Posted Thursday, November 19, 2009 1:43 PM
So today is my birthday, and I may be getting a box, who knows. But these are the last lines in the Leslie Patricelli book, The Birthday Box. I absolutley love reading this book to my boys. It is so cute. I like all the Leslie Patricelli books that don't deal with comparisons. Her books Quiet Loud and Yummy Yucky are too boring for the boys. However, we love Binky and Blanky.
Anyway, today is my birthday. I am 26. I have mentioned a few times to people who comment on my age, "Yup, I'm on the downhill side of 20." I don't mind it. I hate that Matt is 6 months younger than me, because for 6 months, he pokes harmless fun at me. We'll see if I'm so understanding 4 years from now when he teases me about being OLD.
Anyway, today is a great day It started off nice. I woke up to Ethan crying at 4 am. Matt was going to get him, but I was in a snuggly mood. So was Ethan. I fed him and cuddled for about 20 minutes before putting him back in his crib. Then I came back to bed and was snuggled by Matt who told me Happy Birthday. I got ready for work and I feel like it is a good hair day and a thin day. Who could ask for more on their B-day.
I was getting everything ready for the boys this morning in my super-clean house (I had to clean it. The inlaws are coming to town tomorrow). I go to pack the diaper bag and realize that yesterday, I missed that there was a birthday card in there from my Grandma who wrote me a really sweet message. I love my Grandma so much. We are really close. I pack up everything and head off to my carpool. My carpoolers threatened to sing to me, but instead picked me up breakfast on the way to work.
I get to my building and today is Old Newsboys Day which is a really cool day in St. Louis. People run around on the streets selling Newspapers just like old newsboys. So I bought myself a paper. I love Old Newsboys Day!
So I get into the office and as I get closer to my desk, I notice a purple pinata hanging over my computer. My desk has been Hannah Montana tricked Out! Haha!
So my team was busy yesterday :)
Then I log in to my work email and among the tons and tons of birthday emails, I see a letter stating that to make our company's benefits package more appealing, instead of gaining and extra week of vacation after 7 years service, I gain it after 4. This means that I get an extra week of vacation in June next year! Happy Happy Birthday Mandy! I then get more and more birthday emails.
Then my team comes to my office because they baked me cheesecake brownies. They were so yummy. I had cut short eating the brownies because I had a call I needed to be on. At the beginning of the call, my boss announced my birthday, so I've gotten birthday wishes out the wazzoo. I then go to the organization Potluck and I get asked by someone if I lost weight. Always nice to hear. The food was great, and the sopapilla cheesecake I made was completely eaten.
When I come back, I checked my email and noticed all the FB messages wishing me a Happy Birthday. I noticed some were from girls on the blogs. Thank you!
So when I'm done at work here, I'm going to go home to my beautiful babies until 6. Then my Dad and sister are going to take care of them and get them to sleep tonight. Matt and I are going to Outback for dinner and we are going to see The Men Who Stare at Goats. He also bought me a present, I don't know what, but today has been awesome, so it can only get better.
I hope everyone else is having a great day.
Posted Monday, November 16, 2009 11:24 AM
I started off thinking I would breastfeed for 6 months. The boys hated the boob! They would scream bloody murder. I never perfected the latch and the lactation consultant at the hospital completely discouraged me. She was horrible. I put in a huge complaint against her. I couldn't say enough awful things about this woman. She hurt me, then after 30 minutes of her trying to help and the boys still not taking a latch, I told her I would just pump since the boys wanted to sleep. She made a comment about how me being lazy wasn't an excuse to starve my babies. I made my Mom, make the woman leave. I tried shields and just try after try, we got nowhere. So I decided to pump. My body just could not make enough for both boys. I did what I could, but being attached to a pump every couple hours, not sleeping, and still having to make at least one bottle at almost every feeding, I eventually gave up.
I started them on Similac Advanced. It had to be Brand Name, and I was sure Similac was the best. Ethan started having reflux problems. I had to switch him to Similac Sensitive. James was fine with the Advanced, but it only took about 3 feedings to realize that when you make a bottle of sensitive and a bottle of advanced, and you have only slept a few hours, by the time you are ready to feed the babies, you have no idea what formula is what. So we switched James to Sensitive as well.
We got free formula through Similac Reps for awhile, but it came in special small cans that I thought were not fresh at all. Then as the boys ate more and more, we would fly through those cases. So we started turning down the free stuff and buying tubs because they were so much fresher. We started the boys on rice cereal in their bottles at 2 months to control spit-up. We started spoon-feeding cereal at 5 months. We started first foods at 6 months. They were 7 months when we started 2nd foods. We even gave them the kind that has strawberry. We also fed them the meat kind. Yes it grosses most people out, but they loved it. As long as they like it, what does it matter? We decided that it would be only organic food for them. Then the boredom set in. Organic variety is limited. Sure, we would give the Gerber Organic and Earth's best, but one day, they finally got peaches, non-organic peaches. It wasn't available in organic, so they never had it before and we were in a pinch, buying at a store, super late, and they didn't sell organic. It was then, that I realized, I am depriving these dudes of so much, and I don't want to do that. So they LOVE all baby food, and I'm not a stickler for organic.
