Friday Update

First, I have to show some love. Do you see that little follower section over there to the right?? Do you see 19? Thank you...I knew there were steady readers, but to have that many actually put up their picture to publicly say "I like your blog!" means so so much to me. There are Nest friends, friends in real life, relatives, old friends, and new friends. There is even someone in Puerto Rico, Australia and a few in Europe. Wow, is all I can say. Thank you! I hope I can add a little smile to your days you come hear to read.

AND I have to say a huge jumping up and down congrats to my special friend Kathy. She just found out she is expecting again. If you remember she and I "met" on The Nest when we both went through IVF at the same time and ended up with the same due dates. We dubbed ourselves Due Date Twins. Her little Doodles, Noah and Talia, came when they were 23 weeks and died the same day. It was a truly horrible time for her. I cried and grieved her twins along with her and a wealth of other online supporters. As hard as it probably was on her, she continued to support me and offer congrats on the girls. She is an amazing women and I am proud to call her friend. I am tearing up just writing this because as joyous as it is, she is a nervous wreck and probaby will be until she is holding her little one safely in her arms at 40 weeks. So I ask my readers to remember her in your thoughts and prayers for a peaceful, uneventful pregnancy.

Ok now for the Friday update

First this is how Olivia looked when I was out of sight from her this week. (I had to be sneaky to get a picture of her without her seeing me.)

And then this what would happen the very instant her little eyes would see me...


The biggest smile I have ever seen her smile.

She has been Miss Cranky Pants the last few days so I am sure her teeth are bothering her as well. Ahhh...teething with 2 is the best.

Here they are in their little My First Halloween Outfits

I had to put two on here to get them both smiling

And here they are in cute little putfits with jeans on.


We went to our friend's girl's birthday parties this past weekend.
Remember Mackenzie from a few weeks ago?
It was both her and her sister's birthdays this past weekend so we went to celebrate with them.

See her doll? That is "Applgail" or as we found out Abigail. Isn't she the cutest little thing to have named her baby after mine? She even laid in the floor next to her mom. She covered herself witha blanket and started whimpering and told her "I'm Applgail"

And finally here is a pic of them in the Bumbos "talking" to each other.

Coming soon is the videos I spoke of last week and Halloween pictures

Sara

Friday Update

Oh, I have just spent the last half hour playing with Olivia. She laughed as I pumped her arms! This is the first time she laughed for a reason other than me tickling her. Abby was snoozing in her swing. She is a sleepy head today.

I really think Abby may be teething. I know it is early, but had a few fussy fussy days where she was just not a happy baby. She would wake up crying and did not want to be put down. And that's just not like our Abby. OR...maybe she just figured out the nosier you are the more you get held. Hmmm...have you been talking to Olivia, Abby?? I have been meaning to say this about Abby. She's my live Cabbage Patch Doll. Look at this...

And especially when she sucks in her lips like thisDoesn't she look like one? With those huge cheeks that sink about an inch into her mouth? I could just kiss those cheeks all day long. And I do :-)

We went to my family's this past weekend and had a great time. The girls wore the cutest little outfits! Did I get good pictures of them?? Nope! But I did get a few.

Olivia with Grandad

Abby with Uncle Jonathan, Cousin Collin,
Cousin Cameron, and of course, Zachary

Abby with Aunt Hollie
Olivia with Collin and Cameron

Abby fell asleep on Daddy

Plus, I think we've turned another corner. We look like this in the car now. No crying!

I think I have told how Olivia likes to have her face buried in her blanket to sleep. Well, this past week she has fought drinking her bottle to the point where I have started putting her into the swing or bouncer with her bottle propped. This is what I looked over and saw the other day. She did this on her own. See the bottle sticking out? She is still drinking it even though her little face is covered up. Right after I took the picture I uncovered her, much to her disappointment.

Abby will be rolling over long before Olivia. She already turns onto her side all by herself. When she figures out how to kick that leg over, she'll have it made.

And they see each other!! And they love each other! They just look and talk and coo to one another when we put them next to each other. I can see what great friends they will be. I have a video of this but it's dark.

And neither are tummy time fans but Olivia is doing pretty well. This is one of my favorites of her yet. See poor Abby behind her? That is how she was the whole time. She was not into tummy time AT ALL that day. Well, come on she has a slightly...ahem...heavier head to lift, right?

I have videos of both of them cooing and will post them in the next few days if I can figure it out. It is low quality but you will get the picture. And stay tuned for 4 month pictures!! Holy Crap, 4 MONTHS!! I know, where has it gone??

Sara

Friday Update

Happy Friday everyone!

We decorated for Halloween this week. I love fall decorations!! You see that big spider? That's Zachary's. We get it when he was 3. He wanted it so bad when we were in the store but when we got home he was so afraid of it we couldn't put it out! But he loves it now.

We went visiting this past weekend again at Gary's family. His sister Jamie was here with her family and she saw the girls for the first time.

