Eye hate waiting

I got Jack's referral for the pediatric ophthalmologist June 16. I immediately called their office to schedule it (the referral was sitting on their freaking desk and they couldn't call me earlier???) and the first available appointment was July 16. So right now we're waiting. Some days his eye looks OK and others it doesn't.

Here's a pic from when it wasn't doing so good. At least he has his new favorite food!

There's a possibility Jack will need glasses. If he does, I already know how he'll be dressed on Halloween...

Randomness

• Trip has been crawling out of his crib off and on for a couple of months. Due to this, his crib was converted to a toddler bed. A big boy bed. :(
  


• The boys cribs got recalled. The boys have been sleeping in their pack-n-plays for the past two nights and will continue for the next two weeks, or until their new cribs arrive.  Trip HAS NOT tried to escape from his pack-n-play.


• When we get their new cribs, we WILL be purchasing a "crib tent" to put over Trip's crib so he will stay in. I've decided he IS NOT ready for a big-boy bed. Before the conversion he was mostly sleeping through the night. Now? Not so much.  Unacceptable.  Plus, on more than one occasion I've found him sleeping in the floor when I've gone to get them out of bed.
  


• My Aunt almost died last week. She had an upper intestinal blockage and was refusing treatment (tube down her throat for a few days before they could do surgery to remove the blockage). She's only 64 but has had numerous strokes and was just told she's no longer allowed to live alone...plus she broke her arm the week prior.  The day after all this went down my Aunt started Hospice care and was given a couple of days to live. Her kidneys had already started to shut down two days prior. My nephew (Aunts lousy son) asked her, "What are you waiting on, Mom? God to perform a miracle?" (he's an atheist and feels it necessary to constantly mock her very strong faith.) Her response was, "He's still in the business." That night my Aunt somehow managed to pass the blockage on her own. She has since been moved back to her rehabilitation facility to recover from her latest stroke and broken arm.  It won't be long before she'll be back at her own home (with a friend moving in to help her out) and will hopefully enjoy many more years there! God really is still in the miracle business!
  


• Tim just repainted our house. It was a color called "cloudy amber" (read: bright yellow). Now it's "mississippi mud" (read: brown-ish-tan-is). Everyone in the neighborhood is very pleased with the results. Tim's sick of painting trim, though.
  


• We also built the boys a swing-set. They LOVE it!
  


• I was on my 3rd pack of BCP (since deciding I wasn't sure if I wanted to ttc again) and started spotting 1 1/2 weeks into it. Last week (week 3) I started my period. Ummm...that's annoying. I'm not sure what was going on, but my body seemed to decide it was going to do what it wanted to do regardless of the hormones I shoved into it. Let's hope this doesn't become a habit. (for the record, I had no spotting during the first two packs.)


• Have you seen my Little Monkey Toes Boutique page on Facebook?  Check it out!

Honesty today

Tim and I talked a little about TTC today. I think he's a little worried that I'm putting a ban on the baby factory that will never be lifted.  I'm not doing that...I don't think. But we were able to listen to each other and it was good.

For today we're not going to TTC.  We can revisit the topic in a couple of weeks (May 1 to be exact...since that will be the the last active pill of this pack).

What would Tim like?  If time and money weren't a factor he'd have as many kids as possible!  Since they are a factor he'd like to have one more.

What would I like? If time, money, and miscarriage weren't a factor? I'm in the same boat that he is.

But time, money, and miscarriage are all factors so we'll discuss this more beginning May 7.

Friday Night Leftovers

Head on over to Danifred's for what might be the last Friday Night Leftovers. (Boooo!!!)

• I am soooo glad to be home. The boys and I left last Thursday and the boys, Tim and I returned last night. Woo-hoo for having everyone home!


• I'm so proud of Tim for graduating from Non Commissioned Officers Academy.


• Trip was so traumatized by the days of travel and by being left with my Mom for 24 hours that I had to hold him until he screamed himself to sleep last night. Don't misunderstand, he LOVES my Mom & she's great with the kids, but he's been super clingy since Tim left and I think it was just too much that I left him for a night, too.  And this kid NEVER wants to be held when he's tired, he would much rather be in his bed.


• I really really don't want to finish unpacking and doing all the laundry. Boo!


