Anyone else due in June "06

[swineland]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wineland

Lots of new photos......:fyi:

[SunMoonMom]

Steph - Those pictures are adorable!

Love em!

Kerrie

[Jillmami]

Steph, What GREAT pictures! Looks as if you all had a blast on your trip to Sea World!! How fun. Thanks for sharing the pictures of your lanky little ones!

[christel]

Not much time to post, but wanted to wish everyone a :love: Happy:throb:Valentine's:throb:Day:love:

and share a quick picture of my little cupids

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/IMG_1620_2.jpg

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[EBTwinz]

Just wanted to share some of my pics, too. Love everyone's pictures. Our babies are the cutest!!

[sgarrett]

Well it has been the week from hell! My best friends mother died Friday. It was awful, she was 67 and in perfect health, a very young 67. Angie had spoken to her last the previous weekend. No one could get in touch with her last week so a friend got worried and called the police on Thursday. They found her uncouncious, they think she had a stroke on Monday and she had been there alone since then. She took a turn for the worse at the hospital and the had to make the decision to take her off the breathing machine on Friday. She had no living will so Angie and her sister had to make this decision. It was so sad, I went down Sat and helped her with the funeral arrangements, it was awful! I hope I do not offend anyone but her mom was part of some crazy religion and thought she would not die until Jesus came back during the rapture. B/c she was not going to die, she had no will and no life insurance, she left no power of attorny and did a reversve mortgage on her house so she could enjoy her retirement. When the funeral director realized Ang and her sister had no money he turned into the BIGGEST JERK! I could not beleive this guy could be so cruel. I came back Sunday and went back yesterday for the funeral with the babies. Thank god for Sarah the supper Nanny! She came along too, it is a 10 hour drive roundtrip, we went down, attended the funeral and drove back. Considering all the time in the car the babies were GREAT. BUT I have no desire to do that again any time soon. We had to stop twice on the way back for 30 min each just to let Aiden out of his seat. I did not get home till midnight and I was exhausted! My DH and I just made our wills, and our living wills and I am so happy we did. I NEVER want my children to go through what I just witnessed.

Sorry to be a downer, I love all the Valentine pics. BTW, I just bought the CUTEST Easter dress for Isabelle at Target for $18.00! I love getting a bargain!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY MOMMIES!

[megzmom]

Staci-I am very sorry about your friend. Luckily my mom had grandma do all her planning a few years ago. The final part was so hard. Couldnt imagine making all the choices on that day. DH an I want to make one but my ex (Meg's father) is the issue. I called him last month and asked him "what if" and he said Meg would move with him because he was her DAD. Well he lives in TX. She sees him3 days the max a year and hasnt been to TX since she was 3 (5 yrs ago). Now she has brothers and FULL time grandma who have date nights EVERY Friday, a great step father, etc. I couldnt imagine up rooting her during a horrible time. I havent talked to him since. Usually I am the one that initiates her calls for the past 7 yrs. No more. All of a sudden he started calling and actually sent her a Valentine package. I want her to have a relationship with him but truthfully I am glad that it is more of a "UNCLE" kind of one. He is a horrible influence. ALready had 3 live in girlfriends in 6 years, got married in July and already divorced. Was living with his mom until Christmas and now living with ANOTHER woman. NO WAY!!! I already told DH to hid the fact if I shoudl die early and move them to Canda with his family. UGH...she is the only good thing that every came.


wow...sorry for such a long response
by the way Staci...Chase is so cute. You must get a million calls a night:snicker:

okay just bought something else on EBAY...you ladies are a bad influence :proud: I got the Leapfrog table. I got 2 sleepers last week.

Bargain-last weekend I went to BJs to buy diapers and formula of course. I was so bumbed becasue they stopped having the kids playground. Meg loved it. Anyway, saw a shopping cart cover for 19.99 and it really looked nice. Got it home and ends up there were 2!!!! DH thinks they didnt take them out of the outer wrapping. Not sure but I was SOOO excited. I never get bargains like that. Actually want to go shopping to try it out. Now I want to buy a double one.

Had a nice day at school. We made heart bean bags made out of red felt. ALl the kids sewed for the first time and had a blast. They want to do another sewing project. Boys actually liked it alot!

Zack-he hit his head soo hard tonight. Had a HUGE welt with a purple slash in between his eyes. Luckily no blood. Any hints at applying ice? I am already nervous because they are already into so much more than Meg was. He is actually climbing!!!

Steph-was that at Universal? That was such a cute pictures. I found the camera. There is actually a sale right now. Have to pay off the truck next month then I will make the splurge.

Pictures-we have such gorgeous babies. I think your babies all look so much older than mine????
okay the chapter book is over.. nite for now.

[SunMoonMom]

I think that the mother's on this board have the market corned on precious babies and kids.

Lisa - your boys are so darling!!

Steph - I think your boys look at least 2 months older than mine. They are so handsome and are hams for the camera. Mine just stare when we bring the camera out.

Staci - I had to plan 3 funerals and handle 2 probates over a 2 years. It truly was the worst experience of my life. The business of death is truly disappointing and dishearting. I am so sorry your friend is having to go through this.

Also - Chase - Can you say hubba hubba? You must have girls knocking on your door every few minutes... I always tell my husband that when the time comes and we have to tell the boys about the birds and the bees, I'm just going to explain that all girls are born with diseases and that only their momma has the cure... That way I can ensure good quality girls...

Paul says that he will handle the talk with the boys.

Christel - Do you think your girls would be interested in fraternal twins in WI... I promise they will be perfect gentlemen... Your girls are just beautiful and I know they are perfect ladies...

Okay, well I have rambled enough... Just wanted to say HAPPY THURSDAY!! One more day after this and we are at the weekend!!

Kerrie

[vthompson]

Happy BELATED Valentine's Day Everyone!!!

So, we have had the blizzard of all blizzards here in Cleveland. We were literally snowed in yesterday! It was crazy. DH stayed home yesterday, which was great because I had SO much work to do and I was able to do most of it while he watched the babies. Today, almost every school is still closed, except for the one that James goes to (that is the boy I watch). So, I had to drag the babies out today when the real feel temp was 15 below and drop him off. The streets are still a complete mess. When we got home, I slipped as I was walking in the house with Kayley and fell. Luckily, she was in her carrier so she was unharmed. Me, on the other hand, have a swollen knee and a huge cut across my back leg by my butt. I actually cried it hurt so bad. I iced it and took some motrin so it feels a lot better now, but I am sure it is not going to stay that way. It just aggravates me because they should have called off his school in the first place!

Enough complaining....

So, I took Corey to the doc on Monday for his pee pee problem. It turns out that the rash is caused from yeast...I did not realize boys could get that...anyways, she gave me a steroid diaper rash cream to put on...as for the redness on the tip (I still feel so weird talking about this! lol), she said that is normal for little boys. However, it actually heals when you put aquaphor or vaseline on it because it is no longer rubbing up against things. What happens is there is actually scar tissue there that can make the hole smaller. She is going to look at it in 2 weeks when we go back for shots. If this is occurring, then he will have to see an urologist who will numb the area and widen the hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't that sound AWFUL!!! It will be a pediatric urologist, but still....I REALLY hope it heals up and is fine....I do not want him going through that.

I hope everyone had a nice day yesterday. I just LOVE all of the new pics...we truly have the most amazing babies on this board! I really need to update mine!

Kayley and Corey received a valentine yesterday from their best friends Ethan and Brady (Lisa's twins). It was the cutest thing ever!!! After DH dug us out, he went the store and brought back cards and flowers for Kayley and I. It was really cute. We also bought a cooking cake....I think I have gained 80lbs eating it! It was a really nice day!

Kerrie - You doctor story broke my heart...no one should ever be made to feel that way. You definitely need to find someone better who is going to support you through all of this!

Heather - I do not blame you for not wanting to constantly call your DD's father. He needs to make the initiative to have a relationship with her. What a jerk!

Staci - I am so sorry to hear about your friend's mom. You are a good friend for being with her during such a difficult time. Those pics of Chase are so funny...he is one good looking boy!! You better watch out for those ladies!

Jennifer - YEAH for the money!!! See, money does fall from trees (lol). When are you going to schedule it for? How long is recovery?

Well, Corey is in his crib talking right now so I better take my gimpy leg and go get him!!

Valerie

[vthompson]

BTW, thank you to everyone who asked about my neck...it is almost back to normal. I think I must have pulled a muscle!

As I see everyone's pics...I just want to let you all know that I SWEAR I reducced the size of mine several times, but they still end up huge on the screen...sorry!!

Valerie

[mmzill]

Valerie, it's good to hear from you. I was wondering if you had power, they said a number of people in Cleveland are without. Glad you are ok, but so sorry about the fall! That is terrible. Hope you are ok!

Lisa - did you get much snow? We got rain here mostly, but now it's really cold.

Well, I've got so much to post, but can't right now. Hope you all have a great day!
Monica

[swineland]

:wavey:
Hi!!
Gosh, I've been meaning to post for what seems like days, but every time I get the alloted time, I'm needed somewhere else. Grrrrr. :banghead:

I'm going to try to catch up a bit now....

First, I have a link to a page I found with some really good ideas/recipes for foods to feed your 9-12 month old. I just thought some of you might find it helpful: http://www.americanbaby.com/ab/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ab/story/data/21297.xml&catref=AB30&page=4

Okay, I gotta share this story with you. Since I know we pretty much all have a Jumperoo in our houses, I am sure you can vividly picture what I'm about to describe. Lately, the boys have found it highly entertaining and really funny to play WITH the Jumperoo, not necessarily IN the Jumperoo. Usually, one of them will sit in front and pull the blue toy bar all the way down so that the whole seat unit comes up from the back; the other baby usually sits under the Jumperoo and laughs his a$$ off. Alright. So, today, I'm in the kitchen making their breakfast when I hear them hysterically laughing and I also hear the "dodododo BOING!" of the Jumperoo, so I assume they are playing with it again. Of course, I kinda forgot that I had just put Bailey IN the darn thing, while Evan was on the floor next to it. I look up to see what they are doing and this is what I see: :woa: Evan has pulled the blue toy bar on the front of the Jumperoo and has pulled the entire seat forward WITH BAILEY IN IT!! Bailey was upside down, his legs straight up in the air, his head dangling 2 inches off the floor, laughing. :rotflmbo: And Evan had this look on his face like :victory: "sweet, look what I did!" hahaha

The boys started Kindermusik today! It was fun. There are 5 other babies in the class and also the instructors 8 week old son (who was just laying in the middle of the playmat) I have to say, though it WAS fun for the boys, it was not a, shall I say, soothing experience for me. I was so terrified that they were going to a) crawl over to that newborn and get on top of him or b) get a little too rough with another baby and god-forbid use those razor sharp teeth! (like they do on me) It's a 15 week semester though, so I need to figure out how I"m going to handle taking them by myself. I really need someone to go with me, so I think I'm going to seek out a local babysitter for just that one day, for an hour, for fifteen bucks or something. Which leads me to my next thought:

Babysitters; Kerrie, I haven't signed up for one yet, but I was going to do a service like Jill suggested. There is one called, of course, www.babysitters.com and it is $29.95 for 3 months with unlimited access to the available sitters, their photos (if available), contact info, etc. I think the sitters have to pay as well, so it kind of weeds out some of the not so serious, whackjob posts. Anyway, if you google 'babysitters' you should see everal different websites like this.

Staci, I am terribly sorry to hear of your friend's mom. Sounds like a mess of a situation. We need to get wills done, too, so that our wishes are known....

Whew....someone pooped...but I'm not stopping just yet.....I'll get to them in a minute :snicker:

Does anyone watch Supernanny?? This smiley reminds me of Jo, :nono:

Val, so glad to hear you are okay! I was actually just going to ask if anyone had heard from you....I have been watching your weather...nightmare! We missed you :)

Jill, your valentine photos are so darn cute.....Noah looks like a little centerfold baby!!

Christel, ditto on the cute photos.....they always make me laugh. (I'll never forget the bathtub Bumbo photos....adorable)

Crying Bailey.....crap. Probably b/c he's sitting in poop. What a good mom I am. :)

More later....

[sgarrett]

:bootyshake: Thanks for all your sympathies for Ang. She sure needs it now, the battle has just begun with the probate court for the rest of the mess.

Kerrie: What a jerk doctor, unfreakenbelievable! What is her name so I can look her up and sprinkle her with the magic fat dust! This is what my girlfriend and I used to do when we were out partying and saw some super skinny wench. We would walk by her drink and wiggle our fingers, hence sprinkling the magic fat dust in it. The next morning she would wake up at least two sizes bigger than us! I never had a problem with weight until the past few years. The fertility drugs and the twin preg really packed it on me. I really battle with the self esteem issues now, it sucks. I started looking for pics of me and the babies to post and realized I hardly have any! I hate getting my pic taken now. I really need to get over it, the babies are going to look back and say "Where the heck was mom?"

Steph: That jumparoo story was great! My DH told me once when he was little his twin brother dared him to get in the dryer, of course he did, and his brother turned it on! Their mom came running, he apparantly did a couple of full turns before she got it off! Boys are nuts!

Valerie: Well your neck got better just in time to hurt your behind huh? I am sorry, I hope you are back to 100% soon!:nurse:

Thanks for your sweet comments on Chase! He is quite the stud! He had a game the other night and this woman in front of me heard me cheering for him and turned around asking if I was his mom. When I said yes she replied "Oh My God he is so beautiful, I have admired him all year!" She was like 50 years old! Back off Miss Robinson!:boxing:

Well I have to get back to filling out this god awful FASFA application so we can get the lottery scholarship. It is a major pain in the :bootyshake:

Take care Mommies!

[Jillmami]

http://www.thechildrenswearoutlet.com/shop/index.php
They are having quite a spring sale! Haven't bought anything from them yet, but they have cute stuff at very reasonable prices.

Hope all you cold weather mamas are surviving inside and are staying warm and sane!

Valerie, you take care of yourself!! No more injuries

Steph, I can't tell you how hard I laughed at the picture you so vividly painted for us. Thank you for sharing that funny moment!

Take care everyone!

[vthompson]

Thanks to everyone for all my well wishes for my crazy injury...I thought it hurt yesterday, but today is even worse. It was difficult to sleep because I could not lay on my left side. Now, there is a rash developing around the cut making it very itchy...I am not sure if it is from the bandaids I put on it yesterday or the neosporin....I am just annoyed with the whole thing!

Staci - I remember the FAFSA....I feel for you....

Steph - The story you told cracked me up!

Monica - We actually had power, thank goodness! Our power went out a ton over the summer, of course at night, when the babies were newborns...it was terrible!!

Valerie

[swineland]

Another really good page with recipes for pureed combination foods:
http://www.americanbaby.com/ab/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/ab/story/data/pureedcombofood_03042003.xml&catref=cat1840026
:eating:

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Steph- that was a great jumperoo story--- you are going to have your hands full with those two boys. It seems like are really in sync with each other!

Val- Your neck is better, but now you have a busted knee! I hope you feel better soon. Stay warm. My DS had all sorts of pee pee problems when he was a baby. I never knew that in circumcised boys, you are supposed to push back where the foreskin was a couple times a week to wipe out the gunk. DS had little white bumps form there and then the dr. had to pull the skin back really hard one time and it BLED. I thought I would faint.

Staci- Your friend's (and your) experience sounds terrible. I am so sorry for her-- it is hard enough to lose someone : (

Well, I've been making phone calls for the past few days. I am going back to work part-time. I am sad and excited at the same time. I feel like I need to mix things up a bit in my life, but it is always hard to let go and have someone else take care of your precious babes. We have depleted half our savings, and now I am using up DH's bonus for myself! I have always provided services for older kids with Autism, but I think I am going to start doing some early intervention. Since I am not having anymore babies, it will allow me to borrow other people's so I can get my "baby fix" when I need one!

I am going to schedule my surgery for April because my mom has a week of vacation. I can't wait!!! No boobies, though- just too expensive right now. I just hope that someday DH and I will feel okay about spending 8K on my chest!! :snicker: Actually, I don't think they're that bad; I might not mind them after my stomach (which looks like an elephant's butt) is smoothed out. These body issues sure do a number on a woman's self-esteem...

Alright, everyone's crying for nap...

-jennifer

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Steph- THANK YOU for posting that babysitter site-- 100 sitters for my area popped up! I have posted on Craiglist, but I've only gotten replies from kooky people. I'm trying to find someone for 2-3 days/week.... anyway, that was great.

[EBTwinz]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070216/ap_on_re_us/winter_weather

just wanted you all to read this article on yahoo. I live right around this highway. It was insane! I feel so bad for these people. They did nothing to clear the roads where I live. Today I went to the store and it was like driving on a sheet of ice.

Jennifer: I used to work w/ kids w/ autism, too. What was your title? I worked at Easter Seals, as a TSS for one summer after college and then most recently at Hershey Medical Center in the child psych dept. I was thinking about getting a p/t job, too. I am actually starting to miss working.

Steph: That story was hilarious. I can totally see my boys doing something like that.

Valerie: I can't believe you fell! You poor thing!!

Well, I hear babies, so I better go. I will check back later. Anyone chatting today?

Lisa

[vthompson]

Lisa - That story is terrible...I feel so bad for all those people...could you even imagine being stranded in your car, especially with children?

Valerie

[sgarrett]

AARRGGHHH!:stress: What a day at work I am having! I sell large security, camera and access systems to nationwide companies and coordinate their install. In order for this to happen about 100 different people have to do their job well. I have to come in and straighten the crap out for the customer when this does not happen. My industry is VERY male dominated and I swear men have a problem admitting fault or taking ownership! I do not give a @#!$%& whose fault it is just fix the #@#$%^ thing!:banghead: :rant:

AHHHH feel better getting that off my chest.

Jennifer: Love the elephant butt description and I am so jealous of your surgery! I have made it very clear to DH I am getting this done in the next year or two!

Valerie: Yes the FASFA is a joke, according to them I should be able to afford to pay $80,000 a year for Chase's college!:rotflmbo: Hmm maybe if we sell the house, sell the cars in live in a box!

I tried Isabelle's bathing suit on yesterday (we are going to the beach in March) it was so so so cute! I will have to post the pic later, she is such a little doll. I love buying girl clothes, the boy stuff is cute, but man they have some cute little girl stuff out there! Aiden bathing suit was WAY to big! He was straight thugging with his pants sagging YO. Isabelle's was 18 months and his was 12! I wonder if he is going to have a complex b/c his little sister will be able to beat him up!

Have a great weekend mommies!

Staci

[4redheadedboys]

Hey all It has been forever since I've posted, I changed my username used to be "imhavingtwins" it just didn't apply any more:snicker: The boys are doing okay now, recently had RSV and ear infections but I think we are finally over all that. Just wanted tosay hi toeveryone and hopefully I will be able to post more often. I've tried to stay caught up on posts at least. Take care.

[swineland]

:fyi: STROLLER ALERT!!! :money:
http://www.amazon.com/Graco-Quattro-Tour-Duo-Stroller/dp/B000LP3VAK

Check it out!

[Jillmami]

Jackie, glad you said, "hello!" Hoping that your boys are done with the nasty illnesses! Nice to have you back.

Steph, great stroller! Do you, or anyone for that matter, know a good way to clean a used stroller. We got a free side by side from a friend but it is quite dirty. So I want to make sure that I can really get it clean otherwise, it's stroller shopping for me! We are still trying to find a decent single stroller to purchase. Target has some that seem good enough to use the limited amount we will be using a single stroller.

OK, Target funny... they have a stroller offered at "a low price". It is now 159 instead of 159.99. Uh... a whopping 99 cents off! Whoooooopie!!!! Jump all over that one.

Hope that everyone is enjoying their weekends and those of you in the chilly areas are keeping safe and warm! (Valerie... :snicker: hope that you are taking it easy and are beginning to heal!)

[vthompson]

So, the darn leg saga continues....I went to the doc today because there is a DISGUSTING rash ALL OVER the cut and around the surrounding area. In fact, since I left the doc's, it has already spread more. The doctor took one look at it and told me it looked exactly like shingles!!!!!!!!!!!! Obviously, it is not, but it sure itches like I imagine shingles to itch. He thinks I am having an allergic reaction to something that I put on it. I am not sure if you guys remember, but while we were pg, I told everyone how I was scared of a c section because I always break out with this weird rash whenever I have had moles removed or cut myself. Well, I never developed anything after the c-section...which was good. But, now, it has come back with vengeance!!!!!! I am walking with a limp because it hurts and itches so bad. I realize I sound like a baby, but it is so annoying. Anyways, the doc gave me some antibiotics to prevent any infection and some cream to put on it. It still itches after I put the cream on it so we will see what happens.

DH has a hockey game tonight, sectionals. I have some stupid fundraiser I have to work...I agreed to it before his game was scheduled. I am in SUCH a terrible mood, I just want to crawl in bed by myself. The babies are supposed to be napping, but are upstairs yelling right now and I am in no mood to deal with them...that sounds so terrible.

Well, I hope everyone is having a good weekend...oh, I think part of my mood is because my period is coming! In fact, I almost started crying when DH told me he was leaving early for his game...that has to be PMS!!!

Jennifer - Will you be working for yourself or a company?

Staci - I worked for a male dominated company before pg, and I know EXACTLY what you mean...they constantly dropped the ball with things, but no one would fix it. I would get so annoyed with them.

Steph - Are you buying that stroller? It looks pretty nice.

Jill - 99 cents is certainly no bargain!

Jackie - It is nice to hear from you...hopefully you will be joining us more often.

I better go and get myself and the babies ready for this evening...DH did not seem to care when he decided to leave early that there was a ton to do before the sitters got here...without a nap, they are going to be ever so pleasant for my BIL and SIL!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

hi everyone - i hope you are enjoying your weekend. i haven't had a chance to post in a while, but everything is okay around here.

lisa - i just had a chance to look at your pictures. they are great! i thought the pictures of one of the boys under the excersaucer was adorable, until i saw the pictures of one of them in front of the gate, which looked like jail bars. too cute, cute, cute! the boys look so big and strong. they look a lot alike too. do you ever have a hard time telling them apart, or is it just me?

valerie - so sorry about your leg. sounds awful. i hope you find some relief soon. and i'm right there with you with the pms. wish we could get together and eat hot fudge sundaes all day.


jill - that is nice that you got a stroller from a friend. i would try to clean it with soapy water. the fabric could probably even take something a little more harsh (like fantastic with bleach), but i would be hestitant to use too many chemicals on something that touches the babies' skin. hopefully it will be just like new after a little elbow grease, and you won't have to spend money on a new one.

steph - inquiring minds want to know........ did you get the stroller?? i, too, was laughing at the jumperoo story. how did he not fall out of it? or did he? your boys are a total riot. you must laugh all day long. i know what you mean about taking both of them to music class. i usually only take one at a time (i am lucky to be able to leave the other one home with ronit), but i have taken them both a few times, but my girls are not mobile yet. there is an older set of twins (1 y.o.) in our class, and they both crawl all over the place. no one seems to mind. in fact, the younger babies all seem to enjoy the interaction.

jackie - so sorry about the sickness in your house. it's nice to hear from you, and hopefully you'll be able to post more often.

jennifer - do you have a job lined up, or are you still in the search process? i imagine that you have done some very rewarding work in your past. i think something like early intervention would be perfect for you. i am wondering if maybe i would like to work part time. i really do enjoy the brief moments of adult-only time whenever i get them, and i REALLY miss having a pay check. but i don't know what i would do for a job, so i guess i'll keep thinking about it for a little while. are you psyched for your surgery? april is just around the corner! what will the recovery be like? today i asked DH for a boob job. i am not kidding you when i say they hang down to my belly button. it is so gross.

staci - sorry about your frustrations at work; i can totally relate (maybe i really don't want to go back). and i can't wait to see pics of your babies in their bathing suits! we are thinking of signing up for swimming lessons in march, so i'd have to buy the girls their first bathing suits. that will be so much fun! when it comes to clothes, i am so thankful that i have two girls and not boys (just when it comes to clothes). it's like having two little dollies to dress every day. honest-to-God, picking out their outfits is my absoulte favorite time of day.

well i wanted to write more, but i am out of time. sorry if i missed anyone. i'm hoping to be able to get on again tomorrow. and i really hope to be able to chat soon. are y'all still meeting up at 3:00?

xoxo
andrea

[SunMoonMom]

Good Morning Ladies...

I hope everyone had a great weekend. Nothing new to report on the boys... Just a lot of crawling and pulling up on anything and everything. Zach was whiny this weekend. I think his top teeth are trying to come in...

Below is a link to the boys latest portraits...

https://www.smilesbywire.com/home.asp?AC=LTP09201054003JCP

Customer Name: Kerrie Turner

The boys were really tired but we still got some good pictures...

Kerrie

[Jillmami]

Kerrie, What cutie pies! You are right, there are definitely some terrific pics! I love the last one where they have their backs to the camera with one arm around the other. I have saved a notecard I bought back in college of a white baby and a black baby sitting next to each other naked with their backs to the camera. Who would have thought I would one day have my own like that! :snicker: I should take some shots like that. Actually, we are getting professional shots done next month for their 1st b-day so we'll do some then perhaps. Thank you so much for sharing! We will have to have ours at a certain time as our babies are not morning babies. They are up for a short while to eat and then back to sleep! Lazy babies!!

Hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend and was able to get some fresh air outside! We did the park a few days which was nice. Not today though... it is WINDY as heck! Well, pumping is done. Enjoy your President's Day everyone!

[SunMoonMom]

Jill - Thank you... I'm sort of partial to the boys.

Okay, so I am sitting at work bored out of my mind... Some days I don't have time to go to the bathroom and other days I could go across town to go to the bathroom and I would still be able to get everything done... My boss is out of time, I am waiting on information from a vendor and I have submitted all of my accounts payable information for the month... I could really just go home... but of course, I have to stay in case a job happens...

So I have been trolling the boards...

Thought I would share the boys latest trick...

The other night Paul and I were sleeping and suddenly Mozart starts playing in our bedroom... The boys have figured out how to turn on their mobiles... It played through and stopped then a little while later it started again... We will be removing the mobile part but will leave the box so they can play music but man did it freak us out the first night... Last thing you expect to hear in the middle of the night...

Ben is starting to try to stand without holding onto anything but he just doesn't have the balance yet... So we are having crashes constantly... He cries for a little bit and then sees a toy he wants and gets distracted. It scares me every time he does it...

Well, I guess I can go warm up lunch now... Maybe something will come up while I am away from my desk...

Kt.

[harleywv]

Hello all! I've been reading all your posts, but haven't responded in a while. Anyone ever feel like your head just spins? I swear, I love my boys, and love my life, but there are times that I feel NO one around me relates to what it's like to have twins. I've tried (hard) to accept that everything I do from now on will be harder, and I've been blessed with twins and should just deal with it. But oh how I'd love to run in for a quick post office trip, or quick trip to the grocery store. DH will not watch the boys by himself, so basically unless his mom is set up to watch them (Which takes a freakin' act of Congress), then I go no where by myself. GRRRR.....

BUT, on a lighter note, I am going to start going to a tanning bed 3-4 times a week after they go to bed. And yes, I know it's not good for me. BUT, nothing sounds better right now than laying in a warm bed for 20 minutes with no one screaming my name. ;)

Jill - my dad bought a stroller at a yard sale when DD was young, basically to keep at his house when we visited 1-2x/year (he lives in FL, I'm in WV), and he took a power washer to it. I think he took off everything that came off, washed it in the washer, then power washed the rest of it. I'm guessing that one of the do-it-yourself car washes would work the same. If it's a free stroller, it's worth a shot to see if it comes clean.

I LOVE my double jogging stroller. So comfy for the boys, steers wonderfully, etc. BUT I'm getting sick of these teensy tiny stores in the mall that pile crap on top of other crap and I can't maneuver thru it. Went to the mall yesterday, and I tell ya, Gymboree has to be one of the tightest little stores. I kept bumping into the tables and shelves, and eventually just gave up and left. But the boys don't do well on outings over an hour anyway. THey are homebodies. My dd (now 5) used to go shopping all day and never whine or anything. The boys are just plain fussy. :( That's a man and shopping for ya!

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping warm!! BRRRRR.....I'm ready for spring!

[megzmom]

Stroller -Steph-hey like the stroller...you made me a stroller junkie now. I cant wait to get a new one. My boys are soooo SHORT and the back kid still kicks the crap out of the one in the front (usually Ben). This one looked the same, meaning the one in the back has all the kicking power. Does it seperate too? Cool if you could change it from a single stoller to a double and back again. I think we should find a company that takes our suggetions and we get royalties :snicker:

Back/hand pain-I still have lots of numbness and tingling on my left neck shoulder all the way down to my hands. I had carpal tunnel before with dd and surger on right hand but now left is bothering too. I feel so broken :)

okay got to go take dd to the dr (almost typed vet):snicker:

[Jillmami]

Ok, I think we have decided to get a side-by-side jogger/walker stroller. We want it for trips to the park, etc. Does anybody have a recommendation? I am doing some searches through past posts to see what I can find as well.

What is it with us and strollers!!??

[AndreaR]

Dawn - nice to hear from you! And no, you are not alone, we all know exactly what you mean when you say that you feel like your head is spinning and you get no time to yourself. Hopefully that time in the tanning bed will give you a little break.

Heather - I was thinking that we should put together a list of must have features for the perfect twin stroller and then find a company to make it for us. We've all put so much time and thought into what we want/need.

Jill - we have the Baby Jogger Performance stroller. I really like it. I didn't think I was going to, because it only has one front wheel and I was afraid it would be awkward to turn. My brother bought it for us, and he did his own research. I was planning to buy the Mountain Buggy Urban Double - I had my heart set on it. But in hindsight, I don't think it would have been worth the money. It's like $700. Anyway, I am happy with the Baby Jogger. It is not that hard to turn. You can pretty much push it with one hand. It has good storage, lots of convenient pockets on the back of the seats. It doesn't recline all that far, but my girls like to sit up and watch the world go by. The only thing that I don't like about it is that it doesn't fold up very well. But I don't think that any jogging stroller does. That's why we're looking for something to use in stores/malls.
I found this a website which gives pretty good reviews of many different kinds of double strollers. http://strollers.baby-gaga.com/double-strollers.php I'm thinking about maybe the Inglesina? I dunno....I feel like I just can't pull the trigger on this decision. Luckily, we are still using the SNG and will be for a few more months.

Kerrie - too funny about hearing Mozart in the middle of the night. We often are awoken to Brahms Lullaby, because Isabelle will kick the aquarium on. Sometimes she does it in her sleep, sometimes she does it on purpose.

Last night, at about 11:00, Isabelle cried out really loud, like she was in pain. When I looked at the monitor, she seemed fine. She did it again - it was a really scary scream - not her usual cry. When I went into the room to check on her, she was just laying in her crib, hugging her lovey, not crying at all. Do you think that she had a bad dream? Are they old enough? I wasn't sure what I should do. So I nursed her. When in doubt, whip out a boob!

We had a very nice long weekend. I'll be so sad tomorrow without DH. I need to start playing the lottery so he can stay home with us every day. Today we went to the mall and he bought new clothes for the girls AND for me!

It has been so cold here. And today was very windy. With the wind chill, the temperature felt below zero all day. Tomorrow is supposed to finally be warmer - maybe even hit 40! It will feel like a heat wave. I really miss taking the girls for a walk.

I've become addicted to taking videos with my digital camera and sending them to friends and family. I think they're going to start blocking my emails soon. I know it's just me because I am the mom, but I just can't help myself.

I just ate a huge bowl of macaroni and cheese. Now I feel disgusting. Ugh. I'll get back on track tomorrow.....

Hugs to all!

Andrea

[megzmom]

STROLLER-ok really want a new one now but holy moly! here is a website
http://www.healthchecksystems.com/baby_strollers.htm?OVRAW=TWIN%20STROLLER&OVKEY=twin%20stroller&OVMTC=standard

[Jillmami]

Andrea, thanks for the stroller info! Want to go try soem out to see how they are first. I was thinking it would be neat to have a stroller, side by side, where the handle perhaps could be in the original position a handle is in, or you could pivot it the other direction so that both babies would be facing you. Is there something like that already on the market? Seems as if it would be easy to do.

I can't remember if we talked about stroller/high chair covers here or if I overheard others discussing it but at KMart, they have a Disney/Winnie the Pooh cover that works for both devices. And it's on sale. http://www.kmart.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=177683&destName=null&Ne=14&N=15&Nty=1&categoryId=15&pCategoryId=14&gpCategoryId=11&nomerch=1
Seems as if they are having a big sale on baby stuff.

Well, I'm off to bed! Night all!

[JERSEYGEMINI]

:) Hi all! I totally think we should get together and design a double jogging stroller, a side by side and a tandem, and then sell our design to graco so it will be inexpensive! We should get paid lots of $$$ for our expertise!

Weird question- does anyone get the occasional feeling that a baby is still kicking inside of them? I get phantom kicks. :flip: It freaks me out.

Lisa, Andrea, Val- I have an interview next week to be a contract speech therapist at a school for Autism in a neighboring town. They are desparate for services, so I can tell them how much (or more specifically, how little) I want to work. I am so excited to do something different--probably just one day per week and then next year, I'll do 2-3 days per week. It pays very well, too, so it will be nice to have the extra cash. I remember when I returned to work (for 2 days/wk) after DS was born. I was thrilled to go to work, but also thrilled to be back with my baby when my two days were done. I guess it was the best of both worlds...

Anyway, what I am really really excited about is that I just paid my deposit to have my abdominoplasty on APRIL 4TH. I can't believe it is really going to happen! Our family has been so supportive, too. My mom is coming to NJ the week after to spend her spring break with us and lift my babies for me! The next week, my MIL is flying in from Miami. DH will work out of our house as much as he can during this time. I am hopeful that it will all work out, and I hope to be in good shape to enjoy the summer.

Andrea- that was a good stroller link. Lucky you with the new clothes! :)

Kerrie- great pictures! How are you feeling? Did you find a new doctor?

My mom is visiting so I am behind on post-reading! I hope that I didn't miss too much!

One general question--I have been separating the twins at night for a month and a half now. With my mom here, I've had to put them back in a room together. It is awful! They wake each other up terribly when they fuss at night. Every time that I hear a whimper , I creep in to replace binkies :creep: They have gotten so spoiled the last few nights- now they won't go back to sleep on their own.

First, do your babies sleep through the night? (my son did by now and it's driving me crazy getting up 1-2 times per night still).Do your babies sleep through each other's cries??? Should I just let them cry it out together?? I would appreciate knowing how those with babies sharing rooms handle the middle of the night wakeups (if you still are unfortunate enough to get up like me!).

Thanks, mommies!

-Jennifer

[SunMoonMom]

Doctors - I haven't found a new doctor yet but she did end up giving me all the referrals I requested so I got what I wanted in the end. I have been back on my fertility diet (that's what I call it... it was the diet I was given to follow when going through fertility treatment) for about a week. I have been doing fairly well... I just have to remind myself that one bad meal doesn't ruin all my efforts. I see the Endroconologist on 3/26 so I hope to show him that I am working on the problem too so that he will be more willing to work with me from the medical side. I see a Pain Management doctor on 3/13 to work on my chronic pain issues... I don't know if mentioned this before but I broke my right heel in 2003 and it hasn't been right since then... The only relief I got was from my Chiropractor. During the pregnancy, I was surprised how little pain I was in. The chiropractor said that it was the hormones that make the ligaments loosen up during pregnancy. He said that it made the tightness in my foot and leg better. So after the babies were born, the pain started to come back. Then I broke my left ankle in December which has intensified the right leg pain. So long story, very long... I have moderate to severe pain in both legs and back continuously. It has started to wake me up several times a night. So I hope that the Pain Management doctor can figure out something to help get me some relief... Will make exercise possible, if I can actually move without pain.

