Day in the Park

I love Freedom park. We go there almost weekly as long as the weather is nice! Jay and I used to go on picnic dates before the kids came along. I took them there when I was a SAHM to walk off the baby weight with my friends. It is so fun to bring them to the playground area now to use the swings! It was 70 and sunny the other day and we took full advantage! Daddy stopped by on his way home to work to listen to his giggly babies!

Crazy

I am such a crazy blogger and always doing these catch up posts. You can always tell when work and home are busy because of the lack of posts. Today at school we're chilling out a little so I have a chance to catch up a bit! I also have a huge stack of tests to grade but I'm putting that off until Monday :)

We've had some fun things happening lately! First up, the kids:
Emma Cate is officially a roller over. I have yet to see this but she has done it for my mom. The first time she rolled over was because she heard the big wheel on the price is right and wanted to see what was going on. My Grandmother and I used to watch the price is right together (and supermarket sweep (anyone remember that?)) and I thought it was fitting for Emma Cate to roll over to watch the show :). Holden is a wild man! He still isn't crawling but prefers to roll EVERYWHERE. I find that kid under furniture all the time. His onesies are becoming my swiffer mop :)

The weather has been great and the twins are loving being outside. They went in the swings for the first time and loved it! I am loving this age and how much they are enjoying new things.

How we spend our Saturday mornings

I tried the outfit of the day thing. It didn't stick but I'm loving this necklace my mother in law got it.

We spent Sunday afternoon at the park with Aunt Bo. So fun to have her in town to hang out with us. The babies have started separation anxiety recently and I always feel terrible that they cry when other people hold them :(

If you look closely you can see people dressed up at mid evil characters. They were performing? a (what I now have learned) live action role play or larp. I think this is hilarious and made my sister stand in front of me so I could take pictures. Seriously, they were jousting and sword fighting in the middle of the park...

This little stinker will roll on her side, smile at me, then flip onto her back! Can't wait to see her roll all the way!

Holden is into planking. He does this all the time. I think he's going to bear crawl instead of regular crawl. He is so funny!

Both of my babies LOVE paper. They love to chew on it and make noise with it!

One of the 5 (I know, I'm crazy) bathing suits I ordered for the babies came in this week! No, I'm most likely not going to let my little girl run around in a bikini (I'm planing to use the bottoms and put her in rash guard tops to protect her from the sun) BUT how freaking adorable is she! Ah! I cannot wait for summer. We are headed to Florida for a few days over spring break and hopefully we'll get a chance to play in the gulf and use our new suits!

on our way home from church. too cute in their bunny bibs!

Playing in the front yard with Daddy and Big Poppy who surprised us with a visit on Sunday afternoon.

this is how I find Emma Cate in the morning. Baby HATES when I turn on the lights. She hides her face.

first time on the swings with Gigi. They LOVED it!

Someone LOVES his Daddy (or just his hat). Jay normally gets home from coaching baseball AFTER the kids have gone to bed so daylight savings time allowed them to stay up a bit later and he got to see Holden for a few minutes!

Holden LOVES hats!

just a boy and his bottle and his dog. I LOVE how the pups keep the kids company! And yes, Holden is wearing christmas jammies. These Hannah Andersson jammies are my favorites and we're not packing them away until they outgrow them. Zippers are WAY better than snaps!

A few weeks ago our washer broke and we ALMOST bought a new one. Luckily a friend recommended a repair guy and now its good as new! We were excited to save a few hundred bucks! The same night the washer broke, our disposal broke too and leaked everywhere. It was a really fun evening. My husband installed a new one we had laying around the garage (our garage is a PIT of stuff!) and my Dad helped him get it working. 

Last week I got the stomach bug and it was not fun! I went to the doctor and after some blood work they thought that I may have appendicitis so they sent me to the hospital for a CT scan. It was a big waste of my time (I just knew I didn't have appendicitis) and I froze to death in the waiting room for an two hours by myself waiting for the test and then for the results. My mom kept the babies and I didn't interact with them (or her) for an entire day to avoid getting them sick. It worked and now we are all healthy!

We spend last weekend in Asheboro for my husband's birthday. We had a fun time celebrating him! It's a good thing our families still celebrate us because Jay and I are both not really birthday people. We laughed because we just don't have time to buy each other gifts or cards unless we buy it online. The only time we are by ourselves is when we are on the way home from work and neither one of us wants to waste time shopping, we'd rather be at home with each other and the kids. My gift from Jay was a trip (which we still have to take) and my gift to him is that I'm going to not spend a lot of money this month. Ha!


