A Corral for the Cowboys

Yes, the little buckaroos are six months old & I am just now getting around to posting about their "corral"! They moved in mid-May but we didn't finish decorating until August. It is finally done & we have enjoyed the room with Texas roots so much so that we talk with an accent every time we walk in ; ) Just kiddin' ya'll!

My pregnancy with the twins was SO different than with either of our girls.  We loved preparing for Charlotte's arrival & completed the nursery long before her arrival.  When Eloise was on the way, we made the necessary changes to accommodate two little ladies in one room....also a sweet experience yet it was completed a little closer to the due date.  This time around, due to my extremely large belly & constant contracting plus the addition of the best roomie anyone could ask for (my mom), there was not actually a room for the babies that we could prepare. At first I was a tad disappointed since the preparation had been such a special time for us in the past.  With all the ups & downs we experienced it seemed we were constantly wondering what the outcome would be & whether or not we would be bringing two healthy baby boys into our home.  As weeks continued to pass I became really thankful for the opportunity to wait to prepare a place for Owen & Anson as I waited for them to be in arms. My focus was different as we struggled through trusting God as we asked him to sustain the life & growth of our sons.  Instead of a room, my mom graciously offered the corner between the dresser & nightstand to stack about three big bins plus a box or two full of clothing, decorations, diapers & all sorts of other things for the boys. Every now & then we would open it up & sort through the items then repack them in a more organized fashion. 

The exciting part came when the boys were born, moved into the NICU at Winnie & started growing well. Nearly three weeks passed & we got word that it looked like they may be headed home within the following week so on Easter Sunday we rearranged the extra space in our room to accommodate a crib, dresser, glider & ottoman. It was probably WAY too much work for a woman post cesarean...I do remember Rob & my mom reminding me to take it easy more than a handful of times ; ) I was just so excited! Good thing we got a move on that afternoon because the following day we found out that the boys would be discharged TOGETHER within 24 hours! It was really special to get their space prepared knowing that they would be using it so quickly. 

We were all roommates until mid-May when the symphony of coos/screams was too much for tired parents to listen to all night long.  Rob & I got to work taking apart the guest room & putting together a room for the buckaroos. He did the muscle work & I made it cute...we are a good team. 

Without further adieu, the corral....

We were working with a fairly small sized room, only about 10x11 so finding non bulky furniture was high on the priority list. We were also on a smallish budget. We had a lovely crib that both of the girls used but it was huge, a bit feminine plus we needed two anyway.  We decided to sell the furniture from the girly room & start fresh for the boys. I found the Ikea Sundvik crib online & thought the color went well with the western theme we chose. Best part- they are only $120! Actually, the best part was that I found one on Craigslist for $40! 

After contacting the seller, she wrote me back to make sure I knew that it was so cheap because she had removed the side & did not have the hardware to reattach it.  Ikea rocks & mailed me an entire new set of hardware at no cost so I let her know we would take it. We stopped by her apartment wondering who we would find....Craigslist can be a little scary sometimes ; ) She was in her early twenties & cute as can be.  It was funny though when we got there she was hauling that thing out of the elevator all by herself having decided she wasn't too sure of us either & didn't want us in her apartment. We paid her & loaded it into the trusty old Texas truck. I had to ask her what she had a crib for since she mentioned her roommate & sported her professional work clothes.  She said "we were shopping for a daybed but they were just so expensive we decided to get this instead."  I said "Oh, okay." Twenty minutes down the road Robby said out of nowhere, "okay, I know she was small but a crib for a daybed? What?" Hahahaha! We laughed hard but were thankful that it didn't work out well for their new apartment & they had to sell it to us instead ; ) So, we got both cribs for $180 & are quite happy with the size, look & durability thus far. 

The dresser is also from Ikea & is in the Hemnes collection. I came across some drawer pulls at Hobby Lobby on discount for $2 each....what a steal! 

