This Girl's Life

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

What a Wednesday

2012-02-08T07:34:00.000-08:00

Need to vent...

Taylor was supposed to have her evaluation on Monday for her speech delay, and I got a call on Sunday from the evaluator saying that she was sick and could not keep our appointment. It was rescheduled for today at 11.

So this morning I get a call from the lady and she told me that she had to cancel AGAIN because her little one has a double ear infection. Now Taylor's eval won't be until the end of February. Now, I know every child is different, but really? I still go to work when Taylor has ear infections. Maybe Taylor is just used to having them now, so she really doesn't act sick when she has them, and I can actually go to work. So I have a hard time understanding cancelling an appointment for an ear infection. I know...I sound harsh. I don't mean to be. It's just the frustration talking.

And to top it all off, I took Taylor to the pediatrician for her ear re-check and guess what? She has another double ear infection. She'll be on meds for another 10 days which will be right up until she gets her tubes.

I am so frustrated today. I just need to pick myself up, brush it off and get on with things. It's just so hard!

Guilt

2012-01-25T10:15:00.001-08:00

I've been feeling really guilty today.

Taylor's ear infections have been weighing on me. I feel like I should have been a better advocate for her, and should have pushed my pediatrician for an ENT referral a long time ago. Maybe we would have had her tubes in by now. Maybe she would be further along in her speech.

I could drown in all of the maybes and what ifs.

I should have trusted my instinct. But now we get to wait...

Dealing with it

2012-01-23T05:50:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is pile the girls into our bed and have all of us just hang out. And watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, of course. This picture is of our sweet Taylor (gotta love the bedhead) enthralled with the tv. When Mickey is on, she tunes everyone else out!

She has another double ear infection. She had just finished her antibiotics on Wednesday too. I am so over this. She's usually a good sport about dealing with the ear infections. She isn't too cranky or miserable. I think she is just used to it at this point, and it's just a part of life for her.

That makes me sad.

I cannot wait for her to get her tubes. I am praying that it will be the solution to all her ear problems. I don't like the fact that she has been on a dozen different antibiotics. I hate the fact that all of these infections could be affecting her hearing (and therefore, her speech). I dispise the fact that it's taken this long for her to even get the tubes put in.

I just look at her sweet face and know that I would do anything on this earth for her, and if I could take away all of these infections, I would do it in a heartbeat. I know that in the grand scheme of things, ear infections are nothing. It simply sucks that this is my child's "norm".

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T12:54:00.001-08:00

10 on tuesday

2012-01-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

1.) After hearing all of the talk about Downton Abbey, I finally started watching it. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but now I am hooked, darn it! But you want to know something funny? Up until a few days ago, I could have sworn the name of the show was DownTOWN Abbey. Yup, I feel like a moron.

2.) I have been obsessed with teen shows and books lately. Maybe I am trying to relive my teen years vicariously through these characters! Ha! I've been watching Switched At Birth and Jane by Design (which is so cute) and recently read Divergent by Veronica Roth (thanks Jeanie for the recommendation) and am starting Gone by Michael Grant. I could not put Divergent down and am anxiously awaiting the second book.

3.) Taylor is having an in home evaluation for her possible speech delay in February. I am so happy that things seem to be progressing rather quickly on this front. I guess I would rather know sooner rather than later if there is indeed a problem.

4.) Enough of spring clothing in stores. I am in Michigan and its going to be cold and snowy for at least a couple more months. I want to see wintery stuff, darn it! (but I did manage to get some good deals on clearance at American Eagle)

5.) Speaking of clothes shopping, I've been putting off buying new jeans, though I desperately need some. I just get so frustrated when I can't find what I am looking for. The last pair I bought were from American Eagle and I don't know what possessed me to buy them. Every time I bend over, my butt crack shows. Not attractive or appropriate for this mama! I am promising myself that I am going to get cracking (pun intended!) at jeans shopping soon!

6.) I don't get mean people. What is the point of being downright nasty? Does it make them feel better to be vicious to others? No clue. That's all I'm going to say.

7.) So the first Sunday that I put down the IPhone was great. No problem. This past Sunday? I was not as strong in my conviction. I did leave it on the charger for the day, but I found that I was going to it to just read an ebook and then found myself checking Facebook, then Twitter...you get the idea. Back to square one I go.

8.) Has anyone tried Starbucks Blonde roast yet? I am dying to find it if it's any good. The commerical had me drooling for a cup.

9.) I have been craving Mexican food lately. I could seriously eat it every day (even though I don't). So tomorrow I am going to try out a recipe for a Enchilada Bake. I'll post the recipe later this week if it turns out as yummy as it looks. I am crossing my fingers that it does as we need some new recipes in this house! Don't you get tired of cooking the same thing over and over? Me too!

10.) Wishing I could do a group Bible study, or at least find a group of girls willing to dive into the Word with me! Love what the Good Morning Girls are doing... (www.goodmorninggirls.org)

High Hopes

2012-01-15T05:03:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Taylor had their 18 month well child visit last Monday. We are slightly behind on their wcc visits this time since it's kind of hard to get in on a day that works for both Mike and I.

I had high hopes for this visit, since I was NOT leaving that office without a referral to an ENT for Taylor. Our pediatrician looked at Taylor's ears and guess what? She had another ear infection. Keep in mind that her ear infection history has gone like this: 6 ear infections since Memorial Day, with her last one being on December 17. And here we are with another. So, Dr. R didn't really hesitate to give her a referral to an ENT. Hallelujah! Instantly I was a happy mom.

I was happy for more than one reason about her referral. In my opinion, she needs the tubes. She probably needed them, oh, I don't know. Maybe 3 ear infections ago!!! But she needs them because I believe it might be causing her to have some hearing loss. Which in turn, may be one of the reasons that she is not really talking yet. She babbles but she doesn't say words. She doesn't even say mama or daddy. Taylor's comprehension far exceeds her expression. She understands what we say to her, and she usually responds by pointing. She just doesn't have the words.

Her appointment is set for February 20 and they are also going to be looking at her adenoids while she is out. If the dr feels they are enlarged, he will be removing them at that point. An audiologist is also going to be testing her for hearing loss while she is under anesthesia, with a process called BAER. I am relieved that we are going to get this taken care of, and that Taylor will hopefully get some relief from these ear infections and hear normally again (crossing my fingers).

Winter Wonderland

2012-01-15T04:56:00.000-08:00

We knew it couldn't stay away forever. Winter, that is.

I am actually kind of liking the snow! But only when I am watching the snow fall from the comforts of my warm and cozy house. Going outside in it is a completely different story. I am not a winter outdoorsy type of girl. I prefer my sweats and wool socks to parkas and boots, thank you very much. And people on the road when winter weather hits? OH MY WORD. Either they are flying by you going 70 or you are stuck behind them while they putz along doing 10 in the left lane. It's ridiculous. See? Another reason to stay inside!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend and staying warm wherever you are!

Unplugged

2012-01-09T06:18:00.000-08:00

So one of my goals for the new year is to make Sundays a day of rest, spending time with family, and well, unplugging. (hmm.. Sundays as a day of rest? Weird concept, huh? :)

As crazy about tv as I am, I haven't quite been able to shut it off completely for the whole day. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes in real handy when you need to run downstairs to throw in a load of laundry, or spend 10 minutes in the bathroom without 2 little people in there with you.

I wanted to start by putting my phone on the charger for the day, and just ignore it. Let's be truthful here. My phone and I are BFF's. It is usually hooked to my side at all times. I'm the girl who has to check her phone 5 million times a day, not wanting to miss anything! I've been known to go into panic mode when I can't find my phone. This is not good, people. So when I purposed to put down the phone for an entire day, I was truly worried that I wouldn't be able to do it, as sad as that may sound.

And it ended up being...wonderful.

I did not miss checking Facebook 100 times a day, or running to get my phone to see who Tweeted what. I did not miss spending time playing Wordfeud or Scrabble or Cityville. I did not miss checking out the entertainment news on US Weekly, or viewing the headlining stories at ABC news.

I honestly felt relieved that I had made this promise to myself to do this. I know it doesn't sound like much to not use your cell phone for just one day, but I am realistic. I am just glad that I am making the effort to turn off the "noise". I'l keep you updated in the next couple months to let you know if I'm sticking to my guns or if I have let that IPhone get the best of me!

my favorite time of day

2012-01-04T08:40:00.001-08:00

I have a confession to make.

One of my favorite times of the day is when the girls go down for their morning nap. (yes they are still taking a morning nap, and I'm not pushing them to drop it)

This is the time when the house is completely quiet, and I can just sit with my cup of coffee and have my prayer/Bible study time.

I don't get to do this everyday, so when I do, it's a happy moment. I wish it could be an everyday occurence, but right now, I am not disciplined enough to set my alarm early in order to get up and have some quiet time. I love my sleep. I'm working on this.

So, for now, I take my quiet time when I can get it. And I am loving it...

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

2012-01-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

We had such a great Christmas this year! Even though it was harder this year for me to get into the spirit, I really caught the holiday bug once the weekend of Christmas came around. Better late than never, right? ;)

Mike and I decided not to go totally crazy on presents for the girls since we knew that they were going to get SO much stuff from grandparents and relatives. We got them a few presents each, and they had more fun unwrapping the presents than the presents themselves!

2011 was a year of amazement for me as a mom. I had such fun watching Taylor and Morgan grow and learn new things. They made me laugh, and well, I might have wanted to cry a couple times too!

Here is a look back on 2011...

Looking back on all of these pictures makes me smile! We had such a good year, and I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us. I can only hope that we will continue to be so blessed!

18 Months

2011-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

So, the peanuts have turned 18 months!

They are keeping Mike and I on our toes to say the least, and when they go to bed at night, we want to too because we are exhausted from chasing them!

Morgan is such a chatterbox. She screeches, she yells, she talks! She can say momma, dada, go, down, shoes, nana, papa, tree. She is usually the first one I hear in the morning, just chatting away in her crib.

Morgan is a good sleeper (finally!) and still can sleep without a problem for her morning and afternoon nap. I haven't gone away with the morning nap completely because sometimes they really need it.

She is super attached to her blankie, and drags it all around the house with her. Good thing I have an identical one on backup.

Loves fruit--big time! Especially strawberries. If she could only eat strawberries, I think she would. Oh, and McDonalds wild berry smoothies.

Morgan is a cuddly one. She loves to just come and sit in my lap, especially with a book so she can point at the pictures.

Taylor is our "rough and tumble" baby! Anything that she can climb on, get into, roll over, she's into it. She was the first to figure out how to climb on our couch and about scared the crap out of me the first time she did it!

Loves to hand out kisses like it's her job. And they are usually of the very wet variety!

She has a ton of hair, as you can see from the picture. (She's channeling Pippi Longstocking)

Taylor has started to go away from the 2 nap a day routine, which makes it difficult for her sister since Morgan can still nap 2 times a day. She'll sleep in the morning and then won't want to take a nap in the afternoon. She'll play and play, and play in her crib until I have to go in and get her so Morgan can sleep.

This baby will eat anything! She is definitely not a picky eater.

Mickey Mouse is her favorite show. She could be having a complete meltdown, and the minute we turn Mickey on, everything is all right in her world. I think I know the Hot Dog dance by heart.

__________________________________________________________________

These little girls have definitely become just that! Gone are my tiny babies, and in their place are too very active, very vocal little girls with huge personalities. Wouldn't trade it for the world! (but I do miss those little babies!)

What's new

2011-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I get the bad blogger of the year award. Those of you who can blog everyday get a big ovation from me!

Here's what's up in this girl's life :

*trying to get into the Christmas spirit. It just feels weird this year. Maybe it's because we have NO snow, and that is just not the norm for December in Michigan. I am actually kind of hoping for a snowstorm. Terrible, right? :)

*I've been watching Christmas movies, thinking that will help get me in the spirit. I LOVE White Christmas. I could watch it over and over. I don't know why. Maybe it's all that singing. Or maybe it's the clothes from the 50's. I just get hooked everytime it's on!

*Mike and I are getting over some illnesses and thankfully, it hasn't reached the girls yet. Mike's had strep throat and I had walking pneumonia. So happy to be feeling better and grateful to be done disinfecting the house 3 times a day.

