The Miksovskys

So far, so good!

2012-02-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

Well, I did my first weigh in yesterday since I started on this whole journey and woo hoo - I am down 2.5 lbs! Not really sure how that happened after the mass load of bad food I ate Super Bowl Sunday! But hey, I'll take it! So one of the hardest things for me is menu planning... 9 times out of 10 I sit at the computer searching for things to make for dinner (healthy options) and I usually get frustrated and give up, but something got into me yesterday, maybe it was the good mood I was in after weighing myself?? But, I wrote up a menu plan for the whole freakin month - woot woot! And it's all relatively healthy stuff (ww recipes, pinterest healthy recipes, stuff from skinny taste, etc). Here's a sampling of our meals this week:

Wed - grilled chicken salad with lots of veggies and hard boiled egg for extra protein
Thurs - turkey spaghetti with zuccini and squash (maybe add some spinach and/or kale too??)
Friday - Shake n Bake pork chops and corn
Saturday - WW Shepard's Pie (never had this before, hope it's good!)
Sunday - Chicken tortilla soup

*we eat leftovers for lunch

I've been pretty good about working out too. After my workout yesterday, I was all ready to hop on the treadmill and start the c25k running program, but when I got my phone to get some tuneage goin, I saw that I had 6 missed calls and a text that Mr. Max had a fever and I needed to go get him from MDO, wah wah wah :( So... I guess the c25k will have to wait. Jason is working at the office today, so it won't be happening today either, but def tomorrow!

BTW - Max is fine, but the MDO people did a good job of totally freaking me out! They told me that he wasn't acting himself, and that he had a slight fever and get this... had a couple "tremors" - what the hell does that mean?? Of course, the follow that up with a comforting, "No to freak you out or anything, but you may want to watch him" - really?! Well no sh!t! Max has never had a "tremor" before, so I'm not sure what they are talking about?? When we came home, he was totally fine, happy, took a good nap, ate great, so... yeah. In other news, Emma is recovering very well from her face plant into the coffee table. Her lip is no longer swollen, and her cuts are all but healed - thank goodness! She is one tough cookie!

In other news, Jason's offical "start date" as a full time (no longer contract) employee at Bank of America will be Feb. 21st! So proud of him! He works so hard to provide for our family and I feel incredibly blessed that the Lord has provided for us and allowed me to be able to stay home with my babies, even if some days I would rather be far, far away from them! Please tell me I am not the only horrible mother who doesn't want to be around their kids every.single.second.of.the.day! I gotta tell ya, it's def not always sunshine and rainbows, and who ever tells you that it is, is LYING! I swear, I really don't know where they get the incredible amount of energy that they have, other than completely sucking it out of me! Oh, before I forget, does anyone have any advice on how to get the little hellians to stop banging on the tv? Or to stop throwing food on the floor? Apparently, they live in opposite world, where no means, yes, hit the tv some more! yes, thorw your food on the floor so you can eat it like a dog later! Ay de mi! Isn't parenting fun?! But, then there are the moments like yesterday, when for no reason, Emma went up to her brother, gave him a kiss on the head and then gave him a hug - so precious! Anywho... I have got to get this laundry done! Please tell me I am not the only one who has left clothes in the washing machine for 2 days and had to wash it yet again - ugh! I will defeat the laundry today!

Happy hump day everyone!

Here goes somethin'...

2012-02-03T14:50:00.000-06:00

So, I really debated writing about this and putting it out there for all to see, but I figured it would only make me more accountable, so here it goes...

For the first time in my life, I am "overweight". Since having the babies, I have struggled to get back to my pre-pregnancy/pre-fertility meds weight of about 130 (which even then I wished I were 10 pounds lighter). When I was pregnant, I was pretty much "all baby", or in my case “babies” as they say, and ironically, my struggle was to gain the amount of weight suggested for twin pregnancies. Once I was home from the hospital, I weighed myself and was only 8 pounds more than pre-pregnancy, so I excitedly thought that with breastfeeding, this whole baby weight thing would be a cinch... hmm not so much. I was stuck at that 8 pounds for a while (148 pounds to be exact). Then, about 6-8 months go by and that 8 pounds turned into 10 :( Granted I really wasn't doing ANYTHING to lose the weight (as I was breastfeeding and didn't want to disrupt what little breastmilk I was able to produce). So here I am, almost 15 months later and I am sitting at a depressing 149 pounds. I should also mention that several months ago, I found out I had post-pregnancy hypothyroidism (apparently it's somewhat common, but it usually goes away, but in true Candice fashion, that was not the case for me - awesome). This helped explain A LOT! It explained why I had slowly been gaining weight, why I wasn't producing enough breastmilk, why I was tired all the time (aside from the whole 2 babies thing), etc. So, I have been taking thyroid meds now since August (I think?) and as of my last labs (12/5) - I'm still not quite in the normal range (shocking, I know!), but I almost am! Normal range is between .35 and 5.4 and my most recent level was almost a 7. My doctor upped my thyroid meds and I am about to embark on my personal weight loss journey. I'm scared and a little overwhelmed, not knowing what to expect... I am COMPLETELY out of shape, and let's face it, I love food, especially all the bad stuff that one should stay away from when trying to lose weight (ie: bread, pasta, cookies, pizza, etc). But, like I said before, I've never had to count calories, diet, or watch what I eat - so I'm freaking out a little and worried that this is really going to suck!

My first step in this journey was getting signed up at a gym. Well, honestly I've always been signed up at a gym; I guess I should rephrase this by saying "start actually GOING to the gym". I canceled my membership at the regular gym (the one I have been donating money to for some time now), and enrolled at a place down the street called Private Workout. It's a 30 min circuit training workout that uses weights. I have not been very consistent about going, but starting Monday (I know, I know everyone always says starting Monday, but I really mean it!) I will start going as many days a week as I can (shooting for 5-6 days). It's pretty neat actually, they have this incentive program where you don't have to pay an enrollment fee, but rather you sign a goal contract where you list what your goal BMI/weight is, and they give you 150 workouts to reach your goal (no timeframe is specified), and if you give up, then you have to pay the fee, if you reach your goals in 150 workouts, then you get a lifetime free membership - pretty sweet deal. I am 20 workouts in, but I'm pretty sure you only see results if you go consistently, instead of the 0, 1, 2, or sometimes 3 times a week I had been going. Pretty sure I've already said this, but let me reiterate how incredibly out of shape I am! I'm pretty positive that if I had to run for my life, that I would most certainly die!

Step two of my master plan, is to start a running/jogging routine (hopefully with the babies in the mornings) and try to build up to 3 miles so that I can run in my first 5K - I totally suck at running, so we'll see how this goes. I guess everyone has to start somewhere, right? I am also going to start doing some yoga 2-3 times a week. This I plan to do *at home* for a couple of reasons 1) My physical therapist told me I had to (not the at home part, but the yoga part 2) I am sooooo not flexible and would rather not embarrass myself in public 3) there apparently aren't any yoga studios around me expect for the Bikram yoga place, which I wish I could do, but since I tend to pass out in the heat, especially when working out (stupid vasovagal syncope), I should probably stay away from doing yoga in 95 degree heat 4) it's freakin expensive yo! Soooo, I bought some highly recommended dvds from amazon and plan to start that up as soon as they arrive. Did I mention that it's also a good excuse to wear my yoga pants all day?! Anywhoo... it's probably overkill, but I also REALLY want to do the 30 day shred. I attempted this about 6 months ago (before finding out about the thyroid issue) and can I just tell you, I couldn't even get through the first 10 minutes of the 30 minute workout - LAME! So, I may wait a few weeks to start this one, so I don't completely set myself up to fail!

Now that I think about it, I guess step 1 and 2 really should be combined, but whatever.

Step 3 (or 2?): Jason and I have officially registered for Weight Watchers online. I just did this a few hours ago, but in my brief browsing of their website, I was a little bummed that they didn't have a meal planning feature, at least not that I found, as that seems to be my biggest battle everyday... the elusive "what are we going to have for dinner" conundrum - I hate it! I'll admit it, I'm a little picky, and I'm not the biggest fan of veggies, so this may be the hardest transition. I will gladly take and try anyone's favorite "healthy" meals, as most things in my rotation are probably not weight watcher friendly (ahem, lasagna, Chinese food, pasta, etc). I guess one thing that is working in my favor is that I am not much of a grazer/snacker, maybe b/c I was a teacher for so long and you don't really have that luxury, but I am def more in the 3 squares a day camp, of course I do indulge occasionally in the good 'ol 2:30 snack attack. I started looking through the recipe index on the WW website and immediately became overwhelmed, unfamiliar with most of the stuff I was reading and a sense of regret poured over me, and I went and crawled into bed feeling defeated already - and I haven't even started. So, yeah - this should be fun. I'm trying to keep a good attitude about it, and tell myself that I don't have to been all hard core weight watcher person, and that as long as I eat healthier (more veggies), practice portion control, and try to stay under 1200-1300 calories a day, I should be ok - everything in moderation, right?!

So yeah... there it is. Here are some of my goals (I need to make some short term goals, but here's what I hope to get out of all of this):
-Get back to 120-125 lbs (need to lose 25-30 lbs)
-Get back to a size 4 (currently an 8)
-Run a 5K (and eventually a half marathon)
-Be a model of healthy eating and fitness for my kids (which currently my kids eat waaaayyy better than me, but I know at some point they will catch on that mommy doesn't eat like they do)
-Just feel better
-Look good naked again and in a bathing suit (yeah I said it)
Sooo... hopefully between the health/weight/fitness transformation and the debt elimination transformation, I am really excited to see what the next couple of months has in store for us. Please pray that I am able to stay the course and follow through. Here goes somethin'!

15 month, not so well :( visit

2012-01-24T11:58:00.001-06:00

So, Max and Emma have had a terrible cough for over a week now - this on the heels of a cold :( I am thinking that it may have something to do with starting MDO and all the fun new germs they have been exposed to, but nevertheless, I have got a couple snotty noses running around! We have tried everything to try to kick this thing... steam showers, steam showers with soothing vapor tablets, the snot sucker, saline spray, vapor rub, humidifyer, but nothing seems to be doing the trick. I called the nurse line at our pedi's office and they told me that there really wasn't anything that they would be able to do unless they began having difficulty breathing, so we trudge onward.
Yesterday was their 15 month well check! They actually turned 15 months last Thursday - which I cannot believe that their birthday was 3 freakin months ago - really?! I was looking at pics from October and Max's first haircut, and he just looks so much younger! So precious with his big toothless smile! Sweet boy! Sometimes I get scared that I will forget how little they were and what it felt like to have those two little babies sleeping on my chest, and how they just seemed to be swimming in their newborn clothes! Anywho... back to the well check! So, here are their stats:
Emma
weight: 20 lbs 14.5oz (5-10%)
height: 31 inches (50-75%)
head circ: 46cm (50%)
words you can say: dadda, dog, hot, uh-oh, all done, ball (although only mommy knows what you're saying), and I think you are trying to say "that" - I'lll report back later.
Diaper size: 3 (although when this box is gone we are moving on up to size 4)
Clothing size: 12-18 months
Teeth: you have 12 teeth and one about to break through (all of your 1 year molars have come in)

Max
weight: 20lbs 12.3oz (5%)
height: 32 inches (50-75%)
head circ: 46cm (15%)
The doctor said you have hit a plateau, so hopefully we will see more growth at the next visit.
words you can say: hot (your fav word), uh-oh, and all done (we need to work on your words son)
Diaper size: 3 (almost in 4s - by next week)
Clothing size: 12-18 (yay! finally wearing clothes for your age group!!! - although pretty much all of your 12-18 pants fall off you!)
Teeth: 5 that are completely through, 2 that are partially through, and 3 one year molars trying to cut in right now - so within a few weeks you will have a total of 10 - almost caught up with sister!

Unfortunantly, Mr. Max had a little ear infection (very mild). This is his very first ear infection - I knew this day would come eventually, but I feel so blessed that we made it this long without the babies getting sick. Even Dr. Holt was impressed with their immune system and the way they seem to be tolerating their current sickness! Yay babies! I like to think it's because of Lucy - I hear that families with dogs are sick less often, so thanks Lucy! Yet another reason why everyone should have a dog :)

In other news, Max is doing awesome in his new sure steps! As expected, he and his laid back personality, is taking it all in stride! Of course, now Emma thinks she needs to wear her shoes all.day.long too - but whatever! We did finally find some shoes that will fit his Flinstone feet with the SMO's on (sure steps) - they are what mom refers to as clown shoes (when my brother wears them), but you and I just think of them as "skater shoes", from Vans. And score, they were only $15 at the outlet mall! I was really bummed that he couldn't fit into his chucks, but it's only for 6 months.

We are "trying" to transition into 1 nap a day, but it's not going as easily as I had hoped. They seem to be delieriously tired by noon if they don't get their morning nap (which is why we kinda stopped going to church , sorry God!), which ineveidablly resulted in being overtired once we did put them down, and that meant, a short nap, and crabby, whiney babies. No bueno. So, it's a work in progress.

I have to mention this because it is just too funny... so Emma has become quite the mini-me, following me around, wanting to do the laundry (she's quite the little helper), she likes to put the clothes in the washer and push the buttons, then she claps for her self and says "all done"! She also LOVES to help throw things in the trash, but we have to really watch her because she likes to throw things away that aren't always trash (cough, cough, sippy cups). And the girl loves to wash her hands and use the hand sanitizer - what a weirdo. This morning she found my shoe and managed to get her foot in it and walked around with it on - so stinkin cute! Wish I would have had a picture of that! I wish there was a button you could push on your temple that would automatically take a picture or video of whatever you're looking at - someday, right! And Max has become such a little cuddle bug! He loves giving hugs, cuddling, wiping his snot on your shirt, and talking in "his language" to you. I think his favorite spot in the world is in my lap, and my heart just melts everytime he brings a book or toy over to me and plops down :)

Well, I guess that's about all for now. Here are some recent pics for you:

Hangin at the park

Heeeeere's Emma!