My most favorite project for the boys room was completed long before their arrival.  I came across a mobile for purchase on Etsy that if I remember correctly was around $90.  It was adorable but I could never bring myself to pay for one let alone two! My mom took one look at it & said "we can make that!" She has been known to say that about most anything ; ) So, the two of us took a trip to Michaels & picked up all the supplies to make both for $12! $180 or $12?! Robby was in charge of crafting the wooden pieces at the top which were wooden dowels attached to a 2x2 inch block with a hook on top & bottom. I drew out our patterns for the western themed items & we stuffed  & hand stitched each piece together then hung with a clear thread.  The results.... 

A closer look at the horsey, my favorite of the pieces.....

Another piece I made myself after deciding I was up for a Photoshop challenge...

I printed them for $2 each at Kinkos on a glossy cardstock. I painted the edges of an 11x14 canvas then mod podged the print onto it. Total cost for these: $8. The only part that could be improved is if it said Texas instead of Florida ; ) 

The one thing I had no budget for was the fabric. Well maybe I had a budget but it went out the window.  I saw it, I loved it & I didn't care that it was overpriced...and neither did my mom. I think she chipped in on it plus she didn't charge us for labor! That talented seamstress whipped up curtains & bed skirts while we were up visiting the boys in the NICU one evening.  The rodeo print fabric had been discontinued in the other two colors & this one was a stinker to find! We made lots of phone calls & ended up ordering it from a small quilt shop in New Mexico. I loved this fabric more than any others because it didn't seem babyish at all. I wanted something that could grow with them & that was it!  The tan gingham print was from a different line of fabric but paired nicely. 

Due to the fabric shortage, the bed skirts are three separate pieces (per bed) pieced together with a gingham print pleat every 14 inches or so & then stapled onto the wooden piece that holds the mattress up. You can't actually see the pleats right now but once we drop the mattress to the lowest level it will look pretty darn cute & coordinated with the curtains.  The afghan on the back of the chair was made by our friend Christa & is just perfect for snuggling with while nursing babes or reading.  The Texas flag pillow was mailed to Robby when he lived in Australia & has been away for years until we decided to do a western room. 

Another project... although this time someone else put in the work!  I had wanted deep shelves mounted on brackets & hadn't seen anything I wanted to pay for so I convinced Rob to spend a few hours cutting boards to my requested length & routing the edges.  We talked about staining them then decided to paint them navy instead which I am really happy with.  We are from Texas, we like guns & think the boys should too so we added a little Smith & Wesson decor ; ) Owen & Anson also ended up with a couple pairs of boots, each which are on display. 

Another Hobby Lobby deal for $3 each on clearance + $18 for boards & paint...

Robby had this little cowboy in his room growing up. It has been in our garage for almost 9 years & now sits happily between two pairs of boots. He is so cute!

Three years ago for Christmas, Robby's Grandma Virginia sent us an assortment of BBQ sauce from Rudy's BBQ, a place we enjoyed in Lubbock where we attended college.  It came in this cute little Texas shaped basket.  It sat on top of our refrigerator for almost four years until I discovered it a couple months ago. I was SO excited! I spray painted it red then cut letters out of vinyl with my Silhouette Cameo & voila! 

The lyrics to the song Deep in the Heart of Texas were an easy pick.  We sing it constantly around here to the boys & they light up. For any of you who are not familiar, this song is written by Gene Autry & is known by most who live in the Lone Star State. Growing up, I remember singing it during the seventh inning stretch of any Houston Astros game or at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. 

Here are the lyrics...

The stars at night, are big & bright

Deep in the heart of Texas

The prairie skies, are wide & high

Deep in the heart of Texas.

The sage in bloom is like perfume

Deep in the heart of Texas

Reminds me of the one I love

Deep in the heart of Texas. 

The girls sing it to the boys constantly...like even when they are screaming bloody murder & probably don't want to hear it ; ) The best part is that Char really gets her country accent on when she says "Texas" & then she refers to the "prairie skies" as "fairy skies." Ha! 

I must include a funny story about Elo as well.  I had come across a stick horse at a resale shop & bought it awhile back. Eloise just loves horses & spent a bit of time riding that one around the house doing her cloppety clop sounds. One afternoon as she was riding the Valentine range, I heard her screaming "The horsey bit me! The horsey bit me!" I couldn't help but snicker a little bit as I went over to investigate.  Sure enough her finger was bright red & for a second I thought Toy Story might not be make believe ; ) Turns out, the stick inside the fabric snapped in half which is not surprising since she rode it more like a bucking bronco than a horse.  As I assessed the horses "neck" it bit me too! No wonder she was crying! She was devastated that her horse riding days were over as we carried him out to the garbage. Maybe we can replace him someday. For now, she can ride the broom which is probably more useful around this dirty house anyway when turned in the proper broom riding position. 

Anyway, back to the things that live on the shelf.  Thanks to grandparents & a friend of my mom, the boys have the beginnings of a country boys' library.  We have read all of them multiple times & the favorite by far is the one that sits atop the pile...

Which is precisely why I chose to frame some of the pages..

And last but not least, the picture below is of a gift I received at the baby shower for me & the buckaroos in January.  It has five scriptures listed that were prayed aloud over me & my gigantic pregnant belly full of two growing boys.  I love the reminder it offers daily of the blessing of the Lord himself who reigns over all of life, who formed & fashioned those precious babes in the womb, who brought them into our family & who will continue to provide beyond what we can ever imagine.

Our friends, the Johnsons were in town a couple months ago & walked into the cowboy corral.  Michael immediately said "Wow, this is really Texan." Haha! You may ask, do we miss Texas? "Of course we do! Can't you tell!" Are you homeschooling only because you will have the authority to teach Texas History to your children? "Yes, yes, that is the only reason ; )" 

The little buckaroos so far have voiced no complaint regarding their corral & plan to reside in the Texas Oasis in Central Florida for as long as the Lord sees fit. 

Owen & Anson at 6 months

Owen & Anson

My heart explodes with joy when I look at these sweet boys together! How six months have passed since we first held them in our arms I do not know! We are thankful each & every day that they are part of our family.  Each month seems to go by more quickly than the last but I do feel like we are truly enjoying the baby stage with these two.  I am over a week late on writing this post & I feel like they have already changed since the official 6 month birthday! Let's get right down to business...

OWEN

Stats:

11 pounds 9 ounces

24 inches long

Size 2 diapers, 3 month clothing

Owen, our born to be mild child when it comes to his interests/disinterests in activities is also commonly called "little lion man" due to his voracious scream when he is really angry. Most of the time though he is easy going, paying attention to what is going on around him & just melts your heart with his grin & squeal when you start to talk to him.  O has completed a few consecutive rolls recently to get somewhere, can "tripod" sit with his arms in front, can hold himself in a sitting position really well in the high chair, grabs toys faster than lightening & puts everything in his mouth including those delicious fingers : ) He is officially all caught up on milestones for being a month early!

Owee is still the little guy but only by a pound & a half now....catching up slowly but surely! At their six month check up last week, they weighed in & were measured.  The results showed that both boys fell off their individual growth curves.  Can I say I love our pediatrician. She is SO supportive of breastfeeding & immediately jumped to making sure I was taking care of myself by eating enough calories a day (around 2,500 for nursing twins), drinking enough water & getting enough rest. Well, those are all hard to do in one day but I assured her that I had taken in enough calories for a few days the night before when I ate almost an entire large pizza, 3 slices in the car on the way home from Dominos. Sometimes I just feel hungry! So, I am trying to eat & drink enough although rest can be hard to come by. The other way to keep these boys growing well outside of ample amount of breast milk is increasing the amount solid food they are eating. At the visit, they had only eaten bananas a few times so we have added in brown rice/oats mix, apples, pears, avocado, sweet potato & peas.  It was really fun to make all the first batches to freeze. I am shocked at how quickly two babies go through the cubes but I will keep up the cooking as long as I can!  So far the favorite combinations are avocado & banana or sweet potato & peas. They are eating two meals a day & are LOVING it as evidenced by the following picture....

