The Towle Family

Snoop Dogg and Star Wars... Not a Bad Pairing!

2010-07-03T22:56:00.000-05:00

Two Year Check Up

2010-06-21T21:34:00.000-05:00

The girls were "lucky" enough to go have their two year check-ups today. Katie is in the 95th percentile for height, about 55 for weight. Lauren is in the 90th percentile for height and about 70 for weight. They are doing well even, even after the horrible shots they got. From the second we walked back from the waiting room, the girls were mad. They did NOT want to be there! So, it seems that we will have a couple of very tall little girls. TJ is probably still in the 95th percentile for his height, too. I swear the kids grows an inch every season... at LEAST!

Two Times Two Year Olds

2010-06-13T08:33:00.000-05:00

Twirls (twin-girls) are so much fun, especially mine. Now that they are officially two, the fun is just beginning!

We all know how toddlers are famous for tantrum throwing, mostly because they have a hard time communicating and want to be in control over so many more things than they actually are in control of. This is the perfect description for Lauren. My colicky baby turned diva, turned diva toddler, is the queen of throwing tantrums for something as small as me leaving the room to make them lunch. It drives me batty! Luckily, having twirls has given me a LOT more patience than I used to have - and the ability to ignore a child for need of attending to another child, or in most cases, making them lunch. Katie, on the other hand, is talking up a storm and can communicate very well and throws few tantrums. Really, the only time Katie is upset is when I can't give her my attention (like when I have to, again, leave the room to say, go to the bathroom!). However, most of the time, Katie is a happy child who can entertain herself, sit quietly and look at a book, or just sit next to me and be happy.

My twirls are exact opposites of each other in temperament. Lauren keeps things interesting, to say the least, and Katie's calm collectiveness allows me to stop and smell the roses with her! And well TJ, he's just an active boy who loves to play with his little sisters and keep them on THEIR toes!

Sometimes it is pure madness in my home - and I love every freaking moment of it!

I took this picture on June 5 when we had their birthday party. The girls kids LOVE their Mimi! I am so happy they have a grandparent that is close by that always spoils them with love! It makes me reminisce on my childhood and remember the wonderful times I had with my Papaw and Grandma.

TJ Caught a Fish!

2010-05-31T14:31:00.001-05:00

We went to Mark's lake house yesterday and even though (as you can see) the rain clouds moved in, we still managed to get in the water for a little while... and TJ caught his first fish! Way to go TJ!

For Memorial Day (today), we are grilling some steaks and enjoying a lazy Monday.

On another note, TJ finished 1st Grade this past week and got recognition on Awards Day for being on the "A" Honor Roll for the year! And as part of our previously set deal, TJ got to pick out the game of his choice for "staying on green" all year, which means he had PERFECT behavior all year long! He is growing up WAY TOO FAST!

The girls are growing too fast, too. We are days away from celebrating their 2nd Birthday. Amazing how time flies! They are both very talkative, active, happy little girls! We are enjoying every last minute of it!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T07:51:00.003-05:00

Obviously, I rarely have time to post! But I wanted to take some time out to say Happy Easter to all our peeps! :)

TJ is doing really well in 1st Grade. He is a straight A student and always "stays on green" (which means he is perfectly behaved). He is doing Boy Scouts and Soccer this Spring. Our first game of the season was cancelled. That's okay - as long as he has a physical activity to participate in... that's all that matters!

The girls are doing really well, too. They are starting to talk a lot more now, and it's amazing what they say! Katie's favorite phrase is to answer every question with "Oh, Okay." Lauren loves to point to things to identify them. She points to the stars on her ceiling every day to let us know she knows those are stars. The other day she pointed to something and said "cool!" The other day I finally got one of the girls to refer to me as mommy, which I've been waiting for :) Katie was looking at my iPhone (which she ROCKS at using) and saw a picture of me and said "Hey, I see Mommy!" MY HEART MELTED!!!!!!!!

I've been doing most of my online living on Facebook.... and post all my pictures there. I haven't updated the Towle Family website in FOREVER (since I was pregnant with the girls). It's just soooooo easy to post to FB.

An extremely long day - but what a great one it was!

2009-11-01T12:38:00.004-06:00

Halloween was a blast - from sun up to sun down!

TJ's regional end-of-the-season celebration and tournament too place. Our first game was at 8am and then we had two more games after that. The Yellow Jackets won the first two games, but lost the third game. That put us in second place for our group (there were two groups). Then we had the playoffs for third place. The Yellow Jackets were tied with their opponents when the game came to a close, so that meant overtime! We had to play two more 8 minute quarters and we won 5-3! WAY TO GO YELLOW JACKETS!

I am so proud of TJ! Even though he thought it was a bust (he didn't make a goal during any games), I think it was a very rewarding experience. I really hope he plays in the spring because I think he will get even better and will find himself scoring goals!

Our day ended at 4pm with Soccer - so that means the girls were good sports during 8 hours of being out on the fields. Here are some pictures I took:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=42013&id=1303620738&l=3cbf60d7f5

We got home in JUST enough time to scarf down some food, get dressed and go Trick-or-Treating. Actually, we did trunk-or-treating at two different churches within a mile from our house. The girls LOVED being out and dressed up for the occasion. Lauren loves prancing around as a Leaf Fairy and Katie made an ADORABLE little Dorothy! Here are some pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=832545&l=11544f5c76&id=1303620738

Fun at the Farm

2009-10-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

We went to Lyon Farms today with HAMOM and had a blast! Here are some pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41057&id=1303620738&l=26cc8af466

It was pretty cold and windy, and the girls were cranky a little, but they still managed to have fun while freezing in the cold! TJ was up and going the entire time we were there! HE had a BLAST!

Teeth, Eyes and Hearts

2009-10-09T13:15:00.003-05:00

The latest in pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=39516&id=1303620738&l=8784e33478

TJ lost is first front, top tooth. Although this is tooth #5 as far as the number of teeth he has lost. Lauren is up to 12 teeth now, and Katie sits at only four.

Went to see the opthamologist on Wednesday for Lauren's astigmatism. Is hasn't gotten any worse and since both eyes are about the same, we are good for at least another year. If we see problems, we can go down there and see the doc again (in Birmingham). Lauren will probably need glasses at some point, but when is the question.

Tim and I will be celebrating seven wonderful years of marriage tomorrow! No plans since he and I won't be in the same town tomorrow... but as soon as he is back, I am sure we will find a way to go off and have a nice dinner without the kids :)

So far, everything else is going okay... :)

The latest at the Towle House

2009-09-14T11:42:00.006-05:00

I've posted a few good pictures from the past few weeks here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=36954&id=1303620738&l=5a45985c8d

TJ's soccer team, the Yellow Jackets, are doing really well! They've won all three of their games so far! TJ is starting to get better and starting to actually enjoy it. He was very timid and uncoordinated at first, but we've seen some real growth from him.

The girls are doing very well! They had their 15 month check-up on 9/11 and Lauren outweighed Katie 15 ounces. Katie is 3/4 inch taller than Lauren. They are both pretty high up in percentiles for height, and just a little lower for weight. They are doing WELL!

Katie has become quite the lap baby. She loves sitting in momma's lap! Lauren is much more of a go and get 'em type. She loves, loves, loves to dance and be silly. She's a lot like TJ was at that age. Katie seems to be more interested in books and sitting down with herself and her toys. It is so much fun to see the contrasting personality types between them and even TJ!

TJ is doing well in 1st grade. He needs to pay better attention and this shows in his reading comprehension and math, but he is more than capable of acing all his subjects. He's very smart, but right now things like Batman and Iron Man are much more important to him! Boys will be boys, right? He's got a b-day party to go to this weekend and he is so excited about that!

I will post more as things happen! I am not on top of this like I used to be, but I am trying!

So much to say, so little time

2009-08-24T09:51:00.003-05:00

There are so many things going on, and so little time to write about it!

Here are some pics from TJ's soccer:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=34293&id=1303620738&ref=mf

They named their team the Yellow Jackets :)

I wish I had more time to write... and I will as soon as I can!

My how time flies!

2009-08-14T10:11:00.003-05:00

I uploaded a few pictures from over the past month. You can see them here.

Since Tim has dreams of opening his own Pizza Parlor, I decided to pizza-fy his birthday. He got an awesome pizza stone, a pizza peel, a gourmet pizza cutter, a pizza book and pizza dough mix to get him started. I can't wait to see what comes from this!

TJ started first grade this week and I can tell he loves it. They had a spelling test on Thursday and he got an A+ and was so proud of himself - as was I!

We also started soccer this week. The first practice was rained out, and seeing as how the skies are blue as can be right now, I anticipate practice tonight to go well. He was really nervous and scared about starting sports, but once he got there and saw other boys his age, he forgot all about being scared and just jumped right in. I am just sorry he didn't actually get to practice!

The girls are doing pretty well and are growing like weeds! They are both talking a little, but Katie is the one that repeats sounds more often. Lauren is the physical one - always running around. Katie is my little thinker and listener. Don't get me wrong, they are both full of it at times and they know how to get to me, already! Ahh, the joys of motherhood!

Be sure to check out the pictures! I will post more with TJ playing soccer soon!

Back from the beach ~ and TJ turns six!

2009-07-17T23:19:00.003-05:00

First - I've uploaded 130+ pictures... so click here to see.

We had a great but tiresome trip. The girls really enjoyed the water, not so much the sand. We didn't take them out too often because they really didn't need to be in the sun that much. But what time they did spend on the beach was enjoyable for them.

TJ had a great birthday! We went to the Treasure Ship restaurant (just like we did when he was 4) and then we had cake and ice cream at the condo afterwards. Keith, Alice and Josh were vacationing not too far from us and joined us for dinner, too. That REALLY made it special for TJ and I think that's exactly what he needed for his birthday! He really made out like a bandit, too!

I am just glad to be home and can't wait to sleep in my OWN BED! In fact, I am about to go there now!

Enjoy the pictures!

Some new pics!

2009-07-05T14:55:00.002-05:00

Here are a few new pictures at Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28100&id=1303620738&l=651444dcf6

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28728&id=1303620738&l=70f58cd7ba

Tim was gone for a week while traveling for work. No fun for the Towle House and we missed him dearly. We sure are glad he is safe at home!

Here's a video we shot for him while he was gone:

Enjoy!

Garbage Pickup

2009-06-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

To my neighbors - those in Madison County, we are being screwed. I am so pissed off - our trash pickup is being taken down to once a week. We have five people living in my home! How am I supposed to keep the trash down to only enough to pack up my can once a week??? THIS SUCKS!

Click Here for the Story

In Desperation... it is Dora

2009-06-25T18:08:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I become a single mom for a week. Tim is off to a CISCO conference in San Francisco and I will be all by myself!!! To be honest, I am not that worried about it. There have been plenty of days where Tim's worked 16 hours and I had to do everything all day long. This is just an extension of those kinds of days.

But tonight, Tim is with TJ to watch Transformers the movie. I got the girls home, fed them... too early for a bath, no second nap today... and what? If I sit and play with them like I normally do, they will fuss and cry. Katie will fuss because she wants to sit in my lap, Lauren will fuss because she is just plain tired.

Dora.

Dora the Explorer.

I said I wouldn't do that with these kids. I can't stand Dora. I had ENOUGH of her AND DEIGO when TJ was a toddler.

But that's all that was on Noggin and I don't think our recording of the Backyardigans is going to work again. They already watched Sesame Street today, we've had it on kids music for background noise.

They needed a distraction to keep them going until bath time.

Dora.

Then.... DIEGO!

Awwww Lawd! What the hell... it could be worse. It COULD be that stupid show with the bumpy plastic fallic looking fellow with the disco dude and the strange singing and dancing that not even this dork can enjoy.

sigh....

Dora :(

The party is over...

2009-06-14T14:53:00.006-05:00

... and I am officially done! No more party planning for me anytime soon! Although we are all exhausted, we had a blast! We had about 20 guests plus children and JUST enough room for them all.

I've posted a lot of pictures on Facebook HERE.

Katie and Lauren made out with gifts! They got a few outfits, pajamas galore (thank goodness - they needed them, always), lots of books and lots of toys. They seem to be a bit overwhelmed a bit right now with all the new stuff - but I am sure they will get into everything as time passes. We also got a gift card to Michael's and I purchased some wall decorations for their room. I will post those pictures later. I am still working on it - I got a LOT - but it's looking pretty good!

We played a little bit of Mario Kart towards the end of the party and TJ was quite the challenger! He whooped Cedric's booty a few times (see pics in the photo album linked above). He was really full of himself (TJ) and man... he sure is OUR child, that is for sure!!! I fear what he will be like behind the wheel of a real car 10 years from now! LOOK OUT!

The party was quite the success and Tim and I feel so very blessed to have the kinds of friends and family that care enough to come out and celebrate Katie and Lauren's birthday. We really had fun, even though we were busy busy busy, it was well worth it. Our friends are the best!

The Squirrel Lives On!

2009-06-12T10:54:00.007-05:00

Last September, I came home and found an abandoned baby squirrel hiding out in our carport. I felt so badly for it, so I called my animal rescuing aunt Nancy. She said she would come by an pick it up - you can read more about it HERE.

Well, she got an email on Thursday (June 11):
Hi Nancy, l recently joined the group. l was wondering though, if you are the same Nancy Luna who brought me squirrel a year ago. She was a baby girl squirrel very thin. If so, she was raised successfully by me and released two weeks ago in my yard. She lives somewhere close because she is in my yard daily for nuts and treats. l just wanted to say thank you for bringing her to me and saving her life. Sincerely, Tobie P.S. l had named her Luna and she's a little sweetheart.

Needless to say, this MADE MY DAY! Here are a few pics of Luna then:

And here is a picture of her now:

YAY! I am so happy to hear that little Luna the squirrel is a happy little thing!

It's official!!! The girls are ONE!

2009-06-10T23:26:00.004-05:00

Gerber calls them Toddlers. They're walking, kinda-talking movers and shakers! I call them my little babies! Can you believe a whole year has passed??

I uploaded pics of them eating their celebratory birthday cupcakes: CLICK HERE

We've got a LOT planned for their Birthday party on the 13th. We've got hot-dogs GALORE, 8 pounds of wings (hot and BBQ), loaded baked potato salad (a Towle Creation), TowleSlaw (Towle House version of Cole Slaw), Spinach and Veggie Dip, a Cheese Ball, and all the fixings!

I can't wait!!!!!

Tomorrow, my babies turn ONE!

2009-06-09T11:31:00.002-05:00

I can't believe a year has flown by. It really has been all a blur! The girls are so much different today than they were when I first laid eyes on them. Katie, the child I didn't think looked much like any of my other children, turned out to look like her daddy! Lauren, the big baby has grown to be the smaller of the two. What fun it has been to experience the magic of twins.

I've looked back at the blogs when I first started and am amazed at how I managed to pull through. I went a couple months with only 2 and 3 hours of sleep at a time. Tim was amazing during that time, and still is. I feel like he and I have accomplished so much together. We really teamed up to go into this twin-parenting ordeal with the goal not to fight, and enjoy every last (however miserable it may have been) moment. We've had so many magical moments that were filled with elation and laughter. We've been so tired we were brought to tears, but we did it as a family and we are so much stronger because of it.

As of today, both girls are walking. Lauren is a pro and is learning to walk fast enough to play games where she runs away when we say "I'm gonna getcha!" Katie is still learning, but her will and determination shine when she does walk - you can see it in her eyes because it's like the Little Engine That Could!

Where Lauren is great at walking, Katie is great at talking. Katie knows how to say TJ, Mama, Dada, duck, and has actually said Elmo on a few occasions. She also has her own words for Bell Pepper and doggie. Lauren says Mama, Dada, duck and all done. Katie is better at verbal skills, but I am still very pleased with where both of them are with talking.

It is bittersweet. No more first smiles... no more first tooth experiences (Katie has three broken through, Lauren has eight)... but at the same time, we are DONE with bottles. Last night we gave them their last bottle. They've done really well with strawed sippy cups, and we are going with those for all the meals. I will miss giving Katie her nighttime bottle (Tim gave Lauren hers) where she would rub my arm while she sucked down her full eight ounces.

Like I said, it is bittersweet. On Saturday we will have the last first birthday, but the first girlie birthday.

Needless to say, I never, ever, ever plan to have any more children. At this point, between a tubal and endometrial ablation, my reproductive system has been obliterated. Next up - Tim's getting a snip-snip. We don't want any small percentage working against us!

It's been so much fun! I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us!

Fun at Dublin Park

2009-06-07T08:57:00.003-05:00

We had a lot of fun at what TJ called "Dumplin Park." I've promised him we would go back sometimes after the girls' birthday party. He spent most of the three hours running and playing in Kids Kingdom!

This was Tim's work group summer picnic and I really enjoyed seeing everyone there! I think out of all the different places I've worked (I know, it has been a while) and places Tim has worked since I met him, this group is the best! It really feels like a family in a way. It's great fun to see his co-workers, their spouses and better-halves, and their kids. It feels so familiar and comfortable.

I didn't take as many pictures as I wanted to. Although, my goal for our upcoming beach vacation is 10K pictures in 7 days. LOL But if you are interested in seeing what pictures I did take, click here.

Enjoying the sunshine while it lasts

2009-06-02T14:03:00.003-05:00

Despite what you see here, we enjoyed the sunshine this morning!

You can see the fun in the sun in our album on Facebook.

Also, you can see a short video (I hope).

Start - Summer Vacation - Week Two

2009-05-31T22:23:00.003-05:00

Trying to stay busy this summer is not going to be a challenge. I am ready to take my son just about anywhere to get his daily fill of energy exertion. Thankfully the girls seem to enjoy getting out of the house and are pretty good in public places.

Last week we went to the petting zoo, the park, the guys saw a movie, and a friend's house for dinner. This week I am fairly certain we will be making our way to a part or two and will enjoy the blue skies while they last. I bought a tiny little (very tiny) pool for the girls. I've got a couple of bathing suits (via Raney's mass of borrowed girly clothes) for the girls, lots of sun block, and a good sprinkler for TJ. I need a little bit of sun, myself and I think I'll de-white my shiny legs!

