Born In January &/or February '05

[MomtoA&S]

Donna - Yay for Leo for doing so well on the climber! Hope the painting goes well today.

Kate - sorry to hear Dean is having a rough time. I can't believe he was strangling Jack. Hopefully you can get that figured out soon. Maybe he's just really having a tough time adjusting to the move and all. Can't wait to see pics of the house, you must be so excited to finally be in it. Here's hoping the boys slept in this morning for you.

Laura - We go through weeks here where the boys aren't into napping for a couple of days in a row. Then they finally realize they still need it and end up napping 3 hours for a couple days in a row. I'll be praying that they nap for you today!

Tracy - Holy moly, I can't believe the girls split a steak! I wish that would happen here! We have to tell Aidan that everything is pork and then he'll try it. My friend had that virus a couple of years ago. Hope you feel better soon.

Stacy - can't wait to see Brady's announcement!

Catarina - sorry to hear you had such a long day. That's cute how the boys wanted to go on the airplane too!

It has been raining literally all week long. We didn't leave the house all day yesterday so I think we'll take a ride today, even if it's just for the scenery! I hate keeping them couped up all day. Other than that, no plans today, maybe some much needed cleaning.

We have a big weekend here......we'll be watching the Red Sox Friday and Saturday night. The boys actually watch with us and can now name all the players. Although, they'll only get an hour of it Friday night before they go to bed. We also need to make a trip to the Carters outlet. Apparently the sleepers I bought aren't as big as I thought they were. They fit them perfectly now but definitely won't last all winter. Oh well!

[oneplustwinsmom]

Hello everyone. It has been awhile since I posted last. I've been checking in and reading posts; however, I haven't had the time to reply until now. H and N.....brace yourself and prepare to be shocked.....are potty training!!!!! I cannot believe it. H is picking up on it pretty easily. N is not totally on board. I think the only reason he is trying is because he is getting ticked watching H get M&M's and stickers. They went to preschool today in undies and H came home with his pair on while N had to be changed. Bless his heart for trying.

M is doing good outside of the attitude she has taken the last couple of weeks. She is 5 going on 13! She and I are at each other lately. We are both stubborn and just pushing each others buttons. Realizing how much we are alike makes me feel sorry for dh since he has to deal with both of us.

Everyone have a great rest of the afternoon. I hope to start leaving individual messages soon. Take care!!!!

[mrsljb]

Here's a pic from the pumpkin farm...I had a few but for some reason I can't make them smaller. If I can get them smaller, I'll post them.

The boys looking for pumpkins.

[tgauts]

Tammi- congrats to the boys for potty training! It's a huge step that's for sure. Gotta say though that going out without a diaper bag and all that jazz is so nice... Sorry to hear that you're going through some tough times with dd, I hope things improve soon.

Kate- holy cow, I can't believe that Dean did that. I'm sure he's really struggling with the transition and just can't express himself properly. I know it must be really scary and frustrating for all of you. Keep us posted on how your'e doing. Thanks for touching base yesterday. It's just not the same without you... I can't wait to see pics of the house. Boxes or no, it doesn't matter!

Donna- way to go Leo! That's awesome! Poor Luka... thank goodness kids sleep so soundly that they sleep through just about anything. That little stinker Leo staying up like that!

Laura- sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. I have to admit that it's tougher when the kids don't nap. The day when I'm dragging can be really long...

Jen- I hear you about the weather... I can't remember the last time we really saw the sun here either. They are actually calling for snow tonight... Ack!

Busy day here. My mouth is killing me. What are you gonna do? I've got to let the virus run it's course. I would be easier if I didn't have to talk but it's part of the job...

The girls are great. Last night they were actually playing a toddler version of Go Fish. Was cute!

I'm hitting the sack. Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday!

[nvtwins]

Tracy - sorry to hear that your mouth is still hurting.... and the talking's the biggest part of our job... especially at your grade level! Rest up and hopefully you'll be feeling better so you can enjoy your weekend!

Laura - LOVE, LOVE the pics of the great pumpkin quest, too cute! We're on the no-nap train as well, and it's certainly no picnic... especially since I feel that they can still really benefit from one! Good luck to you on that front.

Tammi - don't feel bad, I've been MIA for nearly a week as well. Catch up when you can.

