I Ain't Got Time For This

For real...I DO NOT have time to blog...but I want to. I want to make time to get some of my thoughts out again. So this first one back will be some sort of list, some ramblings, some well...I guess we will just have to see.

1. Motherhood is really hard. Not hard like I thought it was when I first had the girls...now it is about attitude adjustments, appropriate responses to toddler life, referee, chef, housekeeper all while still carrying on normal life, some semblance of normal life. Also, please note, my social media posts are the good stuff...I am one of THOSE moms! I love my kids. Gosh, i think they are so smart! They sure are smart enough to push every single one of my buttons. But I really do love them. I love that they are becoming more independent...potty trained, sleeping great (including naps each day), can feed themselves...you know big kid stuff. Claire is feisty, sassy, lovable, spunky, and loves fiercely. Annabel is quiet at first but loves to sing, quirky, bossy, sensitive, and tenderhearted. The best parts of me and Peter all crammed inside little kids bodies. It's so bizarre!

2. I am a momaholic...yes, its a thing I say. I have mostly given up alcohol but there are some days when mama needs a margarita!!! Sometimes its after the girls have pushed every single one of those buttons. Sometimes its after we have had a really good day...very little fighting/ate all our veggies without a fight/etc. But really. I love margaritas but they are so full of sugar...and that aint good for my waistline...and I aint got time for that! So, I have mostly given them (margaritas) up...mostly. But let me tell you, I make a MEAN marg...just ask any of my friends...AND I learned from the best mom I know!! :)

3. I am still/always trying to loose the baby weight. Actually, thats not true. I lost it but then gained it back...2x. Listen not only do I love margaritas, but I love all things Tex Mex...chips, cheese, tortillas, creamy jalapeño dip (Chuys...holla). And I REALLY REALLY hate giving up some of those things. No excuses, but of course I have some. That's another post for later. But on that same note...

4. Peter needs to chill out! My hubby and I have both been drinking shakes to cut out some extra calories...of course he cheats WAY LESS than me and I forget that when I get really upset about the fact that he has lost 2x more weight than me in the same amount of time. But again...the whole thing about guys loosing weight faster than girls is really annoying!!! Ugh, why can't I just think about loosing weight and it be gone??!!?? This whole eating right, working out, BEING SWEATY is the worst!! And...it's still in the 90's here in Houston.

5. Peter and I have been married for a DECADE!!! Holy smokes, I am SO SO SO proud of us!! Marriage is hard, sometimes harder than motherhood, but of course totally different. Peter and I have had our fair share of both good times and bad. This past year we have really been focusing on us. We have had more date nights, more quality time together at home, worked on our line of  communication, and been intentional. I have loved him for almost 13 years, but I really really really LIKE him right now too! And to celebrate the love and the like, we went to ALASKA!!! Wow...what a dream!!

6. The biggest thing right now (the last few weeks) is that I am trying to make time for the right Yes. I have worked really hard the last few...i don't know...DECADES on saying yes to too much...even the things that I KNOW I shouldn't say yes to. My yes is like an addiction. Im addicted to helping/serving/pleasing but have let my right yeses be over shadowed by the wrong yeses I get into. I am currently in a Bible study with friends who are holding me accountable to these new standards for myself...and we are also reading Present Over Perfect (Shauna Niequist) which is a fantastic book. So, here I am shaking from withdrawal, necessary withdrawal, and excited for more time...to be a wife, a mom, a friend, a follower of Jesus.

So this blog is a little cathartic. Just an overview to get me going, until I change my mind (again) and can't find time to type.

blessings,
ALo

Dear Charlotte

Dear Charlotte,

Four years ago today we saw your sweet face for the first and last time here on earth. For months after you were born I was so sad, depressed, heartbroken, beat up from loosing you. I wanted you so badly from the very first moment I knew I was pregnant. The first time I heard your little fast heart beat at 7wks, I was totally in love with you. Later, when we found out you were sick, I pleaded and begged God to heal you, to "fix" you. I wanted you with me until I was old and grey.

But God, in His infinite wisdom, had a much better plan for you. Today, we are celebrating what would be your 4th birthday with us. But, sweetie, I know that you get to celebrate everyday. You are perfect in Heaven. You are whole, healthy, and clothed in righteousness!

