Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone!  I hope this past year was great and wish everyone health and happiness for 2011!  The babies are doing better, although Carson still has a lingering cough.  :-(  I hope it clears up.  My poor babies love to take medicine and open their mouths for it and Carson likes to turn on his own humidifier.  How mature.  Who knew one year olds were so advanced these days?  hahahaha...We only made it till about 10:20 at the New Year's Eve supper at my grandma's house.  We are party animals, huh?  It was the only place the babies have been in a week and probably the only place they'll really go for a spell.  We are seriously keeping them in more.....it's hard.  Anyway, hope everyone has a happy new year!!!! 

Christmas etc.

Christmas was good!  Last year, we brought Carson home on Christmas day.  It was a simple, yet perfect Christmas spent in the NICU.  It will always be one of my best memories because it involved no gifts, few decorations, just family.  I can't believe that was just a short year ago!  Now, instead of two teeny infants I have 2 rambunctious one year olds who could really get into stuff.  The only downside to Christmas this year was that all four of us felt bad.  Emilynn is still battling her ear infection and both babies have bad coughs.  No one wanted to nap on Christmas day, although Mommy desperately wanted one.  Anyway, Santa came and brought both babies an outfit, jammies, a new bath towel, a VT sweatshirt, a movie, a Fisher-Price mailbox, cars & trucks, books,a few other small toys and Carson got a Little Tikes shopping cart, Emmy got a doll stroller.  We gave them each a Fisher Price puppy that you use to learn body parts and Carson got a Lil' Zoomers race track, Emmy got a Little People doll house.  It was a lot of fun seeing them play with stuff and what each baby seemed to like the best.  I am amazed at how they've grown...Emilynn loves the doll house and flushes the toilet over and over.  She thinks it's funny because it makes noise.  Carson loves a Fisher Price gumball machine and he knows how to work it-he and I both clap each time he pushes the correct button to make a gumball come out (they are fake of course).  I will say that it has been a bit overwhelming with all the birthday and Christmas gifts at once.  I am very grateful for all of them, I'm just trying to put them away and organize them so the babies enjoy them all.  If they are all in a big pile they can't really get to them and don't know what to play with first and pieces get lost, etc.  I might be a touch OCD but I like to keep all the pieces together and organized.  I know, hard to believe I would say that...but it's true.   Oh, one of their favorite things is the Step 2 Doorway Playhouse Dustin & I gave them for their birthday.  Google it to see how cute it is!  They love it and play with it a lot.  They go back down the hall throughout the day to play with it and every child that has been here since we got it-no matter the age- loves it!  It's definitely worth the money and it is basically a "kiddie" door that fits into their doorway.  It makes their room like a big playhouse.  It has a working doorbell also which Carson LOVES to push.  A LOT!  You may want to leave the batteries out of that if you are easily annoyed, luckily I am not!  LOL>  What else did we get for Christmas from friends and family?  They each got a Little Tikes ridey-toy...Emmy's is the traditional beep-beep Cozy Coupe car, Carson's is a pick up truck which he loves.  Carson got a John Deere pedal tractor, Emmy got a Little Tikes kitchen.  They got a Laugh & Learn barn door which they loved-they can crawl in and out of it.  Lots of Little People stuff-which is funny.  Dustin says "It's the little people" in a real funny way.   Isn't it funny the sayings and phrases you come up with at home?  That other people would think you're nuts if they heard you?  They also got clothes, jammies, Carson got a workbench, Emmy a tea set, ornaments.....an activity table.  A lot of stuff.  The bigger items will probably be outside once it's warm-the ride ons, etc.  They got a lot of things they can kind of grow into, so that is nice since they won't really get gifts again till a year from now.  The only thing we plan to buy for them next year as far as toys go is a sandbox in the springtime. 
On another note, Dustin and I have decided they are hibernating till spring.  Seriously.  They have been fighting colds for over 3 weeks now and I am so tired of us all being sick.  I'm tired of hearing the coughing - it's pitiful.  It's been a pattern since fall- we get well, we go out, we get sick.  We have done that monthly since Sept.  It's really hard when they are sick because they just want to be held, they are cranky, and you just want to make them feel better.  I feel as though I'm constantly dispensing medicine, luckily they love it but still.  We are going to try to keep them at home as much as possible.  It's hard for me because I love taking them places-going to church as a family, out to eat, just anywhere.  I had hoped to get 1 year pics done this week, Carson a haircut (I don't mind postponing that one....not my idea!), and a trip to the Children's Museum.  We aren't doing any of that now...but that's okay.  I'll trade it for health.  I did want 1 year pics but I'll get over it.  We didn't get hospital pictures either and I'm okay with that.  Such as life....plans change.  So, we are home bound for quite a while.  Home's a good place to be though! 

