wrapping contest

Please vote for your fav. wrapping, as I was robbed of the contest title AGAIN. I think this is the 5th or 6th year in a row I have lost. Every year I say I'm quitting, every year I end up caving and spending a ridiculous amount of time on wrapping gifts. Like I need this, right?

Also, here are photos of the babies from Christmas I promised. I will try to add more, but blogger is being super slow about uploading images, this is the second attempt. (though that is user error, not bloggers fault.)

Post Christmas post

Hello all of you loyal blog readers, I guess that I'll just have to trust that there is someone out there reading this. If not, I'm still okay with it, I'm hoping if I post enough and I harass Christie into posting we can create a nice document to put into the babies baby books.
Christmas was good. My family had a nice Christmas. I've been trying to keep Walter and Lucy out of the blog, because everyone knows I could spend all day and some of tomorrow writing about them..but, I have to comment that it has been really fun and interesting to see them respond to their new cousins. Walter started off a little wary of the them, he knows enough to know that his special aunt was not going to have quite the same amount of time after having twins...and seemed a little apprehensive about the change (note: Christie has helped by being very available to my kids, even with the new babies)...I have been really pleasantly surprised though at how well he has done.he always wants to hold them and he is really gentle with both of them. The other day I was holding Aubrey, she had just settled into a good sleep and Quinn started crying in the swing...Christie was right upstairs, so I could've just called her, but I thought if Walter could just pick Quinn up and put him in my arm, we would be good..I was kneeling right next to the swing with my arm waiting, I was trying to tell Walter how to pick Quinn up under the arms and just put him in my arm, but he got a little scared and ran away saying "I can't, I can't..what if I drop him?" He has only held the babies while sitting on something..so, I guess we don't have to worry about him mauling the babies any time soon. Lu has been into the babies from the get go, always helpful, especially when choosing outfits...She likes to sort of pet them, and can get a little rough with this, I know she doesn't mean to hurt them, but she pats sort of hard..Lucy was very happy to have a dress that sort of matched Aubrey's for Christmas, I'll post a photo later. Well, I'll write more about Christmas later...

Thank you Babysitters

Thanks to my babysitters, who have posted their experiences :) I know it is not an easy undertaking and I am very grateful. Hopefully, it will get easier as they get older - or maybe just different. It is just so much easier to take care of them with an extra set of hands, doing it alone is a challenge! Marc went out to watch football last night so I had them alone all night and got absolutly nothing else done - so everyone is getting unwrapped presents this year :) I am excited about Christmas this year - even though they are too young to understand and everything has been a little crazy and haphazard. We got our tree up & the house decorated but the boxes are still in the living room and we dont have any outside decorations up....oh well.

Today is the last day of a vey long week - it was harder than I expected to retun to work but all went fairly well. Meara - the new babysitter - seemed to do well on her first day, at least she said she was coming back, so I guess they did not scare her away yet!

I hope everyone has a great holiday!

Grammy Shelia's babysitting gift

Monday... 8:15 a.m. Marc leaves for work. okay..... lets do it.... Babies are happy.... We start the day out with a song or two.... they like my made up songs the best.... but only if they have the words Aubrey and Quinn in them..... Then... feeling a little hoarse, I begin to dance and twirl around the family room... This is a big hit.... for oh, about 5 minutes.... the rest of the day was pretty uneventful..... I tried to anticipate their needs before the crying started and most of the time it worked. Baby Einstein was a HUGE hit and they watched it 3 times..... I rested..... Feedings went well.... First one , then the other.... naps were frequent.... okay... I will live thru this.... 4:30 came and although I was tired.... it was a very good day.

Tuesday.... Holy Moly! Singing and dancing were just not doing it.... I need 4 arms ...fast....... okay.... one of them just has to cry for a while.... hate that..... unfortunately its usually Quinn because after a few minutes he just stops.... shuts down...... Aubrey really really cries with tears... that can't last long while Grammy Shelia is on the scene.... so Quinn waits and gets fed..... then Aubrey cries..... put down Quinn, hold Aubrey.... Quinn cries.... put down Aubrey, hold Quinn.... Aubrey cries.... and so on and so on..... wow is it only 11:30?? I can do this..... When Christie came home I kissed the babes and said " Bye Bye.... grammy is going to go to bed now". Bill gave me some necco wafers (Gods gift to humans) to take with me on Tuesday for a little treat.... I ate them on my drive home.... that is the first time I had a chance to even THINK about necco wafers.... or food for that matter.....

