On the Wagon

Ok, I think it's safe to say we are officially bottle free! I am a bit nostalgic as I write this because it reminds me of what a rocky and long road it started out to be with my little ladybugs. I know most moms and most of you reading this would (and secretly do) chastise me for letting my girls use bottles this long. But before you do, I urge you to walk a mile in my shoes. It hasn't been strictly for convenience sake, or because I'm lazy...actually far from it. Bottles have been a lot of work around here! I am happy with my methods and I think the girls have benefitted from them. They've only had bottles at bedtimes and in the morning (3 times a day) for the past couple years and never anytime or anywhere else. And I've had a hard time giving up the automatic 24 ounces of milk a day that provides them with important calcium, nutrients and calories.

Since day one...actually even before that because while in my tummy the constant worry was that Ava (Baby A) wasn't growing....the issue most important and paramount to their survival has been getting enough food, i.e. calories, i.e. MILK (Mama's or otherwise)! When you begin your motherhood experience spending every waking moment worrying about how much milk your little ones can get to grow bigger, stronger and to get out of the hospital, it's tough kicking the habit.

The only concern and the biggest job I had as a new mom was to teach my babies how to suckle and to take milk through their mouths. It wasn't easy. Through necrotizing enterocolitis, blood infections, heart murmurs and other reasons that prevented them from getting food to their tummies, let alone through their mouths...because these problems mandated the girls take fluids through IV's rather than milk through their nasal feeding tubes...the first several weeks were tough. The mission stuck with me, and to this day I overfeed and fret constantly about their daily intake of calories, especially Ava's. I remember at one point celebrating when the girls were allowed to take 2 milliliters (that's less than a small spoonful) of breast milk through a feeding tube.

That was then...










Anyway, I went cold turkey last Wednesday night and have stuck to my guns since. Caroline had a harder time with it than Ava. Ava hasn't really wanted one at bedtime for some time...she mostly prefers her morning bottle "on the couch." Much like Mom with her cup of coffee :)

Caroline had a few crying bouts and tried a few times to cajole, "last more bottle, Mommy!!!" from me. But she's content now that she is giving them to baby Elise on our trip to Chicago next week. The last few bedtimes I haven't even heard mention of it. I've packed them up and I now have one more drawer in the kitchen to use. I will also not miss the dramatic and elaborate ritual of Caroline wanting the bottle placed precariously at the edge of the bedside table so SHE can grab it HERSELF...but not before she licked her finger and ran it in a circular motion around the nipple and down her wrist. (Again, more on that in a later post)

I love you my ladybugs! I'm happy you're healthy and growing up and older, but can't help but miss my babies.

Cheers!

This is now...

Caroline Quotes

While stopped at a stoplight today, Caroline noticed a man holding a sign and asked what his sign said. I told her he was begging for money, to which she replied, "Why? He can just go to the bank and they will give him some."

I told her banks don't give money to people anymore...we give it to them.

Later...

We went to lunch and I thoroughly embarrassed myself when a woman said hello and called me by name. I couldn't remember who she was to save my life. By the time she left I had half way convinced myself of who she was. I was wrong! When she passed our table on the way out I exposed my full-on momnesia and addressed her by the wrong name. Nice. Caroline asked who Fay was and I told her she worked with her daddy. And she said, "Our daddy with the whiskers?" She and Ava have said this a few times. I think it's pretty funny...for a few reasons.

Then in the car, Ava said she could see the big ice cream cone (can you guess we were driving on 2100 South?). She kept repeating it and I didn't clue in until she was at a fever pitch. I said, "I'm sorry, I see it now...I guess have lost my mind."

Caroline quickly asked, "Mama, where's your mind at?"

Answer: Apparently, out the window the second they were born.

Mmm, mmm, good!

Just had to share these cute pictures of our "spaghetti" dinner at Dad's cabin. I had to improvise with Top Ramen noodles since we had no pasta in the house. I don't think they minded given their emply bowls. I got the wild hair to swing by Eden for a night on our way home from Manila since we were so close. The girls haven't stopped playing in Mi Casa...the room under the stairs that holds all of "Daddy's toys." Papa coined the phrase last summer and it stuck.

Thrilla in Manila

We spent a couple days at Maga's cabin in Flaming Gorge this weekend. Oh, how the girls LOVE Maga's cabin! We figured it was going to be rainy all weekend at home so why not head up to the mountains and enjoy the rain with prettier change of scenery. We lucked out, however, and only got a few drizzles over the entire weekend...and Mommy got some much-needed help with the little rugrats. I packed up a whole bag of toys to keep the girls entertained but they much preferred setting up the store and shopping in "Papa Bics" garage. It provided hours of entertainment, because who wouldn't enjoy stacking coolers and gas cans inside each other and wheeling them around the yard?

The girls were on their best behavior except when the late night shenanigans began. The girls shared a bed in the futon room and you can only imagine what ensured as I tried to get them to sleep. We endured some pleading for bottles (Mom is playing hardball and still not giving in), countless lullabys, tummy tickles and a little bit of co-sleeping until they finally fell asleep. They finally bit the dust at 11:00 p.m. the first night and 10:00 p.m. the second night. You'd think with all the fun we had hunting for Rocky Mountain Sheep, playing at the very quaint "Manilla Days" festival, roasting marshmallows, looking for the baby bunny under the house, playing soccer, chasing Biggie around the yard and running the store, that they'd poop out a bit earlier. They didn't, but Mom did!

It was a bit of a challenge given the sleeping arrangements and the fact that the futon room shares a very thin wall with the living room television. As I lay with them to try to get them to fall asleep, Caroline, in her wiser-than-her-years logic whispered sweetly, "Mommy, Papa Bic should turn the tv lower so we can sleep." She must have read my mind.

But fun was had by all and out of the blue today Caroline exclaimed, "going to Maga's cabin was fun!" Yes it was!





Mommy's favorite...a campfire! Twins' favorite...marshmallows!!!


Going nowhere fast at Red Canyon Lodge

Bouncy fun at Manila Days

Count to ten....breathe

Where do I start? Today was a good day...productive, fun, rainy, good eating by both kids, nice visit with Papa and Mimi. Then there was bedtime. Honestly, wine was created specifically because of bedtime for kids. Why, oh why, can't kids go quietly and happily to bed in a timely manner when you've methodically adhered to a very rigid routine for three years to accomplish just that? It's not enough to read one book, two books or even three...nope gotta read the entire library. You also have to wrangle two wiggly, jiggly, curiously strong and lightening fast kids into diapers and pajamas (after, of course, sitting through ten minutes each of potty time); brush their teeth with some degree of effectiveness; comply with an INSANE list of elaborate routines (more on that later); hunt for the elusive duckie (or hide him as the case may be) all before the witching hour of 8:00 p.m.! And, while hopefully avoiding any tears (theirs or yours...doesn't matter)! Good times. This is an almost impossible task with two parents, let alone one.

Between Ava and Caroline, I think the naughty chair count reached five tonight. Caroline one, Ava four. And they went to bed without stories, the naked dance, and bottles (trying to quit) because the shenanigans went on and on and on. Screams and ranting are still audible upstairs - and in my head - and it's 9:30 p.m. I still need to pack us all up for our trip to Maga's cabin in the morning.

I don't know what Ava was on tonight, but putting a kid in the naughty chair when they're laughing hysterically at you and goofing off...rather than throwing a tantrum... is a test of willpower to not laugh yourself. I had to be serious, and I was. But that cute face of hers with her funny-as-hell little squatty dance and gurgly song was almost too much. However, after the third time out of the chair, a pretty hard slap in the face and an attempted biting, my sense of humor waned.

Needless to say, I'm downstairs calming my nerves with a little vino and letting off steam through my fingers (typing). I love my ladybugs, but where the hell is my Calgon?!!!!

Now, back upstairs to break up the party in Ava's bed....

Postscript: Ok, round two just ended. It's 10:30 p.m. and Ava is downstairs in the "Angel Bed", Caroline just made herself throw up from crying and I've sung every lullaby I know. The silver lining?: when I went in their room to break up the party, silently grabbed Caroline and her duckie, pillow and star blanket (since she was the one out of her bed) and proceeded downstairs, only to be followed by Ava saying, "But Mama, I was naughty too. Can I come downstairs too?" She volunteered to take Caroline's place downstairs in the Angel Bed. She regretted it later, but how sweet.

And now...SILENCE

Miss Manners

This morning all three of us were in the bathroom while I was helping the girls go potty first thing after waking up. Ava was playing with a toy that Caroline desperately wanted to play with while she was sitting on the potty. After Caroline complained that Ava wasn't sharing, I told Caroline that she needed to wait her turn and that Ava would probably share it with her once she was done. She didn't have to wait long as Ava, without saying a word, quickly handed it over to make her happy. I asked Caroline what she says when someone does something nice like that and she graciously added, "Thank you, Ava."

Ava's response? "Your pleasure." (instead of, "my pleasure.") Funny enough on it's own, but it's typically the case....Caroline's pleasure is of utmost importance to her, and to Ava. What a sweetie.

Southpaw logic

Tonight as the girls ate dinner I tried to help Caroline by giving her a little tip. I'm also trying to encourage her to use her right hand as much as possible, thinking somewhat stereotypically that right-handers have an easier time in life.

Since she seemed to be having a hard time getting her soup to her mouth while using her left hand, I suggested she try the other hand to make it easier. To which she promptly replied without even skipping a beat, "I wish the other hand was on this side." (as she gestured to her left hand).

Maybe I should just leave well enough alone....

Growing Older But Not Up

We got some sad news today. We found out our beloved Papa has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. But we are optimistic because the doctors said it was very localized and hadn't spread. We are crossing our fingers that they caught it early and categorize it as stage one. There's an incredibly high cure rate when they do and we know with Papa's optimistic, upbeat and forever young attitude that he'll come out of this just fine! As Mimi said, "If you're a man and you live long enough, you're gonna get it." Sad, but typically true. Papa turns 69 on June 24 and we know he's going to be the guy to take us to our first Jimmy Buffet concert and watch us graduate suma cum laude from college!

Papa has always been a dreamer and a lover of life who has lived his to the fullest. Dad, as you gear up to face this battle remember to live your life as you always have and don't forget the Parrothead philosophy... "I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead." Go forth and conquer! We know you will.

We love you with all our heart and we are saying our prayers for you.

P.S. We also send our love and support to our Uncle Gary who is facing this battle as well. Damn cancer.

Potty mouth...

Mark, my handy dandy plumber is here fixing my toilet. I have two kids in the midst of potty training and they somehow managed to bugger up my toilet with the constant flushing they LOVE to do, always adding the all-important farewell, "bye, bye tinkles (or poops, whichever the case may be)" to the procedure.

Anyway, Mark showed up while they were napping. And like most curious 3 year olds they were very intrigued with this new person's presence in our house with both kids asking promptly upon waking up what he was doing here; to which I replied, "Fixing our potty."

They always have to ask the names of everyone, including complete strangers who might be walking across the street. Caroline's choice of words in forming this question were so cute they warranted writing down...."Mommy, what that potty fixer's name?"

What's in a name?

So you're wondering what's up with the title. It's an excerpt from a book that my friend Alice and her son gave to the girls when they were just babes, Some of My Best Friends are Polka Dot Pigs. It was a gift to Henry when he was young and he gifted it to the girls. It was and still is one of their favorites...they had the endings memorized on every page. The final pages were especially poignant to me and I loved the sweet sentiments as they seemed to fit our experience well.

They read: "Purple or polka dot, whacky or shy...I love my best friends, they are the stars in my sky. A sparkle, a dance, a moon and a star....In a world full of lucky to be loved as we are."

Ava and Caroline are blessed to be loved by many people. My family and friends have been my life support during a very happy, yet challenging time. You have all been there for me and for the girls since the beginning and I felt it an appropriate title for a blog about two of the most loved kids I know and the luckiest mom in the world!

Speaking of names....

These are the literal latin translations for their names:

Ava: Little Bird
Caroline: Song of Joy

So fitting and so perfect for my tiny Ava, who I called "little one" when she was in my tummy since she was having such a hard time growing. And for my sweet Caroline who was named for my favorite song, "Sweet Caroline," which brings me much joy whenever I hear it and whenever I play it for the girls...they LOVE it! Caroline coincidentally loves to sing and loves to be sung to. Often at bedtime she says, "sing me a lullaby Mommy" and when I finish she promptly adds, "last more song Mommy." I picked the names, Dad picked the kid who got them. Good job!

First Posting...Here We Go!!

So I'm finally ready to get this thing up and going. I promised myself, and my girls, THREE years ago when they were born that I'd stay up to date on chronicling their life experiences and milestones. My hope is that this blog will one day serve as a wonderful gift to them when they want to know what they were like, and what life was like, in their formative years. Well...better late than never.

My goal is to post funny, momentous, important, interesting, and even mundane things about Ava and Caroline as they mature and tackle the crazy journey of life. For those who love them, I hope it helps to give you a glimpse into their daily life as well as what exciting challenges they might be facing at the moment. It's hard to recap all of their crazy antics to everyone individually as my memory, brainpower (and time) has substantially diminished since giving birth...my twin-mommy friend coined it "momnesia," which describes it perfectly. So I hope this electronic journal of their lives helps you stay close to them and us in spirit, while giving me a tool to jot down their latest clever observations, toddler speak, achievements, and pictures on the spur of the moment.

To those of you who check in and read these posts: Enjoy and please feel free to post your own comments to add to the record. To my ladybugs: I love you with all my heart and I hope you one day read and enjoy this transcript of your lives and realize how truly wonderful, unique and blessed you both are to have each other, as I am blessed to have you! xoxo, Mommy