First Interactions...

I always put the boys face to face when I put them in the Bumbo seats. Jace likes to look at Quinn. He stares at him, paying close attention to whatever it is that he's doing. Quinn, on the other hand, could care less. He's just happy to be sitting up! He looks all around the room, searching for his favorite thing...me! Today, I put them in their seats while I went into the kitchen to get Kenzi's lunch ready. I hear giggling coming from the front room. Jace doesn't laugh much...actually he started giggling about a month ago, did it for a week or so, and hasn't done it since. Quinn is a laughing machine! He laughs at everything! So of course I thought it was Quinn laughing. I quickly go to see what is so funny...and I see Jace laughing so hard at Quinn. Quinn was kind of spazzing out...throwing his arms back. Every time he'd throw his arms back, Jace would crack up! I tried to get it on video, I grabbed my phone and recorded it...but the sound doesn't work on this blog for some reason. If you look closely though, you can see Jace giggle when Quinn moves his arms. Quinn is in red and Jace is in blue!! So, I'll have my video camera ready this afternoon, hopefully they'll do it again! It was so cute. This was the first time they've actually interacted with each other! I'm really looking forward to more of these special moments with my twins!!! If the sound miraculously works...turn it up loud so that you can hear Jace laugh over the background noise (I was watching "Jon & Kate plus 8" on the t.v.).

World's Best Mom Award goes to....ME!!

Yep, that's right! I deserve the "World's Best Mom Award"!!! It's really not something to be proud of! Let me tell you a little story about my adventure tonight! A little background first!

Fact #1:My dog is a swiper! She swipes anything that resembles food or smells yummy!
Fact #2: My boys fall asleep on their own. Quinn, however, has a bit of a hard time sometimes and needs to cry for about 3-5 minutes before drifting off to sleep. I am a "cry it out and see" kind of mother...and it works for us!!
Fact #3: I am a multi-tasker...and sometimes, it bites me in the booty!!
Fact #4: Mackenzi LOVES to play outside! Anytime, anywhere...she's happy outside!

On with the story...
On Monday nights, Matt plays soccer with some friends, he had a game tonight...so off he went. Kenzi and I finished dinner and she took a bath. While she was taking a bath, I was emptying bathroom trash cans and diaper pails (our trash comes tomorrow). I put the trash bags in the kitchen. Kenzi's done with her bath, dressed, and Dora is on the t.v. Quinn's turn. Quinn takes a bath (I obviously don't multi-task when the boys are getting baths...I'm not an idiot!). I get him dressed in his p.j.s and lay him down in the crib. Yep, it's one of those cry it out type nights. I go out to get Jace. Ohhh, man! He's asleep under his Einstein gym. Oh well...I'll get him in a bit. I empty the kitchen trash....I have to get these bags out, or else Swiper the dog (aka...Hurley) will EAT EVERYTHING IN IT!!! So I pick up all three trash bags and open the slider door. Mackenzi hears the slider open and says, "I need shoes, I'll get my shoes." I tell her, "No, we're not going outside...you already had your bath". I shut the slider and quickly go to throw out the trash. As I walk down the side of the house I can hear Quinn SCREAMING! Sometimes his fussy cries make him gassy and he gets burps stuck! Great, I need to burp him...So I quickly walk back to go inside. Mackenzi is standing at the door (with her shoes on) and a big smile on her face! I try to open the door...and it wont open! SHE LOCKED ME OUT! Panic comes over me...."Sweetie", I say with a calm voice, "Push the button down so mommy can open the door!" She smiles and tries, but it wont budge. I tell her to keep trying, I try to stay calm. Millions of things are running through my mind. HOW IN THE HECK AM I GOING TO GET IN MY HOUSE??? THE WINDOWS ARE LOCKED! WE DON'T HAVE A HIDE-A-KEY! NOBODY HAS A SPARE KEY!! MY PHONE IS INSIDE! I'M GOING TO HAVE TO BREAK A WINDOW!! QUINN IS SCREAMING....HOLY FREAKIN CRAP!!! I go to the closest window, take off the screen and try my hardest to open it!!!! Guess what...I obviously forgot to lock that one...because it easily slid open!! WHEW!!! I climb through the window and come inside! I then had a serious talk with her about not touching the buttons on the door... that's mommy's job only!!! WOW!! Did I luck out or what?!? So yes, I deserve the BEST MOMMY AWARD! So much for multi-tasking, it bit me in the booty tonight!!!!!

