A & W are 13 Weeks.

So I missed a few weeks of updates. They are changing and growing so fast I can't keep up!

9 Weeks

10 Weeks

11 Weeks

12 Weeks

13 Weeks

"You Have Your Hands Full"

That is definitely the most repeated phrase I hear when I'm out in public. I don't mind, not really but I'm running out of clever things to say in return. Most of the time I just say "yep, just a little" but sometimes I'll throw in a "I'm very blessed".
I can see a little grandma a mile away coming toward the babies all smiles and I just know they will stop and fawn over the babies. They are so sweet and I know that will be me someday. These little old ladies always brighten my day no matter how crazy the kids are being.

Things are pretty nuts right now. I went back to work a couple weeks ago and while I may have been a welcome break from 24/7 kid duty (and dootie) I'm finding it a very tough balance. There are not enough hours in the day to get everything I need to get done even close to done. Sometimes my list is just so overwhelming I do nothing but lay a blanket on the floor, put the twins on it and stare at them, make goofy faces an make them smile. That gives me more of a sense of accomplishment than tackling the 5 foot tall laundry mountain in the basement.

My photography business is doing pretty good but I know it could be better if I could commit more time to it. It just can't happen right now.

As I sit here now my brain is scanning all that needs to be done while Erin is napping, Evan is engrossed in some Curious George and the twins are bouncing at my feet in their bouncers with content full bellies. Yet here I sit, feeling the tug toward the computer so I can document what we are all going through right now. I can't sum it up with one word...maybe five. Bliss, worry, exhaustion, fun and stress. Are stress and worry the same thing?

Bliss - our four wonderful beautiful children are healthy, happy and our whole world.
Worry - money. Not enough, not sure how the hospital bills and/or other debt will ever get paid.
Exhaustion - well the twins are now sleeping through the night so that is a MAJOR deal! But I am still just tired. I've never been a great sleeper and since the twins are still in a bassinet next to me and Evan and Erin tend to wake up at least once a night with a bad dream or wanting a drink or some other crisis I don't get a whole lot of sleep. Not to mention I have to get up almost two hours before work to get everyone ready.
Fun - so much fun with the kids. From the zoo to birthday parties to pizza and movie night at home we have a blast.
Stress - a messy house, landscaping looks like no one lives here, a tiny kitchen that is the bane of my existence, potty training a stubborn three year old, kindergarten starts next week for Evan, daycare expenses, Wes' mishaped head (more on that in a bit) and how will be ever afford anything...ever.

 In the big scheme of things these are not big problems. Completely manageable. But it is a lot and it's not hard to get overwhelmed.
The other night at Kindergarten registration was the first time I almost had a meltdown. The twins needed to eat and were crying, Erin and Erin were running around this computer lab like wildlings and we were trying to get Evan's bus situation straightened out. It was all too much and I just needed to bail. And most of the time it doesn't bother me but the judging eyes of other moms were too much for me.  I am without a doubt completely emotional about Kindergarten. I mean, COME ON! This was like five minutes ago!!!

He still seems way to tiny to be riding this giant school bus (with no seat belts!) all by himself. It just feels strange to me. And I know it will be fine and that (hopefully!) he won't get on the wrong bus or anything but my worrying self just can't help but worst case scenario everything. I will be a sobbing mess taking him in that first day and I hope I'm not the only weepy one at drop off. Maybe there will be some other moms I know there to commiserate with and to say "what the heck happened, how are they in kindergarten!".

In other news our little Wesley will probably be heading into a baby helmet because of his loppy head. It's pretty flat on one side in the back and his forehead bulges out a little bit. We've been trying repositioning him for the past month or so but with no results. Our pediatrician told us his gut says to do it now or we would be sorry we didn't in a few months. So I took him to get scans on his little melon yesterday. He did really well! The tech was just praising him because most babies really hate it but he just kind of laid there and didn't fuss. He's so laid back though, I wasn't surprised.

We meet with the doctor at the Neurosurgical Institute on August 6th to see what steps we needs to take next.

I've also been struggling with whether or not to send Erin to preschool. We sent Evan at three two days a week but I'm not sure if we can financially do it at this point. Not to mention the drop off and pick up would kind of be a mess. They do preschool at our daycare so I don't think she will be missing out on anything academically but I kind of just wanted her to have some exposure to sitting at a desk and lining up, that sort of thing. I'm still on the fence...so stay tuned.
Speaking of fences my parents have agreed to fence in our back yard! Hallelujah! That will be great especially once the twins are mobile.

Well, that's enough rambling for today. How about some pics of all my cuties I love so much.
Our garden is doing great!

 Erin is thrilled.

 Still crazy eyes!

Erin is Three!