Sleeping in the same room - The boys have always shared a room. They have separate cribs of course, but they have always been in the same room. Overall, the boys sleep through the night. They do cry out during the night but only once or twice then put themselves back to sleep. I can only think of a handful of times in the past 6 months that one boy's crying has woken the other one and that has been in the early morning hours when they aren't sleeping as heavy.

I think overall the boys tune out the other one. Last night we put the boys down for bed and Zach was having none of it. He cried for 1/2 hour. Paul went upstairs to check on him after the first 10 minutes (just to make sure we didn't have a poopy problem - Zach cries whenever he has poops in his pants). When Paul came back down, I asked how Ben was doing and he said he was out...

I think that we are lucky because the boys have always slept in the same room. They went from co-sleeping with us to their nursery. I think they would have problems sleeping if they were not in the same room. I know that I sleep better when I can hear Paul breathing next to me.

Also, we have always followed the same routine at night and take them upstairs in the same order each night. They do not play in their nursery, just sleep. When they go into that room, they know that we expect them to sleep. Most of the time the crying last no more than 15 minutes and they put themselves down.

This is probably way more information than you needed but I have to say that I can point to a million mistakes we have made since the boys were born but sleeping is our one success. Our boys put themselves down and have slept through the night since around 4 months. The only middle of the night wakings happen during growth spurts and then they go right back down after a couple of ounces.

I hope this was the type of info you were looking for... I hope it helps.

Kerrie

[megzmom]

Jennifer-I am so happy for you. I am sure its even better with the support of family. I am praying everyday that something opens up where I can make almost the same money but work from home or only out 2 days a week. I think it will make your time with the boys more enjoyable too. Congrats on the job. I have a boy with autism (had him as a 2nd grader two years ago) and I LOVE him. He is high functioning but has socialize/verbalizing issues. Poor thing. Pooped his pants 2 times and didnt tell me. Glad that it actually had odor otherwise I would have never known. 1st time I thought it was because he forgets to ask to go until the last min but after the 2nd time he must have had a stomach bug. He isnt here today. (okay completely off topic I went) My point was I would love to work with UCP or another organization but I dont have any "specialized" certification only hands on experience from inclusion.

Sleep-well boys sleep through the night until recently. Last night both were up for 2 hours!!!! Luckily dh had the day off today so he was up most the night. Ben went down after 45 min. Zack has a stuffy nose AGAIN. Its like a vicous cycle. The head cold/flu has now made its second round in a month. cant complain though it could be so much worse.

okay luv ya all.

[christel]

Hey Ladies :wave:

I've been lurking sporadically, but have had trouble carving out time to post lately. We are still at my mom's house... this is the start of week 3. I have actually slept in my bed in my house a total of 10 nights since Dec. 23 - and that was not consecutively. I am SO ready to go home and stay there! DH has been working nights and I'm maybe getting to see him a total of 2 hours a day... a few minutes in the morning when he staggers in to sleep and then a little in the evening before he leaves again. It SUCKS! The worst part is how much the girls are missing him :( They start fussing as soon as he leaves and light up like Christmas when he walks in. I am a poor poor substitute. They are Daddy's Girls all the way. If all goes a scheduled, we will go home this Sunday. I cannot wait!

I had myself a grade A meltdown on Valentine's Day. Ruby's been having reflux problems again and every feeding has been a battle and the week had been a war. That morning was particularly hard. I got the girls down for a nap and started working on getting a special picture on photobucket for the out-of-town grands and aunts. We have new computer - switched from a PC to an Apple - and I'm slow on the learning curve, I guess. Anyway, I could NOT get the picture to crop correctly and save and I was so close to hurling the entire computer at a wall :banghead: DH came in (b/c he had to work early that day, so I saw him even less than normal on :throb:day) and found me crying and cussing and just an all around mess:bawling:. Once he showed me how to do the photo crop and how easy it was, I started crying even harder! I could tell that he was scared to leave me.

It got a little better after that, but I'm just missing home, my stuff, my privacy and my DH. Just one more week.

Sorry for the novel of woe and whining. I'm gonna try to stay caught up and respond to the upcoming posts. I'm so overwhelmed at trying to play catch up:stress:, so I won't. Sorry.

I do have to say that I am LOVING the new pics y'all have added or linked. Amazingly precious little people that we've all produced, huh? :sweety:

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[EBTwinz]

I added a video to my signature and am seeing if this works. This was Brady and Ethan in the bath tub last night. It was hysterical!

[SunMoonMom]

Christel - I am sorry to hear how frustrated you are. I used to have to travel for work and be gone for two weeks at a time living in a motel. It was so depressing to be away from my stuff, my bed and my friends for so long... I am so glad that it is almost over for you... At least for now...

Lisa - That video is so funny... I was sitting at my desk at work laughing out loud. Those boys are precious.

Hope everyone has a great night.

Kerrie

[Jillmami]

Jennifer - best of you luck to you in your interview! I only work 2 1/2 days/week and I really enjoy it. It's nice to get a break but then I get home around 3 so I still get to see them for a while before they go down for the night. It's also nice to see my colleagues. We have had ours sleeping in the same nursery (consistently) for the past week. Sometimes they have slept through the other's crying and sometimes they wake up and join right in. "Usually", I can hold/feed/settle the one that needs it while the other cries/goes back to sleep. Mine still wake up once each to eat. Since we are trying to fatten them up, I don't mind since dh takes one shift (usually before he goes to bed anyways) and I take the other. They are really adjusting quite nicely. We tried a month or so ago and it didn't go so well. The first night or two they cried for a bit, we consoled them briefly, and they eventually gave in and went to sleep. I think it's worth trying. They will adjust.

Kerrie - I hear you on the late night concerts from mobiles. I felt so sorry for Noah the other night. I heard this banging coming from the nursery and was very startled. When I went in there, Noah was kicking the button on the musical crib toy but the batteries were dead. Since he didn't know this, he kept kicking it trying to get it to work. OOPS! You seem to have the right attitude re: your 'fertility' diet. Good luck with that. I need to work on my eating habits regarding hormone issues as well. I have to make an appt. with my endocrinologist actually. Hope that you have a good one that you can relate to. I'm sorry to hear about the leg pain. That's awful. I was told I might need heel surgery and I went to a Bowen therapist and I feel great now. Haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. He also helped me, I believe, with conceiving. My cycle before my treatments I only had about 2-4 follicles. After the treatment I had 28. If you want, I can share more info about Bowen with you.

Christel - So sorry for the rough patch you are going through. It's wonderful that you have a supportive dh through all of this. Will be even better when you can see him more often! I know that when my dh leaves for just 3-5 days, it is very rough and tiring. Hang in there!!:grouphugg

Looks as if TJ's second tooth is on its way. We also have snotty noses that seem to just go away and they are back again! :sigh: OK, off to get my supplies ready for tomorrow's classes.

[megzmom]

Lisa-LOVE LOVE your video. Did you shoot that with your digital camera and just upload it? My kodak has a video segment but Ive never used it. Ive never given them a bath at the same time. We have the bath chair but I would like them to be able to play. How do you keep them both from trying to stand or crawl? How do you get them in/out? Does dh help?

Jill-ok I am brain dead I think and cant blame it on prego brain anymore. Are you back to teaching? What grade?? Next week we are taking our big FCAT test. Totally stinks. We complete teach to the test starting in Jan then back to cool real life projects, etc in March.

sleeping-My Zack and Ben are just like Kerrie's Zach and Ben. We have always kept them together in the same room. Ben is the one who can sleep through much better than Zack but Zack's bed is right next to the door. We have the cd player playing constantly for the past 5mths to Baby Einstein's lullaby. They also have a toddler size afghan that my friend made and they love to be completely covered. Ben is easy to put down lately. He is really groggy and a few pats on the back he's out. However, Zack has to be totally out and you better put him down, cover him up and slip out quickly!


nite for now...

[Megzackben]

Tried to update my name too. Hope it works.

[swineland]

My goodness! You girls have been bizzy!!! Took me a long time to catch up here.....

I am so completely tired, but will try to post as much as I can before heading to la-la land :sleep:

Let's see....

Strollers: No, I did not buy that new Graco Quattro Duo stroller. From what I'v read, it isn't even available for purchase until some time in April. I just thought 'way to go Graco, finally getting some kind of cool looking double stroller that is NOT the duoglider'. I"m sorry, I just really can't stand the thing. That flimsy-a$$ front seat drives me crazy. It's like a piece of cardboard with some fabric wrapped around it. Looks SO uncomfortable. Most of the time I use the side-by-side Aria Twin that I bought (that I just HAD to have) and it works well in places like Target, BJ's, theme parks, etc. Now, if I have to go into someplace tight, like pretty much anywhere in the mall, Marshalls, TJMaxx, etc...I use the duoglider. We also have 2 single strollers that we use on the weekends when we go out as a family. Finally, we have a Baby Trend Expedition double jogging stroller that does nothing but collect dust at this point. I should use it more often, but it's just so big and bulky. I've never been a big fan of the jogging strollers, single or double. (Which is probably why my butt won't fit into half the jeans I own).

Dawn, I completely know what you mean about the cramming of merchandise in stores. It is ridiculous. I went into Kohls the other day and I could barely navigate through all the fixtures...and that was with the tandem stroller! It frustrates me and then I just get all mad and leave. (P.S. as a fair-skinned, blue-eyed, blond-haired Irish gal with more skin biopsies than I care to count, I say be careful in that tanning bed!!)

Jennifer, I'm so glad the babysitters.com website worked out for you! It's the least I could do considering you showed me how to properly, and therefore more efficiently, cut an avocado! :) Congrats on the April 4th date for the surgery!! I know your recovery will be somewhat uncomfortable those first few days, but it will be SO worth it.

Heather, Bailey was up for almost 2 hours last night, too! Do you think they called each other ahead of time and came up with this plan? How is your mom doing these days after your grandma's passing? Better, I hope.

Evan is starting to "cruise".....he's holding on to things and walking along. Of course, he's no match for Felisha's babies (which, btw, where is she?) who are probably graduating from high school this weekend.

Christel, so sorry you're feeling all "discombobulated" sp? I know I have for sure been there and I can rest assured I'll be there again. It's being a twin mom, a super wife, a do-it-all household CEO and everything else we do. Then you throw in the circumstances of your traveling and being gone and Ruby's reflux and not seeing DH......AND learning a new computer! (which, you will continue to see that Macs are far easier and make much more sense than PCs) It's the strength that you possess that is keeping it all together.....you're going to be just fine. As I said to Lisa a while back, peaks and valleys. :)

Lisa, LOVE the video! Oh my, I just laughed and laughed......so great.

Baths, we give them baths at the same time now. It is SO much easier. I bought two anti-skid bath mats at Linens N Things and I fill the tub with a few inches of water, some toys and let them have their fun. While they are splish-splashing, I wash them and if DH is home, he takes one out and I take the other. If I'm by myself, then I put Bailey in the tub ring while I'm getting Evan out and then I get Bailey out.

Well, this is as far as I can go....I"m wiped.
MIL comes day after tomorrow.......yay? :snicker:

Love you all...
Steph

[christel]

Thanks, Steph, Kerrie, Jill :grouphugg: I appreciate the moral support, so much.

Lisa - that video is the cutest thing EVER! They are so precious together. Don't you love twin giggles? :throb:

Baths - we're back to the kitchen sink b/c they sit up so well and I don't have to lean over the tub :D We have one bath ring and it does the trick, but it's hard to get them in and out of it. When my girls start crawling, we'll try the non-skid mats. I don't think they're ready for it yet.

Jill - we are hosting the snotty noses, too. I am seriously considering buying a mechanical nasal aspirator (http://www.onestepahead.com/product/117/516781/117.html) because the manual ones just don't seem to do the job and the girls HATE :eviltongue:them.

When can kids blow their own noses?

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[mrscon]

Hi. My due date was July 2006 and our boys were born in June. I'm looking for my old friends from when we were pg and hoping to make some new ones too. Sherry/TMoT I think you're still out there.

Our boys are 8 months and are doing great. No problems at all, thank the Lord! They are over 18 lbs! I'm still nursing both (no formula supplements) and they're eating "food" now.

I love having twins! It feels like we won the lottery! We also have a great two year old girl. So, we are crazy busy, but happy...and a bit tired!

I hope you are doing well and enjoying your cute kids (I've been looking at the pics!)!

Windy

[EBTwinz]

Hi all! Thanks for the comments on my video. It was so much fun watching them laugh at each other. Their new thing is to chase each other. Ethan stole Brady's binkie last night and took off. Then he would look behind him and start laughing, like "you can't catch me". Then Brady would take off after him and Ethan would squeal. So freaking cute! It's amazing how much they are changing. They are becomming so much more interactive and smarter by the day. I love this age.

Heather: I just took the video w/ my camera. I have a fuji, w the long lens. I can take up to 15 mins of movies. Then I downloaded it on my computer. It's pretty easy.

Felisha: Photobucket is pretty easy, once I figured it all out. I just downloaded the video from my desktop. It took a while, maybe 20 mins. Then I copied the IMG code into my signature. Voila!

Christel: I am so sorry to hear about your bad day. I have been there, done that, many times! Steph is right, peaks and valleys. I have days when I cry when they boys won't nap then I have days where I can't put them down. Also, I am so sorry you have to deal w/ the reflux. I dealt w/ it w/ both of them since they were born and it just now seems to be going away. I used to be covered in puke all day. Now, they only spit up a tiny bit. So it does get easier.

Jennifer: Yeah on the surgery! I am so happy for you. Just take good care of yourself. You will probably be down for a couple days. Make sure you have lots of help.

Valerie: Are you feeling any better? I was worried about you. Call me if you need to talk. I am always here for you. :aww:

Okay, bath time, I just started putting them in the tub together. They love it, as you can see. My guys are just starting to pull up to their knees so I don't have to worry about them trying to get out. They do crawl around, but still doing the army crawl, so it looks like they are swimming. I should prob get a non skid mat.

Okay, gotta run. Dh needs the computer.
Love,
Lisa

[SunMoonMom]

Good Morning Mommies...

Heather - I think our boys were friends in heaven before they came to us.. They are so similar.

Felisha - I checked out your web page and man, your babies are precious...

Windy - Welcome back! I wasn't around when I was pregnant so I look forward to learning all about your little ones.

Strollers - Everyone is talking about strollers... What I need to know is what you guys have done for Infant to Toddler Convertible Car Seats... We just don't know which one to buy.

Jill - I would love to hear more about Bowen... I am seriously thinking about acupuncture so I am really ready to try anything to get this pain under control... Thanks for the encouragement on the diet/lifestyle change. I do really well until I get home and then there are temptations everywhere. I just have to stay focused that I am working an 18 - 24 month program to get ready to try to have another precious angel...

Okay well I have to get to work... What little I have... I swear, I am either slammed and can't see the end of the tunnel or I don't have anything and am completely bored...

Everyone have a great day and I can't wait to see more pictures... Your little ones just make my day at work until I can get home to see my own.

Kerrie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Jill and Kerrie- Thanks for the sleeping advice/info. I handed out earplugs to my mom and DH last night, and then let them cry (going in every 5 minutes to shhhh and pat tushes). I think that they are already adjusting. Isabella cried for 45 minutes with her nasty p!ssed off scream, and Mason never even moved. Then, it was so strange--when she STOPPED crying, he woke up and proceeded to cry for 20 minutes, but Isa never woke ! :congrats: That lasted until I gave them bottles at 4 :30 (their usual morning bottle time....my next mission is to make that 5;30 or 6 am). Isa played in her crib for a whole hour this morning and Mason never woke up, too. Like Kerrie said, they tuned each other out. They also took naps in the same room together yesterday and Isa slept for 2 1/2 hours!! That's a record!! Maybe a few more nights in the new crib, and Isabella will sleep through...:cloud9:

Lisa- great video! I recently started doing double baths and it is so much easier! Sometimes I throw my 4 y.o., too! Only trouble- Mason attacks Max's pee pee...not cool! I usually take Isa out first, dry her off, and then she crawls around naked while I dry and dress Mason. It is so fun! :lovemytwins:

Heather- hope the boys get back to sleeping for you-- you especially need it so you have energy to teach in the morning! Are you thinking of changing professions? Maybe you could start doing private tutoring from your home? A teacher friend of mine gets $65/ hr working with special needs kids. If you took a few seminars to pair with your great experience, you could promote yourself as a special educator for your own private practice. There is such a need out there!

Christel- I know you'll feel like a new woman when you get home. when I was in Miami for almost four weeks, I became so homesick. You definitely learn to appreciate your privacy, even from family (or more so from family? hee hee). Hang in there.

Steph- enjoy your time with MIL. Just keep telling yourself, "it is great to have some help, it is great to have some help...." ;)

Windy- I remember you from when I skulked around the message board in May-June last year. Great to hear that you're doing well.

I was so sad to say goodbye to my mom this morning. She was such a help. She scrubbed my house from top to bottom, and it is so great to have the some extra arms. Oh well, back to work...it's bottle and nap time around here!

Jennifer

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Oopps...forgot...I wanted to ask Jill what Bowen is. Some sort of acupuncture?

Kerrie- When I was having trouble conceiving/ keeping my pregnancies, I did a combination of herbs/acupuncture and my period increased from 1 day to a more normal 4 days (meaning that the lining of my uterus improved). She also placed me on a "fertility diet". I think that I could have sustained a pregnancy without IVF at that point, but I was too impatient/emotionally vulnerable to try after all the agony. I am very cynical about alternative medicine, but I know for sure that this made a difference for me! Just wanted to pass that on...

I forgot to tell you all that I had Isa's ears pierced last Thursday! I don't know if you can really see in the new pic below. I was so nervous about causing her undue pain, but the doctor was amazing....soooo gentle. She didn't even cry or seem aware in any way that he was piercing her. I couldn't believe it. They have healed beautifully, too.

I also posted a recent bath from our house. I agree- this is a fun, fantastic age for babies!! :love:

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies!! You sure have been VERY busy the past few days. I apologize in advanced to anyone I forget.

Thanks to everyone for caring about my crazy leg. It is doing better...I will tell you though, I truly thought I was going to loose my mind this weekend with all the itching. The rash is finally starting to go away and mostly, the skin is just very dry now.

The past few days have been very trying. Corey is going through some very needy stage. He does not seem to want to play by himself EVER. He LOVES to stand, but needs assistance. He will just cry and cry until you help him stand. This is fine, but he has wanted to do it all day every day. I have been trying to have patience with him, but it has been hard. I feel bad for Kayley, because she seems neglected. She is just so much more laid back then him. Are boys harder as babies? Today was a better day, but we have been on the go all day so I think that is why.

Jennifer - I love the new pics. It sounds as if the babies are adjusting to being in the same room together. Now that your mom is gone, are you going to keep them in the same room? Good luck with the interview...it sounds like a great opportunity.

Kerrie/Jill - What is Bowen? What does it do for you?

Lisa - I LOVED the video...it was so stinking cute. K and C stopped in their tracks when they heard the boys laughing...it was so cute. I can't give them baths together because Corey lays in the tub and kicks like a maniac...it is dangerous for Kayley to be in there (lol). I will have to take video, it is so funny. I regret not taking videos, now. I need to start.

Windy - Welcome! Hope you are hear to stay! What are your boys' names?

Christel - I am so sorry you are having such a rough time. I really hope you get to stay put at home for awhile. Hang in there!

Kerrie - I was laughing at your mobile story...the same thing happened to us when the babies learning to turn on their aquarium things...it freaks you out!

Heather - I hope your students' do well on the tests. I am sure you are ready for all the testing to be over for the year.

Jill - I have to tell you, every time I see a McDonald's commercial, now, I think "hmmm, did Jill's DH write this?". I feel like I know someone who is famous (lol)

Felisha - How are things going? I saw your post, but not too many details. Hope all is well!!

AndreaR - Wouldn't the lottery be fantastic!!! To have DH home everyday would be wonderful!

Endocrinologist - What is this doctor for? What do they do? I think I could see one for my thyroid issues, but my family physician treats me for my condition so I never looked into it.

Well, I better go. Talk to everyone later!

Valerie

[Jillmami]

Bowen is non-invasive. It's like they are plucking guitar strings with your body. Here is a little blurb about Bowen therapy and a few links.
The Bowen- ANS (Autonomic Nervous System ) technique uses a series of simple gentle moves across muscle and connective tissue. This process is very effective in helping balance many muscular, skeletal nerve or chronic conditions. By balancing the parasympathetic and sympathetic portions of the Autonomic Nervous System, the body begins to heal itself and to be relieved of toxins.

http://www.bowentherapy.com/
http://www.bowen.org/NewSite/bowentechnique.html

Our lactation consultant actually did some Bowen on the babies after we brought them home from the NICU. Talk about amazing results! Babies, of course, can't lie about how something feels/doesn't feel. To watch someone barely touch their spine/shoulder/neck/etc. and to see a wave of reaction wash over their faces was amazing. After doing it with TJ, who was very uncomfortable with her body after surgery,etc. we had 3 people including 2 nurses make a comment about much more relaxed and at ease she seemed. Here is a link that shows you about Bowen practitioners in different states.

http://bowendirectory.com/

Obviously it is more of an alternative therapy like chiropractic medicine but I can't argue with the results I had personally as well what I have observed with my babies. From what I was told, most people only need 3-4 sessions and then a 'tune-up' periodically. My Bowen therapist told me that I am doing the work, he is just reminding/showing my body what to do. He is "awakening the healing within me."

[Jillmami]

http://www.onour.com/bowen/
http://www.bowenhealingsystem.com/index.html

The guy that we saw is an instructor as well. These are his sites that have some pretty good basic info as well.

[SunMoonMom]

Jill - Thank you for the info... I am a true believer that some Eastern/holistic medicine can really help treat chronic conditions. I will definitely be looking into the Bowen technique.

Valerie - An endrocrinologist would be exactly who you should see for Thyroid. They specialize in the Endrocrine System which specifically produces the hormones within our bodies. The thyroid, pancreas, overies, etc. Any organ or gland that produces or processes hormones. That's why in many cases endrocrinologists are involved in fertility treatment. I would think that if you ever feel that you need a more aggressive or targeted treatment for your thyroid issues, then you should see an endrocrinologist.

Well gals, I have meetings in Illinois tomorrow, then I am off work on vacation on Friday. Friday is the 3rd anniversary of my mother's death. I still struggle with her passing and so I decided that I wanted to spend the day with my boys (DH included). So we are going to Kindermusik class, shopping for car seats and to a fitting for a new sleep mask (sleep apnea). Maybe not exciting, but definitely enjoyable because I am with my men...

Have a great weekend ladies... see you next week.

Kerrie

[Megzackben]

Steph-want to get to together NOW!!!!!! Okay sometime this weekend? Weather is tooo perfect. We can go anywhere. Dh works but I am pretty good on my own now. Thanks for asking about my mom. She has such a void. She actually watched the boys Sat night and dh and I went out for our first date!!!:popcorn2: Went to see Letters from Iwo Jima. Seeing as dh and I are both veterans, we "enjoyed" it.:knuddel: :handkiss:

Loved this smilie. It is so me everyday. First year teaching I got the worst kidney infection because there was no time. Most days I dont go at school!:toilet: okay way too much info!!!!!:snicker:

Kerrie-I feel like I wrote your post most of the time. Very cool! I almost cried when you said our boys knew each other in Heaven. I will never forget that. They will know about that when they get older:yippee:

sick-still noses filled with crud but thankfully they slept all night. I went out today to restock the little noses spray and got a plug in/nightlight that gives off menthol smells. It is sooo poweful. I put it in the bathroom, shut the door and a little bit late gave them a warm bath. MY nose was tingling. I put it in Meg's room tonight. The boys already have a real humidifier with med.

Windy-welcome back

Trish-did you get a chance to shave too??? That would be too much to ask for:snicker:

chiropractor-okay too weird. I went for the first time since preg tonight. Only went 3 times in my life. I went to another highly recommended guy. OOOOEEEE was he HOT. Sounded just like Matthew McConahay(sp) ANyway.....my neck, sholders and lower back are completely numb within min of sitting down. I pray that his adjustments and exercises will help. I know I must be doing some permanent damage. Never had acupuncture. TOO chicken. Not sure ins would cover it either.


Last question...
Crawiling/red knees. My boys are EVERYWHERE. Swear they are going to walk in a month. Especially Zack he is cruising too. Downfall is their legs are SOOOO RED. We have carpet and its like permanent carpet burn. They have a little bit of excema so I know they have sensitive skin from dh. Got some Aveno cream. Anyother suggestions?
okay a little smilie crazy tonight.

[christel]

:wave:

Counting down... 4 more nights until I can sleep in my own bed :woo:

The girls had a pretty decent day, so I did, too :D DH bought them cheerleader outfits from our alma mater, Texas Tech, for Valentine's. It's been so warm here recently, and I only packed cold weather clothing for them...so we busted out the cheer outfits so they wouldn't spend the day sweating. They were SO stinkin' cute, but I only got video on the vid camera, not pics.

I sat them outside on a beach towel for half an hour - they were perfectly still - just taking it all in. So sweet to watch them discover the world. And then...Emme discovered grass and dollar weeds and the serenity was gone.

Felisha - Hope you got a long relaxing hot shower. I'm almost dreading the crawling. I think we might have another month of peace... maybe. And how about this icon :bunny: :D

Valerie - glad your leg is finally on the mend. That must be miserable.

Needy baby - have one, too. Emme has been so clingy the last few days. I think it's b/c Ruby's needed so much more attention b/c of the reflux and the difficult feedings. She's demanding her share of Mom. This morning she fussed until I just grabbed & snuggled her. Usually she pulls away and starts playing w/ my hair or clothes. But today, she just burrowed in for 10 min. or so. I LOVED it! But then felt bad about Ruby not getting a snuggle. Does the guilt ever end?

Heather - YAY for the date! I'm so glad y'all had a night out. As for the crawling, you might think about some legwarmers for the guys just to protect their knees. You can also use them as sleeve extenders for years to come, too. Check out www.babylegs.net for photos. They're not just for girls. If you decide you want some, I can also steer you towards a cyber-friend who has a smaller selection and is selling them a bit cheaper.

Kerrie - I hope Friday is a wonderful day for you w/ all your guys and you make some sweet new memories to replace the sad ones :throb:

Lisa - I know just what you mean about the toy stealing! My girls are awful about it. They don't even want the thing, they just want what's in Sissy's hand, KWIM? But now, they're starting to take pleasure in the theft! This morning Ruby grabbed the paci from Emme, so Emme grabbed Ruby's fingers and started chewing them. That cracked them both up :lol:

Jennifer - your Isabella is so beautiful :love: and she looks so proud of her pretty earrings. Your boys look so handsome together, too. And :woo: on the sleep!!!

Windy - :hello: Nice to have you here. Jump right in!

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[swineland]

Whew....what a night.

Evan had a fever all day yesterday of about 102 and was very hot and lethargic, literally slept most of the day (NOT normal). At around 4pm, after Tylenol was doing nothing, I called the ped and she said he should be seen today, but we have no openings. Uh, okay. So, I took him around 6pm to an after-hours pediatric urgent care center where he arrived with a temp of almost 104. (103.9) He was just radiating heat off his body, his whole face was pink and he was literally miserable. Rubbing his face, his eyes.....whimpering, nuzzling, etc. We were there for almost 3 hours during which they checked everything like ears, throat, the usual. Then onto a strep culture (which he didn't like), then on to a plastic bag around the peepee to catch a urine sample (which didn't work), then on to a catheter being inserted into his peepee up into his bladder to get the urine (which he also didn't like) then on to a CBC/blood test in which they tied a rubber band around his forearm, smacked his veins to get them to stand up and then took the blood from the very delicate soft area of his inner wrist. It was AWFUL. He screamed and cried so hard for 3 hours that he literally could not catch his breath. He is forever scarred from the doctors office and forget the sound of that crinkling paper....it used to bring a smile, now he screams his head off.. I cried too, of course, especially during the catheter episode.....how barbaric. Anyway, he's got something viral I guess....so just keep giving him tylenol/motrin every 4 hours. Luckily, after I got home and we all got to sleep around 10pm, BOTH babies slept until 7am! I know why Evan did, but Bailey? That was really strange. I'm sure he's probably going to get it too..... lucky me.

Good news: MIL arrives today for over a week......2 more hands!!!

I'll write more later...
STeph

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Oh, Steph, how dreadful! Poor Evan. I had to do that with DS when he was a baby. He had that happen twice where he had a high,high fever for over a week. The doctor never could find what was wrong so they attributed it to a virus. You must be so worried. I hope he kicks it soon--- it's awful when one get sick because you know that next one with catch the bug any second...maybe Bailey's immune system will be a bit tougher. GREAT that you have some help right now when you especially need it!

Christel- I'm so jealous that you can spend time outdoors. You sound a little cheerier....hope things are looking up.

Heather- I have to keep leggings and bobux shoes (the soft-soled leather ones like slippers that never fall off) on the kids all the time now so that their skin doesn't burn off!

Felisha- I'm going to check out your page when I get on the computer tonigt!

Kerrie- enjoy your day tomorrow. How fun!!

Val- Yay! Your leg is getting better. Now, I hope that Corey jumps out of the stage fast. Seems like the separation anxiety time is kicking in-- Isa has it to-- she crawls after me like a puppy! I have found that boys are easier than girls!! Isabella is SO very demanding and Mason just hangs out most of the day. I guess it is just personality and I can't blame it on her being a girl anymore. "They" say this only last a couple months and then babies get more secure with their mommy "diappearing" around the corner for a minute or two. Hang in there!

Thanks for asking- yes, I'm keeping them in the same room. With my upcoming surgery, and all the help I need, we will really need our guest room for a guest room! Isabella slept straight through last night, too- Mason cried for 35 minutes. She really can block him out.

Kolcraft stroller update (if anyone still cares!). I decided to keep the contours tandem. It really has lots of leg room when the babies are both facing forward; however, I will keep my Chicco because I am enjoy having a choice! The Chicco is so much lighter that I will use that when we travel. I have also figured out how to manuver the seats better. If the babies need to nap, they both really need to face forward. I found that I can turn the front seat around easily without taking the baby out (I'm sure Kolcraft would say this is NOT safe, but I feel like I have good control when I do it!).

I just signed up for the local mothers of multiples club. I have a "big sister" now. So far, all the ladies that I've spoken to have been great- seems like a good way to make friends. They have an email newsletter where you can list items for sale as well. I'll go to my first meeting next month.

It's almost weekend! :dancing2:

-Jennifer

[Jillmami]

OH poor Evan!! Steph, how awful to have to watch your little baby being poked and prodded. That brings back memories from the NICU. Taking blood was the worst! I hope that he is back to a bit of himself today. Want to hear he was smiling and laughing today. That's strange that your dr said that he needed to be seen but they didn't have any spots. Do you really like your ped? If not, maybe you can find one that will squeeze in emergencies? (Since your ped knows your boys quite well and probably wouldn't have to put him through all the tests.) I think urgent care centers have to do all of that testing. I am so glad that you have your MIL coming today. That couldn't have come at a better time! I'll be praying for him to get better real soon and for Bailey to steer clear of it.

Jennifer, it seems as of the little angels are getting the hang of sleeping together! (And quickly I might add!) That's great!! It is so cool to see them develop and mature right before our eyes!!

Everyone enjoy the rest of your week. If anyone does the chat, I hope to make it today! DH is out of town so we'll see...

[megzmom]

Steph-both boys had the catheter poor Ben's didnt work so he had it twice in a row! Horrible. Dh couldnt be in the room so I was there hoolding them. As for the fever. Whenever it gets above 100 my peds always said to use BOTH motrin/tylenol. I truly believe Motrin is much better for regular fevers too. Watch out for red bumps when his fever does break. I am no saying it will happen but Meg had the same thing when she was 1yr old then a few hrs after the fever broke she got bumps. Ended up being Rosella. We also had her in luke warm water with also helps with the fever. I really hope EVEN is feeling better. Meg sends her kisses...

[vthompson]

Hello Everyone!

Steph - I am so sorry that you and Evan had to go through all that. I hope the little guy is feeling better today.

Felisha - I am sure you hear this all the time, but you are such a strong person. You are doing a wonderful job with those babies and your DD.

Jill and Kerrie - Thanks for all the health info!!

Christel - It sounds like getting outside really changed your mood! I long for days outside...it started to warm up here, but now it is getting cold again. When I say warm up, I mean mid 30's...after the weather we have been having, it feels like a heat wave (lol). I love your pic of the girls. It looks like Emme (I think she is the one on the right), is ready to get that dress off of her. Her look is too funny!

Lisa - I noticed your new pic...it is too cute!!

So, today is a blah kind of day. I have really been down on myself lately because of my lack of patience with the twins when I am home by myself. For example, at breakfast, they both kept taking their bibs off, which I hate because food goes everywhere. I got so mad, I took one of the bibs and threw it across the table! I was so disappointed and embarrassed in myself. I keep telling myself that they are just infants and are not doing things on purpose to be defiant...but, sometimes I get so stressed out. I just feel like a bad mom...like I could be better if only I didn't get so worked up over little things.

Well, I need to give Kayley a bath...we have plans tonight so no time for bathing.

Have a good day.

Valerie

[EBTwinz]

Steph: That experience sounds horrible. Poor Evan. I hope he is feeling better. I can't believe they ran all those tests. Ethan had a high fever, around 103.5, about a month ago. I brought him into the doc, they squeezed him in at 6pm but I saw a different doctor, and he just had a virus. The next day, he was fine. I know how scary it is when they first get fevers that high. Hang in there. Your MIL coming down will be helpful (hopefully... :) )

Valerie: Ethan and COrey must be talking because EThan wants to stand all day, too. And cries when I put him down. If only he could learn how to stand on his own. And I hear ya on the bibs. They both take them off. I just decided to go bibless unless they have on nice clothes. I think you and I need a day at the Outlets. Cant' wait for the weather to warm up. You were cracking me up w/ the 30 degree comment. It was 50 degrees yesterday and I felt like wearing shorts! just kidding! But it's a far cry from negative zero temps.

Jill: I just noticed that your twins will be a year in a few weeks! Did you make plans for their party, yet?

Felisha: I checked out your videos. SO cute!! I am just amazed at how strong they are.

Kerrie: Enjoy your day off!

Christel: You are almost home.. Yeah!! : )

Well, it's nap time. I have two cranky boys. Talk to you all soon,
Lisa

[megzmom]

Valerie-I feel the same way sometimes okay all the time. I think we all have short fuses at times. Sometimes Zack will be almost asleep and I will put him down. By the time I get to the door he is standing up! I get so frustrated and pick up so quickly. Luckily I have been okay with in a sec. But it immediately makes me feel so guilty that I was angry over nothing. You are not alone! Have you tried tie bibs yet?

[4redheadedboys]

Hey everyone, still trying to catch up on all the posts. Everything is finally calming down around here. Boys seem to be over (mostly) the RSV and ear infections. That was stressful.
My boys still do not sleep through the night, Wyatt wakes up once and Keegan usually 2-3 times. He is my much needier baby all the time. I am still breastfeeding so that might make a difference:shrug:
Stephanie:aww: for your baby. My oldest ds had a similar experience when he was 1 week old, they ended having to put an IV in his head. I had to leave the room I was so hysterical.
Work is really busy right now but like someone else said it is either crazy busy or completely boring. Oh well. Hope everyone has a great night.

