Christmas planning

This will be a relatively quick update since lunch break is almost over.

The girls are doing wonderfully. They had some sort of bug that lasted quite a while (that both M and I had forever as well) during the Thanksgiving Holiday and after. We've been getting out of the house more recently and were able to go to the park last week, NYC this weekend and even got to go meet my sisters new puppy. Hopefully after the excitement of the holidays dies down, we'll be able to start getting excited about a possible move out of our current living hell. Middle.Of.Nowhere. Yay for civilization!

The Christmas shopping is going well. We sent out our Christmas cards yesterday, so that's all done. We got some fun presents for the girls... though they already found one of them and keep trying to get into the bedroom closet to play with it. It's the Sing & Spin Pablo from the Backyardigans. They don't even watch the show, but they LOVE them some Pablo! We have all of our plans to shop set after I get paid on Friday. Gotta love living paycheck to paycheck! My father is dressing up as Santa on Thursday at the QC Christmas party, so we'll be visiting Santa tomorrow. It should be interesting to see if the girls freak out.

If I don't get on here to post on their 17 monthday, I'll try to update as soon afterward as possible. We have crazy plans for the rest of the month, so I'm not sure when I'll be back.

Pig Tails!

So this isn't that exciting of a post, but I have to show off the new 'do. The girls finally have grown hair long enough to put in little pig tail puffs! Check 'em out!

Fall Update

It's been quite a while since the last update, but I'm still good on my one a month! The girls turned 16 months old on Saturday. I still can't believe how big they've gotten. I definitely have the baby bug, but we are going to wait a while until the girls grow out of their carseats... a few years anyway. Not too long, though. Eh, if I can talk Mendy into it, we'll start tomorrow!

They are physically progressing faster than I want them to! They're already able to jump and kick a ball and throw a ball (semi-correctly) and able to climb EVERYTHING in sight. They're creative little buggers, too. They'll move chairs out from the table to climb on them and then manuever themselves onto the table. Or their favorite... scaling the side of the desk to get onto our laps while we're using the computer. They can stack 5 blocks and then push over the sister's tower. They're still obsessed with musical instruments. They follow simple directions (shut the door, go throw this in the garbage, come here, bring me your ___insert toy here___) Expressive speech, they have words that are intelligible by Mendy and myself. "uh-oh", "hi", and "cat" are clear as day. They have their own words for "grandma", "cheese", "shoes", "puppy", "yeah", etc. They sign for "all-done", "more", "eat", and "sleep". They love reading books and talking to each other in their "twin talk". It's pretty darn cute when they plot things.

Ok, since I'm AT work and not DOING work, I need to go.

Here's a picture from Grandma's house...

Hugs!

So the nanny is working out wonderfully. And, she recently requested 2 days off in March, so I know she's at least planning to stick around until then! She said the past two days have been fun and they made fingerpaintings for us! Well, in 2 days, the girls will be 15 months old, so I'll save the big update for then. However, I did want to share this picture. This is what happened when I told them to "give hugs" while they were eating dinner. How freakin' cute is that? I never even taught them that. The only time I say anything close to that is when I say "come give mommy a hug!" Awww! *heart melts* And they did it about 4 or 5 times.

New Nanny

I don't want to jynx it, but it looks like the new nanny is working out for now. She's WONDERFUL. She is young though, so who knows where her life will take her in the future. She has been at least 5 mins early every day, she takes the girls outside to play, doesn't let them watch tv, and the girls are so happy when I come home. In fact, Sylvia starting freaking out when she left the other day! She absolutely did NOT want her to leave. That makes me incredibly happy. Hopefully she'll last. It has only been 3 days, so obviously I don't trust the situation yet after my last 2 episodes. But, we're on the right track which is all I can ask for at the moment!

Everyone keep your fingers crossed for me!

Oh, and the girlies turned 14 months on Monday. They're running around like they own the place. Mya has a few words that are decipherable by Mendy and myself and Sylvia clearly says "iggleiggleiggle" which doesn't mean giggle... it means tickle. And it's freakin' cute.

