Much, Much Better!

We're all feeling much better! Thank Goodness! The boys are back on food and formula and I never thought I'd be grateful to say this, but their dirty diapers are back to normal! YiPpEe!!They are laughing and playing and sleeping much better. I think the starvation really got to them though because they want food and bottles all the time now and are even up to 8 oz formula bottles and full tubs of fruits and veggies each. They used to take 6 oz bottles and share a tub of fruit or veggies. I'm thinking they are going to be fatties again in no time!

We leave for Disneyland on Wednesday morning! It's going to be a long car ride but I couldn't imagine trying to fly with them and all the stuff they need so this is going to be our first trial trip. If they do well and we can manage life away from home then travel might not be so daunting a thought in the future. Friends and family beware! We might just show up on your doorsteps in the near future!

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. We pulled through...it was a long and trying 2 weeks but we made it! :)

Light at the end of the tunnel

I can tell the boys are starting to feel better. I started them on a little bit of formula again last night. Poor little things are starving from surviving on less than half of what they used to eat in food and no formula...just Pedialyte. They took the formula well with no throwing up or spit ups so I'm feeling that their little stomachs are on the mend. :)

I officially got the cold that Brian had and so did the boys. They seem to be bouncing back from it faster than me though. I'm on day 6 and starting to feel a little better but not great yet. Soon! :)

Brian left on a business trip to Virginia yesterday and he will be back on Thursday...late. Last night my Mom helped me feed and bathe the boys and get them to bed. I'm so thankful that she is close by to help me...especially since I'm not feeling good. Sad thing is, she has become a victim now....she emailed me and said her throat is now sore. Sheesh! I feel like I'm living in a cesspool of crud between all the people at my work that have been sick, me and Brian being sick, and the boys being sick. UCK!!! I'm just happy that the boys tummies are getting better and that they are keeping down their food. That alone is a huge relief and gives me some peace and comfort. Pretty soon they'll be little fatties again! :) Oh...and one more thing!...Zack's two front teeth broke through a few days ago! So poor little thing was suffering from V & D...a cold... starvation...and teething to top it off. What a trooper! I can't wait to catch them in a picture!

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all....

I've meant to post updates over the week but have either not had a spare minute, or have been too upset to sit here and write it all down. Since friends and family are emailing to ask how the boys are I figured I better post an update quick. Basically things are not much better....in fact they got much worse since my last post, and could remain bad for another week per the doctor. So below, I've pretty much cut and pasted an email reply to a friend so this entry could be quick....

OMG ….I feel like this has been the most trying week of my life as a MoM (Mother of Multiples) The boys have been sooooooo sick. It started last Sunday and a week later there still appears to be not much end in sight. I’ve had a few meltdowns and missed 4 days of work last week. We took the boys to the ER @ 2am on Wednesday to be treated for slight dehydration and we were at the doctor again Friday because they weren’t much better. Basically we were given suppositories for vomiting (that really didn’t help much) and told that when infants and toddlers have vomiting and diarrhea it can last for 10 – 14 days so I am trying to prepare myself for another week of this. To top it all off, Brian was sick the whole week and now the boys have his head/chest cold along with the V & D. I’m on the verge….of a cold myself and of being committed. I’ve had my absolute fill of diarrhea blowouts…..up to 12 a day!….I’ve done sooooo much laundry, changed so many crib sheets, gone through a zillion diapers, and all I can smell is diarrhea. Please pray that they get better so I can curl up and sleep for days and days and days…..*whimper*

Here is a picture of Jake trying to enjoy himself....still cute, even when he has a bag on his butt.

The Exorcist....times TWO!

The boys are sick again. :( This time its more flu like with diarrhea and vomiting....ugh. Last night dinner turned into a scene from The Exorcist. First it was Zack and then not 15 minutes later Jake showered us with his dinner and bottle as well. Brian and I have never seen vomit fly the way it did last night and the quantity was amazing. The blowouts are starting to take their toll. We're up to 8 sleeper casualties so far today and it's only 5 pm! I don't even want to think of how many diapers we've gone through. We're going to have to dip into their college fund soon!

Daylight Savings Time really screws with babies...

So we tried to put the boys down for their naps, but because of the time change Jake didn't cooperate.... Zack on the other hand didn't seem to be fazed.

