adventures in 2nd law of twins

so the tone of this space has been a little unintentionally heavy lately...good but heavy.
so i'm gonna lighten things up a bit.

i previously wrote this post on the 1st law of twins. so this is my follow up & addition to.

while i was away MIA this summer tending to my boys...it was mainly because i was experiencing what i call the 2nd law of twins. what is it you ask, let me share.

2nd Law of Twins states:

you cannot have one twin without the other. 

especially if pertaining to, but not exclusively limited to,

A. if there is a mess to make

B. a lap to be sat upon

and because pictures are worth 1000 words, please review the following as proof in defining this law.

disclaimer: no twins were hurt in or during any of these events

see!
y'all these were just pictures i snapped in a 2 month time period. when i said this summer was busy taking care of my fam...now you understand i was just cleaning up the trail these 2 left behind.

these 2 have gotten in more trouble than my older 2 ever did at this age.
some may call it teamwork...
but in our house we call it the second law of twins.

flashback friday: an adventurous june

in our family, over the last 7 years june has proven itself to be a big month for our family.

i wouldn't say good things or bad things, just life-impacting/changing things. 

for instance...

in 2005 we got married

in 2006 we got pregnant with ben

in 2007 we moved into our house

in 2008 we got pregnant with gabe

in 2010 matt traveled to nepal & we got the scary news about the twins

in 2011 we put the house on the market & became minivan owners

and i'd say those are just the highlights.
phew! i'm tired just reminiscing.
so as you can see, i wasn't just mincing words when i said life-changing things happen.

and as today is the 1st day of june,
i'm anxiously awaiting what this month has in store for us. 

one thing i do know for certain is that ben graduates from preschool tonight. 

i'd be content with that for our life-impacting occasion of june for 2012.
that...or my bestie {who was also born in june} has her 1st baby!

HAPPY SUMMER!

adventures in the law of twins

does this happen to anyone else?!

i mean how am i suppose to keep up with twin toddlers without a fence?! 

it's gotta be the 

law of twins: 

move in the opposite direction of your sibling,
without stopping & as fast as possible.

thankfully, i have found a park with a fence!
it's a rarity & such a blessing.

bonus:
bathrooms & a picnic shelter

i'm calling it my little slice of heaven on earth.

at least with a fence i have a fighting chance of keeping up.
and the only way i can take all 4 boys to the park by myself.

{and if you've ever wondered how i lost my baby weight...
this should give you an idea how. haha! }

psst! help us make the top 25!
you can vote 1x each day until may 23!!

adventures in the top 25!

We've been nominated for the 2012 edition of 

Circle of Moms Top 25 Moms of Multiples blogs!

and we're so honored! 
thank you to all of our readers...yes, all of you! 
{even you closet readers. you know who you are!}

you can vote 1x every day, now up until May 23!

oh how i love may! 


let me count the ways...
*may day!
*mother's day
*my birthday!! {the big 2-9}
*stella & dot kickoff
*memorial day
and now this!!

flashback adventure: finding out baby #3 was a boy & so was #4

it was this week 2 years ago that we got some life-changing news...
it almost seems as though it was this news was the beginning of a string of ultimate life changes.
A LOT can happen in 2 years. and it's all been covered in God's grace & peace.


since i want to keep the original post labeled & marked as it was when i did it, i'll just copy it here & make your job of finding it a little easier. may this easter season you be overwhelmed by God's grace & love...cause when i remember this time in my life, i still feel overwhelmed by HIM!



ok so here it is folks, my reactions to our life changing news last week...

it's been almost a week now and i'd say the reality of the situation has settled in as best as it possibly can, for now. i have 2 babies in my belly. which to say the least explains A LOT! it came as a total shocker even though my belly is huge already. we had an ultrasound at 7 weeks and there was no mention of there being 2 babies. i've also had a few doctor's appointments since then and again, no mention of 2 heartbeats. i guess God had some things for me to deal with and work through first. :)

and not only were we doubly blessed, but they are both boys! LOL! my Cook cousins i'm sure are laughing. to clue everyone else in, all my cousins on my dad's side have only had boys-i think it's like 16 great-grandsons! i always knew that i'd be a mom of 4 boys. call it intuition or self-fulfilling prophecy, either way, i'm there. and to answer a big question, yes, fraternal twins do run in my mom's family, BUT, i'm having identical twins and that could happen to anyone. :) and since twins run in my mom's family i always 'joked' that i'd be the one to have the twins...and again, here i am. i just kinda chuckle when i think about those statements of years ago. i guess the Lord knew then i would need a long time of mental preparation since i wouldn't actually find out i was having twins til half way thru the pregnancy!

i took last friday to just 'enjoy' the news and not let myself get all worked up into the details. it was a bizarre day and nothing much got accomplished besides phone calls, texts and facebook updating. it wore this little introvert out! but i'm glad i took that day. i was able to think so much more clearly the next day. because throughout the day, and continuing still, the Lord reveals himself and his ways to me. He has showed me so many things, from the grand to the small, that He had already begun doing to prepare me for this time. my original thought was "how in the world do you accidentally get pregnant with twins?!" the short answer is: you don't! God had these boys planned for such a time as now and has prepared me, like i've said before, throughout my lifetime. i could look back and say 'maybe' He did this or that, but i know without a doubt that they were all done and orchestrated for me for this time. these boys have a destiny that can't be denied! for instance, just yesterday i was so thankful that i played soccer for like 14 years and got the strong legs to prove it! or how i needed to wait until we found out what the baby was to figure out a name. or the sense of transition and the Lord asking me to 'grow up' a few months ago. or the need to be more proactive about play dates for ben & gabe. or even something simple like all the baby things we have that i made matt put in storage rather than selling. or maybe the fact that the doctor told me i need to gain at least 40 lbs and lo and behold that's exactly what i gained (and lost!) with both the other boys. or maybe it's the fact that my parents will be moving to the east coast this summer and my mom will be in between jobs rather than just taking vacation when she comes to help.

i mean really how can i be fearful when i can see all He has done for me and my family already. His perfect love has truly cast out all fear. i was asked if i'd cried yet...and the answer is no. i mean, i know i will have my moments, but right now, all i can feel is God's love and purpose. there is certainly no fear. we are surrounded with people who truly love and care for us. and will do anything for us. apparently i needed a lesson in humility and letting people help me. i'm not looking forward to the days of impending bed rest or taking it slow. i worry mostly for the big boys and my pregnancy. i know there will be help once the twins come, but it's the stress of the pregnancy and the likelihood of pre-term labor or complications. and just letting gabe stay a baby as long as he needs to. poor buddy won't know what hit him soon enough! and my big benny and all the energy he will need to run out. oh the life of little boys is definitely not full of sitting and playing inside, at least not ben's.

these little lives will be here before i know it. my goal is to make it to 36 weeks. my doctor said their window for delivery is between 34-37 weeks which puts their appearance 4-6 weeks ahead of the original due date of august 17. so july babies they will be. and even though it shortens the time frame, i'm procrastinator and do better when it's 'go time' rather than waiting, so again, i guess God knew best! 

thank you for all of your love, encouragement, support & generosity already!

with love,

kristi...and my 5 guys

twins naptime adventures

and in case you didn't get the drift of what it means to be tag-teamed by the twins...well, here's is a video.



before this video was shot we had already been into the room to resettle & put them back to bed. then we set {matt}s iphone up in their room to see exactly what was happening during nap time. this is a little snippet of it...what you didn't see is the 3 other times that {matt} or i came in to put someone back into their crib.

we totally were laughing. {matty} is so strong! my favorite part is {sam} putting his arm around {matty} as he climbs out, as if he were saying "stay & snuggle some more." but don't let his sweetness fool you...he climbs out in the middle of the night. he's been known to sneak into our bed & kiss his dad in hopes of convincing {matt} it's ok to let him stay. and it usually works. {sam}s also been known to just sit & play toys if he can't get the door open...yes, in the dark of the middle of the night.

i'm more than ready for these canine teeth to finish cutting. that's what seems to be keeping them up. *fingers crossed* they'll stop after all their teeth are in.

Current adventures:: twinnie tag teamin'

things have just been crazy lately. And trying to keep up with these twins may be the death of me.
There's been some during-nap-closet climbing...

A little hair-pulling-while-trying-to-take-a-picture

...this...twinnie tag team at its finest

And more closet climbing. this time wallowing in the extra blankets.

So if you need me...you can find me hiding in the kitchen sneaking some chocolate cake.

- Posted from my iPhone

it's about that time again...or is it?!

{ben} was 15mo when we found out that {gabe} was on the way.

{gabe} was 16mo when {sam} & {matty} were born.

today the 21st. today, the twins are 15mo...

so what you ask?!

A. i love seeing all the boys at the same age. it lets you see all the similarities & differences more clearly.
B. well here's a bit of a confession...ready...
i have a slight case of baby fever...
there i said it. no taking it back now.

i know. i know. what am i thinking?! it definitely is NOT time for me to get pregnant again.
and yet i can't help myself. seeing all these new little babies everywhere...it melts the mommy heart in me.

hear me out for a sec!

to try or not to try for a girl?!
i only truly have the slightest inclination, like 15%, for a baby girl. and the 85%...deathly afraid it would be another boy. i mean just the thought of 5 boys...scary! and as of late, {ben} has told me that he wants a baby sister. it freaks me out when kids say stuff like that cause so many times they are right on point. i'm just thankful he didn't ask if there was a baby in my belly!

the whole 1 baby vs. 2 babies thing:
also, the last pregnancy was twins people. i won't say it was terrible, but it was hard. my little body worked in over drive. i know that i could totally handle another pregnancy with less gripping and more action. that belly wouldn't hold me back!

and just having 1 newborn. solo bebe. that would be awesome. yes there would still be lack of sleep and diaper changes. but what i have to compare it to now...i mean i'm already changing diapers so nothings really changing in that neighborhood anytime soon.

and the breastfeeding...ha! once you've tandem nursed twins you've climbed the highest mountain. although, i might just miss snuggling 2 babies then...might...maybe...ok, probably. cause who doesn't love double the baby snuggles?!

we're young. the boys are young. 
yes, we both are only 28 & i have several more years of prime childbearing years ahead of me. and while we do have age on our side, i also don't want to look or feel as though i've aged 20 years overnight. there are some days that my personal space limit was reached and crossed as i became a human jungle gym to all of the boys. but we also have time to sit on it and wait. these twins may literally break me. and think on this, i would have...a 5 year old, a 3 year old & 2-2 year olds...then plus a newborn. now doesn't that sound like fun?!


and while all of these are great and valid points...

i don't see that any of them are a good enough reason to have another. i'm trying to enjoy my boys. i feel as though i've missed out on the 1 year old stage with both {ben} and {gabe} so now i'm doing it double time with {sam} and {matty}. we've talked about it. continually. i think it's an evolving decision. we have given ourselves a couple of years to finalize the decision.

and the decision is...

for now it is that our quiver is full with 4 boys. sorry to disappoint the few of you who were hoping i'd be making a different kind of announcement. sorry, no little beauty joining our tribe at this time. i'm learning to accept the fact that the twins were more than likely my last pregnancy. my last baby experience. my last set of firsts. and while i barely remember most of those times, i will not selfishly fulfill my need to excel at being pregnant. and in that, my mind & heart find peace. and excitement for a new season. one that is no longer full of babies and feeling left behind to tend to the little one(s).


so here's to me & my 5 guys!

adventurous attempts at kite flying :: take 2

i spent some time last weekend sitting on a screened-in-porch at a gorgeous beach house we had a worship retreat with the crew from NLVB in the quaint town of duck, nc. it was one of those sweet moments that i wanted to capture in a bottle and keep forever. the breeze blowing. the kids playing sweetly. the warmth of the sun on my legs. the sound of the ocean as it crashes against the shore. sigh.

it was everything i love & adore about fall days.

{matty}, {gabe} & {sam}
& the one in pink is the
closest thing to a daughter i have {hayden}

{ben} got distracted by a little brother &
then refused to take anymore pictures with me. grump! 

see it's supa dupa windy in the outer banks. guess the wright brothers knew what was up when they picked this place when trying to figure out how to fly. yes, kitty hawk, north carolina peeps. look it up. well we decided that we should take advantage of the wind here too. and so out we set on our kite flying adventure :: take 2!

first stop...the infamous kitty hawk kites store to buy a real kite. and by that i mean made of nylon not just plastic. {ben} picked out this stealth bomber kite.

next stop...a park. the best place to fly the kites in the outer banks is on the beach. but with so many little ones and the sand & water, i wasn't so thrilled with that idea. instead we headed up to corolla, nc by the lighthouse. they have a huge open field where we knew we could fly the kite without trees or power lines in the way. it was perfect!

it was gorgeous kite flying conditions. {gabe} & {ben} both got to fly the kite. they were so pumped. stoked would be a better description. eventually dinner time came and we were all ready to leave in search of food. much more sucessful than the previous trip. if you have no idea what i'm talking about, read this.

it's times like these i'm thankful for my iphone. between {matt} & i we got some great shots of our adventuring....all in all, a great trip to the outer banks!

me retrieving the twins from their escape

{matt} with the twins

{ben}'s trick kite flying & his fans in awe & wonder

{ben}'s favorite thing to do...fly the kite with his feet. he's totally my kid. i did stuff like that all the time when i was younger. and one time it got away from him and {matt}, the wonderful dad that he is, went running and then flopping after it as the kite began to fly away. i laughed so hard i couldn't breathe!

