Two of a Kind...

Gymboree Thursday!

2012-01-26T15:36:00.002-06:00

Gymboree was great today! The boys played very well. They still weren't willing to play independently and, I saw moms chasing their kids around...well they still won't leave my side. But at least they played next to me and didn't need me to hold them. Improvement! I'll take it!

We had a fun lunch and shopping date after, then picked up the bug. Good day all around!

Bubbles is their favorite part.

Twins are double the fun : )

Better days

2012-01-24T20:38:00.003-06:00

Our great weather continued today! While our house cleaner was here, we decided to get out of her way and pop down to our neighbors to play in the back yard! They have a trampoline, so of course, Paige was in heaven. Shhh...don't tell her, but she will most likely be getting one for the big 3rd birthday in April : )

I am learning just how important it is to get the twins out of their normal routine and in different environments. I think a lot of their issue dealing with new people and situations (besides their own temperament and just normal 1 year old behavior) is the fact that they rarely break from routine. They did great down with Mrs. Rebecca, Bailey, and Baby Samuel!

We had a little snack on the patio.

Paige, upon being told that Maria was out our house cleaning, picked up the vacuum cleaner and said, "okay, mommy! I'm going to clean the bathroom now!" While holding her baby. Girlfriend has skills!

Today was one of the best days the babies have had in a while. Maybe those molars are breaking through and will give us a break.

Partners in crime!

I love these boys!

They are SO interactive these days. When we sing twinkle twinkle little star, they open and close their hands like I do. They clap at the end of every song. They are babbling, saying mama and dada, but I still don't technically think they have any "words." Paige was 15 months when she had her first word, and I hear boys typically develop speech later than girls, so I'm still thinking the first true word will be a few months yet.

Sunny and 60s in Janurary

2012-01-23T12:41:00.004-06:00

I am dying over this great weather! As soon as I get these wee ones down for their naps, I am headed to the patio with some chips, guacamole, coke zero, and Gilmore Girls on the patio TV. Life is good. In about 45 minutes ; )

Braley and Jack are teething molars and in the height of separation anxiety (read - want to be held all.day.long and forget about me leaving the room they are in). A recipe for me losing my mind fast. I called David today and told him that the kids were in a contest to see who could drive me crazy fastest. And they are all winning. lol.

I decided we simply had to get out today, and luckily for me, it is perfect weather. We got in the stroller and went to the playground!

Since the babies aren't too into the playground just yet, we only stayed 30 minutes, then came back home to play in the back yard.

Now the countdown to naptime begins!!

Gymboree date

2012-01-19T15:30:00.002-06:00

We had our gymboree date day today!

Well - it could have gone better. These boys are just SO anxious in public : ( They cling to me for dear life. Jack does much better than Braley, and they both had their moments where they would play. I managed to capture those on camera. The rest of the time, they wanted to be in my lap or held. I see all these other kids just running around and couldn't tell you where their mom's were - and then there are my boys who lose their minds if I am out of their sight.

I KNOW things will get better as they get older and move past stranger anxiety. And I KNOW mother's day out will help tremendously. They will start that in June. I just want them to feel confident and know that they are okay and safe, even if I am not right there.

But dang - they sure are cute!

Yes, my Jack Attack man got his first shiner this morning! He tripped and fell on the cool mist humidifier. First of many, I assume.

If anyone has any tips on helping with stranger anxiety/separation anxiety, I'm all ears.

Paige at gymnastics

2012-01-18T07:32:00.000-06:00

A little video of my little love doing the zip line! And it cracks me up how at the end she starts yelling, "cheese!" That is what she does when I'm trying to take her picture.

Pictures

2012-01-17T21:19:00.003-06:00

The kids and I got a visit from a special friend - our former nanny, April! April was my night nurse/nanny, then she went and got herself knocked up with twin girls (due on Valentines Day!) so she hasn't been able to work for us in a while : ( But we understand and were thankful to get to go to lunch and have her come and play today!

When Paige is out of school and it is cold out, we try and entertain ourselves in the house! Singing silly songs, playing tag and hide-and-go-seek...and chasing them around with the camera!

Love these kids!

Zoo/gymnastics monday

2012-01-16T20:42:00.003-06:00

A big day today for Paige! We went to the zoo with my mom and grandfather, Jack. It was in the 70s today! Cray! It was also free day at the zoo, so the cream of the crop of OK rolled out. LOL. And the day started a little rough.

At 4 AM, the boys monitor connection died. I was confused as to why it would suddenly lose connection, so I went to their room to investigate. Imagine my surprise when I see all the lights on, Paige dressed in jeans and a tank top standing in Jack's crib. Braley was completely asleep, Jack was standing there, holding his blankie very confused. And Paige said, "mommy, it's time to go to the zoo!"

Good gracious! Our best guess was that she woke up and just decided it was time to get the day started! Our routine is to potty, get dressed, then get the bubbas up...so she just went ahead and did it all without me! Oh, and why the monitor went dead? Well, Paige decided to turn it off when she went in there! Ey yei yei.

I got her up, put her in her room, turned the boys' lights out, laid poor Jackers back down, went in, got Paige back in her jammies, gave her a stern, "you DO NOT go in the boys room! You MUST stay in your bed!" in her bed, lights off, and back to bed for me! Really hoping this isn't a recurring incident!

We had a wonderful time at the zoo! All the animals were out and performing for us!

They have a playground there where we played until Mele came. I loved having my grandfather, Jack, with us, because he could sit with the stroller and I could chase Paige around.

Mom, I'm not too big for the baby swing!

My little fashionista.

And today was the first installment of daddy/daughter gymnastics!

David said she did great! Her favorites were the zipline and where you hang on to a bar and fall into the pit of foam squares. We are going to alternate weeks where we get to take her, so next week, I'll have pics : )

Big girl needed a bath after her big day, then she crashed out!

What a wonderful weekend

2012-01-15T20:09:00.006-06:00

We had one of those weekends that you want to press the pause button and stay in it longer than 2 days.

David and I attended a wedding with our best friends on Friday night.

It is always nice to dress up, drink cocktails, and stay out late with your friends!

We had great weather on Saturday, so David hit the golf course, and when he got home, I hit the pavement! I had wanted to get a double-digit run in this weekend, but didn't quite make it. I got close though! I know by next weekend I'll get there. I far surpassed my weekly goal this week. I'm well on my way to being half-marathon ready!

Someone asked how I eat enough to sustain running this much. Trust me. I eat. Plenty! That is one thing that David and I have always had in common: we enjoy going out to eat, cooking at home, getting take-out, I love LOVE love to bake cookies...you get the idea : )

Saturday evening, we had the birthday party of our sweet friend, Ethan (the son of our best friends).

The birthday boy in his hat from Jack and Braley : )

Bless him : ) We think he looks like Jackers

Sunday, January 15th will be known forever as "productivity Sunday" in our house. We cleaned out Paige's closet, the laundry room, our study, the hall way under the stairs, I cleaned all 4 bathrooms in the house, we went for a walk...

went to visit my grandparents...

bathed the kiddos and did a little playing before bed!

Now, I'm baking m&m cookies

snacking on some goldfish (see - there I go with all that eating!) and getting ready for some awesome Sunday night TV (I Survived and Undercover Boss are awaiting us on DVR....) and ready to take on the week!

Happy Saturday!

2012-01-14T11:49:00.003-06:00

I'm starting to think about Valentine's Day cards (clearly I need to get a life...) so Paige and I have been experimenting with a few different outfits. I think a(nother) trip to the mall is in order!

David is golfing today since it is so nice and I am going for a long run when he gets home. In the mean time, we are getting to play outside a little bit!

Braley wasn't down with the group photo.

Big boy walks everywhere now! It is so strange to be changing a diaper and look up and see this guy just walking around the corner!

Think this little girl looks sweet? Think again. (not really - obviously she is sweet and I love her). This age is tough. When they said that 3 is tougher than 2, it was hard for me to imagine. But now her tantrums are calculated and she is intelligent/can understand enough for them to go on and on.

Good thing she is adorable : )

Girl dates

2012-01-13T14:46:00.002-06:00

My Friday nanny started back up today, so Paige and I got to resume our weekly date day! We went to the gym first, where Paige got to play with her bestie, Logan.

Die. I love these sweet girls more than life itself! When we pulled in, Paige saw Logan getting out of her car and yelled, "look, mommy! There is my friend, Logan!"

After the gym, we went to lunch with Amanda, Logan, and Tia. Then - what girls do best on a date...shopping!!

