Monday, December 21, 2009

"You Have Your Hands Full" Competition!!!!

This picture was taken by the receipt checker at SAM's. She couldn't believe I tackled a Sam's trip on my own with (2) 8 months olds, a 4 year old, and a BIG stroller. You just DO what you GOTTA do! How else would things get done? I have to leave my house, but somedays the comments make it undesirable to do so.

The competition is on and you could be the lucky winner. Let me explain.

Prior to having twins, I recall vividly doing the same thing that I am about to discuss. The fortunate thing is, I did it VERY innocently, and while I am CERTAIN many are also doing it innocently to me, the unfortunate thing is I am really getting tired of hearing it.

Before becoming a Christian, I did everything in my power to be famous. Ha ha. I applied to be on multiple reality television shows (Fear Factor and Big Brother are just a few that I recall). I was successful with two in particular. One show was called, "My Family Rocks!" I was personally contacted by the network and was asked for more information regarding my family. And then there was Big Brother (I believe it was season 6). Out of over 100,000 applicants, I made it to the semi-finals (only 100 people stood remaining). They flew me out to Pittsburg, Philadelphia, were I was interviewed by CBS' back seat people of the Big Brother show. Needless to say and truly thankfully, I didn't make it. I guess I wasn't sexy enough, gossipy enough, wild enough, etc. And then, God blesses me with twins.

I will admit, having twins has given me the front seat to and a very small taste of, I am sure, what being a celebrity is really all about. I feel eyes on me constantly. I have voices from every end of the spectrum commenting, both good and bad, on either Lilah/Jax, the size of the stroller, etc., etc. The comments range from extremely heart-warming and beautiful to deeply shocking, as well as, hurtful. I even have people come up to me as I am loading the babies into the vehicle, startling me, and probing me fore answers regarding the babies. People truly just do not think before they speak or act.

In the beginning, I loved the attention. As I have stated before on my blog, it's a miracle that a child is even conceived to begin with. Having one child is such a beautiful miracle in and of itself. Many women struggle with the ability to conceive, while others have no desire at all to be a mother. I didn't struggle with either: conceiving immediately. I feel blessed beyond belief that I was able to carry one child to full term, much less another two at the same time. I got to experience pregnancy and child birth in two different fashions. BOTH were equally amazing.

However, with that being said, being a mother of multiples has it's tough times and it's not because I have two more children. It's because people just won't leave you alone. I am NOT some anti-social person. I love conversing with people I know and love as well as a perfectly good stranger, but there are those days that you just want to enjoy an evening out with your family and not be harassed.

So here is where the competition begins. I hear MANY comments and to MOST of them, I have great comebacks. For instance, I hear so often, "Wow, double trouble!" I just respond with, "I like to say Twice as Nice!" I think people think I am lying, but I'm not. I love my babies. I have tough days, but we all do. But overall, they are Angels!!!! Ask Kaitlyn or Shawn if you don't believe Darren and myself. Another comment is, "God bless you!" I typically respond with, "He already has twice." (Well really 3 times, but they are referring to Lilah and Jax most of the time.) Yesterday, while at Wal-mart, I was in the toy aisle, with about 4 other families. Someone spotted the double LONG stroller :) and said aloud, "WOW, how do you do it?" I responded, "You really want to know? GOD. CHRIST. That's how I do it!" You would have thought I said the "F" word by the reaction of those standing in the aisle. Everyone literally turned around and starred me down. Where I really am having a tough time is when I am out in public and someone says, "Boy, you've got your hands FULL!" DO I REALLY? Here is where I want your help! I need a GOOD response for this one. So, you have the ability to post a comment on this post. I will compile everyone's suggested responses to that comment. Darren and I will decide which reply suites our personality and/or the situation BEST. I want the reply to be Christ-like, loving, possibly humorous and maybe even a little sarcastic, if that's possible to do while focusing on making the response Christ-like. If your response is chosen, I will offer you a $25 gift card to the store of your choice. I am so excited to see what clever comebacks you come up with.

In the meantime, pray for me :) and PLEASE respect those people with multiples. Think about the things you say, before you say them. After all, in the grand scheme of things, having twins shouldn't be that obnoxious or abnormal compared to octuplets. It's really just ONE more child. Why is that such a big deal to so many people!!!!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

A White Christmas!

Well, it may not be December 25th, but this is as close as anyone can get to having a white Christmas! The national weather service has issued a winter weather warning for Friday through Saturday evening in Roanoke, VA and surrounding areas. The weather men forcasted snowfall totals to accumulate anywhere from 16-20 inches and while we always joke that those weather men do not have a clue about weather, this time, they were correct. It's the most snow we've had in 12 years.

The roads were trecherous as soon as the snow began to fall. Darren actually was driving home from the mall with Ty and lost control of his vehicle and landed in a ditch. Luckily, one of our Church members saw Darren and Ty and pulled them out of the ditch. Thanks Adam Schoonover!!!! Rob Higgs was on his way, but the roads were so bad that it was taking him longer than normal to reach Darren at the location where he wrecked.

I am so thrilled to be all done with my Christmas shopping. I am using this "down time" to wrap all of the gifts, cook, bake, clean, and hopefully relax a little. I feel so sorry for all of those people who thought they had one more weekend to get their shopping done. Not sure how that is going to happen. I believe the malls are open, but the roads are terrible.

Enjoy a few pictures of Lilah and Jax enjoying the snow in a multitude of ways.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Merry Christmas From Our "End" to Yours!

By now, our Christmas cards should have arrived to your home. We had the pleasure of hiring Shannon Maggi who captured some cute Christmas photos in our family's matching pjs. These 3 photos of the twins are just a few that I was unable to incorporate into our Christmas card, but I had to share them on the blog.

On top of the family get togethers, holiday parties, yummy food, and the gift exchanging, it is our prayer that your Christmas is filled with the true meaning of Christmas...Christ. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government, shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

May God bless your home now and always!!!!


Saturday, December 5, 2009

Jaxon and Lilah Try to Understand Christmas!


There is so much to learn about the true meaning of Christmas, but unfortunately we cannot really teach that to Jaxon and Lilah just yet. So, in the interim, Jaxon and Lilah are divulging all there is to know about Christmas through the lights, the holiday events, the Christmas trees, and I guess all the Christmas music we have been singing around this house (since November 12th). I captured this picture today as Jax sat on my bed and looked out our Christmas-decorated window while the snow fell. Ugh, he's so scrumptious. AND, as someone else put it so perfectly last week, "I love me some Jax" - - if you can't guess who that was, I'll tell ya ~ Kaitlyn.

Drastic Times, Call for Drastic Measures!

The other day, it was about that time of day, the time of day it always is every 4 hours on the dot - feeding time. Lilah and Jax were depending on their last calorie to hold them over until mommy tried to get "just one more thing" done. Finally, as the whines began approaching and the screams were getting louder and louder, almost as if they could be translated into English, you would hear, "What are you waiting for woman. We are starving!" I finally began to prepare their bottles OR so I thought. Lilah and Jax only use one type of bottle. It's the Playtex bottle with liners. If you don't have a liner, you can't feed your baby or in my case babies! Anyway, just thought I would share what I was forced to do out of desperation. I get the hebe gee bees just thinking about it. I'm sure you could guess. Can you tell I am ashamed to admit what I had to do from the delay? Okay, I had to take two bottle liners out of the TRASH CAN and rinse them in blazing hot water and reuse them. AHHHHHH! GROSS!!!!!!

This morning, I woke up at 6:15 am. I was extremely uncomfortable because I was sleeping in between Jax and Ty. Yes, Lilah was the only well behaved kid last night. I decided to get up and do a few things before the house got up for the day. The boys, including Darren, slept until 8:00 am, but Lilah got up about 7:15 am. SO, when it was time for me to get showered, Lilah had to come with. I guess I could have kept her in her bumbo outside of the shower, but I felt I had more control over her in the shower. I thought these pictures did a great job capturing Lilah taking a big girl shower with mommy (don't worry... there are NO pictures of me! Are you crazy?)

