Growing so fast

I can't believe how quickly time is passing.  I can remember my IVF cycle, pregnancy and the twins' birth like it was yesterday.

And, now here we are almost 19 months later.  It's exciting to see all of the changes the kids are going through but it makes me a little sad too.  They aren't the cuddly little babies that would fall asleep in my arms anymore.

Now, they are toddlers with opinions.  Oh yes.   Oh-pinions!

About everything.  They know what they want and more importantly, they want it NOW!  Thank God I'm a good multi-tasker because I'm seriously doing 4-5 things at once all of the time. 
Left hand - making lunch
Right hand - pouring milk
Left foot - wiping runny nose
Right foot - tapping and keeping the beat while I sing the Hokey Pokey.

Yep, that's how we roll around here. 

We're all doing well and looking forward to warmer weather.  It's supposed to be an awesome weekend so we'll be outside as much as possible.  I bought a sand/water table that we'll use for the first time today.  We'll see how that goes.  Hopefully no one decides to have sand for lunch.  Bleck!

Since it's been awhile, here's a few recent pictures:

Hey! What's that?!

The kids were taking a bath tonight and K kept looking over at C.  She finally stood up, looked between her legs and said, "Ut Oh". 

Now, I know they are my kids so I'm a little partial but it was seriously the cutest damn thing ever!

We're all doing great and I got some extremely good news about my kitty.  I'm still waiting to talk to the vet so I don't have all of the information but it's looking like my kitty might not have cancer!!!  She's not in the clear because it's still an autoimmune liver disease but at least we're not looking at losing her in 6 months.

The kids are growing by leaps and bounds.  Kendall's vocabulary is now at least 15 words and it seems like she's saying something new every day.  Christopher is talking too but it's not nearly as much as Kendall.  Ah, the difference between boys and girls development.  It really is neat to watch.

I celebrated my birthday over the weekend.  My family came over for the afternoon and then me, DH, my sister and brother-in-law went out for a few drinks that evening.  It was a real treat for all of us.  My sister has a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old so they don't get out much either.   It was nice to act like adults!

I am still reading all of your blogs even though I absolutely suck at posting and leaving comments.  Most of the time, I quickly check in via my iPhone but trying to type and leave comments is too frustrating and then by the time I get home, it's hard to find the time to log on. 

Hopefully I still have some readers?

Suckity suckity suck suck

I mentioned in my last post that my cat is sick.  They think she has cancer. 

Notice I said "think".  Because, you know.  Nothing is EVER easy.

They've done bloodwork, an ultrasound and a fine needle aspirate.  We've spent almost $2,000 for a diagnosis of "we think".

I've done a lot of research and, to their credit, distinguishing between liver cancer and liver disease is hard.  The symptoms mirror each other almost identically.  Some of her test results aren't definitive but they are pointing more toward cancer than an infection. With today's technology, you'd think they would figure out a way to identify one from the other.

If it is cancer, we have 2-6 months left with her.  If it's liver disease or a form of hepatitis, we could have 6 months to 2 years.

And, so we wait.  The vet has offered other tests that could be more conclusive but the $2,000 we've already spent has cut into our already tight budget.  We could pursue chemo for another $5,000 but there's no guarantee it will work and at best, it might buy her another year.

So, we've opted to do what we can to keep her happy and when the time comes, we'll say goodbye.  For now, she's still eating, drinking and remains active.  But, every time I see her, it breaks my heart.

She's my first baby.  We've had her since she was 8 weeks old and we're going on 13 years now.  She comes down to get me when it's time for bed, she waits for me to wash my face and she sleeps with me every night. 

How can having a pet be so great and suck so much at the same time?  You always know this day will come but somehow, we're never prepared. 

Christopher has grown very attached to her.  When she comes downstairs, he runs over and pets her and hugs her.  He's so gentle.

Part of me is thankful that we're dealing with this now instead of next year when the kids will truly understand that the kitty is gone.  I don't know if I'm ready to see the heartbreak of a child who has lost a pet.  That "heaven" conversation is awfully hard.

Have a good night everyone.  I'm going to snuggle with my kitty.

One Stressed Out Mommy

Do you remember the Calgon bubble bath commercials from the 1980's?
Yeah, that's how I feel.  "Calgon take me away"!

First, my cat is sick.  We're trying to figure out what's going on but things are pointing toward cancer.  We're doing a fine needle aspirate of her liver tomorrow to tell us for sure.  I've had her since she was 8 weeks old and she was my first baby.  She's almost 13 years old now so if it is cancer, we'll do what we can to keep her comfortable and then we'll have a sad decision to make.  It sucks.

The kids are coming up on their 18-month check up which means we'll receive an order for Kendall to get an abdominal ultrasound done.  In case you missed the details, read here.  I'm sure everything will be fine but it's still weighing on me.  It sucks.

I love being a mommy and I love my kids more than anything but damn, I'm tired.  Raising twins and working full-time is exhausting.  Daddy is a tremendous help but let's face it.  The mommy handles a lot.

Not to mention we've entered a new phase of toddler development.

