I already blogged about our Mother's Day weekend trip to visit my brother and sister in Cincinnati. It was a great weekend but it was a long haul. Four children. One car. Over 600 miles. That's just one way. Over 1200 miles in total. You can imagine that by the time we got there husband and I were worn out.
We also heard a lot of interesting things, deep thoughts if you will, over those miles in the car. Here are a few of those deep thoughts courtesy of the Horton children.
"Daddy, I'm not a cow." Harrison, after only 30 minutes. I have absolutely no idea where this came from.
"Daddy, there's a goldfish on my neck." Again Harrison. He did in fact have a goldfish on his neck left over from eating his lunch.
"Cow, where are you?" Ella, 2 hours into the drive and completely out of nowhere.
"No, I won't stop it. You leave me alone." Ella, almost immediately after the cow comment. You can tell by this comment she is quite sassy. We're working on that but, I'm sad to report, don't seem to be making much progress. Her preschool teacher assures me she doesn't smart off at school. She saves it for me. Ahhhh...aren't I lucky. According to the experts, it is a sign she loves me.
"Happy freaking birthday to me." Husband's translation of Ava's screaming. We made the drive on her 4 month birthday and the poor thing isn't a fan of the carseat.
"John David is my brother. Ava is my sister. Mommy, I'm out of milk." Harrison while stopped for dinner in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I don't know why Ella was left out or what the milk had to do with his thought process but there you go.
Here is a snippet of a conversation between Ella & Harrison at the beginning of the movie Happy Feet when we got back in the car after dinner in Bowling Green
Harrison: "That penguin is dancing like a master."
Ella: "No, he is dancing like a princess."
"The monster is biting the penguin. That isn't nice. We don't bite." Ella while watching Happy Feet.
"I want to go see Anna." John David approximately 63 miles from Louisville, KY. Thank goodness he wanted to go see his aunt since we were already over 2/3's of the way there.
"I have to put on my white sandals. I don't want to step on a bumblebee." Ella's comment as we were getting dressed Saturday morning for my sister's White Coat ceremony.
"I have to get the party started." Harrison - Saturday night as we were cooking dinner.
"Don't lick your sister." Me to Harrison who was licking Ava's head on Sunday morning. Don't ask me why he was licking her. I have no idea. I never, in a million years, thought I would have to tell my child to stop licking his sibling. Yuck!.
"Mommy, I have a burger up my nose. We don't eat burgers." Harrison on Monday morning before getting in the car to head home. Obviously he didn't mean burger but that another "b-word" was up his nose. He may not have the right word but at least he knows we don't eat them.
And there we have some Deep Thoughts from the Horton children.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Cincinnati
This time of year is always super busy. The end of school is approaching so there are extra parties and school programs to attend. We have had so much going on I haven't had time to blog about it all. Last weekend, Mother's Day weekend, we all took off and drove the 600+ miles to Cincinnati to see my brother and sister. My brother is about to start his final year of a med/peds residency while my sister is finishing her first year of audiology school in Cincinnati.
The trip was really just to visit with my brother and sister. John Robert, my brother, hadn't met Ava yet and we thought it was about time. Plus, Anna, my sister, received her white coat that Saturday and the school had a ceremony to honor her and her classmates. I'm be the only one of my siblings that isn't a doctor. It makes me feel like a slacker sometimes. Maybe I should go back to school. Something to think about when I'm not busy raising four children. Anyway, we were all there to see Anna get her white coat and the kids even had coordinating outfits. I was really on the ball. That is until Ava got choked as the ceremony started and threw up the entire contents of her stomach (and she had just eaten) all over the both of us. We were looking good. You will notice there are not pictures of us from the ceremony.
Here she is before receiving her coat.
And here she is receiving it.
And here she is about to say the oath of audiology.
After the oath taking when everyone applauded.
Here is her whole class.
Here are Anna and the twins in front of the big red fire truck.
And here is John David. I don't remember why he was laughing.
Here they all are with the truck. I think I managed to take a photo where none of them are actually looking at me.
Ella's entire front was completely soaked. She didn't fall in though so I considered that a win.
Harrison's glasses only took two dips in the fountain.
