As Time Goes By

No, we're not dead.

And it's that time of year again. Normally, when Fall hits, I go into this sort of crazed spiced pumpkin candle, red, orange and gold, long sleeves and sweaters, bundle up kids cuz it's cold out there kind of frenzy. I simply get overjoyed at the onset of Fall, but not this year. It was so weird. Fall came...and I just sat there, waiting for the frenzy to hit and then...nothing. Not that I haven't enjoyed the colors, clothes, and crisp air...it just hasn't taken total control over me like usual. I blame last year's morning sickness.

However, the good news is that I have been bitten by the holiday bug just as badly as every other year of my life. I know it might be cliché, but the holidays are truly my favorite time of the year. For the first year of my marriage I am going to have my very own Christmas Tree!!! Now, whether or not it will have anything on it is a whole different thing. My Gma didn't have room for her 6ft tree anymore so she offered it to me! I am so excited.

The long standing tradition in my family is that the day after Thanksgiving I put up my parents Christmas tree and everybody else clears out. It's a whole day affair of me fighting with the stupid branches and fixing everything that broke during its year long sojourn in the shed. By the end of the day the house looks like it's had a good thwack with the Christmas stick. It's my favorite day of the entire year. A jest? Not at all. Ask anyone who's ever seen me at work. So, this year I get to do two trees and decorate two homes. The perfect recipe for happiness.

I usually stick to the rule of no Christmas before Thanksgiving, but this year I cracked a little and spent the whole morning listening to Bing Crosby sing I'll Be Home for Christmas. Then I went and nearly completed ALL of my Christmas shopping. There is only one item left on my list and it's only November 17th. I must admit I'm slightly proud of myself.

And so to end my holiday raving I say to you...enjoy the family, enjoy the snow, enjoy the bells, and most of all...ENJOY THE PIE!!!

Oh, and enjoy some pictures of my darlin' babes.

The Mother of Twins...Wait...What?

So, a friend of mine (whose life mine practically parallels) just wrote on her blog about being the mother of twins, and it got me thinking that my own post on the subject is greatly overdue.

Being the parents of twins isn't really as scary as Chris and I were anticipating. A couple of months ago, when we looked into our future, we saw a lot of uncombed hair, pajama wearing, pizza eating, sleep deprived, shower-less days...weeks even. Now, don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of days when I fit the previous description and then some, but overall we are both usually up, washed, fed, coherent, and manage to catch about 75% of the puke before it falls in our laps. Our couch, however, has not had such luck.

Most days, when people stop us in the grocery store and congratulate us on our "blessed little trials" I can answer (with a straight face even) that life really isn't that bad and that we even get to sleep. Other times I'm tempted to hand the girls off right on the spot to those people who say "Oh, I always wanted twins." Now, I'll be the first to admit that I love my little girls more than I can say, and that I couldn't imagine life without BOTH of them, but I always wonder if those people who claim to want twins are entirely sane. That's TWO babies...you realize this...right? But, like I said, it's not bad in our case. I'm sure if Lucy and Eloise were both colic kids, I'd be in an unwashed, unfed, insane heap on the floor with half my hair pulled out, but thankfully this is not the case. The girls are better than wonderful. Content to lie on the floor and simply watch the goings-on of the house, get sniffed by the cat, and stare cross-eyed at their own hands. And, as I mentioned earlier, they are letting us sleep. They've been sleeping consistently through the night for the last month. The lovely little things.

And so life goes on...carrying more formula than usual, but going on none the less. I don't know why we were given this opportunity and, although it seems crazy at times, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love being a mom to these adorable girls!!

Pictures Forthcoming

Alright...just in case you were wondering whether or not I'm still alive...I am, and I promise to post some pictures soon.

Almost There!

So today I officially scheduled a c-section for April 6th. Hello!! It's crazy to think that Chris and I will officially be parents in less than two weeks....and of TWO girls. Yes, I know...this should be a well established fact, but I still don't think it's sunk in. Chris and I still look at each other occasionally and go, "I can't believe we're having two of them." Heck, they'll be 18 years old and I'll still be saying, "I can't believe there are two of them."

