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Have you ever seen two more ambivalent children (or Santa for that matter)?

At least they weren't screaming!

Bad Day(s)

I had a bad weekend. It was like PMS-on-Crack.

Everything started out fine, better than fine. Saturday morning I had coffee with neighbor and mommy-to-be, Kimberly. It was such a great 2-hour break. Then when I got home, my mood just went in the shitter. I think part of it was that Tom had plugged in his brand new XBox upstairs. When he started playing it (thereby leaving me no TV on the main floor) I just kind of lost it. Especially when I said "I'm going upstairs for a minute," and he said "OK," and when I came back down he was playing and both kiddos were screaming for him from the playpen and he was oblivious. I just spiraled into a "I cannot be around you mood", so I just ignored him the best I could.

Sunday things turned bad again when we went to have a family picture taken. Just as we arrived, Santa was going to feed his reindeer. So we had an hour and half to kill...KILL being the operative word. Both of us were so pissed we ended up just leaving. Maybe we will try again this week.

My bad mood seems to have lifted. Tom hung the pictures we took in October, so that was a little point for him. Today I met up with another mom - Nicole, mother to Addison. We have the exact same birthday. Cool, eh? We are going to get the kids together again after the holidays. So hopefully a new friend there.

We are leaving Saturday morning for New York. I am woefully unprepared. I have not made ANY lists yet!!!! How will anything get packed? I am excited to be spending the holiday with family, but am sad that we won't be seeing my side until after the New Year. Ah, well, next year in Florida!

Smartest Children

Is it bad to gloat? Because every time Tom or I return home after having the kiddos around other kiddos, that's what we do. Did you know that baby was a month and half older and can't walk yet? Our kids are running (sort of)! Sophia can find her nose, her toes and her belly. When you ask her, "Where is your tongue?", she points to it in her mouth. Jake actually sticks out his tongue. So cute!

I mean, I know everyone thinks their kids are the best, but mine actually are! Right, Grandma?

Dear Other Mothers...

I am sorry. When I saw your child with snot running down her nose, I thought less of you. And now, I am being repaid in full.

Both Jake and Sophie are over "the sickness" but I don't know how we survived. Neither child would let me anywhere near them with a tissue, baby wipe or burp cloth to wipe their nose. The only thing they would sometimes let me use was a wet wash cloth. So, other Mother's, I'm sorry I judged you. Please forgive me, I knew not.

Smart Kids

Jake has figured out how to put the balls into the "Ball Poppin Fun" and has taught Sophie how to do it.

Sophie can point. Like really point. At things she wants. Gimme!

Jake can now put the rings on the ring stacker thing.

When I sing "When you're happy and you know it", they both clap their hands.

Runny Noses and Throw Up

Sophie has a runny nose and Jake threw up on me today. Ahhh...what a great day!

This one's for you, Daddy

Jake is definitely your grandson. On Sunday, Aunt Carol and Uncle Frank were here and took us to a restaurant. Jake sucked on a lemon and loved it. This is definitely your kiddo.

Little Gym Update

The moms were not what I expected. There were no super snobby moms. There were one or two super sharers that have given Tom and I too much information. There was one mom stuck in the 80s with a purple turtleneck sweater.

The class was OK. There was some play on the parallel bars - we did some somersaults. Good thing Tom had been practicing "tumblesaults" at home. They did like the balls and the bubbles, but Sophie liked this octagon thing. She kept chasing the other kids when they were playing with it.






I don't think we are going to go back. It costs about $30 a class for both of them and we really don't think it's worth it.

Little Gym

Today we are going to the Little Gym for a free class. Is it bad that I have sweated more over what to wear today than I spend getting ready for work? Is it bad that I put on make up for this and not my husband? I want the other moms to like me and think I'm cool and want to be my friend. Oh yeah, and it should be fun for the kids, too. Will report back after the class.

Goodbye Swaddlers...

Goodbye Swaddlers, Hello Cruisers! We have moved on to the next type of diaper. No more baby diapers, big kid diapers now!!! We just used the last size 2-3 in the Swaddler and started wearing the size 3 Cruiser. They seem to fit about the same and I didn't want to overbuy the size 2 like I did with the size 1. We're big kids now!

