I can't believe I haven't posted on here in over 3 months! Since the kids started school I have been busier than ever, but that's no excuse. The other day I had a talk with my husband, Jeff, and he really thinks that I should start up the blog again! I agreed, because I love writing and, of course, it gives us a little extra money! (all because of you guys, my wonderful fans!)
First I'm going to update you guys on my kids ages and grades. Since it's been a while, it'll be a good refresher! Then, I'll just let your know about things that have been going on this fall/winter. I am 39 and am working part time as a nurse. I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but I have a medical degree! Adrian is 16, a junior in high school. She goes to public school and doesn't mind it. She has always been intelligent and school comes easy to her! This year has been a little bit more difficult than others, because she is taking AP Physics and AP Calculus. But, it was her decision and it's what she wanted to do! Braylie is 13 and she is in 7th grade at the public middle school. She doesn't like school, but what middle schooler does! Gage is 9 and in 3rd grade at a private elementary school. I sent Adrian and Braylie there too, but then at middle school I switched them to public because they were going to a public high school! Jamie is 5 and in kindergarten at our church. Our church is connected to a nursery school nearby and they let them use our church facilities. Jamie goes Monday-Friday for just the morning. He loves it! We originally had him in twice a week full day kindergarten, but that didn't work out at all because a full day was two long with him! It only lasted for 2 weeks before we switched him. So far it's been working great! Emery and Nolan turned 8 months old on December 18th. They are so big I just can't believe it! Time flies when you have little babies! Update on them coming soon!
Adrian is learning how to drive! I can't believe that she is 16 and driving. She got her permit this past July, and hoping to get her license in January. I am actually pretty excited, because it'll be so much easier when we don't have to drive her to work every day! She has been working a lot because she is saving for a car/college. Adrian works at American Eagle every day after school until 7, for 4 hours. She also works every Saturday morning from 10am-3pm. The only way she is able to pull this off is time management! She has two study halls, since she got done most of her credits her first two years of high school. She is only taking Calculus, Physics, Lit, Gym, and Art. I am so proud of her for taking responsibility to earn money and manage her limited amount of time!
Braylie has begun babysitting! I told her when she was 13 she can take a babysitting class where I work and start out. She turned 13 in October and took a series of classes within the first week of being 13. I am really proud of her she has been doing amazing with babysitting! A young couple from our church have two girls, 3 and 7. Braylie has been watching them for a couple of hours here and there to earn some spending money. I think those are good ages to start out with because they aren't too hard to deal with! Also, it is only for short amounts at a time, which is also important when you are learning to babysit. You don't want to be left with a screaming baby for 7 hours! Braylie has been watching Emery and Nolan sometimes, too, when I need the help. There are sometimes in the day when I just need a break to get stuff done, and either her or Adrian are usually willing to help me! Adrian used to watch them all of the time for me, (don't worry, I payed her if she was alone with them for a long time!) but since Adrian has been working Braylie has been a great help!
Jeff has picked up extra hours, which is a bummer. He works from 6am-8pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and 6am-5pm Thursday and Friday. We really need the extra money, but he has such a busy schedule and the kids and I miss spending time with him! I work Tuesdays from 7am-5pm and Thursdays from 11am-7pm. Random hours, but it's nice to get out of the house for a while! On Tuesdays and Thursdays my sister-in-law, Katelyn, watches the twins. She isn't working right now because she is pregnant and on maternity leave! She is due in January, so I'll have to find another babysitter when her baby comes. It's a little crazy though, because on Tuesdays Katelyn comes over at 6am to get the kids on the bus and drive Jamie to school because both Jeff and I work early! She stays with Emery and Nolan, picks Jamie up from school at lunch, and watches them. She also gets the kids off the bus, because I don't get home until 5 on Tuesdays and Jeff doesn't get back until 8! Thursdays are a little better, I am there in the morning for the kids and Katelyn comes around 10am until Jeff gets home at 5. I do feel bad about leaving the kids twice a week, but I have to work to support them!
This has been a crazy long post, I better stop before it gets any longer! Thanks for reading, and comment below any post requests :)
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, September 1, 2014
Day in the Life: School Edition!
Hey everyone, today I am going to do a day in the life of our average day now that school has started! The kids first day of school was August 25, and we had a 4 day weekend for Labor Day and go back tomorrow! This specific day is Thursday the 29th.
6:00am: I wake up at 6 like I normally do, shower, and get ready for the day. Adrian gets up at 6 too, good thing that we have more than one bathroom!
6:45: I make lunch for the kids, Adrian usually helps me! Lately, she has really been into cooking and has been making dinners and helping with breakfast! She wants to start learning how to cook.
7:00am: I wake up Braylie and Gage and get them breakfast. Adrian gets on the bus at 7:05 most days, unless she has to get to school early! Jeff also leaves the house around 7.
7:30am: Braylie and Gage are both dressed, and I wake up Jamie, give him breakfast, and get him ready!
8:00am: The kids play quietly while I get up Emery and Nolan, feed them, and get them dressed. Every Tuesday and Thursday we leave the house at 8:30, because we live just a few minutes from Braylie and Gage's school, and school doesn't start until 8:50! Jamie has full-day kindergarten Tuesday and Thursdays that starts at 9, so it makes sense to drive Braylie and Gage also. But, Monday, Wednseday, and Friday they get on the bus at 8 because Jamie doesn't have school!
9:15am: By the time I get home, Emery is cranky because she hates the car, and Nolan falls asleep in the car! When I get home I play with them for a while, we usually have our tummy time in the morning. They are 4 and a half months old and can hold their heads up and roll over! One of my favorite times in the day is when I am playing with just them and me in the mornings.
10:00am: I feed them again and they go down for their morning nap around 10:30. Then, I usually do the breakfast dishes and clean the kitchen.
11:00am: I get some work done on my computer, answering emails and tending to my blog!
12:30: I get myself some lunch, and Emery and Nolan usually wake up again so I give them lunch too! Then, I do dishes and sweep. I usually baby wear Emery, because she is really clingy lately, and Nolan just sits on the floor, content, with his boppy and loves to watch me do things!
1:30pm: I just relax with the babies and enjoy our time together! It's so nice to be just with them, because I was so used to having all the kids with me 24/7.
3:00: I put Emery and Nolan down for their afternoon nap and I do some more housework, and if I have time, get more work done on my computer! Adrian gets home around 3:15, and she gets a snack and does her homework. I leave the house as soon as she gets home to go pick up Jamie from school! Braylie and Gage get off the bus at 3:35, so Adrian waits for them out on the porch. She gets them a snack and they usually sit at the kitchen bar and do their homework. When I get home with Jamie, I get him a snack and he goes off to play while I help Braylie and Gage, and even sometimes Adrian, with their homework!
5:30: Jeff gets home right when I start dinner. He gets up Emery and Nolan from their nap around then and feeds them. I am trying to get them used to using a bottle, because sometimes I'm not around to feed them and it's easier on me if Jeff can sometimes!
6:00pm: We all have dinner together as a family, usually! Adrian works 5-9 on Mondays and Wednesdays, though. After dinner Jeff and I spend time with the kids! We play a board game, watch a movie, go swimming, or just play with them! At 7 one of us baths Jamie, reads to him, and puts him down at 7:30. He is so tired from being at school all day that he has been going to bed early! Soon after he goes to bed Gage and Braylie take their showers (sometimes Gage takes a bath) and they are in bed by 8:15. I give Emery and Nolan their baths at 8:30, and they are down by 9. Usually, they wake up around midnight and then again at 2, sometimes again at 5!
9:00pm: I just relax and work on my computer, or just watch a movie with Jeff. Adrian has to be showered, homework done, and in bed by 9:30, but she doesn't necessarily go to sleep then!
11:00pm: Jeff and I go up to bed.
Hope you guys enjoyed this post, comment below what you want to see next!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Daily Post | August 21
Hey everyone, i haven't done a daily post in a long time and a lot of you guys like hearing about our every day activities! We have a really fun day yesterday, so I thought that I would share it with all of you! :)
1:00am: I started my day at 1:00am, when Emery woke up crying and wouldn't fall back asleep until around 2:30am. She seemed wide awake and ready for the day, but I obviously wasn't going to get up at 2:30! I eventually got her back to sleep.
3:00am: Nolan woke up hungry, but he went down easily after being fed luckily!
6:00am: I woke up for the day, showered, and got dressed and ready!
6:45am: I got on my computer in my office and answered some emails and took care of some business and replied to your comments on my latest blog post! I usually spend an hour or so in the morning getting work done!
7:50am: I started breakfast for the kids, because for the past week I have been waking them all up at 8, because school starts soon and I want to get them into a routine! I was under the impression that school was starting after Labor Day, but suddenly the school board changed the decision, and we start this Monday, the 25th! They only let us know 10 days in advance! Anyway, I'm excited for the kids to go back to school!
8:00am: I woke up Adrian, Braylie, Gage, and Jamie and got them breakfast and then dressed for the day.
8:20am: Nolan and Emery woke up and I fed them and got them both dressed! This week Gage has soccer camp from 9-3 and Jamie has a t-ball camp for little boys from 9-12, so we left the house around 8:50. Both camps are both at the public high school only a few minutes away from our house!
9:10: We got home from camp and Braylie did her chores while I cleaned the kitchen and Emery and Nolan sat in the kitchen with me. They are 4 months old and they are getting so much better at sitting! Obviously, they sit with their boppys, but they can almost sit on their own!
10:00am: I dropped of Braylie at a friend's house while Adrian watched Emery and Nolan. On the way home I stopped at the grocery store to get a few necessities!
11:00am: I put Emery and Nolan down for their nap and got some work done until I had to leave at 11:50 to pick up Jamie from camp.
12:25: I woke up the twins and fed them, and then I took Jamie and them with me to drop Adrian off at work!
1:00pm: I did a craft with Jamie and then he was really tired from camp so he went to sleep around 1:30 for a nap! I did some laundry, cleaned, and played with Emery and Nolan. They went down for their second nap at 2 after I fed them again. It seems like all I do is breastfeed!
2:00-3:30: I cleaned the house from top to bottom! We were having friends over for dinner and our house was super messy! I was so glad that most of the kids were out of the house and that jamie, Emery, and Nolan were all sleeping! Jamie couldn't have picked a better day for a nap.
3:30: Gage was dropped off at home from camp by a friend, apparently camp went a little later! Jamie also woke up around then, and Gage wanted to swim in the pool so Jamie went with him! I woke up the twins and fed them, then went out onto the deck with them to watch the boys swim and get some fresh air!
5:00pm: Jeff came home early, to help me out! He watched all of the kids, and got them bathed, while I started dinner! We had about twenty people coming over for dinner, just for a last pool party before fall! I made pasta salad, coleslaw, a veggie tray, chips and salsa, and pulled chicken sandwiches! Jeff also grilled some hotdogs for all of the kids.
5:45: I drove over to Adrian's work to pick her up and also picked up Braylie from her friends house! Then, I got home and made sure everything was ready and then fed the babies again. Everyone was coming at 6:15, so we were a little bit rushed but everything turned out great! We had such a fun time with our friends! All of my kids and their kids played in the pool and everyone wanted to hold Emery and Nolan, so it was very relaxing for me to get a little bit of a break from the kids and just socialize with my friends! Around 8:30 we moved inside and the kids watched a movie and my friends helped me clean up. My best friend from college, Jessica, was in the area for a few weeks. She is married to Jeremy and has 3 kids, 10 year old Sophie, 7 year old Josephine, and 2 year old Jonah! My friend Drake from college was also came with his wife, Eliza, and their 4 kids, 4 year old triplets Danny, Elise, and Dylan, and their 9 month old, Emily! Lastly, my friend Lauren and her husband, Scott came. They are expecting a baby boy in January! Total, 13 people came plus our family, a total of 21!
9:30: Jessica and her family left, it was so great to see her before she has to go back to Texas, where she lives! Also, Drake and his family left. They are great friends of ours, and our kids love each other so much! Lauren helped me give Jamie, Emery, and Nolan baths while Jeff put Gage and Braylie to bed and Drake helped clean up a little bit. All of the kids, except for Adrian, were in bed by 10! It was a late night for them, since they are usually up that late, but it was a special occasion, and our last party with our friends before the new school year begins! :)
Monday, August 18, 2014
Q and A Part 2!
Hey everyone, here is the second part to my Q and A!
Q: How do you keep all of your kids entertained?
A: It definitely is hard, with 6 kids, to make sure all of them are entertained. But the truth is, they need to learn that they can't be doing something every minute of every day! It is good to just relax and have quiet time and just do nothing. Every afternoon while Jamie naps Gage and Braylie have quiet time in their rooms. It's great for me because I get to relax and get some work done, but it's also healthy for them to have some relaxing time to just read a book or play quietly alone! Having time alone is good for children to learn how to entertain themselves, because other people can't entertain them 24/7. But, I do have a lot of activities for the kids! I play games with them, our family is very big with board games. The kids love playing games with Jeff and I! Also, since we have a pool, during the summer they can basically go into the pool whenever they want. The rule that we have is that they can't swim unless Jeff, Adrian, or I is out there with him. Even though Gage and Braylie can swim, there are accidents and we are extremely cautious! It's also just fun to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie as a family. Our favorite movies are Aladdin, 101 Dalmations, and Toy Story 3!
Q: How many rooms does your house have?
A: We currently live in a 5 bedroom house. Jeff and I have a master bedroom, and the twins are currently sleeping with us. Last update on them I told you that they were basically sleeping through the night, but I think I jinxed it because the past few nights have been hard, they each have been waking up 2-3 times! Adrian has her own bedroom, Gage and Jamie share a bedroom, Braylie has her own room, and then we have a guest bedroom! I plan on keeping the twins in our room for a little while longer, because it's just easiest for me. Eventually I plan to turn the guest bedroom into a nursery, I will make a post on how that is going! We have a big living, a kitchen with a dining room attatched, a playroom, and an office. Jeff and I share the office because he does a lot of work from home, and I work completely from home! Jeff is a real estate agent and has so much paperwork that he can do at home when I need help. Currently I am happy with our home arrangements, obviously when the kids get older we will most likely have to move, or add on to our current house, because the kids will need their own bedrooms. But, I'm happy with how things are!
Q: Why did you start blogging?
A: I wanted to start blogging because I had heard about a lot of people doing it and thought it would be a fun hobby, since I love writing, and a place to document my kids lives! I was not expecting for it to become my job, but I am so thankful that it has been! I was planning on going back to work this fall because we need the money, but now I can stay at home with my kids! It is absolutely a dream come true, to make movie doing something as simple as writing a blog, and something I love doing! It's not all fun, because I constantly have emails to reply to and work to do, but overall I love it and wouldn't want to do anything different! :)
Q: How do you keep all of your kids entertained?
A: It definitely is hard, with 6 kids, to make sure all of them are entertained. But the truth is, they need to learn that they can't be doing something every minute of every day! It is good to just relax and have quiet time and just do nothing. Every afternoon while Jamie naps Gage and Braylie have quiet time in their rooms. It's great for me because I get to relax and get some work done, but it's also healthy for them to have some relaxing time to just read a book or play quietly alone! Having time alone is good for children to learn how to entertain themselves, because other people can't entertain them 24/7. But, I do have a lot of activities for the kids! I play games with them, our family is very big with board games. The kids love playing games with Jeff and I! Also, since we have a pool, during the summer they can basically go into the pool whenever they want. The rule that we have is that they can't swim unless Jeff, Adrian, or I is out there with him. Even though Gage and Braylie can swim, there are accidents and we are extremely cautious! It's also just fun to cuddle on the couch and watch a movie as a family. Our favorite movies are Aladdin, 101 Dalmations, and Toy Story 3!
Q: How many rooms does your house have?
A: We currently live in a 5 bedroom house. Jeff and I have a master bedroom, and the twins are currently sleeping with us. Last update on them I told you that they were basically sleeping through the night, but I think I jinxed it because the past few nights have been hard, they each have been waking up 2-3 times! Adrian has her own bedroom, Gage and Jamie share a bedroom, Braylie has her own room, and then we have a guest bedroom! I plan on keeping the twins in our room for a little while longer, because it's just easiest for me. Eventually I plan to turn the guest bedroom into a nursery, I will make a post on how that is going! We have a big living, a kitchen with a dining room attatched, a playroom, and an office. Jeff and I share the office because he does a lot of work from home, and I work completely from home! Jeff is a real estate agent and has so much paperwork that he can do at home when I need help. Currently I am happy with our home arrangements, obviously when the kids get older we will most likely have to move, or add on to our current house, because the kids will need their own bedrooms. But, I'm happy with how things are!
