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.