Life at Lake Elaine

Pot of Gold

2012-01-25T20:23:00.000-06:00

Yep, you saw that right. I am 19 weeks pregnant. This pregnancy was the surprise of our lives and I have been through so many emotions with it. In the beginning I was in denial. The denial was followed by shock. Shock was followed with guilt and embarrassment. Those lovely feelings are still lying in wait and peek out every now and again. Once I started showing I knew this was for real. I am now feeling the baby move and it is one active baby. Active babies must be my destiny.
This pregnancy has been quite boring compared to the twins{this is a good thing}. Interestingly though I've had more aches and pains. I am already almost 1/2 way and it's flying by.
Our fetal anatomy ultrasound was today. I woke up not feeling excited because I didn't want to get my hopes up that we would actually be able to tell if we were adding a boy or girl to this crew. Matt left the house first and let us know there was a rainbow outside. It was a beautiful, bright rainbow although this picture does it little justice. I will say after seeing this rainbow I had an instant mood lift. Still unable to get excited about the appointment but in a good mood. Maybe we would find that pot of gold after all...

I learned a few interesting things during the ultrasound. 1. The baby is pushing on some type of nerve{explains alot} and 2. The baby thinks my bladder is a trampoline{explains alot}. I saw it's cute little legs that look just like the twins. Little face, arms, heart beating, behind, brain, behind, stomach, behind, spine, behind and sweet hands. My theory was confirmed that this baby is a mover & shaker, moving around the whole time. This baby is also a little stinker ,just like it's sisters(Jade and 1 twin), not showing us a glimpse of gender! The doctor indicated that there would be no more ultrasounds and we should just enjoy the surprise.
We may not have seen what we wanted to at this ultrasound but I saw what I needed to. This pregnancy has been almost like it's not even me going through it and I wasn't sure how to feel. I am now in love with that little baby I saw today, my baby, growing so perfectly inside me. Boy or girl? We may not know till birth.
This is my pot of gold and I am elated.

beautiful baby

Unseasonably warm weather

2012-01-24T17:59:00.000-06:00

The weather has been warm lately and we took advantage!

Whitney

Brooke-always climbing

Well, this looks like fun!-Brooke

Whitney

Splish, Splash!-Whitney

Whitney...but Brooke is the one that fell completely in...head-to-toe mud!

Brooke-l, whitney-r

Jade's very interesting 12th birthday.

2012-01-01T10:16:00.001-06:00

First of all I can not believe my first baby is 12! One more year and I will be lucky enough to live with a teenager...oh my. Jade is such a great help around the house and never complains about it. She does 90% of our laundry and if it weren't for her we would be lost in it. She helps me whenever I ask. I've never asked her to do diapers but I'm assuming I would hit a brick wall with that one!

birthday pancakes...a tradition

School is still Jade's least favorite thing but she is getting great grades as usual. She has had to learn to study since entering middle school though. She is loving time outside while she can and is Matt's helper and shadow most all the time. We love you so much Jade and are so thankful to have you as our daughter.

**not our actual pizza** I didn't get a pic of ours.

Now, on to that interesting birthday, oops! Mostly my blunders. We started the morning with breakfast pancakes like we've done for years. No hint that everything else would crumble. Jade had her best friends, A.J. and Sydney, over to spend the night. We ordered pizza from Papa Johns and I decided to order online thinking it would be easier. Well, it was easy and fun to play with toppings and decide what we wanted. Matt went to pick up{no one delivers to us} our pizzas and brought them back to a hungry crowd. I opened the boxes to see which one went with the big girls and to my surprise there was a 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 sauce pizza. Not a hint of cheese on the whole pizza. I was sure I ordered 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 cheese. Luckily I had a bag of mozzarella in the fridge. I went to check online since I had the page still up and sure enough I had accidentally clicked NO CHEESE! Why in the world is that even an option???? That is ridiculous. They should have called and asked if we really wanted no cheese. Anyway they ate it and I guess it was ok. So then we get to the cake....

Just look at that cake. Have you ever seen anything so ugly? Ok, so maybe I've made an ugly cake before. You may have seen this one on my sister's blog. I'm not sure the girls wanted any part of trying it but they did and it was good. I think it was just a lesson about not judging a book by it's cover, yeah that's what it was.

The next day we went to see a movie. I let them decide. They chose War Horse and they all cried through the movie. I had no idea it would be so sad. So for her birthday I made her and two friends cry for 2.5 hours!

Then, to top it all off, one friend went home with a fever and throwing up.

One thing is for sure. This has got to be one birthday Jade will never forget{and may need therapy for}.

1 yr pics and post{better late than never}

2011-12-31T22:03:00.000-06:00

I never got around to taking 1yr pictures of the girls. They are 13 months now and I think they look pretty stinking cute in these pics. They are almost impossible to catch on camera these days as they literally run through daily life. These first two pics are pretty typical of what I can expect to see on my memory card. My camera is also experiencing technical difficulties of some sort and it is driving me crazy!!! About half of my pictures are not focused and I'm pretty sure it's not user error..ha! I have got to send it off to be worked on.

Whitney

Brooke

Miss Whitney:
Lately you have been our sweet little semi-shy baby. You are always curious and will just sit back and study things. We should have named you Grace since you are anything but graceful these days. You almost always have a bruise on your head{and it's always your head}. You love milk and would drink a gallon a day if I let you. You are repeating a few words. Your receptive language has grow immensely I can't believe how much you comprehend. You love to dance and you actually have rhythm. You love to look through, point and "read" books on your own but don't sit long anymore when I try to read to you. One cute thing you did recently- with my deodorant in hand lifted your shirt and stuck the deodorant under it. You do this every time you find my deodorant. You make us laugh everyday and we love you so much!!!

Brooke Carolyn Ledbetter{yes you get all three names lately}:
Lately you have been our mischievous, not the least bit shy, loud little girl. You tell us all about it all the time. Your favorite words are "no" and "mine" but you will repeat or try to repeat almost anything. You have several words in your vocabulary and great receptive language. You are a little daredevil but rarely fall or get hurt. You are a clown and love to get a reaction out of people and make them laugh. You enjoy being out of the house and going places. You try working the shape sorter everyday as you are a determined little one. One cute thing you did recently-daddy taught you to growl and you think it is hilarious to growl for people. You make us laugh everyday and we love you so much!!

Nighttime is still hit or miss with both girls. We never know what we're gonna get. There are more and more sleep-through-the-nights now so I am thankful for that. We have all enjoyed my two weeks off this month and it's really spoiled us. The girls have been so happy and well behaved which we don't always get when I pick them up in the afternoons. Usually when I pick them up they are so overwhelmed from the other kids, cranky and worn out, beside themselves to get to me. They are starving by 5:00 but a cooked meal is usually a challenge. They are really clingy when we get home so cooking is a rare occurrence for me since they want to stay under my feet or in my arms and I only have two arms. We have not been eating the best stuff lately. Prepared food is our friend but it's also an enemy and I really miss good cooking. These two weeks have been so good it makes want to be home full time.

This shows their personalities perfectly{current personalities as they seem to switch}.

The skirts are made completely of my grandmothers scrap fabric. When she passed away my aunts were going through her fabric to donate or use and I got 2 totes full not really knowing what I would do with it. I'm so glad I did.

They love Jade! This is the best I could do of the three of them.

Christmas 2011-everywhere else

2011-12-29T08:24:00.001-06:00

Watching Brynne open gifts.

checking out her new doll

is this for me?

Natalie sitting in our dads lap watching Jade open gifts....he he!

the box is always the best

Brooke sitting with Grandaddy

silly Jade

"helpers"

Brooke left-Whitney right

Jana and Abi

Christmas Eve with the Ledbetter side of the family.

Christmas 2011-Arnold Air Force Base

2011-12-27T14:46:00.002-06:00

Brooke stuck her figers in the camel's mouth....yuck!

Whitney

Brooke

Our Christmas started the first weekend of December with John David's work Christmas Party. It is always so much fun!!!!

e-Christmas Greetings

2011-12-24T17:26:00.000-06:00

Once again I failed to get Christmas cards out this year. I love geting them so I've got to get better. We hardly got any this year and I'm sure it's cause we haven't sent them out in two years or more.

Here's to wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas electronic style! Check your mailbox next year cause I'm mailing them for sure!

Tacky Christmas @ work

2011-12-20T20:55:00.001-06:00

I'm really not in the mood for Christmas{the commercial part} this year but I did have fun dressing tacky today for a work party. I found this sweatshirt new at Roses. Lucky for me they carry tacky sweatshirts for $6. I couldn't even find anything that cheap at Goodwill.

Aftermath

2011-12-15T21:00:00.001-06:00

It's been a month since the girls turned 1. I'm not sure where it went and I can't believe Christmas is so close. I haven't even recovered from the party yet. We haven't taken all the gifts out of their packaging, haven't put the dining room back to it's original state, and, yes, the window and cake plates are still sitting out. We have a Christmas tree up but it is naked. I'm not in the holiday spirit. I am ready for a break from work though. The days seem to fly by now that it gets dark so early. I'm ready to soak in my three girls for full days at a time without another care.

And guess what? Two days after Christmas....Jade turns 12! I'll for sure try to have the house back together before then. It's good to have goals! Ha!

nice try.

2011-12-03T20:42:00.001-06:00

Birthday Party Preview

2011-11-21T20:16:00.001-06:00

Whitney and Brooke's first birthday party was for sure a big success! I was so excited with the way everything came together. I LOVED the cupcake table and got these pictures before the party while the girls were napping. These are my favorite colors and that alone was my inspiration.

I went with cupcakes instead of cake for the ease. They were so good. I did not make them{I wanted to but knew there would be no time}.

I love this old window that used to be in our house.

I made the hats. They wore them for about 1.5 seconds...ha!

My mom made these super cute outfits and I love them! Both girls had just gotten up from a nap{bed face} in these pictures but it's all I have. I asked a friend to come take pictures for me and it was so nice to have her there. Only it's killing me not having the pictures yet....

Whitney{top}, Brooke{bottom}

The party turned out really great. I was getting worried about everyone fitting in the house but it worked. I was worried about how the girls would act but they were amazingly good. All the kids were so good. It was a great day and we are so blessed with amazing family and friends!

1yr today

2011-11-16T20:22:00.001-06:00

My girls, I simply can't believe you are 1 today. You have grown so much.

You both weigh 20 pounds(about 4x your birth weight).

You are both walking/running.

Although I can say you've both slept through the night, Brooke is the only one consistently doing so.

Granny taught you both to give high fives while staying with you when you were sick.

Whitney, you can point to your nose when asked.

You both wave and can say bye bye.

Bath time is so fun.

We are going through about 3.5 gallons of whole milk per week. And you prefer it to any other liquid.

I haven't found many foods you don't like.

We have been out to eat more this month(maybe 3 or 4 times) and you are always so good even though Jade is embarassed by the messes you make.

Your love of books has really grown this month and that makes me so happy.

I love you so much and can't wait for your party this weekend.

Of course there will be pictures to follow.....

Sickness be gone!.....please....

2011-11-08T20:55:00.000-06:00

Whitney enjoying a sore throat pop. Not sure why it didn't help...ha!

The girls have been sick for over three{3} weeks now. They've managed to catch almost everything going around at the babysitters. I knew these days were coming once they were around other children more but dang! Today when I picked them up I learned that a child went home with a fever and all I can think is "please let this skip over my kids, please".

Right now they have a cough and wake up snotty in the mornings but the don't feel bad or have snot through the day. I'm taking them back to the doc anyway just to be safe since Brynne will be here this weekend. It scares me that we have been so sicky and it's not even "that season" yet.

In other news....
It may have taken over 11 months but I can now say Brooke IS sleeping through the night. If she doesn't sleep good tonight I'm never talking about sleep here again!!!! When I say sleeping through the night I don't mean that 12 hours some lucky people get out of their kids....I am very happy with her 9hours!!!! Now if Whitney could just take some notes and follow suit.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

These super cute ducks had a blast doing trunk-or-treat! Jade decorated our trunk and ~~Matt and I took the~~
the girls took Matt and I around. They loved looking at everybody and did not care a bit about collecting candy. Brooke did not want to be held or to hold our hands she wanted to walk around like the big kids....and she did. Whitney was a little more reserved.

The costumes were a gift from a co-worker. She gave them to me at my work shower before the girls were born. How cool, right! I never would have thought about giving costumes as a baby shower gift. I was a little worried cause they are size 6-9 mos. but I still got those little stinkers in them! ha! They were perfect! I loved that the tails went back and forth when they walked.

Brooke

Whitney was more interested in picking up rocks.

Little duck tails!

Whitney

Brooke

not 100% sure who this is

Abi

Jana

Jade was in charge of our trunk.

Lexi

11 months

2011-10-16T05:53:00.000-05:00

Jade and Brooke

I simply can not believe that in exactly one month I will have 1-year-olds!

Personality is pouring out of these girls now and they are so fun.

They love peek-a-boo and it is so cute when they cover their eyes.

Pat-a-cake is a crowd favorite.

It is so fun to see them starting to "talk" to each other and interact so much more.

They also have started crying when the other cries more often.

They primarily walk now but still have trouble walking in the grass.

We are not sleeping through the night....still!

In two weeks we will begin the transition that allows us to say goodbye to formula.....whoop...whoop!

I suppose this age also means I seriously need to be planning a birthday party.

Alligator tears

A girl and her horse...

2011-10-09T11:31:00.001-05:00

Jade has been wanting a horse for a long time. Matt and I wanted to wait and make sure she really wanted one and knew the responsibility that came along with it before she got one. Well, she has shown us that she is ready, so this is Hoochee. Of course she hasn't had to feed or clean out a stall in the dead of winter yet!

A horse is more responsibility than I would have ever wanted at her age but Jade has always been the type that likes rules and responsibility.

Jade has really only rode her once due to a hurt leg{Hoochee} and busy schedule{Jade}.

Life right now...

2011-09-28T20:00:00.001-05:00

I am tired{period}.

‎3 nights of little to no sleep is really wearing me down. I was trying to do giddy up horsey w/Whitney and said "Widdy up Ghitney go to town" twice{I was unable to correct myself just had to stop all together}. Washing bottles and going to bed...wish me atleast 4 straight hours...that would be heavenly...

Oooooh...check out my babies over at Frogs and Faeries Photography. Heather took some great portraits of my little girls.

Click this picture by Frogs and Faeries to see the blog post featuring Brooke and Whitney.

I might not be allowed to use this picture... if not I will link another way.

My Anthem...

2011-09-21T21:00:00.000-05:00

Saw this today and I love it!

Song for a Fifth Child

by Ruth Hurlburt Hamilton (1958)

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing, make up the bed,

Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,

Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo

Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?

Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

10 months...oh my!!!

2011-09-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

This past month has been one I could have lived without. The babies have been full of fun moments and hitting super fun milestones but otherwise this month sucked{period}. I didn't get my camera out that much but there were a few day I made an effort to take pics. The babies are so fun right now I just want to bottle it!!!!

Brooke

Whitney

Brooke and Daddy

Whitney,
This month you learned to walk and you are quite a good walker!!
You think everything is funny and your laugh is hilarious.
You started going to a babysitter while mommy is at work and I think you really enjoy playing with all the kids.
You get really clumsy when you are sleepy and have all sorts of bruises to show for it.
I tried putting shoes on you and they practically immobilized you...ha!
You are normally very social.
You get excited when daddy gets home now.
Just like daddy and big sister, YOU LOVE DOGS!
I love you so very much....just wish you would sleep through the night....he he.

Brooke,
This month you learned to clap and it is so precious.
You love to sing...loudly...and it sounds beautiful.
You climb on everything and you are good at it.
You are quick to figure out how things work.
You are a momma's girl.
You also seem to like playing at the babysitters.
You seek out the tags on everything, especially when you are tired.
You like to hang out with mommy and mommy likes it too.
You REALLY LOVE DOGS like your sisters and daddy.
I love you so very much...just wish you would sleep through the night..hehe.

Brooke

Whitney

Brooke

Whitney

Brooke

Whitney

aquarium or bust....

2011-09-05T09:54:00.001-05:00

Matt was quite a trooper on Saturday and took us to the aquarium. Why does that make him a trooper....well, he carried 6 girls! That's right, 6. Jade and 2 friends, Brooke and Whitney, and me. He survived and even had fun, I think.

Brooke ready to get on the road.

Whitney guarding my wallet.

Can we go already?

Whitney wasn't very fond of the big wall/tanks of fish. As long as she was above the water she was ok though.

The three amigos.

Brooke decided she just wanted to live at the aquarium. She LOVED all of it!

Ready to go to lunch!

I'm noticing more and more that Whitney gets nervous around strangers and will reach for Brooke. Mostly if someone gets too close to them.

Waiting for Whitney to wake up.

Checking out our souvenirs after a big day.

Funny stuff...

2011-08-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

Whitney thinks Jade is hilarious!!! It is so funny to see.

Nine Month "Formals"

2011-08-19T20:48:00.001-05:00

I always set up official pictures for each month. I'm late with these but not by much...ha!

We think Whitney may be a bit bigger than Brooke now. We go to the doctor soon to find out.

They are only this serious when the camera is out.

Love Brooke's smile.

I love those chunky legs and feet!

Whitney was really into eating the beads.

Mommy are we done yet?

silly girls

2011-08-18T16:11:00.000-05:00

Thank you Granddaddy for our new Flip! Now coming to you in HD.

Is there a doctor in the house?

2011-08-18T08:14:00.002-05:00

This picture is mainly for those of you I have told about Whitney's problem with some foods. This is a picture of her most recent reaction. It was also on her chest and stomach. And a few dots on her face but less than normal. At first I thought the problem was oats but now she eats oatmeal fine. Then I realized the oat cereal I was giving her had wheat in it too. So then I thought wheat was the problem. Well now this reaction came from something that didn't have wheat. But did it contain traces of wheat? I don't know what the culprit is. We go to the doctor next Wednesday but I was wondering. Do any of you have any experience w/this? If the doctor tells me it's heat rash...I will scream at him! She only gets this rash when she has certain foods like Cheerios, any and all Gerber snacks, most baby cereal, Ritz Crackers and teething biscuits{I keep trying because I'm partially in denial and I'm selfish and don't want her to be allergic to anything}. Her heat rashes look completely different. This rash is flat, you can't feel it, and the next day it feels like fish scales. UGH!

Nine months

2011-08-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

I really can't believe these two are nine months old. I barely took any pictures this past month. These, however, sure do show their personalities, spunk and energy!!! Yes, they are stripped to a diaper about 85% of the time. They like it that way and it makes for less laundry. Works for me.

You will notice if they have paci's and they aren't sleepy they are either upside down or sideways. Most of the time they don't even have them unless they are going to sleep.

Brooke

They are just discovering how to clear a shelf/basket/cabinet etc.

Whitney

If your ever missing Brooke just check the last place food was served. She is a little scavenger. Here you see her checking under the cushions for "leftovers".

They love to ~~read~~ eat books and magazines.

aTtiTuDe!!

Yep, they can reach up there now.

The other day they crawled to the bathroom and stood up at the tub. Then tried to climb over the side. They love bath time!

This is the very first picture I had to study before I knew who it was. To me they look like completely different kids but this picture stumped me. Then I saw Whitney's little birthmark above her lip/below her nose. It's faint but it's still there.

Out to Eat

2011-08-13T20:31:00.000-05:00

Whitney

Brooke

We rarely go out to eat{even before babies} so I'm never sure how the babies will act. Jade, she's always good, ha!

We went to eat tonight and they were so good. There was nothing on the menu for them but I took a few Mum Mum's so they enjoyed those. As you can tell they also enjoy sunglasses.

Whitney was quite the socialite while Brooke just kept to herself. It's fun to see how different they are.

We also went to Walmart, of course.

Middle Schooler

2011-08-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

This past week Jade marched off to Middle School. Middle School means uniforms. I think she really doesn't mind much. Very little thought goes into getting ready in the morning which is right up her alley. Besides that Middle School has lockers...nuff said!

Wordless Weekday

2011-08-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

busy, busy, busy, busy, busy

2011-08-07T15:03:00.000-05:00

bus·y /ˈbɪzi/ [biz-ee] adjective, bus·i·er, bus·i·est, verb, bus·ied, bus·y·ing.

adjective

1. actively and attentively engaged in work or a pastime.

alternate definition:
Matt, Allison, Jade, Brooke and Whitney

Boy have we been busy around here. Going back to work was more tiring than expected. I made it...just barely! Matt is just always busy. Jade has been on the move all summer...she spent the night with us a couple of times...ha! That's what it seemed like anyway since she was gone so often. I think she's stuck with us now since school starts tomorrow. The babies, well, they are as busy a babies as I've ever seen. Oh my! And I've been around lots of babies.

busy girls

work, ready or not, here I come...

2011-07-31T15:55:00.000-05:00

I just looked at my computer and realized I haven't done anything w/ a picture since the 16th of this month. I looked at my camera and it appears I haven't done much picture taking lately either. I feel like this can likely be attributed to 3 things.

-The babies move pretty fast these days and it's hard to keep up much less get pictures.

-I am really stinking tired. The babies do not sleep well and it's getting worse, not better. They were going to bed at 8 and sleeping till somewhere between 1 and 3 then back down till 6 before we really dove into solid foods. Now it's more like 8 till between 11 and 12 and restless all night up crying at 4:30 then up for good at a quarter till 6! They appear to have a sensitivity to wheat and we cut that out which helped but something else is still bothering them. They wake up screaming as if they are in excruciating pain. I don't know what else to do. We go to the doctor on 8/15. Maybe he has a magic wand.

-I go back to work tomorrow and have been in a funk lately just thinking about it. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it on such little sleep. Combined with the thought of leaving my babies in the care of someone else, it all makes me want to cry. I know they will be fine and Jade went to daycare so it's not new to me but it still won't be easy. Matt has been working and getting up at night since November and he has made it so I guess I can to but it still won't be easy. When both parents are virtual zombies it can't be productive!!!

Anyway, Jade and the babies are still cute in case any of you are wondering and I'll hopefully get my camera back out soon.

Some things just don't mix...

2011-07-25T11:41:00.000-05:00

...Like me and sleep:

3:20am+2 babies screaming at the top of their lungs+1 momma who was barely in dreamland cause this was not the first adventure of the night+the same 1/2 blind momma who didn't put her glasses on to make bottles+1 daddy or sissy who left a drinking glass on the edge of the sink+tile floors+an elbow to said glass+barefoot mama taking bottles to 1/2 awake daddy who has to manage to feed both babies+barefoot mama goes back through the house feeling for any glass that might have hitch hiked on her out of the kitchen+a now sock footed momma walking back through the glass to get the broom+daddy putting wide awake babies back in crib to check on crazed momma+2 babies partying like it's 1999 or better yet like it 6:30 am when in reality it's not yet 4:00am+daddy rocking 1 baby in the living room+momma coaxing one back to sleep in the bedroom+momma putting one sleeping baby in bed+daddy putting other sleeping baby in bed+daddy and momma in bed+1st baby back up looking at us

It's all OK.... because today...I'm delusional!

Classic Jade

2011-07-19T21:53:00.000-05:00

I love this picture of Jade. She didn't know I was taking it so there is no evil look or hand over her face. It's not posed by me so it really shows her. This girl loves dogs! Just like Matt. They are so much alike it's crazy. If it were up to them we would have 4 or 5 more dogs.

Jade teaching the dogs tricks.

8 months

2011-07-19T15:20:00.000-05:00

What.a.month.seriously.

Girls I must say this past month was the most exciting and stressful so far. This post is a little late but here none the less.

Brooke

Brooke, this past month you:

Learned to pull up.

Discovered pulling up in bed.

Cut two teeth in two days.

Learned to say mama, baba and papa.

Decided to crawl everywhere.

Refined the art of avoiding nap time.

Slept through the night a few times.

Smile all the time.

Balance things on your thumb.

Whitney

Whitney, this past month you:

Became a speed crawler early on.

Learned to pull up.

Started pulling up in bed.

Bravely began letting go after pulling up.

Got your first black eye.

Refined the art of falling gracefully.

Cut two teeth.

Tried your hand at avoiding naps.

Have started doing a cute scrunched up face.

This month you both:

Gave mommy a grey hair! Jade found it while we were swimming.

More pictures from the last month.

brooke

whitney's scrunch face

they both love shoestrings

eating some o's

love this table

playing at big granny's

maybe we should buy a slinky for home

this was my grandmother's chair when she was little

brooke

brooke showing her balancing trick

whitney :)

brooke...the light was hitting her just right

whitney loved that watermelon rind

What can I say? We've been busy.

Mystery solved.

2011-07-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

For about a week I've been wondering where the heck did all the pacifiers go? I looked in toy bins, car seats and diaper bags to no avail. Today when putting the girls down for a nap Brooke dropped her paci. I bent down to get it and saw this fine collection of pacifiers under her bed. Oh, Brookie!

They are going home to Minnesota.

2011-07-16T08:45:00.000-05:00

However strange it seems for me, they do live in Minnesota now.

Natalie and her sweet, sweet baby girl have been here for the last two weeks. While they were here it seemed so natural to see them whenever we wanted to. Just drive 45 minutes and there they are or get a phone call that they will be here in a few. I really forgot that they don't live here anymore and would soon be boarding a plane to go home, their home, many miles away.

I so enjoyed spending time with these two. Brynne is such a sweet baby and boy did she love Whitney and Brooke. To see Natalie as a ~~mom~~ an amazing mommy was priceless. I will treasure our visits and since they will only come a few times a year I will always look forward to them with great anticipation and excitement to see how Miss Brynne has grown and changed.

When we said goodbye last night it didn't feel like a "goodbye till November", goodbye. But it was and I won't get to see them in person again till November. Just think how much our girls will have changed by then....Two 12 month old{s}?, a 10 month old and a almost 12 year old. Oh, I'm already excited!

Love you girls and can't wait till November!!!!

outtakes

2011-07-14T10:11:00.001-05:00

I hear quite often from blog readers...your girls are always smiling....you always take the best pictures....they get along so good...etc. Well, here's the outtakes from the last month. Behind the scenes. Here we go....

I can almost never get a good one of her anymore. Instead I get this.

I promise my 7.5 month old does not know what sundrop is and she is not starving cause I do feed her regularly

Whitney was done with the bow!

We surely didn't say....everybody look a different way....

Oh me....

oh my!

I am always leaving my camera on the wrong setting these days.

Sisterly love?

This was such a sweet moment before they saw the camera...ugh!

Those mean teeth...teething was rough!

Brooke's mom.you're crazy.look.

Sometimes you've just got to yell...

Everybody needs a good cry once in a while.

cuteness

2011-07-13T06:46:00.000-05:00

Free is good.

2011-07-09T08:21:00.000-05:00

Walgreens is offering a free photo book, today only, you pay shipping. I really hope I get a chance to make one.

click to see details

Do you like my hat?

2011-07-07T21:22:00.001-05:00

Can you believe how cute these hats are? My Aunt Cathy{also known as Sis} made them for the girls and Brynne. They are so,so cute! Can't wait to send her this picture.

****Update from last post. Last I heard was that Tinsley's surgery went as planned and she is recovering now. Jill and her husband were glad to see her looking good and resting well this afternoon.

Pray for Tinsley

2011-07-06T20:19:00.001-05:00

This sweet girl will be having heart surgery in the morning. She is so brave and I know she will do great. Her mom is a friend of mine and I know she would appreciate prayers for her sweet girl. Please pray for their family as well. We love you Jill and Tinsley.

Sweet Tinsley

Happy 4th

2011-07-05T21:06:00.000-05:00

I found these outfits at TJ Maxx and think the girls looked sooo cute.

Whitney had this same blank expression in every photo I tried to get!!!

Got to see Miss Brynne{and her mommy too}! She just took everything in.

Look at those beautiful blue eyes!

Brynne and me.

Big Granny and Brynne.

We got to see Samantha Jane too!!!

3 of the 5 babies that were partying with us.

It spells Jade...can you tell?

There was so much more going on than this but that all I've got!! Till next year...

The Sturgeon's came to town.

2011-07-05T20:44:00.000-05:00

Once again we had our yearly Sturgeon-Pippenger-Ledbetter summer get together. We totally increased in numbers this year and honestly having two of the new additions to our group made it quite difficult to get many{or any decent} pictures from our three daytime visits. Luckily Jamie and Jill are camera freaks like me and took lots of pictures. Their posts say everything I want to so I'm just going to link to them. So click here, here, here, here, here & here to read all about it.
I love you girls!!!

You know it's summer when...

2011-07-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

The blackberries are ready for picking. When the blackberries are ready for picking...I'm ready for cobbler!
I ~~asked~~ begged Matt to take us to the big hill to pick blackberries. He obliged and I picked just enough to make a cobbler. Hopefully we can go back and get more later.

I used a recipe from my Pioneer Woman cookbook. Yum-O!

Then reaffirmed that I have zero will power against baked goods. I have almost eaten 1/2 or more by.my.self. ugh! I knew I should have given 1/2 of it away.
Oh, but look at the yumminess....

Goodbye Facebook

2011-07-02T21:18:00.000-05:00

This week I said goodbye to facebook. It had to be done. I was spending too much time on there. Since it was so much easier than posting on the blog I was also neglecting the blog. Plus I might be a little nosy and facebook was sorta addictive because of it.
You know you spend too much time on the computer when your babies think it is an extension of you and....

fight over it's attention.....and....

sit in it's lap!

Yep, it was time to say goodbye!!!

morning "nap"

2011-07-02T08:49:00.003-05:00

This morning I asked Matt to watch the babies before he left. Me: Watch them so I can wash dishes and I'll take a shower during their morning nap. I was referring to the morning nap they take every morning around 8. They are always ready for this nap and happy to be laid down so they can drift off to dreamland. Well, apparently I should have said: Watch them so I can wash dishes and IF they take a nap I'll take my shower.

I promise they could barely hold their eyes open when I laid them down.
Good news is I got to rock my babies to sleep.
They know who's in charge....

breakthrough{part two}

2011-06-28T19:23:00.002-05:00

Yep, Brooke had a tooth come through too!

4-H Camp

2011-06-27T19:04:00.003-05:00

I sent Jade off to 4-H camp this morning. I was so glad the her cousin Blaire would be going too. She was excited too!

When it came time to leave I thought we would never get them to leave our sides. We practically had pry them away from us. Can't you tell how hard it was for them.

Ha!

a break through...

2011-06-25T21:01:00.002-05:00

The past few days Miss Whitney has been VERY clingy and slightly cranky. Then came a runny nose and cough. And finally a little tooth broke through...that explains it! Boy I hope every tooth doesn't come with all those extras!

All is well today.

J,J,B&W

2011-06-20T21:31:00.002-05:00

7mos

2011-06-16T08:31:00.001-05:00

It's really hard for me to admit my babies are now 7 months old. 6 months sure didn't stay around very long. I so looked forward to the 6 month mark. It is my favorite age. My girls are growing too fast and I'm brought to tears by it{am I seriously crying?}. Why does this bother me so much? Maybe because we are inching closer and closer to 1. I love that age too but I guess it's just all happening too fast.

This month:

Brooke:
You are sitting like a pro now. You are almost always happy and smiling. Crawling will be sooner than later I'm sure.
I haven't found a food you don't like. You are getting good with a sippy cup now. I think your favorite toy is your giraffe.
We still aren't sleeping through the night{we do get 6+ hours before you wake for a 4oz bottle and go right back down}. Naps have taken on a life of their own. You recently discovered your sister in the "crib next door". I never know if you will lay down quietly or chat w/Whitney.
We are having so much fun this summer and you love your new playground swing.

Whitney:
Boy have you become a mama's girl! You are super mobile in a non-traditional way. Your only gear is reverse but I'm sure a crawl is coming very soon.
You love all the new foods we've tried but some of them don't love you. A few things have given you rashes. You don't care much for a sippy cup but are holding you bottle quite well. You love your giraffe but would rather have something you shouldn't.
Still not sleeping through the night{we do get 6+ hours before you wake for a 4oz bottle and go right back down}. You've started resisting naps since the discovery of Brooke in the "crib next door".
You love that mommy is home this summer and adore swinging outside.

Staying home with twins is hard work. My house is not clean, clean. My laundry is rarely caught up. We rarely have a complete cooked meal on the table{we don't actually have a table in the house anymore due to lack of space}. Jade does not get nearly enough of my time. I am sleepy and addicted to Coca~Cola.
Staying home with my girls is rewarding. I LOVE it. Jade is growing up before my eyes and I'm glad we have our summers now. The babies are so happy and fun.

People tell me all the time that I am blessed. I know I am blessed. Three healthy, happy girls. One great husband that is an amazing dad to all our girls. A wonderful family that will do anything for us. Great friends. I am amazed by it everyday.

sitting pretty...

2011-06-15T07:39:00.002-05:00

This is what I imagine they are saying....
Brooke: Girl...that bow looks good on you...wish I had one too.

Whitney: You said it yourself, I look good, scoot over this is my photo op.

Both Girls: We love you mom...you are our favorite mommy!

Big Spender...

2011-06-13T08:41:00.002-05:00

Jade had money to burn. We convinced her to try a Kindle since she goes through books so fast. She averages 1-2 a week. She was sold when she found out thousands of classics were free. She loves the old classics like Treasure Island and Call of the Wild and is excited to read others like Little Women and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and about 30 others she has already loaded to her Kindle.

She couldn't wait to get into that box.

Here she is loading the books.

It's pretty neat. I think the only problem is that she can't decide what to read first. She has started several books...

Pizza Junkies

2011-06-10T11:14:00.003-05:00

The babies had their first Sir Pizza Buffet night on Wednesday. I LOVE Sir Pizza! I'm definitely a pizza junkie and Sir Pizza is my favorite. There is not a Sir Pizza close to me so since we moved we have been having buffet nights periodically. In fact we told our family and friends we were pregnant during a buffet night!
Little did we know what magnitude of a blessing we were in for.

This weeks buffet night was small but we did get to hang out with my parent, Jessie and Sean. Love ya'll!

I'm pretty sure the girls had changed a little...he he!

Hopefully we can have a few more buffet nights this summer and maybe the babies will be able to enjoy the pizza soon. Wonder if they will be pizza junkies like their mom?

time to babyproof....

2011-06-03T06:52:00.004-05:00

Mom, I'm leaving! Oh, Whitney, what will you do without me?

Don't worry, I've gathered lint from the rug....

the shirt Brooke wore yesterday,....

Daddy's shoes, and a few dust bunnies. I'll be fine.

Don't worry mommy, I'm here for you at least till I'm 6mos and 3weeks. Thank you Brooke...I needed that.

I'm here for ya mommy!

Have a laugh!

2011-06-01T21:08:00.002-05:00

swim, swim, swim

2011-06-01T08:51:00.005-05:00

First, who would I be not to recognize and post a picture of a cicada? Thanks Jade for modeling. The float had a hole...you might be a redneck if....

Jade and Ethan making a wave pool...Nat and I used to do the same.

Swimming makes us sleepy.

Daddy and Whitney{he splashed her in the face and she never got over it}.

Brooke sitting pretty.

Bad hair day!

Mommy and Whitney{still not over the splash in the face}.

The whole fam!

Brooke.

Whitney{pre splash-in-the-face}

Daddy and girls.

What's that you say....

2011-05-30T21:10:00.002-05:00

...you'll be home all day....

...everyday...

Mommy's home for the summer! He he :)

brooke-top/whitney-bottom

middle school

2011-05-28T08:03:00.003-05:00

At Jade's school 6th grade=middle school. I feel like I'm getting robbed a year. Middle school shouldn't be until 7th grade, right? Right! So next year she will have to wear uniforms and have a locker and be called a middle-schooler. Where, oh where, does the time go?

Jade had awards day last week. Mom took the babies to watch her get an award for academic achievement{A-B honor roll}. I had to work and missed it.

I'm pretty sure Jana also got an award for great grades.

Two smart cookies they are!

However.....I am now off work for the summer!!!! Yipee! 2 full months home with my girls{well, Jade will very busy}. I really want to go to the aquarium this summer. I think the little girls would like it. We shall see.

6 months today

2011-05-16T16:51:00.005-05:00

I can not believe these girls are 6 months old today. Time is flying by. I'd really like it to slow down..pretty please. {all of these pictures are whitney-brooke-whitney-brooke, etc}

These two are still super sweet and overflowing with personality lately. This months marks the beginning of my favorite age of development. After this week I have one more week of work till summer break. I absolutely can not wait to spend the summer with my three girls.

For the longest we have wondered what color hair these two have. I am 99% sure it is red now. In some light it still looks strawberry blonde. It seems to be getting darker red everyday.

Whitney seems to study everything.

Brooke is quite a character.

Whitney loves to chew on links.

Brooke loves giraffe legs.

I'm not sure what they weigh but I am dying to know. My guess is about 17lbs. We have our check-up in June.

1/2 a month

2011-05-14T13:30:00.003-05:00

SO, it's been 1/2 a month since I last posted and people are starting to notice! Including me. I really love blogging and hate that it's been on the back burner lately.

{cute outfit's courtesy of the Jones'}
Working full time(I'm actually only working 4 days/wk but I still have to complete 5 days worth of work) w/infant twins at home is hard. I want to be home full time instead. I am counting down the days till summer break.

We've discovered a whole new way to take a bath! Then I got to thinking we could probably try out the highchairs in restaurants now. Daddy take us out to eat! Whitney left-Brooke right.

We love to video chat w/Brynne and Natnat. Strange but true.....someone{a baby someone} always poops during video chats.

Jade is growing up on me. She has quite the summer planned including her very first camp experience. She will be heading to 4-h camp for a week. I LOVED 4-h camp and I hope she does too.

Easter cuties.

I love this picture of all the Lake Elaine girls.

I know two little girls that will be 6mos old on Monday. A post to come for sure. When, I don't know.

my girls

2011-04-29T20:59:00.004-05:00

jade

brooke-whitney

We do have hair{and it's slightly orange}!

2011-04-16T11:41:00.001-05:00

Their hair rarely shows up in pictures but it is there. Whitney top-Brooke-bottom.

5mos

2011-04-16T10:42:00.003-05:00

Happy five months to the happiest, sweetest babies in the whole world. Over the past month Brooke and Whitney have really started to come into their own. They have started learning that they are in control of their body and it is so fun to watch. Their smiles light up our lives.

They are responding to their names and are increasingly aware of who is in{or not in} the room with them. They love taking naps and we just won't talk about nighttime.

I haven't found a food they don't like yet but daddy has{Whitney turned her nose to sour cream and I can't blame her}.

Brooke has had a rough month with sickness. After running a fever of 102-104 for four days and making a trip to the doctor everyday for four days for antibiotic shots we finally got her on the road to well. But, it doesn't end there, we go a week from Monday for testing on her bladder and kidneys to find out if she has bladder reflux. Bladder reflux is something I had never heard of until now. If this is what she has it can be mild and she would have to be on antibiotics for a year. Or it can require surgery. We are hoping for neither. I wish she didn't have to go through all of this but we need to find out now or permanent damage can result in her kidneys.

We are hoping this is all overkill on her Doctor's part but something caused her to have the initial infection and we aren't sure what.

So, anyway, Brooke got lots of one-on-one time with mommy or daddy during the month with five visits to the doctor and one trip to the hospital while Whitney got to spend time with her grandmothers.

It may have taken five months but Matt and I are going on a date tonight. I'd better pick out something to wear besides my fleece pj pants!

so serious

2011-04-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

I'm trying for smiles tomorrow.

babies eating baby food

2011-04-01T10:34:00.003-05:00

top- brooke-whitney bottom- whitney-brooke I've been making baby food and the girls are eating it up. So far we've had pureed carrots and pureed bananas. Had to add cereal to the bananas since they were too flavorful.

Look how big he is...

2011-03-28T09:33:00.004-05:00

Guess who turned 1 recently? I can't believe how fast 1 year went. Look at those dreamy eyes! Jacob Hoss let us borrow his exersaucer featured in the previous post. Since he is walking now and such a big boy he didn't use it anymore. We love visiting with him and can't wait till we are big enough to join him in play.

Can you see the concentration?

2011-03-28T09:17:00.004-05:00

But first. What about those legs? Brooke top-Whitney bottom

4 months.....wow!-----updated-----

2011-03-25T09:11:00.001-05:00

Updated to include our height & weight.....

Whitney:

14lbs 6.4 oz

24 1/4 inches

very vocal!!!

Brooke:

14lbs 2.4oz

24 1/2 inches

Very mobile!!!!

Miss Whitney, you are a little gleeful screamer, we love to hear you in the mornings. You talk and squeal and make sure everyone is awake. You are now turning 180's in your crib...we never know how we will find you laying. You just started working your tongue and I have a feeling it will be hard to get any pictures of you without the tongue hanging out right now. People are starting to say you look like your daddy now.

Miss Brookie, you are quite the roly poly, and we love watching you move. You can now roll from your back to belly but mostly hang out on your side. You scoot around backwards by pushing with your feet while lying on your back and when on your tummy you are so close to lunging forward. You are really starting to vocalize more and have the cutest belly laugh. Everybody still says you look like your daddy.

growing...

2011-03-12T10:06:00.004-06:00

Bright-eyed Brooke

Extra curious Whitney

Brooke has learned to roll from back-to-belly.

Whitney has been very interested in her hands and anything in them.

This is one of their favorite things to do.

Brooke

Whitney giving the go "there" and stay look.

We've been sick...

2011-03-09T15:31:00.001-06:00

...but will be back soon!

I'm gonna miss them...

2011-02-24T21:18:00.004-06:00

It wont be long now till my favorite sister and her sweet, beautiful baby girl move to Minnesota. It makes me so very sad I can barely stand it. I wish we could always be close to each other especially now that she is a mommy and our baby girls are so close in age.

Brynne is three weeks old now and I know once they move she will grow so much before they come back she might even be talking. She is a super genius as you can see here{holding up three fingers for three weeks old}.

I'll just have to soak them up while they are still here.

3 months

2011-02-17T16:48:00.002-06:00

Whitney:
I can't believe you are three months old!

You have changed so much but you are still sweet as ever.
You are becoming quite the drool bucket as you can tell in this picture.
We could call you a cuddle bug but you will usually fall asleep on you own in bed for naps and nighttime{although you aren't always immediately happy about it}.
Coos and smiles are commonplace lately and I love it.
Just yesterday you noticed Brooke and tried your best to talk to her.
You've found your hand and suck on it sometimes.
You are becoming a daddy's girl.
If I had to guess you probably weigh around 12 pounds.

Brooke:
I can't believe you are three months old!

You have changed so, so much but you are still sweet as ever.
You are quite the drooler and the evidence is usually on your shirt.
You love your bed and almost always go down for naps and nighttime easy as pie. You just talk a little and look around a little then go to sleep.
Coos and smiles are radiating from you now. You smile at everyone.
Just this week you were really studying Whitney and it was really the first time you looked at her intently.
You have found your hand and suck on it all the time.
You are still a daddy's girl but your also a mommy's girl.
If I had to guess you probably weigh about 12 pounds.

finally!!!!

2011-02-15T19:44:00.000-06:00

We are finally noticing each other...
This is Whitney talking to Brooke(crying). I have also seen Brooke study Whitney. Maybe it won't be long before they notice each other at the same time.

my girls

2011-02-10T21:07:00.002-06:00

Jade has become a master at avoiding the camera. She is taking full advantage of the fact there are two more people to take pictures of.

Brookie has a great smile.

Whitney is quite the sweetheart.

Oh how I love my girls!

these days

2011-02-07T17:33:00.002-06:00

These days I wear glasses cause my eyes are too tired for contacts{notice the bloodshot eyes}.

These days I sport 2-3 day old hair and I'm averaging about 3 showers a week.

These days I have lots of zits, oh but, it's nothing new.

These days I have no time for make-up.

These days I spend my day with two of the sweetest babies I know and they could care less about anything I just wrote.

These days are over.

Tomorrow I join the world again. That's right I'm going back to work. I can't believe it's that time already. And I'm not ready. I never will be. I love my job but I'll completely miss being with my girls.

Thank goodness for my mom and ya'll pray for her. While I'll totally miss them it will sorta be break going to work.

Sisterly Love

2011-02-06T18:17:00.003-06:00

Pow!!!!!

DADDY...did you see what Whitney just did?

new pics

2011-02-03T13:11:00.004-06:00

w

b

Happy Birthday to me

2011-02-01T07:23:00.004-06:00

The babies gave me a birthday present:

sleep 5hrs-bottle-sleep 3.5hrs

Possibly the best present ever!

Brynne Christine

2011-01-27T05:55:00.002-06:00

Beautiful Brynne is here. Mom and dad are great and so in love with their baby girl. I miss her already and can't wait to see her again. I got to see her being born and it was amazing. Thank you Natnat for letting me experience that. I have tons more pictures that I need to load on the computer. Soon I hope but no guarantees :) Can you believe how alert she is? And look at that hair.

Brynne Christine

1.26.10 2:49pm

7lbs 7oz

20 in

rock and ROLL

2011-01-24T12:29:00.002-06:00

They roll opposite directions...strange but true.

The first video is Whitney. Brooke is in the second w/Whitney crying in the background. Couldn't get Brooke rolling on video.

I have cute pics too. Maybe I'll get them up in the next few days.

all smiles

2011-01-20T12:32:00.002-06:00

sleep=happy{that's all i'm sayin' bout that}

Some people talk in their sleep...

2011-01-19T12:07:00.002-06:00

Whitney sings(you may have to turn the volume up):

Both girls actually do this and Brooke was doing it around 1:30 this morning but I went back to bed instead of grabbing the camera. I'll catch her another time.

Here are their stats from yesterday:

Whitney

10lbs 5.2 oz
21 1/4in long

Brooke

10lbs4.2 oz
21in long

They got three shots each and it was heartbreaking. They had such pitiful cries. Knock on wood they haven't had any side effects from the except they were very sleepy just after.

Jade finally went back to school after 10 day off. I think she was secretly ready to be back. I know she was glad for a break from crying babies. She was such a great help for those ten days though.

2 months

2011-01-17T14:30:00.005-06:00

I can't believe my babies are 2 months old already. Where in the world did the time go?

Brooke(l) Whitney(r)

Whitney Kate:

Miss Whitney you are my precious baby girl with the sweetest smile. Everybody says you look alot like your big sister Jade. I see it too sometimes. You absolutely love taking a bath. You really hate taking a break from a bottle to burp. Your favorite place to sleep is in the Boppy papisan chair Samantha Jane let us borrow. You are not fond of car rides. You love to snuggle with mommy. We don't know what we would do without you. We love you so much.

Brooke Carolyn:

Miss Brookey you are my sweet, sweet baby with a smile that lights up your whole face though I can't seem to catch it on camera. You most definitely look like your daddy. You absolutely love taking a bath. You don't care much for getting out of the bath. You love sleeping in the swing. You are a night owl. You hate when we try to coax you to go to sleep. You love to hang out with your daddy in the recliner. I don't know what we would do without you. We love you so much.

Brooke and Whitney have changed so much since we last went to the doctor. We go tomorrow and I can't wait to find out how much they weigh now. I'll update when I know.

Big Snow 2011

2011-01-10T14:38:00.004-06:00

Jade asked if she could pull the girls around in the sled so we bundled them up and headed outside.

Evidently sledding is exhausting and knocked two little girls clean out!

Don't worry grandma's they are very bundled!

You'll have to excuse me, I opted not to take the time to put on make-up, but wanted a pic w/the bundled cuties.

I was skeptical about getting much snow but I believe we ended up with 6+ inches. Very fun. Whitney, Brooke and I didn't stay out long but Jade and Matt had a blast.

Just got the call that school is out tomorrow too...woo hooooo!

growing girls

2011-01-09T10:31:00.003-06:00

Tummy time...sorta kinda. Whitney(L) Brooke(R)

Miss Brooke trying out the Bumbo seat for the first time. I know they are still little but the have really good head control so I thought we'd try it.

Miss Whitney in the Bumbo. Both girls like it for short spurts of time.

Just this week they have started smiling sometimes...rare but it happens. I've also hear little bits of cooing. Won't be long till they are totally interactive.

Brooke after a bath.

Whitney after her bath. They both love bath time in the Pippengers hand-me-down tub. If we could spend all day in there we would.

too cute for words

2011-01-06T03:13:00.001-06:00

so here is a video

they are just begining to notice each other

life lately

2011-01-01T23:09:00.002-06:00

What have we been up to?

We've had a visit from our cutest neighbor....

played dress-up...

Jade turned 11...

two little girls decided they shouldn't sleep at the same time, ever, unless they are held...

oh, and it looks like Babies r us exploded in our house. Originally I didn't want to have all the baby traps and gimmicks. But the reality of caring for two babies made me change my mind. It can't all be done with only two arms. Everywhere you look there are Boppy's and bouncy seats and a swing and play gyms and.......

I need to get a post from Christmas together...hopefully soon.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T10:17:00.004-06:00

whitney{left} brooke{right}

Wow! What an amazing holiday season we have had. Our best gifts came just before Thanksgiving. We are adjusting to life as a family of five. It's not easy but we wouldn't trade it for the world{not even for a few hours of sleep}. We've had amazing help from family and I don't know what we would have done without it.

The twins have had a rough go lately with diaper rashes we can't cure. The original culprit is believed to be the diapers we were using and possibly something I'm eating. It's frustrating for me that I can't figure it out. I hate seeing them in pain. We went to the doctor and got a prescription ointment which they ended up being allergic to so the rashes got worse instead of better. They definitely have their nights and days mixed up. Any suggestions for that?

Jade has been a great help fetching stuff for us. She is also great at doing laundry. Every now and then I can get her to feed a baby! She is getting more comfortable with them. She had a great Christmas. She got a new bike and some art stuff and plenty other things. I can't believe she will be eleven{11} tomorrow. Seems like she was small just yesterday.

Matt and I are really tired but feel so so blessed with everything we've been given. Three healthy girls is more than we could have ever imagined for ourselves just a year ago. We've just about had to repair/ replace everything in the house in the past month, go figure. Had to get a new washer and dryer, then our heat went out and our next purchase will have to be a bigger vehicle for me. My car just isn't cutting it!

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and are blessed in the new year!

Love,
Allison

'tis the season for... a few pics of my girls

2010-12-19T16:50:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday

2010-12-16T11:59:00.002-06:00

Whitney and Brooke are one{1} month old today. It seems unreal{maybe cause I'm deliriously tired} that they have been here a whole month. And yet I can't imagine life without them.

I am so anxious to go to the doctor tomorrow and find out how much they weigh. I'm guessing close to 7lbs. They are getting squishy and I love it.

Miss Whitney:

For the most part she is our laid back sleepy baby. She looks more like me or at least my family.

Miss Brooke:

She is our mover and shaker and sometimes sleep-fighter. Brooke will probably be the first to fall off of something. She looks just like her daddy!!!

Wish I had time to write more but I think two little girls want to eat.

sleep?

2010-12-08T22:13:00.002-06:00

Sleep, more than 2.5 hours at a time, is a distant memory. At night I get 1.5 hours at a time. It's not because the girls never sleep, they do. But I guess because they are solely on breast milk now, they poop and poop and poop and pee. And boy do they hate dirty or wet diapers. Not to mention breastfeeding never took off so I am pumping every three hours. Anyway it's totally worth it and hopefully sleep will come someday :) I have amazing help now and I'm so thankful for the naps I get!

Aren't they the sweetest?

double the....

2010-12-05T10:52:00.002-06:00

everything...even hiccups!

Identical Twins

2010-12-02T06:42:00.003-06:00

We are now officially over our birth weight. Both girls weigh 5lb 14oz. They've gotten a little confused with night and day, however, we had a great night last night. Fingers crossed it continues. Obviously they are great eaters. In one week Brooke gained 10oz and Whitney gained 8oz. I think it's a competition! So far we seem to go through at least 1 pack of diapers per day and 1/2 tub of wipes. Some days we change clothes a gazillion times and other day we make it all day in one outfit. One thing everybody has learned is if you take one diaper off...you better have the next one ready...and you better do this every time! They rarely cry but have each found a little squeal to use sometimes. They love to sing in their sleep and sometimes do a round robin.

To say they get attention when we go out is an understatement. We've only been to doctor appointments but they got plenty of attention at those. People want to touch them and get in their face and know everything about them. It's quite overwhelming. They all mean well it's just that we are so worried about flu and sicknesses it stresses us out.

............{What's that you say? The doctor says we are identical!}.............

.............{Oh! Think of the tricks we can play!}..............

I went to the doctor yesterday and found out that after testing the placenta they determined the girls are identical. Matt and I were sure they were fraternal. Identical means that it just happened spontaneously. One egg was released and fertilized and then split. There is no explanation to why this happens but there are some interesting theories. Just google it and you'll see. I think I willed it on us and God made it happen. We are so blessed.

Thankful

2010-11-25T12:59:00.001-06:00

I have so many things to be thankful for this season.

Obviously our 2 new bundles top the list.

I am also so very thankful for a my husband who is a diaper changing pro already....
for Jade who is a great help and loves her little sisters...for my mom who has been here for whatever we need..for Matt's mom who is just a hop, skip and jump away and ready to help when needed...all our friends and family who love us and have given us so much love and support.

I finally got a picture of myself with MY girls at home.

I can't imagine anything better than this.

Happy Thanksgiving!

week 1

2010-11-24T10:13:00.005-06:00

We hit the 1 week milestone yesterday! We've given the girls their 1st sponge bath at home.

Brooke

Whitney

Yesterday was the 1 week check-up with the doctor and the girls are almost back to their birth weight. Brooke 5lb 4 oz{bw:5lb 6oz} Whitney 5lb 5oz{bw:5lb 8oz}.

Brooke and Whitney are mini blog celebrities and I loved seeing all the posts about them. I am still reading blogs, just don't have time to comment.

There's no place like home{click of the heels}, there's no place like home{click of the heels}

2010-11-22T10:19:00.005-06:00

Yesterday we got all dressed up to go home.

Mommy took tons of pictures.

Daddy was so proud to carry us out.

Everyone said we looked so cute...

Sometimes we like to check each other for sweetness.

and sometimes we've had enough.

We are finally home after 4 1/2 days these girls are 100% ours. Matt and I are so blessed and overjoyed. Our families and friends have been amazing support for us. Unfortunately Matt had to return to work today however since mom is retired she is able to be here with us. I can't imagine these first few days without her. Matt's mom and dad cooked supper for us last night and it was so good. We have survived the first night and tomorrow the girls will be 1 week old. We have a check-up tomorrow.

Whitney Kate

Brooke Carolyn

amazing and 1/2 way

2010-11-19T03:35:00.004-06:00

Our girls are here and they are amazingly perfect. I didn't make it to 37 weeks but I did make it without a c-section!!!! They may be early but they are woderfully healthy{well, they are losing weight now and slightly jaundice}. Just found out we will be staying at least through the weekend. Lungs work great...ha!

This post has been in the making for hours and hours now. It's 1/2 way complete but I'm posting anyway. The girls are having a little trouble with some things but we've made it this far and we will get straightened out over the weekend. Pray for us and hopefully we can go home Monday.

******pictures stolen from various people******

Who's up for diaper duty?

2010-11-11T20:36:00.000-06:00

35 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-09T16:05:00.004-06:00

Well technically 34 weeks and 6 days. Either way we are so close to meeting Whitney and Brooke it's almost too much to comprehend.
Very early on{seems like last week} we asked the doc how long I was expected to go carrying twins and how long I needed to go to ensure they would be healthy. He said "I'd just be happy to get you to 35 weeks". Glad we could manage that without any problem!

Recently I told him I would be going to 37 weeks, just so he understood what was going to happen...ha! Just so he knew since that would put us around the Thanksgiving holiday. He said "we'll see" but I'm pretty sure I'm well on my way.

I can't believe it's so close. When I feel them moving around{on different schedules btw} I just can't picture what they will look like when they arrive. I can't wait to hold them and change them and dress them and feed them and take pictures of them and see Matt with them and just everything with them!

It's a good thing I'm still working because bed rest or house arrest would be torture. I look at all the baby clothes everytime I pass the closet already. If I was home all day these last few weeks would likely feel like an eternity.

I go to the doctor Thursday so we shall see what that brings....

Sick, sick, sick....

2010-11-06T07:48:00.005-05:00

What a day yesterday was. I woke up in a pool of sweat and sure enough had a fever. I've been feeling something coming on for about three weeks and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I managed to get into the doctor and get some antibiotics for a sinus infection.

I wasn't the only one feeling puny in the house though. Jade woke up with terrible stomach pains unable to leave the bathroom for more than 20min at a time. I didn't think much of it since she wasn't throwing up with it too. I even told her she might feel well enough to go to school later in the day. She never did start feeling better and neither of us ate anything all day but saltine crackers. She barely drank anything. We stayed separated all day in an effort not to share our sicknesses. Well as evening approached, I heard it, the tell tale splatter. She had just thrown up and didn't make it to the bathroom. I hate to say it but I called Matt to see when he would be home and he was still at work so I just threw a towel over it {I'm terrified to get a stomach virus at 34 weeks pregnant}. I checked on her in the bathroom and she was splashing cold water on her face and seemed to feel a little relief. I went back to my hideout in the bedroom and called my mom and said "well, she's throwing up now".

Several minutes later I heard Jade frantically calling for me and I started trying to roll out of bed {it takes quite an effort these days}. Before I could get to her she was screaming for me and out of frustration I screamed back that I was on my way and I can't move any faster. As soon as I came in view of the bathroom door her legs went limp and she passed out. Some how she didn't hit her head on anything. I got to her and bent over her and she responded to me but I couldn't get her up. I felt so bad that I had just gotten so frustrated with her. I called Kathey because I knew it would be about the time she was coming home and I wasn't sure I could get her up on my own. I went back to Jade and she pulled herself up and I grabbed the trash can and told her she needed to lay down in her bed and I would leave the trash can if she felt sick again. We got about half way and she frantically said "I can't see!". I got to her and she passed out again. I could barely hold her weight but managed to get the top half of her body on the couch. Her eyes were moving rapidly side to side, she had no color and was mumbling something that was incoherent. At this point I was freaking out. She had never done anything like this before. I called Matt frantic and he told me to call the paramedics.

I'm not sure how the operator understood what I was saying! John William showed up and cleaned up the throw up I had so lazily put a towel over earlier, got Jade some socks and talked to us both to keep us calm. Well actually Jade was quite calm and she told me she didn't do what I had been explaining to people.

The paramedics looked her over and told us it would be fine if we took her to the hospital, then there would be no ambulance fee. By that point Matt and Kathey were there too. Matt loaded us up and we made our first ever trip to the ER for sickness. Luckily we were taken straight back. They started her on an IV and ran lots of tests. She had lots of visitors during her short little stay in the ER. We can't ever say we aren't loved! Not long after the IV was started she got color back in her face and her eyes didn't seem so sunken. When she started to complain about being there{she is a germ-a-phobe}, being hungry and thirsty we knew she was feeling better.

Evidently she was just dehydrated and I am so glad it was nothing more. I don't want anymore excitement like that.

Since we came home she has been doing much better. Hungry but afraid to eat. Maybe this morning she can brave some food. Here's to hoping today is a walk in the park compared to yesterday.

This picture has nothing to do with any of this. It's from Halloween. She came up with this grossness on her own.

Jana has been sick this week too. From what I understand she has been steadily feeling better all week. Let's hope it all stops now and no one else on the road gets sick or we might have to quarantine Lake Elaine.