Pumpkin Patch

We took the girls to the Pumpkin Patch today and then to our neighborhood Halloween Party. They had the most fun at the pumpkin patch by far. They just enjoyed walking around trying to pick up all of the pumpkins.

My Two Babies Have Become Two Toddlers

They have changed so much since their birthday and they are definitely no longer babies. It's a little sad that they are growing up so quick but at the same time it is so much fun. I'm posting pictures of the girls from our recent photo shoot with Kathy.

Kristen.....she is so spunky and such a happy girl. She squeals like a little girl any time she gets excited and it's precious. She is absolutely beautiful and so smart. She can say shoe, fish, ball, mama and dada. She can point to identify her eyes, nose and mouth. She can identify all sorts of objects in her books.....banana, kitty, dog, shoe, butterfly to name a few. She will go get her ball or doll if you ask her to and bring it back to you. She will eat anything, which makes meal time much easier. Right now she likes peas, chicken, meat sticks, bananas, yogurt and pancakes the best but she'll eat avocado, broccoli, carrots and anything you put in front of her. Kristen & Sarah both love to hold the water globe that Aunt Ang gave them for their birthday....it's a favorite and a must every night before bed. She is going to be our risk taker. She has no fear! She's determined and I love that about her. She loves taking a bath, she loves her toys, she loves walking and talking. She loves her Daddy and Nana. She's absolutely wonderful.

Sarah.....is our little lady (also called little mama). She's such a thinker. You can watch her think through things and try to figure out how everything works. She will one day be the voice of reason for Kristen. These girls were definitely meant to be born as twins because they balance each other so well. Sarah has a beautiful smile and every time I look at her I fall in love all over again. She loves to cuddle. She is such a good sleeper and sometimes it's hard to get her up in the mornings. Sarah loves her books and her new Minnie Mouse doll. She is a picky eater just like her mama was. Sarah loves meat sticks, chicken, bananas, yogurt and pancakes but not a fan of too many veggies. She likes to toss them on the floor or hand them over to Kristen who will happily eat them. Sarah likes to say "dat" so you can identify everything to her. She also knows her eyes, mouth & nose. She will go get items as you say them and bring them back. She loves walking and you can see how much in her expressions as she's walking toward you. She has a mouthful of teeth...too many for us to count. She's getting some of her molars as well but she's been very good at handling it. We try not to feel around in there too often because she does bite.....ask Kristen. Other than a few biting episodes, Sarah has such a sweet demeanor and I'm so proud of her.

Have I said lately how lucky I feel to be their mom?

Heart Walk

This morning we did the Heart Walk. We walk every year (except for last year because our girls were too little). It was a great walk and we all made it without taking any short cuts. We did carry Kristen about half of the way because she was done with the stroller and wanted out. She wanted to walk herself but that would have taken forever! The girls were asleep before we ever got out of downtown.

Fun Thursday Night

Laura, Julie R., Meagan and I went to Baby A's Thursday night after work. It was a much needed break after a very hard day.




These items came out of Meagan's purse.....toilet paper and mac & cheese. I bet your purse cannot produce these items!


We decided to stay a little longer and sing Karaoke.....since by the time I would have got home the girls would probably have just got to bed.


It was definitely a nice break and great company. Meagan & Julie sure make me feel younger.

A Blog I Love To Read

I wanted to share the link to a blog I really enjoy reading. Her name is Suzanne Steece and she has QUADS....3 boys and 1 girl. They are two weeks older than my twins so it's fun to check out her blog from time to time because it's like getting a preview of things to come for us. I actually do not know her and I have no idea how I even came across her blog but I think she's pretty amazing for having four babies at once.

http://thelifeofsuz.blogspot.com

Fun at the Park

We took the girls back to the park this morning and this time we got to feed the ducks. It was a lot of fun and the swings were a hit once again. They both also said "duck" while we were there so that made it even better. Sarah also pointed at everything we passed and said "dat" because she likes us to identify everything she sees. Dat is her way of asking what is that.

They just went down for a nap so I thought I would post some pictures real quick.