John David was more interested in having a baseball game on the grass. Of course we had no gloves, balls or bats so we just pretended. Here he is playing catcher.
And here is Harrison playing Catcher. He was relaxing because John David had hit a grand slam and was running the bases.
Making the turn for home.
We make new friends everywhere we go. This adorable little girl was having a fun day out with her daddy and stopped to join in the fun of the baseball game. She and Harrison hit it off.
Here is John David getting ready to pitch. The family behind him had a great time just watching the pretend game.
After the fun of the fountain and the baseball game it was off to the actual park and playground. Here everyone got in on the fun.
Whee!
Even husband had fun on the slide!
Even I took a turn on the slide.
It was a great Saturday. Perfect weather. Fun with Anna and John Robert. We couldn't ask for a better weekend.
The trip was really just to visit with my brother and sister. John Robert, my brother, hadn't met Ava yet and we thought it was about time. Plus, Anna, my sister, received her white coat that Saturday and the school had a ceremony to honor her and her classmates. I'm be the only one of my siblings that isn't a doctor. It makes me feel like a slacker sometimes. Maybe I should go back to school. Something to think about when I'm not busy raising four children. Anyway, we were all there to see Anna get her white coat and the kids even had coordinating outfits. I was really on the ball. That is until Ava got choked as the ceremony started and threw up the entire contents of her stomach (and she had just eaten) all over the both of us. We were looking good. You will notice there are not pictures of us from the ceremony.
Here she is before receiving her coat.
And here she is receiving it.
And here she is about to say the oath of audiology.
After the oath taking when everyone applauded.
Here is her whole class.
After the ceremony there was a small reception with some very delicious cake. YUMMY!
Then we headed back to the apartment to change clothes and have a little lunch before we were off on our next adventure. My brother had the day off from work and had thought up some fun outings for the children. Our first stop was Patty's Old Fashioned Popcorn. They had all sorts of flavored popcorn as well as old fashioned candy and shaved ice. Delicious! Around the corner from Patty's was the fire station. Harrison loves cars and trucks. All kinds, particularly fire trucks. The doors were open so we took a good look around.
Cincinnati is made up of the different little neighborhoods with their own shopping areas and restaurants. The fire station was in Hyde Park. After checking out the fire station we walked to the square in Hyde Park where there is a fountain and a grassy area. You can imagine the fountain was a huge hit.
Ella's entire front was completely soaked. She didn't fall in though so I considered that a win.
And here is Harrison playing Catcher. He was relaxing because John David had hit a grand slam and was running the bases.
Making the turn for home.
Here is John David getting ready to pitch. The family behind him had a great time just watching the pretend game.
Up she goes!
Even husband had fun on the slide!
Even I took a turn on the slide.
It was a great Saturday. Perfect weather. Fun with Anna and John Robert. We couldn't ask for a better weekend.
Friday, May 18, 2012
PROGRAM DAY
Last Friday was PROGRAM day at school for John David. He was so excited to perform for all of us and we were all equally excited to see it. He had picked out what he wanted to wear for his PROGRAM weeks earlier. So Friday morning he was ready to go. New red polo shirt...check. New coordinating madras shorts...check. Socks, pulled up high just like he likes them...check. Shoes, expertly tied by mommy because nobody else does it exactly right.....check. Brushed hair...check. Big smile...check. He was ready to go.
The PROGRAM started at 10:00 but knowing how hard it can be to get a good seat at a preschool program we were there by 9:30. The 3 year old program that was before John David's wasn't even over when we arrived. Even getting there early didn't get us front row seats. Husband, Baby Ava, Granny Susie, and Grandpa H were on the third row while the twins and I got prime seating on the floor in front of the first row of chairs. We visited with some of the other parents while waiting for the show to begin. Soon it was time.
The children started with the pledge of allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner followed by the Razorback fight song, complete with red & white pom-poms. GO HOGS!!!
Then came their chapel songs. John David loves chapel and going to church on Sunday. I know that won't last as he gets older. I'm sure when he's a teenager I will have to drag him out of bed to get him to church but for now I am really glad and thankful that he loves it so much. As a result, he practiced these songs for us alot at home.
