Anakin got married

He'll make me happy
Each time I see him
He'll be the reason
My heart can sing
He'll stand beside me
And now I'm everything.

(His wife kinda sounds like Piggy in Muppet's take Manhattan)




Anakin left today to get married with his wife offering a large dowry. Who'd have thought you could find a wife on KSL in under 24 hours? He even got picked up in a white 16 passenger van (kinda like a limo). He left the girls two Diamond Castle Muse Barbies, to which as far as I can tell, seems fair.

Thankfully the dress of the sleeved Muse Barbie can be altered to be a one arm dress. We had a brief scare that she was not a muse because her 'dress arm' had two arm holes.

Thankfully, I am not considered a mean mommy because I stuck my girls in front of the computer watching the Barbie in a Christmas Carol movie on youtube while I sold their hedgehog to the highest bidder! Although, I did deny the people wanting to use him as a man whore. I've seen (and felt, those dumb dogs we had growing up bite) what that can do to a animal. He's a pet, not a pimp.

Thankfully, my older sister helped me come up with a cover for my bad deeds. She's so nice huh?

Super Cuties

How fitting was it that Kate NEEDED a drink during sacrament meeting and the talk was on reverence? She promised she'd be reverent. She left the pew with her mouth zipped, her arms folded, and her eyes closed. Her first bump was the actual end of our pew then the one behind that. I reverently explained to the newlyweds that she keeps laughing, "she's being reverent". They could tell. She blindly made it up (pews are on a slight incline) to the doors and while not talking , opening her eyes, or unfolding her arms; expressed to the deacon that she needed the door open (a few head points). Had I not been being reverent, this whole process would have been really funny. After about ten minutes of hoping she was going to reenter and come back dry and quiet, she did...with her arms folded, eye squinted (to appear closed), lips firmly pressed together, and running. Kate's a super cutie.

In other super cute news, Miles and James are starting to try utensils and bowls. The attempt below shows their skills. Not so much their utensils and bowls skills as much as their mess making, bowl chucking, spoon stealing, and peek a boo skills.


Then our super cutie aunt that came over for a Sister Super Saturday.

And two of our super cutie Grace and Kate aprons from our crafty Sister Super Saturday.

Sunday boys

Check out them snazzy new church shoes...and those destructive little angels ripping all the books out yet again. 

Thanks Aunt Maryann. It's amusing (though not shocking) that there is enough to clothe and coordinate two each Sunday from Ethan's old wardrobe.   

Dads contribution to "our blog"

How sweet, huh? He called it "our blog". It's only been like what a over a year and a half and he's contributing. So, you get a two-fer today! The boys and girls were playing outside while Anakin was sunbathing. He an african something niner something so he likes the sun, whatever. 

Trying to name Kate's fish

For some reason hers keeps going to swim in the potty. Currently she between Chocolate Factory and Saten for this one's name.

My Leotard

Kate has been having some lapses in being trained. She currently lives in Grace's pink leotard too.  It's her second skin and Grace graciously lets her borrow. She had one of these lapses and I said (in my most concerned mommy voice) "Oh Katie, you didn't pee in your pretty leotard did you? You will have to take it off. I hope it doesn't have pee on it." 

She replies very matter of factly, "Me not pee in my yeea-tard. Me pee in my sisters."

Very well then, carry on. I didn't realize it wasn't your yeea-tard!

It keeps going and going and going....

Bo glued to Toy Story. She wasn't sleepy and wanted  "to do the party".

Bo napping, minutes after photo 1. 

The rockin' cake.

Aunt Maryanne took some cake shots while mom cut and served the rest.

Then some presents, mass hysteria, and gorging on cake.

She didn't touch them

You decide. Katie swears she didn't touch my flowers. The little stinks are covered in pollen. It's amazing how it jumps off the flowers on to their face, hands, and backs; and in the process also petals fall into the body of the vase. Those are some crazy flowers. 

"There are no coincidences when God is involved."

Granted Lois at the Deseret News writes a good story,
mommy tells it better. These are amazing little (under a lb a 1/2 each to begin, I think) TTTS girls that over the past 3 months have lived at St Mark's NICU and are now getting an angel flight home.

To infancy and beyond!

See, we're cute. Here's our cute post. Hey Hamm, look at me! I'm Cute! (Yes, we've seen Toy Story too much lately)

It's going to be stinkin awesome. In less than a month the boys are going to turn one. I can't believe it. TTTS, Seattle, 4lbs/5lbs-ers, all seem so recent. After serious over thinking, I have decided to have a Toy Story theme...including costumes. For all you nay-sayers, yes I know the 1st Birthday is just a cover so the mom can do what she wants, I am not trying to hide that fact. I want to dress my kids up (they like it too). I want a theme party. I chose Toy Story for a few reasons:

• we did "thing 1 thing 2" and I think they are a bit young for Bo and Luke Duke, but watch for that in 09
• they are a heroic and classic
• equally yoked duo, no sidekicks, no yin and yang
• cold costume friendly (aka halloween taken care of too)
• fun cake (cakes are big deal around here)

But I was even more giddy when I came up with these gems...

Buzz: To infancy, and beyond!

Mr. Potato Head: How come *you* didn't have the laser, Woody?
Woody: It's not the laser. It's a little light bulb that blinks..

Who knew there were Twin to Twin Transfusion references in Toy Story? I think it goes without saying that the boys will be Buzz and Woody but sadly I am finding out that boys aren't as fun to costume as girls.

I'm not one for surprises, so look at what we're doing (Halloween? Done in August? Yep.).

Grace is about 90% done.

Kate is about 10% done and I haven't even started on the boys, but it's going to be amazing!

We're in the groove. We even made a little slide show to get more in the groove.

Rare Blood Disorder Haunts Twins in Womb

Rare Blood Disorder Haunts Twins in Womb

Haunts? Really. Whatever. Any publicity is good publicity, I guess. It really doesn't need more drama, it's a horrible syndrome on it's own. But hey, ABC World News with Charles Gibson must have a few viewers, so yay for another TTTS story and video to create awareness. Thank you ABC.

I think Mom sums it up at the end of the video when she says "I almost didn't get to have this moment with these guys." Heartfelt unplanned honesty beats out any effort to sensationalize a story any day.

Give me some freakin amoxicillin!

I'll spare all gory details (just the highlights) but I was inches from this.

I just need some freakin' amoxicillin for my baby! She has double ear infections. I checked the black market and there's not really a demand. The stars aligned for us yet again at the pedia.... we needed a Rx, in an effort to 'be efficient' I had Lady call it in so we wouldn't have to hang out at WalMart, she forgot to leave what doctor she was with. I blame this completely on lack of experience and have mental images of her relaxed at home, carefree... {it's my mental image, back off}. So, when we get to the pharmacy at 4:50 the pedia is gone for the day and I have no Rx paper. (Thurs is their day off) I spend the next hour with all four moaning or crying and on the phone with Dr Whoeversoncall's Lady and/or hold, Rich, and eventually my sister to get his home number; of which I gave to the PharmTech at WalMart and watched her talk to someone. Yes I cashed in the sacred "your my sister's BFFs daddy". 

 I finally convince her that MY daughter is being treated as the red headed step patient and I'm not going to quit regurgitating my plight until the doctor approves my baby's script. An hour and twenty later, and a emergency "Mom I've got poops" from Katie,  I have drugs in hand, made friends with Lady PharmTech, and am taking my toys and going home. Anyone know a great pedia, with even greater office staff, looking for a rockstar set of twins and two adorable sisters?   

My Special Day

This morning I caught this. It has been happening recently. We're sharing. We're not wasting. We're brothers so it's ok but I should be stopping it because I know it's going to get old fast.

This was just cute. Kate wears bright green well. She recieved a package from Gma/Gpa Louisiana and was refolding the dress and showing off her Aunt Barbara bow.

For my special day we had a black and khaki and capri day. It rocked. We played at The Gateway, ate at Tocanos (yes, that's twice in a 2wk span), were kidless. I really can't get into the details as :

#1 - The first rule of Special Day is, you do not talk about Special Day.
#2 - The second rule of Special Day is, you DO NOT talk about Special Day.
#3 - If someone says stop, goes limp, taps out, the party is over. 

 

That night we watched fireworks with family, played with our 'one spot' glowsticks/lightsabers, and had rockin Costco store shaped birthday cake. (picture coming via Kelly or Abby) 

I have 6 mo olds?!?

We made it out and back to the van in 45 minutes at the pedia, I think that is a fifteen minute improvement in time from last time. James is 11 lbs 10 ozs, 24 inches, 41.9 cm head circumference. Miles is 13 lbs 1 ozs, 24.75 inches, 43.2 cm head circumference. Both got 4 shots including a DTap and I had to hold them.

"...and then there's diphtheria-
tetanus, what they call dip-tet. You
gotta get him dip-tet boosters yearly
or else he'll get lockjaw and night
vision. Then there's the smallpox
vaccine, chicken pox and measles,
and if your kid's like ours you gotta
take all those shots first to get
him to take 'em. Who's your
pediatrician, anyway?"
- Raising Arizona

"He's gotta have his dip-tet, honey." That's the one that hurts and I don't do to well in a medical setting anyway. The smell of all that makes me weak, much less having to pin my babies down while they are getting needles jabbed in their legs.

But that wasn't the best part. I was trying to figure out what foods were ok to feed the boys. I am making my own and so far have tried bananas, avocado, uhh...hum potato pearls, broccoli, and gerber oatmeal. I asked what were some foods to stay away from and was told to stick with the first foods (the dr was referring to jarred and labeled ones). I explained I was making them and wanted to know what to stay away from and said "like bell peppers". That caught his attention and he said, "No, bell peppers. Stay away from all peppers". Now my pedia thinks I'm an idiot. I know "No peppers". I was trying to get a list of "No's", like "No citrus at 6 months". He' agreed, "No citrus". At this point I just dropped it, feeling my Pedia now thinks I am wanting to give my babies oranges and bells.


Katie-vader


Grace being Grace, post bath


My princess ballerinas

The Brossette Pentfecta

We have the reached the culmination of the Brossette Pentfecta (pronounced Pent-fecta: like a trifecta but twn times better). We had a cousin, ok well, my cousin had her baby, so...(2nd cousin?) then yesterday "Biderman" was born. Refer to his mommy for details (that her story to tell...watch for an amazing Brossette Pentfect'  graphic too... 5 in 6mo?!?, this deserves a amusing name and image... something a little retro, well see.) We got a erratically breathing and contracting phone call Saturday morning to which I hurried upstairs threw cold weather clothes on and drove 2 blocks to the hospital. They got there within the time it took me to talk to the door (they had a 12 mile trip, hmmm speed much?). We took her middle two boys and came back to my house. We made cookies and decorated baby bidermans, brothers, and binks. We visited a few times but have yet to hold him. He's so chubby and dark haired. He looks nothing like the three blond skinny boys she has had previously. 

After visiting Kelly today, we went to the latter two hours of church. We took the sacrament at the hospital with Kelly and I was so happy the girls could identify what was going on and were as reverent as they were.  At sunday school, we talked about Lehi's vision and it just reaffirmed itself. I kind of enjoy not having the boys to distract me, I can feel what I do when I can listen. 

Relief Society was good too. I love when we talk about something I am doing good in. Two great questions were 1) Did God send a message that was just for me? 2)Did I see His hand in my life or the lives of my children?. I am trying to take note of his hand and write it down when I see it. I think blogging is helping me do that in that it is easier to copy and paste what I have written and add a little more for myself/kids. 

Several times during the lesson I felt that J&M's pregnancy and ability for growth was for so much more than me and that trials, like my uncles, are for a huge circle of family/friends. I know Heavenly Fathers hand is orchestrating things, that I and everyone else are are not by chance floating along just living. This is a test! The test is going to gain us exaltation and eternal life. I really hope I can be a 'visual learner' versus one who has to get deep into something before I 'get' a concept. My life has been in a replay of a string easy trials, then a hard one, followed by another harder one; that if I hadn't done the previous, would not have the ability/gumption (looking for a better word here) to do the next. In hind sight, I am grateful for my first 20+ years of easy trials but so appreciate my blinders being moved back and having knowledge take the place of faith in some things . Now I get to be an onlooker, have a chance to have more sincere compassion, to serve with a better heart, to pray in others behalf, and see miracles happen to someone else. Post-J&M, I have a better understanding of how to do some of this. Serving is easy. Receiving service is hard and I think I have more of the attitude I should.

Back on a more mommy theme here are some recent movies of the kids. Kate ( and her post pig tails mess of hair) is saying she is Super Why. The boys were watching a game with daddy and he caught them interacting and holding hands. 

Katie Super Why... (there are 2)

James is in the brown stripe, Miles in white... (there are 4, 3 football , 1 holding hands)

TTTS Maternal Fetal Medicine Media Event

Today's story in the Tribune. This was done before the press conference and was in today's paper. We attended the press conference and were interviewed by ABC4, 2News, Fox13, & KSL 5, SL Tribune, Deseret News, & Healthy Utah Magazine. We should be on tonight ABC at 5pm MST or KSL 5 at 6pm and most all of these have internet feed. 

I'll try to link them all.

A KUTV story

Let's clarify here!... “It worked. I'd do it all over,” said Libby... The question asked was " Knowing what you know now and have your twins with you, would you (in reference to amniotic reductions and the septostomy) go through it again? I know 'some' (ahem ...harkthewaa ...cough) media folk see this as micro managing a pregnancy that would have made it without all the monitoring and intervention. My boys would have died in Washington at 21wks due to a pre mature delivery brought on by a rapid increase in fluid, I have no doubt. I would do it all over again...I would not 'wait and see'. I know I would not have them.

KSL Story

Deseret News - should be in Tuesday's edition
SL Tribune- should be in Tuesday's edition

If you find one that I have not linked yet, please leave a comment and I will add it.