I don't know where to begin

It's been awhile, and I don't even know where to start, so I'll just go back a bit.

Feb 12, 2010 was my big boy's 6th birthday. I can't believe Julian is 6 already. I can still remember 6 years ago when I was still pregnant with him and his delivery. He was a handful as a baby, but I know he just didn't feel well. He has been the best child since then. He really doesn't give me any trouble. He is patient, kind, funny, loves to interact with people, sweet, and very smart. This year we planned a birthday party at a "jumpy gym" ( tons of inflatable bouncy castles and huge slides to play with). We invited his entire class in hopes that we could meet more people since it is freezing here and don't get out much with the babies. We had a good turn out, 10 of Julian's friends came. Julian loves his birthday and was so excited that the day was finally here. We had had a countdown all month. The day of Julian's birthday was a delay of school because of the snow, but he went to school anyway when it started so he could enjoy his special day. They get to wear a birthday crown. It was also valentine's day at school so they passed out their cards. That day, my sister Jess, also arrived while he was at school and he was so excited to see her when he got home. Then, Saturday was his party day. My mom and Dad came down to enjoy his big day. It was a busy day since I procrastinate and had to do all the favor things in the morning and pick up the cake. The kids had a ball though. It was even fun for the big kids who enjoyed going down the slides. It was nice to meet some of the other parents and see who the kids are Julian goes to school with. Then Mom, Dad, Jess and all of as came back home and had a great dinner and conversation.

Then Sunday came. I think this is when all of our problems started. A neighbor whose little girl is in Julian's kindergarten class called upset. Her family had had a GI virus all weekend and the husband had passed out in the shower and an ambulance was on the way to get him. She asked if I could take 2 of her girls. I had no choice, but knew they had some nasty virus going around. So the girls came over. I tried to keep them away from the babies, and then Jess and I lysoled everything when they left. We hoped for the best but got the worst.

Monday: Mary came up for a visit and to help watch the kids later in the week so I could go to Napa to meet Chris for a work trip and some much needed rest. We had a good day, it was nice to have company since Chris left this day for a long trip. Everything was normal until Julian woke me up at midnight after throwing up. We cleaned that up, and not much longer it happened again. He stayed home the next day with a fever and feeling tired and nauseous. Alex had also thrown up during the night and a couple times the next day.

Wednesday: Lilly threw up her night time and morning bottle. So it was her turn to get sick. Just the one I was hoping would avoid it due to her size and how hard it is to get her to gain weight. She had been eating great too. Then, I took Julian to the bus, feeling a little quessy. Then around 1:00 pm, it hit me hard. I started with vomiting and the diarrhea. ( I know too much info). It was really bad. I felt like I had been hit by a truck. I ached, was weak, could not stop, and had no energy. I told mom I needed to go somewhere and we found an urgent care center. We also took Lilly to be seen, since she hadn't kept anything down in 24 hrs. When we got there, my BP, pulse was awful. I couldn't even keep ice chips down. The doctor there recommended that I go to the hospital and recommended that they call an ambulance to come get me. They started an IV and gave me Zofran, and started to feel a little better. After several hours at the ER, 3 liters of fluid later and some more zofran, I was well enough to go home.

All I have to say is I'm glad my mom and mary were here. I don't know what I would have done if I had been home alone with the 3 kids. It could have been really bad.

Saturday: most of us are all better, but Lilly continues to throw up. I called her doctors who advised me to take her to ER for some IV fluids because she probably was dehydrated. so off I went with her. It was not a fun visit. But she did good, and I think felt much better after the zofran and fluids.

Thankfully, today we are all feeling better, and praying that we never get that again. It's bad when even the dog gets the virus in the house. Now, I just have to get lilly to gain the weight she lost over the last few days.

Pictures to follow

Lilly watching the Wiggles

I hate Mondays

My toothless big boy.
I found this shirt at Gymboree, very appropriate for Alex.
Taking a break from the snow.

I try not to be negative, but I really don't like Monday's. We always have a great time just spending time together on the weekends, and then it's back to being alone during the week to handle everything at the house. We had snow this past weekend, (Not near as much as our family in Philadelphia) but plenty for Julian to enjoy time outside. Daddy and Julian had a great time sledding down our hill in the back yard, making snowballs, and trying to make an igloo. It was nice to have a relaxing family weekend after the past week. It was a hard week last week. The babies and Julian had colds. They all had stuffy, runny noses. Tired and cranky kids. Then of course mommy had to get the cold as well. And of course when mommy is sick, daddy is always out of town. Julian missed 2 days of school, and then Friday didn't have school because of the impending snow coming, which was actually nice because he felt better, but was able to really rest and let the cold run it's course before he had to return to school this week. I new it was going to be too good to be true if we made it all winter without getting sick. For having a child in kindergarten around all those kids and 2 preemies, we've done pretty good though I have to say staying well. Let's see if we can make it the rest of the winter germ free.

Now, we're back to school, and Chris being busy all week. This job is really a lot more demanding of his time than any other in the past. I also miss having him work from home. It was a lot easier to get him to finish for the day when he was here, but he is doing good at work, and I'm here for the kids right now. Who knows what the future holds for us, but we're trying to make the most of this right now. it's just hard being all alone while he's busy.

They are calling for a lot more snow this week, so I'm sure Julian will have a snow day. It's funny trying to balance our experience from living in the south and in Canada. We are used to making life work even though it's snowing, yet things kind of shut down here like in the south. I used to take Julian to school in his snow suit, in pouring snow in Canada. And what's funny, they would still bundle up in snow gear and go out and play.

Hopefully this week will fly by. We have an exciting weekend to look forward to. I can't believe by big boy is turning 6 on Friday, and then we have a birthday party to celebrate. Looking forward to that and spending time with family.

Daddy giving Julian a good push to go down the hill.
Julian loves to make snow angels.

alex and duke

Another tooth gone

Well, Chris was out of town all week so it was just me here with the kids. I'm very tired but we made it, and I think the kids all felt taken care of. We did have a nice unexpected visit from my brother on Monday night. Julian was so excited to see Blake, and even got to stay up a little late so they could socialize. Julian asked that Blake sleep with him. Julian always gets very chatty at bedtime, and no telling where the conversation will go when the lights go out. Chris and I always laugh at the things he talks about. As I was leaving the room, I heard Julian asking Blake if he ever has a problem with his pants going up his bottom, and then Blake was describing a wedgie (sp?) to him. Very funny. It was also nice to have Lauren (my babysitter) Mon., Tues, and Wed night for a few hrs. I even got to slip away to the basement to walk on the treadmill for awhile. I think it gave me the extra energy to make it through the night.

Julian had a cleaning appt at the dentist Monday morning. (Of course it was pouring down raining and I had to take all the kids). Found out he had a loose tooth. Mommy doesn't do well with pulling teeth. It seems not much bothers me, except teeth. I can scrub in on operations, deliver babies on my own, deal with throw up and diarrhea, but the teeth thing bothers me. Julian was sitting in bed Wednesday and the tooth was so ready to come out that he could turn it horizontal. Julian was such a big boy and took a washcloth and pulled it out himself. That makes 2 bottom teeth gone. It's hard to watch my first baby grow up.

The babies are still doing good. Not much else to report this week. Lilly is such an independent little girl. It's so funny to watch her personality because she is so different from the boys. She does not like me to feed her, wants to do it herself. So today for breakfast she had strawberries and bananas cut up and did really well. She's taking her bottles great! Alex will eat almost anything you put in his mouth. Both are busy moving all around and love playing with Julian's stuff, which I'm sure you can guess he doesn't like that.

We also had a couple inches of snowfall Thursday morning( gone by the afternoon).

Funny watching them look outside, I can't wait until we can actually GO outside.