One year check up

Just a quick update from our check up- Carson weighs 20 pounds, 15 ounces and is 28 inches long.  Emilynn weighs 20 pounds even (I think she carbo-loaded at cracker barrel before the appointment so she'd hit 20! haha) and is 30 inches long.  They are both really healthy overall.  I only remember 2 percentages...Carson is in the 10th percentile for his height and weight isn't much better.  He's a shortie.  He's really not that big for his age, even though it seems like it, I guess because Emmy's so skinny.  Emmy is in the 90th percentile for her height.  She is a tall girl! 
What we have to work on is weaning from the bottle and formula.  :-(  It's hard.  They say "ba-ba".  Milk is going okay for Carson, Emmy is hit or miss but we'll get there.  I know it needs to be done.  Carson's only issue is his eczema, it's gotten pretty bad lately.  Emilynn is fine except for her tear duct in one of her eyes is still messed up.  We are headed to a specialist for that.  I seriously don't know when I'd work if I was still working.  I feel like we are at a dr. once per week sometimes.  And we are healthy! 
The dr. is with me on the rear-facing car seats also.  I was kind of surprised because she brought it up to me,  and we are on the same page.  She recommends a minimum of 15 months rear facing. 
Today was a busy day-we had to run to Sam's club for Nanny and Marie.  Then we had lunch at Cracker Barrel.  We sat by the cutest older couple and the man came over to say how well behaved the babies were.  They actually were so good, they hardly made a peep.  Carson was grinning at the man and he kept rubbing Carson's head giving him a "noogie".  It was cute.  When they left Nicole was like "thank goodness, the pressure is off now. "  I was thinking the same thing!  LOL>  I didn't want them to misbehave after the nice compliment!  We also hit Target for a prescription-I forgot to mention Emilynn has her first ear infection!  Bummer....but glad we caught it cause she wasn't really acting sick.  A rite of passage I guess...first ear infection.  Carson's ear cleared up on it's own, so that was a praise!  Both babies got 2 shots and a TB test and we need to go for routine blood work but I can't handle that this week, maybe next week or the first week of Jan. 
Tonight we had dinner with Meme & Poppy and I must say, I'm tired.  Yesterday was busy with birthday stuff.....it was so nice though, it was casual and relaxed and we just had finger foods and people came and went when they wanted to.  Meme (my step-mom), Poppy (my dad), Papa (Dustin's Dad), Aunt Marie, Cousins Hunter R., Shelby, Kelsey, Hunter P, Aunt Nicole, Papa (my step-dad), Nannie (my mom), Big Nanny (my grandma), Patom (my grandpa), Aunt Amanda, Uncle Wayne all came by to see the babies for their big day.  It was a lot of fun. 
Tomorrow we are hopefully staying in and just relaxing at the house.  I have a few things I want to cook so hopefully I'll get that done but if I don't-no biggie. 
Dustin's grandmother (Nanny Bowlin) is in the hospital with some lung problems (she went in overnight)-so say a prayer for her.  Our family in general is having some health issues among our grandparents, the babies' great-grandparents so keep them all in mind during your prayers. 
I am off to bed...so tired from a very busy birthday week and long day. 

Happy First Birthday!

Happy First Birthday Carson & Emilynn!  I can't believe my babies are 1 year old today.  Boy times sure does fly!  We've gone from little 5 pound babies totally dependent on mom & dad to a big boy and girl that can crawl, climb, talk, laugh, and do just about anything they want to do.  They have opinions now, likes, dislikes, and are constantly keeping us on our toes.  You can almost see the changes daily in this first year!  We have a fun day planned with playing, an Elmo birthday DVD, a Sesame Street birthday song, more presents, food, and visits from family.  It should be fun and just a day to celebrate the twins!  Happy Birthday babies!!!!! 

1st Birthday Party!

We had the twins' first birthday party yesterday!  It was so much fun and really went well.  The babies did great (how much longer can I call them babies?).  We had a Pooh themed party with a Pooh cake that I made, two teeny Pooh smash cakes, and lots of Pooh decorations.  I had fun planning it, it was simple yet fun.  We had a pinata because I love them!  :-)  I think the kids liked that part and it was one of those pull-string ones (less violent than beating the pinata till it breaks I guess) and it actually worked.  I was impressed.  Carson & Emmy got lots of neat gifts.  As we were opening gifts I really just enjoyed seeing everyone's reactions to the babies' reactions.  You could tell everyone there really just loves them and sees joy in them.  I felt the same love at their dedication when we had all of our family together in the babies' honor.  I love those moments.  I guess it's easy for me to forget sometimes that while God blessed US with Carson & Emilynn to raise and love, they are loved by so many others and bring everyone such joy.  It's neat to see the world through a child's eye.  One of Emmy's favorite things was an Elmo card from Rawhide, Betty, and family.  She got so excited when we opened it.  Carson surprised us too, he got a whale teeter-totter from my grandparents.  He was possessive over that thing-he loves it!  He had the biggest smile on his face when he was on it.  I was actually glad to see him taking up for himself-he's usually so agreeable and lets Emmy get by with a lot!  ;)  Emilynn loved her smash cake-she ate almost all of it.  Carson hardly ate half and didn't get much on him at all.  I had predicted all of that.  It's so them.  All in all, we loved the party and had a blast.  It was so much fun and so neat to celebrate Carson & Emilynn.    They did get a little bit of a nap after the party but I think Em was on a sugar high, she didn't sleep long.  My friend Nicole and I opened all the toys while they were napping and put batteries in them and had them all arranged when they woke up.  Emilynn's mouth literally dropped in surprise when I brought her in the living room.  It was cute.  They played with everything and we had such a nice evening-Dustin, Carson, Emilynn and I just played and had a relaxed time.  None of us were hungry so we just played and snacked on leftovers whenever we wanted and kind of threw our schedule out the window for the night.  I can't think of a better day.  I've had the best year of my life being a mom.  To have a first birthday party for our twins is amazing to me when I reflect back on days when we didn't know if we'd ever get the chance to be parents.  We are so blessed it's overwhelming.  God is good.  He had dreams for us that we couldn't even imagine. 

Our busy day.....

