It's only Wednesday!

Note to self... never, ever stop taking your oils just because you are starting to feel better! Wait another couple of days.

This is something I learned a couple of years ago, but didn't do. While on our fun long weekend adventure, I stopped taking my "yuck buster" bomb. Bad idea.. I now have a cold for the first time in two years! I am so stuffed and my sinuses are so swollen that I wouldn't be surprised if it is actually a sinus infection.

Luckily, my amazing oil community has a couple of tried and true recipes I can try before heading to the doctor. Don't worry though, as much as I love my oils (I mean really love my oils) I know when they just aren't cutting it and a doctor and prescription are needed. 

I decided yesterday that I needed to just rest on the couch instead of doing everything I normally do during the day and let the oils do their magic.

That was short lived. Alli woke up with a very bruised and swollen toe. She walked into the wall last night while on the phone (not paying attention) and bent it back so far that it was still hurting at bedtime (but not swollen). This morning we headed to the children's orthopedic after dropping Emmily off at school. 

The last time we were there, the doctor jokingly said he would open an account for us so Adam would be all set up when he broke is first bone. Never in a million years did I think we'd be bring Alli back. 

Sure enough, her toe is broke! She is going to be in a hard soled shoe for 3 weeks. She and Craig have dubbed it her Super Boot! 

Now this mama needs to rest and kick this cold so she can take care of her babies. 

Roper Lake

You know you really live in the west when all the schools in the area close for two days for the Rodeo!

For us, this meant it was the perfect opportunity to spend a few days out in Daisy! We packed her up and headed out to Roper Lake which is about 2 hours northwest of Tucson.

We had a fantastic time! Our campsite, while close to others, had a big sandy area to play and wasn't too far from the lake. It also had water and electric hook-ups. The only thing we didn't prepare for was needing to pick up firewood before we got there. Luckily they have some for sale at the Ranger Station and the Rangers were nice enough to bring to our campsite when I walked up there to ask.

We did have some cold nights, as we were expecting. The first night the furnace seemed to work just fine. However, about half way through the second night, the unit in the master bedroom stopped clicking on. We didn't really figure out what was happening until the third night. We are hoping it is just a fuse and will be a quick fix.

February is definitely not the time to fish at Roper Lake. We did not get a single nibble the entire weekend. The kids did get some great practice in casting though. They are becoming really good at it. We still have to remind them to watch who is around them so they don't hook a family member, but that is to be expected from little kids.

We also found out that the seal on the living room slide needs to be replaced. It fell down and left a little bit of a gap. Just enough for a swarm of bees who decided we had something in Daisy that they wanted. I took the kids and dog for a walk and some play time on the beach while Craig waited them out. They only hung around for about an hour or so and flew away once they realized we didn't have anything for them.

Probably the biggest part of our adventure for me, was driving home! Daisy is HUGE and it feels like she is taking up more than just her lane. When a semi-truck passes you, the wind will literally push you out of your lane, if you are not careful. Add in a particularly windy day and some hills and you have a scary situation on your hands, especially for a first-timer, like me. Thankfully Craig stayed up front with me and made sure I knew what to expect and how to handle it all with ease.

The kids are already asking when our next trip will be. One thing is for sure, we are very excited to drive out to New Jersey and South Carolina this summer!

The Shakedown Trip

We just couldn't wait another minute to take Daisy out and get to know how she works. Never owning an RV before, there is definitely a lot to learn!

Catalina State Park was our preferred campground for our first trip. Afterall, who wouldn't love to be far enough in the mountains to be camping, but still have a WalMart and the rest of town just a couple of miles away? Bummer though, they didn't have any openings this weekend due to the Gem Show. 

After some searching we found a campground west of town out near the Desert Museum and Old Tucson Studios. When we called they told us that we doing what is called a shakedown. 

Boy, did we learn a few things! We didn't know that we didn't have a hose on board or that it would take 10 hours for the refrigerator to cool down! Luckily we were close enough to town that we could go back in town to get everything we needed. 

Our little Girl Scouts also had a cookie booth to do for a couple of hours. So Craig and the younger two gathered all the supplies and took them back to the site while the girls and I finished up the cookie booth. Then we all went back and spent the night in Daisy!

Poor Daisy didn't come home without a few scratches, but nothing too serious. We are looking forward to our next adventure over Rodeo Break!

New Adventures!

Adventure Number 1:
I did it! I passed my Realtor's Exam! I had no idea how many associations I had to join and all the paperwork associated with getting started is a little overwhelming. It's all done now! I am officially a Realtor in the state of Arizona! I even have my own website (it's a little bare right now) ReneeOConnor.Realtor (note that it is .reator not .com). Now I need to get some clients and start showing houses!

Adventure Number 2:
One of our biggest goals as parents is to let the kids see and experience as much as possible. We want to do it as a family and really engrain in them the love and support of a close family.

Most days that is harder than you'd think. The squabbles and competition between them can be fierce at times. I'm told that is just what happens with the kids the same age spacing as ours.

One way we have decided to combat this is by getting a motorhome! We've been thinking about it, budgeting and looking at some so that we can get one this spring.

Wouldn't you know it.... we found one that is too good of a deal to pass up and bought it just a couple of days ago! I was joking around with Craig saying we should name it Daisy so we can say we are "Driving Miss Daisy." He laughed at me like he always does when I come up with something corney. The kids on the other hand (having never seen the movie) thought it was a great idea. Alli and Emmi were especially excited about the name since they are Daisy Girl Scouts.

We are so excited and can't wait to make many family memories with Miss Daisy!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017!

I hope each of you reading this has the happiest and most blessed year!

Isn't it amazing how life is always changing? We now have 7 year old twins, a 5 year old boy and a 3 year old girl! Unbelievable!

I don't plan to return to work until Callie is in school, but I also want to help support our family in any small way I can. So, I have decided to get my real estate license. I took all the required classes and school exams. Now I have the state exam coming up on the 3rd! Wish me luck!

Essential Oils

There is quite the controversy over the use of Essential Oils EOs). Probably just as big an argument is which company has the safest and purest EOs. I have done some research, and looked at the websites of some of the companies out there.

I discussed with my husband (who still thinks of it all as "snake oil," but has agreed to indulge me) and come to the conclusion I need to follow my gut on this. So…. I bought a starter kit of EOs from Young Living.

I can't shake this feeling that this is going to be a healthier way for our family to live. I know there is a huge learning curve in using EOs safely and effectively. I also know that there will be times that we will still need traditional medical care.

Now, I need to decide what I am going to do first. It will involve something in the diffuser. I am thinking either Purification or Thieves. Possibly both? Obviously a little more research is needed. 

What about you? Are you curious about what EOs can do for you and your family? Join me as I explore this new avenue of caring for my family. Maybe you will decide to give them a try yourself.

Restart!

Whoa! It has been a REALLY long time since I've posted anything on this blog. Our lives have changed in so many ways in the last 3 years. Not only was our son, Adam, born December 1, 2011, but we also have a baby girl, Callie, who was born October 2, 2013. Our daily life is crazy to say the least.

So let's just hit the restart button here.

Since, I have attempted to blog before and not quite been able to keep up with it, I have little faith that I will be able to do this on a weekly basis. What can I say? Life has a way of speeding up. Finding time to write becomes more difficult and eventually becomes the lowest priority.

Over the past five years (since our twins were born) I have learned that I am not a perfect mom and probably an even less of a perfect wife. I am sure my family would say they love as I am in spite of my many flaws. However, I still strive to improve and be better at both. I feel as though I was made for this, I know I can do it.

This year I have several goals. I realize they may take more than a year to realize. There is no time like the present to get started

26 Weeks!!

We made it, 26 weeks! The final milestone before the baby is born. Of course, I would like him to stay put for another 11 or 12 weeks, but if he were to be born today he would have a very good chance at not only surviving, but living a normal healthy life. This is the week when I finally relax, finally take a deep breath and say, "WE'RE HAVING A BABY!!!!!"

We haven't decided on a name for this little guy. We have several possibilities, but nothing seems to really fit. It was a bit of a stresser for me for a while, but I've come to realize that he won't go to school without having a name.

I am also finally ready to dig in and get his room ready. I have the valance and wall boarder, but it looks like I will have to buy a 2nd of each. I was thinking of only putting the boarder on two walls, but Craig thinks it will look better on all 4 of them. Also, I made the mistake of thinking the window in his room was the same size as the window in the family room, but it's not. It is almost twice the size, so the valance I bought is just a few inches too small. Unfortunately, the window is so large that 90% of valances are too small for it. Friends have given me some creative ideas, now I need to get some shopping done.

Today also marks the day that our sweet girls turn 23 months old! Just one more month until they are 2! I am not ready to admit I have 2 year olds, but they really haven't left me much choice. Not only are they sweet, loving and adorable, but they are also very mischievous. It never ceases to amaze us how fast they can go from being so happy to a full blown tantrum.

They have taken a serious interest in Mommy's growing tummy. Alli likes to climb up next to me on the couch and pull my shirt up so she can see the baby move. They both give him hugs and kisses all the time. They are going to be such great big sisters.

A little brother for our twins.

We had our big ultrasound last week. Everything looked great with the baby. We got to see all four chambers of the heart, both hemispheres of the brain, spine, ribs, arms, legs, feet and hands. Oh, and we also go to see that the baby is a BOY!!!!

Its crazy how things change with a second pregnancy. Not only have I been lacking on blogging, but pictures have taken a back seat, too. We've taken two, one at 8 weeks and one at 17 weeks. My goal is to get on this week, so we will be somewhat back on track.

I am finally passed the morning sickness that plagued me for the first 16 weeks. Now I am enjoying the second trimester headaches. I got to skip all of this with the girls. I know, every pregnancy is different, but what amazes me is just how opposite my pregnancies have been.

The girls are doing great! They are starting to understand that Mommy has their baby brother in her tummy. They will even put their hands on my tummy and say "baby."

We moved them to toddler beds about a month ago. Every week they are doing a little better. The most difficult part is that they have their very best friend to play with. Most nights I have to go in after a little while and sit in their room. They don't get out of their beds when I am in there, but it can take a while for them to stop fidgeting and go to sleep.

They are starting to turn into 2 year olds. I love that they are exploring new things and wanting to do more by themselves. However, I don't like the fighting, screaming and tantrums that come with it. Daddy has already taught them how to say they are 2. I keep trying to convince them they are still 1, but they don't believe me. Ha!

Crazy to think that in just 19 weeks we will have a baby boy and two two-year-old big sisters!

6-Weeks

Who needs protein? I want carbs! Ha ha. I am having huge carbohydrate cravings this week. Potatoes, pasta, oatmeal, cereal. I know I need to work in the protein because the baby needs it. I do have meat at dinner every night, I am just having a hard time adding in proteins for breakfast and lunch.

I only had afternoon morning sickness twice this week, and it passed relatively quickly. Here's hoping that I got it out of the way early on and won't have it bother me again. {A girl can wish, right?}

I am, however, still having quite a bit of heart burn. It has been very controllable with tums, so far. But it is happening when I'm not laying down now. I'm expecting this kid to have lots of hair!

I still have a bit of a belly, and my normal pants don't fit me anymore. But, I haven't gained any weight since the transfer. Which, trust me, I am not complaining about! I lost 10 pounds when I was first pregnant with the girls, which I would love to do this time, but I don't see it happening. As long as I'm not creeping up just yet, I'm happy.

Here we grow again!

We are ready for another baby. We haven't had any success trying on our own, and decided we were ready now. We had one of our "snow peas" thawed and transferred on March 24th. It has been 15 days since the transfer and Monday a blood test showed that I am indeed pregnant!!!! My hormone level came back at 137, which is nice and high for a single pregnancy (226 with the girls). I had a second test done on Wednesday (yesterday) and got the results back today, my hormone level went up to 332 (more than double, which is what we were looking for)! That means that I am 4 weeks, 5 days along, with a due date of December 10, 2011. Allison and Emmily are going to be big sisters!

It is crazy to me how fast things are happening this time around. I started having afternoon morning sickness over the weekend (right at 4 weeks) and I'm even starting to look like I have a bit of a prego belly. Well, to me it looks like that, to others it probably looks like I've gained weight around the middle. I've even started having heart burn at night when laying on my right side. I don't know what I was expecting, everyone says everything happens sooner with your second pregnancy. I just wasn't expecting it this fast. I thought I would have a good 4 weeks or so before I started feeling pregnant.

18-Months Old

Where does the time go? If my Dad has told me once, he's told me a thousand times that having kids makes you realize just how fast life goes. I swear time has sped up. My sweet tiny little babies are now 18-months old! They are still sweet and little, but very much so toddlers and not babies anymore. When did that happen? Allison is often called Alli and sometimes even Alli-Bear. She is so funny. She is always laughing and coming up with new ways to get us to chase her. Her newest thing is saying "NO" to everything. Not fun. Especially when it is followed by Emmily crying because Alli has come and taken a toy from her. Emmily is probably called Em or Emmily 90% of the time. We still call her Emmi, too, just not quite as often. She is the sweet girl. Its funny because the things she does are just cute, while Alli is down right funny. She loves to look at you from under her brow then start cracking up laughing. Of course, we think they are both adorable. The girls get very excited when the hear the garage door at night. They run to the door saying Dada! When he comes in the door Alli squeals and laughs and can't wait for him to pick her up. She is such a Daddy's girl. Em says hi then runs off, but as soon as he sits down she is standing in front of him asking to be picked up. They both talk up a storm. Most words you have to see the context to understand what they are saying, but they are trying. Em calls all drinks juice but Alli is starting to call them drinks. They can both say sister and know what their sisters' name is. However, if you ask Alli to say her sister's name, it sounds like she is saying Alli. Cracks us up. She really is trying to say Emmi, but it sounds like Alli. Em calls her sister both Alli and Allison, it is so sweet. The girls are the light of our lives. They bring us quite a bit of exhaustion, but so much more joy. I wouldn't trade having twins for anything.

1 Year Old!

I know, I know, it has been way too long since my last updates. What can I say? Life with twins is busy. That being said, I really do need to be better about updating my blogs. So here is my update for our now 1 year olds!

Our tiny babies have now entered the realm of toddler hood. It is bitter sweet to think about. They are growing up so fast. Getting them up in the mornings is pure joy! They are so happy and ready to get moving. It is so much fun, that on the days their Daddy is home, it is often a race to see who gets to open their door to see them first.

Allison cracks me up! Many mornings she tries to play peak-a-boo through the headboard in her crib. Once that is done, she will flop her self around her crib trying to play her own little version of chase. Many times (in true Renee fashion) hitting her head on the solid parts of her crib. It never seems to hurt her, though. Sometimes this all takes a back seat to her pointing at the ground saying "that, that, that." What is she pointing at? Her baby doll, the one that started the night in her crib with her. Once given her baby back, she hugs and rocks it. She can even tell you where the baby's nose is. Alli is a walking pro. She took her first steps at 11 months old and never looked back. Now she enjoys trying to get Mommy and Daddy to chase her. She will walk up to us and put her arms up to be picked up then suddenly turn and run the other way. If we chase her and catch her (by either tickling her or picking her up) she squeals and giggles. She is into everything and loves to test her limits. When Mommy and Daddy tell her not to touch something she often smiles at us and touches whatever it is we told her not to. Often this makes Daddy crack up laughing, which does nothing but encourage her. He is working hard on not laughing at her, but I have to admit, its often difficult for me not to laugh as well.

