Things Change...

I guess it is time for me to finally update this blog and to start posting regularly again.

I week after my last post, things changed. My dad got really sick. We went to visit him for the 4th of July Holiday and well he wasn't himself then. A few days later he was in the hospital. I won't go into all the details but after a rough summer, my dad passed away on August 15th.

I was having a yard sale that day. I was in the middle of selling all my used baby gear and clothes when I got the call that he passed in his sleep at home.

I have never felt so very far away from my family.

My dad is gone but my life must go on.

Wayne M Lomeland -- 2/25/1930 - 8/15/2009

Diet

Do you diet? Do you think diets work? Yo-yo dieter? Crash diets? Fad diets?

Personally, I do not believe that diets work. I think that making healthy food choices and paying attention to what you eat is what leads to weight loss. Easier said than done. Might be why I have a few pounds to lose. But you will never catch me eating cabbage soup in the hopes of dropping a few pounds quickly.

I recently started paying attention to what I was putting into my body. I figured this was the first step to changing my behavior and making healthier choices. Before I could change, I first needed to figure out what I was doing wrong.

After paying attention for a few days, I realized something. I fed my children such healthy well balanced meals, yet I would eat junk. I would never allow my kids to eat dessert before eating a healthy meal. Yet yesterday I made them yogurt, half a sandwich, carrots and raisin for lunch while I hid in the living room and ate a slice of cake.

I love my kids and want the best for them. Therefore I insure that they have healthy yummy foods for every meal. But I do not do the same for myself.

I think as moms, a lot of us do this. Not just with food but with everything. We bend over backwards to give our kids the best, and then we settle for the scraps. We are so busy taking care of our kids that we forget to take care of ourselves.

What will it take for me (and all moms) to look out for myself anf start taking care of me?

Father's Day Blog Carnival

In honor of Father's Day -- my Ode to the Fathers in my life...

My father.... I try to describe him and I am at a lost for words. Growing up, I was always asked if he was my grandfather and I would laugh and say -- no, he is my dad. But he wasn't just my dad. He became the dad to my friends as well. My best friend growing up didn't have a father in her life. She lived with her Aunt and Uncle. When she needed help to pay for her cheerleading costs -- my dad was there volunteering to raise money for her. My dad want the best for everyone. To the point of neglecting himself. I cannot wait to see him in a few weeks. I miss him.

My husband, the father of my children.... I knew Paul would be a great father when he was the father he didn't have to be. He loves Madilynn. He always has. She is his daughter, at least in his heart. I remember our first trip to the coast, just Paul, Madilynn and me. He didn't have to love her. He didn't have to care for her. But he did. That was when I realized that I was going to marry him.



Not to mention the fact that Paul didn't pass out or have a heart attack when he found out we were having twins.. That shows a great father too...

Madilynn's Kindergarten Graduation!

A new story for the books

Let me start by saying that Preston is fine.....

After dinner on Saturday, I was changing Preston and he felt warm to me, so I got our digital thermometer out and took his temp (101.7 if anyone is interested). So we gave him some Tylenol and chalked it up to having his shots a few days ago. In the mean time, Preston took the thermometer and was playing with it. Next thing I know, he was gagging. So I took the thermometer away and he stopped gagging and was fine. I look at the thermometer and the metal tip was gone! He bit off the tip of the thermometer and swallowed it!!!!!

So we call the nurses line and she tells us to go to the ER because he could aspirate it or something. By this time it was 7pm and Paul stayed home with the other 3 kids and put them to bed while I too Preston to the ER. We walk in and tell the lady at the desk what is wrong and she takes us right back. We became the freak show of the ER! No one had ever heard of this before. They didn't even know it was possible. So a ton of people came by to meet the baby that has piranha teeth. But back to the serious matter. They had to call poison control because they didn't even know what is in a digital thermometer and if it was dangerous. That came back fine -- nothing chemically bad. We got in a room and people still kept stopping in to see Preston and look at the thermometer (I brought it with us). Preston was eating up the attention. We eventually went back for an x-ray and everything was fine. It wasn't in his lungs -- they assume it is in his gut somewhere or he spit it up when I wasn't paying attention. We were in and out in an hour and a half. So big difference in treatment and attention when it is something they have never encountered before!

Pictures from Wendy

Click here to view these pictures larger

First birthday!

I know that I won't have time to post this tomorrow so it is being posted today!!!

At a little after 2 am on May 23, 2008 my two beautiful boys were born.

I was due with the twins on June 27th, 2008, but because they were both breech I was scheduled for a c section on June 19th.

