A Helmet and a Tricycle

Currently, Eliza is obsessed with riding her pink tricycle and wearing her princess helmet. As you can see, they bring her everlasting happiness.

 I sit on the front stairs of the house and watch her as she furiously pedals while chanting, "Back and forth, back and forth!" Eliza loves singing as she rides her tricycle, and Elliott and Ezra can't get enough of their big sister. They sit and watch her with huge smiles on their faces.

I will definitely miss these moments once colder weather comes.

(And I love that Ezra is so happy while wearing his Oscar the Grouch outfit)

p.s. I love garage sales. Almost everything pictured here came from a yard sale find (stroller, tricycle, helmet, baby clothes).  The children and the Princess shirt were gifts :)

Elmo and Ernie meet Ezra and Elliott

I love Muppets. I love Sesame Street. I want my children to also love these things.

Eliza went through an Elmo phase, and it absolutely tickled me (hehe!). Sadly, Disney Princesses have left no room for Elmo these days. I'm hoping that Ezra and Elliott are our Sesame Street lovers. They already seem to be crazy over their Elmo doll.

A few weeks ago, I found a Baby Sniffles Elmo at Walmart on ultra clearance. He says the cutest little phrases and sneezes like he is sick. It is adorable. The toy retails for 20 dollars, but I got it for $3.50 thanks to the most crazy deals at our local store. I was pretty disappointed that there was only one left, but I thought the babies could share it easily.

And then one night, Ezra wanted Elmo to go to bed with him. The next night, Elliott needed Elmo.  Since then, the boys have been taking turns sleeping with the doll. The baby without little Elmo always cries when he hears the toy talking to his brother, and it made me feel so guilty for only having one! I was beginning to get desperate and even contemplated buying a second Elmo from Amazon for full price--see, crazy desperation!

Fortunately, Grandma came to the rescue. Saturday afternoon, she returned from Walmart with an Baby Sniffles Ernie. He says the same phrases and is incredibly cute, but I worried that the boys wouldn't love him as much as Elmo. We weren't sure how to divide the dolls, so Cheryl thought of a little game. She put the dolls at one end of the carpet and then put the boys a few feet away from the toys. Whoever got to Elmo (or Ernie) first got that doll. Perhaps we took this entire situation a little too seriously, but it was fun to watch the babies just stare at the toys and have no idea what to do.

AND.....

Ezra reached for Elmo, and Elliott went for Ernie.

 And then Elliott decided he also wanted Elmo.

Poor Ernie.

So yes, no conclusive results yet.

Princess and Knight Party

This Friday, Eliza had a princess and knight themed birthday party. After watching the Yo Gabba Gabba "Birthday" episode countless times, she actually asked me for a party of her own. She has seen that show far too many times for her own good.

Before we began planning things, Nathan suggested that I give myself a strict budget. Instead of buying Eliza a present, we put 40 dollars towards the party. Because I am weird and love Excel, it was pretty fun to plan everything while trying to stay within my budget. Most of the ideas I came up with were free or extremely cheap. I figure three-year-olds don't need much in order to be entertained. 

The party began with the little girls who arrived picking out a princess dress to wear. This is only part of Eliza's dress collection:

I know. It's out of control. In my defense, every dress has come from a yard sale and was $1.00 or less. Four of them I got for 10 cents!

After the girls were dressed, we went outside to make crowns and tiaras. I felt bad that I didn't have outfits for the boys, but no one seemed to notice or care. Like I said, they are 2 and 3 years old. The boys had green crowns to decorate and the girls had purple tiaras to glue various gems and foam shapes onto. Cheryl, my mother-in-law, is a preschool teacher, so she fortunately had a stash of fun materials we could use.

After the crowns were made, we started our knight's quest. Sadly, I don't have many pictures of the quest, as I was the one leading the little ones on their journey. The quest began with "defending the castle." 

We made the castle using the Ezra and Elliott's car seat boxes. We just cut another box to go on top and spray painted everything. Instant castle! The kids then played a game of ladder ball, which was supposed to be like a catapult of sorts. They loved throwing the ball at the ladder! It was definitely a success.

We then went on to the trampoline as the kids tried to "catch a fairy." They took turns jumping as we threw huge marshmallows (aka fairies) at them. They laughed as they tried catching the marshmallows and everyone enjoys a good jump on the trampoline.

After we caught our fairies, we followed the clouds and found the dragon! The dragon pinata was the most expensive part of the party. It was 16 dollars on Amazon and totally worth the money. I couldn't decide if I wanted it or not and actually delayed buying it until the last possible day. I am so glad we bought the dragon, though!

Because we wanted to save the candy for later, the kids took turns shooting the dragon with our bow and arrow. This was a huge hit. The boys (and most of the girls) loved trying to shoot the dragon. 

After we wounded our dragon, we were able to move onto the final part of the quest-- finding the knight's treasure. The kids used the final clue to make it to the sandbox and eventually uncovered our chest of treasure (aka party favors!).  

 Thanks for the boxes, Amazon! They made a perfect treasure chest!

