Tough Cookie

Tony had surgery on Wednesday to repair his bilateral inguinal hernias (very common in premature boys) and was a great patient! He did really well and only cried in recovery.

We got to CHOC bright and early with Alex and both grandmas in tow. I'd mentally rehearsed the entire timeline a million times and had tried to think of every possible scenario. I was prepared for everything except a Code Red (fire), but luckily it was in a completely different area and I didn't have to go barreling into the OR to grab Tony. ;)

They were able to move his surgery up about half an hour so he didn't have to go the full 4 hours without eating. This was an added element that kept our little patient patiently waiting. All of the nurses were great and it was cute watching them show off "their" twins to the rest of the staff in the Short Stay Unit.

Perhaps because of our entourage, or just because they're cool like that, they let us stay in (the slightly larger than the others) patient prep room, instead of waiting in the waiting room. This gave us a quiet place to feed and entertain Alex (who did really well all day despite being out of his element and being totally off schedule) and a TV we could control.

When Striker and I were allowed back to see Tony in recovery, he started crying, so they gave him an extra shot of pain meds which knocked him out for THREE hours. That means that we sat there staring at him and STARVING for 3 hours when we'd probably had been out of there in an hour without that shot. Now don't get me wrong, if Tony was in pain, I want him to be comfortable as quickly as possible. In hindsight, we think he was just pissed off because they'd tried to feed him something in a bottle (which he absolutely WON'T take), wouldn't let us stand up and hold him, and couldn't wiggle freely with all the wires stuck to him, BUT better to err on the side of comfort.
Anyhow we were starving by noon, so Striker went to the gift shop to find some snacks to hold us over, so we wouldn't start gnawing on Alex's extremities.

Tony FINALLY woke up and ate a little after 1 and we were home by 3 after driving thru Duke's Burgers and shoving food down our throats. I vaguely recall ordering and swallowing a Double Cheeseburger.

I gave him Tylenol as soon as we got home and for 24 hours after, but I don't think he really needed it. He's been smiling and wiggling since we got home. Yesterday he woke up with that smile on his face and continued trying to roll over. Alex had a tougher time getting back into the routine, but he was very worried about his little brother. ;)

Bumbo Baby

Alex has finally learned to love his Bumbo seat! He sat in it for half an hour yesterday just looking around and checking stuff out. Happiness!

(Yes, Kim and Jane, those are the frames you got us with the stock photos still in them. So not fair getting frames with 3x5 and 3x6 holes! Sigh, didn't you give me until their 1st birthday? 7 months to go.)

Playdate with Sadie

Alternate title: Triplets
2nd alternate title: Boys vs. Girl
3rd alternate title: BOB rocks

Today we met Jessie and Sadie at a super awesome park in Tustin.

Sadie is exactly one month older than the boys, but as one lady pointed out, they look like they could be triplets...this was far better to hear than that Alex was pretty enough to be a girl.

Girl stuff is so very foreign to me...I've never been too girly, and would almost always choose blue over a pink floral pattern, so of course I immediately noticed the contrast between our blue/gray BOB and Sadie's pink/brown BOB and our quilts. Yes, I am easily amused.

While I am ridiculously out of shape from a cardio standpoint, BOB makes me want to be a runner...almost. I will say that I never would have attempted pushing my 36 pounds of babies up the hill in any of our other strollers, but found it doable with BOB. I need to find a good park close to home with a good walking/stroller path. The big square across the street isn't so exciting.

Thanks Jessie and Sadie! We had a great time!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Happy 26! I hope it's your best year yet!

The family went bowling, which we tried to keep as a surprise from the birthday girl, but let's just say she's very sneaky and we got very close to keeping it that way. Ahem, Shades ;)

The boys wanted to wear their Andre Ethier shirts for their Auntie's birthday, so Striker and I subjected ourselves to everyone thinking we were Dodger fans at Oak Tree Lanes and then at Islands for dinner. Sigh.

They boys did great, I got to bowl an entire game, and aside from a spit up gift from Alex, we had no wardrobe issues...quite the feat lately!

Lovies

We've introduced lovies to the boys since they've both been holding on to things on a regular basis. Meet Ellie the Elephant and Jerry the Giraffe.

Great Way to Start the Day

Rain brings rainbows. The hubby leaving for work (via physical therapy for his twinfant elbow) brings this picture while I'm still in bed snuggling with the happy, babbling twnfants.

Free Ride in a Police Car

Yet another reason I love the frozen yogurt place by Striker's work, this sign posted inside. The first reason that I love them is because they have birthday cake mix yogurt, which of course I get with sprinkles. Yes, I'm a 5 year old, but it's YUMMY!

Out the Door in 17 Minutes

Striker bowled a Qualifier last night, and since it was going to be a quick 5 games and last until right before bedtime, I decided to take the boys down to watch.