Oh the things you do as parents now that you swore you'd never do because it would mean you were mimicking your own parents actions from long ago. LOL!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Swine Flu Blues

This picture above was taken lastnight at dinner from my cell phone! Poor baby!

Last Wednesday night, after church, we noticed Lilah had a fever. Since then, she has yet to recover. I took her to the doctor the very next day. Dr. Beasley said, "She has a virus!" I decided to go to Raleigh, NC for the weekend anyway (there was MUCH debate and back and forth about it, after all, I didn't want to get anyone else sick!), because I didn't want to miss Salene's birthday party. By Sunday, Lilah had to visit the ER in Raleigh at Wake Medical Center. Lilah's fever has spiked as high as 103. Poor baby. The throw ups and diarrhea have now begun. She has been placed on tamaflu. Unfortunately, she didn't start it until yesterday because when I went to fill her prescription, Walgreens was out of it. I did finally find a place yesterday that had it...Kroger of all places. She received her second dosage this morning, but threw it up.

I am trying to prepare for a visit from my mom and sister who I haven't seen in over 18 months (sad to say). The laundry is piled high, the house is remotely clean, and the refrigerator is EMPTY, but as much as I feel God is testing my patience, I am THANKFUL to Him that ONLY Lilah and Darren are sick. I just heard that a local neighbor has two kids sick with the swine flu, the mom has it, and the 3rd child just fell and broke his arm in 2 places, ALL while her husband is OUT of town. I'm trying really hard not to grumble or complain after hearing that!

Please keep Liley Bo Biley as well as daddy in your thoughts and prayers.

I'm sure you are wondering HOW IN THE WORLD am I finding time to upload photos and blog. Darren and I had to GIVE UP on working out this week completely (VERY ODD FOR US, ESPECIALLY HIM) because the nights are long and the sleep is choppy. So, I am able to stay up a little late to get some FREE time to myself.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

This Year's Halloween Costumes!

If you didn't receive one of our Halloween cards in the mail, then take at peak at the picture below! It requires no explanation. This idea stemmed from Ty's love for the movie "The Wizard of Oz." We tried to convince Daddy to be the scarecrow, but after ALL the cracks people made about him in dressed up as the "Man In The Yellow Hat", he refused. I too was going to complete the look and dress up as the wicked witch of the East (oh so opposite of my real life persona :) but our Church doesn't allow scary costumes. Ty is having a blast using his ax, Lilah is just as sweet as Dorothy is in the movie, and Jax, well, his costume fits his personality just great... cranky and ornery.
At the recomendation of a friend, I just entered the picture into the Roanoke Times Halloween contest. I will send you the link so you can vote on them to WIN! If we are chosen, we are elligible for a $400 Visa Gift Card!

I will also be uploading all of the fantastic photos taken of them in costume (by Shannon Maggi). It was a tough task not only taking pictures of 3 children, but 3 children in costumes. Shannon did her magic and captured a few great shots though, even under the cicumstances.

Kaitlyn, thanks for your assistance too! Life is so much easier with you around.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Lilah & Jaxon Are 180 Days Old!

Our sweet babies are officially 6 months old. It's incredibly hard to believe how quickly time passes. I try hard to appreciate the special moments I have with them because before a blink of an eye I am sure they will want nothing to do with me.

Today, Lilah and Jax had their check ups. This visit was tough because on top of the normal vaccinations they had to get, they also got a flu shot and a swine flu shot. Both babies cried really hard, but Lilah, oh my, I'm pretty sure if we could have interpreted her baby lingo into English, she was definitely telling the nurse off. Liley was more angry/irate than upset.

Below are the stats that we received from Dr. Delaney today.




Lilah Ann Bolling:
She is truly the joy of my heart. It's so nice to snuggle up with her and get a sweet giggle or a beautiful smile out of her. She goes with the flow, perfectly content with everything that takes place around her. Unless of course big brother is being brutally rough with her.

Lilah has rolled over from belly to back. She is sitting up pretty well with the help of mommy or daddy. She also loves to babble. She still spits up quite often and hasn't given up those "sneaky poopies" yet. Some of her favorite things are daddy, big brother, watching Ninja walk around, her teething ring, and bath time. Lilah is up to 6 ounces of formula.

