Short and Sweet...

It's been a LONG day so I'll keep this short and sweet :)  We've had some pretty big accomplishments with the twins over the past few days.

First off, Caroline had tubes put in her ears on Monday morning.  Everything went well and we were home before we knew it. She was a little fussy that day but by Tuesday she was back to her old self and back at daycare :)  I swear she's even cooing more since she had the tubes put in.  I really wonder if the reason she wasn't talking as much as Carter is because she simply couldn't hear as well?

Secondly, Carter has finally figured out how to roll from tummy to back. FINALLY!

And lastly, my sweet Caroline has figured out how to use the Podee botttles we've bought.  They're supposed to be a Godsend for multiple babies!



I came across this video on a friend's page and could help but LOVE IT!  If you're a Mom, I thin kyou will too@
It's called "First Mom". Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Fun with Caroline :)

Miss Caroline and I have had a fun day :)  I finally made her laugh!  I made homemade applesauce tonite for them but it ended up being a little too thick for them so I'm going to have to thin it out a little and try it another night...  Anyways, we ended up eating oatmeal.  So, while eating her oatmeal, I think she was afraid I was going to sneak in some more applesauce because she kept pursing her lips and almost growling at me!  LOL!  So, jokingly, I growled back at her and she thought it was HYSTERICAL!  So of course I had to keep doing it :)  She's so darn cute!



After dinner we had some snuggle time on the couch :)

I'll leave you with some sweet pictures of my babies over the past couple of days!

Caroline says "Roll Tide!"

Literally :)

What the heck is this thing?

Big brother getting some twin time...

She always looks "startled"....

Our little man Carter!

2 days and counting...

Well, we're just 2 days away from Caroline's surgery.  I'm incredibly nervous (although I'm trying to not let anyone know...well, until now!) about her being put to sleep because she's so small but they assure me they've done babies her size before and that she'll be fine.  It's a VERY quick procedure and will take less than 30 minutes.  I'm not sure yet what time surgery will be (I have to call tomorrow night to find out) but they do the youngest babies first so I'm guessing we'll be pretty early.  Please say a little prayer for Dr. Gross (our ENT) and all the nurses and doctors that will be working with our baby girl on Monday.

Things have been pretty calm around here lately.  Mana has been here helping out since Chris had to travel to Cincinnati last week for a few days...  Work has been going well, everyone is healthy again...

...and my favorite time of the year is coming up :)  Valentine's Day and my birthday!  Not a big one this year.  32.  Just another number.  I am super stoked about my best friend, Nicole, coming up to visit though!  We've been friends since the 5th grade and have kept in touch over the past 22 (Wow, that's a long time!) years through marriages, moves, babies, etc.  She's coming up in a few weeks with her 4 year old step daughter Evie to visit and meet the twins :)  I can't wait to introduce them to her!

Well, I'm off to make bottles then hit the sack before babies start waking up!

Love,

E

Peace? What the heck is that?

Well, as much as I don't want to jinx myself I will say that all is good on the homefront :)  Babies are healthy, Alex is healthy and Mom and Dad are doing pretty well too!  Whew!

All the kiddos were back at school yesterday and everyone slept well last nite!  Thank GOD!  Mommy and Daddy needed some rest!

The past few days have went pretty well and we've enjoying just hanging out around the house...  Last week we had a pretty good snow storm and we ended up with about 5.5" of snow!  It was very cool as long as you were inside the house looking out.  Not good if you were out in it.  Luckily the bank closed so I stayed home with the kiddos.  State Farm was open at 10am so Chris had to go in because apparently people still have accidents when it snows???

Here are a couple of videos from the past few days!



And Caroline finally figures out the exersaucer!



Time to go pick up babies!

Love,
E

Never ending drama....

