Words

I haven't written about the boys in awhile because I stopped writing monthly/well visit updates. A lot has changed around here-- H is talking up a storm acquiring more words daily, communicating more and more. His language has completely blown up in the last probably two months. He had some words at 2, but only a TINY fraction of the words he has now. A on the other hand is a boy of few words-- literally. At 28 months he has about 20 words that he occasionally uses. Some we hear daily others we hear rarely. Our pediatrician wasn't overly worried, but referred him for an early intervention eval anyway at his 24 month appointment, we finally just had the appointment last week.

He scored low in several areas and easily qualified for services. We'll start by having 45 minute sessions twice a month. I'm unsure what else will come of it, but I hope more communication from my blonde boy! He was incredibly uncompliant at his evaluation. He wanted very little to do with the two evaluators and was mostly concerned with collecting all the of the non-toys throughout the room. Pens, pencils, coins ect-- all of the thing she generally doesn't get at home.

It will be interesting to see how he responds at his appointment this week since we'll be at our own house and there will be less to explore. We're looking forward to learning new ways to draw communication out of our boy and are hopeful he is just a little behind his brother and a significant vocabulary growth spurt is on its way.

Until then, I'd love to hear from you- have you been here? Do you have suggestions? Books? Specific toys or games? Books I should read? Programs we should try? Leave a comment or send me an email-- waitingnwishing at yahoo dot com

And we're off...

We are generally pretty quiet about any and all baby making. We've shared in the past with our families, and it ended up being more stressful for me than supportive. Not to say our families weren't supportive, but the stress just didn't feel worth it. So, with that said I've told one person that we're starting again. She wasn't able to watch the boys yesterday for our discussion meeting, so we had to have hubs parents come. We called it a Christmas shopping date, and we were set. Our appointment was scheduled for 4pm. Then, of course, my phone rang yesterday morning and we were told our Dr would have to leave early and our appointment could either be canceled or moved to a phone discussion at noon. Wanting to get the ball rolling, we took the phone appointment and hoped we could keep the boys quiet enough (Fro.zen and a pile of snacks!) and hopeful hubs parents didn't show up right in the middle of our call. 

Sure enough, not two minutes into our call someone is knocking on our door- luckily I was set up in our bedroom on the call and Hubs hadn't showered yet for our "shopping date" so we were able to dis guise his need to leave the room as needing to hop in the shower and he told his parent I was finishing getting ready and on the phone. 

The call went great- our doctor, who we've always loved, was excited we were coming back and through our conversation was thrilled to hear how uneventful my twin pregnancy was and how long I was able to carry the boys. We've made a tentitive plan--

Continue on birth control.

Call with January period- start uterine testing (mock transfer and sonohystogeam)

Continue on birth control, call with February period - ultrasound & blood work and begin injectables.

Late February/early March transfer. 

I'll get more details next week when I talk to my nurse, but we are thrilled that everything sounds like it's on track! So thrilled in fact, we went out and finally pulled the trigger and bought a mini van last night. So much extra room!!!!

Three years.

Three years.

That's how long it's been (almost) since the boys were conceived. Sunday will mark 3 years since retrieval, Thursday will be three years since transfer and Friday will be the anniversary of the freezing of the remaining embryo from our second cycle- the boys' triplet as my OB calls it. Friday will also mark the beginning of the next chapter of this story- in one week we start again. It's just a consult with our doctor. The info gathering appointment- finding out what the plan will be, what is ahead of us and potentially getting a timeline for treatment. We're hoping to start marking things off the pre-treatment list slowly in the next several weeks. I'm anticipating a March transfer, but we're really not in a huge rush- my priority is making this process as low stress as possible!

The timing was in no way planned. Of course I knew these dates were approaching, but when I took the appointment, it was just the one that worked best for Hubs and I. We figured if we needed a sitter, we might as well have a date night too! I LOVE the idea of these dates all matching up. Somehow it makes it all feel even more right.