[Megzackben]

Christel-were your girls born on May 2nd? I was looking at the clickers.

[mmzill]

Hey everyone! Sorry I've not posted in so long! My week has just been crazy and now I've got to go get breakfast for everyone, but wanted to check in first.

Clingy baby!~:dito: !!! Nathan is having separation anxiety big time. Anytime I walk out of the room. It's driving me crazy. Thank goodness Anthony is not nearly as needy right now.

Ok - I Hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend. It's actually sunny here today. So nice to see some pretty weather, although it's still cold.

Love you all so much! Got to run.....:ridinghorse:
Monica

[AndreaR]

Hi everyone!

I feel like I've been gone forever, but it's probably only been a few days. I have had a few moments here and there when I've been able to log in and read some posts, but I haven't been able to read them all or write. I don't know where the time goes.

Steph - I am so sorry about Evan. Is he doing any better? How is Bailey doing, showing any signs? I sure hope not. One sick baby is more than enough. Like someone else said, I also give both Tylenol and Motrin when things are really bad (like teething). I will give Motrin every six hours and Tylenol every four, overlapping. It seems to work.

Jennifer - I think it's great that you have the babies sleeping together. Congratulations!! I am also envious. I think we need to pull that trigger soon. Keep us posted on the multiples club.

Lisa - OMG I loved that video! Did I post that already? Even if I did, it warrants saying it twice. Too cute!! I sent it to DH, hope you don't mind. He loved it and can't wait until we can put our girls in the big tub together.

We are still using the plastic tub and bathing them one at a time. We put them both in it one night last week, and it was a little crowded. I'm waiting for Madeline to be able to sit up completely unassisted and push up on all fours. She's getting better every day.

We got a couple of inches of snow overnight. DH didn't have time to clean the driveway/walkways before he left for work, so I did it this morning. What a great workout!

Clingy baby - I guess Maddie is more clingy than Izzy right now, but it's only if she sees me. If I walk out of the room, she goes back to whatever she's doing. I try not to pick her up most of the time, because I'm afraid of making it worse. Is that wrong? I feel like we've already created a small princess - she sleeps in our bed every night and she only wants to eat sweet things. I can only get her to eat about half a serving of cereal and/or vegetable, then I have to mix in some yogurt or fruit. In the end, she eats all of the cereal, vegetable and fruit, so the way I look at it is she's eating enough, but there's a nagging voice in the back of my head that says, "she is in charge here, you know." What do you all think?

Valerie - don't beat yourself up for losing your patience. It's totally understandable. It happens to me all the time. I don't usually act out, but sometimes I talk to them in a less-than-loving voice. You are an awesome mother, and they know that.

Heather - I like your new login name :-)

Sorry - gotta go - will try to get back later today.

Andrea

[EBTwinz]

Okay, Office fans, check out this link... So freaking funny!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRPbuqj5iN0&NR

[EBTwinz]

Andrea: Thanks for the compliments on my video. It was just so cute. The boys are really playing w/ each other all the time. We usually get to witness the hard laughs a couple times a day. They want to be near each other all the time.

Monica: Good to hear from you! We have sunshine too! It's actually getting warmer over here.

Clingy baby: Check check! They are both clingy. If I am on the floor playing w/ them, they crawl all over me and both want me to hold them. Also, we let them sleep next to us if they wake up in the middle of the night crying or if they have trouble taking a nap. It's such a bad habit. I think I am already spoiling them.

Okay, I gotta get lunch for the munchkins. Talk to you all soon,
Lisa

[mmzill]

Drum Roll Please! The boys went down for a nap at 11 and are still asleep...it's now 2!!! I'm sure they will wake up any minute, so I better type fast.

Steph, how is Evan? I hope he is feeling better!

Valerie - Anthony has started sputtering if I don't feed him fast enough, it gets food all over me. Yesterday I got so aggrivated I yelled at him. Afterward I felt really dumb, I know he's not doing it on purpose either, but oh well. I just know how you feel.

Heather - you mentioned the Little Noses Saline, I used that with dd and had the hardest time getting into her nose, but someone gave me Simply Saline recently, it's aresol, IT WORKS GREAT!!! I would recommend that to any mom that needs to use saline!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa your kids are just precious! As are all the babies here!!!!!!!!

Jill, what are you going to do for the big FIRST birthday? We have one coming up in just 1 month! I can't believe how time flies. I'm not sure what to do......does anyone have ideas?

I got a coupon for 14 days free trial of a local gym. I went yesterday for the first time and really enjoyed it! I'm going to go almost every day for my "trial" period. It felt so good to be doing something for me, and to get out of the house!! (without kiddos)

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!! Spring is just around the corner!:jump:

[vthompson]

Hi Ladies...I have to type fast, babies are starting to wake up from nap.

Thanks to everyone who shared their feelings/stories of frustration and "loosing your cool". It made me feel better to know I am not the only one and that it is normal. This job is so rewarding, but so difficult at the same time.

Monica - I cannot wait until spring! I just want to get out of the house and go for walks with the babies...I definitely have the winter blues. It was warming up here, but now, it is back to cold temps. YUCK!!

Lisa - I loved the afternoon comic relief! That scene was so funny!! I DVR'd last night's...can't wait to watch it! BTW, I DEFINITELY need some outlet shopping.

Steph - How is Evan? I hope better.

So, we are going to BRU and then out to dinner with the babies tonight. I actually did my hair, put on nice, "not so mommy" clothes. I feel silly since we are not really going anywhere, but I needed the pick me up!!

Hockey is FINALLY over as of last night!!! I am sad that they lost play offs, but SO happy to have DH back. He will participate in summer conditioning, but it is not even comparable to the time commitment during regular season. I think he was actually a little choked up last night saying goodbye to his seniors. The team had the best record in the school's history...the boys really worked hard this year. There is a banquet in March...it should be interesting to see if the babies are going to behave during it!!

Well, I better go!

Have a great weekend!

Valerie

[christel]

Hey Everyone,

I have been in better spirits and I think getting outside some gets a bit of the credit. Also, getting out of Mom's house a few times on my own helped. I wonder if DH told my Mom about my meltdown b/c she's been hoppin' to more w/ the babies and has offered to watch them while I get out more often since then. Embarrassing for me, but on the other hand, I guess I need the help. I've tried so hard to not impose on her work and schedule while we've been here - I feel like us camping for so long in her home is a big imposition b/c we could have gotten a hotel. I'm rambling... and it's 2 more nights 'till I sleep in my own bed!!! :woo:

Steph - I am SO sorry to hear about your ordeal w/ Evan. We've been thru the blood draw thing many times w/ the girls in the NICU days and again w/ Ruby when she was being diagnosed w/ reflux. It's horrible! As is anything else invasive they do to your baby (catheter makes me shudder!). Poor poor baby! Really hope that Bailey escaped and that you're all doing ok :throb:

Jennifer - that's so cool about the big sister thing in your MOM's club. I like my club alot, but that would make it even better. Maybe I'll suggest it. How does it work?

Valerie - I hid in the shower for 10 min. this morning while Ruby screamed (she was supposed to be napping). I was on the verge of yelling back, so I hid. She had a dirty diaper... I felt like such a bad mom. Then, I got over it. That's my life now. And yipee about the end of hockey season!

Heather - my girls were born on April 27 (due on June 21)

Andrea - I worry about setting bad precedents, too. My main worry is setting poor examples - like I want them to know it's not okay to eat in the living room, and that they have to keep all food in the kitchen... but DH and I ALWAYS eat in the living room. When do we start "setting the example"? I know they're observant already. They copycat things we do, faces we make, etc.

Monica - WTG boys on the nap! And the gym trial sound wonderful. Do you think you'll join?

Staci - where are you? Hope everything's ok.

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[newmomx2]

Steph - I read your post about Evan - both my guys caught a virus about a month ago and they ran 105 fevers - I alternated Motrin and Tylenol and gave cool baths - seemed to help....doc said it was a virus. but it sucked. I would have cried to if I had to have my little guy poked.

Saline - I got so tired of buying spray that I make it myself now and put it into an empty Tylenol bottle and just put drops in the nose -seems to work just as good - also the vapor plugs for kid's are awesome !

I think Corey may finally want to crawl - he is showing more signs of progress finally !!!

I started to change the eating schedule this weekend so they are eating the meals at 8am, noon and 5-6 w/ bottle and snacks in between - hoping they adjust !

All you ladies that take you twins out all the time hats off to you - we tend to leave them at home and run errands by ourselves to make it more efficient - plus when I am home on the weekend I just want to play with them since I can't do that as much during the week (HATE HAVING TO WORK)

Well better go guys are sleeping (including DH he is on night work all weekend)

Oh and guess what we are meeting with an architect on Monday - we want to see if we can start building on our 15acres in MD soon !

[swineland]

quick sec to post....

Thank you all SO much for your worries and inquiries about little Shmev (we call him 'Evan Shmevan'....Shmev for short.....:snicker: ) He is feeling a lot better today. Yesterday he slept ALL day long. He would wake up for a bottle and then go right back to sleep. Finally, at around 5:30pm, he woke up, quiet as can be and started to play and smile. He was cool to the touch and seemed to be feeling like his old self. He is still fussy at times, and I am still doing Tylenol/Motrin, but things are looking up. Bailey never got it, at least not yet. So, we're on the mend here! We just felt SO darn bad that HE felt so yucky. You could tell he was trying to muster everything he had to feel decent, but it just got the best of him.

MIL is here now, helpful in some ways, not so helpful in others. :)

Will post more later, but wanted to give you all an update on my little guy.

Thanks again for all your well-wishes :grouphugg
Steph

[LucasMom]

Hi strangers!

Long time, no talk, huh! I didn't read too much, just wanted to drop in and say hello. I troll sometimes in my spare time, which as you all know, is sparse to be polite. Everyones kiddies look so great!

Steph- Sorry about your ordeal with Ev, which I did read. I hope he is feeling a bit better. Both boys have been sick forever, and Logan is on a round of antibiotics for an infected, get this, RUGBURN!! I miss you terribly...

I miss you all so much. I am going through a rough time here, and really just want to move forward with my life, but JC is not making things too easy right now. We haven't touched each other in months, not even a hug or kiss, and yet every saturday, I still have to have the "so are you going to move out soon?" conversation. Things have been kind of sad and depressing, but the boys always make me feel so happy.

My best friend, Rebecca, had her baby two weeks ago and I was in the delivery room, which was amazing. Maybe I told you that already? Boys are doing great, playing with each other, 6 teeth coming in each, standing against the couch and cruising/crawling. Dylan shakes his head no and yes and waves bye bye. Logan speaks his own language and cracks himself up.

I miss you all so much, I have to go let the exterminator in, I have Squirrel in my roof, whom I think is trying to move in!

Hugs mamas,
Mindy

[AndreaR]

Mindy! I'm glad to hear from you. I totally admire how well you are able to keep everything together while you are going through all that you are. It just proves that you really are Superwoman. I loved seeing your pictures, too. Do Logan and Dylan look exactly like Lucas, or is it just me? Three handsome fellas you go there, lady.

Missy - great to hear from you, too. How did you make the saline, what was the ratio? Our ped said we could do it ourselves, too, but I forgot to ask how. I imagine it is a LOT easier to get it in their noses using the Tylenol dropper. Ingenious!! That sounds fab about your land in Maryland - how exciting!

Steph - SO happy to hear that Evan is feeling better. I love the nickname, too. You are always cracking me up.

We had QUITE a day. DH and I went to a charity event a few months ago and during the silent auction, we won a "family portrait" with a photographer ("portrait studio"). We decided that we wanted a picture of just the girls, and today was the session. The photographer ("artist" - are you getting the picture??) and his wife came to our house a while back for a THREE HOUR planning session. He asked us a zillion questions like, "use as many adjectives as you can to describe Isabelle/Madeline." And today he kept saying, "remember! We're trying to capture their essence." I was like "GMAFB, they are eight months old!!" I had to get their outfits pre-approved by the wife. I didn't like having someone else tell me how to dress my girls. Anyway, I was really dreading going today, but it turned out to be not that bad. Who really knows until we see the pictures developed. The girls were okay - not bad, but not really good. They had them sitting on this tiny little bench, about six inches off the floor. Isabelle fell off of it and onto her head. She was so upset that I had to nurse her. Then, she never really got back into it. The guy kept yelling "hey! hey!" trying to get their attention and to get them to smile. I & M kept looking at him like, "Dude, are you crazy?" What we get with the package we won is just an 8 X 10 photo, and it includes the sitting fee. It's supposedly worth $1,000. I'm sure I'll want to buy a bigger picture or maybe more than just one. Lord knows how much that will cost.

Well, Izzy is having a hard time falling asleep, so I have to go in there. She's probably still traumatized from the afternoon.

Have a good night! Sorry if I missed anyone.

Andrea

ps. Jill & Monica - I am so excited about your upcoming first birthdays!!
pps. Jill - DH and I stopped at McDonalds on the way home tonight (I know, TERRIBLE!!), and after we left he said, "Oh! I should have had one of those chicken snackers!" Tell your DH that his commercials TOTALLY work!! I told my DH that he wrote them and he was tres impressed. It really is like knowing someone famous - like Mindy!!

[vthompson]

Andrea - I was laughing at your story with the artsy photographer... especially the way the babies were looking at him! You will have to try and post the pics once you get them back.

Mindy - I agree, all 3 of your boys look identical...they are so cute. You are going to have the ladies breaking down your door! I am sorry that JC is being so difficult. Hang in there!

Steph - So glad to hear that Evan is feeling better...poor little guy!!

Missy - It is great to hear from you! What type of house are you going to
build? That is so exciting!

Christel - Are you officially back at home now? I hope so!!

Pretty low key weekend over here...which is very nice!! I watched Office and Scrubs last night from Thursday....I was cracking up!! Especially, when Michael told Jan that no means no!!

We had a huge ice storm here last night and everything is covered in it. It looks pretty cool from inside the house...definitely do not want to go outside, though. The poor dog even slipped going outside today.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

Quick question...... Did anyone here have a vaginal birth? Just wondering. I can't remember back that far. Ha!

Valerie - I don't think we're going to get digital copies of these pictures, unfortunately. But if we do, I will definitely post.

[newmomx2]

Valerie - we are going to try for a timber frame but not sure we can actually afford it !!

Ice storm is heading my way this afternoon - GREAT means yucky commute to work with the boys..ugh

Tyler has been really testing me the last 2 days - I think I spent half of yesterday trying to get him to nap ! I fear it has started again today - he woke up after only 20 minutes and would not go back to sleep Corey is asleep and Tyler is playing for the moment - gave more Tylenol and hoping to get a nap in before lunch..:silly:

AndreaR - I had Corey vaginally and then Tyler was an emergency C 4 hours later.

Steph - Glad Shmev :) is doing better being sick really takes it out of them ! I dread the next round here - it has been a month which seems to be the magic time frame for when we are do for another round.

Lisa - You are in Harrisburgh right? How much snow are they calling for..I am done in DE but was born and raised in York County !

Well better see if I can fold some laundry before Tyler has a meltdown...

[mmzill]

Andrea - C-section for the boys :( because they were early and a little stressed. But dd was vaginal. Her birth was wonderful, it was natural, I didn't tear and she nursed right after she was born for about 2 hrs (was I ever sore the next day!!!) I was up and feeling really good the next day too.......I kind of feel gypt with the experience with the boys, since they were wisked away immediatedly and in NICU, couldn't hold them for a couple days (I know that's way better than some mom's on here though) I just felt robbed of that special time. Oh well, can't cry about that now ;)

We were supposed to get ice last night, but I guess it all went North of us. Have I mentioned I'm ready for SPRING!!!

Mindy I miss hearing from you! Been thinking about you alot!

well, I hear dd coming up here to find me. I better jump off. I hope everyone has a good Sunday.
Monica

[Jillmami]

Andrea, I had Noah vaginally and TJ C-section. (She was SO not ready to come out.) Noah was being held in fortunately by my bladder. :snicker: Once they drained that, a few pushes and out he came! I didn't get to see him before they whisked him away, however they brought TJ back in before they took her to the NICU and I got to nuzzle noses with her. She sounded like a little kitten. Once I finished recovery, they wheeled me in to see both babies. I was actually able to hold Noah since he didn't need oxygen or anything besides the basic monitors. It was very cool. I do wish my dh would have taken pics in the delivery room. He was too in shock to do anything besides hold my leg.

Valerie, I used to live in Upper Arlington, outside of Columbus. Was used to getting ice storms now and again. They are absolutely beautiful! (Unless you have to go out.) Not to mention the damage they cause. Hopefully you all get some nicer weather your way. We just had a few days of rain here so hopefully it won't come your way??!! :xfingers:

Mindy, glad to hear from you. Sorry you are going through some trying times. Stay strong and keep your focus on those beautiful boys. Squirrel moves in and JC moves out??? :shakehands:

Andrea, thank you for such a great job on the photographer story! I could definitely 'see' what went on and quite the laugh about it. :loco: Hope Isabelle's little noggin is ok.

Steph, AWESOME news re: Shmev. Enjoy your MIL time!

[vthompson]

I had a c for both babies...my water actually broke at home, I was so freaked out, we did not even call the doc, we just left for the hospital. Once I got there, I labored for about 6 hours...even though they knew they were going to do a c...I will never forgot having to ask for drugs 3 hours into it. Those cruel people (lol).

Missy - I hope you got the babies to nap....I HATE when they do that.

Valerie

[vthompson]

Felisha - I just took a look at your new pics...the babies look so cute! Did you do those pics yourself? When I played the videos, Kayley heard your voice and started looking around...I think she thought someone was hear talking to her! It was funny!!

[newmomx2]

2 25 minute naps all day - God help me tonight, on my own and they both need baths !

[Jillmami]

Missy, do you have any rum? For you and the babies! :cheers: My mom's Irish friend is always telling me to "give 'em a little rum! That's what we all used to do."

[christel]

I'm so pleased to announce that I'm typing this post while sitting on MY couch in MY house! :woo: The girls are napping (finally) and DH is dorking it up on Second Life and we're ordering dinner and saving the grocery shopping for tomorrow. Big Huge Sigh of contentment.

Steph - I am so relieved to hear that Evan is on the mend and that Bailey is staying well. Big hugs to you for surviving that ordeal. Hope your time w/ MIL is good, too.

Andrea - FUNNY post about the photographer. It sounds like something out of one of those mock-umentaries like Best in Show. :lol: Maybe you can just scan the pic you get and post it that way. Save some $$

Missy - oh, I am feeling for ya w/ the 25 min. naps. That completely sucks. Hope the kids are easy for you tonight.

Jill - I'm so jealous that they wheeled you to the NICU after recovery. They made me wait until I could get up and walk a few steps (post c/s) to the wheel chair before they would take me. Obviously, that was many hours later b/c the spinal had to wear off. I was going insane... DH, Mom, MIL were back and forth to the NICU bringing reports and it almost made it worse hearing about my babies 2nd hand.

I'm really looking forward to the girls' 1st b-day b/c I don't feel like it was properly celebrated on the actual day.

Monica - I didn't get to hold my girls for a couple of days, either. I feel robbed, too. But ya gotta move on, I guess.

Mindy - all 3 of your guys are just beautiful! Praying that you'll have some peace soon.

Valerie (and everyone else w/ ice storms) - stay inside! We had one last month and there were horrible car accidents up and down the interstate - big trucks in tiny pieces in the medians, etc. Scary! We had an awful wind storm yesterday at my parents' - the sky was a gross orangish brown all day and there were sustained winds of 50mph +. Today was gorgeous though, and the drive home was great.

Girls are awake, so signing off...
:lovemytwins:
Christel

[vthompson]

Christel - YEAH!!!! :party2

Jill - I took a look at your pics...your babies are so cute. Your daughter is such a pretty baby!!

Missy - I also looked at your pics. Your boys are adorable. Are they fraternal? I am so sorry about the napping today...I know how hard that is, especially without that second pair of hands. Hang in there!!

Does anyone ever look back in our forum? Sometimes, I will pick another page and read it. Like today, I went back to April...it is crazy to read our posts from then compared to now...how things have changed. It is neat because we have a journal now, of all our thoughts and experiences!

Valerie

[Jillmami]

:party2 Home sweet home Christel!! :partygirls: There's nothing like your own bed. I can't believe how well your girls did being out of their home for so long. What terrific babies!! Second Life huh... that's a :joystick: video game, right? I wonder how many other dhs play video games... :hmm:

My dh LOVES to play them online. It is a nice way (and a free one) for him to catch up with his brother who lives out of state. My dh is such a video game junkie that he started an online company with a friend. I can't complain since it helps pay the bills. If you know of any technology junkies or video game guys, his website is www.gravyfactory.com

Anyway, back to Christel (sorry!) I can't imagine having to wait to hold the babies. We had to wait quite a while to hold TJ. Maybe a week or so? Gosh, I can't remember. I'd have to look back in my journal. They actually wheeled me on the bed to the NICU before they took me to my room. That was pretty cool. Well, I am so glad that you are home safely and get to hopefully relax and enjoy your surroundings for a long time before having to leave again.

Valerie, TJ thanks you for the compliment! :snicker: She definitely thinks that she is a princess. And of course she is. I LOVE your new pics. Your seem to get cuter by the day! Are they always so smiley and happy? They sure seem to be!

Well, dh is letting me take my break! LOL Take care and talk to you all soon!

[adoptingbgtwins]

Hi everyone,
I am new to the twins message board. My name is Gina and my husband and I are in the process of adopting our twins, Katelyn and Patrick. They will be 9 months on the 2nd. We picked them up at the hospital when they were 11 days old. Hope to get to know all of you better.

Gina

[Jillmami]

Welcome Gina!! :jump: Glad to have you here. You will quickly realize that the women here are wonderfully supportive and helpful. I noticed that you are in CA. Me too - just outside of Sacramento. Congrats on the adoption of the twins and make yourself comfy!!

[AndreaR]

".........Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers late Friday not to use certain jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast baby food because they may be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness.

The manufacturer, Hain Celestial Group of Melville, N.Y., initiated a recall on Feb. 9 of 4,072 cases of individual jars and 38,298 variety packs, the FDA said in a prepared statement. Production and distribution of the baby food has been suspended while the FDA and the company work to determine the source of the problem.

The food, part of the firm's "2nd Vegetables, Fruits and Blends" line intended for babies 6 months and older, was distributed through retail stores and sold through the Earth's Best Website, the FDA said

The agency urged consumers to throw away any jars they might have."

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies!

Andrea - I read about that recall...luckily, we do not use that brand...scary!

Lisa - I would love to get together next week...can you get together, too Monica? Tuesdays and Thursdays are out because I babysit.

Gina - Welcome!! That is so great that you are adopting them. I hope you stick around so we can get to know you and your babies better!!

Jill - Thanks for the compliments!! They are either really happy or really cranky. They do not really have an in between mood!!

I hear babies...I will check back later.

Valerie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

So many posts! That's great! I usually catch up with you all on Sunday night, but I was watching the Oscars last night!

Andrea- thanks for the baby food warning. yikes-we use that brand when we make it to Whole Foods for shopping. My mom just recovered from food poisoning-- she was one of the Peter Pan peanut butter victims--it was horrible for her, and I can't imagine a little one going through that! Please scan those photos for us---I'm dying to see! : ) C-section here-- I had a C with my DS, so I scheduled the second rather than try a VBAC with twins!

Christel- many congrats on being in your house! :yippee: Your contentment radiates through the computer! MOM club- well, on the application, you can volunteer to be a big sister, and also whenever a new member joins, she is asked if she wants one (asked on the application as well). The new member chairperson called to say 'hello' and welcome, too, after I joined. I thought that was nice. The big sister is there for moral support/ advice via email or phone. They are also willing to meet with you if you need some mom-to-mom contact, and introduce you at your first meeting. I thinks that's great so you feel welcome instead of totally awkward... it is always hard to join a big group like that without knowing anybody (at least for me!). My big sister has a 7 yr. old and 4 yr. old twins-- I think they try to pair you with a mom with a similar family configuration...and someone whose babies are a bit further along so they can show you the ropes if need be!

Steph-glad that Evan is feeling better and that Bailey didn't catch the bug. That's amazing. Stay healthy and keep us posted.

Val- I LOVE the laundry basket pictures. so adorable!

Missy- hope the kids sleep better for you soon. Nap times/bed times take a little longer these days for us. The babies seem to pop up like jack-in-the-boxes even when exhausted :jump: --it is like they can't help but practice their new skills! Once asleep, they have been going for a long time, though...hang in there. Maybe we should try Jill's rum suggestions....:snicker: A pharmacist friend recommended rubbing a little bendryl on their gums, but I haven't tried this yet.

Lisa- Yay for Ethan! Mason is still army crawling, but he is practicing rocking on all fours alot lately. They aren't "late" for this yet--Isabella and all the other full crawlers on this board are just early!

Gina- welcome! :hello: How exciting to adopt twins! They look adorable-- I can't wait to hear all about them. That's is so wonderful that they were not separated. Was it a shock to get twins? Did you have long to prepare? I knew I was having twins for 8 months, and it was still surreal.

Mindy- it was great to hear from you. It sounds like a long, painful experience that you're going through. I hope that you and DH can work out a plan soon.

We are good here, just feeling very housebound. I REALLY cannot wait for spring....I'll even take 40 degree temperatures! I am longing to go for walks and get outside! Hopefully, it will warm up later in the week.

Alright, back to work...

Jennifer

[Megzackben]

Csection for both. Zack was head down but Ben was breeched. I had a HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!! delivery with dd 8 yrs ago so I was very happy with csection. Only bad thing was a horrible rash allover belly/back. And of course the 2 weeks of gas/constipation thingy.

Steph-glad Even is feeling better. A student of mine got me sick sat in front of me a coughed all day :( So we are for our 2nd sickness all around in 1 month.

FCAT part 1 of 3 was today. Same sick kid came to school today ugh!

Okay by for now got to go get my students.

[SunMoonMom]

Good Morning Mommies...

My long weekend was wonderful... I really felt like I truly was able to get fresh breath spending so much time with the boys...

Gina - Welcome!!!! You are a true angel to adopt twins. Adoptive parents are so amazing any way... but to keep brother and sister together is just incredible... You should feel so proud of you!

Steph - So glad to hear that Evan is doing better!!! So scary...

Birth Experience - I went to the Dr. for a blood pressure check and the nurse came into the office after talking to the doctor and said, "Its their birth day". We went home, packed the bag, went to the hospital and by 6p I was in the delivery room. C-Section was planned from the start because Ben was breech. Once I was able to leave recovery, the nurses took me to the nursery to see the boys. We were really lucky the boys didn't need NICU time. The were both in the incubators but I could at least seem them. We got to hold them the next day but then Zach had to have a central line put in and didn't get to hold him for another two days after that... Then the nurses thought Ben had a seziure (sp?) and he was out of reach for another 24 hours... It was the most trying time I have ever been through but it was nothing compared to what some of you suffered through... I don't know how you did it... Your strength is inspiring...

Crawling/standing/cruising - Both boys are now crawling, standing and starting to cruise using the bars to the play area. When you walk in the play area it is like you are being attacked... They swarm like feeding sharks. If you get in the floor with them, they just want to stand using you as their base. Then they let go, balance for a second, then grab you again. It is precious... I am in awe of them on a daily basis...

Frustration - I get frustrated with the boys sometimes... Mainly when trying to get them dressed... They kick their legs and wave their arms all over... My husband says that he feels like he is roping cattle... He says when he is done dressing them that he should throw his arms up and yell Time... I just keep reminding him and myself that they are babies and this is just what they do..... You can't get mad at a puppy for being a puppy... Same with babies...

Sleep - Okay so I was bragging last week about how well we have done with sleep... Well, the boys decided I needed to be knocked down a peg or two... Friday night, Zach decided he did not want to go to bed. I went upstairs and held him. It was like he was a top that had been wound up too tight... He talked and played with my face... I just tried to ignore him so he would get the idea that I wasn't kidding... It was so hard not to laugh because he was being so cute. Then all weekend, the boys decided that naps had to be no longer than 30 minutes. Well, I hope that with me being back and work today and them back on their normal schedule that this will get resolved... Babies have a way of keeping you humble...

Well I have to get to work... Have a GREAT Monday.

Kerrie

[SunMoonMom]

Heather - We have so much in common with our boys... Zach was head down and Ben was breech... Just like yours... Weird!

Kerrie

[Megzackben]

Kerrie-DItto! I feel like I was reading my own post (besides the post delivery ordeal) Mine were perfect and went home a day late just because of their jaundice. My boys are EXACTLY doing the same things. I laughed when you said TIME. I will remember that when I get frustrated. My boys are turnin and screaming at the top of their lungs when then get changed now. They hate to lie down.


Ben doesnt know how to get down from standing. So he doesnt sit anymore. All he wants to do is stand but a min later he is screaming at the top of his lungs. Means I am constantly by his side. Any suggestions? I am trying to say sit when I help him sit down hoping he will quickly learn the word/movement. I am sure he will learn by tomorrow b/c they are changing everyday.


okay done with lunch gotta go

[mmzill]

Hey everyone~
After reading about all the things your kiddos are doing, I'm really anxious to get Early Intervention in here. My guys still are not even crawling, Anthony is rocking alot, but that's it. They sit really well, just don't really want to move around. Don't stand any either.....:( Anyways......I really want them to start progressing. It seems like they are stuck at 6 months old and haven't moved passed that yet.

Gina - Welcome!!! This is a great site!

Lisa and Val - I PM'd you. That would be so nice to get together.

I'm so tired today. Keep staying up way too late. Everyone is currently down for a nap. I think I may try to join them.
Have a great day!
Monica

[Jillmami]

Monica, mine are sitting really well and rock back and forth when on hands and knees too. They can stand if someone helps support them or if holding on to something (it's only for a few seconds.) However, we were told not to have them stand since we need to focus on tummy!! Noah is now scooting to his side and backwards but that's it. I think ours will be a bit longer due to their prematurity. That seems to make a big difference. Don't worry, they will get there! Keep on working on that tummy time and having them try to reach for toys as well as play with a toy while supporting themselves with one arm/side. I will resend the tummy info for you.

[sgarrett]

Sorry I have been MIA.

We had to go to Bryan College to preregister Chase for school. My son is offically registered for college. I cried on the way there and the way home. Isabelle has been sick, she had a fever of 103. We took her to the doc Friday she had a sore throat virus. She has been soo pitiful. She is doing better but is very clingy now. I cannot leave the room!

Steph: That story was awful! I am Evan is better! (shmev) We call Aiden the codger, b/c he looked like a little old man when he was born.

Mindy: It was wonderful to hear from you, I think about you all the time. I am so sorry you are still going through such a stressful time. Your babies are gorgeous and they do look just like their brother!

Birth story: I had Chase vaginally with no drugs - yes I am superwoman. 22 hours of hard labor! Isabelle was Franks breech, I had them by C section. I was 36 weeks and went to my check up and pratically threatened my doc, ( he is like 5'1" I told him I would sit on him) if he did not get these babies out of me! He got me in that day. I was having contractions when they hooked me up and did not even know it. The epiderual was awful, it took them like 20 min. to get it right but after that it was smooth sailing. While in the operating room I asked my husband, what is that burning smell? They all started laughing and cracking jokes about the doc smoking. I found out later it was my burning flesh when he cut me open! EEWWW! Aiden came right out, Isabelle was a little harder, the doc joked she was holding on to a rib!

Out of time, sorry I could not reply to everyone.

Heather and Steph: I will be in Cocoa beach for a week starting the 10th. Wanna try to meet?

Take care,

Staci


Christel: Thanks for asking about me, feels good to be missed!

Monica: Isabelle is not crawling yet either, Aiden does the army crawl, every once in a while he will take a step or two on all fours.

[Megzackben]

Okay came back on to get my "fix" and realized I missed tons of posts! Don't know how that happened.

Gina-Welcome. Just repeating what everyone else said. Hope you stay and find comfort here. We love details. Names, personalities, etc :shakehands:

[swineland]

had to share......

[Megzackben]

Steph- your boys are so athletic already. Get ready for some school scholarships :)

[vthompson]

Steph - That is hilarious! I cannot believe how well your boys get around! Olympics, here they come!!

Monica - K or C do not crawl yet. Your boys are going to be just fine!! They just have a little catching up to do because they were early. They will get there in no time!!

Staci - I cannot even imagine sending a child to college....I would have cried, too!! I was laughing at your birth story!!

Jennifer - I am DYING for spring!!

Heather - I have no suggestions for you :( Corey is the opposite, he wants to stand all the time, but cannot pull himself up without assistance so he just cries until I help him. I feel like I am always with him and ignoring Kayley lately.

Kerrie - It sounds like you had such a nice weekend! You must feel refreshed!

I would like to tell all you mommies out there that had some troubling birth stories how strong I think all of you are!! I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for all of you! Isn't amazing how far we have all come????!!!!

So, Corey is out of control needy today. He is finally asleep...but he has broken out in hysterical crying several times today...he did it tonight when I was sitting right next to him, but DH was holding him and he wanted me to hold him. I love him dearly, but he is very trying at times. I just do not know what I am supposed to do when he cries for me...do I pick him up or let him work it out. Sometimes, he gets so upset, that I feel like I have to pick him up. Other times, I try and sit on the floor with him and play...eventually, he tries to pull himself up on me so that I am practically holding him. I really hope this is just a phase!

Good Night Ladies!

Valerie

[TMoT]

*sniff sniff*

I've been reading all these posts (letting the babies fall asleep in their crib), and getting SO nostalgic!!!!! The pictures and videos are so AWESOME, and I can't believe we're going on ONE YEAR of babies here!!!! I think Kerrie got the birth stories going, and I almost don't dare reading (Heather) what we were all going through a year ago at this time -- wow! :joytears:

Okay, for those of you brave enough (stories on "dippy eggs," recent first-posts by AndreaR and Stacey, and others from Lisa, Val, _Jason_, Tina, Daniele, et al...) here's a link to our thread from February 27, 2006:

http://www.twinsmagazine.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=39491&page=30

Just too bad that we don't have the tickers and siggies from back then anymore...!! LOL ;-)

Meanwhile, I hear my two rustling in their bed, so I can't ramble on like I'd love to. But I just wanted to say that I think about you all EVERY DAY -- seriously! -- and I really wish I had more time to share in the milestones, etc., and "be there" with you all like old times...

Monica and Jill, happy early birthdays to your incredible babies -- they are all so beautiful (your dd too, Monica)!! :-) :birthday:

Mindy, hang in there. We're all rooting you on in our hearts!

Heather, Val, Missy (!), Lisa, Steph, Felisha, Staci, Ters (??!), Andrea, Kerrie, Christel, Jennifer, _Windy (!)_, Gina (welcome!!), etc. etc.: I love and am thinking about you all -- and I REALLY hope I'll have time to post more often soon. Looks like I'll be going back to work soon though (we are looking to buy our own house now...), so I don't know when that will happen -- but maybe I'll have even -more- time then -- who knows?!? ;-)

I'll at least try to post some pics soon, and see if I can get my ticker to work again... ;-) Till then. Take care, marvelous mommies!!!
:dh: :grouphugg
xox
Love,
Sherry

[mmzill]

Jill, thanks for resending that info. Not sure why I haven't gotten it yet.? Well, good night all! I hope that all the babies sleep wonderfully tonight....is that just wishful thinking?:hmm: :pray:

[mrscon]

It's so hard to find time to read and post! I'm going to try more. I can't even respond to individuals yet, but I want too...

Whose cutie had their ears piereced recently? I could tell in the photo...very sweet!

