When the girls were really small, I would look ahead to when they would be more mobile, and I would think, “Wow, I’m really going to have my hands full then!” I could just imagine them running in different directions, my head spinning as I tried to keep up with both of them.
Well, the time has come, and my premonitions were correct. The girls often crawl / walk / run in different directions, and my head does spin as I try to manage them both.
What I didn’t anticipate, though, was how the exact opposite would also pose a challenge. These days, the girls seem to alternate between running wide open and needing Mommy’s undivided attention….wanting to be not just near me, or touching me, but physically on top of me. I guess you might say it makes me feel kinda like a chick magnet.
And whether it’s a “twin thing”, or just Murphy’s Law, they most often seem to be in the same mode. So at our house, it’s either a tandem game of “You Can’t Catch Me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”, or “King of the Mountain” with Mommy as the jungle gym. And I love it.
Ticker
January 30, 2010
January 24, 2010
Stronger Than Duct Tape
Who has a grip stronger than duct tape?...a scream more piercing than an owl?...and big blue eyes that will melt your heart? Why, Baby B, of course!
After I posted pictures from the girls’ birthday party, I realized most of them were of Baby A. And being as I have a deep-seated fear of driving the girls into therapy if everything isn’t divided exactly 50-50, I felt like I should offer an explanation.
Over the past several weeks, Baby B has become quite the Mama’s Baby, exhibiting a classic case of separation anxiety, squared. I can state this with such certainty because it’s been confirmed by the pediatrician. Yup, I took her in earlier in the week, thinking her ear drums were surely rotten. What else could be causing her to fuss and cry if she was not velcro’ed to me at all times?
While it’s tempting on some level to be flattered by her flattery, I’m trying to establish in her mind that she’s OK when Mommy turns her head away from her…that Mommy will come back to her when she walks across the room to rescue her sister who’s dangling from the chandelier.
I know it will all work itself out in time, that this is very normal for her age. But in the meantime, I would like to correct the balance from the previous post with a couple of pictures of Baby B, also taken during their birthday party.
Trying to be brave for Granddaddy, but it's hard...even when Mommy's right here!
After I posted pictures from the girls’ birthday party, I realized most of them were of Baby A. And being as I have a deep-seated fear of driving the girls into therapy if everything isn’t divided exactly 50-50, I felt like I should offer an explanation.
Over the past several weeks, Baby B has become quite the Mama’s Baby, exhibiting a classic case of separation anxiety, squared. I can state this with such certainty because it’s been confirmed by the pediatrician. Yup, I took her in earlier in the week, thinking her ear drums were surely rotten. What else could be causing her to fuss and cry if she was not velcro’ed to me at all times?
While it’s tempting on some level to be flattered by her flattery, I’m trying to establish in her mind that she’s OK when Mommy turns her head away from her…that Mommy will come back to her when she walks across the room to rescue her sister who’s dangling from the chandelier.
I know it will all work itself out in time, that this is very normal for her age. But in the meantime, I would like to correct the balance from the previous post with a couple of pictures of Baby B, also taken during their birthday party.
Trying to be brave for Granddaddy, but it's hard...even when Mommy's right here!
OK, feeling a little better now...
Just checking that you're still here, Mommy...
Safe atop Daddy's shoulders...just don't get too close!
Daddy will protect me!
See what I mean???
January 22, 2010
Let's Party Like It's 2010!!!
After a week-long weather delay, The Girls hosted their first party on Saturday. I know that they'll want everything "Dora" or "Princess" before long, so while I still have a say, I chose an open-house format. Despite there being no games of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, I think everyone had a great time. Here are some of my favorite pictures to illustrate this magical day.
We welcomed our wonderful family...
...and many of our friends...
...(both big AND small)...
We sang "Happy Birthday" (twice, of course!)!
And then, there was CAKE!!!
We weren't quite sure what to do with it, but everyone laughed at the mess we made!
Everyone signed our birthday cards...
