Life with Four: Four & Under

My original plan was to write a post titled "Four under Four" since that had a nice ring to it & was where we were for the first four months after O & A joined the family. I was in a hurry mentally documenting what life was like up until the night before Charlotte's fourth birthday when I realized it just wasn't going to happen....a little ironic.  I think I thought something magical would occur when my oldest turned four but it turns out, so far not much has changed! Four, four & under is pretty much identically crazy to four under four : ) 

Great example...

I think it went from mid June to this sometime in July & then I finally switched it on the 20th of August. I know that because it still says the 20th. 

Back to those who keep me from ever knowing what day it actually is....  We always knew we wanted to have more than a couple children & I know for a fact we never thought we would have four in just over three & a half years!  It is still hilarious to me that we brought up the caboose with surprise twins.  Life in the past five months has been nothing short of absolute insanity. We, the parents of this brood, have experienced exhaustion like never before, have dealt with extreme swings on the emotional pendulum, mostly me, have argued, have laughed a lot & have struggled to survive the day.  Most importantly, we have continued to be cared for & held together by the God who spoke the world into being.  Sounds simple but it is helpful to be reminded that God made me, He chose these children to be placed in my care & he chose the time frame as to which they would be given to me.  He equips me, He can & will sustain me.  

I felt like I had four children when the boys were still residents of the NICU at Winnie but I just traveled back & forth to spend time with each set of two.  I think it is safe to say that it didn't really click until we brought the boys home from the hospital & I saw all four together.  This photo was taken on April 3rd which was our first full day home from the hospital as a family of six. I took about 20 in a row of those sweet (and silly) sisters loving on their little misters.  This was my absolute favorite because it shows the sheer delight found in being together after a month apart..... 

  

Transition for the sisters:

We prayed that Charlotte & Eloise would love their brothers.  The Lord answered that prayer immediately & continues to do so every day.  These girls LOVE Owen & Anson! Thankfully we have dealt with zero jealously. I always say that they love them too much....like a smothering kind of love ; ) They want to be involved in everything baby related which is precious but sometimes a bit overwhelming. Utter sweetness though when they are snuggled up close to the "baby boas" as Charlotte says.   

Owen & Eloise

Charlotte & Anson

Charlotte is amazingly helpful & is capable (sometimes willing) to feed someone a bottle. She is a pro at getting them out of their sleep sacks/PJs & even tries to change diapers. Eloise loves to help too but cannot be left alone for obvious reasons.  Here she is below pointing her finger & correcting me for telling her not to feed Anson the graham cracker she has in her other hand. I turned around the other day to find a piece of string cheese hanging out of Owen's mouth! Also she told me about how she gave one of the boys her orange juice from her sippy cup. I guess that's one way to break them into the solid foods ; )  

Spending lots of time at home, we are in some sort of routine that involves playtime together & individually. The girls are happy to "read" to the boys while I fix lunch or a snack & the boys really enjoy it!

Babies are so much tougher than everyone makes them out to be.  I feel like that could be an incriminating statement ; ) Our pediatrician said one time when we reported that Anson had rolled himself off of the ottoman & onto the floor while sleeping that babies can usually fall from 4 feet or below with no problems after. She also listed a few other fun facts about babies like how how there arms can bend backwards more than ours without putting too much stress on the joint. I said "check, we've tried that one!" Haha! I really am monitoring all the time but I still miss things like take today  for example... I had Eloise & Owen with me in the boys room.  Charlotte & Anson were in the "library" on the floor, or at least they started there. I was talking on the phone with Jenny & peeked out of the door to check on trustworthy & responsible Charlotte. She was no where in sight & neither was Anson. I put Owen safely in his crib & took off running through the house. Do you know that I found her holding Anson in our bedroom on the other side of the house "hiding"? OH MY! I said "Charlotte, how on earth did you get that baby in here?" She smiled & said (while demonstrating) I just lifted him up like this (bear hug) & walked on my knees all the way here!" I am sure that was quite the work out for her little body! Overall those boys are tougher every day & don't even mind when Eloise rides them like a horsey. 

Most of the time when left to their own devices, their onesies are unsnapped & pulled up so they can blow on those bellies. I can't resist doing it either!

We couldn't have hoped for sweeter, more loving big sisters for Owen & Anson. As wild as the combo is, I am so thankful they are really close in age & will grow up doing everything together.

Every now & then they are all calm for about 1.2 seconds & I can get a great picture. This is one of my favorites when the boys were almost 3 months old. 

Ridiculous things we say a million times a day:

We find ourselves laughing often as we hear words come out of each others mouths (and our own)....here are a few of the phrases that are commonly stated.

