Oh wow, 7 months done and gone!

          So many things have changed, since I last blogged. My last post in December, was all about recovering from the birth of my twins. Well, it's the end of July now, and it's safe to say, they are growing and changing way to fast! In just 3 short days, they will be 8 months old! My son, Reese, who was 5.85 pounds at birth, and only 5.5 pounds when we left the hospital, is now a stocky 20.1 pounds! He was born with a liver condition called tyrosinemia. Not many people had heard of it, but it pretty much means that his liver cannot process the amino acid, tyrosin. Tyrosin is found in most proteins, particularly animal proteins. It made him very sick, and after trying several different formulas and breast milk, he was finally put on Similac Alumentum, a formula with synthetic proteins. He seemed to be doing really well on it, except he has extreme acid reflux. We finally worked out a good dose of Prevacid after other medications not working. For a while there, he was losing weight, then he would gain weight, then plateau for a few months, but lately, he's been gaining weight at a steady pace. He is a very healthy baby boy and active as ever. He has pretty much got the crawling thing down, and his twin sister, Riann (pronounced Ryan) is right there behind him, trying to figure the crawling thing out. She is also very healthy. She is very tall and skinny, but still a healthy weight for her age. She is my snuggler. She loves to be coddled and loved on.
         
          Makenna, my almost 3 year old is doing well also. She is so fun, hyper, friendly, and just so easy to love on too. She always makes everyone giggle. She has a significant speech delay and has been getting help through the "Early-On Program'' through the state. For those who do not know, the Early-On Program is a state-funded early education program for children with physical, social, or development needs. They provide whatever needs your child may have, by coming to your home, and working with your children. Makenna see's a speech and language pathologist, and she is wonderful! Makenna just loves her. The Early-On Program is for children from birth to three years of age. Makenna's time with them is winding down, and she will be starting and special education pre-school in September, through the local school district. She'll be going to school for half a day, five days a week! I am so happy for her, but I am not sure if I am ready for that.

Life just seems to keep going on, and I really would like it to slow down. Anyone else have this problem?

Twins are here, now it's time to get healthy!

Well, the twins are here and healthy as ever! On November 28th I had a scheduled c-section. Riann Olivia was born first, at 8:13 am, weighing 6.05 pounds and 19.69 inches long. Reese John Wyatt was born at 8:14 am, weighing 5.85 pounds and 18.9 inches long. They are small, well, big for twins, but healthy as can be and very good eaters. Sleeping is a toss up; sometimes they sleep really well, and sometimes they don't want to at all. I sure am happy they are here, finally and I'm not the size of a house anymore! Makenna is adjusting well to being a big sister, though she generally just ignores their existence  I just think, at this point, they are to boring for her because she is always on the go.


Since delivering twins, I've lost 24 pounds already. I feel pretty proud of myself for only gaining 36 pounds during this pregnancy and delivered, at 38 weeks gestation (making my weight 192 pounds), fairly good sized and healthy babies. Last December I weighed about 135-140 pounds (I'm 5'8'' tall), but when my husband returned from Afghanistan, I gained a little weight from eating out and not working out as much, making my pre-pregnancy weight 154 pounds. My goal is to get to as close to my December 2011 weight as possible. I was comfortable and happy with my body at that point, which has never happened, so that's where I want to be again. My current weight is 168 pounds (as of December 1, 2012).

As of right now, doing too much physical activity isn't going to happen because I am still healing from the c-section. But I can slowly begin to do more and more each day, and eat healthy to begin to lose what I want to lose. 

What I Am Thankful For.

Tomorrow, November 22nd, is Thanksgiving. I've noticed many people posting what they are thankful for, every day on their facebook pages. Well, I decided to not do that, but I do have a ton I am thankful for, so I'll tell you my top 22 things I am thankful for, though there is a million things I am thankful for.

1. I am thankful for my family. I have a wonderful husband of over 2 years, and 4 beautiful children!

2. I am thankful for my healthy pregnancy. It's been quite tough, painful, and a bit scary, but all in all, I am carrying 2 healthy babies.

3. I am thankful for the roof over my head. I complain that it's not my dream home, and it's not near my family, but it's a really nice home, and it's my home that I share with my beautiful family.

4. I am thankful for my dependable vehicle. I have a Jeep Commander, it's very nice and reliable, so I know I can count on it whenever I need it. Sounds silly, but not having a vehicle or a vehicle that constantly breaks down, adds stress and anxiety. My Jeep alleviates that.

5. I am thankful for my European experience. Though, it hasn't always been easy living in a very unfamiliar country, away from my friends and family, but there are so many things I've gotten to do and see, that I otherwise wouldn't have.

6. I am thankful for the troops. There are so many troops overseas that aren't home for Thanksgiving, and I appreciate their sacrifice.

7. I am thankful that my husband will be home this year. Last year he was deployed to Afghanistan, and we couldn't spend the day together as a family, and we couldn't even talk on the telephone, either.

8. I am thankful for my sisters. We don't always get along, well, heck to be honest, most of the time, we don't but I still do love them both very much and miss them, since it's been over a year since I've seen them.

9. I am thankful for my mother. We don't always see eye to eye, but we are working on our relationship and getting stronger and stronger everyday. I am also thankful that she was there for me, whether she supports my decision or not.

10. I am thankful for my educational opportunities. I have an associates degree, working towards my bachelor's and I am thankful that I live in a time where getting my education is not too much of a challenge (well except the coursework of course).

11. I am thankful for my opportunity to be a stay at home mom. Not many people can, and my family and I have sacrificed some to make it possible, but I know that my kiddos would rather have me over daycare any day.

12. I am thankful for my cat. He's annoying, but I love having an animal companionship. He's a very good listener also. Lol!

13. I am thankful for the material things I have. It may sound petty, but I like having nice things, comfortable things. My things are apart of our life, our memories, and without them it just wouldn't be the same. I love my large comfy couch where I can snuggle my babies, for example.

14. I am thankful for the clothes on my back. Though not much fits me now, my family and I have nice clothing on our backs.

15. I am thankful for my friends. Many of which, I haven't seen in over 3 years, I keep in contact with them via social networking.

16.  I am thankful for my pains. I have MS, and well, many days are tough, but they also remind me that I am alive, and I'm not letting anything tell me otherwise.

17. I am thankful for relationship. I know I said I was thankful for my husband, but I am thankful that I have a strong bond with another person, and we can count on each other, no matter what!

18. I am thankful for my childhood. It was extremely tough, and well, not ideal, but I learned to work hard, and count on myself to achieve my dreams.

19. I am thankful for my goals. My goals keep me going, and remind myself every day that I am not just a housewife and that I am not just a mom, I am a talented, hardworking woman that can do anything.

20. I am thankful for America. It's been really nice to live in a country that, in no ways is perfect, but is nice to raise children that can grow up in a society, where they too, can achieve anything they set their minds too.

21. I am thankful for my ability to learn, and well, learn the hard way. I never took someones advice about something, I learned it the hard way, and that way works well for me.

22. I am thankful for the bad times. It means that I am not fake, and I am not trying to live the perfect life. We all have our ups and downs, and that is how we grow. If we don't grow, then we just end up living a lie or being miserable.

Catching Up!!!!

It's been quite a while since I have written in my blog. To be honest, I haven't really felt up to it because of this pregnancy. This pregnancy has not been fun. It has been very painful, tiring, and slightly depressing because I am unable to do what I normally do. I really honestly believe that the most difficult thing about this pregnancy is the fact that I have to suck it up, and except that I cannot do it all, and have to get help. Asking for help, has never, and will never be something I enjoy or comes easily to me. Even though it's asking my husband for help, it's still difficult. I enjoy being or at least attempting to be SUPERMOM! May sound lame, but I take pride in being a stay at home mom, having a clean and organized home, and being able to accomplish whatever I set my mind too. 

So much, but also so little has happened since my last posts. I am currently 1 day shy of being 37 weeks pregnant with the twins. We scheduled the c-section for Wednesday, the 28th of November, the day they hit 38 weeks gestation. They seem to be growing quite well, and should be close to or even over 6 pounds at birth. They are running out of room to grow, so they have slowed down a bit. I am anxious to see exactly what they look like, how big they'll be, etc. I went into pre-term labor 2x, once at 28 weeks and then again at 32 weeks, and believe me, that was so scary. I was worried I would have to deliver them when they needed longer to ''bake''. But luckily, they were able to control it, and though I have been living with constant contractions for nearly 10 weeks now, my cervix has stayed shut. I am ever so grateful for modern technology/medicine because it was able to keep my babies in longer, and had I had to deliver them so early, I'm sure they would of eventually of been okay, after a few hiccups. 

