Generally, Taylor refers to Jackson and Joseph as “my boys” but she changes it up sometimes. She went through a phase where she called them her “minions” and another phase where she called them her “little chickies.” Each term she comes up with is a term of endearment. Lately, she’s been calling the boys her “little nuts.” The conversations and one-liners she says as a result have been too hilarious not to share. They are even better (read that with a hint of sarcasm) when she says these things in public. As if people didn’t stare at us too much already… This girl is full of funny and I actually dread the notion that she will grow up and not say these cute thing anymore. For now, I will cherish it, even if it involves her “little nuts.” Here are a few of her best lines:

• My nuts are dirty.
• My nuts are covered in chocolate.
• My nuts are hurting each other!
• One of my nuts smells bad.
• My nuts are stuck in the car seat.
• I love my little nuts.
• Can we let my nuts play outside?
• Can I have some cheese for my nuts?
• My nuts sure are growing! They are going to be so big some day!
• My nuts don’t have beautiful red hair like I have.
• My two crying nuts woke me up this morning!

Just for good meaure, here’s a picture of my pretty girl wearing lip gloss and ready for the Rangers’ first playoff game!

 

The boys have always been really close. They shared their first home, my uterus for over eight months, so naturally, they have always wanted to be close to each other for comfort, on the outside. When they were in NICU, we were told that Joseph was finally eating well and would be able to come home two days earlier than Jackson, who was having other complications. I swear he knew what the doctors were saying, because right after that, he started having horrible feedings and he could not go home until the feedings picked back up, consistently. They ended up leaving the NICU at the same time. From early on, when placed on blankets, play mats, etc., they would always grab each other’s hand or snuggle in as close as they could be to the other brother. It really was sweet. As they’ve gotten older, they learned to get what they wanted and be near to each other always. While they were in cribs, they would figure out how to scoot the cribs across the bedroom floor so they could reach each other. They started out by holding hands, or sleeping against the crib slats in the same way so they could still feel each other. This progressed to them climbing out of one crib and into the other. I think this was for brother comfort, but also them being fresh. The day we put them in toddler beds, they were the happiest boys ever. We would put them in separate beds for the night, and before we could even get the monitor on, they were snuggled up against each other, sharing one bed.

The have some sort of twintuition going on lately, which has been really fun to watch. Last week, the boys were at opposite sides of the house. Joseph closed his finger in the bedroom door. Without knowing Joseph was injured (he didn’t hear it or anything), Jackson came running down the hall with the same finger stretched out crying about his (nonexistent) boo boo. Did he feel his brother’s pain? Today, the boys were climbing on furniture and Joseph fell, resulting it a bit tongue, accompanied by lots of blood. As I was cleaning up Joseph’s mouth, I looked around to see what mischief Jacks was getting into. I found him sitting propped up against the sofa with his hand in his mouth. He was seemingly wiping something out of his mouth and saying “yuck” as he was doing it. As freaky as it sounds, I think he was feeling and tasting blood.

On Christmas morning (around 2am) two years back, Jackson woke up, stood up in his crib, and started screaming his version of his brother’s name, repeatedly. I immediately heard it and thought he was just being rude and trying to wake his brother up, across the room. We ended up going in there because he wouldn’t stop. We didn’t want the whole house to be awake! As soon as we walked in, we noticed that Joseph was having serious breathing trouble. Their little colds had turned to croup over night and poor Joseph just couldn’t breathe well. Thankfully, his twin knew what was happening and woke us up. We were able to get him to the ER in time and after some oxygen and medications, he was much better. It still gives me the shivers to think about what could have happened if Jack didn’t let us know.

Twins really are so fascinating, and each set is different. I have twin mom friends who told me that their twins didn’t even acknowledge each other for years. I am so lucky that my boys have had so much love for each other from day one. This is not to say that they don’t fight, because trust me, they do their fair share of that too. I’m so curious to see the little people they will grow into. I hope their bond is always so strong, and hope that they always look out for each other, and for their big sister.

Happy National Siblings Day! Ever since I was younger, I dreamed of having lots of kids. I never imagined they would be this close in age, but now that I’m living it, I wouldn’t have it any other way. These three are so lucky to have each other. They will always have a good friend (or two), playmate, body guard, etc. I love how they already have an undeniable bond. The boys have a special twin bond with each other, which is so amazing to watch. They even have their own “twin language” that nobody else is privy too. Taylor has a very special bond with each of the boys, and they completely adore her.  Ranger, of course, is the best sibling they could ask for (and is my easiest kid to raise).  I hope they always remain this close and grow up knowing the importance of family. I am a lucky mom.

 

I have tears in my eyes as I write this post tonight.  I am overwhelmed, but with feelings of love.  I am so humbled by a complete stranger.  Although it is a tough “job,” being a mom of twins is rewarding.  It is so special.  It’s an honor, and I have always felt this way since the moment we found out I was carrying two precious babies.  Sure, we were shocked. It took a while to sink in.  Once I wrapped my head around it, I realized how incredibly blessed I was that my body entrusted me with carrying two children, at the same time.  I have had a rough few weeks, for a number of reasons, but tonight, I was given a very special reminder.

After I put the kids to bed for the night (hopefully), I went downstairs to check the mail. There was a FedEx box at my door.  I brought it inside, desperately trying to remember what I ordered.  Assuming it was something I found online for the kids, I opened the box and found a beautiful coffee mug and a hand-written note.  The thing is, I do not personally know the woman who sent this to me, but she just made all the difference in my day.

A few weeks ago, I got a message on my phone from the bank saying I needed to call them back with a “time sensitive issue.”  They said I could call back and speak to any representative that answered, and they would be able to help me.  As I was cooking dinner, setting the table, and emptying the dishwasher, I figured, why not call now?  The woman who answered my call, Cassie, could not figure out why they had told me it was an urgent matter.  Apparently, they wanted to make sure I had the correct form for our taxes.  As I was on the phone with her trying to get to the bottom of the situation, one of the kids walked into the kitchen and went right for the stove, as another tried to grab for the knives in the dishwasher.  I told them not to touch and then apologized to Cassie for yelling in her ear.  She said to me “Maria, let me tell you something.  If you need to be a mom while we are on this call, go be a mom and I will be here.  I am a mom too; that’s actually my ‘real job’ so I completely get it.  Do what you need to do.” I thanked her for those kind words and then we began talking about our kids.  It turns out, we both have twin boys and a singleton child.  Her twins are much older than mine, so I asked her if it got easier.  She assured me that it did get easier.  She said “three is rough, so you still have a while to go, but when they turn four, they are like your best buddies.  It becomes so different.” We spoke for a very long time about life with twins, the insane and asinine comments people tend to make, the bond you share with other twin mothers, how crazy and difficult life can be sometimes, etc.  We talked about how people always say “double trouble” to parents of twins, but really, we are “doubly blessed.”  We shared stories of our kids’ births and NICU journeys, the fact that they are both sets of fraternal boys, and how much fun and interesting life is with twins.

When it turned out that there was no actual need for me to talk to her about banking, I said to her “So you mean to tell me this was divine intervention?  Somehow, life knew that I was having a particularly rough day and needed another twin mom who ‘gets it’ to answer the phone and tell me it gets better?”  We kind of thought the circumstances of the call were funny.  At one point, Todd walked in and heard parts of the conversation.  He thought I was talking to a twin mom friend from a group I am in (those ladies deserve a post of their own, another day) and couldn’t believe it was someone I didn’t even know, at the call center of our bank. That’s how much Cassie and I connected in such a short time.  I thanked her profusely for the conversation, for the encouragment, and giving me just what I needed at that point in time and we hung up.  I was so impressed that she took so much time to be honest with me and have a real, heartfelt conversation.

When I opened the package from her tonight and realized what it was, and who it was from, I cried.  I cried for the gift that was given to me when I needed to be uplifted.  I cried for the bond that I shared with a woman I don’t know because we both happened to carry two babies in our bodies at once.  I cried because a stranger took the time out of her day, and the money out of her own pocket, to get me a gift that was so incredibly meaningful. Cassie, thank you.  This gift means more to me than you will ever know.

I am proud to be a mother of twins.  I will always have a special connection with Taylor, and nothing can ever take that away, but being a mom of twins is unreal sometimes.  I am a firm believer that kindness matters.  You get what you give.  I often go out of my way to help other twin moms, just as many have done (and still do) for me.  I help get formula, pass down clothing and baby gear, offer advice when asked, and simply give words of encouragement when they need it most.  The twin mom community is so special, that I can not adequately describe it. I am honored to be part of it.

Whether you have twins, singletons, or no children at all, always remember that kindness is what makes the world go round.  There is no need for anger and hatred when there is so much kindness and love to be spread around.

It has been one long week around here!  These kids are constantly testing the limits and making me want to scream,  and then bringing me back to Earth with a funny comment, or sweet cuddles. Earlier today, I think the kids had a secret sibling meeting because they all bombarded me at once yelling “hugs” and giving me the best squeezes. No complaints here!

This morning,  I broke a banana in half for the boys and it was apparently the worst thing I could have ever done.  I had ruined their lives.  The screams were unreal.  They wanted their bananas whole! Guess what?  They ate the broken bananas anyway.  At naptime, I knew they so badly needed to rest and not play with poop.  While I’m trying to find a more permanent solution for their newest hobby, I found that duck tape around the outside of their clothing worked pretty well.  They slept comfortably and I didn’t have to scrub the entire room (and them) when they got up.  One point for Mommy!

Taylor has been so hilarious lately.  She’s always a funny girl but this weekend, she has upped her game and made me laugh so much. Last night she said “Hey guys, come on!  If we hurry up and finish cleaning the playroom, maybe she will give us some dinner!”  Tonight, I asked her to pick up a carrot off the floor and throw it away and this was the conversation that ensued:

M:  please pick up that carrot and throw it in the garbage.

T: Sorry, Mommy, but princesses don’t clean.

M:  In this house they do, because Mom says so.

T:  Oh, well you’re the queen so I guess the princess has to pick up the carrot after all.

She’s lucky she is so cute.

After I put the boys to bed tonight, I was helping Taylor clean her room (the boys visited in there earlier and left a path of destruction) and I heard some weird animal noises coming from the boys’ room.  I took a quick look in the monitor and saw what looked like Jackson standing on his head, in bed.  Surely, I must have been delusional.  I went to check, and this is how I found him. He was comfy, I guess!  His monkey brother, in the next bed, had started undressing himself and was clever enough to throw a blanket over his tiny body when he heard me coming in so I wouldn’t catch him.  It was a good try; I have to give him that much credit!

I kind of love that my kids are so darn weird.

The boys are exactly two and a half years old today. Where did the time go? More importantly, why have they not started acting like actual humans yet? These two have a weird obsession with poop. I’ve heard it’s “a boy thing.” I’ve heard it’s “an age thing.” I’ve heard that it is “because there are two of them and they are testing their limits” with me. No matter the reason, it’s getting old. And I’m running out of bleach.

We had a long, late night with Jackson, especially who was screaming most of the night for what seemed like no apparent reason. Extra cuddles, sips of water, a new diaper, etc. didn’t seem to help. We ended up giving him Motrin an hour and a half into his screaming match because he was complaining about his ear / head hurting. Poor guy probably gave himself a headache. I know he gave me one. He seems to be fine this morning, other than a case of the hiccups, which are really irritating him. The boys used to get hiccups all the time while in my belly. He still might not be feeling 100% from whatever he had the other day. I’m hoping to wait it out and avoid a pediatrician visit, but we’ll see. While I was getting Taylor’s clothes out for the morning, I heard Jackson yelling “I want to get out.” He says this often. I yelled down the hall that I’d be right there. When I walked in, they were seemingly gone, and the room had a very unsavory aroma. I found the two of them under the covers in Joseph’s bed (hiding from me) with poop footprints all around. I am just about out of ideas with these two. I can not put them back in cribs because they climbed out well before they were two. I can’t separate them because we don’t have the space. I can’t cage them because I think that’s illegal. I kid, I kid. They don’t care about punishment. I think I am going to have to go buy sleep sacks and do them backwards and inside out and hope they don’t figure it out. I’m welcome to suggestions.

I’ve said this before, but they are lucky they are so cute. They make the occasional 1am screaming and the *literal* crap they make me endure that much more bearable. Here’s to hoping and wishing the next 2.5 years, they lose the poop habit or learn to clean up after themselves.

 

 

Happy Easter (a day late) to those who celebrate. My little bunnies had enough sugar to last them the rest of the year! They woke up to an egg hunt with 24, candy-filled eggs (and a few dog bones, which Jackson happily tried to eat anyway). They were throwing jelly beans back like they were shots. The kids opened their Easter baskets, and were very excited to go through their goodies. The favorite of all three was the movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Road Chip. They have now watched it a few times and can’t stop laughing. Their little laughs are so contagious. It’s also good to have another movie in rotation! Taylor also adorably calls them the “chickmunks” even though she knows the proper word for the small critters that live in our backyard.

All three kids woke up with little fevers yesterday morning. Their sugar rush (and Motrin) kept them going through breakfast with my family. They had a blast finding more eggs (and collecting more candy) but they were soon done. Joseph came home and passed out as soon as I put the blanket over him. Taylor rested and read books, and poor Jack cried for a while. He couldn’t get comfortable. He couldn’t be consoled and we knew Joseph needed the rest, so Todd brought Jack into our bed to see if he would nap. After an hour of being an “only child” and feeling like a big shot, he passed out on his daddy’s chest. It was the cutest thing to see. He was so comfy!

We had a mostly relaxing day today aside from the kids not feeling 100% still and Jackson needing a suppository for tummy issues. That is one of my least favorite things to do as a parent! Unfortunately, he’s had it done before and knows what the packaging looks like. When he saw me take it out, he yelled “No butt! No butt! Go in Joseph’s butt! Joseph’s butt!” He was willing to throw this one his brother’s way. Thankfully, my parents helped us stock up on prune juice last time this happened, so Jack is enjoying that – as much as a person can enjoy prune juice…

As Taylor was having dessert tonight, (a disgusting marshmallow Peep) she said: “Hey mom, do you know how babies are made?” Todd and I gave each other a quick look before telling her I had no idea and asking what her thoughts were. She said “Babies come from eating food! I was made from marshmallows, pizza, cucumbers, and apple-berry pie!” Good to know! She also asked if she could have a baby in her tummy soon, and that did not go over well with Todd!

I wish my littles would feel better and stay better, but it’s so difficult between the boys being preemies, the weather being so back and forth, and Taylor’s school germs. We will get there though! Until then, we will take all the chipmunks and the snuggles we can get!

Also, Happy 40th (whoa!) Birthday to Todd’s best friend, Kevin. You two are so darn pretty and we love you!

 

 

How many more of those days can I have?  I feel like every time I have something “good” to write about, it has been one of those days. Today is no different, and I am sure I am destined for more insanity in this life with these kids.

Ranger was due for a haircut and had his mobile groomer show up today to help him out.  She got here just as the boys were waking up from nap.  Can you even call it nap if it was 25 minutes?  Anyway, I stepped out onto the front step to hand off Ranger and say hello.  I was outside for maybe three minutes.  When I walked back in, I heard the boys talking to each other.  I heard them saying things like “Mmmm, good! / I want more cookies. I have some?” I was trying to figure out where they got cookies from or how they busted out of their bedroom (which has a child safety doorknob lock on it) to raid the kitchen.  The next sentence I heard made my stomach flip, made my face turn white, and made my blood pressure instantly rise.  “I want more poop, please.” No. It couldn’t be.  I was outside for three minutes.  Sure enough, I walked in to find the most disgusting scene I have ever witnessed.  These animals had completed a poop masterpiece on the walls and were now snacking on it.  It took everything I had not to get sick right then and there.  They also got a bit on the floor, bureau, every piece of hardware to the bureau and every furniture lock.  They had the back of their bedroom door smeared, and they were starting on the closet doors.  I snapped a few quick pictures as I was escorting them to the bathtub, because at that point, I had nothing to lose.  The pictures honestly don’t do justice, but you get the idea.  I figured I could take these pictures out when their first girlfriends come over or something. They were clearly proud of their work.

After scrubbing them in the tub, thoroughly cleaning the insides of their mouths, and scrubbing their room, I voice chatted with Auntie Kiki.  If I didn’t have another adult to speak to at that moment, I was going to lose it.  She may have laughed at my situtation, but at that point it was a little bit funny. We agreed that it might be a good idea to call the pediatrician’s office to see if there was anything else I should be doing.  Did they need antibiotics or something else to ensure they didn’t get sick from this?  The nurse practitioner called me back and I told her I needed help with an embarrassing situation.  Thankfully, this woman is beyond amazing and knows us and the kids well, from all of the million phone calls and visits we’ve had the past few years.  Hi Nurse Dineen! We love you! As soon as I told her what happened, she said “I knew it! Knowing their ages and the fact that you said it was embarrassing, I knew what you were going to say!”  She assured me that I was not the first person to have kids do this, I wouldn’t be the last, and they would be just fine.  She also prescribed me a large glass of wine.

I love these kids with all my heart; I honestly do.  Today, however, I just think of the boys as being equivalents to monkeys in a zoo.

 

National Puppy Day? It sounds like something from one of Taylor’s story books. I’ve never really understood these bogus “holidays,” but an entire day dedicated to puppies? I’ll take it! Our puppy (he will always be called that, no matter how old he is) happens to be the best companion for all of us. He is pretty much my shadow. He waits for me while I shower, he sits next to me (or on me) on the sofa, he begs to come in the car with me, and he sleeps cuddled against me in bed at night. Although he’s my buddy, he loves Todd and the kids, too. He’s especially fond of Taylor. He can not wait until her bedroom door opens so he can see her. He sits on the floor staring up at her bed and whines when he wants her to wake up. He covers her in kisses each day as she leaves for school, and is equally as excited to see her upon returning home. It really is amazing for me to see that they have such a strong bond. She calls him her “little baby” and spoils the heck out of him, as it should be. She even said to me yesterday: “Mom, we need to make sure the Easter Bunny brings something for Ranger. Since he doesn’t have a basket, he can share space in mine.”

Taylor and her class made adorable bunny baskets at school (thank you to everyone who helped collect milk cartons for her class) and grew grass in them. She couldn’t wait to get home and show Ranger, but she wanted to make sure he knew that he “couldn’t pee on this kind of grass.”

After school, we made a Costco trip. It’s always interesting, mostly because I get stopped 48272 times for people to tell me I have my hands full and ask if the boys are twins. When we walked into the cooler section, the boys started screaming “Milk! Milk!” They were so excited! Taylor even asked if we could take a picture with all of the milk. Whatever keeps them happy. Anyone who knows Costco knows that on the way out, they check your receipt against your purchases and make a mark on your receipt. Well, Taylor has gotten very used to all of the people there making a happy face on our receipt for her. When the woman handed her back the receipt today, T studied it hard and then said “Umm, hey lady! You did this ticket wrong!” The woman looked at us like she was worried that she actually made a mistake. I had to explain to Taylor that not all people make happy faces and she should just appreciate it when she gets it. Secretly, I wanted to crack up and had to hold my composure.

I can not adequately describe how amazingly fun our day was yesterday, but I sure will try.  Todd’s best friend / college roommate, Kevin, is turning 40 soon (although with the amount of time he spends at estate sales, you’d think he was at least 70). Just kidding.  Todd and I were actually talking about how funny it is that he and Kevin have known each other for over half of Kevin’s life.  It seems like such a long time, when you put it that way. We drove down to New Jersey to “surprise” him for lunch.  It was the first time the kids have been in the car for an extended period of time.  We were so worried that it was going to be an epic disaster, but we were so pleasantly surprised with all three of them!  We got a dual screen dvd player for the car, which I think made all the difference in the world.  Between the Minions and Frozen, the kids were set.  They were eerily quiet on the way there, except for when we got over the Tapanzee Bridge and Jacks started saying “I want to go home now. I want to get out.”  He got over it quickly and was fine the rest of the ride.

We had lunch with Kevin, Mary, and Meghan and it was just so good to see them.  It definitely makes you think about how you really wish you lived closer to your good friends!  Lunch was fun.  The kids filled up on mostly french fries and appetizers and little of their actual meal, but I wasn’t about to complain after how well they were behaving.  It was so cute to see our two redheads, Taylor and Meghan, play together.  They had some cute conversations, and Taylor is definitely missing her today!

 

After lunch, we went down to the boardwalk.  I had never been there, so it was so incredible to see.  The beaches were sandy and beautiful and the water was so blue.  It was way too cold to enjoy the beach for real, but it sure was beautiful to look at!  We went to an aquarium where the kids got to watch the seals being fed.  Taylor, especially, thought it was fun to see.  It was smaller and laid out differently than our aquarium, so she got to see a lot better and was really intrigued.  Part of the way through the seal feeding, the boys were getting antsy, so we walked around with them.  There was a little tank filled with jellyfish.  As I was showing Joseph how beautiful they were, I realized that his tiny hand was going inside the locked bottom half of the tank.  He had found the power button for the tank and was trying to power it down.  I am glad he didn’t succeed with his mission!  We saw penguins (they were my absolute favorite) and lots of other creatures.

We spent some time afterward at an arcade where the girls played a few games.  Jackson was watching an older boy play a game in which tickets came out as a reward.  He apparently thought it was really cool, because he quickly ripped off a section of the kid’s tickets – right out of the machine.  The kid looked up at me like I had just told him Santa Claus had retired, but he graciously accepted my apology and received his tickets back.  Joseph had the only true meltdown of the day when we went to leave the arcade, but he wasn’t ready.  He screamed loudly (and for a long time) and turned quite a few heads.  We even drew the attention of a few police officers, but no arrests were made.  The girls went on a motorcycle ride, went to a candy shop, and played a fishing game.  Taylor caught two small fish during this game.  She was told that she could either choose two small stuffed fish, or one medium fish as a prize.  She chose the two small prizes and picked a red fish and a blue fish.  She turned around and said “Mom, Can I give these fish to the boys now?  I got two so they could have one each.”  I was so incredibly proud of her thoughtfulness.

Since the boys skipped nap, they fell asleep on the way home.  Taylor talked…the entire way. We stopped at the last rest stop in NJ for some cheap gas ($1.71, full service!!!) and got some coffee and water.  I never knew Starbucks shops existed at rest stops, but I was not complaining!  By this time, the boys woke up screaming their heads off.  They were still tired and uncomfortable from falling asleep with their heads in an awkward position.  We got them out of their seats for a bit, changed diapers, and put on pajamas.  After starting another movie and having a few snacks, they were good to go and made it the rest of the way home without incident. Taylor did tell us she was “really sick of driving around in all these circles to get home,” but she managed fine as well.  It is nice to know that the kids can actually handle a drive like that so that we can do this again.  We really want to go back when it is nice and warm out.

Thankfully, Auntie (Diane) stayed with Ranger for a good portion of the afternoon so I did not have to worry about him being alone all day.  He got lots of love and cuddles and was really excited to see us when we got home!  The kids were so exhausted after a fun filled day.  They went to bed really late since they had a newfound energy when we arrived home, but Todd found the boys passed out, snuggled with each other on the floor in their bedroom, just after midnight.