Sleeping

So the going to bed in their own beds thing is working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We put their pjs on in our bed, give them a bottle and when they start playing we put them in their own beds -- and they go to sleep! It's awesome and I love it! Now, if only they would nap like this my life would be very, very good. Jake likes to scream and cry when we put him in during the day. This really makes me feel like the worst mom ever. I've tried leaving him in anyway and he just comes up with a wet shirt from crying so much. So we will keep working on it...

New Teeth

Sophie now has both her "fangs" and Jake is working on his top front right tooth.

News

So here are the headlines for the month of October:

*Jake is walking. Both Jake and Sophie started taking steps while we were in Florida. Now, Jake is really walking.
*When we got back from Florida, we rearranged the living room furniture so that the babies could have the right side of the room. We made a new, giant playpen (enclave) for them. It works great for them, but Buddy is really unhappy because his crate is now in a corner and he can't get to a window unless we let him in the playpen.
*Sarah is no longer working on Tuesdays. She found a better paying gig and just told me she wasn't going to work on Tuesday anymore. Whatever. I am kind of mad about this but I really don't want to find a new sitter - it's not worth the hassle and really, it's more important that the babies are happy than for me to deal with the inconvenience.
*Sophie's got a new tooth. On the top, left of center. It is one of the pointy ones, but she hasn't had much trouble with it. We first noticed it on October 20.
*We have started putting the babies to bed just by putting them in their crib and letting them cry it out. It hasn't been as bad as I had anticipated. Jake is actually pretty OK with it, Sophie is the crier. I am trying to get them to take naps this way too, it just hasn't happened yet.
*Shanna's ex, Jeff, died in a car accident on October 28. As far as we know, there was some alcohol involved and he hurt at least three people in the accident. Shanna is here now and we went to the wake tonight. Very, very sad.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!






Sophie, the butterfly...



and Jake the cowardly lion!

Florida

Well, we've been home from Florida for about three weeks, and I am just now posting. Bubbe was VERY surprised to see us. We have a great video of her coming in the door and saying "The babies are here?". And then the next night she was very surprised to see all of her friends and family at her party. GREAT JOB MOMMY! Mom really pulled off one of the best parties ever. Besides getting everyone there (Aunt Flori, Jeff, us, etc.) the food and decorations and cake were perfect and Grandma had NOTHING to complain about (and nothing had to be sent back).

We spent the rest of the time taking LOTS of pictures and visiting everyone. It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back again SOON!!!!

9 Months

Oh my babies. I can't believe you have now been out as long as you were in. Today is your birthday, yesterday we took you to the doctor and she pronounced you, "Perfect!". But Daddy and I already knew that. You are both 29.25 inches tall, Jake you have surpassed Sophie in weight (19 lbs, 2 oz to her 18 lbs, 14 oz). Way to go, Buddy! My little munchkins are not so little anymore.

Tonight you ate more than you ever have for dinner. 1/2 a jar of Butternut Squash, 1/2 a jar of Corn with Sweet Potatoes, 1 jar of Sweet Potatoes with Apples, some rice cereal and a container of blueberry yogurt. You are going to be even bigger soon!

Tomorrow we get on a plane so we can surprise Bubbe for her 80th birthday. I can't wait to see her face when she sees you.

Goodnight my sweet babies. Sleep good tonight so we can have a great week at Grandma's house.

Goodbye Beth

Goodbye, my friend. I am so sad to have my only mommy friend move away. Who is going to shop with me in Target or walk around the mall just to get out of the house? Please, someone send me a new playmate!

I stole from Target.

And I feel really guilty about it. See, Target was having a really good sale on diapers. So Beth and I met up to shop. She is so fantastic, she pushes Hudson in a cart and we both put all of our stuff in together. So I stocked up on diapers, formula and other "must haves". While I was paying, after I was all done checking out, the register died. So I waited like 10 minutes for them to re-print my receipt. The store manager was super nice and gave me $9 of Target bucks for waiting. Finally they decided that the payment never went through and I should re-checkout. So instead of unloading all my bags, I just kind of took out 1 package of diapers and said I have 6 of these and did the same with the formula and then just let them redo the miscellaneous bags. Yeah, turns out I accidentally stole two pairs of baby shoes and a few items from the dollar bin that the first checkout person had put them in one of the bags with a package of diapers. So that night, after I found the problem, I thought about returning to the store. But I didn't and now I am officially an accidental shoplifter!

Secret Smile

Sophie has a secret smile that she sometimes brings out just to get what she wants. Sort of like, "hi mom (or dad), gimme!" So cute, can't wait to catch it on camera.

Nose.

Jake's finger has found his nose. It's hilarious. He is constantly being found with said digit in his nostril.

Two Weeks in Hell

Last week was hell week. Or so I thought until this week got bad. So last week I had to go into work every day except Thursday. And I only got out of going on Thursday because Sarah wasn't able to stay all day. On top of that, I guess the kiddos started teething again because they were running a fever on Wednesday and didn't sleep well. It did end up cute with me Sophie and Jake all sleeping on the futon.

So, I was all ready for this week to be better. And then it was worse. Way worse. Tuesday morning Jake felt a little warm. By Tuesday night both of them were burning up and not sleeping at all. I mean one would sleep for thirty minutes and then wake up just as the other was falling asleep. I literally did not sleep for more than an hour straight all night. Then on Wednesday I had my MOMMY MELTDOWN. Jake and Sophie were crying in the playpen. I went in to calm them down. Yeah, that didn't work. I ended up crying with them. Then we went upstairs and took a nap while mommy cried some more. Nice, eh? Wednesday night was a little better, but just because Tom and Sophie slept in our bed and Jake and I slept on the futon. This was the week of not sleeping. I was so freaking tired. I am still so freaking tired. I will try to keep better track of what's going on, but first I must sleep!

Standing, Teeth, Shopping and Sex

Sophie is leading the pack again. Late last week, with no encouragement from Mom and Dad, Sophie started letting go. As in standing up on her own. Of course, she immediately fell on her bum. But now, a week later, she has got it down. I mean up. Sometimes she has her feet wide apart to keep her balance, but most of the time she can stand up "regular" and even pick up a toy with her. Jake seems to be following and is in the standing up for two seconds phase. We will see how quickly he catches on. Of course they are still falling too fast for me to catch a photo.

I am also happy to report that we are seeing the first signs of teeth. The kiddos have been drooling like crazy for awhile now but we can actually feel bottom teeth on both Jake and Sophie (although we did notice Jake's a day earlier). We can tell that the babies are in some pain, but they seem to be handling it well.

I seem to be spending a majority of my time shopping lately. There always seems to be something I have to run out and get. And then while I'm out, I manage to find something I "need". So I have been spending some money lately. And not making very much. I mentioned this to Tom saying "I really should stop shopping". And what did my wonderful husband say? "I think you should keep shopping and I should pay for it." Now granted, he was laying and bed and (I think) hoping to get some sex (which he did shortly after). But it kinda made me feel good that he doesn't see me as being extravagant because things make me happy. I think he is really worried about my birthday because John f*cked Shanna's up so good.

Also on the last shopping excursion, we met another Mom (Beth) and baby (Hudson). After talking for a few minutes, I kind of said f*ck it, and basically asked her to be my friend. Yippee, she said yes and we are meeting up tomorrow!

Speaking of teeth and sex, the previously mentioned episode was interrupted several times because Jake's teeth were waking him up. You'd think that would be a mood-breaker. Yeah, not for us.

Princess Pants

I am Princess Pants, the ruler of all shorts!

This is my brother, he could be a Prince, but he decided to be a Beret Pants Head instead. Fool!

Do not fear me, for I am a kind and generous ruler...unless you try and steal my pants!!!!! Mwah haha ha ha!

Daddy Logic

Tom, after the bath, to Sophie:

-What sound does the hippo make?
-The hippo makes a farting noise (while making the hippo fart all over Sophie).
-Daddy makes the hippo noise.
-Daddy is a hippo!

Get in the "enclave"!

Sarah, get in the "enclave" and play with those babies. It is your job to entertain both babies (at the same time) for 5 hours every week day.

Don't sit on the couch and read a magazine while they play.
Don't take one out to feed, leaving the other crying.
Don't take one upstairs for a nap (without letting me know), turning off the fan on the way, leaving one with me.
Don't come in at 8:30 and tell me you are leaving early that day.

Get in the damn cage woman!

Penile Adhesion

I had to take Jake to the doctor's yesterday.

Tuesday I noticed a bit of blood on his penis while I was changing his diaper. I immediately freaked out and called Tom. He told me to call the doctor (duh). I called but the office was closed for lunch (from 12 to 2pm - who needs 2 hours for lunch???). At 2 I called and talked to a nurse. I didn't even know what words to use to describe the problem - I'm such a girl. So after she helped me with the semantics, we were able to say that there was some blood around the head where it meets the shaft (never thought I would use that word when talking about my son). She said probably a scratch, use Neosporin and don't worry. Okey dokey.

After investigating during bath time, I decided it was not a scratch and we needed a doctor's visit. We got there at 3 for our 3:30 appointment. We were seen at 3:32 and out the door about 5 minutes later. The diagnosis: penile adhesion - where the skin sticks together and when it is pulled back rips off a layer or two. The treatment: Neosporin and diaper cream.

I am the over-reactor. Nice to meet you.

Blog Topics to Write

I am so far behind that these headlines may be all you get.

-Sophie's crawling and Jake is standing - It's true. But as of this writing, almost two weeks later, they are both standing. And starting to let go for a few seconds at a time. Sophie especially likes to stand up in the crib and hang her arms over the side or try to reach for the mobile.

-Our first plane ride - It went pretty well. Security was the most harrowing part. Mom and I strapped on babies while Tom got all the gear through. The babies were great on the plane. The man sitting next to Mom was very nice and said hello to her and Sophie and then went on about his business. Sophie couldn't understand why he didn't want to talk to her the whole time - she kept giving him cute looks, "hello, don't you know I'm the cutest girl ever?". The stewardess loved them and gave them a shout out over the loud speaker when we landed (no love for the other babies on the plane). Also, she arranged for a few photos in the cockpit. Too cute.

-Visiting those crazy Schreckers - Well, all I can say is we were the hit of the reunion. Everyone's photo albums star Jake and Sophie.

-Grandma breaks another bone - Last summer hip, this summer wrist. While we were in Kentucky, Uncle Dean (Whitehouse) died. Mom went over to bring some food to Aunt Betty and the kids. While there, she fell on a loose brick pathway. Of course she jumped up right away and said "I'm fine!". She wasn't and Uncle Bill took her to the emergency room.

-The diverted airplane - So after the broken bone, I was kinda dreading the ride home. But we got to Nashville with plenty of time. Security, which could have been a nightmare, was OK. I had one baby strapped on and held the other while Tom got all the gear through. Mom was still in a lot of pain, so we had a beer to ease it (smile). Got to the gate to learn our plane had been diverted because of the weather in Nashville and would be half an hour late. Well of course that turned into 2 hours. By the time we got on the plane, the kiddos were exhausted. Sophie screamed almost the entire flight (at least as I remember it). Tom was so frustrated. I was so frustrated. It was a long day.

-Baby cage (or you call this a Channukah present?) - Almost as soon as we got home, the visitors started arriving. Dena was here for a day on her way back from Miami. Then Grandma (Bubbe) and Grandpa (Zayde) drove in. They brought me my brand new, 10 year old, 40000 mile grocery getter. I love my cute little peppy station wagon. We've decided to call him Bull. One day the kiddos and I took Bubbe and Zayde to Babies R Us to get a playpen. I just couldn't stand chasing the babies all around the living room anymore. They are just to fast for me. So I bought a "cage". Aunt Shanna calls it the "enclave". Of course Bubbe and Zayde insisted on paying, calling it a Channukah present. The rest of their visit was great. We had so much fun having them here. Grandma cooked dinner every night and we sat around the table talking all night. We only drove each other a little crazy.

-Aunt Shanna's new job - Aunt Shanna arrived to visit last Thursday. Wow, I can't tell you how nice it was to have a friend to talk with face-to-face. We talked and talked and shopped and ate and drank. It was so great. A lot of our talk was focused on babies (of course) and turning 25 and Shanna's new job. She will be going to school with a 12 year old (slightly) autistic child to help bring him up to grade level. His family is paying her an outrageous amount, plus health care and for her to go back to school. Amazing! This IS her year.

-No one at my job remembers me - But my friend Brian is trying to rectify that. I don't care some days. Other days I am so jealous...but I still don't want my old job back. I just have always had a problem having a boss - and having an asshole boss is much worse.

Anyway, enough for now. All of our company is finally (and sadly) gone. At least til this weekend when the Bencivenga clan arrives (smile).

0 Thank You Notes written

I've been a total blog slacker. I keep telling myself I have to write some thank you notes from the baptism before I can blog, but I really don't want to write those notes, so I haven't been blogging.

The kids are going crazy. Going being the operative word. They will not sit still. The doctor told us we were in trouble because she saw them rolling over. We were like, you should see them move! Other than that, they are great healthwise. Jake is still in the low percentiles, but nobody is worried about it.

Jake is truly crawling now. Hands and knees as fast as anything. Soph is mostly just doing the "army" crawl on her belly. She still gets around super fast. We are going to buy one of those circular gates to enclose them in "baby jail". I kinda feel bad about it, but there is seriously no other way to go to the bathroom.

Tom's dad arrived yesterday. He decided he wanted to spend his vacation with us! Marianne is very sad that she's started her new job and couldn't come too. I don't know what we are going to do all day, but Tom's working at home today, so that alleviates some of the pressure from me to entertain him.

We are going to be very busy for the next couple of weeks:
-Grandpa Larry leaves Thursday night and my mom arrives.
-On Friday, we all leave for Kentucky (more about these worries later).
-We come back Wednesday night and then Grandma leaves on Thursday.
-On Friday or Saturday Aunt Dena comes to visit on her way back from Miami.
-The following Monday or Tuesday Bubbe and Zayde bring the station wagon up. I can't wait to be the proud owner of a grocery getter!
-Aunt Shanna comes on that Thursday.
-Sunday Bubbe and Zayde leave.
-Tuesday Aunt Shanna leaves.

And that takes us through August 7!!!

OMG! I don't know if I can handle my grandparents and Shanna at the same time. We'll see how it goes!!!

Things You Need

So here is my list of things you need that no one tells you (or that I've found and think are cool). This is by no means exhaustive and I will try and update it from time to time.

-Zippered pajamas. Who needs snaps? I wish we would of had more zip pajamas when the kiddos were small and we were changing them in the night. It's all they wear now.
-The Podee bottle. We hardly use this at home, but it's great when we are out and about. Even now that they can pretty much hold their own bottles, this is better for on-the-go.
-Dimmer switch. Our babies' room already had a dimmer switch and I highly recommend for those late night feedings. It allowed us to turn on a light without really waking them up.
-A high chair with the harness straps (not just the lap belt). We have one of each and we are constantly putting the "bad" eater in the harnessed chair. It helps them to sit up so much better.

Sophie's Pose

So Jake had the tripod. Sophia has what Tom calls "the sexy pose". She lays on her side with her hand down the side of her body and then she looks back at you over her shoulder. So cute. She has started propping herself up some so that she is kinda sitting while balanced on one hand. She's getting there, I would say a few more days. Also, Soph is consistently holding her own bottle - when she wants to.

Jake is pulling himself up onto his knees from whatever he can. Right now it's the exersaucer. But he's used the side of the crib, the couch and our legs. I'm confident he will soon be standing. And we will be in real trouble.

Today is the six month check up at the doctor. I'll be sure to post all the vitals!

Why did i break the camera???

Why, oh why, did I have to break the camera??? Last night was sooo cute and we will never have pics of it!

We fed the kiddos cereal from a bowl last night. We set them up in their Bumbos on top of the table. We put a bib on each and let the mess begin. It was hilarious. Because of the way they sit in the Bumbo, Sophie got about 40% in her mouth, 30% on her face, 20% on her bib and 10% on her leg. Once she kinda figured it out, she would open her mouth for the spoon, but would also blow out (instead of slurping in). Did I mention the percentage that got on me?