******

remembering to embrace the camera! have you lately?!

flashback adventures to times unremembered

{matty}'s favorite spot

last September was a time i'll never remember & i love the month of september. i know, i know. most people end that phrase with never forget. it's when my mom who stayed with us for 7 weeks after twins birth left. then things went blank...

i do remember parts of my family visiting and taking family pictures, but not too much else. i kinda hate it. but thankfully i have lots of pictures thanks to my awesome husband & his trusty iphone and, not to worry, we also have some good ones on our real camera. i feel like a small child when i try to remember the happenings...just bits & pieces that are muddied by sleep deprivation and stories & pictures shared by friends. so here's an attempt to relive, remember & share life as it was with newborn twins.

trying to find just pictures from end of august & beginning of september 2010.

lots of time spent in my moby wrap for everyone. it was part of my everyday attire.
thankful my wonderful mother in law made me a second. we wouldn't have survived without it!

double time!
and yes, they loved it.

{matty} to this day loves being worn.

{sam} taking a look around 

lots of couch time. and subsequent cartoon watching.

typical.

this is {gabe} checking out [sam}'s paci

{ben} & {sam}

{ben} & {matty}

big brother {ben} was enthralled with both boys and constantly asked to snuggle them

and most importantly, lots of snuggles.

{matty} & {sam} lived in the pack n play in the living room

photo by {ben}

swaddled & pacified. time for a nap!

and the big boys loved spending with
grammie & granpop while they stayed with us

ok, now i feel like i sufficiently recall september 2010. and i'm glad to say that it's done. those sleepless nights with twins kicked all our butts! thankful for time passed and growing older aka bigger & fatter.

the adventures of raising boys & embracing the camera

this my friends is picture proof that mommas don't always have to be the ones behind the camera. 

here's how we do it...

this is what we do to relieve a little stress. we were hiding from the dishes in the sink. 

this was my lesson in the difference of boys v. girls...

girls 'play dress up' and boys 'wear costumes'.

thank you dear {ben}.

and this is how you snuggle 2 babies early in the morning.

i think it's the best way to watch morning cartoons,

although it does make drinking coffee difficult.

who needs coffee when you get sweet twin snuggles?!

my solve to the

i-just-woke up-from-my-not-long-enough-nap-grumpy-face

into the sweet boy he is.

photobooth!

he's a camera hog & loves watching himself. 

a great 20-30 mins of entertaining fun.

don't mind the pink paci-we were desperate or the bedhead!

and now we're off on more adventures & making more memories...

who's my sneaky hiding adventurer?!

well, i'm not exactly sure who the best little hider in my tribe of arrows is, but i do know, i have at least one!

{gabe} will sit completely still and not say a word...granted he may be sitting out in the wide open, but still, not a peep.
{ben} giggles incessantly or tries not to and squeaks. he can't handle the anticipation of it all and usually pops out.
{sam} and {matty} haven't really learned the whole hide-n-seek thing yet. they do more of the peek-a-boo...well {matty} does. and he loves it like most 1 year olds do!

it makes me wonder which twin was hiding from the doctor's during doppler tests and the early ultrasound. because now that we know there were twins because until 20 weeks we didn't i can look at that 7 week ultrasound and see 2 babies. i can see it people. i would find a picture to put up here but i'm sure they are all packed away in boxes in a storage unit where the other 95% of my belongings are.

there are two. separate. little. beans!

well, maybe the ultrasound tech and OBGYN that saw me that day weren't as good at seeking as i am. i can't put my expectations of great observation on everyone, that wouldn't be fair. ha! either way, that day just after christmas 2010 that we got our ultrasound and had a late christmas gift for our families...but we weren't ready for it. no one was. there was still genuine shock that i was pregnant again.

still not sure of who was the hider although i have my suspicions but whoever it was, they win. best hiding spot ever! i'm just glad they decided to show themselves before it was labor time and i ended up one of those crazy ladies on discovery health that didn't know she was pregnant...with twins!

this post was inspired by mama kat's writers workshop.

5, the perfect hiding spot.

Daily chaotic adventures in the process of moving

From this...




to this...in about 12 hours




With a little of this...




And a little of that in between.




As you can see I'm busy packing a house & finding little buddies who have found empty places to play in. It'll be somewhat over this weekend. But at the moment we're moving (the 6 of us) into {auntie kate's} 2 bedroom, 3rd floor walk up...as we wait for our renter to vacate our condo.

Yep, prayers accepted & appreciated at this point. More thankful than ever for family!

- Posted from my iPhone