"MINE!"...or is it?

When I was pregnant, I was obsessed with trying to learn from the parenting "experts" (aka - those who had written books on parenting), tips and tricks for the best ways to parent twins.  Most of the tips were things like:"Get your babies on a schedule - when one wakes to feed, also wake up the other"; or, "Tandem nurse your multiples to save time". Which is great advice....if you can make it work for you.  Honestly, most of that "wisdom" went out the window once I was actually presented with two live kicking and screaming babies (interestingly enough - one who nursed well and one who didn't - noting that the "experts" didn't give any great tips for tackling that!).  As I am sure most of you did too, I quickly discovered that parenting was a learn-as-you-go type of job, and that not only was what I had read not necessarily relate-able to real life, there was also obviously no one right way to be a parent!

Well, here's our latest dilemma...

We recently started the hardcore version of the "MINE!" phase.  When the ugly "mine" word would come out for the 57th time in a day I would try to resist the urge to roll my eyes and yank whatever item she would be referring to out of her grubby toddler hands, and instead would semi-calmly say, "no sweetie, actually that is Mommy's, but you can play with it for now" (or something along those lines).

Now, pause for a second for a sidebar discussion. I often forget that the girls are twins.  I mean, obviously they share their birthday, but otherwise they really couldn't be more different. One is a blond, while the other is a brunette.  One loves to color and sing, while the other likes to play with dolls and puzzles. One is messy and abstract, while the other is clean and linear. They are two totally different people. I promised myself that I wouldn't treat the girls as a unit, and I felt like I had done a pretty darn good job of treating them as individuals.

Then I really started thinking about this "mine" phase that the girls were in... and perhaps this could be one of those 'twin things' that I should be handling differently.  Maybe it's an identity issue. Maybe the girls are seeing themselves lumped together as a "twin" unit instead of as the individuals that they are.

Then the light bulb came one.
 
All of this time I had thought I was treating the girls as individuals...and while intellectually I was, I had totally ignored the opposite side of the coin.  They are forced to share just about everything physical....a bedroom, clothes, toys, mommy and daddy, all the way down to sippy cups and towels...they do have their own cribs, car seats, and blankets, but otherwise, absolutely everything is shared between the two of them. Maybe they do need actual, tangible, everyday things that are "theirs".

How did I not realize this before!?

Here's our temporary solution to not only the "mine" phase, but also to their apparent 2 year old identity crisis phase (lol).  We call these the girls' "studio apartments". 

When the girls are in their "apartments" anything that they take in there with them is theirs, for the time that they are in their apartments. Books, blankets, toys, snacks, whatever! If it's in there, it is theirs.

Here's Bri's studio apartment view from above (included are Bri, blocks, blanket, and book):

And Livvy's studio apartment view from above (included are Livvy, blanket, her baby doll "Lellow", and Elmo):

Both girls have reacted incredibly well to this concept, and really seem to like having a space that belongs to them, even if it's for a short period of time.  We let them stay in their apartments as long as they wish....it's not unusual for them to be in there for 45 minutes or more at a time, several times a day.

WOW! I feel like such a dummy! But I'm glad our apparent oversight was relatively easily remedied this time =). The next thing we know we need to do is separate the girls so they can get used to doing things without the other one always present. Si and I have tried each taking one girl and doing something special, but they don't react well to that AT ALL. They kick and scream and raise havoc because they want to be close to their sister. We can't even take them in different carts into different sections of Target because they absolutely melt down! Oye vey.  So, we have to work on that.  Any tips or tricks from the real experts (that's you momma bloggers!) is very welcome =).

So, that's all for today.  Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break! 

Until next time -
Megan

Still here!!!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while! My laptop crashed about a month ago, I bought a new laptop but hated it and returned it a week later, and put in an order for a different one that should have been in a week ago! Oye vey! This is putting a serious crimp on my blogging style!!!

So, I am writing this post from my phone. As you may suspect, it will be pretty short! It's hard to type efficiently with one finger and chase around 3 kiddos at the same time. :-).
Anyhow, we are all here, all healthy, and all relatively happy. Hudson is teething, so he isn't thrilled about that, but otherwise nothing big is going on. We are loving the warm weather (50's and 60's in November in Nebraska is GREAT, 70 today!), so we have been soaking it up.

We've played in the leaves...

