I'm baaaccckk

It's been over 2 months since my last blog update. Yikes! I promise that I have a few good excuses though. We were lucky enough to move the Beasties into a new house. One with lots and lots of room for them to run and ruin things, along with a big backyard and a play house. The move went extremely well considering I was 8 months pregnant at the time. I can't give enough credit to our friends and family for helping us for countless hours. There is no way this could have gone as well as it did without all of their help.

In other news: On July 1st Miss Jocelyn Elise joined our family. She is sweet as can be. Nothing like at all like the Beasties. Please keep your fingers crossed for us that she doesn't switch teams on us.

She really is as precious as she looks. The Beasties have adjusted quite well to the new addition. In fact, they have surprised the heck out of Randy and I.

Well folks, that's all for now. I'm going to give it my best shot at blogging at least once a week from here on out. There is way too much cuteness in my life right now to not share!

Nostalgia

We are moving to our new house this week. It's a day that Randy and I have looked forward to for months and months, yet there hasn't been in a day in a week or so that I didn't get teary eyed when thinking about moving. Each time my eyes got misty, I couldn't put my finger on exactly why that was. My goodness, we are moving to a beautiful house a little bit outside of the city. It has nearly double the square footage that we have now and a huge yard for the boys to play in. Why am I the least bit sad to leave our condo? Is it that I'll miss having our friends over all of the time? Will I miss the nice short 15 minute commute to work? Maybe it's that I'll be over 10 minutes from the nearest fast food restaurant? The question puzzled me until tonight.

I've been packing for weeks. It takes a lot out of a pregnant lady to pack up a house, so I've been taking my time. After I put the boys to sleep tonight, I realized that their room was the only room in the house that isn't littered with moving boxes. Each picture is still perfectly positioned on the walls. Nothing looks out of the norm. As I was folding a load of laundry, it hit me. It's all about nostalgia.

I can vividly remember the day I picked up the keys to the condo. Randy was still at work. I was all alone in the house. I remember laying on the floor in what would end up being the boy's room surrounded by white bare walls. The place was dead silent. I found myself day dreaming about what the future held for Randy and I. While I was lying there, I pictured us getting married and probably having a baby. I imagined what it would be like to bring a baby to our new home. Never did I imagine that in less than five years later, I would be sitting here with twin boys and a baby girl on the way.

Fast forward three years from the time we just moved into the condo.. In that very same room I had my day dream, I found myself designing the perfect nursery for my baby boys. I mulled over this nursery for hours upon hours each day. After much searching, I finally found the perfect paint color, the perfect wall decor, the perfect bedding and mobiles, and a beautiful nursery lamp. I moved the cribs around until the angles were just right. Since that time, the boy's room has hands-down been my favorite room in the house.

It is in this room that I can still picture my two newborn babies sleeping next to each other in their crib. They were so tiny and perfect. Randy and I would stand over their crib while they slept and marvel at the fact that there were TWO perfect babies sleeping in the crib. I can remember the uneasy feeling of being a new mom. I remember sleeping on the floor of their room when they were newborns because they got up to frequently.

It is here that night after night I go in and peak on my babies before bed. Each night, I am amazed with them. It's so unbelievable how fast they grow. I love watching them sleep. Somehow, watching them sleep, takes away all of the stress of the day. To this day, their room is my last stop before I go to bed. It never fails that I leave their room grinning ear to ear. I usually comment to Randy something to the effect of "they are so beautiful" or "I love them so much".

I'll be taking down the nursery sometime later this week. I'm sure I'll cry the entire time but I'll blame it on nostalgia (and I suppose the fact that I am a hormonal pregnant lady). I'm sure in my mind I'll have flashbacks and wish that I could just keep the room forever. After all, it reminds of a very special time in my life and brings me to the reality that the boys are growing up and we are growing as a family. I know that I'll always have the memories, but I like having the room because it's tangible.

Very soon, we will make the perfect rooms for the boys and our baby girl at our new house. Like the nursery, these rooms that will help create unforgettable memories as well..

What are little boys made of...

When I was pregnant with the twins, I hoped and hoped that I would have at least one little boy. There is just something so magical and precious about little boys. These two little beasts are exactly what I had in mind when I dreamt of little boys.

They are little boys through and through. They love to get in trouble, really they do. Not only do they love to get in trouble, it seems some days they live to get in trouble. It may seem impossible for 18 month olds, but they know exactly what to do. Their giggle when when they are doing something that they shouldn't be unmistakable. I should also mention, when they are getting in trouble, it's always in tandem. When one spots trouble, they use their secret "language" to communicate. No joke.

They love to get dirty, use random household objects as weapons, and use the weapons to hit things or each other. They think the world of trucks, tractors, heavy machinery, cows, puppies, birds and balls. Little boys to the core. I really couldn't have asked for little boys that are anymore "boy".

This past weekend Daddy was out of town, so I took the boys to little boys paradise; up north to see my parents. They had the time of their lives. The beasts got to play in the sandbox, see horses and cows, ride on four-wheelers, eat ice cream cones, cheese balls, and half a water-melon, throw rocks in the pond, hang out with their big cousin Kade, have a camp fire and stay up 2 hours past their bedtime each night. They were in little boy heaven.

Reecey playing in the sand box.

Grandpa Mike, Kade, Randy and Reece

Randy enjoying his first ever ice cream cone. Please note his messy shirt.

Below: Uncle Joey and Reece sitting by the campfire.

Top 3 Things That Make 15 Month Olds Awesome

1. They can walk!! While the Beasties are still a little wobbly at times, they can move around pretty well. Running from room to room, up and down the stairs...In some respects, this makes life a little easier. For example, I don't have to carry them two at a time down the stairs! In fact, I now run down the stairs. It takes them at least 1 minute to get down, so in this time I can start getting their snacks ready. Sneaky mama..

2. They can say a few words. Both boys say mama, dada, baba, ball, car, my (this is Marley, our dog), no-no, and probably a bunch more that I am forgetting. I particularly love it when we go in to get the boys in the morning and their little faces light up and they shout "mama" "dada". Totally melts my heart, each and every time.

Randy is always full of smiles and always has a lot to say.

3. They give hugs and kisses. They are still a little stingy, but they are getting there. Randy likes to hug, but once in awhile he sneaks in a little bite on the shoulder. He gives good kisses though. In fact, he even makes a kissing sound. Reecey is a little snuggler, especially at night. His kisses however, are more like head-butts. He recently started "kissing" Marley. She is not impressed.

and now....

The Top 3 Things That Make 15 Month Olds Tough

1. They can walk. Like I said: up and down the stairs, running from room to room, going opposite directions. Yikes! I thought it was bad when they could crawl. Now that they are walking, it added about 6 more inches on to there "reach level". Not only can they rummage through all of the cabinets and dresser drawers, now they can reach door knobs, bathroom sink drawers, you name it, the Beasties are there. The only time our house is clean is between the hours of 6:30 pm and 6:00 am.

For some odd reason, both boys absolutely love Marley's kennel.

Did I mention that they like to push buttons? They love to type and turn the TV on and off.

2. They can say a few words. The Beasties hate when I leave for work in the morning. Reecey recently starting following me around when I'm getting ready. Right before I leave, he cries and shakes his head while saying "no no, no no mama". Whew! Gets me every time. According to Daddy, he "recovers" in less than a minute. Now a days, there isn't much that a few Cheerios won't heal.

3. No more drive-through for me. A few months ago, we got a new vehicle. The old one was just too small. When we switched over the car seats to the new vehicle, we decided to go forward facing. The Beasties really thought this is cool. Randy and I thought it was neat at first too. It was sweet to see their cute little faces happily looking out the window when we were driving. Then we stopped at a drive-through. Crying, begging and whining immediately ensue. We had no choice but to share. Fast food drive-through used to be my "escape". I could eat a meal in peace. I didn't have to share or listen to whining and crying. Not that they could actually see that there was food, all bets were off. For this reason, I'm considering flipping the seats back to rear facing. That way, I'd be acting in accordance to the American Academy of Pediatrics by keeping them rear-facing for 2 years, and most importantly, I could eat my fries in peace.