They also sang a song they had composed themselves. One of the longs they learned this year was "This Land is Your Land." Miss Amy, their music teacher, had them compose new lyrics for this song all about their school. Here are the children's lyrics.
One of the really cool parts of the PROGRAM was each class (there were three) got to demonstrate something different they had learned in music class during the year. One class demonostrated what they had learned about different types of music notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. Another class demonstrated ringing handbells, together all at once and individually as notes in a scale. John David's class demonstrated their improvisational techniques while playing the xylophone. Each child in the class got to come up to the front and improvise their own "song" on the xylophone for about 16 counts. Personally, and obviously I'm a little biased, I thought John David's class got the coolest demonstration since each child got their own solo. One of the teachers had told me John David was playing an instrument in the PROGRAM and that he was doing a great job in practice. He had told me how much he enjoyed it. No one told me it was a solo though. I was a little fearful that he would get nervous with the twins and I sitting on the floor right in front of where he was supposed to play and that would make him not improvise his solo. My fears were totally unfounded. He did great! My being on the floor right in front of him didn't phase him at all. Husband took a video of John David's solo with his phone. I tried to upload the video and couldn't get it to work so here is a link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zA1jFBW__w&list=FLPc220HyBXtQNS9rXFCGSLA&feature=plcp
The children finished with the song "I'm a Promise." The song goes
That's exactly what John David is. A promise. A possibility. A great big bundle of potentiality. All of my children are. All children everywhere are. As much as I wish I could keep him small forever, I can't wait to see what he will become, what he will do with his life, what amazing adventures he will have.
After the PROGRAM was over there was a little reception for the children, families, and the teachers. Cookies, cake, punch. We were leaving for a weekend trip to visit my brother and sister in Cincinnati immediately after the PROGRAM was over so sugaring them up with all the goodies at the reception might not have been the best of ideas, but they enjoyed the goodies.
As part of PROGRAM DAY each child had art work on display. John David's class painted self portraits. Again I am biased but I thought John David did a great job. I'm sure he had help but I'm proud of his work. It will be going on display on the wall at home immediately. One of our "To Do" projects for this weekend is to put up a wall of fame. Basically we are planning on putting up a clothes line, complete with clothes pins, to display the children's artwork. Then we can change it out as new masterpieces come home.
Here is John David's self portrait.
It was a fabulous program and a wonderful day. Husband and I were so proud of him. Better still, John David was proud of himself. It makes a mother's heart glad. I can't wait for PROGRAM DAY again next year.
The PROGRAM started at 10:00 but knowing how hard it can be to get a good seat at a preschool program we were there by 9:30. The 3 year old program that was before John David's wasn't even over when we arrived. Even getting there early didn't get us front row seats. Husband, Baby Ava, Granny Susie, and Grandpa H were on the third row while the twins and I got prime seating on the floor in front of the first row of chairs. We visited with some of the other parents while waiting for the show to begin. Soon it was time.
Then came their chapel songs. John David loves chapel and going to church on Sunday. I know that won't last as he gets older. I'm sure when he's a teenager I will have to drag him out of bed to get him to church but for now I am really glad and thankful that he loves it so much. As a result, he practiced these songs for us alot at home.
They also sang a song they had composed themselves. One of the longs they learned this year was "This Land is Your Land." Miss Amy, their music teacher, had them compose new lyrics for this song all about their school. Here are the children's lyrics.
St. Mark's is your school.
St. Mark's is my school.
From class to music,
To the outdoor playground.
From across the playground
To the youth gym.
St. Mark's was made for you and me!
I'm a promise, I'm a possibility, I'm a promise with a capital "P"
I'm a promise to be, anything God wants me to be
I am a promise, I am a possibility, I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learning to hear God's voice, and I am trying to make the right choices
I'm a promise to be, anything God wants me to be
After the PROGRAM was over there was a little reception for the children, families, and the teachers. Cookies, cake, punch. We were leaving for a weekend trip to visit my brother and sister in Cincinnati immediately after the PROGRAM was over so sugaring them up with all the goodies at the reception might not have been the best of ideas, but they enjoyed the goodies.