• Tim asked me last week on the phone when I wanted to start TTC again.  I told him to not ask me while I was being left alone with two toddlers for six weeks...he would not like the answer.  I can't even answer the question right now.  I almost freaked out the other night when I couldn't find my new pack of birth control pills.  And I do mean freaked out...as in near panic attack.  Yeah, it'll be at least another month before I revisit the topic of TTC.


• The boys are at a really odd time right now.  And by "boys" I really mean Trip.  He is super clingy and emotional.  I'm super hesitant to take him out in public right now due to the fits he's pitching.  Honestly, if he'd been acting this way a couple of weeks ago, I would have never gone to Gatlinburg.


• Speaking of Gatlinburg, I took the boys, met up with Tim, and went there a couple of weeks ago.  This topic deserves its own post, but just in case I don't get to it, I got to meet some super wonderful bloggers!  Courtney at Connect the Dots (private blog, sorry) and Susan at Not a Fertile Myrtle.  They are both wonderful people and we had an amazing time! I only wish we all lived closer (and that Suzy & I had brought yarn & hooks & needles & had time to teach Courtney how to knit or crochet so she'd be as addicted as we are)!!!


• Oh yeah, during Tim's award and graduation ceremony I ended up sitting next to this guy.  It made me just a little nervous since I get a little stupid in public some times.  (yeah, yeah, yeah, I get stupid in private, too.)  He's a pretty important thing in Tim's world since he's his boss' boss or something like that.  He was really nice, though.  He drilled me about what the base can do to get spouses and families more involved.  I really didn't feel it was appropriate for me to tell him there really isn't anything he can do to get me involved. I'm just not a "military wife".  I'm married to a man in the military, but it's not our life.  I'm sure if we ever get stationed somewhere else or he gets deployed for more than 6 weeks our view will change, but as it is I live in Charleston and my husband works here, too.


• Did I mention how much I don't feel like unpacking?


• It seems there was a lot more I wanted to talk about on here, but it's gone, now.  I was reading but rarely commenting before all my travels over the past 6 weeks (the boys and I weren't home for about 1/2 of that) and now I'm planning on getting back into the reading AND commenting game.


• OK...yeah...now I'm just rambling. So I'll stop.


• Hopefully coming soon: a post about Gatlinburg and the sisterhood I found there & a Sock-It-To-Me post & a Blog-you-very-much post!!!

Happy Easter!

Exhale

Today I would be 19 weeks pregnant, if I hadn't miscarried.  But I'm honestly OK, now.

I just realized that pregnancy announcements don't feel like a knife through my heart.  I was able to read of a bloggy-buddy getting to see her little one's heartbeat, and I felt pure joy for her!  There was no jealousy or envy or any other negative emotion, just happiness for her and her husband.  I'm also no longer envious of the people that are due around when I was due.

I am completely happy with what I have and want nothing more*! :-)

*I reserve the right to change my mind on this matter. Of course I am only human.

Today I'm thankful

Today, I'm thankful.  My husband is gone, but he's only a state away.  My husband was away for a small part of my pregnancy, but he was there for the birth.  My husband is active duty military, but he is safe.

This poor woman isn't as lucky as I am.  Her husband was in Afghanistan.  Her husband wasn't there for the birth of his daughter, nor did he ever get to meet her.  Her husband is dead, he died serving his country.

My heart breaks for her.  I will definitely hold my husband tighter when I get to see him tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

No more poo balls!

Wherein Amanda learns you can't buy everything

As in, you can't buy simple appreciation for what you have.

Christmas morning was pretty darn good this year.  We did very little for the boys and they were overjoyed with what they had.  Of course, had they not gotten a single item they would've been just as happy.  Ah, the joy of the innocent!

Christmas evening was a little hectic.  We packed up the kiddos, the presents for my family, all the kiddos stuff, and ourselves then drove across town in the monsoon-like rain.  (can't complain too much about the weather since it was 70-something degrees and all.)  Once at my sister's house chaos ensued.  The boys were past ready for a nap (but come on! it's Christmas! we don't need no stinkin' naps!), Tim and I were starving, my sister felt as soon as we got there was the best time for her to go upstairs and play with her daughter and her billion and ten zhu-zhu pets, my BIL was completely engrossed in a football game, and my Mom couldn't find anything in my sister's ill equipped kitchen.  Ugh.

