One Month!!

All of my babies!! V, X, & L! My mother brought to my attention that L looks bigger because of her pose, but I assure you, the sleeper is mostly filled with air! Hahaha! But this is them at one month with their big brother! It's too bad L wouldn't wake up! The night before the girls decided to celebrate their birthday by staying up all night and drinking! Only I ended up with the exhaustion induced hang over! But at least they were doing their drinking at home, where I know they'll be safe! Because that's the kind of parent I am! ;)

Speaking of, I just spent a little time on parentfails.com and people scare me. That's all.

A couple of you are wondering if we went to church last week. We did not. M's parents were here visiting, so it wasn't the right time to try out a new church. I've decided I can't go back to the small friendly church. Mom went and said that nothing "crazy" happened, but it's still just too dangerous a church to take my children to. Also, I have another motive. X's birthday is coming up in a couple of months and I would rather hand-pick some church friends to come to a party than invite random kids from school! I might be odd, but that's how my brain works!

Little girl milestones! Smiles! Woot! V started smiling about a week ago and L a couple of days ago. They don't smile every time I ask, but at least they do something other than cry at me sometimes! I was starting to get a complex! Funny things, they are still hiccuping everyday, L will roll onto her side while she sleeps to be closer to V, the grunting is hilarious! I have to get a video! This morning they were both grunting and whimpering like crazy! But every time I got up they stopped and went back to a peaceful sleep. When I would lay down again, they would give me about 5 minutes and start grunting like there was a problem again! This happened 4 or 5 times! They know what they're doing I tell you!!

We're super excited for Halloween! X is going to be Captain America and the girls are going to be ladybugs! I'm a little concerned about how many kids are going to show up at the door though! Hopefully if we run out of treats we won't get egged!

Have a great weekend!!

Here We Are!

I have not posted! I know! It's terrible! Apparently, nursing twins has a time commitment that you just can't get out of! Hahaha! I feel like I'm not getting a whole lot accomplished, I just sit on the couch with a baby, but they are growing, so it's doing something! But they take up all the lap room! No lap top, no cross stitching. It's very sad. (I'm kidding)

We're getting about 3 hours of sleep at a time at night now, so that's good. We try to keep them up from 8:00 until 11:00 and if we're totally successful, I might even get 4, 4 and a half hours! Then it's 2 hours after that. During the day, I am feeding someone at least 30 minutes out of 2 hours. By the evening, and sometimes once in the afternoon, they each get some formula. I need a break! Hahaha! Crazy kids.

The things I was looking forward to when I was pregnant? Peeing. Yes. It is much more satisfying now! I don't have to pee every 10 minutes! Having my feet back. Hooray! 3 and a half weeks later most of the swelling has gone and the tenderness is fading quickly! Sneezing without fear! Good to go! Sleeping on my belly. Not quite. Almost, but not quite.

New things that freak me out? I have twins. Two (2) infants. Tomorrow they will be 4 weeks. Wednesday they will be a month old! I also have a 5 year old boy. He will be 6 in 2 months. Sometimes L spits up and milk comes out her nose. Actually, that happens a lot. Sometimes when nursing, the girls choose drinking above breathing. I'm starting to get used to the choking action.

Fabulous things? X is getting more used to his sisters. We're working our way up to having the courage to take a picture with the three of them! V smiles in her sleep. Even L gave me a little smile the other day. Makes my heart super happy. :) The joy X gets out of hearing L and V fill their diapers. Really, they are quite spectacular, and he laughs like a loon! As does M. Speaking of M, it's fabulous having him home still! He burps the babies, changes diapers, cooks for everyone! I really love him.

So here they are! And this behaviour is the same that was going on inside by the way! Don't be forgetting that! Hahaha! Oh, one more note. I was thinking the other day, L and V were born at 38 weeks, 2 days. X was born at 41 weeks, 2 days. If I stayed pregnant as long with them, they would have been born this past Monday! Totally crazy!

Grumble.

Oh wait. It's too late.