I can't comment too much on how Jake did - Tom fed him and I was too busy with Soph to pay too much attention. But he was cute. And even more covered with cereal - if that's possible.

We had baths immediately afterward and then bed. Jake slept until about 5, had a snack and then went back until 7. The night before he slept until 6:45! Woo hoo!

I am buying a plastic shower curtain and a throw away camera today.

New This Week

-We removed the bassinet part of the pack-n-play.

-The kids started sleeping in separate beds. We haven't broken down and bought another crib yet. I'm still hoping to "borrow" one from Marianne. So for now, we are using th pack-n-play. Tom is dragging it upstairs every night and downstairs every morning. All I can say, is it's a good thing we started when we did. When Jake wakes up now, he kind of does this roll into a sit -- in his sleep. It's hilarious. They are sleeping at least a little better in their own beds. Jake is still waking up, but I am trying to let him cry a little more and work it out by himself cause it doesn't bother Sophie now that they are separate.

-Tom put together the exer-saucer.

-We opened bank accounts for the kids today. We have already started their college funds (529 plans), but we figured might as well get the savings accounts going too.

-Tonight, before going upstairs for bed, we gave the kiddos their first bit of cereal. We did it in the bottle, so it wasn't too big of a deal. Let's see how the digestion goes. My dad will be happy, the whole time we were in NY he was joking that we should start feeding them cereal and they would be happier. We'll see...

-I've stopped pumping (mostly). I didn't plan for it to happen at six months, it just kind of came to a natural stopping point.

-I am no longer doing separate loads of laundry for the kiddos. All of their stuff gets lumped in with ours.

Let the sitting begin

Jake is officially sitting up on his own. It started yesterday. He kind of just picked up that hand and balanced himself. It is quite possibly the cutest thing so far. He just kind of sits there, all cute and happy. Until he falls over and bangs his head. And then the screaming begins.

So I've missed writing about the trip to New York. The actual driving wasn't too bad. I was a little cranky on the way up because we didn't eat dinner before leaving. Jake fell asleep almost as soon as we left. Sophie and I "talked" for awhile before she fell asleep too. When we switched drivers, Sophie and Tom blew zerberts at each other for awhile in the dark. Kind of like "I'm still here; are you still here?". When we arrived at Tom's grandmother's (Grandma B) house at about 12:30 am, Marianne and Lauren were waiting for us. Soph woke up and they played with her for awhile. Then she remembered she really really likes to sleep and threw a hissy fit for about half an hour. It was bad. Her chest was hitching because she couldn't catch her breath - it was kinda freaky. I said to Tom, "Can you imagine if it was like this all the time?". Thank god it is not.

On Friday my grandparents (Bubbe & Zayde) came by Grandma B's house from Aunt Flori's on their way to Aunt Roz's. After they left, we went to visit Tom's other grandma (Grandma C). She was so excited to meet the babies. All of Tom's brothers & sisters (except Dena who was working) came over too. Tom was so happy to be with everyone. He just doesn't shut up when he's with everyone. Jake seemed so amazed to see his dad talking so much. He just kept looking up at him.

Saturday Marianne babysat while Tom and I went to Aunt Roz's 90th Birthday party. It was fun, but it took us 4 hours to get home. Ridiculous. The babies went with Grandma Marianne to meet Grandpa Larry at Temple so Grandpa could show off his grandkids. Then they went to Aunt Sue's to play with all of the cousins.

Sunday was the big day. Everything pretty much went off without a hitch. There was no yelling or crying during church and the actual baptism was very nice. I was honestly a little worried about the party because it went from 4:30 to 8:30 and the kids usually go to bed around 7pm. But they were pretty good. They both napped a bit during the party (on their grandmas). And the party was so great. There were about 100 people at the party. The food was great thanks to Dena's boyfriend, Joe. Marianne put it all together and she did a great job.

Anyway, time to go - babysitter's leaving.

Things the kiddos can do

I originally started this blog so I would remember what the kids are doing, but it seems like I've spent most of the time complaining. So, today's post is a mini-list of what they are up to.

