Ok, for all those that have been waiting with baited breath......I dropped the class. I will not be taking Nutrition this fall!! The decision was easy after buying books........$397 bucks worth......and they threw in a free Intuition razor........WOOHOO!!! Now I am searching for a small desk to put in my room so that I can study while the boys are going to bed. I found one I liked at Sam's....but it will not function as a computer desk later (but it is awfully cute!) Going to get a good nights sleep......I still have a cold....I probably will have a hacking spell in class tomorrow and be known forever as the cough girl! I better bring some cough drops just in case!

Ok, now I am starting to hit a panic mode. I am returning to college in just a few days.....10 credit hours! Thanks to Jes, I found out about "ratemyprofessors.com" website and took a look at my classes. Anatomy 2140 class.....good professor, Chemistry 1130.....good professor, Nutrition......they all were rated bad! What is up with that?? I thought nutrition would be a fluff class, not easy but not hard either. I don't want to be shallow and say that these ratings have influenced my decision making, but some of the comments did not make me feel so sure. Oh well! I am debating on whether or not to drop the class and take my chances in the spring/summer. Plus I've never taken classes now that I am a mom! I am starting to worry that I may not be able to juggle so much my first semester back. And then we have to rearrange Jonathan's schedule so that he can watch the boys while I am in school, or they will have to be in daycare at least twice week from 9-1 if I change nutrition to a morning class. UGGH!! And I still have to buy books.....maybe tomorrow, once I make up my mind for sure!

Some advice for those expecting twins...I am one of the lucky few that made it to 39 weeks (actually 38 and 5 days before induction) I was placed on bedrest Jan 25 and was induced on May 6th. My cervix was shortening and I was not on strict bedrest, but if it continued to shorten then I would have only been allowed up for an hour each day. Bed rest was fun, the first two days....then I thought I was going to go stir crazy. I had a ton of things brought to me to keep me busy (crossword puzzles, books, magazines) and I watched tv (but there is only so much that you can take!) I spent a lot of time on the computer talking to other multiple moms for tips and tricks of the trade (but each case is different so I was prepared). You can write in your baby books (as you will find little time to do much after the boys are born) and write in a journal, letters to your boys. I was induced on the 6th but my body did not react properly to the pitocin (sp) and at 10PM that day we stopped induction. The next morning I woke up with natural labor pains (which weren't too bad....like a mild to medium period cramp) and by 7PM that night I was having hard contractions but not dilating. They upped my pitocin and gave me an epidural (loved that......but boy is that a weird feeling not having feeling from the waist down) The doctor checked me around 10:30 and said I was dilated to 5 and most likely would deliver around 5-6AM the next day. At 1AM I woke up with terrible heartburn and coughed up what we thought was tum antacid but was actually blood (sorry if to much info). Turns out I was having a reaction to the pitocin and when the doctor checked me he said I was ready to push! We were taken into the delivery room just incase anything happened they needed to have all the proper equipment. I gave three strong pushes and at 2:35AM out came a 7lb 6.7 oz baby boy! I couldn't really feel myself pushing because I couldn't feel anything. I had to visualize "using the toilet" to use the proper muscles, and the doctor said that he was amazed how well I did (I never told him what I was thinking!!) 20 minutes later I pushed again three times and delivered another boy 6 lbs 2.7 oz. They were big boys!! They cleaned them up in separate cubbies and then when they put them in one together they held hands!! I could hear the nurses ooohing and ahhhing over that. Luckily I had a great friend come in the operating room and video tape just the birth (only after they came out, and my dh cutting the cords) I told her no pictures of me, because I didn't want privates or my face all scrunched up during labor. It was really nice to have her do this as it allowed my husband just to be with me and the boys and not to worry about getting photos and videos. I had a great OB team that allowed me to have pretty much whoever I wanted in the OR with me (normally they only allow 2 people or less to go back)