*Vowing to get back on my cash only system after the holidays are over. Man, my budget has gone out the window and my debit card is getting a work out! I felt so much more in control of my money when I was doing the cash only/envelope system. Those envelopes and I are going to be best buds again very soon.

*The girls are 18 months old! I love seeing them at this age, but I have to admit that I kind of miss the baby stage. (a post just on their 18 month stats is coming tomorrow)

*I've been missing church. I can't tell you when the last time I went was. It's just so dang hard to take 2 toddlers with us. There isn't anyone staffing the nursery at the service time we attend, so that means that they would have to sit with us. And 2 toddlers are just NOT going to sit for an hour. Not going to happen. I know it's not a good excuse, but it's my reality. I think I will just have to figure something out so I can make it. I really miss going!

So, that is what's been going on in my little corner of the world. Hopefully, you'll hear from me more often. It's a juggling act, all the time!

Christmas Cards

2011-11-14T05:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, I have to admit it. I am getting in the Christmas spirit and am actually kind of getting pumped for Christmas and decorating. I even had Christmas music on in the car yesterday!

The one thing stressing me out? Christmas cards! Why? Because I cannot for the life of me get my girls to sit still long enough to get a picture of the two of them. My girlfriend Jaime is a fabulous photographer and has always done the pics of the girls, but I am so gun shy about getting their pics done again because they just act like little crazy people when we try to have pictures done. And that drives ME crazy. It ends up being this hugely stressful thing for me when all I want is some cute pics. Ugh. I hope they grow out of this phase soon. They'll probably look back at this time when they are older and wonder why there isn't a lot of pics of them!

But sort of on that note, I am loving the Instagram app on my phone. These are some that I took this past weekend!

Of course I am always going to keep trying to get some good pictures of the girls, so hopefully I can get a least a couple that are worth keeping!

Shoe Issues

2011-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

What an ugly day we're having today! And I hear that snow mixed with rain is in the forecast. Ugh. I love fall, but I hate winter, and I know it's around the corner. Good thing I bought the girls winter coats and boots already. Not that they will be tromping around in the snow, but I thought they should have something warmer on their feet than their regular shoes.

Speaking of shoes, does anyone know who sells wide shoes for kids? I am having the hardest time finding wide shoes for Taylor. Stride Rite has been our go-to store so far, but sometimes they don't have a great selection in wides. These are the ones I ended up getting for Taylor. It was between these ones and one other pair. Seriously, they only had 2 "boots" for wide feet. So frustrated!

Finding shoes for Taylor was so much easier when she smaller. I could pick up a pair of cute ones at Target and they would fit without a problem. Not so much anymore. I did buy a pair of cute sparkly tennis shoes that are only a regular width, and I think she's tired of me squeezing her little tootsies in there because she keeps taking them off just minutes after I put them on her. Oh and she is going through an "I hate socks" phase. She is always taking them off. Even in the car. I will turn around to look at her, and sure enough, her shoes and socks are laying on the floor.

Yup, we are definitely having shoe (and socks) issues around here!

Just getting by

2011-10-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

Once again, I've been MIA from this blog. I probably don't have any one left still reading this!

I just have had a serious case of the blahs. The girls got ANOTHER cold and then it passed on to me. We are trying to recover this weekend, but I have to tell you, I am still worn out. It's like I've been tired for an entire month, since the girls first got their cold. And just as they were back to their normal selves, the drippy noses and coughs started again. Awesome. I am just hoping that it doesn't lead to ear infections. I am not sure my sanity can handle that right now.

So between the girls being sick and trying to maintain my house, I feel like I have no energy for anything else. I've even neglected my Bibly study which makes me sad, but when the kiddos go down for a nap, all I want to do is close my eyes and try to catch a few z's before they wake up. It's like I am just trying to get through the day, you know?

But nevertheless, tomorrow is Halloween and the girls look so ridiculously cute in their giraffe costumes. When I tried the costumes on them, you should have seen the look they gave me! Ha! I don't they are thrilled with the costumes, but they still look cute. Wait for pictures!

Mid Week Ramblings

2011-10-12T05:49:00.000-07:00

Time to play catch up! Here's what's been going on in my world lately!

The girls are pretty much over their colds, but yesterday I came home from work and Mike was giving Morgan Tylenol. He said he took her temp and she had a low grade fever. I put her and Taylor into the car and took them over to my parents so my dad could look at the girls ears (he's a PA). Sure enough, Morgan had an ear infection and for good measure, he checked T's ears, and she had a double ear infection. We hauled them to Urgent Care where they confirmed my dad's diagnosis and sent us off with prescriptions. Ugh! I feel bad for the munchkins. It's been one thing after another.
I'm in the 4th week of my Bible study on 1 John. I am sort of following along with the study that they are doing over at Good Morning Girls, and it's been really good so far. Even though I try to do it every day, it gets hard to find that quiet time. I usually try to do it when the girls are either napping or in bed for the night, but sometimes that can be hard too since they aren't sleeping the greatest these days.
Mike and I are in need of date night. With his crazy schedule and with the girls being sick, we haven't exactly had time to ourselves. And honestly, we've been getting really short with each other and nitpicking over little stuff. We need some time to just be together and to forget all that little stuff that causes tempers to flare.
My DVR is so full and I haven't been getting caught up. The Tigers games have been on in our house and have been occupying a lot of the viewing time. Here's what's still on my DVR to watch: Hart of Dixie, Revenge, Parenthood, Terra Nova, The Good Wife, The Amazing Race, Unforgettable and Grey's Anatomy.
Still haven't gotten a move on redoing our office (what a surprise). It will happen one of these days.
Reading the second book in the Hunger Games series. I am liking this book much better than the first, but it is based on a reality and characters that I can't really identify with. That being said, I can't put the darn book down.
I've been wondering if I am the only parent who feels like their kids ALWAYS have a meltdown in public. And when I say meltdown, I am exaggerating, but the girls always end up crying, shrieking, or whining whenever we are in public. That's usually when I spot the mom with the ever so well behaved toddlers or kids with her, and I want to sink into the floor. How does she do that? Or is it just a coincidence that they are behaving when I see them? I don't know, but I've debated taking them out in public again. :)

Well, that's my world lately. Not exactly earth shattering news and events, but it's the happenings in the Marshall house. Hope you are all doing well on this Wednesday!

Something new please

2011-10-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Reign of Colds continues...

I'm kind of over it. No, scratch that. I am DEFINITELY over it.

It's still lingering with the girls and has now moved on to us. I feel completely rundown and am wishing for one solid night's rest for everyone. I think it might help with the mood around here.

I'm getting crabby and I don't like it. Lack of sleep will do that to me.

And the worst part? There is nothing I can do that will make the girls feel better other than love on them. And rock them at 3 in the morning when they wake up crying because they can't breathe.

Ready for something new please!

Fall Weekend

2011-10-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

So many ups and downs this weekend...

My brother Paul, my nephew Cole and my neice Ava came to visit this weekend from Detroit. It was so good to see them, and Cole and Ava are growing like weeds. It's crazy because I remember when Cole was a baby. Seriously, like it was yesterday.

We decided that we wanted to take the kids to Klackles Orchard on Sunday to get pumpkins and do all of the typical pumpkin patch stuff. But Morgan came down with a nasty cold on Saturday and so we decided it would be better if she stayed home with Daddy.

The weather was perfect, minus the breeze. Have I mentioned I love fall weather?

Taylor was not at all amused with her hoodie. I brought a hat for her to wear, but it didn't last long on her head before she was yanking at it.

Her favorite part of the orchard? Walking around and playing on the slide (although you can't tell from the expression on her face in this picture!).

We of course had to get pumpkins and we couldn't leave without one for Morgan.

I love that one is a little bigger than the other. Just like my girls! Perfect! (no I didn't plan it that way, those just happened to be the ones Taylor picked out). I don't think we'll be carving pumpkins this year, so these beauties will probably be getting some sort of decoration. Thinking of putting their initials on them, possibly with green, black and purple buttons glued on. We'll see how crafty I feel.

So, it really stunk that Morgan couldn't go with us to the orchard, but she did get some quality Daddy snuggle time. She was happier than a clam when I get home. What wasn't so happy about Sunday? Taylor came down with the same nasty cold Sunday night. I should have expected it. But I didn't. Mike and I are going on very little sleep since we've had Morgan in our room since Saturday night. I think we will probably have Taylor in there tonight. I am usually not a fan of co-sleeping, but I make the exception when the girls are sick. I like having them there, and I know it makes them feel better.

I hope I'm wrong, but I feel like I am coming down with the same thing the girls have. I am hoping its just from lack of sleep. Keeping my fingers crossed!

little personalities

2011-09-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

First, let me start out by saying that I absolutely love being a mom to twins. It's all I've known and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

But the girls are getting some major personalities around here.

Let's take a look at Morgan, for example. You can tell her no a hundred times, and she'll still do it. She has also learned that whatever her sister wants, she needs to have it at that exact moment. I take it away, give it back to Taylor and then the tears and screeching start. It's awesome.

Morgan also has decided that no matter what time she goes to bed at night, she'll be up between 6 and 6:30 am. Again with the awesomeness.

Taylor is the independent one of the two. She is happy to play on her own and stroll around the house looking for things to explore and get into. Her newest fascination is our paper shredder. Something about turning the buttons on and off makes her laugh!

She is also hating bedtime and naptimes. Even if she is dog tired, she will cry EVERY time I put her down. Sometimes she's asleep in 5 minutes, other times she'll play around for 40 minutes. There is a shade right next to her crib that she loves to open so she can look outside.

The two of them get along ok for the most part, but we have also started to see some little "fights" between them. Usually over toy stealing or who gets to sit in mommy's lap. Is there a book for this? I may need to spend some time at Barnes and Noble this weekend.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T06:17:00.001-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Oh, the places that they get into! Especially Morgan who has turned into quite the little investigator. Good times!

2011-09-19T08:44:00.000-07:00

There is something about Fall that makes me want to scrub my house from top to bottom. It's like my body and mind know that winter is not that far off and I need to get my house ready for days being cooped up inside.

That being said, I can't stop thinking about organizing and getting rid of all the junk we have laying around. So my first step was having a garage sale this past weekend. I had all of the girls clothes from their 1st year seperated into bins according to month, and let me tell you, there were enough clothes to outfit a small village. Some of the stuff still had tags on them (ridiculous, right?).

My mom and I spent hours getting ready for this garage sale. Saturday morning rolled around and I was pumped to get rid of our stuff. Not only did I have tons of clothes, but I was also getting rid of 4 bouncers, 2 walkers, 2 infant carriers, a stroller, 2 extra car seat bases, a bassinet, a jumperoo, an infant tub, and 2 play gyms (and more!). I'm a pretty modest person, but I have to say that my stuff was in AWESOME condition. I had no doubt that it would be gone in no time.

If I only knew what was really going to happen, I would have said to scrap the whole garage sale idea. I could count on one hand the number of people that came to the sale! I was completely bummed. The weather was beautiful, we had put signs out ; I just could not for the life of me figure out what the problem was.

So, I did end up getting rid of 2 walkers, 1 bouncer, and the jumperoo along with a HANDFUL of clothes. I almost felt sick afterward, seeing the mass amounts of clothing that was leftover. We packed up everything into my dad's truck and hauled it off to Once Upon A Child. Apparently, every mom in Grand Rapids had the same idea, because that place was beyond busy. They paid me on the spot for my bouncers and swing, but it was going to take them 2+ days to get to my 4 tubs of clothing. Hoping I will hear from them today!

All in all, it was a big garage sale fail. I don't think I will be doing one again anytime soon.

Now I am making Mike tackle our basement with me. We have to make a playspace for the girls since I am over having my small living room serve as their playroom. Let's hope we can get this accomplished without one of us wanting to strangle the other!

And just for kicks, here's a pic of the girls from this weekend!

*We can finally put pigtails in Morgan's hair! Hooray!

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

I came home from work on Friday to find this scene in my backyard.

