If you've followed my blog for awhile (or atleast since the twins were born), you are probably familiar with my birth story. If not, you can read it here.
During the twins' delivery, I hemorraghed and needed a blood transfusion - 4 units of blood. Without that transfusion, I would have died. One month later during Kendall's meningitis battle, she required a blood transfusion to increase her red blood cells. Without that transfusion, she would have gotten sicker.
2 needs for blood within 4 weeks.
Since those days, I've always vowed that I would give back so someone else could benefit from the blood that I donate.
The American Red Cross is always in need. If you are able, please consider making a blood or monetary donation to this worthy organization. They are currently assisting 9,000 families with temporary shelter in the post-Sandy areas. They can't do it without donations from the public.
They touched my life and I'm extremely grateful.
Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the American Red Cross.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Step Off, Sandy. We have some trick or treatin' to do!
We made it through Sandy's wrath unscathed. Thank God. My thoughts and prayers are with those who were affected so horribly. The devastation is unbelievable in New York and New Jersey.
Things were back to normal around here by Wednesday. We got a shitload of rain (6 inches) and some strong winds but we never lost power and all of the surrounding trees stayed in tact.
Can I get an Amen?
Halloween went off without a hitch. We travelled about 20 minutes to my sister's house so all of the cousins could trick or treat together.
The twins had a BLAST! I can honestly say "they got it" this year. As soon as I picked them up from pre-school that afternoon, they both asked when we were going trick or treating.
They got 5 dress up costumes for their birthday this year so I figured we'd be set with costumes for Halloween. Um, no.
Chris decided he wanted to be "Piderman". I have absolutely no idea where that idea came from because he never showed any interest in that character and he didn't own anything "Piderman" at all.
So, "Piderman" it was.
I thought for sure Kendall would want to wear one of her three princess dresses. Um, no.
She wanted to be a..... wait for it. Wait for it.
A cow.
I really didn't want to spend $30-$40 on a costume so I started researching ideas on Pinterest. I found a cute idea for a homemade costume that I thought I could handle.
I excitingly showed it to Kendall and she replied, "No, Mommy. I want to be a brown cow."
Seriously?!
I happened to mention the costume to my mother-in-law and a few days later, she called me and said she found one on sale for $20 in Kendall's size. I told her to grab it.
She brought it over a few weekends before Halloween and when I opened the bag, this is what I found.
At first glance, it looks great. Until you squeeze the nose.
And it whinnies and gallops.
Kendall was none the wiser and stil thinks it's a cow costume. The nose has been squeezed multiple times and either she knows and hasn't said anything or she doesn't care.
So, back to trick or treating.
This year, the twins really understood the concept. They walked up to the doors, rang the doorbell or knocked and said "Trick or Treat!" like pros. And, they even remembered to say "Thank you" afterwards.
Their little Pottery Barn pumpkins were full to the brim after only 45 minutes. As we walked back to my sister's house, we kept asking if we could carry their baskets because they looked heavy.
Nope. They were too proud of their loot and wanted to carry it all by themselves.
Things were back to normal around here by Wednesday. We got a shitload of rain (6 inches) and some strong winds but we never lost power and all of the surrounding trees stayed in tact.
Can I get an Amen?
Halloween went off without a hitch. We travelled about 20 minutes to my sister's house so all of the cousins could trick or treat together.
The twins had a BLAST! I can honestly say "they got it" this year. As soon as I picked them up from pre-school that afternoon, they both asked when we were going trick or treating.
They got 5 dress up costumes for their birthday this year so I figured we'd be set with costumes for Halloween. Um, no.
Chris decided he wanted to be "Piderman". I have absolutely no idea where that idea came from because he never showed any interest in that character and he didn't own anything "Piderman" at all.
So, "Piderman" it was.
I thought for sure Kendall would want to wear one of her three princess dresses. Um, no.
She wanted to be a..... wait for it. Wait for it.
A cow.
I really didn't want to spend $30-$40 on a costume so I started researching ideas on Pinterest. I found a cute idea for a homemade costume that I thought I could handle.