We ate dinner right before Striker had to leave (and I had a small incident with crushed red pepper, but hey, I cooked!), so we were BBMing back and forth right after he left. Because of this, I have an excellent time stamped log of my departure sequence.

When Striker got ready to leave he: gulped down some tap water (oh yes, desperate AND out of milk), searched for some gum, kissed the family good bye and was out the door.

While I was feeding Tony after he left (not included in my departure sequence), I sent him the following BBM at 5:37 PM:
I have to dress them (they were wearing only onesies, and needed pants and socks), crib them (both move WAY too much to be left unattended anymore), change my shirt, back out car (it was in the garage, where the furries stay when we aren't home), throw out furries (they lost house privileges when unsupervised), bring up carriers (easiest to load the boys into their carseats upstairs and carry them down in them), insert rug rats (that'd be my adorable children), load car (twinfants, diaper bag, purse). We exchanged a few additional BBMs until 5:40, so I know that I was still sitting in my glider feeding Tony.

The Qualifier started at 6 with about 10 minutes of practice and was about 15-20 minutes away.

At 5:52, I had completed the first 3 items on my list. At 5:57, I was out the door and on the road. We arrived there at 6:17. I'm pretty sure this is my new personal best. Of course I'm also likely to now start timing myself on a regular basis. ;)

BTW Striker bowled really well...1201 for 5 games, or an average of 240. Go Striker! Finals are next Sunday.

Carpet

Is this a repeat? Not sure. Bowlium, Montclair (I think)

Kings vs Canucks: Game 2

Random thoughts while watching tonight's game:

-Please don't let this be a shut out or a massacre or Aunt Susan will NEVER let Tony hear the end of it.

-YES!!!! Way to tie it guys!!

-Poor Doughty can't grow a full beard...he has spots...clearly that's what happens when you're only 20.

-I wish the Sedin twins (Daniel and Henrik) played for the Kings instead of the Canucks...their numbers are 22 & 33. How happy does that make me?!

-Me to Striker: "I think I have a crush on Doughty, that was HOT". Striker: "He can't even buy a beer"...sigh...Me: "Well, at least I don't have to feel bad for cheating on Brown."

-Did someone forget to tell them that they don't get a point for going to OT in the Playoffs?

-STRESSFUL!!!

-How about we keep our helmets on boys?

-I wonder if "The Keg Steakhouse" is any good? Hmmm a location in Phoenix...maybe I'll add it to my "Places to Visit" list

-YAY Power Play!

-YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (That would be the Kings winning Game 2 and tying the series 1-1) YIPPEE!!! Thank you Kopitar!

Playoff Hockey & Sleep

The Kings are in the playoffs for the first time in 8 years and they're playing the Canucks in the first round, so we allowed the boys to stay up last night and watch the first period with Striker. (A whole 30 minutes later than usual, don't judge.)

I have family in Vancouver (where the Canucks are from, for all you non-fans), and during the Winter Olympics "Tony" got into a little trash talking with my aunt on Facebook. Not surprisingly, this started up again when both teams made the playoffs. Sadly, the Kings lost in OverTime, but Striker and I almost always pull for the underdog in any sport. It's best of 7, so there are hopefully at least 4 games left;)

I was nervous that the extra half an hour of awake time would wreck havoc on nighttime sleep, but the boys both slept a solid 8 hours!

Go Kings Go!

Why I Love Easter Eggs

Last year I posted that I Love Easter Eggs. This year I'll tell you why.

One year ago today, I officially became pregnant with Alex and Tony, although we wouldn't know for sure that they "stuck" until the 25th, when I'd alert Striker via BBM that we were pregnant. I kept our struggle with infertility very private (unlike my diagnosis and surgery for Chiari Malformation which I created a whole separate blog about), but feel like I should share our story and make a record of it before it starts to get fuzzy.

I stopped taking The Pill in April of 2006. When I still wasn't pregnant in April of 2008 (and was 6 months post-op from my Chiari surgery) I decided it was time to get things checked out. We did some testing, found the issues were "something' with me, but "unexplained" nonetheless. We tried a few months of Clomid, before we went to a wonderful Reproductive Endocrinologist for further testing and treatment. We did 2 rounds of IUI, and a fresh and frozen cycle of IVF, before we had just enough insurance coverage and funds to pay for one last (fresh) IVF cycle. In other words, it was now or never time.

For some reason, I approached the last round differently than I had the first two. I let everyone know what we were doing (just didn't post it on here) and wanted all of the happy, sticky thoughts we could get. I spent Easter at home in bed resting and took extra time off work. I knew that it would be the last round one way or the other, and did everything I could to improve our chances. I didn't want to look back and wish that I'd stayed in bed just one more day.