Yes, the temper tantrum.  Christopher has been known to throw himself on the floor complete with hands and feet flailing.

And, over the weekend, Kendall cried inconsolably for 45 minutes because Christopher took a piece of ribbon from her.

We've also entered the "when mommy says no, it's funny and I laugh at her" game.  It's great.

Serenity now!  Serenity now!

As an update to my last post, I have tried a few of your ideas with some success!  So far, meatloaf and chicken/cheese quesadillas have been a hit!  Tonight, we're trying veggie pizzas. 

Let's hope more ends up in their tummies than on the floor.

Help! Food Emergency!

I need your help.  I am s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g with ideas for dinner.   The kids are eating all table food now so they can pretty much eat what we eat. 

Here's our "go to" meals and I am really starting to feel like I'm feeding the kids the same thing every week.  In general, we struggle with vegetables.  Kendall is the pickiest.

chicken nuggets
mac 'n cheese
Perdue Short Cuts chicken strips
Peas
Peas & Carrots
Steamed cauliflower with low-cal cheese sauce
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potato fries
Some of the Gerber Graduates prepared meals

We get home by 5:00 during the week and the kids are usually starving.  I can stall them for about 10 minutes with snacks so it leaves me absolutely no prep time.  I would love, love, love for you guys to give me any good, quick and easy recipes that you have.  If it can be ready in under 20-30 minutes, that's ideal.  

I am really going to try to make an effort to set aside some time on the weekends so I can make and freeze some casseroles. So, if you have any of those recipes, I'll take 'em!

What Rhymes with Hoop?

Did you guess croup?

Yep, Kendall has it.  It's known for it's "barking seal" cough and that's no joke.  It's a horrible sound.
It literally came out of nowhere.  She was fine on Saturday and had it on Sunday. 

I took her to the doctor yesterday and she said she had Kendall diagnosed before she even came in the exam room.  She could hear her in the hallway.  They did test her oxygen sats and it came back at 91%.  A little low but the doctor felt comfortable with sending her home and not to the hospital.  They gave her a dose of prednisone in the office to help with the swelling of her windpipe and larynx and called in a prescription so we could give her some at home.  That stuff is amazing!  She sounded so much better this morning.

I think I have the adult version of croup.  I started with a sore throat Friday night and my voice is still really hoarse.  The doctor said croup is caused by a flu virus and that kids get croup because their airways are so narrow and can't accomodate the swelling.  In adults, we just get an upper respiratory infection and hoarseness. 

So far, Christopher seems like he is fairing OK and has only gotten a cold with a normal cough.

Other than that, we're busy gearing up for spring.  I've been building their spring/summer wardrobes and I think we're just about ready.  We've had several "teaser" days where the temps have gotten into the high 60's/low 70's and I'm ready.  G'bye Winter!

The kids are doing well in school.  Actually, they are loving it.  Kendall has really come out of her shell and she is advancing very nicely.  Not that she was behind or anything, but she was a little shyer than Christopher and we've definitely noticed her being more outgoing since starting school.

The pediatrician told us we'd have a very unique perspective on watching the difference in development for boys and girls and he was right!  Boys develop their gross motor skills first and girls develop communication and fine motor skills first.

Christopher is all boy.  He started climbing first and isn't afraid of anything physical.  He falls down and just keeps on going.  That boy has no fear.  He is saying a few words but his sister has him beat on that one.

Kendall is my little talker.  Her vocabulary is growing every day.  New words:

Up, down (and even does the motion when she says it)
Wow
Trash
Dog
Mommy
Daddy
Moo
All done (when she's eating, she'll hand me her bowl/plate and say it)

She is also showing an interest in coloring and loves to stack things like blocks.  And, of course, since Christopher is all boy, he loves to knock it down.

I look at them every day in pure amazement.  This time last year, they were barely sitting up on their own.  I just can't believe what they can do in a year!

Here's a picture we took at the park a few weeks ago:

It's not Disco Fever

I can't wait for spring. The kids have been battling one thing after another all winter.  The latest is some sort of virus that only comes with a fever.  It lasts about 36 hours and comes right down with Tylenol.

But, damn.  It's a persistent little bugger.  Kendall had it last week and now Christopher started with it Friday.  He's already on antibiotics for another sinus infection so I know it's not an infection.  Just when I think the fever might have broken, it comes back again.  When the Tylenol kicks in, he's right back to playing and acting normal.

Other that that, things are going well.  The kids are doing well at daycare and are officially being moved to the Toddler room on Tuesday.  Christopher has gone from being tentative and shy to running for office. 

Yes, that's right.  He's now the Mayor of daycare.  As we leave at the end of the day, he walks down the hallway and says "Hi" and waves to everyone.  I'm pretty sure we're only days away from kissing the babies.

They have both really blossomed.  Kendall's vocabulary is growing every day.  She now says mommy, ball, dog and bore (for "more").  She can also say Elmo but it comes out "Belbo" or "Mo Mo".

That's it for now.  Looks like naptime isn't going to happen this afternoon.