After my late night run to WallyWorld this evening, I realized how much it FEELS like summer now that TJ is actually out of school. Of course, before Kindergarten, even with Pre-K, it didn't really "feel" like summer break. Hmmm.... very neat to feel this time of freedom though the eyes of a parent!

Expect me to post LOTS of pictures over the next few months! We've got all kinds of fun up our sleeves and I can't wait to capture those Kodak moments!

Nevermind... I don't want a goat!

2009-05-27T18:00:00.003-05:00

The kids and I went to the petting zoo today. Despite the fact that the ground had been soaked for a few days, and there was red clay (Alabama dirt) everywhere - we still managed to have a great time. Actually, the owners did a pretty good job in keeping the hay down to keep the mud from being a problem.

I thought I wanted a goat. For some reason, I've wanted a goat for a long time. But after really looking at the ones I saw today, I realized just how demonic looking they are. Perhaps I've seen too many paranormal shows lately (pentagrams, ram's head, etc)... because when I look into the eyes of a goat - they look really sinister! Something about rectangular irises that really make it too much for me!

You can see our pictures from today's adventure at Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26003&id=1303620738

TJ Graduates!

2009-05-23T19:44:00.004-05:00

Isn't it awesome!? TJ is well on his way to being a first grader!

I uploaded a few pictures from graduation to Facebook. You can find them here.

TJ was the best kid all year! He never once got in trouble and "stayed on green" every single day! As a reward, I let him choose a DS game. He had talked about it since after Christmas when I told him I would buy him a Nintendo DS game if he was good at school all year long. Bribery worked, I'd say!

Wrapping up the school... damn swine flu!

2009-05-13T08:35:00.007-05:00

TJ's last day would have been May 22, but as backwards as the Madison County School system is, he has to go to school on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Memorial Day to make up the two days they missed because of Swine Flu. They closed the schools down for two days (some schools for four days) to limit exposure from two confirmed cases in a school that isn't in our district. TJ's graduation is on the 21st, and he is totally confused as to why he has to go BACK to school after he's already graduated! I can't seem to explain it to him and wish someone would explain it to me!

The girls will be ONE in less than a month, and their birthday party is a month from today! I can't believe just how FAST this year has flown by! It seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant!

Katie finally got a tooth. It hasn't moved all the way up yet, but it is visible. Subsequently, she bit her lip in a boo boo incident with their toy bucket yesterday. She hasn't even had her tooth for a handful of days and already she's managed to give herself a purple lip! It doesn't look bad, but I certainly see it! She is probably going to be a klutz just like me! Lord help her!

Lauren is walking, walking, walking and walking. Last night she was walking around in circles... simply, just to walk. Katie is trying to walk, too. She finally took a step all by herself, but immediately fell. She won't let Lauren be the center of attention, that's for sure. She's working hard to catch up to her "little" sister!

There isn't too much else to report, but I wanted to make sure I kept up with the blog since it was something I promised to do!

Oh, and here is the invitation to the party... I will be sending them out next week. We really want to have a blast, so I hope you all can come!

Big Milestones

2009-05-07T11:28:00.001-05:00

Lauren is officially walking! The little monkey is going to and fro on her feet, with an occasional bump to her bum!

We also have TJ's Kindergarten Graduation coming up on May 21st. I am really excited to see TJ do so well this year. Considering how much has changed for him this year - with the addition to two more siblings (at the same time, nonetheless) - he has taken it all in stride!

TJ has "stayed on green" the entire year. That means he has been the perfectly behaved student. He really enjoys school, and I really hope this trend remains. Of course, I am sure Ms. Lisa Williams (his teacher) has a lot to so with it. She's really amazing and I give her all the props she deserves! From what TJ has told me, not many students are all that well behaved, and I am sure that has been a challenge for everyone in the classroom. Ms. Williams rocks!

I am planning the girls' birthday and can't wait to send invitations! We will be having it on June 13 - late afternoon - so that everyone can have food and can stay as late as they'd like! We can't wait to celebrate their first year!

Fun at Panoply (and more updates on the girls)

2009-04-25T21:50:00.009-05:00

Here's a picture of TJ standing next to the Giraffe his teacher chose to take to display at Panoply! As far as I could see, only one more Kindergartner was chosen! How cool! Such the little artist!

I was praying they would have some fried pickles or even fried green tomatoes, but they didn't. In fact, Panoply was a good bit smaller this year, and not nearly as many artists as years past, but there was still plenty for the kids to do. I am assuming the economy has a lot to do with that. We spent way too much money there. TJ's extra-long corn dog and a lemonade came to a whopping $10. I almost told the lady she was nuts, but I let it go. But still!?

So, an update on the girls...

Lauren has turned out to be much more like Tim in personality and Katie definitely has more of my personality. If you tell Lauren "no," she cries. Katie, on the other hand, will throw a fit. Raney reminded me that I had said I always wanted a child that looked like me with Tim's personality and Lauren seems to fit the bill. Then we have two kids that look like him with my personality. Sheesh! We are in for it!

Katie is a very verbally talented child. She mimics sounds very well and was first to say things like Mama, Dada, and even her little version of Bell Pepper (the dog) which sounds like "bo pa pa." She even says "yeah!" while clapping her hands.

Lauren is doing extremely well with moving around. Today she took about 5 or 6 steps on her own and I can see her running before we know it! She's got big, wide feet so that has aided her in getting up and moving around.

We are planning their 1st birthday party for Saturday, June 13. We are going to have a cook-out and all of our family and friends are welcome to come.

If you want to see our fun at Panoply, you can visit the photo album at Facebook.

It's been forever, I know... Sorry!

2009-04-24T14:47:00.003-05:00

Okay, I am going to try much harder to be better about updating our blog. I just have very little time these days. However, I've got use of a laptop and plan on using that to update in the evenings when I have time!

Tomorrow is Panoply and TJ has some art in the student art tent. We are really happy and excited for him. It isn't a huge honor to have your art at Panoply, but it IS something special. I have noticed how TJ's artistic ability has been growing quite a bit and I have to say he gets that from me. I took four years of art in High School, won prizes for my work in local competitions and even went to state with my art. I still enjoy it and should have pursued it in college (hindsight and all), so I am very excited to see TJ's ability! We plan on taking a picture of him with his work tomorrow.

Gosh, I didn't realize what time it was... and I have to go! Figures!

The pic of the girls is their 10 month picture. More about those little monkeys later! If you don't already have a Facebook page, get one. I've posted pic and videos of the kids there that I haven't posted here. It's easy and fun for catching up with family! Just do it!

TJ: Mythbuster Junior

2009-01-19T14:42:00.003-06:00

I just have to share this nugget of laughter...

Today while cleaning, I picked up a phone book and said "Hey TJ, watch me rip this phone book apart!"

"No you can't!"

"Sure I can! They did it on Mythbusters!" Although I can't remember how, I am certain they did it!

"They said not to do that at home. And the other guy said 'EVER!'"

Of course, this is only funny to you if you've seen the show. They start each show with a warning from Adam and Jamie... do not try it at home. Surely this is something I can try at home, right?

Recent Happenings at the Towle House

2009-01-13T07:07:00.006-06:00

Christmas has come and gone, the New Year is in, and junk food is out. Yes, another year, another "lose weight" resolution (at least for me). After giving birth to the girls, my stomach has become some kind alien territory for me. It doesn't look like ME - it looks like... yuck. So, I ordered Crunchless Abs and joined the Slim Back Alabama campaign. Our team name is Phat Four and we each have to lose at least 10 pounds before the 10 week period is up, and that will enter us into a drawing to win money. That's not my only incentive... looking in the mirror these days is incentive enough. Now that I am DONE having babies, I am going to focus on trying to return my body back to pre-baby state. I know it's a lofty goal, but I am still going to shoot for the gold here!

We are STILL trying to find a Wii Fit to help our weight-loss endeavours. Everyone seems to love it and I want one, too! Tim got Mario Kart from my mom for Christmas and that's been the highlight of our evenings, lately. After the monkey is in bed, and the girls are fed their last bottle, we turn on the Wii and enjoy racing against other people on the Wii's Mario Kart WFC (we think that stands for Wi-Fi Channel). It's loads of fun, but causes severe immediate road rage. Even TJ gets it when he plays! And TJ isn't half bad on it at all! When he kicks butt, I wonder what other people would say if they knew some 5 year old just raced better than they did!?

The most fun is cracking open a cold one or pouring a glass of wine (times two, or three sometimes) and then playing online. Tim and I have no social life to speak of since the girls were born, so we have become very addicted to the Mario Kart world. We have loads of fun and laugh, so that's all that matters, right?

As for the girls, we've reached the seven month milestone! They are rolling over (everywhere) and Katie even uses it to get to where she wants to go. Lauren is trying desperately to crawl, but hasn't yet figured it out yet. I imagine in no time we'll be seeing two little monkeys crawling around the Towle House. Fun, fun!

We finally got another highchair (we still had TJ's) and the girls are officially eating in them. Lauren does really well with Cheerios and Puffs (baby puffed rice). She pretty much eats anything I put in front of her like biter biscuits and toast, etc. Katie is a slower eater, but seems to enjoy finger foods, too. We've tried sippy cups, but I am going to do exactly what we did with TJ... I purchased some sippy cups with straws and will let them learn on that. Since they already have the sucking down, they should be able to suck through a straw easier than learning to suck on a sippy cup with it upright in the right position. In my opinion, that makes more sense than doing it the traditional way. I can't wait until I can start giving them real finger foods to eat and do away with the puree crap. It's take a LONG time to feel the girls and right now with our schedule, I do it myself during the week (solids) and it takes up quite a bit of my time to feed them in their highchairs.

Surprisingly (or not), Katie seems to, perhaps, said her first word. Of course, it could just be her babbling, but she seems to say "BaBa" right before we have a bottle, and especially after her evening bath, which always comes right before their last bottle of the day. Funny and ironic, considering how she was so much smaller at birth and now out-weighs Lauren by two full pounds. I just think Lauren has a much faster metabolism than Katie, but you have to admit that the chunky-monkey's first possible words of "BaBa" is fitting, right?

The girls are calling for me now... waking up from their evening slumber. So, off I go. I really wish I had more time to blog (among other things), but I still (always) hold out hope of having more time in the future!

Literary Crack and other fine things

2008-12-22T07:34:00.006-06:00

Let me begin by saying that yes, I am one of those Twilight people. I had been bombarded by the obsession from every outlet possible and then while shopping at SAMS, I saw the book and succumbed to the call to read. A couple of weeks later, I've read all four book in the Twilight Saga. It was all I could think about... Bella, Edward, Jacob, the Cullens, La Push, Forks. The list goes on. And now that I've finished the saga, I can't wait to go see the movie. Yes, I've been sucked into this world Stephenie Meyers has created!

My BFF Raney heard me talk about my obsession during my affair with the series. I finally handed over the books for her to read. On Sunday, I heard my phone ring and I said to Tim, "That's Raney calling to tell me she is addicted to Twilight!" The first words out of her mouth were, "What is this literary crack you've given me!?"

Apparently, Raney was so enthralled with the book that she sat in her car at the gym to continue reading it instead of taking her cycling class!

Thank GOD I am not alone!

In fact, I found a website: TwilightMoms.com

You see, the thing is that these are about teenagers (for the most part - especially the first book of the series... books three and four aren't as juvenile as the first). Henceforth, it is a series that is more popular among teen girls. But, the author is so gifted that not only are teens and young adults swooning over Edward and injecting themselves into the Twilight world, but moms and middle-aged women are becoming obsessive fans, too!

Madness, I tell you!

I rank Stephenie Meyer, the author, right up there with George Lucas in the ability to create such a submersible world, that each person who delves into the books, is immediately sucked into the belief that this could be real!

I can't wait to read the Twilight Saga again!

Next on my list is the Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mysteries - the books the HBO Original Series True Blood is based off of. From what I've heard, that series of books is pretty addictive too. But to be honest, I just can't believe that I could possibly be sucked in as deeply as I was with the Twilight Saga (no pun intended). Although, I can't wait to read them... hearing Bill's voice in my head saying "Sookie" with that sultry passion of his!

Mom was celebrated by astronauts today!

2008-12-02T21:29:00.004-06:00

My awesome mother was awarded the Silver Snoopy Award today! She's been an employee at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center for 25+ years (give or take a year), and the Silver Snoopy Award is one of the most honored award at NASA!

Astronauts themselves choose the winner of the awards from a list of nominees. THEY chose my mom!

The Astronaut seen in the center of this poster, Scott Altman, awarded the Silver Snoopy to my mother, along with another astronaut from the same mission (I can't remember which one). Scott Altman also starred in the movie Top Gun!

The actual pin, a small silver Snoopy, was flown on a space craft. Isn't that just too cool?

I just had to brag on mom! Lord knows she wouldn't brag on herself.

WOO HOO MOM!!!!

I can't wait for Christmas [to be over with]

2008-12-01T07:50:00.003-06:00

I suppose it comes with childhood - the excitement of Christmas. But of course, as I pointed out to Tim last week - the only real joy we find in the holidays is the smiles we see from our children. Otherwise, the holidays, Christmas in particular, is just a ball of nerves and stress. It doesn't help when TJ is running through the house (what's new) constantly pointing out the fact that Santa Claus is coming to town!

The next 24 days are going to be hell. Not because of shopping - I am almost done. Not because of baking - that will be easy. It will be hell because of the amount of stress I will be under, having to deal with the excitement and pure energy of a child that CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS!

Of course, what kid his age isn't excited? And even though it stresses me out (he has too much energy), I have to love every moment of it. It won't be long before he loses that magic - learning that Santa isn't who he thinks he is!

Big Day = Pure Exhaustion (Plus 5 month pics)

2008-11-19T18:25:00.006-06:00

I feel like I haven't written a blog in... forever. When I have time, I am just exhausted. That is, "when" I have time and to be honest, I really don't have time. There's always something that needs to be done.

We chose Katie and Lauren's "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" for their 5 month pictures. My, how they have GROWN!

Both girls are using their hands. As you can see in the pic, Lauren is using her hands to discover her feet! Every day is a new adventure!

Katie is showing signs of rolling over from back to front. Hasn't done it on her own, but she is still getting really, really close to being able to do it. I don't know if I've already mentioned, but it has been about a month since Lauren rolled over (several times) from tummy to back, but she hasn't done it again. Hhhmp!

I could say that the girls are like night and day. Lauren is still quite the diva. She needs all the attention and demands it, too. Katie is a little thinker that is generally happy all the time (compared to Lauren who is either happy or demanding ... i.e., fussing) and loves to giggle at her brother's antics. Both girls are in love with the dogs and love to smile and grin at them. Bell indulges them and will sniff them, kiss (lick) them. Sabrina could care less. She's a lot like a cat in the way she is very independent and could care less about anyone but me or Tim.

TJ is doing REALLY well in Kindergarten. He is learning to read and write and is making lots of friends. He's also very well behaved and "stays on green" all the time. His teacher said that she wishes she had a class full of TJs. Another teacher at the school told Tim she was very impressed with TJ's ability to behave and follow directions. He sure does make me proud!

TJ, Katie and Lauren had their pictures taken at Portrait Innovations. This picture shows just how crazy and impossible it can be to get a good picture with all three kids smiling. Most of the pictures we got were some variation of this picture... that I actually love! But that didn't keep me from spending a very, very pretty penny in photos. Don't worry ... if you normally get Christmas cards from me, you will get some kind of picture! We promise! The lady at PI did a really good job, worked with me in what I wanted, and tried hard to get what I was looking for. I was very happy, as I've had good and not-so-good experiences there before. Click here if you are interested in seeing the 120+ picture from today's photo shoot.

After the photo shoot, we had about an hour to kill before we had a dental appt. for TJ and myself. TJ had yet to have one successful cleaning (due to anxiety), but he assured me he was ready to sit and have his teeth cleaned and inspected. HE DID SO WELL! He went in there, sat down, and took it ... well, I guess he took it like a man! A little man, but a man nonetheless! His teeth were clean as a whistle. I was very happy with the fact that he didn't have to have any scraping for his first cleaning. Lucky him! It made me VERY happy and VERY relieved because TJ is a candy hound and I am constantly on him to brush correctly. I guess it worked!

After getting everyone ready, running from Hazel Green to South Huntsville and back again, and dealing with changing clothes (and NOT getting spit-up on them) and then the dentist... well, need I express just how exhausted I am? I am sure you can image.

And with that, let's hope it isn't another "forever" before I post again. Off I go to attend to a fussy, tired little lady.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

2008-10-29T12:08:00.004-05:00

Oh my! YUMMY! I've been having this craving for Broccoli Cheese Soup lately (no, I am NOT pregnant - I was fixed!). So, I found this recipe and changed it just a little...

INGREDIENTS

3 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 tablespoons margarine
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds processed cheese food (eg. Velveeta), cubed
1 pinch ground white pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, simmer the broccoli in the broth for 15 minutes. In a separate skillet over medium heat, melt the butter or margarine, add the onions and saute for 5 minutes, or to desired tenderness.

2. Add the flour to the onions and stir well, forming a pasty substance. Gradually add the milk and stir until thick. Add this mixture to the broccoli mixture in the pot and stir well. Then add the cheese, stirring until melted. Finally, add the pepper. (Note: Be careful not to let the soup boil, or the cheese will break down.)

The changes I made:

I dumped 4 cups of chicken broth into a sauce pan and then added frozen broccoli until it was at the same level as the broth - and then I kept it at a simmer until the broccoli was very tender, easily mushed down to smaller pieces
I added a full stick of butter to a big pot, added my finely diced onion, then added 3/4 cup of flour. Slowly added the milk and then slowly added the broth/broccoli mix
I ended up added 2 lbs (one big brick) of Velveeta and 1/2 pound of sharp cheddar
I used table pepper instead of white pepper

The soup was super cheesy - but it made it SOOO yummy. Even TJ liked it! It I did it again, I would keep out the last 1/4 lb. of Velveeta, but that's it.

