When you want to call CPS on yourself..

So the last few nights we have been struggling with the boys getting out of bed after we put them down for the night. This is a new struggle for us, since they have been doing really really well in this area for a long time.

Well tonight, we didn't hear any noise from the bedroom, and after cleaning up the kitchen I started reading a book in bed, with no noise coming from the monitor. Ahhh, finally the boys were back on track.

Felt good.

Until Alan came in the room and turned on the baby monitor....Oops. And not only was it off, but the boys had unplugged in in their room. Uh oh.

So I went in there to check on them, still not hearing any noise. I opened their door, and still no noise. But they weren't in bed. I didn't see them in the room either. But I did see the curtain was bulging a little.

Behind the curtain AND the blinds, on TOP of the window sill, stood two little boys. BUTT naked from the waist down. For the entire world to see as they drove past. (It was storming, which probably made them want to look out the window...) Oh seeing those two little bums, breaking so many rules, and imagining someone driving past seeing two naked little boys.... it made me want to laugh, cry and call CPS on myself all at the same time!

Oh the joys of parenthood!

Big News

We are expecting #3!! I am 12 weeks along (almost 13). Due June 12th.
The above pic is how we announced it on Facebook!


It is a singleton this time. The doctor confirmed this with not one, but two ultrasounds, so we're pretty certain!

We are excited to meet the new addition next summer :)

Thanksgiving 2012

Alan and I hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the third straight year.

The first year may not have counted, since I was working, and the boys were so young (and I was so busy with them), that the Grandparents made all the food! 

So this was the second year I hosted :)

I stressed about the house being perfect, about the turkey being perfect, about the table settings and seating assignments being perfect. Alan asked what I was so worried about, and I said, "It's Thanksgiving, your favorite holiday, I just want everything to be perfect!"

In the end (after lots of cleaning, scrubbing and baking) it all worked out. The house was clean, the turkey was tender, the company was great, and the food everyone brought was amazing!

This year I am Thankful for:

• Alan, and all he does for our family, and for me :)
• My oldest son, Adam
• My youngest son, Matthew
• Having twins. It has been a blessing watching them interact, and not having to wait until a younger sibling became old enough to play. They had a built in playmate from the begininng. The twin relationship has also taught them how to share. They understand taking turns (one of their favorite words is, "turn?"), and both of them have a very giving heart. I can't even give Adam two M&M's for peeing in the potty anymore, because he always runs and gives one to Matthew! <3 each="each" give="give" i="i" li="li" of="of" one="one" ow="ow" them="them">
• My parents
• Alan's parents
• My brother & sister-in-law living in the area, with their newborn son (who will hopefully become a good playmate to our boys!)
• My younger brother. Even though he lives far away, I am thankful we still have a relationship, and are able to video chat/regular chat online.
• Our home
• Alan's job, that enables us to provide for our family
• The flexibility of my PRN job as a Nurse. It allows me to have a job and make some income, without leaving my boys very often (just once a week).
• Also thankful I have been able to work so many Sundays lately, so Alan is able to watch the boys. That way we don't overtax the Grandparents/can use them for date nights ;)
• Electricity....we take so many things for granted, but our lives would be so much different/less comfortable without electricity!
• The ability to travel (as a family, and as a couple)
• My extended family: Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc. Family is great :)
• My church family
• Our ability to host Thanksgiving with both sides of the family
• So much more!!!



Matthew after completing his Hand Turkey the night before Thanksgiving. (Don't look, but you can see the kitchen was nowhere near clean the night before)



Two years of Hand Turkeys (Adam's turkeys on the left, Matthew's on the right). Now a proud tradition!

• 

  Alan and Daniel (my brother) playing tether ball Thanksgiving morning.
  The park was so beautiful. It really felt and looked like Fall.
  The little boys are a little close to the game.... No toddler injuries thankfully...
  

  

  ....Just some adult injuries. Here is Matthew kissing Uncle Daniels' "boo boo"

Love this picture! Matthew is in green, Adam in red. Little cousin in blue :)

Adam in the fire pit ;)

Matthew exploring nature 

My second ever turkey

Table 1

Table 2. We hosted 14 adults and 3 kids, including our family

This is a family friend that is also Alan's chiropracter. Alan sees her about once a week, and we bring the boys along. This time, the tables are turned, and Matthew is working on her back. So cute!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!

Being a Mom

It completely turns your world upside down. Your life changes forever, your world-view shifts. Motherhood.

Adam at the pumpkin patch last month

I believe the newborn period is like an "initiation" into motherhood. A crash course on not coming first. On caring for another's well-being more than your own.

For some moms it can be painful (ie: for me), because we were more selfish than we realized, and it can be hard giving up all of that "me time".

Matthew at the pumpkin patch

But the rewards are amazing. Precious, wide-eyed, new humans discovering the world under our guidance and teaching. Cuddles, hugs, kisses, cries of "Mommy!" when they see us, or want us to watch them "show off" :) Giggles, sounds of little feet running through the house, watching them learn new words and new concepts. Seeing them interact with other people.

Adam giving us "the look"

"Parenting"/correction kicks in almost as soon as our little ones learn to crawl, and for us, our 2 year olds are constantly testing their boundaries. It can be exhausting sometimes. I do wish moms wouldn't judge each other (or my personal pet peeve, when non-parents judge parents). What parents need is support and encouragement, not judgment. We may have different philosophies, but we are all doing our best, and learning a lot on the way.

Adam and Matthew with their Mario & Luigi sheets in their big boy bed.

These little ones depend on us for all of their needs. It is humbling and amazing. I love being a mom to my two little stinkers :)

Cross Country Trip / Big Boy Bed

We recently went on a two week car trip to Gatlinburg, TN (one week for the Feast), Kentucky and Nashville, TN. The kids actually behaved surprisingly well during the many, many hours in the car. Relatively well. They did get to watch as much TV as they wanted on Alan's iPad (which we only allow in 30 min segments usually).

We stayed with both sets of grandparents, my brother & his family, and my cousin and her family in a cabin in Gatlinburg. It was fantastic. Our happy family:

Adam on left (with red shoes)

In Kentucky:

Daddy & Matthew contemplating nature on my Grandma's land

In Nashville:

Adam looking guilty

Matthew looking grown up

The boys sleeping in a hotel bed.

 As I have previously mentioned, the boys have been crowded onto one crib size mattress in their toddler bed. (They had two separate beds, but wanted to sleep together.) I have been wanting to move them somewhere bigger, but they seemed so happy/were not complaining about the cramped quarters. I was scared to change their routine because it was working. But every night when I put them to bed, I just felt guilty that they had no room.

So, after we returned from our trip, I disassembled and removed both cribs from their room (bitter sweet...they have been there since I was about 25 weeks pregnant) and made the futon into a bed for them. I cuddled right beside them instead of from the floor. It was wonderful.

Night one: Matthew woke up 3 times crying, "Mommyy! Daddyy! ... Mommy?"
Night two: Matthew woke up 1 time, "Mommyy!"
Night three: Success!
Night four: Success again!!

The boys' fifth night in their very own big boy bed. (I need to get them their own sheets and pillows.. still in progress :P)

I love taking pictures of my boys sleeping :) Happy Fall everyone!

My favorite thing about Motherhood

The cuddles!

Last night as we were putting the boys to bed, Adam was being extra cuddly because he had hurt himself at the playground that evening. I was hugging him, and his arms were wrapped tightly around my neck (while Daddy was changing his diaper....:P). Matthew, being jealous, started hugging my back (I love it when they do this.. seriously sweet). Then a little Matthew face squeezed underneath my arm, "Yo!" he said. This is how he says hello. I wanted to melt from all the cuteness. (My love language is physical touch and quality time, so I especially love family cuddles).

Later Alan went to check on Adam and this is how he found the boys :)
You can see Adam's bump/scratches :(

--

For the record, my least favorite thing is the whining x2. (Make it stop!)

Potty Training Two 2 Year Olds

                             

For a long time, my boys showed no potty readiness cues at all. This was fine with me. I know some people who have done & have read about Elimination Communication, but this was not for me. I am fine with diapers, and I have always dreaded potty training. In fact, my plan was to keep my boys in cribs and diapers until they started Kindergarten, but they have other ideas! ;)

The first time I remember trying to teach Matthew the concept of "poo poo", Matthew caught right on, and kept repeating "poo poo", "poo poo" with a huge smile. However, they still never told me when they had a dirty diaper.. in fact they didn't care at all & would end up with diaper rashes while they were playing sometimes :(

Recently though, the boys have been reporting their dirty diapers to me, and have been excited to sit on the potty (usually with no result, because they would ask after they had already gone). The last few days I have started putting them on the potty routinely at the same times each day. I have tried this off and on before, but with no success.

The turning point was Sunday while I was at work. I called Alan during my lunch break to see how he was doing. I heard Matthew in the background demanding "POTTY" and - when his request was not honored immediately yelling "WAHH. POTTY.........WAHHH!! POTTY....... WAHHH!!". I couldn't help but laugh (since I wasn't there). Although this was not a very respectable way to ask.. I'm pretty sure that was a definite readiness cue for potty training. (Alan did let him on the potty after we hung up.) When I got home that night, I set the boys up on their potties before bedtime. Matthew got so excited about every drop, he would gasp, then rush to dump the contents out in the big potty. He would come back, squirt a few more drops, then rush again to dump it out! He did this about 15 times. The little man was excited. Adam got more excited about the whole thing when he saw what a big deal we were making about it with Matthew, so he started going too (but actually emptying out his while bladder.. which was nice :P)

Our two big boys.

Monday they had lots of successful potty times, but still way too many trips to dump out the contents, so I switched them to the big potty. (Which almost swallowed them up :P) This morning we made a special trip to Target to buy a potty seat for the big potty. We have been using that all day using stickers as rewards. They have pooped or peed every time I put them on. Then they stick their own sticker on the paper I have taped to the lid of the toilet. I am surprised they actually wait their turn. They still aren't dry in between potty trips, but I feel like there is no turning back on this path! Wish us luck!

Lots of trips to the potty today!

Highlights from Today

Today my kiddos woke up an hour early from their nap, screaming. I ran in there to see what the problem was, (I think Matthew woke up and scared Adam awake) and they both wanted to cuddle. So I sat on the futon and let them each have a side of me. At first Adam actually screamed harder because he wanted me to himself (and he was still tired), which Matthew just cuddled on one side quietly (which is rare for a long length of time.. my boys do not have time to cuddle, too busy! Eventually Adam came and hugged,me and they both fell back asleep on each side of me. It was absolutely precious. Tto have both of them cuddled so close, asleep, just made my heart so full <3 :=":" but="but" didn="didn" done="done" get="get" i="i" list="list" memory="memory" my="my" nap="nap" p="p" t="t" this="this" to-do="to-do" treasure="treasure" whole="whole" will="will">~~
Also in other news today, I told Matthew the "potty wanted his pee pee and poo poo", so he proceeded to poop in Adam's potty, get up, and then pee in his potty. I guess he didn't want to leave any potties out :) (We are in the early stages of potty training )
~~
I was incredibly tired today, (and our grocery shopping trip this morning was not the smoothest.. mostly because I bought some big items, so there wasn't much room for the boys to be contained in the cart!) but they know exactly how to make Mommy's day <3 p="p">

Our Boys are 2!!

2 years ago I was in the hospital, have the world's easiest labor and delivery for twins. (Minus the five pokes with the huge epidural needle). Then I gave birth to the most gorgeous 5 pound babies and didn't sleep for 6 months.:) And now, somehow, they are 2!

This past year has flown by. I literally saw the boys changing from babies to little kids. It was most obvious when I worked. I would come home and think, "these boys were not that big last night!"

For the day of their birthday, my parents and I took them for a trial class at The Little Gym (I will try to add a few pics later when I get them from my parents). They had a blast playing on all the toddler gymnastic equipment. Adam was able to talk to his brother in Austria, and we all had dinner with the extended family that night.The boys got a wagon from the grandparents.

 Along with these cool cards that played fun songs when they were opened.

 We had their birthday on a farm:

 Where they fed chicken, pigs, and goats with their friends:

 Then we ate pizza, veggies & cake

 I was pretty happy with my barn cake & chicks. The other fondant farm animals I bought from etsy.com.

The boys were ready to dig in

This picture shows all the kids that came

We officially 2 two year olds! Please pray for patience for us ;)

We had a great birthday weekend. We taught the boys how old they were, and they would say "twooo" and hold up their hand and sometimes put their first two fingers together, because they could not hold up just two fingers.

They are the sweetest little 2 year olds ever. If someone gets hurt, they will come over and kiss you. They say please, and sorry. (And try to say thank you). They give lots of spontaneous hugs & kisses. They have gotten a lot better at sharing and taking turns. Also if they hurt each other in any way, we have them make up for it by having them hug each other, which they are always willing to do & it dissipates the anger :)

Of course they are definitely becoming more independent. They want to strap themselves into the car seat, put on their own shoes, and attempt to put on their clothes. (Which usually results in two legs in one leg opening, or their shirt being pulled up like shorts). 

They moved to big boy, forward facing car seats about a week before their birthday because they had outgrown the rear facing. They are in toddler beds. They tell us when they have dirty diapers. They want to sit on the potty (although they don't consistently actually produce anything when they sit there). I feel like this new year had already brought, and will continue to bring a lot of changes! We are hanging on tight!

(In other news, Alan and I took TWO trips alone this summer. Blog post on those later)

Toddler Bed Update

The boys are getting used to their toddler bed, and the expectation to stay in their bed. Yay!

Now I am starting to really like the toddler bed, because I am able to lay my head next to them on their pillow as part of the bed time routine. Adam will just look at me with love & smile. Matthew loves to put his arm around me and smile. It is the sweetest thing <3

New Challenges

The last (almost 2 years) has been  wonderful, amazing, sleep depriving, and a huge learning experience. But I feel like we are really entering a new phase. Where we always have to be on our toes mentally, not just physically. The boys are getting so smart, even while their spoken language remains relatively small, I am fairly sure they understand the majority of what we say. And they test their limits constantly. 

We made the switch to toddler beds last week. WOW. The first nap time and bed time went great, but then they really started to test us! The second nap time I spend 1.5 hours putting them back in bed before tossing them into this enclosed portable crib we have (where they went to sleep immediately.) I was ready to give up, and for a few days if they didn't stay in their bed I would put them in the portable crib. Then I tried the crib again, but they have become quite the little acrobats. So we knew it was time to really transition to a bed, and so we tried the toddler beds for a second time. On our second try, the first nap and bed times went really smoothly again. That infamous second nap time was today, and again I spent about an hour putting them back in bed (and disciplined them each time). But this time I was determined to make it work, and eventually they stopped climbing out and went to sleep. WHEW. Today at bed time they didn't get out of bed ONCE. (But we did have to go in once for climbing). (And may I just say, "yay! for video monitors). I am hoping the worst is over, but if it's not... I have said lots of prayers for patience!!

They are sharing one toddler bed. I have tried to switch it around so they can sleep on a bigger mattress, but it seems like every time I change their arrangement, it sets them back. So for now this is how they sleep!

In more light-heart-ed news;

*The boys just completed their first week of a two week swim class. Adam loves to jump in the water into our arms over and over. Matthew loves to "scoop" with his hands and kick with his feet as fast as he can! Adam very slowly and deliberately "scoops" and kicks. It is very funny and cute to watch them side by side. They both are hesitant about blowing bubbles underwater (although they will do it in the bathtub) and about putting their ears under the water.

*I have "color-coded" the boys since they were born. Matthew in blue; Adam in all other colors. They wear color coded clothes and cloth diapers. They used to have color coded pacifiers. Even some of their toys, and their sippy cups were blue for Matthew, and often green or red for Adam. Lately I haven't been as consistent with offering the boys their "correct" color of sippy cup. I didn't think it really made a difference. However the boys have started to refuse milk that comes in the "wrong" colored cup! Little stinkers ;)

*I had a mommy thought today. I love seeing my boys (and my husband) scarf down food that I make. When it is hand made healthy food that they are happily chowing down on, it is one of the most fulfilling things for me. It makes me feel like a success as a mom and wife. As a mom, it is actually more fulfilling than breastfeeding, and also hurts less ;)

 

The boys wearing a few of Alan's old outfits.

*When Alan came home today, I was not feeling very pretty. I felt like I got a lot done today, but hadn't done anything to make myself presentable before he got home. I told him I wasn't pretty right now, and he said "I like you". Aww, that simple statement made me feel very loved :)