Today was a very busy day...as I had predicted.  It started out normal enough, dropped Emmy off to play.  She was fully involved in playing about 2 seconds after we got there and never looked back for Momma. 
Carson & I headed to his appointment, which went really well.  Parking for his appointment, not so much.  It was insane there.  They had blocked off half the parking lot and so me and about 20 other cars were circling hoping to catch someone leaving to get their space.  I only had about ten extra minutes to spare, so I was a tad bit concerned we might be late.  One man jumped out of his truck and started screaming at a lady who wouldn't back up for him to leave the space.  I finally found a couple leaving and planned to take their space.  I had my blinker on and everything and here comes someone who thought they were going to steal it from me.  Well, the nice couple that was leaving threw their car back into reverse and gunned the engine-blocking the other SUV from getting the space till I could pull in!  They were my good samaritans for the day!!!  :-)  It pays to not get road rage!  I wasn't even losing my cool-we just kept singing our Christian music and I remained relatively calm-haha!  Anyway, what you really want to hear about-Carson's appointment went really well.  His thyroid levels are normal and he's doing great!  :-)  I knew all that but it's nice to hear it from a professional!  I have to say-I love that dr's practice.  They are SO NICE and they make over Carson like crazy.  Of course he eats it up and smiles and laughs at them.  It's cute.  A dr. we weren't even seeing came in to say "hi" and love on him.  They just truly seem to enjoy their jobs.  It makes all the difference in the world in the patient's care. 
We headed off to Chick-fil-a for lunch where I encountered my next crazy driver- someone broke in front of me in the drive-thru line!  Yes, you read that right.  Now, that really did annoy me-LOL.  It affected my food!  I am telling you all this because I truly can't get over how crazy people are acting right now.  I guess it's the impending snowfall plus holidays stressing people out, but if that's the case I think we all need to CHILL!  It was ridiculous.  We had 3 stops to make-Sam's Club, Target, and Walmart.  Carson did so good in Sam's Club that I for a minute thought about how much easier it was to take my kids places now and I had a glimmer of hope that I could take them to get groceries by myself now.  Well, after Target and Walmart that glimmer was gone.  He was done.  He wanted no more shopping and was very vocal about it at times.  He also dumped a whole bowl of puffs on the Walmart floor so I found a man with a broom to clean that up.  I was going to do it myself but he wouldn't let me.  He kept throwing off his hat and managed to get it under a car at Walmart....I had to go back and look for it.  Plus it's freezing outside so I look like a crazy mom with no cold weather gear on my child....because he's decided to throw it and deceive Momma.  I won't ever judge parents for not having their kids in proper attire-the kids just maybe have hidden stuff from them!  Anyway, we got home, collected Emilynn and Daddy and headed to Meme & Poppy's for weekly dinner.  We love our weekly dinners.  It is crazy, fun, LOUD, and just nice to enjoy some down time and visiting!  I'm so thankful we have such a close-knit big family!  All in all it was a nice day with some one on one time with Carson.  I always love one on one time with a baby.  It's really special and I think they sense that.  He was in such a good mood once we got to my Dad's.  He just laughed and played and was so silly!  He really does have Dustin's sense of humor....he's going to make us laugh a LOT!  :-) 

Food

Food is a major deal here right now.  We are in a transition phase where we are trying to go from baby food to "real" food and less formula.  It's not as easy as I thought it would be or hoped it would be.  But it's going well overall I guess.  What I can't figure out is why the babies will eat everything in baby food.  They've never turned anything down, and I must admit they've had some weird things.  With "real" food though, it's a whole new ball game.  Green beans for instance-they love green beans but seem to prefer them jarred rather than as finger foods.  I don't get it because they eat the organic baby food which has nothing whatsoever added to it.  It's all bland.  Carrots are the same way.  We are finally warming up to the green beans but it's a slow transition.  Bottles aren't going to be as hard as I thought to give up (hopefully).  They are depending on them less and less but the morning one is the one that is going to give us a problem I think.  Carson has started crying "ba-ba, ba-ba" from his crib when he wakes up.  It's the cutest thing ever.  I can hear him on the monitor. 
Oh, and Emmy's new trick- she gets down like she's going to do a flip over on the floor.  So, she has her legs up tall and her head down on the carpet....so her head is upside down.  And she just stays there a few seconds then gets up.  It's hilarious.  I have yet to be quick enough with the camera but my mom and aunt saw it tonight and they thought it was a hoot. 
Anyway, gotta go pack diaper bags for a busy day tomorrow.  Carson & I are headed to the pediatric endocrinologist and to get some last minute birthday party supplies, Emmy's headed to spend the day with her cousins so she'll have a ball playing with them.  We'll finish out the day with dinner at my Dad's. 

Here are the real foods both babies love:  yogurt (Yo-baby & Yo-toddler brand is what they love, any flavor....they will cry and beat the high chairs for it.  I guess that's a good thing), cheese, banana, macaroni & cheese, cheese quesadillas or grilled cheese.  Apparently most kids like cheese!   No veggies on the list...they do ok with green beans.  This is all stuff they feed themselves except the yogurt. 

Emmy likes carrots and green beans, and LOVES mashed potatoes, cake, rolls

Carson likes green beans OK and hasn't had mashed potatoes yet, doesn't like cake much. Rolls are okay.

I am still doing baby food for veggies till we get more variety we can feed ourselves.  I have sweet potatoes and butternut squash in the kitchen waiting to be cooked.  They like both jarred...we'll see how it goes in bites. 

We did it!

Emilynn and I went to church this morning and she made it through the entire service!  It was a "no-nursery" day!  :-)  I was so proud of her.  She was a really good girl!  I usually end up taking them out right before the sermon each week but my goal is always to have them in church the whole service.  I just think it's important from a young age.  Anyway, they must feed off of each other cause she was an angel without her brother. :)  Carson stayed home because he is still sick.  I took him to the dr. yesterday morning and he has a virus.  It just has to run it's course.  He has a cough, his throat is red, one ear is red but not infected yet.....I just hope everything gets better and doesn't go the other way, towards infection.  This week is a big week for them-their party is Saturday!  I really want two well babies for that! 
In other news-I finally have a tree up!  It is only 3 foot tall and on our island, but it is a tree.  Carson watched me work on it while Emmy was finishing up her nap.  It has been a really nice weekend even though Carson was sick because I got lots of alone time with each baby.  Carson spent time with me Saturday when I carried him to the doctor and we went in Target to get more medicine afterwards.  Emmy and I went to church and lunch afterwards today.  She ate like a big girl at lunch- she had mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, cheese, roll, and cake!   It's so neat to watch them eating now.  It is very messy though, they like to feed themselves....we are getting so independent! 
Well, I'm rambling so I'm off of here.  Gonna go put up our nativity scene.  We have another busy week ahead with Alyssa's school play (she has a speaking part, should be fun to watch), Sunday School Christmas dinner, and a dr.'s appointment with Carson's pediatric endocrinologist.  Between all that I have to make food for the birthday party, mainly the cake, wrap Christmas gifts, wrap birthday gifts, etc.etc.etc.....  Lots to do but lots of fun stuff going on!

Pictures with Santa, etc.

