365 days since...

we became Megersa's legal parents!!
Legally Yours. (Click on the link to read my blog post about that day.)
It's amazing what happens in a year!
Such a whirlwind of events took place after Jan 27, 2010.
This is M, one year ago:

And now, here's a pic of Megersa taken a few days ago:

It's truly amazing what can take place in a year!!
For instance:
God called us to move to Maryland. Tim was offered his job here at Mountain View Community Church...
We packed up and left everyone in IL (still trying to sell our house there if you feel inclined to pray about it)...and moved into our townhome here.
Then, after only 9 days after arriving in MD, Tim's mother and I boarded a plane with Ethiopian Air to pick up Megersa.
A few short months after his homecoming, I guess Tim and I figured the adjustment was going well and we talked about adding to our family again (this was assuming it would take awhile)...
And a birthday present to me (July 31), God gave us twins to wait for.

The winter seems to be a waiting game for us with our children:
Cale was born in early April,
Megersa came home in mid-March,
and we're expecting the twins to arrive somewhere around those two dates...

I love our growing family!

copy-catting

Normally, copy-catting drives me a little bit crazy...

But in these 2 instances, I think the benefits are DANDY:

1. in Megersa:

Megersa's words, specifically...
This kid is a fountain of speech! At almost 17 months, he will try and say pretty much everything you ask him to say. A full blown 'copy-catter'. M now affectionately refers to himself as "Sussa" and not only mimics words, but understands their meanings (about 75% of the time). It's helped tremendously in our communication skills and his discipline (since we now KNOW when he understands what we are asking).
I regret to admit he's figured out what "mine" means...because when he and big brother get arguing about a toy, nothing gets resolved. The volume of their demand: MINE! gets louder, but neither gives up. *sigh*
I do very much enjoy that he walks around the house saying "Mommy, mommy, mommy..." because if you remember, only a few short months ago, we were tuned into the 'all things Dada, all the time' channel, and I was feeling left out.
Wanna know what he calls Cale? "Ca-ca." (Yes, it's very funny...turns out when he was saying "Cole" before - he meant cold.)

So, that's the 1st copy-cat scene.
The 2nd comes to a fault at my expense:
2. in Cale:

Chores FOR CALE. :)
See...I enjoy the blog 'It's Almost Naptime' very much. ((It's on my blogroll if you're interested.)) So much in fact, that the stories of her son Shepherd sparked my interest...and now Tim's and my joint decision that Baby B will be named Shepherd! ;) At any rate, just a few days ago blogger 'Missy' wrote about "The joys of child labor."
This I had to read!

I'm not exactly sure the ages of her children, but I know at least one of them is similar to Cale - so I went with her line of chores. Things I thought Cale would be able to accomplish.
I developed a morning chore chart AND and afternoon chore chart for him.
So, how is it going?
Swimmingly, actually! He loves the clip art I put next to each chore, and he very much enjoys marking off (or "checking") each chore he's completed. I have yet to give him anything but verbal praise, and as long as that works, there doesn't need to be anything furthur.
Please forgive the terrible quality of these pictures. Yet again, my current camera has failed on me. It's beginning to be a bit annoying.
I'm pretty sure last year around this time I also had a broken camera.
At any rate, here are the chore charts: And here are his chores (since it's basically impossible to see each one):
In the AM:
Put pajamas in hamper if dirty, or on dresser if clean
Brush your teeth
Put diaper in KITCHEN garbage. (yes, he still wears one at night)
Put on your clothes: shirt, pants, socks, undies.
Pray with Mommy or Daddy and give everyone a hug.
When you take out toys, put them away. (this is meant to be accomplished before naptime)
Clean up your dishes after breakfast.
Turn off lights and fans upstairs (which is his favorite)

In the PM:
Clean up after your snacks.
Set the table for dinner.
Clean up your toys before bedtime.
Brush your teeth before bedtime.
Tell Mommy, Daddy and Megersa "I love you."
Put on your pajamas.
Read a Bible story.
When you go potty, flush the toilet.
Wash your hands and face (This applies always when dirty, but specific to bedtime to earn the "check.")