Emmily is just as funny as her sister, but in her own right. As soon as she sees the bedroom door open she starts jumping on her trampoline (or mattress, as most people call it). Generally with a binki in her mouth and three on the floor right in front of her. She jumps and jumps until it is her turn to be picked up. During which time is takes brief breaks to point at various objects and saying "wa's dat." Once she gets her cuddles she will push back to point at Alli and say "sis'er" and wave to her. It's a sad affair when it comes time for a diaper change. Tears and screams the second she knows she is about to be put on the changing table. She just loves cuddles in the morning and could stay in my arms indefinitely, if allowed. She isn't walking just yet. Oh, she knows how to, and can do it with ease. She is just scared to let go. She will walk along the couch just barely running a finger along it. We have gotten her to take a few steps by putting her out in front of us, but after one or two turns she sits and crawls. In her own time, I'm sure. When she is told not to touch something she usually pulls her hand back and looks at us. She might try to touch it again, but will pull her hand back as soon as she hears us tell her not to. Sometimes if it is something she really, really wants to touch, she will cry when told no. Her favorite games are to be held upside down and tickled on her neck or thrown up (just a very little) in the air. She will just giggle and giggle as so as she anticipates the game coming on.

Both girls can sign "more" and "all done." Granted, they don't sign exactly the way most people who know sign language do, but we know what they are trying to say. They love to play peak-a-boo with clothes, blankets, towels, even their hands. They give kisses and hugs, though not always when asked. They can also tell you that a cow says "mmmmmoo," a duck says "uak uak," a snake says "tssss," and a lion says "grawr."

This year has been amazing and wonder-filled in so many ways. Oh sure, there have been a lot of tears along the way as we all adjust to life together. However, I can't remember having a faster or happier year.

8 Months Old!

It just doesn't seem possible that our twins are 8 months old. They are actually 35 weeks old today. No, I don't still count their age by weeks. I got an e-mail today that told me.

After seeing that e-mail I started thinking about what was going on when I was 35 weeks pregnant. That's the week I started having contractions and the week I was considered full term. I actually thought I would be meeting our precious girls at any minute. The little stinkers made us wait 3 more weeks.

It amazes me every day how much they have changed. They both crawl, and Emmily even pulls herself up to standing. They smile all the time and it melts me heart when I hear them say Mama. They are starting to snuggle out of love which almost brings me to tears each time. We have even gotten a few kisses from them.

The girls are so sweet, loving and fun. I wish everyone was as happy as I am. My dreams have definitely come true. I have an amazing husband who loves me and our children. He provides for our family in a way that I never could. It allows me to do everything I can to fill our home, family and lives with love. To top it all of I have the most wonderful twins girls in the world. What can I say? I am blessed.

Six months and counting…

Where has the time gone? Our twins are six months old and I have yet to finish birth announcements or even Christmas cards (it is now April). Granted, I could be using the time I am using to type this, but hey, blog updates are important, too. Especially because it has been so long since my last update.

The girls are so different from just a month ago. Their little personalities are starting to come out more and more. Their Daddy has dubbed Emmily the Gremlin and Allison the Koala Bear.

There is no keeping Emmily in one spot. This girl is all over the place. She rolls and scoots anywhere she wants to go. Except that she won’t leave her matt. I don’t know what it is, the small ¼” drop, the feel of the tile, but something scares her just enough that she won’t pass it’s edges. She can say Mama and Dada, and has to touch everything she sees. Not surprisingly, she had been told NO quite a few times already. So much so that I’m convinced “no” will be her next word.

Allison is so peaceful in comparison to her sister. She does roll around to play with her toys and she can say Mama and Dada, but once she masters something, she isn’t that interested in trying it again. At one time we thought we had quite the jibber-jabber on our hands. She talked all day long. Now that she is working on more of her motor skills, she doesn’t talk as much. Yesterday she actually figured out that she could move off the matt by scooting backwards. I think it’s hilarious that she isn’t afraid to move off it, but Emmily is.

It is so much fun to see every little milestone as they grow and develop. We absolutely love being parents.

3 1/2 Months Old

The girls are now 3 1/2 months old. I still can't believe its been that long. I think its best to tell you about them individually this time.

