Friday, November 28, 2014

Newborn twins: a video

Our (very rough and very homemade) video of the twins from their first few hours and days alive. Also the first time Maxson gets to meet them as well as hold them! I've watched this video a million times and have all the words memorized and I know I will cherish these 3 minutes oh so very much in the future. Do enjoy!


go here if you can't see video

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Our Love Story. Chapter 1- The Intro

Having recently passed our 5th anniversary it got me doing a lot of reflecting, looking back at pictures, reading old journals, watching that wedding video, just thinking back over our past, our love story!
boo for bad quality on this photo, it's from Facebook 
In the coming months I want to do various installments of our love story: how we met, dating, break up, dating again, engagement, etc because now I have so much time in my life ;)

The above photo was from our first date, our first date was actually a little marathon weekend date (neither of us knew those kind of dates could actually be totally awful for some people, ours turned out awesome). The date consisted of the Utah State vs BYU football game Friday night up in Logan and the next morning we went to conference together in Salt Lake City. He posted this photo on Facebook soon after our date and I remember just staring at this photo CONSTANTLY just trying my hardest to memorize this cute boy's face for probably hours on end. I think I could have literally burnt a hole in my computer screen (btw I was the only freshman n my whole floor to bring a desktop computer to college, ha! I survived).

Look forward to our first meeting!


Friday, November 21, 2014

5 years

A very joyous and happy FIVE YEAR anniversary to us!

Holy heck, I really am baffled that it's been 5 years.

I think what I'm most surprised is where we are now 5 years later.

You know how you always fill out those goal lists of "where will you be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years etc?" If someone had told me I'd have 3 kids I'd give them a deer in the headlights stare and shake my head NO WAY! But here we are; 3 kids in 5 years! Along with that is 2 bachelors degrees, 7 moves, 2 cars, 3/5 of dental doctorate, and so much more but those are the big things that come to mind (mostly that 3 kids thing is the HUGE surprise)

Casey took his test this morning (he didn't fail, wahoo!) he came home and we popped in the that dusty wedding video of ours. Let me say it was the best. Gooey cheese all around and we were swimming in it. While we watched our skinny, young selves smooching it up the TV, Casey rocked/bounced Bryson and got him to sleep, I kept putting the binkie back in Quinn's mouth, Maxson was cuddled at my side entranced by this "movie." It was as ideal as I could ever picture spending our 5th anniversary. 2/3 of the way through Maxson got bored and began begging/whining for a "baaahh?!!! baaaaahh?????!!!!" (translated bath). We told him when the movie is over. He then began whining/crying "awwwww dun! awwwwww dun! awwwwwwwwwwwww dun!" (all done). Quinn woke up crying and I tried cuddling him close to me and after awhile gave him to Casey to rock and try to get to sleep while I kept pulling Maxson away from the eject button on the XBOX that was playing the movie. Nearly as soon as the movie was done both babies began squeaking and squawking in hopes to eat.

Like I said, it was the best 25 minutes of our morning watching our wedding video while living our crazy lives.

I love you babe, XOXO
engaged 2009





Thursday, November 20, 2014

The official lowering of the standards day

The grandmothers are all gone.

Culture shock.

Baptism by Fire.

A buckets of cold ice.

Those phrases just briefly  describe what my day was like.

Casey got back from the airport with Maxson at 1 pm. Maxson decided to take his wonderful 2 hour nap during the whole car ride so he could be wide awake all day long to play with me aka make mischief and kiss babies.

This is all that went down during that first hour of home alone with 3 kids under 2.

-Changed Maxson's diaper 3 times, 2 being the not so easy ones.
-Changed 3 poopy diapers on the babies
-Max has a mini throw up
-Both babies screaming while I got set up to nurse them

-WHile sitting and nursing I can only barely see Max in the kitchen on a step stool very interested in something on the counter. His little finger begins rubbing something on his face. It's shiny. Finger disappears with more substance on finger and finger goes in mouth. I ask him to show me what he has, he shows me his finger and there is some gooey substance dripping off. Although I want to jump up and stop the madness I have 2 babies sucking away on my chest. He continues I continue. I chose to laugh instead of scream. I coax him to come over to me telling him "you can watch a movie on the iPad!" He eagerly comes to me and I slowly smell intoxicating yumminess from him. Bath and Body Works shower gel was the weapon. It could have been worse. Fr the next 15 minutes until the babies become drunk in milk Max watches Frozen and I hope that the shower gel bottle is not tipped over and still standing up right. *Update* It was upright hallelujah ;)
Max: 1
Kimber: 0

Funny moments during the rest of the evening.

-I thought sharing a bowl of pasta with Max would be easy (1 dish to clean instead of 2, not forcing him into his highchair etc). WRONG. It went well good awhile until I had to keep getting  up to coax babies to keep sleeping. Whilst I was up, Max decides to pour my (large) cup of milk into the bowl of pasta and all over the table.
I'm smiling like an idiot because I don't realize what the rest of the day bring. Said pasta below

