This past week, I utilized some of my leave time from work to spend a week at home with the kiddos.  I like to do this on a holiday week to maximize my time off and minimize my leave usage.  Originally we were thinking about both parental units taking the week off and bumming around with the kids – maybe taking them to visit family members or do other various day trips.  Unfortunately, Tim couldn’t get the time off of work, so I dipped my toe in the stay-at-home-mama pool.  Just me, two toddlers and a sometimes moody 9 year old (okay, so maybe I was a just a teeny bit ready to go back to work).

I say sometimes moody because we are dangerously closer to the “tweener” age.  Coolness in equal measure with attitude.  Responsibility-wanting right alongside hormonal drama.  Help me baby Jesus, I don’t know if I am ready for it!  I’m sure this is exactly what my mom said when she said “someday you’ll have one just like you!”

The potential for an on-the-go week of field trips and adventures was there but complicated by the fact that it was hotter than the 7^th ring of hell last week.   It was 95 degrees outside by 10am which means no one was going to be a happy camper getting in and out of a hot car, let alone going on an outdoor adventure.  I’m not sure if all toddlers are this way – but Emma and James are still really sensitive to heat.  James especially gets flushed and lethargic pretty easily.  Emma gets cranky – and if you have witnessed an epic Emma meltdown you know that we try to avoid crankiness.

I was a pretty mellow week that followed a distinct pattern.   James and Emma let Mama sleep in till 8:00 to 9:00ish (HEAVEN).  Everyone under two got a new diaper and then oatmeal and milk for breakfast then we played in the living room all morning.  Emma and James had a ball exploring the living room because they normally play in the den.  The living room had new couches to climb and a hallway to run back and forth down.

Emma LOVED standing on the couch and peering out the huge front window at the farm across the street.  Our morning play time coincided nicely with the time the horses were out in the front field.  She could stand and watch them forever – that is until she got distracted.

James discovered that it is hysterical to hide in the hallway just out of sight and then run out when you call his name.  Honestly, seeing him crack himself so heartily made me love the game just say much.   We discovered that short colored pencils work really well to scribble with instead of crayons because Emma and James love to try to eat the crayons and get tiny bits of colored wax in their teeth (blech!).

Not now Mama, I am creating a masterpiece here!

Please ignore the hastily discarded PJs in the background.

There was lots of coloring, climbing on new things, running in the hallways, jumping into the bean bag chair and wrestling.

Hehehehe, this is fuuuuuuun!

Mamaaaaa, Emma is sitting on my lap and I don’t like it one little bit!!  Can you see me?  I’m back here!

Nap time or FoxTwins Wrestlemania?

About the time that the babies went down for their nap was usually when I had to go drag Mackenzie’s behind out of bed.  I promise you she would have slept till 3:00pm if I let her.   We enjoyed nice lazy afternoons, sometimes including a nap – who says it’s not okay to stay in your PJs till dinnertime?  When Tim got home we’d have dinner and all hang out for a while.  Mackenzie and I watched several cheesy Disney tweener movies after the babies went to bed.   We caught lightning bugs, watered the garden and even got to pick some “crops” as the sun went down.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a week.

I updated the list of blogs that I follow.  The list is located conveniently directly to your left <–.  These are all blogs I really do read as evidenced by the fact that after coming home from a long weekend that involved no blog-reading, I had over 75 new posts to catch up on.  So go take a peek!  They are all good reads!

~Carrie

Once upon a time there was a pretty girl named Emilee.  She fell in love with a goofball named Brian.  Her parents dressed her up all pretty and then told Brian, “Here, you take her!”

Brian said he would be pleased to have her.  His brother were his best men, and Travis thought they needed a story during the ceremony.

The sure are happy to be getting hitched!

It’s official!

Grandpa forgot his tie and had to borrow James’.  Lookin’ good, Gramps!

Time for a man-to-man chat with Daddy.

No, James you cannot get married anytime soon.

They sure do clean up nice, huh?

Every little girl needs men that will do her bidding.  Handsome men.

Man, we waited a long time for the love birds to get the reception.  Kenzie was the only one who planned ahead.

Thanks for the smart phone and teaching me to text, Aunt Cassie.  I’ll take it from here.

Not now, Mama.  Texting.

Grandpa and his mini-me.

Okay, now you know it’s been a long time because Grandma is trying to play video games.  Obviously Mackenzie thinks her skills are lacking.

Well, if no one else is gonna dance, Mama and Kenzie are gonna get this party started!

Time for Emma to go on her walk with Grandpa.

Traaaaaaavis, come on down!

Troy and the Maid of Honor.

Shake those moneymakers Mr. and Mrs.!

Hey Aunt Cassie, hit the rock!

Don’t worry Great Grandma, I will cut your food for you.

Is it me, or are the parents of the groom really reeeeeeally happy?

He’s yours now, Emilee!

Double, double trouble.  It was hot, hot, hot in the reception hall.  James was getting cranky and had to get half naked.  This was literally 3.2 seconds before total meltdown.

SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCH!

Brian and his Mama, so sweet!

It was a beautiful wedding and reception.  That pesky 7:00pm bedtime kind of cut into our time to party down, but we had a great time.  Welcome to the family, Emilee!

I sure hope late is better than never, because I am pretty much always these days.  I think these toddler times are quite possibly the hardest so far.  Maybe not in the sleep deprivation way, but definitely in getting anything done.   So I’ll use that as my excuse for my horrible bloggy absence.

Think back *cue wavy memory lines on a cheesy TV show* April.  Gray skies, rainstorms and the trees are just starting to bud…

Our mascots are ready to roll!  The best seats in the house, if you ask me.

Don’t we all just look fresh as daisies and ready to skip along the 3-mile walk?  No?  Hmmm…. I guess you’re right.  It was a pretty gray and gloomy day for the march.  In fact, the kind of day that you have to promise yourself a hot beverage and an afternoon nap just to bribe your own behind outta bed!

But once we got to the tent area at the start of the march, our spirits started picking up.  Aunt Kelly met us, we saw some of the cool activities the March of Dimes had going on, and our hordes of fellow marchers started getting us pumped up!

And this, my friends, is the face of hard work.  It’s SUPER GRANDPA!  He pushed the mini-mascots the whole march and was only one of two from our fearless team who finished all 3 miles.  Needless to say, our sag wagon was full!

I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the sheer rock-out-loud-ness of these two ladies.  Mackenzie walked probably 80% of the march and totally could have finished, but her Daddy and I made her hop in the sag wagon (under protest) because we thought she needed a break and some water.  And Kelly.  The hero of the day.  She walked with Mackenzie the WHOLE walk.  1) Because Mackenzie recognizes the sheer awesome of Kelly and 2) Kelly knows that sometimes our ears need a break.  Do I have the most awesome friends or what?

The post-walk revelry was super fun.  Can you spot the juggler in the background?  There was lots to do and the rain barely slowed the fun down.  Two mamas and their babies here – and I think I am the luckiest one because I get to be in the middle of that sandwich!

We sure did have a wonderful time and raised some money for a wonderfully worthy cause, the March of Dimes!  We were inspired by the stories of all the families we saw at the march.  I cried a few tears for the families that saw their babies born too soon for this world.  And I cheered for the babies who had to fight like hell to be the healthy, happy kids they are now.  And we all hung on to each other just a little bit tighter.

Coming soon: pictures and stories from Easter, cousin Brian’s wedding to Emilee, and the update from the 18 month check up.  Until then a few tidbits:

-          Emma has adopted a small black purse of Mackenzie’s that she carries around on her shoulder at home all the time.  Then the other night both the babies were being very talkative, so we called to chat with Grandma and Grandpa (just FYI, it is now totally UNcool to let Mama hold the phone for you while you talk), so Emma was walking(pacing) around the den wearing her purse, phone up to her ear and hand on her hip – she’s a very important toddler, you know.  It makes me wish I had a camera implanted into my forehead to capture these moments.

-          James had about a 3 week stretch where he totally freaked out when we left him at Mrs. Bekah’s house in the mornings.  Total power down, starting with the face-crumple until he just kind of melted into a crying pile on the floor.  I knew he perked back up within seconds of Mama and Daddy being out of sight, but MAN that is hard.  Plus it was totally out of the blue – no routine change of any kind.  And then *snap* just like that, he stopped doing it.

-          Mackenzie was with us for her spring break, so we did lots of fun stuff for that week.  It was awesome and warm most of the week, so we did some sidewalk chalk art, some backyard softball and some nighttime porch swinging.  Once we taught her a tiny bit of form for throwing, she seems to have a pretty killer arm for 8 years and no practice.  I could totally rock the elementary school softball couch thing, couldn’t I?  We could be in for an adventure soon!

-          Also Mackenzie has now decided she is the premiere authority on which boys are cute.  She doesn’t (yet) agree with my stance on Mark Harmon, but she will see the light someday.

-          The babies like to play with my mind.  They will say words or phrases as clear as day, and then refuse to say them again.  Or at least never when I have the video camera out.  The two best are James shouting “Go, go, go!” when we get into the car (please Jesus, don’t let him be a racecar driver.  And if he is, please let him be one of the ones who makes tons of cash to support his poor old mama).  And yesterday Emma said to the dog, “Hi, Char! Woof, woof, woof!”   (Charlotte is often called Char or Char-char Binks in our house).

That is all!  More stories with pictures soon to come!

Okay, okay, if you promise to go to our website (http://www.marchforbabies.org/team/t1372276) and donate to our March of Dimes, March for Babies team (Pretty please!  Even $5 will help so much!), I will share two pictures of overwhelming cuteness!

This picture reminds me of the “Milk-a-whaaaaa?!” E-trade commercial.

Hairdo a la Aunt Cassie.

Love you all!

I know I’ve written about premature birth before on this blog.  I have thrown some stats your way (I can’t help myself, it’s my job!) and some cutie pictures of my just barley preemie newborns.  I want people to understand how big this problem is, but the issue is, I don’t even fully comprehend the depth and scope of premature birth myself.

I know the stats about premature births, like I said that is my job (like the one I get paid for).  I know the risk factors when you’re talking about whole populations.  I can tell you how it felt to hold my two 5 pound babies and wonder how in world smaller babies could actually be real.  I know just the twinges of worry and doubt about your babies’ weight, growth, development.

But what I don’t understand is why one mom over another mom just like her has a preemie and one has a full term baby.  I don’t understand spending all your waking hours in a NICU and going home to an empty nursery praying to bring your baby to their real home.  I don’t understand the crushing worry that your baby’s lungs are forever diminished and wondering if this cold could kill her.  I don’t understand the unfathomable strength it would take to keep breathing after your baby was taken from you.  I don’t understand.

And because I can’t understand, I’m going to walk.  I’m going to walk for Emma Catherine and James Daniel to celebrate them.  Celebrate that they can walk and talk and sing and hug me goodnight.  I am going to walk for the twin moms who I know who spent hours, weeks, months of their lives living and breathing the NICU.  I’m going to walk for Maddie who has inspired thousands of other people to walk too.   I’m going to walk for Victoria who spends her time carefully tending to the tiniest lives and fights for them just as hard as anyone can.  And I’m going to walk for the March of Dimes because I believe they will help us make sure that one day ALL babies will be born healthy.

But I’m not walking alone.  All across the country thousands and thousands of people are going to be walking for babies.  Team FoxTwins will be walking 3 miles here in Ohio.  Emma & James will be walking (okay, riding) along with Mama, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Cassie, and (honorary) Aunt Kelly.  Please, please take a minute to check out our March for Babies website.  Your support is so important to us!  Think about walking with us, or donating to our march.  Even just a couple dollars would help us toward our monetary goal and our lofty, visionary goal for all babies to be born healthy.  And above all, please pray for us as we walk, pray for the families of preemies, pray for all babies.

Thank you for your support!  It means more to us than you know. 

~Team FoxTwins

We’re emerging from the darkness in more ways than one.  Finally, blessedly, we are starting to feel those first twinges that spring is coming.  Today was the first day in approximately 8,000 days that the car has not been covered with a fine layer of frost when we leave for our day at the bewitching hour of 6:45 am.   It was actually so so wonderful to feel the sun this, that this Sunday afternoon we took an extended (partially by getting lost, hehe!) drive in the country to feel the sun without having to bundle up for a long time outside.  James and Emma stayed awake long enough to see some llamas/alpacas (this is still up for debate) before conking out for a lovely nap in the sunshine.

Metaphorically, we’re coming out of a long spell of general yuckiness that has touched the lives of all who have encountered us.  It started with a lovely scene of Mama (that’s me!) in elbow high blue rubber gloves scrubbing poop off the bathroom walls and a very melancholy and newly pajama-ed 8 year old girl and ended with a desperate Grandpa (who came to lend a hand in the sick house) who was stranded with two toddlers while Mama and Daddy tried to make their way home in an ice storm.  Digestive pyrotechnics were plentiful.

However we learned some important lessons during our sicky adventures.

1. When an 8 year old disappears for 20 minutes, then returns butt naked asking for paper towels and spouting, “There is a perfectly reasonable explanation why I am naked!” nothing good is coming.
2. Daddy and James have stomachs of steel (tummies of… tungsten?  Bellies of brass?) and were the only ones spared from the puke parade.
3. Emma is what our doctor has labeled “a barfer.”  J&E both had a viral upper respiratory infection (aka a bad cold) and had fevers.  Emma’s came with the lovely addition of vomiting.  We took them in to the ped’s office (who we love!!) and she thought Emma is just going to be one of those kid’s whose body’s reaction to a fever is to barf.  Even if their sickness is not gastrointestinal in the least.    Side note:  someone at work pointed out this could come in handy when the sneaky partying teenage (oh God, starting to hyperventilate now) years come.  Em may never be able to sneak around and drink without giving it away with her “barfer” status.
4. You never, ever, EVER want to see the same chipotle burrito you ate for lunch make a reappearance at midnight.  Really, you never want to see the same burrito twice.
5. 16 month olds are a LOT harder to use the bulby snot sucker (what?  Those have real names?) on than on a 26 day old, but I sure am less scared to try than I was then.
6. Two hours is a long, lonnnnnnng time when you are driving home in an ice storm, watching cars all around you crash and getting quarter-hourly phone calls from your poor dad who is puking his guts out and just wondering when you may get home.
7. You never fully understand the joy of coming to wake up a toddler who looks up at you, smiles and hugs their lovey, until you experience going to wake up a toddler and finding one completely quiet, sitting up in the corner of the crib with everything in sight covered in vomit.   Makes those unnaturally early, normal 6 am’s seem like Heaven on earth!

So, I’ll leave you with those lessons and my apologies for being so long absent.  We hope to stay in the light for a long while!

Normally I would chalk this up to the “my baby is a genius” Mama thing, but….

Today when we were riding in the car and Emma was fussing a little bit, so I said, “Emmy, what’s wrong?  Are you sad?”  And then clear as crystal she says, “I sad.”

Tim whipped his head around to me.  ”She just said ‘I sad,’ holy crap!”

James is walking.  Emma is talking.  We’re in for it.  :)

If sleep is the ever present topic of thought and conversation for moms of infants, food is the topic for moms of toddlers.  I think the burgeoning independence and the realization that if they don’t want to eat it, they just can refuse to, leads to many toddler mama worries.  James and Emma have started down their paths of toddler food drama already.  Well, not real drama, just stubbornness.  Not like they came by that trait naturally because I don’t know a single solitary family member that has even an ounce of a stubborn streak.  *cough cough* 

My mom always told me, “Don’t try to apply logic to crazy people, because it just isn’t relevant.”  I think, in some ways, that applies to figuring out what to feed a toddler.  Just because green beans used to be the favorite doesn’t mean that they won’t get spit out at high velocity at tonight’s dinner.  And if you try to figure it out, it will just change tomorrow anyway.  I have read lots of advice on this topic, of which I think the best was probably along the lines of this: try to set out healthy options and don’t sweat if they won’t eat this thing or that thing.  It will all balance out.  If they eat all yogurt and crackers today, tomorrow may well be peas and chicken. 

I am pretty confident that my kids will not starve and thankfully they have both grown very well so far.  I try to maintain the balance of getting big enough (preemie mom worry) with not starting them out on the too heavy path (overweight family history worry), and they have been doing really well.  But now they actually have opinions on the matter of food.  Not that they can say, “Hey mom, this turkey leaves a bit to be desired, how about some ham tomorrow?”  Instead it is communicated by refusing some foods or, my favorite, eating a bunch of bites without actually swallowing and then spitting out a lovely mix of chewed-up grossness. 

My major concern with their food right now is that they don’t seem to want anything to do with meat.  Even when I think it is well mixed into a dish that they can’t really pick out the meat, oh yes, they find a way.  The other concern is that I think they don’t get enough diversity of foods.  But last night we hit a jackpot on both of those fronts.  We had breakfast for dinner – a favorite in our house and even my house growing up.  Scrambled eggs have always been a hit and have not yet *knock on wood* been the subject of toddler disdain, but bacon has never worked (whose children are they?).    So last night we tried two brand new foods – turkey sausage and blackberries.  Both were a huge hit!  Hooray for protein!  Hooray for a new fruit!

Rest assured, I know that they next time we have those they will may or may not work.  But for now, one dinner where each type of food was eaten?  I’ll take it.  And messy blackberry-smeared baby faces make it even sweeter.

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