First Jake had a blowout so he ended up back in his crib with no clothes on. Now that he can stand up, that's alllll he wants to do. Here he is with Gerdie...chewing on the crib....


.....and screaming, "I DON'T WANT TO NAP MOM!....I'M COLD!....WHERE'S MY CLOTHES!?....WHAT'S THIS DOG DOING IN MY CRIB?!?"

What do you do with left over Halloween candy?

Give it to your 9 month old to play with of
course!!

(Makes for a cute picture!)

Zack says, "Thanks Mom! I'll just have one piece."

"Well, maybe just one more...."

"I don't want to be rude....so maybe just one more little piece. Thanks Mom." (bbbbuuuuhhhh)

(Bbbbuuuuhhhh) "OK, where's the closest bathroom that I can crawl to?"

Happy 1st Halloween!

Here are pictures of the boys dressed up for their first Halloween! Zack is Dumbo and Jake is Donald Duck....DISNEY characters of course! What kind of die hard Disney fan would I be if I didn't force feed it to my kids!?! Poor things....they have no idea what they're in for!

I want CANDY!!!

The boys got their first taste of CANDY tonight! We went to my bosses house tonight so that the boys could at least trick-or-treat at one place before going to bed. Joanne gave them Tootsie Pops and they loved them!

Snoop Zack enjoying his cherry Tootsie Pop!

L. L. Cool Jake says...."Yo, Yo...Don't be mackin on my Tootsie Pop Mom!"

Next year will be a blast!

Busy Sunday

We decided to go to IHOP for breakfast this morning! The boys did great and they got to enjoy a little bit of pancake and hash browns....YUM! Thank goodness for the camera phone! :)

After breakfast we went in search of a car top carrier for our trip to Disneyland in November. The boys fell asleep in the car so we just decided to keep driving and we ended up in Napa at the Outlet Mall where we fed the boys and walked around for a bit. We ended up buying some jeans at the Levi's outlet and then the freakin vending machine stole $1.50 from me and held my Snickers Ice Cream Bar hostage!!! :( We headed home with me pouting the whole way and the boys fell asleep again. My sweet husband who always has my back (Taters Honey!) stopped at Cold Stone Creamery where I enjoyed a delightfully fattening Peanut Butter Brownie Shake. DEEEELISH! On the way home we stopped at Grandma Myra's and played with her for a little while and then since it was such a beautiful warm day we went to the park around the corner from her house. Zack loves to swing! Almost as much as he loves to smile for the camera!!

Jake chillin...

Mommy and Zack (No I'm not bald....I just have my hair up.) Daddy and Jake......GIDDY UP!! Yee Hawwww! My Guys. :)

OK....time for dinner. Happy Sunday!

I opened the door this morning....

.....and Jake was standing up in his crib!!! YIPPEE!

Not so great was the chewing he'd been doing on the poor crib....dark wood....which I don't recommend to any Mom looking to buy a crib. Anyway....no time to get the camera but then he did it again in his corral. Here is a picture of that at least.....

and a picture of Zack chillin for good measure!

Bless me Father for I have Twins

It started with rumbly tumblies....then farting. I kept checking to see if one of them had pooped because of the smell...but no....so I left them to play in their excersaucer and jumper. Brian ran an errand for me so I was alone with the boys....A..L..O..N..E.. I started to prepare for our night time routine early because my friend Anne was on her way to pick me up to go to a birthday dinner for our friend Kim. I got the boys bottles and food ready...set up their highchairs, got their jammies, and put the baby tub in the sink. (The smartest thing I've ever done in my life I'll soon come to know.)

All the while the smell was getting worse.....*shudder*

Everything was ready so I went to sniff bottoms again....Jake was first and this time I hit the jackpot!...or the JakePot!

I picked the Jakester up and took him to the changing table...telling him on the way how smelly and gross he was, with his reply being a cheesy, jack-o-lantern, toothy grin. I laid him down on the changing pad and bent over to get a diaper and open up the wipes. When I stood back up, his face was covered in DIARRHEA! WHAT THE BLEEP!?!!??!? What JUST happened!?!?!? I looked at his arm and it was covered...then he started to fling his arms up to his head and down to his hips...that's when I saw it.....the BLOW OUT. The diarrhea was leaking from the side of his diaper. *kAcK* I didn't know if I should laugh or cry....so I did a little of both once I cleared the small bit of throw-up from my throat. It was getting everywhere with every move he made...the window, the changing pad, his shirt, his arms, legs, feet, face, and head. I was trying my hardest to contain it but there was no hope. It even started to leak out from the top of the back of his diaper and all I could think was, "MY GOD! Is he STILL POOPING!?!" That's when I noticed it was on ME!!!!!! It was on my arms and worst of all....ALLL OVER MY SHIRT! It must have been there from the moment I picked him up and carried him to the changing table. OH GOD!!! I started to wipe my arms and him but again there was no hope. I HAD to get the diaper off of him and the shirt off of me and get him in the tub quick so that I could get us clean before Anne knocked on the door. I slowly peeled my shirt off, being careful not to get poop in my hair. I peeled his shirt off and then I was face to face with my enemy....the size 4 Costco diaper that had horribly failed me as a mother. I opened it and it was the worst thing my eyes have ever seen. My child, that I love and cherish, had managed to poop his own weight (almost 22 lbs) in both liquid and solid form at the same time and it completely filled the diaper from front to back. The solid form that Brian likes to call Butt Spackle must have been acting like a plug....but once that broke loose the liquid flowed freely.....eeeeeew!

**Please enjoy a brief intermission while I eat my breakfast**

(I know, how can I eat while I relive this memory?....but sadly, I can....with no problems.)

OK....I'm back...trying to focus and bring this evil memory back to the surface....

So, I get the diaper off and wipe and wipe and wipe....then I decide to give up and just put him in the tub. Thank goodness that I had the baby tub in the sink already because where was I supposed to put a poop covered baby while I was trying to get the tub ready?!? So I put Jake in the tub and start bathing him....all the while, I'm standing there in my bra and jeans....hoping that Anne will not knock on the door. I wouldn't be able to answer the door because I can't leave Jake in the tub alone, not to mention....I'M HALF NAKED...IN MY FREAKIN BRA! So I get him and myself cleaned up and put him in his jammies. I run upstairs and put a sweater on and as I'm coming back downstairs, the wall of poop smell hits me like a ton of bricks! *hUrL* The poopy diaper and the horrible mess is still sitting there on the changing table!!! GGGAAAGGG! I start to open the front door to air out the house and Brian drives up.....THANK GOD! The poor thing....he unsuspectingly walks in and the smell hits him as well. "Whoa!" I begin reliving my tale of horror and my precious hubby helps me clean up the mess....PHEW!....with Jake happily playing in his corral. (Little turd!) Just before Anne drives up, I notice that the smell is hanging on tight like a tick on a deer. I go over to Zack and BAM!...he's pretty much done the same FREAKIN thing! I'm thinking, "What the BLEEP did the daycare lady feed you guys for lunch?!?" I pull him out of his excersaucer and it's leaking out the sides of his diaper as well. Fortunately not nearly as bad, but still....uuuuhhhhh! I'm afraid to hold him close to me because I don't want to have to change my clothes again so, arms extended, I walk him over to the changing table to begin the inhumanity all over again. GEEEEZ! Thankfully Zack didn't destroy the diaper nearly as bad as Jake so the clean up was pretty fast. Phew! Anne knocked on the door just as I finished but she got to walk into a stinky, smelly, disgusting house. (Sorry Anne! Blame it on Brian's DNA!) Sadly, no pictures were taken, but GOOD TIMES PEOPLE!

So, that's my Mom gripe for the day. CRAP HAPPENS!....my boys are gross and stinky....but I love them madly. :)

Happy 11 year Anniversary to my Sister and Bro-In-Law!

11 Years! Wow! Congrats for making it the long haul! We love you guys! :)

Yeah Jake!

So it only took a few days! Jake pulled himself up! :) I think I'm in for it......big time.....

Happy 9 month Birthday!!

My twins were born 9 months ago today! HAPPY 9 MONTH BIRTHDAY BABIES!! They are 39 weeks old so that means that they have been alive outside my belly longer than they were inside my belly since they were born at 37 weeks. :) The last 39 weeks have been a blur....hopefully the fog will continue to lift with every week and soon I'll be back to my old self....not a confused woman suffering from momzheimers!

Spider Jake, Spider Jake!

Jake's starting to pull himself up! He's not quite there yet but here's a picture!

Pumpkin Heads!

Brian and I took the boys to a pumpkin patch yesterday. The weather was nice but it was really windy! Of course the boys are a bit too young to understand the holiday but they sure were cute just sitting in a big pile of pumpkins.

Zack says, "Lookie what we've got here! It's just my size!"

Jake says, "It's ALLL MINE!!!

After a few pictures, Jake decides that a fist full of dry grass is much more exciting and tasty....and Zack is thinking, "I just know there's a pumpkin pie in here somewhere!"

Duh!

It just occurred to me that some people reading my blog might not know which twin is which, so I guess I should post a picture that will help.....



Zachary is on the left and Jacob on the right....just in case you can't see their names on their bellys! Zack gets really excited when he smiles and his hands are always doing something when I'm trying to take a picture. He usually puts them in his mouth but this time it's like he knew I was trying to get a picture of his name on his shirt so he kept putting his hands in the way. That little turd! Thanks for cooperating Jakester! :) Click on the video below to see them in action!

Teething BITES!

I feel like the boys have been teething since birth. Jake got his two front bottom teeth at 5 months and Zack didn't get his until almost 8 months. They are soooo different for twins. They don't seem to do anything at the same time. Right now Jake's getting his top fangs....just in time to be Dracula for Halloween!!! Poor Zack seems to really be hurting....no clear sign of any teeth but he sure is a cranky, whiny, fussy, grumpy guy! Nothing we've tried seems to help....so I'm currently doomed to listen to cranky pants and pray that all his teeth come at once so this torture is over! My poor kids....they don't stand a chance...the Marches have HUGE teeth!

EEEWWW!!! Smells Like Feet!!

Last week the boys were sick....then Brian and I got sick....today we decided the best thing for all of us was to be outside in the cold....genious...so, today we went to breakfast with Grammy and then went to the park for the very first time with the boys! It was foggy and cold and we didn't have mittens or good hats for the boys so they wore their grey uni-bomber hoodies and white socks on their hands as mittens...GENIUS!! No one was around but Brian was still too embarrassed to push them in their stroller as we walked to the park....he said the boys looked like geeks. *LMAO* Here are pictures of the little geeks enjoying themselves....socks and all!

After the park, we decided that we needed to go buy warm hats and real mittens....that way, the little geeks wouldn't embarrass their Daddy in public any more than normal. Here are the new hats and mittens....

Raise your hand if you like your new mittens!! Zack does!! I guess Jake prefers wearing socks on his hands.....what a geek....must be my DNA.

Salutations!!

This is my very first post...on my very new blog. :) *Takes a bow*

I've never been the type of person to write my thoughts down, so I don't promise posts that will knock your socks off, but I will try my best to post often...well, as often as my twins will allow me to, and to report all the gritty details of being a mom to twin boys.

Lets take care of a little housekeeping first off....

I'm 35....sheesh. I'm married to my best friend, Brian. My twin boys were born January 23rd, 2007 and will be 9 months old in a week. WOW!!! Zachary James (Zack...AKA: Tot) and Jacob William (Jake...AKA: Tater) will be the stars of this blog....along with my Husband Brian, our Mini Schnauzer Gerdie, and our Calico Cat Mayzie.

We live in beautiful Northern California....wine country to be exact....but no, I don't like or drink wine. My favorite place in the world is Disneyland. It was love at first sight during my first visit at age 4. My husband proposed to me on Pirates of the Caribbean and we honeymooned at Walt Disney World. I'd like to be able to say my kids were conceived at Disneyland but that would be a little icky. Anyway, I can't wait to take them and I hope they share the same love that I have.....if not, they're going up for adoption. My other favorite things are tater tots (well pretty much anything potato....and HELL YES I make a killer Tater Tot Casserole!), romantic comedy's, 80's movies....especially the Indiana Jones Trilogy and The Goonies!, watching Big Brother, Lost, and taking pictures. Anyway...I think that's enough about me for now....but I plan on writing about my pregnancy and the first 9 months so you'll have to stay tuned for the back story. So on with the show!!!