Parenthood

As we're getting closer and closer to their one year birthday I'm becoming more sentimental which is weird because I'm not a sentimental or touchy feely person what so ever! But it's struck me, the warm, happy, fuzzy memories, and right after those come the flood of other memories such as the PPD, the lack of bonding in the first few months between the twins and I, and of course the utter, unspeakable exhaustion.

Do you ever sit around and wonder why you became a parent? Tim and I do, especially this past week when our babies spent the week battling colds and ear infections. It's been a hard couple of weeks for us, and a lot of our spunk is depleted. But that's why God gave us Red Bull; hallelujah!

Anyways, off track, babies, why in the world did we decide to have babies. Well the truth is we didn't plan it, they just kind of happened. And apparently it's a phenomenon, a lot of people who have babies are like us, they just woke up one day like normal, took a test, and BAM, life changed and no more drinking for the lucky mom-to-be for at least nine more months. We've heard from a lot of people while I was pregnant and years before that, things like "oh babies are soooo great, we don't even remember what it was like to NOT have kids" to which Tim and I reply "LIARS". Ok maybe those people aren't lying, but we vividly remember what it's like to not have babies.

• First off, my house was clean. . . pretty much all the time. I would deep clean about every three days, vacuum every day, and it was glorious!

• Second, I use to sleep. Now I don't sleep, at least not as much as I use to. Case in point, Clive woke up screaming bloody murder at 5am this morning. Usually my saint of a husband gets up with them in the middle of the night while I continue to sleep, but Clive wanted ME to rock him back to sleep. Oh the joys of motherhood.

• Third, we use to have money. Not to say that we're completely out, just that we don't have a lot left over for Tim and me. It's mostly Clive and Scarlet's which is totally not fair because Tim and I are the ones going out and making it!

• Fourth, we had time. We had time to piss away. We used to go out to dinner every night for 2 hours and have spontaneous Lost and Dexter marathons. Now our time is now dictated by naps, feedings, diaper changes and whatever errands we need to do.

• Fifth, my stories have become super lame. I had lunch with my friend today and I went on and on about my babies. And it's not like they're cool stories either, it's like "Yeah we took Clive to the doctor and discovered he had a double ear infection". Why is that stuff so interesting to moms?

Now back to my main point, why did we have babies? Parenting doesn't sound like fun, and sometimes it's not. Raising babies is work, a LOT of work and I know it's the most important thing I've ever done in my entire life, but sometimes I fail at it. I'm doing it pro bono, I don't get paid, and I have literally been peed on 10+ times. The truth is I don't know why. The moment I found out I was pregnant I broke down in tears. To this day I don't know if they were tears of sadness or tears of joy I just knew that in that instant, the moment I saw that plus sign, my life had changed forever. I was having a baby (back then I just thought it was one, boy was I in for a shock!).

We said yes to life. And by saying yes to life, we ended up saying yes to two lives. We now have two beautiful babies that have been the biggest blessing we could have asked for. It's not to say that my life is perfect. It's not perfect, in fact having children has made my house messy (I'm a neat freak), forced my husband and I to make tough decisions together and sometimes leads to fights and of course hiding things from Tim, it's changed my relationships with friends, and it has been the most difficult year to date.

Having babies has certainly made my life less perfect, but in a way it's a different kind of Paradise we live in. It's a paradise filled with love, laughter, less money, more work, less time, and less sleep. It's an experience that you have to live to understand. I don't know how to describe it, and as I reread this parenthood sounds pretty horrible, but it's not. It's something I wasn't ready for, something I'm still not sure how to navigate through, but I'm slowly learning to embrace it and it's the best thing in my life. 

This video says it all. I still wouldn't change it for the world. 

11 months

We've reached 11 months! All I can say is that I'm in awe. Not completely of them, but of us. The four of us have survived each other 11 whole months. That's a big accomplishment in my book.

Reaching 11 months means that we have one month to go until their first birthday party which I've been busy planning which I've been procrastinating planning in full force. It's not because I don't want them to have a great party, it's because selfishly I don't want my babies to grow up. I never thought I would get to the point where I'm ready for them to stop growing and be my babies forever. People warned me it would happen, I thought they were insane, but they were right. This whole past year I've been rushing to get to the "good part" now that I'm standing here looking back I see that the past 11 months have been the "good part" and I didn't appreciate and cherish it like a should have (I blame the PPD and sleep deprivation). So now here I stand, looking back and wondering where the time has gone, where my small babies have gone and trying to figure out a way to slow down time. Since I can't find a way (yes I tried to Google it, still no answer) I'm going to do my best to cherish my precious time with my babies.

Now I must say I LOVE having twins. There have been many times where Tim and I are trying desperately not to lose our sanity and we look at each other and say "at least they weren't triplets" and we're usually able to smile after that. One huge plus to having twins is that they usually play together pretty well.

This video is kind of long, but watch the first minute of it and you'll get the gist. Watch the whole thing though and you're guaranteed to smile! Ok maybe that's just Tim and I... 

Yesterday, on the morning of their 11 month birthday Clive and Scarlet decided to celebrate by breaking a piece of our bake ware. And I SWEAR I heard Clive say "mazel tov" after he did it! Totally possible considering I am half Jewish. 

Super adorableness after bath time. That's the only reason for this picture. It's the only reason I need. 

To date Scarlet has been taking more steps than Clive. She will take about 4 steps at a time before she falls. She started before Christmas and has since been perfecting it. Clive on the other hand has no desire to walk. He can, but he prefers crawling. He's already a lazy man. 

Speaking of Clive... We call this video "Clive v. the Tub of Butter". As I joke I taught Clive that the empty butter tub goes on top of your head, like a hat. He thinks it's the greatest thing in the world, and he'll literally sit there putting it on and taking it off and laughing the whole time. This particular time, he hated everything and decided to throw a fit about nothing. Enjoy. 

Another thing about having twins is they get into twice the trouble in half the time

11 months, wow. I'm so blessed to have these two mischievous, loving, messing, crazy babies to call mine. 

A little bit of everything

Disclaimer* I wrote this in under 45 min. both babies are sleeping. It's a miracle so I'm rushing. If this doesn't make sense, well then now you know why.




So I know that I probably should be recapping 2011, posting on what resolutions I'm hoping to accomplish this year, but I'm behind on blogging so I'm going to do Christmas and a little bit of everything. Here goes! 


This was our babies first Christmas, and it was AMAZING. Last year I was miserable, fat, and a huge downer because I was so uncomfortable. It was one of the worst Christmases for me just because I was pregnant. This year however I decided that no matter what it would be the best Christmas of my life, and it was. First off, it snowed. Now for my readers who have no idea where in the heck Midland TX is, it's simply in the desert. We've been through the worst drought this past summer in years, and we hardly EVER get snow so this is big news for us.  I don't know how much we got because even though I love snow, I hate to go out in it. I don't have pictures because it annoys me that bad. I didn't step outside, so just visualize snow on a house. 

Visualize here

Anyways getting back to Christmas. My husband did good this year, and by that I mean all my presents were homemade with love. For those who don't know my Robot well, he's crazy smart. Like so smart it makes me sinfully mad at times. Anything he wants to try he'll just try and be amazing at it. It's annoying. My point is he's talented at everything, including making me things. This year he went onto my Pintrest boards and used those ideas to make my presents. It was the most thoughtful gifts I've ever received! 

Now please keep in mind my pictures don't look as good as the ones pinned but I'm too lazy to take pictures on Tim's nice camera. 

My picture frames he made me for our bedroom that we're redoing

This is a really bad picture of it, but it's a sign with a Bible verse on it, and an old framed painting that I'm turning into a tray. Now that I'm looking at these I probably should get up and take a new picture, but the babies are totally going to wake up soon so use your imagination again here. 

And they were wrapped up in this bad boy! 

And I have a dresser coming up too, but he couldn't sneak it away without me know because my clothes are in it and I might notice it. So yeah... it was awesome. 

Now to the babies and Tim. They love Christmas (I mean I'm assuming Clive and Scarlet do, they looked happy at least) so it was great for them. Clive and Scarlet had no idea what was going on, why everyone was staring at them, and why they got to chew on paper, but they were all like best Christmas ever Mom. Oh and they got new toys which they didn't notice for at least a day because they were busy with the paper and boxes. Typical. 

She kept trying to put the bow on her head

They loved playing with the lights

Tim took the rest of these as you can probably tell

And that was our Christmas. It was relaxed, low key, and special. I loved every moment of it, and will forever cherish the memories we made. 

Now for New Years! We're hanging out with family tonight and heading home early. It's the first time since I was 18 that we're not going to any big parties or hosting one. It's weird, but it's also a sign of how our lives have drastically changed in the past year. It's been the craziest, most frustrating, loving, amazing year. We've grown so much this past year in our marriage and in ourselves. I could go on and on about how our lives differ and my hopes and dreams for 2012, but I hear Clive starting to wake. I will say this, if 2012 half as good as 2011 was we will still be blessed beyond measure. 

Have a safe and happy new year!  

What in the world?!

So as we all know and are constantly reminded, it's Christmas time which means shopping for that perfect gift for that special someone. But sometimes you wonder who the hell would buy these things.

Take the Unicorn Pony Cycle for example. I mean, come on. Who buys this for their children? I mean unless they don't mind their kids being the weird kids on the block riding a unicorn instead of a normal bike. Just pin a kick me sign on the poor kids back already! 

And this, seriously. It's suppose to be a pillow, and I would NEVER want either of my kids sleeping on a monster who got it's ass kicked. It's scary and sad at the same time.  

Ok I admit I didn't find this for sale, it was in someones office but I have to post it because I'm convinced it stared straight into my soul. 

Santa had too many cookies and he's also way too over priced for just being a weebly wobble Santa.

Army of creepy doll candle holders anyone? Great for making guests feel uncomfortable. 

This guy. This guy was not for sale, he was actually hanging in a restaurant I was having breakfast at. He's creepy, he's like a possessed elf. Plus I know he was totally judging me for eating that super unhealthy breakfast bagel. He made me feel like a fatty and therefore he's making the list. Jerk. 

Last but not least there's this gem, Santa holding baby Jesus. I totally missed that part in the Christmas story, but it must be true because my friend Anna (who also found that statue) bought me this

Santa was there for the birth of Jesus. We need to update the Bible asap! 

I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas this year! And if anyone buys any of these please contact me asap, I need to get into your mind for medical reasons. 

That Awkward Moment When...

Disclaimer: Yes these have all happened to me. I hope you will feel better about your life. You're welcome .  That awkward moment when... You tell a very conservative Christian friend who can potentially recommend you for a job "I'm the funniest f'ing person you will ever meet" You think a door is automatic so you stand there in front of it, waving your arms like an idiot only to have a kind old man pass you and open the door for you. And as you walk away you know he's wondering what you've been smoking that day.  Your husband catches you blasting music in the house, after you've repeatedly told him not too.  Someone shows up at your house unexpectedly and your bra from yesterday is hanging over the kitchen chair. Someone you've been expecting shows up and your bra from yesterday is hanging over the kitchen chair.  Your child spits up on someone’s brand new something.  Your phone rings in church, and it's not on silent. You tell a joke, and no one laughs.  Someone asks your opinion concerning the topic they've been talking about but you weren't listening and have no clue what to say. *Can also apply this too when you don't understand the subject that was being discussed.  Your baby falls off a chair at your husbands company Christmas party                                 *Side note- she fell onto very soft grass thankfully. Still embarrassing, totally not winning mother of the year now.  You send an email about something personal and super inappropriate to the wrong coworker.  A Preacher says during a wedding  "Marriage is hard. It's always going to be hard. You have to get use to it. Neither one of you has experienced anything as hard as this until now" and you immediately think "that's what she said" and you begin to quietly laugh uncontrollably and have to pretend like your crying because people around you are starting to stare.      *This has also happened during group prayers. I'm doomed.

Give 1 Save 1

Hey friends!

As we all know it's the holiday season and that means not only eating crazy amounts of food, drinking a TON of spiked eggnog, and receiving lots of special gifts, it's also a time to give back. And what better way to give back than to help a family on their adoption journey!

My dear friends Phillip and Jenna Knight embarked on their adoption journey in May 2010 (read all about their story here) and now they are on the last leg of bringing their sweet daughter Emerson Meti Knight home. They are the featured family this week on Give1Save1, a blog that helps adoptive families bring home their much anticipated and loved children.

Meet Emerson Knight. OMG don't you just want to squeeze her???

So where do you come in? I'm asking you to donate a dollar. That's right 1 dollar (I know we're breaking the bank right?) to this terrific family who is anxiously waiting for the call to pick up their daughter from Ethiopia. If everyone donates just one dollar we can help this family on the last part of their adoption journey, and more importantly, help change all of their lives forever.

Click Here to donate your dollar to the Knight family

Try and watch this video without shedding a tear. Oh you weren't able to? It's because it's not possible!!!! 

Ps- I ask that you keep the Knight family in your thoughts and prayers. Prayer is power, and worth so much more than money.

10 months

First and foremost, I've been a horrible blogger. I wish I could say "Oh I'm just sooo popular, everyone is begging to hangout with me, I just haven't found the time". But honestly, my life is really boring right now so I just haven't written lately. That's the truth. But it's better to fake it then to not do it all all (that's what she said, pun intended). Moving on...

10 months, holy crap ya'll we hit double digits and not one CPS report to date. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, we still have 17.16 more years. * Side note- I didn't do the math on that, my robot did. Pays to marry a robot*

 Umm let's see, they're getting cuter. I mean I know that's what a lot of people say, but it's true. 

Scarlet's new thing is to play peek-a-boo with us. Not because she thinks it's fun, but she loves our reaction. We're easily amused. 

They do cooler things, like stand on their own, actually just Clive is doing it. Scarlet just perfected pulling up by herself. It turns out though she's been doing this at daycare for a couple of weeks, but she refused to do it at home. Mostly because she knows I'll pull her up whenever she asks screams at me. Clive on the other hand just stands on his own at random times. Tim's trying to teach him to walk, but I'm not ready for it because he's my baby (literally he was baby B). Plus that means he'll be able to run soon, and that sounds like a nightmare.

Here's a video of Clive standing up for the first time. We were pretty impressed, it's ok if you're not as impressed as we were. 

They're getting into more and more things, and it's frankly getting on my nerves. I know a lot of people tell me "oh just get use to it" to which I would love to reply something that I cannot type right now because I'm working on cussing less... but you get my point. 

Why yes those are wires in the background. Thank you for noticing! 

It's getting more and more fun to do embarrassing things with them. For example:

I can't wait till they go on their first date and I bust out this picture and say "moo moo buckaroo". Best future day EVER.

And that's about it. It's been 10 months, I'm kicking ass at this whole mothering thing. Take notes. 

PS- I just have to say to the person who found my blog by Googling "my licence" + "handcuffed me" I hope everything works out. And yes, that speaks to the nature of my blog and I couldn't be more proud.