Birthday Bash

Okay, so I know I said I was most likely not going to get you all caught up on our happenings from the past six months...and for the most part that will be very true I'm sure! BUT, I would feel like a horrendously bad mom if I didn't at least do a birthday post for these munchkins!

SO, without further ado...You're all invited to a birthday bash!!

Except, not really because it was already almost a month ago. Sorry about that. You got to see the awesome invites Tadd made though!

Uhm, for those of you who know me, you'll know just how much I stressed out about this party. And mostly I stressed out about it because I didn't want to stress out about it! Ha. Make sense? Nope, I know it doesn't, welcome to my brain.

I knew we should throw an enormous bash, I mean, they are TWINS after all. And we ALL survived the first year - DEFINITELY something to celebrate.

But I also knew that they were ONE, and would have absolutely no recollection of the happenings. So it seemed a little silly to go completely crazy. And do you plan games for this thing? Or have a theme? Who decides these things?! Oh wait, we're the parents now, WE are supposed to decide...Meltdown #1.

Another thing for us to figure out was the WHEN of the party. September was a crazy month for us. We moved to a new place, I worked, it was just crazy. And then people couldn't make it on the day we had planned for, so do we change it? Do we keep it the same? BAH!...Meltdown #2.

The date was set. My wonderful hubby came up with a great idea for a party - lunch at an all you can eat pizza place here in Logan. I didn't have to cook or clean for anyone, and it didn't matter if my house was unpacked from moving the week before. DEAL.

Next on the list of decisions...a cake. Where do you order from? And then the realization, what if these nuggets have allergies like their momma? Do I really want to find that out at their birthday party? No. Definitely not. SO, guess I will make their cakes! Eggless cakes. Oh wait, what kind of cake? How do I decorate it? Crap! We didn't make a theme for the party, so how am I supposed to decide on a cake?!...Meltdown #3.

Oh, and let's not forget what will the boys wear to their party?! A thought that hadn't really even crossed my mind until oh, you know two days before. And then it just hit me, it's their special day! They should have a special shirt or something, right?!

Word to the wise...as much as I love Pinterest...whatever you do, do NOT jump on two days before your child's birthday party to get a last minute idea...I immediately felt like a failure as a mom. I hadn't planned the boys perfect outfits and made them cute onesies that said something catchy about being the birthday boy. I had no idea what to do for a cake, and let's not even begin about decorations or festivities. Meltdowns # 4-6.

And then the day of the party was here! We decided to make a whole day of it - we deserved to celebrate just as much as the boys! So a guys golfing trip in the morning, boys' party for lunch, and a girls shopping trip after! 

We got to the restaurant and don't worry folks...they lost our reservation. Kind of a big deal when you're expecting about 25-30 people. But, ultimately it was okay that we had to wait, because the guys did not get done golfing until 2:00! Yep, Tadd was over an hour late for his own sons' birthday party...and SURPRISE, no meltdown! Ha. I wasn't even all that mad. Mostly just starving.

Once everyone got there and we got into the actual restaurant, the day was PERFECT. We have the greatest family and friends!! Hands down the best. We are completely blessed to have such amazing people in our lives that support us and love our boys.

So, on to the good stuff...the real reason you folks come to read our blog...the PICTURES!!!

These two got SPOILED! As my brother put it, they got more for their birthday than most kids get for Christmas! :) 

They loved opening their presents! 

Or at least we thought they did...Check out Everett's stink eye. HA!

We bought the boys this crazy toy thingamagig - and they LOVED it! WIN!!!

And all that worrying for nothing. The cakes turned out pretty AWESOME! (if I do say so myself!)

It was a cake smashing good time! But with more frosting mushing and not so much cake smashing...

All in all, a birthday bash SUCCESS!! No meltdowns necessary. Ha! Then again, such is my life. I'm great at stressing over the crazy stuff! Lucky for you guys, it makes for good stories. So stay tuned!

Time Flies When You're...BUSY!

The past six months have been a blur. Heck, the past year has been a blur. And what I really can’t believe even more than the fact the boys are one, is how much they have grown!

And I know every parent says that. But maybe I’m just a little extra blown away because they started out so extra tiny.

Beckett

Everett

Or maybe what's really blowing my mind the most is how not-so-tiny they are now!

Beckett

Everett

Crazy, right?! That's what has really been blowing my mind lately is to look at pictures we took from one year ago today (or on that given day), and compare them to where we are now. The boys were still in the NICU last year around this time. In fact they wouldn’t come home for two more weeks. Boggles my mind! 

Time moves differently once you have children. It becomes much more measured. I have always had an idea of what happened in a past year…but never something so measurable or memorable to compare it to. 

For example, last year at this time...

Everett had just been moved to his own open crib. And that was a BIG deal! 

See how tiny he was?!

Beckett had given oxygen the finger.  

Their first outfits from family – Nana and Granddad bought these for them

Beckett

Everett

The boys first Halloween outfits!

Beckett

Everett

Our first family photo!

AND NOW...

Fast forward a year!

Family photo at the boys' birthday party

And this week the boys are:

Walking all over creation! And reading books, making animal sounds! Talking like crazy!

I have videos, but they won't upload. Of course. But here are a couple of pictures at least to get you by until the videos will work.

Beckett

Everett

And plenty more pictures to come!

I just don’t know where the time has gone. I do know that we love these two more than life. 

Chaos and Craziness

How on earth do I begin to get my thoughts together about the past six months? Yep, that's right, SIX months since my last blog post. How does that happen?

Oh yes, the same way that it happens our TWINS are now 12 months old! 

(Technically 12 1/2...but let's not talk about that!)

And for those of you who didn’t catch that – these lil nuggets are a year old! 

ONE YEAR OLD! 

Pretty sure I did not say that was okay.

First things first, no it still hasn’t officially set in that we have TWINS. Yep, TWO (not so) baby boys. I tell everyone (and I’m sure I’ve said it on here before) I just don’t feel old enough to have TWINS. I am not sure what the magical age is where having twins is a normal thing to do…but at 26, I just don’t feel old enough to say I’m the mom of twins – which is what I’m becoming known for…

“The mom of the twins”.

There are several places we go around town often enough that people know who we are. That is until I go without the boys. Then people tend not to have a clue who I am. And I get it. Seeing us come around has always been quite the site to behold. Either a limousine of a stroller loaded down with 50 lbs of babies/car seats, or this buff mama hauling those heavy things one on each arm. I’m sure I’d remember that too. 

(Now we have a double umbrella stroller, which is great!)

Plus, let’s be honest, they are stinkin’ cute. Man oh man do I love their chubby-cheeked faces!

Nextly, I feel I need to let you all know I have given up completely catching everyone up on the happenings of the past few months of our lives. Sorry folks. I will try to eventually catch up on the big points…maybe…okay, realistically – probably not. But let’s be completely honest, the way it happens around here, and the reason it has been so long since our last post: These two not-so-little boys are quite BUSY!

The first few months of being Mommy and Daddy to TWINS could never have prepared us for just how busy they would be once they were officially mobile. Which, yes, they are. Completely and 100%, officially M.O.B.I.L.E. From crawling, pulling up to anything and everything, walking along furniture, to walking and now practically running...It’s officially complete chaos around here.

And knowing that it is chaos, I’m slowly adjusting to a few realizations:

#1. We will never have a day that goes according to Mommy’s plan.

#2. I will never have all the laundry done, folded and put away.

#3. My husband is amazing.

#4. Being on time is overrated.

#5. It’s okay that the only way my makeup ever gets done is in the car, in the parking lot of wherever I’m going – and that “makeup” now only consists of a two second sweep of the mascara wand.

#6. Daddy’s way, although not mine, will ultimately get the job done…at least sort of.

#7. Teething is of the devil.

#8. There is no such thing as “baby proof”…they will find a way around it, or find the one thing in the room they are not supposed to get into! Which leads into…

#9. If you think you’re floors are clean, let a baby loose and he will find the tiniest piece of who-knows-what to put in his mouth.

#10. Baby giggles will make even the worst of days completely better.

And Tadd's little pearls of wisdom:

#1. Who knew something so small could hurt so bad…baby nails will find their way into your skin.

#2. Babies have super powers. One second they can hypnotize you with their charm, and the next can scramble your brain with their screams. 

So, since there is no telling when the next post will be, here are some tidbits about the boys to catch you up at least a little bit! 

Beckett

The first to be mobile. Quite the quick army crawler! First to walk too!

First word: “Da-da”

The jokester. He loves to giggle and laugh. 

The fit thrower! He is a howler. He is already becoming quite the tantrum thrower when you take something away from him he isn't supposed to have - sounds you would never think could come out of something so small.

The BRUTE. He is still about 2 lbs heavier than Everett. And that still makes quite a difference. He is one SOLID little man.

Everett

The crawler with perfect form - took him a couple weeks after B to crawl, but when he did he just up and did it! No army crawling or anything. Just crawled.

First word: “Mama”… Second word: Bump. Yep, it was that kind of a week.

Mama's boy! He is fine with other people if I'm not around, but if Mommy is in the room, there is nobody else!

BULLY. He might be the little guy, but he picks on Beckett to no end. B will be playing with something, or be pulled up to the couch and Everett will either a) take that something away and start playing with it or b) try and use Beckett as a ladder and crawl up him…either way, it ultimately ends up in Beckett crying.

Bookworm. He loves to look at books and turn pages. Lately he has started trying to make animal sounds as he reads animal books!

Overall, these two are still some of the happiest babies I have ever seen. 

Quick to give a smile and generally low key. 

They love each other.

 They are still trying to figure out how to be together, and where the boundaries are – like eyeballs are off limits, and nobody likes to get their hair pulled. But for the most part they are good natured with each other. Getting in trouble together and always having to look and see where brother has wandered off to. 

Little Weeds

SIX months OLD!!

Holy goodness! 

What the crazy?!

These are the best babies in the whole world. And yes, I realize I am a little biased. But seriously, who could ever get enough of these smiles?

Beckett

Everett

We had their six month check ups a couple of weeks ago. Man are they growing like CRAZY! Cutest little weeds I've ever seen!