• "Don't touch the babies eyes again."
• "Please stop licking his tongue, that's yucky."
• "and don't lick my leg again either!"
• "Stop riding on Bella, she's an old girl."
• "Don't jump on people when they aren't looking...especially off of furniture."
• "How long have you not had pants on Eloise?"
• "Please take your foot off of his belly, you are going to squish him"
• "Do not jump over the babies...it is never a good idea."
• "If a door is locked, do not pick it"
• there are soooo many more & I will have to add them in as I say them just to have them recorded in my book :) 

Getting out & about:  

This category has proven to be a bit tricky!  It was just before Eloise's birthday in May when I decided one day that I was going to conquer my fear & take everyone to the grocery store. I got everyone fed, dressed & pottied then started loading them into their seats. My car was parked in the garage & I was unaware of the rain coming down until I opened the garage door. I refused to unload & go back inside after my 30 minutes of packing for & loading of four small children so I continued on as two little voices from the back seat told me over & over that we were going to get wet. Boy were they right! Thankfully there was a parking spot right in front with a cart nearby.  I put the Ergo on before getting out of the car, ran to grab the cart & went as fast as humanly possible to get from the car to inside the store. One baby rode in the Ergo, one stayed in the carseat & rode in the big part of the cart.  I snapped Elo into the seat in the cart & Charlotte walked.  We were wet & a bit chilly. We went straight to the meat counter to get some turkey & cheese. It was confirmed that the slowest moving person to ever slice deli meat works at the Publix around the corner from my house. Both babies were screaming as I tried to bounce the one on me & keep a paci in the other one's mouth while Eloise kept turning around to "help" me. The 20 something guy behind the counter had no idea that I wasn't up for chatting ; ) We made it through our trip without much more crying & the girls were very obedient in our 15 minute visit. The cart fills up quick when you have a massive carseat that only allows for 5 items to fit alongside it!  I felt so great after it was over & have only done it a few other times. I think it is just knowing I can that puts me at ease. 

We have made it to the park with me + 4 once which was somewhat manageable. The pool is off limits due to the danger factor & I won't be attempting Chick-Fil-A anytime soon anywhere but the drive thru lane.  

When I am on my own trying to leave with everyone it is pretty much never smooth.  My favorite of the stories is this:  I was finally dressed in a cute dress, feeling quite fresh. I had planned to feed the boys when I got where I was going but of course someone woke early so I was nursing both when Eloise said she needed to go potty. I asked Char to help her but she decided to take her time getting there & by the time she did it was too late. She yelled for help & I ran into the bathroom without assessing the situation & completely soaked the bottom of my dress in urine....sick! In the process one baby spit up all over the front of my dress. Eloise was crying & while Charlotte was loudly telling me that Eloise tee-teed all over the floor. I actually said to Charlotte "well, it's because you didn't get there fast enough!" Wow, Robby reminded me later that even though Charlotte seems so much bigger than the other kids, she is still only three & is a baby herself. So easy to lose sight of! After changing clothes we still headed over to our friends house & enjoyed a little time away. 

When I weigh the pros & cons I settle on: Who needs to get out to have fun anyway? We do exciting things every day like stand on tables & stack play doh containers as high as we possibly can or hang upside down from the craft table.

When we can do two adults to four kids we are invincible.....or so we imagine ; ) Many outings are enjoyable whether we are grocery shopping or playing at the park & even eating dinner out has the possibility of being really fun.  We have taken the whole crew to Chuy's probably 8 times. We have not attempted anywhere else for a meal because you can't beat the set up & noise level there. It is perfect for loud families!

Our last visit there & ride home was hilarious. It had been one of those days around the house where the second Rob was out of his office I was begging to get out for the evening.  We got everyone ready in record time & headed to Chuy's.  We had to wait longer than usual, the boys were fussy, there was a fly circling our table & our waiter was not the greatest.  Robby said to me "This is just not fun" to which Charlotte quickly replied while coloring her Chuy's sign, "You're not having fun Daddy?"  So cute. It continued to be not very fun due to the boys fussiness. We laughed later thinking about how the longest conversation we had with each other was Robby talking about waiting to take Eloise to the potty when she said she needed to go & me telling him that I forgot to restock the diaper bag after her last accident in public & if she had another she would have to go naked for the rest of dinner.  He hopped right up & went to the family bathroom where he reported that helping her go potty was like the pit crew on NASCAR.  We (me & my BFFs Char & Elo) love the family bathroom there due to the loud music playing. We have dance parties & they are awesome. I do notice that my girls dance nerdy....just like me.

Anyway, the girls notoriously fight like cats in their car seats on the way home from there EVERY time. So Rob asked me to give them a stern warning about how they would be disciplined if they chose to act that way.  Ten minutes into our ride Charlotte is screaming & Rob looks in the rear view mirror to see Eloise hitting Charlotte with Lucy (the baby doll). He quickly says loudly "Charlotte, is Lucy kicking you?" She says yes. He warns the girls by warning Lucy saying "Lucy, you are going to get a spanking when you get home." He thought it would be just right to warn in the roundabout way. WRONG! Eloise lost it & was immediately crying & screaming "Don't spank my baby! She is my baby! You make me ang-ee Daddy!" The most hilarious moment was when Charlotte said with a completely straight face "Lucy never cries when she gets spankings." I was laying down in my seat laughing uncontrollably. He felt so bad for that little mama bear that he eventually said "Okay Lucy, that was your warning. I'm not going to spank you." That made Eloise feel much better. At one point in every car ride the majority of kids are crying. We are used to it & just keep talking. 

So all that to say, even with the intensity of being out in public with lots of little people, we continue to make plans & are even headed to West Palm Beach soon for a weekend away with the six of us! I'm a little nervous but excited for a change of scenery.

