Crib Blankets?

We live in a home that has a relatively old heat pump. When the temps get low at night and either very slowly warm during the day, or don't warm up much as the day goes on, it makes for a somewhat chilly house. We have a couple of space heaters, one in the boys' room and one that is either in the living space or our bedroom depending on time of day. The boys' room is kept at 70 degrees over night and at nap time and they sleep on a fleece crib sheet in fleece pajamas. Each of the boys has a small lovely blanket they sleep with, but it is very small, nothing large enough to cover with.

My question is, when did you start allowing your child to sleep with a blanket, something larger than a small lovie- something that could provide some warmth? I'm not sure I'm ready- but I thought it might help to know what other mamas have done.

Knowing..

We've been talking a ton about adding to our family lately. Honestly, ever since the early days if parenting twins we've been talking to the boys about the sibling(s) they'll have someday. We've always known. It's never really been a question, even on the most difficult if days-- this mama's heart is sure, there will be another-- at least one, maybe more.

I  received an email recently asking me about having twins and  how and when we made the decision that we wanted more.  I never answered the email because each time I started to type, the words sounded so silly to me,  cliché and canned. So unhelpful to this person several states away that I don't know. But here is what I should have said....

• I knew when I was a little girl that I'd be pregnant more than once. I never really idealized pregnancy as a child, I just imagined I'd do it more than once. 
• Hubs and I both grew up in families with three kids, we both always assumed we'd likely have the same. 
• Even through the countless fertility treatments, I still imagined doing it all more than once. 
• When I got pregnant with twins I was (am still am) completely satisfied, but I still knew I'd like another if it was possible. 
• As I went through a very uneventful pregnancy with multiples, I knew I could and God willing, would do it again. 
• When my boys were born screaming and peeing, and I watched as my husband became a daddy- I knew. 
• When I held and kissed slimy babies who knew me from their first breath as their mama, I was sure. 
• And, my feeling have only been affirmed since then- I hope and pray it's all possible again. I am a mom through and through. 

All of that said, I know it isn't the same for everyone. Some take a long time to realize something, or rather somebody, is missing from their family. One things I've heard over and over from seasoned moms who are done having babies- you will know. There will be a moment of clarity. Sometimes its in the trenches of a tough situation- sometimes its when your family just feels so right and full in a perfect moment. I obviously can't say if that is true or not, because I am not there yet. I hope that in just the same way I know I'd like another, someday I'll have a peace about being done as well.

Advent

I think I've mentioned before that we've been looking -- if you can even call it that-- for a church. It's hard with two babies, and we've been making excuse after excuse about why we can't make it work each week. Bottom line, our boys still nap twice a day- they NEED that morning nap and it happens at about 10am, give or take. So either we have super fussy babies in an unfamiliar church/nursery while we look for a church, or we don't go. Generally we choose the latter.

I've been craving it though. Some connection,  some spiritual grounding, especially during the holidays. Advent is such a time of waiting and expectation- it seems so fitting for me, an infertile, to find hope in these days leading up to Christmas. If you're new to the party, I wrote this post a few years ago and it remains something I think about often. 

In an effort to get connected to advent I decided look for an advent devotional. I'm only a few days in,  and if  you're interested you'd only need to catch up a few days, but so far it has been so good. After each day's readings I think to myself- I need this today, right where I am, but gosh, how I NEEDED it a few years ago. 

It's called 'The Greatest Gift' unwrapping the full love story of Christmas- by Ann Voskamp.

Not to worry, I'm not getting compensated for this, I just felt like I should pass the info along to all of you, especially those of you in a waiting period. It's good stuff. 

Simple Wins...

My day is filled with them: simple wins. The little things that make you smile, and make life just a little easier. Somedays it's the boys going down for two naps quickly and easily, others it's them saving the really stinky diapers until daddy gets home. Everyday they happen, everyday they make me smile.

The most recent was after getting the idea from one of you to add pumpkin to the boys' pancake mix. While I haven't tried THAT yet, I did try adding some leftover squash and carrot purees to the mix and they loved it! Yahoo, another way to eat veggies at breakfast! How did I not think of that myself?!? In addition to adding a veggie to the pancake batter, I also started  adding diced up Canadian bacon to the pancake batter. I  don't live having to 'hide' foods so they'll eat them, but I am still so stinking happy I've WON!  This morning they won because they got to have pancakes for breakfast, but I was the bigger winner because I got them to eat veggies and protein without a fight!

Seriously, try it if you're struggling to get your kiddos to eat a balanced diet!

Last day....

Oops! I was so very close to missing the final day of my 'blog everyday for a month' plan- talk about fail! 

We just returned from a great weekend spent with family. We did some Black Friday shopping and hubs and I went out 4 different times to upgrade our phones, and finally today we were able to make it happen. We ate well, laughed a lot and really enjoyed watching our babies interact with our family! Now it's time to rest up for a marathon unpacking/grocery shopping/catch up day tomorrow! 

Thanks for hanging in with me this month- hopefully this will give me the bug to be back in this space writing more often. 

A special day...

Two years ago, on the day after Thanksgiving, just before I headed out with my family to do some black Friday shopping, hubs gave me my first stimulation  injection to kick off the cycle in which we made our boys! Though today isn't the same 'date' and isn't exactly two years later.... the day after Thanksgiving will always be the day we started making the babies who made me a mama!

I've always loved this day. Now, I just love it even more!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

I hope you are all having a fantastic day and finding something to be thankful for on this day. Today I'm thankful for two of the sweetest little one year olds in the world, and for the hope I was able to cling to two years ago on this day. Two years ago, I was one day away from starting stims for the cycle in which I conceived our boys. I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to pursue treatments and for the science and doctors that brought us our boys!

Crossed Wires...

So, the other night Hubs and I were sitting watching the circus that is our living room in the evenings. As usual, we looked at each other, smiled and both said how much we loved our family and our boys. I saw the twinkle in his eye, and I knew what was coming. 'I wonder what it will be like to add another.' He then proceeded to say- are you still planning to move forward in January.

My eyes widened, and I stopped breathing.

I'm not sure how the wires got crossed, but I assured him we would be moving forward in A January... but not this one! He laughed, reminded me I'm almost 31 (in 7 months!) and agreed that NEXT January really is a better plan in terms of the boys. I'm not going to lie- I'd be game to move forward in a few short weeks- I loved being pregnant and I adore the newborn phase, but I am not ready to have my boys be anywhere but the center of my universe. They need my undivided attention for at least one more year-- they are still babies!

I'm not sure how, after several conversations on the topic we still walked away with differing thoughts on the matter, but I'm glad we could both agree ... 13 months from now we will be hoping and praying a fall baby will be joining our family!

Tricks my kids do... part two

I'll be the first to admit we haven't fully baby proofed our house. We've set up blockades and moved furniture around, but we haven't gotten totally serious about it because 'easy' baby proofing was working-- mostly.

Until today.

I was laying on the couch icing my back -- which is still a little sore from the back issues I experienced a couple of weeks ago. The boys were in and out of the living room, back and forth to the playroom. It got pretty quiet and then came a ridiculous amount of laughter from both boys. I was as quiet as I could be as I inched around the corner into the playroom. One of the blockades we'd used was an ottoman holding up a large pillow covering the bottom of a bookcase where we house some office supplies. A had gotten up on top of the ottoman before to press the printer button over and over and over, but that wasn't what was happening today.

Today BOTH of my children where standing up on a relatively small, slightly angled leather ottoman playing what can only be described at the baby version of king of the hill. I laughed first, just for a second-- then I saved their lives.

Seriously, each day we don't have to make a trip to the ER I count as a win! I'm still very skeptical we'll make it to 2 without stitches or some other dramatic event. Boys will be boys I guess!

Packing up

It is holiday travel season, and traveling with kids is HARD work! While hard, it is totally doable with a little extra preparing. For us, making a list is key, and thinking of each part of our day while we are away is a big deal. I find that if we can keep up with our routine as much as possible it makes our days and more importantly nights, easier. Not to mention the transition back home again. So, here is a bit of our list for our boys at 15m.

• Pack-n-play -- the place we are staying already has one crib for the other boy.
• Lovies and lollies-- don't cross my babies at bedtime.
• A portable highchair-- both homes we will be eating meals in has either one or two high chairs so our portable will supplement.
• TOYS! One home has an insane amount of toys, the other has just a few, so we will take a good sized basket of favorites with us.
• Food. We'll pick this up when we arrive, but it is so important to have things the boys will eat. When you're away from home, so much is already different, food can be one thing that stays consistent.
• Obviously clothing and shoes.
• Medications and a thermometer. Nothing is worse than thinking your kid feels hot when you're out of town and having to run to Walgreens in the middle of the night!
• Any and all of the things that help your kiddo sleep. For us that means music and the firm little pillow H uses at night.

Most importantly take your camera or phone and snap some pictures of family and friends loving on your babies!

Baby Dance

I watched a movie a few days ago while I was laying around with a sore back. It was called 'Baby Dance' and was, from my perspective, a pretty good movie. I'm not an adoptive parent, and even though I read several adoption blogs- I haven't lived it, and can't speak too much to how it all works, or doesn't work. What I DO know, is that when I watch a movie with an infertility theme, if it isn't done just perfectly and doesn't capture the emotion/heartache and speak about things in an inteligent manner I HATE the movie. So, keep that in mind if you decide to watch it.

I think it showed a lot of the things people don't talk about when it comes to adoption. Like all of the millions of feelings that go into making that choice in the first place, what you would do if the baby you were matched with ended up having some sort of issue, how you deal with the birth family, differing emotions from the waiting mother and father, etc. The movie was older and was probably set in the 80's-ish and I really have no idea what adoptions were like back then. But, as I watched all I could think was, I don't think I'm strong enough to do that.