I laughed my butt off at the shenanigans that were taking place and ran to get my camera. I was so happy that the girls were able to enjoy the hot weather before the cold front moved in later on. Summer is definitely winding down, and if you were to check our weather today, you would find that it is only in the upper 60s! Fall is attempting to sneak its way in (I love it!).

So with the cold weather looming, I knew I had to hit the mall for clothes for the girls. Going through their closet, I knew I was in trouble. I have really been putting off fall shopping for them, and it showed. Between the 2 of them, there were 2 pairs of jeans (both Morgan's), a handful of socks, and 2 sweatshirts. That's it. Uh oh.

I made Mike face the mall with me on Saturday, and he was pretty good about it. He would push the girls around while I shopped. But honestly, I felt like the selection at the mall was picked over. Maybe because it's the weekend before school starts? Probably so! (but wait a second, my kids are still toddlers and not even going to school, so what gives?) We left the mall with 2 pairs of jeans, 6 shirts, and 1 pair of pajamas. Yes, only one. Childrens Place jammies are the best, but they NEVER have any selection when I go. I even looked online and there were NONE to be had. Seriously? Pajamas are an essential, must- have year round item. What's the deal, Childrens Place?

The girls were also in desperate need of shoes. We stopped by Stride Rite so they could actually get fitted for shoes, and it was utter chaos in the store. It's a tiny store to begin with, and then you throw a handful of adults and a bunch of kiddos and the store was out of control. We found shoes, but now I am second guessing the sizes. The shoes look downright HUGE. I think I will be making a trip back to Stride Rite today to do some exchanging.

So our Labor Day weekend was packed full of shopping, but all in all, it was nice to have a 3 day weekend. Hope you enjoyed yours!

7 Links

2011-08-31T05:55:00.001-07:00

Good Morning everyone (all 2 of you that read this blog! Ha!)

Andrea at In Her Shoes nominated me to participate in this 7 links post, and this one may be harder than I thought. So here I go!

What this is about:
To unite bloggers (from all sectors) in a joint endeavor to share lessons learned and create a bank of long but not forgotten blog posts that deserve to see the light of day again.

Rules:
1) Blogger is nominated to take part
2) Blogger publishes his/her 7 links on his/her blog – 1 link for each category.
- Your most beautiful post
– Your most popular post
– Your most controversial post
– Your most helpful post
– A post whose success surprised you
– A post you feel didn’t get the attention it deserved
– The post that you are most proud of
3) Blogger nominates up to 5 more bloggers to take part.
4) These bloggers publish their 7 links and nominate another 5 more bloggers
5) And so it goes on!
6) The site Trip Base will be sharing the best posts from participating bloggers on their blog and everyday on Facebook and Twitter at #My7Links

Well, to start with, I think the easiest one to link to is my most beautiful post. Hands down, it has to be the post from the girls birth. They are easily the most beautiful thing in my life!

My most popular post? Hmm...that probably is the one where I made the big announcement that I was pregnant. I was definitely feeling the love, and I was so happy I could share the news with my blogging friends. After all, you all had been there when we were undergoing fertility treatment, you were there when my heart was breaking from the waiting.

I don't know if I have written a really controversial post. Since I have to decide on one, I guess this post on Growing Pains (no, not the show, although it is a great 80s classic) would have to fall into that category. Deciding and trying to make a decision about being a part-time stay at home mom probably stirs up some feelings one way or the other for every mom.

Oh darn, this task is hard! My next link is supposed to be one for my most helpful post. Again, feeling like I haven't exactly been helpful to anyone else, but this is what I'm going with. It's my Adventures In Parenting post. Hopefully, someone out there will get a laugh and it will help them to realize that as parents, we may make some mistakes along the way! I know I sure do!

I think that the post that surprised me at it's "success" was this on Something in the Water. I remember that day and exactly how I felt. I just didn't know how strongly other women were feeling the same thing right along with me. ANd I was surprised and humbled to have the kind comments.

I don't think any of my post necessarily deserve attention. I don't write them so that I will get comments from others. I write them for me. That's it. I like blogging, and of course, I want to connect with other bloggers, but I don't write posts with the intention of gaining attention, so I am not going to make a link for this one.

If I had to pick a post I am most proud of, it would have to be my Love Letter to my babes. It came from a deep place in my heart!

Well, for the next step, I get to nominate some other bloggers for the 7 Links post. Hopefully, you girls will get in on the trip down memory lane!

Bethany
Amanda
Jaime

what i'm loving wednesday

2011-08-24T05:25:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! This gloomy Wednesday is starting off with me being VERY tired. Morgan woke up 3 times last night and every time I would put her back in bed, she would start to cry. I think she is cutting more teeth and last night was rough very everyone involved!

So here is my latest What I'm Loving Wednesday!

1.) I have gotten in on the Pinterest craze. While I haven't spent too much time on there yet, I did come across a pic which led me to a blog that I have to share. I love this blog and if you are crazy about organizing, you will too!

The blog is called I heart organizing and I do "heart" this blog. The pics of Jennifer's home and her organization skills are awesome. I have organizing and designing envy. I want her to come to my house and make it over! But seriously, she has inspired me to get more organized. She even has an Etsy shop where she sells meal planning calendars, shopping lists, calendars and more. I just ordered a personalized laminated meal planning calendar and I can't wait to get it!

2.) My Erin Condren planner came in the mail this week and it makes me a little giddy. There is just something that I love about hand writing all of our to -do's, our upcoming plans, appointments, etc. This planner is bright and colorful and...big. It was bigger than I though it was going to be, but I actually am happy with the size. Now, it won't fit into my purse like my last one, but that's ok.

3.) Maybe because I'm in an organizing mood, but I've been scouring the internet for pics of office spaces that I like. I think our next house project is making over our office. It needs new carpet and some fresh paint. I love this pic and am thinking of doing this in our office. It's basically a "command center". I like the bench in this picture, but not sure if it makes sense for our office or not. I do, however, like the wipeboard calendar and hanging bins for "stuff".

Well, that's it for today! The girls are ready for a nap, and I need some quiet time. And a shower!
Happy Wednesday!

Book Suggestion

2011-08-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

My 2nd post today already! What the heck is up with that? So unlike me! :)

I just wanted to tell you that you need to head over to Bring The Rain today and check out Angie Smith's new book "What Women Fear" that is coming out in September. Angie's story changed me in a deep way a couple years ago when I had just miscarried and stumbled upon her blog. Her story had an impact on how I looked at my own terrible circumstance and it changed my relationship with God. I knew that after reading her blog and listening to the story of her daughter Audrey that there had to be a reason for everything that happens to us in this life and I wanted to know God in a deeper way.

Barnes and Noble are offering a fantastic deal on Angie's book if you pre-order the book! I just ordered mine and can't wait to get my hands on this little gem. Angie writes and speaks with a huge heart for God and she blows me away. Go check out her site and if you haven't heard Audrey's story, grab a box of tissues and read it on her blog.

Relationship S.O.S.

2011-08-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

I distinctly remember back to when the girls were about 2 weeks old, and laying in bed one afternoon while the girls were sleeping, and just crying my tired eyes out. I remember an overwhelming feeling that my relationship with Mike was changed forever. And it scared the daylights out of me.

Flash forward to a year later. We are getting more sleep (thank goodness!) and while our daily lives are busy between work and spending time chasing 2 walking toddlers, life is good. Mike has been my partner in this crazy child raising journey and I couldn't have asked for a better one. But, like a lot of "new" parents I'm sure, our relationship has changed. Time for just the 2 of us has gone out the window. Maybe I'm the one that caused the change, because I know for sure that I am a different person since the twins have arrived. 100% of my focus is on Morgan and Taylor, and when they go to bed at night, I am exhausted. All I can think about is laying down in my comfy bed and shutting my worn out eyes. Poor Mike. There's not a lot of leftover energy for him. And I feel guilty.

I know that date nights are important to have, but really, those are so few and far between. I am working on scheduling it (in my new Erin Condren planner--LOVE! But that's a whole other post), but it hasn't been nailed down yet.

So, my question for all of you is this. How do you manage to connect with your hubby, especially when you have zero energy leftover? What's the secret to make it over the "I'm way too tired" hurdle?

Rejection

2011-08-17T08:23:00.000-07:00

Have you ever felt rejected by your child? I had no idea what that was like, until recently. ANd it about broke my heart.

Morgan simply wants nothing to do with me, it seems. When she falls down and cries, she wants her daddy. When my mom comes over, she gets super excited and smiles SO big and crawls/walks over to her. When I get home from work, I get a little smile and not a whole lot more.

Today when I was battling with her just to change her diaper, I was at my wits end. It was a struggle to get that diaper on her and she was bawling. I felt like bawling too. Felt like a total failure as a mom this morning. I should have kids that love and adore me, right? Ok, I know that is not reality, but it's the little things with Morgan that make me feel like I am the last person on the planet that she wants to be with. I expected this when she's teenager, but she's 14 months old, for crying out loud.

I don't like this feeling of rejection. I am not ready for it.

What I'm Loving

2011-07-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Happy Wednesday everyone!

One of things I am loving today is www.erincondren.com. She has awesome life planners, and I have been eyeing them! Today I found a great deal on them and knew it was too good of a deal to pass up. Here's the one I chose:

I know that I can keep all of this info in my phone, but there is just something about writing it down that I love. Ok, so I am nerd, but I can't help it!

The other thing I am loving today is my new devotional. It's called SOLO: An Uncommon Devotional. It breaks your devotion time down to 4 things: Read, Think, Pray, Live. It's been helping me to see beyond just the written word of the Bible and makes me dig a little deeper in my devotional time.

That's it for today! I hope you are having a lovely week!

*Oh and who is excited for Project Runway? Starts tomorrow and I am pumped!

Prayer

2011-07-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

I cannot begin to tell you how fortunate I feel that I am blessed with two healthy little girls. I don't ever want to take this for granted. While catching up on some blogs today, I came across a blog that Kelly at Kelly's Korner mentioned in her most recent post. She was asking for prayers for this little guy Tripp, and so I headed over to the blog. I about fell out of my chair with sadness.

As a parent, I cannot imagine watching my child in constant pain. Yet the strength of Courtney and her husband Randy blow me away. Can you stop by their blog today and say some prayers for this little boy and his parents?

www.randycourtneytripproth@blogspot.com

"Sometimes we see God's purpose immediately, sometimes that purpose becomes clear to us much later, and sometimes we may never learn why God chose to do what He did or why He allowed certain things to happen, until we meet Him in heaven. It is not our job to understand; our job is to trust God." ---Andre K. Duggar PRAYER: Your Own Letter to God

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-20T08:13:00.001-07:00

Sippy Cups

2011-07-19T05:10:00.001-07:00

Since their one year checkup, we have been trying to get the girls to take their sippy cup more often. Our peditrician said that he would like to see them completely off the bottle by 15 months. So we have begun the "sippy cup" training. We already had sippy cups by NUK and they hated them. They would throw the cup and that would be the end of that. Now we are trying the Playtex sippy cups, and so far it's been good. The thing I like about these cups is that the handles are on the lid, not on the cup. The girls seem to like this better too!

We are still giving them a bottle in the morning and at night, but trying to use the sippy cup during the day. It was recommended that we take the valve out of the cup because it makes learning to drink from a cup easier. It is, but it is also way messier. I usually have to put bibs on the girls so that they don't get soaking wet. It's still a work in progress!

Security (of lack of)

2011-07-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

I had a conversation with a co-worker today about insecurity. She wondered if I had any insecurity issues. Um, definitely! I related to her that as a teenager I had my fair share of insecurities as far as my looks were concerned, and now, as mom, I feel a whole new set of insecurities. I wonder if I am doing a good job raising them, I feel guilty about trying to sneak in "me time", I don't even know what to say about my post-baby body. The list could go on.

Oh, but I don't want my girls to have to deal with insecurity. I keep telling them how precious they are, and how beautiful I think they are, and heap tons of love on them. I hope it will be enough. Girls seem to have a harder time with insecurity issues than boys do, don't ya think? Praying for some guidance as I raise my girls!

Busy bee

2011-07-11T07:55:00.001-07:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. To say that things are busy around here is an understatement. It's not that we have a lot going on, it's just that trying to keep up with 2 little curious girls who get into everything is keeping my BUSY. Morgan and Taylor are almost walking, and they want to check out every little corner of this house. It has been keeping us on our toes!

