One Year in #s

One Year in Numbers:

5 hours of labor

1 minutes between birth of babies

2 healthy babies

5 lb 9 oz - Tristan

5 lb 7 oz - Everett

2 days in NICU

4 days in hospital

362 days at home (leap year!)

6200 diapers (avg 7/day/baby)

20+ Costco boxes of diapers

20+ Costco boxes of wipes

$1020 on diapers

$700 on wipes

2-3 outfits/day for first six months

1-2 outfits/day for last six months

3 loads of laundry/week on avg. (just for the boys)

$400-500 worth of clothes (I didn't really keep track, but I don't doubt that I spent on average about $40-50/month....don't tell Kevin!)

4 boxes of clothes grown out of and handed off - no need to keep!!!!

Countless number of socks unaccounted for

1 shoe left in Walmart (not worth going back for after the kids are already buckled in the car!)

1 month of breastfeeding

$3000 on formula

50 ounces of formula mixed/day

25 boxes of rice cereal

1825 bottles washed

12 bottles of dishsoap bought ($50)

15 bottle brushes bought ($50)

2 very chapped/dry hands

15 bottles bought

5 months of Tristan's colic/reflux

3 doctors visited for Tristan's colic/reflux

3 medications for Tristan's reflux

5 formulas tried before resorting to Nutramigen

4 months of Tristan sleeping (or NOT) on his back before resorting to his stomach.....ahhhh sleep!!

3-4 hours of sleep/night for first three months (Kevin & I)

5-6 hours of sleep/night for next five months

7-8 hours of sleep/night for next two months

6-7 hours of sleep/night for last two months (teething!)

10 teeth

10+  love bites from the boys

4 bites that left marks on each other

6 different medications filled

2 infections

4 colds

0 flu

8 vaccines

1 birthday

2 demolished cakes

2 happy little boys

and let's not forget..........
ONE ADORING, CARING, HELPFUL SISTER!

Happy Birthday Tristan & Everett!!!!

There has to be more.....

Reflections on my birthday.....

I have full confidence that God gave me thirty-two years of life experiences to prepare me for my thirty-third year of life. This life I lead is more challenging than I thought it would be. I’ve never taken the “easy” route to do anything. That should be clarified; I take the easy route but tend to make the easy route more difficult than it needs to be. I’ve always expected more. I expect things to be more challenging or difficult, most likely because I’ve never seemed to gain a true sense of self-confidence in my abilities.

I’m told that as a child I was very determined. I’m also told that I was quite bossy, which explains my daughter’s current behavior! Growing up was always the goal….there could be nothing better than being a grown up. I think my determination in accomplishing things and making things more difficult was a way for me to be more grown up. I could never shake the thought of “there has to be more to life than this.” My parents were amazing role models for me. They are the reason I had this determination to be grown up. They looked like they had it all figured out, and I wanted that. I wanted responsibility, people to depend on me, to be able to support and comfort others, and for others to look at me with admiration. In short, I wanted to be my parents.

It wasn’t until late in high school that I finally realized I was capable of more than I gave myself credit for.  I was finally able to take on more responsibility and succeed. I definitely realized this when during my senior year of high school I was told I couldn’t take my second semester of accounting. I instead was required to take consumer economics, where they basically show you how to balance a checkbook. I was so disappointed that I asked my accounting teacher if I could do all of the work for the accounting class, but not be enrolled. I think she was shocked that somebody wanted to add more classes to their schedule, yet not get any credit. I completed the class and look back on it as a turning point, a point that I learned that I could accomplish more than what was expected of me. Once again, I seemed to think “there has to be more to this….”

I don’t think I had any obstacles in college. The degree I chose was not the most stressing or difficult to obtain. Monetarily, I’m still paying for it…..  For the most part the expectations of my academics were pretty low in general. I didn’t really learn anything and kept thinking “there has to be more to this.”

I began teaching and thought “there has to be more to this” so I began my Master’s program. I loved the challenges put in front of me – learning about school leadership and challenging myself to learn more and do more. One again I wanted a challenge…..there has to be more.

Maybe that’s why I fell in love with Kevin. He’s challenging and I’ve come to realize that’s what I love! I’ve always been told that relationships aren’t always easy and marriage is not different. Kevin and I have worked for seven years at our relationship. We’re still learning about each other and how to adapt to our growing family. Even though it’s a challenge, it’s the best challenge because it has the most amazing results.

