Thursday, March 31, 2011

Can I have some cheese with my whine?

     I have seen a few bloggers continuously post "Thankful Thursday" updates and I thought that was a cool idea. I am going to be keeping my eyes peeled for a Thankful Thursday blog hop so if you see one please let me know :)

     Today is the perfect day to start because I am not feeling particularly thankful at the moment. Instead I am pretty tired and cranky. Last night Brian and I made an attempt to move Brett and Emma back into their bassinets. It started out easy enough. Sometime between 11-12 they were sound asleep just a few feet away and Brian and I could sleep peacefully without worrying about pillows, sheets, arms, dogs, or other suffocation hazards. So imagine my surprise when I am woken to cries at 1AM. Hmmm...that's a little early for a feeding, but maybe they will sleep for longer after this? Wrong. Next came 2AM, then 3AM, 5AM. 6AM and 8AM I think someone should give the babies a memo that they forgot to wake me up at 4 and 7. Ahhhhh! What was the reason for this madness? I almost forgot what it was like to take care of week old babies, until last night! (I guess it is true - you really forget how bad it was!!!) 


    I know we need to give it more time, but this is rough! Brian and I have very mixed feelings about bed sharing. During pregnancy we said we would never do it. It is dangerous, we want our own bed, there were plenty of reasons. Well, lots of things that we said we would or wouldn't do went out the window.  We bedshare for a few reasons. They sleep better, we sleep better. (Happy Baby = Happy Mom, right??) Also Brian works a lot. Most weeks he works 6 days and 60+ hours. He has maybe a couple of hours to be home with the babies before we go to bed. And these are the "witching hours." For some reason between around 8PM-11PM Brett and Emma want bottle after bottle, sometimes only 1-2oz at a time, sometimes 4-5oz at a time. We never know what is going to happen. It is sometimes a battle, sometimes pleasant, but it always ends in two babies finally passed out in our bed after crying, eating, crying, eating, crying, eating, pooping, and usually a throw-up from one of them. By then, all Brian wants to do is cuddle up with them as they fall asleep. It's so cute :)

      I know quite a few breastfeeding moms who bedshare because it is very convenient. But for me, I am still getting out of bed to make bottles multiple times a night - so I don't necessarily get that benefit from it. But we do get to snuggle our little babies and trust me, they love it as much as we do.

     No matter what, we are determined to have them out of our bed before 8 months. At this point, separation anxiety sets in. And in some babies it can set in at 6 months, maybe even earlier. The last thing we want is our Kindergarteners sleeping in our bed. 

     So...today I am thankful for my family. They make cranky days without sleep much better!
     
Emma and her Great Grandma

Brett listening to Daddy read Hop on Pop

Emma and Great Grandma / Brett and Grandma

Monday, March 28, 2011

Rain rain, go away!

In case you missed it, Brett and Emma hijacked my blog...click here to see what you missed.

     What I am looking forward to this week:
  1. Getting back to the gym.
  2. Spending time with some friends, poolside! 
  3. April Fool's Day. I always have good jokes :)
  4. My hair appointment - it has been way too long!
  5. Tangled on DVD tomorrow.
I can't wait to see this!

The weather is rainy today and might be like this all week. I hope it doesn't mess up any of my plans! 

I'm starting back at the gym tonight with Lauren. We used to Zumba together every week and had plenty of treadmill dates as well! With 20 more lbs of baby weight left to lose, I am really looking forward to getting started so we can be back at the beach sooon!

Ahhhhh - blissful!

To help drop off the lbs I also started Weight Watchers Points Plus, the online version. It is pretty tough! I have to remember that weight loss takes time. I did look like this just two months ago...



On the way to the hosptial!
Let's go, babies!



     But I'm not the only one getting back into a workout routine. Brian is back in training! He is planning to run the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in October. I am so impressed with Brian. He ran the Disney Marathon in January, 2010. He works so hard at his job and still finds time to run and spend time with his family - being the best dad in the whole world! 

Brian rounding the corners at Disney!

                            Speaking of running - I have my eyes on a few jogging strollers!

