So it's late....

But I have made an agreement with myself that I would try to keep up with posting during the week....so I will simply leave this video...the quality is horrible...sorry...it is dark but you can still see what is going on :)  Oh....and a few seconds in, I turned my Ipad while videoing, so you might have to do the head tilt...but you will still get the picture....

This video is of the boys watching their favorite movie at the time....Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeaksquel (I totally had to google how to spell that....fyi).

It is short...it is super sweet...and it is two of my loves :)

http://youtu.be/5wQ9oEpti1c

Good Night!

Just so I remember....

Well folks...I had a crazy busy day so I am just leaving a funny story (at least to me) that I wanted to write down before I forget....and these days my memory is very limited LOL.

So it was last weekend....and we went to Cracker Barrell with my parents....so we had the 4 adults and the 4 kiddos...and the kiddos had been in rare form all day.  Once we got sat down, all the kids seemed to calm down and we were able to order and get drinks and settle in. 

Of course this lasted only a couple of minutes...because Bryce says "I need to go potty...." well, this is coming from a child that has NEVER done anything in a potty, besides sit on it and read a book.  I have not yet attempted potty training...I am not mentally prepared.   However, if one of the boys is closer to the concept, it would be Bryce.  So I don't want to ignore his attempt....so I say alright...let's go...and then....

"I need to go potty too..." (KK)
"Me too...me TOO!" (Carter)

Well, OF COURSE the other two kiddos would chime in and want to go...and who wouldn't :)  So, I agree and unload the boys out of their high chairs and we head to the bathroom.  Which is in the General Store of the restaurant...which has about 1,000 things to deter a toddlers attention...but anyway, Kev agrees to go with me and the crew and I figure I am in the clear.  KK is a breeze to take to the potty. 

However, as we begin to separate to BOYS and GIRLS bathrooms, the boys decide they want Momma....and KK then wants Dad.  So, in I go with the boys....and we find a stall.  Bryce sits down and wants to sing....we sing the usual, Veggie Tales, ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle....and nothing...but of course he announces, "I done" and wants to play with the toilet paper.  Carter, not to any surprise, refuses to sit down on the toilet...so I take the opportunity to go potty myself.  I let the boys know that momma needs to peepee (TMI ??  Sorry!)and they say..."OK!" and start playing with the door....of course I tell them to stop, and of course they don't listen...and they unlock the door and walk out to find daddy....leaving me with my pants around my ankles...in a public restroom...and not only do they leave the stall...they walk out of the bathroom!!!  They heard Kev's voice outside the door so I am yelling to make sure Kev has them....and trying to get dressed.....I just started thinking how funny it was because the boys had no idea....or care in the world.....Crazy boys....I am pretty sure I will have some LOTS and LOTS of stories that pertain to me, a couple of boys and public restrooms....I hoping I am fully clothed in the remaining stories. 

Ahhh...the weekend...and a few things that made it wonderful

Well we had a fun filled weeked...full of smiles, playing, swimming, tantrums and emotional breakdowns (that was me)...but all in all it was great hanging out with the family. It always amazes me how quickly the weekend flies by!

Through all the bustling around this weekend...here are a few items that made my life a little easier/better...



Puddle Jumpers - This is an item I came across a couple of weeks ago when a friend of mine had one on her 2 year old son. I am very apprehensive around water and the kiddos, so this has helped ease that (somewhat). It is hard enough keeping up with 4 kids on land...put them in water and I can be a nervous wreck. KK is good with floaties (and supervision...obviously) but with the twins, I wasn't sure how that would work...so this helped us ALOT this weekend when we went to a pool party for a friend's birthday party. The boys still like to stay pretty close to mom...I wish I had a picture of them...needless to say I had my hands full :)



GoGo squeeZ - I am LOVING this item right now...ALL 4 of my kids (from 3 years to 9 months) ALL love it and it is a great snack that is easy to pack in their backpacks or the diaper bag. No spoon required...the boys think it is so fun! I also like that it is applesauce plus a fruit (peach, strawberry or banana for this particular brand). I happen to run across them at Target one day and they have become a staple on our grocery list.



Crock-Pot - (sorry for the BAD picture...it was before I washed it tonight) Well I pretty much ALWAYS love this...however, it was so great for us today...we ended up going to the late service for church because of Kev's schedule...so I put on one of our favorite recipes before we left and we came home to a house that smelled wonderful! It made dinner a cinch and the kiddos were happy...can't beat that!

(In case you were curious...Italian Chicken and then I cook up some brown rice when it is close to being done...so easy! Chicken breast (frozen or fresh), pack of cream cheese, can of cream of mushroom, pack of italian seasoning, 1/2 cup of milk all thrown in...it cooks down and is super creamy...yum! I even added in broccoli tonight!)

Family - Well, I don't have a picture handy...but my sweet sister-in-law that watched my kids on Friday so I could help out my dad...and took my daughter to VBS that evening...just to turn around on Saturday and drive out to my house to hang out with my boys so we could go to a surprise engagement party for a friend. (Our original babysitter fell through). She made my life SO much easier/better this weekend. (THANK YOU LINDSAY!) While mentioning sister-in-laws...I should bring up my other one...she kept me sane during mental breakdown Saturday morning with encouraging words and a big hug (THANK YOU KORREE!)

Another thing, I purchased this...



Glamourous Wash - High Maintenance....ahh, it smells amazing! We washed our sheets in it...it is a little pricey honestly...not like I would wash all my clothing in it...but it was perfect for the sheets and it made our room smell amazing!!



Church with my family...our church has started a new message BOLD. It is amazing...it is talking about the Bold actions in Acts. I am really looking foward to next week...BOLD prayer.

Last but certainly not least...was ice cream night with the boys...we headed up to our Sonic tonight to sit on the patio. We beat the heat with lots of yummy ice cream.



Ice cream makes EVERYTHING easier/better :)

Here comes Monday!

Revel Photo

Well, about a week and a half ago the boys and I loaded up and headed out to meet up with Misty (Mrs. Revel Photo), a very talented, kind, patient, sweet, amazing and easy going friend (seriously...she ROCKS!)that took on the task of taking pictures of my sweet boys to capture them at 2 years old.

I will let the photos speak for themselves....I CANNOT wait to order...problem is I can't pick :)

The Twins pics

Check out her other pics too...she has such a great eye and talent for capturing feeling in a picture. I love how she captured the boys in their element...I will cherish these pictures forever.

2 years...

I honestly still remember it like it was yesterday...two sweet boys placed in my arms...they looked different as night and day...one with a headful of dark strands, the other with hair you could barely see. One a whopping 1 pound and 4 ouches bigger than the other....he is still my best eater....sweet hands, tiny feet....and I was so scared/excited/in a state of shock/in love.....thank you Lord for blessing me with two amazing boys on this day two years ago....they have taught me patience, joy, hardship and above all else that with You, anything is possible.

I love you Carter and Bryce!!

Batter Up...

Well...I have been spending the last couple of nights preparing for a BIG weekend...the boys turning TWO!!

The theme of the party is "Baseball" and I have been making banners and signs to decorate (with the help of my friend Sylvia and her wonderful Cricut!). It has been fun getting prepared, although I feel like I still have a TON of stuff to do....but the hardest thing to do is realize that 2 years have flown by since these two little boys entered our home. Unbelievable....



I remember the day we went to the hospital due to some issues I was having...I was 7 weeks along and we had already had one ultrasound and everything looked fine...so that day we had to go back, I was so nervous to walk in the ultrasond because I was waiting to hear bad news..that something had happened...and instead we had an ultrasound tech that kept looking...and looking...and then she left the room (apparently she was new and wanted to confirm) and came back with another tech...which showed us Baby A and Baby B....we were speechless.

I feel so blessed to have Carter and Bryce. This week will probably be filled with various stories about the boys as I prepare for their party!! Yay for Birthday week!

Happy Monday!

22 months old.....

That is right....these two little, Spongebob wearing, Veggie Tales loving, Cowboy's are 22 months old. Not.even.possible. But true....I CANNOT believe in two short months they will turn 2 years old. This is happy and sad for me...my boys are getting so big!!

The LOVE to wrestle these days...at times this ends in yells and screams...and being separated by mom or dad...but when they are wrestling and giggling it is SUPER sweet.

 

They also LOVE their little brother....always lots of hugs and kisses. In the morning they always say hi to him and if he makes a noise Carter will run up to Kev or myself and say "Austin, Austin" and point in his direction, as if to say, "Go get him!!"



