Makes My Monday: Beach

Yesterday we went to my sister in laws in Kennebunk ME.  It was our first trip to the beach this year.  I was amazed at how much Michael loved the ocean.  He didn't want to leave the water, even after he fell face first a couple of times after losing his balance!  It totally solidified the fact that me and my husband need more than the 2 of us if we want to take them to the beach!

Thomas kissing Daddy!

Michael and Eva Rose with their cousins.

Taking the kids to the beach for the first time this year makes my Monday!

Amy

16 month check up

Yesterday the twins went for their 15 month check up which was really a 16 month checkup.  Overall, they are doing great.  They are on the smaller side of the growth curve, but are following their own curve.  A few Mothers Of Twins confirmed what I kind of thought: I just have small kids.  Like one MOT said, they have energy, they don't seem like they are hungry and if they do they get food, they are meeting developmental milestones and they are following their growth curve.  I just need to get over my insecurities about making sure that I am doing the right things as a mom.

Here are the twins stats from their visit:

Eva Rose-weight 20 pounds (6-7%)
                 height 30.5 inches (which may be off since she was not cooperative) (38-39%)
                 head circumference 18.7 inches (85-87%)

Thomas-weight 21 pounds (5%)
              height 30.5 inches (20%)
              head circumference 19 inches (75%)

All 3 kids had blood work completed and overall it looks good.  The boys have Thalassemia (mediterranean anemia) and have a little low iron and may either end up with a multi-vitamin supplement/iron supplement or increase in iron rich foods.  Eva Rose's white count was a little high but better than it was at her last visit when she actually was sick.  It's just a little something that we will keep an eye on.

All this being said, I am going to let go of my issues with their weight, since they are following their growth curve.  But, I am interested in getting cookbooks for kids.  I would love a book on how to get kids to eat food that is good for them and make it fun and that the parents will enjoy also (if there is any such cookbook).  I am getting board with what I am making and would love to branch out.

Along the same lines, is there any good craft sites or books for the 16-26 month+ age range.  And, does anyone have any good suggestions for activities for kids who love to be active (climbing, always moving etc.)?  A MOT suggested gymnastics at local gym that I am going to check into.

That is our latest stats and goals.

Amy

Way Back When-esday

Once again I'm joining in with http://twinfatuation.blogspot.com/

I just interviewed for a job this week.  I haven't worked since almost 2 years ago when I returned to work after a 3 month maternity leave with my first son.  2 years ago, I was hoping for time to slow down so that I could enjoy my time off.  By the time I had returned to work July 2008, I was again pregnant and I knew it, I just didn't know that I was going to have twins or that I would only be at work for a total of 4 months before I was put on bed rest.  Now here I am 2 years and 3 kids later still wanting for time to slow down, and not wanting to go back to work!

This is a picture of Michael 2 years ago at this time of year!

May 21, 2008

Newest Pictures

My little sister went to her senior prom tonight and we were there to take pictures.  I can't believe she is a senior and will be off to college in the fall.  While we took pictures of her, we took a ton of pictures of the kids.  Here are some of the latest pictures!

Auntie Elizabeth and Michael

Nonna Papa and the twins!

Balance Thomas Balance!

OOOOOOO!

Michael in Nonna's garden

Eva Rosie girl!

So happy!

Last but not least Prom Girl and Boyfriend!

I love pictures!

Amy

Father's Day

So, I have been thinking about what to do for father's day and I had thought that I would do some sort of mug and I still may.  I have been looking at clay stores to do this.  But, now, my twins group posted about father's day gifts and I love their idea.  They took pictures of their kids with letters spelling out DAD.  Since I have 3 kids, spelling out DAD will be perfect.  So I may end up doing 2 gifts.  the best part is that I get to do something creative for father's day.  The other thing that I am planning on trying is a cement stepping stone with hand prints of the kids and let them decorate it.  I bought a kit last year, but never used it.  I guess having a 15 month old and 5 month old twins was just too much last year.  This year, the kids are so much more independent.  We have a garden and I think it may be the perfect thing to make.  Well, Dad is going to get plenty of gifts this year, and I can't wait to make them!