It's exciting that another sweet baby may be joining our family soon. The fear of 'what if' hasn't really set in yet- I'm hoping I can just hold on to hope! 

Back in the saddle...

I suck at blogging these days. Seriously. Everyday at naptime I think of the list of things I should/could be doing instead of laying on the couch watching some useless tv. But, everyday I determine that sitting or laying doing nothing is really what I need! Life is wonderful and busy and full of teaching two little boys lessons. So, for a couple of hours (if I'm lucky) each afternoon I just sit and check out-- fill up my tank, because so much of motherhood is about giving. Which, is not a complaint, just a reality!

I had my yearly OB appointment last week.  We talked about the prospect of another baby. About my health, about my family, about how another baby could impact all of it. Because this doctor, he really is the best of the best. He's been practicing medicine since I was  four years old.  He's seen  a lot and he knows a lot. His knowledge  of women and families and babies goes far beyond obstetrics .  He checked me over and said everything looked and felt good, shook my hand, crossed his fingers and said he hoped he'd see me before next November. Because y'all, HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Our RE consult is scheduled for a few weeks from now-- holy crap, this is getting really real. We're pretty sure we won't jump in for a couple more months, but holy cow. I'm excited, and anxious (mostly about the logistics of a clinic who doesn't allow children) and beyond thrilled that my OB didn't say something like " you can't get pregnant again, your uterus will explode" because that's the dream I had the night before my appointment.

So, an FET is on the horizon. Making the call to my RE's office was weird. Surreal kind of.  So much different than before, but so the same.  I had all the same butterflies in my stomach, but so much less fear.  Exciting days ahead!!

If you know me in real life, or follow me elsewhere please keep this quiet-- we haven't yet decided if we'll share this with our families.

Too Fast!

Well hello there! Holy cow the weeks of this summer are sliiiiippppping away from me! I feel like summer got off to kind of a slow start and now we're just two weeks away from my itty bitty tiny (not really anymore) babies turning TWO!

This birthday snuck up on me, BIG TIME! We've had a theme in mind for months, and the pinterest planning is done, but the actual execution-- L.A.T.E! I had been thinking about invitations and knowing it needed to happen soon, but soon kinda passed me by and NOW arrived! We ended up using evite (not my favorite, I REALLY like paper invitations) and they turned out really cute. Since I couldn't find a free invitation that met our theme I ended up choosing one of their premium options and paid the $4 for it. Still incredibly cheap when the alterative  would have  run us several times that price and would have taken a few more days to arrive at our guests doorsteps-- time was running out!

I'm planning to get lots of shots of the details of the party and in a couple of weeks you'll be able to get a glimpse of our little pilots' birthday bash! So far, the door wreath is complete, the  plans for  the shirts  I'm making are underway, the menu is generally planned, now we just need to finish up a bunch of crafty projects and then we'll be on our way. Did I mention their party  is two week from tomorrow? Yeah. I may be dreaming with  that pinterest inspiration board... but, I work well under pressure so we'll see how much I manage to get done!

Aside from birthday party planning I'm registration planning for our local MOP.S group. I'm in charge of registration and let me just tell you-- I have Be You Brave.ly stuff and feathers ALL over the play room. Poor little boys have had their play room commandeered until registration and birthday party crafting is complete! Both events are in the same week, so  hopefully both go off without a hitch!

Find Your People

This morning as I was doing my  morning scroll through face.book I saw a link to an article about motherhood. It is always a valid topic for me, and generally I'll click a link if it has to do with something that is current in my life. Especially if it has been shared or reposted by someone who is in a similar season of life.




Motherhood, while always at the forefront of my mind, has been more so in that last several weeks. You see, I'm in  the depths of planning for the upcoming year with my local MO.PS steering team and I've been challenging myself  to really think about how we as moms can uplift one another. How we can help carry burdens and how we can rejoice with other moms when success is reached-- in life, but especially as moms.




This time of my life is rich. I'm blessed beyond measure- I find myself on a daily basis appreciated, well loved, challenged and above all else needed.  Sure, I may not shower for days on end,  and I  might think that brushing my teeth before noon is a big victory, but wow, I can truly say, nothing is  better.




Nothing could be better, unless it were this. Please, please take the five minutes to click on over and read an article about what it might be like to raise your children in a village. Though I think this sounds pretty incredible, I think we have ways in the world we live in now to  find a place that looks a little more like this. Moms don't have to feel alone in motherhood. Sure,  in most cases  it isn't going to work to live a life like the one depicted in the article, but what about working toward it?


What about finding moms who are where you are? Not just moms you connect with online in forums/through blogs and the like (though they are helpful too!)- but instead finding a group.


For me it has been MO.PS. My group has cried together, has talked through rough spots in parenting and in life, we've prayed for each other, we taken care of kids who don't belong to us and  we rallied around one of our own when she went  into pre-term labor at 28 weeks. I didn't know a single person when I walked  in  a little less  than a year ago, and now, I feel supported by a group of moms who know a lot about where I am right now in this pretty incredible season of life.




The moral of this story is- find your people. Create your village.  Its important- its worth putting in the work. And one last little bit- don't make your village only family members. It wasn't a choice for me to lean heavily on my family because they are a few hours down the road, and in all honesty it feels really good to know I have family to depend on AND friends.

Pinterest does it again!

I use Pinterest all the time. I use it to find recipes, art projects for the boys, decorating ideas for our home, planting ideas for our yard/garden, simple remedies for most any situation, advice on lots of things and most recently I've used it a TON to help plan for our local MO.Ps 2014-15 year. In that planning, I ran across a quote, that although very simple, I can't get out of my head. It's been several days now, and it is still there, begging to be pondered, to be implemented.

Be a fountain, not a drain.

It's so simple, and easy to remember, but one of those things I think we could all learn from. For me, during this season if life, it means encouraging my family, it means taking time to see the good in situations and celebrating that instead of focusing on the hard parts or the less than glamorous pieces of mothering small children.  I also think it means being a place (person) where people come to recharge to be revived- an oasis, instead of being the place people come to flush their stuff down or the downer of the party always unloading your hardships onto someone else. Inspire and renew instead of the alternative.

For me, this week I'm just focusing on the fountain part. Be that- if I'm succeeding at it, I don't need to worry about the other. Be a fountain. It works for me. Even just thinking it is inspiring.


-- Also, this makes two posts in two weeks, I'm practically Old Faith.ful :)

3 in 3.5

So, as promised... HERE I AM... writing something! I can feel your excitement!

Today you get to hear about preparing for baby #3. I had literally never thought of the fact that IF we get pregnant when we are tentatively planning to (I seriously laughed out loud when I wrote that!)- Planning... you would've thought I had gotten over that a LOOOONG time ago! ok- back to my  thought, if we get pregnant in the first part of 2015 like we are hoping, that will mean I will give birth to three babies in a 3.5 year span of time. Whoa. I know people do it, I just generally let out the tiniest gasp and try to conceal my widening eyes when I hear of them! I have always, ALWAYS thought those mom/families were bordering on the crazy side of things. And here I am. A nice little reminder not to judge other people's choices!

In my defense, I have twins. Its different. Or so I tell myself. But in reality, most people would likely say it makes  me more crazy. That is ok. I love this hard, sticky, wet kisses, snuggling, sometimes smelly season of life. Days can be a challenge, and nights can be exhausting but I can easily say, this is what I was made for.  Being a mom is my everything and I hope we are able to  add to  this  family of ours.  

In the meantime we are working hard to get into better shape both just for ourselves and for H & A, but also so carrying another pregnancy can be as successful  as  my twin  pregnancy. To do that, I decided I had some weight to lose.  Arg. Not all that fun, but hubs was on board to follow along so it is something we are doing together which is kind of fun.  We, very  much on a whim, decided to  go all in and attempt transitioning to a paleo influenced way of life. Um, just in time for fair/festival and BBQ season, good plan... not really. 

However- I cannot tell you how happy we've been with  it. I'm not going to lie, the first week was a little slice of hell, but ever since we  both have felt so much better in terms of overall health.  Less headaches and stomach issues for hubs and less fatigue for both of us. I'd say in general we are eating paleo about 80% of the time, and for us  that is working. We still feel good having a little added sugar or  a few carbs here or there, but when we go  off completely-- holy cow, it is amazing how quickly we are both feeling somewhat sorry for our transgression! The change in how we feel would be enough to keep me trying to maintain the diet, but dropping 12 lbs since the end of May doesn't hurt either!

I still have a ways to go before I get where I would like to be when I conceive again, but I still have gobs of time to get there!

As a side note: I want to remember as hubs and I get more and more serious about our next round of treatments, A is getting serious too. We have a big doll, like the size of a 10-12 month old. For months she has spent most of her days at the bottom of the toy basket. Until recently when A  started dragging her out, bringing her to me, giving her a kiss and walking away. It is the cutest thing EVER.Then after he's left to play with other things and I've had my fill of holding a fake baby I set her down on the floor and usually within a minute he is back at my feet holding  the baby wanting me  to take her. Looks like at least one of the boys is  ready for a little sister or brother!

Come on, write SOMETHING!

Literally every morning, either while I'm still in bed willing the boys to sleep just a little longer, or sitting/laying on the couch while they play with far more energy than any person should have before seven AM, I check blogger to see what y'all are up to. Many mornings there is nothing new to read and I think to myself-- "come on, write something!" This morning, I had to laugh at myself. Me, urging you to write is somewhat comical because I write so seldom anymore. It's hard with the boys to find time to sit at the computer and allow my thoughts (uninterrupted) to find their way to all of you. And by all of you, I'm assuming the number gets fewer and fewer the less I write. I do miss it. I miss the outlet, but so often I feel like I have nothing new to say. I am, for sanity sake going to start attempting a post per week from now until the new year. At which point we'll hopefully be embarking on the journey to baby #3, which should lend itself to blogging more frequently.

Some things I'll likely be talking about:

The birthday date day
Becoming a softy
Keeping a tidy house with two toddlers
Preparing for baby #3
Feeding picky eaters
Our favorite things at nearly TWO
Birthday party planning

So stay tuned, don't give up on me just yet!

six months

I just called my RE's office for the first time in a very long time. It was such a weird,  surreal experience. It was like nothing had changed and like everything had changed all at once. 

Instead of sitting on my end of the line proclaiming to the receptionist that YET AGAIN cycle day one had arrived and feeling a twinge of hope alongside the daunting reality that a baby could still be YEARS away, I was sitting in my living room with two babies giggling themselves to sleep a couple of rooms away. I was checking in on the absence of the annual babysitting bill for our embryos. ((Which leads me to a question, do you pay annually for the storing of your embryos? I was under the impression this was completely standard, but was told by someone recently that they do not pay an annual fee for storage.-- we pay about $350 per year, if you were curious. ))

Anyway, it was weird. Though I do desperately want another baby or maybe even two, it was different calling the office. I was mostly checking on the bill, but also looking into some insurance stuff for when we head back  this fall for an  FET consult with hopes of a transfer in early 2015. Somehow it just wasn't as terrifying.  I get that I have two perfect babies at home, perhaps knowing the physicians already makes it easier, or maybe it is just that I have more of an understanding of what to expect. I know the drill. I suspect that come fall/winter I  will find plenty of things to stress about, but until then, I am so grateful for this complete calm about what is  ahead.  

In other news- we're having a garage sale  this weekend. How is it that every single time I forget how much work it  is to have one? I know it will  feel great to get several things out of our house and to gain a little cash for  the things we don't need anymore, but seriously, somebody remind me next year that it is a TON of work to get it all pulled together! Thankfully Hubs is  totally on board for helping so, fingers crossed, it should be an enjoyable weekend of hanging out  outside and getting rid of all the things that take up every bit of our garage!

What else? The boys are HUGE. We sneak in most nights on our way to bed and cover them up and last night we both just couldn't hardly take how big they looked in their cribs. My babies will be TWO in less than two months. -- H is a horrid sleeper and wakes up most nights somewhere between 1 and 3am. He has a horrible time getting  back to sleep and most of the time in the last couple of weeks he has needed to come to bed with us in order to settle back down-- unless I want to rock him for two hours, which for the record, I do not. This is one of those 'twins are way harder' areas. If  it was just H,  I could easily sleep in forever in the morning with him, but his stellar sleeper of a brother tends up  wake up for  the day just about  the time H is finally calming down on the roughest nights. If you are following along that means this mama of VERY busy twin almost two year olds  doesn't get enough sleep. 

Does all of that sleep talk make you wonder WHY in the world I would even consider wanting to get pregnant again? Yeah, me too! But, I have hope that by the time I'm growing another babe both boys will be sleeping much better. Six months. Surely we can do it. Right?

Play Group...

Taking a 19 month old, rather, TWO 19 month olds to a playgroup is an exercise in patience, physical agility/quickness and well, the list goes on.

One morning a couple of weeks ago my MOPs table group got together at the home of one of the mom's for a little playgroup. We do it every month and I've attended a couple and hosted a couple myself. I am ALWAYS on board to host at my own house. I have nothing out I care about anymore, because, lets face it, 19 month olds have zero self control and if I have to hear myself say 'No' more than I already do, I'll surely be sent to the loony bin. I also know there aren't small pieces of things laying around and in general my kiddos (and kids of like age) are safe to roam about and play without me jumping into action like a ninja with every turn.

So, back to this particular playgroup. My used to be 'Tiny' blonde boy was in rare form. Climbing has become a favorite pastime and thankfully at our house we've accommodated this and baby proofed accordingly. We currently have a bistro height kitchen table and have been thinking about getting a more average height one for months now. Note to self: wait longer. A spent the majority of our 1.5 hours of play group scaling the average height chairs and then hoisting himself up onto the kitchen table-- then, dancing a jig. Seriously.  19 months isn't exactly the 'lesson teaching' age, so it was a take him down and climb back up three ring circus. Thankfully the home we were in was one of a woman, who like me, struggled to get pregnant. She has a different out look on children than a lot of parents. She was just SO happy to have us, she genuinely didn't care that he was on her kitchen table. She joyfully took him down over and over while I sat and held someone else's baby. Its so nice to be with other moms who will joyfully give you a break and not totally judge you in the process!

Don't get me wrong, everyone in attendance wasn't exactly amused by the behaviors my children where exhibiting, but that's ok. Some days you just have to sit back and own where you are in motherhood. The good, the hard and the seemingly out of control! I encourage all mamas to find a group to be with regularly. Help where you can, encourage one another and simply enjoy motherhood together. This is one of the most joy filled times in my life, but it is also one of the most exhausting. I am so very thankful that I have a group of other moms to do this stage of life with.

Dropping...

I obviously don't know what it's like to parent a singleton, but with twins, often things happen quickly. This extends to many aspects of life with two babies but today I'm talking about "dropping" things.

We've found ourselves "not being able to take it any longer" MANY times, and just like that, one more "baby" thing has been dropped. Last week I decided I couldn't take H coming to our bed at night anymore. So we started training him to stay I his own bed. Most nights one if us sleeps on the floor in their room, but he hasn't been out of his crib in the night in over a week now. Even though I haven't experienced it yet- I know I'll miss waking up in my bed without him snuggled in close to his mama. It was a decision we made one afternoon and implemented that night, so there was no soaking in of that last time (which likely won't be the last EVER, but still) instead it just abruptly ended. We're getting so close on the training and I suspect they'll be sleeping through the night in their room ALONE very soon. The last two nights neither boy cried in the night at all! Now it's more about mama cutting the cord :)

Similarly, yesterday morning I noticed the boys' wubbanub pacifiers were on the disgusting side, so I threw all four into the wash at once- something I warn new wubbanub parents against all the time. My thought being, maybe today is the day, and if not, they can get along with just a regular lollie at nap time- they'll be dry by bedtime. And then something surprising happened... H took his morning nap without any trouble, while A needed a replacement lollie. At afternoon nap, both did without. The biggest surprise was they both slept all night without lollies. So with any luck, we're done with pacifiers (knocking on wood, crossing fingers) BUT since once again it was a random afterthought decision/attempt I didn't really look at my babies one last time, standing in their cribs with a small stuffed animal pacifier hanging off their face.  My babies (19m) are dropping  "baby" things left and right. And while it kind of breaks my heart, it is also pretty amazing. After all, we  have babies with the intention to raise them up into  good, productive boys  and girls/ men and women-- I'm pretty sure that can't happen if they're  still bunking with mama and daddy and sucking on a lollie.

18 Months...

I can't believe the boys are already one and a half! Six months until their second birthday-- I suppose it is time to start planning :)

Eating:
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 and some days they'll also have a couple of snacks. They are still loving carbs and fruits more than anything else, but will generally gobble up yogurt and cheese almost as quickly. They still have some trouble with meat and most of the time will refuse to even take a bite unless its a chicken nugget or a small bite of a hamburger if we are out to eat.

Talking:
The boys are talking more and more, but the majority of it is still babbling. I'm not overly concerned about it because I don't feel like we are at a stage yet where is in inhibiting them at all. They don't seem frustrated by their lack of speech/communication so I'm just going with the flow. I talk to them all day long and know that eventually their language will take off. Until then, H is saying: No, nose, Mama, Dada, pat (paa), Blast-off, oh, yay!, cheese, thank you, hi, hello, uh-oh, choo-choo, shoe, wow and sometimes ball.  A is saying: Mama, Dada, yay!, thank you, blast-off, let's go, uh-oh, yeah, no, choo-choo, wow.

Play:
The boys are starting to play along side each other more and more and it is pretty fun to watch. They aren't really playing together, but they do like to be together while each of them plays. They continue to be pretty easy going about sharing their toys most of the time, but we have crying fits about stolen toys many times per day. Most of the time I just let them work it out and don't step in at all. Other times the toy is returned to the boy who had it first. I figure this is going to be a forever thing, they might as well get used to it now! They still play mostly with toys that can be pushed- while running behind them and with car/trucks/airplanes. Our most recent well loved additions - a shoppingcart, a singing flash light and lots of airplanes!

Sleep:
They sleep really well during the day- we are still on the two nap schedule and I am fearful for the day it will end-- which is going to be very soon. They sleep from 10-12 in the morning and again from 3-5 in the afternoon. Nights are hit or miss, but generally they are in bed between 8 and 9 and wake up anytime between 6-8 in the morning. H has been known to want into our bed around 2am, and for the most part we just bring him in. Its so exhausting to rock him back to sleep only to have him wake back up when we place him in his crib and crying it out in a shared nursery isn't really going to work either!-- I'm trying again on the sleep training of H. Almost two weeks after I started this post I've had enough. This weekend it is happening! A is off to sleep with Daddy and H and I are going to give it a go. Last night he slept all night in his crib with some waking. I slept on the floor to ease the transition. Tonight we'll either do the same, or more of a cry it out scenario. I'm totally flying by the seat of my pants on this one.

We're working on taking away their lollies. We are now down to just in their beds unless we are out and about during what would normally be naptime- then I allow them to have their lollies in their carseats/stroller.... but only if they NEEEEEED them :)

Our 'Tiny' is no longer the smaller of the boys- A weighs in at 26lbs 7oz  and H at 25lbs 3oz . H is still taller than A. By the nurse's measure (of two VERY wiggly boys) H is 2" taller. According to growth charts and questionnaires the boys are growing perfectly and seem to be meeting age appropriate milestones especially for twin boys. 

Liebster...

I've received the liebster blog award a handful of times and I think I've played along a couple of times, and while I'm not going to pass it along, I am going to answer the questions because I think you and I can totally agree... this blog is in a SLUMP! And I'm also doing it because I want y'all to click on over to Kelsey's blog Kinder Coaster and show her a little old fashioned infertile love. She's in the early stages of this mess and could use a pat on the back, a little IF advice and the sense of community we've all grown to love... so go, give her your best IF secrets, but you can leave out the old pillow under the hips trick, I think she has heard that one before :)

1. What is a little known fact about you? 
My thumbs are double jointed, my mom's thumbs are double jointed and it is looking like both of the boys may be also. Weird.
2. What are your favorite hobbies?
When I find the time/energy/creativity I love to sew and craft. I've made a number of things and its a goal of mine to sell at least one thing I've made someday.
3. What bores you to tears?
Movies that require too much thought. You know, like the kind you need to take notes during so you know what the efffff is going on. I don't mind something thought provoking- I just hate those scattered movies that go between reality and dreams.
4. Favorite genre or type of reading?
I love something inspirational-- the genre doesn't matter to me as much as the ending. I'm at a point in my life where I really just want to read happy endings. I feel like reality is so full of not-so-happy endings, I'd rather spend my free time indulging in happy!
5. Book recommendations?
The Idiot Girl's Guide To.... every single one I've read was funny- crude, but funny. I also love almost any Jody Picoult book (though those don't really fit the always happy ending rule).
6. Most annoying thing to hear as an infertile woman?
The list is looooooong! One of my least favorite things, was people speaking poorly of their children and their choice to have them.
7. Do you have pets? Tell me about them!
No pets! My husband is constantly wanting a dog but is totally understanding of the fact I need nothing more to take care of at this stage in the game!
8. Are you an Early Bird or Night Owl?  By choice or by circumstance?
I'm more of an early bird, but with the boys, now I'm a bit of both... not really by choice! I tell my husband at least once a week how much I LOVE climbing into bed. It is one of my favorite parts of the day. Not because I don't absolutely love all that I do all day, but getting into bed is how I recharge and get ready for another full day with my two favorite little people!
9. Guilty pleasure/s?
Trashy TV. If I don't have a bunch of chores to catch up on around the house, I generally sit down during the boys' naptime and watch some tv while I eat my lunch. This is the time I can watch anything I want and if it is on bra.vo or E! I'm probably watching it.... and most likely thinking, 'why do I watch this garbage?!?!'
10. Best piece of advice/encouragement for others on the IF journey? AND/OR Please share any infertility-related, Oprah-style "Aha Moments."
Keep track of everything. I started a binder when I started seeing the RE. All of the handouts I received went into that binder in case I needed them at some point. Things from what to expect with procedures, information about the drugs I was taking, etc. During treatment cycles I'd also print a blank calendar to record all appointments on. That way the next similar cycle I'd be able to kind of guess when things like IUI's and ultrasounds may take place. Once I started IVF I kept up the calendar and placed pages behind it to document other info from the appointment- blood work levels, follicle counts/sizes/medication dosing instructions. These pages had room for 3-4 appointments and served as a fantastic resource to look back on when we did our second round of IVF.

Mini-van...

So, the time is coming.

Like getting really, really close.

The Sub.aru is going to get traded. My once upon a time "mom car" is already been/being out grown. It will likely be a better fit in a few months when the boys turn around in their car seats, but in reality, the amount of stuff required for traveling with twins + our monster very well loved stroller + monster car seats = a need for a much larger car! I am so excited to be able to get everyone inside the car and then worry about getting everyone strapped in and ready to go. Seriously, I HATE standing in the rain and also as the boys get older it is becoming more possible to get in and out of stores without the stroller, but getting one to stand with me while I strap the other in-- IMPOSSIBLE. Its time. I kind of didn't think I was ready, but the time has come and as we think about adding to our family I know it is one of those things that just cant be avoided.

So, my dear readers, which one do you have? Have you rented one on a vacation that you loved? We aren't planning to buy new- it is just not our style. At this very moment we are almost certain, we'll buy a Honda Odyssey.