Two point Five

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On Saturday, my "babies" had their half birthday.  This isn't something we celebrate (do others??  I'm not sure...) but there just happened to be a fair in town.  Now, if I were a good mommy blogger, I would have remembered to bring my camera to the fair to get pictures of them being big kids and riding rides by themselves.  Remembering three kids seems to be all my brain can handle, though, and the camera was left behind.  We had to settle for Billy's iPhone which is normally fine but on Sunday is self-destructed before we had a chance to transfer the photos.  So, ya...no pics.  But what we had was a very cute shot of them in the car-merry-go-round ride.  They chose the same car - Collette was in the front and Sebastian was in the back.  They loved it.  I got a little choked up at how big they seemed, riding all by themselves.  Another one of those unexpected milestones, I guess.

2.5 has also been an age of "advanced" play.  They are interacting with their toys (and each other) in more meaningful, developed ways.  They collaborate in games, simple as they may be.  Like jumping off the porch, throwing matchbox cars over the fence or taking turns dumping sand on the rhododendrons.  Recently, they acquired some dinosaur toys.  They know a lot of the dinosaurs names already so I tried to teach them which ones were meat eaters and which were plant eaters.  They took it to heart:

On the flip side, we seem to be confirming the theory that the half years suck.  The whining has reached epic proportions.  Things were going so well, I had been slacking on the discipline.  Now its back to counting them all the time.  For those of you who also do 1-2-3 Magic, do you count for whining?  If so, always or just in certain instances?  And what about crying?  For us, whining and crying is a fine line but I feel awful sending them to time out when they're crying.  I feel like I am denying them some mommy comfort that they need.  Then again, they (yes, they - its not just Sebastian anymore!) cry over ridiculous things like my suggesting that they wear a rain coat or serving lunch that doesn't involve yogurt and fruit.

Sibling rivalry has also been peaking.  Sebastian is in a "dat's mine!" phase, and even takes it out on poor Matteo.  But mostly it's just Sebastian and Collette fighting over toys and/or space.  I have a feeling that Billy and I will have to give them some quality one-on-one time to get through this stage of toddlerhood.  I just hope the second half of their third year in life isn't as rough as the second half of their first year.  Because I really did not enjoy 18-24 months old...

But back to the bright side:

They are still happy kiddos over all!

Birthday Number 2!

It's official. I no longer have 3 babies under 2. Yesterday, Sebastian and Collette turned two! We didn't have a big celebration, mostly because Thanksgiving is just 4 days away and we are hosting. Also, Billy and I were looking forward to something low-key after last year's 1st birthday extravaganza.

On Saturday, we took Collette (and Matteo) to Build-a-Bear as a special birthday gift just for her. She definitely enjoyed herself, even if she didn't 100% get what was going on. After going back and forth between lots of stuffed animals, she finally ended up with a fluffy bear which we named Happy because that's the only part of "Happy Birthday" she will say.

Helping fill up her bear

Proud Momma

Saturday night, Billy fought his jet lag and put together the train table so we could surprise the twins with it on Sunday morning (their actual birthday). No surprise, it's a big hit.



For Sebastian's special birthday gift, I took him to the toy store to pick out his own special train. He picked a Thomas with snowman car.


Overall, we had a very nice day, quietly playing at home with FavAuntie (who is still staying with us!!) and Grammy and Grandpa. This year was such a busy one, I'm glad we celebrated in a calm way.

Two vs. One: Part 2

More on my thoughts about how my one baby is, as expected, way easier than two. Part 1 here.

Nursing vs. Bottle Feeding/Pumping

I hope I don't get any grief for saying so but nursing your baby is way easier than bottle feeding and especially easier than bottle feeding AND pumping. Now, don't get me wrong - I know that getting good at nursing can be really, really hard. Especially with twins. Especially with baby(ies) born early who won't latch. That being said, once you have figured things out, it is so much simpler to just pop a boob in a baby's mouth than prepare a bottle (pump and/or mix formula) and then have to worry about cleaning said bottles. So much of our time in the first month or so was devoted to those fucking bottles. And pump parts. I felt like I was living in a sea of plastic. After two months, when I finally became fed up with things and realized I would need to manage my time better once I was on my own with the twins, I figured out some short cuts to the bottle/pump madness. But even then, it's way more work than nursing a baby.

There are the downsides. No one else can feed Matteo for me. (He has only had 3 or 4 bottles in his little life). There is just a bit of anxiety over nursing in public. He still eats more often than the twins ever did. There is no real way to do it in the car, which has been an issue more times than I would have expected. But on the whole, life is so simple this way. I don't have to worry about being out too long with the twins because I don't have a bottle for the baby. I never have to run to the store because I ran out of formula or bottle liners.

I don't know how I would feel if I had the experience of nursing twins to compare this to. I imagine its very difficult to do that out in public, if only that it takes twice as long which might be uncomfortable for some. But in the first few months with the twins, I was inside most of the time anyway, just getting out for quick errands like Bjs or going for long walks, usually right after they ate. I would love to hear what moms of twins think about their successful nursing experience. Did you often feel like it was harder than bottle feeding would have been? Or did you think you had it easier because you were able to nurse?

Two vs. One: Part 1

When I announced that I was expecting for the second time, everyone's first question was, "is it twins again?!" to which I answered a very relieved "no!" Their next comment to me was always something along the lines of, "well, one baby will seem so easy compared to twins!" And that's what I was hoping, too. I didn't want to jinx myself and end up with a colicky baby so I tried to keep hush about it. Now that Matteo is here (and more than 3 months old!) I no longer have to worry about that. He's no longer a newborn and I can now compare notes from his first 12 weeks with the twins' newborn days.

As expected, having one baby is way easier than having two. For me, it's so much more than just a question of two vs. one. I always said that I was grateful to have two (mostly) happy newborns and not one very fussy one. So, here is what really stands out to me as the difference makers in my own two vs. one experience.

Preemie vs. Full-term:

Sebastian and Collette came nearly 6 weeks early and that impacted a lot of what we had to do for them as parents. Going back and forth to the NICU, measuring their every ml of formula-enhanced breast milk, lots and lots of doctor visits. It was the main reason I pumped instead of nursed. Having two preemies was scary and stressful, for the most part.

But, as new parents, I must say that there were nice things about it, too. The nurses taught us so much about how to care for a newborn and they got the twins on a wonderful eating schedule that made sleep very possible for both of us. With Matteo, the nurses didn't show me anything with the baby. I got no CPR training, no lesson on how to bathe the baby. Hardly any free stuff. And then two days after giving birth, they kicked us out. Of course, I left the hospital with an 8lb. baby who could nurse without any issues so it was fine. I would take a full-term baby over a preemie any day but there were a few benefits (for us) to the latter.

Overall, I worry much less about Matteo and a lot of it has to do with how he started his little life. Some of it has to do with now being an experienced parent, which I'll get into in a separate post, but mostly I trust nature to take its course with him. With Sebastian and Collette, I still find myself using their adjusted age in my head sometimes. Not sure when that will go away...

(Of course, not all twins are preemies so this experience is certainly not universal for twins and their moms. And there are lots of singletons born prematurely, as well.)

Stay tuned for Part 2. I gotta spread this one out if I'm going to make through my mini-NaBloPoMo.

Thanks Auntie Stacey!

Fav Auntie (Auntie Stacey, my oldest little sister) has been in town from San Diego for a visit since Thursday. She has so many people to see when she comes home but, of course, the twins got more than their fair share of Auntie time.

Yesterday, Fav Auntie came with us to the local lake so the kids could play at the beach. The water and the shade kept us all very comfortable and the kids had a good time, naturally.

Sebastian is checking out the scene

Collette is showing Stacey how to drown stuffed animals

Today, I drove into Boston with the kids and we met Stacey at the aquarium. This was Sebastian and Collette's first visit and they did such a good job! They were remarkably self-disciplined and kept requesting to go back in their stroller. Certainly made getting around to all the exhibits much easier. Of all the things we saw, the penguins were probably their favorite. Collette really liked touching the sea stars (apparently, they are NOT starfish) while Sebastian was not so much excited about touching the marine life. And they loved the Curious George baby/kid room where they could repeatedly dump out a bucket of plastic play fish, fill it up, repeat.

Sebastian demonstrating that touching is fine so long as there is thick glass in the way.

First look at the penguins. Of course the only kid looking at the camera isn't mine.

Collette about to give the penguin statue a kiss.

Collette and Stacey meeting some sea creatures

As a gift to Auntie Stacey for coming out to visit, both Sebastian and Collette say her name! Their pronunciation leaves a lot to be desired but considering how picky they are about the words the will attempt, it is a great honor!

We'll miss you, Auntie, and can't wait for you to come back home in September!!

A Day in the Life (with *just* 2)

Via Marcia's blog, I saw that the theme for this week's QOTW at Multiples and More is to describe a typical day in my life. Normally, I would think this is a bit boring because my life is not so exciting when you write about it in that hour to hour way. However, I thought it would be a nice little time capsule to see how things change once Tater Tot comes along. I have this vision that he will fit in to our routine and we will fit into his and everything will (eventually!) run very smoothly. We shall see...

• What is your schedule like? Do you work outside the home or stay home with the kids?

I am at home with the kids. Most days I'm happy about this. Just not all :) Here is our weekday schedule (when Daddy is off in some exotic place, like New Jersey or St. Louis)

6:30am I wake up. Well, I get up. Usually, I'm already awake. My internal clock is set to go off at 5:30 these days. I blame Matteo and summer sun. I head downstairs, let the dog out, get the kids milk ready, eat breakfast, check email and listen for Sebastian and Collette, who are probably awake but not making enough noise yet. Some days, I have to make a batch of oatmeal, which last 4 or 5 days.

7/7:30am I hear S & C gabbing away (or crying, depends on the day) and head upstairs. Feed the dog and go into the nursery to start the day. Give the twins their milk, get them out of their sleep sacks and hang out for a while, playing, reading books and listening to Matty in the Morning.

8:00am By now, we are downstairs. I have the kids watch TV and play with their toys while I get their breakfast ready. Its always oatmeal with fruit mixed in, usually bananas but we have done apples, strawberries, cherries, blueberries, mangoes, raisins, peaches, etc.

8:10/8:20am Twins eat their breakfast

8:30am I clean up breakfast while they play. sometimes they watch more TV, sometimes not. Depends on their moods and mine. And the weather. If its nice out, they can play outside while I clean up and do important things like check Facebook and read blogs. And of course, I play with them. I can be a good mom, too.

9:00am Go upstairs to get the twins dressed. I try to get dressed when I get up but this doesn't always happen. Depending on our plan for the morning, this is either rushed or lazy.

9:15/10:00am Anywhere between those two times is where we will head out for the morning, if we are leaving the house. Tuesday we have EI at home from 930-1030 so we don't leave until later. Thursday we have EI playgroup at 945 so I try to be in the car by 920. Other days, we have play dates, run errands or go to a park and I always leave the house during the time block.

11:30am Come back home and get lunch ready OR have lunch out.

12:00pm Lunchtime! The kids eat and if there is time, they watch some Wiggles before nap.

12:30pm Nap time! I use this time to due chores. Mondays are for mopping, Tuesdays for vacuuming, Wednesday for dusting and changing sheets. In addition to those weekly chores, I do cleaning in a particular part of the house for a week (this upcoming week is the play room and the den). Also, depending on my mood, I may do some cooking. In between, I give myself breaks to write/read blogs, check email, etc. Or, if I'm really tired, a nap.

3:00pm Twins wake up from their nap. We play around in their room for a bit while they drink their milk.

3:30pm If we have errands to run, play date, or other outing, I will start heading downstairs so we can pack up the car. Otherwise, we go upstairs (3rd floor) to the play room and play up their for a while.

4:45/5:00pm Come back home (if we were out and we're not eating dinner out - we usually don't when I'm alone) OR come downstairs from the playroom. I get dinner ready while the kids play. I often recruit Yo Gabba Gabba to help keep little hands and feet out of the kitchen while I'm getting things ready.

5:30pm Dinnertime. Sometimes they eat quickly, other times, not so much. Either way, when they're done, we hang out and play downstairs (where we already are) and, weather permitting, play outside. I also clean up dinner and declutter in general.

6:30pm Head upstairs to get ready for bed. Every other night is bath night. After bath (if there is one), we get dressed, play a bit, brush teeth and then read some books. Lights out no later than 7.

7:00pm I'm off mommy duty and can relax. Ha! This is usually when I cook for me or for upcoming days. More cleaning may need to be done now, depending on how bad things got during the day and/or how much I slacked off during nap time. I eat, check email, check FB, read blogs, etc. Not too much TV these days as nothing is on. Very different case in October when I can barely keep up with my DVR. If I have a book, I might head to my bedroom early (8ish) to do some reading.

9:00/9:30 Head to my room for the night. before I go upstairs, I make sure all the dishes are in the dishwasher and that the toys are all put away. Also, I let the dog out one last time before we go up.

9:30/10:00pm Get ready for bed and hit the hay. If its early enough and it needs to be done, I will fold some laundry while watching TV. Lately it's the Rachel Maddow show as nothing else is on and I love her. Total girl crush.

• Do you follow it very closely?

Yes. Pretty boring but blissfully predictable for the kids and me. Spontaneity may have once been fun, but is mostly just scary now. For me anyway. Kudos to those of you who can do spontaneous on your own with little ones in tow. Me, I would run over someone's grandmother to make sure we made it home for nap time.

• How much (or how little?) "help" do you have?

I don't. Not during the week. My mom and my sister do visit but it's not part of our routine and does not help me get things done. We just get to enjoy their company and hopefully do something fun with the kids that I wouldn't want to do on my own.

• What chores do you do on a daily basis?

Dishes, picking up toys, cooking (almost), laundry (every other), sweeping (every other, maybe more if the kids got the place really dirty), carpet sweeping (just the dining room rug), toilet bowls, and pick up doggie doo.

• My favorite and least favorite parts of the day?

My favorite part of the day is either waking up the twins or putting them to bed. Both are relaxing and rarely rushed. I also like hanging out in their room - it's very calming. My least favorite part of the day is getting lunch and dinner ready. The kids freak out as soon as they see me head toward the fridge, acting as if they haven't eaten in days. Makes it hard to focus on the task at hand. I'm sure there is a way for me to do it ahead of time, but part of me thinks that they need to understand the fact that food does not magically appear, that it has to be cooked/prepared for us to eat it. And that it takes time.

I wonder what I will think of this list in a month or a year from now. Will adding #3 throw this all out of whack? Or will we find a way to get back to this predictable little life?

Thanks Guys!

Earlier, I was looking at one of my FB albums labeled "6 months and counting" and it got me all teary-eyed. Sebastian and Collette just looked so small and cuddly. They were learning how to eat "solid" food. Smiling at each other. Wiggling and jumping (in the baby contraptions). For a second, I almost missed them at that age. (Good thing I'm having another one, right?!)

Later this morning, however, they did something cool and all grown up. They climbed into their own high chairs for the first time. And then I was brought back to reality. My kids are growing up and learning new things, often without me even trying to teach it to them. And I love it. I'm glad that I don't have to pick them up to get in the chairs anymore - it's been murder on my back lately. And it's really cute to watch them climb.

And in other "growing up" news, both Sebastian and Collette did a superb job holding hands and walking through the parking lots yesterday. I have only been practicing with Collette but decided to take advantage of a 1:1 ratio and have both walk. I was with Sebas and I was amazed at how well he did. He's a lot slower than his sister so I have to remember to walk slowly but he held my hand without objection and that's really all that matters.

So, S & C, thank you for making life a little easier for your (very pregnant) momma. I really appreciate it!!

A Father's Day Project

For Father's Day this year, I figured the kids should make their own father's day gifts now that they have some motor skills. Finger painting seemed as good an idea as any and I was lucky enough to have Auntie Kim over yesterday to help out. Both Sebastian and Collette enjoyed this new activity in their own way, both staying true to their budding personalities.

"You want me to get my fingers dirty??"

"Yay! I'm making a colorful mess and no one is yelling at me!"

"OK, I'm liking this but I'll just use my fingertips."

"This paint feels so gooey ALL OVER MY HANDS!!!"

This is definitely a project we will have to repeat. They were pissed when I took the paints away but bedtime was calling and the paper was getting pretty soaked and I feared for my dining room table.

Any other "mediums" you suggest for 18 month old artists?? We tried stickers but, apparently, they look too much like snacks. Ditto for crayons.

Lost in Translation

As I mentioned a few posts ago, Sebastian and Collette have been making good progress on the communication front. Things are still going well, both with words and signs, and I think Sebastian may soon eclipse Collette in the spoken word category - go figure!

One of their newest signs is "thank you" which is a good thing but also a tricky thing, for a few reasons. First off, it looks a lot like blowing a kiss so I'm not sure they know the difference. They also don't really understand the concept of thank you, as in only the receiver needs to say it, not the giver as well. I suppose I should teach them "you're welcome" but all that seems pretty high brow for 18 month olds. Then again, what do I know. The other issue is with what deserves a "thank you" - both Sebastian and Collette seem to be under the impression that whenever you get something, even if it's by force, you say thank you. Kind of like a bank robber thanking the teller very much for all that cash. We're working on no toy stealing but at least when they do it, they're polite about it...?

***

I got yelled at by one of my sisters for not posting enough pictures of the twins. My reasons are two-fold: I'm lazy/unmotivated to take pictures and they are horrible subjects. Video would be much more appropriate but you have to be sneaky which I am not. I do have some photos from the past few weeks and, although they are completely unrelated to this post, I will share a couple with you anyway. You're welcome.

First dip of the season

Totally cheating at Cornhole

PS - Matteo has decided that my bladder makes an awesome toy. I almost peed in my pants today, literally. Not sure I can make it 6 more weeks with no accidents. *sigh*

18 Months

Sebastian and Collette are officially closer to two than one. I think this is a mixed bag but, overall, I wouldn't want to go back. I keep hearing how tough 18 months is. And I agree. I love the freedom and independence they have now, as well as their growing ability to communicate their needs but they, of course, have no sense of danger or consequence. This makes willful, mobile kids hard to deal with - there's just no reasoning with them! Only chasing, capturing and strapping them into some child device. This also has me thinking about buying a stroller to fit all three kids. If I do go that route, I will buy this one. I figure the extra seat can be used to store stuff. Maybe I will put the dog in there and get some really crazy looks. :)

Lately, we have been practicing using utensils and walking downstairs. Utensils we have been doing for awhile but now I think I am ready to force them to do it themselves 100%. Or use their hands. I'm sure it will take some time for them to grow out of that. Usually I fill up their spoon and put it in front of them as scooping is their main problem. But I figure they will learn fast if they have no mommy doing it for them.

Collette will only walk downstairs now, as opposed to crawling down. We have to hold her hand but she is getting very good at it and soon I think she will be able to do it herself while holding the wall. Sebastian is practicing but not with nearly as much gusto as Collette. He prefers to practice on smaller sets of stairs and crawl down the big ones.

Here is our attempt at a chair picture, which we have decided to do every half year instead of every month. They don't change too much each month and they don't sit still anyway.


Also, what is with this age and throwing stuff where they can't reach it and then crying about it? And then doing it twelve more times in a row? It's super annoying, times 2. Good thing they're cute.

The Potty Gods are already smiting me...

...and I haven't even started using the potties! I was *thinking* about using the potties - I guess that was enough to incur their wrath.

Having heard a million potty stories, from ones about 4 months olds signaling to use the potty to ones about 4 year olds refusing to use it, I decided I should join in on the fun. I figured, maybe if I start early, no pressure, I might be pleasantly surprised and if I wasn't, no harm done because I really don't care yet. So, this afternoon we bought four $5 potties at KMart. Two green, two beige - Sebastian "chose" the beige and Collette therefore ended up with green.

We got home, got settled and I thought now is as good a time as any to put them on the new potties. I brought Collette into the bathroom and told her what we were going to do (like she cared...). Off came the shorts and then the diaper. And there was poop. FML. No wipes in arm's reach - just toilet paper which, let me tell you, is no match for mushed up toddler poop. I wiped her as best I could and put her on the potty (why not!) while I went to find wipes and a diaper. On my way out of the bathroom, I noticed that Sebastian had not only removed his shorts (they're a bit too big) but also his diaper, which he has never before done. And it, too, had poop. And most of that poop and escaped the diaper and was on my kitchen floor. FML again. For those of you keeping score, I now had two diaperless children with poopy bottoms, zero diapers and zero wipes. Oh, and one dog who seemed all too eager to sniff, and maybe even eat, the poop.

All this and we hadn't even really TRIED the potties! Part of me thinks this is a sign that I should stop all thoughts regarding the potty. But a bigger part of me realizes that this is not that crazy a thing to have happen with two toddlers. Plus, we all need a good poop story. And quite frankly, I've heard better. Hopefully, we can try again tomorrow and not get sidetracked by dirty diapers. Wish me luck. Ha!

Not Mini Mozarts

One of the things I was most looking forward to about our one-nap schedule was the freedom to take some baby classes. With 2 naps, finding a class at just the right time is near impossible. Now, we have a 3-4 free hours in the AM and a class is a great way to fill up some of that time. Or so I thought.

Most mommy-baby classes are designed with a 1:1 ratio in mind. However, the wise members of my MoT group seemed to agree that a music class is very doable (even fun!) with two babes. So, I signed us up. I chose one that was only 6 weeks long (most are 10) because if the kids hated it, I didn't want to be stuck going or out all that money. The rec department in town runs a 6-week one and it's very close to our house so a win-win all around.

Monday was our first class. We got there on time and I got the kids into the room (no easy task, BTW, and I think this may have contributed to some of our problems). There were lots of different instruments for the kids to play with. Sebastian and Collette would both pick one up and then toss it to the floor to try another. But then, Collette set her sights on the instrument the teacher had. A wooden bowling pin shaped thing with a stick - musical people out there probably know what this is called. Anyway, the teacher needed it to sing her songs and keep the rhythm. It was the only instrument that was off limits. And for my little girl, it may as well have been the only thing in the room.

Things went pretty down hill from there. Thankfully, Sebastian, just ignored the class half the time and quietly explored the room with one of the shakers in his hand. But Collette just couldn't settle in. The only thing that made her happy was if I held her and stood up. And even then she wasn't always happy. She was fussing so much I had to take her out of the room for a few minutes and I gave her a little snack. And then 10 minutes later had to do the same thing with both of them - thank God I brought enough!

As the class was winding down (and I was holding Collette, again), Sebastian started to fuss. At one point, I thought he was going to throw a temper tantrum right in the middle of the circle but he kept it together enough that we could finish the class. Overall, I don't think either of them really enjoyed it.

I have a few ideas to make it better for next time. I will use the correct entrance so I can bring the stroller into the room. (The way I came in, I was on a whole level above the room and was not about to bring my stroller down the stairs) I might get there early and give them snack right before class. At least they will have full tummies. Other than that, I'm not sure what I can do to make the experience a better one for them. I was almost in tears at how badly it was going. It's so discouraging to go through all this effort to do something fun for your kids and have them act like its torture. So, any words of wisdom? I don't want to quit because I know that they will probably to a little better each time. But, I don't want a repeat of last week either.

In Between

With the start of the crappy weather, the kidlets and I headed to the Klubhouse this morning to let them burn off some energy before running a couple errands. We have been members of this indoor playspace since late summer and its been awesome. The kids have a great time and its very easy for me to manage them on my own. However, that all changing.