I will be honest. Charlotte, mommy misses you, very dearly! I will never stop celebrating your birthday, and I will always remember all that you did to change my life, your daddy's life and the lives of so many others. You made me a mommy...you made me a mama bear in preparation for your little sisters. I know that the last three years I have used the weeks leading up to your birthday to be used for sadness and hurt and pain. I even told your daddy and others that I get a free pass to be mean and angry and on edge because of the pain in saying good bye to you much too soon. But this year I am really trying to choose joy. Joy in knowing that you are exactly where we should all want to be. Joy in knowing that you are exactly as God created us all to be...pain and sin free living with Him in celebration. I am choosing joy knowing that not every part of your life was sad...there are several people here who will meet you in Heaven one day because of your legacy and the impact it had in showing God's true character and love for them. I am choosing joy because of who you helped/are helping me to become. Your life will always be so much more than the moments surrounding my pregnancy and labor and delivery. But even those moments are sweet and part of your story...if i choose to see those.

Charlotte, yes, you will see mommy cry today. I will cry tears of different kinds...missing you tears, happy for you tears, telling your little sisters about you tears, wishing i could hug you tears, tears when i sleep with your blanket in stead of you tonight, love you forever and forever with my whole heart tears. But I promise to bring honor and glory to God in each moment knowing that because of Him I am blessed to call you my daughter, my sweet angel girl.

Charlotte, happy 4th birthday!!! I wish you were here helping me make you spaghetti and meatballs birthday dinner. I wish you were here to enjoy your birthday cake and some balloons. But I know that you are in Heaven dancing and singing and I can't wait to get there and join you!! You bring me so much JOY!!! I love you, Charlotte Jean!!!

xxoo, mommy

Christmas Time is Here

Well, life has been crazy! Not in a bad way, but not always in a good way either. Anyway, you have probably seen all that has been going on in our lives via Instagram/Twitter/Facebook. Its so much easier to post a quick photo than to sit down and write a blog post ;). but today I'm writing to share our Christmas card. Im sorry if you didn't get one this year. We didn't loose love for you, we just cut way back. We went from 117 cards last year to 75 this year. And if you know how big my family alone is, that almost 50 cards!!! WOW! But I know we all love getting those picture cards and I wanted to share our Christmas Joy with you.

God has truly blessed our family. We know that without Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, we would have very little to celebrate and be thankful for. I know that many struggle this time of year, finding joy in the midst of hardship can be very difficult. Having faith that there is more to life than presents, stressful family gatherings, and kid temper tantrums, and even sending out cards makes this season special. Knowing that we are loved so much that God would send a baby to save the world...a peaceful baby, meek and mild, to give us the hope of more than we could ever ask or imagine. I pray that each of you would find the hope that only god can give through the celebration of His Son's birth.

This Christmas I am praying for a few of my friends who are spending this Christmas without a special loved one, please join me as I know this may be a difficult Christmas.

Rachel Kelly in the loss of her sweet baby Annie a few months ago.
Lindsay Puder in the loss of her daddy about a month ago.
Elizabeth Crook in the loss of her grandfather last week.
Ashley Ridge in the loss of her daddy yesterday.

But we are thankful knowing they are all rejoicing and truly enjoying this Christmas in Heaven with Jesus!

So, here is our card! I love it and many thanks to my amazingly talented friend, Christie Lacy Photography, for the pictures and the cards...they are pearlized and kind of shine in person ;) Im learning to really love glitter now that i have 2 girls and everything is COVERED in pink or glitter!! lol

Merry Christmas!

front

back

blessings, ALo

fall in houston

its finally cooling off here...FINALLY!!! and by cooling off, today was 76, tomorrow is 80, but then the end of the week the highs are around 65. houston weather is seriously crazy bipolar!! but, our amazingly talented friend Christie Lacy got some awesome fall pictures for us almost two weeks ago. she has this great little park that we go to and no one has ever been around or bothered us. if you follow me on social media you have seen three of the pics. i am debating on how many christmas cards i really want to send out this year, but i will do a few, so some of you will see these in card form in a few weeks.

these pictures are by far my favorite that Christie has taken for us. it was pretty warm (82ish), just before dinner, and there were lots of mosquitos. not to mention the girls turned 20 months today, which means they are super mobile, vocal about what they want or don't want, and they have the attention span of a gnat. we are so blessed to have a high school friend/mentee that has started helping us out twice a week, so she was there to help wrangle kids/change clothes/grab attention/apply bug spray...thanks Breton!!! anyway...i loved that Christie didn't worry about posed pictures. these are my favorites because it was real life...laughs, lots of running, goldfish eating, giggles with daddy, a few tears, but over all shows how we all interact with each other. these girls are animated. they are serious characters in their own way. you will see, even in these pictures, that claire is bossy, loves to be in charge, loud, and acts a lot like mommy. annabel is sensitive, somewhat emotional and reserved just like daddy!

if you are in the houston area and need a fantastically talented photographer to capture your family, you have to contact Christie!!!

enjoy these...maybe help me decide what to put on the card. (ps. these are a few of the 72 that she sent me!!!)

Claire in mid "bull in a china shop" run

this is a typical expression for a lot of things, but i am pretty sure she was concerned about a bug here.

the moment Daddy got there and they saw him come around the corner. priceless

sweet annabel. she really wanted her minnie mouse

too many caption options. 

claire keeping us all entertained, I'm sure.

maybe if we throw them around they will stop fussing for a bit.

"WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEE"

daddy's girl (1 of 2)

every kid is infatuatied with their nose, right??!! Annabel was signing and saying "mo, mo" more, snacks dad!!

seesters

oh my...A, are you flipping Christie off??!!??

perfect...nice and naughty!

sweet girl, annabel

love

how are they so big already???

momma's girl (1 of 2)

melt my heart

<3 td="">

my loves

blessings,
ALo

Timehop

timehop, you get me every time. usually my posts from a year ago are little twin pics. 2 years ago i was posting pregnancy cravings and twin prego pics. 3 years ago i was blogging a lot! 4 years ago my little bro was living with us, so that was always interesting. 5 plus years ago, i was working like crazy on building my clientele and busy being a wife to my hunk. (ps. if you don't know what timehop is...its an ap that connects with your social media outlets to give you a recap of what you posted exactly that day a year ago all the way back as far as you posted).

two weeks ago on timehop i saw my first post about "babyLo"...i announced our pregnancy with Charlotte. the thursday before my 28th birthday i heard her heart beat for the first time. i was 8 weeks pregnant. i was elated, over joyed!! nothing was "off". peter and i left that appointment with tears in our eyes bursting to tell the world.

today i got this on my timehop: "annoyed...didnt get to have the ultrasound bc the highway was shutdown while we were on it! not cool!!" looking back i remember being so disappointed. we were glad that we were safe...the highway was shut down due to a fatality, but we had been gearing up for this other first with our first. now, i know that God gave me another week of the joy. the next week we went in for the ultrasound and our world changed forever.

you know the rest.

usually i love timehop. i wonder though if i should just not look for a few months to spare myself the emotional roller coaster it may put me on. the last time we..., the day we found out..., God why..., all of the things that i posted in fear, pain, grief.

its amazing all that has happened in the last 4 years. i am not sure that i would even recognize that young woman from 4 years ago. i wonder if i would be anything like i am today if it were not for our short time with Charlotte. would we live where we live? would i know what i know about life? would i love my hubby the way i do today? most likely no. while i often look back over those few months with sadness and grief, but i have been blessed...richly, abundantly, beyond measure. i was broken, beyond human repair. but God has used me. God has healed me. God has brought me back...beyond where i ever could have gone without my time with Charlotte. my whole life was turned around and i can't be sad about that. i miss Charlotte, some moments more than others, but i know she's holding my spot for me in heaven...i can't wait!!

so, heres to the silly posts of 5+ years ago, the emotional and grief stricken of years 3-4 (ago), the excited and weird posts of 2 years and the adorable ones from last year. time passes much too quickly so i will relish the times and thank God for each of them...a reminder that "(His) love never fails, it never gives up, never runs out on me"-Jesus Culture.

tonight i will sleep and probably dream of my angel girl...i think her hair is the same color as the twins by the way...thats what it is in my dreams.

blessings,
ALo

so exciting!