Last week, I made the discovery that Target formula is pretty much the same as Similac, and switched the boys to that. The tubs cost less than half of what Similac cost, and there is more in the container. I don't like formula from cans, so Matt thinks I'm going bonkers when I open the can of target formula and transfer it to the plastic sealing Similac Tub. He says I'm doing it to keep up apearances as a snob. I told him I hate tubs. I don't see how we would be keeping up appearances when we live like hermits!
The boys just seemed to be inhaling food lately, so I gave the boys 3rd foods. They cannot get enough. They gum it up and they handle it just fine. They love their puffs and yogurt melts. They aren't fans of real yogurt. I've tried giving them mashed potatoes and eggs before. They weren't having it, until yesterday!
Yesterday they woke up and I gave them a bowl of instant oatmeal. They hate the baby kind. The love my husband's oatmeal! They went to town on this stuff. After eating their oatmeal and chugging down bottles, I have my breakfast, a cheesy omelet. It was yummy. The boys thought so too. They ate most of it for me. Throughout the day, they had some 3rd foods, but when it came to right after mine and Matt's dinner, we decided to have some rocky road ice cream. The boys decided they were going to have some too. I definitely draw the line at marshmellows and walnuts, but they went to town on the chocolate ice cream.
Sure, not everyone lets their kids sample at 8.5 months, but they crawl, stand up, walk around stuff, and they can handle it, so I give them what they want. Foods are fun. I can't wait to make them pancakes.
Posted Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:25 AM
Why do the only slippers you can buy online for babies in a size 6 at walmart cost almost $70? Oh yeah, it might have something to do with the fact that they come in a chain mail tote bag. No joke. But I understand it, is any baby's life complete without a chain mail tote bag?
Shoes
I just wanted to get some super cheap slippers for them. I am guessing I am going to have better luck instore. Maybe I'm out of the fashion loop. As a mommy, I have given up the idea of buying classy sophisticated shoes. Do all shoes come in chain mail tote bags now? They used to come in boxes.
Posted Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:00 PM
I finished a lot of Christmas shopping from my couch today. I ordered a bunch of hardcover photobooks from shutterfly and ordered my Christmas cards as well. It really wore me out because I had to stage and take a few pictures before I could place my order. Basically, I wanted my books to go through Christmas, so Matt and I put up our tree over the weekend. But we also stained the deck and I got caught up on laundry as well. I think I just did too much because I got sick. SICK AS A DOG!
I have had a blinding headache all day. I've been sick to my stomach and I sweated like crazy last night. I had to rewash the sheets. I was Gross with a capital G. Anyway, even though I've been miserable all day, my Mom who watches the boys was also sick, so it wouldn't have been fair for her to watch them while she is sick and I sit home sick and unbothered. I took a few good shots of the boys today for the photobook and Christmas cards, so I thought I'd post them:
Fall Fun!
And our Christmas Card photo for the year
Posted Friday, November 06, 2009 10:55 AM
Simon Says
Ethan was so sleepy, James was already napping.
Ethan's Bathtub Mad Scientist hair. Such a sweet baby.
James has been obsessed with chomping down on his socks to get them off his feet, but then he doesn't let go. We call this 'The Puppy.'
More of The Puppy
Here is where they would just not stay still. They wore me out, so I just decided to hang on to their ankles.
A different variation of The Puppy, we call this 'The Teething Puppy'
They love to watch Yo Gabba Gabba, this episode is Love. I know the words to all the songs. I am a Yo Gabba Gabba aficionado.
Unintentional closeup James
Unintentional Closeup Ethan. They kinda look like twins in these two pictures :)
They are helping each other make an escape.
Do I look tired?
And of course, the trashcan. Here is Ethan knocking James into the trashcan.
But that is okay Ethan, we all know how James loves the trashcan. As Mandy slaps her forehead.
Halloween night with their friend Mason the Elephant. And Matt's arm.
That pose ended sooo quickly.
But I got good shots later. Here is James, aka Woody.
Here is Ethan, aka Buzz Lightyear.
My Toy Story Buddies actually sat still for a half a second.
Then it was over, and they were off. Where you might ask, "To infinity...and beyond!"
Posted Thursday, November 05, 2009 11:55 AM
Oh my gosh I tried.
Short of tying the boys to each other, I cannot get them to sit still for one second. And I think I would get some serious flames if I did this. I'm going to have some funny ones to post tomorrow. I either get pictures of them crawling towards the camera, reaching out with a hand in front of the lens, or I get a picture of their little tushies as they crawl away from me. I have to chase them away from the gate on the stairs or stop James from crawling to the kitchen and trying to lick the trashcan.
