Our little ones...

Halloween pros...

2011-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

Mars & Ce became Halloween pros this year. They couldn't wait to go and trick-or-treat in our neighborhood. Proving that they are "big kids" now they ran up to almost every door on their own, rang the bell and yelled "trick or treat!"

One funny story... A kid on our block was dressed up as Yoda from Star Wars. Marshall saw this and was too scared to go up the driveway for candy. Cecilia, with eyes always on the prize, walked up without noticing the strange character. Marshall being so protective of her yelled out with agony, "DON'T GO UP THERE YAY-YA!!!!" The kid then took off his mask and all was fine.

Summer crazies

2011-08-25T05:36:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month again... Where does the time go? Ce & Mars have been enjoying the long days of summer. Posted are some pictures from a zoo trip and a day at the WI State Fair. I'm hoping we turned the corner on potty-training. Marshall has been stacking up "perfect days" and Cecilia has pooped on the potty 3 days in a row. She told me last night that she "likes to poop on the potty now." We'll see. Next week preschool starts. AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! They are going two half-days a week. I'm emotional and they're excited. I hope they have a great time.

Well it's been 3 months...

2011-07-20T04:31:00.000-07:00

And I guess I should update, right? We've just been enjoying the summertime and trying to get out a lot. Here's a little wrap-up of the last 3 months plus some pictures.

Marshall & Cecilia celebrated their 3rd birthday on May 8th.
They had their 1st dentist appointment and both did great, not afraid at all.
We're in the middle of potty-training. Marshall's working having "accident-free" days for Matchbox cars & Ce's working on pooping on the potty for Squinkies.
They met their new cousin last month...little Henry was born on June 8th.
They've done a couple zoo trips, a festival, the farmer's market, numerous park trips and they still like to take nightly walks in the stroller.

Cecilia has turned into my little stunt baby. She has no fear (I think I've mentioned that before) and on the 4th she gave all the older neighborhood boys a run for their money by wrestling with all of them, racing them on her little trike (serving in and out of kids) and doing somersaults down a water slide. Last night I witnessed her jump 3 steps at once. Once I got over my panic attack I was pretty proud of her. I can't wait to get her started in sports. She has a competitive nature. Her stats: weight 29 1/2 lbs (45%), length 37 1/2 (60%).

Marshall loves to play with his cars quietly - we have numerous "parking lots" around our house that we have to watch out for. He loves to help and please people. His memory amazes me. The kid remembers back to Halloween. He also truly loves to play with older kids. You can see the joy ooze out of him when he's around his older cousins. He just beams. I can tell he's really going to love preschool in the fall. The kid loves to learn. He loves to rough house with his sister but he has a heart of gold. His stats: 33 lbs (75%), length 38 1/8 (70%). My big boy who tells me he's going to play football someday!!

Updates coming soon...

2011-06-28T10:40:00.000-07:00

UGH, I had every intention to keep this blog updated but along with a busy summer schedule came the unexpected death of our laptop's hard drive AND we are having problems with our camera. When it rains it pours.

Anyways, I will soon be updating with some pictures and Marshall & Cecilia's 3 yr old stats!! I have not abandoned the blog, we're just on a little hiatus. This blog is mainly for Marshall & Cecilia and I want to keep it going a little longer.

New Friends & Spring Fun

2011-04-18T18:47:00.001-07:00

Marshall & Cecilia have been busy attending birthday parties and meeting new friends. For the first time they met Julia, my friend Corri's daughter, and Sy & JJ, my friend Farrah's sons. They experienced their first "big kid ride" at Stonefire pizza this last weekend while attending Sy's 3rd birthday party. Ce really wanted to go on this frog ride and after the attendant said she was big enough we got Marshall on it too. I really thought they'd be scared. I was scared. But they loved it.

New haircuts & ready for Spring!

2011-04-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

33 months

2011-02-08T18:47:00.000-08:00

In 3 mos. these two will be 3 yrs old.

Next American Idol? Probably not, but cute anyways...

2011-01-19T15:19:00.000-08:00

Marshall's version of Animal by the Neon Trees.

Lunch with Santa

2010-12-19T18:38:00.001-08:00

Mars & Ce met Santa for the first time on Saturday. The zoo offers it complete with lunch, live music (which Marshall got up on stage to sing for one song), a present for each kid (a stuffed prairie dog) and the opportunity to sit on Santa's lap. We were lucky that we shared a table with "experienced" families who told us exactly where Santa was going to sit. We were 3rd in line to see him. Cecilia wanted to have nothing to do with sitting on his lap. When it was our turn she clutched to my leg for dear life. We got Marshall to sit on his lap but he was noticeably nervous and he wouldn't have done it if I wasn't sitting right there. The whole night he talked about how Santa scared Cecilia.

Thankful

2010-12-01T09:15:00.001-08:00

It's been awhile once again since I last posted. What can I say? I have two 2 1/2 yr olds. But I have wanted to write a longer post about my children for awhile and now is the time. I have to say with all the challenges of raising two toddlers at once comes many joys and laughter. It has been quite the experience to watch Marshall and Cecilia develop into little people with their own very distinct personalities.

Marshall

This boy is all boy but with a sensitive side. Perfect combo! He loves trucks and football. Every time a Packer game is on he can pick out Rogers (and knows we don't like Favre) and practices his tackles. He loves to play rough and is sometimes too rough with his sister. He also loves to cuddle and is very sensitive. He doesn't like to know he physically hurt anyone or that he hurt anyone's feelings. He also will pull out the big crocodile tears if he's being disciplined. And don't get on his bad side if he's cranky in the morning. He's a crab like his mama. Marshall is highly verbal and his favorite song is "Soul Sister" by Train. We sing it together every night. He loves to go to the library, reading books with anyone and his comprehension of what is being read to him is outstanding. Marshall loves to help clean-up his toys every night and while he likes to help in the kitchen, he can't seem to keep his little fingers out of what I'm making. Marshall's best friend is his sister but he draws the line when she takes one of his trucks. Then all hell breaks loose. He is also very social with other kids and loves to play with his cousins.

Cecilia

This little girl is my wild child. She is FEARLESS. Cecilia also loves to entertain and she has a great imagination. Most of the time in a group of children she's the quiet one observing and soaking it all in and then she will do something that will make you realize she considers herself the "leader." If it's taking her brother's truck or painstakingly removing seed by seed out of a little girl's basket who told her not to touch her toy, Cecilia is showing that she's not afraid and will not back down. Now of course, as her mother, this little firecracker is exhausting but I love her spirit. Cecilia is my little helper in the kitchen and loves to stir stuff. One of the cutest things she does right now is when she talks she repeats herself ("Stop, daddy, stop!" or "Thank you, mommy, thank you) and holds out her little hand. Cecilia also loves music and to sing. We sing "Cecilia" together every night before bed.

Neither of them are picky eaters but they absolutely love french fries when we go out to eat. They also love pizza. They are still both good sleepers but on occasion will try and fight us on it (and they are still in their cribs). They are just starting to get into watching movies and right now their favorite TV show is "The Magic School Bus." And even though we've approached the age where they fight a lot you can also see their obvious love for each other.

No nap Saturday...

2010-10-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday was so filled with stuff to do that Mars & Ce didn't have time to take a nap. Ce got her first haircut. Marshall also got a little trimmed up. He needed a "pro" job since mom & dad aren't the greatest in giving haircuts. My aunt Irene came over Saturday morning to do the job. Then M&C attended a birthday for their next door neighbor friend Jack. The theme was "fireman."

Good thing kids are washable...

2010-10-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

Here's Marshall and Cecilia's new favorite play spot, our ghetto sandbox, aka dirt. Yes, they are completely filthy and we had to "get ready for their bath" tonight outside before even setting foot in the house. Note to mommy: get them a real sandbox. Oh and the crazy head tilt thing is how they pose for the camera. Little hams!

Fun warm weekend!

2010-10-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

The last of the warm weather is rolling through Wisconsin and we took advantage of it. Saturday, we went to Madison to celebrate M&C's cousin Jane's birthday. This was the first time M&C really took an interest in opening gifts (Christmas should be fun this year).

On Sunday we met Annie (another MoM), Jason, Jaxon and Brady at the zoo. Jax and Brady are identical twins and were in the same NICU as Cecilia (Marshall was already home when they were born). Annie and I were actually supposed to be on hospital bedrest together (her's was planned, mine wasn't) but I gave birth right before she was admitted. This was the first time the kids met each other. We had a great time with them and look forward to more playdates in the future.