Puppy love :)

They take turns pushing each other (they haven't figured out how to "drive" it yet)

Emma likes to feed EVERYONE

Emma feeding the giraffe (pics of Max and the giraffe are on Jason's phone)

We only had one pair of mittens, so they had to share

Going to "School"

2012-01-19T12:15:00.000-06:00

Well, after a lot of thought and prayer, Jason and I decided to look into enrolling the twins in an MDO program at a local church two days a week (9-2). I really struggled with this decision, but ultimately think it was the best decision for both the babies and for mommy! When we first started looking into it, we discovered that pretty much all of the mdo programs started in August or September and would not be accepting any more kiddos until the following school year - which was fine with me, I just took it as a sign that that was when the Lord wanted us to go. But, wouldn't you know, about a week later, one of the 2 mdo's that we liked called and told me that they just had a family move away and they had two children Max and Emma's age and that there was now an opening! She went on to say how incredibly rare this was, so I took it as a sign from God that this was what we should do. They had their first day of MDO on January 5th, and they both did AMAZING! Neither one of them cried at all when we dropped them off! I was most worried about how they would handle the whole nap situation, and while most of the time they do take a nap, it is always less than an hour long :( They have been taking a morning nap around 9a for a LONG time and they usually average 1.5-2 hours, so this whole 30-50 min nap business is not so great. We are trying to transition into one nap a day, but it appears that maybe we aren't quite ready yet, but we'll keep at it. My hope is that we can get them to start napping after lunch every day (around 11:30-12) and that they will sleep at least 2 hours, but for now, we will continue to give the babies a second nap around 2:30/3.
I am pretty much the world's worst mommy... I didn't get a chance to take a pic of them on their first day of school (or their second, or any of the days following) - but I am going to make a point to do it on Tuesday!
In other news... Max and Emma will be 15 months old tomorrow! I really cannot believe it has been 3 months since their bday - I mean come on, really?! It's soooo cliché, but time just goes so flippin fast! For instance, I just had my 31st bday, and when someone says something about 10 years ago, my mind immediately thinks about the 90s and high school, not college - is that weird?? Here's me 10 years ago at 21:

ahh, those were the days, the days I never had to research the best under eye concealer to hide my dark circles, wish I would have appreciated my hair at the time, little did I know that pregnancy would change my once "boring" hair - I would LOVE to hair "boring" hair again! OK enough reminicing! After breastfeeding and thyroid issues, I finally have a "balanced" body on the inside (relatively speaking) - so now it's time to get back not only my pre-pregnancy body, but my pre-fertility treatment body (you would be amazing at what those drugs can do to you). I'm not big on "resolutions", but I do have some goals that I am going to work toward, my body is just a part of me trying to be the best mom, wife, daughter, and friend that I can be. Here's to a great 2012!

Update: 13-14 months

2012-01-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

EEK! I am so bad about updating this blog! It is my new years resolution to update much more often! I feel like so much has changed in the last 2 months - my little babies are growing up! (tear)

Oh my, where to start... (it's easiest to just bullet point things and throw in a little rambling here and there):
-Max learned to get into the standing position all by himself on 11/23
-we drove down to Wimberley to spend Thanksgiving with Mimi and Poppy and you guys were soooooo good the whole way down there and they whole time we were there! Mommy and Daddy were so proud of you guys! I bought a Baby Longhorn DVD and even though it's only like 25 min long - you guys watched it over and over and over for 2 hours (which got us about to Waco without a peep!) - you guys loved it, so what if it's a little UT brainwashing ;) oops, sorry daddy, they didn't have any baby aggie dvds! The rest of the way, you guys just hung out, napped, and ate snacks. When we got to Austin, we stopped and had dinner with Aunt Memi, Gabe, and your bff Nola. Once we got to wimbo, you guys did so well sleeping and playing and eating - you LOVED running around outside and tormenting Ollie, the poor kitty cat! I know Mimi and Poppy loved hanging out with you guys too!
-Both of you continue to be obsessed with the iPhone, and darn if you guys are so stinkin smart! Emma, you have quickly figured out how to unlock the iPhone, so Mommy and Daddy had to put a code on our phones so you won't delete everything, or call random people! But, you are able to access the camera and will often leave me little surprise photos and videos that always make me smile :)

Let's see... what else...
-sleeping has not been great the last two months :( Not sure what the deal is kiddos??? Both of you take turns or sometimes together getting up all.night.longggggg!!!! I'm pretty sure teething was the culprit for Mr. Max, but Miss Emma, come on, sympathy pains?? what's the deal?! And seriously, what is up with the early morning wake ups? Since you turned one, they just keep getting earlier and earlier and earlier! Ugh! What happened to my 7-7 babies?? These days I would give anything for you to sleep 'til 7 again! Your wake ups have ranged from 5:30-6:45, these days ranging more between 6-6:30, Mommy and Daddy agreed that we were not getting out of bed before 6! So, you can just forget about this whole 5:30, 5:45 business, and honestly, we are starting to lean more toward 6:30 - so you guys better just figure it out or learn to play quietly in your beds until then! We have tried putting to bed earlier (you know the whole "sleep begets sleep" thing") which didn't work, then we tried putting you to bed later, and that still did nothing, so we tried tiring you out during the day, but nothing seems to be working.... sigh :( I miss sleep. But, like I said you guys are getting better, some nights neither of you even wake up at all, so that def makes getting up at 6am a *little* easier.
-Max, you've still been a rock star at physical therapy, always impressing Miss Sarah with your improvements and progress. You are walking so good now, with such good balance! Miss Sarah does however think that you would benefit from wearing some Sure Steps (little orthopedic braces that you wear in your shoes) so that we can correct your feet (pronated feet - you kind of walk on the inside of your feet) which can become a problem later, so it's best that we correct it now. I know, I know, ONE more thing... my poor baby, you are such a strong little trooper, you just have to laugh... you are the healthiest little boy that has had the most medical issues: flappy larynx, plagiocephaly, silent reflux, mild hypospadius, torticolis, low muscle tone, and now this :( But you are such a good, laid back little guy you just take it all in stride!We did pick out some cool dinosaur sure steps for you though - so there is that, and you should only have to wear them for about 6 months - no sweat, right?! You should be getting them next week (1/11).
-Hmmm, you guys are still wearing size 3 diapers, although I don't think you will for much longer - y'all are just getting so big!
-I did weigh you guys at Pet Smart the other day (they had a big scale there for big dogs) and oddly enough (although, I don't know why I'm surprised) you guys both weighed the EXACT same! 21.4 pounds - weird! I even did it twice just to be sure! Crazy!
-Max, you had haircut #2 just before Christmas. You didn't do quite as well as you did the first time, you ended up sitting in mommy's lap, but I think it's because you didn't take a very good nap, so you weren't in the best mood.
*Warning, my brain is not working so great, so the following tidbits are not in chronological order, sorry!
-You guys LOVE roaming around the house, taking everything out of the tupperware cabinet, throwing things in the trash can (including sippy cups, toys, tupperware, etc), racing toward any open door in the house and suddenly getting really quiet, going in your room and closing the door (y'all are obsessed with opening and closing doors), crawling into Lucy's crate, and more than anything else, you guys LOVE to go outside and play! I am so thankful that we live in a very quiet neighborhood with a cul-de-sac and y'all can just roam around and explore without the threat of cars coming and going! Emma, you are quite a bit more vocal than your brother and like to let us know when you want to go outside; you will bring me your shoes and or jacket, point to your jacket, or go up to the door point and grunt. If I don't let you go outside, you have been known to throw yourself on the floor and throw a fit - not a big fan of that.You also get quite upset when it's time to come in. It is interesting trying to corral a couple toddlers in a wide open space - intersting indeed! Emma, you keep picking up acorns and putting them in your mouth, then spitting them out, I guess you think you might find one that actually tastes good??
-You guys are still big fans of bath time, also known as daddy time, as he is the primary bath giver. I always hear you guys splashing and laughing and having fun. You guys brush your teeth every night and think it is hilarious :)
-Mimi and Poppy got you both some potty seats for Christmas and we opened them up the other day and thought we would try them out before bath time, and what do you know... Emma you peed in the potty! First try! It was soooo cool! Of course, you have yet to do it again, but we'll keep trying - no pressure... yet ;)
-BIG NEWS... you guys started going to Mothers Day Out at MacArthur Blvd Baptist Church on Thursday 1/5. Mommy and Daddy dropped you guys off at 9a and to my surprise, neither one of you cried at all! So proud! You guys did soooo good! You played with the other kids, ate all your lunch, and even took a nap! (Max did much better in the nap department than you Emma - so you should probably work on that). I just hope it goes this well on Tuesday when y'all go back for day #2!
-We had Christmas at our house this year... what a whirlwind of a day! We had like 30 adults plus like 10 kids all over here, whew it was a crazy day! Mimi and Poppy and Uncle Jacob (Uncle Kenny didn't come - with have to take that up with him later) came up here to spend the holiday with us, which was soooo great! Santa brought you guys a circus tent with a big 6ft tube! You were both showered with (too many) gifts and love.
-Speaking of Santa... we went to the mall a week before Christmas to see Santa, and as it turns out, you were both completely terrified of him! But I guess everyone's got one of those pics in their collection :)
-What can you guys say? Well, Emma you can say mamma, dadda, hot, all done, ball (bah), and dog (gah) and you also try really hard to imitate what ever I say - so smart! Max, you are very good at saying mamma, dadda, hot (your favorite word), and all done. You both know the sign for all done and use it all the time, Emma you know how to sign "more" and use it sometimes - we just kinda started the whole sign language thing.
-What size are you wearing? You are now both wearing 12-18 months (Max still wears some 12 months clothes).
-What are you eating? EVERYTHING! You guys usually get up around 6:15a, drink 8oz of milk (bottle), eat breakfast around 7:30 (pancakes, waffles, eggs, oatmeal, always fruit), you then go down for a nap around 9a and will sleep for a good 2 hours most of the time, then you get up around 11, eat lunch around 11:30 (grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich/Elvis special, grilled cheese with avacado, turkey and cheese roll ups, quesadillas, homemade veggie pizzas, etc *always fruit), then you go down for nap #2 between 1-2 which usually lasts about an hour, when you get up from you nap, you get a snack (graham crackers, mum mums, raisens, fruit, cheese, apple sauce, yogurt, etc), then you just play until about 6 when we eat dinner (lately you have been eating what we are eating, but sometimes I make your own dinner), then it's off to bath time with daddy, another 8 oz milk bottle, and it's night night by 7:30.
-You favorite books: these have been your favs for a while, but I don't know that I have ever recorded it, so here they are: I Love You Through and Through, Following Tilly Bee, The Belly Button Book, Pajama Time, The Baby Einstein Colors Book (not sure of the name), Goodnight Moon, and Touch and Feel Farm. We read books every night before bed, it's my favorite part of the day :) I LOVE that you both love books!

OK well, it's getting late and mommy is TIRED, so I am going to stop for now, but here are some pics and videos from the past two months:

Look Whoo's One!

2011-11-22T21:15:00.000-06:00

On October 20th, Max and Emma turned the big ONE! I spend several weeks planning their party, but what proved to be an even bigger challenge was getting this house in shape for guests... WHAT A BEATING! As many of you know, we sold our house in Coppell and moved into Jason's grandmother's house in Irving, which for the most part had not been updated since it was built in 1969. I'll have to do a seperate blog entry on the transformations from our reno, which is actually on-going. Anywho... Jason and I worked around the clock, taping, plaintimg, refinishing cabinets, etc. and still didn't get everything finished in time, but what can you do?!

My parents and brothers drove in from Wimbo to help set up (my dad and brothers were literally running around screwing in faceplates an hour before the party started!) We went with an owl/pumpkin theme. I had a vision in my head and wanted to use a lot of ideas I found online, but there is just never enough time :( I needed a personal assistant! So, although things didn't come together exactly liked I had envisioned, I think it still turned out pretty good! The babies seemed to have a good time with all the family, friends and other kids there, and boy did they load up on gifts (we actually slowly dispersed the gifts over the course of several weeks). Here are some pics from the party - I wish I would have taken more of the displays and stuff - who am I kidding, I don't think I actually took any pics - next time we will def be hiring someone to take pics! (sorry about the poor quality)

12 month stats

2011-11-22T12:38:00.000-06:00

Wow - I am way behind. I am going to have to catch up through a series of small entries, as that is about all these babies will let me do! So, for starters here is Max and Emma's 12 month stats!

Emma weighs 20lbs 1.6oz (50%) and is 31 inches tall (95%)

Max weighed in at 19lbs 1.6oz (below the 10%) and 31.5 inches tall (90%) poor thing is so tall and skinny! Both had a head circ of 45.5 which is above the 95th % - big headed babies!

So... what have you guys been up to this past month???

-Emma, you have a whopping 12 teeth now! And you love to use them, much to my dismay :( You seem to enjoy biting mommy and daddy's toes, as well as my shoulder - not cool!
-Max, you have 4 teeth officially but are working on at least two more.
-Emma is a walking machine - almost running really! It's amazing how quickly you went from taking a few steps to independently walking everywhere! You also have figured out how to get into the standing position all by yourself! You are getting to be such a big girl! SLOW DOWN!
-Max, you too are walking! Only about 2 weeks after your sister - I guess you didn't want her to have all the fun and attention :) You still fall down sometimes because your core strength isn't that strong yet, but we're working on it - Miss Sarah, your physical therapist does such a good job with you!
-For Halloween this year, Emma you were a beautiful bumble bee (mommy even made your costume) and you looked soooo cute! Max, you were one awesome looking skeleton! We ventured out to Boo at the Zoo at the Dallas Zoo, but it was rather disappointing :( I'm sure it would have been more fun if you both were older - oh well, we did get to see some penguins and flamingos, oh and some snakes and crocs too.
-Your first bday party was so much fun! I'll make a seperate post all about that next!
-Emma, we've been working on it for a while, and you are finally waving! It is so stinkin cute! However, you are stubborn and won't always do it when asked, instead you wait until we are already to the car or the moment has passed and then you wave - boy do we have our hands full with you!
-In other news... Daddy had not one but 2 kidney stone surgeries! Poor daddy! But he is such a trooper - he actually braved the crowds and the heat and stood with mommy at the Texas/OU game not even 12 hours after his first surgery!
-I am so excited! We just ordered our very first photo Christmas card!

Here are some pics from the past month: warning! photo bomb!

Having fun with our playgroup at the Dallas Arboretum

A trip to the Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch - they were less than thrilled about it...

Petting Zoo

HALLOWEEN!!