...and there were even some presents to explore!
We had a great afternoon, and at the end of the party, we were ready to head upstairs for a well-deserved nap.
Ahhh...life is good!!!
We welcomed our wonderful family...
...and many of our friends...
...(both big AND small)...We sang "Happy Birthday" (twice, of course!)!
And then, there was CAKE!!!We weren't quite sure what to do with it, but everyone laughed at the mess we made!
Everyone signed our birthday cards...
...and there were even some presents to explore!
We had a great afternoon, and at the end of the party, we were ready to head upstairs for a well-deserved nap. Ahhh...life is good!!!January 17, 2010
Our Poor Pediatrician
When the girls came home from the hospital, like most new moms, I was full of questions. I called upon my friends and family for counsel…until I realized I could just call our pediatrician’s office. There I had access to medically-trained professionals; I could ask any question behind the “anonymity” of the telephone; and my friends could stop screening my calls. I soon became a regular.
While the frequency of my calls has decreased as the girls have gotten older, I still probably average one call a week. I just imagine the nurses scrambling, saying, “No, it’s your turn…I talked to her last time!” They’re always very nice and accommodating, but I do think I have developed a bit of a reputation as an “involved” mother. :)
We took the girls for their one-year check-up this week. I was armed with three written pages of questions. In fairness, the pages are small, and I had bullet points and spacing between my questions for notes. (I had been “saving” my questions for several weeks, which helped average out my phone call totals for the year.) Our pediatrician was very patient. While I did elicit the occasional chuckle, he answered all my questions without noticeably rolling his eyes.
Following our question-and-answer session (which probably put him behind schedule for the rest of the day), our pediatrician talked to us about transitioning the girls to table food. He listed for us the few items they cannot eat. Among these items, he noted “nuts, and any nut products.” Thinking quickly, I said, “Oh, like sunflower oil?” Our pediatrician looked perplexed for an instant, and then he broke into a hearty laugh. “Like peanut butter,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask about sunflower oil.”
Hey, I was just checking.
Our poor pediatrician. Bless his heart.
While the frequency of my calls has decreased as the girls have gotten older, I still probably average one call a week. I just imagine the nurses scrambling, saying, “No, it’s your turn…I talked to her last time!” They’re always very nice and accommodating, but I do think I have developed a bit of a reputation as an “involved” mother. :)
We took the girls for their one-year check-up this week. I was armed with three written pages of questions. In fairness, the pages are small, and I had bullet points and spacing between my questions for notes. (I had been “saving” my questions for several weeks, which helped average out my phone call totals for the year.) Our pediatrician was very patient. While I did elicit the occasional chuckle, he answered all my questions without noticeably rolling his eyes.
Following our question-and-answer session (which probably put him behind schedule for the rest of the day), our pediatrician talked to us about transitioning the girls to table food. He listed for us the few items they cannot eat. Among these items, he noted “nuts, and any nut products.” Thinking quickly, I said, “Oh, like sunflower oil?” Our pediatrician looked perplexed for an instant, and then he broke into a hearty laugh. “Like peanut butter,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone ask about sunflower oil.”
Hey, I was just checking.
Our poor pediatrician. Bless his heart.
January 11, 2010
The Girls' First Snow (Kind of...)!
Finally! The girls got to see their first snowfall this week! Now that’s not to say that this is the first snow since they were born, mind you….
We actually had quite a bit of snow and ice last year. In fact, the day of the girls’ first visit to the pediatrician, we had to engage the 4-wheel drive for the first time (as if we weren’t nervous enough carting two babies!!!). However, with the girls having been born prematurely, the doctor advised us to keep them inside until they were at least 3 months old AND the temperatures were in the 70’s. My husband further interpreted that to mean they shouldn’t see the light of day…even through the window! So the beautiful snowfalls of 2009 went untouched – and un-photographed – at least in our yard.
I was so excited when the snow began to accumulate last week. I could hardly wait to bundle the girls up and show them the cold white powder. But my husband had other ideas. He agreed to allow them to look out the window, although he cautioned against the glass being too cold for their little hands. After several days of “conversation”, he finally let me run them outside for a few quick pictures.
Just you wait until Daddy goes back to school, girls, and Mommy will let you TOUCH the snow itself! I’d better leave the camera inside, though, so as to limit the incriminating evidence.
We actually had quite a bit of snow and ice last year. In fact, the day of the girls’ first visit to the pediatrician, we had to engage the 4-wheel drive for the first time (as if we weren’t nervous enough carting two babies!!!). However, with the girls having been born prematurely, the doctor advised us to keep them inside until they were at least 3 months old AND the temperatures were in the 70’s. My husband further interpreted that to mean they shouldn’t see the light of day…even through the window! So the beautiful snowfalls of 2009 went untouched – and un-photographed – at least in our yard.
I was so excited when the snow began to accumulate last week. I could hardly wait to bundle the girls up and show them the cold white powder. But my husband had other ideas. He agreed to allow them to look out the window, although he cautioned against the glass being too cold for their little hands. After several days of “conversation”, he finally let me run them outside for a few quick pictures.
Just you wait until Daddy goes back to school, girls, and Mommy will let you TOUCH the snow itself! I’d better leave the camera inside, though, so as to limit the incriminating evidence.
January 8, 2010
ROLL TIDE!!!
2009 was kicked-off with the girls' birth, and 2010 was ushered in by The University of Alabama's 13th NATIONAL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP! Of course I don't mean to compare the two...but let's just say that those are both pretty big happenings in the Emedi household.
This picture was taken at the end of July, just prior to the start of this historic football season, and you can see that the girls were all ready for a run at the title. It also has significance as the first picture I have of them BOTH smiling. A coincidence? I think not! Mommy has been singing "Yea! Alabama!" to them since Day 1.
Now we're working to get them to raise their arms when we say, "Touchdown, Alabama!" These girls may have been born in Kentucky, but our goal is to make sure they know their real roots are in Sweet Home Alabama.
January 7, 2010
First Birthday Play-by-Play
January 5th was such a special day...the girls' FIRST birthday...and I wanted to hold on to every single second of it. I tried not to break away too often to grab the camera, but I managed to pull together this play-by-play of all the fun we packed into the day.
7:00am: Breakfast (Mommy's signature rice cereal and pears...yumm-o!)
11:15: We had squash - our favorite! - for lunch, with apples and blueberries for dessert. It was lick-your-lips good!
12:30: After we had our lunch, we bundled up (it was all of 18 degrees!) and headed to Garcia's to meet Auntie Shanda. She was there when we were born, so we just had to share in our birthday with her!
2:00: When we got home from Garcia's, we were ready to PLAY some more!
4:30: Mommy took more pictures as we got up from our afternoon nap. The first thing we like to do is peek over the rails of our cribs to see each other!
4:45: We had chicken, green beans, and bananas for supper. We love fruits and vegetables!
5:45: After Mommy and Daddy ate supper, Mommy served what looked like a delicious chocolate molten lava cake. Mommy and Daddy sang "Happy Birthday" to each of us, and blew out the candles on our behalf. Mommy gave us a taste of the cake, but it didn't taste anything like applesauce or bananas...YUCK! We hope we like our birthday cake better!
6:00: FINALLY....it was time for presents!!!
Can we do all this again tomorrow???
6:45am: Morning snuggles with Mommy and Daddy.
7:00am: Breakfast (Mommy's signature rice cereal and pears...yumm-o!)
8:00: After breakfast, Mommy let us stay in our PJ's and PLAY!
10:45: Mommy took pictures of us getting up from our morning nap. Don't we look well-rested?!
11:15: We had squash - our favorite! - for lunch, with apples and blueberries for dessert. It was lick-your-lips good! 12:30: After we had our lunch, we bundled up (it was all of 18 degrees!) and headed to Garcia's to meet Auntie Shanda. She was there when we were born, so we just had to share in our birthday with her!
2:00: When we got home from Garcia's, we were ready to PLAY some more!4:30: Mommy took more pictures as we got up from our afternoon nap. The first thing we like to do is peek over the rails of our cribs to see each other!4:45: We had chicken, green beans, and bananas for supper. We love fruits and vegetables!
5:45: After Mommy and Daddy ate supper, Mommy served what looked like a delicious chocolate molten lava cake. Mommy and Daddy sang "Happy Birthday" to each of us, and blew out the candles on our behalf. Mommy gave us a taste of the cake, but it didn't taste anything like applesauce or bananas...YUCK! We hope we like our birthday cake better!6:00: FINALLY....it was time for presents!!! ...with a quick game of tug-o-war thrown in for good measure...
7:30: After such a fun day, it was time for one last snuggle, and then we were off to bed.
Can we do all this again tomorrow??? January 6, 2010
Let Them Eat Cake!
I think it was only a few days after we saw not one – but two! – heartbeats on our ultrasound that my mind wandered over to a seemingly trite subject. I hadn’t yet done any research on twin nursing pillows, or put any thought into whether I wanted matching or coordinating bedding sets. But it suddenly occurred to me, out of the blue, that I always wanted my twin babies to have separate birthday cakes.
With our girls’ first birthday party fast approaching, that’s one decision that was long ago made. Twins have to share so much….toys, bedrooms, snuggles with Mom and Dad….that I try to give them individualized attention as much as possible. So they’ll each have their own cakes to eat (or smear all over themselves, as the case will probably be). And our party guests will be asked to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, while each girl has her own moment to enjoy. And while it’s occurred to me to space the singing of the songs and the blowing out of the birthday candles exactly two minutes apart – to mimic the girls’ births – I’m going to resist the urge to pull out my stop watch at the party.
With our girls’ first birthday party fast approaching, that’s one decision that was long ago made. Twins have to share so much….toys, bedrooms, snuggles with Mom and Dad….that I try to give them individualized attention as much as possible. So they’ll each have their own cakes to eat (or smear all over themselves, as the case will probably be). And our party guests will be asked to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, while each girl has her own moment to enjoy. And while it’s occurred to me to space the singing of the songs and the blowing out of the birthday candles exactly two minutes apart – to mimic the girls’ births – I’m going to resist the urge to pull out my stop watch at the party.
January 3, 2010
An Exercise in Multiplication
A year ago this week, our family doubled in size from two to four. Or, if you count our two cats in the mix, we increased by 50%. Either way, the birth of our twin girls brought about quite a dramatic change.
Somehow, the amount of laundry tripled. How that’s possible from such tiny beings is still beyond me…
Our grocery bill quadrupled. Diapers + wipes + baby food for two growing babies add up quickly, coupled with the fact that Mommy and Daddy rarely eat out these days.
And I don’t even wanna attempt to count my exponential growth of grey hair!
But what I couldn’t begin to enumerate is the joy these babies have brought to our lives. First smiles, first laughs, first steps…all times two. I’ve always known that babies are Heaven’s gifts, but – at least in my book – twins are that with ice cream and a cherry on top. It doesn’t take a calculator for this mommy to realize her multiple blessings.
Somehow, the amount of laundry tripled. How that’s possible from such tiny beings is still beyond me…
Our grocery bill quadrupled. Diapers + wipes + baby food for two growing babies add up quickly, coupled with the fact that Mommy and Daddy rarely eat out these days.
And I don’t even wanna attempt to count my exponential growth of grey hair!
But what I couldn’t begin to enumerate is the joy these babies have brought to our lives. First smiles, first laughs, first steps…all times two. I’ve always known that babies are Heaven’s gifts, but – at least in my book – twins are that with ice cream and a cherry on top. It doesn’t take a calculator for this mommy to realize her multiple blessings.
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