Thursday, May 29, 2008
Alone!
So why is it on nights when my husband doesn't come home - I get FREAKED OUT?! Seriously - I know it's ridiculous. I live in one of the safest cities in the nation. I have a house with a great security system. Really, a burglar wouldn't have a chance!
But as soon as the sun goes down...................anybody else out there feel the same? Maybe we could have a support group ; )
Thursday, May 22, 2008
America - what is wrong with you?!
DAVID COOK WINS AMERICAN IDOL
Now I haven't been watching the entire season - but I did watch the last couple of weeks and the finale on Tuesday!! And seriously people!!
A 25 year-old guy with a guitar and a decent raspy voice (BORING! pretty much the same as every lead vocalist out there) not to mention some serious eye make-up
VS
A cute, humble 16 year old kid with a voice and talent that most seasoned performers would pay millions for!! (I was blown away by his performances in the finale and I'm not easily impressed!)
Was it even a choice? Well, apparently - because America chose WRONG!!! I was SHOCKED and APPAULED!
Thoughts? And don't give me the "Archuletta is young and will have lots of opportunities" because that is simply agism!!
Little blessings.......a hernia and conjunctivitis with an ear infection
Hernia - We came home from church on Sunday expecting a relaxing day and hopefully an eventless week! HAHAHAHAHAHA - yeah right! So Jakey was outside jumping on the trampoline and came inside CRYING!! His stomach hurt - so I took him to see if he needed to go to the bathroom (sorry - but a necessary detail!). I look down as he's sitting on the pot and see a HUGE bump - if you can even call it that. Right where his abdomen and upper thigh meet, he had a "bump" the size of 3/4 of a roll of quarters. And he was in PAIN - serious pain. What to do? So I run him to the ER and on my way, leave a message for the on-call nurse. The ER was seriously backed up - so we had to wait and wait and wait - while my little guy was bent over in pain.
So we've been there for about 45 minutes and Troy calls for an update. So I go outside to take the call and Jakey - who hasn't been able to stand or walk - jumps down from my arms and says "It's all gone - I feel better." Just then the on-call nurse calls and says we can go home and just go see the Dr. in the morning.
We head to the Dr. in the morning and find (as I did on the internet when I got home the night before) that it's a hernia. So we have to take Jakey to see a pediatric general surgeon. Really - I was ok with that..................until I remembered a letter I got from ALL of the pediatric general surgeons in Austin a month before, saying that they were dropping our insurance!! WONDERFUL. They said we'd have to pay the out-of-network prices or go to Temple or San Antonio to find a surgeon that takes our insurance. Goodness!! What drama!
So where were the little blessings you ask? Well how about the fact that it happened on a Sunday when Troy was home!! What if I had had to take all 3 kids to the ER. And how about the fact that the hernia just went away before we paid the $75 ER fee? And we're waiting to see if this one pans out..........but the surgeons in Temple MIGHT make office visits at the new Scott and White campus in Round Rock!! That would be even better than going to Dell Childrens! Keep your fingers crossed for us on that one!! See - little blessings!
Conjunctivitis and ear infection - So as I put Zachy to bed on Tuesday night - I notice LOTS of yucky gunk (technical terms) in his eye! Great! I had already been to the ER and Dr already that week (not to mention my Dr that morning)! So I see what it looks like the next morning - and yeah - the kids needs medicine. Now I'm not a huge proponent of antibiotics - I try to not give medicine to my kiddos. But for something so contagious - do you have a choice?
So I take Zachy in - while Troy took the boys to lunch. The Dr. looks at his eye and says - yeah, conjunctivitis. And then he does his normal check-up and lo and behold, finds a WHOPPER of an ear infections. Don't kids usually show signs of an ear infection - like pulling at their ear or crying in pain at night? Not Zachy - what a champ!! But this ear infection was the "angry, red and thick, yellowy mucous" kind. Again - I don't like anti-biotics - and neither does our Dr thank goodness - but he said with this one we risked a perforated ear drum or hearing loss. So - OK, fine - now the kid's on 2 antibiotics - what can you do? At least he hasn't been on one in over a year!!
Again - where are the little blessings? Well - had Zachy not gotten conjunctivitis and had I not needed more of the eye ointment/drops - I wouldn't have taken him into the Dr and we wouldn't have found the ear infection - given what a CHAMP my little Zachy is!!
My life as a mom sure isn't easy - and there are NEVER relaxing, eventless weeks (not even days) - but I know things could be worse. And I know I need to recognize the little blessings that are there so often in my life that make my life just a little bit easier!!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Mother's Day Weekend!
Our WONDERFUL husbands took the kids for the day and sent us out shopping to the Dallas Galleria on Saturday.......carte blanche! Oh, we were SO excited - totally ready to spend, spend, spend. Carte blanche, they said!! We had permission! And you all know what happens when you have money to spend right?! You find NOTHING!! It's Murphy's Law! Oh, we tried. We both tried on over way over 50 things throughout the day - but they just didn't work! We came home essentially empty handed - but we had a great day away and even got exercise walking from store to store!
While we were gone on our not-so-sucessful shopping trip - the men took the kids on a very successful Toys-R-Us shopping trip. Each kid got a sword and shield - and they battled eachother with them all weekend. Poor Jordan got tag-teamed by my boys!! Matthew even found a "battle mask" (Kylie's headband)!
Wow - can these 6 kids put down a lot of food! It felt like all they did all weekend was eat, eat, eat!!
And here's a picture of the cousins before church on Sunday. I know - this is NOT the best picture - but I took about 6 and this was the best we got!! You try and get these kids to look at you and smile all at the same time. It's IMPOSSIBLE!! We wish all of our other cousins were there too! We love you Jack and Eddie!
The funniest thing about the entire weekend was the interactions between these little kiddos!! I had HIGH hopes of Zachy and Alexa being best friends!! Oh no!! Nope! Not even close!! This picture captures the one and only "nice" interaction between them of the entire weekend!
I would be holding Zachy in my lap and Alexa would come over to give him loves!! Alexa is a lovey, lovey little girl - which is SO sweet and adorable............until she gets so overwhelmed with her feelings of love that her little face turns red and her little head starts to shake and she attacks!! Even though Zachy outweighs this little pixie-girl by over 10 lbs - I think (he'd never admit it) - that he was a little scared of her!!
There was also the fact that Zachy is a big-time momma's boy!! He did NOT like mommy holding or loving on another baby. Zachy was a bit jealous! He's the baby...and he told us so!
Auntie Allison - Zachy, you want to give the baby (Alexa) loves?
Zachy - NO! (with his best grimace and pointing at her)
Auntie Allison - Zachy, is Alexa the baby?
Zachy - NO!
Auntie Allison - Zachy, are you the baby?
Zachy - YUP! (with a smile and one strong head nod).
Someday - they'll love eachother! What a fun weekend!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Who's Who?! - The Answer
My sweet Zachy is first, Matthew is in RED and Jacob is in BLUE!
I know that was totally unfair - they both had glasses on and were smiling....and I know they look alike (a little bit)!
Thanks for playing!
Friday, May 9, 2008
Who's Who?!
DISCLAIMER - take this with a grain of salt - I did it all before I had twins too!!
The most common question that I get asked (aside from "Are they triplets?") is "Are they identical?" Don't feel bad if you've asked it - everybody does. But why that question?! Is it cooler to be identical twins? Is it more of a novelty? Do people even really know what that means? I mean - I've heard of people asking mothers of B-G twins if they're identical!?
Sometimes I answer "yes" - and I get responses like "oh wow" and you can see how cool they think that is written all over their faces. And then the questions begin.............."Are they best friends?" "Is one more dominant than the other?" "Do they have their own language?"
Sometimes I answer "no" - and you can see the intrigue disappear. Sad!
Here's the thing............I don't really know the answer and frankly, I don't really care to know. They were in different sacks, but my first ultrasound was too late to tell whether the sacks were really separate or had just split. When I delivered them, I only had one placenta and the Dr's said they were 99.9% sure they were identical because of that one fact (like they knew - the placentas easly could have fused together)!
The most important thing to me is that they are individuals and are comfortable and happy with who they are. You'll never hear me call them "the twins." When I'm referring to them together, I always call them "the boys."
What makes me the happiest is when people can tell them apart!! (Because honestly people, they look NOTHING alike!). If you can't - don't feel bad - you're in a strong group! (Grandmas - you are not included in this statement - you MUST tell them apart - they're 3 for heaven's sake!!)
But if you can tell them apart........for that one simple thing, you will forever hold a special place in my heart.
So here goes.....................who's who?!
I'll give you a freebie - everybody gets at least 1 out of 3!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008
I got tagged............kind of!
Then I woke up this morning and saw Jody's list - and I can do that one!! So Danielle - does this work?! Kind of a cop-out - I know - I guess I'm just an"easy route" kind of person these days!!
4 people who e-mail me regularly
(1) my mom - about any random thing
(2) Sarah Reyes (and other people who know I just don't pick up my phone sometimes - just don't feel like it)
(3) Losing it with Jilian Michaels - thought it was a free weight loss routine - was WRONG - now she e-mails me EVERYDAY!!
(4) Stores - Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, Children's Place, Gymboree, Gap - gotta be in on the sales!
4 places I would like to visit
(1) Italy - Troy and I wanted to go but never got around to it
(2) Paris - again, but with Troy - those museums are amazing!!
(3) the beach - anywhere - but Maui is my absolute fav!
(4) CALIFORNIA!! San Diego, San Francisco - oh how I miss it!!
4 favorite restuarants
(1) any good mexican - so right now Freebirds or Chipotle has to suffice because Texas has NO good mexican - it's all that Tex-Mex stuff
(2) Saccones Pizza - seriously, if you live in Texas and haven't had this stuff - WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! It's SO yummy!
(3) Chick-fil-a - LOVE their chargrilled chicken sandwich - for only 250 calories!!
(4) Zorbas - I need my greek fill every once in awhile! It's NOT 250 calories........
4 things I am looking forward to in the coming year
(1) Matthew and Jacob starting preschool - how fun for them and what a different life for me! And Zachy and I will get alone time!
(2) no more accidents from my boys - does potty training ever really end?!
(3) the boys first BYU football game - against UCLA in September with all kinds of family!! GO COUGARS!
(4) short term - so excited for my shopping trip with my sister this weekend! Troy is even tired of my clothes - when your husband notices your clothes and makes that comment.........that's bad!
4 things I am not looking forward to in the coming year
(1) dropping M&J off at preschool for the first time - I know I'm going to be a mess! They're my little buddies!
(2) the Texas heat - just hate it! I love the weather right now - reminds me of home!
(3) short-term - I'm honestly a little concerned that I'm going to go shopping this weekend and as always (at least post-babies) - I'm going to be in between sizes!! keep your fingers crossed that I'll find stuff I like - cause I'm in a fashion rutt and for a fashion conscious person like me (at least in my former life) - that's not a good thing!
(4) that's all I can think of - I guess that's a good thing - I'm pretty happy with my life!
For all of you ladies who haven't posted in awhile, because you can't think of anything - these are always fun to read - so consider yourself TAGGED!


