snapshots of summer

I know Labor Day is supposed to be the last hurrah of the summer and then everyone buckles down for school and work and schedules and football and fall. And believe me, fall is my absolute favorite season. I can't wait for it. But it's easy to hold onto summer just a little bit longer when you're not teaching, your babies don't go to school, and it's still 100 degrees out. I almost, almost don't want it to end because it's been such a sweet season for our little family. We've lived it to the fullest and made every minute count of our last summer as four. 

Thanks to their grandma, CG and Lola know full well what an ice cream truck is. I can't remember ever having this experience in my own childhood. It may have happened before our little troop landed in the middle-of-nowhere New Hampshire. But I know that it for sure didn't happen after that. For sure. Ice cream trucks were things of storybooks and movies. {They are kind of creepy in movies and kind of creepy in real life, though, yes?}

The girls became little sorters and artists and expert sticker-peelers. It amazes me some days the simple things that will entertain them while promote actual learning in such a small child. 

We went on lots of wagon rides and had lots of pool time. Lo is our fearless swimmer. If she's near a pool, you better hope there's an adult in there somewhere ready to catch her because she's jumpin' in with a huge smile on her face and one fist pumped straight in the air as if to say, This one's for childhood and how awesome it is. Every time. 

My quirky kids became even quirkier this summer. We love it. They are hilarious and spunky and full of life. The things that go on in those tiny brains. I wish I knew what they were thinking. 'I think I'll wear my bloomers on my head while carrying my ball around in a paper bag while also trying to pour water from one container to another. Yup, sounds like a good idea.' Because, really, why wouldn't you?

We ate ice cream and shared peach milkshakes, something these previously-organic-only babies could hardly fathom. But, you know, some parts of summer are just not organic.   

We also discovered, though, that these girls have a serious love affair with fresh tomatoes. And cucumbers. So it all balances out in the end, if you ask me.

These girls splashed and played and poured and re-poured water like it was their one job this summer. For being so excited to jump into big pools, they much prefer to use their kiddie pool as a mere source for the important work of filling up a watering can to use to water/fill anything in sight. 

They started talking this summer. Beyond the typical dog, hello, hi, mama, daddy, etc. Charleigh's formerly sweet 'Oh-wee' became 'How-ee budd-ee.' And you better believe, that poor dog runs in the opposite direction when she starts calling. She mastered 'pickle' and 'peach' and since then has been saying words non-stop, making sentences, and basically acting 13. Logan's language development has definitely been different than her sister's. Duh. They're two completely different people. But this may have to do with the amount of time her thumb is in her mouth. We'll ask if she can say something and she just nods her head while sucking that thumb. Yup. Sure I can say it. Just in the past few days, though she has surprised me with some new words. Her favorite phrase is, 'Idunnoknoooow.' As opposed to C's-- 'Whey's How-eee?'  Logan still jabbers on in her hilarious baby talk and sometimes will copy real words we say but other times it'll be like, 'Can you say, pickle' and she says something along the lines of 'goo ka sha??'  Good job, baby. Good job. Please talk like that just a little longer. 

These girls also became little mother hens this summer. It's made me wonder about all the chatter surrounding forced gender roles on girls and blah blah blah. They've never once seen me swaddle a baby, bottle-feed a baby, or rock a baby. And they've never seen it on TV. Yet, somehow, they know to do all of those things. They will sometimes spend hours in the morning wrapping and unwrapping their baby dolls in blankets too big, changing diapers, and shushing and patting their babies on their shoulders. Don't get me wrong, they also have an extreme fascination with trucks and airplanes. I ended up buying them a bunch at the multiples consignment sale and they love to drive them and load up the dump trucks with pompoms and tiny toys. I just find their natural instinct to nurture their babies/stuffed animals/daddy and mommy really interesting. 

This summer was also the summer of the yogurt pop. Whole milk Greek-yogurt, mashed up banana, freezer, done. CG asks for one after her nap every day now. 'Pop? Pop? Whey's pop?' 