I am still breastfeeding my boys and they are 2 weeks from being 2 years old. It was never my intent on feeding them this long but they are self weaning so I feel it is just a matter of time. And I do know that I will miss it! My oldest son, Cooper was sleeping through the night (which for me was 6 hours) at two months. His brother didn't sleep through the night steadily until he started eating baby food at 7 months. Breastfed babies typically do not sleep through the night as the milk is processed faster. But it does help with less trips to the Pedatrician as they tend to get less ear infections and colds. I started off feeding them one at a time, then soon learned that it was easier feeding them together. If you feed them one at a time it is 15-20 minutes for each baby.. (40 minutes total) and then they are hungry again in roughly 2-2 1/2 hours. The only drawback to that was when we were out shopping at the mall and they both wanted "mommy".....by the way the handicap stall in the changing rooms work great for nursing and you can sit comfortably and have your stroller nearby. We chose to cosleep with our boys, having both pack n play bassinets beside the bed, that worked best for us. I also rented a breast pump before I bought one (just in case I didn't like it or wasn't able to use it before spending the money for it). Since you are in the hospital ask if they have someone there that assists mothers with breastfeeding. Our hospital had a great staff that really encouraged breastfeeding and soemone came in right after I delivered to make sure that both boys were able to latch on. They were awesome, the first night I was really discouraged as it was 2AM and both boys were crying (I was concerned about the other mothers and babies that were trying to sleep). They had someone come right in and she showed me how to nurse them both at the same time, she even showed my dh how to hand them to me while I was feeding the other. That was a big help. The best feeding position for me was having them lay in my arms while they were feeding (they were small enough that this was comfortable. As they grew I found that laying them in the same position as they fed, their bodies would lay side by side and often one's bottom half would be a pillow for their brother! They were very particular about their sides from an early start. I tried changing them up, as one side often produced more milk and I would be lopsided until I pumped the excess. If you try the breast pump, what worked for me is doing it first thing in the morning, even if they were fussing for a feeding. You'll find you produce milk rather efficiently when they babies are crying. I wasn't able to pump very much on my first try, but the more I did it, the more I would produce. And it also gave my dh some bonding time to feed the babies as well. Buy several different kinds of nipples, some babies prefer certain kinds (mine like medela brand). Also by the disposable nursing pads (the washable kind do not protect you from leaks). Medela makes a good pad, they are slim and discrete and they hold a good amount of milk before any leaks (be sure to put them in a diaper bag too) Almost any baby crying will start you lactating.....even smelling your own baby can trigger a leak....lol (oh the stories you'll have!)

If you have several floors in your house, have make shift changing tables on each floor. We were lucky in our first house it was one story. We have three levels now and I have changing stations hidden on each floor. It saves on running up and down the stairs. Some babies love bouncy seats, some love swings.....mine only loved the swings (but we did use the bouncy seats when we took them to the beach when they were 3 months old and they work great as the bottom will dig into the sand and rinses off nicely)

Don't try and bath them every night.....you will wear yourself out!! We bought a Eurobath tub (toys r us, babies r us, burlington coat factory carry them) this tub worked wonders for us......it is a bigger bathtub but it cradles your baby and allows you to use both hands at times....plus it does grow with the babies (mine would both bath in it at the same time as they learned to sit up).

Have items that you know you will use washed and ready (burp pads, burp cloths, nighties, blankets, socks, several outfits). Make sure you wash items if they have breast puke on them as soon as possible or you will find them "soured" later. The nighties that worked best for us were the gerber gowns, it made night time changes easy and didn't disrupt them from sleeping. If you can have someone stay with you for the first week (two weeks or more if you are lucky, church members will volunteer and if anyone says they want to help...take them up on their offers!!) very quickly you can establish a routine. Then stick with the routine, and while you have help in the beginning....do try an outting (it is not impossible and not that hard if you plan ahead). Invest in a BIG diaper bag as you will be carrying two of everything (clothes, blankets, burp cloths, diapers, wipes, bottles)...I am on my second diaper bag now (I wore the first one out). If you have a stroller where the car seats attach this will make life easier. I took my twins out shopping when they were a week old. I had my mother with me and after I had nursed them, I knew we had 2 hours before they would start to get fussy. Do expect when you do go on outtings that you will be stopped by every passerby asking "are they twins", "double trouble", "I bet you have your hands full" or they will share with you their story about someone they know being a twin, or if they are a twin themselves they are often drawn to other twins. I always would ask the twins questions about being a twin just to gain some insight. You can no longer just run into a store and get out in a quick manner, sometimes it is nice to hear others stories, but if you are pressed for time....plan ahead for the delays!! While my mother was there at my house, I still did everything but she helped with laundry and dressings. Before she left I was doing everything on my own and she was there more for security. It was nice to know that I could do it and not get overwelmed. If you have a mothers of multiples group in your area they are great too. It will give you adult conversation and also pointers and tips from the been there, done that mom. Also LeLeche Groups also are helpful if you are breastfeeding and offer support as well.

You will have lack of sleep for a long time (but it is not that bad)......they say sleep when they are sleeping (never worked for me, I am a busy body and would be up cleaning and doing laundry while they were sleeping). Your boys will probably nap in both the morning and afternoon in the beginning......if you can nap during one of those times (if you can't do it every day, try a few times a week). My husband was a big help at night, I would nurse them and he would do the diaper changes. There were many a night that a baby would be asleep in our bed, but I never got any sleep when they did (I always worried about smothering and dh rolling around). Find out what works for you, every mother will say "my baby is sleeping through the night....etc, etc" when in reality they are up some nights and some nights the baby sleeps. My pediatrician said that as long as your baby rested the proper amount of time each day, sleeping through the night does not have a timed amount attached to it. Don't worry about what people are saying like "your boys should be doing this, that or the other" As long as they are growing, gaining the recommended weight and you are all happy......then stick with your instincts. Babies on formula will sleep through the night at a faster rate, but they can also develop colic and have chronic ear infections too. I tried to substitute one feeding with formula but it didn't work (my boys preferred premium boobie to the unleaded formula...lol) Sleep deprivation still exists in my house (even though they sleep through the night I don't always get a full nights rest, you still have to plan some "just you" time) Also make sure you plan some time to be romantic with dh, they often feel a little neglected when the new men in our lives arrive :D We would rent a movie and eat dinner in (as it was awhile before I felt I could leave them with a sitter) My family lives in another state and I would travel to see them once a month after the boys were born (most of the time I would travel alone as my husband works at the hospital and has limited time off). My mother said I was fearless and she didn't know how I did it and still do it. I simply say, I don't have anything else to compare it to, raising twins is all I've known. It's a trial and error learning process. For the first 6 months I was a sterile fanatic (careful of everything) making sure everything was sterile and clean.....as time passes, you may find you are still cautious but that they are boys and they will get into all kinds of things. Nothing is as important as the time you spend with them, the laundry, cooking, cleaning will come later. You'll get a system going and will probably have many pointers to pass along to the next mother expecting twins.

I hope I am not making this sound scary or give you anxiety.....I would have twins again in a heartbeat. I can't imagine anything more awesome than being a twin mom. They really enjoy being swaddled (so if you don't know how to swaddle a baby, have someone from the nursery show you before you leave). Something about being swaddled would always calm my boys down, that and we would sit them in a Boppy Pillow with a blanket folded in the hole part so that they would not fall down into the hole. I think that they sometimes felt like they were being held in the pillow because it looked like they felt they were snuggled in my arms. Oh, and another secret I learned.....I played a CD to my womb as soon as the OB said they could hear. I would play the CD over and over again (lullabies and easy listening kid songs). When my boys would fuss in the car ride and I was alone with them, I would play that CD and they would calm down......same could be said for at home. It was as if they remembered it. I also purchased the Baby Einstein Videos and they are terrific. It is well worth the money and the music and videos seem to mesmorize our boys to this day. They even hum some of the classical songs! Oh....buy lots of film now....take tons of pictures.....they change so fast. We would carry our camera in our diaper bag so we always would have it with us (just be sure to have a few extra rolls tucked in as you will go through a roll quickly) If you don't have a video camera, that is another item that you'll be glad that you have....get the tapes now they go fast too (and they love looking at themselves as they get older!) Keep receipts on clothes, etc.....take tags off things that you know they will wear and for others you can return or exchange if they are not able to wear them (due to change in the seasons, or if they have so much that you can't get around to them wearing everything).

