6 Months

Pretty Girl and Big Boy,

It's hard to believe that we've hit the half a year mark already.

On the 13th, you turned six months old.

That is just crazy.

Some days I feel every minute of those six months has slowly ticked by, remembering every scream and tear that has fallen, both mine and yours. Most of the time, though, I feel like the last six months has passed in the blink of an eye. Your daddy and I looked at each other the other night and said, "Wow. Six months. We've survived six months!"

Survive is the operative word. Someday, when you have kids of your own, you'll understand.

Pretty Girl, it's been quite the month for you!

You're weighing in these days at a svelte 15 pounds and 10 ounces. You are now 25 and 1/4 inches long and wearing mostly 3 to 6 month clothing.

Mommy is your favorite person. Period. I can't leave the room without you starting to whine and cry. Don't tell Daddy, but I secretly LOVE this!

You can sit up all by yourself for quite the length of time now. In fact, if Mommy tries to lay you down on your back, you cry until I put you in a sitting position. You just have to see what is going on!

Big Boy, you are finally living up to your name!

At your 6 month check up, you surprised us all by gaining almost 5 pounds in the last 2 months. Almost catching up to Pretty Girl, you weighed in at 15 pounds, 3 ounces! You are also taller, measuring 26 inches long. This explains why in the last week, I've had to put away all your 0 to 3 month clothing!

I love finding you smiling in your crib in the morning. Your smile can light up a room! Over the last month, you've figured out how to roll from your back to your belly AND back from your belly to your back. You might not be able to sit up yet, but you can get to what you want by rolling!

Your sister might be a "Mommy's girl", but boy, do you love your Daddy! It doesn't matter how fussy or whiny a day you've had, when he walks in the door from work, he gets the BIGGEST smile from you!

Both of you have now started eating cereal, and it's a hit!

Pretty Girl, you try to help us get the spoon to your mouth, urging us to hurry up and feed you.

Big Boy, just like your personality, you like to sit back and wait for the spoon to come to you.

I'm looking forward to the next six month and watching the two of you grow even more. As much as I want to see you start to be more mobile, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it scares me, too! I know the changes will be coming even more quickly now, and I just can't wait to watch you both become the little people you're going to be.

Love you!

Up All Night

That seems to be the theme around here these days at Not The Path I Chose...

The twins were doing pretty good in the sleep department, only getting up once a night each, until about 2 weeks ago.

That's when Pretty Girl decided that maybe she should nurse at LEAST 3 times a night!

What???

Yes, my sweet little girl, who was only getting up once, between 2 and 3am to nurse is now getting up between 11 and midnight, 2 and 3am and 5 and 6am to eat. She's not just using me as a pacifier, but gulping down mouthfuls of milk, like I don't feed her!

I have no idea what to do about it.

Big Boy is still staying strong, waking up between 2:30 and 4:30am for his once a night bottle.

Add that into the mix, and sometimes I don't even know why I bother going to bed at all. I'm praying it's a growth spurt and that adding some cereal and baby food soon will help. What else can I do?

So, in the meantime, I am reading blogs while I'm up all night, I'm just not commenting as it's a pain to do with my i.pod tou.ch.

Hopefully, this too will pass and we can find some sense of normalcy around here again...

Reflecting On 2010

Thinking back on the past year, I feel like it can be divided into two sections.


Before the twins AND after the twins.


January started off with a sigh of relief. For the first time in four years, I was carrying a pregnancy that had finally made it to the second trimester. M. and I both started to allow ourselves to believe that we might have babies in July!


The next few months alternately flew and crawled by. I focused on working and saving, as we started to discuss whether I would return to work. In April, my family threw a wonderful, fun shower for us, blessing us with many of the things we would need once the twins arrived.

Everything was going great in May. I was tired, but could still function. My body was expanding every day and my feet and ankles started to swell. It became and effort to get ready and go to work, but I just trodded along. I felt pretty good for being pregnant with twins. M. and I went away for our anniversary weekend, no where far, but just the two of us.

Thank goodness we did.

I didn't see it coming, but my doctor pulled me from work the last week of May. It was abrupt and I wasn't prepared. The next 2 and a half months were spent sitting on the couch and laying in bed. The only time I left the house was for doctor appointments and non-stress tests. As bored as I was, it was all worth it!

On July 13th, our whole world changed as we welcomed the twins into the world at 38 weeks and 4 days.

The only way to describe the last 5 months of the year is NON-STOP.

Nothing can prepare you for the exhaustion that comes with having a newborn, nevermind two newborns. The first 3 months of their lives are a blur....I swear all I did was nurse, change diapers, and nurse. I know that people came to visit and meet the twins, but I don't remember much about those visits.

