Ooo0 Happy Halloween!! 0ooO

Kata as Boba Fett (he even had a backpack jet!)

Chugo was my Robot. (So GQ with his sweet tie too!)
We spend many hours wandering Ace hardware and brainstorming our plans for this suit! I am so glad it turned out so well!







And how could we not forget Thing 1 and Thing 2! I lucked out having a great friend who found these blue furry pimp hats that I was able to cut the brim off and size down for the wee lads!
They got their first taste of candy in the sucker form and booooooy did they LOVE it!
(then they continued to run ramp id for the next couple hours!)



And then ofcourse there is all the loot the boys made out with after their trick or treating extravaganza!


And just for your viewing pleasure... yep... you guessed it me! As Pipi Longstockings herself! Wink

Pumpkin time..

Carving pumpkins, always such fun. (and of course messy!) This year was no different, well other than the two additional bodies sitting around (or ON rather) the table hard at work. I look back at last year and having spent so much time in the hospital crying and praying- waiting for my sons to arrive home. And now here they are- home where they belong with us making huge messes along side their older brothers! Its been WONDERFUL!
So... onto pumpkin carving-





And how could I not add in the finished products.. all the hard work that went into these bad boys made them all the much more awesome! (wink)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATA!

Oh Kata.....
Always so full of energy- your imagination never ceases to amaze me! Your costume collection has grown so big over the years that we had to buy a new larger bin!
You've taught me so much over these past SEVEN years:
-How to love unconditionally
-How to laugh at myself
-The names of every superhero and villain known to man! (and then even some of your own made up ones!)
*And those are just to name a few!!

Thank you for being you- For never changing even though as we get older and meet knew people it gets harder to still be yourself! (You still wear your batman mask to the grocery store- and I love that!)



Since he wasn't able to have the kid party he wanted last year as I was fresh out of the hospital from having the twins- we did this year! It was a costume party and everyone had a wonderful time!

The Party for the ONE Boys!

I have to say, I was stressed out trying to make sure that everything would be done around the house before the guests arrived! Luckily for me, I always worry more than I should and it all turned out great! The food was done on time just as everyone was arriving. It still hits me at odd times during the day, My babies are ONE! How did this happen? More importantly...When?!
*sigh*
I made it through the party, I teared up just a little when people were looking through the NICU scrapbook. I can't believe they were ever that small! With no further ado.... onto the photos!


The Cakes! I made them each their own little mini cakes so they could "have at it". (and of course a bigger one for all the guests!) Moose was careful with his cake and picked it up to nibble off it. Bus, well when he got his cake he grabbed it with both hands, squeezed it through his fingers and shoved cake into his mouth with both hands! (this was truly the first experience the boys had with sugar and omg they were on the craziest sugar high! Didn't end up going to bed until 10:30pm! Needless to say we did a lot of sleeping the next day to make up for it! *wink)

They boys loved their birthday blowers. They kept trying to figure them out and then said, what the heck lets just chomp on them instead!

Moose

Bus

Singing Happy Birthday

Both Chugo and Kata helped blow out the candles and when it came time for presents no help was needed, well for Bus that is! Its like he had been opening present all his life! He ripped the paper open and kept banging on the present in excitement! He even looked over at Moose during one point, who seemed in his eyes to be taking waaaay to long to open his and crawled over his own gift in order to starting ripping away at Moose's! It was too cute! (maybe it was the sugar I dunno, but they both really enjoyed the day!)
All I can say is, I can't Wait for Christmas! YAY!!

(On a silly note, I seemed to have dressed the twins for their personalities: Moose in a button up and sweater vest and Bus in a Hawaiian shirt. My BIL thought this was quite comical and has decided on nicknaming the boys Gene Hackman and Tom Selick. Maybe for the hair, I dunno. I can't wait til his daughter is born and we can come up with silly nicknames for her! *Wink)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

Mom... I don't even know where I should begin!
You are the woman I aspire to become everyday. You have taught me so much about life, and being a mom. You have helped me through so many rough times, I don't know if there is ever any way I could repay you for that!

To the woman who...

