Oops I forgot it was Friday. =) 

Babies start your engines!

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to! Poor Shenzie just wanted to see her presents.

“I have an idea, we should get seperated and each of us take the babies for one week so the other gets a break.”

“???”

“I’m totally going to sleep for my whole week!”

“Hmmm.. This could work. I could get two 18 year olds* in place of you to take care of the babies and cook.”

“Perfect, so it’s a deal?”

“Well wait…who is going to support you if we’re split up?”

“You of course…I mean I am still taking care of your kids every other week.”

“No deal. I’ll only support you for the weeks you have the babies.”

“Deal! Sucker.”

*I’m assuming he needs two 18 year olds because they are young and have lots of energy and taking care of twins is a lot of work…he wouldn’t need them for any other reason, right?

Major bed head

Bed head? Did I hear somebody mention bed head?

I’m too cool for bed head….and….well, I have no hair!

Seriously…what is wrong with people!?! I’m a pretty friendly person. I talk to strangers, smile a lot, and am pretty outgoing….but I don’t really like people all that much. Well, I don’t really like STUPID people all that much and this world is chalked full of stupid people. I try not to be rude if I can help it, but lately it is becoming harder and harder. When I take the babies out in their double stroller we get stopped a lot. Walmart is the worst…every 5 seconds someone is stopping us to ask about the babies…and like any mother I’m proud to show them off…to a point. When I’m PMSing, in a hurry, grouchy, hungry, or the babies are tired, hungry, or fussy DO NOT get in our way. Last week I took the babies to Walmart. We were leaving the store after being out and about for an hour and half and the babies were ready to go home. My trick for a fast getaway is to avoid eye contact and walk as fast as the stroller will allow to discourage strangers from stopping us. Most times this works…that day it did not.  A lady coming into the store actually put her hand out and stopped the stroller so she could see the babies. Are you kidding me?!?!?!? DO NOT under any circumstances stop our moving vehicle or I will bite your hand off! No, instead nice Lesley doesn’t say anything but answers the crazy ladies questions with a smile while inside I am fuming. Then of course there was the Smiths incident where once again I smile politely while the lady insults us. You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now right? Sometimes you just have to be mean and rude I guess. Yesterday we went to Wild Oats (an organic, all natural type of store). As we were leaving a lady stops us outside and gets up in the babies face tickling their toes *Cringe*. Shenzie did not have an afternoon nap and was very tired. She starts to fuss at the lady so I say…she has major stranger anxiety you might want to stay clear. That is pretty to the point, right? Apparently not. The lady then gets even closer to Shenzie who starts to cry. Meanwhile I’m trying to steer the stroller around crazy lady, but she just won’t move. She then says…maybe it is their diet…it could be what you’re feeding them. You know food plays an important roll in emotions and behaviors…when I eat salt I get mean. Ummmmmm. Are you F’ing kidding me!?!?!?! First, why in the hell do I care if salt makes you mean. Second, Shenzie was clearly scared of crazy lady so move the f*ck out of the way! I should have said  ‘yeah, you’re right….all of the unseasoned, steamed organic veggies, fresh fruits, hormone and antibiotic free organic chicken, tofu, and rice milk they eat must be making them emotional’….or I could have just rolled her over in our stroller and been on my way.

Sissy, what is that you have? I don’t have one. I think I want that. GIVE IT TO ME!!!

Dear Shenzie and Heaten,
I am a horrible mommy and am long overdue with your 12 month letter. I’m sorry. I have a bunch of excuses…your birthday, birthday party, and getting sick top the list. This month has been amazing, wonderful, and horrible all at once. Since I’m a week late we’ll make this your 12 month and one week post because this week has really brought many new and delightful things!

It has been amazing and wonderful because you are both so fun, funny, and wonderful. Your entertain your daddy and me every day with your expressions, new found independence, temper tantrums, and big personalities. We could sit and watch you for hours. All of the little things you do are so big even though they are so small. Seeing you become so independent and know exactly what you like and don’t like. It has been horrible because we got a stomach virus that knocked us on our asses, there were a couple of sleep issues with Shenzie, and a doctors visit that included shots that was not very pleasant.

Shenzie Buggle,
You have become such a happy happy baby. You don’t fuss or cry all that much which is a nice change from Heaten’s constant state of almost fussiness. This month you really took off…literally. You started to crawl on October 4th. You also learned how to cruise around on furniture and are getting better and better. You can go from one piece of furniture to the next. In one month you went from scooting, to sitting on your own, to cruising, and now crawling. You got a little ride along/push car for your birthday and the first time I put you behind it you started pushing it and walking. It is not going to be long before you are a full blown walker.

