Happy High Heels

Going Private!!

2011-02-06T16:22:00.000-08:00

So I have decided to go private for my own reasons! Please email me at momoftwins2010(at)yahoo(dot)com if you'd like access (include your blog addy too!) The curtains will close on Friday 2/11...

XOXO

The Great Groceery Challenge - Feb Week 1

2011-02-06T12:07:00.000-08:00

Each week I will post my grocery shopping experience and work on staying in a monthly budget. what about you? February Goal: $300 February Week 1 AMOUNT SPENT$94.16 AMOUNT SAVED$320.09 (71%) I am overall pleased with my week. I had yet to save more than 60% in one week but I really buckled down. There were a lot of items we always buy on sale - soup, cereal, frozen meals (for those lazy nights!) The thing that killed me this week was formula - I spent almost $30 on the stuff early in the week. I can't wait until my twins are off formula and drinking normal stuff. We tried diluted juice again this week but neither liked it at all. I ended up wasting a bottle of Gerber Apple Juice because of it. I have $205.84 left to spend. I have a shopping list for today that will be around $35. Plus I still have $30 in Walgreens RR to use this week (they expire on Sunday!) Walgreens doesn't have a lot of good RR deals this week so I am hoping they will next week! Here's some photos of some of my shopping with OOP and savings:

Safeway - spent $26.90, saved $75.50 (another meat and veggie got cut out of the pic)

Walgreens #1 spent $3.07, saved $17.34

Walgreens #2 spent .63 cents, saved $29.17 - plus I got another $6 RR

Walgreens #3 spent $41.94, saved $183.02 - plus got $48 in RR

So it looks like I got a lot of candy - but most of that is going to work with my husband for a Valentine party.

The remaining $26 and change was spent at Babies R Us for formula...

And diapers? Yeah, I got those covered....

How are you doing with your challenge? Write a post on your site and comment with the link here!

Grocery Challenge - January Week 4

2011-01-30T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ok here's this week's haul!! Amount SPENT:$71.45 Amount SAVED:$212.64 HECK YES!!!! This has been my best week ever. By far. I made my $80 goal, I kept my family well fed, and I even stocked up in a few things.... Today I have saved around $250 and have spent around $68. I plan on using my Register Rewards that I made today ($48 in credits) for etc stuff like milk and such. I may have to pick up a little bit at Safeway but I don't see it happening. This next week starts a new month in The Great Grocery Challenge. If you are reading this I challenge you to make a grocery budget and see if you can stick to it. I am going to try to beat my average of $380/month. I am shooting for $300 which means $75 per week. I can do that. YAY ME! What about you? *this post is cross-posted on Mommy Wants Freebies!

No Words...

2011-01-26T21:16:00.000-08:00

A fellow IFer has received devastating news. Please go visit Wiseguy and give her some love and support. She needs us right now.

Great Grocery Challenge - January Week 3

2011-01-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

Yes, The Great Grocery Challenge is officially back! I got a bit off track while in Texas for 2 weeks, but now I am back and ready to share... So my goal per week has been $80. Last week my total grocery bill was: $90.72 Total SAVED - $204.27 So although I didn't meet my goal of $80 a week, I DID save over 60% total. There were things that we "needed"... and I couldn't find coupons for. BUT there were also items I was able to get for super cheap. Here's a Walgreen's trip that ended up being only $33.71 (saved $101.22): This week I plan on doing the Maalox Deal at Walgreens 3 times and donating what I get to the local retirement community since I don't need Maalox... I'll also be doing a few other deals there... Oh AND Target has Campbell's Chunky Soup on sale for $1.50 this week. Got 6, used 2 coupons and spent $1.16 on them. Safeway has a Cheerios deal that I got today and used 2 $1/2 coupons plus doubled them and got four boxes for 75 cents each. Sweet. My twins go through those like you wouldn't believe... I've also decided to cross-post The Great Grocery Challenge on my other blog, maybe we can get more people in the challenge!

CSN giveaway ;)

2011-01-17T21:56:00.000-08:00

Now I don't normally post about my other blog, but I needed to make sure everyone knew about the great giveaway I'm doing on it ;)

I LOVE CSN!

One of my favorite designers is Herman Miller. I love the clean lines and modern designs.

this Herman Miller sofa kinda rocks...

P.S. I just bought this City Scene set and I LOVE it:

It's SO pretty and looks perfect in my room!

So if you want to win $70 to spend with CSN, click HERE!

Xmas pics in Texas!

2010-12-27T21:31:00.000-08:00

After the rant in the previous post - we are having a great time! Here's some pics!

My 5 year old Niece Xiola LOVES Dylan...

Princess with my baby sister Grace

Dylan wearing his cousin's crown!

Gramma and the babies!

Playing Bumpy Bumpy with her Papa

She loves her Papa!

Really loves him!!

Checking eachother out..

and more Bumpy Bumpy!!

Flying with twins...

2010-12-27T21:24:00.000-08:00

Wow. What an experience.

We were taking the red-eye out to Houston to visit my parents. My sister was flying in to meet me at the airport to fly back with me (WONDERFUL sis!!). Josh and I waited patiently in the airport for her flight to get in. The twins decided it was a big party and stayed wide awake (at times PISSED). While Josh & I were waiting we smell that familiar unpleasant smell of poop. I looked at Riley, who looked uncomfortably back at me. I open her sleeper and she had exploded. All over. she had it completely up and down her chest, her back, even in her hair. How does a baby do this?? So I take her to the bathroom with me, give her an "airport bath", even wash her hair. Dylan was a good boy and only had a wet diaper. Thank you boy!

Cat finally gets there and we hustle to the gate to board. Oh, forgot to mention I did not check any bags ($25 per??? don't think so!). So we each had a suitcase, diaper bag, and a personal item. And a baby. And they were all extremely heavy. I didn't think to bring a stroller for Josh to just take home BTW. DUH. So struggling with angry wiggling babies. 50 lbs of luggage each, we were obviously losing our grip on it all (not the babies though!) It took us what seemed like an eternity to get to the gate.

Oh. It doesn't end there.

We board the plane and take our seats.

"I'm sorry, but you both can't sit there."

"Excuse me?"

"Well, each row is only equipped with one extra oxygen mask so you can't sit together since you each have a baby." (while rolling eyes that we have babies).

"Um, ok."

Cat switches to the next aisle seat and I sit in the other aisle seat. At least we can talk over the aisle, right? Wrong. BIG wrong.

Family of 3 come in.

MAN - "THAT'S MY SEAT."

Cat - "The stewardess told me to sit here."

Man gets mad. "WHY?!?!"

ME - "Something about oxygen masks. Let's just wait for her to come back."

Attendant comes back and tells the dude he will have to sit in the next aisle seat (MY SEAT). He argues and throws a fit, Attendant says to deal with it in not so many words and tells me to scoot over.

By the way. The seats we have are right behind the wing emergency exit so they don't recline for some reason. And I have a 6'5" dude sitting next to me on the other side. So it's angry man, me and Riley, and super-tall-dude.

So you can imagine comfort is at an all time low. I literally have the worst seat on the plane. With a baby.

An angry, tired, HOT baby. It was hot and dry on that plane.

Cat had the second worst seat. Again another angry, tired, and HOT baby. Who wants his mommy. He couldn't understand why I wasn't holding him. So he cried. And cried.

Riley was worried about him and kept eyeing him and Cat (she didn't know who she was). And wailed.

Riley and Dylan have adopted new cries by the way. They are screams.

They both screamed for about 20 minutes into the flight, refused their bottles and anything else we tried. Riley finally took my glasses off my face and chewed on them for a while. I told (yelled to) Cat the Dylan likes his feet rubbed and legs played with. She did that and he was out within seconds.

As the babies slept I stayed awake. Upright. I dozed off for a few minutes at a time but felt myself releasing my grip and woke back up. Our carriers were inaccessible and I had no arm movement to put it on anyway. The angry man scowled at me and Cat through the whole trip. The wife of the man kept crowding the armrest. The man kept doing the same to me. The super-tall-dude just tolerated it with a slight smile as I apologized to him whenever Riley kicked him or tried to take his book. That was the ONLY thing I apologized for. I don't think I need to apologize if my baby is uncomfortable and there's not a damn thing I can do about it.

She woke up a few times wailing and went back to sleep. We were finally descending and they both woke up for good. And screamed. Again refused EVERYTHING.

But then we got off the plane and here's the kicker - most of the back half was EMPTY. Which means that stupid stewardess could have asked us to move back there. No problem I would have done it in a second.

To top it off, this whole FIASCO could have been better had the CONTINENTAL Air rep mentioned something when I made the reservations. Because they knew we each had an infant on our laps.

Now I know.

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

Two years ago I didn't think I would ever be posting a picture like this. I am incredibly grateful for these two little munchkins... So far they have been playing with their gifts from Santa (A couple of Singamajigs and this Sassy Laptop).... later we will open presents and then get ready to fly to Texas to spend some time with my family :)

Merry Christmas! :)

Teeth and Colds...

2010-12-08T02:26:00.000-08:00

Good news? Riley has finally cut 2 teeth! they came through on the same day (last Friday). She won't let me take a picture though. Dylan has yet sprouted his own...

Bad news? We have all had colds here. Riley got it worse than everyone. Probably because of her teeth. The weekend of getting a Christmas tree and seeing Santa for the first time turned into cuddling the kids and sitting in the shower steam to break up nasty coughs and stuffy noses. Plus I had to aspirate both baby noses and it breaks my heart to do that. They both hate it and cry like you wouldn't believe. And Riley's face broke out, so she now has terribly chapped cheeks and nose.

Riley hasn't been able to sleep laying down so she and I are camped out in the living room so she can sleep in her chair while the boys are all snuggled in the bedroom. Yes, they still sleep in our room. I can't bear to take them out of there, but I know the time is coming because up until now they have been sleeping in the same crib. They are getting physically too big for that and two cribs will not fit in there.

Dylan seems fine now, he just had some mild sniffles. Riley was sneezing waterfalls, poor thing. Gross I know. But when you are a mom, talk about snot and poop and vomit no longer phase you...

Great Grocery Challenge - Dec Week 1

2010-12-08T02:18:00.000-08:00

I am soooo slacking on my grocery challenge...

Ok, Dec GOAL $400

Dec Week 1 - $102.36

I am happy because this week I have only spent $40.89 and have saved 63%. I don't anticipate getting much more except for another gallow of milk. So if I do that I will be under my weekly goal of $80 on average.

I just got this book about frugal living that claims there are more tricks and tips that you can use to get a lot of free stuff while shopping. Just more detail on couponing and finding the best deals... gonna put it to use!

Shutterfly and my Christmas Cards!

2010-12-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

So I am really thinking about what I am going to do with Holiday Cards this year. Last year I didn't do photo cards, I just sent out storebought. This year I really want to be more personal with my cards.

When Dylan & Riley were born I ordered from Shutterfly for their announcements. I had hunted around forever for just the perfect design and ended up with this perfect Baby Announcement:

I wanted a lot of photos and Shutterfly had the perfect layout for me! And the actual print turned out better than I could imagine, especially because a few of these pictures were snapped with my iPhone! The printing was excellent! I also liked that this particular card is available in many colors (I can even see this green for Christmas Cards!)

I have since done things like personalized mugs, a wall calendar for Josh, and a beautiful photo book commemorating Dylan and Riley's first visit to the coast!

I am thinking that this year I will be doing a variety of cards, but I really fell in love with this design (Provence Card) from the Holiday Collection:

I can't wait to share my cards with my friends & family!

Bloggers can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly: http://bit.ly/sfly2010 - but hurry, offer expires 12/15!

While I received 50 free cards from Shutterfly, I was not otherwise compensated for this post. All view and opinions are entirely my own.

The Great Grocery Challenge - November Week 4

2010-11-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

Join up!

Just comment on this post to join me!

Each Sunday I will be posting my grocery shopping expenditures. Join me by adding the button and writing a post on your site about your goals. Please make sure to comment on this post so I (and others!) can find you and cheer you on!

Thanksgiving about killed me financially... I spent 156.40 which brings my total for the month to $484, $84 over where I need to try and be...

This week I am starting a new month - December!!! Yay! I have yet to do any grocery shopping so we will see how it goes! My budget this month will be $400, $80 a week for 5 weeks. Should get interesting!

I am mad at Safeway because they took away loadable coupons in my area. I think I can still get PGesavers though, gonna test it tomorrow and see...

The Great Grocery Challenge - November Week 3

2010-11-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

Join up!

Just comment on this post to join me!

So I have been thinking.. I think I need a monthly budget over a weekly. That way if I go over or under I can "make it up".

So I am setting my goal for November's grocery shopping to $400, $100 a week. Yes, a little high, but I figure if I can meet that I will be able to chip away and start bringing it down..

Last Week - $118.64

November Total - $327.60

So this means I have $72.40 remaining, which I am already over with today's shopping, where I spent $80.40. I am hosting Thanskgiving at my house this year (yay!) for 8 people (plus babies), so a lot of what I got today was fixings for all of that. I am going to give myself an additional $20 this week because I have so many guests staying at my house. I am otherwise set and ready for the crowds!

The Great Grocery Challenge - Week 4

2010-11-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

Join up!

Just comment on this post to join me!

I done good... good....

$79.31!!!!

Ok, here's how I did it -

Walgreens - I bought $43 worth of stuff - hair color (super sale! 2 - $6.99 + BOGO50% the original $9.99 +2x$2 off coupons = a mere $2.49 each!), Baby Advil (not on sale but I had a coupon and needed it), a couple of other odds n ends... My total after coupons and sale was $20.98 but I had RR and WR and ended up with a bill of $8.98 :) They let me use all 3 of my RR - the register didn't prompt them either. I guess WR is only available in Portland, Kansas City, and Richmond, VA, but hopefully they will expand it.

Safeway - ended up spending $48.02 and saved 47% :) There were some super BOGO deals this week that may still be going on :) Can't find my receipt or I would list them... Baby Formula was purchased on a Target gift card so I didn't pay a dime for it! I won a gift card from Ecozip! I also won a 6 month supply of baggies so no need to get those!

I am SO stoked that I got under $80! It wasn't super difficult this week either since there were so many great sales.... What about you?

Everything's bigger in Texas. Don't Mess With Texas...

2010-11-12T00:31:00.000-08:00

I just had a HUGE weight lifted off my chest... I got my tickets to see my family for Christmas.

Well, NOT Christmas day, the day after. Here's what Christmas will look like for me -

1. Josh gets off work 12/23 and we drive up to Seattle to spend actual Christmas there. Oh, yeah - not moving there til next year (WOOT!). Too much stress over it so we decided to wait. So far the best decision we've made in a long time.
2. Annual "stocking stuffer spending spree" on Christmas Eve. Josh and I do this every year.
3. Christmas day. Babies' first Christmas! Party it up (baby-style)
4. Christmas night - Josh is driving us to the airport to meet my sister and fly to Texas. Her flight gets in a midnight and she and I and the babies will fly back together. Did you really think I would be flying alone with two kids under a year old? Silly....
5. Flight gets in at 7am into Houston where my mom will be picking us up and I will be with my 5 other siblings for the first time in about ten years! And all of the cousins - my nieces & nephews and my children - will be together for the first time ever. Let the chaos ensue!!!