Aunt Chastity and Olivia

Uncle Jeromy and Abby


Cousins on the trampoline

Cousin Lex with Grandma

Lex with his dad Tony

The biggest news this week is Abby has reflux. She inhaled some of her milk a couple of weeks ago and developed a rattle in her chest. We called our Pediatrician and they asked us a bunch of questions about her breathing all of which were fine. They said that if her congestion didn't get any better to bring her in. After 2 weeks in hadn't gotten any better so we took her in on Monday. Remember 6 weeks ago when I said she had turned into the stamp monster sounding thing especially at night? Well, that, apparently is due to reflux. We watched Olivia so closely for reflux that we didn't even think of Abby having it because she doesn't spit up. But she does cough and grunt and make all kinds of noises after she eats, so she is on medication for that and an antibiotic for the inflammation in her lungs. She is already tons better and she is sleeping better :-) Yay!!

In other news, both girls laughed for the first time this week. And Olivia is getting her voice! Not just her whiny voice, but her talking voice. She has started talking to us and she just wiggles and wiggles when she does. Abby continues to jabber and jabber. They are noticing each other more and more. Olivia is especially interested in Abby. She will lean toward her and just smile and wiggle at her.

Another piece of big news in that we moved Olivia to sleep in her crib. We wanted her to get used to it first because she is the one that lays down about 8:30 and falls asleep in her bed on her own. She has done so so good!! No problems what so ever! It's like she is actually more comfortable in her own crib. She just snuggles her face into the blanket and falls right to sleep. Yes, she has to have her face partly covered up by a blanket to sleep. She loves it and it worries us to death! We always go in there after she falls asleep and uncover her a little more. We will start putting Abby in there with her tonight. We'll see if they will be able to sleep in the same crib or not. Olivia still gets swaddled and put in positioners. Abby is all over the place so they might just have to have their own cribs. I hope not. I really want them to sleep together for a little while.

And look at these cute outfits!!
Abby on the left, Olivia on the right

And now for my sweet Zachary. He just went through a huge growth spurt. We bought jeans for him when we went school clothes shopping in August. He went to put them on for the first time this week and they were too small! So I got the next size up and they just fit him. Sniff sniff. Were did my little boy go?

I will tell you where he went...

He went running ( he takes it very seriously)

His school does a Boosterthon Run Fundraiser. He gets sponsers to pay him $1 per lap. The cap is 35 laps. Last year we assured people he would go about 15-17 laps. I mean, he's 5, right. Yea, he went 28. You should have seen us telling him to slow down, take a break, don't you want another drink, etc. Nope, he trucked along. Here are a few pics from last year.

Look at his red face!

He's waving at me :-)
Gary took this picture and I moved a little further down.

So this year people were a little more wary about pledging. They asked him how many he was going to run this year and he confidently said, "35!" So they knew what they were getting into, right? Yep, he ran the max. He actually ran about 37 but the most you can ask people to pay is $35. That's my little runner!

Here he is this year in the black shorts

Here is his shirt all filled up!

Way to go, Zach!!

I got tagged by a few people this week so those will be coming up soon :-)

Sara

Friday Update

I found this on a twin website. Gary and I laughed for a good 2 minutes over this. Bear with me here. It has been a hard week. First comes the upbeat Friday update where I will try my hardest not to refer to Olivia as the Monster from Whinetown. Then if you can stomach it, you can continue reading to hear my moaning session.

This past weekend we went to our friend's the Smith's. They just moved back from Washington and we are super excited about them being here. Gary has known Scott since college and I am glad to know the whole family now. When I was put back in the hospital for my heart thing, I was just getting to my room when they arrived to visit and cheer me up. They were such great support during that time for us. Thanks guys, you're the best! Here are a few past pictures of our visits with them over the last few months.

At our house. The kids made a chalk picture and added water to it. Fun fun!!

At their house. Mackenzie loves the babies.
Olivia is of course crying. Abby is better. MacKenzie is fascinated by the eye lashes :-)

This is this past weekend at their house. I got some ones!


Olivia thinks Abby's fingers are yummy, but her shirt is even better :-)


Abby says, "Leggo my dress Livia!"


Livia's bald spot
She moves her head from side to side while she is trying to go to sleep in her bed. She also does this when she is in her swing, her bouncer, on the floor, in our lap. Hense, the bald spot.

And they are mobile! At least a little
Abby started out here in the first picture and ended up here in the second picture. Olivia did the same thing while is bed, swaddled, and in sleep positioners. They just moved with her. They kicked their feet up and then move a little to the side at a time.

Once again I got Abby doing this and not Olivia because
Olivia is a whining machine that must be held all the time.
Oh did I say that out loud?

Anyhoo, They are both pulling up when we hold their little hands.
They are both super strong, but still hate tummy time.
I love the 2nd picture because Abby is going after my
mom's fingers to knaw on them.

And I had to put this one in of poor Abby

And since it is now 2:00 and I started this first thing this morning...I am too tired to moan about the unfairness of it all right now. Maybe tomorrow. Let me just say this.

Olivia was up at 12:30, then again at 3:30 until...wait for it...6:00, then up again at 7:15. So needless to say, my patience runneth a little short today.

I am feeling very inadequate as a mommy today and have been in tears throughout the night and today. You know, I have done the single parent thing. I really don't want to do it again, but with two that's what you are. There is no "Would you please get up with her this time" because he is up with the other one. There is no taking turns. It is constant all day every day. I know it will pass and I will enjoy them soon, but dang if I am not enjoying them this week.

Sara