Birthed me
Taught me right from wrong
Bought me my first bra
Told me that when a boy broke up with me, it was his loss, not mine
Went through Lamaze classes with me
Counted my breaths as I pushed
Shared in the joy when I became a mother for the first time, and the second, and the third!
Taught me how to play the Glad game :)
Reminds me everyday to be a better person
And for all of the stuff you still have to teach me...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I have been blessed having you as a mother, and a friend.
I am so thankful that we have had such an amazing relationship over the years and I look forward to all the new memories and stories we still have yet to share!
All my love and hugs and Kisses to you on your big day! Wish I could be there to Help you Celebrate!! XOXOX

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUS! & HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOOSE!

....and then they were ONE!


BUS- Carrying you was a dream! You were so predictable and loved to snuggle in down on my left side. The nurses never had any problems finding you to monitor! Little did we know that once you were born that would all change! *wink
Your first two weeks of life were so hard, and yet you proved to me just how much of a fighter you were! Everyday you surprised me with your progress! You were the first baby home just as you were the first born. You came out and immediately screamed and peed on the doctors; I should have known then that you were going to be my wild child! Your laughter is infectious and your dancing makes us all smile! Your adventurous nature will definitely keep me on my toes! I love it when you sing to me and all the stories you tell! (even if I can't understand them I can tell by the look in your eyes how excited you are to share them!) Happy Birthday my sweet boy! Happy First Birthday to YOU!








MOOSE- You were the wild child in my belly! The nurses always had to end up calling in the ultrasound tech to find you for monitoring! You were always kicking me but would settle when I would sing to you. I loved being pregnant with you! You came out silent but fighting, everyone reassured me that you were ok, just needed a wee bit of stimulation to get you going. You are so patient with everyone and so shy! (who would have thought it!) Your "Hotcha Chacha" Smiles sends me into a giggling frenzy! Even though you were second born you have taken command being the first to both crawl and now walk! It amazes me to see you hobble around everywhere and even try to dance! You are such a professor, always watching to see how things work. You've even mastered how to find the weak spot in the baby fence and push your way to freedom! (with of course your brother in tow behind you!) Happy Birthday my big boy! Happy First Birthday to YOU!

The day before...this time last year...

Everyone says the first birthday is emotional.
Twins.. that means emotional times two right?
Last year was a whirlwind of ups and downs. Tears of fear and tears of joy, so many tears I recall telling my family that I wish I could take my eyeballs out and soak them they stung so bad! We're almost there, one more day, and as I prep the "party" I recall thinking back to this time last year.
Baby B's heart rate had been having decels. The rate at which they were deceling was increasing and his heart started dipping into the 'not so good' zone. The team of doctors had come in and told me that I was going to be put onto 24 hour monitoring so they could see if a decel pattern was forming. I admit I was scared and I kept thinking, I know I told the nurses the other day that I was so uncomfortable and ready to be done.. BUT I really wasn't! (Especially now that they told me things were getting iffy.) I had made it to that 30+ wk milestone, and everyone kept assuring me that if the boys needed to be taken they would have a great chance. So scared, sitting in that little hobbit hole of a hospital room alone and praying that everything would be all right. I think I had squeezed my cross pendant so hard and for so long that it was embedded into my hand!
Amazing how fast time passes. God does work miracles, he works them everyday, and I guess it took me 7 mos of hard pregnancy to finally see it.
I am soooo glad that we've made it through this first year mostly unscathed, but even though I sit here now, watching these two little men come into their own, I still can't shake the emotions of their pregnancy and their birth. I'm sure one day it will go away, or maybe it won't.. perhaps it will be a little like ptsd, only post traumatic pregnancy disorder instead! *Wink

So To celebrate the months of carrying the twins I give to you... An Homage to the Belly!

Wordful Wednesday

This was the worry for all those months.
The cord tangles, knots, twists.. the two of them seemed to use them like jump ropes.

Together they snuggled in to sleep and grow for the next 5 mos!

Baby A Sleeping soundly

Baby B sleeping soundly.

Even then they slept alike, and even looked sooo much alike!
They each had their own sides of the belly and always stayed on that side.
To this day they have to be rocked in the correct arm or they are restless and won't fall asleep. They will wiggle and crawl over one another to get to the correct sleeping side.
I Loved having them in my belly!