Brackets

1. Going to dinner with Lauren
Lauren and I met for dinner tonight. It was great to catch up and talk.

2. Adding a feeding
Last week a nighttime feeding was dropped. I figured out that is why the boys have been so fussy. We were starving them. Awesome. So I added a feeding and gave them LOTS of sleep. Much better

3. Relaxation
I feel like I have been running around forward and backward, left and right. I am exhausted. Last night my mind would not stop so I stayed up and watched TV. It was great to wind down and relax.

4. Disposable diapers
Cameron's belly does NOT like his antibiotic. We have gone through tons and tons of diapers today alone. Good thing I can just throw them away.

5. Winning my bracket
So I am officially tied for first in my bracket. Doug and I are tied and we both have the exact same final results. So no matter what happens...we will be tied for first. Last year....I lost.

Tuesdays

1. Physical Therapy
Every Tuesday the boys each get an hour of therapy because they were preemies and therefore delayed. Or maybe just delayed....who knows. Owen is getting therapy right now and I am trying to get Cameron to take a nap. They actually like it a lot. I love it. It gives them an hour of personalized attention. PLUS as I have mentioned before Julie, the PT, helps with all sorts of new mom information.

2. The swing is in the bedroom
This makes me happy for two reasons. First, it is out of the living room and therefore creates a lot of new space. The second is that Owen sleeps in the swing which would bring me to the couch every night at around 11 or so. Now he stays in the nursery and I can sleep in my bed.

3. Cameron's laugh
So he did not want to take a nap. He is awake and sitting in my lap. When he first got up he was laughing and laughing. It is so sweet.

4. Pulmonologist appointment
Cameron being sick still has been absolutely no fun. Yesterday I got a call that we moved up on the waiting list and got an earlier one with the pulmonologist. It is scheduled for April 15th. I am really looking forward to the appointment and hopefully having some sort of answers. It has been pretty stressful.

5. My dad coming over this afternoon
I am not going to lie, I am just THRILLED that my dad is coming over to help. I am going to take a nap, get more chores done, and maybe...maybe clean the garage.

Let's Go Dawgs!

1. Butler made it to the Final Four

2. Watching the boys grow
The boys are growing and getting so big. Today has been challenging. Though this picture does not reflect Owen's mood--he was CRAZY today. He is a baby who lets you know when he is not happy. Good thing that he IS happy most of the time. I pulled out lots of new toys and things to do today. Sitting in this seat made the list. (But for only a few minutes.)

3. Solids
I might of forgot to mention that last week we started to eat solids. This was a picture of the first night. I have only tried a few times so this afternoon when we tried again....the boys still looked like this. They don't really eat anything but at least we are trying!

4. Green

Things are turning green again. I have tulips in my yard, buds on the trees outside my window...I am getting excited.

5. My clean kitchen floor

Tonight I got down on my hands and knees and cleaned the kitchen floor. I am so happy that it is done and it looks so much better. Every time I walked into the kitchen before I was appalled at myself. Now I have a clean kitchen again!

No Name

1. Rally's Burger
So last night I had a new patient and his wife brought in Rally's Burgers. I have never had one before but man where they good. I was never that good of a patient when I was in the hospital.

2. Sarah Minges
So in a few short minutes I will be going to Sarah's house to take bring back all of the stuff she left us borrow. I can not express enough how generous, thoughtful, and selfless she is. She is pregnant and waiting to find out if she is having a boy or a girl and I HOPE it is a girl. I don't know why....I just think that would be fun. If you are reading this Sarah, THANK YOU SO MUCH. You really made a difference these past few months in our lives.

3. Night Shift
Even though I have great friends on days (who I miss so much)....I LOVE the night shift. It is so much easier. SO MUCH EASIER. At times you wish that you had all the help that lingered on days but those times are few and far between. I don't think that I could do night shift forever (since it is at night) but boy do I love it.

4. Flowers
I am a sucker for fresh flowers. I got three bouquets for my birthday and I love having fresh flowers around my house.

5. Butler
I am anticipating that the Butler Game this evening will make me happy. That is all I need to say about that. Oh--and the Goldenbergs went to the game on Thursday. So not fair.