We've climbed, and jumped, and run around...

And GROWN! Hudson is getting so big! He's getting more and more vocal every day. He still loves his nursing and snuggling time with his momma, and it makes me so happy! :-)

I promise a REAL blog post very soon, once I get accustomed to my new laptop! I have so much to blog about! I hope you all are doing well, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Until next time,
Megan

Two year and 4 month stats

We had our two year well check last Tuesday.  We brought in all three kiddos for well checks at the same time (the girls for their 2 year and Hudson for his 4 month - time flies!). Luckily, Hudson was the only one due for vaccinations or that could have proven to be a not-so-wise decision.  As it turns out, we were able to do Hudson's vaccinations at the end of the visit and simply take the girls out to the car before the nurse came in with the shots.  Whew - crisis averted!

Overall impression from the appointment:
3 very healthy kiddos.  Dr. Moore identified a heart murmur with Brianna, but he said it is benign and shouldn't cause any problems in the future. Thank goodness! I have a heart murmur too, also benign, also found by Dr. Moore when I was just a peanut.  I wonder if it isn't something genetic that I passed on to her? Hmm...

As usual, our kids are tipping the scales for both weight and for height.

Here are the stats, by kiddo:

Baby A - Miss Olivia - 2 year well check
Weight: 34 lbs 7 oz  (98th percentile)
Length: 37" (99th percentile)
Head circumference: 50 cm (96th percentile)

Baby B - Miss Brianna - 2 year well check
Weight: 34 lbs 14 oz (98th percentile)
Length: 37" (99th percentile)
Head circumference: 48.5 cm (76th percentile)

Note their height at 2 years - 37".  That's tall.  And let me tell you what I know about that.  I have read from several sources that if you take your child's height at age two, and multiply it times 2, the number you get will roughly be that child's height (in inches) as an adult.  So, lets do the math here with the girls.  37" x 2 = 74"!  That is 6'2" tall!!!  I'm a perfectly average 5'6". My family isn't overwhelmingly tall, so it must have come from Si's side! I have a couple of volleyball players on my hands! WOW!

Both girls have slowed down in weight gain, and have slimmed down through the waist (although I'm guessing this is common at this point because they are still so high in the percentiles for size!).  After their 8 month appointment I changed them from Vitamin D milk to 2% milk, against the advice of my pediatrician.  At this visit he told me I could switch them to skim if I wanted.  They are big girls. But they are proportional, not overly heavy for their weight.  Just tall, and appropriate weight for their height.  It's big for their age though...they do look like 3 year olds....

The girls are still wearing a few 24 month items (I am squeezing them into some 24 month fleece Carter's outfits this winter because Carter's doesn't do actual outfits past 24 months and I LOVE the fleece outfits), but really they are in mostly 2T pants and 3T shirts.  They seem to be interested in potty training and tell me that they need to go...as they are going...they've only actually pottied in the potty once so far...sigh...one day my patience will pay off, I just know it!

So, what about the little peanut?  

Well, there's nothing "little" about him!

Baby Hudson - 4 month check
Weight: 19 lbs 11.5 oz (100th percentile)
Height: 25.5" (61st percentile)
Head circumference: 43.5 cm (91st percentile)

He's already wearing mostly 9 and 12 month clothes. 6-12 month clothes are still okay, but most 6 month clothes are way too small. 12 month PJ's are the norm. He's in size 3 diapers.  He eats 6-7 times a day (4.5-5 oz bottles if bottle fed).  This kid LOVES to nurse. I love it. =).  He is becoming a distracted eater though, so that makes me a bit sad.  They grow up SO fast! He's also sitting up on his own already, something the girls didn't do until they were at least 6-7 months old.  I think he is able to do it simply because of his size -  he's so round - his fat rolls hold him up! HA!

Hudson has been sleeping through the night for a while now.  He goes down at about 10 PM and gets up between 7:30 -8 AM.  I am so blessed. Occasionally he will wake up at 5 AM, but I don't feed him if he wakes up at that time, so he usually just talks for a bit then goes back to sleep.  He's a really good baby.  Very mellow.  Goes with the flow. That is perfect for our crazy chaotic household!

I think I am going to wait a little longer before I start him on solids.  The pediatrician gave us zero guidance on starting solids.  I suspect he thinks that since we just went through this with the girls that we kind of know what we are doing.  True that Dr. Moore, true that.  I'm taking my sweet time with this one...if he will let me =).

So that's our update!

Hope you are having a great week!

Until next time -
Megan

We are TWO!

The girls turned TWO last weekend! Oh my!

I remember when the girls turned 1 as if it were yesterday.

It was so bittersweet.  My precious peanuts were no longer my little "babies".

And not only that, everyone who already had kiddos older than mine felt the need to tell me that the second year would go even faster than the first did, so to hold on tight! I didn't believe them.  How could it possibly go any faster than the first year already had?! Well it was possible alright! I feel like this last year has gone significantly faster than the first year did. Crazy.

I suspect the major difference between how we (as parents) view "Year 1" and "Year 2" is that the first year the kiddos are hitting so many huge developmental milestones (rolling over, sitting up on their own, crawling, first words, first steps, first foods, sleeping through the night, etc.) that there are more huge accomplishments to document and keep track of.  And pictures - oh the pictures - we had pictures taken so many times the first year! Newborn, 6 week, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, 1 year.  And year two?  18 months, and two years. Maybe one more time in between somewhere, if we were lucky.

The second year the kids are building on what they learned the first year....they learn how to run, hop, and jump; how to color, how transfer items from one container to another, how drink from a cup or water bottle without a lid; how to use silverware properly; how to use multiple words together (like today at lunch "lights up more please" - Olivia asking us to turn up the lighting in the dining room during lunch); how to communicate with each other and show love and affection; learn that they have a choice (I want to wear this, not that).  It's no longer a year of firsts. Accordingly, I don't think we (as parents) document it quite as much.  That sure doesn't mean that not as much happens though!

So, what's new with our two year olds?

Miss Olivia - 
Olivia is our little diva! Loves to be dressed up, clean, and cute. She is Miss Independent. She hates having her hair done. She always wants to be first to do anything and will race her sister to the bathroom to go potty, to the dinner table to eat, and to the door to go outside. She's defending her first born status I think...I'm older...I get to go first...LOL!  

Olivia has become very attached to her baby doll "Llellow" ("Yellow" for those of you who don't speak toddler), and insists on putting "Llellow" in Hudson's swing, car seat, bouncer, exersaucer, etc..  Super cute.  

Olivia is becoming more and more verbal every day.  It is common for her to speak in 3-5 word sentences ("Mommy go work, bye!").  She likes to do lots of different activities, but she doesn't like to do anything for more than 5-10 minutes at a time. Unless she is outside...she LOVES to be outside.

Favorite foods include: eggs, ham, cheese, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, bananas, and yogurt

Miss Brianna - 
Brianna is our lover. She loves to cuddle.  When she gives you a hug, she will pat you on the back as if to say "it's okay Mommy". She will hit, or kick, or pull hair, just so that she can give a hug and kiss afterwards.  We've tried to explain to her that you can give hugs and kisses without hurting someone first, but she just doesn't get it! 

Brianna is very attached to her blanket "Bella".  I have no idea why her blanket has a human name and Livvy's baby has a color name, but whatever! Bri looks for "Bella" constantly when we are at home.  She doesn't  have to have her always, she just wants to know where she is at all times. Interesting.

Brianna loves to sing, dance, jump, and color.  She has been working on her ABC's and knows almost the whole ABC song.  She gets stuck on L-M-N-O-P, just as I know I did when I was little =). 

Favorite foods include: "K" (Special K cereal), yogurt, string cheese, peaches, cupcakes, and ham

Both girls can identify all of the letters of the alphabet and love going for walks up and down our block, stopping at each of the political signs in people's yards, and pointing out the different letters.  I'm so proud.  LOL. They also know all of the neighbors by name, and know where they live.  Awesome. That should come in handy when they start escaping out the front door when we take our eyes off them for 20 seconds to go potty...=)

The girls have their differences as well, naturally.  While Bri likes to sing, Livvy really doesn't.  Conversely,  Bri doesn't really talk much (in actual words) and Livvy talks a lot. Similarly, Bri excels physically - running, jumping, and spinning - where Livvy lags a bit behind. It's funny really.  We watch as one girl surpasses the other in one specific developmental area; and then almost like clockwork, 3 months later the other girl comes up from behind and surpasses the one that was previously in the lead.  It's amazing to watch.  We are so blessed to have twins =).

So that's what's going on here with our two year olds!  We had our two year well check this week too, but this post is already long enough, so I will post those stats separately =).

Hope you guys are having a wonderful fall weekend!

Until next time -
Megan

What free time?!?!

It's been two weeks since I've posted! Sorry fellow bloggers!  I underestimated how much time "free time" I would lose by taking a new job, losing half a day off, and simultaneously prepping for the semi annual multiples sale!  Geez!

So, to catch you up, in the last two weeks we have:
Had our pictures taken professionally twice!

Been to two play dates (what can I say, we love to play!)

And ran the OPMC semi annual clothing and equipment sale (this took tons of time!).  But we sold $657 worth of stuff this round - WOW!

The girls birthday is October 13th so we are doing some quick party planning too.  Since the girls favorite place to be at this point is PE 101 we figured it was only fitting to have their 2nd birthday party there!  It's going to be very low key - just family, friends, and playing.  We are having a make-your-own cold cut sandwiches and PB&J bar, crock pot macaroni and cheese, and cake.  That's it! Easy peasy! I just can't believe they are almost two!!! Where on earth did the last year go?!?!?!

Okay, that's all I've got ladies! Happy Tuesday!

Until next time -
Megan

Adapt and overcome

I think I need to take my own advice!

I started my new job last Monday. I'm in "management". There's a lot to do in this new position.  A lot of possibility. A lot of good people.  A lot of motivation. Then, ironically, totally the opposite. Lack of motivation.  Negative energy.  Unwillingness to work as a team.

It makes it hard to be an effective leader to both of the extremes.

But I'm working on it.

In the meantime, I've been staying busy doing other things....

Taking the girls on the train at the zoo for the first time last Friday....they LOVED it!!!

Prepping for the semi-annual OPMC clothing and equipment sale....this is just the very beginning of my efforts....as usual we will have a plethora of stuff to sell....

Playing outside for as long as possible at night....which is becoming less and less time since it's now getting dark at 7:45....seriously NOT looking forward to winter!
Livvy found the lion at Aunt Denise's house....I see many fights over the lion in the future...it's very fun to "ride". =)

So, I'm staying busy for sure, trying to adjust to less time with my kiddos and a new set of responsibilities at work.  I'm required to work 5 days now, but I was able to negotiate 4 - 9 hour shifts and a 4 hour half day at least.  So, I have Friday mornings off with my girls.  It's better than nothing.

But that's why it's been quiet here...just in my own little universe....trying to adjust...=)

I'm reading your blogs on my pumping breaks.  It's a great escape from my new reality at work.  Keep posting ladies, I need my daily dose of you lovely mommas!!!

Until next time -
Megan

Cupcake heaven!

We had family in town for the extended weekend, and it served as a great opportunity to go through my deep freeze and excavate dessert items that had been hiding in there for many months. Truth be told, I needed more freezer space for breast milk and the huge sack of steaks and hamburger I had just purchased, but this served as a default excuse anyway. =)

Out of the depths of the frozen abyss came two dozen peanut butter Hershey kiss cookies from last Christmas, a dozen cupcakes from the girls 1^st Birthday party that I forgot were buried in there, and a cheesecake platter from Target (I’ve had three pieces of said cheesecake, two cupcakes, and 4 cookies in the last 24 hours…I’m not losing any more baby weight any time soon - lol!).

Anyhow, since there were all of these delicious dessert items out and about for people to eat, the girls had apparently gotten accustomed to eating dessert after they finished their dinner each night.  Last night they girls requested cupcakes by name.  Livvy wanted a "nana" cupcake, and Brianna wanted a "cocoa" cupcake...which I guess translates into banana and chocolate respectively.  Funny that they can say cantelope and cupcake plain as day, but banana is nana and chocolate is cocoa....whatever....

Anyway, here's what the result of said cupcakes!

Bri insisted on painting her face with the cupcake frosting....think of it like camoflauge...

And Livvy, our "clean" girl....well, she wasn't so clean either! Although she was a lot less messy than Bri!

We didn't even bother trying to wipe them off at that point...instead we took them directly outside and washed them off in their kiddy pool....HA!

So, do you guys let your kids get this messy too?  I think it's so fun to be messy!!!!

Until next time -
Megan