Watching the game

2010-10-07T16:48:00.000-07:00

Marshall and Cecilia can usually be found on Sundays watching the Packer game with their daddy - that is until it's naptime.

Cousins

2010-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Or in this case, 2nd cousins. Marshall and Cecilia recently had a great time on a playdate with their 2nd cousin Riley. Mom also had a good time with her cousins Jamie and Kelly. We went to the zoo and took them all out to eat. Good times.

Pottypalooza - Postponed

2010-09-01T04:46:00.001-07:00

Yup, we're potty training flunkies, for now. We had some wins, but way too many losses and it was turning into my kids training us and not the other way around.

First, I'm admittedly stating that I had temporary insanity to think I should be potty training them right now. I distinctly remember talking to a neighbor on the 4th of July and saying that I had no interest in potty training them anytime soon. Twins are difficult, especially two that are completely different from each other (plus they are only 27 months old right now). For some reason though I got it into my head to try.

Basically we gave up last night. I can honestly say we (me, Ryan and my in-laws who watch them during the day) gave our best effort. We tried to catch every accident and we praised and praised and awarded prizes every time. In the end they simply were not interested. They never told us they had to go or initiated going (unless you count Ce using it to get out of timeout once). Marshall could hold it fine but would fight us going to the bathroom every time. And Cecilia, well she stopped pooping on the toilet after the first 4 days and she turned into a stealth pisser. The girl gave us no cues. One minute she'd be playing with a toy and the next second there would be pee down her leg without missing a beat, every 30 minutes too sometimes. And when there was an accident, they never recognized it or told us. They didn't care if their pants were peed on, they went on playing.

Selfishly I also think we needed to stop because the home situation was getting ridiculous. We had to keep them in a small area of the house (especially if you were going at it alone) so we could catch every accident and all you could hear constantly out of our mouths was: "Tell mommy/daddy if you have to go," "Keep your undies dry," and "Do you have to go?" while our kids basically watched 8 hrs or more of TV a day. They had us trained to take them to the potty every 50 min because we didn't want them to have an accident. The personal responsibility of going to the potty never shifted over to them. And honestly I didn't want to spend September and possibly October confined to my house (when there's still plenty of outside time left) or taking them to the potty every hour. One kid would be too much for that process, let alone two.

So that's it for now. The potties are still out and Marshall and Cecilia are free to use them. That's the beauty of using cloth diapers, we don't waste a disposable when they come off and they're easier to get them right back on. I plan on waiting until the dead of winter when we're forced to be confined to our house to try again - unless of course they potty-train themselves before then.

Pottypalooza - Day 5

2010-08-25T09:42:00.001-07:00

Day 5 was technically yesterday. It was the day I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. They made me so proud yesterday.

Cecilia pretty much had a perfect day. Her undies got slightly peed on but that's not considered an accident because it's showing she's holding it. She did go once but it was mostly related to having to poop - which she finished on her potty. She has no problem pooping on the potty she just has a problem starting it out on the potty. My little clever girl also got out of a timeout by saying (and going) she had to go potty. So yeah, I think she "gets it." Now we just have to work on holding it for longer periods of time.

Marshall is really good at holding it. He had one accident I blame on myself because he ran out of the bathroom naked while I was dealing with Ce and went on the dining room floor (thankfully we rolled up our area rugs). He also had one accident while I was gone so I don't know much info surrounding that one. He's still working on pooping. I did finally get him to at least poop in the bathroom yesterday instead of constantly running from me and hiding. He had held it in the day before so he had a lot! He pooped once in his undies and the second time I told him that "I'd give him his privacy" (I was standing outside the door) but that he needed to poop and to try to put it in the potty (he still has an aversion to sitting down). So, he pooped on the floor, on the way to the potty. I consider that a "win" for now.

Today they're with their grandparents and I'm excited/nervous to see how they are doing. So far, I've heard they're doing great. Grandpa was going to take them for a walk today so we'll see how they do with that.

Pottypalooza - Day 4

2010-08-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

Once again, each day is a little better than the last. And I have to keep it in perspective of where we were on Friday to where we are just 4 days later.

Marshall had one accident today (ssshhhh....Ryan was in charge of watching them while I was making them dinner) but it's all by me watching his signs and not him telling me. He also will not go poopy on the potty yet, but I know this is normal.

Cecilia has me on a roller coaster. She's so good at going in the morning and after nap and even though it's hard for her to initially poop on the potty (she'll get a little in her underwear) she will finish, she's not afraid in that sense. However, she doesn't seem to care right now about keeping her undies dry. Then of course right before bedtime she came looking for me "mommy, mommy" she was saying, and I sat her down and she totally went. So who knows.

Doing this with twins is absolutely exhausting. I don't think I've had to keep such a close eye on them ever, not even as newborns.

Pottypalooza - Day 3

2010-08-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Here are my potty training turds.
Not perfect but definitely getting there. BIG WIN today, Marshall didn't wet himself once today!!!! It took a lot on my part (patting myself on the back here) but by reading his signs I was able to get him up to the bathroom every time he had to pee. He did tell us once "bathroom!" He still likes standing so we're going with that. We did have some "poopy" issues today but I'm not expecting perfect on the poop part yet. We'll get there. I have to remind him to keep going though because he gets sidetracked with wanting to flush his pee.

Cecilia had a little regression today, lots of accidents but I know a big part of her accidents were because she was having pooping issues today. She kept telling us that "it hurt." So hopefully we can get back there with her. The little girl is really good at going when you tell her to though. In the morning, after nap and before bed I took her to the bathroom, told her to go and she did.

One thing I noticed about my kids is that Cecilia is soooo stingy with her rewards (that's fine, it's her reward) but my little guy loves to share his and gets upset when Ce won't share with him. Besides the manpower involved in PTing twins, rewarding them is definitely another issue.

SO big YAYs all around. Of course I had another wanting to quit moment but than I realize they are getting there and each day is better than the last. Tomorrow I'm by myself again so I'm crossing my fingers we don't have a repeat of Friday.

Pottypalooza - Day 2

2010-08-21T18:01:00.000-07:00

Day 2 is far, far better than day 1.

Things are definitely "clicking" with Cecilia. She's not perfect by any means but the girl gets it. She went right to the potty this morning and it took a couple attempts but eventually she emptied her bladder. And I had to grab her out of her hiding spot a couple of times behind the chair but I grabbed her right in time and got her to the pot in order for her to release a huge poop. She will mostly start dribbling while doing something, say "potty" and then rush to the potty. We've got to get her to notice it before it gets to that point.

Marshall on the other hand was in a terrible spot the first half of the day. He's definitely king of holding it. He didn't want any part of sitting on the potty and would freak out any time we got him near it. He couldn't eat he was so uncomfortable from holding it in and that's when I had my 2nd breakdown. I had to leave the room. I almost called the whole thing off right there. But I talked with a friend who trained her 2 yr old and she also potty trains autistic kids (she's a behavior therapist) and she talked me off the ledge. I knew I had to put more confidence in them that they could get this and we could help them get there.

So I took Marshall into the bathroom by myself and we sang songs and I got him to sit on the chair a few times (he loooooves fruit snacks) and eventually I caught his pee while he was standing up and he was able to release the full amount of his bladder (first he peed on me) and the kid was elated with himself. We did this again together right before bath.

So we made some good strides today and I'm much more confident in my kids tonight going into Day 3.

Pottypalooza - Day 1

2010-08-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Day 1 of PTing was INSANE!!!!

I don't think I've had it this tough with them by myself since they were newborns both home from the NICU. The morning started with getting them into their big kid undies and stationing ourselves in the kitchen. I had the living room closed off and they had their bedroom, hallway, bathroom and the kitchen to roam. I had to keep them in close contact to the bathroom so I could get them there in time.

Well, as I put Ce's undies on she peed immediately. I ran her to the bathroom, put her on the seat and Marshall took his opportunity to crawl under the table and poop and pee. This pretty much set the tone for the morning. It was nonstop peeing. I thought I was in the twilight zone. I counted 33 pairs when I washed at nap time. I actually cried when Ryan showed up with lunch.

The wins of the morning: Ce got a few drops in the potty and hearing her praise Marshall made himself go a little. However, his favorite place to pee is standing on his bathroom stool facing our bathroom vanity.