today i did a little bit of baking. i had been looking forward to this little gig for so long!! i met bridget through our church just before i got pregnant with the twins. bridget was also struggling with unexplained infertility. the journey sometimes feels so lonely and bumpy and hard, so meeting bridget was good for me. then i got pregnant and she did not. i felt bad. she did not make me feel guilty but i knew how it felt. i knew what she was going thru and i hated to make things worse. so, we kept in touch but only here and there. i knew she read my blog posts but i didn't want to make things harder for her. bridget and her husband went through many treatments and procedures and struggled with what God wanted for their family. fast forward several months...bridget is pregnant!!!!!! praise the LORD!!!!! she texted me a few weeks back asking me to make her a cake...a gender reveal cake. AHHHHH!!! so exciting!!! bridget and her hubby had an ultrasound but did not find out in the room what the gender is, but they know their baby is healthy and everything looks great. she did bring me an envelop so I know!! :) i am not sure when they will be cutting into the cake, but i am so excited to have been asked to be a part of their excitement. i am thrilled for bridget to be a mommy, especially after her long hard road to get here. please join me in praying for bridget, her hubby and baby! pray that God will continue to give them all health! here is just one pic of the cake, but no giveaways...not until they get to tell their families!!

i love helping and blessing others!!!

blessings,
ALo

so sore

holy smokes. I'm going into week 3 of a 21 day fix by beach body. to say i am sore is definitely an understatement!! if you don't know much about this program, you should definitely check it out, especially if you have extra weight that has been stubborn in coming off! i have more than a few pounds to loose, so i am going to be doing this a few times. usually at this point (2 weeks) of a diet/eating plan/whatever, i am totally over it. thankfully the only thing that i am really struggling with/missing is sweets. lets be real, if you follow me on social media, you know that i am a hobby baker...it even pays sometimes. its not helpful though when there is little to no room for sugar in my diet. even my coffee has had to change! so, quickly, this plan is all about eating the correct portions of the right foods and pairing that with adequate water in take and at least 30 min of exercise. lucky for me, the plan included several 30 min workout videos (it even tells you which days to do which workouts). to maximize your results, they suggest upping the workouts to two a days at week two. i have started doing that (thankful that my mother in law has been in town so that i can actually work out during the day and not wait until 8pm) and let me tell ya, they pack some serious workout into those short 30 min!!! i love it! well, i hate the workout during those 30 mins bc i have sweat dripping into my eyes, i can't breathe, and every muscles is shaking from exhaustion, but the feeling after is great! and seeing the numbers drops on the scale and my pants getting loose is worth every minute of pain! if you are interested, click the link. if you have more questions, let me know! i will be starting another 21 day challenge Nov. 3...just before thanksgiving.

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/dlsmith0314

a little more background. i used to intern at a church in naples, florida where i met Lauren (Nolton) Smith. lauren is now married and mom to cutie, elliot. lauren started posting last month here and there about her challenge and her results. she also posted her husbands progress. both have been athletic and in shape, but with jobs and baby and life, each had gained just a few extra pounds. when i saw that lauren had lost several pounds and even more inches, i was intrigued. then i kept hearing of others who had done a challenge and had great results. i have 25 pounds that i would like to loose by the girls 2nd birthday and thought this would be a great thing to try to get things going. the first week of my challenge was hard for me. i am/was COMPLETELY out of shape and WAY over eating. my body had to go through withdrawal and shock for a few days. now, i am feeling so much better!! its crazy!! i feel kinda weird carrying my colored containers into restaurants but it works!!! plus, i am still eating real food, including carbs, so i don't feel deprived!

i have nothing to gain here...i am not a rep, or trying to sell you, etc. just wanted you to know what I'm doing and tell you something that is super helpful for me. if you do want to start let me know, i would love the support/accountability and you will need it to as you get started! :) if you are on it or have done a challenge, send me some recipes!!!

i can't wait to post before and after pics!!

here is a pic of each girl from yesterday. annabel is in a serious teething funk so she hasn't been in the mood for pictures this week. claire, well, she is just as animated as ever...per usual! :) they both keep me on my toes!!!