Three of those results are our amazing children. When Natalie was born, the challenge of motherhood commenced. I will say now that she was a fairly easy baby. I would not have muttered these words before now. The combination of slight colic and definite inexperience on my part made me believe that Natalie was a difficult child. Thankfully God showed me what difficult REALLY was this past year! Once again, as Natalie grew, I began thinking “there has to be more.” This was a different feeling than before. It was more of a feeling of “there has to be more of this amazing love to share.” Although we planned on having one more child, God graced us with two healthy boys. God heard my cry of “there has to be more” and He delivered.

Today on my birthday I’m reflecting on how in the world I became a thirty-three year old woman with a four year daughter, eleven month old twin boys, a loving husband, a happy home and the opportunity to stay home to enjoy all of these blessings. As I sit here while my kids are screaming with joy, chasing each other around and laughing at the fact that they’re just plain silly, I don’t feel that sense of “there has to be more.” I know this is what that yearning was. This is the time in my life I’ve been longing for. There really is no more to life than a happy, healthy family whom you love more than anything you could ever express or explain. This is the life. This is what God had envisioned for me and I am so blessed to not only have it but to fully comprehend how blessed I am to be able to have the life that I do. I pray that my children continue to grow and remain healthy, my marriage continues to enrich my life, and that all those that support our family know how grateful and blessed we are to have them in our lives. What birthday blessings I’m experiencing today. It has taken me thirty three years to finally feel that there really is no more than this. This, this, this is what celebrating life is all about.

Spring is Coming!!!!!

It seems as though I don’t have time to update this blog. The boys are getting easier to take care of, yet I have less time now than I ever have. I can no longer put them in swings or bouncers or simply on the floor and walk away to get something done. From the time I get up in the morning until the time I lay down at night, there’s at least one child needing my attention. Let’s just say that I feel very loved.

Now for the individual reports:

Tristan

When the boys were a mere three or four months old Natalie named them Bug and Grug. Tristan was aptly named Grug because of his growling and grunting. We say now that he truly defines the non-defined word Grug. Tristan is a rough and tumble kid. He has no fear, no hesitation, and is determined beyond belief to get what he wants. He continues with his funny growling and grunting which makes him even more “Grug-like”. Speed crawling is his specialty. Sometimes he even goes so fast that his legs get ahead of him and he nose-dives into the floor, arms still flailing. It’s quite a site. You would think a such described child would be independent and adventurous. If I am not in sight, this is the case. If I’m anywhere in sight, he feels the need to hunt me down and hang on me until I pick him up. Then I must carry him with me everywhere I go and NEVER put him down. There will be screaming and tears the moment I put him down, especially if I walk away afterward. I love my child, but having a 22 pound growth on me is not my idea of fun. Once he becomes entertained while not around me, he loves to push his walker or laundry basket or whatever else is accessible. He gets a look of pure joy and self-admiration on his little face when he does something he’s proud of. He’s a great eater and enjoys most everything I put in front of him. He can clap and raise his hands when asked “How big is Tristan?”. It’s extremely cute.

Everett

Everett is my baby baby. He still has baby mannerisms, the oh so soft skin, the fine silky hair, the cooing, and the need to cuddle. He’s not aggressive like his brother, thank the Lord! Everett continues to be the happiest baby I’ve ever encountered. He’s simply happy if he’s not tired or hungry. Although lately he’s become more agitated. This is partly due to his first tooth appearing and us trying to get him to crawl. He can get up onto all fours and rock, but then has no idea what to do afterward. You can tell that he wants to crawl because he cries when he can’t get anywhere. He’s a master roller. His main form of mobility is by rolling. He can get anywhere he wants by flipping himself around. It’s pretty comical to watch. When he’s feeling vocal he squeals and screams in pitches that I think only dogs can hear sometimes. He’s beginning to copy sounds and finds this very entertaining. He’s less fond of food than his brother. At meal time, he’ll humor me with a few bites, but then shakes his head no and that’s it. There’s no chance of getting more food into the child.  Everett has also discovered that when he puts his mouth on something then blows air an interesting sound is produced. Whether he has a ball or the arm of the couch, he’ll make all sorts of noises. I have a feeling he may be a musical child. He loves making new sounds either by hitting or kicking something, shaking something, or simply by using his voice. He moves his hands in a very rhythmic way. He may be our only child with rhythm.