It certainly isn't the norm from the stories I've read or heard from people I know, but my goodness, if that is how it once was, I can't even imagine. So, here's to you adoptive parents-- even though this was just a Hollywood glimpse for me into adoption I commend you for your strength when it comes to the choices you have made.

Feeding time...

I need more food ideas for the boys- I'm going insane. I know there are tons of things I could be giving them, but I draw a complete blank when I'm at the grocery store and end up buying all the same things. I do not want my kids to end up as those super picky eaters that eat a PBJ or grilled cheese for EVERY SINGLE MEAL!

Here is what they eat now-- please oh please, give me more ideas, or at least say your kid doesn't eat any better!

BREAKFAST:
Pancakes - plain, no butter or syrup-sometimes with fruit mixed in
Waffles- same as above
French toast- again without butter or syrup
Fruit & spinach smoothie
Kashi fruit bar
Any fruit
Sometimes scrambled eggs- H more than A
Toast- dry, sometimes with a little homemade jam

LUNCH:
Grilled cheese sandwich
Flat bread pizza
English muffin pizza
Cubed cheese
Plain flat bread
Fruit
Smoothie
Pouches of puréed veggies
Cheerios

DINNER:
Basically everything on the other two lists, and sometimes a bite or two of whatever we are eating. They've recently decided they don't care too much for noodles, meat in most any form, beans or most veggies in finger food form.

Meal ideas to try? Snack ideas? Come on, help me out, I'm in a serious rut!

Uh-oh!

As I said yesterday, H has learned to say uh-oh. It is generally accompanied with a very dramatic two hands over his mouth and worried eyes. It is hilarious.

• When he wakes up, Uh-oh.
• When he sets his car down gently on the floor, Uh-oh.
• When A does something he isn't supposed to in another room, uh-oh uh-oh uh-oh.
• When he runs out of food on his tray, Uh-oh.

You get the idea. All day long. It is the sweetest thing ever, so I don't mind hearing him say the same thing all day. I love these moments, and I feel insanely blessed to be home with them every single day!

15 months...

I decided to start skipping monthly updates on the boys after their first birthday and will just do a larger update for each of their well visit months in their second year.

We're finally off formula... This week at fifteen months! It took us awhile to make the tradition, but I think we've finally done it. A didn't love the switch and we ended up just going slow for both boys because it was easier to keep track of. The boys now have three sippy cups of milk per day- probably between 16-20oz of milk per day. In addition to milk, the will eat three decent sized meals per day and sometimes a couple of snacks. They love carbs and fruit and seem to be coming around to whole veggies, but mostly still would rather have them in purée or smoothie form. Speaking of smoothies- they are obsessed. It's nice because we can get about a cup of fresh spinach in each one, which is great when they don't love finger food veggies! Meat has been really hard, and they don't care for beans too much either. Most protein is coming from dairy products these days, but hopefully they'll come around soon. Until then, we'll just keep offering it.

The boys have been somewhat slow to talk, but babble ALL.DAY.LONG! H can now say hi, mama, dada, uh-oh, yay and we've heard toddles more than once. For now, A us just saying mama, dada and yay. He generally does things about two weeks after H, so I think his language will perk up soon!

They are both loving playing with anything that has wheels. I think their current favorite us a green toys airplane they got as a birthday gift. It is constantly flying through our house accompanied with sound effects- cutest thing ever!

Sleep is getting better. More nights than not they sleep through- and our bed only has two adults in it-- WIN!! They still like music at bedtime and H now has a firm pillow in his bed because he has insanely small nostrils like his mama and with ANY congestion it is nearly impossible to breathe. He also gets saline spray before bed each night which he hates!

Our next major task is getting rid of the lollies. It's not something we are going to take on until after the holiday/traveling season. But it's coming, and I'm hopeful it will be done, or at least even more limited by 18m. Right now they get them in their beds, in the car seat and stroller.

H has 8-10 teeth. Wondering why I don't know? The kid's mouth is on lock down if he isn't eating- which makes brushing teeth a super fun few minutes. A has 10, and seems like he may be working on another, or maybe a couple of those 10 aren't completely through... The drool. Insane!

Our 'Tiny' is no longer the smaller of the boys- he out weighs his brother now by 10 oz! A weighs in at 24lbs 10oz (51%) and H at 24lbs even (42%). H is still taller than A, by a whole 1 1/4". H measures 32 1/2" (86%) and A was 31 1/4" (54%). Their heads are on the big side, which is just like both of our families- A 49cm (93%) and H 49 1/2 (96%).

A's hair is still super blonde and his eyes are a very sweet blue color. He continues to look more like Hub's family than mine, right down to his little booty. H's hair is a bit more brown, and his eyes are floating over to the grey/green side instead if the blue they used to be. H looks a lot like my family and the trend continues for him right down to his lack of a booty!

I can't think of anything else interesting, so I'll finish off with a temporary picture of the little stinkers....

The importance of preparing...

I was recently talking with someone who is in the midst of infertility and on the brink of an IVF cycle. We were talking about the MANY things that go into it, and how much you really have to advocate for yourself, ask questions and become known by both your doctor and his or her nurses. I found it so very important to truly and deeply understand the process as well as the drugs. And I would encourage every single person to do the same. Yes, your doctors and nurses do this for a living and have the education and experience to back them up, but it us YOUR body, YOUR future. 

In just the few minutes we talked, we touched on so many aspects of this journey:

• Making a plan with your spouse about how far is too far.
• Preparing your heart, mind, body and checking account for what is about to happen. 
• Having a plan for number of embryos to transfer prior to the sometimes emotional morning of the transfer. 
• Understanding your calendar and the drugs you will be taking. 
• Making a decision about where your drugs will come from- domestic vs. international. 
• The importance of cool socks. 
• The amount the general public knows about infertility and the IVF process. 
• The scary reality that even some of your IVF (or any treatment for that matter) peers know very little about what they are about to do. 
• The fact that sometimes participating in medical studies doesn't outweigh cost of treatment/sanity. 
• Balancing hope with reality. Having a guarded heart while still experiencing pure joy. 
• Gatorade. 
• Tricks for injections.

If only every person who jumped feet first into fertility treatment was more than consultation appointment educated. 

Tiny Taste Test...

Well, I bit the bullet and gave the boys peanut butter yesterday at lunchtime. I held my breath, took a few pictures and watched for awhile hoping nobody would stop breathing or anything crazy. I am SO hopeful it can be something new to add to the lunch list-- something with protien to boot!

I only gave each of them two small squares of toast with peanut butter, and all seemed well. Unfortunately, A had a diaper rash by bedtime, which is really unlike him unless he eats something that bothers him, like squash when he was much younger. I'm going to skip PB today and see if we can get the minor rash cleared up. Then, we'll try again before going to the doctor for their fifteen month visit tomorrow afternoon.

Peanut Butter...

It's freaking me out a little! The boys are 15 months old, and we got the go ahead at 12m, but I'm worried about it. Now, don't get me wrong, I have no reason to worry. They boys don't have a single food they can't eat- there are a couple we think MAY have caused a slight diaper rash that we avoid, but in general nothing has been a problem. Neither hubs or I have any food allergies either... I think it's time to bite the bullet!

Have you givin your babes peanut butter yet?

You'll Never Walk Alone

I was watching a movie last night while hubs was out with some friends. The movie was better than I imagined it would be, but what struck me, was a song within the movie.

You'll Never Walk Alone

When you walk through a storm hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on

When you walk through the storm hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark
At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on with hope, hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone
You'll never walk alone

Such a perfect sentiment for so many of my readers- wherever you are, you're not alone. You'll never walk alone. 

What?!?

I've been watching the food network a lot the last few days while my back has been out. Today I heard this quote... Or close to it......

'I don't know if everyone puts boiled eggs in their turkey gravey, but we do'

WHHHHHAAAAT?!?

Do any of you do this? I've never heard anything like this! Do any of you do this? Or have any other weird traditions to entertain me with while I lay on the ice pack?!?

So, that is why.....

I've realized something in the last few days. The reason the doctor prescribed me more pain meds after my Csection than I really needed was because they KNEW a mama of twins would undoubtedly hurt herself lugging around two little monsters all the time! The back is much better after lots of ice and a few really good pain pills... Thank goodness, because this mama is back on duty Monday morning!

Back.

I threw my back out.... Again. I did this same thing in July and it was bad. I was pretty much confined to my bed or (outdoor) lounge chair for a week or more. The difference is, then my husband was at his old more flexible job, my mom was able to come help me for days on end and my babies were not nearly as mobile or curious.

So today, I'm here, stuck in my bed while my mother-in-law takes care of my babies. It is pure torture to listen to their day happen and not be able to be a part of it. It's killing me. Turning over responsibility of my children is not something I'm good at. In fact, just listening to hubs do our whole  nighttime routine without me last night nearly killed me.

But, I need to heal. I need this time to lay and try to relax. It's almost impossible, but I'm trying. Hopefully, I'll be good as new by Monday- that's my goal. So, in the meantime, lots of rest!

Things that make me crazy...

• H learned to climb up on the couch. He hasn't fallen off yet, but I'm sure its only a matter of time.
• Fruit flies. Seriously, tell me your secrets because I may go completely insane very, very soon.
• Forgetting about a load of laundry in the washing machine and having to re-wash it.
• When the UPS man rings the doorbell, during naptime.
• Waking up in the middle of a cool dream.
• Letting Hubs drive my car to work but forgetting to ask him to leave the stroller behind.
• Junk mail.
• Stepping on cheerios.
• People who refer to my boys as 'the twins'... I know, I'm weird.
• Realizing after I just got perfectly comfortable in my bed that I forgot to do something.
• Babies with runny noses.
• Making a meal for H & A and both of them refusing to eat it.
• Looking outside the day following an afternoon spent raking leaves.