-We call Jake the cheese-maker because he spits up this cottage cheese looking junk. Gross.
-Sophie will pretty much put herself to sleep if you give her a burp cloth and either a pacifier or a bottle (depending on her mood). She puts the burp cloth over her eyes and nods off.
-Jake is a little tripod right now. He puts his forehead on the floor and his butt in the air with his legs extended...it looks like he's about to do a headstand or stand up.
-They are both getting up on their hands and knees and rocking back and forth. This is pretty new and I was sure they were going to start crawling this week. Guess not. Soon though.
-Jake almost sits up by himself. He goes from the almost-crawl position to kind of sitting while leaning on one hand. Then he tips over. He he he. Soph does this too, just not as often.
-They both like sitting in the high chair. We only have one put together, so we don't really sit down with them both at the kitchen table. It's nice though when I want to get something done in the kitchen or at my "desk" (kitchen table).
-They are both putting everything in their mouths. Everything. Sophie is especially droolish. I know this will only get worse as they continue to teethe.
-They are both mostly sleeping through the night. Sophia has been doing this for, it seems like, forever. At least two months probably (see, I can't remember - I need to write this stuff down). We give the kiddos a bath between 6 and 7 pm. After, in Mom and Dad's room, they get a little baby lotion, then pajamas and a bottle and fall asleep for the night. If we don't fall asleep too, we move them to their crib and they stay down until about 5 or 6 am. Jake sometimes still wakes up, but goes back to bed pretty quickly with a bottle. I recently read that the bottle should be at the beginning of the night time routine so that they aren't dependent on it for sleeping, but it's working for us for now.

That's the high points. I will include more soon! Off to wash bottles and go to bed. Tom's already asleep - he didn't get back up after putting Sophie to sleep.

Friday's Bitching

So I'm not so angry anymore, but yesterday I was furious. I have three bitches about the babysitter from yesterday:

-When she arrived, she told me she was going to leave early. This one isn't that big of a deal, but I would like a little more notice. I've discovered I can't really work if I'm home alone with the kiddos. They are too little to play with me only keeping one eye on them and they never nap at the same time. I guess I just need to let it go - I expect her to be flexible for us. But still, I try to give her at least a day's notice if my schedule is going to be different.

-She let Jake nap on the couch and then walked away. He had a pillow on the open side, so even if he rolled, he probably would have not rolled off. Anyway, I got up from my "desk" in the kitchen and asked her not to leave Jake on the couch by himself. She said something like "I'm right here". But, to me, she was too far away, even if it was only three feet. I told her, this makes me very nervous, please don't leave him on the couch alone. She seemed offended and I felt bad. But ya know what? I'm the mom and sometimes you just have to do what I say.

-The last thing really really pissed me off. After she left, I noticed that the sheet in the pack n play bassinet was wet. Really wet. Wet enough that the cloth padding underneath was soaked too. I have no problem if the babies make a mess. Hell, they do it all the time. But please tell me so I can put the damn thing in the wash before it starts to stink. I know this probably isn't true, but I feel like she didn't tell me because I said something about Jake and the couch.

That's all the bitching for now...

Jake is Baby A

Sophie has done everything first. She rolled over first. I remember that day -- she was in the bassinet part of the pack n play. I wasn't really sure if she had rolled herself or if it was because the bassinet sort of dipped in the middle. I really didn't care -- I was just so excited and could not wait to tell everyone about my genius daughter. It was a weekend and Tom had to work for some reason. I called everyone but couldn't get anyone on the phone. Finally, I got Marianne and I was sooo excited. Jake rolled over soon after, but quickly lost interest. It wasn't until he saw Sophie really moving around that he remembered he could roll too.

So, today, as we were getting the kiddos ready for bed, I was happy to see Jake doing something first. He has moved on from babbling and making real sounds - on purpose. It was so amazing to see and hear him say "ba ba" over and over again. A few times he just watched us make the noise and then he would reply. Sometimes he would just make the motion with his mouth with no sound. It was just so cool to see him doing it on purpose. It was really so different from any other sound either of them has made. I don't think he was really associating it with "bottle", even though I always ask "Ready for ba ba?" and we do usually give them a bottle at that time. Of course I was a complete moron and started crying and grabbing Tom's hand. And then once the kiddos were asleep I had to call everyone and tell them. They were excited, but not as much as me.

