Pay It Forward

This morning I received a text from my sister asking if I still had my breast pump because she had a girl at work that was in desperate need of baby items. Since my mother bought me the pump I thought it was only fair to call and ask her permission. What she said has sparked an idea..."of course, pay it forward!"

I have been so blessed with friends and family that recognized the needs I had, in preparing for the twins, and stepped in to help me get the items I so desperately needed. AND, who have continued to send me clothes and other items when times were especially tough.

So, I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

I've been going through all the baby stuff & I have BINS of clothes (since it was for 2) that I want to give to someone YOU know that could really benefit from it. But remember, I only have BOY items from ages 0-18mo and shoes up to size 6.

So, email me at: way2cool2bcocky (at) gmail (dot) com
Tell me about the person you have in mind & why.

Also, email me if you have something you would like to donate such as: gift card, items you make (I will be sure to link to your etsy/business page), or items you are trying to get rid of that are still in excellent condition.

I only have a small network of people, but I know you guys probably have someone in mind.

Once I get all the nominations, I'll post a voting poll on the Right column for everyone to vote on.
As of now I don't know how many winners they'll be (it depends on if anyone else donates & the ages of the babies), but I plan on a few. I'm going to go with the flat rate boxes, since it'll be cheapest for me, so I'm guessing at least 5 people.

I'll post the nominees on August 30th, and leave one week for voting.

Also, as people donate other items (come on, you know you want to) I'll update this post if anyone wants to donate girl things.

Help me get the word out to find some nominees & donors!!

It gets easier...right??

Wouldn't you be grumpy if you had to be woken up while sleeping like this??

I love my religion, but going to church has become a battleground.

The boys are NOT fans of sitting for 3 hrs, so I've backed it off to just the 1st hour, but it seems like that is too much! They wrestle with me & each other, throw their toys, bother EVERYONE around us and nothing seems to keep their interest.

And until they become afternoon nappers, which would screw with my sleeping schedule during the week, they end up with a short, or non-existent nap time. Makes for very unhappy kiddos.

It's slightly easier for me (not necessarily them) when I can sit with my brother & his family, but that isn't always an option. And our chapel is tiny with very few pews, and I've learned that sitting in the chairs just isn't an option.

Their going to grow out of this, right??

What toys/distractions have worked for your kids at this age (15 months), to keep them entertained???

In better news, Cooper is now sleeping until about 6am!!! I'll take it. I think that spending at least 30 minutes outside in the heat, and keeping them busy during the day has helped. AND, they may have just needed this time to get into their own routine. Although Eric just left again, we look forward to him making an appearance in time for my birthday at the end of the month, his in July, and our 10 yr anniversary a few days after that!.

Getting better everyday...

The boys and I are starting to get into a nice routine. I put them down at night between 7-9, and they wake up for another feeding between 12-2, then wake up for the day between 6-8. In the beginning I spent most of the day staring at the clock and waiting for Eric to get home. Now, both the boys have started smiling and the PT I'm doing at home with Cooper seems to be helping with his head lag.
The boys LOVE the mobile in their pack-n-play and it always produces quite a few smiles and coos. I find myself smiling much more now because I'm sleeping a lot better, and you can't help but smile, no matter how frustrated you are, when the boys are sporting a huge open-mouthed smile.
Eric left Thursday morning to meet up with the guys he plays Call of Duty & Battlefield Bad Company with on the computer...aka...geek convention. It was initially scheduled to be held in Nashville, and the boys and I were going to go with, but the resort we had booked got flooded, and they ended up moving the event to Ohio. So, so far so good. The boys are still alive, and I'm not too sleep deprived. It has been a good test run for when Eric will be gone for OCS (26 Sept-16Dec).

I've also found a great website, thanks to Molly, coupons.com and saved $24 on my last purchase of diapers and wipes. Every little bit helps!

Work has been great, even when I'm not in my unit. There really are a great bunch of nurses at my hospital! And I've learned that without a nap, a 12hr shift is possible, even without any sleep when I get home...it's call RockStar Juiced :o) I'm so blessed that I am physically able to work, and that I work at a place that allows me to pick up shifts that are convenient for me (i.e. when Eric will be home to watch the boys).

**Clihk here to view my photos of the boys on Facebook**

Unpaid Internship available, apply within

Wanted:
2nd pair of arms

Qualifications:
Female (lesbians welcome, and even encouraged)
Experience with children preferred (but you won't be left on your own for quite some time b/c you could be a serial killer for all I know!)
Must have usable arms (as the boys are growing at an exponential rate)

Job Description:
Hold screaming babies
Feed screaming babies
Change diapers of screaming babies
Snuggle happy babies (when they are sleeping)

Benefits:
Being around me (and soaking up my awesomeness)
Room & Board (i.e. my couch, and scavenging for food b/c I don't cook)
Savings plan (since this experience is the best birth control on the market, you can save all that money to buy cute shoes and sushi)
Weight Loss Program (if there is no time to sleep, there is definitely no time to eat)
...did I mention being around me??

**Although there is no college credit offered, as of right now, the experiences that you encounter will aid in shaping you into either an amazing person that can deal with anything...or having a mental breakdown which inevitably will land you in a psych facility wearing a straight jacket while rocking back and forth in the fetal position talking about "the pretty birds."**

An ode to my peeps

Here is the birth announcement for the boys, for all of you that won't be getting one in the mail, and for those special folks that can't pull up Facebook at work (like Molly, the maker of the adorable blankets).

I purchased thses from Simply to Impress, and I have to say that I am impressed with the outcome!

My Sunday Blessings

I'm totally stealing this concept from fellow blogger & Army wife, Jeannie. I have a lot to be grateful for, and I wanted to give some shout outs!

First, and most important, I want to thank the savior of my sanity, Eric. He has been such a trooper and as soon as he gets home from work, he takes over caring for the boys and lets me get a much needed nap. I told him yesterday that I was overwhelmingly grateful for all his help, to which he replied, "they're my kids too!" And, since he had today off, he let me sleep "for as long as you need to," last night...and it was MUCH needed. Also, Desiree has given me quite a few 2hr breaks when she gets home from work in the morning...and has repeatedly said that Mothers deserve more than just one day a year :o)

Next, my awesome family. They rallied together to provide many of the large ticket items that I needed for the boys, and have been a continued provider of moral support. And right after I posted about my battle with the snaps, my mom found the gowns that everyone was mentioning and had them overnight shipped to me...and my sisters went out and found some long-sleeved onesies with the flap to keep the babies from scratching themselves, and as seen in the picture below, what Eric likes to call 'baby straight jackets,' but I like to think of them as cute cardigans (but they are great for the short sleeved onesies I already have!)
I can't forget to mention Eric's relatives in Utah. They surprised me the week before the boys arrived with a baby shower via Skype. I was so impressed, and as you can see from the pictures below, they had a lot of fun too!







And, my friends...local, faraway, and online. Thanks for the words of encouragement, advice, and laughs.

Last, but not least, I'm thankful for my sweet boys...even when I'm exhausted and in dire need of sleep.

The snaps made me snap!

I've worked in day cares and nannied through High School, but I swear I don't remember all those crazy snaps on onesies/sleepers! I'm guessing it's more apparent to me know because I feel like my whole day is consumed by un-snapping and snapping onesies in between the million diaper changes for the boys. What ever happened to zippers? They are so much faster, but I guess people worry about getting skin caught in them...but they are so much faster.

I think I hit my breaking point Monday. It was my first day alone with the boys and they did their best in not allowing me to get more than 30 minutes of sleep during the day. I was about to cry when Eric called and said he didn't have to go to GA and would be coming home instead!!! I was elated, and he helped me out that evening. But, something was said that really embarrassed me and the water works started flowing....and kept flowing...and flowing all night long. The boys continued their marathon in true tag team fashion. As soon as one would fall asleep, the other one would wake up. Eric awoke the next morning to me still in tears and said he would try his hardest to get off as early as possible.

Finally, after being awake for about 30 hours, I was able to catch two 30 min naps. Then Eric got home at 1400 and told me to sleep for as long as I needed. He also continued to help once I woke up and even woke up to see if I needed help this morning at 0330 since both boys were crying. I also took Desiree up on her offer to help, so I got a much needed 4 hrs last night. It truly is amazing what sleep can do for your psyche, and we're all looking forward to Eric's 4 day weekend!

Newton's Law of Motion states...

...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This has become very evident over the past 2 weeks.

The boys only seem to fill their diapers once they start sucking on the bottle. Also, with all the stretching my tummy went through to carry over 13 lbs of babies, it only makes sense it would shrink back down (and if it doesn't, there's always plastic surgery!). That 30 lbs I gained my last two weeks of pregnancy was sure to be the death of me, but I'm happy to report that I'm already 60 lbs lighter. But most importantly, all the pain and discomfort that I experienced with this pregnancy, and labor, it only makes sense that I would be rewarded with beautiful, healthy boys. That Newton was one smart guy!

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind, but I have been lucky that my lil sis, Sarah, was able to take a week break from school and help me out. She has been a life saver!! She sees something that needs to be done, and does it without having to be asked, and most importantly, she has been helping me out at night with feedings so I can get some sleep. Sadly, I have to drop her off at the airport tomorrow morning, and she will be missed...not just for the help, but b/c she is such an amazing person!

Carter started smiling last week, which is the cutest thing in the world...but he only smiles for me when he is falling asleep, and he smiles for Eric all the time when he is awake. I call FOUL!!! How is that fair? He is also quite the snuggle monkey and has decided that he doesn't like to sleep in the pack n play (which we think is b/c when they were in the NICU, they were always at an incline, so we have a small, vibrating papoose-like chair that he has taken a fondness to). I was so impressed with Carter's latching, but soon disappointed (as he was) that he wouldn't suck hard enough to get what he needed. So pumping takes up most of my "free" time in between feedings.

Cooper has had a rough week. He wants absolutely NOTHING to do with the boob, and even with taking breast milk in the bottle, he was crazy fussy and had horrible gas no matter how long we spent burping him. When he did sleep, he was very restless so we had a sample can of the fussy formula, and I'm definitely a believer! It has made a huge difference.

Both the neonatologist & pediatrician told me not to bring the boys in public, and they even specifically said Church, until they are at least 8 weeks old. I understand why (especially since they already had an infection at birth) but I was a little bummed...until I realized I will get to debut my boys on Mother's Day! And, the boys should be big enough by then to pimp their pin striped suits that Auntie Cathy & Sarah got for them!

It's getting that time again (feeding time), so here are some recent pix!

Carter getting ready to leave the NICU

Cooper 1 week

Carter 1 week

Eric watching the boys, while playing Battlefield Bad Company 2 (Cooper is in the sling, and Carter is in the chair)

Koa trying to get attention while I was feeding Cooper

Carter (left) & Cooper (right)

Eric & the boys

My new cut & color!

The details (WARNING: very long post)

Last Monday I was evaluated for preeclampsia at my scheduled doctor's visit, and was released to do a 24 hr urine collection for a better indicator of the condition. Tuesday afternoon we received a phone call from the doc saying that I did have preeclampsia and I needed to come to the hospital tonight to be admitted, and to deliver the following day.

Eric and I made our way to the hospital and although we were both tired, neither one of us slept that night...probably out of anticipation. The next morning (Wednesday) they started me on Pitocin, broke the presenting twin's water, and I got an epidural at about 0900. I know some people are very into the whole "natural" childbirth thing, but I had been in so much pain with this pregnancy already (and it was high risk trying a vaginal delivery anyway) that I was all about my epidural!

I progressed VERY slowly throughout the day, and had to get my epidural increased at 1400 b/c the pain was getting to be a little too much. At 2030 I was still only 7cm dilated and the pain was increasing significantly, so they called for another adjustment to the epidural. When I was getting a bolus I told the doc that it felt like it wasn't in place, and I could feel fluid dripping down my back. At that point I had complete movement and feeling in my legs, so they took out the first one, and put in another. But it took an hour for this to happen, and during that time they had to turn off the pitocin b/c my contractions were only 45 seconds apart and so painful that I was crying without realizing it, and was having an impossible time catching my breath between them.

So, at 0000 (Thursday) the doc checks me and I'm still only 7cm and is worried b/c my contractions were never very consistent, and we were approaching the 18hr mark since my water had been broken. Eric and I talked about it, and we wanted to try for one more hour b/c I really didn't want a C-section. The doc agreed, but in the meantime he called in the OR team, and had me sign all the consents that would be needed.

At 0100 I had become more swollen, and still had not progressed so into the OR we went. The Nurse Anesthetist that placed the 2nd epidural said that since it was working, he wanted to stick with that instead of placing a spinal also. I was weary, and asked him if it would work as well, and he said yes.