Baby #3... This is not an announcement!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I feel 100% crazy for thinking about baby #3 as much as I do. Like for serious.

I was talking with a group of women the other day, and was talking about the stack of totes sitting in our bedroom waiting to be put in the attic. There are six totes full of the first year of clothing that we are keeping. That, and a breast pump, a nursing pillow and a pile of clothing that needs to be sorted into the tubs or put in yet another.  I joked that they'd likely still be sitting there when we had another baby. It was a joke, but with how slowly those types of projects happen around here... It isn't totally out if the question.  Which, somehow thrills me.

I have a very odd sense of hope about getting pregnant again. Don't be fooled, I'm not thinking it's going to happen naturally, in fact, that probably will not be a possibility as I plan to stay on birth control until our FET. But I have a calm about it all, like its going to happen and I don't need to worry about the 'what if??' I cannot tell you how happy I am about this. I didnt realize until I was pregnant just how depressed I was when we were trying to get pregnant the first time. I have no desire to go there again, and certainly no desire for my boys to see me at that type of low.

I think we've settled on a year from now- that's when we'll start really pursuing an FET and all that it entails. I'm sure there will be tests that need to be updated and some other things that will need addressing. In the meantime, we will be enjoying everyday with our sweet boys and soaking in our time with the two of them. I'll be working toward getting as healthy as possible in preparation for another complication free pregnancy.

Life Lessons from Tiny Humans...

There are millions of things to do in a day. Big, small, important, unnecessary. You get the idea.

Life with a baby, let alone twins, is hard work. There are diapers to change, meals to feed, nursing to do, bottles to wash, laundry, food scraps to sweep up, tummy time to supervise, sleepy babies to rock, dishes to do, meals to make... and those, for the most part are just the things on the must do list. Its hard and its rewarding. Its the best job I've ever had, but it is also overwhelming (especially at first) and exhausting.

I'm not saying this to complain. Not even a little.

I'm saying this to explain: there is a lot to do BUT, its ok if you aren't perfect. Because you are perfect in your baby's eyes. You are their everything. And I promise, they will not notice if your sink is full of dishes or your bathroom needs a good scrub down, they likely wont notice if your hair is a wreck or if you didn't brush your teeth this morning.

It wasn't until a few weeks into my new role as a mama of twins that I realized it. I can't do it all. And further more, I don't care. I am much more interested in being with my boys. Watching them learn to climb, discover new things, mimic things I model. Sure, I could get more done on my days at home, but I've resigned myself to the fact that my house just isn't going to be picture perfect anymore (unless we are expecting company), at least not for a few more years.

When I wake up in the night and nearly break my neck on some toy with wheels that was left in the hallway the night before, I thank God. I smile and pretty often my eyes get a little wet as I walk into the nursery to calm an upset baby. Because I have babies. Something I spent a long time wondering if I'd ever say.

Those babies, I love them to pieces. They've taught me what is important. They taught me to hold on to the very few things that are important to me, and let the other stuff slide.

Life, surprising as this may seem, is simpler now. We added two babies to our family and somehow, unexplainably so, I find life so much simpler and certainly sweeter.

Baby Art

I just about let a day slip through the cracks. Good thing I didn't hop into bed the second I put the boys down tonight like I often do, thank goodness for DVR'd episodes of Dexter!

I have a random question, and because I know some of you mamas of littles have a pinterest 'problem' I hope one of you has an answer for me!

We're going to an event this week where each of the boys will get to make a tile with their handprint. The only handprint thing we've done is me tracing the outside of their hands. So, veteran paint hand printers... what is the trick? IS there a trick, or are we destined to have two fist prints this year?!?

Meal Ideas??

So, as I said a few days ago- I am trying to lose a bit of weight and get more healthy. In the quest for this, I've found eating breakfast- and a relatively big one- really, really helps! Most days I have one egg, two links of turkey sausage and a piece of double fiber wheat toast. It works for me. I feel pretty stinking full most of the morning because it has a good amount of protein. I've found many other breakfast options with a similar number of calories but not as much protein leave me looking for a snack during naptime. While I'm not opposed to a snack, often it isn't something healthy that sounds good-- chocolate chips, anyone?!

For lunch I rotate between a few options, but I haven't found anything I really am set on yet. I'm the kind of person who could easily eat the exact same thing for breakfast and lunch every single day if I like it. So, ideas welcome- I'd love to find something I like and just eat it everyday, it would make my life so much easier!

As for dinners, this is where I like my variety, and its a good thing because hubs would not be pleased if I made him eat the same things over and over and over! I generally try to leave a decent amount of calories for dinner because then we have more options, but we also are trying to get into a better habit of feeding the boys what we are eating so that means having yummy salads every night isn't totally feasible for us right now. I need some healthy ideas that may also be somewhat kid friendly.... anyone?!?

In general I'm steering clear of buying snack type foods and opting instead for apples, cheese and relatively healthy granola bars. My very favorite snack lately is stove popped popcorn made with coconut oil. It needs nothing more than some sea salt when it comes off the stove and we LOVE it. Hubs and I have recently started making a pot (1/4 of a cup un-popped to share) a few nights a week after the boys have gone to bed. We share it while we catch up on DVR'd shows or play a board game. It seems like a treat, even though it isn't too bad for you, especially when consumed with a HUGE glass of ice water-- or two!

So, what are your favorite healthy meals and snacks? I'd love to find a little variety!

HI!

Some of the littlest moments of motherhood are the best! This week I took the boys to the mall to wander and get out of the house on a rainy day. Since all of the children's departments seem to be on the upper floors of stores, we took several elevator rides. H has always had kind of an uneasy face when we travel in an elevator, but this day was different. He thought it was hilarious to shout HIIIIIIIIIII when the doors would open. It was too funny.

It is this simple little moments with my boys that I never want to forget!

A weighty post...

It's on. I've let it slide for far too long- the postpartum weight has got to go. Notice, I did not call it baby weight, that's because I lost all that. By about 4-6 weeks postpartum I'd lost all 40lbs I gained during my twin pregnancy, then in the coming weeks after starting the mini pill, seeing a decrease in my milk supply, and losing all my daytime help... I gained about 25lbs back. Yuck! That was not part of my plan. Not at all. And let me tell you, it is hard work to lose that weight with two tiny babies at home and not a lot of time to worry about what it is you're eating!

So, the time is now. I'm starting to think about my next pregnancy (even if its a year or more off) and what I want for my body before my new little bean is growing in there. I want to start that pregnancy at a significantly lower weight, I want my body to be more fit and healthy- I want to prepare myself for the biggest gift ever- pregnancy, birth and the blessing of patenting another little human :)

I'm trying to be more active with the boys on days we are at home. Dance parties, lots of 'I'm gunna get you games', making more trips that I need to with laundry and toys to put away. On days we go out I try to go places where we can do a good bit of walking. Then there is diet. At the moment I'm just using my fitness pal to track calories without paying too much attention to WHAT those calories are. I figure once I get into a good rhythm of recording and tracking I'll take on one meal at a time and try to make most of the calories-- though really, I think I already have breakfast and lunch pretty figured out. I just need to come up with more healthy dinner ideas and fight the urge to have hubs pick up dinner on his way home one those long busy days-- which are plentiful!

I've already lost 10 of those 25 postpartum pounds and I am REALLY looking forward to getting the rest OFF... for good! If I can keep up with what I've started, I'm projecting being back (again!) at my pre-pregnancy weight by sometime in January! And then, I the work continues-- until we're ready to transfer, I'll be working on getting myself as healthy as possible in preparation of hopefully carrying another easy, drama free pregnancy!

Preparing to jump... revisitied

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the possibility of going off birth control in an effort to put in our 'one year of trying' so we'd line up with when we'd like to do an FET likely in early 2015.

There is big news on that front- our insurance requires no referral, or registering for infertility services. Our previous insurance required both a referral to an RE and we had to register as infertile with a specific branch of the company. At which time they asked and recorded all that we'd tried and we were cleared to see an RE. This is not the case with our new insurance. So, I am able to stay on birth control right up until we are ready to jump back in.

I am so glad it is working our this way for us. I was really worried about what my body would do without birth control. I'm not convinced met.formin would make me cycle regularly and I cannot imagine taking progesterone every couple of months with two one year olds at home- that stuff makes me SO TIRED!

So, now we don't really have to plan ahead. When we're ready, we make the appointment, and its GO TIME! If we keep with our current plan, that will be in about a year- crazy- and really exciting!

Metformin... the saga continues.

So, I had an appointment with my OB the other day for just the usual annual exam. We got to talking about birth control, future pregnancies and the likelihood of us getting pregnant with out medical intervention. Then came PCOS and metformin.

The back story is my PCP prescribed met.formin a few months ago and I've been horrible about taking it. When the fiasco happened with her a few weeks ago, I decided to not start taking it again and talk with my OB about it. I figured it was a bit more of his area of expertise than hers.

So we talked at length about PCOS, metformin and birth control. Since I am not really insulin resistant, and am on birth control he said it really wasn't necessary for me to be taking it. He agreed that it could potentially help me lose a little weight, but he said it likely wouldn't  be anymore than I'd lose if I just watched my diet.

He was insistent that if/when I go off birth control I will need it again. It will help my body stay hormonally balanced, or at least closer. Going off birth control... that is a post for another day-- maybe tomorrow!

So for the time being, I am back off met.formin. And my stomach thanks me!

Diapers, baby food, toys, OH MY!

Hey guys! Today's post is pretty much my shameless plug for Amazon Mom. Just to get this out of the way from start, if you DO sign up using my link I will get some amazon credits which I will use for the MILLIONS of diapers and wipes we go through around here! BUT you will also win-- For a limited time new Amazon Mom members can save $25 on eligible diapers in addition to 20% off diapers, wipes and other family essentials! So, SIGN UP... and use my link... I dare you!

 

THIS LINK!

 

 

I really, really cannot tell you how many times Amazon Mom has saved my butt when it comes to buying diapers. It is dang near impossible to buy a box of diapers, while pushing a double stroller and buying ANYTHING else. So I order my diapers.. ALWAYS. It is just so much easier, and they come right to my front door just a couple of days later. THE.BEST. 

A day in my life with (almost) 15 month old twins!

6am-7am: The first cry or Dadadadadada is heard and depending on time and how awake I am, I either get the baby (or both) and bring him/them back to our bed for a little snuggling or we head out to the living room to play.

8:30am: Breakfast. Lately my children are VERY picky. It hasn't always been this way, and hopefully it will not always be this way, but for now, they usually have fruit and either toast, a pancake or a waffle.

9:00-10:00am: Diaper changes and lots of playing. We are usually in and out of the playroom a million times, scooting around on push/ride-on toys and generally acting like the circus show we are. On days that it isn't raining this is the time I load up the stroller and go for a 30-45 minute walk.

10:00am: The boys have a sippy cup and milk mixed with a small amount of formula and go to bed for somewhere between 1 and 2 hours.

12:00pm: More playtime and diaper changes.

1:30pm: Lunch. Again, we are picky. Sometimes they like grilled cheese, quesadillas, flat bread, ham and cheese. They always like chunks of fruit or a pouch or pureed fruit or vegetable.

2:00-3:00pm More wild playtime, errands and diaper changes

3:00pm: Another nap- I think I may die when they no longer take two. they again have a sippy cup of milk and sleep for 1-2 hours.

5:00pm: We play, play, play and wait for daddy to get home. Change diapers and have a snack if they seem hungry.

6:00-7:00pm: Dinner. We are trying our best to start eating more as a family, but is dang hard when you run a short order kitchen trying to get your kids to eat SOMETHING. ANYTHING!

7:30-8:30pm: We play, change diapers, give vitamins and reflux meds, clean up snotty noses, drink some milk, change into jammies, sometimes have a bath, and otherwise get ready for bedtime.

8:30pm: The boys hop into their cribs, find their lollies and sleep soundly (hopefully all night!) and mama lets our a huge sigh of relief that we've made it through another wonderful day!

The day I lost all trust in my PCP

There is a possibility I could have seen this coming, and maybe you will be thinking the same thing in the coming posts (the metfor.min debate!) but the day came... the day I lost all trust in my primary care physician.

A few weeks ago I went in to have my thyroid tested. I've had some trouble keeping it in range ever since the boys were born, or really, since they were conceived. I've gone in somewhere between monthly and once every three months to have it tested and to have my medication changed either slightly up or down dependent on my TSH level. No biggy.  Well, no biggy until this last appointment.

I went in, had my blood drawn, and chatted with her a bit about how I was feeling. I expressed to her that I was somewhat tired, but I wasn't sure if that had to do with swinging hypo, or if it was because I had two teething babies at home. We talked a bit more and she sent me on my way saying they'd call once my results had been read and at that time they would refill my prescription with any changes. A few days passed and the medical assistant called me. She let me know my results had come back a little high (4.54) and that they would like to change my dose. I said ok, with the understanding that I was obviously being UNDERTREATED and then she said 'we'll be LOWERING your dose to 75mcg (from 100mcg)'. I quickly said that didn't seem right and she responded with, 'that is how the thyroid works, it can be confusing.' I expressed my concern again and asked that she have my PCP look over it again and then call me back. I was sure she'd call back quickly with an apology and a different dose that was higher than my previous instead of TWO steps lower.

She did call back. It was about an hour later, and when she called she let me know that my PCP was adamant this was her plan of care and would like me to be on 75mcg instead of the 100mcg I was currently taking. At this point I made sure I'd heard correctly during the first conversation that my level was 4.54 and went to work on the computer to make sure I wasn't the one who was all wet. It was clear within seconds that I was correct.

I texted hubs asking what the heck I was supposed to do, even though I knew I needed to call the practice and ask for another doctor to read my chart, or promptly change practices all together and be rechecked. So, because I knew it would take some time to get in with a new doctor, I called the practice and spoke with the receptionist. I made it clear there was a problem, explained my issue and she told me 'its uncomfortable to have other doctors checking over another's charts.' While I can appreciate this, I told her I didn't much care how uncomfortable it made my doctor, because I was FAR more uncomfortable with the fact that I was being prescribed the exact opposite of what I should have been. A short time later the other PA in the practice called and assured me that I was most surely correct, and without totally throwing her peer under the bus she told me that she was really unsure how this mistake could have been made.... twice. She then sent in the proper dose to the pharmacy and we hung up.

We haven't really loved our primary care physician or the clinic, ever, but we ended up with them a few years ago when we needed one to refer us to the fertility clinic. I was able to get in with them quickest, so that who we chose. Until now, we've never had a real problem, but now, now it is time to take a little initiative and change providers. I hate this part. I really, really hate finding a new doctor!

Tricks my kids do.... part one

Recently the boys were playing in the living room while I finished cleaning up our breakfast dishes. I was just one room over and listened as they giggled at each other and banged on the sliding glass door wishing it was warm enough and dry enough to go outside. After not too long, A was no longer joyfully squealing, but kind of whimpering/whining. When I came around the corner I was surprised (to say the least) to see only half of my child.

Directly in front of our slider (who's idea was that... perfect way to lose ALL of our heat!) we have a heating/cooling vent. A had removed the cover and went ahead and jumped in. I was amused/ and slightly worried he might be stuck at first, but once I got him out more panic set it.

What if that duct work didn't hold his little body and he fell into the crawlspace. HOLY CRAP that freaked me out, Especially because we just bought the boys a bookshelf for their closet that sits directly on top of the crawlspace access... it would not have been a quick save of my baby!

Stay tuned for more 'tricks' ... and just for fair warning it is almost always A who is preforming tricks around here. If he makes it to this second birthday without an urgent trip to the doctor I will be AMAZED!

Thirty Days of W &W

I am going to do my very best to get a post up every day of November-- yeah I know, we'll see how that one goes! I'm not promising depth every single day of the month, just SOMETHING... anything! I'm ready to jump back into blogging a bit more, I miss it! Plus there are about 500 million things going on in my mind and they need OUT!

Thing you might read about this month.....

• spending my second Halloween in a row at my OB/GYN's office.
• metformin- the saga continues.
• a long story about my PCP and the day she lost my trust.
• finding a new PCP... lord, help me.
• 'tricks' my children do.
• my kids' obsession with carbs... it will get better, right?
• new health insurance is not my favorite.
• baby #3-- I'm not pregnant.
• socks... are like Christmas decorations for the stir-ups.
• weight.
• realizing you can't do it all and being ok with it.
• what I'm thankful for... you might be surprised!
• twin tricks that make our life easier.
• H & A's first REAL cold & snot bubbles.
• a day in our life with 15m old twins.
• many days of... what was I doing in years gone by on this day in November!
• new favorite snacks.
• maybe a recipe post or two.

Preparing to jump.... again

As I said in my last post, thoughts of another baby are beginning to surface. Its funny, these thoughts of a second pregnancy are a little surprising to me. When I think about another pregnancy, it is in thinking about 'planning' it. So much about infertility (part one) was being a slave to not building expectations, learning to live without a plan at times and learning to live my life by a calendar someone else handed me at others. And now, now we have more pieces in our puzzle. We have seen success, and we know what (at least last time) works for us. We have three frozen embryos which are similar in quality to those we transferred during our two fresh cycles. Both of those cycles I did become pregnant, at least briefly, and because of that, I am hopeful one of those three embryos will become baby number three.

In a perfect world we would begin the FET process in January of 2015. So, why am I already thinking so much about all of this? We have fertility insurance. And while I am very thankful that we have it, it does add more hoops to be jumped. Like the fairly common '1 year of timed intercourse' before benefits can be utilized. Though I'm not sure that applies to someone who already has an infertility diagnosis, it is still very much dominating thoughts of growing our family. What this all means, is I'll need to go off birth control sometime around Christmas this year.

Its crazy. 'Trying' for a baby just a couple of months from now feels a little nuts, but we are being realistic in knowing an FET is very much a part of our plan. This may come as a surprise to some, but I don't have any desire to become pregnant naturally- nor do I think it will happen. I have three perfect embryos that I would like to give a chance to, and I'd rather not push that out longer and longer.

The three embryos we have are something I think about daily, and something that makes my husband feel somewhat uncomfortable. We aren't big fans of those babies just sitting and waiting for us for years to come. And if we're being completely honest, we aren't sure how this story is going to play out. Will we try with all three (not at once), will one or more of them not survive the thawing process, will we become pregnant with our first FET attempt or will it take multiple tries, will any of those three embryos become our third child? I'm fairly confident in the process and I trust my doctor entirely, so I do believe the boys' sibling is waiting for us. But, the unknowns are somewhat daunting.

I'm somewhat worried about going off birth control. I'm worried I wont have regular cycles due to my PCOS and I'll have to resort to the very much unenjoyable progesterone to stimulate cycles. I'm looking forward to the possibility of another baby and our little family growing, but it feels somewhat surreal to be thinking/preparing to jump back into all of this no matter how far off it is.

I don't often hear/see people speaking about their frozen embryos. I think I've read just one blog post about a family donating after their twin pregnancy/birth and I know of one blogger who fully intended to try with every embryo she had, but as it turned out it wasn't something she needed to worry about.

I'd love to hear your take on this, or what your plans are, my fellow IVFers. Either leave me a comment, or post your thoughts on your blog and leave me a link in the comments.

A little of this, and a little of that!

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog. I'm not entirely sure why, but its happening. Its weird though, because although our boys are more mobile now, they are also playing together(ish) more and are seriously cool to go to the playroom for sometimes 30 minutes at a time without needing mama to be right there. It is pretty sweet!

Here is a little update on our life....

• H is walking pretty well, he still drops to his knees if he wants to get somewhere quickly, but right around 13m he really took off.
• A will take a few steps here and there, and can navigate a push toy like a pro, but in general crawling is still his main form of transportation.
• As my babies are exiting the baby stage, I'm starting to think more and more about baby #3. I know, I have twins who are just barely one, but its true. I have an appointment with my OB in a few weeks and while we are not even close to biting the 'IVF' bullet. I do have a few things to pick his brain about. We have new insurance and I'm not certain if we'll have to "try" for a year before using our benefits or not, but if we do have to, that means trying will likely commence very soon since we have an idea of when we'd like to do an FET-- how's that for faith in my reproductive system?
• Hubs started a new job about a month ago and LOVES it. It has been so nice for him to enjoy going to work in the mornings and be a happy daddy when he gets home at night.
• The boys are eating more and more of what we eat and it is so fun! Just last night we let them try stuffing for the first time, and it made me so excited for thanksgiving!
• A is getting some molars... its not my favorite, but I can't complain too much, my kids have been pretty easy teethers!
• We give the boys teething tablets from time to time, and H has taken to doing it himself. He looks so grown up taking his pills before bed.
• About a month ago Hubs and a camp-in with the boys in the living room. They slept inside out huge playpen together- seriously the CUTEST thing ever. They are doing it again tonight. I am so incredibly thankful that my babies have such a fun daddy.
• A & H haven't ever really been on a schedule, but all of a sudden a few weeks ago we just kind of fell into one. I have never pushed one on them- aside from feeding them at pretty set times when they were babies. Now, at 13 months, this is what we are doing:
• Wake up: anytime between 530am and 8am
• Breakfast: between 8 and 830am
• Playtime : from 9ish-10am
• Milk & Nap: The boys are still getting part formula in their sippy cup along with some whole milk. We've had a little trouble getting used to the milk, so for now, this is what we're doing. The boys usually nap from 10am-12pm
• Playtime: from 12-130pm
• Lunch: sometime between 1 and 130pm
• Playtime: 2ish-3
• Milk & Nap: they generally sleep from 3 until 5, sometimes a little less and sometimes a little more!
• Playtime with Daddy: from 5 until dinner sometime around 7.
• Dinner: is usually between 7 and 730 because we've found they sleep best if they go to bed about an hour after dinner.
• Bedtime: between 8 and 830 we start the bedtime routine including diapers, jammies, meds and milk. They generally go down without too much fuss and most nights sleep through the night. Some nights a quick bath or shower is tossed into the bedtime routine, but we are firm believers in not bathing everyday. Our kiddos have pretty sensitive skin and we've found that every night is just way too drying on their soft baby skin! Good ting, because there just aren't enough hours in the evening for that!
• H has taken to pooping before he falls asleep for either one or both of his naps... every single day. Then he cries or stands in his bed and talks loudly until I come change him. Little stinker- literally.
• The boys went to the nursery for the first time a few weeks ago while we were at MOPs. I thought they would cry when I left... not so much. I thought that would make me sad, but instead I was totally proud.
• We had dinner recently with two other couples. One couple has twins and the other has a singleton. It was so weird to watch the kids. It was very interesting to see how both sets of twins just got right to playing and didn't need much interaction with the adults other than to kind of be close enough to check in from time to time. The singleton was more interested in her parents and what they were doing, wanted to stay close and was more determined to do things her way. After the moms got to talking about it was obvious that it was just one of those differences in raising twins- they just don't really get 100% of the attention, the toys or anything for that matter. While that kind seems sad, I think its also kind of a good thing.
• I'm trying to think of things to get out of the house for this fall/winter. We have MOPs once per month and a play group once a month, but I feel like the other two weeks need some kind of outing for the boys. Anyone have any ideas? I've considered the toddler playtime at a bouncy house place in the area, but its for 3 and under and I'm not sure if my boys are ready for that... thoughts? Otherwise I feel like the more 'organized' things people generally take their kids to are a little hard when you have two the same age. Our MOPs group does one outing every month that is for the kiddos, but the first two are outdoors and not really stroller friendly so they are unfortunately a no go for us.
• I'm fully embracing fall. Hubs ordered me pumpkin coffee and apple cider a couple of weeks ago and they are now my favorite afternoon treat. This week kicks off Soup Sundays at our house, and I can't wait to get a big pot on the stove top!
• Tomorrow we're going to the multiples consignment sale. I also look forward to it because there is so much stuff and on the second day most things are half off-- talk about amazing deals!

That's all for now, and really, it is way more than I thought I had in me! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the change of pace fall brings. While I miss the sunny afternoons in the backyard with my babies, I'll trade it in for the drizzle and cloudy skies if it means the holiday season is right around the corner. I can't wait to see the boys experience everything this year!

$42,620

I know I've spoken pretty freely about the infertility insurance we were blessed with through my husbands employer. Were. Past tense, he ended his position with them last Friday and began a new position with a new company today. One of the biggest worries I had with him changing jobs was how that would impact our family building plans. With our previous policy we were VERY blessed to have 'full' coverage for 6 iui's and 3 ART courses of treatment (3 fresh or frozen IVF cycles). We live in a state that does not have mandatory coverage laws when it comes to infertility, so it was a huge blessing that Hub's company was based in a state (IL) that did have such mandates. It was a pretty big surprise to find out that our new policy would also have a bit of coverage. Though it isn't as impressive as the last package, it is something-- and money that we will not have to come up with when we are ready for an FET. Thank goodness!

In an effort to keep some info from our infertility treatment days without searching through EOBs, I took a little time today on our old insurance company's website to make a list of what we've spent on infertility and also a list of what was billed- since our new policy is a dollar amount instead of a # of cycles.

I kind of wanted to throw up when I saw that number. I talked to my mom last week and kind of off the cuff said without our coverage we probably would have spent about $40k on treatments so far. When I said that it seemed like a big number that was probably inaccurate. Guess who was painfully close to correct?

$42,620 for consults, testing, six IUIs and two fresh IVF cycles.

Oh my gosh. What would we have done if we didn't have that coverage? Found a way I suppose, but I am even more thankful now than I was then. To paint the whole picture, we only paid about 12.5% of that out of pocket-- most of which was co-payments.

Insane. It is heartbreaking to me that there are so many couples who are unable to do all that we've done because they don't have the insurance coverage we had and the money just isn't there to afford trying for the baby/babies they long for.

12 months... one whole year!

I still can't believe it has been an entire year. Here is the run down of what the boys are up to these days...

• Both boys are clapping-- I cant remember if I said at 11 months that H was clapping, but now we have two little clappers. Whenever they hear clapping they start in. Also, if they hear YAY! they start clapping-- so stinking cute!
• A is walking behind push toys, and while H can also do it, he is much less interested. The kid can crawl so fast he doesn't care about walking!
• New food loves-- grilled cheese, banana or blueberry pancakes, french toast, applesauce, peaches preferably the whole piece of fruit, every once in awhile they will eat a little deli turkey or chunks of chicken.... uh, carb lovers?
• Both are obsessed with the fountain park. We have taken them a few times and each time they are more fearless with the water. Not to mention how stinking cute they are in those little swim suits :)
• We joined MOPs. There hasn't been a meeting yet, but we are members.
• H stands on his own for decent periods of time now and looks pretty proud of himself while he is doing it! A has started the same in the last few days, but for much shorter periods of time.
• Both boys got their first haircut at about 11.5 months- talk about looking waaay more grown up in a matter of minutes!
• H is pretty solidly wearing 12 month clothing with many 9m things mixed in. He still wears some 6m shorts because his waist is pretty tiny. A is wearing things ranging from 6-9m with some 12m jammies mixed in. 
• Both boys are in size 3 diapers and size 4 overnights-- I think both will be able to move up after the box that arrived on our doorstep this morning. --ps, diaper delivery is amazing!
• H LOVES anything with wheels. At home it is cars when we're out it is strollers and anything else with wheels. When he sits in the shopping cart at costco he loves to hang himself out over the side to watch the wheels. 
• A likes toys he can walk behind, a ride around the back yard on a blanket, and anything resembling a blankie- clothes, sheets, he isn't too picky.
• Their favorite song is Wheels on the Bus and a close second is I'll Love You Forever. 
• Both are starting to wave, but it is not even close to mastery yet. 
• They are getting so much better at napping. They'll either play in their cribs talking for a little while, or sometimes just roll right over and go to sleep when I lay them down (still twice per day). I just wish this was the case at night. We're still rocking them to sleep most nights, and H is still waking up at night to be rocked some more most nights. 
• They are eating 3 meals per day along with 3 bottles (sippy cups are still a problem). Until we start milk soon, they are getting somewhere between 18-21oz of formula per day. Some days they have a snack in the afternoon, but not very often because they are pretty big eaters at meal times. 
• The boys received a lot of new toys for their birthday-- and seem to be really enjoying most of them. 
• They both say Mama and Dada, but they are not always directed at us, so I'm not entirely sure it counts.
• At their well baby appointment last week:
• H: Weight 21 lbs 12.8oz (33%) Height 30 3/4" (78%) Head 48cm (89%)
• A: Weight 21 lbs 10.2oz (31%) Height 29 3/4" (48%) Head 47.5cm (80%                     So, in summary, they are a little on the skinny side, H is tall-ish and A is average in height... and their heads are on the large side. In terms of meeting milestones all of the physical milestones are being met, but the boys a little 'behind' in terms of speech. Hubs and I aren't overly concerned and neither was our ped. she finds that twins have a slightly delayed speech pattern and was all for waiting until their 15m or 18m well visit before we worry too much. IF they are still running a little behind we will be referred to an early intervention clinic and be evaluated for speech. They also had their shots, which made them VERY VERY angry this time. This time it was Hep A, MMR, Chickenpox and Pneumococcal.

Since this is already super late, I think I'll stop there. Hopefully I'll have photos from their party uploaded soon so I can share the details!

Enjoying a little birthday cake!
Don't mind the red mark on A's face, we let him try a rib and the rub/sauce irritated his skin a little.

Mother of the year...

Last night we tried crying it out... unintentionally.

Yeah, you caught that right.

Sometime in our bedtime routine the monitor fell into a basket of books and the microphone was covered. I'm fairly sure A slept all night as he normally does. H on the other hand... he never, ever makes it all night. I have to at least get up once to locate his lollie and give it back to him. Most nights there is some rocking, and a lot of nights he just ends up in our bed. So when I woke up this morning I was SO proud of him. Until I heard the boys fussing down the hall and not a peep coming from our monitor. Ugh. I feel horrible that my little guys could have (and likely did) need me in the night and I wasn't there to come check on them. H has been acting super sleepy today which only makes me feel worse!

GUILT!

Maybe all we needed to make our boy sleep was one, unintentional night of crying it out.... I'm not holding my breath, but it would make me feel better!

365 Days...

That is how long I've been a Mama to babies on the outside of my body. Surely I was their Mama from the moment they were created, but one year is how long I've been snuggling, feeding, diapering, kissing, and taking care of every need of our boys. I can't believe an entire year has passed already. I remember that day- what seems like every single moment, right down to the words that were said and the looks that were exchanged between my husband and I in the hours leading up to our debut as parents. I remember shaking in the OR and my OB calmly reassuring me that not only would everything be fine, but that my babies would know my love for them from the moment they took their first breath on the outside of my body. I can recall how everything looked around me as I laid eyes on each of my boys for the first time. So many sweet memories from that day. I will cherish that day for as long as I live, the day every ounce of hurt, pain, longing and frustration became really and truly worth it.. the day I became a mom.

This year looks a bit different than last year. I will still be waking up early, though with any luck it wont be AS early. Instead of driving to the hospital with great anticipation, instead we'll walk down our hallway, and watch with great anticipation as they discover their birthday gifts from us and navigate a hallway of streamers and balloons. And instead of not eating breakfast, I'll join my sweet little pancake lovers for some blueberry treats. This afternoon we'll hit up the fountain park and watch them explore a place they love and maybe they'll get a little taste of ice cream when we're done playing. Tonight we'll tuck our sweet little boys into their cribs with their pacifiers and the burp clothes they treat like blankies, and instead of being slightly terrified like we were on that first night in the hospital, we'll give each other the same look we give each other every night.... the one that says 'how could we love them any more?' 'We've finally got this figured out' and 'thanks for making me a mom/dad' all in one simple little glance.

It has easily been the hardest, most fulfilling BEST year of my entire life. I wouldn't change one moment of it- I can't wait to see what their second year has in store for us!

Any Ideas?

1. Sippy cups.... the boys are not good at them. I give them a sippy cup with water each day (ok, most days) in addition to their three bottles and three meals- usually they end up being banged on the tray and everyone ends up a little more wet than I'd planned. It isn't for lack of trying though- I think we have six different types of cups. If you have a favorite let me know!

2. Nighttime waking.... I am willing to admit we've done VERY little in terms of sleep training. We've broken a lot of 'rules' and I'm not really sorry about any of it. I've loved having my babies in bed with me from time to time, but we are reaching a point where H is finding his way into our bed early every morning. I'd like to fix this, but the boys do share a room, so letting him fuss/cry it out isn't really an option. When he gets picked up and brought to our room he is usually either asleep before he gets to our room, or shortly after he gets into our bed. Occasionally we do rock him in his room and put him back down once he falls asleep, but to be honest, we are too tired for that most of the time! Last night I tried not bringing him to our bed... I got up to rock him every two hours and he required a bottle to go to sleep the final time.

3. Diapers... my boys have always been more on the side of constipated than the other direction. In the recent weeks we've had some issues in that department that we haven't been used to. I can count on both hands how many times we've had to change an outfit because of poop in the last year between TWO babies... I'd say half of those have been in the last month. I don't think it has anything to do with the diapers we are using- it has to do with the poo... which I have to assume is due to the food. I fed the boys the BRAT diet for a few days and it seemed to get a little better, but then I introduced oatmeal again and this morning A wished me a happy anniversary with a full diaper and poo up his back-- gross! Could it just be a yucky stomach that needs to heal, or are our oatmeal days numbered?

4. Birthdays.... its almost the boys' first birthday and I have no idea what to get them. We just spent $800 on car seats and a new stroller, so maybe that is gift enough! What did you do for a first birthday gift, or did you skip it because they have no idea and your family spoiled your kiddo rotten anyway?!?!

5. Pacifiers... We had every intention (a year ago, and maybe even 6 months ago) to take away the lollies when the boys turned one. I'm just not sure they are ready... and I'm even more sure I am not ready! But, our doctor has told us time and time again that it is in the end easier for them the younger they are-- less attached and all that jazz. Ideas? Bottles will be happening shortly too (after we master the sippy) so if you have tips on that one I'll gladly take those too!

What do you do?

The boys are almost one, and I am finally feeling like I can make some commitments and plan to do some things on a weekly/monthly basis. Hubs and I have lived in this general metro area for about 7 years, and while we have a few friends, very few of them have small children, and those who do, don't stay home with them. So, I don't have play dates (does anyone else despise that term?) on the calendar and really we spend most of our days alone at home. It is fine, the boys have a built in playmate, but I'm ready to get out some more. 

I've been looking into some options, and I'm interested to know what you've done with your kiddos. Right now a few options I'm looking at are...

• Joining MOPS
• Getting back to the gym and leaving the boys in childcare
• Going to a community playgroup co-op
• Braving story time at the library
• Joining the multiples club in our area

I know getting out will be good for all three of us, but I am not the best at meeting new people. We are also currently looking for a church, so maybe that will drag up some more opportunities. 

So tell me, what have you done to get out of the house with your kids? Did you love it, hate it, wish you'd done it sooner?!?!?

Taking care of twins...

I know I often gloss over many aspects of raising twins, touting it as the best days of my life. And while these days are nothing short of amazing, it is really hard work. I commend moms who stay home with their twins full time and remain sane, because in reality while I don't leave my home every day to take care of someone else's 36 small children as I used to, this IS indeed a JOB and it is hard work.

----
A few days before the holiday weekend I hurt my back. Though it wasn't too bad, I was noticing the pain when I bent down to pick up the boys and felt stiff in the mornings. I didn't think too much of it and we hopped into the car on the morning of the 4th to head down the freeway to see our families for the holiday weekend. 2 hours in the car without a ton of leg room was a horrible idea in hindsight. I spent much of that Thursday in a lot of pain. I nursed it, took pain medication and by the following morning I was feeling much better. We took a walk that morning in an effort to loosen things up and I was feeling pretty well on Friday. By Saturday and Sunday I was able to do most things and was really in little to no pain. Then after meeting family for breakfast on Sunday morning we hopped back in the car and drove home. When we arrived back, I jumped out of the car at a neighbors house where we were watering the lawn, and then when I got back out at our house I felt it-- the pain was back. Not horrible, but I still declined getting the boys out of the car or unpacking the car just in case. I spent about an hour unpacking a few things in the house, starting the laundry and feeding the boys lunch. After we'd completed all of our chores from returning home Hubs and I sat down with some food and watched a show on net.flix. Against my better judgement I decided to lay down on our very soft sofa to finish the show. Possibly the worst idea I have EVER had. Ouch! I started feeling like I needed to use the restroom so I tried to get up... not happening. Feeling pretty fearful I was going to wet my pants right there on the couch, I started trying to get myself to the floor to crawl to the bathroom. After probably and hour, some crying and a lot of pain I made it to the bathroom to take care of business. This was obviously way more pain than I had been in previously that weekend so I started to get worried. I tried all of my husband's low back pain tricks and nothing really helped I was in so much pain that I wasn't even interested in eating.

***sidenote, while explaining to my husband that this was the worst pain I had ever been in, he got a puzzled face, and said 'even childbirth?' to which I reminded him I'd been drugged and cut open.... Really? It hasn't even been a year yet and you've forgotten? Hilarious conversation!***

Not only was I hurting, I was also starting to feel guilty that Hubs was going to have to take care of the boys on his own while I healed. I'm not sure why this was such a worry to me. I've done it many times when he needed to be rested for work or wasn't feeling well- while hard work, it is in fact doable. I think more than anything it is just hard for me to give up the things I do every single day for my babies.

Anyway, that was Sunday, and I was in no shape to be left alone with the boys on Monday, so Hubs worked from home to help us. Then Tuesday my Mom came and stayed until Thursday evening so Hubs could go into work for a few days  and then he stayed with us again on Friday and obviously through the weekend.