My sister (my BFF) and my good friend made baby food with me tonight. Lots and lots of baby food. I've been saving the plastic baby food containers (Gerber brand) and then we bought huge cans of green beans, peaches, applesauce, etc. from Costco. With the three of us it took less than an hour to make lots of food. I need to take a picture of my freezer. My DH saw it all and said "Woh!"

I'm off to sleep. I'm very tired, but wanted to read your posts. Now that I'm getting much more sleep than I used to, my body wants more and can't remember how to survive and be somewhat peppy on hardly any sleep!

Take care all!

Windy

PS. The boys names are Isaiah Thomas & Zachary Thomas (there's a story to their names that I'll tell when my vision isn't blurry from tiredness!)

[AndreaR]

Staci - I think your surgery is tomorrow/today? Good Luck!!

I haven't had a chance to catch up on all the posts. I will try tomorrow (I mean, later today!).

xoxo

[vthompson]

Staci - GOOD LUCK!! We are all thinking about you!

Sherry - Glad to hear from you! What type of work do you plan on doing? Buying a house is exciting news!! It is crazy to read posts from "back in the day". It is always a little sad to read posts from people who were around a year ago, but never check in anymore.

Windy - That is great that you were able to make all that food! I am sure it is much cheaper then buying baby food.

Andrea - Thanks for reminding up about Staci's surgery...I did not even realize what day it is!

I have a dentist appt today...YUCK! I HATE the dentist. DH is going to meet me there on his lunch to watch the babies. Right now, they are both supposed to be napping and Kayley is talking very loud and yelling in her crib. She was exhausted when I put her down. I am so annoyed. They both need to nap. I do not understand what their problem is lately with napping!

Valerie

[Megzackben]

Valerie-UGH dentist appt I forgot. I have one today too! I have to cancel. Front desk lady is HORRIBLE.

Sherry-I shouldnt read???

Windy- Yeah another Zachary. I spell mine Zack and I think Kerrie spells his Zach.

My best friend made the most AWESOME afghan with baseball designs all through but spelt his name Zach. She felt horrible but I really dont care.

2 out of 3 tests down. Same stinker pulled the same stunt today. Finished in 20 minutes and had 80!

[4redheadedboys]

Hey all we are all doing better now, I think. Hopefully the flu is done with us.
Stephanie-Glad Evan is better, hopefully you all can stay healthy now too.

christel-So glad you are back home, there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed and having your own stuff around.

Gina-Just wanted to say Welcome and congrats on adopting your twins. What a wonderful thing you are doing.

Sherry-So glad to hear from you, I think about you often. Hope you can check in more often, but then I am just as guilty of not being around much.

Both my boys prefer to army crawl,though they can crawl on all fours when they want. Keegan really loves to pull up and stand, he tries to cruise but not that coordinated yet. Wyatt will pull up but then he just wants to stand, not intertested in moving.
This is such a great age I love that they are playing with each other and interacting so much. Take care.

[sgarrett]

Aww shucks everyone thanks for asking about the surgery, get this I canceled it! I just do not have time right now. I asked them to reschedule for somewhere in the beginning of April. This is the 2nd time I have canceled it.

Gina & Windy: WELCOME:wave: This is a wonderful board, I have never particpated in any type of "chat room" before, but I am hooked to all the great ladies on this board!

Sherry: It is great to hear from you stranger! I miss your posts! Good luck on the house and job hunting. I am sure that will be fun to accomplish with all your spare time!:snicker:

Steph: Your video was great! I was laughing too b/c could hear Ellen in the background, I LOVE HER! BTW did you schedule your foot surgery?

Felisha: You are definately superwoman in my book,:bowdown: I do not know how you find time to even feed babies, let alone cook! Whenever you find time in that crazy schedule let me know I would love to do lunch, we could meet in Nashville.

Babies sleeping: Yes I think they are all on strike, Aiden and Isabelle cried from 3:00am until 5:00 this morning.:sleepy: They always seem to know when I have to go into the office the next day. I am such a zombie. Isabelle is getting over the crud and now Aiden is getting it. I went to the pharmacy today and bought puffs with lotion, the aerosol version of saline solution, infant motrin, infant tylenol, vicks vabor rub for babies and those vapor plug in things for babies. I have got to get sleep tonight! Did I read in earlier posts that some of ya'll give them motrin and tylenol at the same time?

Kerrie: BTW I was laughing at your DH saying TIME after dressing babies, my DH makes noises like he is on a pit crew when we are dressing the babies. Isabelle is little miss helper and sticks her hands through the sleeves for you while Aiden, flips over (you have to try and pin him with one arm) graps the inside of the sleeve with his hand and sticks his thumb out, so if you try and pull it on to hard you will bend his thumb backwards, bites the inside of the shirt when you try and pull it over his head and squirms and wiggles as much as possible laughing the whole time!

Heather and Steph: Cocoa beach? Possible twim mommy meet??

Take care,

Staci

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Steph- great video! I have to know where you got the rolly thing-- Isabella would be nuts for it!

I'm going to catch up more later...too many kids swarming me right now! :)

Jennifer

[SunMoonMom]

Hey Mommies...

I have been sitting at my desk all day with construction workers installing scaffolding and a new wall above my head (we have a loft on the 2nd floor which they are closing up). Needless to say, I am feeling slightly punchy...

I have been joking with one of the construction boys today... I know remember what was fun about flirting with boys :handkiss: ... But of course I'm 1000% married, but it has made the headache of work and the construction less painful..

Well nothing new to report here... Just another day and another dollar to spend on formula...

Have a great night.

Kerrie

[AndreaR]

madeline has a bad cold and is giving me a run for my money. i'm hoping she goes to sleep - but i see that she just dripped her binky. she can't really suck on the binky and breathe, poor thing.

sherry - so good to hear from you. thanks for the link back to the good old days. it seems like another life.

staci/kerrie - i was cracking up at your posts about changing the babies.

steph - LOVE the video. your boys are too much. i heard ellen, too. i was like, "i think that sounds like ellen. steph's voice isn't like ellen's, is it?" took me a few seconds to realize that maybe i heard the tv on in the background.

felisha - i agree with staci - you are truly amazing!

monica - while i think it might be a good idea to call early intervention, i totally wouldn't worry about your boys. they arrived very early and are doing just fine. madeline is just now sitting up unassisted (barely - once in a while she goes backwards), and she doesn't like to roll from her back to her belly, although she can. we have to tempt her to do it with her favorite toys, an old cell phone or a tv remote. but i think early intervention would be helpful in as much as they will give you confirmation that your boys are going to be running around in no time, and they will give you good exercises to get them there.

our big news...........................isabelle crawled today! she's been very mobile lately but only scooting. today was a full fledge crawl across the floor during music class. in front of all her friends. everyone clapped. i cried. i'll get in on video and post it here.

okay, looks like they are both down for the moment. hopefully i'll get to eat dinner in peace before someone starts screaming.

oh, check out the may board. laura (aka dustymack) had a really funny post, i think it was yesterday. it describles me to a perfect T.

g'night!

xoxo
andrea

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi Ladies...

I am SOOOO far behind on the posts I have been trying for over a week to write all my notes and respond but I keep getting more behind! I have 2 pages of notes so far but I just wanted to stop by and say I am here and I am doing fine and thinking of you all the time!

So much has been going on this month, i don't even know where to begin!

It was my birthday on the 7th. Paul sent me to the spa for the ENTIRE day! I had one of EVERY SINGLE THING they offer and he surprised me and had my BF there and she had an entire spa day on him as well! She said it wass her favorite birthday ever...lol. Honestly though, my first treatment was at 10 and our last treatment was at 5pm! We only had one 30 minute break for lunch. I was on :cloud9: !!!

Then just a few days later I got strep and the boys had ear infections and pink eye for what seemed like FOREVER so that was terrible! We all feel better now but that kept me to busy to post for a while.

Ok, so i am going to go try to catch up on posts now...I hope to be back tonight!

Love you all!

[Megzackben]

Staci-I only use both tylenol and motrin when the fever is over 101. Then tylenol I think is every 4-6 and motrin is every 6-8. Otherwise I just stick to motrin. Motrin seems to drop fevers faster and lasts longer.

Felisha-Strange to say but when things get too stressful on M/W when dh is in school all night. I just think about you. I know your dd is alot of help like mine is but between homework and watch me mommy, there never seems to be enough relax time. You should be very proud of all that you do-we sure are :)

Andrea- YEAH Isabelle. Make sure you write this down! How do you physically handle it with them developing at different stages? Is it challenging? Monica-I completely agree with Andrea. I know this doesnt help now but by grade school it really does even out. There is a student in my class that was barely over a 1lb and she has never been retained. YOu would NEVER know!!!!

okay dh is ticked at me because I was short tempered tonight. Dont blame him but dont like the silent treatment.

[Jillmami]

WAHOO Isabelle! :cabbage: (ok, how old is THAT dance!)

Glad to hear from Sherry and Daniele. Daniele, hope that everyone is feeling better in your household! How crummy to have all those illnesses.

I am off to bed since tomorrow is a work day. Just wanted to share the web page I started tinkering with a few days ago. Still have a few things to get on and need to fix the videos a bit.

http://www.freewebs.com/jillmami/index.htm

I hope you are all staying safe and warm with all the weird weather!

[christel]

:sunshine:Mornin' ladies,

I have SO much to do today... and I don't want to do any of it. Cleaning, unpacking, laundry, etc. Bleck! I've given myself a deadline of Friday this week b/c we have a babysitter coming over. I'll suffer huge amounts of shame if she sees my house like it is right now.

Here's the word of the day... Multislacking (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=multislacking&defid=1721012) - it's what I really want to do.

Staci - it's so good to hear from you :) I can only imagine what a wreck I'll be when it's time for the girls to go away to school. He's your baby... you cry whenever you want to!

Jill - I peeked at your website... that's going to be very cool for friends and family. Is it very hard to put together? Also, tummy exercises: would you mind sending me a copy of the stuff you sent Monica? I am in the same boat, especially with Ruby. I haven't been too worried about it until now. But the girls just turned 10 mo. (8 mo. adjusted) and if I can help, I want to.

ECI - we're enrolled in the follow along program. They send us a home eval. form every few months and we fill it out and mail it back in. It's scored and if "problems" are detected, they come out and reevaluate. We're due for another form soon, and I'm anxious to see if Ruby will qualify for services now.

Sherry - good to hear from you :) Lots of luck on the job and home. That's a WHOLE lot going on right now. You sound happy and like you're handling it all like pro.

Windy - so cool about the baby-food factory in your kitchen :D I'm inspired. After I get my house unpacked, I'm going to ask some more questions about how you prepared everything.

Gina - Congrats on the adoption! :woo: That is SO exciting. A dear friend is going through the paperwork phase for her 2nd adoption from China. It's a birthing process of a sort, isn't it? Welcome to the board :throb:

Jackie - so glad that your family is on the mend. Flu is horrible :( Stay well!

Felisha -you continue to amaze me. Why don't they have a superwoman icon on here? Good luck w/ Weight Watchers. I'm tossing around doing something more structured. I'm not very successful dieting on my own.

Kerrie and Staci - LOL at the getting babies dressed descriptions w/ the TIME and the pit crew noises. We can relate at this house!

Andrea - YAY for Isabelle! That is so exciting! How's Maddie doing today?

Heather - it is So true about the catch-up by grade school. I had a student last year (I taught 7th grade science) who was nearly 6 ft, a great athlete, an awesome student and started his life born at 24 weeks and 1lb 5oz. Hard to wrap your head around.

Danielle - oozing envy at your spa day! And Happy Birthday belatedly. It sounds like it was a lovely day. So sorry about the sickness. We did the ear infection, pink eye, chest/ head congestion for a month, too. It was endless. Stay well!

Steph - LOVE the video! Your guys are too much.

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies...it is rather quiet on here today.

Christel - I love the word of the day!! I just got done cleaning my house. I wish I could afford a maid!! Are you doing anything fun on Friday with the babysitter there?

Jill - Was the site hard to do? It is really cute!!

Heather - I hope you and DH made up!

Daniele - All of those sicknesses sound terrible! I hope everyone is 100% very soon! I am so jealous of your spa day!! Happy Belated Birthday!! :party:

Andrea - CONGRATULATIONS ISABELLE!!! :jump: That is so exciting! How is Madeline feeling today? I hope better. I read that post from the May board...I was cracking up!

Kerrie - I was laughing at your flirting story! Is the construction done today? I hope so!

Staci - I am sorry you had to cancel your surgery! Hopefully, next time will work out better.

Felisha - I know everyone keeps saying it, including me, but you are truly an inspiration!

4redheadboys - I hope the flu is gone for good from your house!!

Well, I hear someone up...talk to you later!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

Thanks Valerie and Christel for asking about Maddie. She is still sick. The fever is gone, but the stuff coming out of her nose is quite gross. TMI ALERT!! It's turned from clear to opaque. It's not green - it's more white. Should I be worried? Sorry. It's the first real bad cold either one has had.

Jill - I checked out your website. It's so cool. I checked out the link to your DH's gravy factory site, too. Way cool. I might buy a tshirt or two for some friends.

Well, I hear them fussing downstairs, so I'd better go relieve Ronit. I'll try to post more later. Sorry - I don't mean to ignore anyone.

xoxo

[Jillmami]

Valerie, hope that Corey has been sleeping better. Hope your dentist appt.went well. I hate going too.

Windy, are you going into the baby food biz? Not a bad idea to do your own, especially with recent recalls and what not.

Staci, hoping that you have been able to get some sleep also!

Felisha, good luck with the Weight Watchers! From what I've heard, it's a great choice to really learn how to best eat in a healthier way.

Andrea, Sorry to hear that Madeline is still not feeling well. Has she been able to get any rest? Thanks for checking dh's site. If you have any questions re: sizes/designs/etc. let me know. It's helping so the kids can attend college one day! :proud:

Christel, I'll send you a copy of the tummy stuff. Just PM your address and I'll get that in the mail!

Well, yesterday was so cute. Noah leaned over to give TJ hugs. He just squeezed her and had the biggest smile. He must have done that about 4 times. TJ giggled each time. :handkiss: As for the website, it was easier than I thought. We have so many family members who live so far away and are asking me for pictures, videos, etc. so I put it all at one site. Not to mention, it's free. I know Felisha has a site too. Some baby sites you pay for monthly and some are free. All of the ones I looked into are fairly simple to do. (Especially if you know how to upload pictures/videos.)

Everyone else, sorry I didn't catch ya. Will check back later tonight to see what I missed! Hope you are all having a wonderful week with the babies and are getting some sleep!

Oh, Kerrie, how's your construction hottie?:snicker:

[adoptingbgtwins]

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to thank you all for the very nice welcome.
Jill we must live really close to each other, I live in Elk Grove.
And now to tell you about the twins. We named them Patrick Bryan and Katelyn Ann. Patrick was a cousin of my husband that passed away a couple of years ago, Bryan is my husbands first name, Katelyn I just just loved the name, and Ann is my moms middle name. They were born by c-section, Katelyn(6 lbs 4oz) was pulled out first and then 2 minutes later Patrick (6lbs 2 ozs)was pulled out. Both Babies tested positive to meth, but never detoxed. They are doing great and I feel they are right on schedule. Patrick can stand and walks holding onto the couch, Katelyn gets up on her knees but does not stand yet. They both are teething(all four front upper teeth) and you would never know it. Parental rights will be terminated in May and then around the beginning of August we will be able to finalize the adoption.

Gina

[sgarrett]

Wow Gina, how amazing! Have you had them since birth? How long did you know in advance? I love their names, Ann is the "family name" for the girls in my fam too. The eldest of the girls, is always Ann.


Jill, The website is great. I would love to do something like that, but the time the time. I keep meaning to go in and try to resize my huge pic in signature, (again!) and I have not done that!

Just wanted to say Hello to all, it is a gorgeous night here in Nashville, I am sitting on the deck listening to the crickets and the creek run behind my house, while my DH cleans out the garage. Babies are getting better, still snotapolooza around here but they seem to feel better. Of course now I am getting the crud.

Take care

Staci

[adoptingbgtwins]

I knew there were things I left out, just a crazy night. No I did not know we were getting twins. We are adopting through our county and they told us that they do not place twins with people who have no children. So we were only planning for one. When adopting through the county you are not sure what age you will get, which makes it a lot harder. We only had the needed things to finish our home inspection. We received a call at 5:30pm asking if we were interested in twins a boy and a girl? They were born June 2 and were still in the hospital. She then told us that we would have to come into the office tomorrow morning at 7am and have a so called interview with the babies placement worker to see if she liked us. Well we scrambled that monday evening to get two bassinets, bottles, another car seat, diapers, clothes, etc....Luckily we had a lot friends that could loan us the bigger items. That evening I could not sleep wondering if the placement worker would like us, but never worrying about taking care of two babies. The next day we met with her and she asked several questions(which I cannot remember) and then took us to the hospital to see the babies. We fell in love instantly. That afternoon they came home with us. They were 11 days old.
Sorry I am not a very good writer.
Gina

[Megzackben]

Gina-I am stitting in my classroom crying! Have to go get the kids in a second with smeared mascara. My mom went through almost the exact situation while I was pregnant. Wanted one boy to foster ONLY. Got a brother/sister that were 3/6. HORRIBLE family life. Girl had to be removed to go to a specialized home not of my mom's choice. We all fell absolutely in love with Johnny. Unfortunately my stepfather didnt want to formally adopt but the county wanted a permanent placement. Both kids were from different dads and were on different paths. ANyway. My mom is grieving over her son. I am so graIteful to people like you and your dh. Adopting is really how I want to get another child. Dh doesnt agree. He wants one more but my body cant handle a 4th pregnancy. Not in my late 30's.

Also my babies were also born on June 2nd by csection! I am so happy that things are working out for you. Very excited to have another new mommy on the board!

okay bell rang got to wipe my face first!!!!

[AndreaR]

Gina - what a beautiful story. Thanks for sharing. It is very similar to that of my friends, who had tried for years to have a baby on their own. They started taking a foster family preparation class, just to see if they were interested, and half way through they got a call that a little girl was in need of a family. Samantha was born at 34 weeks from a woman who was a heroin addict. That was over two years ago. The relinquishment of parental rights and the permanent adoption went through fairly smoothly. She is the most beautiful little girl - totally healthy and really one of the happiest babies I've known. I love your babies' names and the family significance. It's always nice to have a connection like that. I'm so glad you've joined our board.

Staci - I'm totally jealous of your weather. It was sunny and 40 here yesterday, and I thought that was good! It's going to snow again tonight. We had a very mild winter up until February, then we started to get snow and chilly, chilly temps. I can't wait for spring and summer and to play with the girls out in our yard.

Jill - I love the Noah hugging TJ story. My eyes were wellin'! It's so nice to see them interact. My girls mostly fight over toys. Actually, they don't seem to get upset, but they are always taking whatever toy the other one has. Izzy continuously takes Maddie's binky, and Maddie takes it right back. I don't interfere too much, because I'd like them to figure out as much as they can on their own. I know I'll be refereeing a lot in the future, so for now I sit back and watch.

Madeline seems a little better today. She slept better last night - not on me all night, so I slept better too.

My girls are nine months old today. It's been so much fun watching them grow, I am so looking forward to the next nine months. Here's where we are at:
clothing size - 3-6 months (still!)
shoe size - 2 (mostly they wear robees, but also have some stride rites)
food - stage 2 baby food, they eat just about everything we give them, but maddie definitely prefers the sweet stuff. three times per day, we feed them each 3T of cereal with formula, along with a half jar of baby food, and sometimes some soy yogurt or fruit. i nurse isabelle first thing in the morning and before she goes to bed at night, and a little before her naps. she gets a 4oz bottle at 11am and at 3:30pm. maddie gets a 4-6oz bottle first thing in the morning, 11am 3:30pm and in the middle of the night. we also give her formula in a sippy cup with every meal. she usually only drinks about an oz.
action - izzy is crawling like a champ and has just started to try to pull up on things. maddie is sitting up very well now and is choosing to spend more time on her tummy. this has been a lot of work for us, so we are thrilled!
talking - maddie says 'hi' but it sounds like 'huh' and izzy says 'bah' which we think is the dog (whose name is morgan, but we always call him buddy). when you say hello to izzy, she waves. every time. it's the cutest. they both say mama and dada a lot, but we're not sure if they are using it appropriately. they both know their own name and they know their sister's name. if you ask izzy "where's madeline?" she will look right at her, and vice versa.
sleeping - maddie is a great napper. she'll nap whenever and wherever you put her down. she usually takes 2 - 3 naps (30 minutes or more) a day, one is usually in the car. isabelle is not great at napping. it's a struggle every day. but she goes to bed at night like a champ! i nurse her and put her in her crib awake and she hardly ever cries. usually she will talk to herself and hug her lovey until she falls asleep. if she does cry, she only does for a few minutes, then she falls asleep. madeline, on the other hand, at night is pretty tough. most nights we can get her to fall asleep in the crib in our room, but she wakes up between 9:00 - 11:00 and cries until we put her in our bed with us. then she sleeps very soundly until she wants to eat, which is usually between 3:00 - 4:00. both girls wake for the day between 6:00 - 7:00. we put them to bed (after dinner and a bath) between 6:30 - 7:00.
hmmm, anything else? I guess that's it. I love hearing about all of your children and what they are doing, so I thought I'd post what we are up to now that they are nine months old.

Oh, we haven't babyproofed the house yet. I covered the outlets in the living room (where they play) and in their bedroom. I bought some gates, but we haven't installed them. I think I need to take the coffee table out of the living room. What have you all done about coffee tables? And I feel a little overwhelmed at babyproofing the entire house.

I hope you all have a great day with lots of napping!

xo
AndreaR

[SunMoonMom]

Jill - Hottie construction guy is still around. He isn't working on my side of the building so no flirting... That's okay... I have work to get done.

I love the story of Noah hugging TJ. How amazing! You must have been on the verge of tear... So precious...

Gina - I am so overwhelmed by your heart. These babies are a blessing to you, but you are truly a miracle for them... Thank you so much for sharing your story. Paul and I were about to start the adoption process when we got pregnant. We still might if we don't get pregnant next time we try. We are NOT doing fertility again... too hard on the body and although I love my twins, I would like to have a singleton next time.

Andrea - Your girls are amazing! Look how far they have come. Paul found one of our emergency diaper kits that we used when the boys were first born. He opened it yesterday and pulled out the diaper that was inside. It was a newborn. It was so tiny. It made me think about bringing them home that first week. How their little arms and legs looked like twigs and they had no bottoms so every diaper we tried just slid off their tushes... When everyone shares what their babies are doing I think to myself that you must have felt the same way we did that first week. That how is this little thing ever going to learn to crawl, cruise, eat solids and laugh... How far we have come!

Staci - Totally jealous of your weather. We are having snow, sleet and rain today. It was a total nightmare getting into work and its suppose to be a low of 29 tonight which means that tomorrow the ground will have a layer of snow, then ice, then snow, then ice. Can I come stay with you for a while? :driver: I could babysit... I might have to bring the boys with me but I'm sure that it will be like a temporary extended playdate... Just kidding... :angel:

Precious Feeling - Last night I had both babies in my lap. Just holding them watching American Idol from Tuesday night. All of a sudden, Ben turns around and puts his head on my shoulder and falls asleep. No prompting, no butt patting, nothing... he just fell asleep. A few minutes later, Zach did the same thing... It was the most wonderful feeling to have the boys feel so comfortable in my arms that they just fell asleep... Silly... But it made my night.

Okay... Gotta get to work... I might leave early because of the weather. The commute home will be wicked bad and I would like to avoid the traffic.

Kerrie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Andrea- Happy 9 months to your girls!! :hearts: I loved reading their schedules-thanks- it is always nice to get the scoop on what other babies are up to. It's so great that Izzy sleep well at night- wasn't she the one who had so much trouble sleeping without nursing a few months ago? Congrats to Izzy on the crawling, too.

Staci- very jealous of your warm evenings (sounds like NJ in August!). I hope you feel better soon. Hopefully, being outside more in the fresh air will help....

Gina- Thanks for sharing your story. It is just remarkable that your twins had such large birthweights and were so healthy. They are definitley little miracles! My DH's uncle adopted twins in FL almost 12 years ago. They were born addicted to cocaine. Today, they are wonderful, handsome boys. One has ADHD (very smart), but nothing that isn't manageable. You were blessed and so are those cuties! It is amazing to me that you only had one day (night?) to prepare to become a parent of twins. How exciting- I hope the rest of the adoption process goes smoothly for you! :)


Jill- So cute about TJ and Noah. I can't wait for that!!

Shoot- crying upstairs that isn't going away. I don't think I'll ever get a chance to do a full post again...

until later-
Jennifer

[Megzackben]

Kerrie-freaking me out again!!!!!!!!!!! We had signed up for the adoption prep classes and hurricane Wilma came in and cancelled our 1st class -3days later we found out we were pregnant. We didnt go through infertility but I took us over a year. Seeing as I get pregn (with ex) on the 1st try both times we both got checked but had the all clear. ANyway too freaky. Love the sleeping story. I bet you didnt want to get up. Were you holding both at the same time?

Andrea-
I let mine duke it out also. They are both INSANE for the shower cup. I brought in another one but it is the same. Your girls are so advanced. Mine barely know their own names. Zack seems to be more intense and can understand cause/effect better. Do you wave to them alot for them to say hello? I try doing more sign the most because you cant feed Zack fast enough. How much do they weigh now? I cant believe they are in size 3-6.

Clothes-mine are in 9mths but being from a very SHORT family the pants drag on them. I have only found one pair that fits them from Target. So usually pants they are in 6mths. I have the same problem with dd too.

Steph-were are you? Hope you are having a good time with MIL. At first I thought it was YOUR mom that was coming.

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Okay, false alarm... Mason fell back to sleep.

Isabella and Mason were 8 months on Monday! Time is flying by now. The naps have been great around here lately (knock on wood!). They are going 2 1/2 hours in the late morning and one hour in the late afternoon, then bed at 7 pm!! Love it! :love2: Last night, I decided to stop doing our 11 pm feed, and they made it until 4:30 am same as always. Before when I tried to stop, they would scream at midnight for food AND 4:30 am. This is a relief, and hopefully not a one-night deal!

Kerrie-I just read about your "precious" moment--so sweet. Doesn't that make everything worth it?!

Val- how is Corey doing with the clinginess? It sounds like you're doing the perfect thing (letting him fuss a bit, but picking him when he is really desperate). Isabella has been the same way, but it is starting to lessen. I made a game out of leaving the room where I would pop back in at random times and say "boo". They never know when I'll come back, and they think it is hysterical (easy to be a comedian with 8 months olds, right?)

Felisha- did you join the Weight Watchers group? I'm curious to hear how it goes. I'm thinking of trying that myself (I've been terrible about following South Beach even though it did work for the 2 weeks that I actually tried). I have 15-20 lbs that I'd like to drop to get to my pre-DS size- hopefully, before summer! Good Luck to you!

Jill-great web page. I did one on verizon but it is really a pain to manage. I love your comments. Your family must check it all the time!

Danielle- Happy Birthday! What a sweet DH to give you such a thoughtful and much-needed present! I hope your handsome boys are feeling well.

Sherry-good to hear from you! I can't wait to see pictures of your little Angelina Jolie ; ) and what was it- Jack Nickelson?

Windy- great idea for making baby food. I am always overwhelmed to think of doing it on a daily basis . It is so healthy to do it that way, and save money for all the important things...like shoes, strollers, toys hee hee Thanks for commenting on Isa's earrings, too. I was ambivalent at first, but I really love them now.

Heather- Are you at the half-way mark for the school year? I always loved that point! I'm with you on the adoption...that is my dream, but DH is 100% opposed. He thinks four kids are more than enough (but he thought two was more than enough, too, and I got him past that one! :snicker: ). I would love that experience, though.

Christel- Are you all settled back into your house? How are the girls doing? Do they remember it?

Alright- now I really have to get to work. I'm hoping to get outside later because it is a balmy 45 degrees today. :dancing2:

-Jennifer

[Jillmami]

Gina, how crazy of a story! That is great how that all worked out for you and dh. Oh, we are in Roseville so not too far away at all.

Andrea, the girls seem to be doing awesome! I'm glad that Madeline is sleeping better (so you can sleep better.) It's so interesting how different their sleeping patterns are. We have been pretty lucky lately. Ours are in the nursery at night now and have adjusted pretty well. It has taken the past 2 weeks for them to get comfortable enough with each other to sleep through the other's crying. However, several times a week, they will wake the other up. Luckily, they can put themselves back to sleep if they do wake up. Although last night, they took turns waking up. Your girls seem to be eating really well too which is nice. Happy 9 months!! Does it seem like just yesterday that you brought them home? I am so glad that Maddie is sitting up now too. I know how rewarding it is when it has been such a struggle previously. YEAH!!!!

Kerrie, LOVED the story of you and the boys. :love: Just adorable. They certainly love their mama!! Don't you wish you could bottle that feeling forever? It's funny you mentioned about the little diapers. We have one of each size they worn in the NICU. TJ's first diaper was actually a small guaze square. But their 'real' first diapers were about the size of a Triscuit. And they were HUGE on the babies. So crazy to look back on those times regardless of NICU time or not. All the babies were so small and are now thriving in their own ways. It's awesome!

Heather, we have a different problem with our clothes. Noah is in 9 mo. but sleeves are usually long on him not leg length. With TJ, she is in 6 mo. because of her long legs but things are so big around on her! Thank goodness for those babylegs! :snicker: We have our state testing in late April and I am not looking forward to it. My 5th graders are SO not ready for the science portion. It covers 4th and 5th standards and they missed 1/2 of last year since I was out on a variety of maternity issues. I feel so bad for them. Luckily, the science portion is not a major part. Do you teach over the summer too?

Jennifer, your kids' sleep schedule is almost identical to mine. They sleep about 2 hours in the am and then the same as yours later on and to bed at 7pm. They wake up usually once each to eat and then to sleep until 8am. I am glad that they are on a schedule that also works well for you and dh! Hope that you were able to enjoy the nice weather there! :snicker:

Christel, hope that your house has settled down and you have been able to relax a little during babies' nap times. But, if things dont' get done, it's not the end of the world and you still maintain your sanity! ha!

As for the web page, time is an issue but with pumping 5-6 times a day, I get to use that time as 'me' time. So even though I am SO TIRED of pumping, I get mini-breaks throughout the day which are nice so I can do some reading/computer things. The site I used is very easy to use too.

Well, I hope that everyone's weeks are going well. Anybody have anything exciting planned for spring break/Easter time? I recall someone is going to DisneyWorld instead of a cruise? (or something like that.) No trips here. I did find out that once the kids are healthy enough and a bit older that we can to Costa Rica whenever we want for free. (Just have to pay airfare.) Dh does advertising/web page for a resort down there and that's his pay. So that's something to look forward to for next year I think. OK, I'm off to get some lunch and do a little cleaning during their nap time. Take care mamas!

[Megzackben]

Jill-I am so glad that I dont teach 5th. In Florida we have the horrible FCAT in 3rd it is a pass or fail test. They take math but focus on Reading. In 4th we take reading, math but our focus is writing NOT a pass/fail. In 5th its reading, math and science again NOT a pass/fail. This year we have finally pushed science and are mandated to teach 45 min a day. However we dont have enough hours and S. Studies get pushed until the last 2 wks before grades (at least in my class). We get out May 24th but we change schedules next year and dont start until end of August, which means a month with no pay. I cant afford to teach over the summer because my mil is going on vacation. Dont know how we are going to afford it. I am going to babysit my friends girl (3mths) but only on and off. I will probably need to get a night time job???

ok neck is killing me. Had to go to the chiropractor 3x week. Have severe numbness in left side since the surgery.

[christel]

Hi Girls -

Jill - I will pm you my address as soon as I finish this post. TIA!!!! I loved your hugging story. It makes your heart swell, doesn't it?

And baby legs completely ROCK! I can't tell you how much I'm lovin' them:throb: They messed up my 1st order - sent 1 wrong pair (other 2 were right). I called and they apologized profusely, said to keep the wrong pair, expressed mailed the right pair PLUS an extra pair as an apology. So, I ended up w/ 2 free pairs :D I have 2 of the bubblegum, 1 cow, 1 rainbow, 1 flame (a gift), and just ordered and received 2 silver stars. Love Em! :love:

Kerrie - So SWEET! My girls won't quit stretching and reaching long enough to snuggle anymore :( I'm jealous!

Heather - I feel ya on the testing! In TX, our 7th graders took the state writing and it was a nightmare until Feb. was over every year. Sounds like you're doing an amazing job. And I'm so sorry about your continued problems w/ your neck.

Gina - I teared up reading your story. You guys are amazing and your babies are so blessed to have you ready and waiting to be their mom. WOW!

Jennifer - our naps are about the same... a long morning nap, a shorter afternoon nap and sometimes a 30 min. late afternoon nap and then bed at 7. If they skip the late afternoon nap, then it's an earlier bedtime.

Andrea - we haven't baby proofed either, since we don't have crawlers yet. And we just donated our coffee table to Goodwill! I'm going to pick up a big storage ottoman at IKEA this weekend to replace it. Nice and soft, and room to stash more toys :D And I'm so jealous of your girls' "mamas". Emme will maybe say it if she's completely screaming exhausted. We have lots of toy "borrowing' here, too. They don't really seem to mind, though.

Staci - we are having some awesome get-outside-weather, too. I LOVE it, but secretly worry that we're headed for a really miserable summer if it's this warm already. I always worry. It's my granny's fault ---genetic.

Valerie - we've got the babysitter coming so we can go out to dinner and then shop at my MOM's club buy/sell! I'm so excited. More about the shopping:lol:

I'll sit and post some baby updates tomorrow - dh is getting itchy to use the computer right now...

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[mrscon]

Gina - Your story made me teary. What a wonderful surprise for you!!! Congratulations!

Changing time - we totally feel like a pit crew! How funny! We just laugh at times and I think the boys will just have to go bare bum and an undone onsie since I can't get them dressed with all their squirming!

Kerrie - You made me teary imagining your kiddos falling asleep on you. Sometimes that's hard to do when you have two.

Anyone else feeling like you wish you had more cuddle/rocking time? We have a two year old too. I used to rock her every night (and still do, even though it's a shortened time). I just try hard every day to give my kids individual attention, but it's tough.

Jillmami - why do you pump so many times a day? I'm "new" so maybe I missed it.

Weather - we had hail and snow yesterday (it didn't stick) and it's suppose to be 60 degrees this weekend! Crazy. I'm itching to get outside with the kids though. My yard is somewhat neglected since I've been pregnant or nursing since we moved in 2 1/2 years ago. DH and my MIL have had to do most of the yard work!

[Jillmami]

I pump so many times a day since that's what the babies drink. They never took to breastfeeding so I have been pumping since last March. All they have had is breast milk, no formula. We are hoping to keep it that way until June, their original due date. Then we'll switch to regular milk.

[newmomx2]

Finally got back on to read...

I figure out why I was only getting 25 minute naps - Tyler got sick this week - both have been running low-grade (101 fevers) all week, home today and calling the doc - wondering if Tyler has an ear infection. He has been in our bed for 3 nights (hope we didn't create a monster, but it was that or no sleep and I had to get up and go to work each day !)

Jill - I almost drank Rum myself ! my DH is HUGE into his video games - plays something online - he goes to the basement and dissapears for hours at a time. Oh my god your babes are adorable !

Valerie - yes my guys are fraternal it is funny one has blondish hair and blue eyes like me and the other has brown har and brown eyes like DH !

Christel - Welcome home.

Lisa - so cool they guys are standing ! My corey just final learned to push himself backwards - no crawl there. Tyler does an army crawl and is figuring out how to get on all fours - this weeks illness is taking its toll on us all. yep you are right cm of snow and the world shuts down ! I am in DE now and it is even worse !

Need to run - post more later...

[SunMoonMom]

Morning Mommies,

Falling Asleep - Yep, they both fell asleep on me at the same time. I love holding them. Those moments make the crazy moments all worth it...

Last night the boys were tired but wired for sound... They crawled on each other. Taking toys away from each other and then laughing like crazy. I thought we would never get them to bed. So we turned everything off so the house was quiet and then fed them their last bottle for the night. It really was amazing how quickly they calmed down.

Ben's 2nd tooth is finally breaking through the skin... We thought that kid would have just one tooth forever...

TMI ALERT!!! Ben also has an awful case of diaper rash. He is changed all the time and is never allowed to sit in poop... I just don't know what has caused this... Paul thinks that it is the (struggling for how to say this....) consistency of the poo that could be causing it. He says that it is like paste and that it is hard to clean off... We have been using ointment on it and it seems to be getting better but oh he cries when you try to clean him up... Have you had any problems with diaper rashes... I know its not because we aren't changing him enough...

Felisha - Good Luck on Weight Watchers! I know you will do GREAT!

Jill - I tried to pump exclusively when the boys were born. Could never get my milk to come all the way in and I got so frustrated that I had to stop. I was so tired just trying to deal with the colicky and reflux issues that I couldn't find the time to pump... So that didn't help the milk come in... I am in AWE of you!!! You are truly an amazing woman!

Okay so work has blown up in my face and I am facing a mountain of paper that I have to get through today before I can go home. I hope everyone has a glorious Friday and a very AMAZING weekend.

Kerrie

[sgarrett]

Christel: I am so going to order baby legs, you have sold me! We are going to the beach for spring break and I have started buying their "summer wear" The bathing suits are SO much fun to buy! I sure wish my belly looked as cute as Isabelle's chubby belly in a bikini!

Felisha: I would love to go to the zoo! I have always wanted to see the elephant that paints since I moved here! They let Chase's school out early too yesterday. Aiden and Isabelle are both in 12 -18 months clothes, they are soo tall! and BTW HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!:birthday: :birthday: Your spa day sounds wonderful! What spa are you going to?

Kerrie: Try letting Ben go in the buff as much as possible, I know that is tough b/c you do not want him peeing everywhere. That is what I used to do with Chase when had bad diaper rashes, the air really helps it. Good luck getting caught up at work, try taking all that paperwork and chuck it in the trash VIOLA clean desk!

Jill: I too am in awe of your pumping, b/f skills! I lasted until 6 1/2 months and even then it was not exclusively BF. I felt like I was hooked to a baby or pump 24/7. Than my milk starting drying up on me, I really, really wanted to last a year. My hats off to you supermom!

Gina: Your story is amazing, congrats on your little ones. I am so happy they found such a wonderful home!

Heather: I am sure I should know this, but what surgery???? Are you allright?

Sick babies: OK still snotty noises around here and I went to the doc yesterday to find out I have pneumonia! I do not feel THAT bad, I cannot believe how often I have been sick this year. I used to NEVER get sick. Do you think my bod is just run down from the pregnancy? Does anyone reccomend a good vitamen? I was taking prenatels until I quit BF. I am so worried about the babies catching this. I am paraniod everytime I hold one now.

Steph: WHERE ARE YOU?

Bryan College comes to my son's high school today to officially "sign" him. I am so excited, they make it a pretty big deal, the newspapers will be there taking pics. This is such a bittersweet time. I am so proud of him, but yet it is so hard to know your baby is growing up!

Have a wonderful Friday!

Staci

[Megzackben]

Staci-the csection surgery. My scare is HORRIBLE. My ob's side is nice but the other dr must have sticked backwards because where they meet and to my left is so puffy and itchy!

Baby legs-sold too. Do they have any boy styles? WHat was the website again?

Ebay-okay got some 9mth sleepers yesterday. They are too expensive to buy regular. THey were so stained byt the neck and fuzzy all over. Should I send it back or is it even worth it?

Kerri-Ben has 2 very bad patches on his tailbone and on his buttocks. I tried baby butt paste, etc I am almost afraid becasue it looks like a ringworm. How could that happen? We are so clean????


Boys are 9mths today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TIme

[SunMoonMom]

Heather - I have no idea what is going on with these boy's butts. I may try to let Ben air out as much as I can this weekend. I kept thinking that it might be because he is teething and I know that sometimes they can get weird poops from that. But that doesn't make sense either because it usually becomes more runny, not pasty... We are doing all we can do for their tushes... Keep strong mommy... I'm sure this won't be the last time I battle some rash on my baby's butt...

Baby Legs - I am sold too but are there boy styles... Paul would have a heart attack if I suggested it without having ammo ready that they are for boys too... He already thinks that I am going to turn Ben into a cross dresser because I think he is so pretty... I would never... but man he has some wicked eyelashes...

Okay, well I am about to get out of here for the weekend. I hope everyone enjoys the next two days. Catch up with ya on Monday.

Kerrie

[christel]

Hey Girls - just have a minute to post... hiding all the crap in my house so the babysitter doesn't think we're complete slobs! Do you think she'll look in the dryer? I can fit a lot of junk in there.

Baby legs - some boy-type styles. I bought the "flame" pattern for my friends kids... one boy and one girl. The boy is 3, so he wears them as long sleeves under his short sleeved t-shirts. He looks SO cool! The girl is 5 and she wears them like traditional leg warmers and they go up to her knee. Talk about some longevity for a product. Anyway, get a cool primary color argyle or a solid or something cool like "flame".

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[Jillmami]

BabyLegs - As Christel mentioned, the flames are cool. I am about to order some for Noah since he is ready to take off with the crawling. In addition to the flames, they have over 60 styles I believe. Stripes, polka dots, retro jacks, plain solid colors, etc. There are a variety of places to order them from, here are a few places:
http://www.mom4life.com/catalog.php?item=174
http://www.babylegs.net/shop/
http://justkiddn.com/babylegs.html
There are tons of places to buy them. Those have great service and free shipping.

RE: dh in the basement playing video games for hours, LOL got that! At least he waits until babies go to sleep. If anyone is interested in any shirts from his gaming co., let me know and I can send them to you at a cheaper shipping price. www.gravyfactory.com

Enjoy your weekend mamas!!

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies...it feels like forever since I have posted. My at home jobs have been kicking my butt this week!! Sometimes, it is very hard to juggle taking care of the babies, the house, and finding time to do my work.

Jill - You are truly a supermom! You should be so proud of yourself for still pumping...I barely lasted 6 weeks!!

Christel - I was laughing at your dryer comment!! I hope you and DH got to have some quality time together...I am sure it is much needed.

Kerrie - Corey got such a bad rash on his private area that I took him to the ped. She gave me an RX. We went back today for their 9 month check up and the meds are not doing anything so now we have some steroid type cream to try. If that does not help, poor kid has to see a dermatologist. I tried everything before that, and nothing helped. When Kayley got a bad rash, I stopped using wipes and just used damp wash cloths when she pooped. It was a pain, but it helped. I also used desitin and vaseline on top of that. It seemed to "seal" in the area. Eventually, it got better. Your story about the boys falling asleep was so sweet!! Mine NEVER fall asleep on us anymore. For the first few months, they always did and I LOVED the feeling...I miss it!

Heather - Do you only get paid while you are teaching? When I was teaching, we received pay all year long. That must be hard to not get paid for a couple of months. Also, if you go back at the end of August, when will you get out for the summer next year?

Staci - How did things go today with Chase? That is so awesome!!

Felisha - Good luck with Weight Watchers!! Also, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! :birthday: :partygirls: Your spa day sounds glorious! You deserve it!!

Jennifer - Thanks for asking about Corey...he is not doing any better. He is usually fine if he is playing with DH, until he sees me...then he starts to do his version of army crawling towards me and whines and cries. I love him to death, but I hope this phase ends soon!! The nurse at the ped told me that many times, boys tend to be more needy...I am starting to agree with this :) Thank you for telling me I am doing the right thing with him...I feel so guilty when I do not pick him up all the time...I just do not want him to get spoiled. The game you play is cute!! I will have to try that.

Gina - That story brought chills up my spine...you and your DH are truly angels!! Thank you for sharing with us!!

Andrea - We took our coffee table and moved it against the wall. It opens the area up more, but we can still store toys on top of it. I then took the body pillow I used during pg and put it in front of it to protect the babies. I used to be so into having a clean house with everything having its own place. Now, all 3 floors are covered with baby stuff...there are a million different colors and nothing matches...funny how things have changed!! All we worry about now is giving them enough space to play!

Clothes - We are in 6-9 or 6-12. Kayley is so skinny...her pants usually look bigger on her.

Food - We are eating stage 2 and very small pieces of table food.

Crawling - Corey has started his own version of army crawling...he looks like his leg is injured and he drags it around...we call him the wounded soldier. Kayley gets up on all 4's and tries to go forward. After a couple of steps, she looses her balance. I do not think they realize that crawling gives them freedom. They will go after a toy, me, etc., and then stop. I do not think I will tell them they now have no boundaries (lol).

I am meeting Lisa and her boys on Monday at her parents' house. We decided to not go shopping this time and just let the babies hang out and play. I am so excited!! It will be fun to watch all 4 of them interact. Maybe Ethan and Brady can teach Kayley and Corey a thing or two about crawling and standing (lol).

Well, I wanted to post more, but at 9pm, I am ready to sleep. Have a great night!!

Valerie

[mrscon]

Diaper rash - the best thing for diaper rash is good ol' vaseline. This is for the bum area. The rash could be from what they've eaten too. Sometimes carrots, when pooped out, can really irritate a little bum. My boys have a rash in the front area above their penises (is that how you spell it?). The dr. had me use the anti-jock itch stuff. That seems to be helping.

Jill - I can't belive you are able to pump that much! That's great. I love your DH's t-shirt site. SO funny!!!

I work two 10 hour days so I pump then. Other than that I am a milk machine, even feeding the boys tandemly once or more a day. Moo.

Take care everyone.

Windy

[EBTwinz]

Oh, one more thing, they checked the pathology report from my placenta and told me that they are definitely fraternal. I always thought they were but never knew for sure. So, since I conceived them w/out any help, I have a really good chance of having twins, again! Oh dear!!!

[twinsmakethree]

wow its been awhile! i cant believe its been 9mths already! I dont have much time to write but i did want to see how everyone is doing and happy to see all is pretty good here is my update

clothes- nusaybah 24 mths/ 2t depends she is 25 pounds and 22 inches!!
ruwaydah some 12mths mostly 18mths 21 pounds and 20 inches

crawling- both are crawling and walking around furniture

diapers- nusaybah size 5 ruwaydah size 4

food IM still nursing both of them:silly: im hoping to still make it to a year they also eat table food and jar food and any other type of food i nurse maybe 6-8 times in 24 hrs

teeth- 4 a piece

oh my goodness we have some of the most precious times this is a beautiful stage because they are so interactive

the worst thing now is the sleeping through the night which they dont do I think it is because im still breast feeding ANY SUGGESTIONS ARE APPRECIATED we tried the cio method it left us in tears as well:snicker:

I believe they pop no doze and drink coffee when im not looking but all in all i love them!!!!

ok gotta go hope i can update soon and give you some video sorry no pictures!!

keep up the good work everyone

andrea

[swineland]

:hello: Hi!! It's me.....I'm here!!

Whew.....I have been busy busy with the boys this week and having MIL here. We've been out and about, shopping, theme-parking and going to the regular park. It was way warm this week, but the next few days are supposed to be cooler....thank god.

Where to begin......

First, Evan is totally back to normal and all signs of illness are gone. Turns out he DID have Roseola. A little after his fever broke, he broke out in the tell-tale rash and had it for about 24-36 hours. I am a little miffed that neither the pediatric urgent care doc OR our regular pediatrician said anything at all about the possibility of this being Roseola. I mean, his sypmtoms were fatigue and rapid high fever, nothing else. If you look up Roseola, that's pretty much it. I didn't even call the ped when he got the rash...I figured they would just want to see him again to then say "oh, yeah, it's Roseola" and it would be a waste of my time, another copay, but most importantly it would upset Evan to the point of no return. I just couldn't do that to him again. :( And, my little ham Bailey never got it.

Coffee table: We have a leather coffee table/ottoman that we use. It is soft and has no sharp edges, BUT the babies were standing at it and biting down on the leather. There are several teethmarks and fingernail marks, so we moved it out of the family room for the time being. It really opens up the room for them to crawl around. And since we now have moved out our dining room table AND coffee table, DH and I either eat on the floor (classy) or on tray tables. The babies have taken over!

Shoes: we are on the hunt for our first pairs of shoes. I am pretty sure we'll get the Robeez, but there is another website called www.preschoolians.com that has really cool shoes. They are also soft-soled and of the same variety as Robeez, but not all leather and some different style options. The "Mod Goalie" is the shoe DH wants to get the boys....it's a very "hip" shoe. :)

Clothing sizes: Mostly 12-18 months at this point. They have a LOT of stuff from Old Navy and it is 12-18 months across the board.

Documenting/scrapbooking: I feel so bad sometimes that I am not doing some kind of baby book or other tangible memento for the boys. I take a boatload of photos and videos, but I'm just not into the scrapbook thing. I wish I was, I see so many cute accessories for it at Joann, Michaels, etc. I haven't even written down what days things happen. I mean, I can look back at a photo and see the date it was taken and know that THAT was the day Bailey got his first tooth, or Evan crawled, etc. But I am not officially documenting anything. :nono: Bad mom.... If I had a girl, I probably would have done it b/c I think girls, when they are older, like to look at that kind of stuff. But I'm picturing E&B when they are 17 and on their way to football practice and I ask them if they want to see their first diaper.....uhhhhh.

I have a TON more to write, but I have to get Bailey down for a nap....SO, stay tuned for Part Deux :)

Steph

[christel]

Hi Ladies :wavey:

I did a ton of shopping last night :D After the babysitters got here (my b-s usually brings a friend... 2 for 1!) I me DH at Babies R Us. Found 2 cute play suits w/ ruffles on the butts and the most adorable bikinis for the girls w/ sun hats to match. I can't wait to try them on Emme and Ruby! Then we went to my MOMs club buy/sell. I got 6 outfits apiece for them (sized 12 or 18 mo.), black patent maryjanes, white sandals, 5 pjs, an extra bath ring, and a Leapfrog activity table. I think we're hooked up for spring and summer now :woo: I'll have to take pics of the outfits before I hang them up... SO cute :throb:

After shopping, DH and I went out to dinner. He was not feeling good and by the time we got home he was running a fever and had horrible chills. He's fine now, but I bunked in the guest room and he's not to kiss on the girls until tomorrow. I'll be completely pissed if I come down w/ it. Everytime I get sick, it's b/c he brought something contagious home. Ick!

Oh, here's a weird thing... my babysitter is a twin (which we knew) and has younger twin brothers. Her friend that she brought also has younger twin brothers! When I drove them home I asked them tons of questions about what to expect as my girls get older. Heather said that she and her identical twin definitely wanted to split up when they got to school, do their own thing and have different friends. Her brothers are tighter... and they're frats.

Baby Stats -
Mary Elizabeth is 22 lbs and 28 inches. She's wearing 12-18 mo. Old Navy stuff and 9-12 mo. in other brands. I put a size 4 diaper on her for night, but size 3 in the day. She's scooching her legs and twisting and reaching on her belly like she's wanting to go somewhere, but hasn't figured it out really.

Ruby is 16.25 lbs and 26 inches. She's so long in the torso and can wear the same sizes Emme wears, but they're much looser. She wears size 3 diapers and is not doing anything that looks like crawling. She loves to stand, but can't support herself. Frustrating! She's the better solid food eater and likes to feed herself cheerios and puffs, but has such a bad gag reflex, that she ends up vomiting a lot of the time :( She keeps trying, though.

Favorite thing for me is to watch Ruby in the doorway jumper. She choreographs her jump routine to the music that's playing. Slow, fast, spins, 1 foot, 2 feet, arms... it's hilarious!

With Emme - it's sleepy time. When she's ready to nap, she'll grab anything nearby that's soft or fuzzy (my hair, blankets, Ruby's sock, stuffed animal) and jam it in her face and pop her thumb in. Then she bends in half and lays her head on the floor! Cracks me up every time:snicker:

Steph - I'm so glad that Evan's better. Scary! You read my mind on the scrappin' thing... I feel exactly the same way. I haven't even taken the girls' baby books out of their boxes (SHAME!). I do have a LOT of pictures, though. I thinking that I'll just make up some dates and write them in there some time... they'll never know :D

Andrea - the Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child book was our ticket to sleeping through the night. I really recommend it. And WTG w/ the nursing!

Lisa - OMG w/ the mystery poop :lol: You should read my friend's blog - she calls her twins the nocturnal dumpers and they are constantly doing something mind boggling w/ their diaper contents. They duct tape the girls diapers now and they still get out of them. Here's the link to the most insane thing they've done: http://jennyhaha.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html

Valerie & Lisa - have a wonderful time together :shakehands: and definitely take lots of pictures

Windy - our pedi said that if we ever noticed a diaper rash getting white bumps w/ the red bumps, to use Lotrimin (sp?) - b/c it was yeast feeding on the rash. Ewww! But, good to know that you don't have to take them to the dr. and can treat it at home. I know jock itch is a yeast infection, too, so guess it's all the same, whether it's on girl or boy parts :D

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[swineland]

I'm back....

Diaper rash: the boys have not had it yet. I do not know what I will do when they DO get it....probably refer back to page 235 of this thread! I have some Arbonne Herbal Diaper Rash creme that I was given....I wonder if that will work.

Ellen DeGeneres: I absolutely love her (but not like this: :knuddel: )I just think she is so kind-hearted and good-natured and humble and silly. Just seeing her dance at the beginning of every show makes me smile. The boys and I dance, too, usually. :itsyourparty:

Here we go.....

Windy -Bravo for making your own baby food! I also did the same thing. I cooked 3 chicken breasts and steamed a bunch of broccoli, then I put it in the food processor with formula and poured the mixture into 2 ice cube trays. After they were frozen I put them in labeled ziploc bags and it has been SO nice having dinner all figured out. They don't eat it EVERY night, but some days for lunch, other days for dinner. It's really good and I sometimes add a little garlic powder to it. I have also made applesauce and pureed pears. I will take some mashed up avocado and spread it on a slice of Sara Lee soft and smooth wheat bread and then cut that all up into little pieces. I then put it in a dish and pour some formula on top to make it all soft....the boys love it!

Staci- I am all for meeting/getting together while you are in Florida! I will PM you my # and we'll see if we can't all make it work. I was loving the description of your evening the other day, with the creek in the backyard and the sun setting.....nice! Sorry about you having to cancel the surgery, but I totally understand. I also postponed my foot surgery, as it just didn't come together the way I had hoped. It's a busy time now and I think maybe over the summer it will be a better time (more help available).

Monica- I also agree with what Jill and the others said about EI and the progress/development of Anthony and Nathan. Your babies were born so early and you have to remember that their progress, though NOT so delayed as to be worried, might be a little behind. Evan and Bailey still aren't saying any discernable words...no 'mama' or 'dada', not waving yet and not clapping or any of the other things that some babies on here are doing. There are so many different developmental categories and some of our babies excel in one category, but lack in another. Hang in there...your boys are fine!!

Jennifer- I have to tell you that, while I think your twins are very cute, I just think Max is ADORABLE! He looks like the sweetest little kid..... The blow-up rolling toy that Bailey is crawling over in the video is made by Infantino and I got it at Marshalls for....$3.00!!:woo: They were on clearance and I knew my boys would love it. As for weight, I am also needing to lose about 15-20 pounds to get back to prepregnancy weight. As I sit in line at the drive-thru at McDonalds, I wonder "why is it so hard to lose this weight??" :snicker: Also, complete ditto on the 'phantom baby kicking' sensations. I got one the other day and I was like, uh, I DID get my period right??:hmm:

Well, I gotta run again.....

Tomorrow Part Trois will be composed and Andrea, Val, Felisha, Lisa, Jill, Christel, Gina, Heather and Kerrie...I will respond to you then!!

Love you all...
Steph

[christel]

Here are the girls' new swim suits (http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/?action=view&current=IMG_1907.jpg) :throb:

And here are the outfits (http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e318/snelsonc6896/?action=view&current=IMG_1902.jpg) I bought at the MOMs club sale. I'm loving the bandana dresses so much that I may have a portrait made in them. Something barefoot in the bluebonnets this spring, I think.

Just had to share :D

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[vthompson]

Hello Ladies!! I just wanted to check in real quick to see how everyone's weekend is going.

Steph - Glad you checked in...I was starting to get worried about you!!

Andrea - It has been forever!! So glad everything is going well...GREAT job on the breastfeeding.

Jill - I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your new pics!! So precious!!

Lisa - I was cracking up at the poop story!!

Windy - Corey's rash is exactly where you described your boys. The steroid cream the ped gave is working wonders. With only 2 applications, it has diminished greatly!!

Well, I am pretty tired. I will talk to everyone later!

Valerie

[vthompson]

Christel - The swim suits are SO cute!!

[mmzill]

Hey ladies - I feel like it's been forever since I've responded to everyone on here. i"m not good at remembering everyone, but I"ll hit the ones I do remember. :)

Diaper Rash - Anthony has a round type rough spot that looked to me like Impentigo, or ring worm as someone commented. The dr told me to use Cortizone cream. It's not around the BHole, it's up just a little, on one of his cheeks.

Steph - Preschoolians - I got a pair of them for dd....LOVED THEM! They do have very cute styles and still are soft soled. Really liked them!

Love the new swim suite picture - so cute!
Lisa - so glad you're guys are doing so well! That's great, and makes you feel good i'm sure.

EI - Thanks for all your comments about this!!! Well the Developmental Specialist was here on Thursday. She was very pleased with how much more Nathan is moving himself around. He's leaning over to play and pivoting when on his stomach. Anyway - there's a physical therapist and the speech therapist going to be here next week. I appreciate them coming. Even though Nathan is doing much better with eating and his gross motor stuff - it still makes me feel better.

Well, I've got a sleeping baby in the Baby Bjourn, need to go put him down. Hope you all are have a nice weekend!
Moinca

[Megzackben]

Steph-I am glad you all are doing better. I almost didnt write about Roseola because I had making people more worried. My dr didnt say anything either. It was actually Meg's babysitter who was also a NICU nurse. I felt so bad b/c I brought Meg to the sitters b/c the fever broke and got a call a few hrs later saying come get her. The rash was the most contagious part. Luckily none of her kids got sick. Did Bailey get anything?

Rash-I am not sure if Ben has ringworm but more than likely Eczema. I will look up the symptoms of impetigo. Never thought about that. I will try the Cortizone creme. We use vaseline and polysporin sometimes on the head of their pp. The circumcision cut sometimes get really red especially on Zack. I hate to have to pull it back. I didnt think you had to do that.

clothes-I cant believe how tall some of the kids are. Andrea your kids are in 24mths?

mats-went to BJs and got the colored mats, couldnt find the industrial kind. LOVE them. We have cheap carpet and I was worried it wouldnt lay flat but it works great. Even better the boys are magnets to it so all the spit up is on the mats and not on the carpet. I had the carpet professionally cleaned while in our last trimester and just cleaned it for the 2nd time myself since the boys were born. As soon as the truck is paid off we are so getting wood flooring.

jobs-I am considering putting in for a Neighborhood Resource Officer. I would still be working with kids about safety, stranger danger, child restraints, etc. I wouldnt be a sworn officer so no weapons. Not sure if I mentioned but I was in the Air Force for 8 yrs. first 3 as a K-9 trainer and the rest as a medic. The pay listed is a pay cut which we cant afford but I may just apply to see if it would increase since I have experience in educaiton and law enforcement???

Valerie-yes we get paid for summer. we get 5 checks on the last day of school. I wish it was just deposited every month. However our 1st paycheck is usually on August 20th which is already 2 weeks with no pay since we use to start near Aug 4th. Now we start last part of August and wont get paid until Sept 5th. So that's 2 paychecks. Sad thing is I make MUCH more money than my dh. He is in training status with Disney and makes less than $15 and hr. I think our last day is June 9th next year. This year our last day is May 24th and YES I am counting the days!:snicker:

[vthompson]

Good Evening Ladies!!

Felisha - YEAH MAYA!!! :woo:

Heather - Corey has the same pee pee problems. It drives me crazy, always worrying about it...the ped said it is normal for little boys to have redness on their pee pee and to put vaseline or aquaphore on the tip. That sucks about the pay, or lack of! Hopefully, it won't happen the next year. What made them decide to change the start/end of school?

Monica - That is great about the intervention specialist. We knew your boys were doing well!!! When you get a chance, email me a few dates you are available to get together.

So, we had an exciting weekend...Kayley and Corey are finally crawling. Kayley actually gets up on all 4's now and takes steps without falling. Corey does a combo of army crawling and some weird all 4's thing.

A very interesting thing happened today....DH went the grocery store and I was in the bathroom. Corey was in the exersaucer. I heard a cry, not a big one, just a quick one. I swore I heard someone hitting the wood floor with their hands. I came out of the bathroom and Corey was laying next to the exersaucer!!!!!!! I could not believe it....I cannot believe he did not cry louder. We have no idea how he did it. All we can think is that he pushed to one side and the exersaucer leaned forward, he somehow catapulted (sp?)out!!!!!!! It was crazy!! We are so lucky he did not get hurt.

I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

Valerie

[swineland]

Andrea, your photo session story also had me cracking up. Sometimes people take all that shi! way too seriously. It's a damn picture, just take it already!
As for my birth story, it's one of the more uneventful ones ( a good thing!). I had a scheduled c-section at 37w2d. The boys were flipping all over the place (a bit of foreshadowing, no?) and while they were finally head-down 4 days before the section, when I actually went in they were breech again! They called it an unstable lie and it warranted a csection. Evan came out at 7:49am and Bailey at 7:50 am on May 31st. Both were very healthy, a tiny bit of jaundice on Bailey, no lights needed. That was on a Wednesday morning, we were outta there Friday afternoon. I couldn't WAIT to get back home and strongly suggested an early release to my doctor. Since the boys were good to go and I was doing fine, we were allowed to leave after 2 1/2 days. (I had a very annoying nurse and I couldn't stand another day with her). :yippee: Yay on Isabelle crawling!!! You GO girl...literally :) So jealous of your trip to IKEA soon. We are jonesing for an IKEA and the first Florida one is set to open in ORLANDO later this year.....DH is already getting his list together! McDonalds drive-thru...check.

Val I'm so glad Corey didn't hurt himself doing his kamikaze exit out of the exersaucer!! I had a similar situation one day when I heard laughing coming from the living room. I had put Evan in his swing a bit earlier and thought he was asleep already. When I entered the room I saw him not only awake, but laying face up on the floor UNDERNEATH the swing....laughing! I would have loved to have had a camera in there :) How is your leg doing?? I, too, also look back from time to time in our thread and get a bit nostalgic. I think it is so neat that we have everything documented. Not only to look back for answers to questions, but also, as you said, as a diary. I've thought about going back and printing some of my earlier pregnancy posts to shove in a baby book or something (Christel? :))

Felisha :clap: Go Maya!!! Our first walker on the board!! You must have been so proud. I gotta tell you how much I think Maya looks like you...you can sure tell that you're her mama! Also, happy belated birthday! :birthday:

Lisa How ironic is it that you posted a link to the "Jim faxes Dwight" video on youtube and it was from the episode that aired last week??? I hope you and Val have fun tomorrow on your playdate!!

Christel Welcome home, girlfriend, welcome home. :) Hopefully you are all settled and happy 'nesting' for a bit. Movie reference to Best In Show...LOVE it! Christopher Guest and his regulars Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara and Parker Posey are just so damn funny. I have not seen For Your Consideration yet, but I'm dying for it to be on DVD. I was cracking up about your comment on shoving things in the dryer...haven't thought about that one, but it is SO something I would do! :)

Gina So glad you have decided to join us here. You will grow to love it like we all do, I'm sure. What a wonderful story you have and I wish you much luck in the final adoption process.

Heather Hey girl!! LIsten, I have a bunch of clothes that no longer fit the boys and mostly it's because they are not long enough. Let's get together and you can take what you want for B&Z. I know I have sleepers and you are more than welcome to have them (or anything else that no longer fits for that matter). I can't believe the similarities between your boys and Kerrie's boys....freaky!

Kerrie I was laughing when I read your post about trying to keep a straight face while trying to be serious around the babies. When it is bedtime and one, or both, of them isn't quite ready yet it is all I can do not to burst out laughing as Bailey blows his bubbles or Evan jumps in his crib and screams with laughter. I literally have to turn my face and bite my lip. It's funny b/c we just bought the boys some new pajamas at Old Navy and Bailey's says on the front "Not my bedtime"...hahaha.

Jill Take me to Costa Rica with you!! What a delightful perk! I went on a vacation there, oh my god, TEN years ago?! I didn't realize it had been that long till I just typed it. Anyway, a bunch of my friends and I went and stayed at the Tabacon Resort at the base of the Arenal Volcano...it was so fun. At night, you could see the lava. Anyway, several hurricanes later I don't know if the place is still there, but I have fond memories of that vacation.

Today my little trooper Evan took a nasty tumble on some steps, concrete steps!, outside of a restaurant we go to for breakfast sometimes on Sundays. My MIL and I took the babies while DH was taking care of the bill and we went over to the edge of the lake where there are concrete steps leading down to the water. MIL sat on one step with Bailey and I let Evan sit unassisted just below her on the next step. I had just snapped the picture when I saw him go forward and it was too late for me to do anything. I grabbed him and he had already gone face first down to the next step directly on the concrete. When I turned him toward me it was nothing but blood. I felt SO bad!! I should have known better than to let him sit there with no one to hold him. I mean, he's an excellent sitter....and he didn't fall b/c he can't sit up, it's because he reached out for something and that's when he fell. Anyway, I feel so guilty. I've been putting neosporin on it and a bandaid when I can. Our 9 month appt. is tomorrow morning at 10am anyway, so they can look at it then. He cried hard for a min or so and then stopped and never looked back. He was all smiles for the rest of the day. Between this and the Roseola...poor little guy is going to need therapy!!

I have got to run....
Love to you all...
Steph

[Megzackben]

Steph-How did you get the bleeding to stop? I would have been hysterical. Sounds like you handled it great. Try to put aloe on it from an actual plant. It will help the healing too.Glad you have the appt tomorrow. I still cant believe that you were leaving just as I was arriving to the hospital. What a small world. YES I would love to buy the boys' clothes. Got a bumb deal on a purchas from EBAY. Are you going to try for another one? I am keeping somethings but not much. What do you do with all your pitures you take? I have mine sorted pretty much and the first 2 mths are in a scrapbook but way behind.

Bdays-any suggestions. Not wanting to do anything big. Yes I know its 3mths away. I did the same with dd I am worse than kids when it comes to parties :) I am going to make them their own little cake and then have one from BJ's with a scanned picture. Not sure what the theme. They love Handy Manny (or I should say Daddy does!)


Valerie-a new ruling? ammendment? that says school can no longer start more than a week before Labor day? YEAH for the crawling. What out. My boys are pulling all our videos down. Meg is already shutting her door. So glad nothing happened to Corey. How scary.

Trisha-YEAH on the walking. You need to post a picture. I liked your website. YOur oldes daughter is the same age as Meg. Is she in 2nd or 3rd? Meg is in 2nd. How is she with the twins? Meg is momma hen. Sometimes she wants me to play the same silly games with her but she has never been jealous which is a shock since she has been the only child, grandchild.

nite!

[mrscon]

My daughter was 20 months when our boys were born...I stopped breastfeeding her and stopped taking birth control pills the week after she turned one. I got pregnant that week! With twins!! Crazy.

Anyway, she pretends to nurse her baby dolls. Often she'll nurse two at a time, like I do. She'll lift her shirt up, hold the baby dolls, and just sit on her little couch as if she's waiting for them to finishing nursing.

It's the sweetest and funniest thing! She is definitely a little mama to her dolls and the boys!

Windy

[newmomx2]

I couldn't read every single post did move of a scan by...

STEPH - Hope Evan is better and a good friend of mine told me it is not a matter of whether they will need therapy but just a question of how much - thought that was funny.

Well we have 2 ear infections at my house - which explains why last weekend/week was aweful for sleep and eating...24 hours on the antibiotic and they started to feel better.

I am SOOOOO Stressed right now we are losing our day care lady (we take them to a small at home day care) she is stopping either early summer or end of summer so I am on a frantic search - plus we are trying to see if we can afford my DH to quit and watch them Monday and Friday and then just do day care Tues-Thur this would allow me to work from home Friday's and maximize time with the boys and minimize time in day care ugh, so STRESSFUL..

Well at work and need to work.

Have a good week ladies

[mmzill]

Windy - That is too cute about your daughter. I also have a little girl, she was 16 mos when I had the boys. I quit nursing her when I found out I was pregnant with twins. :) DD does the same thing with her dolls, she pretends to nurse them. So cute!!!!

Steph, hope Evan is feeling better - that picture made my heart hurt. His poor little nose. :throb:

Missy - hope all works out with a sitter! I'm sure it is horribly stressful.

Val - I will get you dates before long. HOpe you and Lisa have fun today!
Monica

[SunMoonMom]

Morning Mommies,

WARNING - LONGISH POST... A LOT OF STUFF TO COVER

Diaper Rash - It is clearing up. He still has three bumps where the elastic on the diaper lays around the leg. They go to the ped in a few weeks for the 9 month so if it is still there I will have her check it out. He isn't screaming any more when you wipe his hinny so I think that's a good thing.

Christel - The clothes were precious... By the way, I love your little girls... I just want to pick them up and eat their cheeks... They are so beautiful... Your princesses are the reason I want to try to get pregnant again... I just want that little girl. My boys are beautiful but they are all boys and I don't think dresses would look good on them.

Steph - Poor Baby Evan. That boo boo looks like a big ouchy... He is brave little soldier and you are an excellent medic... Looks like you handled it like a pro...

Maya - :yippee: :congrats: :jump: Way to go... 5 giant steps for Maya, 1 huge leap for baby kind...

So this weekend was fairly exciting...

Babies R Us - They now have about $800.00 of our hard earned money. We finally got the convertible car seats... Our poor babies were so scrunched in their carriers... We decided to go with the Cosco brand... It is really nice and it goes up to 100lb. So we think that of it as a long term investment. We also bought two Chichos (not sure of the spelling) umbrella strollers. They are so cute and light... We are going to TX to visit my family at the end of the month and we wanted something lighter to use for transporting th eboys. We also got a gate for the top of our back stairs more to keep the cats out of the basement than for safety for the boys but eventually the boys will need to be protected from a tumble so might as well get it. Diaper, food, formula and some summery outfits for the trip to TX and add it all up and you have a minor sticker shock panic attack... I had the same panic attack the day we bought the carriers, stroller and pack'n'play before the boys were born... Man are these kids expensive...

So speaking of convertible car seats, Paul and I were talking about how to get the boys in and our of the car when only one of us is around. How do you ladies do it? We won't use the stoller going from the car to the house or from the house to the car, so how do you get both of them where you need to go? I told Paul that a laundry basket seemed like a good idea to me... He said that he would think about it... I told him I would ask the experts...

Okay MAJOR DEVELOPMENT ALERT...