Day Care Woes...

I'm feeling like a terrible mom lately. I thought I had good kids. I have no trouble watching them at home. They are active, yes. They're twin 1 year olds with sharing issues. I'm pretty sure all 1 year olds have sharing issues. They are starting to hit/bite each other. I always thought all kids experimented with that around this age and that it got better once they started using language. I thought I was doing everything right. If anything, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. But, it looks like my kids are too much of a handful for everyone else. Our first CT nanny lasted a week and a half. The second nanny lasted a day and then never showed up again. We are currently looking for number three. If any of my lovely readers have suggestions, throw them all at me or e-mail me. I am interviewing 2 more people tonight and 2 more on Tuesday. I'm at a loss. I can't afford to send them to a daycare and I obviously can't seem to find a nanny that fits my kids. *sigh*

On a good note, they are walking around like crazy and starting to run a little bit... they're very awkward when they run and it usually ends in a faceplant... but it's cute! Check out my LiveJournal for a video that I posted a few days ago if you haven't seen them walking yet. They're starting to get used to having shoes on their feet, but I hate putting shoes on them, so I don't do it often. It's so bad for their development and their arches. Mya is starting to talk and calls her favorite stuffed animal, Pablo - BAH-BO!

Good Timing...

Good timing... I told myself I would try to get in at least one post per month. Looks like I'm right on time! The girls are 13 months old today. Sylvia is finally starting to talk. Mya isn't yet, but she's definitely a discoverer! They are extremely active and into everything! They are so cute to watch play together. I really don't want to go back to work tomorrow. That makes me so sad. I love having my time with them. But since there is no available commune right now, I still have to work. (That's a whole separate rant... do i want to be in debt or even MORE in debt). I don't want to leave them with anyone else for so long. Not that I don't trust their nanny... she's great, but I don't want to miss anything!

I have to brag on them though... they spent over 5 1/2 hours at the DMV yesterday. They didn't even begin to break down... not even a whimper! for about 3 1/2 hours! They did SO well. I took them out to sleep in the car while M finished up and then we went to eat at Applebee's... they didn't make a single fuss there either. I'm so proud of them!

I also found a cool new way to put them to sleep. Usually I would let one play on the floor and put the other to sleep. It took about 30 minutes to get both of them down that way. But the other day, they were just both so tired at the same time that I couldn't bear to make one of them stay up any longer... and how do you choose? So I wrapped them both up, cuddled one into the other (spoon style), layed (laid?) down with them, patted them both on the waist and they were out in 15 minutes. They fussed a little bit in the beginning just like they do when they are alone, but being that close to each other didn't make a single difference. And they slept incredibly well. So, for the next nap, I tried it again and voila, down without a fight. These are children who hate falling asleep for fear of missing something. Maybe they just needed to be closer. *sigh* I love my little girls.

Oh and I just found out my mom is a CIO advocate. That makes me sad. Now I don't want to leave the girls there overnight. Not that I'd be able to anytime soon. Two toddlers is too much for her since she can't get around easily.

Well, that's it for now. As soon as my insurance kicks in, the girls will be going to get their shots and i'll let you know the stats.

Here is a gratuitous cuteness picture.

1st Birthday...

Well, the day has arrived. In a matter of minutes, my girls will be one year old. At this time last year, my epidural was starting to kick in and I was being prepped for my c-section. And like any blog-addicted mother should do, I will now reminisce and tell their birth story.