----

I add that whole story, because it really wasn't until I was laying on a lawn chair, with ice on my back in my living room that I realized just how hard my job is. (We don't furnish our living room with outdoor furniture it was just the only thing other than my bed that I could stand being in) When it was hubs taking care of our boys it was different, more effortless. He does it most evenings and on the weekend, so while it is still a lot of work he is somewhat used to it all. However, watching my mom who is not used to taking care of two 11 month olds all day- I was exhausted just watching her. She really did a fantastic job, but when I'm in my day I don't really notice all the millions of little things I do for the boys all.day.long. I thought MANY times, how do I do this everyday? I'm in no way trying to toot my own horn or make stay at home moms sound higher or mightier than those moms that go back to work. I'm just trying to be real- this is hard work. I vow now to no longer feel like I've failed the day if there is a load of laundry in the washing machine that is going to have to be re-washed the following morning or if my kitchen is a mess, or if I fall into my bed at night and just barely kiss my husband good night. Because I'm doing big work around here. I'm raising two little boys into what I hope will be strong, hardworking, loving men someday. And really, all those other things are of little importance when I look at the bigger picture.

Sometimes it just takes a living room lawn chair moment to bring you back to reality and remind you how well you really are doing and also what is really important.

Well, That is Embarrassing!

So, for weeks I was reading blogs urging people to swap blog readers because google.reader was going to be no more. I kept thinking- gosh google.reader must be great if so many people use it-- Hmmm, I guess I missed the boat on that one. Imagine both my surprise and embarrassment when one morning I clicked on my blog reading app on my phone and... oh weird, there is nothing there. Turns out I'd been using it for the last couple of years to read blogs on my phone. Its ok, call me an idiot, I totally felt like one in that moment. I then downloaded blog.lovin' and it seems to be working ok so far, but I'm pretty sure when I try to leave a comment on a blog from my phone it isn't working so I'll need to get that figured out.

Second funny for the day-- I was just getting blog.lovin a little more organized and I had a bit of a slip and nearly added THIS blog to my pregnant and parenting group... perhaps my subconscious is onto something-- either way, it gave me a good laugh!

Eleven Months...

Holy cow I can't believe this is the last monthly post I'll make before my sweet, tiny 6lb 5oz and 7lb 11oz babies are ONE! The time has flown by and in a blink of an eye here we are eleven months into parenthood- nothing is sweeter. When I think of my former self one year ago, I'm thankful today on this warm summer day, my babies are on the outside, cooling off in a tiny baby pool instead of inside my belly! Those were some pretty uncomfortably warm days last summer :)

On to the update...

• This month the boys went on their first hotel vacation. A was a sleeping champ, H... not so much. It wasn't totally horrible, but it wasn't the best sleep I've had in my life! Days were great on our trip, so those made up (mostly) for rather sleepless nights. In H's defense he was working on about 4 teeth at once!
• Speaking of teeth A currently has 6 and H has 7, and is working on number 8.
• Both can crawl FAST. They both have started pulling up to stand and are cruising around the baby gate in their play area. I've caught H once standing withing holding on.
• They are getting to be better and better eaters, but still would rather be fed. They have three meals per days and usually one snack of puffs or cheerios and some water in a sippy cup. The sippy cup is still sort of an elusive skill even though we have nearly every option on the market. 
• This month we got a new stroller and we LOVE it. If other twin mamas are wondering, we decided on the Ci.ty Mini Doub.le GT after A LOT of research. It works great and we have yet to find a doorway we can't get through!
• Also new this month are convertible carseats! I was really worried about this transition, but so far so good... fingers crossed! We went with Ch.icco Nex.tfits for the boys and like them a lot. They actually allowed us to gain some legroom in the front seat from our snug.ride 30s!!! That was a BIG win! And, it took more time to remove the infant seat bases than it did to install the new seats- they are incredibly user friendly!
• A continues to take reflux medication, but in the last week we've started only giving it to him at night. It seems to be fine- he is spitting up much less often these days. When the doctor told us he'd likely out grow it at around a year I didn't really believe her... turns out she may have be right-- thank goodness!
• H learned to clap this month and it was often accompanied by something that sounds a lot like yay! I assume because that is what we often are saying when we clap for them. 
• Both A and H wave every once in awhile it is certainly not a mastered skill, but it is really stinking cute when they do it.   
• We left the boys with my parents for only the second time this month. This was the first time we went out alone since having the boys. We went to a nice fondue dinner for my birthday. (remember the great met.formin debate? yeah, not a good mix with fondue!)
• This month we celebrated the boy's first 4th of July and Father's day! We spent the 4th with family and we did many things for father's day including the boys' first MLS soccer match (they both napped through some intense noise with their ear protection on!) went to the beach and wandered through a car show. 
• Their favorite toys are currently things that light up or make noise... they have the most annoying fire truck that I bought at a multiples consignment sale for really cheap that they are obsessed with. I turn off the sound all the time, but unfortunately, the little buggers have gotten smart and have figured out how to turn it back on!
• We're down to three bottles per day and it makes my life SO MUCH easier! They take three 7oz bottles between meals- mid morning, mid afternoon and bedtime!
• As much as I wish they did not, they LOVE TV. Mickey is their favorite, but Jake is a close second.
• They are both still in size 3 diapers during the day and a size 4 overnight. They wear mostly 9 month clothes with many 6 month things mixed in especially tops and shorts for A. A even wears a few 3month summer things. H wears some 12month jammies because he is getting so tall. 
• H is a serious offender when it comes to pacifier stealing. It makes me excited to be done with them because it is a fight often. We'd love to be done with them all together, but I think the first transition is going to be only in their cribs or carseats. 
• A has a serious love of all things cozy. He LOVES a blanky (nothing specific) or even a burp cloth will do. He will often clam down and fall asleep as soon as you have him a burp cloth and his lollie. 
• A has had some issues with mild diaper rash since we've become more adventurous with food. We've become more relaxed about the 'one new thing per couple of days' thing so it makes it difficult to know what exactly is causing it. But I think the last two times it has been berries. I don't think he is allergic more intolerant, I'm just not sure he is ready for them. Weird though, because strawberries are fine.. it is just darker berried and raspberries. Maybe too acidic for him yet?
• We went to our first splash park.... they LOVED it. The water was pretty darn cold, but they still had a lot of fun! We will for sure do that again soon. 

I'm sure there are many more things to remember, but this will have to do! I'm nursing a very sore back (post to come soon on that one!) and have a million things to catch up on!

Thirty

Today, I leave my twenties... forever. It isn't a sad day, I can assure you, if I were still in the throws of infertility it would be an incredibly rough day. But, here I am, waking up to two perfect boys- happily skipping my way out of my twenties. Those years held some of the best of times, but also many of the worst.....

20: I was in college. I was living with my best friend from high school- she turned out to be not exactly what I was looking for in a roommate. I continued to date my high school sweetheart and our relationship grew and grew.

21: My parents threw me a 21st birthday BBQ. Still in college- new roommate. We had an insane amount of fun together. Hubs and I spent spring break visiting his sister out of state.

22: Became engaged, planned a wedding and graduated from college! One of the best years EVER!

23: Got married and honeymooned in Mexico. Upon our return we move away from our hometown. We ended up in a more metro area than where we grew up and we enjoyed being newlyweds with very few responsibilities.

24: Hubs worked hard and I worked as a sub here and there until I got a long term position at the world's worst private school. Looking back it was probably a good experience, but those were some rough months.

25: Started trying to get pregnant. It was fun right up until every female of childbearing age in my family got pregnant. Then it just got difficult. I was beginning to realize something might be wrong just in time to celebrate all of the baby showers. Cue a round of clomid to finish out 25. On a happy note, my first nephew was born just 4 days before my birthday.

26: It started with a hopeful heart- surely I'd be pregnant with clomid before the rest of babies were born... wrong! We did 5 more rounds of clomid and then decided it was time for a break. It was a dark and depressing year.

27: I finally decided one month exactly after my birthday (on our anniversary) that it was time to bring out the big guns and see a fertility specialist. That year we found out I have a thyroid problem and PCOS. In addition we did six unsuccessful IUIs, took a very short break and then geared up for IVF#1. This year was filled with hope, disappointment and longing.

28: We did our first round of IVF shortly after my birthday. I took my very first positive pregnancy test and was able to tell my husband for the first time that he was going to be a daddy. Unfortunately, just a couple of weeks later we also had another first- a chemical pregnancy/miscarriage. This broke me- but built me up all at the same time. I was SO ready to try again. And try again we did- just a few months later. With a second fresh IVF cycle I became pregnant with my boys. I spent 6 months of this year pregnant with twins and loved every last second of it!

29: I spent the first six weeks of the year largely pregnant with twins putting the finishing touches on their nursery and preparing for our life to significantly change. Then, on August 15th, the best thing to come out of my twenties happened- we became a family of four. I spent the remainder of the year raising my boys and with struggle and sleepless night came coos, crawlers and kisses so sweet they take away much of the pain and despair it took to get here.

So while it wasn't the easiest decade of my life, it was probably the sweetest. We grew and we fell more in love with each other in the hard times, but also in the good. We watched as we became mama and dada- my life changed in my twenties and that I will always remember- maybe someday the other memories will fade, but I hope I always remember how sweet 28 1/2 - 30 were!

Ten Months!

I'm sooo late on this post! The boys turned 10 months on June 15th....