She is now:
  • 14 pounds
  • 24.5 inches tall
  • 16 inch head circumference
  • She is in the 15th percentile compared to other little girls

Jaxon Reid Bolling

Oh Jax! It's a good thing he is so adorable you could eat him with a spoon because his temperment really causes you to want to chew him up and spit him out. :) He's definitely black or white. He's either all smiles or all tears. I have to say though, even when he cries, he's rather cute. Am I bias or what. I love his dimples. He inheritted those from mommy. Unlike Lilah, Jax is not perfectly content much anywhere unless he is in Kaitlyn's arms :) Okay... or mommy's too, but he loves his Kaitlyn. She spoils him to death.

Jax is not too ambitious to move just yet. He also sits up really well with the help of mommy or daddy. He loves to razze and blow big foamy spit bubbles. Some of Jax's favorites things are Kaitlyn, eating, Kaitlyn, eating, did I say Kaitlyn??? And how about eating???? LOL! Okay, he also loves grabbing his toes, passie, bath time, and body massages. Jax is up to 6.5 ounces of formula.

He is now:

  • 19 pounds
  • 27.5 inches tall
  • 17.5 inch head circumference
  • He is in the 65 percentile for weight, 85 percentile for height

Both Lilah and Jax are developing great according to Dr. Delaney. Praise God! They have been introduced to quite a bit of fruits and vegetables (pears, peaches, prunes, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, mango, apples, peas, green beans, spinach, sweet potatoes, and squash). Most of the time I make homemade baby food, but I have to say as easy as that is, sometimes, the reality is that "Earth's Best" baby food is much more convenient. Jax loves to eat solids. Lilah tolerates the solid foods, but sometimes I have to force it in her mouth. Often times, Jax eats sissy's food too. :)

Finally, Lilah and Jax are great night time sleepers. We put them to bed between 6:45-7:00 pm and they wake up between 7:15-8:00 am. Naps on the other hand are very random throughout the day. Typically, they get about (2) 1 hour naps. I would rather them sleep good at night, then throughout the day though.

Life with twins and a 4 year old is still managable for sure. I am looking forward to them becoming mobile as odd as that may sound. Get back to me in 6 months and I will tell you if I am eating my words or not. I guess I say that because it's tough to hold two babies equaling 33 pounds at the same time. I will say, I now have "Gretchen biceps" :) So, for those of you who desire that look, conceive twins. That'll do it!

I am thankful to God for these beautiful blessings. If I would have had only one more baby, I'm pretty certain I would not have tried for a third, but God blessed me with two more, possibly for that very reason. Darren asked me today if we could have ONE more. AHHH! I would love to adopt and we are exploring the option of giving a child a great home, but being pregnant is just something I no longer desire.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Smallest

The Smallest

by Samantha Bell

If you pick up your little sister
When she falls and skins her knee
If you help her tie her shoestrings
Because she's only three

If you race a little slower
So the winner she will be
If you play her favorite game
While sitting down for tea

Jesus sees what you are doing
"And know this, my friend", says HE.
"When you do it for the smallest,
You are doing it for ME."
We love you Liley Bo Biley!
Love, Daddy, Mommy, Tyson and Jaxon

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Poops...She Did It Again!"

Whoever said that "little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything that's nice!" lied. Our little Lilah is certainly adorable, but in our house, she is known as "the dirtiest girl we know!" We even have a little song that we sing to the tune of that phrase. I have to warn the childcare workers at Church as well as Kaitlyn and Shawn to look out for Lilah's silent yet messy poops. They are the kind of poops that "sneak" into the diaper. It's not until the poop is halfway up the back and into the arm pits that you even know it existed in the first place.

Being a stay-at-home mom means you're the CEO, Director Of Operations and Head Of Finance of your own company. Yea, a company that POOPS on you, LITERALLY. As the CEO of this Company, I have to announce, sometimes this job STINKS, no pun intended. LOL!

Enjoy the pictures below. 1. Lilah's sneaky poop, 2. Lilah bathes in the kitchen sink, 3. The "dirty" mess, and 4. Lilah dries off with a dish towel. Hey, sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Good thing she's small. Or better yet, good thing this wasn't Ty instead.




Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Making Room For TWO More!!!!

I knew this post's title would catch the eyes of MANY. No, Darren and I are not expecting another set of twins... at least that I know of :) We are, however, making room for two more chairs at our dinner table. Once, a circle shape, consisting of 4 chairs, our dinner table is now an oval shape consisting of 6 chairs (4 chairs and 2 booster seats). I never invisioned having a "BIG" family, but by the grace of God, I do now. We have really been enjoying sitting together, as a family, at dinner time. Although Lilah and Jax do not talk yet, they are certainly adding to the humor as well as the conversations at the dinner table by babbling and razzing away. I'm not really sure how the Duggars do it, nor do I ever wish to find out. I think we will stop at three children, unless God has another surprise planned up his "sleeve" for us. But today however, I did learn that the Duggars are expecting their 19th child. Better them, then us. Looking forward to what's to come, in the future, at this dinner table.

Friday, August 28, 2009

I CANNOT go bald if I try!


Ladies, if you are pregnant or just gave birth beware! After pregnancy, you don't just have the pressure of having to loose that dreadful weight, but you also have to deal with the loss of something else as well.... HAIR. That's right.

The picture above is a really gross picture, but I had to share this post to be taken seriously. Darren removed this hair from our shower drain today. And this is NOT the first time he has done this in the last 5 months. I'd say, he's done it at least three other times. Keep in mind, I comb out my hair when the conditioner is in and I make certain that, as best as possible, I do NOT let my hair go down the drain. So if you can imagine, I lose triple the amount of hair that you see in the picture above.

I just find it hilarious that no matter how much hair I lose, I am still not bald. Multiple times, Darren has requested I save the hair and dry it out. Then, send it to "make a wish foundation" or some place that makes wigs for cancer patients. That's just plain nasty. I doubt they would accept it. Do you?

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Lilah and Jax's Surrogate Mommy!

Since the twins have been about 2 months old, Kaitlyn has become Lilah and Jax's surrogate mommy ;) At only 20 years of age, Kaitlyn has gained the true knowledge of what it's like to be a mother VERY quickly. For the most part, Kaitlyn stayed with the twins througout the summer, once a week, so I could take Ty out on a weekly date. In the very beginning, I accepted her offer to spend the night one time and do the 2 am feeding and 5 am feeding. It was the first night that Darren and I both got more that 2 hours of sleep at a time since their birth. And finally, it's no secret that Darren and I went away for a few days and Kaitlyn cared for the twins ALL alone. She was responsible for all the feedings, baths, and the diaper changes. She even ventured out to dinner and to church with BOTH babies while we were gone. I couldn't ask for a better "nanny" and I thank God OFTEN for placing her in our lives.

Kaitlyn, you are so insanely sweet. Your sincere love for our babies is extrememly touching. It's hard ot find someone you can trust with your children, must less your newborns. You are going to make Shawn one lucky man one day!!!!! I pray that God blesses you with those 5 children that you want, but In the meantime, feel free to get your baby fix from our three children any old time you wish.

Love ya girl! As do our babies!!!!! And I look forward to getting to know you more and more.

Lilah and Jax's First Experience With Solid Food!

Enjoy two short video clips of Lilah and Jax's first experience/reaction to solid food. By the physical appearance of each of them, I'm sure it's not a surprise nor a secret who enjoyed the food and who didn't!!!!!

I'm holding on tight to the idea of ONLY using the bumbo seats or booster seats for feedings. My stepmom asked me the other day, "Do you feel like your house is being taken over by baby items?" I said, "Not really!" She said, "I feel that way at my house." My thoughts are just because you have kids doesn't mean every room in the house has to look like you do. I'm thankful we have a nice size basement and I hope that it becomes the "hip" place to play when Lilah and Jax start crawling and walking.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Lilah & Jax Turn 4 Months Old

Dr. Delaney should have no problem paying his mortgage this month :) We had all three kids in his office this week for the 4 year old and 4 month old check-ups. Lilah and Jax are growing, growing, growing. Enjoy a few updates and pictures of our sweet twinsies.

Lilah:
Our baby girl is a pure joy to be around. "Long" ago, she was known as the fussy one, but now, she is purely angelic (unless of course she's hungry). She's developed a few cute nick names: "Liley", "Liley Bo-Biley", "Bo-Biley" and she's best known as "Smiley Liley". Lilah's smiles all the time and it completely melts our hearts. It's entirely impossible NOT to kiss her all day. She has a boyfriend already: Shawn Belcher.

A few milestones that Lilah has accomplished are cooing, holding a toy for short periods, smiling, and ALMOST rolling over. So close, yet so far away.
  • Lilah weighs 11 pounds 1 ounce, putting her in the 15% percentile on the growth chart
  • Lilah's height is 23 inches
  • Lilah's head size is 15 1/4 inches
  • Lilah drinks 5.5 ounces of formula.
  • Lilah's eyes are still blue.

Jaxon:
Our little man Jaxon is quite the opposite from Lilah. He used to be the angelic one and now he is a big whiner. I'm pretty sure calling him "my favorite" has been placed on hold, temporarily :) Even a gentle touch to his skin, at the wrong time in his day, causes him to scream. Jaxon has also developed a few nick names: "Jax" and "Bo-Baxey". We take great joy in his beautiful smile and dimples. When he cries, he squeals, and it is quite humorous. Oddly enough, Darren sometimes takes enjoyment out of his squealing because he thinks it's hilarious. Jax has definitely grown into himself and it's totally impossible to not fall in love him. He has a girlfriend already: Kaitlyn Graham.


A few milestones that he has accomplished are cooing and smiling.
  • Jaxon weighs 15 pounds 2 ounces, putting him in the 50% percentile
  • Jaxon's height is 25 inches
  • Jaxon's head size is 16 1/4
  • Jaxon is drinking 6 ounces of formula.
  • Jaxon's eyes are turning colors. It appears to be brown.
Overall, it's still about 90% easy being a mother of multiples. As they continue to get older, Jax and Lilah are staying awake more often throughout the day, so that creates less and less time to do my daily chores. I am blessed with the ability to hire Kaitlyn (Jax's "girlfriend") once a week so that I can clean the house or take Ty out on a date.
Both babies are NOW sleeping through the night. We put them down between 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm and they sleep until at least 7 am the next morning (Lilah usually sleeps until 8:00 am). We do interrupt their sleep at 9 pm and 5 am to feed them however.
Dr. Delaney has given us permission to start the twins on baby food, but we are going to hold off for 2-3 more weeks. Darren and I are leaving ALL 3 kids home with two sitters so we can go on a get-a-way trip to the beach. I will miss them dearly, but I am really ready for some special time with my hubby. Please pray for Kaitlyn and Mattie :) It's a tough job for sure!!!!!
Thanks be to God for these multiple blessings!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Hokie Fans Times TWO!!!!

Hokie season is right around the corner and although daddy is really not into football as much as he used to be, Lilah and Jax decided to surprise him this morning. Check out the pictures below of Lilah and Jax decked out in Hokie gear. GO HOKIES!
I posted just three of my favorites/the cuter ones, although I think they were all adorable. But if you wish to view them all, just click on the link below.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Lilah Almost Rolls Over!!!!!!!!!!

All this week, Darren and Ty will be leaving the twins and I behind while they enjoy Vacation Bible School (Darren is one of the teachers actually :) So, I am spending some sweet one on one time with Lilah and Jax while they are gone.

This video was accidentally captured last night. It was absolutely hilarious. Lilah was responding to my every command and ALMOST rolled over. Does she already understand English?
ENJOY & TURN UP YOUR VOLUME!!!!

Monday, July 13, 2009

A Mess In The Twins' Nursery!

Oh my goodness, do I have a funny story to share. On Saturday night, Darren went downstairs to prepare the babies' bottles. It was the last feeding of the evening. Yes, they are finally sleeping through the night (8:30 pm to 6:00 am). His duty is to make the bottles, my duty is to change their diapers. It just works. The bottles were ready, so Darren peeked his head inside our bedroom where I was, and he said, "They're ready!" I said, "Okay, I'll be in there in a sec." Before my feet could hit the ground (I was sitting on my bed), I hear "AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!" I had no idea what I was about to witness.


