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

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

4 months already!!

well, at least i am giving you the monthly updates!! lol.

in the last month it seems the girls have gotten so big! they are growing like crazy! life with twins is becoming much more normal for us. i have the girls on a great schedule...thankfully! i am not sure what i would do otherwise. i am super thankful for my husband who has been more than helpful/supportive/the best dad ever. we haven't done anything too major this month except sit at the pool at few times and we did go to our church middle school camp for a few days. peter went to help set up the tech and sound, so us girls went too...just for the weekend. it was so great being a small part and being with the students for a few days at one of my favorite times in a students' life...camp! i love being a mom and it is the most rewarding job in the world, but it is also the hardest and most demanding job. sometimes i miss being able to leave my job and come home and not get up at 3am for a feeding. :) so, being at camp, as a family, even for just a few days was the best of both worlds for me!!

so, we went to the doctor on monday for the girls' 4 month check up. they are hitting all of the milestones, right on track! annabel weighed in at 14lbs 9oz (75th percentile), 25 1/2" long (90th percentile) and her head is 16 1/4" around (75th percentile). she is a little ahead of the game...she is rolling over and cant be swaddled at night anymore. she is super strong and is really good at bearing weight and holding her head up. however, they both HATE tummy time!!! i mean, they pitch royal fits over it!! claire is still my little peanut. she was 12lbs 5oz (10th percentile), 24 1/4" long (50th percentile) and her head is 16" (50th percentile). she is not "standing" as much as annabel, but she is getting pretty good at holding her head up. i was encouraged by the doctor to not "baby her" as much...let her gain her strength. claire is not rolling yet, and still likes to be swaddled when falling asleep. she wriggles out of it pretty good, but they both like to be held tight when falling asleep! my girls are really good sleepers. we have had several nights of not getting up. the 3am feedings are becoming few and far between...thankfully! so, right now, they go down around 10 and get up at 5 to eat then sleep again until between 8 and 9. the last two days were off because they had to have 3 shots...that always really messes with things!! they both LOVE their hands...i mean eating them. they are also really figuring each other out. i love to watch them interact and have "twin time". they still both do great in the car, so we get out as much as we can. the texas summer heat is trying to kick our butts, but we do what we can! :)

each day has moments when i question if i know what i am doing...or if God was crazy in thinking i could be a mom to twins. then i will catch one of the girls smiling, or studying something, or a smirk while dreaming. thats when i stop and take a breath and say a prayer. i pray that i can continue to do my best, that the girls continue to grow and pass those milestones, and thank God for each moment that i have with them. these first 4 months have flown by and the awesome times way out weigh the hard moments! today was a good day...better than yesterday. we got out to run errands, stopped to see a few friends, did some laundry (this is everyday) and even made a batch of cookies. its a good day when you can sit and enjoy an almond joy cookie (recipe at bottom) while the babies nap! :) now off to start dinner!!

before i post the pics...please be praying for my mom. she had to have surgery today to repair her torn Achilles tendon and get rid of a bone spur on her heel. it has been an awful week for her awaiting surgery and now she will have to be in a cast for 3 months. if you know my mom, then you know this has got to be one of the worst things...especially this time of year! mom lives on a beautiful piece of land in michigan (michigan summers are the best!!!), so she wont be enjoying her tennis (which is how she got her injury), her horses, or the pool and lake. so sad!! she also cant drive!!! and lets not forget i have a 15 year old brother at home and she is a single parent...long thee months for both of them now! i so wish i was there to help her!!! love you, mom!! you are so strong and i know you can do this!! xxoo

here are a few pics from today... :) they are so big and starting to look a little more alike!

Annabel Marie

Giggles

Claire Mackenzie

she gets shy in front of the camera. glad she finally smiled!!

blue eyed babies!!

they love to hold hands, rub feet, anything to touch each other!

serious!

"Annabel, do think if i start crying she will stop??"

"Mom, Claire is serious...you might need to be done!"

i like big bows and i can not lie!! :)
bigger the bow, better the mom!!! lol
welcome to texas!

blessings, ALo

almond joy cookies, courtesy of my cousin Brooke Southwick

2 cups dark brown sugar (all i had was light, it worked!)
1 cup softened butter
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 cup almonds
1 bag chocolate chips

pre heat oven to 325. cream sugar, butter, salt, and soda. add eggs and cream again. mix in the flour and coconut until well blended. mix in the almonds and chips until just incorporated. bake for approx. 15 min or until just golden. these are much better if not too done!!! enjoy with coffee or really cold milk!!

