Two on three

For starters:
I need to figure out how to change my blog name to one of the following:
Officially Outnumbered
Two on Three
Babies Everywhere
I.  Am.  Tired.  The end.

The day we added another munchkin to our lives was a day like any other.
I was the size of a hippo and waddled through the house packing up any last minute things before heading to the hospital.  It was calm, peaceful, and scary at the same time.
I hugged my babies one last time quickly escaping the room before they saw my tears.  I cried the whole way to the hospital because hello pregnant, and because I knew from then on my babies were no longer my babies, and life from here on out would be different.  Also, I was terrified of having another baby because of my near death experience before. 
We got to the hospital, changed into our OR attire, and met our nurse who was the worst.  She mocked me about having another c-section, and laughed at the amount of little kids we have.
The wheeled me in, without Wes as he was changing, and I began to get the epidural.  Alone.  With Mean Nurse by my side.  I hate her.  I started crying again as I was hunched over getting a giant needle in my back, holding the arms of Mean Nurse who continually asked me why "I didn't even try to have a natural birth."  Lady, it was too late, back up before I hurt you.  The Anesthesiologist was a dream boat and made everything better.  He calmed me, put on Adele, and talked to me while I laid on my back having a slight panic attack.  I could never lay flat on my back while being pregnant.  The weight of the baby made me feel like I couldn't breathe.  He gave me oxygen and I calmed down.  Wes came in, held my hand, and I cried again.  After that it was smooth sailing.  My doctor came in, started the procedure, and chatted it up with the nurses.  Just then the baby made a giant wail and everyone assured me that she was perfect.  "She's SO big!"  "Her eyelashes are so long!"  "She's got a good set of lungs on her!"  She was 8lbs 2oz and 20 inches long.  My biggest baby.  My doctor reassured me that I made the right decision having a c-section as the baby probably wouldn't have fit coming out naturally.  She was too big.  Did you hear that Mean Nurse?  I made the right choice. 

As soon as I saw her sweet face I saw Audrey. . . and then she opened her eyes.  Nope, not Audrey.  Not really Finny either.  A new little face that was all her own.  Violet Ann, you are the best baby there ever was. 

We are surviving as a family of five.  It helps that Violet is literally the best baby.  Aside from the fact that the girl likes to eat (she is 3 months now, and is wearing size 6 months) she sleeps well, poops well, and is just the happiest baby ever.  Smiles non stop, singing and kicking to her heart's desire.  The twins are cute with her too.  Always trying to giver her a blankie or a toy, and kissing her nonstop.  They call her "baby Violet," or "tiny baby" and make sure to kiss her before bed. 

Aside from it taking a little more time to get everyone in and out of the car, things are perfect.  It's madness here a lot of the time with someone always needing something, but our family is now complete.  I can feel that now in my heart.  Finn Audrey Violet  These are my FAV people and I'm lucky I get to call them mine. 

chunky lady

First time meeting the baby

Heading home!

Audrey anyone?

1 month

2 months

3 months

My happy girl

Stay tuned for next week when I tell you about my three-nagers.  For real.  Drama, rebellion, and the WHY phase.  Three-nagers.  Sigh. 

The dos and dont's of 2.5 year old twins

Slowly we are learning how to survive two 2.5 year old twins.  Their energy is high, tantrums and tattle-telling are in full effect, and curiosity about everything is constant.  I heart them, tantrums and all.

Dos and dont's:

Don't get frustrated when you sit them on the potty and they say they don't have to go, and not 5 min later you find them behind the chair pooping in their undies.

Don't mention any of the following foods unless you plan to make them in the next 5 min: pizza, berry smoothie (or bui fui in their lingo) or pancakes.

Do bribe them with snacks while doing any sort of shopping, and make sure to not let them run around.  Keep them in the cart.  I seriously spent an hour chasing after them in the toy section of Walmart.

Don't put syrup on their pancakes until it is in front of them.  Finny doesn't trust that I've already put syrup on it.  He has to see it happen.

Do play hide and seek around the house.

Don't get frustrated when you've spent the past three days with a sick kid, and then a day later the other one comes down with the same sickness.

Do watch what you say very closely.  Unless you want them to start saying, "No way, Jose," to everything, or that "T" is for "toots."  They remember everything.

Don't promise them a pink bus, or any other toy for that matter, unless you are already at the toy store.  My mom and I had to make a special trip to the toy store because she promised Audrey a pink bus, to match the yellow bus she already had that Finny had claimed as "his."  Just to be safe, buy two of every toy. Serious.

Do drive around, if you are feeling crazy.  If you are feeling stuck in the house, or if the kids are continuously fighting, throw them in the car and drive around pointing out every bus, trash truck, mixer, crane, and any other automobile.  Or take a drive by the beach.  "Ocean!" "Sand!" "Boat!"

Don't lose your patience when you ask them what they want to eat, make it, and then they don't eat it.

Do give them all the snuggles and kisses.  Even when they wipe off your kisses, or try to escape your arms.

Do sing "ABC's" song on repeat all day.

Do melt into a million pieces when they make you flowers at church and are super excited to give them to you.

Do laugh when you find Audrey "reading" a book to Kona.

Don't give in to every silly request they have to play with your phone, or watch the ipad.  Even when they ask so nicely and bat their little eyes.  "Please mommmy.  Please??"

Do remember that this stage of life is hard, but it is seriously the best ever.

Don't cry every time you think of them getting older.  Okay you can cry a little.

They LOVE taking rides with dad!

Finny got a little "dir-ly"

Always helping me out.

A perfect place to eat a snack

Toddler beds! Finny cried himself to sleep because his bed was "broken" Sweetest boy ever.

A brief moment they weren't fighting or hitting


Stay tuned next time when I change the name of my blog to "Officially Outnumbered"
AHHHHHH.

Soaking it in

Whenever I think about my babies growing up, I cry.  For real.  I don't like it.

Two year olds are so fun.  Everything is so exciting and over-joyous.  Minus the occasional, sometimes more than not, melt downs and constant fighting over toys; they are so happy and laughing all the time. Everything is so fun to them, and I'm trying to soak every bit of this fun age in because before I know it, they won't want to sit on my lap, or say "mommy" a hundred times in one breath.

For this reason I am soaking it all in.

Every time they grab my hand and say "come on mommy," or "sit down mommy,"  I listen because some day I'll be begging for their attention.

Every time they come running to me because they got a "boo boo," I kiss it to make it better.

Every time they scream with excitement in the car over a "yellow school bus," or a "ca-ca" (trash truck), I join in in their excitement.  Sometimes I even go searching for a school bus, because they are obsessed.  They say "I love you school bus," as we drive away.

Sometimes I hold them until they fall asleep, even if they don't need it, or I know I should let them fall asleep on their own, because they won't always want snuggle.

I "carry you" (carry them) even when my back hurts, or they are no longer fitting over my growing belly.

I console Audrey every time she runs inside scared of a "bee" which is really a fly, because some day she will know the difference.

I console Finny every time he runs to me because the dogs are barking and he's scared because some day the dogs won't scare him.

If I thought it was good for them I'd let them watch Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, trash trucks (literally real trash trucks driving around), and "Wheels on the Bus" on the ipad all day because they get so excited they jump around, sing, and laugh.  Some day they will think that's stupid.

If I thought it was good for them I'd feed them pizza for every meal because they LOVE pizza.  They both say, "mmm pizza" or "mommy, I like pizza," while they are eating it.  This love for pizza probably won't ever go away because hello pizza!!

I let them run around "nudey" and give them "white mints" (Tic Tacs) more than I should because some day they won't want any of that.

I take them to the playground as much as I can because some day the slide and going "weeee" won't be as cool going to the mall or hanging out with their friends.

I grab all the blankies and get "snug-g-g-g-gy" (as Audrey would say) or "snug-a-baby" (as Finny would say) because those snuggles won't last long.

I kiss their squishy cheeks all day because one day it won't be cool for mom to kiss them.

I am soaking it all in.
Even when Audrey takes a marker to the rug, or Finny refuses to eat dinner because well it's not pizza; it's hard to stay mad at them when they run to you, put their arms around your neck and say "I love you mama."

Ice cream face at the beach

Ice cream face take 2

Said "weeeee" the entire ride

Cried forever after we rode it twice and said no more

In car heaven   #obsessed
Also notice the Mickey slippers.  Won't take them off.  Ever.