He's on the Move!

We have a feeling that our little Quinn is going to be getting himself into lots of trouble! He always has his eye on things he shouldn't have. He loves to chew paper from his sissy's coloring books, he wants to get to the buttons on the DVD player in the worst way, he loves to chew on Mommy's shoes too! We are constantly redirecting him. He has almost figured out crawling. He can do 2-3 actual crawling movements, but then catapults himself forward (because he can get there faster). Tonight, while we were eating dinner, he was all over the place. He started in the middle of the family room, then moved to his sissy's princess couch (where he is pulling himself up...well kind of like a tee-pee from gymnastics...hands and feet down, booty in the air). Then he moved over to the jumperoo and excersaucer. He crawled under the exersaucer and ONTO...yes, I said ONTO the excersaucer. This is where he finally got stuck! He's a little stinker. We never baby proofed the house for Mackenzi...we need to get on that right away for these little guys!

This is where his little adventure ended when he got stuck!

PEYTON LYNN IS HERE!!!!!!

I'm so excited...my friend Shannon had her baby this morning! Peyton Lynn Houlemard was born at 8:53 a.m. weighing 7lbs. 4 oz. She was 18 3/4 inches long. Let me tell you the story about Peyton's birth and her SUPER mommy!

Shannon called me at 7:10 this morning. She was at home, had been up having contractions since 3. They were 10 minutes apart. While we were on the phone, she had about 5 or 6 contractions...telling me to hold on and breathing through them. Meanwhile, she's getting her three children dressed and fed for the day. We got off of the phone around 7:30. Shortly after, her water broke. Her hubby came home from work around 8ish and they left for the hospital. In the car...IN THE CAR, she wanted to push. Jeff (her hubby) kept telling her "NO...DO NOT PUSH"! They got to the hospital around 8:45...they left the kids at the nurses station and had sweet little Peyton at 8:53. She said it was ONE push...and there was her little miracle! If you are wondering how I know so much detail about this birth, it's because this SUPER MOMMY called to tell me herself...about an hour after Peyton was born! She's one crazy mama!

I am so happy for her family. I am AMAZED that while on the phone with her this morning, she was in FULL BLOWN LABOR! You would have thought she was in the early stages, the way she was getting her kids up and ready...truly amazing! She's had all of her kids natural...NO DRUGS! Good for her...I can't even fathom that idea! NO THANK YOU! But, she's a natural! I'm very excited, we got to go visit her this evening. She is beautiful! She looks so tiny (maybe that's because my tiny babies are HUGE now). Shannon is doing great and feeling wonderful! Shannon laughed and said she didn't know who Peyton looks like...Matt and I both think she looks like her daddy!

WELCOME TO THE WORLD MISS PEYTON LYNN!!!!!!

The Story of Our Backyard

I was blessed to grow up with BEAUTIFUL a backyard. As most of you know, my mom is the ULTIMATE gardener. She LOVES working in the yard and making it beautiful. Even when she thinks it is not up to par, it's beautiful. I came to realize this luxury when we moved into this house. When we first moved into our house (a year and a half ago) the backyard was HORRIBLE! It was covered in rocks...like the houses in the desert. It had 3 planter boxes for veggies, but instead of veggies, it was filled with weeds. After a couple of months of living here, Matt's dad gave us a "Landscaping Gift Certificate" for his company to fix up the yards. It was a birthday present. I was SO HAPPY! I couldn't wait for a backyard I could enjoy. This is what it looked like after they tore a bunch of CRAP out!

They put in sprinklers, grass and some plants. We planted flowers before Mackenzi's first birthday. This is what it looked like then. It was starting to come together.

It looked like we were on our way to a backyard luxury, but not so much! It all started when ...we got a puppy. The flowers, shrubs, and plants were torn out by her sharp little shark teeth. The planters were now a place for her to dig and run! No matter how hard we tried to keep her away, she'd go back. These were her stomping grounds now. The BEAUTIFUL green, lush grass...well...it was now polka dotted with brown pee spots. The yard was a mess!!!! So, this is what it has looked like for about a year. I want a nice backyard so bad. So, we decided that since Hurley is now calming down a bit (and I use that term lightly), it was time to start beautifying our yard again.
Last weekend, we bought some beautiful palms, hibiscus, mandavilles, ferns, and birds of paradise to start on our yard. Here's what it looks like so far. We plan on fixing it up little by little. Hopefully, our super dog wont destroy it...I'm afraid if she does...she may get destroyed herself. (I'm joking, of course). We still have the pee-burn spots. But, we're working on that!!

Evidence that I'm a Dork!

No matter how cool I try to be, my true dorkiness seems to always come up and bite me in the butt. Everyone wants to be hip, cool, and sophisticated...me included. Well, sometimes, no matter how good you think you look...you later realize that you were WAY off!
I joined a "Mother of Twins Club" after the boys were born. I'm having a lot of fun with it. There is a online message board, a classified section, events like moms and tots play group, and socials (for the mommies only). Today was a moms and tots play group. There were 4 moms there (including me) and about 9-10 kids. Well, I've only met these women a handful of times, so I try to look my best, have my kids looking adorable, and pulled together. You know how that is!! Today was a swim party at a kiddy pool that was only about 1 foot. It was great. We stayed for an hour and a half...the kids were good...I was engaging in some great conversation. All in all, it was a great play date. When we got home, I pulled into the driveway and looked down at the crotch area of my shorts....CRAP!!!! MY FLY IS DOWN!!!!! I just lost all my cool-ness! You can't look hip, cool, and sophisticated with your zipper down and your blue striped undies showing! I don't know if they didn't notice or they were too nice to say anything. Probably the latter. NICE!! Way to go Lace!!!!!!

Bath time Fun time

As most parents know (err should I say find out as they go), there are many different stages to bath time. First is sponge-baths, then comes the "real" bath in a sling-like apparatus. Next is lounging in the "newborn" side of the baby tub. Then comes the big day when you can just sit them up in the "infant" part of the baby bath. Then comes my favorite part. The white-trash, good ol' put your baby in the kitchen sink! I was able to put the boys in the sink a few nights ago (which is GREAT for my back...no more bending over the tub...at least for awhile). They LOVED it. I need to get another plug so that I can bathe them at the same time, with one on each side of the sink! They were so cute. Quinn was too busy playing with the water. He wouldn't look up at weirdo mommy taking pictures and making silly noises. But, Jace...well, Jace was another story. He KEPT looking at me, smiling! He loved it! He looked so proud of himself!

Nemo & Dory

Yesterday we went over to my mom's house to go swimming. While the boys were sleeping, Kenzi, Kelsea and I went swimming. Kelsea & Mackenzi were pretending that they were Nemo and Dory the whole time! They had a lot of fun, which they always do when they are together. They have a very sisterly-like relationship. They love to play with each other, argue with each other, and take each other's toys. There is always tons of laughing and crying when those two little girls are together. They love it though! Here's some pics of the little fishies!

Happy 6 Month Birthday!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?!? Jace and Quinn turned six months old yesterday. Time flies. It's amazing, when we first found out that we were having twins...I was so nervous. I was worried what life would be like with two infants and a toddler. Three kids....overwhelmed was a good word. I was afraid that I would not be able to handle it. I obviously knew that I had to figure it out or else life would be crazy! Well, I'm proud to say that we have figured it out. These two miracles are wonderful. Words cannot even express how I feel about them. Probably all of you mothers will understand what I'm feeling. They are the best babies. They go with the flow. They are patient! They are adorable. They are perfect blessings! And...they are getting too big, too fast! I cannot believe that they are already half way to being 1 year olds! WOW!

I took them to the Dr. for their 6 month well baby check up. They are doing great. We'll start with Jace's stats first...He's 17 lbs. 14 oz. He's in the 60th percentile. He is 24 1/2 inches long (in the 25th percentile for that one). His head is 17 cm. Quinn is just 12 oz. smaller than Jace. Quinn is 17 lbs. 2 oz.. He's in the 50th percentile. He is 25 1/2 inches long (25th percentile). His head is 16 cm. They are doing awesome. They can sit up all by themselves now. They rock back and forth on their hands and knees...ready to crawl any day! I'm not sure I'm ready for 2 crawlers, but I have no choice!! They can also push themselves forward to get objects that they want. They whine or fake cough if they want your attention. It's too cute! We are so blessed to have 3 beautiful children. Matt's Grandma always jokes with him that "these are the good days". She's right!! These are the good days...I know I'm going to miss them!!!

Twice the B-day FUN!

The Birthday Girl-BrooklynnThe Birthday Boy-Ryan
On Saturday, we went to a birthday party for Ryan and Brooklynn. It was a Dora & Pokemon party. Mackenzi had a BLAST! How could she not...she had her favorite friends, a park, cake, and games! That just equals fun, no matter how you look at it! It was a BEAUTIFUL day, we set out a huge blanket under a shady tree. Jace, Quinn, and Gavin all hung out in the shade taking in the scenery...okay maybe not. But, they had a great time! Mackenzi kept forgetting that it was not her birthday....and the gifts were not hers! She's a stinker like that! Thanks for the fun time Ryan and Denay!!!

Water Balloon Toss (Brooklynn & Kenzi were partners)

Kenzi doing a Diego Craft



Mackenzi hitting the pinata





Brooklynn hitting the pinata
Gavin

The girls playing in the sand

Eric's 30th B-day

On Friday night, we went to a party for our friend Eric's 30th Birthday. We had a blast. There were so many kids there for Kenzi to play with. The boys were so well behaved. The weather was beautiful. It was at Melissa's parents house. Robin was nice enough to let me put the boys to sleep in her playroom for the night. Kenzi conked out around 10 p.m. Matt and I were golden! All the kids were asleep. We sat on the patio and talked with friends until the wee hours of the morning... I do mean wee hours. We got home at 2:15! Haven't done that in awhile!!! We had a great time!! Here are some pics of the kids! You can tell where my priorities are...I didn't get one picture of any adults (except for Matt swimming with Kenzi)!!!!!

Jace-Man

Quinny-Quinn

Emma and Evan

Big Girl Kenzi

Daddy and Kenzi

Shannon's Baby Shower

Yesterday was the last (I think) of my many baby shower's lately. It was my good friend Shannon's. She is having a little girl, Peyton. She is due September 7th. We met at Olive Garden in Victorville (where she lives). A couple of her close friends from up there came along. We had a really good time talking, laughing and showering her with gifts!!

Shannon is already a mother to 3 adorable kids. She has Logan who is 7, Megan who is almost 4, and Kaitlyn who is almost 2. She is a great mommy. Even though adding another into her brood will mix it up. She's up for the challenge. If anyone can do it, it's her!!! I can't wait to see her new little bundle!

Will Someone PLEASE Create My Inventions??

Last night, when I was feeding the boys sweet potatoes and peaches, I realized there are two things that would make my life a little better! You see, my sweet baby boys have come up with some pretty not so sweet habits!
Quinn LOVES to blow raspberries. He is always spitting and smiling as this sweet sound comes out of his mouth. Let me tell ya, it's not so sweet when it's time to eat! The food goes EVERYWHERE! I didn't really realize just how far he spits until I was feeding him dinner last night and my white t-shirt was now an orange polka dot t-shirt. When I tell him in a stern voice, "QUINN, that's not okay...no no!" ...he LAUGHS! UHHHH
Jace LOVES to put his fingers in his mouth. He does it all the time, but especially when it's time to eat. Let me set the scenario....I put a scoop of food in his mouth, his fingers (or fist) goes in and brings the food all out...EVERYWHERE! It's on his face, his ears, in his hair, all over his tummy, arms, legs, and high chair. I'm talking everywhere.
SO, during feeding time, I am constantly trying to teach these following manners: a) It's NOT okay to spit your food out...even if you are only 6 months old... and b) we don't chew on our fingers when yummies are actually going in your mouth...even if you're teething! Last night after trying to feed them when food flying everywhere, I came up with two BRILLIANT inventions.

A MOMMY SHIELD: It is kind of like a dentist face mask BUT, it goes all the way down with a built in wipe off apron!

A BABY STRAIGHT JACKET: Made of plastic that you can wash off after meal time!

I know, I know, I'm brilliant! Can someone please create these?!? Okay, so maybe not. I guess I'll just have to be a good little mommy and teach these boys right from wrong. In the mean time, I will feed them with dark clothes on so that I don't have food colored polka dot shirts!

*** On a side note*** I really DID come up with a good invention when Kenzi was a baby. You know how you are CONSTANTLY rocking an awake infant in the wee hours of the morning and you are SO tired and your head is nodding so much that you may just bonk her in the head....You snooze and stop rocking, she wakes up. OKAY... here's my invention. It's a glider with an ottoman, that is on a gliding base. All you have to do is sit there and hold the baby, while the glider rocks itself. You can snooze, baby can snooze and the chair does all the work! This one is actually brilliant, I think!!! I'm sure it's out there somewhere! I do think that it would be fantastic!!!

Home Photo Shoot

I took some pics of the boys today. I think they turned out really good. Then I edited them using various programs that I had. I think they are mini-babes! What do you think?? The ones where their eyes are blue are their NATURAL EYE COLOR! I didn't do anything to their baby blues...just changed the rest! They have got to be the cutest twins around (In my biased opinion)!

Messy Boys!

After about a month of getting used to eating solid foods, these boys know how to do it! They love eating and making a mess. They get so excited when I put them in their high chairs. I had to move them out of the Bumbo Chairs to eat because they kept throwing themselves backwards! BUSY BOYS! Now they get so excited as they patiently (or not so patiently) wait for their yummy veggies and fruit! The hard part is trying to feed them both at the speed they want. They start fussing while I'm scooping another spoonful in their brother's mouth. They want it all to themselves! They have had green beans, peas, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, and apples. We are still slowly introducing the fruits. So far, squash and sweet potatoes are their favorites. I'm sure that will change!!! I wonder if all these solids have made my chubby boys a bit more cubbier...humm...we'll have to wait a couple of weeks for their 6 MONTH check up! Can you believe that??? Already 6 months old! WOW!

Quinn

Jace

A Shower for Crystal and Baby Camden!

Last Saturday was Crystal's Baby Shower. It was at a restaurant in Laguna Beach called "Eva's Caribbean Kitchen". Dana and I took the boys and went to celebrate. We had a really good time there. Crystal looked as beautiful as ever! She's so darn cute, with just a tiny little baby bump! Camden got so many cute things! It was great to see her and her mom, as well as many other friends! Me & Dana

An action shot

Me & Crystal

You can barely see that prego bump of hers!