I excitingly showed it to Kendall and she replied, "No, Mommy. I want to be a brown cow."
Seriously?!
I happened to mention the costume to my mother-in-law and a few days later, she called me and said she found one on sale for $20 in Kendall's size. I told her to grab it.
She brought it over a few weekends before Halloween and when I opened the bag, this is what I found.
At first glance, it looks great. Until you squeeze the nose.
And it whinnies and gallops.
Kendall was none the wiser and stil thinks it's a cow costume. The nose has been squeezed multiple times and either she knows and hasn't said anything or she doesn't care.
So, back to trick or treating.
This year, the twins really understood the concept. They walked up to the doors, rang the doorbell or knocked and said "Trick or Treat!" like pros. And, they even remembered to say "Thank you" afterwards.
Their little Pottery Barn pumpkins were full to the brim after only 45 minutes. As we walked back to my sister's house, we kept asking if we could carry their baskets because they looked heavy.
Nope. They were too proud of their loot and wanted to carry it all by themselves.
 |
| "I got MORE candy"! |
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Bracing Ourselves
Over the years, I've had several friends named Sandy. They were always fun and great to hang out with.
Apparently, we've got another friend named Sandy that is coming to visit and I don't think she's going to be very nice.
I live slightly west of Washington, DC and thankfully, it looks like the track has moved a little north. Better for us, not so great for New York or New Jersey.
Typical for this type of "event", our local news channels are walking the fine line of providing warnings sprinkled with a few hints at impending doom.
This morning's forecast is showing torrential downpours, 45-60 mph sustained winds and by Tuesday? Snow.
I've decided to err on the side of caution. You may remember the Derecho that knocked us off the power grid for almost 3 days.
Flashlights, candles and matches are gathered.
Extra jugs of water are in the fridge.
We have a case of bottled water.
And, we still have the generator that saved us during the last storm.
At least it's not 90 degrees like it was in July.
Let's just hope Sandy's bark is worse than her bite. Wish us luck!
Apparently, we've got another friend named Sandy that is coming to visit and I don't think she's going to be very nice.
I live slightly west of Washington, DC and thankfully, it looks like the track has moved a little north. Better for us, not so great for New York or New Jersey.
Typical for this type of "event", our local news channels are walking the fine line of providing warnings sprinkled with a few hints at impending doom.
This morning's forecast is showing torrential downpours, 45-60 mph sustained winds and by Tuesday? Snow.
I've decided to err on the side of caution. You may remember the Derecho that knocked us off the power grid for almost 3 days.
Flashlights, candles and matches are gathered.
Extra jugs of water are in the fridge.
We have a case of bottled water.
And, we still have the generator that saved us during the last storm.
At least it's not 90 degrees like it was in July.
Let's just hope Sandy's bark is worse than her bite. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Thursday, October 18, 2012
3 Year Check Ups
The twins had their 3 year check ups today. It's so hard to believe they were 2 month preemies based on their measurements. They were in the 50-75% percentile in every category.
Christopher
Weight: 33 lbs
Height: 39 inches
Kendall
Weight: 33 lbs
Height: 39 1/4 inches
(she's been 1/4 inch taller than him for almost 2 years now).
The kids were so excited to go to the doctor's this morning. I feel so fortunate about that. I explained ahead of time that the doctor would look in their ears, noses and throats and then listen to their hearts. They were absolute pros. They both sat quietly while the doctor did his exam. This year, they were big enough to have their blood pressure taken and they liked when it "hugged" their arms. I also signed them up for flu shots and that was really the only part of the visit that I was worried about. The nurse told me they qualified for the nasal mist this year so we went with it. Phew, no shots!
He said they are both right on track developmentally. He asked the kids some general questions about counting, ABCs and colors. We talked about their sleeping and eating habits along with their activity levels, playing with other kids and potty training.
I haven't talked much about potty training in my posts. They are both in underwear all day and go pee pee regularly on the potty. Kendall has started to recognize when she needs to go and will now go in the bathroom by herself without any prompting.