Did you notice that Josh won't be joining me? Yeah, I'm not happy about that but there isn't much we can do about it. He has to work, there's no getting around it. But at least we will be spending the holiday together... I did not purchase my ticket back yet - I will be staying for 1-2 weeks and my mom will be flying back with me to help with the twins on the flight. I was insanely lucky to get a direct flight there, but odds are slim I will get a direct flight back... And I am hoping a redeye flight will work in my favor and Dylan & Riley will just sleep most of the way... They are phenomenal little car travelers, so I hope that an airplane won't faze them. But I will probably have a couple of screamers for 4 hours.... we shall see!

New pics!

2010-11-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

This might be one of my favorite photos ever (so far)...

Yes, we have a thumb-sucker!

Story time!

Fell asleep playing in the play yard..

It's amazing how much they grow and change each day. It seems like only yesterday they were itty-bitty, now they are sitting up and playing together like the old chums they are...

The Great Grocery Challenge - Week 3

2010-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Join up!

Ok, I had a better week!

Last week - $129.65

This week - $98.14

Not at my $80 goal but I am getting close! It would have been $86.14 but I got all the way to Walgreens and realized I left a RR and 2 WR certificates at home. Boo....

I did get dinner for 10 days, cleaned out on 75% off halloween candy, and got Campbell's Chunky Soup for 70 cents a can after sale and coupons. Yay! We go through that like you wouldn't believe here.

So, getting closer! How about you?

Yes, it's the holiday season...

2010-11-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

Ahh... Christmas shopping.... What should I be getting for those on my list? Whatever I get I know that I will be shopping at CSN - they have everything from cookware to the perfect briefcase to kid's stuff...

Speaking of which....

Prince Lionheart Wheely Mouse

Super cute... they have a bee, cow, and ladybug too!

It's a Trike built for TWO!!!

I can see taking a walk with Dylan and Riley scooting along on this.....

It's now kind of freaking me out that before long Dylan & Riley will be using these like little pros...

I have shopped with CSN before and have been very happy with the product selections, prices, and my overall experience! Have you checked them out yet? CSN would be a great place to get all of that Christmas shopping done!

I am excited to be doing a CSN review soon! Stay tuned for that!

The Great Grocery Challenge - Week 2

2010-10-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

First of all - Happy Halloween!!! Which is precisely why this post is so late :)

I had a bad, bad shopping week. My total is $129.65

It was really over before it began. Last Sunday I had a cold so my husband took it upon himself to get some groceries and spent a whopping $84.09.

To his credit he tried to shop smartly by buying 4 Bertolli frozens and get an extra $1 off each one.

To his detriment that was the only thing he bought that was on sale.

And he refuses to use coupons.

bleeeccccchhhh....

He spent $2 on Campbell's Chunky soup when I could have gotten it for 75 cents a can. Amongst other things...

One the plus side, I had a great Walgreen's trip. $86 worth for $4.60. How you ask?

Walgreen's Rewards. I forgot I had points and when I looked them up I had enough for $80 worth of Walgreen's vouchers I could order. I used coupons and sale to get $86 down to $34.60 and used $30 worth of rewards certificates...

Ok, so my goal this week will still be $80. Luckily I don't need anything major, such as cleaning/laundry supplies or baby stuff like formula, food, diapers, etc.

What's your goal?

blooming...

2010-10-25T00:36:00.000-07:00

So reading other blogs of twinners I am so happy that I am sometimes not alone in feeling overwhelmed at times. I put on a happy face and say "oh, twins aren't so bad. I guess I got lucky".

It is true that I got lucky. I got incredibly lucky with Dylan and Riley. I couldn't have chosen better babies if I had the choice to make. They are amazing, wonderful, overall easy babies, and I am so happy to have them in my life.

Which is why when they both get upset at the same time, I sometimes lose it. Sometimes it's just too much for me to take. Probably because it is so rare that it happens, I'm not prepared for it.

Today I have had a nasty cold, I'm tired, achey, my head hurts, etc etc. Josh has been so great today taking the babies and handling it all, but the mom in me comes out and I have to take control (or try to). So I start playing with them and they are fine until they are done with playing and start crying. So I am trying to console one while the other is getting jealous (seems to happen a lot lately). All I want to do is take a bath and relax, but I can't if they are both upset.

Josh offered to take them for a walk, which he did, and so I took a long soak while they were out. I hear them come home, I get out of the tub, get my jammies on, and come out to flowers and a card.

"I know things are tough right now,

but just remember -

every flower that ever bloomed

had to go through a lot of dirt to get there."

So true! I love my husband :)

Grocery Challenge - Week 1

2010-10-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Join up!

So here's week 1 of my challenge...

I spent $111.09. BETTER than last week by about $18. So that's good. But still over $100 and nowhere near my goal of $50 a week.

I had a lot of things I ran out of last week - bathroom tissue, formula, frozens, formula. I made the mistake of letting myself run out of these staples and having to run out and spend $61 alone at Walgreens. I did save a little, but nowhere near as much as I normally do (only 20%). I dodn't use a lot of coupons because the store brands were better deals than what I had.

To top it off my husband did some grocery shopping and doesn't like to use coupons, so he doesn't look for deals, he only gets what we need.

So my goal this week is to get down to $80. That's cutting out $31 from this week. Any ideas??

Wordless Wednesday (video edition)

2010-10-20T11:58:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch!

2010-10-19T01:22:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend we went to Heritage Farms Pumpkin Patch! We had so much fun :)

The kids seemed a little overwhelmed - they both had "serious face" going on. They were also enamored with the hay on the ground and kept trying to eat it! We met another Rylie who was a month older than Dylan and Riley and very cute :)

Enjoy the pictures!

The Great Grocery Challenge

2010-10-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

I've decided to do something. I know a lot of you are or want to be coupon-ers. I love saving money. I am getting pretty darn good at it too...

While I am not going to post all of the deals each week like other sites do (umm, hello? No time for that!), I am going to challenge myself and challenge you to set a weekly or monthly grocery budget and start cutting it down. So here goes. Every Sunday I will share my grocery shopping trips. The good, bad and ugly. And every Sunday I will have one of those blog hop thingies so that those of you who are up for the challenge can share your experiences.

So without further a-doo...

THE GREAT GROCERY CHALLENGE!

*Lookie! I even made a button for it!*

So grab the button. Wear it proudly (on your blog!). Share your goal and progress.

Here. I'll start:

My goal right now is to get down to $50/week. It's a big goal. I will be counting my trips to the drug store and regular store. I will include diapers and misc baby items, as well as cosmetics and such.... I will be using coupons from every source imaginable.

*deep breath*

Last week I spent $129.80. I thought I was doing good until I realized my husband went to the store and spent $40. PLUS I went to a big sale at Lambs today and spent $14... BUT that trip yielded all this:

This my friends is $78.49 worth of groceries. For how much? $14.01. Heck Yeah! BTW - if you have a Thriftway near you I would suggest popping in!

This included a lot of stockpiling items, such as diapers, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, dental supplies, etc. It also included frozens and formula.

Sooo. I have a long way to go! How about you?

*I need to be clear that this is not going to turn into a deals and savings blog - it's still all about the twins!

my trip to Safeway paid off big time..

2010-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Jason and Amber for inspiring me to show my savings!

Ok, I am a couponer. Most of you know that. I am not one of those hoarders though (I don't have the room!) BUT I will get things like shampoo and toothpaste if it's a good deal. I have found that things like that we tend to run out of and end up paying full price... well no longer :)

This week's grocery trip (excuse the junk food - I usually buy fresh produce from a stand or I get frozen, which I have a ton of right now...)

The breakdown... (reg price in BLACK, sale in PURPLE, saved in RED)

2 - Pepperidge Farms Cookies $3.69 each
BOGO + .60 off coupon = $1.55 each/$2.14 savings

3 - 12pk Pop Tarts $3.29 each
SALE with in-store coupon $1.88 each + $1/3 = $1.54 each/$1.75 savings

1 - Oreo Cookies $3.49
SALE + $1 off coupon = $2.00/$1.49 savings

2 - Similac Ready Made $5.99 each
SALE $3.99 ea + $6 in coupons from Similac AND $5 Similac gift check = $0/+3.02 MONEYMAKER

1 - Celestial Seasonings Tea $3.59
SALE $2.00 + $1 off = $1/$2.59 savings

1 - Bounce Dryer Bar (2 month) $5.99
SALE $3.99 + pgesaver ecoupon and $2.50 off coupon = .49/$5.50 savings

15 - Friskies cat food .65 each
SALE .45 each + $1/15 = .38 each/ .27 savings

6 - Stouffer's frozen dinners $2.79 each
SALE $2.25 each + 10% off all frozen in-store coupon = $2.02 each/.77 savings

2 - Marie Callendar's Dinners for 2 $5.69 each
SALE $4.76 each + $1.50 off coupon + 10% off all frozen = $2.78 each/$2.91 savings

2 - Lysol Disenfecting Wipes $3.99 each
SALE $2.50 each + $1/2 coupon = $2 each/$1.99 savings

2 - Glade Plugins Twin refill $5.99 each
1 - Glade Relaxing Moments Spray $3.99
SALE - Plugins $4.99, Spray $2.50 + BOGO Plugins, $1 off Plugins, BOGO Spray, $1 off spray = Plugins $2.00 each & Spray FREE + $1 off = $3 for everything!/$12.97 savings They let me stack coupons Woohoo!

1 - John Frieda Redhead Shampoo $5.99
SALE Clearance $2.99 + $2 off coupon = .99/$5.00 savings!

2 - Balance Bar $1.25 each
SALE $1 each + BOGO coupon = .50 each/.75 savings

The only thing I bought reg price was hairbands for Riley for $2.79 ;)

TOTAL REG PRICE: $112.33

TOTAL SPENT: $43.26

TOTAL SAVED: $69.07 (62%)

I find most of my coupons in the Sunday papers and have them organized in a binder so I can see them all easily as I go down the aisles. Today Riley slept through the entire shopping trip and Dylan charmed the pants off of everyone he saw. Not literally. Thank goodness.

I'm awesome. You can say it.

Feeding time

2010-10-10T19:21:00.000-07:00

Feeding the twins solid foods at the same time was proving to be a bit of a task. I do it myself. I would love for Josh to help, but that's a story for another day...

Anyway, the problem I had been running into was keeping them both happy. Dylan would get mad when he didn't have something in his mouth and would yell at me. Riley is a bit of a slow eater. So I racked my brain with figuring out how to appease them both.

Then I got it.

Have you heard of Baby Safe Feeder? They are those little mesh bags with handles that you can put baby food in so that your child can feed him/herself. I picked up a set of them at a local baby shop figuring with twins they would come in handy. Well they did!

I had made my own baby food using recipes and techniques from an awesome cookbook called Baby Love. I froze the peas into little cubes. Well, I took a couple of cubes and put them into the Baby Safe Feeders and gave them to Dylan and Riley, then got out the bowl of baby food to feed them. Lo and behold, there was no anxious crying or jealousy (yes, it's starting) because either I was feeding them or they were sucking on their pea-cicles. Bonus - it helped their gums feel better. Teething is a pain.

So you multiple mommies that are reading this - try the Baby Safe Feeder. They are kinda gross, but have helped dinnertime so much in my home...

6 months... 6 MONTHS?!

2010-10-08T23:54:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it. I just can't. They are 6 months old today. My babies!!

BTW Riley is doing just fine after her urgent care visit.

She is also trying really hard to crawl. It's freaking me out..

They are really beginning to interact too..

They have been eating peas or avocado every other day, but now that they have hit 6 months we are going to start an every day thing... they have a 6 month checkup next week - I'm eager to see what their stats are! They seem like the biggest of the the twins that I know around their age. Riley is tall and Dylan grows up then out. in spurts ;)

Happy 6 months babies!

4 days old!

Prosobee can suck it...

2010-10-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

So I am visiting my SIL and looking for a new home in King County, WA. Late last night the kiddos ran out of formula while we were here. I didn't know this so imagine my surprise when I got up at 7:00 am to make a couple of bottles and open an empty can. Whoops. Dylan was still asleep but Riley was wailing. I gave her to Josh and off I went to the grocery store.

The closest store here had no Similac on the shelf except for Alimentum, so I went with Enfamil (which I never use) and grabbed the first one on the shelf to feed my babies. I didn't realize it was soy for upset tummies, but I didn't think much of it because they have both had soy formula with no problems.

There was a problem.

I got home and Riley was blissfully sleeping in Josh's arms (it was so sweet). Dylan was cooing in the pack-n-play so I made him a bottle, fed him, then fed Riley.

An hour or so after he finished his bottle he woke up an promptly vomited it all over my blankets and me. Nice. I had never seen either baby throw up as much as he did. I stripped him and got him into his tub and he seemed just fine. Riley and I raced to another store and found Similac for him.

We got back from the store and Riley began throwing up. She threw up twice. I bathed her and got her into some jammies and she fell asleep on me.

Dyan seemed just fine. he ate Similac and was happy.

Riley woke up and ate 1/2 ounce and threw that up. I called Enfamil to tell them that their formula made my kids sick and while i was on the phone Riley got really sick all over her and me. So I got off the phone with Enfamil called her Dr and waited for a call back.

She was looking pale and acting very lethargic, didn't want to eat at all so I took her to the local Urgent Care. By the time we finally saw a Dr (about an hour), she was acting and feeling better. She was checked for infection and we went home.

Poor little thing...

Enfamil assured me that they have high qc standards, but I am sending in my can of formula anyway. I have never seen my babies as sick as they were today, especially Riley :(

Playing ketchup ;)

2010-10-01T23:41:00.000-07:00

Well, catch up. not ketchup. That would be messy.

So here's how September went:

Both Dylan and Riley can sit fairly well, but they don't have the "controlling your excitement" thing down so the both throw themselves backward. So they sit in their Boppies or on my lap. Or on my bed..
They have officially tasted solids! We are on rice cereal and green veggies. I think we will probably do various green veggies for at least the next few weeks before we move on to orange veggies and then fruits. Althought they did each suck on a slice of honeydew over Labor Day weekend and loved every second of it :) I made some baby food from scratch using this great book called Baby Love... great book!!
They are growing leaps and bounds. Today I put Riley in her walker and was shocked when her feet touched the floor. When did that happen???
Dylan is undoubtedly a redhead. Sorry kid. ;) Actually I love it!
Riley is learning to play us really, really well. Uh oh.
Riley has been waking up super early every morning. It's so annoying. She also rolls everywhere. I willl lay her on her blankie on the floor and immediately she's on her tummy, just looking around like it's the most normal thing in the world!
Dylan can roll over, he just chooses not to.
Riley also sleeps on her side now. It looks weird. Anyone elses babies do that?

Me? I am fine. I feel ok, but I kinda want to lose some lb's. I am the same weight I was prepregnancy, but I would love to be thinner... Oh and I also had a serious pregnancy scare freak-out. But I'm not.

We are preparing for Halloween - I made Riley's costume, and got Dylan's, but I think I am getting another one for him, this one is too hot and a pain in the butt to get on and off. But it's really, really cute :) I also got my costume. Josh is being a party pooper and won't dress up. BOO....

