one chilly day....

Happy fall or early merry Christmas from the Valentine Nest! We nixed Christmas cards a long time ago & this year we decided to skip out on sending our traditional Valentine cards due to the nature of our life two weeks before the twins were born. Little did we know that Spring 2013 would be much calmer than we anticipate Spring 2014 being with two little guys on the move! The true test will be to see if I get any sent out this coming Valentine's Day ; ) I still have this urge to get a nice picture of my kids around the holidays & will hopefully get one of all six of us sometime in the near future as well. Do I even need a reason to take some pictures of our little brood? I think not. Crazy windy weather, a true chilly fall day & an overgrown field around the corner from the house were the contributing factors that got me on the move last week getting all kids dressed & the stroller packed for a little trip. 

I actually wanted to drive but Robby said I should walk instead.  I'm pretty sure neither of us took into account the ridiculous wind that would push against my double stroller the ENTIRE way there as I carried Owen in the Ergo & chased scootering Charlotte down the sidewalk. I was quite sore the next day which shows how fabulously in shape this mama is ; ) The extreme workout was worth it though because we had a really good time playing in the field & actually got some great pictures!

Anson, Eloise, Charlotte & Owen

The girls had a blast chasing, picking flowers, falling down & laughing as their hair blew all in their faces. They look so old to me in these picture. Well, old compared to earlier this year ; )

The boys were making me laugh so hard. Anson was in the basket alone & was super interested in a piece of grass he was holding. I sat Owen down in there with him & he immediately started crying. Anson was looking up at me like "what is the matter with that kid?"

Owen was so sad he just buried his head in Anson's shoulder....so cute.

So, poor little Owee who we thought didn't like getting his picture taken on Halloween because of a 104 degree fever proved us wrong. He just doesn't like getting his picture taken outside in the grass...period. 

I bought the monkey hats for $6 each when I was barely pregnant with the boys. I couldn't pass up that steal of a deal! It was so fun to see them finally sporting the warm caps on our first chilly day!

Owen found his favorite finger & was calm enough to have his picture taken : )

Anson was quite the little model...

Owen was happiest when being held by mama or mini mama....

Oh I love these four & how they love each other....

Owen & Anson at 8 months

I can honestly say that I can't believe we all (especially me) survived this past month at the Valentine Nest.  I was so very hopeful that life was improving but due to sickness, new teeth & multiple emotional breakdowns for the mama bird....it was more difficult than any other month. All that to say, O & A are doing well after a month of screaming. They didn't really scream ALL month but with two babies & two sissies, it felt like someone was screaming 24/7.  I am speaking about this in past tense...praying that it is all.in.the.past.Truth be told... there are more hard days ahead : ) 

Here is the handsome duo at 8 months old.. 

OWEN

Mighty O, when he does not have a runny nose, a cough or Roseola is quite happy. We have enjoyed his chipperness since all sickness has subsided. When excited, he kicks his legs as fast as he can looking like a little froggy.  He squeals when tossed up in the air by his Daddy making the same surprised face during the free fall each time.  He has conquered sitting & now spends most of his wake time in the upright position which has revolutionized our lives. One toy that is getting lots of attention is the mini farm pictured with O.

With a sick visit to the doctor a week ago we found that Owen now weighs 13 pound 2 ounces which is right on track with his growth curve.  Anson acquired the name "Chubby Bubby" this month as Eloise sweet talked him during breakfast one morning.  We decided that  "Skinnybones" for Owen was a good coordinating nickname since coordinating is important when you have a twin ; ) Sidenote: Skinnybones was a favorite book of mine in elementary school.

Back to our little Skinnybones....he has finally (mostly) adjusted to loving from a certain big sister & has survived a wrestling match or two in the past week giving us lots of giggles. His first official word believe it or not was "Bella" a few weeks ago.  We even got it on video! He has said "mama" a couple times & says "bababa" often.  As precious as he is when healthy, the following picture melts my heart.  He was SO pitiful when he had his fever & Charlotte just wanted to take care of him which she does amazingly well.  You can see that sucking his middle finger (backwards) is his favorite for soothing.

Eating has really taken off for both boys but Owen was the first to get the hang of eating Cheerios & successfully got a few in his mouth without assistance last night! The other day he got smart after trying to grab them off his tray & leaned over & started licking them off instead. Ha! I love when you can throw a handful of grabbable food for killing time purposes ; ) Along with Cheerios, he really loves a few new combos - Carrot & Apple, Butternut Squash & Pear and even a little spanish rice the other day! He sits up in a very proper manner while in his high chair looking quite astute which is deceiving because as soon as the food is in view he screams so loudly between each bite it makes my ears hurt! He slams his hands on his tray too. I guess he is a hungry boy!  

My prediction was that he would crawl first but I'm not so sure now since baby brother seems to be pushing himself up more often. Mighty O is a strong little guy though so only time will tell!

