3 Boys + 1 Hubby = What Next?

Honestly

2010-08-30T13:44:00.000-04:00

Honestly,

I miss blogging. I miss my friends here. And I really need to find some balance in my life again.

I haven't quit smoking, I did set a new date for Wednesday.

I want to start posting again. But more likely once a week than once a day.

Laying it all out there

2010-05-25T16:11:00.001-04:00

Funny thing about blogs, we get to edit our lives. We share only what we chose to share.

For the past two weeks, I haven't shared a thing.

My excuses: I work away from home, a family business that is super super busy right now. The twins have been playing baseball, which my dear hubby is coaching. Oh and dear hubby started a new job, which makes things a little crazy too. Plus little man is having a terrific transition from being two to three. (this morning I found him after he poured dish detergent in the toilet, flinging toilet bubbles at the puppy). And the last thing I want to do at night is get back on a computer.

And then I feel guilt: for not writing, for being a one year blog, for not laying it all out there, for disappointing those who do read faithfully, for not reading others.

This morning it hit me. I started this blog a year ago in secret. I didn't start it for readers, I started it for me and somewhere along the way I got sidetracked. Not that I don't love comments and followers. That is just not why I started. Blogs can change, transform, morph, grow, digress. It happens. No one is paying me to write, I write because I enjoy it. I no longer enjoyed it when it became like a job and I felt guilty for not doing so.
I am a mommy writer who wants to track the milestones of her children. Those moments that you always want to remember, but know you won't if you don't capture them in some way. Those are the moments I want to write about.
Along the way I started writing about other stuff to - because I am also a person away from a mom. I realized I am kind of lost as that person right now. I've decided to make a few changes in my life.

On June 1, 2010 I will breathe free. For all you non-smokers that means I'll have my last cigarette on May 31st and actually quit for the 101st and final time. I need to do it, I have tried to do it, I've done it before. But this time for good. For all of you gasping at my demise. I know. For those of you who are closet smokers, remember I know who some of you are, and I won't hate on you when I quit.

On June 7, 2010 I am starting the couch to 5k program. I want to run. I've played sports, but somewhere in the last few years, I've become not a couch potato per say but a slacker for sure. I want to be able to run with my children again without losing my breath.

I also want to lose 15 lbs that I have put on in the last 1 1/2 years (did you know you can actually feel your metabolism change). I've been virtually the same size for 15 years (minus a couple of pregnancies) and this sloth that I have turned into recently is really not me. I used to be in such great shape. I am working my way back into pilates and eating correctly. No diet here, just awareness and more of doing what I know is good for me.

It is really hard to lay all of this out there. But here it is. I will share my journey and the journey of my children. But I am not going to write like it is my job anymore. I can't. I have a job, or two, or three. I don't need another. I hope you stay with me, but if you don't, I understand that too.

with my heart on my sleeve
MamaO

The Happiness Project: Little League

2010-05-04T12:01:00.001-04:00

Watching my boys play baseball (although I never get them both in the same action shot)

Forget the terrible twos, it is the TERRIFYING threes!

2010-05-03T11:54:00.000-04:00

In 26 days little man will turn three.
I would like to skip a whole year ahead now.

People say - ohh it's the terrible twos. Why yes it is. It is even more terrible when your son is so tall he looks like a four year old and people expect him to be well behaved.

When he is stomping his foot and telling me no (in a not so quiet voice). I look at the woman shaking her head at me and say - "he is two." Automatically this know-everythng-about-motherhood- woman changes her whole expression and smiles while saying, "this too shall pass."

She's right. It does pass. As slow as molasses pours from a jar.

Only it doesn't pass on to better things, it actually gets worse.

It turns into the terrifying threes. I figured out why they call them terrifying when the twins were three. The think they are invincible and have found their voice. It makes for some dangerous situations and loud tantrums. There are many moments I have blocked from memory, just because the trauma was too much for my brain.

Anyone who thinks the art of conversation is dead ought to tell a child to go to bed. ~Robert Gallagher

FFC: Today is National Arbor Day

2010-04-30T11:42:00.000-04:00

Today is National Arbor Day - so of course it is going on Friday's Featured Cause! (if you want a cause featured please use the button on the side of this page).

What is National Arbor Day you ask - well Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April.

Trees have more benefits than most people imagine. Let's take the young dogwood I have in my front yard. It was planted for looks by the people who owned the property before us. They had no idea what good it would do for us.

This year my 6 inch diameter, flowering dogwood tree will reduce atmospheric carbon by102 pounds. Considering a mid size sedan that drives 12,000 miles in a year emits 11,000 lbs of CO2, we can use all the help we can get.
My dogwood will intercept 367 gallons of stormwater runoff this year. Stormwater is a huge source of run off pollution containing oil, gasoline, salt, trash, etc and sends it into our lakes and streams. My dogwood will collect a lot of that!
My dogwood will conserve 21 Kilowatt / hours of electricity for cooling. Just by being well placed, it shades the eastern side of my house and allows cooling to occur naturally.

There are other benefits too, like air quality and property value. All from a young dogwood. Imagine what larger trees do for us. (if you want to know go to the arbor day calculator and plug in your location, tree, and its size. That is what I did)

The Arbor Day Foundation has all kinds of resources for children through adults about trees and protecting our planet. I donated $10 last month and received 10 seedling trees to plant around my yard (you can also have 10 trees planted in a forest). The kids and I will be planting them this weekend in celebration.

Other ways to celebrate are to learn more about trees in your area, have a trivia contest, go on a hike and identify trees along the path. Encourage the education about trees to others and we will be able to keep our world healthier for a longer period of time.

He who plants a tree

Plants a hope.

~Lucy Larcom, "Plant a Tree"

Venting is good for the soul

2010-04-28T14:21:00.000-04:00

i hate the terrible twos
i'm not ready for the terrifying threes
i wish blogger had spell check on it again
i hate having to spell check
i love to read a good book, and hate when it is over
good books suck me in and push the mommy out
i wish i had more time in my life
i love all the things i do have time for
i detest paying bills - not because of money issues, i just detest paying them
i also detest weeds, and was willing to spend the $10 for black paper to keep the weeds out of my garden (newspaper just doesn't cut it)
i wish i was a better friend. i never keep in touch like i should
on the other hand, crowds scare me
at the moment i want a nap
i won't get one
i don't want a blog that fizzles after a year, and next month is my year
i wish i had more features for my friday causes. there are so many good causes
i hate being pulled in a million different directions
i love being a mommy (which makes the last one null and void)
i want new feet - ones that don't crack
i detest poison ivy - especially at the moment since I apparently kneeled down in it.
i wish i could run, or had the motivation to run

The Happiness Project: taking a walk

2010-04-27T10:06:00.002-04:00

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~James Openheim

Join Leigh in the Happiness Project!

Mother in Laws are good for making the kids barf

2010-04-26T11:29:00.000-04:00

I have been holding out on everyone. Mostly out of fear that if I let the cat out of the bag it won't be true. It's been 2 years and three months since dear hubby had a real job. He was in commerical construction before the bottom dropped, and his company was one of the first to fall. I was predicting the collapse 8 months before it happened.

Anyway - he became a stay at home dad, which was a difficult transition.
Until 2 weeks ago.
Yes, he got a job, back in construction. Not as great as it was, but a job!

I feel weird about it. But that is for another day.

In the meantime, his mother is watching the boys. His mother who was conviently laid off about 6 weeks ago. Typically she watches the kids at our house, but at times she takes them to hers.

Last week a terrible stomache virus went around her house. Dear Hubby's grandmother got it and ended up dehydrated.

Fast forward to 12:30 Friday night. Peacefully sleep inturrupted by screams of a child laying in his own puke. And hour later, the same screams. At that point I was up and cussing my mother in law. Poor little man was sick every half hour there after until 4:30 am. I felt so sorry for him. Especially when he would look at me and say "mouth ehhhh mouth."

I decided my mother in law was to pay. I haven't decided how much yet, but 4 1/2 hours loss of sleep must count for something.

What is your mother in law good for?

FFC: Just because Earth Day was yesterday doesn't mean we should stop saving it.

2010-04-23T13:59:00.000-04:00

Across America Earth Day was celebrated by thousands yesterday. It is great that we have a day to make us step back and look at what we are doing to our earth.

This week, for Friday's Featured Cause, I want to talk about your Earth Day resloutions. Last week, I listed 10 easy things you can do to help save our planet. Have you done any of them? If not, do you plan on it? Are you willing to join me and make resloutions for change?

Just because Earth Day is over, doesn't mean we should stop trying to help heal it.

The first step is to take a look at your garbage. If you make more than one bag of trash a week (that's all we use for a family of 5) then you have too much trash. Garbage goes to the dump where it hids in trash bags for weeks before it starts to break down. Then it begins the breakdown process.
Oganic material only takes 6 months to breakdown, aluminum cans take 500 years. Cotton, rags and paper only take 8 months, plastic takes 500 years.
Make a resolution to recycle more and throw out less. All the cardboard cereal boxes, school papers, can go right in your bin along with your newspaper. Don't forget all your canned and glass goods too.

The second step is to conserve energy. Did you know that over half the energy produced in the US comes from burning coal? Changing a few of your daily habits could change the world.
Turn your thermostat down 2 degrees in the winter and up 2 in the summer. You won't notice the difference, but the envoirnment will.
Unplug appliances when you are not using them. We often forget that most of our appliances continue to run even after we turn them off. Use the off switch on your power cord behind the television to turn off your DVD, Wii, TV, and stereo. How many clocks do you need in the living room anyway?

Two simple steps to saving energy. What are you going to do?

We didn't inherit the earth from our parents, we borrowed it from our children.

If I lived in 1955, I'd have broken all the rules!

2010-04-22T12:09:00.002-04:00

You know they were. Your kids know they are. Even Mama Kat knows we break all the rules. That's why she asked us to list 10 rules that we "unlearned" for writer's workshop.

I love old things. 1950's I think were such a neat era. But let me tell you if I lived back then I would have broken ALL the rules, not just ten.

Ok, I love to cook and this isn't such a bad idea. I love to plan a good meal out. However, it is not because of only his needs. I have 5 mouths to feed in my house and if he's late for dinner, we don't wait.
Make-up? What stay at home mom wears make up on a daily basis. I sure didn't. I have just been with some house weary kids, he got to escape.
I can be a little interesting. Let me tell you how "your son" decided he could feed the fish his bologna sandwich today.
Just close your eyes and you won't see the clutter anymore.

Kids ought to be able to pick up their own crap. I am not their maid. And I just used the dustcloth to wipe up the 2 year old's pee off the kitchen floor.
When might I ask, do I get to unwind?
Minimize the noise? If I had a mute button don't you think I would have used it 4 hours ago when they were clawing each other's eyes out.
This I agree with. I am always deleriously happy to see my hubby. Especially when he rescues me from the children.
I greet him with a huge smile, but not out of a desire to please him.
The only thing more important than our children is if he got fired.
His world of strain? Not that I'm saying all jobs are easy, but stay at home mom's take the cake anyday of the week!
I try to make my home tranquil for me. I'm the one living with all boys!
When is the best time to tell him the stove caught fire?
I don't complain if he goes out, it just means next time it's my turn.
If it's not bedtime, no one gets to relax.
Please tell me a grown man can take off his own shoes.
Master of the house !?!?!?!?!
I'll be damned.

When twins figure out there IS an "oldest" child

2010-04-21T10:36:00.000-04:00

Have twins have ~~fights~~ arguements.

From the moment they are born you know they will love each other and sometimes love to hate each other. It's what siblings do, and for twins it starts even earlier, like in the womb.

There is a 20 minute time limit between birthing one twin and the other. A rule put down in some book somewhere so the body doesn't start thinking it's done (or some crap like that). My boys pushed that limit, and were born 17 minutes apart. I knew soon after that 17 minutes would make a world of difference to the eldest child one day. We chose right then and there to avoid telling them there was an "oldest" child for as long as possible.

It wasn't hard to do, we just never said anything about the time they were born. They were born on the same day and that was it. It was hard enough for them to understand that not everyone has a twin, and that most people aren't born at the same time as their brother.

When they were about 5, they figured out they couldn't have been born at the exact same time. They came to me and asked who was first. And I told them. I was careful to use the word first, without any reference to time.

One of their first grade teacher assistant's happened to be a twin. She approached me a few weeks into school and asked me, "They don't know who the oldest is do they?"
I responded "No they don't"
She said,"You did that on purpose didn't you?"
I just smiled as one of them approached. She understood why I did it and agreed that avoiding one more reason to argue was probably a good idea.

Monday night, while showing off various ways to use body parts to make farting noises, T2 asked me, "Who is the oldest?"
T1 immediately interrupted and said, "I have to be the oldest because I was born first. That's what a girl on the bus said."
(thanks girl on the bus)
T2 said, "Ok he is the oldest, but how much older?"
I was careful in what I would say next, because I knew it would be hard on T2. I asked him if it would matter if he was a day older or a month older like a friend of theirs. He responded that it wouldn't matter, because they are all the same.
"Ok" I said, "T1 is 17 minutes older than you."
"17 MINUTES!!!"
You would have thought I gave him a death sentence. He literally keeled over. And then made a farting noise louder than his brother to prove he could still hang with someone older than him.

A little while later, as I was entering their room to tuck them in I overheard this conversation.
T1: You know Mommy says you have to listen to kids who are older than you. (completely out of context)
T2: I AM NOT DOING YOUR HOMEWORK FOR YOU!!!

At least I made it 7 3/4 years before I heard that one.

There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: twins. ~Josh Billings

The Happiness Project: Spring

2010-04-20T09:13:00.002-04:00

I love flowers! I love to plant and watch them grow. Sometimes I photograph them so that I can tell myself, "I will paint them when I have time." HA - who has time?

What Makes You Happy?

FFC: Going Green from Paper to Cloth

2010-04-16T16:20:00.000-04:00

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, this week's Friday's Feature Cause is about going green.

We hear the words "going green" everywhere these days. The words themselves cover a broad range of topics varying from using cloth diapers to renewable energy. We all agree that we need to do our part to change the planet, but we are not all sure how. We want to make the world a presentable place for our children and grandchildren, yet many of us are stumped after the recycling bin.

Today I have 10 easy things you can change in your everyday world to make a difference. Most of these are very simple and actually save you money in the long run. (some even in the short run). Then because I'm all about recycled cloth material, I have a super simple pattern for sewing your own cloth napkins. (I just can't see paying $6.00 for 4 napkins, when I have a ton of material at home)

10 Easy Ways to Go Green

Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out. I did this over a year ago and haven't had to replace a bulb yet, plus they use 1/5 the wattage of my old bulbs. Don't ask me to calculate my savings here, just know I've save the cost of the bulbs already.
Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water. The only time I use warm water is on my white loads. Cold water also preserves the color and size in dark loads.
Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment. I have a low flow faucet in my kitchen and the water pressure is the same as before. I didn't notice the difference until I had to wait 10 extra seconds to fill up a gallon jug.
Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. An easy way to save money here!
Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use. This may be my favorite tip, because it saves so much money!
Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, dairy, and produce whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy and cuts down on shipping costs. I'm in the transportation business and a truckload of produce costs a lot to haul, plus the fuel those guys go through. There is plenty of other products out there to keep drivers busy without produce.
Plant drought-tolerant native plants and grass in your yard. Many plants need minimal watering. Personally, I can't stand to water the yard, but love my flowers and veggies. Checking to see what works best in your area makes a huge difference.
Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts phantom energy use. I had no idea that so many of the appliances, televisions, etc in my house use phantom power. Just because you think they are off, doesn't mean they are.
Clean or replace your air conditioning filter. It sounds automatic, but a dirty filter causes your system to use more energy and you to have filthy air.
Utilize your city or towns recycling program. Many cities have updated their programs to accept more products than previously. Check to see what you could be recycling that you aren't. I had no idea my town had added a few more plastic codes to their list until I called to find out - saves even more in trash!

Cloth Napkin Directions

Napkins can be made in any size square you are comfortable with. The standard sizes are 12, 14, and 16 inch squares. The easiest way to make sure they will all be square is to make a poster board template.
Your template should be square and should be 1/2 inch larger than your finished napkin size. For example, make a 16 1/2-inch-square template for a 16-inch-square napkin.
Place the template on the wrong side of your fabric, and trace around the template with a fabric marking pen or fabric chalk.
Cut out each fabric square along traced marking line.
Press each raw fabric edge under 1/4" and then press that edge under 1/4" again.
Pin the fabric edges into place. Use a sewing machine to stitch the napkin hem. (Hand sew the napkin hem in place with a backstitch if you do not have access to a sewing machine.)
Add a decorative touch to the finished napkins by sewing a decorative hand or machine stitch on the right side of the fabric along the edge of the napkin.

And you're done! I will have pictures next week of the ones I'm making this weekend. Never knew I was crafty did you?

What are you doing in honor of Earth Day?

Bedtime? Who wants to go to bed? Other than me?

2010-04-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

My assignment from Mama Kat was to write a bedtime story to enter in the contest for GoodNite Contest (winner gets $2500). I could seriously use $2500, and I love a good bedtime story. If you want to enter the contest and/or join writers workshop - go see Mama Kat. She has all the details!!!

Bedtime is supposed to be about routines and calming your child. It doesn't always work that way. There were many nights that I sat in the twins room making up stories to soothe them to sleep. The whole time I was wishing I was vegging on the couch watching Grey's. I've decided to incorporate one of my stories into Iggy's. (Now I just have to shorten it to meet their standards ;)

Iggy lay in his bed after his most recent baseball game. He couldn’t go to sleep. All he could think about was the game and how everything went wrong. Iggy tossed and turned because he couldn’t stop being frustrated with himself. If he had only hit the ball further, if he had stepped on the plate instead of on the line Iggy’s team could have won the game. Iggy didn’t know how to stop being frustrated with his own mistakes.

Iggy started to think about Babe Ruth and began to relax. Babe Ruth was the greatest baseball player of all time. Babe Ruth never got frustrated in a game, he was able to hit it out of the park. Iggy was wishing he was Babe Ruth as he drifted off to sleep.

Well after all the stars had come out, Iggy suddenly woke to a knock at his window. Who could it be he thought. Sluggishly Iggy went to the window and looked out. Stunned, Iggy’s mouth dropped open as he saw Babe Ruth in his backyard. The Babe Ruth!

Babe Ruth asked Iggy, “Can you come out here for a minute?”

Too amazed to speak, Iggy slowly crawled out the window and onto the cool summer grass.

“I’ve heard you are getting frustrated on the field.” Said Babe.

Iggy could only nod.

“Baseball is supposed to be fun, you shouldn’t be getting frustrated.”

Iggy immediately defended himself, “I am having fun, I just want to do everything right and when I make a mistake I get mad.”

Babe Ruth looked down at Iggy and smiled, “It sounds like you have a real passion for the game. You remind me a lot of myself at your age. Did you know I used to get frustrated with my own mistakes.”

“You never made mistakes, you’re the best of all time!”said Iggy.

“Oh I made mistakes alright. I wasn’t born a baseball player, I had to learn and practice like everyone else. Talent will only get you so far son.”

“You mean you had to go to practice just like me?” responded Iggy.

“Of course I did. Even when I went pro, I still had to go to practice. Do you want to know a little secret?”

“Yes”

“Even as a pro baseball player, I struck out more times that I made home runs.”

“Really? How come you never got mad at yourself?”

“Oh, I did, but I learned a little trick. I kept a penny in my shoe, and when I got mad, I’d grind my cleat into the ground pretending to smush the penny. That way I could quickly put my focus back on the game without being mad at myself or others on my team.”

“Do you think that will work for me?”

“It might. I brought you a special penny of your own.” Said Babe as he handed over an old penny.

“It’s from 1927! That’s the year you broke the record and were the first person to hit 60 home runs in one season!” said Iggy.

“Yes it is. Hopefully you’ll think of me when you’re out on the field. Remember that everyone makes mistakes. Everyone strikes out, even the Great Bambino.”

“I will Mr. Ruth, I will.”

“You better get on to bed son, it will be morning soon and you have practice today.”

“Thank you!” said Iggy as he climbed back through the window. Iggy knew something magical had happened tonight. He knew he would always carry a penny in his cleat, and a soothing calm washed over him.

Who are these smart mouthed kids?

2010-04-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

NOT MINE!
That's for sure.
I think they get it from their father.

Background of the story - I work for/with my father at our business.
During dinner last night I asked the twins our normal round of questions about their day. One of which is "Did you ask any good questions today?" I think it inspires them to seek more knowledge and not just let it come to them. They gave their normal responses about questions in math and reading.
When they asked me the question, I responded with, "I called Pe-Paw and asked him about some rates we were working on."
T1's immediate response, "Ohhhh, you had to call your Daddy and ask him questions!"
Incompetent, I'm not.

Also on the topic of discussion yesterday was the word "diva." Someone had used the word to describe T2's girlfriend and he took great offense thinking it was similar to devil. I explained that it was used to describe a girl that has to look just so and may be somewhat of a show off. T2 was much happier with that answer. Especially when he said, "Oh, so your an old lady diva!"
Diva, I'm not.

I don't know where these kids are getting it from, but it seems to be never ending. That was just one day. Imagine my week!
Does anyone else have a sarcastic child?

If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylums would be filled with mothers. ~Edgar W. Howe

The Happiness Project: Facebook

2010-04-13T11:12:00.000-04:00

I know, I'm nuts. But Facebook makes me happy - especially after this weekend.

In addition to being able to find all your old high school and college friends you can become a fan of your favorite places and things (like blogs). Then you get to see when those things are doing something awesome. OR if one of those things screws up - you can post for the world to see, instead of just chatting it up with the manager.

I posted a lovely comment on the wall of the hotel we were SUPPOSED to stay at this past weekend. Look at my quick response. For the record, I'm in customer service, so bad service infuriates me.

If you want to join in on the happiness project, check out Leigh!

It's Finally Friday...

2010-04-08T17:29:00.002-04:00

I know it's really Thursday - but to me it's Friday!!!

I'm taking the day off tomorrow for a girls weekend and I can't wait. Plus it finally rained so hopefully I'll be able to breathe again soon. And today is my BFF's 30th birthday. But I'm still swamped at work and feel like I'm neglecting you guys. Hopefully I'll feel better next week.

If you're stopping by from the crib - we're out of diapers around here, and usually speak from bunkbeds or toddler beds. This week I've been speaking from the land of pollen, which means not much. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the view!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T10:11:00.000-04:00

Considering the pollen count is twice as high as normal here....

Happy Anniversary to me

2010-04-05T11:23:00.000-04:00

Happy Anniversary to me... and I guess my dear hubby too.

So far I have recieved a lot of greenish yellow pollen outside, which has invaded my head and left me with the inability to breathe through my nose.

I've also received a mess at work- and as resident problem solver, I better get back to it.

Hope you all have a better day than me.

Twins mean never taking a break

2010-04-02T11:03:00.001-04:00

I'm taking a break from Friday's Featured Cause - to talk a little bit about one of the biggest causes in my house. (don't worry, you'll have a new feature next week).

The biggest cause in our house is not usually the chd, it is usually a four letter word.

TWIN.

Or sometimes a five letter word

TWINS.

It is amazing how two little people can cause so much chaos in one house.

The twins are 7 now, and I have attempted to get used to the fact that we have twins. I refer to them as the twins, only to seperate them from little man. Little man cannot do many of the things they can, so they have a different set of rules. But in our house I call them by their names (except for when I say the wrong name, heaven forbid). They are two different people who happen to look a whole lot alike and share the same birthday.

To be honest, all the boys in my house look alike. They are all blonde haired and blue eyed just like their Daddy. I'm the one who gets to deny them with my dark hair and green eyes.

The twins only stand out because they also happen to be the same height, carry the same facial expressions, and happen to be able to read each other's minds on occasion. And on occasion it still drives Mommy NUTS!

Listening to them tell me about their day at school now requires raising of hands. Otherwise the competition to talk, the completing of each other's sentences and the volume level all leave me not knowing who actually did what. Just because they know what happened to each other doesn't mean I do.

Nuts is also what happens when Mommy accidentally switches someones lunch. I have color coded most everyday items in our house to simplify life. T1's favorite color is red, so his bookbag, lunchbox, jacket and bat bag are all also red. T2's favorite color is blue - so there you are. It works great, except when Mommy is in a rush and doesn't pay attention to which bag she grabs and puts it in the wrong bookbag. "MOMMY HOW COULD YOU?" is the response I get when they return home. As if they don't have the exact same lunch (somethings are actually the same).

When they try to yell at their tone deaf Mommy from across the yard, I think they go nuts. Mommy only gets their screaming from an acre away voices right 50% of the time. For some reason that gets on their nerves.

Bedtime is still rough, although it isn't as nutty as it used to be. We've never quite mastered the don't pester your brother when it is time to go to sleep. It is a whole lot easier than it was, just not great.

There are a lot of things I've learned about twins in the past seven years, and I know I still have a lot left to learn. They are two very different people, they just have a lot in common. As their Mommy I work hard to take care of them both at the same time, while adjusting to their individual needs. But still, when they were very little and I had no sleep, I would sit rocking them both and think "thank God, I didn't have triplets."

When you are looking for a break, I've got the spot for you.
Today's post was inspired by the blogiversary at Multiples and More. It's a great group that I have been a part of since right after I started blogging. If you are looking to find out more on twins, triplets, quads, quints, then hop on over there. Plus they have a ton of giveaways to celebrate this week!!!

Why I don't do April Fool's

2010-04-01T10:47:00.000-04:00

I used to love a good April Fool's joke. I would dream up great ones to do and really get people going.

My last semester in college, my friends and I decided to fool my father and say I was preggo. We were going to his house for easter dinner anyway.

After dinner he and I took a walk and I told him I was pregnant. I thought he was going to have a heart attack considering I wasn't married yet. Just as he was getting over the shock, my friend yelled April Fools. It was a great classic moment. My best joke to date.

One year later I was actually pregnant. With twins.

Karma comes back to bite you in the arse.

While you may all go about laughing and joking and playing wonderful pranks, I will sit here quietly. I will laugh at your jokes and secretly wonder where you will be next year.

Happy Karma Day!

Can you describe yourself in 10 words?

2010-03-31T08:30:00.000-04:00

Tabitha at I Choose Bliss did a post where she was able to describe herself in 10 words. I love her description! It is exactly her.

But 10 words. 10 adjectives - not 10 things like mom, wife, etc. I wasn't so sure I could do it, but I wanted to try.

thoughtful

loving

aggressive

loud

shy

Well that is five. I'm halfway there. And I'm stuck. Going to bing some people adjectives.

(I don't like their pic today).

I found this great foreign language website with a huge list of English words used to describe people. I could be annoying, eccentric, gregarious, lascivious, obnoxious, virtuous. They really have some cool words, but those don't fit me.

I'm not eccentric - I'm more of a plain person. Solids and jeans and flip flops and such. I guess that makes me more...more.. what's the opposite of eccentric? The computer says normal is the opposite of eccentric. I don't think normal counts for this exercise.

Let's see, I'm

optimistic

resourceful

That makes seven. And I'm still struggling. I need three more.

sarcastic

giving

I only need one more and I just can't seem to do it.

I give up.

This exercise is hard. Give me one adjective you would use to describe me. And if you think it's easy- you do it!

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

The Happiness Project - from Leigh vs. Laundry

2010-03-30T10:25:00.000-04:00

Leigh runs the most wonderful project - The Happiness Project. I have been meaning to join in for a few weeks, but I don't remember until after I've already posted.

Today - I didn't forget (yeah me!).

It's easy shmeasy! Just post a picture of something that makes you happy! For me, it's the ocean.

Join us! What makes you happy?

Why does that matter?

2010-03-29T14:36:00.000-04:00

Have seven year olds, have questions. That is the story of my life right now. Only problem is the latest question is beginning to get on my nerves.

T1: Why isn't there school today?
Me: Because it is a holiday.
T1: Why does that matter?

T1: Why do I have to feed the dogs? I fed them last night.
Me: Because I am taking care of your brother.
T1: Why does that matter?

T1: Can I have dessert?
Me: No, if you are still hungry there is food left from dinner.
T1: Why does that matter?

Me: You're game may be cancelled tonight.
T1: Why?
Me: Because the fields are very wet from the rain.
T1: Why does that matter?

What does your child say to get on your nerves?

FFC: Army of Women

2010-03-26T07:06:00.002-04:00

As moms, daughters, sisters, wives, friends, we are an Army Of Women. We can make a huge inpact on the world around us. The reason I created Friday's Featured Cause was to spread the word about causes' that are near and dear to our hearts. We can raise awareness and funds all among ourselves. If you want to guest post on your cause, please go here!

Apparently the the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation and the Avon Foundation for Women, a global leader in breast cancer research, know how awesome women are, because they came together to form the Love/Avon Army of Women.

I believe that each person reading this has been or knows someone affected by breast cancer. It is rapant in our world.
Almost 2 years ago, my husband's aunt died after a long battle with cancer. It started in her breast, and she battled it into remission. When it came back, it came back into her brain. She left a huge family behind that still mourns for her. Unfortunately, my story is not uncommon.

"More than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States each year, and more than 40,000 will die from the disease this year alone."

The Love/Avon Army of Women believes that if we ban together we can make a difference and we can fight breast cancer.

Army of Women has 2 goals:

To recruit one million healthy women of every age and ethnicity, including breast cancer survivors and women at high-risk for the disease, to partner with breast cancer researchers and directly participate in the research that will eradicate breast cancer once and for all.
To challenge the scientific community to expand its current focus to include breast cancer prevention research conducted on healthy women.

That means that every single one of you reading this (as long as you are female) qualify to join the Army of Women! Sign up, and then you are able to partner with a research project. You'll be able to choose which research projects suit you best - or if any at all.

Yesterday I signed up for one that was done online regarding finding information on breast cacner. Yes, it can be just that easy.

But they need more women. More women willing to give of their time to help cure breast cancer! Who is with me???

I'm Joining the www.ARMY OF WOMEN.org!

Weaknesses, I don't have any weaknesses!

2010-03-25T08:30:00.004-04:00

Ask someone who loves you what one of your weaknesses are. That's what Mama Kat said to do for this week's Writer's Workshop. Who wants to do that? (well if you want to - go play along here).

I didn't want to - and I sure as hell wasn't going to ask my husband what my weakness is. He'd come up with a whole darn list. Then I'd have to defend myself against all his crap leading to an epic battle of good verses evil.

I'd like to stay married, so no thanks. I did however ask my best friend, who loves me no matter what.

Me: I'm working on a project - need to ask you, What is my weakness?
BFF: You want to help everyone. What is the project?
Me: Why is helping everyone bad? Nope, not telling the project.
BFF: I think it is good to help people, just you need to take care of you too.

Well. I guess it could have been worse. She could have said my weakness was dirty old men.

Honestly - I know all they psyh crap that Oprah shows every week. Mom's don't take care of themselves enough. We need to put ourselves first. If we don't take care of ourselves, we won't be able to take care of anyone else. BLAH BLAH BLAH.

She is my best friend and she is right. I have extreme issues with doing anything for myself. I shut right up when she said it. I didn't want to talk about it anymore with her, because she knows me best. And she'll argue with me.

You guys, well, you guys can't argue until I actually post this. So I get to voice my opinion first.

Helping people is not a weakness. I love to help people. I love to be a Mommy and care for my family. I love to care for those outside of my family. I will go out of my way to help someone who needs it under one condition. They help someone else when they are able. If you are a lifesucker (meaning you suck the life out of others) then sorry- no can do.

I give of myself because I enjoy it. Yes, there are times when I get run down - exausted - a little frazzled. But those times are worth it. I was born to be a mom, to give to others, to take care of others.

So what if I believe others should come first. Why is that a big deal? Why is it a big deal that I only own 2 pairs of jeans, if I am able to make sure my children have enough. I can wash my own, and mine don't get as dirty. Why is it a big deal that I skip my trips to the dentist to send the kids? I believe that if my family and those around me are taken care of- then that is all that matters. I make do because I want to, not because I have to.

After stating my case I disagree, giving to others is not my greatest weakness. (I still love you BFF). I may need help from time to time taking care of me, but not too often to worry. I believe my greatest weakness are those new Reese's Whipped. What's yours?

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius

10 years from now...

2010-03-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

First off - this is all Desert Rose's fault! If I hadn't read her post I wouldn't have realized a few things.

It started off innocently, she was talking about where she would be in 10 years. I was reminded of the same projects from high school and middle school. I thought they were neat then. Especially since I've gotten half of my predictions right.

When I was 10, I was told to predict myself at 30.
~~have gone to college~~, be a model, ~~be married~~, ~~have children~~, own a large house, ~~have a dog~~

Well, we do own a house, but it is not a large one. Not when there are 5 of us and 2 dogs, not just one. I'm still working on the model part though.

When I was in high school, I was also told to predict myself at 30.
have graduated college, ~~married~~, ~~with children~~, ~~own a house~~, ~~work with my father in the trucking business~~

Technically, I never graduated. I have 7 credits left. At the time, there were not enough teachers for my major and it was going to take me 2 years to get 7 credits. I was paying my own way and didn't think a part time job was going to suffice. blah blah blah excuses. Anyway, I accomplished the rest of my dreams.

On to the future.

10 years from now I hope to be in a bigger house. If not, the twins will be hanging off their bunk beds and T2 will hit his head everytime he tries to climb in. Why? Because they will be teenagers (shrieks)!!!!!!!
And little man will be a tween.
And I will be 40!

10 years from now I may be in a mental institution. Where will you be?

Adolescence is a period of rapid changes. Between the ages of 12 and 17, for example, a parent ages as much as 20 years. ~Author Unknown

Books = Crack

2010-03-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

I decided late last night, that if no one else understood you guys would. We are all writers, so most of us are readers.

I'm a reader of various types of fiction. I'm not big on sci-fi or romance novels, although I've read a few. I prefer a good murder mystery (love Patricia Cornwell or James Patterson). I'm also in to novels, such as work by Pat Conroy or Jodi Picoult. Beach Music is one of my favorite books. It takes place in the south - close to my heart, and is full of character, family, and plenty of story.

When the Twilight series came out, I understood the passion behind the readers, I just didn't believe it was for me. I didn't want to read about vampires, or some story for a love sick teenager. Science fiction and romance are not for me, especially all rolled into one.

Then a friend gave me Twilight. She handed it to me about a month ago actually.

Saturday night I found myself with nothing new to read, nothing to watch and a sick husband. I figured what the hell and dug out the book. At the least, it would lull me to sleep.

HA - I was so wrong. That book was my addiction from very early on. The more I read the more I couldn't put it down. I got up to pee and to refill my glass, that was it. I read until it was finished, not caring that it was 2 am and the boys would be up in a few hours. I was loving the damn book and couldn't figure out why.

I still didn't know why Sunday either. When I found myself at Wal-mart on Sunday afternoon, looking for a shower caddy to stop little man from pouring out all the shampoo, I knew I would be buying the next book. I couldn't wait on the library - they're not even open on Sundays. I had to get the next book.

And where was I at 8:30 last night? In the chair, thrilled that the boys were quiet in their beds. Thrilled hubby still wasn't feeling good. I had me a book to read. And yes, I finished it one night. I kept saying to myself, when he transforms, you can put it down. When she figures it out you can put it down. But I never put down the damn book. It was like crack. A crazy addiction that had me up until 2am- because I had to finish the book.

Now I understand ladies, now I understand.

I also understand that I am not going looking for the next book until I get some sleep.

The Jack of Hearts: Friday's Featured Cause

2010-03-19T05:55:00.005-04:00

Friday's Featured Cause is a new series I have started to bring light to the many causes we advocate for and support. This week's Feature is from Robin. For more information on the series, please click here or see the sidebar.

"Your son’s heart is the size of an apple and it should be the size of a walnut, said the nice doctor who was called in to review Jack’s emergency echo in the step-down nursery of the children’s hospital where my ‘31-week’ twins were supposed to be “feeders and growers.” He may need a heart transplant."

I am staring, but it is not registering. The room is spinning. I am trying to breathe, but I can’t quite seem to get air in and out. I must sit down. I witness a flurry of activity as I can hear them talk about intubation, drug-induced coma. I feel like I am watching a scene from “ER.”

Fast forward more than five years and this drama moved from the small screen to the big and plays out like a feature film. The world kept spinning from that day on in 2004 and then abruptly stopped in April 2008 when my son, Jack, simultaneously mouthed and signed the words to me “All done Mama, all done” through his C-PAP mask when I arrived in his hospital room. No more. He was done fighting. No more cutting, no more fear. He wanted to have the last word.

So it was that day he earned his angel wings -- April 14, 2008. A day I will hate for the rest of my time on earth.

Press the reverse button on the DVD remote and rewind the story. What happened from that summer day in July 2004 to April 2008?

Jack was transferred to a new hospital after being evaluated as a candidate for a heart transplant. We learned that his heart was enlarged and not able to squeeze effectively. A conditioned called cardiomyopathy and likely caused from the viral infection I got while pregnant. He would either get better or need a heart transplant they told us.

He received an angel heart on October 17, 2004 at the age of four months after waiting 72 days on a ventilator. He smiled a big grin as they wheeled him off to the operating room to remove the heart that we gave him and place a new one in from a child who had a tragic ending. In a matter of six hours the world as we knew had changed completely.

They told us nothing about the angel heart. Not what happened to the donor child or what state it was being flown in from? We just knew the child had the same blood type as Jack and was somewhere around his size.

The heart did not function well from the beginning. We heard comments from the doctors that it was in “shock” from being “on ice.” We learned that the heart was out of the body for the longest amount of time possible for transplant. That meant the heart came on a plane ride anywhere from 4-5 hours to Minneapolis.

With the help of a lot of drug support, Jack’s donor heart functioned adequately so that he was able to finally join the real world and be reunited with his twin brother, Cooper, at home for the first time at seven months of age (Cooper had no health issues).

It is amazing the healing effects that a loving home provides for children, both mentally and physically.

The years between 2004 and 2008 were spent making many happy memories, but they were not without drama. Jack had many up’s and down’s with his new heart -- more than half of his life was spent in the hospital (two Christmases, one Thanksgiving, one birthday). He needed a pacemaker as the natural pacemaker in the donor heart was really screwed up (his heart rate would get too slow, or he’d get SVT and require cardioversion). Then the pacemaker wires fell off. It was after his third open heart surgery that they told us he would need a new heart. This donor heart was not going to work. It was too stiff and there was nothing they could do to support it. No drugs to solve that problem.

Another experience where the room is spinning and I see their mouths moving, but I can’t make sense of what they are saying.

There was one big problem (as if being told your child has to endure another critical surgery isn’t enough), Jack’s surgeon (otherwise known as “The Witch Doctor”) said she wasn’t sure he deserved another heart. She thought he did something to the donor heart. Huh? Now, we had a contentious relationship with this woman from the beginning. It had something to do with everything about her. She was loud and a foul-mouthed bully. She was a bull in a china store. It was her way or nothing. She did not like to be challenged or questioned. I will never forget the cold stare of her beady brown eyes for as long as I live. To this day, I still question whether or not she really had a heart and I am certain that the devil does walk among us.

Her take was that maybe Jack had some congenital disease (like ALS “Lou Gehrig’s disease”) that did something to the donor heart, and if so, they are not wasting another heart on him.

After unnecessarily wasting the summer of 2007 battling with her, trying to get a second opinion of which she was not happy about, and ultimately trying to get Jack into another program in another state, she finally agreed to re-list him. Jack was able to go home with a PICC line in his arm that delivered life-sustaining medication. He was much weaker, could not walk without the use of a walker, and his fluid status and kidney function were always major concerns. But he was happy and reunited with his brother.

The witch doctor would not list him as a 1A (top of the list) unless he lived in the hospital. If he was going to live at home, he would be listed as a 1B.

Jack went to preschool with his brother (and a nurse), as we were trying to make life as normal as possible for him. He loved school! Even though he would get very tired and his tummy hurt a lot, he loved going to school.

We had a nurse come weekly to our house to draw labs as we needed to keep a check on the functions of his organs. The hospital urged us to bring him in-patient so his transplant status could be upgraded to 1A and we get him a heart faster. His labs were starting to decline.

It was the second worst mistake of our lives. The first was going to the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital in the first place. (At the time we went there, we were new parents, distraught, and didn’t know anything about anything.)

We thought we were making the best decisions for him. We trusted.

The intensive care unit where he resided was not the same as when he was a baby. The nurses were over loaded and forced to double up on critically ill children. They were forced to do more with less. It was awful. Attending physicians were visiting from other hospitals and were overloaded and it would take three days for them to get up to speed on the patient load.

Right after Valentine’s Day, Jack acquired hospital-grade influenza B and his PICC line was infected with another patient’s poop. It made him horribly sick. He suffered. He got so fluid overloaded that he no longer had a neck.

We knew we were losing him.

There is so much more to this story…the in-between details…like the surgeon accusing us of making him sick because we were run down, her downgrading him so she could go on vacation, but not telling us…

The day he died, they had decided to intubate him and put in chest tubes to remove the fluid that was building up around his lungs. Jack knew what they were doing and didn’t want it. He was fighting the intubation and biting the tube. He was done – “All done Mama, all done.”

On April 14, 2008, I held my son for the very last time on this earth. He was finally at peace. He didn’t look like my son as the extra fluid on his little body had changed his physical appearance. As day turned into night, I sat there holding him in the rocking chair where I had logged too many hours rocking him, as if I could somehow stop time and not face the inevitable. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” played on the CD player, over and over again. We knew we had to leave. We had to get home to Cooper. But how do we walk out of this room?

Some of the nurses had packed up Jack’s room and belongings and loaded our car for us. Our babysitter had Cooper, so it was just Todd and I.

The charge nurse came in to check on us. We were sitting in the dark except the light above the sink. She knew us from our long tenure there. We asked her to please make sure they treated Jack with dignity as they came to pick him up to take him to the morgue. We requested no autopsy. No more cutting.

And just like that we were supposed to walk out of the hospital with one less child in our lives.

Our loss, Heaven’s gain.

It was only three months later when we starting investigating things about Jack’s medical care and we accidentally learned his donor’s identity, Baby Richie. We learned he was three months old, also premature, and his “father” broke almost every bone in his little body. He had cigarette burns, damaged lungs and ultimately, brain damage from his “father” hitting his head against something. We learned more about his story when my husband visited his mother in prison. She is serving out an 18-year prison term in New Mexico for her part in her child’s death. She told Todd about how her husband would shoot her with drugs while she was pregnant and beat her. He beat her up and that’s when she went into labor and apparently went into cardiac arrest at some point while she was delivering Richie. The day that Richie died at the hands of his ‘dad,’ she was out asking family members for money. Her husband was at home alone with Richie and getting high. According to the police report we were able to obtain, after he found Richie not breathing, he went outside to bum a cigarette and smoke it before he came in and called 911.

The district attorney in the state of New Mexico called baby Richie, “tortured.” It wasn’t just child abuse, it was torture. We told baby Richie’s mother and her parents, who were the ones to ultimately sign the papers for organ donation, that little Richie’s heart received an abundance of love while it was with Jack.

Baby Richie’s ‘dad?’ He hung himself in jail while awaiting arraignment.

We now know why Jack’s surgeon didn’t want anyone else getting involved with his case.

We are currently involved in an investigation into Jack’s care. We have involved our Governor’s office, state senators and the Office of Medicare/Medicaid, who found the U of M program to have deficiencies.

What advice can I share about my son’s journey in healthcare?

Advocate for your child. Speak Up!
Know that you are the most important person your child’s healthcare team
Get a second opinion without the aid of the current doctor. Have it be completely objective
Talk to other families whose children have been operated on by your child’s prospective surgeon.
Take notes and write it all down. Have a third party with you when discussing your child’s plan of care. You are stressed and might not hear everything you need to.
Don’t be afraid to have people removed from your child’s medical team, but know it could be an uphill battle.
Sometimes traveling out of state for your child’s medical care is the best option. It is just a small amount of time in exchange for the best care.
Check the medicine that is being administered to your child in the hospital.
If you are headed for a transplant, get informed. Seek out people who have been down the road. Don’t just speak to the people that the hospital suggests. Be armed and informed! Transplant and listing is a complex system!
Question, question, question
Take lots of pictures in the hospital – the good, the bad and the ugly. Hopefully, it’s to show your child how absolutely remarkable he/she is and what he/she has already overcome at such a young age!

Robin Hicks-Corbo and her husband, Todd, are advocates of healthcare rights for children and ethical practices of medicine. They have a Caringbridge website (www.caringbridge.org/mn/corboboys) and are currently working on launching a website that tells their story and offers help to others families facing medical care issues. They are also writing a book on their experience. You can also follow their Tweets on Twitter at: @Justice4Jack and @renegademama

What do you do when you have over 50 balls in your house?

2010-03-18T13:51:00.000-04:00

You play sports.

Lots of sports.

Sports all year long.

When the twins were born, dear hubby just knew they would be car fanatics just like him. By the time they were 1 1/2 years old - we knew otherwise.

My husband looked at me the other day and asked how we ended up with jocks. Like I know? Not that we are couch potatoes, I'm actually a coach. But there is a huge difference between loving and playing one sport verses trying to play 3 a year.

The twins are 7 and we are already making up sports rules.

No one plays sports during the winter (mommy and daddy want a season off - and don't want to freeze to death)
Only one sport/after school activity during the school year.

Which means soccer or football, but not both
Which also apparently means they can play two sports over the summer (rugby and summer league baseball are current choices)

Mommy and Daddy only buy 1 set of required gear per season. If you lose a cleat halfway through the season, you buy a new set.
Good Sportsmanship carries over into everything you do.

if Mommy hears bad sportsmanship at home, that means you are out of the game and run laps around the house.
if heard at a game - it's up to the coach, but Mommy will be furious

I'm thinking there may be more rules as they grow - but that is it for now. If you have little sports fans, this is what you have to look forward to. It is wierd if you are not used to it.

What is your child a fanatic about?

Gonna catch me a leprechaun

2010-03-17T11:37:00.000-04:00

In honor of this fine festive day- I've painted the blog green. Almost as cool as the green river in Savannah.

The twins had a most awesome school project due today. They had to make a leprechaun trap.
Rules: must me made out of scrap materials, no store bought stuff. Leprechauns’ are small, so don't make a trap for a giant.
Tips: leprechauns are sneaky, they don't read signs, and like shiny things. (reminds me of men)

We spent half of Saturday working on these wonderful pieces of art, and then afterwards they wrote stories of how they caught their leprechauns.

While they wrote, I dreamed. If I caught a leprechaun, he'd have a pot of gold. A pot of gold these days, is not worth a whole heck of a lot. Especially not a small pot. So I would let him keep his gold, if he lived at my house. Then there would always be a rainbow over my house, making it beautiful every day.

I could also hold his pot of gold for ransom, and he could do things for me.

he could crawl back in the back of the dishwasher and clean out the drain, that I just can't reach.
he could slide down the gutters, cleaning out the pine needles.
I could train him to repell behind the couch and pull out the missing toys, socks, and crackers

There are all kinds of things I could find for him to do, that would make my life just a little simpler.

What would you do with your own leprechaun?

Never iron a four-leaf clover, because you don't want to press your luck. ~Author Unknown

Slipcover of life

2010-03-16T12:04:00.002-04:00

I recently bought new slipcovers for our couch and loveseat. We've needed them for about 2 years, but have dealt with sheets covering the cushions.

Two years ago we brought home a dog from the pound. A beautiful mutt - boxer, pit, maybe a little lab mix. My gentle giant. I love her dearly, but we learned very quickly not to leave her alone in the house. While we are home, she is fantstic, when we left, she ate our couch cushions.
Maybe it was because they tasted good. Maybe it was out of spite. Maybe it was because of all the kid crumbs hiding inside. No matter the reason - she ate them. Now she is crate trained, or goes outside. When we are home, she is allowed to roam free, and often sleeps on the same couches she ate.

I am now in love with the new slipcovers. Spill something on them, you don't have to worry about upholstry cleaning, just whip it off and throw it in the washer. So easy!

I wish other parts of life were that easy.

Just imagine, make a mistake and wash it off. Screw up your checkbook - just throw it in the wash. Forget to send lunches for the kids, ahh - it'll comeout in the wash.

Maybe we need to spend a little more time washing out our life, and not taking things so seriously. I believe that a lot of us have more stress in our lives than we ought to. What if we could wash out the problems, and live stress free? We'd all live longer, I'm sure.

What do you want a slipcover for in your life?

Friday's Featured Cause: Heart Defects - the story continues

2010-03-12T06:52:00.004-05:00

I realized after the party that a lot more people are affected by heart defects and don't know where to turn. Many comments wanted more information on statistics, support, and even little man's story.

All the questions and concern inspired me to start a Friday feature program of my own. On Friday's I will feature causes and the blogs that support them. While many of the posts will be about heart defects (as it is so close to my heart) - I will also post about other causes/blogs that need to share the spotlight.

If you are have a cause that needs shining on, Fill out my form! /short questionnaire and you will be featured.

Today I want to continue Little Man's story for all of you to read.
We last left off with the introduction that changed my life.

After the doctor left, I called my husband. I tried to be calm, but I needed him so badly. I needed him to come back to us. Unfortunately life doesn't work that way. Life moves on, even when you want the world to stop.
The twins had to be picked up from school, I had to listen to a lactatian consultant. Things just kept happening. Dear Hubby jumped on the internet as soon as he got to the house, waiting on the twins to get off the bus. Yes, internet was against doctors orders, but we wanted all the information we could get.

My husband researched all he could before he came back to see me and Little Man. Little Man was doing good, the hospital put off all regular procedures (immunization, etc) until the next day to avoid anymore trauma to him. I continued to hold him for all life was worth. He looked so big and healthy (9lb 4oz), I couldn't believe that deep inside there, something was wrong with his heart. HIS HEART, the one do or die thing that we all need to survive.

As Dear Hubby and I watched our son, we decided not to tell anyone. We wanted more information first. We didn't want the looks and stares of others, we wanted him to be treated like a normal child. As we left the hospital, I felt like we were going home to a whole new world. As the twins we doting on their new brother, I was spending every waking moment on the computer - I had to know it all.

Some of the information was great, I learned more about the heart in the next few days than I ever wanted to know. It is amazing how many parts of the heart there are, and how many defects are out there. Did you know there are over 40 different types of heart defects?

Here is a picture of a regular healthy heart, and below it is how ebstein's anomaly changes the heart.

Image courtesy of tour2india4heath

I also learned that there are a lot of other conditions that can come with a heart defect. Children can develop arrhythmias and their heart rate has to be checked often.

I learned everything I could, researched every possible outcome and then made a page long list of questions for the pediatric cardiologist. We would be going in for another echocardiogram within the week and I wanted to be prepared. How do we know if is oxygen level is dropping? What is the difference between a regular colic child, and a problem with my son because his heart hurts? Would our son ever be able to play sports? Would he have to have surgery? How long before surgery? What did we need to protect him from? What would make him stronger? How often should I check his heart rate? How much is too much sleep? and the list went on.

We were very lucky with our son. His heart defect was found by hearing a slight heart murmur. Most heart defects are not found this way, many are not found until symptoms arise, and then it is too late.

Pulse Oximetry is a very simple, cheap, non-invasive way to screen for birth defects. It has the chance to catch them up to 50% of the time. It could save lives - like Cora's. Yet most doctors/hospitals don't do it.

This is where you can help!!!

Parents across the country have starting petitioning their state governments to make pulse ox screening mandatory. If you live in one of these states - please go sign their petitions, or write the representatives. If you or someone you know is giving birth, make the request for pulse ox screening. It could mean a world of difference!!!

Missouri Residents: Please help pass Chloe's Law

Nebraska Residents: Read this Bill and the write in support of it!

One of the other problems I found, was the difficulty in finding support about heart defects, luckily I've come a long way. If you are a heart mom or want to know more about CHD's, please go check out this new site by a fellow heart mom. http://www.spreadingchdawareness.com/

Friday's Featured Cause

2010-03-12T02:13:00.017-05:00

In today's world there are many things to be aware of and cautious about. Diseases, heartache, birth defects and many more plague our world.

As women we believe in the causes that closely touch our lives. We go out of our way to bring awareness to our own causes as well as support others when they speak on theirs. Not to say that men don't, there is just something about the heart of a woman...

As I've travelled blogosphere, I've gotten to know many women who dedicated their lives to various causes. Some of them are close to my heart, some of them I had never heard of. Either way - these women make us more aware in our own lives, and I believe make us better people.

"Extraordinary change in our society will always be inspired by ordinary women."

Because of these women, I have decided to add a feature Friday to my blog. Not just any ol' feature either. These features will be about real women, real lives, and real causes that we all need to be aware of. Some of them will be walking for MS, others may be spreading the word on pulse ox. No matter what they are doing, it is from their hearts. Friday's Featured Cause will begin March 12, 2010 and continue until we are done talking about the causes that affect us.

If you want to feature your cause or your blog about a cause, please fill out this form / survey and I will get back to you with any supplemental questions and your feature date. If you want, take the Friday Featured Cause button from the side bar and add it to your blog.

Each week I will add the weekly feature link to this post, and label them all FFC. Hopefully doing both will make it easier to search for your cause, or read about all the causes.

Through the Friday Featured Cause I hope to bring awareness, compassion and support to those who need it most. Thank you for your help!

March 12, 2010 Little Man's Story Continues: CHD/Pulse Ox Awareness

March 19, 2010 Jack of Hearts: Patient Advocacy

March 26, 2010 Army of Women: Breast Cancer Research

April 16, 2010 Going Green from Paper to Cloth

April 23, 2010 Earth day should never End

Dear MamaO

2010-03-11T06:34:00.002-05:00

Dear MamaO -

I know that you don't have it so easy right now. You married into this family - and for better or worse you are putting up with it. You are not one to walk away from a situation unless nothing else can be done. And in that sense you are so much like me.

You often wonder, if I were there right now, what would I do.

First, I'd steal the bread you just buttered off your plate.

Then I'd put all these people in their place. I may bail them out, but I do not suggest you do it. I would bail them out to keep a roof over my head, remember I lived there too.

You are strong, stubborn, and the woman for the job. That's why I hired you when I could. Do not bail on the now. Keep making them face their issues and stand on their own feet. If they don't stand on their own feet now, they never will.

And love your husband for me.

Love, Pop-Pop

PS. That little man of yours should've been named J.A.

Inspired by Mama Kat's prompt : Write a letter to yourself from someone who has passed on. (ie: parent, grandparent, famous person, friend, pet, etc) from Writer's Workshop. If you ever need inspiration, or just want to read a bunch of cool stuff on the same topic - go check her out. Do it now!

Party Questions Answered!

2010-03-09T07:51:00.002-05:00

Whew - yesterday's party was a blast! If you missed the festivities, I was a SITS feature blogger, and we had a party over here! I am still working on visiting everyone who came to see me, replying to the comments was work in itself. I will say, I'm grateful gmail, puts all the nonreply email addresses together, otherwise I would've sent quite a few off to nonreply land.

If you are new - thanks for sticking around, so glad you decided to join in on the fun. One thing I noticed while reading all the posts, was that there were a lot of questions. I want to address them today - long before I get off on another tangent and forget all about them.

Most asked: Where do you get all those quotes?
I'm somewhat of a quote fanatic, I have my favorites (one of which is here today) and others I search out to coincide with my theme. Quote Garden is an awesome website, easy to navigate, and they are always adding new categories. I get a lot of mine from there.

How many bids have I recieved on the Line Art?
None, but I still have my hopes up. I think I need to lower the price, because apparently a lot of people have the same art in their house.

Did you write more on CHD?
Yes, off and on I write about congenital heart defects, the most common birth defect out there ( 1 in 100). If you want to read those posts, scroll down the right side until you find labels, and click the one labeled CHD.

Were your mirrored twins mono twins?
For those that don't understand the question - I was asked if my twins are Monochorionic. Actually they are Monochorionic-Diamniotic (Mono-Diamo) which means they had one placenta, one outer sac and seperate inner sacs (yes you have two sac linings). If you want the whole story with all the cool informational links - read the story of twins.

How is your son doing now? (asking about little man's heart defect)
Little man is doing awesome at the moment, he has come a long way and done a lot of healing on his own. We are blessed with the miracle of him - and the fact that he hasn't had to have surgery. Only time will tell the future, but we don't worry about it too much.

How exhausted are you answering all these questions all the time??? (regarding the questions from the kids)
Some days - especially when they were a little younger and learning about the world it was mind blowing, but these days they are teaching me. Do you remember what onomonopia is?

Isn't it true how our inclinations to sometimes judge other parents and their skills (or lack-there-of) decrease exponentially when we have multiples?
So very very true! When you have multiples you have your hands full to say the least - and all the sudden you understand that anything can happen at any time. You are then able to watch others and know that you don't know their whole story - so don't judge.

Does throwing a kid in the shower fully clothed put me in this same category, "jail"?
These days, probably!

I would love to know how you changed your "comments" to say more than just that.
The moment I've been waiting a year for, the moment I know more than another blogger. No offense, but when you are new to blogging or blogger, you wonder if you'll ever know more than anyone else.
First, from your dashboard go to settings, then choose the comments tab. About halfway down is a section labelled "comment form message" type what you would like the comment form to say and save your changes. Wala you are done. (this is also where you can change your moderation and the request for word verification.

If you have more questions, let me know! I'm more than happy to answer away.

If the track is tough and the hill is rough, THINKING you can just ain't enough! ~Shel Silverstein

We're gonna party like it's....

2010-03-07T21:58:00.009-05:00

Today's the Day!

And we are going to party like it's 1999! - oh wait on New Year's Eve 1999, I had a fabulous trip to Boston, but while there got very sick, I don't even remember the countdown.

Ok- We're going to party like after lots of heartache, we just found out we're having twins! - oh wait, that happened too, and dear hubby collapsed from shock. Not much of a party.

We're going to party like it's my birthday! -can't do that on either, the twins birthday' is the day before mine, and somehow I always get left out.

But, I'm not being left out today! So we are going to party like it is a fabulous girls day with all my SITStas! Because that is what it really is!

After waiting a very long time, today is my day - it is all about me. If you are a regular and don't know what SITS is, shame on you. the Secret is in the Sauce is hosted by a couple of awesome bloggers, Tiffany and Heather. They feature blogs and host events, and we, as SITStas, comment on every blog with this cute little logo, as our way of supporting one another.

If you are coming here from SITS, welcome, grab a glass of tea (or wine, or your toast of choice), and sit awhile. I have lots of fun stories to tell.

As with every woman - I lead a crazy hectic life. (Why we must all be superwomen I still don't know.) Generally this blog is about my life as a mom. That includes stories of our identical twin boys, or our two year old terror. I also work to raise awareness about heart defects, although not as much as some of my followers do. Sometimes I write about what it is like to just be me, a sassy, optimistic realist, working away from home, coach, teacher, sister, daughter, wife, friend.

So there is a little something for everyone, and narrowing down to three top posts was hard. Therefore I'm giving you a little variety. You choose your poison, or as I tell the boys - it's slop, pick which slop you want.

if you want to read about gross boys check out ewwww

if you are interested in twins read the Before and After Twins

I could go to Jail for... has something for all Moms

for those of you who aren't mom's and go for the latest trends - be warned!

for those more serious, read about the moment that changed my life

I know, that is five posts, but that should cover all of you. Please sit back, look around, read around, and then if you'd like, follow me around! I will be going back to visit everyone who comments, it just may take awhile! Enjoy your Monday - because this one is a party!

I am thankful for the mess to clean after a party because it means I have been surrounded by friends. ~Nancie J. Carmody

When I turn 100, I'm going to keel over and die

2010-03-06T08:08:00.001-05:00

When the twins were three, dear Hubby's grandfather died. He was someone they saw a lot and a great part of all of our lives. His death inspired questions of life and death over the next year as they grew and were able to understand more.

They asked why, and I answered truthfully - he was very old, and very sick. But to a young child, old is being 10, 30- is ancient. Somehow, I had put fear into them, unknowingly, that since Mommy was ancient, she was going to die soon. I didn't know how to calm their fears. You don't want your children to walk around always fearful, but you want them to understand the cycle of life.

So, I told them that old is 100, not 30.

Somehow that morphed into, when you turn 100 - you keel over.

The Movie, Kung Fu Panda, just helped this theory along. When Master Oogway, the turtle dies, it was his time, the twins believe it was because he turned 100 - thus making it his time.

Maybe it's not the best explanation, maybe I went about it the wrong way. As they've grown, they understand that death sometimes happens to younger people. They understand guns kill people, that people can get very sick and die, but for the most part we are all going to lead long lives. And that is the goal right?

What do you tell your children when they ask about death?

Some people are so afraid to die that they never begin to live. ~Henry Van Dyke.

Line Art: now taking bids

2010-03-05T10:24:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of line art? Its when you draw lines on a plain background with very little shading or gradient. There are some famous paintings done in line art - The Dove of Peace was done by Picasso

- an beautiful piece (photo courtesy of biographyonline.net ). It is also worth a lot of money.

So I decided that I would start taking bids for the line art found around my house recently. I've taken the liberty of naming each piece, but if you think of one better, please let me know.

First up: eau de toilette

Second: from the kitchen floor

Third: I don't want to eat my dinner

Last: Let Me Outta My Room

all artwork by the artist known as Little Man.

Bids start at $1000.00, who's first?

Not Smarter than a Preschooler

2010-03-04T14:40:00.002-05:00

It is amazing what kids are learning these days. The twins are second graders and already memorizing their multiplication tables. Somehow I thought that was a third grade lesson (but maybe I went to the wrong school).

When you finish 13 years of grade school, college and have lived in the real world for a few years, you believe you know a lot. Enter a child and you realize you know NOTHING. When the twins were 4, T2 asked what fog was. T1 said it was teeny tiny raindrops and I agreed. T2 asked again what it really was and how it is only there sometimes. Well I don’t know. So I called an expert, my father. My father has general knowledge about lots of things and while he started to explain all the complexities of fog to me, I interrupted and said – now try explaining it to a four year old. So we settled on fog is a really low cloud that forms when cold air passes over a warm ground. And the T1 said “see, it is really teeny tiny rain drops.”

I thought of this on our trip to the beach when T1 said, “I know how waves form, it is the wind.” I answered, “yes.” I mean how am I going to explain the complexities of gravity and the moon and the earth’s rotation. I’m sure the wind plays a part, so he’s right… sort of. There are times when the simple answer will just not work, and I have to go into great detail about how something works or is made. These times are usually when I find out exactly how SMART I am.

When the twins were 4, while on the way to preschool, T2 asked what roads were built on. I said the road was built on dirt.

This was sufficient for about a day, then they asked again, "How are roads built?" As we passed a construction crew we talked about the smoothing of the dirt, and the asphalt machine, and the machine that makes it smooth. I thought they were satisfied with that answer.

The next morning T2 asked "How are roads built on water?"
“They are not built on water, they are built on dirt”
“But Mommy there is water running under the road!”
“No, there is no water under the road, it is dirt.”
“Then Mommy, what is that?” As Tyler pointed to a fire hydrant.
“Ok, yes there is water in pipes running under the dirt, under the roads that goes to the fire hydrant” (and I am not smarter than a preschooler)

"Education is the progressive realization of our ignorance."

Albert Einstein

I'm BAAACCKKK with gifts to woo your forgiveness.

2010-03-04T10:30:00.001-05:00

So - I ran away - well not really, but darn near everyone around me, including me has gotten sick. Then I had the joy of of a horrendous toothache and had to go to the dentist. But here I am, I didn't leave you, I just barely had time to tend to my regular responsibilities, much less post here. The good thing is, since I've missed a few posts - I have lots to talk about.
First I want to beg your forgiveness of my absence with awards!

First off, Stef showered me with not one, not two, but THREE fabulous awards all in one! I am honored and humbled by her. She, herself is an amazing woman, a heart mom and a great advocate for CHD awareness! Please go check her out at When life hands you a broken Heart... Create Hope . She gave me the Beautiful Blogger Award, Happy 101, and the Sunshine Award. With these I must pass them on to up to 10 new bloggers I've found and list something that makes me happy and talk about something that brings sunshine to my life.

I want to give the Beautiful Blogger award to these three amazing women and the beautiful blogs they have (and I'm not just saying they look pretty). Some of you may know them, but I've only recently found them - so go check them out!

Natalie's Sentiments

Lesson's Learned

Blessed Quiver

Now on to something that makes me happy! Spring, not that we know what that is this year. Here in NC we have had more than our share of snow. But on Saturday - when it was nice for a minute, I noticed my first signs of spring, the crocus are coming up in my yard, and there were yellow and white blooms. I love it! So to those who also find happiness and are always willing to share it - the Happy 101 award.

Everyday Occasions

My Adventures and Antics

Mommy 2 3 Miracles

You may wonder how through all the heartache in the world, sunshine is still found. It comes from the little things and it comes from passing the little things on. There are moments in my day that bring sunshine in, like when Little Man demands I kiss everyone goodbye - even the dogs - before going to work. And if he doesn't see it, it doesn't count. He shares his sunshine with me daily - and so do these women. They share their life with me and I share mine with them. I am lucky to have found all of these women in the blogging world. The Sunshine Award goes to

The Five Fish

Desert Rose Moments

I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor

Now then I'd rather be Changing Diapers (who is a great new find, and a fabulous blogger) also graciously gave me the beautiful blogger award! I feel really bad now, that I've gotten this award twice, yet I haven't posted in 2 weeks due to pure craziness. (usually I'm a much better poster). While I've already passed it on, Heather's rules are a little different, and inclue me listing 7 things about myself. So here goes.

1. I used to love snow, as a southerner it is a foreign concept and never fails to wow us with it's amazing white flakes. My yankee of a husband would laugh at me when I would just go stand on the porch and watch. This year, I'm doing a snow go away dance. I've finally seen enough - so much that I'm pondering moving further south.
2. I'll never actually move, it is really just a daydream. My work is here, family is here and I love the small town we live in.
3. I do want to move into a bigger house - with a inground swimming pool, on about 5 acres. That is my real dream. I've already sketched it out a few times, and continue to look at how awesome I could make the kitchen.
4. I love to cook, if I didn't love what I do, I might be a chef or a baker.
5. As much as I love to cook, I hate cake - all kinds of cake so don't tell me otherwise. I am a cheesecake fan, our wedding cake was cheesecake!
6. I am now craving cheesecake, but will probably go get a Pepsi instead, I'm a Pepsi not Coco-Cola drinker.
7. I really feel bad for not posting, or even reading blogs the last two weeks. I have a lot of catching up to do. I am such a guilty person - I should've been Catholic.

Love to you all, glad you came back for a visit - even though I left for a little bit. I promise to be better!

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much. ~Oscar Wilde

Changes

2010-02-17T11:52:00.000-05:00

You know when you start to get that itch towards the end of winter? That itch that occurs when you've been cooped up too long in the same hole, looking at the same four walls. When the broken blinds really start to grate on your nerves.

I've got that itch. It may be because we've gotten record snowfalls every other week for the past two months here in Southern North Carolina! (so glad I don't live up north) Or maybe it is because I really am tired of looking at blinds that the dogs/children have broken. Either way - I'm ready for a change.

I bought new curtains (no I didn't make them, I wimped out - too much on my plate right now) for 6 of the windows in our house. Love them! And the blinds are in the trash!

I'm making some changes around me too. I have some goals - not new years resolutions - but more of things I want to accomplish. I'm 30 now, and out of shape. Not overweight, just not able to do the things I used to do. I want to change that. I want to feel better about me again.

And I'm making changes here. I hated my old look - too busy, too much, I'm so much more of a simplier gal. Instead of paying for a blog makeover, I'm slowly doing it myself. What do you think of the new header? Seriously can you see it all, because I have a big screen and it fits, but maybe not on a small screen. What do you think of the new layout? Is it easier to read?

And lastly what changes are you making around you? Do you have the itch?

Heart Winners and What to do about it!

2010-02-15T10:12:00.043-05:00

Thank you all for participating in the Seven Hearts Series. For those who came and read and learned something new - that is what this week was all about. I know all of the guest posts were heart wrenching to say the least. But that is why it is so important to get the word out. Each of those stories comes from a child who was 1 in 100. That is how often heart defects occur - and no one knows it.

If you want to help the cause, there are various ways you can participate.

donate to the Children's Heart Foundation - they give to research projects specific to CHD's. (only 1% of the money from the American Heart Assoc. goes to CHDs.)
donate to Spencer's Fund - to help families with the costs of extended hospital stays or long trips to reach their hospital.
When you buy from Red Envelope - shop through this link - then $10 of your gift purchase will support the Childrens Heart Foundation

Free ways to help

Send an ecard from PunchBowl and Spread the Love - a donation will be made to the Children's Heart Foundation for each one you send!
Until pulse oximetry tests are standard. You can tell mothers and fathers to ask their doctor to run a pulse ox on their newborn between 24 to 48 hours of age. It is the cheap, esy and a noninvasive way to test for CHD.
Spread the word. Awareness means more support for much needed research funding. Awareness means less mothers and fathers will find out about CHD from the coroner.

Now for the good stuff! The winners!

First, unknowingly, our heart moms were entered to win one of two heart mom pendants. Lucky10 Awareness Pendants graciously gave me two pendants to share - and they are beautiful! They have a child with a CHD and make these to raise awareness! I also love their heart strong pendants, so please go check them out!

Our first heart mom winner is.... number one! Chloe's Mom, Kelly!

Our second heart mom winner is .... number four! Jacob's Mom, Goofy J

Please go thank these Heart Mom's for sharing their stories and tell them congrats on their win!

Now on to the Seven Hearts in Seven Day's Giveaway Winners (I know that is what you have all been waiting for :)

Winner A gets a box of Godiva Chocolate - chosen from 100 entries via random.org - Winner A is DG!

Winner B gets a $20 gift certificate to Target -Winner B is Abby!

Winner C gets a heart necklace -Winner C is DG again!

Congrats to all my winners! I've sent your notifications, you have 48 hours to get back to me.

When your heart is gone

2010-02-14T05:50:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the last day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out last Saturday's post.

Today's post comes from Kristine at Cora's Story

Cora’s Story.

I wonder what I was doing last Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week, last Valentine’s Day.

I wasn’t even pregnant with my heart baby yet.

I’d never heard of congenital heart disease yet, that’s for sure.

A year later, I consider congenital heart disease awareness to be the most important message anyone can spread to expecting parents, moms and dads, and the world.

I found out I was pregnant Easter Sunday 2009. You can imagine the, “guess what the Easter Bunny gave me” text messages and phone calls that came out of that one.

My pregnancy was a surprise so I immediately went and bought prenatal vitamins and “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” a famous pregnancy book. I kicked into mommy mode, made big life chances and started taking care of myself and my baby.

I had good prenatal care and thankfully a healthy pregnancy. My baby was born only 6 days before her due date, or right on time, November 30, 3009.

My daughter, Cora, looked perfect when she was laid on my stomach. The nurses and doctor quickly gave her a clean bill of health. I sighed in relief. She was here, and she was healthy.

We took her home after two days and spent the next three days wrapped up in becoming a new little family. Cora looked as normal as can be.

Then I looked down and she was dead.

I was breastfeeding one early morning when she died. Out of nowhere.

We rushed to the hospital. Nothing could be done.

I screamed and moaned and was so confused. What could have happened? This made absolutely no sense. She was healthy!

The coroner called a few days later. That’s how I first learned about congenital heart disease.

It’s the number one birth defect. Number one baby killer. Let’s work together to make sure no other Mom learns about CHD from the coroner.

Kristine Brite McCormick writes about Cora (almost) daily on her blog http://www.corasstory.org/ If not on her blog, she can be found on Twitter, @kristinebrite or Cora’s Facebook Fan page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coras-Story/224020688142?ref=nf telling Cora’s Story. Follow Kristine for more information about congenital heart disease or to learn more about the acts of compassion and kindness Cora has inspired.

If you have written a post this week for CHD Awareness, please link up below.

To all my readers, thank you for visiting with us this week, please take the time to read the posts from these amazing women! And if you or someone you know is pregnant, have them ask for a level 2 ultrasound, and pulse ox screening after birth, it will save lives!

Happy Heart Day

When the heart stops moving: Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-13T05:08:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the seventh day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out last Saturday's post. Be sure to come back tomorrow for the finale!

Today's post comes from Erin at Words from a Busy SAHM

It was one of those pregnancies that you just have a feeling something is just not right. I was pregnant with my third child. Since it was going to be my last child. We decided to go have a 3-D sono done for memories. It was amazing. You could see all the features on her face and watch her yawn, suck her thumb and just watch her facial expressions. From having two kids before her I know that heart rates are not supposed to stay high like they are in the beginning of the pregnancy. When the sono was done she targeted on the heart rate and I noticed that the heart rate was only 129. I’m sure that was normal but it was something that always puzzled me.

A few weeks later I noticed that she was not moving as much and she was not as active. I ended up going into labor 3 ½ weeks early on December 20th 2005. When I arrived at the hospital I was 3 centimeters dilated. I had two c-sections before her so I had to have another one. While I was waiting to see what was going to happen, the nurse noticed that every time I had a contraction her heart rate would slow down. They sent the doctor in with the sonogram machine to do the movement test on her. They did it for a few minutes and she failed. She was not as active as she should have been. They set me up for emergency surgery right away.

I went in for my surgery early in the morning. When they delivered her. she was not breathing and she was not moving. I was so scared at that time. The nurses hurried up and started doing stuff to her. She didn’t even cry at all. After they got her breathing they rushed her down to NICU. I did get to kiss her on her head but that was it. The day after I was able to finally go down and see Olivia. I did hold her for a while.

I was taken back up to my room and everyone left to go home. Before I went to sleep I called down to NICU to see how she was doing and they said that they are running some tests . I didn’t think anything of it. The next morning I went down to see her. The nurse took me down. As I was there the doctor was on the phone with a radiologist. When he got off the phone he came over and told me “the Plan”. Ok I didn’t know there was a plan in the first place. He told me that Olivia went for a ECHO because they heard a murmur and wanted to check it out. He told me that they found she had a narrow Aorta and that they were transferring her to a specialty hospital. I had some questions and they did help me answer them. After that news I decided to go back to my room to make phone calls. As I was coming up the hallway to my room, my OB doctor was walking toward me. I just started crying that he couldn’t understand what I was saying. He told me that he was going down there right now to find out what is going on. So two days after she was born she is now being transferred to another hospital for testing and to be in the NICU Surgical just incase. My OB doctor trusted me to leave the hospital to be with my daughter just two days after the C-Section. He told me he was going to release me so I can be with her.

The ambulance team that was taking her to the specialty hospital brought her up for me to see her. She looked so tiny in the clear carrier that they had her in. After a few hours of her leaving I was released to go down to be with her. We got into the room and there was at least 4 doctors in there with her and the genetic doctors. They did their own Echo and found that she had Hypo-plastic Aortic Arch. The genetic doctors was also doing their own tests and found out that she had Jacobsen Syndrome. It is not very common.

Olivia did very well in the hospital. She was not discharged until January 12th 2006 almost 4 weeks in the hospital. Today Olivia is 4 years old and she is doing very well. She has not had any surgeries. She is monitored every year be an EKG and an ECHO. She goes to school for special needs and has no restrictions. She does have Parachute Mirtal Valve and Mitral Valve Stenosis. Olivia is a very active girl. I have a website dedicated to her syndrome. http://www.jacobsenssyndromeawareness.com/

Everyday is just another day that she brightens up my life.

It takes your breathe away - Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-12T04:40:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the sixth day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out last Saturday's post.

Today's post comes from the Clinkscales Family

I feel very privileged that I have been asked to write about our family’s heart story to help spread awareness of CHD. I have kept a blog for our family since our son was diagnosed with CHD so I thought it would be simple to write our story. As I started writing this post I realized just how hard it is to explain everything we have been through during the last year and a half. We have had MANY ups and downs during this time but as I write this post I can thankfully say our son is doing very well at the moment. My life has changed over the last year and a half but I feel that it has changed for the better. I appreciate every single moment with my son and every single breath he takes.

I will do my very best to tell our story….

I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound on my 30th birthday. I thought finding out the sex of our baby would be the best birthday present ever. However, we ended up finding out very devastating news that day. We found out that our unborn son had several severe congenital heart defects. We learned that he had Hypoplastic Right Heart, Tricuspid Atresia, Transposition of the Great Arteries, ASD, VSD, and a small aortic valve. We also learned that he would need a series of three heart surgeries to survive. I can not explain how sad we were that day. We told our parents but it was weeks before we had the strength to talk to other friends and family. It was more than we thought we could handle.

On January 29th, 2009 our perfect little angel entered this world. Since we had many months to prepare for his birth I knew I probably wouldn’t get to hold him and that he would be rushed away to the NICU. What I wasn’t prepared for was for Cain to not be breathing at birth. There are no words to explain how sad it is to not hear your baby cry and to learn that your baby wasn’t breathing. The NICU team intubated our son and rushed him to the NICU. They briefly held him up just long enough for me to get a look at him before taking him away. It is a moment I will never forget.

When Cain was 6 days old he underwent his 1st open heart surgery which was called the Norwood operation. It is still so amazing to me that they are able to operate on such a tiny heart (basically the size of a strawberry). Thankfully they can and thankfully our son was given a chance of survival. After Cain’s surgery he remained in the hospital for several weeks and on February 17th he was finally discharged from the hospital. We had a wonderful first week at home only to have to return to the hospital for another two weeks due to GI bleeding Cain was experiencing. .

On April 3rd Cain had a heart cath and then on June 5th underwent his 2nd open heart surgery (the Glenn).

We had a few bumps in the road with this hospital stay and had to stay a little longer than we expected but on June 16th Cain was once again discharged from the hospital.

Currently Cain is doing very well. I tell many people that you would never know what all Cain has been through if it weren’t for his many scars on his chest. Honestly, it is still hard for me to even comprehend what all he has been through. For the first several months of Cain’s life he was seen by his cardiologist every week. Now he has appointments with his cardiologist every 6 months. During his last appointment, we were told that Cain will more than likely undergo his 3rd open heart surgery (the Fontan) during spring/summer of 2010 around the time he is 2 years of age. I would like to think that the Fontan surgery will be his last open heart surgery but there is no way of knowing. We have been told that he will probably have another heart cath a year after his Fontan surgery to close a fenestration hole that will be left open during the Fontan. We also know that Cain’s left pulmonary artery is very narrow and will probably need widening as he grows. This would mean he would need additional heart cath’s later in life.

I wish I could say I knew what the future holds for Cain but his long-term prognosis is truly unknown. So far we have seen many miracles in his life and I pray every day that we see many more. Every heartbeat Cain has is a gift and we are so thankful for his gift of life!

To follow Cain’s heart journey please feel free to visit http://www.clinkscalesfamily.blogspot.com/ . I love meeting other heart families. And I also hope that Cain can bring hope to families that may be going through what we went through when Cain was first diagnosed with his heart defects.

Small letters that change your life: Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-11T05:39:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the fifth day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out Saturday's post.

Today's post comes from GoofyJ at My Adventures and Antics

CHD, TGA, ASO – a few small letters that have changed my life

My son has a Congenital Heart Defect (CHD). He was born in March 2005, adorable, snuggly, starving, and seemingly perfect. It was a moment when nothing could possibly go wrong he was ten days old, gaining weight and loved a good cuddle. I gave him one last big snuggle and then left him and two of his sisters with grandma while I took the other sister on a mommy daughter date. I had no way of knowing that it was the last time I would hold him for another 2 weeks, and possibly forever. Life was perfect and wonderful, then I came home. The first thing I heard as I walked through the door was my frantic mother-in-law saying something was wrong with Jacob. I rushed into his room and there he was in his crib, eyes closed gasping for breath, moaning, limp, and non-responsive. I remember thinking at least he isn’t blue yet. I have never been so scared in my life. I called my pediatrician and talked with our incredible nurse and was told to bring him in straight away, but if he turned blue to go straight to the ER. I charged for the car and zipped over to the doctor’s office, only 2 minutes away. I grabbed my boy and charged in with the blanket on his head to keep the wind off, he must have turned blue in the two minutes it took to get there because the nurse snatched him out of my arms and went charging across the street to the hospital ER. We pounded on the ER door and before I knew it he was stripped on a table with doctors swarming around him responding to a code blue, wait it was my sons code blue! What was happening? Bewildered and shocked don’t even come close to the feelings that were charging in on me from every side.

My pediatrician came in on his day off and my husband came rushing out from work. The Bishop from my ward (congregation) met us at the hospital. I’d like to say I was the picture of calmness and confidence and that I held it together so well, but I didn’t. I was a basket case, sobbing, scared and praying my heart out.

They stuck a breathing tube down his throat but nothing changed, and that is when they knew that he had a heart defect. We were grilled, any history of congenital heart defects, and they rattled off a few, to which we shock our heads blankly wondering what the jumble of words even meant. Then they were talking about transport to ICU in Emmanuel Children’s Hospital, and I knew we were in for a ride. They called for ambulance transport but when it arrived it was 5:30 p.m. and they were worried that with the traffic he wouldn’t survive the trip, in fact they weren’t sure if he even had another 20 minutes, so life flight was called in and my husband and I watched as the helicopter landed from our car and then we took off.

When we arrived at the hospital we raced up to the ICU and stopped dead in our tracks. There was a huge sign hanging on the ICU doors: STOP! EMERGENCY SURGERY IN PROGRESS! We knew it was our son and so we let them know that we were here and went to wait for a nurse to come explain what was happening. We were informed that his condition was called Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA). His Aorta and Pulmonary arteries were switched and so the blood from the lungs with oxygen wasn’t making it out to his body it was just being sent back to his lungs. He was basically suffocating because he couldn’t get any air. They were doing a special procedure that would open a small hole in the wall of his heart that would allow the blood to mix and oxygenize to keep him alive until surgery.

They had to do it in his room because he was close to death when he arrived and they didn’t have time to set up the lab. Well it worked and he stabilized a bit and we had to wait until his body recovered from the immense shock it had underwent. Doctors explained to us that his condition was correctable through a surgery call the Arterial Switch Operation (ASO) in which they do open heart surgery and switch his arteries and all the little connecting vessels that go with them. It’s amazing they can even do all that. Jacob had surgery on Easter Sunday. He had priesthood blessings, countless prayers and fasts from all denominations, and the service we received from members of the church was amazing. We witnessed so many miracles. We finally made it home after 2 weeks in the ICU, 1 week on the regular pediatric floor, and more scary moments of collapsed lungs and low oxygen levels.

Now he is a healthy, thriving almost 5-year old. He has more energy than any other kid in my family (we have five now). Even though the experience was scary and there were times I never thought I would make it through there were so many miracles and blessings. No one ever wishes a severe illness on their child, but joy can be found even in the hardest circumstances. To close this post I would like to list seven reasons I am glad to be a mom of a child with CHD.

1. I take more time to ENJOY the children rather than worry about whether or not the dishes are done.

2. I have a closer relationship with God, my husband, and family.

3. I have a new appreciation for life and the wonder of how glorious it is.

4. I don’t take as many things for granted – I realize every moment is a precious moment that can be lost and never retrieved

5. I have met a whole lot of neat people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise. Lets face it – no one WANTS to be in this situation but great friendships are formed because of it.

6. I remember to snuggle a little longer, and to never let the kids leave without a hug (they will love that as teenagers, won’t they?)

7. I realize that when I lack the strength to carry on, the Lord picks me up and carries me the rest of the way.

When a heart needs fixing: Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-10T05:57:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the fourth day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out Saturday's post.

Today's post comes from Amanda at Mommy 2 3 Miracles

Imagine this: It was one of those nights. I was pregnant – about 6 months along – and the twins (15 months) were having what seemed as nightmare after nightmare. My husband was working midnights so I got to rush up each time they cried out. This last time, I got up and attempted to rush out of my room however the dog had taken his place at the foot of our bed and was stubborn enough to refuse to move for my pregnant self. “Move….” (Nothing) “MOVE!” (Looks at me) “Come on, MOVE!” (Nothing). So I attempt to step over him…and he moves. This sent me into the door knob and down a long road that we never would have expected.

The following day, I discussed the issue with my doctor and was admitted to the hospital for close monitoring. Hours later, an ultrasound was ordered. We had already had our 15 week scan and it was "normal" so I had no reason to worry - but our life was about to change. The Ultrasound tech (I partially owe my sons life to this woman) performed a routine scan, checking everything and making sure it was all the right size etc. She stopped for a moment and asked her assistant to call in my doctor – from home. (What? Are you kidding me?! Why?!) She said it was because the baby wasn’t moving as much as she would like him too and he wasn’t “passing the test”. Now, I’ve had twins and along with pregnancies with multiples comes NST’s and MANY ultrasounds. They give them a certain amount of time for the baby to move before they call the doctor in! Something was wrong.

Now, imagine during that “routine” ultrasound, your doctor who has been called from home, looks at you and says “It’s textbook, your baby will be born with a congenital heart defect called Transposition of the Great Arteries. I can’t believe it’s so clear. This means that he will require immediate surgery and within days, open heart surgery.” The words a mother dreads hearing: Congenital Heart defect….Open Heart Surgery.

I quickly learned that Transposition of the Great Arteries accounts for 5% of the Congenital Heart Defects and that it meant that the two main arteries coming out of my sons’ heart were backwards. Just like the doctor said, my sons’ heart was textbook. The arteries should come out and cross each other, while my sons came out and ran parallel to each other. Normally, the oxygen from the lungs mixes with the blood in the heart. Not in this case. We learned that when he was born, his blood would run from his lungs to his heart and back to his lungs. The other side of his heart would pump blood from his heart around the body and back to the heart. Without the arteries in the correct place, his body would not get the oxygen he would need to live. We also learned that TGA babies are commonly called “blue babies” when they’re born because of the lack of oxygen to their bodies.

Fast forward to the day of my scheduled c-section and the beginning of the whirlwind that is my current life. I’d made it through the stages of denial and anger but my life had to go on. I had spent my time questioning why this had to happen to me. I already had identical twins with Cancer and a marriage that I was unsure of where it was going. It was time to go, D-Day as I referred to it. We were prepared for the worst but hoped and prayed for the best. We decided to name our son Peyton (no not after Peyton Manning) and we just had a feeling he’d be a little fighter.

He was born c-section and rushed straight to the NICU with only a brief second to stop and give mommy and daddy a strong cry. Minutes later we learned that Peyton’s’ oxygen level was only 20% (yeah this should normally be 100%). By the time I was in recovery, the NICU staff rushed into my room to tell us “we need the father to come sign papers, we need to do an immediate balloon septostomy to make the hole in between the chambers of Peytons heart bigger and allow for the blood to mix.” By the time that my husband had got there, they had already gone ahead and started the procedure – normally done in an OR but there was no time. They did it bedside in the NICU.

We waited six hours before we could see Peyton in the NICU. He had tubes, wires and hoses all over him. The NICU nurses told us that he was the sickest healthiest baby in the NICU. He spent 6 days in the NICU. I spent 6 days at his side and wasn’t about to leave him. On the 6th day, Peyton was scheduled for an Arterial Switch, the surgery that would save my baby. For the procedure, they would open his chest up and switch the tiny arteries which were as small as angel hair pasta, on a heart that was no larger than a small strawberry.

The hardest part of all of this was when they took him to surgery at 7:40 in the morning. They updated us every hour – until they told us that they were finished and that they were going to leave his chest open to allow the swelling to go down. They would let us know when he was in the PICU – which would be soon. I waited for 3 hours to hear from them. After 2 hours had went by, in my head I had began to plan his funeral. I knew that I would be leaving the hospital without my baby.

Finally they came out and told us. They had put a scope down his throat to check and make sure that everything was working correctly and they had decided that his heart was not pushing the blood through like it should be. My baby, who had already gone through so much in his short life, was being placed on ECMO. ECMO is life support. It’s a heart bypass machine but I didn’t realize that until only a few months ago. I knew what it did at the time, but it didn’t click that my baby was on life support. To be honest with you, everything became a haze to me. I switched into survival mode, telling them that anything they had to do to my baby to keep him with us they could do.

We were allowed to see Petyon finally. This was the only time I cried. I had stayed strong through the whole time…but when I walked into that hospital room and saw my baby laying in a bed, sides down because it was apparent he wasn’t going anywhere, I lost control. It wasn’t the tubes, wires and machines and IV’s that he was hooked up to that got to me, nor was it the ECMO machine that worked for his heart or the ventilator that was breathing for him. It wasn’t the fact that he was so close to being gone at all. Peyton didn’t even look like himself. The part that hit me like a brick was that he was so puffy from the fluids that he didn’t even look like his cute self that he was before he went into surgery. I cried. I cried because his face was so scrunched up under his hat and tubes that you couldn’t even see his eyes. I cried to the nurses to place the tape for the vent tubes (which were in his nose and mouth) differently that way he would look more like himself. I just cried! I think it was shock.

After the surgery was a rush of emotions. There was so much going through my mind at the time. ECMO comes along with stories of children that have been on ECHMO too long and children that never make it off of ECMO, ultimately never making it home. It was hard to take in. With all the stress I was under, it would have been smart to say nothing to me, to let me sit and watch my son breath – with the help of the vent – because he was alive. Someone (my mother in law) felt the need to tell me “I know it’s hard but it will be okay.” I remember thinking – outloud – “Really? Do you know that for sure? Have you been through this? Has your son been on life support? Has your son had open heart surgery at 6 days old? NO! HE HASN’T!” I felt bad for saying this stuff but I don’t think I could control myself at this time.

The priest came in and asked if we would like to have Peyton baptized. I lost control again. Looking back, sure we could have done it, but at that time, I had just taken all this in. I told him “no”. At this time, in my head I wasn’t going to have my son baptized under the pretense that he wasn’t going to make it out of the hospital. I was taking my son home.

It was a long few weeks that we spend in the hospital but eventually, Peyton was moved to a different room, taken off ECMO, closed up and even passed a car seat challenge to get out of the hospital. He was a nurse favorite. They even told me to not worry about picking him up because of all the wires but I found out that they carried him around all night long loving on him.

Aside from the ups and downs at the hospital, Peyton was able to leave the hospital about 3 weeks after he was born, after a complete revamp on his heart. I was nervous in the beginning, wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to handle a heart baby and twins with medical issues as well. Life has worked itself out. Peyton goes every six months to check and make sure that everything is going okay. His doctor is keeping an eye on his heart for another issue called Pulmonary Stenosis, which is a result of the scar tissue from the surgery causing his arteries to narrow. He’s two years old now and you’d think he was going on 4 with his brothers. To see him, you’d never know that he was born with a life threatening CHD.

“There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle"

TGA- Peytons Story from Amanda Eyler on Vimeo.

The Tale of a Survivor - Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-09T05:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the third day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out Saturday's post.

Today's post comes from Lauren - a CHD survivor!

Hello! My name is Lauren, I’m 22 years old, and I’m a CHD Survivor (Tricuspid Atresia aka HRHS)

Here is My CHD Journey:

I was born in August of 1987, supposedly a healthy baby girl. I was taken home and thrived. A few weeks after coming home I started to display some things that worried my parents. I was throwing up everything I ate like a water fountain and was developing a rash all over my body. My mom took me to my pediatrician and they told her “I was fine”. My mom knew I wasn’t. Not only her second child, but she was a dietitian and had some medical knowledge; she knew something was wrong. My mom took me to the pediatrician’s once a week for 6 weeks, yet the doctors still insisted I was fine plus they now thought my mom was nuts! One morning when I was 11 weeks old my mom found that I was breathing very heavy and turning bluish-gray when I cried, so she called up my dad and said she was taking me to the ER of the nearest hospital. My mom took me to the ER alone. When she got there, the on call doctor who looked at me first just had learned all about Congenital Heart Defects, so he knew it was my heart. I was taken to get a chest x-ray where I was put on a ventilator. Children’s hospital was called and an ambulance got ready to take me. Once my mom heard was told what was going on; she called my dad who came from work right away. My mom was not allowed to ride in the ambulance due to not enough room. They told my parents I was in severe heart failure and they didn’t know if I’d make it to the hospital. My parents had been thrown into every parent’s worst nightmare

I made it to the hospital and was stabilized. My cardiologist, the same one I have now, told my parents I have a Congenital Heart Defect called Tricuspid Atresia and that I had to have a heart cauterization to re-rip my PDA (the hole in the heart that every baby is born with, but closes in the first few weeks after birth… this hole was keeping me alive). My cardiologist was kind and caring to my parents. He answered their questions and supported them. The next day I had a heart cauterization to re-rip a hole in my heart. I was sent home a few days later on a few medications and a special formula which consisted of concentrated Isomil with polycose added so I could gain weight as I needed to be at least ten pounds for my first open heart surgery which I would have between 3-6 months of age!

My mom tells me it was a grueling task to get me to eat and keep down all my formula. She told me it took about an hour for one ounce and she needed to feed me every hour. If that wasn’t a big enough task to take care of me and make sure I ate and stayed healthy my parents had my older brother, Ryan, to look after who at the time was only 4 1/2years old and carried a lot of germs that could make me very sick. Of course Ryan adored me so it was hard to keep him away from me. It wasn't easy for them, but they had family to help out and support them. My parents kept strong for me and held onto faith that I would be ok. My parents didn't want to accept that something might happen to me.

In early February of 1988 I had my first open heart surgery called the Pulmonary Artery banding. It was to help the blood flow in my heart and lungs until I was old enough to have the full Fontan. The surgery went well. Though it was successful in its purpose it didn’t make it any easier on my parents and family. I was still a sick little baby, but my parents never lost hope that I would be ok! As for complications, I had one code blue called during my 10 day recovery because I pulled out my breathing tube, but after that all was well! Soon after returning home I got dangerously sick with RSV! I was taken to Children's Hospital and admitted. I spent about a month recovering from RSV on lots of medication! My dad tells me my crib has a bubble thingy over it to help me breathe and for breathing treatments (I don’t know the proper name for it). After returning home from recovering everything went well and my parents as well as my older brother adjusted. I was born with an eye muscle disease called Estropia (“Crossed Eyes”), I did patch therapy as a baby and then had my first eye muscle surgery at 18months old; which was during the time in between my two open heart surgeries.

On November 21, 1989, my parents handed me over to the doctors for my second and riskiest open heart surgery, the Fontan Procedure. It had only been a month before during a heart cauterization that I developed a blood clot in my right leg and scared my parents, now it was one of the biggest days for them and for me. The Fontan was a surgery still a fairly new operation (about 15yrs old). This surgery was either going save my life, take my life, or have my parents looking for other options and my parents knew that all too well. A 50/50 chance is what the doctors bluntly told my parents, but my parents hung onto to positive 50%.

My parents had a lot of faith in the doctors and God that I would come out ok. I came out of surgery just fine. As far as complications that I had from this surgery, other than me pulling out a chest tube (then them having to put it back in while my parents held me down as they didn’t have enough nurses around at the time) and me being on a special diet (medium chain triglyceride diet), I didn't have any. I was discharged from the hospital exactly one month after my surgery which was four days before Christmas 1989. My family had every reason to celebrate. I did too! I got out my mom’s lotion the day I got home and went to town putting it all over myself. I was happy and alive. What more could my parents and family want?

After that second surgery I was as healthy you can be having a heart condition. I had years in between the second surgery and any minor concerns. I went to my cardiologist once a year and was on a few medications, other than that I was doing great. I had another eye muscle surgery when I was 8, I got four stitches in the my bottom lip from getting hit be a swing when I was 7, and was diagnosed with minor scoliosis at 14yrs. old. I got a little brother, named Aaron, when I was eleven and that was wonderful, I'd hold him as much as I could and he and I are very close. When I was six my mom got me into acting classes; she signed me up to the family theater in our city. I was in plays till I was twelve when the family theatre group closed. I enjoyed being on stage and it made me feel on top of the world. It is something I will always remember; even my mom was in the plays with me! For my parents and family to see me up on stage happy and alive was so extremely exciting for them. I also played bowling which I loved and years later I ended up being on my high school girl’s varsity bowling team. As I got older I knew I was different, my parents explained the best they can to a young child what was wrong with me. My parents always supported and encouraged me. The always would let me know how special I was and God had big plans for me. My mom would always tell me to listen to my body, if I was tired in an activity then stop or if I didn’t feel right then tell someone right away. I became very good at this. I lived a pretty normal life for a long time. I was very lucky! For the most part I was a very happy child that loved to talk, to people I knew anyways (I was shy around people I didn't know). Socially I had some trouble and go teased a lot (I was shy, had glasses, couldn’t keep up with other kids during gym/recess), but I did end up making a friend or two. I was happy about that. Even in tough times I tried to have a positive outlook and have a smile on my face.

It wasn’t till the summer I turned 16 where my life changed for me; it was a turning point so to speak. I broke out into hives all over my body for no reason early one morning and I was so scared. I remember going from doctor to doctor and even my cardiologist, getting my blood taken, getting my heart looked at, everything to find out what was wrong. I was in so much pain because the hives were on my joints too and it was hard to move. Finally, after three months of steroids, being off my heart medications, and being watched 24/7 the hives went away and to this day no one has a clue what happened. From then I realized that anything can happen and I was so grateful and blessed for what I have. I held onto my faith in God, but there were times I questioned everything (I still do), but I try to find peace. Since then life has not been easy for me, but it certainly can be worse and I don’t take a thing for granted. I was diagnosed with exercise and stress induced Super Ventricular Tachycardia (SVT’s aka very fast heart rate), when I was 18 and I’m on a low dose of a beta-blocker for that (which calms the vessels in my heart so it doesn’t race). When I first got the symptoms of the SVT’s it was scary for me. I had night sweats, bad chest pain, hard to breath, and harder to do daily activates. I was so scared that I didn’t even tell my parents right away, I know now that I should have and I should ALWAYS tell someone if something isn’t right, but it was hard for me to accept that something was wrong. Since the beta-blockers I have been SO much better, but I still struggle with on and off chest pain. It can get frustrating, but I deal with it the best way I can.

Then, during my freshman year in college I had a weird episode of the chills, being really hot, chest pain, shaking, light headed, and I was pale looking. This happened at school and I was scared. My mom picked me up and after taking a long nap I was fine. I went in to see my cardiologist a month later and told him. He said if they don’t happen all the time then it is most likely stress, but to keep an eye on it. Well, months later, during my second year of college, it happened again and again. Then, it was just the chest pain part. I went in to see him again and he linked the pieces together… these episodes always happened right before my period or the first day of my period. It varies from month to month, most months aren’t that bad. It always just lasts a day. My cardiologist said that other CHD girls can have bad periods too. It’s just something I have to live with now.

Since then, I’ve also been diagnosed with muscle spasms (a year ago), mostly on the left side of my body that is usually stress or anxiety induced. I had my third eye surgery in July of 2008 and all went well. I’ve had one trip to the ER of Children’s in July of 2009 due to a bad intestinal infection.

Every day I have little reminders that I have a CHD; from my scars to my medications to my on and off pain to getting tired easily. They remind me that each day I’m ever so blessed and grateful to be alive. These reminders also keep fear with me, fear of the unknown and worry, things that are so hard to push completely out of my mind. This CHD has impacted my personality in many ways. My CHD has helped in my very emotional personality, my stubbornness, my bluntness about things, my kindness, and my care for others. It has taught me to be more understanding of people around me, has taught me not to take life for granted, to love the people you care about with all you heart, and to enjoy the simple things in life. It has given me a motivation to help others and to always have faith. I’m thankful for my life; I’ve been very blessed in so many ways. I have two amazing parents who have done SO much for me over the years to bring me to this point in my life, the fought so hard to get me here healthy and happy. For that I will always be internally grateful to my parents, I love them SO VERY much!! I also have a wonderful family including two grandparents, two brothers, and a niece who I love dearly!! I also have an amazingly supportive and loving boyfriend, named Christopher, whom I love so much!

I have big plans for my future and though I have a tendency to think negatively, I’ve been trying my hardest to think more positively! I’m in my last year of college getting a Psychology degree. in my spare time I hang out with my boyfriend, I love to write, play video games with my boyfriend, watch movies, be with family, help out in the CHD Community. I hope to someday get married and have kids. I also hope to set up my own CHD organization one day. Until then I will keep spreading CHD Awareness and telling my story!! I have LOTS of Hope that ONE DAY CHDs will be more publicized and researched so that more children will be saved!! My CHD will never go away, but I will take what I can from it and keep living my life to the fullest with lots of smiles, laughs, love, and special memories… I LOVE my life and I consider my mended heart a gift!!

I have a blog: http://www.laurensheart.blogspot.com/ if you'd like to follow my continuing story.

When your heart is broken: Seven Hearts Series

2010-02-08T01:05:00.006-05:00

Welcome to the second day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out Saturday's post.

Today's post is from the Simmons Family

Owen was born on January 28, 2008 with a severe heart defect, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. The left side of his heart was underdeveloped and without corrective surgery shortly after his birth... he would die. The corrective surgery is performed in three stages... the Norwood (birth) , the Glenn (3-9mo) and the Fontan (2-3yrs).

On Owen's one week birthday, he underwent his first open heart surgery. There are no words to describe the heartache of sending your newborn son to the operating room, not knowing if you'll ever hold him again. We paced the waiting room for 7 LONG hours waiting to hear that he was okay.

Owen recovered quickly from his first surgery. He was considered "FRAGILE", but after spending his first 30 days in ICU, he came home!!

We took him in for a heart catherization the last week of March 2008 to find that he was in heart failure. His heart function was decreasing, his tricuspid valve was moderatly leaking and his heart was working overtime. Owen was admitted to ICU and placed on Milrinone to strengthen his heart and prepare him for his second open heart surgery, the Glenn. One week later, we felt he was ready and he went back for surgery two. We were scared breathless when the doctors didn't know if he'd make it out of this surgery. He was weak, his oxygen saturations were low and he had a hard time coming out of the OR. His sternum and skin were left open this time in case they had to get in an emergency. Thankfully, he had a major turnaround during those first 24 hours and was on his way to recovery.

Owen spent another 30 days in ICU until he was ready to come home again.

Owen remained in a "fragile" state after his Glenn. His tricuspid valve regurgitation is still moderatly leaky and he has some narrowing in his arteries due to built up scar tissue. On June 4th, he was back in ICU for another cardiac catherization to balloon open his narrowings and coil off excess collaterals.

This helped for a while, but he was back in ICU on October 15th for more coiling and balloning of his arteries. During this 6 hour procedure, they determined his heart continues to fail. His function is decreasing, his tricuspid valve is leaking more and his pressures are high. The surgeon sat us down and explained there is nothing more they can do for Owen's heart.

Owen will need a heart transplant! Nothing could have prepared us for our next journey ahead. Arizona doesn't have a pediatric heart transplant facility, so we would need to research and relocate. We visited UCLA in December and Owen had his first transplant evaluation. We sat back and waited for all the test results to come back. It was a LONG four weeks of waiting.

The news wasn't good. Owen has extremely sensitized antibodies built up against many common antigens. This will make it very difficult to find him a heart, and he is considered high risk for rejection.

In January 2009, we started pre-treating Owen's antibodies with IVIG (immunoglobulin) and Rituximab (chemotherapy). He was hospitalized on four seperate occasions to receive his treatments. After four weeks of treatment... we drew his labs.

Once again, we waited four long weeks to get the details of his antibody results. All of the treatments failed. Owen's antibodies didn't budge. Since Owen is now considered high risk and did not respond to his first treatment, we've decided to look at other transplant centers that have experience and knowledge in working with antibodies in transplant patients.

I called every pediatric transplant center in the nation. Most of them don't treat antibody issues. If the perfect heart doesn't come, they will only treat his heart failure. There were four transplant facilities that stood out among the rest and we are currently waiting on evaluations. Meanwhile, Owen is being treated for heart failure. He is fed 100% by tube, he is on 7 medications, 1/2 liter of oxygen and he tires easily. If he shows any outward signs of further failure (sweating, puking, weakness, breathing difficulties,ect) he will be admitted and given an IV drug, Milrinone, until her perfect heart comes.

We PRAY everyday that Owen will be taken care of. That his smile will continue to brighten our lives. We want to watch him grow up, go to school, find his talents and passions in life. His spirit can light up a room, his laughter is contagious and his smile brings HOPE to everyone he passes. He is OUR miracle and a JOY in our lives.
For more on Owen, visit http://owensheart.com/

Our first heart belongs to Chloe

2010-02-07T02:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the first day of Seven Hearts in Seven Days - if you are looking for more information on Congenital Heart Defects or how to get in on the giveaway - check out yesterday's post.

Today's post comes from Kelly

The Story – Chloe June

In February, 2008, I was so excited to finally be pregnant! I couldn’t wait to find out what we were having! I created a birth plan, read a ton of books about sleep schedules and researched local pediatricians. I was able to keep up my daily exercise regime and continued to eat extremely healthy. I followed all of the pregnancy “no-no’s” very strictly, too. I didn’t have any nausea, morning sickness, aches, heartburn, or uncomfortable side effects. If I could be pregnant year round, I would!

After hearing horrible birthing stories from friends and strangers, I admit I was nervous for the big day. But the day Chloe was born was perfect as well! After only five hours of labor and three pushes, I was crying and laughing at the same time!

Chloe June scored 8 and 9 on her APGAR and was finally swaddled her up so I could hold her. I remember trying to breastfeed her immediately. She seemed to be very sleepy, but I assumed that was normal. Then family members came to visit and our room became a joyful revolving door for the next five hours.

After an evening bath, I laid Chloe in her bassinet at 9pm. She was all swaddled up and very still. One may have thought that this was a perfect Kodak moment, but I became very nervous. She looked like she wasn’t breathing. No chest rise and fall. I mentioned this to my husband, but he thought she was fine. I continued to stare at Chloe, trying to convince myself that nothing was wrong. That didn’t work. I decided to ask the nurse. She came in and said Chloe was fine and that I had “new Mommy jitters”. Another fifteen minutes goes by and I’m still staring at Chloe. She was just laying there, hardly moving, and just not looking right. Again I buzzed the nurse. Same answer. Long story short, I ended up buzzing the nurses a total of FOUR times before they took Chloe back to the nursery to keep an eye on her (the hospital did not have a NICU).

Around 11:30pm, I woke up and walked down to the nursery to see Chloe. When I got to the window, I didn’t see Chloe in there. Actually, the nursery was completely empty. For some reason, I wasn’t worried. On my way back to my room, a HUGE rush of doctors and GIANT x-ray machines rushed into the nursery. Again, I wasn’t worried. My daughter was fine. All of my ultrasounds were perfect. Her APGAR results were great. She was fine.

When I got to my room, I buzzed the nurse and asked where Chloe was. She came in and said that they do think something is wrong with Chloe but do not know any details yet. She would keep me posted.

I was shocked. I wanted to yell at the nurse, to tell her I was right and why didn’t she listen to me sooner, but the words didn’t come out. I woke my husband and asked him to crawl into bed with me. For the next three hours, we wondered out loud what could be wrong with her. Did she have a virus? Maybe her lungs are struggling? It can’t be a big deal, right? We would’ve known long before this if something was seriously wrong, right? That’s how we comforted ourselves during those three long hours.

At 3am, a doctor came into the room. We bolted out of bed to meet him. He introduced himself as a Pediatric Cardiologist. “Cardiologist” didn’t register with me. I know a Cardiologist is a heart doctor, but Cardiologists are only for old people who have heart attacks, like my Dad, right? A baby would never need a Cardiologist. So it didn’t “register” that something was wrong with her heart. He sat down and said these exact words “There is something wrong with Chloe’s heart. She was born with a heart defect and she will need open heart surgery”.

I don’t remember the rest of the conversation because I was screaming my head off. I have never felt that way before, so out of control, and thankfully, I haven’t since. I was completely shocked, scared, worried, and angry. I felt like I had been lied to by my doctors, nurses, and ultrasound technicians when they all said I had a healthy baby. The cardiologist continued to talk to my husband, who managed to maintain his composure during that time. The doctor drew pictures of Chloe’s heart and discussed the next steps.

My husband left and followed Chloe to Children’s Mercy while I demanded immediate discharge. Everything happens for a reason, and thank goodness I had a very easy delivery so I could leave soon after and be with Chloe.

Chloe spent two weeks in the NICU. I wanted to know everything about her heart defect. Asking questions was the only thing keeping me sane during those first few days. I learned about the chambers, the way the blood is supposed to flow, the main arteries, the coronary arteries, pulmonary hypertension, etc. I learned about catheterizations, heart/lung bypass, ECMO, pulmonary artery banding and conduits. I learned how to insert an NG tube, about oxygen cannulas, arterial lines, breathing tubes, good/bad heart rates, retractions while breathing, cap refills and much, much more. Research and learning was a way for me to cope.

We took Chloe home on oxygen, a Pulse Oximetry & Heart Rate monitor and an NG feeding tube. She needed to gain weight before she could have her surgery.

By 2 months old, her oxygen sats continued to get worse, so they did a Balloon Atrial Septostomy to increase the size of her ASD. By 4 months, her VSD was closing and the doctors couldn’t wait any longer for Chloe to gain weight. She had to have open heart surgery immediately. Since the surgeons in Kansas City couldn’t operate on Chloe due to her rare coronary artery pattern, we had to find a surgeon who could. Luckily, we found him at Denver Children’s Hospital and made the 13 hour drive a few days later. Chloe sailed through her Arterial Switch Operation with flying colors! We went home eight days later.

Chloe still never really learned to take a bottle, and her GERD was so bad that she still wasn’t really gaining weight. At six months, the GI doctors decided to do the Nissen Fundoplication and G-tube procedure.

Chloe is currently 15 months old and is doing really good! She gets weekly PT, OT and Speech therapy to help with her delays. She is eating better, but still relies on her G-tube. I am so blessed and proud to be a heart mommy!

The Blog – CHD Babies (http://chdbabies.blogspot.com/)

Throughout Chloe’s first six months, all I did on my down time was CHD research (I still do). I wanted to learn everything I possibly could about CHD. I had so many questions. What did I do wrong in my pregnancy? Why did this happen? Will it happen in our next pregnancy? Will she need more surgeries when she gets older? Will she be able to play sports? Will her babies be born with CHD?

I had never heard of CHD before Chloe, let alone knew anyone else who was affected by it. I felt so uninformed and useless, unable to help my daughter. I know I couldn’t have prevented it, but I may have felt better if we were prepared in advance. I doubt it would have been less scary, but I’d like to think I would have handled those first few moments better.

I read somewhere that the majority of heart defects go undetected in pregnancy. I thought of all of the families after me, going through the same shock I did, discovering their child has a CHD. I remember feeling so unorganized during Chloe’s first two weeks in the NICU. I did a lot of research online, in the midnight hours before heading back to the hospital for our 13 hour days. I remember having to go to many different websites to get information. That’s why I decided to create my blog, CHD Babies. I wanted a “one-stop-shop” for new and existing heart families to go to and read all about CHD.

I definitely don’t claim to have everything about CHD on my website! But I do try very hard to put as much info on there as possible, from CHD statistics, definitions and heart medications to miscellaneous CHD research and details on what to expect during your child’s open heart surgery.

There are many different CHD blogs out there making a difference! I think each one is wonderful and unique and we are all fighting for the same thing – raising CHD Awareness!

On February 14, CHD Awareness Day, I will have the great opportunity to be interviewed by a local Fox News reporter about Chloe’s heart defect! I hope this will help raise awareness to others that do not know about CHD, like me…before Chloe was born.

The Bill - Chloe’s Law

When the nurses finally took Chloe back to the nursery to keep an eye on her, they did a Pulse Oximetry Screening. Normal oxygen levels are 97%-100%. Chloe’s was in the 60’s. That result led to the ordering of an echocardiogram and finding her CHD.

I was first introduced to a Pulse Oximeter when Chloe was in the NICU. We took her home on oxygen and a Pulse Oximetry monitor for four months before surgery. We became very familiar with keeping her saturations between a specific range, switching the sensor to the opposite foot multiple times a day, etc.

I later learned that Pulse Oximetry Screenings are not mandatory on newborns. They are only done when a baby is showing signs or symptoms that something is wrong.

After many hours of research, I read that many babies that are born with a CHD are sent home, undetected. (Chloe could have been one of them if it weren’t for her paranoid Mama)! Some of these babies do not show symptoms of congestive heart failure during their 48 hours stay in the hospital. Once they are home, these symptoms soon develop. Sometimes the congestive heart failure is mistaken for a virus. Sometimes the symptoms damage the heart and surgery may not be an option. Sometimes it’s too late.

I believe the Pulse Oximetry Screening should be mandatory on all newborns. It’s preferable that the test be done after the first 24 hours of birth (to lower the risk of a false positive) but before discharge from the health care facility. False positives may be scary, and additional tests may be done to rule out a heart defect, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.

I know the Pulse Oximetry Screening won’t detect all CHDs, but it will detect some, and that’s a first step to saving lives.

If you live in Missouri, or know someone who does, please help get Chloe’s Law passed. Chloe’s Law is a bill that would amend the current newborn screening requirements to include Pulse Oximetry Screening on all newborns before leaving the health care facility. I submitted this bill to my local House Representative in August 2009 and he supports it. Now we need other house members to support it as well. Please write your local Missouri House Representative and ask him to support Chloe’s Law, Bill Number 1604. For more info, go to http://chdbabies.blogspot.com/2009/08/if-you-live-in-missouri-please-help.html

Seven Hearts in Seven Days: Preface and Giveaway

2010-02-06T01:00:00.019-05:00

If you've been around you've noticed the changes this month. My header, the links on the side. All of this is because February is Heart Health Awareness Month and this cause is very close to my own heart.

See my son was born with a congenital heart defect, ebstein's anomaly. We had no idea there were any problems with him until the day after he was born - and then I learned a lot more about the heart than I ever wanted to. Such as,

CHD is the most common birth defect, and the least common screened for.

It is in his honor, that Seven Hearts in Seven Days is presented to you. Coinciding with Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week, February 7-14th, there will be guest posts from other heart Moms, and even a survivor each day. Our finalle will actually be an eighth mom on February 14th along with a linky for all posts on CHD.

Please spread the word about CHD and come back each day to read the inspirational and heart wrenching stories from Moms across the country just like you! Our goal is to spread awareness to all Mom's that CHDs are the number 1 birth defect. If you choose to participate, we have a surprise for you.

A GIVEAWAY to support CHD awarness starts today February 6th and ends at 11:59pm EST on February 14th. There will be three prizes that will be given to three random winners. Winner A will recieve Godiva, Winner B will recieve a gift certificate and Winner C will win a necklace to benefit CHD awareness.

One box of Godiva Chocolate

One $20.00 gift certificate to Target

One Silver Plated Heart Necklace

To Enter:

You must leave a comment here that has one fact or statistic regarding CHDs. Facts can be found on The Children's Heart Foundation or CHIN or the American Heart Association websites. Please leave a different fact than the person before you. (mandatory entry)

Extra Entries:

1. Grab the Seven Hearts button. Leave a link where it can be found. (worth 2 entries)

2. Follow this blog (worth 1 entry)

3. Leave one comment each day on each day's guest post, then come back here and say which post you commented on. (worth 1 entry)

2/7/10 Our first heart belongs to Chloe
2/8/10 When your heart is broken
2/9/10 The Tale of a Survivor
2/10/10 When your heart needs fixing
2/11/10 Small Letters that Change your Life
2/12/10 It takes your breathe away
2/13/10 When the heart stops moving

2/14/10 When your Heart is Gone

4. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway using the text below. Leave the link to your tweet in your comment here. (worth one entry daily)

I entered to win a heart at #sevenhearts - Join us at http://tinyurl.com/ygdbow8 and raise awareness for #CHD too!

5. Refer someone to the Seven Hearts series, their first comment must contain you as their referral (worth 3 entries)

5. Blog about Seven Hearts and this Giveaway (must have more information about Heart Defects than about this giveaway) (worth 7 entries).

Be sure to leave a seperate comment for each entry and your email address if it is not in your profile.

Giveaway will end on February 14th at 11:59pm ET. The winners will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed. The winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. Giveaway open to US residents only.

Note to all CHD Bloggers: Join inLinkx on Feb. 14 with your awareness blog - lets spread the word!

Somewhere...someplace...

2010-02-05T09:45:00.002-05:00

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A family is waiting to hear...

Is something wrong with their baby?

The answers aren't quite clear...

This family has entered an unwanted world...

And they just don't know what to expect...

Somewhere...someplace... today

They first heard the words: heart defect.

And how they hoped this was not true...

And thought... this cannot be...

I too... know just how this feels...

For one day...this was me.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A man and a woman embrace...

Their baby is in surgery...

They long to see her face...

They haven't got to hold her yet...

Without...a cord or line...

They pace the room awaiting news...

And hope she'll be just fine.

Prayers fill this busy waiting room...

And mom and dad are scared...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

The tiniest hearts are repaired.

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A child's growing fast...

Smiling,laughing,thriving...

His mom thinks...can this last?

It's almost easy...to forget...

That anything is wrong...

Somewhere...someplace..today...

Her child seems so strong.

Somewhere...someplace... today...

A little boy fights...

just to live A father holds his tiny hand...

His love...all he can give...

The doctor's are all baffled...

They fear that he might die...

Somewhere...someplace...today...

A family says goodbye... Somewhere...someplace...each year..

More than 40,000 families will see...

What it means...when something's wrong...

They'll face a CHD.

Today...for just a moment...

Stop...remember...reflect...

Make time to tell someone you know...

"I've been changed by a heart defect".

Author - Stephanie Husted

come back tomorrow to learn more about CHD

and to hear about a suprise that may be waiting for you

In need of a change

2010-02-03T16:43:00.001-05:00

Look around, it's yucky in here. And it's gross outside.
So I'm in need of a change. A blog makeover sounds so nice doesn't it?

I sort of know what I want. Something clean and simple, but nice and eye catching.

Now, where to go, where to go.

I know of two ladies who do makeovers for blogger, (and no I'm not switching to wordpress anytime soon -the task scares the begeezes out of me). But is there anyone you recommend?

Here's your chance to brag about your blog or your neighbors blog, or your friend who does blog makeovers. Here's your chance to make me go check out the references! Who should I go to for my new design?

What are you teaching your children?

2010-02-02T11:21:00.000-05:00

We teach our children all kinds of things, from the abc's to lessons on how to deal with life.
But what is sinking in, and how do you really know?

I'm a firm believer that our children learn by example. They learn what to do and how to do it, from the actions that we, as parents, take. In a bad situation, which you hope upon no one - we want our children to make the right decisions.

Sunday - we had one of those situations. And my children made me so proud.

The twins were playing down the road with their cousin who is only a year younger than them. Running and playing in the snow as all boys do. They were in the back yard where a narrow creek runs the property line. Apparently all the boys were jumping back and forth across a narrow part of the creek. Then my nephew said, and I quote
"Watch the Master," as he jumped across a wider part of the creek.
He missed the other side, and was in water up to his neck. He didn't know what to do and was treading water to stay up.
T1 and T2 jumped into action. T1 went running back to the house as fast as he could while, T2 stayed calm and stayed with my nephew. T2 told him how to swim with his arms to reach a level where he could get out of the water. And my nephew followed directions.

Because they didn't freak out, fight over who was going to do what. Because they thought fast, my nephew didn't drown, or get hypothermia. Help immediately arrived, and he was safe.

I am so proud of our boys! And the new rule in our house,
No one is allowed to say "hey ya'll watch this" or on their level "watch the master."

What do you hope your kids have learned?

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it, myself. ~Joyce Maynard

We got our SNOW!!!

2010-02-01T11:30:00.000-05:00

We had the most wonderful weekend - such beautiful pretty snow.

Disclaimer: if you don't live in the south, you don't understand our fasination with snow. It rarely snows here, maybe an inch a year. Because it is such an oddity to us, we are thrilled when it arrives, love to watch even the smallest of snowflakes and rush to play in it. We stock up on bread and milk in advance because we know we won't go out. Our roads close, because we don't have the equipment to clear them. Schools close because of the roads. Adults go out sledding with the kids to capture the moment.

And on top of the fact that it snowed 6 inches, it sleeted some, which made for the best sledding. Of course little man didn't always think it was great when he kept slipping and falling, because he didn't weigh enough to crunch through. We had a blast on our new sled, and spent hours outside. It is so nice to get out and enjoy the day with your children- reliving the thrill from your own childhood. Nothing beats being snowed in, with nothing to do but enjoy each other.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

5 reasons to jump for joy

2010-01-29T12:30:00.001-05:00

So I've been a little cranky this week. With good reason, but still. I'm really more of a look at the bright side, optimistic type person and I've had about enough, so when I read Helene's post this morning, (which brightened my day!) I just had to join in on the fun!

The Girl Next Door Grows Up puts on Feel Good Friday's each week and has a few prompts to choose from that will absolutely make you feel better! (a good idea for all of us in this winter funk!) I chose

Just make a list. List 5 things that made you really happy this week. No matter how bad or boring you think your week was, I bet you can find 5 things.

So, here are my five things in completely random order!

1. It may really snow here tomorrow - a good 4 inches, with some ice, which means the kids will get to play in it. AND my father, being the big kid that he is, bought us a plastic sled to replace the old red metal and wood one I have from childhood!

2. Report cards came out this week and the boys are doing above and beyond what is expected of them. I am so proud of my smarty pants!

3. Little man has only had poopy accidents, he has got the peeing in the potty down pat! Even wakes up in the middle of the night to go!

4. These fancy drugs that I am on have also killed the pain in my jaw that was driving me nuts.

5. Because I counted this morning, I know that in 76 days my bestest friend will be here instead of 708 miles away.

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin

Frosty the Snowman was a jolly piece of sleet

2010-01-28T13:07:00.001-05:00

So when you live smack in the middle of NC, you know you are going to get wonderful 4 seasoned weather. It's never too hot, never too cold. Plenty of rain, no real flooding, no fires, no earthquakes. You expect cold in the winter without having to wear long johns, and warmth in the summer without needing sunblock to walk to your car.

It is the nice middle area.

Until this year. The year of North Carolina UN-warming. For 10 days straight we had the coldest weather ever, some kind of record streak. Where it dropped to the teens every single night and we were lucky if it was 33 during the day. Now for those of you in Minnesota and such, we are wimps down here, so bear with us. When we expect a low of 33 and that is our high for 10 days straight, something is wrong.

And then they keep predicting snow. But of course we live in NC so the Mountains get snow and those of us in the middle get slushy sleet stuff. School even gets cancelled for our slushy stuff. Once a year we expect 1 inch of snow. We look at it, say ahh how pretty, and go back inside. This year, there have been inches of snow in some parts and floods in others. I've had enough already.

But here we are again, and they are predicting snow, again. For my area 2-4 inches. Now hear me weather people. Do NOT predict snow unless it is really going to happen, my kids are excited for the third time this year and you better make good on your promises! Because if I have to dress them up to go sliding around in ice one more time - I may lose it. (although it is hilarious to watch and they really enjoy it). I want our 2 inches, I want it nice and pretty and I want it when I wake up on Saturday morning.

I made myself a snowball
Just as perfect as could be.

I thought I'd keep it as a pet

And let it sleep with me

I gave it some pajamas

And a pillow for its head.

Then, last night it ran away,

But first . . . .it wet the bed!

Wednesday - ehhhh

2010-01-27T14:06:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday and I need to get a few things off my chest.

For all those who want to know - physically it is easier to have twins than to have a singleton. At least in my case. Really, two five pound babies were much easier to push out than one over nine pound baby. And what that one nine pounder did to my body. Forget stretch marks-

When I first went to the fancy digestive doctor about a year ago - he looked at me and said
"You do realize that after having a nine pound child you are going to have problems. You are going to have hemrrohoids."

Great I thought. A year later I'm back at the same doctor. Again the same jokes. Again my 9 pounder caused my issues, only now I'm on all these fantastic drugs for 2 weeks to solve my issues (which you don't want the details of).

So excuse me if I'm a little cranky.

On to you jerks who invented this latest spyware/malware/virus crap that is disguised as a antivirus program. You are on my nerves. Don't you have anything better to do? I have now fixed two computers (one at work and one at home) due to your crap. It is not in my job description and apparently you need a job. If you can create that crap- I'm sure you'd make better money at some tech place fixing computers.

Lastly, winter I've had enough. I'm ready for spring.

Who is smarter?

2010-01-26T09:37:00.001-05:00

For all of you stopping by from Multiples and More - HELLO! For those that don't know, Multiples and More is a great blog dedicated to parents of twins, triplets, quads, etc - hence the name Multiples and More. They are fabulous! Each week they present articles for parents on everything from what type of stroller to buy to books for parents. And of course they feature readers/parents of multiples - which today is on ME! YIPEE!

On to the matter at hand - who is smarter?

That ignorant question got asked by an older gentlemen to my twins while standing in line at Golden Corral Friday night. I about fell over. He apparently knew they were twins, and wanted to ask something witty, but really - who is smarter?

Twins find themselves loving each other, but also in constant competition with each other. As parents, many of us work hard not to compare them. They are two different people, who happen to have been born at the same time. Just like we all have our strengths and weaknesses so do they.

T2 was good, he answered "Well I'm smarter in math, but he is smarter in reading." T1 got upset at the beginning of the statement, hearing that he wasn't as good at math, but then realized what T2 was saying was true. They are different, while their aptitudes are very similar, T1 just gets reading faster. And T2 gets math faster.

The man didn't know how to respond. What did he expect, one of them to say "I am!" Not in my house. No one is "smarter" than anyone else, or "better" than anyone else. We are all different and all good at different things. It may be easy to compare twins, but really, let's not make it worse on them than it already is.

What questions to people ask your kids that you hate?

So Mommy is a Girl

2010-01-18T15:40:00.001-05:00

In case you haven't noticed all the blue and brown around here, I -the Mommy - live in a house full of boys.

People say boys are more rambunctious than girls. They say they get dirtier. I don't really know, because I have no comparison other than myself, and well I don't really remember that far back.

Most of the time, the twins don't even remember that Mommy is a girl, unless I do something outrageous like put on makeup. Then they look at my face and say "Mommy, you put that stuff on!" It's the kind of normal in my house, that Mommy is expected to get out and play sports and get dirty, just like the boys. We all have water fights, and nerf gun wars. It was all well and good until Santa brought the dirt bike.

Don't get me wrong, the boys love riding it (now that it is no longer as cold as the Arctic). They and Dear Hubby have created grand plans for everyone in the family to have one, and to go ride trails together. Everyone that is, except Mommy. Mommy is supposed to ride a 4 wheeler. Not Dear Hubby's rule, the twins rule.

Reasons Mommy needs a 4 wheeler. A: Mommy is a girl B: Mommy could get hurt.

Well how 'bout them apples?

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I am not allowed to have a dirt bike? Me? The-non- primpy- hates to wear a dress- played rugby- Mommy? Shock wasn't even the word. I was a little more upset. What have I taught my children that they think I shouldn't have a dirt bike?

After some conversation T1 did finally come around and agree that I could ride, and he would even teach me. T2, against it. He was really afraid of Mommy getting hurt. This from the child without fear of his own life flashing before his eyes.

Saturday, we decided to go for it no matter what the twins said. T1 reluctantly taught me to ride, and T2, decided it was ok, "since I didn't get hurt."

Any "girls" in your house?

For me?!?! Why Thank you , Thank you, Thank you.

2010-01-16T03:48:00.000-05:00

So if you get the same award from 3 different people does that make you extra special, or the award just amazing?

Happy 101 was given to me by the gracious Emma at Toddler Awesome - by the amazing Shandal at My Life in 3D, and by the dedicated Working Mommy at Lessons Learned

Of course they gave me an award that comes with rules - so I guess since I was a little cranky earlier in the week - I should really follow these rules. First I have to list 10 things that make me happy. Just me? Ok just me.

10. Summer - or warmth, it doesn't actually have to be summer - above 70 degrees makes me happy.

9. Watching flowers grow and bloom.

8. Sleeping in

7. Godiva Chocolate

6. Watching someone learn something new

5. Singing out loud in the car by myself

4. reading a good book

3. not having a to do list

2. Spending one on one time with my hubby

1. Hearing the sound of laughter from my boys cascading though my house.

And now for the 10 people who I am passing this on to (because I'm following the rules today)! There are some newbies I've found lately - I wanted to share with - so be sure to check them out.

My Life with Kids

The Testosterone Three and Me

And Triplets make Six

Blog Baby

Laugh Unil You Cry

Badger Momma

Rook No. 17

Writing without Periods

Low Expectations

Desert Rose Moments

What, Who, You, looking for me???

2010-01-15T09:55:00.002-05:00

My story that I wrote during a writers workshop is being featured at
Waiting for the Click - if you are interested in reading it.

I started making this a monthly blog post because no matter what I do, I just cannot get enough of you people. Maybe it is the voyer in all of us, I'm not really sure. But when someone searchs "vodka + hemorrhoids" and chooses to go to my blog from the search results, I have got to know about it.

Exhaustion! Clear and Utter

2010-01-13T11:17:00.000-05:00

I read about some amazing moms out in blogosphere and really I don’t know how they do it. I only have three kids – not six, not multiple multiples, just one set. But there are days when I just can’t do it anymore.

I called in sick to work yesterday. And rolled back over in bed. And slept until 11:45 am. I can’t believe it myself. I haven’t slept that late since I was in college and we didn’t get home before daybreak. Monday night I went to bed at a decent hour, although I already felt kinda crappy. Nothing in particular, just drained. I’m not really sure what did it.

Maybe it was the kid who had to do his first ever book report, and then turned his book back into the library on Friday
Maybe it was facilitating 2 book reports over the weekend
Maybe it was the fact that these reports were actually projects that took hours upon hours
Maybe it’s that little man is not quite potty trained, and refuses to let anyone put his pants back on other than me, causing numerous interruptions.
Maybe it's that it has been too fricking cold for too long. I did not chose to live in the south so I could wake up to 16 degree weather every day for 12 days straight. I hate the cold!
Maybe it’s the after Christmas blues.
Maybe it's that work has been kinda nutty.
Maybe it’s this AWFUL toothache I have and can’t get grips on and am waiting for money to come in so I can go to the dentist.

And writing all this makes me want to crawl back in bed. I don’t know. I know a lot of you have it worse off than me – but I needed a day to rest and a day to vent and I’ll be better tomorrow. I hope!

Just because you're miserable doesn't mean you can't enjoy your life. ~Annette Goodheart

Crapped Out in NC

2010-01-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

How's the potty training going you ask.

So glad you asked.

So far we've got the pee in the potty down pretty good. We can even make it through the night. But we have another little issue. We've crapped in the potty once, in our pants once, and on the floor once. Any tricks on making that part of the ordeal transition easier????

On the flip side - don't you love these undies the in-laws bought?

Seven Hearts in Seven Days: Announcement

2010-01-06T14:02:00.001-05:00

The New Year has offically begun, and Februrary is around the corner. Exactly one month from tomorrow, starts Congential Heart Defect Awareness Week!

As some of you know, Little Man was born with a heart defect. You can read about the moment that changed my life here, but I don't talk about it too much. You see, I am one of the lucky ones. My son's condition got better, and has yet to require surgery or invasive procedures, but many Heart Moms are not so lucky.

Very soon after my son was diagnosed, I started trying to raise awareness for CHD. I didn't want another Mom to be shocked like I was. For all the warnings we get while we are trying to concieve or are pregnant, very few of us ever hear about the NUMBER ONE birth defect - heart defects!

"Nearly twice as many children die from congenital heart disease in the United States each year as die from all forms of childhood cancers combined" ~AHA

"At least nine of every 1,000 infants born a year have a heart defect. That’s almost one percent of live-born infants." ~AHA

This year I am doing a program called Seven Hearts in Seven Days. During the week of Februrary 7-14, 2010 I am going to have other Heart Mom's guest post on my blog here. For the grand finale on the 14th I will have a link up of all the blog posts raising awareness for Congential Heart Defects.

Please join me in raising awareness. Grab the button on the side bar, post your own stories of Seven Hearts in Seven Days during awareness week, write in memory of a heart angel, or just join me for the finale and post facts on CHD. Whatever you do, know that it will help another Mom!

If you want more information on CHD Awareness Week, check out CHIN!

Can you read the writing on the walls?

2010-01-04T16:59:00.000-05:00

When we found out we were preggo with our singleton we were so excited that we were going to be able to decorate a whole room for him. With the twins we were living in a rental with wood panelled walls in each room, so we weren't quite as lucky.

We put a lot of work into Little Man's room. And it is was perfect. Now there is new writing on the walls.

Can you read it? I think it says - "I'll pee in my clothes if I want to!"

Starting 2010 off right!

2010-01-02T11:24:00.000-05:00

Back in July I posted about starting the potty training on Little Man, I never did an update. Why? Because he is a stubborn little tyke and wasn't really ready. My next goal was at Thanksgiving, but after the toilet debacle - there was no physical way of making it happen. So yesterday morning I woke up ready to tackle the task again.

First, this kid is as stubborn as it comes, and well, diapers are much easier for him. We've had him in pull ups for awhile and he has learned to take them off and understands the concept of going potty. In theory.

The twins are a great help - they tell him everytime they have to go, so that he has a shinning example of what to do.

*** Post interrupted to run peeing child to the potty ****

Yesterday he managed to pee in the bathroom. I actually gave him a reward, because well, he tried. He just happened to be sitting on the edge of the toilet and all the pee went on the step stool.

Today he has learned to sit backwards on the toilet. (he doesn't like his potty at all) That's pretty much all he's learned today.

But this is my goal - no diapers in 2010!!! I think we can do it. With patience, persistance, and a lot of prayers.

2009 in Review: Part 2

2009-12-31T05:15:00.005-05:00

Scroll down for the first part of 2009.

Now seeing as I didn't blog the first half of 2009, there isn't much I remember. But I have this great collection of stories from the second half of 2009.

In July, Mommy got it in the face.

In August we found an alligator in our toilet.

In September I confessed my son is an addict

In October, I wrote a letter to Soccer Moms

In November, Dear Hubby learned what happens when all is quiet

In December, I talked alot about Christmas, and had another toilet incident.

So much easier to remember what happened when I write it all down. While 2009 was a decent year, I know that 2010 is going to be better!!! Happy New Year!

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December. ~J.M. Barrie, Courage, 1922

2009 in Review: Part 1

2009-12-30T06:46:00.002-05:00

Is it really bad that I can't remember the first few months of 2009? I wasn't blogging yet, so I didn't have daily or almost daily chronicles of my life and I can't remember what happened.

I know that little man was just starting to talk - he took a long time to talk. I know that the boys were in the first grade and played baseball in the spring. But the details - I don't remember any details. The details that I want to remember and keep a history of - those are the things you don't get to keep when you don't blog. It's the whole reason I started blogging. I had tried various ways of writing down things that happened in our lives, little things that the boys did or said, but I wasn't good at keeping up with it.

Blogosphere has brought me a way of keeping the memories. Of course I had no idea that it would bring me a whole community of friends and that I would be able to piece bake some of the memories of when the boys were younger.

So while I don't remember much of the beginning of 2009 I do have a few memories from the first six months and a few from before 2009 that I was able to capture and preserve.

T1 learned that mommy was scared of dead lizards.

We played a lot of baseball

and little man taught us all the Toddler's Creed!
I remembered about the Toothless Tooth Fairy

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose. ~From the television show The Wonder Years

Run while Mommy counts to 10, very slowly

2009-12-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

Ever had that moment where you are not quite sure what you are going to do to your child, but know that they are lucky they are not within arm's length.

My adorable, sweet, precious child decided he should push Mommy to that limit while at a Boxing day party on Saturday. The kids had decided to run and play on the stairs during this not so casual party.

By play, I mean slide down all of them on their butt. By run I mean chase each other around the balcony area while squealing.

I walked halfway up the stairs and told my boys (who happened to be showing off for older kids) to calm down. My stepmother was downstairs having a fit at all the noise from the children. I hissed "quit running and sliding, when you do that it echoes through the house"

T1's response: "when you yell at me it echoes"

1...2...3.... breathe....4......5....6...7...8.9.10

Santa did it!

2009-12-28T12:24:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature didn't agree with Santa this year, which made for a very interesting Christmas morning. While the rest of the country was getting snow - we got a very cold rain. That's right, we live too far north for warmth, but too far south for snow. So we got rained on, all day, Christmas day.

Luckily that was about the worst of it.

Except Santa brought his big gift, which involved the twins going on a treasure hunt to find it, which involved going outside, in the rain.

They didn't care. And in the end they rode their new present for about 5 minutes in the rain. Yesterday I was able to watch them actally enjoy it for a few minutes before I crashed on the couch again. What is it about Christmas that wears us out? After all the prep - we are pooped afterwards.

So today I'm back at work and the kids and hubby are lounging around, or else doing this.

the day after, the day after

2009-12-27T11:46:00.001-05:00

It's the day after, the day after Christmas and at my house, this is the day we all crash. After a week of events and family we all look forward to a day of peace. Or at least Mommy does.

On the one hand I'm ready for all the chaos to be over, on the other, I already miss all the preparations that were made. Getting ready for the big day is almost as much fun as the big day itself.

And now here we are -the house needs cleaning, the kids need calming and Mommy isn't even ready to write about the big day yet. We had a blast and the twins loved their big present from the big man, but that is a post for another day. Today is a day of rest.

Hope you are all enjoying your day of rest - or shopping (if you're nuts) - or maybe you're family is still around. Whatever it is - hope it is the best.

Twas the Night Before

2009-12-23T06:28:00.003-05:00

In case you haven't noticed I like to take songs and twist them around a bit. (don't believe me? I did it for SITSmas and awards day ) My favorite poem to change is Twas the Night before Christmas. I'm sending it to all my friends this year in new age style (via facebook, because I never got around to printing and mailing them).

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Every creature was stirring except for my spouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children had been nestled all snug in their beds,

But wouldn't sleep because visions of toys danced in their heads.

And while Daddy was enjoying his long winter's nap,

I was waiting for the twins to try and set a trap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

Hailey sprang from the couch to see what was the matter.

Away to the window she and Morgan flew like a flash,

Tore open the blinds and ripped up the sash.

The moon on the crest of the grass covered in frost

Gave the lustre of new to the toys once lost.

I quieted the dogs for there was nothing to fear,

It's not like there was a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the carpet

The sound in the night that always makes me fret.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around,

Down the hallway little man came with a bound.

He was dressed all in paper, from his head to his feet,

And his clothes were all covered in ribbons so neat.

Carrying a bundle of toys he had opened with great care and tact,

And he looked like a peddler, just examining his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His drool on his little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

And the glimmer of his diaper was sagging like snow.

The stump of a candy cane he held tight in his teeth,

And the wrapper lay in a pile beneath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly,

That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!

A blink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had everything to dread.

The twins spoke not a word, but looked straight at his work,

All the empty stockings caused them to jerk.

All the toys lay spread on the floor in rows,

And giving a nod, they chased him like foes!

Little man sprang to the side of the couch,

He knew they wanted him to say ouch,

But I heard him exclaim, ‘as he ran into bed,

"Merry Christmas to all, that was quite a spread!"

Mom VS Santa

2009-12-21T16:03:00.000-05:00

Last week I gave a hint that my favorite gift may be coming from Santa this year.

It's official. Santa wrote me a nice long note and told me what super duper big gift he was giving my boys. Without Santa, my boys wouldn't have recieved such a gift because lets face it - it's way out of our price range. And for those guessing a Wii (Desert Rose), it's not one of those, this actually costs more.

I say it's for my boys, but really it is for the twins. Although Dear Hubby will get just as much joy out of it. Little Man will be very jealous, until he is older and can steal it from them.

I listened to all the comments on my favorite gift post and I asked Santa to make a treasure hunt to it. I think it will be so much fun! He is going to do 10 clues, and they will each be able to take turns figuring out where to go next.

He has also promised that he will leave them a note with the first clue that says they have to follow Mommy and Daddy's rules on their new gift. See Mommy likes rules, especially when it comes to toys for boys.

It all sounds so wonderful doesn't it? It is great, and I am very excited for them. This is my only problem. Santa is bringing the big gift, but in order to use the big gift, you need a smaller gift. This is a part of Mommy's rules. So, while all my shopping was done last week, today I got to go out in the lovely traffic and go shopping again. On my lunch break. To multiple stores. To find one of these.

And by the way Santa, this thing cost $100.00 but they aren't getting your gift without it!

Now, the question is when to give them this - before or after the treasure hunt - or should I pretend it is from Santa?

Christmas to do list

2009-12-18T15:49:00.000-05:00

My list is long and today it got a little wacky

wrap presents CHECK (except for the ones to be delivered Monday)
take day off to go to kids school Christmas parties CHECK
send hubby to store for mint that I forgot for cookies CHECK (although they had no mint)
wait for school to be cancelled for incliment weather to come CHECK
incliment weather come NO CHECK
bake Mint Oreo Cookies found on Jamie Cooks it Up minus the mint CHECK (and boy are they good!)
bake Charleston Chews CHECK
bake meringue cookies IN PROGRESS
bake butter cookies
clean kitchen for fifth time
figure out dinner
take kids to see the lights at Zootastic

I wonder what tomorrow's will look like.
How's your Christmas List going?

In all my 30 years of Christmas...

2009-12-17T10:10:00.001-05:00

Thirty years of Christmas presents is a lot of gifts, if you include my birthday and any other random gift I've gotten, well that is a WHOLE LOTTA GIFTS!
And Mama Kat wants me to describe a funny or favorite gift that you’ve gotten or have given.

So I was thinking - I talked about the pink jambox the other day in my questions post.

Did I tell you about the year (yes it was the 80's) that I got the black and white polka dot hammer pants I was dying for? That was the one and only time my mother actually got me exactly what I wanted clothes wise. And I was thrilled - they went great with my pink sweater. I even have a picture of me modeling them that Christmas morning.

There was also the year that I got a bicycle! I had to follow clues and hunt for it. I was so excited - even if it was green.

But my favorite, I think it is coming this year! I am so excited about the gift for the boys. It is a super duper suprise and it won't fit under the tree. Hopefully it will all pan out according to plan, and if it does - the look on their faces will be great!!! I can make them go on a treasure hunt around the house like I did, or maybe I'll just leave directions to go look on the back porch.

What should I do?

Christmas is sights, especially the sights of Christmas reflected in the eyes of a child.--William Saroyan

All I want for Christmas is a few prayers

2009-12-15T07:28:00.001-05:00

I know this is not my typical post - it is way out of the norm for me. The norm for me is the chaos that having three boys has made in my life. The norm for me is also dealing with a son who was born with a heart defect. And the norm for me is praying each night, especially for children who need it.

During our hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, what are you wishing for? A new sweater, that bagless vaccum, a new car, diamond earrings. Maybe you are simpler and just want a job. I don't have anything on my list this year. My list consists of lists for others. Even in these tight times, I'd like to make Christmas special for my boys, but that is not something I pray for each night. At night I pray for something different.

When you pray at night who do you think of? Do you think of just your family or do you pray from a list? Do you remember each and everyone, or do you remember the faces? I admit when there are times I don't remember a name, but just a face or a request for a prayer. I know that it is okay if I say a prayer for a face, God knows who we are talking about. This Christmas, I am asking you to say an extra prayer, a special prayer for these children, because for them, the norm is they are in need of all our prayers.

Remember

This December,

That love weighs more than gold!

~Josephine Dodge Daskam Bacon

I'm giving out Awards for Christmas!

2009-12-14T06:09:00.000-05:00

It's Christmas time and Award time - how terrific is that. Recently I have been awarded three awards by three fabulous ladies. Luckily there weren't many rules with these ones so I am making this post a little more fun. I am wishing a Merry Christmas to all my recipients and the present is your award! The best kind of regifting out there!

First up is the 5 Diamond award and who doesn't love getting diamonds for Christmas? Speaking from the Crib gave me this award and even said I was a real gem - I feel like a million dollars already. I am passing this award on to It's Twinsanity who is a real gem herself and deserves all the diamonds she can get!

Tiffany at My Journey in Motherhood gave me the Scribbler Award. Some days I think all I do is scribble, but she actually said I have strength. If she only knew how many days I'm just lucky to get by. This award goes to I'm Living Proof that God has a sense of Humor whose writing I love to read and never want to miss - she is a super scribbler!

Last but so not least is the Circle of Friends award from Desert Rose Moments. I love this gal and enjoy all of her posts. This one came with the rule that I have to list 5 things I love to do. Well in the spirit of Christmas: 1. I love wrapping gifts (i know i'm nuts) 2. I love egg nog 3. I love going to look at Christmas lights, they make me feel like a kid again. 4. I love waking up before everyone else Christmas morning and anticipating the delight on the kids faces. 5. I love to bake cookies to give to everyone.
This award is going to The Five Fish who deserves to be in the circle of friends like no one else!

Take your awards lately and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;

Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us some followers;

Oh, bring us some followers and a few good comments.

We won't go until we get some;

We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christmas Questions you say?

2009-12-11T11:54:00.003-05:00

Laugh until you Cry tagged me in a little Christmas Meme which is from the Top Christmas Blog. So if you want to know all about Christmas at my house, read on my friends, read on.

1. Have you started your christmas shopping yet?
Well I bought a little bit, and won a couple of things. So started yes, but anywhere near finished? NO! Which is really bad for me. I usually start mapping out a plan and shopping in October, but this year, well October just slipped right on by - and for that matter so did November.

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.

If you read my post a couple of weeks ago - you know I am in need of some traditions. I've adopted one Helen gave me that the boys will open one present Christmas Eve (that I've always let them do) and it will be new PJ's. I like the idea that I can at least make sure they have matching pjs on for all the pictures that are taken Christmas morning. The only one we have is our annual trip to Mcadenville the city of Christmas lights. The boys love it - we went last Sunday and even little man kept saying "lights, lights, lights"

3.When do you put up your tree?
The weekend after Thanksgiving. I prefer one holiday at a time, but as much Christmas as I am able to squeeze in.

4. Are you a black friday shopper?
I wasn't. Last year was the first time I ventured out and that was because a friend dragged my butt out of bed. This year, dear hubby had to work, so I didn't make it. But I feel like I missed some really good deals and a great time.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home?
We don't travel far away - but we do go to the in-laws just down the road for brunch and dinner.

6. What is one of your funniest Christmas memories?
My favorite -he he he- is from when my brother and I were little. He really wanted a jambox for Christmas and our very cool aunt got him one with a cassette player and all - it was so great - and I was very jealous. Until he opened the box and saw it was pink. That gift went to me - with the promise that he would have another one, wonder if he ever got one???

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie?
There are so many great ones. I am a big fan of Polar Express - have loved the book since I was a little girl. I also have to watch the Grinch every year and Charlie Brown.

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking? What is your favorite treat?
Yes I do my own baking! I love to cook, good ol' southern food and desserts. Last year the twins and I made batches and batches of cookies and peppermint brittle for them to package up and give to people as gifts. My favorite thing to make is fudge, or cheesecake. I make a mean cheesecake.

9. Fake or Real tree?
I like a real one - sprayed with anti-burn stuff. But we bought a fake one the first year we were together and it has been that way ever since. I just can't see spending the money on a real one when I have a fake one (make that 2, someone gave us their old one) right here.

10. What day does the actual panic set in to get it all done?
Panic - I've never felt any panic before. Usually I have it all done in a timely fashion and try to enjoy every bit of it. This year though - there might be a little panic if I don't get some shopping done soon.

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?
Nope - I had that experience once in college when I came home and my step-mother hadn't wrapped anything yet. And I may be caught wrapping gifts for my mother in law who saves them all for me to do, but all of my stuff is wrapped. I enjoy wrapping and will take my time in the evenings doing it all.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?
I'm probably the most excited person Christmas morning, I've always been the first one up and have even woken up my children out of sheer anticipation. I love to see their faces when they get up and can be found with my cup of coffee in hand sitting near the tree waiting on them. That is my favorite part - the joy and wonder of their faces first thing in the morning.

13. What Christmas craft do you like best?
I made really neat stockings one year. But my favorite is making the Gingerbread house, I try to get better each year.

14. Christmas music?
Dear hubby isn't a big fan - although he enjoys the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I am not picky and love Christmas muic. The Christmas station has been on in my car since the first day of December.

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?
Hopefully before the 20th. I do not want to be caught out the week of Christmas. One year I fogot the gift for my brother and had to go out Christmas Eve, it was pouring a cold rain and the mall was packed. It was the most miserable shopping ever.

The original version of this meme says to tag 5 blog friends, so that is what I'll do. I'm going to tag:
Desert Rose Moments
Diaries of a Coach's Wife
I'm Living Proof that God has a Sense of Humor
Twinsomnia
Anti-Supermom

2 year old for sale

2009-12-10T12:21:00.004-05:00

I'm now opening bids for one 2 1/2 year old.
He can climb bookcases
to throw the stuff off the top
He has silly faces
covered in green snot
He screams louder than a banshee
while hiding better than a turtle
He makes strong coffee
and eats crumbs off the floor.
He's not potty trained,
but will escape out the door.
Bids start at a dollar but I'll take much more.

DISCLAIMER: This post is a meant to be funny -my son is not actually for sale - I just remember when my brother used to sing Shel Silverstein's poem about me and thought I could do the same about my son. So knock it off all of you without a sense of humor!

For Sale

One sister for sale!

One crying and spying young sister for sale!

I’m really not kidding,

So who’ll start the bidding?

Do I hear the dollar?

A nickel?

A penny?

Oh, isn’t there, isn’t there, isn’t there any

One kid that will buy this old sister for sale,

This crying and spying young sister for sale?

~Shel Silverstein

It's beginning to look like SITSmas!

2009-12-08T04:21:00.013-05:00

It's beginning to look a lot like SITSmas

Ev'rywhere you go;

Take a look in The Five Fish glistening once amiss

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like SITSmas

Blogs of every kind,

But the prettiest sight to see is Leigh vs Laundry

On your own dashboard.

A pair of hopalong cooks and a new book

Is the wish of Deep South Dish;

Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk

Is the hope of Desert Rose;

And Anti-Supermom and Living Proof can hardly wait for school to start again.

It's beginning to look a lot like SITSmas

Ev'rywhere you go;

There's a tree at Three Times the Giggles, one at Laugh until you Cry as well,

The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.

It's beginning to look a lot like SITSmas;

Soon the bells will start,

And the thing that will make them ring is the COMMENTS that you leave

Right upon their sleeve.

HELP! How do I not blow Santa's cover???

2009-12-07T10:54:00.002-05:00

Have you heard about the Elf on the Shelf? It is all the new rave. Well, at least at the twins school. Their teachers each have a Elf on the Shelf who watches the children and then goes back to Santa each night and tells whether they have been 'naughty or nice'. Each day he comes back to a different spot in the room.

I think it is a great concept, the boys love it. He comes with a special book and you can name him and 'register' online to get 'adoption' papers. The boys have fallen in love with the elf, and all in the year I was afraid the magic of Christmas would start to disappear. They are seven now.

T1 and T2 have been asking for an elf for about a week. They told me which website I could go to and would ask everyday if I had been. Well I went. It's $29.99 for the whole set-up and we don't have an extra thirty bucks for an elf on a shelf. I nicely told them we just couldn't afford it right now and it was a lot of money.

Last night, T1 politely informed me that I didn't have to worry about getting one anymore.

"Why?" I asked
"Because I wrote Santa a note and the Elf in our class took it to him. Santa will send you a Elf on a Shelf."
"Wow!" I responded. Dumbfounded because now I either get to make or break Christmas this year.

There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child. ~Erma Bombeck

the tale of a toilet

2009-12-06T11:36:00.002-05:00

I have been holding out on this post for about a week. The dear hubby doesn't want me to write it - but seeing how he is leaving me to go work today - here it is!

To start off you need a little background. A: if you didn't know we have 3 boys and that makes life interesting to say the least. B: we have had a few toilet incidents - including once finding an alligator in our toilet. C: although Dear hubby works in construction - my idea of fixing things is to try anything, knowing it was already broke means I can't break it worse by trying. D: I have no real experience in construction.

The Tuesday before Thanksgiving T2 and Dear Hubby got in a water fight. Yes it is cold here in NC in November, no they did not care. T2 was armed with a small watergun, Dear Hubby armed with brute strength. Dear Hubby warned T2 that if he shot him again, he would give T2 a swishy in the toilet. T2 not to be scared off, shot him anyway. Dear Hubby picked our son up and took him to the bathroom and hung him upside down by his ankles over the toilet. T2 was laughing so hard he dropped the watergun in the toilet. Then Dear Hubby attempted to make good on his threat by flushing the toilet (even though T2 wasn't actually in the toilet and didn't get wet). Well there went the water gun, down the drain. GREAT - a water gun stuck in the boys toilet. Dear Hubby had the bright idea we would fix it later, as we were leaving for Thanksgiving the next day and the boys could use our toilet in the meantime.

Boys don't always listen, and continued to use and flush the toilet. We left for Thanksgiving and came home late Thursday night because Dear Hubby was working on a job Friday Sat and Sun. After spending all day Friday with the twins using our toilet, or forgetting and using theirs, I made hubby take apart the toilet Friday night to retrieve the water gun. Stuck was not the word. That water gun was wedged so far in there we could barely touch it. We greased T2's hand with shortening and tried to get him to pull it out. He thought the shortening was great, but it didn't do the trick. Dear Hubby was getting quite frustrated. We had the toilet bowl in the bathtub, a hose through the window, a plunger, every kind of tool possible and s*** flying out the back but nothing was working. Dear Hubby decided since it was plastic he could use a propane torch and melt the water gun allowing it to move. I left the bathroom for that one. Somehow the idea of fire and a toilet didn't seem like a good idea to me. An hour later he gave up - and I had decided I would go to Lowe's the next day to buy a new toilet bowl.

Saturday morning I packed up all three boys and we made the trip to Lowe's. We found a toilet bowl for $25.00 and I was thrilled. We then made our way through the store looking at all the lights and neat Christmas decorations that cost no less than $80.00 if the kids want it.

We came home and I proceeded to install the new toilet. It fit and I had it all set up, only when I went to flush one of the bolts from the tank to the toilet bowl leaked. The other problem was that the toilet seat had rusted to the old toilet and was not coming off. My father in law came over and inspected my work. He told me I did everything right but that the washers on the tank aren't really made to work for more than one time and I would need a new washer along with a new toilet seat. He put some sealer on it to make it work in the meantime. Saturday night dear hubby came home and I asked him to look at the toilet. Everything was working except sometimes it would continue to run, which had always been a problem with the toilet.

Dear Hubby went in to take a look and proceeded to break the whole contraption in the back. BREAK IT after I had JUST fixed the toilet. GREAT!

After church on Sunday - I took all three boys back to Lowe's to get the parts to fix the toilet, again. I found the whole set-up for $9.00 (individually the parts cost $2 and $3 bucks a piece and I wasn't taking any chances). The only problem was their was a 8 inch one and 12 inch. I really thought my toilet was a 10 inch toilet, but if that was all they had I must need the larger one. I knew my toilet was bigger than 8 inches and even went to look at other toilets in the store to be sure.

We got the set up and a new lid and went home, I fixed lunch and then went in to tackle the toilet again. As soon as I got in the bathroom I knew there was a problem. I had been right. Our toilet was 10 inches (even though it says USA Standard toilet on the inside). Apparently our toilet is from the dark ages, and they don't even make 10" pieces anymore. I loaded the kids back up and we went back to Lowe's. (side note: we live in the sticks and Lowe's is 20 minutes away - one way) I was not pleased and neither were they. Lowe's for the third time in two days was enough.

Once back home, I attmpted to fix the toilet. Little man took offense to the tools I was using and everytime I would put something down, he would take it away and say "No, Daddys!" That really helped me move along. So did the fact that the toilet tank really was meant for a 10" part and I had to continue to make do with what the store had. An hour later I was done. YIPEE. I yelled for the boys and we all watched as T1 flushed it for the first time. It was great, except that it leaked. From the same stupid bolt that was leaking before and had been fixed by my father in law. The same washer that I had not bought a new one of because I thought it had been fixed. Dear Hubby came home and was impressed, even if we did have to use a towel to catch the leak and turn the water off after every use.

Monday I went to Lowe's on my way home from work. I bought the bolts and washers for a "standard toilet" being the only size they had. I told Dear Hubby when I got home he was NOT ALLOWED to touch the toilet. He had caused enough problems already. I went into to change out the bolt (not messing with the one that wasn't leaking) and the new bolt wouldn't work. Even though it was standard, it was too big. Apparently my toilet tank was from the land of nonstandard toilets. I'd had enough. I used the old bolt new washer and the thing still leaked. I gave up, I'd had enough.

Tuesday - AGAINST ALL ORDERS - dear hubby worked on the bolt and got it to stop leaking. One week and four trips to Lowe's later the toilet was finally fixed.

My advice to all - A: don't flush a water gun down the toilet and B: just buy a whole new set up instead of buying it one part at a time if you do happen to get something stuck in the toilet.

What have you flushed down the toilet?

The trick to getting things done is to list things to do in doable order. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com