The "treasure" included a few yard sale finds and $1.00 gift bag prizes at Walmart. The kids got to choose a few items to keep, and we then celebrated our triumphant arrival home with cake, fruit, and punch.

Eliza loved everyone singing happy birthday to her and couldn't wait to blow out the pink "3" candle.

After the cake, we inflated our water slide and the kids changed into swimsuits. 

My in-laws have had this slide for years, and it is always a favorite summertime activity. I love that it costs absolutely nothing to use this slide and that it was such a great part of the birthday celebration.

While most of the children played, Eliza opened up her gifts. Of course, she loved everything she received: bubbles, hair bows, a bubblegum machine, a bracelet, cookies, My Little Ponies, Princess coloring books, and even a shirt that says: "I speak Porkacheese!" (Eliza said "Porkacheese" instead of "Portuguese" once. It was a super thoughtful gift). 

Finally, we smashed the pinata. Everyone had several turns hitting the dragon, but the pinata just wouldn't burst open! 

I finally stepped in and bashed it to pieces. It was fun.

As you can see from the pictures, we had a great time. All the boys and girls seemed to really enjoy our backyard games, and I loved hanging out with all of their amazing mothers.

I was exhausted afterwards, but it was definitely a birthday success (and I only spent 36 dollars on everything from the dragon to the cake).

Nine Months

Last month went by in a hurry. As of August 28th, Ezra and Elliott are 9 months old. Crazy, right?

I still look at them and cannot get over how adorable they are. I know they are my own children, but the cuteness gets me every time.

This past week, their mobility level increased significantly. Although they are not technically crawling on all fours (they continue to army crawl), they are able to get anywhere they please...even up the stairs! Elliott has mastered climbing stairs and has to be watched constantly. Our playroom on the main floor has two little steps up that lead into the main hallway. This used to be our safe place to leave the boys while I made dinner or even used the restroom. On Friday, they decided it was time to change the game. I ran downstairs to get my camera and found Elliott in the hallway. He had escaped! This is now the typical scene in our playroom. 

No one is interested in toys anymore or playing nicely on their blanket. Ezra and Elliott are all about hanging out on the stairs. Ezra is still trying to get over the top step like his brother, and I am sure they will both be escapees in the very near future.

In addition to crawling stairs, Elliott also figured out how to pull himself up on Friday afternoon. He crawled over to me, sat up, wrapped his arms around my neck, and just stood for a few minutes, hugging me. After I cuddled him for a little while, I put him down for a nap. I didn't think he could pull himself up on the side of the crib, but I was wrong! As soon I turned to leave the room, he immediately pulled himself up and reached for me.  Needless to say, we lowered the crib immediately. Elliott has become a mama's boy, and as of right now--I love it. He cries to be held, and it is seriously the cutest thing in the world. Eliza never wanted to be held, so having a snuggler melts my heart. 

Elliott is definitely sensitive. For instance, we went to visit Nathan's grandmother and there were balloons in her room. Ezra saw the balloons and started clapping and reaching for them. Elliott saw the balloons and burst into tears and started shaking. He was that scared. Nathan and I tried to show him that the balloons were fun, but he was hysterical. Even watching Ezra touch the balloons made Elliott cry uncontrollably. So yes, no balloons for Elliott in the near future.

Ezra, like his brother, is also sensitive to certain things. Yesterday, Cheryl was trying to feed the boys lunch, but they both insisted on spitting as soon as the spoon was in their mouth. They have been spitting and blowing raspberries when we try to feed them, which makes meal time miserable. We end up covered in food! After Ezra spit sweet potatoes in Cheryl's face, she gently said, "No" and pointed at him. Instantly, Ezra was sobbing. He was so sad that he even laid his head on the tray of the highchair as he cried. Cheryl felt awful, so I guess we will try to find another way to train them out of spitting. Ezra also reacts when people start talking loudly. If someone comes over and begins to talk louder than he is used to, Ezra will lay down on the carpet and cry. In fact, it happened just last night. So sensitive. So adorable. 

These boys are such happy babies. Over the past month, Nathan and I have had a number of friends, family members, and even random strangers tell us how lucky we are to have two well-behaved and smiley babies. We completely agree. Now that we have our sleep schedule figured out, Ezra and Elliott are well-rested and hardly fuss at all. They spend the majority of their day squealing and snorting with happiness. Their snorting is out of control! I have never seen a baby who snorts like they do.

They are still eating pureed foods and aren't quite ready for finger foods yet. They gag anytime we try to give them pieces of watermelon or black beans. The only thing they can successfully munch on are crackers. Ezra still refuses to nurse, and Elliott continues to be a difficult nurser (meaning that he is so distracted that I have to lay down in a dark room with him for nursing to even be a possibility). I thought I would try to start weaning, so we gave them a bottle that was 2/3 milk and 1/3 formula. They both refused their bottles. Ezra was furious and screamed as though we were trying to starve him. So...I will just continue to pump. I have good motivation since we received information regarding their surgery. They can drink breastmilk up to 4 hours before surgery. If they were being formula fed, they would have to wait 8 hours. Ezra is very impatient about his milk, so the thought of holding him off for 8 hours is just impossible. 

That about sums up month 8 for the boys. I'm excited to see what new tricks they learn this month!