Dallas Buddy Walk

Emma, rockin her jeggings :)

10 month update

2011-09-12T16:11:00.000-05:00

I am finding that the more mobile you kiddos are, the harder is it to find the time to update this blog! But, I have been keeping notes, so here it is, I know it's not pretty, but it's all I've got:

10 month notes
-Emma pulling up on everything and walking along the furniture and walls
-she hit her face on the coffee table twice :( time for a new coffee table!
-max only has a few more weeks left in the helmet! (3 weeks tops as of 9/11)
-Emma says "hello" but only associates it with her activity table that says "hello" "bye bye" but she says it none the less. She can also say dada and mama - I don't know if she knows what dada is but I am pretty sure she knows who mama is :)
-max babbles alot but still only says dada - but I don't think there is any association
-Emma knows what milk means and when you tell her to go get a book
-Emma's new fav thing to do is shake her head no - she doesn't know that it means no, just that it's funny :)
-max finally got into the sitting position all by himself on 8/22 several times! Not the way we've been trying to teach him but whatever!
-Emma got sick for the first time :( she had a fever on the day she turned 10 months 8/20, it got up to like 103.3! She was very cranky and fussy and miserable until it finally broke Monday morning 8/22, nurse said it was likely a viral infection since there were no other signs of being sick, luckily Max has not gotten whatever she had... Yet!
-Memi came to stay with us for the weekend!
-went to goodbye dinner for uncle Tim, he came back from peru but had to leave today (8/22) to go back to tech
-we now have baby jail in the living room
-operation wallpaper removal is underway but proving to be a major pain in the but! Next up will be operation backyard clean up, then we will tackle the kitchen - they sure loved their wall paper in the 60s and 70s!
-guest bath remodel is almost complete, I really wish we would have taken before and after pics! All that's left now is to install the new cabinet hardware then I will post a pic :)
-photo shoot scheduled for oct 2nd! Beckie is making an outfit for Emma and Max's newsboy cap has been ordered! Can't wait!
-bday party planing is underway, invites have been selected (cousin Charlotte is making them!) it's going to be an owl and pumpkin theme! (post pic board of ideas)
-Emma's sleep sack has become her lovey and she loves to pull it up over her nose when she's sleepy
-max is finally starting to bring food to his mouth! And he has started to grab for the spoon so he can feed himself
-Max has now mastered getting into the sitting position, getting on his knees/kneeling, and we are working on pulling to stand and crawling. I have a feeling that as soon as that helmet cones off he'll be crawling like crazy.
-they both seem to be drinking less milk, so we have changed their bottle routine, now they get 8oz in the morning at 7a, eat a yummy bfast around 8, nap for 2 hours around 8:30/9, 6oz at 11a, eat a yummy lunch around 11:30/12, nap for 2 hours around 1, 3ish drink 6oz, eat a yummy snack around 3:30, play until 6:30, then bath, bottle (8oz), books, and bed around 7-7:15. This seems to be working, but they do start to get a little fussy that last hour - so I guess at 10 months we have what is referred to as the witching hour, but it's not that bad. It just stinks that Max's PT is at 5:45 on weds, so miss Sarah never sees him in a good mood :( I'm going to try to change his time to something earlier.
-Emma loves to snuggle with her (or her brothers) sleepsack - she loves to hold it (or even clothes in general) over her nose and smell it, what a weirdo!
-max got pink eye on 9/2 :(
-both, especially Emma is starting to understand the concept of putting objects into things, like pulling a ball in a basket or a smaller object into a larger one
-Emma is also becoming quite the imitator - trying to copy what you do
-Emma is starting to share - not her toys but rather her paci, she always wants to put it in my mouth, she also always wants me to snuggle and smell her sleep sack too, and she loves to share her food with the dog! I hope the phase of throwing your food on the floor so you can watch the dog eat it passes quickly
-meanwhile, max prefers the windshield wiper maneuver to get his food off his plate - awesome.
-Emma and Max both say "uh-oh" although Emma's is much more clear than Max's. And they actually know what it means, well sort of. They will often throw things on the ground or out of the tub and say "uh-oh" even though I tell them that if they throw it, it's not an uh-oh - but it's still really cute for now :)
-Max took his first crawling "steps" on Sunday 9/11!!! It won't be long now!

Here are some pics and videos (including Max crawling!):

Labor Day Weekend

Mmm - watermelon (Emma's most favorite thing to eat)

First bubble bath ever

First spaghetti experience

check out those chompers! Four teeth now! Max still has none :(

Diapers are apparently way more fun to play with than toys - go figure!

check me out in my new big boy carseat!

It's near impossible to get them to sit still for any amount of time

Like my new hairstyle?! I pull ALL my bows out of my hair so mommy had to resort to the ponytail!

Is this food? I think I'll eat it!

This is pretty much my view all day long! I need some child restraints just to change a diaper these days!

Check it out - Max's first crawling "steps"!

These were accidently left out of the 9 month update - oops!

9 month update

2011-08-08T17:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I know I said I would be better about this, but alas here we are, August 8th and I am just now getting to your 9 month update! In my defense, things have been even more hectic than usual lately, what with moving in all. Here are the stats from your 9 month well check:

Max
weight - 17lbs 15.5oz (10%)
height - 28.85 in (75%)
head circ - 45 cm (95%)

Emma
weight - 18lbs .5oz (50%)
height - 28 in (75%)
head circ - 44cm (95%)

Luckily, you guys didn't have to have any shots this time around! Yay! Oddly enough, I took pictures of both of you while you were being weighed, and to my amazement, you both had the EXACT same weight in the pictures I took - WEIRD! And, that weight wasn't even the weight that they recorded for either of you - SPOOKY! So... daddy and I don't fight over who has to carry the heavy one anymore, because you're both heavy! You guys are getting so big that we have started letting you sit in the big kid highchairs at restaurants! And in the shopping cart seat! (well one of you always has to sit in the cart in a booster seat since they don't have double seat carts most places). Max, I gotta tell ya, everywhere we go, you always get complemented on your cool helmet! I was so worried that people would point and stare and make negative comments about it, but I have been very pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming positive responses we have received! I still think it's odd though that I have yet to see another baby with a helmet in the DFW area (well except at the orthotist office and when we got your helmet wrapped).

So, what have you guys been up to lately??

Emma, you are a mobile maniac! The day after turning 9 months, you decided that you would get into the sitting position all by yourself, pull to stand (on me), and get up on your knees and start rocking (you had been trying to get on your knees for a while, but now you were rocking and trying to figure out how to go somewhere!). Then, just 5 short days later (on 7/26) you began army crawling everywhere! If you really wanted something (usually Talking Tom on mommy's iphone) you could really move fast! Gram happen to come over that day and got to see you army crawl - even before daddy! But, I guess army crawling wasn't really doing it for you, and it didn't take you long (like 4 days) and on August 2nd, after coming home from brother's physical therapy appt, we were getting ready for a bath, and BAM! You decided to crawl into the bathroom like you'd been crawling for years! There was no stopping you after that, you have become a crawling machine! And you're fast too! When you know you are going somewhere you shouldn't be, you get really quiet - you little stinker! You also don't let anything - or anyone get in your way - even if that means crawling over your brother to get somewhere! It didn't take you long to figure out how to master the steps to get out of the living room either. So alas, we now have baby jail baracading you into the living room on all sides - sorry! If your recent obsession of pulling up on EVERYTHING is any indication, I have a feeling that walking isn't too far off - scary thought! Where did my tiny little baby go??? As of today, you still only have your two bottom teeth, but I'd say by next week you will have a top tooth breaking through - it's bulging out pretty good right now, and I can tell that it really bothers you sometimes - I hate that there is nothing I can do to take that pain away :( Your hair is still as crazy as ever - I pray that it will eventually calm down and lay flat someday - if not, I promise I will buy you some really good hair product :) In other news, you have recently started wearing some 9-12 month clothes and you drink 1-2 of your 4 daily bottles out of your straw sippy cup - such a big girl! One day last week or so, you and your brother decided that you no longer wanted to eat pureed baby food anymore - so you guys are eating big people food now! You are a pro at feeding yourself! One thing that has become much more fun is, bathtime! It is so much fun watching you and your brother splash around and play with your toys - you both LOVE bathtime :) Diaper changes however are a whole nother story! I swear changing a 9 month old's diaper should be an Olympic sport! You guys are still both wearing size 3 diapers, and I figure you probably will be for a while - I think the box says they go up to like 26 lbs or something!

Max, you are a talking machine! You sound and remind me of the talking twins on youtube (I realize that by the time you are able to read this, you will have NO idea what I'm talking about, but whatever). You get your little hand in the air, waving it arond saying "dadadadadadada" as loud as you can in a very athoritative voice - so cute! But sometimes, you also like to whisper and talk as quiet as you can - it's a little game we play. You're not crawling yet - but you have starteed to get on all fours, it's just difficult for you to lift you head up, but we're working on those muscles in physical therapy, and I just know that once you get that helmet off - you will be unstopable just like your sister! Physical therapy is going really well and your are consistantly meeting goals - I am very proud of you! In helmet news, you went in for a re-scan last week and mommy and daddy were very excited to learn that your head has grown 10mm in the past 2 months! What's even better is that 6.3mm of that growth was on the flat part of your head! You started out at 18.3mm of asymetry and are now down to 12mm! The goal is to get to half - so only 3 more mm to go! The helmet is designed to withstand 20mm of growth, so daddy and I are confident that in another 2 months, you will continue to grow and your head will be nice and round and wonderful - just in time for your 1st birthday! You will definitely NOT be needing a second helemt - which is awesome news! We have already seen such an improvement and are so glad that we decided to get the helmet! Your eye patch therapy is also going well - we are now alternating the patches on your left and right eye - still just one hour a day. We go back to the doctor just before your birthday to check on the progress, but Dr. B was impressed with your improvement :) You still haven't figured out how to bring food to your mouth to eat, but I asked Ms. Sarah (your PT) and she said that it wasn't anything to worry about just yet, that you'll get there soon enough. You are also quite the slow eater, you seem to prefer to savor the flavor of your food and let it marinate in your mouth for a long time, as opposed to your sister, who tried to shovel as much food as she can into her mouth at one time! You guys truly are night and day! In other news, you are finally out of the 0-3 month shorts! woo hoo! You are now wearing size 3-6 shorts and 6-9 shirts and onesies - not too far off - it's just those skinny legs you've got! As I mentioned before, you LOVE bathtime! It's so cute, as soon as you get in the tub, you have to find something to grab, and you almost immediately use it to "cover yourself up" - so modest! You always hate when bathtime is over, you've even started crying when it's time to get out - mommy and daddy can't help but laugh. You haven't quite masterd the straw sippy cup yet - you still just want to try to blow bubbles in it the whole time, but I know that you will have it down soon enough and then we can be bottle free - woo hoo!!

You guys have adjusted well to the new house - better than mommy has! I will say that I love that you guys have more space to play in the living room and in your bedroom - and of course the much bigger closet :) We haven't been to any playdates in a while - I guess everyone is kind of doing their own thing for the summer, but we did go to the triplet's 1st birthday back in May and we just went to Luca and Larkin's 1st birthday - it won't be long until they are all coming to your birthday! I can't even believe it! Well, I guess I better go - Emma you are currently determined to crawl through the end table and continue to faceplant into the ground - Lord help us!

Here are some pics and videos for your viewing pleasure:

photo shoot for the "we've moved" cards

Max and Emma's favorite book

notice the weight 17.156

and then Max... 17.156 - weird!

My bathing beauty

mohawk baby

first attempt at a ponytail - it didn't stay in long - nor did it seem to help the hair issue!

it was cute though, right?!

last bath in our first home :(

gotta cover up - can't be lettin people see my junk!

kickin it drinkin my bottle by myself cause I'm a big girl

yeah, I drink from a straw sippy cup all by myself - I told you I was a big girl!

The scanner at the helmet dr

Inside of the scanner

hangin with dad

mealtime tends to get a little messy with these two :)

Emma apparently wanted to eat a little dead lizard for lunch instead of broccoli...awesome

one intact mummified lizard - what will she find next week?? stay tuned

mmmm, eggs, toast and bananas

look what I did mom!

notice the new baby jail in the background

bathtime in our awesome new yellow 1969 bathtub!

Max talking with his hands - so cute!

Emma's latest trick - I call it the bridge

We have moved beyond pulling up on the end table - now we must master crawling through it!

We're moving!

2011-07-21T18:56:00.002-05:00

Photo Card

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8 months old!

2011-07-18T13:41:00.002-05:00

Considering that you guys will be 9 months old in a few days... this post is a little late, sorry! Things have been a little busy around here lately! For starters, it's almost 11:30p and instead of sleeping, I'm writing this update! Oh, if only I could sleep... I have seriously dreamt/had nightmares about paint for the past two nights- that is during the few hours I was actually able to get some shut eye! Oh the joys of moving and renovating an old home! Well, enough about that, let's get to the good stuff :) For time and sanity sake, I am going to be really lame and just bullet point everything that has been going on this past month, but I promise to be better from here on out!

Here we go... in no particular order:

-Max, both you and your sister are both sitting unassisted and you both do it so well :)

-Emma, you cut your first tooth the day you turned 8 months (bottom middle left) and the #2 popped through just 3 days later! (bottom middle right) Hallelujah! You were so much happier once they popped out! (and as a result so was everyone else around you!) Sorry Max, still no teeth for you yet.

-Emma, you are ALL OVER THE PLACE with your scooting and rolling - you're a maniac! You are like a woman on a mission and you love to explore your surroundings! With your rolls, 360 turns, push offs, and scoots, you have no trouble maneuvering around the whole living room - more often than not making your way to Lucy's toys or to the fireplace - both are no-no's! If you happen to be sitting up, that doesn't stop you from flopping right on over and bam, you're off! You're not pulling up on anything yet, but you are getting up on your knees and rocking ALL THE TIME, so I know it's only a matter of time before you take off crawling across the floor! All I know is we have to watch you like a hawk, because anything you happen to find on the ground goes directly into your mouth, and boy are you quick! I think brother has been watching and learning from you too, because just recently he has decided he would see what all this rolling business is about, helmet and all!

-Well Max, you got your helmet on May 24th and Mommy took a picture just after you turned 8 months to see what progress had been made and boy were we blown away! We are so impressed with how great your head looks! You're going to have a cute little bowling ball head before too We cannot wait to go to your appt on the 27th when they will rescan your head and give us some measurements that tell us number wise how far you've come (started at 18.3mm and 89.9%) and more importantly how much longer you will need to wear it. I know you have pretty much the most awesome helmet, but I would so much rather see my handsome baby boy's head and kiss it all the time :)

-So... we sold the house on June 28th and we are set to close on July 29th, Poppi's (mommy's dad) bday. We are currently in the process of remodeling daddy's grandma's house so that we can move in there this week (hence the beforehand mentioned comment about being busy). Unfortunately, your second cousin Brett will still be living there for a little while until he finds his own apt, and Uncle Tim will be there too until he leaves for Peru and then to go back to Tech. I can tell you that mommy never wants to look at a paint swatch again! I sure hope everything comes together ok, your daddy has repeatedly assured mommy that everything is going to turn out great and that everything is going to be ok... this too shall pass. So, mommy is working on trusting in the Lord, taking deep calming breaths, and taking an ambien every night so I can sleep! This time next Sunday, you guys will (at least you better be) sound asleep in your new nursery.

-Your Daddy deserves the daddy of the year award for sure! He let mommy go out of town for the whole weekend by myself! While mommy went to Houston to visit Ms. Lea, you guys hung out with daddy all weekend! From what I understand, you guys stayed in your pjs all weekend, Emma's hair didn't have a bow in it not one time, AND you guys slept in for daddy! Seriously?! WTH! How are you going to sleep in for daddy and not mommy?! I'll let it slide this time, but I fully expect for you to do the same for me!

-Mommy's last pump, and thus your last and final drops of delicious breast milk was on June 28th - such a bittersweet day. I really wish I could have gone longer - in fact I wish a lot of things could have gone differently, but I'm trying to stay positive and be proud of the fact that I worked really hard to make sure that you had natures perfect food for 8 months. I just love you guys soooooo much and wish I could have gone to a year :(

-You guys have both discovered how to drink out of a cup if mommy holds it, and how to drink out of a straw! You guys love the straws - except that you guys are pretty quick, and also discovered that you could blow bubbles into whatever you were drinking - and as a result, not a whole lotta drinking going on! But mommy was able to find these nifty little "sippy" cup type cups that have a straw instead of a spout, and you guys knocked it out of the park! And bonus... you can't blow bubbles and you can't spill it - SCORE!

