMAJ Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona with the most advanced aesthetics curriculum in the nation. She has additionally been certified by the American Institute of Intradermal Cosmetic Arts and Sciences in Boca Raton, Florida. She also has advanced training in paramedical micropigmentation and permanent makeup.

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500 SECenter PlazaPkwy., Ave Suite Bentonville, Akansas 2900 Medical 370 • Bentonville, Arkansas

479-876-8111 www.whanwa.com

Our office is open Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

68 October 2017

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At a

Glance ARTS and MUSIC

Amazeum (Pg. 22) (479) 696-9280 Crystal Bridges (Pg. 17) (479) 418-5700 crystalbridges.org Trike Theatre (Pg. 23, 36) (479) 464-5084 triketheatre.org Walton Arts Center (Pg. 23) waltonartscenter.org Wing Studios (Pg. 24) wingstudios.net

BANKS First Security (Pg. 51) www.fsbank.com; www.onlyinark.com

CHILDCARE/NANNY SERVICES ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 63) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com Better Beginnings (Pg. 65) (800) 445-3316 arbetterbeginnings.com First Friends Preschool (Pg. 39) 479-636-3338 Mary’s Little Lambs Preschool (Pg. 71) (479) 273-1011

CLOTHING Oh Baby Boutique (Pg. 55) ohbabynwa.com

DENTIST Pediatric Dental Associates (Pg. 57) (479) 582-0600

DERMATOLOGY / SKIN CARE Advanced Dermatology / Skin Care Center (479) 268-3555 (Pg. 25) Arkansas Laser Solutions (Pg. 43) arkansaslasersolutions.com NWA Center for Plastic Surgery (Pg. 2) (479) 571-3100 nwacenterforplasticsurgery.com

EDUCATION/TRAINING

Academic Math & Language Therapy (Pg. 15) (479) 253-3256 Aloha (Pg. 47) alohamindmath.com Goddard School (Pg. 63) (479) 262-0970 GoddardSchool.com Super Science (Pg. 43) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com Thaden School (Pg. 36) (479) 268-5321

To advertise email: editor@peekaboonwa.com

Woodland Academy (Pg. 4) (479) 621-1060 Wing Studios (Pg. 24) wingstudios.net Young Chef's Academy (Pg. 29) (479) 401-2006

FAMILY FUN / ENTERTAINMENT Amazeum (Pg. 22) (479) 696-9280 Crystal Bridges (Pg. 17) (479) 418-5700 Farmland Adventures (Pg. 61) (479)799-5033 Fast Lane Entertainment (Pg. 32) (479) 659-0999 www.fastlanebowl.com McGarrah Farms (Pg. 13) McGarrahFarms.com Rogers Historical Museum (Pg. 35) (479) 621-1154 Spotlight Characters (Pg. 47) (479) 899-5393 Starlight Skatium (Pg. 35) (479) 444-STAR Super Science (Pg. 43) (479) 444-0303 www.super-sci.com Trike Theatre (Pg. 23, 36) (479) 464-5084 triketheatre.org Walton Arts Center (Pg. 23) waltonartscenter.org

FOOD / DRINK Bliss Cupcake Cafe (Pg. 42) blisscupcakecafe.com TCBY (Pg. 3) (479) 636-8229 (TCBY)

HEALTH AND WELLNESS Advanced Dermatology / Skin Care Center (479) 268-3555 (Pg. 25) Arkansas Laser Solutions (Pg. 43) arkansaslasersolutions.com Best Start (Pg. 19) (479) 575-9359 Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 49) fccare.org Monat (Pg. 58) (479) 685-2991 Northwest Primary Care (Pg. 8-9) nw-physicians.com NWA Health Solutions (Pg. 11) (479) 636-1324

HOME Carpet Smart (Pg. 69) (877) 653-5576

JEWELRY AND GIFTS David Adams (Pg. 67) davidadams.com (479) 444-7778

To advertise email: editor@peekaboonwa.com

LEARNING CENTER Academic Math and Language Therapy (Pg. 15) (479) 253-3256 www.amltherapy.com ABC Happy Kids Learning Academy (Pg. 63) (479) 202-5691 abchappykids.com First Friends Preschool (Pg. 39) 479-636-3338 Mary’s Little Lamb Preschool (Pg. 71) (479) 273-1011

PEDIATRICIAN Northwest Pediatric Convenient Care (Pg. 7) (479) 751-2522 NWA Pediatrics (Pg. 38) nwapediatrics.com Ozark Pediatrics (Pg. 41) (479) 544-9432

PHOTOGRAPHY Main Street Studios (Pg. 28) (479) 524-2004

THERAPY Academic Math and Language Therapy (Pg. 15) (479) 253-3256 www.amltherapy.com Friendship Pediatric Services (Pg. 49) (479) 524-2456 Playstrong (Pg. 44-45) (479) 246-0101 playstrongtherapy.com

ULTRASOUND Baby Face & More (Pg. 31) (479) 270-7391 Hello, Baby! (Pg. 47) (479) 438-0728

WOMEN'S HEALTH Lifespring (Pg. 33) (479) 271-0005 Parkhill (Pg. 21) Parkhillclinic.com Siloam Springs Women's Center (Pg. 12) (479) 524-9312 Women's Health Associates (Pg. 16, 68) whanwa.com

To advertise and become a part of the Peekaboo Family email: editor@peekaboonwa.com

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