Pictures with Santa.....did not happen!  We didn't get to go. :(  Bummer...I know.  Maybe next year cause it doesn't look like we're going to see him anywhere this year but I'm okay with that.  I certainly don't want to go to the mall to see him so we just won't have pics.  What happened?    We got sick.  Again.  Me & the kids this time.  Carson is still not well, he has a lingering cough I'm keeping a close watch on.  Emmy's better except runny nose.  I am better too.  This is I think...our 4th or 5th set of colds this year.  Urrgghhh..... I think we'll stay home till April!   I am hoping we'll all be 100 % for our big first birthday party next weekend.  I'm praying anyway! 
This has been a busy week though for me, tonight is parade night!  Our Relay for Life team made a float to promote the Relay and we are riding in the parade tonight.  Dustin is keeping the kids at home, so he hasn't even seen the float.  But, they will be right where they need to be.  I had hoped they could ride in the heated vehicle to be a part of the parade but it's just going to be easier to keep them at home.  We have worked hard on our float (esp. Dad) and I am excited about it.  I am not excited about how cold it's going to be, but that is okay.  It's for a good cause and maybe we'll get a few interested people from it.  People with cancer have it a gazillion times worse than riding in a cold parade so we won't complain.  We are blessed to be doing it!  :- )  That has pretty much taken up the whole week.....we are just trying to stay home and get well otherwise. 

This is too funny not to share....

I almost forgot...since we are going to see Santa, my little sister Alyssa made a Santa list.  She is 7.  She is very funny and whitty (not sure how to spell that) and Emilynn is SO MUCH like her and looks a lot like her.  We are in for an adventure!!  Anyway, on her list was......drumroll........."STAK".  As in "STEAK".   Steak that you eat.  Isn't that hilarious?  In kindergarten she did a worksheet and put her favorite food as "ribs".  The girl likes her beef....what can we say?  Can you tell our family likes to eat well?  :-)  Haha......
I thought that was something....and so Alyssa. 
P.S. A sister zapper was also on her list.  I won't say which sister she wanted to zap.  They were named though.... :-) 

Another Crazy Week....

Okay, another week is gone and I haven't blogged much.  I am going to try to do better....it's just been something going on all week!  I guess tis the season.  I can't believe Christmas is almost here!  I am excited about the twins' first birthday too!!!!  I can't believe they are almost a year!  They are so funny these days.  We are working on new words and I can only manage to focus on one word with one baby at a time.  It takes a little bit and then I move on to the next one.  So far, Emilynn says Da-Da, ba-ba (bottle), and she will sometimes say mama but not much yet.  She also is working on Bubba for her brother.  It's a variation of ba-ba but oh so cute.  She talks all the time!  It is so funny because she gives us earfuls all the time but you have no idea what she is saying.  She's very determined too, she repeats the same crazy stuff to us like "why aren't yall getting this?".   Carson says da-da and ma-ma.  He loves to say mama and says it all the time!  Of course....I just eat that up!!!  That's as far as we've gotten with words.  Emmy did say 'Uh-oh' tonight after I said it but I couldn't get her to do it anymore.  Carson is a man of few words and I'm not surprised.  He will talk when he's ready. 
Independence is a big thing right now too.  Carson had gotten where he didn't want me feeding him his baby food anymore.  Both babies would rather feed themselves finger foods than have me feed them.  He was pushing away the spoon and throwing a fit.  I decided to put his food on a spoon and give it to him and that was the end of our fighting at meals.  He loved trying to do it himself.  He of course missed his mouth mostly, but after that first time, I just give him an empty spoon and inbetween me feeding him, he just puts the spoon in his mouth to pretend to feed himself.  It's cute and he hasn't balked me anymore with feedings.  Emilynn is happy to have me feed her.  I am glad because honestly, the world isn't ready for Emilynn with a spoon! 
Carson also refuses to wear a bib anymore.  He ribs it off every time.  He is a fairly neat eater though, so it's not a big deal. 
We also tried to get Christmas pictures this week.  I don't know if we got any but I made a decision after we did pictures.  I don't think we are putting up a big Christmas tree.  I will probably do one or two small ones that can fit on the island or table.  My children demolished Meme's Christmas tree in record time!  Ornaments were flying and ornament hooks were flying and I was scared they were going to swallow something they shouldn't and I decided at that moment to save myself a lot of stress and not put up the big tree.  It just isn't worth it if I am going to be stressed and worried about them the whole time.  I had already planned to gate it off, but they can turn the gate over sometimes.  I love the Christmas tree and leave it up for a while (past New Year's anyway and I am not superstitious about that at all) but maybe next year.......
In the meantime our calendar is full of Christmas activities!   We are going to see Santa Claus tomorrow, we have the church cantata Sunday, Relay for Life Christmas dinner Sunday, Christmas Parade Friday, Christmas plays at several churches we might try to make....it's a fun time of year!!!  We have also been riding to look at lights-one of my favorite things.  We bundle the babies up in jammies and away we go. 
Hope everyone is enjoying this magical time!  :-)  And remember Jesus is the reason for the season!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  The babies celebrated their last "1st" holiday, except for their birthday of course!  We had a low-key Thanksgiving.  We did a lot of visiting and eating but on Thanksgiving day we only went to supper at my Dad's.  The rest of the day we spent at home which was so nice.  I love Thanksgiving because it's a simple holiday.  They had matching turkey outfits to wear that I got at the dress factory sale.  They were cute but after the third time wearing them since Wednesday, I am glad we are officially retiring them!  It's kept my laundry caught up though-cause I keep washing turkey clothes!  :-)  Tonight was our final celebration so we can focus on Christmas now.  I am pretty much done shopping except for a few odds and ends I'm saving so I can enjoy the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.  I've been done with most everything for a while though.  I love doing my shopping early, it stresses me out to wait.  Which is unusual for me since I am late with most everything else.   Anyway, I am tired from a busy week so I hope everyone had a great holiday and I'll have to update more later!  I hope everyone had a blessed holiday with family and friends!

Stats I forgot....and another busy day

I forgot to mention our chompers in my stats!  The babies each have 8 teeth.  More seem to come in all the time.  It's funny because they come in exactly opposite of each other.  For instance, when Emilynn got her bottom third tooth, it came in on the left of her other two teeth.  Carson's came in on the right.  A lot have been that way, so it's weird.  But interesting.....

Today was another busy day.  I am tired so I won't write too much.  We ended up going to the early bird dress sale today.  It was a lot of fun and of course I found a lot of cute things for Emilynn and two boy outfits for Carson which is rare to find.  I am excited about them.  As if they needed more clothes.  I will say the dresses there are cheap and I got about 6 things off the irregular rack, which are ridiculously cheap.    Dawn (my step mom), Marie (my sister in law), Shelby (my neice), and "little Hunter" as we call him (my nephew) all went and met my cousin Kristen there.  Papa (Dustin's dad) kept the rest of the kids at my house- my two, plus my neice Kelsey, and other nephew Hunter.  Yes, both my nephews are Hunter.  It can get confusing.  I must say, Papa is a good sport.  He is usually up for anything. 