Jen - were you able to get out for a drive? That sort of weather makes me want to pull my hair out... and I'm not a SAHM! Hope you were able to get out for a drive, and maybe get a donut?!?!?

Donna - liver? NEVER been able to even look at it, let alone eat it! Sorry that you went to all the work to prepare it though, that must have been frustrating! That pushing story is actually cute... nothing like a pushy girl to get things going! Were you able to work on the painting today? Post a pic when you can.

OK... so I feel like I've been MIA for longer than just a few days! My friend left today and I was hopping in the shower when my phone rang. It was daycare telling me that Dean had a fever and that we needed to come get him. Of course, this means that he won't be able to go tomorrow either! Seriously, and this is karma in the biggest way...but now I've got to spend all day tomorrow with the kid that is bugging me the most... see?

So, DH went and got him while I showered. This is after spending nearly 2 hours packing up the miscellaneous (sp?) left-over stuff from the old house and the lugging it up here, and unloading and unpacking. My friend left after lunch, and that's when I got the call. Dean and I hung out this afternoon while DH ran errands. My FIL is going to come tomorrow so I can get my nails done (don't even want you to know how BAD they look after this crazy week) and go to the chiro. I'm taking Jack to daycare since he's not sick... and neither is Dean.

Another horrible night last night with him, which is why I think he spiked a fever. He was up at midnight, and I went in and woke DH at 3:30... I was in tears, since I got just 2 hours of sleep the night before with the wind and the boy's crying. Grrrrrrr. Anyway, tomorrow afternoon, dh will watch the boys while I run a few more errands. The house is feeling a bit more put together, but now I'm really wanting our new couch and it's still about 4 weeks out. The wallpaper went up on one wall, only to discover that there's a flaw in it, so now we're having to do battle with the distributor.. wish us luck. So the dining room is 1/3 finished. The blinds in the bathroom were nearly 2" too short, so those are being shipped back to the fabricator so they can make new ones. The floor guy for the hardwood came and took a look at the things that needed to be taken care of and realized that he'll need some pieces, which he doesn't have so he's ordered the wood and will be back next week.

The good news is that we meet with the title people Monday to do the paperwork for the sale of our old house! That's going to feel pretty good!

There's news on dh's job front, but I can't tell you more right now... next week, promise.

I'm planning on taking some pics tomorrow and posting them, but right now I need to get to bed.

Sweet dreams my friends!
Kate

[mrsljb]

I woke up to the most horrible sound this morning. Well, I was already awake, but just laying in bed waiting for the alarm when I heard it....for a sec, it almost sounded like water was spraying out of something. I got up and started walking around my house, turned on the kitchen light and saw both the cat and the dog staring into my laundry room. The only thing in there is the hot water heater and the washer and dryer, and a ton of laundry As I got closer, I can hear this noise, and I then I see my cat pawing something....so I realized it had to be a critter But what in the world makes a noise like that? Well, after throwing on my shoes and grabbing a broom, I started to poke around, and sure enough, under one of the laundry bins, there's a little mouse...I couldn't catch him, so DH is going to have to set up traps tonight, that is if the cat or dog don't get him first! That's the only thing that I hate about living by the forest preserve...we've had a mouse or two every other winter.

Okay, so that was my quick vent for this morning...

I'll catch up with everyone this afternoon...the boys have Little Tykes this morning, which means that I have two hours to myself...although the first stop is going to be the hardware store or something so I can get some traps for my new friend....then we have that portrait sitting this afternoon, the one that I got talked into at Sam's Club...remember?

Hope everyone has a good day!

[slgrizz]

Ok, I should be doing laundry, but here I am instead.

Laura - Great pumpkin patch pics! Again, I'm thrilled about your girl scout meeting topic (I used to do some counseling for eating disorders)!

Kate - Wow! I can't believe you're finally in your new house! I CAN'T WAIT to see pics! So sorry about your problems with Dean though. Jackson has had some similar issues since Brady was born too....not so much aggression towards others, but general aggressive and annoying behavior....throwing things, banging things, whining, etc. I totally think it stems from him not being able to effectively communicate what he's feeling. But, lately he's been saying, "I miss you, Mommy". Awwwww, that just KILLS me! But, anyways, just hang in there. It's no excuse for him to act like that, but try to be patient and try to get him communicating.