Makenna is 2 years old now, and I just can't believe it. She turned 2 on October 5, and it just makes me appreciate the little things in life, and all the wonderful memories I have with just her. Now we have the memories to look forward to with the twins in them, but I am glad I've had the last 2 years of my Princess being pretty much and only child, since her brother doesn't live near us at the moment. I am really looking forward to June, when all my kids are living under the same roof permanently. Then we'll have even more amazing memories and more amazing times to share together. 

My husband and I are doing quite well. I am proud to say November 14th was our 3 year ''dating anniversary'' and we've been married for 2 years and 4 months. Things have been tough because the intimate part of our relationship ended months ago because of the pregnancy. We've had to use other aspects of a relationship to compensate for the loss, so to speak. I think it's made us bond more, but I am looking forward to getting that part back.    

Though I haven't been the most optimistic person in the world lately, but I am thankful for all that I have, and all that is coming my way! 

Remembrance

Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11. Now to many, this is the day where thousands of men, woman, and children lost their lives to terrorists, for no reason. Where passenger planes were forcibly crashed into a field, and into the World Trade Centers, in hopes that that would ''shut-down'' America. Sadly enough, this is also the day where Middle-Eastern people, American citizens or not, were no longer trusted or valued. 9/11 is something that wiill forever sit in my heart everyday, not for the reasons listed above, but because of 9/11, I've lost a dozen wonderful people in my life. I did not actually know anyone who was on the air crafts that day, and I felt remorse for their families, and only could imagine what they were going through the minutes before their lives ended, however it didn't truly hit me until much later. The war we have fought since then, by our brave soldiers, has taken away people that were great friends to me, some to be considered family. On top of the too many lost, I have many that have physical and emotional scars that haunt them everyday, and no matter what I do or say, I cannot make their wounds go away. My remorse for the people lost, and their families left behind, is what drove me to join the military myself. Though, I am not a war veteran myself, I am married to one, that has been to war twice, and has seen things, I couldn't ever even imagine. I've also been in the position where I've feared that I would have to explain to 2 children, why their father isn't coming home. Fortunate enough for me, every problem downrange has never taken my husband out of the fight, but we've had enough close calls, that even thinking back on them, makes me so sick but ever so grateful. 9/11 effects everyone, in one way or another. Some lost people on that day, some lost hope, and since that day, many more lives have been lost, but also many great things have happened. America has proven, once again, that we are not a country that you want to mess with, because no one, no group, or no other country, could ever do anything to us, that we couldn't handle. Remember 9/11, for what it means to you, but remember it every day.

Saving Money; Baby part 1

I feel like my blog has become a bit redundant and boring, so I want to change things up a bit. I still want to talk about my life, but other relatable aspects too. So today I will tell you how I am saving money while preparing for the birth of my twins. 

CLOTHING:

Some of the easiest ways to save money is to buy used things, and re-use things from previous children. I have a ton of girl clothes from Makenna (who's almost 2), so that is making it a little easier on our pocket. I still am buying a few new things for Kynsley Riann (our girl twin) because I want her to have new things too. Since my main focus is little boy clothing, because I have no previous little boys, I have been shopping around for used clothing. I have nothing against used clothing, as long as it's still in good condition. Things can be washed, and it's good as new. Babies grow out of clothes so quickly, that the constant replacement of clothing, can hurt the wallet. Today I got a snow suit for Reese Wyatt (had a hand me down for Kynsley from her sister still in perfect condition) for $10. I've looked online for nice, good quality ones and even on the economy, and they want $30+ for one. I was very pleased with my $10 purchase, it's a little big, so it'll fit him longer, but it looked brand new. The other day I went to a yard sale, and managed to get Reese some sleepers, outfits, socks, and bibs. I spent $25 and got about 60 different things which included enough socks to last him till he's one. When yard sales are a bust, which happens a lot, sales are going to be another great option. I have bought Reese and Kynsley new things from various websites, Kohls, Walmart, and Children's place, but didn't pay full price for anything! I am a big fan of waiting for sales, shopping ahead of time (buying some of the next size because it's on sale), and using coupons. One website, that is hit or miss, most of the time a hit though, is called www.retailmenot.com. It has coupon codes for anything, whether it be a percentage off an order, or even free shipping. I LOVE it. The reason I have not listed consignment stores is because I do not have the availability of them here in Germany, but they are definitely something I suggest going to. Many of them, like Once Upon a Child, will even give you money and store credit for what your little one has outgrown, helping make buying the next size bigger, easier. 