I was finally able to get my sister back downstairs (she was supposed to be cooking but "hadn't gotten to spend any time with [her daughter] all day!!!". We swapped presents. Merriness ensued!

Then we headed back into the kitchen to finish up the meal while the men watched the kids.  BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! MEN WATCHING KIDS....HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  Every couple of minutes one of her kids would end up in the kitchen asking for candy or drink or something or another.  Once we finally got it through their heads the answer was "no" regardless what the question was they quit asking for stuff.  Well, they kind of did.  Then they needed to come through the kitchen a billion times.  Why? Because they didn't like the toys they had in the living room and needed to find another one upstairs.  (we had a baby-gate up between the kitchen and den and it seemed to torture her kids to have a barrier.)

WHAT?!?!?!  These kids had piles and PILES of toys all over the living room.  I know this because there was almost nowhere to move in the blasted place!  Their paternal grandparents had spent several hundred dollars on each child, plus the gifts from their maternal grandparents, their parents, various aunts and uncles, and from Santa.  PILES OF GIFTS! But they didn't want to play with them.  And that's the attitude they seem to have in general.  Nothing seems to have any value to them.

I know a lot of children grow up with that attitude, but I don't remember it quite that way.  I remember having little, loving what I had, and although I wanted more I knew I had to be happy with what I had.  And I was.

I want to raise my children to appreciate what they have and to be grateful for gifts they receive.

Rant over!

Merry Christmas

May all your Christmas wishes come true!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Perfect Moment Monday

This just made my day today.  I was driving home and saw a series of signs posted on the boulevard.  I just had to share!

I'm glad he made it home for Christmas!

I Capture
Perfect Moments.

Please No Presents!

Jack-Jack & Trip-Monster are turning one year old this Friday.  I. Cannot. Believe. It.  We're having a small party for them on Saturday, since, you know...Friday sucks for most anyone gainfully employed.  We're even having the party in another state to make it easier for family to come.  Isn't that so nice of us?

Well, it's about to be not-so-nice.

We are driving 4 1/2 hours Friday afternoon (you know...the boys' birthday).  Why are we doing this?  So we can throw their party 1/2 way between Tim's parents.  This is done in the hopes that both of his parents will be able to make it.  The FIL is definitely going to be there.  Tim was going to drive and get him if his doctor hadn't released him to drive, yet.  The MIL?  I've got no clue if she's coming!  Well, that's a lie.  I've got a couple of huge clues that she won't be there.  Really woman?  You've got a valid reason to miss your only grandchildren's first birthday party?

The MIL has told the FIL, because even though they've been divorced for 20 years and all of their children are grown and they live in different states they talk all the time, that she doesn't know if she'll have the money to come.  I'm not sure why she wouldn't have the money.  It's not as if we didn't plan this party months ago.  It's not as if she didn't borrow money from someone for gas to drive across two states when FIL had his recent heart-attack.  It's not as if we've asked her to bring any presents.

But what has the MIL told us, you ask?  She has been extremely vague until tonight.  Tonight she told Tim that the doctor told her she couldn't ride in a vehicle for more than 30 minutes because her foot would swell and she has a blister on it (MIL is diabetic due to very poor health habits AND she smokes).  Hmmmm...that sounds a little odd since last week I was told her doctor had released her back to light wheelchair duty at her job which he knows is almost an hour drive away.  This is also a little odd since she told me about the blister the same time she told me about being released back to work and the doctor hadn't said anything at that point about any of this.  Plus, why can't she prop her foot up in the backseat while her good-for-nothing husband drives?!?!?!  It's not like this is just some random event she's been invited to...this is her only grandchildren's first birthday party!!!  And I can just about BET that these will be the only grandchildren she'll ever have and can guarantee this is the only first birthday they'll have.

To be even more convenient to the in-laws (and in all honesty some other friends that were invited that I know are on a beyond shoe-string budget) I wrote in large lettering on all the invites "Please no presents!"  Did you guess that she also tried to use the no-money-for-presents excuse?