You've heard the saying: "It takes a village to raise a child."
I'm beginning to think that perhaps my village is part cyber. :)

Dream Mommy

Cale always has the most random things to say.

Usually they are just some funny quotes that I log away on the computer or put up on my facebook status (soon to become a blog post); but today's randomness stemmed from something subconscious:

This morning Cale came bursting in my room waking me from a very bizarre, yet deep dream-sleep...to ask me why I wouldn't come down from the ceiling.

Before I could laugh, I noticed his sobbing eyes and the fact that he was truly devastated by this dream.

I asked him to tell me about it:

Apparently I was on the ceiling...and wouldn't come down. That was the only fact that I could get out of him until he calmed down a bit. After he climbed into bed and snuggled under the covers he started asking me what was behind the door. (The door on the ceiling, of course...) He was still upset about the ordeal and seemed slightly annoyed I didn't know the answer to his question. Continuing on, crying as he went, he told me there was a "mosquito-kitty cat" that scared him. I wasn't sure what to say to him, but I reassured him I also did not like his fictional creature. Again, he questioned why I didn't come down after he called for me and started crying. I tried to explain what I decided to describe his alteration of me as "Dream Mommy." - Sometimes dreams are funny, sometimes dreams are scary...sometimes we dream about people we know, but dreams are not real. Weird things happen in dreams because we are asleep. When we wake up, the dreams go away. Sensing he was still confused between dreams and reality, I asked him if he could touch "Dream Mommy," and he said no. He said Dream Mommy wouldn't talk to him. I told him to give me a hug and asked him if he could feel me and hear me talk to him. He said yes...

Thinking I had distracted him by telling him to go downstairs and get started on the breakfast food I layed out for him last night; he left.

I closed my eyes and rolled over; but not 10 seconds later did he start up again. He came barreling up the steps, VERY upset that I wasn't going down with him, and he started into his dream again....

I rolled out of bed and threw on my robe. We both sat at the table, and shortly Tim joined us. Tim was concerned that Cale wasn't able to shake the dream (even with the distraction of food), and tried to talk to him...but Cale seemed to be looking through him. ((I wondered for a second if he was still asleep....)) He was having a really hard time shaking this. It was very bizarre.

However, after about a half hour of discussing how dreams are not real and how "Dream Mommy" is not REAL Mommy, we were able to move past it and get ready to go to MOPS.

Thank goodness we had something to do today that was fun for him, because the grudge he held against Dream Mommy probably would have interferred with his attitude toward Real Mommy the rest of the day...

I'd like to know...how do you explain bad dreams to your kids?

Wordless Wednesday

A rare family photo taken this past Sunday. Too bad Cale wasn't smiling.... The big belly at 26 weeks, 4 days:

i have a brand new...hair do :)

My evening was full...

1. Full of vomit:

Megersa deemed his broccoli unfit to eat (did I mention he can voluntarily vomit?).

2. Full of poop:

After cleaning up the vomit, I decided both boys would benefit from a bath.

Until someone pooped in the tub...POOPED! And it wasn't Megersa! NOT. OKAY!

3. Full of squiggles:

After cleaning up the poop from the boys, the tub and the drain, I decided they were going down for an early bedtime.

Until I got distracted...

After slicking the boys down in lotion and dressing them in their clean, snuggly jammies, I reconsidered their direct deposit into bed... I started working my magic on Cale's hair. He NEEDS product and it NEEDS to be right after bathtime. Otherwise, it's a mess. A hot mess.

I brushed it out, put in the product, and gave him his awesome Jimmy Newtron flip in the front.

Next up: Megersa.

Normally he detests getting his hair done, but today...he stood up while I vice gripped him with my knees in attempt to dread it with the new product I had purchased at the dollar store. It smelled GOOD! To my pleasant surprise, M was content. Content to play with the things I normally do not allow him to mess with...and he allowed me to pull and twist his hair for almost a half hour without. complaint. He didn't try to wiggle away, and was delighted that Cale oohed and aahed over his "squiggles" as we are now affectionately calling them.

They ARE squiggly.... (and adorable)

Observe:

the Goober and his "squiggles" (aka Mommy's attempt at locks):

(Mommy dangles fruitsnacks in order to get a good shot:) Cale showing Megersa how to "cheese!"
vomit, poop, unruly hair and all...I LOVE these two!

Merry belated Christmas!

I know, I know...Christmas was awhile ago. These pics should have been up by now, but hey, it's better late than never huh?

Let's start with the beginning of Christmas. Cale and I put up the tree before we went to PA for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful to have the house clean and decorated when we came back. Cale was a good helper...initially... ;)

And here's Cale playing with the colored Christmas lights that eventually went outside. Daddy was a good sport about it! And here's the loot (before it was torn apart) on actual Christmas day. Per Tim's family's traditon, one gift per child was unwrapped and set up ready to be played with for Christmas morning. Cale found this to be an EXCELLENT choice of traditions to continue! :)

And here he is...up before everyone else:Megersa's favorite gift of the day, was not even his gift. He very much enjoyed Mommy's candle.

And here's why: (I guess it REALLY smelled good to him.)He got gifts like this board puzzle, but he didn't spend much time on any one of his gifts...Mommy got a gift from Grammie! How adorable are these Willow Tree figurines?!Cale & Grammie. Such a sweet picture of Cale & one of his favorite people ever. :)Daddy (aka Santa) posing for a pic. Another Nester tradition that Tim takes seriously is that Dad always plays Santa and passes out the gifts to everyone. Cale enjoying his etch-a-sketch.Santa and Cale (post bath!).And here's Mommy...refusing to post the terrible bleary-eyed pictures of her in over-sized jammies. :) Oh, and to note...I am at 23 weeks pregnant here:

So that's Christmas!
Unfortunately New Years hasn't been much of anything special for the past few years (post kids). We aren't gambling on little sleep just to watch the ball drop just yet! But it's no big deal for me...as a kid my friends and I would play board games at our New Years Eve church party way up in the attic office. We'd be up there playing an intense game of Monopoly when someone would yell "You're gonna miss the ball drop!" and it didn't deter us.
I do believe Tim, and his parents (who were there to visit) did actually watch the ball this year, but it was only after an intense game of cards. I was cleaning up the kitchen...
Anyway, we had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Here's to 2011!!

why?

Why do all my dress socks have holes in them?
I'm the type of person who wears flip flops until the late days of November, and walks around barefoot most of the day...so why is it that almost every day this week I've had to toss a pair of socks? I like shopping, but buying dress socks seems like a hassle to me. $8-12 for 3 pairs of socks? Seems like a bit much...

Why does the estimated wait for a table at Outback Steakhouse have to be so incorrect?
As a hungry pregnant women I was already cringing at the estimated wait time...but when "45 minutes" turned into an hour and twenty minutes, I started to wonder what was going on. Tim and I saw people who came after us get a table before us.
I guess our buzzer wasn't working....

Why do dreams take a BIT of reality and then alter them into something bizarre?
Where do these ideas come from? I can't imagine my subconscious even coming up with some of this stuff. Despite protest, children who can't blow their own nose (ie: Megersa), sometimes need to be suctioned to help relieve congestion: Normal.
Not normal: Waking up from a dream wondering if I really did suction a 2-inch slimy fish out of my baby's nose...

Why didn't I think of that?!
Tim and I went on a date tonight. Miss Judy came to babysit the boys. She is wonderful with them and very genuinely seems to enjoy it!! :) When Tim and I came home, Megersa was in bed, and Cale was on the floor with Miss Judy working on a "project." Taking TRIX cereal balls and balancing them on the tops of his duplex legos. Each cereal peice fit perfectly in the little holes on top of each lego. Brilliant! Apparently this entertained him quite a bit and I thought to myself, why didn't I think of that?
I guess I need to step up the "thinking outside the box" stuff...