BOB Duallie

Baby Jogger Summit XC

Schwinn Turismo
I have time to decide...the babies are still too small to ride around while Brian or I jog with them. But, I wonder which stroller Brian would look best with???


Sunday, March 27, 2011

The babies strike back!

Emma:  Recently our mommy has dun a wundrful job blogging about our lives.
Brett: Thanks, MOMMY!

Emma: A lot has happened in our infancy...
Brett:  BUT FIRST!!!! There have been sum rumors going around that I was crying earlier this week!  Obviously mommy doesn't know it's ALERGY SEASON!!!

Emma: Oh Brother!

Brett: ok ok ok, well we did get to celebrate our Grandpa's Birthday with him!
Emma: yeah.... but we went to Cassis for dinner and all we got was sum Similac
Brett: True! but mommy and daddy did get us some cool outfits, see beelow...



Brett: We saw our first Lightning game Friday night! The first of many free tickets Daddy will get us!  We got so many great compliments from daddy's co-workers!
Emma: Yeah thanx Daddy! Go Bolts!

Emma: we are getting so big... Im not sure but I think we weigh almost a million pounds!
Brett:  a million?
Emma: ???
Brett: You're lucky you're cute... everyone knows we only weigh 100 pounds, duhhhhhh

Emma:  Well, thanks everyone for your support of mummy's blog,
Brett: Yeah!
Emma: Maybe we will take a nap and let her write more often.
Brett: yeah, a kid nap! GET IT, GET IT
Emma: See what I deal with people!

BRETT AND EMMA:  BYE BYE for now! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Friday, March 25, 2011

It's Friday, Friday - Gotta get down on Friday

     It's Friday! You know what that means, it is time to listen to Rebecca Black's debut hit- Friday!


     If you are living under a rock you might have missed this youtube video that went viral sometime last week. I actually feel bad for the girl because of all the rude comments she is getting on youtube - along with the rest of the interwebs (even Forbes.com blogged about her "torturous" video)! And I wonder how much her parents paid to have this video produced? Oh well...she is famous now, unlike all you haters out there!

     B&E are gearing up for another busy weekend, but more on that later. Look at this picture I just snapped of Brett!!! I know he looks sad...but there is something special going on. 

Look at that tiny tear on his eye!!
     When babies are born they cry without tears. Sometime between 2-4 months (or later) they start to develop tears when they cry. So here is Brett, suffering through a diaper change when he just wants a bottle! And a little trickle of a tear comes out. And of course I run and grab my camera, prolonging the bottle even longer...sorry little guy!!!
     


Monday, March 21, 2011

...

One day, Brett will hate me for this!!

Viewer warning: This is about poop. And smiles :)










Birthday wishes & more!


     Brett and Emma had a busy weekend...like always!! They got to meet their new cousin, Asher, on Saturday night! He was born at the same hospital as Brett and Emma :) 

     A co-worker of mine and her family came to visit Sunday night and we had a great time! I took the cutest pictures of her two girls holding Brett and Emma and then accidentally deleted them when I was uploading my pictures! They were seriously adorable, I am so bummed. 

     Today is my good friend Stacey's 25th birthday! Brett and Emma wanted to wish her a Happy Birthday!



  
     Celebrating 25th birthdays can be tiring so Brett and Emma decided to have a little tummy time and then take a nap. 


   I was looking at an article on BabyCenter.com today and then began browsing the site. It was my first time ever really on this particular website but I started looking at the baby week-by-week and found this:


"Guilt over not breastfeeding can hit especially hard if you had planned during pregnancy to do so but then circumstances made it impossible or more difficult than you'd expected.  ...  The main thing to remember is that how you feed your baby is ultimately not as important as providing love and care."


     Brian knows that I have had some guilt about quitting breastfeeding so soon...but he always reminds me that we are still giving our babies the best in every way we can. Society puts a lot of pressure on moms to breastfeed today and it really is for good reason. But you would be surprised at how unaccepting some people can be with the choice to formula feed. I didn't realize it until I was lurking around on some online message boards. It took a lot for me to not butt in and tell some of those biznatches off, but that is another story :)


     Anywho - this is what I was looking for to begin with...



How your baby's growing:


Your baby's brain is expanding in size and complexity. It will grow about 5 centimeters during the first three months.