After nap I went a different route. I had them sit on their potties in front of the TV watching Dora for a little while. Success! Ce peed on her own while watching. Marshall got real stubborn though. Every time I went to the bathroom with Ce he took his opportunity to pee all over. And every time I got him to the bathroom he refused to sit down.

Right before Ryan came home Ce got into the groove of starting to pee, yelling out "potty" and running to the bathroom. She's really thriving on knowing she's going to get an award. Once I showed her I had fruit snacks she was determined. She tried about 3x getting to the potty before she actually got some in there, and it was a little turd! The look of her face was priceless - VICTORY! My heart broke though when Marshall realized he wasn't getting fruit snacks. I don't know how to do this with twins. It's hard. He's so cute because he claps for Cecilia and then gets sad when she's eating her prize.

It is clicking with Cecilia. She's not getting to the potty before she lets some out but she knows she has to get there. Plus, once daddy got home, he got to witness Ce pooping a good sized one in her potty. She's definitely not afraid to poop which most kids are in the toilet training situation.

So, on to tomorrow and Ryan will be with me to help so I'm hoping the constant attention on Marshall will help. NOTE TO SELF: Don't bust out playdoh for the first time on the first day of PTing...It was (and still is) all over my kitchen. Towards the end of the day they were pretending they were picking up dog poop (they've watched us many times) and Ce was taking wipes and pretending to clean up pee. UGH.

Wisconsin State Fair

2010-08-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

We went to the state fair yesterday and it was the first year Marshall & Cecilia really enjoyed all the fair had to offer, deep fried s'mores, deep fried green beans, cherry vanilla milk, big pickles, grilled cheese, homemade potato chips, etc. They tasted it all while Ryan and I enjoyed a few beers at the microbrew tent (YUM). And of course they practiced all their favorite animal sounds while looking at goats, cows, pigs, chickens and rabbits.

Cecilia was even brave enough to go on a camel ride with her cousins (Marshall backed out at the last second even though it was originally his idea). My only sadness on this enjoyable [very hot] day was that my father wasn't there to watch M&C have a great time. State fair day was his favorite summer day of the year and it was his tradition for us to hold on to and keep going. He really would be having so much fun this year with his 5 grandchildren but I'm sure he was looking down smiling at all of us having a good time together.

How did we get here?

2010-08-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're going to start potty-training. It makes me excited, nervous and admittedly...sad. My babies aren't babies and I'm pretty sad about it. But we forge ahead. Stay tuned we'll be officially starting in a couple of weeks and I'll be blogging about it. I've marked off 5 straight days on my calendar to start the "potty training project."

What we've been up to...

2010-07-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

Not much. Just some summer fun. Here's some pics from when we went to the zoo and one from this morning (it's daddy's birthday today and he's pretty popular around here).

Moments...

2010-07-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

What mother doesn't cherish watching her little ones sleep?

4th of July

2010-07-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

We pretty much have the coolest neighbors. It's the #1 reason why we stay in our too-small house, well that, and because of the housing market. Anyways, every 4th of July for the last 3 or 4 yrs (it was disputed as to how many years they've been doing this) the whole neighborhood gets together and has a mini parade and then we head over to our neighbor, Pam's house for food, beer and good times.

Marshall & Cecilia proved they could hang with the big kids this year when they tackled the huge, inflatable water slide Pam had set up for the kids. They also enjoyed their first popsicles.

For my aunt Sue...(vacation recap)

2010-06-30T05:11:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile and it's not because I don't want to. We had laptop monitor problems for a couple weeks and then we were on vacation from June 12th-20th and after that, well...I kept putting it off. Now that things have settled down I hope to get back in the habit of posting once a week. I really want to continue the blog for myself and Marshall and Cecilia.

Anyways, this particular post will be about our first family vacation and roadtrip. We went on vacation with my whole family (7 adults, 5 children) to Virginia. My sister owns timeshare and we were able to rent to connecting condos at the Massanutten resort. Ryan and I decided to roadtrip it and the first day of driving we started to question our methods...here's a rundown that happened the very first day:

*Cecilia stubbed her toe pretty badly minutes before we leave...it kept her up one of the nights at the condo. She did end up losing her big toenail this last week.

*Marshall decides to throw-up 20 minutes into the car ride so our car smells like vomit for over 24hrs.

*90 minutes into the roadtrip our DVD player goes out and our kids are yelling "Diego! Diego!" Luckily we see a Best Buy almost immediately and run in to spend a quick $200.

*We hit all traffic in the major cities.

*Cecilia pukes at a rest stop (thankfully not in the car) after drinking apple juice...I should have known because the girl has a puking problem after too many sweets.

We finally got to a hotel that night just exhausted with little headway on the trip itself. The next day we pretty much drove 6 straight hours with continuously looping Dora and Diego. That's the nice thing about having children still in diapers, we didn't have to take them out of the car for potty breaks. We hit a ton of rain the next day too but finally arrived at the condo around 5 pm.

After the initial days of driving the rest of the vacation was pretty restful and fun. The kids enjoyed going to their first waterpark. Mars was pretty hesitant at first but we pushed him down that first water slide and he started to like it. Ce showed no fear as usual. They also enjoyed their first pony ride. And again, Mars was hesitant, Ce showed no emotion over it. Ryan and I both enjoyed going to wonderful dinners. Ryan went to a beer lover's dinner and I went with my sisters to a wine lover's dinner. We hiked in Shenandoah national park and really tested out the true strength of our BOB stroller. Let me tell you, that thing is worth the cash. And the kids did super well for naps and at night in their tents. Those things were worth the money too.

All in all, we had a pretty good first family vacation and I can't wait until we can plan another one. Mars & Ce absolutely love playing with their cousins Audrey, Maggie and Jane. Enjoy the pictures.

Sorry!

2010-05-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile and I really have been meaning to. It's just been so beautiful here that we've been enjoying the weather and our little family. I have a ton of pictures to share and many observations about my little 2 yr olds to write about. However right now our laptop's screen isn't working and the only way to use it is to hook it up to our TV. This proves difficult to typing, reading and posting pictures. I hope to have it resolved soon.

Post birthday wrap-up

2010-05-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Marshall & Cecilia's 2nd birthday was on May 8th. We had a big party at our house and lucky for us the weather was "just nice enough" for the kids and some adults to hang out outside. I had special Yo Gabba Gabba cupcakes made and Mars & Ce wore they special birthday shirts. They had a great time and were surrounded by friends and loved ones.

On the 10th we took them to their well baby visit and their pediatrician said we should be very proud. They are still caught up to their actual age.

Marshall - 26.5 lbs., 34"
Cecilia - 23.5 lbs., 33 1/4"

THANK YOU

2010-04-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

I know it's almost a week past the March of Dimes walk but I wanted to thank everyone who contributed. We raised a total of $365. The day was cold and rainy yet again but we managed to walk the 3 miles this time. Mid-way through Cecilia got pretty cold and upset so Ryan walked with her for about a mile in his coat to warm her up.

I haven't posted much recently because Ryan and I are in the middle of some pretty big house projects. Right now there's a ton of banging going on as our new windows are being installed. Next week I will have their birthday party pictures posted as it is soon going to be my miracle babies' 2nd birthday!

5 DAYS LEFT!!!!

2010-04-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Marshall & Cecilia wouldn't be here today without the March of Dimes. The Walk for Babies is April 24th and we're raising money for this great charity. Every woman deserves a healthy pregnancy and every baby deserves the best start in life. PLEASE HELP! Click on our badge to the right.

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Thank you!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Easter. It was a rare occasion in that Mars & Ce got to eat some candy for the first time...well I have given them some chocolate before. Anyways, Ce looked in her basket, grabbed the row of Peeps and proceeded to bite the heads off each of the chicks. And as you can tell from looking at the group shot...they don't like group shots.

First weekend trip away...

2010-03-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

And it was a success!!!

We all went to Madison (90 min away) to visit my sister for Marshall and Cecilia's cousin Maggie's birthday party. Before kids, Ryan and I went to Madison a lot for the weekend. I hadn't been there overnight since right before I was put on hospital bedrest.

This was Mars & Ce's first time sleeping in a place other than their cribs. And thankfully all of our Peapod tent training paid off. The first night wasn't the best. There was some crying and reassuring on our parts but we never had to take them out of their tents. The next day they took a 2-hr nap and slept quietly as can be the whole night. Ryan and I know this because we all slept in the same room!

The kids had a great time with their cousins. It was nice to see them playing and running around with my sister's daughters. There was lots of laughter.