This really was a very very tasty soup. Probably the best Broccoli Cheese soup I've ever had. Next time I will try it with 2% Velveeta to lower the fat content. But I gave away all the soup so I wouldn't have any in the house today... because honestly, it was TOO good! :)

The original recipe can be found at AllRecipes.com.

So much to say and such little time to spare...

2008-10-18T22:04:00.008-05:00

This past week has been full of great things! Last Friday (10/10), Tim and I celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary. TJ had a cold and since I didn't want mom to be exposed to it, we decided to brave a restaurant with all three kids. We got there before 5pm to beat the crowd and we were home before 7pm. Perfect timing, actually. The girls did fairly well - they actually ate their bottles, spit up only a little, and didn't fuss nearly as much as normal. Lauren gets CRANKY every night around 7pm (give or take an hour). So, I was nervous about her having a meltdown in public. We avoided one and that made the trip worth it!

I don't think I posted this, but a few weeks back - not too long after TJ lost his first tooth - the one next to it became pretty loose. I was at my mom's house one evening when I noticed it was gone! I asked TJ what happened and he said he lost it at lunch. If the story was correct, it probably got stuck in an apple and ended up on the trash. TJ was pretty disappointed about not getting to keep it for the tooth fairy. I told him that I had already sent a self-addressed stamped envelope to the tooth fairy so I could get your tooth back for my keepsake box and I was pretty bummed about not being able to keep it! Hey, at least I got his FIRST one!

Katie has become the master at blowing raspberries. She does it ALL DAY LONG, and especially likes to do it when the dogs are nearby. I've noticed Lauren watching her and she tries to do it herself just a little, but don't really seem to want to do it. You can view a video of Katie blowing raspberries here:
http://vupload.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1051616533009

Lauren also rolled over for the first time on 10/15. I actually had the camera out when it happened and this picture was taken right after she did it. That's a very proud little girl right there!

Another first we've gotten to experience this week is the first cold. YUCK! TJ got the crud the middle of last week, around the 7th or 8th and I was convinced he wasn't contagious because none of us had gotten when he was already on the mend. Then it hit both Lauren and me on the same day. Poor little girl is all stopped up, but no fever and no cough. We've had to use the saline nasal spray and a vaporizer. In fact, they have the vaporizer in their room and our bedroom and TJ's bedroom each have a humidifier. Since we had to turn the heat on tonight, I am sure our sinuses will be up for the challenge since our entire top floor of the house seems to be well humidified.

Even though we were not feeling too great, we went ahead at went to HAMOM's fall gathering at Lyon Family Farms in Taft, TN. TJ had a BLAST! I only wish we had been able to stay longer. The high today was 70, but it was super windy and the tables in the pavilion were shaded and it made for a painfully chilly time for those of us not running around (everyone other than TJ). I have to say that Lyon Family Farms was much more enjoyable than Tate Farms. Tate Farms, as my grandmother would have said, has gotten too big for their britches. Apparently not only do they charge you $8 per person to get in, but they also charge you a fee for their "rides" and admission to the petting zoo. Ridiculous if you ask me. Lyon Family Farms was only about a 10 mile drive from our house and easier on families in my opinion.

TJ got his first report card last week. He is doing extremely well and the teacher said that he is a "perfect" student. I am thrilled! What is even more thrilling is that he stays on green 100% of the time and prides himself in being good at school. Unlike me, who as a child was always sent home with report cards saying how I talked to much... "Rachael's desk has been placed next to mine" was a common addition to my report cards. Apparently I talked so much that I had to be removed from my peers on many, many different occasions. Guess what? I still talk to much!

In addition to being a great student, TJ is becoming a great little artist, too! Take exhibit A to the left. Here we see a fierce shark on the top and a happy little goldfish on the bottom. My awesome five-year-old son drew both of those! Yes, I am quite biased, but I have to say that for five years old, he has quite the eye for detail. In fact, when you think about it, there are some adults who couldn't draw this well. TJ covered all the basics - top fin, bottom fin, side fins, gills, and the goldfish is even smiling ("until you bite their heads off..." ha ha ha). Yes, I am quite proud of my son's ability!

I shall try my hardest to not wait so long between bloggings. Life has been so crazy lately (as usual) and time online is becoming harder and harder to find!

Being 5 is hard... being a mom to a 5 year old is even harder.

2008-09-24T17:57:00.002-05:00

It's the age-old problem that every mom faces. Mom tells the child to clean up his/her room and/or mess. Child either refuses, stalls or finds every way imaginable to get out of the task. Mom persists, child resists.

It's the battle that gives me my grey hair, makes me lose my cool, and drives me absolutely insane every single time the battle ensues.

Right now TJ is sleeping quite peacefully in his room. He was sent there after I lost my battle with him cleaning up his art supplies from the table in the computer room. Actually, the mess was all over the table and the floor around his computer. It was a complete freaking disaster. I tried SO HARD to make the job simple.

"TJ, put the trash in the bag. Everything else goes in your art box."

That wasn't simple enough. Nope. To top it off, no threat was great enough to get him to actually follow through on this task.

The battle ended with me telling TJ that if he didn't go to his room, I was going to be hauled off to jail for child abuse. Yes. Honestly, I was that angry. Thank God I had enough sense to send him to his room... where he sleeps (and it is only 6pm).

I read these books and articles on how to deal with children like TJ. It doesn't help! The child isn't defiant, he isn't lazy... he just doesn't like to clean. That and he hates to be told what to do -which he comes by honestly. I've fought the battle every way I know how... and not one has been a successful strategy that's ended in a victory.

I tell TJ to do one thing - for example: "TJ, just put the trash in the trash bag." And his immediate response is joy because he then thinks that's ALL he has to do. No matter how many times I've told him that no, that is just step one - he knows how to negotiate and guilt trip and these might be great in battle for him, but not for me!

I've done the negotiating, the give-and-take, the calm talking, the loud talking, the threats, the spankings, the sending to his room and it never seems to sink in... I JUST WANT HIM TO CLEAN UP HIS MESS!

I have faith that what he lacks in follow-through he will make up with age further down the road, which will help him gain some patience and understanding... at least enough to CLEAN UP HIS MESS!

For now, I'm left with the mother-guilt for making it a bigger deal than it is... probably carving another scar that will make him crazy when he is older (or something of the like). It really bites to be a five year old, but I promise it bites even worse to be a mother to that 5 year old.

But I sure to love him... I love the peace and quiet of him asleep too... but I love him tons more!

And now Dateline on NBC... unless you are in the south

2008-09-19T21:41:00.004-05:00

Football takes precedence over ANYTHING in the south. I promise you, it's Auburn or Alabama... and the evil outsiders are Tennessee fans. This is well known here in the Rocket City, the River City, the big cities, the little cities... you name it.

Even High School Football is of the most dire importance on Friday Night. So much so that our local NBC affiliate decided to preempt the Dateline NBC episode they've been promoting all night. Instead, they replaced with with an old Rodney Dangerfield movie from the early 80's. Why? I assume (and even assume I am assuming correctly) that Dateline was going to run two hours - all the way up to 10pm. Friday Night Fever begins at 9:45pm. God forbid we pause the Fever for 15 minutes while Dateline wraps up.

So, for those of you with no DVR, no TiVo, no decent VCR, you are screwed. They are airing Dateline at 3am. See the thing was, there was NOTHING else on that I wanted to watch. Dateline was it. I had my baby in one hand, a Corona in the other and was ready to watch the boob tube (yes, we still have a tube TV and I know that I just described a very red-necky situation - I don't care). Nope - instead I am subjected to real crap. Couldn't they have at least run something else? ANYTHING else??

So, instead of enjoying what I had planned on enjoying all week long (after all, they've been practically telling me I HAD to watch it after the hundred and six times they aired the commercial for it), I gave my dogs a flea bath. Yep. Exciting, huh?

STUPID WAFF 48! And the thing is, I don't watch CBS, ABC or Fox for news. I watch Robin Meade on CNN Headline News for all of 15-30 minutes in the morning, but otherwise it is 48 and then the Today show. After the crap the other day with the presidential motorcade and now this.... 48, you are on my shit list this week!

The VP on the Parkway doesn't make breaking news!

2008-09-18T11:22:00.006-05:00

I recognize the fact that we don't get many presidential or vice-presidential visits here in the Tennessee Valley. And yes, it is interesting. However, is it REALLY necessary to cut into regular programming just to show a Secret Service vehicle parked downtown? Need we break from our regularly scheduled programming to show the motorcade driving through the county? Really? Is that not News at Noon, Five, Six and Ten worthy? If I am subjected to this for a ridiculous amount of time during the day, do I REALLY need a recap of it in the evening, too? No! Just keep it on the scheduled news programs and I am sure many of us will be happy.

A simple break to let us know the Veep has arrived and is traveling to Adams St. is good enough. For those who care about Dick[head] Cheney, they can step out and view it for themselves. I don't need to stare at the Parkway for 15 minutes waiting for the possible viewing of a motorcade.

It's just stupid. I would rather see Hoda and Kathy talk about strawberries. Yes, even Kathy Lee is more interesting than a presidential motorcade.

Dirty Mouth?

2008-09-16T15:23:00.005-05:00

I love these... and have to share them because if you haven't seen them, you've really missed a new kind of commercial art!

Wife: You son of a biscuit-eating bulldog!
Husband: What the French toast?
Wife: Did you think I wouldn't find out about your little doo doo head cootie queen?
Mistress: Who are you calling a cootie queen? You lint-licker!
Wife: Pickle you kumquat!
Husband: You're overreacting.
Wife: No, Bill, overreacting was when I put your convertible into a wood chipper, Stinky McStinkface!
Mistress: You Hoboken.

Guy one: Well, hello Percy - feather plucking cheater!
Percy: Eat spatula and die, spittle stick! We're here fair and square!
Guy one: Then why is our fuddy-duddy cheer book missing, booger breath?
Percy: I don't know, why don't you check your donkey door?
Guy two: Oh, Why don't you check your donkey door?
Guy one: I'll pineapple slap your ascot!
Percy: Bring it on, dookie head - poo poo face!
Ref: Hey, you cankle bandits! Knock off the pumpernickel!

Three Months & Counting!

2008-09-15T07:43:00.005-05:00

Katie and Lauren are 3 months old! I can't believe the first three (most hellish) months have flown by. OK, may not "flown" (there were plenty of sleepless nights that crawled along), but time sure does fly, doesn't it?

The girls are doing SO well! As you can see here, sporting the onesies Raney made for them, they are growing and growing! Katie feels like a sack of potatoes when you pick her up. She is quite a bit heavier than Lauren! We have a four month check up next week, so I am really looking forward to seeing some numbers!

Both girls are sleeping through the night and have been for quite a while. It's been pretty darn nice! They are both full of smiles and although they haven't quite mastered cooing just yet, they are on the verge of it. They are somewhere between the 2 and 3 month mark for developments, which is right on target for their "adjusted" age. Being born a month early sets everything back a month... and just about every preemie mom will tell you just how much this bites!

Last night Lauren was taking her bath and was actually having fun with it. She was kicking and moving her arms like a pro swimmer. It was super cute and fun to watch. For someone that normally voices her dislike for bath-time, it was nice to see her having fun!

As for TJ, he is doing SO well in school! Apparently there are quite a few kids in his class with behavioral problems and TJ manages to stay on green all the time. This makes me SO happy, because if we did green/yellow/red at home, he sure as heck wouldn't be green all the time! He just has SO much energy! He gets PE in the morning, so that probably helps him in school, too. He also gets recess in the afternoon, so that has helped ME a little.

TJ is also going through a growth spurt. He's been super hungry (sign #1) and sleepy (sign #2) and then last night, like clockwork, he woke up with leg pains (sign #3). I've actually been waiting for this because in about a week I will mark his height on the wall where we've been keeping track. I can't wait to see how much he's grown since May!

The Squirrel, a Tooth & the Fairy

2008-09-07T13:04:00.011-05:00

On Thursday, I came home from dropping TJ off at school and was greeted by a baby squirrel trying to snuggle up next to the riding lawn mower's tire. At first I thought it was a rat or a baby possum, so naturally, I was quite startled.

I called my pet rescuing aunt Nancy and she said to try and feed it some sugar water. I picked it up (with protection), gave it a nice towel (nice for a squirrel, that is), and a box to call home until Nancy could take it. It fed a little off the medicine dropper with sugar water, but was more interested in nesting in the towel.

Nancy found a wildlife rescue to come and take the squirrel. They will "raise" it until it can be let go out into the wild. I was so sad about the baby squirrel and couldn't let the neighborhood's free-roaming dogs and/or cats come find it and kill it. I still have no idea how it got there, though! At least (for now), I know it is safe, warm and is being taken care of!

Also on Thursday, TJ lost his first tooth! I had been wanting to yank it out for a couple of days, but refrained from traumatizing my son. He was actually upstairs watching Indiana Jones (again) on our TV when he was playing with it with his tongue - and it came out on its own. The tooth next to it is a little loose too, so I guess the Tooth Fairy will be making many trips to the Towle house over the next decade or so (I am figuring in 5 years the girls will be losing their teeth, too!).

It is actually quite bittersweet for me. My baby started Kindergarten and just a few weeks later, he lost his first tooth. So many milestones in so little time!

And finally, I got a picture with BOTH girls smiling. Next goal - both smiling and actually looking AT the camera!

I uploaded some more pictures to the PhotoBucket account:
CLICK HERE

I took some pictures of the Hummingbirds that keep coming to our feeders. I looked and looked and I can't figure out what kind of Hummingbirds we have. They don't have red throats, so it can't be the Ruby Throated Hummingbird... and from what I can tell, not too many other ones (if any) life in this area. I took the pictures via digital zoom through a double-paned window what was dirty on the inside and outside - so the pics are the best quality. If you know what kind of Hummingbird it is, please post a comment and let me know!

Claustrophobic Feet

2008-08-31T10:49:00.002-05:00

For as long as I can remember, my feet have been claustrophobic. When I was a little girl, I HATED wearing socks because it made my shoes fit that much tighter. Because of that, I had horribly stinky feet.

Now, of course, my feet look like hell. I've been wearing Birkenstock sandals, sans socks, for at least 5 years now, if not longer, and my heels have paid for it. Of course, I am sure if I had worn socks most of my life, my feet would be softer and certain free from these horrible dry, scratchy patches.

I'd still prefer sandals over socks and closed-toe shoes. Even clogs kind of bother me. I would mind some nice, simple Mary Janes, but that's because they are light on your feet and airy.

I digress.

Yesterday, I went to Shoe Carnival with mom. I need to start walking to get fit and I need the shoes to do it. My feet grew when I was pregnant with TJ, so I knew a plain old 11 (yes, I wear the biggest women's shoe in the store) wasn't going to cut it. I feared wearing a men's clunky running shoe.

I managed to find some 11 wides that actually fit. Of course, the first thing I want to do when I put them on is take them off, but at least they fit well enough for me to call them comfortable... despite the fact that my feet FREAK out. My toes start to curl and I feel like I have to rub them next to each other, over and over and over and over and over again. It's the only way I know to soothe the anxiety of my toes!

So, on Tuesday, I am going to attempt to put the girls in the stroller after I get home from taking TJ to school. I am then going to do some walking in my women's Nike walking shoes (I prefer New Balance, but couldn't find the color I wanted).

My toes are already freaking out thinking about the shoes....

Target Hell

2008-08-28T19:58:00.004-05:00

Today I learned that when shopping at Target on University Dr., NEVER (and I repeat, NEVER) go through the check-out with the gigantic African-American guy. Please, don't do it. Don't even consider it. The dude is slower than Christmas. Wait, what is slower than Christmas? Because he is slower than THAT!

As I stood there, Lauren screaming, Katie the same, he is s-l-o-w-l-y ringing up my items o-n-e by o-n-e. Let me repeat, the girls are screaming. I'm trying to write a check, soothe them, put my groceries in the cart... typical mom multi-tasking... and he is taking his sweet, sweet time.

PLUS the women behind me were staring me down, as if I were some kind of freak show. "Hey, look at the woman try to handle two screaming babies at the same time" No, they didn't say it, but I could FEEL it in their stare. I wanted to just scream "HURRY THE HELL UP!" and "YOU! STOP STARING AT ME!"

Plus they've gotten new carts (the old ones are pieces of crap and there's always a buggy wheel), and the new carts are smaller, thus making it increasingly harder to shop with two babies in two car seats.

Grocery stores need to supply carts for MOMs (mothers of multiples). The only places that come close are SAMS and Costco. Don't these people CARE about how hard it is to shop with two young children - much less - TWINS?!

I got home just in time to feed the girls. I looked at the clock. 1pm. Hmmm... is 1pm too early to drink a beer???

At least they were nice and quiet (for the most part) for my wait in the car riders line at school.

Ahhhh..... the joys of motherhood.

In Loving Memory of Jessica Leigh Luna

2008-08-27T09:57:00.001-05:00

We miss you so much, Jessica!

Fay, Fay, Go Away!

2008-08-26T08:07:00.004-05:00

I guess it's officially a Tropical Depression now, but Fay is still causing problems! It's been raining non-stop since yesterday afternoon, and even though I know some farmers and locals are happy to have the rain... I am already over it.

The rain has found its way into our house. Tim seems to think the reason it is attacking our computer room closet is because it's an add-on to the main house and rain from the main roof is just pouring down and making its way in. Ugh. No fun and not a pretty sight. At least we caught it before it damaged too much in the closet.

I am also worried about the damn flooding. We live in a flood zone and pay well over $100 a month in flood insurance to FEMA, so if we have any flood damage, we will have no problems calling them and asking for every nickle and dime we can get.

