LOVE, LOVE, LOVE BABIES

Over the weekend we spent time with a old friend and his wife. They have been married for 5 years and are just beginning to think about starting a family. The wife said that she has a lot of friends who married and had children right away and they have really struggled...she did not want to do that. This theory sounds very enciting.

I waited a year after marriage to begin a family. I am soo glad I had that year with Shane to learn and grow together. For the most part having children was barely a struggle when it was ONLY Brenna.

I would be lying if I said that adding twins to the mix was a cakewalk. It has been rough...but amazing and fun and brought SOOOOOO much joy to my life. Yes, there are days that I want/need a break. That the crying and constant needs are exhausting but I ADORE spending time at home with my children. We play all day and laugh and snuggle and love. It is GREAT. So great that I constantly hunger for more children.

SELF POTTY TRAINING

Brenna always goes potty before getting in the bathtub. For a few months now the brothers try to do it also. They just sit there for a few seconds then say "all done".

Landon seems like he is going to be the first out of the twins to use the potty full-time. At first he would stand in the tub and pee. He would aim for something floating the the water, or try to fill a toy with urine. But...at least he recognized when he needed to go...Right?!?

Over the past week Landon has really shown signs of interest. He has gotten out of the tub FOUR TIMES and done pee-pees in the potty. Most of the times he even climbed on the toilet and did it himself.

Am I ready to potty train twins??? Absolutely not. Diapers are not breaking the bank and it is going to be very messy trying to clean up the mistakes of two children.

VOMIT

Jackson has ALWAYS had a weak gag reflex. Whenever he is near me while I change Landon's poopy diapers I can predict a dry heave or two. Sometimes if he cries hard he can vomit also.

Well today proved how weak his reflex is. I knew that I was a REAL nurse when I could hold the vomit bag for a patient and not vomit myself. Jackson has a lot of practicing to do...

I babysat Ashley's kids while she spent the afternoon with her mother. Tucker kept complaining of a upset stomach but then would say, "It is better now" and play a little until he was back lying on the couch again. Two minutes before Ashley returned Tucker vomited EVERYWHERE. Jackson thought it was gross and vomited in THREE different spots while I was cleaning up Tucker's mess.

Heaven help me!!!

HALF MARATHONER

Wow!!! What a rush!!! I had a blast. I ran 13 miles in 2 hours 16 minutes. I was very timid with my speed because I was not sure if and when I would hit a wall. I took it easy and seriously think that next time I could do a little better.

I ran with a friend from work named Jewel. She ROCKS!!! She is like the energizer bunny and shared her energy when my was low. We laughed and joked as we ran. It went a lot faster then I thought. Miles just breezed past without even realizing it.

There were quite a few hills around Henery Hagg Lake. We nicknamed one of them Everest and brag that we ran to the peak WITHOUT supplemental oxygen.

I am already planning the next few that I want to run. I LOVED it.

GERMS

I dread all of my children being sick at once. It is exhausting. Since I am a nurse my germ phobia comes into full force when they are contagious. I try to avoid it from spreading but inevitably...it does. So after the last illness, I decided to try another approach and I vowed that if any of them got sick again I would make them all drink out of the same cup, or use the same spoon just to get it over with instead of it dragging on for weeks.

They actually haven't been sick so far this winter. And it is my fault for bragging out loud about it because Landon got sick. I woke up from a nap after the night shift and Karen said that Landon had a fever and would not swallow. I took him to urgent care on Shane's lunch break just to assure it was not strep and not pass it around.

On a side note. As a nurse I feel extra silly bringing my children to the doctor at the first sign of illness. I began to feel, as I sat in the waiting room, that all eyes were on me saying, "isn't she used to this as a nurse? Why is she so quick to bring him in? He doesn't even look sick." I felt like turning around and taking him back home. I audibly cheered when the MD told me that he DEFINATELY had strep, and he was glad I brought him in.

Anyway...I called Shane with the news as soon as I left the MD's office. Then when I walked in the door I found Jackson lying in Landon's blankie drinking out of Landon's sippy cup!!! I fully predicted another trip to the urgent care the following day for Jack Jack. Shane was fired from babysitting for... a half a day.

ENDLESS CYCLE

We have subconsciously been doing this for months but it just clicked. Shane is VERY likable and fun to be around. He has always been the life of the party and had friends swarming around him. I like him too and when he is home I try to be near him but I have begun to feel that he was avoiding me. Whenever I enter the same room as him...I realize that within the matter of minutes he has moved again.

I had to really ponder on it. Does he like me? Did I shower today? Is he just tired from work? Then I realized the "cycle".

He moves away from the noise of the kids
I move to be near him
The kids realize I am gone and move to be near me
Then Shane moves to get away from the kids again
...

NEW LOOK

I have regressed back into comfort and neglect when it comes to makeup and clothes. Since I have been hardcore training for the half marathon it seems worthless to do my hair only for it to get sweaty or rained on. I also put on my running clothes as soon as I get out of bed to prepare for a minute that I might be able to squeeze in a run.

I came home from work early one night and Shane shyly confessed that he found a program online and was giving a picture of me a makeover. I have to give my husband props. I fully expected to find me with bigger boobs and a smaller tushy. When he revealed the picture it was me with makeup, new hair style and jewelery. I had various types of hairstyles and colors, but the one he settled on loving the most was my natural color with highlights.

Brenna got into it also and there was one with bright pink hair and lipstick. She told him that it looked SO BEAUTIFUL!!!

MY NICKNAME

I have had various nicknames in my time but the latest is not my favorite. Shane calls me his "baggy woman". After having twins I have to really think about his meaning before I react. He calls me his "baggy woman" for another reason. I love to keep things organized and one of the cheapest ways I know is with zip lock baggies. They are in every room and every drawer of our house.