I have battled with nausea the entire pregnancy, and this day was no different, so as they strapped me down I had to turn my head to the side and try to focus on not throwing up. The nurse anesthetist verified I was numb, and I told him that it wasn't as effective on the left, but if was still above where they would be working, so they proceeded.

I felt a lot of pulling and tugging, and was thrilled when I heard the first baby cry, and then the second. I couldn't believe I was actually a mommy! And then...I started to feel pain on the left. I told the nurse about it, and he said, "you'll feel some pressure and tugging," to which I responded, "I feel PAIN!"

My epidural was not cutting it...and I felt them sewing up my uterus, muscles, underlying tissues, and the skin. They shot me up with everything they could, but nothing was helping.

When I got into the recovery room I was in more pain than I could have imagined, so they gave me 4mg of morphine and I was pretty out of it. I remember hearing Cooper grunting, and asking Eric to hand him to me...then the nurses came in and took him back to the nursery b/c it wasn't resolving. Carter was smacking and sucking and then the doc came in and said that they did a chest xray, and Cooper had a small pneumothorax (hole in his lung that was increasing the pressure in his chest, making it hard for him to breathe), and his blood showed signs of infection.

We all thought that Cooper (the bigger of the two) was the presenting twin, but it was Carter. So they called the local neonatalogist and he wanted both babies to be transferred to their hospital's NICU. I never freaked out (not sure if it was the drugs, or that I knew they were being proactive), nor did Eric. The neonatalogist, along with a team of 3 nurses, came with EMS and I was able to see both the boys for about a minute before they were transferred.

The rest of the day was spent with people waking me up every 5 minutes, and a complete lack of communication caused me to get very frustrated with the nurses and doctors. One nurse told me I could only have ice chips, then a doctor walks in and asks why I won't drink anything....then I asked when I could get out of bed (b/c I know the sooner you get up and moving, the sooner they will discharge you) and I was told not yet...I tell them I'm hungry (b/c one of the nurses refused my lunch b/c I hadn't drank the fluids from breakfast) and another nurse comes in and says the doc says "you have to get out of bed if you want dinner!" I was about in tears b/c everyone was telling me something different to do, or not to do...and no one was communicating! So, by the time the night shift took over, the nurse actually asked me what was going on (b/c the docs were freaked out b/c I wasn't outputting any urine) and she realized I was trying to comply with everyone's commands. So, she got me out of bed and walked with me around the unit...I started outputting urine, and before midnight she took out the foley and disconnected me from all the fluids.

So Friday morning the doc says I clear to go, b/c he knew I was dying to go see the boys. I had sent Eric home that night to get a good night's sleep b/c I knew he was exhausted, and I knew I would need a lot of help b/c the swelling in my legs had made it VERY hard to move around. I took a shower at the hospital, and we headed over to see the boys.

It was almost unreal for me b/c they were both sleeping and I wasn't going to wake them up, but over the next few days at least one of them was awake and I've been able to do multiple feedings, while I let Eric change all the diapers (I figure I'll be doing enough of that at home, and he doesn't' mind).

Cooper's pneumo cleared up within 2 days, and both boys have been getting antibiotics which is why they are still in the NICU. They should be coming home Thursday after their last dose, and we are excited to bring home our beautiful boys.

Okay, if I forgot something or the details seem a little garbled, sorry. It was a whirlwind of events over the past few days. I'm healing, slowly, and in quite a bit of pain...but today was a day of rejoicing b/c some of the swelling is starting to go down in my legs, and I hope sometime soon I can start wearing shoes again!

I want to thank everyone for their support and prayers, we are so blessed to have our boys here without any life-threatening complications.

And here are some recent photos of the boys.

Cooper

Carter

Twin Boys Born on 11 March 2010

Carter "Lil' Man" Amos Salmond

18.5 in. / 5 lbs. 14 oz.

Cooper "Hoss" Aedan Salmond

19.5 in. / 7 lbs. 7 oz.

I know you will ask, Carter is 2 minutes older than his bigger brother.

The first one in the video is Carter and the second is Cooper.

I am sorry there is not more info, we are very tired still. Mary will post when she is fealing better and has time, as driving 30 min. each way to the hospitol to visit the boys is time consuming.

On your mark...

Dr. just called and said my 24 hr urine collection is positive for preeclampsia, so we are headed to the hospital for an overnight observation, and the boys should be here by tomorrow. Think good thoughts!!

