2/28/09

Acu-staple

My friend, Amanda, had an acu-staple party last night. More than a few of us from work attended. We had to drive an hour and a half to get to her place and the entire procedure took all of 30 seconds, but hey a good time was had by all, right? :) My friend, Jackie, and her daughter, Joy, were kind enough to allow me to photograph their experience. Jackie had the shocked look while Joy was very apprehensive.

It was over very quickly and didn't really hurt. It feels more like a clothespin stuck in your ear. I'm sure that feeling will fade soon. Here is the final result. They don't appear to be traumatized. Hehee.
For anyone interested, here's some information on acu-staple.

What is Acu-Staple?
A tiny surgical stainless steel staple that is placed in the middle cartilage of the ear between specific pressure points to target weight loss, stress, tension, smoking cessation and other problems affecting the body.

How Does It Work?
The staple provides a continuous pressure to specific points in the ear. It sends a signal to your brain telling it your stomach is full or can cause a strong distaste for tobacco, depending on what point the staple is placed.

How Long Does It Last?
It can last from 6 weeks to 6 months. It varies from one person to the other. Clients average 12 to 16 weeks. Your body will get used to the stimulus on the point after a certain amount of time. It will be removed and put back in the same day in a slightly different spot between the pressure points.

What Is the Average Weight Loss?
For women, 2-5 pounds a week and men 4-11 pounds. Men suck.

Does It Hurt?
It is similar to having your ears pierced. There is a slight burning/stinging sensation, but it subsides very quickly.

2/27/09

Wubanub

On the recommendation of another momma, I purchased a wubanub when Colton was a baby. It's supposed to end the "binky dance" because the extra weight of the stuffed animal should keep the binky in place. It didn't work and we quickly stashed it away in our useless baby items box. No biggie, Colton gave up the pacifier by the time he was 3 months. When the girls were born, we tried it again. It worked perfectly. I don't know if it's because they were not as wiggly or because Colton was not easily fooled? Anyway, we had to share our one wubanub. It became obvious that one wub was just not gonna do. So, we had to buy another one. The girls are now 7 1/2 months and will not go to bed without the wubanub. We occasionally do the "binky dance" with the girls and it's rough at times, but what can you do? They love those wubanubs!

2/26/09

Just chillin'

Once again, Colton has tried to regain control of his toys and other baby gear. This time it was the baby swing. He's on the phone with Daddy, just a-swingin'. :)

He did get a little annoyed with me and covered up his face in an attempt to say "No more, Momma, I'm busy!"

2/25/09

A rare moment

I'm simply amazed that I was able to get Colton to sit for 10 seconds, look at the camera, and smile. I didn't even have to bribe him. I asked if Mommy could take his picture. He repeated "picture" a few times, sat down, and smiled. Somebody pinch me.

2/24/09

All smiles

Both of my girls smile, but Carly really makes you work for it. :) Keira is definitely my "smiley" baby. You just look at her or come near her and she smiles that beautiful, cheeky grin. I simply adore it and it makes my heart skip a beat sometimes. When either of my girls smile, I feel like I'm doing something right as a parent. It's one of the first things children do that says "I love you." Mommy loves you, too.

2/23/09

Holly and Michelle

My friend, Holly, has decided she wants a new camera. She just has to talk her hubby into it first. I gave her this URL so she can show him. (Hi Donny!) I also let her play around with my camera and gave her a brief overview of how to work your camera on manual. Here are a few pictures that I took to show her that you can set your camera to monochrome. My resource nurse, Michelle, showed up during the demonstration so I got one of her, too.

2/22/09

10 centimeters


Doesn't sound like much but when you're in labor, 10 centimeters sounds like an awful lot and sure feels like it will never happen. Not to mention, omigosh, a BABY is going to fit through 10 centimeters?? So, for those of you who are interested, here is the practice board for L&D nurses (as well as residents) when it comes to vaginal exams. I pity the women who have nurses with short fingers.

And here's my friend, Kathy, generously allowing me to snap a picture of her demonstrating the proper technique in vaginal exams. BTW, we were hard at work....not messing around. :)

2/21/09

Going green

I wanted to cloth diaper Colton, but Scott poo-poo'ed the idea (pardon the pun) so I gave in. When I had the girls, again I wanted to cloth diaper. No support from Scott again, but phle on him. I really wanted to do it, but I never got around to doing it. Everything was so hectic when they were born. I know...pitiful excuse, but it's all I got. :) Anyway, when we found out that Keira had a yeast infection (geezum pete's....a yeast infection at 6 months??), I started kicking the idea around again. I looked into cloth diapers, all the types, advantages and disadvantages. I even looked into cloth diaper wipes and solution. Go me! LOL