Tonight we had a Relay for Life meeting.  We are having a float in the Christmas parade.  It should be fun and a great way to spread the word about our cause. I'm sure it will be cold though.  The babies will not be riding.  :-) 

Our fundraiser we are doing right now is a candle fundraiser.  They make great gifts and are made with natural soy and veggies.  They are eco-friendly, non-toxic, and non-carcinogenic unlike many popular candles that are on the market today.  The people that make the candles give 1 % of their sales to Relay for Life in addition to what we will make for our team.  So how much are these great candles you ask?  Well, you can get them for only $16!   Let me or anyone on our team know if you are interested in hearing about the scents.  I worry about what we breathe in our home and I know I plan to get a few of these!  

We have more great fundraisers planned-so stay tuned! 

Our latest stats & a word about carseats

Well, we went for our Synagis shots today.  It went okay, we had a few tears but not many.  I wasn't sure how it would go because for our flu shots we had no tears, not even a wimper.  Anyway, we are not getting anymore of these shots, so I hope we have good enough immune systems built up!  :-(  I was hoping to get them this "season" too, but that's okay.

Our latest stats:  Carson- weighs in at a whopping 20 pounds 3 ounces! 
Yep, he's over the 20 mark!  Wow!  He wears 6-9 month clothes mostly.  12 months fit around him well, but they are way too long.  He's a shortie.  He even wears some 3-6 month stuff. 

Emilynn- weighs 18 pounds 11 ounces.  It's honestly hard to believe she weighs that much and is so close to Car.  She feels SO much lighter than him and she's so skinny!!!  She wears 6-9 month or 12 month for length.  But a lot of 12 month stuff is WAY too big in her waist.  She wears leggings as pants because they are snugger.  Her easiest outfit right now is dresses because it doesn't matter how they fit in the waist so she does cotton dresses with leggings.  They're so cute on her. 

We had a nice lunch with Meme & Poppy at the Olive Garden.  The babies did great-they are so cute now because they can feed themselves puffs & yogurt melts and they even had some bread there.  It was delicious and a nice treat!  It's nice to get out and about sometimes!!! 

With Carson being over 20 pounds I know he can soon be turned around in his carseat.  We researched carseats for quite a while before buying the ones we have now.  I spent hours comparing carseats, went to stores with a list to see the ones I had narrowed it down to, and finally ordered them about 2 months ago.  We decided to get carseats that can be used rear-facing for up to 40 pounds, and front-facing for up to 65 pounds.  I wanted something where we didn't have to buy seats again anytime soon, but I also wanted to keep them rear-facing longer.  The basic idea is that even at 20 pounds and 1 year, they are not really ready to turn around because their necks, spine, etc. aren't developed enough to handle a crash in a front-facing position and a crash could cause serious or fatal injuries.  I can't really explain it all that well, but I was surprised to find that other countries keep children rear-facing much longer than we do here.  There is a wonderful website you can check out if you are interested in more information- go to http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/ and if you scroll down on the left-hand side you can click on "car seat safety-why rear-facing is best" for more information.  I don't know how it will work out, but I am going to keep them rear-facing as long as I can.  The small fender-bender we were in was scary enough for me and made me realize that a crash is a reality.  It's one of those things you think won't happen to you, but unfortunately it could. 

It's a cold, rainy day and boy am I thankful we don't have to go anywhere!  What a messy day but rain is always needed so I'm glad we are getting it.  Tomorrow we have to go get our synagis shots, so I hope it's
nice weather for that.  Loading two babies in the car and trying to buckle with umbrellas overhead = one soaked mommy by the time we hit the road. 

The babies have been playing this morning and it's so neat to see how fast they learn new things.  For some reason Emilynn has taken to waving one arm in the air like a music conductor when she hears music.  Just one....it's strange but oh so cute.  Carson's favorite thing is to shake and bob his head back and forth over and over.  We have a singing elephant that shakes it's head back and forth and so now Carson does it anytime he hears music.  Or anytime he wants to make anyone laugh.  He looks at me all day and starts doing it for me to do it back at him.  Cute cute cute...this is such a fun age!  :-)  They also both clap and laugh a lot.  Carson has also learned to throw so he throws a ball or toy, goes to get it, and throws it again.  Emmy's not interested in throwing...she just likes to try to climb everything.  She has stairs mastered-thank goodness we don't have any!  Anyway......that's what we've been up to-practicing all of our new tricks!  :-) 

Sundays

As another Sunday comes to an end....I just have to say-I am so thankful for our new church!  It was a big decision to find a new church and one that was filled with lots of prayers.  I started looking in July & August and I visited quite a few.  My cousin Brandy and I were dubbed "the church hoppers" by Dustin.  It was very neat to try different ones, see the different styles and I honestly liked them all for different reasons. We would figure out on Saturday where we were going the next day and Dustin kept the babies at home for me to go.  We just didn't want to take them somewhere not knowing what the nursery situation was, etc. so we agreed I would go try them out and narrow it down to the ones I thought he would enjoy and were the best for our family.   Dustin and I always take rides in the country and one day he pointed to one church and I said "Oh yeah, they have a great choir".  He got so tickled...he asked if I knew about every church in the county!  It was funny.  Actually that particular church choir sang for the residents at the nursing home where Brandy works so that's how I knew that!  Anyway, long story short.....we have been going to our new church a few months now and we love it!  Yay!  It is a great group of people and they've made us feel so welcome, like we've been going there all our lives.   It feels good to be back in our Sunday routine.  I missed our routine even though we were still worshipping Christ even when we weren't in a church service together. 
Sundays are always for church, eating lunch out, then napping, playing in the yard in nice weather, and finishing up the day with dinner at my grandma's and a ride through the country on the way home.  I love Sundays.

It's the little things....