And just for the record, this momentous occasion has not been captured on video because I broke the camera today. I was taking pictures of the kids with their "Happy 60th Birthday Grandpa" sign for my dad. Soon balancing the kids and the camera on the couch became too much and the camera fell to the floor. Now the zoom part of the lens won't go back in and the camera won't focus. Woops! Tom isn't too happy with me. That's OK, I wasn't too happy with him this morning. I was running around trying to get all this stuff done this morning (vacuum, laundry, wash bottles) and manage babies while he sat on the bed and watched a movie. I finally told him "You are pissing me off. Get in the shower and get to work.". Nice, eh? Luckily he knows how to ignore the nasty tone and loves me anyway.

Today I had an ENG Test to see if we could pinpoint the reason for my dizziness. The good news is nothing showed up on the test, the bad news is we still don't know what is causing the dizziness. I feel kind of stupid going to the doctor for this because I feel like it's just new mom stuff. But it really is getting worse and more frequent. We'll see what the doctor says next week...

Things I'd like to bitch about

So, as my first post I have so much to say. Really, I just want to write about our day to day experiences so I don't forget. I feel I've already forgotten when they started rolling over and scooting across the floor. But as my first post, there are just some things I need to bitch about:

-Learning to Crawl
-Bitching about the Babysitter
-How many diapers can you use in 5 hours?
-Why must you change their clothes?
-Can I ask you not to watch Barney with my kids without sounding rude?
-Tom's New Job
-When can we move?
-Having no friends
-Mommy Groups that only meet in the morning


Like, today is June 12, the babies are over 5 months old and they are getting ready to crawl. I know, they are super-babies. We are so unprepared - the house is not baby-proofed at all. And Sophie is sooo interested in Buddy. He will be laying on the couch with his feet hanging off and Sophie will take a swipe at him from the floor. Bud is such a good boy - he just yelps and moves away.

OK, so I love our babysitter. Really. She takes fabulous care of the kiddos. But really, you don't need to change their diapers on a schedule - just when they are wet or dirty. These things cost money, ya know? And really, please don't change their clothes unless their is a real need - like I need more laundry. And I dress them as I want them dressed. So just leave them. And lastly...Barney. Please God, no.

So Tom has been looking for a new job since his contract at Secret Service ended. Right now he is just doing trouble tickets at Avaya HQ. He is totally bored. When he started looking, he looked here and in New York and Florida. Yesterday he got offered a new job at Avaya, Software Specialist. Right now they are going back and forth about salary. It's cool though, he will be working from home too!

So, as glad as I am that Tom got a new job, I really want to move. I'm bored and lonely and I need more help with this whole baby thing. I want Florida, but will gladly accept New York. Tom made a point that if we move to Florida, he still won't have any friends. Very true. But if we move to New York, I still won't have my mom. Financially, Florida makes the most sense, but in New York, we would have Tom's entire family. And built in friends.

Speaking of friends, I have none. I mean I have a couple of girlfriends from work that I really like. But not seeing them everyday has removed me from their minds. It sucks. I'm lonely. And very picky about who I would want as a friend anyway. If we moved, I would have friends. In Florida, Shanna and Christy and my mom and grandma. In New York, Tom's sisters and cousins and mom and aunts and everyone. So, to reiterate, I have no friends and I want to move.

Just to add insult to injury, I joined two stay at home mom groups. Great way to make friends, right? One group does all this cool stuff, but is either too far away or all the outings are meant for older kids. Not great. The other one does stuff right around here but everything goes on in the morning. So I guess if I'm working at home and not available at 10 am I'm not really a SAHM? Great, another failure.

So this bitchfest hasn't been about the babies because I love them and they are perfect. Except when they are screaming or otherwise grating my nerves. Which isn't often, but they are starting to teethe and I already know that everything that came before was just to lull us into this false sense of calm babies.

Today's post ends now. The bitching will continue another day.