A few things about Owen:

• Owen attacks books when you read to him
• He loves being sung to especially if it is "Deep in the Heart of Texas" 
• He likes when I call him Cowboy Small & read him that book with a country accent : ) 
• Mighty O has the strongest core of anyone in this family & should be able to sit up & will probably crawl before his bro
• He is a true tummy sleeper but has ditched the thumb for his ring finger
• He is so content in his crib with the mobile on for some quiet/safe time until Eloise climbs in
• He is even more content in the Ergo
• Owen can stare at Bella for a long time while she is chewing on a bone...we always wonder what he is thinking ; ) 
• His hair is starting to get fuzzy
• This sweet boy still saves his biggest grins for his Daddy

Sometimes after a good meal he rests his chubby cheeks....

ANSON

Stats:

13 pounds 1 ounce

25 inches long

Size 2 diapers, 3 month clothing

Anson, you could say he is the born to be wild child when observing his interactions with his older siblings. We call him Anson, the sheepish lion after watching "Lambert the Sheepish Lion" an old short film by Disney. It goes along with a song that gets this boy to grin every time. Lambert really liked his mommy, just like Anson ; ) We also call him fuzzy wuzzy bear for obvious reasons. This guy stays happy most of the day unless two things occur....One- it's time for a nap & you don't put him in bed fast enough.  Two- you take more than a 1 second break between shoveling bites of food into his mouth.  A along with O is quite a fan of sweet potatoes...

He is a seriously messy eater if you couldn't tell. I let Char feed him the first night he was eating sweet potatoes & thought it was her feeding style that caused him to be taken straight to the tub. I was wrong! The picture above was taken after I fed him his meal.  He just might need a straight jacket to keep his hands from going in his mouth with every bite & then rubbing it all over his face ; ) 

A few things about Anson:

• Every time you lay him on his back he immediately flips over to his tummy, he also rolls to get a toy
• He can somewhat "tripod" sit but due to his smushiness he leans really far forward until collapsing in half
• We have almost forgotten what his mouth looks like because his hands are always in it or blocking it 
• He loves books & gets excited when we read him one that has pictures of all different animals
• Anson figured out how to play peek a book in the past week & will do so when laying on his tummy- hiding his face while you say "Where's Anson?" then popping up with a grin with "Peek a boo!"
• We still lay him down on his tummy but he usually rolls to his side for sleeping & keeps that thumb in his mouth most of the night & day for that matter. Sometimes I hear Charlotte telling him "hey buddy, we are going to practice not sucking our thumb today." We have to remind her that he is a baby & it's okay for him to do that ; )
• He constantly pulls his sleep sack or sleeve up to his mouth to chew on
• It looks like he is about to get his two bottom teeth!
• He is happy to ride on my back in the Ergo most of the time but really loves the front 
• A is a snuggler

Anson found the next best thing to hands.....

Schedule/Routine: A work in progress....always. I feel like I have gotten out of a great routine in the past week because I have been concerned they weren't getting enough to eat. It has resulted in more frequent night waking which I don't think is the solution for weight gain or a patient/non grumpy mama during the day if you know what I mean ; ) So, for now they are nursing around every 2.5-3.5 hrs during the day which falls somewhere around: 6:45, 9:30, 1, 4 & 6:30.  My plan to tackle the night waking other than making sure they are getting enough during the day is to sneak in a dream feed around 10pm & then try to get them till at least 6am. We will see how that goes : ) Prior to the past week they were consistently sleeping 12 hours a night & on occasion would give us a baker's dozen as my friend Cathy would say. They are eating solids around 10:30am & 5pm.  They are currently great nappers which is such a gift! They go down without a fight 99% of the time. They usually snooze from about 8-9:30, 11-1 & 2-4 if we are home. On days when we are gone in the morning they will snooze in the Ergo or car seat for short bits of time, nurse closer to the two hour mark throughout the morning  & then crash for a three hour nap once we are home.  The girls usually take long naps on those days as well which gives me some free time or the opportunity to nap as well.