On July 8th, 2005, I had an appointment with Dr. Potter (the high-risk OB). I was sent straight from his office to the hospital to be monitored for pre-eclampsia. I was given drugs to make sure I didn't start contractions via IV. However, because I get sick when ANY medicine is given to be intravenously, I spent the next two days vomitting. They finally took my IV out and let me be... with the exception of blood work every 6 hours and vitals every 4 hours. I was on solid bedrest. I was having regular contractions, but nothing that was considered labor. Because I was pre-eclampsic, I retained a LOT of water. I literally could not see my toes, ankles, or knee caps. Towards the end, even my hips became swollen. But, surprisingly, other than having trouble getting back and forth to the bathroom and occasional vomitting, I wasn't feeling all that bad. Mendy kept me entertained by playing scrabble with me. I did a number of crossword puzzles, many friends came to visit me and bring me magazines and sat and talked to keep me company. I truly am blessed to have such wonderful people around me. I ordered the same meals over and over... "grilled cheese", "garden burger", "tater tots", and "the southern veggie sampler" from the hospital cafeteria. They had surprisingly good food.

Fast forward to 10 days later, July 18th, 2005. The nurses came in for my routine morning bloodwork. At around 2:45PM, the doctor came back with the results that my blood platelets were dropping. This is a sure sign that full blown eclampsia is about to set in (which could cause stroke amongst other things). The doctor gave me a choice to deliver "now" or at 8:00PM. I had to have a c-section because both girls were breech. So, of course, feeling the way I did, and having an overwhelming desire to meet my daughters, I said "now". Thus ensued a whirlwind of activity. My IV was put back in, I was hooked up to monitors, prepped for surgery, wheeled in to the OR, given an epidural (which they had to give me twice... worst shot ever) and adjusted for the surgery. Then, when I was ready to go, Mendy was allowed in to the OR in her scrubs. As Dr. Francis began the surgery, Mendy peeked over the curtain and promptly got sick. Not from the blood or anything, but from the fact that they were "being so rough" and because "my skin was smoking". Then at 3:35, Sylvia Eve Mirto was born. She was taken to get cleaned off and her vitals taken (all within my sight). Then I was able to give her a kiss before she was taken to the other room to keep her warm and have her breathing watched closely (because they were preemies). At 3:36, Mya Jane Mirto was born. Again, she was taken to get cleaned off and get vitals, etc. I gave her a kiss and they took her out to be with Sylvia. Mendy went with them. Dr. Francis finished stitching me up and I was wheeled into the OR recovery room where I was able to nurse my daughters for the first time. I couldn't believe how tiny they were... or how beautiful they were... and I never thought I'd ever feel such unconditional love as I did at that moment. My heart could not have contained any more emotion at the moment.

After they finished monitoring me post-surgery and deemed me well enough to go back to a regular recovery room, they sent me and my morphine drip away to spend time with my new family. It was truly a wonderful feeling.

However, remember how I don't tolerate IV drugs? Well, the morphine drip was IV. So, as the epidural wore off and I had to give myself the morphine, I, of course, got sick for the remainder of the night... which isn't a comfortable feeling after your stomach muscles have just been severed and restitched! The next day when I was off the drip, I felt much better. I did feel extreme pain for the next two days, but every day it got 200% better. Every ounce of pain I felt I would endure a million times over for my children.

It was the best experience of my entire life. I hope it continues to be the best experience of my entire life. I plan on learning every day, loving every day, and not missing a moment of their fragile lives. My world is now theirs and I give it willingly.

Happy First Birthday, Sylvia and Mya. I love you two with all my heart and soul.

Strange Birds

Ok, my children are odd. Let me set this up for you... We co-sleep and since the girls are wiggle worms, we have our mattress on the floor. We set up little pallets (sp?) with blankets for them on either side of the bed so that each of us is in charge of one girl over the course of the night. Ok. So after we put the girls to sleep last night, one on each side, we went back down stairs to clean up and get ourselves ready for bed. We had the monitor on in case they woke up... which they occassionally still do. We heard a few little cries, but they seemed more like they were adjusting themselves and not actually waking up, so we let it go. Then, a few minutes later, we heard a full-fledged cry. So I went upstairs in the pitch black and followed the sound to who was crying. It was coming from Mya's side. So I picked Mya up (she was kind of stuck between the bedside table and the mattress) and put her back to sleep. By this time, my eyes had adjusted and I got up to go back downstairs. As I looked down, I noticed Sylvia was missing from her side. I looked back and saw that Mya was sleeping soundly where I had left her... it was Sylvia that had gotten stuck! She climbed up on the bed and over to the other side to her sister, but got stuck!!! They're so twinny!

