Dorm Date & Pumpkins

Fall is my most favorite time of year. This fall has been a busy one- you know- having two babies and all, but we have made time to do most of the fun fall things that make this momma happy. Last night we managed to do two fun fall activities and it was a good night.

The evening started with a date with a super cute 3 year old and ended with some family pumpkin carving. The date began at a place where a few of my past dates began- my old college dorm! Yes, that is correct. I took my child to the place where I lived my freshman and sophomore year in college for Trick or Treat. It was so much fun to wander the halls where I made so many memories and to make a new memory with my little man. Let me tell you, he loved it and has a stuffed candy bag to prove it. I loved that the dorm looks the exact same and I had a hard time believing that it had been 10 years since I was there passing out candy and ooohing and ahhhing over the cute little kids. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the time with just Clark. We might have even hit up Chick-Fl-A afterward. We will be adding this to the Fall Must Do list.

Knight Hall Trick or Treat 2011

Clark on Third Wing- Where I lived as a freshman.

On the way home from our date the little alien asked if we could "cut the pumpkin" when we got home. I agreed and that is just what we did. We ate our dinner, fed the babies and "cut the pumpkin". No, it is not the most beautiful jack-o-lantern ever, but at one time I was cutting out eyes and holding a baby at the same time, so yes I think it is pretty good! ha! Clark was a little disgusted with the interior of a pumpkin, but he sure did like the finished product and I loved the whole evening. I loved the cool weather, the dorm date, the easy clean up dinner, the glowing pumpkin and the memories made. I just loved it all. It is evenings like this that I want to document and hold on to so that on evenings that are wild and all three are screaming and I am in tears or evenings when they are grown and the house is quiet that I will want to pull out this memory and re-live it- ALL of it.

"Momma, that's gross!"

Have I mentioned I LOVE FALL??!



Wordless Wednesday

Today has been a wild one and there is little time for words- but here are some cute pictures of my loves to keep you entertained until I find time for words again. HAPPY WEDNESDAY.

CLARK
My silly big boy!

SARA KATE
Looking so sweet in navy!

SHEPARD
(this face makes me laugh!)

The Duo posing with their Halloween cards from Mamaw & Papaw.

One Month Already!?

Yesterday on 10/13/11 my sweet babies turned ONE MONTH OLD! I know I will say this every month, but I cannot believe how fast this month has flown by. In this short month we transitioned from a family of 3 to a family of 5. We have worked on a schedule and remembered so many things that we thought we had forgotten about taking care of newborns. We have adjusted to life on a few hours of sleep at a time, and I have learned (nearly mastered) the art of nursing two babies at once.  It has been an amazing month and we have loved watching our tiny babies grow and thrive. At least once a day Stuart or I will ask the other if it is really for real that we have TWO new babies. We are getting use to the idea that they are ours and here to stay.

A few stats about The Duo:

Weights: (as of 10/4/11)
Shepard- 5lbs. 10 oz (up from 5lbs. 1oz. at birth)
Sara Kate- 6lbs. 6 oz. (up from 5 lbs. 11oz. at birth)

Lengths: (as of 10/4/11)
Shepard: 19 inches (up from 17 at birth)
Sara Kate: 20 inches (up from 18 at birth)

Diaper Size:
Shepard: Newborn
Sara Kate: Newborn

Clothing Size:
Shepard: Newborn (still a little big- wears some preemie)
Sara Kate: Newborn (still a little big)

Sleep:
Both wake every three hours during the day to eat. Sometimes we do have to wake them to eat. At night they are stretching it out about 4 to 4.5 hours. Once one wakes at night to eat we wake the other to keep them on the same schedule.

Eating:
Both are nursing very well. They have gotten very good at tandem nursing which cuts our feeding time in half and we are all learning as we go along. They will take a bottle if they need to and I am able to pump if we are going to be away from home or for Stuart to help with the night time feedings. This has been great and they have shown no signs of confusion from one to the other. This makes me feel better about the idea of pumping once I have to go back to work.


Shepard Randall:
Shep is our little laid back fella. He does not cry much unless he is hungry. When he is hungry WATCH OUT. He can get very loud. He is a little smaller than his sister, but we are working hard to get him to catch up. He has taken a little longer to learn to latch on and feed but he gets better everyday. Don't get me wrong- he eats, but his sister is a ferocious eater so he just seems a little more timid when it comes time to eat.  He can sleep swaddled or not. During wake time he is always wide eyed and looking around like he is taking it all in. He is such a sweetie and we just love to snuggle him and watch him discover his new surroundings.