Their favorite meal of the day is breakfast...they are starting to use their utensils really well, so we have been diving into yogurt and cereal with milk. Of course, their favorite is still fruit. They love blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apples, cantaloupe, grapes and oranges. Such happy boys!



Things I am loving right now:

* Carter is starting to talk ALOT more...still trying to figure out all he is saying, but he attempting and it is precious

* Bryce is so proud of himself, whenever he does anything he looks up at us and yells, "I DID IT!" so cute!

* Carter has an amazing attention span...his teachers think it is amazing at his age that he can sit and play and remain content for such a long amount of time for his age

* Bryce is a funny guy...everytime he has a dirty diaper, I ask him if he is dirty and he always says, "No, Carter is..." I can just see him pointing his finger at his brother when he gets in trouble when he is older

* Carter is going through a terrible hitting phase...so time outs have become regular

* Bryce has quite the temper....and does not like to share...something we are working on

* Carter is having some separation anxiety in large crowds...he just wants Kevin to hold him the entire time...such a shy kid

* Bryce, on the other hand is the socialite...just walks into a room like he owns it and talks to everyone

* Carter still gives the best hugs....(this is his "I love you" right now)

* Bryce says, "Momma, I love you!" (melts my heart)

* They both still sleep from 7:30p-7:30a...and nap once a day for 2-3hrs. They sometimes have HUGE appetites and other days they just stare at food. Bathtime is a favorite time and now that the weather is nice they LOVE going outside to play.



They are best buds...they love rocks, dirt and playing in their pajamas. when I catch them just hanging out together I think it is amazing. They have their own language. They are becoming little boys instead of my babies!




Happy 22 months!

Shoe Shopping....Boys edition

So one of the biggest differences between boys and girls....shoe selection :)

My daughter has more shoes than I do...it is ridiculous. She has boots, flats, strappy sandals, jellies, flip flops, dressy, casual...you name it, she has it. She wears them all too. She is quite girly and loves dressing up and matching shoes to her outfits.

But the boys...they survive on what is needed.

Our go-to pair are our New Balance tennis shoes (and the only pair that still fits):



They are great for playing and the boys love that they can take them off by themselves because of the velco strap. Actually, Bryce takes them off as soon as he gets into the car...everytime!!

We have added 3 more pair to the collection for the spring/summer, and well, as long as their foot will fit into them.

1.Crocs
Katelyn had a pair last year and they got alot of wear, so I thought it was just natural to get the boys a pair. We went with black since it was a great neutral.



They clean easily and let the foot breath during the summer. The boys were a little unsure of them at first, but they seem to like them now. Although, Carter trips himself a little bit ;) Also, I signed up to receive e-mails and got a 20% off coupon! Super affordable!

2. TOMS
I LOVE my TOMS so I thought it would be a great casual shoe for the boys. They spend 65% of their time in khakis and a shirt, so throwing on a pair of TOMS just completes the outfit :)



Not to mention, they are precious!! Also, since we got the boys a pair, we got two pairs for someone else that needed shoes :)

3. Sandals

We went with a GAP pair. Gap was having 20% off, so I figured I would take advantage of a sale since I have to get two pair, and well it is summer...so you have to have sandals. Enough said...



So, we have our shoe collection complete :) We are happy with our selection and super pumped that with sales and all, we were able to purchase 6 pairs of shoes for under $100 bucks!! Not bad!!

What shoes are you wearing this summer??

Won't you sing along with me?

So, we have just recently broke out the ABC puzzle with the boys. It had been Katelyn's when she was younger and she LOVED it, so we decided it was time for the boys to love some letters.

We have been singing the ABC's for months and they like the beat and Bryce even has some letters down. Carter, on the other hand, is more the mover and shaker instead of the communicator...so he dances a little jig :)

Either way, when I broke out the puzzle, they were both so excited! Carter is great with puzzles and I can tell that both are picking up on letter recognitition. I am a proud mama :)



They both played really well together and we took turns on the letters. Bryce repeats them back very well and Carter's favorites that he will say on O, H, W, I and A. Katelyn likes to sit them down and be the "teacher". She is quite good at her job...they honestly will sit there for her longer than for me. They pretty much think their sister hung the moon.

There is another lil' man that thinks pretty highly of her too...



She is such a good big sister!

Anyway, I am pretty sure the boys will have their ABC's down in no time...it is so cute hearing them try :) Want to know a fun fact? I can sing my ABC's backward to the tune of the alphabet song...I learned it in 5th grade...and I have NEVER forgotten :) My niece used to make me sing it ALL THE TIME...it was what kept me cool in her eyes for an entire 18 months ;)

Well, so glad tomorrow is Friday!!

What the sock?

Do you knonw how many socks a family of 6 wears???? Approximately 14,325....minus the ones the dryer eats of course...and today is Monday....laundry day again...and today I am tackling the dreaded sock basket.

When doing laundry, I throw all the loose socks into a basket and tell myself I will do them "later". Very vague...so after a few days of Kev and I complaining that we can't find socks for ourselves or the kids, I decide it is time. So, I have a method to the madness of matching socks, since they range from big man socks to tiny balls of fabric that fit Austin's little foot.

First, I separate adult size from kid size...then the adult size gets separated into white and black socks. Then the kids socks get separated into: girly socks (KK), the twins and Austin. Then I set out to match within each separated group, and then throw away those that don't get a friend.

Whew....this is a process, with the help of Carter and Bryce, takes about an hour and a half. We usually have to stop a couple of times to read a book or two, then try on a sock, walk around and laugh at themselves in daddy's socks, then to separate them from fighting over daddy's socks...it is kinda funny :)

So, they are now down for a nap, and I am going to finish up laundry day and sit back and enjoy some old episodes of Sex in the City....tomorrow I will try to post a weekend recap...it was busy and GREAT!!

Happy Monday!

21 months old

Here is how it all started....day one...



My precious boys...I remember being in the hospital and being SCARED out of my mind...two at once??? I didn't even know where to begin....but man, they were (are) so precious...even looking at this picture, it brings tears to my eyes....

Fast forward 21 months...and here we are today...



Little boys...that love to eat, laugh, wrestle, play, read books and frustrate one another....they are best of friends...and at times the worst of friends...they talk to each other every day when going down for a nap and are the last to tell each other good night before they drift off to sleep at night.

They love waking up in the morning and if one is up before the other, you can hear (usually Bryce) saying, oh, so quietley..."Carter!?!"...."CCCCaaaarrrtteeerr!!!" until brother wakes up...then they stand and bounce in their cribs and laugh at one another...



They have such a unique relationship....twins fascinate me. I love hearing stories when we pick them up from MDO about how they play with other kids but they always keep tabs on where each other are...and "check-in" with one another on occassion...as if to say, "Hey brother...I am still here".

As much as they are on their own level with one another in their own "Carter & Bryce" world...they are SUCH individuals...With Katelyn, our first, I would get the weekly e-mails telling me what kids a certain age are doing...and she always seem to be on track or ahead...and I will admit I always felt so good that she was so "normal"....with Carter and Bryce this went out the window...and I changed my idea of normal...they have always been on their OWN schedule.



My little Carter Man....he is our lover...he is full of hugs and kisses and is ready and willing to share. He talks with his eyes...because he is not much of a conventional talker. He is super easy going 90% of the time...he is however very rough when it comes to playing with his brother and sister...he hasn't quite mastered the "pat", his is more like a slap. We are working on this...and time out seems to part of his daily ritual...but I know it will get better. He is quite the little sports star...his favorite toys are balls and he loves to catch, roll and throw. He is still learning how to be graceful on his feet....he just started walking at 15 months old, so it is a process and he is getting much quicker...he has almost caught up to Bryce!

When we go places, he is definitely not the center of attention...he is much more quiet and reserved. He is coming out of his shell though. Last night when we dropped the kids off at Parent's Night Out...he forged ahead of Katelyn and Bryce and walked to his room...he was ready to play! Oh..and I must add in, when he gets excited and starts walking somewhere, his left arm starts swinging like crazy, but his right arm stays still. Cracks me up!

As I said, he is not much of a talker...he still uses some of his sign language and points but we are working on words everyday. He has a handful he uses but when it comes to understanding and listening, he is hands down the best of the two. He loves to help and clean up. He is great at puzzles and blocks. He loves to dance and sing. In a word...he is precious and makes my heart melt. He still adores his daddy more than anyone...