You may notice short periods of time when your newborn is quiet and alert. This is prime time for learning. Use these calm intervals to get better acquainted with your baby — talk to her, sing to her, describe the pictures on the walls. She may not be able to add to your conversation just yet, but she's learning nonetheless.

New textures for her hands to feel and new sights and sounds (all in moderation) are all learning opportunities. Even bath time becomes a laboratory for understanding the world around her.




     Brett and Emma have had a lot of quiet alert time recently. It is so fun to play with them and try to make them smile and make funny noises. They like to lay on their play mats, bounce around on our laps, sit up in their Boppy pilows, and all kinds of things! I cannot wait for Brett and Emma to start really noticing each other and wanting to play together. That will be the best!!



Friday, March 18, 2011

My lucky lad and lady!

I hope everyone had a Happy St. Patty's Day!!


Brett and Emma did!!! 


Punch in the face?


Sorry, brother!
Look at this cute bottom!!



Big stretch!
Bigger stretch!

Brett's shirt says 'Irish you would kiss me'...so adorable! 




On Wednesday night some friends came over for dinner and to visit the munchkins! We ordered from my favorite sushi/thai place Fuji Yama. It is so good. I definitely missed sushi when I was pregnant, but I am making up for lost time, no worries. 


Lauren and Emma



Kristina and Brett


*
Kristina has a beautiful two year old daughter and is expecting a little boy of her own this summer! *


     We have a fun weekend planned. We are going to Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Pete tomorrow morning with Grandma & Grandpa Boksen and their new stroller ....the Baby Jogger City Mini - in purple!


     I am excited to see it in person and see how it moves when we walk around downtown. 


Saturday afternoon Brett and Emma get some daddy time while I go to Lauren's for a Scentsy party that she is hosting. Even though I can't smell, Scentsy warmers are very cool and I am looking forward to picking up some new plug-ins for Spring and this autism awareness warmer. 


100% of the proceeds go to Autism Speaks!




     We also have some visitors coming by on Sunday to see Brett and Emma. Are you noticing a trend here? People come to see the babies, not us! 


     That is all for now...be back soon!


~Happy Friday~ 

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Newborn photo shoot -- slide show!

This has been on our photographer's website for a couple of weeks now...but I was keeping it to myself :) 

I can't believe they were this little...

Click HERE !! 

I love Dawn Haas. She is super nice and obviously knows what she is doing behind the camera! I ordered our announcements last night and they should be here soon. Not that I haven't been announcing them enough already...

Monday, March 14, 2011

Weekend Update!

     On Saturday Brian and I enjoyed some fun at the Strawberry festival! We bought cowboy hats and wore them the whole time, it was hilarious! And we ate so much junk food. I won two goldfish but forgot to go back and get them before we left. Later Brian told me he remembered about the goldfish but didn't want to remind me!!! How rude. I was trying to rescue them from a life on the road, traveling across fairgrounds. Oh well. We also bought some strawberries. A half of a flat! I see some strawberry banana smoothies in my near future! 

     On the way home we stopped for dinner at a sushi/hibachi restaurant in Tampa called Koto. It was delicious! I had what seemed like the world's largest glass of wine. It hit me pretty fast so I knew I should not be pumping for a while. (Don't worry I waited over 2 hours!) It was so nice to have a dinner where we didn't have to jump up to take care of anyone. We could just enjoy ourselves. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!! 

     Sunday morning I snuck away to breakfast with Lauren, Katie, and Stephanie while Brian took care of Brett and Emma. I think he had it pretty easy. When I came home they were all cuddled up in bed! 
Rocco trying to squeeze in for some cuddles, too!

     So that was our weekend, it was pretty nice! Monday always comes too fast!

     In other news...Brett and Emma are going to be formula babies. GASP! I have to get back on an RA medication that can cross into my milk and harm the babies. I haven't been feeling too bad but I had an appointment with my rheumatologist today and she can tell my joints are swelling and I need to start the medication soon because it takes about a month to start working. I also really need to get off of the steroid I have been on since August. This is all bittersweet to me because I love knowing that I am giving them the best with breast milk (breast is best!) but I hate hate hate having to pump all the time (7x a day/night to be exact!) and am so glad to be done with it. So they got all the immunological benefits of breastmilk -and possibly excessive amounts of caffeine- for 6 weeks. I am good with that! 


     That's all for now...but I had to post the cutest YouTube video ever. In case you haven't seen this, get ready for a belly laugh! 



Thanks for reading!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Brown eyed girl!

     Guess who is gonna have brown eyes!! This picture doesn't do it much justice but I am pretty sure Emma's eyes are turning brown. (Just like her momma's!) It might be too soon to know for sure, but they are definitely getting much darker, only time will tell!


Brown eyes??


     Brett's eyes are still bright blue...maybe they will stay that way? Or be green like his daddy's??

     Today Brian and I are going to the Florida Strawberry Festival. We are very excited because this will be our first date since the babies were born! B&E will be going to Grandma and Grandpa Boksen's house for the day. I know Susan and Bert are very excited. And why wouldn't they be?? Look at these cuties!





                                       


     Do you see that little toy in the corner of that last picture?? It is Jacques the peacock. The babies love love love him!! I ordered Jacques and his friend Freddie the firefly from Amazon. The toys are bright and colorful and make squeaky sounds, which they will love as they get older. Right now they stare at the black/white contrast patterns that line the backs of the toys. It is very cool to watch. They also love looking at themselves in mirrors! Playtime is so fun with them!


     I hope everyone has a great Saturday! The weather here is super nice today. It is only supposed to get up to about 72 degrees, but in the sun I think it will feel perfect. A great day to be outside, eating a ton of junk food and playing midway games!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

What's next? Kindergarten?

     Oh my goodness these babies are growing out of control!! I just cannot take it. 


There is a small pile of clothes forming as I do laundry...the "too small" pile. 


     At night we swaddle Brett and Emma in Summer swaddlers and they just wear white Gerber onesies. Brian was putting Emma in one the other night and told me that her head could barely fit through the opening! And the snaps were coming undone on Brett's! So the newborn onesies, 5-8lbs, are now too small. Isn't that heartbreaking?! How do they grow so fast?


I found this online yesterday and of course it made me get so teary...

         Song for a fifth child - Ruth Hulburt Hamilton
    Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth, 
    Empty the dustpan, poison the moth, 
    Hang out the washing and butter the bread, 
    Sew on a button and make up a bed. 
    Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
     She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
    Oh, I’ve grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue 
    Dishes are waiting and bills are past due 
    The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew 
    And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo 
    But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo. 
    Look! Aren’t her eyes the most wonderful hue? 
    The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow, 
    For children grow up, as I’ve learned to my sorrow. 
    So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep. 
    I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.
Did you read that last line?? 'I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.'

waaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!


OK...so to cheer you up after that tear jerker here are some pictures!

Emma during some tummy time!
Hi!! 
Me and the kiddos at my sister's house last weekend





OMG! Isn't this the cutest picture ever!! And I love this
onesie from Stace and Caitlin - 'mommy's new man' HA!





Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Wacky Wednesday!

     So, today is Ash Wednesday. I am not Catholic but giving up something for Lent is always a fun little way to revive a failed new year's resolution or try to eliminate a bad habit. 


 I decided to give up 3 things:


1. Budgeting. It just isn't for me. I am too impulsive. I thought having a budget would be fun. I even signed up on Mint.com to track my spending. Well those colorful pie charts only confirmed what I already knew; I do a lot of shopping! And Brian goes out to lunch a lot! (So, we are even.)


2. Doing laundry every day. I spend way too much time doing laundry. And I never have time to finish it so clothes sit in the washer and have to be re-washed. Or they sit in the dryer and get wrinkly. Or worse, they sit on the couch where Rocco nestles in for his naps. So, I am resolving to only doing laundry when Brian is home, so I can give it my full attention!


3. Powdered Formula. I really cannot wait to give up using formula for good, if that ever happens! But for now the babies get about one or two bottles of formula a day. The rest is mommy's milk! But the powdered stuff is so gross to me. I hate mixing it. It gets clumpy and after you shake it you have to let it settle. I don't have time for that mess so I am sticking to liquid formula and ready to feed bottles only. It is more expensive but totally worth it in my opinion. Besides, see #1. I don't have a budget anymore, so I can do whatever I want :)


That's my spin on Lent. I know some people are giving up chocolate, TV, Facebook, all kinds of crazy things! Overachievers.