I just don't know where people find the time to get everything done. I am cleaning and doing laundry EVERYday. My dog is shedding like crazy, so I have to vaccuum pretty much every single day. It just grosses me out to think of the girls crawling and playing on floors that are littered with dog hair. Eew... By the time the girls are in bed, I just want to hang out with Mike, or if he's working, crawl in bed with a book.

Excuses, I know. I am planning on getting back into a regular blogging routine, but for now, I have to just apologize and promise I will be more regular. Ok, that didn't sound quite right. But you know what I mean!!

Awesome Weekend

2011-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was so nice and laidback! We took the girls to the zoo for the first time on Saturday, and while I wasn't sure what to expect, I think the outing was more for us than it was for Morgan and Taylor. They were more interested in people watching than seeing the animals, and to be honest, some of the animals were tough to see. I think the zoo will be a better experience for them next year!

As you can see from the picture, Morgan wasn't that amused. And Taylor was kind of sleepy. The zoo was packed with people too! I think everyone in GR had the idea to go the zoo that day since the weather was perfect for being outside.

Sunday was a nice, relaxing day too. I took the girls over to my parents for some pool time. They loved the pool!

My mom brought out their water activity table, and they were able to play with the sand (or should I say eat the sand?).

Of course, no day at the kiddie pool would be complete without a popsicle! Taylor wasn't a fan, but Morgan was so into her popsicle. Her little mouth was red from being cold because she was sucking it down so fast.

It was weekends like this past one that make me wish summer would last forever. We had such a good time just being together and laughing and watching the girls. Hoping for an awesome weekend as we celebrate the 4th of July!

This and That

2011-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

How is everyone's Wednesday going?

I am attempting to clean my house, which let me just say, always feels like it's messy. There are enough toys covering my living room floor to take up an entire room by themselves, and my kitchen counters are full of STUFF. You know, cereal boxes, junk mail, my huge purse, etc. I feel like I give my house a good cleaning at least once a week, and then it's straight downhill from there. I try to do a little bit everyday, but it never seems to stay tidy. Where is that magical cleaning fairy when you need her?

Speaking of cleaning, I decided to run a load of laundry first thing this morning. My washer and dryer are in my basement, so when I ran down there, I noticed right off the bat a not so lovely moldy-mildewey smell. Fantastic. See, last year, when I was in the hospital having the girls, we got a torrential downpour and our basement flooded. Not a lot, but enough. Mike sucked up all the water, sprayed the place with bleach, but whenever we get a good rain, our laundry room reeks. I am thinking we might have a mold problem which both grosses and freaks me out at the same time. I'm seriously contemplating having someone come in and do a mold inspection. I'm just afraid to see that bill!

Well, I am off to finish my cleaning while the girls are "napping" ( I hear them playing around in there, so I know not a lot of napping is going on). Hope you are having a wonderful Wednesday!

*Just an FYI, I have been having issues commenting on other people's blogs. I just want you to know that I am following you guys and reading your blogs, but cannot comment for whatever reason. You can follow me on Twitter (faithchick) and I would love to follow you as well!

It's Party Time

2011-06-15T07:25:00.001-07:00

Who knew that planning a 1st Birthday party would be so much fun and so stressful all at the same time? Their party was this past Sunday, and I had my eye on the weather forecast all week. Since the party was going to be outside and I knew all the kids would be playing outside, I was hoping for nice weather. When I got up bright and early Sunday morning, what did I see outside? Clouds. And it was chilly! But the weather turned around just before the party started and the sun came out!

This is a centerpeice that I put on the tables we set up on the deck. They were made from Nina at the Paper Kingdom on Etsy. I LOVED THEM! (Nina was so awesome to work with. Probably the nicest person I have ever made a purchase from!). I bought inexpensive glass vases from Hobby Lobby and filled them with colored M&Ms.

The cake was from Sweet Cakes Design. The bottom layer was strawberry swirl cake with strawberry buttercream and layered with fresh strawberries. The top layer was cookies and cream cake with milk chocolate buttercream and layered with crushed oreo cookies. To die for!

Taylor dove right into her cake! She was lovin' the frosting!

Morgan wasn't too sure about the cake, and she would stick one finger into the cake and then take a bite. That is their personalities in a nutshell!

The girls had a blast opening their gifts! They were definitely blessed with all of the stuff they got.

Now, the girls won't remember their 1st birthday, but I know I will. It was a lot of fun (except for the cranky baby part---it was so close to nap time for them), but I now know what we'll do for future parties and what we definitely won't do! I just wanted everything to be perfect, but nothing is perfect and I have to roll with it. I am so happy that they were surrounded by people who loved them and who wanted to celebrate with them. That's all that truly matters!

Weekend Wrap-up {only 3 days late}

2011-06-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Wednesday and I am just now recapping our eventful weekend! After having a couple extra days off last week, you would think I would be all caught up on everything, but no. Taylor was sick with an ear infection and then last Wednesday, Morgan came down with a little bug. Having 2 sick babies on my hands was not a fun time!

By Saturday they both were feeling much better, so I brought the girls over to my parents and filled up their kiddie pool. Jaime came over with her baby girl, Macy and the 3 of them splashed and played in the pool so cute! (Jaime took these cute pics!)

Sunday we had a birthday party at Grandma's house (Mike's mom). The girls loved their cake! Taylor got right in there with her hands and soon had pink frosting all over her face! Morgan took her time and took dainty little bites, but still had frosting everywhere.

They also got some cute presents as well, and here is Taylor trying one of them out!

They can't quite get the hang of it yet, but I know it won't be long until they are zooming around our house on their "horsey"!

As for today's plans, it's going to be another hot one, so I think I'm going to take the girls to my friend Meredith's pool. That ought to be an interesting experience! Then it's going over plans for the girls birthday party on Sunday. Hoping for great weather!

Struggle

2011-06-06T16:58:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest struggles that I have had since I have had the girls is FOOD. Or my lack of eating the right food.

I don't know why I seem to choose nothing but junk to eat! It's like my body is craving more comfort food and junk food than when I was pregnant.

Breakfast is a pretty easy time for me to eat healthy. I usually have fruit with yogurt or some cereal. After breakfast, it's down hill from there. Lunch? Well, half the time I don't even eat lunch, and then by the time dinner rolls around, I am starving and we are too busy with the girls to cook a real dinner. So, fast food is the easy choice because it's quick and convenient. But fast food is NOT doing wonders for my figure. That lovely little pooch I have from the girls? Yup, it's getting larger because of all the junk I eat!

Any advice? I want to eat better, but I can't seem to stay away from the donuts, cupcakes, and chocolate! Help! How can I make a healthier diet stick? Also, any dinner ideas that are quick and easy?

One Year Old: A Love Letter

2011-06-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Morgan and Taylor,

Today is your first birthday! I never knew that time could go by so fast until you came home from the hospital. I remember bringing you home, and you were so tiny and so perfect. I would rock you and just stare at you because I couldn't believe that you were finally here. I loved you completely and with a love that I had never felt before. God had certainly blessed your daddy and I when he gave us you.

You have changed so much in the past 12 months. I can't even believe it that we are at this day already! You have distinct personalities and even though you are twins, you are so different. I love your little personalities and you both make us laugh everyday. You are such a joy! I am so lucky to be your mom.

My hopes and prayers for your future are this: I pray that you will grow healthy and strong, have a huge heart for others, that you will follow hard after God. I hope love and happiness surround you for all of your days. I pray you will learn the power of prayer and how important family is. I hope for many blessings to come into your life! I hope you will know that I will never leave you and that I will always be here for you no matter what.

Morgan and Taylor, I love you more than words can ever express. You are my dream come true. The love I have for you can never be broken. It is forever.

Love and kisses,
Your mom

Sick baby

2011-05-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

I feel pretty lucky that the girls have only been sick once since they've were born. I was trying to keep that perspective yesterday when I had a crying, sickly baby on my hands.

Taylor has her first ear infection. And the poor thing is SO miserable. She is normally a happy, laid back baby. Until yesterday. She woke up Monday morning, and I noticed she was feeling warm, so I took her temperature. Sure enough, she had a low grade temp. I gave her some Tylenol, and went about my morning. She played, but was whining the whole time and kept rubbing her left ear. I knew it was something more when Mike called me while I was running errands and all I could hear in these background was Taylor screaming. I came home and took her to Urgent Care. I just knew something wasn't right.

She does have an ear infection and I feel so bad for her. Yesterday, when I came home from work, her eyes looked red from crying, and her little nose sounded stuffy. I feel so helpless! All I want to do is hold her and make her feel better. I hate seeing her feeling so terribly.

I know this is a part of parenting, but its one part I wish I could skip!

Weekend Wrapup

2011-05-22T17:26:00.001-07:00

This has been the weekend of many firsts, which we are so excited about, but also some sad things too.

Mike's grandmother passed away this past week, and her funeral was this past Saturday. It was such a reminder that the ones we love are only with us for a time, and that we never really know when life is going to end. It was a beautiful service, and I am so happy that she is no longer suffering, but I feel for everyone that is left here to mourn her. She will be missed!

But I also got to see some amazing things this weekend as well! Like Taylor and Morgan playing in their baby pool for the first time, enjoying their first popsicle, and Taylor pushing her little toy cart all by herself (that's practically walking, isn't it? : ) . The weather was better than expected today, and I am thrilled that I got to enjoy the sunshine with the girls. ANd I even broke out the shorts! (I am so not a fan of shorts--hate my legs, but it was too warm for pants!)

Life can be so bittersweet, can't it? I have so enjoyed watching my girls experience new things, and I cherish these moments, but I was reminded this weekend that life can be gone in a blink of an eye. I'm hugging on my babies a little harder tonight.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T16:46:00.001-07:00

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-05-04T05:14:00.001-07:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! I am so happy to see the warm weather and the sunshine, you have no idea! I can't wait to break out the girls' bathing suits and to let them splash around in the water. Summer is by far my favorite season, and I am excited to have Taylor and Morgan experience all that summer brings.

Wanted to share with you some things that I am lovin' today!

1.) Baby sandals--I am going out today to get the girls some sandals because the weather is definitely calling for them!

Lovin' these cute metallic sandals from Carters!

2.) Dove Daily Intensive Repair conditioner---this stuff is awesome. My hair tends to get on the dry side with all the blow-drying and flat ironing I do to it, and it has been needing some help. So I bought this and my hair felt so much better! You need to try it!

3.) Becoming More Than A Good Bible Study Girl by Lysa TerKeurst.

Lysa is so funny and I can relate to so much in this book. I was reading it this morning and this is what jumped out at me: "There is no shame in admitting to God that you are struggling in your devotional time with Him. You are not alone." Yes, devotional time has been escaping me lately! It's been hard to put aside time for Bible study when the to-do list in my head won't stop calling me.

4.) Iced Caramel Lattes from McDonalds--believe it or not, it is a tasty treat. And it's a whole lot cheaper than Biggby!

That's it for now. Thinking I need to sneak in a quick nap while the girls are taking theirs. What are you lovin' today?

11 Months Old

2011-05-02T08:57:00.001-07:00

Happy 11 Months, Morgan and Taylor!

I keep asking them where my little newborns are, and they just look at me and laugh! Seriously, I can't believe we are already almost at their 1 year birthday. Slow down time!

They are getting into everything, and usually, it's stuff they are not supposed to be into. Like crawling behind chairs and tv sets, and opening up drawers (don't worry, nothing harmful in there!). Just this morning, Taylor opened a drawer in the kitchen and took out the loaf of bread which immediately got tossed on the floor. Ha! They have a ton of toys, but they would rather crawl around and investigate the house.

Taylor:

*has discovered our floor length mirror and loves to look at herself and laugh.

*stands up in her crib everytime I put her down for a nap.

*cries any time a stranger (or relatives she doesn't see very often) talks to her.

*poops everytime we get in the car (she's going to love me for sharing this when she's a teenager!)

*loves her blankie. She holds it in her hand and sticks her thumb in her mouth. That's her "I'm tired" sign.

*eats anything! She is a very good eater.