And now....picture overload!!

Reecey riding his new four-wheeler.

Now, I'm about to be really brave here and show you what my house looks like on a daily basis.

Randy: about to get down to business..


He can barely reach, but that doesn't stop him.


Reecey knows this is NOT a one-man kinda job.


He too, must do his part for Operation Destructo.






Mission completed...all in less than 5 minutes.
Solid work Rock Stars.

I had a heck of a time formatting this post, so I guess we're doing pictures first.

Below is a picture of the boys watching out the window for trucks. It's daily event in our house. Unfortunately, it almost always ends with one boy on the ground crying.

^

^ My big Reecey-Bear ^

Me and boys are a "Rib Cook-Off" in September. Randy is on the right, Reece left.

Reece left, Randy right
^Randy playing in the grass ^

Taking the Big Beasties out in public is usually quite the ordeal. Really though, it's not what you think. This time, it's not their fault. The Big Beasties are usually on their absolute BEST behavior when we are out and about. It's a phenomenon I can't explain. Here are two major problems: 1. People are crazy 2. Me lugging around the Big Beasties is a logistical nightmare sometimes.

1. Every time I go out in public with the boys, we somehow become a circus act all in itself. Random strangers are constantly gawking, asking questions and touching, yes touching the boys. At first I thought this was cute, but after awhile, I really just want to buy my groceries in peace. On any one trip to the store, we are stopped by countless people. Most of them want to know the answers to the following questions:

-Are they twins? "Yep, they sure are!"

-Are they identical? "Nope. If you look closely, you'll see that one has blue eyes, one has brown, one has blond hair one has darker hair." I know I have to cut people a little slack on this one. The boys do look a lot alike. In fact, my Dad still gets them messed up. Why, I don't really know, but whatever, he's getting old.

Of course those are the two most common questions, but once in awhile, strangers get a little bit more personal.

-Are they natural? This one really kills me. What I want to say is "Aren't all babies natural?" Instead, I smile and politely say "yes". How is this an appropriate questions for strangers to be asking? I don't know.....people are crazy. Sometimes I'd like to ask random parents of singletons if their babies are "natural". I can just imagine the looks I'd get. For some reason, people assume I used some form of fertility treatment because I have twins. (For the record, we DID NOT use fertility treatment. That being said, I certainly feel for people dealing with fertility issues.)

-Did you have a natural birth? Here we go again...I think I'll start asking random women if they pushed their babies out their hoo-hoo or if they had a C-section. Again...is this an appropriate question to ask a stranger at Target, I don't think so. (For the record, I had a C-section and loved it.)

-You must really have your hands full!! Here' s my answer-"Yes, I do, but they are really good boys." What I want to say, "Yup, now get the heck out of my way! I need to finish my shopping before they start screaming..then I would certainly have my hands full!"

Disclaimer: I really don't mind all of the questions and attention from random strangers. Honestly, it's really quite amusing. People NEVER cease to amaze me.

2. It's very difficult to go alone to certain places with the boys such as Blockbuster or the Post Office.

I never take the boys to Blockbuster with me. It's just too much work. Take the double stroller out, unload the boys, walk around the store for less than 5 minutes, put the boys back in the car, pack up the double stroller. Not worth it...that is unless you are desperate. I was desperate once this summer. The boys were about 20lbs a piece at the time. For some dumb reason, I thought I could just carry them in the store with me instead of using the stroller. You know, skip a few, make things a little easier. As soon as I walked into the store I knew immediately that this was a BAD idea. For starters, the second I walked in, everyone in the entire store stopped what they were doing and looked at me. (It must have been quite the sight I guess.) I knew the questions were about to start coming... Like I said, usually I am extra polite and answer all of the questions. This time however, I literally had my hands full. By the time I entered the store I was seriously out of breath. Why you ask? From lugging 40lbs of baby, plus two carriers from the parking lot into the store. It gets me every time. Instead of trying to answer the same old questions over and over while being out of breathe, what did I do? I bee lined it to the horror movie section. I made eye contact with no one...I then pretended to be really interested in horror movies until I caught my breath. It worked, but I never did it again.