We were due to have the big blood test on the 28th, and Striker was out of town the 25th-27th, so I was supposed to be "good" and just wait for the blood test since we'd already spent a small fortune on home pregnancy tests over the years. He was boarding the plane for his trip when I cheated. The first 5 million times I'd hoped I was pregnant, I had all sorts of cute ways planned to tell him. The first time we did IVF, I had a cute way planned to tell our family. When I actually had a postive test? I sent him a BlackBerry Message. I didn't even call, but at that point I thought he might have wanted to keep the news a secret until the blood test results and didn't want him to have to explain the call. (Clearly I wasn't thinking logically and was overwhelmed with joy...as was he when he found out). Completely not the way I thought it would happen, but then again our road to get that positive test wasn't the one I'd planned either.

Last year Easter was on April 12th, our retrieval was the 9th, and the transfer was the 14th. Since we'd given each round of embryos a seasonal name, they became the Easter Eggs. And THAT is why I love Easter Eggs.

This year Grandma Barbie and Auntie B dyed special eggs for the boys:

And yes, if I look at the pictures of those eggs for more than a few seconds and think about all that they represent, all the heartbreak, pain, hope, patience, and love, I get teary eyed. Apparently motherhood makes me a crier. I'll take it!

While Grandma's On Vacation...

This week my mom is on vacation with my aunt and uncle in Lake Tahoe. She usually comes over after she gets off work everyday at about 3:30 and stays until Striker gets home or the boys are in bed (whichever happens first). She plays with the boys and runs around like a crazy person helping with the daily and sometimes weekly chores. She gives me a break to shower (or some days just to eat) and makes it possible for Striker to bowl and not have me execute the bedtime routine solo. In other words, she's the glue that keeps us functioning at a rather efficient level...and she's on vacation...all week...and Striker works this Friday...

Needless to say, I have been having mini panic attacks as we'd been counting down to solo week, but had been trying to play it cool so Grandma wouldn't worry. I mean LOTS of people do this without help. I could at least survive the week.

Monday- The boys and I stayed in our jammies all day. After not sleeping well the prior few nights I was committed to getting them back into a routine, which we managed to do. Oskar was a pill. Striker got home late after I sent him to run a few errands (because I stayed in my jammies all day) and picked up dinner which we scarfed down before putting the boys to bed without baths. Grade for the day: C

Today- I took a shower before Striker got ready for work. We survived the 7AM jackhammering. I ate breakfast. The boys took an AM and PM 30 minute nap with a LONG 2 hour nap midday. I ate lunch. I wasted WAY too much time waiting for them to wake up. I ate a snack. Striker worked a few minutes late. He came home and played with the boys while I made tacos for dinner. We ate. We gave the boys baths and put them to bed. They stayed down. I did a load of laundry. Striker did the dishes. I did a few other things I'd been meaning to do for awhile. Striker went to bed before 10. Grade for the day: A+!!!

We miss Grandma, but Mommy and Daddy can do this!

Naptastic Day

My cat nappers just slept for...drumroll please...an hour and a half!!!!! I've put us on a strict daytime schedule since the boys forgot how to sleep through the night last week. Yesterday they catnapped like clockwork and did better last night. Today started off early thanks to the 7AM jackhammer outside our window, but I'll do that everyday if I get even 1 nap like this on a regular basis. Maybe next time I'll actually do something with my time besides stare at them, the clock, and the monitor. ;)

Question of the Day

What do Striker and KT have in common?
A) They don't play tennis.
B) They have infants that they regularly carry.
C) They have tennis elbow.
D) All of the above.

Thanks Diane!

Happy 4 Month Birthday!!!

It's amazing how much these little boys continue to grow each month!!! I love going back and reading my post from the previous month before I write the current one.

This month we went to several parks - with our MoMs club, for a birthday party, and just for fun with Striker and Lil Dahl. Tony loves being outside, Alex, not so much. We went to lunch with Striker several times during the week and made a few visits inside his work to flirt with everyone. Seriously, these boys are going to be T.R.O.U.B.L.E. We saw the whole family on Easter (that'll be a separate post with lots of pictures as soon as I upload them...the card reader is in my laptop and I'm on the regular computer...amazing I know!).

The boys are putting their hands and all sorts of things in their mouths. They both are constantly laughing at Mommy (apparently I'm both hysterical and a great singer to them...they'll soon realize what the rest of you have, let me enjoy this while it lasts), and regularly "talk" (babble) to whomever will listen and have just started to FINALLY acknowledge each other and even "talk" to each other a bit. They both had an instance in the last few weeks where they were so cute I almost cried. Yes, I who NEVER cries have almost been brought to tears twice because MY children were laughing with me and talking to me. (There will be a lengthier, sappy explanation coming in 2 days to this here blog. Wait for it...)