It was a fabulous program and a wonderful day. Husband and I were so proud of him. Better still, John David was proud of himself. It makes a mother's heart glad. I can't wait for PROGRAM DAY again next year.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Growing Up So Fast
Friday Ava turned 4 months old. It seems impossible that she is already 4 months. I feel like she was just born yesterday. My brother hadn't even met her until this weekend. With her turning 4 months and all the others having their birthdays, well child check-ups were on the agenda at our house.
Here's a little update on how everyone is growing.
John David
The pediatrician doesn't give us percentiles anymore for John David so I turned to the internet and found a growth chart put out by the CDC for boys aged 2 - 20. Based on my reading of these charts I think these are John David's approximate percentiles.
Weight 47 pounds ~90th percentile
Height 44 1/4 inches ~75th percentile
Blood Pressure 103/63
Pulse 93
No shots for John David but he did have a vision and hearing screening which he passed perfectly. Yeah! He is still at the top of the charts. He's been there or off the top of the charts even since he was born. I was slightly surprised by his weight because although he seems to weigh a ton when I pick him up he is skinny as a rail when he takes his shirt off. Wish I had his metabolism.
Ella
Weight 35 pounds ~84th percentile
Length 37 3/4 inches ~66th percentile
Blood Pressure 101/65
Pulse 109
No shots or anything else for her today. She sure has grown. This is the same girl that at a year old weighed less than 16 pounds and wasn't on the growth chart at all. She was in perfect health just tiny. I was sent home from her one year appointment with instructions to feed her butter on her mashed potatoes, ice cream, and pedia sure to see if I could fatten her up. Obviously it worked. She isn't fat but has definitely caught up growth wise.
Harrison
Weight 32 pounds ~52nd percentile
Length 35 3/4 inches ~11th percentile
No blood pressure or pulse statistics for him. He wouldn't sit still enough for the automatic blood pressure machine to register. No shorts or vision/hearing screenings for Harrison either. He is due for a check up with his eye doctor soon to check his glasses and his left eye. His left eye was weaker than his right and as a result was crossing. They put him in glasses and had us start dilating his right or stronger eye to help correct this when he was 18 months old. It has worked great and I rarely see any crossing of his left eye anymore. They don't think he will have to wear glasses forever, although now I don't think he would look like Harrison without them.
Ava
I can't believe she is already having her 4 month check up. It is crazy how quickly it goes. I feel like she was just born and wish she could stay a newborn forever. I love that stage. Yes, I know that means I wouldn't get a full night's sleep but I just love that sweet, snuggly stage. It is way too short. Anyway, here are Ava's stats.
Weight 15 pounds 3 ounces ~81st percentile
Length 25 inches ~75th percentile
Head Circumference 16 1/2 centimeters ~74th percentile
Yep..she's a big girl but John David still takes the prize for being the biggest. And, as our pediatrician said she is proportionately big. Her weight and length are growing consistently which is a good thing. We think she is perfect and absolutely adore the chubby cheeks and thighs. It is probably the only time in your life where being chubby and having fat rolls is adorable. They wouldn't look nearly as cute on me. The poor thing had to get 2 shots and an oral vaccine. Plus, since we have been traveling and running around all over town for the past couple of days she hasn't gotten her regular naps. That led to a pretty grumpy baby yesterday afternoon. Today though she seems back to her happy self.
I'm so blessed and grateful to have four happy, healthy growing children. What more could a mom ask for?
Here's a little update on how everyone is growing.
John David
The pediatrician doesn't give us percentiles anymore for John David so I turned to the internet and found a growth chart put out by the CDC for boys aged 2 - 20. Based on my reading of these charts I think these are John David's approximate percentiles.
Weight 47 pounds ~90th percentile
Height 44 1/4 inches ~75th percentile
Blood Pressure 103/63
Pulse 93
No shots for John David but he did have a vision and hearing screening which he passed perfectly. Yeah! He is still at the top of the charts. He's been there or off the top of the charts even since he was born. I was slightly surprised by his weight because although he seems to weigh a ton when I pick him up he is skinny as a rail when he takes his shirt off. Wish I had his metabolism.
Ella
Weight 35 pounds ~84th percentile
Length 37 3/4 inches ~66th percentile
Blood Pressure 101/65
Pulse 109
No shots or anything else for her today. She sure has grown. This is the same girl that at a year old weighed less than 16 pounds and wasn't on the growth chart at all. She was in perfect health just tiny. I was sent home from her one year appointment with instructions to feed her butter on her mashed potatoes, ice cream, and pedia sure to see if I could fatten her up. Obviously it worked. She isn't fat but has definitely caught up growth wise.
Harrison
Weight 32 pounds ~52nd percentile
Length 35 3/4 inches ~11th percentile
No blood pressure or pulse statistics for him. He wouldn't sit still enough for the automatic blood pressure machine to register. No shorts or vision/hearing screenings for Harrison either. He is due for a check up with his eye doctor soon to check his glasses and his left eye. His left eye was weaker than his right and as a result was crossing. They put him in glasses and had us start dilating his right or stronger eye to help correct this when he was 18 months old. It has worked great and I rarely see any crossing of his left eye anymore. They don't think he will have to wear glasses forever, although now I don't think he would look like Harrison without them.
Ava
I can't believe she is already having her 4 month check up. It is crazy how quickly it goes. I feel like she was just born and wish she could stay a newborn forever. I love that stage. Yes, I know that means I wouldn't get a full night's sleep but I just love that sweet, snuggly stage. It is way too short. Anyway, here are Ava's stats.
Weight 15 pounds 3 ounces ~81st percentile
Length 25 inches ~75th percentile
Head Circumference 16 1/2 centimeters ~74th percentile
Yep..she's a big girl but John David still takes the prize for being the biggest. And, as our pediatrician said she is proportionately big. Her weight and length are growing consistently which is a good thing. We think she is perfect and absolutely adore the chubby cheeks and thighs. It is probably the only time in your life where being chubby and having fat rolls is adorable. They wouldn't look nearly as cute on me. The poor thing had to get 2 shots and an oral vaccine. Plus, since we have been traveling and running around all over town for the past couple of days she hasn't gotten her regular naps. That led to a pretty grumpy baby yesterday afternoon. Today though she seems back to her happy self.
I'm so blessed and grateful to have four happy, healthy growing children. What more could a mom ask for?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Are they identical?
So I have twins. Boy/Girl twins. Harrison and Ella. And no...they are not identical.
You wouldn't believe how many times I get asked if my twins are identical. It isn't quite as common now that they are 3 but still common enough and every time I get asked this, I am dumbfounded. I have boy/girl twins. They can't be identical. It is absolutely impossible. Well, impossible except for a chromosomal mutation that can occur during development. Yes...I am 100% positive they are not identical. They are fraternal twins. I am sure.
Here is a brief biology lesson for any of you out there confused by identical and fraternal twins. Please note I have absolutely no medical background or training. I am just a mom who has been through a bunch of fertility treatments and been pregnant with twins three times Crazy I know. Twice with fraternal twins and once with identical, monoamniotic twins. Monoamniotic twins are a rare type of identical twin that share the same amniotic sac. Now as you may know, I don't have three sets of living twins. We lost one of the first set of fraternal twins very early in the pregnancy, around 6 weeks. We lost the set of identical twins around 12 weeks.
So...Identical Twins
Identical twins are just that...Identical. They come from one fertilized egg (one egg fertilized by one sperm) that splits into two embryos in the first few days after fertilization. They are called monozygotic in medical circles meaning they come from one zygote (fertilized egg). They are genetically identical and therefore are always the same sex. Either two girls or two boys. Identical twins are not hereditary. They are a spontaneous, random occurrence. The odds of having identical twins is approximately 3 out of 1000 births. Most identifical twins do not share an amniotic sac or a placenta. My identical twins were monoamniotic which meant they shared an amniotic sac and placenta but had two separate umbilical cords. This occurs 1 in every 35,000 to 1 in every 60,000 pregnancies. Monoamniotic twins are at a higher risk for complications and fetal death that singleton or other identical twin pregnancies.
So here is an early ultrasound photo of my set of identical, monoamniotic twins. The two gray blobs labeled a and b are the two babies. The elongated black oval surrounding both of them is the single amniotic sac they shared.