I don't want flood damage! They anticipate a couple more days of rain. The front drainage ditch is filled already from one end of the street to the other. Our front walk is a small swimming hole. I just hope these HUGE trees around our house don't uproot and fall!!!

Fay, Fay, GO AWAY!

Sleep!!!! Plus new pictures...

2008-08-24T23:26:00.004-05:00

First, an amazing milestone! Last night, the girls got a bottle at about 930pm and then they didn't wake up for another bottle until around 430am! YAY! Not even 11 weeks old yet! I am thrilled!

I did have a little freak out moment when Katie's Angel Care Monitor went off. She is a wiggle worm and she wiggles herself all over the bed. Last night she had wiggled her way up to the end of the bed, with her head pressed against the crib bumper. The monitor went off, I think, because she was too far off the sensor area. I moved her back and we both went back to sleep!

Tonight I doubt we will have that kind of luck again. Especially since our grumpy bear (Lauren) has been really fussy this evening. We'll see...

Here are our newest pictures:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080824/

Pictures (Memories) to Share

2008-08-23T23:16:00.009-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about Papaw and Grandma lately. I've been so lucky to have two magnificent people like them in my life. They aren't alive anymore, but that doesn't matter. I still feel them around me. Especially Papaw. I've always had visits from him in my dreams since he passed. He never seemed to be a religious man (at least, I never saw him praying, reading a bible, or talking about God), but his presence after life has been very obvious to me.

The day after Papaw died, we had his funeral (because he did not want to be embalmed). During and after the service were many signs that he was still around, watching over us. Someone was talking badly about their brother, and a HUGE branch fell down off a tree about 20 feet from where we were standing outside. Then a few days later, more "talk" was happening inside the house and a lamp started flickering off and on quite rapidly. I've had countless dreams where he comes to talk to me. Real talk. It's real - it isn't a dream (only those who believe in after life communication can understand this phenomenon).

I also remember October 31, 2007. I was sitting in the exam room at my OB/GYN's office and I felt the presence of my grandparents and Jessica. As if I had their support. Tim and I had been trying to conceive for a while and this was our first round of medical help (a drug similar to Clomid) and I was convinced I wasn't pregnant. I was depressed and feeling really down, but suddenly I felt them in the room with me. I then found out that I was indeed pregnant! And shortly afterwards, as I was driving away, I heard my grandmother's voice tell me I would have a beautiful baby girl. Of course, now I think maybe she just forgot to add the plural of "girl" to that sentence.

I also have these two pictures:

This was taken in March, 1981. Me and my grandma! I was about 4 1/2 at the time. My grandmother had the greenest thumb and she treasured her plants. These plants next to us were probably ones that she had been keeping inside during the winter, hanging up in the indoor patio they had. It had a HUGE glass window that allowed plenty of sun to come through during the winter time.

My grandmother taught me lots of wonderful things, and she continued to teach me until her mind began to be robbed by Alzheimer's. I'd say I was around 15 (give or take a year or two) when he mind started to go. It was slow at first, but then it seemed to happen so quickly.

My Papaw was everything I could have asked for in a dad, too. My biological father wasn't in my life, and my Papaw proudly took the role (for what he could). He often called me his 7th child (my grandparents had six children). For a retired colonel, he was the biggest softie to me. He was always sweet, caring, huggable, and always smelled like Old Spice. In fact, just about every Father's Day, I would buy him a new bottle of the aftershave. He was such an amazing man. God, I miss him.

I was there when he was taken off life support. I had woken up that day somehow knowing that was the day he was going to die. He had been in a drug induced coma for a few days and they were not able to take him out of the coma. Papaw had more than a decade of serious health issues, but he always keep ticking. We thought we had lost in in the late 80's when a major artery to his heart suffered damage from an aneurysm. He survived because it was Christmas day and the ambulance was able to get to him so quickly. After that, he suffered from many other issues that he survived like the soldier he was. But that horrible day, taking him off life support, was an awfully traumatic experience for me. I will never forget that wet, raspy, monsterous cough of his as he tried to breathe in air, as his lungs slowly filled with fluid and he let go. It was that reason alone as to why I couldn't be there when my grandmother was dying. I was so haunted by the sounds of his death that I couldn't possibly allow myself to have the visions of my dying grandmother in my mind. I wanted to remember her as the beautiful, vibrant woman she was before she was robbed of her mind.

What sad thoughts to share. But there were so many happy thoughts, too. Like Sunday trips to Fayetteville with my grandma to get the Tennessean Sunday Newspaper. We'd stop at McDonalds. I'd get a Big Big Breakfast and she would read the paper while I ate. We'd drive back home, and during spring time, we would stop and pick daffodils. Occasionally, she would make a BLT for lunch, split it with me, pour herself a glass of beer and then pour a little into a tiny glass for me (one of those Pimento Cheese glasses). Yep, my grandmother gave me beer. :) I never remember being affected by it. But that's probably why I love it so much now!

I will never forget my Papaw standing in the kitchen with a frying pan, flipped over, and him pretending it was a banjo. He made banjo noises while be danced for me. I doubt anyone else got to see this stern ex-colonel goof around like that very often. I always felt like that was a special thing he would do for me!

And then there were the cars! My Papaw bought my grandmother a Mercury Cougar, and she loved it. We actually wrecked on an icy bridge coming home from Fayetteville one time. That's the time I realized my grandmother and I both shared some E.S.P. abilities, because we both knew we were going to wreck moments before it happened. I remember their red Volkswagen Beetle. My mom had a blue Super Beetle (it had a dash board!). I also remember the Cadillacs. I think he had two or three (total - not at once). They always had butterscotch candies in the ash tray.

My papaw loved taking pictures of my grandmother. I remember him getting several different 35mm cameras. He'd take pictures of her. Sometimes her with her flowers. She'd always take pictures of the house and the flowers.

It's amazing how many wonderful happy memories I have of them. I only wish TJ had gotten to know them. But I know they look after him.

They say life isn't always fair...

2008-08-23T14:19:00.004-05:00

... but did they say it was unfair? Today it seems so.

Recently, a couple of my family members suffered a horrible loss. There aren't enough words for me to describe how full of sorrow I am for them. It deeply hurts my heart.

It is times like this that we have to be so thankful for what blessings we have. In the past 6 years I've lost many family members (at least, "many" in my book) and there's never enough words to describe the pain. We've all suffered loss and we all know how different kinds of loss feels like. But it never makes the next loss any less painful.

What's strange is that last night my mother gave me some pictures that my aunt Nancy found. They were pictures of me with my Papaw and others with my Grandma (on the Madden side). Some of the photos I had never seen before. There was also a few pictures of me with Jessica when she was a baby, one when she was a toddler, and another when she was school age. I loved seeing all the pictures, but it was bittersweet. I wanted to cry when I saw the photos, because I miss them all SO much that it hurts.

Life is so unfair and cruel sometimes. Today I am thankful for all of my blessings, and am full of sorrow for all the loss.

Sending love to my family (you know who you are) and I want you to know you are in my thoughts and if there is anything I can do from here, please, please let me know. We love you!

Check-Ups

2008-08-16T00:32:00.006-05:00

TJ and the girls each had a check-up on Wednesday. TJ's 5-year and the girls' 2 month appointments.

TJ is in the 96th percentile for height and 97th for weight - which means he weighs exactly what he should for his height. Dr. S said that because TJ is about the size of the average 6 to 6 1/2 year old, I shouldn't be alarmed by his loose tooth. That's right... TJ has his first loose tooth (his bottom right. Starting Kindergarten and the first loose tooth all in one week? Let's just say that it's too much for me. I've been more devastated with the prospect of him losing his tooth than I was with him starting school.

I imagine this old man, chiseling away at my son, chipping away his youth. Chip one, starting Kindergarten. Chip two, the loss of his first tooth. It never stops, it never slows down, and I don't think it ever gets easier.

As for the girls - Lauren has now been surpassed by her sister in weight. Katie is an "average" 11 lbs (even) and Lauren is an even 10 lbs. They are in the teens percentile for height, but I seriously doubt these girls are always going to be that way. I am pretty certain that has everything to do with being preemies.

Note to self- must call and make appt. for their four month appointments.

Tim and I have been enjoying the Olympics this week. He and I both LOVE gymnastics and swimming. As we've witnessed Michael Phelps win his 7th gold metal this evening, an unprecedented, historic event, I gaze upon his mother and wonder what it must be like to be her. You see, that's the difference between being a young person and a true adult. You make the identifiable feeling switch to the parent from the child. Instead of wondering what it is like to be Phelps, I wonder what it is like to be his mother.

Twinkles in my eyes are probably quite visible from the other side of a stadium. I dream about what TJ might grow up to be - and what kind of athlete he is to become. I don't do this yet for the girls because they are so tiny still. But with TJ, I see his proclivity towards sports and his desire to play them, and I wonder if I am looking at a future Olympian. Chances are slim (there just aren't THAT many Olympians in the general public), but that doesn't mean I can't dream or push him to have a dream too.

It was very surreal tonight to see history in the making. What an amazing Olympian Michael Phelps truly is. What a great role model. And I'd give anything to sit down with his mother for twenty minutes!

On another note... I went to WalMart this morning after dropping TJ off at school. It was nice! The girls were sleeping well (rare for being in the car seats) and although I DO miss TJ, it was a very quiet and non-chatty shopping event... sans the freaks that chase me down to converse about the twins! Lord help me, because one day it is going to be the worst possible time and I might just lose my cool with a nose blue-hair. Raney told me once about being chased down by a blue-hair who wanted to look at her twin girls. It happened to me today. Her hair wasn't blue - but it certainly was BLACK!

BH (Blue Hair) -- "Oh! I have to see your babies! Are they twins? Wait right there, I have GOT to see them!"

I slowed down for her to take a look as I didn't want to be overly rude.

BH -- "Did you know you were having twins?"

Me -- "Uh, Yes."

BH -- "How far along were you when you found out?"

Me -- "About five weeks" (I think!) I then started moving away from her more and more slowly.

BH -- "Now, identical twins are in the same sac, right?"

Me -- "Yes, they can be. My girls are fraternal"

BH -- "Two sacs"

At this point I was very, very annoyed. I started walking further and further away from her...

BH -- "What are their names?"

Me -- "Katherine and Lauren"

BH -- (mouthing the worlds as if she were on a stage from Broadway) "Kath-er-ine and Laurrrrr-en"

I kept walking away

Me -- "Yes, we are truly blessed!"

At that point she may have finally gotten what I was trying to drive home... LEAVE ME ALONE!

I also had another person ask me to stay put so her daughter could come and look at the girls. WTF!? Do you want me asking you to stay put? How about you put yourself in MY shoes and get a grip on reality... you shouldn't ask strangers of any kind, in any store, to "wait right there" so that people could look (stare) and your children!

Well, I am off to put the girls to bed after their post-bottle 30 minute wait. Good thing too - my eyes are closing as I type this!

It's Oh So Quiet

2008-08-11T09:37:00.011-05:00

It is almost painfully quiet in the Towle House at this moment. TJ is at school, the girls are sleeping, and even the dogs are snoozing away. I can't believe how quiet it is. I don't think I've ever heard this kind of silence before!

TJ's first day of Kindergarten was Friday, 08-08-08. What a day it was! I was out running errands all day and TJ was enjoying his phase-in day at school. He got to arrive a little later than normal and I was actually able to walk him to class. It was all very surreal for me.

When we were standing in the school corridor, waiting to walk back to the classroom (with the other phase-in kids from that day), TJ rubbed my arm and told me "I will always be with you, mommy." I think he knew I was a little sad about seeing him go. What a sweet, darling, caring, loving child!

We got into his class and he found a CUTE little gift bag from the teacher. What a great idea! It made the kids feel a lot better about this "first." I gave my son a kiss and he turned his head a bit and wiped my kiss off his lips!!! I couldn't believe what I was seeing! Already he doesn't want his mommy kissing him in public? My heart was broken!

When I picked him up from school, one of the first things he told me was that he had the routine Friday lunch of Pizza, but they gave him chocolate milk. His response? "Yuck! I wanted white milk!" Yes, my son does NOT like chocolate milk.

They also have a rest period (a.k.a. nap time) and he was actually able to lay there and rest. He said the teacher played nice music and that it made it easy for him to close his eyes. TJ hasn't had routine nap time for close to two years now. I was a little worried he wouldn't be able to rest - but apparently he can and he DID!

Today he actually has a full class of students to be a part of. I can't wait to hear about it all. I miss my little buddy! After I dropped him off at school today, I went and dropped something off at the Post Office. When I pulled up to the box, I can honestly say that my ears hurt a little because they weren't hearing TJ making some sort of comment about something or another. Mr. Talks-a-lot wasn't there and every ounce of my being missing that. I think Kindergarten is going to take more getting used to for me than my resilient little monkey.

Over the weekend, we had lots of floor time with the girls. They really enjoy laying out and looking at each other and the toys I lay down for them (a baby activity mirror and a few colorful rattles). Lauren was in her typical grumpy state and I was holding her while Katherine enjoyed some time down on the floor by herself. I got this adorable picture of her looking at me with a tiny grin. I love it!

Actually, Katie was grins all weekend long. It's such a wonderful feeling - seeing your little blessing looking up at you and grinning. They are so small and so innocent. They don't know a whole lot, but you know they know love. You know they know you love them because they smile at you. And you know they love you too. They may not be able to say the word or even understand what it is, but that innate feeling to love the one who cares for you is there. It's such a miracle to see it happen, especially when you know how easily life can be taken away from you. This perfect little being that grew in my belly loves me. I am so blessed because so many things could have gone wrong (and albeit, could still go wrong), but I have this wonderful little ray of sunshine smiling at me! Oh, I can't wait for Lauren to do the same! I know it is just a matter of days now!

Along with smiles this weekend, we had some tears too. Not just Lauren's colic (yes, she fusses SO MUCH when she is awake), but TJ got stung by a wasp this weekend - while IN the house, sitting at his computer! I am really pissed because I don't think my pest control person is doing his job... but I won't get into that. I panicked because just a few months ago, Tim was stung on his hand and a few days later his entire hand was swollen. He ended up going to the doctor because of it. I've never been stung (knock on wood), so I didn't know if TJ would have a major reaction or not. Very scary for me! So, I Googled what to expect & what to do, and ended up giving TJ some Benadryl and Ibuprofen. We also put Benzocaine on the sting. Everything was okay a few hours later and even today it was fine. I am just really surprised he didn't have a major reaction. He gets really, really red when a mosquito bites him - the bites get to be hard knots that are usually about the size of a quarter, and RED! So, needless to say, I am surprised he did so well.

Tim also celebrated his birthday this weekend! He's officially closing in on 40, as he turned 38 on the 10th. We were pretty low-key in our celebration. We made dinner at home and had a Publix German Chocolate Cake for dessert. TJ gave his dad a couple of t-shirts with funny sayings on them (although TJ doesn't understand the humor). I gave him some slacks, which he needed. My mother always spoils Tim, treating her as if he were her own, and gave him a very generous gift card.

Mom asked me what I wanted for my birthday. I always have such a hard time answering that question. I rarely purchase things for myself, and when I CAN do it, I just don't know what I want. So, I told her to get me a gift card to Michael's or something like that. I always want something from there (it's that crafty soul I have), but I will probably end up using it to purchase a frame or something like that. I may be crafty, but I am super practical and have a hard time being frivolous. In fact, it pains me to be frivolous. It just isn't in my nature.

Well, I've spend enough time blogging for one day. Off I go to hang and tag some clothes for the HAMOM MOM's Mart next weekend. This is one thing I NEED to do when TJ isn't around or it will never be done! Until next time.... May the Force be with You!

Funnies, Pictures and Firsts

2008-08-07T23:06:00.007-05:00

There's so much I want to blog about tonight, but I am just too tired. I am waiting on the 30 minute mark post-feeding with Katie so she can go join her sister in their room for bedtime... when momma needs to lay down and SLEEP!

We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow - our first day of Kindergarten. I will be able to walk him to his class tomorrow so I will be sure to take a picture, too. Even cooler - TJ will be taking this new journey on a pretty cool date - 08-08-08 - plus it is the first day of the summer Olympics! Great day to remember.

I've uploaded some good and some funny pics to our photobucket account:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080807/

There aren't many there, but here are a couple of highlights....

I tried desperately to get a pic of all three kids but it just wasn't happening. Lauren and Katie were both fussy, and TJ was really tired of hearing it. I don't blame him, I was pretty tired of hearing the fussing, too!

They say pictures are worth a thousand words. This next one... well, who knows. I swear to you that TJ actually enjoys me pinching his nose with my toes. I don't know why and I really don't encourage it. However, this is what transpired and since I had the camera close... click! The other day he kept asking me to squeeze harder and harder, and I did. I squeezed as hard as I possibly could. Later, I noticed a red mark on his nose. Yep, from my squeezing! Hey, he literally asked for it. What can I say?

And finally, I got a picture of the girls together and actually had success. If you look at my photobucket pics, you will see a really good one of the two of them looking at the camera. In this photo (also on the PB album), it looks like Lauren is licking Katie's arm. She spent a lot of the time trying to nurse her shoulder or mouth her outfit. Too cute. I also noticed how great the sheet was for a background in this picture! The flowers match the flowers in the heart design of the dress. Thanks Raney!

Recipe: Baked Ziti

2008-08-06T15:53:00.001-05:00

Here's another dish donated to us by Raney (via the HAMOM group AND her own kindness). We actually froze what was left over and heated it up in the microwave for lunches afterwards. It was so yummy and actually tasted even better after it was frozen! Thanks Raney! It was DELICIOUS!

Baked Ziti

1 lb ground beef
1/2 of an onion, finely chopped
1 lb ziti or penne pasta, cooked al dente
2 jars of spaghetti sauce (I use the Bertoli tomato and basil)
1.5 cups sour cream
6 slices provolone cheese
1 - 2 cups mozzarella cheese - however cheesy you like it
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a large skillet and a casserole dish with
Pam. Saute onion over medium heat in skillet for a few minutes until it
is soft, then add ground beef and brown, chopping beef into little
pieces as it cooks. When beef is brown, add spaghetti sauce. Cook for a
few minutes until it comes to a simmer. Then add to pasta (in the large
pot you cooked it in) and mix well. Layer half of the pasta mixture in
the casserole dish. Top with provolone cheese and then spread the sour
cream over the cheese in an even layer. Layer the remaining pasta
mixture and top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake uncovered for 25 - 30 minutes.

Recipe: Northern Italian Pasta Shell Stuffing

2008-08-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

After I had the twins, members from the HAMOM group brought food to us. This was the first dish brought to us and I LOVED IT! I emailed the MOM and got the recipe and just HAD to share it with you all!

Northern Italian Pasta Shell Stuffing

3 packages frozen, chopped spinach
3 pounds ground round
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 large onions, chopped
Grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper
2 jumbo eggs
1 (1-pound) package jumbo pasta shells
2 cups tomato sauce (your own or ready-made)

Place frozen spinach in a strainer and run under hot water until thawed.
Squeeze all of the water out and place in a large bowl. In a large
saute pan, cook the ground round until browned. Drain meat, reserving 2
tablespoons fatin the pan, and place meat in the same bowl with the
spinach. Stir in the cream cheese until blended with the meat and
spinach. Saute the chopped onions in the reserved meat fat until
transparent. Transfer onions to the bowl with the other ingredients and
stir to combine. Add grated cheese, salt and pepper, to taste, and
combine. Let mixture cool and then add the eggs. The filling can be
made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook pasta shells in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and
cool to the touch. Stuff the shells with the meat mixture. Place
shells in a large baking pan and cover with tomato sauce. Cover with
foil and bake for approximately 1 hour. Serves 6-8.

Corona... take me away

2008-08-06T01:39:00.004-05:00

As I sit here, approaching 2am, I find my only bit of sanity can be found in a bottle of Corona (don't forget the limes). Seriously... I've resorted to drinking. Lauren has screamed for an hour straight. The child is so different from my other children. I was bound to have a baby that wasn't easily soothed, that cries a lot, and sucks all hope of sleep right from the palm of my hand. Ahhh, the life of motherhood. My nerves are shot and since I needed something to take me away from the screaming, I've decided to open a nice, ice cold beer.

Amusingly, while Lauren screamed for an hour in her bedroom, between me laying her in her bed, picking her up, walking her, sitting with her, patting her (you name it), Katie was sleeping like a champ. Lauren screamed, Katie slept. TJ slept in the next room, too. Tim slept in our room across the hall. Everyone was sleeping except me and Lauren. Even the dogs were snoring. Heck, if I was any less of a mom, I could have slept through it too... and I only say "less of a mom" because I really DID feel like walking away and sleeping. I could have. I could have easily just sat down and fallen asleep.

Lucky Tim will be getting his butt up at 3am so I can get some sleep before he goes to work. I hate having to wake him up so early, but that's our deal. He will get up as early as 3am to watch the girls so I can sleep. Yesterday he got up after 4am, and the day before was after 5am. Not so lucky today, though.

And then lucky me, I will get about 2.5 hours of sleep before I have to deal with them all day. Ahhh, the joys of motherhood.

I don't want to wish their life away, but I can't wait until they sleep at night, consistently, at the same time. I just can't wait!!!!

I kept telling myself not to bring Lauren downstairs. I didn't want her to have to go to sleep in a bouncy seat or the swing. Now I have to wake her up and keep her up because she is sleeping in the swing, and I will be damned if she doesn't go to sleep after her next bottle in less than an hour!

SERENITY NOW!

Milestones Galore

2008-08-05T00:05:00.005-05:00

The week is full of milestones!

The girls have been smiling and "laughing" since they were born... except it was all in their sleep. However, over the past few days we've seen more smiles and tonight Tim even got a small chuckle out of Katie. I can't wait until we get these on a regular basis!

One of the hardest things for me, being a mom to preemies, is the WAIT. We all have to wait until that first smile, first laugh, first tooth, etc. The first year is loaded with first after first... but we pretty much have a wait a month longer for each of those firsts. The girls are 8 weeks old now, but that equates to one month olds. So, they pretty much are still sleeping, eating, pooping ALL the time.

They do have great muscle tone for their ages and can hold their heads really well. They are getting a lot of tummy time, too - so we ARE going to avoid any and all chances for positional plagiocephaly, which is what TJ had (flat head). Tummy time WILL help that.

The BIGGEST milestone for the Towle Family this week is the beginning of Kindergarten! TJ met his teacher today and starts on Friday with a phase-in day. Only 1/3 of his class will be there, as the other 2/3 will split Wednesday and Thursday of this week. He told me he met a new kid and that is a new friend, which made me feel good. TJ is out there ready to make new friends without any reservations. Not all kids are like this (I don't know if I was), and it makes me feel good that he is confident enough to call a new kid his friend. Way to go, TJ!

OMG! I can't believe what I am seeing!

2008-08-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

Mimi is coming home!

2008-08-01T11:28:00.001-05:00

Just a quick note to say that Ruth is on her way to get mom from Vanderbilt! I will post more as I have the info!

Kidney is a match and mom is good!

2008-07-30T20:13:00.003-05:00

We left home at 4am on Tuesday, July 29 and arrived at Vanderbilt University Hospital at 6am. We checked into the ER and immediately went back into a room. They drew blood and at that point we had to make sure the cross-match was good. We got news around lunch time that all was good to go for a 230pm surgery time. At 530 I found out all went well and I was able to see her in the recovery room around 8pm. They had no clue when they would be able to get her a room, so I went ahead and drove home from Nashville around 830pm.

The kidney is functioning and everything looks good! I talked to mom several times today and the doctors are happy with the results. Of course, she will have to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life and there's always the chance that it just won't stick around for long. We just have to pray for the best outcome.

We hope to see her home this weekend!!!!

While I was in the surgery waiting area, I was sitting a little too far away from the monitors with patient updates, so I looked around and tried to find the best spot with the most tolerable people. I found a spot that was next to a group of a couple of adults with a couple of teen girls. I figured that was my best option because there were... well, quite a variety of strange and obnoxious people there. Anyway... I decided to sit near them. I was there for just a couple of minutes when I realized, from their dialogue that they were waiting on a patient who was also getting a transplant. It turns out, Debra A (the patient) was getting a kidney and a pancreas. From what we could piece together, it is very likely she was getting her organs from the same donor as my mother's!

All my mother was told about the donor was that it was a 25 year old brain dead male from Memphis. My aunt seems to think (from looking at the news from that area) that she knows who the donor was.

Back to the other ladies at the hospital... they were a blessing to me. They were very conversational, which made it a lot easier for me to sit there in the waiting room. Debra's daughter was an older teen, still in school, and I left my email address with her so I can get an update after she goes home. Again, they were so kind to me. They watched my stuff while I went to use the bathroom and use the vending machines. It was wonderful. They also offered me food and like I said, were just a blessing to have there.

So, this long wait is over for now. I just pray that the kidney remains functioning for a very, very long time and that the worries of if/when/where a kidney would come, and the stresses of dialysis are finally over with for good!

Keep mom in your thoughts and prayers!

We have a Kidney!

2008-07-28T23:32:00.002-05:00

Mom got the call from Vanderbilt tonight. They have a kidney from a 25 year old male from Memphis. They were performing the extraction operation on the man this evening at 9:30 p.m. and as long as the kidney is viable, we will be going to Vandy in the morning. Once we get there at 6 a.m., they will have to do another compatibility test, which is standard. If all goes well, she will be in surgery tomorrow afternoon!

Tim will be at home with the girls while I am in Nashville. I will be coming home after mom is out of recovery, hopefully tomorrow evening. She will be there for a few days as long as all goes well.

Please pray that all goes well. This has been a long time coming and I really hope we don't get there and find disappointment or worse. Hopefully I will be able to post an update in a couple of days!!!!

Tired... Television... and other junk

2008-07-28T10:01:00.004-05:00

I'm so tired it hurts. Literally. I catch up on sleep (or come really close to it) on the weekends, but then the week rolls around and I am already exhausted by Monday morning.

Last night the girls went to bed (upstairs) early enough for Tim and me to work on stuff that needed attention. It was great. I knew the girls would need a bottle around 11:30pm, so I stayed downstairs. So, both girls get fed, but it took forever for me to take Lauren back upstairs after she ate because she was really restless and took some time after her bottle to settle down. I was in the bed for all of ten minutes when she started fussing again, and then Katie started. Both ended up back downstairs with a bottle. I got them back upstairs after a LOT of spitting up, fussing and crying. I actually slept, but only for an hour (75 minutes at best). So, since about 1pm Sunday, I've had a full HOUR of sleep. It is now 10am on Monday. So yeah, I hurt. My legs hurt, my muscles, my joints, my neck, my head, my eyes, my knees. Okay, I hurt from head to toe. Can't wait for Tim to come home and let me sleep for a while!

On to TV. I saw the most despicable crap on television the other night on Comedy Central. First, the Gong Show (current - not a rerun of the old ones). A woman came on stage with a name I'd rather not have on my blog -- but let's just say her "talent" was the ability to make noises with parts of her body normally associated with intimate relations. She basically bent over and put a microphone to her nether-region and made very crude and disgusting noises. I could NOT believe what I was seeing! I would have to say that takes the cake in the most disgusting crap I've ever seen on reality television...

Side note --- it wasn't me that turned it to that show!

Then, after the Gong Show, it was another reality show - Reality Bites Back. This was also a totally despicable show. From what I saw, there really was no point to the show other than crap to air for shock value.

Have I gotten that old? So old that I am disgusted with today's antics on television and movies? I mention movies because I watched Superbad and Knocked Up over the past week or so and the language used was worse than the crap we were saying in high school. Granted, that was 14 years ago, but has it really changed that much? Really? I mean, I had a real potty mouth before my kids were born. I was amused by things that don't really amuse me now. I enjoyed talking about things that would make me blush now... and I CAN accept the fact that those kinds of things come with age. But between the crap on TV and the language - I am shocked! Am I becoming hardened and prude? I sure hope not.

A Towle Family Update

2008-07-27T22:35:00.012-05:00

School starts in less than two weeks! That's right, TJ will be heading off to Kindergarten on August 6th. I am SO happy because he's gotten so bored at home. I am also sad to see my baby go off to school! What a huge change this year! He's gone from being my only child to having twin sisters and now going off to school. He's taking it all very well, though and I am SO proud of him!

The girls are doing well, too. The reflux is still bothersome, as we have a projectile spit-up about once every other day (usually more). However, the medicine seems to be working as the acid doesn't seem to bug them like it did before.

As always, the kids are growing like weeds. TJ seems to get bigger every time I look at him, and I KNOW the girls are getting bigger and bigger. In fact, I think Katie has outgrown Lauren by a long-shot. Just looking at her, I can tell she is bigger.

Just look at this picture of Katie! She barely looks like that tiny little 5 pounder from 7 weeks ago! I can't believe how big she's gotten in such a short amount of time!

Because they were premature, we have to wait longer for milestones to come our way. For example, smiles, coos and even eye contact come about a month after they normally would with full term babies. That's the part that really bites! For a parent, it feels like forever! Plus, we have to wait that much longer before they start sleeping in longer stretches at night, too.

As for our night time, sleep hasn't really come any easier for me, although we finally found a way for them to sleep in their cribs without much spit-up at all. First we did the inclined sleep positioner... the Babies R Us brand. It sucks, royally. Basically, it is a sleep positioner that has an incline to it. No matter what I did, they either scootched down or worked their way up, ended with their head back on off the positioner. They were still spitting up on them, too. Then I tried letting them sleep in the Boppy pillows in their bed (as seen in many of their pics, including the one above). It worked for one night, maybe two. Then Lauren's Angel Care Monitor kept going off because it couldn't detect her breathing while we used the pillow. So then it was back to them sleeping in the Boppy Bouncy Seats. This was miserable for me because I was spending my nights downstairs in the living room, sleeping on a sofa that was becoming over-used and less supportive. Plus they were still sleeping very restlessly and I couldn't sleep even if I tried!

Then I noticed how the girls slept best on their tummy. So, I did my homework and found that despite the "Back to Sleep" campaign to help prevent SIDS, it was common for reflux babies to sleep better (and more soundly) on their tummy. Thank God (and Raney, who is letting us use them), we have Angel Care monitors. The monitors are sensitive enough to tell if a baby is breathing while laying on a mattress. The sensor is under the mattress. We've been using these for about 5 to 7 nights now and WOW, what a difference! The girls actually sleep at night without excessive grunting, without spitting up like mad, and more soundly. Although I do believe sleeping on their back is the best position for the prevention of SIDS, I know the girls are getting better rest at night on their tummy. So, each night I put my faith in those monitors to work like they are supposed to! Even after testing them, I am still paranoid --- but certainly not as much as I was with TJ when he was a baby!

Here's a cute pic of Lauren in her attempts to coo. She is trying very hard to "talk" to us and it's just a matter of time before she starts cooing up a storm.

Considering how much she looks like TJ as a baby, and how feisty she seems to be compared to her siblings, I have a feeling she will be a big talker once she figures out how to make noise.

Katie is much more quiet and observes more than she participates. She and Lauren are very different, both in looks, disposition and personality. For example, Lauren fusses about everything. She seems to have a bit of colic and gets frustrated really easily when it comes to having a diaper change or even when she is trying to coo and doesn't succeed. Katie doesn't fuss as much. In fact, Katie only fusses when she is hungry and occasionally when she has a bath.

Both of the girls are doing really well with learning to hold their head up. Lauren is very determined to learn new things (cooing, holding her head up) and I can't wait to get some pictures of her doing it. Right now she only does it when she is laying on our shoulder/chest. Katie is also testing this skill and will be doing it in no time!

And as many of you know, I am not the kind of mom that subscribes to the belief that "wearing" your child is best. This form of attachment parenting isn't really my cup of tea. In fact, I am really quite the opposite of attachment parenting (Dr. Sears would be devastated!). I believe children need their own space, their own beds, their own time and shouldn't be raised to depend SO much on their parents. I think co-sleeping is a huge parenting blunder, but hey - I won't judge you for it. But as a mom of twins, I face some really different parenting issues. For example, when one of the girls cry, I can't always run and pick her up. Sometimes I have to let one of them (or sometimes both) lay and cry for a while when getting bottles ready, etc. It sucks and I hate it. And then between 14 diaper changes a day (at least) and 14 bottles a day, I have little to no time to do things like blog (which is why this took me three days to finally type and post), clean, shower or even eat sometimes. And occasionally I have a baby that needs to be held when I have other things to do... that I need to do. So, I bartered with Kyna Woollery of Micah & Co. for a sling (she got advertising on my websites in exchange).

Again, I am not a baby wearer, but I won't deny a child her time to be held. Especially since my time is split between two babies. I sometimes feel like I don't have enough time to be with each child. So this allows me to be with one child (and sometimes with one and carrying the other) when I have things I have to do (like type... as I have Katie in a sling right now, sleeping since she was unhappy in her bouncy seat). I really like to sling. I am still getting used to it, and learning how to wear it correctly, but for the most part, it has been an excellent product! And even though I am not a baby wearing, I do enjoy wearing them on occasion!

I also have some new Photobucket pictures to share... not too many, though. There's the two included above and then just a couple more:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080727kids/

And there's an event some of you might be interested in. My HAMOM group (Huntsville Area Mothers of Multiples) is having a sale for children's clothing, accessories and products. Here's some info about it:

Presented by Huntsville Area Mothers’ of Multiples

A Second Time Around Sale!

Clothes for Infants, Toddlers & above
Singletons or Multiples

Toys, Baby Furniture, Equipment & Accessories

Maternity Wear

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22, 5:30PM-9PM
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23, 8AM-12PM

YOUNG NAK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
WHITESBURG DRIVE, SOUTH

Portions of fundraiser to benefit COTA & Melissa George Foundation

PLEASE share this with mothers in and around the Huntsville area! I plan on selling a good bit of TJ's fall/winter wardrobe from the past 5 years! I have TONS of stuff from his infancy and through his third year!

"It's Genius - NOT Penis!"

2008-07-22T00:39:00.003-05:00

Earlier in the week, TJ said "Patrick, your penis is showing!" and swears that SpongeBob says this on TV. Yes, we've been having a debate about it. I keep telling TJ that they do NOT say "penis" on SpongeBob! He insists they do!

So, today we had it on SpongeBob and sure enough, the scene comes up and I have to give TJ some credit because it DOES sound like "penis" and Patrick even replies with "Really!?" (or something to that effect) and covers his crotchal-area. SpongeBob is indeed saying to Patrick that his "genius is showing" and I even had to rewind the TiVo several times to catch it. But I still have to insist to TJ that penis does not equal genius!!!

On another note, after a long day of being covered it spit-up (I had it on my shirt, my pants, the floor, the sofa...), Tim came home and after dinner I was all set to sleep for a while. Right now, since the girls are still pretty restless at night and spitting up when laying down, I pretty much stay up all night with them. It sucks and I hope that once they get a little better, it will help (along with continued reflux meds).

So, it was about 630pm when I laid down, Tim agreeing to wake me up at 1130pm if I wasn't already up. Ahhh, surely I could squeeze at least 4 hours out of that, right? NOT A CHANCE! First, I woke up at 8pm thinking I had overslept. Looked at the clock, and went back to sleep. Then at 930pm I was wide awake. This sucks. I got a couple of hours last night, maybe 90 minutes (at best) on the sofa before TJ/Tim got up, and that's it since yesterday. Yet I still can't sleep. I even downed a beer to help me relax a little, in hopes of being able to sleep for a while. Nope. It just plain sucks. Given the opportunity to sleep, I can't.

