2008

2008 in Review
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before? Um, had two babies at once!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Not so much...I was supposed to lose weight!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Besides me...Debi, Melissa, Emily

4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, Scott's Mom-Mom passed in February. My friend Val lost her doggie too...

5. What countries did you visit? None

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008? More wine...

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
February 13th - found out I was pregnant
May 28th- found out I was having twins and also was told I could no longer work.
September 17th - my babies arrived

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Taking care of three children by myself!

9. What was your biggest failure? I feel like I have lost everything I worked to become at work!

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Three months of terrible morning sickness, Four months of "house arrest."

11. What was the best thing you bought? Minivan!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My husband's for picking up the slack when I was unable to do anything!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Not sure...

14. Where did most of your money go? Bills!!

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Having my boys!

16. What song will always remind you of 2008? Meesca Moosca Mickey Mouse!

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? happier
b) thinner or fatter? fatter - I just had twins
c) richer or poorer? poorer, MUCH poorer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Had more time going out!

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Sitting on couch...

20. How did you spend Christmas? At home with my family and friends...

21. Did you fall in love in 2008? Oh yes, times two on September 17th.

22. What was your favorite TV program? House Hunters, 30 Rock, House

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I ain't a hater!

24. What was the best book you read?Oh goodness, I read SO many books this year. My favorites are..."The Time Traveler's Wife"-Audrey Niffenegger, "Bright Shiny Morning" - James Frey, "The Pillars of the Earth" -Ken Follett & "Escape" - Carolyn Jessup.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? Mickey Mouse Clubhouse soundtrack...

26. What did you want and get? A baby...I got two!

27. What did you want and not get?An uneventful pregnancy

28. What was your favorite film of this year? Shit...I haven't been to the movies since 2006!

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 30! I took care of twins and a two year old!!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? More money!!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008? Maternity

32. What kept you sane?My family & friends

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? I think Anderson Cooper is sexy even if he is gay!!

34. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't get why people get all nutso over gay marriage...let them marry!!

35. Who did you miss? My dad!

36. Who was the best new person you met?Well, the boys, obviously.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008. Things don't always go as planned, but that is ok!

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
ummm...I watch too much Playhouse Disney...but here it goes!

Oh no, no, I never go to work
Oh no, no, I never go to work
Oh no, no, I never go to work
Oh no, no, I never go to work

On Mondays, I never go to work
On Tuesdays, I stay at home
On Wednesdays, I never feel inclined
Work is the last thing on my mind
On Thursdays, it's a holiday!
And Fridays I detest
Oh it's much too late on a Saturday
And Sunday is the day of rest

WOW!!

Isaac slept from 8:30-7:30 last night!!!! Too bad Ry guy was still up every 3 hours on the dot!!

My little Russians...

"Sergey"

He is going to kill me for this later...

Not wearing a "Russian hat," but totally sporting Matryoshkas on her shirt!!

Scary Santa...

For those of you who don't know, "Scary Santa" is a cherished tradition in my family. This Santa was a "hand-me-down" from my cousin to my sister and I when we were just babies. This Santa has been scaring the crap out of us for many years. Every year my sister and I somehow manage to give him to each other as some sort of present. I currently have him and I am sure somehow Mandy will get him back before the new year. I am proud to say that he is now scaring a whole new generation of kids...

Poor Ryan...

Isaac looks scared...

"Get this guy away from us"

"Seriously...get him off"

Claire saying "Well if I have to hold him, I might as well feed him"

Ryan -vs- Isaac

These boys sure are keeping me on my toes! They keep me busy all day long (and nights). Believe it or not, they are very different boys. Here is a list of there differences:




Ryan/ Isaac

Weighs 11lbs3oz /Weighs 10lbs4oz

Prefers to be nursed /Prefers bottles

Likes to be snuggled close /Likes to be held out facing the world

Never spits up /Is a spit up machine

Up EVERY 2 1/2 - 3 hours at night /Sleeps from 9-4:30 most nights

Falls right back to sleep /Wants to stay up and party


They are both cutes as a button though as evidenced by the pics below:

Baby weight!