On the up side, I think we both feel relatively prepared. Not for being parents of course...ha...we're not kidding ourselves there, but in other respects we feel as though we can't do a whole lot more. There are only a handful of things left on our list to buy beforehand, but for the most part, their room is ready and waiting, and the freezer is packed to the hilt with frozen dinners.

I suppose I should give a quick shout out to my mom who has been a huge help with the whole prepping process. She's devoted hours...more like days to helping me get my rear in gear and get things in order. Every time we get together I feel as though I need three days to recover from all the work we get done. :) So, thanks Ma!

I was almost positive I'd told everyone in the world what names we had decided on for the girls, but people are still asking so here you go: Lucy Alicia Witham and Eloise Elise Witham.

Well, I guess...here goes nothing!!! Wish us luck!

Going Nuts

I have reached that point in pregnancy where you can't stand having a baby(ies) in you for one more second, but at the same time you most definitely are not ready to have him, her, or them on the outside. Because, let's face it...who's ever totally ready to be a parent? Not I. All day long I hear two voices inside my head screaming back and forth "GET OUT!!" and "DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!!" It's rather exhausting actually.

Recently my doctor informed me that I should 'pencil in' April 6th as the big day. Apparently he doesn't want to wait any longer than that and, frankly, neither do I. So, the latest word is April 6th or earlier. It is somewhat strange...living the life of a ticking time bomb. This week is my 34 week mark, and according to the doctor, I can now breathe easy that the girls (if born anytime soon) will be nice and healthy. Anyone have a trampoline?

With all of this information floating around in my mind on a daily basis, I can no longer afford to sit around and take it easy. I have to occupy my time or I will (without a doubt) go insane. And so, I have created a list of things that must be done. This list ranges from making sure that my toe nails are painted to making sure that there are enough frozen dinners to last the next 18 years of my life in the freezer. Hopefully I can keep myself busy enough not to notice every minute of every 24 hour day that passes between now and the end of life as I currently know it.

So, as I embark on these last few weeks crammed full of birthing classes, hospital tours, doctor appointments, and getting myself ready to instantaneously become the mother of two...I am hoping for the best. Wish me luck!

Oh, by the way, if anyone happens to have a stockpile of good frozen dinner recipes, please send them my way. I'm sure Chris will greatly appreciate it in the months to come!

Frogs and Cajun Fireflies

You know how every once in a while you see a movie that just sticks with you? The type of movie that takes over your thoughts and makes you want to see it 50 times in the theater...? Well, last weekend Chris and I finally got around to seeing Princess and the Frog and I cannot tell you how completely in love with it I am! Now, laugh if you must. I realize it's not exactly a thought provoking drama, or one of those motivational true stories....but ah! So far we've seen it twice in the theater and I'm seriously contemplating another round or two. (It's at the dollar theater which makes the thought of multiple viewings less traumatic for the wallet.) But seriously, for being one of the lesser known fairy tales, Disney did a fantastic job in turning it into one of the most enjoyable. The jazz is fantastic, and so is the humor. Chris and I were practically in tears the first time we saw it. Everything feels fresh about it...right down to the evil yet very charismatic shadow man. I simply love everything about this movie, but I must admit that Ray, the Cajun firefly is my favorite. For as ugly as the little bug is...he definitely grows on you. Anyway, I hope you all find time to see this movie soon. It will make for quite a good time...I promise!

Spring Fever

I don't exactly know where it came from, but I have this feeling....it's as though I've been jumped by the Easter Bunny and any other number of furry woodland critters associated with Spring. I'm seeing life through pastel colored glasses. Plus, there is the whole babies in springtime thing going on. It's madness. Babies, bunnies, yellows, purples, flowers, sunshine, chickens, Easter, Spring!!!! Every time I enter a store I zoom off (zooming as fast as I can with what feels like an overgrown, steroid injected watermelon strapped to my front) in the direction of the pastels. It's like I can't even help myself. Poor Chris, he has been subjected to every Spring related item in every store within 10 miles of our house. I don't think I've ever been this excited for the seasons to change. I can't wait to see our GIANT lilac bush come into bloom, along with the row of rose bushes lining our driveway. I want to see grass, hear the birds, and see the sun. I'm just waiting for the world to come back to life. Winter is being a bit too bipolar for my taste right now. Anyway, I hope you are all as excited for Spring as I am!