-Not sure if this was mentioned last time or not, but both of you are sleeping thru the night from 7p(ish) to 7a(ish) :)

-You guys LOVE your new red crab baby pool! Although we have only gotten in it twice so far... it is so stinkin HOT here - I'm afraid you guys will melt in the 107 degree heat!

-Here's your current schedule:

7a wake and eats 8oz bottle and play (also eats oatmeal cereal with fruit)

8:30ish go down for nap #1 (in separate rooms)

10:30ish you guys normally wake up, play, and eat an 8oz bottle around 11 and then eat a fruit/veggie

12:30ish you guys go down for nap #2

2:30ish (sometimes earlier) you wake, play, eat an 8oz bottle around 3 and then eat a fruit/veggie

4/4:30 you guys go down for your last nap if you will take it - short nap 45min-1hr

5:30 get up and play

6:00 bath time, bedtime routine, bottle, read a book, and go to bed around 7 (sometimes later)

*Mommy is still making all kinds of new baby food! Max and Emma's new favorite is acorn squash :) Egg yolk and cottage cheese not so much :(

-As far as eating goes, you guys are both doing AWESOME! Max you average about 30-32 oz a day and Emma, you aren’t far behind him at 28-30oz a day! You guys have become quite squirmy lately making it quite challenging to feed you at times, it sure would be nice if you guys would learn to hold your bottles (and Emma with your feet doesn’t count!). You guys have done soooo well drinking out of your straw sippy cups, and Emma, you made mommy so proud yesterday (7/17) when you decided to be a big girl and hold the cup and drink out of it all by yourself – you always have been miss independent!

-Max, you decided to surprise mommy yesterday too when you suddenly decided that you too wanted to roll all over the place and kick your legs to try to get on your knees. You’ve also been talking soooo much lately – I love to hear all your stories!

-Emma, you absolutely melt mommy’s heart every time I put you down for a nap or bedtime. Our little routine is to sing our abc’s on the way to the bedroom and then sing twinkle twinkle little star as I lay you down (same for your Max), but for the past few weeks now, every time I turn the corner of the hallway to go in your room, you lay your head down on my shoulder and yawn – it is by far one of the highlights of my day – everyday! I also have to tell you Emma, you have been such an amazing sleeper lately – I know I’ve given you grief before in previous posts about your unstable sleep history – but boy are you making up for it now! I can honestly say that you are now a better sleeper than your brother – who would’ve thunk it?!

Well, I think that about wraps up what’s been going on this past month, there are probably things that I am forgetting, but I will try to do better :) Here are some pics of some super cute 8 month olds! (sorry for the massive photo bomb - didn't know I had so many pics this month!)

The day Emma cut her 1st tooth - you can't really see it though

On a walk with daddy when mommy was out of town

Emma on the go

Hmmm - now how to I get out???

Max and Emma love their crab pool :)

Mmmm Watermelon!

The before pic at 6.5 months

Another before pic

After 1 month in the helmet (6/28)

The awesome peeps at 360 wraps sent us this card - how sweet is that?!

Visiting Grandma (glad we did because she broke her leg a week later and is currently in icu)

Max enjoying the fireworks (Emma didn't like them AT ALL!)

Emma is plotting her attack

and down he goes...

Take 2

Emma and her bff Nola (Memi's daughter - wow that was weird to type!)

At Na-nah and Poppi's house

crashed out on th way home - he always likes to hold on to things in the carseat - silly boy!

Emma drinking from the straw sippy cup all by herself!

hehe! my mom says this is going to give Emma a complex!

7 month pics

2011-06-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

7 month update and pics

2011-06-10T14:58:00.022-05:00

Well kiddos, you’re7 months old (actually a little closer to 8 – oops!) I wrote this whole thing out once already but the computer didn’t save it! So, here we go again. Here are some of the things you’ve been up to:
What are you eating?

Well, you started off with some yummy sweet potatoes and since then you have had avocados, butternut squash, peas, bananas, apples, peaches, broccoli, carrots, green beans, pears, and yogurt. Mommy still makes all of your food :) Max, you are still a champion eater and the only thing we have found that you don’t like too much is broccoli. Emma, you have gotten so much better at eating your solids – it’s like you have a hollow leg now! Max, you are still taking about 30+ oz of formula/breastmilk a day! My Boy! And Emma, I guess you’re still on that diet, because you only like to drink about 20ish a day – although to look at you one would never know! On a side note – mommy started weaning off the pump when you turned 6 months, and is now down to 2 pumps a day (almost 1) and hope to be completely weaned in the next 2 weeks. I think I have finally come to terms with it and feel less sad about it than I did before. I feel really good about the fact that you guys were able to get bm for almost 8 months and as a result have been very healthy and sick-free :)

What are you wearing?

Emma you are wearing 6-9 month clothes and are very close to being too big for those! I don’t know how you are so chunky – you don’t eat hardly anything! But whatever you wear, you can rest assured that you will have a cute bow on your head! Max you are still wearing some 0-3 month shorts, some 3-6 clothes, and some 6-9 clothes, but a lot of the 6-9 stuff is too big for you – you’re just so stinkin skinny – and you’re the one that eats a ton! Emma is in size 3 diapers and Max is still in size 2s.

In other news, Max you got your helmet on May 24th (camo print) and on June 3rd, thanks to the amazing people at 360 wraps/wrap buddies, we were able to go to a wrap party and get your helmet professionally wrapped… for free! Your new helmet design is sooooo cool! You get complemented on it everywhere we go :) You have really adjusted well to the helmet, except for the occasional frustration at nap time. We go back to the orthotic (sp?) on Tuesday June 14th for an adjustment and to see what kind of progress you have had, and I can’t wait!

You both have been “talking” like crazy! Max you have been babbling for a while, but one day I guess Emma got a little tired of hearing you all the time, and she decided to start babbling again herself! Out of the blue one day you busted out with “dadadadadadada”! I couldn’t believe it – I texted daddy and he was sooooo excited and couldn’t wait to come home – he was so proud! Since then, dadada has turned into yayayayayaya, and then nineninenine – who knows what it will be next week! It was pretty cute though, because for a while there, you weren’t quite sure what to do with your tongue, so it would just kinda hang out the side of your mouth – silly girl! Emma, you took a short break from your “singing” and screaming/squealing, but when we went to the family reunion and you realized you were the center of attention (your favorite place to be), you started belting it out again – you little ham! So we are once again blessed with your singing talents.

You are both also rolling all over the place, especially you Emma, you love to explore and could care less that you are leaving all your toys behind! Your current favorite thing to do it lift your legs up and slam them down on the ground as hard as you can, although sometimes it’s not the floor, but your brother, and he doesn’t like that so much. You are also both excellent sitters! It’s so nice that mommy can just sit you both down with a bunch of toys and you are both happy as can be! Although, you do steal toys back and forth from each other – but I guess I better get used to that! You guys love your books, rings, o-ball, baby Einstein music take-a-long thing, and Emma you love to chew on anything and everything you can get your hands on! I wish those teeth would just pop out already! But I think what Max loves more than any toy, is bath time! You love to splash around in the big bath tub, and now that you have your helmet (and subsequent stink head) you get to take a bath every night :) Sister on the other hand, seems to think we are torturing her in the bathtub! She gets all rigid and stiff as a board and won’t relax the whole time. She moans the whole time – such a drama queen! Oddly enough though Emma, you seem to enjoy the swimming pool – weird?? You couldn’t be more relaxed in your little floatie! Max, just like we knew you would – you love the pool too :)

Max, you are still our champion sleeper! You and your sister go to bed around 7-7:30 every night and wake up around 7ish every morning :) You guys also take a good 2 hour nap every morning and then 2 more naps throughout the day (about an hour to an hour and half long). Emma, you’re a good little napper, but not so good lately at the sleeping thru the night thing :( Ever since you started teething, your sleeping habits have gone down hill! There were some nights that I swear you got up like 14 times! Well, a couple of nights ago, mommy and daddy decided that it was high time we nip this in the bud, and we knew it would hard, but in the end we would all sleep a whole lot better, so we decided to let you cry it out. Wouldn’t you know that the first night, you apparently had one of the rare nights where you don’t get up at all! And the second night, you got up once and cried for maybe 2 minutes! The third night (last night) you got up 2 or 3 times – but we also had a crazy day and missed a nap – but overall, I think it is working and before too long you can move back to your room in your nice cozy crib!

Well, can’t remember all the other stuff I wrote, so I will leave you with some pics and videos:

Max's favorite sleeping position - holding onto the bumper! Sweet boy :)

6 month photos :)

2011-06-04T20:42:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite pics from our 6 month photo shoot with ReJana @ Blu Door Studios

7 months old!

2011-06-02T16:57:00.000-05:00

Summer is here!!! I'm so excited! I have been anxiously awaiting summer so that I could get these babies in their bathing suits and in a pool... mission accomplished! This has been such a busy couple weeks. Let's see... Max got his helmet on the 24th and we went through the weaning in process and he finally got to the point of wearing it for 23 hours on Saturday the 28th, which happen to be while we were in Granbury for Jason's family reunion. We were worried how he would adjust to it all - but true to his style, he took it all in stride and it didn't really seem to phase him at all - LOVE this kid! We left on Friday afternoon for Granbury for Jason's family reunion. It was a lot of fun - they haven't had a reunion in like 15 years, so relatives from all over the country came in for it. Unfortunantly, Papa couldn't make it :( but I think some of the older generation peeps stopped by the rehab center to say their hellos on their way to the airport. Papa's turning the big 9-0 on June 6th, and I am trying to get a surprise party organized for when he is released from rehab in a few weeks!

Sooo, while we were in Granbury, Max and Emma took their first dip in the pool! They looked so stinkin cute in their swim suits and floaties. I was a little worried about how Emma would react to the pool, as she hasn't been a big fan of baths in the big bath tub - but she was just cold chillin like the diva she is the whole time! And as expected Max was just kickin away and loved it! I cannot wait to get these kids in swim lessons - I think we are going to look into lessons at the country club this summer :) One of the best parts of the reunion was finding a babysitter for the summer!!! Gotta love cousins home from college :) Ahh, dinner AND a movie at last :) Emma was hammin it up the whole time, always the center of attention, impressing everyone with her singing talents, addictive smiles and giggles. And we were so proud of Max - he went the whole weekend with no stranger danger meltdowns!

In other news, we went in today for Max's first appt since getting his helmet, and was very excited to learn that his head has already grown! I really hope that it continues to grow and fill out so we can cut the time in the helmet down. Whew does his head and helmet stink! We are experimenting with different shampoos to find one that helps the stinch go away. Max is also back to talking up a storm - no mama or dada yet - but I have a feeling it's coming :) So far he has mastered eating from a spoon, rolling both ways, and almost mastered sitting unassisted. Emma has really surprised us lately, it seems that she has found her appetite again, I really hope that it is not a fluke or temporary growth spurt. She has finally mastered eating from a spoon and apparently has hollow legs - this girl can just eat and eat and eat! She has also masterd rolling both ways and sitting unassisted. Thankfully, no signs of crawling yet - I don't think I'm ready for that yet!

Here's a couple of pics from the last couple of weeks (I still need to take their 7 month pics - oops!)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T22:04:00.000-05:00

Helmets are in this season, right??

2011-05-24T15:16:00.002-05:00

If not, they are now! Max was fitted for his helmet about a week and a half ago and we went in this morning to pick it up! For now it's in the very masculine camo, but thanks to the good people over at Wrap Buddies (and to all those who donate to their cause) we are getting it professionally wrapped on June 3rd and it is going to look sooooo cool - he'll be the talk of the town, and all the kids are going to want a helmet! He did so good as we practiced wearing it and taking it off and putting it back on. My biggest worry is the amount of sweat that having the helmet on causes - poor baby! But, I've been told that his body will acclimate and the sweating won't be so bad after a few weeks. I'll have to take another pic later of him with the eye patch and the helmet - this poor kid, it builds character, right?! He will be in the helmet one hour on, one hour off for the first day (no naps and not at night), and each day builds up to the 5th day when he will begin wearing it 23 hours a day. Hopefully we will cash in on some good growth spurts and he won't have to be in it more than a couple months - but all we can do is wait and see, and of course pray. I'll tell you it was very strange going somewhere with just one baby - btw - thanks Poppy for watching Emma today :) So without further ado, may I present Max and his helmet debut...

Happy Half Birthday!

2011-05-10T13:47:00.000-05:00

So... I've been a little neglectful to my blog :( Sorry! It seems the older these kiddos get the more of my attention they require! But hey - at least I'm getting to their 6 month update before they turn 7 months, that's gotta count for something, right?!

So they turned 6 months old on April 20th - Happy Half Birthday! I can't believe they are just that much closer to turning 1 - I can't even fathom it right now - blows my mind how quickly time goes by!

So Max and Emma, here's a little of what you crazy kids have been up to this month:

Sweet Emma, you are just growing by leaps and bounds! At your 6 month check up you weighed in at 16lbs 1.6oz (55%), you are 26 1/4 in long (75%), and your head circumference was 43 cm (70%), and your cheeks remain in the 100th percentile! You have just been as healthy as can be - and for that we are so thankful to God and feel very blessed! You are still quite vocal and like to "sing" all the time (btw - singing is squealing at the top of your lungs - the louder the better). You have rolled over several times, each time doing so while mommy was either in another room or not looking - you little stinker! sidebar - why to they always do the cool stuff when daddy's around? WTH? - I'm shocked at how big you're getting despite eating very well. You have decided to go on some kind of diet or something and it's quite frustrating to try and get you to eat everyday - mommy and daddy hope you get over this little phase soon - we want our good eater back! You have also become very good at sitting unassisted - especially in the last week - we are so proud of you! You're so strong! You are completely obsessed with mommy and daddy's iphones, the laptop and the tv (even though we don't let you watch it). You and your brother just started eating some real food! We started out with some homemade rice cereal which did not go over very well with either of you, so we moved on to some yummy sweet potatoes which you both seemed to really enjoy. Next, we tried some avacado, oatmeal, banana, butternut squash, and peas. You guys don't appear to love or hate anything you've tried yet - so I guess that's a good thing. You have a ways to go before mastering the whole eating from a spoon thing - but you try and that's all we can ask. You like to spit out whatever is on the spoon as soon as it enters your mouth - it usually takes about 3-4 attempts before you fully get one bite of food - so eating takes a little time with you. Lately you have been a little terror at night, getting up several times, not sure what's going on with all that - teething I think?? Mommy and daddy haven't had to get up this many times a night since you were little bitty - not cool. We think your teething based on the amount of drool coming out of your mouth 24/7 and the fact that you want to stick EVERYTHING in your mouth and chew on it. We recently discovered that you love ice - so that seems to help alieviate your discomfort. Your favorite toys these days are the dog (Lucy), you LOVE her and she loves you too and loves to give you kisses and you think it's absolutely hilarious when she does - so cute! You also love to jump in the jumperoo (which mommy was able to buy a second one for $20, score! and now you and brother can both jump at the same time!), scoot all over the place with your Dotty and friends book, your baby einstein music thingy, and your o-ball . That's pretty much what's been going on with you lately.

Mr. Max - my sweet snuggle bug. I'm pretty sure I fall more in love with you everyday! From the moment I go get you in the morning when you greet me with a big ol smile and an excited squeal - you just melt mommy's heart with your sweet face and loving nature. You are really starting to come into your own and are getting bigger by the minute! At your 6 month visit you weighed 14lbs 10oz (10%) - still my tall and skinny little boy :) you were 26 1/2 in long (70%), and your head circumference was 42cm (10%). Don't let these numbers deceive you, you have been eating like a champ lately! It's like you woke up one day and decided, "I think I'm going to eat like there's no tomorrow" - and you have been! You eat about 32 ounces everyday! You eat like your sister use to - it's amazing! I'm pretty sure if I gave you a 12 ounce bottle - you would eat it! You are such a good boy! You must have hollow legs or something, because I don't know where you're putting it all! And to top it all off - you are a super star at eating solids! WAYYY better than sister! Sister may sit better than you, but you've got her beaten in the eating dept! You don't ever spit any of it out - and sometimes I think you would just keep eating and eating and eating if I didn't run out of what I made you. Let's see... you have also been rolling over more, and seem to be more interested in rolling over, whereas before you didn't really care to much - now it's a challenge that you try to conquer. Like your sister, you too seem to be obsessed with iphones, laptops, and tvs, and Lucy. While at your 6 month appt - I asked the dr about your eye (your right eye) because it seems to wander sometimes. Sometimes when you are looking at me, only your left eye is focused in on me, so we decided to get it checked out. We went and saw an opthamologist and good news - you have two very healthy eyes! The dr did confirm that you have an intermitten wandering eye and suggested that you wear an eye patch over your non-wandering eye for 1 hour a day, every day to see if that would help. Today was day #1 and you did awesome! The eye patch didn't seem to bother you at all - and you looked really cool!

Ugh! I had typed a lot more about my first mother's day, the babies dedication, etc - but it didn't save it and now I don't have time to re-type it - sorry! But here are some pics from this past month - enjoy!

Adventures in Eating:

Emma determined to turn the tv on

Lucy likes tummy time too :)

Sharing 101

and so it begins

Not a big fan of this pic - but it's one of the only family pics we have - Easter

The babies with Na-nah and Grandad on Mother's Day

Mother's Day/Baby Dedication

Arrr - My handsome little pirate!

A Year Ago Today...

2011-04-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

A year ago today, here's what you looked like... mommy's little gummy bears at 9 weeks old :)

I can't believe it's almost your half birthday! You are both 24 weeks old today!

5 months old!

2011-03-29T14:36:00.002-05:00

Well Max and Emma, you are 5 months old now - can you believe it! Here's a little bit of what you've been up to these days:

Max, you are growing taller and more handsome everyday - I think you may actually explode with cuteness! You have been talking up a storm lately too - telling us stories about robots and ninjas and dinosaurs - it's really pretty amazing! ;) You've finally started to eat a litte better - I think on avg you are getting about 23-24 ounces a day - and from what I can tell your reflux is totally gone! You absolutely LOVE the jumperoo that your cousin Harper let you borrow - sometimes I think you may jump right out of that thing! You still haven't shown any interest in rolling over again, but I'm sure you will when you're ready. Lately you like to grab at your toys. mommy's hair and face, and stick everything you can in your mouth! I think your favorite toy other than the jumperoo is a burp cloth or bib - you love to chew on them! We got you a Sophie, but you seem to prefer the burp cloth or mommy's shoulder. You have discovered your toes/feet and love to play with them and talk to them - it's so cute! You are starting to laugh a little here and there - but you're pretty stingy with the laughs - I mean it has to be pretty funny to get a laugh outa you - but smiles you dole out all the time - and mommy and daddy can't get enough of them! You are still the nap and sttn king! I wish you would tell your sister how to do it! You are just such a good boy and we love you soooooooo much!

Sweet Emma, your crazy blond hair is getting longer everyday, and your blue/grey marble eyes are just as beautiful as ever. You are also as spunky and stubborn as ever! You like to remind us that you're the one in control - esspecially when it's time to eat. You let us know that you eat when you want and how much you want and we just have to deal with it! And to think you used to be the good eater who would eat anywhere, anytime, and from any bottle - my how things change. Even though you're a little stinker - we wouldn't have you any other way! All it takes is one of your award winning smiles and we just melt. Lately you like to laugh at your daddy when he makes funny faces at you or when you dance together on the couch - so cute! I can always get a laugh from you when changing your diaper, just a little tickle and the giggles pour on out :) One of your new skills that I think I mentioned last time you are still working on despite it not being one of our favorite - squealing - rather loudly - in public - or anywhere for that matter. Oh, but you think it's so cute and you are still so proud of yourself. Other skills you have been working on are standing - you love to stand - it's like your favorite thing to do - you are also working on sitting up unassisted, although you aren't quite there yet - you'll get there. Like your brother, you have not really shown much interest in rolling over yet - I guess y'all are just a little lazy :) You love to try and figure out how things work on the jumperoo, as opposed to just jumping in it. You also like to sit in your bumbo and throw things on the floor from your tray - I think you just like the sound they make when they hit the ground. Just like brother - I think your favorite toy is your bib or burpcloth - and you too like to stick everything in your mouth. When a bib or burp cloth is not available, and often times when it is, you prefer to stick your fingers and thumb in your mouth - I don't think you are sucking on your thumb, just chewing on it, but I hope you don't become a thumb sucker. You too are completely facinated with your toes/feet and play with them all the time. You are getting so big, I can't even believe that I just had to put away all of your 0-3 month clothes and some of your 3-6! You just started wearing some 6-9 month clothes - crazy! What happened to my tiny little baby girl??? Mommy made up a song that you love to listen to when you eat (two songs actually)- sometimes it's the only way to get you to finish your bottle - I just apologize that I am not a better singer - or even a good singer for that matter! Here are the words to our songs:
Song #1 (to the tune of Oh My Darlin)
Emma Ryan, Emma Ryan,
Emma Ryan is her name,
She's the cutest girl in the world,
Emma Ryan is her name.

Song #2 (this usually will get you to eat - no tune)
Big blue eyes,
Pretty little nose,
All the way down to your wiggly little toes,
Every little inch,
Lovin you's a cinch,
That's my Emma girl
Cute little ears,
Pretty blonde hair,
All the way down to your darier (sp?)
Every little inch,
Lovin you's a cinch,
That's my baby girl!

I guess you do silly stuff like this when you become a mommy! And yes Max there is a version for you too :) Let's see what else... Oh, we finally found a playgroup with nornal people - can you even believe it?! No more crazy strollercise for this mommy! You guys have 5 new friends, twin girls Luca and Larkin, and triplets Ben, Philip, and Sophie. We went to the park and hung out on blankets (and poor Max had some crazy seasonal allergies afterwards) and then we also went on a stroller walk around a nature preserve with a bunch of other multiples. I'm looking forward to more get togethers and for you to have fun with your new friends. In other big news, daddy got a new job last week! He's now working on the telcom support team for Bank of America! We are so very proud of daddy and know that he is going to do so great at his new job. One of the best things about the new job is that he will be able to work from home and see you whenever he wants - woo hoo! We are now working hard to clean the house up so we can sell it and get you a bigger house with more room to play! I think that's about it - I'm really looking forward to your 6 month check up to find out just how big you're getting, and for Max's appt with the cranial specialist, and your dedication at church on Mother's Day! Here are some pictures of you guys over the last couple of weeks:

Our birth announcements - better late than never right?!

Our new friend Sophie (one of the triplets) at the stroller parade

All of our new friends

A face only a mother could love :)

Max lovin on his Sophie

Emma and Lucy chillin in the backyard

4 months old!

2011-02-23T20:06:00.001-06:00

Well Max and Emma - you are 4 months old now! Wow how time flies! Here's a little bit of what you've been up to lately:

Current schedule
8a - daily wake up time (eat and play)
9a - go down for a nap
11a - wake up, eat and play
12p - go down for a nap (mommy eats lunch)
2p - wake up, eat and play (maybe run errands or go for a walk)
3p - go down for a nap
5p - wake up, eat & play - daddy is usually home now :)
6p - go down for a nap
8p - last meal of the day and bath time
8:45/9 - go to bed for the night
4a - Miss Emma usually wakes up for a feeding while Max is perfectly content with sleeping thru the night

*For some reason you both think that your nap is over 45 min into it these days - I hope this phase will pass quickly cause I am not a fan. It is for this reason that you have been napping in seperate bedrooms for the last month. It's gotten a little better and isn't every nap anymore, but I need Mr. Sandman to come back and help you get back sleep.

How/what do you play with? Right now you both enjoy the play gym that na-nah and grandad got you for Christmas, as well as reading books, singing songs, hanging out in the swing, and practicing your rolling over skills with tummy time.

Max here are some details on you and your 4 month well check:

Weight: 13lbs 1.4oz
Weight Percentile: 20%
Height/Length: 26in
Height Percentile: 85%
Head Circumference: 41.5cm
Head Circumference Percentile: 30%

You apparently are going to be a bean pole just like your Uncle Jacob! We try to get you to eat more, but you will only take about 21 ounces of food a day. But, you are starting to form a nice little double chin :)

Your reflux seems to have gotten under control, I don't know if you just grew out of it or if it is from the Prevacid - but either way you are a doing much better! In fact, because it has gotten so much better, you are able to sleep in your crib all the time now - woo hoo! Before too long, I am going to have to put away all your 0-3 month clothes as you are starting to grow out of them now - but the 3-6 month outfits seems so big on you. You just started wearing size 2 diapers a few weeks ago, but unfortunately it doesn't help mask the odor of your horrendous farts - I'm serious, they are awful! We are going to try switching your formula and see if that will make a difference, but somehow I doubt it - you are 100% boy that's for sure! We also asked Dr. Holt about your head again and he has referred us to a craniomaxillofacial surgeon - sounds scary, but hopefully he can help us with the flat spot on your head - my poor baby didn't have much room in mama's belly :( We are scheduled to see the new doctor on May 2nd - apparently these doctors are pretty busy and that is the earliest we could get in to see him - who knew?

In other news... YOU ROLLED OVER!!!! Mommy and Daddy are SOOOOOOO proud of you! You have been trying so hard for a while and you finally did it! And bonus... we got it on video!! You have yet to do it again, but I know you will :) You were also the first one to start grabbing for the rings dangling from your little play gym (I guess sister must have seen you do it, because she started do it shortly after you did - copy cat!). You finally found your voice and would talk to us all the time, however lately you have moved on to new skills and haven't talked too much. Your favorite thing right now is to blow spit bubble and stick your hands in your mouth. It took you a while, but now that you know how to smile - you smile ALL the time and I LOVE IT! I can't wait to hear your laugh! Your hair is growing so fast and it is at a stage where it just kinda sticks out and is spiky - and with your gorgeous big brown eyes, you remind me of Uncle Kenny when he was a baby (which speaking of, I think he may be working on an aunt for you in the near future - but that's a whole other story!). You're still my little snuggle bug and I cherish those moments because I know that there will come a day when you won't want to snuggle anymore - but for now, you win the snuggle award! I love you so much my sweet baby boy :)

My sweet spirited Emma, you are truly your own person already! You will be, and actually already are, a handful! You will scream your head off one minute and then give me the sweetest, biggest gummy grin the next and make mama's heart melt. You are such a little stinker! You know what you want and often are not very patient about it. I will admit that you have mellowed out a little bit - probably because you are so distracted by things going on around you, that you forget what you were getting upset about. I don't to make it seem like you cry all the time or anything, because you don't - you're just very loud :) You are also growing by leaps and bounds! Here are your stats from your 4 month check up:

Weight: 14lbs 6.4oz (almost a pound and a half bigger than your brother!)
Weight Percentile: 70%
Height/Length: 25in
Height Percentile: 80%
Head Circumference: 41.5cm (same as brother’s but your head seems so much bigger - must be those cheeks!)
Head Circumference Percentile: 70%

No one would ever guess that you were 3 weeks early! You are well into your 3-6 month clothes and I have a feeling that we will need to start pulling out the 6-9's before too long! You still have massive cheeks that make you look like you are smuggling acorns! But I love them, I love to kiss them all the time :) You don't really eat that much more than your brother (about 25 ounces a day), but for some reason you seem to be growing so much faster! I wish we could get you to sleep thru the 4a feeding that you seem you like so much! In due time - but in the mean time, you and daddy get to spend some quality daddy/daughter time at 4a - maybe that's why you do it?? Your hair is getting so long and now has a reddish tint to it (mommy and daddy both had reddish tints to our hair when we were babies too). The jury is still out on what color your eyes will be, for now they are still the bluish gray you were born with - they're so pretty they look like marbles. You haven't quite mastered rolling over yet, but I can tell that you are very close; you like to turn your body right to the tipping point and then flop back down (from back to tummy). You don't seem to interested in rolling over from your tummy to your back - you just kinda lay there like a log! Maybe once you see that brother can do it that will motivate you! You have replaced your constant talking with your new favorite skill of blowing spit bubbles and making funny sounds with your mouth and tongue - it's pretty cute :) Like your brother, you too love to stick your fingers or whole hand into your mouth, or your bib, or whatever might be handy (no pun intended). You still spit up on everything and everyone all the time, but the quantity seems to have gone down a little - but never the less, it is frustrating to have to always have a bib over your cute little outfits - it kinda takes away from the fun of dressing you up. Oh well, you still have your bows!

Among other firsts, you both experienced your first stay at the church nursery (first time anyone but Gram and Poppy have watched you) - and you both did great! I think it will take you a while to really get used to it and learn how to sleep despite all the noises going on around you - at least I hope you will! It does seem to take you both a while to get back on track after church - or anytime we go off schedule - but as you get a little older I am hopeful that it will become easier. We can't wait to be able to take you guys to baseball games, the zoo, the pool, the river, and all sorts of other fun places. We are loving seeing the world through your eyes and experiencing things for the first time with you. I know Lucy can't wait for you both to play with her - she loves you both sooooo much already!

Mommy is hoping to find a good playgroup to join with other kiddos your age - but so far I haven't found it yet. Let me just say, Strollercise, is not for mommy - I hope y'all had fun watching mommy make a fool of herself at the mall! We have an appointment this week with the lactation consultant to try to make this breastfeeding thing work one more time, and if it doesn't (and I REALLY hope that it does), then I will just continue giving you expressed breast milk until you are 6 months (I don't think I can physically or emotionally keep exclusively pumping any longer than that).

Well, I guess that's about it for now, but here are a couple pics and videos of you:

Max's dancing skills :)

This is how Max rolls :)

*Sorry, I can't figure out how to rotate the pictures :(

The BIG 3-0 and the 0-3!

2011-01-24T13:47:00.000-06:00

Let me just start off by telling you all what an amazing husband I have! Seriously, I know I take for granted how incredibly lucky I am. In addition to carrying the load and stress of being the sole provider for our family, he also some how manages to come home every day and put his daddy and doting husband hat on. No matter how he may be feeling on the inside, he is always there to make sure I get a break and that I don't lose my mind - he keeps me grounded and calm and always tells me it will be ok. Um and did I mention he always gets up for the middle of the night feedings??? Yeah. Can anyone say "Husband of the Year Award"? I know I don't deserve this man but I am sooooo blessed that he has chosen me for his wife.

Speaking of my wonderful and amazing husband... he also managed to put together a little shindig for my 30th bday! He was hoping it would be a surprise, but since he couldn't find all the email addresses he needed, he had to let me in on it. I'm really kinda glad he did, because I was getting a little depressed that my big 3-0 was going to come and go without any recognition :( Not to mention, I really needed a night out and some adult conversation! Jason had arranged for us and all our friends to eat dinner at this place called "The Ranch" in Las Colinas - we had eaten there once before and it was pretty good - and they have bands that play on the inclosed porch/bar area. Almost everyone showed up - I felt so special! Even Lea and Jason came in from Houston to help me celebrate - it was sooooo good to see them! The only drawback was that I felt like I needed to clone myself so that I could sit and talk to everyone, but I think/hope everyone had a good time. After dinner, the few of us that were left went outside to the bar area and listened to some music and hung out with some old friends. I had a whoppin 2 and a half drinks! The me from college wouldn't even recognize the me today! What can I say, I have become quite the light weight! All in all it was a great night. Jason's mom and stepdad babysat the kiddos, God bless them! I don't know if they really knew what they were getting themselves into! I think they may be babysitted out for a while! It does make me feel a little better about myself though, to know that someone else also thinks it's difficult taking care of twins (and there were two of them) - I guess it makes me feel validated in some way. I guess 30 isn't so bad. When I was younger and I pictured what my life would be at 30 - this is pretty much it (although I never pictured twins) - I'm married, we have a house, a dog, two kids, I was a teacher but am now a stay at home mom - I guess the only thing I'm missing is the white picket fence!

About a week and a half after my 30th - my babies turned 3 months old! While there isn't a 3 month well check - here are some of what they have been up to lately:

Max has gotten so much better on his head control - he is no longer our little bobble head! His hair is growing like crazy - we can make a little mohawk with it now! He is completely out of his NB clothes and is into 0-3's - which he has a ton of thanks to Ryan, KC and baby Austin :) Unfortunately, Max got sick right around Christmas with a cough and some vomiting. We took him to the dr and he had bronciolitis, but they gave him some inhaler medications as well as a liquid cough syrup and FINALLY as of this last week - the cough is gone. Since he was sick and congested, that made him not want to eat on top of his reflux, so feedings would sometimes last over an hour before we would give up and put him back to bed. We are finally back to finishing our bottles in under and hour - woo hoo! However, sometimes Max decides he's finished after only eating for a few minutes and will start to swat your hand and the bottle away and if you're not expecting it - he will knock the bottle right out of your hands! Recently, Max has decided to start peeing on daddy again - which it's hard not to laugh - poor daddy! Max has also started to smile more and has started to talk a little -although not as much as his sister! He has started to bat at the little rattles on his play mat - it is so cute - he looks so serious as he stares at the rattle and you can see the concentration in his face. Oh, and the flat spot on his head (from having to share a womb with his sister) is finally starting to round out - yay! I was getting worried that he might have to wear one of those head brace things.

Emma has become quite the curious little girl; she constantly wants to know what is going on around her. If there's a noise somewhere, she wants to see it. This can get a little frustrating when trying to feed her - it's like her head is on a swivel! I'm not sure how much she weighs right now - but I do know that as of yesterday, she is now in the #2 diapers - the little chunk probably weighs about 15 lbs! She has always been the more vocal one, but now instead of screaming, she likes to talk to you. We carry on conversations all the time, especially right after she eats. But of course, every time I try to grab the flip or my phone to film it - she abruptly stops. It is so cool watching her though - so stinkin cute! I'll tell you wants not cute though, and that's the fact that she has decided to start getting up from her naps an hour before she's supposed to - this kid is driving me crazy! I've shortened her wake time, but that hasn't seemed to make a difference - without fail almost every time, she wakes up, then I have to remove her from the room before she wakes her brother up, put her in the swing, and she goes back to sleep until I wake her for the next feeding. All this wouldn't be so bad if the swing weren't in the living room, preventing me from doing anything productive around the house. And more often than not, she somehow knows exactly when I have stopped pumping and that seems to be her time of choice to wake up - she is such a stinker! I would love to let her cry it out in her crib, but I know she will wake up Max. We need a bigger house so they can have their own rooms!

I'm hoping it will start warming up soon so I can take the babies for walks around the park - I know Lucy is looking forward to that too! It just gets so boring being cooped up in the house ALL DAY EVERY DAY! I need a reason to get out of my pj's - or get the kids out of there pj's for that matter! I did attend a new moms of multiples group in Flower Mound, and it's much smaller than the PAMOM group, and closer - however, there really weren't any moms there that had babies the same age as Max and Emma, so I think I will continue to go to the PAMOM meetings and this new group - and hopefully I will start to get out of the house more with playdates and such. If nothing else - I know about 8 or so women that are having babies between February and August - so I guess we could all start our own little play groups :) It's so weird to think that this time last year I was taking all kinds of meds and injections getting ready for IVF #3 - and now here they are 3 months old!

We've been bad lately about pictures - but here are a few pics and videos (well it won't let me post the video - so maybe it will be working next time):

Catching Up

2011-01-09T18:18:00.003-06:00

Wow - it has been a while... where to start....

Well, these little guys have been keeping me very busy (hense the lack of blog updates). There is one thing I need to get off my chest first though... let me just say for all you moms-to-be out there, no one really told me how hard being a mom would be - I mean yeah we all know it will be hard, but I'm talking about all the moments where you feel completely inadequet and feel like you have no idea what your doing and are left wondering if you are the only new mom to feel this lost. None of your friends share their moments of weakness and insecurity, or talk about how they too have cried in the shower questioning whether they are going to be/are being a good mom. With as much as I lean on my own mom, cousins, books and the internet - I'm left wondering how on earth moms did it back in the day. I guess I thought I would have some kind of internal instinctual switch that would flip on the second my babies were born and I would just know how to do everything - and when I didn't, I felt like I fell short as a mom. I didn't have the "baby blues" or anything, it was just moments of weakness and insecurity - and I'm sure there will be more as I continue on this journey of motherhood - and now that I have talked to my friends and discovered that they too share in these moments, I wanted to make sure that I put it out there so no one else feels like they are the only ones. OK - now that I have that out of the way, here's what's been going on...

Emma has excellent head control, she has for a while - this child is strong - I swear is she like a tank! She can already sit in her bumbo like a champ, even though she doesn't really like it much - in fact she really only seems to like to be held - yay. Max however is still working on his neck strength, he's not quite there yet but he's getting there. Emma is a smiling queen, she loved to smile, especially when getting her diaper or clothes changed or when you make funny faces/sounds at her. She likes to talk too. She does most of her talking during tummy time and after she eats. Max on the other hand seems to be more of the quiet and serious type. He smiles occasionally (mostly for daddy) and will talk sometimes while he is playing on the playmat. I am hoping that he starts to smile more in the coming weeks. They both LOVE to stare at this canvas painting of a tree that is hung on the wall above the couch - I swear I think they could sit and stare at it all day! They also both seem to enjoy tummy time - which is apparently unusual - I guess most babies don't like it. I really think Max will be the first to crawls b/c he will just lay there and kick those legs like he's swimming, he can even scoot himself forward on the blanket! - whereas Emma just lays there like a log. Neither one are attempting to roll over just yet - but we'll keep trying. Another thing Max LOVES to do is stretch - I think it's his favorite thing. Every time we get him up from his nap, he likes to spend a good 5-10 minutes stretching. The only thing he loves more than stretching is kicking!

They are still on their schedule, eating every three hours (except for at night). They had been getting up around 6a, but recently have started extending the hours they sleep at night and instead of getting up at 3am and again at 6 - they have stopped the 3a feedings and are now getting up around 4/4:30 and then again around 8am - so now we are working on adjusting our schedule. They always have their last feeding between 9-10p and are now sleeping about 6-7 hours thru the night :) I have heard that 12 pounds was kind of the magic number for them sleeping thru the night - and that seems to be about right. They recently had their 2 month check up, here are their stats:

Emma
*Weight: 10lbs15.4oz
Weight Percentile: 55% (big jump!)
Height/Length: 22 in
Height/Length Percentile: 30%
Head Circumference: 38.5 cm
Head Circumference Percentile: 45%
Hair color - still blond
Eye color - still a bluish grey color

*we had to go to the dr. again last week b/c they were sick and she weighed in at 11 lbs. 15oz

Max
*Weight: 10lbs6.6oz
Weight Percentile: 25%
Height/Length: 22 1/2 in
Height/Length Percentile: 25%
Head Circumference: 38.5 cm
Head Circumference Percentile: 20%
Hair color - still brown
Eye color - still brown

*we had to go to the dr. again last week b/c they were sick and he weighed in at 11 lbs. 3.4oz

They have both graduated from NB diapers and have been in the 1's for a couple weeks now - in fact they will very soon be moving on to the 2's! I had a very sad moment a few weeks ago when I finally had to admit to myself that Emma did not fit into her NB clothes anymore and it was time to fold them and put them away :( Most of them she never even wore. Which reminds me... another tip for new moms... don't get a lot of NB clothes - they wore like maybe 10 different outfits - at least that was the case for me. Now we are well into the 0-3's for both Max and Emma. I emptied Max's closet of the NB clothes last week :( I didn't know I would be so emotional about it - but it was sad realizing that they were growing so fast! They are both up to about 4.5-5 ounces per feeding and taking 6 feedings a day. I am still pumping after each feeding and am up to 20 ounces a day - which comes out to the babies getting about 1/3 breast milk and 2/3 formula. My supply is still slowly increasing, so hopefully I can get up to half and half and maybe even catch up to them around 6 months when they start eating solid foods - we'll see! I'm still taking Fenugreek, Blessed Thistle, and Reglan everyday to help increase my supply. It's a lot of work, and I certainly have days where I want to throw in the towel, but I just keep telling myself that it's the best thing I can do for my babies - and that something is better than nothing. I really try to cherish the moments I have with each of them when I'm nursing them, since I know I will never get to experience it again.

Max still struggles with his reflux and is taking Prevacid daily to help control the acid in his tummy. As a result of the reflux, feeding times are very LONG - I pray for the day that it doesn't bother him anymore - there is absolutely nothing worse than seeing your little baby suffering and in pain and not being able to do anything about it :( Emma has a little reflux issues too - but nothing like her brother. Her biggest issue is spitting up. The doctor calls her a "happy spitter" since it doesn't ever seem to bother her. This girl can go through some bibs and burp cloths let me tell ya!

Sadly, the babies have been sick for about 2 weeks now :( They have both been congested and Max has had a cough which we found out was Bronchiolitis. Because of the congestion, they can't breathe very well, and when you can't breathe very well, you don't really want to eat - so feeding times have been really fun! They have been averaging about an hour each to eat - which isn't soo bad when Jason is here - but during the day it is brutal! I feel like all I do all day is feed babies, pump, feed babies, pump, etc... until Jason comes home. They are slowly getting better though thank goodness! Max was prescribed 2 inhalers, which he hates, and we have been using vicks, the nose frida snotsucker (look it up - it is a MUST HAVE), and saline spray. Luckily, neither have had a fever - I just pray that this ends soon - I don't like having sick babies!

I have more to write about my solo trip to my parent’s house with the babies and Lucy, their first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, our first time out without the babies, etc - but it will have to wait because it is time to feed babies again!

Here's a couple of pics:

4 weeks old!

2010-11-17T20:58:00.000-06:00

I can't believe my sweet babies are 4 weeks old today! They are both doing great! They were weighed on Monday when we went for a visit to the lactation consultant and Emma weighed in at 7lbs 3oz and Max was up to 6lbs 14oz! Emma LOVES to eat and Max loves to sleep :) They have both been on a 3 hour feeding schedule since we were in the hospital and it really seems to be working well for all of us. Breastfeeding is going ok - I'm still a little behind on my milk production, but the LC seemed confident that I would be able to catch up in a few more weeks and may be able to drop the formula supplements - luckily neither of them have any latching issues, so fingers crossed it will work out - we shall see. Max is still very laid bad and doesn't seemed to be bothered by much, but he does have some reflux because of his flappy larynx which causes him to eat VERY SLOWLY - which is a pain in the butt at midnight and 3am when you just want to get it over with and go back to bed! Emma on the other hand will gulp it all down and still want more. She really likes her "wake time" and loves looking at her self in the mirror - such a girl! Both babies are so good - we are very blessed!

Here are some pics from the last couple weeks:

Max and Emma meet their great Papa

Max and Emma with their Na-nah (my mom)

My sweet sleeping beauty

Uncle Omar and Max

Emma loves to look at herself in the mirror

Had to throw this one in - gotta love a Lucy snarl :)

Max rockin his Aggie gear - I guess it helped 'cause they won - whoop (strickly for Jason's sake)

Too bad the same luck didn't work for Emma and her Longhorn gear, but we still love 'em - Hook 'em Horns!

Cutie pies

Our little butterball princess kickin it in the bouncy seat

Max and Emma meet Aunt Marcia and their other great Papa

Firsts for Max & Emma

2010-11-08T14:35:00.001-06:00

Well... the babies are a little over 2 weeks old now! They had their 2 week check up on Tuesday and both Max and Emma are growing like little weeds! Here are their stats:
Emma
Weight: 6lbs 3.4oz (5% percentile)
Height/Length: 20in (50% percentile)
Head Circumference: 35cm (30% percentile)

Max
Weight: 5lbs 15oz (3% percentile)

Height/Length: 20in (25% percentile)
Head Circumference: 34cm (10% percentile)

*keep in mind that they should still be in the womb - they will not be "term" until Nov. 11th - that's why their percentages are lower.

Emma is doing fabulous and does not need to go back until her 2 month check up! Max on the other hand will need to go back next week to check on his breathing - they suspect he may have Laryngomalacia - which means that his larynx is a little flappy, but it's not a big deal and he will grow out of it - it just makes his breathing sound a little raspy. Other than that, he's doing great!

Both babies are nursing really well! I just wish I had enough milk to feed them both without having to supplement with formula :( Hopefully more will come in with time as my body continues to heal and adjust. We even attempted tandem nursing the other day and it went really well! I'm not confident enough to try it all by myself - so for now we only try it when daddy is home. I also had a check up this week and my incision is healing perfectly - it's still a little sore and I am reluctant to have anything apply pressure on it - so I am continuing to wear the super sexy granny panties and either really high waisted pants or really low waisted pants (mostly Jason's baggy cotton pajama pants). I have about 4 or 5 pounds to loose before I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight - pretty unbelievable!

Here are some pics from Emma and Max's first bath, first dr's visit, and first Halloween :)

First car ride

First Dr. Appt

Max's first bath

he really liked getting his hair washed

all clean :)

Emma's first bath - she hated it!

she is quite vocal and will gladly let you know if she doesn't like something!