In other news, they went on their first trip to the beach. They enjoyed it immensely. Both of them would crawl directly into the surf. When a wave came they would sit up so it didn't hit them in the face and as the water went back out, they would crawl after it. Very cute stuff. They liked the boat as well, but didn't quite love the life jackets. I don't blame them. I took lots of pictures, but I'm on dial-up here. As soon as I move, I'll definitely post some more. I mean, it has been almost a month since my last post!

Swimming and such...

The girls have had busy Georgia weekends lately. A few weeks ago we went to the aquarium and the zoo. This past weekend, we went to the Renaissance Festival and also signed up for swimming lessons! The Ren Fest was SO much fun. The girls got their picture taken with Mother Goose:














That's Mya with Mendy and Sylvia with me.

They also went to the petting zoo which they loved... I definitely have some animal lovers on my hands. I think I know where they get that from!

They start swimming lessons next Thursday. I can't wait! I love sticking them in their bathing suits. We got them new ones because they grew out of their old ones. As soon as we take some pictures, I'll post them.

Hmm... thought there was more to post than that... well, I guess I could say that they both do "How big is Sylvia/Mya?" "Soooooo Biiiiiiiiiiig" pretty well now. It's quite cute.

Has it truly been 10 months?

The girlies are 10 months old today. I can't even fathom that I have kids yet and they're almost a year old! As a co-worker told me when I came back from my maternity leave "motherhood suits you". I absolutely love this. I can't believe that people complain about it. I will NEVER be tired of it. I don't even get tired all that often. Perhaps I don't need much sleep, but I have to admit, I like waking up with the girls in the middle of the night. I love that time with them. And no, they are not sleeping through the night yet, so it's not like "I don't remember those days". The hormones did kick my butt for two or three months and made me irritable with Mendy, i'll admit that, but not the babies... the babies have been my saving grace.

At 10 months, their new tricks are popping out teeth like nobody's business, cruising around the furniture, standing for a few moments unassisted, being "soooo biiiiig", eating everything in sight (hummus is the big winner by far), trying to say and wave "bye-bye", and clapping and laughing at mommies.

Soon they'll be potty-trained and taking driver's ed... I dread the 1st birthday... I'm gonna be a wreck!

Here we are just a' swingin':

Sylvia:



Mya:

The Sound of Laughter

Well, well... it's been quite some time since I posted. Not all that much has been going on in baby world other than major bouts of cuteness.

Both girls are pulling up on everything and anything and cruising around. Sylvia can stand for about 3 seconds on her own, but only if she REALLY feels like it. So while walking looks like it is around the corner {{{shreeeeeek}}} I think I have at least another few weeks... perhaps it'll be just in time for the end of school (17 days... not that I'm counting).

Another thing I should mention is that I could listen to the sound of my children's laughter for hours and hours on end. Because of a last minute babysitter cancellation (she had a sick daughter), I ended up taking the twinkies to work with me. Of course they had a fantabulous time crawling around and playing. However, if you've ever been in an elementary school that has uncarpeted floor, you will understand just how nasty the floor is. Well, I couldn't stop them from crawling around, so I just let them get nasty. And of course, afterward, I wiped them down with some sanitary lotion. But they were still nasty as all get out, so as soon as I got home, I threw them into the tub. Well, let me just tell you how funny a rubber duck is... This duck is about 4 inches big. It is your classic yellow rubber duck. I would dunk the duck under water, get some water inside the duck and then squirt it out on the girls. Well, Sylvia had a FIT! She laughed so hard, it was practically uncontrollable. She had to stop to take a breath every once in a while. Something really tickled her about the noise that duck made... it's not a squeaky duck or anything, but the water didn't even have to be in it and she would just crack up. It was so great. Mya basically just sat in the water and watched Sylvia crack up. It sort of looked like "what is wrong with you?" Very cute. I'm more in love every day.

Easter Fun

The girl's first Easter was LOTS of fun. We woke up and they opened their Easter baskets. They got stuffed eggs (like stuffed animals, but they're eggs), wagon wheels, a GAP shirt that says "if you think i'm pretty, you should see my mom", a Build-a-Bear wearing a pink terry robe, the first season of Fraggle Rock on DVD, a huge bunny to share and a kiddie pool. After they played with their loot, we got their bathing suits on and went swimming in their new pool. Our friend Gwen came over with her son, Andrew and we all played outside for about an hour and a half. The girls also got a basket each from them... with a cute little easter outfit and "my first easter" bunnies. The girls had the BEST time playing... here is one pic from the outing:

That's Mya trying to catch water... you can see Sylvia's little back in there too.

Easter Pictures

Do I not have the cutest children in the world? Ok, I'm bragging, but I'm supposed to, I'm the mommy! This was the outcome of their first professional pictures. Sylvia basically mauled the poor bunny, so we didn't have many to choose from... the bunny kept hopping away (and of course the girls would crawl after it). But, we only needed a few to get this cute one! Happy Easter, y'all!

TEETH!

We have teeth! Sylvia has one big fang and one that just popped through yesterday. Both on the bottom. Mya has one tooth on the bottom. Baby teeth are sharp. Kind of like puppy teeth! I love them. Especially when they bite my clothes... it's funny!

They are both crawling now... on their knees and everything! They're all over the place. I was making bottles in the kitchen (left the girls to play in eyes view in the living room) and I looked down and there was Mya at my feet looking up at me with her big blue eyes. It was too cute!

Mya is on an apnea monitor and we've only had one scare that she self-corrected. They were supposed to come out and download it the other day, but I haven't heard from them. Which reminds me I need to call them back.

I'm never sure when this site will work or not so excuse the sporadic updates.

Here's a picture of Sylvia's tooth:

Mobility hurts.

Ok, the mommy worry-wart rears her ugly head... be prepared.

The girls are mobile. I wouldn't say "crawling" necessarily, but definitely mobile. So yesterday, I was changing Mya on the couch when Sylvia started shrieking because in her attempt to go from a sit to a crawl got stuck between part of her toy. So I go to rescue Sylvia and CRASH. Mya crawled, fell off the couch into the coffee table and got a HUGE bruise and raised bump on the back of her head. I was so scared. I ended up waking her up after she went to bed just in case she had a concussion (and omg, she's so cute when she's wicked drowsy). She seemed just fine this morning and I think the fact that I put ice on her head was more traumatizing than the fall. This of course all occurred two days after Sylvia pulled a toy down on top of her and got a big bump and a cut over her eye from it. I'm not feeling like the best of mothers these days. I know these events are inevitable and the girls are hearty little ones... but I swear I'm buying helmets. My kids will NEVER ride bikes... okay, at least not while I'm there. I really have to learn how to handle both of them being mobile at the same time... and quickly! Here are some pictures for your amusement...

Me w/Mya and Mendy w/Sylvia on the top of Kennesaw Mountain



A little Sylvie-lovin' on the mountain


Aww, tiny twinsies!!!!! Remember when....


My friend Gwen with Mya on the mountain

Crawling?

The girls are on their way to crawling. Sylvia starting pushing up onto her hands and knees 2 days ago and Mya started yesterday. They can only stay a few seconds, but they are so ready to crawl. Sylvia puts one hand out and collapses, but she wants to and she knows how to do it. It's so weird how they just know what to do.

They also started trying to stack the rings on their stacker toy. It's so precious to watch them "play".

They are just growing up so fast. The cry to be put BACK INTO their co-sleeper now. They don't need Mommy anymore! :( I'm pretty sure they're just too warm between us with their winter sleepers, but it's so sad.

At 7 months, Sylvia weighed 14.0 and Mya weighed 14.6. My big girlies! Ok, so they just grew into their 3-6 month clothes, but they're big to me!

We're working on growing!

Quick picture update, etc.

Some new milestones the girls are trying for: Sylvia really wants to talk. She babbles in full sentences. She even has the eyebrow expressions going!
Mya is trying to crawl. If you put her in crawl position, she rocks.
They get to eat red oatmeal today for Valentine's Day! Awww, you can all die from cuteness now... :)

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure...

Help, I'm caught in coffee table jail! Mya likes to roll under the table, now.


Here's Mya getting some lovin'...


Gettin' ready to go to a birthday party.... don't we look cute?


On Saturday, the girls went to their first birthday party! Here is a picture of myself, Mya and the birthday boy, Andrew.

Haven't forgotten!

Okay, you spin next!

I haven't forgotten about this site, but when I can't get on here at work, I don't get on here at all! They filter this site into "adult" content once in a while.

We love our Drop & Roll Dinosaur!

Mendy and I took the girls to the viewing of Coretta Scott King at the Georgia State Capitol on Saturday. It was absolutely moving. The people in line all were friendly and banded together despite the cold.

Sittin' Pretty

The people standing behind us even offered up blankets for the girls (we didn't bring any because we didn't expect to be outside for as long as we were). It was very peaceful and very moving. Nice to be a part of history.

Hey, I want that ball!

The girlies are doing a great job sitting and playing on their own. They're starting to discover things more and more. Mya has figured out how to get the veggie puffs to her mouth. It's very cute!

6 Month Update... a few days late...

So the girls went to the doctor on the 19th and they got an excellent report. Sylvia weighed 12lbs 8oz and Mya weighed 12lbs 14oz. My big girls! The doctor kept calling them "petite". It was so cute. Well, here are their milestones as of 6 months...

Both girls are sitting up for about 30 seconds, eating fun solids like apples and pears and squash and pumpkin and zucchini, rolling over from back to tummy and playing in their bouncy seat and exersaucer. The doctor gave them the okay to start veggie puffs and cheerios! It's fun to watch them try to eat the veggie puffs. They pick them up in a fist, bring their fist to their mouths and gum their hands! They haven't figured out to open their fists to get the veggie puffs out yet!

Sylvia is starting to babble consonants and rolls ONE direction. I think I got a giggle out of her yesterday.
Mya rolls BOTH directions and is starting to giggle.

After Holiday update

I was going to do a photo-journal update, but I did that on my other journal, and now I'm lazy, so here goes the written version...

Well, let's see, where to start... Winter break was a BLAST. We flew up to CT on the 27th and the girls did AMAZING on the plane. I must have good plane kharma since I'm nice to kids on planes We had Christmas with my family that night. They got lots of cool toys and clothes and stuffed animals, etc. My dad got to meet them for the first time and fell in love with them (how could you not?!?! ). Same goes for my oldest sister (who couldn't visit when I had them because she has two boys of her own) and my grandparents. My nephews were really good with them with the exception of the two year old who seemed to think they were trampolines! He is the most rambunctious and yet endearing 2 year old I've ever met. I had a great time with them. It was so much fun to just play without worrying about the girls since they had 2 million babysitters while we were there.

We did some apartment hunting in Middletown and found a few things we liked, so I hope we'll be able to really get moving on that front. I think we're going to put up our house in February.

We brought the girls on the train to NYC and hung out in Manhattan and took them to Strawberry Fields where we took their picture on the Imagine stones. That was an incredible trip.

They also got to see their first snow. Sylvia was like "what is this cold stuff hitting me in the face?" and Mya just sort of sat there. It was pretty cute.

They also got to meet Mya's future husband Liam. He took an immediate and unrelenting interest in Mya. He just sort of ignored Sylvia! And he is absolutely adorable.

We just relaxed most of time and spent time with family. It was nice to hear my dad say that we were good parents and that he was impressed at how well DP and I worked as a team and took back earlier comments that being in a two-mom family would be bad for them. It really made myself as well as M feel much more "welcome".

Now it is January 17th and the girls have both learned how to sit! They can go for about 45 seconds before they get distracted and topple over. Very cute!