                           *I'll check back in around Easter and let you know how I did*


     Brett and Emma are doing fantastic, they are sleeping away right now! Brett is in the pack and play and Emma is in her swing. I am sure they will be up very soon, ready to play. We are trying to get our recommended 30 minutes a day of tummy time, but it is harder than you might think. But I would say they are doing pretty well because they are both lifting their heads up all the time. They are very strong babies! 


     We haven't seen too many smiles yet. Except the sleepy/gassy ones. Emma is a little more expressive than Brett right now. She stays awake longer and loves to look around. She makes some noises and likes to play. Brett makes noises but they are his gas squeals! But I did pick up some Mylicon so hopefully that helps a little.  


     They have been sleeping a little more. Last night Emma slept almost 4 hours straight. Brett slept 5 hours on Saturday night. So they are making their way to some longer stretches. Last night they were not waking up at the same time. When this happens I would usually wake the other up so that they get back to the same schedule. But, I wanted to see how long Brett would sleep so I didn't wake him when Emma got up at 3:45AM. After I fed her, changed her, re-swaddled and then pumped two bottles...it was 5:00. I got back into bed and just a few minutes later Brett was stirring around. I started to regret not waking him up but Brian was a champ and took care of him. He's the best!


     That's all for now. Happy Wednesday :) 

  

  

Friday, March 4, 2011

About Brett's bottom...

     Yesterday was an interesting day in the Boksen home!! Wednesday afternoon I noticed Brett had a little diaper rash. I put some Desitin on it but I didn't think it was too bad. Thursday morning when I changed Brett his rash had gotten way worse. His skin was raw and even bleeding. Of course I freaked out! So I called my sister - a certified baby pro in my opinion :) - and our pediatrician's office. My sister gave me good advice. I washed Brett in the tub and wrapped him up in a towel to dry off/air out without a diaper. And I lathered him up in Butt Paste. A couple of hours later the pediatrician called me back and said we should come in so they can take a look. I was sort of surprised that they wanted to see him for a diaper rash but was glad they were being so proactive. They wanted us to come in right away, so I fed them quickly to make sure they wouldn't be hungry and loaded them into their car seats. And then I ventured on a little journey called "taking twins out by yourself." It was something I didn't think I would be doing for a long time, but I was in a pinch! And guess what..it was pretty easy! I didn't use the stroller because the thing is huge and I wouldn't be able to hold doors open and push it through. So I just kept them in their car seats and carried them, one in each arm. I am going to be pretty buff soon! 

     When we got to the office we got to meet a new pediatrician, Dr M. He was a nice guy and gave me lots of great tips. Actually all the same tips I got from my sister. He also said Brett might have sensitive skin and to not use baby wipes on him for a while. I am not sure if Brett was impressed with him though, because he peed on him twice! 

     So that was our little adventure yesterday...Brett's diaper rash. He was sooo upset in the morning. He was dirtying his diapers constantly and screaming every time. I could barely put him down without crying! But when we came home from the doctor he slept in his car seat for almost 4 hours! He must have been exhausted from all the crying and fussing he had been doing all day. 

     Today his rash looks pretty good. It should be completely cleared up in another day or so. And I am so glad because I hated seeing him so upset. 

    So one mommy freak out moment down, a million more to go!! :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

PS - For anyone having diaper rash issues, Maximum Strength Desitin Original Paste (NOT cream) is 40% zinc oxide. I know a lot of people say Desitin doesn't work well, but try the paste instead of the cream. Even Boudreaux's Butt Paste is only 16% zinc oxide. So this is the real deal, people!

Thursday, March 3, 2011

One Month babies!


Brett and Emma turned one month old on Tuesday!! I cannot believe how fast this month has gone by. It has been fun/crazy/eventful/stressful/interesting...and so much more! 

We have been taking lots and lots of pictures, here are a few of our favorites!


Be back soon with updates...it has been busy!!