Embracing Life

August 19, the twins will be headed into a big hospital in the city for a meeting with a pediatric neurologist.  What led us to our   my (because Keith leaves all decisions to me) decision for this: 1 - Keira has low muscle tone and has been seeing a pediatric orthopaedist as well as a physical therapist.  It was suggested by the ortho that all LMT patients have an MRI to rule out any sort of issue in the brain that could be causing it.  (The bizarre example he gave me was that one of his thousands of patients had part of his brain missing, which caused the LMT.  Chances are this is not the case and Keira's LMT is just a result of the wiring in her brain being a little off when it comes to muscle tone.) 2 - Colin was admitted to the NICU after birth because of low temp/low blood sugar.  Away from his momma, he decided not to eat (after nursing wonderfully after birth) so they kept him there for 14 days while he learned to suck, swallow, and eat l...

The twins started daycare twice a week in September 2009.  Since then, they have yet to attend a full month.  They are constantly coming down with something.  Colin's baby book reads like a medical journal: Jan - stomach flu Feb - pneumonia Mar - RSV (hospitalized) Apr - tubes due to yet another EI May - mommy is too tired to update the illnesses had this month June - high fever virus July - reactive airway disease/pneumonia (hospitalized)/throat virus Over the weekend, Keira came down with a slight fever.  I say slight because anything under 104 is basically normal for them.  She didn't eat well.  She was better by Monday.  She went to daycare Tuesday.  Keith brought home a note saying there was an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease.  You've got to be effin' kidding me. Tuesday night, Colin had a slight fever.  No, I am not surprised. Wednesday, I actually came home sick from work with a temperature of 101 and ...

Getting out of the car this morning, I told him to be careful because he was wearing his flip-flops.  He slid, just a little, then said: That was a close one. Phew! He yelled from downstairs (where he was alone with his brother and sister): Don't Worry Mommy!  Which translates to "Now is the time to panic." Looking through a toy catalog: You should buy this for the babies to play with.  It was a large truck puzzle, something suitable for ages 4 and up. Mommy, you need Mickey underwear like me. Let's get Daddy a pair too. I'm four, Lexi is five, the babies are two.  Mommy, you are four too.  I need all my friends to sleep with me.  By friends, he is referring to all of the stuffed animals and toys in his room. Every night before bed: Sleep tight, take care, good nite-nite.  He actually came up with that one on his own. Mommy works; grammy doesn't.  Then we had a long discussion about how taking care of grandkids while mommy and daddy ...

One of the things that has gone by the wayside after having kids is something that I didn't even realize I missed.  I used to make beaded jewelry.  In fact, I have a necklace that I made back in freshman or sophomore year of high school, so I've been doing it since 1995. Wow, that makes me feel old. A co-worker asked me to make her a bracelet, similiar to one I made her back in 2004.  When we went to New Orleans on our honeymoon, I visited a few shops and brought back a ton of beads.  This co-worker had a friend pick her up some new beads and asked me to string them for her.  As I pulled all my beading stuff out of the crawl space, I started going through what I had.  I have a ton of beads.  Like hundreds of them, sitting in plastic containers, with no place to go. So, in the past two days, I have made 3 pieces.  For myself, of course, but I am my own best customer. ;) I'm a stickler for using the real thing, but I do admit, the bracelet on...

Apparently mommy did not dust the ledge properly. Later I caught him trying to climb up on the back of the couch so he could also dust the lampshade.

First off, an update on Colin:  he is doing wonderfully since he came home from the hospital.  We are down to 2-3 breathing treatments a day.  He hates them of course, but they are helping him breath better.  Second, today at Mama Kat's , one of the writing prompt is to write about your wedding song.  What was it and why did you choose it. I love talking about my wedding.  I loved each and every minute of it.  Two things to know about me: I love Halloween, and I love New Orleans.  We planned on a Halloween wedding; however, the Catholic church in my area does not do weddings on Sundays, and Halloween in 2004 was on a Sunday.  So we moved it to Saturday, October 30.  Which worked out well because we went to New Orleans for our honeymoon and there is nothing better than Halloween in New Orleans!  I went with fall colors, flowers and decorations.  The centerpieces were pieces of autumn beauty.  But then came the fun part -...

Over at Work, Wife, Mom... Life , there is a great thing called Working Mommy Wednesdays.  What are the top five things you say to your children every day? Colin, get off the back of the couch/top of the train table/coffee table.  This one is self-explanatory. Quit throwing food on the floor or you will go back in your highchairs! We are trying to transition the twins from highchairs to boosters at the kitchen table.  They are very excited about the move, so excited in fact that food fights take place every night and then I spend a half hour cleaning up the floor.  This comment is usually followed with, "Stop throwing food at Mommy while she is cleaning up your mess!" No Colin we are not watching the Wiggles right now. Colin can't talk, but he can sign for the Wiggles.  All the time.  Seriously, that boy is addicted.  He is going to be so happy next month when we go see them live. Stop trying to wash the cat with a baby wipe. Again, se...

A little boy sleeping in his OWN bed after spending the weekend in the hospital makes this mommy SOOOOOOO happy! On Saturday, Colin's cold turned into something worse.  He was doing that awful tummy breathing and the ER said he was taking 60 breaths a minute.  Xray showed early pneumonia and he was also diagnosed with reactive airway disease.  He was on oxygen all of Saturday night, with breathing treatments every 3 hours, steroids, IV antibiotics, and O2 monitoring.  It was heartbreaking to see him with the IV and oxygen tube, especially since he really didn't like those things taped to him.  On Sunday, they stopped the O2 to see how he did and switched the breathing treatments to every 4 hours.  By 7:30 p.m., he got the okay to go home, but you know hospitals - they aren't too quick at discharging.  Thankfully he was home by 9:30 that night.  The ped follow-up last night went well.  His O2 is at about 97 which is good, so we just need ...

Picture this:  Tuesday night. Bath night.  Half-naked kids running around while daddy fills up the tub.  Keira hands me her shorts.  Then her diaper.  I tell her to go find Daddy. She comes back into her room.  Her hands are wet.  She looks at me and cries, "WET!"  She seems upset.  I think to myself, that's weird, she likes to stick her hands in the bath water... It was then I noticed her feet were wet too.  I call to Keith, "Did Keira stick her hands in the tub?" "No." Well, then.  How come she is wet? I look out to hall.  Hmmmmmm............. In her excitement to take a tubby, she peed and ran down the hall.  Large wet spot here; another one over there. I get her into the bathroom.  Corral her brothers into the bathroom. I get two towels for the large wet spots on the carpet. Later, Keith asked me how many places did she pee?  My answer: "Well based on the number of wet spots I've stepped o...

One of the prompts this week at Mama Kat's is to write a poem about the last thing that made you mad. at my time to shine you thought you knew best you changed all the rules and convinced all the rest now i'm cast aside with no credit for me you stand in the spotlight your deception to see

The last time we went to the zoo, we decided to eat lunch at a picnic table outside.  (The past few times, we had eaten in the cafe, with highchairs.)  Unsure of how the twins would do - they prefer to get up and leave once we set them free of the stroller - Keith pushed our double stroller up to the seating part of the picnic table.  I cleaned it off with a wipe (which probably didn't do too much because it was wood, but it made me feel better), then added our table-top covers.  Now we do this anytime we want to eat out somewhere.  The twins love it, and mommy loves not having to chase the children down during lunch!

I'm playing along with Leigh today: Now that my life is pretty much ran by being a mom, there are things that I miss.  I miss painting my nails.  I miss quiet, sunny peaceful mornings at home, savoring the silence.  I miss using my fun purses (I used to switch out my cute purses almost daily to match my outfits (or those painted nails) mainly because I could. Today I was able to get a little of that back.  The twins went to daycare at 6 a.m. with Keith.  MIL came to get Connor a little early and they headed back to her house to wait for the cable guy.  I had 15 minutes to be totally alone in my house.  This is not something that usually happens.  In fact, it so rarely happens that I usually need a couple of minutes just to absorb the fact that the house is so quiet.  15 minutes: Painted nails - check Sitting in the quiet house, listening to the birds chirp outside - check Cute pink purse (to match my nails) - check And for ...

Connor loves all things Toy Story.  He even got a TS themed party, although he did have to share that party with his brother and sister, but I don't think he minded.  The biggest hit however was the TS sleeping bag his aunt got him.  He is on a camping-kick.  Apparently, he thinks his Daddy is going to take he and his cousin, Lexi, camping in the backyard, and he really need a Toy Story sleeping bag make the experience work out. But for his actual birthday, I thought I would branch out, and rather do a cake, make cupcakes: He had a great 4th birthday.  So good, in fact, he can't wait for his next birthday party.  Which apparently he thinks is next weekend. ;)

... is memory loss. I used to have an awesome memory.  But sometime after having the twins, it's like it was sucked out of me.  Perhaps it was.  When I was pregnant with the twins, they took all my iron.  All of it.  The ob told me I needed to add an extra cheeseburger or two a day to my diet.  Not that I minded.  Those sausage egg mcmuffins are actually filled with lots of protein, another thing the twins stole from me... Then I nursed them for six months.  And they stole more of my nutrients.  That was about the time I noticed my memory was going too. Thieves.  Cute thieves, but thieves nonetheless. And now, I live by my to-do list.  If it's not in the planner or on a list, it doesn't exist.  At least in my mind.  I should mention that while I have a heck of a time remembering things to do, people to call, or switching from flip flops to sandals before heading out the door to work, I do excel at remembering t...

My world changed forever. Happy 4th Birthday Connor! 

Yes, she does look like she is crying.  She didn't expect the water to be sooooo cold!

Connor's first Fourth of July (2007) Connor's fourth Fourth of July - 2010

I'm linking up for the first time with Mama Kat .  She hosts a weekly writing workshop.  Very cool. Prompt: Write a poem about a memory you sometimes wish would disappear. there was a girl who loved a boy   there was a boy who said forever   there was day where all things changed   across the river two people walked holding hands falling in love   across the way two people sat miles apart saying goodbye