Natalie

I’m having a very difficult time believing that Natalie will be four years old in a mere four weeks. How did this happen? It’s definitely difficult to carve out some time to spend with just Natalie. I’m always doing something for the boys; feeding, clothing, changing diapers, making food, doing laundry, etc. That leaves little time to spend with Natalie. I feel as though I’ve missed the whole year with her. I can clearly remember her first three years of life; her cute sayings, the way she played, her inquisitive nature. Her fourth year of life is a blur. I guess that’s what happens when you’re attention is divided. She’s still very inquisitive, always asking us “why?” and “how?”. She loves taking care of her babies. She’s a very good mommy to them. She’s getting a bit frustrated with Tristan. Her once safe toys and belongings are no longer safe, unless they are put up high or in her room. It’s a hard lesson to learn for a three year old. It’s also hard to make sure that all of her belongings are picked up off the floor, especially the small ones that pose as a choking hazard. She loves playing with her brothers. When she and Tristan play with each other, they’re hilarious. They are very similar to each other and laugh at each other. I love it when they’re both crawling around on the floor then semi-wrestling with each other. Both are laughing hysterically, which then makes Everett laugh. The best sound ever is when all three of my kids are laughing deep belly laughs! Natalie continues to love school and is excited each week to learn about the new letter. By the time she gets home from school on Thursday, she’s already figured out which item she’s going to bring a week later for next week’s letter sharing. Last week they learned about the letter p, so on Thursday she came home and figured out they’d learn about the letter q this week. She thought for a moment then said “Oh, I know! I’ll bring my qu-qu-question mark next week.” I love this kid! She's beginning to add and subtract and can usually read three letter words like bag, dig, sit, dog, etc. We love doing crafts together. Each month we look online for craft ideas. Then we make a trip to Michaels to pick up supplies. Then throughout the month we work on the crafts we’ve picked out. She loves creating.

Things that make my heart smile:

When Tristan is tired enough to rest his head on my shoulder.

When all three kids are laughing.

When we sit at the dinner table together.

Watching Tristan use his balance to stand up or get down from things

Watching Everett in the bouncer jumping away

Listening to Natalie talk to her babies

Looking at any of my kids smiling at me

Watching all three kids swinging on the swingset

Things that make my heart sad:

Knowing that the kids won’t remember this time

Watching any of my kids cry (true cries, not the “I want something” cry)

Kevin not being home during the week, not being able to appreciate or notice the small victories of the day

Not being able to comfort more than one child at a time

The Holidays and New Milestones

December brought a lot of excitement to our house. Natalie sang in her very first concert, the boys experienced Christmas for the first time (not that they noticed), and Kevin was able to stay home for eighteen days. It was difficult for all of us when he went back to work. We’re thankful that he has a job in which he’s able to spend so much time at home during the holidays. Although with three little ones at home, we don’t get all the “to do list” items done that we’d like. It was enough just to be home as a family though.

Natalie’s Christmas Program

Natalie’s preschool, Noah’s Ark, put on their annual holiday concert featuring the best and brightest three and four year olds in town. I don’t know how those teachers got a group of over 60 toddlers to stand in one place and sing to a crowd of adoring parents and friends! Natalie was absolutely thrilled. We took a special shopping trip to buy her a dress. Of course I pick out the fancy holiday dresses with black velvet tops and full shiny red or green skirts. To humor Natalie we picked up the dress she wanted and took that as well to the dressing room. This dress was varying shades of purple, had silver glitter all over it, rouching in the middle…..not the “holiday” dress I pictured her in, but we must humor the three year old. In the dressing room, she humors me by trying on all of the fancy dresses I picked out and has reactions of “Oh, that’s nice” or “I think it’s okay” or “Yeah, maybe” then quickly took them off. When we got her purple dress, she puts it on, twirls around, giggles uncontrollably, jumps up and down and squeals. How do you argue with a reaction like that? So Mom’s dreams of the perfect holiday dress were replaced with a vision even more beautiful, a very happy little girl. Who am I kidding? She looks beautiful no matter what she wears! She even picked out some silver glitter covered dress shoes to go with her sparkly dress. There’s just one thing that we didn’t get…..shorts to wear under the dress.