Zach - So I am driving home on Friday and Paul calls... He's like where are you and I'm like on the freeway... He says okay when you get home I have something to show you... Which I am like what and he is like when you get home... Okay, let me go so I don't die in traffic... I get home and he takes Zach over to this house front thing we have that plays music... He opens the door on the house and the music starts... Then Zach starts... DANCING... He did it several times... He just bounces but its to the music... Okay so only something a mother and father think is a big deal but man was it precious...

Ben - Yesterday we let the boys out of the play area (which takes up 1/2 of our great room) into the rest of the room so they coudl have more room to crawl... Paul has been collecting huggies boxes for months...He says the boys will be able to build forts and stuff with them later... So he gets the boxes and the boys are playing with them... Standing up using them to balance. Banging on them... so forth and so on... Then suddenly, I see Ben take off across the floor walking pushing a box... He went from one side of the room to the other... It was incredible... Then he fell on his butt and laughed...

I am so in awe of them...

Okay well I guess I should get to work...

Thanks for being here for me to go to when I have questions, share our successes and to vent my frustrations...

Have a GREAT day Mommies!

Kerrie

[sgarrett]

Kerrie: Yes it is amazing all the crap you have to buy for little ones. Do you ever wonder how the did it in the old days? Without all the gizmos? Thank god I was not born then! It is amazing how mobile all of our babies are getting! Hopefully I will finally lose some weight chasing them down! I love the dancing story! Isabelle loves to dance, she cracks me up! We always sing "Dancing Queen" to her!


Felisha: Congrats to Maya!:congrats: :creep: Your babies are soo advanced! What are feeding those little prodigys??


Valerie: Babies are truly little Houdinis! Unbeleivable, I would have freaked! :faint:

Christel: Love the pictures too cute! I bought bathing suits for our beach trip and it was so much fun! How do you post those photo bucket pics like that?

Steph: Poor baby, it sucks when they get hurt! When Chase was little (about 4) he got an identical boo boo. He was chasing a dog, fell and slid on the pavement on his face! It scraped all the skin off of his nose! Remember the catholic guilt board, why do we alway feel so guilty? The mother's curse!

Scrapbooking: I suck at this stuff too. I have been real good about writing everything in their baby books, I leave them out at all times. But I am horrible with pictures.

Take care!

Staci

[AndreaR]

Hello..hope everyone had a great weekend. Lots to catch up on around here!

First of all, HATS OFF TO MAYA!!:yippee: :yippee: :yippee:

Steph - Poor, poor Evan. He sure has had it rough lately. He looks like SUCH a big boy now. First boo-boo, put it in the book.

Speaking of scrapbooks - I am also in the bad mother category. We have books that people gave us when the girls were born; I don't even know where they are! I have one journal that I try to write in every once in a while. I think I've made five entries since they were born. I have post it notes and things jotted down on the back of envelopes, etc. all over the house. I keep telling myself that we're going to get our act together. I have taken lots of pictures, and I have them all saved on the computer according to the month. At least I have that.

Portrait saga, continued...... actually, I was very surprised when we went to view the pictures. They came out very nice (why am I surprised? Look at my girls?? Hello!) They put together a slide show, and we spent two and half hours choosing. We had the girls with us and we had to keep stopping to change poopy diapers. I am not exaggerating - they both did three poops while we were there! We were only supposed to be getting one small (8 X 10)portrait, and we ended up buying three LARGE (20 X 24) ones. We spend A LOT of money. But it was so hard to choose. They get delivered on 4/4. I can't wait.

Kerrie - YAY to Ben for walking with the box. Your DH is so smart to save them. Kids will play with the most basic things. And I'd love to see a video of Zach dancing.

Monica / Windy - Too funny about your girls nursing their dolls. So sweet!

Heather - I'm just starting to think of our birthday party, too. I can't wait! I think I'm gearing ours more for the guests than for the girls. If it were up to them, they'd just want yogurt (Maddie) and puffs (Izzy). I think we're going to do a girly, flowery theme, but I'm not sure.

Someone asked me how much they weigh - I'm not sure, but we go to our 9 month appt on Wednesday. My guess is between 16 - 17 pounds. We'll see.

Lisa - Congrats on your 9 month appt. Sounds like your boys are doing GREAT!! Like we couldn't have told you that.... Crazy about that poop story. I can't wait to see what my girls get themselves into.

Valerie - Scary stuff with Brad ejecting himself from the Exersaucer. Makes me realize that we need to adjust the legs on ours, because both girls are totally flat footed at the level it's on now. I'm glad Brady is okay!

Andrea - GREAT to hear from you! I've been wondering how you and your girls have been doing. I'd love to see video/pics whenever you get a chance to post. Way to go on the B/Fing too. That is so awesome. Regarding the sleeping, we did CIO with Isabelle a few months ago, and we're probably about to do it with Maddie soon. I started during the day with naps, and it took about 4 days of letting her cry before it got to the point where I wasn't crying myself. It was very very hard. I was on the phone to DH and others the whole time, because I needed the reassurance of what I was doing. But now, Isabelle is almost always good about going to sleep, especially at night, and she sleeps through the night more often than not. I still nurse her before she goes to bed and first thing in the morning. Sometimes before naps, I do too. If she wakes up in the middle of the night, I let her fuss/cry for a few minutes, but most of the time I go in and nurse her and she goes back to sleep right away. Since it doesn't happen all the time, I figure what the heck. Good luck! Do whatever you think you need to do, what is right for your family.

Christel - LOVE the pics and the new clothes!!

Monica - Glad to hear that you are happy with Nathan's improvement. Sounds like you are taking advantage of some great resources! How's Victor? Tell him we miss hearing from him.

I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to respond to everyone. I need to get in the shower before the girls wake up from their naps.

Love you all!

AndreaR

ps. Does anyone still chat? That was so much fun. 'Though I can't do it today.

[sgarrett]

Just wanted to show off Isabelle bathing suit photo shoot!

[Jillmami]

Don't have much time, our nurses will be here any minute. Just wanted to pop in and say that I'm glad that Evan is recovering well. He seems to be quite the tough guy! Also, Isabelle is just adorable in her itsy bitsy teenie weenie bikini!
I love it!!

Take care mamas and I'll be back!

[Megzackben]

Kerrie-okay another ooohhhh moment. We got 2 cosco convertibles this weekend. They were acutally FREEE the Police Dept got a grant and the lady was handing them out! Also just noticed your husband's name is Paul that was my nickname in Middel school b/c my middle name is Pauline. :)

Got a stripper-yesterday and today Ben took off his jeans. Cant figure how yet.

Birth control-TMI alert...I have been bleeding almost none stop since Jan. I had an internal to make sure the mirena was in correctly she said yes. I know I have to go back and let her know just never enough time. I need to just make a whole day of appts (dentist, eye, gyn, and ped) never enough hrs. Too hard to get a good sub.

scrapbook-anyone buy the baby journals listed on this site? Also anyone subscribe to the twins magazine? Not sure if its worth it. Last month in BabyTalk was almost entirely directed at multiples and enjoyed it alot.

[christel]

Hey :wavey:

I had myself a mommy-free day :woo: DH was home from work today and at noon I was sprung... went shopping, piddled around, grabbed some lunch and meandered home just in time to give the girls a bath, bottle and put them to bed. MUCH NEEDED DAY! Wonder how long it'll be before that happens again?

I bought some pants that fit - conflicted about that... really want to wear my old clothes, but need to drop 20 lbs first. I'm giving myself 'till June to get to my pre-pg weight. My sister's getting married and I'm a bridesmaid (again... 10th time:crazy:). Do you think that's realistic? 20 lbs in 3 months?

Heather - I hear ya on the slammed day of appts. I need to cram dentist, gyn and eye into one day, too. And I really hear ya on the good sub thing! I would hoard my good subs and never tell anyone about them so they'd be available when I needed them! Isn't that horrible!?!

Jill - I'm inspired by your new siggy... I'm going to completely rip it off in a few minutes :D

AndreaR - I SO want to see the pictures y'all chose! Do you think you can scan them in?

Staci - do you mean how did I do the links to the pics? There's a little globe icon in the tool bar above the posting box (it's under the white smiley). Highlight the word you want to use as a hotlink and click the globe. Then you can paste in the link you want. I just pasted the address for that particular picture instead of my album's home page. (sorry if I just explained something you already knew) And Isabelle is TOO cute in her swimsuits :throb: What a beauty queen!

Kerrie - I think we should start up the paperwork now and get our twins' betrothal underway :handkiss: :handkiss: Seriously! You'd rock as a MIL! Oh, think of the pretty grandkids we'd have:proud:

Windy and Monica - I love your stories about your daughters :throb: I can't wait 'till my girls do something besides chew on their dolls.

Felisha - WTG Maya!!!! What a little doll she is! And no teeth for my girls either.

Valerie - Yay for the crawlers!! You are going to have to duct tape Corey's butt into the exersaucer from now on, too :snicker:

Steph - Oh, smoochies to sweet Evan for his 1st boo-boo. Poor baby :( Boys start being boys SO early, don't they? All of the flips and trips and major falls reported on this board so far have been the little guys, right? We haven't seen For Your Consideration yet and it's on our list, too. I find that I have no attention span for a movie at the end of the day so it's been a while since I've even watched a dvd all the way through. And we're IKEA nerds, too. Our store opened last fall and is monstrous. It's a journey to get through it - but SO fun!

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[mmzill]

Christel - Glad you had a day away. Also -I know you can loose the weight. In January I started working out on my own, every day to a video.....after many frustrated, interrupted attempts, I joined a new ladies gym that is about 1 block from home. (That was Thursday 1+ weeks ago) I'm loving it~!! It's helping me get out of the house 6 days a week for about 1 hour. This morning I got up and went before DH went to work.....but felt so much better afterwards. I have never been one to excersize and have hated it really, but I'm completely enjoying my little time away. But besides all that, today I went to try on a pair of pants that back in August I could not pull up past my thighs......I actually got them buttoned!!!!!! (now it was a gross squeeze of spilling out the top...you know what I mean, but they were buttoned!!!) Anyway, I would like to loose about 25 lbs, we will see. The only other thing I've been doing is cutting out bread and pasta. But I found these great wraps, called Flatout, and I make sandwiches out of them instead. They are really good, with very few carbs. Ok, sorry for my rambling, just excited. I've never stuck to anything like this before, so it's a first for me.

I think I'm going to do a retro picture also. My how all our babies have changed.
Well, It's getting late and I'm sure I'll be awakened much too early!
Monica

[vthompson]

Monica - You should be so proud of yourself!! Keep up the good work!

Steph - I am so glad that he survived his first boo boo...poor kid!

Christel - Your day sounds fantastic! Hopefully, you feel refreshed for the rest of the week. I agree with Monica, if you put your mind to it, you can totally loose the weight. BTW, you have been a bridesmaid 10 times!!!!!!!!!! You deserve a medal!

Heather - How terrible all that bleeding must be! Hopefully, you will be able to find time to get back to the doctor.

Staci - I LOVE the bathing suit pictures...I can't wait for summer around here!!

AndreaR - I hope you can scan the pics so we can see them!!

Kerrie - I would love to see him dancing...I am sure it is precious!! Every time we go to BRU, I am sick afterwards...everything is so expensive...it blows my mind!

Andrea - I hope you find day care soon. I can't imagine how stressful that must be!!

So, Lisa and I had our play date yesterday. It was so much fun!! I am going to try and post a picture soon. At first, the babies were all excited with each other. As the day went on, they just kind of played by themselves. At lunchtime, it looked like a day care center..everyone in their chairs eating puffs. It was funny!!! Ethan and Brady have gotten so big since I saw them last...they look more like toddler boys now, instead of babies. They move so well all over the place. They are just such sweet boys. I wish we lived closer so we could "play" together more!! Corey loved this piano thing they had. He banged on it as he laughed at himself. It was funny!! When I brought our toys out that we packed, Ethan and Brady came crawling over to check it out. It was hilarious!

Valerie

[Daniele'sTwins]

OK, I have finally told myself that I will NEVER officially catch up on the posts so I just scanned the last two pages and hope I didn't miss anything TOO big! I just miss you all so much but I always feel as though I just can't post without reading everythign first, you know!

Please forgive me, I KNOW I will miss a lot of things here...

Gina...welcome to our board. I am so glad you have joined us! This place has been such a help to us all!

AndreaR...Binki stealing..check! Also sometimes they just like to sit there and pass it back and forth and just use one instead of two! It is too cute isn't it!

Babyproofing...I really haven't done anything besides the plugs and the latches on all my doors in the kitchen myself. I know I have to get the gates on the stairs, they have been tapping the bottom step and I just say "No No" but I know that won't cut it for long! :snicker: My boys pretty much have free rain of the downstairs (so far). I don't have a coffee table, it is on order biut it is going to be a soft leather one like Steph was talking about.

Kerrie...I loved the story about your boys sleeping on you! I am with Val when I say they NEVER do that anymore. That has always been something I think would have been different had I had a singleton. I definately picture me as the type of my that probably wouldn't have put her baby down...but with two I was more worried that I wouldn't be EVEN STEVEN so I tried not to spoil them too much.

Clingy boys...It is ironic that this paragraph comes right after my last sentence but are any of you noticing the babies getting more clingy? I feel like if I am home I have one kid on each leg!

Felisha...Happy Birthday!!!!

Kerrie...Diaper Rash...check....we use butt paste here and it goes away in a day.

Staci...how are you feeling?

Lisa...Yes! With f-twins (no help) your chance of having them again is 60%!

Steph...First of all poor EVAN! I feel so bad for him but I am sure it was even worse for you! Kiss the boo boo for me too!

Ellen...I have to say I LOVE her too!:knuddel: If I was gay she would so be my Justin Timberlake!

Scrapping...I have about $300 worth of stuff to do it but NO desire or time. I guess I am with the bad mommies here on that one BUT I do heep 2 baby books and 2 calendars for them. On the calendar I do not write that we stayed home but I will write if we go somewhere or have a playdate or they do something for hte first time.

Babyfood...Ok, I love making it. It is so much easier than one may think and it gives you such a good feeling when you know you made it for them.

Maya...WAAAAHOOOOO on the walking!

Car Seats...I am going to return my car seats this week. I have the Eddie Bauer (bought them on appearance alone) and hate them! I think I am getting the Britax. They said that one had the best rating...what do you all think????? Please advise!

Kerrie...as for taking the babies in and out of the car...I have a garage so I just put one in and leave the other crying in the living room and then go back. If I didn't have a garage I would do the same thing but lock the car door in the middle of getting the next.

Christel... Congrats on the mommy free day! Well deserved!

Dying hair...Ok, I don't know if I posted this last time...if I did please ignore me! When the boys were 5 months old I took them to have their pic taken adn the lady asjked me if my boys were adopted...I laughed. Then about 2 months ago we were at a class at the Little Gym and a women who had a little boy she had adopted from Guatemala asked me if that is where my boys were from....Ok wel I got in the car and cried! i don't know why. I lOVE the way my boys look like my dh but I do feel bad that people think they are adopted because they are BI RACIAL. Do you know what I mean??? So Crazy me (still hormonal I guess) went to the hairdresser and died my hair dark brown...LOL. Well that only lasted until my next appointment...I have always been blonde and that is the way friends and family want to keep it! Pretty much everyone told me nicely that "although they liked the dark hair for a change...Daniele is a blonde"


Clothes...12-18 months
Shoes...3
Diapers...4
teeth...6 each
food...EVERYTHING!
They eat food food now. They have had meatballs, scrambled eggs, pancakes, macaroni, chicken soup, pot roast, turkey, wheat bread, etc, etc, etc. My doctor told us at the 9 month check up that they could have everything BUT NO Peanut butter, nuts, honey of shellfish.

CRAZY $HIT... listen to this...at their 9 month check up the nurse checked TWICE and then the doctor rechecked because he couldn't believe it...they are the exact same, weight, height, and they have the same size head!!!

Both...
Weight...20.4 (50th%)
Height...27.5 (40th%)
H/C...45 cm
They have always been the exact same length and their weight has always been just by ounces but this was strange. The doc said out of all the identical twins he sees he never has them be the exact same.

ok, well..I have the boys pulling up on each of my legs and they smell like the dump to top it off so I must get back to you later.

Love you all!

[SunMoonMom]

Heather - This is getting absolutely freakish... Similar boys, similar car seats and the Paul factor... we are living the same lives... Weird...

Crystal - I will start working on the paper work... Thoses precious angels and my boys would make the perfect pairs...

So last night I got home and found out that Paul had to leave to help his Aunt into the house (she is on dialysis and they put a new IV in yesterday - sort of an outpatient surgery). She was really worn out... So I walk in and he walks out...

This is 3 days in a row that I had the boys to myself for at least 1 hour or more... I just remembered all the advice you guys gave me and you know you were right... They just enjoyed being with me... We played a little but mainly just crawled around and looked at different toys...

Saturday I was trapped in the nursery (upstairs and I'm still to unsteady on the stairs without holding onto the handrails to carry the boys down) with both boys. They never play up there so we had not really baby proofed it yet. I spent about an hour up there chasing the boys. One would go left and the other would go right. Thank god I trapped the yorkie poo in with me because for at least 15 minutes the boys chased her...

I still get nervous when I am alone with both boys... I always think something will go wrong and what would I do... What if one fell and hurt himself... Paul would be able to handle it easily... Then I think about you ladies and know that I can handle it...

BTW - I talked about Evan all night last night... I just kept going on and on about his boo boo and what a brave soldier he was... How Steph was a champ and handled it so well...

Well, I should probably get to work...

Have a great Tuesday.

Kt.

[SunMoonMom]

Daniele - You were posting when I was so I didn't see yours...

First - Thanks for the advice on getting the boys to the car...

Second - People are idiots... I don't know why people feel the need to make assumptions when they have no idea what they are talking about. Your boys are 1/2 you and that is inside and out... Don't ever change who you are... Stupid comments are like butts... everyone has one, just some have bigger a$$holes attached...

Sorry about my venom but I just can't stand it when other are careless with their words...

[Jillmami]

OK, bday #1 is quickly approaching - less than 1 week!! I can't believe it!! Any ideas/suggestions as to what I can get them as gifts? Any cool toys that help with mobility? Mine still don't crawl but are getting very close. They do pull themselves up and can stand while holding on to something and move around a little bit that way. Also, are there any special things you are planning for your little ones' 1st bday? We did order some personalized M&M's (our last name begins with an 'M' so we have our own personalized M&M's to go with the candy.) They say, "Noah & TJ March 12" on one and the other says "Turn the BIG 1!" When we have our party (not until June due to family travel) we will hand out little candy bags with some personalized and some plain M&M's. We are also doing foot impressions to have as comparison from their birth. Any cool ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Jillmami]

Daniele, I have the same issue re: my biracial kids and others' comments. I had a worker at BRU ask, "What are they mixed with?" like they were a new ice cream flavor or something. I sometimes think people assume I'm the nanny when I have the babies alone. I just laugh. I know who they are and so do they and that's all that matters. Maybe we should get ourselves shirts made that say, "I'm the mommy", like the "I'm the big sister/brother" theme. :snicker: My hair is dark like my kids and I still don't look like them. :proud: As Kerrie mentioned, "People are idiots." Enough said.

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Wow! I missed so much again. We've been busy here. Both babies have had TERRIBLE diarrhea with the most dreadful diaper rash (Kerrie!). The rash was so bad, they had welts that bled. I was out of town, too! We've been upstate NY with my mom. I gave them baths with baking soda, and it seemed to make them very happy. Beside that, lots of vaseline, butt paste, and air time. Yuck! It is finally gone (still lingering diarrhea) and left dry scaly skin in its wake. Does anyone know WHAT that could have been? They were fine otherwise-no fever, they kept eating like champs, and had no change in behavior. Strange.

Danielle- good to hear from you. I think it is terrible to make any assumptions about a child or family. My SIL is Cuban (dark hair and skin -unlike DH who is blonde and green-eyed!), and she married a blonde-haired irish guy. Her daughter is blonde, blonde, blonde and blue-eyed. People constantly ask her if she is the NANNY. Can you believe it?? She has had a hard time with this. You, Steph and Windy are inspiring me to make some baby food. I think I'll give it a try this weekend.

Steph- Poor Evan! You handled it well. Those face wounds sure bleed alot. Thanks for the complements on Max. He is my little sweetie. Also, I found the rolly thing online but it's $12 + s/h! You sure got a deal!

Kerrie-I do the same as Danielle with the car-- I leave one in the play yard inside while I buckle the first into the carseat. Then I run inside, and grab the second baby. I usually load up the diaper bag and anything else that I need to bring first. The hardest thing is when I pick up DS at his preschool. If another nice mommy isn't around to ask to guard my car, I have to carry both babies inside the school (or I get out a single stroller and carry one). It is only about 10 feet I hate to transfer them in and out of everything just for that. What a pain! Hope their little rashes are cleared up!

Christel- the clothes are SOOO cute. Your girls have such darling clothes. My poor daughter wears her brothers' hand-me-downs! I'm going to get her some cute outfits for the Summer, though. I cannot wait for our swap and sell in May!

Staci- ditto for Isabelle. Adorable!

Felisha- Congrats to Maya! She is the first walker on the board, right? Woo hoo!

Ugh. Being up at my mom's totally ruined the whole amazing schedule that we had going. I am starting to resist traveling just because I hate getting the babies back in gear when we get home!

Also, I have been interviewing like crazy for jobs and searching for a babysitter (this is NO FUN at all). It is so hard to fit all this in! I think I found a therapist position within my town's school district. Woo hoo! That means I'll be on the same schedule as Max next year for kindergarten and even be able to pop in and say hello (only once in a while; ) ).

BUT, DH is interviewing for a job, in get this, CHICAGO. I don't want to move there. It is so COLD! Is anyone from that area?? Man, I thought NJ was bad after living in Arizona for 5 years. I am not a cold-weather person. I want to move to Florida with Steph and Heather!

Alright, I am going to catch up more later. I know I missed alot of you! I have to get ready to pick up DH, get him McDonalds (not me, of course, :snicker: because that would not be south beach-friendly) and take him to get a haircut (poor guy- I told him that he looks like Yanni because his mom neglects his personal hygiene so much these days).

-Jennifer

[EBTwinz]

Exciting News.... Ethan got his first tooth!! Finally! And Brady has one that should pop through any day, now. But they are both crabby and clingy. I feel bad for them. Ethan won't let anyone put him down since he got up from his second nap yesterday.

Our playdate w/ Valerie and the babies was so much fun!!! Ethan crawled right over to them with a huge smile, like to say, "Hi, I'm Ethan". Brady took a little longer to warm up, but he did just get up from his nap. It's strange how similar all four of them are, like they have the same mannerisms, make the same exact sounds and noises. Whenever Corey talked, I thought it was Ethan. They have the same voice!! Towards the end of the playdate, Ethan was clinging to me and wanted to be rocked, Brady fell asleep, Kayley fell asleep, and Corey was just about ready for a nap. I think they wore themselves out. I hope we have more playdates, very soon. It was so cute!

Valerie: I found two of your blocks, a triangle and a star. I can mail them to you, if you want. And sorry if I was a little quiet yesterday. I just felt crampy and I got my period last night. But I had a great time!! Can't wait for the outlet shopping day.

Kerrie: Don't second guess yourself. You are a wonderful mother and you shouldn't be scared when you are alone w/ the boys. It will all come natural and you are a pro. I love all your stories about your boys. They are just so darn cute! Which one has all the hair? Are your's frats? Oh, and I just load one baby at a time in the car. My garage is attached to the house, is your's? I am not sure if I missed that. Anyway, I put one in the car while the other waits for me in the living room. They are always okay. I never start the car until I am ready to leave. I am paranoid about carbon monoxide poisoning, even if the garage door is open.

Daniele: I can't believe those idiots! I think the boys look just like you! Don't worry about what other people think. They are beautiful little boys who have two wonderful cultures to embrace. And that is crazy about them weighing the same. Mine were off by 3/4 oz in weight and a 1/2 inch in length but same head size.

oh crap, both babies are crying after only a 20 min nap. Be back later.

Lisa

[SunMoonMom]

Lisa - My boys are frat. Ben looks like me... and Zach looks like his daddy... The older they get the more different they look... Sometimes I get overwhelmed with how much I love these guys... I never thought I would be able to have this much love in my heart... They are everything to me...

I'm sure you know what I am talking about

Give Ethan a big KISS as a congrats for the tooth!!! That is a huge accomplishment... These babies are so amazing they have to learn so much and go through so much in the first year of their lives... I know as an adult I would never be able to do it... You would have to hold me all the time too, but slip me a little prozac in my bottle...

Can you guys tell that I am so not into working today... I am totally trolling the boards... I have my first accupunture appointment today... A little nervous..

Jill - I checked out Bowen but there isn't anyone who does it in my area...

I have a pain management appointment on the 19th and I want to be able to say that I have tried different options to help with the back pain...

Well I guess I will try to work on the next thing... Basically it call all catch flame for all I care today...

Kerrie

[Daniele'sTwins]

YAY! I finally got the picture thing right...

P.S. After my hair dying incident I bought a shirt like theirs so they would look like me...LOL

I am REALLY not this crazy:stupid:

[swineland]

Jennifer..... your MIL cuts your husband's hair?? :snicker: Haha...I have a feeling you meant DS, not DH. Don't worry, if someone makes a mistake on here, I'm usually the first to point it out and make fun :hahaha: IN A NICE WAY!! You know I love all of you guys.....

Steph

[swineland]

Ok guys.....keep your eyes peeled for a Universal Orlando/Ellen commercial airing these days. It is a spot promoting her weeklong visit to Orlando and the broadcast of her show from UO. My husband, as you know, works for Universal and before the boys came along I would frequently help out when they needed extras for print/commercial. If you see this commercial, about halfway through, there is a Shrek attraction spot where Donkey comes out in 3-D at the crowd and their are 4 people sitting in front. They all lean back in their chairs, as if Donkey scared them. I am the pretty blond all the way on the right with the gorgeous 3-D glasses on! :) It's a FAST part of the commercial, so if you don't have TiVo, you might miss it. Haha...my 1.5 seconds of fame.

[vthompson]

Steph - We have so many celebrities on there now!! I cannot believe how precious that new pic is...it is amazing to see how much they have all grown!

Daniele - People are IDIOTS!! I think the boys have a lot of facial features that are similar to yours...try and ignore the stupid comments. I know it is hard...but, the boys will always know you are their mom!!

Kerrie - Good luck with acupuncture today. Let us know how it goes.

Lisa - I totally forgot to congratulate Ethan!! So...CONGRATULATIONS ETHAN!!! :party2 Don't worry about the blocks...I will get them from you when I see you next time. I never even thought you were quiet....I had a great time!!

Jennifer - I live in Cleveland and it is so cold here in the winter...I also want to move to Florida!!!

Jill - The m & m's sound like such a cute idea!!

For about a week, Kayley has been getting up between 5 and 5:30am instead of around 6-6:30am...this wakes Corey up. I know it is only an hour difference, but I am EXHAUSTED!

Valerie

[Daniele'sTwins]

:grouphugg Thank you all for your kind words about my boys being half of me. I was crying reading your posts! It is so weird...I have been so emotional lately! I better be getting my period!

Val...I hear you about the one hour less sleep can kill a mom. We need any time we can!

Kerrie...Don't be afraid to be alone, you are a twin mom for a reason. I used to feel like that a lot too though. My mom used to help me out every day with the boys so when she started coming less I felt soo nervous!
Good luck with the accupunture!

Jennifer...If you move to Chicago you can go on Oprah's Favorite thing show and get so much free stuff! (Trying to be positive here!) Also, on the babyfood thing, make a bunch and freeze it. With veggies, just steam them so they don't lose their nutritional value. Fruit like papaya and avacados are so easy. Avacados are brain food and tases great mixed with bananas. Also I made a huge batch of whole wheat pancakes yesterday adn froze them for breakfast. That should last forever. (For a nice smooth texture try the magic bullet. They sell it at Target, BJ's etc.)

Ethan...CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR FIRST TOOTH BIG BOY!

tIME FOR MY 4TH CUP:coffee:

[EBTwinz]

Okay, I am back for round two. These boys are all over the place today. So far today, Ethan figured out how to climb the stairs and made it up two of them, he crawled onto the fireplace and opened the doors, and opened all the drawers on the end tables. I am going to have a heart attack by the end of the day. Brady just follows him and tries to copy him.

Daniele: I just dyed my hair, too! I used to be a dirty blonde, now I am a chestnut color. I think I am going back next week to go blonde again.

Steph: How cool that you are in a commercial. Also, poor Evan has had a rough couple weeks, but he looks so adorable w/ his battle wound.

Valerie: Maybe Kayley is getting up b/c of cutting the front teeth? just a thought...

Christel: Those outfits you bought are adorable! And the day by yourself sounded like fun and refreshing. I need one of those once in a while. Also, I think you could lose 20 lbs. Good luck and keep us updated. We will be your cheerleading team!

Felisha: Yeah for Maya!!:yippee: And the day at the spa sounds like fun. You deserve it!

Andrea: Nice to hear from you! Your little girlies sure are growing! I can't believe they are in 24 months clothes! Wow!

AndreaR: I hope we get to view these pics. They sound adorable!

Jennifer: hmmm, not sure what to tell ya on the mystery diaper rash. I know that my guys have had a little bit of a rash and some bleeding around the bum a couple weeks ago. I just applied tons of diaper cream and it went away. My guys poop 3-4 times a day so I just figured it was irritation. Also, Chicago might not be that bad. Like Daniele said, you can go on Oprah!


Okay, here are my stats:
clothes: still 6-12, some 12-18. They are stuck in limbo. The pants are all really short on them but 12-18 is too big around the waist. But different brands, like Children's place, are big on them. They had on TCP pants yesterday, 6-9, and they were huge!
food: Still baby food. I am going to start table foods. They have tried mashed potatoes and turkey.
shoes: size 4
diapers: Size 3

WEll, I better go see what they are into. It's unusually quiet.

talk later!
Love,
Lisa

[Daniele'sTwins]

:questionmark: For those of you who have babies with teeth...how often do you brush them? I promise myself once a day but I don't always do it! Just curious.

[newmomx2]

Well boys did better this weekend but are back to 102 fevers (basically fevers for 10 days) they have been on antibiotics for 5 days 2 hours of sleep last night DH watching today in-laws coming to the rescue tonight - I hope I can drive home okay...so tired..how the hel! did I do it 9 monthes ago??

[newmomx2]

Adorable Picture

[Daniele'sTwins]

Missy...I am so sorry to hear that the babies are still so sick! I hope you get your much needed rest and this sickness ends soon!

[swineland]

Daniele.....I don't know how you (or Jill for that matter) put up with people's comments. Some folks run around with a big question mark on their foreheads, just totally oblivious to the world and the way it works. Ignorance is bliss, I guess. Fools.

MIL is STILL here. She was supposed to fly home yesterday but offered to stay a few days longer if I wanted. At first, I was like "uh, no". Then I started thinking how much help it is and that I could use an extra set of hands at this weeks Kindermusik on Thursday, so we changed her ticket and she'll go home on Friday. I hate to sound like a brat and I really do love the woman, it's just that she and my husband aren't real real close. She annoys the hell out of him and she also annoys me at times, but I feel like I am the middle man trying to keep the peace and everyone happy with smiles on their faces. Of course...supermom does it all, right?? :snicker:

Shoes....measured at Nordstroms as a size 4, but I swear to god these boys have huge, THICK feet. They are in the 95% percentile for height and their feet are certainly living up to it. We must have tried 20 different shoes on their feet today and it's like trying to drive a block of cheese into a shoe. :banghead:

Teeth, Daniele, I try to brush them every day. "Try" being the operative word here. Half the time I forget and I only do it when they get a bath, which is every other day. I have GOT to remember to do it daily. It's such a pain in the a$$, though.

Got 2 pairs of cargo surplus pants at Gap Outlet today, they roll up into capris as well. I LOVE them and they are very slimming. Best part....50% off!!

Gotta run...
XO
Steph

[Daniele'sTwins]

Steph...Thanks for making me feel better about the teeth brushing! I can't believe how big your little guys are!

Ok...so listen to this one. A couple of weeks ago I went to one of my neighbor's houses for a pamperd Chef party. Well, her mother (very old school Armenian type) asked to see a pic of my twins because her other daughter has twins too. So I proudly take out my little brag book ready to brag and she right away asked me what nationality my dh was. So I told her PROUDLY that he is Filipino and she said.....

"That is Ok, as long as they are healthy."

I just laughed! My other neighbor was in such shock and couldn't believe that I didn't get all kinds of upset with such a comment. I just said (Like Steph just did) I chalk it up to ignorace and I laugh because she was just showing how uneducated she was...poor thing!

[swineland]

Dan,

NO WAY! I cannot believe she said that to you. The only thing worse than saying it, is thinking it! Good for you for being able to laugh it off......:snicker: Did you tell her that she just blew her opportunity for Paul to do any cosmetic work on her wrinkles at a steep discount??

[AndreaR]

Hi! Don't have too much time. I'm supposed to be in the shower, but I wanted to say a quick hello.

Daniele - I can't believe what some people say. And I can't believe you dyed your hair (I'd love to see a pic!). You know those boys are yours, and that is all that matters. Plus, even if they were adopted, so what? You'd still be their mama and you'd love them just the same. I love your siggy pic - too adorable. I brush my girls' teeth every night in the bath. I still give them a bath in the infant tub on the counter, so it's easy for me to reach. I don't know what I'll do when we move to the big girl tub. I hope we can get together soon. I will send you an email with a new date.

Kerrie - I agree with whomever said that you are a wonderful mother and shouldn't fret so much about being alone with your boys. That being said, I was really nervous when Ronit (au pair) went on vacation, and I was going to be with them all day every day. But it was actually lots of fun and very rewarding. I know you have your broken foot to deal with, and that must make it very hard, but it sounds like you are handling it no problemo!

Jennifer- I love Chicago! If you move there, we can all come visit (in the summer, of course) and go to Oprah together!!

Well, I really have to go. We have our 9 month appt this morning. I will try to post later with all the info.

xoxoxo
AndreaR

[vthompson]

Felisha - Is DD acting out because of the twins? Is she jealous? Is there anyway she could get involved with something that is just for her...like a sport, dance, etc. Maybe it would give her incentive to do what you ask of her. Just throwing out some ideas....

Daniele - You should be so proud of yourself for keeping your cool. That comment was TERRIBLE! I just cannot believe that someone would think that, let alone say it. I am not too good at remembering to brush their teeth, either. DH is actually better then me. I feel so guilty for forgetting all the time.

Andrea - I am sorry that the babies are so sick. Hopefully, things get better soon. What does the ped say? Does he/she think the antibiotic is working?

Lisa - I think that must be it with Kayley...the teething. They both just do not seem totally like themselves yesterday and today. I think they miss Ethan and Brady!! I cannot believe they are getting into so much. You must be exhausted chasing them everywhere!!

So, K and C were playing in their crib this morning while I got dressed. I went in there to check on them and Kayley had pulled herself up into a standing position!! That is the first time we have had any standing in the crib! I was so excited. Corey seemed jealous because he was trying to maneuver himself, but couldn't quiet get in position...he started yelling. It was kind of funny!!

It is snowing AGAIN here!! YUCK!

Valerie

[SunMoonMom]

Hi Mommies,

I need you to send your prayers to my father and family. Yesterday he was rushed to the emergency with abdominal paina and shortness of breath. After many hours of tests, it was determined that he had a perforation in his colon. Last night he had emergency surgery to remove the infected tissue, repair the tear and do a colostomy.

He will be in ICU at least a week on a ventillator. The next 48 - 72 hours will be critical. If he goes septic (infection of the blood), then it will travel to multiple organs and could cause total failure. It will attack the weakest part of the body first which is his lungs. Thus the vent for the next week.

My Mom had this happen in 1998. She survived but just barely.

He is located in Texas and I am in Milwaukee. After talking to the surgeon and my family, it was decided that it is best if I just stay here for now. I would just be sitting around down there waiting and the boys need me up here.

Paul, the boys and I are scheduled to travel down there on March 22. So we are going to maintain those travel plans unless something terrible happens.

I am holding it together. Based on my experience with my Mom, the fact that I have had so many deaths over the last 2 years (Mother, Grandmother and Grandfather) and just preparing myself over the last year, I am handling this fairly well.. I am calling the ICU about every 4 - 6 hours to find out his status. At last check, his kidneys had started producing urine again (they had shut down yesterday) and his blood pressure was improving. The nurse said that he made it through the night fairly well and this morning was responding appropriately to stimuli.

So that is good news...

No matter what God you pray to or what you believe, please send healing prayers or vibes to Texas. He will need it.

Thanks for being here and letting me share my concern...

Kerrie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Oh, Kerrie. I just read your post. I will certainly be praying for you dad and thinking of you. I hope he heals quickly. It is so difficult to live away from parents as they start to age and have health problems, especially critical ones like this.

Danielle- You are just getting big doses of prejudice from all angles these days. I think that you will have a very tough skin in a few more years! While taking the train back from Miami in January, DH was eating dinner with a group of people on the train. Now, he has very ethnic features, but is a light-skinned and green-eyed Cuban so people don't usually take him for being Hispanic. Well, one of the men at his table kept going on and on about how hispanic people don't work, they're lazy, blah blah blah. My husband didn't say anything! I would have gone nuts. He said that the man was just ignorant and he didn't want to embarass the guy in front of the other the people at the table. I am not that noble! Also, his previous boss told him that he couldn't be in the minority special interest group for their company because he didn't "look" like a minority, but of the "conquering class". Isn't that crazy?? I guess there are a million stories like this, unfortunately.

Felisha- I was shocked by your experiences, too. I just can't believe anyone could be that rude (or STUPID asking if twins have different fathers!). :stupido2: I can't believe that Maya is walking so early. She is amazing!

Anyway, Jill, Felisha, Danielle- your children are all so beautiful with amazin and you're great moms so that is what matters!

Steph- thanks for catching my DH/DS mistake ; ) I was laughing because DH is almost completely bald! Also, I can't say enough about ROBEEZ AND BOBUX. I love, love these shoes. They don't fall off, they're great for their little developing feet, and they have fun pictures! I used them for DS until he was 2 (I also got him hard-soled shoes for the playground when he started really running). I always had an inside pair and an outside pair that could get yucky. Target has imitation ones for $12, but the leather doesn't hold up as well.

Val- way to go, Kayley!

AndreaR- I can't wait to hear all about your sweet girls.

I went to my first MOM meeting last night and it was so great! I met two women with 6 week old twins right off the bat. It was nice to remember back to that time, but not be there!! hee hee Also, I met another cool lady with 5 month old twins. They had a speaker who was a personal image consultant and she spoke about looking your best. We had to turn to the person next to us, say something that we HATED about our body, and then rephrase in a positive way (like, "I hate my jiggly fat a55" to "I have a senuous round bum":snicker: ). Then, we had to tell two people around us something that we thought was beautiful about them. It was really nice, and self-esteem boosting, to hear some fresh complements. :thankyou: Sounds cheesy, but it really was fun. The speaker was hilarious- she had six children of her own, including a set of twins. She went back to work when she was 50 to escape from the house when her husband retired! too funny!

Alright, babies feeling neglected.

-Jen

[vthompson]

Kerrie - I am sending prayers to your father...keep us updated!!

Valerie

[christel]

Hi Ladies -

Thanks for the encouragement on the weight loss by June thing. I may join a chick gym for the next few months to help me stay motivated. I HATE working out, but I hate wasting money more :D So, if I join, I'll go.

Monica - are you still liking your gym? Are you doing a weight loss plan w/ them or just working out?

Kerrie - where in TX is your Dad? I am SO sorry about this turn of events and will definitely keep your family in my prayers. It's really good that he had a good night and that things are going well w/ his kidneys. That's a very positive sign.

Danielle - Cu-ray-zee! about the RUDE people questioning your relationship to the boys. I think I would have just stared at them in shock unable to move or do anything! I always think of what I should have said about 30 min. later. Something like, "Yes, I'm their mother and your ignorance is showing, you might want to tuck it back in." I :throb: your siggy pic. I think they boys have some of you in their eyes for sure. Ruby looks so much like my DH, that it's hard to see any of me in her and Emme looks very much like MIL's baby pics, though she has my coloring...but has DH's green eyes. I think some of my characteristics will emerge as they get older, though. I bet you'll see that, too.

Jennifer - we're crazy about Robeez and Bobux shoes, too. My mom is constantly shopping for a deal on them on ebay. I LOVE how they can't kick them off.

Felisha - I'm in awe of Miss Maya! WOW! How gifted is she?! As for DD, how old is she again? She definitely sounds like she's seeking attention and any sort will do, negative or positive. She probably doesn't even understand why she's doing it, so reasoning her out of the behavior isn't going to be too effective. It's a tough thing to deal with, for sure. I've had several students over the years exhibit similar actions and there's always a complex web of reasons behind it. My only thought for assistance might be a program like Big Brothers/Big Sisters... something that's just for her that makes her feel really unique and kind of grown up, KWIM? I know you're so strapped for time and energy and you are doing such an amazing job providing all you do for your 3 kids. They look so happy in their pictures. Also, DD feels very secure with you to show you this "negative" behavior... deep down, she knows that the yucky stuff won't make you love her less - so she feels ok showing you that side. I've seen kids that only act out at school but not for parents b/c they don't have that assurance of unconditional love at home. That's the saddest :( Good grief - sorry for the novel!

Valerie - :woo: for Kaley! She'll be cruising in no time, I'm sure.

AndreaR - Hope the girls have a great 9 mo. appt. Can't wait to hear their new stats.

Steph - I have a similar situation w/ my MIL when she comes... can be helpful, but also kind of awkward. She and DH get along, but she hits his hot buttons alot. She's coming week after next for 4 or 5 days. I'm just going to plan a lot of out and about stuff and keep her busy.

Lisa - so, how are you baby proofing the fireplace? We're not sure how to block it off and keep our kids out of it once they start crawling.

Gotta run - Ruby's screaming... teething, not sleeping... long day ahead

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[Daniele'sTwins]

Kerrie...I will DEFINATELY be praying for your dad. It is a good idea of you waiting it out at home. When he comes home you would be more help right now the nurses will care for him. Is there any other family there for him?

Felisha...I used to teach 8, 9 and 10 yr old kids with Behavior disorders. I KNOW that your daughter is just going through a stage and does NOT have BD, however some things I used to do with them may work with her.

1. I would have a talk with her. I would tell her that she disappointed you. I really wouldn't yell at her because she probably already got that at school. I always found when I let the jkids know that my feelings were hurt or I was DISAPPIONTED they responded much better because they thought I would just yell.

2. Find the top 4 things that you want her to work on. Keep those things in your mind but don't tell her them. After your talk about how much you love her and how hurt you are ask her if she is happy with herself and what she has been doing/behaving. (again if you act upset with her in this conversation she may just say "yes")

3. Now ask her if she wants to change? What things would she want to change? She may say things like not answering back, cleaning her room, behaving at school. Write these down with her. (try for just 4 or 5 at the most) and try to get her to say ones that are most important to you without saying something like "you have to clean your room". Instead say "dosen't it make you feel good when you room is all clean and you can play your cd's and dance around your room"...LOL I don't know!

4. Make a contract with her...she has to do these 4 things each day, stay positive...for example
1. Be respectful (instead of "don't" talk back-negative)
2. Keep room clean
3.

The be respectful thing is great because it covers EVERYTHING. Respecting you, respecting her things, respecting the teacher, etc.

5. Lastly ask her what she loves to do. I am saying this because the taking away thing is not working for her (like you said) and it doesn't always for every kid. Now I don't know what your daughter likes, I am hoping she will want some Mommy Me time because it has to be so hard for her not having your undivided attention anymore. She did for so long before. You can promise her 30 mins of just mommy/daughter time...playing cards, having a cup of decaf tea together on the couch (kids love when you make them feel like a grown up), showing her some old pics when you were a kid, or when she was a baby etc. Just the two of you when the twins go to bed, you know. Now, if she does all 4 things everyday you can do this with her. If she doesn't, and this may be the case for some time....tell her how sad that makes you feel because you were really looking forward to it...DON'T yell at her about it.

I hope this helps...now remember don't give up it could take some time but it will eventually do the trick! I did this with little boys that would throw there desks at me in the beginning of the year!

Boys are up...Talk later

[sgarrett]

Kerrie: My prayers are with you and your family. I know it is hard being in a different state right now from your father I am sending positive energy to you both right now!

Danielle, Jill, and Felisha: People are amazing jerks sometimes! Maybe try and come up with a comment ahead of time to shut them up, Like "Gee I am not really sure who their dad is" That oughta shut em up! When people see me out with my older son, they always ask if the twins are from a 2nd marraige. They are but damn that is a rude quesiton to ask! I should turn around and ask them about previous marraiges/divorces.

Christel: I am so with you on the hate working out thing, I have never been so big in my life - but as much whining as I do I still do not work out. Sigh, I have about 60 lbs to lose to get to pre fertility treatment weight! I think I am going to shop for a mumu for my beach trip instead of a bathing suit!

Jen: Your MOM meeting sounds fab! I really should look into some multiple clubs around here.

Steph: Totally cool on the commercial. I will be on the lookout. I am PMing you my cell # as well. We will be in Cococa Beach Saturday. What has the weather been like? I looked online and it said rain for Fri, Sat and Sunday!

Felisha: Sorry for the dd problems. They do go through stages to "test the bounderies". I went through a trouble spot with Chase in middle school. Keeping him involved with sports helped alot as well as staying on top of what was going on. I think alot of parents just throw their hands up with the whole discipline thing, it is so much easier. I never thought I would be "the strict mom" but as Chase got older it amazed me to see parents let their kids get away with crap. Those same kids are those ones that turned into the WILD CHILDS in high school. Keep your head up, stay involved and she will come around. I like Danielle's ideas alot too, during our middle school "phase" I went to his school and had a meeting with all of his teachers.(which I initiated) I felt like I was on trail. I used every bit of strength not to start crying. As I was leaving the vice principal came up to me and told me he was concerned about the kids Chase was hanging around, Chase walked up to me at this time too. I lost it, I totally broke down in tears. Chase felt awful to see me that upset, when I explained why I was so heartbroken (without yelling) it really got through to him. Certainly not suggesting having a breakdown, but sometimes simply explaining your concerns in a heartfelt, grown up way really can go a long way! Sorry about the book!

9 month check up: Aiden is 17lbs and 14 oz 29" long, Isabelle is 18lbs and 15oz 29" long.

Teethbrushing: At the appt I asked the doc if I was a horrible mother b/c sometimes I may do this twice a week! He said not to worry at all that was fine.

OK sorry about the novel!

Have a great day!

[vthompson]

I LOVE all the new pics!!

Christel - Those bathing suits are so precious!!!

Staci - I am glad we are not doing any harm for not brushing....It is good to know that it is not the end of the world like I make it out to be!!

Daniele - Those were some great ideas....I will be coming to you for advice when my children are acting up!!

Jen - It sounds like you had a really nice night. Good for you!!!

So, the babies are not themselves today at all...I do not know if they are coming down with something or teething or what. They are so cranky. I gave them tylenol before their nap...it has helped Kayley, but Corey keeps crying, then sleeping, then crying. I am at my wits end today!!

Valerie

[JERSEYGEMINI]

I just had to jump on for a second to thank steph for the great lunch idea. I made the babies the avocado, bread, formula combo and they LOVED it. I gave them each about 4 pieces and turned around to wash a dish, yell at a 4 y.o. or something... and then I looked back and the pieces were gone. They ate them so fast I thought that they must have fallen on the floor/lap, but they were gone in 20 seconds. Then, they were bouncing in their chairs while waiting for me to cut up some more. I guess this means it is time to get more creative with the food prep. :hmm:

Tell us some more good ideas steph : )

-Jen

[vthompson]

Daniele - Thank you so much for the coupon!! I received it today!

Valerie

[newmomx2]

Wanted to tell Kerrie that her family is in my prayers

Makes my complaining about the boys having fevers silly.

Later ladies

[AndreaR]

Kerrie - I'm so sorry about your father's illness and I will add him to our prayers. Sending you lots of love right now.:aww:

I'll get back to everyone else later!

xoxoxo
AndreaR

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi All! I love all the new pics on this board!

I am the one who asked about brushing teeth and I forgot to do it again today! Not me-the boys!

Christel...those bathing Suits are adorable!

Val...your welcome. I wrote your address down so when I get them I just send them over.

AndreaR...how was the doctors appointment?

Birthdays...ok, so after looking at Lisa's timeline it is freaking me out that these babis are approaching one year! It is CRAZY! I can't believe! I also can't believe how well we are all doing!! Cheers to us! :five:

No No...my boys love to shake their head "no" no matter what I say! It is soo funny. I say "Luca you are such a good boy!" and he shakes his head. It cracks me up!

Hair cut...I DID IT today and by "I" I really mean "I"! I know we talked about this a while back and I really wanted to wait until they were a year old but I couldn't take it anymore because it was covering their ears and starting to go down their necks! I used the back of my dh's electric razor...well now this is what the boys have to wear! :anon: ...well, maybe I am exagerating but it wasn't so good at first so I called my neighbor...:help: because my neighbor's mom is a retired hair dresser and she came over and fixed it up a little.

oh my God! This is soooo me all the time :computer: !

By the way have you guys noticed how much I have been on here lately! i am trying so hard to be a better friend! I hate getting behind on the posts so I am trying to keep checking all the time!

Love you all!

[sgarrett]

AIDEN STOOD UNASSISTED FOR A COUPLE OF SECONDS!!!!

I cannot beleive it! Had to sign on to tell you all!

[vthompson]

Daniele - I was just thinking how nice it was that you have posting so much lately!! You were missed!!

Lisa - Hang in there...I am in the same boat with you.

Staci - CONGRATULATIONS AIDEN!!! :congrats: :congrats: :congrats:

Missy - I realize that I referred to you as Andrea in one of my previous posts. I am SO sorry!! My brain is non existent. I really hope your babies feel better soon. I am sure it is exhausting you.

Have a great night ladies.

Valerie

[sgarrett]

OK I am back - babies are in bed. I am having an emotional moment here, I cannot believe how old these babies are getting. I can not believe Aiden stood today! I saw a 5 wk old today, and it is hard to believe our babies were that little not long ago. Time really flies, I guess it is weirding me out b/c these guys may very likely be my last. I always wanted a ton of kids it just was not in the cards. Took me a while to find Mr Right. I just wish this first year took a little longer to pass you know what I mean? Sigh:cry:

Danielle: You always have the sweetest posts, your are a great friend! Speaking of haircuts, I got mine whacked today! I had 3 inches cut, layers put in and I told her I wanted it a little lighter, it is sooo blonde! She went a tad highlight crazy. Must be a mid life crisis thing, I guess I should go get a convertible now.

Have a good night ladies! Thanks for letting me have a moment!

Staci

[vthompson]

Testing new pics...sorry, I had to steal the idea of putting a pic in from when they were so so so young!!! The bottom right picture is from our play date with Ethan and Brady. It was hard enough to get them all to look at the camera, let alone smile at it!!!

Staci - I completely understand what you mean...on one hand, I am anxious to meet milestones...on the other hand, I am sad that they are growing up so fast. I was holding my friend's baby over the weekend...she is 2 months old and she fell asleep on me...I just kept thinking about how much I miss those days!!

Felisha - Enjoy your winding down time!!

Speaking of winding down, I really need to get to bed!!

Valerie

[AndreaR]

Okay, I'm back.... with a glass of wine, so this might be loooong.....

Our doctor's appointment went very well, thank you ALL for asking. My girls are so small!
Izzy: 15 lbs .05 oz and 26.5 inches
Maddie: 15 lbs 4 oz and 26.25 inches
They are both in 3rd percentile for weight, which is a little lower for Izzy, but about the same for Maddie. Doc said they look very healthy, both have a nice layer of fat on them, but he doesn't want to see them slip any further down the charts. He told us to give them whatever we could to eat (eggs, cheese, bacon (!), butter, whole milk, etc). I told him that I was concerned about their vitamin intake, since they do not drink a lot of formula. He suggested that we switch to the transitional formula for ages 1+ because it might taste better to them. If that doesn't work, DH and I decided that we are going to back to adding calories to the formula (just adding more powder). After the appointment, I went straight to the supermarket and bought:
avocados
cheese (whole milk mozzarella)
pastina (plan to make w/ lots of butter!)
whole grain "o's" cereal (fortified w/ more vitamins than the gerber puffs)
yo'baby yogurt (more fat than o'soy, which is what we have been giving them)
eggs
Can you guys think of any other high calorie/high vitamin/high fat foods? I'm very hesitant to start them on anything that isn't healthy. The doc was serious when he said bacon, but I can't bring myself to feed that to my girls. To us, it's a special occasion food. Plus, I dont' think they could even chew it! DH is afraid that we might make them too fat. I don't worry about that, but I do worry about healthy eating habits. Any suggestions would be great, thanks! Other than that, the doctor thinks they are perfect (which, of course, I agree with). When I told him that Izzy was crawling, but not Maddie, he said that some babies never crawl and that is perfectly fine. He said that the theory that crawling is necessary for development/learning has not proven to be true. And then he said that one of his sons never crawled and right now he is in law school and that his son had higher SAT scores than he did. It was kind of cute the way he was talking about it. FYI, our pediatrician is Kurt Vonnegut's (the author) son, so he's a little weird, but that's why I like him.
The funniest part about the appointment was when we were waiting for him to come into the room. The girls were naked down to their diapers, sitting up by themselves on the table, facing eachother. They were pulling up on the paper, shredding it, passing pieces back and forth to eachother and shrieking with delight. I so wish I had brought my camera so I could have video taped it. I was laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes.

Okay, enough about me/us........

Felisha - people REALLY ask you if the twins have separate fathers? What the heck? I guess, technically it's possible if you had IVF, but I mean, seriously. What is wrong with people?? As far as the probs with your older daughter, I'm so sorry. I really like Daniele's advice. I hope things are better soon.

Valerie - HOORAY! :woo: for Kaley standing in the crib. That must have been quite a sight! And I love your description of Corey's reaction. Today my doctor said that with most boy/girl twins, the girl is the "social leader." Do you think that's true?

Jennifer - So happy for you and your MOMs meeting. Wow - 6 week old twins! I can barely remember ;-). BTW, I don't think I have mentioned how much I love your siggy pics. SOOOOO cute. I love your kiddos. Can you or Steph post the avocado/bread/formula "recipe" again!? Thanks!

Christel - I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your before and after pics. I especially love the picture of the three of you "kangarooing." And the bikinis with the matching hats are just too much! Where did you get them? My sister just came back from FL with her family. Her two year old daughter insisted on only wearing the bottoms of her two piece bathing suit. She kept saying, "no bra, no bra." Too funny! I just ordered bathing suits for I & M. Swimming lessons start 3/17!

Daniele - Like I've already mentioned, I think you gave Felisha great suggestions for helping her daughter. But I have to say that using the "I'm not mad; I'm just disappointed" makes me remember what my parents used to say to me, and I felt so guilty! Oh, the Catholic Guilt strikes again! I am so looking forward to getting together next week!

Staci - I LOVE your suggestion that Felisha (and others) should tell people "I'm not sure who the father is." Now that would shut some people up! And it was so nice to see your picture! I had no idea what you looked like, but I totally had you pegged as brunette! How funny is that?

Steph - Hoping that they air the commercial up here in Mass. I love having all of you movie stars as my friends!

Lisa - How did it go at bedtime tonight? I hope the boys cooperated.

Well, time for me to go to bed. I hope I didn't forget anyone.

Sherry/Ters/Mindy and the other MIA mommies - Thinking about all of you and hope you are all doing well.

xoxo
AndreaR

[AndreaR]

How did y'all get your pictures in your siggy? I'm so technologically challenged! I just perused through our June '06 pictures, and I just can't believe how much my little twinkies have grown.

[mmzill]

Andrea- We are having the same issues with Nathan and his weight. The speech therapist suggested putting powered milk in stuff, it really bumps the protein up. My ped told me to butter him up too, adding as much fattening things as possible, but part of me has a really hard time with that. I do sometimes add Olive oil to the baby food since that is supposed to be the best fat out there. Good luck!

Kerrie - I hope your dad is doing better! I've been praying for him.

Christel - I am still going to the gym, and am really enjoying it. I am not on a weight loss program with them, I am doing a modified Lower carb diet and doing things that I know are better for me. Since I am still BF I can't really cut my calories, I'm just trying to eat healthier things - and not eat late at night. After the personal improvement in how I feel over the last couple weeks, I want to urge all you wonderful ladies to excersise!!!!! Like I said before, I have always hated it.......but.....it has really made me feel better! And by joining the gym, I feel more obligated to go and enjoy the time away!

I can not believe some of the comments people are telling you all! I get stupid questions....mostly "are they twins?" or "do you have triplets?" Some people are just idiots!

We have been so busy lately! I feel like I never have time to get on here, actually I read posts often, just have a hard time posting myself.

We have three therapists come and work with Nathan this past week. He is doing much better with eating!!!! Luvs the puffs, and tolerates quite a few of the other baby foods also. The speech therapist was pleased with how much he has changed in the last month. The physical therapist said he is behind in gross motor, but not too far. He's int he 6 to 8 month range instead of 9 to 11. They are going to continue to come and work with him.

Birthday - I think we are going to do a ball theme. I just received a catalog that has beach balls to order. The boys absolutely love them right now, so I'm going to order a dozen or so and put them in the little kiddy pool we have (minus the water) and balloons. I think they will have a blast. Some cake and that should be good.

Well, it's late, and I'm really tired. Love you all lots. I know I didn't respond to everyone, but that doesn't mean I don't love you all!!!!!
Good night!
~Monica

[swineland]

Hi everyone!

Another 5am wake up call.....when will it stop??!! I guess maybe when the time changes back (or forward, I should say). Every single morning it's between 5 and 5:30am. I have tried every technique possible as far as keeping them in their cribs, lights low, quiet morning bottle, MAYBE back to sleep?? Nope. Never. It's finish bottle, squeal in delight, stand up, jump in crib, bang on the rails, shake the rails, chew on the rails.....for about 5 mins, then it's waaah, I wanna go out in the family room and play. :banghead: Sometimes they are going down for the 1st nap before DH even gets up! Grrrrrr.

Kerrie, big big hugs to you my friend. :aww: I've been sending my prayers and hopeful thoughts your way. Keep us posted.

AndreaR, SO happy about the 9 mo. appts! Sounds like they did great. Everything on your grocery list sounds good....especially the avocado. It is just one of the best things for them to be eating right now. I mix it with EVERYTHING. Bananas, mashed potatoes, gnochi, chicken, oatmeal, other veggies, etc. I wait until it's really ripe and then after I cut it in half, I just use a melon baller and scoop it all right out.

E&B update: Evan is doing much better and thank you for all your cute, kind words. Don't know how I did it, but I was very laid back about the whole thing. I have one friend whose daughter is 4 weeks older than the boys and I swear if that had happened to her, she would have driven straight over to the emergency room. I mean, I know when something is really wrong or really warrants me getting all wound up, but for the most part I don't get too worked up about things. I guess that's good with twins, eh? :snicker:
Our 9 mo. appt was on Monday and my nonchalant ped sashayed in and gave them a clean bill o' health. It's almost like he's bored, the ped. Everything is "nah, it's fine. Don't worry about it. All kids do that." etc. Sometimes it annoys me, but other times I think I like him b/c he IS so relaxed, makes me feel relaxed. Anywho, E weighs 19lbs 6oz and B weighs 19lbs 3oz. They are both 30" long. 35th percentile for weight, 95th percentile for height! Bloodwork was fine.

So, I don't know if many of you even know what I am talking about in this next paragraph, but it has to do with furniture. My DH is big into building, refinishing and restoring furniture. He has built all kinds of stuff in our house and he LOVES mid century modern furniture. His absolute favorite piece of furniture of all time is the Eames lounge chair. http://www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=0943
Of course, it's like a 3 thousand dollar chair and there is no way we would ever buy one full price. Even the used or reproduction ones are like 800-1000 bucks. SO, I'm on Craigslist the other day and I find a used chocolate brown (our color) Eames chair in Orlando for.....$100!! I showed it to DH and he almost passed out. He's like, call them, call them!! Well, it took the lady several days to get back to me and Dh was asking my like every hour if anyone had called. I kept telling him, don't get your hopes up, it's probably sold. Well, she did call me back and so I went and picked it up yesterday afternoon, but I told DH that it had been sold. OMG, he was SO upset. He was all quiet and depressed. Said he had already been researching how to restore it and work on it like an old car. I felt so bad all afternoon for lying, but I knew the surprise would be awesome. So, when he walked in the door last night from work, there was his chair, with a big bow on it and 2 babies sitting in it. He almost cried. :)

I had a mini-breakdown last night. The boys were SO fussy all afternoon, every time you would put one down he's start crying before he even hit the floor. Just the downward motion set them off. I don't know if they are getting more teeth (1st molars??) or what, but it's been driving me nuts. Plus, they just aren't that interested in their play area/toys....of course, they want to scratch the front of the TV, play with wires, get into all the things I have tried my best to conceal, but they still find a way in. SO, I'm constantly like, no no, come here, that's a no no. I do NOT want to be one of those moms that all she says is NO to her child all day long, but I can see now how it happens! I started crying on the sofa last night in front of DH and MIL....they both felt so bad for me. I said, I just need an EFFING VACATION! Do you guys realize that I have not spent ONE night away from the boys? There have been occasional mornings when a grandparent will get up early with them so I can sleep in, but as far as waking up and not walking out to be greeted by infant twins, not one day. So, I think I am going to go ahead and book a cruise for DH and I for spring break when my IL's come down again. It's April 6th and they always come down for like 2 weeks.....I'll just plan to be away for part of it. I am at the point where I don't care anymore if everything is done "perfectly". I'm anal about the bottles, I like them to be squeaky clean and half the time I re-wash what anyone else has already washed b/c after I hold them up to the light, I see old formula residue. I feel like no one else knows their routine, what they like, how to handle their moods, what their moods mean, etc, like I do. So, leaving them for 5-6 days scares me. I just need to let it go and realize that as long as their basic needs are met, it's all good.

Whew, sorry for the long post, had to rant a bit.

Be back....
Steph
p.s. Jennifer, I am SO glad your babies liked the bread/avocado/formula idea!! I'll try to post other ideas in a little bit :) (Baked apples are a hit here....)

[Daniele'sTwins]

Good Morning Ladies...

I finally (now that they are 9 months plus) am almost finished reading that book Steph ( I think) was telling us about during our pregnancy. I LOVE it and only wish I had read it much earlier. The name is, Ready or Not...Here We Come. The author is Elizabeth Lyons. I also bought the next book about raising toddler twins.

Aiden...YAY ~ Good job!:yippee:

Felisha...I used to watch Medium too but then it started freaking me out so I had to stop...lol

Andrea...Glad to hear that the doc appt went well. I wouldn't worry about the %tile thing so much. My mother was telling me the other day how I NEVER made the CHART and I was 2 weeks late! I also was not 20 lbs until I was 18 months! I was healthy just petite.
As for fattening them up...for snaks I sometimes give the boys broken up pieces of whole wheat bread, multi grain cherrios or Earth's best makes really good snack bars.
Food..How about meatballs mashed up with ricotta cheese?
Eggs...I add american cheese to their scrambled eggs.
Beans...yesterday for lunch I just opened a can of kidney beans. I squished the skins off them and put them on the tray. The boys really liked them, great finger food. Also I bought a bag of mixed beans and boiled them for 90 mins and added chix broth and pureed it. I guess for protein it is good and very healthy.

crawling...my cousin's baby never crawled either. He just got up one day and walked! I hear that happens a lot.

Pic on siggy...it took me forever but it is actually pretty easy ...go to photobucket.com and add your pic and use the code they give you to put in your siggy.

Steph...I am here with you on the getting up at the crack a$$ of dawn. My boys used to (for several months) have their bottles in the early morning and go right back to bed for a couple of hours now no shot! I tried putting them to bed later but that damn little clock in them keeps getting them up at the same time. I am worried about the trip to Florida and them sleeping in pack n plays, change of atmosphere, and time change to top it all off!
Also, surprising your dh with the chair was such a sweet idea.
I hope you do plan for that cruise! You totally need a break. I ave found it frustating lately talking to my singleton mom friends. They think life is so tough...do they realize who they are talking too? For the most part some of them say< "i give you so much credit" but others I think I make it look too easy because I don't complain so they think it is a walk in the park!

I don't know if Steph hass mentioned it yet...I was MIA for a while and still trying to catch up on the posts I missed but we were talking about all getting together for a mommies weekend. What do you guys think? I was thinking we would plan on August-ish so we don't hit any twin b-days. Maybe we should plan a weekend and then see who would be willing to go and then think of a place closest to all those wanting to attend.

Kerrie...still praying here.

Oprah...did anyone watch yesterday's show? A women had triplets that were deaf and blind...I can't imagine!

Watch out with mozzerella (I know everyone probably already know this but I will say it anyway...just make sure to cut it up very very small. Babies can choke easy on this.)

[Jillmami]

Kerrie, so sorry to hear about your dad. He and your family are in my prayers. Stay strong and hold on mama!

Nobody has any cool toys, baby paraphenelia, etc. that I can look at for birthday presents? There are so many things out there I never know what to get. We actually have this place that is offered by the respite group where you can take your kids and try out various toys and then borrow them. They refer to it as a toy library. THey have some wonderful items. We are thinking about borrowing this giant fake mirror that is padded on all sides that babies can "crawl" on, play with etc. Noah LOVES to look at himself in the mirror and he will just laugh and screech and bop. :hahaha:

I LOVE all of the new pics. Nice to see some of the mamas too!

We are going to be beachside in Monterey this weekend for a reading conference. Dh is going too so that I can have the babies there with me. Also, my co-workers wouldn't let me go without the babies. So we will have 6 sitters with us! I missed last year's conference since I was in the hospital with babies. So we decided to take goodies to the NICU on Monday for the nurses/docs that took such great care of the babies. Their 3 primary nurses have all been over at least once since the babies left last summer. So that will be fun to get new pics with them all. Other than that, it will be a mellow Monday. We are waiting for warmer weather to just have a pool party here.

Daniele, glad that you are able to post more! You were missed by everyone. :yippee: Maybe we should start telling people who ask us about our babies' daddies that the sperm bank won't give out too much info. :snicker:

Aiden, WAHOOOOOO!!!!

Andrea, as for fattening up the babies, mine are still the smallest at 13.4#/25.4" and 16.4#/27". We were told to add some cereal, like 1tbsp., to their food, add fruit to oatmeal in am, continue with baby-yo, use the higher calorie foods like sweet potatoes, bananas, etc. avocado, pasta with butter, mix what we are having (w/out spices) in a baby food mill (or other grinder/mixer), egg yolks scrambled as finger foods, etc. Our nurse is coming back in 2 weeks instead of 4 to re-weigh them to see if they are putting on more weight. If not, she told us that she has more "tricks up her sleeves." So we'll see how they do. We'll have to alert each other on any new 'fat food finds'! :shakehands:

Steph, VERY cool dw you are by getting dh the chair! I definitely think you will have quite the cruise when you go!! :knuddel: hee hee

Monica, exciting to hear that you are still working out! I bet that helps you not only feel better physically, but also mentally. Keep it up! I need to do something myself. Nice to hear that Nathan is improving. Olive oil huh... will have to check that out! I wouldn't worry about him. He is improving and that's important. Wasn't he smaller to begin with? That's how mine are. They are ahead in some areas, right on track in others, and since they are still not crawling - slightly behind in gross motor. You have all the right people working with him and that's so important. He will be just fine!! You are really doing an awesome job so no worries there.

OK, my milking session is done. I just realized that I overflowed one bottle since I have pumped about 18 oz. Now I will dry off and try to get another hour of sleep before breakfast! I will try to catch up on more posts during my next session! :flounce:

[swineland]

I also wanted to mention cottage cheese.....it is a wonderful 'mixing' option! I use it with the yo!baby yogurt, avocado, mashed potatoes, anything.

Also, as long as it's not sugar or salt, you CAN add spices/seasonings to the foods for baby. I frequently add a dash of garlic powder or italian seasoning to dinner/lunch foods and usually cinnamon or even a dash of ginger to breakfast/sweet type foods. I am going to make these sweet potato pancakes later today....I bet they're yummy! Also, Target's Archer Farms brand has wonderful frozen 'steam in the bag' veggies. I buy peas, asparagus, broccoli, carrot/cauliflower blend, etc. Frozen vegetables are actually better than fresh usually b/c the nutrients are still there. And with the steam in the bag option, it is so ridiculously easy.

A couple ideas:
Tofu Finger Cubes

1 Package Firm Tofu
Crushed/Powdered Cereal, Crackers, Granola or Wheat Germ

Slice tofu into small cubes that are manageable for your baby.
Toss tofu in a Ziploc bag with crushed Cheerios, crushed graham crackers or crushed granola
Close bag and toss to thoroughly coat tofu cubes – serve as finger food for snack or as protein source at a meal

OR

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 egg
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (use graham flour for a nice taste!)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk (or more)

Mix sweet potatoes in a mixing bowl with egg. Stir in the flour and add the baking powder. Add up to 1/3 cup of milk, stirring. Stir in 1 tbsp butter. The mixture should have the consistency of thick, lumpy sauce like an "instant" pancake mix
Place a non-stick or heavy iron skillet over medium heat on top of the stove and add 1/2 tsp butter.

Spoon batter into the skillet and cook until bubbles rise to the surface of the pancakes and break. Approx. 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook another 2 minutes. Remove pancakes from the skillet and keep warm on a covered plate in the oven. Freezes Well.

Gotta go :)

[SunMoonMom]

Hi All..

My Dad - He is holding on... His blood count was low this morning so I authorized the nurse to give him some blood... I'm his power of attorney so I have to authorize treatment. I did send a proxy letter to the hospital yesterday so that they can take authorization from my sister or aunt if they can't reach me immediately by phone. Good news is that he is hanging in there, bad news is that he does have pneaumonia (sp?) and he is fighting the vent tube. They can't sedate him because it drops his blood pressure too low. In addition, he is starting to detox (he is a long time alcoholic) so now that his body has been without the drink for a few days it is starting to have a reaction... They are giving him medicine to help with that..

Overall, he is alive and that's what is important...

Thank you all for your prayers and support... It is very very appreciated.

Kerrie

[christel]

:wavey:

OMG, the girls were so funny this morning :lol: They were stretched out on a quilt in the living room and drinking their 2nd bottle. It was getting close to nap time and Emme kept dropping her bottle and grabbing this stuffed rhino. She'd bury her face in it and suck her thumb and then fling it away and grab her bottle... did this maybe 15 times in a row. Ruby would put down her bottle, grab a toy mirror, laugh and talk to herself, put it down and go back for more formula... again and again and again. It took them FOREVER to finish eating, but was so cute :throb:

And lots of thanks for the sweet compliments on their womanly curves in their bikinis :D :throb:

Kerrie - still praying for your Dad... I know you are scared. Wish I could give you a big hug.

Steph - thank you for the recipes! Those sound great for the babies. I'm such a picky eater, I'm throwing up a little in my mouth just thinking about all the ingredients... but my girls will completely dig it and I'm proud that they're good eaters (unlike me). And that is SO COOL about the chair for DH. Big brownie points for you. We're also trying to plan a get away sans twins. DH has a conference in San Antonio in June and that's close enough that I think I can deal w/the separation. I crave it, but I dread it, KWIM? Book the cruise - you'll be a better mom and wife for it.

Lisa - thanks for asking the ? about sizes of food bites. I want to hear what everyone else does, too. I think we're going to pillow-fort the fire place, too. I have some huge floor cushions that I bought at WalMart that are too heavy for the girls to move and those can blockade the hearth.

Danielle - love the bean puree idea! Going to use it. My girls are no-no head shakers, too. It is the cutest thing, isn't it?! We can't get them to nod "yes".

Staci - are you still using a personal trainer? How did that work out? Dh asked if I wanted to try that route. I'm the biggest I've ever been, too. 20 lbs off will put me at pre-pg weight and 30 will make faint w/ joy. And a big :woo: for Aiden!!!

Missy - how are your babies? Hope they're on the mend and you're doing ok.

Felisha - Hope that DD had a better day yesterday :throb:

Jennifer - I tried the bread/avocado thing after you wrote about how much your kids liked it... it was the first time the girls had bread, so they were a little freaked out. But, it was so easy and they seemed to like the flavor. Thanks for reminding me about it... and thanks for the original idea, Steph!

Valerie - Ruby's been having a whiney-fussy-gets-Tylenol & teething tabs kinda day for about a week now. :banghead: I feel your pain. Hope your babies are doing better today. And I LOVE :love: the pic of the 4 kids in your siggy!

Monica - I've hit the sidewalk w/ the girls in the jogger for the past 2 mornings and am surprised by how much energy I've had for the rest of the day...plus, I'm not going postal after 12 hours of whining & clinging from Ruby. Guess endorphins (sp?) work after all. I do think I'm going to join a gym, too. Also wanted to say WTG on still BF! And I love your beach ball b-day idea!

Jill - meant to reply about the b-day in my last post, sorry! Can you even wrap your head around saying to people that your twins are 1 yr. old? I'm having such a hard time w/ that. I drawing a blank on some cool new toys for you to find... maybe it could be a book b-day? Ask people that want to get gifts for the twins to buy children's books instead. We did that at Christmas and have quite a collection now and I read a story to the girls every night or read a section from a longer book each night until the book's finished. Have a great time at the beach this weekend! Oh, and I love that you've maintained ties w/ the NICU staff. We are looking forward to the annual reunion at the end of April. We've been back once and sent them birth announcements and Christmas cards.

AndreaR - we got the swimsuits at Babies R Us... they're the Koala Kids brand. I'm going to use some of the get-fat ideas for Ruby, too. She is 16.25 lbs and 26 in. I'm doping her cereal w/ Enfacare 22 calorie formula. Tell me about swim lessons....how will that work?

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[newmomx2]

Still hanging in - Corey still spiking a fever once a day and we have not had a full nights sleep in 10 days I hope this virus ends soon - They go for the 9 month check-up Monday can't wait to see the stats on my guys !

Steph - Cool recipes - to date my guys have not eaten much table food - I just have little time to experiment but this weekend's grocery trip will include the avocado idea.

Danielle - saw you do eggs, so they can have scrambled eggs before the age of one - can they have the egg white and yolks or just yolks? I really struggle sometimes with how much to feed them.

I am trying to get my guys to drink out of sippy cups but to date they just chew on the end ! No juice yet either I guess I can try that soon...just been reluctant on the sugar.

Jill - Did I read your post correctly that you pumped 18 oz in one sitting HOLY COW (no pun intended) my personal best was 12 oz you are AWESOME.

I have weened Tyler and I am currently working on weening Corey but I am reluctant just afraid to stop (emotions I guess)

Aunt Flo is back and it sucks big time.

Lisa - Clingy baby - check !

Okay ladies enjoy the day - I am off tomorrow Wahoo:cloud9:

[JERSEYGEMINI]

There is definitely a whiny, clingy, teething, separation-anxiety baby epidemic going around the board. Check for all those things here! I'm going nuts. Mason, my usually "easy going" one, screeches like a banchee whenever I even stand up. Tylenol helps some of the discomfort but doesn't do anything for fear-of-mommy-leaving-room-and-never-returning episodes.

Avocado deal (originally from Steph)- spread mushed up avocado on a piece of wheat toast and soak the bread with a little formula to make it mushy. Cut into little squares (I try to stick to cheerio sized pieces for everything-sometimes a touch bigger just because it is easier for the babes to pick up). I also did this with banana and it was a hit....I think any stage 3 fruit from a jar would work, too. Thanks for the other recipes steph!

Andrea- I have a friend whose dr. told her to put butter in the formula to fatten up her son. I hear you on wanting to do healthy fats-- I think I would go that route, too. Just try lots of complex carbs and high protein foods like tofu, beans, cheeses. My babies like garbanzo beans. DH makes ricotta lemon pancakes that the babies DEVOUR (me, too!)-- they are softer in texture than regular pancakes. Also, stoney field farms makes whole milk yougurt (it is only sold in a large container). That stuff is soooo creamy good and packed with fat. Powdered milk is also highly recommended for extra nutrients and calories. Don't worry too much- they can be ballerinas! ; )

Steph- I wanted to tell you that I had those same feelings with my first baby --not wanting to let others provide the care because I worried they wouldn't do it "right". Guess what. They didn't do anything right. BUT it didn't matter. My SIL started watching Max when he was 5 months old and I returned to work for 2 days a week. I used to write her 5 pages of notes everyday (thank goodness that she was a patient soul). We finally spent 5 days in Paris when make was 16 months and it worked wonders for my sanity and our marriage. Max was so happy to get to know his grandparents, uncles or whomever better. He always surprised me by being able to adapt to a change in routine. I think it is good for babies to learn this, but hard on the mommies! I still have some of those feelings with the twins, but I have found it much easier to let go this time because I know that it will be alright in the end. Sometimes (not that often) other caregivers have even given me new ideas for how to do something! hee hee

Alright, Max just went upstairs to "cheer up" the babies after their nap and now they're screaming.

Hopefully, I can get back on later!

Jen

[AndreaR]

Clingy, whiny babies..........check! Izzy has been a little crankpot for the last three afternoons. I just gave her some Tylenol. I have no idea what's wrong, but I hope it helps. Actually I hear them both giggling downstairs with Ronit, so she must be feeling better.

Well, I tried to give them wheat bread soaked with formula today. They were psyched to get something new, but when they tasted it they both made a face that said, "WHAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? WE HATE FORMULA!" Then I gave them some mashed avocado, which they tolerated. I didn't get any "mmmmmmm"s which I do get when they eat yogurt. I added some powdered formula to the yogurt today. That's okay, right? It doesn't matter if it's not watered down, right? I will try to give them more avocado with dinner tonight.

Gotta go - giggles have turned into bawling.

[swineland]

Today I made a new meal for them. I took a bag of small golden potatoes and boiled them and also steamed about 6 cut up yellow squash. I mixed the two together in a bowl and added garlic powder and a fist full of shredded cheddar cheese. Then I pureed it all in the processor until a creamy mashed potato texture. SO SO good! I told DH we might have that for dinner as well! :snicker: 1/3 of it is in the fridge for them to eat today or tomorrow and the rest is setting in ice cube trays in the freezer.

Just wanted to pass along another original recipe from 'Steph the Chef®' !

p.s. I think Evan has a cold......:shot:

[Megzackben]

so many posts!

Steph-first of all love the tradename. Do you just come up with these ideas? I am actually going to write them down. Poor Evan. I agree with Jen. She said it perfectly. NO ONE will ever doing it like you do which is actually a blessing to know that you are so connected to another person (or 2) I have to go read the chair post. But sounds like you and DH are trying to get reconnected. Pat and I are on the same path. Since my IUD insert, the boys, sickness,... we have no special time together besides our one date night a few days ago. When can we get together?

Food-Ben has a huge gag-reflux. Everything is small pieces like cheerios or slightly bigger. With bread I toast it first so it can be chewed better. My boys love yoguart, egg YOKES only says the book. They really like bananas but only in the jar. They are like MEg, really hate to touch gooey stuff so fresh fruit finger foods are out.

Kerrie-I am so glad that your sister and family are helping you out through this. My mom went through power of attorney with Grandma and none of the other children helped support her (emotionally or physically). I will absolutely pray for your dad, family and of course you. I'll pray for healing and peace.

staci-I was thinking about you this morning. How are you coping with DS graduating and starting all over. Do you think the twins are helping you adjust? I ask because MEg is only 8 but I feel like she is slipping away so fast. I pray I'm not a mom who cant adjust to the change. I was just curious and you were on my mind.

so many more posts but cant remember and didnt take notes.

have a great night.

[Jillmami]

Missy, sorry to hear about the rough, sleepless nights in your house. Hopefully your little ones will be feeling better SOON!! (for everyone's sake.)

Chef Stef, thanks for the recipes. Hoping that Evan's cold is just a teaser!

Night!

[Megzackben]

okay read the last pages' posts. Steph I love your chair story. That is so sweet. Have you thought of the 3-4 day cruise? That way you still get away but not so long that you are thinking more of the boys than enjoying the cruise?

Staci-I didnt even read your growing too fast post before I wrote my last. I guess that's why you were on my mind :)

bully-do you have a bully? Zack has always been bigger and stronger. He will take EVERYTHING Ben has, poor Ben tries to get it back and if he does Zack pulls it right back. When they are traveling around the coffee table, Zack will push Ben and pass him making Ben fall. I dont want to be referee yet because I think its normal but I feel so bad for lil Ben.

[AndreaR]

ok, trying new signature, but i think the pics are going to be too big?

[SunMoonMom]

Bully - Yep... Zach is my bully... bigger, stronger... Ben just isn't as strong... But Ben is lighter and faster... So I guess it evens out... I have decided to let them figure this out... The only time I intervene is when Zach starts pulling hair... Again Heather, we are raising the same boys...

Steph - I am writing down your recipes for Paul to try at home with the boys... I have to get Paul motivated to try new solids... He just doesn't seem interested... I told him that the boys would be eating baby food and drinking bottles until they are 10 if he doesn't start trying to introduce new solids to their diet... I think its the difference between daddies and mommies... Daddies are so laid back that if they don't get three solid feedings in a day then its not the end of the world...

Daddy - I haven't called this morning... I am waiting for the nurses to change shift... The night nurse the last two nights is hard for me to understand (very thick accent) and I get frustrated because I have to keep asking her to repeat things... No calls this morning which is good thing... I called last night to get a status and everything was status quo... Which is good... No worse, but no better... His blood count was up last night which was positive... means that he will have more white blood cells to fight infection...

Well I should get to work... Write more soon...

Kerrie

[newmomx2]

I work from home ... of course impossible to do a full 8 hours but also do some work Sat & Sun so it evens out I guess - I originally told my boss I wanted to go 80% but he didn't want to give the pay cut but told me to take off Fridays. Sometimes I just wish he had cut the pay because I always feel pressured to work the full 8...oh well it was his choice.

Thank GOD the boys did better last night - only up a few times binkies replaced and they went back to sleep. Woke up at 6:30 and down for a nap at 9 expecting someone to wake up any minute. hope we are on the mend.

Steph - fingers are crossed that Evan does not have a cold...I highly recommend the sudacare plug things - work great on congestion at night ! Also I give a shot of gas drops when my guys get a cold cause the mucus seems to give gas !

Steph - awesome recipes you are wonder mom - I just have zero time to experiment for me the convenience of the bought food is a must...I would make food on the weekend accept that DH is usually working so I am on my own night and day - feel like the candle is burning at both ends...

I really am ready for him to quit his job and help out more...then I could really work from home - cut out the commute once a week and get extra time with my GUYS!!

I just love my little men...even when they wear me out.

Kerrie - hope your dad is doing better soon.

Well guess I better do some more work.

Bye for now ladies.

[Jillmami]

Missy re: milk output, yes I did pump out 18 oz. It's not always that much. Probably 1-2 times a day I get over 12 oz. It is crazy to look at the amount when I'm done. :snicker: Let the cow comments begin...

Well, we're off to Monterey for my reading conference/relaxing time at the beach. Enjoy your weekends everyone.

Kerrie, you continue to be in my prayers along with your family. Stay strong!

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Alright, at 4 am., it dawned on me :idea: that all these babies are having their nine month growth spurts. It is supposedly any month divisible by 3. Do you think that is part of the cranky, clingy, fussy problem?

Jill - Happy Birthday to your Babes! I swore 18 oz was a typo. You are incredible.

Andrea- The pictures are wonderful. You have very striking little girls. Their eyes are so vivid.

Kerrie- That sounds like good news. I hope your dad kicks the pneumonia soon. I know how dangerous that can be. I'll pray that he makes a turn for the better today.

Val- I love your pictures, too!

Felisha- I forgot to write before that I loved Danielle's suggestions for your DD. That sounds just like what the behavioralists at our school did last year. Also, I think the book "1 2 3 Magic" by T. Phelan has wonderful techniques for discipline and behavior modification. The 1 2 3 counting has worked wonders for my 4 yo (you can discipline without raising your voice) and he has more extensive ideas for older kids like your DD. Kids your daughters age usually still get satisfaction from completing behavior charts as well. If they complete the chart they can get a special reward. This can be something free like extra time with you!

Christel- The bikini pictures are so great. They are definitely bathing beauties.

Monica- You are right about the exercise. I know that I would feel better, but it is so hard to get going that first time! :trytofly: It is going up to 50 degrees here tomorrow so I'm hoping that I can start walking soon. That is great that Nathan is eating more!

Lisa- There are fire place gates from KidCo (http://www.child-safety-gates.com/scstore/p-1021121BB.html) Pricey, but maybe you can find one second-hand. I have the play yard like this and it is very nice.

Staci- Go Aiden! I don;t brush teeth either. I usually swab them with a wash cloth during their bath and that's about it....the ped said not to stress about it at this point.

Steph-love the tofu recipe- that is just my speed- no cooking !! Great chair story. Dh is a pretty lucky guy. :)

I love seeing pictures of you mommies (christel, steph, staci!). We should all do that. When I update my siggy for 9 months, I'll try to get a picture of myself on a day where I wash my hair. I realize that I don't have many pictures taken of me with the babies-- I'm the photographer of the family! I better change that !

Strange news after saying that I wanted to move to FL- DH may be offered a new position today within his company where his work will be half in the NE and half in Florida. Weird, huh? So he asked me if I wanted to move to Miami and I'm not sure. When I said I wanted to go there, I never thought in a million years that was an option. I hate to uproot Max, but it wou ld be great to be in warm weather. All of DH's family lives there...is that good or bad?? hee hee

Alright, :ciao:

-Jennifer

[newmomx2]

Okay so I TiVo AI and just finished watching What is up with Sanjaya still in the competition - and Sundance voted off...

Jill - enjoy the weekend.

[swineland]

:yippee: :thankyou: Oh My God!!! We just got our taxes back and we're getting $7,174!!!!! I am so excited I can't stand it....I didn't have anybody to tell besides you guys!!!

[christel]

When you have a minute, take a peek at this and read "Living the Dream"... a glimpse into our futures, for sure: http://jennyhaha.blogspot.com/2007/03/living-dream.html

It's been a tough few days and it put it all in perspective for me and makes me want to slow time down.

Steph - :woo: I'm hopeful for ours, too... DH just bought TurboTax, so we'll find out soon.

Jennifer - that's too weird about the DH/job/FL thing! It's cool to have options, though. And we don't have too many pics that I'm in, either. The one in my siggy is the first time I got to hold them at the same time. I didn't let DH take the pic until I was finished crying :)

Jill - So jealous! Have a WONDERFUL time!!!

Missy - so glad that the babies are better... it's been a tough couple of weeks for y'all!

Heather - Emme is definitely the dominant twin in our home. She runs all over Ruby. If she sees it, she wants it and she takes it. Ruby tries to get the toy back, and does sometimes, but Emme will just re-take it. It doesn't seem to bother Ruby most times, so I stay out of it. They have to figure out life together, right?

AndreaR - :throb: LOVE the new siggy pics! Gorgeous girls! And, yes, the powder sans water is fine... I do that w/ Ruby's yogurt and other stuff, too.

:lovemytwins:
Christel

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Christel- Your friend is a wonderful writer! I've checked her blog when you've listed it before...that is a very touching story.

I was speaking to a mom of 4 y.o. triplet girls + a 2 y.o. girl (a surprise baby) last week, and she was scaring me to death with tales of what her triplets did in their toddler years. I could tell that she was holding back, too! She told me to definitely invest in those crib tents and she was a big fan of pinning the sleepers with zippers (she actually cut the feet off so she could turn them around backwards and pin!). She said the girls often had big poop fests with their diapers. We have so much to look forward to!

i love it! :love:

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Oh, I forgot-

Steph, we had the same thing happen! Over 7K back!! It's amazing! Woo Hoo! The twins alone gave us $2700-- I told DH that they were paying for their diapers. :)

Everyone- Enjoy your weekend!

Jen

[swineland]

Today I bought canned pumpkin to mix in with different things, we'll see how they like it. I also bought whole wheat couscous (plain) and lentils. I'm going to try the tofu finger snacks later this weekend, we'll see how those go over. I don't know what's gotten into me w/this baby food making, but I love it! I think it's just cool to be able to cook something and know that I made it and it's good for them and they like it. Makes me feel like a good mama :) Although, there is a whole cabinet filled with the jarred stuff on days that I don't care :snicker:

I just got off the phone with my mom and I was asking her about some dates in April that maybe she could come up and help with the babies while DH and I take this possible cruise (?). She said, well, I just don't know right now. My mom doesn't work and she sometimes plays tennis, but other than that she usually has a pretty free schedule, so I said "what you do mean? Are you playing tennis or something". She got real quiet and then started to cry. Apparently, my dad discovered some lumps in his armpit 3-4 weeks ago and they are waiting for his appt. on Monday to see if his blood work or xrays show anything wrong. Don't know if they'll biopsy or not at this point. He didn't tell my mom at first, and made the original dr. appt himself and went alone. My dad doesn't like to worry anybody about anything. Anyway, not that it's anything too serious as at this point, but please keep my dad in your thoughts/prayers. Nothing major has ever happened in my life (no sudden accidents/deaths/diseases, etc.) I'm ALWAYS worrying for the day when the luck runs out and it's my turn to deal with something along these lines. Naturally, I'm already worried sick.

Hope you all have terrific weekends......spring is in the air!

xo
Steph

[Daniele'sTwins]

Steph...I will definately be praying for your dad too! I am good at this praying thing!

Jill...
Birthday gifts...I don't know what I am doing for the boys yet but I have set a date and the party will be at my house. We were originally going to put an addition on the back of our house for a playroom for them but that wass supposed to already start and it hasn't. That was going to be their gift.
Conference...how nice to have your DH and children there!
Sperm Bank Idea...LOVE IT!

Lisa...I break up the piece to the size of cheerios mostly but if it is turkey lunch meat or something thinner I may do it a little bigger.

Missy...Is the sickness gone now? I see runny noses in my house this morning...UGH!!

Eggs...yes, I thought the same thing about no egg whites until 1 year and no whole milk product until 1 year but the ped said they can at 9 months. After she said they can eat everything except nuts, honey and seafood. So then I asked AGAIN about the eggs, fish, and yogurt etc and he said that was all great. I think the egg whites before 9 months could cause a major allergic reaction.

Sippy cups...My boys have been using them for about 3 months now. I got the ones with handles and the silicone STRAW. I am so happy with them because now my boys can drink from a regular strw too.

Jill...I can't believe you can pump that much!!!! When I was pumping I was getting 3oz at a time when they were eating 4 ozs a piece! I would just cry and cry. I would split it between the two of them and then have to give them formula. It broke my heart (still does at times)! I know they say boob size has nothing to do with it but I am noticing my friends with big chest produce so much more! I was a C during pregnancy, a B before pregnancy and now I am TRYING to fill an A! What is up with that!!!

Andrea& Steph...Love the new pics!

Missy ...I also love American Idol. I am in shock about Sundance/Sanjaya! Also Sabrina! She is SOOOO good!

Tax Return...You girls are so lucky! We get NOTHING for the kids! wE GET NOTHING PERIOD! If I even told you how much we PAY in taxes you would die! Put it this way, my hand SHAKES when I write out that check!

Today... I am off to take a shower. My BF is getting married on New Years and I am goign with her, her sisiters, and her mom to pick between two wedding dresses. We were also supposed to get our measurements today too for our dresses but her sisiter and I are opting not to be measured. We both think we may be pregnant by December. ...I have officially decided to start trying in November...anyone with me on that one????????

New years eve wedding...ok, so the only people who have ever watched Nico and Luca are my parents! Well, they are invited to the wedding. I am so stuck! Not just because I don't trust anyone but because the people I trust would either have something to do or have kids themselves! Plus, asking for a Saturday night is one thing but asking for New Years is completely another!!!!

Ok, I have to shower now...be back later!

Love you all!

[newmomx2]

I think the boys are finally feeling better although Tyler was up last night and ended up in our bed a trend we are not happy about but if the choice is no sleep for anyone or come to our bed - guess what...

He was very fussy until the first nap but managed to nap for 2 hours (I laid down and rested - bummed about losing an hour tonight UGH). I will be happy to be able to take them for walks in the evening though...still need/want to lose weight 15 to get back to pre-preg 20 more for me !!! Never have time to work out and making healthy meals is tough around here.

Jill - Awesome you can pump that much - I am just now weaning Corey so by the end of this week they will both be on formula...Very sad but proud I made it to 10 months. I think I could have done better if I did not have that Sinus infection in Dec and was on decongestants for to long.

Danielle - Thanks for the egg info - we go to our 9 mth on Monday and I am going to ask about it...(our appt is 2 weeks late). Frustrated on the sippy cups I put 1/3 juice 2/3 water but can't get them to drink it they just want to chew the end - I think I need to try a different style today and see what happens. Kudos on thinking about getting preg again - lord we are still discussing if we even want anymore....WE LOVE OUR GUYS - I think if we knew we could have a girl DH would totally go for it!

Steph - I will add your dad to my thoughts/prayers.

Boys are having veal and peas for lunch - they love it but ick sounds gross to me - sometimes I serve it on a ritz cracker and break into pieces !

Need to go to the grocery store tomorrow but if SIL/BIL come over probably won't make it - so we will have to stumble through another week without a trip to the grocery store - NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY I TELL YA !

Okay ladies - got to go do the laundry for the week and let the dog back in.

[christel]

:wave: Hi everyone,

This is the 1st time I've ever looked forward to the spring time change. Tomorrow morning my girls will wake up at 8 instead of 7 :woo: I won't have had any extra sleep, but I'll THINK I had it just b/c the clock says 8 :D

DH and I went to IKEA this afternoon w/ the girls. They're in the process of dropping their 3rd nap and are complete fuss pots by 4pm. They screamed all through the store once the novelty of the different people wore off. So first we had all the people staring and coming up saying how cute they were and THEN... people were staring and backing away from us. Ruby has the shrillest scream and it echoed thru that place w/ it's high metal ceilings and concrete floors. Uggh! We did buy a big ottoman w/ storage to replace our coffee table. The slip cover is washable, too! I think that will serve us well :D

Missy - I hear ya on the healthy meals... so hard! When you're tired at the end of the day, all you want is fast and comfort food, not to cook a proper meal. We SUCK at planning meals ahead of time. That's why I still have 20 more lbs to go.

Danielle - I'm in my sister's wedding on June 2 and I'm not going to buy the dress until May 31 if I can help it! I want to lose my last 20 lbs. I'm not sure what to do about the babies, either. The whole family is involved and we'll be in a different town... I think I'm going to ask my mom to find some responsible teenagers from their church to babysit. We'll be at my mom's a few times before June and I'll try to meet them and maybe test 'em out.

As for baby #3... DH and I are both on the fence about that. The timing is definitely not for another 2 years or so, if it happens at all. We've got 4 baby-cicles in the freezer so we can plan the timing of it all. Mostly I'm scared about the possibility of having twins again. Our RE will probably want to stack the chances of a successful transfer by putting 2 in at least. OY! My pg was fraught w/ dangers and then having to deliver at 32 weeks... I'm scared of another pg - and that's just thinking about a singleton. I think that's so great that you're excited about trying for another baby! I wish I felt that way.

Steph - I'm praying for your daddy.

Jennifer - my friend has been amusing me w/ her writings since 7th grade! She's an amazing story teller. Her twins and singleton have given her a run for her money... especially in the diaper department. She has a post in the Oct. 2006 archives about a particularly horrific finding... poop in the toy kitchen microwave! I'll let Jenny know about wearing footless pj's backwards and pinned. Maybe she hasn't tried that yet :snicker: Who knew it would be so hard to defeat 3 toddlers. I'm scared.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend
:lovemytwins:
Christel

[newmomx2]

Well fevers/virus gone - cold for both OH BOY - week 3 of illness - I don't think I can take much more ! Tyler is also cutting a tooth maybe that is more the reason he as the runny nose not sure - but SOOO FUSSY and needing constant attention.

Christel - we have '3' on ice ourselves so have time but I am with you scared it could be twins again - Doc put in 2 last time and both took the next time (if there is one) we would just put in 1 !

My boys still got up at 6am (which really means 5am) apparently they adjusted to the time change - what is up with that !

So I fed them an early B-fest since I knew Tyler was REALLY tired - once he had is BM I took him straight back to bed - but now Corey is up and I am afraid to put him in the room for fear he will wake up Tyler - so I think we will place him in our bed ----

Well better go hope since DH is home today I can get a siesta - weather is nice to, maybe I will take them for a walk perhaps the fresh air will make them feel better. I can only hope

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Sorry- I am just going to vent now. I had the worst night in months and months. I had given them both Motrin before bed in case of tooth pain, but drugs seem to help nothing. Mason woke up in his usual style as of late at 12 am just to fuss. However, he woke his sister who usually sleeps through it now. They both proceeded to scream for an hour (they would settle, but if I started to leave the room, they would start their high pitch shrills again). Finally, Isa fell back to sleep with Mason screaming. I finally had Mason quiet again after another 30 minutes doing CIO. At this point it is 1:30 am (really 2:30 with the time change). I climb into bed and snuggle down....ahhh.....BUT 15 minutes later, Isabella starts screaming AGAIN. I run in, replace binky, she goes right back to sleep, but the Mason starts crying AGAIN. :stress: He cried for another 45 minutes. I was going in every 5, 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 minutes... (I just can't go for 15!). Finally, silence until they both woke up for good at 5 am for bottles. :banghead: What a nightmare. DH was no help, either, so I'm angry with him. He came in ONCE to pat Mason on the back, but then said, "I'm not going to stand here all night. I'm going to bed." I asked him if he had any good ideas, but of course, he didn't. Sometimes I just want to quit this job! Not really, but in the middle of the night the thought does cross my mind. Sorry to be so negative. I'm sure things will look better after a nap later (I told DH that I was taking one-no excuses).

I hope you all are having a better Sunday!!

Jen

[swineland]

Jennifer...I TOTALLY feel for you. I"m so sorry you had such an awful night. Things aren't going too swimmingly here either. Evan got a cold, then passed it along to Bailey who then passed it along to me. I think I am sicker than the two of them. I haven't felt this bad in well over a year. Of course, DH is out in the garage working on that DAMN chair I bought him!! What was I thinking?? He spent like 4 hours out there yesterday and about the same today. His answer is to bring the saucer and PNP out in the garage and plunk the babies down in there. That's his idea of watching them. Meanwhile, they are jonesing to get out and play with daddy and watching him through the netting of the pack n' play just isn't cutting it. There are half-drank bottles on the floor b/c DH thinks that he doesn't have to clean them up....I guess the bottle fairy comes by and magically cleans all the bottles. I'm just pissy b/c I don't feel good, but I have FOR SURE felt like quitting this job!

I just keep waiting until I can book this cruise in April. Of course, I really would love to go with a group of girlfriends, that's what I would really like. Isn't that awful? Not that I don't want to go with DH, but I'm irritated at him today, so my friends sound better. Who wants to join me?:snicker:

Steph

[newmomx2]

Cruise with the girls CHECK !

DH slept till noon today - HELLO WHERE IS MY SLEEPING IN... of course he did let me go take a nap.

Steph - my DH will take the boys to the basement while he plays video games what's up with that !

Jen - I TOTALLY FEEL YOUR PAIN. I feel like 9 out of 10 nights in the past 2 weeks we have struggled with let one cry for fear of waking the other one up - OR are they really sick and need comfort.

Here's to a better night tonight (especially since tomorrow is Monday and off to work I go).

9 month check up tomorrow - curious on weight/height wondering if I need to get rid of the infant seats yet - mine say 5-22lbs AND 29 inches.

I read some of the posts but what is everyone getting for the next car seat?

[JERSEYGEMINI]

Hi Ladies. I'm posting instead of hanging out with DH while, yes, all THREE children are napping (wonders never cease), because I'm still mad at him.:sigh:

Thanks for your sympathies Steph and Missy. I am feeling better (of course I just had a beer and they go straight to my head these days :) ). Steph-sorry to hear that you're feeling crappy. That makes it all harder. Husbands generally don't seem to understand that plopping a baby down with a toy, in a PNP, exersaucer, etc., doesn't equal childcare. Also, just because a baby doesn't take a nap after only 5 minutes of encouragement, doesn't mean he/she is not tired...but that's another subject. Anyway, I feel so guilty for wanting to run away in the middle of the night because I fought tooth and nail to have these babies. DH loves to remind me of that-- he says I have no right to complain because I "asked for IT" (IVF and all). I think that I can still complain because this is the hardest job I've ever done. It's even harder than grad school. hee hee This job has no breaks -- it runs through weekends, holidays, and apparently for many of us, all night! Feel better Steph. I would love to go on a cruise with you ; )

So, I think Mason may only need one nap per day now. He fights so when I try to put him down in the morning, and he seems slightly grumpy, but okay staying up until noon at the rare time when I've been out in the morning. I think I need to forfeit that fight. It is so early to give up a nap, though. I will truly miss my morning alone time when DS is at preschool. I don't know how I will ever post. :(

Missy- I shouldn't complain because it is a million times worse having SICK babies at night. I hope everyone is feeling 100% soon. Maybe spring time will move all these viruses out--

We moved the babies out of infant seats in December. This was mostly because we were taking a long car trip and wanted them to be comfortable. My son, 8 months, is 23 lbs and 30 inches. He is really solid, and even back in December, he seemed crowded in there. They are much happier in their big seats. We bought an Alpha Omega- Alpine Blue style- that converts to a booster seat. I love it. I know Steph got some good ones as well that are Britax quality, but produced by Fisher Price. It was hard to let go of the snapngo, though. I just sold my 2 infant seats and snap n go for $160. I got a little teary when I saw them go...DEFINITELY don't need anymore babies here, though! Kudos to all of you considering it. You're amazing! :)

Alright, I am going to go and make nice. We're going to watch An Inconvenient Truth (with Al Gore) tonight at 8. We'll see what he has to say...

Happy Sleeping and Feel Well!

Jen

[Daniele'sTwins]

Hi everyone!

Missy...My boys also got the time change memo! Isn't that weird! They were up bright and early this mornign!

Jen... I am sorry about your bad night. My boys have not been sleeping too well either! What is going on with these babies? Maybe it is a growth spurt, teething? I don't know but I don't like it one bit!

Steph... I am so sorry you aren't feeling well. My boys both have runny noses now too. Seeing as though we have less than a week until Disney I am getting worried! They better not be sick for Mickey Mouse!

Girlfriend Trip...I would rather go to NH with my girlfriends than a vacation with DH lately too. The worse part is...I don't even dislike him, I would just rather be with my friends lately!!!

Infant seats ...we have been out of them since November. The boys were about 6 months. They were getting too big for them.

Today was family day at the mall. We went on a Disney World shopping spree for my skinny husband who lost tons of weight! He doesn't fit into his last year clothes!!

Ok, I am going to pay attention to him now...it is usually him on the computer at night but he isn't so I don't want to be.

XOXOXO

[Daniele'sTwins]

New pic...actually it is almost 3 months old! I will try to take a new pic of them together this week.:photo:

Paul is watching Rome...YUCK!:thefinger: I think I am just going to go upstairs to read.

Good Night ladies! May all our babies sleep:sleep: so sweetly and not wake up until after our second cup of coffee:cuppa: in the morning!

Ok, so I never used those smilies so much before! I don't know what is getting into me! I must have more time on my hands! Yay for me!

[AndreaR]

seem like my girls are still on standard time, yeah! isabelle woke up a little while ago, but i nursed her and she's back to sleep. i should go back to sleep myself, but i know as soon as i nod off, one of them will wake up.

daniele - congrats to paul on the weight loss. how did he do it? any good tips?

diet - i'm thinking of joining weight watchers. i've been pretty good about exercising (and, monica - i'm in total agreement with you about enjoying now but i used to HATE it before), but i'm so bad about eating to omuch.

swimming lessons start next saturday. dh and i are doing it together with both girls on saturday mornings. i'm really looking foward to the family time. i JUST realized that it means that i need to get into a bathing suit! YIKES! i bought the girls really cute polka dot suits from lands end. i'm hoping that everyone is distracted by the cute babies and will not notice the cottage cheese on my thighs.

dh - we had a rough start to the weekend, and i so wanted to go away by myself, but we made up late saturday afternoon. just in time for our date. we went out to a nice restaurant with my brother and sil. it was our second saturday IN A ROW that we went out as adults. it's really made a difference in my attitude.

both girls have colds still - going on two weeks now - maddie is worse than izzy. they are also on a bit of a hunger strike. figures, right when the doc tells us to get them to eat more. madeline completely refuses to drink formula. no bottle, no sippy cup. i think her teeth are really bothering her too. any thoughts?

oh sh!t. looks like maddie is waking up. sorry i couldn't respond to everyone.

well, have a terrific day mommies. hope everyone is feeling better. we're having great weather here, so we are going OUTSIDE!!

xo
andrea

ps. kerrie & steph, i am prayign for your dads.

[newmomx2]

Well they definitely have colds now - Corey was up all night screaming so between DH and I we got 2 hours of sleep - he is off work today and is sleeping now - then I am heading to bed...needless to say I am taking a vacation day at work, I hope they are better by tonight and I can get to work - if this keeps up I am so afraid of losing my job...ugh I hate to call the in-laws again this week they were here so much last week when we had the virus and fevers.

Oh yeah and to top it all off I think I have pink eye - so after my nap I need to strip the bed and call the doctor for myself, the boys go for the 9mth check-up this afternoon so not sure when I can get to the doctor - so afraid I will give them pink eye - of course I think it is their cold that got into my eye !

Sorry to compain this has been a rough few weeks so ready for spring and germs to go away I am beginning to think they will be sick forever. I also just stopped the BF so I am an emotional reck makes me think the lack of Breast-milk is causing all the illness.

Gotta run the screaming has begun again.

[Jillmami]

We made it back safely from our trip. Babies were AWESOME for the 3 hour car ride. However, they had issues with sleeping both nights. The first night was a nightmare. They each slept on either my chest or dh's. Too much new stimuli, surroundings, etc. Once we got home, they fell right back into their schedule so that was nice. Beach was gorgeous! Conference was great too.

Will go back through the past few days to see what you ladies have been up to later. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Yeah for spring getting here!