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Your Votes Needed!

November 7, 2011 By

Drumroll please…the boys first Halloween costume:

A week after Halloween and those wigs still crack me up! Well, actually they were just blue boas hot glued onto baby caps. It worked out great, they were really light, and because they were baby caps, they weren’t itchy at all. The boys actually liked wearing them!

Now I need your help! A local photographer is running a cutest Halloween costume contest. The prize is a photo shoot. To vote for the boys head over to her facebook page and:

1. Like the Miranda Corbell Photography page.

2. Comment on (not just like) the photo of the boys.

You must do both in order for your vote to count!

Thank you so much for your support!!!

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Putting in perspective

October 16, 2011 By

As you know, usually I post about my latest baking or decorating endeavor or (more frequently as of late) the boys. But I just had to share this little moment in my life, because it really got to me the other day…

I’m not usually one to hand out cash to people asking for money (and we have a lot of those here in SoCal). I remember listening to a former homeless man who spoke to a high school group many years ago, who talked about how you should’t give money to people standing out in the street, but instead to the programs equipped to help these people. So I generally give to organizations supporting low income or homeless people when asked, and I don’t typically give to people down on their luck. But the other day I was getting gas and I guy asked me if he could wash my windows, which I politely declined. And then I watched as he trotted back to a little shady grass area by the gas station where he had his bucket and squeegee, a bicycle, and…his family, slightly hidden behind the corner. He was a pretty young guy, and sitting on the grass was his young wife/girlfriend and two young kids. A 3 or 4 year old and a baby, who didn’t look much older than my twins, who were cooing away in the back seat.

Now I hate it when people sit on the street corner with their kids, hoping for a sympathy donation, but that’s not what was happening here. The mom was off to the side in the shade, entertaining the kids, while Dad was over at the pumps asking people if they’d like their windows washed. And I thought to myself, “Wow, we sometimes have times where things seem a little tight, but never, ever have we been in a situation where we felt like the Hubby needed to work it at the gas station to make ends meet.” So I looked in my purse, and when I was done pumping gas, I drove over and gave the man the $6 I had in my wallet. Whatever the circumstances (and who knows what they were), I was pretty sure that this young family needed my $6 more than I did.

The man thanked me and asked if I’d like my windows cleaned. I declined, but he asked me one more time, saying that he really, really hated to ask for money, and if he could wash my windows he felt like at least he was helping me out, too. So I let him.

And as he washed my windows we chatted. His kids were 3 and 7 months. He had just recently lost his job and he talked about how hard it was trying to make ends meet without a job, but he couldn’t bring himself to just stand on the corner. So at least this way he could “work” for cash. And then he thanked me again and off I went.

So as I stress about preparing for a move to the other side of the world or grumble about the price of plane tickets as we plan our holiday trip to the East coast to see our family, that little interaction, however brief, really helped me put it all in perspective.

2 Comments Filed Under: Musings

Six Months!

October 3, 2011 By

Well who knew that with my husband deployed, a full time job, and twins I wouldn’t have time to blog? I knew it had been a bit, but considering the last blog post was when the boys turned five months and now they are SIX MONTHS, it really has been a while (that’s a month to be exact, in case you’re counting).

The boys are doing great. Miles is in the 75th percentile for length and Ollie is in the 50th percentile for length and they are both in the 10th percentile for weight (tall and thin like their dad!). They are eating solids like little champs, well except for Miles and peas and carrots tonight. I’m making all their own baby food and I just love cooking for them (don’t freak out, it’s actually REALLY easy… just steam some fruits or veggies and throw them in the food processor). They are interacting with each other a lot now, and it’s so darn cute. They love listening to books, taking their nightly baths, and and they love spending time in their exersaucer/jumperoo. And they’re going to bed around 6:30-7pm, each in their own cribs, and getting up only once to nurse until they wake up around 6:30am. Ahhhh…getting them on a sleep schedule has been wonderful. I’m hoping in the next few weeks we can drop that feeding as well.

They boys LOVE daycare. I’m still breastfeeding, and having daycare at work is about the best thing I could ask for. Working at a job I really enjoy has been key to my sanity during this deployment with two small babies, but being able to run down and breastfeed them twice a day means I have been able to nurse until 6 months (my goal…everything from now on out is gravy in my book!) and I get to spend a little bonding time with them throughout my day. And those ladies that take care of them just love them. Honestly, leaving the daycare/work situation is going to be the hardest thing about moving to Japan for me!

So, speaking of the move, I am starting to get a little nervous! Are we totally insane? Moving across the world with two infants? Well, I keep telling myself that I need to stick to my motto: Many people much stupider than I have done this and lived to tell the tale. :) . And with that, I’m off to go get a little shut eye while I can.

1 Comment Filed Under: Babies

Five Months!

August 30, 2011 By

Today the boys are FIVE MONTHS OLD! I really can’t believe it…it seems like just yesterday my mom was driving me to the hospital! Sorry I don’t have many stats, because they don’t have another check-up until 6 months, but they are growing like weeds! They’re still long and lanky without much pudge, but look at their tall, skinny dad! They’re still breastfeeding like champs, still in cloth diapers, and are growing and changing each and every day!

A few weeks ago they started eating cereal in addition to breastfeeding and are great little eaters. They’ve also started to play with toys. I can hand them a toy and they’ll sit there for ten minutes playing with it, chewing on it, moving it around in their hands. It’s so neat to watch them figure out how to use their appendages.

Their little personalities are really starting to emerge. Miles is the feistier of the two boys…he’s pretty content to play by himself a lot of the time, but man can he scream when he’s mad! And he’s a talker. He babbles A LOT! He always sounds like he’s saying something very important.

Ollie is such a happy little baby. He  is constantly smiling and he is such a flirt. I love waking him up in the morning–he’s all smiles. I used to hate mornings, but when I wake up to that smiling face it’s hard not to be happy!

They are sleeping pretty well right now. They went through a growth spurt a few weeks ago and were eating every 2 hours at night. Ick (this, of course, corresponded to the Hubby leaving). Luckily, that seems to be over, but until last week they still were getting up a lot, but then they’d fall asleep after eating for two minutes. So last week I started to try to get them back to sleeping in their crib and staying down. Ollie is doing great. He goes to sleep at 7:00-7:30, I wake him to feed him before I go to bed around 10, and then he sleeps until 3 or so. I feed him and then he’s down until I wake him up to go to daycare around 6:45. Miles is on the same schedule, but after the 10pm and the 3am feedings he usually wakes up again after an hour. Right now I hold him, and give him his pacifier, so he’s getting the snuggle time, but used to not eating. In a few days, I’m going to work on getting him to stay in his crib with the pacifier, and then hopefully he’ll be on the same schedule as Ollie.

But the most exciting thing that’s happening in their lives right now? They’ve started to recognize one another! It is the coolest thing, and each time it happens I almost tear up. Here’s a little clip from this weekend:

 

2 Comments Filed Under: Babies
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