Short and Sweet

1. Butler going to the ELITE 8

2. Owen is getting his first tooth!!
So my wonderful, all child knowing, physical therapist, Julie, suggested that Owen was getting his first tooth. I was in shock and pulled out my book right there. He had almost all the symptoms. This was on Tuesday. He is definitely teething. My dad said he even felt a tooth trying to come through last night. So he has been major fussy but I am looking forward to that little tooth popping out. Man these boys are BIG.

3. My new cell phone
On Tuesday I got a new cell phone that has a little type pad and unlimited text! It is like a went over to a whole new world.

4. Patients
Working with patients and their families at work is great. Some of them remind me of my own families and they are fun to talk to, joke around with, and make connections. Now trust me....that is not all of my patients. It just makes me happy to have good ones.

5. The sun is out
I have no idea if it is warm or if it supposed to be warm today but the sun is out.

$17

1. Once Upon a Child
Yesterday I took a bag of clothes and got $17 back. It was great. The boys are growing so fast. So fast. They are almost completely out of 3-6 month clothes. So the $17 will be going fast. If not already gone by the end of the day.

2. Antibiotic
I spent $5 yesterday at the pharmacy. Cameron is STILL sick. He still has pneumonia. AND he is going to see a pulmonologist (hopefully sooner than later.) His appointment is not until May but we are on the waitlist to get in earlier. So basically in his short little life he already has a cardiologist and a pulmonologist.

3. Breakfast with Holli
In a few short minutes I will be packing up the boys and meeting Holli for breakfast. I will be spending some of the $12 left at Panera. Yum. The only thing that sucks is that my double stroller doesn't fit into my terrible car.

4. My Car
My blood was boiling in the shower this morning over my car. I am driving a car that has manual windows, no airconditioning, and doesn't fit my stroller. BUT I reminded myself that I am so very, very happy that I actually have a car. I have a car that doesn't have a payment and it works. So hopefully I can throw Cameron in a sling and be just fine.

5. Amy's new house
So at 2 this afternoon I am going to work for Amy so she can close on a new house. Yeah!!!! The day shift will kick my butt but I am so excited to see my friends and to pick up a couple more hours. I am even more excited that Patrick is going to do his residency at IU, Amy is staying in Indy, and she is closing on her house TOMORROW. What a great time in her life.

Here is a picture of the boys. It doesn't fit in anywhere but I know that the pictures are the best part.

Birthdays

1. The boys are actually sleeping
As time grows on I am getting better at scheduled and night time sleep. Right now I am just hoping Owen grows out of sleeping on the couch and moves back to his crib. He hates his crib. He will sleep in his crib for about 4 hours and then he just will not be comfortable anymore. I can pick him up and put him in a boppy on the couch or in his swing and he is immeidately back to sleep. I took these pictures a few days ago. This is his preffered position to sleep. Oh---and the past two nights the boys have slept from 7:30/8pm until 5 am. Erin...it will happen.

2. The Fangs

Today is Rachel's birthday so yesterday afternoon the boys and I made a special trip over to the Fang house. I haven't been there in a long time and I rarely see Steph and the kids. I had a great time. They showered love all over Cameron and Owen and then I played Mario Cart on Wii with each of the kids. It was great and I am going to plan lots more trips in the future.

3. Walks

So this makes the list frequently. It rained all day yesterday so I was not able to take the boys on a walk. This picture is from when my mom took the boys this weekend and didn't use their car seats. She said that they loved it. I look forward to trying this out in the afternoon. It is supposed to be nice out today so hopefully they like it for me too...not just grandma.

4. Holli and Andy

Last week the boys had a play date with Gabe and I hung out at the Liechty house for the entire afternoon and evening. I was able to hang out, talk with adults, relax, and eat REALLY good food. Gabe is so sweet and so much fun to be around. Holli made an amazing dinner and I feel lucky to have such wonderful friends.

5. My birthday

So I made it another year. It is my birthday today. Justine is coming over and I am going to Bazbeauxs with my parents for dinner. Very excited.

Boring

1. Ashley Holloway
So yesterday Ashely came over to help and then she watched the boys by herself last night until my dad came. First I want to say that she did AMAZING. Their sleep has been so messed up and they were both fussy when I left to go to work. Coming over made me happy but she also brought GIFTS. My birthday is next week and she just kept giving and giving. She reads the blog so she bought me my favorite Starbucks, cinnamon rolls, wine, new clothes for the boys....it was awesome. She also made me dinner which was amazing and brought french bread. Basically she is a wonderful, generous friend.