Oh, that was also a new thing this summer. Naps. I could write a book about the struggle we had with napping and the amazingness that is two babies napping at the same time consistently. {It would be a really boring book.} After 18 months of not ever napping, one day CG just did it. I had resigned myself to them never napping at the same time early on and enjoyed the one-on-one time with them. I honestly thought, much like ice cream trucks, that naps were only real in fairy tale lands. And that all those moms out there talking about their kids' naps were just in on a devious plan to continue the conspiracy theory of simultaneous napping. That first day, I literally sat on the couch and barely breathed because I  just knew if I moved so much as one muscle Charleigh would wake up and it would all be over.  But, alas, a summer miracle. 

Praise the Lord for beaches and babies and ice cream and chatter and naps and summer time. 

tybee island: part one

So sometimes you go on vacation and it rains the whole time and you're like, 'Blah, what a waste of a vacation. This is the worst. I could have watched it rain from my living room couch.' And it's all very American (not in the patriotic, hardworking, proud, live-free-or-die sense but in the way Europeans say, 'Oh, you're from America'--not good way) and entitled and whiny. 

But then, I think, maybe vacation is the best time to enjoy the storm-filled parts. Sitting on a big porch surrounded by loved ones--laughing and chatting and playing games. Sometimes just sitting in awe of the sheer power of a storm and the sense of God's presence you get in those moments. 

Watching babies play in the curtains.

Hoping the baby doll stroller races last long enough to keep them entertained but not long enough that any one gets hurt.

Swatting at mosquitoes that somehow get through the screen to find your overly-sensitive-to-mosquito-bites-child.

Not caring that your kids' rompers aren't buttoned up because they're fancy, oh-so-southern rompers from Grandma that have actual buttons and not snaps. And it's a good day when snaps even get done around here. 

Leaving your girls on the porch for a minute with some aunts and uncles and cousins only to come back to them acting sooooo American. {Just kidding. They're babies. They're allowed to cry on vacation whether it rains or snows or whatever. Big people are not. And just to clarify I love America and being an American--in the live-free-or-die, hardworking, compassionate, patriotic sense of being an American. Just not in the entitled, whiny way. Yeah?}

In the end, we spent a lot of our vacation on that porch really listening to the storms and God and each other. And I wouldn't trade it.  I love a good storm or five. We had a little beach time, a little Savannah time, and a whole lot of family time. So who could complain? And we did get to steal some moments in the pool, in between storms that churned up the water and left it too chilly for us but not too chilly for a couple 20-month-old girls. They keep us living on the edge. 

the 'zoo'

Since it's the end of August, I find it a completely appropriate time to talk about what we did at the beginning of July. {But I also find it completely appropriate to change from yoga pants that served as pajamas into yoga pants that serve as pants for the the rest of the day. So I may not be a good judge of 'appropriate.' }

After checking out of the hotel in Charleston following our aquarium visit, we had a few hours to kill before meeting Paul's family for a week in Tybee Island. We drove through Savannah as I looked up family-friendly things to do around the area. We've visited Charleston quite a bit but I had never been to Savannah. Such a sweet little place. As I was searching the good ol' web, I stumbled on a blog talking about the Oatland Island Wildlife Center. The person writing the blog said it was great and that the board of the wildlife preserve had even met to discuss changing the name to the Oatland Island Zoo.

 

Ultimately, the board decided against renaming the center. The blogger viewed this as a big mistake as she believed calling it a zoo would bring a lot more visitors.

I, however, think it was smart of the board to not change the name because, otherwise, they would have had a lot of unhappy campers thinking they were going to a zoo when they were really going to a nice wooded path with a few animals and a neat birds of prey exhibit. I could tell that this wouldn't be anything like a 'zoo' from the description on their website but I figured the girls would like to see any animals so we went ahead.

Oh but actually seeing the animals was the tricky part. First stop...the elusive mountain lion who was snoozing in the exact spot where you could barely see him. We saw a paw. And the girls thought we were just stopped in the woods for a snack break. Which suited them just fine because they pretty much live for snacks. {Definitely my offspring.}

Next stop, the fox...

Who was also sleeping.  He's in one of those sunspots way out yonder in the forest. We debated getting the girls out to see him but there's no way they would have noticed him. And once they're out of the stroller, it's really hard to convince them it's a good place to be.