Bath time: Baths, oh baths. I do love a tub full of scalding hot water for myself on a daily basis. I have trained my children well to enjoy baths just the same & they can surprisingly withstand high temperatures like their mama!  I have been asked what is bath time like with 4 & the answer is....it's WET!  We vary night to night on our plan of attack. Sometimes we choose the divide & conquer style right after dinner. The girls go in one tub with Rob overseeing & I take the boys to the other bathroom.  For awhile I bathed them separately since we only had one baby bathtub but thanks to Aunt Jenny we added a second one which has doubled the bathtime fun & splashes! On nights when I am in a really great mood I fill up the boys tubs, put them in & let the girls help. 

Sometimes it looks like this....

and then sometimes it looks like this.....

I am pretty sure she was completely overtaken with the task of bathing Owen & just happened to slip into the tub....without any clothes on haha! She was dumping water on her head too. It was a mess & it was worth it. 

The third way we have done baths takes even more energy & tolerance on my part.  I put the girlies in my bath tub & the boys tubs on the floor in my bathroom. We let everyone go to town with the laughing & splashing.  In that moment I am reminded that the girls have seen a Shamu show once or twice & manage to do their best impressions.  Anson has picked up on the skills pretty quickly & can soak the bathroom floor in about 3 seconds. Owen is so cute sitting quietly in his tub, grinning at all the flying water around him.  It is pretty fun but kind of a hassle to get everyone out, dried off & dressed at the same time.  I soak up all the water with multiple bath towels then run a load of laundry to finish up the night. 

One other bath time related event was when the boys were either in the NICU or just home. I was in charge of bathing the girls so I did & then I sat down in the hallway outside the door to let them play for a bit. I must have gotten a little cozy on the hard floor & drifted off to sleep. I woke up to two squealing girls & a bathtub FULL of bubbles as they had squeezed out the rest of the shampoo. Sleep deprivation allows for some funny happenings!

Marriage:
I am soooo thankful for the man leading me & this wild bunch.  The Lord has been gracious as He has continued to deepen our love & appreciation of each other throughout the sleepless nights & stress filled days we have experienced over the past 5 months. We have had our fair share of tense discussions, arguments & ample opportunities to seek forgiveness as we have settled into this "new normal"  but over all, we are doing well in the new team sport of parenting four.  

We spend LOTS of time together with Rob working from home 100% of the time.  One thing we have learned over our almost 9 years of marriage is the more time we spend together the more we enjoy each other & the less we argue so, that works out well.  We are not doing so hot on getting out on dates but we do have lots of "dates" at home after the kids go to bed. A few of our favorites include- sitting out in the backyard looking at the stars, Rob with a cigar & me with a bowl of ice cream, another that has been frequently enjoyed is cheese & wine night while catching up on a favorite show & last but not least, it sounds simple (because it is) but feed all the kids & put them to bed then eat dinner alone with no interruptions. We have enjoyed so many cheese & wine nights lately that I started ordering the crackers in bulk from Amazon : )

Our sweet friends Christa & Ileana tag teamed the foursome last weekend while we went out for the entire evening.  We have agreed that it may have been the best date we have had in years. There was nothing special about where we went or what we did but the conversation was endearing & brought a closeness that we were so thankful for.  We spent the first part of the evening talking about the entire pregnancy, delivery & initial months with the twins around. It was really the first time since we have been out of the "fog" & able to clearly think & talk about the experience.  I can't really even describe the way the conversation went but we were left feeling in awe of what God has carried us through.  We went to a couple stores & strolled around which is something we don't do often with kids in tow.  We went out to dinner & sat at a little two person booth, also something we never do.  We laughed non stop all though dinner as Robby had fried calamari spilled all over his lap by a waitress & we shared story after story from our teenage/college years that we had never heard about each other.  It was truly a blessed evening for us especially knowing that our little ones were being loved at home. So yes, we should make every effort to go out on dates but we are making the best of our current life stage & enjoying our nights at home too.

Rob is way more even keeled than I am when it comes to noise level & shenanigans in the house. During office hours, we (me+4) try to live life on the peaceful side which doesn't always work.  Sometimes I get text messages reminding me of the call he told me he would be on....I can't help but smile while I look over at two screaming babies being tortured by the two year old that really needs a nap & a four year old that is working so hard on being patient (I'm wondering if she really understands what that means) as her voice gets louder & louder while asking me the same question 25 times in a row.  One perk of having him home is that if he is not texting us begging for peace & quiet, he is at my side in a moment's notice to hold a baby or discipline someone. Many times he is the one that cleans the kitchen while I get kids bathed & tidy up the living areas.  By bedtime most nights I feel like I have been beaten up & I can hardly wait to lay down so I kiss the girls & he takes care of the official getting them in bed followed by the returning of escapees to their sleeping quarters. He is a pro at feeding to babies at one time...he gets lots of practice while I am at work : )

Not much phases him, even my emotional outbursts or mid afternoon pizza orders(yesterday) in the midst of a feeding frenzy with the twins.  Those always leave me feeling starved & exhausted. He still waits on me hand & foot at night once I park it on the couch after finishing up some household work.  One night while all the kids were still awake He said "I can't do this." I said "what...you can't do bed time? 4 kids? Please don't leave me....I could never find anyone that would marry me!" I was laughing before I could finish the sentence & he was too. We do say that from 5pm till the kids' bedtime feels like the 100 yard sprint at the end of a long run.  All of life is more enjoyable with teamwork these days.