When I decided to start this blog, I thought it would serve as a platform for me to share my stories of raising the Big Beasties with our family and friends. While the blog has certainly done that, it has also become a way for me to document my experience and honest to goodness feelings throughout this journey. I decided awhile back that one day, I would print off the pages of this blog for the Big Beasties. I want them to hear my perspective on things (when they are older of coarse!). My hope is that they will see that they were a HUGE challenge for Randy and I, but also the most loved little boys ever. They bring us a tremendous amount of joy.

I want to take a moment to give thanks for all that I have. I know that in previous posts I've written about all of the challenges that Randy and I have faced. In no way do I want this misinterpreted as complaining about things. I am eternally grateful for my family. I am so lucky and I certainly realize this. The Big Beasties were born without any complications and have grown to be big (and I do mean BIG) healthy boys. It's easy to take health for granted, but I know that it is such a gift. I thank God everyday for my beautiful boys. I'm amazed by how they are growing and thriving as little men. I love them more than I ever dreamt possible. Quite simply, there are not enough words in the dictionary to adequately say how much I love them. I would do absolutely anything in the world for them. A parent's love is just unspeakable....Now, please forgive me for bragging about my Beasties for a few minutes.

Randy-My little nutto

What does he do now a days? Constant motion!!! The only time he stops moving is immediately before he falls asleep. Here's what he's been up to.

1.Lately, he likes to use me as his own personal jungle jim. He climbs and climbs. Once he gets to a standing position, he is not quite sure what to do so he tips over and just starts climbing again. He pretty much does this all day long. It never seems to get boring to him I guess.

2.Randy is also doing his version of crawling. It's definitely not your traditional crawl, but then again, Randy is not your traditional kid. His crawl is a mix of "the worm" and the army crawl. It's a little slow, but he can get the job done. He picks a mission and accomplishes it at all costs. Some of his favorites missions include: tipping over our dog's food and water (if he is really fast and beats me to it, he gets to sample some of Marley's food), unplugging things such as the computer and TV, licking shoes and stealing Reece's toys.

3.Randy currently has two teeth. He likes to pretend to hug me, but really he is just trying to bite my shoulder. He fooled me a few times and now I'm onto him.

4. Randy can now stand unassisted while holding onto furniture. This is a little scary for me yet, but I'm trying to get over it.

5. He does "Rock N Roll". Basically, he rocks back and forth when we sing or when we tell him to "Rock N Roll."

6. He also makes lot and lots of weird sounds, on command may I add, that I can't clearly describe.

I'm sure he does more than 6 things, but on to the pictures!!

Reecey Bear-I can't think of just one word to describe him. He is changing so much everyday. He went from being shy and quiet to an aggressive little Beasto. Here's what occupies Reece's day.

1. Lots and lots of babbling. Everything from dadada, mamama, to gagaga. It's never quiet with Reece around. When he sees Daddy, he usually gets out dadada.

2. Terrorizing Marley. He loves to pull her hair and not so gently pet her. The little Beastie finds this so hilarious. Speaking of things Reece finds hilarious...

3. Everything... He is a little giggle puss. He laughs at sneezes, burps, sounds on TV, funny faces you name it.

4. John Deere Tractors and trucks. He can't get enough of them. He pushes is tractor around and makes a tractor noise. It is so precious. He'll play content as can be as long as he has his tractor. He also likes to look out the window for trucks. I think the boy might turn into a gear head. (I hope not, but I think so.)

5. What I like to call "butt scooting". He gets everywhere he wants to go by scooting on his butt. He can darn near cross a room if he want to. If he can't figure out where he wants to go exactly, he just spins in circles on his butt.

6. Shakes his head no and yes when you say the words. I can already tell that he is partial to no.....

Most importantly in my world, the Big Beastie are FINALLY holding their own bottles. These boys are 10.5 months old!! It's about freakin' time...

And finally, here is a picture of the Big Beasties doing the best they can so that I could get a picture of the two of them..