I get asked a lot if I am enjoying being a stay at home mom.  We are approaching one year since I actually worked, since I went out about a month before the twins were born last year.  It has been a transformation for me, and I can honestly say, I love it.  When making the decision to quit working, it was quite scary.  All the news talks about are these economic times.  It is scary to quit a job in this economy, and I really did enjoy my job and my co-workers.  So, it was a very prayerful decision that we discussed at length.  Dustin & I both agreed it was going to be best for the babies and we took a big leap of faith.  I know now with certainty, I am right where God wants me at this time in my life.  Do I miss my job?   I miss my co-workers all the time.  We spent more time together than I spent at home.  Do I want to get up and go to work everyday and drag my babies out of bed, in the cold to a babysitter?  No, not really.  It takes me forever to get all of us ready to go somewhere.  You should see the mad dash to get to church on Sundays at 11 am-that's a whole post in and of itself!  God really has provided for our family during this life change and  I am constantly amazed at how he provides.  I knew right away we were going to be all right when the babies were about 2 weeks old.  There was a knock at the door and it was the UPS guy with a big heavy box.  I hadn't ordered anything but there he was so I took the box and was truly curious as to what it could be.  Well, when I opened it-there was 2 cases of formula!  Yes, 2 cases!  I was almost in tears because I really felt like it was a sign that we had made the right decision and God was going to provide.  (of course the tears had nothing to do with hormones only 2 weeks after having twins....nothing. :-)  I knew the NICU nurse had me fill out a form to get a free can of formula.  I had no idea 2 cases would be sent our way-amazing!  Those were the days of one can per day at $15 per can too, so two cases really helped out.  Those are just the financial ways God provides.  I also feel like our home is just calmer with me here full time.  There are no mad dashes in the mornings, the babies just wake up when they are ready and we start our day.  I love that they can play and take their naps in their cribs and I get to see all their firsts.  I just truly enjoy taking care of my family.  I love to cook for them and just enjoy the simple things.  I am not judging anyone who works while they have kids.  That was what I had planned to do before I knew we were having twins.  I am amazed at moms who can manage it all.  For some reason, I can't.  I get overwhelmed when I have too much going on.  So, we are kind of at a slower pace of life right now and I am enjoying it.  Even more so than I maybe had thought I would.  If you know me at all, you know how much I loved going and doing things and being social.  But too much going on stresses me...I know it sounds like I'm contradicting myself....I am in a way.  It's hard to explaing....I'm just weird I guess. 
Anyway, I was sitting on the couch this evening reading a devotional book, watching the babies play their latest game which is basically spinning the recliner round and round together, so cute.....and I just felt so peaceful and so happy.  They were giggling and "chasing" each other round and round the chair and the house was calm and I thought.....there's nowhere else in the world I'd want to be right now.  I have the best job on Earth and I am so, so very blessed to have this opportunity.  I am going to soak it all up.....even the silly little things like spinning the recliner......

Am I the only one who thinks this is crazy?

Okay, maybe I am the only one who has a problem with this....BUT I just finished paying bills.  With that being said, I am very thankful we are able to pay our bills, God always provides and even when things arise (like taxes due at Christmas-who's idea was that?) we are so blessed and ends always meet. 

With that being said....does anyone else have a problem with having an enclosed brochure in their phone bill that says "how to read your phone bill?".  Honestly, that just seems crazy to me and annoys me to no end.  I feel very knowledgeable about our bills and always check them for accuracy.  Hence the reason the pediatrician's bookkeeper knows me as the "twins' mom".  And trust me, it's not cause we are the only set of twins that goes there!  :- )  I just like to stay on top of these things.  But the phone bill......urrrgghhhh!  It annoys me.  We added high speed internet a few months ago and I scrutinize the bill to make sure I am only charged what they promised me.  I have called once for a correction already.  And I have my handy dandy brochure to help me "read my bill."  Shouldn't the bill be self explanatory like all the other bills that come?  Why is an instruction manual needed?  Maybe it's just me....but I just don't get it.........

Happy Veteran's Day & Happy Birthday Danelle! And where have we been?

Happy Veteran's Day!  I am thankful for everyone who has faught or fights for our freedom in this country.  Thank a Veteran or someone currently serving in the military today!

My friend Danelle is also turning the big 3-0 today!  I know some of you know her and are friends with her on Facebook, so make sure you tell her happy birthday, happy 30th to be exact!  Haha!  She will remind me I will always be older than her....but not by much.  I am thankful for Danelle too, she is a great friend and I don't get to see her nearly enough anymore.  :-(  My wonderful husband is watching the kiddos tomorrow so I can take her to lunch though, I am super-excited to catch up and enjoy some adult time, eating a meal slowly, and having a meal that doesn't require puffs, yogurt melts, and the like...haha! 

Where have we been?  Well, the kids both got sick on Monday.  I won't mention the pediatrician again-LOL>  We ended up there Tues. with Carson.  He is doing better, just a virus.  He seems to be more prone to allergies, etc. and colds and things hit him harder than Emmy.  She's been running a fever but that seems to be better today.  Another reminder winter is fastly approaching, along with flu season, RSV season, etc.  We have not left the house since Sunday except for me running Carson to the dr. Tuesday and coming straight home.  I guess this is how our winter will go.  I am just thankful I am able to stay home with them and also tend to them when they are sick and just want Momma. 

I'm off to get some things done during nap......more later. 

a disclaimer.....

By the way, the things I am listing that I am thankful for are things beyond what I am most thankful for, what I thank God for each and every day-his son Jesus, my beautiful children, my wonderful husband, our good health, our close-knit extended family, you get the idea.  I thought I'd better clarify since I listed our pediatrician first-haha!  I thank the Lord each day for my wonderful family.  I am indeed blessed!!  The things I am listing are things I may not thank the Lord for daily but really are a blessing to me!

What I am thankful for......