The only time I thought Robby may have lost his mind was about a month ago when he started looking at American Pitbull Terrier puppies.  I agreed that they were cute & I would love to have a puppy again but I'm pretty sure that it might push me over the edge! I told him that I already have enough small living beings that need to be protected from larger ones so waiting would be smart. Then I realized that next year I would have two one year olds I would have to protect a puppy from! So....it's off the table for now & hopefully next year too ; )

Post Baby(babies) Body:
I am a small person & I have always been that way. I clearly remember going to the doctor in my teenage years & them asking my mom to step out so they could assess if I struggled with anorexia or bulimia. Thankfully I did not. I ate lots of french fries (I mean LOTS) & managed to never gain weight...must be genetic. In fact I was about 90 pounds when Robby & I started dating. When he told my Dad that he would like to ask me to marry him by Dad gave him his blessing but told him that I had to weigh 100 pounds before I could get married.  So over the course of 5 months I ate lots of steak & potatoes, drank more than a few Frosty's & gained the weight. My brothers actually made me a "Congratulations on hitting 100 pounds" poster to show their support & I walked down the aisle to marry the man who was capable of fattening me up.

I was able to eat whatever I wanted & not experience any negative side effects until I got pregnant with Charlotte.  Over the course of three pregnancies in four years, I fluctuated by 65 pounds & have since then changed my style of clothing to compliment the post pregnancy body I now have.  I am comfortable in the skin I'm in for the most part.....it is quite stretchy thanks to those sweet baby boys.  I do want to share a couple funny things about how my body is viewed by those closest to me (and those not so close to me) & end with some encouragement for those who have carried babies & may bare the scars of that.

1. I hop in the tub with the girls sometimes to expedite the bathing process & for some quality time.  Eloise constantly runs her fingers along my stretch marks across my belly asking if that's where the doctor cut the babies out. Then she finds my scar from my cesarean which is still numb & sometimes painful to touch. She asks me if it hurts as she jams her finger into it. 
2. Karis, my precious little niece who will turn 3 next week asked my a million & one times "Aunt Lala, why is your belly so big? Do you still have a baby in there?" Haha! Aunt Jenny would always be right beside her reminding her how they talked about that & the babies had come out & Aunt Lala's belly is getting smaller. So innocent & a valid question due to the size of my protruding belly for a good amount of time after they were born. 
3. Two people that I don't know asked if I was pregnant within 24 hours of each other maybe 3 weeks ago.  The first was at the take out counter at Chili's. She pointed at my belly & asked Charlotte "What's in there?" Really? is that ever okay to ask before someone is 9 months pregnant? The next person was cutting fabric for me & my mom who were child free one evening. She said "Are you getting ready for the baby?" I said "actually I just had twins." Silence.....she then said "I learned something new tonight." I said, "what's that?" Continuing to stick her foot in her mouth..."that your belly does not go away right after you have a baby." HAHAHA! Oh my goodness, ain't that the truth, especially when there were two babies carried to 35 weeks! We have laughed since then thinking about how long you can say "I just had twins." Is it appropriate to say "I just had twins 2 years ago?" 
4. Another bath tub experience with Eloise which Robby walked in to hear...."Look Mommy!" while squishing my belly in her hands "it's play doh!" We erupted in laughter & as she continued to pretend to use cookie cutters & cut shapes out of my belly. 

Yes I have lost most of the baby weight but my body is far from what it used to be.  I do feel a little frumpy in my clothes & wish it didn't feel like everything squishes out the top of my jeans but God once again used these sweet children I am pouring my life into right now to remind me of an important truth this week. We were in the bath tub (again) & Elo was squishing my belly (again).  She said sincerely, "Mommy, your belly is so cool!" I laughed out loud & thanked her for the compliment. I asked them "Why is mommy's belly cool?" Charlotte didn't miss a beat & quickly replied "because it glorifies God." I was taken aback & my eyes filled up with tears as I told her that she was exactly right.  I explained to them that my body glorifies God because it has fulfilled (and is fulfilling) a purpose in which God created it for.  I told them about how incredible it is that God made my body to carry a baby or multiple babies.  He made my skin so it could stretch out as the baby brothers grew bigger & that is why it looks kind of funny now. I told them that I can rejoice & be thankful for the way God made my body to work.  I also told them that maybe someday they will be mommies & have a "cool" belly like me.  They thought that was funny & Charlotte told me that maybe she would have two babies in her belly.  So on days when I change outfits multiple times before walking out the door I can look in the mirror & think about how my body is well used so far, just as God intended. I could exercise instead of eating two bowls of ice cream a day (like I did today) but we will save that for another month...I am sustaining two with my breast milk right now ;  ) They are looking pretty healthy to me so I am going to keep up on that high calorie intake!

Ergo hip carry & Maya Wrap combo was fairly comfortable while keeping the boys content.  I recently borrowed Jenny's Ergo & have done one on front & one on back a couple times.  It felt more secure but Anson (on back) was a little wiggly & would not stop leaning his head all the way back while making these growling noises....kind of funny. 

Life as the mommy:
In conclusion, life with four, four & under is blessed, overwhelming, exciting, exhausting, laughable & exactly where I want to be right now.  God is refining me each day as I struggle through honoring him & loving my kids. I seem to be asking for forgiveness for speaking unkindly a lot this week.  The girls and I had a conversation after breakfast this morning about how even though I am their mommy & have authority over them that we really have a lot in common. For example, I am just as selfish as they are not wanting to share the sacred hour break I have in the afternoon when everyone should be napping or how I am easily angered when someone wrongs me or how I am quick to speak harshly when things are really intense & I lose control.  I lost control yesterday...twice. The first ended in me yelling over two screaming babies & two fighting girls just to get their attention. The second ended in me crying hysterically while I was putting the girls down for naps because no one could follow directions. I felt like ridiculous & awful mother. All that to say, this morning I was able to bring up my short comings in our conversation & remind the girls that I need Jesus just like they do & that no matter how hard I try, I will still fail just like they do. We talked about how Jesus is the only one that has lived a perfect life & that he died for us.  When I say "we talked" it really means I talked & they stared at me while nodding their heads.  We pray that someday they will understand how deeply Jesus loves them & the joy that comes in following him in obedience.  I also pray that I would find joy in the same thing.

There is one last story that I must share.  One morning around 8:30 my brother Scott called me. I answered & talked to him for a few minutes. It made me miss my other brother so I called him immediately after I hung up with Scott. We talked for about 3 minutes before everyone went bonkers at my house & I had to let him go. I told him I would call him back.  An hour passed & I finally looked at phone to see a missed call followed by a text that said "I am on my way to work & will be around for about 30 minutes if you want to call back." I of course missed this call & the text said that he laughed in his quiet car while he imagined the hysteria going on at my house. I texted back, "Would you like to know what was going on when I missed your call? The babies were screaming, Eloise was going potty all over the floor(again) & Charlotte was slamming the baby gate over & over yelling at someone. Robby walked out of his office & I told him that this start to the day wasn't working for me.  I was 3 hours in & I didn't even have pants on yet."  He wrote back "So, your telling me that you have fed four kids breakfast, had two cups of coffee & never put any pants on?" Yes, Kyle, it's true. Like I said in a previous post....pants just aren't a priority around here. Fair warning for any surprise visitors ; )

I love being Mama to these four...

Making Butterflies

The making of butterflies started back in May when we went to Lowes on Mothers Day to pick out some flowers for our annual planting extravaganza. We usually do not have a plan nor do we research types of plants & flowers prior to our trip. We were picking quick with four kids in tow & came across something called "butterfly weed." I mentioned I liked the yellow flowers & Robby threw three of them in the cart & we kept on moving. They were planted later that day & within hours there were butterflies coming by to check it out. I thought "Wow, what an easy way to attract butterflies!" Here are the blooms....

Within the week Rob saw what he thought was an infestation of mini-caterpillars. He looked up "butterfly weed" online thinking he needed to find a safe way to kill off these insects without killing our new plant. Come to find out, our butterfly weed would play a key role in the making of monarch butterflies. Guess we should have done a bit of research ; ) 

Just like in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, they were very VERY hungry. They got fatter & fatter as they made their way through the plants.....

There are three in the picture below. At times I could count 16 caterpillars devouring their delicious leaves!

In no time at all, the most beautiful chrysalis seemingly appeared outside our front porch one morning.  The color was just amazing, the gold band around the top & what looked like little specks of water were such tiny & incredible details to something so small.  It was right at eye level for Eloise which was perfect and not to mention dangerous ; ) 

We looked at it every day, multiple times a day in hopes we would catch the butterfly emerging. My guess was that it would take "more than two weeks" since that it what my fiction book The Very Hungry Caterpillar said.  Haha! I should have known that was not true since I already knew that these caterpillars were not interested in salami, pickles or watermelon. It was more like 9-11 days for these little butterflies. End of that story, the cocoon survived the interested toddler yet we missed it's nocturnal exit which was a bummer. Little did we know, we would end up seeing multiple butterflies hatch over the coming weeks. So, while we waited on our lone cocoon, we watched the others caterpillars grow...

We looked at these caterpillars for hours over these few weeks! Everytime Bella needed to go out we would check on them. The girls loved it!  Grammy was in town during part of the process & took Anson outside to sneak a peak. He looks genuinely interested doesn't he?

Talk about VERY hungry caterpillars....they ate three entire plants worth of leaves! They were a good two feet tall, the plants not the caterpillars ; ) 

They began to make their way to a location of their choosing to begin making cocoons.  We were headed out the front door one afternoon & almost stepped on this little guy!

I would like to say this picture was taken in the early morning since the girls are in PJs but it was definitely one of those days where we changed into different PJs before bed that night.  I guess Eloise was only in half of her PJs....seriously, that girl is missing pants for the majority of every day! It is just one of things I have let go of in my new stage of life.  It never fails that she needs to go potty immediately after I sit down to feed babies so she can get them off on her own but struggles to put them on correctly. They get left on the floor & we continue on with the day.  When it comes down to it...pants are just not a priority right now ; ) Here they are watching one make his way up the wall..

This was my favorite part of the process. Once they found the perfect spot, they would hang upside down & begin to make their cocoon....

Within a few hours, it would be complete.....

Apparently the prime spot was right outside Robby's office window although three really ambitious caterpillars made their way across our driveway & onto the house next door!  I did catch my neighbor outside with her power washer one afternoon about to spray them down haha! I convinced her not to. So, in the photo below there are five but at one point there were about 12 attached within a few feet of that window!

