Mommy Month Day 30 - In The End

In the end, it all comes down to one thing.  Change. 

Everyday is a new adventure as these babies change, growing and developing new skills all the time. As my marriage changes and takes on a whole new meaning as partners in parenting. As my life changes transforming from infertile to mother to stay-at-home-mom to working mom.  The only constant in all of it is that nothing's constant, it's always evolving. We're shifting and changing as we go, and I'm proud of that.

So in this last post of Mommy Month, I thought I'd take a minute to stop and take a snapshot of my dreams in this moment.  Those deep hopes I have for my children. What I want them to know, to learn, to live.  As time passes, these dreams will change, but I want to remember what I feel in this moment.

So, Grace and Caleb, know that on this day, in your sixth month of life, as you sleep peacefully in the room beside me, my heart is overflowing with dreams for you.  Here are a few things I want you to know:

1. Happiness is not a destination, but rather a frame of mind.  No one else can truly bring you happiness, you have to decide on your own that you will adopt this frame of mind, enjoy what lies before you, and be.happy.  I wish, more than anything, that you choose this path and decide to make each day great.  To be happy.

2. You are who you choose to be around.  Friends are the fabric of life, they make everything feel more real and seem more vibrant.  Friends also define you more than you think they do.  Choose wisely who you spend your time with, they will undoubtedly rub off on you, for good or bad.

3. You will always have each other.  Your were born with a special bond that not many get to experience.  Cherish your unique place as "twin" and remember that you have been together all your life, and nothing can replace that.  Lean on each other for strength, humor, compassion, and above all, love. 

4. Your parents love you more than you will ever fully comprehend.  There are no words strong enough to explain that love.  Everything we do for you is in the name of this love, be it discipline or praise, enjoyable or irritating.  It's all because we cannot step outside of this love, it consumes us, and we wouldn't have it any other way. 

5. It takes a village to raise a child, and probably most of the neighboring villages to raise twins. The support system that cares about you,  prays for you, and watches you grow is one of the most important factors in your success. Keep them in your mind and come back to them when you need to find your bearings, plant your feet, or just reconnect with the past that built you.  They will always be ready with open arms.

6. Learn from those who came before you.  Read and absorb the beauty and success of great people.  Learn about strong women who lead and inspire. Take note from intelligent men who lead by example and hold tight to their morals.  Do not idolize the recent trend or the fleeting personality, spotlighted by media or thrust in your face by popular culture.  Emulate the greats who came before you or who challenge the status quo of today. 

7. Love yourself before trying to love someone else.  There is someone out there who will steal your heart and challenge you to become better. This person deserves the best of you, and you cannot give that if you don't yet know what it is yourself.  Find who you are, take calculated risks and try new things, look in the mirror and decide that you are powerful, beautiful, and original.  And once you believe those things, and only at that point, will you be able to convince someone else of the same. And believe me, you deserve someone who is absolutely and undeniably convinced of YOUR power, beauty, and originality.  Period.

8. Live out loud!  You may be shy.  You may be outgoing and boisterous.  You may be athletic, artistic, creative, or composed.  You may be every single one of those things.  Whatever you do, whoever you are, live it outwardly with pride and dignity.  Do not hide the talents and passions you have; they are you.  Show the world what you're made of, in the way that feels right.  Follow your heart and then let it lead others.

9. You are a role model.  It doesn't matter if you don't think others are watching you, they are.  You will always be teaching someone, be it your sibling, your friends,  your teammates, the kid in the back of the class, the kid in the grade below you, your cousins, or your parents.  We're watching to see just what you will do next.  Someone is always waiting to try what you've tried, be like you've become, do what you're doing.  Be careful what you do. Stop, think, then react.

10. Dedicate yourself to something.  Take the time to dedicate yourself to one thing and become great, even amazing, at it.  Spend your life trying things, but don't ever let that be an excuse to not be great at something.  "I tried" is not the answer. Do it, and do it right.  You will reap so many beautiful rewards from learning about the power of dedication.

11. Be gentle with others and know that everyone has their own reality, which may be very different from your own.  Realize the vast differences in perspective and be patient with ideas, thoughts, and circumstances that are not your own.  Diversity of thought has a very important place in innovation and success.  Listen and use those other perspectives to bring new light to your own potential!

12. Be humble.  You will surely be an amazing person with significant talents and important ideas.  This does not mean that you are the most amazing person with the most significant talent and the most important ideas.  Share what you know, who you are, and how you got there.  But realize that others are better than you in certain aspects.  Acknowledge your weaknesses as opportunities to grow.  Accept criticism as a blessing, a challenge, and a gift.  Learn from others and be gracious for the lessons.

13. Truly know your Creator.  He is the reason for your being, the One who answered our prayers and gave us you.  He gave you life, and everything around you.  Talk to Him and know that He is always listening; speak from your heart and the words won't matter.  He loves you in your darkest hours and will never leave you alone.  Turn to him in your confusion, trials, and victories.  Thank Him, every single day, every single breath.  And love Him for the amazing gifts He has given us. 

14. Come home.  No matter how far away, how many minutes, hours, months, or even years have passed since you were here.  No matter where your house or our house resides, when we are together, we are home. 

15. Talk to your Mother.  While there will be many times that you find yourself wondering how I could possibly have any answer worth listening to, I can promise you this- I will listen to you and offer my love, no matter what.  I will always be your #1 fan, cheering you on from the stands, the auditorium, the front row. I will love you from now until forever.  You will always be my baby, my child, my heart walking around outside of my body.  Wherever you go, you have my heart.  Tell me your stories and know that I am truly amazed at who you are. I could not be more proud.



With all of my love,
Mommy

Mommy Month Day 29 - Inevitable

It is completely inevitable that, as a mother, I constantly worry.  I'm fairly certain, based on my mere six months worth of experience, that I will never, ever, stop worrying. 

Case in point, the babies had their first taste of "food" today (if you can call rice cereal "food"...).  On such a monumentous occasion, what else could be going through my head but the constant fear that we were putting too much on the spoon, that we were feeding them too fast, that they were eating too much, that they needed to be reclined more/less, that whatever happened in this very first try at "eating" would shape their entire thought process on food...for the rest of their lives. 

Yeah, that's sane, right?

So, I thought it fitting to take this second to last day of Mommy Month and share my worries.  My worries about being a Mother. My worries for my children. My worries about life in general: being a wife, a working mom, a somewhat-productive member of society...

This list will surely grow and change as my children grow...and change.  As my life evolves and my circumstances warrant new and fresh worries.  Hopefully some of these will fall off of my list (please tell me that at some point in the future I won't have this incessant fear of my kids choking...), and I'm sure some will truly never subside.  There will be times when some worries get tucked neatly in the back of my brain, residing only with the cobwebs and memories of 6th grade math class (just kidding Mom!!! ...she was my 6th grade math teacher...), to await the moment when those fears need to shine through again.  But, I'm seeing more and more every day, that this is life.  This journey is what life really is. There is no "destination" to life, but rather a series of worries, successes, failures, and truths. It's a string of good days and probably some bad ones.  It's step after step.  So stopping to really recognize just what makes up "life" is really the only way to truly experience it.  Don't wait for your destination to arrive, realize that you're getting there, each and every day.

1. That my children will not know how much I miss them while we aren't together.  This fear haunts me every single day.  No amount of smooches has helped to quiet it.  I'll surely keep trying.

2. That I will get lost in a project/job/idea/failure/success/worry/doubt and forget, even momentarily, that my family is the most important piece of "life". There is no gold medal for multi-tasking. 

3. That I'll forget the "I" in family, and lose myself somewhere along the journey.  I cannot be what they deserve without first being what I deserve.

4. That one day I'll wake up and they'll be leaving home.  I have not yet discovered how to stop time, so stopping to breathe them in will have to suffice.

5. That my marriage will suffer.  There isn't enough time, energy, willpower, patience... the excuses can overpower every effort.  Stop. Thank. Praise. Smile. Touch.  Even when you're ____ (fill in the blank). 

6. That they won't remember.  Our laughs, our lessons, our trips, our jokes, our games, our love.  Our Past.  Have faith in the groundwork.

7. That I won't be good enough.  For me.  There is no harsher critic than myself. Will I ever live up to my own expectations? Will I ever let myself be good enough? The answer lies in my daughter's eyes.  Do I want her to love herself? Then I must show her how.

8. That we'll miss the journey as we reach for the destination. We'll always be striving for the next goal, the next step.  The time in between steps, that's what we'll never get back.

9. That the worries will overtake me.  From the early worries about their breathing to the choking, the fevers, the rashes, the slow development, the lack of eye contact, the broken bones, the fights with friends, the broken hearts, the bad grades, the bad crowd, the driver's license, the travelling, the unanswered calls, the miles between us, the wrong "one", the right "one"...  I must see the beauty in each of these worries.  Growth.  Independence.  Life.  This is what I'm here for.  Embrace the answered prayers.

10. That I won't be their number One.  This is one of those worries you know is real.  The one that stings in its truth.  I won't always be their one and only.  Will our bond be strong enough? Will they know how much I love them, and will they love me even a fraction of that amount? Will they replace me?

I may not be the only one in their lives who knows their heartbeats like the sound of my own.  But they will always be the only ones who know what my heart sounds like... from the inside. 

Looking at each other...

Playing with each other!

First Taste of the Good Life!

Practicing with a sippy cup!

I'm ready for the show! Bring on the grub!

Grace's first bite.

She liked it!

Caleb's first bite. Disinterested at first...

Then he got into it!

The mess :)

Here, let me help with that, Mom!

Open Wide!

He did great at it!

She would get a huge open mouth smile on her face whenever I talked to her, and then all of the cereal would fall out of her mouth :)

Sharing toys with Mommy

Reading with Daddy

Lazy Sundays

Mommy Month Day 28 - Out and About

It is so good to get out sometimes.  As much as I love having time as just the four of us in the comfort of our own home, it's just plain necessary for me to get out and show off these littles from time to time. 

I mean, you see them, wouldn't you want to show them off, too?? :)

I took the babies with me to the Ladies Brunch that my church growing up holds every year at my parents' house.  It was the first time that a lot of my church family got to see the twins and it was so, so fun for me to carry them around and watch everyone admire them!  They were awesome. 

Grace still has her stranger danger that shows up when either there are too many people around or when, it seems, a tall man is trying to get her to smile. Not every time, but a lot of the times I've seen her with tallish men, she has a bit of a break down.  It's sort of funny, really. I wonder if it's because she's confused why this tall man isn't Daddy... But other than her few stranger danger melt downs, she was great and super cute!

Caleb was really smiley the whole time and spent some good time cuddling with Nana, which is always good for the soul.  Papa also carried him around when I first got there and he loved that! 

Of course it was good for me to see everyone as well.  There were some people there I hadn't seen since the babies were born and it felt good to catch up and almost feel like my old self...not that I really want to be anything other than Mommy anymore!

This morning wasn't the only outing for today.  Nope, Daddy and Mommy got to go out on a date night tonight!!!!  Oh it was so needed, we've been so much busier and stressed out since the health stuff, the work stuff, and the "sick" decided to visit...and linger.  We went out to dinner at a new sushi restaurant right around the corner (yay!) and went to see The Hunger Games (phenomenal). Thank you thank you to Daniel for coming by to babysit! :) Luckily he got here early enough to see the little ones before we put them to bed. Caleb loved him, lots of smiles!  Grace, of course, had a stranger danger melt down, but I think she was too tired.  Otherwise, they went to bed and Daniel only had one quick wake up from Grace while we were out.  Nice!

So, other than the new uber-fussiness our babies have picked up from daycare, today was a stellar day! I'm just glad there's still one more day of my weekend- I need more baby time!

Grace and Uncle Brian!

She was really smiley with Bri today, it was so cute!

 Love these pics of Nana and Caleb:

Probably my new favorite picture of Grace and I!

SO glad I caught this on film- it was adorable.  Grace really loves her cousin, Kate.  Every time they get together, Grace is always reaching for Kate's face and trying to grab her.  :)

Caleb's serious play face ;) Get that pink birdy!

Mommy Month Day 27 - TGIF

I've always loved Friday, I mean, who hasn't?  But oh how Fridays have taken on a whole new meaning!  Being a working mom means weekends are even more special, even more vital to my survival.  Weekends are my baby time.  It's the only chance I have to see my babies play for longer than an hour at a time.  It's the only chance I have to spend some good, quality, non-fussy time with them. 

See, every morning I get maybe 15 minutes with them awake and not in their carseats.  Every evening I get about an hour or two with them...but almost all of that precious little time is during their "Witching Hour", that cursed time where just about anything can set them off, make them unhappy...where nearly nothing is good enough and there is no consoling them.  Of course, I'll take it.  I'll take any time I can get with them.  If that means that I'm spending all of my minutes in triage mode, just trying to keep them from crying or get them to stop crying- I'll take it.  Anything is better than not being near them.

But weekends, oh those blessed weekends. I get to snuggle them, to play with them, to stare and smile and breathe in their innocence and promise.  I get them, all of them, truly them. 

It's my heaven.

So Friday evenings are a little less traumatic.  A little less rushed for every hug and pressed for every glimpse of that fleeting smile.  It's calmer and more real.  It's the beginning of my weekend, my home.

Thursday night, 4/26, Caleb and Daddy at bed time

We love Fridays!

Notice anything? Yeah, Grace grabbed Caleb's binky and put it in her mouth...sharing begins. :)

Look at those eyes! And LOOK at that hair!! :)

Mommy Month Day 26 - At the heart of it

No pictures with Mommy today, I've got something that I really need to write about.  This post has a very special meaning to me, a very important purpose in our lives.  This week is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW)...

Without Infertility, I would not have my babies.

Yeah, that sounds wrong, I know.  But the journey we have made, the hurdles, the struggles, the obstacles, and the victories; this journey brought me my babies. These babies are the miraculous product of overcoming infertility.  Plain and simple.

They were not a product of luck.  They were not a product of "just relax and it will happen".  They were not a product of trying each month for years on end, either.  They are the product of many, many prayers and the second successful round of IVF.  Thank you God, and thank you modern medicine.

I am infertile.  I am not uncomfortable mentioning to someone that "No, twins don't run in my family. We did IVF!".  I am not uncomfortable admitting that I could not get pregnant the good ol' fashioned way. I am not uncomfortable discussing the tests, the procedures, the needles, the monitoring, the egg retrieval, the embryo transfer, and the blessed 8 frozen embryos we have remaining.

I am also not uncomfortable talking about that unbelievably difficult time after our first round of IVF that resulted in an ectopic scare, two doses of methotrexate to end the ectopic pregnancy, the discovery of a normal uterine pregnancy, and the resulting miscarriage and D&C. 

The reason I am not uncomfortable sharing this incredibly personal and intimate side of my life is the very heart of NIAW, this year's theme for the awareness week:  "Do Not Ignore"

I can't ignore the years I spent worrying about my fertility after I was diagnosed very early with stage 4 endometriosis.  I can't ignore the scars that has left on my confidence, my sexuality, and of course, my body.  I can't ignore the lasting imprints of having to tell my then boyfriend that having a baby with me wouldn't be easy, so if that's something he wasn't willing to deal with, he should just get out now. 

I also can't ignore the incredibly blessing of being able to look into my then-boyfriend's eyes and know that he was completely genuine as he told me he would be by my side every step of the way. 

Finally, I can't ignore that I am so incredibly lucky to have escaped the trenches of infertility.  And there are so many other wonderful men and women who cannot say the same.  I can't ignore the fact that I have a story to tell that could change someone's life, that could help them through a very difficult journey, that could comfort them in those isolating moments of "why me?"

Infertility affects one in eight couples in the United States.  One in Eight. That's a huge number of people who are (often times silently) battling an incredibly devastating disease.  What if we made our voices heard?  What if we stood up to say that this is not an issue to be swept under the rug? What if Infertility was no longer a uncomfortable conversation or a hushed topic?

What IF? 

Please take a look at this video, filmed a few years ago by a fellow ALI (Adoption Loss Infertility) Community Blogger.  And know that the words on the screen are so devastatingly true for millions of people, people you surely know. It's easy to keep this disease at a distance if you're not personally affected by it, but remember all of those who may be silently suffering, who may not have the voice yet to share their story.  Remember that I am a success story.  Remember Grace and Caleb.  Remember hope. 

If you are reading this and are in the trenches right now, don't lose faith, don't give up hope.  It took a lot of suffering to get our two miracles, but miracles do happen.  What IF?

Mommy Month Day 25 - Well Baby

The twins had their 6 Month Well Baby Checkup today and it went great!  Our babies are so healthy, I feel so blessed.  Sure, we have the occasional Hand, Foot, and Mouth breakout.  And those pesky 24 hour flu bugs.  But in the grand scheme of things, these babies are doing truly wonderfully!

We came away with a few things:

1. Sore babies.  They had their last round of these particular immunizations...and they've hated them each time.  They do pretty well in the office.  Caleb actually only cried for maybe 1-2 seconds and Grace let out about a 10 second cry before the binky saved her life. ;)  But the rest of the evening was pretty miserable for them.  They get pretty sore it seems, so that's never fun. 

2. A referral to get Caleb's head checked out...our little man has a misshaped head!  Ben and I have seen it all along, and we brought it up at his 2 month checkup, but she wasn't too concerned back then figuring it would work itself out.  Unfortunately, when we brought it up this time, she agreed that it was still a little off and probably needed to get looked at.  It's a little flat on both sides in the back.  She said there's a small chance they'll want to do a helmet for a couple months. I hope not! But I'd rather make sure that his head is the right shape now...

3. The awesome knowledge that our son is in the 90th percentile for weight (20lbs 6.4oz)and the 95th percentile for height (28.25 in)...for his ACTUAL age, not his adjusted age.  So, he's technically 5 weeks younger than these babies he's being compared to...but a whole lot bigger!

4. The hysterical knowledge that our daughter is in the 31st percentile for height (25.25in) and the 19th percentile for weight (14lbs 6.4oz)!!!  What?!?  How did we end up with this tiny little girl?  Both Ben and I were big babies, everyone in our family was a big baby pretty much.  And then there's little Gracie.  Of course, this is for her actual age, not her adjusted age. So she's a little behind there, but still on the small side.  I think she may have lost some weight this past week with the flu and she's still not eating as much right now, so there's that as well. But still such a little lady!

5. And of course, our head numbers.  These littles and their tiny heads!  They both have the exact same head size. Yep, you heard that right.  Grace is in the 17th percentile (41.25 cm) and Caleb is in the 3rd percentile!!!  It's funny, he really still doesn't look like he's got a small head to me, even with his big body.  Of course, then I see other babies their age and realize the discrepancy.  :)  The doctor has assured me over and over that it has nothing to do with their brain size, haha.

We asked all of the questions about their development and both are right on track, especially since Caleb just sort of took of this last week or so.  He's rolling all over the place now!  He was really smiley with the doctor, so that alleviated a lot of my fears about him being a bit less social and not making eye contact all the time.  Grace was as curious as always and really friendly with the doctor...unless she was giving her the "what are you doing?" face.

We got to show off Caleb's two first teeth, which are now fully broken through! They're just tiny little nubs still, but they are there and they are SHARP!  The doctor said "Yay, Caleb finally got to do something first" Haha, poor little man.  We did note that Grace has the motor skills and Caleb has the language skills. She'll probably be a bit of a late talker- she's still only cooing while he's babbling now.  He'll be a late walker.

Best part- we learned all about how to feed our babies solids and we're good to go with starting them on rice cereal asap!! Then after about a week of that, we'll move into  pureed veggies, one at a time with about 3 days in between to check for allergies.  Then fruits! And finally pureed meats. At around 9 months we'll start with chunkier foods.  Right now, it's just getting them used to the flavors and a little "eating", not at all for calorie supplementation or nutrients.  They will still be getting almost all of their nutrients and cals from formula.

It should be an interesting ride with spoon feeding! I was thinking about trying Baby Led Weaning which would have them feeding themselves instead of us using spoons...but the doc wasn't too keen on it and I'm not sure we can actually get our dinner prepared before they go to bed (part of BLW), so it wouldn't really work anyway.  We'll see how purees goes for now!  Should be some FUN pictures :) :)

Wish us luck!

Daddy worked from home today so I said goodbye at home this morning before work!

Daddy was making funny faces!

Lounging at lunch time. I came home for about 15 minutes at lunch so I could see them :)

After the shots, he needed a little mommy time. But that Superman shirt was right, he did awesome!

Double duty!

I tried to get a picture of Caleb's first teeth...and this is all I got.  Poor little man! haha

Mommy Month Day 24 - Break

Taking a break? Needing a break? Having a breakdown?

Yeah.

I'm not really having a breakdown, but really just reaching a bit of a breaking point.  I'm so incredibly fed up with doctors, tests, appointments...having my appointments CANCELLED because I showed up 4 minutes late. Yes, 4 minutes late.  They said "...well, by the time they called back to let us know you were here it was 7 minutes late."  Yes, that actually happened, they actually said that.  And yes, I had a breakdown in the lobby of the Mayo Clinic.

So, what I'm trying to say is that I'm juggling.  Juggling so many balls that all feel so important.  And I just don't feel like I can drop any of them right now...but I think I have to in some capacity.  I so, so want that ball that's dropping to be the healthcare ball.  I'm so tired of it. Don't know if that's a good idea...

I decided that I'd stop the fast this evening after I just couldn't keep myself together with said cancellation and the incredible disrespect I felt. I was way too stressed out today trying to get everything at work done so I could leave 30 minutes early...and then of course that didn't happen.  I had wanted to stop in and see the babies at lunch because I'd be late to pick them up due to this appointment, but they were sleeping so I couldn't see them.  Then I raced to the appointment, 20 minutes away...just to be told I'd have to reschedule due to those few minutes.  And I only got an hour with the babies today. 

It was all just too much. Getting out the juicer and juicing fruits and vegetables, then cleaning it all up...it just wasn't an added ball I wanted to juggle right now. 

But I lost 6 pounds.  And I feel pretty good.  So I'm happy with my almost four day juice fast.

To my children, I hope you know how awful I feel when I lose even a minute of my precious time with you.  I hope you know that I try, with everything I have in me, to make sure I get every single second possible to spend gazing at you, playing with you, cuddling you. I hope you know that you and your Dad light up my life in even the darkest of times.  There can be no bad days when I have you. It's impossible.  Thank you for that.

Mommy and Caleb before bath time!

And this was just heading out the door for daycare/work...



Mommy Month Day 23 - Teething (duh dum duh dum)

The teeth! They're coming!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!

Yep, poor little baby Caleb has two teeth just below the surface that started cutting this evening, and he was NOT happy about it.  He screamed bloody murder for about 20 minutes tonight as I tried to feed him tylenol, get him to suck on a binky, a cold teether, anything.  He just screamed the most horrific scream I've ever heard.  Wouldn't let up. I felt so.incredbily.bad for him. 

I saw them coming in a couple days ago as white bumps.  Then yesterday the serious swelling started and the bumps got bigger. Then when we picked him up from daycare, one of the teachers who was carrying over to me looked in his mouth as he was giving her a HUGE Caleb smile and said "Three?!". Yep, poor little man has three teeth coming in all on the bottom.  The third one isn't too close yet, but it's there.  The other two are right at the surface.  She was surprised he was smiling, and apparently he was fine all day.  But when he got home with Mommy and Daddy, after about ten minutes of playing, he lost it.  I think it was the first time they started to cut.  I so, so hope it's done soon!

Gracie sat back and watched a lot of the debacle with a concerned look on her face. She started crying a couple of times (could be because she was sleepy...or hungry, but I choose to believe she was concerned for her brother).  It's amazing to watch them interacting and really aware of each other now!  They smile all the time at one another and they're always reaching for their sibling when they're close.  One of my favorite things ever.

And of course, your juice fast update:  Ben made it as far as his body would take him and had to break the fast for a bowl of oatmeal this morning.  For a big guy like him with all of that muscle, I'm impressed he made it that long!  I'm still going (fairly) strong.  Haven't broken the fast yet.  It's funny, I'm not really that hungry.  This is teaching me quite a bit about my relationship with food!  I have a serious mental addiction, but not a physical one!  My body does fine on juice.  I feel pretty normal, just a little more tired and weak than usual.  But this is coming from a now working, sugar-addicted, mom of six month old twins- I'd say being only a bit more than my completely exhausted state and just a little weak is pretty phenomenal.  And sometimes, I feel a lot better than I had! 

As an aside, I've lost about five pounds since Saturday.  Nice.


Ok, finally, I just wanted to throw this out there.  I know we don't have a lot of time to reach out to many of our friends and family.  I know we don't send thank you cards for all of the wonderful things you've done or sent for our littles.  I know we don't  spend nearly the time we should on connecting with all of you.  There are so many days where I'm just so worn out, so ready to lay down, sit on the couch, turn my brain off...anything but getting up and writing!  But I hope that this blog has served a special purpose to let you into our crazy little world. I write not only for my records and for our children to read someday. I write to let you all in. To show you how much we do care about our "village"!  So thank you for reading and for supporting us even when we don't have the time or energy to give that support back.  Thank you for understanding!

These babies are lucky to have such an amazing village to help them grow!

With that, some cuties of little Gracie this morning: