Way Back When-esday Halloween

With Halloween quickly approaching, I thought I'd post a picture of our first Halloween as a family of 3 with two more on the way.

Michael (almost 8 months) Halloween 2008

2 days after I was put on bed rest with the twins!

This year we will be trick or treating with all 3!

Amy

Halloween

In just a few short days, Halloween will be upon us.  I actually really like Halloween.  Even as an adult with no kids, I would dress up.  Since we live just a short distance away from Salem MA, we would often enjoy spending Haloween night in Salem enjoying the festivities, often dressed up ourselves.  Now that we have kids, Salem is pretty much out, which is fine by us!

This Halloween will be the first year that we get to take the kids trick or treating.  Michael's first Halloween, 2008, was when I was first put on bed rest with the twins.  On October 28th, I stayed up well past midnight to finish Michael's scarecrow costume for trick or treating at work the next day.  I had to leave work early for a scheduled ultrasound and planned to return that night with Michel in his costume.  Unfortunately after that ultrasound, I was on bed rest until the twins were born January 23rd 2009.  My husband took Michael around the neighborhood quickly and then I sat in the car while we drove to special people's homes, ie aunts, uncles, close cousins, daycare.  Halloween 2009, the twins first Halloween, was my sisters wedding.  We were able to get them dressed up, but again no real trick or treating.  This year is different.  We get to do the normal trick or treating, and I get to enjoy it.

Last year, I made all three kids' costumes.  This year, I am only making Thomas'.  I feel bad about that, but sometimes there just isn't enough time.  And the more I think about it, it is appropriate that Thomas gets his costume made since he almost never gets new things, always gets hand me downs (don't get me wrong the other two get hand me downs too, just Michael was the first boy and Eva Rose is the only girl).  This year, I got Michael's costume from another twin mom.  Eva Rose's costume is somewhat upcycled.  I got this hand me down dress that was adorable, but I new she's grow out of it before she would have a chance to wear it as is.  As it is, it is fitting her tight now!  Then I made Thomas'.  I am trying to decide if I want Tom and I to dress up also.  Tom dressed up Michael's first year and last year, so I'll probably try to have everyone in costume this year too.

As a little tease, the boys are going to be pirates and Eva Rose is going to be a fairy.  I am going to try to find a way for Tom to be a pirate and me to be a fairy.  We'll se how it goes since Sunday will be here before we know it!  Pictures to come later!

Amy

Telling Kids About People Who Have Passed Away

This weekend, I read a blog from another twin mom that got me thinking.  She wrote about her kids asking about her mom.  She wrote that her mom had taken her own life years before and she was unsure about how to tell her kids about her mom.  It made me think about my own dad who had also taken his own life.  Unlike my friend, my dad and I had a strained relationship before he passed away.  This was almost 21 years ago and as much as I have dealt with his death and the issues leading up to his death, I still have some anger and resentment toward him, especially now that I have kids.

My dad missed so many special, important moments in my life and now that I have kids, he misses all the things that go along with having grandchildren.  What makes me the most sad, is that I don't think about him as a part of my life very often.  Reading my friend's blog made me realize that I am going to have to be very conscious of telling my kids about my dad.  At this point, I feel like my step father is my kids' grandfather, but I do want them to know about my dad.  Even though I had a strained relationship with my dad prior to his death, we did have some good times years prior to his death.  I want to tell my kids about those times and about my dad's family.  My grandfather passed away on my older son's first birthday and my grandmother is now in a nursing home with Dementia.  They had lived in NC since my father's death and I fear that any connection I have with my father's side of the family is going to dry up and shrink away.  This is another reason I need to remember my dad.  I need to remember that side of my family too, even thought they are far away.

Thanks to my friend reanbean for having the courage to post this topic on her blog.  Reading her post made me think, and now that I have written this post, I hope that I will remember to tell my kids about my dad and I hope that I will remain at least somewhat close.

Amy

Quilts and Other Crafting Projects

I just realized that another twin mom not only has her regular http://goddessinprogess.com blog, but has a quilting blog along with it.  I just spent some time reading about all her different quilting projects and it has totally inspired me to add quilting back into my projects to work on.  Right now I am in the process of making a Halloween costume for my little son, Thomas.  I just cut out the pattern for the jacket of his pirate costume.  I have already made the pants and now I have to sew the jacket, the belt, and the hat.  I feel bad that Michael's costume is a costume that I bought from another twin mom, but i will make his hat.  I also am not really making Eva Rose's costume.  I am using a dress that I got from a family member that won't fit her for long.  I'm going to add wings to it and have her be a fairy.  If all goes well, I will make her wings, but I may even buy them just to save time.  I would love to have made all of their costumes, but I just wanted to have them have costumes since this is the first year that we will actually be trick or treating.

