All Things Conway

MLK Day

2012-01-16T16:38:00.008-07:00

Today is Martin Luther King Day. A few weeks ago I came across a simple idea on Pinterest to do with you kids on MLK day. You take a white egg and a brown egg and talk about how they look different on the outside, so what do you think they look like on the inside? After they give their ideas, you crack them open to see they are the same. That opens a good dialog to talk about people who do not look the same on the outside.

Just as I was going to the store to buy some brown eggs, I paused. To my three-year-old the difference in color doesn't matter. I know that in the future it's important to tell him about our country's shameful past and educate him that some people choose to believe those lies still today. Today was not that day. Today my son thinks people are people because nobody has told him any different. I'm going to enjoy one more year of his innocent love of this world and be happy that the America I live in today was changed by not just Martin Luther King, but so many people deciding to believe what was written about them. To believe that God loves all of us. That he created us and thinks we are beautiful. That we should love our neighbor as ourselves. I didn't see anything about color of skin in those verses and that is NO mistake. Thank you Martin Luther King for being wise and brave beyond words!!!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T21:47:00.016-07:00

Wow! Another Christmas here and gone. With little kids who take naps and go to bed early, the day goes by too fast. If I'm honest, I probably packed a little too much into today. I was not expecting the crazy over stimulation of my three-year-old. Tristan hardly ever has a melt down and he had a couple today...oops, my bad. You live and you learn.

Last night as we put our nativity set back together after a hard day of play, I snuck baby Jesus into my pocket and Tristan was not happy when he could not find him. Our Christmas morning started out with the first gift of Christmas. "To the Conway Family, Love God" Inside was baby Jesus from our manger. Tristan got very excited and said, "There he is! He was in here waiting for me!"

The morning was full of presents, laughing, a little fighting, and lots of fun. There were books, a Bible, Batman, the hit of Pop the Pig, and of course what would a Christmas with three boys be without capes!!! My little superheros were adorable. Tristan kept coming up to us asking, "So what seems to be the problem here?"

I was thrilled that four out of the five of us would eat the Christmas morning casserole... guess I will be making a bigger one next year. Finn spent the whole morning with

various snacks in his mouth and Ian scribbled away on his Doodle pad. The last few years Neil and I have drastically scaled back on gifts for each other, first cutting out presents and eventually stockings. This year we were down to nothing and it felt GREAT!!! Turns out I wished for nothing and in return got a beautifully written letter from my husband filled with gratitude and thanksgiving. Truly wonderful. Turns out people were right that being grateful for what you have really is a choice. I have NEVER had a Christmas where I didn't wish for more, have secret desires, or wasn't disappointed by what I did receive... until 2011! What a year, what a journey!

I had a great time making gifts for the boys this year. A bucket for their new band instruments, band shirt for Brothers Thomas, and Angry Birds game, puzzles, and a fun ice cube activity for the bath. Can't wait to do more and more homemade gifts as the years go on. Maybe start earlier than I did this year though. I look back at the gifts my dad made me over the years as some of the most special gifts I received. Maybe I couldn't appreciate that at 16, but now... priceless. I think I should do the same for my boys.

We ended the day singing happy birthday to Jesus and having a party for him. All in all a good holiday. Yes the day was fun, even though it was a bit overwhelming. I think next year we will go a little smaller. While it was all great, I think a little less stuff will make it more enjoyable. All that stuff didn't leave a whole lot of time in our short day to remember

what it was really about. Glad we did a lot of teaching before the holiday so it was not totally lost in the stuff laying around our living room. No sweat though, no holiday will ever be perfect, but I do have some great ideas of how to make it fit our family a little better next year.

This Mom's Christmas Gift

2011-12-25T20:42:00.001-07:00

Christmas as a mom can be a bit overwhelming. The budgeting, preparing, shopping, trips to the post office, Christmas cards, cooking, and of course making it perfect...haha. At times I thought it would be nice to be the dad for one Christmas, but in the end I think I get more joy out of the actual day than anyone else.

This Christmas I received the most precious gift in the whole family. Through my preparation, intentional teaching of the real Christmas story, and not buying one gift as a "filler" but all because of the joy I knew it would bring to my boys, I was able to realize some truths about God. As I watched my children open their gifts and squeal with delight, Tristan exclaiming after each one that it was just what he wanted, and seeing how my husband could not have enjoyed any other meal more than the one I prepared, all gave me a peek at how God watches as he gives us gifts. My children were so happy because I know them and I know just what they want... and that is just what they received today. How much more does God know us and want this joy for our lives? It must break His heart to prepare special gifts just for us and watch us say no or walk on past. I long to have the eyes and ears that accept MY gifts from God no matter what the wrapping looks like!

I Will Miss These Days

2011-12-21T21:46:00.002-07:00

Every now and then, I am hit with a moment and am positive I will miss these days terribly soon enough. One such moment hit me tonight. As I was giving the twins a bath, Tristan was playing so well all by himself. I wasn't paying too much attention because he was quiet, but not too quiet... not getting into trouble kind of quiet.

When I finally took notice of just what he was up to, this is what I found.

- My bathrobe belt tied like a lasso

-Cowboy shirt on

-Pants put on backwards

-Pockets full of ninja guys

-Using lasso to try and open a treasure chest

Do I LOVE being a mom of boys... YES YES YES!!!!

Zoo Lights 2011

2011-12-17T12:19:00.005-07:00

Zoo lights was a hit again! Hands down my favorite holiday activity to do with the family. We always stay warmer than I think we will, kids are happier than I could imagine they would be, and we last longer than we would anywhere else.

Tristan pulled out his light stick from the last two zoo lights and tried to turn it in for a new one. Too bad for him the zoo staff noticed the duct tape holding it together. The twins were old enough this year to get their own light sticks and we hope they hold up as well as Tristan's.

The boys were absolutely PERFECT! I can honestly say there was not one kid there who was having a better time or more amazed by the lights than Tristan. The pure joy on all of their faces was magical.

The boys did great with Santa and I even got a cute picture

of the twins and I riding the carousel. The night would not be complete if the boys didn't all gang up on dad though!

The Conway Drive-In

2011-12-10T15:36:00.009-07:00

This summer I started to brainstorm Christmas ideas for my kids so I could start to pick them up at the consignment sales I go to. Neil and I had already talked about doing a Christmas with less presents to make it a fun part of the day, but not the main focus of the day. However, when you start thinking of all the things that would make your little one's face light up, the list could go on and on. All three boys LOVE the Toy Story movies and the few toys we have from those movies. At each sale I would pick up a few toys and put them in a box in the closet waiting for Christmas maybe? As time went on and other ideas came up for Christmas and family members started buys presents for the boys, I decided to change my idea for the box I had tucked away.
From an idea I found on a blog, I started to put together a drive-in movie night. I figured instead of the kids having one big pile of presents on Christmas morning, we would split the presents and get a fun family night out of this as well!
I wasn't sure when it would happen, but I was sure a night in December would present itself where we would need some good old fashion family time. This weekend was it! After the five of us getting REALLY bad stomach bugs and having the most miserable two days ever, we needed some fun. We were supposed to head to Zoo Lights tonight, but none of us were 100% yet... this seemed like the next best thing.
While the kids were napping, I took the boxes I had stowed away for this occasion and made them into cars for them to color before the movie.

Since no one was eating real food still, we had movie time instead of dinner. We colored the cars, played for a bit, brought out the new toys, and started the movie. The movie and playing with our new characters brought us right to everyone's bedtime. This was so fast, fun, easy, and just plain different. In my house, different is all you need to make a night exciting!

Rocket Ship

2011-12-03T19:05:00.004-07:00

On black Friday, I went to Michale's and found this great cardboard rocket ship. Any other mom would have seen it, thought it was cool, and kept walking. However, my sisters and I had a great cardboard rocket ship when I was little. I know there is at least one picture out there and some fun home movies at my dad's house, but none I could get a hold of for this blog.

There were hours of fun building it, coloring it, and playing inside.

Well, almost all the play was fun except when all three tried to get in at one time. All the boys loved it, but then it become just another thing in the living room as most toys do. Time to throw it out... not quite!

To stretch the last bit of play out of the ship, I took a sting of Christmas lights and poked them through the top. It brightened up the dark play area and made a beautiful ceiling of stars. This gave the rocket another week of exciting play until total demolition occurred as always happens with three little boys.
Great memories with my sisters and my boys. It was a very fun few weeks!

Funny Funny Boy

2011-12-03T18:08:00.003-07:00

This evening, Tristan said the funniest thing he has ever said, and that's saying something because he is one funny kid. After bath, he put on his underwear and was running around burning off the last of the day's energy. He flopped himself onto the couch face down and laid there still as could be.

Suddenly, he popped up and yelled so excitedly:

"I can feel my heart beating in my chest! I UNDERSTAND MYSELF!!!"

I don't know who taught him this, but I want to thank them because I really needed that laugh tonight. I can not remember when I have laughed so hard. I am SO glad that kid is around!

Tristan 3 1/2 years old

2011-11-25T15:02:00.003-07:00

Tristan has grown up so much even in the last six months that I thought I should do a midyear review on him. He has learned all of his letters and likes to try to figure out the first letter in words we are saying. Tristan loves school, is learning so much there, and even has a little girlfriend named Sophia. His imagination is through the roof! Listening to him play makes my heart happy. His toys are genuine friends now and they have the greatest adventures together.

He has also become quite the fashion expert. At his three year check up, the doctor asked if he dressed himself. At that time I just laughed and said he had never even tried to dress himself. Well, that has changed dramatically! He changes all day long into the cutest outfits. I'm always impressed when he gets the clothes facing the right direction.

His smile is still as bright and beautiful as ever. He is still the friendliest and brightest little boy I have ever met, and when he puts his mind to it he can run as fast as lightening ;)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T14:47:00.005-07:00

Thanksgiving this year starting with Tristan helping me make baked corn to take to dinner. At school this week they learned about the sense touch, so he decided to turn it into a "touch and feel" project. I don't think anyone at dinner noticed... it still tasted great.

We were all thankful, but Tristan was thrilled to be invited to the Lund's for Thanksgiving dinner. Taylor is one of his "best friends" and I knew between Taylor and Craig we were not going to see Tristan the whole time we were there. I was right.

I was nervous about having the only little kids there, but it turned out to be great. So many people who are not around kids all the time and all of them wanting a turn chasing the kids, holding them, feeding them, and playing.

Dinner was fantastic and Tristan got to sit at the big kids table. Aside from the part where Tristan yelled over to me that Ciera had stolen his belly button, I didn't see him all through dinner. The young adults at that table said it was the most entertaining dinner they had in a long time.

After dinner, "Uncle Mango" broke out the guitar and sang the most beautiful songs. All the boys loved it, but none more than Finn. Craig and Finn sat in the chair right by Mango and as Finn was slowly rocked to sleep, Mango sang a beautiful Hawaiian song about a sleeping baby. Total sweetness!!

Good food, good friends, good fun, good memories. Happy Thanksgiving 2011

Ian 17 Months

2011-11-25T14:43:00.003-07:00

My sweet little Ian is seventeen months old! Ian chats up a storm around this house and cautiously observes situations and people before jumping in and starting some trouble. He loves to wear hats and has a beat for music like I have never seen in a young child. Looking into his eyes, he seems to have a much older soul than the other two kids.

Ian takes all of Tristan's timeouts and turns them into brother bonding times which just makes us all laugh.

I love that Ian can be my happiest and most dramatic child in the span of two minutes. His dramatic crumple to the floor tantrums are so impressive that we watch in surprise each time when he adds another dimension to them. He is always practicing them and adding more flare.

Although he has not said any real words yet, he speaks volumes with his eyes! The is a flirt through and through. I can't wait to hear the magical words that will come from his mouth!

Brothers

2011-11-23T20:46:00.002-07:00

These days I find the boys playing together more and more. I have to say, it makes this mom's heart very happy to see this! There are still plenty of times where they are tackling, hitting, and grabbing toys away, but that's all just normal sibling stuff. The times when they play nicely together... that's not a give in. I hope as the years go on I find them playing together more and more. Love my boys!!

Finn 17 Months

2011-11-23T20:44:00.003-07:00

Mr Finn is almost seventeen months old! He is getting to be such a big boy. He is generally a happy little boy, especially since his molars broke through a few weeks ago. He has started to say a few words. Mama, more, hi, and bye bye. My favorite thing to do with Finn right now is to have little chats with him. You can ask him any question and he will answer you with the cutest babble ever! Poor kid, I do this to him all day long.

He has learned to climb the ottoman to turn on and off the kitchen light, dances like a maniac, and loves to play chase with big brother Tristan. The kid has an arm on him, too. The food that comes flying at dinner has some nice speed and would go a lot farther if it didn't hit the wall first. The paci that hits me in my bed with the greatest of aim is quite impressive, too. Finn's latest and greatest achievement is waking me up with a, "Mama? Mom? Mama? MOM?" It's so cute that I can't get mad at him.

