Mug n Bun

Yesterday Tom had a craving for a hamburger, something that NEVER happens. So we started thinking of a good place to get a take out burger, that wasn't Steak n Shake because we don't live near one. I got online and started searching and remembered that Mug n Bun is like 5 minutes from our apartment, so we agreed to give it a try. WOW! There is a reason this joint has been in business for 48 years. The burgers are great, the onion rings are amazing and oh my goodness the homemade root beer is killer. We bought a gallon of it, it is that good. The only down side is they take cash only, but hey I guess a stop at the ATM on the way there is worth it. If you are ever on the west side, 10th and Lynhurst or want to drive for a good burger, (they have other things, chicken, fish, pork tenderloins...etc...a very extensive menu) you should give it a try, because it is fabulous...oh and the prices can't be beat! You can check out their website Mug-N-Bun.com(it isn't very fancy, but it works for their menu and more information)

Ouch!!!!

I am going to start this post by saying, I would do this all over in a heartbeat and it was beyond worth it, but seriously look at the above picture...I was HUGE! Last night I was putting together a photo book of the girl's first year and stumbled across some pictures of my last few weeks of pregnancy, this being one of them. I am 35 weeks here...huge, huge, huge. At the time I knew I was big, but I didn't realize how big until I looked at this picture and man, oh man. I also was looking at some pictures of my baby shower, which I am enormous in, but not only my stomach. My face was so incredibly swollen, I looked like a chipmunk, or someone who has just had their wisdom teeth out. I called Tom over to look at the pictures and he even said, wow, I didn't think you were that swollen...yeah, oh yeah. I even asked his parents today and they said they didn't remember me being that bad...but the proof is there. I am not going to post those pictures, it is to embarrassing, and I think this is enough, but like I said, I would do it all over again, and it must not have been that bad, since I didn't even remember being that big or in pain and I got my two little sweeties out of the deal, so there you go.

Shoes and Flu Shots

When you have twins everything is multiplied, the diapers, food, love, clothes and SHOES. The girls are just starting to walk and there was a sale online for shoes, $4.99 a pair...I couldn't beat it so I started stocking up and this is what I ended up with...CRAZY. I saved so much money though so it will be worth it, but it is funny when you walk into their room and see so many shoes laying around...they are never in a straight line, or neat and tidy. The girls are way to little for that at this stage, but they are too cute, the little shoes that is...well the girls are too!



On a side note, I have decided that ALL parents should be forced or feel obligated to get a flu shot. I HATE shots, and up until the girls were born never got a flu shot, never needed a flu shot, never got the flu, but now that I am a parent I get the shot like I should. Well, I must have been on a lot of pain killers last year, because I don't remember it hurting as bad as it did today. Holy Cow, it hurt like crazy, I almost wanted to cry, no wonder the girls cried when they got theirs, it was crazy. With that pain, I realized that the parent should feel what their child is feeling as well, so everyone can sympathize together. I am just hoping that this year I don't get sick...I know, I know they say you can't get the flu from the shot, but last year I got a fever and was achy for about 2 days after getting it, so I hope that doesn't happen this year. I also hope that the girls forgive me when I have to take them back for their flu booster in a few weeks...painful, my poor babies. I know it is for everyone's benefit, but still...Pain, Pain, Pain. So if you are a parent get your flu shot and be nice to your babies when they get theirs, because it isn't a pleasant experience! :-)

Addiction

They say the first step to an addiction recovery is admitting you have a problem, so here it goes, I am going to pubcilcly admit that I have an addiction to Starbucks Frappacinos. Okay, so I know tat you are probably saying, so what, but I am seriously out of control. I have started getting the ones at the store, that are cheaper, but then I end up drinking like two in a day, sometimes I will have one and then go to starbucks and get a real one. This is a very costly addiction, seeing as how Starbucks is not cheap, and lets not forget all of the calories that I am consuming. I have started to get the light ones, but still these are calories that I could easily save myself and would probably help the pounds come off. So the first step in my recovery was to admit I have a problem, the second step is trying to solve that problem. I have thought about going cold turkey, but that won't work, so now I am thinking that I will try every other day, then every 2nd day and so forth until I get myself off and then only have 1 a month as a treat. I hope this works, but if anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them!

