It's a "blog...tweet...blog" kinda world!

Wait... Do you hear that?... Yeah, that right there! Do you know what that is? Well, I will tell you, it's the sound of fingers flying across keyboards and phone keys "clickity clicking". This, my dear friends, is the age of technology! The age of tweets, Facebook status updates, blogs... You name it; if it can be done from a phone, computer, iPad, etc than it RULES this age!!
HOLD ON.... You might be thinking... Um yeah, aren't you. BLOGGING about this? My very honest answer would be, "yes, yes I am!" BUT here is my question for you, do you get more excited about the latest tweet/blog/update or going to your mailbox and finding a letter, not a bill or promotional piece of mass mail, no, a real hand written letter, from a dear friend, family member, or whomever? My answer? I would take a letter any day! What happened to pen pals? Not email or text pals, but pen pals. I was recently going through some things the other day and came across a box. I opened it and inside was a little glass heart filled with the most beautiful thing ever... Red PEI dirt!I had stumbled across one of the gifts from my pen pal, Lisa, from years ago! Believe it or not, I started crying as I remember the fun times and memories and how excited I got when I received a LETTER from a dear friend!
So I guess I would challenge you fellow tweeters, bloggers, and updaters to take some time and write a letter! I guarantee you it will be far more appreciated than your latest technological update, because let's be honest.. There is always going to be a more interesting blog or update or tweet, but every letter is cherished!!!!

Teething toys and tantrums!

We have officially entered the stage of teething toys and tantrums! Monkey Madi has her first two teeth! When she gives her big goofy grin you can see them on the bottom! My sweet little Amber is in the "cutting phase". Her teeth have yet to break through but I have a feeling is any day now! I find it quite comical that I have spent quite a bit a money on teething rings and nuks and the things they would rather chew on are fingers, wash cloths, and wipes cases!!! Isn't that always how it goes? Even with animals.. you buy them expensive toys and they would rather play with a paper bag or plastic bottle! I think I could seriously make a mint on "recycled toys for your children and pets!" 
Not only does teething come with the countless toys, it also brings along a friend! "The endless tantrums!" For anyone who has the misconception that babies are perfect.. you have never had a teether or a "terrible two". I am determined to break my infants wills!!!
But today I am just going to love my babies up! In spite of the tantrums because on this beautiful Wednesday, after a very fun few weeks, MY HUSBAND IS COMING OUT TO NEW JERSEY FOR VACATION!!!! I am pretty anxious to see him and show him how big his little princesses got!!!!

Thank You for the cardinal

Have you ever walked into a glass or screen door and thought, "Crap! I hope no one saw that!" How about walked out of a bathroom with a trail of toilet paper following you? I am going to say guilty on both of those! I don't feel so bad though.. Yesterday morning, as I was trying to rock a baby to sleep, I looked outside and saw the most beautiful cardinal! Its red color was so vibrant! I watched as he hopped from one branch to the next. I then watched as he tried to fly from one tree to another... and that's when I almost peed my pants. That beautifully colored cardinal missed the branch and flew straight into the tree!! As he hopped around on the ground, looking slightly inebriated, I had to thank God for that early morning laugh! See, even the animals do strangely blonde things!! 
So, as you go about your day today... keep an eye out for the "blonde moments" in everything. Maybe God will send you a special laugh.. oh and watch out for those glass and screen doors, and check your pants when you leave a bathroom!!

confessions of a selfish heart

As wonderfully blessed as I am to be a mother to two of the most precious babies ever, my selfish nature still remains. I must confess that this has been a hard summer. Gone are the days of sitting outside, soaking up the sun. Late night bonfires are replaced with early bedtimes, in preparation for 3AM wake-ups. My glorious beach days have turned into all day Disney channel marathons (don't get me wrong, I unashamedly love watching Disney!) But the very real realities of being a mom have settled in. 
Over our anniversary weekend, my husband and I were children free. As much as I missed them, I realized I almost missed the life with no kids more. Exploring Minneapolis, dining at cute restaurants, shopping trips, etc. All without the interruption of a poopy diaper, screaming baby, or spit-up cover clothes. At that point I felt beyond the lowest of the low! God has blessed me with two amazing gifts, when so many others struggle just to have one! 
I have been reminded and encouraged that these thoughts and feelings are completely normal. My life has changed. I am not the "typical" 23 year old female! In this day and age when careers and fun come first, I am instead, a stay at home mom. Now, whenever I find myself slipping into that state of selfishness and self pity, I have to stop and take a moment and remember that God has a plan. A wonderful, perfect plan! Even though this may not have been what I had planned for my life, it is so much more that I could have ever dreamed of!
So with the days of late night bonfires, all day beach visits and hours of sunbathing, cute restaurants, and shopping sprees behind me, I look ahead to the smiles, first tooth, first fumbled step, "mama" and "dada" spoken with love, and thank God for chipping away at my selfish heart!

