2014 in Review

This year was an absolutely wonderful year. It's crazy to think that the girls weren't born this past year, they're already that old!

In January we survived our first sickness and fevers from the girls. I stopped letting Lucy sleep long stretches at night and started waking her up to feed her (we still haven't gotten those long stretches back consistently.) The girls really started to notice each other and would hold hands regularly while nursing. We celebrated our 1 year anniversary of our embryo transfer and Clara giggled for the first time.

In February we celebrated my nephews first birthday, Lucy rolled over for the first time, we attended some mama baby yoga classes and the girls really started playing with toys. We booked our trip to Mexico and met with a GI specialist for Lucy's reflux and oral aversion. The girls also had their first taste of pureed foods and took their first bath together. 

March brought our much needed family vacation to Mexico. During that trip I mostly stopped tandem nursing and Lucy started doing so much better. She suddenly became a happy and social baby. We almost didn't get to go on our vacation due to passport issues and W getting a stomach bug. Luckily it all worked out.

In April Lucy and Clara got to try out the swing for the first time and loved it! I also celebrated the girls being on the outside (34 weeks) as long as they were inside.

In May I celebrated my first Mother's day and the girls were baptized. We started swim lessons at the Y and both girls started sitting up independently. The got to start taking regular baths together. 

June brought the switch from purees to baby led weaning. Lucy being in control of her own food helped her with her eating so much. We went from 3 naps a day to 2 and got some not so great news about our dog Pepper.

In July we took another family vacation to Maine. We had a great trip and I loved watching Lucy devour lobster. We went strawberry picking with friends, took the girls on their first boat ride, went to the lavender festival, and had our first twin play date with friends. I supported my step sister through her first IVF cycle, stopped pumping (yay!!), and Clara got her first tooth.

In August we celebrated my 31st birthday at a Multiple Mom's family picnic. Unfortunately the next morning W slipped on the stairs with Lucy and broke her femur. August was a rough month with the spica cast and sickness for the girls. Lucy also got her first two teeth. Without the help and support from friends and family I never would have survived. Clara started crawling and took our first trip to the zoo. 

September marked Lucy and Clara's first birthday! We had a big party with tons of friends and family. My friend Tamara catered the party and it was so much fun. We celebrated keeping the girls alive for a year and me making it to my goal of a year breastfeeding. Lucy got her cast off on her birthday (best present ever!!!), the girls took their first trip to the New York State Fair, went apple picking, Clara got her upper lip tie clipped, and Lucy got evaluated and qualified for early intervention physical therapy. We celebrated W's 33rd Birthday and I decided I wanted to look into becoming a board certified lactation consultant. I'd still like to do this but am waiting for the hospital to approve it. We also had our family photos taken by my friend Stacy. 

In October we celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary, went pumpkin picking with friends, went to a fall festival at MacKenzie Childs, I got my new Subaru Outback, and we spent as much time as possible enjoying the beautiful fall weather. We also carved pumpkins with our good friends Jesse and Caitlin (plus their two little ones) and Lucy and Clara dressed up as cabbage patch kids for Halloween. 

November brought the celebration of Friendsgiving and regular Thanksgiving. We went to Albany and drove through about 8 inches of snow to get there. I was able to see my best friend growing up and she met the girls. We also met up with a friend from high school to check out the museum of play with her son that was 3 days older than the girls. I worked quite a bit doing speech evaluations. 

In December I worked quite a bit and made lots of Christmas presents by hand. We had a play date with friends and exchanged gifts for the babies and then later in the month had a girls night out where we exchanged gifts with each other. Both girls took their first series of real steps and on the same night. We took Clara to a pediatric eye doctor. We celebrated Christmas Eve with my in laws and Christmas morning at home. The girls were really interested in opening presents and loved that they received stuffed Elmo toys. We also got them a play kitchen. We survived a stomach bug and rang in the new year at home on the couch. 

The past few years I answered the following questions and always enjoy reading back. I'm going to keep the tradition going. 

What did you do in 2014 that you'd never done before? 

Flew on a plane and traveled internationally with twins

Got professional family photos taken

Made a majority of my Christmas gifts

Looked into pursuing certification in lactation consulting

Did you keep your resolutions and will you make more for this year?