*walking along furniture and pulling herself up on everything.

Morgan:

*still gives people "the look", but is easier to smile now.

*is getting better about sleeping ALL the way through the night without interruption, but still has her nights where she gets up.

*starting to become picky about which foods she eats. Would rather eat fruits than veggies.

*Plays peekaboo with her blankie, and gives a huge grin when she does it.

*Is very "chatty" in the morning and will babble happily in her crib.

I am loving every minute with them, but they sure have me on the go! And we are saying "no-no" around here a lot. They are definitely testing some boundaries. I wasn't expecting that yet!

What I'm Lovin Wednesday

2011-04-26T12:00:00.000-07:00

Lyndsie over at A Love Worth Waiting For usually does this on Wednesday and I am always curious as to what others are really into these days. So here is what I'm loving today!

1.) Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

Makes you wonder what's in our school's lunches! Seriously, Jamie needs to do a Food Revolution in my house. We aren't exactly eating the healthiest these days. Well, the girls are. But Mike and I need to cut out a lot of the junk food. Oh but it's hard. Especially when the M&M's call my name.

2.) Pom Pom Flowers

Since I am in party planning mode for M and T's 1st birthday, I am all about decorations lately. These pretty little pom pom flowers caught my eye and I am thinking they are definitely going to be part of the decor.

3.) Loving this book! I am one of those people who are always wondering why others seem to"hear" God and I can't? Well, learning that He speaks to everyone, it's just whether or not we are actually listening! Such an interesting read, and it's been doing my spirit some good, which is what I need!
4.) Pottery Barn chairs for kids! I think these are very cute, and frankly, a necessity in our house. We are still using the girls bouncy seats for when they take a bottle and let's face it, we are way past due to get rid of them.

And what am I not loving today? This rainy weather we're having, complete with tornado watches and sirens going off. I know it's only the beginning of spring, but I am already over the rain. I am so ready for warm and sunny weather!

What are you loving this Wednesday?

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T16:17:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter Everyone!

The girls had a wonderful 1st Easter! We started off our morning by going to church, and I was so thankful that my parents were there with us since we needed the extra hands to help hold babies. Taylor did awesome, and was pretty quiet the whole time, while Morgan was on the fussy side and refused to sit still. I think she was just cranky from being tired, and finally at the end of mass, she fell asleep on my mom's shoulder. We ran home so the girls could take a quick nap, and then it was back to my parents' house for lunch.

I was so glad the sun came out for a while! It was nice to not have a rainy and cold Easter. We were able to push the girls in the swings for a little bit, which they loved.

And of course, their 1st Easter wouldn't be complete without Easter baskets!

(I love how Morgan's hair bow is all twisted on her cute little head! Hey, I'm lucky she kept it in. Usually, she pulls it out once we get in the car! oh and yes, they have on Babylegs, which I put on once we got out of church since they would be crawling all over the place!)

We completed our Easter with dinner at Mike's mom's. His grandparents were there, and it was nice to see them since we don't get the chance to all that often. I know it meant a lot to Mike to see them and for Mike to show off his baby girls.

So the babies are off to bed, and I am feeling so blessed. I love watching T and M experience new things, and Easter was no different. Getting to see the world through their eyes is one of the highlights of being a mom. Yeah, M was a slightly crazy in church, and no, I once again didn't take the best pictures, but I had the best time just being with my family and celebrating. Great day!

It Gets Me Every Time

2011-04-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

I love this video and song, and it gets to me every time. I watched it this morning and ended up crying while the girls played at my feet. Just feeling grateful today, and so I want to share this video with you. Bring on the Kleenex.

Pondering

2011-04-22T05:17:00.001-07:00

Feeling so grateful this morning that I have a God who has gotten me through some scary and stressful times in my life.

Feeling like I should have spent more time this Easter season in prayer. After all, I have time for so many other things, right?

Feeling like I will never begin to wrap my mind around the enormous sacrifice that Jesus made for us by dying on the cross.

So..I am going to ponder this today. Written by Max Lucado:

When asked to describe the width of his love, Christ stretched one hand to the right and the other to the left and had them nailed in that position...so you would know HE DIED LOVING YOU.

A peek into reality

2011-04-14T19:06:00.001-07:00

I posted before about feeling "less than" after reading a certain person's blog. I just felt fed up with it and with the perfection that seemed to ooze from every inch of the blog. So I stopped reading it for a while.

Until last night.

I decided to visit her blog. Just because (glutton for punishment maybe). And what I read really shocked me. It was like I actually got a peek into the real her. The one that let the world see that she wasn't this perfect being and that she actually had real struggles going on. I related to her!

I don't know why we, as women, feel the need to try to put on this front, like we have it all together and are everything to everyone. It's a lie and I think it can be a destroyer of our spirits. I think the real power of a woman comes from knowing herself, recognizing areas of weakness and owning it, and doing the best she can every single day. At the end of the day, we don't have to face all those other women with whom we put on the front. We just have to look at our own face in the mirror. And wouldn't it be nice if we didn't want to turn away?

Adventures in Parenting

2011-04-13T12:59:00.001-07:00

I knew that when the girls made their grand entrance into our lives, that Mike and I would have no real idea of what we were doing. Sure, there is always the common sense stuff, but after that, we have just kind of been winging it. I don't think there is any way to prepare parents for what's going to happen once the baby comes. You just roll with it, and deal with it as it happens.

Well, that common sense stuff I was talking about? Sometimes I think that all common sense tends to go out the window.

Take today's journey to Carter's for example.

I haven't been strapping the girls into their stroller because usually they are so good and don't try to get out of the stroller. Until today.

Lesson learned today? STRAP YOUR CHILD INTO THEIR STROLLER AT ALL TIMES. My common sense was completely absent and I didn't even bother to think that I would need to strap them in. It's never been a problem before, so why should it be this time? Wrong.

I turned around to see something that my mom was holding up, and there went Morgan. Onto the floor. ANd crying. She slipped out of the stroller in literally 5 seconds flat, and I was scared and mortified all at once. People were staring as I cried out, "Oh my Gosh! She fell out of the stroller!". Yeah I get Mom of the Year award for that one. And yes, she is ok. I think it scared her more than anything.

And the Adventures in Parenting continue...

Can I get a date please?

2011-04-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

My poor husband. I've been neglecting him. We need a date night. How do other couples manage kids, jobs, household duties, etc.? I know we simply need to schedule it and put it on the calendar. It should be that simple. But it's not.

10 Months

2011-04-04T17:07:00.000-07:00

My sweet babies are 10 months old! So what's going on with Morgan and Taylor these days?

Morgan:

*Still doing the one armed crawl, but she is super fast!

*Holds her arms up and does "sooo big".

*Her toothy grin is adorable. She has 4 upper teeth and 2 on the bottom.

*Wearing 12 month clothes and jammies.

*Can hold her own bottle but still prefers someone to hold it for her.

*Getting more hair everyday.

*Loves music, and waves her arms in the air when she hears a song she likes.

*Her favorite foods are: Fruit, especially the Bananas/Apples/Pears combo.

*Takes short naps in the morning and afternoon and loves when she can sleep in our bed. Taylor:

*standing up in her crib.

*Has learned to scream just for fun! *Can clap her hands.

*Zooms around the house in her walker and can open drawers.

*Has the biggest smile! She has 4 upper teeth and 4 bottom teeth.

*Wearing mostly 18 month clothes and jammies.

*Her favorite foods are: anything!! Big fruit lover like her sister!

*Great sleeper even though she takes short naps like Morgan. I can't believe that we are only 2 months from their 1st birthday. It blows my mind! I have started to plan their party and I can't wait to celebrate with my family and friends.

wednesday (just 2 days late)

2011-04-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was such a gorgeous day, and I happened to have the day off, so I was itching to get out of the house. I am so ready for spring, it's not even funny! I took the girls to my mom and dad's, and my mom couldn't wait to pull out the swing, so of course we had to let the girls try it out. They loved it!

Taylor got such a kick out of crawling on the grass. I love seeing my girls experience things for the first time!

We also had lunch with Meredith at La Cantina. Mere and I have been going there since we were teenagers, and it used to be a weekly tradition. But now that we have busier lives, it's become few and far between that we go, but we knew we wanted to have lunch there on Wednesday. (Morgan looks thrilled that I am taking her picture again, doesn't she?)

And to top off my awesome Wednesday, I had to make a stop for cupcakes. Look at these beauties!

I picked up 2 Chocolate Raspberry Delights, 1 Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, and 1 Chocolate Peanut Butter. I don't know who I was buying these for. I wanted to get one for myself, and walked out with 4. How does that happen? :)

Pics

2011-03-18T05:41:00.001-07:00

My sweet baby girls had their pics taken last Saturday and here are some previews!

A Mess

2011-03-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have one of those days when you feel like you are just a mess? I feel like that today. Maybe it started when I was reading a blog I've been following for a while. This girl just always seems like she has it so TOGETHER. Not only is she adorable, and take gorgeous pics of her daughter, but she lives in this amazing house that is decorated to perfection, has time for lunches everyday with her girlfriends and their kids, throws these cute little parties for her friends and everything she makes looks divine. Seriously? Love this blog but I don't love the way it makes me feel sometimes. Does that sounds crazy?

My house isn't the biggest or newest house on the block. I drive a used car. Most of the time, my living room (and other parts of the house!) look like a tornado of toys and "stuff" just went through. I don't have time in my day to plan menus for parties for my girlfriends. But my life is incredibly blessed. In too many ways to count. The truth is, I shouldn't compare my life to someone else's. My house may sometimes be a mess. I am definitely a mess sometimes. But I am trusting that I am exactly where I am intended to be. I am God's little mess.

SIMPLE

2011-03-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

A new venture has come my way, and I am super excited to share it with you!

I have been asked to join the SIMPLE team and essentially what that means is I get to research and review products that women and moms would love. SIMPLE's panel of mommy reviewers is composed of a great group of women and I am thrilled to be part of this team. If you haven't been over to the SIMPLE site yet, please head over there and check it out! Oh and I did I forget to mention that they have awesome giveaways all the time?

http://www.simple-momreviews.com/

To sleep or not to sleep

2011-03-03T19:09:00.000-08:00

These two little monkeys are wearing me out.

I should be in bed.

I'm an old lady, what can I say? I like going to bed at 9:00. I like getting all cozy in bed and falling asleep with the tv on. But what do you know? It's almost 10:30 and I am still awake, spending too much time on the computer, when precious hours of sleep are slipping away. All too soon I will hear the cries of that sweet baby in the striped pj's and I will stumble out of bed to soothe her (Taylor never gets up in the middle of the night! Hallelujah!). I am hoping she only gets up once. I've been blaming it on teething, but the fact is, Morgan has been getting up at least once a night since she was born. It's just how she rolls. We're working on it.

Anyway, I am dragging myself away from this computer and heading to bed. Sweet dreams everyone!

9 Months

2011-03-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Once again, the craziness of everyday life has caused me to be MIA from the blog world for a little bit. Nothing unusual has happened. Just life!

Morgan and Taylor are 9 months old today!!!

They are crawling and getting into everything. I swear, I need to put the house on lockdown! Taylor has got the crawling thing down, while Morgan has her own style of crawling which gets her where she wants, but at a slower pace. It's like an army crawl, and it's hilarious! Oh my girls are getting so big!

What else is new with the twins?

Well, they've been eating Stage 2 foods for over a month now, and they LOVE fruits. They'll eat vegetables, but their mouths open SO big for the fruit. I think they are going to have their mama's sweet tooth!

They have also started "talking" to each other and they both think the other one is just hilarious. Out of nowhere, they will start laughing at each other. Of course, they aren't always happy with each other. Especially when they are playing on the floor, and one will hit the other one in the face (accidentally) which then results in tears. But I am so happy to see them playing with each other and just in general, recognizing each other.

They are going for their 9 month checkup in a couple of weeks and I can't wait to see where they are at for growth. Taylor is wearing 12-18 month clothes (depends on the brand) and Morgan is into 9-12 months. Morgan has 2 teeth (on the bottom) and is cutting more as we speak, and Taylor has 6 teeth and I think she also is getting more on the bottom (she has 2 on the bottom and 4 on top). Teething has caused some major crankiness in our house!

The girls turning 9 months has prompted me to start thinking about their 1st birthday. I am thinking it's going to be Memorial Day weekend, and I would love to have it outside, so I am going to pray for great weather. I can't believe that in a few months they will be turning one. Oh my word.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T13:33:00.000-08:00

It's Morgan and Taylor's 1st Valentine's Day!!

It's so hard to get them both to look at me and smile TOGETHER when I am taking their pic! And yes, Morgan does smile (although it's so hard to capture it!).

2011-02-09T08:12:00.000-08:00

My funk continues. I don't know what is wrong with me lately. I've been blaming it on the weather, but I think it's more than that.

I don't know about you, but the ins and outs of everyday life are just exhausting me right now. I feel like I am being a second rate mom, wife, friend, and Christian. I feel like I am being pulled in a million different directions, and I don't know which way to go. I want to be the best wife and mom that I can be, but I am having a hard time trying to please everyone and make sure everyone is happy.

I know that this is just a phase, and eventually, I will get out of my funk. It's just hard to balance everything and I am certainly not going to pretend that I live this fabulously perfect life. No one does! Ok, enough of my complaining...

Dreaming of Spring

2011-02-07T08:11:00.001-08:00

I am officially sick of the snow. Even though the sun is shining today, I still feel like I have the winter blues. I feel down in the dumps and trapped in this house! I think I may head to the mall today, just to get out of the house. I am sure the girls would love a change of pace too!

And because I am tired of winter, I've been eyeing some cute spring stuff from Carter's for Morgan and Taylor.

How adorable is this outfit? Oh my word. Love it!

These shoes make me smile. I picture the girls tiny little feet in them and I get all smiley inside! I think these are a must have.

Too bad we won't have warm weather until May, but a girl can dream can't she?

7 Facts

2011-02-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

Can I just say how ecstatic I am that it is the weekend? Anyone else have a really LONG week? Work was crazy the past 2 days and the girls have been hard to put to bed this week (i.e. crying and screaming when they go down for the night). I am so happy that the weekend is here!

While catching up on some blog reading tonight, I discovered that Bri passed along a blogger award to me. Thanks, Bri!! So here it is and here are the rules.

Rule #1-thank the person who gave you the award and link to their blog.

Rule#2-List 7 facts about yourself.

Rule #3-pass this award onto 15 other people.

Ok, 7 facts about me. Hmmm...

1.) I watch too much tv. But I love it. Currently on my DVR: Parenthood, The Good Wife, The Mentalist, Grey's, Private Practice, Kitchen Boss, General Hospital, Blue Bloods and Royal Pains.

2.) Reading "Decision Points" by George W. Bush. I am not even halfway through but it's a decent read so far. Interesting, I have to say.

3.) I could live out of laundry baskets. I don't mind doing the laundry, and folding it, but when it comes to putting it away? Forget about it. It's my least favorite chore. Sometimes I would rather just take what I need out of the basket and leave the rest of the clean stuff in there.

4.) My favorite nighttime snack is a big glass of milk and some Oreos. Loved it when I was pregnant, and still do. I might have to go and have some right now!

5.) I'm turning into an old lady. I can easily go to bed at 8:30 and be perfectly content with that. I've come to appreciate sleep so much more since having kids. It's not overrated like I claimed in my early 20s.

6.) So interested in tracing my family's ancestry. I love the idea of knowing and sharing with my girls where our family came from, and letting them know the importance of family and roots.

7.) Things that I am loving right now: Twilight Woods body wash from Bath and Body Works, zip-up flannel jammies from Carters (for the girls, of course!), White Chocolate Mochas from Starbucks, my sweatpants and wool socks, weekends when the hubby doesn't have to work, my James Bible study.

And I am going to change the rules for this award slightly. I invite everyone to take this blog invitation and do 7 facts about themselves! Have a wonderful weekend!

Snow Day and 8 Months

2011-02-02T12:41:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Morgan are 8 months old today! We celebrated by spending the day being warm and cozy, while most of our city attempted to dig out from all the snow the "blizzard of 2011" dropped on us. I don't know about where you are, but our news channels could not stop talking about this storm. Come on, this is Michigan! We are used to tons of snow! We ended up getting over a foot of snow, which is the most we've seen at once in a long time, but people were acting like it we were going to be snowed in for days and days. Ha!
(this is a pic from my front window. Our neighbor is awesome because he always comes over and snow blows our driveway!)

My sweet girls are back to feeling like thier normal selves, which includes sleeping through the night again. Which means Mike and I are back to sleeping through the night. Hallelujah!

The twins are getting so big, so fast. When they were weighed last week at the peditrician's office, Morgan weighed 18lbs 4 oz. and Taylor weighed 22lbs even. My theory is continuing to prove true--they are going to stay a couple pounds different than each other. Morgan is wearing 9 month clothes and jammies, and Taylor is into 12 months.

Taylor loves being on her hands and knees, and I keep trying to entice her to crawl. She is a champ at rolling everywhere, and LOVES her walker. She really gets around in that thing!!! Up and down the hallway she goes and has even ventured into our kitchen to look around. She is an extremely curious baby (we are starting to babyproof the house!).

Morgan is a daddy's girl. She lights up whenever she sees Mike, and has started to say da da when she sees him. We thought it was totally random before, but now she only says it when he's around! Morgan loves her jumperoo, and grins really big when we put her in it.

Both girls are sitting up and they do so well when we put them on the floor to play. Although they have discovered that when one has a toy, the other one wants it. It never fails. Here is a good example of that.

I'm hoping it's just a baby thing and that they will grow out of it! We're already telling them they have to share (ha!), but I know they have no idea what I'm even saying. :)

I love that they are doing new things all the time, whether it be a new kind of smile, scooting around, trying a new food for the first time. I cherish every minute (most of the time!) and wouldn't trade being a mom for anything in the world.

Long Weekend

2011-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

It was a very long weekend for the Marshalls. We had two sick babies on our hands! Morgan had been coughing all week, but other than that, showed no real signs of feeling bad. Friday morning I woke up to both girls running low grade temps, drippy noses, and coughing so hard they were throwing up. ANd they both wanted to be held, so I knew there was no way I could go into work with the BOTH of them feeling so bad. I called and got them into see their peditrician who confirmed that they had a virus. He told us it was going to be a long weekend. He was not joking.

I don't think we have slept so erratically since they were newborns! And at least then we could feed them and they would go back to sleep. My poor babes just didn't want to sleep because they were so miserable. Even Taylor, who is our "good sleeper" didn't want to sleep. Both girls would go down at night for a few hours, and then they were up and crying. I finally ended up taking them to bed with us (not at the same time!) and they managed to go to sleep.

Ok, so this pic is a little gross, but it's exactly how Morgan felt. And she was SO over having me constantly wipe her nose. She would throw her hands in front of her face and cry every time. By the way, I love Boogie Wipes.

Here's my other sickly babe, Taylor. Again with the wet nose and mouth. Ick. I felt so bad for them!

And now we are hunkering down for a major snowstorm headed our way tomorrow night. Supposedly it's going to drop over a foot of snow, which is the most we've had all winter. Can't wait (can you sense my sarcasm?).

Resolutions

2011-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

The last couple of years, my New Year's Resolution has been to spend more time in prayer and in God's word. Honestly, I feel like I have been failing in those resolutions.

Of course, I would like to deliver on that resolution for 2011, but am wondering how I am going to do it. I have the best intentions, but life often gets in the way. Not a good excuse, I know. There are times when I feel stretched so thin, like I am trying to be EVERYTHING to everyone. Even in those precious quiet moments in my day, I am running around trying to clean my house, do laundry, etc. I do make an effort to read my Bible, write in my prayer journal and just be still, but it feels like those times are few and far between lately.

So, an opportunity just came across my computer when I was reading Raising Redheads . It is a chance to join other women in reading the book of James and to help hold each other accountable for spending time daily in God's word. I know that there are things that I could cut out of my day in order to spend time reading my Bible (i.e. tv watching). I'm 32 years old, for crying out loud! I shouldn't need others to hold me accountable for something that deep inside I truly want! But the sad truth is, I know if I let it, life would just get in my way again, and I would find another excuse why I let another day pass without spending some time with God. I think I am going to go for it and try this Bible study out and really give my 2011 resolution a chance. If you are interested in doing this with me, just head over to Ramee's blog to find out more. I would love to have some blog friends join me!!

7 Months Old

2011-01-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Taylor and Morgan are 7 months old!

*They laugh at each other all the time.

*They are babbling like there's no tomorrow.

*They have such distinct personalities and are as different as can be.

Taylor:

Has crazy hair that stands straight up, and I have to admit, I kind of like it that way! I have tried to comb it so it lays down, but I think it looks silly like that. She laughs ALL the time and it even makes us laugh. She has 2 teeth on the bottom and we think she is getting more on the top, but we can't tell for sure. She is constantly drooling though, which makes us think that more teeth are soon on the way! Taylor LOVES the bathtub and splashes like crazy when she's in there.

Morgan:

As you can see from the picture, she can give you some looks. It's just what she does. She is the talker of the two and is babbling "da da da". We know she's probably not saying Dad, but we like to pretend that she is! Her hair is starting to come in more heavily now, and it's dark! We thought we might have a blond baby on our hands, but we've changed our minds. She just got her 1st tooth this past week, and it's adorable. Poor thing was miserable!

I Did It

2011-01-08T09:19:00.001-08:00

I finally did it. What, you may ask? Well, I finally made up my mind to make one of the largest baby purchases we have made (besides the nursery furniture) yet, and I can't wait for it to get here!

(Picture courtesy of Bumbleride.com)

I just bought this aweseome stroller! Before I had the girls, I couldn't imagine buying anything but a Graco stroller. I just knew that I wanted a travel system, and Graco is the one I decided on. Well, then the girls came, and I regreted that decision pretty quickly. It has been so hard to get the carriers in and out of that darn stroller, and I am sure I looked like a complete idiot always struggling with it. It didn't open or collapse easily. It became a thorn in my side. The clincher came when I took the girls to the mall and was fighting with the darn thing in the mall parking lot, trying to get it to close and one of the wheels broke off. As in cannot be fixed.

So after some research and reading a lot of reviews, I decided on the Bumbleride Indie Twin stroller. I found a great deal online for it and cannot wait for it to arrive! Oh, and I have to mention that I did get to try it out in a store before I made my final decision. Love it!

Monday Morning

2011-01-03T05:40:00.001-08:00

This is my Monday morning recipe for happiness. Ok, any day of the week as well! One of my Christmas presents this year was my Keurig and I LOVE it. It makes this girl happy, which I really need today.

I have the after Christmas blues. Like we have nothing major to look forward to. I should be breathing a sigh of relief and contentment that we have nothing to do now since our Holidays this year were busy, but I don't. I feel a little down in the dumps. Hoping I can shake this!

MIA

2010-12-31T06:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have been MIA for a while! Things have just been busy around here--getting ready for Christmas and spending the holidays with family. By the time I would get the girls in bed, I was ready to go to bed too! I give credit to all of you blogging mamas who can stay up and blog after your little ones have gone to sleep. I can't seem to keep my eyes open after 9:00.

This Christmas was such a good one for us. Of course we have been thrilled to watch Morgan and Taylor experience their first Christmas, and they have been spoiled rotten with both love and presents. We are blessed to have an awesome family who loves these little girls beyond words!

Miss Taylor playing around Nana's Christmas tree! This was right after church on Christmas day. She was not the best behaved baby in church that morning!

Morgan opening up her presents! Of course, she was mom and dad's best present ever!

Now that the 2011 is upon us, I feel like there are so many exciting things just around the corner. Like the girls crawling, taking first steps, 1st birthday, etc. I cannot wait to see what the new year brings! Happy New Year's to all of you!

My Favorite Verse

2010-12-14T05:47:00.001-08:00

Day #15--Your Favorite Bible Verse

Oh, I have so many! There are different verses that have seen me through different times in my life, so I can't really narrow it down to one (I have that problem with a lot of things!).

Do not be anxious about anything, bu in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. PHILLIPIANS 4:6

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
PSALM 62:8

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
JEREMIAH 29:11

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." JOHN 14:1

Those are just a few of the ones that I turn to when I feel like I need some guidance and hope, and they remind me that I need to stop trying to control everything, and just let God handle it.

Regret

2010-12-13T06:36:00.000-08:00

I am filled with regret this morning.

I have realized that I am not being the wife that I should be.

I know that no marriage is perfect, but it used to be that we were so in sync with each other. Lately, it feels like we are OUT of sync with each other and it is driving me crazy!

As I have mentioned before, we've undergone a lot of changes in the past couple months. Mike took a second job and recently, I have also taken a part time job at a local credit union. So I get to spend more time with the babies which I am thrilled about, but also am able to get out of the house for a little while and interact with adults! Plus I feel like I get to contribute financially to this family, which is a big deal for me.

Anyway, I feel like we have no time for each other and both, at times, are simply exhausted. Mike works 2 jobs, and works hard to provide for this family. So I feel bad when I give him a hard time about little things, that in the heat of the moment, feel like big things to me. I start to think about all of the ways he is sacrificing for us, and I feel bad for arguing with him about things that we shouldn't even be arguing about. I let my temper and my stubborness take control of the situation rather than thinking it through and seeing his side. I always seem to do that. I run my mouth and feel sorry about it later.

So here I am, feeling regret for the way I treated Mike last night (or should I say in the middle of the night?). He left for work this morning and we barely spoke 2 words to each other. I feel terrible.

I know I need to tell him these things and apologize for what I said and how I acted, but even as an adult, saying sorry is so hard.

It's Morning Already?

2010-12-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

I am so sleepy this morning!

It must have something to do with the fact that the girls lately have been terrible sleepers. I blame teething. Taylor already has 2 teeth and I think more are coming in. The girl just drools non-stop and has been sooo crabby which is very unlike her. Morgan still doesn't have any teeth, but I am praying that at least one comes in for her. She is up every 3-4 hours at night, and I am not getting much sleep.

The coffee is on and I need it desperately this morning!

Anyway, on to Day #14--A picture you love!

Oh, they look so little in this picture! And the weather was so warm. We really were blessed with an awesome summer. It was a great summer to have babies! But I also have to laugh at this picture because neither one of them really has any hair to speak of, and now Taylor has a ton of it. Morgan's working on getting more hair, but she definitely has more now than she did then!

Goals

2010-12-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

Day #13--Your Goals

When I sat down to write this, I realized that I have 2 types of goals. Ones for my family, and ones for me. So I had to break it down into 2 categories for you!

Family Goals:

I want to raise Taylor and Morgan to be kind, sensitive, hard-working and smart women.

I want to save for an awesome family trip to Disney.

I would like to see us move to a bigger house within the next 5 years.

My basement is calling. It said it needs a makeover. So there's that too! Oh, and that would include having a garage sale in the spring.

Personal Goals:

Do a bible study through my church.

Learn to let things go and let go of fear.

Save more money!

Learn more about photography. Not to be all serious about it, but enough so that I can take better pics.

6 Months

2010-11-29T17:48:00.000-08:00

Morgan and Taylor are 6 months old!

Everyday I look at them and can't believe that just 6 months ago, I was wondering what they were going to look like, and tried so hard to picture what it was going to be like to hold them. I thank God for them every single day!

They are rolling over constantly. It seems the minute I put them on the floor, they start rolling onto their tummies. Morgan doesn't mind, but Taylor gets SO mad because she can't always roll herself back over.

Sitting up on their own is just around the corner. I will sit them on the floor surrounded by pillows and let go of them, and they usually can sit up unassisted for a few seconds before they start leaning into the pillows.

Taylor is such a good sleeper. She goes down for bed between 8 and 8:30, and sleeps until 7:30 or so in the morning. She is also a pretty good napper. I can usually put her down in her crib for a nap, and she will conk right out without much of a fuss.

Morgan sleeps pretty good too, but she still gets up once during the night. The time she gets up varies. I have tried to let her go back to sleep on her own, and sometimes it works, but usually I will get up once I hear her go to the "I'm starting to get really fussy" cry. I hate to say it, but I don't want her to wake Taylor, so I just get up. I would rather feed her and then have her go back to sleep for a couple hours than have 2 wide awake babies at 4 a.m.

They both have pretty cute laughs. And sometimes they are downright hilarious when they are laughing. Makes my heart feel so good!

I love these girls of mine and am so proud to be their mom!

What is the matter with me today?

2010-11-25T05:39:00.000-08:00

I should be in a super thankful spirit today, considering what day it is.

Instead, I am in a super cranky mood. I need to snap out of it. I have no logical explaination for this mood. I really don't. I must have woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe I just need to crawl back in it and start this day all over.

I'll be back later today with a fresh post and a new attitude, I hope!

I Believe

2010-11-21T06:21:00.000-08:00

Day #11--What You Believe

I know that I cannot sum up what I believe in one statement, so I've broken it down.

*I believe that God's love and faithfulness is immeasurably vast and that he is walking this road of life with us every single day.

*I believe that our experiences in life shape us, not define who we are.

*I believe that it's not the number of friends you have, it's the quality of those friends that makes the difference.

*I believe in the power of prayer.

And I believe in the soothing effects of a cup of coffee. Which is where I am headed now--off to make a run to Biggby for my caramel latte! Have a wonderful Sunday everyone!

Tv

2010-11-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

Day #11--Your Favorite TV shows

I watch too much tv. Or, I should I say, I record too many shows. Watching them all is another story.

Love, love, love the Amazing Race! I think it's so interesting to see how the couples interact with each other as they race around the world, and some of the places they go "amaze" me (ha!). I think it's cool that they go to places that aren't so touristy (is that even a word?).

The other reality show that we have been watching for forever it seems, is Survivor.

I have to give these people credit. Living on nothing but rice and maybe some fish for 30+ days? With no shower? Sleeping next to other people who haven't showered in weeks? No thank you. I could not do it. Not even for a million dollars. Nope. But I think it makes for great tv!

Other shows that are on my favorite list:

*Brothers and Sisters

*Blue Bloods

*The Good Wife

*Private Practice

*Grey's Anatomy

*Amazing Wedding Cakes

*The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills

*Parenthood

*The Mentalist

See? Too many shows to watch. Does anyone else have this problem in their house?

Fear

2010-11-16T06:49:00.000-08:00

Day 10--What are you afraid of?

I would have to say that my biggest fear right now is something bad happening to my girls. I just don't want to think about the possibility of ever losing them, and it scares me to death. Like I could be on medication if I sit and think about it long enough.

I know that I can't protect them from ALL of the dangers of this world, and that I do have to let them have freedom at some point, but I want to keep them safe forever. And then I think about all of the things that could happen that I can't keep them safe from, like sickness and disease. It's more than my mind can handle.

So, I try not to let my mind go there too often! ANd that's when I go in for the extra snuggles and kisses and prayers!

**On a side note, how many of you moms have wills already made? I was thinking about this after I left the movie Life As We Know It on Sunday (a complete cry fest by the way). I am thinking that Mike and I need to get one in place, just in case!

My Friends

2010-11-10T06:01:00.001-08:00

Day #9--A Picture of your friends

My friends Jeanie and Cheryl --at my baby shower

Some of our friends that we went to Jamaica with!

My friend Jaime--we've known each other since we were 3 or 4 years old. Our dads are BFFs.

Of course, there are a couple of friends of mine that I don't have pics of, but there are no less special to me. Like Stacy and Meg, my girlfriends from my job. And my good friend Laura who I have known since I was 16. Each one of these ladies, both in the pics and the ones not shown, have made an impact in my life. They have all seen me in some of my worst moments, and we have had so many laughs. I love them dearly!

Travelin'

2010-11-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

Day #8--A Place You Have Traveled To

The last vacation that Mike and I took was to Jamaica for our friend Josh's wedding. That was June 2009. This trip was special for us since we had many of our good friends with us, and we also knew it was going to be the last vacation for quite some time since we were ready to take the next step in starting a family (i.e. going to the fertility specialist).

We stayed at Sandals Negril with some other friends of ours, and we had such a good time! The water was so crystal clear and extremely warm. I loved getting up every morning, eating breakfast outside, and then laying by the pool for the rest of the morning and afternoon.

I could very easily hop on a plane right now and take a vacation. I will definitely be feeling this way when the snow starts flying!

Happy

2010-11-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Day 6--What makes you happy?

This picture is an instant stress reliever.

I can just imagine myself there, feet buried in the sand with the sun warming my face.

No matter what my day has been like, I can look at this picture and feel better. Even if it's just a teensy bit better.

It's instant happiness! (Makes me want to start planning a vacation!)

What else makes me happy?

Well, these darlings of course!

*yeah, I'm being the mean mom and making them try on their winter hats! The forecast is calling for snow on Friday. Yuck!

Growing Pains

2010-11-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

It seems like I have been reading several blogs lately where they have been talking about "keeping it real" (or not). For example, some bloggers only choose to write about the good stuff in their lives, therefore giving off the perception that everything is just peachy in their life. That is just fine if that is what they choose to do. Not everyone feels comfortable airing their stuff to the entire world. I get it.

For me, this blog was a way for me to get out all of the things I was feeling. Both good and bad. it was also a place for me to share my life.

So it's a little bit of relief for me to be able to say that today I feel...lost. That's it in a nutshell. Our lives have changed dramatically in the past year, even more so in the past 5 months since the girls arrived. Changes have occured for both Mike and I in our careers. It hasn't been easy. I am still adjusting, and wondering if the decisions we made concerning this family are the right ones. I am just in a period of doubt right now. I am hoping that the growing pains will soon be over, and we will be perfectly adjusted to the changes, but today I am feeling alone and lost. I kind of feel like I just hurled myself over a cliff without bothering to see how far down I will fall.

I know that tomorrow will be a brand new day. I know that I could wake up tomorrow and feel completely different. I am praying that God will see me through this storm of mine.

Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our refuge.
PSALM 62:8

***Update: I just want to say that I am not having any doubts about being a mom and wouldn't change that aspect of my life for anything in the world. I am so blessed to have them. I guess the doubts come into play about choosing to quit my full time job and having Mike pick up a second job, where he is working nights and weekends. I sometimes feel like its a no win situation---he misses the girls because he is working more, and I was missing out on a lot when I was working full time (including nights and weekends). I am missing my old job, even though it had its share of stresses that I was more than happy to leave behind. Soooo....that's what's weighing on me today.

Movies

2010-11-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Day #7--My favorite movies

I am a movie lover! Ok, well, I used to be. I mean, I still am, but have no time to watch movies. I can barely make it through what's on my DVR, let alone watch a movie. However, there are some movies that I can watch over and over and never get sick of them.

Forrest Gump is probably my #1 favorite movie. It never gets old to me. Love it, love it.

Cameron Diaz cracks me up, Kate Winslet is super adorable, and Jude Law is...well, very easy on the eyes! I have no comment for Jack Black.

Other movies that I could watch repeatedly? Sweet Home Alabama, Braveheart, The Saint, The Notebook, and the Italian Job.

My Brother

2010-11-01T16:11:00.001-07:00

Day #5 -- Your Siblings

I have only one sibling, my older brother Paul. He is 5 years older than me, and I think we fought like cats and dogs when we were little! He is such a great dad to his son Cole and daughter Ava, and I love to see him interact with his kids. I get such a kick out of it! And have I mentioned that I love his wife Heather to death? Paul and Heather are Morgan's godparents, and I love this picture of them!

My Parents

2010-10-27T06:29:00.000-07:00

This 30 Day challenge is kicking my butt! I honestly don't know how moms find the time to blog. We are busy women, and I know that as soon as I put the babies to bed, this mom cannot wait to lay her own head down. I commented to a girlfriend recently that I could get so much done once the girls are in bed, but all I can even fathom doing is crawling into bed. It is GO, GO, GO once the day starts, and I don't stop all day. The girls aren't really napping during the day, and when they do manage to nod off for a bit, it's never at the same time. Hence the reason I hightail it to the comforts of my bed as soon as the babes are asleep. I am so boring!