Now for Fraternal Twins
Fraternal twins are called dizygotic, meaning they are the result of two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm. Fraternal twins share about 50% of their DNA which is the same as any other siblings born at separate times. Fraternal twins can be the same sex or opposite sexes, although boy/girl twins are . So that means you can have two girls or two boys that are fraternal twins or boy/girl fraternal twins. Fraternal twins are twice as common as identical twins. Your chances of having fraternal twins is influenced by a number of factors including genetics (on the mother's side), maternal age, and fertility treatments.
Here is an ultrasound photo of my fraternal twins, Ella & Harrison. Again the gray blobs are the two babies. In this picture you can clearly see each baby has its own black circle or amniotic sac surrounding it.
Although multiple pregnancies are more common today than in the past I guess the sight of twins or other multiples out in public grabs people's attention. I get stopped a lot when I am out in public by people asking questions about my twins. Are they identical? Nope. Do twins run in my family? Sort of. There are fraternal twins on both my side and my husband's side of the family. The fraternal twins in my husband's family have zero influence over my getting pregnant with fraternal twins though. And the fraternal twins in my family are my grandparents and great-grandparents generation. Are they "real" twins? I think people are asking if I went through fertility treatments to have my twins with this question. And the answer is yes. Yes I was going through fertility treatments when I got pregnant with Ella and Harrison. But Yes, they are real. I don't think fertility treatments makes them any less "real." They were still conceived at the same time, spent 37 weeks growing together inside me, and were born at the same time. I think that makes them "real" twins whether or not we had help having them or not.
So there is your biology lesson for the day. Hope you enjoyed it. And I apologize for the quality of the ultrasound photos. Ultrasound photos are the best anyway and then trying to scan them into the computer didn't help. They were the best I could do.
Hope you have a great day!
You wouldn't believe how many times I get asked if my twins are identical. It isn't quite as common now that they are 3 but still common enough and every time I get asked this, I am dumbfounded. I have boy/girl twins. They can't be identical. It is absolutely impossible. Well, impossible except for a chromosomal mutation that can occur during development. Yes...I am 100% positive they are not identical. They are fraternal twins. I am sure.
Here is a brief biology lesson for any of you out there confused by identical and fraternal twins. Please note I have absolutely no medical background or training. I am just a mom who has been through a bunch of fertility treatments and been pregnant with twins three times Crazy I know. Twice with fraternal twins and once with identical, monoamniotic twins. Monoamniotic twins are a rare type of identical twin that share the same amniotic sac. Now as you may know, I don't have three sets of living twins. We lost one of the first set of fraternal twins very early in the pregnancy, around 6 weeks. We lost the set of identical twins around 12 weeks.
So...Identical Twins
Identical twins are just that...Identical. They come from one fertilized egg (one egg fertilized by one sperm) that splits into two embryos in the first few days after fertilization. They are called monozygotic in medical circles meaning they come from one zygote (fertilized egg). They are genetically identical and therefore are always the same sex. Either two girls or two boys. Identical twins are not hereditary. They are a spontaneous, random occurrence. The odds of having identical twins is approximately 3 out of 1000 births. Most identifical twins do not share an amniotic sac or a placenta. My identical twins were monoamniotic which meant they shared an amniotic sac and placenta but had two separate umbilical cords. This occurs 1 in every 35,000 to 1 in every 60,000 pregnancies. Monoamniotic twins are at a higher risk for complications and fetal death that singleton or other identical twin pregnancies.
So here is an early ultrasound photo of my set of identical, monoamniotic twins. The two gray blobs labeled a and b are the two babies. The elongated black oval surrounding both of them is the single amniotic sac they shared.
Now for Fraternal Twins
Fraternal twins are called dizygotic, meaning they are the result of two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm. Fraternal twins share about 50% of their DNA which is the same as any other siblings born at separate times. Fraternal twins can be the same sex or opposite sexes, although boy/girl twins are . So that means you can have two girls or two boys that are fraternal twins or boy/girl fraternal twins. Fraternal twins are twice as common as identical twins. Your chances of having fraternal twins is influenced by a number of factors including genetics (on the mother's side), maternal age, and fertility treatments.
Here is an ultrasound photo of my fraternal twins, Ella & Harrison. Again the gray blobs are the two babies. In this picture you can clearly see each baby has its own black circle or amniotic sac surrounding it.