Little bug waiting for the elevator. And yes, she walked right into a store grabbed this pink skirt, said, "I want to try it on!" and put it right on and ripped the tag off. Homegirl likes to shop.

I want to push the button!

Of course on our girl date, we had to go look at make-up and perfume! Duh! Logan liked this purple lipstick.

And Paige helped herself to some bronzer.

Thank the Lord for sweet friends!

David and I are hitting the town for a wedding tonight (yes, Friday the 13th. Don't ask because I haven't a clue as to why someone would do that!) then tomorrow we have a birthday party for a special 1 year old boy.

Have a great weekend!

Gymboree! Yay!

2012-01-12T21:14:00.003-06:00

My undeniably generous mom got the twins 5 months of gymboree for Christmas. I am happy to have something fun to take them to do while Paige is in school. Although I must say, I was VERY nervous about how they would do there. They hate being in unfamiliar places and have some of the worst stranger anxiety I have ever seen. Luckily my momma came to help me and they love her.

When we first got there, they clung to Mele, me, and eachother : ) Bless them : )

But before I could even get out, "gah, I knew this would happen..." big boy started exploring with the biggest smile on his face! LOVE him!

Braley, my little momma's boy, never got *totally* comfortable - he spent a good amount of time sucking his thumb in my lap. I have people tell me I need to just put him on the floor and show him some tough love. But I know Braley. I know he just needs a little more time to adjust to new places and people.

The name tags kill me. How is my little bitty 5 pound baby big enough to go somewhere that requires name tags?? : (

Can't wait until next Thursday!

I'm running!

2012-01-11T10:10:00.002-06:00

I have been on this huge running kick - hence my goal to run 20 miles a week. And now, I've decided to run the half marathon in April! My goal for next week is to get a double digit run in (so 10 or 11 miles).

I was pumped with my run from Sunday:

And even more pumped with my run last night!

This is what a busy daddy looks like when he is trying to eat dinner:

And this is when you know you are a stay-at-home mom and need a life:

So I have all these sippy cups. The kids love cold water and want it immediately upon request. So I keep them filled and in the fridge. I LOVE getting them out of the dishwasher and finding new combos of cups and lids that I haven't done before. ie - pink with yellow, pink with red, purple with green...that kind of thing. OMG. Loser.

Yesterday, we were playing upstairs. Paige, without saying a word, brought her babies pack n play over to the couch where I was sitting. She then went and got her baby and laid her in it. Then, she looked at me and said, "mommy, can you babysit my baby while I go to the store?"

Back from vacation!

2012-01-07T13:58:00.006-06:00

First - to answer a question, that running watch is a Nike TomTom - not sure...my hubby got it for marathon training and I have decided that we are going to share it : ) But yes, it is awesome! It is a GPS and tracks all sorts of cool things!

Anyway - ski vaca 2012 was a success!

We left Monday morning and headed to the airport! We ate lunch there and boarded the plane.

We flew OKC to Denver first. David and I each had a lap child and we had Paige to wrangle as well. The crummy thing was that, since we were on smaller planes, there weren't enough oxygen masks per row for David and I to sit together. So we took turns sitting with one baby and Paige, and the other was with just one baby. Not going to lie, it was pretty rough. Jack and Braley recovered from our first flight by taking a napper in the Denver airport.

Our second flight - Denver to Durango, was only 45 minutes and it was fine! Then we got to the house and the difficulties were forgotten! Paige was so happy to play with her cousins and the grandparents were ready to take the boys off our hands so we could relax!

And a very exciting thing: Jack Attack started walking while we were there : ) Video to come.

The little bud gets jealous when we praise Jack and get excited when he walks. Bless him. So we have to praise him too and he gets a huge grin on his face.

The first day, we took Paige out to play in the snow for a little bit.

The day before we left, it dawned on me that she had no appropriate shoes to wear in the snow. I remembered that Target had adorable rain boots, so we ran up there with all the kids to try and grab them. Unfortunately, the only ones they had to fit her tiny feet were the Thomas ones. But it was fine, Paige freaked out she was so excited over her "THOMAS BOOTS!!!!!"

David and I found a local gym and went up for a work out, did some shopping, then came home to get Paige. We took her up to the mountain for lunch:

Paige is finally a normal kid who likes pizza!

They had some little skis to rent for kids, that just snapped right into her shoes. There was a little bunny slope that parents could walk down while helping their little one ski down. It was seriously the cutest thing I have ever seen. Teaching my daughter how to ski was so surreal to me. I just kept looking around seeing all the happy parents and it was strange to think, "hey, I'm one of them."

I die.

We came home, fed the kids dinner, did baths, played, got the kiddos down, then had game time with all the family! We don't get to spend a lot of time with David's siblings and their spouses, so it was a treat to get this time.

The second day, we hit the slopes all day! David decided to stay home and spend the day with his parents and the kids. He is too paranoid about injury so close to his February marathon. But David and Paige came up to the mountain to meet me for lunch and some more skiing for the bug.

David's sister and me on the top of the mountain. It was WARM for skiing. We didn't need hats or goggles at all. It was amazing and gorgeous.

That night brought more fun - dinner, play time, games!

The next day, David and I got a couples massage, had lunch downtown, and then went snow machining! (when I used to live in Alaska, everyone called it snow machining. I got used to it. I know in the lower 48, it is referred to as a snow mobile.)

I'd say, besides flying, the toughest part about travel was getting Paige to sleep. She was having too much fun with the girls to want to settle down, and when she finally did, she was scared in an unfamiliar room by herself. So we ended up having David sleep with her in a room, and I slept in the room next to the twins. Luckily, with a fan for white noise and a dark room, Jack and Braley had no issues sleeping. Everyone ate great too. But it was sure nice last night getting Paige back in her own bed and getting 12 hours of sleep again.

The flights home were pretty tough. But all 3 slept from Denver to OKC:

And when we got home, it was like we never left! Everyone fell right back into routine.

Vacation is great, but there is no place like home : )

And, I am doing great on my running goal! 21 miles the first week!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:01:00.002-06:00

We had a great night out last night! Dinner downtown with friends and the Thunder game! We came home, rang in the New Year New York time, then called it a night.

I don't usually do resolutions, but here are my goals for 2012:

1. Run at least 20 miles a week - totaling 1040 miles for the year. I realize some weeks I won't be able to get my 20 (like the week we will be spending in Colorado!), but I am going to do the best I can to get my 1040 for the year. I will be logging runs and update my progress on here! This isn't for weight loss, as I know I don't need to lose weight. This is me making a priority to get out of the house without the kids and enjoy being outside with only my music to keep me company.

2. Fold laundry the day I wash it. I have this horrible habit of leaving clean clothes in the laundry room, then I end up having an hour+ of folding to do. It would be much easier on myself if I would just fold it that day!

We will be spending the week in Colorado skiing! Praying for as smooth a flight as possible, with 2 one year olds and an almost three year old. SMH.

A day in the life...

2011-12-29T10:16:00.002-06:00

Haven't done one of these in a while...so I thought I'd give yall a look inside the day in the life of a stay-at-home momma to 3 kids aged 2 and under!

Crawl out of bed at 8 AM (lucky, yes!!) hear Jack stirring. Before I know it, I hear Paige burst into their room proclaiming, "good morning, bubbas!" I get my contacts in and brush my teeth and listen to her climbing into Jack's crib and play peek-a-boo with him, while Braley laughs watching.

Go get them about 8:15, breakfast straight away. Make breakfast - bananas, sausage, cheese, and english muffin for the boys, cheerios and milk, and 1/2 banana for Paige. Clean up kitchen while they eat. Clean them up, set the boys down with some toys in the kitchen, Paige goes upstairs to the playroom.

I walk back to my room and get dressed.

Bring boys upstairs with me, now - for about an hour.

Come downstairs, feed the boys some yogurt, clean diapers, clean faces, in their cribs for a nap.

Sit down to pay bills, turn Barney on for Paige.

Boys wake up, get everyone in the car - go run a few errands (bank, dry cleaners, post office).

Come home, head upstairs for 30 minutes to play.

Come back down, lunch time! Make quesadillas, cut up grapes, blueberries, and goldfish for everyone. Clean up kitchen while they eat. Get everyone cleaned up and in the stroller! Time for the playground! It was gorgeous out.

Take a nice walk and the boys swing and take turns riding down the slide with me. Paige runs around, swings, slides, climbs the rock wall - everyone has fun!

Time to head home around 2 PM for naps. Walk home, new diapers for the boys, Paige goes potty, in beds for nap time! Around 2:30. Praise the Lord!!

