Sunday, June 24, 2012

I'm their advocate...



C works VERY hard during the week.  Last week was especially challenging because he was having to play catch up from our lovely lil vaca!  There were THREE days in a row that that he was not able to spend five min. with the boys!  Every time he would "try," they would already be back asleep. I was really struggling with the fact that work was coming before family bonding.

I grew up with a father who thought that by working so hard and providing for his family meant he was showing us his love, that was far from the case.  We desperately needed him  I needed his love and attention.  I needed him to get down on the floor and play with me.  It is such an old school way of "parenting."  As hard as it was, I needed to bring this concern to C's attention.  I need to be an advocate for my sons, who need their father NOW, EVERYDAY, not just when they are able to play catch and throw a football around "like what C intended."

No, they most likely will not remember these moments of blowing raspberries together, tickling on the floor, playing patty cake, or ride the pony on my knee, but what they are doing is building trust, building a foundation of a loving relationship.  Quality time is so crucial in EVERY period of life.  Even infants need to know their parents love them and are PROUD of all their "tiny" accomplishments, like picking up a piece of rice with their pincer grasp for the first time or 100th time.

What happened when I brought this up?  A little hesitation a little frustration, yes, but ultimately, a father more open to getting on his knees and playing with his sons!


High Five anyone???  






Saturday, June 23, 2012

Back of Vaca and BUSY!

First off, Happy ICLW (a little late!)!   I haven't participated in a long time!  Life with TWINS is AMAZING, but very busy!  I absolutely LOVE my life and am blessed with such an amazing family. Things are finally getting easier.  I'm getting the hang of things now and have picked up my blog again!    I'm very excited to be back and look forward to finding some new blogs to follow.  Hopefully I will gain some new readers as well! :-)

Things have been hectic around here to say the least.  After our AMAZING vacation (we had so much fun and the boys did awesome!), its been work work work.  I'm not sure if I posted this, but C's sister, who has been helping us the past year, was in a terrible car accident and is no longer working for us anymore.  She commuted over an hour each way to come here to help with cleaning, errands, etc.  On her way here, a few weeks ago, she was at a dead stop on the freeway and was hit by an F450, basically the whole back end of her car was gone.  She had a head injury, swelling of the brain, and of course whiplash.  Her car was totaled and she has night terrors about the accident.  This was her SECOND bad accident.  The first one she was ejected from the car on the freeway and dragged across the pavement, which she then required skin graphs.  I seriously believe no person should go through TWO bad car accidents in their lifetime.  Poor girl!

Now, it has been SO difficult, and exhausting running this house without help, while caring for very busy, 10 month old twins.  I have no downtime.  Last night I was still cleaning at 9pm mopping the floors.  This was after, doing laundry all day, making dinner, putting the boys down, cleaning bathrooms, etc.  90% of the floors in our house are wood too, i.e. High Maintenance!

I had hired someone right before we left for vacation, she quit in one day!  This week I did interviews for a "mothers helper,"  I found the sweetest lady, Alicia, to help me around the house a few days a week.  I think it is near impossible to "do it all" without help.  If some of you stay at home Mommies do it... YOU ROCK!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Its all about the Routine BABY! San Francisco...



Wow... we totally have a couple of travelers here!  The boys are doing amazing and are just LOVING this trip!  Who woulda thought that 10 month old twins would just go with the flow!?  I have one friend who has yet to take her two year old daughter on vacation for FEAR she wouldn't sleep well.  That, to me, is unfortunate.

Something my parents did with us, is take us EVERYWHERE, which is something I plan to do with my sons.  I have literally traveled all over the world and plan to continue to do so... with my kids!

Thankfully, we have a VERY good routine, so they know whats coming.  I brought their sound machine, which goes on for naps and bedtime. However, yesterday was the first day they have ever skipped a nap.  We are in San Francisco and basically only had one whole day to explore, so we had them nap in the stroller (it was more like a cat nap).  But, surprisingly they are little troopers, and did AWESOME!  I am so proud of them... they must the "traveler gene" that I have ;-)

Yesterday, we visited Fisherman's Wharf, pier 39, the Aquarium, Ghiradelli Square, a Salvador Dali art exhibit, a couple parks and of course the Golden Gate Bridge!  They loved it!  Today we hit the road again  to our last destination, Albion!  I am having a family reunion up there and we are staying in cabins!  So excited for the boys to meet their cousins!

My babies ROCK!

Monday, June 11, 2012

ROAD TRIP!


This is us, so excited to make it to our first destination... SANTA BARBARA!  Is this what it feels like to be on Vacation?  It is hard to remember!  A couple bottles of wine, cheese and crackers, and oh ya... TWINS!  But we wouldn't have it any other way!  So far so good!  The boys are loving exploring this new place.  And how great is this...