Before too long, there were butterflies hatching every day!  There was one cocoon way up high right outside the front door. That butterfly made his way down the wall as we watched in amazement...

It got even more exciting when he crawled right over & onto my foot! The girls thought I was really cool ; )

Then up my leg & onto my skirt...

His wings were still really wet & curled over.  We sat for a good thirty minutes while he crawled all over me & tried to stretch out his wings.

We sat him down under a plant while he dried out the rest of the way & about an hour later, we saw him in flight for the first time!

Here is another one still holding on....

and once we bid him farewell, all that was left was the reminder of the incredible process we had front row seats to for weeks on end.....

Just a few things I want to remember about the experience of watching the life cycle of a Monarch Butterfly:

1. It was a blessing from God in that it occurred from mid May to mid June when we had 2-3 month old babies & did not leave the house much.  This was the PERFECT thing to keep our excitement level up for "getting out!" Good thing the girls were only 2 & 3 at the time or this trip out of the house might not have sufficed ; ) 
2. Another blessing, it provided an opportunity for the girls to learn all about something beautifully designed by the same God that created them. What an incredible thing to expose them to & not to mention, right outside our front door. Talk about wildlife, in those weeks they got to hold frogs & worms & see two full grown owls outside our back door multiple nights! 
3. We had some good laughs throughout this experience. Robby was interested in the process but found it hilarious that I became obsessed. I would go out side during nap time or in the evening when we put the kids to bed. I would drag a bar stool out into the front flowerbed, push it up against the front window & climb up to be eye level with a caterpillar making its cocoon.  Some of the pictures are not very clear because I would be balancing with one foot on the stool & one on the house while trying not to crash through Robby's window while he was working. He did joke that I was going to get myself fired at lurking around out there at dusk. Ha! I was obsessed... I think.
4. Charlotte could not get it in her head that they were called "cocoons" & referred to them as "raccoons" for the first week. She would be on the phone with my mom telling her that we had beautiful raccoons on our house...hahaha!

One afternoon a couple weeks later I walked out to find the process continuing on.... at least I think that is what was happening...

Owen & Anson at 5 months

Another month gone in a flash! Thankfully I have had more energy throughout this month than I did the last! Eating & sleeping have stayed in a pretty steady & manageable routine which makes all the difference in the world.  O & A have seemed to have learned a new trick everyday in the past week bringing lots of grins & extended playtime. Life is improving for all in the nest : ) 

I have been reminiscing about this time last year when we saw that positive result on a pregnancy test followed by the craziest ultrasound ever where we saw TWO little ones! What difference a year makes! As wild as it is in the day to day life around here, I am thankful to be on this side of the pregnancy rather than starting all over. If you care to reminisce with me, check out the very first Expecting the Unexpected post. 

Over all, we are getting the hang of things & on some days I even say to myself "I've got this all under control!" And then I laugh 10 minutes later when I'm nursing babies, Bella needs to go out to potty & the girls get into a knock down drag out fight over who gets to put which color beads on the necklaces they are making. My goal is not to "get it under control" but rather "go with the flow"...even when I feel like I am doing the doggie paddle all day long just to stay afloat. Challenging & sweet can characterize many moments throughout the day. Anyway, back to the buckaroos....

A sweet neighbor of mine Mariela bought these "Little Buckaroo" onesies for the boys & I have been holding them up to them every week just waiting for them to fit! It finally happened! The little buckaroos were fattened up enough to fill'em out real nice! It was cause for celebration....and a mini photo shoot!

Owen & Anson

OWEN

Smiley-O melts our hearts with his grins. He is less stingy with them every day & even shows off when others hold him. He is still a squealer when happy but when he starts to get sleepy his squeals turn into irritated screeches which are pretty darn cute too.  He loves to have his hands in his mouth 100% of the time....just like another buckaroo I know.  Owen can be quite stubborn at nap time & will fuss longer than his brother (most of the time).  He loves to be read to & does the cutest faces like he really understands what you are telling him. He gets a kick out of having his chin kissed or tickling him right under his chin. He is giving us some giggles but we like to say that Owen is wound up a bit tighter than Anson & takes a little longer to relax & have a good time.

He is serious....

When I took the picture above I looked at it on the screen immediately & thought to myself "I thought I was taking pictures of Owen, not Anson." But it IS Owen who is looking more like his younger, bigger bro.  He seems to be catching up in size & might still trail by 2 pounds but it is way less noticeable than it was before. 

Developmentally this little guy has taken off in the past week & can successfully roll both directions & does so constantly. This sometimes frustrates him like when he is watching his mobile & accidentally rolls onto his tummy forgetting he can flip back. He is a pro at holding onto a toy & occasionally passes it to the other hand. He also pulls it up to his mouth keeping him very entertained. Owen is a happy guy when you hold him in a sitting or standing position or even like a flying super hero! He loves laying on a blanket with some toys & rolling side to side or staying on his tummy holding his head up high to look around.  He quickly lets you know when you are not providing him with enough attention & responds with a grin the second you are one on one with him.  Owen loves a warm bath & will sit quietly in there barely splashing for a good thirty minutes.  Both boys are paying more attention to each other with each passing day.  If we lay them down they frequently roll towards each other grinning & sucking on each others hands. Owen is usually the one who smiles first & is most entertained by the other.  Oh Owee-O, we are loving getting to know you : ) 

ANSON

Anson, my chubster, he is more googley eyed over me every day much to my delight!  He makes lots of sweet noises & can belch like a teenage boy. I don't think I have ever mentioned his talent but I have a feeling he might be one of those kids that is capable of burping the ABC's (gross).  He usually does not even need to be burped, you just change his position & he lets loose! He was like that in the NICU & it always got us laughing. My favorite magic trick is when I hold both babes against my chest in burping position after a feeding. I have one arm holding up bottoms & the other stretches across to burp the baby on the opposite side. The magic is that the other baby always burps first...the one I am not even patting. Pretty cool right ; ) I am a boy mom now...I find burps entertaining. Enough about that.    