I head upstairs and do the elliptical for 30 minutes, clean the playroom, empty the dishwasher, shower, change, sit down for about 30 minutes of TV time. About 4 PM, Jack and Braley wake, so I decide to get all 3 up (Paige won't go to sleep at night if I let her nap too long).

We play in the boys room for almost an hour! Singing, chasing each other, hide and go seek, etc. At 5, we make our way to the kitchen to get dinner going!

It is refrigerator clean-out night! I heat up mac n cheese, green beans, and make a frozen pizza! LOL! Get the kids started eating, and daddy comes in the door at 5:15! Early! What a treat!

After dinner, we get the kids cleaned up and get in the stroller for a walk to my grandparents house. We like to visit them in the evenings.

Come home at 7:15 - bathtime! David does the bath, I lay out towels, jammies, lotion, get the beds ready for the kids, nightlights on, humidifiers full, get water warming to warm the boys milk. Once that is all done and kids are dressed for bed, Paige gets to play games on the iPad while David rocks and feeds one boy and I the other.

Once they are asleep, we bring Paige back and rock and kiss her goodnight! All said and done by 8:30!

David heads to the couch to relax and I hit the pavement for a run!

I ran for an hour - 6.13 miles! Yay, me!!!

I relax in the bath, David comes back, we chat a little, watch the news, and the day is done : )

Christmas '11

2011-12-28T12:17:00.006-06:00

We started off the festivities with a visit from our best friends and their little boy, Ethan. It is funny to me how excited Paige is to play with Ethan and help feed him when he is just 8 weeks younger than her brothers. It's not like its anything new to her...but she loves playing with him!

Singing a little for us...

So the Griffith family/extended family must have been pretty dang good this year:

We are undeserving of all these gifts, and are mostly thankful for time spent with family and friends, and of course, the birth of Jesus Christ.

My attempt to get a Christmas pic of all three kids together. FAIL.

Our Christmas Eve was wonderful! I got a 7 mile run in, then we did dinner with my family down the street at my grandmother's house. We came back here for presents and cocktails/dessert, then headed to church for the 8:30 service.

Some of Paige's favorite presents: diaper bag and changing accessories, grocery cart, cash register, new accessories for her kitchen, a new ski suit for our upcoming vacation to Colorado, and 5 months of gymnastics lessons!

My aunt got my niece, Ava, and Paige matching dress-up jasmine outfits! A belly-baring outfit isn't my choice for my almost 3 year old...but I guess it's fine for play : )

Jack and Braley got 5 months of gymboree from my parents, which is great, because I want to take them but wasn't willing to shell out the $$$$ for twins. We start mid-January and I'm excited!

Paige also got a stroller, pack n play, high chair, bumbo, and monitors for her baby! Little mommy in training!

Paige got a very special treat from her daddy for Christmas! He took her to her very first Thunder game! Miss thang was not happy to be woken up from her nap and forced to take a picture (duh).
But when she got to come back inside and play with her new ukulele, she was good to go.

Little man wanted to go to the game, but we told him maybe next year!

Paige had so much fun: popcorn, Rumble the Bison, up past bedtime, and funnel cakes: what's not to love!?!

We had some of David's family visit us for a few days on the 25th, so things have been hectic and are just settling back down. Thank goodness.

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!!!

xoxo

Hello, winter!

2011-12-22T14:35:00.004-06:00

It has suddenly gotten very cold here! 30s and 40s. 'tis the season...

First, here is our Christmas card from this year. I loved the way they turned out!

Second: uggh - Paige being out of school for the holidays means I am trying my best to keep these kiddos entertained inside! It is cold, sometimes rainy, the stores are too crowded, restaurants are too busy for me to take them, no nanny in the month of December...and I am learning that I am really not that entertaining to the kids! I sing, and Paige yells, "DON'T SAY THAT!!!"

This little chipmunk puts a smile on my face!

And Paige is becoming more of a child and losing the toddler in her.

TV on demand is helpful, as are games on the iPad. I am learning just how thankful I am for MDO to let Paige play. She craves that interaction and structure.

We have done some crafts, but it is hard with 2 curious little boys!

And Paige is very sweet and lets them play with all her toys.

Sweet Jack's hair is out of control!

Braley proudly waves his OU flag, despite our 9-3 season (yes, OU fans are spoiled that we are bummed by a 9-3 year!).

David is off for a few days starting in just a few hours!! YAY!!!

Weekend recap

2011-12-18T11:48:00.002-06:00

We had "very little plans" this weekend, so I thought it would be relaxing. Umm - not happening in a family of 5!

Friday, my mom had a little procedure done (she is totally fine) and needed to sleep all evening, so my dad met us for dinner. The boys are actually doing really well at restaurants right now because they love to eat! They love feeding themselves and even if they fuss, they are very content to sit in our laps and bang on the table. We obvs have to go to kid-friendly places, but that is fine and we make it work! But yes, it is tiring.

Saturday, David ran 16 miles (he is marathon training, running in Austin in February) and then I ran 6! I felt like a slacker compared to him but that was good for me : ) We had our friends/neighbors come up for pizza that evening. We gave ALL the kids a bath (pics below!). And yes, that was tiring.

Today, David played a little golf and we had our huge family Christmas party from my dad's side. 50 people all playing one big game of crazy santa. 2 boys who hate being in loud places with lots of people. 2 boys who skipped their afternoon nap. It was fun catching up with my cousins I don't get to see that often, and I won a $25 gift card to Cheesecake Factory! But very, very tiring.

We are now home relaxing, all the wee ones are sleeping, I've got chips and salsa out, and the Thunder are back on TV : ) Great life : )

I feel like Jack knows he can walk, he just doesn't want to. He is hell-bent on crawling everywhere just to annoy me, I think : ) We are starting Gymboree in January, and I think (if he isn't already) that will push him to really do it.

Bath time is hectic and very stressful if I am alone, but for the most part, it is one of my favorite parts of the day. These 3 LOVE the bath. Our routine is - David gets it started while I lay out towels, jammies, get the boys cribs ready, night light on, fill the humidifier, etc., and all while this is going on, I get to hear my children giggling, splashing, playing with each other, and hear their daddy talk to them, blow bubbles, count, teach body parts, play with letters - melts my heart every single night!

Precious baby Samuel (our neighbors baby)! I love love love getting to hold this little guy! He is a snuggle bug if I ever saw one! And I seriously love his mommy, daddy, and big sister. We are blessed to have made some great friends in our neighbors.

Their sweet girl, Bailey! Paige, Bailey, Jack, and Braley all got in my tub on Saturday night! It was crazy! My bathroom was a mess, everyone was up late - but you know what...that is what life is all about! Little moments with family and friends.

The week before Christmas should be pretty low-key here. I have a few gifts left to get. My 19 year old cousin, David's 8th grade sister (ugggh - she is tough. She changes things she likes every 30 seconds or so...), and both of my nieces. So I'll be dragging the kids out with me to the stores. Wish me luck!!

Infertility

2011-12-16T11:12:00.002-06:00

I have days where I look around me and wonder, why did I get so lucky? Why, after 2 years of struggling, did it take 1 simple round of IVF and I got my beautiful daughter out of it? Why, despite miscarrying her twin at 10 weeks, did I have a textbook, perfect pregnancy with her, deliver her via an uncomplicated C-Section, recovery beautifully, and go on to watch her grow and thrive according to "perfect" plan? And why, when David and I decided we wanted to try for another, did we go back for another simple round of IVF, get pregnant with twins, carry them to term with no complications, and deliver with another uncomplicated C-Section?

There have been times in my life where I think I have known hard times. I think crying on the bathroom floor for 2 years was suffering. It wasn't. That is nothing. I have been blessed with an easy road through infertility. Not only was 2 simple rounds of IVF all it took for me to complete my perfect family, but we never had to worry about financing it. We could have afforded more, but didn't need it.

My heart is literally breaking right now for THOUSANDS of couples who aren't nearly as lucky as me. Countless rounds of IVF, miscarriages, stillbirths, drained bank accounts - leave them with no hope of ever fulfilling their dream of becoming parents.

I know some/most people who read my blog have no clue what that is like. And neither do I. But I can try and imagine, and it is extremely painful for me to even think about.

If you have a few minutes, please click on this link:

Facebook IVF Giveaway Poll

Read about the couples. Read their stories. You WILL stop in your tracks and get down on your knees and thank God for what you have been given. And for those who actually are in these shoes, right now - I am terribly sorry. I am sorry we live in a world where teenagers can get pregnant, abortion is legal, babies are born unwanted...and you haven't been able to have the thing you want most.

If you feel compelled to vote, please vote for Deborah and Jeffrey. She is part of a community that helped me through my "difficult" days of infertility. And a friend of a friend. I want this so badly for them!!