Tracy - Sorry about your mouth! Sounds terrible!! I hope you start feeling better soon.

Jen - I know I'm a little late in saying this, but don't feel bad about Aidan's fall! It could (and will) happen to any of us! I'm just so glad he's ok. Oh, and that's so freakin' cute how the boys know the names of the Red Sox players!

Donna - Sorry bedtime has been a struggle with Leo. Was last night any better? I know Sarah's mother was probably horrified, but her "I wanted to push" totally cracked me up!!

Catarina - Did you try a shorter bathtime last night? How'd it go? Ours is usually about 15-20 minutes also. Boy, we've had some whining around here too. What's up with that??!! Argh!

Hi to everyone else I missed (Wendy, Stephanie, Sarah, Tessa, Kristin.......)! We're doing good here. A friend of mine took J & P to playgroup this morning, so it was just Brady and I for a few hours. SO weird how quiet the house was! I ran around like crazy trying to clean and do laundry while I had the chance.

Brady's doing great. Still doing two 4 hour stretches at night, which isn't bad. I swear he's on the verge of giving us his first smile, so that will be fun when it finally happens.

J & P are doing pretty well. They seem to be getting a little stir-crazy in the house, so I'm going to try and find some new arts and crafts/indoor games to keep them entertained. It's just alot of work getting all 3 kids out, so we can't blow and go like we used to (yet )...

Ok, off to fold that laundry! Have a great weekend everyone!

[nvtwins]

Stacy - glad to hear that things are going well there.... I think about you often! How nice that your friends took J&P for awhile to give you some along time with Brady.

Laura - I was reading your story with dread... fearing a skunk or something equally awful, and found myself giggling when I got to the mouse part Good luck managing that.

I've been home with Dean. His mouth was COVERED with cankor (sp?) sores, which might account for yesterday's fever. He took a good nap, and we managed a trip to the store.

I've got some pics to post before I head out to get Jack. Dh is working, so I'm on my own until 6 or so.

I'l going to post the before pics, just to give you an idea. The photos may be a bit dark, it's overcast here today. If they look bad, don't worry... there'll be more to come as things get put together.

Here's our grocery visit...


Here's the hallway before/after... as you walk in through the front door...



Here's the living room/kitchen...






OK... that's it for now. Hope everyone's having a great day!

Kate

[fitz]

Stacy ~ I know... I had a really tough time not cracking up at Sarah's comment, too--it was so logical! Thanks for the sympathy, but yikes, last night was just plain bad... The night before was so great, too--it's just going to take a little time. So nice of your friend to take J&P to playgroup--I can imagine how weird that bit of 'free' time felt. And definitely keep that camera handy if you really think Brady's on the verge of a smile--we got Leo's first laugh on film, and it's still one of my favorite shots of him!

Laura ~ A mouse?! Ick!!!!!!!! Stuff like that freaks me out, though I know it's inevitable when you live near wooded areas. (Donna makes a mental note to move back to Manhattan... ) Let us know how the portrait sitting went!

Kate ~ I can't believe they left you with so many things done unfinished or done improperly! I hope it all gets wrapped up really quickly for you. I totally hear you on the frustration of having to spend more time with the kid that's making you nutty, but right now, you can probably do ol' Deano more good than anyone. Just remember that he doesn't understand what he's doing--if you need to vent, just give a buzz! How was today?

Tammi ~ Good to hear from you--congrats on the potty training--I'm duly impressed! I'm thinking we won't really be there until closer to the boys' thirdf birthday...

Jen ~ Sheesh, I love that you've got the boys watching MLB games and even being able to name the Red Sox players! Way too cute...

Tracy ~ Good lord, somehow I missed the bit in your post when you mentioned having that evil virus... How are you feeling now?!

Well, last night Senor Leo decided that he just wasn't in the mood for sleep. I don't even know how he did it, since he was up for something like sixteen hours with barely over a half-hour nap. (If he keeps doing that, I'm going to send him out to get a job!) Anyway, he finally gave in and went to sleep just before 11:00...

We took them to the kiddie amusement park today, though--it was such a beautiful day for it--and they had a great time. And luckily, Leo hasn't napped. So I'm thinking that once he has dinner and I give them a bath, we'll be in business.