While preparing for the concert, I remind her to keep her skirt down. She has the tendency to grab her skirt and flip it around when she get excited. I reminded her over and over again that she can’t do that on stage because everybody would see her panties. In the car on the way to the concert, we have the same discussion. When we get to the church, once again we have this discussion. Strangely she is one of the shorter students in her class. Luckily the shorter kids were placed up front. Do you see where this is going? Yes, indeed. She did well through most of the concert but toward the end she just couldn’t help it and up comes the skirt. What can you do but laugh? Oh to be a three year old! She still talks about her concert and goes around the house singing her songs. We bought her a karaoke machine for Christmas and she absolutely loves singing her songs. We have about 60 Raffi songs and about 40 Dora songs memorized at this point, and I’m talking about Kevin and I!

Tristan & Everett

It’s hard to believe that next week marks eight months of feeding, diapering, clothing, cleaning, etc, etc, etc. The boys are growing both physically and developmentally.

Everett is now very study and stable when he sits on his own. He’ll sit for a half hour to 45 minutes just playing with (chewing on) his toys. He especially likes sitting and watching his sister dance around and act silly. She loves playing peek-a-boo with him, and basically doing anything to make him laugh. He has the sweetest laugh. It just sounds so genuine.

He has begun “talking” more with his usual “aaaaa dadadadada” and his very high pitch squealing. I swear sometimes only dogs can hear him! After he squeals he’ll look at you and either give you a big grin or giggle. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen, or heard. He’s a pro at rolling over and will roll across the room with ease. At one point he was more mobile than Tristan just by rolling.

Everett continues to be a finicky eater. We feel as though we have to force him to finish a five ounce bottle. Somehow he knows when he’s finished three ounces. He squirms, screams and pushes the bottle out forcefully. It then takes another hour for him to finish the last two ounces. He’s proving to be quite finicky with solid food as well. He’ll eat maybe two tablespoons of oatmeal if I put cinnamon and sugar in it. I try to put some fruit in with the oatmeal, but that doesn’t always work out. I’m not pushing it though. He’ll eat when he’s ready. He’s kind of like his father in the fact that you’re not going to rush him into anything. He’ll do things in his own time.

Tristan continues to be a brute. He’s our twenty pound butterball. Tristan’s eating habits haven’t changed too much. He’ll pretty much eat anything you put in his mouth. He finishes six ounce bottles with ease and will easily have solid food not long after that. So far he enjoys eating applesauce, pears, mangos, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. I tried making some peas and green beans, but I don’t think I cooked them long enough and the texture was pretty rough. He didn’t really enjoy that. Now I’m a bit afraid to introduce them again. I think I’m just lazy!

Tristan is on the brink of crawling. For the past few weeks he’s been getting onto all fours and rocking, then lunging. He moves around pretty efficiently. It’s almost as if he just can’t take the time to figure out the whole crawling technique. This child is always on the move, always finding exactly what he shouldn’t be getting into, and always heads straight for the box of wipes. We’ll put the box on the bottom shelf of our entertainment unit and he’ll try to climb in there just to get the box. He’s even bonked his head on the upper shelf trying to get in. His newest trick got him in trouble this week. We usually put him on the floor in the seated position. He’s somewhat learned how to get onto his belly from that position. I saw somewhat because he basically throws himself on the floor. On Wednesday he threw himself on the floor, only to find a toy where he landed. I heard the bonk, then heard the unbearable cry. I think I’m a pretty tough mom and don’t get too emotional when my kids are crying (they cry a lot, so I have to have some thick skin or else I’d be a wreck!). This cry was not like any other cry. I grabbed him and he buried his head in my neck and would NOT let go. Here come the mommy tears! I knew he was okay, but this genuine outcry really affected me. He had two red bumps on his eyebrow for a day, but seems to be fine.

The biggest milestone for Mister T is the addition of his first two teeth! I didn’t really notice the first one coming up and my mom actually felt it first. But since that once came, the next one has been pretty painful for him. He’s a more irritable kid than most I’d say, then to add teething on top of that has been exhausting. He hasn’t been sleeping well at night, is very irritable during the day, hasn’t been taking very good naps……just when things were getting easier!

Six Months and Growing like Weeds!