ANSON

Chubby Bubby was 14 pounds 10 ounces when I snuck him on the scale at Owen's sick visit. This is also right along his growth curve which does not surprise me due to his eating habits. Anson decided he would toughen up & sit alongside his brother after watching him do it for a good week or two before giving it a try. He finally has it down though & really enjoys his time on the floor now.  The mailbox has been a favorite of all the Valentine kiddos & it makes me happy to see these little hands enjoying it!

Anson likes to play horsey on mommy's legs & gets to laughing pretty hard. He also does that same surprised face while in mid air after being tossed up by Daddy. Maybe it is a natural reaction ; ) Anson pretty much made me cry for a week straight at the beginning of this month when he starting saying "Mamama." Really, I cried all week long! It is such a sweet sound to hear & his face could not have been a bit more expressive. He is on a little hiatus from saying it though...taking a week off. Maybe he will bust out with "Dadada" next.  This little guy welcomed his two bottom teeth a few weeks ago. It was painful for all...especially for the one nursing him ; ) He bites like nobody's business & gives the biggest grins when told "no" loudly or getting a little pop on the mouth to remind him not to bite. The other day I screamed SO loud he started laughing & Charlotte said "Mommy, you look like you are going to cry!" She was right! I told her the story about when I was seven & my mom was bit while nursing my youngest brother. I happened to be in the line of fire & she kicked her foot straight out hitting me right in the gut causing me to fall backward. I completely sympathize with that woman now ; ) Youch!

Anson has enjoyed his fair share of attention from this adoring big sis.

As I mentioned, Bubby likes to eat! He too has really enjoyed the Butternut Squash & Pear combo along with a Spinach, Sweet Potato & Pea mix. He loves oatmeal with any fruit mixed in & has the hang of those O's! He usually sits all hunched over in his high chair yelling & growling between each bite. We really need to work on some manners with these two ; ) You can see in the picture below that his hair has grown so long on the sides that it now hangs over his ears. Could a Valentine child be getting a haircut before the first birthday? Now that would be a first! But, he did win in the earliest to get teeth category so he is on track!

He is doing really well on his tummy spinning himself around to get a toy or pushing up so far that he looks like he could pull his knees up & crawl.  Every now & then while laying on his belly he gets his legs & arms going so fast that if you glance at him it looks like he is speedily crawling across the floor!

Eating:  I'm not sure why I am struggling so much with keeping these guys in a routine but it seems to be ever changing. They have been very grumpy & still hungry after the last 2-3 milk feedings of the day. I feel physically exhausted, emotionally exhausted & am struggling big time to even eat enough calories to keep my supply up so the decision was made to add a little formula into the mix.  I feel strange about it after doing only breast milk with the girls but realize that I had to make a decision keeping the best interest of my family as a whole in mind.  Adding more pumping/breastfeeding sessions plus screaming babies for the last three hours of the day is just not helpful for anyone so we started last Saturday with some formula & the boys are doing well.  As of right now, they are each getting about 8oz of formula each throughout the day. They are nursing around 5am, 8, 11:30, 3 & 6 thanks to that silly time change. At 3 & 6 I have been breastfeeding one baby on both sides while giving the other a bottle of formula. At the lunchtime feeding I have been topping off whoever eats on the lower supply side with an extra 3 ounces or so.  It was suggested by a lactation consultant that if I am really wanting to let my body rest & do a breast/formula combo I should nurse both babies at the same time every other feeding & give them both bottles for the other ones. I may give that a try this week.  Beyond milk, they are happily scarfing down three meals a day that consist of 5-6 ounces per feeding. They haven't got the hang of the sippy cups quite yet but give it a fair shot! With the food, we usually feed them from the same bowl with the same spoon but while sick we did separate & I was super impressed with Rob's mad bowl handling skills...

Sleeping: Grrrrr. I wish we could all get more sleep. Over all, they are capable of going a 12 hour stretch at night but won't consistently do it but we have battled four weeks of either sickness or teething so maybe this month is the magical month where we will all feel rested ; ) Most days they take a two hour nap in the morning & the afternoon plus a little 30 minute snooze between milk feeding & dinner with the family since they are just too grumpy to stay awake from 3 something till bedtime. I am looking forward to some consistency. If anyone knows where to find it please let me know.

Here I am with my little lads.  We have spent A LOT of time together in the recent weeks. They want to be near me all the time when feeling crummy & I wouldn't wish it any other way.  They are Double Ergoed (my coined phrase) often in the afternoon & stay super happy. They are also content when we go outside for some fresh air. That seems to work wonders for all members of this family : )

In the midst of feeling exhausted in every way, crying easily, asking for forgiveness from the girls on a daily basis for losing my cool, I just keep reminding myself that God is working in my heart as I am broken down & feeling weak.  I have to trust that He knows best for me & believe that He will provide grace for every day as I interact & care for these precious needy children.  They remind me often of how I should be with God.  Their persistence in "crying out" to have every need met by parents that love them is an encouragement for me to be just as needy as I pursue my heavenly father. What a roller coaster this is. I could not have anticipated the stress we are currently experiencing but it makes the sweet (quiet) moments even sweeter although  I am still considering wearing earplugs from about 3pm until bedtime just to lessen the blow to my eardrums. I'm pretty positive that I could still hear everything I needed to with the extremely high decibel sounds from four children that flood our ears. I seriously thing I have developed a sensory disorder in the past month ; )

Watching the two youngest interact is a delight to my soul.