Songs for my Family I don't get many things right the first time In fact, I am told that a lot Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls Brought me here And where was I before the day That I first saw your lovely face? Now I see it everyday And I know That I am I am, I am The luckiest What if I'd been born fifty years before you In a house on the street where you live? Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike Would I know? And in a wide sea of eyes I see one pair that I recognize And I know That I am I am, I am The luckiest I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties And one day passed away in his sleep His wife, she stayed for a couple of days And passed away I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong That I know That I am I am, I am The luckiest There are a lot of songs that I love to sing to my babies. That one is for me, I am the luckiest....I have two of the most wonderful children in the world. And I am the luckiest to have such a great husband who works hard so that I can be the mother I've always wanted to be. I don't know what we'd do without his love and support. I love to sing "Puff, the Magic Dragon" to the boys. They heard the song in utero and it seems to calm them whenever they hear it. I changed the words when I sing it from "Little Jackie Paper loved that Rascal Puff" to "Elliott and Cooper loved that Rascal Puff" "Angels are Watching Over Me" and "Baby Mine" are also favorites that I love to sing to my children. To Elliott, I love to sing "You are My Sunshine" because he brightens up a room with his charismatic smile. To Cooper, I love to sing "Hush Little Baby" and he just giggles as I tickle him when I sing "mama's gonna buy you a....." And I will end the is entry with a song you've heard from the moment you were born...we've sung our favorite version of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" to you both every day Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star How I wonder What you are Up above the world so high Like a diamond in the sky Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Do you know How loved you are?

Remembrance This day has significant meaning in our lives, and not just because of the tragedy that occurred in NY, Pennsylvania and Virginia in 2001. It's what occured a year later, in a doctors office in Greenville. It is where for the first time, we got a glimpse that our pregnancy was solid and my beta numbers were rising. The numbers were so high in fact, I started to wonder if I was carrying multiples. I had taken two pregnancy tests at home, the first one on September 8th just after my girlfriend Sandee called me to tell me her grandmother had passed. I stumbled into the bathroom bright and early around 6:30AM and saw what appeared to be a faint positive. Surely I was seeing things. I called Jonathan, who was at work, and told him the news. I told him to look at the test when he got home, if he sees two lines then I'll start believing it. You see, I had taken a test the day before, and had a big fat negative. I went online to my chat group for support, and was quickly told that I need an early response test to pick up the hcg hormone that a woman's body puts out when she is pregnant. Silly me, I wasn't aware that were levels of pregnancy tests. So, I went out to buy one of these so called early detection tests and awaited my first mornings sample :) Ok, back to Jonathan who comes in from a hard nights work, and crawls into bed. "Did you see the test?" "Um, no.....I forgot....and I've already taken out my contacts" Great, just great.....without his contacts, Jonathan is as blind as a bat...He would never see that line. He got up and went into the bathroom and was back. Silence, I was dying....what did he see??? He curled up behind me and nuzzled my ear and said "Looks like we are going to have a baby!!" Those were the happiest words I could have ever heard.... ***I also remember I had a dream around that time, it was of me and three other people in a doctors office. I was laying on the table and the doctor was placing the doppler on my belly to hear the heartbeat. There were two other women in the room, but I could never make out their faces. We listened to the whoosh, whoosh sound of the heartbeat generated from the right side of my abdomen, when the focus turned towards the left side of my belly. The doctor said "Do you want to hear the other one?" I sat upright in bed and exclaimed out loud "THE OTHER ONE??!!" It was then that I knew that I was carrying twins. It would be weeks later before our first sonogram would confirm that I was indeed carrying twins. So, you see September 11, 2001 was a great loss for our country.....and September 11, 2002 was the birth of our family. Current Mood: thankful