Twin's First Haircut

2011-11-13T17:06:00.003-07:00

Last weekend, we took the twins in for their first haircuts. Ian's hair was not too bad, but "wild man" Finn had wild and crazy hair! As much as he needed that hair cut, it was bittersweet for me to get it cut. Those cute curls, thick wavy hair, and the excitement of not knowing what direction it was going to be headed when he woke up in the morning.

I was nervous about taking these two in because they have not spent a ton of time out and about in different places. I thought they would be scared and clingy. Boy was I wrong! The place we go has a playroom where Neil stayed with the kids not yet having their haircut. I pulled them out one at a time to sit in the cute car, watch the movie in front of them, oh and get their haircut, too. Neither of them wiggled or even made a peep! I could not have had asked for more and their hair looks so cute... even though I still miss those locks on Finn!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T20:26:00.005-06:00

Wow! I am amazed every year at the amount of activities surrounding Halloween. While it's my lease favorite holiday, it really is a great holiday for kids. Any given day of the year my kids would love to dress up and eat candy and now there was a reason to do it. All the kids loved their costumes this year, but every time Ian would see his he would bring it to me and start babbling away and throw it at me until I put it on him. This was also the first year that Tristan didn't want the costume I got for him. I was surprised with his choice of "The Yoda", but he picked it early on in October and never changed his mind.

This year we went to a wonderful Halloween party thrown by my friends Kendra and Kira. They did ALL those cute ideas you see in the magazines in one party... amazing! We also went to the Train Museum with the Lantermans to ride the big steam train and all the fun around the grounds. Last but not least, we went trick-or-treating with the Tilzers on Halloween night. The older kids did great going up to all the houses by themselves. There were only a few hiccups when Tristan got too friendly and entered peoples homes or they didn't answer the door fast enough and he would open the door. I didn't think to tell him these rules before we left, but he learned fast along the way. I think this was my last relaxing halloween night for a few years. The babies rode in the backpacks this year and were so quiet we kept forgetting they were there. I'm sure that will all change next year!

My three little guys were just too cute this year! The twins did great everywhere we went and Tristan was his usual friendly, funny self. Love my kids!!!

First Snow of 2011

2011-10-25T23:14:00.002-06:00

While I was at a late work meeting tonight, the first snow of the season started to fall, and fall, and fall. On my drive home I thought about how excited Tristan was going to be about the snow that he has been talking about for weeks, but also how I would miss seeing that excitement because I would be at work tomorrow morning when he wakes up. As a working mom, I sometimes miss those moments that are special mostly to moms. The first snow of the season for my three-year-old was one of those moments I decided was unacceptable for me to miss this year!

I half expected Neil to talk me out of the idea to wake Tristan up to go build a snowman at 10:30pm, but to my great surprise, he thought it was a great idea. Tristan was a little confused when I went in to wake him up, but as soon as I said we would "build a snowman" he popped right out of bed and into his snow clothes. We grabbed our carrot and headed out the door.

In my head I saw him going outside and looking with pure wonder at the snow, the night sky, and all the change that had happened in just a few short hours since he had gone to bed. Instead he walked out, took a quick look around with his tongue out, walked over to make a snowball, and said, "TAKE THAT" while throwing the first snowball of the year. What a funny kid.

We walked up the little hill and built a great snowman in the perfect packing snow and took in the beauty of this first snow that covered everything. I love that first untouched snow of the year. It was a quiet and beautiful evening of great memories! Oh, and he went right back to bed when we came inside. What a great kid! No wonder we like to hang out with him even in the middle of the night!

Community Food Share

2011-10-14T15:01:00.002-06:00

This morning, Kendra and I took Tristan and Blake to the Community Food Share in Niwot to teach them about helping others. So far the things like letters, numbers, colors, and shapes were easy to teach. They are all over the shows they watch, books they read, and super easy to fit into conversations where ever you are. To me, the more important things to learn in life take time and hands on experiences to really understand.

While the zoo, butterfly pavilion, or playground are all some of our favorite activities to do, this morning at the Food Share was no less fun than any of these activities for the boys. The people who work there were really friendly and the work they gave us to do was super age appropriate, but we still felt like we were able to really help. We sorted food into like groups (very three-year-old appropriate) and built a pallet. Kendra and I would hand the boys food and they would build the boxes. After we had been working a while, Sue the director came to find us. They were short on drivers that day and just got a call with a smaller size donation. She asked our boys to be truck drivers and go to collect the food. Well, they thought that was exciting and off the two direction challenged moms went.

This was so fun, so easy, and so something we will continue to do. I want my kids to know how easy it is to find ways to help others if you just look for about 30 seconds... about how much time it took me to Google and find this place. If we wait until they are older, they might not think it is as much fun. At this age, they find fun in some amusing places and will now forever think of the Food Share as a fun place to go. Two of the sweetest three-year-olds I have ever met ;)

Pumpkin Time

2011-10-04T21:11:00.001-06:00

Last week we took our first trip of the year to the pumpkin patch. It's our favorite thing to do in the fall, mostly because it's outside with beautiful views and the kids can out and about. I think we are getting better at being mobile with all these little kids. This trip, we ditched the stroller and wore the babies.
I love that the pumpkin patches provide nice wagons to use while we are there, because all the boys enjoyed the ride. The kids were really good sports while I took the four hundred pictures just to get a few good ones. They were so interested in everything going on that it was hard to get them all looking in the same direction. Don't worry though, this is my favorite time of year for pictures. The colors, the lighting, and the cute outfits are just too much for me to only go once. We will have a few more days to run through the corn maze, pet the animals, ride in the wagons, taste a few pumpkins, and yes take lots more pictures.

These are a few of my favorite things

2011-10-04T21:01:00.004-06:00

This week I am very thankful for my little family. Haha, little? Well, it is made up of a lot of little people. While I would not say that everything in our life is perfect, I would say the most important things in life are pretty close to perfect. Even after fifteen months, I am still in awe of how healthy and happy the twins are. After three years, I am still in awe of how funny, nice, and cute Tristan is. After thirteen years I am in awe of how Neil is still my best friend in the world.

This past year went so fast while I was so busy and tired, and I feel like I woke up to three big kids today. My little babies are not babies anymore and Tristan is so grown up and smart. It hit me hard the other day at the zoo when I realized Tristan could ride the carousel all by himself. It was kind of nice not to have to hold him, but to be able to ride side-by-side and just have fun together. It gave me a little window into the future where Neil and I get to enjoy more activities with the kids. I liked it. I like my kids. I like my family. I like my life.

Night Game

2011-09-07T22:15:00.005-06:00

This evening Neil's friend gave him a pair of Rockies tickets, so he called home to see if my mom wanted to go to a game on Friday night. I relayed the message about the night game, she said YES, and I hung up. While my mom and I were chatting about going to a night game, how fun that is, and how cold it is going to be, I sort of remember Tristan chattering away about something. This isn't new because he never stops talking these days.
Finally we started to listen to him and he was talking about "the game". I told him he wasn't going this time because it was a night game. His response, "I want to play the night game, too." With that he started excitedly going around, shutting all the lights in the house off, and singing, "I want to play the night game!" I looked at my mom and we burst out laughing! He thought it was an actual game we were going to play. He didn't know what it was all about, but he was sure it was supposed to be dark. I love it when Tristan takes things so literally and comes up with the funniest things!

Where Were The Crackerjacks I Was Promised?

2011-09-05T21:28:00.002-06:00

Since Neil found out we were having a boy about three and a half years ago, I think he has been looking forward to taking him to a baseball game. Neil has a pure love for the game of baseball and I know he hopes to share this with all of his sons.

This game was especially cool because my mom got to go with them. We have been preparing Tristan for this day for weeks. Singing the songs, getting the t-shirts, and for my own comfort I was coaching him on what to do if he found himself without Neannie and daddy in that big crowd. I really had low expectations for his ability to sit in one seat for more than 20 minutes, but the report came back to contrary. He loved the game and all that went with it! Of course he quickly made friends with all the people around him and reminded them of when it was time to cheer and informing them of what player was at bat. Even though there was ice cream, snacks, and a visit to the playground, when he was asked his favorite part he said, "watching the game!" The pride in his father's eyes was clear. Can't wait to send them to more games!
After all the excitement and no nap, it was no surprise that the little guy tuckered out on the way home. He was one happy boy still telling me stories of the game as I got him ready for bed. The last thing he told me as I walked to the door was, "I'm going to dream about the baseball game tonight so I can go again."

Someday I Will Get Stuff Done

2011-09-03T20:23:00.004-06:00

After being out here for a few weeks, I think my mom finally understands why I don't answer/make phone calls, check my mailbox, make dinners that take more than 20 minutes, try to eat said dinner until children are in bed, have closets that are not pretty to look at, or care about what I am wearing.

Holey Church Shirt

2011-08-20T20:44:00.002-06:00

This evening my mom ironed her shirt for church in the morning, but the iron was too hot and burned a hole in her shirt. She came to the living room to show Neil and I who promptly said that was too bad and she would have to find something else to wear.

Tristan stood up from his play to examine the shirt. He took one look and confidently said, "I can fix that. All I need is a little glue and some tape." Off he went to the kitchen to get his tools while we all looked at each other a little surprised but more curious about what he was going to do. He did some really nice work and at the end he was sure there was no reason not to wear it tomorrow. My sweet handy little boy!

Twins First Sign

2011-08-13T21:20:00.002-06:00

I don't know why the two of them doing this sign at the same time makes me laugh every time, but it does. One kid signing is cute, but two is just crazy cute! The are starting to pick this up quickly now. I can't wait to see what the next couple of months have in store. I'm sure there will be more videos to come.

How could you say no to that face?

2011-08-06T22:00:00.004-06:00

This past Friday and Saturday I had a fundraiser garage sale for my missions trip next year. A bunch of my friends donated items to sell and it was a great success. One of my favorite parts though was my little sales man. I brought Tristan with me on Saturday and he kept trying to sell customers a toy airplane. In this picture, he took the plane up to these women and said, "You should buy this airplane. It's $20. That's a lot." It was not $20 and we had not told him he needed to sell anything. No one had tried to sell anything to customers that he had seen that morning before he started his pitch. Is he is father's son or what?!!!!

Tiny Town

2011-07-13T15:34:00.002-06:00

Tiny Town was tons of fun! I think Tristan could have stayed all day. Finally somewhere had all things his size. Most of the buildings you could not go in, but there were plenty that you could. He didn't even want to have a picnic with his friends because he was too busy peeking in all the windows. The buildings you could not go in were decorated with different themes inside. I don't know who thought to do this, but I'm glad they did. To top it off, they have a little train with a beautiful ride over the creek. We even had chance to talk about Great Grandpa Yuhas as we played in the Masonic Hall. The Hall's floor was a bit loose, so Tristan thought it made for a great jumpy castle. We had a beautiful sunny morning together before another afternoon thunderstorm is sure to come.

The Conway Boys

2011-07-10T22:59:00.002-06:00

These days it is almost impossible to get a picture with all three boys in the shot. They may not all be smiling or able to breath well, but they are all in there and'm thrilled! Since the nonstop moving, crawling, walking, running, jumping, and climbing children are rarely all next to each other ever, I didn't realize how similar they all look. Looking at this picture, I think I am going to have those kids that people say, "oh, you must be one of the Conway boys." Those beautiful brown eyes, long lashes, cute little noses, and even their eyebrows are the same! Tristan has a few inches on the boys, but he only has about five pounds on Finn, so he better watch out. The twins already gang up a bit on Tristan, so when he loses the height advantage he is in trouble. Finn is now walking and after finding Ian's teeth mark on Tristan's calf as he changed for bed, I'm sure T can't wait for Ian to get up off the ground and start walking real soon.

4th of July 2011

2011-07-04T14:28:00.001-06:00

It was a really hot fourth of July this year, but we still made it out for the parade this morning. When I told Tristan we were going to a parade and then to a baseball field where firemen would make him pancakes, he stared at me for a few seconds and then said, "Is it my birthday?"

The parade was too short and not very good, but we have found few good parades here in Colorado. I might just have to borrow my mom's parade file one of these years and organize a good old fashion home town parade.

My little firecrackers didn't make it very long, and I was just sorry that only one of the seats reclined all the way. The pancakes were terrific, but the heat made us leave the festivities early on. After some lunch and naps, we took the whole family to the pool for the first time. It was not a train wreck like I anticipated, so I think we might try it again. I know a lot of people let their kids stay up on nights like tonight, but we decided to send them all to bed early... Happy Independence to us!!!