After playing for about 5 minutes in the baby/toddler room (the room we always play in), both Collette and Sebastian were shaking the baby gate, watching the big kids play on all the (way more fun) big kid stuff. They have racetrack for scooters, a castle and pirate ship to climb and two bounce house things. Also, Collette is especially obsessed with big kids lately and tries to follow them wherever they go. Needless to say, the baby room was really not doing it for them anymore.

I figured I'd see how it goes out in the big room and if it was a disaster, we could leave. Well, it wasn't really a disaster but it wasn't a whole lot of fun, either. They kept walking onto the track and I kept having to take the off before someone ran over them. They went in opposite directions (you're shocked, I know) - one back into oncoming traffic, the other towards a table of someone else's snacks. I managed to get both of them to follow me to the art room where we had snack and made a card for Daddy. That killed about 15 minutes. Then back to the toddler room which lasted a bit longer this time, maybe 10 minutes. Then they were back at the gate, begging to be big.

The problem is, they won't be "big enough" for that room for a while. It's fine for someone with just one young toddler. They just follow them around, rescue them from danger and make sure they don't get into other people's stuff. But with TWO young toddlers, its just not possible. I don't really know when they'll be big enough to ride the scooters - we practiced on the carpet instead of the actual track and very little progress was made. I don't know when they'll be big enough to climb ladders and go down big slides. But I do know that it won't be within the next month or so. I'm hoping by the time Tater Tot comes (4 months - yikes!!), they will be able to play there (more) independently but for now, we are stuck in between. Too big for the baby room but not big enough for the big kid room. Guess I'll have to put my membership there on hiatus.

We Made It!

After 13 hours, door to door, we finally made it to my in-laws home in San Salvador. That was on Friday so this post is obviously a bit late, but I´m on vacation so...oh well. Here is a quick overview of our travels, which went very well:

430am - snacks for the plane rides, times 2

520am - Checking in. I didn´t know it yet but Billy had upgraded us to first class for our Boston Miami flight. Merry Christmas indeed :) Also, I highly reccommend the GoGoKidz travelmate. It really amde getting through the airport a breeze.


600am - Chillin´in the first class lounge before boarding

700am - Sleepy but happy in first class

Our flight to Miami went well, although there were some storms so we were a bit delayed. But that didn´t matter too much because our flight from Miami to San Salvador was delayed an hour and a half. Then it was delayed another half hour because they were still loading bags. Thank goodness for Goldfish crackers.

300pm - Up from our naps and ready to play on the plane

430pm - Our final descent

We got home at 545pm (Boston time) to make our day a whopping 13 hours. The twins did great. They had tons of fun on the plane and were in good spirits the whole trip. Hopefully things will go just as smoothly on the way back.

El Salvador or Bust!

We are leaving in less than 20 hours for the airport to get on a flight to Miami, to then get on another flight to San Salvador. And, even though I started packing over the weekend, there is still so much to do. Mostly we are worried about how to keep the twins entertained and well fed on the flights. We get to the airport so early that I'm not sure any shops will be open to buy last minute snacks. And even if they were, I doubt we would have time. Also, our Miami layover is only 90 minutes so if we are late getting in, we won't have much time to stop and eat either. I guess I should ask if a mini-fridge is allowed as a carry-on.

But in all honesty, I'm very excited for our trip - definitely more excited than worried. Once you are on the plane, there is no turning back, no matter how bad it gets. So, if/when it does get bad, you just grin and bear it and think about how sweet it will be to have doting family and friends for two whole weeks. With 80 degree temperatures. And beach houses. And lake houses. And mountain houses. Have I mentioned that I love El Salvador?

Also, Billy got me a new camera for Christmas. Its a Nikon Coolpix and I think will be able to get some better shots of my ever-moving targets (Sebastian, Collette) than my Sony Cybershot. I will try and post as much as I can from El Salvador. Especially pictures of their insane birthday party and of Christmas. And of them in the swimming pool, because who doesn't like to see a baby in a pool?

So, I'm off to pack and pack some more and run errands and try not to pass out from exhaustion (thanks baby #3). Wish us luck!!

They're Definitely Mine

Over the weekend, Billy noticed a peculiar way in which both Sebastian and Collette take after me: they both have an oversized labial frenum. It sounds gross but what it means is that the little piece of skin that connects your top lip to your top gums is too big and grows between the two front teeth. This is why I have a gap and why that gap never closed. I have some very mixed feelings about my gap - I have been teased plenty because of it but, almost as often, I get complimented on it. People seem to think it gives me character. So, I'm not sure what we will do if their labial frenums don't shrink. There is a pretty simply surgery they could undergo, one I may have had if I had known about it at a younger age. I think they do it on kids once they hit 10 years old. But, in a way, I kind of like that they have this little physical quirk of mine. I was almost positive they wouldn't get my red hair, so the gap is next best thing.

So, readers, what do you think? My guess is that, when the time comes, I will probably let them decide. Do you think cosmetic surgery for children is never ok?

Bah Humbug

A couple weeks ago, Billy and I decided that we would not be having a Christmas tree this year. Which officially makes me feel like a scrooge. But I have at least 2 very good reasons why a Christmas tree is just not in the cards for us this season.

Obviously, reasons 1 and 2 are Sebastian and Collette, not necessarily in that order. I know that there are lots of ways to "child-proof" a tree. We can anchor it to the wall. We can buy a superyard and put this around the tree (because Christmas isn't expensive enough already). But honestly, none of that will keep them from doing naughty things. Mostly, I am worried about them eating pine needles. Maybe that's not a big deal but I really don't want to find out.

Also, we are going to El Salvador for Christmas. We are leaving on December 18th. So, if we had put the tree up right after Thanksgiving (which is what we usually do) we would have the tree for about 3 weeks. And when we got home, we would have a dried out tree with a huge pine needle mess. No thanks.

Even decorating is posing a challenge. I can't hang the stockings with care because the twins will most definitely rip them down within seconds. I can't put up any of the garland I use around the doors and banisters for the same reason. Ditto the Christmas tablecloth. Sheesh. This is what I get for having an open floor plan...

Needless to say, my house is not feeling very festive. I miss the holiday spirit that comes with decorating but know this just a one time deal. Now I just need to focus my brain on shopping and wrapping - that should bring some Christmas cheer my way!!

Did anyone else have to pass on the decorations for a year when your kids were a certain age?

Will History Repeat Itself?

This seems to the question on many a commenter's mind as of late: Will it be twins, again? Of course, I won't know for sure until we see an ultrasound but all signs point to NO! Thank the sweet Lord. Strangely, many of my MOT friends have secret fantasies about having another set. I think they are crazy. I mean, don't get me wrong - if I find out its twins, I'll love them just as I would one baby. But there is not even one little piece of me that wishes it were twins. I'm really looking forward to a "normal" singleton pregnancy. And hopefully one baby won't take the same toll on my body that two did.

So, how do I know it's not twins? Well for those of you who don't know, we have used IVF for both pregnancies, this last one a single FET. We know there is just one embie in there - if it does end up being twins, they will definitely be identical. And run the risk of sharing a placenta and/or sac, both higher risk situations than my fraternal twin pregnancy. Also, the hormone levels (HCG, to be exact) does not indicate twins. Just hints at a very healthy, singleton pregnancy. Of course, I will sleep sounder once we see the nugget on the screen and see the heartbeat. Hopefully that will happen sometime next week.

In the meantime, thank you all for your well wishes. We are so thrilled to be adding another baby to our family.



PS - we are due July 25th! Now I have to wrap my brain around the concept of being pregnant for the whole 40 weeks. Hrm...

In Da Klub

A few months back, when it was so hot I couldn't stay inside my house or go outside, I joined a very well air conditioned indoor play space. Another twin momma friend of mine joined, too, and now we kind of make a thing of it, doing a play date there at least once a week. It's been especially great as the kids get bigger and more mobile, need more room to roam.

Over the weekend, the weather was awful and I decided it was time for Daddy to experience a day in the life of a SAHM - so we all went to the Klubhouse. And took some pictures. For your viewing pleasure :)