For some reason I can't find where I wrote the ones for last year. I had said I wanted to branch out and make more mommy friends. That was a huge success and I hope to continue to spend time with these great mommies. 

This year I'm focusing on being healthier. I'm hoping to avoid/drastically cut my consumption of processed foods and added sugar. I'd like to exercise more regularly and get my PCOS under control. All of those things fall under maintaining and improving my health. A big drive to do this is for Clara and Lucy. I want to get them off processed food as much as possible and eating real, whole foods.  

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My good friend Caitlin welcomed a baby boy on the 4th of July. 

Did anyone close to you die?

My step mom's brother died but we weren't close. 

What countries did you visit?

Mexico. We went to the Riviera Maya in March with the girls. We're hoping to go again this year. 

What would you like to have in 2015 that you lacked in 2014?

It's not something that was lacking, but I'm hoping we can work on and improve our communication and marriage. It's much harder with the girls and having a good marriage means actually putting work into it. Life is stressful with twins but I'm hoping we won't take that stress out on each other as much as we did last year. 

What dates will be etched upon your memory, and why?

August 4th- Lucy broke her femur. It was one of the worst days of my life. 

September 3rd- We celebrated Lucy and Clara's first birthday and Lucy got her cast off. 

October 10th- Our 5th wedding anniversary

December 22nd- Both girls took their first real steps 

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Keeping twins alive for their first year. We didn't do it without any broken bones, but they're alive!

Reaching my 1 year goal of breastfeeding

What was your biggest failure?

Dealing with Lucy's oral aversion was so tough for me. I felt like a failure so many times because of it. 

Did you suffer illness or injury?

This seemed to be the year of the stomach bug. W was sick with it twice and I got it once. Clara also got a stomach bug on Christmas Eve. 

My cycles returned in the fall but were very long and my hormones felt like they were all over the place at times. 

What was the best thing you bought?

My Subaru outback

W got me an anniversary ring with diamonds and sapphires

Where did most of your money go?

Mortgage, bills, food, car, endless amounts of cute baby things

What did you get really excited about? 

A trip to Mexico with the girls, Lucy getting her cast off, a vacation in Maine, making new mommy friends, meeting developmental milestones, and celebrating Christmas with the girls. 

What songs will always remind you of 2014?

Shake it Off and Welcome to New York by Taylor Swift, Let Her Go by Passenger, and Counting Stars by One Republic. We sang a lot of Don't Worry Be Happy to the girls too. 

Compared to this time last year are you:

Happier or Sadder? About the same- extremely happy

Thinner or Fatter? Thinner. I've been staying at around 10 pounds below my pre-baby weight. 

Richer or Poorer? Maybe a little richer? W had a busy year at work! I also started working more. 

What do you wish you'd done more of?

Staying patient and embracing chaos, lol

What do you wish you'd done less of? 

Worring about Lucy's weight gain and progress. Deep down I guess I knew she'd be okay but it took changing pediatricians and not listening to what others said. 

How did you spend Christmas?

We went to my in-laws house for Christmas Eve but Clara was sick with a stomach bug so I had a hard time relaxing and enjoying myself. On Christmas morning we had my parents, their friend, and my in laws over. Unfortunately, a large chunk of those people got Clara's stomach bug as well. This past weekend my dad and step mom came out to celebrate with us and next weekend my sister, BiL and nephew will come. That reminds me, I still haven't gotten my nephew a present. 

What was your favorite TV program?

We started watching the Walking Dead on Netflix. I liked American Horror Story as well. 

What was your favorite book of the year?

I only read a few and they were The Fault in Our Stars, The Orphan Train, I Heart my Little A Holes, The Light Between Oceans, The Language of Flowers, Eleanor & Park, Heaven is for Real, and the Time Keeper. I think the Light Between Oceans was my favorite. 

What were your favorite films of the year?

We saw the Hunger Games last weekend and really enjoyed it. I also love documentaries and watched Forks over Knives, How to Die in Oregon, Happy, and Fed Up.

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

We celebrated my 31st birthday at a picnic for mom's of multiples. It was a ton of fun!

What's one thing that would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Honestly, nothing

What kept you sane?

My mommy friends, especially those who also went through infertility. Also having lots of family support helped. 

Tell us valuable lessons you learned in 2014:

I was right when it came to trusting my gut most of the time. 

Getting the right doctor for your child is important. 

A marriage takes work to maintain and doing so while having young children is tough, but important. 

2014, like most years, certainly had its ups and downs. Luckily there was a whole lot more up than down. I'm hoping 2015 will continue that trend. I can't wait to see how much my girls grow and change this next year. 

Repetition and Speech

Being a speech language pathologist working with pediatrics I'm always very aware of milestones and typical development. We started doing sign language with the girls around 6 months and have slowly added more and more signs.

At this point Clara will say two words: "yum-yum" and "hot". Lucy has somewhere between five and ten words she uses consistently. They both use about 10 signs as well. 

I used to give parents strategies to help enhance and improve their child's speech and language. I knew repetition was important and a great strategy, but I've found a new way of implementing it that really seems to help Lucy and Clara try to imitate words. It certainly makes them more willing to try. 

The girls are at the age where they know what it means when you ask them "can you say...". It's hit or miss whether they'll try. Recently I've found that if I repeat the word I'm trying to get them to say (e.g., hot-hot-hot, up-up-up, etc) they're much more likely to try. 

It makes sense if you think about it. When learning a new motor task (speech is a motor task) it takes practice. We aren't exact or precise and getting a little more leeway is expected. The best anology I could think of was coloring. You don't expect a child new to coloring to stay in the lines. Heck, it's good if they can stay just on the paper. As they become better at it you expect more precision. 

The same applies to speech. Expecting a new talker to be able to plan, isolate, and execute something like the word "up" is like trying to get them to color in the lines the first time they do it. Giving them the repetition of the word a few times makes it easier to produce. When babies first start to babble everything is a long string of syllables. They don't just say "ma" they say "mamamamama". 

The more the girls practice words the better they get at them. This new repetition trick seems to be getting them imitating much more frequently. I thought I'd pass this tip along to anyone reading hoping it may work for someone else too. My friend Katie said it was working well for her 14 month old. 

Puke

Isn't this such a lovely topic and title for my post? 

Well, up until about a week ago I hadn't dealt with any puke from either of the girls. That has all quickly changed. 

About 2 weeks ago I tried giving Clara the multivitamin the pediatrician prescribed. The girls were slightly low in their iron at their 1 year checkup and we also don't have fluoride in our water. The vitamin contains iron and fluoride in addition to other things. I didn't give it to Lucy because she had been constipated and I knew iron wouldn't help the situation. I gave Clara the full dose after breakfast. 

When she woke up from her nap she started really crying which is unusual because they usually wake up happy from their morning nap. When I went in I found her covered in vomit and about 2/3rds of her crib also soaked. I brought her to the tub and cleaned her up. The rest of the day she seemed fine. Later that day I realized it was likely the vitamin that made her sick. 

Unfortunately that's not the only puke story I have. Christmas Eve brought a whole new round. The girls were dressed in their Christmas dresses and knitted bunting suits my MiL made them. About 5 minutes into our drive I decided I wanted some coffee. As we pulled into the Dunkin Donuts we heard gagging and puking in the backseat. Clara had puked all over herself. We tag teamed it, cleaned her up, and headed back on our way. I told W if she got sick again on the way we were turning around. 

We made it to my in laws fine. As I was in the kitchen doing something about an hour after we got there W came in and told me Clara had gotten sick in the living room. We cleaned her and the living room up. At this point she was down to her onesie. She seemed fine though. We sat down for dinner and didn't really offer her much. 

Before leaving I nursed both girls since we intended them to fall asleep on the ride home. Clara made me nervous as she chugged and chugged, but I figured she was hungry and maybe the milk would help her feel better. Boy was I wrong! She was gagging and coughing pretty soon after getting in the car. I hopped in the backseat to try to comfort her. About 3 minutes after getting on the highway she got so sick. She was completely covered in a pool of puke (poor girl). I told W to pull over immediately even though we were on the highway. We pulled her onesie off and I warped her in a blanket and held her. We drove the rest of the way home like that. I knew she felt awful and she was so limp and passed out on me that I didn't want to move her. She woke up as we were pulling down our road and got sick once more. 

When we got home we put her to bed. Lucy hadn't really slept for much of the ride so I nursed her again and put her down. The rest of the night was pretty quiet. 

Clara woke up with a bit of a fever on Christmas morning. We gave her Tylenol and it came down. We hosted both of our families and the girls got so spoiled with all of their gift. Both girls seemed a bit lethargic all day but we attributed it to a busy day. 

On Saturday I texted my SiL to see if they wanted to go to a movie. She responded with telling me that she, her husband, and my FiL had all been hit with a stomach bug on Friday night. When I called my parents I found out my brother and mom had also gotten sick. 

W and I feel pretty bad that so many people got sick from our house on Christmas. 

It was just about a month ago that I was bragging to my friend (who has twin girls that get carsick regularly) that I hadn't yet dealt with any puke. Shows me to open my big mouth!! 

A Big Week

On Monday W took his last paid day off of the year. We decided to make it a family day and visited the National Museum of Play in Rochester, NY. Even though the girls are young they still had so much fun. That night when we got home all Lucy wanted to do was practice walking. As a result, Clara decided to practice as well. For the first time Lucy took a handful of steps and then more and more. Clara had taken a few in the past but also decided to join in the fun and and they were both walking fools around the living room. They're still mainly crawling to get from place to place, but they're starting to take steps between things in the house and want to practice walking all the time. I'm sure they'll both be primarily walking in no time. 

It's so funny that they love to practice their walking together. When one falls the other always does too, even if she's not that close. They're like little dominos. It's seriously so cute! 

Last summer I wrote about my step sister Liz and her IVF cycle. Her first cycle didn't work but she had two embryos they froze. Last Wednesday she transferred one of those embryos. With my encouragement (bad influence, haha!) she took a home pregnancy test yesterday morning at 6dp5dt. She sent me a picture of an amazing positive test yesterday and then a darker one today. I'm so happy and excited for her!! Funny thing is, I put her transfer date into a due date calculator online and it had the day after Lucy and Clara's birthday as the due date. 

Two really amazing things have happened this week and it just makes me that much more excited to celebrate Christmas with family. Tonight we go to my in-laws for dinner and tomorrow we'll host lunch for family. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve. 

DIY Christmas

Since I'm home this year I decided I was going to try to make as many of my presents as possible. 

On Thursday night we had our girls night out and exchanged gifts. Katie was unable to make it as Jack wasn't feeling well, so I still have her present to give her.

My friend Stacy is a photographer. She took our family photos this fall and did an amazing job. So, I looked on Pinterest and found a camera ornament made out of felt. Challenge accepted. It came out so cute and I honestly had a hard time giving it away after trying it out on our tree for a bit. The white sparkly buttons are extras from my wedding dress. I also bought her a travel mug that looks like a camera lens but had Katie use her Anazon Prime so it would arrive on time, only for Katie to be sick. Oh well. 

For my Friend Natasha I wanted to do something Georgia themed since that's where she's from and where her parents still live. I also found this idea on pinterest. I printed a map of Georgia and hammered in nails all along the perimeter. Then I found what part of Georgia she was from and hammered nails into the shape of a heart in that part of the state. Then I wrapped and strung string from one nail to the next until it was complete. It was pretty frustrating as the nails kept falling out, but all in all I like the way it came out. 

For my friend Katie I wanted to do something with pictures because I know she loves pictures. I found this easy idea and improvised using super glue as it's all we had on hand. I also bought her a bottle of wine. 

We also had a Christmas themed play date with the babies a week ago and exchanged gifts for them. I made them a crayon holder each and they came out super cute. 

Here are the links to the project ideas:

Crayon holder: http://skiptomylou.wordpress.com/2007/04/25/on-a-roll/

Photo magnets: http://forums.thebump.com/discussion/7620931/easy-cheap-diy-grandparent-gift-idea-pip

Georgia string art: http://theharpsterhome.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/heart-in-ohio/

Camera ornament: http://kristensbloglife.blogspot.com/2009/11/handmade-christmas-for-photographer-on.html?m=1

I have more gifts in the works for family and will share them at another time. 

62 Days

After my last post complaining about how long it had been since I'd had a period, my period finally arrived. It was a 62 day cycle and I wasn't thrilled to see Aunt Flo the morning of my scheduled massage. Poor timing! 

Yesterday I met with my gynecologist. Despite an insanely long wait my actual appointment was brief. I described my symptoms and he did an exam. He ordered blood work and told me he wanted me to have a sono done. Then he said I should schedule an appointment and we'll "figure things out." When I described what had happened with the ovulation tests he said I was likely having overlapping cycles. A LH surge doesn't necessarily mean ovulation. I interpret this as I'm likely making cysts. 

We talked about the different hormone tests he planned to run. When I mentioned I had high testosterone in the past he said that the testosterone is what fuels the LH surge. I'm guessing that means mine is high since I'm having multiple LH surges per cycle. 

I didn't get much of a chance to ask many questions, but I'm hoping next time I talk to him it will be more thorough. I understand he needs the blood work results to make decisions about how to treat me, but I guess I would have liked to have gotten some idea as to what he'll do. I think I was hoping for more resolution because it's not fun feeling like your hormones are crazy and all over the place. 

I left the appointment and immediately went and got my blood work done. I go back on January 7th for the sono and follow-up appointment. Dr. R did say that if I didn't hear from him next week regarding the blood work results to call for them. I also started taking Myo-inositol. I really should add in Vitamin D too. We'll see if it makes a difference.

Hormones

Lately my hormones have been feeling all over the place. I've had 2 periods since the girls were born. I have no idea the length of my first cycle and my second one was 51 days long. I'm currently on day 60 with no period in sight. I feel so irritable and have little patience and I've am having issues with insomnia for the first time in my life. I am still breastfeeding and know that that can affect hormone levels. 

Recently I purchased ovulation tests to try to see what my body was doing. We're not trying to get pregnant, I just wanted to see if I was ovulating, and if so, on what day of my cycle. I never really used them consistently and always heard they aren't reliable with PCOS. I will have to agree. I didn't really take too many but I got 2 clear positives this current cycle. This tells me that my body is having LH surges but likely not ovulating= more ovarian cysts. 

I realized I needed to make an appointment to see some kind of dr, but just wasn't sure what kind. My ob? A regular endocrinologist? A reproductive endocrinologist since it's related to my reproductive health and hormones? I feel like a RE is the most appropriate person, yet most are just focused on fertility treatments and getting women pregnant. That's not my goal right now.

So, I have an appointment scheduled with my ob for next week. I emailed Dr. B last night just to get his input. He suggested taking progesterone every 3 months to get a period. I read more about progesterone to help manage PCOS and that seemed like a popular treatment. 

The thing is, I'm wondering if there are ways to restore regular cycles (ovulation) and minimize the PCOS symptoms without birth control pills. Due to blood clotting issues I was told I shouldn't ever use an estrogen based birth control because it will increase my chances of developing a blood clot. I'm currently taking 1500-2000 mg a day of Metformin, more often the 1500 since I have a hard time tolerating the full dose. I also don't want to go on birth control. We've both talked about it and we'd be fine with a spontaneous pregnancy. In fact, I'd love it if we got pregnant on our own. 

I know I have to do something. Having 50+ day cycles isn't healthy or normal and I feel like my mood and patience aren't in a great place. So, we'll see what my ob says next week and what he suggests. Has anyone else regulated their PCOS without birth control pills? Any suggestions or ideas?

15 Months

I stopped doing these monthly updates last month but then was sad when I read an update from the early months and thought about there only being there for their first year. The girls are still growing and changing so much every month so I want to be able to look back and remember.

Sister love! This was practically a make out session, lol.

Trying on our new winter coats

Lucy- you've become such a happy little girl. You smile and laugh often, especially when we tickle your ribs or thighs. Since starting physical therapy you've practically caught back up with your sister. You're cruising furniture, standing independently for a few seconds at a time, and walking like crazy when we hold your hands or when you use your walker.  You're still sensitive and shy and there are days when you cry for the physical therapist. It's really a good act you can put on, lol. You're finally getting more hair and in the back you have a single curl. You've been eating so much better and love yogurt, pomegranate, and anything new or different. When we go out to eat you do so well, especially when it's ethnic foods like Thai or Indian. You're still not a great sleeper but I just can't fathom the thought of letting you cry it out if you're legitimately hungry. Typically you are up twice a night and will nurse and go back to sleep. We try to get you back in your crib ASAP because you'll always sleep in later if you're in there. You take naps pretty well but occasionally fight your afternoon nap. I'm pretty sure you'll be ready to go to one nap a day before your sister. Laundry is still one of your favorite things and you will do in and out play with the clothes in the laundry basket. You love any physical play (rocking horse, bouncing on a big exercise ball, climbing all over your anywhere chairs, etc). You still love your paci, but aren't quite as attached as you used to be. I think you weigh around 15 pounds and are wearing mostly 9-12 month clothes. You have 2 top teeth and 2 bottom ones, with another almost cutting through your gums on the bottom. We still have your cloth diapers without a rise and there's a single snap free in the middle. You nurse 3-4 times during the day and 1-2 at night. You've also started trying to bite your sister. You've only succeeded once, but you try multiple times a day despite our efforts to stop you. You're babbling and imitating like crazy and will spontaneously use a few words from time to time. You're definitely developing more personality every day and I can't believe what a big girl you're becoming. 

I came home from yoga one morning to find my mom and Lucy snuggling and taking a nap. 

Practicing her walking with Pop-pop

Helping mama make a turkey craft

Ho, Ho, Ho!

A gift from last winter that still fits! Being tiny is good for something. 

Look at those teeth!

Clara- you are such a laid back little girl most of the time. I'm finding that with you regardless of how much I what you to do things, you'll do them when you're good and ready. You can stand for minutes at a time and your balance is amazing. Yet, you still don't want to walk it seems. You've tried a few times, but you aren't really that into it. You also aren't very interested in talking. You babble some, but haven't really started using any words consistently. You love playing and take it so seriously. The ring stacker is no longer your favorite although you'll still play with it and love to find ring stackers at friends houses. You've recently become very attached to your lovey "Owliver". I know, I'm creative. You're also suddenly obsessed with your paci. We try to limit use to your crib, the car, and the stroller. You figured out you could fish them out of the cribs so we have to be sure they're out of reach. Your favorite foods are yogurt and any starches like crackers. You're not very adventurous with eating and learned to shake your head no in refusal. You weigh about 17 1/2 pounds and are wearing 9-12 month clothes. Your cloth diapers have one row of rise snaps and two snaps free in the middle. You cruise furniture, stand independently for minutes at a time, and love your walker. You use the signs for please, all done, eat, and water. You'll imitate a dog panting sound and point to body parts when asked. You nurse 2-3 times a day and are less interested. Some days you don't want to work to get my milk to letdown, but you seem fine without it. You take breastmilk from a sippy and love to drink water. You're still our great sleeper and go 12 hours most nights unless you're teething or sick. You're also a great napper. You have 3 teeth on the top and 3 on the bottom. It's so amazing watching you turn into a little human before my eyes. 

Out for a walk

Such a big girl on the slide!

Look at my new trick!

On a particularly sleep deprived morning we tried on some gifts and had a good laugh. 

Where did my hands go?!

Standing like a pro. 

I can't believe the girls are 15 months. They've officially reached the "we fight over everything" phase and it's not fun. For the most part they get along well, but they have their moments. They also will give each other kisses when prompted. I just love watching them grow and change every day together. 

We took the walkers to a basketball court so they had more space to go, go go. 

At the playground. 

When did my sweet babies turn into naughty toddlers? Left the room to make a phone call and use the bathroom and came back to this!

They love these chairs!

Mama was giving rides. They were loving it!

Climbing up the stairs to go to bed. 

Time

Every August when the first colored leaves appear on the trees I dread what it means; the end of summer. 

A few weeks ago I was driving to work and noticed a tree. This tree was holding strong to its last few brightly colored leaves, mostly bare otherwise. It made me think about time and how quickly it seems to pass now. It felt like just the day before I was seeing those first colored leaves and denying the start of fall. 

In what felt like the blink of an eye the seasons changed. Now, On the brink of winter I realize just how fleeting time really is these days. 

Thankful

This year we traveled to my sister's house in Albany for Thanksgiving. W had to work on Friday but was able to get finished fairly early on Wednesday so we could get on the road. Unfortunately, they were expecting a snow storm so our last hour (at least) of the drive was quite slow going. The girl were so great in the car and that helped a lot.

Traveling isn't quite what it used to be. We now have to pack for 4 people rather than 2. We need to find someone to watch and feed the pets. Remembering to bring everything important is always exciting too.  

Then there's staying at my sister's house. My sister tries, but she really is a bit of a slob. She has 3 cats (one of which peed on our suitcase), a dog, and a toddler. The room they give us to sleep in is an open loft. There's no door. And, the living room is directly below. My BiL loves his TV and video games so they're always on and loud. I love spending time with my sister, but it's stressful at her house. 

Also, my BiL's aunt passed away on Monday afternoon. Because they are Jewish, they bury their dead in a certain timeframe. This meant my sister and BiL had to attend a funeral Thanksgiving day. My dad came over early to start cooking and we went for a walk to visit my childhood friend.

My sister lives in the same neighborhood that we grew up in. From her driveway you can look down at the house that we grew up in. It's also where my sister was born. So, visiting K means I can visit our old neighbors. My best childhood friend was my next door neighbor. She now lives in NYC, but on Thursday morning W and I went down to her parent's house for a visit. It was so nice to see her and her family, and she got to meet Lucy and Clara for the first time. I really enjoyed visiting with her and miss her like crazy. Over time we've fallen out of touch some, but we are Facebook friends so stay somewhat connected that way. 

When we returned to K's house W and I put the girls down for their nap. Then I logged onto my blog and read my Thanksgiving posts for the past few years. Last year's post had me seriously tearing up. 

It's amazing everything we went through. Some days I'm amazed I kept going and pushed through all of the sadness and hurt. I had no idea how strong I was at the time, but looking back it's amazing. 

Some days it's easy to lose track of all the things to be thankful for in life. There are days that the stress of caring for twins and the house builds up. W and I aren't always wonderful to each other, but we're working on it. Life is definitely different, but I wouldn't change it for the world. 

I'm so thankful and grateful for my husband and partner in life. He leaves every day and works so hard for our family. He loves his girls and tells me how much he misses them on Monday when he has to go back to work. He listens to me and gives me breaks when needed and I can always count on him to laugh at my jokes. On the weekends he picks up the slack with the girls and does most of the care for them, giving me a much needed break. He sings to them, dances with them, and snuggles with them in bed. Recently we've been working hard on our relationship. It's crazy that something that was so easy and important in the past has taken a bit of a back seat. Now, we realize we need to work on our marriage and make time to make it a priority, something that isn't always easy when raising twins. 

I'm so thankful for my children. They made me a mama and have taught me so much about myself, love, and patience the past 14 months. Their little faces light up any room and bring smiles everywhere we go. The love they have for each other is amazing and so fun to watch as well. 

I'm thankful for my supportive family. My mom who lives a few minutes up the road and often watches the girls. How they love her so much and crawl full speed to the door when they see her. My in-laws who are always so helpful and supportive. My FiL who will drop anything to help us at any given moment. My sister who I love but wish lived closer. My nephew who loves his babies (Lucy and Clara) and asks about them constantly. 

My pets who continue to love me and stay loyal despite my lack of attention for them.

Our beautiful house that is so full with bodies and love. The large yard we have for our dogs to roam and for our girls to play in. 

My job that allows me to work just a little in order to stay involved and contribute to our "vacation fund". The chance it gives me to get out some and help others. 

There's so much to be thankful and grateful for and I know I just scratched the surface.  

This was Lucy and Clara's second Thanksgiving. As I watched their big cousin Benny show off for them, help them walk by holding their hands, and give them eskimo kisses and hugs I knew every year will just get better. These cousins will grow up together and cause lots of trouble together. The love I have for my family will expand and grow as my children do. I'm just so thankful to be able to live this life!