We also celebrated Daddy's birthday in Charlotte with an individual sized key lime pie that Gigi bought for him.

We also did a little redecorating in our family room. I got some new bright pillows and some art from Ikea. I am working on finding a new cheap rug and bought 20 some frames to create a huge gallery wall of pictures of the kids. My goal is to get the gallery wall done this weekend. I'm pretty pleased with how it all turned out :)

Urgent Help

Normally I am not one to do this sort of thing but for some reason this story really tugged at my heart and I knew that I needed to donate. Please consider reading the post below from On Loan From Heaven and consider giving. The post below is her personal opinion.

I am extremely torn when it comes to adoption fundraising....

I see how fundraising can be a blessing in helping a family grow... but I also don't see people who struggle with infertility asking for monetary support.

But that's neither here, nor there.

I am NOT torn at all when it comes to helping babies find families... especially special needs babies.

Special needs aren't just close to my heart... they ARE my heart.

Namely; Hunter. He is my heart.

There's a sweet baby girl in California who is expected to be born soon and she has Downs Syndrome. Her precious Mama is trying hard to find a family who can provide the highest quality of life for her baby-girl.

But every family she has chosen for her baby has backed out.

We can judge those people... finding out a baby is special needs and then backing out? Yeah, it might seem heartless.

But becoming a special needs family isn't easy.... it's extremely tough.... but it's also extremely rewarding.

It is NOT for everyone.

Not everyone is called to be that family.

And that's ok!

Over the past couple of years, I have been able to count on the encouragement, prayer, and support from a woman I have never met. She's an adoptive mama, she has a heart for special kids, and she loves the Lord with everything that is in her.

Ethel and her husband are the only family who are 'willing' to take this sweet girl as their own. 'Willing' is a term society has come up with for families who grow through adoption.... 'they're so generous, they open their home, they were willing to take her.'

I don't know one adoptive family that was 'willing' to open their hearts to a child.... I DO know hundreds of families who's hearts and bodies physically ache for their children to come home... the part of them that is missing causes excruciating pain until it's home... until their baby is home.

Ethel and her husband are aching to bring this baby girl home... they are qualified and ready to become her family but more than that, they can provide her with lots of siblings and a home solidly built on God's Word.

And that's what matters.

Ethel and her husband found out about Baby Girl only a couple weeks ago and even though certain fees have been decreased because of her 'special needs' and the difficulty finding her a family, The Primmel's still need a little help.

And if they don't get that help by tomorrow...

Baby Girl will go from the hospital ...

Right into Foster Care.

It doesn't matter how I feel about adoption fundraising...

It does matter that this Baby Girl has a purpose for her life that will no doubt change lives.

And I want to see every minute of it through her Mama and Daddy's eyes.

It is an extremely humbling and terrifying and often-times humiliating thing to ask for help... especially when you're asking for money.

But would you do it for your child?

That's exactly what they're doing.

It's not for them.... it's for her.

The thing about adoption is that every single dollar helps.

A quarter will help.

I don't use this blog to promote families who are hoping to adopt and I refuse to do so...

But I feel so strongly that we can help this baby girl.

That we can together.

The Primmel's didn't have 'plans' to grow their family again soon... and they didn't 'plan' to fall in love with a baby who has Down Syndrome... and that baby didn't choose to be rejected by so many families because of what makes her special...

But that's what happened and they need help.

They need just under $4,000 by 9:00 tomorrow morning.

They've already been given extra time and fees have been cut as much as possible, while still being able to provide post-partum counseling and support for her First Mama and completing the legal process.

There's a 'donate' button on Ethel's blog.... if you feel a nudge, would you consider giving even $1?

I watch my blog stats every day... and I know that if every person who visited our blog today gave $10, The Primmel's would have raised MORE than they need and that sweet girl will have a home.

And if they don't raise that money? Every penny will be returned and Baby Girl will have a Foster Family.

If you can't help with money, please share this as far and as wide as you can.... and I know you can because Hunter's Story now spans continents... and YOU did that :-)

You can find The Primmel's blogand get to know them here.

I so badly want to wake up tomorrow morning to their announcement that Baby Girl is their's... forever.

Day 5- Favorite Movies

I must admit I do not like movies. Occasionally I will go see them and generally enjoy myself while I'm there but I never watch them at home. My husband LOVES movies and always wants to watch them. I am thankful we have a TV upstairs and one in the basement where he can retreat. If I had to pick my favorites they would be:

• Dirty Dancing
• Beauty and the Beast
• Clueless (reminds me of middle school- not that I necessarily love the movie)
• Schindler's List
• Forrest Gump

Day 4- Favorite Childhood Memory

Hands down, my first trip to Disney World. I was 7 years old and living in Jacksonville, Florida. The land of Mickey Mouse. We had just moved from Ohio and my little 7 year old mind imagined that we would frequent Disney often being that we now lived in Florida. My parents had other ideas. My sisters were 4 and 2.5 and they had a strict policy against going to Disney World until my youngest sister was 3. 

Often, my parents would wake us up early, make us put on matching outfits, load us into the minivan and take us on an adventure. We went to the mountains, the beach, festivals, factories, all sorts of fun day trip places. This day was no different. We were up the crack of dawn and piled in the minivan. We drove south for an hour or so and I began to notice signs for Disney World. I exclaimed "too bad we can't go there until Bo is 3. It would be so fun." We kept driving and seeing more and more signs. Finally when we were at the exit for Disney, my dad started to wiggle like crazy and exclaimed that he had to go to the bathroom soooo bad that we would have to get off here. (Let me also add that we traveled all the time and I was very attentive to exits, mileage signs, etc.)  We approached the exit and pulled onto Disney property, you can imagine my disappointment at this point, being SOOOO close but not able to go in. I about lost it when we pulled up the entrance to the Magic Kingdom parking lot. The entire time my Dad kept commenting about not being able to find a bathroom and we had to keep driving (closer and closer to Disney) to find him one. Finally once we were at the gates my parents screamed surprise! and told us we were going to the Magic Kingdom for the day. I can't remember my exact reaction but I would assume it included lots of screaming!!! 

I remember being SOOOOO excited. We had the absolute most magical day and I cannot wait to play the trick on my kids someday. I think this was the best Disney surprise ever!

 

This is my confession

I dislike confessions. I dislike "confession" posts. Why are we confessing? Why do we feel the need to confess to our blog audience? Why do we feel guilt, like we are bad moms. Why do I have to feel like I am confessing when I tell you that I sometimes use baby food pouches (organic of course (insert sarcasm ) instead of my usual homemade baby food. Why is this a confession? Do we put so much mom pressure on each other that we feel the need to make a confession out of a completely normal and should be guilt-free thing?

Yes, I try to be organic and natural by cloth diapering, breastfeeding, and making baby food. I play with my kids, I interact with them, I try to keep the cell phone/internet time to a minimum when I'm with them. I try to be a good mom. Hell, I am a good mom. I am doing my best and that is what's best for my kids. So what if I'm not perfect all the time. I shouldn't feel a need (nor should you) to confess this. This is called being normal! By definition Confession is:

Noun A formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime. An admission or acknowledgment that one has done something that one is ashamed or embarrassed about.

Am I (are you) seriously ashamed and embarrassed to feed your child prepackaged baby food, diaper them in a disposable, not miss them every minute you are away from them, feel the joy and happiness of taking a weekend away with your husband, savoring nap times? We all should stop feeling shame for being normal, good, loving mothers. This post is not direct at/towards anyone. It is simply a trend that I've noticed on several of the blogs I've seen recently. Instead of admitting our confessions, why don't congratulate each other on the things we are proud of? I don't ever really feel judged in my decisions (people do call me crazy but I tend to laugh that off- hoping they are only kidding :)). I don't feel like I judge anyone else. I just want a community where everyone makes decisions for their family that they are proud of.

Day 3: What Makes Me Happy

Okay- Here is where the weird totally comes out. There are very normal things that make me happy and very strange, OCD things that make me happy. The weird all pretty much have a lot to do with my husband and the cleanliness of our home. A clean organized home is my love language. *Added- (so is food apparently).