Big Girl Bed!

My big girl got her very own BIG GIRL BED this weekend! We have been talking about it with her for 2 weeks or so. At first she'd always say, "NO big girl bed!". But after I showed her that the bear in her FAVORITE bedtime book, Kiss Goodnight, had a big boy bed, she fell for it! So yesterday, I talked Matt into putting it all together for her! As we were taking apart her crib, I found myself fighting back some tears. I didn't want him to see me falling apart (which I do frequently). So I said (trying to hold back my quivering voice), "It's kind of sad, huh?", he quickly said, "No, what's sad about it?". Men just don't get it! So I left it at that, If I tried to explain why it's sad that our little girl slept in her baby crib for the LAST TIME last night, I would definately start crying....hysterically! So I pulled back my tears, and we finished! I was taking out some of the accessories that match her room and started taking out the diapers (from the little diaper hanger). Guess what I found??? A paci! She hasn't had a paci for 9 or 10 months now. As if taking apart her crib wasn't enough, the Paci-Fairy wanted to kick me in the butt some more. So I let out another tear (okay a few tears) and kept it! I'll put it with her baby keepsakes! I threw the rest of them out months ago! I couldn't bring myself to do it with this last one! She slept in her new bed last night and did great! Our bedtime routine was the same and she fell asleep on her own, like always! She didn't even wake up in the middle of the night! I just put her down for her nap, once again, she did great! She is such a big girl! I still have a few things to do so that her new room is finished (like curtains and a lampshade that match), but for the most part...it's done!

This is what it looked like before...


Here's her new bed!



Here she is taking her 1st nap in the bed!

Little Einstein Birthday Party

Mackenzi had a BLAST at her Little Einstein Birthday Party! We have such great friends and family to come out when it was 111 degrees outside! The kids had fun playing with water balloons and trying to break the Rocket pinata. My sister Dana did such a great job making the pinata!!! I think she has a new calling! :) It was a bit indestructible....but adorable! Mackenzi got so many nice things! Thank you to all that came to share in this day with us!!!

Happy Birthday Mackenzi Ryann!

Wow, my little peanut, my small 6 pound baby...is already two years old! To many of you who are reading this and have older kids, you might think...oh, give me a break, she's only two! I think wow, she's ALREADY two! I can't believe how fast she has grown! Two years...flown by! She is an incredible little girl! She is sassy, beautiful, caring, funny, cuddly, silly, nurturing, and so much more. She loves to read books, it's by far her favorite thing to do. She loves to play with babies, pretending that they're crying or hungry...she says "it's okay, Kenzi's got you" or "OHHH HONNNNNEEY!". She loves, loves, loves puppy doggies! They are her favorite animal! She digs her shows...probably too much! She loves to watch Little Einsteins, Dora, Diego, and the Wiggles! She loves to play with her puppy, Hurley Girly! She chases her around, rolls on top of her, plays ball with her, and pulls on her tail (knowing that this will make Hurley spin with excitement). She is CONSTANTLY singing! She learns songs so quickly and sings non-stop! She sings as she's falling asleep, waking up, playing, riding in the car, and during meals. She loves it! She can count to 18, to 10 in Spanish. She can recognize numbers through 9 by sight. She knows all of her colors, even grey. She is a super, super smart little cookie! She loves her blankie. She has 3 little blankies and one big blankie, which is her favorite! She plays with them, cuddles them, and even pushes them in her baby stroller! She gives the best kisses! She likes to hold her brothers, rock them, and help feed them! Best of all, she likes to still be cuddled by me! I hope that lasts a long time! She still loves to cuddle on my lap and read or rock in the rocking chair! She likes her back tickled, her belly tickled, and her legs tickled! She's Mommy's little girl...my little girl! I feel so blessed to have her! Two years....in a blink of the eye!

Home from the hospital, your first night here
As I caressed your face and held you near
I noticed that my palm, I could hold your tiny feet.
This must have been the night that I fell asleep.

When I awoke, I heard you cry for me.
You are a toddler. Where is my baby?
Has this much time really passed
Or are you growing exceedingly fast?

As I think of the first days again
Certainly, the days seem a dream
Yesterday, you were my heart's glisten.
Today, my heart's lively gleam!
-Crystal Dawn Perry

A Great Weekend!

