Thursday, January 29, 2009

Lola's New Trick

Hi Mom

Whatcha doing?



I see you guys!


Pretty neat, huh?



I always feed the girls at the same time except for their very first bottle in the morning. It's nice to have some one on one. Lily goes first and we sit in the glider, which faces Lola's crib. I give Lola some toys and she usually entertains herself just fine until it's her turn.


Today, I looked up at Lola's crib to find Lola's face peeking out from her bumper pads. She learned how to take them down a few weeks ago, but never for any real purpose. Today, she took the bumper pads down and poked her sweet little face out so she could see what was going on with Lily, Daddy, and Mommy. Funny funny girl. Love, Mel





Tuesday, January 27, 2009

One Tired Lily Bean






I think Lily is tired of working on sitting up.
Have a good day!
Love, Mel

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

More Pictures

Girls watching the inauguration

Lily and baby doll




Lola and hers





I persisted and got the picture I wanted, in the outfit!
One on the scoreboard for Mom, 3 billion for girls...



We are having emerging changes in sleep patterns which has made for a difficult week. Past two nights/days overall better, so hopefully that is where we are headed.
Have a good week!
Love, Mel

Friday, January 16, 2009

Seven Months Old Tomorrow!

Happy Birthday Lola!

Pretty girl


Happy Birthday Lily!



Sweet face




We will work on sitting politely in dresses later




Everybody lean to your right...





We will not smile, no matter what you do.
We are tired and are not trained monkeys.
Lily and Lola turn 7 months old tomorrow! Can you believe it?
Have a good weekend!
Love, Mel






Monday, January 12, 2009

Too Cute

Whatcha doing Mom?

We're just hanging out



Are those your feet or mine?



Lola removing her bumper pads at nap time
They really do develop more personality everyday. It is amazing to watch. Lily sings and talks all the time. By talking, of course, I mean baby babble. Lily loves her baby doll and will just talk to that doll forever. Lola is a constant mover and is all over the place these days. She wants to know how everything works. We are having such a good time watching these little girls develop and everyone says it just gets better. I can only imagine as they start doing more and more.
Have a good Monday.
Love, Mel




Friday, January 9, 2009

The Agony of Defeat

Too young to know the agony of defeat...

Okay, so I staged this pic a bit... but it is still sweet.


Thursday, January 8, 2009

Random Pictures

What happened directly after this picture?
Lola puked all over Lily's right arm.
We are poised to overthrow the world!


I love my exersaucer!


Oh Lily, you are so funny.



Cutie pies




In the backyard on a beautiful day
On a follow-up note to yesterday's post. Shortly after I finished posting and making bottles, Lola woke up. I picked her up, doorbell rang. I then quickly set her down to play and answered the door. It was the mailman with our mail. After handing it to me, he looked kind of strange and began backing up quickly. Odd, I thought, but oh well. Came back inside, sat down and felt cold on my shoulder/back. Lola had puked (remember she has reflux, she isn't sick) all over me and I didn't even realize it.
I guess it scared the mailman.
Love, Mel







Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Sometimes You Just Have To Laugh

Before I begin, let me say that I was looking forward to doing no laundry today after a marathon 2 days of many, many loads...

That should have been my first clue. Murphy's Law being exactly that, a law.

Today began as any other day. Up at 6:30 am, girls fed/dressed, no a.m. nap-but that sometimes turns out okay. We took a drive and they slept in the car. Then we came home and began lunch. At the end of bottles, I notice Lily's familiar signal of impending bowel movements.
The color drains out of her face and her eyes turn red. No problem, I can handle this. Diaper changed and now we can look forward to a good nap in the bouncy seats. Lately, Lily has been preferring to stretch out in bed vs. bouncy seat for nap. She started to squirm and fuss, no problem. I laid her down in her crib and after a few minutes of fussing, she was asleep.

I returned to Lola in her bouncy seat in the living room and began to pretend to fall asleep. When it doesn't make the girls giggle, it seems to work.

With my eyes closed, my other senses kicked into overdrive. Smelling the smell of another baby who needs a diaper changed, I opened my eyes to Miss Lola smiling cutely. Ah, the joys of motherhood. I picked her up and looked down at her seat. You guessed it, big time mess of the worst kind.

Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. I have only had this happen to me 2 other times (I know I am very lucky) and I have not kept the best composure. Convinced that this time I would not cry or say any expletives, I moved Lola into the girls' room to begin the process.

It was worse than I knew.

It was everywhere. Lola's waistband, foot, thigh, entire leg of pants, my pants, my shoulder. Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. Don't cuss, don't cuss, don't cuss. I laid Lola down in the floor on a disposable blue pad to strip her down. Of course she had on a onsie that was covered in mess and of course, I had no choice but to take it over her head. Yea me. Yea Lola. I proceed to the bathroom sink to rinse out pants and onsie. I then think about my pants and shirt. I take them off as well. Everything into the washer.

I go back to Lola, who is happy in the floor-playing with her FOOT. I grab diaper wipes and start wiping her off-she begins making a high pitched noise I had never heard before. I look at her face, she is clearly freezing and making jumps everytime I touch her with the wipes that had just been put into wipe warmer about 30 minutes before. Sympathizing, because I am next to naked, but I have no choice but to leave her to start a bath.

