Baby Wise

We have chosen to raise our children using the philosophy of a great book called On Becoming Baby Wise. I have read the first book numerous times and it's fantastic. I just got the second book (I didn't even know there was a 2nd book when Kenzi was a baby...oops!). I walked out into the living room today and saw this...

Apparently, Mackenzi wants to take part in raising our boys. She's reading up to make sure how to instill good morals in the twins! Way to go Sissy!!! She should really read the paragraph about WHINING!!!!

BBQ Time

We had a blast hanging out at Matt's parent's house for a bbq on Sunday. We got to spend some time with our favorite people: Dusty, Em, and Gavin--Eric, Melissa, Evan, & Macy--Ryan, Denay, Ryan Lee, Kody, and Brooklynn--Jeff and Kara--and Crystal! We swam, talked, played cards, drank, and ate burgers. It was a super nice day because it wasn't too hot. Evan and Mackenzi had a ball together. They had fun swimming, coloring, playing pool, and chasing each other. They even went in the pool for dip #2 with their clothes on! Jace and Quinn had fun lounging, swimming, and looking at Baby Gavin and Baby Macy! We are so lucky to have such great friends!!!Daddy and Kenzi
Daddy & Jace
Daddy & Quinn
Just hanging out
Quinn and Jace Evan and Mackenzi
Quinn and Mommy
Gavin
Macy
Evan & Kenzi
Macy, Jace, Quinn, and Gavin....we're just waiting for Baby Lincoln
Ev and Kenzi

P.S. Okay, so I know that I got a little crazy with pictures! OOPS!!! Deal with it! :)

Green Onions Anyone???

The boys have been teething for the last couple of weeks. Although our nights are back to normal, their days are fussier. I'm not complaining...I'll take it!!! If I get sleep, Mama's happy!! Dana used green onions to help Kelsea when she was teething. It really, really helped her. So, I gave it a whirl. They loved it and hated it at the same time. They were making the funniest faces I've ever seen. But, they couldn't stop chewing on them. It helped too! If you try it at home, make sure you cut the root part off and peel away any loose parts that could shred off. They shred it with their hands as well, so make sure you're right there...you wouldn't want any choking babies!!! I got a kick out of them trying it out. Look at those faces!!!

Jace

Quinn

Such a Great Week!!

Crystal came to visit me this past week. We had a blast hanging out and catching up! We had not seen each other for about 2 years. She came to meet Mackenzi right after she was born, then she and her hubby Jonathan packed up and moved to Colorado! She decided to plan a trip to see us and meet the boys! She was here from Thursday to Tuesday. We had so much fun. It's pretty amazing that true friends (who haven't seen each other very much over the past years) can pick up right where they left off. Our little inside jokes came right back and it was nothing but laughs! We had fun reminiscing, talking about life, and parenting (which is a new topic of discussion for the mommy-to-be). She had her fill of some Southern California favorites like In-N-Out and Fro-Yo (frozen yogurt), which has ALWAYS been her favorite! We shopped, had lunch with some old friends (Christina and Danielle), and went to dinner (a few times). I am so thankful that she was able to come out and visit. It made me realize just how much I miss her! It also made me realize how much I'm kicking myself for not seeing her too much when she was just a drive away in San Diego for college. I'm hoping to plan a trip this winter to see her and baby Camden (of course Jonathan too)! Thanks for the visit my partner!!!

This is Me, Crystal, and Christina (a friend from high school)

A Touching Moment...

I was cleaning the house this morning when I walked by Mackenzi's room. She was busily playing independently (which us moms love). I saw her playing doctor with these two babies. You see, these aren't just any baby dolls. These dolls are SO VERY SPECIAL to me. They were my Grammy's. She got them for Christmas from Tom Vetter (her 15 year boyfriend, who is like a grandpa to me). She loved this brand of dolls. She collected dolls. She was such a sweet grandma. She let us play with all of her dolls, even the porcelain ones. What kind of Grandma would do that with her prized collection? We could have ruined them at any time. These dolls however, were not porcelain...they had a hard plastic face. They are made to feel like real babies, about 8 lbs. a piece. These were my favorite! I used to hold them both (maybe an inkling that I'd have twins when I grew up?). When Gram passed away, my Uncle Mike told my mom that Dana and I could come over and pick whatever dolls we wanted from her collection. Dana was nice enough to let me have these two special babies! I am so grateful for that! Mackenzi will be able to enjoy these babies just like I did...and I promise that she will know that they were her special Grammy-Gram's!!! Little moments like this are a daily reminder of what a special Grammy I had. I miss her terribly. Not a day goes by that I don't think of her. I'm sure she's watching over us and enjoying special moments like this one!! I love you Gram!

Nasty Habit

Yesterday Mackenzi discovered that she could stick her finger in her nose and actually pull out boogies! Since then, she's been walking around with her finger up her nose! I think it's kind of funny because she has a super weak stomach. If she sees me blowing my nose or cleaning the boys noses, she gags! When she picks the right side of her nose, she uses her right hand. If she picks the left nostril, she uses the left hand. She keeps saying she's going to pick some monkey boogies. She and Boppa (my dad) were playing with a doctor kit. When he looked in her ears and nose, he said he saw monkeys! I think he taught her this nasty habit!! Thanks Dad!!!

More Bad News...

I took the twins to see the Doctor this morning. Bad news...it's NOTHING! MAN...I seriously wanted some kind of medicine, that way they'd feel better. He said their ears and throats look great! AHHH PICKLES!!! So, he said it's either from teething, or gas from the peas that they've eaten this past week. So, we're cutting out the peas (for now) and giving them LOTS of Mylicon Gas drops! Hopefully whatever is buggin them will stop soon!!! Wish us a good night's sleep tonight...PLEASE!!!!!!

Seriously...it's NOT cool!!!

The last 36 hours in our house have been HELL!!! That's actually putting it lightly! I'm calling the doc this morning to have the boys both seen. I'm hoping for an ear infection! That may sound like a silly thing to say. But, I have diagnosed them already...since I am certified to do that! It's either an ear infection or teething really bad. Since I can get antibiotics for the ear infection, they will be feeling better quickly...I'm hoping for that one. If it's teething...who knows when they'll feel better! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! My boys are the best. They nap when they are supposed to, play when they're supposed to, eat when they're supposed to, you get the picture. They've slept through the night for 3 months....But, the last 36 hours, they are so super fussy and they wont sleep at night. They wont suck their thumbs (probably teething) and they just cry! If your holding them, they cry, if you lay them down, they scream! Poor things are miserable! Hopefully Dr. Saad can help me out!!

Girly Girl

The other day, I was blow drying my hair. Kenzi grabbed my make up bag and was trying to open it. I let her play with it, no big deal, I figured she couldn't get it open anyways. Boy, was I wrong. She managed to get the eye liner out. She said, "Mommy, I'm beeaauutttiiffuuullll!" I turned around and saw this...

"Wow, you do look beautiful!" I said. Then I showed her in the mirror. She made a surprised face and said..."Take it off...it's ucky!". I guess this girly girl wasn't happy with the finished product. I have a feeling that she'll get a lot more practice before she actually get's to wear make up!!!

Serious Separation Anxiety

Yep that's right, there is some severe separation anxiety going on in my house! You see, last night we separated the boys. They have been sleeping in the same bed since birth. Well, actually if you count my womb as a bed, they have been sleeping in the same bed since implantation....whatever. Last night, they slept in their own beds for the first time! There was some SERIOUS SEPARATION ANXIETY going on. You might be thinking, "Poor boys!" Um...no, it's not the boys...it's me! They were fine! Quinn had a bit of a hard time falling asleep. I'm not sure if it was because he missed Jace, because he was in the "new" bed, or because he didn't want to go to sleep (he's stubborn). After that, they slept great! I was so sad to separate them! This is another milestone towards them growing up...I'm pathetic, I know! But anyways...here they are. They are ready for bed...Night-night boys!!!

Jace

Quinn

Rollin' with the Homies!

Yep, that's right! My big boys are rollin' with the homies!! They both started rolling over on the same day! I thought that was pretty weird that they'd do it on the same day! They both can roll from their backs to their bellies. Jace can roll over from his belly to his back again! Quinn is still working on that! They are getting so big, I cannot believe it! They used to sleep flat on their backs, but since they started rolling, this is their new favorite sleeping positions.

Since Quinn can't roll back over onto his back. I have to go into their room and flip him a few times a night, he rolls over and gets stuck. It PISSES him off so much! He really needs to get the hang of that!

They are now enjoying spending time in the exersaucer too! Here's a picture of Jace playing in it!

Here's a picture of Quinn...he was so happy to be having some tummy time! Should baby boys have cleavage like this??? :)

Last night, Jace did not want to take his evening nap! So he was chillin in his bumbo chair. When Matt looked over, this is what he saw...I guess he was ready for his nap after all!!

Now for the last cute pic of the day... When they woke up yesterday morning, Matt went in to get them. He sat in the chair and they were so content to cuddle! SO CUTE!!! They never cuddle at the same time!!! Look at those little thumb suckers!!!

What to do....what to do???

So, I'm at a loss with my hair!! (I know, a very important topic) As most of you know I was born a natural towhead!!! I was born with a nice layer of white fuzz!!! My hair was always as blond as blond can be....until I was about 21! That's when I started weaving it! I started putting a little bit of blond streaks into it, then a little more, a little more.....you get the picture! We'll I'm sorry to say that now I am a natural bleach blond! I no longer have a lighter shade of blond...I have a lighter shade of brown (which I don't think is all that light)! I actually think my hair might just be darker than Dana's...which is WEIRD because I've always had lighter hair than Dana! I'm in NEED of a haircut and color, I'm takin' 3-4 inch roots, and here's the problem! I don't know whether to keep it towhead blond, or get a little closer to my natural hair color! I feel like it grows so fast ( I'm very Rapunzel-ish like that) and then you see roots!! That's no fun, especially when I have better things to do than get my hair done (like tend to my babies)!!! About a year ago I dyed my hair brown, some people hated it...some loved it! Some people said it brought out my eyes and didn't make me look so pale---on the contrary, some said it washed me out!! AHHHH!!! I don't know what to do!!! So please leave me some comments and give your two cents...help a girl out!!
Here it is now....

This is what it looked like when I dyed it last year...

A Wicked Performance

My best friend Shannon LOVES to sing! She has sung all of her life for different dance/performance companies! She is very talented and ALWAYS gives me goosebumps when she sings!! She also LOVES the musical Wicked!!! She came across a casting call for a walk on roll for Wicked at the Pantages theater. So, of course she JUMPED on it, even though she hasn't performed in front of people for close to 10 years! This was a once in a lifetime opportunity!!She sent in an audition video and she got all of the way to the Semi-Finals. It was last night at Universal City walk! Of course Mom, Dana, and I went out to support her and give her some love, along with about 20 others from her family and Jeff's family! She did an AWESOME job! Out of the 10 people that were competing, she was in the top two....DEFINITELY!! She had to choose one of 5 songs from Wicked. She sang THE WIZARD AND I...she seriously did great...not just because I love her...but because she is really talented and did a great job!!! Unfortunately, she didn't make it! They chose the top 3 to compete in the finals...they chose one girl (who did an awesome job) and two guys (that SUCKED). I don't know what the judges were thinking! Maybe they needed more guys on the stage, who knows! But, we are all still very proud of her! She is a very talented cookie (even at 8 months pregnant)!!
Here's a pic of the 10 people performing! The girl with the green t-shirt and the two guys won!(SIDE NOTE: You can't see the other guy that won, he's hidden behind the host. Contrary to what your eyes might tell you the person to the left of the guy is actually a woman who had a support group of look alikes to root her on...but that's another story!)






In between singers, the "host" from Wicked and Manny from KIIS fm were calling people onstage to do games/trivia. They wanted to call up two people to do their best impression of Glenda tossing her hair (if you haven't seen the play, Glenda the Good Witch is very much an air head, she flips her hair with the best of the bimbos). So they call up a very flamboyant guy and they were looking for one more. They see someone with a red shirt raise their hand. So the host says, "yes, lady in red, come on up!". She and Manny continue to say things about the "Lady in Red". Manny even sang the song. As the "Lady in Red" came up to the stage, he tells them that he's a man! They kind of didn't know what to say....making some lame joke so that he didn't feel bad! The both did REALLY good (they were definitely in touch with their feminine side, if you know what I mean) so they ended up with a tie...they were both very good "Hair Tossers". This might have actually been the highlight of the night (other than Shannon, of course). Here's a pic of her er...him...


Mom, Dana, and I all had an awesome time!! We decided that we want to go out more often, just the girls, like it used to be!!! Check us out...doesn't mom have a nice rack?? LOL...it looks like she bought herself some boobies (she didn't)!!!

Is Greg REALLY a BABE?????

Mom, Dana and I were driving last night, when I told them that Mackenzi would REALLY love to see The Wiggles in concert. For those of you that don't know, the Wiggles are a musical group on Playhouse Disney. They have some very catchy, and somewhat annoying songs! Mackenzi loves them...so much that I have to listen to them almost every time we're in the car!!!I was bummed because when I checked it out on the web, they are only touring on the east coast. I said..."She would have loved it, actually I'd like it too!" That's when Dana said something that SHOCKED ME!!! Here's how the conversation went...

Me: She would have loved it, actually I'd like it too!
Dana: Me too...GREG IS A BABE!!! (With expression in her voice)
Me: ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? THE ONE IN THE YELLOW SHIRT, THE LEAD SINGER???!?!?!?!?
Dana: Yep, he's a babe...
Me: SERIOUSLY YOU'VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME...HE'S A DOUFUS!!!
Dana: No, I'm serious. He's tall and lean...he's cute!
-at this point my mom is almost peeing her pants in the back seat-
Me: You mean Anthony right? The one in the blue shirt...
Dana: NO!! He has bucky rabbit teeth...I mean Greg!
Me: He is NOT lean...his lip is funny and he is a dork!
Dana: You think he's a babe??
Me: No, I think he's the most handsome out of them all! I wouldn't call him a babe.
-Now my mom says, "I think you guys are both nuts...Jeff is the cutest!" (she was obviously joking)


So, we started arguing about this for a few more minutes. By the end of our debate, we were all laughing!! So I decided to do a poll...to see who is really the "babe" of the group! I don't think it's Greg, but I could be wrong! Please participate so we can end this debate once and for all!!!

Opinion Polls & Market Research

Summer Fun

We were lucky enough to go to Balboa Beach for the week and spend 4th of July there too! Matt's parents, Rick & Wendy, have a beach house that they rent out. They saved this week for family and we got to reap the benefits! We went out on Saturday the 28th and came home July 5th. The kids and I spent the entire week...poor Matty had to come home Monday afternoon and work Tuesday and Wednesday. He came back Wednesday night. We had so much fun! We went on many long walks and bike rides. We had a trailer to pull the boys and Kenzi sat on the back of my bike (although Matt and his brothers all had to take turns riding her because she was so heavy on my cheapy bike). We went to Catalina for the day...which brought back so many memories of my Grandma taking me and Dana there as kids! I bought Kenzi, Braeden and Kelsea all sandcastles (that Dana and I used to get there). We spent our days at the beach, at the funzone riding the Carosul (which is Mackenzi's favorite) and our nights eating great food!!! We had a blast! We had a bonfire on the 4th and watched the fireworks all around on the beach! The kids were fantastic! Even on the days that I was there without Matt...I wasn't stressed out...too much! Thank you Rick and Wendy for an awesome week!!!

HUNGRY HIPPOS!

We took our CHUNKY boys in for their 4 month check up a couple of weeks ago. They are both doing great and very healthy! Jace is 14 lbs. 14 oz. and 24inches long. Quinn is 14 lbs. 4 oz. and 24 1/2 inches long! It's hard to believe that they've just about TRIPLED their birth weight already!! Dr. Saad (our peditritian that I LOVE!!) gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal and baby food!! So, about two weeks ago, we started giving the boys rice cereal! The first time they tried it, they had mixed emotions! Quinn made the most sour face you've ever seen, followed by cries whenever I tried to give it to him. Jace on the other hand LOVED it! He was all smiles as he tried it for the first time! It's so funny how different they are! It's been almost two weeks now, they are liking it much better, especially since I switched them to Rice Cereal with Bananas. That was Mackenzi's favorite too! Today we are going to try green beans for the first time! I have a feeling my hungry hippos are going to get a whole lot chunkier from actual food!! That's okay, I think chubby babies are the cutest babies!!!

The first two are of Quinn and the last two are of Jace!!

DRAMA QUEEN

For Mackenzi's Birthday, Titi (Dana's sister in law, Stephanie) got her a hair piece. It's a fake pony tail that is on a rubber band. I put it in her hair for the first time and she LOVED IT! She thought she was HOT STUFF!! She kept feeling it and whipping her hair around. A couple of minutes later I heard her crying in her room...I went in to see what was wrong and this is what I saw!!! She was fake crying (just to see herself in the mirror) then laughing and smiling. She kept saying "it's okay tenzi, don't cry" then she'd smile...and do it all over again! She is such a GIRLY GIRL! I LOVE my little DRAMA QUEEN! Thanks for the present Steph!!