Our days are filled with laughing, crying, playing, cleaning up disasters, obeying, disobeying & just being together.  The boys observe much of what is going on around them & are already so engaged with their big sisters I think they would be bored with just me around ; )

I asked Charlotte to read to the boys while I took Bella out this afternoon. When I came back, this is what I found...

SO cute! It was hilarious too because Anson kept trying to roll over & look at me but Charlotte would flip him back over & say "Now Anson, you need to pay attention to the story!" I guess she figured if the book was surrounding his head he might stay put...

Charlotte is not the only one who has won the attention & affection of a "baby boa" or two...

E & O

A & E

Six months, SIX MONTHS! I told Rob the other day that when I was pregnant with them I couldn't even picture life past my due date. I definitely had no idea how much I could love two MORE babies at the same time, or how exhausted I could feel at the end of the day or how much I would enjoy precious baby boys. God is so good. I think of his goodness when I see these two holding hands & remember all those ultrasounds when we were concerned about what the outcome might be.

Praise the Lord for Owen & Anson

Bananas for the little monkeys

We can't believe these two little guys are old enough to be eating solid foods! They were pretty amused at sitting in a high chair as you can see by the grins below.....

That might be my favorite picture of the boys together so far. They really look like they are laughing hysterically at the crazy woman in the kitchen who was singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" while dancing around with a camera ; ) That song almost always guarantees a giggle!

We decided to retire the older high chair we inherited due to the disgusting factor with fabric, creases & layers filled with crumbs 4 years old...you get the idea. We did a little bit of looking around & went to Ikea to purchase the Antilop highchair for 20 bucks a pop.  We were down with the price but a little nervous about the wobbliness of it considering the two wild older siblings that crawl under the table & chairs frequently along with the unpredictable dog. So, we came upon these chairs (also at Ikea) that were $60 each.  I think that is a decent deal compared to many of the high chairs sold at baby stores. We definitely wanted a free standing chair versus one that straps on since we are always short on chairs with visitors. We are happy with the sturdiness, ability to tighten those straps to fit our little cowboys & most importantly, the easy to clean factor. They also match our kitchen table & chairs so they just kind of blend in.

It was so fun to get them in their chairs & ready for that monumental first bite of real food! We have started with bananas for all the Valentine kiddos which is strange because there is no food I hate more than bananas ; )

I think I will narrate for a moment....

Owen:  "Hmmmm,what is this? I think Eloise stuck one of these in my mouth a few times the other day. She moved with great force but I just can't quite get it to where it needs to go. "

"Maybe I will just lick it instead.  That seems safe.....and I am a safe kind of guy."

Anson: "Oh I know all about this contraption. Everyone in this family seems so happy when they are using it to shovel Blue Bell Ice cream into their mouths. Mom, I'm a little disappointed this doesn't have ice cream on it."

"Oh gosh, that is definitely not how to do it! Although that is not the first time a spoon hit my tonsils thanks to that loving sister of mine."

Owen: "What is that on there? I'm just not sure I'm ready. Oh that feels funny on my tongue!"

Anson: "Open up big, here it comes! It's what I have been waiting for!"

After Robby & I enjoyed watching those first bites we invited the official feeders in to help. They were elated & very serious about their job. So serious they couldn't even look at the camera. Anson's expression is hilarious here. It is like he is saying "Okay Eloise, I will do whatever you want, just don't shove that spoon in any further." In her defense she was very gentle & Anson actually ate more with her shoveling it in rather than with me. 

Owen doesn't look to excited in the next picture but he did really well with Charlotte feeding him too.