2. The boys sleeping
Today I went to a wedding shower for my friend Krissi and when I got back the boys were a little fussy. They played with my mom all afternoon so they were exhausted. They are now both asleep. I think that I might close my eyes too. Wow--what a boring Saturday night. I am so old.

3. That last night ended
I want to thank Heather Young for being patient with me. I was so tired at work last night and even though a love my job I was moving slowly and the night just went on and on. I gave her report in the morning and she was very nice to my crabby ass. Thank you Heather. I suck...what can I say.

4. Walks
So I have been taking the boys on walks (which Cameron hates.) Well my mom took them on a walk today and used just the stroller not the carseats and they did great. So no more walks in carseats. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone else but me. But that's ok. Anyways, hopefully this weather stays nice.

5. Butler won
Butler just beat Murray State to go to the Sweet 16. Just a few more games!!! It was an intense game and stressful at the end. I was sitting here watching the game with Owen sleeping in my arms. Glad that they won. Go Bulldogs.

Madness

1. Sanity
So I realize that I have not written on the blog since Tuesday. Things have been CRAZY around this house to say the least. I feel like things are starting to settle down. That is not to say that we didn't have any happy things happen these past few days. It is just that I did not sit down and write about it. Here is a picture of the boys from St. Patrick's Day. Instead of drinking beer under a tent....this is what we did!

2. Cameron feeling better
So I think that Cameron is starting to feel a little better. He is still getting nebulizer treatments. He breaths like he is in distress until I pick him up and hold him and then he will breath normally again. Needless to say, Cameron has been spending lots of time in my arms. He has had a week of antibiotic and he is almost done. He has been less fussy and has a lot more smiles. He has also been getting lots of good sleep during the day. So yeah...he should be getting better.

3. Butler
Yesterday was the first day of March Madness. Butler is a 5 seed and they beat a 13 seed. Not unexpected you would think....but lots of people expected them to lose. Looking forward to Saturday to see what happens.

4. Owen
Owen stares at his hand and arm like he is in a staring contest. It is pretty cute. He just stares and stares. He doesn't really smile during his staring conest. He is very serious about the whole thing.

5. The morning
So it is exactly 9:40am. I am almost done with this post but listen to everything else I have done. I have done 3 loads of laundry, vacuumed the house, steamed cleaned the living room carpet, did a treatment for Cameron, organized the boys clothes (they are out of 3-6 months now), played with Owen, sent some emails, washed bottles, got Owen to take an hour nap IN HIS CRIB, and the obviously did a feeding and changed diapers and clothes. Off to get more done (or maybe watch Grey's from last night.)

Bedrest

So I decided to do a list of 5 things that made me happy while I was on bedrest back in September and October. I went into the hospital at 28 weeks and lasted until week 32.

1. Mushroom and cheese omelet, bacon, an apple, and skim milk
I was on a low carb diet at the hospital so this was my daily breakfast. It was pretty good. The bacon was the best. Since I was not able to exercise (not that I did when I was not on bed rest) I didn't eat a million slices of bacon. I did eat bacon and sausage every day for a month though. I am sure my cholesterol was terrible.

2. Movies on my laptop
I started watching movies on my laptop during the day. I was able to zone out for a couple of hours and pass the time. I watched quite a few movies. I was able to concentrate on movies but not on much of anything else because of the Magnesium.

3. Visitors
Greg and my mom visited every day. Shelby also visited everyday that she worked to eat lunch. She would just show up so it was a nice surprise. My Aunt Pam would bring me apple cider (too many carbs but I cheated), McDonald's breakfast, and flowers. Tons of people from work would come and bring magazines and gifts. Amy and Patrick brought me a huge gift package filled with everything. I now use the container to hold memories of the boys. My baby shower was scheduled for the first weekend that I was there so I had my entire mom's side of the family in at once. Greg's parents and brother and sister came. As you can tell...tons and tons of visitors..it was a long month. I am not even close to naming everyone but I am so grateful for everyone's company.

4. Ambien
I took this every single night. (Until the night that I delivered.) It was very hard to sleep in the hospital. The first two nights I was hallucinating. Greg told me that I was talking to the nurse about sparkles on my bedsheets and that she had a sparkle crown on. Besides those two nights I didn't hallucinate at all. It was great.