Um, YEAH they are cute.. :) My little monsters!!

He sits! She stands (assisted)!

2010-09-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

They are getting too big TOO FAST!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T22:04:00.001-07:00

We are ready for Halloween, mommy!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Portland Zoo had a Dinosaur Exhibit!

How do I put this... (TMI)

2010-08-31T21:38:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I think I may be the only one of my blogger friends that hadn't "done the deed" since Riley and Dylan were born. It was weird. We hadn't since last November (gasp!) just because it was weird and uncomfortable and just... weird. then after the babies were born we obviously had to wait 6 weeks, then we just... waited...

I didn't want to turn into roommates after the babies were born. I wanted to get back in the saddle, so to speak, but there was never a *right* time to. Either he wasn't into it or I wasn't into it, we were tired, one or both of us felt gross, etc. But thankfully, the dry spell is officially over...

However... I stopped taking birth control because it made me moody. Whoops.

He knew I wasn't on it anymore. I mean, what are the odds I could get pregnant naturally?

Wait, don't answer that.

Not-So-Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

DYLAN ROLLED OVER TODAY!! Back to tummy!!!

AND I MISSED IT!!!

Silly me wanted to grab a glass of water. I put Dylan on his activity mat and came back and he was on his tummy! Riley was kickin' it in her walker and watched the whole thing :)

And I missed it.. waaahhh

Baby dog-pile!!!

4 Months already?!?!?!?

2010-08-11T11:39:00.000-07:00

Are you kidding me? These little munchkins turned 4 months on Sunday!

AND - exactly one year ago today I was patiently waiting for my beta results.... Wow. What a difference a year makes... Reading back on everything is so surreal. Did we REALLY do all that we did or was it just a dream?

So on with the babies....

DYLAN

He's such a mama's boy! Loves cuddles in the morning, ALWAYS wakes up with a huge crooked smile on his precious face.He's still in the cosleeper next to me so I get to wake up and see this face. Sometimes he sleeps in the crib in the corner of our room and Riley goes in the cosleeper, but since Dylan usually wakes up first it's easier to have him there.

He eats like a little horse! I am guessing close to 40oz a day. I have had to go out and buy bottles that will hold 8oz because when he's done with a 5oz he is still hungry!

He is learning to sit up on my lap (assisted) and it also starting to show interest in what I am eating, so we will go to solids soon. Like I said, he's a total mama's boy - he doesn't really get upset unless I am out of sight. Even if I go to the kitchen to make him a bottle and I talk to him - if he doesn't see me it's waterworks! And it's so sad - when he cries it's now that "wah wah" whiny cry - it's tears, red eyes, and pouty lip. When he smiles he beams. And his laugh is adorable :) His hair still has a touch of red in it. His eyes are slowly turning green! Basically he looks like Josh with my coloring :)

RILEY

Such a little independent one... Although she isn't smiling in this picture she does smile every single morning at me.

Look at those eyes! They look like they are getting lighter and staying blue! I am betting she will have bright blue eyes like her daddy - the kind that can look right through you. Her hair is getting long and starting to curl more, still dark but with gold streaks. Her roots are lighter brown. I don't know if she is going to be blond, stay brunette, or go red. Either way she's a beautiful little girl!

She eats closer to 32oz a day - she kind of snacks all day, it's hard for her to take a full bottle. She is also learning to sit up on my lap. She definitely prefers to sit completely upright and not lean back on anything so I find myself with her sitting on my lap and me holding her shoulders.

They both coo and talk all of the time. This morning Dylan decided to have a long and seemingly important conversation with his teddy bears. Riley talks to her monkey a lot, saying "oooh oooh ooh", so I guess she is speaking monkey language :) They also talk to eachother a lot - so cute!!

They are both really close to rolling over back to tummy! And they can more or less hold their own bottles for a couple of minutes. It's amazing to see them progress as quickly as they are! We have a pediatrician visit tomorrow so I get to see how much these little angels weigh! They also get shots :( Booo....

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

"mmmmmmm"

Guest Post - Fun Ways to Incorporate Baby Sign Language Into Your Day!

2010-08-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Fun Ways to Incorporate Baby Sign Language Into Your Day

A Guest Post by Misty Weaver of Baby Sign Language

Baby Sign Language is not only about communication and bonding – it’s also about having fun. If you’re not enjoying it you’re doing it wrong! Signing with your baby should never be a chore. There are loads of ways to make baby signing fun, all day, every day – read on to find out more…

•Sign when you’re shopping. Learn the signs for food you buy every day and make the signs as you do your shopping. A great way to engage baby during what can be a dull activity for them.

•Make baby signing into a game. Even when baby is very young you can play signing games and have fun with her. Sign nursery rhymes and stories, tell your baby jokes using signs. Baby may not get the joke but will love seeing Mommy laughing and looking silly.

•Sing signs. Baby sign language classes incorporate lots of singing because it’s a fantastic way to engage baby’s attention. Babies love being sung to. Learn some nursery rhymes, or buy a CD of songs. Sign as you sing along, in the car, at home, as often as you can.

•Sign at mealtimes. When you are learning the signs for food, mealtimes are a great way to incorporate signing into your day. Pointing at baby’s food and making the signs will really engage him – he’ll soon be signing back when he wants more!

•Give lots of attention. Baby sign language is a great way of remembering to give baby undivided attention. With so many demands on Mom’s time these days it’s easy to forget that it is fine to just sit down with your baby. Learning to sign gives you a good excuse to cuddle up together and get signing.

•Involve the family. Grandparents, aunties, uncles, siblings and cousins can all get involved with baby sign language. The more people signing to baby the better. Getting the whole family involved is a great way to make signing a part of your day – no one feels left out!

•Be silly. A healthy dose of silliness is good for grownups. Let go of inhibitions, make a fool of yourself, sing and dance – have fun! Making signs in public may feel odd at first, but you will soon get used to it. Most people will be fascinated, and you’re sure to get other moms asking you all about it.

•Don’t take baby signing too seriously! Finding ways to incorporate baby signing into your day should be fun. As with everything you do with your baby, if you take it too seriously it will become another chore. Finding ways to make baby signing fun is a challenge, but if you forget to sign don’t worry. There’s always tomorrow to start again.

This guest post is brought to you by your friends at the Baby Sign Language site. Be sure to check out all the great Free resources we have to offer.

Another Award!!

2010-07-31T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much Kristen from Kuppy Kakes by Kristen!

So the deal is 7 things you don't know about me... What is there that you don't know? I basically have placed my heart and soul on this blog... I'm sure I can think of something, but forgive me if I repeated myself!

1. I love to sew. I got my first sewing machine when I was about 5 years old from my mom for Christmas. But I don't generally use patterns, I like to make it up as I go along!

2. I'm left-handed! That same Christmas my Gramma Charlotte gave me a pair of left handed sewing scissors. Yeah, a 5 year old got scissors as a gift, and she was darned excited about it! I notice Riley favors her left hand :)

3. I can also knit and crochet, but I get bored with projects.

4. Some of my best friends are people I have never met in person. You know who you are :)

5. I have found that since becoming a mother I have also become more spiritual. I find myself praying and talking to God more than ever now.

6. I <3 PopTarts

7. I also <3 Ricky Gervias!

Tags!

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged!!

Time? What's that?

2010-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I am continuing to be a bad blogger.. it's not that I don't want to, but I have been spreading myself thin. From making dresses to focusing on my other blog to of course playing with my babies I end up having about enough time left over to eat and sleep.... Anyway, I will TRY my hardest to blog on this blog...

Dylan and Riley are really beginning to learn so much! They are better with their hand/eye coordination each day. It's really breathtaking.. There's no other word for it. I could stare at them for hours as the little wheels in their heads turn and they realize that if they think about reaching for a toy, they can do it. I also got a new tub for them - the Tummy Tub. It's the one that looks like a bucket but isn't... They can sit up by themselves in it and play! Dylan gets so excited when he splashes around in it!

If anyone wants to FB friend me, go HERE... that way you can see pics of the twins all the time (I post random pictures all the time!) I WILL continue to blog... promise ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-13T14:48:00.000-07:00

Another Award!!

2010-07-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to Trying Not to Scream for this award!!

For this award, here’s what to do:

1. Thank whoever gave you the award.
2. Tell 7 things about yourself that readers may not know.
3. Pay it forward by nominating 10 bloggers you’ve recently discovered.Things you may not know about me:

Ok, 7 things... this might be tough...

1. My husband is canadian. ok, that's not about me persay... But did you know that Dylan and Riley have automatic dual citizenship in the US and Canada because they are first generation Americans? kinda cool...

2. I learned to crochet when I was 5 or 6. I also got my first sewing machine at that time.

3. Nearly every house I have ever lived in I have ruined the carpet with paint! Sorry mom and dad!

4. I can play guitar. Not very well, but I can do it!

5. I am not a fan of sunshine, I prefer rainy and overcast days.

6. My favorite kitchen item is my crock pot. Best invention ever!

7. Deep down I always knew I would have twins, and I always knew they would be a boy and a girl :)

Now the bloggers:

Swistle

Wanna Be Mother - not there yet

You Just Gotta Keep Knittin'

We Got Hitched, We Bought the 4 bedroom house, now what?

From Misery to Happiness

Waiting or Sunflower

Peanut & Pumpkin

ErnieGirl

Tao of Twins

Thriving in the Garden in Infertility

An Award!!

2010-07-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

My lovely sister Cat from Amlo Farms gave me an award!! Thank you!!

The Rules for Acceptance of this Award are fairly simple:

Thank the blogger who bestowed the Award on you.

Sum up your blogging experience, philosophy and motivation in five (5) words.

Pass the Award on to 10 deserving bloggers.

So my five words are: Infertility, twins, family, happiness, dream-come-true (ok, that was three words...) This blog was originally going to be about style and cute shoes since I can't pass up wicked heels. But it quickly became an outlet for me and my husband and our struggles with infertility. Now that we have our "dream-come-true", our beautiful twin babies Dylan and Riley our life feels complete. It is a powerful feeling to know without hesitation we would do anything for them. It's amazing to see them learn something new each day and to know this is why I exist, this is what I was meant to do with my life.

OK, now on to the bloggers I think need this award:

Trying Not To Scream

Once Upon a Time

High Gloss and Sauce

Newly Pregnant in NYC

Just to Keep in Touch

Jason and Amber

Peace.Love.Lip Gloss

Wishing, Hoping, Thinking, Praying

Baby to Be

Mamma Wanna-Be

4th of July and other thoughts...

2010-07-04T23:45:00.001-07:00

Aren't they adorable? Dylan was Mr. Smiley-pants all day and Riley felt very fancy in her bow :)

4th of July was pretty uneventful for us. I was worried about what firecrackers could do to the delicate eardrums of my wee ones so we stayed in. Actually, we went for dinner to Ruby Tuesday's and then came home. By the time we got home both Dylan and Riley were sound asleep so they went to bed...

On the bedtime topic - early last week they both began sleeping thru the night, 9 hours to be precise.. Pretty incredible! It was hard, hard work but I wanted to share how we did it. First I will tell you about the "rule of 3" - it takes 3 nights to get it, and once the baby has sttn for 3 nights straight, chances are they will continue...

First thing I did was talk to the pediatrician about getting them to sttn. She said to make the night wake-up boring for them by not picking them up (HARD TO DO!!) and not feeding them. She said that they will realize there is nothing to wake up for and will start sleeping through.

The first night was torture. Both woke up and I tried consoling them. Riley was actually easy, but Dylan didn't understand why I would give him a bottle. It was heartbreaking. I did cheat and snuggled him back to sleep, but I didn't give in to feeding him. Riley just needed a pat on the belly and a "go to sleep, sweetheart" and she was fine. They had gotten a midnight feeding as usual but not a 3am like they were used to.

Night two was a little easier - again midnight feeding, again they both woke up, but both went back to sleep pretty quickly...

Night three - Riley slept through12am-6am :) Dylan woke up but went right back to sleep.

Night 4 - neither woke up from 12-6... ths lasted for a few days so I decided to ramp it up.

phase 2 - night 1 - I put them both to bed at 10pm after a busy day. I had also swaddled them in a Miracle Blanket. They slept through until 5am

Night 2 - did the same thing, this time 9pm bedtime and they slept again til 5

Night 3 - 9pm bedtime, swaddled, both slept til 6am!!!

Since then they have been going to bed between 8 and 9. In fact, Riley actually gets mad if she doesn't get put to bed at that time. If she isn't getting ready for a bath by 8:15, it's crying for her until she's bathing. Then it's a bottle and put into her crib where she stares at her mobile (which have learned NOT to turn on!) and her Sleep Sheep turned to "stream" or "ocean". She rarely fusses once she's in her crib, she does kick a lot but I suspect it's the last bit of energy being used before sleepytime. Dylan does the same thing, but sometimes he needs his pacifier. Riley could care less about a paci!

So basically, I have made it a ritual - bath, bottle, bed along with swaddling and occasionally rocking... It's hard not to pick them up for cuddles when they cry but really they very rarely do now that they know the score..

Hope this helps some mommies out there - there are many ways to sleep train, but this way worked well for me!

No Excuses Thursday! I know, I know, it's Saturday...

2010-07-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, so I know I haven't posted in a week. Over a week. I started a post and never finished it, but today I will!!

Michelle started this -click the button to join in! Here's my summer "no excuses" list and an update on what I have done so far:

Reorganize my crafting area. I have finally started this - I ordered new rolling bins and bought some pretty baskets for my fabric. Got out my sewing machine :) I have even made a few things! - DONE!!! Everything has it's place! It doesn't often stay in it's place, but does eventually get back there! In my next post I will show you what I have made!

Organize bills. Fight with insurance company. Working on this one. I paid a gazillion hospital bills last week - all of those little ones by the anesthesiologist, pediatrician on hand, etc. I still have "the big bills", but I am waiting on insurance to pay those. I have the hospital fighting for me too :)

Order credit reports. Yeah, haven't done this yet. Getting on it...

Go through the kids' clothes and separate what the can't wear. Haven't even TOUCHED this one, and I need to!

Make lunch plans with my friends I had lunch with two good friends last week!!
Clean out the car Nope

Buy a new car Hell no

Take the dogs to the vet for their shots Today!!

get myself to the Dr for my annual

Make blankets/burpcloths/bibs/tutus/hankie skirts for etsy Yes!!!

Get my online boutique up and running Working on it....

What's yours? leave me a link so that I can check it out! Let's get stuff done!!

Ahhh where has the time gone?

2010-06-30T09:32:00.001-07:00

The kids will be 12 weeks old tomorrow.... it seems like yesterday I was staring at a positive pee stick and now here they are, giggling, smiling, kicking, babbling..... Here's a rundown of what they are doing...

Dylan...

Dylan is a BIG boy... he's tipping the scales at 12+ pounds. His birthweight was 5/14. He wears 3-6 month clothes and his feet are huge. He's also just about to graduate to size 2 diapers.... He smiles and coos at me all of the time! Sometimes I will catch him giggling at something random, like the dog or a sticker or a coffee mug... He also makes the cutest noises, one of which sounds like an owl. He sees something interesting and says "whooooo!".. pretty adorable! He loves to kick, and he sucks on the back of his hand a lot. He's really learning control! he can hold his head up without a bit of wobbling. He still has very dark eyes, and his hair is growing in dark with a hint of red...

Riley...

Riley is such a sweet, dainty little girl. She weighs around 11lbs now (birthweight 6/14). She is long so 0-3 months doesn't really fit her anymore Her hair is dark with golden streaks in it that you can see in the sun. Really, it looks like spun gold. Her eyes are lighter now, she's starting to get the whitish ring around her pupils like her daddy has. I am wondering if she will have blue eyes, it's looking like it! She is also learning control. It's funny to see her sit and study her hands and the movement. She will also have her blankie on her and I can tell she's really thinking about reaching out to grab it. She just learned to hit her panda on he activity bar. She wakes up so happy in the morning, I look forward to getting her out of her crib because she always beams at me. It's breathtaking!

They are amazing little kids. I am one lucky mama...

Oh, I started a little gift shop! It's called Riley's Fairytale Boutique - come visit!

No Excuses Thursday!

2010-06-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

I love this idea... Because I tend to procrastinate just a little bit!

Michelle started this -click the button to join in! Here's my summer "no excuses" list:

Reorganize my crafting area. I have finally started this - I ordered new rolling bins and bought some pretty baskets for my fabric. Got out my sewing machine :) I have even made a few things!
Organize bills. Fight with insurance company.
Order credit reports.
Go through the kids' clothes and separate what the can't wear.
Make lunch plans with my friends
Clean out the car
Buy a new car
Take the dogs to the vet for their shots
get myself to the Dr for my annual
Make blankets/burpcloths/bibs/tutus/hankie skirts for etsy
Get my online boutique up and running

What's yours? leave me a link so that I can check it out! Let's get stuff done!!

oohhhh another Dub giveaway

2010-06-24T08:58:00.001-07:00

This blogger has the best giveaways!

BabyLegs!

Beco Giveaway

2010-06-24T08:38:00.001-07:00

Life in the Dub Lane is giving away a Beco Carrier! Click HERE! I love this!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

My twinkies :) They are getting too big!

Just sharing...

2010-06-17T00:33:00.000-07:00

I thought I would just share some pieces of me and my family :) I have been so busy with my other site I don't spend as much as I should!!

Anyway...

This is a charm that I got from Baublet. I LOVE it so much! It's beautiful :)

These are a couple of pictures from when I was little. The top photo is my sister Barbara (left) and my other sister Cathy. I think that was her 7th and my 3rd birthday. Barbara and I have birthdays two days apart so we always celebrated together. I remember that Holly Hobbie cake like it was yesterday! The second picture is of me and my dad. I love this picture! I love how relaxed and natural we both look! And I can see my daughter in these old pictures too :)

My beautiful daughter!! She's getting too big too fast! This picture freaks me out - she looks like she's a year old in it!

She's beginning to smile a lot now :) It's so much fun to see her react to Josh and me. She likes her nose touched and kisses and raspberries on her cheeks. If any of you remember The Cosby Show, you will know that those are called "Zrbbrts". :) Yes, that was me showing my age! BTW, doesn't she look stylin' in her vintage leopard coat? It's still cold here in Portland...

This morning he was happily sleeping in the cosleeper next to me :) It was his first night not sleeping in his bouncer. He did well! More on sleeping in a sec...

I LOVE this picture of him :) We were sitting on the floor and I had him on my legs. He was so content and happy just staring up at me :)

So sleep... Getting pretty good! For the past week we have been working hard on sleep training. Instead of feeding them when they wake at night I just soothe them a bit. And guess what? They got the message that they aren't gonna get a bottle when they wake up and now they sleep 11-5:30 or 6! So now we are working on getting them to bed a little earlier to get them to sleep longer stretches... Such good kids!

They are 10 weeks old today! A year ago I was ordering my medications for my IVF cycle, and now they are in my arms!

On another note, keep a lookout for some new things from me. I am going to start making tutus and tag blankets, basically I need to make some money and have a creative outlet. I've reserved a FB page and a blogger site (which is totally under construction right now) and I've ordered tutu supplies. so if any of you want a tutu email me or comment :)

So there you go :) Just a little piece of me for you all. One more thing - Please stop by my dear friend Gretchen's page and give her some warm congratulations - she just found out she is pregnant with twins! When she emailed me with the news I cried. Really, I actually had tears streaming down my facce. Ask Josh ;) So all you twin mamas out there keep an eye on her blog. She and her husband Paul are beautiful people!!

giveaway!

2010-06-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

New giveaway from Fashion in the Forest! Ends 06/25!

Mr. Cranky-Pants!

2010-06-11T18:04:00.000-07:00

I think he needs his coffee...

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T19:53:00.001-07:00

LATE Wordless Wednesday!!

2 months old already?!

2010-06-08T17:47:00.001-07:00

PB&J - because she's sweet and he's chunky ;) Onesies by klzart!

I can't believe my babies are 2 months old today. 2 MONTHS! Time is going by way, way too fast.

They had their 2 month checkup and shots yesterday. Here's their stats:

RILEY:
10lbs 3oz - 36.4%
22in - 42%

DYLAN:
11lbs - 39%
21.5in - 11%

Their height and weight are finally catching up with other babies their age! When they were first born they were barely to the 5% percentile in weight and not much more in height. Now Dylan has nearly doubled his birthweight (12 more lbs will do it). Both have grown a full 2 inches since they were born!

They got their 2 month vaccines yesterday too. Dylan took it like a little champ, he cried for about a minute, maybe less, and then calmed down quickly. Riley needed some snuggles and kisses but then fell asleep not long after her shots. unfortunately both got fevers last night, but not too bad. I stayed up with them just to make sure their fevers didn't go anywhere. Today they have been tired and a little cranky, Riley is still about a degree higher than normal, but neither has needed any tyle.nol, just sleep. Their Dr said they look absolutely perfect in every way :) Dylan does have a touch of reflux though. So far I haven't medicated it (although I do have it on hand), I just have him sleeping a bit elevated all of the time. He DOES get cranky though.

MILESTONES:
Both babies are smiling more and more. Dylan does this adorable cooing that sounds like a little monkey "ooh! ooh! ooh!" and Riley smiles with her mouth open a lot like she finds something really funny :) she also clicks her tongue on the roof of her mouth when she does it, a really cute little quirk :) They have also bee reaching out for things more and more. Especially our dog Molly. They can't get enough of her! Dylan tends to reach out more with his right hand and Riley with her left. I'm a lefty, so I wouldn't be too surprised if she was too. Riley can roll from her side to her back now which is really fun to watch. She flails her arms like she's going to take flight and then just rolls. Last night I had them both lying on the couch next to me and Riley rolled to her side and snuggled up to her brother - even put her arm around him! They both are beginning to reach for my face when I feed them now too!

They are also both really beginning to take in their surroundings. After the dr we took a long walk to Josh's office and they were both ooh-ing and ahh-ing at the trees and the sky. I try to take them for walks as much as I can weather permitting. Lately it's been cold and rainy, but when we wake up to sunshine we are out the door pretty quickly!

That's all I have for now! Hope you like the pics!

All about ME ;)

2010-05-31T19:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to blogger Tao of Two for this! She's another twin mommy whose blog you all should check out...

1. I was born in Fullerton, California.

2. I come from a family of 6 kids. Yes, all by the same parents. Yes, my parents are still happily married.

3. I was a photographer for more than 7 years. Before that I was a makeup artist. After that I was a doll artist.

4. I can't stand a messy kitchen. I spend hours scrubbing it top to bottom.

5. I can spend hours in Powells Books. Well, I used to spend hours there.

6. I love the art of Mark Ryden.

7. I was shocked at how much I did not enjoy pregnancy fully. I felt really guilty about that. I thought I would love it.

8. I watch a lot of reality shows about fashion and food. And hair.

9. I once got kicked hard in the face at a concert and got my nose broken. It's now slightly crooked but you can barely tell.

10. In high school I was heavily into drama. I even directed!

11. I live for garage sales but haven't been to one in nearly a year. boo....

12. My husband and I have been together since I was 19 years old. So 17 years.

13. I love LOVE Mexican religious art. Our Lady of Guadalupe is one of my favorite pieces of art ever.

14. My first job was for a party company. My first assignment with them was a holiday part on the Paramount Studios lot. my second assignment was a birthday party for Nicole Ritchie. She was 6 at the time. I helped her decorate a hat and one of her gifts was a kiddie-sized BMW. No joke.

15. Guilty pleasure? Peanut M&M's. They are even better warmed up...

16. I run another blog that does giveaways and freebies. It started during my pregnancy as a way to pass the time.

17. I'm a night owl. Totally.

18. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be somewhere by the beach. I LOVE the beach...

19. If there are cookies in the house, they are ALL MINE ;)

20. I can knit and crochet (novicely!).

21. I'm left handed. The only other family member who is as well is my dad. I secretly hope one or both of my children are also lefties.

22. I thought I would dress my daughter kinda punk, but I find myself getting her a ton of super girly things.

23. Josh and I were married in Lake Tahoe at Cal-Neva Resort. It was perfect. And I didn't stress like a lot of brides do.

24. I have gotten two people fired from their jobs - the first was the guy who did my nails at the resort ( he was terrible!), the second was a guy who cut me off and nearly ran me off the freeway in his company truck.

25. I love the rain. LOVE it.

Help me win a contest?

2010-05-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am determined to win this Facebook contest...

There's this really cute line of tutus and accessories called Silly Ili's Tutus & More. The stuff is truly ADORABLE - I can see Riley in one of their tutus. Plus everything is handmade by a wonderful mom, Kristen.

She's having a Facebook contest - whoever can refer the most people wins a GC for Silly Ili's. I am so determined to win this!

Will you please go to their Facebook site, "like" them, and post that Carol Jones referred you? You will like them anyway - So much cute stuff!

For my FB friends who have already done it, thanks!

Kinda diggin this tutu, super girly!

Sleep update :)

2010-05-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

UPDATE!
They must have been trying to get the no-sleep thing out of their systems because...

Dylan slept 6 hours last night! And Riley slept about 5 hours!

Dylan went to sleepy around 10pm. I expected him to wake up at midnight or 1am. He stirred a bit but fell back asleep quickly. At 4am he woke up, got changed and fed, and was back down by 4:30. Then up at 7 and back to sleep at 8:30!

Riley slept from 9pm-11pm and was back asleep quickly after a feed and change. She woke up at 4:15 and was asleep again by 5. She ended up sleeping until 9. Currently she is trying to crawl on me. As much crawling as a 7 week old can do anyway. So she's more flailing on me. But she's happy!!

Growing like weeds...

2010-05-25T14:40:00.000-07:00

So last night was an odd night. Both Dylan and Riley woke up after just over an hour of sleep and were up for nearly 2 hours... to put it in perspective:

8pm - feed babies get them ready for bed.
9pm - put them in bed (still awake)
9:15pm - they are asleep, silly me thinks it will be a typical night.
10pm - both wake up. Each get changed and fed again.
10:45pm - both go back to sleep
12midnight - both wake up. changed/fed
2am - both are STILL awake. I watch DVR tapings of Dancing With the Stars and The Dish. both get changed and fed again. This time I enlist the bottle-propped-up-with-blanket method.
2:30am - finally asleep again after more eating and pooping.
3:45am - both wake up AGAIN. Riley needs to be held. Dylan is happy in his bouncy but I need to bounce it with my foot. He gets pissed if it's not bouncing like he's on a rollercoaster... I watch Iron Chef America while patting Riley on the back for an hour. Again the bottle prop method is used...
5:30am - ahh, they are asleep again...
7am - awake. Really?! They eat and get changed for the 6th time in 10 hours.
8:45am - Josh leaves for work. I look like I have been hit by a truck. Babies are both wanting cuddles, but don't want the other one to have cuddles too.
9:30am - finally asleep again. until 11am.

I tried to pull all of the tricks out from my sleeve. I used their lullaby CD. I utilized the bottle-prop. I tried my hardest to snuggle them both without pissing either one off with the other. I swaddled them. I bounced them.

I think they are going through a growth spurt. I think that's why they needed 4-6oz of formula each every 2 hours. Seriously, they each ate 20-24 oz each within a ten hour time span. I had prepared 16oz before we went to bed because they almost never go over that. Actually, come to think of it, they never have. They will each take 4oz at 9pm, then 4oz at midnight, then if they both wake in the night they each get another 4oz (although Riley tends to sleep longer so it's usually Dylan), and then at 6 or 7am they get breakfast and then sleep til noon. Their play time is usually around 3 or so, then again at 7... So last night was definitely out of the norm for them.

Plus they are growing out of clothes on a daily basis. Most of their NB clothes were either worn once or not at all with the exception of a few core onesies and sleepers. Nearly every day I go through their clothes and put things away that don't fit. Crazy! One of Dylan's cute outfits went from too big, to just right, to too small in a matter of 4 days. And I mean swimming in it to fat-guy-in-a-little-coat small...

So I am not annoyed by last night's baby escapades. It's just sad to see them grow so fast. that must be why Riley needs extra cuddles - I bet it doesn't feel too good have your little body stretch so quickly to grow...

We had my SIL and her family over for the weekend. It was SO NICE to see them, but the babies got over-stimulated on Saturday and took 3 hours to settle down. BUT I did find a super cute Kenneth Cole jacket for Dylan while out. Riley got a ruffly denim skirt, two tracksuits, and some leggings...

With that, here's some pictures of "Mr. Pickles" and "Dr. Angel-Face".

Happy with their new Paci-Plushies :)

I bought this onesie 2 years ago. And it's fitting with the sounds he makes waking up and eating!

I finally found a Double Snap-n-Go that I can easily get up and down my staircase, so we took it out for a test drive yesterday. Just me and the babies :)

My pretty girl! I made the little flower in her hair to match her outfit :)

My chunk of a man in his cool Lucky Brand tee. He looks like a miniature version of his daddy here. Only his daddy's cheeks aren't nearly as chubby. Ok, not at all chubby.

That look is gonna get her whatever she wants. Or in trouble. One of the two...

Having a little snuggle session with mommy...

6 weeks :)

2010-05-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

The loves of my life are 6 weeks old today! Where has the time gone??

I will celebrate by cleaning my house. They will celebrate by hopefully staying happy, sleeping on their schedule, and not being gassy. Or needy. Yesterday they were quite needy...

They are usually pretty self-sufficient. When they wake up I change them, feed them, play a little, cuddle a little, then I can put them both down in their crib, bouncer, or swing and they will entertain themselves until they fall asleep. But yesterday they both wanted to be held all day. Which was ok with me, I love holding my babies :) But nit was weird to see them like that - they were so insecure... This morning Dylan was all out of sorts for a while. He ate, got changed, got cuddled, ate again, snuggled again, and he was still unhappy. So we went out to the living room and sat in the rocker. Within 5 minutes he was sound asleep... so he wanted some movement, I will have to remember that. I also had put on their Heartbeat Lullabies CD which always gets them calm, but I had to do it in the living room since Josh was still sleeping...

Sleep is still the same with both of them. Riley can sleep through the night, but Dylan still wakes up usually once or twice a night. And he rarely wakes up happy, it's always 0-60 with him. Sometimes he does hang out until I notice him awake, but that's usually in his pack-n-play in the living room and he gets to stare at the ceiling fan. We have 16ft ceilings in our living room, he's always looking at that fan way up there, which amazes me :) Riley will usually wake up pretty happy. She almost ALWAYS smiles a little at me when I get her. She's such a pretty little girl!

And I think she's going blonde! Her roots are coming in all light. I have dark red hair, Josh is blonde, so I am wondering which way she will end up. I can't really tell if her roots have any red in them yet.... Dylan's hair is light auburn red :) Go team ginger!

My SIL and her family are coming for the weekend :) I will be so happy to have some adult conversation! And we plan on getting out of the house for a couple of hours, leaving Josh with the kids. I keep telling myself I won't be one of those moms who calls constantly to check on them, but who am I kidding?

I will take pictures this weekend - Promise!! Sorry I've been slacking - I do take a lot of pics, they are on my phone....

Giveaway from "you just gotta keep knittin'"

2010-05-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Michelle is hosting a great giveaway! Click HERE to check it out! There are two great prizes!

Also, my sister site Mommy Wants Freebies will be doing a great giveaway that many of you will love :) Head on over there to check it out. Plus if you are a Facebook member you can sign up for alerts. I put the site together while on bedrest during my pregnancy and it kinda took on a life of it's own.. Basically it's a free, no-strings offers from companies that I find through searching the web and email alerts. It's totally fun to go to the mailbox now because I get free stuff all of the time. Some things I got last week:

OK! magazine (got a free 1 year sub), Martha Stewart Living (free 1 year), tea, diapers, formula, shampoo, conditioner, Dove chocolate, etc...

Anyway, I don't post anything that asks for credit card or bank info. It's all totally free stuff.. And I don't get anything out of it (except for free stuff in the mail) so I'm not selling anything.. You can click HERE and check it out ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T15:22:00.001-07:00

Pity? Party of one?

2010-05-10T22:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's me.. not having the greatest day today... Hormones? maybe.... Probably....

Let's start with self-image, shall we?

Two weeks post-partum I was able to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. I had lost all of the baby weight and then some. Yay me. HOWEVER.

I have had no change since then. Ok, I have had no POSITIVE change since then...

My stomach....
I have this chunk of flab sitting on my lower belly. It just hangs there. I was taking a bath tonight (a long bubble bath that I deserved dammit - we will get to that), looked down at my belly, kinda pinched my skin and it's like jello. no, like pudding. Like runny pudding with skin. It jiggles and it's ugly and it has stretchmarks and I even still have my linea nigra. Isn't that supposed to go away? So without spanx I have a pocket of skin that just sits in my jeans. My skinny jeans don't look the same. When putting on spanx (or jeans or pants or whatever) I feel like I have to tuck the skin in. Maybe I will get brave a post a PP belly shot. Maybe not...

My b00bs....
They are ginormous. I mean HUGE... It's not like I was small before I got pregnant. I was a 36 DD. Now I am more like a 36 FF, but I don't dare go out and buy new bras because, well, I am in denial. They are engorged but I can't pump enough to keep up with my little ones. Dylan eats a minimum of 24 oz a day, Riley roughly the same. so 48oz a day minimum per day to sustain my children's lives without formula. How much am I pumping? 5-10oz a day. And thanks in advance for the suggestions, but i've tried. I've tried herbs, teas, pumping more frequently, using a super industrial pump, even Reglan. So I give them what I can and have to be ok with it. Considering the size of my chesticle you would think I can supply milk for the entire town. Nope. Apparently it's a cruel joke to the milk fairy. At least my large ladies make my waist appear smaller in comparison...

Mother's Day? I don't want to talk about it. We will leave it at that. And I will add he is NOT off the hook....

Last night I got the babies to sleep and wanted a soak in the tub. Josh said he wanted to take a quick shower. I knew that I missed my opportunity to get some time to myself - it was 11pm and the babies would be awake by midnight and Josh would be in bed asleep by then. Waaahh to me... By the way, that not why my Mothers Day sucked.

On a positive note, my babies are keeping me going. They are THIS CLOSE to giving me genuine smiles. When Riley briefly smiles in her sleep I get a glimpse of her little dimple on her left cheek. Dylan might have one on his right cheek, I can't tell yet. They are also sleeping decently. I changed Dylan's formula to Alim.entum from Simil@c and it seems to help. He still has bouts of colic but not nearly as bad as he was. Apparently it's supposed to peak soon and then calm back down. Which would be nice because this formula is twice the cost of regular stuff. Riley sleeps like a champ - a few hours at a time. The longest was 8 hours last week!

Then back to sad - they are growing so fast. Clothes they fit into 3 days ago no longer fit them. Sadness... I have one outfit that I really want to put on Riley - a cute little sundress. but by the time I am able to let her wear it (I live in Portland - rain..) I know it won't fit. Boo.

But then back to happy times when I look into their eyes and I know that they know I am their mommy. There's nothing like that in the world...

Before I was a mom...

2010-05-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

*this made me cry hard today. It's all so true*

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom.

So that's it then?

2010-05-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

So something that has been on my mind since Dylan and Riley came into this world.

Do I want one more?

You all are probably thinking I am crazy in wondering, especially since these two just got here almost 4 weeks ago. I am enjoying my life in a family of four so much, but this last month has gone by in a blink. And I got to thinking - they are no longer "newborns", they are now "infants". I will never hold my newborn baby again. I will never look into the eyes of my baby for the first time ever again. I would love to get another shot at nursing and be successful at it. (pumping is going well but I am still supplementing)..

I will never experience pregnancy again...

Now, as you may know, I had a difficult and painful pregnancy. I had constant backaches, horrible sciatic pain, and other unpleasantness's including morning sickness, incompetent cervix, gestational diabetes, hemorrhoids, skin tags, stretchmarks, bleeding gums, etc etc etc...

However...

All of the nastiness that went along with it was shadowed by one thing.

Kicks. Movement. The fact of knowing that I was growing two lives. It was an incredible feeling.

So do I want to feel this again? You betcha I do. Do I want to go through what I went through all of those years?

No. No way. I don't want to chart and take pills and inject and be disappointed month after month. I want it to happen like "normal" people. Have some lovin' and get pregnant the regular way. Although Josh and I have an incredible relationship and yes, these babies WERE conceived out of love, they weren't conceived out of intimacy.

Now I know that it will probably never happen that way. So I am not going to "try". I won't get my hopes up and think it will happen. Because it most likely won't just "happen". But wouldn't it be nice if it did?

I don't know if other IFers have felt the same way. I think for me it would mean that I was "normal". That would be a great feeling...

But I am so happy and grateful with what I have right now and I would never think it's not enough. Dylan, Riley, and Josh are my life, I am incredibly blessed to have what I have. I have more than a lot of people. My life is currently as perfect as it' ever been, and will only get better...

New pump. New pics ;)

2010-05-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

One-handed-two-baby-feeding-while-taking-a-picture...

So I got a new pump today - I am forever indebted to you, Michelle! I tried it out and was happy with the 1.5oz I got. This was after saying screw it for a few days and pumping intermittently or not at all. I focused all of my time on my kids. One of which had some nasty colic, but I think we got it under control. That is, until I start feeding him expressed milk. The risk is he could get colicky again because of something I am consuming. But I think I can control that... Dylan is also on an acid reflux med as well as mylicon. I am also on Reglan for milk supply... today is the first day of that, so I hope to see a good result from it...

So that's all I got for you today. Well, that and some photos! Enjoy ;)

Riley knows what's up...

Dylan is NOT amused...

Riley's kissy face...

And Dylan smiling in his sleep while getting snuggled/mauled by Lucy...

Update

2010-04-27T17:21:00.001-07:00

So I am gonna try once more. My new dear friend Michelle is sending me her pump (thank you!!!) which is much stronger than mine. So I am hoping I am able to stimulate my milk production and get these kids some breast milk darn it! I'll keep you updated!

Another update - Riley and Dylan went to the ped today. Both are doing great! Dylan got a prescription for acid reflux to see if that helps (we had another rough night last night). They have both increased their weights - Riley is at 6lb15oz, 4 oz above her birth weight. Dylan gained a lot - he's at 6lb11oz birth weight 5lb14oz. He wins the weight gain race! They both got a shot and blood draws. Riley cried through the whole thing :( Dylan cried a little but then snuggled up to his daddy and silently wished it to be over. They were good babies overall! But mom here wasn't happy with the tears - it pains me to see my babies upset. So now we are having some afternoon cuddles and forgetting about being poked with needles....

I guess no breastfeeding??

2010-04-27T01:48:00.001-07:00

So... My body has stopped producing milk. I got that 5oz on Saturday. Since then. Nothing. Well, not nothing. Maybe a tablespoon during an hour long pumping session. My breasts don't feel full, I have to squeeze like hell to get a teeny bit expressed to try to entice my babies to nurse, or to get it started for pumping. I just finished pumping and got literally a few drops. How the hell do women produce enough to stockpile??

So it's starting to make sense - Riley and Dylan don't like nursing because they aren't getting anything out of it.

I have tried drinking a ton of water. I have tried red raspberry leaf tea. I am willing to try mothers milk tea and the herb Shell mentioned in the previous post's comments. I am even going out to rent a stronger double pump. But honestly, I feel dry now. And I am feeling like this is my body's way of telling me it ain't happening.

Fuck.

I talked to my mom about it. She said she also always had milk issues. She was never able to pump more than an ounce. One of my sisters had milk issues as well. Maybe we just aren't the pumping type??

So I know it's not my fault. I've done everything I can to nourish my children's little bodies with the best milk possible - my own - and there have been constant obstacles. I have worked hard at trying to nurse, I still do. I have tried every little thing that every friend, family member, and lactation expert told me to try.

I told myself I would not beat myself up over this should it not work out. But I can't help feeling like I have failed.

So the best I can do now is continue my feeble attempt of milking a rock and continue to make sure my babies are fed. They are 3 weeks old as of this Thursday. How much longer can I do this until it's enough?
:(

Sleep is nice....

2010-04-25T20:25:00.001-07:00

And we all got sleep last night.... Yay!

Mylicon worked like a charm. As did soy formula. I wish I was giving them breastmilk exclusively but it's still not going well. I have pretty much decided to pump from now on. Of course we will have our snuggle skin time but none of us can take the pressure of actually nursing. If I can start pumping 30oz a day It will be enough for them for now, then hopefully my milk will continue to increase with time.

Good thing is this morning I pumped 5oz. Bad thing is my next session was barely an ounce. I am gonna order some mothers milk tea and see if I can swing getting a new, stronger double pump to save time and get more bang. But I know they are pricey so I may have to rent something.

I figure at least they will be getting my milk, right?

I will continue to try nursing this week but if it doesn't work it's ok.

Oh, and Jenna mentioned a possible dairy allergy in a previous comment. I have been thinking about that, especially since I had a terrible intolerance to dairy and beef during part of my pregnancy. I think dairy may be the big culprit especially because of the soy switch and the effect it had.

Side note - Riley has had a blocked tear duct for a couple days now. I have been putting a warm compress on her eye and massaging the duct area but I also put breast milk on it tonight to see if that helps...stay tuned! :)

Colic can suck it

2010-04-24T13:49:00.001-07:00

My poor son is still suffering from bad gas. Gripe water is doing nothing for him so it looks like I am going to have to resort to mylicon. I changed his formula to an extra sensitive type. I'm not pumping nearly enough milk of my own for two babies and with him getting so upset with gas it's near impossible to keep working on nursing. Thank God Riley isn't having gas issues. But it's been hard to keep her focused on nursing since I am trying to console Dylan so much. Plus his colic is stressing me out. Not the optimal setting for teaching to nurse. So I'm pumping away to keep my supply up. But it's getting frustrating, I'm not going to lie...

Last night was bad. BAD. Dylan was turning red, crying, clenching and passing gas all night. It's almost like he's acting as if he's constipated, even though I know he isn't since his diapers look normal. His hands go into little tight fists and he starts flailing and scratching and contorting his little face and body. It helps to bounce him so he was in my arms until around 5 or 6am when he finally got to sleep. Riley woke up for her feeding and so I was trying to console Dylan while feeding Riley. I started crying and went into the bedroom to get Josh to help. So he took Riley and fed her while I sat with Dylan on the couch trying to calm him. I would have been able to handle it if Riley stayed sleeping but it just pushed me to my emotional edge. I got 45 minutes of sleep, then woke up for an hour, then back to sleep for an hour.

The worst thing is I feel like I can't console Dylan when he has a gas attack. He looks like he's in pain and it hurts me so much to see that.

I had called his pediatrician when it first started and we have an appointment on Tuesday. So I am cutting dairy from my life and going out today to get the mylicon and soy formula to see if it helps.

Right now he is blissfully asleep in my arms while Riley is happily slumbering next to me on the couch. I think they have the right idea and I'm taking it as my cue to take a nap....

This Moment

2010-04-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

*Thanks Cat and Michelle...

A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Announcement pics

2010-04-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

I needed to show off my darlings.... So here's a few pics I took of them today for their announcements... Now I just need to order them...

Happy two week birthday Dylan and Riley!!

*Riley slept through the whole shoot. Dylan decided to be adorable and reach out for her hand :)

Two steps forward, two steps back...

2010-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

*Snuggles*

Today was the first day of just me and the babes. Overall the day was great. The babies slept and ate and did their baby things (ok, just ate and slept). I cleaned the kitchen, took a shower, and did a load of laundry. Yay me...

Last night my little man had a rough night. He was pretty gassy and was inconsolable for an hour or so. Today he seems much better. But I am sending Josh to the drug store to get gas drops or gripe water.

Nursing.... they say there are good days and bad days. Today was a bad day. I think it was because I ended up getting frustrated because of Dylan's latch, or lack thereof. Riley did ok, she nursed twice today which was tiny progress. Toward the end of the day I just felt bad and ended up giving Dylan a bottle of 1/2 formula, 1/2 expressed milk. Also my nipples are so tender and sore that when I get one of them to latch it hurts. Yes, they are latching correctly, my nips just aren't at that tough stage yet. Once one of them is on for a minute or two it's ok, but that first suck feels like a clamp and makes me want to shout out a safe-word. (no, I have never been in a position to use a safe-word...).

I did pump and got 2oz this morning. So my milk supply is increasing (yay!) I would love to get to a point where I can pump 4-6oz at a time within the 1/2 hour I do it. Then I can give them bottles of my own milk exclusively at night or while out or during those tough nursing times...

So with the frustrations of nursing today, we all said "fuckit" and took a long nap on the couch. That's my favorite thing to do - lie on my back, both babies snuggled on my chest and we all are in a blissful slumber. It's heaven.

We are going to try the nursing vacation again tomorrow. My kitchen was filthy this morning and I had to do something about it...

Nursing Update...

2010-04-20T17:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, I got some great responses to my dilemma! I also got in touch with a La Leche League leader via email since this update. I wanted to give you all an update on the nursing endeavors...

So last night I decided to go back to the shield/syringe technique. Both babies nursed fair. BUT they nursed. Every once in a while there would be a release and a cry, but both ended up back on. BUT both ended up getting pretty frustrated toward the end so I gave them each about 1 1/2oz formula anyway.

For the middle-of-the-night feeding(s) I prepared them each 2 2oz bottles and added 1/2 oz of my milk to each bottle. They DO like my milk, just not my nipples lol! They did well through the night and both enjoyed the bottles. I didn't want to even try nursing in the middle of the night when I was tired, they were frustrated, and all we each wanted to do was our business and go back to sleep. They each ate a full bottle..

In the morning I fed them each their remaining bottles and headed out to see my Dr as well as pay a social visit to my RE and show them the results of my treatment with them. I also gave my Dr and my RE each a bouquet of flowers as a thank you. I wanted to take a picture with both but I forgot :(

During my outing the babies both got hungry so I had to tide them over with a prepared bottle each...

We got home and Riley woke up, so I figured it would be a good time to try nursing her again. As I was changing her diaper and getting her into some snuggly jammies, I kept telling her we were going to have a great, positive nursing experience and we will both be very happy and productive. This was more for me than her, but it felt good to say it aloud - it felt more believable to me and got me pumped up to nurse again (pun!).

So we got to work. I got my props - a syringe of formula, a soft towel, the pillows and boppy ready to go, and a nipple shield.

She latched.

At first she was a little upset but I continued to soothe her and calmly talk to her while I guided her. I periodically gave her formula, really after she started sucking to reward her. I gave her about 1/4 of the syringe total through the course of the feeding, but after a while she ate on her own. She let me know when she was done and promptly feel asleep in my arms.

She has NEVER gone through a nursing session without it ending in a bottle. I am pretty happy with our progress :)

I tried the same technique with Dylan got a similar result, but he didn't nurse nearly as long.

Why yes. my gigantic boob is in a leopard print nursing bra....

THIS MAY WORK!!!

I know that not every session will be like this at first but I am excited we were able to get here. I have been nursing/feeding on demand which I will continue to do, especially since my babies were small at birth. It was also suggested to me to have a "nursing vacation" and camp out all day in bed with snuggles and lots of contact. I am so excited about this, tomorrow is the perfect day to begin our "vaca" since Josh goes back to work and we will be completely alone most of the day. Which is sad to me. I love having him here with me. He ended up getting 2 weeks off instead of the 3 that we wanted. Boo... Why can't we just be independently wealthy??

Side note - went to the Dr today and I lost 35lbs since giving birth! Which is great, but I am still at 172. BUT that was my weight when I got pregnant. So YAY for that, but I would love to lose another 20-30 lbs. I don't want to be stick-thin, I don't look good skinny, but I do want to go down to a size 6-8. And breastfeeding will help that :) So c'mon babies - let's eat!

I've been signing a song to them right before we nurse. I started saying "are you ready for this?" and it turned into the techno-dance version...

Let's Talk About Breastfeeding...

2010-04-19T19:45:00.000-07:00

...And the struggles that go along with it...

I am trying in vain to breastfeed two infants. I will admit, I am having problems with it.

It all started out fine and well with little Dylan. He latched quickly and was sucking like a champ. Riley had issues from the get-go. She got frustrated that I wasn't producing much for her other than colostrum in the beginning, and once my milk started to come in she just wasn't having it. Dylan started to get upset too. So I started using nipple shields along with a syringe of formula. They both would give 2 or 3 good sucks and then release their latch looking for the syringe.

I should tell you that I began supplementing both with formula right away because I wanted to make sure they were getting enough. Plus - ever BF one child? Try two...

Anyway, I wanted to wean them off formula but it seems like that's all they want. They also like the texture of the bottle nipple as opposed to mine. So as the days have gone by they fight me more and more. I stopped using both the syringe and the shields on Friday, I think I will have to go back to using both again. They simply WILL NOT LATCH now. I've resorted to pumping, but even with that I am only getting one good ounce per session.

It's seriously bothering me. I feel like I need to go back to the start and try my hardest to get them off formula, or at least not so dependent on it.

Any tips I can get from a BTDT mom??

Finally Birth Story and photos!

2010-04-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Riley Anne and Dylan DavidSo I am at a point right now where I can actually update you all on the babies and me and our new little family.

It's so strange, since I had my children, I have felt this complete sense of calmness. I realize now that the last few months I have been stressed out, I didn't know how much until the stress just left.

Of course I still have little stresses here and there, but I look into the face of one or both of my babies and I just feel... calm. It's a soothing feeling I have never felt before. It's amazing.

Ok, enough mushy stuff. On to the birth story!

I made it to my c-section day! 38weeks and 2 days! I surprised myself by going that far. I never got into real labor. I think I made it because I kept a low profile over the last 8 weeks of my The days leading up to last Thursday were filled with anxiety, but the last days leading up to April 8 went by in a blur. I don't really remember what was going on other than my last NST on Tuesday and picking my mom up on Wednesday.

BTW, this was me 2 days before delivery...

Anyway....

My surgery was scheduled bright and early at 7:30 Thursday morning. I was told to be there by 6am for prep - found out later I should have been there at 5:30! Oh well... I go straight up to L&D with my mom and Josh. They get me settled in my suite and I change into my loverly surgical gown. I get my IV put in and got wheeled via wheelchair into the OR, which was just a few doors down. That's when I started to get a little nervous! I kept asking them when Josh would be able to come in, they said they had to do my spinal and prep me before they brought him in. BTW he looked so adorable in his scrubs...

So I get on the table, get my spinal, which hurt, but not too bad. I sat there concentrating on my breathing, but I think it was more of a "I can't believe this day is here" rather than "someone is putting a needle in my back" way to calm myself. My Dr stood in front of me, hands on my shoulders and kept me nice and calm.

I was his only procedure during his paternity leave - his wife had a little girl the Friday before :) I am eternally thankful for that because he is a wonderful Dr and really made the experience memorable.

They finally allowed Josh in and sat him down next to me. He was nervous, but excited. Within minutes (8:14am) I heard my Dr say "Here's the little guy!" and said he was breech. Then one minute later "She's breech too!" and I heard both of my babies cry for the first time. Then I cried. They quickly showed us each baby and went to clean them up and weigh them, but not before I got too touch and kiss each one (very quickly!) Josh went over to each warmer to see them and came back to tell me they were perfect. Then they brought each one back to us, one at a time. It was so surreal to see them and know they were ours.

They both had the same Apgar ratings - at birth each scored a 9, then at 5 minutes they were at 10! So, yeah, more or less perfect...

My Dr finished up with paperwork and checking out the babies and checking on me before he went back to his own new family around 9:30am. I was able to hold them for the first time in recovery and didn't want to let them go. Mom and Josh were both in the recovery room with me.

I was brought back to my room around the time my Dr left. I stayed numb for another 3 hours or so.

Oh, I also got sick every 1/2 hour or so because of the morphine. I was throwing up a lot that day, so it wasn't all glamorous! And after the numbness wore off, I could feel the catheter and my stitches. Not fun.

During my stay at the hospital I tried to nurse alot but I am not kidding myself in thinking I could soley breastfeed, so I have been supplementing with formula. Both Dylan and Riley lost a pound of their body weight by Sunday night, so I had the nurse weigh them again Monday before I left and they hadn't lost any more since the day before. It is so hard to keep them on a schedule. I need to buy a watch.

I think the breastfeeding twins thing will have to go under a separate post because it's a lot to take in and talk about....

I was up and out of bed in Friday - they couldn't take me out of bed until I was unhooked from everything. As of now I am walking around really well. I'm shocked that recovery is going as well as it has, I figured I would be bed-ridden for at least a week. I showered on Saturday and took lots of walks around the hospital with Josh or mom..

Josh's family were there through Monday morning and of course happy for us and the kids. My mom has been an amazing help and I don't want her to leave, but she does on Friday...

Josh has been an amazing daddy. He is pretty much a natural at it - he even did the one-handed hand-off with Dylan! I was impressed...

So there you have it. My personal little story of how these babies came into the world.

They're here!

2010-04-08T11:31:00.001-07:00

Dylan David and Riley Anne, born April 8th 2010! Dylan is 5lb 14oz, Riley is 6lbs 11oz. We are all doing just fine!

Tick-tock tick-tock

2010-04-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

One week to go....

ONE WEEK!!!!

8+ years has come down to 7 little days.... or less.

Although I have been incredibly anxious to have my babies, hold them, kiss them, I can't help but feel like I need to treasure these last few days before our lives change forever. I mean, our lives have already changed, but I would be kidding myself if I were to say I know what the next chapter our lives has in store for us.

I can't fathom it. It's totally unattainable for me (and Josh) to quite understand what this all means for us. I do know that Josh and I have been through thick and thin and one thing has always been a constant.

We go through it all hand-in-hand. He is my rock. I am his rock. We have been together for 17 years this year, married for 11 coming up on April 10th. While it is so strange to think of it no longer being "just us", it's exciting to come to the point where we are only adding to our relationship.

I'm scared. Excited. Overwhelmed. Anxious. But to know he is there and supporting everything I am currently feeling or will feel makes me feel so much better.

Too too cute

2010-03-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me this link...

I love knitting. Well, recently. I learned the basics a few years ago, then stopped for a while, then once I got into my 3rd trimester I picked it back up again. THIS BLOG is an inspiration :)

She's also doing a giveaway. I know, nothing having to do with knitting, but still awesome! These little leather shoes are too cute! Click here for more info about it! And Happy 2nd Birthday to her little daughter!

Almost babies today!

2010-03-30T15:29:00.000-07:00

...but as Josh said "day isn't over yet!"...

I went to do my NST this morning. The babies were doing just fine, although my little girl was again being completely uncooperative and moving away from the monitor. When they finally found her HB my boy decided to shift. FINALLY they got them both and instead of using the belts to secure the nurses held the do-hickeys in place for 10-15 min. I had a couple of contractions during the scan and both kids passed.

My blood pressure was up though. When I got to the hospital I began feeling shaky and just not right. The nurse brought me juice and toast to help me calm down a bit. It helped a little but not much. They ended up taking my BP a bunch of times.

BP #1 - 140/90.. hmm, seems high...
BP #2 - 144/92.. creeping up
BP #3 - 144/102.. uh oh.

I started to get nervous, which didn't help. The nurse said she would call my Dr to find out if he wanted to deliver me today. TODAY?! I'm not ready! Josh and I began talking about it and resigned to the idea of being parents today and I began to feel better. And I started getting excited. But scared. The first thing out of my mouth was "I want my mom" and called her at work.

My Dr ordered bloodwork. When they first checked my BP they took away my juice, toast, and water and said nothing to eat or drink at all until we get some answers. Not even water...boo.. So between that and getting 4 vials of blood drawn I was feeling pretty woozy and dehydrated.

They also decided to use another BP cuff on me. So after that:

BP #4 - 139/89... getting better
BP #5 - 119/77... :)
BP #6 - 117/74 Whew....

My labs came back normal and since my blood pressure went back down I was free to go... On one hand I was relieved that everything was ok, on the other hand I had already decided today was they day, so I was disappointed. I mean I am the very last of the twin mommies that I know to have my babies.... BUT the longer these kids stay in there the better off they are. Besides I only have 9 days max until they are in my arms.

My Dr decided that he knew enough of what was going on and said I didn't have to go back to his office for my regular appointment (which I had missed anyway). He was going to do an internal but since I am having a cesarean and my contractions aren't really painful, plus they are so erratic that it's not a problem right now. And since I am officially full term at 37 weeks I am no longer at risk for pre-term (yay!)

AND I reported that bitch of a Dr to the charge nurse. She seemed pretty mad that I was treated that way and would take care of it for me. She also said that if I EVER needed anything at all, even if I wasn't having labor signs and I just wanted to be monitored to call and they would take care of me. Now THAT'S the way to be treated. I love that staff...

So, I have one more NST next Tuesday and then D-Day on Thursday! Or sooner... I told Josh I wonder if the nurses are taking bets on when these kids get here...

Grrr to on-call doctors.. and Getting to Know You

2010-03-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

First I wanted to express my annoyance at on-call drs. Well, not all, just one. Here's what happened...

As you know from my previous post I have been having contractions on and off and I have lost some mucous over the last couple of days. No blood tinged, but I know that doesn't necessarily matter. Anyway, last night I got a headache and I know that my Dr and the nurses at the hospital have asked if I have had headaches, so I have been looking out for them. I was also having contractions, again intermittent, but definitely there. I was also feeling kinda crappy. So I wanted to reassurance and called the after hours service for my Dr office, who said that the on-call would call me back.

So she did, I told her a very brief history of this pregnancy and described what I had been feeling. She acted like I was annoying her and spoke in a very condescending tone to me to only call if my contractions were 5 min apart. I said that my Dr said to call if I get 4 in an hour. She went on to tell me it doesn't matter if I am carrying one or two babies the rule is the same. I said ok, I will time them. And THEN she says "a real contraction would be very painful. DON'T call unless they are painful. Have a good night." AND THEN SHE HUNG UP!!! I started to cry and was so angry with her. I had calmed down a bit but when Josh got back from the gym I started crying uncontrollably. Luckily all of my issues stopped andthe babies were both moving with no problems, so I decided not to call L&D. I just wanted a little assurance, not "you idiot, don't you know whether or not you are in labor?" NO I DON'T. This is my first pregnancy (which I told her) so it's all new to me.

Bitch. Josh says I need to mention it to my regular Dr.

Ok enough of that. On to fun stuff. Feel free to steal...

I borrowed this from Emily who is having twin boys ;)

Time for "Getting to Know You Sunday"!

Why did you start blogging? I originally started blogging to show off shoes and pretty things but it quickly turned into a blog about infertility and my struggles with it. It's been a nice outlet...

Who's the one blog friend that you would want to meet most in "real life"? Sorry, can't pick just one! There are way too many. But you each know who you are ;) And I love you all like sisters!

Why are you always concerned with losing that "extra 10 pounds" when chances are your husband/boyfriend/friends tell you that you look just fine the way you are? This is a funny question because I have never felt that way about myself. Even though I am hugely pregnant right now, I am not concerned with weight after pregnancy. Especially since my baby weight has all been in my belly. I'm ok with that.

What's the one thing you wish guys could understand about you? My husband understands so much about me. The mood swings threw him off a bit though. We have very open communication though, so if something is bothering us we aren't afraid to say it.

Tattoos. How many do you have and how many are visible when you wear your "everyday" clothes? umm lemme count... 7 I think? And most show in regular clothes. I have a shamrock on my heel, a 1/2 winged heart on my foot, Tigger on my ankle, an angel on my hip, a huge rose on the ball of my shoulder, a sparrow on the front of my shoulder, and an Egyptian symbol on the back of my shoulder. No, I'm not done either ;)

What was the best year of your life and why? The year Josh and I got married was great, but this year may rival that...

Name three things you would do if you were a man for one day. Ummm I don't know. I don't wanna be a man!

What's your alcoholic drink of choice that usually raises a few eyebrows? I have always loved Margaritas. But I think ANY alcoholic drink I order at this point in my lifef would raise eyebrows...

Still here and still pregnant

2010-03-26T16:24:00.001-07:00

I hate it when I am a regular reader of a blogger who is expecting and I don't get a regular update on whether baby has come or not. So I thought I would let my readers know that I have not yet given birth.

I did have a lot of mucous yesterday morning, not enough to be the plug, but definitely enough to notice. I had it once and then a little bit in the evening. I had a teeny tiny bit today too. I still have (ir)regular contractions. Yesterday I only had 8 or so throughout the day, today I've had a couple so far. Not enough to make "the call".

Right now both kids are awake and moving around. I just had yogurt and they like that. Or not, I can't tell.

I've been dreaming about another veggie burger since I had that one the other day. Mmmmm. On a wheat bun. I'm so getting another one when I am back downtown next Tuesday.

So if you don't hear from me for a couple/few days, I probably am still pregnant. Or not. I'll just have to keep you guessing ;)

Oh and vote for me in the Top Mommy Blogs - I was shocked to see I was like #22 the other day. Really?! And head on over to Mommy Wants Freebies and vote. I am also doing a super special giveaway starting tomorrow on Freebies.

13 more days until c-section!

No babies yet!

2010-03-24T18:22:00.001-07:00

Nope. Despite all of the contractions I am home. But that's good, the longer they cook the better off they are :)

The funny thing was I had several contractions last night and this morning and afternoon. Once I was hooked up to the monitor I didn't have any. Not a single one! My uterus is trying to psyche me out I think.

BP went back down - yay! And no protein in my urine either :)

My daughter was totally uncooperative during my NST. She was squirming around like mad. Probably due to that veggie burger I had before my appt. And it was yummy.

My dr had a med student with him today. He was all young and little and adorable and super nervous. He was actually shaking when he was measuring my belly. Then he got all happy when he found the hb of both babies right away (even though I told him exactly where they were). He felt all accomplished. It was adorable.

So nothing exciting. Like I said, a good thing. A great thing really :) now I must take a nap :)

36/36

2010-03-23T19:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a nice quiet day full of snuggles with my doggies and relaxing. And cake, but not a lot. I have been on a strawberry kick so Josh got me a yummy angel food cake with strawberries all over it. Delish!

I am now 36 years old. I don't feel it at all.

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant. I have kept these babies safe and warm for 36 weeks now! I have 16 days left until my scheduled babies day. However I still don't think I will get that far. I am still have a lot of contractions, my son is so low in my pelvis it's become increasingly difficult to walk. My daughter has flipped around to head down position. Things have just seemed to speed up over the last week.

It's all so crazy. It's hard for me to remember what it was like to not be pregnant, yet so easy to recall the pain and heartache these last few years have given me. I am so ready to start this new chapter in our lives. Won't be long now!

I have a dr appt as well as a NST at 4:00. I'm anxious. Of course I am ALWAYS anxious before appointments. Early on it was anxiety over making sure the babies are ok. Now it's all about when "it's time".

My sister and my niece both have their birthdays tomorrow. Maybe they will have to share?

Contraction-traction, what's the action?

2010-03-20T21:12:00.001-07:00

The title is an ode to School House Rock. Which is still awesome.

Anyway, I have been having erratic contractions. It all started thursday. I began getting only two, maybe 3 an hour. Then they went away for a while. Then I woke up around every hour or so to one. My stomach was as hard as a rock and I got that weird breathing.

By morning I had one an hour. Then none by noon. Since then I have had a few more. I actually just had one. I don't know if it is just something with me but I am beginning to tell when one is coming on because my breathing becomes a little shallow. Not like I am gasping, but just a little short of breath, like some weight has been put on my chest. Then I put my hand on my belly and sure enough it gets super tight for a minute or so, then relaxes. I get little twinges of pain too, on one side or another or low in my belly. I'm not having any back labor, but my back hurts all the time anyway. Still no pattern though.

I am wondering if this is still BH or early onset of labor. No mucous or bleeding... TMI my bowels are moving a bit better. Sorry lol

Other than that, my days have been uneventful. The biggest thing that happened today was my washing machine broke today. Luckily it's owned by the owner so I just had to shoot a quick email and a repairman will be here to fix it. Bad thing is I have a few more things to wash before the babies get here but no biggie.

Oh, and when it broke I didn't cry!!!

I have been craving birthday cake all weekend. Since it's on Monday I won't have to wait long for my white cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting. Yummmmmm....

GD is still fine. Actually normal now. I even strayed from the GD diet and got normal levels. Hallelujah I'm cured!!

Is it emotional in here or is it just me?

2010-03-18T18:51:00.001-07:00

Ugh...

For some reason (haha) I have grown increasingly more emotional lately. Yeah I know it's pg horomones, but I need to say that I feel like I have kept it pretty well together over the last 35+ weeks. I would have a little outburst maybe once every month or less often.

Now? Weekly. Almost daily. And not just getting annoyed. I mean full-blown tears and sadness and that sense of "woes me".

Cue the violin.

In my defense, my back hasn't stopped hurting since Christmas. It's gotten so bad that I cry. It has more or less taken over anything I could possibly do during the day.

I woke up in a stressed out panic this morning and proceeded to make my husband feel bad.

What got me upset was Josh wanting to get a video game for our time in the hospital. It's only $25 but I got to the point that I just started crying. Telling him that he won't have much downtime in the hospital. Asking him why he feels like there's going to be so much time where he will just sit around and do nothing.

Then it hit me. My birthday is next week. And he's the one spending money on himself. In my mind he's being selfish. But I know that I am dwelling on one thing. I know that he works hard and deserves a stupid video game.

I felt bad. I bought the damn game. I cried.

Earlier today my dog got some sort of contact allergy on her paws and she was licking them. It just grosses me out. And I felt bad because I yelled at her to stop licking her paws.

So I cried.

And that made her feel bad which made me feel worse. So I cried even harder.

I cried the other day because I lost my tweezers. My eyebrows are important to me and I can't pluck them now.

When the dvr messed up my taping of American Idol last night I cried.

I couldn't sleep last night because I felt like our room was stuffy and I couldn't get out of bed to open the window.

You guessed it. I cried.

Looking at this post makes me feel like a flippin' idiot.

Who cries over tweezers??

Non-Stress Test and a new photo!

2010-03-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

OMG I didn't chop off my head in this one!!
And I know you are lovin' the swordfish on the wall....

Yes, I am publishing what is possibly my last pregnancy photo. 35 weeks... These kids have really taken over my bod, however they don't have a hold of my still smallish butt :) Actually, since I've been on bedrest I have been losing my once pert and perky bum, but I will get it back. Or have to buy THIS.. umm, no spank you. Pun intended.

I just got back from my first NST. Babies are doing faboo! I had 1 whole contraction. Last night I had several. I seem to have more in the evening than any other time...

Both babies had strong little heartbeats and did just the right amount of jumping around. They cooperated very well for mommy and my nurse Megan :) Good kids!

I decided that I am not going to stress about the next 21 days. I am going to relax and let these kids cook. When they are ready to come out, they will come out. Until then I will continue to chill ot and nest and enjoy these last days....

One more with some sass added...

Appt followup

2010-03-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so here I am. At home. Although I knew it would be slim chances that my dr would say "ok, it's time!" seeing as I am one day shy of 35 weeks, I am still a little bummed out that there is no progress.

The biggest things today - we talked about my labor symptoms - mostly non-existent with the exception of contractions here and there and a tiny amount of mucous yesterday. So he said that due to there being nothing going on we would forego the internal exam unless I wanted one. He said that even if I am dialated a centimeter or 2 it's not going to matter until I get more definite signs of labor.

I DO have a cesearan date though :) April 8th, which means the longest I will be pregnant now is 24 days. Which feels like an eternity. BUT it's scheduled! YAY!

I am measuring 46 weeks... and I gained 4 lbs. Which is fine because I hadn't gained a thing since January. So I am officially up to approx 34 lbs total. BUT I was a "roomy" girl when I started this, so the babies are just eating my fat.

My blood pressure went up 138/90 - still normal, but "high normal". and I had a little bit of protein in my urine. But he said he isn't really concerned because it's not enough to say I have preeclampsia or kidney issues.

Josh brought up having my tubes tied during the surgery. Ummm, exsqueeze me? We haven't even talked about that. I don't think I am ready for that just yet.... We have talked about no more kids, but I am still weird on having that final confirmation, seeing all of the issues we had trying to get pregnant. It just feels weird....

I start NST this Wednesday and will go every week until I deliver. So three times?

Tonight Josh and I decided to run a couple of errands - exchange a couple of things at Target and go to Sephora so I can get my "Beauty Insider" Birthday gift...

I'm tired, happy that we have a definite baby date, but disappointed that we possibly have to wait that long. By our estimate the babies are both currently easily over 5lbs, even close to 6 at this point. Still tiny, still preemie, but able to make it out in the great big world with mommy and daddy...

Watch, I will be all bummed out today about everything and then go into labor in the next couple of days. hardy-har-har....

Oh, and funny side note - my "arch enemy" from high school actually friended me on FB today. She and this other girl hated me for some reason. They actually would threaten me and were downright mean! We were never, ever on any decent terms. This started in freshman P.E. and lasted the entire 4 years. Seriously, I did nothing to provoke these two and was overall quite popular... Should I accept her request?

Dr's appt and last minute details

2010-03-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have an appt tomorrow. It will be my first internal exam from my Dr. I was joking with Josh a couple of months ago telling him that my Dr doesn't know what he's (TMI)"dealing with down there" lol. All of my other appointments have been ultrasound with a tech and a quick chat of concerns...

Josh and I are both nesting. He's currently scouring the house up and down and I'm, well, sitting on the couch debating on getting up to blow dry my hair. And deciding what I should order from Target. I got two bouncy chairs and I have decided to have Josh take one back so I can get a swing instead. What if the babies don't like bouncy chairs??? I am also going to order a few little toys and some bottles. I have plenty of bottles, but I feel like I need just a few more... especially since I can't exclusively BF both babies, I will need bottles to pass to Josh....

I will be 35 weeks on Tuesday. The average gestation of twins. I have more baby matter in me than anyone I have ever known. With the exception of my twin mommy blogger buddies. I tell ya, it's been a difficult last few weeks. I have enjoyed the movement and kicks though. Back pain? not so much... I have also enjoyed the daily hiccups they each get. It's comforting...

I have developed a couple more stretch marks. I kind of knew I would with twins. They are still very low and it's not like I wander around in bikinis, so it's not a big deal. It's nice that they aren't making my stomach look like a roadmap though.

Josh went last night to get his tattooed arm finished. this was is 5th session. And guess what? NOT FINISHED. I told him it was as finished as it could be for now and he will have to wait to get the rest done. It's looks great though, just needs a bit here and there. He went to a local shop (friend of a friend), expecting to be there 2 or 3 hours at the most. He left at 4pm and got home at midnight. BUT the artist only charged him for the time they had agreed on, which was a relief!

I got the sweetest package from my friend Brandie yesterday! It madde me so happy - two preemie outfits, two 3-6 m onesies, and some washcloths! I swear she was reading my mind - I was just going through the babies' things and thought I don't have enough preemie, older, and washcloths! Plus the preemie outfits go PERFECTLY with two preemie hats that I made my babies! I am bringing it all to the hospital and will take photos so you will see them in their little outfits from "Auntie Brandie" ;) Thanks honey - love you!!

Ahhh Officially 34 weeks :)

2010-03-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Like I said in my last post, I feel like I can finally relax :) I even got better sleep! I didn't think I would because it was around 1:30 before I high-tailed it into bed, but I only woke up ONCE during the night and slept until 6:30 :) I never knew I would be so happy to get 5 hours at once (sort of!) Then I was up for around 1/2 hour and went back to sleep until my phone rang at 9 or so... And I woke up in a "doggie sandwich" lol - Molly was as cuddled up as she could be against my large belly and Lucy was back to back with me, which felt nice because she was warm and kept my back nice and stable, better than any pillow ;)

I'm so happy and anxious and scared and relieved that my IF journey is almost over. I mean, I still believe I will always be an infertile, I wouldn't have gotten pregnant the "normal way", and especially not with my precious twins. It's all so surreal.

I'm going to be a mom. Josh is going to be a dad. Really?!

I have been bedrest-nesting a lot (i.e. ordering stuff on the 'net). My daily excitement is going to to mailbox to see what goodies I got. Yesterday I received some clothes for my little boy. Josh has a thing for "shirts with snaps". He recently bought 2 Lucky Brand shirts (don't get me started - he is still feeling bad about spending the money), so I bought a little 3 month plaid shirt (with snaps, of course) for our little guy, plus a couple of other plaid shirts and some really adorable little camo-cargo shorts. Josh was thrilled :) He is all excited that he and his boy will match with their shirts with snaps lol! I also got a couple of nursing bras. One is leopard print of course. And I got another sleep bra. The leopard is from La Leche League Collection. And umm, do the band sizes fit smaller or am I just in denial?? Thankfully I had some extenders, but all of my other bras of the same size fit me... peculiar...

I also got some yummy samples from Canus (http://www.canusgoatsmilk.com/eng/) that I emailed to request. They sent me baby shampoo, baby lotion, and another vegetaable oil baby bar soap. They smell soooooo good.... I may buy some for myself! I got a bunch of cloth diapering items too. With twins I want to save money, so I figured I would try cloth diapers, at least during the day. Most likely I will go with disposables at night and for outings. If I like cloth diapering I will join a diaper service here so I won't have to launder it all...

Geez I sound like a granola girl, huh? Well, I am so not ;) I don't wear hemp, I love designer clothes and such, and I do eat food with a face. Well, not with the face currently attached. BUT I do prefer organic food because it just makes me feel better, and I love the way organic stuff smells and feels. I think it started with my obsession with Burt's Bees a few years ago.

Anyway, being 34 weeks is so nice. And bittersweet. My years of struggling will be a distant memory when I look into the eyes of my babies.

My birthday is coming up on the 22nd. Wouldn't that be the best birthday gift ever??

33/6

2010-03-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

YAY -the babies made it another week! tomorrow marks 34 weeks. I am so, so happy and I feel like I can relax a little...

Josh took care of bringing the bureau down and putting the bookshelves upstairs yesterday. I converted it into a lovely "baby center". Which means I stocked it with diapering items, onesies, sleepers, and blankets so I won't have to go all over the house for necessities if I am chilling in the living room in the middle of the night.

Speaking of middle of the night - I actually got decent sleep last night! I ended up going to sleep around midnight, woke up 2 or 3 times, but fell right back asleep, and I was up for the day at 6:30. A bit of a feat for me. I feel good... Except my back pain has gotten worse during my waking hours. I can get comfy at night, but during the day I am attached to my heating pad... And yeah, they babies are both definitely lower now. BH have been more frequent and more painful. Not enough to warrent a call to my dr but definitely worse....

I had a bit of an emotional fit the other day. And by that I mean crying uncontrollably for an hour and totally freaking poor Josh out. I just feel so helpless. I want to vacuum and clean and such. Josh told me to just ask him instead of getting myself worked up. For me it's easier said than done. I was raised to be pretty self-sufficient and take care of things myself, so it's always been hard for me to ask for help. I feel like a nag if I ask. He says not to worry about it....

I was watching Kendra the other day. It was the one where she had her baby. In her hospital room she was heavily and painfully laboring. And there were 10-12 of her family members in the room with her. Just watching her. Like staring at her. As I was watching that I thought "that's my hell". After she had the baby everyone in the room kept asking to hold him. She didn't seem to mind. I asked Josh if I should feel bad that I am almost glad we don't have family super close by so that we can enjoy a few precious hours of just us should the babies come early. He said that the birth of our children is a very private time and he would be happy to have it be just us for a little bit. I don't know if I would feel the same way if it wasn't for IF. We lived in a silent hell for years, glazing over our fertility problems with family and friends. But quietly screaming inside. So with that being so private I feel like we earned our own time, even if only an hour or so, of just us. Of course if we make it to a scheduled c-section (doubt it), that will change a little. And that's ok too. BUT when I say "out" I mean "out" ;) Thankfully the few people who will come from out of town will understand that.

I hope!

it's getting close....

2010-03-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

My boy has definitely dropped in the last couple of days. Even Josh noticed that my pert and perky belly looks lower than normal. And I can feel my son pressing down more and more.

Still no real contractions, only BH here and there. No mucous changes (TMI), no other labor signs. I just feel... heavy... like both babies are pushing their weight down.... and my stomach is really tight... And my appetite is non-existent. I feel like I need to force myself to eat.

I am at the point where I just want them out now. But them again I don't. I'm not ready!!!

I decided that instead of buying a new bureau right away I am going to have Josh bring the one we already have downstairs and my bookshelves upstairs. Just a little switcheroo. I've read everything on those bookshelves anyway and I don't care to look at them anymore. So this afternoon/evening I will be packing up most of the bookshelf stuff into my currently empty trunk/coffee table. I also have some craft things all organized in bins on one of the shelves that I think I may put on my hall closet shelves. a couple of months ago I got all "Clean House" and binned and labeled everything I own. My pantry has never looked better ;)

Cute jewelry site!

2010-03-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

A good friend let me know of this site called Chunky Bling! I love jewelry, especially beaded bracelets and cute rings.. I love the green ring on that page and I also really like the pearl watch on their interchangable watches page. They seem to have good prices too, and since I am stuck at home with this bedrest, what else am I gonna do but shop LOL! The necklaces are pretty cute too ;) I'm considering getting some Christmas shopping out of the way so Chunky Bling is a top contender for that. Check it out and enjoy!

Snuggling in on a cold morning

2010-03-03T09:51:00.001-08:00

So far sleep still continues to elude me. Last night I didn't get to sleep until nearly 3:30 and I woke up at 5. I was able to get back to sleep at 6 but then Josh's alarm blared at 7. So that's where I am right now. Less than 4 hours sleep. And I am now wide awake....

I do have a super snuggly dog next to me though, so it's better than no cuddles :)

At 9am the doorbell rang. UPS lady with a box for me. It was a fairly large package from Lansinoh brimming with things especially for bf! Samples plus full size products :) for you expecting or new moms go.ogle them and call or email asking if they have any samples you can try :) They also sent a sweet personalized note congratulating me on my twins. Nice!

Also Josh came home yesterday to tell me he got a raise and a hefty bonus. Whew! I had to dip into savings earlier this week to pay my doctor since we are in a new insurance year and deductibles started over.

The new site is going well too. I have about 100 FB fans now and almost 500 unique hits to the site. Not like I'm getting anything out of it, it's just fun.

I also washed and put all of the baby clothes away yesterday. After 8 loads everything is clean, clean, clean. And I rearranged the built-ins to accomodate most of it, but there are a lot of things still upstairs. I also found a beautiful bureau I'm thinking I may get for the living room to house some things so I'm not running around the house getting essentials for them. I also decided what they will wear for their coming home outfits! That's a secret :)

Appt update (good)

2010-03-01T13:09:00.001-08:00

So far everything is fine :) babies are 4 lbs 10 oz and 4 lbs 14 oz - the girl is the bigger one. They didn't check my cervix because I'm not having preterm labor signs at all and in a week or two I'm in the clear anyway. Funny thing is I lost 2 lbs. Which makes sense to me. Any time I cut sugar I drop weight like crazy.

So I have 9 1/2 lbs of babies, about 4 lbs of placenta, and 4 lbs of amniotic fluid. So over half of my weight gain is directly baby related. Plus there's the uterine weight gain, the bbs gain, etc. No wonder I have no sense of balance...

Boy is head down and girl is breech. Doesn't matter a whole lot since I am having a ceserean anyway. Which has not been scheduled. I still think 35-36 weeks is where it's gonna be.

My next appt isn't for another 2 weeks. Which means two more weeks of cabin fever. I was so happy to get out today but I got so tired. But it was nice to look like a girl and do my hair and makeup. I clean up well....

ALMOST 33 weeks

2010-03-01T08:53:00.000-08:00

SO I am kicking back at the leverly Star.bucks this morning. Josh rearranged his work schedule to be off at 10am and go back at 2pm, but my appointment is at 10:30 so it didn't give really any time for him to come home to get me and still make the appointment on time. To his credit, he thought the appointment was at 11:30. Which is sorta true. My ultrasound is at 10:30 and we see my Dr right after..... hopefully good news??? I will post to let you know if there is any change in my cervical woes....

Aside from that, bedrest is going ok. The new blog has been really helping me to keep my sanity a bit. AND it's gaining popularity WOO HOO!! For week one I have nearly 400 unique viewers to the site and close to 1000 page loads. And my Facebook fanpage is growing - 64 members for week one. AND my dear, dear friend from Ruby's Closet has agreed to do a giveaway on the site! I'm really super excited about it, her things are pretty awesome!!! So if you haven't gone to my site, go now to Mommy Wants Freebies! My favorite feature is "Just Ask" - I have been contacting a boatload of companies geared toward moms and children, mainly babies, and they actually send me stuff. Like for free. kinda awesome.. It's funny, I really don't have anything to gain by having this site, it's just good fun ;)

Ok, now for an update from me physically...

Baby boy began pushing down so hard last night I thought my water would break. He wants out...
Baby girl has been squirmy lately. She's running out of room in there along with her brother and can't seem to get comfy. Welcome to my world, little one!
I am measuring about 45 weeks now. All belleh...
I have a new little stretchmark going from my pelvic line to about halfway to my navel. Which has officially popped now. Which I love. the navel, not the stretchmark. Thankfully I am very fair-skinned and the mark is light and will fade into nothing... I also have a little one above my navel where I had a piercing so many years ago. Rebel...
I had a massive muscle spasm Saturday morning enough to warrant a call to my Dr who said that as long as I feel the babies and I don't have any bleeding or mucous I should be ok. It was only one and it went away.
Sleep. Sleep?? What's that? Between trying to get comfortable and constantly kicking my dog off my pillows (mind you, she's almost 100lbs) I get an average of 5-6 hours a night. Whilst waking every 2 hours, so I am never in REM sleep... If it weren't for naps I would be a zombie!
I am so anxious to see these babies I can't stand it. I daydream about what they will look like. Red curls like me when I was little? Super blonde hair like Josh as a baby? Who's features will they have? Will they both get my long second toe?
I STILL haven't washed any baby clothes, but as long as I am going home today and not to L&D I am doing it. TODAY. I have it all separated and ready to go in the wash....

So that's what's up with me... keep me in your thoughts for a good appointment today!

32 Weeks

2010-02-23T13:19:00.000-08:00

Well here we are. 32 weeks. I know I say this all of the time, but wow. WOW.

So far still no real change in my cervical condition. That I know of anyway. I go to my dr next Mondayto get checked out and check bebez growths.

I guess the biggest thing is I have 1 to 2 semi-painful contractions a night. Sometimes they are not so bad, sometimes they suck. And I also have "the feeling". I had this feeling when I found out IVF worked. I felt like it was gonna be twins. Which was confirmed. Then I had "the feeling" it was a boy and a girl. Again confirmed. Now I have "the feeling" these lovelies will make their grand entrance sometime between weeks 35 and 36. Who wants to take bets?

With my GD. Yeah, it's there. Yeah, my levels have been the same. And yeah, I check my blood (but not all the time).

Sleep has been a struggle lately. I seem to go back and forth with getting 5-6 hours at a time then dropping down to waking almost every single hour. C'mon, there will be plenty of time to get no sleep, can I have some now?? please?

I also wanted to let you all know I started another blog. For the past couple of weeks I have been financially freaking out, even though we have money in the bank, low overhead, etc... So I started searching for deals, samples, freebies, etc. I am amazed at some of the stuff I have received (or getting) just by contacting the company in question and asking. So I wanted to share what I have discovered so far with my readers. And just to let you know, it's just a silly little blog that I am not getting paid to have. And the things on the blog I have personally requested, and I HATE the ones that make you do stupid surveys and jump through hoops..

So check it out. It's called Mommy Wants Freebies. Cute, huh?

Welcome ICLW!

2010-02-21T11:14:00.001-08:00

I want to welcome you to my blog. I have been blogging for over 2 years now, mainly about my struggles with infertility. You can see my TTC timeline to the right.

My husband and I have been married for 11 years. We have two labradors and live in Portland, Oregon. I have been a retail manager for at least ten years now.
I have been infertile for longer than I can remember. We tried everything. We've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars. But we were persistent.

A couple of years ago my ob discovered a fibroid but said it was nothing to worry about. Over a year that fibroid grew. I was ready to give IVF a try when my RE said I had to have it removed. While I was upset that my IVF would be postponed for 3 months, I was happy to have it taken care of. So March 11 2009 I went in for a myomectomy and the fibroid was gone.

In May I went back to start my IVF cycle. I had a saline sonogram and 3 polyps were discovered that were removed on June 1 via hysteroscopy. Then I was ready.

I finally started my IVF cycle in July. I did everything I possibly could to make sure it worked. On the evening of August 7 I got a BFP! My first beta on August 11 confirmed that yes, I was indeed pregnant!

2 1/2 weeks later I went in to have the heartbeat checked. My husband and I drove to the clinic in silence, afraid of what we would or wouldn't see. During the u/s we saw it. Two beautiful heartbeats. We both cried and couldn't believe that it worked. Almost 3 months later we found out were would have a son and a daughter!

Throughout my pregnancy I have had excitement, fears, daydreams, nightmares. I have had episodes of bleeding, contractions, and most recently a diagnosis of gestational diabetes and incompetent cervix. I'm currently on bedrest for this. But it's all worth it when I feel them both squirm and move around. These two babies were ten years in the making and worth everything we have given.

I am due April 20, but my feeling is they will be here sometime between weeks 35 and 36 or so. Due to my surgery I will have a cesearean.

So that's my story. What's yours?

Guest Post - IVF and Nutrition

2010-02-19T12:03:00.001-08:00

Hello Readers!

I was recently contacted by writer Tania of Trying To Conceive requesting to be a guest writer on my blog. I have to say, I love her site - incredibly informative on how nutrition affects TTC, as well as more great research on TTC in general. Enjoy!

Physical Preparation for IVF: Nutrition and Exercise

When woman is undergoing IVF, there is a great deal she can do improve her chances of successful IVF treatment, minimize possible side effects of drugs, and prepare her body to recover afterwards. I am talking about mental, nutritional and physical preparation of a woman who is trying to conceive.

If that is possible woman should prepare at least 2 months before an IVF cycle: in that case she should detox, which should help clean most toxins from her body and in case she is overweight, also get rid of some excess weight. Detoxification diets are also often advisable between the cycles. Detoxification diet does not mean starving: it is aimed to clean the body of toxins. Women should avoid coffee, alcohol, medications, smoking and smoky atmospheres, and should also reduce salt from her diet. Studies show both smoking and alcohol consumption lower result pregnancy rates and expose woman to a greater risk of miscarriage. Caffeine has been shown to affect fertility, even in small amounts, and as little as one cup in the morning can reduce her chances of conceiving as much as 50%, so she should try to avoid caffeine completely. If woman is taking other prescription medications (except Tylenol and prenatal vitamins), she should check with a fertility specialist prior to beginning treatment cycle. It is also advisable to avoid chocolate, sugary foods, salty snacks, processed foods, tea, cola and all fizzy drinks.

A healthy well-balanced diet works best: drinking at least 8 glasses of (bottled) water and eating healthy, including in diet lean meat, wholegrains, veggies and fruit. On the other hand, during IVF cycle any kind of changes or even weight loss attempts should be strictly avoided.
Healthy preconception nutrition is balanced in vitamins, including vitamin C and E that help enrich the fluid which surrounds and nourishes woman’s eggs and to help her repair quickly after the egg retrieval, enabling readiness to receive the incoming embryos. Zinc is essential mineral for hormone production, and magnesium and vitamin A are vital for egg production. Selenium and magnesium are both important because they improve fertilization rates, and iron and Co-enzyme Q10 are important because they both enrich the womb lining. Healthy essential fatty acids are vitally important because they help balancing hormones and support ovarian health, and are found in fish, olive oil, flaxseed oil, nuts …

Prior to IVF cycle woman should start taking a prenatal vitamin. Folic acid (folate) or B9 vitamin is extremely important in preconception time because it reduces brain and spinal defects in newborns. Every woman should include in her diet nutrients that are rich in folic acid (green leafy vegetables, whole grains etc) or should consume 400 mcg of folic acid supplements on daily basis approximately 3 months before conceiving (800 mcg during pregnancy).
Some fertility clinics believe that a diet low in salt and potassium, and a diet high in proteins can help avoid hyperstimulation.

For example, Gatorade is one of a energy drinks that woman should avoid because it contains large amounts of salt, which prevents hyperstimulation. As already said, water is most advisable, but at certain stages of OHSS, too much fluid can have detrimental, therefore moderation is the key.

The best quality protein foods in terms of amino acid balance are eggs, especially egg whites, soya, lean meat such as chicken breasts, fish, beans, lentils, nuts and quinoa. Avoid too many dairy products and always eat organic meat.

If woman is used to exercise regularly, she should continue with the activities unless the enlargement of ovaries causes discomfort. Nevertheless, she should exercise moderately and avoid all kinds of strenuous exercise, heavy lifting, or aerobic exercise. Since the hormonal system shuts down and prepares for IVF, woman’s body needs to rest. For this reason, activities that include gentle exercise such as yoga and walking are perfectly fine. Physical preparation also includes avoiding hot tubs, jacuzzis, saunas and sun bathing.

Some studies claim that acupuncture is very beneficial for women preparing for IVF. Acupuncture treatment performed by certified acupuncturist will help her improve the flow of blood and energy to reproductive organs, will balance her body, and build up the womb lining, grow follicles and thus help her with implantation.

Giveaway for moms and soon-to-be mommies :)

2010-02-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

As I had said before, I am researching companies who offer specials to multiples. So far I have found several, but I think one of my favorite companies is Dandelion Earth Friendly Goods. All totally eco-friendly and organic, which I love! I will be ordering some goodies from them soon (love the bags and developmental toys)... Oh, I should say they do not offer any multiples specials, however that doesn't really matter since the quality is so good :)

They are also starting to do giveaways on their Facebook page, so I am doubly excited about that :) The one this month is pretty cool - become a fan and enter to win lots and lots of goodies :) You can find the thread on their FB wall ;)