#1 mistake while registering for wedding gifts: I just had to have that shiny metal trashcan that my 8 month old son gravitates to daily. If I take my eye off him for one minute, he has crawled to the kitchen and is trying to kiss his reflection. It makes my want to slap my forehead. I wash my trashcan all the time now.
Posted Wednesday, November 04, 2009 9:14 AM
It isn't the fact that my belly didn't quite bounce back. It isn't the lack of me time, or the lack of time spent alone with my husband. It's not the money spent on diapers, formula, baby food, and 2 of almost everything. It is so much worse than any of that. It is the judgement on your parenting.
My husband is guilty of this, I'm guilty of this, my Mom is guilty of this, and just about everyone else. They want the twins to be equal. It is like neither one of them can just get a special moment.
So, say I come home from work and Ethan crawls up to me and really wants some attention and affection. I pick him up, kiss on him, blow on his belly, and we play a little. Then Matt will ask if I gave James attention. Sure I said Hi to my baby and kissed on him, but he was playing with his lights and sounds ball and was annoyed that I pulled him away for the moment.
Or if Ethan is in the jumperoo and seems bored, so I take him out and put James in it because he was standing up around it and whining. My mother will say something like, "Do you like James more since you would take Ethan out even though he was content?"
Then my Mom has said that when we come over, I always take Ethan and Matt always has James. Well, yeah, the carseats are in Matt's car. Matt drives it, I don't. James's carseat is behind Matt. Ethan's carseat is behind me. It would be silly to buckle the kids on the opposite sides of where we are sitting.
Then at night, you constantly think, "Who did I feed last night? Have I fed James his bedtime bottle 2 days in a row?"
It is like people are always questioning whether we treat them equally, think one is cuter, or love one more than the other (and yes, I have been asked if I love one more than the other). When someone asks you this, as a mother of twins, you just think, "F*ck you!" But it really does make you question yourself, like, when I gave the boys their baths, I sang the rubber ducky song to James, but forgot to sing it to Ethan, does that make me a bad Mom? It is nuts, but you are always thinking, "Please don't let me accidentally deprive one of my babies."
Last night, James got his first tooth! I was so excited. I was bouncing him around, saying I was proud of him and clapping for him. Matt got upset with me because I wasn't jumping up and down over Ethan. I would have been equally as excited about Ethan, but I'm not allowed to just be happy for James at the moment. I tickled Ethan's toes and told him I am going to be so proud of him when his tooth comes in. I'll celebrate every last tooth, when they come in and again when they fall out. I just hated feeling guilty because I was proud of James. It wasn't like Matt wasn't holding onto Ethan playing with him and he was smiley as always. I hate being made to feel like I upset one of my sons because I was happy for the other who just hit a big milestone.
Posted Tuesday, November 03, 2009 1:49 PM
As of yesterday, the boys were 8 months old! Can you believe it? I barely can. I just have a hard time viewing myself as (and this may seem silly), but old enough to have 2 babies well on their way to 1 year old. 1 year will be here before I know it. I didn't want to do a first B-day party with friends, just a small dinner with Mine and possibly Matt's family if they can make it. However, Matt wants to do this, as well as plan a big friends party. I don't get it. It will be early March, the weather is hit or miss for a BBQ and I just don't want that many people in my house. It was so funny. The day I had the boys, it was freezing, I had to wear my biiiiig maternity winter coat on my way to the hospital. The day I was released (4 days later), it was 80 degrees, I wore a tank top and we rode home with the AC on in the car.
I was looking at the ticker in my signature on my regular message board and was thinking back, I carried these little babies for 37 weeks and 3 days. Then I thought, I wonder what day they will be 37 weeks and 3 days old. That would be November 19th, my 26th birthday! I thought that was pretty cool. On my b-day, the boys will have been outside babies as long as they were inside babies.
Also, I looked back at Mandy E-worth and saw the date of my last post, 5/27. That means that this month will mark 6 months since I decided to ditch the bump boards and deactivate Mandy E-worth. It makes me so sad. Almost half a year since I lost the screenname that I used to post my huge adventure of getting pregnant, finding out about the twins, finding out that they were my little men, figuring out names, and introducing them to this world.
It makes me sad that I had to leave so many people behind in order to let the drama die. I have wished on so many occassions that I could just go back and look at a post and read the comments and excitement, such as last Friday being the one year anniversary of the day I found out via ultrasound that my babies were little boys. I was so happy and I posted that picture of suckers that said "It's a boy" "It's a boy" I thought that was so much fun and it is all lost. I tried to filter back as of Sunday to see if I could sift through some pages to get to it, but the bump only let me filter back one year, and no more, so I lost that post on the trimester boards, as well as lost the comments from over here. It is such a shame.