Well, no sooner than everyone gets well, and Alex gets the flu.  :(  He's so pitiful.  He sounds SO raspy and just lays around (totally not like him). He slept most of the day with Mom today and I'm taking off tomorrow to stay with him then Chris will have all 3 when I work Saturday (pray for him!).  Anyways, the doc prescribed Tamiflu so we started that tonite.  The hope is that it will shorten the virus by 2-3 days.  We'll see.  He may not tolerate it but we won't know that for a couple of hours (he just got his first dose)...

Chris just went in to check on him and he was sound asleep.  It's been about 2 1/2 hours since he took the Tamiflu so I'm hoping that's a good sign that he'll be able to tolerate it...

We'll see what tonite brings...

On a side note, the babies have started jar foods!  I talked to the doctor yesterday and he said that they are old enough now to be getting rice cereal (by the spoon, not in the bottle anymore) as well as #1 jar foods.  So, this week they've started the cereal before their bedtime bottle and pears at lunch...  So far so good :)  Caroline is a MUCH better eater than Carter.  She opens wide and even grabbed the spoon from Daddy!  It was too cute!  Carter on the other hand isn't really interested in eating from the spoon.  Although I'm sure that'll change with time...  Caroline said "Mama" tonite!!!  Well, I think it was an accident but Chris heard her and it was so cute :)  I couldn't get her to say it again so I'm sure it was a fluke but nonetheless it was AWESOME!   The twins are finally figuring out the johnny jumpups and are too cute in them :)



I've decided to get a new laptop for my birthday next month so I'm taking donations :)  LOL!  Feel free to mail checks payable to Elizabeth Scogins :)  My BIL helped me find a pretty nice laptop at a great price so I'll be ordering it very soon!  The hard part is going to be not opening it until my birthday 2/16!  I'm not a very patient person!  Ha!

I'll leave you with a few pics from the past few days!

Love,
E

Waiting...

Many of you are waking up to a beautiful white morning!

Here in Murfreesboro we got about 4-5 inches!  That's quite a bit for us.  I know our Northern friends are probably rolling their eyes at us, but seriously, in TN that's a BIG deal!  Tennessee Department of Transportation is asking everyone to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

State Farm will be opening at 10:00am (as of 6am) but we are to call at 8am to see if they will still be opening.  I haven't heard from Bank of America yet.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer though before I have an answer.  Daycare IS open as of now believe it or not...

Lazy Sunday...

The babies were recognized today at the "infant recognition" during our church service.  They introduced all babies born in 2010!  Caroline was an absolute doll in her white frilly dress and Carter was VERY handsome in his john john.  Unfortunately I did not get pictures.  I'm not really sure why???

I finally found my keys last night (in a jacket pocket I was SURE I had checked)!  We had a good time at the party last night but the babies were a handful.  The first hour or so they were angels but it just kind of went downhill from there...  Caroline refused to take her 8pm bottle and was not happy from about 7pm on.  I had forgotten to give her her Prevacid before we left so that may (?) have been it but I'm not sure.  We got home around 9p and I gave her the Prevacid and tried to feed her again but she was too tired and wouldn't wake up to eat...

So, last night was a long one.  It started about midnight with Caroline whining...  Chris went up and replaced her paci but then just 45 minutes later she was up again.  He went up again and replaced the paci then she was up around 2am.  He went ahead and fed them (thinking she was hungry b/c she didn't eat at 8pm) hoping they'd sleep after that but it was no such luck.  Finally around 230am I ended up in the nursery sleeping for the rest of the night (morning...).  It was a LONG night!  We're really hoping tonite is better.

We've switched back to the Avent bottles (they are SO much easier to clean!) and the babies seem to be doing ok on them.  I was worried they wouldn't want to take the different nipple but they've done fine.  I figured they are almost 6 months now (SO hard to believe!) so maybe they're little digestive systems are a little more matured...

The babies have been good today though smiling and playing...  Caroline has discovered she can get her toes in her mouth (she somehow managed to scratch her head while she was at church this morning even though I JUST cut her nails!) and Carter has realized that he can get REALLY LOUD with his voice!