Just to give John David and his twin equal time, here is a very early ultrasound picture of my first set of fraternal twins. Only one of these babies made it. If we hadn't been doing fertility treatments and had an ultrasound as soon as the pregnancy test came back positive we never would have known there were two babies. They look like little eye balls in there.
Although multiple pregnancies are more common today than in the past I guess the sight of twins or other multiples out in public grabs people's attention. I get stopped a lot when I am out in public by people asking questions about my twins. Are they identical? Nope. Do twins run in my family? Sort of. There are fraternal twins on both my side and my husband's side of the family. The fraternal twins in my husband's family have zero influence over my getting pregnant with fraternal twins though. And the fraternal twins in my family are my grandparents and great-grandparents generation. Are they "real" twins? I think people are asking if I went through fertility treatments to have my twins with this question. And the answer is yes. Yes I was going through fertility treatments when I got pregnant with Ella and Harrison. But Yes, they are real. I don't think fertility treatments makes them any less "real." They were still conceived at the same time, spent 37 weeks growing together inside me, and were born at the same time. I think that makes them "real" twins whether or not we had help having them or not.
So there is your biology lesson for the day. Hope you enjoyed it. And I apologize for the quality of the ultrasound photos. Ultrasound photos are the best anyway and then trying to scan them into the computer didn't help. They were the best I could do.
Hope you have a great day!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Rush, Rush, Rush
Do you ever feel like your life is going so fast you don't have time to live life let alone enjoy it. That is how I have felt lately. It feels like there is always so much I NEED to do, I don't get to sit back and do the things I WANT to do. I don't get to sit back and enjoy time with my husband, my children, my friends. At times life just seems like I rush from one thing on the to do list to the next. Maybe that is what life with four children will always be like but I truly hope not. I don't want to miss out of the fun, sweet childhood moments with my four little ones because I am so busy getting things done. Don't get me wrong, I like being busy and having things to do. I hate being bored. The "to do's" have just seemed a little overwhelming lately. Hence the lack of blogging for the past week. Sorry about that.
After such a crazy birthday weekend last weekend that included the Horton birthday bash, four baseball games, a reception at church I agreed to help with, and a church newcomer's dinner the house was an absolute DISASTER. I mean it was horrible. Embarrassingly horrible. We had a very close, lifelong family friend babysit the three older ones Sunday night so husband and I could go to the church newcomer's dinner. I was so embarrassed to have her come inside our house. I kept apologizing for the state of things. Ms. Jodi's response was it's all good. We're family. Which we pretty much are. But still, the house was so bad I was even embarrassed for family to see it. That being the case I spent a good bit of last week getting the house at least somewhat cleaned up. I will admit with six of us plus a dog living here and making messes and only one mommy to do the cleaning I just can't keep up a lot of the time. My husband helps. The children help. But the majority of cleaning falls on me. And that's OK. It is part of my job. It is part of the "I get to stay home" deal.
So, here are some of the glamorous things my "job" entailed last week.
1. Clean the house.
2. Laundry...this is never ending with so many people in our family. I truly wish I had room for 2 washers and 2 dryers but alas I don't.
3. Twin's 3 year well child appointment. More of their growth later.
4. Round four of the sickies. Ella came down with the same virus the boys had a week or so ago. I had it between when the boys were sick and when Ella caught. Thankfully baby Ava and my husband have been spared so far.
5. Make jelly. Weird one I know. I think I have mentioned before that my husband grew up in the country and his family has a farm and raise cattle. Well, when Grandpa H. and Granny Susie showed up on Saturday for the birthday party they brought us a box full of home-grown strawberries from their garden. Husband asked me to turn them into strawberry jelly so Tuesday afternoon a friend and I made a batch of jelly.
6. More baseball games.
7. Finally get started on painting what is becoming Ava's bedroom. This is just one of my ongoing projects. When this is finished (and who knows how long that will take) I'll do an entire post on her newly decorated bedroom.
8. Early Mother's Day Celebration for my grandmother as we will be out of town for actual Mother's Day.
I think that is all. Of course, this was all in addition to normal every day stuff like making dinner, running carpool, taking care of four children, and trying to find a little time in their to shower or sleep.