Ready, Set...

not time to go...yet! i just got back from my 33 week appointment. the girls are both doing great, growing big and still cooking away! peter and i were able to see them on another ultrasound...they wanted to see if they had turned. no such luck there, but they are both doing great. we even got to see some hair on their big ole heads! :) based on the measurements, they are both right around 5 pounds...claire is just under and annabel is just over. i am still having contractions and lots of pressure down there, but the dr. todd says its totally normal. the pressure will not ease up simply because there are two babies, twice the weight and pressure bearing down on me. thankfully, i am still closed, not dilated at all. my belly is measuring 50.5 inches and i have gained exactly 30 pounds. i had gained a little more, but after this weekend i have lost a few. plus, i am trying to cut out sodium so as not to blow up! lol!! so far i still have my ankles showing, so it must be working! :) so, things are still good for us. i go back next tuesday. no plans to schedule anything, just take things one day and one week at a time.

peter and i were able to get away for a weekend...a babymoon! our friends from church, jimmy and melissa, have a place in matagorda (about 2 hours away from houston) right on the water and they offered to let us use their home this last weekend. matagorda is mainly a fishing village, but it was perfect for us! we were able to lay around and relax, enjoy the beach (which is not like marco island, but totally fine!) get lots of rest, eat good seafood, do lots of walking on the pier and the beach, and enjoy the sunshine (even if it was a tad chilly). we had an amazing time! it was exactly what we needed before our lives become insanely chaotic!! i didnt take very many pics, but here a few:

the beach on sunday afternoon. lots of debris, but we didnt care!!

the babymooners! so blessed by this sweet man!!!

the twin shell we found on the beach. we brought it home for the nursery!

some days we feel ready for the girls to be here, some days i am not so sure. thankfully, God is in control and has blessed us beyond belief with these little ones already! please pray with us as we finish the last minute stuff to bring them home! :)

blessings, ALo

Little Alarm Clock

so, in all the books that i have been reading lately it talks about how the LOtwins are already starting on a schedule. its crazy because, in the mornings the girls are very active from about 6:15 to 7:15...its like they know its morning and time to get a move on. there are a few other times throughout the day that this happens too. i dont have the big rolling across the belly movements any more (not enough room) but they sure know how to give me a jolt with a punch or kick or booty dance (they do not get that from me, by the way!!) well, yesterday in the early hours of the morning, we must have lost power. at just before 3 am i woke up from all the kicks and karate moves going on in my belly. i was a little bit annoyed because they were strong enough that i knew i would not be falling back to sleep. so, i took my phone off the charger and decided to play a little tetris in bed (yep, i still LOVE tetris!). but when i looked at my phone the time said 6:56am. what??? for real?? i looked at the clock and back to my phone and then over to peter's side of the bed. uh-oh. he was still there. typically, peter is up by 6:20 and out the door for work by 6:30 to miss the major traffic. i said in a gentle voice (at least i hope it was) "honey, i think its almost 7am. i know your clock says 3am, but your phone will say 7am." "what?? uh..." "honey, the girls woke me up, they know its time to get up. im sorry". SO CRAZY!!! the girls saved the day!! well, they saved peter from leaving any later than he already was. i just cant believe it. i think its so cool!

i had a good doctors appointment yesterday. they are still in there cooking. i am still fully closed. dr. todd gave peter and i the green light to get away this weekend, just the two of us!!! :) still praying for a few more weeks! i am getting pretty uncomfortable and rather tired, but i know they are not ready yet!! my biggest complaint (even though i dont like to complain) would just be the heartburn/indigestion and my itchy belly (serious stretch marks!) it will all be worth it in the end! here is a pic before i went to the appointment. 32 weeks!

if you are not friends with peter on instagram or facebook, you should check out some of his pictures from honduras. he has some amazing stories!!! the views are amazing, the little girls all look so sweet, and the team got a ton accomplished! the girls loved that peter is so tall!! lol! i love his big heart and his willingness to go and serve but more importantly to come home changed by these sweet girls and all that God is doing in honduras at Casa de Esther. check out photos here. (these photos were taken by jamie from Casa de Esther) this is one of my favs!!!

hope y'all have a great day!! its a beautiful sunny day here in houston...and its chilly!! perfect!!

blessings, ALo

A little observation

well, today has been a little bit eventful.

first, if you follow me on twitter or facebook...thanks for praying throughout the day, especially because i was giving you very little info. i was doing my best, but until about now, there was no down time to give more. here's what happened:

i had a routine weekly appointment scheduled at 11am with dr. todd. earlier in the day, i was receiving some not so good news about a family form our church. on friday, they gave birth to baby ava at 26 weeks. i knew she was in the NICU at the same hospital i go to for my appointments, so i was planning on stopping by and praying with the family right after my appointment. sadly, baby ava passed away and went to be with Jesus this morning. i got the news just as i was heading back to get my blood pressure checked. i knew it was going to be high...i told the nurse that. sure enough 138/84. VERY high for me!!! when dr. todd came in he was very concerned about my BP, the amount of cramping i was having, and the pressure in my pelvic area. he said i needed to go right down to labor and delivery for some observation and monitoring. i asked if it was really necessary as peter is still in honduras and i had not come prepared to be here. so said it was, that "he liked me too much not to be safe". to make this long story short, my BP is back to normal 112/58, my FFN (fetal fibronectin: swab test in "lady parts" to check for the possibility of preterm labor) came back negative, and my physical check and ultrasound both showed that my cervix is closed and long and that my uterus is high and thick. all very good things. i am still having contractions, but nothing long and strong or consistent. i am also feeling better after they let me have something to eat and drink. they also gave me a shot of steroids just to be sure that if i go into preterm labor and end up delivering, the girls will be fine. i wish i could just go home and rest, but i know that i am in good hands here. i have until late tomorrow afternoon for the 2nd shot...sometime around 3. looks like i will end up meeting my mom at my house and peter wont be far behind (hopefully). i am sure that i freaked him out a little bit, but i have been in really great hands! i have had such an outpouring of people here in houston that have offered to come bring me food or to just sit with me. i dont like putting people out, but i did let my friend jess come and bring me things like clean underwear and my computer. my friend jacqueline brought me some of my most favorite snacks. crazy things is, i didnt even tell her what they were...she guessed and totally got it right!! :) thanks so much to all you have offered. i feel so loved!!

please pray that these little girls keep growing on the inside!! they hated being on the monitors today...they are very active making it a challenge for all. but that is a good thing. the nurses were consistently coming in to change the sensors position, it was a little bit funny. ideally. claire and annabel will give us at least a few more weeks to get ready!!

please pray for my mom, uncle mike, and joann (mom's friend) as they travel to houston tomorrow. it is such great timing to have my mom here the rest of this week!!! God is so good!!!

please pray for peter and his team as they travel back from honduras tomorrow afternoon. i just got off the phone with him...he has had an amazing time!! i cant wait to hear all about it!!! i know he doesnt really want to leave those sweet girls behind. knowing i am being observed has probably helped him be a little more ready to come home. he is already making plans to go back!! :)

PLEASE be praying for the ritter family. i can imagine, only slightly, what they are going through having to say good bye to their sweet baby, ava dawn. erin and brady have three other small girls at home. i am sure they do not understand. grief is so hard without trying to help young children understand or to keep them on a healthy schedule. just please pray for God's comfort during this unimaginable time.

thanks so much for all your prayers!!! for me, for claire and annabel, for mom and peter, and for the ritter family!!

blessings, ALo

Party Time

this week (monday and tuesday) we had our first baby shower and then our doctors appointment to see how the LOtwins are doing.

the shower was so nice!!! the ladies from my church staff all got together along with some of my amazing volunteers from the student ministry to throw a party to completely spoil me and the girls. there was (of course) amazing food and literally five different flavors of cake. they really know the way to my heart...chicken salad from Newks and delicious cake!!! we of course had to play a few games, but nothing too unbearable (not the biggest fan of shower games, maybe because i hate always winning...lol). then it was present time. to say i was spoiled is an understatement!! all 32 guests brought the most amazing gifts. from personalized ruffled bloomers, to custom burp cloths, to the most awesome stack of diapers and wipes!! from the fun and whimsical to the practical and useful. not going to lie...i was completely overwhelmed! i am so blessed to have a family here that has loved and supported us through the last year and a half and is now going above and beyond to help us prepare for these twin baby girls!! if it had stopped there i would have been elated, but my friends ended the party by praying for me and for peter and for claire and annabel. it was awesome! to know that there are so many that are encouraging and supporting us, but also praying for us is amazing. i know that in 7 weeks our whole lives will totally change...we can use all the prayer we can get. it was a really sweet time of praising God for His faithfulness and blessings and asking for guidance and health! thank you so much to all that were there, y'all are the best!!!