I have some other things that I need to work on, but I really want to start quilting again.  I have a bunch of projects that I want to make, but as usual, I just keep adding projects to the list.  I am considering attempting my hand at hand sewing some quilts just to make them more portable.  It's probably crazy on my part, but I really want to make sure that I have portability with my crafting projects.  I have lots of knitting, regular sewing, scrapbooking, card making, and now quilting to do.  I love that I can make things for people, especially my own children.  I just need to find a way to get more organized so that I have more time to create all these projects that I dream of.

I love going to craft stores like Joann's, Ac Moore, and Michael's.  I would love to find other stores to browse around, but I am always so tempted to buy things, especially things I don't need.  I really need to start coming up with projects that utilize the supplies I have, so I have more room, don't spend money that I don't have, and just plain use up what I have.  Though, if there are good crafting resources that people want to recommend, either via internet, books, magazines, I am always on the lookout for new resources.

I also really want to start being part of a swap.  I did a few knitting and crocheting swaps before I had kids, but I haven't done any since before grad school 4 years ago.  One of these days I'll get back to swapping!

Amy

Makes My Monday: First haircut!

I finally decided that it was time for Thomas to get his first haircut.  He is almost 21 months and finally has enough hair, but the little length on the bottom was looking a little shabby.  I was hoping to get him to get long enough hair to have curls, but even though the boys have curls, they are just not good looking enough to let their hair grow.  Like we did with Michael, we took Thomas to a barber shop in Cambridge.  Now tom and the 2 boys will get their hair cut at the same place.  Thomas got his hair cut on Saturday and actually did great for getting his haircut for the first time.  Michael still cries and he has had 4 haircuts.  He even cried when we went into the barber shop Saturday, afraid he would have to get a haircut again.  A lollipop settled him right down!  This was the first time he and the twins had a lollipop and they loved it!

Before!

During, doing ok!

Breakdown!

Lollipops make everything better!

Lollipops for the 1st time all around.

The boys have all had a real haircut, but not Eva Rose.  Mom just cleaned up her bangs a little, but it made a huge difference, not that you can tell by these pictures!

Amy

And The Sleep Saga Continues

Everytime I think we have made it through our sleep struggles, we take a few steps back.  I was feeling pretty good and mostly getting a good night sleep, but now Michael and Thomas have been getting up in the middle of the night.  There is definitely some issue with diapering, meaning that he is absolutely soaked when I get up and change him.  I also think it is a stage that he is going through.  Thomas on the other hand is usually my best sleeper, but lately, he is not sleeping well at all.  He is getting sick and who knows if he is starting to teethe again.  I am really tired, but I am not able to truly do a cry it out.  I do let them cry for a little time to see if they can soothe themselves, but sometimes it just doesn't happen.  With the way their skin is, I would also rather get up and check them since we seem to be having a really good run with diaper rash issues (or lack there of). 

I just talked with my husband and it seems like all 3 kids are sick!  I knew that they were headed that way and now I am even happier that I did not take them to EI group today.  Thomas and Michael have had nasty runny noses and Eva Rose was starting with one, but just not as nasty.  I heard that they have a fever and I am not home to be with them.  They will definitely all get some medicine before they go to bed.  I am seriously thinking, ok hoping, that this is why they are sleeping so poorly.

Hopefully the 3 kids will get better soon and we will be back to sleeping through the night.

Amy

Way Back When-esday: Breast Cancer Month

My Grandmother and my nephew about 6 years ago 

4 1/2 years ago, my grandmother lost her battle with breast cancer, she was 82.  She fought hard and was almost at the 5 year point (post 2nd mastectomy) when we found out that the cancer had spread through out her body.  Fortunately, she did not suffer at the end, but unfortunately she dies 3 days after finding out that not only was her cancer back, but it had spread throughout her body and she was now facing a terminal cancer vs something that she could fight.  Given that this is Breast Cancer Awareness Month,  I thought I would pay tribute to my grandmother.  She was a major influence in my life and I only wish that she could have seen me get married and have my children, especially my twins (she was a twin herself)!

We miss you nana!

Amy 

Makes My Monday: Talking

We have recently started with early intervention for all 3 kids for speech.  All 3 kids were really saying very little for their age and we have even had to check to see if there is a hearing issue that is causing the speech delay.  So far 2 have been tested and we know that hearing loss is not the reason for the delay for those 2, but my daughter has some loss with high frequency sounds.  We never realized that her intubation with her RSV could have caused issues with her hearing.  We are going back in a couple of months to make sure that the test was correct and then I guess we have to have her followed for this issue.

EI is  going really well, and we have seen some really good progress over the last couple of weeks.  This weekend, we took the kids to the Deerfield Fair in NH.  While we had the kids in the oxen barn, Thomas my younger twins said "cow".  He's never said it before and then all 3 kids were able to say it along with sheep later in the day.  I am so glad that we are seeing progress so quickly.  I just hope that it continues.

Talking totally makes my Monday!

Thomas petting the calf

Eva Rose petting the calf

Michael petting the calf

Amy