CRIBS:

After doing lots of searching and researching, finding a crib (2 in my case), that is affordable, good quality, and functional is a challenge. With my daughter, Makenna, we paid over $500 for her convertible crib, mattress, changing table, and a small 3 drawer dresser. That seems like a lot, but both my husband and I were working, so we could afford it. Going into this pregnancy, I am not working any longer, and we will be moving in February, leaving the comfort of our military paycheck, so we can't afford to pay that again. But that doesn't mean the twins will go without having nice furniture. Some people will buy a used crib, and I would if I knew the previous owner, but other than that, I won't. So, onto crib searching. IKEA is a wonderful store, here in Germany and in the USA. We managed to find cribs and mattresses for $49 a piece. What a steal!! They are European style, so they are smaller, lower to the ground, but I like that they are less bulky. The mattress can adjust to a 2 different levels. I put a picture above (crib sitting at it's highest level). We got them both the same crib, and bought different bedding sets. 

There are other ways to save money, and I'll elaborate more later on other baby items too. 

22 Today

Today is my 22nd birthday. Though I didn't do anything extravagant, I did have such a special day. First, my husband was letting me sleep in by getting up with Makenna at 7:10am, but I woke up on my own at 7:20am and couldn't get back to sleep. Then my amazing husband made homemade waffles for breakfast. I am very blessed that my husband can cook, so I don't have to do it all. lol. Then Brandon had to go to P.T. (workout) so Makenna and I hung out for an hour, then he came home, and had 2 hours to kill before he had to go to actual work, so I went to a couple yard sales by myself. I got Reese some clothes, and that was it. There wasn't too many yard sales since the weather was overcast and chilly (which I love, btw). Then I came home so that I could take Brandon to work. After dropping him off, Makenna and I went to the arts and crafts center on base so she could paint some pottery. They have pre-made pottery figurines and dishes, so she chose to paint a penguin (go figure, her 2nd favorite animal) and then I let her paint a decorative plate that hangs on the wall, so we could put it up in the nursery for the twins. She had a blast, but like any other toddler, she got bored with it, so we were done. Then I took her to the indoor play area, but it's still too big for her to go in by herself, and since I can crawl through it (looks like a McDonald's play place), she got bored so we came home. I went through baby clothes, and I attempted to get her to take a nap, but that didn't work since she got like a 15 minute cat-nap in the car on the way home. Then we went to Taco Bell for dinner. I made homemade potato soup, but since Daddy had to be to work at a weird time, we ate that for lunch, then Taco Bell (something small) for dinner. Now we are home again, and she's watching Happy Feet Two in her room. She's tired and cranky, so she'll probably be out no later than 8:00pm. That pretty much sums up my day, besides having to go at 11:00pm tonight to pick Brandon up from work.

Being 22 feels no different than 21, 20, 19, or 18. I am 25 weeks and 4 days pregnant with the twins. I am huge! LOL! I have a toddler that'll be 2 next month, so I stay busy. I've been married over 2 years now, so my life is quite simple, being a stay-at-home military wife. I don't really go out and I don't party. I don't do what the typical 22 year old does, because that's not who I am anymore. Becoming a parent and wife has truly mellowed me out and I enjoy my Saturday nights (like tonight) sitting at home, watching cartoon movies with my daughter or watching shows with my husband (who is at work unfortunately). I have my associates degree, but won't be pursuing my bachelor's degree until January. I use to be in the military, 3 years between Reserves and Active Duty, but left that so my children wouldn't have to grow up and spend 12 hours in daycare, 5 days a week, or have to deal with having both parents deployed at the same time. I miss it, and think about going National Guard, but I know I made the better decision for my family, even if some don't agree. So, even though today I am 22 years old, I enjoy the simple things in life, family time, reading books, going to school, and working out (when I'm not in a high-risk pregnancy situation). This may make me "wise beyond my years" or to some I live an ''old lady'' life, but I enjoy every second of it, the good and the bad, and have learned to take things one step at a time, and one day at a time. I truly wouldn't trade what I have for all the freedom, non-responsibility, or quiet time, in the world.