Table Food Please Mommy

Today the girls had their one year check-up, which went pretty well. We switched doctors, same practice, just different doctor. She was amazing compared to our other doctor. He was fine, but very sarcastic and made me feel very dumb, which was always hard, being a first time mom and all, with twins. But this lady was great and she did make me feel dumb, she took her time examining the girls and she was very friendly. It was a great switch. We also found out that we have been cleared for the girls to eat any food they want, including peanut butter, eggs and shell fish, and of course whole milk...yippee! We will start to explore new foods, in small amounts, so as to not waste things, which should be fun and interesting. In other news the girls are completely healthy. Natalie is still falling in the 5% range for her weight of 17.8 and Maddie is in the 25% for her weight of 19.6. Their heads are in the 50-75% at 18, and Their heights are 28 for Natalie and 28 and 3/4 for Maddie, still pretty small, I think it was 25-50% or something like that. The doctor said not to worry though, because they are still on the curve so that is good. Tom and I have also made the decision to keep them facing backwards until Natalie is at least 25 pounds. They say you can turn them around once they are 20 pounds AND one year, but that it is actually safer to keep them facing backwards, so we are going to do that for awhile, they have each other to entertain and I am all about safety. Other than that we are just working on talking and walking. Natalie is doing a great job and Maddie just gets so excited that she keeps falling, but she is starting to get the hang of it as well. So that is all for now, but I am sure there will be interesting food stories down the road.

I Did It!

As the girls turned one yesterday I achieved my goal of nursing/pumping for them for a whole year. My initial goal was six months, and once I reached that I set out to try eight months. Once I got to eight months I knew I could make it the full first year, which I did! It has been a sacrifice to say the least, but it was worth it to not have the girls on formula. Surprisingly they really did not have much formula at all, we supplemented about one bottle a day for a few months, but for the last six months they haven't had any. Now the process of weaning has begun and I am so excited to have extra time back in my day. Of course though on the heels of this great achievement I have yet another infection. This would be my fourth of the year and of course this is the worst one. Last night I was really sore and then I was laying in bed and just got really, really cold. I had on a sweatshirt, sweatpants, socks and all of the blankets and I was still freezing. At this point I figured I should take my temperature and sure enough, fever. Then I got nauseous and yup you know what happened next. Then wouldn't you know, since I am a mom and all and you don't get to call in sick, Maddie woke up and wanted to eat and cuddle. So I fed her and rocked her a little and then went back to bed...it was a rough night, but we survived. Now I am just waiting for my prescription to be ready so hopefully I will feel better soon. Ah, but I digress, this post was supposed to be about my big achievement and moving on to the next big thing. Yippee for me.

Happy Birthday

To My Little Angels,
Today you turned one year old. I cannot believe that it has already been a full year since you entered this world or how much our lives have changed since you entered it. You have brought us so much love and laughter that I cannot imagine life without you. You both started off small, but you have blossomed into two healthy little girls. You are both trying to walk and you enjoy exploring new foods. You get a kick out of making each other laugh and we can tell that you are going to be close, because you are always hugging each other, or holding hands, or kissing each other. You love to talk to each other and you play well together. Your special "twin" time is when we bought you down to sleep and you stand at the end of your cribs and talk, or laugh or pass your blankets or pacifiers back and forth. We have been so fortunate that I have been able to stay home with you girls to watch you grow and to see all of your changes and I love every minute of it, even when you have your little fits or you don't get enough sleep. I cannot even begin to explain to the two of you how special you are or how much you are loved by me, your daddy and everyone else. You are just so lovable and cuddly and you make everyone laugh and smile. I want to thank you girls for this wonderful year and I wish I could put into words just how much you mean to me. I could go on and on, but I won't here and now. Just know that we love you and I am so glad to have you as my daughters and I hope you have a very Happy Birthday and a very Happy Year!
I love you girls,
Your Mama

Wild Weekend

This past weekend we celebrated the girl's 1st birthday for the 2nd time at my in-laws house. It was a fun weekend. The girls still weren't really into their cakes, but they loved all their gifts. Then that night, the girls and I stayed at their Nana and Poppi's house since Tom was headed to a bachelor party. We went to a little fair in Martinsville for the fall Foliage festival. The girls were so funny because even though we fed them before we left we had to stop and get them a grilled cheese because they were hungry. The next day we went to the Fall Foliage parade. It was sure interesting, to say the least. About 5-10 minutes after the parade started a bunch of medical equipment went zooming by and rumours came back that one of the Shriner's had lost control and crashed into the crowd. We weren't very surprised because they had come very close to the curb when they had been by us. Then towards the end of the parade a man, seemingly drunk or on something fell off his horse and was taken away by the cops. It was pretty funny, and all had a good time, even the girls. I was worried it would be to loud for them, especially Maddie, but she loved it and was rocking and even recognized Tom, who rode in his Dad's wagon. It was a fun weekend, even though we are paying for it today, the girls got up at 5:45 and just a little while ago went down for their first nap, but we will bounce back and hey at least we all had fun.

Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup and Karaoke

Today I tried to be a little more adventurous with the girl's meal choices. I know I should be giving them "real" people food instead of just pureed baby stuff, but it is so easy and I am afraid of choking...they only have 2 teeth a piece still, so I figure they can't chew that well. Well, yesterday I was eating a bagel and cream cheese and Maddie kept wanting some, so I gave it to her and she seemed to like it. So, today for lunch they had raisin bagel and cream cheese. Then for dinner Tom and I were having grilled cheese and tomato soup and I figured they would probably eat the soup, which they did, then I thought okay lets give them so grilled cheese too. They absolutely LOVED it. We started with just a little and they each ended up eating a half a sandwich...it was crazy, but that is good...exploration is good. You know what is no good. Live karaoke in the apartment upstairs, being sung at the highest decibel, by your Japanese neighbors. Yes, that is right, our upstairs neighbors are doing karaoke...it is horrible, it is so bad that even the girls were looking around wondering what that horrible noise is...we are giving them until 11:00...quiet time and if it doesn't stop they will either get a pleasant...or not so pleasant knock on the door, or the cops will be called...ahhhhhh house please be finished soon!

Off Days

Days like today are more challenging than other days. While the girls did sleep all night last night, both of them for a change, they both woke up this morning at 5:45. Usually they get up between 7:30 and 8:30, so on days like today I have to especially patient and have to just roll with the punches. On days like today instead of waking up at 8:00 the girls are usually going down for their first nap of the day, can you imagine taking a nap at 8:00 am? It does allow me to get ready much earlier than normal, but most of the day is working around the next nap. They will probably sleep until 9 or 10 and then need to sleep again around 11 or 12 and then again at 3 or 4, only to have to be woken, by me, no later than 5:30. Other times they only take 2 naps and just aren't as happy as they normally are. Days like this also cause me to wonder why in the world they woke up so early. Maybe they are really teething this time...I feel like they have been teething for 6 months, but Maddie cannot stop drooling. Or maybe it is because they are reaching that milestone of walking...who knows what is going on, but all I know is that hopefully the sun will come out at some point, we will get a walk in and we will have fun playing with their Nana and Poppi this afternoon! So here is to off days and the challenges they bring and the ability to roll with the punches.

Under Roof!

After several long, long, long months we are getting closer to having a house. We are finally under roof. Now we are waiting for our next pre-dry wall meeting, which should be next week! Then it should be about 6-8 weeks until we get to close...I am personally hoping it is 6 weeks until close. So here are a few pictures...not to exciting, but for us after all these months it sure is...

Finally moving forward after all these months and looking forward to the next steps!