Brycers...aka "Momma's Boy"....totally and completely...I would be lying if I said I didn't love the fact when I walk in the room his world stops and he runs to me....I kinda think it is the best! He is such a guy on the go...he walked before Carter so he is much more graceful on his feet and instead of walking, pretty much runs everywhere. No matter where we are going, he wants to be part of the action. Whether it is church, Mother's Day out, the mall...where ever...he wants to walk in and start playing.

He is my monkey. He climbs, jumps (well, kinda jumps), slides and swings. He has no fear...which has lead to a shiner, lots of bumps and bruises...skinned knees and a few tears...but he is all boy. Well, until it comes to sister's hats and purses...he is a BIG fan of all things dress up :)

So...I never thought anyone could talk more than Katelyn but I am coming to find out that Bryce is going to be tough competition. I imagine the dinner table is going to be quiet the circus as they all get older and we sit down to talk about everyone's day. Bryce is SUPER animated and talks with his hands...just like his momma :) He jabbers all the time....I can just see the wheels in his head turning. He tries to tell stories and reads books...he can't sit still for more than 2 minutes for any toy...he just runs and runs!



They are both just complete joys...I am definitely more laid back this go round...not too mention, I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old that also take up time, so when it comes to play time, it is just that...play! Sometimes I stress myself out because I don't think they know enough songs, nursery rhymes....they can't recite the alphabet yet or count to ten. But they sure do try! And they are having fun learning...I do find myself comparing them to Katelyn...because she knew so much more at their age...as far as numbers, colors, shapes, etc...but then I realize she was my only focus then and having more than one means juggling my time with each of them. My mantra is "Don't feel guilty...don't feel guilty..." I am giving each of them time, love and a faith based foundation. Just like they are trying to learn...so am I.

The boys are becoming more independent each day....and every morning I look forward to seeing their sweet faces. But I am pretty sure I will always see them as my babies. Still can't believe they are 21 months old....

The small things...

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a wonderful weekend at a friends wedding (post later) and now we are winding down watching the Oscars. The best part about being away is the coming back part...and the smiles on the kids faces!! So I will leave you with this....



I love how my boys can take a cup of water and turn it into entertainment....love these little guys! (sidenote....I don't let them eat just anything off the ground...but it was funny watching them go back and forth...and after I turned off the camera I threw out the cup!)

Where's Bubba?

Ok...so the other night the boys were helping me sort laundry...kinda...more like play in the piles of clothes. They are to darn cute! Check out the video below...(don't judge the amount of dirty clothes...6 people equals ALOT of dirty clothes...and I am not a fan of laundry...so therefore, lots of piles!!!)



My favorite part is that Bryce really seems to be looking and genuinely excited to find Carter...and then Carter just giggles and takes off...they are so funny together and such good friends already. I love it!!

Yay for tomorrow!!

Monday Ramblings....

Well it is darn cold outside....



See?

So we stayed in our jammies and played all day long...and climbed on everything...I think Bryce is part monkey....



The boys also played with Austin's toy...well Bryce did...Carter played with our U-Verse box which was equally as fun....



They had a great day together with lots of smiles and laughs...they even held hands and walked around the house together....







And my favorite....so precious


It was a great and messy day...another resolution of mine is to let go of a clean house...it is just not going to happen everyday with 4 kids...6 people under one roof = mess...so I am trying not to be so type A about this...sorry, sidenote!

Of course, it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt...



Poor lil' Austin...first bruise...top of his head...Carter got a little excited with a cup and whacked his brother in the head...lots of tears and a little time out and then we were back to good!!

Basically a wonderful day, although we did miss KK. She is at Granny and Papa's house hanging out in the cold but we will reunite tomorrow!!

Well...I am going to finish watching this crazy Oregon/Auburn game now! Good Night!

18 months....where did you go???

These precious little boys are 18 months old now...(ok...18 months and 5 days to be exact) and I honestly CANNOT wrap my head around this.

Check out these two...so cute...



Pretty sure it is next to impossible to have all eyes on the camera...but cute nonetheless. This was a picture from Christmas Eve festivities.

Carter and Bryce bring such joy to my life. They are so different and such individuals, however they really are the best of friends. Watching twins is so interesting with the interaction they have with each other. They can be so sweet with one another and at the same time push each others buttons and annoy each other. Both equally sweet.

Carter is growing like crazy! He is about 25 pounds and his shoe size is about a 4. He has little bitty feet, paired with a round belly, and his little walk just makes you smile.

