Branson Vacation, Day 2 (Tuesday)

We didn't set any alarm clocks on Tuesday, we just allowed everyone to sleep in. I think that was about 8 or 8:30. We had a leisurely breakfast and then settled in to our home away from home in the morning. It was enjoying just relaxing there for awhile. After we ate lunch, and the babies napped, we were off to the famous land and water attraction, Ride the Ducks.

Here is Max driving the car-boat in the water.

Since Kynzie 'drove', she is convinced she knows how to drive now.

This is Kynzie's face as we splashed into the water.

Max seemed a little out of it. He even fell asleep during the 70 minute ride.

This nice gentleman behind me was thoughtful enough to help entertain Dennis at fussy points... I think the kind sir quickly realized he would be only be able to hear our wonderful tour guide, Captain Science, if he put on finger puppet plays for Dennis. Sorry, kind sir, but thank you where ever you are.

This was one wall at the Ride the Ducks gift shop... barrels and barrels of candy; all the candy you remember from your childhood but can never find anymore. Delainey took several pictures of all the candy. I told her that would last longer than buying it anyway. :)

This is on the ride back home, to The Falls.

Also on the ride back to The Falls Village.

These are misc pics while on the ride... Some of these are courtesy of Delainey, the rest, Scott.

It was fun as well as educational with facts about Branson, Table Rock Lake and Dam, and miscellaneous War trivia. It sprinkled on and off for most of our DUKW ride, but it really didn't affect us. Kynzie and Max both "drove" the car-boat, as Max calls it, during the water portion of the trip.

Upon our return to the resort, we ate dinner and went swimming at the indoor pool. I think we had BBQ chicken in the slow cooker that day. Good day.

Branson Vacation, Day One

Monday we left the house later than we originally hoped, but it didn't matter too much since we didn't plan to 'do' anything except move in to our vacation home. There were some expected difficulties on the ride - bathroom breaks, fussing babies, restless kids. Nothing a little in-transit movie couldn't cure (and a stop at a small town gas station that made you buy something to use their toilet and then charged $1.00 for a regular sized candy bar. The attendant said, "I know; it's highway robbery." At least he is honest about what he is doing, I guess.).

We arrived at our designated resort condo (thanks to our friends we didn't have to stay at a small hotel! Thanks, Scott & Lisa!) and unloaded the van in fairly short order. Our home away from home was located across the parking lot from the clubhouse and on the lowest level. We were directly under their VIP Services suites, which made for early morning neighbors but no late nights, and may have been why we had such great internet connectivity.

This place was huge! We were able to use two suites connected, and I think it was something like 1800 square feet, maybe a little more. It was enough to just be a vacation all by itself. The long list of amenities included on site miniature golf, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, hot tub, exercise room, game room, game to check out, a play ground right across from our building, and more I know I am forgetting right now.

In our condo, we had a 52" TV in the main living area, plus two other televisions. Needless to say, the TV was on more than I care to admit. If I was ever able to hold the reigns (remote), we watched HGTV mostly, and a little TLC. Scott watched all the channels, and the kids overdosed on Nick and Disney when I could stand it. Delainey mostly stuck to Facebook and TLC. But TV really didn't take up as much time as it seems.

The kids slept in the suite on one king size bed and a good-sized fold-out sofa. The babies slept in resort-provided pack n plays (we brought our own sheets for those), and we enjoyed our own master bedroom far away from them all! (We did bring the monitor lest you think we are cruel to leave Delainey to deal with all the night time ordeals. Just some of them.) And this is how we ended the first evening of our stay in Branson.

PS - To Scott and Lisa, we didn't have to move! For whatever reason, pity maybe when they saw four small children (?), they called us the next day and said we could stay where we were the whole time if we wanted! Yay! Super bonus!

This is a blurry photo, but here is part of the main living area.

Shots of the main kitchen. There was a nice round table that seated 5 of us nicely with room to the side for the two babies in their chairs.

These are pics of the connected studio suite. This is where Delainey, Kynzie, and Max slept. They thought it was pretty cool that they had their own kitchen area. They froze their own ice in the mini fridge and got drinks of water from "their" kitchen. Kynzie also only went to the bathroom in "her" bathroom for the most part.

Cardboard Testimonies... Sweet Restoration!