I did share Chris' new trick with the doctor. I still can't get the kid to go poopy in the potty. He holds it all day until we put on their bedtime Pull Ups and then he goes. Well, he's gotten smart. He knows where we keep the Pull Ups so when he has to go, he takes it upon himself to put his own Pull Up on. The doctor laughed and said it's common. He suggested that I still let Chris put a Pull Up on but that I encourage him to sit on the potty with it on. He said he would outgrow it soon enough.
Kendall is also having some issues in this area. She suffers from constipation (sorry if TMI) so she's completely unpredictable. And, it's a vicious cycle. The longer she waits, it hurts and then she holds it again. I've been dosing her with Miralax but it's been hit or miss - sometimes I push her the other way. He suggested giving her a small dose everyday to get regulated. Hopefully that will do the trick. He said this is also common in toddlers and it's a result of their diet. They usually won't eat high fiber foods and what they do eat is "binding" (i.e. mac 'n cheese, bananas, etc). Yep, that's my Kendall. The picky eater.
Anyway, overall a really good visit. So proud of my little "preemies".
Christopher
Weight: 33 lbs
Height: 39 inches
Kendall
Weight: 33 lbs
Height: 39 1/4 inches
(she's been 1/4 inch taller than him for almost 2 years now).
The kids were so excited to go to the doctor's this morning. I feel so fortunate about that. I explained ahead of time that the doctor would look in their ears, noses and throats and then listen to their hearts. They were absolute pros. They both sat quietly while the doctor did his exam. This year, they were big enough to have their blood pressure taken and they liked when it "hugged" their arms. I also signed them up for flu shots and that was really the only part of the visit that I was worried about. The nurse told me they qualified for the nasal mist this year so we went with it. Phew, no shots!
He said they are both right on track developmentally. He asked the kids some general questions about counting, ABCs and colors. We talked about their sleeping and eating habits along with their activity levels, playing with other kids and potty training.
I haven't talked much about potty training in my posts. They are both in underwear all day and go pee pee regularly on the potty. Kendall has started to recognize when she needs to go and will now go in the bathroom by herself without any prompting.
I did share Chris' new trick with the doctor. I still can't get the kid to go poopy in the potty. He holds it all day until we put on their bedtime Pull Ups and then he goes. Well, he's gotten smart. He knows where we keep the Pull Ups so when he has to go, he takes it upon himself to put his own Pull Up on. The doctor laughed and said it's common. He suggested that I still let Chris put a Pull Up on but that I encourage him to sit on the potty with it on. He said he would outgrow it soon enough.
Kendall is also having some issues in this area. She suffers from constipation (sorry if TMI) so she's completely unpredictable. And, it's a vicious cycle. The longer she waits, it hurts and then she holds it again. I've been dosing her with Miralax but it's been hit or miss - sometimes I push her the other way. He suggested giving her a small dose everyday to get regulated. Hopefully that will do the trick. He said this is also common in toddlers and it's a result of their diet. They usually won't eat high fiber foods and what they do eat is "binding" (i.e. mac 'n cheese, bananas, etc). Yep, that's my Kendall. The picky eater.
Anyway, overall a really good visit. So proud of my little "preemies".
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
With an Oink and a Moo...
.... and a Cock-A-Doodle Doo!
The twins' 3rd birthday party was last Saturday and it turned out great! I literally spent 3 months planning this thing and tried to have every detail mapped out.
I've mentioned that I think I have OCD before, right? LOL!
I took Friday off from work and had 10 things on my "To Do" list for the day.
Item #1 - the barn birthday cake.
Item #2 - one dozen animal themed cupcakes
I also started putting up some of the decorations that afternoon:
Saturday morning, I started prepping some of the food and finished decorating the main table. I purchased 3 yards of burlap for the table covering and bought a small haybale from Michael's. It's hard to see but it's in the back. And, there's the barn backdrop that I made a few weeks ago!
For food, I made barbeque pulled chicken in the crockpot, cole slaw, mac 'n cheese and pigs in a blanket. There were also many, many snacks available (all farm-themed, of course!)
There were also fun "rides"
We had a full house with 29 people!
