Better Full Than Empty

Once upon a time I worked and went to school, had a calling, hung out with my friends, and made dinner for my husband.  I complained of my sleep apnea and lack of energy and my long to do list.

I thought I was busy then.  I thought I was tired then.

But now . . . as everyone at the grocery store likes to point out I "have my hands full".  And it's true.  If one baby has a good night or a good day one of the others has a terrible one.  Tonight for example Mauree has been doing great and will probably sleep 6-8 hours but Michael is teething and Hanna is sick.  Since I put them all down for bed at 9 Mauree has been up once, Michael twice, and Hanna twice and it's only 12:30 and none of them woke up at the same time.

I don't sleep.  My perfume is baby spit up.  I'm lucky if I get to shower and put on make-up in the same day.  Some days I can't wait for Eric to get home just so I can pee and brush my teeth.  My meals are always rushed and cold.  I'm always holding a baby.  A good day means at least one room in the house is clean.  And there is always laundry, laundry, laundry.

I get smiled at more in one day then I think most people get in a whole week.  Somebody always laughs at my comedy routine.  My audience thinks I'm a great singer.  I get told almost every day that I am pretty like a princess.  My kisses are magical.  I have four eager faces dying to be my dance partner.  I always have someone to cuddle with or play with.  And I'm rarely bored.  

My hands are full.  But I'd rather they be full than empty.

Of course Eric is pretty awesome. Helps out a ton and takes the kids all by himself for a whole weekend once every month while I am at drill.

Snow Day!

It FINALLY snowed enough for Hanna to put on her snowsuit and go build a snowman.  She has been waiting all winter.  She had so much fun.  It was even more fun because uncle Robb and Aunt Bianca were here to enjoy it with her.

Our first family photo!

Where have the last 6 months gone?

Forget the las six months.  Try the last three years.  I just barley told Eric he was going to be a daddy and now Hanna Marie is turning two and she already has a little sister and a little brother.

The day I told Eric he was going to be a daddy!

Our little HannaMarie

Mauree Lynn and Michael LeeRoy were born almost 4 weeks early on August 10, 2011 at Logan Regional Hospital at 8:55 and 8:56 AM respectively.  Mikey started out the as the smaller of the two measuring 18" and weighing only 5 lbs 9 oz.  Miss Mauree came in at 5 lbs 13 oz and 17.5".  But you would never know it now!

They both caught up to average weights within a couple of weeks but Mikey really made up for lost time.  By two months he was 10 lbs!  Our little man nearly tripled his birth weight by four months old tipping the scales at over 15 lbs! He is now 18 lbs! While little Mauree at a healthy 13 lbs 10 oz.  Brother is also 1/2" taller, last stretching to 26 1/4" with sis at 25 3/4".

Mikey has one objective grow!  His favorite thing to do is eat, second sleep but if he is awake he is moving.  He start working on his army crawl right at 5 month and now with just a couple weeks practice I'm sure he could keep up with most soldiers.  I'm a little bit nervous that he is already so mobile and really anxious to see how quickly he learns to pull himself up on things.  Although he is a much happier baby now that he can get around on his own.

Mauree Lynn is our little angel.  She is so tiny and mellow and perfect.  She has the daintiest little feet and sweetest laugh.  And when I holder I feel peaceful.  She has given Daddy some headaches though because she isn't a real fan of bottles.  We have found however that she enjoys rice cereal and is better with a spoon than brother.  And while she isn't a big mover yet, she does seem very interested in her surroundings and she is quite the kicker.  Once she figures out how to get those legs under her I think she'll give Mikey a run for his money.

Hanna Marie loves them both but is particularly fond of her baby sister.