There are several YouTube videos going around about the Cardboard Testimonies... Check out these punchy proclamations! And dig on the song! (We are in the first one, but they are both fantastic.)
http://metro-kc.org/scrapbook_vid.htm

Losing Weight After Twins

Since I have so many questions about this topic, I am going to address it briefly. I know this may come as a surprise to some of you that know me, but I am not one to fret over my looks so much. I have a husband who prefers I not wear make-up, which is just fine with me 99% of the time. I don't weigh myself more than once a month, maybe less. And I don't really keep up with the latest fashions. It's just not me. On the flip side - I could stand to eat healthier and exercise more, or just exercise at this point.

I weighed 126 lbs before I found out I was pregnant (with the twins). I weighed 191 lbs the day before I went into labor. Simple math tells us I gained 65 lbs, which I thought was really fantastic. I fully expected to put on more than that and still be healthy with twins. The day they were born, I weighed 161 lbs (after birth, and yes, I was able to walk down the hall and around the corner to the scale by myself while Scott stayed with the babies). Thirty pounds in one day!

[I DO NOT recommend weighing yourself immediately after birth! I only did it because I had twins and wanted a record. I have not done it with any of my other births.]

The babies are 11 months old now, and I am not sure what I weigh but I know last time I weighed myself I was at 126 on the dot, and my new pants are getting too big. I have not dieted. I have not restricted my food intake. I nursed Dennis and Daniel exclusively for the first six months at which point they started to eat baby foods and home made cereal. I still nurse them several times a day. Beyond some additional water in a cup, they don't drink any other liquids at this point.

So, I know nursing has helped shed pounds. I still have to keep eating plenty of (healthy) calories and drinking tons of water. I am somewhat active, but not more than keeping up with babies and toddlers and running up and down the stairs.

Twin skin? Well, now we're getting a little more personal. It is not as exaggerated as it was shortly after birth when I first blogged about it here. But I suppose it is still there. I am not so worried about it anymore. Neither is my husband, and that's really what mattered most to me!

Oh, by the way, I previously mentioned my only weight-loss goal was to be able to wear my wedding rings again. I have met that goal!

Twins - Two very different babies

The twins are going to be a whole year old this month. I can't believe how quickly this time has gone by... I am enjoying this twin mama stuff so much! We are seeing more and more of the babies' very different personalities, and it is a blast! Most people now realize right away that they are not identical, even when I have them dressed in matching outfits. In fact, more and more people comment on how 'each of us (Scott and me) have one', referring to the thought that there is one baby that looks like each of us.

Dennis definitely looks like his daddy (it's all in the eyes and those eyelashes!), but I am not so sure how Daniel looks like me just yet. I am not so sure any of my kids look so much like me really. Dennis and Kynzie favor one another, and Daniel and Max favor one another in looks. Personality-wise, Dennis and Daniel are so different from one another as are Kynzie and Max. I am not sure who favors who in this category yet.

It has been interesting to witness these babies have the same influences at the same time and see how differently they respond. It is a wonderful example of how God imparts definite personalities in each of us. There is much to be said about how environment (parental training and nurture as well as other household influences in our case) affects the outcome of a child's character. But seeing what God has placed in them from the beginning seems to be more evident when we have these two side by side than it was raising one at a time.

With one at a time, it was easier to say "Well, we did this or that differently with this child or that child, so that could be why they act this way and the other acted that way..." But here we are doing the same thing with two different little people at the same time. How marvelous to experience this phenomenon!

For example, both babies understand "no", but respond to it almost directly opposite from each other - one says I can get past this no stuff, and one says no means no. While the first baby may not want to obey 'no' just yet, this baby is also the one who seems to want our approval more. The baby who seems to understand it is best for him to obey 'no' seems to not care whether we give him our approval or not. I am interested to see how this continues to develop over time.

We also teach a little bit of sign language for help in early communication (although admittedly, we have not been as diligent in this with the twins). One baby enjoys the signing and tries to imitate it, and the other baby ignores it and makes up his own signs. One baby is better at self-comfort, and as a result, is seemingly more patient and more cuddly but not as smiley or interactive. The other baby wants to be first to get your attention when he wants it, and is sure to give you lots of smiles and interaction as your reward if you comply.

Anyway, it is no wonder to me that twins and other multiples are the subjects of so much study... there is so much we can learn!

We're Having Twins... Now What? Help!

I am going to revisit some random themes about being pregnant with twins. First, let me say this... I would do it all again. I have several factors working in my favor for twins, I suppose. 1) I have an older daughter who is very helpful and loves her younger siblings. (I did not say she never gets annoyed or never needs a break!) And 2) I do not work outside this home! Whooo Hooo! Number 2 is probably really the most important key. Some other factors include training the other children well, which is a continuous process. But if they aren't strangers to training prior to the birth of twins, it is better for everyone. I guess that is only one other factor.

Okay, I need to go nurse the twins now... I will be back.

I also want to say that giving birth to my twins was the most awesome experience... I accomplished things in this pregnancy and birth that I never even knew were possible.

Good Nutrition - Brewer Diet is a good place to start... look around the website www.blueribbonbaby.org There is lots of good stuff in there to be found.

Protein, Protein, Protein (I resorted to protein powder to boost protein intake, but that is not necessarily the healthiest road to take...but we're talking 120 - 160 grams of protein a day!) Don't neglect the other important foods and nutritional elements either! I had to eat even when I wasn't hungry. (FYI - I have lost every bit of the weight I put on during this pregnancy. Don't worry about weight if you are eating properly!)

That is a good place to talk about exercise. DO IT! It is a vital part of preparing your body and keeping yourself in good health, good spirits and keeping mobile for as long as possible. Even though I never had to go on bed rest, it became more difficult to move around toward the end of the pregnancy. I think exercising helped save me from bed rest.

Drink lots of water... safely. Don't guzzle so much at once that you hurt yourself, but try to get in at the very least 64- 80 oz a day. My goal was 96 oz a day. And I was successful most of the time.

Be careful. I fell in my kitchen at about 34 weeks, I think. And it was painful... for a long, long time.

Variety in diet - too much of any one food could cause a food allergy to develop in the baby and maybe even in you!

What you believe is key! If you believe being pregnant with twins is a disease that the medical community needs to help you cope with and and help protect you from and then eventually relieve you of, then you have already sold yourself out for a C-section. I know, pretty harsh. But if you want a natural birth, you have to believe that God gave you this double blessing, and He created your body with the intention that it could give birth. He did not make a mistake. He did not forget what He was doing in any of this.

Having goals is important... a birth plan! Make it earlier than later so you know what you are working toward. It takes as many months as you can give it to prepare and train mind, spirit and body to make the goal of natural birth.

Read Having Twins by Elizabeth Noble - cover to cover. And then read it again.

Watch Mindy Goorchenko give birth to her twins, Psalm & Zoya, at home unassisted. It is amazing! And it gave me courage to keep believing I could do what God intended as naturally as possible with as few medical interventions as I could get by with... (and we did... see our birth plan somewhere on my blog... I'll find the link and add later...) Her babies weighed 7 lbs 10 oz and 8 lbs 11 oz! That is like a 16+ pound singleton!

Get a really good Doula! I had a great Doula, and I am very thankful for her.

Attend Bradley Method birth classes. We had an excellent teacher who inspired me that I could do this. I did not have as natural a childbirth as can be had (especially since mine was in the hospital), but I am so thankful for it! I don't think I would have had the courage to even try to "buck' the system with twins had I not been inspired by her.

Okay, that is all for now... I know there is more... I still haven't blogged about their actual birth, and they will be a whole year old this month!

Giving Stuff Away

I am going through the garage today, purging some things from our current inventory. I want to pass things along to family and friends who need it/could use it first. So, I decided to list some of the items here and include photos of some of the items. (Photos will have to be added a little later - the babies are awake now!)

If I don't have a pic of something you want to see, I probably can get one for you. Let me know if there is something you would like.

Vanity bench - gold metal frame, off-white cushioned seat. Small darkened spot on cushion. May be able to clean it? I haven't tried.

Christmas type 'mini' lights - 1 strand green, 2 strands purple, 1 strand clear. These have been used, but still worked when I put them away. I have not plugged them in but could try to get to that later today.

Safety first infant to child booster seat with tray - missing one strap for fastening to chair (one out of two), but I know I have it out there somewhere. Will update when I find it. Needs cleaning but in good condition. It tilts and has height adjustments.

Miscellaneous infant boy clothing - 0-3 & 3-6 months so far - mostly random items that I haven't already given away. Will add more as I come across them.

Nursing Bras - all are white; one 38B with underwire. one 40D Medela brand. one 40D Motherhood brand - more sport style

Black "formula" diaper bag with brown trim. New. I will have two of these but don't know where the other is just yet. I think it even has the sample formula in it... probably need to throw that out :).