Cowboys and some random!

2011-12-15T14:59:00.003-06:00

My grandparents are from Texas and are bound and determined to turn my little men into cowboys! They brought them back denim shirts with pearl buttons from their last trip to the rodeo!

I feel like I have eleven million pics of this big boy just cheesing it up for the camera. But I love every single one of them! Nothing beats looking at this awesome face. He is so full of joy and you can't help but feel happy when you are around him. He is something special.

And sweet Braley. Bless him - he is just a momma's boy with some curly/hippy hair! LOL! He has this face that can melt your heart in a second. And I know every parent thinks this, but he is truly the cutest baby I have ever seen in my life.

Love this goofy girl! She is doing well these days. Going potty, only in pull-ups at night (and half the time, her pull-up is bone dry in the morning), sitting at the table, having in-depth conversations with us...

I can not wait to celebrate Christmas with her this year!

It is hard to fully understand the craziness that is Braley's hair. Even this pic doesn't do it justice.

Braley has 9 teeth and is working on 10 and 11. Insane. INSANE! We need a break!!

A little update on the boys:

they are both saying mama and dadda, both clapping and waving, playing peek-a-boo, reaching for things they want, and eating a diverse and healthy diet. Just waiting for big man Jack to take his first real steps! I know Braley is months away from that, but Jack should be literally any minute! I never stop being thankful for the health of my kids.

Busy busy around here! Last night, David and I had couple's game night. Tonight, Paige and I are going to a girl's Christmas party. I am thankful for the companionships I have made in my adult life, and can't wait to celebrate the holidays with us girls (and a few little boys!) : )

Graduation weekend and randoms

2011-12-12T21:25:00.003-06:00

David's parents came in town to help us celebrate his graduation from graduate school! I could not be more proud. I can't imagine how I am going to feel when I see my kids excel! Sheesh!

We kicked off the weekend with dinner with friends at a restaurant (yes, with all the kids!), but I was trying to get the house picked up and needed them out of my hair before we left. Big spoons and bowls = did the trick!

Random iPhone photos below:

We also decided to break out the Christmas jammies!! : )

The graduation was lovely! I am thankful that we got to spend the weekend with David's parents. They are wonderful people and I couldn't ask for better in-laws.

I love this man!
We got cocktails and appetizers right after the graduation, then a big steak dinner at our favorite restaurant in town that night.

Random here: but, I have been looking at ways to cut costs at the grocery store. Feeding my family of 5 is so, so expensive. I don't want to sacrifice quality for cost, since we can afford it - but it would be nice if I could get my $150+ MULTIPLE times a week down a bit.

A friend of mine suggested buying frozen blueberries, since a carton of fresh is $4.50 or more, and a huge bag of frozen, which would last me weeks, is only $8.

I tried it, and everyone loved them just the same, but they are MESSY!! No more! I will suck it up and keep buying the fresh.

If anyone has any cost-cutting strategies (besides extreme couponin), let me know!

Switching gears here:

David's amazing boss and his wife have been bugging us to watch the kids for a while now! They have 2 young girls who love playing with them, so we finally decided to let them! David felt a little strange thinking his boss, who is a VP at the company, might be wiping up his babies poop...but hey...they offered!! ; ) We went Christmas shopping and went to a dinner date at 501. It was awesome and we were so thankful!

They sent us these pics to let us know everyone was doing great!

BUSY week here! I am getting my hair done tomorrow night, we have a couple's Christmas party Wednesday night, then I have a girl's Christmas wine night on Thursday!

Have a great week!!

I love my boys

2011-12-08T21:13:00.002-06:00

Look at Braley's curly hair!! OMG!! Love him!

When you have 1 year old twins and a 2.5 year old, sometimes you spend the whole day in your jammies : ) So I like to put them in cute ones : )

Big boy is so close to walking, he just won't actually do it! One of these days...

I love Jack so much.

Braley loves to play peek-a-boo.

Where's Braley?

Here he is!!!

My boys fill my heart with more happiness than I could have ever imagined!

Monkey and banana birthday party!

2011-12-08T10:53:00.006-06:00

I am always happy when I decide to have a photographer come to the kids' birthday parties. I love having these memories and I didn't have to do any of the work!

David and I are thankful for our wonderful friends and family. Seeing our house filled with people who love our boys and kids for ours to grow up with is a true testament to how blessed we are.

Party favors!!

BLESSED!!

Tia made all the desserts for the party, and even came over early to set my table! Love her!! If you are local and interested in having someone take care of your next party, give her a holler!

I could not love the 3 men in my life any more. It just isn't possible. SO thankful for the blessing of sons. I pray that Jack and Braley grow up to be great husbands and fathers just like David.

J&B didn't like cake, but Paige sure did help herself!

David's folks are getting in tomorrow for his graduation from grad school. We are all very proud of him and excited to celebrate it. I better get off my rear and clean this house!!

Bedlam blues/Christmas party

2011-12-05T12:49:00.004-06:00

First, I'll start with a preview of the boys' birthday party pics! I should be getting them all this week (yay!!), but for now...

Friday, we had a fun happy hour and Christmas party. Then Saturday, we headed to Stillwater for a fun afternoon and to watch my beloved Sooners get whooped in Bedlam. We had a big group and everyone had fun, despite the bitter cold and even more bitter loss.

And unfortunately, several Oklahoma State students were injured when storming the field after the win. I hope college students learn that running on the field after a victory is dangerous and stupid. Praying everyone makes a full recovery.

Sunday, I had a baby shower for a good friend of mine who is expecting twin girls in a few months. It was fun to have some girl time and the sweet momma-to-be got some great stuff!

Today, we had Paige's Christmas party at her school. (you might notice, we only have lights under our tree and no presents. Too tempting for curious/busy 1 year-old boys for anything else)

STICKERS!!!

Paige made me a precious little ornament. I will treasure it forever!

Sweet friends make Christmas special. Paige is blessed!

That's about it! Bundle up in the 405! It is COLD!!!!!!

Hats and playdates

2011-12-02T15:04:00.005-06:00

I realize that I have continued to be a big slacker in the blogging department. I am still in a funk, a few things have happened in my life that have made me feel this way. But we had a fun playdate today and have a great weekend planned, so - here I am : )

Bwaley doesn't like his hat : (

Yackers does!!!

I love him!! I love him!!! Ack!!!

Fighting over the remote...

What happens when Bwaley loses the fight...

Big boy! His smile easily gets me in the holiday spirit.

Lately, when Braley gets frustrated, he lays his little head down and stays there.

Two old friends of mine came over today with their kids. It was a full house! Paige loves her buddy, Sam!

Braley and Miller doing a little cooking for the group.

Sweet Braley.

We had a little picnic, since the highchairs and kitchen table were FULL!

A sweet embrace to say goodbye.

We have a birthday party happy hour to attend tonight, followed by an office Christmas party. Then tomorrow, we are leaving at noon for Stillwater for BEDLAM!! BOOMER! It is going to be COLD, but I will bundle up, get my hot chocolate, and pray for a sooner victory. I'm really excited. And then Sunday, a I am having a baby shower for a sweet friend of mine who is expecting twins! After IVF! Along those lines, I have another friend who has found success after infertility and is expecting twins early this summer. : )

Have a great weekend, friends!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T21:44:00.005-06:00

Well I sure did wake up Thanksgiving morning feeling silly about my pity party from the night before.

What a wonderful gift, to be the mother of these children.

Paige is in the phase of acting like she is various animals. And she names herself, too. But most of the time, she says things like, "I am a dog. My name is dog. I say ruff ruff!"

Thanksgiving day was wonderful! We slept in, I got to go for a nice, long run outside (sans strollers!), kiddos napped, then we headed over to mom and dad's!

My niece, Ava, always puts Paige in the BEST mood.

And my cousins came up (Jordan is at UT in Austin and Colin is a junior in HS in Dallas) with my aunt and uncle.

Paige, being a dog again.

Ack! Love him!!

Big, sweet boy!

Paige wore her red boots to dinner. She loves them!

My mom did a great jog setting the table. And she made a kids table, but my brother and his family had another meal to go to, so they didn't get here until later. Paige sat alone, but she seemed to do just fine : )

It was chilly today, but we still went out for some fresh air.

Jack and Braley are changing every single day. I know that sounds cliche, but it really is happening right now. They are still very much babies, but I see personality coming out. They are wonderful, and I truly can't imagine life without them here! I don't remember what it is like to just have 1 child. We are blessed.

Sassy thing found a pair of my high heels before we left for Thanksgiving dinner. David and I were worried she was going to roll her ankle! But she was a pro.

Sigh. What an amazing gift, being a parent is. I am thankful.

And one last...my mom got Paige her first pair of 3T jammies. Enjoy every second, mommas. It goes fast.

Today, I got to go for another long run, we got our tree, decorated for Christmas, and went to dinner just the 5 of us. We have the OU game tomorrow, a birthday party for a sweet 1 year old, and family day Sunday.

Hope everyone had a great day with family and great food!

Boomer Sooner!!

Keeping it real

2011-11-23T21:22:00.002-06:00

2 12 month old boys, post 4 shots each (MMR, chicken pox, some cough one - uggh, I suck and can't remember, and the flu shot booster), each with a runny nose, Braley with 2 molars coming in, Paige cooped up being home from MDO for the week...

I am spent. Sometimes, and I hate to admit this...but sometimes I feel like a bad mother. I look at my tiny little guy who is in pain and not feeling well, and I can snap at him and say, "STOP CRYING! What do you WANT?!?"

And with 3 kids, you would think that I would learn to roll with changes better, but I just can't. I like things to be black and white. I am a by the books person. I read all the books, I know how things are "supposed" to look, and I want them to look that way.

So when Braley won't drink milk when I think he should (you know, according to "the books") it sends me in to a tizzy (is that even a word? even if it isn't, trust me, seeing me frazzled with 3 young kids warrants the use of the word tizzy) and I just can't understand why he doesn't want to comply with the schedule. And I KNOW this is insane! I know that no one told HIM what my schedule was. No one told him he should be drinking X amount of milk, napping at X time, etc. These are all things I want them to do. And my pediatrician confirmed that he will take what he needs, and I know this - but try explaining that to a frustrated mom with 3 crying kids on her hands.

I typed this post out twice and deleted it. I mean, tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I'm not sounding very thankful. But, well, I like to keep it real.

Having some help for the next few days and hopefully the twins feeling better will bring brighter days. And I am excited to see the boys eat mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie for the first time. This is what it is all about, and I know that.

Thanks for reading, and happy thanksgiving!!

xoxo - Megan

12 month check.

2011-11-22T14:41:00.002-06:00

Despite what these photos show, we had a great appointment!

David and I were pleased to hear that our boys are doing wonderfully! Developing right as they should be.

12 month official stats:

Jack - 21lb 11oz - 35%, height also 35%, head - 75%

Braley - 19lb 9oz - 10%, height also 10%, head - 90% (bless him - tiny boy, big head!)

So they are both perfectly proportional, and that is about as good as it gets! Braley for sure doesn't eat as much as Jack and drinks way less milk, but he is growing, developing, and thriving! She assured me he gets what he needs, which I knew, but it is nice to hear reassurance from their doctor. LOVE her, by the way.

Sometimes, I feel like David and I are in a dream land, where you only ever get good news at doctors appointments. I pray it stays like this forever.

Pledge

2011-11-21T20:41:00.000-06:00

David and I are working on teaching Paige the Pledge of Allegiance. Why? Beats me.

See below for a long update post!

New schedule for the boys! Long post...

2011-11-21T20:17:00.002-06:00

Cold and rainy today! Not what I was hoping going in to a full week of Paige being out of MDO. We made it to the gym and grocery, and I got the crazy idea of trying 1 nap a day for the twins.

Brilliant. Genius. Best idea I have ever had. Seriously.

The boys had seemed not ready to go to bed lately, even at 8 PM. Their morning nap was extending longer and longer, then they weren't wanting to take an afternoon nap until 3 or later, making them not ready for bedtime. So I decided to give it a whirl, and our day went like this:

Wake: 8, breakfast straight away

Gym: 9-10

Straight to grocery

Lunch: 11:15

Nap for all 3: 12 - 3!!!! It was wonderful! For all involved. The kids all woke up in great spirits.

Bottle of milk for the boys: 3:30

Dinner for all 3: 5:15

Baths: 7

Bottles for the twins: 7:30

Bed for all 3: 8 (and when I say 8, I mean they were all in bed fast asleep at 8. Perfect).

I am loving this schedule. My mom had planned Thanksgiving dinner to be at 5 PM to accommodate the twins' schedule. But I called her today and was excited to tell her we could do it earlier now : ) It's the little things...

We were running late this morning to get to the gym, so all three kids showed up in their PJs. And we kept them on all day.

I love a boy who is man enough to play with a stroller. I hope he makes a good daddy some day : )

And also a man who can cook!

Paige loves to RUN! She has me say, "read, set, GO!" and she takes off back and forth in the playroom.

Have I mentioned on here that Paige is potty trained? Yipee! It was pretty easy, to tell you the truth. We decided at 2.5, it was time (for Paige - I know that every kid is different - some are ready at 2, some not until 3, some later than that). So we put her in panties, kept her drinking a lot of water, and put her on the potty every 30 minutes or so. She took to it right away. In less than a week, I am happy to say she only wears a pull-up at night. Even a trip to the gym, grocery store (gone from 8:30-11) she had no accidents! We are struggling with #2, but everyone assures me that comes in time. I am so proud of my big girl!

Jack and Braley have their 1 year check tomorrow morning. David is coming to help me and I have someone watching Paige, so this will be one of the least stressful pediatrician visits I have had in quite some time!

I hate titling blog posts.

2011-11-18T15:58:00.003-06:00

Jack and Braley had zero appetite when they were sick. I hated it so much. Braley is such a little peanut and I felt him getting smaller and smaller. But they sure are making up for lost time! They are loving eating anything and everything. Paige and I came back from the store today, and I opened up a carton of blueberries, and the three of them ate the entire thing in about 5 minutes.

My big eaters!

Fun weekend planned here. Paige and I went to the gym and lunch with friends today, and David and I are going on a little date night today. And tomorrow, we are having several friends/neighbors over to watch the OU/Baylor game.

There was almost a beatdown at Paige's MDO yesterday. I overheard a woman (dressed head to toe on OSU cowboy gear) saying that she and her husband were getting each other national championship tickets for Christmas. I called David when I got in the car and went off! "Do they not realize they still have to play OU? And what happens MOST years when they play OU? " LOL - I am a little on edge about the whole situation with my Sooners. Really hoping for a victory tomorrow against Baylor, next week against ISU, then the big showdown in Stillwater. BOOMER!!

A random 1 year post

2011-11-16T10:33:00.003-06:00

Jack and Braley are 1 today. What a blessed day, indeed. Not to mention, I caught every green light on my way home from taking Paige to school.

My big one year old boys, in new jammies from Aunt Brookie:

And a lil' preview of big man in his birthday hat ; )

We celebrated birthday-eve with a trip to Target. So we didn't have to buy diapers and are 100% off formula, yet I still spend $125 + at the grocery. Dang natural/organic foods!

We also got a little crazy yesterday - the fridge repair man was here (and is still not fixed. FML.) so we brought the highchairs in the twins room and ate in there.

I am also on a weightloss kick. Yay me!

And I had to snap one last photo of BABIES! : (

Jack at 1 year:

Diaper = size 4 clothes = 12-18 months

Favorite foods = cheese, yogurt, bananas, cheerios, sweet peas, chicken, grapes, blueberries, banana puffs, goldfish, loves milk and water

*biggest mommas boy. He follows me around the house, loses his mind when I leave a room, or when a babysitter shows up - watch out! Big boy throws his head back and CRIES!

*seconds away from walking. He is all over the place and can crawl to the top of the stairs within a few minutes.

*says mama and dada to the appropriate parent

*when we wants something, he yells, "nanananananana!" It is pretty funny

*He has also started expressing displeasure by kicking. Good times.

*Excellent eater.

*Happiest baby I have ever seen.

Braley at 1 year:

Diaper = 4, but could easily wear 3s. He is tiny.

Clothes = 12-18 months, but again, could easily fit in 6-12. I just like to keep then in the same size, at least for now.

Favorite foods = any fruit and veggie pouch by Happy.Tot, cheerios, turkey, cheese, grapes, mac n cheese, all veggies pretty much, black beans, waffles, likes water, but really not in to milk.

*He is finally pulling up to stand. God love him.

*Still doing the army crawl. It is really cute. He is always pulling up the rear when the kids take off for somewhere.

*Snuggles like no baby has ever snuggled before. So adorable - he sucks his thumb and loves to just lay on your chest.

*Sensitive, smart, inquisitive. He loves to wave, clap, and his favorite song is the itsy bitsy spider.

*By far the most sensitive/high maintenance of my 3 kids. He is a special little boy. And man alive - does he ever love his momma! : )

I can't imagine how I got chosen to be the mother of these amazing little boys.

Post birthday party

2011-11-14T20:04:00.004-06:00

The boys' party was wildly successful! We had a FULL house, with all our friends, family, and lots o' kids running around, all celebrating the fact that these precious souls were born and have lived (almost!) a whole year!

I can't even begin to think about how emotional I am going to be on Wednesday, their actual birthday. My tiny 5 and 6 pound babies have brought me more joy than I knew possible. I remember doing my first shot of Follistim and Menopur in a hotel bathroom in Tulsa (how funny infertiles are. Most look back fondly on a special weekend/vacation/night that their child was probably conceived on. I remember shooting up on a girls spa weekend when my husband wasn't even with me).

The boys got a lot of great gifts! Fun books, blocks, toys, jammies, and cute outfits! We are blessed! I think our favorite gift, however, were our big boy chairs from Mele and Papa!

We went to the gym this morning (gotta burn off all of the cupcakes/rice krispe treats/cookies/Qdoba) then decided to stay home and play all day with the new toys.

My sweet friend Callie took pictures for me, so as soon as I get those back I will get them on here!

I have been blessed

2011-11-11T21:01:00.003-06:00

I love our family pictures this year! Last year, I was 10 days post-partum with twins, running on zero sleep...however, this year, the boys are mobile and had runny noses - but I digress.

It was gorgeous out and the trees were in the peak of their fall glory. We went out to a little neighborhood at our country club and our lovely photographer met us there.

I die.

"We are stitched together, and what love has tethered, I pray we never undo." - Blake Shelton

So thankful for these precious memories of my sweet family!

Busy doesn't even begin...

2011-11-11T15:31:00.002-06:00

to describe my life this past week. The twins were sick, we are in full potty-training mode with Paige, and I'm trying to tie up all the last-minute details of the boys' party Sunday.

It got me thinking how everyone has told me that twins get harder as they get older. For me, things are actually getting easier, but not in the way that you'd expect.

I am busier - the twins are in to everything. Jack can crawl up our stairs, from the bottom all the way up to the top. He loves to crawl in the study and turn our internet off. He has learned how to start the dishwasher. Braley loves the bathroom trash cans, and to take all the contents out and kind of wade around in them. Jack loves to turn the bathtub on. He finds every single door stopper in our house, takes them off, then hides them somewhere. We are missing about 5. Cool. Braley is a momma's boy through and through, so if he can see me, he generally wants me to be holding him. And if I don't, he crawls up to me, squeaks, then lays his head on my feet and sucks his thumb.

Not to mention, I also have a 2.5 year old we are potty training. So as you can imagine, I am busy. But this is so much easier to me than the first 6 months. The first 6 months were clouded by guilt. I felt guilty that I couldn't hold the babies as much as I wanted. Guilty that Paige had to watch TV while I worked on nursing. Guilty that I held Paige for hours on end as she slept, but the babies had to nap in their bouncy seats. Guilty, guilty, guilty.

As time has gone on, I feel like I can give my time more evenly to the kids, the boys love to play on the floor with their toys, meal times are easy because the boys are on all table foods and all the kids are on the same schedule. We are in a routine.

Don't get me wrong, when both boys are sick and just want to be held and I can't do that, those feelings of guilt come flooding back.

But I must say, that I'm enjoying this time a lot more than I thought I would.

I will try to get back in the groove of blogging next week, after the party.

I'm pretty excited to celebrate my babies first year of life with those who love them : )

xoxo

Been MIA

2011-11-08T20:10:00.004-06:00

I've been MIA. I am in a little bit of a funk - can't really explain it. Maybe having something to do with the fact that my babies will be babies no more in 8 days? And then Braley getting sick, which I'll get in to below...well that has done nothing to help my spirits.

I'll start with Halloween! Trick or treating was fun, but David had to work, so he missed it. That made both of us upset, and it was very stressful for me - to say the least.

Little bubber cub loved trying to get into the candy!

Jackpot!

The weather has been hit or miss here, one day it is beautiful and we can play outside, then the next it is cold and raining. Certainly could be contributing to my funk.

We had fun at the OU game on Saturday, then family pictures were Sunday! A little preview of one of my little buddies: : )

The kids (and hubby!) were extremely well behaved for our pictures. It really could not have gone better! I CAN NOT WAIT to get them back! It was a perfect day, our location was gorgeous - a perfect fall photo shoot.

But the littlest of my loves (Braley bub) started getting sick and it has gotten worse and worse. All the kids (and me!) have had some congestion, but nothing too bad. But poor Braley seems to always get the worst of it.

I went out today and stocked up on any and all products I could find to help combat colds and congestion.

The main problem was fever and the fact that I couldn't suction out his nose fast enough and he kept swallowing the congestions (gross, sorry) - and vomiting non-stop. He slept on an off all day. Around 11, I went in and got him from his crib to find that he had vomited, yet again, and I could tell it was mucous-y and green, so I decided it was time to see the doctor.

Little man couldn't even lift his head at this point : (

And it was all he could do to even keep his eyes open.

Love our pediatrician so much - she was so sweet and just very concerned about this sweet guy. He was dehydrated and that was making him even sicker - she saw him dry heave several times. And I told her that he had been doing that all day, so she knew this was something we had to correct before it got serious. We did pedialite, and he took it very well!

It still took him about an hour of being lethargic and not being able to stay awake, but once that got in his system, it was like flipping a switch! It was nuts! He fought to get out of my arms, crawled up to Jack's highchair and started eating his food!

Then a little eucalyptus bath helped even more.

I struggle with watching my kids be sick. I know that I am lucky that this is the most major thing we deal with, but it is difficult for me. I had David come home from work and my mom come over because I just get so stressed and upset. And, I have 2 other children who need love, attention, and to be taken care of. I am blessed with people in my life who love to help me care for my kids. And David is a great dad who worries right there with me and doesn't make me feel like I am paranoid or crazy for being so upset.

All 3 little loves are sleeping and David is fetching me some Sonic right now, so things are looking up : )

Song for daddy

2011-11-02T20:43:00.000-05:00

David has been working crazy hours at work and hasn't gotten to see his kids. Paige and I made him a video to cheer him up: : )

Paige and Braley

2011-11-01T20:21:00.003-05:00

I think that Paige and Braley look SO much alike. It is wild! This is Paige a few weeks before her birthday and Braley J a few weeks before his first birthday.

And the funny thing is, Jack looked exactly like Paige at as a newborn.

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T20:37:00.003-05:00

Well, TOTing '11 has come and gone. And I could use a cocktail.

David had to work (shock of all shocks...) so my mom came to help me (along with my niece, Ava) get these kiddos out an about. One of are awesome neighbors invited us on their neighborhood hayride! SO cute and fun! Here are all the kiddos reado to roll! Paige was in there somewhere : ) My mom was in charge of the girls and I had the boys. We were running all over the neighborhood (good thing I busted out the jog stroller and wore some flats!) following them around.

Little bit digging for her treasures!

Trick or Treat!!

Paige was very easily distracted (of course - she is 2!) but did enjoy herself.

David still wasn't home when we got back, so I had to do baths, lotion, jammies for all three, get the milk warmed up for the boys, turn Dora on for Paige, feed Jack, feed Braley, set Jack in his crib, take Braley in Paige's room and rock him, lay him down, get Braley out of his crib, take him into Paige's room and rock him, lay him down, fix a little snack for Paige, clean up the kitchen, rock and lay Paige down, then pick up the house.

Whew. : )

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween!!

aMUSEing

2011-10-31T15:57:00.004-05:00

My friend Tia, is the next Martha Stewart, but without all that insider trading/jail time/ankle bracelet while on house arrest dramz. She is doing the desserts for the boys' party, and she is just so crafty and creative!

She has decided to start a blog about all the fun things she does, so pop on over and discover your own inner domestic-ness! Except I don't, I just ask Tia to do it for me. : )

More fall fun

2011-10-30T20:45:00.005-05:00

We took our little pumpkin out to the Storybook forest today. It was great! So cute and makes me love fall even more. We had lovely weather, though it did get chilly when the sun started to go down. The grandparents were kind enough to stay with the boys so David and I could focus all our attention on our little girl.

I always remember those who desperately want children this time of year. It is SO focused on kids/family, and I know first-hand just how painful it is to wonder if you will ever get to experience this kind of thing. I can't understand why it has to be so hard for some people, and why some people (like me) get lucky and others don't.

David and I have been blessed with our lovely children, and we enjoy them that much more, knowing that they truly are a gift, not a right. We had to work for them.

And how wonderful it is to see that gift dressed up in a pumpkin tutu dress...

Sitting in the hay...

Experiencing roasting marshmallows and s'mores for the first time...

Running to jump in her daddy's arms...

Yes - we sure are enjoying our precious daughter right now! Happy Halloween!!! xoxo

Birthday party fun!

2011-10-30T10:50:00.004-05:00

We had the pleasure of going to our sweet friend, Bailey's birthday party yesterday! It was gorgeous outside. They had a bounce house, Bailey's new trampoline set up, and a pumpkin painting station. Not to mention, lots of yummy treats! A great way to spend a Saturday morning with my family.

All these fun toys, and this girls spent most of her time with a baby and stroller, pushing it all over, taking the baby out, holding her, putting her back in, rinse and repeat...

She is such a little mommy. Very loving and nurturing.

Homegirl kept her eye on that cupcake! And bless her little heart, she loves to blow out candles, so she didn't quite understand why Bailey got to blow out the candle. I'm thinking we are going to have to let her blow the twins' candles out at their party.

The pumpkin painting was a huge hit and a great idea, for anyone whose little ones have fall birthdays.

Our finished product.

David stayed home with the boys because it was during their morning nap time, but he packed them up and came down as soon as they woke up.

We spend the rest of the day watching football and grilling out at home on our back paito (BOOMER!!!!), so it was a really great Saturday! Capped off the night with a Halloween party at a friends house. And today, we are headed to the Storybook Forest. I have heard nothing but great things about that.

I am getting excited for family pictures next weekend and the boys' party the week later. Yay for fall! Love this time of year!

Braley's tricks

2011-10-27T21:19:00.000-05:00

I think Braley is really freaking cute. He is such a sweet little boy, and SO smart!! : ) You can see from this video, that he is mastering the "tricks." Jack, on the other hand, looks at me like I'm crazy. He is seriously minutes away from walking, so that is what he is working on. Oh, and he says, "mamamama" all day long. Sorry to be obnoxious and annoying, but I am proud of my boys who are growing up so fast!

Fall weather = great photo ops outside!

2011-10-25T16:06:00.002-05:00

So this pumpkin goes everywhere with us. Paige even naps with it sometimes. She picked it out at a nursery (the flower/plants variety) and just loves it! When it starts rotting, I'll throw it out. Hopefully : /

This picture makes me LOL. This is what happens when a little boy with furry, crazy hair goes out on a windy day.

Possibly a little biased, but I think this little boy is just the cutest thing. He looks like a toy - just way too cute : )

Love my two sweet almost 1 year olds!! I mailed out the big invites today. Crazy how fast time has gone this time. Faster than with Paige, if that is even possible. And I love them more with every passing second. They were the perfect way to complete our family.

This is what a great daddy is: not too cool to get down and sidewalk chalk with his daughter. And dot the i in her name with a flower.

We have been spending a lot of time on the back patio. Love this weather! I hope it stays around for a while, but especially through the boys' party on the 13th.

Blessed

2011-10-23T20:57:00.005-05:00

Okay, so the Sooner loss is still bothering me, but it fades substantially when I look at these little ones! We had great weather today and took advantage.

LOL

Is this really my life?!? How did I get so lucky?

Pumpkin patch revisited

2011-10-23T15:20:00.005-05:00

Despite a blessed weekend with my kids and our friends, I'm feeling blue today. You can probably guess why...my beloved Sooners lost on Saturday : ( It is amazing how much we (as fans) are invested in this group of 18-22 year old kids. And yes, the sun did rise today, just the same as always. And as I read this, I am thinking, lady - get a grip! It is just a football game! But I digress.

We had a lovely trip to the pumpkin patch on Friday! David stayed home to spend some time with the twins and let Paige and I go with no worry of schedules and finding high chairs. We met several of my friends and their kids there.

Paige loved the petting zoo again.

Amanda was so sweet to come along and help wrangle the crazy kids!

Paige loves Ethan! She was following him around and copying him.

Sweet Logan! Paige is blessed to have many friends to grow up with.

Logan stayed on the swing for a long time and loved it. Paige got on, swung back, then forth, then proclaimed, "I'm finished!"

Love my little lady.

PUMPKINS!!!

After the pumpkin fun, we went to Pops, which is a fun little local place. We had a huge table on the back patio. There is a huge open area, the kids were running around...it was a great night!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!! xoxo

Braley claps his hands!

2011-10-19T20:41:00.001-05:00

I lost my voice this weekend (no, not from yelling at my husband. EVERYONE asked me if that is how. Hmmm....) and is just now coming back - so please excuse my voice in this. And yes, I realize that only a mom (or dad, grandmother, etc) thinks that a baby clapping 2 times is the cutest thing ever. But I think this is pretty darn cute : )

If, after you view this video, you say - I'll never get those 3 minutes back, well, I'm sorry : )

Feed the puppies

2011-10-19T16:09:00.003-05:00

Paige is loving the dogs so much right now. And we can't ever feed them without her yelling, "no I do it! I do it!" And even when they food bowl is full, sometimes we have to dump the food out because Paige won't stop yelling, "Feed the puppies!"

Once she lays the bowl down, she says, "Spike! Beefy! Come here guys!" She is such a sweet little girl.

Another funny things from this age: she mimics everything. So she picks up her toy phone from her kitchen and says, "Hello? Oh hi! How are you? Have a good day. Okay bye."

A cold front has come through here. Time to bundle up : )

All boys

2011-10-17T13:24:00.004-05:00

The weather here right now is the reason I never want to leave Oklahoma. Paige took an early nap today, so the boys and I went outside to enjoy this day!

Sweet Spike. I am taking them to the groomers tomorrow, thank goodness! They are starting to smell, and Spike loves to cuddle on the couch : /

So proud of this little love starting to pull up on things!

Nothing new here. We have a typical week planned with school, a trip to the zoo, another trip to the pumpkin patch on Friday, OU game on Saturday...you can see why fall is my favorite time of year.

Saturday cook-outs

2011-10-16T10:59:00.003-05:00

We grilled burgers and enjoyed the fab weather with some of our friends and neighbors yesterday evening. The OU game didn't kick-off until 8:15 - so we did dinner and playtime, babies to bed, then got to watch the game. Perfect fall night in Oklahoma!

No, we didn't play Baylor, but our neighbors felt like they still had to represent their alma mater.

Of of these things is not like the others...

These girls played HARD.

And stayed up way past bedtime! She finally crashed out around 9. She ate more than one cupcake and went to bed with a dirty face and feet - but you know what...that is okay every once in a while! It is what being a kid is all about sometimes.

Pumpkin patch and 11 months

2011-10-14T20:59:00.006-05:00

It was such a beautiful day today, David left work a little early and we took the kids out to the pumpkin patch at Arcadia Lake.

They had a petting zoo, which Paige LOVED. Loved. However, the bunnies did not love her. She chased them all around the little pin they were in, yelling, "bunny! Where are you? Come back! Bunny!" David and I were laughing so hard!

They had little baby pigs : )

Braley bubber liked to pet the animals. We all had baths when we got home.

And we are approaching 11 months (Sunday). A part of me looks back and feels like those crazy newborn days were a lifetime ago. But another part of me feels like it has gone so fast. I am thankful that I've moved on from feeling guilty - the guilt that so encompassed me in the early days when I felt like I couldn't hold the babies as much as they deserved to be held. These boys are loved, and they know it. They are happy, healthy, thriving - and love their momma!

I'm happy to say that, after 2 months of working on it, we are on all table foods. I am starting the transition to WCM and off formula next week. They are loving sippy cups with water. And Braley is *this* close to pulling up.

I am very thankful for the continued health of my kids. We are blessed.

OU fan in training

2011-10-12T10:33:00.000-05:00

Paige sure does love her Sooners!!!

Picture day!

2011-10-11T10:11:00.002-05:00

I love that Paige's school has picture day. I mean, what could be cuter than that?!? Next year, when the boys are in school, we will have them do sibling pics : ) I die : )

Paige and her cute bestie, Pres!!

Braley woke up with a runny nose this morning, so I think we will be staying in today. The joys of cold and flu season.

My beautiful boys

2011-10-10T20:49:00.003-05:00

I have been a blog slacker! We had a busy week and then a fun weekend away in Dallas.

And now, things are just trucking along as usual! I have been working on getting a picture for the boys' birthday party invitation, but so far, no luck! These guys are super cute, of course, but not willing to sit and smile for momma!!

Right now, I'm working on the invitations. I already have food, dessert, smash cakes, and decorations ordered. Seems like I am almost done - yet I am still stressed about it! I need to get a life.