Q: Why did you start blogging?
A: I wanted to start blogging because I had heard about a lot of people doing it and thought it would be a fun hobby, since I love writing, and a place to document my kids lives! I was not expecting for it to become my job, but I am so thankful that it has been! I was planning on going back to work this fall because we need the money, but now I can stay at home with my kids! It is absolutely a dream come true, to make movie doing something as simple as writing a blog, and something I love doing! It's not all fun, because I constantly have emails to reply to and work to do, but overall I love it and wouldn't want to do anything different! :)
Sunday, August 17, 2014
My Life
Hey everyone! I have been getting a lot of questions about my childhood and my life before I started this blog, so I decided to make a post about it!
I was born August 16th, 1975. My 39th birthday was actually yesterday! I was born in Orlando, Florida. I was the second kid in the family, my sister Amanda was 4 when I was born. I loved having a big sister and have amazing memories with her when we were kids! When I was 5, my mom and dad told Amanda and I that they were expecting another baby! We were so excited and I remember the first time seeing my baby sister, Allysa, in the nursery. Sadly, she passed away a few days after she was born due to heart and lung failure. None of the doctors saw it coming, and our family was devastated. A few years later, when I was 8, my parents tried again and had my twin brothers, Alex and Tyler! We were all so happy and I loved playing with my baby brothers.
As a child, I went to a public elementary school. I remember absolutely loving elementary school. I had a lot of friends until the middle school, when I was made fun of because of the way I looked. I was never the skinniest girl, but I was in no way overweight. I was bullied and it led to an eating disorder. I overcame it before it got terrible, but it was hard to deal with without friends. I finally made some friends who didn't care how I looked, and they are still my best friends today! Then, in high school Iwent through a tough time when I was taken advantage of by my friend, Jeremy. I was only a freshman and it traumatized me and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without my 2 best friends, Jess and Sophie. They always stuck with me! Then, my sophomore year, I met Jeff and we fell in love. He was just a few months older than me, and we had so much in common. He was so kind to me after what I had been through. I had a great high school experience with him as my boyfriend! I was on the school yearbook committee for 3 years, and I also played tennis all 4 years! Overall, I had so much fun in high school.
Jeff and I got married after my first year of college. I was 19 and so was he. It was August 16th, on my 19th birthday! Now, 20 years later, we are still such a happy couple! We had an amazing college experience, we went to the same college and roomed together after we got married. When I graduated, we decided to try for a baby. It took us 8 months to get a positive pregnancy result, and we were so happy! We were both out of college and had jobs and were financially stable. Sadly, 13 weeks in at my ultrasound we found out that my baby had no heartbeat. We were so upset. After I was recovered physically and emotionally, we were trying again. We spent a year trying to get pregnant, and nothing happened. We had a visit with a fertility clinic and I was deemed infertile. With the news in hand, Jeff and I decided to adopt. Within a few months, we adopted Adrian. She was 3 and had come from an unstable home and we were so excited to be parents! We loved Adrian so much and a few months later we got a call from the adoption agency, letting us know that Adrian's biological mother was expecting a baby and didn't want her. We, of course, agreed to adopting the baby. We were able to take home Braylie when she was 4 days old. I loved having a baby in the family, and Adrian loved playing with Braylie! Some of the best days of my life were with baby Braylie and Adrian.
When Braylie was 4, I found out that I was pregnant! I was so completely surprised, because I thought I was infertile. Apparently, my doctor had made a mistake. I had a very hard pregnancy, and it made me never want to be pregnant again. I had morning sickness 24/7 and developed preeclampsia. I had Gage 8 weeks early because I went into pre-term labor and had an emergency c-section. Gage was in the NICU and it was completely awful. I visited him every day but wanted him home with me so badly. When he was 7 weeks old, we took him home for the first time. He was so tiny, but he was a beautiful baby boy. I loved having a boy, and wanted another one to even out our family. We adopted Jamie 4 years later. The adoption agency contacted us and we couldn't say no! Jamie was the sweetest, easiest baby I ever had. He was so easy, but adorable! A few years later, I was late and took a pregnancy test. I was pregnant! At our 8 week ultrasound, we found out that it was twins! Jeff and I were thrilled, we always wanted 6 kids! My pregnancy with the twins was much easier compared to my pregnancy with Gage. I still had a c-section, which I didn't like, but I'm just glad that they got here safe! Now, I love my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world! Jeff and I feel like our family is complete, and we love it just the way it is :)
I was born August 16th, 1975. My 39th birthday was actually yesterday! I was born in Orlando, Florida. I was the second kid in the family, my sister Amanda was 4 when I was born. I loved having a big sister and have amazing memories with her when we were kids! When I was 5, my mom and dad told Amanda and I that they were expecting another baby! We were so excited and I remember the first time seeing my baby sister, Allysa, in the nursery. Sadly, she passed away a few days after she was born due to heart and lung failure. None of the doctors saw it coming, and our family was devastated. A few years later, when I was 8, my parents tried again and had my twin brothers, Alex and Tyler! We were all so happy and I loved playing with my baby brothers.
As a child, I went to a public elementary school. I remember absolutely loving elementary school. I had a lot of friends until the middle school, when I was made fun of because of the way I looked. I was never the skinniest girl, but I was in no way overweight. I was bullied and it led to an eating disorder. I overcame it before it got terrible, but it was hard to deal with without friends. I finally made some friends who didn't care how I looked, and they are still my best friends today! Then, in high school Iwent through a tough time when I was taken advantage of by my friend, Jeremy. I was only a freshman and it traumatized me and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without my 2 best friends, Jess and Sophie. They always stuck with me! Then, my sophomore year, I met Jeff and we fell in love. He was just a few months older than me, and we had so much in common. He was so kind to me after what I had been through. I had a great high school experience with him as my boyfriend! I was on the school yearbook committee for 3 years, and I also played tennis all 4 years! Overall, I had so much fun in high school.
Jeff and I got married after my first year of college. I was 19 and so was he. It was August 16th, on my 19th birthday! Now, 20 years later, we are still such a happy couple! We had an amazing college experience, we went to the same college and roomed together after we got married. When I graduated, we decided to try for a baby. It took us 8 months to get a positive pregnancy result, and we were so happy! We were both out of college and had jobs and were financially stable. Sadly, 13 weeks in at my ultrasound we found out that my baby had no heartbeat. We were so upset. After I was recovered physically and emotionally, we were trying again. We spent a year trying to get pregnant, and nothing happened. We had a visit with a fertility clinic and I was deemed infertile. With the news in hand, Jeff and I decided to adopt. Within a few months, we adopted Adrian. She was 3 and had come from an unstable home and we were so excited to be parents! We loved Adrian so much and a few months later we got a call from the adoption agency, letting us know that Adrian's biological mother was expecting a baby and didn't want her. We, of course, agreed to adopting the baby. We were able to take home Braylie when she was 4 days old. I loved having a baby in the family, and Adrian loved playing with Braylie! Some of the best days of my life were with baby Braylie and Adrian.
When Braylie was 4, I found out that I was pregnant! I was so completely surprised, because I thought I was infertile. Apparently, my doctor had made a mistake. I had a very hard pregnancy, and it made me never want to be pregnant again. I had morning sickness 24/7 and developed preeclampsia. I had Gage 8 weeks early because I went into pre-term labor and had an emergency c-section. Gage was in the NICU and it was completely awful. I visited him every day but wanted him home with me so badly. When he was 7 weeks old, we took him home for the first time. He was so tiny, but he was a beautiful baby boy. I loved having a boy, and wanted another one to even out our family. We adopted Jamie 4 years later. The adoption agency contacted us and we couldn't say no! Jamie was the sweetest, easiest baby I ever had. He was so easy, but adorable! A few years later, I was late and took a pregnancy test. I was pregnant! At our 8 week ultrasound, we found out that it was twins! Jeff and I were thrilled, we always wanted 6 kids! My pregnancy with the twins was much easier compared to my pregnancy with Gage. I still had a c-section, which I didn't like, but I'm just glad that they got here safe! Now, I love my life, and I wouldn't change it for the world! Jeff and I feel like our family is complete, and we love it just the way it is :)
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Q and A Part 1!
In this post, I have taken frequently asked questions from the comments to answer. I get so many questions daily, and it's impossible to reply to them all. So, I thought it would be a good idea to do a Q and A!
Q. What car do you have?
A. I have a Volvo SUV that seats 7. Nolan, and Emery are in the first row of seats, and then Jamie's carseat is in the back! Those are the kids that are usually always driving with me, so I have their carseats in my car! Since we do have a family of 8, we can't fit everyone in our car at once, but it's usually just me and the 6 kids during the day! Jeff has a Prius that seats 5, he also has a carseat in their for Jamie! Whenever we do long trips, we take both cars anyway, so it's not super crowded and the kids have more room!
Q. What are your kids favorite foods, and your families favorite meals to cook?
A. Adrian loves watermelon, green beans, and whales. Braylie loves goldfish and Ritz garlic butter crackers. Gage and Jamie both love strawberries and peaches. Gage also loves birthday cake Oreos, and Jamie loves orange freeze pops. He lives on them in the summertime! I have a meal plan every week, and go grocery shopping every weekend to buy all of the meals for that week. It's so much easier and more organized for our big family to have everything planned out and bought in bulk! We have cheesy chicken (chicken breast w/melted mozzarella cheese), pasta with spaghetti sauce or just plain with butter and salt, green beans, salad, and fruit at least once a week! It's hard to find a meal that everyone likes, and all of the kids love this meal so it's easy for me to make! We also like a rice casserole that I grew up having. It's rice and chicken cooked with a little cheddar cheese and pieces of broccoli mixed in! You barely taste the broccoli, so it's a good meal to get veggies into my picky eaters! Also, we love squash soup! We grow squash in our garden and I make it homemade and freeze it for the cold winter nights.
Q. What are your kids favorite colors?
A. Adrian's favorite color is green, Braylie's is pink, Gage's is blue, and Jamie's is green!
Q. What are your favorite vacation spots?
A. We absolutely love going to the beach! We go twice every summer, once with my family for a week and once with Jeff's family for a week. We usually go to Ocean City, NJ with Jeff's side and Ocean City, Maryland with my family. Also, my parents own a house in Maine! We love going to Maine, Jeff and I love the weather and the relaxing atmosphere! The kids love playing in the lake and going inner-tubing, and also having a lot of space to run and play! We go on walks in the woods, and it is so much fun! My parents live in Florida, and Jeff's brothers/sisters live in Seattle, so we also like to visit them! The kids especially love when we go to Disney in Florida!
Q. Do your kids play any sports?
A. Yes! Adrian does cheerleading at her high school, and has been doing it forever! She loves dancing too, and cheerleading is a great way to use her dance skills and also her flexibility. She grew up doing gymnastics. Braylie plays soccer every summer. I had her play in 1st grade, and she absolutely hated it. Then, she started again in 4th grade, loved it, and has been playing ever since! Gage plays soccer, basketball, and baseball. He is always involved in a sport, but he loves it! Jamie is actually enrolled in a soccer camp next week, it will be his first time playing on a team! I'm pretty sure that he will like it, because he loves kicking the soccer ball around outside with Gage!
Q. How do you keep the house clean with so many kids?
A. Let me tell you, it's not easy! When I first had Adrian, I was obsessed with keeping the house spotless. It would stress me out and then I wouldn't be able to enjoy any kind of creative activities because I thought it would make a mess. Since then I have lightened up, but I still love to clean! I actually have a cleaning routine that I do, and it really helps. There are things I do every day, such as laundry, doing the dishes, wiping the counters, sweeping the floors, cleaning up toys, exc. But, I clean the bathrooms every Monday, clean the kids bathrooms on Tuesdays, exc. The key to keeping a house clean is do bits every day and not leave everything to one day. I have learned to balance out what is really necessary and what isn't. Such as, it isn't necessary to keep the playroom spotless. I originally cleaned the playroom every night and all the toys in their specific bins, but now I realize that that is not necessary because they will rip it apart a few hours later! I mostly focus on the kitchen, because with so many kids we have so many dishes and they pile up in the sink so quickly! Also, I sweep the floors multiple times a day in the dining room, because little children mean messes! Whenever we have guests, I do clean the house more than I normally would, because I love hosting people and like the excuse to clean!
That is all the questions I am doing for today, leave more questions below and stay tuned for Part 2!
Q. What car do you have?
A. I have a Volvo SUV that seats 7. Nolan, and Emery are in the first row of seats, and then Jamie's carseat is in the back! Those are the kids that are usually always driving with me, so I have their carseats in my car! Since we do have a family of 8, we can't fit everyone in our car at once, but it's usually just me and the 6 kids during the day! Jeff has a Prius that seats 5, he also has a carseat in their for Jamie! Whenever we do long trips, we take both cars anyway, so it's not super crowded and the kids have more room!
Q. What are your kids favorite foods, and your families favorite meals to cook?
A. Adrian loves watermelon, green beans, and whales. Braylie loves goldfish and Ritz garlic butter crackers. Gage and Jamie both love strawberries and peaches. Gage also loves birthday cake Oreos, and Jamie loves orange freeze pops. He lives on them in the summertime! I have a meal plan every week, and go grocery shopping every weekend to buy all of the meals for that week. It's so much easier and more organized for our big family to have everything planned out and bought in bulk! We have cheesy chicken (chicken breast w/melted mozzarella cheese), pasta with spaghetti sauce or just plain with butter and salt, green beans, salad, and fruit at least once a week! It's hard to find a meal that everyone likes, and all of the kids love this meal so it's easy for me to make! We also like a rice casserole that I grew up having. It's rice and chicken cooked with a little cheddar cheese and pieces of broccoli mixed in! You barely taste the broccoli, so it's a good meal to get veggies into my picky eaters! Also, we love squash soup! We grow squash in our garden and I make it homemade and freeze it for the cold winter nights.
Q. What are your kids favorite colors?
A. Adrian's favorite color is green, Braylie's is pink, Gage's is blue, and Jamie's is green!
Q. What are your favorite vacation spots?
A. We absolutely love going to the beach! We go twice every summer, once with my family for a week and once with Jeff's family for a week. We usually go to Ocean City, NJ with Jeff's side and Ocean City, Maryland with my family. Also, my parents own a house in Maine! We love going to Maine, Jeff and I love the weather and the relaxing atmosphere! The kids love playing in the lake and going inner-tubing, and also having a lot of space to run and play! We go on walks in the woods, and it is so much fun! My parents live in Florida, and Jeff's brothers/sisters live in Seattle, so we also like to visit them! The kids especially love when we go to Disney in Florida!
Q. Do your kids play any sports?
A. Yes! Adrian does cheerleading at her high school, and has been doing it forever! She loves dancing too, and cheerleading is a great way to use her dance skills and also her flexibility. She grew up doing gymnastics. Braylie plays soccer every summer. I had her play in 1st grade, and she absolutely hated it. Then, she started again in 4th grade, loved it, and has been playing ever since! Gage plays soccer, basketball, and baseball. He is always involved in a sport, but he loves it! Jamie is actually enrolled in a soccer camp next week, it will be his first time playing on a team! I'm pretty sure that he will like it, because he loves kicking the soccer ball around outside with Gage!
Q. How do you keep the house clean with so many kids?
A. Let me tell you, it's not easy! When I first had Adrian, I was obsessed with keeping the house spotless. It would stress me out and then I wouldn't be able to enjoy any kind of creative activities because I thought it would make a mess. Since then I have lightened up, but I still love to clean! I actually have a cleaning routine that I do, and it really helps. There are things I do every day, such as laundry, doing the dishes, wiping the counters, sweeping the floors, cleaning up toys, exc. But, I clean the bathrooms every Monday, clean the kids bathrooms on Tuesdays, exc. The key to keeping a house clean is do bits every day and not leave everything to one day. I have learned to balance out what is really necessary and what isn't. Such as, it isn't necessary to keep the playroom spotless. I originally cleaned the playroom every night and all the toys in their specific bins, but now I realize that that is not necessary because they will rip it apart a few hours later! I mostly focus on the kitchen, because with so many kids we have so many dishes and they pile up in the sink so quickly! Also, I sweep the floors multiple times a day in the dining room, because little children mean messes! Whenever we have guests, I do clean the house more than I normally would, because I love hosting people and like the excuse to clean!
That is all the questions I am doing for today, leave more questions below and stay tuned for Part 2!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
Daily Post | August 1, 2014
Hey guys, we had a super fun last full day at the beach, and I thought I'd tell you all about it!
6:30am- I woke up and took a shower. Most of my kids sleep till a decent hour, so I like to wake up early to get ready for the day and get some work done! I just replied to some emails, I get so many emails it's crazy! Also, I planned out some blog posts and read comments.
7:30am- Jamie woke up and and I made him and I breakfast. We had pancakes with scrambled eggs, strawberries, and orange juice! After breakfast I got Jamie ready and made more food.
8:00am- Gage and Braylie wake up at 8 almost every day, so I had the breakfast ready for them! Gage had we Jamie had, but Braylie had scrambled eggs and a fruit salad instead of pancakes.
8:30am- Emery and Nolan woke up and I fed them while the kids played quietly in their rooms.
9:00am- Adrian woke up, got breakfast, and got ready. Then, I had her watch Emery and Nolan while I was able to do the dishes from breakfast and clean up the kitchen. Also, I started some laundry. With 7 kids, the laundry is never ending!
10:00am- I packed lunches for everyone on the beach and got everyone ready to head out to the beach at 11! I fed Emery and Nolan, and put them down for their nap. My mom actually wasn't feeling the best, so she stayed back at the house. It was great for me, because the twins could nap at the house and I wouldn't have to bring them out to the beach! They usually sleep for 3 hours.
11:30am: We were all out at the beach and having lunch. I pack turkey and cheese sandwiches for everyone, fruit, chips, and cookies. Then, I built a sand castle with Jamie while Jeff and my dad went in the water with Gage and Braylie and Adrian sunbathed.
2:00pm: Jamie was absolutely done with the beach, so I took him inside, gave him a bath, and put him down for a nap. He doesn't take naps everyday, only on days when he is super tired, usually on vacations! Then, while he slept Emery and Nolan woke up and I fed them, played with them, and began packing to go home.
3:30pm: The rest of the gang came inside and got all showered and cleaned up. I was able to shower then too, when my dad entertained the babies.
4:00pm: My mom was feeling better and had a craft ready for the kids when they came out of the shower. I fed the twins again and then had them in the kitchen with me while I made dinner. We usually have dinner around 5 on vacations, because we like to have the whole evening for activities!
5:00pm: I nursed the babies and put them down for their second nap of the day. This time, they usually sleep until 7 (2 hours). Then, we all had dinner!
6:00pm: We decided to go to the boardwalk, since it was our last night and I hadn't gone yet! My mom took them Monday night, but I just got to the beach Wednesday night, as you all know. The kids loved the rides, and Adrian loved the shopping! I just enjoyed spending time with my kids without the babies who constantly need my attention. I am so afraid of neglecting a child or not spending enough time one on one with my kids!
8:00pm: We got home from the boardwalk and I read Jamie his bedtime stories and put him down for the night. Then, I started a movie with Gage and Braylie while Adrian sat with Emery and Nolan nursed.
9:00pm- Gage and Braylie went to bed, and I nursed the babies before putting them down around 9:30. After they were all asleep, I got some more work done on my computer, did some cleaning/housework, and finished up some packing.
10:30pm: Adrian went up to her room, and so did my parents. Jeff and I watched some TV alone, to spend time with each other, before going to bed at 11:30.
I hope you guys enjoy these type of posts! Leave a comment below if you do :)
6:30am- I woke up and took a shower. Most of my kids sleep till a decent hour, so I like to wake up early to get ready for the day and get some work done! I just replied to some emails, I get so many emails it's crazy! Also, I planned out some blog posts and read comments.
7:30am- Jamie woke up and and I made him and I breakfast. We had pancakes with scrambled eggs, strawberries, and orange juice! After breakfast I got Jamie ready and made more food.
8:00am- Gage and Braylie wake up at 8 almost every day, so I had the breakfast ready for them! Gage had we Jamie had, but Braylie had scrambled eggs and a fruit salad instead of pancakes.
8:30am- Emery and Nolan woke up and I fed them while the kids played quietly in their rooms.
9:00am- Adrian woke up, got breakfast, and got ready. Then, I had her watch Emery and Nolan while I was able to do the dishes from breakfast and clean up the kitchen. Also, I started some laundry. With 7 kids, the laundry is never ending!
10:00am- I packed lunches for everyone on the beach and got everyone ready to head out to the beach at 11! I fed Emery and Nolan, and put them down for their nap. My mom actually wasn't feeling the best, so she stayed back at the house. It was great for me, because the twins could nap at the house and I wouldn't have to bring them out to the beach! They usually sleep for 3 hours.
11:30am: We were all out at the beach and having lunch. I pack turkey and cheese sandwiches for everyone, fruit, chips, and cookies. Then, I built a sand castle with Jamie while Jeff and my dad went in the water with Gage and Braylie and Adrian sunbathed.
2:00pm: Jamie was absolutely done with the beach, so I took him inside, gave him a bath, and put him down for a nap. He doesn't take naps everyday, only on days when he is super tired, usually on vacations! Then, while he slept Emery and Nolan woke up and I fed them, played with them, and began packing to go home.
3:30pm: The rest of the gang came inside and got all showered and cleaned up. I was able to shower then too, when my dad entertained the babies.
4:00pm: My mom was feeling better and had a craft ready for the kids when they came out of the shower. I fed the twins again and then had them in the kitchen with me while I made dinner. We usually have dinner around 5 on vacations, because we like to have the whole evening for activities!
5:00pm: I nursed the babies and put them down for their second nap of the day. This time, they usually sleep until 7 (2 hours). Then, we all had dinner!
6:00pm: We decided to go to the boardwalk, since it was our last night and I hadn't gone yet! My mom took them Monday night, but I just got to the beach Wednesday night, as you all know. The kids loved the rides, and Adrian loved the shopping! I just enjoyed spending time with my kids without the babies who constantly need my attention. I am so afraid of neglecting a child or not spending enough time one on one with my kids!
8:00pm: We got home from the boardwalk and I read Jamie his bedtime stories and put him down for the night. Then, I started a movie with Gage and Braylie while Adrian sat with Emery and Nolan nursed.
9:00pm- Gage and Braylie went to bed, and I nursed the babies before putting them down around 9:30. After they were all asleep, I got some more work done on my computer, did some cleaning/housework, and finished up some packing.
10:30pm: Adrian went up to her room, and so did my parents. Jeff and I watched some TV alone, to spend time with each other, before going to bed at 11:30.
I hope you guys enjoy these type of posts! Leave a comment below if you do :)
Friday, August 1, 2014
Jamie's 5th Birthday | Twins 14th Week Update!
I know this is a little bit late, but Jamie's 5th birthday was July 14th! I can't believe that I forgot to mention it! Jamie loves his birthday, just like another other 5 year old. Since the 14th was a Monday, we had his birthday party the following Friday, the 18th! My family and part of Jeff's family were able to come, and it was a lot of fun! It was a Cars themed party, so I had cute cupcakes to go with the theme, and I made and decorated his cake, shaped like a car! He absolutely loved it and, of course, was so excited about all of the presents he got!
The next day, Saturday, Jamie had his friends over for a pool party! It was 4 boys and 3 girls from his nursery school last year. Jeff grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone, since the parents and siblings of the children were invited to stay! Adrian took Emery and Nolan over to my parents house for the afternoon/early evening, but Braylie and Gage stayed! It was so much fun, all of the kids loved the pool and I had a good time relaxing without worrying about the twins, talking to everyone! It was a blast.
The twins will be 14 weeks old today! I can't believe that they are already almost 4 months old! It feels like just yesterday, I was in Florida giving birth. Emery is doing amazing with breastfeeding, she is eating every 3 hours. She has also stopped nursing to sleep, which I am so glad because now Jeff can put her down if needed! Emery absolutely loves tummy time! She can hold her head up completely and is rocking side to side, and sometimes goes from her tummy almost to laying on her hip! I expect in the next few weeks she will roll over for the first time. Emery is still a mommy's baby. She doesn't like anyone else holding her but me and a few others. Nolan has been struggling lately with breastfeeding, he gets so distracted when he eats and doesn't eat as much as he should. I have been working on it, but if you have had the same problems with your baby please leave me tips below! He can also hold his head up, and is working on grabbing and holding on to objects. He has also recently learned to smile, and he always smiles when he sees Jeff, Gage, or myself! He absolutely adores Gage, whenever he is crying Gage can make him smile! Nolan also goes to sleep really well, which I am super happy about! He can sleep through anything, so I usually put him down first. Their sleeping schedule is going so well! There is a saying that every week of a baby's life until 12 weeks that they should sleep that many hours. (ex: 1 week=1 hour straight, 2 weeks=2 hours straight, exc.) By 6 weeks old they were sleeping 4 hours through the night, and they pretty much gradually increased until now, when Nolan sleeps completely through the night, and Emery wakes up to nurse once, occasionally twice! I put them both down 9pm, and Nolan usually wakes up around 8:30-9:30 in the morning, and Emery wakes up around 2-3am, eats, and then goes back down until 9! I am so glad that they are doing so well, and I am so thankful every day for them :)
The next day, Saturday, Jamie had his friends over for a pool party! It was 4 boys and 3 girls from his nursery school last year. Jeff grilled hamburgers and hotdogs for everyone, since the parents and siblings of the children were invited to stay! Adrian took Emery and Nolan over to my parents house for the afternoon/early evening, but Braylie and Gage stayed! It was so much fun, all of the kids loved the pool and I had a good time relaxing without worrying about the twins, talking to everyone! It was a blast.
The twins will be 14 weeks old today! I can't believe that they are already almost 4 months old! It feels like just yesterday, I was in Florida giving birth. Emery is doing amazing with breastfeeding, she is eating every 3 hours. She has also stopped nursing to sleep, which I am so glad because now Jeff can put her down if needed! Emery absolutely loves tummy time! She can hold her head up completely and is rocking side to side, and sometimes goes from her tummy almost to laying on her hip! I expect in the next few weeks she will roll over for the first time. Emery is still a mommy's baby. She doesn't like anyone else holding her but me and a few others. Nolan has been struggling lately with breastfeeding, he gets so distracted when he eats and doesn't eat as much as he should. I have been working on it, but if you have had the same problems with your baby please leave me tips below! He can also hold his head up, and is working on grabbing and holding on to objects. He has also recently learned to smile, and he always smiles when he sees Jeff, Gage, or myself! He absolutely adores Gage, whenever he is crying Gage can make him smile! Nolan also goes to sleep really well, which I am super happy about! He can sleep through anything, so I usually put him down first. Their sleeping schedule is going so well! There is a saying that every week of a baby's life until 12 weeks that they should sleep that many hours. (ex: 1 week=1 hour straight, 2 weeks=2 hours straight, exc.) By 6 weeks old they were sleeping 4 hours through the night, and they pretty much gradually increased until now, when Nolan sleeps completely through the night, and Emery wakes up to nurse once, occasionally twice! I put them both down 9pm, and Nolan usually wakes up around 8:30-9:30 in the morning, and Emery wakes up around 2-3am, eats, and then goes back down until 9! I am so glad that they are doing so well, and I am so thankful every day for them :)
Thursday, July 31, 2014
At the Beach!
Hey everyone, we are finally at the beach! First, here's a quick update on me.
Saturday and Sunday were hard days for me, I was still in so much pain and was feeling absolutely miserable. Monday I woke up feeling much better, and once I switched to a different pain medication I was able to get up and walk around! Around 2pm I was released from the hospital and was on bed rest for 24 hours. Tuesday I woke up feeling good, and started walking around normally around dinner time! I had spent the day cuddling with Emery and Nolan while in bed. Since I wasn't packed at all and wasn't ready to leave, we postponed our flight until Wednesday night. Tuesday night I packed and woke up Wednesday feeling almost 100%! I spent the day cleaning, because the house was a disaster! I was gone/on best rest for almost a week! I vacuumed, dusted, did laundry, dishes, and cleaned the little kids rooms. I was intent on returning home to a clean house! I always feel so much better when getting back from vacation to a clean home.
We arrived in Ocean City, Maryland around 11pm. The kids were all asleep, of course, so I surprised them in the morning! Today, Thursday, Jeff let me sleep in, since I was still worn out from surgery. Then, the kids and I spent the morning on the beach and ate a packed lunch on the blanket! I packed ham and cheese for Gage and Braylie, and turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese for Jamie, Adrian, Jeff, and myself. I also packed fruit, chips, and some oreos for dessert! While on the beach, Jamie is terrified of the water, because of his past experience in the pool. (See earlier post) He just makes sand castles next to the blanket! Gage and Braylie absolutely love the water! They spent almost the whole morning in it, even though it was freezing cold! Jeff and I take turns sitting by the water and watching them. Jeff sometimes goes in with them, but not for long! Emery and Nolan are in their carriers on the blanket, in the shade of course! They do fine with the beach, I try to head out around nap time so they sleep through it! They aren't at the age that they can sit in the sand, because they can't sit up on their own yet. Overall, our family absolutely loves the beach and we always have so much fun!
Saturday and Sunday were hard days for me, I was still in so much pain and was feeling absolutely miserable. Monday I woke up feeling much better, and once I switched to a different pain medication I was able to get up and walk around! Around 2pm I was released from the hospital and was on bed rest for 24 hours. Tuesday I woke up feeling good, and started walking around normally around dinner time! I had spent the day cuddling with Emery and Nolan while in bed. Since I wasn't packed at all and wasn't ready to leave, we postponed our flight until Wednesday night. Tuesday night I packed and woke up Wednesday feeling almost 100%! I spent the day cleaning, because the house was a disaster! I was gone/on best rest for almost a week! I vacuumed, dusted, did laundry, dishes, and cleaned the little kids rooms. I was intent on returning home to a clean house! I always feel so much better when getting back from vacation to a clean home.
We arrived in Ocean City, Maryland around 11pm. The kids were all asleep, of course, so I surprised them in the morning! Today, Thursday, Jeff let me sleep in, since I was still worn out from surgery. Then, the kids and I spent the morning on the beach and ate a packed lunch on the blanket! I packed ham and cheese for Gage and Braylie, and turkey, lettuce, tomato, and cheese for Jamie, Adrian, Jeff, and myself. I also packed fruit, chips, and some oreos for dessert! While on the beach, Jamie is terrified of the water, because of his past experience in the pool. (See earlier post) He just makes sand castles next to the blanket! Gage and Braylie absolutely love the water! They spent almost the whole morning in it, even though it was freezing cold! Jeff and I take turns sitting by the water and watching them. Jeff sometimes goes in with them, but not for long! Emery and Nolan are in their carriers on the blanket, in the shade of course! They do fine with the beach, I try to head out around nap time so they sleep through it! They aren't at the age that they can sit in the sand, because they can't sit up on their own yet. Overall, our family absolutely loves the beach and we always have so much fun!
Saturday, July 26, 2014
In the Hospital
Hey everyone, I've had a pretty awful week! It all started Monday, when I was doing my daily running, I felt so lightheaded and dizzy. By Monday night, I was feeling better so I thought it was just that I didn't eat/drink enough! Tuesday morning I woke up with severe pain in my stomach. I dealt with it all day, but around 6pm when Jeff got home I passed out from the pain. I woke up in the ambulence, getting driven to the ER. Once I got there, they examined me and told me that I had appendicitis! Apparently, fainting is a symptom. I was in surgery for a few hours, and then I was given medication to get some rest. I woke up Wednesday around noon, and Jeff was with me. My friend Julia was watching all of the kids. I am so thankful to have her around!
I had a big scar on my stomach, and was in so much pain. I took pain medication, but since I'm breastfeeding I couldn't take much. My doctor even gave me the option of an epidural (they're not just used when in labor) but I couldn't because I didn't want to stop breastfeeding. I pumped while in the hospital, and I pump daily so there was plenty of milk for the twins in the freezer! Friday I was still in a lot of pain. My doctor said that it was normal because I was still recovering from having twins and that my body wasn't in the best of shape. She told me I needed to stop exercising every day because it was taking a toll on my body and wasn't a good idea anymore. Even though I was still in pain, my doctor said nothing serious was wrong and I just needed bed rest for a few days. I was sent home last night, just in time to see the kids again before they went to sleep! They all visited me in the hospital but I missed them so much.
Today was supposed to be the day we were going to leave for the beach. It keeps happening, things that stop us from going to the beach! Our flight was scheduled for 10:00am this morning. Since I was on bed rest until Monday at the earliest, my dad took Jeff, Braylie, Gage, and Jamie with him. They ended up flying out at 4am, and Jeff just called me and said that they are at the beach house now, settled in! Adrian wasn't planning on flying out until Tuesday night, because she couldn't get off work Monday and Tuesday. So, Emery, Nolan, Adrian, my mom, and I are going to fly out to the beach Tuesday night, once I am feeling better! I thank all of you for your prayers for us the past few weeks. I promise to blog more, once things get back to normal! :)
I had a big scar on my stomach, and was in so much pain. I took pain medication, but since I'm breastfeeding I couldn't take much. My doctor even gave me the option of an epidural (they're not just used when in labor) but I couldn't because I didn't want to stop breastfeeding. I pumped while in the hospital, and I pump daily so there was plenty of milk for the twins in the freezer! Friday I was still in a lot of pain. My doctor said that it was normal because I was still recovering from having twins and that my body wasn't in the best of shape. She told me I needed to stop exercising every day because it was taking a toll on my body and wasn't a good idea anymore. Even though I was still in pain, my doctor said nothing serious was wrong and I just needed bed rest for a few days. I was sent home last night, just in time to see the kids again before they went to sleep! They all visited me in the hospital but I missed them so much.
Today was supposed to be the day we were going to leave for the beach. It keeps happening, things that stop us from going to the beach! Our flight was scheduled for 10:00am this morning. Since I was on bed rest until Monday at the earliest, my dad took Jeff, Braylie, Gage, and Jamie with him. They ended up flying out at 4am, and Jeff just called me and said that they are at the beach house now, settled in! Adrian wasn't planning on flying out until Tuesday night, because she couldn't get off work Monday and Tuesday. So, Emery, Nolan, Adrian, my mom, and I are going to fly out to the beach Tuesday night, once I am feeling better! I thank all of you for your prayers for us the past few weeks. I promise to blog more, once things get back to normal! :)
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Where We've Been
Hey everyone, long time no post! Things have been absolutely crazy around here, I haven't had much free time at all. I last talked to you guys on June 29th. That week was crazy! Adrian worked every day so I was taking her to a from her job 24/7. Gage and Braylie were involved in a Christian camp which was everyday 9-4. It's sports related, and they both have so much fun! I, on the other hand, was at home with the twins and Jamie. Emery came down with the flu, which scared me. I hate when my babies are sick because their immune systems are still so fragile! My friend Carly was over most of the time helping out with Nolan and Jamie, because Emery needed all of my attention. She wouldn't stop crying and fussing and wouldn't let me set her down. It was a tough few days, but by Thursday July 3rd I was sure that she was okay!
July 4th we had a party at my cousin Christine's house. They have a pool so all of the kids brought their swimsuits and had a blast swimming. Nolan had a poop blowout so I took him inside. I hollered to my friend Jules to watch Jamie, because he was the only one still swimming. When I came back out, Julie was nowhere to be found, and neither was Jamie, until I saw him in the pool, not moving. I was absolutely terrified, practically dropped Nolan and jumped in the pool, clothes and all. By then Jeff had heard the commotion and he ran out, and seeing what was happening, called 911. Luckily, Jamie had only been underwater for about 15 seconds. His intertube he was lounging in had popped and he went under. Jamie woke up as Jeff was whacking his back. He couldn't stop coughing because he had breathed so much water. The ambulence arrived after a few minutes and I rode with Jamie to the hospital. He was breathing on his own, but he had a lot of fluid in his lungs so at the hospital they had to pump it out. He stayed at the hospital until Monday morning, just because they wanted to be completely sure that nothing was wrong. Luckily, he is completely fine! I am so relieved and it was such a scare that no mother should ever have to go through. Oh, and apparently when I called to Julie, I thought she heard me but she didn't and went inside.
Our original plans were to leave for the beach with Jeff's side of the family on July 5th. Obviously, I couldn't go because of Jamie. So, Jeff's parents took the kids on the 5th, and Jeff and I stayed home with Jamie, Emery, and Nolan. We ended up going down Wednesday, so Jamie could still be at the beach! Only now Jamie is absolutely terrified of the water and wouldn't go anywhere near it.
Thankfully, the next two weeks we don't have much going on. The kids will just be at home with me, and we are relaxing until our next trip down to the beach, July 26th, this time to Ocean City, Maryland.
July 4th we had a party at my cousin Christine's house. They have a pool so all of the kids brought their swimsuits and had a blast swimming. Nolan had a poop blowout so I took him inside. I hollered to my friend Jules to watch Jamie, because he was the only one still swimming. When I came back out, Julie was nowhere to be found, and neither was Jamie, until I saw him in the pool, not moving. I was absolutely terrified, practically dropped Nolan and jumped in the pool, clothes and all. By then Jeff had heard the commotion and he ran out, and seeing what was happening, called 911. Luckily, Jamie had only been underwater for about 15 seconds. His intertube he was lounging in had popped and he went under. Jamie woke up as Jeff was whacking his back. He couldn't stop coughing because he had breathed so much water. The ambulence arrived after a few minutes and I rode with Jamie to the hospital. He was breathing on his own, but he had a lot of fluid in his lungs so at the hospital they had to pump it out. He stayed at the hospital until Monday morning, just because they wanted to be completely sure that nothing was wrong. Luckily, he is completely fine! I am so relieved and it was such a scare that no mother should ever have to go through. Oh, and apparently when I called to Julie, I thought she heard me but she didn't and went inside.
Our original plans were to leave for the beach with Jeff's side of the family on July 5th. Obviously, I couldn't go because of Jamie. So, Jeff's parents took the kids on the 5th, and Jeff and I stayed home with Jamie, Emery, and Nolan. We ended up going down Wednesday, so Jamie could still be at the beach! Only now Jamie is absolutely terrified of the water and wouldn't go anywhere near it.
Thankfully, the next two weeks we don't have much going on. The kids will just be at home with me, and we are relaxing until our next trip down to the beach, July 26th, this time to Ocean City, Maryland.
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Sleeping Schedule
Hey everyone, a lot of you have been commenting asking about how the babies are doing, sleep wise! I am so happy to say that I have good news! I nurse Emery to sleep every night, but Nolan just goes right down after eating! I feed him before bed, but he doesn't fall asleep while breastfeeding like Emery does. Around 10 they go down for the night. Emery usually wakes up around 4am to nurse, but Nolan just started to sleep through the night! I feel so lucky that they sleep so well at only 2 months old. With all of my other kids I was up 5 times throughout the night until at least they were 6 months old. I am so thankful that I am getting almost 7 hours of sleep every night when I have 6 kids! I credit everything to having them on a solid schedule. They have naps during the day, but I don't just let them sleep all day like some newborns. Of course, if they are tired I won't force them to stay awake, but I try my best that they sleep during naps mostly! Since they don't sleep all day, I feel like they are more tired at night and don't need to wake up to nurse. It has happened twice that they both have slept through the night, but most commonly Emery wakes up once to nurse. That first time I kind of freaked out, thinking something happened because they hadn't cried at all! I was so scared that they had suffocated or something equally horrible. I was so surprised and relieved to finally realize that I had babies that were sleeping through the night!
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Daily Summer Routine
Now that we've been back from Seattle for a few days and our summer at home has begun, I thought I'd let you all know our daily summer routine! Now, all days are different but this is just an average day for us in the summer :)
6:00am- I wake up and go for my morning run! Since I've been cleared to exercise by my doctor a few weeks ago, I have been working hard to get my pre-babies belly back.
7:00am- I make breakfast for myself and get some work done on my computer before the kids get up.
8:00am- Emery and Nolan wake up at 8am 99% of the time. So, I feed them and then they lay in their swings in the kitchen while I make breakfast.
8:30am- Jamie usually wakes up around 8:30! I feel so lucky to have a 4 year old that loves to sleep. He gets a full 12 hours of sleep every night! So, I get Jamie breakfast and usually soon after Gage and Braylie come down stairs and I get them breakfast.
9:30am- All of the kids but Adrian are up and done with breakfast. Usually, I clean the kitchen and start some laundry during this time. Jamie watches his cartoons every morning, and Gage watches with him. Braylie loves entertaining the twins, which is so helpful to me!
10:30am- Adrian wakes up and gets herself breakfast. Around this time Emery and Nolan are hungry again so I feed them and put them down for their early morning nap.
12pm- After a morning of playing with the kids, I get them lunch. Then, Adrian reads to Jamie. Jamie only wants Adrian to read to him and put him down for his nap! He usually is asleep by 12:30 and sleeps until 3.
1pm- The babies are up for their morning nap and I feed them. During the summer Jeff has an early morning shift 4am-12am. He communicates with people from other countries in his part of the office and has to go with their time zone. He is usually home by 1 and stays at the house while Jamie is napping! I drive Adrian to work, this summer she is working at a local clothing store from 1-6 weekdays.
2pm- Once I'm back home, I take the dogs on a walk with Gage and Braylie! They love walking the dogs, and Jeff enjoys having alone time with Emery and Nolan.
3pm- I come home to feed the twins and I play with them until their nap around 4. I usually just spend time with Jamie when he wakes up, because sometimes I feel like he doesn't get enough attention.
5pm- I begin preparing dinner while Jeff heads off to pick up Adrian from work. The babies are in their swings in the kitchen with me and the kids are playing in the playroom or watching TV.
6pm- Jeff is home with Adrian and we all have dinner as a family together. It's really important for me to have dinner together as much as possible, because I think it's a great way to bond as a family.
6:30pm- After dinner, it is chore time for the kids! I have a list of chores for each of the kids, and usually after dinner they help out. If you would like a post on chores, leave a comment below! During this time I feed the babies (again). Sometimes I feel like all I do is breastfeed!
7:30pm- We all spend time as a family together until the kids go to bed. Sometimes we play board games, watch a movie, or do a craft.
8:30pm- Bath time for Jamie! Either Jeff, Adrian, or I give Jamie a bath and read to him and put him down by 9. Gage and Braylie take their showers and then go up to bed around 9:30.
10:00pm- The babies get their last feeding for the night and I put them down. Update on their sleeping schedule coming soon! Also, Jeff goes to bed because he has to get up early.
10:30pm- Adrian goes back to her room.
11:30pm- I go back to my room, tired from the long day.
6:00am- I wake up and go for my morning run! Since I've been cleared to exercise by my doctor a few weeks ago, I have been working hard to get my pre-babies belly back.
7:00am- I make breakfast for myself and get some work done on my computer before the kids get up.
8:00am- Emery and Nolan wake up at 8am 99% of the time. So, I feed them and then they lay in their swings in the kitchen while I make breakfast.
8:30am- Jamie usually wakes up around 8:30! I feel so lucky to have a 4 year old that loves to sleep. He gets a full 12 hours of sleep every night! So, I get Jamie breakfast and usually soon after Gage and Braylie come down stairs and I get them breakfast.
9:30am- All of the kids but Adrian are up and done with breakfast. Usually, I clean the kitchen and start some laundry during this time. Jamie watches his cartoons every morning, and Gage watches with him. Braylie loves entertaining the twins, which is so helpful to me!
10:30am- Adrian wakes up and gets herself breakfast. Around this time Emery and Nolan are hungry again so I feed them and put them down for their early morning nap.
12pm- After a morning of playing with the kids, I get them lunch. Then, Adrian reads to Jamie. Jamie only wants Adrian to read to him and put him down for his nap! He usually is asleep by 12:30 and sleeps until 3.
1pm- The babies are up for their morning nap and I feed them. During the summer Jeff has an early morning shift 4am-12am. He communicates with people from other countries in his part of the office and has to go with their time zone. He is usually home by 1 and stays at the house while Jamie is napping! I drive Adrian to work, this summer she is working at a local clothing store from 1-6 weekdays.
2pm- Once I'm back home, I take the dogs on a walk with Gage and Braylie! They love walking the dogs, and Jeff enjoys having alone time with Emery and Nolan.
3pm- I come home to feed the twins and I play with them until their nap around 4. I usually just spend time with Jamie when he wakes up, because sometimes I feel like he doesn't get enough attention.
5pm- I begin preparing dinner while Jeff heads off to pick up Adrian from work. The babies are in their swings in the kitchen with me and the kids are playing in the playroom or watching TV.
6pm- Jeff is home with Adrian and we all have dinner as a family together. It's really important for me to have dinner together as much as possible, because I think it's a great way to bond as a family.
6:30pm- After dinner, it is chore time for the kids! I have a list of chores for each of the kids, and usually after dinner they help out. If you would like a post on chores, leave a comment below! During this time I feed the babies (again). Sometimes I feel like all I do is breastfeed!
7:30pm- We all spend time as a family together until the kids go to bed. Sometimes we play board games, watch a movie, or do a craft.
8:30pm- Bath time for Jamie! Either Jeff, Adrian, or I give Jamie a bath and read to him and put him down by 9. Gage and Braylie take their showers and then go up to bed around 9:30.
10:00pm- The babies get their last feeding for the night and I put them down. Update on their sleeping schedule coming soon! Also, Jeff goes to bed because he has to get up early.
10:30pm- Adrian goes back to her room.
11:30pm- I go back to my room, tired from the long day.
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Fun in Seattle!
We have finally arrived home from Seattle, Washington, visiting Jeff's family! It was an amazing trip filled with fun with the fam.
We flew out Monday, June 16th at 1:20pm. We were in Seattle by 4pm, so it wasn't that long of a flight compared to other flights we have taken! The kids were really good on the flight, everyone was happy and excited to see their cousins so there wasn't much complaining! Nolan slept the whole flight with Jeff, and Emery didn't sleep at all! She was fussy, but wasn't screaming, which I was thankful for. It's embarrassing to have a screaming baby on an airplane, trust me, I've been there! We rented a car and drove the 40 minutes from the airport to Jeff's brother Gale's house, where we are staying. Gale and Evelyn have a 3 year old girl Ginny and are expecting a boy this winter! They have a very big house with 3 guest rooms. They are planning on 6 kids and wanted to start out with a big house. Jeff and I were in the master guest room with Emery and Nolan. Gage and Jamie were together, while Adrian and Braylie were together.
Monday we had dinner with Gale, Evelyn, and Ginny. I was busy unpacking and getting the kids situated! Tuesday we went to Jeff's brother Emmett's house with their 2 kids. My kids had a lot of fun playing with their cousins! We went swimming for the afternoon with them and it was a blast, relaxing by the pool and catching up with Emmett's wife, Rosalie. Wednesday Gale took us to a local aquarium since it was raining, and the kids love animals! Thursday was our big family get-together at Jeff's aunt's house! His 2 aunts, 3 uncles, 3 brothers, and their families were all present. The only people missing were his parents, who live in California with us and weren't able to get away to come along.
Our plan was to leave Saturday at noon and get home by dinner. Sadly, Friday morning the kids all kept throwing up and throwing up. Apparently the chicken they fed us at the get-together was rotten. Thankfully I didn't have chicken, but Jeff and the kids did. Food poisoning sucks, but it's usually over quickly. By dinner the kids stopped throwing up, but it was a long rough day and the kids wanted to go home. We changed our flight to 7pm Friday and arrived home around 11 last night. I am so glad that we came home a little bit early, because we have the weekend to relax before the kids start up their summer activities this coming week! Stay tuned for a post about that. :)
We flew out Monday, June 16th at 1:20pm. We were in Seattle by 4pm, so it wasn't that long of a flight compared to other flights we have taken! The kids were really good on the flight, everyone was happy and excited to see their cousins so there wasn't much complaining! Nolan slept the whole flight with Jeff, and Emery didn't sleep at all! She was fussy, but wasn't screaming, which I was thankful for. It's embarrassing to have a screaming baby on an airplane, trust me, I've been there! We rented a car and drove the 40 minutes from the airport to Jeff's brother Gale's house, where we are staying. Gale and Evelyn have a 3 year old girl Ginny and are expecting a boy this winter! They have a very big house with 3 guest rooms. They are planning on 6 kids and wanted to start out with a big house. Jeff and I were in the master guest room with Emery and Nolan. Gage and Jamie were together, while Adrian and Braylie were together.
Monday we had dinner with Gale, Evelyn, and Ginny. I was busy unpacking and getting the kids situated! Tuesday we went to Jeff's brother Emmett's house with their 2 kids. My kids had a lot of fun playing with their cousins! We went swimming for the afternoon with them and it was a blast, relaxing by the pool and catching up with Emmett's wife, Rosalie. Wednesday Gale took us to a local aquarium since it was raining, and the kids love animals! Thursday was our big family get-together at Jeff's aunt's house! His 2 aunts, 3 uncles, 3 brothers, and their families were all present. The only people missing were his parents, who live in California with us and weren't able to get away to come along.
Our plan was to leave Saturday at noon and get home by dinner. Sadly, Friday morning the kids all kept throwing up and throwing up. Apparently the chicken they fed us at the get-together was rotten. Thankfully I didn't have chicken, but Jeff and the kids did. Food poisoning sucks, but it's usually over quickly. By dinner the kids stopped throwing up, but it was a long rough day and the kids wanted to go home. We changed our flight to 7pm Friday and arrived home around 11 last night. I am so glad that we came home a little bit early, because we have the weekend to relax before the kids start up their summer activities this coming week! Stay tuned for a post about that. :)
Monday, June 9, 2014
Adrian's 16th Birthday | Start of Summer!
Hey everyone, I know I'm a little late but I promised you I would tell you about Adrian's 16th birthday! Her birthday was May 28. We had her family party Sunday, June 1st. My siblings, my parents, and Jeff's in-laws were able to come! It was so much fun! We started out with swimming in our pool, and then had cake/ice cream and opened presents! Adrian mostly got gift cards/small things because she's at the age where she, of course, doesn't want toys and appreciates cash/gift cards more. Adrian said she had a lot of fun at this, but she had even more fun with her friends! Adrian had a slumber party June 6-June 7. Her and her friends went to see the Fault in Our Stars, and loved it! I thought it was a great movie, too. Then, they just did slumber party things! I decorated the house with streamers and sweet 16 party decorations, and they did each others nails and stayed up all night long! Saturday we went out to lunch at Pasta Heaven, her favorite restaurant! Adrian's friends are Ally, Elysa, Jackie, and Marissa. Even though I love hosting parties, it is very stressful, and I'm glad it's over!
This weekend, to kick off the start of summer, we went to the beach! The beach on the California coast is about an hour and a half away from us. Saturday morning we packed up the kids and headed off to the beach! We checked in at our hotel and immediately the kids begged to go on the beach. So, we got a packed up and dressed and went out onto the sand! I love the first time on the beach of the season, it just feels amazing. Gage, Braylie, and Jeff went into the deep waves for what seemed like forever, while I played with Jamie in the sand and Adrian laid out. Thankfully, Emery and Nolan slept for most of the afternoon in the shade of the umbrella! After the beach, we went out to dinner at Super Salad, and after eating we went swimming. Our hotel has a swimming pool, and the kids love to swim! Sunday morning we went out to the beach bright and early, and stayed out for a lunch on the beach. After lunch we showered and checked out of our hotel and headed home. Even though our vacation was spontaneous and quick, it was still a ton of fun! :)
This weekend, to kick off the start of summer, we went to the beach! The beach on the California coast is about an hour and a half away from us. Saturday morning we packed up the kids and headed off to the beach! We checked in at our hotel and immediately the kids begged to go on the beach. So, we got a packed up and dressed and went out onto the sand! I love the first time on the beach of the season, it just feels amazing. Gage, Braylie, and Jeff went into the deep waves for what seemed like forever, while I played with Jamie in the sand and Adrian laid out. Thankfully, Emery and Nolan slept for most of the afternoon in the shade of the umbrella! After the beach, we went out to dinner at Super Salad, and after eating we went swimming. Our hotel has a swimming pool, and the kids love to swim! Sunday morning we went out to the beach bright and early, and stayed out for a lunch on the beach. After lunch we showered and checked out of our hotel and headed home. Even though our vacation was spontaneous and quick, it was still a ton of fun! :)
Friday, June 6, 2014
Pool Party Fun | 7 Week Update
Hey everyone, today was a great day! The kids woke up excited because it was their last day of school! Jamie and Gage had a half day and got out at 10:30. Sadly, Braylee had a full day and didn't get out of school until 2:45. Adrian didn't even have school, she was done Wednesday! To celebrate the start of summer, my good friend Steph and I organized a little pool party for us at their house! Gage, Jamie, Adrian, Emery, Nolan and I went over to Steph's house at 11:30. The kids had so much fun swimming with Steph's 7 kids! Gage is getting better and better at swimming every year, he just learned how to tread water! Jamie still wears his swimmies, and will be until I feel comfortable enough with him in the water without them. Emery was really into the water, surprisingly! Adrian was in the water holding her for a long time, she was just so calm and relaxed! Nolan, on the other hand, hated it. I dipped his toes in and he started screaming! He ended up sitting on the side of the pool with me :) We had a yummy lunch of all different sorts of pasta! The kids loved it, because they are obsessed with pasta. Jeff also got out of work early and picked Braylie up from school and brought her around 3 so she could come in on the fun for a little bit! We left their house around 4:40, after 5 hours of fun! :) Hope to do it again soon!
Today is also the day the twins are 7 weeks old! They are almost 2 months old in a week or two, I can't believe it! I don't have much to update on this week, because nothing really has changed much in the last week. But, we have started putting them to bed earlier because they have been cranky lately and refusing to take naps! Now, bath time is 7:30 and bedtime is 8. Ever since they were a month old they have woken up from 8-9 in the morning for the day. What's even better is that they have only been waking up once! They have been sleeping for 6 hours, feeding at 2, and then sleeping until 8-9! Jeff and I have been getting so much sleep this week and I definitely feel a difference during the day! :)
Today is also the day the twins are 7 weeks old! They are almost 2 months old in a week or two, I can't believe it! I don't have much to update on this week, because nothing really has changed much in the last week. But, we have started putting them to bed earlier because they have been cranky lately and refusing to take naps! Now, bath time is 7:30 and bedtime is 8. Ever since they were a month old they have woken up from 8-9 in the morning for the day. What's even better is that they have only been waking up once! They have been sleeping for 6 hours, feeding at 2, and then sleeping until 8-9! Jeff and I have been getting so much sleep this week and I definitely feel a difference during the day! :)
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Potty Training Mishap | Allowances
Hey everyone! So far, our week has been pretty good, except for a slight potty training mishap.
Jamie has been potty trained since 2 1/2, so I don't ever worry about him having accidents. He wears underwear all throughout the day, but he wears a pull-up during the night because he sometimes wets his bed. But, this week was crazy! It started Monday morning before I sent him to school. He was eating breakfast, and when I came back from getting dressed his pants were soaking wet. I asked him what happened, and he said he didn't feel like getting up to use the potty! I, of course, told him that's not the right thing to do and since he has a on big boy underwear he needs to use the potty. I thought he understood, until I got a call from his Pre-K telling me that he wet his pants! It was getting ridiculous.
Monday night I went in his room to check on him, and he was sitting on the floor, his pull-up off, with a puddle of pee around him! I got Jeff and Jeff cleaned it up and had a talk with him. Jeff said he was just talking to him about accidents and how they weren't a good thing and such, and apparently it worked! Jamie has not had an accident since. I just wanted to share this story to let you mom's out there struggling with potty accidents that you aren't alone, and even kids who have been potty trained for 2 years still have accidents! Also, I am planning to start getting rid of the pull-up during the night soon, so stay tuned for how that goes!
Everyone has been commenting on my beliefs on allowances and if so, how much my kids get a week. First of all, I do believe in allowances. I feel like getting a weekly allowance is a great way to teach kids how to handle money at a young age and to be smart with your spending. Each of the kids have a chore list that they must complete each week. We have a chart in the kitchen to help keep track! They are chores such as helping with laundry, setting or clearing the table, dusting, vacuuming, etc. Braylie, and Gage get 6 dollars a week, while Jamie gets 3. Adrian decided herself that she wanted to stop getting an allowance from me, just because she works now and doesn't really need it. I also require the kids to give 1/3 of their earnings per week to church. I would love to hear your input below! :)
Jamie has been potty trained since 2 1/2, so I don't ever worry about him having accidents. He wears underwear all throughout the day, but he wears a pull-up during the night because he sometimes wets his bed. But, this week was crazy! It started Monday morning before I sent him to school. He was eating breakfast, and when I came back from getting dressed his pants were soaking wet. I asked him what happened, and he said he didn't feel like getting up to use the potty! I, of course, told him that's not the right thing to do and since he has a on big boy underwear he needs to use the potty. I thought he understood, until I got a call from his Pre-K telling me that he wet his pants! It was getting ridiculous.
Monday night I went in his room to check on him, and he was sitting on the floor, his pull-up off, with a puddle of pee around him! I got Jeff and Jeff cleaned it up and had a talk with him. Jeff said he was just talking to him about accidents and how they weren't a good thing and such, and apparently it worked! Jamie has not had an accident since. I just wanted to share this story to let you mom's out there struggling with potty accidents that you aren't alone, and even kids who have been potty trained for 2 years still have accidents! Also, I am planning to start getting rid of the pull-up during the night soon, so stay tuned for how that goes!
Everyone has been commenting on my beliefs on allowances and if so, how much my kids get a week. First of all, I do believe in allowances. I feel like getting a weekly allowance is a great way to teach kids how to handle money at a young age and to be smart with your spending. Each of the kids have a chore list that they must complete each week. We have a chart in the kitchen to help keep track! They are chores such as helping with laundry, setting or clearing the table, dusting, vacuuming, etc. Braylie, and Gage get 6 dollars a week, while Jamie gets 3. Adrian decided herself that she wanted to stop getting an allowance from me, just because she works now and doesn't really need it. I also require the kids to give 1/3 of their earnings per week to church. I would love to hear your input below! :)
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Day in the Life! | June 1 2014
I did a day in the life last month and since everyone loved it, I decided to do a day in the life the first of every month! :)
Today we did not go to church, because everyone was exhausted from getting back from Blogger Fair! Since our plane landed at midnight, we weren't home and asleep until almost 2 so the kids all slept in. I woke up at 6am to feed the babies, and slept until 8am when I decided to get up for the day. I unpacked and did some laundry while the kids were still sleeping. Around 9am I prepared breakfast (pancakes with blueberries, bananas, sausage, and orange juice) and woke the kids up at 9:30. I want to keep them on a schedule and if they sleep too late, they won't be able to fall asleep later! While the kids were eating, I fed the babies. Adrian watched them while I got the younger kids dressed and ready for the day!
Jeff now works every other Sunday, and today was his day to work. He left at noon and worked until 7. I cleaned all morning/unpacked while Braylie and Gage played with Emery and Nolan slept! Then, I made lunch for everyone and fed the babies again. After lunch, we were heading to the park to meet up with our friend, Jamie! My kids love playing with their kids, and I love talking to Jamie. We also went for ice cream with them after playing at the park! For dinner, I made beef and rice cheese casserole. The kids absolutely love this, so I make it once or twice a week! We also had salad, fruit, and nuts. After dinner Jamie was exhausted, so I gave him and bath and he went to bed early as soon as Jeff got home. Then, Gage and Braylie showered and went to bed at 8. Adrian stayed up with us, and still is. We had an amazing day recovering from Blogger Fair!
Today we did not go to church, because everyone was exhausted from getting back from Blogger Fair! Since our plane landed at midnight, we weren't home and asleep until almost 2 so the kids all slept in. I woke up at 6am to feed the babies, and slept until 8am when I decided to get up for the day. I unpacked and did some laundry while the kids were still sleeping. Around 9am I prepared breakfast (pancakes with blueberries, bananas, sausage, and orange juice) and woke the kids up at 9:30. I want to keep them on a schedule and if they sleep too late, they won't be able to fall asleep later! While the kids were eating, I fed the babies. Adrian watched them while I got the younger kids dressed and ready for the day!
Jeff now works every other Sunday, and today was his day to work. He left at noon and worked until 7. I cleaned all morning/unpacked while Braylie and Gage played with Emery and Nolan slept! Then, I made lunch for everyone and fed the babies again. After lunch, we were heading to the park to meet up with our friend, Jamie! My kids love playing with their kids, and I love talking to Jamie. We also went for ice cream with them after playing at the park! For dinner, I made beef and rice cheese casserole. The kids absolutely love this, so I make it once or twice a week! We also had salad, fruit, and nuts. After dinner Jamie was exhausted, so I gave him and bath and he went to bed early as soon as Jeff got home. Then, Gage and Braylie showered and went to bed at 8. Adrian stayed up with us, and still is. We had an amazing day recovering from Blogger Fair!
Saturday, May 31, 2014
Birthdays | Extended Family
Throughout this blog I have mentioned extended family many times, but I have never exactly went into depth about everyone! My parents are Alicia and Samuel. I have 3 siblings, my older sister Amanda, and my younger twin brothers Alex and Tyler! As you can tell, twins run in the family. Amanda is 42, 4 years older than me. She is with Jeremy, and they have 2 kids, Alexis and Ashley. Alexis is 13 and Ashley is 6. Amanda is also pregnant with a baby boy and due this fall! They live in Florida with my parents. Alex is 30, 8 years younger than me. He is married to Katelyn and Katelyn is expecting a baby girl in August! Alex and Katelyn live in California with me. Tyler is also 30, and he is with Carlie. They have 5 kids 10 year old twin boys, Jaden and Frank, 8 year old Sammy, 4 year old Lily, and baby Elise! They live in Florida with Amanda and my parents. As you can tell, they were married young like Jeff and I.
Jeff also has quite a large family! His parents are Marise and Gerald, and they live in California with us. He also has three younger brothers, Jake, Emmett, and Gale. Jake is 35, 3 years younger than Jeff. He is married to his third wife, Jane, and has 4 children with her, 7 year old triplets Bay, Daphne, and Jessica, and 3 year old Charlie. He also has 2 kids with his second wife, 14 year old Alicia and 12 year old Aubrey, and 1 with his first wife, 18 year old Grant. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington with Jane and his children with her. Emmett is 32, 6 years younger than Jeff. He lives in Seattle, too. He is married to Rosalie and they have 2 kids, 8 year old Sal and 4 year old Jess. Gale is 28, 10 years younger than Jeff. He also lives in Seattle. If you can't tell, Jeff grew up in Seattle and his parents moved to California with us! Gale is married to Eveleyn and they have 1 baby, 3 year old Ginny, and are expecting a baby boy this winter!
Everyone has also been asking us about birthdays. We mentioned them in one of our first posts, but no one knows that so I thought I would tell birthdays again! I am 38 and my birthday is August 16. Jeff is also 38 and his birthday is March 18, I am older than him! Adrian turned 16 this past Wednesday, May 28, another post about her birthday coming soon! Braylie is 12, her birthday is October 11th, while Gage is 8 and his birthday is November 24th. Jamie is 4 and his birthday is July 14th, he's almost 5! Emery and Nolan are currently 6 weeks and they were born on April 18.
Jeff also has quite a large family! His parents are Marise and Gerald, and they live in California with us. He also has three younger brothers, Jake, Emmett, and Gale. Jake is 35, 3 years younger than Jeff. He is married to his third wife, Jane, and has 4 children with her, 7 year old triplets Bay, Daphne, and Jessica, and 3 year old Charlie. He also has 2 kids with his second wife, 14 year old Alicia and 12 year old Aubrey, and 1 with his first wife, 18 year old Grant. He currently lives in Seattle, Washington with Jane and his children with her. Emmett is 32, 6 years younger than Jeff. He lives in Seattle, too. He is married to Rosalie and they have 2 kids, 8 year old Sal and 4 year old Jess. Gale is 28, 10 years younger than Jeff. He also lives in Seattle. If you can't tell, Jeff grew up in Seattle and his parents moved to California with us! Gale is married to Eveleyn and they have 1 baby, 3 year old Ginny, and are expecting a baby boy this winter!
Everyone has also been asking us about birthdays. We mentioned them in one of our first posts, but no one knows that so I thought I would tell birthdays again! I am 38 and my birthday is August 16. Jeff is also 38 and his birthday is March 18, I am older than him! Adrian turned 16 this past Wednesday, May 28, another post about her birthday coming soon! Braylie is 12, her birthday is October 11th, while Gage is 8 and his birthday is November 24th. Jamie is 4 and his birthday is July 14th, he's almost 5! Emery and Nolan are currently 6 weeks and they were born on April 18.
Friday, May 30, 2014
Crazy Announcement | 6 Week Update
Hey everyone, I have amazing news! Jeff got a call while we are here at Blogger Fair, saying that he got the job! We are all thrilled, we have been waiting for this to happen! I am so happy that we will finally have a normal financial life. Currently, we are on many loans from the bank and have been struggling, as you all know. But, this new job he has pays even more than his past jobs, so I am hoping that by the end of the summer everything will be completely payed off and we will be back to normal.
Emery and Nolan are 6 weeks old today! It's so crazy, I feel like they just turned 1 month. They both are doing absolutely amazing with breastfeeding. They both eat plenty and are gaining the normal amount of weight for their age. Also, they both can lift up their heads by themselves during tummy time! I can tell that they are so much stronger than they were last week and every day they make little bits of progress. Throughout the night they are also doing well, they go to sleep around 8 and wake up around 1 and 6 to feed, and then wake up at 8-9am. I am so thankful that they are sleeping so well and that I can get a good nights sleep! There was one tough night last week that we were up almost eery hour with Emery. She wasn't feeling very well, I think her stomach was hurting her because she kept spitting up and was all gassy. She is fine now, so I'm hoping it was just something random!
Leave post suggestions below, and I'll see you next time! :)
Emery and Nolan are 6 weeks old today! It's so crazy, I feel like they just turned 1 month. They both are doing absolutely amazing with breastfeeding. They both eat plenty and are gaining the normal amount of weight for their age. Also, they both can lift up their heads by themselves during tummy time! I can tell that they are so much stronger than they were last week and every day they make little bits of progress. Throughout the night they are also doing well, they go to sleep around 8 and wake up around 1 and 6 to feed, and then wake up at 8-9am. I am so thankful that they are sleeping so well and that I can get a good nights sleep! There was one tough night last week that we were up almost eery hour with Emery. She wasn't feeling very well, I think her stomach was hurting her because she kept spitting up and was all gassy. She is fine now, so I'm hoping it was just something random!
Leave post suggestions below, and I'll see you next time! :)
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Money Troubles
Hey everyone! I know my posts are usually positive, but a lot of you have been asking why we aren't staying at the hotel where Blogger Fair is actually occurring. The truth is, we are suffering deeply with money problems. I've decided to be completely honest with you guys and not hold anything back.
Obviously with 6 kids, money has always been a bit of a problem. We have been able to get by, except for the past few months. In the end of March, Jeff got laid off. He got a part time, 2 days a week position somewhere else, but it doesn't make up for the 60 hours per week job he had before. I can't work a lot, just some of my online work. It doesn't add up to much, and we are really struggling. We are surviving off of his 20 hour a week job and my blog. We didn't have the money for a hotel, we barely have enough for groceries.
Jeff applied for 3 positions, all paying what he used to get, and he will get a call Monday if he gets the position. He applied for 14 jobs before this, all he wasn't accepted. We are hoping and praying that he will get one of these jobs, please pray!
Obviously with 6 kids, money has always been a bit of a problem. We have been able to get by, except for the past few months. In the end of March, Jeff got laid off. He got a part time, 2 days a week position somewhere else, but it doesn't make up for the 60 hours per week job he had before. I can't work a lot, just some of my online work. It doesn't add up to much, and we are really struggling. We are surviving off of his 20 hour a week job and my blog. We didn't have the money for a hotel, we barely have enough for groceries.
Jeff applied for 3 positions, all paying what he used to get, and he will get a call Monday if he gets the position. He applied for 14 jobs before this, all he wasn't accepted. We are hoping and praying that he will get one of these jobs, please pray!
Summer Plans
We have a crazy summer ahead, but that won't stop us from having fun as a family! :)
This summer we have a lot of traveling going on. The kids love to travel and so do I, it's just going to be hard with small babies! Our first trip is to Seattle, Washington in June. Jeff has extended family there and has been wanting to visit for the longest time. This summer we finally decided to make the trip! We are flying out Monday, June 16th and staying until Saturday, June 21st. It is only a 2 hour flight, so I'm hoping that we can make the trip more often!
Our next outing is to the beach in July. We go to Ocean City, New Jersey with Jeff's side of the family every year. This year we are going from the 5th of July until the 12th. We rent a house out, it's so much fun! The end of June we go to the beach again with my side of the family, this time Ocean City, Maryland! We are going July 26th until August 2nd. (a week)
The last, and biggest, trip that we are doing is Hawaii! I have always wanted to go to Hawaii again, and we are making a grand occasion out of it. Since Jeff and I will be married 20 years in August (we got married at 19) we are going to Hawaii to renew our vows since Hawaii is where we got married! We think it is important to show the kids that their parents will always stay together, unlike some. Our anniversity is August 18th. We are leaving the 15th, and staying for 2 weeks, until the 29th! The kids go back to school September 2nd, so we will make it home just in time.
Hope you enjoyed hearing about our summer plans, leave post requests below! :)
This summer we have a lot of traveling going on. The kids love to travel and so do I, it's just going to be hard with small babies! Our first trip is to Seattle, Washington in June. Jeff has extended family there and has been wanting to visit for the longest time. This summer we finally decided to make the trip! We are flying out Monday, June 16th and staying until Saturday, June 21st. It is only a 2 hour flight, so I'm hoping that we can make the trip more often!
Our next outing is to the beach in July. We go to Ocean City, New Jersey with Jeff's side of the family every year. This year we are going from the 5th of July until the 12th. We rent a house out, it's so much fun! The end of June we go to the beach again with my side of the family, this time Ocean City, Maryland! We are going July 26th until August 2nd. (a week)
The last, and biggest, trip that we are doing is Hawaii! I have always wanted to go to Hawaii again, and we are making a grand occasion out of it. Since Jeff and I will be married 20 years in August (we got married at 19) we are going to Hawaii to renew our vows since Hawaii is where we got married! We think it is important to show the kids that their parents will always stay together, unlike some. Our anniversity is August 18th. We are leaving the 15th, and staying for 2 weeks, until the 29th! The kids go back to school September 2nd, so we will make it home just in time.
Hope you enjoyed hearing about our summer plans, leave post requests below! :)
At Blogger Fair!
Hey everyone, we are finally at blogger fair! The whole family has been looking forward to this for the past few months, and we are all so excited that it is finally here.
Yesterday I spent the whole day packing and getting ready to leave. Our family friend, Jules, came over to watch Emery and Nolan so I could give packing my full attention. When Jeff got home from work and the kids got home from school, we headed to the airport! Our flight left at 7, so we left the house at 4. We got through security/baggage and had about 30 minutes to grab some dinner before boarding. On the plane, I sat holding one baby and our family friend Jenny, who was coming along with us, had the other twin. They aren't old enough to have their own seats yet, obviously! Jeff sat with Jamie and Braylie, and then Adrian and Gage sat together. It was a 5 1/2 hour flight, not too bad! The kids were so excited to go to Florida, because they got to see my parents, and miss a few days of school! We arrived in Florida around 11 and my parents came to pick us up. We are staying at their house with them, because it is definitely cheaper than a hotel! Jeff and I are in a room with Emery and Nolan, Adrian, Braylie, and Jenny, and then Gage and Jamie were with my parents in their room!
Today Jeff and I went, with Emery and Nolan of course, to a panel of Youtubers I was really eager to see! I met some of my favorite people on Youtube, which was an amazing experience for me! Jenny was with the kids at the park, where we met them and played for the afternoon! We are planning on spending the night relaxing with extended family, and then our meetup is tomorrow, and our panel is Saturday! So many great things to come :)
Yesterday I spent the whole day packing and getting ready to leave. Our family friend, Jules, came over to watch Emery and Nolan so I could give packing my full attention. When Jeff got home from work and the kids got home from school, we headed to the airport! Our flight left at 7, so we left the house at 4. We got through security/baggage and had about 30 minutes to grab some dinner before boarding. On the plane, I sat holding one baby and our family friend Jenny, who was coming along with us, had the other twin. They aren't old enough to have their own seats yet, obviously! Jeff sat with Jamie and Braylie, and then Adrian and Gage sat together. It was a 5 1/2 hour flight, not too bad! The kids were so excited to go to Florida, because they got to see my parents, and miss a few days of school! We arrived in Florida around 11 and my parents came to pick us up. We are staying at their house with them, because it is definitely cheaper than a hotel! Jeff and I are in a room with Emery and Nolan, Adrian, Braylie, and Jenny, and then Gage and Jamie were with my parents in their room!
Today Jeff and I went, with Emery and Nolan of course, to a panel of Youtubers I was really eager to see! I met some of my favorite people on Youtube, which was an amazing experience for me! Jenny was with the kids at the park, where we met them and played for the afternoon! We are planning on spending the night relaxing with extended family, and then our meetup is tomorrow, and our panel is Saturday! So many great things to come :)
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Our Family!
You all have been asking for pics of us, so I finally got around to it! :)
This was me about 4 years ago, right before Jamie was born I was a food model!
Jeff sent this selfie to me last week when he was at work, saying he missed me! <3 love him
Adrian models just like I did, this is one of her most recent summer shoots for a magazine!
Everyone says Braylie looks like me, her hair is the exact color of mine, except in this pic she has blonde highlights!
This is Gage this past fall right before his big basketball game of the season!
I love this photo of Jamie, he is so precious! <3
Nolan is starting to recognize me and has been reaching for me lately!
Emery has been getting so big, she's bigger than Nolan now!
Hope you enjoyed these photos of our beautiful family! Everyone says that Jamie and Adrian look like Jeff, while Braylee looks like me! I looked so similar to Nolan when I was a baby, while Emery and Gage don't look like anyone yet to me! Leave your opinions below :)
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Conceiving Troubles
Hey everyone, I have been getting requests to talk about having babies and if it was hard for me. The truth is that it was very hard for me to get pregnant, and then keep the baby!
I had Adrian when I was 23. Jeff and I got married at 19, and since he had a lot of money we wanted to have kids right away. I got a job, and we started trying 4 months after we got married. It took us 8 months to get a positive pregnancy result, and we were so happy! We were both 20 and thought it was perfect timing to have a baby. Sadly, 13 weeks in at my ultrasound we saw that my baby had no heartbeat. We were devastated! I couldn't believe that I lost my poor baby. After I was recovered physically and emotionally, we were trying again. I made TTC videos on Youtube, documenting this time of my life. We spent a year trying to get pregnant, and nothing was happening. We made a visit with a fertility clinic and found out that I have a lower amount of eggs than normal and that I wasn't infertile, but having a baby would be tricky. He thought it was almost a miracle that I had become pregnant before!
With the news in hand, we tried harder than ever before. A year later, still nothing. We decided to do artificial insemination because we were both 22 and desperately wanted kids! 9 months later Adrian was born, a happy and healthy baby girl! We were thrilled and definitely wanted more kids. When Adrian was 18 months we begin trying, thinking it would take a while. So my surprise, I became pregnant within 2 months! Sadly, we lost the baby at 9 weeks. I became pregnant a year later, and had a successful pregnancy and had baby Braylie! We obviously wanted more kids, and in a 3 year period I had 6 miscarriages. Apparently my doctor had been wrong, that we could conceive, just not keep the baby. Finally, we had baby Gage and we were so happy! After losing 8 pregnancies, I was absolutely devastated and couldn't handle another.
Even though we had troubles, Jeff and I still wanted more kids! Our dream was 6 kids. When Gage was 2, we began trying to conceive and this time it took us a year to become pregnant and we were successful in having a baby boy, Jamie! When Jamie was 2 we decided to have another baby, and I became pregnant right away. At our 12 week ultrasound, we discovered triplets! We were so happy and couldn't believe it. Only a couple weeks later we lost all 3 of the babies due to an unkown reason. I was completely devastated, I didn't even want more kids if I would have to go through all of this pain and loss to get them. I had lost 11 babies in a 13 year period. Jeff convinced me to keep trying, and I'm so glad that I did! 6 months later I became pregnant and had Emery and Nolan.
If any of you can relate to my story, please comment! My doctor is unable to identify my mixture of infertility and miscarriage rate. I would love to relate to another women just like me! :)
I had Adrian when I was 23. Jeff and I got married at 19, and since he had a lot of money we wanted to have kids right away. I got a job, and we started trying 4 months after we got married. It took us 8 months to get a positive pregnancy result, and we were so happy! We were both 20 and thought it was perfect timing to have a baby. Sadly, 13 weeks in at my ultrasound we saw that my baby had no heartbeat. We were devastated! I couldn't believe that I lost my poor baby. After I was recovered physically and emotionally, we were trying again. I made TTC videos on Youtube, documenting this time of my life. We spent a year trying to get pregnant, and nothing was happening. We made a visit with a fertility clinic and found out that I have a lower amount of eggs than normal and that I wasn't infertile, but having a baby would be tricky. He thought it was almost a miracle that I had become pregnant before!
With the news in hand, we tried harder than ever before. A year later, still nothing. We decided to do artificial insemination because we were both 22 and desperately wanted kids! 9 months later Adrian was born, a happy and healthy baby girl! We were thrilled and definitely wanted more kids. When Adrian was 18 months we begin trying, thinking it would take a while. So my surprise, I became pregnant within 2 months! Sadly, we lost the baby at 9 weeks. I became pregnant a year later, and had a successful pregnancy and had baby Braylie! We obviously wanted more kids, and in a 3 year period I had 6 miscarriages. Apparently my doctor had been wrong, that we could conceive, just not keep the baby. Finally, we had baby Gage and we were so happy! After losing 8 pregnancies, I was absolutely devastated and couldn't handle another.
Even though we had troubles, Jeff and I still wanted more kids! Our dream was 6 kids. When Gage was 2, we began trying to conceive and this time it took us a year to become pregnant and we were successful in having a baby boy, Jamie! When Jamie was 2 we decided to have another baby, and I became pregnant right away. At our 12 week ultrasound, we discovered triplets! We were so happy and couldn't believe it. Only a couple weeks later we lost all 3 of the babies due to an unkown reason. I was completely devastated, I didn't even want more kids if I would have to go through all of this pain and loss to get them. I had lost 11 babies in a 13 year period. Jeff convinced me to keep trying, and I'm so glad that I did! 6 months later I became pregnant and had Emery and Nolan.
If any of you can relate to my story, please comment! My doctor is unable to identify my mixture of infertility and miscarriage rate. I would love to relate to another women just like me! :)
1 Month Update!
Hey everyone, the twins are 1 month old! It is so crazy, considering I feel like they were just born.
Emery is doing amazing with eating lately! As you know, she wasn't a big eater, but this past week she has been really picking it up! She eats every 2 hours now (except during the night) and feeds for about 30 minutes every feeding! I'm really relieved, because she wasn't gaining much weight, if any, so I'm sure everything is okay now! She still doesn't like to sleep, I nurse her to sleep. Although lately she has been falling asleep in my arms when I rock her, so it's really nice not having to worry about nursing her to sleep, except when I put her down for the night! Emery loves tummy time, and can hold her head up when she is on her stomach! She can't hold her head up if I sit her up yet, though.
Nolan has still been eating well, he is quite a chunky boy! No worries about weight with him! He eats about every 3 hours (except during the night) and eats for about 40 minutes per feeding, sometimes more! Nolan can't hold his head up yet during tummy time, although he is so close! I'm predicting in the next week or so he will. He can sleep anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. He loves to sleep and eat!
Now on to their bedtime schedule/routine. It has slowly gotten easier for me to master this and I wanted to share it with all of you! If you didn't know, we have 2 co-sleepers attached to the bed because it is easier for me to just grab them and breast feed instead of going into their room. First, I bounce Nolan and he falls asleep within minutes. With Emery, I rock her in the rocking chair and nurse her. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get her down. This usually happens around 8:00. When they were first born, they woke up every 2 hours to feed. From about the time they were a week old, they woke up at the same times during the night, which was such a relief to me to tandem breast feed them because it is quicker and easier! In the beginning, I just fed them and when they were done put them right back down. I noticed that if I burp them first, they sleep much better, so that's what I have been doing! Ever since they were 4 weeks old, they have been waking up about every 4 hours! Last night, for example, I put them down at 8 and they woke up at 12, 4, and then 8 for the day! I am getting about 6 hours of sleep now, which I am so happy at! Usually I only need to change their diaper once during the night.
Yesterday the twins had their 1 month check up at the doctors! He said they were both doing fine and there was nothing to worry about. That made me so happy, becasuse a mom's worst nightmare is that you are doing something wrong and your baby isn't the healthiest he/she could be. I am so thankful that I have 2 happy, healthy babies :)
Emery is doing amazing with eating lately! As you know, she wasn't a big eater, but this past week she has been really picking it up! She eats every 2 hours now (except during the night) and feeds for about 30 minutes every feeding! I'm really relieved, because she wasn't gaining much weight, if any, so I'm sure everything is okay now! She still doesn't like to sleep, I nurse her to sleep. Although lately she has been falling asleep in my arms when I rock her, so it's really nice not having to worry about nursing her to sleep, except when I put her down for the night! Emery loves tummy time, and can hold her head up when she is on her stomach! She can't hold her head up if I sit her up yet, though.
Nolan has still been eating well, he is quite a chunky boy! No worries about weight with him! He eats about every 3 hours (except during the night) and eats for about 40 minutes per feeding, sometimes more! Nolan can't hold his head up yet during tummy time, although he is so close! I'm predicting in the next week or so he will. He can sleep anytime, anywhere, and with anyone. He loves to sleep and eat!
Now on to their bedtime schedule/routine. It has slowly gotten easier for me to master this and I wanted to share it with all of you! If you didn't know, we have 2 co-sleepers attached to the bed because it is easier for me to just grab them and breast feed instead of going into their room. First, I bounce Nolan and he falls asleep within minutes. With Emery, I rock her in the rocking chair and nurse her. It usually takes about 15-20 minutes to get her down. This usually happens around 8:00. When they were first born, they woke up every 2 hours to feed. From about the time they were a week old, they woke up at the same times during the night, which was such a relief to me to tandem breast feed them because it is quicker and easier! In the beginning, I just fed them and when they were done put them right back down. I noticed that if I burp them first, they sleep much better, so that's what I have been doing! Ever since they were 4 weeks old, they have been waking up about every 4 hours! Last night, for example, I put them down at 8 and they woke up at 12, 4, and then 8 for the day! I am getting about 6 hours of sleep now, which I am so happy at! Usually I only need to change their diaper once during the night.
Yesterday the twins had their 1 month check up at the doctors! He said they were both doing fine and there was nothing to worry about. That made me so happy, becasuse a mom's worst nightmare is that you are doing something wrong and your baby isn't the healthiest he/she could be. I am so thankful that I have 2 happy, healthy babies :)
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Update!
Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't posted recently! Things have been so busy and stressful. The twins are almost 1 month old, I can't believe how fast everything has been going by. Last week, my parents were here, like I mentioned! But, instead of staying until Wednesday they decided to stay until Saturday! It was so great for me to see them again.
This past week I have been working like crazy! I have been neglecting my housework for the past few weeks, so I dedicated all of Monday to cleaning! The twins went with our babysitter for the morning and I cleaned everything. It felt so good, I am always happier when everything is clean! Monday night for dinner we went to our friend Jule's house. She is a single mom of 4, can't believe how she does it! Her kids are 15, 13, 7, and 4, just around my kid's age. Jule is also 7 months pregnant! Her husband just passed away, so we wanted to see her and have some fun since she is sad all of the time.
Tuesday the kids had off from school for a Jewish holiday, and I took them to a nearby waterpark! It is finally getting warm here in southern California, and thought it would be a great treat for them all! Jeff also took the day off to go with me, and my mother-in-law watched Emery and Nolan. It was a fantastic day :)
Wednseday, and today I just relaxed around the house. The twins are growing up so fast, I want to spend as much time with them as possible! Emery and Nolan can lift their heads up briefly and turn them from side to side while on tummy time! I'm so proud of them, it's a big accomplishment! Also, Emery has become even more clingy. She is completely fine when I am gone, but if I'm in the room and she hears me and someone else is holding her, she will throw a fit until I come to her! Nolan also likes being held, but he doesn't care who. I will be doing a more in depth update once they turn 1 month, so stay tuned! :)
This past week I have been working like crazy! I have been neglecting my housework for the past few weeks, so I dedicated all of Monday to cleaning! The twins went with our babysitter for the morning and I cleaned everything. It felt so good, I am always happier when everything is clean! Monday night for dinner we went to our friend Jule's house. She is a single mom of 4, can't believe how she does it! Her kids are 15, 13, 7, and 4, just around my kid's age. Jule is also 7 months pregnant! Her husband just passed away, so we wanted to see her and have some fun since she is sad all of the time.
Tuesday the kids had off from school for a Jewish holiday, and I took them to a nearby waterpark! It is finally getting warm here in southern California, and thought it would be a great treat for them all! Jeff also took the day off to go with me, and my mother-in-law watched Emery and Nolan. It was a fantastic day :)
Wednseday, and today I just relaxed around the house. The twins are growing up so fast, I want to spend as much time with them as possible! Emery and Nolan can lift their heads up briefly and turn them from side to side while on tummy time! I'm so proud of them, it's a big accomplishment! Also, Emery has become even more clingy. She is completely fine when I am gone, but if I'm in the room and she hears me and someone else is holding her, she will throw a fit until I come to her! Nolan also likes being held, but he doesn't care who. I will be doing a more in depth update once they turn 1 month, so stay tuned! :)
Monday, May 5, 2014
Fun Weekend/ 2 Week Update
Hey everyone, we have had a fun but busy weekend and I thought I'd share it with all of you! Friday night Adrian was sleeping over at a friends house, and so was Braylie. My brother in law wanted all the boy cousins at his house for the night, and Gage and Jamie went with them. So, Jeff and I had the house to ourselves with Emery and Nolan! It was a lot of fun, we just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company since we rarely have alone time since the babies were born. Obviously, we didn't do anything to serious since I just had babies ;) Gotta wait till the 6 week mark for that!
Saturday we spent time with my parent, who are visiting from Florida! I haven't seen them in about 2 weeks so I am so happy to be able to spend time with them. We went out to each with them Saturday night, and then they took the kids and Jeff to church Sunday while I stayed home with Emery and Nolan. Sunday afternoon we had my brother over, and the kids had a good time playing while us adults just caught up with each other! My parents are staying until Wednesday, and I'm sure we'll have more good times together until then.
Now on to Emery and Nolan! They are doing amazing, considering that they are only 2 1/2 weeks old! This past weekend, their sleeping schedule changed for the better. Instead of waking up every 2 hours, now it is every 3! I think it is because I try not to let them sleep all day long, because then of course they aren't tired in the evenings. I have been so happy and much more awake! I know it's not that big of a different, but it is to a body who used to get 4 hours of sleep and now gets almost 6! Saturday night they were up at 11, 2, 5, 8 and then up for the day at about 9!
Emery still loves tummy time, and is doing very good at it! She can not hold her head up, but I think she's getting pretty close! Emery can also tell my voice apart from others! Sometimes she is crying when someone is holding her, but if I come up to her and talk to her she calms right down. She is definitely more attached to me than she was last week, which sure is cute but just hard when I want to get things done! Emery still has trouble sleeping, and I nurse her to sleep every night and nap times. She doesn't particularly like eating, but she eats enough and I'm not worried about it.
Nolan is the opposite, he loves eating! He sometimes eats just for the sake of eating, I can tell he isn't hungry, he just wants comfort and likes the boob I guess! Nolan has longer periods of alertness than last week, but he still loves sleeping! He can fall asleep anywhere and at any time. He has been making eye contact with me a lot this week, I can tell because his eyes focus on one thing (me) and don't move. I think he finally recognizes me as Mommy! I love my babies so much and can't believe how much they've grown :)
Saturday we spent time with my parent, who are visiting from Florida! I haven't seen them in about 2 weeks so I am so happy to be able to spend time with them. We went out to each with them Saturday night, and then they took the kids and Jeff to church Sunday while I stayed home with Emery and Nolan. Sunday afternoon we had my brother over, and the kids had a good time playing while us adults just caught up with each other! My parents are staying until Wednesday, and I'm sure we'll have more good times together until then.
Now on to Emery and Nolan! They are doing amazing, considering that they are only 2 1/2 weeks old! This past weekend, their sleeping schedule changed for the better. Instead of waking up every 2 hours, now it is every 3! I think it is because I try not to let them sleep all day long, because then of course they aren't tired in the evenings. I have been so happy and much more awake! I know it's not that big of a different, but it is to a body who used to get 4 hours of sleep and now gets almost 6! Saturday night they were up at 11, 2, 5, 8 and then up for the day at about 9!
Emery still loves tummy time, and is doing very good at it! She can not hold her head up, but I think she's getting pretty close! Emery can also tell my voice apart from others! Sometimes she is crying when someone is holding her, but if I come up to her and talk to her she calms right down. She is definitely more attached to me than she was last week, which sure is cute but just hard when I want to get things done! Emery still has trouble sleeping, and I nurse her to sleep every night and nap times. She doesn't particularly like eating, but she eats enough and I'm not worried about it.
Nolan is the opposite, he loves eating! He sometimes eats just for the sake of eating, I can tell he isn't hungry, he just wants comfort and likes the boob I guess! Nolan has longer periods of alertness than last week, but he still loves sleeping! He can fall asleep anywhere and at any time. He has been making eye contact with me a lot this week, I can tell because his eyes focus on one thing (me) and don't move. I think he finally recognizes me as Mommy! I love my babies so much and can't believe how much they've grown :)
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Day in the Life! 5-1-14
Hey everyone! The twins are almost 2 weeks old and we are finally getting back into the swing of things and not feeling totally overwhelmed 24/7. I decided to do a day in the life today, blogger style!
I was up at 12, 2, 4, and 6 throughout the night with the twins. They usually sleep 2 hours, I'm just glad they are on the same schedule so I can feed them both at the same time now! I got up at 6 and got myself breakfast and dressed/make up on for the day. At 6:30, Adrian came down and I made her breakfast and she was on the bus by 7. Jamie woke up at 7:15, which is sleeping in for him! I think he is still recovering from his sickness. I made him breakfast and dressed him, then he played in his room while I woke up Braylie and Gage at 7:30, and they both got ready. Gage was feeling good, and he was on his strep medication for almost 48 hours, so he was okay to go to school! Jeff woke up at 8 and gave the girls their bottles (breast milk of course) while I made breakfast for Gage and Braylie and helped them get ready! Jeff drove them to school at 8:15, while I put the girls in their bouncers and bounced them with my foot while I got work done on the computer. At 9, Jamie wanted me to play with him, so we played together until 10 when I had to feed the girls. Jamie loves watching them eat, he thinks its cool!
I made Jamie and myself lunch at noon, and after we ate I fed the girls again. It feels like my whole day is breast feeding, since the girls are still on a 2 hour schedule! At 1 I put Jamie down for his nap, and I spent time with the girls! They are usually asleep all morning, except when they are eating, but lately early afternoon they have been awake and alert! I have noticed that they are much more alert now than they were last week. We had some tummy time, and then at 2 they were getting hungry so I fed them and put them down. I did some more work on my computer and then cleaned/did the dishes until Adrian got home at 2:45. She got Jamie up from his nap at 3, and played with him while I kept cleaning. The house has become such a mess lately, because I am so occupied with the babies 24/7! I forgot how much attention a newborn needs, let alone twins! At 4 the other kids got home, and Adrian fed Emery her bottle and Jeff fed Nolan his bottle. It is so relaxing when someone else can feed the babies, because breast feeding is exhausting! But, of course, I do love breast feeding and wouldn't stop it for the world.
We had dinner at 6 and I fed/played with the babies while Jeff helped the kids with their homework. Then, Jeff played with Emery and Nolan while I gave Jamie his bath and put him down around 7. He was so tired, so he went to bed early tonight! At 8:30 Gage went down, and Braylie went up to her room around 9:15. Emery is sleeping on me while Jeff cleans with Nolan strapped to his chest. I have just been working, I feel like all I do is breast feed, work, clean, and change diapers! It is my life now, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Overall, today was a pretty good day! I had a fun time spending quality time with Jamie, since he doesn't have school Thursdays. I can't believe that Emery and Nolan will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! Time flies by so fast with babies, and I am cherishing every moment I have with them, because I know in the blink of an eye they will be all grown up.
I was up at 12, 2, 4, and 6 throughout the night with the twins. They usually sleep 2 hours, I'm just glad they are on the same schedule so I can feed them both at the same time now! I got up at 6 and got myself breakfast and dressed/make up on for the day. At 6:30, Adrian came down and I made her breakfast and she was on the bus by 7. Jamie woke up at 7:15, which is sleeping in for him! I think he is still recovering from his sickness. I made him breakfast and dressed him, then he played in his room while I woke up Braylie and Gage at 7:30, and they both got ready. Gage was feeling good, and he was on his strep medication for almost 48 hours, so he was okay to go to school! Jeff woke up at 8 and gave the girls their bottles (breast milk of course) while I made breakfast for Gage and Braylie and helped them get ready! Jeff drove them to school at 8:15, while I put the girls in their bouncers and bounced them with my foot while I got work done on the computer. At 9, Jamie wanted me to play with him, so we played together until 10 when I had to feed the girls. Jamie loves watching them eat, he thinks its cool!
I made Jamie and myself lunch at noon, and after we ate I fed the girls again. It feels like my whole day is breast feeding, since the girls are still on a 2 hour schedule! At 1 I put Jamie down for his nap, and I spent time with the girls! They are usually asleep all morning, except when they are eating, but lately early afternoon they have been awake and alert! I have noticed that they are much more alert now than they were last week. We had some tummy time, and then at 2 they were getting hungry so I fed them and put them down. I did some more work on my computer and then cleaned/did the dishes until Adrian got home at 2:45. She got Jamie up from his nap at 3, and played with him while I kept cleaning. The house has become such a mess lately, because I am so occupied with the babies 24/7! I forgot how much attention a newborn needs, let alone twins! At 4 the other kids got home, and Adrian fed Emery her bottle and Jeff fed Nolan his bottle. It is so relaxing when someone else can feed the babies, because breast feeding is exhausting! But, of course, I do love breast feeding and wouldn't stop it for the world.
We had dinner at 6 and I fed/played with the babies while Jeff helped the kids with their homework. Then, Jeff played with Emery and Nolan while I gave Jamie his bath and put him down around 7. He was so tired, so he went to bed early tonight! At 8:30 Gage went down, and Braylie went up to her room around 9:15. Emery is sleeping on me while Jeff cleans with Nolan strapped to his chest. I have just been working, I feel like all I do is breast feed, work, clean, and change diapers! It is my life now, but I wouldn't change it for the world.
Overall, today was a pretty good day! I had a fun time spending quality time with Jamie, since he doesn't have school Thursdays. I can't believe that Emery and Nolan will be 2 weeks old tomorrow! Time flies by so fast with babies, and I am cherishing every moment I have with them, because I know in the blink of an eye they will be all grown up.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Update on the Sick Kids!
Hey everyone, long time no post! It's been so busy around here with my 6 kids. I have good news, though! The kids are finally better. It's been so crazy having sick kids, I hate when they are sick especially now that I have newborn babies.
Sunday night was a pretty good night for them, no one woke up throwing up. Gage woke up a few times because he was uncomfortable from his fever, but I'd rather have that than throwing up! Monday morning none of them went to school, and Jeff took off from work to help me out. Jeff took Adrian to school, while I fed the babies and the kids were still asleep. Braylie woke up feeling great, she had no fever but was still exhausted from being sick for a couple of days. She just relaxed for the morning and was able to eat! Jamie woke up with a low grade fever, it was almost 100. He ate a little something and then went back to sleep. Gage woke up with a fever still, but he was much better than the day before! He ate breakfast and didn't throw it up. Jeff spent the day with the sick kids, and I, of course, spent the day with Emery and Nolan!
Tuesday Braylie went back to school because she felt really good! I was so glad that she only missed one day of school, which was Monday. Jamie didn't have school Tuesday, so he would be home either way! He was doing good, he had no fever and seemed pretty much back to normal! Gage, on the other hand, still had a fever. I decided to take him to the doctor since his fever was persisting and medicine wasn't taking it down. I dropped the babies off at our babysitter's house for about an hour and a half while I went with Jamie and Gage to the doctor. Turns out, Gage has strep throat! The doctor also examined Jamie, since he was there, and the test came back negative. Gage started medication right away and felt better by this morning! (Wednesday)
Today, Jamie went to school although Gage didn't because the doctor said to keep him home until he had been on medication for at least 24 hours. He is doing good as of currently, and we are thinking about sending him tomorrow if he still wakes up with no fever and is feeling good! I'm just so thankful that Jeff or I didn't get sick, because that would have made this so much harder. Also, if I would have gotten sick the babies probably would have, and that would be terrible since they are only 1 1/2 weeks old! Thanks for reading :)
Sunday night was a pretty good night for them, no one woke up throwing up. Gage woke up a few times because he was uncomfortable from his fever, but I'd rather have that than throwing up! Monday morning none of them went to school, and Jeff took off from work to help me out. Jeff took Adrian to school, while I fed the babies and the kids were still asleep. Braylie woke up feeling great, she had no fever but was still exhausted from being sick for a couple of days. She just relaxed for the morning and was able to eat! Jamie woke up with a low grade fever, it was almost 100. He ate a little something and then went back to sleep. Gage woke up with a fever still, but he was much better than the day before! He ate breakfast and didn't throw it up. Jeff spent the day with the sick kids, and I, of course, spent the day with Emery and Nolan!
Tuesday Braylie went back to school because she felt really good! I was so glad that she only missed one day of school, which was Monday. Jamie didn't have school Tuesday, so he would be home either way! He was doing good, he had no fever and seemed pretty much back to normal! Gage, on the other hand, still had a fever. I decided to take him to the doctor since his fever was persisting and medicine wasn't taking it down. I dropped the babies off at our babysitter's house for about an hour and a half while I went with Jamie and Gage to the doctor. Turns out, Gage has strep throat! The doctor also examined Jamie, since he was there, and the test came back negative. Gage started medication right away and felt better by this morning! (Wednesday)
Today, Jamie went to school although Gage didn't because the doctor said to keep him home until he had been on medication for at least 24 hours. He is doing good as of currently, and we are thinking about sending him tomorrow if he still wakes up with no fever and is feeling good! I'm just so thankful that Jeff or I didn't get sick, because that would have made this so much harder. Also, if I would have gotten sick the babies probably would have, and that would be terrible since they are only 1 1/2 weeks old! Thanks for reading :)
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Still Sick :(
Hey everyone, we are still very sick. I was hoping everyone would be better by today, but that's sure not the case!
We had a pretty rough night. Jeff was up all night with Gage, throwing up. Jamie didn't sleep well, just because he had a high fever again and was having trouble sleeping. Both Jamie and Gage woke up with a fever, but no nausea! I'm glad that they at least aren't throwing up anymore. Braylie woke up without a fever, which was good! She still isn't feeling very good, she feels nauseas. I'm hoping that she is just recovering, and not getting sick again! Jeff took Adrian to church, I dropped the twins off at our babysitters, and then I watched the sick kids at home. Braylie laid in her room all day, and she said her nausea slowly started to subside! She had a little dinner and was able to keep it down, so I'm hoping that she is over the worst part. Jamie's fever is still 102, I'm not sure what to do for him! I just keep trying to keep him entertained and comfortable. Gage is feeling sick still, he had a headache and stuffy nose, plus a fever all morning. After Jamie and Gage were able to eat a little something, I gave them some medicine for their fevers! I try to not give my kids medicine a lot unless it is necessary, and I felt that it was very necessary. Both their fevers went down and they had a good afternoon! They were able to walk around and seemed much better.
Currently, all 3 of them are still not going to school tomorrow. Braylie has no fever, but isn't feeling well still. Usually after the kids technically not "sick" anymore, because they don't have a fever and aren't throwing up, I let them have a day to recover! I don't want them to go to school and then maybe end up getting sick there because they weren't really over it. Jamie still has a fever, but it has lowered to 100. He is feeling good other than that, but since he still has a fever I'm keeping him home tomorrow too. Gage is the same as Jamie, except he has barely eaten all day long so he is very weak and tired. I predict he won't be at at school until Wednesday! If the kids still have bad symtpons tomorrow, I plan on taking them to the doctor just to make sure it's not strep throat or anything! I'm pretty sure it was just the 24 hour stomach bug, because all the kids threw up for about 24 hours and then they just had a fever. But, better safe then sorry! :)
We had a pretty rough night. Jeff was up all night with Gage, throwing up. Jamie didn't sleep well, just because he had a high fever again and was having trouble sleeping. Both Jamie and Gage woke up with a fever, but no nausea! I'm glad that they at least aren't throwing up anymore. Braylie woke up without a fever, which was good! She still isn't feeling very good, she feels nauseas. I'm hoping that she is just recovering, and not getting sick again! Jeff took Adrian to church, I dropped the twins off at our babysitters, and then I watched the sick kids at home. Braylie laid in her room all day, and she said her nausea slowly started to subside! She had a little dinner and was able to keep it down, so I'm hoping that she is over the worst part. Jamie's fever is still 102, I'm not sure what to do for him! I just keep trying to keep him entertained and comfortable. Gage is feeling sick still, he had a headache and stuffy nose, plus a fever all morning. After Jamie and Gage were able to eat a little something, I gave them some medicine for their fevers! I try to not give my kids medicine a lot unless it is necessary, and I felt that it was very necessary. Both their fevers went down and they had a good afternoon! They were able to walk around and seemed much better.
Currently, all 3 of them are still not going to school tomorrow. Braylie has no fever, but isn't feeling well still. Usually after the kids technically not "sick" anymore, because they don't have a fever and aren't throwing up, I let them have a day to recover! I don't want them to go to school and then maybe end up getting sick there because they weren't really over it. Jamie still has a fever, but it has lowered to 100. He is feeling good other than that, but since he still has a fever I'm keeping him home tomorrow too. Gage is the same as Jamie, except he has barely eaten all day long so he is very weak and tired. I predict he won't be at at school until Wednesday! If the kids still have bad symtpons tomorrow, I plan on taking them to the doctor just to make sure it's not strep throat or anything! I'm pretty sure it was just the 24 hour stomach bug, because all the kids threw up for about 24 hours and then they just had a fever. But, better safe then sorry! :)
Saturday, April 26, 2014
In Sickness and in Health
Lately, the kids have been so good about getting sick! They have barely gotten sick, except for a week in the fall when they all got strep throat. Other than that, they have been managing to escape all of the flus going around this past winter, until last night.
When Braylie got home from school yesterday, she said she went to the nurse twice because her stomach hurt. Both times she took tums, and she said they only helped for a little bit. She didnt' have a fever, so she couldn't be sent home. I just told her to relax in bed and have some crackers and ginger ale, that usually helps an upset stomach. Around 5:30 we were about to leave for dinner, and she ran out to the kitchen and said she thinks she is going to throw up. Of course, I grabbed the trash can and she threw up in the trashcan for a few minutes. I took her to the guest room to lay down. When one of the kids is sick, they usually stay in the guest room so I can confine the germs to one place. I couldn't stay with her because the babies were screaming and hungry, so Jeff stayed with her and said she threw up a few more times in the next 30 minutes. I felt so bad for her, she was burning up and couldn't keep anything down all night! I knew that I couldn't get near her much, because I am constantly with Emery and Nolan and can't risk them getting sick. After I fed them I sanitized every room in the house and tried to kill all of the germs. Of course, Jeff was constantly washing his hands when he was with the other kids, since he was with Braylie. It was upsetting to cancel with my friend Lilia for dinner, but I'm sure she understands!
Everything was fine until about 9pm. Jeff said Braylie was feeling a bit better and was able to keep down a few crackers and a sip of water. I put Gage and Jamie to bed (they sleep in the same room) and was just in the living room with Adrian. I heard Jamie crying uncontrolably and ran back to his room only to find out that he had thrown up. I felt so bad for him, throwing up scared him because he had never thrown up before, except when he was a newborn of course. Jeff cleaned everything up while I took him into the guest room with Braylie, he slept in the other bed. Our guest room has 2 twin beds! The night was rough for Jeff, he was up all night with Jamie. While I, on the other hand, had a normal night up every 2 hours with Emery and Nolan!
This morning Braylie was feeling much better, she still had a fever but had a piece of toast for breakfast and said she didn't feel nauseas. Jamie was still throwing up and a 102 fever. I dropped Emery and Nolan off at our babysitter's house like I planned, and took Gage to his soccer game! Part way through he wasn't feeling good, so we left early and he ended up throwing up when he got home. So, we had 3 sick kids, it wasn't fun at all!
Currently, Braylie's fever is gone and she is feeling good! I'm thinking it was just a 24 hour bug. Jamie is doing okay, he only has a low fever and hasn't thrown up in about 2 hours. Gage is still sick though, he can't keep anything down and has a high fever. Adrian hasn't gotten sick yet, and neither have Jeff and I. I'm really hoping that I don't get sick, because then Emery and Nolan will most likely get sick, since we are breastfeeding. I would really appreciate positive thoughts and prayers to help our family get through this!
When Braylie got home from school yesterday, she said she went to the nurse twice because her stomach hurt. Both times she took tums, and she said they only helped for a little bit. She didnt' have a fever, so she couldn't be sent home. I just told her to relax in bed and have some crackers and ginger ale, that usually helps an upset stomach. Around 5:30 we were about to leave for dinner, and she ran out to the kitchen and said she thinks she is going to throw up. Of course, I grabbed the trash can and she threw up in the trashcan for a few minutes. I took her to the guest room to lay down. When one of the kids is sick, they usually stay in the guest room so I can confine the germs to one place. I couldn't stay with her because the babies were screaming and hungry, so Jeff stayed with her and said she threw up a few more times in the next 30 minutes. I felt so bad for her, she was burning up and couldn't keep anything down all night! I knew that I couldn't get near her much, because I am constantly with Emery and Nolan and can't risk them getting sick. After I fed them I sanitized every room in the house and tried to kill all of the germs. Of course, Jeff was constantly washing his hands when he was with the other kids, since he was with Braylie. It was upsetting to cancel with my friend Lilia for dinner, but I'm sure she understands!
Everything was fine until about 9pm. Jeff said Braylie was feeling a bit better and was able to keep down a few crackers and a sip of water. I put Gage and Jamie to bed (they sleep in the same room) and was just in the living room with Adrian. I heard Jamie crying uncontrolably and ran back to his room only to find out that he had thrown up. I felt so bad for him, throwing up scared him because he had never thrown up before, except when he was a newborn of course. Jeff cleaned everything up while I took him into the guest room with Braylie, he slept in the other bed. Our guest room has 2 twin beds! The night was rough for Jeff, he was up all night with Jamie. While I, on the other hand, had a normal night up every 2 hours with Emery and Nolan!
This morning Braylie was feeling much better, she still had a fever but had a piece of toast for breakfast and said she didn't feel nauseas. Jamie was still throwing up and a 102 fever. I dropped Emery and Nolan off at our babysitter's house like I planned, and took Gage to his soccer game! Part way through he wasn't feeling good, so we left early and he ended up throwing up when he got home. So, we had 3 sick kids, it wasn't fun at all!
Currently, Braylie's fever is gone and she is feeling good! I'm thinking it was just a 24 hour bug. Jamie is doing okay, he only has a low fever and hasn't thrown up in about 2 hours. Gage is still sick though, he can't keep anything down and has a high fever. Adrian hasn't gotten sick yet, and neither have Jeff and I. I'm really hoping that I don't get sick, because then Emery and Nolan will most likely get sick, since we are breastfeeding. I would really appreciate positive thoughts and prayers to help our family get through this!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Why we chose Emerson Rose and Nolan Lynden
When I announced the names Emerson Rose and Nolan Lynden, lot's of people wondered why we chose this name, because Emerson is unique as a girl's name and many of you have never heard of Lynden before!
We chose Emerson because I have always loved the name Emerson for a girl. I like unique baby names, and I like Emerson because it has a cute nickname, Emery. I think Emery sounds very feminine and pretty. Emerson means brave and powerful, and I like the idea of my little girl becoming brave, she will have to be growing up in the crazy family she is in! ;) Rose means flower, and it will add femininity to her name. I also think Emery Rose sounds adorable together, and we are thinking of calling her Emery Rose instead of just Emery.
We chose Nolan because Jeff and I have always loved the name Nolan, and it was our backup choice when Gage and Jamie were both born. Nolan means noble, and our baby will grow up to be a very noble man! I absolutely loved the name Lynden, but Jeff wasn't so keen. He thought it was too unique and didn't want to call his son Lynden. So, we compromised and decided Lynden would be the middle name! The name Lynden is taken from the trees and the flowers, and I want Lynden to love nature and spending time in the great outdoors :)
I hope this helps explain to everyone why we chose the names we did, and I really hope that you love them as much as we do!
We chose Emerson because I have always loved the name Emerson for a girl. I like unique baby names, and I like Emerson because it has a cute nickname, Emery. I think Emery sounds very feminine and pretty. Emerson means brave and powerful, and I like the idea of my little girl becoming brave, she will have to be growing up in the crazy family she is in! ;) Rose means flower, and it will add femininity to her name. I also think Emery Rose sounds adorable together, and we are thinking of calling her Emery Rose instead of just Emery.
We chose Nolan because Jeff and I have always loved the name Nolan, and it was our backup choice when Gage and Jamie were both born. Nolan means noble, and our baby will grow up to be a very noble man! I absolutely loved the name Lynden, but Jeff wasn't so keen. He thought it was too unique and didn't want to call his son Lynden. So, we compromised and decided Lynden would be the middle name! The name Lynden is taken from the trees and the flowers, and I want Lynden to love nature and spending time in the great outdoors :)
I hope this helps explain to everyone why we chose the names we did, and I really hope that you love them as much as we do!
Emery and Nolan's 1 Week Update!
I can't believe that my babies are 1 week old today! This week has gone by so fast, I can't believe that a week ago I was all the way off the country in another state delivering my twins.
Emery has been having a good week! She was having trouble breastfeeding, but after a few days she got it down! She eats every about 3 hours and is starting to look a little chunky! We have tummy time every day, and she loves it! Obviously she can't hold her head up yet, but I can tell that her neck muscles are getting stronger and hopefully in a few weeks she will be holding her head up! Emery also has been able to recognize the different between Jeff or I, and a stranger. I will have one of my friends hold her when they meet her, and she usually cries! But, when she comes back to Jeff or me she quiets down. I think it is so cute how she is attached to us already :) She is currently needing to be nursed to sleep, because she has trouble falling asleep. We have tried rocking her, bouncing her, and so much more but only nursing works.
Nolan has been having a good week too. He eats every 2 hours, and when he eats its for almost half an hour! He loves eating, and never wants to stop! I'm thankful that my milk supply is enough to supply milk for both of my babies, because I know some women don't produce enough milk. Nolan has tummy time every day, too, but he hates it! He cries and makes grunting noises whenever I put him on his stomach. He likes being held outward, so he can see everything. He hates being held against our chest, because then he can't look around! Nolan is the opposite with strangers than Emery, he doesn't mind it! He just lays content in their arms. He doesn't like being set down though, someone always has to hold him. Another good thing about Nolan is that he goes to sleep very easily! Jeff or I just need to bounce him and walk around and he will be fast asleep in minutes. I'm so thankful that he sleeps so easily!
We also had a 1 week doctor appointment for them this morning, and this afternoon I went to my 1 week postpartum visit! I will make a separate update for my visit. The twins visit went great! They are still very small for their age, just because they were born at 37 weeks. They aren't technically even "born" yet because their due date is May 15th! Our doctor said that their weight and height is good for 1 week old and that I have nothing to worry about but just let him know if nothing changes. I'm so grateful for two amazing, perfect, healthy babies! I couldn't ask for anything more. :)
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