Busy, Busy, Busy Kids

The professional six month pictures in this entry were taken my the very talented Meghan Rickard. Her amazing work can be viewed at www.meghanrickardphotography.com

I can't believe it's been six months since these two little guys entered the world! I look back at pictures of them from six month ago and they barely look like the same kids! Everett looks very similar, but Tristan has changed immensely. I can tell now that they weren't quite done "cooking" when they decided to enter the world, well I think it was more Tristan's idea!  Right now life is very busy and I don't expect it to slow down anytime soon. The older they get, the more entertaining they need. They're also eating some solid foods (which I'm making in my "spare time") so my life pretty much revolves around feeding them bottles, solid food, some playtime and naps. It's glorious when all three kids nap at the same time, although that's a rare occurence. I think the boys realize that the opportunities for one on one mom time is very limited, so one of them always seems to be awake during the "usual" afternoon nap time. I don't mind though. It actually gives me a chance to focus on just one child!

Tristan

Since my last entry, Tristan has become a new baby! He smiles, laughs, and is a very happy little boy. Much different than the first four months of his life! He is the most active baby of my three children. Even when you're holding him, he has to "jump". He LOVES his jumper and will be not just content, but extremely happy in it for 30-45 minutes. He was jumping so high one day that I said "Wow, Tristan! I think you're getting some air!" Natalie then says, "Yeah, Tristan, you're an air conditioner!" So Tristan has yet another nickname. His names so far, according to Natalie, are Tristan Bisten, Grug Bug, Air Conditioner and Wild Child. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next! Tristan is a pro at rolling around and is beginning to scoot. He can hold off on crawling for a few more months, I wouldn't mind! I have a feeling that he'll be the child the gets into everything and climbs up everything! Watch out!

Everett

 Mr. Everett continues to be very charming. He has the sweetest smile and squeals with joy all the time. He's still trying to catch up to his brother with his eating habits. It's just amazing to hold them and spend time with them. They are completely different from each other. Everett is very calm, content, and "chill" as Natalie says. He's still working on rolling over. I think that if he actually tried to roll over, he'd do it. But he just doesn't see the point. He HATES being on his stomach and lasts maybe three minutes before he starts screaming. He's very particular with his solid foods and is still trying to figure out the point of it! Everett is my cuddler. He will sleep for hours if he's being cuddled, but struggles to sleep in his crib for any length of time, except at night. There's usually one feeding at night for lil' E. Natalie has named him Lil' Bug, Everett Keverett, and Chill Boy.

The boys are sleeping from about 8:30 PM until around 7:30 - 8:00 AM. Everett usually wakes up once to be fed. They take an hour or two hour nap in the morning and a two to three hour nap in the afternoon (usually, but definintely not always!). They may also take a short cat nap in the evening. Overall, they're sleeping well and have a pretty set schedule. Days like today make it difficult when Everett wakes up at 6:30 AM and Tristan didn't wake up until 8:30. So for the remainder of the day, their schedules are completely opposite. When one is up, the other is asleep. Trying to keep track of when one needs to sleep and eat gets confusing when their schedules differ.

 

And I don't want to forget about Miss Natalie! She continues to be the best big sister around! She loves her brothers and is beginning to play with them more and more. They smile and laugh at her now so she's pretty excited to play with them. She's learning a lot in preschool and craft time is her FAVORITE! She has to tell me all about her craft everyday. She may take after her mother after all! One of her newest tricks is not one of our favorites. She's having a hard time staying in bed at night, complaining that she's "lonely". I now feel terrible about the insomnia I had as a child and the sleepless nights my parents had to endure with me! I guess I'm getting my payback!

Natalie and Tristan trying out our new stroller.

Natalie is getting super excited for Christmas. This is the first year that she's been excited, especially about Santa. She says almost daily "I just can't wait to see what Santa brings me!" She's also excited to go shopping for her brothers. I asked her one day what she wanted and she said "I want a shirt that says 'I love my brothers'". Now what three year old says that?! I might just have to make that for her! Although she can't wait for Santa's arrival, she didn't want anything to do with sitting on his lap or being anywhere near him.....

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

Closer to Normal

We are now on day 7 of our new schedule! Both boys have been taking short morning naps, 2-3 hour afternoon naps and a very short evening nap. All of which are in their own beds! I'm liking this schedule.....and so is this happy boy!

Dare I Say It's Getting Easier?

Our Silly Kiddos.....

Time is a funny thing. At times it seems like the day is dragging on and on and will never end. Then I'll think about something that I keep meaning to do and realize that I've been meaning to get it done for over a month and think "My goodness! How quickly time passes!" I suppose it depends on the "pleasantness" factor of what you are doing at a certain time. The boys turned five months old yesterday. People say "Wow! How time has flown!" I say "Five months? Really? ONLY five months?" I'm actually hoping that the next five months move a little quicker!

