My new life...

So a year after my children were born my life has changed dramatically. I know you must be thinking... yeah having a kid(s) does that. But I mean things have severely changed for me. Here's how things have changed in no particular order:

1. Sleeping in on the weekends means maybe to 7:30 (sometimes later if it is a good morning)

2. Eating in 5 minutes (no wonder I am still fat)

3. Not going out on Friday or Saturday nights (and I don't even care, I'd rather be at home anyway)

4. Wanting to make my girls "stop" right at the age they are (I have done this a few times in their mere 1 year of life thus far)

5. I don't even know if I brush my hair somedays...and once again I don't care if I did or didn't

6. I'd rather buy something for them than me.

7. Sometimes I go in their room at night and look at them while they sleep and wonder how I made something that is THAT cute and if it is possible to love them any more than I do.

8. I find myself wondering how I thought I was "tired" before!

9. I say "No", "Sit down please, we don't stand in the tub" and "we don't throw our food on the floor" at least 200 times a day. Along with other phrases like 'Say thank you mommy'

10. An "adventure" is going to Target close to nap time!

11. Going out by myself to Target (after I put the girls to bed and Bobby is home) is "alone time"

12. That I am pissed M-F when I leave my house to go to work with someone else watching my kids (that includes Bobby watching them, I don't like it)

And I know that isn't all, but this is the shocking one for me:

I WANT to be a SAHM, well part time. I only want to work like 10 hours a week but get a full paycheck like I do now.

I know everyone's life changes "after baby". But I never in a million years thought I'd ever want to be a SAHM. But I do. I like being at home with them. I want to keep doing all those fun things I did all summer long with them. I want to keep going on "play dates" and watching them discover the world.

I DON'T want to go back to work at school. I want to be at home.

Anyone know of a job where I work minimal hours but get a full-time paycheck and all?


Interesting things around here:

Lara yells 'Krit-tin" (OMG I could eat them up)
They both climb onto the couch and anything they can (the hearth as well where it is fun to sit and push all the toys and books off, See pictures below)
They "talk" all the time and then laugh (probably at me)
They hold hands and share food from their highchairs (Once again, freaking adorable)

Here's some pictures cause I think they are the cutest bay-bays evah!


Kristin in her "If you think I am cute you should see my twin sister" outfit



The world looks better upside down!



Lara is going to be the next Dolce and Gabbana... she loves clothes



Lara's twin sister "rocks"

** Note: 3 of the 4 pictures are on the "baby proofed hearth" where they play etc. as if they don't have an overabudance of toys!

Birthday Extravaganza!

I know 2 posts in one day! But there was so much going on!

Starters, dr appt:

Kristin is 18 lbs 1 oz (10th) and 28 1/8 in (10th)
Lara is 16 lbs 7 oz (less than 3rd) and 27 1/2 in (5-10th)

Dr said they are healthy and doing good. They had mastered the 12 month milestones and most of the 15 month milestones. Geniuses! The vaccines though were rough, I am upset they left such bruises on their arms. Poor bay-bays!

Party weekend! We had alot of company and a house full. The birthday theme was "2 Peas in a Pod". I LOVED it and I only get to pick 2 birthday themes and I want to cherish my twins and play in the "twin" aspect until they won't let me anymore. Which will come I am sure! But they will always be "my twins". So here's some pictures from their party.

Presents are fun to open and play with, but they are tasty too!



Their cake:



Before:



After:




Oh mommy, I feel sick!




A good time was had by all!

Birthday Twincesses!

My girls are 1!!!I can hardly believe it and then in other ways I feel like I am 10 years older since they were born!

We had their 1st birthday pictures taken. And since they are just so damn cute, we bought the CD with the copyright cause we always spend SO much and TOO much money on their pictures. But they will only be babies once and they are just TOO damn cute! Which I know I am biased, BUT they stopped traffic in the mall while getting these pictures done. People stopped and watched and I could see them saying "OMG they are SO cute" and "Oh how cute"! Well yeah!

Of course we got "Are they twins?" Nope they aren't, idiot, they are 4 months apart. I know they aren't identical but ummm... really? Are people that dumb? I already know that answer. Anyway, without further ado....




















Aren't they the cutest things? OMG I am in love!

Happy Birthday Kristin and Lara!

August 8, 2009, I walked into the hospital empty handed that morning. I left 2 days later, tired and sore, and definitely not empty handed! I never have told my birth story, however, in comparison to other people, mine was just "uneventful" in the grand scheme of things.

I went into the hospital and it had been full of women and deliveries for days. I got checked in and changed into the gown and sat and waited over an hour for someone to come in. Dr M showed up, asked why wasn't I on an IV let alone, why wasn't the pitocin started? He walked out and 30 seconds later 3 nurses were in my room (did I ever mention Dr M is on the board of directors at my hospital?). I quickly got hooked up to an IV and Dr M broke baby A's water (aka Kristin) and I was 4.5 cm dilated and 60% effaced. He left and pitocin started. I never said I would be a brave woman, I asked at check in for my epidural! Which with twins I think they were going to make me have it anyway, but I WANTED it from the get go, knew that before I even got pregnant! The anaesthesiologist was in a c-section and they told me I would have to wait for her to come out. Ok. About an hour later I REALLY wanted the epidural, as I was definitely in labor, plus I am a bit of a wuss and I don't like pain. I had to wait for another c-sec, are you kidding me? They gave me something to take the "edge" off. Anyway, I swear as soon as I got that, the dr was in to do the epidural. I could have care less, I knew she would be my friend. I saw Bobby's face when he saw the needle and his "PLEASE don't move Courtney, PLEASE". I didn't and I got the epidural. I did sit up and felt funny but they "fixed" it and I relaxed and well... fell asleep. I slept for several hours (not sure how long, I was sleeping after all). I know Bobby and my mom ate some Subway and it smelled really good. Other than that, I was OUT! I woke up and said "I think I am going to be sick" and sick I was. They cleaned me and the floor up and the nurse said let me check you. She did and asked did I feel that? Feel what exactly I am not sure, but I thought I felt the catheter. Apparently not, it was time to push. So off she went to call Dr M to come back and get the OR set up.

He got there and I was in the OR and basically he said "Push" and what type of music did I want to listen to. So we listened to some Dave Matthews. I pushed and pushed and 2 hours to the minute out came Kristin at 5:30 pm. Bobby cried and was unable to cut the cord for her. She got cleaned up as Dr M "turned" baby B (aka Lara) and did an u/s to make sure she was in place and broke her water and told me to push. Bobby held Kristin in his arms and since I hadn't said anything since I said I wanted to listen to Dave Matthews, and for anyone that knows me, not talking is HARD for me. I "think" I said "I need a break" Dr M gave me 2 contractions and then I was told to push. I did and 49 minutes after my first child was born, Lara was born at 6:19. Bobby did cut the cord on Lara. That's pretty much it. I did it all by myself with my friend the epidural! I had a second/third degree tear and got some stitches. But other than that, nothing to exciting, I am one of the few that I know of that has vaginally delivered twins. I am woman hear me ROAR!

So here we are a year later- my babies are a year old! This is them at a wedding last weekend. It sucked but they were cute, of course!









If you look close you can see the grass Kristin and Lara were pulling up by the handfulls and putting in the chairs! Hehe!



Lara playing on her "Mum Mum"s jazzy wheelchair!



Kristin walking on the beach!





Lara playing on the beach in between bites of sand! YUCK!

We went to a wedding and then came home for 2 hours and left and drove down to the Outer Banks for a week of vacation at the beach. They had their first birthday at the beach! Now we are home and getting ready for their first birthday bash! I'll post pictures of their party after our company leaves!

Kristin is "walking". I guess that's what you call it. She walks and when she falls gets back up. If she wants to get somewhere fast she still crawls! She is pointing and nodding yes. Started saying "de de" to call Bobby.

Lara is starting to let go and make moves towards "walking". She studies stuff alot more and spends time figuring out toys and how things work. When I watch her sometimes, it is like I can see her little "wheels turning" as she tries to get things to work. She "reads" her books and "talks" about whatever it is she is saying. I just say "Oh you think so" or "Oh really. Then what happened" and she keeps on going. She is like me, I guess! I forsee lots of report cards with "She talks too much during class/instruction" Hmmm... I remember seeing some of those in my days from Kindergarten to my senior year.

So one year down... I can't believe they are a year old! My babies! They'll always be my babies! I'll post their weights and heights after their appt this week with their birthday party pics!

11 months 2 weeks and 3 days later...

So here we are. The best two things in my life entered my life just a short 11 months 2 weeks and 3 days ago. If I had to pick a theme song it would be the song by Boys like Girls "Two is better than One." I know the song is about a couple, but minus a few things in the song, it fits me and my girls. Cause like the song says "I can't live without you" and "there's so much time to figure out the rest of my life, but I already figured out, 2 is better than one". I can't imagine having one without the other. And even though last August in the newborn hell of twins and colic and postpartum depression, I survived and they did too and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

This summer I thought I would blog more, but.. yeah, I wonder why. My life focuses around feeding and naps and playtime. And occasionally I have managed to snap a few pictures of my angels. I wish I could get videos on here... cause if you want to know what heaven sounds like, then I will tell you, it is the sounds coming out of my bay-bays mouths. They have the voices of angels (when they aren't crying)!

