Well child check-up's are for singletons

Well, I use to look forward to the well child check-ups with all of my other kids.  I loved seeing how much they had grown and maybe brag a bit about their gifted abilities.  You know typical mom stuff.  Having our twins has been a relatively easy adjustment, I am not really sure why.  When we found out I thought I would need a cleaning lady and nanny.  Well, we had a nanny about 1-2 days a week for about 2 months or so and I still have yet to find a good cleaning lady.  It has just been us and I think we have done great!  That is until we head to the doctor's for the well child visits and the dreaded shots.  I hate it so much, don't get me wrong I love to see what they weight and what percentiles they are in, but it is just miserable for all of us and I wish I had 3 nannies with me 2 for the babies and 1 for me.  The 1 year visit was no better, expect my girlfriend watched my other 3 kids. (Grace usually goes with me to help hold one when they are done with their shots but his time she opted out because "I hates the screaming:-(")  I agree but I couldn't opt out.  So off we go at the worst time ever....6pm, my thought (when I booked 3 mo ago) was DH could go and help, but of course he had to work late (how convenient).  So they are already fussy in their stroller before we even get into our room which BTW was 77 degrees.  That is wonderful while I hold 2 unhappy 1 year olds.  We get them weighted and all the other business out the way....everyone will be happy to know that their head sizes are still off the charts.  Great Alice is tiny with a huge head...that will be pretty for prom!  I strap them both back their strollers in their diapers, they are coming undone.  After about 10 minutes of more waiting in walks the Doctor with the Intern, perfect..................teaching during my apt.  Well, he got a lesson alright.........don't have twins!!  By this time they are both screaming because apparently someone tried to look at them.....do not make eye contact with the 12 mo old please, they only like mommy.  They are crying in unison and I am sweating bullets.  The doctor says hmmmmm they both have temps and my reply is "yes, they are both teething, I try not to medicate much, and oh yeah it is 1,000 degrees in this room." (I didn't really say the last one but I did state I thought they were overheated)  They then ask me about the forms I filled out and one of the questions was does your baby share.........um he is 1.  NO.  He has 4 brothers and sisters when he has a hold of something he doesn't let go........not because his social skills aren't up to par but because he is SMART!!  This line of questioning goes on for about 5 more minutes.......Que louder screaming babies.  They are now over it.  Doctor gets a page and leaves.  Intern stays in the room and asks "do you really have 3 more at home?"  Yup.  "Wow, you are busy." Yup.  Doctor returns and now it is time to examine the babies......yeah right.  Jake goes first he screaming and tries to roll of the table.  I don't think he got a good look at anything.  Alice is next and she is even worse.......she holds her breath she is so mad.  Finally it is shot time.....great the moment we have all been waiting for.  Jake goes first it took all my strength to hold him down and Alice was the same way.  Mommy was smart though she brought jammies to put on them, put them in their stroller with a bottle and all was forgotten.  Well, until the next day when they both had 100 temps all day long.  The bright side is that they were so worn out from all of it they took 3 hour am naps and 2 hour afternoon naps............poor babies.  Well child visits are for the birds when it come to TWINS...... bring reinforcements!!!!

Jake: 21lb 3oz
30.5 inches

Alice: p'nut 17lb 12oz
28.5 inches
I guess she will be backwards facing till kindergarten!

Girly Girl...............

I don't know how it happened but it is official and I have a girly girl. I am so not a girly girl so how could this be. Growing up I remember leaving a ring around the tub almost every night from the filth I got into each day. I was a jock in high school and even college. Don't get me wrong it isn't like I never did my hair or wore a stitch of make-up, I did all and then went to play in my college softball game. Even today I always get up do my hair/make-up, cute outfit (this makes me feel good as a SAHM) and then scrub the toilets and carry out the trash.
So I wonder how did I end-up with such a girly girl. The little girl that changes her clothes ten times a day and each outfit is cuter than the next. She plays with her dolls constantly and wants to take them to the zoo and to church with us because they will be lonely. She is a dancer.......I have 2 left feet. She is a great little cheerleader...........basketball was my favorite sport. She gets dirty in her dresses and painted nails...................I don't even remember wearing a dress or painting my nails. She is sensitive and sweet and loves everything purple and pink. Her cheer coach just moved her to the group for 4th-6th graders because she says Grace has real talent (she is not 7 yet). How? Not from me. On Saturday, I got to watch her do her Hip Hop routine for her recital and she is really good. I know I sound surprise but where did she get that talent? Maybe her daddy has some dancing abilities I have yet to see. So I guess my girly girl will be a dancer and a cheer leader instead of a little tomboy! It is just amazing what little people your kids become with their own thoughts and abilities. I Love My Girly Girl Grace!!!!!!!!!!

Time flies with 5 kids...........

Wow, I thought time stood still during geometry class in high school, but now it seems like I blink and another week or month has gone by.  I think children are little time keepers.  When they are babies you celebrate each month, when they are children you celebrate every half year, and then when they are older time travels by you with each passing sports season.  It is hard because sometimes you just can't wait till they are big enough to sit-up, crawl, walk, ride a bike, swim, drive a car........ When does it stop we are always looking forward to the next milestone.  Right now Sam tells me he wants to be 4 so he can wrestle and I kind of want the babies to walk so we can play outside more.  Then I think am I "living in the moment" or I am just waiting for the next exciting moment.  I think I even do this in our daily life of  living for the weekends when daddy is home.  I am afraid I am so guilty of just going through the motions instead of really taking in the giggles, the kids swinging on the swing set, and even the fighting over who pushed first.  It is hard but I am really going to try to "be" in each moment and not think about the fact that I have to switch the laundry in 15 mins, lay out some meat for dinner, wipe down the counters, check on the babies, I really just want to forget it all and watch my kids play and take it all in.  I know they are only this small today and I can't get yesterday back.  I love my life I need to make sure I am really living it and not waiting for the next thing I need to do or the next thing to celebrate.

So today I enjoyed:
Holding my babies
Sitting on the floor and letting them crawl all over me
Reading to the kids
Baking carrot cake bars
Doing a nature walk with them
I am going to enjoy watching them swim and taking Grace to cheer leading.
I really enjoyed this beautiful day God has given us!

Make sure you ENJOY your day!!!!

Happy Birthday!!!!

I just want to say happy birthday to my beautiful babies (I get to call you babies till you are 2) Jake & Alice.  On this very day last year at 6:23pm and 6:24pm (Jake is oldest) you both enter this world with gusto and as perfect as can be.  I was shocked and in denial you were coming hence the showing up at the hospital dilated to 10cm and my water breaking the moment I tried to climb in to bed.  Thank goodness for my little plug Alice laying sideways or you would have been born in the Canon.  It was so amazing to have two of you at once, such a new experience.  At that moment I knew why God gave me two arms one to hold Baby A and Baby B.

Today, you are both now 1 and so different.  This year has gone faster than any other years.  I am now convinced that the more children you have the faster it goes.  I remember every detail of my pregnancy with you and your "Birth Day".  I was all amazing and went too fast.  You have both grown and changed so much in the last year.  Alice you are so delicate and petite and Jake you remind me so much of the other 3.  Today was a perfect day just being home with you and not missing a second of your big day or any other day for that matter.  I am so blessed to be a stay at home mom, I love every second of it. 

Your First Birthday's Highlights:
Grace woke you up singing happy birthday
Mommy made you pancake and even let you have a little syrup on them
You swung outside
You got to eat your first pb&j and it was made by Grace
Sam sang to you about 6 times and never forgot the cha cha cha at the end.
Mommy made you homemade chocolate cake -if you had been 1 or 2 born you would have gotten something healthier:-)
Grace decorated it
Jake you stuff you face so bad and even rubbed your eyes
Alice you ate it like a little princess
Daddy came home to spend lunch with you and to assemble you new rides
Grace and Drew pushed you around for an hour on them!
You had lots of Birthday calls and skypes with everyone who loves you!!!
It was a very quiet and peaceful day much different than the craziness of your birth but all special in the same way.

We love you so much Jake and Alice!!!!!