Bottom line: I loved every minute of it. I have a tremendous respect for Christie and Marc for doing this EVERYDAY..... and I will treasure my baby moments forever. Aubrey and Quinn may never remember Monday and Tuesday..... but I will.... and smile when I think about it..... Grammy's need to babysit.... its the only way to really BE with them..... I cherish my time with Walter and Lucy.... Grandma's are special people..... I pray you may all be one someday!

Hugs to you all...
Grammy Shelia

adventures in babysitting

I babysat the twins on Friday, it went pretty well. Quinn took his whole bottle and Aubrey took most of hers. At one point, I was feeding both of them....I was holding Quinn and his bottle in one hand, and with the other leaning over Aubrey and feeding her...she had fromula drbbling down her neck, which I was helpless to mop up and my arm was numb and suddenly I noticed every single slightly itchy spot on my body that I could not scratch, but really they both did pretty well with the set up. I would recommend it to anyone watching them, ha ha.
Matt came in and saved Aubrey from her dribble. She really did some bonding with her Uncle Matt, she loved him! Christie says she likes men in general..but Matt is really good with babies, so I'm sure that helps. It gave me flashbacks of Matt walking laps in the dining room with Lucy. Anyway, eventually they both fell asleep and we were all curled up on the couch when Christie and Marc came back to pick them up.

We had our family Christmas party yesterday, the babies were a hit..and so well behaved. The slept almost the whole time. Pretty much all my cousins hogged up the baby time and I barely got to hold them, but hey, at least there are 2 of them..

On anther note, today is Christie's first day back at work and I'm thinking of her...the babies are easing into it by spending this first week with Grammy Sheila and Mala...not so rough for them, but still tough on their mommy.

Also, if you are reading this, let someone know, because it is really weird to write and have no idea if anyone looks at these things...

Update from Christie

As Carrie posted, the babies had their 2 mo check up and all was well. They started Quinn on Zantac for reflux and he seems much happier and more content - which makes me happy! Aubrey weighed 9.11lbs and Quinn weighed 11.6 - he is getting so big. It seems like he skipped right from newborn clothes to 3-6mo. They both got 5 shots - the doctor said they would either be sleepy or fussy - we made a Christmas shopping trip to the mall after the doctor so thank goodness it was the former! Speaking of the mall, shopping is just not what it once was....by the time I get the double stroller out of the car, both car seats out & latched in the stroller and all of the rest of the stuff you need for two babies into the stroller I'm ready to go home! This is my last week home with Aubrey & Quinn - I go back to work next Monday :(. I am ready to go back but it will be very hard to leave them. Here are some pictures of decorating the Christmas tree and of our visit with Cole, Cameron & Carson at Holli's house....Megan surrounded by babies :)

So, the babies had an exciting road trip to Cleveland for Marc's families Christmas. Get this..they borrowed my mini-van! Hee hee..I spent some time with them on Friday before the trip. It was so much fun! When I walked in they were lying next to each other on the floor, Quinn was sucking on Aubrey's hand. I don't think she even noticed. I told Christie that she should take a picture, but she said they do it all the time. They are both interested in toys now and I watched them watch a Baby Einstein video..Quinn was pumping his feet and arms like crazy..it took Aubrey awhile to notice but once she did she was just staring at the tv...that sounds bad, but you could tell she was totally engaged. I don't understand what is so appealing about some bally looking sock puppets, but hey...it it sure a hit with the infant crowd. I also fed them, or Aubrey at least..but I'm not very good at bottle feeding..I can't seem to get her to take the whole amount. I think she knows I'm not her mom and is punishing me, but maybe I'm just being sensitive.

Babies First Christmas

I got to spend a little bit of time with Aubrey and Quinn yesterday, and they are ready for the holidays! Christie raided the Baby Gap after searching the stores for some cute Christmas clothes..and finally decided on these sweet little outfits..one dressy and one casual for both babies..that is totally Christie, and so fun for me to see. They also had their 2 month check up, and their poor little thighs look pretty pathetic with the multitude of band aids on them. I'll try to get Christie to post information about the specifics of the visit, but overall the news was good!
They are both getting heavier, it is a little bit harder to hold them both at the same time, but not impossible. I don't know why, but I love holding them together. There is something so cool about knowing that both of them are there.. safe... and snugly.. that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, with that warm and fuzzy feeling, I'm going to go...Hope you are all enjoying the season as much as I am.