Thankfully Tim said he would get up at 330am (or sometime after) to let me get some rest before he goes to work. I prefer he sleep as much as possible (he was probably well asleep before 1130pm) because he is a real bear to deal with and I need him rested so when he gets home from work, I can nap without guilt (my own guilt issues, not imposed by Tim).

I don't know... here I am at almost 1am blogging rather than sleeping. But I know Lauren is due for a bottle anytime now and I am just waiting on her call. I am actually going to let her go as long as possible in hopes of getting her to sleep more at night. The other night she went a full five hours and it was marvelous! If could get Katie and Lauren to do that at the same time, I would be in HEAVEN!

I am actually starting to feel pretty tired right now, but the chance of sleep within the next couple of hours is nil. First I will have to feed Lauren, then if she stays sleepy, I can put her down long enough to doze out and then have Katie wake me up for a feeding. Of course, I was feeding them back to back, but since I am not sleeping anyway, I thought I would go ahead and just let them feed on demand rather than a schedule for right now --- just to see how long they will go between bottles. Of course, with their adjusted age, they are more like 2 week old infants, not like 6 weekers. Believe me, that plays a pretty big role in dealing with preemie infants. I didn't really think of them as Preemies until I realized that at this point in TJ's life (6 weeks), he was smiling and I was getting more feedback from him. Not the girls, though... I still have some time before I will see that on a regular basis.

I think I hear Lauren calling... that would be 3.5 hours this time. Hey, at least it isn't every two hours like it was a few days back! Man, that was hell!

Off I go... and "miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep"

Finally - some new pictures

2008-07-20T01:37:00.002-05:00

I've uploaded some pictures - finally!

Here's a few of TJ, Katie, Lauren and the Dogs:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080720kids/

Here are pics taken on his actual birthday, 7/15. We went to Chuck E Cheese for dinner that night.
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/200807205thbdayactual/

Here are the pictures taken at the party we had for our friends to come and celebrate TJ's bday and to see the girls - on 7/11 (my actual due date for my twin pregnancy!)
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080720friday5thbday/

Infant Reflux SUCKS!

2008-07-19T22:12:00.002-05:00

I am no stranger to infant reflux. TJ had it and it was one of the main causes of his plagiocephaly and torticollis... he spent SO much time in his bouncy seat because he couldn't lay down flat or his food would come right back up. Now take that frustration and double it. No - quadruple it because not only do the girls have reflux, but the pain they are in causes them to be extremely light and fussy sleepers. Hence the reason why I never sleep at night. In fact, for the most part, the ONLY sleep I get is when Tim is home and letting me sleep.

I slept for a few hours last evening and Tim got me up around 1am. I let him sleep until almost 8am and then I went back to bed and slept until about 1pm. This is why I love the weekends! I actually get to SLEEP! Most week nights Tim comes home and I try to get some sleep from about 7pm until 10pm, sometimes Midnight. Then I am up again until the following evening. It's a lot like being on third shift, I guess. Tonight sucks, though. Tim is doing an activity at work and probably won't be home until midnight. So, when he gets home, he can go to bed and get rest and then HOPEFULLY I can make it until about 6 or 7am and then he will get up and let me sleep again.

Like I said, infant reflux SUCKS. They spend time in their bouncy seats, keeping them more up-right so they won't spit-up. I try to lay them to sleep in their Boppy pillows, and that worked for a week or so, but now Katie complains when she's in that, too. The only time Katie sleeps well is sleeping on her belly on my chest. I WISH I could put them in their cribs, each on their belly - but because of SIDS, I don't do it. We've got Raney's two Angel Care Monitors, and that would work, but I am still too nervous to depend solely on them when sleeping on their belly.

Well, off I go --- I knew I wouldn't get more than 10 minutes on the computer without a fussing baby. Off to clean up more spit-up.

I've got CUTE pics to share soon, too --- will be sure to post them ASAP.

TJ's Birthday & One Month Check Up

2008-07-18T09:57:00.003-05:00

The girls had their one month check up yesterday - actually at 5+ weeks old. Lauren is still bigger (barely) at 8 lbs. 7 oz, 21 1/2" long and Katherine is 8 lbs. 6 oz and 21" long. I would guess that by their 2nd month appointment, Katie will be bigger than her sister!

I desperately need to post new pictures because as you can image, they look very different as each week passes. Especially Katie - she looks so much more full (chubby) and it really has changed her look.

In the early hours of July 15, TJ's Birthday - Lauren started to coo a little. Later that same day, Katie smiled right at me. LOVE IT! Can wait to get more of both!

TJ's birthday parties were great. On Friday the 11th, he has his "big" friends over (our friends) and it was great fun. He was totally excited by his Nintendo DS and everyone got him a game to go with. He is SET for FUN! Then on his birthday, we went to Chuck E Cheese (just family) and had pizza and played games. We had a LOT of tickets and TJ opted to save them for next time. I had actually saved 200+ tickets from YEARS ago (from before TJ was born) from when Becky won and failed to redeem them. So, we made out with a bunch of tickets, but as you know, you really can't get anything without having thousands! I think we have about 500, so next time perhaps we can get something (crappy) for TJ to enjoy (for all of two minutes before it breaks).

I will be sure to post pics from his birthday and pics of the girls as soon as I can. I haven't had any time to do much of anything other than feed a baby, change a baby, make bottles, do laundry and TRY to sleep when I can (which is a rare event and usually only happens between the hours of 6pm to midnight when Tim is home).

Sleep. Oh how I love sleep. I miss it. I need it. I want it!

It is ONLY 8 am?

2008-07-11T08:01:00.005-05:00

Amazing how time creeps by when you are exhausted. Here's a quick peek into the horrible sleep schedule I've had over the past couple of days...

Wednesday - pretty much no sleep all night Tuesday night. Tim came home and I went to bed at about 6:30pm and he let me sleep until about Midnight. YAHOO! So that means I got about 5-6 hours of sleep. Previous nights I was laying down at about the same time, but getting up at 9pm. Then I finally got the girls settled down in their beds but I couldn't fall asleep to save my life. Perhaps I was too tired. So, Thursday I was up from Midnight until about 7:30pm when I went to lay down. Again, Tim let me sleep until Midnight, but once again, I had a horrible time trying to fall asleep. I keep getting these pains in my legs and nerve endings on my feet, arms, lets, back... feels like a needle pricking me. I know it is from exhaustion. My body is just plain tired. So I got up last night and the girls were restless all night long. I didn't even bother taking them upstairs and trying to put them down because it would have been pointless. It would have been pure frustration for me. So, I am all all day...

This evening we are having friends over for TJ's birthday / our Friday night group dinner. Plus today (actually, yesterday) marks the one month date of the girls' birth, so we can actually have the girls out and about AND have friends over. Today, July 11 is my official due date for the twin pregnancy. It's hard to believe it has been that long since I found out I was pregnant. Heck, I can't believe the girls are a month old now! TIME FLIES

Back to the point... we have company tonight and that means no sleep for me. So basically, I will be up most of the evening and the night tonight. Tim and I pretty much tag-team the girls at this point and I will let him go to bed at regular time, try to let him get at least 6 hours of sleep, and then I will wake him up to let me go to bed... unless the girls actually sleep in their beds tonight AND I am actually able to relax enough to fall asleep, too.

Being this exhausted sucks. But even now I have to say that it is easier the second time around than with your first child. I just couldn't handle it with TJ - but because I've BTDT, it makes it a tad bit more bearable.

So, bring on the leaded fuel... I've got a LONG 24 hours coming!

Mom is Obnoxious

2008-07-11T02:56:00.003-05:00

That's what TJ said... Mom is Obnoxious. The situation was this... after telling TJ for the hundredth time to stop running around like a nut, I finally told him to go upstairs and calm down for a bit. Granted, he is constantly being told to stop something because he is always at 100% energy level 100% of the time... it really was nothing new for me to tell him to chill and go upstairs.

Now what he didn't quite understand was that since the monitors were on in his sisters' room, I could hear what was going on upstairs. I heard him mumble something that I knew wasn't nice. So, I asked him what he said and he simply denied that he said anything at all. I was pretty calm, too tired to yell or make a fuss - but I did tell him to come and tell me, to my face, exactly what he has said. He came down stairs and proceeded to tell me that he had simply said something like "I love my mommy." Yeah right! I told him he was a little liar (and he's never really lied before, so this actually made me want to laugh, but I kept cool). He then walked over to me with his head down. He started to pat me on the leg and said, "I said mom is obnoxious." I told him that was rude and ugly... yadda, yadda, yadda... and sent him to his room.

TJ is such a good kid for the most part. He is always on high energy and I've come to accept that. He's been a great big brother and adores his little sisters. So, I really try to give him a break. But this little incident taught me a lesson, too. You can't keep them from growing up. They aren't always going to be sweet. Someday he will say something worse. I take it all with a grain of salt. He's only human and is definitely my son. He is hot tempered, thinks he knows EVERYTHING (even at his young age... sheesh, at this rate, what will he be like as a teen), and can't stand to be bossed.

The attitude today was bad, too. Either that or I am just so tired and very intolerant. I threatened him by telling him I would throw away his birthday present (the LEGOs he knows he is getting on Tuesday... not the DS he is getting on Friday), and he fussed and complained (he complains a lot), and when he knew I was serious he did a 180 and started doing everything and anything possible to please his mommy. He helped me cleaned while I gave the girls a bottle and really showed that he wanted to do good.

Gosh, I love the little boy. I adore him. I can't believe in less than a month he is going to be in Kindergarten! I can't believe my little baby is going off to school. I think about it and I want to cry!

The ups and downs of shopping with twins

2008-07-09T16:35:00.005-05:00

I knew this would happen. I've heard it from countless other mothers of twins. Shopping with them is quite a challenge in navigation among touchy blue-hairs, inquisitive idiots, and rude gawkers. I get it, though. Twins are neat - they are special. Twin girls excite people even more than any other types of twins. Like I said... I get it. But it doesn't mean I have to like it.

When Tim and I went shopping this past weekend, we didn't get any gawkers, sans the pregnant lady and her husband. We made it through the entire trip without anyone stopping us to look at the twins, to ask if they are "natural" and so on. There is only ONE reason why this happened. Tim was the one pushing the cart with the girls. I had the grocery cart. People don't stop to talk to men... just the tired, overly exhausted moms who just want to get back home in time to give another bottle.

To all the strangers out there... to be brutally honest, I don't care about your kids. I don't care about your cousin's pastor's sister's uncle-in-law's twins either. I don't want to share information with you about whether or not they are identical, natural, how old they are, etc. Oh and on another note, don't ask a mother of twins if their children are "natural." ALL children are NATURAL. I do not have "faux" children. They didn't come from a can. They came from my womb and it took an all natural way to have these babies. I like Raney's reply of "No, they aren't natural - they are spawns of the devil" and just leave it at that. That's a great way to communicate here in the good old Bible Belt.

The ups of shopping with twins is the simple fact that I can show off the beauty of our creation. Tim and I did a good job, if I might say so myself! Well, that's just one "up" ... so I should rename this post - The downs and up of shopping with twins. I am sure there is something even more clever to say but my brain is just so tired, that's the best I can do!

The latest at the Towle House

2008-07-07T23:50:00.004-05:00

The family is doing well. I loved having Tim home for four days because of the Holiday. I was able to get some much needed rest... which means, I got to sleep more than 2-3 hours in a stretch! It was wonderful!

Our weight check on the girls went well. Lauren had gained 4 ounces, putting her at 7 lbs 3 oz and Katie gained 8 ounces to put her at 6 lbs 11 oz. Both are good (I think) and they go back for their one month check up a little later this month.

I've also uploaded some new pictures to our photobucket account:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/20080707/

We are having TJ's Big Friend's party on Friday, July 11. I can't wait! It will be nice to see the Friday Night Group again, and for TJ to have a celebration in his honor! We are also going to actually go to Chuck E Cheese on his birthday with just family. He is SO excited! We are getting him a Nintendo DS and he has NO clue about it. I hope he will LOVE IT! I am sure he will, especially when he sees all the games people are getting him. I can't believe my baby is turning five years old! It seems like I gave birth to him just yesterday! Damn, time flies.

Hopefully everyone's gotten their birth announcement. If not, you should get it soon. I will post it online after everyone has had time to get it :)

Today's Outing!

2008-07-02T17:37:00.004-05:00

Well, I got up enough courage to get out of the house with the kids today. Actually, I knew it would have to happen soon because I needed to meet Raney at Costco to order TJ's birthday cake for his "big friend" party on 7/11. Even though we were told not to really expose them to many people before their due date (which was also 7/11), I HAD to get out of the house.

We managed to keep exposure down to a minimum. We didn't run into any crazy strangers wanting to touch the girls. Yes, believe it or not, as I've been told by and read from many mothers of twins and multiples, strangers feel like they have a right to touch your babies. Yes, there is something about twins that attracts the blue-hairs and those touchy-feely strangers. Raney told me that she actually had a blue-hair practically chase after her in a store because she just "had" to see those babies. And yes, they feel like they can touch them too.

I also took the girls and TJ to CAS to see Tim's coworkers. Again, exposure was kept to a minimum. TJ was thrilled to see Keith (from our Friday Night Dinner Group/Tim's co-worker/boss) and give him "taters."

I look forward to getting out with them more and more. Mom can't wait to prance around town with her grandchildren and enjoy the radiance that comes with being a Mimi to multiples +1. I don't blame her. It's a grandma thing!

And the birth announcements DID get mailed today. I have been so tempted to share the announcement with everyone online, but I am holding off. I want it to be a surprise. Not that they are professionally done or anything... but I did them and I think they turned out fairly well for a novice like myself!

As for the girls... we are still dealing with major reflux problems. It SUCKS! I hope to see the liquid Zantac work because not only is it cheaper than the alternative, but the alternative is a solutab and giving that in a syringe after dissolving it SUCKS (we had to do this with TJ for a while).

Okay, Tim's home - time for dinner. More later!

Birth Announcements

2008-06-30T23:27:00.003-05:00

I just finished designing the birth announcements and I plan to mail them out by the end of the week. I can't wait for everyone to see them! It's always so much fun designing something to share with others!

Proudly Announcing...

2008-06-29T16:26:00.002-05:00

I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight! YAY! In fact, I am officially 2.5 lbs less than what I weighed when I found out I was pregnant!

Since the birth of the twins, I've lost 51 lbs. 20 pounds of that was put on the last two weeks of my pregnancy due to the preeclampsia and water weight gain.

I am sure the Gestational Diabetes had a little to do with this. I had to watch my carb intake very closely. However, there were days where I was eating WAY MORE calories than I should have. I ate more double-Whoppers from Burger King than I care to admit. I also became addicted to McDonald's double cheeseburgers. In fact, first I had just one, then I would order two. Two quickly went to three. Yes, I would sit and eat three double cheeseburgers! THEN, one evening for dinner, when Tim was working on a Saturday, I went to Mickey D's and ordered three double cheeseburgers and a southern style chicken sandwich and I ate EVERY LAST BITE! I also put down two bacon cheese thickburgers from Hardees in one sitting!

I guess I really needed all of those cheeseburgers. Really! The only really sucky part about this is that I will NEVER be able to eat that way again. Actually, I don't miss it. I could feel my arteries clogging from all the cholesterol. But I had to stay away from carbs and eat protein, protein, protein! We went to BK yesterday for lunch. I went back to what I would eat in High School when I wanted to lose weight... a classic chicken sandwich, with no mayo (gawd, I miss mayo) with a diet drink. This is where I tell myself I hate french fries. I convinced myself for years that I hated french fries, and now that I CAN eat them, I shouldn't.

BUT - it doesn't matter because I don't have any weight from my twin pregnancy to lose. None. Plenty of pre-pregnancy weight to lose, that's for sure... but maybe now that my Thyroid is being treated for being under-active, I will find it easier to lose weight compared to before.

Dr's Update & Good Ole Bribery!

2008-06-28T13:14:00.002-05:00

We went for our two week well-baby check up and the girls are doing very good! Lauren had lost a full pound in her first five days and went down to 6lbs 1oz. Today she was 6lbs 15oz, thank goodness! Katherine didn't lose as much weight initially and although I can't remember how much she weight on the 15th, I know it was close to 5lbs 6oz. Today she was 6lbs 3oz, which means she is officially bigger than she was at birth! I can tell too, just by looking at her.

Katherine also grew a whole half-inch, putting her at 18.5:, at the 2nd percentile for her age (which isn't adjusted for her prematurity). Lauren is still at 19 inches and is in the 6th percentile. I am sure they will both be much higher on the scale when they are a year old! TJ's pretty much been in the 95+ range for his percentile in height and weight since he was 3 months old!

Dr. S was very impressed with Katherine's muscle tone, being able to hold her head by herself when being pulled up with her arms. He said both girls seem very alert and look great!

There's also a barber shop right across the hall from the Ped's office (our ped's office is in a medical mall). After years of pretty much being the only person cutting TJ's hair, I was anxious for him to attempt getting a hair cut at the barber's. At first he kept saying no, he didn't want to - but then I bribed him with LEGOs... which he has been wanting forever. I kept telling him that he couldn't have them because the box says for ages 6+. Well, I just don't have time to cut his hair anymore. And finally, the bribe worked and he got a hair cut! I REALLY LOVE the way it was cut and the lady who did it was patient and did exactly what I wanted her to do. Tim got a pic and a small video of TJ at the barber and said he will post it a little later.

14 Diapers & 14 Bottles a Day (at least)

2008-06-28T01:05:00.003-05:00

That's how many bottles and diapers we are going through per day, between both of the girls. That's a LOT of bottles and diapers and thank goodness we are doing cloth! This is why I feel like I am constantly changing and feeding babies!

We aren't having a whole lot of luck getting them to sleep in their cribs. I can get two hour out of them and then they just aren't doing it anymore. They are pretty much living in their bouncy seats right now... which I hate because I know that played a huge role in TJ's plagiocephaly and torticollis. Plus I can tell Lauren already had a tendency to lean to one side, just like TJ. I am already doing neck stretching exercises on her, though and I am giving them more tummy time than I remember giving to TJ. I just don't want to have to do another DOC Band or helmet therapy.