Breakfast with a view!  They are loving it... and so are we! :)



Thursday, June 7, 2012

And we have a tooth!


Rocco and Maximus just celebrated their 10 month birthday on the 5th!  No we didn't really do anything "special," but Rocco cut his FIRST TOOTH (finally!)!  Its a funny story actually...

Maximus has been teething since about four months, Rocco since about five.  I always said it would be ironic if Rocco got his tooth first, because he, 1) hasn't been teething as long and, 2) doesn't get as fussy as Maximus.  Low and behold Rocco cut his first tooth!

Last weekend C was away on a business trip so we three decided to go and visit my parents for the weekend, who live an hour away.  We had so much fun and the boys did AMAZINGLY well... napped great, slept through the night, etc. (I swear by the sound machine!). But by Monday, they were ready to come home.  Maximus felt hot too.  I got home and he was running a low fever of 100.3.  He had been very fussy all day.  I was sure that he would have a tooth by the next day!

My mom has always said she knew when we would get a tooth because she would hear a "cling" on the spoon.  I replied that "we use rubber spoons now, so we won't hear that."  Well, on their 10 month birthday the boys and I were in the playroom and I was eating some cottage cheese.  Rocco wanted a bite, so I gave him some and "cling!"  I heard it!  I stuck my finger in his mouth and could feel the sharp edge of his new tooth!

Maximus, I'm sure will have some new teeth any day as well.  I can see six teeth on top coming in and his four bottoms ones.  No wonder his is in pain!!  Poor baby!!


Saturday, June 2, 2012

SUPER FOOD... KALE!

Is a superfood and one of the "healthiest vegetables around!"  It is known for lowering cancer risk, detoxifying the body, and it is full of antioxidants, yet so many people don't incorporate it in their diets.  I was one of them... until recently!  I went to the Grocery store and Organic Kale was on sale for $1.69/bunch so I bought 3.  I, of course, decided to make baby food with a kick of Kale!

Babies Split Pea Soup:

1 bag split peas
5 carrots peeled
1/2 c. onion
1 tsp Thyme
2 c. Chopped Kale
1 bay leaf

Simmer for 30 min, remove Bay leaf, Blend!



Apples Kale and Brown rice

Two apples shredded
2 c. Chopped Kale
1 c Brown rice
2 tsp Extra virgin Olive Oil

Sautee apples and Kale, Steam rice, and puree.  I added a little water to thin.





 Kale Chips

Chopped Kale
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*you can add salt if your baby is over one or you are making it for yourself

Bake for 10-15 min at 350




Rocco's first Kale Chip


He likes it!

Maximus enjoying feeding himself!




 This is Kale and puffed brown rice cereal (with the ONLY ingredient being brown rice).






Nutrients in
Kale
1.00 cup cooked (130.00 grams)
Nutrient%Daily Value

vitamin K1327.6%

vitamin A354.1%

vitamin C88.8%

manganese27%

fiber10.4%

copper10%

tryptophan9.3%

calcium9.3%

vitamin B69%

potassium8.4%

iron6.5%

magnesium5.8%

vitamin E5.5%

omega-3 fats5.4%

vitamin B25.2%

protein4.9%

vitamin B14.6%

folate4.2%

phosphorus3.6%

vitamin B33.2%

Calories (36)2%


Friday, June 1, 2012

Hello Skinny Jeans!

9 months postpartum and I am TWO pounds BELOW my pregnancy weight! Which also means i am TWO  pounds below my wedding weight and this is AFTER TWO BABIES!  I never thought this would happen!

I did lose ALL of the baby weight by five months postpartum, however, after the holidays, with the move to our new home, and when I got Mastitus (did I blog about that?), I stopped trying to lose weight and maintain my milk supply.  Never the less, I purchased TWO new bikinis (with the help of my lil guys) for the summer and some how I found my motivation again...


I am one of those lucky ones who did not get ONE stretch mark either.  However, my boobs are NO WHERE where they used to be (I can use a lift please!).  But I am VERY proud that they fed TWO babies and gave them the BEST possible start in life!

What I've been doing... eating lots of fruits and veggies, protein (cottage cheese,jerky, fage greek yogurt, meats, etc), of course whole grains!  I just watch my portions.  For breakfast today I had french toast... 1 egg, 1 white, cinnamon, 1 piece of bread, 1 c. berries, 1 tsp. REAL maple syrup. YUM!  I try to stay away from everything fake.  I have found that all that fake sugar really makes me crave carbs and I will end up over eating some where else.

I try to do at least one activity every day, a walk, a jog, pilates, or yoga.  Consistency is key!  Honestly though, they are my workout!  I am lifting 40 plus lbs of babies all day.  My biceps rock!  I am also constantly cleaning and NEVER sit down... except to do a blog post every once in a while ;-)

Anyways, it feels so good to get back in my skinnys!  Cheers!
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