It doesn't look like life will be slowing down anytime soon or at least not until school is out in a few more weeks. This week in addition to the normal, everyday stuff we have baseball games and school programs. My husband is traveling for work. Just day trips, but it makes for long days for him which mean long days for me too. We are also headed to visit my brother and sister this weekend so I have to get everyone packed and ready for that. And we have to work the concession stand at the ball park on Thursday night. The parents from each team are responsible for working the concession stand one night during the season. Our night just happens to be the day before we are going out of town. Great timing as usual.
I guess I better get back to it. The dryer just kicked off. Time to go start another load.
Happy Monday everyone. Hope you have a productive week.
After such a crazy birthday weekend last weekend that included the Horton birthday bash, four baseball games, a reception at church I agreed to help with, and a church newcomer's dinner the house was an absolute DISASTER. I mean it was horrible. Embarrassingly horrible. We had a very close, lifelong family friend babysit the three older ones Sunday night so husband and I could go to the church newcomer's dinner. I was so embarrassed to have her come inside our house. I kept apologizing for the state of things. Ms. Jodi's response was it's all good. We're family. Which we pretty much are. But still, the house was so bad I was even embarrassed for family to see it. That being the case I spent a good bit of last week getting the house at least somewhat cleaned up. I will admit with six of us plus a dog living here and making messes and only one mommy to do the cleaning I just can't keep up a lot of the time. My husband helps. The children help. But the majority of cleaning falls on me. And that's OK. It is part of my job. It is part of the "I get to stay home" deal.
So, here are some of the glamorous things my "job" entailed last week.
1. Clean the house.
2. Laundry...this is never ending with so many people in our family. I truly wish I had room for 2 washers and 2 dryers but alas I don't.
3. Twin's 3 year well child appointment. More of their growth later.
4. Round four of the sickies. Ella came down with the same virus the boys had a week or so ago. I had it between when the boys were sick and when Ella caught. Thankfully baby Ava and my husband have been spared so far.
5. Make jelly. Weird one I know. I think I have mentioned before that my husband grew up in the country and his family has a farm and raise cattle. Well, when Grandpa H. and Granny Susie showed up on Saturday for the birthday party they brought us a box full of home-grown strawberries from their garden. Husband asked me to turn them into strawberry jelly so Tuesday afternoon a friend and I made a batch of jelly.
6. More baseball games.
7. Finally get started on painting what is becoming Ava's bedroom. This is just one of my ongoing projects. When this is finished (and who knows how long that will take) I'll do an entire post on her newly decorated bedroom.
8. Early Mother's Day Celebration for my grandmother as we will be out of town for actual Mother's Day.
I think that is all. Of course, this was all in addition to normal every day stuff like making dinner, running carpool, taking care of four children, and trying to find a little time in their to shower or sleep.
It doesn't look like life will be slowing down anytime soon or at least not until school is out in a few more weeks. This week in addition to the normal, everyday stuff we have baseball games and school programs. My husband is traveling for work. Just day trips, but it makes for long days for him which mean long days for me too. We are also headed to visit my brother and sister this weekend so I have to get everyone packed and ready for that. And we have to work the concession stand at the ball park on Thursday night. The parents from each team are responsible for working the concession stand one night during the season. Our night just happens to be the day before we are going out of town. Great timing as usual.
I guess I better get back to it. The dryer just kicked off. Time to go start another load.
Happy Monday everyone. Hope you have a productive week.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Look who's rolling over
YIKES! Guess who is now mobile.
That's right.
This girl!
Sunday afternoon she rolled from tummy to back for the first time. No back to tummy rolling just yet but I know that isn't far behind. I hate when they become mobil. Couldn't she just stay a little, immobile newborn for ever? I know she can't. It is just so much easier when they can't roll away and stay where you put them.
Well, having one who wasn't mobil sure was fun while it lasted.
Congratulations little Ava. We love you and can't wait for your next great accomplishment.
That's right.
This girl!
Well, having one who wasn't mobil sure was fun while it lasted.
Congratulations little Ava. We love you and can't wait for your next great accomplishment.
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