5. October 22
The night I delivered these two stinkers. Having it all come to an end and being able to walk again was AWESOME. I wish that I could of kept the boys in longer and then spend less time in the NICU but on October 22 I was thrilled to get those babies out of me.

This last picture is the minutes before I went back to the OR. I am huge!! The last week I was pregnant I gained 10 pounds overnight. Needless to say I delivered that week.

Crazy Life

So it has been crazy at our house this weekend. The boys are pretty sick and I worked a ton. I am still grateful for many, many things but I just don't have the energy to write. Hopefully I will get back tomorrow. Thanks for you patience.

Work

1. Being on call
I have 23 minutes to write this before it becomes Sunday. I picked up to work tonight....and then asked to be on-call. I went into work between 7pm-11pm and now I am home. Thank goodness. I just want to be home and be with babies. I think that Owen might be getting sick so I want to keep my eye on him. Plus I just love them so much.

2. Starbucks
So I gave in. I was having one of those days and I got into my car and drove straight to Starbucks. I got a venti white chocolate mocha. Venti--is that the large one? Well I got a large. Anyways, it was REALLY good and REALLY worth the $5. Seriously

3. Family
Enough said.

4. Coworkers
I really enjoy most of the people that I work with. Like 99% of the people. It makes work so much better when you are working with great people. Crazy patients, but great people.

5. Stand-Up Comedy
One of my patients had stand-up comedy on in his room this evening and it was making me laugh out loud. I love to listen to stuff and just laugh. One of my favorites is Dane Cook. That's it.

It is 11:47pm now and I am finished~off to bed...as long as I don't get called back in.

This is Jeopardy

My wife seemed to be trying to play injured during yesterday's blog. So I am scratching her from today's lineup and will write today's entry for her. I don't think she will mind.

My Family
It seems my family will be helping out every weekend but one in March. It can be an annoying drive from Chicago but my sister did it last weekend, my brother is coming this weekend and my parents the last weekend in March. I guess that's what happens when you're the favorite.

ATT Uverse
So my cable bill went up by $5 without me being notified, so in my nice calm demeanor, I called to ask why. After she explained, I then in a very kind tone, asked if it would cost me money to cancel, (I would never cancel Uverse, it gives me Comcast Sportsnet Chicago on the basic package.) She asked me to hold, came back and lowered my bill by $10 dollars. A successful negotiation. I also got HBO free for 3 months and 100 more channels free for 1 month. Thank you Uverse!

Chalk Board

Without our trusty chalkboard to make notes on we would probably have little scraps of paper all over the house. Its also nice to use a chalk board instead of those dumb dry erase boards where the damn markers die all the time. I hated those in college.

Washing Machine
I know this has been around for decades but I don't know how people lived without washing machines. Last night Cameron went through three outfits in 5 minutes, a new record. He has diarrhea from his antibiotic and he pooped onto 2 outfits, then after that I was holding him and he peed on his outfit and me. No matter how distracted you get by nasty poop you still have to remember not to let his pee pee be pointing out of the diaper. During this whole fiasco Cameron was happy and just kept watching Sportscenter. (Here is a pic of Katie changing outfit #3 while Cameron stares at the TV.)

Jeopardy
Greatest show on TV. You get great trivia, every character and it makes you feel smart (or dumb, I guess for some people.) You have the annoying guy who answers every question in a tone like he is guessing, the snotty girl who answers everything like she is certain and gets shocked when wrong and the dope who thinks being on this game show is going to start his TV career. The best part is when you get the question right and all those losers get it wrong. Yesterday Alex Trebek said the final question was really hard and he expected them to get it wrong. 2 people got it wrong, me and the winner got it right.

Category: The Nuclear Age

Answer: This country has 104 nuclear reactors, more than any other country.

Question: What is ???????

Fruit snacks

1. Sleep
Once again this makes the cut. I wanted to share these pictures of Owen sleeping. He arches his back and continually moves in circles around the bed. I use to move him back into a normal position but now I just let him sleep. He is so sweet.

2. My little stinkers

So here is another picture that I love. I think that it is cute that both boys have their hands up like they are cheering. It has been fun these past few days to be able to watch them learn and grow. It happens over night. This was taken right after a feeding this morning.

3. Going to the doctor

I went to the doctor today to make sure that I wasn't contagious and passing on crazy illnesses to the boys. Great news~I did not have to buy any new prescriptions and I am NOT contagious. I can give the boys tons of kisses again. (don't worry--I am!!)

4. My diet

I am currently on a diet of fruit snacks and cinnamon rolls. It is very tasty but probably very unhealthy. I also had popcorn tonight. Oh...and don't forget the combos.

5. Payday!!!

I got a paycheck today. That is exciting. There is not much more explanation than that. I think payday makes most people happy.

Sunny Days Ahead

1. The weather
It was beautiful out today. I think that it was almost 70 degrees. I am thrilled that the snow is melted, the sun is out, and the weather is officially changing. I can't wait to get these boys out more and enjoy the weather.

2. Target
I made a special trip to Target this evening to use my coupon to finish my registry. The coupon expired today. So I added stuff to my registry this morning and I filled my cart. I took all the size two diapers off the shelf, I put in extra cans of formula, refills of baby wipes, and even some cute onesies. I walk up to the cash register had the lady scan everything in....then I notice that the coupon expired THREE DAYS AGO. I don't really know what my problem is. I had to laugh at myself. I didn't return everything (except some of the diapers and wipes.) On a side note: the lady checking me out was a complete bitch and didn't even give me the discount for bringing my own bags. Regardless...I am a loser. I did walk away with some cute 6-9 month onesies that I look forward to them wearing. And like most people out there....Target makes me happy. (Even if the checkout lady was a bitch.)

3. No appointments all day
No doctor appointments, no therapy for Greg, no therapy for the boys, nothing scheduled today. It was great. I slept, went on a walk, and went to Target. It was a nice, enjoyable, lazy day. Look forward to lots more of these days.

4. Owen and Cameron
Cameron has been sick. He has been sleeping lots and not eating much. He was also a little more fussy than usual. This evening though he was smile city. It was so much fun to see him start to feel a little bit better. He has also been able to keep his medicine down (which is awesome because it is hard for him to keep anything down.) Owen on the other hand has been doing great. He was grabbing and playing with his toys today and it is has been fun to see him keep growing. He also is doing great in his bath. He has stopped crying and tonight I even pulled out a toy for him to play with! He was uninterested in the toy....but still.

5. The first walk
This afternoon we went on our first walk. It was so nice out today that I even wore a tank top. Cameron enjoyed the walk at first but then spit up the whole way home. Owen was awake for almost the whole time but then slept on the way home (until the neighbors dogs woke him up.) They are only 4 months old so it wasn't too exciting. (Just great for me to get out of the house.)

Augmentin

1. Dr. Kara
So once again I must dedicate a post to Kara. So, so, so grateful that she is our doctor. This afternoon I took the boys to get their 4 month check up. I knew that they might be getting a little sick and it wouldn't be strange because I am STILL sick. Well....Cameron has an ear infection AND pneumonia. My heart dropped. We are starting an antibiotic so I will keep you updated. I am also going to go to the doctor myself tomorrow since I am probably the culprit of this whole mess.


2. Pot Roast
Tonight we had dinner at my parents and it was the BOMB. Do you remember in middle school when you said that. Or maybe it was da bomb. I don't know. Regardless, it was very good. It was also nice to sit and have a glass of wine after the doctor appointment.


3. Parenthood
There is a new show, Parenthood, that is on tonight. It has only been on one time but I like it so far I am looking forward to it being on.


4. Facebook
Before I wrote this blog tonight I got onto facebook for 5 minutes and caught up on the gossip. People having babies, others getting engaged...it is pretty fun. I couldn't imagine being in high school and having facebook. All we had was AOL IM and I thought that it was the best thing ever.


5. An every day occurrence
Feeding the boys. This is something that happens multiple times every single day. Something that is routine, rarely changes, and is typically pretty easy, makes me happy.

Food

1. Not having a very busy week
Our calender does not have many appointments this week! The boys have their four month appointment tomorrow, first steps tomorrow afternoon, and then Greg has physical therapy on Friday. That's it. I am looking forward to taking walks with the boys (if the weather stays nice) and spending the time...doing nothing!!

2. Wine
I have a big glass of wine in front of me right now that I am enjoying thoroughly. You go through the bottle a lot faster when you have a large glass. It is actually sort of making me tired. But it is very good.

3. Clean Sheets
The bed is not made yet, but the sheets are clean! I love clean sheets. I remember once watching an Oprah years ago where she changed her sheets every two days. That would be awesome. Too bad I am not Oprah and have someone to clean and change my sheets every two days.

4. Diners Drive-Ins and Dives
I love, love, love this show. It always makes me so hungry. The food looks amazing. The host, Guy, says that it IS amazing. Greg just turned it on and I would like to say...I love food.

5. Greg getting the boys to sleep
It was a rough bedtime tonight. The boys cried and cried. Finally it was Greg who was able to get Owen to sleep and then eventually Cameron fell asleep in his arms. Thank goodness for Greg or they would still be crying.

Moon Landing

My lovely wife Katie has been working crazy hours this weekend so I again am coming out of the bullpen to take care of business.

Modern Family
This is hands down the best and funniest show on TV today. I look forward to Wednesday night every week so I can just sit, relax and laugh. If you have not been watching this show you should start.

Rain
Its raining! Sounds like a dumb thing to be grateful for but it's not. It means it is not snowing. It is always great when you can look at wet pavement and know that it is just wet and not crazy invisible ice. Sometimes in life when it rains it pours, but at least its not flurries and blizzards.

Bears Fleece
Katie bought me a Chicago Bears fleece for Christmas. I wear it everyday and love it. I always like to make sure that people in Indianapolis know that I am not one of them (by them I mean fairweather, Peyton Manning jersey wearing, wannabe part of the circus, Colts fan.) Now with my fleece I can make sure all winter and fall I will hear people moan, "oh a Bears fan." I love it. Bear Down.

Therapy
Although it is going slower than Charlie Weis in a foot race, therapy is getting me back to myself. I can stand now and pivot a little. Doesnt sound like much but the road is leading towards walking again. It is also a great distraction from some of the daily BS. Alisha and Matt make it fun and we all have the same determination to reach the goal.

March
March is one of the best months of the year. It lets you know that winter will not last forever. It gives you the chance to watch the future of the Cubs, with spring training baseball. It gives you the opportunity to watch Butler Bulldog basketball show the sports world that just because you aren't one of ESPN's mistresses doesn't mean you can't make a name for yourself at the big dance. Also some of my favorite people in the world were born in March, my late Grandpa McGuire, My Dad and my wife.

Erin

1. Maggie and Nick are here to help
So it has been a tough day. I am exhausted, worn out, and still sick. It is great to have these guys here to help with dishes, play with the boys, and make meals. I am sure that they think that I am crazy and lost my mind...but maybe I have. I am just grateful that they are here and I can continue to get sleep and pick up more hours at work.

2. My parents and Sam's Club
This afternoon while I was taking a nap my parents stopped by with a TON of stuff for us from Sam's club. I kept walking around the house finding more stuff. Tide, toilet paper, muffin mix, chips and dip, combos and more...it was great. They even got bagel bites which I would eat when I was in high school. It was a nice surprise when I got up.

3. Erin
So my sister lives in Denver. She loves it there but we all want her to move home desperately. Today when I was just basically breaking down from pure exhaustion and frustration I immediately called her. She was able to get my mind onto something else and help me relax so I could fall asleep. I can't wait to meet Sawyer and I just wish that she lived closer.

4. The boys are not sick....yet
I have been really sick this past week and not able to kiss and love on the boys. So far they have not been sick. Today is the first day that I am thinking that Owen sounds a little stuffy so we shall see how the rest of the weekend plays out. I know they will get sick sometime in their lives but I am feeling nervous for my children to get sick...ever.

5. A shower
It is 9pm, I just got out of the shower, the boys are in bed, Greg and Nick are at a Butler game, and I feel peace in my home. My teeth are brushed, I have a bra on, I feel rested, life is good. I usually get a shower everyday but must of been much needed because now I feel great. Off to work in a few hours.

Grandparents

1. My parents
So this morning was not one of my best to say the least. It was the first day with the new lift on the car and things were not happening as easy as I thought that they would. I pretty much lost it. After my many explicit words, my dad immediately jumped up to help. He ended up taking Greg to therapy (without the lift.) And my mom immediately came over and helped me out at the house. Right now the boys are at their house while Greg and I are at IU. It is like they came and actually took a weight off of me and I can physically breath easier. I am so grateful.

2. Valet Parking
I think that everyone can agree, valet parking is the best. I am all about the walking and the exercise from parking your own car, but sometimes it is worth the extra few dollars to pay to have someone search for the parking spot. Greg and I had to come to IU this afternoon for a pulmonary function test and we parked valet. You have to pay to park in the garage anyways so it is only $1 more to park valet. It was great!

3. Wireless Internet
So like I said, we are at IU this afternoon. I am sitting in the waiting room right now while Greg is getting his test done. I am hooked up to wireless Internet and boy am I excited. I can do this blog, catch up on email, and then waste time on Facebook.

4. Ebay
We have started selling a few things on ebay and it has really worked out for us. They are things that we don't use (like Greg's old cell phone covers.) So far everything has sold. We are not going to be huge ebay nuts but it is sort of fun to get some stuff out of the house AND get a little extra cash.

5. Grandpa Mitchell's sidekick
When Greg and I got back home two days ago from dropping off the car, my dad was on the floor playing with Owen. We went over to say hi to Owen and he looked up at us and he started to make his frown face. The face is so cute it makes me laugh. He was sad that my dad was leaving and we were home!!! He just kept looking at us, then my dad, then back at us...frowning like he was going to cry. He did not want Grandpa to leave.

Long Winded

1. My editor

If you are reading this blog on any type of regular basis then you know that I never proofread or spell check before I publish the post. I have sometimes but since I know what I am trying to say then I never catch the errors. I am usually typing very early in the morning or with only one hand while I hold a baby in the other. It isn't until Greg reads the blog that he is shocked at my grammar and fixes things for me. Thank goodness I have him around!

2. The night is over
So every night between 1:30am -2:30am Owen wakes up. It seems that he is uncomfortable in bed. You can go put the pacifier back in his mouth but in a few short minutes he will be crying again. A couple of weeks ago this started so at that time I started bringing him to the living room so he wouldn't wake up Cameron. Last night I tried to let him cry so he would fall back asleep and train him to sleep in his crib the ENTIRE night. I would also like to point out that when he comes to the living room he immediately falls asleep. No more tears after I pick him up out of the crib. So anyways, I let him cry for a few minutes and I go check on him and low and behold, Cameron is awake. So I eventually take Cameron to the living room so I can continue to train Owen to sleep. Cameron is now wide awake in the living room, Owen is asleep in the bedroom and sleeps for about 2 hours. At about 4 am Owen wakes again. By this time I am over it. I am still feeling miserably sick and by this time I am more exhausted than before so I bring Owen out into the living room. I most likely ruined the training I did earlier in the night. But there are many more nights in the future. The wonderful thing, now is there is daylight. We did the morning bottles, and the boys are taking their morning naps next to me. I am golden on the daytime routine. I just have to learn the nights. (I would love some advice if anyone has ever experienced this!)

This is a picture from a morning nap last week.

3. RSV shots
Later this morning I am taking the boys to get their last RSV shot for the year. We get them done at the hospital and the boys do great. Our insurance pays for the entire shot. Without insurance the shot would be over a thousand dollars...EACH. My dad is coming with me today since I can not fit the stroller into the trunk of my car and Greg's car is getting the lift put on today. The boys will also get weighed. It is sort of strange how important gaining weight is. I wonder if it is because the boys were premies and we talked about weight all the time in the NICU or if all parents are as obsessed as us.

4. Bibs
Bibs really are a clothes saver in this house. The boys spit up quite a bit and those bibs are able to save us from doing major changings. You just take the bib off and still have a clean outfit. Before I delivered we got so many bibs as gifts. I was surprised and thought to myself that there was no way I would use so many bibs. I was so wrong. I have an entire drawer in the kitchen just for bibs. (Lots of spit up in this house!)


5. Maggie and Nick coming this weekend
Since I have been really sick this week I haven't been able to sleep well or catch up on my chores. Maggie and Nick could not be coming at a better time. I have to pick up an extra night at work in order to make a little extra money but since they are here I will be able to SLEEP. I feel like the week has been crawling by until they get here. I know that the boys will have so much fun being entertained by Aunt Maggie. Plus Greg is going to the Butler game with Nick and he is looking forward to that as well.