Now, as the babies are only days away from turning 6 months old, things have settled down a little bit. Gone are the days of being stuck on the couch for hours, just nursing babies. Instead, it's tummy time, exersaucer time, mommy time and feeding. I love seeing them both interact with me, and each other.

2010 was a crazy year, and I think that's only going to continue in 2011...

Excuses, Excuses

Celebrating my Mom's birthday with family and cake on the 22nd.

The holiday rush.

Three Christmas celebrations in three days.

Coughing.

Miss O. being home from school.

Stuffy noses.

Ringing in the new year.

Fevers.

Trying to get back into the swing of things.

::::::::::::::::::::

All are excuses to why I haven't posted in ages.

We had a wonderful Christmas, celebrating with family and friends.

Then we all fell ill, to some extent. M. started with a head cold just after Christmas. Then Miss O. and the twins started to have stuffy noses and coughs. I was the last man standing until Sunday, when I started running a fever and coughing.

So, that's what's been going on here. How are you?

Shedding A Few Tears

My day started with a few tears, I couldn't help it.


Sometimes it just feels good to cry.


Especially when you're remembering someone who left the world far too soon.


Seven years ago today my Mother lost her battle with ovarian cancer.


In some ways, it's hard to believe it's been that long...other days the hurt feels so fresh, like she just died.


Every time I looked at Miss O. and the twins today, I teared up.


She would have been a wonderful grandmother and would have spoiled them all rotten. I watched her love on my numerous younger cousins for years...even being called Mommy Kar.en by some, instead of aunt. She loved holding babies, loving on them. Even her profession included holding babies, as she was an OB nurse.


She looked forward to being a grandmother, yet never got a chance to experience it.


Mom died four days after my baby shower when I was pregnant with Miss O.


Today, I cry, but I also think about all the lessons she taught me, the memories, and the laughter we shared.


I'm the "mom" I am because of the "mom" she was to me.

Head Rush

It's December 12th.

How?

As the twins grew older and I got a little more sleep, I thought I'd start to get a routine down. Find a *little* time for me...at least know what day it is! I swear I'm still losing days at a time.

I've got a few minutes to type, so I'm going to try and update what's been going on here.

Here's the down and dirty, quick version...

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We traveled North to my aunt's house where we gathered and celebrated with my mother's family. At last count, there were 40 of us there for dinner. Two turkeys, a bucket of mashed potatoes, and 6 pies later, everyone was full and happy. Many times during the day I thought about how thankful I was that the twins were here and everyone was enjoying them.

I'm an aunt to a nephew! My little sister gave birth on December 2nd to a very healthy little boy, a true miracle baby. All the tears I shed worrying she'd get pregnant before me and then the guilt for feeling that way once she and her hubby started to struggle became distant memories the moment I held him in my arms. Being just under 5 months younger than the twins, I'm sure they'll be great playmates in a few years!

Miss O. has been crazy busy with preparing and practicing for a holiday ice show. My little gumdrop is participating in a version of the Nutcracker on ice. Last night was the first performance, and I felt WAY out of my element in the locker room trying to get her ready. I didn't realize what a "club" this was! It probably didn't help that the twins and their stroller took up half the locker room space...we didn't have glitter spray, I didn't have her hair done the right way and over all was just lost. A few of the glances I saw directed at us were pure exasperation! Oh well, live and learn. I'm glad that it's over...at least for a year.

There is yet to be a Christmas decoration up in my household. By this time of the month, I usually have at least 3 trees up, my village, and the stockings hung. I just don't have time to even get down to the basement to get the decorations upstairs...And don't even ask how the shopping is going!

Big Boy has found his feet. It's hilarious to watch him grab and talk to them, if I leave them uncovered. It seems that if he can't see his toes, they don't exist! LOL. Pretty Girl has mastered rolling over and loves the exer.saucer. I can't believe they'll be 5 months old tomorrow.

So, that's my quickie update. What's going on with you? Are you ready for the holidays?

Where Am I?

Opened my go.ogle reader the other day...

365 unread posts.

365.

One for each day of a year.

Wow.

I seem to fallen way behind on reading, commenting and posting. The last 2 weeks have been tough. I'm afraid with the holidays coming it's only going to get worse. My email is filled with emails that I should respond to. It's not only with the computer, it's every thing in life. I currently have 6 messages on my answering machine that have yet to listen to.

I feel perpetually behind.

If it doesn't have to do with the babies or Miss O. it just gets thrown to the back burner.

And that's okay.

They will only be little once.

I want to soak in all the memories, so that I can remember them forever.