To say Tim is upset about this is an understatement.  The fact that his mother abandoned him for some guy when he was 9 was forgivable.  The fact that she has fed his brothers' addictions and co-dependancy is forgivable.  The fact that she doesn't feel the need to call when his grandparents are deathly ill is forgivable.  But this. Is. Not.  He's already said (many many many times) if she doesn't show up for their party then she's out of their lives.  I will no longer email or mail any pictures or videos or other updates.  He will no longer call her so she can hear the boys giggling and "talking".  She will be written out until she can get her priorities straight.  (did I ever tell you about driving up to visit her only me and the boys just so she could spend time with the boys and she ended up planning something else at the same time. she'd had two months notice I was coming and was only home for an hour while I was there.)

Needless to say, I support this 100%.  It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit to not have to listen to her say "Twiiiiii-iiip! Can ewe say Mammaw?"  His name is TRIP and YOU are NOT his Mammaw.  MY Mom is his Mammaw; like I told you BEFORE they were born.  (She said she didn't want to go by Mammaw-"last name" even though my Mom has been called Mammaw for almost 12 years and I'd really rather not confuse my boys.  There needed to be some way to distinguish the two.  My Mom was even nice enough to say she'd go by Mammaw-"last name" too!)

So that's the drama we're rolling into this weekend.  I honestly hope the woman isn't there just so I don't have to play nice.  She's a good person, but plain sucks as any form of maternal figure.

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On a completely good note I keep getting requests for stuff that I've been crocheting!!!  That excites me to the Nth degree!!!  Of course right now I've got so much left to do for Christmas gifts that I haven't been taking many requests, but that will change very soon.  My neighbor even came over today and said she'd get her 15yr old son to give me an idea for a design that he'd like and then he'd take it to the skate-park that he frequents.  If the guys there like it I'll probably consign a load of them to the owner of the park.  Apparently true skateboarders are really big into supporting local people.  That rocks for me!

Well, I got sidetracked with Etsy and Ravelry just now and completely lost my train of thought (me?  imagine that!) so I'm going to stop here.

Wish me luck!

Do you know...

How many days are left until Christmas?

I've got sooo much left to do.  We haven't purchased a single gift yet.  I'm not kidding!  I'm trying to make a bunch of Christmas gifts this year and so far that's going OK.  I've still got plenty of work left on that, though.

This year I am thankful for so much.  I've made some new friends and found a few old ones.  My family is all in great health.  My in-laws are doing very well despite the health issues they've run across.  I have a house full of love and food (two necessities in life)!  I really couldn't ask for more!

So how prepared is everyone (and by everyone of course I'm talking to my 3 remaining readers...tee-hee) for Christmas?  And what are you thankful for?

Please Vote for Jack & Trip

http://www.multiplesandmore.blogspot.com/2009/11/halloween-photo-contest-top-40.html Vote #9

I didn't realize there are 3 rounds of voting for the boys. This time you need to go to the link in the attached message. Find the poll on the right hand side and please vote for #9. I believe you can only vote once per computer, but I’m not 100 percent sure.

Please feel free to forward this to as many people as you'd like!

A Must Read!

If you haven't read this post, you should.  This post may be help you or someone you know.  This post may be just what you or someone you know needs to read.

Folliculitis?

Trip keeps getting these welts on his arms, chest, and back.  The doctor on base first tried to tell me they were eczema (he saw them as they were healing and they were crusty). Upon my insistence that I knew what eczema looked like and this was not it, he claimed it was folliculitis.  Since when does folliculitis start out like a spider bite??

These welts first started showing up on him when we went to Greenville and he still has 5 scars from where the old spots were.  This morning I found a new one...I am not pleased.

It's not easy to take a picture of a squirmy baby's arm!  I wish i could have gotten a better shot so you could see the bumps all over the welt.  Tomorrow it will have a head on it (not like a pimple...more like a fire ant bite) and a few days later it will begin to get crusty.  I don't know what's causing these and it's beginning to drive me up a wall!  Any ideas oh wise internets?

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On a side note, if you had a choice of living on a military base in England or one in Japan, which would you choose?  Yup!  It looks like those are the possibilities we have right now.

Bullet Post, sorry

• Thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on my last two posts!