Then I remember about the bouncy seat. I need the upholstery of the bouncy seat clean and ready to go for next bottle. Dad won't be home until 6 pm. I feed both girls in bouncies at same time when I am alone. GRRR... Run into living room, still next to naked. Strip down bouncy seat, forgetting that whoever invented these things has a cruel sense of humor, because the upholstery isn't all that easy to remove. Stuff into washer with other soiled garments.

Back to Lola. She is relatively clean in floor, not obviously cold at this point. Fill water in sink (yes I washed it out first and yes she probably is too old to still be washed in bathroom sink, but it works for us). Bathe Lola, almost done, almost done, almost done. No cussing thus far. At least out loud. I have managed to keep Lola calm and she is doing okay. Lily, after waking up initially to the frenzy of movement in the room, has thankfully gone back to sleep.

Now, all I have to do it dress Lola and I am home free. I get Lola in her bed, get jammies onto her feet and just before I zip her up- PUKE all over her neck, chest, shoulder. Expletive, expletive, expletive.


Do you ever feel like that old armed forces commercial? "I do more by 9 am than most people do all day"...

Love, Mel

Monday, January 5, 2009

Confessions of a Rube

I am feeling the need to purge myself of my pre-kiddo thoughts and attitudes of which some of you were undoubtedly subjected. I confess I thought I got it. I didn't.

First, let me say to those of you I burdened with my theories/thoughts/opinions about parenthood: you were certainly more kind than need be. Obviously, you could sense my incredible ignorance and surely laughed your buns off as soon as I left. I am truly sorry for anything said along the lines of "How I Would Do It".

Things I have learned in the past 6 months of babydom (I actually typed "babydoom" at first, Freud?):

1. The dog goes down the chain. Way down. Sure, they still get some loving and fed and all, but they are not the stars of the program any longer.

2. Sometimes there isn't enough time to work out. All my adult life I have worked out, ran, Pilates, yoga, kickboxing etc. etc. I just knew I would be the kind of mom who did it all. Made her own baby food just before she went out and did her maintenance 6 mile run. Hardly. I have started to count squats as picking my babies up off the floor.

3. Talking about your kids IS the absolute most important topic ever. Period. I am very sorry to any and all that I may have glazed over a bit while you described a new trick or antic of your little one. Because you see, now, I have been known to strike up a conversation in Target with complete strangers about my girls (who aren't even with me). I get it now.

4. Sleep and showers will never be the same. They are done as chores now, with one ear open.

5. Internal distractedness takes on another level. When I am away from my girls, I cannot complete full sentences. I am perpetually running back what I said to whoever is watching them, what needs to get done while I am out, what I am not doing at home because I am gone etc., etc.

6. Laundry takes on its own life. At first, it was just a few extra loads here and there. The smell of fresh laundry put lovingly away in my girls' drawers. Now, it is an unending mountain of stains that must be treated ASAP, blankets, bibs, clothes, tiny socks etc. etc. This of course does not even include my own or my hubby's (who is probably laughing when he reads this because I have given up on doing his laundry too).

7. You must have a vice. Be it chocolate, caffeine, Taco Bueno, the Biggest Loser, whatever. This is stressful stuff. Moments spent in sheer pleasure are needed.

And so there you have it, confessions of a novice Mommy about how I didn't get it and now am sort of. Getting it that is.

Love, Mel

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Happy New Year!

I woke everyone up at 2:22 am last night!!!

Yes, she really did folks, I was there!



Well I guess I should have been more specific in defining a successful New Year's Eve. I should have said "not up at west coast midnight" as Lily decided that is when she wanted to celebrate 2009. Up from 2:22 until 4:00 am. grrrrrr.... She woke up Lola after about an hour of crying for no known reason, fussing, etc. etc. We started off their sixth month so well with both girls sleeping 7 pm until 6 or 7 am until about 3 days ago. I don't know what happened. Lola woke up two nights ago at 11:30 pm and had trouble going back to sleep. I don't know if they are dreaming or since they are more social, wanting to see us or what.
I guess we will see if it was a fluke or a pattern tonight. I often tell people that only celebrities have twins at our age, because they can afford nannies! To all you parents out there: the sleep deprivation is no joke, is it?
It is crazy to think back to this time last year. I was pregnant, hadn't told too many because we were so afraid of what might happen, again. We knew I was pregnant with twins and were still doing injections at this time last year, fun, fun. I was nauseous, but happy to feel "normal" pregnancy woes. No word on Gracie since, well, forever at that point. Now, here we are with twin healthy baby girls and progress in bringing Gracie home. It is truly amazing after all this time to be writing this post all about "our" kiddos. Being able to send out birth announcements and Christmas cards with the girls on them was almost surreal. We are finally parents.
We have met some extraordinary people in the past year and been the recipients of an extraordinary amount of support and prayers. We want to thank everyone for all of the support and encouragement given to us. We are hopeful that many blessings and good times come your way in 2009!
Love, Mel