This Past Weekend

On Saturday the girls had their pictures made with Kathy again. We took them to the same park in Round Rock as the last time because I just love it there. It was IMPOSSIBLE to get any good pictures of them together but we got some really good individual shots. Sarah loved to sit and pose for the camera while every picture of Kristen was taken while she was practically running.

We finished around 11:30 so we decided to go to Chuy's for lunch. The girls usually go down for a nap around noon but we figured they would be fine waiting a little bit longer. Big mistake! Sarah had her first public meltdown and we ended up getting our food to go the moment they brought it out. She continued to scream all the way home. Once they both went to bed they slept for 3 hours so I finally got to organize my closet.

Sunday was a great day. We went to church and shortly after we got home Kristen said Fish for the first time. She says it more like "ish" but we knew what she meant. It was her first word other than Mama, Dada, Ball, etc. Right after Fish she said Shoe. She picked up my shoe and kept walking around saying shoe, shoe, shoe. She clearly knows what a shoe is!

The girls are so much fun. Very active, very busy but very fun. I love them!

I'm a Time Bomb

Today I spent the day at the Bowling Alley for a Leadership retreat on Time & Stress Management.....apparently we all needed it.

We took the following test to determine our stress level and I thought I would share so all of my faithful readers could take it as well.

Directions: each item has a value in ( ) - add up the values for each item that applied to within the last 12 months

1. Death of a spouse (100)
2. Divorce (72)
3. Marital separation (65)
4. Death of a close family member (63) I had to mark this
5. Personal injury or illness (53)
6. Marriage (50)
7. Marital reconciliation (45)
8. Change in health of family member (44)
9. Pregnancy (40) since I was pregnant with twins I felt this still counted
10. Gain of a new family member (39)
11. Job change (38)
12. Change in financial status (37)
13. Death of a close friend (36)
14. Increase in arguments with significant other (35)
15. Mortgage or loan of major purchase (home, etc.) (31) I checked this
16. Foreclosure of mortgage or loan (30)
17. Change in responsibilities of your job (29) I checked this
18. Son or daughter leaving home (29)
19. Trouble with in-laws (29)
20. Outstanding personal achievement (28)
21. Spouse begins or stops work outside the home (26)
22. Revision of personal habits (24) I checked this
23. Trouble with boss (23)
24. Change in work hours or conditions (20) I checked this
25. Change in residence (20) I checked this
26. Change in sleeping habits (16) I definitely checked this
27. Change in eating habits (15) I checked this
28. Vacation (13) I checked this
29. Christmas (12) we should all check this
30. Minor violations of the law (11)

Total up your score.

0 - 149 No significant problem with stress (Slacker)
150 - 199 Mild Stress (Cruiser)
200 - 299 Moderate Stress (Time Bomb)
300+ Major Stress (Flat Line)

I scored a 283 - Time Bomb - Yikes!

The test says that if you are a Time Bomb that you have a 50% chance of illness due to stress & if you are Flat Line you have an 80% chance of illness due to stress.

After our meeting we got to bowl. I scored a 72 the first game and a 92 the second. Not good but at least I improved.

Is it still a nap even if you don't actually sleep?

Hint: the correct answer is YES!

I'm home with the girls today since my mom is on vacation. That means I didn't get up until 7:15! That's right....I slept late today since I didn't need to get up until they got up so the day started off very good. We then had breakfast, played, read books, had lunch and then the girls went down for their nap.

They only nap once during the day and it's usually from 12-2. When the girls fell asleep I decided that I would rest my eyes for just a bit. Why not.....I'm still wearing my PJ's so it just felt like the thing to do.

I just got up from the best one hour nap ever. Who really cares if I didn't actually fall asleep. It was quiet and my eyes were shut so it counts. I think you just get to a level of exhaustion that sleep cannot cure.

I'm feeling good and ready for them to get up so we can start the second half of our day together.

Our Evening

Some pictures from tonight.....

While outside Kristen waved at all of the people walking by. They sure love being outside and it's funny how distracted they get by the smallest of things. They want to pick up every rock, every stick, everything they walk by.

Right before bed they both decided to kiss "the girl" in the mirror. It was super cute.

I'll be home with the girls tomorrow since my Mom is leaving for Las Vegas. We might go to the new outlet mall and shop for more shoes....fun stuff.