Pink 'princess' over-bed canopy net thing that hangs from the ceiling

2 long strands of purple beads for crafts or decor (not necklaces), like 5 or 6 foot each, and 1 similar strand of peachy beads

2 soothie brand bottles - 4 oz each with nipples, lids and the snack containers that attach to the bottom

Assorted Playtex bottles with a few 4oz drop in liners

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

I wish I could do blog posts from facebook. Or I wish my statuses would update to my blog. It would just be easier, I think.

Today was a beautiful day! We played outside, and I didn't think to take the camera, but the batteries probably would have died anyway.

So Kynzie and Max dug in the dirt and found worms. Kynzie brought each one to me with such delight and pride. She knows they are important for her garden, and she does love to garden. They were tearing up leaves and putting them next to the worms so the worms could compost the leaves for her garden. That comes from Granny!

Daniel, once again, loved being outside, but Dennis fussed all but the first minute he was out there. Odd. I was certain he would love it. Before he went outside, he was looking out the window at the kids playing on the swing set and frantically started crying. He wouldn't stop so I thought he really wanted to be out there with him. And I think he did at first, but somehow his enthusiasm was short-lived.

A Few Miscellaneous Tidbits

For all who are curious...
The babies had a check up today. They are doing quite well and pretty much past the RSV now. I am very thankful it was as mild as it was. I think prayer, garlic and extra vitamin C and some Elderberry may have helped. That and not taking them out of the house for a very long time, along with a COOL mist humidifier in their room.

Anyway, Dennis is a little taller than Daniel, by a little less than half an inch. But Daniel weighs nearly a pound more at 19 lbs. Everything is wonderful, and they are doing fine. But then, we already knew that.

Delainey found the math that was lost. Hooray! I didn't really want to buy it again. Now we don't have to. But she will have to do double time in math to get caught up. I am confident she will do just fine. After all, she enjoys math.

This weekend, we will be celebrating my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary with the extended family. I am pretty excited about seeing everyone and celebrating my grandparents. I love them dearly.

Twins Update - 10 Months Old

Since the twins have been sick, they have not really been themselves. Well, Daniel hasn't really been his normal, happy, talking, playing, laughing self. Dennis still smiles right after he's done coughing so hard his eyes turn red and water. I think that is why we knew Daniel was really having a difficult time with his illness, but it was manageable. We didn't realize Dennis felt so poorly until we noticed his labored breathing. That's when we took him to the doctor, finally.


The doctor did a test for RSV, and it came back positive. So they sent us home with a breathing machine and a script for albuterol. We have only done one breathing treatment thus far. (Doc told us we could do when and if needed.) I bought a stethoscope to be able to hear the breathing better. He really has had very little wheezing since we took him in. So I think the worst is over, thankfully. Daniel didn't seem to have the same trouble with breathing; he's just been miserable.



Dennis and Daniel are 'talking' quite a bit these days (when not sick), and Daniel is so close to taking his first steps. Dennis 'sings' along with us when we sing Jesus Loves Me to them at night. It is so cute. He 'sings' for a line or two, then cuddles his cloth and sucks his thumb. Daniel is cozied in on your shoulder for song and prayer time. He sucks his thumb too, the opposite thumb from Dennis, and holds his cloth as well.



Daniel does 'sing' along with some of the toys in his room, especially the ABC song. It is adorable. He seems to pick up on certain things pretty quickly, especially mechanical things. It is so much fun to watch how different they are. I love it! It is such a special blessing to have twins in our family.




Delainey put the babies in a laundry basket for the first two pics. Daniel climbed onto the lower shelf of the changing table in their bedroom and became quite frustrated when he couldn't sit up straight in there to look at that book.


Dennis eating. Daniel fell asleep in the "kiddie playland" play yard we have set up in the living room. Poor baby, didn't feel well at all.

Oil Cleansing Method for Rosacea, Acne, or Seborrhoeic Dermatitis

I am not really certain with what 'condition(s)' my skin may be afflicted. One doctor a few years ago told me I have rosacea on my cheeks and chin specifically, and that he could prescribe me a nice drug to get rid of it. He also said that I shouldn't plan to get pregnant cause the drug could be devastating to the unborn child, and at the same time, the drug would render birth control ineffective. What kind of drug is that? No, thanks. I think red is starting to be my color.