• I'm 32 today.  It seems unreal.  This is the first birthday I've not had a great build up for.  It's almost just another day.  I don't feel 32...if there is such a feeling.  I'm very happy to be where I am today. :-)


• Things with Tim are much better.  He finally de-stressed for a week which made him realize how stressed he had been.  We both realized that week how we hadn't fought even once...BREAKTHROUGH!  Since then he's been working more on not bringing work home and I've been working on not letting my stress affect us.


• Jack is on the verge of crawling; he can move backwards for a few "steps".  He gets so excited when he moves a little and begins laughing so hard he falls down.  Hilarious!  He's not real big on solid foods.  He'll eat those little puffs occasionally and loves to gum biter biscuits. I'd like to work towards real table food, but he seems to choke very easily and doesn't chew too much.  He doesn't love to take naps, but once he's down he takes long ones!  His hair still stands straight up and I love it that way!  He still looks just like his Daddy.  He's very social and loves to smile at people for attention.


• Trip was late on rolling, but now there's no stopping him!  He's also noticed that his brother does this neat trick of getting up on his hands and knees, so he started that yesterday (competitive already?).  He often rolls to where Jack is to take his toys.  He still dislikes being on his belly, but seems to see that it has it's advantages.  He loves food!  I plan on introducing him to real table food the next time we go out to eat (the babies are in bed when we eat dinner and I don't eat real meals during the day).  Trip loves his naps, but they're not as long.  When he's really sleepy and you lay him in his crib he smiles at you; it's so sweet!  he doesn't nap as long as his brother, but it's all he needs.  Trip looks more and more like my side of the family every day.  He does have his Daddy's temper (Daddy got his under control years ago, though).  He's fairly quick to throw a tantrum or scream when he doesn't get his way (no really...he literally screamed at me one day when I took a toy from him to put him in his carseat).  I recognized his temper very early on, so this is no surprise.  (Any advice on dealing with bad tempers is accepted!)  He studies his environment and the people in it.


• Traveling with two babies and two dogs across two states by yourself is something I would advise no one to do.  At least the two hours of screaming kept me awake for the last leg of my trip!


• We've begun talking about the possibility of a future addition to our family.  We're not sure if it's something we could really afford right now.  We'd definitely want to hold off on trying until we begin potty training the boys.  Tim has told me that if I decide I'd like to try to have another baby, then he'd be on board.  He loves the boys so much and couldn't imagine saying no to bringing another one into the world.  I DO NOT want to stress about getting pregnant again.  I really don't want to have another set of twins either.


• I feel like there's something that I'm supposed to be doing, that's not getting done.  What it is, I have no clue.  Hmmmmmm

Cut it all off...twice!

Before: 

After:

And because that just wasn't short enough, I cut it again 8 days later!

I finally got it as short as I wanted it!  Now if only I could get Tim to quit teasing me about putting on a ball-cap and going by a boys name. :-P

Belly Pics - The After Edition

I've seen so many belly pics.  I've taken so many belly pics.  And it's always amazed me to see how beautiful a full pregnant belly is.  To think that a life (or two or more) is growing beneath that skin!  Absolutely amazingly beautiful!

[caption id="attachment_1179" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="About 3 1/2 Weeks Before Delivery"][/caption]

But how many after shots have you seen?  Sure, we've almost all seen the "jowls of the dog" that a certain Mom of 8 sported before her tummy tuck, but did you know she didn't show it all?  She still had belly tucked in.

I finally got the nerve (after losing over 60 pounds) to take a few shots.  It's amazing how much your body can stretch to accommodate two babies.  It's also pretty disgusting what it can look like afterward*.

[caption id="attachment_1175" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="About 6 1/2 Months After Delivery"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1176" align="aligncenter" width="459" caption="Notice the "flap""][/caption]

I have 13+ pounds left to lose, but as you can see it will only make the situation ickier.  Notice the flap hanging over in the front?  It will continue around to my sides once I've lost the rest of the belly fat.  See how the skin hangs over the belly button (I only wear the navel ring because the hole gets funky if I take it out)?  Yeah, it's not pretty.  But I never knew what a twin pregnancy would do to my body!

Well, I'm not really complaining, I just wanted to share.  I was always curious what a pregnancy would do my body.  Guess now I know! ;-)

*for the record, I would have done anything it took to get my little boys.  my body can be repaired, but my heart never would have been if I didn't have them.