Our  Shepard- 1 MONTH OLD.

Sara Kate:
Sara Kate is our little drama mama. She is our expert eater and lets you know when it is time to eat! She does not cry often unless she is hungry- but sometimes she just wants a little love. She is super snugly and is getting really good at holding her head up- getting stronger everyday. She does not mind her hair bows, but does not like to be naked. She screams during diaper changes and baths. She likes to be covered up (like her momma).  She does not enjoy wake time as much as her brother, but does not mind tummy time. We have not done much tummy time just yet, but when we do she does not seem to mind. She is an adorable little bundle and I am enjoying the whole idea of hair bows and accessories. We love her so much and love that she has two brothers that love her very much too.

Sweet Sara Kate- 1 MONTH OLD

 They are such a joy and having two really is double fun. It is so much fun watching them interact and I am trying to soak them in and enjoy each day because I know they are going to be big before we know it. Seeing Clark with them has only reminded us just how fast they grow. It really does seem like yesterday when he was this size.

 I had so much fun taking these one month pictures and I might have taken about 50 so here are a few more to enjoy!  (PS- they are wearing stickers on their onsies. They are from a company called Sticky Bellies and I think they are super cute and each month is different. I did not have these with Clark so I am hoping by having these I will be able to remember to take a photo each month to watch them as they grow- we will see!)

This makes me laugh. They look like they are saying "Really Mom!"

I just love her little crossed legs.

1st Trip to the ER

Well, yesterday was my first day home alone ALL DAY with all three kids. It is Fall Break here, so our sitter is not keeping kids so Clark stayed home with me and the babies. I am not going to lie, I was very anxious about the day. On Wednesday night I started to get a little worried about how I would handle it. I mean one hour out of every three I am tied to the same position nursing two babies and I really cannot move around and I was worried about what Clark could get into during that time or what he might need that I could not help him with. So when Stuart left for work on Thursday and left us all here I might have been a little nervous, but the day was fine. We made it. The babies did great they ate and slept well. I kept C occupied while they ate with games on my phone, puzzles and Nick Jr. Clark and I made No Bake Cookies (MY FAVORITE!) and I even took a shower at one point. I was also shocked that Clark took a two and a half hour nap and Stuart was home before we knew it. It really was a good day and I might have felt like I deserved some kind of an award or something. HA HA!

Around seven o'clock we were all hanging out in the living room. The babies were getting ready to eat (shocking!), Stuart was doing some work on the computer and Clark was playing and climbing all over Stuart. Well he might have been climbing over the couch when he fell. He hit the hardwood in the kitchen and pulled over a kitchen stool (that he might or might not have been climbing on earlier). Honestly I did not even jump up. We asked him if he was okay and then the screaming began. The screaming did cause us both to jump up. We found him on the other side of the couch, stool on top of him and eye brow bleeding. One of us picked him up and carried him to the kitchen counter. I got a wash cloth and began to pat the blood off his face and try to check out the cut. Once I got it cleaned up I had a feeling he needed more than a band aid so what do I do? Well call my mom OF COURSE! I then took a picture of it and sent it to my mom, our sitter and my friend who is a PA. Two of the three said to take him to the ER. The idea of that made my stomach churn and I thought I might throw up.

THE ER?? How was I supposed to feed two babies and take my big boy to the ER? I had nothing pumped and really did not think it was a good idea to take newborns into the ER waiting room. Stuart begin calm Stuart AS USUAL- said it would be fine and he would take him. REALLY? Could I let my baby boy go to the hospital without me?? I did not know what to do. I was calm, but I was conflicted. I knew Stuart would be fine and would be able to handle it, but I really wanted to be there with them too. But, we both knew I needed to stay home with the babies so I found the insurance card, loaded Stuart up with suckers for the brave boy and sent them on their way. I might have cried as they left and then Clark turned around on his way out the door and says "I'll be fine momma". WHAT? When did my baby get so big and so brave? Why was I the one crying? But he was fine. He did a great job. Stuart sent me texts and pictures the whole time they were gone and I stayed home and fed babies. They were not gone long and I was just finishing up feeding and changing when they got home to hear all about the big adventure. They were the only ones waiting so they did not have to wait long, they glued it back together and said we did the right thing by bringing him in, Clark did not shed one tear when they were there and he thought the bracelet was really cool. So I guess as far as ER visits are concerned this was a good one. I know it is probably not our last trip there- just a first of many but at least it was not that traumatic and ended well.

Of course I have to document the memory.
So here are some pictures of my baby BIG boy on his first trip to the ER.

Waiting to go back.
(source: Daddy's phone)



HE LOOKS HUGE!
My brave boy.
(source: Daddy's phone)



AFTER
All glued together and ready to go.
(source: Daddy's phone)

Showing me his cool bracelet- that he is still wearing!

Looking a little pitiful.
I am pretty sure he is trying to get another sucker. Don't let him fool ya'!

So, other that our first ER visit- my first day with all the kiddos was a success. Today is day two and they are all napping and I am hoping to sneak in one myself- YEAH RIGHT. A girl can wish right??! :)

HAPPY FRIDAY!! Hope your day is hospital visit free.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

It has been awhile since I have linked up with Jamie but I thought I would try to make time today since there is so much I am loving these days! My list may be random but hey my life is a little crazy these days and many of the things on this list make my life easier and just make me smile. So here is what I am lovin' today:

I AM LOVING that it is fall in The Bluegrass. That means cooler temps, tall boots, sweaters, leggings,pumpkin picking, apple orchards, trick or treat, changing leaves and all that comes with fall. I am reminded every year at this time why it is my favorite season.

I AM LOVING these pictures from our buddy Jack's 3rd birthday at the apple orchard. It was the Saturday before the twins were born and I never blogged about it, but I have so many wonderful pictures of our little family of 3 before we grew to a family of 5 a few short days later.

I AM LOVING a few baby products that we did not have with Clark that have made my life so much easier with the twins. If you are having a baby I would highly recommend any of these products.

1. Aden and Anais swaddle blankets. I was a little skeptical at first, but have since fallen in love with them. We have four, but I would love some more!

LOVE these blankets. They are perfect for swaddling.

2. Double Blessings Twin Nursing Pillow. This thing is HUGE and I was also a little skeptical about it at first too because it cost so much and I was not sure that I would be able to nurse them both. Well, I found mine at a consignment sale and they are nursing like little champs so I am soooooo glad that I have this gem. If you are expecting twins I would highly recommend this too!

We have the brown one.

 3. DON'T LAUGH. Okay, you can laugh. Stuart and I laughed at it when I bought it too, but this little item has been a great thing! The Medela Pump Bra. It allows me to dry my hair, blog, check email, and put on makeup all while pumping. I have been pumping daily and at first I was pumping after each feeding too and I found it to be terribly lonely locked in the bedroom hooked up to a machine, but this has helped so much. I can do something else while pumping and it makes the time go by so much faster.

No, this is not me!  :)

 4. Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper. THIS IS A LIFE SAVER. The twins sleep so well in these. They are light weight and they fold up so we are able to move them from room to room. During the day they nap in them in the living room and this is also where they sleep at night. We have one on either side of our bed. We used a pack and play for Clark while he slept in our room, but he HATED sleeping flat. These guys sleep so well and because of that I want to buy one of these for every person I know that is having a baby.




No, those are not models. Those are my tiny babies in there.
SEE- THEY LOVE IT. :)

I AM LOVING these cuties in their Halloween jammies from Grammy and SK in her HUGE candy corn hairbow from our friend Erika.

Pretty sure Shepard is scared of Sara Kate's LARGE bow. Poor kid.


I AM LOVING watching my big boy as a big brother. He loves his little brother and sister and is doing so much better at helping mommy and daddy and loving the babies. I still find it hard to believe that I have THREE kids and that they are all mine. Not sure what I did to deserve such blessings, but I am so thankful each day for all that we have.

 I AM LOVING this picture I took yesterday. As a reading teacher I thought it was appropriate that we have reading group at home! ha! Well, I did send it to school to show my 5th graders and I hope they got a kick out of it too.




Shepard summarizing the story in reading group yesterday!

I AM LOVING my newest facebook addiction. Blue Door Boutique. I found this page from Kelly at Kelly's Korner Blog and I am loving all they have. I have not ordered anything yet, but I may or may not have filled my cart a few times, just not completed my order just yet. But I do love looking at all the pretty dresses and adorable fall clothes.


All pictures are from their facebook page.

This post only took me ALL DAY because around here every time I turn around it is time to feed babies, but it is finally done! I hope you are having a WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY.