Pumpkin Bread and Pretty Babies

I don't know why, but I'm so super pumped for Christmas! Okay- I lied- I do know why.. We have babies to celebrate with, but I have always been a firm believer to wait until Thanksgiving dinner is over to put up the tree. I'm seriously having such a hard time with it. I want to put it up now! Which I don't know why- I plan on doing a total DIY country Christmas tree with burlap garland, homemade bows, fabric flowers and cinnamon ornaments- and I have nothing done. So I'm trying to do little fall things so semi- hold off my Christmas excitement. (Which is very hard to do since our office music station is on holiday music-- and it's not thanksgiving music either!!!) 

So pumpkin bread it is. When I search recipes. I always add the word easy in front of it. I don't have time for fancy, 20-ingredient recipes. 

So I pulled this off Pinterest! I'm disappointment in myself that I didn't take an after picture but oh well! 

Here's the link: 

http://kathdedon.wordpress.com/2011/10/26/pumpkin-bread/

I was totally going to post the whole recipe on here but this will work! 

At least I took a picture before baking?! 

I think it turned out awesome! I'm not a pumpkin fan- but for some odd reason decided to buy 2 very large cans of it & this is pretty stinking good! I don't think the hubs thinks so - so more for me!! :) 

I'm really trying hard to expand what I eat. Something's I find I don't mind- others I realize why I don't eat it! Example- potato soup. Ive tried it several times and no. 

I'll leave you with pics of our cutie patooties! 

Daddy says this shirts gothic, but I think it's adorable with a capital A! & it was only 2 bucks at target! Even better!! 

I totally forgot the major milestones we have been having! 

Bria held this and after a few attempts- took it straight to her mouth! & later that night she rolled from her tummy to her back! So proud of her! 

Ella enjoyed the toy but didn't have much luck taking it to her mouth- she just kept hitting herself in the head! 

Not to toot my own horn, but.....

I'm proud of myself. 

I don't say that very often, but I am. For multiple reasons. 

#1- I was pregnant with twins with gestational diabetes, intense vomiting & nausea, PUPPs rash, and awful swelling and I worked up until 4 days before delivering these girls! 4 days!!! I worked 12 hours at a time up until 36 weeks 3 days! There at girls I know that were pregnant with singletons that quit around 20 or so weeks. 

#2- I delivered the girls vaginally, 58 minutes apart. Everytime someone hears that- they are like oh! 58 minutes! Wow! yes- wow. And to top it off, my epidural wore off on my left side for Bria's birth. 

#3- We stayed in the hospital 6 days, where I started breastfeeding. Neither girl was gaining enough weight. So I made the decision to pump. 

Which brings us to #4- I pump for my girls milk. It sucks. Bad. I want to quit all the time, but I don't want to give up on it just because it's inconvienent for me. 

#5- I have no help. Let me rephrase that- my parents watch the girls when I'm working. When I'm off- it's just me-- momma. Everyone finds this crazy. You don't have help? You do it by yourself? Ummm yep! After the visitors stated wearing down when they were around 2 weeks old, I got a routine down. My MIL even said I am surprised by you- I thought you would need more help than this? (Ummmm.. Thanks I think?) 

I don't want to brag, it's what I have to so & I love it! Sure I get frustrated from time to time when I haven't showered, ate or even peed because I've been feeding, changing, playing or putting the girls to sleep- as long as the hubby doesn't mind a non- showered, starving, semi cranky wife! 

Plan B

So we were very unrealistic thinking the girls could be transitioned so easily. We decided to get a new plan. 

These girls don't usually even sleep in their own room- so they don't know he smell, sights and sounds. 

Step 1- move swings into their room. Swing as normal. 

That was last night. So far so good! 

We put them in their swings by 930 and they were out. They got up at 230- which is a good stretch, but could have been longer- but Bria woke up and she hadn't actually eaten since about 830/845 so that works and only 2 ounces at that! 

They got up again at 6.. And Bria got up at 8 to eat. I've been waiting on Ella to get up but she's still snoozing away. 

Tonight is bath night so this should help- but we will be going down one notch of speed on their swings. This process may take a couple weeks but I'm hoping we can work it out! 

This was nap time yesterday. No doubting they are twins. Always manage to have the same mannerisms! 

Our big girl! Ella loves to sit up, she would rather scream than have you just sit there and her may down. So we thought we would try the bumbo! She did so great! Watching football with daddy! 

And her bottle! 

And it was selfie Sunday of course: 

First Attempt at Sleeping in the Crib

Fail. Total Fail. 

Our girls have been sleeping in our room in their swings. The motion calms them down and they sleep amazingly. Most recently an almost 7 hour stretch without waking to eat! We don't strap them in because Ella likes to lay in her side  but they are getting bigger and Ella can scoot herself basically to the edge of the swing so it's time they sleep in their cribs! 

We were pro- no crib bumper until I started realizing that our girls are old enough to lift their heads up and old enough to move around - aka get their arms/ legs stuck in between the posts. So I quickly changed my mind and we purchased a breathable crib bumper yesterday! I set it up. Set up the baby monitor, the sound machine and cleaned out Ella's crib (both will sleep in the same crib). 

We bathed & bottled the girls around 845-9. Ella was so tired she couldn't even finish her bottle. So I set her down to sleep- that was too easy. Bria was a little more difficult, but Andrew laid her down by 930. Nothing. No peep. Could it be this easy? 

The answer is no. Of course not. 

I was pooped- we bought a car yesterday and did some shopping and I  hadn't been that tired since the hospital! As soon as I dozed off- a cry. Got up. Put a binky back in. Laid down. 2 minutes later. More crying. Binky back in. Laid down: this went on until 1am when u said I had had enough and I was bringing them back to our room. 

I feel like we have failed. 

Not 100% sure what our next plan of attack is. But we need our room back. However,  I love sleep also and these girlies love their swings. 

New car! 2nd row bucket seats and 3rd Row! 

The girls did fabulous car shopping! Couldn't be more proud! 

Twinning! All day- everyday! 

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

I'm all about traditions. Sometimes I'm too into them, but now that I have kids- I feel like its a little less weird! :) (it probably has something to do with the fact that I hate change) 

We decided to start a new tradition of a Cousin Pumpkin Carving Party! Of course, the girls have no clue what's going on- but they attended and were dressed for the occasion! 

Finished Product:: 

Sabreena did most/ all of the carving while we fed and changed the babies.. But it was still super fun and something we can tell them that we have done since their first fall/Halloween!

We then ventured to Mamaws and Papaws house and got all Nanny/mom and Pappy/dad's grandchildren there-it was pretty much a cluster F but made for a cute photo! 

Peanut Butter/Bria, Fairy princess/Kayleigh, Jelly/Ella and in the front row- MaryJane Grace as a skeleton. 

Here's our previous babies! 

Infamous Pink chair! Note to self: take pictures before leaving! 

We are blessed! One holiday down! Two more to go this year!! More old traditions and plenty if new ones! 

DIY Halloween Costumes!

I was researching Halloween costumes- oh-- pretty much since the girls were born. We wanted to do minions and Andrew was going to be Gru (Despicable Me is one of our favorite movies, it's not only hilarious, but I love the adoption aspect!) but some people we knew decided to do that as well! So Plan B- something  creative! I didn't want them to be thing one or thing two or twinkies, etc. I finally found something on Etsy. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly! How perfect! :) minus the fact this set was 159.99 on Etsy! Um- no.. 

My best friend had made the girls tutus for their shower so I knew we could do it! We didn't have an embroidery machine but a iron in transfer would do! & I have the how thing covered! 

Brown Tulle- 3.77 for 30 yards.. Maybe used 15 = $1.89

Purple Tulle- 3.77 for 50 yards. Maybe used 15 (that's generous) = 1.00$ 

Ribbon was 1.00 each and I barely used any of it. =$2.00

Elastic was 1.97 and we used half of it= 1.00$ 

The iron on transfer sheets we used a 59% off AC Moore coupon. So we figured it out and used 2 sheets = 0.50 and I had the onsies so free! 

I used this tutorial: 

Took a few hours but it ended up looking pretty good, only we could see some of the knots weren't even. Megan was inspecting her purple tutu and noticed the inside of the tutu was super smooth. So we turned them inside out and it looks professional! She's pretty much a genius! 

Added the bows on the outside. Ironed our iron in transfers (remember to change your printer properties to mirror image) and added a small bow to the shirt and used papertowels as our baby models!! 

For their headbands 

Total cost: $6.40! Compared to $159.99! 

And ya know what? I kind like ours better! (I plan to glitter spray the purple one)! 

Thanks to my husband for watching the girls allllll Saturday morning by himself while we made these & thanks for my bestest friend since 4th grade- Megan! I would still be making these tutus if it wasn't for her! Next up DIY Baby Pants! & an Alumni game outfit-- Eek! 

Yep.. I'm THAT Mom...

I'm a worrier. Always have been, always will be. I worried when we were TTC, both times we were pregnant and now even more as a mother. Early in pregnancy, they thought something was wrong with Ella's left foot. Possibly club foot. It looked turned in on the ultrasound and every time it never changed. It was hard not to envision what life would be like if that were the case, but everything else was perfectly healthy- so we considered ourselves lucky. When she was born, definitely no club foot! Just how Ella was positioned in the womb. Praise The Lord! 

Fast forward 2 months later... Ella favors one side of her head. Which is becoming evident in the shape of her skull. She prefers to lay a certain way. I worried or may be torticollis- which I had. I have also noticed her muscle tone is rock solid. There is no flopping her around. She tends to not straighten her legs out. With those symptoms- I took to google! Not my smartest move. I had made the pediatrician aware of my concerns and she said we would watch Ella's head for anything worsening but she didn't feel he muscular knot that goes along with torticollis- but she could do a birth to 3 referral if we thought necessary. Well after reading googles diagnosis- of cerebral palsey. I said yes! I am currently awaiting a call from them, but I'm freaking out. Peds said she noticed her increased muscle tone but didn't think it was CP. I'm praying for my little Ella until we can get answers. She has several of the risk factors which scare me. 

You can especially see her legs bent in this one..

My poor sweet Ella!