I'll post pictures when I'm done!

Amy

Way Back When-esday

I'm joining in with Cheryl at twinfactuation.blogspot.com for Way Back When-esday.

This year my little sister is graduating from high school and moving on to UMASS Amherst.  I am so proud of her.  She is 19 years younger than I am and I feel so old now that she is graduating.  She's a great kid and I know that she will do great in college.  I wish her the best!

Elizabeth (my sister the one  with the glasses) and Hayley (my niece) and Domenic (my nephew) 6 years ago

Good luck Liz!

Sleep

As everyone knows, we have 2 great sleepers and 1 oh so not good sleeper.  The twins go to bed every night between 7 and 7:30 pm.  They are out almost right away and sleep til 6 or 6:30 am.  They then go back for a nap usually between 9 and 10 am and sleep for about 2 hours or so.

Michael on the other hand,  goes to bed around 8:30 pm and I now have to lie down with him.  When we first put him in his toddler bed, he did awesome.  He would have his last milk of the day, walk to bed, we would read a story, turn on the stars, give him his Elmo and talking leap frog dog and I would leave the room.  He would play for about 15 minutes then he was out for the night til the next morning around 6 or 7.  I was so excited.  I was sleeping through the night and I could remember the last time I had done that.  Then all of a sudden he refused to go to bed with out me, even though we were following the same routine.  I started putting him to bed in my bed and laying down with him; at least he would fall asleep that way!  Then he started waking at night and only falling asleep if he came in bed with us.  I tried letting him cry.  He cried for 1 hour before falling asleep and then he cried for 2 hours in the middle of the night.  He was still crying when I could let him cry any longer.  I went and got him and just hoped that this was just a stage.  I kept telling myself that there are plenty of people that co-sleep on purpose and plenty of people who let their kids sleep with them in the middle of the night and the have either become well adjusted adults or kids.  I didn't really mind him sleeping with us, but I did miss being next to my husband.  I did some research on line and found that at his age there could be a lot of reasons why he all of a sudden stopped sleeping well.  I thought it was either separation anxiety at night or teething or being scared.  I figured I would just ride it out since it seemed to be working for me.  Sunday night, I lied down with Michael and he fell asleep.  I put him in his bed a little while later.  I went to bed at my normal time and the next thing I knew it was morning.  I was amazed that he had slept through the night.  Last night it took a little longer to get him asleep, but he had blood work and wore him self out crying so he took a late nap (usually he doesn't take a nap or he's up way too late).  Again, I woke up to him crying at 5:30 this morning.  I let him and his sister cry til 6:00.  Michael was still in his bed when I went to get him.  Oh, how I hope that this is the way it is going to go from now on.  Hopefully, he start going to sleep without me and sleeping through the night.  Oh, and i did figure out he is teething.  That's what I ended up thinking was going on, but I actually saw the 2nd molars yesterday so hopefully it won't be as much of an issue.

I have to admit that I am not a major schedule person.  If there is something to do, I just adjust their nap time.  I know there are lots of people that disagree with this, but it certainly seems to work for us.  I am happy with how things are going, and am always happier when i get to sleep.  I hope that this contines.

Amy

Playing with Pictures

I've been playing with photoshop.  I still need to practice and learn more, but I am loving photoshop!

Not necessarily the best but lots of fun trying!

Amy

Way Back When-esday

I'm joining in again with Cheryl over at http://twinfatuation.blogspot.com/

Sunday, Thomas climbed up on the rocking chair in his room so I decided to get my camera.  When I looked to see what I was going to write about for today's post, I realized that I had a similar picture taken just about 1 year ago.  So much has changed!  I can't believe how they have grown!

All 3 kids May 4, 2009

All 3 kids May 9, 2010

Amy

Makes My Monday: Siblings

My youngest son climbed into the rocking chair in his room and got really cranky when he couldn't get down on his own.  I decided to put his twin sister next to him and take pictures then, I decided to have my older son join in.  All 3 kids hammed it up in front of the camera and stopped crying and started smiling!  I love that my kids are starting to play with each other and as much as I know they will fight and they already do, it is so nice to now that they are going to grow up close in age and hopefully close with how they get along!

All 3 kids

The twins

Love Thomas' face!

Way Back When-esday:March for Babies

Saturday, here in Boston, is the March of Dimes March for Babies.  Since our twins were in the NICU with RSV when they were just weeks old, we have been invited to join the Children's Hospital team.  Unfortunately, I have not raised any money other than what I plan to donate myself, but that is another story.  It always amazes me to look at my kids and remember how small they were when they were first born.  Unfortunately, I was put on bed rest for about 3 months for fear of going into premature labor, had many doctors appointments, ultrasounds, and Non-stress tests, and a couple of scary times.  I was luckily given a steroid shot at week 28 to help ensure that the twins lungs would be more developed if I happened to deliver early.  I did end up delivering early, but was able to make it out of the scary danger zone.  I delivered my twins at 35 weeks at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, MA and they were just about 4 1/2 pounds each.  They were in a level 2 nursery and on monitors, but when I was discharged, they were able to come home with us.

Unfortunately, they ended up with RSV just a couple of weeks later (which I have probably written about way too much and won't bore people with more about RSV!).  They ended up at Children's and thankfully thrived while they were there.  I am absolutely one of the lucky ones with regards to how long I carried my twins, their size, their time at Mt Auburn and their time at Children's.  I owe so much to the great care that I received throughout my pregnancy from my OB at Fresh Pond Women's Health and my perinatologist at MGH west and the staff at Mt Auburn, as well as the twin's doctor and all the staff at Children's Hospital from the ER to the NICU. I know my donation won't be much this weekend, but I hope it helps other people that need to have their children in the NICU at Children's Hospital.

I decided that I would show pictures from when they were swaddled just a couple of days after they were born and show them now laying on those blankets that they were swaddled in.  Ok, so that was my plan, but unfortunately , after looking at pictures, I realized that i din't have any of them swaddled in these blankets.  Most likely, that is because they were always double swaddled at the hospital and the receiving blankets were always on the outside.  So I just included pictures from when they were at Mt Auburn just a couple of days old!

Eva Rose with Daddy 2 days old (most likely double swaddled)

Eva Rose laying on the blanket we used to swaddle her in almost 15 1/2 months old

Thomas being held by Daddy 2 days old (most likely double swaddled)

Thomas laying on the blanket we used to swaddle him in almost 15 1/2 months old

So my plan didn't work out like I wanted it to and you really can't see how small Thomas was, but I like the contrast between them being just a few days old and being almost 1 1/2 years old

Amy

Bedroom Changes

We moved Michael into a toddler bed a little bit before his 2 year birthday.  We thought that this was the best move we could make.  Initially, he loved it.  he would walk to bed climb right in and go to sleep.  He was sleeping through the night which he really wasn't doing in his crib, which is one of the reasons that we moved him.  All of a sudden about 1 month ago, he started fighting going to bed.  The only way I could get him to sleep was to lie down with him.  Then he started waking in the middle of the night and he would only go to sleep with me.  This is not how I wanted to have my kids go to sleep, but this is the only way I could get some sleep as well as him.    Another twin mom mentioned on her blog firstcametwins.com that she was taking her twins out of their cribs and putting their mattresses on the floor.  This is something from the montessori philosophy.  I am thinking about trying that, but I mentioned these difficulties to my mom this weekend and she suggested putting Michael in the room with the twins.  So, today, I moved the changing table to Michael's room and Michael's bed to the twin's room.  It will be interesting to see how bedtime goes tonight.  This may be one of the stupidest ideas that I have ever come up with or it just may work out perfect.  One reason that this may not have been the brightest move is that I have a day long conference in Boston tomorrow.  I hope that things go decent tonight!

The new set up

Michael's bed

The twin's crib

Hopefully this new set up will work!

Amy