The belly that launched 1,000 stares

The past 10 days have been pretty rough. My legs and feet have become VERY swollen, making it difficult to not only walk, but I can't spend much time at the computer either. Also, by the end of last week I declared that I am no longer driving. It's very uncomfortable and I think I've done a pretty good job driving myself the 30 miles to the military hospital at least twice a week up to the 36 week mark!

So, my buddy Vanessa agreed to take me to my NST on Monday. When I walked out to her van she said, "you still look great!" and then I turned to the side, and her mouth dropped and I think "holy cow" followed. While at the hospital I had at least 3 random people stop to talk to me about how huge I was, which is always something you like to hear! At the end of my NST I had a pretty big contraction that I didn't recognize as one b/c I thought that feeling was just the boys pushing up against my ribs (I thought that feeling of not being able to breath was normal). This got Vanessa VERY excited and she decided that I needed to go into labor that day b/c she didn't have soccer/dance/or any other obligations with her kids...and she was with me (it was so cute how excited she was).

We had to go back down stairs to wait for some medications in the Pharmacy, and I continued to have a few painful contractions down there in the waiting room. After an hour, Vanessa went to see what was taking so long, and they said it should be out very soon. About 20 minutes later the pharm tech was trying to get Vanessa's attention, and I was currently having another contraction, and when she went up to get it he said, "just sign for her, and get her out of here!" I guess my facial expressions said it all.

So, we went to BooksaMillion and then the mall to see if walking around would increase the contractions...instead it was more stares and people asking me when I was due. At one point we split up and I headed to the bathroom and V went into Journey's to pick up some shoes for her son, and a couple came in Journey's talking about the HUGE pregnant woman they just saw!

NOW I REALLY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE MY HOUSE! I know I'm big...but what woman likes it called to her attention every 5 minutes!

I'm not going to post a picture b/c now I'm crazy self-conscious, but two weeks ago (@34weeks) I was measuring the size of a woman carrying 1 baby that was 3 weeks overdue...hope that visual is good enough :o)

**I did forget to mention that Hoss finally flipped back to being head down (he has changed positions 3 times in the past 4 weeks), and he is currently the presenting twin**
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On a much brighter note, one of my bloggy friends, Kristina, is accepting donations for her "Snuggies for Seniors" drive that will last the entire month of March. Please check it out, as you will be amazed by her compassion and unparalleled wit!

It's been a long week

I've been having contractions off and on for about the past two weeks, but lately they are the worst between 2-3am til about 8am. This has translated into me not really sleeping at all. I can't seem to get comfortable, and getting in and out of bed every 45 minutes to pee is starting to grate on my nerves.

But, I had an appointment with the Perinatalogist at Sacred Heart, and Little Man is now weighing in at 5lbs 2oz, and Hoss is 5lbs 6oz. That's a lot of babies!!! They were both practice breathing during the ultrasound, and were hopping off the NST monitor with every contraction...and I was having them up to 6 minutes apart. But, not consistent enough. So I was sent on my merry way and told to go back to the hospital when the "pain was so bad you can't take it." Because I'm over 34 weeks, they won't try to stop labor.

So, I headed home for another sleepless night, and day, then another night, and day.

Bright and early Friday morning, with about 2 hrs total of sleep, I headed to Eglin AFB Hospital for my OB appt. The doc gave me some Ambien to try, at the lowest dose, because he was worried about how fatigued I was getting. I also talked with him about doing the Group B Strep test early since I could really go at anytime, so which he said, "you read my mind!" He also promised me that if I make it to 36 weeks, he will schedule an induction for 38 weeks. With how big the boys are now, it will really be my only chance to have a regular delivery.

Then I headed off for my NST, and the nurse couldn't find the heart beats, so another OB came in and did an ultrasound and found that the boys are laying transverse now (sideways)...even though they were head down on Tuesday. I barely have enough room to breath, yet they are flipping around on me! Silly boys!

I'm trying to hang in for another couple of weeks. Sorry if I've been absent from my normal tasty stalks, but the longer I sit at the computer, the bigger my feet and legs swell.

So, keep your fingers crossed that the boys will do one final flip back to being head down, and I can start sleeping and return back to my utterly charming & witty self ;o)

This is dedicated to the one I love...

Eric has been exceptionally cute lately, and I felt the need to share.

As my belly becomes larger and larger, doing things like standing for more an a minute, and getting in and out of vehicles has become more and more difficult. So, my sweet Sexy Beast has been automatically dishing up breakfast/lunch/dinner for me (b/c I'm now beyond the stage where I can stand and cook), and helping me out of the car. One morning he even brought me breakfast in bed! He has always opened my door for me to get in the car, but I told him early on it was a waste of time for him to open my door for me to get out...but his muscles have been much appreciated lately.

He has become the organizer and builder of the babies' room. He has put together everything we've received and as of yesterday it all has the appropriate amount of C batteries (who uses C batteries anymore??). Last week he put the car seat bases in my car, and put the carriers in the trunk with the diaper bag that has everything we might need for the trip home...this is all his idea!

We were watching TV and at the beginning of the show I had mentioned that I would love some cake right about now...but that is something I craved before pregnancy. Halfway through the show he said, "I could really go for some Publix desserts." (Publix is a local grocery store with an exceptional bakery) So I told him that we have a DVR, and I can pause it while he goes...and within 2 seconds he was up getting his coat on and out of the door. And, he even called me to make sure he got something I wanted.

Also, we went out to eat with some friends for the main purpose of watching a UFC fight at Buffalo Wild Wings. Eric called them and told them we would meet them a little later than planned b/c he didn't want me to have to sit too long, in what he knew would be uncomfortable chairs.

He doesn't tease or make comments about the fact I stay in my PJs unless I have somewhere to go, or that my hair is always a disaster (since I gave up blow-drying two weeks ago b/c I didn't have the energy to stand and do it).

And, last but not least, he left this morning to Ft. Benning to a board for Officer Candidate School. But yesterday he wanted me to make sure and call Vanessa, or someone else in town, to let them know he would be gone overnight and to make sure they are available if anything should happen.

This pregnancy has been very physically and emotionally demanding, but he has made it so much more enjoyable. Every time I start to freak out, I just watch/listen to him and see how excited he is, and all my fears are taken away. I'm so glad he was patient with me the past 8 years, and has truly been a partner in this whole process!

**10,000 points to the person that can name the artist/group that inspired the title**

New pix

At the beginning of my pregnancy when someone suggested I get "belly shots" it was an easy, Heck No! I am very self conscious because I was so overweight for a very long time and my ENTIRE stomach is covered in stretch marks just due to being fat...so the last thing I wanted was to show them off, and I wasn't sure how much weight I would have gained by then.

I changed my tune when Vanessa asked to take pix for her photography class, because she shots had to be "meaningful." She also joked with me constantly before my 20 week mark that I needed to hurry up and find out the gender so she could live vicariously through me.

So, she researched and found poses that she like and Eric and I accommodated. Since these are for a class, she developed the film herself in the darkroom at school, and I scanned the negatives onto my computer and played with them a little. Here you go!

Pardon me while I drool, trip, and completely lose my train of thought

I'm not a complete moron, I knew pregnancy wouldn't be easy, but there have been quite a few surprises so far. You always hear about, or in my case had to study, all the weird things that can happen while your pregnant...but it's still really weird when they actually happen.

For instance, drooling. I've never been one to have wet spots or stains on my pillow in the morning but lately I wake up in the middle of the night with almost half my pillow case saturated. It's quite disgusting, and pretty funny. Also, I've been spending a lot of time in my recliner and I find myself choking on my own spit multiple times a day. It's like I've completely reverted back to childhood!

And the word clumsy doesn't even begin to describe my actions lately. I've always been one to brag that I can trip over flat surfaces, but never thought it would be this bad. My hands started swelling about 2 weeks ago, and subsequently have become very painful, which leads to me dropping EVERYTHING. My latest adventure with Chinese food resulted in Eric handing me a small bowl of sweet & sour sauce which ended up down my shirt and jeans. It wasn't even that full or heavy.

And lastly....wait, what was I saying?? Oh yeah, I lose my train of thought with such frequency it is now one of the only things I can count on. I walk into rooms with no clue why I went in, and trying to do mental math or think through a problem is completely impossible.

Some good news is that Baby A seemed to wake up 2 days ago and is starting to move as much as Baby B. The bad news, both babies are kicking the crap out of me. But, it is quite entertaining to put things on my belly and watch them dance or get knocked off completely :o)

I'm all, I'm all, I'm alright....