Annabel, just before she started crying...again! :(

Claire tried feeding this fake dog. so cute!!! 

thanks Little Eclectic House for letting us snap (try to snap) a few pictures!!!

blessings,
ALo

Knocked the wind out of me

hi. my name is aimee and i used to blog.

so, i had been inconsistent and then i took a 1 year and 1 week break. there are reasons, nothing major, other than people stealing my kids pictures...idiots!! people, DO NOT steal my pictures, its rude and totally creepy!!! the other reason was i just didn't feel like sitting down and blogging for a while. i started my blog for me in the very beginning. then i blogged our pregnancy with Charlotte. then i blogged about our infertility issues and then my pregnancy and birth of our sweet twins, Claire and Annabel. at the time i quit blogging they were 6 months old. i can't believe it, but they are already almost 19 months old! so my blog had transformed into something i didn't really enjoy. i needed a break from it, to miss it and want to do it again.

so, here i am. my blog is entitled Alo's Place. this won't always be about my girls, it won't always make sense to any one but me. i need this to be my outlet...my processing spot. so, feel free to keep reading...or don't. its up to you. but either way here is my blog...

yesterday was a weird day. one of those days where grief creeps in and knocks the wind out of you. its been almost 4 years since we had Charlotte. four years!!!! thats just crazy to me. well, yesterday was one of those "normal" mondays in our house. i only do home hair on mondays (its gross to have hair all over my house with 2 toddlers more than just one day) so i was busy with people in and out, taking care of the girls, making dinner, etc. i really didn't have much time to think. when i sat down after putting the girls to bed, i sat down to respond to an email from a recent baby loss mom i have met through my blog. i was recalling so many things of our last days with Charlotte. typically, when talking about "our story" i am very factual, i rarely think about or explain the emotions. for some reason, last night was all emotional for me. that got me thinking about everything. i realized it was 4 years ago to the day that we found out we were pregnant with Charlotte. that gave me a huge smile. thinking back to before i had any fear of pregnancy, anxiety of doing something wrong, just pure joy in being pregnant. i was ELATED!!! i was so excited to tell Peter. i mean, we were pregnant after our first "try"!! (which is what made our journey for Claire and Annabel so confusing) anyway, that made me start thinking about it all. how our joy was stolen and our dreams for our daughter were crushed after our first ultrasound. our life took on a whole new meaning that day. then again on january 8th, i became a baby loss mom and had to leave the hospital with out my sweet girl. just typing that again brings me to tears, for the 2nd time in two days. the grief creeps in. my throat feels tight with tears.

of course God knows my heart, He knows my pain. last night, in the midst of my grief, my husband was there. he held me and let me cry. he let me talk and weep through it. we both miss her so much. we wondered how different it would be with Charlotte here...bossing her little sisters around. there is not a day that goes by that i don't wish things had been different, that i don't miss my baby girl. but this is our life...this is part of our story and sometimes there are parts that still hurt. sometimes the grief still knocks the wind out of me.

feels good to blog. thanks. also, i am sure there are plenty of grammatical and spelling errors, and i know i don't capitalize...i choose that. these are my vents and i will type as fast my fingers will let me with zero regard for rules!

blessings,
ALo

ps. i know a couple readers reached out (***Rachel :)***) and some of you found this through a search (usually my post on nuchal fold test). if you want to follow me on Instagram and see pics, just request me, its private..again because people are rude and steal images of my kids and pretend my kids are theirs...creeps!! my instagram name is aimlo. Facebook is Aimee Loeser. i will post a few pics here, but i need to figure out a watermark first.

Happens to the best of us

postpartem hair loss...it happens to the best of us. i knew all about it. i knew that it is more than normal (can something be more than normal??) when a woman is pregnant she does not shed hair the months she is pregnant. it is her bodies natural defense to protect the baby. once the baby comes and her hormones level out (usually once mom is no longer nursing the baby, or greatly decreases her production) she sheds all the hair she would have lost while pregnant plus the 40-100 "normal loss" hairs. its shocking!! its even more shocking when you have very fine and thin stringy hair like me. its completely shocking when most of your loss is around the front hairline, again like me. it was gross. my hair loss started around 7 weeks postpartum. nursing did not go well for me and the twins. i think i have mentioned that before. but if not, in all reality i was pretty upset about it and it really sucked. we are over it now. i cant go back and change any of it. so, around week 7 i was pretty much completely dry and my hair was everywhere! every time i would look down my shirt had a good 10-15 hairs on it. i would pick them off, get up and thrown them away and then realize one or both of the babies was also covered in my lost hair. peter was completely grossed out. and when i say it was mostly in the front, around my hair line, i am not kidding. i looked like i was a middle aged man. i had a receding hairline and a thin patch in the very front. i was super self conscience when my hair was pulled back. well lets fast forward about 4 months. my hair is now coming back. its crazy! of course i now look like i have side burns and "angel hairs" all in the front (especially where my hair parts) and all down my part. in case you havent seen me, or just dont know, i have been growing my hair out since july 2012 including my bangs. my hair is longer than it has been since my wedding! and i have had bangs since middle school! i have enjoyed longer hair...being able to curl it, pull it back, etc. but now i am rethinking that! these little short hairs all over my head sure would blend in better if my hair was shorter and bangs help blend, but i think either way i am going to have awkward hair for a while. good thing i love these babies and they are totally worth sideburns and porcupine hairs! 

here are a few pics for ya!!

last thursday our friend Juliet came over, she is 3 months old. their first play date together!

see those little hairs..yep they are all along my hair line! 

Annabel, Briggs, Claire. briggs is our little buddy (just as big as annabel but a month younger) and came to visit friday. claire is already trying to make the moves!! lol 

sweet annabel! 

crazy claire, i love you! ps. she got 2 teeth in 4 days! 

perfecting her little wave on our way to church saturday night

annabel wasnt sure if she really wanted to leave the house

on our way to the BBQ cook off, claire needed her thumb to tide her over!

the twins and i at the annual COF Texans Tailgate. please excuse my face...i forgot my makeup on the way out the door! ewwww!! 

blessings, ALo

Wide Load

if you see me and the girls out shopping...watch out! we are wide load! well, its really not all that bad, thanks mostly to decent strollers. man, i would be seriously lost without my stroller!! i love it!! if you are expecting twins you have to get the Baby Trend Snap and Go stroller...even if you are not having twins, i think they make this same stroller for singleton moms, just one less space, go get it!!! and no, i am not paid by this company to rave about them, however, should they feel so inclined... :)

this is the exact one i have!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! it is narrow and folds up perfectly and is super light! i could not travel or shop without it!! 

here's the real deal. shopping with my girls is really pretty easy, until it comes to "bigger" shopping trips (i.e. more than the express lane in the grocery store, Sams Club). even going to the mall or outlet mall is usually pretty easy because of the huge basket area at the bottom of the stroller. but shopping becomes a problem with twins when we really need to shop. grocery store carts are not designed for more than one kid and groceries. its either the twins and no groceries in the cart or i come up with a strategy to do both. up until august, the twins and i were getting out a lot more and i would often ask a friend or one of my students to meet me at the store...one of us would push the stroller while the other pushed the shopping cart. but as august and september have rolled through along with the houston heat, i have tried not to take the girls out much (those car seats DO NOT breathe well and my poor girls sweat like their mommy). back up really quick....funniest time shopping was with one of my sweet students at the local HEB (a huge grocery store). she is a freshman this year and was so sweet and super eager to help me out. i picked her up on a super hot day in august, just before school started, to do my grocery shopping. i grabbed a cart and she pushed the stroller. not even 5 feet in the door and people started stopping us about the twins (see my last post). *ps. why do people think its ok to block me/the stroller from moving forward? can you not tell i am on a mission to get out of here? have you really never seen twins before? and please do not attempt to touch my babies, especially after your hands have been all over that grimy cart you are pushing!!! ok, back to the story. by the end of the shopping trip at least a dozen people had stopped us to ask questions and i was pretty annoyed and sweaty (it was august in houston) and i had just loaded over $200 worth of groceries into the car while my helper got the girls in. as we were pulling out she turns and says, "ms. aimee? the next time we come, could i please push the cart instead?" huh?? "sure, why?" (thinking to myself that it is probably faster if i stick with the cart) "well, i love your babies, and its fun to watch them and everything, but everyone kept asking me questions like they were my babies. i felt like i was on 16 and pregnant." lol!! poor girl!! i had wondered why she said asked me 12 times in the store how old the babies were...she wanted to make sure people knew they were mine! just so funny! but this happens to anyone that helps me shop, just ask my friend jess. :)

so today we took our first trip to sams club. and if i need help going to the regular grocery store, i knew there was no way i could tackle sams alone. my newest friend (we have known each other for a while, but just started hanging out) elizabeth has a membership and she goes with her little 2 year old, charlotte, quite a bit. so when she mentioned me tagging along, i jumped on it! thankfully sams has huge carts, but they also have these pallet carts. dont you know i got one of those!! i put both of the girls on there and had just enough room for the rest of what i needed (did you know i am really good at tetris? i can find the perfect spots for things!). so i had two babies and over $330 worth of stuff on this pallet cart. you should have seen the looks we were getting. elizabeth had to lead the way by the end...we seriously had a big, wide load!