Alex:
-LOVES sleeping - the kid sleeps through the night and naps often and for a good amount of time.
-Is halfway to playing Peek-a-boo - he pulls the blanket, or his bib, over his face...then leaves it there...we're working on this ;)
-Is almost sitting - in about a week of practicing with me, he can now almost sit up unassisted without falling over. He can't pull himself up yet, but if you sit him somewhere, he pretty much stays put. This is a HUGE help when I'm by myself with them.
-Likes watching both baseball (YAY!) and basketball on TV. How the kid decided to like basketball is BEYOND me, though I'm blaming a certain March Madness fan. I would rather clean the house than watch basketball. He also "watches" Jeopardy and Judge Alex...he might just be into shows with people named Alex.

Tony:
-HATES sleeping with every ounce of his being. He will fight and fight and fight and then just pass out. Yep, just as I predicted. I can't wait for him to be mobile so I can catch him passed out in random places.
-Quit the pacifier a few weeks ago, and just recently decided to refuse a bottle...looks like I'm not going anywhere without him for the next few months...darn ;)
-may be a swimmer...rather than working on sitting, he works on kicking his legs like a swimmer...look out Michael Phelps!

-Likes watching hockey, baseball and commercials...Mommy has begun to make a better effort of keeping the TV off during the day now that they are playing more.

-I'm predicting he'll be the first to roll over, though might skip crawling. He gets frustrated if he has to sit still too long. Perhaps we'll call him the Energizer Bunny?

I can't wait to see what the next month brings...I'm guessing an even longer birthday post? ;)

Big A's

Almost 3 months ago, Alex and Tony met their much bigger friend AJ and they took their first photo together. We saw them last week and there was slightly less of a height and weight gap. Look out AJ...not that there's a chance they'll ever pass you in size. ;)

The stats:

AJ: 22 lbs, 29 inches

Alex: 17 lbs, 25 inches

Tony: 16 lbs, 24 inches

Oh and for those of you who need the assistance: L-R Alex, Tony, AJ ;)

The Gift That Keeps on Giving: 2010 Census

As this is now my 4th post on the Census, I have given it its own Label.

I'm adding Census Worker to my list of alternative careers. :) Today I saw a notification that the US Census Bureau was hiring part-time Census Workers and was immediately drawn to click on the link. After all, the forms were all supposed to be mailed back on the first...why are they hiring now? The answer...to be one of the people that gets to go door to door of the people that didn't complete their form and mail it back and gather the information from them (can we say ENABLERS?!)

In case you are interested in applying, I pulled the job qualifications from their FAQ section:

You may qualify for a job if:

• You are able to read, write, and speak English. check
• You are a U.S. citizen. check
• You are a legal permanent resident, or non-citizen with an appropriate work visa, and you possess a bilingual skill for which there are no available qualified U.S. citizens. check and wow
• You are at least 18 years old. check
• You have a valid social security number. check
• You take a written test of basic skills.check...at least the practice version (see below)
• You have a valid driver's license. check
• You pass a background check. check...at least I should...I'm boring that way
• You commit to four days of training. You will be paid for training days. Training can be held either during daytime hours or during evening and weekend hours. check...4 DAYS?! Um, the form took me less than 4 minutes to complete. I'd only need to knock on doors and gather the info.

Local Offices can be found here. Pay varies pretty widely from $11.00/hour up to $22.00. My local office:

Diamond Bar
Pipeline Avenue
Chino Hills, CA 91709
Phone: 909-438-2498
Census takers start at: $16.50/hour

Things that I'd like to point out: Why is it called the Diamond Bar office if it's in Chino Hills? It's not like Diamond Bar is the bigger city. You are required to call the office's number, get their address (because they only give you the street...um, Cost Savings Idea #4381: list the address number and eliminate the person answering these calls...if it goes to a recording, just skip this step), go down to the office and hand in their application and take a test.

The Practice Test can be found here. In reviewing the questions, Striker said "Are people really this stupid?!"

The Application can be found here. My personal favorites are Questions #22 and 26a.

If you're interested in applying, the instructions can be found here. No, you may not apply online or via email. Cost Savings Idea #4382: electronic transmission devices/PDAs for field people. Less processing, fewer errors...I'm assuming if they can find the information online about how to apply, they could operate a PDA basic enough to collect Census data.

I mailed my form back, but now I wish I hadn't so that I could interview and report on the person that knocked on my door. I think I shall apply for a "temporary" position, even though I know I know that "all applicants may not be selected for a position". Wish me luck! ;)

Name that Fruit

And yes, grapes are the easy ones...

Happy April 1st!

Yet another reason I love the people at Striker's work...(You'll want to Google the phone number)