Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes & Magical Elves

Things are changing quickly around our house, both with babies and their parents.

Allen stayed home with the boys after my maternity leave ended in December. He was home with them for almost three months but recently took a full-time subbing position until the end of the school year. Although we were both excited about some extra income, babies and Allen were sad their time together had to end. Allen was a marvelous stay-at-home-dad, but money to pay the bills is a necessity! Thus, Allen is back to work until at least the end of May. Thankfully, my family is watching the boys for us for the next nine weeks. For free I might add. Let me retype that: My family is providing free childcare for us. All week. My grandmas are watching the boys two days a week at our house, and then I am taking the boys to my mom's house three days a week. Can we be any more spoiled loved?

The boys are getting so big! Mason is rolling from his back to his belly in the blink of an eye. He is wearing 12-month onesies and sleepers and is "talking" every day. I need to capture his cooing on video because he is funny and so loud and makes the cutest faces when he does it. He loves men and responds better to men than women. So funny and interesting. His blue eyes have stolen our hearts, but his crying episodes have been keeping us awake at night. For some reason, Mason, aka "Chewy," has been waking anywhere from 2-6 times a night because he wants his pacifier, because he has an arm or leg caught in the crib rails, or because he is awake and wants to be held. Ugh! We went from both babies sleeping about six hours at a stretch to Mason waking about every 2-3 hours. I'm not going to lie; his sleep issues have us scratching our heads and pulling out our hair. I told Allen I felt more exhausted now than I did when we first brought the babies home. Thankfully, Chewy is a cutie, so we can't get too mad about our lack of sleep.

BrodyBoo hasn't been as fond of rolling over or talking as Mason, but he is in love with animals. He adores Moxie, and she is the kindest and most patient dog when he happens to grab a fistful of her hair or beard with his death-defying grip. He is wearing 6-9 months onesies and sleepers. He bounces in the jumperoo for long bouts of time and is a hard sleeper. He also scares easily; if you sneak up on him or talk to him loudly when he isn't expecting it, he cries. He loves to be jostled about and laughs and smiles often.

Both boys are now eating rice cereal twice a day but still take bottles every three hours. We started them on baby food about three weeks ago. They loved peas and carrots, but Brody had an allergic reaction to the carrots; thus we're back on cereal for another week before we try squash.

I've had some major epiphanies this past week about how fortunate Allen and I are to have friends and family on our side. Over Spring Break my best friend, Leah, and her family came to visit from Texas. Leah and her family are my second family. They love and accept me for the insane goofy chick I am, and I adore them for that. They love my husband and the boys just as much. I am so thankful for Leah and her brother (Travis) and sister (Elissa) and mom (Becky) and dad (David) and niece (Bailey). The whole family is genuine and amazing and fun. In fact, the relationship Leah has with her siblings and parents is one I hope I can use as a model for my own family. They all support each other 100% and enjoy being together. I didn't take many pictures of their visit, but it meant the world to me nonetheless. My bestest friend Peah, I love you and your family so much. Thank you for loving us back.

In addition to the love and support my best friend and her family show, my family is working triple-time! I was driving to work today thinking about how lucky we are to be surrounded by people who are more-than-happy to help us.

Last Monday my grandma Sandy and grandma Lucy were at our house watching the boys while Allen and I were at work. I left laundry in the garage in piles hoping they would get it done in case they happened to have some spare time.... Needless to say, when I got home from work, all five loads had been washed, dried, and folded and our bed made. It's like we have Santa's magical elves helping us daily. On Tuesday, Lucy and Sandy decided to make a wonderful Mexican casserole for us for dinner. My grandma wasn't too keen on my Pam.pered Chef hand-held can opener and called me at work for help on how to use it. Thank goodness I didn't tell her that she had to be smarter than the can opener. Instead, I tried my best to explain how to use it over the phone. Since she wasn't smarter than our can opener couldn't figure out how to work our can opener, we now have a brand spanking new chrome and black electric one sitting on our kitchen cabinet, courtesy of grandma Lucy. So, not only did we get free childcare on Monday and Tuesday, we were blessed by magical elves that took care of our babies, pranced around the house and did laundry and made our bed, flew to the store to get a new electric can opener that matches our kitchen (because matching is very important), and dashed around the kitchen to make dinner for us. And I also forgot to mention that we have more laundry detergent in our pantry because the elves thought we were running low. Thank you Sandy and Lucy; we can't wait to see what next week brings! HA!

Then today as I dropped my sweet little dudes off at my mom's house for free childcare, she asked if I had packed a lunch. I had, but it was a Lean Not-so-Cuisine. She had just finished making tuna pasta salad and packed some in a Tupper.ware container for me to take for a delicious lunch. I had already packed chocolate chocolate chip cookies she made the day before, so I had a fabulous home-made (not by me) lunch & dessert. My sweet mom can do it all. Really. She keeps my boys, bathes them, takes them on walks, and loves her grand babies. She is a miracle worker and goes above and beyond to help us every single week. Another day, another magical elf.

As I type this, I am getting teary-eyed thinking about how much love and support we are shown. We are blessed beyond measure to have people that can take care of our boys and love them and hold them and feed them and cuddle them and sing to them every single day. People that care. People with endless generosity. People that love. Most people have to take their kids to daycare and leave them. It is not necessarily what they want to do, but it is what they have to do. I make no qualms about saying that it is likely our boys will eventually have to go to daycare like most other kids have to do. But right now, we are soaking up the love and help and miraculousness of the magical elves that are making every day just like Christmas around our house.

Thank you, family, for your love, help, commitment, and support. There is not one day that passes that we don't notice or appreciate every single thing you do.

It's Okay!

• It's okay to miss being pregnant.


• It's ok that I bite only my middle fingernails on both hands.


• It's okay that I cry when I look at pictures of the boys when they were first born.


• It's Oh Kay to smell your armpits to make sure you don't stink.


• It's okay to go into the nursery while the boys are sleeping and cry because I am so thankful.

• It's O.K. that Allen and I fuss with each other because we are exhausted.


• It's okay that I rarely have time to read a magazine or check emails anymore.


• It's OK that I usually only get to blog once a month.


• It's okay that my wedding ring doesn't fit anymore.


• It's ok that I haven't been cooking often.

• It's okay that on weekends I often stay in my pajamas all day.


• It's okay to not get everything on my "To Do" list accomplished.


• It's OK that I sometimes get mad at myself for not being as organized as I was before I got pregnant because I'm still (likely) more organized than 85% of the population.


• It's ok that some days I am so tired I don't want to talk to anyone.


• It's OK that some days I don't accomplish anything but loving my babies.

• It's ok that our house isn't as tidy as it was before the babies arrived.


• It's okay that I don't get naps anymore.


• It's ok to get upset on days I don't have more than five minutes to myself.


• It's OK that my body doesn't look like it used to anymore.


• It's Oh Kay to laugh so hard you cry.

• It's okay to want more kids and yet be scared to death of having more.


• It's okay that some of my friends don't call as often.


• It's ok that I take a bajillion million zillion pictures of Mason and Brody.


• It's Oh Kay that sometimes I get peed on when changing diapers.


• It's ok that most of my lounging clothes have spit-up stains on the shoulder.

• It's okay that our dogs don't get as much attention as they used to before we had two infants.


• It's okay that I sometimes forget birthdays now.


• It's okay that my full brain still hasn't returned from maternity leave.


• It's ok to cuddle with the dogs because I need it.


• It's ok to put up boundaries.

• It's OK for me to withdraw from life every once in a while.


• It's ok that I feel guilty for not being nicer to my husband.


• It's OK that we are now a family of four.


• It's ok to go out and eat every once in a while.


• It's okay to recognize I am not perfect and never was.

• It's Oh Kay that my laundry piles up on my closet floor, and I do it only when I run out of undies.


• It's ok to ask for help.


• It's OK to need help.


• It's ok to feel sad about my babies growing up and getting bigger.


• It's O.K. to feel like I need some alone time every once in a while.

• It's okay that my memory isn't as sharp as it used to be.


• It's O.K. that my car hasn't been clean in more than a year.


• It's okay that my priorities have changed.


• It's Ok that some people can't handle both of the babies at the same time.


• It's ok to admit that my husband might be a better stay-at-home-dad than I was a stay-at-home-mom.

• It's okay that there are days that Allen and I want to strangle each other.


• It's OK that I miss my best friend so deeply and earnestly it makes me ache.


• It's okay that I'm hard on myself for forgetting things that are important (my mother-in-law's birthday and accidentally taking a dress that my best friend loved to consignment).


• It's okay to love my kids with all my heart.


• It's Oh Kay to ask silly questions like, "Are you my friend? "

• It's ok to feel empathy for those still struggling to have children and guilt because I have mine.


• It's okay that we don't have the kind of money we had before we had babies.


• It's ok that sometimes I just want to lie in bed and listen to the boys coo in their cribs.


• It's Oh Kay to laugh when Allen dances because friends, it is hilarious!


• It's OK to curse.

• It's ok to feel stressed when both babies are screaming.


• It's O.K. to sometimes need a break from both my husband and the babies.


• It's OK to wonder about job security.


• It's Oh Kay to have cravings when you are not pregnant.


• It's Oh Kay to stink up the bathroom every once in a while.

• It's O.K. to have dreams.


• It's okay to wonder about the future.


• It's ok to spoil your husband.


• It's ok to want more out of life.


• It's O.K. to think about "what might have been."

• It's okay to have battle wounds.


• It's okay to know you are loved.


• It's Oh Kay to burp loudly in front of your husband.


• It's OK to admit you are wrong.


• It's Oh Kay to poke fun at your spouse because he takes longer to get ready than you do.

• It's ok to wear black frequently because you like it and because it hides the baby weight you may still have.


• It's Oh Kay to sing at the top of your lungs and scare your children.


• It's O.K. that I cry when I think about how much my babies have grown.


• It's okay to not know what the future holds.


• It's ok to take one day at a time.

• It's OK to keep things that hold a special place in your heart.


• It's Oh Kay to admit I like some of Dolly Parton's music.


• It's O.K. to just be "okay" instead of "great" some days.


• It's okay to say "no."


• It's Oh Kay to smell your child's butt to see if he has a poopy diaper.

• It's O.K. to need hugs.


• It's ok to let people know I have twins and am doing the best I can.


• It's Oh Kay to need a little something sweet after every meal.


• It's okay for people to talk about you behind your back because they are going to say what they want to say anyway.


• It's OK not to know your purpose in life.
  

It's all going to be OKAY!

Night and Day

Two years apart, my brother and I are complete opposites, and many families have this exact same scenario as well. Two siblings, born of the same mother and father, yet different as can be.

But it completely blows my mind to have two boys, same mother and father, carried in utero at the same time, and born on the same day (one minute apart, in fact) that are diverse in every sense of the word. I know our boys are fraternal twins, but it still shocks me at how different they are. And trust me, I am happy about this. I prefer two diametric creatures with distinct looks and personalities, and that is exactly what I got - babies that are opposite in every way, night and day differences, and amazing both together and separate.

Allen and I have heard that twins can switch personalities and characteristics for several years after birth. So far, ours have stayed true to themselves even from their time in the womb. Because they are different as night and day, I wanted to make sure and remember their characteristics early on to see if they change later.



Mason

• Mason was "Baby A" in my belly. He was head down and positioned so low in the birth canal that my doctors predicted the boys would make an early appearance into the world. He was "stuck" in that position for the last few months of my pregnancy. He is our cuddler. He loves nothing more than to be talked to and held and rocked and cuddled.
• He is laid back, happy-go-lucky, and calm. He smiles often and sometimes acts very shy when he smiles at you.
• He has auburn hair and long eyelashes with big blue eyes on a round, pale yet rosy-cheeked face.
  
• He is much larger and rounder than Brody. From his chubby little fingers and toes to his sweet little ankles and thighs, his fat rolls make him even more kissable.
• Mason is our verbal fella. He coos and babbles, is easily entertained, and can entertain himself for longer bouts of time than his brother. His talking is of varied pitches and when his voice goes really high, he likes to put his head down a little and roll his eyes back. He's such a goober.
  
• He is content sitting in your lap watching you or facing outward to see the entire room. He can often be caught watching the TV, and he loves black and white photos.
• Mister Mason loves his pacifiers. Any color, any brand, any type- he's not prejudice; he loves them all. He has even started sucking on his hands and making smacking noises. Hey- at least his hands are empty calories. HA!
  
• Because of his roundness, he doesn't hold his head up as well and can't "stand" on his legs as long as Brody. But he sure is cute looking up at you with those big blue eyes and flashing his super grin!
• Mason is a daddy's boy! Allen can get him to smile and coo more than anyone, and once he hears his daddy's voice, Mason forgets anyone else exists.
  
• He wears a size 6-9 month sleeper, size 2 diapers, and drinks a 4-5 ounce bottle with a Level 3 nipple every three or three and a half hours. We recently started adding a Tablespoon of rice cereal to a few of his bottles too. The child will definitely let you know if it is dinner. Like his mama, he prefers not to skip meals.
• Mason was on some medication for reflux, but we have taken him off of it because we felt it made him grumpy and irritable. He tends to have more belly issues than Brody and definitely isn't as "regular" as his brother.
• He recently started a new thing where he holds his hands a funny way, like the Italians do in the movies. We often ask him "if he wantsa some spaghetti" and "if he needs to drinka summa vino."
  
• His nicknames are "Chewy," "Chubbs," "Buttercup," and "Tooty," all said in the nicest way possible, of course.

Brody

• Chief Brody was "Baby B" and moved constantly in my belly. He kicked and punched and rolled because he was positioned crosswise across the top of my stomach and had room to be a "mover and a shaker."
• He is independent and prefers you to hold him up on his feet so he look around the room. He usually has his hands and feet moving and does well holding his head up by himself for long periods of time.
  
• Brody has a great smile too, but he chuckles more than Mason. Where Mason has a more reserved giggle, Brody's laugh is big and loud. He doesn't laugh a ton yet, but it cracks us up when he does.
• There isn't one spot that Brody prefers as long as he can move and look around the room. Mason does better in one place, but we often play the juggling game with Brody, moving him from the floor to our lap to the swing to the vibrating chair to the play mat to the Bumbo chair and then repeating.
• Brody has curly hair (especially when it is wet), although he has less hair than Mason. His eyes have already started turning brown and his eyelashes are dark. His skin is olive-colored.
• He weighs less and is thinner than Mason and has been since birth.
• Brody growls when he talks. His cooing isn't as high-pitched as Mason's, and he acts like it takes a great deal of effort for him to "talk" to you. He's pretty proud after he talks to you and often only gets one little "Grrrrrrr" out before he grins from ear to ear.
• He's happy when moving and loves you to hold him and walk; life without movement is boring to our little man.
• He sits much better in the Bumbo chair than Mason because he is able to hold his head up better, although he won't stay in it long unless he can see what is happening around the room.
• The Chief loathes pacifiers (and will literally spit it across the room if you try to put one in his mouth) but loves to suck and chew on your fingers and his too.
• He drinks 5-7 ounces from a Level 2 nipple every three to three and a half hours and wears a 3-6 month sleeper. As Mason outgrows clothes, Brody gets to wear them.
• Brody takes a stomach medication twice a day to help him digest formula a it better. Overall, it has helped immensely with his fussiness.
  
• His nicknames are "Brother," "Chief," "Fussypants," and "Scooter." Again, all are said in the sweetest baby voices and meant with nothing but fondness.
• Brody likes to help you hold his bottle and grabs on to our skin, shirt, necklace or whatever is in his reach. He has left marks on my arm from pinching so hard. This little dude can best be described as "intense."

Different as night and day, they both have redeeming and heart-warming qualities. We're so darn in love with these little dudes! These boys have made our patience stronger, our laughs louder and more frequent, our days longer and nights shorter, and most importantly, they have increased our hope and commitment to the future. Thank God for answered prayers!

Too Cool for Blue

I have a few friends that entered Mandy's photo contest, so I decided I would too. Here's my favorite picture of the boys thus far, which most of you have already seen if you read the previous post; it makes me smile every time I see it~

The Lucky Leprechaun

Leprechauns are amazing and adventurous little creatures! They have one of the most complex yet rewarding jobs- climbing rainbows. Who would have thought those little guys could maneuver their way over one of God's most beautiful creations to the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? It must be a daunting task for those little dudes to stand at the base of a rainbow and see the hurdles they must endure to get to the pot of gold clear on the other side. Exhausting and exhilarating, I'm sure.

I often feel like The Lucky Leprechaun at the end of my days. My emotions range from utter exhaustion to complete awe at the two little lives we are responsible for and love so deeply and completely. The feedings, diaper changes, the crying, singing, talking and cooing, scheduling, coordinating, tricks, baths, babbling and sleepless nights drain every ounce of energy and energy reserves I have daily. In fact, my reserves are now deficit and the deficits have deficits. But each day I get to hold, snuggle, love, adore, rock, and whisper sweet nothings into my baby boy's ears, a dream I wasn't sure would ever come true.

Just like The Lucky Leprechaun, there are good days and bad days. Days that seem never-ending and days that are so fast and furious that I wonder where the time went. I'm sure The Lucky Leprechaun often wished he was Superman like me too, but I had to let that title go because I put too much stress on myself trying to be more than I could or had to offer.

I love being a mom, don't get me wrong, but right now the exhaustion rules the rainbow. I try to take advantage of every minute I have with the babies- I miss them terribly while I am at work and their time as babies will come to an end more quickly than I can imagine. That means that email, phone calls, this blog, housework, projects, and a plethora of other things often suffer. Time is precious; my home time is monumental, and the rainbows and pots of gold are a waitin'!

Lucky Leprechauns..... amazing, adventurous, exhausting, and exhilarating!