Cigarettes, Miracle Blankets and Vincent Jackson

Last fall/winter was easily the most difficult time of my life. While I was totally in love with my boys, I was also severly exhausted. Who knew that two little miracles would totally turn my life upside down? Looking back, as we quickly approach the Big Beasties first birthday, I now realize there were a few small things that saved my sanity.

1. Miracle Blankets
Throughout my pregnancy, I had heard from other new moms about this blanket, that truly worked miracles they claimed. Supposedly it was a swaddle that was unbreakable. Moms claimed that their babies slept hours longer at night when they used this blanket. I was not so convinced it would work for us. However after weeks and weeks of not sleeping longer than 2-3 hrs per stretch, I decided to give it a shot. I did a little research and was very disappointed to find out that these blankets sold for $30 a piece! Yikes!! I found my first Miracle Blanket on Craigslist. I tried it out on Reece the first night. It probably would've worked okay, but Randy continued to wake up ALL. NIGHT. LONG. The next day I decided I had to go big or go home. I found a second blanket on ebay. I counted down the hours until that thing arrived. I vividly remember watching out the window for the mailman to arrive. In my tired haze, I would perch myself next to the window. I felt like a crack head waiting for the crack to arrive. Nervously pacing my living room....

Alas, the blanket arrives!! My husband really thought I was crazy for putting so much faith into a blanket. "This is not just a blanket honey...", I told him the first night. "This blanket is going to change our live."

As it turns out, the blanket did in fact work. Randy and I refered to them as the "baby straight jackets". Every night, we snuggly secured the Big Beasties into their straight jackets. Almost immediately, they started sleeping 4hrs per stretch. Thank you Miracle Blanket. To all of you new parents out there, get one ASAP.

2. Cigarettes
Obviously, I gave up smoking during the pregnancy. I really thought that I would not start again after the babies were born. When the boys were about 3 weeks old, I told Randy I was going to run to Blockbuster. Before I left, I snuck a cigarette from his pack. Of coarse as any good closet smoker would do, I grabbed lotion, gum and body spray as well. (I didn't want him to know that I smoked.) As I lit the cigarette, I was hoping it would taste really crappy. Nope. It was heaven. From that day on, I plotted when I could have my next cigarette, undetected. Smoking in secret turned into only smoking at night and then only with coffee and at night blah blah blah. Smoking was my escape. I would go outside, away the Big Beasties and just sit and smoke. It was my break. One cold wintery day, the Big Beasties were being extra beasty. Lots and lots of crying and whining. It was about 5:30, Randy wouldn't be home for 2 more hours. I was about to lose it when I got an idea. I put on my shoes and ran 10ft to the neighbors. I knocked on the door and asked them to bum a smoke. Of coarse they gave me one and asked if I wanted to come in. "No, " I replied, "the boys are at home." I they looked a bit shocked, but they could probably see the despair on my face. "What are they doing?" they asked. "Screaming their heads off," I told them. We went over and smoked on my porch. When we were done, my neighbor and I went inside only to find both boys fast asleep. (I was probably outside less than five minutes.) I remember this so clearly. It really saved me that day. Honestly, I was about to go nuts. Smoking was my out. Judge all you want..I did what I had to do. Ted and Lisa, thanks for saving me that day. I'm sure Randy and Reece thank you as well..

A quick follow up: I quit smoking over 4 months ago. This time for good!

3. Vincent Jackson

For those of you who don't know, this is Vincent Jackson. He is a wide receiver for the San Diego Chargers. Though he doesn't know it, he too is responsible for saving my sanity. He was on my Fantasy Football team. With all of the stress on our lives, Randy and I lived for Sundays. We watched football from the time we woke up in the morning until we fell asleep at night. We started counting down to Sunday on Monday morning. Fantasy Football, made Sundays that much sweeter. V Jack was my star. Sunday after Sunday he came through for me. I ended up winning the Super Bowl of our league.

The point of this post, is that little things can pull you through. For me it was Miracle Blankets, cigarettes and V Jack. What gets you through your dark days?

(Disclaimer: I would also like to add that we couldn't have made it through without our wonderful families. They too were our angels. Secondly, I never smoked around the boys, and no I never neglected them. I love them more than anything else in the world, even if they are beasty.)