To the Doctor

Monday morning, Nathan and I loaded the kids up and drove two hours to Spokane. Ezra and Elliott had an appointment with a pediatric urologist--an appointment I have been anxiously anticipating for the past 9 months.

The boys are wonderful. Everything about their birth was a miracle. However, when I told their birth story back in November, I did leave out a minor detail. I considered not sharing it even now, but two upcoming surgeries are weighing heavily on my mind, and I find the entire situation impossible not to talk about.

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As I was laying on the operating room table and feeling each contraction, I had two prominent thoughts:  I knew I had control of my body, but I also knew I had no control regarding the health of by unborn babies. I prayed they would be breathing, I asked for their forgiveness for not making it to a larger hospital, and I reassured myself that everything would be alright if I forced myself not to freak out.

A couple of pushes later, Elliott was born. He softly cried, and I knew he was breathing. I was instantly relieved. I called out to the doctors and nurses in the room, "Is he okay?"

The response from one doctor was, "We'll talk about it later."

My heart dropped. What in the world did that mean? I still had to deliver Ezra, but was obsessing over Elliott possibly having some huge issue. I imagined the worst and thought for sure he was being prepared to be sent to Sacred Heart in Spokane via helicopter. These thoughts happened in just a couple of seconds.

A nurse suddenly called out: "He's fine! He's fine! He's perfect!"

I felt better, but I worried if she was lying to me. 

Eight minutes later, Ezra was born. I tried to sit up, but they made me stay down on the cold, hard operating room table. I just wanted to see the babies. I looked over and could tell Ezra was smaller. I watched two nurses monitor his breathing while a doctor examined him. Together, all three women looked at something on one part of his body. The doctor pointed and the nurses both exchanged a curious look and stared at little Ezra.

I knew Ezra and Elliott were going to be fine, but I also knew that something was going on. The rest is a blur, but I remember being sent up to my hospital room and getting into a wheelchair. Before I was taken to the nursery, Nathan came into the room. He gently put his hands on my shoulders and looked at me right in the eyes. My stomach dropped again. I thought I was going to throw up. I was bracing myself for the worst.

"So...," he paused, "there is something wrong with the babies." He quickly went on to say, "But don't worry. It can be easily fixed and they are perfectly fine. They...have a little condition with their penis."

I felt my entire body go limp with relief for the second time that day. I immediately said, "Oh gosh. I can handle that!" 

The nurse wheeled me into the little nursery and formally introduced me to my two sons. As I looked at them breathing in unison, I was overwhelmed with immense gratitude. They were two amazing miracles. Their minor birth defect was just that--minor.

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Both boys have a condition called hypospadias. For your own sake, I advise not Googling the phrase. Basically, hypospadias is a condition where the opening of the urethra is on the underside, rather than at the end, of the penis. Additionally, the boys do not urinate through the urethra, but instead from a tiny hole a few millimeters below the actual opening.  Obviously, this can cause a number of complications--especially as they grow older.

As with most birth abnormalities, there are mild to very severe cases. Fortunately, Ezra and Elliott have very mild cases of the condition. The pediatric urologist let Nathan and I know that their hypospadias could be easily repaired.  She also let us know that they would only need one surgery rather than two like we originally thought. After weighing the pros and cons, we decided to do the surgeries on the same day. 

I asked the pediatric urologist how many identical twins she had seen with the condition, and she said there had only been a couple of cases that she remembered. I then went on to tell her how several nurses at the local clinic had said, "It's so weird that they both have it!" Considering that they are identical twins and sharing the same DNA, it didn't seem too weird to me. The urologist then said, "What is really weird is seeing cases where one identical twin has it and the other doesn't. I've seen that happen at least twice." She also explained how based on information like this, scientists have tried to determine if the condition is environmental or genetic. As of now, there is no conclusive evidence pointing to either theory.

What I do know is that I am grateful for the power of modern medicine. I am glad that this minor issue can be corrected and that our sons can live a normal life. While at the urologist's office, we met another set of identical twins. They were 13 years old and had two H names (they loved that the boys had two E names). One girl was in a wheelchair with spina bifida and the other girl, who loved talking to us about our babies and about being a twin, had Asperger's syndrome. She kindly asked, "Do your twins have disabilities like us?" It was such a simple, yet honest question.

I wasn't sure what to say. I explained that the boys had a small disability, but that it could be fixed. I said they were really lucky to have such a little problem. I also let them know that my father was in a wheelchair, so I grew up thinking anyone in a wheelchair must be amazing. They both smiled at that response.  These girls had a wonderfully kind mother, and I felt somewhat embarrassed to be parading around two perfectly healthy boys. Their mother asked about my delivery and the NICU, and again, I felt guilty telling her that they had no NICU time and that the entire delivery went great. Her story was incredibly different than mine. She had had miracles of her own, but she and her daughters have been through a lot after months in the NICU and countless surgeries. It was a gentle reminder that although this surgery seems overwhelmingly huge at the moment, it is nothing in the grand scheme of life. What a miracle it is to have healthy children! 

I still think the nurse was right the day E and E were born: They are perfect.