You Know You're a Parent When:

You Know you are a parent when you now have radio Disney programmed into you car radio and one or two of your cd spaces in your car changer have disney tunes and other "toddler" music taking up space. I can't believe we have reached this stage already, but the girls absolutely love music. As soon as some of their kid music turns on they both start bouncing their heads and chatting, almost like singing. It is really cute. They also like to dance in the living room and their bedroom. I think for a little while I am going to be selective as to what music they listen to, just because so much of it annoys me, but it is good to let them listen to different things. They also have started to enjoy watching some television. Sesame Street is one they like and for their birthday my mom got them Fraggle Rock. Do you remember that, from when we were little? This was one of Tom and my favorites and we are glad it is on DVD now so the girls can watch it too. I am also selective on what they can watch...no Barney, no wiggles and no teletubbies to start. The Sprout channel is okay, until it starts showing the above shows, at which point it gets shut off. Now, please don't think that I plop the girls down all day and let them watch tv, because it isn't like that at all. They don't watch more than 30 minutes and it isn't like the sit and watch, it is more like background noise while they play and every now and then they will watch a couple seconds. My mom informs me that I better get used to this sort of stuff, because even now she still listens to what my sister wants to listen to, 16 years later...ahhhh to be a parent :-)

First Time for Everything

Tonight our nightly routine was a little out of wack because we went to Tom's parent's house and ended up staying later than we normally do. When we got home it was already 8:30, the girl's drop dead time for bed. They were behaving really well though, luckily since they needed a bath because they were filthy. (They were having to much fun playing with rocks and leaves and crawling around) So we fill up the bath and decide to save time with a bubble bath. Tom sits with the girls and plays a little while I go and start their bottles. Then I go in to do the big clean down. Well, I get them all soaped up and I am starting to rinse when I look down and under the bubbles I see poop. Oh my goodness I say she, Maddie, pooped. Yes, this is the first time this has happened, ironically just a few weeks after Tom's dad asked if anyone had done this and we proudly were able to say no...until today! So we sit there for a second and Tom gets Natalie out, at which point we just start laughing hysterically, which either scares Maddie or embarresses her and she starts to cry. So I wrap her in a towel, soap, poop and all and we set to cleaning the tub out. Then back in they go to get cleaned up. Of course this was a truly funny moment, but we were wishing it was happening at 6:30 instead of quarter to nine, but ah well...hopefully it won't happen again for awhile, but at least we had a good laugh.

Reflection

This past week I was going through some of my old things from college and high school and I found some of my old journals. One of these journals was written while I was studying abroad in London. It was very weird to read back on all of my thoughts and feelings at the time and even weirder to realize how much I have changed in the last seven years. A lot of the things I thought and wrote were very self centered and immature and I found myself thinking, "are you serious, why the heck would you think or say that?" I also realized that some of the traits I had back then I still have and they are not necessarily good traits to have. One line that really stuck with me and kills me was a line that said, "I poison friendships and other relationships and push people away." I really took this to heart and started thinking about all of the friendships and relationships that I personally have tanked and it made me sick. I don't know why I do it, but I let people in and then I turn around and do everything I can to sabatoge the relationship. After reading about destroying friendships in college and thinking about the relationships I have botched since, I have decided that one of my new personal goals is to work on all of my relationships, as well as myself, to try to figure out why I push people away, when all I really want is to be close to others and have good friendships. I hope that I can get to the bottom of this personal sabatoge and I hope that I can in turn strengthen my relationships, current and future.

Kisses, Patty Cake, and So Big

This week the girls have advanced so much, it is really amazing. Tom and I went to dinner on Friday and when we came back my mom had taught them how to do, "So Big" Maddie loves to do it and laughs and claps and raises her hands up. Maddie also likes to give kisses. Although she prefers opened mouth kisses, which are kind of wet, she is to cute for words. Both girls have the favorite game of playing patty cake now though and they clap their hands all of the time. They are still working on the roll it part, but the clapping they have down. We are trying to teach them, "the kick is good" since it is basically like "so big" but we think that is confusing them a little bit, so we will have to keep working on that. Maddie has also started to take a few more steps and soon their little back pack leashes they got for their birthdays will come in very handy. It really is amazing how spongy they are and how they soak up everything, good or bad, but once again it is all to much fun and we are constantly laughing now because they are too cute.

This picture, which is small, is a picture of the leashes they got...one is a bear and one is a monkey, they are the cutest things ever!