Being that it's November, I've started thinking about all my blessings and how much I truly have to be thankful for.  I will try to share something almost every day that I'm thankful for.  I hope this is a November tradition we can start when the kids are a couple years older.
Today I am thankful for our pediatrician.  I know, weird, right?  I just got off the phone with them from setting up our appointments for our synagis shots for November.  Synagis is the RSV preventative vaccine.  We were blessed to get them for 3 months after the babies were born.  The RSV season runs from around Oct-April.  Our insurance denied us the shots for this season.  I am undecided about whether or not I will appeal this decision, the pediatrician is supposed to get back with me about that.  Our nurse was kind enough to get us one dose for the twins.  It apparently was just going to go to waste so she thought of us!  I am very thankful because the shots are like $2000 a peice times two children is $4000 per month.  So, if insurance doesn't cover them, we don't get them.  Our insurance kindly told us that we could just purchase the medicine from our doctor ourselves.  Right.  I am so thankful we can at least get one dose.  We have been through 3 colds this year and RSV really scares me.  Carson had to have steroids with his last cold because he was having some breathing issues. 
Daddy has decided we are putting the twins in hibernation for the winter.  We have enjoyed the summer so much, but we are going to drastically cut back on our going and doing things for the winter and where we take the twins.  They are still preemies and still susceptible to lots of things, although it's hard to remember that when they are thriving and ultimately so healthy.  So they probably won't been seen too many places other than church, probably the Mexican restaurant and that's about it.  No more Walmart, Target, etc.  We don't do a lot of that anyway, usually Daddy & twins stay in the car while I run in places, but it's just something to think about and try to be more cautious. 
I am really thankful though for our pediatrician.  It is a big office, but since we go so much, they know us as "the twins".  When I call the business office about our insurance I have to give the babies date of birth and the lady always says "Oh, the twins."  The receptionist always knows us when we walk in and will even ask if my hair is different or something has changed.  It's just really personable and I like that.  I chose them initially because our dr. has twins, so that always helps when we go.  She can totally relate to everything we talk about.  We went to meet her when I was pregnant and I knew right away I liked them because it was the very end of the day and they were done with patients and the nurses, staff, etc. were all sitting around talking like they were good friends and that is how it was where I worked.  I also feel like they take the babies' health very seriously.   Carson has been going back and forth to a pediatric endocrinologist about his thyroid since July and I feel like they really pay close attention and catch things that even I don't notice about the twins. 
Anyway, enough rambling.  I have more to do before nap is over.  But, I am very thankful we found them, they are a huge blessing to us.  If anyone needs a pediatrician, let me know and I'll share their info! 

This busy week.....

I haven't been updating as much as I had thought I would this week because we've been so busy!  It seems like weeks just roll by, I can't believe the babies are going to be a year old next month!  Unbelievable!!!!! 
So what's been going on this week?  YARD SALE!  Our Relay for Life team had a yard sale today.  Yard sales are lots of work, but they are usually worth it for us.  We made over $400 for the American Cancer Society-Yay!!!  I don't mind getting up so early when it's for a good cause.  Yard sale week is always tough though....you have to collect things, sort, price, and then make sure everything's out early for the yard sale crowd.  The twins and I went to help with sorting, etc. three nights this week.  Today I got them up at 7 to go to my Dad's for a while till it warmed up a little.  They don't normally get up till somewhere around 8 or 9, so they were not real thrilled with me.  But, we don't do this very often so it's okay.  The three of us took a 4 hour nap when we got home though!  And they went to bed tonight so I'm thrilled.  I love our schedule!  My favorite part about the yard sale is the neat people you meet and each yard sale we've had has given us an opportunity to help others in some way, which I love.  We always seem to have someone come that maybe can't get something but needs it and we are always able to bless others in this way.  It's so neat to see someone's reaction when you tell them they can just have something they really need but maybe can't afford.  It's like you are renewing their faith in humans and Christians.  It's a blessing to us and to them. 
Anyway, if you are thinking about joining a Relay for Life team-our AWESOME team is called Answers for Cancer and you can check out the Relay for Life website at www.relayforlife.org/nottoway
What is Relay for Life?
Relay for Life is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.  Basically it is an all day event where you go and walk around the track-someone must be walking at all times. The first year our team had someone walking the whole time, which was a tough goal considering everything we were doing to raise money at our tent, but we did it!  You can also do lots of fun on-site activites and each team has a "campsite" where they do different fundraisers to try to raise money for the cancer society.  We also raise money all year long through different fundraisers like our yard sale.  It is a lot of fun and a great way to enjoy new friendships and comraderie while raising money for a great cause.  I know everyone is touched in some way by cancer. 
Why do WE Relay?  Meaning our family of four.....
Well, we have had many family members affected by cancer.  My grandmother and great-aunt were the first people I remember in my family having cancer when I was a teen.  I didn't know a lot about it but they were both okay after treatments, so I didn't worry too much about it or realize it's impact.  I guess being a teen helped with that.  Since that time, I have had many more family members affected by cancer and honestly,
cancer just stinks.  It is an awful thing and so scary.  We lost my uncle in July to esophageal cancer.  I think about him often and miss him being at family events.  I think about one of the last times he saw my babies, kissing them each on top of the head.  I'm sad they won't know him except through shared memories.
And then there's Joann.  Dustin's mother.  When Dustin and I met, his mother had just died after a 9 year battle with breast cancer.  He was devastated and that pain never really goes away, you just learn to cope with it.  It saddens me that he lost a mother so young.  It saddens me that my kids will never know their grandmother.  I know they have lots of grandmothers and great-grandmothers who love them, but they are missing one.  And so we have her pictures around and we speak of her often, Emmy's middle name is Joann after her.  We will teach them about her and I will do my best to teach them what type of person she was, although I never knew her myself.  I will load my kids up at 7 am when it's freezing outside for a yard sale.  I will load them up to deliver Boston butts, donuts, or whatever else my sister talks me into peddling :-) We won't stop until a cure is found.  Because if we did, that would be letting cancer win. 

Update from yesterday

For an update on the crib situation- the corporate office of Babies R Us is supposed to be calling me back.  I am not letting this go, so I will be following up on it and also filing two more claims with the manufacturer and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  I'll keep you posted.  The man on the phone seemed very concerned so we'll see! 
So what are we doing in the meantime?  Well, we thought about putting Emilynn in the pack and play to sleep, but I was afraid of that because she can almost climb out of that.  We tried to think of what we could do to keep her in the crib safely, so we added another bumper to her crib!  So, she has two bumpers that go all the way up the crib to block her from sticking her legs through the slats.  I think you can get taller bumpers, which would solve the problem, so we may have to look into other options as well.  She only does these things when she wakes up from nap or in the mornings, so I got the monitors back out and hooked them up so I would hear her right when she wakes up and be able to get in their room quickly.  We had given them up because their room is so close to ours, you can pretty much hear them anyway, but I wanted to hear every movement.  Do mothers ever sleep soundly?  I don't think so!  Anyway, her crib cracks me up now....it fits so perfectly with her personality.  It makes you wonder what in the world is going on when you see it with the two mismatched bumpers and all the bite marks where she chews on it.  She's our little free spirit for sure!!!  And Carson's crib you ask?  In pristine condition, of course!  LOL> 

I am so mad!!!

I am online now trying to look up the number to call about Emilynn's crib.  Today was the second
time she has gotten her leg stuck through the slats.  It is almost impossible to get it out when this
happens.  And I can't leave her because if she twists she could further injure herself.  Her instinct is
to twist because she's panicked.  I try not to panic but I can't leave her, don't have a phone close,
can't find anything close to use to slick up her leg, like the vaseline....urrrghhh..  I filed a complaint
with the company last time this happened and the consumer product safety commission.  I don't even
know the outcome of that yet and here I am ready to file another one and call Babies R Us and
whoever will listen to complain about this.  The company doesn't have a phone number listed....just
email contact info....frustrating!!!! 

Halloween

Tonight was the twins' first Halloween!  It was a lot of fun, but I will also say, it was chaotic in many ways.  I love Halloween and anything fall, so I was super-excited about going trick or treating.  I've gone for the past few years with my sisters and nephew-I always find a child to take!  So imagine my delight when I had two of my own to take!   Meme (Dawn) found the costumes at a yard sale, hardly worn, matching, Winnie the Pooh Hunny pots from the Disney store.  You may have seen the pictures in my email.  Well, I was worried that it might be too hot for those, so I ordered "Twins first Halloween" t-shirts online.  It was a good thing I had that foresight.  The babies got down for a late nap which was probably not good.  I went in their room about 5 to wake them by just doing a few things, getting clothes out.  Usually this wakes them right away.  Nothing today...they were both sound asleep.  I talked to them, restocked the diaper changing area, got clothes out-nothing was waking them up.  Finally Carson began stirring a bit after about 5 minutes and they got up.  Now, there are many times when we are doing stuff with them and I think it gets so crazy that it's just hysterical.  Or you feel like maybe you are on candid camera.   Trying to get them ready was one of those times.  After I fed them, we had to dress them in regular clothes to wear under the costumes.  That in and of itself is always a challenge.  One twin distracts the other, they flip, kick, wave their arms around and try to make it interesting.  After we got them both dressed, we had to get the Hunny pots on them.  Carson's went on fine (Mommy dressed him ;-)  Daddy was struggling with Emilynn's.  When he finally gave up and gave her to me, I honestly don't even know what had happened.  Her leg was through the arm hole, then her leg and the arm hole were through the leg hole.  It was very strange.  I had to take it off then start over.  Finally we were all dressed, two diaper bags packed, and ready to hit the road.  Well, Hunny pots are padded to give you the "round pot" effect.  Carseat straps are generally tight for safety reasons.  The two just don't easily mix.  At this point.....kids are screaming as we are trying to strap them in the seats and pull the straps out enough to cover the pots.  Dustin's Dad has called to see where we are because we are about 15 min. late at this point.   It was getting rather crazy so I ended up throwing in the towel.  No big deal, I'm still smiling-sort of....let's go to plan B.  We take them back out of the car seats, open the hatch and strip the costumes we worked so hard to get on them off.....then added the "twins first halloween" tees to each baby's outfit and called it Halloween.  We both decided if someone wanted to deny the babies treats for not being properly clad-so be it!  :-)  LOL>  After this small road bump, we were finally on the road by 6. 
When we get to Papa's house (Dustin's Dad), Dustin says the unthinkable.  "How about we put the costumes on for Daddy to see?"   I just look at him, thinking he's kidding.  He's not.  So,
back up goes the hatch and we re-dress them in the Hunny pot costumes.  Papa sees them, takes a quick pic, and the costumes come off again.  This time for good.....I will probably keep them for sentimental reasons but at around 6 pm I just wanted to throw them away!  My honest thought was, thank goodness these costumes were only $5 total and I hadn't spent a ton of money on costumes we've worn a total of maybe 10 minutes. 
After we gave up on costumes-the night went really well.  We had a good time at each house, everyone loved seeing the twins, no one was upset we weren't clad in costumes.  Emilynn's smile made up for it I think.  She was putting on quite a bit tonight.  Carson was serious as usual.  You have to work for his smiles these days (except for Mommy).  It was very tiring getting the babies in and out of the carseats so much, they were tired and we were tired when we finally hit our last stop at 9 pm.  Luckily the last stop was my grandma's and we could just relax for a bit.  We didn't get to all the houses we wanted to visit, but maybe next year.  You can only do so much with two 10 month olds.  I just hate leaving people out who want to see the babies. 
We did get to see Shaun, our nurse who was with me through labor and the delivery of the twins-so that was really neat.  We were so glad we got to visit with her and show her how much our teeny babies have grown!  We also got lots of baby-appropriate treats- Papa had bought baby food which was so cute because I doubt if he's bought baby food before-it was very thoughtful of him, Meme & Poppy got yogurt melts & books, Cousin Hunter gave us puffs & books, Nanny Margaret & Granddaddy gave money, Big Nanny & Patom gave money, Rawhide & Betty gave graham snacks, Dottie (a.k.a. Grammy) gave finger puppets & cups, Aunt "B" gave socks, juice, book, & baby food, and Nanny & Papa gave juice, yogurt, & snacks.  Everyone else gave lollipops (I'm still not sure about those....can you imagine the riot I'll have trying to feed lollipops) and yummy candy for Mommy & Daddy to enjoy! 
All in all, it was great fun, and Dustin and I got lots of laughs for the evening.  We ended up getting in and out of the car at 10 houses.  That means loading and unloading the babies 10 times.  Hooking and unhooking the carseats 20 times per baby plus 2 more for leaving and coming home for a total of 44 times all together....it was a tiring day but well worth it.  We are making memories! 

Welcome!

Welcome to our new blog!  Here you will find things about our day to day life raising twins!  It's never a dull moment around here-so check back often to find out what our little ones are up to!