yesterday, peter and i went in for a check up with dr. todd and an ultrasound to see the girls. they are getting so big! big enough that getting good ultrasound pics to bring home is pretty hard. but, as always, it is so reassuring to see claire and annabel moving around and to hear their heartbeats. we again heard that the babies were big, so i asked what that really meant. i asked if they are big compared to other twins or compared to single babies. answer: single babies. claire, who is transverse breech (her head is on my right side with her body going across to my left) and on the bottom is just over a week ahead in length and is weighing in just over 3 pounds. annabel, who is also transverse breech (her head is on my left side and her body crosses over to my right side) is just over two weeks ahead in length and weighs over 3.5 pounds. all of the other measurements and stats for the girls were great! i have had some seriously intense pain in the front of my belly and turns out annabel's long legs are pushing on my abs so hard my muscles are seperating. we are hoping that it does not lead to a hernia, but even so, it will be worth it! i am now up 24 pounds total. not too bad. my belly may not look huge, but there is no space left on my torso! literally...my boobs sit on my belly and my belly rests on my legs! this week i have noticed that i have grown out around a little (not just straight out). probably because they are both transverse!! dr. todd said the chances of having both girls turn to be head down is pretty low...that we will most likely have a c-section. the plan is to still go towards 37 weeks. dr. todd is hopefully that we can do that, but with their size, he is thinking they will come a little earlier. we are just praying for healthy babies and healthy delivery all in God's timing!! at 29 weeks, things are going great! we are really excited!! we are even going away for a weekend in february when peter gets back from his missions trip to honduras! woohoo...babymoon!

thanks for continuing to pray for all of us! we are definitely in the home stretch now...only about 7.5 weeks left!! here are a few pics from the shower!

blessings, ALo

some of the cute decor, including a really cute "blessings" board! 

top & bottom left:robin, she knows i hate being touched :) top right: abby and lindsey, two of my students. bottom right: jacqueline!!! a really sweet and thoughtful friend!! 

top left: casey, my cubicle partner...we are always giggling about something! bottom left: justine and awesome mom to paisley! love her! top and bottom right: rachel, my partner in crime and fellow mommy to be! student ministry is gaining three babies in just a few months! :)

right after the shower...one day short of 29 weeks!! 

Dirty 30!

today i am officially 30!! wow!! i was born around 3 am (mom cant remember the exact time) 8 weeks early. mom also likes to point out that i have always been impatient! anyway, so, i love my birthday. like, i love celebrating...not just my birthday, anyone's birthday. this dirty 30 has been awesome so far!

this weekend my little bro, grant, came in from michigan with his friend to start the celebration!! they got in friday morning...and we pretty much went right to chick-fil-a. grant loves chick-fil-a and they dont have them in michigan. i would be so sad without chick-fil-a!! then we came back and i baked all afternoon. i had invited a few close friends to meet us for dinner and then back to our house for a fire and dessert. i know some people think it is strange that i made my own bday desserts, but i liked it. i knew that they would be good and exactly what i wanted. :) i made a boston creme pie, a pumpkin spice cake with carmel glaze, and sugar cookies. dinner was so fun! there were 14 of us. we went to this really cool burger place called "the shack"...thats exactly what it is...a bunch of lean-tos/tents/plywood/etc. the weather was perfect...a little chilly for some of these texans, but perfect for me. (today was not so awesome...it was 89 and humid!!! ugh!) the fire was awesome...little levi LOVED it...the desserts were good, and the company was great!! i am so blessed by the friends that i have made here!

the rest of the weekend went really fast! it was so nice to have grant here! we didnt do much more than sit around, but that was really nice for both of us. it reminded us both of what it was like when the three of us lived together in ohio.

today was good too. i worked today, but it was a good day at work. we have a big event this weekend (that i will have to miss, sad) so we were busy getting things ready for that! my team also took me for lunch at a really awesome bbq place. peter and i were supposed to go to dinner tonight with some friends, but i wasnt feeling very good, so we opted to meet up next week. tonight, we ordered a little chinese food, sat on the couch and did nothing. it was actually pretty nice. our friends jess and griff came over too...just to veg with us. :)

thursday morning i leave for las vegas. I CANT WAIT!!! seriously...dirty 30 fun in sin city!! a little cliche, but so exciting! i am meeting up with my mom, aunt sally, and cousin alex...4 girls, all fun!! we are going to see garth brooks (on his last night in vegas), cirque du soleil's O, lots of sight seeing/window shopping, some real shopping, and frozen hot chocolate at serendipity! be looking for some pics next week!

here are a few from this weekend...i didnt take as many as i wanted to...boo!

Boston Creme Pie, recipe found on pinterest. soooo good!

dessert table with the baker :)

my goofball hubby and me (tiara courtesy of Robin!) at dinner

at the house with Jess and Robin. 

Levi, my little friend, who has more facebook and twitter followers than me! 

Grant and me at Chuy's for lunch Saturday. all grown up! no, we are not twins, but everyone thought we were! 5 years difference, i am older! 

30 years old and 16 weeks prego. love those LOtwins!!

i have been sent so many sweet fb messages, texts, tweets, cards, and presents this year. i have so many people that love me! it may sound cheesy, but my best present this year is my babies. i remember just a few months ago breaking down into tears thinking that i would turn 30 with no hope of a family. i was so upset! God has blessed me with not just one, but two awesome little ones growing inside of me. thinking about celebrating next year with two babies makes me just about giddy! God is is good...

blessings, ALo