Big Week

He's just a tad bigger than she is (ha ha)


The babies turned 10 months on Wednesday and I turned another year older on Thursday. Where does the time go? I can't believe that 10 months have gone by. The babies are growing and changing so much that each month goes by. They are both very mobile now. You put them down and seconds later they are off and they definately know what they want. Alex is on his way to walking. He has the motion down, just have to work on balance and he'll be on his way. Lilly is getting there. She really wants to do it, put the legs don't cooperate as much as Alex's do. Lilly is getting very vocal with her wants, likes and dislikes. I can't wait until she learns some words to express these, right now, it just comes out as a LOUD shout. Sometimes it's a chain reaction here. Lilly screams to get something, she scares Alex, so he cries, then Julian gets upset because they are interfering with his activities or he can't hear the TV. We also really need work in the nap department. How do you get babies to take more than a 30 minute nap. They really need more than that to be happy, but won't do it. I remember when Julian was around 1-2 yrs old. Naps were so nice. We would both put our PJs on and take about a 3 hr nap together and I loved every minute.

I did find a really nice girl in college to come help in the evenings with feedings, baths and bedtime. Since my kids really don't sleep they are both exhausted by around 6. Sometimes they are both asleep before Chris can get home from work. I feel bad sometimes because since he has to be the one that works he can go several days without seeing them. By the time he gets home they are cranky and ready to go to bed. Quality time with them is definately during the day. It was so nice to have an extra pair of hands so that their was a greater degree of calm in the house. Will be especially nice when Chris is traveling. I wonder if I can get her to sleep over.

Mom came down this week so that Chris and I were able to go out for a dinner together. It was great getting to actually sit down and eat, but we were both so tired we didn't stay out too long. The birthday aren't that exiting anymore. But I do have to say that at 33, I am doing exactly what I wanted to be doing. I have 3 beautiful children that I am so thankful for. 32 was a rough year for me, but I have great hopes that 33 is going to be a wonderful year for my family.

It seems as if time is just flying by. I have tried to sit down and write something for several days now. It seems as if there is always something to do or someone to take care of. The problem with twins is you never get the full opportunity to take advantage of naps. By the time you get both of them down, you may have a few minutes before one wakes up, and they never take long naps on the same day. The nights have gotten a little better, but it never fails you think things are turning around and then the next night is awful. Lilly has started to get a tooth and makes her very figitity at night. Alex is doing better, but we are having to let him cry for a period. It seems like clockwork that he wakes up around 4:30 am. If we go get him, that's it, he's up for the morning. We have started to let him cry and eventually he will put himself back to sleep. I feel bad because Julian never cried himself to sleep. I haven't figured out if we are doing things a little different because we have more than 1 or if we have twins. Things haven't gotten better yet with the babies, in fact I believe it is even harder now than when they were younger. As babies you just had to feed them and put them to bed, now they are getting a little older and more aware of what they want and they can make it very clear what they want. It's harder to entertain and make both happy, especially when they both want mommy. Hopefully it will get easier soon. I just wish I can be the hands on mom I was with Julian with the twins and give them the attention they deserve as well.

Julian got a baseball tee for Christmas and he is really good. T- ball starts soon, and I think we found something that he really enjoys. We have set it up in the basement (since it is so cold here) and we go down every night and he loves hitting the ball, and I am so pleased that he is having fun doing it. I will be happy if this is a sport he will like since I played growing up. We are also still trying to figure out how to keep fish alive and take care of a bunny. Julian first thought the fish were doing tricks when they died, now he has figured out the death thing.

I did manage to get away last weekend for a little pampering of myself. My feet needed some serious attention, and a manicure and pedicure was wonderful. A life of a stay at home mom is so not glamourous and it is all about your kids. I wouldn't trade being home with them for anything, I think they gain so much from having me here, but it is nice every once in awhile to make myself look pretty. Julian asked me what that red stuff was on my nails. He's used to seeing me in mommy gear. He asked me the other day how old I was going to be on my birthday and I told him, he asked if that came before 100. Makes me feel kind of old. But I couldn't be happier with my life as I turn another year older. I have 3 beautiful children and I am able to stay home and take care of them. My only thing I wish I could change is where we live. (I am sorry to our family that lives in PA, but this is not my favorite place to live). I would give anything to move to SC again. The people here are just not that friendly at all. At least in Canada we had good friends to make living apart from our family more bearable.