We had a busy, but GREAT weekend! Friday night, we dropped the kids off at my mom's house and we were off to the Angels vs. Braves game! Matt LOVES the Braves and this was the first time that they have EVER played the Angels. Ryan & Denay went with us...we had a great time! Denay and I didn't watch the game too much...but that's okay. It's fun to chit chat without having to watch the kids at the same time! The Braves won, which was a surprise...yeah!Saturday, went to Melissa Fleming's baby shower WITHOUT ANY KIDS! WOW---what a treat! Matt was nice enough to take them for a couple of hours so I could go alone! Then we were off to Rick & Wendy's for Jeff's 25th birthday! We had fun swimming and drinking Rick's famous Margaritas! YUMMY!! Sunday, we went to Church and lunch with the Rogina's then we were off to my parents! We had a blast! It isn't very often that my family, Dana's family and my brother Ryan's family can all meet up at the same time! The kids had a blast swimming in Nana & Boppa's pool! Here's some pictures! Notice, there are no men around....they were inside, glued to the t.v. watching the U.S. Open and the Laker game!

Good Times with Great Friends!

We finally got to hang out with our good friends Dusty, Emily, Eric, Melissa, and Evan this past weekend! It's been so long since we have had a chance to hang out and have a good time! Heck...we have felt like lonely losers lately! It's good to know we still have friends! :) he he... We went over to Eric & Melissa's house to watch the Laker game. Mackenzi & their son Evan had a great time playing together...except for the sharing part...they both need to practice that! But, who cares...toddlers will be toddlers! So here are a few pics of the kids playing! Enjoy!

They are so cute!

They shared lots of hugs!

This is what a LONG day of playing leads to...TIRED KIDS! They had a blast though! They are in their jammies and relaxing while watching a Baby Einstein movie!

Cutest Kids on the Planet!

This morning was very, VERY rough! All three kids have colds, Mackenzi was needy, and the boys...we'll the boys woke up at 7:00 and didn't go back down for a nap until 1:20p.m. For those of you that don't know my boys too well, they are usually on nap number 3 by 1:20!!! So, the boys were cranky, Sissy was cranky, Mommy was cranky! Then at 1:20....PURE BLISS! All three little hellions turned to angels and slept for mommy! YES!!!!!!! It was then that I was able to sit back, RELAX, and think of how fortunate I am! Actually, I think of this all the time, but this was the first time today! I am so lucky to have three beautiful, healthy children. I had 2 beautiful, healthy pregnancies, and 2 beautiful healthy deliveries....3 beautiful kids! WOW! I joined a Mother's of Twins Club after the boys were born. The more I talk to moms of multiples, the more I realize just how lucky I am. Most had to be put on bed rest, they had scary complicated pregnancies, births, and postpartum times. Their twins/triplets had to stay in the hospital for some amount of time....then I look at my baby boys! WOW! I am truly blessed! I can't say that enough! They could have gone home after 3 days...but I opted to stay and delay true life for one more day! Some of you may hear me complain about "motherhood" once in awhile, but I love it! I wouldn't trade it for anything! Even on mornings like today! Here are my three angels...the cutest kids on the planet!

Mackenzi Ryann

Jace Matthew

Quinn Richard

Oh So Busy...

Last weekend, we had a busy, but fun weekend! On Saturday, we worked around the house. Mackenzi was a very good helper. Here she is with her Daddy, mowing the lawn. Remember, she is very much a girly girl, but she does like to get dirty once and awhile. Notice that she is wearing high heels. She has to keep the "girly" effect!

On Sunday we went to a birthday party for my cousin's little girl. Mackenzi LOVES birthday parties. Maybe it's because of the CAKE! It was a Little Mermaid party. We had a great time! Kenzi was such a big girl! Where did my baby girl go??? Anyways, here's a few pictures from that party.When we got home, Matt decided that he wanted to go up to his parents house to swim. It was FREEZING COLD. Did that stop my little water baby?? Nope...she loved it. I even threw her in...twice! She had a great time. After she was blue and suffering from hypothermia, I took her upstairs to Grandma's big bathtub to warm up. She wasn't done swimming, so she swam some more in the bathtub! It was so funny, she pushed the button that turns on the jets. She had no clue what the button was, or what jets were, for that matter. When it started the whirlpool effect, she freaked out. She practically jumped out of the tub into my arms! You would have thought a shark was after her...it was so funny!