Beckett was 15 lbs 13 oz, and Everett was 14 lbs 8 oz! At their four month check ups they were the same length. This time Beckett was almost two inches longer than Everett! He has definitely had a growth spurt!

The doctor was super impressed at how much weight they had gained. So impressed in fact he told us we could switch from the preemie formula we had been using to the regular kind!!!! OH HAPPY DAY!! What might seem simple to you guys was the best news ever for us, we could have kissed him. The preemie formula we were using there was no generic for, no value size...just $18 per can, the end. And with two hungry, growing-like-crazy baby boys, we went through an entire can in one day.
That's about $500 a month on formula folks!! 

So when the pediatrician told us we could switch to the good old regular formula, which comes in a generic, and in a value size for $20 per tub that will last us an entire week...You can see why I cried happy tears and wanted to kiss the man. $100 for an entire month, instead of not even one week sounds oh so much nicer to me. 

AND, these cute little stinkers are on the growth charts! Officially on the six month charts. At all of our previous appointments they have done the adjusted growth charts for the age the boys should have been. But this time they actually showed up on the big boy charts! Beckett was in the 25th percentile for weight and Everett the 8th! Wahoo! 

Knowing all of this growing was happening, I suppose I should not have been surprised last night when I put the boys in 9 month jammies - solely because I'm a slacker and have not done laundry in more than a week and they were out of 6 month jammies - and these growing-like-crazy boys fit into the darn things! What happened?! 3 month clothes lasted us at least 4 months. 6 month clothes haven't even lasted us 4 weeks?! 

Yikes. And they had so many cute 6 month outfits to wear...better get warm quick so they can get some use out of em before we can't even squeeze those chubby legs into them anymore. Good thing I took a picture of them in these Boise State onesies the first time they wore them, they might not fit in them by the time I finally get the laundry done!

Thanks Aunt Wendy. We love them! And the rest of the clothes you sent...we just hope they get a chance to wear some of them before they are too small! :)

Spring Fever!

Spring fever...

We've got it! 

BIG time. We are ready for warm weather. Sunny days. Running outside, swimming, baseball, evening walks....Yep, we've got it bad!

So when I saw on my phone today that it was 47* outside, I had a little party in my head. It was time to take a walk outside with the nuggets. I got their little hoodies on and we waited anxiously for Tadd to get home from work. 

Don't they look so enthused?!

And I don't know what it is about the camera coming out, but the second Everett sees it, I get this big-eyed shock face. :)

We got the stroller out of the car and buckled these little nuggets in, big-boy style. Facing frontward, strapped in and everything!

All snuggled in and set to go.

And this time Beckett gave us the shock face.

Don't judge us...little things are a big deal to us. 

 

And let's be honest, we like any excuse to take pictures of these cute faces!

The walk was fairly short. Dang that stinkin' winter still being around. Our noses were all cold and red after a couple of blocks. 

But it was fun to be out with our littles and get some fresh air. And the boys loved being able to see everything. Although I think Everett was a little worried about my driving.

He was holding on for dear life the entire ride.

Doesn't it just make your heart melt?! Those cute little hands.

These cute little faces.

Yes, I'm completely in love with these littles. I could take pictures of them all day. Well, I do. But I don't really think you mind, am I right? 

You know you love looking at their faces almost as much as I do.

Denial...

Will I ever get used to time going entirely too fast?! 

No, I'm pretty sure I won't. 

Not only are the boys FIVE months old already, they are to that point where everyday brings something new. New sounds, new tricks, new skills learned...*sigh*, it is going so fast! 

Just last week, Beckett went from kicking his feet at each other to MOVING. Yes, mobility is not far away at our house! EEK! 

After getting home from a long afternoon of errands, shopping, and dinner for my birthday, we came home and laid the boys together on the play mat to let them stretch out before bedtime. T.O.G.E.T.H.E.R - as in, laying right next to each other.

Imagine our surprise when we came back from unloading the dirty bottles out of the diaper bag and found this...

Yep, he's officially a scooter! He hasn't quite figured out rolling over yet. But it is close.

Everett is starting to wiggle and squirm too. So I'm pretty sure we will be complete chaos around here sooner rather than later. 

Mobility isn't the only thing creeping up on us. We've got some very independent littles around here lately. Just this morning they both decided that mommy holding their bottles was for the birds.

Beckett is a two hander

   

Everett is a cool I-can-do-this-one-handed type.

 

And we have reached the stage where we know where our mouth is, that our hands can go in it, and therefore everything we touch goes in.

Even when Mom has cereal for us to eat, some things are just more fun to munch on.

Like bibs...

Or thumbs...

They are getting more expressive as the days go by too. Laughs and giggles, squeals and coos...and of course screams and cries.

Mixed with looks of really Mom?!

And, You want me to eat what?!

 

Oh goodness. Time is going too fast. I keep thinking we have time for things like a new TV stand that will enclose all those tempting buttons and wires. Or to put covers in all of the outlets. To start them on more than just rice cereal....haha.

Lazy, perhaps a little. Mostly I just can't believe they are that big yet. So excuse me while I sit here in denial for just a little bit longer...because how are they not this little anymore?!

(3 weeks)