Scott wasn't too keen on the idea. In fact, he told me that I could cloth diaper during the week, but he was using disposables on the weekends. Men! I decided it was just time to jump in. Who cares if they're 7 months old, right? I mean, we have at least another year and a half worth of diapers. And double it with twins. So, I went on etsy and found a great girl by the name of Nadia who custom made these cloth AIO diapers for me. I've been waiting so impatiently for them to arrive for a week. I was so excited when they showed up and I couldn't wait for the girls to wake up this morning so I could put them on. They are so stinkin' cute and I just adore them. I have already been initiated, btw. This is take two. I let them eat first and wouldn't you know it, they both pooped before I could take pictures.

I bought 6 sets of diapers just to "test run" but I can already tell that we'll be buying more. Now, to just get Scott on board. Think if I hide the disposables, he'll be forced to use 'em? Surely he wouldn't load up three kiddos in the winter just to get disposable diapers, would he? LOL

2/20/09

Gary Coleman impression

I often post those pictures of my chubawubs that I think are just too darn cute. Of course, I'm sure my mommy goggles are on most of the time. Today, however, I was getting some weird looks from my daughter and it was cracking me up. She was puckering up her lips, opening her eyes really wide, and drooling all over the place. Of course, most of those pictures were blurry. I really needed to up my shutter speed. Anyway, this last picture just screams at me "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" Hahahaa!

2/19/09

Fun with Daddy

Who doesn't love a big ol' silly Daddy in your face? Keira and Daddy played peek-a-boo and tickle bug on the couch tonight. She really enjoyed her one on one time with Daddy.

2/18/09

Taking a bird bath

Whenever I'm running late for work or I'm just running errands, I'll wash the most important parts in the sink. For years, I've affectionately called this "taking a bird bath". While I was getting the bath water ready for the girls tonight, I glanced over at the sink and wondered if giving them a bird bath would save my back. It's a big pain in the butt to lean over the tub to keep them upright and out of the water while washing them. I decided tonight it was bird bath night. I ran the water and sat them in the sink. My little chubawubs just barely fit. And just so you know....no, it didn't save my back. I still had to hunch over to keep them sitting up all the while keeping them from falling on the faucet. They were fascinated with it. Plus, they were slipping and sliding all over the rounded sink bottom. When we were all done, I leaned them back for a little faux jacuzzi time. Doesn't she look relaxed? Mommy is jealous. :)

2/17/09

Retraction

I gave my husband a bunch of crap about how messy he was when feeding the girls their baby food. I thought he purposely put food all over their faces, let it drip on their bibs, etc. I mean, come on....how hard can it be to put a spoonful of food in their mouth? Apparently, my momnesia is to blame. I have gobs of pictures of Colton with food all over his face, in his hair, on the high chair, and even splatters on the floor. How could I have forgotten that? Well, the girls taught me a thing or two today. Sweet potatoes + my babies = mess. Period.

2/16/09

Thunder thighs


Yep, my girls got 'em. With three, count 'em THREE, rolls that will swallow your finger! The reason I'm pointing this out is because these thunder thighs are a little sore today. My little girls get the RSV shot because they were premature (among other reasons) and are more apt to contract RSV. They get it every month during RSV season, which is November through March. It's a weight based shot. Because my chubbawubs weigh 17 1/2 lbs. each, they get two shots...one in each leg. Poor things. :( But they do get these neat-o bandaids as if they care. LOL

The nurse at the clinic said we love thunder thigh babies because it makes the shots easier. Well, whodathunk taking after mommy would actually help them out? I hope they don't stick around once we move on past the baby stage. They're adorable on babies, not so much on a 35 year old woman. :)

2/15/09

The day after Valentine's Day

when you're on a diet is almost as bad as the weeks leading up to Christmas. You know, when everyone brings in special desserts and tons of sweets and leaves them on the tables at work so they're free for all. Or worse yet, they hand them directly to you! Isn't it odd how when you're hungry, there is nothing to be found. But go on a diet and there is yummy stuff overflowing. What is up with that?? Everytime you walk by you see them sitting there, calling your name, beckoning you to come hither. You get a whiff of the succulent scent of chocolate. You think, just one little piece won't be so bad. But one little piece is bad because that one little piece turns into a few pieces and then occasional snacking throughout the night and the next thing you know it's morning and the candy is all gone. And you ate it. Diet blown for crap.

I didn't eat it this year. I just took pictures of it. Enjoyed the smells and went on my merry way.

2/14/09

Carly's new play toy...

is Keira's foot. And let's be honest here, what's better than nibbling on a foot for Valentine's Day? :) Awful picture and I apologize. This is my 3 day weekend at work so the next few days will also be pitiful. I'm just glad the girls are being good for Daddy while I'm working/sleeping.

2/13/09

It's really just more laundry




Feeding time has become a major chore around these parts. We have found that the girls do not like anything green. No green beans, no peas, no mixed veggies. Blech! The complete opposite of Colton. They give us funny faces, pretend to gag, and turn the heads in all kinds of awkward positions. Now applesauce, pears, bananas, and sweet potatoes? No problems....gobble, gobble. Because we're using the bumbos as faux highchairs, they are quite wiggly and we get food all over their faces, their hands, their bibs, and sometimes even their clothes. I should point out that Daddy is doing the feeding in these pictures. I'm not quite this messy. :) What's this all mean? Yeah, just more laundry in mommy's book.

2/12/09

Phle! Who needs sleep?

Last night, we had a really loud wind storm caused by the aftermath of the tornadoes in Oklahoma. It caused a bit of damage to our house, shingles were all over the yard and street this morning. It's a good thing Scott's Dad is a roofer! Anyway, we were afraid that the noise would keep Colton up, but he went down about the usual time. The girls, however, woke up every hour on the hour. Whew! What's up with that?? Sometime around 6am, Colton woke up screaming, which in turn woke up the girls....again. Scott went to tend to them as I lay there snuggled in my warm blankets. Don't even feel sorry for him....I was up with the girls ALL night! About an hour later, he comes in to wake me up (and Colton who is now got his head buried in my armpit....when in the world did he come in here??) to tell me that he's on DR mode at work and he has to leave. DR mode is Disaster Recovery and that means no sleeping in. Blah!

So, off goes dear hubby to work. I get the kids rounded up and begin our day. The girls are more fussy than usual (yeah well, I would be too after no sleep last night). Oh wait....I got NO sleep last night. They take their first nap quite early and it's a welcome surprise. Colton is pretty quiet today, which is pretty odd. Usually this kid has boundless energy. I look over at him to see what he's up to and find one sleeping baby boy. I take some pictures for that "aww" moment and then proceed to wake him up. No way, buddy. You are not catnappin' and missing your scheduled nap today!

It's now 12:49pm. The girls are down for their nap and Y&R is on but I'm not watching it because the TV is currently in use with Finding Nemo for the 476th time today.Colton is still going strong. I shoulda just let him sleep.

2/11/09

Tummy time

Carly has been rolling over (front to back as well as back to front) since January 26th. We know not to compare the girls since they are not the same person even if they were born on the same day, look alike, etc. etc. We were told that typically, one twin will master a milestone and then the second twin will follow shortly after. We just assumed Keira would roll over within a few days of Carly's big accomplishment. And she did, kinda. Two days later, Keira rolled over for the first and only time. It's been 2 weeks now and Keira is still not interested in rolling over. She's very content on her back. So, whenever we play on the floor and Carly starts rolling over, I put Keira in her boppy for some tummy time. She never seems to mind it, but she always looks at me like "What's the big deal about being on your belly?" Well, one plus is I get really big burps from both girls. :)

2/10/09

Sad looks don't get you anywhere

Is that not the saddest face you've ever seen? This is the look I got when Mamaw and Papaw were leaving. The little guy's expression just breaks my heart. He is definitely Papaw's boy. He wanted so badly to go home with Papaw. He stood by the door, cried, and had a little tantrum when they left. Poor baby boy. :( Maybe he'll go up and visit for a weekend soon. He loves this picture, though. Everytime I show it to him, he has a big smile on his face and cries out "Papaw!!"

2/9/09

Your crib or mine?

Naptime has become sort of a chore around my house. Ever since the girls came home from NICU, they were incorporated into our schedule. Naptime is at 12:30pm. Period. No ifs, ands, or buts. Mommy needs her Y&R time....alone. The girls took right to it (hallelujah!) and Colton kept it up until last month. All hell broke loose last month. He started bucking naptime (and bedtime, but I digress, this post is about naptime). I tried everything....CIO, door closed, door open, different time, getting up early, going to bed late, before lunch, after lunch, rocking, laying on the floor with him, in my bed, etc. etc. Nothing was working.

At my wit's end, I finally laid on the floor one day and he fell asleep. Now, it took him 20 minutes but he fell asleep. I was ok with that. I happily gave up 20 minutes of Y&R to get him to nap. It's now starting to take a bit longer. First, 20 minutes. Then, 35 minutes. Today, I missed my whole show. :( Thank God it reruns at 7pm. Hopefully, this is just a phase that he outgrows because we are NOT giving up naps at the age of 2. I refuse. Colton and Carly shared a moment in his crib today. Don't they look so happy and well rested after naptime? Who would want to give that up?

2/8/09

Happy Birthday, Colton!

*Sniff sniff* No, no, I'll be okay. I'm sure every mom gets a little teary-eyed when their baby turns 2 years old. It's a rite of passage and another sign that I'm getting older. Hahaa!

It seems like only yesterday when I found out I was pregnant with him and yet it seems like a lifetime ago. I would have never dreamed I'd be sitting here almost 3 years later with 3 beautiful children.

Colton's current obsession is Cars by Disney. Of course, we feed into his obsession completely. He has a Cars chair, Cars pajamas, and Cars...well, cars. We got him a Cars cake and his present were almost soley Cars related. He got a great Cars lunchbox complete with stickers and crayons and a Cars nightlight from his favorite babysitter, Amanda, and her hubby, Brian.

And it wouldn't be a perfect cake without Lightning McQueen! He could have cared less about blowing out the candle. He just wanted the car!!

He dove into the cake soon after I took away the car. This kid loves chocolate! I'm sure we're going to regret the sugar high later. :)

He also got a Cars table and chairs from Mamaw and Papaw Bingham. Perfect for eatin' time and playtime. He sat down and was such a good boy when we ate pizza.

Other gifts from Mamaw and Papaw include watercolor paints and book, a Turn 'n Learn Frankie, and a Color Wonder Coloring Book with markers. His Aunt Angie and Uncle Roger bought him an AquaDoodle. I can't wait to open it and play!

His cousin, Kirsten, bought him a box of chocolate candy. Let me tell you, he dug into that one! LOL It was so sweet of her. :) Scott and I bought him a Cars sleeping bag with matching pillow, a flashlight, and a Cars tub to put his toys in. I'm sure I'll be using that more than he does.

Grandma and Grandpa Shuster sent a card with quarters in it. He had such a great time putting them in his crayon bank. He kept asking for more money. Hehee! Smart kid, huh? He also got a Tickle Me Elmo from them. He was scared of it, at first. Now, he's good with it.

And as promised, I got a picture of Amanda and Brian. They were kind enough to join our family in our birthday celebration. I can't wait to do the same when their little man makes his big entrance. He should make his debut sometime in June. Hoping he won't hold off 'til July. How mean for mommy. Hehee! They're the cutest little couple and I'm so happy to have them as friends.

2/7/09

Sisters

I never had a sister when I was growing up and I always wished I had. I used to dream of being best friends, playing together, going places together, hanging out with friends. The typical things that most sisters do, or what I imagined they'd do. In fact, I remember being mad at my mom and dad when they brought my baby brother, Travis, home from the hospital. I specifically told them I wanted a little sister. Not realizing at the time that my parents had no control over that aspect of a new baby, I was a bit miffed for a long time. Travis turned out to be an okay little brother, I actually enjoyed him sometimes. :)

My hope for Keira and Carly is that they enjoy and love each other as sisters and especially as friends. I've been told they'll always have a playmate and keep each other occupied. I hope they keep each other out of trouble as opposed to getting each other in trouble. If they're anything like me, I know that Scott and I are in for long nights and lots of worry. I think as long as they can keep each other laughing like they are in this picture, they'll be okay. And so will we.



2/6/09

Mommy and me (x2)


Sadly, this is my first picture with the girls since they were in the NICU. Mostly because I'm the one behind the camera, but also because I was having a hard time losing my baby weight. I was diagnosed with postpartum depression when the girls were 2 months old and was on an anti-depressant for 4 months. It made me gain weight terribly. I felt better, but the weight gain was kinda counterproductive. Being fat does not equate to being jolly. Maybe Santa can pull that off, but I can't. So, in the last 5 weeks, I've managed to get down to my pre-pregnancy weight....the girls', not Colton's. Hehee. Got a long way to go to get THAT body back. :)

2/5/09

It's absolutely pitiful


when a 6 month old gives you the look of "okay Mom, that's enough pictures for today." I shoulda listened to her. :)

2/4/09

I think we might be dealing with jealousy issues

Either that or Colton simply refuses to give up his toys that he has clearly outgrown. I'm not sure how or even when he got into this jumperoo (you really can't turn your back on him for more than 2 seconds!) Keira and Carly have been using the jumperoo and exersaucer for about a month or two now and as you can see, Colton has not been too pleased with the idea of sharing. I honestly thought we weren't going to have to deal with any jealousy on Colton's end. However, since his toys are now coming around for a 2nd (and 3rd) use, it has become apparent that my little man is a wee bit jealous of the babies.