To Infinity and T's Bedroom

2011-06-30T21:37:00.002-06:00

Before I had children, I would look at kids that were decked out in all things Disney characters and thought I would hate if my kid's wardrobe looked like that and their room was that tacky. Tonight my son went to bed in his Buzz Lightyear pjs (wings and all) and in his Cars sheets with the ugliest Cars comforter I'm sure they make. He is so happy in all of it, and that makes me happy. That doesn't mean I won't take every opportunity to talk him out of that comforter though and I still have not caved on the character shoes. Maybe I can stay strong on that one!

Let's Try This Again

2011-06-30T21:22:00.005-06:00

After the twins missed out on their big birthday party last weekend, my friend Kendra threw them a party yesterday! She made them an amazing birthday cake, hung balloons, had presents, and generally loved on them. She is just about the best friend anyone could ask for and I'm so glad that she is my friend!! Lucky lucky lucky me AND my kids! Tristan and Blake had so much fun playing in the splash pool and over watering Kendra's tomato plants, while Pipper hung out in her seat, Ian played around, and Finn parked himself in front of the cake and double fisted the forks. I vote that all picnics from now on have a cake!

(I put their frosting covered outfits in a bag to wash when I got home. Forgetting that I took care of this mess right when I got home and put them in the wash, I waited to unpack the rest of the bag until today. I guess there was a diaper I had changed at Kendra's as well that I put in a sealed up bag. I thought they were the outfits and set it on the counter for later. Neil saw the bag and threw it out. Later that night I asked him where it was and he told me the dumpster. I told him the birthday outfits were in there, but admitted it was my fault for leaving them out. While I was in the shower, Neil was being a good guy and went dumpster diving to find them. All he found was the bag with messy diapers. All I found were the clean outfits in the drier. Oops !)

Finn and Ian's First Birthday

2011-06-25T20:45:00.004-06:00

I know everyone says, "I can't believe my kids are already (fill in the blank), but I seriously can not believe this first year with Finn and Ian is over! I am so thankful that these boys are a part of our family, but man that first year was tough. If you had asked me ten months ago if I was going to get to one year with my sanity intact I would have said the chances were slim. Guess what? I totally made it with what little sanity I had to begin with! These boys are seriously amazing! They are two of the funniest, happiest, and friendliest little boys I have ever met!

Their personalities are so different and together they pretty much cover all the best qualities of every baby you have ever met! That is why I was so sad that their birthday was not nearly as fun as they are. I envisioned us celebrating and crying and laughing, but instead we all got a stomach bug and had to cancel the party at Gymboree. There was a lot of bonding and family togetherness though. Hoping that tomorrow everyone will be well enough to take a short outing to the zoo for some fresh air and a small bit of birthday fun.

Because the boys are still getting over the stomach bug, there was no cake on the menu for them. No party, no cake, and feeling generally icky, but I was not going to let all the birthday fun get away from them. Turns out Cheerios hold up a birthday candle pretty well!

Another Blog?

2011-06-22T11:28:00.003-06:00

Here is a link to another blog about my Africa trip next June. Feel free to check in there, too.

http://andrea-goservelove.blogspot.com

Flash Mob

2011-06-11T21:57:00.003-06:00

Tonight Kendra, Cassie, Carolyn, and I danced in a Flash Mob in front of Coors Field right before the baseball game started. I had practiced all week and was incredibly nervous leading up to the dance. I can't say that I would have decided on my own to do this, although it was something on my "bucket list." When Kendra and Cassie decided that they were going, I knew I would always regret not joining in. Even if they did another flash mob later on, I would remember how I was too chicken to dance the first time. I have always regretted not being in the high school musicals because I was too nervous that I would mess up, oh and the fact that I can't really dance. So this time I sucked it up, learned the moves, and headed down to Denver tonight.

Once we started to dance, I was not nervous at all! It was REALLY fun! I was sad at how fast it went and wished that it was not over yet. I think I might even do this again. Good clean fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4TDx-oXW0g

Click on the link above to see use dancing. You can only see me at the 1 minute 42 second part. I am in the back and wearing a purple Rockies t-shirt, black pants, and sunglasses. I'm glad you could see me for a minute because now I can prove to myself that I really did it!

Gooooooooaaaal!

2011-06-02T21:05:00.008-06:00

The other night I was laying with Tristan in his bed when he told me he had to go to the bathroom. I told him he could sit on the big potty in the morning if he wanted, but not tonight. He sat up, looked straight into my eyes and said, "Mom, it is time I start to use the big potty!" And there it was, he was on the path to potty training.

A few weeks ago, we got a cool looking non intrusive potty seat for our bathroom in anticipation of the potty training that was coming. After much reading, I found that he should probably start with something very easy for him to use himself, especially since we usually have our hands full. I was also on board with the theory of letting him pick his own seat to increase the "buy in" factor. The next morning came, and off Tristan and I went to the consignment store to find a cheap potty seat. I'm glad I brought him, because they only had one. It's the exact one I would have picked at the store. It was small, nice looking, had a nice place to keep wipes, and a soft seat to sit on. He sat down for two seconds, stood up and declared that he would never go potty on that. Okay, so over to Babies-r-us we drove. In the aisle of potties, there were many to choose from. I was ready to accept a lot of seats, Cars or Princesses, but I was not prepared for the ONLY one he wanted. It's shaped like a soccer ball and if he ever does enough in there at one time, it's supposed to yell, "Goooooooal!" Yikes!!

He has been so excited about this seat. He sits on it a bunch and pees right in front of it. He even takes wipes and cleans it everyday while proudly telling all of us how shiny it is. There was a new car staring at him from the towel rack for the last four days or so just waiting as a reward for Tristan using the potty. He wanted that car SO BAD! Tonight he did it!! Before bath he sat on his potty while we read a book to get his mind off concentrating so hard. He started to pee and got so excited that he couldn't finish. He jumped up, dumped his little potty bucket in the big potty, flushed, and jumped around yelling and cheering that he was going to get his new car! Once he got it and the next car went up in the rack, he returned to his seat right away with his eyes fixated on the new car. He said with the most determined face, "Mom, I sit here, pee, and I have to get that next car!"

By NO means is he potty trained, but it's a start. I thought about doing the three day and they are mostly potty trained deal... then I remembered that I have met myself and that really wouldn't fly with me. Then I remembered that Tristan is my kid and I KNOW it wouldn't fly with him. I can't imagine adding one more piece of laundry to my pile or more things to scrub during my day... not happening! We will use the pull-ups and take our time just like everything else we do. Tristan is a lot like me in that way. We like to ease into things. "Pulling the band-aid off quickly" might get the job done, but usually leave us more miserable than we really needed to be.

***Wrote this post a while ago and forgot to post it. Things are going great. He uses the potty about 5/6 times a day. It indeed says "Goooooal" and it thrills him every time. He used the potty at his Gymboree drop off class twice with a teacher, and tonight he finally got the guts to poop on the potty! Way to go Tristan!***

We Threw A Strike With A Perfect Floor Routine!

2011-05-25T11:18:00.018-06:00

Happy ten year anniversary to us!

Top ten things about being married to Neil Conway:

He encourages me in whatever I am passionate about

He has more patience than any man I know

He is generous with his time and resources

He's funny at the most unexpected times

He's willing to admit when he is wrong

He loves his children and shares my love for more of them!

He is always up for trying something new

He eats my cooking

He gets up with the first kid so I can sleep a little longer

And he has put up with me for 10 years!!

Ten years ago today, Neil and I promised to be together till death do us part. Hands down, the best decision we ever made! We worked that summer, living in a room in the back of a barn, to save up money to move across country away from everything we knew. Hands down the second best decision we ever made. With no friends and family to run to when times got a little tough, we learned how to work our problems out.

What's our secret? Well, I don't think it's any secret at all. I married my best friend! In ten years that passion comes and goes, our interests have changed, we have hopefully changed and matured, and life as well as the two of us look completely different than we did ten years ago. If you change with your best friend then it's a fun journey instead of something that comes between you.

On a more practical note, it's the two separate tubes of toothpaste, Neil learning to drink his coffee black, and me changing the way I fold clothes that has been the compromise to keep our house a comfortable place to live. Compromise alone can not make a happy marriage, but it can make for a happy home. It's not about one person losing, it's about having a healthy perspective and realizing the small details are just not that important. The way your father did something or my mother did that, are just that... the way THEY did it. The last ten years have given us a start to finding the way WE do things. If we didn't find our "we", then what would our kids have to argue about with their future spouses, haha.

It wasn't in the cards for us to take a trip to Paris or even Napa Valley for our big anniversary, but I don't care. What really matters after all this time is that we still would want to spend time together! We decided to do something really radical and not like us at all. We needed to surprise ourselves and prove to each other that we are not done becoming who we will be. We did something radical, out of our box, meaningful, and most importantly together.

This tattoo design is from the cover of our wedding invitation . Mom, did you think when we chose this design at the table in Denny's eleven years ago, that we were actually picking out our tattoos?

I can't believe the amazingly blessed life we have been given these last ten years. It's almost overwhelming to me to think of more blessings in the next ten years to come! Year ten was a long and sleepless one that really tested us. Here is to smooth sailing into year eleven! (hey, we can hope)

Just What We All Needed

2011-05-21T21:31:00.003-06:00

The other day was a very long day. Tristan was just being a three-year-old and it wore me down. By the time Neil got home from work, Tristan was headed into the bath. Neil and I were trying to figure out our weekend schedule with the kids since we both had to work. It was getting a little frustrating especially at the end of a rather difficult day. Somewhere in the middle of the tension, Tristan mentioned that we should all get in the tub. Dismissively, I turned and said, "Tristan, we are NOT getting in the...," but didn't get to finish that sentence. Neil was walking past me and climbed into the tub clothes and all! Tristan was in shock. For about a minute all he could say was, "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"
He defused the situation for sure and had us all laughing really hard. Good dad, good husband!"

Rub-a-dub-dub

2011-05-14T21:25:00.006-06:00

With the twins new mobility, they are constantly into Tristan's toys and personal space. They have always loved him and any attention he gives them. Tristan, on the other hand, is not always so thrilled to share or be bothered. The last couple of weeks, he has gotten A LITTLE better. He seems to at least want to be around them a little more. Even when he is not playing with them, they stand near by watching and pretending they are playing with him. I find him being sweet to them when I'm not looking. Tristan sings songs to them, crawls around on the floor, gets them laughing hysterically, and just the other day started to hug them. I hope things continue to get better with their relationship. I keep telling Tristan that he will thank me one day for his brothers.

Dedication

2011-05-14T21:21:00.008-06:00

On Mother's Day we dedicated the twins at church. In traditional churches, there is a baptism for babies but our church believes that it's every person's right to choice their baptism when they are old enough. Instead, this ceremony is more about the parents. We dedicated to raise these boys in such a way that they would have an understanding of God and would with all hope choose Him when they were older.

We did this same promise with Tristan. When we dedicated the raising of Tristan, it felt like something we really wanted for him. With a few years of parenting under our belt, this promise felt different. It felt more intentional, more serious, and more doable than the first time.

Neil and I have observed multiple ways of teaching kids about God through our upbringings, youth ministry, and most of our friends. My personal observation is that more people turn away from God after attending church as kid/teen because of many reasons, one being a disconnect between what they hear at church and what they see at home. So as Neil prayed our prayer for Finn and Ian that God would always call loudly to them and that we would teach them how to listen, I also promised to try my best to live a life worthy for them to watch.

Finn and Ian won't remember this day, although I will show them adorable pictures of them in their outfits. They didn't understand the words we prayed for them that day. My hope is that one day they feel we have lived up to our true job as parents and we meet back at the church for a baptism... matching outfits for that one? Hey, a mother can dream.

And then he was three

2011-05-01T14:16:00.009-06:00

Tristan turned three today and I can hardly believe it. We had a nice morning opening presents and hanging out waiting to go to "old McDonalds" for his party. Since he is three, we invited three friends to his party. I almost changed at the last minute, but after we got to the party I felt confident in my decision. He was able to play with all of his friends and it felt less like a romper room that it probably would have. They played, had happy meals, sundaes, cake pops, and presents. What little kid could ask for more?

The twins brought their own dates and had a fabulous time! They were so good I kept forgetting they were there.

I remember birthday parties at McDonalds when I was growing up and thinking they were so much fun. I hope Tristan remembers this birthday as fondly as I remember mine.

Each birthday that Tristan has had so far, I have teared up at some point in the day. This year, the tears did not come when we ran into his room to sing Happy Birthday when he woke up, or opening presents, or at his party, or at the usual time when the group sings Happy Birthday at the party I thought maybe I was over all of that. Maybe this year I was finally getting less emotional about the passing years and my baby growing up. Then... we got home and put the babies to bed. Everything was quiet while Neil got Tristan's room ready for his nap and I flopping down in the big green chair to catch my breath. When I looked up, I saw Tristan laying on his belly in the living room playing with his Legos that he opened this morning. He had a whole story going between the Lego guys and was so deep in play that he didn't even notice I was there. That's when it hit me just how big he was getting! The play was so imaginative and independent. I wanted to go jump in and play with the birthday boy, but I could tell he didn't need me there. Well, maybe next year I won't cry.