I quickly jumped off of my bed and ran down the hallway, fearful that something might be wrong with one of the twins. Darren was standing in the pitch black room. I said, "What's wrong?" I turned on the lights and just started to laugh hysterically. It was all I could do. Darren walked into the twins room in the dark and stepped right into a pile of dog poo. As Ninja is getting older, he is beginning to have accidents in our home. We are very upset about. Darren was so upset after this pile of poo, he said, "That's it, get rid of him!" I could never, but I must say, I contemplated it after this mess I had to clean up. I am not sure it would have been so bad had he NOT stepped in it and smeared it across the room. This gives new meaning to stepping in a pile of poo. Enjoy the pictures :)

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Lilah Gets Accessorized!

I've been dying to get Lilah's ears' pierced since she's been born. For whatever reason, every time I have attempted it, it just hasn't worked out. Yesterday, I gave it another shot and I was successful. With Darren, Tyson, and Jax along for the adventure, we pierced sissy's ears. Needless to say, it was NOT a pain-free experience, but the tears dried up after about 3 minutes. We thought she was adorable before, but she's even more adorable now.

Before:



During:


After:

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Lilah and Jax are 2 Months Old

Darren and I survived the first 2 months of life with twins. It's truly been easy. We are definitely sleep deprived, but I think sleep is overated. We have chosen to NOT let the arrival of two more babies change our lives for the worse. Our attitude has been amazing and we owe it all to God. I guess he really did know we could handle this. Since their arrival, we have been to the beach twice. So, as you can see, they are not going to cause our lives to stop. If anything, they are adding extra joy to our lives.

Today, Lilah and Jax had their 2 month check up. Here are their stats:

Lilah:
Born at 4 lbs 7 ounces, NOW weighs 8.8
Born at 17.5 inches long, NOW is 20 inches long
Drinks 4 ounces of formula every 4 hours

Jaxon:
Born at 5 lbs 7 ounces, NOW weights 11.4
Born at 19.5 inches long, NOW is 22.5 inches long
Drinks 5 ounces of formula every 4 hours.

Dr. Delaney is very pleased with the way they are growing.

Mommy still has quite a bit of weight to lose, but has already lost 38 pounds. I started back working out yesterday and I hope to lose the last 10 pounds before long!

Take a peak at some pictures from their doctor visit below!!!!

Dr. Delaney with Lilah

Dr. Delaney with Jax

Friday, May 15, 2009

Surgery Complete. Recovery Over.

Jax's surgery was successful. Dr. Densmore said that both hernias were able to be repaired. He also stated, "the hernias were big". Jax is resting at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. He isn't eating well (only had 2 ounces of formula since 7 am) and is slightly fussy - crying out every so often.

When we arrived to Jax's hospital room, the patient who was staying in the room prior to us was just getting ready to leave. The patient was was an 8 month old baby boy. He was born 3 months early and spent the first 5 months of his life at RMH. Although this surgery was a big deal for us, I feel so blessed that Jax only had to have two inguinal hernias repaired.

Power of prayer is incredible. God heard them all and obviously answered them all. We pray Jax's recovery time and healing process are speedy and painless.

An extra thanks to Tabby, Jeremie, and Bekka for all the help with Tyson and Lilah. We couldn't have done this without your help.

Surgery Has Begun...


Picture Above: Jax holding on for dear life!
Jax's surgery started promptly at about 10:45 am. The doctors allowed ONE of us to walk back with Jax to the operating room as he received his anesthesia. Darren loathes hospitals, so I decided to go. I witnessed our little guy fall peacefully and painlessly asleep in my arms and kissed him "goodbye".

The outpour of support and prayers has played a huge part in the calmness both Darren and I feel today. I cannot speak for Darren personally, but I feel so much peace. I feel the prayers and I feel God's presence.

The surgery is to last approximately 1 hour and then Jax will go to the recovery room for 1 hour.
(Picture Below: Jax in his hospital gown and crib)