Allison: She is such a doll. Chipmunk cheeks that get bigger with every smile and a round little booty. Her Daddy tells her she has junk in the trunk all the time. She still loves to sleep on her tummy and will cuddle with anyone to lets her lay on their chest. For the most part she is very content, only crying when she is tired, boared or hunger. She was very patient for a while, but now if she knows you are making a bottle or if she sees me getting ready to nurse its an instant cry. The only other time she cries is when you are burping her. She does not like having her food taken away before she is completely finished. Unfortunitly, she does still have a bit of reflux and therefore, HAS to burp during her feedings. Even if she disagrees.

Allison is quite the talker. She will repeat "ahh" and "ohh", we are curently working on more sounds and adding in consanants. She does squeal, but hasn't quite gotten down the giggle yet. One of her favorite things to do is play with the musical keys haging in her playpen. Although, she hasn't quite gotten the idea of making them "sing." She does love batting at them and trying to grab them. She is just starting to roll over to her side. She will roll to her belly while in her crib, but thats pretty much the only time. She's just not that interested in rolling over just yet.

She is sleeping about 5 to 7 hours at night. She goes to bed at about 8pm and then wakes up around 3am for a feeding then usually goes right back to sleep until 7am. Its a wonderful schedule. If I could just get her to nap more during the day and become a little more regular with her nightime sleep. But, we'll talk more about that later.

Emmily: My other sweet baby girl. She has the cutest smile going all the way up to her eyes. Until the past week she really hasn't had much to say. Just lots of smiles. She is talking a lot more now, but she's not quite to the stage where she will repeat "ahh" or "ohh" sounds. She has started giggling, but she has to be in the right mood to get her to do it. I haven't been able to get her to giggle yet with her Daddy in ear shot, but I'm sure she will soon.

She really dislikes being on her tummy. Most of the time when I force her to lay on her tummy, she rolls over to her back. The other day I was playing with her on a blanket on the floor, and she rolled from her back to her belly then to her back, in a circle, landing right next to my side. She was very proud of herself. She has also started scooting in a circle on her back. This has caused her to loose all the hair in a line on the back of her head. It looks funny, but she loves being able to move.

She differs on her sleep patterns at night. Some nights she will wake for a 3am feeding, but others she won't wake until 5. No matter when she gets in her middle of the night feeding, she always goes back to sleep until 7ish in the morning. She has been much better at sleeping through the night than during the day. The little stinker rarely naps.

Allison and Emmily are so precious! I can't imagine having better babies. Granted, things are not "perfect" but they are pretty darn close. The only thing left to round out our happy family routine is getting them to nap during the day.

I wasn't the normal first time Mom. I didn't read all kinds of books on different parenting philosphies. I thought I knew enough to take a little from what I've heard from family and friends and come up with my own style. Afterall, I was having twins. Surely these methods wouldn't be able to offer me as much as they would a new Mom with just one baby. So I spent my time reading up on twins, and how to treat them individually and help them over come normal twin set backs (like a 6 month delay on speech).

Well, I finally gave in. With both girls going on napping strikes and sometimes nursing strikes as well, it was time to get more information. So I reserved two books from the library that many of my friends have recommended, Healthy Sleep Habbits, Happy Child and Babywise. I am 10th in line for HSHHC, but just got Babywise.

Wouldn't you know it, I am already following most of this method. Most of the "pitfalls" they describe, I managed to avoid. That got me to thinking that maybe, just maybe, there is something to these different parenting styles and philosophies than I thought.

For that reason, I am starting a new blog. This one will be open to everyone and anyone, no password required. However, it will not be based on Allie and Emmi and will not have their pictures. This will still be our family blog for updates about the girls and their continued growth and progress. The new blog will be for exploring Babywise and HSHHC and how they help me to get my girls on a better sleeping, napping, playing and eating schedule without being stuck to a hyperscheduled day. Here is the link for anyone intersted in following along with us: http://sleepytwinmommy.blogspot.com/

2 Months Old

Its amazing how fast time flies. Our girls are already two months old. At the same time it feels like they have always been a part of our lives. I guess that's partly due to the fact that I always knew I would have twin girls. I told my parents when I was 11 or 12 that I was going to have them when I grew up. I supposed it could also be because they fit so perfectly into our lives. We are a family.

Both girls have mastered smiling and have really been showing off their adorable gummy smiles the past couple of days. They have also changed from looking like newborns to looking more like infants. Their complexions have cleared up and you can start to see more of what their skin tones will be.

Allison has been trying really hard to giggle. So far it doesn't quite come out as a sound yet. She grunts and coos all the time she is awake. She also has some reflux. Some days are worse than others. The doctors doesn't think its anything to be concerned about unless she stops gaining weight or seems to have a sore throat. Apparently the medications they can give her are know to have some side effects that the doctor would rather avoid. She still loves her swing and being cuddled before she falls asleep.

Emmily is still my cuddle bug. She is definitely a Mama's Girl. When she has had enough of everything else going on her in little world I am the only one who can comfort her and calm her down. I haven't really noticed her trying to giggle, but she does smile a lot and stick out her tongue quite a bit. I think she is trying to coo some more, but it doesn't quite have any sound to it yet.

They are still wearing some of their newborn size clothes. I have packed away all the preemie sizes. They are starting to out grown the smallest of the newborn size as well. I am guessing that in the next two weeks they will be in their 0-3 month size clothes. I put them both in footed pajamas tonight and they fit them exactly perfectly. If they grow at all they will be too small. Its funny though because it almost seems like they are shorter on Emmily than on Allison.

They have their 2 month well visit with the doctor on the 14th of December. They will have to get shots. I'm not looking forward to that visit. We will get to see their weight and length at that time as well.

Last week, Thanksgiving week, was a big one for them. On Sunday their cousin Jadynn turned 3, so we went to Phoenix with for her birthday party. The girls got to meet all three of their great grandparents and some Aunts and Uncles they hadn't met yet. On Monday the Wilkerson family arrived in Tucson from South Carolina. It was so much fun having them here and the extra help was very much appreciated. We all headed to Phoenix for Thanksgiving and they were around all their family members that live there, plus the Wilkersons and their Great Grandparents. It was a bit over whelming for them. They were actually really good, but in the end just wanted Mommy to hold and rock them. My plan is to work on helping them learn to put themselves to sleep in hopes that it will help them deal with all the extra people loving on them at Christmas.

6 weeks

Can it be true? Are our girls 6 weeks old already?

We have been very busy these last few weeks. Allison started smiling at us when she's playing at about 4 weeks. Emmily started her smiling at 5 weeks. Emmily started sporadically sleeping 5 to 6 hours a night at 4 1/2 weeks and Allison started doing the same at about 5 weeks. This past week they have both slept 5-6 hours at night 5 of the last 7 days. Those seem like such huge milestones to me, but there are so many more still to come.

With sleeping more at night, they are awake more during the day. Usually this isn't a problem, and I have a wonderful time playing with them. However, this week especially, they have been staying awake while the other wants to eat. They aren't quite at the independent play stage yet, so the one that wants to play has to be content with the swing or play gym until her sister is fed. Sometimes they aren't too happy about that.

I did take Allison to the doctor on Monday. She has been spitting up much more than I would like. The dr thinks she is just eating too much and spitting up whatever she doesn't need. On average babies gain about 1 oz a day, they are averaging 1.5oz a day. We go back on Tuesday just to get their weights checked to make sure they are still averaging the same weight gain. We started gas drops and gripe water this week in hopes of controlling the spit up. Wouldn't you know it, the gas drops seems to work better for Emmily and the gripe water seems to work better for Allison. Just one more difference between them.

I've decided that God is the only one that could ever possible love these little girls as much as I do. Oh, I'm sure Daddy is a close second, but I don't think its humanly possible for anyone to love them like I do. Sure staying home with them is EXHAUSTING. And truthfully, there are days when I wish for a break. But I still enjoy being with them.

I love the way they cuddle in when the fall asleep on me. I am amazed at how strong they are getting when they are laid on their tummies, and how they now turn their heads towards me when I talk to them. I love to play Patty Cake, So Big, and This Little Piggie with them. I even get a couple of smiles out of them before they don't feel like playing any more.

We really don't have much of a scheduled routine. They seem to be doing just fine on the schedules they have set for themselves. They sleep 5-6 hours at night and 3-5 hours at a time during the day. Some times they wake to play for about 20 minutes then they are ready to sleep again. I would like to start a night time routine in a few weeks. It would be nice to have baths, story time, cuddles, then bedtime, but I think they are still a little young for that.

The best 3 weeks of our lives.

How many ways can you fall in love? It must be an endless number. These girls do something everyday that reminds me just how wonderful they are. We have definitely been blessed.

I love that it has become obvious that they are starting to see objects further away. They practice all kinds of facial expressions when they are falling asleep. It melts my heart when they smile. I’m very excited for when they do that in response to seeing their Daddy or me.

They are such good babies. I’m not going to lie though; it is a LOT of work taking care of two babies. Craig and I joke all the time that one would be a breeze compared to this. He’s even planning on when we can start trying for baby number 3.

Allison is usually the more independent twin. She still like her cuddle time, but also enjoys her swing and bouncer seat. She really only cries when there is something wrong with her or if she decided she wants one of us to hold her.

Emmily is my little snuggle bug. She often decides that she wants her Mommy to hold her and cuddle before she will sleep. If anything happens to scare or upset her, she doesn’t calm down until she gets cuddles from me. She is still a little small for the swing and cries when I try to put her in it. She loves her bouncer seat and to be rocked in our rocking recliner.

We are still working on breastfeeding. I seem to only have enough supply for one and a half babies. We’ve tried a number of different things from pumping every two hours to feeding both girls and then supplementing both with formula afterwards. Right now we are trying to alternate between nursing and formula bottles with each baby on a day by day basis (ie: day one – Emmi gets bottle, Alli is nursed; day two – Emmi is nursed, Alli gets bottle). So far this seems to be the easiest solution, and Daddy likes that he gets to be more involved in the feedings when he’s home.

We are also working on getting Mommy some more sleep. Craig takes over from about 7 or 8 until about 11. There have only been a couple of times when he’s needed some help because both girls woke up at the same time to eat.

It still amazes me every day that these two precious little girls are here, and they are ours. I know we have so much to learn and so much to look forward to. But for now I am enjoying every moment of the newborn phase, even through the lack of sleep and weepy emotions.

37 weeks, 6 days (close enough to 38 weeks)

Today is the day!! There's no turning back now. We will be parents before the day is over. I'm anxious to see how big they are and what they look like. If they have any hair (I've had a lot of heart burn) and how close to each other they look.

I had a very rough weekend. I started having contractions Friday night, they were 7 minutes apart for 2 hours. Then they spread back out. They continued off and on through out the weekend. I was so sore and tired by the time I had my appointment on Monday. I must have looked just as bad as I felt, I didn't even have to say much to the doctor before he decided to move my c-section to this week. He also suggested taking Tylenol 4 times a day to keep it in my system to help with pain. That has helped quite a bit as far as taking the edge off. I'm still sore, but it is so much more bearable.

I had one last NST on Wednesday. Both girls reacted great. Allison's heart rate was in the 150's and Emmily's was in the 170's. Big difference between the two, but apparently nothing to worry about.

So the plan for today is to be at the hospital by 2:30, and surgery at 4:30. Craig and the girls will be taken to the nursery so the girls can be weighed and banded. During which I'll be taken to the recovery room. As soon as I'm settled in recovery, Craig and the girls get to come and spend the next couple of hours with me. Then we will be transferred to a regular room. As long as my pain is under control and I'm able to get up and walk around on my own, we should be back home Saturday night.

Its still so surreal. From this day on, we will now be a family of 4.