The girls could actually see the deer but they thought they were dogs. Which is fun anyways. 

Another middle of the wood snack break...

This was, by far, the most interesting exhibit we happened upon. A daddy in a tree.

 

The wolves were also a huge hit. The girls could see them no problem and there was also an air conditioned viewing hut where the wolves would occasionally trot by and mark their territory, if you know what I mean. {Nothing more entertaining than a wolf peeing on the window you're standing behind.}

The turtles, though, were the real stars of the day.

Overall, it was a really fun afternoon. {Minus the part at the beginning where I was super pregnant-cranky because we hadn't eaten a proper lunch and peanut butter and crackers with a banana would just NOT cut it. Which it did. I just ate a lot of it.}  I'm glad we started at the disappointing end of the loop. If you ever go, start with the mountain lion and end with the bison. Because at least then you know you will end your walk seeing something. Bison don't hide very well. It's definitely worth the $3 you'll spend but under no circumstances should you try to fool yourself that you are going to a 'zoo.'

From there, we headed to the beach house and waited for Paul's family in a wonderfully bright downpour. Charleigh danced in the rain while Lolly slept in the car. It's a truly splendid thing that toddlers are fascinated and thrilled by turtles and rainstorms.

cg and lola go to kindergarten

Seeing everyone's back-to-school pictures and posts have sure put this teacher in a nostalgic, back-to-school mood. I just love it. So we went and visited Warner on her last work day to check out her kindergarten classroom. I swear I could have just left them there and come back in 4 years and they would have loved every minute and been really ready for first grade.

I don't know why, but they thought it was the absolute coolest thing ever to just hang like this.

Not pictured, CG dumping out two buckets of pattern blocks, one toddler escaping down the hall, and Katie (should have gotten a picture of you with the girls...they're just never...still). Thanks for letting us visit, Miss Warner! Those little kindergarten babies are so blessed to have you! (And we are, too!) 

  

a year with twins: nursing

 I started a whole bunch of these Year with Twins posts and then never posted them. But I thought in light of World Breastfeeding Week this past week, I would share this post about our breastfeeding journey. {Am I the only one who thinks of the Bachelor/ette when I use the words journey, connection, or here for the right reason? I really hope not.} Anyways, I think breastfeeding has become a hot topic lately and it's one I've kind of steered clear of because there's a whole lot of judging going on from both sides. But if there's one thing moms need less of it's judgement from others, from themselves, from whoever. In the end, moms do what they have to do to keep their babies alive-whether they nurse, use formula, or a combination. And no matter what, keeping a baby alive and well and happy deserves a high five in my book. Obviously, the health benefits for both mother and baby are well known but I think a lot of people don't realize how truly difficult it can be for some while for others it comes as second nature. {Case in point: my babies.} 

The first time I nursed the girls at the same time without the help of nurses/lactation specialists. The girls had been out of the hospital a little less than a week.

I knew all about the health benefits of breastfeeding but being in the middle of a twin pregnancy I was blessed with a certain measure of openness and hopefulness. I didn't have a list of expectations that would break my heart were they not met. I had a few friends go through some scary situations with their multiples and I was willing to do whatever it took to cook them the longest I could, deliver them in the safest manner possible, and get their weight up. Did I want a c-section? No. But I knew it was a possibility throughout my entire pregnancy so I was at peace with their delivery when it became necessary. I wouldn't change a thing about their birth and I feel blessed to be able to say that. Did I want to breastfeed? Yes. But I had witnessed many friends struggle to nurse their single babies. I knew it was harder than a lot of people let on so when people asked if I planned to nurse the girls, I always said, 'I really hope to but we'll see what happens.' Some people might think that attitude would set one up for failure but I think that attitude is what helped us be successful in this area. I wasn't going to beat myself up if it didn't go how I planned. But I was going to try my hardest to do what I thought was best for my girls. 

And then they were here and I was groggy from the c-section and I lost all modesty and accidentally flashed way too many people. {So sorry.} I nursed CG right away. The moment after they sewed me up and moved me to the recovery room, they were there. The nurse handed me Charleigh and she latched on like she was born to nurse. {She would continue to think that's why she was born for a very long time. Especially in the middle of the night.} Right after she nursed, they came to get more blood from the girls and I wonder if that made the difference in the girls' latches, etc. I didn't get to nurse Lo for a little while after that. And while her latch wasn't as natural, we were doing it. 