In the meantime

There is nothing like waiting. I feel like I'm watching a broken clock as the days roll by ever...so...slowly. I'd say it's somewhat similar to that point when you're baking a cake and you can smell the chocolate reaching that stage of perfection, but the timer is telling you that there are at least 20 minutes left. BAH! I wish these girls would get here already!

Well, the cake is NOT done yet, so Chris and I are trying to occupy our time and thoughts with other things...you know...like buying baby gear. That makes the waiting go a lot faster. False. It has been fun getting things set up though. Yesterday we bought their little pack'n plays and we recently finished that oh-so-fun task of registering for gifts and such.

Chris is keeping busy with school and work as each is turning out to be quite demanding. He is currently interning with a company up in Salt Lake called Vortex. They specialize in hunting and fishing accessories, so Chris is getting to research a whole new sphere. He is doing very well, and designing better all the time.

I am taking advantage of sleep and leisure time. This past weekend, we went down to Mesquite, NV to see my dad. It was nice to have a weekend with no deadlines, alarms, or responsibilities. This weekend, Chris's parents are in town for a family baby blessing and will be staying in our (get ready) spare room! Yes, we revel in the second bedroom.

So, all in all, life goes on. We're just truckin' along waiting (somewhat impatiently) for our family of four.

The New Digs

More space!!

Out of sheer necessity, Chris and I have upgraded to a two bedroom apartment, and we couldn't be happier. We came home from the Christmas break thinking that perhaps we should start looking for a new place and plan on moving out in February or March. Yep. 5 days later we were living in a new spot. We both absolutely love it! It's in south Provo, so a little off the beaten path for us, but it's nice to live in a neighborhood instead of a complex for a change.

So, here is the grand tour. It's kind of set up in a circular form...just keep that in mind.

The front door, along with our massive book collection

Living room and adjoining kitchen

The rest of the kitchen and venturing down the hall.

Our room, and the girls' room...aka the war zone. It was organized, but then I decided to start sorting through the thousand pounds of baby clothes we have been given...and voilà!

He's Ready

Chris and I often talk about what kind of parents we want to be, what our goals are when it comes to raising children, to what age we think they will each survive considering their unfortunate genetics, and so on. And it is in these same conversations that our natural doubts come to the surface. Chris wonders if he'll make a good dad...I wonder if I'll make a good mom. Well, I still can't say that I'm at all reassured about my own parenting skills, but I think I can say without hesitation that Chris will make a GREAT dad. Combined, Chris and I have a total of 1 billion nieces and nephews...give or take a few, and I have watched him tirelessly give of his time, love, and devotion to all those chillins. No, I have no fear about his abilities. He's ready.

Practically hog-tied with a purple scarf and bedecked with bows, clips, and beads

What stamina!

Preparing the world's best leaf pile

Road trip break

Water fight!

Movie time

And of course...tea parties!

How lucky am I?

It's a girls!

For those of you who actually suffer through reading this blog, you are no doubt aware of my definite lack of blogging skills. One post a month at best seems pretty shabby, but I hope to get better at it. An unofficially declared New Year's resolution you might say.

Well, in any case, Chris and I do have a bit of news...although most of you already know. Half way through my pregnancy we went in for our first ultrasound. So exciting! A boy or a girl? What's it going to be? It turns out it's a girls! And so, in record breaking time...Chris and I became the future parents of not one, but two little girls. What a way to end the year. As for my due date...who knows. Anytime after the beginning of March is pretty much fair game as far as these babies are concerned. We just moved into a new apartment with adequate space for our now family of four, so from here on out it's just about waiting.

In the meantime, the girls are happily karate chopping each other into oblivion whilst I, their mother, pray for March to hurry up!