All tuckered out after partying...

We had a great time with good friends tonite! The babies were definitely oohed and aahhed over and it was nice for Mom and Dad to get out!

Has anyone seen my keys???

I had them Thursday afternoon but they've been MIA ever since!  I came home from the store Thursday (with Carter) to a sick Alex.  I remember unloading all the groceries and getting Carter out but can't remember what i did with my keys!  I've searched high and low (trunk of the car, wal-mart bags from groceries, all countertops and tables, all of my pockets, all 10 of my bags that I take everywhere with me (for those of you who know me, you'll get a laugh outta that one!), the diaper bag and the entire car!  I cannot imagine anywhere else they would be!

On a good note (although I'm afraid to jinx myself), everyone in the house is well with the exception of snotty noses but that kinda comes with the territory when you have kiddos.  I'm here blogging with you (Caroline's asleep on the couch next to me) and the boys (Chris, Alex & Carter) are at the "Orange Bob" Store (Home Depot).  Not to be confused with the "Blue Bob" Store (Lowe's) :)

Mana packed up and headed back home this morning after breakfast for some MUCH DESERVED rest!  Mom (who finally (LOL) came down with the stomach bug yesterday) is starting to feel a little better and should be much better by tomorrow...

I've had a shower (insert joke here) and am on my 2nd cup of coffee :)  At this exact moment, life is good.  Who knows what the next few minutes will bring but for now we're good.

Tonite Alex will be going to our friend's house (and his best friend Nate!) while Daddy and I go to the annual "After Christmas" Party with our Sunday School class.  It should be ALOT of fun and I am SO looking forward to it!!!  We all bring a gift (white elephant) and take turns exchanging or stealing gifts from one another :)  It just occurred to me how old I sound.  10 years ago (Hell, maybe even 5!) I would've laughed if someone told me that was their idea of an exciting nite!  But alas, after 3 kids and countless sleepless nights (for one reason or another), it sounds mighty good to me!  I guess I am getting old!

Well, Chris just walked in and Carter is NOT happy so I guess that's my update for now :)

Love,
E

Seriously? Can we just have the whole house fumigated???

Now Mom is sick with the same bug.  It's spreading like wildfire.  About the only good news is that it is a fast moving bug so you're typically only sick 12-18 hours and it seems like the younger the age the quicker the bug passes.  Alex was feeling better already last night and spent the day with Mana and Daddy at home today.

Tomorrow is a new day.  :)  This too shall pass!  One of my Mom's favorite sayings and I'll never forget.  It's like my mantra since the twins have been born.  This too shall pass...

Work was good today just very hectic.  It was one of those days where I had a lot of "little" things on my to-do list but everytime I started one something else came up.  I finally caught up and was able to leave this afternoon around 5:30pm to pick up babies at daycare by 6pm.  I spent a good part of my day today coaching my tellers.  I really do enjoy that aspect of my job I just feel that I don't have the opportunity to do it as much as they need/I would like.  I love a good challenge so when they say, "I don't know how to talk to this customer about...", I enjoy helping them come up with different approaches.  For those of you who don't know, I'm a teller operations specialist at Bank of America and a very large part of my job entails coaching my tellers to meet certain daily/monthly referral goals...  I love feeling like I'm part of the team and coaching reinforces that for me.

So, last week when the babies were SO STOPPED UP and snotty, Chris googled for some advice and came across a product called "Baby-Vac".  Hold on to your seat here.  It's very similar to what the hospital used to suck out Carter's nose when he was sick.  It's a long tube (that attaches on one end to your house vacuum cleaner) with a bulb thingy on the other end to collect the ick.  I have to say I was VERY skeptical and thought for sure that it would hurts the babies or scare them.  Well, it came in day before yesterday and we tried it for the first time yesterday.  It was AMAZING!  Best $30 we've spent in a while!  It can also be used on adults...