Brotherly love...eight months of precious. 

Apple "Jack" & our four little hoots

Pumpkins have been out in the stores for quite sometime & every trip included a conversation about how we would be carving ours soon. Soon was not soon enough for the girls & they were beyond excited on Tuesday evening when Daddy finished work & we headed outside!  We enjoyed the beautiful weather & the experience of carving our family pumpkin. 

Rob got started drawing the face while Charlotte watched closely & then he asked me to finish up.

We let Daddy handle the sharp objects....

The little guys were happy as can be on their blanket.

The girls decided to name our pumpkin Applejack in honor of the pony they rode at the farm.  Strange but cute ; ) I don't have a picture of the wrestling match that occurred while trying to decide who would put Applejack's "hat" on.  Robs' referee decision was to have them do it as a team.  

The past couple years we have either purchased costumes or used some hand me downs which have both been wonderful. This year I decided I wanted a little project (which turned into a bigger project...not something I wanted but still enjoyed).  The requirements were: cute, matching, easy & cheap. 

"Little Hoots" won out over the other ideas.  I found an idea on Pinterest to embellish a shirt with feathers which was definitely easy! In all my excitement, I showed the girls the prototype online after telling them they would get to wear an owl costume. Charlotte looked really sad when she saw the boring embellished shirt & said "but Mommy, I want wings so I can fly like a real owl." Valid request for a four year old & one I could not ignore so the plans changed & the project grew to include wings. Three days before Halloween, I finally got the bug to start making the costumes I had purchased fabric for a month earlier. Apparently I work well under pressure because I worked only at night & finished them just in the nick of time about an hour before trick or treating began!

The girls were precious & kept telling me "thank you!" as they "flew" around the house & the yard. Here is the finished product for the girls.... 

and the four little hoots altogether.

Poor Mighty O was not feeling so hot that day....although he was actually VERY hot temperature wise reaching just under 104!  Long story short, after 3-4 days of a high fever he broke out in a rash & has now been diagnosed with Roseola (by me). Charlotte had it as a baby & then Anson had it a few weeks ago so I am pretty familiar with the symptoms. We decided maybe Bella is a carrier since she is the one always sticking her tongue in peoples mouths although now that I think about it, Eloise could be the culprit ; )  Owen was miserable with the fever & I was thankful for having some Motrin around to keep him comfortable. We did lots of snuggling day & night.  He still made quite the cute little owl though & ended up being happier outside for the evening than he had been inside all day.  He was also much happier when Mommy was holding him instead of having to sit in the poky grass.

I did happen to catch Owen's only smile for three days straight...

The best part of Halloween is when we got to pick up Super-Gaga from the airport. We seriously should have made her a cape to wear as her costume. She was coming to the rescue following an SOS call I made last week in complete exhaustion & sadness after weeks of sickness between all the kiddos topped off with Charlotte telling me that she wished she had a new mommy. I shall share that story in another post. I was over the moon excited when she told me she wanted to buy a ticket to come help for an extended weekend. What a gift!

The woman pictured above made countless Halloween costumes over the years. Some were fancy, some were simple but all were creative, made by a loving mother & worn proudly by her children. Sitting up late at night making these owl costumes was a really sweet time for me. I have been in an emotional slump lately & found that having some time to myself while children are asleep doing something creative was really relaxing. Plus I remember my mom & both of my grandmothers sewing all sorts of things while growing up & am loving carrying on that hobby. I hope the girls will want to learn someday although if they follow in my footsteps they will care less about learning until they move halfway across the United States away from their mama & then develop a strong desire to be domestic ; ) 

Overall I spent $11 on the fabric & cut about 250 feathers which I thought would take forever but it was quite easy & quick. I think it took me longer to sew the buttons on their hats...I hate sewing buttons! It was definitely a fun project, even with the addition of wings!

Owen

Anson

Trick or treating was a blast! We walked around with some neighbors that have two little girls.  They got the hang of the process really quickly & as a result ended up with ALOT of candy. Eloise was hilarious when she would walk away from every house saying "I got a-yot! I yuve candy!" After the first house Elo exclaimed she wanted to eat her candy right away.  My mom told her that she could eat some when she got home so then she started saying she wanted to go home. Haha! Overall, they were very polite waiting their turn & saying thank you to all the neighbors.

It didn't take Owee long to fall asleep & those feathers must have been nice to rub your face on ; )

Anson was a squeaky wheel & ended up in the Ergo which kept him happy & awake for the hour & a half we spent walking around.

 Eloise was a big girl & walked most of the way but got a little tired at the end so Gaga gave her a ride.

We have enjoyed the awesome candy stash...especially me. I am thinking that Halloween candy last year was the beginning of my downfall into gestational diabetes ; ) It was such a fun evening & I have a feeling we will get some use of the owl costumes in the dress up bin. I'm off to eat some more chocolate!