They both lost a lot of weight. I was pumping after each nursing session to get my supply up. Logan lost the energy to latch and suck. We faced the decision to risk staying in the hospital a lot longer or to try supplementing with a little formula. I honestly struggled with that decision for about .2 seconds. Would they not want to nurse? Would they prefer a bottle to me? {Turns out Lo just preferred sleeping to anything and wouldn't nurse or drink from a bottle.} But were they getting the nutrients they needed? No. So my decision was made. I sent up a prayer it would still work out and went ahead with a little formula. I still nursed them every time they were hungry and pumped. While Paul syringe fed Lo colostrum and formula and bottle fed CG. I wasn't giving up on nursing and we weren't giving up on getting our girls the calories they needed. Looking back now, it was exhausting but in the moment you just do what you have to do. Our nurses and doctors were amazing. They never pushed anything on us and made it clear it was their priority that we successfully nursed the girls. And in the end, we did. 

It took Lo about two weeks to finally latch on well and, even then, it was really painful for awhile. I still remember trying to nurse her every time she was hungry and seeing her get frustrated. We knew she shouldn't waste energy and calories on being upset. (I'm still surprised they let us take her home being only 4 pounds and some change.) So rather than having an upset baby (and mama) she would then be handed over to dad/grammy/aunts to be syringe/bottle fed. She was so tiny that all she wanted to do was sleep. We had to undress her and tickle her feet just to keep her awake to eat. CG on the other hand was a nursing champ. Her latch never hurt and she was happy as a clam when she was eating. So when people tell you nursing shouldn't/doesn't hurt they're right and they're wrong. I experienced both at the same time. Each baby and each mom is different.

When we started out I either nursed them separately or used the twin Brestfriend to tandem nurse. By two months, we could nurse whenever, wherever, double cradle, double football, one cradle/one football, however. We were nursing all-stars. {And we should have been since that was  the.only.thing we did those first two months.} But I truly loved it.

My goal was to make it to a year breastfeeding the girls. And then the day before they turned one, CG ended up in the ER with a mysterious 105 degree temperature. Keep nursing her, they said. Then it was flu season. So we nursed through flu season. And then, honestly, none of us really wanted to give it up. And then I got pregnant and just a few days shy of 18 months I nursed the girls for the last time. I don't even really remember the last time. I know it was at night before bed because that was the only time they were nursing by that point. I didn't know the last time was the 'last time' and I'm kind of glad for that. Grammy and their Auntie Dionne put them to bed one night without me there and we just never nursed again after that. {Although, CG asked a few times after that. Not surprisingly, Lo was much more ready to be done.}

I'm so thankful for the experience we had. After that first month it became a truly enjoyable, peaceful time for all three of us. {Until the point where it became nursing gymnastics and so silly. But it became peaceful again after that, thank goodness.} I could go on and on about the benefits for the girls, for me, about supply, about pumping, about blocked milk ducts, about weaning, etc. But mostly, I hope this encourages someone to keep at it. Do what you have to do to keep that baby alive but keep trying. I'm so glad I didn't give up on nursing Lo when it seemed we would never get it. I don't feel one bit guilty that we had to supplement to get her where she needed to be. The experience I had nursing her and her sister is priceless...worth every moment where we pressed on until it clicked.

Keep at it, girl. You can do it. If we can, you can. But if you find you need to make a different decision for you and your baby, you still get a high five.

 Also, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to those who saw way too much of me in the last (almost) two years. Sometimes when there are two hungry, frantic babies you lose all sense of modesty and you don't care who sees what or who is handing you baby A or baby B as you unsnap your nursing tank in complete disregard for discretion and decency. I'll do better this time. Promise. 

it's a....

Two things of note in this video: 
1. The gender of baby #3!!!!
2. How Logan goes to town on that cupcake. Whoa. Like mother like daughter. 

It's a... from Devan Minor on Vimeo.