Max: 2
Kimber: 0
-During a feeding session Max gets ahold of my hospital water cup (the HUGE kind with the straw) and dumps it all over the floor. Think flood during Noah's time in the kitchen. He begins to roll around in said water like a pig in a pile of mud laughing. He is in heaven. While I try to clean up the mess he runs away and runs back into said water pile gracefully falling like a penguin on ice (on his stomach) and sliding in said water. He is even happier than before. I may or may not have peed my pants from laughing so hard.
Max: 3
Kimber: 0
-Change AT LEAST 8 more poopy baby diapers
- Change twins outfits twice due to spit up
- Because the twins slept terribly the night before, I had a horrible night's rest therefore today's milk supply is low. Therefore after nearly every feeding they demand more meaning I either have to go unfreeze milk (which takes FOREVER while babies are crying) or grab some formula. We do both. Babies keep begging for more than they would normally eat I swear. It's exhausting.
- Babies cried a lot more than usual today since they didn't get their ideal "hold me" time :( Poor babies
- While changing baby diapers on the couch Max keeps bringing over baby bottles of soapy water in hopes to feed them said bottles. Water is nearly dumped on babies 3 times


Max: 4
Kimber: 0
- During bottle feeding, diaper changing and baby soothing, Maxson continually brings a stool into kitchen to get into a certain cupboard he never has before. In said cupboard he finds food coloring drops, sprinkles, Casey's deodorant, a bag of Halloween candy, containers of salt. Let your imagination run wild, dear readers
Max: 5
Kimber: 0

Tears shed by babies: A billion (babies this young don't actually shed tears yet but if they did…you get the point)

Tantrums thrown down by Maxson: probably 5

Prayers said by Kimber: 2 (there should have been more, only while writing this do I realize that)
Picture below is a calm between the storms

We made it. Only 2 1/2 weeks until my mom comes back (cue ugly cry face)

BTW- Casey was around to help out during some of this. He has a big fat ugly test tomorrow that he might fail because I needed him to help us 4 helpless/mischievous/begging/needy should out this evening. The tear count would have been upped via Kimber if he had not been around.

Here's to hoping the babies sleep better tonight.

Muah.

PS- Andy, tonight I scheduled my massage after reflecting on how much fun I had today. I love you.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

a lesson in photography

You've probably read time and time again little photography tips to improve your photos. I swear they're always the same: use natural lighting, know your camera's settings, and try to get distracting things out of the background.

Here is a prime example of watching your background. Luckily the nurse took 2 photos in just a little different position so we did get a good one to choose from. That would have totally stunk if there was only the "bad" photo from below to chose from. The nurse taking this picture probably only moved one step over for the different pictures.

Moral of the story: WATCH YOUR BACKGROUNDS!

Twins? Nah...

They don't look like twins at all said no one ever
Q, B
 Q
 B
 A few people have said they can't see Bryson's freckle/dot under his eye, this is what I'm talking about my friends. Some ahem grandmothers ahem have said that this dot will fade/disappear. They are wrong. You watch, it will only get darker.

 Q, B 
On opposite sleep schedules, sigh. At least it's always the same eating schedules!

I love that they look different yet similar yet sometimes totally the same and other times totally opposite.
This twin journey is such a blast!

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Becoming a mom round two

Man, becoming a mom the second time around is AWE to the SOME. Le'me essssplain.

Fact: babies cry

Fact: since first time moms really don't have anything else of dire need most of the time to attend to, when a baby makes the smallest cry they jump to the rescue (ok maybe not all first time moms but I sure did. My baby is not perfectly content? I shall rescue you my beloved first born child! Fear not!)

Fact: Second time around and baby(s) cry this is how it goes down:

(the following is less than 30 seconds)
baby: squeak
kimber: sit
baby: squeak cry grunt a little
kimber: glance at the baby but continue sitting (first time mom jumps to the rescue)
baby: SQUEAK CRY GRUNTTTTTTTTTT
kimber: sit
baby: CRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
kimber: sit
baby: silence

Babies just make sounds and cry a little when they sleep and, for me, that first time around being mom I would just swoop in and try to give him a binkie or pick him up or whatever. Not only do second time around moms get this but also literally cannot run to the rescue of the squeaking babies because they are in the middle of something else with their toddler, food making, or mess clean upping. Second time around is great.

I was very religious with keeping track of Maxson's schedule. Eating time/lengths, sleeping time/lengths, diaper changing etc. I was totally on top of it all. And that was ok! To be honest as a first time mom you're just coming from no where so writing it all down and keeping track if it is super helpful.

This time around it's easier for me to accept sleeping vs not sleeping times. Babies will sleep when they are tired. They will let you know if they're still hungry and the list goes on. I feed the boys and pretty much let them be awake or asleep whenever they want, it's grand and way less stressful.
 Bryson in stripes, Q  in elephants.
IS THIS NOT THE BEST PICTURE EVER? BOTH SMILING? YEAH, I ROCK. 
(humility comes natural my friends)
 Bryson, love this sweet little face so much


 Max after the children's museum. We love putting mustaches on him.
Q, B

There's a lot of other awesome things about being a second time mom. But I want to get this post done and go binge read on a new favorite blog I found: camppatton. Go take a looky and if you never come back to look at my blog I will understand.

Kisses.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Cookies, sharing, and not sharing

Grammy made cookies. 

Grammy gave Maxson cookies and milk.

Maxson devoured the cookies happily and kept asking for more and was soooo happy.

Then Grammy asked him to share a bite.

As any wise toddler would do, he quickly refused, giving her the death stare in return

We asked him to share with monkey.

He happily obliged, that stinker, because monkey doesn't actually take anything ha.

Then Grammy shared a cookie with him.

He was happy again.

He shared that cookie with grammy.






The end.

For the record Maxson is usually very good at sharing. Take Sunday, he shared his pretzels, cheerios and even the coveted fruit loops  with little Julianne George behind us all of church.