Anyway, Day #4 of the challenge is about my parents. How can I even begin to tell you what a blessing they have been to Mike and I? I don't think I would have made it through my pregnancy, bed rest and the arrival of the twins if it wasn't for them. They have been there every step of the way, helping out as much as possible. It is such a relief to have another set of hands to hold the girls sometimes!

I love that my girls are going to grow up being close to and with their grandparents. That is one of the things that I loved about my own childhood, and I wish so much for my girls to have the same. Now if only my brother and his family lived closer, I would be all set!

My First Love

2010-10-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

Day #3--Your 1st love

Here he is!! Mike is without a doubt, my first true love. I knew since the minute I saw him. Cheesy, but true. We were both working at a department store our senior year of high school, and he started right before graduation. I was walking through the store to get to my department, and there he was, with this adorable smile. I was hooked right then and there. I knew he was going to be mine, even though I had no idea how or when. And the rest is history! (well, actually, it's kind of a long story).

We've been together for 13 years and now we have 2 gorgeous daughters. If you would have asked 18 year old me if I could have imagined this, of course I would have had to say no. This life of mine is better than anything than anything I could have dreamed up. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. We get mad at each other, and frustrated. We disagree. But the good times are priceless, and Mike is the love of my life. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

My Blog Name

2010-10-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

Day #2 ---The Meaning Behind Your Blog Name

I wish I could tell you that the name of my blog had some special meaning to me. While I like it, it really doesn't have a special meaning at all!

My friend Jaime had had a blog for a while and convinced me to start blogging. I have always journaled, so blogging just seemed like another way to journal for me, except that it would now be public. I think I remained stumped over a blog title for a while, trying to find something that fit me.

I finally decided on This Girl's Life because I knew that I wanted my blog to be about me and all the things that go on in my life, from the everyday moments to the big things. Maybe it's not the most original title, but hey, it works for me!

30 Day Challenge

2010-10-17T08:01:00.001-07:00

I saw this 30 Day Challenge on Vanessa's blog, Grow Old With Me, and thought it looked like fun, so I thought I would give it a go.

Day #1 --Introduce Yourself (15 facts)

1.) I've been married to my husband Mike for 6 years. We have been together since we were 18 years old.

2.) After dealing with infertility issues, we are now blessed with 4 month twin girls, Taylor and Morgan.

3.) I worked in retail since I was 16, and recently left my full time supervisor position in order to spend more time with my babies.

4.) I love to read, and even though it is a challenge to find time to read, I usually have a couple books on my nightstand at any given time.

5.) Scrapbooking used to be my hobby. I say used to, because I haven't done any scrapbooking in the longest time. We're talking almost a year. I still have a love for it, but it's just something that I don't have the time for. Yet.

6.) Favorite seasons are summer and fall. Right now I am loving the weather!

7.) I have a thing for colored Sharpies and Post It notes. This coorelates to my love for list making. It just makes more sense when it's written in color! :)

8.) I have a serious sweet tooth. I blame my parents, both of whom also have a sweet tooth. I think it must be a genetic thing! I always have chocolate of some sort on hand, whether it's M&Ms, or Oreos or chocolate ice cream.

9.) Constantly trying to grow in my faith. Prayer has become one of those things that I cling to, especially in times of struggle. But I really need to work on praying more in the good times!

10.) I need to stay away from Etsy. Have you seen all of the cool stuff on there? Oh my word. My latest buy? Flowery headbands for the girls, as well as a key wristlette for myself.

11.) I can't go a day without coffee. Not because I am addicted to the caffeine, but because I love it. It makes me a happier person in the morning.

12.) I am a worrier. I have tried to break this habit, but you know what they say about old habits. I always have something on my mind that I am worrying about.

13.) We have a dog named Cami that used to be the center of our attention, until the twins came, of course! She is very good with the girls, and even whines when they start crying. She is such a sweet dog!

14.) I grew up as a Navy brat. Born in South Carolina, and have lived in Hawaii, Maine, and Illinois. I feel a special affection for those who serve in the military and think we need to do more as a country to support those who fight for our everyday freedom. (ok, coming down from my soapbox now)

15.) I spend too much time hooked to my Blackberry. I seriously need to put it down. The person that invented the smart phone is both a genius and an idiot. Now millions of people are more connected but paying less attention. Ugh!! And I am one of them!

Dr. Visit

2010-10-17T07:49:00.000-07:00

The girls had their month checkup this past Wednesday. I was excited for this appointment because I had some questions for the dr, as well as wanting badly to see how much the girls weigh! They are getting heavy! However, I was not looking forward to the shots they would be getting. Poor things.

Morgan weighed in at 14 lbs. 8 oz and is 25.5" long and is in the 50th percentile.
Taylor's weight was 16lbs. 12 oz and she is 27" long and is in the 90th percentile.

Everyone keeps saying that Morgan will catch up to Taylor, but I don't think so. I think they are going to stay at least 2 lbs apart. And frankly, I don't care if Morgan "catches up". She isn't behind by any means. They are simply 2 different babies! Yes, they are twins, but that doesn't mean that they are going to be similar. I love that they are different, and totally embrace it.

I am starting to think that my doctor is old school. I really like him, but he isn't a fan of many things out there for babies. For example, he doesn't like gas drops, or infant teething gel. He also isn't a supporter of Bumbos. Ummm... ok, we've used all of these things! I definitely take into consideration what he has to say, since he is the one with the medical degree, but if the girls are screaming (and we are almost positive it's teething), I am going to have to use some teething gel. It helps! Is anyone else's pediatrician this way?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T13:21:00.001-07:00

Changes

2010-10-08T16:02:00.001-07:00

Big changes are happening around the Marshall household these days.

First, Morgan has started rolling over! She did it for my mom the very first time while I was at work. I was so bummed that I missed it, but just a couple days later, she did it in front of Mike and I. I was practically jumping up and down with excitement! Both her and Taylor have been rolling onto their sides for the longest time, but Morgan finally made it all the way over. Taylor is still trying to figure it all out, but I know it's going to be very soon when she finally rolls over.

Second, after much thought and consideration, we made a pretty life-changing decision. Mike and I decided that what is best for our family right now is for me to quit my full-time job. My last day was this past Wednesday. I feel like we have made the right choice, and I get to spend more time with my girls, which makes me so happy! It was tough to leave my girlfriends at work. I've grown so close to them, but I know that just because I no longer work there, that doesn't mean that I won't see them. I plan on keeping them in my life!

So, needless to say, big things have been going on around here. I am excited to see where life takes us next!

4 Months Old

2010-10-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4 MONTHS, TAYLOR and MORGAN!

I have to laugh every time someone comments that they look alike, because I don't think they do! In my eyes, they are so very different, and I love it. I think it's awesome that I am blessed with two girls who are twins but who are very much individuals (already!).

The girls are sleeping through the night, and only Morgan still gets up for an early morning feeding (around 4:00 or 4:30). We are working on nap time, as they really don't take long naps during the day which results in evening time fussiness. So, this weekend, I am putting them in their cribs for naptime and hopefully we can get them on a routine of napping in the afternoon.

Both girls are rolling over on their side, and Morgan has been the only one so far to actually over onto her tummy. I think Taylor is going to soon, because she is constantly rolling to one side when I have her on the floor.

I can't wait for their 4 month checkup just so I can see if how much they weigh! Taylor has to be close to 15 lbs by now! The girl is heavy! I don't think Morgan is too far behind her either. I don't know about anyone else's pediatrician, but I wish that they wanted to see the girls every month for the 1st 6 months. Only because I feel like we have so many questions, and the girls have changed so much already from their 2 month appointment, and it would be nice to be able to sit down and discuss these questions with him.

The best part of my day with the girls is first thing in the morning. They are soooo happy in the morning and I get the best smiles from them. It melts my heart when I peek over their cribs at them, and they lock eyes with me and break out into the biggest smile!

Taylor and Morgan, I love you more than anything in this world and I cannot wait to see all the changes that are coming next!

Let's Try This Again

2010-09-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

I super excited to start reading this book! It's the Bloom Book Club's newest pick, and although I am not sure when I am going to have time to read it, I am determined to make an attempt.

I did not keep up with the last book club selection, which was Strong Women, Soft Hearts. I was having a hard time relating, and honestly, lost interest in the book. So I am ready to get back on the book club track and start this new one. I am going to run out today and grab it if it's in stock. It sounds like a book that I really need right now. I constantly struggle with wanting desperately to have time to sit and be in God's word, and just pray. But as a working mom, it's hard! Any spare moment I have, I am doing SOMETHING.

Anyway, hope this book can bring about some clarity! It looks so good, and the book club starts up on October 17th, if you would like to join me and read this book. For more details, click on the Bloom button on the side of my blog. I would love for some women I know to read this book with me!

Good Morning

2010-09-23T05:32:00.001-07:00

I love mornings like this. Where the babies are still sleeping, I can take a shower and do my makeup without feeling rushed. Mornings when I can make coffee (although terribly) and sit down at my computer to catch up on blog reading and possibly do some blogging of my own. Some quality me time!

This sweet little darling refuses to nap. You add that onto her already fussy personality and you have the makings of a really GREAT day (can you sense the sarcasm?). The only time of day that she seems to be happiest is in the morning. You can hear her babbling in her crib and when you pick her up, she is all smiles. Love it. I don't, however, love the no napping at any time during the day. I think she would be so much happier if she would just sleep, but maybe that is just wishful thinking. She sleeps great at night and has no problem going to bed. But when I put her down during the day, she cries like there is no tomorrow. Any suggestions?

Baptism day

2010-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

May God shine His grace upon you,

Light each pathway you will tread,

Bring you joy, and guard you always

Now and through the years ahead.

That was the front of a sweet card that the girls received for their baptism. I'm a little behind on posting, but they were baptized on September 5. It was truly a special day for us, and Mike and I were so happy that our family was able to be with us and celebrate their christening!

Taylor showing a little leg! And Morgan was a little sleepy.

My sister in law Heather and my brother Paul were Morgan's godparents. Of course, she's still sleeping! The child rarely sleeps during the day, and then we take her to church and she sleeps most of the time. Go figure.

My Uncle Rick and Aunt Karen were Taylor's godparents. I don't know what in the world Taylor was looking at in this picture!

My parents with the girls. Morgan still sleeping dispite all the pictures, and Taylor in the middle of a meltdown because she was ready to eat. Usually, it's the other way around!!

Mike's mom and dad. This picture makes me laugh, because Taylor just has this look on her face.

It was such a blessed day. I want nothing more than for Morgan and Taylor to be strong in their faith and to be able to know a life that is God-centered. I pray that I will be able to teach them that they can go to God with anything, and teach them the power of prayer. I pray that God will bless their lives now and forever!

His Voice

2010-09-10T07:06:00.000-07:00

How do you know when you hear God speaking to you?

I have a hard time deciphering if it's God's voice I hear in my heart, or my own crazy will for things.

See, I have this issue going on and am waiting for clarity. I keep praying that I will know what the right decision is, but I am hoping to hear His voice on this, and not mine. All I know is this---I feel right now like I am trapped inside a box and am running out of air. I feel anxious a lot of the time, and could easily break down into tears at a moment's notice.

So I am waiting to hear from Him. I am waiting for God's will for me to shine through. Can you say a little prayer for me?

Do you ever feel...

2010-09-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel...

like all you want to do is wrap your arms around your baby and just hold her all day?

that time is going by entirely too fast and you desperately want it to slow down?

so much love when you look at your family and it brings tears to your eyes?

overwhelmed by the feelings you have for your kids and you never in a million years imagined you could have this much love for someone so little?

These are all the things that I am feeling this morning. It makes me just want to burst out in tears.

Ok, so I am slightly hormonal today, but so what?

Sleeping Angels

2010-09-02T08:24:00.000-07:00

I had to start off my post with a picture of my sweet ones! They are getting so big, and their latest feat? Sleeping through the night! Wahoo!!!

The problem is, and well, maybe it's not a problem, but they are sleeping a lot through the night and into the morning. FOr example, we put them to bed last night at 10:30, they got up around 7:30 am and then went back to bed after a bottle. It is now 11:30 and they are still sleeping!

Is this too much sleep? Should I just shut up and count my lucky stars?