Lastly, Why...OH WHY...am I actually somewhat considering changing my unborn babies' name?
I've been reading a new blog. This blogger has a son named Shepherd. Excitement, jealousy and concern bubbles inside me... Why haven't I heard that name before? I'm almost positive I would have considered it, loved it, and convinced Tim to like it as well. Is it love at first sight...can I get over it? Is it too late to change Zac's name? He's not here yet..... Would it be weird since we've already told almost everyone what their names will be?
I wonder.....

Costco

We love Costco!
Sample days are my favorite, but any day is good!

Today at lunch: hotdogs and ice tea...mmmm! :) Last week we got ice cream. The boys were very entertained by 2 other silly kids.How cute is this kid in overalls?!M not so sure about the ice cream at first...but eventually, he warmed up to the sugary goodness. ;)

my boys are bruisers...

well...with the exception of Megersa. :)

Megersa weighs just under 22 lbs. Apparently this is in the 10th percentile for weight...but I think the fact that he gained at least 10 lbs since he came home is pretty good.

Cale has always been off the charts in height and weight.
I think he currently weighs something in the 43 lb vicinity. And he's 42" tall.

The twins have GAINED!
Last month at my 20 week check-up, they were 13 oz and 14 oz respectively.
Today, at 24 weeks, Thad weighs 1 lb, 10 oz...and Zac is 1 lb, 11 oz.
Both are currently head down (Thad is much lower though). Heart rates have been steadily in the 130s-140s. Thad was facing my back so we didn't get a profile pic of him. We got lots of Zac, but most are blurry because he is my mover. I swear he's up all day kicking and punching away. It's almost comical to watch the right side of my belly move around while the other side remains still.
Thad tends to wake up at night when I'm laying on Zac's side and he has more room.

I asked the u/s tech if they can hurt each other. Honestly, if they kick each other as hard as they kick me, I'd say they'd be doing some real damage to their tiny bodies...but she assured me that they wall between them is thick...saying one sac could break and the other remain intact.

Doc said each twin has plenty of amniotic fluid and that my cervix is very long. They like the cervix to measure 30 cm, and mine's at 37. He has no concerns with pre-term labor at this point and said the boys are a week ahead in weight (which is good for twins!)
My uterus is measuring 32 weeks so the Braxton Hicks contractions I get are normal and will only increase...
So, my eerie feeling that they are gonna arrive soon, and I'll have micropreemies is just all in my head (at this point anyway)!
Good news all around!

(Me and the twinkies cooking at 24 weeks.)

So how am I doing?
Well, I'm tired. I wish I could get more sleep, but my belly really is starting to get in the way. At night I'm in alot of pain trying to get comfortable.
But, I'm gonna try to adopt the new attitude of "keep your eyes on the goal."
The goal is 2 more healthy boys.
If I think about the now...at 24 weeks, 3 days - 10-12 more weeks seems like an eternity.
But if I think about when they'll be here and we'll have no sleep with chaos everywhere, that 10-12 weeks seems to be too soon.
Life is changing in a big way.

The big guys are both are doing great. I wish it was warmer outside so we could get out of the house more without having to run errands...but I recently purchased a mini trampoline online so that they have an outlet for all that pent-up energy. I can't wait for it to arrive!

The boys love each other so much already. Cale always wants Megersa around. It doesn't seem to matter that Megersa can't talk, and doesn't really understand "playing" - Cale wants him to be right by his side.

Both the boys have been in moods today... No nap for Cale and less than 2 hours nap for Megersa (which is not good). They both have had their share of time-outs and scoldings. Tim was correcting Megersa and jokingly said that if he did it again, M was gonna sleep outside.

Cale was gravely concerned and said with tears in his eyes that "Megersa can't sleep outside, because when I wake up, I won't have him anymore."

Sweet brotherly love.

I hope they can learn to love the twins as much...and I REALLY hope they all get along this well when they're teenagers.... ;)