Getting A Bit Daring

2011-04-03T20:17:00.004-06:00

The boys are growing up so fast and learning new tricks literally everyday. Both boys have now learned to pull up to standing especially in their cribs. Finn the dare devil, has decided he needed to learn how to fall down with out hurting himself. You get a true glimpse of his personality here. He spends a day or two almost constantly practicing one skill, perfects it, and immediately moving on to the next thing. I'm convinced he is trying to speed catch up with Tristan.
Ian is just so pleased with himself when he learns something new. This day was his first day of pulling up, so he was extremely happy!

Map Adventures

2011-04-03T20:15:00.004-06:00

We have been taking some "map adventures" with Tristan trying to get him ready for our big trip through many airports soon. Our flights are not at good times for a toddler and we will be spending time in four different airports. That's a long day for any adult let alone an almost three year old.
The maps are a way for him to be able to see what is coming next and keeping him from getting frustrated that we are not at Neannie's yet. They were working great. They are really just some errands with a fun activity mixed it, but he behaves SO much better during the boring errands because he could clearly see where his fun activity was on the list.
Well, today we hit a problem with the map that I had not thought of but am glad it happened now so we can prepare for this.
Our first stop of the afternoon was to my work where I found out a co-worker had been taken to the hospital and was getting an emergency brain scan and a possible spinal tap. They were not able to get in touch with her parents and she was there alone (she is 20). We made a quick change of plans, picked up take out for Tristan and Neil for dinner, and I headed home to drop both off and head to the hospital. He was quite upset that he couldn't go to the bank next, but I had to change plans.
Okay, now we have to teach our toddler about plans and change of plans. Better that he learns to be flexible now because that's life!

Tristan's Great Singing

2011-04-03T19:18:00.002-06:00

Well, I thought my 100th post should be a little more fun than normal, so I will post about Tristan singing one of his favorite songs. If you have not ever seen Veggie Tales or you have some trouble understanding "Tristan speak," watch the theme song first so you can see just how good he is.

Bits' Bedtime Story

2011-03-28T19:37:00.004-06:00

When Nana and Bits came to visit for Christmas, they brought a book for Tristan. The book is Mike Mulligan and other stories and Bits has the same book at home. This evening Bits called and read Tristan a story over the phone. What a great idea! Tristan loved it, and while he and Neil were listening to the story there was a naughty little baby that refused to go to bed crawling under foot. Finn didn't want to miss all the fun. Tristan is looking forward to many more story nights with Bits.

Windy

2011-03-22T21:17:00.003-06:00

The wind here in Colorado is SO loud tonight and is shaking the windows and door. Tristan is a light sleeper on a quiet night, but on a windy night he is lucky to get any sleep.
As I put him to bed, I laid down and was saying prayers with him. I prayed for an angel to come watch over him as he slept, and he put his finger on my nose and said, "mom, you're my angel." Such a sweet boy!

Two Movers And A Shaker

2011-03-18T16:56:00.004-06:00

It's almost spring time and that must mean that all my young little chicks are finding new ways to move away from me... some quicker than others. Tristan is getting pretty good on his tricycle as long as there aren't any big turns to take.
Finn can crawl but gets so excited that he ends up doing a crawl/lunge/pulling thing. Either way, he gets just where he wants to and where he wants to be is right on top of everything he can't have. It's a good thing we drink mostly water in this house because numerous cup have been pulled over in the last week. Gone are the days of leaving my camera on the floor or setting a snack down. He is determined!
Then there is Ian. He is really close to crawling, too, but is a little more cautious about it all. Finn will crawl and bump things and pull up to standing and fall, but Ian just takes it a little slower and studies everything he is doing. The boy does love a good shake though.
I love to watch the twins play with the same toys. Finn devours them and throws them to the side. Ian will quietly play with one toy at a time and see everything about it. Hmmmm, a little personality shinning through? Things are about to get a bit tricky around here, but I think I'm looking forward to it.

Almost Three Is Almost Always Fun

2011-03-02T19:27:00.010-07:00

Most days I still can't believe Tristan is almost three. With every stage he gets to be more fun and his sense of humor is right up my ally. There is at least once every day when he catches me off guard and I'm just glad I'm not drinking milk so it can't come out my nose. Let's hope this is not the peak of his comedy career.
His imagination is growing like crazy. Every day our chair is turned into a car with new tires and together we take great rides and talk about all the things we are seeing. When I told him we were going to put his crown away because it didn't fit, he turned it over, put it on, and said, "look, I a princess. It fits!"
He breaks into song often and his catalog of music is fun. From Black Eyed Peas, Mickey Mouse, Lady Gaga, and "Sunday School" songs.
I really hope all the rumors I hear about the "3s" being the worst do not turn out to be true for Tristan. I would miss his cute little personality way too much!

Love Thy Neighbor

2011-02-10T21:12:00.013-07:00

Hopefully there will not be too many times in our life that we feel great sadness, but tonight is one of those nights in our house. This summer, we heard a sermon in church about getting to know your neighbors, serving them, and loving them. Being in community with your neighbors and really getting to know each other. We knew our neighbor's names on either side of us, and always said hi to the other people in our hall, but we didn't know any of them or anything that they might need.

Stephanie had lived right next door for a short amount of time and we were pretty sure she was sick just from her appearance. We were always polite to each other but never more than a friendly hello and a little chat with Tristan. After the sermon, we started to think of what we could do for her without intruding on her space if she wanted it. Neil takes our trash out everyday, so I suggested that maybe we ask if she needs help with that. She could stick her trash out on her porch and Neil would be sure to take it out that day. She agreed and we had no idea the relationship we had all just entered into.

Maya, Stephanie's cat, spent last week here with us while Stephanie took a much needed trip to Hawaii to decide her future. It turns out that after years of fighting her cancer, there is no fight left. What started as breast cancer, then moved to fill her stomach and lungs, and tonight she can feel the tumor in her throat. Over the last few months, she has graciously let us help her with small things, and on occasion Neil has had the wonderful opportunity to listen to her story and share with her what true community is when everyone else has left her.

Tonight as I sit here typing, she is just two rooms away snuggling with her children for probably the last night before they go back with their father in the morning. She said they were a "bit needy" tonight so they were going to push the beds together and sleep together for a while. Neil will go in the middle of the night to check on her because her medications are not in full force yet. Hospice comes tomorrow after the children have left, and they will make sure she is not in pain again. She wanted these last few days with her children to be ones that she could participate in. You would never know the incredible pain that she is in because she is literally the toughest person I have ever met. Because her insurance only covers care during the day and her greatest fear is understandably dying alone, Neil, myself, and her friend Christine will probably take turns throughout the nights sitting with her until the end. Every time we think about how hard this is, we quickly realize that how uncomfortable we may feel is irrelevant to the situation. It is not about us. If we don't sleep, who cares. I'm thankful that I am planning on putting my kids to bed for years to come, God willing. What ever she needs from us she will get.

We feel incredibly blessed that Stephanie has allowed us into her life at this time. We feel incredibly blessed that God has chosen us to love her in her time of need. Sometimes it's as easy as taking out someone's trash to start the wheels moving on something important. It's true that we just have to show up and God does the rest. I pray that we would have many great talks of God's love before Stephanie passes. I pray that she will pass on to a place with no cancer, no pain, and all the love that she needs.

Oh Ian, My Ian. Lalalalalalala

2011-02-02T14:34:00.010-07:00

I think all moms have a special little song that they sing to that one baby to make them smile a smile that says they know it's all about them. The title to this post is that song for Ian.
When Ian was born he was so tiny that people were nervous to hold him. When we brought him home, his 3 1/2 pound body had a delicate look and his face and everything about him was so petite. He was a good little eater and continued to grow well, but there was something I was dying to see since that first week home. My desire was to see plump and chubby cheeks, thighs, and most of all hands. I love when you can not really see where the hand stops and the arm begins.

Well, the time has come for sure! He looks so healthy and even has some reserve which is something that makes me very happy.
Ian even had his first "first" today. Up until now, Ian has been doing things right on track for his age, but a week or so after Finn. Today was his big day. His first tooth broke the skin and is starting to work it's way out! He continues to grow and thrive in ways I had prayed he would when I was still pregnant. Go Ian, Go!!

Stuck Together

2011-01-30T20:33:00.008-07:00

The last few days it has been between 50-60 degrees here before the next snow storm moves in. Usually we take full advantage of these little breaks and spend them at the zoo or on a playground, but not this weekend. Head colds have taken over half the family, so we are stuck inside for a little R&R.

Trying to keep things calm and quiet, we built a big Thomas set up in the living room... normally not permitted. Tristan thought it was a special treat and played so well for the

whole morning. The other little munchkins were just happy to be so close to Tristan. You would have thought he was one of the Beatles when he actually came and sat among them. At first there was surprise and delight, which quickly turned to "get a lock of his hair!"

Hopefully we are all on the mend just in time for the freeze tomorrow and big snow tomorrow night. Great.

(Ian in Red, Finn in Green)

The Boys at 7 Months

2011-01-25T22:45:00.008-07:00

I love these seven month old babies!!

They are so much easier and more fun to take care of than six months ago. Both of them are all smiles and love to sit and play and amuse each other. Could I be reaping some of those benefits my grandmother told me about?

Both boys are sitting up really well and now enjoying dinner each night. They are sleeping better at night and giving me a bit more rest. Just when I thought I had missed something and could not remember what I did with Tristan to get him on a napping/feeding/sleeping at night schedule, the boys started to do it naturally. I thought "oh yeah, that's what we let Tristan do, too." I'm not all hippee "let my baby name itself when they are old enough to choose", but I do so much enjoy watching the natural workings of a baby's body and mind to grow and develop. The more I relax and take my cues from them, the easier it all flows. The boys are in their own beds now, so I have to walk sideways around my room, but it's worth it to give them their own space. Oh, I can feel a good nights sleep coming any day now!

Don't let these cute and civil pictures fool you though. When these two get too close, they pretty much attack each other. It's not a pretty sight, and it is a glimpse of years to come.

A bit about my boys:

Ian is the one that likes to be cuddles and held. Ian never lets us go too long with out reminding us that we need to slow down and snuggle a baby. His smiles are precious and make you feel so wonderful because he really makes you work for them. Waiting until he can do something really well before trying it is more his style. Finn tried sitting up first, but when Ian did it he just sat up straight and didn't wobble. Ian is also the one that starts trouble. He is the one at 6am blowing raspberries to wake Finn up and get him laughing and blowing raspberries back, and then Ian goes back to sleep leaving me to deal with Finn. He quietly steals the pile of toys the babies are playing with. I have no idea how, but he always seems gets them!

Finn is ready to rain smiles on anyone who will look in his direction. His favorite person is Tristan for sure. Just a glance from that big boy sends Finn on his way to the best day of his life. He is a little more laid back and content to play by himself. When he looks at toys you can hear the bubble above his head saying, "What does this do? How does this work? I want to taste that!"

When did I get voted "the mom"?

2011-01-04T16:07:00.007-07:00

When I was growing up and something tough needed to get done, my mom just did it. We would always tell her, "that's why we voted you "the mom."
This morning I packed little Finn up and headed to the best children's hospital in Denver for a small surgery. I have never had any of my kids need care on this professional level. I had been nervous for this day since Dr. Steitz told me he would need this when he was only a few days old, and now the day had come.
Finn and I had a good two and a half hours in our pre-op room waiting for all the parties to arrive. He was happy and inquisitive about everything and everyone in the room. Once the nurses left and the small room had been explored, it was nap time with mom until the doctor came. Because he is not a year old, I was not allowed to go back with him to the OR but the surgical nurse was nice enough and he even carried Finn down instead of wheeling him to make him feel more comfortable.
Then the waiting began. I started my "time killing" plan by going down to get some breakfast and stopping by the gift shop to get Finn a Teddy bear for being so brave (or was it something for me to cuddle while I waited impatiently?).

Back up in the waiting area with my breakfast, iphone, and 45 minutes down I thought I was doing pretty good. Then I heard it. It made my heart stop for a moment. "Finn's mom? You have a call from the OR." I actually did not want to take the phone from her, as if that would make the news I heard any better? Turns out they just had a hard time putting an iv in and they were just now starting the procedure. Great. I had used up all my "time killing" field trips.