Bryce is strong. He is 26 pounds and his shoe size is 7. Big feet and he sure knows how to use them. He is off and running about 90% of the day. He has a sweet little smile and just laughs as he runs from one room to the next.

The time with the boys has flown by! I still feel like they are my "babies". I think this is because it has taken them a little longer to master some physical developments (i.e. walking) and some communicative activities. Bryce "talks" alot more than Carter, but Carter understands so much and really listens. Tantrums are a daily occurence and I know that their lack of communications is the catalyst. Bryce is in the repeat phase, so he is willing to try new words and sounds and will just babble his head off as if he is in conversation. I love this!! Carter just puts a sweet smile on and points and he knows a couple of signs that he uses, but he isn't quite ready to put things into words. Plus he has an older sister and brother that love doing it for him :)

I spent much of their little lives pregnant and toward the end picking them up was practically impossible and then a week in the hospital and 6 weeks of no lifting really made me sad. By the time I could pick them up again...they had grown SO MUCH!! They are turning into little boys and I couldn't be happier, although I would love to press the pause button right now.

Carter....Bryce....I love you two so much!! Thank you for teaching me patience...and that I can do anything!!

Too Darn Cold...

So today it is currently 13 degrees outside...with a -6 degree wind chill...WHAT!?!

Is it sad that I am looking forward to Saturday....because it will be so much warmer...at 31 degrees...which is STILL below freezing!!

Due to this fact, the boys and I will be indoors ALL DAY! I plan on cleaning out my closet, deep cleaning the bedroom and organizing before the new job starts Monday...unless, I decide it is so cold that the boys need to be cuddled up to me all day to stay warm. If that is so, I will do my motherly duty and bundle up with both and sit on the couch and catch up on all my DVR'd shows....ALL DAY. You do what you have to :)

I hope everyone has a wonderfully day...STAY WARM!!

Just the 5 of Us...

So that is my wonderful family of 5. This is my favorite photo of a recent photo shoot with our friend and photographer Chris Fox. There are plenty of other wonderful photos...but this one just captured an emotion. It truly shows us as a family...the hubs and I busy making sure the kids are situated...KK looking up to her daddy...and the boys just taking in each other and their surroundings.

Hands down my favorite....

It is still crazy to me...here was the first picture of the family of 5....

A very surreal day...I remember the day I found out I was pregnant...and I tried to to imagine 2 kids and how crazy and exciting it would be. When we found out it would be 2 infants and a our wonderful daughter who was blossoming into to toddlerville...whoa! Saying out loud I have 3 kids (in 3 years) still makes me stop and pinch myself.

Thinking back...I miss the hospital...at the time I wanted nothing more than to come home after being stuck up there an additional 3 days (thank you crazy high blood pressure). But it sure was nice being waited on...food brought to me and actually sleeping with all that help :) I had a great group of nurses! Thank you Mercy Hospital...

This time of year it is easy to focus on what we want instead of what we have, so I want to say I am so thankful for the 3 blessings that I have been given. They are truly the best gifts that I will ever receive.

I have two men in my life....

and they are SO darn cute...no, really...they are...I would even say this if they weren't my own :)

I mean look at them:

"Hey Mom!"

Carter: "Hey mom...really...he won't quit messing with my feet...wasn't sharing a womb enough..."

Bryce: "Mom...but I love toes...they are so cool...I love mine...and yours...and brother's & sister's..."

I mean...really...how cute and chubby are these little toes?

I have been around babies for awhile now...nieces, nephews...my friends babies. But it is so cool being around twins...most of the time when two babies are in the same room they don't really even notice it...but not these two. They always know when the other is present...or absent. Just being by each other is calming. They hold hands, play footsie and just stare at each other...and smile.

I love watching the interaction. It entertains me most evenings. Another amazing thing, is the attention they pay to KK. They are just mesmerized by her and all she does. She is very hands on with the boys, which I love (although sometimes nervewrecking) but she has learned to be gentle and know her boundaries. She is one smart cookie.

I already see roles developing in all three. Carter seems like a leader, very strong willed...Bryce on the other hand seems like the one that depends on brother, and wears his heart on his sleeve. KK is the nurturing kind and wants to please everyone.

I feel so blessed to have such amazing kids. They truly amazing me.

Yes....they are twins...

So there is nothing better than hearing how cute your kids are when out and about....however, they are things that I have noticed change when you have twins.

After I had KK, we would go to the mall/target/etc and she would be all dolled up and sleeping so sweet in her stroller...and on occasion people would stop and say "how cute!" or "how old is she?"...and then we would go on our way of shopping.

However, when I go out with the twins...1 in every 3 people stop and first ask "are they twins?"...uh...duh...why else would I be pushing around two infants in a stroller...it's not like I had them 3 months apart...and what is the likelihood of it being a niece or a nephew...this then leads to every inappropriate question in the book...some of my favorites include:

"Are you breastfeeding?"

"How long did you carry them?"

"Did you have a c-section?"

"How much weight did you gain?"

"Have you lost your baby weight?"

"Do you work?"

"Are you having any more?" (followed by disapproving look)

These are questions that even family haven't asked...however, a complete stranger will come up and ask 1 if not all questions and stare at me as though I should answer...maybe I should throw in all my high blood pressure stories and how I may never fit into my clothes again.

What takes the cake though is when we are out with all 3 kids...a 2 year old and 2 5 month olds...this definitely raises eyes...and what is funny...they always approach us and say something about the twins and never even look in KK direction...(which is a pet peeve...I know twins are interesting...but there is a little girl there that keeps saying hello...QUIT IGNORING HER...and get out of the boys face, thank you...it IS flu season)

Anyway, once I say something about KK, the statement always follows, "How do you do it?" Just so you know..there is no REAL answer...you just do it...then..."You have your hands full" again...duh.

Most of these statements come out so deragotory, it amazes me.

Yes I will admit, life is somewhat crazy and hectic for some portion of every day, but it is also magical to have 3 kids...and yes that sounds cheesy and I meant it too!

Anyway...moral of this post...think before you speak...and yes...they are twins.

You will understand one day...

So my mom used to drive me crazy....I realize this sounds horrible, but it is true....and I am proud to say that one day I will drive my daughter crazy too.

Anyway...

I remember when I was younger how my mom would always walk two steps ahead (figuratively of course) to make sure I wasn't hurt, physically or emotionally. Trying to help me dodge all the hardships...and as much as I would push back at times...okay most of the time...trying to tell her...explain to her that she could not keep me from hurting or falling down along the road of life. She would not listen though and insisted on keeping by my side and helping me along the way to keep me protected and assuring me that "you will understand one day..."

Fast forward....

2- years later....

I have a slim idea of what the phrase means....I would do ANYTHING for this little girl to make sure she never hurts. Okay...so I know this is impossible, but I know the feeling in the pit of my stomach that just aches at the thought of her hurting.

Luckily, I trust that the Lord has an amazing plan for her and will always protect her as a child of God.

But I think of when she first came home and I slept on the couch for 4 months because I could not imagine her being alone in a room. Or when she was 6 months old and begin sitting up on her own and I place pillows all around her to make sure it would pad any fall she might have.....

When she began to walk, I followed her from room to room afraid of her falling.

I don't want to come off as a completely crazed mom because I would like to think of myself as a pretty laid back mother...but I do have my moments.

My husband laughs at me because when we are at the playground I fear her going down a slide. It is funny how a little person enters your life and all the worry and concern you have is all focused on this little person.

Now enter...

Two more amazing additions to our family....and the feeling of protecting my cubs is even more. I have three beautiful children that will all, at some time, experience hurt, fear and disappointment. These are things that I wish I could take away, but I know I can't so I will do my best to help them over these hurdles and make sure that they grow in a positive direction.

I had know idea how challenging and rewarding parenting would be. With the boys right now it is nothing but kisses and hugs. Sweet words and small intimate moments that we get to play and "talk".

But with Katelyn, we have begun shaping her into a tiny person that knows right from wrong. Every situation becomes some sort of lesson and explanation of the world. She fills our day with conversation using new words and descriptions. It is truly amazing that she knows her ABC's and can count. She can tell us what she likes...and even more what she doesn't. She is a beautiful young lady with such heart it brings tears to my eyes.

I know each phase of parenthood will be challenging and different than the last but I know that every challenge will be followed with a smile or action that makes it all worth it.

I feel blessed that I have 3 children....and cannot wait to use the line...

"you will understand...one day"