So I'm having a bad day. Sadly, this post will have nothing to do with my beautiful daughters or my fantabulous son. I have some good things to say about them too! But I have to tell you about today, and then ask for your input.

I've mentioned before our struggle to find a church here in our "new" town. For the last few months we've been going to a very small church where the biggest strength is friendliness. I've never been in a church that was so excited for the birth of babies! V and L are practically superstars! At other churches we tried before this one, no one talked to us! At all. So we've been attending this church where the regular attendance is about 20 people. There is no one X's age, and only recently has there been a couple close to Marvin's age. Not so much mine. ;)

A couple of months ago trouble started. Our pastor went away and one of the regular attenders preached. I wasn't there, which is a good thing. I'm not going to repeat anything he said, but after I got the synopsis of his message I had to pull out Dorothy L. Sayers' Unpopular Opinions for comfort. She's the best. You should read her. Especially her essays "Are Women Human?" and "Human not Human." Anywhooo, since then the church has been struggling with some very basic theology, and the concept of Christian maturity. Personally, I have been struggling with being part of a church where God is put into such a small box, and His call in some people's lives would not (and indeed is not) be honoured. For example: if there is a man to teach, women should not, even if God has called her to do so.

This is not what the Pastor believes or teaches in any way. Obviously I would have left long ago if that were so. Ever since these issues were brought to light, he has been bringing us messages trying to repair the damages done, and teach the basics again. Sadly, it's not sinking in. In fact he has been refuted and opposed many times; as has his wife who teaches the Bible study, and my mother who teaches the Sunday School lesson.

And then today. Boo. In an attempt to bring more fellowship into the church we had a potluck after service at my mother's new apartment. After we had eaten, somehow a conversation about TV shows on TLC turned into "Muslims are evil." I kid you not. It was disturbing. Three people were exchanging comments and stories about the "special treatment" Muslims get at their work places. Seriously, it sounded like children complaining about how much little brother has it easier. And then the E word came up. Evil. Really? Mom had enough. She asked them to stop being so intolerant in her home. She was told she is not saved. At this point I wanted to throw the offenders out. Mom, on the other hand said, "that's fine, but in my house, I, my friends and anyone I invite into my home will be treated with respect." And then she offered them more coffee. They left.

So here are my questions. How can someone read the Bible, profess to be Christ-like, and then adopt an attitude of such hatred and intolerance? When was Christ ever intolerant? When did He talk smack about any group of people? In other words, why are some "Christians" so dumb?

It comes down to this; do we want to stay in a church that could make a difference if all the ignorant, theologically backward people left? Or do we again go on the hunt for a church that is making a difference? I certainly do not want my children going to church and hearing hatred of any sort, but do I stay and hope that God will lift the veil of stupid? Or do I leave and pray that He will? It's possible I'm over-upset because my mother was so insulted in her home. I will talk it over with M and see what we come up with.

P.S. I talked with my dad about today's incident. Not only did he have good advice and offer great support, he also made me jealous of the services the Summerside Nazarene church has been having!!

A Big Day!

So the girls are 12 days old! Crazy times. Before today I had been out of the house twice since getting home from the hospital. Once to go to the library and a quick cruise through Walmart, and the second was to get my staples out. Just as an FYI, I heard terrible things about getting staples removed, but it really wasn't that bad. For both of these outings M, V, and L were with me, as I'm not allowed to drive for a few more days yet, but they stayed in the car while I did things. Today we tried something new! We took the girls out! Twice!

This morning was pretty great, the girls let us sleep until 9:00! I was up at 3:30, 4:45, and 7:00, but it was a good night! A few minutes before L woke up, Mom called and we made a date to go for brunch! There were 11 of us altogether, the 5 of us plus my sister, her husband, my Mom and Dad and a couple of Mom's friends. Note number one: I can fit in booths again!!! Hooray! Note number two: bucket car seats do not fit in Smitty's booths. So the girls were on display sitting on our table. Every waitress, cook and hostess working today came over to admire, ask how old, ask if they were a boy and a girl, and tell us about all the twins and triplets in their families! Good times. V and L slept through all the excitement. They woke up on the way home to demand brunch of their own!

After they ate, we went for a walk! This is the first honest to goodness walk I've been able to take for months! M put together our fabulous double stroller while I was stuck to the couch and when the little ladies were satisfied we bundled them up and headed to the grocery store! It took a long time to get out the front door. A really long time. X was doing laps up and down the stairs for fun. the laps didn't help as we kept needing to go back upstairs for more blankets, or shoes, or a wallet. But we did eventually make it outside! L loves the stroller! She just laid back and looked around. V immediately fell asleep. By the time we were on our way back home I was super slow, but it felt so good to get back outside and active (after a fashion) again!

A Birth Story

I'll tell you now, it is not my intention to gross anyone out...but this is a story about giving birth...so read at your own risk! If you get grossed out, it's not my fault. Deal? Deal.

September 26th started very early for M and I...and my mom. Mom came over to wake X and get him ready for school. Of course we got stuck in traffic. This has to be the only place in Canada where rush hour is from 5:30am to 10:00am! We were supposed to be at the hospital at 6:00, we arrived at maternity at 6:25. It stressed me out, but the nurses didn't seem to care. Oh well. They gave us our "clothes" and told us to get ready. They gave me a bum-hanging out "gown." Seriously the only hospital left in the world that uses these!

Down in the prep room we met my anaesthesiologist. He was about 6'5" or so and kept putting stuff up too high for the nurses to reach. His first attempt at an IV failed harsh. 10 days later I still have a heart-shaped bruise on my arm. M almost fainted. Bad sign.

They took me into the OR to put the epidural in and told M they wouldn't forget him. They forgot him. I had to ask for him. There were 12 to 15 people in there all so excited about haqving twins that they forgot that Daddy might like to be there too! So when M walked in the doctor was already at it, the nurse told him "go in, go straight to that chair, and sit. Nowhere else." I was thinking, dear heavens he almost fainted at the IV and here he is walking in cold and my belly is open! But apparently he thought that part was "awesome."

Let me tell you, a planned c-section is WAY different than an emergency procedure. First of all I was TOTALLY drugged up for the first one. And super tired. Therefore I was not completely aware of what was going on. For this one I was all too aware of everything! They kept telling me it was like the dentist; there would be no pain, but I would still feel a lot of "pressure." Apparently "pressure" feels like someone grabbing your belly and shaking it like a polaroid picture.

Anywhooooo. Two babies came out. Twin A turned into Viola and Twin B turned into Lily. V weighed in at 8lbs, 6ozs, and L is the baby sister in every way as she weighed in at 7lbs, 5ozs. This is quite an acccomplishment if I do say so myself! At least the crowd in the OR agreed with me, there was a lot of exclaiming. I felt it was inappropriate for me to tell the doctor "I told you so," prehaps had I been a little less focused on two new daughters I would have.

After the teams of nurses and pediatrition tortured the girls for a few minutes they were bundled up and sent upstairs for more fun and some Daddy time. I was in the OR for another half hour or so and then shipped off to the recovery room. Funniest thing about recovering? Feeling came back in my right leg WAY before it came back in my left. It's very odd not to be able to move certain bits.

When I was shipped back up to my room I was greeted by a husband with his arms full of crying babies! It was great. Speaking of, there's one crying now.... Hope I didn't gross you out!

I'm back!

I know, it's been almost two weeks since I posted anything, but I'm back, I promise! As you can imagine a lot has happened in two weeks! We now have 10 day old twin girls at home! I've been dealing with surgery recovery, baby blues, sleep deprivation, a jealous cat, a 5 year old who is scared of his sisters, and feeling like I'm chained to the couch so I can nurse two apparently starving newborns. It's good times. Seriously though, everything is great. Had M not been home with me, I might not have made it, but he is, and I am unbelievably grateful.

So here's my plan; I'm going to put pictures up and update my blog later today. I'll also start posting stories of our crazy adventure, starting with the birth of the girls. But right now, I have to rescue one from the crib. Hopefully you'll find our parenting stories as entertaining as my pregnancy! :)