Ughh, how I hate trying to lose weight during the holiday season! I have 10lbs to go to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but...I have 20lbs to lose to get back to where I should be! I did well for about a week, but there are just some temptations out there that I just cannot avoid. In no particular order, here are my downfalls:

The pumpkin spice latte...even though I get it "nonfat" it all adds up! Plus every time I get a latte I HAVE to get one of the next thing

Ahhh the Starbucks pumpkin scone...I don't believe there is anything better!!

And damn Weis markets with their addictive pumpkin muffins!!

And seriously...cannot resist the pie!!!

Clearly there is a theme here...hopefully fall will be over quickly!!!!

Christmas shopping...

Well, I began shopping before Halloween this year for multiple reasons...the top two are because 1) I need to buy almost everything online (since I am a freak show when I leave the house) and 2) What the hell else do I do now-a-days?? I am finished Claire (although I keep seeing stuff I want to get her). My top 4 favorite things I got her are:

The old school Bozo the clown Bop Bag

This tent system which will be fabulous outside next spring!!

The Leapfrog Tag system (yes I realize she is only 2, but she LOVES reading and knows all of her letters and what sounds they make and tries to read so I think she will like this toy)

This is just too dang cute...she broke her other toy stroller and this one was a lot cheaper than the toy double stroller!!

The other stuff is mostly just toy food since my Mother-in-Law is getting her a nice wooden toy kitchen.

Now, I am stuck because we got Claire a bunch of cool toys and I was planning on only wrapping up diapers/wipes for the boys. This may look crappy in the Christmas video we take. Would it be dumb of me to wrap up the summer clothes I bought for them back in September on clearance?? I am sure it doesn't matter, but I am afraid they are going to be like "What the hell" years down the line!! Perhaps I should make some of Claire's toys for all three.

BTW - if anyone wants to get ME a Christmas gift...keep the wine coming!!

Hi!

The longer I go without posting, the harder it is to post! Things have been going pretty good in the land of insanity! I think I have been doing a pretty good job! The boys turned 2 months on Monday. They are growing great! Isaac is now 9lbs 3oz and Ryan is now 10lbs 1oz (double his birth weight). They definitely have personalities...Ryan is my little snugbug and likes the be held close while Isaac is more inquisitive and likes to check everything out! Isaac is doing awesome at night only really waking up once to eat (although it is a chore to get him back to sleep). Ryan is still waking up every 3 hours at night (but he always goes right back to sleep).

Claire has gotten more comfortable around the boys (see new layout pic) but still has a hard time with the crying! We have starting some potty training. She will sit on the toilet and pee. but she still won't tell us when she has to go. I guess that will just come with time! We are looking into preschools for next year. I am liking the Redeemer program (mostly because it isn't a Coop and it has some religion which she clearly isn't getting much of at home). Does anyone else know of any 3 year old programs??

Happy Halloween

Claire has been really pumped up for Halloween this year. She gets excited about looking at pumpkins, Halloween decorations, costumes, trick-or-treating, and CANDY! She had a blast on the Avenue for trick-or-treating this year!! She also had a blast playing with friends at a Halloween party today. Tonight, we attempt actual trick-or-treating!

This makes me very excited about Christmas...I hope the "magic" comes back this year since I will have a two year old that will be super excited about everything! I have almost finished her Christmas shopping online already! The boys will probably just get diapers and wipes!!

As for the boys...they are 6 weeks now and growing everyday! Some of there newborn sizes are getting too small (that is pretty good for kids born at 5lbs)! I am still lacking in sleep...I wish I had time to catch up! At least Scott and I are going out for my birthday Saturday night...I can drink wine without having a screaming baby in my arms!

Happy "Due Date" boys!!

Well today I can stop saying that the boys adjusted age is "negative" because now they are officially "zero!"

Today I managed to venture out to my friend's house with all three in tow for a playgroup! Everyone seemed to handle it quite well (including myself)! We even stayed almost 2 hours!

Maybe I can manage this twins + toddler thing afterall!!

One month old!!

Still technically a negative age though since they were not due till 10/24!

They are fighting already!!

It seems that Isaac likes biting his big brother!!

So tired...

So sleepy baby stage is officially over!! We now have two babies that enjoy being awake at all hours of the day. The night before last was the worst! Literally someone was awake from midnight-7am (including Claire). I don't think Scott or I slept more than 45 minutes at a time. Luckily, yesterday I brought the swing upstairs and discovered that both boys seem to calm down in it. Mandy let us borrow her swing as well, so I am thinking the second swing is going to go in our bedroom for those no sleeping moments!

Ryan is having some gas issues! The boy is impossible to burp...you can tell he is uncomfortable too because he bears down and screams. Mylicon doesn't seem to be helping too much. Any suggestions??

I have been taking daily walks with usually 2/3 kids (my mom will watch one of the babies while I walk). Both babies seem to like the sling and bjorn (thank God), so taking Claire for a walk to the park has been pretty pleasant. I will say that sitting in my butt since May has really taking a toll on my endurance. I am getting winding so easily...it totally sucks, especially considering I have never had any problems taking long walks!

Anyway, sorry for the slacking in posts, but seriously my life has been pretty chaotic.

Also, Happy Birthday Scott...sorry your 30th isn't going to be anymore exciting than feeding babies and changing poopy diapers!

We are growing!!

I took the boys into the doctor's today (with the help of my Mom) for their 2 week appointments. They are growing great! Isaac left the hospital on Friday at 4lbs 12 oz. He is now 5lbs 4oz!! Ryan left the hospital on 9/21/08 at 4lbs 12 oz. as well. He is now 5lbs 7oz. Our doctor is completely shocked by how much they have gained.



We are feeding every three hours. One baby gets nursed while the other gets a bottle of 1/2 breastmilk 1/2 formula and then we switch for the next feeding. I try to space the feedings apart by at least 1/2 hour so I don't have two hungry babies at the same time. This has happened though...I basically nurse one while the other is propped up on my knees with a bottle. No one gets burped when this happens. Usually just when I start a feeding Claire has needs that she demands be met instantly! Oh well...hopefully I figure out a better system soon.



Thank God for help!

2 more pics

Sleepy Daddy and boys



Claire Bear being a ham!

Together Again!

Everyone is home!!

Isaac came home last evening! He is doing great! We took them both in for weight checks today. Isaac is 4lbs 12 oz which is the same as when he left the hospital and Ryan is 5lbs 2oz which is up 5oz since when he left the hospital.

I will post pics of both boys together once I upload them on my computer!

The madness begins...

Quick Update...

Sorry for slacking... but between caring for Ryan and Claire, Scott working half days, and trips to see Isaac I am kinda lacking in the free time department!

Ryan is doing well, he sometimes had difficulties with feedings...but hopefully he is maintaining or even gaining some weight.

Isaac is off CPAP and they are pulling his tube feeds today. He nursed well for 30 minutes today. Hopefully he will be strong enough to come home next week!!

Claire is adjusting to Ryan much better. She always wants to know where he is and what he is doing. She gave him a kiss yesterday too.

Here are some updated pics...

Baby Isaac

Baby Ryan

Claire being braver

Claire and baby Ryan

This is as close Claire will come to "baby brother Ryan" (this is actually what she calls him)!

I will give updates on Isaac later this afternoon. I am going to go see him at noon.

Back from the hospital...

Thanks to Mandy for posting the birth of the boys! I was discharged today minus one. Isaac is still in the NICU. He is having a difficult time maintaining his breathing on his own. He is currently on CPAP on room air. He had a trial off CPAP for about 4 hours today on did okay, but not good enough to keep him off. He has Respiratory Distress Syndrome which is pretty common in preemies (especially boys) and is expected to stay in the hospital for another 2 weeks or so. It was so hard to leave him at the hospital today, but at least I know he is in good hands.

Ryan is doing fabulous. He came home with us today and was actually D/Ced from the NICU on Friday. Everyone is amazed with how well he is doing for a 34 weeker. He is nursing well, but still needs to be supplemented with a high calorie formula due to his tininess.

Baby Ryan
Baby Isaac

I will post the actual birth story and more updates later...I am just too exhausted today!!

The Boys Have Arrived!

Hi! This isn't Becky, it's her sister Mandy. Becky is currently recovering from her C-section this afternoon. And we all know what that means... Ryan and Isaac are here! She almost made it to 35 weeks, so she didn't do too badly at all. And best of all, both boys are over 5lbs! Here are (what I believe to be) the official stats:
Ryan (Baby "A"): Born 9/17/08 at 3:18 pm. Weighs 5lb 2.6oz and is 18 inches long.
Isaac (Baby "B"): Born 9/17/08 at 3:19 pm. Weighs 5lb 2.4oz and is 19 inches long.

Ryan is doing very well and is breathing fine on his own. Isaac is having a little more trouble and is on CPAP (I'm pretty sure that's right), which can supply oxygen as needed. He hasn't really needed to use the oxygen, but it's there just in case. He's been struggling some with the breathing, but Scott and my mom both said that he was sounding better than he had been earlier, so that's good. Both babies are in the NICU and poor Becky won't be able to see them until tomorrow morning. Scott took me up there so I could meet them and they are both tiny, but completely adorable. They definitely favor Scott, but that's only fair since Becky already has her doppelganger in Claire Bear.

They moved Becky to her room around 6:00 and she's trying to get some rest while she can. You can call her cell phone if you would like to say hi and congrats. It was a very trying day for her, but she'll be fine. When she went to the doctor's earlier today, her blood pressure was still very high and she was already 5 centimeters dilated. The doctor said that she had to go to the hospital and that they may very well have to perform a c-section. She wasn't allowed to drive herself, so a nurse from the office actually took her. Scott met her there and I guess they didn't like what they saw once she arrived, because the next thing I know, my mom is calling me at work to say they're prepping her to go to the OR.

So, that's the story so far as I know it. Hopefully Scott will e-mail me the pictures he took when they were born and I will post them for you. Until then, happy thoughts for Becky, Ryan and Isaac.

This sh*t is really getting old!

I went to the hospital again today...three hours later - still 3-4cm, still have high b/p (156/117), and still pregnant. At least when I go on Wednesday, I can go to my OB's office instead of the torture of hospital triage. Although...I am sure if my b/p remains high, he will send me over there anyway.

I am so tired of being pregnant, although I am not ready for the challenge of twins either...

Yesterday, the girls came over to throw me a shower! The boys got some nice outfits for the upcoming months. The food was excellent and the conversation was interesting!

I started an Ann Tyler book recommended to me by Val, seems interesting so far...

Bored...

Ughhh....I hate doing nothing! I hate television and all the crappy shows that are on! Who the hell is Tila Tequila anyway and why is she famous?? Why do I want to vomit every time I flip past Jon & Kate?? Why is everyone on Bravo gay?? Why does my People magazine suck this week?? Why did I finish a really good book ("The Time Travelers Wife") last week leaving me with only crap to read (I refuse to start reading the Nicholas Sparks book I found on my bookshelf...I don't think I can take the cheese)?? Why isn't anyone updating their blogs so I can at least read that?? Why did I stop getting a paycheck last week...now I can't online shop?? Why does Claire want to play everywhere but where I am (at least watching her play is interesting)??? I would join Facebook and start that addiction, but I get paranoid that former patients will try to look me up...

Okay...enough complaining.

I need:
Book recommendations (FYI - I hate mysteries, most chick lit, Harry Potter type books and romance novels)
Movie Recommendations
Fun websites

Thanks!

I'm back...

Well, luckily I am not anymore dilated than Wednesday...but my blood pressure is elevated. I think my last reading was 165/108. They drew some labs and luckily I am not in preeclampsia yet. Basically it means more bedrest and another hospital trip on Monday to do this all over again!!

Still here...

I am hating this bedrest crap...but whatever at least I didn't have to spend the majority of this pregnancy in bed. My Mom and my MIL are both helping out with Claire so I can keep this kids cooking hopefully another 2 weeks. I will update after my hospital visit tomorrow (as long as they don't keep me).

BEDREST :-(

The time has come where I am now on bedrest. I went to the OB today and I am 3-4cm dilated ans 70% effaced. I have to go to GBMC on Friday to see if I have progressed anymore. This sucks. At least I am not in the hospital yet.

Getting around town with 3 kids...

This has been a worrisome subject for me since I found out I was having twins. I looked at triple strollers online, but it just didn't seem worth it because they are so freaking expensive. I realized the best bet was "wearing" one baby and pushing Claire and the other baby in the stroller. Of course, that may not be the best solution all the time. I do feel fully armed with baby stuff to make going out with three kids possible. Here is what I have ready to go...

First, after much debate I have the Kolcraft Contours stroller. Scott but it together on Saturday and it is really neat! I love all the different seat options that are available. The downside is that the seat for Claire doesn't have a place for her to rest her head comfortably and that it is like a small bus. Still neat though!

We also have a double snap and go stroller which I scored off of Craigslist for dirt cheap. This should work well if I go to somewhere where Claire can walk/play and I can push the babies around.










My sister in law also gave us her Maclaren side-by-side stroller which will be good when the boys are older.

Now for the fun part..

This carrier is called the maximom twin carrier. It kinda looks like a double bjorn. It has mixed reviews online. People either can't live without it or think it is a piece of crap. I got it used on eBay. The good news is that when i am done with it, I can sell it back on eBay at the same price that I paid for it. Since it is a specialty item, there are ever only a few listed at a time with lots of bids. This carrier can be used until the boys are around 4 months old.



I also have the moby wrap from when Claire was a baby. It is a semi-complicated huge piece of fabric to tie your baby to your body. The benefit of it now is that it can do a twin hold for twin up to 3 months old. I can also use it for one until they are toddlers (apparently).

I also am the proud owner of the old standby bjorn...Claire and I used this a lot. I believe Claire outgrew it around 6 months old.

I have sling that was recommended to me by my neighbor that just had a baby. It is a ring sling with many different ways to position the baby. This obviously only hold one as well. It is called a slingezee and I haven't read a bad review anywhere. This apparently holds up to 35lbs.

I own this sling, but I think it is a piece of crap. I only used it once with Claire and it felt like I was never able to get a secure hold. It is the infantino sling. The funny thing is that I now own two of these thanks to Mandy dropping off my old one and her sister in laws old one too.

I also have the ergo carrier which gets rave reviews everywhere online. You have to wait until the baby has some head control before you use it, but it can be used on the front or the back for up to 60lbs. Apparently people swear by this carrier...I thought we would give it a try.

I also have a mei tai which can be worn in the front, back or hip. I can actually combine the ergo carrier and this and wear one on the front and one on the back. Again the baby needs to be a little older with some head control to use it. I can combine it also with the slingezee wrap to wear two at once. This one was handmade on etsy.com and can hold up to 35lbs.

I also own the playtex hip hammock. I used this a few times with Claire. I can't say that I like it all that much, but it wasn't the worst thing ever. It is for babies/toddlers 15-35 pounds (although from past experience, I was done using this when Claire was around 20 pounds).

Hopefully, the options will keep the babies happy. I will have to let you all know what worked best after I get a chance to actually use some of these. Also, hopefully with all this baby wearing I will be able to shed some pregnancy pounds!