• The moment when you wake your kid up from a nap and they could burst into tears but smile instead
• Matching socks
• Soup
• Smiles from Emma Cate
• Cuddles from Holden
• Really good food
• Prosciutto
• When my husband actually does laundry (wash, dried, folded, AND put away)
• Long runs
• Good music
• Live music on a deck on a sunny day
• Painted nails
• Perfectly arranged couch pillows
• When my husband packs the diaper bag perfectly
• Made Beds
• Teaching
• A clean kitchen
• A fridge stocked with fresh veggies
• My grandma's brownies
• Airports
• First Days of School- of anything really
• Church
• Brunch
• Sisters
• Cowboy boots
• NC State Wolfpack
• Being told I did something really well

Day 2- Favorite Quotes

Im  kt sure if this really counts as a "quote" but my favorite "quote" is one From my mother. I have heard it almost every night of my life but for some reason, cannot seem to memorize it perfectly. I'm writing it down here so I'll always have it. I always say a version to my babies each night before bed.

"Good night. I love you.  See you in the morning. We'll all be bright eyed, full of life, full of great health, and ready to have a great day!"-mom


My other words to live by would be:

"you're never fully dressed without a smile" -Annie
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13
"trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." - proverbs 3:5

Day 1- March Blogging

I've felt like I haven't had much to blog about recently and that this challenge would help get me going! Here's day one:

I don't have any recent pictures by myself so one including the hubby will have to do! This is us at NYE this year! Our first big date night/staycation without the kids!

1. I HATE ketchup. Like won't touch it, won't touch the packet, won't touch the bottle, roll the windows down in the car if someone is eating it to avoid the smell kind of hate. I pretty much hate all condiments but ketchup is enemy #1. No idea why.

2. I am in the process of starting my own business, Tender Love and Cloth. Like us on Facebook! This is a huge dream of mine and I'm working hard to make it a reality. I haven't "launched" just yet but will be soon!

3. By nature I am a messy person BUT when I clean something I always do it full out. I guess you could say I am an all or nothing person. When my house is clean, it is really clean.

4. I love to travel! We've been staying around home recently due to pregnancy and having 8 month old twins, but I cannot wait to get the travel bug again. I've been to most of the US, some of the Carribean, Europe, and Mexico. Dream places to visit are South Africa, Thailand, and Bora Bora. 

5. I've made it a resolution to run a half marathon each year for the past 3 years. I still have yet to do it. Maybe 2013 is my year?!

Day In The Life

I'm linking up with Kelly's Korner to document a day in our life. This is probably the most boring thing to most of you but I'm glad I have it for me :)

5:45- Wake up, pump, shower, get ready for work

6:30- Jay wakes babies up and changes their diapers

6:50- Babies are loaded in the car and we head to Gigi's house. The babies play in the basement with Gigi while I heat up their bottles.

7:05- Babies eat breakfast and I head to work

8:15- Babies eat 2oz of baby food for breakfast

9:15- Naps

9:40- Pumping Session for me

11:00- Bottle #2 (8oz)

11:35- Pumping session for me

12:15- Lunch 2oz of veggies

12:45- Afternoon nap

2:00- Pumping session for me

3pm- Bottle #3 (8oz)

3:30- I arrive home and play with the babies. We do lots of mat work, tummy time, sitting up, etc. I also try to clean the bottles for the day and start making the bottles for the next day.

4:00- Pumping session for me

4:30- Babies continue play time.

5:00- Afternoon snack! I cut up food or puffs and the babies hang out in their high chairs. I also start on dinner and pick up around the house while they are contained. This is usually when I put away the laundry in their rooms.

5:30- Evening walk. Now that the weather is nicer and its staying light longer, this is the perfect time to get out of the house for a little walk. The babies are very well behaved and love playing outside. If the weather is really nice we lay outside for a while to soak up the sun!

6:15- Start getting ready for bed! Each baby is bathed, lotioned, and clothed (I am a freak about my babies being too cold at night so they wear socks, a long sleeve onesie, a fleece footie jammy, and a sleepsack).

6:30- Nighttime nursing session. Each baby nurses for 5-10 minutes and are OUT. Daddy puts them down to sleep in their cribs.

7:00- Finish cooking dinner and EAT!

7:30- Jay and I always pick up around the house and prepare a bag for the next day to take to Gigi's house. We put our laundry away, clean the kitchen, do a random chore (like cleaning a room, vacuuming, etc.). We pack our lunches, make babyfood, pack babyfood, etc.

8:30- We settle in for some TV watching, Internet time, catch up time.

9:30- Last pump session before bed.

10:00- Night Night!