PSA: Last weekend we noticed a leak in one of the Peapod air mattresses. I contacted them on Tuesday and I had a new mattress mailed to me by Friday, just in time to leave for the weekend. Kidco's customer service was awesome.

22 months old & pals for life...

2010-03-08T19:02:00.001-08:00

I can't believe we're 2 months away from their second birthday. These two have become inseparable. If Ce's up from her nap earlier than Marshall, the first thing out of his mouth when he wakes up is "where's Yay-ya?" And Marshall getting his finger bit tonight while in the bathtub was almost worth hearing Cecilia say "sorry Marshall." The girl hardly talks, let alone string a couple words together so Ryan and I were amazed she said it to him. They give each other kisses every night before bed and I could hear Ce singing and Mars giggling up a storm at her tonight in their cribs at bedtime. Yup, these two are best buds.

Nutella goodness

2010-02-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

Mars & Ce woke up pretty distraught from their nap this afternoon. Ce has been feeling crappy because of her MMR shot earlier this week and Mars lost his blankie during his nap. They were both flipping out complete with big tears and runny noses. So what does any mother do in a situation like this? She spreads some Nutella on their graham crackers for a snack. They never had it before (it's new to me too).

Spirits were lifted and the rec room's a little chocolaty but at least I got some smiles.

21 months old!

2010-02-16T17:31:00.001-08:00

Not much has been going on lately. We're just hanging out at home and wishing the winter away. Marshall & Cecilia are changing everyday and being a lot more vocal. I've been having a super hard time trying to get a good picture of them so I'm just going to post a bunch from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy all of our messiness.

More sleep training? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-02-01T17:18:00.000-08:00

So, about two weeks ago I bought these really cool travel beds. They're from Kidco and called Peapods. I bought them so we can take Marshall & Cecilia overnight to places like Madison to spend the weekend with my sister and their cousins. Also, I purchased the beds because in June we're taking a huge family vacation to a resort in Virginia. I won't even get into the small panic that is residing inside Ryan and me anticipating a 13+ hour car ride with Mars & Ce. Our kids don't even like 20 minutes in the car.

Anyways, we are now trying to train them to sleep in the Peapods and of course it feels like sleep training all over again. My kids have never slept anywhere but their cribs so this is going to take a little time. Upon getting the tents we set them up in the living room so they could get used to them. They really seemed to like them and played and read their books in them.

But the first sleeping attempt was a complete failure. I put the tents in their cribs for a nap and Cecilia managed to crawl out of it and freak out. This in turn freaked Marshall out, who up until that point was fine. I went into their room a couple minutes into the nap to find Marshall screaming his brains out and Cecilia laying on top of the flattened tent crying.

OK, take two. This last weekend I just put the tent in Marshall's crib for nap time. He loved it. I'm hoping Cecilia sees this and follows suit. We'll try nap time with her again this weekend. At some point we're going to have to zip them in - I'm scared.

Dog Days of Winter

2010-01-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

We finally got the kids dressed in their new snowsuits and out in the snow for the first time! As usual one kid loved it and one kid didn't. Marshall really liked the snow as long as he could move through it but Cecilia wasn't really having any of it.

VIDEO: 20 months old!!!

2010-01-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Since I can never get Marshall & Cecilia together for a picture I'm uploading a video of a typical Sunday night at grandma's.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Marshall & Cecilia officially have too much stuff!! They received oodles of great presents this year. Among many they received little rocking chairs, Little People's dollhouse & farm, great new jammies and clothes, tons of books, Veggie Tale music CDs that say their names and the best of all present (it was from mom & dad of course) was a Step 2 tent and tunnel town. The thing is huge and we can only fit two tents and two tunnels in our rec room but the full version of it will be outside in the Spring.

And speaking of Spring, can I say that I can't wait.... UGH, Mars & Ce have been fighting ear infections and throat infections this whole week. They're on antibiotics and mommy & daddy can't wait for them to feel better.

Below are some fun pics of Christmas and please note that no children were drinking margaritas, the kids just liked drinking water out of my cool blue plastic glasses. Hey, it made the older kids forget that they were asking for soda. :)

VIDEO: Still too young to drive.

2009-12-16T17:20:00.000-08:00

18 mos old FOR REAL!!!

2009-11-23T16:57:00.000-08:00

Mars & Ce had their 18-month doctor's appointment and the pediatrician said she believed they caught up to the actual age size-wise and developmentally. It seriously brought tears to eyes to hear that. What an accomplishment!!!!

Here are their stats:
Cecilia
weight: 21lbs. / 5%
height: 32 1/8" / 60%
head: 44.5 cm / 10%
Marshall
weight: 24lbs., / 20%
height: 33" / 75%
head: 47.5 cm / 40%

Here's some pictures from this last weekend. It was so beautiful for November in Wisconsin. *I think the unseasonably warm weather is my dad's doing. :) (And those are Ce's first pigtails).

18 months actual, 15 months adjusted

2009-11-11T04:47:00.000-08:00

Marshall & Cecilia turned 18 mos. old on Nov. 8th. Where has the time gone? I know every parent says this but they amaze us everyday and their little personalities are forming right before our eyes. Plus, they are so different from each other. It's crazy. How can I have two completely different children?

Marshall
{We're not big TV watchers but with the weather getting colder we have been letting them watch TV a little bit more, maybe an hour a day.} He loves to watch Yo Gabba Gabba but gets a little afraid and climbs into your lap when Biz Markie or the guy who draws comes on. He also loves Moose-A-Moose. Mars is a big Elmo fan (even before he ever saw Sesame Street) and calls him "El-may." He absolutely loves his "El-may" toothbrush. He also loves to read and can be found sitting on the floor looking at books and pretending to read them. He loves to be sung to and is often calmed down with a little singing from his mama. When he dances he leads with his head and belly.

Marshall will pretty much eat anything but he's not too fond of scrambled eggs. I've even tried to hide them in a bowl of buttered toast pieces (a fave of his) and cut up sausages. No deal. He eats around the eggs. He's a BIG time milk drinker. The kid would drink a gallon a day if I let him. We have to often watch him so he doesn't steal his sister's sippy.

Mars loves to laugh. His laugh is the cutest. It's a full-on baby giggle right from the belly. He's my sensitive boy. He doesn't like to be startled and he hates it if anyone raises their voice around him. I also think he knows he'll get extra cuddles if he hurts himself, but watch out if he really falls or something. The kid will wind-up and hold his breath before letting out a crazy scream and big crocodile tears.

Marshall loves to sleep and sometimes goes 14 hrs straight. He has a favorite blue blankie that has become his #1 lovie. He's my talker. He'll repeat so many words and he's been working on word combos and sentences like "what's that?" or "right there." He says "no" and means it. He wants to be expressive and we've been trying to get him to ask for what he wants now because if he doesn't use his words he goes right to whining. He's not patient. He also hates car rides.

He's solid as a rock and has the most adorable feet and hands. I could eat them up.

This little boy is so unbelievably awesome. He's such a sensitive soul and so loving. He's truly a "daddy's boy" but I'm working on converting him. :)

Cecilia
Ce is my fearless, pint-sized firecracker. For every laugh Mars is giving she's usually the one behind producing them. She's like her daddy in that way. This girl loves to entertain. Her laugh is the funniest thing I've ever heard come out of a baby. It's hard to describe but when you hear it, you can't help but crack up. It kind of mimics Woody-Woodpecker. Cecilia has the best smile ever and shows it often.

She's my little cuddle-bug. You wouldn't think to look at her because she's always on the move but most of the time she's making a beeline for you so she can sneak a little cuddle. She loves to give kisses good-bye and knows how to smack her lips in a kiss motion. The best thing is at night after the lights are out and I'm leaving their room I can hear her making kissing noises.

And speaking of bedtime and sleeping, she's good at it but doesn't like to be missing out on the action for very long. She typically the first up from naps and in the morning. Cecilia has a favorite lovie too. It's her lamb from Build-a-Bear. We call her Lam-mee, and Lam-mee stinks. Ce likes to chew on her ears.

Cecilia also loves to give her brother great big bear hugs, which usually turn into a wrestling match. No kidding, these two wrestle already and Ce usually wins. Cecilia does all her dancing through her feet. When she hears music she likes her feet go wild. She also loves to dance with mommy while mommy is singing to her. Baths are a favorite too because she loves to splash.