This too shall pass

1. This too shall pass
So I feel REALLY sick. I have now for three days. I am over it and I am actually starting to get pissed off. Knowing that I can not be sick forever is what makes me happy.

2. Dinner at my parents
Dinner was really good and very fun. I also left with a box of girl scout cookies. Yum. We had steak, baked potatoes, and salad. And yes--we brought our Makoto dressing.

3. Pacifiers
The boys love their pacifiers. It is very soothing to them. The other day when my mom and I went to Kohls I FORGOT the pacifiers. Lucky for us we were able to buy some and not have a miserable trip. These things are like precious jewels in the house. This is an old picture of Owen with his trusty pacifier between Wild and Bear.

4. Caller ID
Remember the days were you had to pick up every call? Work just called (at 730 am) and I didn't answer. Very strange since I don't work days anymore. I still started to wonder as I saw the number flashing...am I supposed to be at work right now?

5. Cinnamon Rolls
After I delivered the boys I started eating cinnamon rolls at home. I was pumping all the time so calories were flying out of my body. It was great. I am still addicted. After I get done typing I am going to put some in the oven.

Greg

1. Greg
It is about time I wrote about Greg. There are many times throughout the day that I am grateful for my husband. This man that I married is kind, compassionate, and fun to be around. He is a good dad, he loves his family, and he is helpful around the house (most of the time.) I am glad that we are going through this journey together. **This picture was taken back in January**


2. Momslikeme and Swap Mamas
So I have recently found websites that I am able to swap coupons and rewards. You can also sell baby stuff. I have found someone who is going to save Coke Rewards for me and I am saving Box Tops for her. I am pretty excited about the whole thing.

3. Greg watching the boys for the whole morning while I sleep.
I went to bed last night feeling terrible and woke up feeling terrible. After the morning feeding I immediately went back to bed and Greg watched the boys until the next feeding. It was so nice to just go to bed and not have to worry about anything. He does this all the time but this morning it made me feel extra good.

4. Followers
So I got pulled in. I initially started the blog for myself (and that is why I still do it,) BUT I will admit that I am becoming very interested in who is reading the blog. I know that Greg and I both open it everyday and my sister told me that she does too. I also put a link on Facebook so I know that some people have linked from there. Strange I know, but it makes me happy when I log on and see that I have a new follower. So yesterday--Greg decided to follow. That means I have a total of 4. Not including Erin.

5. Going to my parents for dinner
Last week I asked my parents to invite us over for dinner or make us food. That is called being a mooch. So tonight we are going. We are going to have steak and play dominoes. Now if that isn't a night out...I don't know what is!

Makoto

1. Owen didn't cry during his bath
So this is BIG news. Owen did not cry during his bath tonight. I didn't really even know what to do with myself. I rushed through the bath as normal and he still didn't cry. It was great. Nice present for a tired mom.

2. Health
It is important to me that I mention how happy I am that my family, my in-laws, my friends, and everyone that I know is basically healthy. No one is in the hospital, no one is currently passing away. I am happy that right now I only have to deal with death and dying at work.

3. My job
I have been reading a book on happiness and there is a chapter regarding happiness at work. I knew that I loved my job but these chapters confirmed that nursing is a great job for me. No matter how terrible things are, no matter how bored or how challenged at work, I still love my job. I had a hard night at work last night, but I still love my job.

4. Cameron laughing and smiling when I got up this afternoon
So this afternoon I woke up and went to visit with Cameron and he immediately started smiling and laughing. It was so fun. Over and over. He melts my heart. This picture was taken yesterday. How can you not just love him?



5. Salad Dressing
Lisa Goldenberg brought us salad dressing when she made us food a few months ago. Greg and I immediately fell in love. Well I have been looking for this dressing for a while now. I knew that it was sold at Target and Kroger. I could not find it. I started searching everywhere. I didn't remember the name but I knew that I would recognize it when I saw it. So I started buying the same "type" of dressing. It wasn't working. They were terrible. Little did I know it was in the refrigerated section. I found it!! I bought three bottles this afternoon and already ate salads tonight for dinner. Yum. So if you are interested it is Makoto Ginger Dressing.