After the first feeding, Anson experienced what each Valentine child that has gone before him has...the clean up by a loving pitbull. Although this time, it was only Bella. Bennett would have enjoyed the height of these new chairs since he could have pretty much eaten things right off the tray ; )

Anson was pretty intrigued by all that licking & ended up with clean hands. I pretty sure I have it made. All I have to do is fix the bowls of food, hand them off to the girls to feed them followed by laying the babies on the ground for clean up! Just joking but as they say....there is a little truth behind every joke!

Anson was sad every time you stopped shoveling food into his mouth. That did not surprise me!

Owen did a great job eating quietly & then he got interested in his finger & decided to relax for a bit.

Now do these two look happy or what? I think they enjoyed their first taste of bananas & are ready to explore this whole new world! Up next are sweet potatoes & avocados!

Owen

Anson

Owen & Anson: "Wow mom, that was hard work...enough to wear a little buckaroo out!

Beach Trip: Round Two

Call us crazy but we gave the beach another shot only 7 days after our first futile attempt. Although this time we came armed with a set of grandparents, four well rested children without runny noses & a new beach umbrella. We were hopeful that it would be a redeeming sort of experience & it was!

This post really doesn't need too many words since the pictures show how much our time was enjoyed. Our favorite beach (within close proximity) is the Canaveral National Seashore. It is just north of the launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center & is so close that it is closed down anytime they launch rockets.  This beach usually feels like a private beach since we never see more than a few other families there.  It is just a hop, skip & a jump from where you park & is quite beautiful. 

I may look crazy but as days pass we are finding this is the best way to get around with these two. It keeps my arms free & the buckaroos happy as can be. 

Gaga was on twin duty & as you can see was able to keep them entertained!

After five years as Florida residents & beach goers we finally bit the bullet & bought a 9 ft wide beach umbrella.  We were amazed at how much more enjoyable it made our time! That's Gaga there snuggled with one baby.

Paw Paw was on Eloise duty & they got started right away building sand castles.

Gaga & the boys emerged from under cover for a bit to catch some Florida sunshine.

Anson with Paw Paw

Owen with Gaga

Anson, my true beach boy that doesn't mind a splash in the face by some salty water sat on my lap for a bit while we laughed with his Sissy each time a wave came.

Oh my goodness....how squishy are those cheeks?!

Rob was so relaxed & had a great time swimming with both girls & getting some snuggles from the littlest lady.

Eloise & that Gaga of hers.....she talks about her every day! At least three times each day Eloise randomly says "Daddy/Mommy you know what? Gaga pat me kiss me!" It must feel pretty good for Elo to talk about it THAT MUCH!

I called Anson my true beach boy to contrast with Owen who is just not into sand & ocean water. He would cry every time his toes touched the water & was not happy with the sand on him either.  I sat down under the umbrella with him & told Rob about how Owen was not a happy camper at the beach. He said "If Owen had a tattoo, it would say 'Born to be Mild' " I could not stop laughing & really believe that to be true! Mighty O was happy to be with his mommy though.....

The girls were happy to not be rushed out of the water after 15 minutes of playtime due to "gumpy baby boas."  Many a smile were seen from these two!

Well you can't see her face here but Eloise was definitely smiling as she coated herself in sand!

Charlotte was not scared of the waves at all & did lots of splashing & crashing while trying to ride a wave into shore.

She did hold Paw Paw's hand for a bit so they could go out deeper together...

Then baby sister decided she didn't want to be left behind....

The boys snoozed on & off just like a good beach goer would....

Of course we attempted a family pic before leaving. I sure do love how my eyes are closed, you can only see one baby & Charlotte is covering her face. Robby, the family member who hates having his picture taken the most is the only one looking & smiling! That's why we aren't paying for a professional photographer anytime soon ; )

It was a beautiful day & we managed to spend 4-5 hours sandy....quite an improvement in seven days! I guarantee we will not return unless we have another set of grandparents with us ; )