i am so greatful to those who have helped me shop! it can be difficult, but the good news is, the girls seem to love it! knock on wood, they do not get upset...maybe its the movement or the stimulation of the passing items, either way, i will take it!

so when you see us out shopping you have two choices...1. move son, get out the way! 2. help a sista out! grab a cart and follow me or help me load my bags...i will gladly take the help. (plus i tend to tip in desserts!! elizabeth and her fam are getting a batch of cupcakes next week!! elizabeth, sorry its not sooner, im kinda busy with the shower!! just let me know your flavor preference!) and even if its not me you see out, if its another mom of twins, at the very least, please do not stop her and ask a bunch of questions. her ice cream melts in her cart just as fast as yours does!

here is a pic of the little ones after our sams run...this is just my stuff, elizabeth had her own cart! charlotte, thanks for being a big helper today and keeping the twins entertained!!

blessings, ALo

Dumb Question

people say there is no such thing as a dumb question. i TOTALLY disagree!!! listen, i have worked with middle school students for a long time. i have worked in the salon world where i have met all kinds of people. but i have met more oblivious/dumb people in the last 6 months than i have in my entire life!!!! i am not trying to be rude and i try even harder not to be sarcastic or insensitive or say all the remarks i really want to say when i have to respond. yes, this is a little bit of a rant post, but this is my life just about every day now, and to be fair, i will only address the three biggest stupid questions.

1. "Oh, one boy and one girl?" "Oh, two boys?"
i am not even kidding you that i think i can count on one hand the people that have have said "oh, two girls?" i mean, the fact that you have to question is crazy. if you have ever seen me and my GIRLS out in public, there should never EVER be a question!! most days they are dressed head to toe in pink/ruffles/flowers or some combination and if they are not i make sure they have their pink blankets AND a bow or headband on. but besides that, their car seats are ALL PINK and have PINK toys hanging from the handle. yes, i know that in todays society, some boys wear pink, but when was the last time you saw a baby boy in a pink car seat with a bow on his head? dumb question!! but i really do try to be polite because i know people do not pay attention.

2. "Oh, are they twins?"

i have seen this several places and i laugh each and every time i see it!!

this may not happen EVERY time we are out, but pretty close and i almost always want to respond with the above answer, but choose instead to give a little smile and say "yes, they are!" then in most cases they respond with dumb question #1 or with what i will write about in #3. but seriously, in how many situations do you see a person pushing a double stroller with two infant car seats (or two children that look VERY similar in age) and it turn out those kids are not twins? maybe when the girls are older i will expect this question to be more appropriate. after all, they probably will not look just like each other, and i may not always dress them alike, and annabel may always be a bit bigger than claire...ok, i get it then. but right now? i mean i am pushing a double stroller that has two identical carseats on it with two babies that are always dressed alike or coordinating. so, yes, they are twins. next... :)

3. let me preface this one...i have really only had this said/happen 3 times in the last 6 months but it is very fresh in my mind because it happened today at church. also...2 out of the 3 times, a man has said it... :) most times people say something about me having my hands full with 2 babies, but here's one for ya...

"oh, twins...probably not much different than one kid." 

are you serious???!!?? i am pretty sure that the one lady who said that has never had a child and the guys, well, seriously...! yes, i have really good babies and not just good for twins, just good babies. even in the midst of teething, they are happy! sure we have our moments of tiredness and frustration and hunger crying, but for the most part, my girls are easy! but, that being said, it is still (i think) much more work than just having one baby. from the get go, growing two babies is more taxing (my BP was an issue with the twins but never once was my BP high when i was pregnant with Charlotte). i was immediately a "high risk pregnancy" because there was two babies. from the beginning its double the stuff...paperwork in the hospital, carseats, bassinets, a double stroller, blankets, pacifiers, bottles...everything. which then leads to double the amount of stuff to take care of (blankets, clothes, pacifiers, etc.), double the laundry, double the bottle making, double the bottle cleaning, DOUBLE THE DIAPERS!!! yeah, someone's butt or nose or drool always needs to be wiped. most days i look around and feel like a baby store threw up in my house...there is stuff every where, but we use it. at some point each day both the bouncy seat and the swing are each in use, the carpet has a quilt with at least one baby in a boppy pillow while i work the other on scooting/crawling, there are two high chairs in the kitchen covered in baby oatmeal but both babies are learning to eat real food (meaning there is more on me and the highchair and the floor than what gets in their mouth). there is always a pile of clean clothes somewhere in my house with an equally big pile of dirty clothes waiting to be washed. even traveling to see family (airplane travel) is literally impossible for me to do without another adult. please hear me say this is not me complaining!!!! i know that each new mom has a lot of new adjustments. i know that we all need to find our new balance of how to make it all happen. but, i do not think that having one baby is just like having two. but when that is said, instead of listing all of the things that makes it different, i will continue to smile, shrug my shoulders and say "i am not sure!". because that really is the truth. maybe its not different. i love both of my girls and i love that my life seems crazy and busy and hard sometimes because i have both of them! i get double the smiles, double the baby gurgles and bubbles, double the morning cuddles and bed time stories, double the fun all around! but, if anyone wants to come clean my house i will let you! ;)

there are plenty of other dumb questions that i have heard...i guess it just keeps me on my toes. :)

and now my friends...its 9:38pm...the babies have been asleep for almost 2 hours, the dish washer is running, the washing machine is running and i worked all three services at church this weekend. im tired so IM GOING TO SLEEP, at 9:38!!!! hahaha!!!

blessings, ALo

halfy birthday

happy half birthday to my babies...a day late! :) yesterday was busy...well, so was today, but i am carving out a few min to blog and post a few pics. i can not believe they are already 6 months old!!! everyone said it would fly by, but this is crazy!! even just the last month has gone so quick and each day is full of new things!!

yesterday we celebrated their half birthday by going to the doctor and getting shots...boo!! i really hate that. i dont understand why they make the parent hold their hands and look at them. its so sad, just plain heartbreaking!! both girls have been a little cranky since yesterday morning, and rightfully so! poor babies!

i love watching my girls figure things out and start trying new things. claire has semi serious separation anxiety with me but other than that, they seem to be doing awesome. one of the best parts of them getting bigger is their awesome sleeping schedule. right now they both take a morning nap, claire takes a mid morning/early afternoon nap, and they both have an afternoon nap. at night we start the bed time routine around seven and they are usually in bed around eight and sleep right at 11 hours!!!! its so awesome! i am usually in big trouble the days they dont stay on schedule...both for naps and for feedings. my girls love schedules. they both love to eat and sleep (esp claire, she might sleep all day if she could!).

we took a trip to michigan for labor day and they both did fantastic traveling. we had a little detour in chicago prolonging our travel time, but they just went with the flow. it was awesome! we are headed to pennsylvania the beginning of october and we are hoping for the same!!

so things are good...wont complain. im too tired to take the time for that!! lol!!

here are their 6 month stats from yesterday's doctor's appointment and a few pics.

*percentages are based on other 6 month old babies (not just girls)
Annabel: weight 17lb 4oz (70%) height 27" (89%) head 17" (75%). she is my big girl! ;)
Claire: weight 14lb 11oz (28%) height 26" (52%) head 17" (75%). jumped up in weight percentage! at least she and annabel can still share headbands/bows :)

naked baies!! 

oh, great! mom is at it again!! 

annabel isnt so sure that toes taste as good as claire says they do!

sweet girl with dimples

something was funny because she is laughing!

mom, dont forget im still hungry

"i know something you dont know!!"

looks like a baby store threw up in my living room!!

thanks to our friends charlotte and elizabeth crook, we have a jumperoo to use!  claire looks so sneaky here!

annabel made sure i knew she was next!

getting ready for their first cereal experience...went pretty well!!

these babies love to eat!!

blessings, ALo