Tomorrow night we've got a housewarming to go to. They'll have a bouncy thing, apple bobbing and some other kid activities, so the boys should have a good chance to get their extra energy out. Can't wait to see my friend's new place, either! (She moved to Westlake, Stacy.)

I never got to paint yesterday, but I did get the boys' bedroom rearranged, to at least the day was generally productive. And W and I got out to look at appliances, which is really starting to take precendence...

Hope everyone had a good day, and I hope I didn't miss anyone--though I'm relatively sure I did, since I knew there were comments I wanted to make that I haven't, yet. But I'll catch up, I promise!

Donna

[double dip]

Tammi- Yeah on the potty training! Did they initiate it or did you? I hope it is still going well and their motivation and enthusiasm continues. Glad you found a moment to post. Are they still liking school?

Laura- you do such a wonderful job with your troop meetings. I bet Amanda feels pretty proud (even if she doesn't tell you ) Sounds like Kevin and Kyle are enjoying their LT. I love the updated siggy and the pumkin pics.

Donna- It must be challenging when you have stuff to do at the house when the sitter is there. I find that Eli and Emory's behavior is totally different when Carrie is there vs when she is at work. I bet that can be challenging for W too although I don't think you've really complained. You are always so positive. I always feel good after reading your posts. Even when you post about your more troubled days (floors, pains, late nights, etc) you almost always mention something about a bright spot in the day or a silver lining. Sorry for the tangent...Have fun at the house warming party. I have never heard of a house warming party with so many kid centered events.

Stacy- wow, the first smile just around the corner. So cool to hear about some of the little things. I love the new siggy with the pictures of the kids admiring little Brady. Has Parker been doing even more pretend play with her baby dolls?

Jen- gotta admit, I was wowed that the boys are such Red Socks fans already. How fun!!!!! How is the landscaping project developing?

Kate - do you think maybe Dean has hand-foot-mouth disease? Did you check his feet/hands ? If he does, I remember the ped saying that there are at least 2 days of awful behavior that goes along with it as the kids just don't know how to cope/communicate their symptoms most of the time to really alleviate them. Your house is striking- love the colors and the warm tones.

Tracy - how sore is your mouth? Is there anything you can do to help? My ped told me to mix 1 tsp of malox w/ 1 tsp benedryl for the girls & give right before mealtime to help with their sore mouth last year when they had hand-foot-mouth disease.

Catarina- is your MIL still in town? Are Noah & Miguel enjoying preschool nowadays?

Tessa- congrats on the news about having a boy. Do you usually decide on a name beforehand or wait until birth to make sure it "fits"? Do you Steve usually agree right away or does one have to do some convincing? I just love talking about baby names...you have such great ones already...lots of pressure The pumpkin patch is Sunday BTW and we are really looking forward to it! It is nice that Steve and Brighton got to spend some time together. The painting pics were cute. I love Bri's smile...she just seems so proud.

We went to the zoo today and met up with 2 friends with twins (all girls...all in the 2 year old age range) Gorgeous day...70s & sunny. Perfect, pleasant weather. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. My friend Julie made these super cute candy corn print pants for the girls and they have their Halloween shirts from last year to wear to the pumpkin patch. They were very excited to try the outfit on tonight...I'll try to post a pic later. Staying close to home tomorrow.

Oh also Payless is having the buy one get one half off sale. Their toddler girl shoes are decent...well the "smart fit" ones anyway. Flexible enough soles with leather uppers in cute mary janes...black, pink, brown, tan. Irrestible. I know they will need back ones for Christmas so we picked them up & they can wear them to the pumpkin patch too since it will be cute with the outfit. I also picked up the lighter tan mary janes for Annie & brown mary janes for Gabi....sizes 9 and 9 1/2 are what they are wearing now. I think I ended up paying $34 for 4 pairs of shoes. Great on our tight budget since they are cute but also good for play shoes.





A pic taken this week out in our back "yard"...


Kristin

[fitz]

Just popped in to take a quick peek, but will be back later...

Kristin ~ You always make me smile... The boys are invariably great for sitters, but I can understand how you see a difference when E and Em's mom is there, because the boys' energy definitely goes up a notch if they see me or W. Luckily, they're still great for the sitters, but I always feel bad when I'm doing something that has to keep me in a separate room...

