How can you not love those cute faces?  They DO drive me crazy sometimes though!

 Well there have definitely been crickets chirping around my blog for about a month now!  I think I am ready to start posting again...mostly for my sanity!  Gabby is doing very well, she is the easiest baby!  She looks angelic compared to the twins.  I am sure in a few months, it will be very, very different!!  The girls..well they are two.  And potty training.  Everything wonderful about terrible twos, multiplied by two.  If these attitudes are any indication of my future when they are teenagers, I'm scared!! 

They love to dance.

This clip of Amy Poehler on SNL is a perfect example of the girls, minus the clear language.  Instead of "Rick! Rick! Rick!" it's "Mama! Mama! Mama!" (or Ashleigh on the days Olivia thinks it's best to call me by my first name....), followed by gibberish with a few clear sentences. 

Needless to say, I really need to start blogging again.  I won't promise daily posts, but I really need to have a time set where I can go where it's QUIET and write.  This summer has flown by!  We are trying to decide if we want to re-sign our lease and deal with annoying upstairs neighbors, or buy a house.  Pretty exciting looking at potential homes, but also super stressful!  Our lease is up at the end of September, so we need to get moving soon (literally!). 

Not only have I not been blogging, I haven't really been cooking or reading anymore either.  I keep getting al of these great books from the library and then only starting them.  (Note: you MUST read Bossypants by Tina Fey, I did finish that and I laughed so hard I cried!) Now that we are on a set schedule, I really need to get back to normalcy.  Don't get me wrong, I love some marinaded chicken and veggies...but not EVERY night.  Our fridge has never been this empty.

On a side note, my garden is actually growing, despite our crazy neighbors.  I wouldn't say its flourishing with enough fruits and veggies to feed us a lot, but we do have some potential blossoms.  More than I was expecting! 

Okay, I'm done rambling!  Whew! 

How is your summer going?

Two year old fashion: princesses & patterns

When I first found out we were having twins, I swore I would NEVER dress them alike.  I thought it was cheesy and it would take away from their individuality.  When they were babies, I would find outfits that were similar, just different colors and yes, I did dress them alike.  Since they are fraternal, it was not as big of a deal.  Now that they are two (where did the time go?!), I am finding they LIKE to dress the same sometimes.  Most days, I let them pick out what to wear and they tend to accessorize with their favorite "princess" items: plastic jewelry and headbands.  Shoes are also a big thing for the girls and they love that they can actually put them on.  I think it is important to let them be individuals and have their own sense of style.  I really did not think that they would be so different AND alike at the same time.  It's really interesting to watch them grow up.  It's fun to watch their individual styles grow as they do!


Here are some prime examples of their little senses of style. 

{MADDIE}

Maddie LOVES her jewelery and will put on anything she can get her hands on.  Its pretty cute how she manages to carry a purse, backpack and her kiki (blanket).  I am finding as she gets older, she likes simple clothes that are easy for her to put on.  I know that if I am buying mix-n-match pieces, Maddie prefers certain colors (purple, yellow and blue).

{OLIVIA}

 

Olivia prefers to be naked, I'm not going to lie...I have the hardest time keeping even her diaper on!  When she DOES decide to wear clothes, she prefers to be a Princess (anything pink or dressy) or to mix patterns.  Who knew toddlers could have such a knack for style?  When I buy mix-n-match pieces for her, I always get patterns or shirts with words.  She loves letters and shapes.



I recommend for any parents of twins to buy a lot of mix-n-match pieces.  This lets the twins show their individuality, but they can also match easily.  For toddlers, simple bottoms and shirts that they can put on themselves are a must.  Plus, when going through potty training, you want something they can easily take off.  Our issue now is they don't like to put their clothes back ON.  The joys of toddlers!


How does your child dress?  Do you let them pick out their clothes?  If you have boys, do they have a sense of style and individuality?


{DISCLAIMER}
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

We have a new addition!

Born 6/20

On June 20th we welcomed our new addition, Gabriella Reese!  I woke up that morning pretty much knowing that it was baby time.  My contractions felt different than before.  By the time we headed to the hospital, it was around 1:00.  After monitoring me for a while, I was barely dilated and the nurse made us walk around the hospital wing for an hour.  At that point my contractions were really bad, but the nurse wouldn't listen to me.  She sent me home with a prescription for Ambien and told me to sleep and go to my doctors appointment on Friday (4 days away!).  By the time we made it back home, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart, yet the nurse told us to wait for 90 second contractions.  I knew that I was still in labor and I started to get scared that we wouldn't make it back to the hospital.  Long story short, we left our apartment around 6:30 and she was born (barely!) at the hospital at 7:04.  The whole car ride, poor Ricky was telling me not to push and I tried to explain I can't stop! 

If this experience has taught me anything it is to trust your instincts and have faith in yourself.  Before this, I said I would never give birth naturally and I thought people were crazy for doing so.  Since I had no time for an epidural or anything, this ended up being all natural.  Yes, it was crazy painful, but I am very proud that I was able to remain calm and get through the experience.  Now, two weeks later, I barely remember the pain!  We have a beautiful addition to our family and the twins are finally adjusting to their new sister.  The only thing I regret was not standing up for myself more.  Although I tried to explain to the nurse that I knew I was in labor, she really wouldn't have listened anyways.  It could have been a scary situation though! I am so grateful that everyone is safe and healthy!

With all of the chaos around here, I probably won't be writing as many blog posts.  I always check (and love!) emails, so feel free to ask me anything.  Lately I have been feeling that other people have my job covered, so the future of the blog is kind of in question right now.  I will keep you updated on my status!  Im always on Twitter too!

Long day, but so worth it!  She is so snuggly!

Her sisters were waiting when we got home.  They LOVE her!