Well, that's all for now, I'm dozing off as I'm typing this (yawn!) and I've got to get some good sleep tonite.  Sleeping on the couch last night just did not do it for me.  I woke up feeling exhausted...

Love,
E

The last few days...

...have been BUSY!  I came down with the stomach bug last weekend and it seemed that the rest of the family was in the clear.  Or so we thought.  Today while at the grocery store I got a call from the daycare saying that Alex had thrown up 3 times and was still sick.  So Chris went to bring him home and within the hour Chris was showing the same symptoms.  So, I immediately went into "survival mode"!  Ha!  I called in the reinforcements (Mana who just left our house a few days ago was back en route to our house, Uncle Robo was here to help and "Aunt" Leslie was on her way over!)!  By the time Mana arrived (thanks mostly in part to Leslie), the babies were contentedly playing on the floor, Daddy was asleep in bed and Alex was watching DVDs in his room (Thanks Uncle Robo!!!  Yes, we TEMPORARILY moved a TV into his room so he could "rest").  The house was calm.  Thank God for Mana!  I know I seem to say that alot lately but she truly has been a Godsend and I hope she knows how much we really appreciate her!

Now for the past few days...  The babies seem to be growing up overnight!  I'm LOVING having my iPhone 4 and taking advantage of lots of video and pictures on the fly :)  Here are just a few...

Carter LOVES bathtime!

Our cheeky monkey :)

Our typical morning routine...

Caroline is already learning to use Daddy's iPhone...

Not too sure about the exersaucer!

A long read but too funny not to share!

And I agree with it 100% (just times 2 for twins!!!

Thinking of having kids..Try this 11 step program first

 

Lesson 1

1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

 

Lesson 2 Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

 

Lesson 3 A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM. 9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive) Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

 

Lesson 4 Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

 

Lesson 5 Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out. Time allowed for this - all morning.

 

Lesson 6 Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

 

Lesson 7 Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

 

Lesson 8

1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air. You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

 

Lesson 9 Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

 

Lesson 10 Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

 

Lesson 11 Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

 

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent! For anyone else reading this - I'm thrilled that you are all enjoying it, as I did - immensely. However, I DID NOT write it! It was sent in an email from a friend of mine... and I'm not sure who the original author is.

Elizabeth L. Scogins

"Bloom where you're planted..."

www.scogins.com

Sent from my fabulous iPhone!

Update on Mommy...

I hit send too quick. If you go to the blog directly instead of just reading the email you'll see the corrected version.

The doc said for me to lie on my left side and drink plenty of water and recheck my bp again in an hour. I did and it had dropped to 132/86 thank goodness. Who knows why it went up in the first place.

I'm feeling some better but am still quarantined to my room until tomorrow. We can't risk anyone else getting it and it's VERY contagious.

Cari called and even though they have just gotten home from a long trip, said they'd watch A so that has helped alot. He and his mom just have the twins to watch now and that's MUCH easier...

I'm feeling better already just very tired so hopefully by tomorrow I'll be good to go!

Thanks for the prayers, He truly does answer them...

Elizabeth L. Scogins
"Bloom where you're planted..."
www.scogins.com

Sent from my fabulous iPhone!

Uh oh, Mommy's sick...

I feel awful. I was up all night every hour vomiting with diarrhea. For the past 2 hours I've had a really bad headache. I took 800mg of Advil an hour ago but it's not helped. I just took my bp and it's 151/105. I just talked to the oncall Dr. He said the blood pressure is concerning because he'd expect my bp to be low with the vomiting and diarrhea. He told me to lie on my left side, drink lots of fluids and retake my bp. If it hasn't went down after an hour I'll need to go to the ER. Please say a little prayer for me.

Love,
E

Elizabeth L. Scogins
"Bloom where you're planted..."
www.scogins.com

Sent from my fabulous iPhone!