Autumn's absolutely my favorite time of year, too... I just wish we had more of one around here! We get the leaves dropping, but no color beforehand. I was surprised at the kid-friendly housewarming, too, but I think they're sort of combining it with a Halloween party and wanted to make a big deal of it, since they're pretty far away from all of their friends now.

I've got to ask, Kristin--how tall are the girls now?! I know they're a little older than the boys, but these guys are only wearing 7 1/2s. (Well, with the Tsukihoskis they're wearing now, Luka's wearing a 15 and Leo a 14, though I suspect they're about to move up a notch...)

Kate ~ You posted just before I did... The place looks just beautiful, and how cute was your little fellow in the supermarket? I can't wait to see more pics...

We had a great bedtime here, thank goodness, and I hope everyone else had a good evening--will take a peek before I go to sleep...

Donna

[double dip]

I actually measured them to see how tall they were for Julie so she could make the pants and because there were some tights on clearance (75 cents) at our walmart but size 4-6x fitting girls 38 inches

They are 38 inches tall to the best of my knowledge with an inseam of 13 inches. They seem slightly tall for their age:hopingtheygotthetallgenes: I am only 5'2"

I guess I better get to bed as dh went to bed at 9:30 already.

[nvtwins]

I'm popping back in as well... before heading to bed. I've been hooked by the show Dirty, Sexy Money and was watching last weeks episode on the computer. Great writing... different than other shows on. I try to limit myself to one new show a season, and this is it. I also watch ER and Lost... and that's about it for me... thank goodness for TiVo and computers. That way I can watch it when I have a chance.

Donna - Yay for good bedtimes... we had our first successful bedtime in the new house... whew! Any fun plans for tomorrow?

Kristin - you are also a positive force in this group... despite all the challenges you've face, your upbeat outlook on things is refreshing! The girls are getting so big. Love the pants and shirts... and their hair is just beautiful! How's the house selling going?

We've officially got a "sold" sign on our old house... will be relieved when that's over. Think maybe DH and I will go out for dinner and have a celebratory drink!

Today wasn't bad... just a bit subdued. I wasn't able to get the stuff done around here, just because having Dean around made things tricky. I did get my nails done while my FIL was here, and ran an errand on my way home. Dean napped for nearly 2 hours, then we were off and errand running. No bumps or anything on his hands or feet, just cankor sores in his mouth. Dinner was great, and they both LOVE yogurt push-ups. Wowie are they messy... but I think it felt really good on Dean's mouth. They ran around the house like banchees (sp?) and wore themselves out. They both crawled into bed, and that was it. It's been nearly 3 weeks since that's happened.... nice! I've got pilates tomorrow, then the gym. Dh is working tomorrow, so I may call a friend and see if she wants to come over and visit, and go to the park...if the weather holds. We only hit 52 today... and it was overcast to boot.

I'm going to go to bed, I'm hoping that no one will wake up in the middle of the night. I've moved from the office floor to the guest room, which is on the same side of the house. I've been sleeping with the door open so I can hear the pitter patter of little feet on the hardwood. Dean's been insisting that we leave the door open... poor guy.

Hope everyone has a great morning... will check in tomorrow.

Sweet dreams,
Kate

[catarina]

Kate - for a peaceful bedtime, you deserve it. The house looks gorgeous! Truly stunning. Love the colors you picked too, can't wait to see more pictures. Love the picture of Dean grocery shopping, right in my favorite aisle too, breakfast foods. He looks so grown up, though Kate... time flies. Did he miss Jack at all today or did he enjoy having the entire house to himself?

You mentioned that Dean wanted the door open, do you have a night light in their room? It may help on many levels or just getting them something to keep them company. Just some thoughts since it's a new place and all. Have fun at pilates tomorrow.

Donna - Glad you too had an easier bedtime. What's going on with these kids, I know mine have (well Noah for the most part) has been really hard to settle down at night, thank god they are still in cribs and I don't have any thought of getting them into twin beds anytime soon. They are wild, wild boys! More on that later. Happy to hear that Leo continues to improve but I how could he not he's determined and you are a great mama, 2 key ingredients!