She did seem to enjoy getting her hair washed - but who doesn't!

All clean!

Max and Emma chillin on the couch

Max's first Halloween - my precious little owl

Emma's first Halloween - momma's little ladybug

does it get any cuter than this?!

look at me I'm "0" months old!

Look at me I'm "0" months old!

Happy Birthday Max and Emma!

2010-10-28T18:16:00.000-05:00

Well Max and Emma have arrived! They came out kicking and screaming and absolutely perfect on Wednesday, 10/20/2010 :) Max Austin was born first at 8:07am weighing 5 pounds and 6 ounces and about 18 inches long and an apgar score of 8 (no nicu needed) and Emma Ryan was second at 8:08am weighing 5 pounds and 15 ounces (almost 6 pounds!) and she was 18 and a half inches long and her apgar score was a 9 (no nicu needed). I just cried and cried I was so happy when the nurses said that they were perfectly healthy! I am so very thankful and blessed that everything went so well with them.

Unfortunately, things didn't go so well with me after their delivery. After they were delivered, Jason went with them to the nursery while the doctors finished with me, but when removing one of my placentas I began to hemorrhage and was quickly loosing a lot of blood. I began to feel really lightheaded and nauseas, so they gave me a sedative which all but knocked me out (I could still hear things going on around me but I was out of it). Apparently my uterus would not contract despite the Dr. G doing everything he could, and I was loosing too much blood, so they had no choice but to remove my uterus to stop the hemorrhaging. By the time they sewed me up, an hour had passed and I had lost half my blood volume. They were on the fence about whether or not to give me a blood transfusion, as I was right on the cusp where I could go either way, but they decided not to do one. The nurse had ran out to tell Jason about what was going on in the OR, but they wouldn't allow him to come back in, so I can only imagine what kind of rollercoaster of emotions he was going through. Once everything was all finished, they took the sedative off and I was able to go to the recovery room and join Jason and our precious babies.

Dr. G had sent my placenta and uterus off to the lab for testing and he called yesterday to let me know why all this had occurred... and apparently I had what they call placenta accrita - which means that the placenta attached itself too deeply to my uterus and there was nothing they could do but to remove it. My doctor went on to say that I did not fit the rule book for this condition as I never had any of the signs like bleeding during my pregnancy nor had I ever had any uterine surgeries or previous c-section(s). So in light of this, I feel that much more blessed that the Lord has given us two beautiful, healthy, and perfect babies. I guess He really knows what He's doing and he really does have a plan for us all even if we can't see it or understand it. I have certainly had my moments in the last few days when I get very sad and cry thinking about how I will never get to experience being pregnant again. It's alot to deal with especially after everything I and we have been through to get to this point. It also doesn't help that I had the most wonderful pregnancy anyone could ever ask for - bedrest and all. I just really, really LOVED being pregnant. My advice to anyone out there that is pregnant - I know about 5 or 6 of you are (you know who you are) - take the time to really experience your pregnancy and embrace it and take the time to acknowledge the awesome power God has given you to grow a life within yourself - you'll be so glad you did - and you never know what can happen or when it might be the last time you are given this awesome opportunity.

So...
Since I had lost so much blood, I am now anemic, which is making my recovery a little slower. I was finally able to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom and even take a 5 min shower (sitting of course) on Friday (2 days later) and was allowed to eat solid food again. After that, each day was a little easier and I was able to actually get out of bed, go to the bathroom, walk the hall and shower unassisted by Sunday morning. I was released on Sunday and things have been going relatively well since we've been home. The incision is still pretty sore and my body is still adjusting to its recent lack of blood, but thankfully my mom is here helping us, so we've just been trying to stay with our little 3,6,9,12 feeding routine and so far so good. I've really been trying to sleep any time they are sleeping - as I get tired out pretty easily. Nursing is also going pretty well considering all that is stacked against me with the twins being early and my anemia. I am nursing the babies, pumping, and supplementing with formula until my milk really starts to come in and until the babies reach term (Nov. 11th) - but it's all learning by fire for these first timers :)

On a lighter note, Mr. Max loves to pee on his daddy! Jason has been so amazing - he is such an amazing, amazing man and father - I honestly don't know what I did to get so lucky! Jason has been on diaper duty all day everyday since the babies were born, I just recently have been able to get around enough to change a few here and there - but Jason completely got thrown into everything and has handled it with such grace, never once complaining - in fact he seems to take pride in his awesome diaper changing techniques and master swaddler title :) My heart just swells with all the love I have for these little miracles and for my best friend, husband, and father of our babies. Well, it looks like it's feeding time again, but here are a few pics for your viewing pleasure...

Last belly pic - 37 weeks :)

Last picture as a family of 2

Jason all geared up ready for the OR

First time holding my little angels

My perfect and beautiful babies (Emma on the left, Max on the right)

Emma (left) and Max (right)

Sweet babies Emma (left) Max (right)

Happy Birthday! Emma (left) Max (right)

34 weeks and home at last!

2010-09-29T15:59:00.000-05:00

Gosh, where to start... well, as I mentioned before, I was put back on hospital bedrest at our Sept. 7th appointment when my cervix shrunk from 14 mm to 8mm - yikes! I was really scared - but I knew that I was in good hands. They gave me a shot of turb again which stopped the contractions. I knew that I was likely going to be in for the long haul this time - but I was ok with that because I knew that I was in the best place possible. Unfortunetly, the menu did not change :( After three weeks of no contractions or further shortening of my cervix - Dr. G said I would get to go home! My release date wasn't free of its fair share of drama though! After our sono, in which the babies were measuring about 4 and a half+ pounds each, the sonographer detected membranes in my cervix (not exactly sure what that means) - so Dr. G did a pelvic exam to check and see if I was dialting - in which case we would be having a birthday party! All the blood rushed from my face, I felt light headed and though I was going to be sick - I look over and Jason just dropped his head and started praying - you don't really want to hear at 33 and a half weeks that you might be delivering your babies! This was the first time I've had a pelvic exam - but luckily Dr. G said that at most I was 1/2 cm dialated and that I was fine to go home. Whew! To add to the drama, Dr. G informs us that he is going on vacation next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday - not really the news you want to hear after being told you may be delivering your babies. I have had dr. appt's with Dr. G either every week or every two weeks since March - never once has he not bene there - so these babies better not even think about making their arrival next week!
In the mean time, Jason has hooked me up at home - he is very concerned that I not have to lift a finger! He has taken almost everything out of the pantry and put it on the table so I would not have to reach for anything! He has also set up a cooler by the bed and a giant jug of water in the bathroom so I can fill up on my way to and from the bathroom! He is going to be such a great daddy! We are really starting to try and wrap our heads around the fact that we will have two babies in like 2 weeks! I will finally get to hold and love on these two little miracles that have been kicking and squirming around in there for so long!
We also finally settled on a new car after going back and forth and not finding what we wanted, blah, blah, blah... we ened up getting a 2010 Acura MDX - I'm so excited and can't wait to be able to drive it! (pic below)
The past couple sono pics weren't great - but the sono tech always loves to take pics of the babies heads - apparently it's not very common to get a good picture of both heads - who knew?! I posted some belly pics too - warning it's a big one! I've gained a whole 29 pounds so far and I'm pretty sure it's all in the belly cause that sucker is big!

Super pumped about wheel chair shopping this weekend and finally getting all the little things we need!

Here are some pics for your enjoyment:

31 weeks

32 weeks

32 weeks

33 weeks

33 weeks

The new ride :)

Sono Pics - 31 weeks

2010-09-11T15:49:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention that baby girl is now head down with her brother - yay! Here are some sono pics from Tuesday's appt - there are some good ones of both babies in 3d:

Baby boy with his hand in his mouth

Baby Boy

Baby Boy

Baby Boy

Baby Girl

Baby Girl

Baby girl

baby boy

both head down

31 weeks - Back in the hospital :(

2010-09-11T15:27:00.001-05:00

So... we went in for our routine dr. appt on Tuesday (I might add this was the one time I did not bring my hospital bag) and first thing they do is check my cervix. Sadly, I was down to a measly 8mm :( It's really scary to think about how little 8mm really is - and that is all that is holding these babies in. I was so frusrtated to say the least. On a positive note, they did measure the babies and baby boy weighed in at 3 pounds 5 ounces and baby girl was 3 pounds 3 ounces and the fluid and heart rates on both were excellent.

Needless to say, Dr. Garner admitted me back in the hospital for bedrest. As soon as they got me upstairs and hooked up to the monitor - sure enough I was contracting about every 5 or so minutes. They gave me a shot of terbutaline which stopped the contractions - and surprisingly wasn't quite as bad as the last time. I did however spend the next day in a sad and scary place, pretty much crying all day wondering if there was anything I could have done - and feeling like a failure. On Thursday, they did another ffn test (which if you remember from my previous stint in the hospital - is a test to see if I am in danger of going into labor in the next 2 weeks) thankfully, the test came back negative -whew! After that and not having any contractions - I felt much less scared and releived that they would at least stay put for another 2 weeks. My goal is to get to at least 35 weeks - idealy 37. Hopefully being in the hospital and the close monitoring will allow me to reach my goal and have healthy chunky babies (welll as chunky as twins can be).
Last night (Friday), I had about 3 or 4 contractions in a half hour (you shouldn't have more than 6 in an hour) - so my nurse was a little concerned and had me down a ton of water to see if that would do the trick - luckily it did! I hate to think about what could have happened if I were still at home and contracting without knowing it - since that is what is causing my cervix to shorten. This morning my monitoring was good - just a little bit of irritability. They are going to check on the babies and my cervix again on Monday - but Dr. G said that he was going to release me from the hospital in a few weeks (33/34ish weeks) - so by the end of the month I will get to go back home and just let nature take its course. I am very thankful to have the option to go home before the babies get here - I know some doctors make you stay for the duration.
This has been one crazy week to say the least. In addition to all this going down on Tuesday - Jason also started his new job! He is now a senior sales engineer for an IT company called ABP International. He is getting to work along side one of his previous bosses. The poor guy has really been stretched thin this week. As soon as he gets off work at 6 - he comes home, feeds the dog, picks up whatever I might need from the house, picks up something to eat, and comes to hospital - then he usually leaves here around 10:30, and starts it all over again the next day. I really am lucky to have such an amazing hubby - I don't know what I would do without him.
In other news, the other day was pretty exciting as hospital bedrest goes... we had a code black at the hospital. Since there were so many tornados touching down in Dallas, they had all of us move out of our rooms and into conference rooms without windows. We were only there for about 15 minutes before they canceled the code black - but my nurse said that she has been working here for 16 years and this was only the second time she has had a code black! It also seems that I will have to relocate my church baby shower to the hospital - which should be interesting :) Poor Jason is going to have to be the one to take care of buying all things we don't get from showers, wash all the clothes and sheets, put everything away, do my nesting for me, AND find and buy a new car (tahoe) - that's quite the honey do list - I really wish I could do something to help :( And poor Lucy, she's already getting the shaft and the babies aren't even here yet! I wish I could cuddle with her and love on her since I know it will likely be a while before she gets any attention again. Jason is actually going to bring her up here next week - I hope she doesn't wig out! I'm also really looking forward to seeing our maternity pics - maybe next week - I sure hope they turned out good!
For now, I am spending the day relaxing with my love and watching some college football! Can't wait to watch my horns play tonight! Hook 'em horns!

Belly and Baby Shower Pics

2010-09-04T17:17:00.001-05:00

30 1/2 weeks today and the kick off of college football - hook 'em horns! What a beautiful weekend - wish I could actually go out and enjoy it - stupid bedrest! We had our maternity pics done today - I hope they turn out good :) Happy Labor Day!

gotta love it when you can't tell where your boobs end and your belly begins!

Jason reluctantly took the longhorn pics!

not sure when exactly it happened - but man my belly got big!

no stretch marks, but you can see every vein on my belly!

Pickles and Ice Cream themed baby shower

Shawnte, Amanda and Kasey

My mom had to help me with the gifts since I couldn't bend over!

I love anything with a ruffle butt!

They had a whole ice cream sundae bar set up - super cute and yummy!

The guests gave the babies books instead of cards to stock up their library so we can read to them everyday :)

Me, Amanda, and Kasey

The hostesses with the mostesses! Gina, Misty, (me), Jessica, Miss Harper, and Charlotte!
Since they did such an amazing job on my shower - I had to shower them with a little something too :)

When it was all said and done - we ended up with what I like to refer to a "Mount Baby"! It took a while to weed through, but we've got most of it put away - but you sure run out of room fast when you have a baby x 2!

In other news - Memi and Gabe had their sweet baby girl, Magnolia Elyse Link on 9/30/10 at 9:14pm weighing in at 7 lbs. 1 oz. - and she was so worried she was going to end up with a 10 lb baby! She is absolutely beautiful and has a full head of hair- perfect for bows! Here are a few pics - I just know the our babies will be best friends!

Happy Birthday Magnolia - I can't wait to meet you!

Not sure how to turn this pic around? But isn't she so cute!

Going home!

30 week appt.

2010-08-31T16:54:00.000-05:00

So we had our 30 week appt yesterday and I was feeling really good about it since I had not done anything active all week - and was optimistic that my cervical length would reflect that. Unfortunately, things didn't go as hoped :( My cervix shortened by 4mm (from 1.8 last week to 1.4 today). I was so scared that Dr. G was going to put me back in the hospital on bedrest. I was so frustrated... I don't know what else I could have done - how is it that after a very active week of hair appt, dinner out, and a baby shower, my cervix stays the same, and then the week I do absolutely nothing... it shortens! Ugh! As we waited for Dr. G I was running through bargaining options in my head to avoid being admitted again - later Jason told me he was too! Once we got in the room with Dr. G, he was not nearly as concerned as we thought he would be- in fact he still considered my length as stable - whew! He said that sometimes bedrest just doesn't work - but we are going to continue to do what we can to keep these babies incubated as long as possible! We are also only a few days away from the magic milestone of 30 weeks - which has been Dr. G's biggest goal through this whole scare. He basically said that at this point he did not foresee putting me back in the hospital until it was time to deliver AND... he also said that in a few weeks he would take me off bedrest and just let nature take it's course. Although I will probably continue my bedrest routine, it is nice to know that I will be able to take care of any last minute returns, exchanges, etc., and go out on a few final dates with my hubby :)

In other news... I passed the 3 hour glucose test after failing the initial screening (all thanks to the steroids in my system from our preterm labor scare). It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and actually went by pretty quickly. I am up about 24 lbs and working really hard to fatten these babies up! At our appt on Monday, the babies were still lookin good - great fluid, movement, heartbeats ect. Baby boy is still head down and baby girl continues to sit in the weird awkward transverse/sideways position despite my efforts to coax her into changing positions! It's a good thing we already decided on a scheduled c-section, cause if baby girl doesn't change position, we would have to have one anyways! In the nursery, Jason installed a second rod in the closet, a cubby shelf over the dresser, and got a nightstand and lamp for next to the glider. After the shower on Saturday, we sure had a lot of stuff to fill the closet and shelves with! We have baby boy's letters for his name, we just need to find a frame for it! Baby girl's letters should come in this week - and I cannot wait to see them!!!

In a few days (Saturday the 4th), Jason and I are going to get our maternity pics done - I hope they turn out good! Memi just had her baby girl Magnolia Elyse last night at 9:14pm after being induced at 8am that morning - she's a trooper - and baby girl is just beautiful and has a full head of hair! I cannot wait to meet her! Sorry no pics today - but hopefully next week :)

28 week appt. & baby pics!

2010-08-16T17:49:00.002-05:00

So, I was going into today's appointment very cautious but optimistic and am very pleased to tell you all that everything went GREAT! My cervix went from 1.8 last Monday, to 1.9 on Friday, to 2.0 today!!! We are definitely moving in the right direction! It gives me that needed push to continue to power through this bedrest - knowing that I am really doing everything I can to keep these babies cookin for as long as I can. The sono tech said that the fluid around the babies was excellent, and we even got to watch them practice their breathing -so cool! Baby A is still head down and Baby B continues to hang out in this sort of sideways position looking toward my back that doesn't look comfortable at all - but I did find out that it is his/her shoulder that is jabbing me. We really haven't had any good sono pics in a while, but we hit the jackpot today (well at least for Baby A)! He/She was perfectly positioned so that we could see his/her profile and the sono tech flipped it over to 3D/4D and we got to see what our precious little baby looks like - it was SOOOOO amazing! They didn't take any measurements today, but the babies should weigh about 2 1/2 lbs each and about 15 1/2 inches long! I have finally broken the 20 lb mark and am weighing in at 22 lbs! I'm really trying to put some fat on these babies so they can be nice and healthy when they are born (in about 9 weeks) - so if anyone has any delicious (or at least not horrible) high protein, high calorie recipes - send 'em my way!

I also had my glucose screening today - and it wasn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be. It basically tasted like really sweet, flat orange soda. We should have the results back tomorrow, but I'm not too worried about it. I already feel like this week is going to fly by - maybe because I am really looking forward to seeing my mom and having my baby shower on Saturday! Well, I guess that's about it for now - be sure to check out the pics from today's sono!

Profile of Baby A

Back Home... for now :)

2010-08-13T17:02:00.001-05:00

So... I got to come home today - YAY! They stopped the contractions on Monday, and with the exception of some uterine irritability, all my monitorings came back great! Babies are doing GREAT! On Wednesday they did an FFN test to see if I was secreting the protein that would indicate pre-term labor - and thank God - it came back negative! The last hurdle was today's cervical exam - if it was stabilized then I would be able to go home and do my bed rest there. So, this morning we had our sono and I went from a 1.8 to 1.9 and the funneling had not increased, which means I was stable enough to go home!!!

Now I just have to relax at home with Lucy in the comfort of my own couch and bed for the next 10 weeks! We do go back to the doc on Monday for our reg appt and glucose test, and we were pre-warned to pack a bag just in case - but I have a good feeling we won't be needing it. In other good news, my doctor told me that I am free to go to part 2 of our child prep class tomorrow, my hair appt on Wed, and my baby shower next Sat. I am REALLY bummed that I don't get to go down to Austin to see Memi have her baby :( but know that I have a more important job of keeping these babies cookin a little while longer. I no longer need the steroid shots, but they are keeping my on the procrdia to prevent anymore contractions. I feel very blessed, things could have been very different and I am so very thankful that God was looking over us this week! I also want to thank everyone who raised us up in their thoughts and prayers and who came to visit me - it was VERY much appreciated - we couldn't ask for better friends or family! This was the last thing we ever expected, but I am just thankful that I am not working and can just relax and take care of these babies!

Here's a few pics of the nursery (new light fixture and dresser) and belly pic via hospital!

I guess it was all the meds, but for some reason it was 66 degrees in that hospital room and I wasn't cold at all, but Jason was FREEZING! This is usually what I look like curled up on the couch at home when it's 78!

27 weeks - hospital belly pic!

Not sure if you can notice or not but, the bottom line is showing no contractions!!!

Finally get to snuggle with my Lucy - she wiggled her way up through the blanket and rested her head on my belly - it was so cute!

The new light fixture in the nursery :)

new light and dresser

New dresser :)

The Wonderful Life of Bed Rest!

2010-08-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

So, as many of you already know by now, I have been on hospital bed rest since Monday afternoon - boo :(
Monday started off like any other day, but this was a great day because it was baby appt day!! Jason and I arrived at the doctor's office for our 3 o'clock appt and went back for our standard sono (I'd like to mention that Colleen our trusted sono tech was not there today - coincidence? hmm?). So we go back and the very first thing they check each time is my cervical length. Well... apparently in the course of two weeks my cervix had shortened from 47 to 18! No bueno! At this point, your cervix should not be any shorter than a 25 :( I don't know what caused it to shorten, but needless to say, we were both very scared and unsure about what this all meant for me and the babies. The sono tech checked the babies and they were both doing great - so that was a major source of temporary relief!
We went back to the Dr. G's office and he basically told us that he and I were about to become even better friends and that I would need to go straight upstairs and be put on bedrest :( My heart was racing and I could feel the tears begin to swell behind my eyes - preterm labor was my biggest fear and worry - and everything had been going so, so well leading up to this, I was just left wondering if there was something that I did to cause this. Dr. G tried his best to reassure me and tell me that it was just so that they could monitor me and that it may just be a few days and not to freak out. So... we made our way up to labor and deliver (they didn't have any open beds in the antepardom section). They pretty much immediately hooked me up to the monitors to check on the babies and to see if I was contracting. Well... low and behold, I was contracting every 2-3 minutes and had absolutely no idea! I felt nothing! No tightening, cramps, pain, nothing! Scary! On the positive side - the babies did no seem to be bothered at all by the contractions and their heartrates were perfect! After about 20 minutes of being monitored they gave me a shot of terbutaline - a medication to stop the contratcions. It worked like a charm, but it also made me very shaky and jittery - very strange feeling! Luckily, within about half and hour/45 min the shakiness wore off - and even better, no more contractions! They also started me on procardia which apparently also helps keep contractions from starting back up (pretty much no side effects to this one - at least not that I can tell) - which is good because that means no more of the crazy shaky medicine! They also gave me a steroid shot for the babies to aid in their lung maturity just in case (had one on Monday and one last night) - and ooohhh did it burn, but only for about a minute. They have been monitoring me twice a day, once in the morning after breakfast and once at night after dinner, and I am pleased to report that I have had no contractions - woo hoo!
Jason and I had part one of a two day child prep class designed for multiples, day two is supposed to be this Saturday when we will get to take a tour of the hospital - well I guess I can skip that one! Since being admitted on Monday, I have been in 3 different rooms, so at least I get a change of scenery! I started out in L&D Monday night, then on Tuesday they switched me to a different L&D room (because it had a window), but by Tuesday evening (10:30pm) I was being moved yet again, but this time to the antepardom section (smaller rooms). I really, really loved all of the nurses in L&D - I hope I get them again in about 10 weeks! Not that the antepardom nurses aren't nice - but those L&D nurses were the bomb! I see some special treats in their future!
So... here's the situation now... they told me on Monday night that they would need to do a test called an FFN (fetal fibronectin test). Fetal fibronectin is a protein made by the amniotic sac that attaches the amnion/chorion layer to the uterus. It is found in the normal vaginal discharge of pregnant women until about 22 weeks gestation (I am 27 weeks today). After that point, it isn't released again until 2 or 3 weeks prior to birth. If it is present between 24 to 34 weeks it means that there is a higher chance of preterm labor. It's a pretty easy test - just a quick swab of your cervical area and then that swab is sent to a lab - but, nothing can have been in your cervical area for more than 24 hours or it can cause a false positive - so they had to wait until this morning to run the test. Through lots of prayer and the grace of God - we got the results about an hour later that it was negative - woo hoo! It's like a huge weight has been lifted! Now, the nurse said that they can often have false positives, but a negative is always a negative :) YAY!
So now we sit (or in my case mostly lay) and we wait until Friday when they will check my cervical length again. Dr. G said that it can either continue to shorten (worst case), stay the same (not good but not bad), or it can even begin to lengthen again (ideal). So, it all comes down to Friday - I am very optimistic and I know that we our in God's hands and he will take care of us. I am so very thankful for all the blessings we have received, even though I know we do not deserve them - God is so good.
If in the event I have to stay here longer, Dr. G has told me that I will be able to get a day pass and go to my showers :) So that made me very happy! And get this... Lucy can even come and visit me! I know it's only been a few days but I really miss my fur baby! Hopefully, I will get to go home Friday or Saturday - so keep your fingers crossed and continue to send up those prayers! Thank you all so very much for all of your generous offerings of love and support - we are truly blessed to have such amazing friends and family in our lives, and we really do appreciate you all. I will keep you updated if anything changes!

In other news... I am 27 weeks today and am officially in my third trimester - woo hoo! And even better - the nursery is almost complete! I would post pics but the camera cord is at home - Jason is going to bring it tonight - so I will post pics tomorrow :)

25 Week Update & Nursery

2010-07-26T20:11:00.000-05:00

We had our weekly appt today, and everything is fantastic! Luckily, we got Colleen as our sono tech and she measured the babies! Both babies are about 1 lb 8 oz each and 12 inches head to toe and are right on schedule! Their fluids are great and my cervix is continue to hold strong. So well in fact that Dr. G was quite impressed and told me that he doesn't think he needs to see me every week and that we can go back to every two weeks! Unfortunately, the babies did not want to cooperate today and were both facing my back - so sadly no face or profile shots today :( although it wasn't without a lot of trying by Colleen :( Hopefully next time. It does appear that a foot has been jabbing me in my upper rib region, but I guess it could be worse cause apparently the other foot is busy kicking sister in the face! Poor baby girl! They have sure been active lately, doing summersaults and kicking like crazy! Jason is finally able to feel them kick now that they are packing quite the punch! Overall, Dr. G said everything is perfect and great - and it never gets old hearing those words - I feel so very blessed and grateful!

The nursery is really coming along... our bedding finally came in!!! And we decided to get an upholstered glider instead - so we sold the old one. We also bought some blackout curtains that seem to work as an accent wall since the windows cover almost the entire wall. We still need to get the dresser, which we may get this weekend, and the cute brown and cream zebra rug I found on overstock.com, and Jason is going to install some crown molding (with the help of his dad) - and then it will pretty much be complete (with the exception of a few wall decoration items)! Lucy seems to really like the nursery - I often find her just chillin in there - it's so cute!

In other news... I have definitely been packin on the pounds lately! It was such a slow start, but the last few weeks I have gained a lot - I am up to 20 pounds now! But luckily (for now) it is all boobs and belly! The last few weeks have taken a toll on my right ribs - there just doesn't seem to be enough space in there for babies and organs! My liver and diaphragm have been shoved into my ribs causing them to be pushed out of place and causing searing pain from my back all the way around to the front. Fortunately, I happen to know an awesome chiropractor who has experience working with pregnant women. I went to see her today so that she could hopefully help free up some space and relieve this constant pain. She said it may take two visits to really feel any effects, and apparently I fall into that category - cause it's still there :( But, I go in again on Thursday and am praying that it works! I don't want anyone to think I am complaining, b/c there is absolutely nothing that I can complain about in this pregnancy! The pool really seems to help, so if I have to spend everyday in the pool between now and D day - I think I can handle that - it'll be tough but I think I can do it :)

Here are some picks of the nursery and belly pics (24 weeks 4 days) - hope to have more baby pics in 2 weeks, if they cooperate!

24 week appt.

2010-07-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

Well - we are back to our "everything's perfect" appointments and I could not be happier about that! Babies are lookin good, little girl has decided to turn back around to the breech position - quite the little mover and shaker! My cervix is still nice and long at 47 - so no worries there! I'm up to 16 pounds and getting rounder and rounder everyday - I just hope the weight remains in the belly region and doesn't start drifting elsewhere if you know what I mean! I think they are going to measure the babies next week or the week after - and I will be very interested to see where they're at. The sono tech said that they don't really grow much during this part of the pregnancy - but they are about to have some major growth spurts! According to the books - the babies are about 11ish inches (head to toe) each and weigh about a pound and a half each - like little baby dolls :) I keep trying to see if Jason can feel them move around and kick - but so far we haven't had much luck - I wonder when he'll be able to feel them???

The nursery is coming along - a special thanks to our dear friends KC and Ryan who hooked us up with bags of clothes for baby boy - I think this kid has something new to wear everyday for his first 0-3 months of life! But now our little girl's side of the closet looks awfully bare - guess I need to do some shopping!

In other news, all my teacher friends are reporting to summer conference today - I must say it feels a little weird not being there - as well as resisting the urge to buy cute classroom stuff in the dollar bins at Target. You know you're a teacher when you are drawn to fun multi-colored pens, post it notes, and stickers! But, hopefully I will get to get my fix and sub the first few months of school!

Here are some pics from today's sono - they're not all that good b/c we had the not great sono tech (which is pretty much anyone except Colleen) - but at least we got some!

Baby B is on top of Baby A and they are looking at each other

Maybe next time we'll have Colleen and she will give us some more 3d images!

23 week appt.

2010-07-12T17:44:00.002-05:00

Well, we didn't have our favorite sono tech today :( But at least it wasn't the sono Nazi lady again. I told Dr. G that we only want to have Colleen - it seems nothing good ever happens when we have a different sono tech. Last time Jason wasn't with me b/c our ac went out and he was home with the repair guy - and today... there is apparently fluid in my cervix :( I don't like getting news that's not "perfect". The good news is that my cervix is still nice and long and hasn't shortened, and the fluid around the babies is still looking great. Dr. G seems to think that the fluid is just my mucus plug - not sure what this is or what it does as we have not been to our parenting/birthing class yet - but he said that for now it is nothing to worry about. If my cervix were shortening with the fluid - it would indicate dialation (which is no good at this point). Since the sono tech spent all of 5 minutes with us - she didn't take the time to get a good pic - so all the pics from today are fuzzy and no good- not even worth sharing :( She also didn't measure the babies - so not sure how much they weigh or how long they are - maybe next week. That's right, next week... since the babies will be technically viable in a few days, Dr. G wants to see us every week from now until the babies get here (which will hopefully be mid to late October). I gained about 4 pounds in the last two weeks and am up to 13 lbs! I have a feeling that I will start to gain a lot here in the next few months!

In other news... our little girl has decided to move into the head down position, while our little boy is still breech and has apparently discovered my ribs in the last two weeks - not real thrilled about that one. We went to Austin over the weekend to visit Memi and Gabe. Memi had her baby shower on Saturday, but we went and pampered ourselves with a nice and relaxing 90 minute prenatal massage before the shower. Can't wait to meet little Magnolia Elyse in about 6 weeks! We also got to visit with my parents and brothers down in Wimbo - haven't seen them in a while - so it was really great to see them. Their new house is coming along and looks really good - can't wait to see what it looks like when it's finished!

I don't have a belly pic from this week - but here's one from last week:

22 weeks (almost)