The JoDee Messina song "I'm alright" started playing on the radio Saturday afternoon after a very long and tiresome week...but it helped give me perspective.

Monday afternoon Eric called me to tell me that the car had died, and he was on one of the dirt roads and needed to be picked up. Thankfully, there is a reason we pay little extra for towing on our insurance and didn't have to pay anything out of pocket to get it towed to the house. Tuesday Eric went into work & requested a week off to try to get the car squared away. So the next few days were spend trouble shooting possible issues until he and his buddies were at a loss.

Friday afternoon we rented a trailer and towed the car to Fort Walton Beach, because there are very few reputable mechanics in our town, and we took it to Firestone who has been nothing but great to us for the past 4 years. Saturday morning they called and said we needed a new engine, and I almost cried. Our poor 2000 Corolla was dead, and a new engine would cost more than the car was worth.

So we headed down to Quality Imports, which is where we bought our truck from 4 years ago, and were able to find a decent used car that gets the same gas mileage, and has more room.

I am so grateful that the car died when Eric was going 35mph instead of a mile down the road when he would have been on a major highway traveling about 70mph. I'm grateful for the friends that helped us trouble shoot and kept our spirits up. I'm grateful that we were able to get a loan to buy a used car with a decent interest rate, and that we paid off the truck in November so we only have one car payment. AND, when I went to Firestone to pay for the diagnostic, which normally costs over $100, they didn't charge me anything. We've taken the car there for 4 years and just last year had to replace the shocks & struts totaling almost $1500. I've never had an issue with them & they always find some kind of discount to give me. Thank you Freddy!!!

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On a different note, I went to the Perinatalogist yesterday and there is good news and not so great news. Both babies are head down!!! There are no major issues with either baby, but Baby A's fluid is a little lower than they would like and he's a little behind on growth @ 3lbs 3oz. On the other hand, Baby B is probably going to be a huge weighing in at 3lbs 14oz. So, he told me that I need to increase my bedrest to decrease the stress on Baby A, and he wants to see me back in 3 weeks.

So, according to Eric this means that when I go to Walmart I'm supposed to use the motorized scooter. I understand his thought process, but I hate getting stared at, and every woman that sees me will probably think I'm a wuss!

So, scooter or no scooter?

Sling or Wrap?

Since I'm not working, and have extra time to think, I'm trying to prepare myself for many different scenarios. As many of you know, Eric doesn't have a normal schedule, and one thing that worries me is dealing with both babies at church. Also, we've had some unexpected costs (like Koa's vet visit), and there are certain things, like a double stroller, that we are going to wait to purchase until they are really needed. So, I've decided that for church I'll probably bring in one carrier and have the other baby in a sling or wrap...but which one, I'm still very torn.
So, if you have used one please let me know your opinion. I know that either one can accommodate twins until they reach about 4-6 months, and then you can wear two slings 'Rambo style' as one website describes.

I really don't care about designer colors because although babies are the new & hottest accessory, I've never been one too focused on accessorizing an outfit!

So, any ideas?? Also, is there anything that you have used that is a 'must have' or you really wished you had?

My crafty side

I started scrapbooking in High School, which really just consisted of cutting me pictures into weird shapes and lots of construction paper. To say that the art of scrapbooking has changed over the years is an understatement!

I'm not an incredibly crafty person, but I can copy almost anything :o). But, I'm happy to say that all of the following (aka boring) creations are my own.

Eric started mentioning in December that we should do something with the ultrasound pictures or they would inevitably end up in the bottom of a box somewhere, or possibly damaged. So, for Christmas he let me pic out some little things I needed, and each month I'm spending a VERY small amount to add to my scant collection of paper & things.

I really got motivated at the end of last week and decided it was time. I went to a local scrapbooking store, A Scrap In Time, and picked up a few sheets, and some ultrasound embellishments that I knew I would use.

Vanessa, aka the scrapbooking QUEEN, just so happened to get motivated at the same time, so I spent two days at her house praying for some creativity. She was nice enough to let me use her Cricut (I want one soooo bad!), and I am pretty pleased with the outcome.

Now, like I said, I'm not super creative & I don't really have the funds to be, but I'm happy with how the pages turned out! We also printed out some of my belly shots & plan on doing a "watch me grow" page in the future :o)