We have a lot of fun things planned for fall. Football games, trips to pumpkin patches, birthday parties for little friends, the boys turning 1, Thanksgiving...time keeps going faster and faster and I am trying to soak it all in. Tonight, I was rocking Braley, and he started fighting to get out of my arms. So I laid him in his crib and he started sucking his thumb and fell right asleep. : ( Didn't need mommy tonight : (

Bananas

2011-10-03T13:21:00.003-05:00

My kids love bananas and always have! Today, all three kids ate an entire banana for their snack (so, 3 bananas total).

I cut it up and let the boys feed themselves, to see if they could do it. I'll be darned it if they didn't eat every last bite!! Jack was even looking for more on Braley's tray.

That was legit, mom!

It dawns on me more and more every day just how expensive feeding a family of 5 is. David and I eat crap and I'm totally fine with that, but I want more for my kids - at least now, when I can dictate what they eat. So I try and buy things that are natural/fresh and sometimes organic when I see fit. But man alive - holy $$$$$. I have been spending about $250 a week and that is JUST groceries. Not including diapers, laundry detergent, dish soap, other random things like that. And, we also pick up take-out/order pizza several times a week for David and me, so it is very eye opening to look at our bank statement and see just how much goes towards food. And I don't see this changing at all for about, oh, 17 years.

Fabulously Fall

2011-10-02T20:48:00.003-05:00

I love fall. Right now, the weather is so nice. Not cold yet, but I don't have to worry about heat stroke and dehydration when we play outside. OU football, walks in the park, wine on the patio...yes, we sure are enjoying early fall!

We had fun at another tailgate on Saturday.

Today, we had our family day - breakfast, housework, catching up on Dateline and 60 Minutes, a trip to Qdoba and the park.

We go to feed the ducks fairly regularly. This one duck is here every time! You can barely tell in this picture, but he has a little ponytail poof thing on top. Paige got excited when we saw him tonight. She said, "DUCKY! Yook at his ponytail!"

Braley and Jack* are great sports and happily talked and squealed in their stroller while we navigated the park.

We are in for a busy week, then OU/Texas in Dallas this weekend.

BOOMER!!!!!

Girlfriends, mani/pedi, lunch dates

2011-10-01T07:08:00.004-05:00

Oh, did I mention that this was my 2 year olds life?

Paige and I met up with her buddy, Presley yesterday. We went to feed the ducks, play a little bit, and to get our nails done : )

Love these sweet girls!!!!

In other news - I am NOT going to be winning mother of the year over here.

As you all know, Braley recently started eating his table foods well. It has been wonderful! However, I didn't know you weren't supposed to give egg whites until 1. The boys ate scrambled eggs and cheese 3 days in a row, and Braley proceeded to break out in a rash : ( I was so confused because I had eaten eggs and nursed Braley for months and months. And he eats things with eggs in them, like pancakes. But a call to my pediatrician confirmed that there is something in the egg white protein when it isn't baked into something that is too hard for them to break down at this age.

I feel awful every time I change him and see it on his stomach and little legs. I am bringing him in if it doesn't clear up by mid-next week, but I'm sure it will. Just no more egg whites.

But on a positive note, both boys are babbling mamamama all the time now, and even crawl up to me and cry, "mamama" when they want me to hold them. Makes everything worth it!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T09:45:00.002-05:00

More fun with my new phone

2011-09-26T20:36:00.002-05:00

I am obsessed with my new phone. I got an app for editing photos and it is way too much fun. And now I can annoy my kids even more with chasing them around trying to take their picture.

We had a lovely Monday. Breakfast, gym, nap, walk, lunch, nap, play time, dinner, walk, bath, bed.

I chopped my hair off last Christmas, and while I did like it, I didn't cut it again. I have been getting just trims since then and it is finally starting to really grow back out. Thoughts? Keep growing? Cut short again? Try and keep it just the same?
Little loves doing some cooking : )
Braley is still doing wonderfully eating! He is eating his table foods just as well as Jack now.

And now, me being me, I'm just waiting for the next thing to make me upset/worried. I know it won't be long. Just my nature.

Random weekend recap

2011-09-25T21:04:00.003-05:00

Every Sunday I say the same thing...I'm exhausted from our hectic weekend!

Friday, David camped out with some friends, so the kids and I went to the zoo. There were 4 moms, 6 kids, and 1 on the way : ) We had fun! And the kids went to sleep easily when we got home, so that was nice.

Saturday, I left the kids with a sitter and went down to Norman to tailgate and go to the game. Another Sooner victory = a happy Griffith household!

Today, we went to breakfast, did some fall shopping, and hung around the house.

These little guys are constantly on the move!

But when they crash - they crash hard. I love this little boy who sucks his thumb.

We went for a walk in the evening. Gorgeous weather here in the 405. I am blessed to live in a place with a fantastic fall. Too bad it will only last a few months before the bitter cold sets in.

We got out all the fall decor. Paige was my reluctant model.

So...potty training is trucking along. Paigers will potty every time we put her there, but still isn't telling us when she has to go. So in pull-ups she will stay. I can't be cleaning up constantly when I have two 10 month olds loose in my house.

I bought the most expensive toy potty out there, and it never got used. Paige has no issues going on the regular one, so this is truly a toy. Might I have a few future plumbers on my hands?
And some great news from our camp: (I hate even typing this out - I feel like I'm jinxing it and by saying this outloud, tomorrow we will fall back into bad routines) but Braley has been eating table foods and not gagging! He ate scrambled eggs and cheese, quesadilla, and banana today! And he had 14 ounces of formula. And Jack, of course, was his usual excellent eating self:

So I'm really hoping this trend continues.

And I leave you with this:

My sweet little girl.

Have a great week, everyone!! xoxo

Mommy and me portraits

2011-09-22T21:37:00.002-05:00

First - some random things:

Playdate with Paige's friend, Logan! Somehow, these girls always end up losing their shirts when they play. Let's just hope that trend doesn't continue in their teens : /

A little trip to the grocery store with my little companions today while Paige was in school. As you can imagine - sitting in the shopping cart together dressed alike drew many admirers.

It is official: I'm having way too much fun with my iphone4. I love the reverse camera feature. I never get pics of me with the kids, because I'm always the one with the camera. But now, we have a fun way of getting them. And the kids are fascinated by looking and seeing themselves and mommy in the screen.

Love this little Braley bubber cub.

Mommy with The Fat Jack.

Random - but I just got Paige's new ottoman in, and I love it! It was made from leftover scraps of fabric I had from things in our house. The pink was from Paige's lamp shade, but everything else from other things in our house. It looks like such a big girl room to me now.

We have a busy weekend! David is going to be gone tomorrow night, so the kids and I are going to the zoo with some friends! It will be hectic for me, but I want to get everyone out of the house. Then, Saturday is the OU game. I've got a sitter coming in the afternoon and I'll head down to Norman for some fun and football. Sunday, we are going to deck our house out for fall and do our fall planting. And I'm in full-swing party mode for the boys' birthday party in November.

Things get tough around here, no doubt. But I am loving every minute of this blessed life that I lead.

Happy weekend, friends!! xoxo

Pretty afternoons

2011-09-21T15:14:00.002-05:00

Paige loves to have her afternoon snack outside, and this weather we are having here in the 405 is perfect for just that! A nice, sunny breeze, hanging outside with my lovely daughter while two boys nap inside...bliss : )

A funny about Paige:

So the way we have taught Paige how to talk and learn new words is to teach her something, then ask her to repeat it.

Example: "Paige, do you see that? That is a helicopter! Can you say helicopter?"

So Paige has been doing that to US lately! It is so funny!

Example: "Mommy! Look at the bulldozer! Can you say bulldozer?"

I'm learning a lot : )

Sorry - now that I

2011-09-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

have an iphone4, I'm taking videos like you wouldn't believe. Here is one a few days ago down at my grandparents of Braley dancing.

I promise - once I get over the initial excitement of being able to post these videos with only a few clicks, I'll simmer down a bit.

Paige singing!!

2011-09-21T10:54:00.000-05:00

Worth the 2 minutes to watch Paige singing her favorite songs : )

Weekend without daddy

2011-09-18T14:10:00.002-05:00

David went to Florida this weekend for the OU/FSU game (BOOMER!!), so my mom came to stay with me and help me with the kiddos. Plus, I hate to stay alone : )

We spent a lot of time at the park, feeding the ducks, long walks...it was nice!

The best part was an OU victory last night. Yipeeee!!!!!

I'm exhausted and ready for daddy to get home! Hopefully just a few more hours.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!