The waiting room in a pediatric surgical unit has got to be one of the worst places to be. I don't really want to ever go again. Every time the door opened, we all looked up in hopes that it would be our doctor's face. Everyone is on edge and we are all in the same boat. Luck for us, all the workers at the hospital get why we are there and are really nice about our nervousness. I did okay for an hour and a half and then it all hit me.
Why were they not out yet?
Why have I not heard?
The panic attack increased and it had grown so slowly that I hadn't realized what was going on. My chest was tightening and I was really having trouble breathing. It took about 15 minutes, a walk to get water and lifesavers, a trip to the bathroom to tell myself I was now voted in as "the mom" and I better pull it together. That was enough to at least keep me breathing and to stop me from bursting into tears as soon as I saw the doctor.
Finally, the doctor came out and reassured me that Finn was fine and we talked about the recovery. After what felt like forever, the receptionist looked at me and said, "would you like to go back and see Dylan now?" I wanted to say, "if it gets me closer to Finn then yes!"
More waiting.
Once it was my turn to go back, I could not move fast enough. I was literally dropping my stuff as I was collecting it. To be honest, I was ready to abandon all of it and just go. As I walked to the back I could hear crying, but quickly found out it was not Finn. He was still sleeping. He slept for a long time, waking only for the picture. His vitals were fine and they said they didn't need him to stay awake, they just needed him to eat. I made a bottle, popped it in, and they sent us on our way.

Now it's all about the spread sheet of the obnoxious number of meds/doses that he needs for the next 48 hours. That is a full time job by itself. I usually have both babies over night, but Neil was nice enough to take Ian for the next couple of nights while Finn needs me most. Here is to fast healing, low pain, and hopefully never sitting in that waiting room again.
I never knew how hard some of those "mom" moments were. Sorry, Mom.

Finn grew up over night!!!

2011-01-01T20:02:00.004-07:00

I don't know how it happened, but Finn went to bed a true baby and woke up a whole new kid! He had rolled over before and dabbled a bit with sitting up, but today it's like everything just clicked. He sits on his own for many minutes without tipping back and plays with the toys in front of him with true purpose, not just sticking them in his mouth. How did this happen? I feel like it was a gradual change with Tristan. I'm just glad that Ian didn't choose the same night to start doing all these new things. I don't think I could have handled losing two "true babies" in one night!
Finn was sitting on Neil's lap in the kitchen while Tristan was playing with a "bat and ball." We suddenly noticed that he was laughing at something intentional, and that thing was Tristan! As soon as Tristan figured out that he had an audience the action really kicked up! Another first for Finn and all in this one long New Years Day!

How to Groom Your Child to Success

2010-12-31T14:05:00.004-07:00

Doesn't that seem like one of the stupid titles you would read on a parenting book? I want to know if any of those authors actually followed just what they wrote about and how many of their kids are currently in counseling? I know I don't have much to offer to the world about parenting except for a handy tip here and there for my girlfriends that may or may not work for their kids. If I had ever thought about writing a book, here are all the reasons I'm not going to start writing my parenting book today.

My toddler went down for his nap about an hour ago and is still not asleep. he could be in there playing and I don't really care because he is still giving me a quiet break.

I don't change my shirt the first time a kid spits up on me because it won't be thirty minutes before another one does the same. The second time... I change.

I bribe my kid with treats so he will finish his food.

I go to my babies when they cry... I just can't imagine not going

I don't bleach their toys and run the stuffed animals through the dryer once a week (or month).

The only meat my toddler will eat is a fast food hamburger, so guess what? He gets that a couple times a week.

I let him "work it out" with his little friends and don't fight his fights for him (not that I let him hit or anything) However, I do arm him with phrases like "No hit me!" when I know there will be a "hitter" at a play date instead of keeping him away from kids that don't always act nice. He better learn how to deal with all kinds of different people

When I go through the drive through at Starbucks I keep a snack in my purse so that when he asks for a treat from "mommy's coffee" I pull it out of my bag as she is handing me my drink. He actually thinks they serve goldfish at Starbucks.

I didn't sugar coat what happened to the mouse in our kitchen. He didn't go to the farm, he got stomped on and thrown away. Tristan loved reenacting this for everyone for about a week.

And somehow after all of this, I have two healthy happy babies and one healthy, happy, polite, friendly, outgoing, confident, and loving toddler. Maybe there is no secret formula or maybe I have already found the right one that fits for just my three little ones.

Are You Kidding Me?

2010-12-27T21:34:00.005-07:00

It amazes me how clever Tristan is and how he is always observing situations. Obviously he hears everything I am saying even if he pretends not to be listening. Sometimes it cracks me up when I hear my own words or other people's come out of his mouth. For instance, Elaine has a habit of saying, "Are you kidding me?" Well, Tristan picked this up early on in their trip and I have to say it is one of the cuter sayings he has ever picked up. He knew just how to use it so I was sure that he had observed it a few times before testing it out. I didn't know just how much he understood until tonight at dinner.

I served Tristan some yogurt with granola which he gobbled right up, and then I put a few grapes on his tray. T is not that keen on eating new foods, but I figured he likes raisins so I just told him they were juicy raisins. I told him if he ate all four juicy raisins then he would get some fruit snacks. He calmly slid them back across the tray to me and said, "Mommy, if you eat all of them you get more coffee" as he points to my espresso cup. Well, that sounded like a pretty good deal to me, so I ate the grapes. After they were gone, Tristan got so excited that he cheered for me and encouraged me to go get my coffee... so I did!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-25T15:12:00.008-07:00

Well, we pulled off Christmas and it was just as good as we thought it would be. When Neil and I heard Tristan wake up this morning, we ran in, jumped on his bed, and yelled "Merry Christmas!" Tristan just laughed, jumped on my back for a piggy back ride, and yelled, "c'mon mom, let's ride the rails!" What a funny kid!

We let Tristan open his stocking before the Conways got here for breakfast, so he had some things to keep him occupied. Then it was time for presents. We had been working really hard this year to teach Tristan about what this really amazing holiday actually means. This meant that we cut out Santa to lessen the confusion about what we were really celebrating, and sharing with others. In an attempt to teach him to share when you have more of something than you need, we had to take it down to a two-year-old level. We made a ton of Christmas cookies and then talked about how we had so many that we needed to share a lot of them. We packaged them up and drove them around until we found homeless people begging at stop lights. Then we rolled down Tristan's window and let him give out the cookies and say, "Merry Christmas." He loved it, and most the the guys were really excited about homemade Christmas cookies this year.
Well, the other thing we have been talking and reading about is Jesus' birthday. Last night I put his manger scene in the living room but without Jesus in it. He noticed baby Jesus missing and I said maybe he would come tomorrow for his birthday. This morning as we started to open presents, I handed the first one to Tristan. It read:
To: The Conways
Love: God
When Tristan opened it (with his teeth) it was baby Jesus. He got excited and put him in the manger. I thought it was cute, but knew at two there was a fat chance that he got any of it. Later today he talked to Neannie on the phone. (not sure if you even understood him saying this, mom) My mom asked him what presents he got for Christmas and the first thing he said was "baby Jesus"... yeah!
We had a lot of fun opening the rest of our gifts, well Tristan had fun opening everyone's gifts! Nana and Gramps seemed to have a nice morning, but I know it was hard for both of them to be away from home for the first time in their lives for Christmas.

After Tristan's nap, we gave him the train table. We got the perfect gift JUST right! I don't think he believed us that it is now his table and it's not going anywhere. We had to drag him screaming to eat dinner, take a bath, and he was a little nervous to leave it to go to bed. Won't he be surprised when it's still here tomorrow morning!

It was a great day filled with great food, grandparents, a beautiful walk outside (due to no snow), and of course the matching PJs!!!

Santa Train

2010-12-19T22:26:00.007-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the Santa Train at the Colorado Railroad museum. I thought Tristan liked trains, but it was nothing compared to Gramps!! He was in heaven. I thought we were going to have to come back to get him when it got dark, but surprisingly he came home with us in time for naps.

We took a fun ride on a beautiful steam engine. Nana, Tristan, and I sat inside a wonderfully restored passenger car while Gramps, Neil, and the babies could not be pulled inside but instead rode on an outside car for the better view. Gramps was able to take us into an old mail car that was just like one that his grandfather used to work on. We got to hear some really neat stories. I am sure this will be a must every time they come to visit and I don't think Tristan will mind.

Nana and Gramps

2010-12-19T22:15:00.005-07:00

Nana and Gramps are out here in Colorado for Christmas and getting in some time with the latest arrivals and Tristan of course. Tristan is always excited each morning when they come and sad each day when they leave. They picked a good year to come with the twins being so cute and Tristan being at such a fun age for Christmas.

Miss you!

2010-12-19T22:11:00.003-07:00

The other day, Neannie sent her school picture to Tristan. The next morning he got the books out that have her voice recorded on them. He then looked at me and said, "I be right back, Mom" as he ran off. He came back with her picture and set it up so that he could have his little conversation with Neannie. We miss her SO MUCH!!!

Good Dog Cooper

2010-12-16T23:08:00.008-07:00

Tonight we dropped Cooper off at his new home. I thought that because it had been such a well planned, talked to death, tried to think of other ways we could make it work kind of idea that it wouldn't be so sad. I didn't think I would cry, but I did. We had such a good dog and we had to give him away... sad.

Cooper was the dog I always wanted. He was a great first dog for me. He is exactly what I thought my first dog would be like ever since I read the book "Barney" when I was a kid. He kept me company while Neil traveled a lot for his last job, comforted me through some rough times, and was always happy to see me. He used to cuddle with my belly when I was pregnant with Tristan. It was nice to have someone that was always on your side. I loved the training school, dog parks, hours spent watching him swim, and cuddling up for a good nap. When the kids came along he was always gentle with them. I never have had a moments concern that he would harm them. Tristan really pushed the limit, too. Ears were pulled, food was stolen, tails were straightened, and still Cooper would not nip. Even though he jumped on visitors, ate Tristan's food, left hair on the carpet, and barked at dogs that went past, he was a good dog. He had a sweet disposition and was willing to put in the time to win over even the least dog lover I know... my mom. I NEVER thought I would see my mom cook eggs for a dog just because he likes them, but there she was cooking for Cooper.

Life just threw us too many curve balls these last few years and it became too difficult to keep him. In all honesty, it wasn't fair to keep him any longer. Living in a space where Neil has to sleep on the couch because we have just plum run out of room, does not leave any room for a dog be a dog. There is no time for long walks or trips to the dog park. Cooper's greatest dislike is being alone and I thought of the years ahead where he would be left alone while we were out and about with the kids. Another dog would probably handle it just fine, but not Cooper.

In his new home there is another dog, Neko, who Cooper gets along so well with. There is a little yard to go out and play everyday and a constant companion that we were not prepared to give him. He will go for runs every morning and hikes in the summer. The best part is that we can visit him whenever we want to. In the future when we have a house with a yard that is pet friendly, we have arranged for us to watch Cooper and his new sister when his new family is traveling. It will be nice to have a visit with an old friend. I just hope Tristan will forgive me!

Grandma Jane

2010-12-08T20:33:00.009-07:00

It funny how I never called Grandma "Grandma Jane" growing up, but ever since she started writing that in cards to Tristan and the boys that was how she was known in this house.

Tonight I made an apple pie to honor the good memories of Grandma Kurgan who passed away early this morning. I made an apple pie because it was one of the favorite things that everyone loved about my grandma, but I made my mom's recipe because she's my favorite thing my grandma ever made.

In the days before Grandmas were all Mema, Nana, Grammy, and Ya Ya there was Grandma Kurgan. She didn't get down on the floor and play with us or run outside with the hose and jump in the Bush's pool for the biggest cannonball, but there were always treats ready for us when we arrived and a bag of goodies to take home with us when we left. In those days we could afford to eat those snacks because her house was always 1008 degrees and we sweat off any calories we took in. Maybe that's the lesson she was trying to teach me... I better go turn up my heat now while I eat this cookie.

She always made sure we had a new shirt for back to school or the sweater for my Brownies outfit. She would sneak me some cash as a teenager and save her quarters for my laundry in college. I always knew that on Halloween a card would arrive with money for a McDonalds dinner... thought of her when I went to pick up Tristan's this year.

I always thought it was neat to have grandparents that were 100% Polish. I don't know why, I guess it's because now a days I don't really meet anyone who is 100% anything. I admired how hard my grandparents worked for all they had and all they gave to their children.

As a family who celebrates everything with food, I will always remember the galumpkis she made for my birthdays, the perogies, bapka, and strangely her coleslaw. What will endear me to my grandparents though are Apples. No matter where I go, when I see apples, apple pie, apple trees, cider, or anything claiming to be an apple fritter (but never will be) I think of them. I am instantly brought back to that hot little kitchen with the instant coffee and silverware draw in the strangest place. Looking out the big window at Grandpa's flowers, the little bird bath, and the bushes of bleeding hearts that I thought were the most amazing flowers. I remember Uncle Greg falling asleep on the living room floor while Grandpa teased Alex and we all pretended to watch whatever was on the three channels they had on tv. We were all too sleepy from the heat to complain and getting Grandpa a cold beer from the fridge was our only relief from the sauna.

Grandma always had a soft spot for Neil ever since their first meeting. He hung out with Alex and did the dishes and in her book that made for a good man. She was right.

I can't say that I am sad that she is gone, I have not seen her in some time and phone conversations became too difficult a while ago. She was not comfortable and slept most of the time. In the end I believe she is in a better place now, as are all the family members who continued to care for and worry about her. However, it is strange to lose my final grandparent. It's like the end of an era. It's like the world just got a little smaller for me. Strange, I know, because it was just one person, but it's like she was a final placeholder for a whole generation in my eyes. Good-bye Grandma Kurgan, our fond memories of you will be remembered through us, your grandchildren.

Away in a manger, no crib for Ian

2010-12-02T20:16:00.005-07:00

Well, cutting the tree and putting it up looked a lot different this year but it was still a lot of fun. If it had been a real tree Tristan would not have been able to help as much. Since our apartment does not feel much bigger than a manger this year, we decided to go with a less traditional tree. It comes with 25 ornaments to hang one each day as an advent calendar. As we were hanging the tree, Tristan noticed the numbers which was not surprising. What was surprising was when he counted to 11! Thank you Sesame Street because I didn't teach him that!

The lady sent me one of the wrong colors and since the right color is coming, I let Tristan hang the orange ornaments anywhere he wanted to in his room. Each wall has a few and he was SO proud of himself. We were thankful to have the tree that dad made as well, so we could put a few of our favorite ornaments up. Our decorating will be more of an "ode to Christmas" than full out decorating this year.

Zoo Lights 2010

2010-12-01T13:56:00.008-07:00

We went to zoo lights the other night and had a blast! No, that doesn't even sum it up... it was the perfect night. We stayed a long time, kept the kids up late, and NOBODY cried ONCE!

We bundled the kids up and went to find some animals made of lights. They had a Santa there so we got that over with. I'm not a big Santa person and leave the decision of a "Santa picture" up to the size of the line in front of any Santa we just happen to pass during the Christmas season. Just so happens that this year he was at zoo lights and he was awesome. What a great picture of all the kids with Santa... I didn't even know that was possible. Now every night when it gets dark and Tristan sees ANY Christmas lights he asks to go to zoo lights. If I knew it would be as perfect as that first night, I would be there every night!! We are hoping to go back when Neil's parents come out to visit if it's not too cold.

First Snow 2010

2010-12-01T13:48:00.004-07:00

I Can Still Hear the Monkeys

2010-12-01T13:45:00.003-07:00

It was one of the last really beautiful fall days while the leaves were still on the trees, so we decided to use our new zoo pass from Neannie. Tristan was so excited he talked about it ALL the way there, and then he talked about it the whole evening even after we discovered the zoo had changed to their winter hours and we could not get in. Oh no, we though, what do we do know?! We stopped at a bakery by the zoo and took some cupcakes to City Park to play on their amazing playground. We spent so much time getting Tristan's mind off of the zoo and almost did a great job at it. However, when we got to the park we realized it was a little closer to the zoo than we thought. You could totally hear the train whistle AND the monkeys!!! Good thing Tristan was pretty impressed with the play ground and we all had a great time in a beautiful park! Just when we thought we were out of the woods, we get in the Jeep to go home and Tristan says, "We go to the zoo now?"

A Rock Creek Halloween

2010-12-01T13:40:00.004-07:00

We went took Tristan trick-or-treating for the first time this year in Rock Creek. I never knew if I would do this with my kids or not because I am not a fan of Halloween, mostly because my mom didn't like Halloween and would bribe us not to go out. This year I got Tristan a costume because they were on sale and I knew if nothing else he likes to dress up. Little did I know we would have SO much fun this season. We went trick-or-treating at a local high school, the train museum, and with his good friend Ari around our neighborhood. This was not the neighborhood I grew up in! If they had given out this kind of candy in my neighborhood growing up, my mom would have had a hard time bribing us!! He got loads of candy, but I think he had more fun just meeting all the people along the way.

Pumpkin Carving 2010

2010-12-01T13:30:00.003-07:00

I decided to let Tristan make his first movie while we carved our pumpkin and he did a pretty good job! I always laugh when we carve our one pumpkin and it ends up just us watching Neil carve a good pumpkin. What a strange tradition this is!

Tristan and Hannah sitting in a tree...

2010-12-01T13:28:00.005-07:00

I'm pretty sure I chaperoned Tristan's first date tonight! It started with an innocent "hi" at the jumping kangaroo lights after Hannah and Tristan laughed at the same part. I have to admit, when the kangaroo made of lights turns to look right at you it is quite funny. They both laughed, turned to look at each other, and were holding hands within seconds. Love at first sight! Hannah being an older girl of about seven, was not ready to move along as quickly as Tristan and so we parted ways and had a good chuckle about it.

We made our way to the Merry-go-round, which is a must for Tristan, and waited patiently in line with our ticket. We were deep in discussion about what animal he wanted to ride and how it MUST go up and down, when we heard, "There is your little friend." Right behind us in line was none other than Hannah! Tristan walked right up to her and held out his hand. The line started to move and hand in hand Tristan lead her to the Peacock bench seat so they could sit together... this was not prompted. I had nowhere else to be, so I sat with them. They made small talk about the ride and held hands along the way on a cool winters night. Perfect. We ran into Hannah a few more times on this zoo trip and all parents involved got a big kick out of it!

Time to Get Creative

2010-11-17T23:35:00.005-07:00

With things being tight this year, I am trying to be creative about Christmas so that it can still be special. There was a big toy consignment sale coming up so I took advantage. I started with the idea that if I had all the money in the world, what would I want to get Tristan for Christmas. Well, I would want to build him a really great train table, so I set out to make that happen anyway. I watched Craigslist for two months looking at the lots of Thomas sets people were selling. A few days before the sale I pulled the trigger and put an offer on an awesome lot and since it had been listed for so long I offered a much lower price than was being asked and I got it!

Neil and I spent the next three days pulling out the pieces we wanted for Tristan's table and together we designed a table perfect for our little boy. I then sold the rest of the lot at the toy sale and made ALL my money back resulting in a FREE Thomas table... unheard of!!

Well, the last part of the deal was that Neil volunteered to work the breakdown of the toy sale in order to get me a higher consignor percentage. He was leaving around 6:30 this evening to head to the sale and Tristan asked me where he was going.

Me: "Daddy is going to do some work to make sure your Christmas is special. Say thank you to Daddy for a great Christmas"

Tristan got so excited and said with the most genuine voice:
"Thank you, Daddy, for the Big Kiss!"

iToddler Strikes Again

2010-11-16T21:34:00.002-07:00

Lately Tristan has been watching Youtube videos on my iPhone. Some of the stuff is bizarre but all is harmless. A few days ago he started watching Thomas and Cars videos, but not real ones. They are videos of other kids playing with their cars. They line them up, go through all their names, drive them around and do dramatic play. At any other time in in my life I would have thought it strange that people would make these videos let alone post them on Youtube, but now I think it's brilliant! Tristan takes out the same toys he sees in the video, sets the phone down on the train table, and "plays" with the kid in the video. It's like he is setting up his own virtual play dates. What a kid!

iToddler

2010-10-23T22:10:00.003-06:00

It's already hard to leave my boys and head to work, but today it got so much harder. I was working away when the land line at Starbucks began to ring. I saw my coworker pick up the phone, go through the greeting, and then give me a strange look. She put the phone up to my ear while saying, "this is weird."

Me: "Hello?"
Tristan: "MOMMY!"
Me: "Tristan? What are you doing?"
T: "Playing baseball. Miss you... lots"
Me: "I miss you, too. Does daddy know you called me?"
T: "Yeah. Love you, Mommy. Miss you"
(you could literally hear my heart break at this moment!)
Neil in the background: "Tristan, are you really talking to someone? Oh my, you really are. Sorry I didn't know he was calling."
(then you hear screaming as the iphone is taken away from him)
Me: "It's okay I'm just going to quit now."

Okay, so that last line didn't happen, but the working mom's guilt was thick tonight!

"Two, one, you you out" -Tristan

2010-10-21T22:14:00.004-06:00

It is very apparent that Neil is enjoying fatherhood this week more than he ever has! After years of diapers, bathing, feeding, and getting puked on, Tristan has discovered Neil's true love. At Gymboree this week the theme was baseball and that's how this all started. Neil took him the other day to a class and Tristan came home talking about nothing but baseball and wanting to sing "Take me out to the ball game." I chuckled this morning when Neil was moving a little quicker than normal all so he could make it to Tristan's class with both of them wearing their Red Sox shirts. I thought it was adorable when he took Tristan to the playground this evening that was right next to the ball fields. Little did I know that they would let Tristan in on the action. While the team took a break from practice, they let Tristan retrieve all the practice balls which was heaven for him. Because he was such a good help "the guy", as Tristan calls him, gave him a real baseball! He would not let that thing out of his sight all night. If he was more than five feet from the ball he would start calling, "MY NEW BASEBALL, MY NEW BASEBALL!" It took some convincing him that putting the ball in the bath was a bad idea, but there was no convincing him that curling up with it in bed was not a good idea. Yes, my son took a dirty baseball to bed... and my husband could not have been more proud.

Coo Coo Cachoo

2010-10-03T21:02:00.003-06:00

The boys are three months old and getting to be so much fun! They smile at us and coo all the time. This was the stage I have been waiting for, the stage that makes not getting sleep still worth it. When those babies look at me and smile not only with their lips but also with their eyes, I can't help but fall in love with them all over!

Thank you Firefighters!

2010-09-30T15:42:00.009-06:00

This morning we had plans to meet some friends for a tour of one of the Arvada fire houses. Everything seemed to be going wrong while we were getting ready. I could not find what I needed, Tristan kept getting hurt and wanting to be held, and everyone seemed to be crying or on the verge of crying (me). I almost bagged it and went back to bed when both kids in my car were screaming as I pulled out of my parking space. Boy am I glad we didn't bail because Tristan had a GREAT time!

The firemen were so friendly and Tristan took right to them. When the other kids were too shy to get into the fireman's boots, I will give you one guess who was more than happy to jump right in. They let the kids crawl over the big ladder truck and the ambulance. The ladies that drive the ambulance were pleased that Tristan loved their rig, too. They said the kids are usually too interested in the fire truck to pay much attention to the ambulance. He was all over that thing playing with the machines, pretending the iv hook-up was a fishing pole, and even found some money that they had forgotten about in the back, haha.

It's days like today that I'm glad he is a curious little boy asking questions and exploring everything. I think the firefighters that he was dragging around had fun, too. He had hugs and high fives for them all as we left. A big thank you to the Arvada Fire Fighters!!

Day With a Toddler

2010-09-29T22:39:00.003-06:00

You watch funny sitcoms or movies about life with a toddler and you think "well, it's not that bad," but sometimes it is and all you can do is laugh. Tristan's day today pretty much started and ended with showers. In the morning he found my pump shampoo and rubbed it all through his hair... shower. He would only eat my breakfast and not his own, stole every paci he could get his hands on, and walk right behind me as I picked up toys and pulled them back out. After a less than stellar nap he made a few calls on my phone, colored on the kitchen floor, and I found him "brushing" his hair with my bic razor. I tried to give him a treat of fruit snacks which are his favorite and I even put the dog on the porch so he would not eat them and send Tristan into a melt down. Well, Tristan decided he would eat the fruit snacks right in front of the window to the porch and taunt the dog. If that was not enough, he then left three lined up on the window and left to go play. I only noticed it when I heard the dog scratching at the window and making a snotty mess for me to wipe up. To round the day out, in the evening he fell into a VERY stinky pond and came home in nothing but his diaper... shower. Before bed, Neil let him run outside to burn off that last energy. A toddler running barefoot up and down the sidewalk in Christmas pjs was quite a sight, but not as big of a sight as the amount of rocks he could carry in and drop on my kitchen floor. After the kiddo was in bed and Neil and I found a wet wipe clogging up the tub drain, cheerios covering many of the bristles of my hair brush, and little plastic Lion King toys in my bed, we could not help but laugh. At different parts of the day we would be laughing so hard with Tristan and in the next breath want to research toddler boarding schools. Yes the "twos" come and go sometimes within the same day, but we find at the end of most days we have laughed more than we have scolded and had more good times than time outs. These days with little ones are sometimes long, sometimes hard, and always very full! I know I am going to look back and miss these times someday, so I try to remind myself of that during these difficult days and try to laugh now about the things I would have only been able to look back and laugh at. Tristan is one funny little kid!!

Day Out With Thomas 2010

2010-09-25T22:24:00.005-06:00

Today Grandma and Grandpa Trexler took the boys to see Thomas the tank engine and man was it a hit! The twins were so excited they could not stay awake so Tristan had to do all the exploring. The day was set up with lots of fun things to do at the Colorado Railroad Museum with the highlight of the day taking a ride on a real Thomas train. Well, for most kids the highlight was the train ride, petting zoo, train table tent, fire engine, or even food, but not my kiddo. While he loved most of those things, Tristan could not get enough of the very large fenced in model trains. To be honest, I have never seen so many little boys in one spot just staring and quiet. At one point I noticed the absence of screaming and crying and found it a bit strange. They were all lined around the fence as if it was the most magical thing they had ever witnessed. At one point I tried to take Tristan to see the fire engine and the petting zoo, but as soon as he was more than ten yards from those trains he was animate that we go back. It's cool, I didn't want to pet the sheep anyway.

He was so taken by all the trains there and we all loved the train ride. My favorite part was watching Tristan right in his element. I love that the museum is only 20 minutes away and most everything that Tristan loved is there all the time! What a great place for little boys to play and have picnics. We will be going back there for sure!

If Your Happy and You Know It

2010-09-21T18:37:00.006-06:00

I have heard from a lot of people that they see more pictures of Finn than Ian and they were wondering why. Well, under one theory Ian is the third child and as the third child I know there are just less pics of us out there. That's not the real reason though. Whenever the camera comes out, Ian turns into a bit a a party pooper. I thought at first that he was just a little stinker who just wanted to ruin good pictures, but it turns out that when he is laying down he has trouble breathing... my bad. Now a days he has trouble breathing in any position, but he should grow out of that. We let him sit in a steamy bathroom about three times a day and have bottles of saline with in an arms reach from anywhere in the apartment. Keeping him close by so we can hear his breathing at all times is the norm.

Tonight I brought down the bouncer and put Ian in there. We got a smile!!! now he can play AND breath!!!

The only thing missing from an east coast parade

2010-09-06T17:44:00.010-06:00

What a perfect day! The weather was cool but sunny and there was a parade on the schedule.. a

real parade! Out here in Colorado a good parade is something that I have not seen too much of. Usually they are kind of odd and really short. Well, this one had it all (except for a fife and drum band). BUT... I had never been to a parade back east with a Mariachi band!!! They were so much fun. The costumes and music were good, but I could not get enough of their dancing horses. They would make their horses dance to the mariachi music!

Tristan had a great time and quickly made friends with the people sitting next to us. He spent the majority of the parade on that guys lap. His wife told us that all their grandkids lived far away, so this was really nice for him. The twins did amazing! They slept most of the time and when they were awake they were as happy as can be. We left the parade a little early and made our way over to the town picnic and had some fun in the bouncy castle before the crowds came. We headed home for lunch and I even got a two and a half hour nap in. Best Labor Day in years!!

Book From Neannie

2010-09-03T17:19:00.006-06:00

My mom sent a book for Tristan that made me cry all the way through. He was so happy to hear her voice and must have played it fifteen times in the first hour he had it. I so wish she was closer so they could play together more! (I gave no prompting for these videos, I just let him read it)

This is how we do it

2010-08-24T15:43:00.005-06:00

We get the question a lot of times, "What do you do when both babies are fussy and you are alone?" Well, here are some examples. Even when Neil is home, there are some times like when Tristan needs his bedtime routine that we are left alone with both babies. We try to still give Tristan some good one on one time each day, so each of us is getting better at handling two babies... as long as they don't get too much bigger. The first picture is a little blurry because I really was here by myself and trying to take the picture. We sit like that a lot. These pictures make it look like all we do is sleep all day, haha!!

Just Like We Thought

2010-08-19T21:41:00.004-06:00

While I was pregnant with these two, we often wondered if the space available to them in there would affect how they were comfortable on the outside. Now we know! Finn is comfortable sprawled out and hates to be swaddled which looks a lot like the ultrasound pictures we saw each week. True to form, Ian likes to be curled up in a ball or swaddled tight. I'm just glad he doesn't want to be folded in half with his feet in front of his face like he spent so many months. It's kind of cool to watch how those early environments did affect them.

Oh, there we are

2010-08-17T22:26:00.005-06:00

Tonight was a night right out of a sitcom. Our friend, Eddie, was coming over to borrow some camping equipment and bringing a pizza for dinner. Sounds quiet and nice, right? Well, he had not been here five minutes when Tristan walked shyly up to me and grabbed my leg. I thought this was so strange and asked him what was wrong. He looked up at me, started puking, and didn't stop until I had him in the bathtub. The next ten five minutes are kind of a blur. I heard the babies start to scream because it was time for them to eat, but I was too busy slipping around on a puke covered bathroom floor making bubbles in the bath and trying to stay as calm as possible so that Tristan would not feel bad. Neil was preparing a bucket of mop water for me and throwing in the first load of laundry. Cooper was getting all the big chunks off the floor and for a moment I thought about keeping him. I forgot how handy a dog can be during these times. After it was over Neil and I looked at each other fondly and said, "see, we're still in there!" Taking care of a toddler and newborn twins can chip away at the communication in a marriage. We are both so tired at the beginning, middle, and end of each day that we tend to snip at each other more and say things in a way we never have. We try not to take it personally because we know it is a short time that we will be in this really hard situation, but in the back of your mind you hope that on the other side you have not picked up habits that cannot be reversed. It was really good to get a glimpse of our old self working well as a team to make a messy situation clean again.

We honestly thought that when we were done Eddie would have just left, but he fought his gag reflex and calmed a baby. He was impressed with our teamwork and the fact we didn't start yelling at each other like most of his other friends with kids would have. At the end of the day, we are still that couple that moved across the country, made our way through Neil's schooling, parented a happy little boy together, and brought two healthy babies into the world because of our teamwork and communication. We are still in there and hope to be back to our nice and respectful selves as soon as possible.

Instructions for Approaching a Mom of New Twins

2010-08-08T15:03:00.008-06:00

****Before you start feeling bad for me or start looking up names of "happy drugs" for me to take, just know that I wrote this so I could laugh. Today in church the sermon was all about being able to laugh through difficult times. Taking this to heart, I wrote these down. Also, I wanted to remember these truths for when I am far removed from them and I will be the one who forgets what to say and what not to say to a new mom. Don't worry...I'm happy...I'm okay...I'm fine"****

Things that a new mom of twins will lie about:

"I'm doing great" (anything above "I'm fine" is a lie)

"It's not that bad" (It is that bad, but they are cute and totally worth it!)

Things you should never say to a mom of new twins:

"Oh, I always wanted twins" (we might be tempted to hand them over)

"How are you doing?" (without a box of tissues in hand as you wait for the answer)

"What a blessing" (we know it is, we just don't want to hear it yet)

"You've got your hands full!" (Really? REALLY?! You think I didn't notice that?)

"Are you getting any sleep?" (The answer will always be no, remind us that we are not sleeping, and bring tears. Just don't bring up the sleep thing)

"Just call me" (It's not going to happen and then we feel guilty about not calling)

And if you are out and about and don't know the person with twins, just sneak a peak as they walk by and smile. We don't want to be rude and ignore people, but if we stopped to tell everyone everything about the babies we would not get anything done. I'm thinking about making a flyer to pass out to people so I can keep walking. I know seeing two babies is cool, but it's just two babies not two unicorn babies which I have to admit I would have to stop and talk to that person, too. Two babies means I have more things to get and less time to get them, so please just let me keep walking.

Things you should say to a mom of new twins:

"Hang in there" (Encouraging and realistic)

"It's nice to see that you can still smile" (A nice reminder that we might actually be smiling)

"Can I hold a baby?" (ALWAYS! I actually let total strangers hold these babies, left them with all the nurses and receptionist when I went into the doctors, and even let Tristan's 13 year old sunday school teacher hold them)

"Here's some chocolate" (Thank you)

I Happy, Mommy

2010-08-06T17:49:00.002-06:00

Last night Tristan and I were driving in the car and he kept telling me, "I happy, Mommy" over and over. I thought it was really cute, but I had never heard him say it before. Today we were watching Veggie Tales Madam Blueberry and at one point Jr talks about how happy he is and Tristan started saying he was happy again. I looked at Neil and said, "I was wondering WHERE he heard that!" As soon as the words came out of my mouth, Neil and I started laughing as he sarcastically said, "yeah, there's no way he hear that around here!" Hahaha... we are happy and we should say it more. Too bad he had to learn that phrase from a video.

Morgan Trinker Strikes Again!

2010-08-05T11:54:00.009-06:00

The wonderful Morgan Trinker took a trip to Colorado the middle of July and generously gifted our family a photo shoot so we would always remember the beautiful parts of this time in our lives. As you can imagine from my last post, these pictures are how I will most want to remember all my boys right now and I would never have had the time or talent to capture them as they are. Although at times they all are hard work and require me to eat a lot of chocolate, most of the time they are sweet, adorable, loves of my life. Thank you Morgan for always making me remember all the blessings in my life!

Double the Flavor, Double the... what?

2010-08-01T22:11:00.012-06:00

Don't get me wrong I still think having twins is cool, and a blessing, and special, and amazing, but the miracle of it all is lost at some points each day. One of these times being the middle of last night as I'm sitting on my bed with Finn on my lap indian style finally asleep but knowing full well that any small movement of him will awaken a screaming baby, and Ian in my arms rocking him to sleep and knowing that stopping this motion for even a second could result in another screaming baby. At one point I fell back on my pillow once Ian was okay with the stillness, but Finn had stolen all my clovers for his nice soft bed on my lap. So I lay there with one baby on my chest, one on my lap, and me cold as can be. I was actually happy when the next feeding time arrived so I could kick Neil and pass a baby over. The rest of the night wasn't too bad and no longer than any other night. By the morning these cute little guys were fine and we had a fine day.

The days are both faster than you can imagine and longer than you would wish them to be all at the same time. There are more dishes, laundry, cleaning, and picking up than I thought there would be because really who can plan for this. The work did not double... it quadrupled. The babies are more awake now and with that comes more crying. There are few other people who can understand what my days and nights are like, but I am lucky that there are a few women out here that have been or are managing life with twin babies and a toddler. We look at each other and sigh a sigh that only we can understand and both of us know we don't have the energy to go into the details so let's just not. There is a certain comfort in knowing your not crazy or weak, but that it's just a hard season in life.

I went for my six week check up today and had a good cry with my doctor. The good news is that good cry got me five extra weeks before I have to think about going back to work or if I will at all. My doctor had some brilliant ideas for making my life a little easier right now. She said I should sleep more at night, take a nap during the day, take a hot bath, try some relaxation techniques that I should go to the bookstore and look for a good book on, and possible I should hire a night nurse to take care of the babies at night. She is not getting paid enough because those ideas are just fantastic. Why hadn't I thought of those... oh, because they are completely UNREALISTIC!! After seeing my doctor, I went to see the lactation consultant upstairs. We had a good laugh about my doctor's suggestions and she loaded up a bag of goodies for me. As we were talking she told me there was another mom seeing her that had a toddler and twins my boy's age. This mom was not doing well and she wondered if I could have her call me to talk since I was doing so well. Wow! I told her that if this is "doing so well" then she can give me a call for sure. At least I won't tell her to take bath and get more sleep!!

Zoo with Neannie

2010-08-01T22:08:00.005-06:00

The last day that Neannie was here, we went to the zoo with our friends Kendra and Blake. After all the words that Tristan was learning to read, we thought it would be a good idea to take the animal words with us so he could put it all together. He thought it was great that we were seeing his "words" in real life. Tristan and Blake especially liked the snakes and they really freaked Kendra and I out. I loved seeing a Mommy peahen with her twin babies. She was very protective of them as the crowds tried to get close. I could understand her actions completely seeing as my twins at some points were bigger attractions than the animals near by. What a great way to spend our last day together. It kept us from getting sad until later and gave us some good memories, too.

One Month Already?!

2010-07-27T20:58:00.003-06:00

I can't believe the twins are already one month old! They are growing like weeds and starting to really wake up. I can almost see a smile on it's way. I can see personalities starting to blossom and I have a feeling they will not be as identical as their looks. Ian cries more during the day and just wants a cuddle. Finn cries more at night and wants to sleep in our bed for a bit, falling asleep only after stroking one of our faces before he drifts off.
We had their one month check up today and the doctor could not have been more thrilled. He thinks that by two months they will be caught up both physically and developmentally. This is so unbelievable to me, but then again everything about these twins is unbelievable to me. I can't believe I carried them so long, how strong they were at birth to not need the NICU, that I was able to bring them home from the hospital with me, and now they will be right on track so early. Some twins take a few years to catch up to other children their age. I feel so blessed to have healthy children after hearing so many many many stories. The boy's good fortune is not lost on me and I hope it continues forever. God is good!

At one month a few more things are changing. I feel like my body is starting to remember what it is like to function on little to no sleep. The fog is lifting and I can almost think again. This is a good thing because my mom leaves tomorrow. She has been so important to my family this last month. I could never thank her enough for giving up her summer break to come live with my big family in my small and cramped apartment. She shared a room with my two-year-old and woke up every morning with him to make him pancakes. After dishes, laundry, feeding babies, teaching Tristan to read, and doing some baking she would get up the next day and do it all over again. I feel a little bad that she saw me at my parenting worst with my lack of energy, but she's my mom so I'm sure she will forgive me for that. After enduring a difficult pregnancy, recovering from surgery, and trying to figure out how to take care of two babies I needed my mom and she stepped up big time!! I hope I'm as good a mom to my kids.
As we get ready to say good-bye to her, I feel more confident than I did a few weeks ago that I can do this on my own. She has filled my freezer with pancakes and gowamki and will now head out to Cape Cod for a much needed and deserved vacation. Now how do I explain to Tristan why Neannie is no longer in his room when he wakes up?

Sunflower Farm July '10

2010-07-24T17:50:00.008-06:00

We took Neannie to our favorite farm this last Saturday. Sunflower farms is the greatest farm to go with a toddler. Everything is kid friendly but still has all the fun farm stuff to see. I was amazed when Tristan rode the pony without any assistance from Neil. What a dare devil, but I already knew that. T's favorite part was the chickens. He would chase any bird that was loose and could not keep his fingers out of the chicken coop. I thought if they pecked him he might stop, but he liked it and kept letting them peck him.

Finn and Ian seemed to enjoy the fresh air and the shade of the big trees. They even had their bottles while being rocked on a porch swing hanging from a big oak tree.

The farm even had a John Deer tracker just like both of Tristan's great grandfathers had. My favorite part was seeing T with the baby goats. He even gave one a kiss. SO SWEET!

2 Week Doctor Visit

2010-07-13T20:12:00.006-06:00

The boys had their two week check up with Dr. Stietz this week and it went really well. Finn has not only gained his birth weight back, but he is now 1 lb 2 oz bigger for a grand total of 6 lbs 10 oz!! Ian being the littler one, it's hard to always notice just how well he is eating and growing. If there was not another baby right next to him eating a bigger bottle and tipping the scales a little heavier then we would think he was growing like a weed, too. Ian weighed in at 5 lbs 5 oz at the two week check up. That is one pound bigger than birth weight! The doctor was thrilled that these boys are growing so quickly and he rewarded us with the option of doing two 4 hour stretches at night in between feedings. The only hick-up in that plan is that the boys were only half listening when the doctor said this. So far one boy each night has followed this plan... maybe tonight is the night they both get it at the same time. Mama could really use the sleep. Having two babies now puts into perspective how "easy" one baby was. Not that one baby is easy, but if one baby only followed the sleep plan half the time, at least I would get a good night sleep half the time. These boys are working together to quickly sleep deprive their loving mother. I guess I should just think about what it would be like to have triplets and that will put into perspective my two babies! Next doctors visit is in two weeks and comes with the great door prize of their first shots. Keep growing, boys!

First Baths

2010-07-13T20:06:00.005-06:00

First baths are done and the boys look squeaky clean and as cute as ever. Thankfully there was no crying or fussing during either bath. Finn loved it and was cozy and comfortable while I scrubbed away. Ian was SO relaxed that he slept through the whole bath! It was really cute and I hope they both love baths this much for years to come.
(First 2 pics are Ian, next 2 are Finn)

4th of July

2010-07-04T14:30:00.004-06:00

We all made it out of the house today. It truly is Independence Day! Mom, the babies, and I missed the parade because it was right before a feeding, but we walked down in time to enjoy the pancake breakfast put on the the police and firemen. Tristan and Neil enjoyed the parade. We met up with our friends Todd and Rina and their kids Ari and Zev for a nice playtime at the playground. I missed the picture of Tristan and Ari walking to the playground holding hands, but it was so cute! Perfect weather to have the babies out and a little fresh air did us all good. Now to rest up after that big outing and the longest walk that I have done in 9 days.

Big Boy Bed

2010-07-04T14:15:00.004-06:00

Neannie got a big boy bed for Tristan to use after she leaves and she found the PERFECT one! Besides the wonderful drawers for storage and the great shelves for his books, water, and cars, there are doors on each end that lead to a "storage" space. Well, mom and I took one look at that "storage" space and knew it would be a great place for T to play!! He loved "helping" put the bed together and could not stop squealing with delight in his new play tunnel.

Those baby photographers make it look SO easy...

2010-07-03T16:37:00.008-06:00

Wow twins are a lot of work! We hardly ever sit down here and the to do list is never ending, but we are enjoying most of it. I'm thankful for all my friends that have been bringing meals because that means one less thing we have to think about. Now we just have to find the time to get the food to our mouths.

Today my mom and I looked through a book of newborn pictures and thought "we could do that." HA, HA, HA!! It was NOT easy and we only got a few pictures that I could work with. We laughed a lot and the babies didn't get too upset.

Big Brother

2010-07-02T14:37:00.004-06:00

From the second we got home from the hospital, Tristan has been in love with the twins. The first thing he did was cover them up with their baby quilts that Great Grandma Yuhas made for them. He really does not like it when one baby is being held and the other one is not, or anything that one has and the other does not. He is helping us keep it "fair" for the babies already. He is a great help taking diapers out to the porch, throwing bottles in the sink when they are empty, and generally looking out for these babies. Most of the time Tristan can even tell the twins apart which is amazing I think. I think he has the makings of a great big brother.

The Twins Have Arrived!

2010-07-02T14:19:00.006-06:00

Well, the boys made it safely into the world! On June 25th at 8:18am and 8:20am Ian Thomas and Finn Thomas joined the Conway family. The c-section went as planned, but it was still the strangest experience ever. I didn't like the lose of control of my body at first, but then it was easy and I just laid back and waited to hear those two beautiful cries. Hearing those babies cry was awesome. They were here and they were breathing! Dr. Stietz even came to the delivery so he could check them out right when they were born. What a blessing that was to have a friendly face in the room that I trusted. When he looked me in the eyes and told me they were both doing great, I was then able to relax. The boys didn't need more oxygen than just the normal c-section stuff right when they came out. No oxygen beds, no tubes, no craziness. God blessed us with two healthy baby boys. Small but healthy. Finn was 5 lbs 8 oz, Ian was 4 lbs 6 oz.

While we were in the hospital, the boys were a little jaundice, but after a few days and some "suntanning" in my room their numbers were in a good range. We sent them to the nursery every night so we could get some good sleep and I could start to heal before we came home. Our nurses were outstanding and I am even more in love with the hospital this time around! Staying there for five days was an absolute must. I needed the rest before coming home to care for these babies. My mom came to see the babies most days, and Tristan was able to come twice. Tristan was more interested in my room, the presents, and the snacks than the actual babies. It was always an emotional thing for me to see T, I missed him so much while I was there. That was my first time away from him, but I knew he was in good hands. I knew he was having fun with Neannie because he was always happy to see me but never sad to leave with her.

After all the things that could have happened during pregnancy and/or after birth, we were left with two beautiful boys that ended up going home with me from the hospital. The one outcome I had not even let myself think about was being able to take BOTH babies home with me. I still can not believe what little miracles they are!

You Can't Know What You Don't Know

2010-06-15T22:40:00.006-06:00

Everyone says with your second pregnancy you sometimes even forget that you are pregnant because you are chasing the other kid around. I don't think I have forgotten this pregnancy for more than about 5 minutes. After counting down weeks to get through all the critical steps, I then moved on to counting up the weeks and even days that they were just getting stronger and bigger. Well, now we have reached a stage that I honestly have not prepared for... the final count down. In ten days I will enter the hospital at six a.m. and prepare to have these babies. It is all strange to me this planning process. I know it sounds bad, but in my head I say to myself that I'm going to the hospital to have these babies cut out of me. I didn't think the whole c-section thing really bothered me, but as it turns out I'm not that thrilled about it. I know it is absolutely the safest thing for these babies (which is why I will still do it), I know that women do it everyday, and I know that no matter how these babies enter the world they are still my little bundles of joy. Another birth story involving twenty-four hours of labor does not sound that great to me either, but I just wonder how I will feel during/after the whole thing. The first time around I didn't see having Tristan naturally as some bonding experience or wonderful process, but now knowing I won't go through it has me nervous. I'm going to walk into the hospital feeling fine, get prepped for surgery, lay down and allow a doctor to cut me open and pull my babies out. Then my precious little babies that I have carried and thought about every minute of the last eight months will be rolled away while I lay there alone and start the recovery process. What is that going to be like? Will they be able to hang out with me in my room at all or will I have to "visit" them in the NICU with little privacy to just be with them. I keep reminding myself that it's short term, but I really enjoyed those first few days with Tristan just chilling in my room and getting to know each other. What a different experience this is going to be. Well, I have ten days to suck it up, learn to cope, and face this thing head on! I know I can do, I am strong, and I'm not afraid to cry if I need to.
I don't know what I would do if my mom was not going to be here with Tristan? I have never spent a night away from the little guy, but knowing that my mom will be here to care for him and play with him will give me the peace of mind to help me start to heal and to start taking care of my new little babies. Let's see what the next few weeks bring with it... joy, tears, depression, happiness, smiles? Well, the one thing I do know for sure is that there will be lots of love surrounding every step on the way.

Tristan's 2nd Birthday Party

2010-04-30T18:31:00.006-06:00

We had a fun time celebrating Tristan's 2nd birthday with his little friends today. While the party was fun, I think Neil and I had more fun last night putting the "treat basket" together after T went to bed. Today we went to the mall play area because it was too cold to play outside. When will I learn that the end of April beginning of May in Colorado is TOTALLY unpredictable for weather. I thought the play area would not be too bad because the big kids would be in school... wrong! The local schools had the day off so it was a MAD HOUSE. Our kids held their own though, I was proud. Tristan had fun seeing his friends and they all brought him perfect gifts that he loves. Tomorrow we will spend the day as a family for his actual birthday and that sounds like a perfect day to me!

Maybe I'm NOT a sucker!

2010-04-16T20:23:00.003-06:00

A really long time ago, I bought the My Baby Can Read series from someone on Craigslist. As soon as I got it home and showed it to Tristan I was sure I had been taken for a ride and I promptly labeled myself a sucker. The video is SO BORING it's almost painful to have on even in the background. I put it in the closet and thought about reselling it about 30 times. Well, last week I moved the box of DVDs out to the living room bookcase and popped in the starter DVD one more time after being encouraged from my mom to do so. To my surprise, Tristan liked it but only seems to half pay attention to it so I didn't know if he was getting anything out of it. Everyday since then he points to the box and says, "Baby, please." To be honest, if he wasn't asking for it I probably wouldn't have played it. I didn't think it would work, but I also knew it wouldn't hurt him.

Well, tonight I was putting T to bed and we were reading a story that had a page with a picture of a zoo on it. There were panda bears on one side and elephants on the other with a sign in between them pointing which way to go. I asked him where the elephants were and instead of pointing to the animal he pointed to the word elephant on the sign!!!! That is one of his My Baby Can Read words!!! I almost leapt out of the chair did a dance with him and ran out to tell Neil. Then I remembered that we were settling down to bed, but as soon as we were done I ran out to tell Neil. I am still in shock that it's working and I can't wait to see what else come from it!

Some Perspective

2010-04-06T21:17:00.004-06:00

The first few months of this pregnancy were filled with surprises and worries. The surprises were great and the number of complications the doctors were looking for seemed to be endless. I went into information gathering mode reading everything I could about carrying two babies and what to do with them when they got here. Once the surprises and doctors calmed down, I was able to relax a little... for about a minute. Then came the never ending doctors bills and the long list of things that "needed" to happen before these babies arrived, but we had/have NO idea where the money for all of this will come from. I have spent a lot of time trying to find creative ways to gather baby items and scheduling doctors appointments and places for Tristan to spend time while we go look at yet another ultrasound. Today, however, was different. Today was the first day that I could not wait to meet my little boys. Finally I am thinking of them as just sweet little healthy babies. In the end it really doesn't matter if we can't get the bigger car (so we drive two vehicles when we go somewhere) or the bigger place (so we sell the dinning room table to make room for some swings), what really matters is that we have our family safe and sound and healthy. See you soon, boys!

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T12:17:00.002-06:00

We had a lot of fun looking for eggs this morning. We had so much fun that we had to hide them about 5 times! Tristan was a natural and I think he will be ready for a big time egg hunt next year.