On a less positive note you are a little mini me. Mean little Shenzie green. You get this little twinkle in your eye…not a good twinkle, but an ‘I’m up to trouble’ twinkle and then you attack. You love to pull Heaten’s hair, scratch him, me, or dada, bite, and kick. At first your dada would defend you and say you weren’t doing it on purpose…he has since changed his tune…you are TOTALLY doing it on purpose. You look right at me and reach out to pull your brothers hair. We are trying to teach you no and gentle, but so far no luck. Today in the stroller you reached over numerous times to pull his hair. Poor little guy had nowhere to run.
You still have 5 teeth, but I think you’re working on your sixth. You are drooling a lot and chewing on your finger like it is covered in chocolate.

You pretty much still love all food and are not shy about trying new things. This month we introduced grilled cheese, cheese quesadilla, sweet potato fries (thanks Eva), olives, watermelon, and real chicken. Your dada even gave you tapioca pudding (shocking! I know). You don’t really care to eat with the spoon yourself and are content to let me feed you yogurt, applesauce, and cottage cheese. We got the ok for real milk (we’re doing Rice Milk instead), but I’m being a chicken in weaning you from the bottle and formula and have not yet done the deed.
You play pat a cake with me now, you recognize and can do the signs for milk, duck, and gentle (kind of) and we’re still working on more, eat, and hat.

You like:
Standing
Walking
Bathing
Walks in your wagon
Ibuprofen or any medicine
Giving your mama kisses
Pulling hair (mine, Heaten’s, or Dada’s, you are not picky)
Rough housing, especially on our bed where you can roll around and fall back

You dislike:
Getting dressed after bath time
Wearning socks
Getting your diaper changed…it has become rather difficult to do when you’re rolling all over the place
Most people, babies crying, other kids
Loud Noises including the vacuum, cars, hair dryers, and yelling

You get sweeter, cuter, and more wonderful every day. I wouldn’t change a thing about you, even your mean streak! I love you Shenzie Bear.

Love,
Mama

Heaten Boo,
I swear you are not that much bigger than Shenzie yet you seem so much heavier and taller. You have had a wonderful month. You are much happier now that you can get around on your own. You still scoot everywhere but have also started standing and pulling up to furniture and cruising around a bit.

This month you kissed your dada for the first time !!! (September 23rd). It was very sweet…but not as sweet as when you reached over to kiss Shenzie. That melted my heart. You found your peepee for the first time while bathing…pretty funny…you were like what’s this new thing I can play with. It wasn’t funny when Shenzie found it too and tried to yank it off…oops! I gave you your first hair trim on September 21st. Nothing major, just a trim to get the hair out of your eyes and the duck butt gone from the back. Your hair is getting so long…I love it…and so does Shenzie only she like to yank on it.
You got your first tooth!!!!!! It only took you a year. On October 6th, the day of your birthday party we found it. All hell is going to break loose now with the next few.

You are still a toy thief and you have to have anything that Shenzie has even if you have the exact same thing in your hands! You recognize and can do the signs for milk and duck and we’re working on the rest.
You are a very picky eater which is surprising because as a baby you were not picky about the pureed baby foods I made you. You are very hesitant to try new foods and most times you only try them because I trick you and stick them in your mouth. You will pick up the new piece of whatever, squish it in your fingers, bring it to your mouth and lick it, and then throw it down. It is 50-50 if you will take another bite after I trick you into eating the first one. You like to feed yourself with the spoon… you can’t quite get the food out of the bowl, but can get it into your mouth once it’s on the spoon.

You like:
Standing
Walking
Bath time
Walks in your wagon
Giving your mama kisses
Watermelon
Other kids…you love to laugh at them
Hanging upside down
Getting tickles

You dislike:
Getting lotion after your bath
Getting dressed after your bath
Fingers in your mouth
Grilled Cheese
Cheese quesadilla
Sharing your toys

You are so sweet, so loveable, so adorable. I am so lucky to have such a perfect son. I love you my handsome boy.

Love,
Mama

Once again I am sitting on my ass eating Bon Bons while watching Oprah. I think I deserve it after the hellish weekend we had…luckily I think we are all on the mend.

The show was about surrogate mothers in India and IVF with Martha Stewart’s daughter. The surrogate part almost made me cry. Unless you are faced with the thought of never becoming a mother I don’t think you understand the great lengths you would go to in order to be a mother. The controversy was Americans or other rich countries taking advantage of the poor countries. In America it is $70,000 or more (according to Oprah) to have a surrogate carry your child. In India it is $12,000.00 of which about $5,000.00 is paid to the surrogate mother. A family could work their entire lives in India and never make that much money so it changes their lives dramatically. Personally I don’t think it is taking advantage of the woman since both woman gain what they want. The woman of India are not forced to become surrogates, but choose to do so on their own. I think it is atrocious that it cost $70,000.00 in the States for the same thing and woman pay it because the need to become a mother is so great.

As for Martha Stewart’s daughter going on national television and talking about IVF….I think she should do a little more research before she makes a complete ass of herself while talking about something that she clearly knows little about. The end.

p.s

To the woman at Smiths who said that Heaten was too pretty to be a boy and wouldn’t Shenzie make a better boy…*SMACK* NO silly lady…I’m sorry, but I will not get sex changes on my children just to make you happy. As if!

 My “too pretty” son

My “boyish” daughter

My birthday is on Christmas so I never had a birthday party. I had my first party when I was 25 and Jeff threw me a surprise party for my 30th birthday. I usually shared my birthday with my dad whose birthday is 4 days before mine. I don’t quite know how the birthday situation will work when the babies get older and have friends of their own, but since I never had birthday parties it is important to me that they do.

We first picked out the Two Peas theme, but then changed it to a camouflage theme since we are the camo family. I was really trying hard not to stress over having a clean house, homemaking everything, etc. and think I did a really good job. I did make them a birthday banner…

but the cake was store bought….and not as cute as I hoped it would be (or as good). Next year will definitely be homemade.

The day started out a bit sketchy, but ended well. The one day I want everything to go according to plan is of course the one day it doesn’t. The babies both had horrible morning, refused naps, and were crabby. Finally they fell asleep and had a short nap before their big day started. They were cute as could be and happy to see everybody.

They were spoiled rotten and LOVE all of their new presents!

I was both excited and dreadful of the whole cake business. The babies do not eat sweets, ever (well, except for the time I sneakily gave them a chocolate chip cookie)…so I figured they would go NUTS over the cake and ice cream and then want more and more and make themselves sick. This did not happen. At first things seemed ok and they looked like they were going to get into it……

but then Heaten freaked out and started crying and crying and wouldn’t even taste the cake.

Shenzie played in it a bit and then was over it. They both refused the ice cream…whew. No more sweets for us!

They had a wonderful first birthday…thank you to everyone for making it so special.

* More birthday photos can be found here.

Sick, sicker, and sickest. That is the game we are playing around here these last few days. Me…sick, but on the mend. Heaten…teething and having a REALLY hard time with it…including many diaper blowouts that STINK! Jeff…hands down the sickest!

 Did you know if you throw up Pepto Bismol it tastes the same coming up as it did going down? Yep, it’s true! Maybe after all of the yacking I will lose a pound or two. Something good has to come out of this hell we are trapped in.

I have the babies first birthday party to post about…and just as soon as I can get off the couch without falling over I will.

Heaten Grey

At Birth

5 Pounds 8 Ounces ¤ 18 Inches long

1 Month

7 Pounds 13 Ounces ¤ 19 Inches long

2 Months

10 Pounds 11 Ounces - 25th Percentile ¤ 21 1/2 Inches long - 10th Percentile

4 Months

15 Pounds 3 Ounces - 60th Percentile ¤ 24 1/2 Inches long - 25th Percentile

6 Months

16 Pounds 3 Ounces - 25th Percentile ¤ 25 Inches long - 10th Percentile

One Year

22 Pounds 3 Ounces - 50th Percentile ¤ 28 1/2 Inches long - 10th Percentile

Shenzie Weather
At Birth

4 Pounds 9 Ounces ¤ 17 1/2 Inches long

1 Month

6 Pounds 10 Ounces ¤ 18 1/4 Inches long

2 Months

9 Pounds 6 Ounces - 10th Percentile ¤ 19 3/4 Inches long - less than the 3rd Percentile

4 Months

13 Pounds 10 Ounces - 50th Percentile ¤ 22 3/4 Inches long - less than the 3rd Percentile

6 Months

15 Pounds 0 Ounces - 25th Percentile ¤ 23 1/2 Inches long - less than the 3rd Percentile

One Year

20 pounds 10 Ounces - 60th Percentile ¤ 28 Inches long - 25th Percentile

Both Jeff and I are really into music. He plays the guitar, I play(ed) the piano, we love to listen to music, watch videos, see bands, and some of us even really like Musicals (barf). Imgaine our extreme happiness when we realized we have two Mini Mozarts on our hands!