Oh my goodness this sweet girl. Yes, she has her stubborn sassy moments but I adore her so so much. We celebrated her birthday last weekend, just a cake and some presents. We did birthdays pretty low key this year since we've had such a busy Spring and Summer.
Right now this big girl is talking a mile a minute. About mermaids and princesses and Peppa Pig and Rapunzal.
She is not interested in potty training AT ALL. But I haven't really pressured her either. Now that she is three I am going to be a little more vigilant.
She loves to dance and sing and twirl. She has so much fun at everything she does!
Her bff is Sophie and these girls have a ton of fun at daycare together. She talks about Sophie all the time and she's always the girl on the other end of her toy phone.

At her check up Erin was right down the middle for weight and 75th percentile for height. I was nervous at her check up because she has always been scared of doctors but luckily she did great and was just her normal happy self. 

She naturally creates a path of destruction wherever she goes. She is truly gifted when it comes to making messes! She's so cute though she always says a quick "surrey!" It's so hard to be mad at that little face. 

Happy 3rd Birthday my sweet girl. 

Wesley & Audrey are Two Months

My sweet babies are two months old.
Wesley is 11 pounds 12 ounces (50th percentile) and 22-3/4"(50th percentile).
Audrey is 11 pounds (45th percentile) and 22" (45th percentile).

Wes seems sooo much bigger than Audrey. I guess on a baby 12 ounces is a lot because I can tell how much heavier he is than her when I pick him up.  Buster! (Pictures by Evan)

Overall they are great! Sleeping about 5-6 hours a night. I feel like I have completely slacked on their schedule. They haven't been napping in cribs and I haven't really been sticking to a consistent schedule. Sleep training has kind of been put on hold. It's so SO much harder with two. Especially if I'm trying to keep them on the same feeding schedule. And now that they will be going to daycare soon it all seems pointless. I know it isn't pointless but it's hard to maintain. If I was off a few more weeks I think it would be better but of course that can't happen. 

Wesley's head is still misshaped so they doctor had me make sure he isn't favoring one side over the other and he will reevaluate at their four month appointment.  I'm hoping we can fix it in the next two months. 

About it for now since I have two big kids dying to go outside! 

What's Going On

This will be a random post that will mostly be pictures. We are crazy busy around here and it's hard to find time to sit down and blog. When I do have a minute to sit down I usually spend it completely zoned out trying to relax. I'm down to 1-1/2 weeks left of maternity leave and I have mixed feelings about it. Part of me is ready to get back to work where I can relax and not worry about anything. My job is pretty low stress (when I let it be) and it's SUPER easy compared to taking care of these four munchkins. I'm pretty sure at this point you could give me almost any job in the world and I would find it a piece of cake compared to the last 7-1/2 weeks :) I will miss my kiddos like crazy though while I'm at work. And since the twins aren't sleeping through the night yet (we're up to 5-6 hours though) I'm sure I'll be even more exhausted than I am now.
So what's been going on. Well first Evan had his five year checkup and he is 44 pounds (75th percentile) and 42 inches tall (30th percentile). I sure hope he didn't get my shortyness, he seems average to other kids his age though so I'm not too worried. He got all his shots to get him ready for kindergarten (which I still can't believe that is only 6 weeks away).  The boy is all about some Lego's since his birthday. It would be super great if I didn't have to build them all first but oh well.

Erin turns three in one month. I cannot believe that either. She is by far my most challenging right now but my goodness do I adore her. She is everything I wanted in a daughter, sweet, sassy, smart and downright hilarious.

Love her sweet face. And does she love her baby sister, oh my goodness. She loves Wes too of course but she dotes on sweet Audrey. 

The babies are doing great, growing like weeds. Wes has made the biggest transformation, he's huge! Well surpassed Audrey in weight, their eight week appointment is Monday and I can't wait to see how much he weighs. Chunky monkey!

He is super terrible at tummy time and while he doesn't mind it, he just lays there rarely lifting his head. I think he has good head control from when I am just holding him upright but I'm a little concerned at his lack of effort. 

My worry might also be that Audrey does really well at tummy time. She lifts her head a lot and for long stretches of time. I'm sure I will always be comparing milestones with the twins but I probably shouldn't since all babies are different!

(the tongue is out, she's concentrating)

Poor girl is balding too. And she has a bad case of baby acne. Oh well, hopefully it'll be a short phase. She's still cute though :) she reminds me so much of Erin at that age. 

Starting to get some smiles here and there from the twins. I just love that. They never smile at the same time though of course. 

Well that's about it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to update next week when the twins turn 2 months! 

Evan is Five!

How is he five you ask? I have no idea. For real. The fastest five years of my life!
We just adore this boy more and more. He does fight with his sister a fair share but other than that he is the sweetest boy in the world.

 He's super into Star Wars anything, and has started to really really like Legos. I can't say that I mind either, I think they are fun to put them together.

 We celebrated his birthday by going to the zoo and the splash park at the zoo.
The previous weekend Todd took him camping and he loved it. He got to drive a boat for the first time and that made his year. Happy Birthday Evan, we love you so much!