Burps & all, he is a cute little buckaroo....

Anson, like his older brother has accomplished a lot on the developmental front in the past week.  They both rolled from back to front on the same day this past weekend.  I have heard that many twins, especially identical, reach developmental milestones on the same day. I find that fascinating!  Anson does a really fast & smooth roll & goes back & forth over & over but does not actually go anywhere.  He grabs toys & puts them straight in his mouth. He also grabs his sisters fingers & puts them in his mouth too : ) He too can pass a toy back & forth occasionally. Anson is happy for FOREVER on his tummy looking around the room.  He tolerates sisters rolling him & riding him like a horsey (guess which sister does that).  He loves to cuddle up to a good book. We have been reading Cowboy Small this week & he really likes the horsey in it..maybe he relates ; )  Anson has enjoyed the bathtub in the past but this week got way more exciting when Karis & Isaac let us borrow their baby bath tub so we could have two.  The new to us tub is minus a sling & allows for WAY more splashing!  He is hilarious with his uncoordinated feet & left arm that moves like it is connected to someone else's brain. I thought that it was just the tub so I put Owen in the "new" one last night & he was still as a statue.  It is just crazy A! All you have to do to get a grin from this guy is say "Oh  googley bear! " in a sweet lovey voice.

Eating:  The consistency in a feeding routine has been a life saver this month! I am way less exhausted not to mention stressed out ; )  Minus a few days, they have stuck with a 2 1/2-3 1/2 hour routine during the day with 7 feedings in most 24 hour periods.  I feed them together most of the time but around my mealtime or if the girls are needing help with something I will feed them separately one after the other so I have a free hand. Although now they are really efficient & are usually done in less than 15 minutes so it often makes sense to just feed them together & be completely free faster. 

I knew if I could get to this point breastfeeding, I could make it....well I think I can at least, we will see!  As tired as I am at the early morning feeding (usually 5 something) I love how quiet it is without other children around. It is relaxing, sweet & is followed by two snuggly, sleeping babies on my chest for a few minutes until I have to do the crazy shuffle to get them back into their beds without waking them up too much. It is tricky! I feed them in a cushioned glider chair in their room & so after I do the magic burp trick, I slide one into a lying down position on the chair while I put the other one back in bed. Sometimes the one left gets startled & wakes up but usually has no problem going back to sleep. I do love when I get to go back to sleep at 6 after I feed them. The girls usually wake up & frequently Robby takes them to the kitchen & gets some breakfast started.  He brings babies into me one by one around 7:15 so I can nurse them in bed...and continue sleeping.  That is the BEST!  I can't believe we are only about a month away from starting some solid foods! I need to start training their feeders ; ) 

Sleeping:  For the most part, they have been sleeping 11 hours overnight.  About two weeks ago, they were waking at 3am again...killer for mommy! I decided to start sneaking in a dreamfeed at 10pm & then I didn't feel bad if they were waking at 3 meaning I would let them fuss until falling back asleep. I will be honest, the word "fuss" is code for "scream"...it just sounds nicer ; ) After a few nights of the dreamfeed we went back to just putting them down for the night at 6:30 & they would make it till 5 something. 

So we aren't really into magic but it's the second time I am mentioning it in this post & with this next subject concerning "magic", I just might be a believer.  There are these jammies the boys have that were hand me downs. They are bright blue footed ones with an electric guitar on the chest. They are cozy warm fuzzy material. They are what Robby refers to as the "magic pajamas." He puts the boys in the them every time I go to work & they sleep 12 hours EVERY TIME! The next night I tell him that I want him to replicate exactly what he did while I watch. He makes jokes like "you didn't wash the pixie dust off right?" His other secret he shared with me is that there is no baby talk allowed at bedtime. He calmly tells the boys that they will sleep all night long & not wake him up. I think I figured out the "magic" in the magic pajamas when Robby started quoting late 18th century philosophers with the line "if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it really make a sound?" Hahaha! It's easy to sleep all night when the monitor is off ; ) 

As far as naps go, we have dealt with what Babywise refers to as "the 45 minute intruder" which seems to be pretty common! It is basically where babies wake up right around the 45 minute mark into a nap. This is where they transition from REM to deep sleep & are sometimes aroused enough to cry.  The "recommended treatment" is to start with treating it as a hunger issue & feed them. I usually do that for a couple days but I know for example if they have had a good sized bottle at the previous feeding only 2 hours before, they just need a few minutes to fall back asleep on their own. We are making it through & most days if they wake, I make sure they are still on their tummies (preferred sleeping position according to O & A) & let them cry for a few minutes (maybe 5-10) & they fall back asleep for another hour or so. There are three naps during the day & I honestly look forward to the two nap routine.  Less to be messed with when getting out & about.   

