Giggly Jilly!!

My little Jillian does laugh! She has been quite the handful in her short life so far. She was a very serious baby and it took her a long time to even smile. She finally laughed, but it took her 6 months to get there. Until recently she would still rarely laugh. Now I can usually get her to laugh fairly easily, but the other day she was in the exersaucer and entertained herself really well with a toy. I managed to get the camera and take a video. Here it is:

Beasts turn sweet??

Anyone that has spent any time with me knows that I refer to my screaming sweeties as my little Beast Children!! Especially my little Jilly! They are almost 8 months old now and for the past 8 months people have been telling me that it will get easier... that it won't always be this hard... that they will become more independent... It seemed as if those days would never come.

Well I'm not saying the day is here and here to stay (I'm being non-committal), but they have been easier lately!! During the day they are typically happy and typically more easy going. They will play in the floor with a toy and spend time rolling around and practicing their crawling too. A little reprieve at least for me!

So not as often will I have beast children! I am actually enjoying them some!! Which is just amazing for me! I feel like I've just missed out on anytime that mom's should have to enjoy the tiny new baby. Hopefully I can relax a bit now and cuddle them while I can! Here's a recent pic:















Now I should go let them out of their crib while they are still in their nice form!!

Flying Squirrels... or not

My dog has a habit of having his barking sessions at the neighbor dog or a passing pedestrian during naptime. This bothers me. If you are a mom you know how nice and wonderful and much needed naptime is. I take lots of careful planning to get 3 children down for a nap at the same time so I can do things I need to do! So when the barking started today, I race outside ready to ream the dog for barking, but he is looking up and barking... which is odd. So I look up and see and hear two cute fuzzy little squirrels playing way in the top of a tree! Wally quit barking when he saw me, but just as I looked up I see one of the squirrels DROP right out of the tree and THUD on the ground! I went over there to see if it was hurt, but it fell in the neighbor's yard (which is a good thing cause even an injured squirrel has no chance of survivial in my yard of dogs that would think it's a play toy!) I couldn't see it, so I can only imagine it survived somehow and scurried off... Just thought it was really odd. I've never seen a squirrel fall before. They are usually really good at hanging on. Maybe it lived... we'll go with that!! At least my kids are still asleep! Here's a pic... my finger is pointing to the part of the tree they were in and you can see how high up it was. Not sure why I am so facinated by this or why it deserved a blog entry!!

Okay, well the top of my finger anyway...

He tries to look innocent!

Guess this is what he really thinks of me!!

Avery's Thanksgiving videos

I meant to put these up sooner, but didn't! This is Avery's very cute Thanksgiving songs. She was the one singing loudly and out of tune, but it was still precious!!

A word from Avery

Avery enjoys calling her grandparents on the phone and chatting with them. This particular occasion she had called my dad and was hoping to talk long enough to avoid naptime! Here's how the talk went:

Avery: Hi Pa. where are you?

Pa: I'm at work.

Avery: Where's Gran?

Pa: Well she's at her work. Did you want to talk to Gran?

Avery: Ya, but she won't call me back. (It had been about 2 minutes since she left a message)

Pa: She's probably just busy at work, but she will call you back. She's not like Grandma and Grandpa that are REtired. They get to stay home now, but Gran and I still go to work each day.

Avery: Maybe if you're tired one day you can stay home from work too!

he he he!! I thought it was very cute what they hear and how words get mixed up!

101 Things I am Thankful For (in no particular order)

Geezz! I am such a conformist!! I am copying Traca's copying of Jodi's blog idea! So here's my list:

1. God's Grace
2. My loving husband, Ken
3. The sweetest 4 year old, Avery
4. God's Blessings
5. My busy little baby girl, Jillian
6. My laid back slilly little boy, Eden
7. baby squeals
8. healthy kids
9. gracious friends
10. Mom groups
11. Fuzzy little heads
12. nastalgia
13. Christmas Traditions
14. Christmas lights
15. sausage balls (Christmas morning breakfast tradition)
16. my comfortable couches
17. Thunderstorms
18. Air conditioning (I would melt in the summer)
19. Chocolate
20. my dogs
21. My kid's Grandparents
22. My home
23. Indoor plumbing!
24. e-mail
25. facebook (sorry I've really gotten addicted!)
26. The Back to the Future movies!!
27. Baby Einstein Videos
28. books
29. Cute little baby clothes
30. New Recipes
31. Tivo!!
32. Those few nights when the babies sleep all night long!
33. My own bed
34. Google
35. Jesus Dying for me
36. Fat free yogurt
37. Overnight Dates!
38. Prayers
39. Little, tiny, blonde ponytails
40. The fact that my poodle still loves me despite the additions of husband, dogs, kid, kid, kid!
41. Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!!
42. Mom's Night Out
43. Baby sitters
44. Nates in Addison
45. SMILE
46. MOPS
47. Fireplace fires (really missing my fireplace in San Antonio)
48. Quaker granola bars
49. Warm Homemade bread YUM!
50. That I still anticipate Christmas
51. naptime!!
52. Seriously... NAPTIME!!
53. Christmas Music
54. Remembering
55. Valley Grove
56. Wee School
57. Fast food
58. Home Cooked meals
59. Quiet house (One day I can be thankful for this again!)
60. That I have friends that value the simple things like their wooden spoon!!
61. My compact camera
62. Being a SAHM
63. Dr. Pepper
64. That I am still able to breastfeed
65. Cold Weather
67. Unconditional Love my kids have for me (right now)
68. Forgiveness
69. Swimming Pools
70. Wind chimes
71. Birds singing (but not early in the morning)
72. Quilting
73. Diaper Genie II
74. The smell of Cinnamon
75. The smell of Coffee
76. Knowledge
77. Wisdom
78. That I can eat potato chips and still somehow turn that into the perfect milk for babies (albeit not the best version)
79. Laughter
80. Christmas Trees
81. Snow
82. The Ocean
83. Cruises
84. My sister and her new family
85. My ability to copy things (What I lack in creativity I make up for in being a copycat)
86. "I love yous" from Avery and Ken
87. Sweet hugs for no reason
88. Ken's Job
89. Baby Giggles - no sweeter sound on earth!
90. Amazement of a growing child
91. Bright Eyes
92. My growing patience
93. naps for me (rare, but wonderful)
94. That my 4 year old still takes naps!
95. Jon & Kate Plus 8 (Yup stole that one from Jodi, but that show makes me feel better!)
96. fuzzy socks
97. cuddly babies
98. Cuddly 4 yr olds
99. Post-it notes
100. My diaper bag
101. Learning new Things

A crazy Day with the twins!

So I thought I had done well booking the twins' 6 month appointment when I did. In the past not thinking about it I had scheduled it at 3 PM on a day when I had to pick up Avery from school, or at 10 when my bible study is. This time I booked it at 11:20 which is after my bible study and on a Tuesday when Avery was in school. Well as things seem to go around here... My bible study is now over and Avery is having a party and gets out early on Tuesday! Anyhow... I called and rescheduled my appointment for Monday at 1 instead. So about 12:00 I gave Avery her lunch and heated up something for me. I then got the babies and my big nursing pillow and sat down with my hot pasta and was about to feed them and myself at the same time. I do this often, but it wasn't in the cards for today. Just as I sat down and got each baby in position the chaos started.
The pasta (hot pasta) tumped (yes that's a word in my Texas language tumped = toss/dump) over right onto Eden! I GASP and freak out. I jumped up SLINGing pasta across the room in attempt to keep it from burning him. In the process of jumping up I knock Jillian off my pillow and off the couch and into the floor on her head! I see her fall and GASP again. So Eden is not burned, but highly upset that he is not eating and has been dipped in pasta sauce. Jillian is not hurt, but extremely offended that she's been tumped on the floor! I am still freaking out and Avery thinks I am mad at her. There is pasta SMEARED down the whole arm of my couch and down in the cusion. This is the couch I paid $45 to have steam cleaned a week and a half ago. My brand new rug has some pasta and chicken on it. Avery is running around trying to help me... but like I said I was freaking out. Guess I don't work well under pressure!
So I close my eyes and calm myself. I take Eden's clothes off, wipe the couch, spray the couch with upholstry cleaner and remove the cover off my nursing pillow. Once everyone is cleaned up I sit on the other couch and feed the babies. I then set Jillian on a Boppy Pillow on the couch and go get a new outfit for Eden. I come back and Jillian is chocking and spits up a TON of milk on my other couch. I clean her up and change her clothes and spray and clean the other couch. Finally I grab stuff and run out the door late to the doctor appointment.
The appointment is going well at first...
The babies check out well and Avery is being helpful. While asking the doctor some questions I get up holding both babies and my shoe comes off and trips me. I fumble BOTH babies, GASP and just barely catch Jillian from SLAMMing her into the hard floor! I scrape my knee, but at least Jilly is okay.
The doctor leaves and I am waiting on the nurse to come give the babies shots. Eden didn't eat very well and Jillian spit up all her food and I didn't get to eat cause my food spilled all over the couch, Eden and my new rug. They are getting very fussy and I started getting hypoglycemic meaning I am sweating, dizzy, and about to faint at the doctor office. The nurse comes in, so I hand Jillian to Avery to hold (which she usually does very carefully and very well). She for some reason stands Jillian up and quickly looses balance. Jillian conks her head on the carseat and then the floor. Avery caught her well and she didn't hit hard luckliy.
The nurse then realizes I am about to pass out from lack of food and gets some help. They check my blood sugar and it's okay, but I am not. I have a Dr. Pepper they give me and attempt to help with shots. The nurse was AWESOME! She gave each baby 4 pokes, but did it so quick it was over in a flash.
So the babies get their shots and the nurse helps me to my car!
It's usually hectic at the doctor office, but this was CRAZY and over the top, so I felt I needed to share! Life with twins!