Ce doesn't really have time for food and milk but I can't think of a food she doesn't like. I know she's like her mom and loves things spicy and full of garlic. When she's hungry she eats like crazy and when she's not, it winds up on the floor.

Cecilia really loves everyone around her but I think he favorite is our dog Reddie. She starts kicking her feet and squealing before we even walk through the door after we've been gone. She barked before she ever said any words. Lately though, she's been experiencing a word explosion and is now saying a lot including "more" and "up." This is a relief since we were afraid she'd never say anything coherent. I kind of knew though that my girl was stubborn and would talk on her own time.

Cecilia is my beautiful and spirited little girl. She makes everyone smile around her. I know I light up every time I see her little face come towards me when I get home from work at night.

Halloween!

2009-11-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

Last year Mars & Ce couldn't participate in Halloween activities due to not being exposed to any germs. This year, although we're still cautious of germs, we were a little more lenient. They enjoyed showing our neighbors their costumes and then later in the day we went to a neighbors house for a Halloween party. It was so much fun!

Life with toddler twins

2009-10-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

17 months actual, 14 months adjusted

2009-10-13T18:04:00.001-07:00

I'm a little late. They turned 17 mos. on Oct. 8th but I haven't quite felt like blogging lately after losing my dad. But, these two are my little lights. I hope to take the time next month to write about the wonderful personalities that are forming before my eyes. But for now here's a picture and enjoy the videos posted below.

VIDEO: My super funny babies

2009-10-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Our hearts are broken.

2009-10-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

MEL FUNK
11/14/54-9/26/09

On September 26th my dad passed away after a very short battle with lung cancer that had already spread to his bones and liver by the time he was diagnosed. He was only 54.

Watching him suffer and die was so painful, something I wish I never ever had to witness. He is at peace now but there is a hole in all of our hearts. My mother, sisters and brother are "hanging in there" but we're very sad.

Here is what was written on the prayers cards that were at his wake:

God saw he was getting tired,
And a cure was not to be.
So he put His arms around him
And whispered "Come with Me."
With tearful eyes you
watched him suffer,
And saw him slowly fade away.
Although you loved him dearly,
You could not make him stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
Hard working hands put to rest.
God broke your hearts
to prove to you,
He only takes the best.

Catching up...

2009-09-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile....

The NICU follow-up went really well. Both babies are catching up to their actual age. Our only concern (which isn't too much of a concern) is Cecilia's speech. We'll be working with her on trying to get her to talk more build her vocabulary.

At their last regular pedi appointment Mars & Ce hit the charts for all three measurements (head, length and weight) for their ACTUAL AGE for the first time in 16 months.

They attended their first wedding and we are all enjoying the last of the nice weather we have left before winter and hybernation.

The babies are catching up and I've been catching my breath.

Please catch up with Mars & Ce and enjoy the below photos. *The photo where Ryan is wranggling in two naked babies before their bath is their "official" 16mos. actual/13mos. adjusted picture.

Goofing around

2009-09-19T19:28:00.001-07:00

Mars & Ce's first wedding...

2009-09-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

Marshall & Cecilia had a great time dancing at their first wedding. Ryan's cousin got married. Marshall tried all night to impress the big boys.

Winter Jammies

2009-09-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

I love pajamas on babies. Mars & Ce have some new ones.

No appropriate title this time

2009-09-03T19:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while for a reason. Recently my family has gotten some traumatic news. My father was just diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I wish I could eloquently express how I feel at this time but the only words I can come up with right now are: sad, heavy-hearted, confused, angry and scared. And of course in my dad's own words, "it is what it is."

I promise to post about Mars & Ce's NICU follow-up in a few days.

VIDEO: There's nothing better than baby giggles

2009-08-21T19:47:00.000-07:00

We're in the future now.

2009-08-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

The days we are living now are the days Ryan and I were envisioning 1 yr. ago when we were going through severe sleep deprivation and worry over having our two immuno-compromised preemies home.

I just love these faces.

Babies' Baptism & Starting from Zero

2009-08-11T17:29:00.000-07:00

Mars & Ce were baptized last Saturday, August 8, 2009. A year ago on that date we started from zero with them. August 8, 2008 was my original duedate and when you have preemies your duedate becomes their adjusted birthday. You measure every milestone by how old they are adjusted. Preemie parents do this until their children catch-up which is usually around 3 years old or younger.

From May 8th on I watched as we got closer to Aug. 8th. I wanted & willed it to be Aug. 8th. On that day we started from zero. We could now gauge how ahead or behind our kids were. It was only fitting they be baptized exactly one year later when they would spiritually start over from zero.

This year August 8th was also very meaningful to Ryan and me. We can now see where our children are compared to other 1 yr. olds and in a couple of weeks doctors and specialists will weigh-in on where they see Mars & Ce at their NICU follow-up.

I also had other reasons for delaying their baptism. Typically babies are baptized Catholic within the first few months of their lives. But for NICU parents a baptism isn't a joyous thing. I didn't want to feel like I was baptizing them in the NICU because I thought they were going to die - like I was giving up on them and letting them go in some way.

When they came home we had to protect them because of their weak immune systems and going to church is at the top of germ list (sorry God). Plus, call me selfish, but I wanted them to have a real baptismal party with all of their relatives. So many other baby rituals other mothers get to experience was taken or altered because of their early arrival (baby shower, seeing & holding them when they were born) and this was my attempt to hold onto one. And before I even had kids I wanted to turn my wedding dress into their baptismal gowns. I also wanted the priest who married us 4 yrs ago (who's now retired) to be the one to baptize our babies. All this took planning and time.

So with all this in mind we set out to have their baptism on August 8th - their 1 yr adjusted birthday. And it was beautiful. Despite Fr. Tom being a little late, Mars' & Ce's gowns not completely fitting right and Ce knocking over the baptismal oil (I hope this isn't a sign), it turned out to be a celebration of baptism and a special day for Ryan and me.

Someday I hope the actual date, August 8th will be just that, a date on the calendar.

A year ago today my little girl came home!

2009-08-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

CECILIA TODAY

One year ago today we sprung Cecilia out of the NICU. There's not much I can say about that day except that we were a family of four - finally - at home.

VIDEO: Babies, babies everywhere!

2009-08-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is what it's like at my house constantly.

Just my babies & me...

2009-07-27T18:53:00.001-07:00

I couldn't help it. I stole these pictures from others. My sister took the one of Ce & me at the zoo a couple weeks ago and my mom took the one of Mars & me yesterday.

VIDEO: We have a walker! (w/ FLASHBACK)

2009-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Cecilia's walking!! She's a little wobbly and klutzy (already got a fat lip & bruised cheek) but she's really been cruising these last few days. And even showing off for the neighbors!

I truly can't believe she beat her big brother to it. Make no doubt, he'll be cruising soon too -he's already been taking steps-but the little girl can go!

A year ago today I posted my huge disappointment in that Ce's feeding tube had to be reinserted after coming very close to taking all her feeds by mouth in the NICU. July was our absolutely lowest point (besides her rehospitalization for group strep b) in our NICU journey. Marshall was home with us and because we didn't want to constantly expose him to any germs we chose not to go to the NICU as a family to visit Ce that often. Therefore Ryan and I had to switch off days going to see her. There were much too many days I didn't get to see my baby girl.

And on the days I did see her I would get so frustrated by her lack of eating skills. Plus, without Marshall there Children's had begun bouncing her around. She was never in the same place for very long. This resulted in drives home where I would turn up the radio as loud as I could and scream at the top of my lungs through tears.

Post NICU and group strep b we watched her like a hawk for milestones. She tested our new parenting skills all the time, whether it be with feeding (and puking) or replacing her pacifier over and over and over again at night. Marshall would hit a milestone and we always waited a couple months for her to meet the same one. We worried and worried about our little girl. Was she the weak one? Would she be the most affected by prematurity?

Not this time. This time my little girl has brought nothing but tears of joy and pride to my eyes. There is absolutely no joy better than seeing your micro preemie walk across the room.

VIDEO: Mars' obsession

2009-07-20T17:17:00.000-07:00

Marshall has a crazy obsession with cups and water. Here's a funny vid.

14 mos. actual, 11 mos. adjusted (+our 4yr. anniversary)

2009-07-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

Marshall and Cecilia are getting so big. I really can't believe it. They are both attempting to take firsts steps. Cecilia is a little more daring than Marshall but she gets so excited and falls. After watching her older cousin climb up a play slide last weekend she tried and tried until she was able to climb up herself.

Cecilia loves to socialize but Marshall is mastering words all the time. He says "bubble" very well and his own versions of "doggie" and "blankie." We hear he says "grandpa" but we haven't witnessed it yet.

They are still loving their nightly bath time. They also love cheese and feeding themselves. Miss Cecilia loves her brother so much and shows it by constantly wrestling or touching him. Unfortunately her excitement gets away from her and she has biten him.

They are so fun to be around. And we're enjoying every minute of getting to know them.

It is getting so hard to get a good picture of both of them together.

So, we strapped them in the stroller...

Can you tell they like their walks?

No, really...they do!

Oh, and it's our 4th wedding anniversary today.

VIDEO: Mars saying "doggie"

2009-07-08T18:45:00.000-07:00

You can hear Marshall's word for "doggie."

Hanging up the horns...

2009-07-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

After almost 14 mos. I am finally pump-free. YAY!!!! Well, not "yay" yet, I'm still pretty sore. I hope that passes soon. But, I can't believe I made it this far. I knew before I got pregnant I wanted to breastfeed (at least try to breastfeed). Then I got pregnant with multiples, and I still wanted to attempt breastfeeding. But, if someone would have told me I'd be exclusively pumping for almost 14 mos. I probably would have told them they were crazy.

I know one of the first things I asked when they were born was "how soon can I pump?" I wanted to provide the best nutrition possible for them right from the beginning, especially from the type of "beginning" we were handed. And my first pump went extremely well. I actually got colostrum. But for 2 days after that pumping session, I proceeded to get nothing. Here I was pumping every 3 hrs for 20 minutes and getting absolutely nothing.

The nurses and doctors I encountered over those 2 days were no help. I was constantly told my milk wouldn't come in for a long time due to various reasons such as, getting steroid shots, delivering early, having a c-secton, etc. This probably only added to my frustration not to mention the less than 3 lb babies I had in the NICU. So I asked for a lactaction consultant and she helped me get my first spoonful of colustrum I had seen in days.

Yes, I said "spoonful." In the beginning that's all I got but the nurses in the NICU said every drop was worth it. So Ryan would take spoonful by spoonful down to the NICU to rub in our babies' mouths. By the time I was discharged my milk had come in and I was making more than what my kiddos needed. Plus, I had read when mother's gave birth early their bodies made "special" preemie milk for their babies. I felt my body had failed my kids in a lot of ways and finally it wasn't failing them in this area so I wasn't going to stop.

So, I continued to pump every 3 hrs for 20 min each session (thank God for late night TV and a hands-free pumping bra) and waited for my chance to try breastfeeding. Unfortunatley breastfeeding didn't work out either.

Marshall was given a bottle before I had a chance to work with him. I walked in one night after a pumping session and Ryan was so proud he gave him his first bottle. I didn't want to dampen his spirits by telling him that's exactly what the consultants said not to do. I tried working with Marshall but we both got frustrated. My milk wouldn't come fast enough for him and his latch was painful for me. Plus, I had to use a shield and those things are awful. The process alone was so time-consuming. I had to pump a little, then put the shield on, then try to get him to latch, he would get frustrated and I would give him a little bit of the bottle and then try to latch him again. And after all that, I still had to pump afterward otherwise I would get clogged ducts and be in extreme pain. So, I stopped trying with him.

Cecilia on the other hand, loved to breastfeed but her problem was she would feed for 20-30 min and maybe only pull 1 oz. And since she needed the calories and already had feeding issues, we stuck to just giving her the bottle.

Between May-August I pumped 8, 7, and then 6x a day. My supply really took a hit (I had been getting 70 oz a day) when Ce was admited back to Children's for a bacterial infection at the end of August. I went back to work in early September and went down to 5 pumps a day. I would pump twice before work, once at work and twice in the evening. I really kept going because I felt it was important for them to get breastmilk through RSV/flu season. Also, buying formula for preemie twins is not cheap.

Once RSV/flu season was over I kept going because it was so close to their birthday. Then spring came and I watched my husband outside with my kids playing while I was inside pumping and decided it was time to stop. Giving them breastmilk was great for their nutritious needs but now I was realizing how much time it took away from me bounding with my babies. Unlike breastfeeding, pumping really took me more away from them. Ryan did more of the night time feedings than me because I had to pump. Instead of grabbing my babies right when I got home from work, I had to go in our rec room and pump. I felt more alienated from them than I ever had. Pumping definitely was a part time job.

So on their birthday I started weaning from the pump. I slowly decreased my pumps and with each drop of a session I couldn't believe how I once pumped 8x a day. Getting that time back has been so great but it has also been bittersweet not giving them my milk anymore. On Monday, June 29th I came home from work and spilt the last 4 oz into 2 bottles. I told them they better drink it all because that was it. They finished it and a couple days later I packed up my pump and all the pump parts.

I felt like laughing and crying at the same time.

VIDEO: Marshall

2009-06-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

1 yr. ago today my boy came home.

2009-06-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

And, it was the worse day of my life. I will forever feel guilty and hurt for Marshall that I wasn't overjoyed by his homecoming from the NICU. The reason - we were leaving his sister behind. The three of us got to go home but we weren't a complete family yet.

I had gone back to work the week before full time in order to save some FMLA. Marshall had begun really eating well and we knew that was the last hurdle to get over in order to be released. The nurses were foreseeing his release that whole week. And I was totally dreading it. He was still under 5 lbs. and his gestation was only 34 1/2 wks the night he got to go home. Babies aren't even supposed to be born yet. How could he be coming home? I silently hoped he'd fail his carseat test. What type of mother does that? I was desparate not to split them up. I wanted them to come home together, to be a family all together. I didn't want to have no maternity leave left for my daughter. I didn't want to split my time between the hospital and Marshall being home.

But Marshall was a little NICU superstar. He surpased everyone's expectations. My heart was torn in two. That Monday night I got him dressed up in my favorite little PJ's for him and we bundled him up in his carseat. It was so bittersweet. I hugged Cecilia so tight and told her over and over again that she would be coming home soon too (she didn't come home "soon").

Like all new mothers, I didn't sleep that night. I watched Marshall sleep all night. We slept with the light on because I had to be able to see him breathing. It was so odd to have him home. I had only been with him in the NICU and now he was right next to me 24/7.

A year later Marshall is still a little superstar. He has met all his milestones early for his adjusted age. He still loves to eat too. Marshall also loves his blankie. He likes to dance and his first word was "bubble" in regards to his favorite book "Bubbles, Bubbles." Our game to play with him is to ask him to go find his "bubble book" and finds it he does. He also says his own version of "doggie." He's my sensitive little guy but doesn't mind it when his sister tries to wrestle with him, that is unless she starts to bite.

My favortie time with him is right before a nap or bed when I get to feed him his bottle. He is so cuddly and lets me kiss his face and rub his head while he drinks his bottle (nothing distracts him from eating).

I love you my little guy. Happy Anniversary. I am sooooooooooo happy you are here with us.

SUMMER 2008

MARSHALL TODAY

Lovely day, beautiful babies...

2009-06-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Went for a walk and stopped on the parkway for cheerios, bananas and apple juice

13 months actual, 10 months adjusted

2009-06-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

Marshall and Cecilia are getting bigger everyday. They are really getting around now with crawling and cruising. Cecilia tries everyday to stand all by herself. The look of concentration on her face is so cute. She really wants to walk.

Marshall loves to try to mock us. I know a word is coming any day now. He tries to say stinky, doggie and yucky. He's also our little dancer. All we have to say is "dance, dance" and he'll move his little belly up and down.

As I said in the previous post they really want to feed themselves. Marshall will cram a bunch of Cheerios or pasta into his mouth all at once. I really have to watch him. Cecilia likes to take one piece at a time and makes a little less of a mess. They both really love garlic & dill goat cheese and guacamole.

These two have such different personalities. It's so fun to watch them develop.

Adventures in self-feeding...

2009-06-07T18:00:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, we've entered the phase of self-feeding. Marshall and Cecilia don't want regular old baby food anymore. They want people food and they want to feed it to themselves. Thankfully we have our own in-house clean-up crew.

Sorry we've been MIA!!!

2009-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

We've just been enjoying the Spring weather!!! My friend Anny took the pics of them on the swings. It was their first time.

Past & Presents

2009-05-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Marshall and Cecilia celebrated at their 2nd, 1st birthday party with Ryan's family on Saturday. How lucky are they, hey? A year ago today Ryan & I were also opening up presents, at my baby shower. I was supposed to be 28 wks pregnant but instead I had week-old babies in the NICU, pictures of my babies to show people and I had to pump breastmilk in a bathroom stall at the restaurant. My family and friends were awesome but the day was entirely overwhleming. I was on the verge of tears all day.

Earlier in the week I went into Motherhood Maternity and ironically asked for a dress that would "downplay" my existing stomach. The saleslady paused for a moment, what pregnant woman comes into a maternity store asking for a baby shower dress that "downplays" their beautiful pregnant tummy? After an awkward explanation we found a dress that was pretty, cheap and worked with my body the best it could. I wanted nothing to do with the stomach that remained. I was empty.

We didn't hold our babies that night after the party even though we took the hotest of showers. We were too paranoid of passing any germs to our little ones. And now it's a year later and we're slowly getting better about germs. The babies went to Target today for the first time. We kept them in their stroller - no carts yet! We also got stared at a lot today, a first for us. I would swear that people never saw twins before. It was very odd for Ryan and me.

One thing remained the same though, awkward conversations:

Lady at Target: Aw, boy/girl twins...my sister's daughter-in-law just had boy/girl twins. How old are they?
Me: They are 1.
LAT: Born early hey? They are small.
Me: Yeah, 13 wks early.
LAT: I could tell, I'm a retired OB nurse. We got my sister's DIL to 35 wks.

At this moment I started to leave...like I need to be reminded how my body failed my babies. And she kept talking, about toys, looking for her husband and I just kept trying to get away. Eventually we lost her.

So...on a good note Mars & Ce had their 1 year doctor's appointment. Marshall is 18 lbs., 4 oz and 28 3/4 in. and Ce is 16 lbs., 3 oz and 28 3/4 in. The pedi thinks they are doing great. They also had an eye appointment. Ce is doing great and Mars is OK but the doctor said he's far-sighted. As of right now that doesn't mean much because he said he doesn't need to see him again for another year unless he starts to cross his eyes or we have some concerns.

They love their brand new wagon and we can't wait to take them for a walk in it!

They love Cool Whip...

2009-05-12T17:55:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't? Since my little ones can't really have milk because it disrupts their tummies I made them sugarless cupcakes and topped it off with a little Cool Whip (it's nondairy) to add some mess to the mix. And boy did they make a mess. By the late afternoon they were stripped down to their diapers and I was thankful for a Golden Retriever who likes to clean-up their leftovers.

They also had a terrific time at their first of two birthday parties (we have big families, great neighbors and lots of friends). I was nervous the morning of the party because they were pretty crabby but after a good nap (and a couple glasses of wine on my part) they handled the whole afternoon and many, many people passing them around with no meltdowns.

Flashback: I just put my 1 year olds to bed...

2009-05-08T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time I was laying in my hospital bed and I still hadn't seen my babies. They were born at 9:05 am & 9:06 am earlier that morning. People were wishing me a happy Mother's Day and all I wanted to do was scream, "But I'm not supposed to be a mother yet!!!"

Severe back pain and a few contractions the day before led to my last peaceful moment in the hospital's jacuzzi tub around 10 pm on May 7th. Ryan had stopped by for a quick visit. He had been at Babies R Us buying the carseats and mattresses. I went to bed praying for just one more day.

I had numerous contractions all through the night and around 4 am after calling for some Tylenol for my back pain I was put on the monitors. I was having contractions sporadically and they tried to give me drugs to stop them. After the drugs kicked in, I no longer felt the contractions but the nurses were telling me that I was still having them.

I had to wait until 6:45 am for them to check my cervix. At that time they told me they could feel Cecilia's foot and bag, that I was dilated and they would have to deliver. I called Ryan and sobbed into the phone that the babies were coming. Ryan, always being calm when I'm going crazy, said that everything would be fine and he would be right there - I had caught him on the way to work.

From there everything was a blur and before I knew it I was being prepped for surgery. That was surreal in and of itself. There I was huge and pregnant and being laid out naked on a table in front of a lot of people. And of course they wouldn't let Ryan in until the spinal had taken affect.

I only got brief views of my little children before they took them away. They forgot to show me Marshall and all I could see of him was his little butt. They showed me Cecilia and she was far from the plump and red newborn babies everyone gets to see.

Ryan got to see the doctors working on them and then they took them away to the NICU. I remember being in the recovery room and only caring about knowing how much they weighed. That's all that mattered to me. When I actually found out that they were 2 lbs, 10 oz and 2 lbs, 8 oz I was elated because that was very big for their gestation of 26 wks, 6 days.

It was until almost 12 hrs later that I was able to meet them for the first time. I probably shouldn't have made my body go so soon because the morphine was kicking my butt. I had to be wheeled out into the NICU hall after seeing Cecilia because I thought I was going to throw-up. Honestly though no one was going to keep me from seeing them and I wouldn't let anyone else but Ryan see them until I had a chance to meet them.

That night I cried in my room because I was so afraid for them. I had numerous nightmares in-between waking up to pump.

BUT...here we are - finally - a year later and my 1 year olds are in their room fighting to go to bed for the night. All is good, thank God.

Just some pics I like...

2009-05-06T04:02:00.000-07:00

Their favorite time of the day, bath time. And Cecilia wearing her first dress.

Flashback: Settled in...

2009-05-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

At this point in my hospital bedrest stay I had pretty much settled in for what I thought would be the long haul. The day I was admitted Ryan had gone out and purchased a laptop for me to use. I needed it to stay connected to my online friends and by having one I could do most of my job from my hospital room (I was desperately trying to save my FMLA hours).

So by this time last year I had a pair of jammies for every day of the week (my mom went to Target and purchased me some) and my cubicle from work setup on my hospital room windowsill. I was also allowed to go on a 30 min wheelchair ride a day. Ryan would come after work (on the weekends he would spend the night) and he'd take me to one of the cafeterias or we would order food from the outside. I had plenty of magazines and books to read. People brought snacks and movies/TV shows to watch and many friends came to visit.

But even though I was settled in, I wasn't settled. Everyday I would just pray for that day to be over so I could get to the next day. The doctors kept saying for every day the babies stayed inside, it was 3 less days in the NICU. The nurses wrote on my dry erase board my first "goal" of making it to 28 wks. Time moved so slowly and even though I wasn't sleeping at home due to crazy hip and back pain it was even worse trying to sleep in a hospital bed. And when I did fall asleep I was soon woken by the nurses needing to monitor the babies. They did that 3 times a day and most of the time it took 45-90 min to get both of them on the monitors long enough to satisfy the doctors.

I had mini breakdowns every now and then. They were usually triggered by something small like a cafeteria worker being mean to me (it happened but I don't remember why she was mean) and me crying all the way back to my room. But no matter how uneasy and emotional I got I wanted with all my heart to stay there until July.

Rained out...

2009-04-27T03:59:00.000-07:00

Our local March of Dimes Walk for Babies was Saturday. The morning started out beautiful but just as the race was starting we got completely rained out. So, we weren't able to walk the 3 miles but the important part is that we raised $510 for the March of Dimes.

Thank you to everyone who contributed. We truly appreciate it.

Earth Day!

2009-04-22T17:41:00.001-07:00

It's getting really hard to get them to sit in one spot for too long.

Flashback: It didn't truly sink in.

2009-04-22T16:57:00.000-07:00

A year ago today I was put on hospital bedrest for the remainder of my pregnancy. I was 24 1/2 wks pregnant. Thinking back on that day I was surprisingly not concerned. I was happy that by the morning my constant contractions weren't happening regularly anymore. I did have one in the car on the way to work though. However, I had a regularly scheduled doctor's appointment for that day so of course I was going to bring it all up with my doctor.

I remember leaving work and saying to a coworker, "I'll be back in a little while...or maybe I won't." I don't know why I said that. I was being sarcastic but little did I know that I wasn't coming back for a long time.

The nurse from the birthing class the night before saw me at my appointment and asked if the contractions stopped. I told her that we almost came in the night before but luckily they stopped. Then my doctor came in and checked my cervix. She was performing a bunch of measurements and I could see what they were up on the screen. She left the room and I remember telling Ryan that from what I saw as my cervical measurement that I was pretty sure I was going to be on some kind of modified bedrest.

However I wasn't prepared for what she told me when she came back in the room. She said that my cervix was funneled meaning it was opening up from the inside out and that she wanted to admit me to the hospital. OK, I thought they are going to hook me up to the monitors and we'll be out of here in a couple of hours. UM, no...that wasn't going to happen.