Hips of a mother and God's sense of humor

I truly believe God knew what He was doing when He designed women to have "child bearing hips"! I am saying I necessarily enjoy them? No, not at all! But I would not be able to carry two children without the hips that have been create after childbirth! Sometimes I just think about the creativity of God in all the things He has made! I mean, come on, have you ever look at a platypus?! That takes a serious sense of humor!! So many times I think we forget that God isn't just a serious God. We can look all around us and see that He is creative and truly wants us to marvel and enjoy the things He has created, right down to child  bearing hips! How many of us would have thought to include that if we were creating life?
So today I am going to enjoy the wonder, beauty, and humor of God's creation. I believe I focus too much on the serious nature of God and the state that this world is in, and I forget about all the wonderful things. I am going to enjoy this heat, and be thankful I don't live in Arctics. I am going to smile at the busy little bees and marvel at their hard work. I am going to laugh with my beautiful little baby girls! And I am going to look at these "child-bearing hips" and thank God for making me just the way I am!!

**WARNING** This Post may be controversial!

I was once asked what denomination I was. My answer that I am a Christian. The response was, "Yes, but what denomination are you?!" I was unnerved and upset at the fact that my answer of being a Christian was not enough. Why do we have to have an "extra" title to that answer? When did just being a believer in Jesus Christ become not enough? Why do these "denominations" tear us apart? I have a dear friend who was brought up Reformed Baptist (like me) and she is so madly in love with a dear friend of mine who was brought up Roman Catholic. I know that it has caused some controversy among people because of their different denominations, and it is not good enough for some people that are two young people who are madly in love and more importantly, who both love their Lord and Savior with all of their hearts. I really don't want to start any kind of religious debate. This a place for me to get my thoughts out!
I was recently filling out a job application and one of the optional questions was about denomination. A non-optional question was about my race. What happen to just being a human? No, we have to be politically correct now. Jobs must have a certain percentage or number of women and men, Caucasians, African Americans, Asians, Europeans, Native Americans, etc. Why can't you just higher people who fit the job, no matter what their race or ethnicity? 
All of these things make me wonder what kind of world my girls are going to grow up in. Are there going to be questions in the future about whether you are gay, straight, bisexual, trans gender, twin, triplet, etc.? They call it equality, but is it really equality? Aren't we just creating more inequality by stereotyping people? By asking all these questions? 
Its not just enough to be a human, to be a Christian.. there has to be more. I have to say, this makes me so anxious for heaven when there will be no more political correctness, or equality, where I can just be a person that loves my Lord Jesus Christ!

Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice

As this night comes to a close, that hymn is on my mind. I quietly hummed it my sick baby as she fought sleep and continued to fuss in pain. I thought about the words and rejoiced that I have two wonderful children, despite the illnesses and little set backs. 
This past year has been a year full of surprises and ups and downs. Marriage, pregnancy, labor, first-time parent of two, etc. And yet I sit here and rejoice in the Lord always. Some people may find that odd, or even crazy. They look at professing Christians and cannot understand rejoicing in the midst of hard times. They cannot understand unconditional love. They cannot understand working at a marriage instead of giving up when times are tough. I pity them. I pity their inability to "rejoice in the Lord always!" 
This does not mean that there will not be times of sorrow. God did not say that this life would be easy. He did not say that there would be no hardships or that picking up His cross and following Him would mean fields of flowers and daisies, but He does want us to rejoice in Him, always!
I thought a lot about my grandma this week. I cried and wept at the fact that my daughters will not meet their great-grandma in this life, but Lord willing they will meet her in eternity. Knowing that, I can rejoice in the Lord!! 
So, dear readers, rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoice in the midst of sorrow. Rejoice in the midst of hardships. Rejoice in the midst of devastation. Rejoice in times of plenty. REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!

Welcome to my dreams, there is no charge

All I can say is that dreams when you are pregnant and the hormone produced dreams afterwards are just hysterical! My dream last night consisted of a vacation to Manitoba, CAN (sp), an airport movie theater (with gold embroidered chairs and hand crafted cold and bronze fixtures, as well as a pizza delivery service inside!!), a bollywood baby shower... and seriously, the list could go on! At least it keeps my evenings entertaining!!!! Some times I wake up wondering, "What the heck just happened?!" During my pregnancy, the most odd, reoccurring, dream had a 3 foot long tampon that somehow mysteriously got embedded in my arm!!! I seriously hope I am not the only one who had/has these odd dreams!!!
The most fun part is trying to figure out where the different parts come from... For instance, Manitoba? Not a clue! In-airport movie theater with a pizza delivery service and gold and bronze things? Well the movie theater I am pretty sure is a sign of my desire to get out of the house, pizza delivery is my overwhelming desire to devour an Ametis pizza (all by myself!) and the gold and bronze fixtures... yeah just not sure about that one either! The tampon dream.. I won't even try to describe or understand that one!
I sometimes wonder what the girls dream about! They both laugh in their sleep already!! Maybe they are dreaming about pools filled with sweat, warm milk, or litttle, identical, twin boys with big blue eyes, crawling around in their little diapers.... **sigh**
Well dear readers, for those of you who read this :), here's to the crazy dreams, 3 foot long tampons, and cute little blue-eyed, identical, twin boys!! Enjoy your day dear readers!

Once upon a poopy, on a spit-up rag far far away...

Someone asked me how I know what to write about. I didn't have a profound answer at all!! I just write what goes through my head. If you want some great literary blogging, read my sister Jussley's!! Those are blogs that will make you laugh and cry! If you want to read what its like to be a teenage girl in this day and age, read my sister Heather's blogs. If you want to know what its like to have a million and one ideas and thoughts running through your head and no one to share them with, please continue to read mine!

This past week I have been dealing with one sick baby and one baby whose reflux finally got worse. Its been a long week and this momma is TIRED! But sitting here on the couch with my sick baby sleeping on my chest.. I thought, "what the hey, why don't I ignore this major blart (blogging fart) and just type!!" Just pretend that I am talking to someone and they are listening and laughing and agreeing and understanding exactly what I am going through. 

I have had these CRAZY ideas running through my head. A childrens book series. Some of the titles would include: "Once upon a Poopy Diaper" "A day in the life of a Burp Cloth" "Baby Blankets of the World Unite!"

My mind just goes crazy with ideas! Will they ever come to fruition? I doubt it, but, hey, whoever said that mom's cant dream or have imaginations too? I am a mom full of ideas and dreams! Like the dream of always wanting to become a trauma nurse/surgeon. This was LONG before the Grey's Anatomy series hit TV. I used to sit and watch "Trauma: Life in the ER" with my mom and dream of one day saving someones life, with my scrubs covered in blood, and sweat pouring down my head, and the satisfaction of know God had blessed me with the talent to save lives! Instead, I make bottles and change diapers, sing lullaby's to my babies and "pet" their fevered foreheads. Do you wanna know the best part? I wouldn't trade those diapers and lullaby's for bloody scubs anymore than I would trade a Godiva chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory (a la mode of course) for a peanut!!!

I can still dream and imagine. There is no rule or law against it, but when reality knocks at my door and hands me a sick baby or a munchkin that just wants love, then I had better answer with open arms and an open heart! 

So here's to one day writing those children's books, and blood covered scrubs! For now, though, I will take the poop and puke!! 

Push.. hold it and count to 10!!!

Ok so am I the only one who wanted to smack my doctor in the delivery room?!
"Well, the next time you feel a contraction, go ahead and push..."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FEEL BELOW MY BELLY BUTTON FOR HOURS!! HOW THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO FEEL A CONTRACTION?!"
I don't know if that is anywhere near something I said, cause frankly all I could think about was getting these babies out, ripping off the stupid oxygen mask, and beating myself up over the fact that I hadn't shaved my legs!!!!
There was this feeling that rushed over me like a tidal wave when each girl was placed on my stomach, "These girls are mine!" I just thought they were so beautiful, even covered in blood and mucus!! The hardest part was not being able to hold them right away. They told me they had to wait till I had more feeling in my legs... SERIOUSLY?! Put me in a wheel chair and bring me to my babies!!! I don't need my legs to hold my babies!!!
Its funny how all I wanted to do was bring my babies home, and as soon as I brought them home, all I wanted to do was bring them back so someone could watch them during the night!! Now, I can barely put them in nursery on Sunday! I get serious separation anxiety.. I just get so scared that I am going to miss something! Or what if they need me?! I have to get out of church, rush through nursery security (yes there is security), and then remember where the nursery actually is. What if something happens in those 3 minutes?! I mean seriously.. look what happened in the 10 seconds I had to push?! Out popped a baby!
Piece of advise for the day.. don't blink, don't count to 10, DO get the epidural, don't worry about what comes out of your mouth (or any other opening in your body) when you are in the heat of labor, don't worry about your unshaved legs, DO enjoy every little precious moment with your children, because before you can count to 10, they have already grown!

From fabulously fit to jello jigglers

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have to plan on how to fit into my favorite jeans! Nor did I think I would try every trick in the book to do so! Squats, lotioning and oiling your legs, don't wash them for a while so that they are nice and streched out.. etc. Pregnancy has changed all of that!
I think as women it is sometimes hard not to conform to the standards that is world has set. We see women in magazines and on tv, modeling agencies scouting the malls and shops, stopping only the tallest, skinniest, and prettiest. So what do we do? We diet, change our hair, load on the make-up, and SQUEEZE our feet into the most uncomfortable high heeled, high fashion shoes.. just to fit a cookie-cutter mold. Please don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those things in and of themselves... but lets be honest, how many of us are truly comfortable in that post baby state when the world is screaming.. "Look at this Hollywood mom!" "Lose your baby weight in 7 short days!" What they are really saying is, "If you have thousands of dollars and can afford a great lipo surgery or expensive trainer and don't mind starving yourself for 7 days, you too can look like this!"
Once again, though, I find myself ready those articles and copying down the greatest weight loss tips. Yes, I will be honest and say that I struggle with the way my body looks after having twins. I miss that perfectly fit 19 yr old girl, and am NOT happy with the "jello jigglers" that have replaced the 6-pack abs, and toned thighs. But reality is, I am not that 19 yr old girl anymore. I am a woman and with that comes some flab and hips that may not fit into those jeans anymore, or look super cute in that bikini... and that's ok. I am willing to go up a size if that is the "price" I have to pay for two beautiful little girls.
This does not mean that I won't have time of work out, nor does it mean that I will starve myself back to who I was. I will eat that funnel cake and those deep fried french toast with the knowledge that I can easily work it off later (even if its just by running up and down the steps to check on the munchkins!)
So here's to putting away the oil, ignoring the "perfect body" articles, buying a pant size bigger, and accepting that I am not a girl. I am a woman, a mother of twins, and I am beautiful just the way I am (jigglers and all!!)

Joining this Blogging movement!

"Two are better than one!"
That is a loaded statement. I know that it refers to marriage but I know God was thinking of me when He said that. I love my TWO little munchkins, and two means twice the fun (and work!) It also means twice the bottles, baths, spit-up, and poopy diapers! More importantly, it means half the sleep.
If there were a degree in baby care with a minor in baby talk.. I am pretty sure I would ace that! I never thought that baby talk was another language but it sure is. And guess what, I am fluent in it! Madi and Amber have the best conversations! My favorite is when they both have a full diaper and they are laughing and cooing to each other. I know JUST what they are saying:
"Madi, lets see how much she gags today!!"
"Amber thats a great idea!! I know this is a full one! And it smells SOOO bad! HAHA!! Think you can push a little more out just so that it goes up your back?"
"Oooo that's a great idea! Here goes....(insert majors grunts and a red, red face). Would you look at her face?! she is not looking forward to this! Oh here is some spit up too...."
And so the conversations go, and may day of poopy diapers and spit up begins!
Two are truly better than one though! It may mean twice the laundry, but it also means twice the smiles, laughs, and adorable outfits to dress my angels up in!!!!
So what does a day in the life of a super mom truly look like?
4 AM- bottles, diapers, spit-up, playtime, rock babies to sleep
6AM- finally crawl back in bed to get some sleep
6:30AM- actually start to fall asleep when a baby wakes up.. another full diaper and bottle.
8AM- get baby #1 in bed just in time for baby #2 to wake up!
9AM- finally get baby #2 to sleep
9:30AM-10:30AM- attempt to eat, drink some coffee and POSSIBLY get the dishes done before a baby wakes up!!
10:30AM-12PM- feed babies, change diapers, change shirt for the 3rd time and get babies BACK down for a nap
12-1PM- get laundry done or clean floors and attempt to eat some lunch
1PM- baby wakes up... feed, change, play again
3PM- put baby down and get baby #2 again...
3-10PM- repeat everything that happened in the first part of the day
11PM- FINALLY CRAWL INTO BED....
And that my dear readers is a day in the life of a super mom!