Hanna Marie is a typical toddler; she loves to swing, jump, run, laugh, scream and make messes.   That girl hasn't stopped talking since she was three months old and she is picking up more new words a day than I can keep track of.  She loves every form of drawing, likes to sing, and loves her movies.  Her current favorites are Curious George, How to Train Your Dragon, Lion King and the new Winnie the Pooh.  She also likes Dinosaur Train, Super Why, and Cat in the Hat.  She is amazing with letters and numbers and loves to read.  She choses when and when not to listen to me and when and when not to eat.  She eats way too much candy, sucks on her finger (yes we're going to pay for our dentist's next car),  isn't potty trained and she has a ragged stuffed bunny she carries everywhere with her.

Any Day Now

34 1/2 weeks.  Both babies weigh 5 lbs!  Starting to progress a little so any day now!

Whoa Mama!

Camera phones in the dark, not the best but I keep forgetting to take pictures so if you want an update this is all I've got.

30 Weeks with Twins!

Wait, did you say TWINS!?!

No wonder I'm so big!

How many more weeks?

Huge, and Happy as a Hippo

In the last several weeks I have received multiple comments about how big I am getting and an overall concern for my health.  I would like everyone to know I am doing just fine.

Many people thought I was huge with Hanna Marie and she was a big baby for someone my size but I remained healthy throughout the pregnancy and I gained less weight than is average during pregnancy.  Afterwards I recovered very quickly.  I was back in my skinny jeans by 9 weeks postpartum and even scored a 96 out of 100 on my very first Air Force physical fitness test back from maternity leave - including receiving max points for my waist size. 

But if I was huge with one baby what do you think is going to happen with two babies growing inside of someone who is only 4'11 and normally 110 lbs?  But rest assured I have still gained less weight so far than what is average for a twin pregnancy, I have not been put on bedrest, all of my tests and screenings have been normal, the babies are healthy and growing normally, and I feel nothing more than the normal wear of a pregnant women chasing around a very happy toddler.

Overall pregnant or not I am an extremely healthy and fit person, probably more than most of you.  If any of you still feel concerned or wish to continue commenting on my size or health I challenge you to run the Cold Turkey Run with me on November 24th or even better join my 2012 Ragnar team and we'll see who fares better.

Getting Ready for Summer!

Now that it is finally warm outside,  it is time to enjoy the sun!

To get Hanna's look check out www.camaree.com

A Chick w/ Sticks: Welcome to A Chick w/ Sticks!

A Chick w/ Sticks: Welcome to A Chick w/ Sticks!: "Here you'll find various crocheted items for sale to raise money for charitable causes. Right now I'm trying to raise money for a hospital g..."

What!?!



ksl.com

Sad, sad news my friends.  I missed out on free U2 concert tickets this week because I don't check my military email account often enough!  U2 people! U2!  That would have been so awesome.  Of course I wouldn't have been able to go anyway because I am in VA right now but I think I know a certain mother I could have made extremely happy with such tickets. 
*Sigh* I just can't believe I missed out and I just had to share my sadness.

Check out http://www.camaree.com/ form more updates!

I love Lucky Charms!

It has been so long since I have had Lucky Charms!  Oh how I have missed them.  Normally I get the cheaper, healthier cereal.  But since I am on Annual Tour and the government is paying for it, I splurged and bought I box of Lucky Charms to keep in my room.  This morning it was a little bit of suguary heaven. 

Willow Park Zoo

We took Hanna Marie to the Willow Park Zoo last week.  She loved it and was so much fun to watch.  I really can't wait to take her to Hoggle  Zoo this summer.

To see my favorite picture from the day check out www.camaree.com

BIG NEWS!!

23 Weeks

Eric and I are expecting another girl!  . . . AND a boy too!!  Yep twins!  We're expecting the Luke and Liea to make the debut some time in August.  Hanna Marie will also reach her 18 month milestone in August.  Three kids that young is definitely going to be a challenge but we are super excited.

Awesome Deals on Sandals!

Check out www.camaree.com and vote for your favorite ones!

Mommy Guilt Trip

What do you feel guilty about as a mom or a woman?  Post your answer at camaree.com