A Year Later...

What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, Scott and I were waiting in anticipation of if we were having a baby boy or another baby girl. As the story goes, we found out we were having TWO boys. It was definately the shock of a lifetime. As many of you are aware, I was not happy. I thought there was no way I could be able to care for twins and a 2 year old. I thought Claire was going to hate me for not only bringing one baby home, but for bringing home two. I also was told that day that I would have to stop working. I was blown away.

Now, a year later I cannot imagine my life without these boys. They are honestly the most precious and loving babies. Claire, Ryan and Isaac light up my life. They are my world. I am also very proud of myself. I am able to take care of three kids alone and pretty well if I do say so myself. We are able to go places or just play at home. Claire also has adjusted very well to her brothers. She loves them and loves helping Mommy take care of them.

I have wondered if I only had one of the boys which one it would have been. The thought is so sad because they are both an important part of our family.

As for work, that has been a challenge. I am okay with working my weekend nights, but I really miss working more intensely with my young adult patients. I feel like that part of my life is on hold...but to be honest, I would much rather make the sacrifice so I can spend more time with my family.

Hi...

I have really been a slacker at updating this thing! I guess when push comes to shove I am more of a one-liner facebook status kinda girl...

Anyway, to sum up what is happening...basically I am TIRED! I am drained most days because these boys have just become the worlds worse nappers. Usually I could drive them around to help them fall asleep, but not so much anymore. They WILL fall asleep in the car, however only for the actual ride...they won't stay asleep in their seats anymore.

I guess working weekend nights doesn't help the situation much.

I miss sleep...

Long time coming...

I have been quite the post slacker recently, but with my new found love of facebook I kinda do my "updates" there.

The biggest thing for me now is the challenge of my work schedule. Honestly, there really isn't any good way to work with my situation. I have basically settled (for now) on working every weekend 12 hour nights and a few evenings a week. The nights are okay, the hardest part is not sleeping on Monday when I come home from work until bedtime that night. I hope I don't go completely insane from poor sleep. I also miss doing the job I used to do, working with young adults. I still work with them occasionally, but it is no where near the degree I used to.

The boys are doing pretty well. Ryan still really stinks at sleeping, and has basically resigned himself to only sleeping in our bed. I am not sure how to break that habit...Isaac does pretty well in his crib, but I occasionally move him to our bed too if he won't go back to sleep in the middle of the night. I had them in our bed initially because they were both up so much in the middle of the night (especially Ryan) where I couldn't imagine being able to sleep any other way.

Claire is in potty training hell (or really I am). She gets the concept of peeing on the potty and will do it when we take her, but will never ask to go. No poop yet. I can't wait till it gets warmer so she can go diaper less in little dresses. The pressure is on since she starts PreK in September (and turns 3 end of August). I hope they don't kick us out!!

This is it for now!!!

Moving on up...or should I say out!

Both boys are now officially facing out in the baby bjorn! Yay boys!

Random questions...

Where do I find a kitchen table that will fit a family of 5?

Why do I have no motivation to diet?

Will I ever be able to exercise again?

Why are kids really into "Max and Ruby? It is quite annoying!

Why is formula so dang expensive?

Why doesn't starbucks deliver?

Why can't my house ever stay clean for longer than an hour?

When will I find the time to clean the maternity clothes at of my closet and bring up my winter clothes from the basement?

Why do I have to change the batteries in the swing every 4 days?

Ughh...I am in a mood! I blame the weather! Here is a cute picture of Isaac to lift the mood though...

Happy New Year!!

We had a quiet night in last night...it was very nice. My friend and her family were supposed to join us, but she got that nasty stomach bug!

I start back to work "officially" on Saturday. It gives me mixed emotions to go back. On one hand, I get adult interaction and time away from the house...but on the other hand I am going to miss everyone!! Right now I am going to be working every weekend, mostly nights and a evening during the week. I am going to try this schedule for 6 months, and if it doesn't work out I can try something else!

Here are some Christmas pics:

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!