Anyway...here we are on a "date" again with my bud and her twins. I have a hard time getting them to sit still long enough to get a picture with them both in it. Notice I got the girls some shoes for their botanical gardens splashing fun- they have small feet. They wear 3-6 month size shoes (can't say much I did wear a 5.5-6 until I was pregnant).

Kristin did not want to get her picture taken, she was trying to get up and be gone!







OMG I love this picture! Kristin looks like such an innocent angel!



Kristin has figured out how to crawl in and out of the bumbo seat! Totally cracks herself up in it! They haven't sat in those seats in months, but I pulled it out to feed my niece and now Kristin plays in it.



Lara was pulling apart diapers. I said "Lara Anne" and then she looked at me like this... how could I be mad anymore? Angels... I tell you... Angels!



This was today... Lara sat there for at least 15 minutes "reading" that book. She turned the pages and "read" out loud! At the end she did "So Big" and I got the picture!

So goals:

11 lbs lost... wish it was more. I guess I didn't gain overnight, wish it went away overnight!

Still have pacis as you can see from the pictures- haven't even tried to take them yet.

New fun "tricks":

1. Girls give me "high 5"
2. They say "ah" after chugging off of their sippy cups
3. Kristin constantly practices walking.. she will be walking...soon..probably before I get another post up! LOL
4. Lara will give you a kiss (with a little tongue...yuck) and does a "muah" sound!
5. They also take their hand and go over their mouth and do "ah ah ah" (which is not a PC term) but like I did when I was little playing 'Indian'.

Summer of changing is causing "change"

The "Summer of Change" is going strong here at the house. And since we are doing change we have all kinds of change going on with the twins. Such as.....



Learning how to use the basket and toys to get up onto the coffee table and


Flushing the potty (maybe this will come in handy next summer with the potty training goal I have already set)



As well as drinking "bottles" out of our sippies! Yes!



Kristin and her 4th of July sippy!





Lara and her 4th of July sippy!

So 2 "goals" done- I am "off the pump" and feeling good about having that time back!Girls drinking all drinks from a sippy ALL day! Even the "nite nite" bottle was gone on the 3rd- they took the sippy cup before bed and I washed the bottles and we are D-O-N-E with bottles!

I am still doing South Beach- a little disappointed with losing only 7 lbs in 2 weeks. I did SO much better the first time and I PROMISE I haven't "cheated" at all- not even once. I have set a goal to exercise 4 times a week. So far I have met that goal too, and I have found if I do it right after I fed the girls lunch, they will play and I can do my 35 mins of aerobic activity and a few sit-ups. I am "lucky" to get that time of exercise so I don't know what more I can do. Just frustrating... it is SO much easier to gain weight than to lose. I HATE PCOS!

Can't believe they will be 11 months old tomorrow! My babies aren't "baby babies" anymore... makes me sad...kinda.

Summer of change has commenced

School is out for summer! YAY!

I have made a "To Do List of Changes" for the summer:

1. Get off the pump. I have enough frozen milk in the deep freezer to last them for MONTHS. My deadline was July 1st to be pump-free. I am proud to say, I have not pumped since June 28th at 10am... boobs hurt but I am glad to not be tied to that thing every 3-4 hrs everyday. I am glad I did it for the girls' health... and for our wallets. I can check this off as DONE!

2. Get my fat ass on South Beach Diet and lose the 35lb I have left from being pregnant (started June 21st with some pals and family). I am 7 lbs down so far. I need to step up on the exercising though...need more hours in the day. 28lbs more to go!

3. Get the girls off bottles and onto sippy cups all day! I am ready to be done with washing bottles too! They LOVE to eat and I swear they eat ALL day! Getting onto sippies with milk will be awesome!

4. Break the paci habit- if we can, this is the least of my concerns right now, but I want to do it sooner than later.

Today my family went with my good friend and her twins to the Botanical Gardens. Compared to the 100 degree weather here lately, the 80 degree day was BEAUTIFUL! It was fun. Here are some pics of the girls having fun in the little kiddie water area. (FYI- they are required to wear shoes at all times- the girls don't have sandals/shoes for that so they wore socks)



Aren't they cute?




Kristin was content to sit and play with the water coming up out of the fountain. She just splashed and played. She has turned from such a colicky, fussy baby to such a happy, laughing baby.




Lara was ALL over the place. She crawled through all the fountains and
"played" with the bigger kids. She had NO fear.... not sure how I will deal with this in the years to come.

As summer progresses, I will let you know how the "Summer of Change" is going!

Oh, their birthday party supplies came today! I am SO excited to plan the party... I will save that for another blog though so you'll have to wait to hear the "theme". To be continued.....