• Shortly after their 9 month birthday both of the boys started crawling. A was first by about a week, but brother followed suit pretty quickly!
• Not only are we crawling, but also climbing... and causing near heart attacks on a daily basis. 
• A now has 6ish teeth and H has 4 and two more that are just now starting to show through- let me tell you I hoped for months before that they'd get their teeth at the same time and ALL at once. Watch what you wish for! But, in reality I think it really has been the best for all of us. Ok, mostly me because if I'm going to be up all night, it might as well be with two at the same time instead of just one on alternating nights :)
• We now have a permanent fixture in our living room that is a huge play yard with a million toys inside that we lovingly refer to as 'the kennel'.
• I made some baby pancakes for the boys with apple sauce and a touch of cinnamon-- love at first sight for A... H was not as impressed at first, but has since warmed up. 
•  The boys are warming up to 'real' food, but often still prefer cereal and baby food. 
• We are working on the whole sippy cup thing. H is much, much closer to mastery than A. 
• Both boys are in size 3 diapers and H is wearing a size 4 nighttime diaper. 
• A and H continue to love their wubanub pacifiers. We are hoping to break them of their lollie love sometime around their first birthday. 
• This month they went to the zoo for the first time, did a lot of 'swimming' in their pool and played in the sand at the beach for the first time!
• We're working toward eating mostly table foods. It is a hard transition as A REALLY wants to eat things that are mashed and on a spoon. He is trying more and more and I'm confident that soon they will both be eating baby friendly versions of my meals. Life will be so much easier!
• Speaking of eating... if I step on ONE.MORE.CHEERIO/PUFF/other easily crushable baby food item I may lose my mind!
• Both boys continue to take 4 7oz bottles per day.
• We're working on more consistent naps, the boys generally take two per day for at least an hour each time. If I cant get them to nap at home I hop in the car and go for a drive... works every time!
• We've had a lot of sleep regression this month. H ends up in bed or on the couch with me almost every night because I can't just let him cry and wake his brother. The massive teething has added a snotty/runny/stuffy nose to the mix of things and sleeping with me up on a pillow is very helpful. I cannot wait for the day they go back to sleeping through the night. Buuuuut, I'm not wishing it away either, they are growing up WAY too fast and they wont need me like this forever.

That is all for now. Hopefully I'll be back in just a couple of weeks to write their 11 month post- holy cow... the last one before their big birthday! On the topic of birthdays- birthday party planning is in full swing! Theme/color scheme has been picked and invitations will be started this weekend! I am getting so excited, but at the same time I cant stand the thought of them turning ONE!

Updates!

It has been so long since I've written much other than a monthly update for the boys. So here are a few bullet point to get things caught up!

• Insurance is still lame. I was denied by another company for a private policy, so we've decided for the moment to have Hubs continue working where he is. On the plus side, the infertility coverage remains, and depending on how long he stays at this job we may be able to use the remainder of our IVF benefits.
• Depending on the above, baby number three may be thought about sooner than originally planned. Likely closer to a year from now instead of two this is both exciting and terrifying at the moment!
• We went on a family vacation a couple of weeks ago. Nothing too grand, we just rented a great big house and hung out for five days! Relaxing and fun!
• I am still taking met.formin... on the days I actually remember. I was SO good about it when I was on it and trying to get pregnant. Now? Not as much. I'm hoping to get better about it, because I know it will help.
• My lack of summer clothing is somewhat comical. I was hugely pregnant last summer and the summer before I didn't buy many new things because I was doing IVF and hopeful I'd be pregnant and expanding soon. So, that leaves me with things that are a few years old, a little dated and worn out! Its time to go shopping I guess!
• Over the weekend hubs and I removed some furniture from our living room and rearranged it so we could add a large-ish gated area for the boys. They are both crawling and climbing now and we had to do something before I went INSANE!
• 9 month sleep regression... not my favorite. 9 month sleep regression coupled with two babies with a cold... a little slice of hell. 
• The boys HATE finger food. H will try a few things, A turns his head and clinches his lips. Any tips tricks, food ideas?!?
• We're in the market for convertible car seats and a side by side smallish (reclining) double stroller.... any recommendations?
• I'm so excited for summer! Farmer's markets, festivals and fun outing with my little family on the weekends- pure joy!
• We finally put both cribs back in the nursery- I love the way it looks!
• I currently have one child napping in the swing that I need to return to a friend- They haven't been in it in months because I was trying to wean them from it. Buuuut, mama would do anything for a little nap time with two cranky stuffy babies
• It seems insane that we are already starting to semi-plan the boys' birthday party! We are really excited and want it to be plenty special for our little guys-- I have approximately one million craft project to complete in the next three months.
• My husband asked me the other day what I wanted to be when I grew up. I responded first with 'am I not grown up?' and second with 'I'm doing exactly what I've always dreamed about. Being a mom and taking care of my family.' It is not always (or ever really!) a glamorous job, but it is pretty close to perfection in my book!

Insurance

Ugh.

This morning has been upsetting... I'm not sure that word even encompasses all I've felt.

In the past several months Hubs has been considering a new job. It was never his long term plan to be there forever, but it was easy to stay- the money is good, the insurance is great and he really likes the people. This past week he received a job offer. While the position is a fantastic fit, their health insurance options are not the best. Being a small company (compared to the very large one he currently works for) the premiums are HIGH... like nearly 3x what we are currently paying for amazing (infertility included) coverage. We were willing to walk away from our IVF coverage to the possibilities that were in front of us, and even take a slight pay cut all with a plan for the boys and I to get a private health insurance policy for a significantly reduced rate. Sure it wouldn't be perfect, but it would be doable. Until I was denied. I have to be honest, I was surprised. I knew infertility could be a problem, but I guess I just assumed (obviously incorrectly) that since it  is not covered under this policy that it would be a non-issue. Wrong.

It is upsetting because while I do still very much identify with the infertility community, I feel like it is behind me to some extent. We have three more embryos we intend to try with, but I feel pretty resolved at this point- if they don't produce a pregnancy, I'm finished with treatments. I get that I may change my mind, but I have been in such a great place since becoming pregnant with our boys. Today, well today reminded me of the hurt I felt before. That failure feeling- because now this possibly great fit job for my husband may have to be declined because we need to stay with our group health plan- because once again my reproductive system is getting in the way of the plans we have for our family.

Thankfully my husband does not blame me in any way for this. Infertility has always been something that was an 'us' thing, not a 'me' problem. I am so very thankful for this fact, and for the fact that he sees how this all hurts me and generally knows just what to say. He has been nothing but gracious this morning, saying if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. He is ok with having to continue on at his current employer if it is what it takes. He really is an amazing provider for our family.

I just wish infertility didn't have to steal our joy once more.

Nine Months...

• A's second tooth- bottom left broke the surface (4/17/13)
• Both of the boys have two top teeth that have broken the surface. Those gums are super puffy! Thankfully, both boys are in fairly good spirits. Teething doesn't seem to bother A at all, while H is a bit more sensitive. 
• The boys tried their first non-prepared baby foods. The first was mashed sweet potato.... SERIOUS HATE! Next they tried more of a finger food- avocado. They tried to feed it to themselves and I helped a bit too. They weren't too sure, but there wasn't (as much) gagging like with the sweet potato. Other finger foods we've tried include toast with mashed avocado, banana, cheerios and watermelon. 
• We moved their crib.  Just to the other side of our room so they weren't sleeping RIGHT next to me. Shortly after, and before I had planned, we moved the boys to the nursery and into separate cribs. On the same night they began rolling over in their swaddles which is super unsafe, so the following night we went cold turkey- no swaddles, no more sharing a crib and into the nursery! It has been a success from night one. Every once in a while teething gets the best of us, but for the most part is has been great!
• A needed his first band aid for something other than a shot. He tore his toenail while trying out his walker. 
• The boys are in love with their new playroom. We spend a lot of time in the living room, so when they start to get cranky we move the the playroom- perfect distraction for them, and I occasionally get a few photos edited!
• We started phasing out the swings. I moved them to the nursery and decided if we needed to use them the boys could swing/catnap in their room. I can see out our patio door again, just in time for summer!
• Both boys are now mostly in size 3 diapers (A is finishing off the 2s) and generally wearing 9m clothing except shorts... A is wearing 3-6m shorts.
• The boys generally sleep 9-10 hours per night and take two naps per day each somewhere between an hour or two. Depending on when the first two naps take place there might be one quick evening nap between dinner and bedtime. 
• A is fully army crawling and has started to do the real crawl- H is much more content to just sit where you put him. He gets around both scooting, rolling and the occasional army crawl, but is no where near as fast or determined as his little brother!
• We got the boys a pool- they LOVE it!
• They both love to spend their days outside. On average we are probably outside for at least 3-4 hours a day when it is sunny and warm. Thank goodness because we seriously neglected our yard when I was hugely pregnant last summer- now we want to spend tons of time out there so its time to get it back in shape :)
• When the boys were swaddled for naps and nighttime they used to get into their crib fully awake, now they prefer a bit of snuggle time and rocking with mama some days. It seems like a bit of a step backward, but I don't really mind, they wont want me like this forever. 

On Food:

We are feeding the boys 3 meals of solids most days. There are days they just aren't ready in the mornings and I'm not really forcing it. They take four 7oz bottles each day, so the vast majority of their calories/nutrition are still coming from formula. We have tried several finger foods, none of which are always a hit. Occasionally they will eat something, but the majority of the time they greatly prefer something mashed up on a spoon.

Since I'm already late, this will have to do! I have a feeling these updates will be getting shorter and shorter because the boys are getting busier and busier!

We did have their 9m well exam just a few days late where we found out the boys are both growing well and continue to thrive! H is just over 20lbs now and A is just shy of 19... no wonder those infant car seats feel like they have bricks in them!