I did get hooked up to the monitors but I was also given an IV for fluids and drugs to stop the contractions. I remember the drugs making me all flush and fuzzy-headed. I also received the first of two steroid shots. At this point I still didn't get that I was staying.

A couple of days in the hospital turned into the weekend and than that turned into until I was 28 wks and then that turned into for the rest of my pregnancy. I also found out in bits and pieces that I was only allowed a shower every other day and that I wasn't even allowed wheelchair rides around the hospital.

They didn't take my IV out either for awhile. Looking back now I know that they thought they were going to have to deliver me that day. I didn't even realize that. Here I thought. Oh well, I'll get a couple of days to relax and rest and I'll be out of here. I didn't think on that day that my babies were in threat of being born at 24 1/2 wks, but they were.

The magintude of it all really didn't hit me until Ryan had to go home that night and I knew I wasn't going to see him again until after work the next day. Thankfully, the hospital I was at and then later where my babies were was only 15 min from our door to the rooms. God, I cried and cried. I didn't want him to leave. I didn't want to be away from him or my home or my dogs. I was scared for my babies and scared of something happening when he wasn't there.

That night and every other night while on hospital bedrest I would look at their ultrasound pictures and tell them to stay in and I'd give them each a kiss and pray that I wouldn't go into labor for another day.

This is when it all started (plus disclaimer)...

2009-04-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, Ryan and I were on our way to our first, and what we didn't know at the time, our only birthing class.

I had just ended a weekend of peeing in a big jug for 24 hrs. You see, I have always had "white-coat syndrome," meaning when a doctor takes my blood pressure it automatically rises. This is not good when you are pregnant.

My doctor noticed my BP rising and wanted to do a 24 hr urine test to make sure there wasn't protein in my urine. I had plans to be in Madison with my sister and I guess the jug was coming with me.

I handed in my jug-o-pee on Sunday and on Monday during the day I got the call that everything was fine. Big relief, right? Yeah, I thought so too.

Well, that night I started having regular contractions. Conveniently the nurse running our birthing class told me to call the doctor when I got home if they did not slow down. I timed them and I was right on the line for coming in or not. And then the contractions stopped completely.

I thought maybe I was dehydrated and all I needed to do was catch-up on my water intake and everything would be fine. I went to bed that night thinking that.

Disclaimer: I have mentioned previously that I felt looking back on my blog that I wasn't "real" enough. Well, as all of our "1 yr anniversaries" approach I'm taking a look back (and bringing my readers with me) on how we really felt through it all.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T17:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY EASTER!!!

Let's Party!

2009-04-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Marshall and Cecilia went to their first kid birthday party (yikes for mom who had her antibacterial wipes handy). They celebrated their 2nd cousin's 3rd birthday on Saturday night. They were hangin' like normal kids.

11 mos. actual, 8 mos. adjusted

2009-04-12T16:59:00.000-07:00

I've been such a bad blogger. Although I did take pictures on their "birthday" I didn't post on the actual day, which was last Wednesday. Here our some pictures from when they got up that morning.

My poor little snot-nosed kids...

2009-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen eventually. The babies got their first cold last week. Marshall showed symptoms first last Monday and Cecilia got it full-force on Tuesday (I got it Wednesday).
We took them to the doctor on Wednesday just to make sure there wasn't any ear infections or the cold was worse than we expected. He said it was your run-of-the-mill head cold.

So it's been a pretty sleepless week for Ryan and me. Marshall has been sleeping right through it all (with the help of Tylenol or Motrin) but Cecilia has had it rough. On top of having a cold my poor little girl is getting three teeth at once! We could feel them poking through Friday night. These are her first, and Marshall hasn't gotten any yet. Although I'm pretty sure once we're done with this cold and Cecilia is back to normal Marshall will then decide it's his turn.

Below are some pictures of our fun-filled snotty weekend. You can see why "doggie" is probably going to be the first word they say.

March for Babies...

2009-03-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

10 yrs. ago when I started participating in runs & walks for charity I never thought that in the future I would be walking for a cause that benefited my babies and many others. I've ran or walked in Al's Run, Dylan's Run (for autism), the Visiting Nurses Assn. (we've had many visits from them over the course of this year), the breast cancer run and many more. On April 25th our family is walking for the March of Dimes.

The first thought that enters into my head when I think of the March of Dimes is the day Marshall and Cecilia were born. I barely got a glimpse of my babies during my c-section and I certainly didn't get to hold them (something every new mother dreams of doing but some don't get the chance). They were rushed out of the room rather quickly and transported to the NICU almost immediately.

Once we were settled in my hospital room I made Ryan go down to the NICU to try and get cell phone pictures of the babies. Their birth was such an emergency that we didn't have time to think to bring a camera. When Ryan got to the NICU however the nurses jumped in panic when he tried to use his cell phone. You can't have a cell phone on in the NICU because they could turn off ventilators. At the time my daughter was on one of those ventilators.

Fortunately there was a March of Dimes volunteer in the NICU with a digital camera. She was able to take the very first pictures of my babies for me to look at until I could go see them myself 12 hrs later.

Most of the time there was a volunteer around the NICU for us to talk to and they left little things for us in our pods. One thing being calendars that we could write on. I used those calendars throughout the babies stay to mark their little milestones.

Please, if you can, donate to the March of Dimes and help us reach our goal. No donation is too small. There is a widget on the right-hand side of this blog if you scroll a little. We do understand it's tough times right now. Also, if you wish to walk with our family on April 25th you're more than welcome. Please let me know and I will help you sign-up.

Thanks!

VIDEO: Trying to make them laugh on camera but failing...

2009-03-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

10 months actual, 7 months adjusted...

2009-03-10T17:33:00.000-07:00

(On Sunday)
Where has the last month gone? It went so fast!

Here are a couple of goofy pictures because I couldn't get any good ones.

NICU follow-up, part 2

2009-03-01T09:41:00.000-08:00

Cecilia and Marshall had their 2nd NICU follow-up appointment on Thursday. This one was more involved than the previous one they had 3 months ago. The appointment is to make sure they're on track for their adjusted age and to give us advice, exercises or pointers on how to keep them on track until their next follow-up.

Mars' and Ce's adjusted age is a little over 6 months (calculated from my duedate of Aug. 8th). During their appointment a team of doctors come in and basically "play" with the babies individually. They are looking to see where they are at and if they are behind or ahead. Both babies came in at a 7 month developmental level and Cecilia was at 9 months (her actual age) for fine motor skills because does the "pincer" grasp when trying to pick up small objects.

The doctors were very impressed. We did leave with a few exercises and things to work on. For Marshall we have to make sure he's not standing on his tiptoes so no more bouncies for him. Preemies are very apt to have poor muscle tone so we have to make sure they are working their smaller muscle groups and not just making the bigger muscle groups stronger. We also have to make Marshall work at getting himself into a sitting position.

With Cecilia we have to work on her grabbing two different toys at the same time and holding them. She typically picks up a toy and when offered another toy she drops the one she was holding to hold the new toy. We also have to work on babbling during play. Not to worry on this one because she's been showing signs today of babbling back and forth with us and while she's playing. She also needs more tummy time so she is challenged to prop herself up.

The babies will continue with these appointments until they are 3 years old. Their next one will be when they are 1 year adjusted. They also had hearing tests and all is fine in that area.

So, once again Ryan and I have a weight lifted from our shoulders. We've past another hurdle and are ready to move forward with the next ones. The road for us and our preemies will be long but at least we're on the right path and we know the warning signs to look for should intervention be needed.

I posted a couple pics from the last couple of days. Our dining room has turned into their personal play area (we have a few stations around the house) and their crib serves as an audience section for games of peek-a-poo and mommy/daddy karaoke.

Precious Angels

2009-02-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

Sadly, I have to post that Carynne and Sydney lost their battle with Werdnig-Hoffman disease (post: Sad News). Carynne died Sunday morning and Sydney died in her parents' arms last night.

Please keep these little angels' parents and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Happy Valentine's Day! Nothing says I love you like eating peas for the first time.

2009-02-14T16:57:00.000-08:00

Check out all the new head gear...

2009-02-14T16:54:00.000-08:00

Look! We're getting bigger, we can use sippy cups.

2009-02-14T16:52:00.001-08:00

Well, not really, but they've been practicing.