Sorry about your liver dish the other night, you know I can sort of relate or maybe Z can. I don't eat beef at all, so I have a tendency to cook chicken, fish and pork. Although, Z likes all of these things I know that he does have a hankering for a steak every once in a while. poor guy. I can imagine Sarah's mom being horrified, about Sarah "wanting to push" I've suffered similar when Noah hits someone or does something intentionally and doesn't want to say sorry.

Tracy- Sorry about the awful virus, hope you can recover quickly from it, I'm sure it's not fun at all. Sending you healthy vibes.

Kristin - My MIL left on Wednesday. I gotta tell ya Miguel was so sad to see her go, he really bonds with people quickly well Miguel bonds with anyone that reads him stories and my MIL bought two new books for the boys which they loved. Miguel was wondering why we all couldn't go on the aplane with gramma and grampa? So so cute.

The girls pants and their little shirts = adorable.

The boys are doing well in preschool. Miguel was never a problem; he never wants to kiss me or anything (can you believe it already) Noah usually has a bit of a challenge going into the classroom on some days. But the good news is that he has started to fully participate in all the activities. It's been so nice to get his coloring and work. He's really proud of his work too, as he's very quick to show me as soon as I see him.

Laura - Wow, you are quite the GS leader!!! Like Kristin said, I'm sure A is very proud of you. It's so nice that you are so active in her troop. I love the pumpkin patch pictures.

that mouse story, gave me chills. I don't know why, but I don't like mice I swear if it were me in your situation I would have made my DH get his butt outta bed and go find that darn mouse. Oh and I would have probably peed my pants because I'm scared of them!!!!

Stacy - So good to see you on here, I know that you must be so busy but you still manage to find time to pop in. What a sweet friend to take J&P to a playdate, good bonding time with Brady too. Love the new pictures, how cute that this little smile is around the corner. He's a cutie.

Tammi - for potty training. I seriously thought we have would have been there by now, but I'm not going to rush it. About 4 months ago Miguel was really showing some strong signs, we went out West continued our routine and now, it's non existent! Oh well. Good luck though.

Jen - Yay for the boys knowing the Red Sox players. N&M are big fans here too! Great game Friday night, huh? Zach was super excited I gave him a free pass on bedtime. I'm a good wife

I've been around for the last few days just haven't posted, I think the board is trying to tell me something. So I'll peek in other threads and then I come here to post and the computer crashes on me!

My MIL left on Wednesday, I wish she could have stayed longer, I was able to run so many errands while she was here! Miguel really bonded with her, as he usually does, she read him lots of books and anyone that read books to Miguel is a friend for life! Noah was interested sometimes but occupied his time some other way. Also, Miguel wanted us all to go on the plane with my ILs

The last few days have been good. Noah is doing so much better in school. It's been rewarding going to pick him up! He's anxious to show me his work and he's participating in class. :phew: Although on Tuesday he pulled one of his I don't feel like doing what your are asking me stunts. It was time to go outside and he didn't want to. So because there are 9 other students in the class and they were all lined up and holding the rope the 2 teachers had to take the other kids out. So Noah didn't want to go and nobody could make him another teacher from another class had to come and sit with him, after 10 minutes he was ready to go out. Imagine my embarrassment when the teacher told me this, all I could do was say I'm sorry.

Today we went to an indoor nature trail. Just a couple of tanks with various snakes, turtles, toads, etc. The boys thought that was the coolest thing ever.

Bedtime is still a work in progress. We shortened their bath to 15-20 min more on the 15 side and that is not helping. I've shortened thier nap to 2 hours. Today neither one of them wanted to get up! Tonight Noah took over 2 hours to fall asleep. They get about 10-11 hours of sleep at night and then the 2 hours. I'm thinking Noah could do w/o the nap and go to bed at 7 instead of 8 but I'm afraid of that routine. Besides he needs a nap.


ETA: Holy Smokes that's one long post!!!!
Have a great weekend everyone.

Catarina

[fitz]

Well, you all outlasted me last night! And Catarina, boy, that was one long post!!

Catarina ~ I had to laugh at your comment about Z and his steaks... One of my friends is in a similar boat; she's vegetarian and her husband is a real carnivore (and little Sarah likes her meat, too...). They've solved the problem by mostly going out to eat so they each get what they want. As always, thanks for the encouragement about Leo's progress--sometimes I feel like I'm banging my head against a brick wall, and it seems like the therapy is nonstop, and at the same time I sometimes feel like I don't do enough. All I can do is go one day at a time, though... I have a feeling tht he'll have another great spurt when my Mom comes to visit--right now we're thinking that she might come in about three weeks, and having her here will really facilitate his therapy.

I'm so glad that the boys are managing so well in school now! It sounds like the teacher's initial concerns about Noah were absolutely groundless, huh? Too bad your MIL's visit was over so soon... sweet that the boys miss her! At least they understand that she goes somewhere on a plane, though--Luka firmly believes that Grandma lives at the airport

Kate ~ With what you and R went through to sell the old house, you two certainly deserve that dinner and drink! I think Catarina's idea of a nightlight is a good one, if you don't already have one. The boys' monitor has a built-in one, and I know they like it on. How did last night go?

Kristin ~ My, gosh, the girls are so tall!!! It sure sounds like they got the tall genes... L&L are just right around 36"--peanuts, apparently! They look adorable in their little outfits, too.

Well, I'm just folding a quick load of laundry and then the boys and I are out of here to ride the train, and then stop at a different park on the way home. Then I'll just have a few hours to get some lunch into them, get them cleaned up and changed (me, too) and off to our friends' housewarming party. Kind of a bummer that W and I have to take separate cars, but he's going straight from work and it would be crazily out of my way to pick him up...

Tessa ~ I forgot to thank you for the link to those little diaper cover thingies--I think they just might work!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Donna

[nvtwins]

Super quick....

Donna - we're in the same boat with the two car situation...we're going to a bbq, and I'm going to take the boys, then DH will meet us when he's off of work.

Nightlights.... they've got two in there... and we leave the door open. The good news is that they both slept all the way through the night with no awakenings! Hopefully they've turned over a new leaf!

Gotta start a load of laundry, then get them ready for the gym.

Back later,
Kate

[catarina]

Gosh, it's quiet here today!

Kate - Glad the boys slept through the night. Are they in big boy beds, sorry maybe I missed something. Hope you guys had fun at the gym. Can't wait to hear the news about your DH's job. Exciting!!!!

Donna - How was the kid friendly housewarming party? That's too bad that you and W had to take two separate cars.

I know what you mean about getting frustrated and feeling like you are against the wall with Leo. I'm constantly trying to get Noah to say new things and talk more, I don't do 1/3 of the things you do and I feel that way too. Donna you are really a super MOM! I'm sure that Leo will impress your mom when she comes, I think sometimes they want to show off for grandparents. Example last Saturday Miguel apparently was like a fish at swimming lessons.

Kristin - I forgot to tell you the boys height and show size. Noah is 38 inches tall and wears size 9W. Miguel is 37 inches tall and wears size 8W.

Busy day here. This morning was swimming lessons. Miguel has always been very hesitant to participate, but last week for his gramma he was awesome according to Z. Today, nothing, nada, zilch, NOTHING!!! Of course it doesn't help that the instructor is a Z said that last week they had a different instructor and he was awesome with the kids, engaging everyone,etc. this lady just does the same stuff, kick, and dunk! I've wanted to complain about her but Z said not to because the 6 week class is over next weekend. But I really feel like the boys could have gotten something out of it, if she were more engaged. I didn't go last week because Z went with his mom and the boys but I so wish I could have seen the other instructor.

We had my friends son's 1st bday party. Although it turned out bad, because Noah woke up from his nap with a 101.2 fever and I thought it would go away, as it's happened before. So Z said let's give him some Tylenol and I said no just make sure that he has fluids. Well we there and Noah is clearly not feeling well. After dinner we were saying our goodbyes and leaving but my friends mom said NO, I'm putting dessert on the table. Well Z was right when he rolled his eyes. When a Portuguese person says wait I'm doing this, or that it's another 30 minutes or so. She was decorating the dessert table and wanted everything perfect for her grandchild, but my kid is not feeling well and my DH is being a pain, so I left, and grabbed a mini cup cake for Miguel as he was patiently waiting for dessert. OMG my friends mom almost smacked my hand oops! But we needed to leave, I know that she's going to be pissed at me but she'll live. Poor Noah fell asleep as soon as we got him buckled in. Hope his fever goes a way.

Hope everyone had a good day.

Night all,
Catarina

[nostawt]

Hi guys,
Sounds like it has been fun, busy weekends all around. It's not even 8pm and I'm ready to crash. This weekend was our MOM sale plus today I was in charge of a service day at the church, a family birthday party, and we had friends over to paint pumpkins again. An absolute blast but boy am I sick of hot dogs! 3 separate parties had them. Since y'all were asking thought I'd post my names and you can tell me what you like or don't or any good suggestions you've heard lately. Obviously, I like my names a little unique but not freakish. I'll put my favorites at the top but you know how it is; it varies day to day. Also, my kids all have family names, my maiden name, DH's names, my middle name (all first born girls for generations do actually) etc. So I hope this poor kid gets something significant. A real post later but wanted to say hi and I was reading your latest.
Names -Girls
Middle name Call (DH’s fam)

McKinley or Kinley (my fam)
Sloane (Ferris Beuler’s Day Off if you’ve seen it)
Taryn (DH’s favorite Tracy)

Names -Boys
Middle name William (Steve’s fam)

Ellis or Eli (Steve’s fam) (Does this sound too much like Alice?)
Graham (my name b/c an ultrasound told my mom I was a boy; I wasn’t!)
Sawyer (little boy I taught in preschool I adored)
Russell (We just like it and a family friend but might be too mainstream for me)

Oh, I forgot to add the girl names are still on there b/c I won't have a 100% boy diagnosis till the next one so we'll hold out hope for Bri or baby 5

[nvtwins]

Tessa - I'm all for hot dogs, but you can certainly overdo it. I love the names, but am particularly fond on Sloane and Sawyer... just my :twocents:.

Catarina - sorry to hear that Noah isn't feeling well. Your friend will get over the dessert thing... and I hope that she understands that you've got a sick kiddo. Hello?

So today was the gym... the boys did great, but I really should have given Dean some Tylenol before we left... he defiantely was hurting at the end... poor guy. Lunch was good. Dh left and I put the boys down for their nap... which, of course, was a no go. They did rest for awhile, but that was it. I decided to go to our friend's party, without dh... so I loaded up the boys, and they promptly fell asleep in the car. We got to the party and they couldn't have been better behaved. As we were leaving, a gal actually stopped me and commented on how well behaved they are for their age! Dh came to the party after he was done with his remote. We put the boys to bed, and there's no fussing... and they're asleep. Hopefully tonight will be another full night's sleep for them, and me!

Tomorrow, my cleaning gal is going to the old house to spiff it up... and dh is going to head over there and get some of the last of the left-over stuff. We're going to a party at a friend's parent's cabin up at Tahoe. I made a cheeseball this afternoon to bring... and they're providing all the food and drink. Nice! I just hope the boys are as well behaved tomorrow as they were today. :fingerscrossed:

I'm hoping that 9 isn't too early to hit the sack, I'm beat! I'll bet that dh is already asleep on the couch when I get out there. I'm doing laundry, but it may just have to wait until tomorrow to get dried.

Sweet dreams all... hope everyone had a great day!

Kate

[fitz]

Back for a real post tomorrow. Today was just one of those days... I'm sure you all know them. Example: Luka would ask for grilled cheese, and I'd say, "Okay, you want some grilled cheese?" "Oh, no..." Or Leo's looking for another snack but won't let me near the counter to get him anything... Yikes!

Still, they were beautifully behaved on the train ride today, and pretty darned good at the party, too. Leo was a bit fussy when we arrived, as he'd fallen asleep on the way down and didn't get quite enough sleep to do him any good. He was actually really good, anyway, except that he really wanted to stomp around in the tub of cold water they had the apples in... Luka was really sociable with the other kids, and absolutely loved the pumpkin pinata they had, and was so good about waiting for a second turn to take a whack at the thing.

Anyway, we didn't stay too late, and were home by about 8:15. Luka just really wanted to snuggle with me, so I sat with him while W changed Leo, Luka went down beautifully, but Leo? Ooh, no... Lots of crying and protesting. On top of the rest of the day, it stressed me out badly enough that I actually checked my blood pressure a few times--it for me, it was wacky. Better now, though...

Well, I just want to veg out for a few minutes before I go to sleep...

Donna