Tristan Update: We saw a pediatric gastro-interologist in Spokane a few weeks ago. Although it was nice to have another opinion regarding Tristan's reflux, I didn't learn anything new or get any answers. Basically he'll just have to grow out of it. Since Tristan is on Nutramigen, which is made for babies who have protein sensitivies, the doctor gave us samples of another type of formula which is like Nutramigen.....on steroids. It's only sold through home health companies and is a whopping $50/can, compared to $25/can of Nutramigen and $15/can of general formula. So unless this makes Tristan turn into an absolutely different child, I can't see us changing too much of his diet. Everytime I think we're making progress with him, he seems to regress back to screaming. I don't know if he's just an irritable child or there really is something wrong with him that we just haven't figured out yet. Either way, although I love him to no end, he pushes me to the limit sometimes! He is starting to jabber more and is a pro at rolling over. He seems more content with his new reflux medicine and enjoys playing on the floor and in his jumping toy. At his four month check-up he was a solid 15 pounds, 10 ounces and 24 1/2 inches long. Nobody thinks of him having a reflux problem because he is such a big boy!!  He had a follow-up appointment with our family doctor today and he is now 16 lb 11 oz at five months. He's a chunk to say the least! He definitely has more of me in him than Kevin. His looks and personality are much more like me.....just a little rounder and high strung!

Everett Update: Everett continues to be the happiest baby. Everybody who meets him comments on his constant smiles, adorable coos, and overall cuteness. Although overall Everett is more laid back, he definitely has a temper. And when he's mad, he's MAD!!! He turns bright red and starts sweating. If he cries for too long he'll be soaked. It's comical, yet scary at the same time! I just learned that Kevin was the same way as a baby. Everett focuses on people very well. He's very content and patient. He's very much like Kevin....looks and personality!!

Natalie Update: Natalie keeps us on our toes. In Natalie's mind she rules her surroundings. She remembers EVERYTHING. She still talks about going to Seattle when Grandma had surgery, and how we got a flat tire last November and Uncle Matt had to come pick us up. She knows all of the states, can locate them and identify them simply by their shape. She makes comments about clouds such as "Look at that one, it looks like Vermont!" The funny part is that she's usually right! She's always talking about her baby dolls. She mimics our conversations, as if it were happening to her with her baby. "Baby got me up three times last night! She just wouldn't go to sleep. So I had to feed her and rock her. My back sure hurts from holding baby all the time!" She's hilarious. Tomorrow is her 3 1/2 yr birthday. I know that sounds silly, but Kevin has gotten her an ice cream cake for each 1/2 birthday since she was 6 months old. It's just a cute thing that Kevin does for her. Although today she said that she doesn't know why she's going to be 3 1/2, when really 4 comes after 3. She's a smart cookie!

Kevin and I: We survive. Kevin has been working long hours lately, which is obviously good and bad. We need the money since I'm not working and we have three kids to provide for. It's hard though when he's not here and we have to depend mostly on my Mom to help us. I know my mom enjoys her grandchildren, but I feel bad that she doesn't get much "off" time away from us. It's slowly getting easier to take care of the kids by myself, but simply with Tristan, I still need help. I've been going to physical therapy for my aching back and my therapist/friend Lisa is doing an amazing job of helping me. Although she keeps telling me to relax and I keep telling her that I am....we go round and round! I've also been having some issues with dizziness/light headedness in recent months. I've gone to my general practitioner who sent me to an audiologist who detected something obscure with my left side peripheral vision which may cause some dizziness in stressful times. Stress? What stress? I talked to my doctor again today about the issue because I nearly fell a few times yesterday and last night due to the dizziness and blurred vision. He gave me an over the counter medication and says that if it gets worse I should see a neurologist. I don't know what worse means. Fainting? Falling while holding a baby? I may take matters into my own hands and just make an appointment with a neurologist.

And so on to the sixth month of this incredible journey. Our doctor said it very well today when he said that our life right now is like running a marathon. Yes, you are exhausted, but it's the mental strength that you must overcome until you see that finish line. I'm not sure where that finish line is, but I'd sure like to see it in the distance! Each week/month gets easier, yet harder. Easier in the fact that they are growing and adapting to our schedule. Harder in the fact that they have their own behaviors that continually change that we must adapt to. It's always a give and take!