Is it time to blow out the candles?
The party ended way too fast but there were fun treats for the kids!
I had so much fun planning this party. Now what am I going to do with myself?
The twins' 3rd birthday party was last Saturday and it turned out great! I literally spent 3 months planning this thing and tried to have every detail mapped out.
I've mentioned that I think I have OCD before, right? LOL!
I took Friday off from work and had 10 things on my "To Do" list for the day.
Item #1 - the barn birthday cake.
Item #2 - one dozen animal themed cupcakes
I also started putting up some of the decorations that afternoon:
Saturday morning, I started prepping some of the food and finished decorating the main table. I purchased 3 yards of burlap for the table covering and bought a small haybale from Michael's. It's hard to see but it's in the back. And, there's the barn backdrop that I made a few weeks ago!
For food, I made barbeque pulled chicken in the crockpot, cole slaw, mac 'n cheese and pigs in a blanket. There were also many, many snacks available (all farm-themed, of course!)
 |
| Cheddar Apple Pie Dip (in the pie plate) |
 |
| Chocolate Pudding |
 |
| Oreo Cookies that were eaten WAY too fast! |
 |
| Rice Krispy Treats |
 |
| Chex Mix |
 |
| Old fashioned milk bottles |
 |
| The adult section |
There were also fun "rides"
We had a full house with 29 people!
Is it time to blow out the candles?
 |
| I think I know who ate all of the Oreo cookies! |
The party ended way too fast but there were fun treats for the kids!
 |
Thursday, October 4, 2012
I Remember
My babies turn 3 years old today....
I remember their birth with such vivid detail like it was just yesterday
I remember every visit to the NICU for the three weeks after their birth.
I remember every beep of the monitors, every cc of breast milk, every milestone that would bring them one step closer to coming home.
I remember every detail of the night Kendall was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis when she was 6 weeks old.
I remember the tears, prayers and sleepless nights spent at her bedside while she fought for her life.
I remember coming home from the hospital at night and hugging Christopher so hard that I thought I might crush him.
I remember being so happy when we were all together again for Thanksgiving
I remember spending our first Christmas in the hospital when Kendall's infection returned
I remember being thankful for the hospital breaking the rules and allowing us to bring Christopher so we could spend those 3 weeks together as a family
I remember Christopher crawled for the first time on July 5, 2010 and he took his first steps on August 23, 2010
I remember Kendall crawled the same day that Christopher took his first steps
I remember those baby giggles that would make me laugh, even if I didn't want to
I remember their first day of daycare and crying more than they did
I remember their first words
I remember their first trip to the beach
I remember every single moment of the last 3 years. But, most importantly?
I remember that I'm blessed with 2 amazing children.
They have grown into independent, walking, talking little people. There's not a day that goes by that I don't look at each of them with pure wonderment. I am so proud to be their mommy.
Happy Birthday my sweet angels.
I remember their birth with such vivid detail like it was just yesterday
I remember every visit to the NICU for the three weeks after their birth.
I remember every beep of the monitors, every cc of breast milk, every milestone that would bring them one step closer to coming home.
I remember every detail of the night Kendall was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis when she was 6 weeks old.
I remember the tears, prayers and sleepless nights spent at her bedside while she fought for her life.
I remember coming home from the hospital at night and hugging Christopher so hard that I thought I might crush him.
I remember being so happy when we were all together again for Thanksgiving
I remember spending our first Christmas in the hospital when Kendall's infection returned
I remember being thankful for the hospital breaking the rules and allowing us to bring Christopher so we could spend those 3 weeks together as a family
I remember Kendall crawled the same day that Christopher took his first steps
I remember those baby giggles that would make me laugh, even if I didn't want to
I remember their first day of daycare and crying more than they did
I remember their first words
I remember their first trip to the beach
I remember every single moment of the last 3 years. But, most importantly?
I remember that I'm blessed with 2 amazing children.
They have grown into independent, walking, talking little people. There's not a day that goes by that I don't look at each of them with pure wonderment. I am so proud to be their mommy.
Happy Birthday my sweet angels.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)