We see the pediatrician on Saturday and I am praying they've gained well and maybe we can get some answers about the possibility of reflux. I just don't know! I just pray that we get answers and that those answers are helpful. I know babies spit-up. But it can't be good when they appear to lose half their bottle or act like they are in pain.

Oh the joys of infancy!

The Towle House Madness

2008-06-27T00:28:00.007-05:00

TGIF! Only about 30 minutes into Friday, but I am SO READY for the weekend! Seriously - at some point I plan on taking advantage of Tim being home so I can SLEEP for more than two to three hours at a time. I must say, I am much better off right now than I was when TJ was an infant. I never slept when he was a baby. I was always afraid he would die, from spitting up and choking on it, or just stop breathing. I told myself I couldn't sleep. Raney is letting us use her twins' Angel Care Monitors, so when the girls are actually sleeping in their cribs, I have a little more confidence and will actually sleep when they do.

I just uploaded some new pictures to our Photobucket account:

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/The%20kids%20062708/

I also got more pictures of TJ - this time acting like a Power Ranger:

I swear to you all, TJ DOES have clothes. I can't even bribe him to wear clothes at home. I will if someone is coming over (like the pest control guy). But even then, the second he can, he is back in underwear only.

Yes, more Power Rangers. But you know, it's a nice change from Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Transformers.

I also refuse to upload all the pics of TJ acting like a Power Rangers because of the fact that he is only in his underwear... and I vow to limit his "exposure" on the net. Although, with one picture, why not have more than one?

I have just a few more minutes before Katie wants another bottle. I am hoping Lauren will follow closely behind because she has been pokey with the bottles today and now their schedule is off --- meaning I feel like all I am doing is feeding a bottle to a baby. This is where I tell you I am super thankful that I DID NOT breastfeed. I wouldn't want a baby (or babies) stuck to my boob all day long. But this is ALSO where I have to put my disclaimer in because I must make sure that all the breastfeeding Nazis out there understand that I CAN'T breastfeed because of a breast reduction I had more than a decade ago. We tried with TJ and as I tell him, mommy's boobies just don't work. So yes, we are formula feeding and I am more than happy to do it.

So, I am not breastfeeder, but I DO cloth diaper the girls. It was really intimidating at first since we did disposals on TJ (and we still do since he wears the Goodnights at night for bed wetting). I knew I was going to CD (cloth diaper) long ago, and started purchasing all the goods long before they got here. My starter stash (yes, the CD jargon for your collection of diapers as a "stash"), I think, has them covered until they are probably a year or more old. If not, pretty darn close. And you would not believe the resell value on USED cloth diapers! It's amazing! We spent $500 (I think... could have been $400 or $600, I can't remember and haven't looked at the numbers in a while) for our initial stash. That's nothing compared to how much we are going to save. Consider how DOW Chemicals prices have sky rocketed, and their chemicals are used to make disposable diapers. The prices are going to go through the roof (along with all our other food and clothing prices) and we are going to save HUNDREDS of dollars!

We are also pleased to be environmentally friendly with our CDs. Yes, it takes water to wash the cloth diapers, and energy, but the amount of crude oil it takes to make an individual diaper is quite a bit. I saw that show on Discovery about carbon footprints on everyday items, and I think it said it took a pint of crude oil per diaper in the manufacturing process. So, even if I am using more energy in my home and more water, I believe it to be better than what it takes to make a disposable AND it will NOT be sitting in a landfill for decades to come.

Well, enough rambling from me. I am tired, but my brain never stops! Plus I am getting at least one hungry girl stirring right now. Off I go for another round of diaper change, bottle, burping, diaper change, bottle, burping.... and a nap (hopefully) before I have to do it again in three hours!

A new development...

2008-06-24T14:27:00.004-05:00

For some reason I thought that since we didn't watch Power Rangers, TJ would never get into them. Nope. No such luck. I think I can blame this new addiction on my mother, who while watching TJ at some point introduced him to a Power Rangers movie.

And now I have "Power Rangers roar, Dino Rangers soar..." horrible theme music stuck in my head. That would be from the Power Rangers Dino Rangers show. Then there is the Power Rangers Jungle Fury (note to Tim - that is Jungle FURY not Jungle FEVER!)... and I believe at least two other Power Rangers shows. I guess it is kind of like Star Trek and all the different versions of that show. Either way, the theme music sucks and is STUCK in my head. I guess I could say it is a nice change from the iCarly theme song.

I guess once TJ goes off the Kindergarten and it's just me and the girls, I won't be subjected to so much television. At this point, I actually enjoy SpongeBob. In fact, I often times watch it with real interest and laugh out of actual enjoyment.

As for the Power Rangers, perhaps I shouldn't have set the TiVO to record it off of Toon Disney at night for TJ to watch the next day. I am a glutton for punishment.

More Pictures

2008-06-24T00:05:00.013-05:00

Here are some more pictures from the Towle House:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/Pics%20for%20June%2023/

And some highlights from the new album...

Up first - the madness in TJ's room. After five years of collecting stuffed animals, a few hand-me-downs from Becky and even some from me, this is what his large collection looks like:

What you don't see is the madness under what you can see. This net must weigh 50 pounds. Also not pictured are the two huge stuffed animals that didn't fit in the net and are now finding a home on the floor of his bedroom. You can see a better picture of his room by clicking here.

By the way, if you happen to be shopping and you find another big pet net like this one (stuff animal hammock, whatever you want to call it), PLEASE purchase it!! I promise to buy it from you for the purchase price! I've looked in WalMart, Target, and I've called around looking for these. It's some sort of game retailers are playing with me because the only way I can seem to find one is to pay an arm and a leg in shipping costs and make an order on the Internet. So the next time you think about it, look for one and if they have it - buy one or more! I am sure there is another child's mother out there that would kill for one of these!

This photo is precisely why I love our camera. Not only could I actually take an in-focus picture without a flash and no tripod, but I could capture a fleeting moment!

Here's Lauren looking adorable! Okay, she looks a little bit like an old man, too - but don't most babies at some point? I really do love this picture. It already shows her individuality despite the fact that I think that she looks just like TJ did as a baby! She loves laying on her belly and we often use our big Boppy to give her some tummy time.

I don't get as many candid shots with Katherine. She just isn't as willing of a subject as Lauren is. But here's a cute one of her...

Katie is especially orally fixated and loves to suck on her binkies and fingers (mine and hers). I've caught her sucking her thumb a few times... which I am trying to keep from becoming a habit. If I didn't know better (from mommy experience), I would be overfeeding this child because after every bottle she wants to suck even more. I know she's eaten enough and I think she just really enjoys the comfort of the reflex. She often sleeps and does a sucking movement with her mouth. Too cute! Hey... I think that would make a perfect little video to post!

That's all for now... be sure to check out the other pictures in the link above. It's about time for bottles and then bed (for all of us).

By the way - my dear friends, I miss you! I miss you all very dearly. I wish I could leave the house with the babies, but I am waiting until July 11 per the Dr's orders!

TJ: The World's Best Big Brother

2008-06-19T22:57:00.003-05:00

Many have asked how TJ is getting along with his new baby sisters, and here's a one word reply: magnificently!

TJ really loves his little sisters. He enjoys talking to them, wants so badly to play with them, and occasionally wants to hold them, too! Today he asked if he could help burp one of his sisters (my blurry memory limits me and I can't remember which sister that was). He's been such a great brother and son. Tim and I are very, very proud of him!!!

For his birthday in July, we plan on buying him a Nintendo DS. Right now he plays with his hand-held V-Smile and enjoys the learning games, but since he is a master of the Wii, we figured it was time for him to have a hand-held game system that suits him and his abilities. It amazes me how FAST he catches on to things. I can easily say that he may have surpassed Tim's ability on the Wii ;) I'm not ready to admit that he's surpassed me quite yet.

We are going to do a Friday Night dinner for TJ on July 11 for his big kid friends (i.e., his adult friends) and then on his birthday we are going to go to Chuck E Cheese. Hopefully he can have a couple of kids there, too. Next year will be so different with school friends (I hope). With a mid-July birthday, it will be harder for him to have big parties because of friends that are on vacation, etc. And with it not being in the school year... who knows. All of my kids have summer birthdays!

TJ can't wait for his birthday. I can't wait to see his face when he gets the Nintendo DS. He has NO CLUE and he is going to LOVE IT!!!!

Some pictures

2008-06-18T17:17:00.002-05:00

I finally uploaded some photos to our Photobucket account:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y202/JediMommy/Katie%20Lauren%20061808/

We are in formula hell right now. Trying to figure out what will work for these girls. They had been spitting up a LOT, got a little better, but we are still looking at a lot of spit-ups even after going to a lactose-free formula... against my better judgement.

We are now going to go back to the regular formula and add rice to thicken it up - keeping it down better. We dealt with this with TJ so I am just thankful that we've been there and dealt with this already. I tell ya, if we were first time parents with twins, it would be even more hellish. Thank goodness for confidence in our own parenting skills!

Random thoughts from a tired mommy

2008-06-16T23:12:00.007-05:00

First I want to say that I am sorry I haven't responded to all of the emails I've gotten! I am good to even check email or post a little something on the blog... which is easier to do than send out blanket emails to a list of people who may or may not care :)

First - TJ. He is the most awesome kid alive. Yeah, I am biased, but it is the damned truth. He has been the IDEAL big brother. He is taking everything in stride, proud to be a big brother, helpful, you name it. All the things I would have wanted from him (yet, not expected), he's managed to do. He is so awesome to us, his sisters... you name it. Dang, I love that kid!!

Second - the girls. They are doing well. Lauren is eating better, Katie is eating like mad. They are so very, very different. In everything they do (which is little, I know - but it is already super obvious).

Tim and I are sleeping in shifts and we sleep when we can when we are the one that is "up." We have devised a plan for when he goes back to work and I expect things will be tiresome for us both until they are better at sleeping and on a better schedule. We are tired, but working as a team and that's what counts.

Right now I am so happy. Happy that we are working together. Happy that my son is thrilled. Happy that my girls are here and happy. Happy to have reasons to be happy.

Yeah, I am tired, but so what. I have so much to live for right now :)

I must say though, that the past few days have been super tearful and I think it is from watching way too many tributes to Tim Russert. I really loved that guy. Tim and I both enjoyed watching him. He was my Sunday morning "date" on television. I think I really only watched it because of him more than his guests. What an awesome guy. And when he was on TV, it was like "Hey, it's Tim Russert - let's watch this!" He will be missed!

And some may appreciate the next bit - some may not understand or think I am crazy... but I am sharing anyway....

Ever since my Papaw died, I've felt very connected to his spirit. I've had dreams about him that I know were him coming to me... not just dreams. I felt like he's always found a way to communicate with me. He died just three weeks before I got married (and pregnant with TJ since that pretty much happened at the same time). He's come to me to tell me he is proud of me and watches over TJ. This has happened a good number of times and it makes me feel lucky for having such a wonderful man looking after us from above.

Well today, I was laying on the sofa while TJ was running around and the girls were snoozing in their bouncy seats. I closed my eyes and saw an image of my grandfather walking through the door into my house. I could feel him, his presence, and his words telling me how proud he was of me and how well I did on the girls. Again, no doubt in my mind that what I felt was as real as I am. The last time I felt him was in the exam room at Dr. C's office the day I found out I was pregnant. I felt like he, my grandma and Jessica were right there with me. I also swear I heard my grandmother telling me I was going to have a beautiful baby girl... perhaps she said baby girls :) But I HEARD her.

More reasons for me to feel lucky and blessed. Not only do I know how lucky we are to have such a healthy, happy family - but besides our losses and the sadness they bring, I know that there are at least three wonderful guardian angels looking out for us to make sure we remain lucky and blessed.

And yes, I owe everyone some pictures. I promise, they WILL get posted!

Hospital Pics

2008-06-15T23:40:00.001-05:00

Not all of the pics are up ... don't know why!

http://www.infantxpress.com/nursery2.php?orgID=20070

Look for my name on June 10 and go from there :)

Another update from the madness we call the Towle House

2008-06-15T08:46:00.003-05:00

We are tired. Exhausted would be a better word for it. So, if you don't hear from us, you know why :)

Went to the pediatrician yesterday and Katherine is doing okay with weight, Lauren not so much. We have one baby that spits up a lot (Katie) and one that is a lazy, sleepy eater (Lauren). We are playing around with bottle nipples, a different formula, and "tactics" to get these kids eating right. It's just all a part of the game. We had similar issues with TJ when I tried to breastfeed him... so this isn't foreign to us.

We are back to the ped's office today to check weights and check again for jaundice. Their numbers (billiruben - sp?) are okay, but Lauren looks a little jaundiced to me... so even though that a lot of money in copays this weekend, at least I know they are being well looked after at the ped's office.

Pictures and more to come at a later time. We will be getting a picture of all the kids today ... all four of Tim's spawns (haha) for father's day.

More soon!

Super Quick Update

2008-06-13T14:21:00.004-05:00

We are home! Got discharged yesterday and am trying to figure out baby schedules and all those other wonderful things. If you call and I don't answer, please leave a message. I have my hands full and am still trying to recover from MAJOR swelling and the c-section, and still some high blood pressure.

We will update more when we have time. I am on the clock right now - race against time :) Will post more later!

Sorry - one more thing. We've been told by the doctors that we are NOT to have any visitors right now because these are pre-term babies and they need to be kept away from as many people as possible until their due date. Please understand we are not trying to be a pain in the butt! Once we get a thumbs-up from the doc for visitors, we will be sure to share the joy!!!!

Baby Update

2008-06-11T23:16:00.006-05:00

The past 24+ hours have been a complete blur. I had a tiresome night, but I finally "sobered up" after I was taken of the magnesium and the morphine. I got up and walked around afterwards (this was about noonish) and I felt SO MUCH better. That was this morning.

We got the babies in the room quite early and when we moved from antepartum into the mother and baby floor, the babies went up shortly before us and then we had them pretty much until Tim went home around 10:30pm.

This is the part where my hormones go mad. I sit here, feeling sore, knowing damn well I need those girls in the nursery, but I ache for them to be in my room with me. Again, I know I need the rest but I'm in this room by myself - okay, me and my hormones, that is - and it SUCKS!!!! I can't wait for more percocet so I can get some rest and wake up for tomorrow.

I should be able to see my doc in the morning and hopefully I will be able to take a shower after that. Yes, a nice hot shower!! I will also see another of the pediatricians from the ped's office.

The first ped came in and told us the babies looked great. What's today - the 11th still?? So that means the first ped came in the evening the babies were born. Then this morning another ped came in and said that they looked really, really, really good. Which made ME feel good! I will see another ped in the morning and I can't wait to ask her about Katie's spitting up. After TJ was a refluxer, I worry about it being a problem with her because not only is she spitting up, but she looks like it really bothers her. Most likely (I hope), I am just being a very paranoid mom.

I've enjoyed spending the day with them. My mom pretty much decided she knew who Katherine looks like... and that would be Tim's mom. I agree! Lauren, on the other hand, reminds me a lot of TJ. Some of the faces she makes reminds me of TJ as an infant... 100%!

Both girls have more hair than TJ did. I honestly can't remember which one actually has a lot of hair on the back of her head. They've had hats on 95% of the time, so I haven't had much time to examine their little heads.

It's SO different to have much smaller babies this time around. TJ came out so chubby and these girls are far from it! Even with the size discrepancy, they still aren't as chunky as TJ was. It's a nice difference :)

Gosh I can't wait to go H-O-M-E! We hope to be discharged on Friday. KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED!

As for me, I am off the Gestational Diabetes diet - no more insulin or sugar testing. My swelling has returned, which I knew would come back... I just wasn't ready for it to come back so much so fast! Seriously, I feel almost as "filled" as I was when we came into the hospital.

Ugh - this is night 8 in the hospital... and hopefully only one more night to go. Like I said, I WISH I could go home tomorrow. That would be a dream come true... but we already feel so lucky, so blessed, that I feel like asking for anything more would push my luck!

Oh... before I forget to mention (as this is very important to all of us) - TJ got to hold his baby sisters today. He seemed really intimidated at first. This wasn't surprising because of his personality and I really anticipated it taking some time to warm up to the girls before he would want to hold one of them. He first helped me feel Lauren a bottle and then he eventually asked to hold Katie since she is the smallest of the two. He really had FUN holding his sister. He then wanted to do it again and again, but he eventually got a little tired of it and called it quits. Tim and I are both VERY proud of him as he was SOOOO good today. He was with us at the hospital for about 6 hours (give or take) and really hung in there.

I worry about TJ and his adjustment to having his sisters around. I worry about it a lot. I just want to get back into the swing of things at home so I can feel like his mommy again. It's so hard to feel like I've done enough for him while sitting in a hospital bed. Like I said, I just want to get home and get past this. Gosh - I have such a new-found respect for women who are literally bed-bound during pregnancy and even more for those who have to spend even more time in the hospital. It take a truly amazing mom and women to endure it. My experience is nothing compared to what it could have been. Again, we (I) feel so blessed!

As a special side note to Tim's co-workers... I can't thank you all enough for all that you've done for us. The flowers, warm wishes, gift card... it just gives us even more reason to feel so blessed and thankful. You all have been such a great part of our family and although I don't know all of you or all of you too well, I appreciate every single one of you. Your kindness and generosity are beyond compare and again, thank you so much.

The Towle Family - all of us - are so thankful for everything we've been blessed with. A happy family, healthy children, a roof over our head, friends and family that love us, and the sense to know just how good we have it. We truly are thankful.

Once I've got more pictures to share (rather, download from the camera), I will post either on our website or on PhotoBucket... and we will post a link here. So, if you are interested in the latest, just keep checking here or email me at my mchsi.com email address. If you know me, you should have it by now!

Loves & Hugs,
The Towle Family

PS - any spelling or grammar errors can be blamed on pain pills, pain, exhaustion, elation.... you know....

Introducing You to Katherine & Lauren!

2008-06-11T00:27:00.004-05:00

Our big wish came true! Katherine Elizabeth & Lauren Elaina came into the world, full of gusto on June 10th!

For those of you who don't already know this, the 10th is a special day because Tim was born on August 10th, I was born September 10th and we got married October 10th. We were hoping TJ was to be born on July 10th, but I was just as pleased with the 15th because my favorite number is 5 and 15 is a pretty good number, too....

So, the evening on the 9th was a little rough for me. My BP was in the 160's over 90's and my head started to really pound at bed time. When Dr. C came in to see me Tuesday morning, I told her and she saw the numbers and said that this trend was dangerous and it was time to get them out! I was SHOCKED and THRILLED! Dr. C knew just how much we would love the 10th, so she was pretty happy about it for us and gave me a high-five! YAY!

So I called Tim, crying and told him he needed to come to the hospital because today was the day! We had already arranged for Mom to watch TJ so Tim could go to work for a few days while we waited (since things seemed to be going pretty slow). He made his way to the hospital and before I knew it, our time to go to the OR was there! TJ and mom had already made it up here to the hospital so I could love on him before we went back.

I wasn't scared or anxious or even nervous until I saw the wheelchair for me to ride into the OR. I wanted to cry, sing, giggle, puke... you name it. It was REALLY happening!

My spinal block was a little torturous (if you can have a "little" torture). I heard the guys behind me whispering while I was telling them how I had pains and they seemed a little concerned. I also felt like I was going to fall off the table so I was pretty uncomfortable. Before I knew it, Tim was in there and they were elbow-deep in baby... rather, in my uterus :)

Katherine - Baby A - had flipped breech in just the past couple of days. So Dr. C was amazed with how much fluid the girls had around them which is why they were allowed to move so much. They pulled her out and I heard her screaming and my tears just started running. What a beautiful sound!

Lauren - Baby B - came just a minute later and had just as much good lung on her as her sister.

From the left...

Katherine Elizabeth Towle
5 pounds 13 ounces
18 inches long
Born at 12:21 pm

Lauren Elaina Towle
7 pounds 1 ounce
19 inches long
Born at 12:22 pm

Both have a little bit of hair, but they do look different in addition to the fact that they are so different in size.

Right now I am still hooked up to a catheter because of the preeclampsia. I am on a magnesium IV drip to help prevent seizures (related to the preeclampsia). I was told that this would make me feel like I had the flu - like I had been hit by a truck and other not-so-happy sounding descriptions. I am also on a morphine pump for pain which means I start to fall asleep while sitting up pretty easily :)

I should also mention that the girls did SO well that they've been allowed to stay in the Well Baby ward rather than having to go to the NICU! I was so prepared for them to go and was thrilled to know I could have them come to me rather than me to them!

I saw them after they were born, but I had recovery time and had to wait for them until 4pm-ish (I think) before I got to see them. We fed them a little bit of formula (I can't breastfeed because of a past breast reduction) and got to love on them both for a little while until Tim left to get some dinner and a small gift for TJ (from his sisters). I have to have someone in the room with me when I have the girls, so they can't room-in for now. I am also still in the antepartum portion of the hospital because of the mag drip and something having to do with patient to nurse ratio. I got to seem them again for a little while before Tim left to go home for the night.

I can't wait to start feeling better so I can do more with the girls. As far as things are still good, we should be able to leave on Friday or Saturday! YAY! At home, with babies on Father's Day!

I am so totally out of it already... and wish I could write more details, but it just isn't going to happen right this moment.

Once I can, I will uplaod more pictures and will share!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHERINE & LAUREN!

Par for the Course

2008-06-09T16:45:00.004-05:00

Swelling, anxiety, elevated blood pressure. It's all par for the preeclampsia course. Good thing is that my blood work is coming back fine - liver function, all that good stuff. I had a bit of heart fluttering last night and that made me feel really anxious... which just made things worse. They gave me some Ambien and it knocked me on my rear! I slept a lot and had a sort of sleepy hangover because of it. After a couple cups of coffee after lunch, I FINALLY woke up enough to feel a little more aware.

I haven't have much of an appetite today and noticed that my belly is really starting to show more stretch marks since Saturday. Good reason, too... Baby A flipped and is now breech! Not that it matters, as we already planned a C-Section, but she feels so high up and I am more uncomfortable now than ever!

The ultrasound tech has gotten some AMAZING pictures on the 2D machine. I've been both of the girls' faces. Of course, it isn't as clear as what you see in a 3 or 4D ultrasound, but I can see little cheeks, lips, nose, forehead... it is completely amazing to me. I wish I could scan than and upload them on the site. They are SO COOL! Again, not as cool as a machine made to see them that clear, but I never anticipated getting these kinds of images from a 2D machine. Plus the photos are about the size of a 5x7 and they are on photo paper, so they will last for a while.

I really wish my water would break already - but then again I am glad it hasn't. I don't want the girls coming out any sooner than they should be here, but I am really starting to feel extremely secluded from the rest of the world. Thank goodness for CNN! There's one thing I won't be doing anytime soon... and that's watching any more of the crazy baby and birthing shows on Discovery Health. Oh my goodness... I learned my lesson yesterday. It doesn't matter if the story is happy or sad, it makes me want to boohoo. Last night on Discovery Health, they started Baby Week of with a show "I didn't know I was pregnant." Four or more women were showcased, each not knowing they were pregnant. One was actually pregnant with TWINS and didn't know it! CRAZY! When I talked to Dr. C about it she told me a crazy story about a syndrome where women are convinced they ARE pregnant when they aren't and while she was in residency she saw a case of that and that Huntsville Hospital only sees the "I didn't know I was pregnant" birth only once every couple of years. Crazy, I tell you!

So, that's where we are today. If and when things change, we will update our blog!

Tales of Woe from a Hospital Bed

2008-06-06T06:09:00.005-05:00

I can't really update our Towle Twins website, so I might as well share what I can here on our family blog.

On Monday, we had our regular appointment with Dr. C for our BPP. Girls looked good and everything was as it should be. Then, I stepped on the scales. A drum roll is appropriate here... as I gained 12 (or was it 13?) pounds since the previous Tuesday. No, those cheeseburgers didn't finally catch up with me. It was pretty much all fluid. So my doc sent me for lab work and a 24 urine collection to check for preeclampsia. Tests came back positive. My labs were okay, but the protein in my urine was double the highest acceptable level. Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to the hospital we go.

We are monitoring the babies once a day with an NST (non-stress test), which means they put monitors on my belly and measure their heart rates and movements for a while. As of right now, they've been doing well. We are also doing more BPPs (bio physical profiles via ultrasound) every Monday and Thursday. The one yesterday shows everything is good. The girls are good. THIS, to me is the most important part.

I, on the other hand, am having a few more problems. My blood pressure is elevated. When I rest it is acceptable, but sitting up for an extended period of time and even getting up to use the bathroom causes it to elevate even more. It isn't so high that I am even more at risk of problems like a stroke or heart attack (which could happen if I were not being monitored), but it's enough to warrant more time laying on my side.

Being at the hospital is no picnic. I miss my home, my family (son, husband, even my dogs) and all the other comforts of home. I HATE asking for a snack when I am hungry. I HATE asking for water when I am thirsty. The food is okay, but I hate the schedules. At least my doc has it so that I can sleep at night and just let them know when I am up so they can come and check my vitals. This way I am getting uninterrupted sleep... at least for now.

So, the plan now is to have a C-Section on the 18th if not sooner. I am just going with the flow and we aren't planning on anything too far in advance.

Thanks to everyone and their well wishes. I hope to be able to update with good new soon. I am 35 weeks today and that's a good place to have made it with twins. From this point on we just want their lungs to keep maturing so when they come out they don't need any added attention for lung problems. I'd also like to avoid extended NICU time if at all possible.

I keep telling myself that what will be will be and these babies will come out exactly when they are supposed to. It's the waiting game that stinks!

So for now, just keep all of us in your thoughts.

Still [somewhat] Functioning

2008-06-03T15:59:00.003-05:00

My computer is almost back to normal after the crash on Friday. Totally bites... I had to reload all my programs, but at least my files and personal settings remained - THANK GOODNESS! As for me... my levels of function are almost nil.

I have a new found respect for women who carry more than just two at a time. Especially those who carry more than two and go more than 30 weeks. I can't believe I am 34+ weeks along because I fell MORE than full term at this moment. The swelling is uncontrollable, my ability to walk is almost at a stand-still, and my level of comfort while sitting or even laying down is, at best, bearable. It is horrible. Being this pregnant with two babies is just a horrible feeling. On the other hand, I will never take for granted what I have with this... two blessings waiting to arrive into this world and depend solely on Tim and me for their care and love. I can guarantee this... I will NEVER do this again. NEVER EVER EVER!

Well this just bites...

2008-05-30T14:31:00.002-05:00

My stupid computer will not boot. Tim assures me everything is there and there is nothing to worry about... but that doesn't really make me any less aggravated, frustrated or ticked off. Thankfully we've got two other computers I can sit in front of to check email or read the news. Otherwise I would have to do something horrible... like housework. Wait. I am 34 weeks pregnant, housework isn't in my vocabulary at this point. Sitting, eating and drinking (water, unsweet tea, etc) are my only chores at this point - right?

We are in the final countdown stage of pregnancy. We've got 21 more days until the big C-Section and at this point, I think I might actually make it. That's fine with me. I think June 20 is a great day! It's the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. I think that's kinda cool to be honest!

Only 21 more days....

Wow. ONLY 21 more days! Ack!

Baby Update... Announcing at least one new Towle Whopper!

2008-05-27T17:19:00.003-05:00

Okay, I admit it. I HATED it when people said TJ was a "whopper." We heard it all the time. Well, we actually had to use it again today to describe one of the babies! ACK!

Baby A is right on target - 4lbs and 13oz (estimated weight), which puts her right on target for growth. Baby B is the little whopper - she is measuring a FULL MONTH ahead (like TJ when I was pregnant with him) and is 6+ lbs at this point. So basically, I am carrying around a baby TJ and one more!

In addition to this all, everything down there is still prime for more baby baking. The oven is still closed! You can read more details at our Towle Twins update page.

Belly, Babies and "Boy am I in pain..."

2008-05-26T21:03:00.009-05:00

Well here I am at 33 weeks pregnant with the twins... accompanied by Mr. Monkey, proudly displaying his Clone Wars (cartoon) DVD. Yes, my belly is bigger than it was when I was full term with TJ.

Yes, I am big. I look at this picture and realize why people stare at me in the grocery store and at restaurants. I DO look like I am ready to pop! But if there is anything positive for me to say as I sit here with the puffiest feet ever (reminiscent of an Elephant), I haven't really added to my stretch-mark collection. I can't believe it... but it is true. All the old ones are still there, but so far nothing new for me to cry or write home about. Consolation for the additional pain I've been suffering? Perhaps! I'm not going to question it. By now, I've learned to roll with the punches.

People are always asking me if it is different carrying twins as opposed to carrying just one baby. Yes, it is very different. When I lay down at night, no matter which side I try to sleep on, it makes one of the babies mad. I sleep more comfortably for me on my left side, but I get less objections when I lay on my right side. These were not issues with TJ's pregnancy. He just kind of stayed in the middle. I feel a LOT more movement, and that includes kicks, stabs, jabs and punches in places I wouldn't name in a public blog. And it hurts!

One thing about this pregnancy is that I haven't gained much weight that is in addition to what is recommended for someone my size with a twin pregnancy. I suspect I am holding 7 pounds of water right now, though. I was never this swollen when pregnant with TJ. Literally, my feet look like they belong on an elephant.

Here's a picture of what I was working on over the past week. There wasn't one lamp that went with the bedding we chose for the girls' room. My mother purchased a matching switch plate and nightlight, and when it arrived the nightlight had broken off from the base, making it unusable. However, I had the idea of hot gluing it to the base of a lamp with a pink gingham lamp shade to make a lamp that would match the set. Voila! I was actually shocked when I found the lamp base I had imaged AND the pink gingham lamp shade at WalMart! Each costing only $5 each! So, here we have pictured exactly what I was hoping to create... a matching lamp for the girls' room!

I also wanted to paint a couple of canvas squares with the girls' first-letter initials to hang up over their cribs. I painted a matching ladybug on the canvas with the letters and stapled some frilly yarn around the sides. You can't see it in the picture, but the same frilly yarn (pink and hot pink) are used to hang the canvas, too. I will be sure to include pictures of the nursery soon!

Right now I am working on another canvas picture to hang (ideally) above the changing table. I am not fond with the way the flowers have turned out in the canvas, but I like the other aspects of the picture (so far)... so hopefully I will be done with it this week.

I am also working on a "T" canvas to go into TJ's room. Still not happy with it, so it hasn't been "finished" yet. I also got him the same lamp base and have painted part of it blue (since TJ picked out a white shade) and I hope to have that in his room this week, too.

Speaking of artsy-fartsy things...

Here's something I did for my mom (from all of us) for Mother's Day. I actually got the idea from a Parents Magazine. The pictures are of TJ holding letters and words to show how much he loves his Mimi. It took a LOT of patience on both of our parts to get him to take the right photos, with the right smiles, right lighting... etc. But when it was all said and done, I think it turned out really well!

Needless to say, I've been having fun being a little more on the creative side and taking back the creativity I once used more regularly.

The canvas paintings for the nursery are the first canvas pictures I've done since High School! I've done some watercolor and pencil drawings since then, but no canvas. So, it's been fun doing something so large for the girls. I hope it is something they will treasure forever.

As for me, it's time for my feet to make their way to the kitchen, have another late-night snack, fill my two 32-oz cups full of water, and make my way upstairs for the night. We've got an ultrasound tomorrow which will measure each baby's growth. I can't wait to see how big these little buggies have gotten!

New Pictures and Updates to Share

2008-05-23T09:21:00.010-05:00

I uploaded pictures from our Twin Baby Shower to Photobucket. It was a lot of fun. Raney and Greg did a great job at hosting it at their home. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the baby-bottle-drinking contest. Who could suck down root beer from a baby bottle the fastest? We will never know - because the winner chose to drink water instead!

I also updated the Towle Twins page at our website. We've been doing BPPs (bio-physical profiles) twice a week and will continue to do them until the babies get here. We actually have a growth ultrasound next week and I can't wait to see how big these babies are getting!

I also uploaded pictures from Keith's graduation celebration where Tim performed as Magical Tim for the kids. The kids seemed to have great fun. The whole day was great. TJ was far from his anti-social, shy side. He basically walked into Keith and Alice's home and ditched his parental units. He was happy, social and pretty darned independent. It made me proud. He's come a LONG way from crying at strangers to socializing with adults and other children.

I am officially 33 weeks today - exactly 4 weeks away from my scheduled C-Section. I am TRULY miserable. I've hit the wall. I can't sit, walk or lay down without being in pain in some form or another. My feet resemble something you'd see on an elephant and yes, my nose is spreading too. Of all the horrible things about pregnancy, women are blessed with swelling that makes its way to our nose. What joy! But I will take it any day of the week. I am telling myself to enjoy every last miserable moment of this pregnancy because it is, without a doubt, my last. Believe be, we WILL be making sure this doesn't happen again! :)

Indy Time!

2008-05-22T09:12:00.003-05:00

It's been almost 20 years since the last Indiana Jones came out and we are so stoked about this new movie! Tim and TJ are going to see the movie this evening... but I don't think my tailbone is going to allow me the time to see it with them.

Yes, my tailbone is in SO MUCH PAIN that I'm even having dreams about how much it hurts. No fun. I just can't see myself sitting for two hours, even in a comfortable chair. Unfortunately, I won't be seeing the movie... or the "Sex and the City" movie later this month (which I would love to go see with Raney).

So, my two Tims are going to enjoy some male bonding over the newest Indiana Jones movie. TJ is super-duper-over-excited about this. He's already talking about it and he's been up for less than an hour.

Saturday Magic Fun!

2008-05-19T13:49:00.005-05:00

On Saturday the 17th, we went to a graduation party for a friend. He was celebrating his recent success at receiving his Masters degree. It was an informal and casual event at his house and the turnout was really good.

A lot of folks brought their kids and I am glad they did. I did some magic for them only slightly out-of-character and dress than usual. I kept the show shorter than normal, but the kids had fun!

The picture to the left is me trying out some magic wands (oops that one turned her in to a rabbit!) I was to make balloons after the show, but after I cooled off, the children enjoyed a pinata instead and had fun with that! It was fun to watch them and take pictures as they all lined up to take a swat at the palm tree. They had a great time. I had many positive comments about the show and was happy to perform for the kids. I specialize in entertaining children with magic. TJ had a lot of fun with everyone at the party and had no problem finding something to do. He even tried Guitar Hero!

The Funny Monkey's Dreams

2008-05-19T09:13:00.002-05:00

At about 2am this morning, I popped into TJ's bedroom to pick up his Duckie and Bear off the floor and put them back up on the bed with TJ. TJ must have been awake because he looks at me, with his sleepy little eyes and says "Hey Mom! I had a bad dream... but I had a good dream too! It was about Mickey Mouse in Star Wars, and he was asking me if I wanted cookies!"

I know I am biased, but my kid is the funniest little monkey around!

Getting Ready for Katherine & Lauren

2008-05-18T23:09:00.000-05:00

We have been working our butts off over the past week to get the nursery ready for Katherine & Lauren. We are officially 32+ weeks into the pregnancy and anticipate the babies coming at any time now. We'd love for the to stay put as long as possible. Our scheduled C-Section is set for June 20 at my 37th week. Five weeks to go! Can we make it? I sure hope so!

The cribs are all set and ready to go. The cloth diapers are in place, ready to cover little baby butts. The closet is set with clothing and my hospital bag isn't packed, but the stuff is at least on top of my suit case!

Can't wait to post some pictures soon!