Our Rendition of 'Born To Be Wild' Got our bellies filled up Headin' for our toy room Lookin' for adventure And to make things go V-Room, Oh mommy, don't come and catch us We're tearing up this space Elliott is chasing Cooper Like it's some kind of race Play food in the kitchen Books are all on the floor Elliott's saying "ge dow" Coopers standing in a drawer Oh Mommy, don't come and catch us We're tearing up this space Elliott is chasing Cooper Like it's some kind of race Like a true, nature's child We were born, born to be wild Only one thing makes us cry When our diaper’s not DRY BORN TO BE WILD!!! BORN TO BE WILD!!!

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens It has been awhile since my last entry so I decided to post a lengthy one. The boys and I went to VA for my nephews court case. The trip, for me, was full of quiet reflections of past to the present. I remember as if it were yesterday that my nephews Scotty and Joey were born. I remember anxiously awaiting the day that I could hold them in my arms. Watching them grow was a real treat, and I have great memories of them growing up tucked away in a special place in my heart. Scotty will turn 18 in October, and Joey will turn 17 in December. While I was in VA, I looked back on my first year as a mommy and realized there are things about Cooper and Elliott that I miss. I also reflected on their first "loves" and favorite things. I miss how Cooper used to softly cry "Ah-gee, Ah-gee". We jokingly teased that he was saying "Hungry, or Ok, Ok". His first cry is something I will always remember. I also remember how he would gently rub from the back of his head to his forehead while nursing. Sometimes he would rub the back of my arm while nursing, and from time to time, he still does. Elliott, who was the second born, quickly took the lead in being the first to do things. He was the first to roll over onto his stomach (July29). He preferred rolling from place to place to crawling. Their first trip to the beach when they were just 12 days old! Then their first vacation and putting their feet into the ocean!! Elliott quickly fell in love with the swing and would not go to sleep without it. As a result, we had to purchase a travel swing to take on trips! Nowadays, Elliott still loves a swing and we no longer have to put batteries in it, for he has taught himself how to swing, back and forth! Elliott’s favorite toys are anything that resembles a steering wheel. He will quickly turn a little tykes vehicle on its side just so he can spin the wheels!! He also loves a blonde haired boy Little People figure that we have named “Little Man” (sometimes he will not go to sleep without it). Cooper is a ball man, he loves to pick up and throw balls. We think we have a future Nascar driver and Major league pitcher!! Their first baths, ah the good ole days....back when the only thing that got wet was the tub. These days Cooper will plunge into the water and "swim" on his belly, splashing water everywhere!! I'll never forget when Cooper leaned over and began to lap up the bath water like a puppy!! Elliott loves his baths too, he carefully splashes water by doggy paddling with his hands as if he "digging" into the water! I remember the excitement I had when I felt Cooper's first upper tooth. I was on the telephone with my girlfriend Sandee and was letting Cooper gum my finger when I felt something sharp! It was interesting as their teeth came in that Cooper had 3 upper teeth going towards the left and Elliott had 3 bottom teeth going towards the right! I thought that they both were going to have snaggle-puss smiles for quite some time!! Then came the boo-boos, Elliott’s first serious boo boo came when he fell and hit his chin on his wooden activity cube. It ended up being a small scratch, but he cried as if he had broke something. Cooper never suffered many injuries; mainly he was a teething ring for Elliott. Elliott loved to chomp down on Cooper, and Cooper's back, arms and legs really took a beating. Elliott used to chomp down on me too, my upper arms looked like I was a battered woman from all his bite marks! I remember one morning Elliott had bitten Cooper on his forearm, and later that same night Cooper bit Elliott in the exact same spot (must be something to that “twin pain” theory). Elliott also fell down about 6 stairs at my mother’s house....I have mentioned gray hair before....that nearly gave me a heart attack! Elliott also was a "squirmer" while nursing in bed and twice he fell off the bed (this happened two days in a row during the week of their birthday). Cooper is our climber and he takes on any challenge without fear. His most recent climbing trophy was awarded for climbing up the metal slide at MeMaw's and PawPaw's. He didn't climb up the "ladder side", but went up the slide with a rapid crawl then standing position as he approached the top! Their baby dedication was almost cancelled due to their first time experiencing a hurricane. Hurricane Isabel quickly came and went, but left us without power for a week. We miraculously regained power the evening before your dedication! You both looked so handsome in your Quaker styled white rompers. Their first Christmas….sitting on Santa’s lap for the first time. Elliott pulled at Santa’s beard!! Watching them look at all their presents, and they loved watching their choo choo train go around the track. Their first time in the snow...Cooper just loved sitting on the ice covered snow, but Elliott didn't want to have any part of it!! Elliott was the first to sit up on his own, which he did in such an odd fashion. He would try and sit up while lying on his back, in what looked like a standard "sit up" would be performed. Cooper took the tried and true version to sitting up. The ole lean to the side and push himself until he was propped up in a sitting position. Their first big boy haircuts at the barber, watching them become my "little men". Ah, and the first birthday...they both were so tired and possibly a little sick but what a blast that first birthday was!! All their cousins (first, second and third), aunts, uncles, grandparents and closest friends of the family were there to celebrate. Elliott loved the Clown, and Cooper didn't seem to mind her much as long as she was running with him in her arms! They both loved playing in their ball pit and received so many nice gifts! They both started babbling next, and I noticed that they would "sing" to each other...."da da da ha--da da da ha". In the mornings, who ever was awake first would call out to the other with that song or they would babble ah-da da, ah-da da over and over again until the other one would echo the same! Elliott’s first word was MeMe and Cooper’s was DaDa. Cooper has learned the sign for milk and cause it “gilk” (we are not sure why). Elliott loves to babble “bye bye” and “tickle tickle tickle”. Cooper loves to say “cook cook” whenever he sees a box of vanilla wafers!! He also prefers to call anything that walks on four legs “kitty, kitty, kitty”! Cooper took the lead in taking those precious first steps, he walked 3 ft. without falling (this was on June 8th). Elliott quickly took notice and was up and walking the very next day. Elliott, in fact was walking much more frequently than Cooper for the next few weeks. Their first steps with arms held up for balance as they "toddled" to and fro was a milestone that I will always remember! Favorite foods were something else, they both loved Sweet Potato Soufflé by Beechnut. Cooper took to finger foods first and loved the banana and sweet potato puffs from Gerber. They look like little puffed daisies. They both loved Country Garden Vegetables, and I would always say "here's your green pudding" because they both wanted it with every meal! Elliott’s favorite meal was macaroni and cheese, Cooper loves everything…….we have yet to find something he dislikes!! They both love yogurt and we call that ice cream. They were not much into sweets (you barely touched your birthday cake). I miss their tiny hands, and tiny feet...Elliott had such long and skinny legs when he was born!! I love to look at their little socks and reminisce of holding their feet in the palms of my hands. I have put favorite outfits away for future use and as keepsakes. Their daddy loved the ECU and NC football jersey onsies that they were practically swimming in when they were first born, but after two months had passed, they filled them out for our first family photo. I loved so many of their outfits, it would be hard to say which one would be my favorite. I loved all their outfits with matching hats, bibs and socks! Their turtle costumes for Halloween looked so adorable on them…..especially since we had nicknamed Elliott turtle for the way he would “turtle” his forehead as he started to crawl. Speaking of nicknames…..Cooper was affectionately named “Butter Bean” and Elliott was appropriately named “String Bean”. I am sure there will be many more nicknames to follow! So many memories for just one year……and I am sure there are many I have forgotten to mention. Thank goodness for journals and baby books, for without them, these little snips of thoughts here and there could not be carefully preserved. Thanks for taking the time to stroll with me down memory lane. Feel free to add to any memories you have of the twins!