FF draft

 It's football time and that means Fantasy Football drafting is going on.  The John Deere draft was on Sunday, so that meant a fun day with the girls while the boys were picking their teams.  We had our friends over for lunch before the draft started.  For lunch, Joey smoked a roast that we made into pulled beef sandwichs.  Joey also smoked a boston butt for the draft that he started at 10:30pm on saturday night.  In fact, we were in bed and his alarm went off and I asked what that was for and he promptly got up out of bed and said he had to go put his meat in the smoker!!  Yes, we were well in bed before 10:30 at night =D 

Our friends, Melissa and Andy came from DM for lunch, and our neighbor Jody and boys and Angie all came.  After the boys left, we had girls day (with kids).  I haven't talked to Melissa in FOREVER, she only likes to text!  She informed us of many life changes going on.  NO she's not pregnant! And because she only likes to text I'll just tell you, they are buying a house in DM and she is going to be starting a new job.  And Angie C. is buying a new house too!  They both close on the same day!!  And everyone caught up with Jody and how her treatments are going.
 
Side note* My friend Ashley is buying a house too!  They close beginning of Sept.  Must be home buying season.

Brody and Grant played very well together and both of them entertained the girls'

  



Melissa, Brody and Ella

 

 

Brody and Ella

Miss Ella is just such a flirt (look at her grin)!!  It started with Grant..she would just giggle and giggle at him.  She was just so smiley and giggly with Brody too!  Even daycare has said she loves the boys on the toddler side!  What am I going to do with her?!!!

Feeding line--Brody thought he needed to fed baby food.

The draft lasted ALL DAY, so by evening time we ordered some pizza and we all ate dinner together. 

 

Although these boys are kinda annoying with about this FF stuff, I can say I am glad they had it cause we get to have a girls' day!!  Next year Lynn has come!!!  And Kara and Lexie too...even if your hubbys don't do it ;)

 

 

Micah all smiles!  He is just so cute!

 

 

Pumped up kicks!

2 in shoes!!  Not sure how long Josie will last with them on. Right now, she is trying to chew on them and kicks her feet together to try and get them off. 

Back at it

School has officially started on Wednesday.  I had to report last Thursday, students this Wednesday.  Day 1, 45 minutes into the day I had one of frequent fliers. Ugh! Turns out he was actually sick.  And....it's started!  I have been super busy at work, but still manage to go check on the girls a couple times during the day.  :)  The girls are NOT sleeping well during the day, too much stimulation.  We are still trying though.  Although they are tired, they are still happy babies.  Everyone loves them!  They still smile and giggle.  In fact, I went down and a student (who has a kid in there) and her friend were playing with my girls!  Normally not a big deal, but this is where I get really psycho.  I freaked out a bit cause I knew they didn't wash their hands before touching them.  Or prolly after they went to the bathroom or after they picked their nose/butts.  You get where I'm going with this.  Crazy NURSE Angie!  I will soo have to get over the germ thing.

 

 

 Josie in her "high chair."  They are just too cute in these little things.

 

Ella in the bouncer.

 



The one time they actually were napping.  It lasted 30mins...

 

They are not napping well there at all.  The staff has been good at sticking at it, trying to put them down at regular times.  It is just too different from home.  Too much noise, light and activity going on.  I hope they get used to it soon, cause this is what when we get home--

They are extra whiney and then they crash. 

 

I sometimes feel like my stopping in at the daycare is annoying to the staff.  I sometimes feel like I'm the crazy mom!  I will just make them cookies sometime.  Cookies make up for everything, right?

Harder

I know that I have posted on here how sad I was to take the girls to daycare.  Well this is just another blog about that.  This time seems even harder for me to leave them.  We had all summer together and we got into such a routine and now I feel like that is just going to go all out the window.  They interact more, play more and definitely know who I am.  The daycare staff take very good care of the girls and today they were the ONLY ones in there until afternoon.  I told them our schedule we had and how we do things at home and she said she would do her best to follow/keep the schedule.

 

(first day of school and dressed in cute dresses from Lynn,. Love them!!)

 

 

I missed the girls terribly today and was weighing in my head all day long the pros and cons of me working.

Pros: 

•  I work (there is just something mental for me to be working--adult convo, thinking, feeling productive, I will hopefully eat better since I pack my lunch and won't graze all day long at home).
• The girls get stimulation they don't get at home.  Sometimes at home I felt like they needed more.
• They will learn to adapt.  A very important skill
• They are in the same bldg. as me and was able to check in on them today
• I will hopefully get to work out and not have to pack them up.  I really do like to work out and will be able to do it at the HS and the girls can just stay in the daycare.  I don't have to pack them up and all that hassel.
• My job has many breaks for me to spend with my kiddos.

Cons:

• I am not the one caring for my girls.  Nobody, and I mean NOBODY can care for my girls like mom!  All the love I give them can't be replaced.
• The schedule I worked so hard for will go out the window.  I am hoping not.  I also feel like it's not fair to them to have to follow our schedule.
• Sickness will happen
• The days are busy.  I get up at 6am to get to work at 8.  That's far from when I only needed 45mins to get ready.  Not to mention all the evening activities.
• Spending not as much time with them.

I am hoping that these feelings work them selves out and it does get easier.  I just can't believe how hard it was today.  Hoping this year goes fast and wishing it was June 2014 for summer with my girls'.

We're FAMOUS!!!

I know a girl, this girl majored in journalism and now she writes for the Ottumwa Evening Post.  It is a free online "newspaper."  She recently got the job and LOVES it and asked me if I had any story ideas for her.  Which I didn't, but told her I would try to think of some.  SURPRISE..I didn't think of any.  Lame.  Well, she had a story idea and it was about us, the girls, our special pregnancy!  She asked me if she could do a story about it and I said sure!  I wasn't sure how the story was going to come together or really that it's a story anyone would want to read/care about. 

Later that evening, she published our story and I couldn't be happier!  I thought she did a great job!  In fact, I sound AWESOME!!!  Which I am not! LOL!!  I really truly loved the article and I am so glad it turned out!   

 

Here is the link to the article

 

http://www.ottumwapost.com/oepaug1413/

 

I think this will go quite nicely in the girls' baby books!

 

Thanks so much Pam!  What a wonderful article!

 

ps Pam: I told all staff at work today so you would hopefully get more people on The Post!!

 



Last Days of Summer

I have just 4 more days of summer break and then I have to report back to work :(  I think I am ready to go back, as of just recently the days were getting really long at home.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed most of the time with the girls, but some adult conversation is nice.

A few times, the girls and I, walked up to Jody's house and visited with her and her boys!  Grant provided lots of stimulation for the girls and I got to cuddle with Micah plus some Jody time!

 

I got some pictures of the girls and Micah and he is the same size as Ella, but is 4 months younger!  It makes me wonder if I am feeding her enough, but when she is hungry you KNOW it! 

Just about the same size, except Ella has thunder thighs! ;)

 



All three

 

Also, with summer break coming to an end, so it my breast milk.  I am just about out of my frozen stash and have started to wean Josie from nursing.  So now starts the transition to formula and it's bitter sweet.  I'm not quite ready to quit, but I am thankful that I was able to go this long.  Breastfeeding twins for 8 months really counts as 16 months for one right?!!!  On that note, formula is so expensive!! Oh well!

 

Here's to the last few days I have left! =)

Self soothing

Self soothing, cry it out, tough love, bad parenting or whatever you want to call it, Joey and I had to do this. It started just a few weeks ago when I went to dinner with a friend and Josie cried for an hour and half for dad. Huh?!! Really, that's weird. She has never done that before. Any who, the next weeks were a blur of crying until last Sunday when I put Josie down for a nap and she started screaming bloody murder!  She was fine until I put her in the crib. So she cried for 10 mins and I thought, "Maybe she just isn't tired" so I picked her up and laid with her. She was OUT in 3 mins!!  Soooo, tough loving was going to be happening that night. Joey and I were on the same page that we were NOT to pick her up when she cried from her crib. 

Sunday night: bedtime routine and Josie put to bed. Instant crying. Joey or I go in and check on her every 10mins, but not pick her up. 50 mins later she finally fell asleep. 

Monday: nap-crying for 40 mins

Monday night-crying for another 50 mins

Tues: J wakes up with a raspy voice and at nap cries again for 25 mins

Tues night she cries for 45 mins. 

 

Wed nap: she cried for 10 mins

Wed night she cried for 30 mins  I start to question this method and tell Joey we should just bring her in to bed with us!  Totally kidding on that, but I am really sick of hearing her cry at nap and bedtime.  I stick with it though.

 

Thurs nap: NO crying!!!!!  =D

Thurs night: she cried for 15 mins, but it wasn't as intense of a cry.  It wasn't the screaming, lose her voice cry like she had been doing

 

Friday nap: no crying

Friday night: NO CRYING!!!  AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

 

I really hope we are over it.  I might be "counting my chickens before my eggs have hatched," but yesterday was awesome.  If this continues we will be able to put Ella back in her crib.  We had put her in a pack n play in the other room so she wasn't disturbed by her drama sister! :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting Comfy

Ella is the most interesting sleeper.  She seems to always be in a new position.  Here are just are a few..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My personal favorite!