On Thursday, May 22, 2008 I started feeling some mildly painful contractions around 5 pm. They stayed 5 minutes apart but they just got more painful. At 7 pm we called my niece (Marissa) to come watch our Madilynn and Quinton while we went to the hospital to get checked out. Since we were only 35 weeks I figured that they would monitor me and give me a shot of morphine and send me home. We got to the hospital around 7:30 pm and we had nothing with us just the clothes on our backs and I got all hooked up and I was contracting every five minutes. They checked me and I was at 2 cm and 50% effaced. They gave me an IV which slowed down the contractions but made them stronger. Around 9:30 pm they checked me again and I was still at 2 cm. They said since it was twins that they wanted to monitor me over night and check me again in 2 hours, but I could probably go home in the morning. I started having much more painful contractions. They checked me one more time at 11:30 pm and I was at 5 cm!!!! So they said we were going to go for a c section immediately as both babies were breech. I of course started crying as we were not ready what so ever for babies! So I stayed in the room and made some phone calls. They wouldn’t give me anything for the pain as I was going to have a spinal shortly and anything else would bother the babies once they were born (too close to birth). So I had to suffer. Turns out someone else needed the OR first for an emergency c section. So we had to wait. We didn’t get into the OR until 1:45am. I was in transition and Landon was trying with all his might to get out. I received my spinal and we got started. Baby A – Landon was born at 2:05 am weighing 5lbs 5 oz and 18 inches long and Baby B – Preston as born at 2:06 am weighing 5lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. I got to hear both babies cry but didn’t get to see them before they were whisked away to the NICU. I went to recovery for 4 hours and was finally wheeled into the NICU in the bed at 6 am to see my boys for the first time.

Landon stayed in the NICU for 2 weeks and Preston stayed in for 3 weeks.

And some then and now pics!!

Preston shortly after birth.


Landon shortly after birth.


Landon now!


Preston now!


I love my baby boys! Happy Birthday to you both! Mommy loves you! Keep growing and learning and changing. Time goes by so fast!

The best day!

It was a beautiful day here in Southern Oregon. When the twins went down for their morning nap we decided to go outside for a picnic. (I know our grass needs to be mowed! Paul is doing it as I type this!)


I even brought out our real picnic basket to make it a little more fun for the kiddos.


Who doesn't like to eat strawberries outside on a warm day? Well besides me because I hate strawberries.


Afterward we decided to run through the sprinklers.

It wasn't spraying too well

And the sprinkler kept falling over


I sat back and relaxed while watching the kids run around.



But the kids enjoyed it!




Then I realized why the water pressure was crap. The spout was shooting water everywhere!

So I moved the hose to the spout on the side of the house!


The kids loved the shooting water!




It was a great day!

pulling weeds

I am having a big birthday party for the twins on Saturday. I really really want to thank all those people that have helped us survive this last year. So we are having a party with a cat in the hat theme. I have a bounce house, a ball pit, tons of outdoor toys, each kid gets to make a crown, lots of food, etc etc etc. It is going to be 80 degrees so the weather will be perfect for the outdoor party.

The problem -- my side yard is rock and is completely overgrown with weeds!
(not my picture but you get the idea)*

So I decided while Madilynn and Quinton were outside playing today, I would attempt to tackle the weeds. I got a lot pulled but had to quit after about 20 minutes when I started sneezing constantly! I still am sneezing. I. Can. Not. Stop.

Any suggestions for something that will help but won't put me to sleep?



*BTW, search for weed images in photobucket -- interesting.....

so proud.... of myself

I have been very busy today. I am so proud of all the I accomplished with four kids under foot

-rearranged furniture in the living room (still have the familyroom todo) in preparation for the twins birthday party next weekend
-6 loads of laundry, including folding and putting away
-grocery shopping
-shopping for 5 people's birthday presents (still have 4 more people to shop for -- May is so full of birthdays)
-wrapped five previously mentioned gifts.
-hand made 18 birthday cards for birthdays in May and June

These things were in addition to my normal daily chores
- feeding and caring for 4 children
- dishes
-cleaning
-playing with kids

But I did cheat a little. We ordered Pizza for lunch and had leftover pizza for dinner.

You can't win them all.

Postscript - A very special Birthday shout out to my beautiful niece Silke who turned 19 on Tuesday, an adorable little boy Noah who turned 5 on Tuesday, A sweetie pie Madison who turns 6 on Thursday, my extrodinary neice Marissa who is turning 21 on Friday, my fun and crazy sister Penny who turns the big 29 next Wednesday,

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique

So Disneyland has this new attraction. It is the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. It is amazing. Yes it is something you have to pay extra for, and yes it is overpriced for the tangible items you receive. But the experience your little girl gets is just priceless and amazing. I would have paid a lot more than the $175.00 that I spent.

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/shopping/detail?name=BibbidiBobbidiBoutiqueShoppingPage

Madilynn got to become a Princess. First she picked out her princess dress. Of course she was completely responsible and chose a dress that is practical to walk around a hot sweaty theme park in.

She picked the white princess wedding dress!

Next she had her hair done by her fairy godmother in training. (they were in training because they were way to young to be real fairy god mothers)



As her hair was being done, another fairy godmother in training did her princess makeup.





And painted her princess nails.
And finally on went the princess crown and princess ring.


In the end the crown came off but Madilynn looked like a princess. She even had a photoshoot in Cinderellas carriage (those pics to come as my scanner is not working).

Her brother danced her official princess waltz with her. (You know -- Put your gloved hand in, put your gloved hand out, put your gloved hand in and shake it all about. Do the princess waltz and turn yourself around, bibbidi, bobbidi boo)
All the cast members through out the park would refer to Madilynn as Princess. "Hello Princess!" "Enjoy your day princess!" It was amazing!

Then she met the Princesses while in costume. Something we will never forget!