So....another month to go & we hit the halfway mark to the first birthday! I just might max out on my storage space for photos on my laptop with as many pictures as I have been taking lately. It's all for a good cause, documenting this lovely life I have been given. 

Three Men & a baby (or two)

Uncle Kyle recently spent a week with our crew & as I sorted through the pictures I realized that I never posted about a visit with my Dad & with Uncle Scott.  So, here we are, months past those first two visits & not wanting to forget how enjoyable they were for our family.

These three men are so very special to me & along with Robby will provide a great example to my children of what a godly man looks like.  It brings great delight to my heart to see them spend time with Charlotte, Eloise, Owen & Anson.

My Dad surprised us in mid April with an early morning phone call to my mom saying he was flying into town for the weekend that evening! It was a great surprise for my mom as she was approaching four months of being away from home & a great surprise for the rest of us that always enjoy a visit from Paw Paw.

If you remember correctly, his last visit was when the boys were born & the girls shared the stomach bug with him which forced him to extend his stay to recover fully before flying back home.  He visited the boys in the NICU but never got to hold them so I could hardly wait to place his first grandsons in his arms.

Here he is holding Anson for the first time....

 

and the first time to hold both of the little guys....Owen on the left, Anson on the right.

Thankfully Charlotte was nearby to help Paw Paw just in case he didn't know what to do ; ) 

I'm pretty sure we stayed home all weekend although this period of time is a bit of a blur in my mind...not sure why ; ) I do know that we loved his company & three days went by way too fast! We get to Face Time with him & are now in countdown mode for his next visit over Labor Day weekend.

My mom left at the end of April, we had a week alone & then visitor number one, Uncle Scott arrived just in time for the Kentucky Derby which we watched with mint juleps in hand.

He was the first person to buy a gift for the boys (so sweet), shortly after me finding out it was two boys around 14 weeks into the pregnancy. He is a sucker for Janie & Jack which has some pretty adorable things for little ones. We opened the gift at Christmas & I looked at it frequently between the then & March 8th imagining what O & A would look like in it.

They decided to wear their hippo onesies on the day Uncle Scott arrived...

Anson on left, Owen on right

Uncle Scott gave the boys lots of snuggles even providing a comfy place for a nap on his chest for Anson on Sunday afternoon.  Even though he jumped into the crazy house when NO one was sleeping, he still mustered up enough energy to play with his nieces non stop all day long. I was thankful for this since I was completely exhausted & unable to do any Cirque du Soleil moves with my post cesarean body. 

One thing that got a good laugh while he was there was that I decided in the morning before his arrival that I would list Eloise's crib & dresser on Craigslist to see if there was any interest. Within an hour, I had an interested buyer & ended up getting Eloise out of her crib during her nap to have it ready when they arrived. It was not the best parenting move to kick Eloise out of her crib less than a month after the boys arrived home from the NICU.  Scott got to be there for the rapid transition from crib to mattress on the floor in the corner which actually went better than anticipated. I guess we were just keeping with the tradition of helping Scott have a realistic view of being a parent following his previous visit over Christmas. As we already knew, he was a great sport & super helpful the whole time.

Kyle was the last of my immediate family to meet the boys just a couple weeks ago. He could have come for a quick weekend visit earlier but decided to wait until July so he could take an entire week off to spend with us. We were SO excited about his decision and loved having him here. The boys even saved up their first synchronized smile to be caught on camera for when Uncle Kyle was holding them! I guess it is worth smiling about when you can see the world from a much higher altitude than when held by mommy!

I had to laugh when I went back through the pictures taken when visitors were in town. They progressively increased in number as the months went on & I was feeling more rested/engaged with daily happenings. So, I had lots of Kyle & the kiddos!

We celebrated Kyle's birthday a week late, Charlotte's birthday on her special day, picked up dinner from a couple favorite restaurants & relaxed all week. It was fun to have a live in buddy to tag team the kids with for an entire week...especially an uncle that the girls think is so fun.  He slept in the office & the girls would ask every morning at 6am "Can we go surprise Uncle Kyle?" We would make them wait till at least 7 but sometimes they would sneak in prior to that time. He, like Uncle Scott was a good sport & jumped right into our morning routine. 

Here he is with his favorite nieces....

and the whole crew....

The next picture cracks me up. The boys love to stand & stretch while you hold their hands so he was playing with Anson & I could not get over how tall he looked! It is hard to believe these little babes could grow to be as tall as their uncles!

and here he is with Owen...

I am amazed at how comfortable both of my brothers are with the kids. They are so confident! Kyle even sent me to the grocery store alone one afternoon!  I LOVE my brothers more with each passing year. I am so thankful to have such a great friendship with each of them & look forward to Charlotte & Eloise having a special friendship with Owen & Anson.                                                                                                                                                                               I have referred to my brothers as "the boys" my entire life so it is fun to have my own little pair to call "the boys" now. So, the boys & the boys had a great time meeting one another & I foresee many a fun visit in the future!                                                                                                                               Great thanks to these three men for spending their time, money & energy on a visit to the Valentine Nest. We hope you will come back! Your bedroom (the office) awaits you with it's reinforced door to help drown out the early morning racket ; )