Then, during one pregnancy, I developed acne for the first time since, umm, forever. As I have researched these skin issues, I have started to see that many of them are interrelated. Rosacea, acne, atopic and seborrhoeic dermatitis, eczema, keratosis pilaris, and who knows what else.. All of us have something going on in the skin department. Some say that many of these skin issues come from the same gene as allergies, asthma, and eczema. Interesting.

Oddly, right now, Daniel's skin issues are the most severe with seborrhoeic dermatitis and eczema. And Dennis has the most unaffected skin of the bunch so far. They eat and drink the SAME THINGS. Always. It is just one more fascinating side to having twins.

So, aside from some moist air in this dry house during the winter especially, I have been learning about some other natural remedies/helps for our skin. We started playing around with diets a bit to see what food allergens may or may not set it off for each of us. I need to take it more seriously maybe and start a rotation diet or something. Also, I found some information about the Oil Cleansing Method.

It sounds a bit like an oxymoron - oil to clean your face? I read about it. I thought about it. I bought the ingredients and left them in the cabinet for awhile. I made the concoction but didn't use it right away. Then, I took the plunge, and I must say that my skin felt silky when I was done, not at all greasy. I was surprised, really.

Anyway, I have only tried it twice, and I have read you have to give it a couple weeks. I made my recipe based on several I have found. I used equal parts extra virgin olive oil, Castor oil, and grape seed oil. I also added several drops of tea tree oil because I love that stuff. Different skin types may require different ratios of the various oils. And some have said they use different oils altogether except the castor oil. That is the constant.

There are some good instructions online. Below are a few sites, and I will try to update about how it works in a couple of weeks. If it works well for me, I may see how it works on some of the kids' skin afflictions.

The Oil Cleansing Method
OCM instructions and mixture ratios
OCM various instructions

It was Max!

Tacy, you know me too well. I was being all tricky. Sorry, Kerry. And, yes, Schaun, Max had much more hair than the twins have. But as I was looking over the pictures of Max, I thought it was interesting how he looked like one twin or the other at different times. I had thought he looked like Daniel, but when I looked through more pictures, he favors Dennis at times, too. Except for Dennis' ears.

Oh, the other sure-tell sign that it is Max was his left eye always pooling tears prior to surgery at one year.

The prize is you have bragging rights... ?

Let's play "Which Baby Is This?"

There are a couple of sure-tell signs, but you'll have to give it your best guess and check back later to see whether you are right!

Home Made Swedish Meatball Sauce

Since I couldn't find the Swedish meatball seasoning packet at three different grocery stores, I decided to make my own. I cheated and purchased the meatballs already made this time. Maybe I will tackle those next time around... if I still can't find the seasoning. (It wasn't just 'out of stock'; there weren't even spaces where it should have been.)

Here is how I made the sauce. This was for two packages of meatballs. I poured it over whole wheat egg noodles since I didn't buy any potatoes and served it with fresh, home made cranberry jam (sauce) in lieu of ligonberry jam as well as oval Vlassic dill pickles instead of pickled cucumbers...

a couple of Tablespoons of butter
2-3 Tablespoons of flour (maybe a little more, I added a little arrowroot powder because I didn't think it would ever thicken enough... it ended up a little thicker than I wanted...)
2-3 t teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
beef broth or beef stock - I used 1 can
heavy cream (or light cream or milk?) - I used 16 ounces
sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
dash of cinnamon or nutmeg
other seasonings as desired

If you make your own meatballs and cook them in a skillet, remove the meatballs to make the sauce in the same pan to use the meat drippings. Otherwise, melt butter in heavy bottomed skillet. Stir in flour and allow to turn golden. Remove from heat and add in broth while stirring, then do the same with the cream (or milk). Return to medium heat and let boil, stirring often. Mix in Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings and add in meatballs. Serve over boiled or mashed potatoes, or in my case, noodles.

Menu Planning and Grocery Lists... on a Budget

Today is menu planning day and grocery list day. This is quite a process for me. I love it and hate it at the same time. I plan for two weeks at a time. We have a reasonable budget for groceries, and I am very thankful for that. My goal is to have a cooking day after grocery day and pack away most of our meals in the freezer for the two week period. I have only been successful or semi-successful in this venture a handful of times.

Many times I plan the menu, buy what I need and then don't follow the menu as I would like. I usually plan 14 main meals or less but plan to double for leftovers. Last time was a little better. The last two weeks' menu was supposed to be as follows...

Home Made Pizza - success
Peppy Pizza Pasta - success
Kathy's Kitchen Spaghetti Pizza - success
Tex-Mex Tomato Hamburger Stew - success
Taco Crescent Bake - success
Hanky Panky's - success (but will probably change recipe next time)
Fruity Curry Chicken - success
Easy Cheesy Chicken Fajita Skillet - haven't made yet
Chicken Marsala - haven't made yet (this will be my first attempt, and purely for my dh)
Swedish Meatballs - haven't made yet (I have looked at 3 grocery stores for the seasoning packet to no avail... did they stop making it? So, I guess I'll learn how to make it from scratch. Probably healthier that way, anyway.)
Tacos - didn't happen either

We did realize this week, once again, how much we don't care for Velveeta type cheese. I planned two recipes using this ingredient this meal period in order to use up what I bought, but I've only made one and may not make the other. I guess I forget after a time that we don't like it.

Anyway, I don't like to make the same foods over and over. I like to find new recipes or old ones that we haven't had in awhile (hence the Velveeta issue). This takes time during menu planning. Not to mention that my menu planning sessions are never in one chunk of time.

But I really do enjoy cooking and learning to create new foods and flavors in the kitchen, especially if I can make it more nutritious as well as more delicious. I rarely make the same thing the same way twice. And there are many nights I take some of this and a little of that and create something yummy but can never completely recreate because I didn't write down what I did.

So, this menu planning period, I think I will go with these meals...

1. Home Made Pizza - this can be made different every time
2. Chicken Tortilla Soup
3. (Turkey) Ham & Pineapple
4. Sweet & Sour Chicken
5. Crock pot Sloppy Joe's
6. Chicken Marsala
7. Pasta with Tuna and Tomatoes
8. Chicken & Cheese Enchiladas
9. Cheeseburger Casserole
10. Our Favorite Meatloaf
11. BBQ Chicken Pasta
12. Calzones of some sort
13. Chicken Tetrazzini
14. Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches
15. Lasagna

Now, to plan side dishes, the occasional dessert, lunches, snacks & breakfasts, and I'll be done! Maybe I'll post recipes and updates as to whether I accomplish a Cooking Day and follow my menu plan.

The Twins are 38 Weeks Old (+ a few days)

My cousin's wife (cousin-in-law?) has chronicled their son's life week by week on her blog. I was so impressed when I visited recently that I decided to give it a try with the twins. Of course, I am a few days late, but if I don't do it now, it may never happen!

Saturday was their 38th week. They were born at 38 weeks, and now they are 38 weeks old. That translates to almost 9 months. I will try to tell you a little about what is going on with the twins.

Let's see, Daniel (Baby B) was the first to sit up and first to crawl (at just before 7 months). Dennis (Baby A) was the first to clap his hands and get teeth. Dennis has both bottom teeth and the top two mostly in. Daniel has only the bottom two so far. Daniel is pulling himself up to standing all the time and tries to take steps. He doesn't always wait till he has something to hold on to when taking the next step either. Dennis has just in the last few days figured out how to sit up from a tummy position and yesterday started the "army crawl". He seems incredibly determined to 'catch up' all of the sudden.

They both are champion eaters. Neither care much for peas or carrots plain, but will even tolerate those foods if they must. I haven't tried spinach yet, but they have eaten nearly everything else we have given them - home made and store bought. Both are doing fairly well trying to drink with sippy cups. I think I may get the kind with straws. They enjoy their water so much.

They are so much fun. I love to watch their similarities and their differences. I LOVE having two babies at the same time. We find it very interesting how much Dennis is like Kynzie and Daniel has similarities to Max. Maybe I will post about that ... someday.

They both love to be tickled, to laugh and to smile. Dennis loves to look at your face and touch your nose, lips, eyse, cheeks, etc. but prefers to face outward if you are holding him (same as Kynzie). He likes to see where he is going, I guess. He doesn't want to miss out. Daniel will cuddle when you hold him and lay his head on your shoulder (same as Max). He will just relax and trust you to take him where he needs to go. Unless he can get there himself, then he prefers that mode.

Dennis has a little bit more stranger anxiety than Daniel at this point. Dennis knows faces. And if yours isn't one he "knows", he has to warm up to you a bit. Daniel doesn't mind other people and may not even notice who you are for awhile if he is busy playing. And he is busy playing often, but don't be deceived by his contented playtime. He needs his cuddle time, too. Dennis seems to need more interactive play but not necessarily as much cuddle time. (He gets as much cuddle time as he will allow us all to give him, though!)

I think that is one reason why Kynzie gets along so well with Dennis at this stage... she needed (and still does) more one on one play and interaction. Max can play by himself or look at books or whatever for long periods of time. But he too needs to have cuddle time. He still seeks out a good cuddle from time to time throughout the day. Max enjoys playing side by side with Daniel.

So, Kynzie and Dennis maybe get their love tanks filled with quality time. We used to say Kynzie would spell love T-I-M-E. And, maybe Max and Daniel's tanks are filled with physical contact. (You know, from the Five Love Languages. What's yours? My highest are quality time and receiving gifts. Scott's are acts of service and physical contact. We are so opposite.)

Okay, anyway, this was supposed to be an update on the twins. It is late and I am rambling. I will try to get the picture of the twins from Saturday up tomorrow. I waited up a bit late because I thought the babies would wake to nurse pretty early tonight since their last nursing was earlier than usual. But they didn't. I need to go get some water, some vitamin C, some garlic, and some rest so I can fight off this sudden and strange beginning of mastitis... 'Night.

What Makes You "Oisty"-Eyed?

Today Kynzie told me that one of the babies made her eyes "oisty". I love the way she mispronounces certain words. It is so adorable. I think Delainey was close to seven before I finally relinquished and corrected her last mispronounced word. (It was 'smarshmallow', in case you were wondering.)

I do correct Kynzie's wording, and we do work on certain speech issues, but sometimes when she is experimenting with new words... well, it makes my eyes "oisty". I think this word is a combination of some sort of teary and moist or misty and moist? I dunno.

But, on with the story, Kynzie was hanging out with the babies and me in the babies' room while I was nursing (one at a time) She was being very helpful by playing with the baby who wasn't eating. At one point, she leaned in to hug Dennis, and he seemed to hug her in return. She thought that was the sweetest thing ever, and she told me about it, oh, seven or eight times, using different wording each time.

While she was talking about it, the edges of her eyelids reddened a bit, and I knew she was a feeling a little emotional about it. She said that it "put precious hope in her heart" and her "heart was crying" which made her eyes oisty with tears.

She then repeated with Daniel, but since he is not so much a face to face kind of baby like Dennis, he didn't hug her back like she thought he should. She was a little despondent about that, but I encouraged her to keep playing with him, and that he's just as sweet and precious in his own way.

Since I was nursing Dennis, I didn't see the trigger she found, but Daniel laughed out loud (he loves to laugh out loud) and lunged toward her with open arms. She thought that was brotherly love at its best and expressed how precious this episode was for several minutes ending in tears once again. She explained to me that these were happy tears, and sometimes it is okay to cry if your heart has happy tears.

"I am so proud to be their big sister."

That put precious hope in my heart.

I really do want to blog more...

Here are some photos... Maybe I'll take time later to tell a little about the pictures, but maybe not!

Annual Snow Ice Cream Event

Excitement and wonder filled our home once again today when Kynzie realized the snow falling outside. Her delight is contagious. It is amazing how your child's perspective can often change your own outlook. I may just end up enjoying snow before this winter is over!

Although Kynzie wanted to, we did not venture out to play today. But we did have snow ice cream again after dinner. Kynzie looked forward to this all day and didn't let me forget our "plan".

Max ate his whole bowl of snow ice cream, which is only significant since he doesn't eat regular ice cream. He thought the whole idea was pretty neat. He kept saying, "We're eating snow!" and "We have snow in our house!" He probably doesn't remember from last year like Kynzie does.

He wanted more, as did everyone else, and when I told him it was all gone he told Delainey to "get your shoes on." He was sending her out for more snow!

Tiny-mo or Dynamo

Here is Daniel doing push ups at 6 months old. (They are 7 months old now.) He has a great deal of strength in his little baby body. I am not sure which is more amazing - how far up he can push himself or that he hasn't stood up yet...




Daddy used to call him Tiny-mo and Dennis, Dynamo because Dennis was a pound larger. They are both about the same size now, but Daniel definitely needs a new nickname. How about Mighty-mo?

Here is a picture of Dennis and me, and a picture of Dennis smiling at Daddy.