Underwear and Horses

Another big milestone passed as Thor got the sign off to wear underwear to preschool after keeping his pull up dry for 2 weeks. He also managed to keep his underwear dry at preschool for a week so I called Liz at Furry Kritter farm and asked if we could come out.



Liz obliged and the week before Thanksgiving Thor and I drove out to Earlham for the afternoon for a ride on Buck the horse. Thor hasn't stopped talking about it since. He saw and fed the baby goats, we rode Buck, and fed eggs to the pot belly pig.

It was cold as all get out and extremely windy but completely worth it. Another big boy milestone under our belts and one less boy in diapers at out house.

Babies helping Babies

Ingathering is over and we have a final count on the Layettes that were donated in Wolfie and Tyr's names. We were able to donate a total of 79 layette kits and also had some $$ donations to go with that to help with shipping.

Thank you to everyone who helped.

And for those of you wondering...

UMCOR has a charity that sends help to those who need in times of crisis around the world. One of the divisions is the layette division. They have a very specific list of items that they need in each "kit" to send out to help mothers care for their small babies.

To welcome Wolfie and Tyr and to make sure that the first lesson in life they learn is about helping others, our families in both Cedar Falls and Griswold held showers requesting the specific items needed for the kits. All our family friends were invited and gave very generously to this extremely worthy cause. The ladies at the church very generously gave of their time to assemble the kits and prepare them for shipping. Each kit contains:

6 cloth diapers
2 sleepers
2 onesies
2 washcloths
1 jacket or sweater
all wrapped in 2 flannel receiving blankets
and held together with 2 diaper pins

We want to make sure that our boys know they are loved and will always be cared for and that life is not as much about what you have, as the people you help and the lives you touch. I think this is a great way to start them off.

Happy Halloween (or It's the Great Pumpkin Thor Aksel)

We survived Halloween. I think I have set an expectation with Thor that will be difficult to keep up in the future. However, we certainly got our money's worth out of the costumes. (Thanks you Nana and Aunt Julie for the assist)

Halloween started with a visit to Bedstemore's/Aunt Lauren's on October 17. They had a layette shower for the babies and Thor decided to wear his Halloween costume. He was the "real" Woody from Toy Story. I found a similar plaid shirt and Nana made him a vest and found new boots since he outgrew his boots right before Halloween. Aunt Julie found the hat and holster and sent it from Raleigh and I made him the little star to make it complete. Anyhow, Thor liked showing off his costume for the Cedar Falls folks and all of Bedstemore's friends.

The next Friday, the 22nd we got dressed up again and went to Night Eyes Trick or Treating at the zoo. Thor loves animals and although we didn't see many he saw the lions and the tigers and was pretty happy about that. He also got to ride a little toy tractor at the end. The little boys came too and were dressed up as cows. They are game for anything although Wolfie kept licking his costume.

Wolfie licks most things.

Sunday the 24th brought TRUNK or treating at the park, where our car one first place for decorations. COOL! We got a gift card to Toys R US!

So by Monday Thor was making demands of I want to get dressed up and see Bedstemore and Nana and baby tigers and get Candy and presents. He would strip down and try and dress himself. Did a pretty decent job too.

Thursday the 28th my office decorated the entire building and invited everyone who works there children to come trick or treat. Thor got many complements on being the real Woody. He liked that. One section had large cut outs of Disney characters and all the gang from Toy Story. Thor tried to get on the Bulls-eye cut out. I had a very hard time convincing him that he couldn't ride it. A week later I was in a meeting and they were talking about the little boy that tried to ride Bulls-eye. I had to explain that he really loves horses thinking they all knew he was my sone. Nope. They just thought he was that cute and funny.

Friday, the 29th, big party with lots of cake and cookies and punch and games at Miss Pam's. Again with the costumes. The little boys were invited and we all had a lot of fun. Thank you Miss Pam for the great party and inviting us to share.

Saturday, the 30th, we met friends Barb and Jess at the big Pumpkin Patch in Adel. They had a betting zoo of farm animals, jumpy houses, marshmallow roasting pit (Thor really liked), tractor rides, a pumpkin cannon, and the best part of all...horses you could ride. All dressed up in their Halloween costumes, my little Sheriff Woody rode a little gray and black horse named Mr. Twinkles and a very large Brown one named Buck. Never has there been a happier little boy. Jess and I got many pictures and only later did I kick myself for not recording it and his constant, "Look Mommy, I riding a Horse!!" The little boys enjoyed staying warm by the fire and getting their pictures made with the pumpkins.

Saturday was beggars night. Dave loaded up all three boys and took them around the neighborhood. Thor cleaned up. He kept asking Dave to take him more places and eventually Dave brought the little boys home and he and Thor set out on their own. What to do with all the candy?!!

And finally Sunday was upon us. And there was nothing left to do.

Learning to Help Others

Aunt Lauren had a Layette shower for the little boys in Cedar Falls today. Good time! Many of Bedstemore's friends showed up and we got lots of good stuff to complete our Layettes for UMCOR. (update on numbers later) Thor got to wear his Halloween costume and the little boys got plenty of play time with Wolf mastering the skill of clapping so that he could engage in some high stakes Pat-i-cake. Tyr proved to everyone why e is called Chunk a lunk by being to big and crazy for Bedstemore to hang on to.

Everyone had great fun and lots of babies will be helped!

Can You Hear Me Now Part 5

Quick note. We got the results of the cat scan for Wolfie. It is not something structurally wrong. It is genetic. We will go to Iowa City for genetic testing to determine who it came from, what it is, and what we need to be on the look out for. There is a six month backlog so it will be spring before we go. In the meantime we will continue with the speech and physical therapies and go back for another sedated BAER test in December.

Can You Hear Me Now Part 4

So the sage continues...

To catch you up. We had the sedated BAER test for Wolfie's ears and the right ear is perfect and the left year has a mild to moderate hearing loss. We have gone to the doctor and at this point he does not recommend hearing aids. We do need to find the cause.

Last week we had a CAT scan and we will get the results from it next Friday. Both boys have been evaluated by the team of specialist that work at the AEA and we get their report of findings on Tuesday. We will be working with a physical therapist, and speech therapist once a month for Wolfie and the audiologist every three months for a follow up hearing test until he starts school.

Meanwhile both of the twins are getting better at sitting up and are hardly babies anymore. A fact that makes both Dave and I very sad. Dave however assures me that no matter how upsetting it is, there will not be any more babies.

Smile Big Part 3 and 4

That's right! Tyr has 4 big ones. It is worth a trip to our house to watch him try to figure out what to do with them. He scruntches up his face and juts out his jaw and does all manner of things to figure out how they are supposed to feel and what he is supposed to do with thoough teeth. It is hillarious to watch.

So far he has only bit me while nursing once. Scare us both as he did it in the middle of the night. Unlike Thor who used to do it and giggle at me, Tyr started to cry. He so wants to be a big boy but on the other hand he can't quite figure out what to go with the teeth.

Smile Big Part 2

Tyr is such a happy little guy. Always smiling. So with his hands in his mouth all night I missed his cute little grins. Pulling his hand away to see him grin I stuck my finger in. Yep, he has the lower right front tooth now too. Child has yet to fuss over teething.

So tonight we got out the baby tooth brush. Not just the gum massager. And we brushed. Big brother Thor was havig a fit abot having to brush his teeth and was shamed by little brother who opened wide and giggled through the whole thing. Thor had extra kisses for Wolfie tonight. :-)

Bubba Holst

I have always called Tyr my little Moon Pie. A name that others refer to him as, as well. Dave has begun lately referring to him as Bubba. I am sure a referene to his size and not his southern heritage.

Tyr has started saying Bubba, Bubba, Bubba over and over. Dave says that is proof he wants to be called Bubba. I am hoping that he is asking for a bottle and that the nickname doesn't stick.

Can You Hear Me Now Part 3

Wolfie had his sedated BAER test this morning at the hospital. Right ear is absolutely perfect. Left ear has a 30%-35% hearing loss. We don't know why. Our next appointment is next week, September 30th with Dr. Young. We will need to find out what is causing it and then discuss best path to take. We also have an appointment with the AEA on Friday to discuss getting him caught up developmentally. They will also help us get funding for a hearing aid with what insurance won't cover. He will need to have a hearing test every 6 months for the rest of his life.

The nurses and audiologist were absolutely wonderful and Wolfie did great with the sedation. I was very nervous about them giving him chlorahydrate as that was what killed Anna Nicole Smith, Marilyn Monroe and what was in the Kool-Aid at Jonestown. The nurses all assured me that 1 tsp wouldn't harm him. I had kept him up late last night and stuffed him full of food and milk right up until midnight. He was so tired that he conked out right away after they gave it to him, and stayed asleep until we woke him when it was over. He is still a little groggy, but was happy to nurse when it was over. He was also very happy to burp and toot. He actually was in a great mood that he had all of Mommy and Daddy's attention to himself.

Please continue to say extra little prayers for Wolfie's ears and for Dave and I to make the right decisions about what to do.

Styling in a Pull-Up

Another milestone hit today. Thor is officially in pull-ups. After several very successful days going potty where he should, he has proven he can graduate to a full on pull-up. We are using the Cool Alerts That turn cold when wet. Apparently that is not the most comforatble feeling to sit in cold and wet.

He also pooped in the potty again tonight. We continue to struggle with that part so another victory!!

Smile Big

So Becky, texts me at work today, did I know that Tyr has a tooth? I figure that he is drooling and his gums are swollen. He is barely 6 months old.

So when I get home I take a look. Sure enough, bottom left has popped through. He has also figured out that everyone wants to see it so he will open his mouth and stick out his tongue. All you see is his tongue but he has figured out the key to attention right now, for him, is in his mouth.

Pictures will come later...Once we can move the tongue out of the way to get a picture.

Can You Hear Me Now Part 2

Wolfie had another appointment at the ENT today. This time a pediatric specialist that was refereed to us by a friend. Good news bad news. He passed in his right ear! It has been a while since we got a pass in the right ear. However, failed in the left. It is indisputable now. There is some degree of hearing loss.

I wish that we had been going to this guy all along. Don't get me wrong, I like the other guy, but he doesn't handle many babies and he has a wait and see attitude. The new guy handles primarily little kids and babies and would have had Wolfie in a hearing aid 4 months ago. I am sick thinking about the time we lost.

The Sedated ABR test is rescheduled for 6:30 AM on September 22. Please keep Wolfie in your prayers. He is being a little trooper about this. Mommy struggles to keep it together, but he is being so good with all the poking a prodding.

6 Months and Counting

The little boys had their 6 moth check up today. Everyone is healthy and much to Thor's dismay, now have their flu shot. (he was mad as this wasn't his doctor appointment, he just came for the stickers and suckers)

Wolfie was 26 1/2 inches long and 15 1/4 pounds. Long and thin like his Daddy. Head is 17 1/2 inches round.

Tyr is 28 inches long and 17 1/4 pounds. He is a hos. Solid little boy and blowing off the charts height wise.

Wolfie's eyes seem to be far apart and it creates the allusion that he is cross eyed at times. We have an appointment now with a pediatric vision specialist to make sure that his eyes are OK.

The doctor is also putting us in touch with the AEA to get both boys a development assessment. Tyr seems fine but there is concern that Wolfie is "on the low end of normal." I think the issues is actually that Wolfie has much better fine motor skills than most babies his age but his gross motor skills are falling behind. The specialist will tell us for sure and help us figure out what to do to bring everyone up to the same level. They should also be able to help us with grants for hearing aides for Wolfie should he need them.

At least the boys shouldn't be getting the flu...

Babies in disguise

This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep and you have all the componets for amusement right there in your lap.

THOR POOPED IN THE POTTY!!

Sprinklin' the Heathens

Break out the holy water! Saturday we loaded up the boys and all the family and headed to church to get the little guys baptized. So many things could have gone wrong, with that many little kids, (my boys and my brother's kids) but God was looking out for us once again. Everything went off without a hitch. In fact there was nary a whimper as they poured the water. Wolf barely woke up.

Aunt Julie flew in from NC to be Godmother and although Aunt Darla couldn't make it, our good friend Amy stood in for her as proxy to answer on her behalf. Mike reprised his roll as the godfather for this baptism (he is also Thor's) and we were ready to go!

Afterwards we had a big party with tons of good food and great company. The Baiers and The Holsts made it down as well as Kaitlan, Amy, Becky and Mama Chris, Barb and Jess, Linda and Joe and more. We had a lot of fun and all the boys slept very well last night.

God Bless us all!

Double Vision

So my Mothers of Multiples group walked with our families in the State Fair parade. On of the hottest days of the year an we are out on the pavement with all out children trying to avoid a heatstroke. As much as I wanted to do this I couldn't justify bringing the little boys. But this was really important to me. So I had an idea. We borrowed a couple of baby dolls from daycare, dressed them in the babies' clothes and stuck them in the stroller. No one could see in the little stroller so no one was the wiser. Everyone just thought that my kids were VERY quiet. So I pushed an empty stroller and Dave pulled Thor in the wagon with the water cooler.

The theme of the fair in Non Stop Fun. so we were the Non Stop Diapers group. The strollers was decorated in diaper boxes and the wagon in wipes boxes with wipe containers dragging behind. We looked good.

Thor enjoyed spraying himself and the others in our group with his water bottle and drinking from a big cup after pouring his own water out of the cooler. He also liked waving at people as we went along.

All those multiples, everyone dressed alike and who gets the most TV time?! Yep! Thor! right there on TV waving and being cute. I felt a little guilty that my singleton was getting more TV time than all the twins, but on the other hand, I loved seeing that cute little face on TV.

There was a fountain at the end of the route and as soon as we got to the end all the little kids ran and got in it. We ended up dragging Thor out of it after a good 10 minutes. He would still be in there now if it was his choice.

And when we got home, the twins were all snug and happy in their jammies and ready for bed. None the wiser and no heat stroke.

Even with the ungodly heat, we had a great time. Although after seeing myself on TV and understanding that the "camera adds 10 lbs." I have determined that there were no less than 3 cameras on me.

I have to loose the baby weight, but that is another blog. (sigh)

Progression of a family picture. (or why we call them twins and a whirlwind)

New Jobs and New Beginnings

After nearly 15 years, today, Dave starts a new job. He is leaving DuPont/Pioneer for Dice.com to manage their VM Ware. We have been trying to hustle around and separate all of the stuff that we have entangled in his old job (cell phones, insurance) and realizing some of the benefits we are loosing (car purchasing power) but I think we are mostly there. Dave is excited and nervous and ready for a change. Now if they will just let him work 9-6....

Becky starts today with the twins. After a year in China, she is home and ready to help us out for the next year. I just hope that the little boys are good for her so she doesn't catch the next flight back to Chengdun.

Ka-wee

Kari's last day was today. She was the nanny for the boys all summer and as much as we are looking forward to our friend Becky coming, Kari will be missed. All the boys adored her. Thor talks about her incessantly and she is the only reason he willingly leaves preschool in the afternoon. "Ka-wee wants to see me".

So Kari is off to school, we will miss her and love her.

Can you hear me now? Continued

So little Wolf had his follow up at the audiologist. I was sure that this would be the end of it. The kid can hear. He responds to loud noises and to the inflection of your voice correctly. He "talks". Heck, if the ceiling fan isn't going he will even look at you when you say his name. I figured he hears just fine he just doesn't test well. Study a little harder, get a tutor, and hope things change by the time he has to take his SATs.

Nope.

His right ear failed again reading fluid. There was no fluid. His left ear wouldn't read at all and the machine just errored out. He is scheduled for a Baird (?) test on September 3rd where he will be sedated and his brain waves read, hearing monitored and then fitted for hearing aids if needed. I have also reached out to a PEDIATRIC ENT, (we have been seeing just a regular ENT) and if things don't go well we will go see him after the test in September.

Please keep little Wolf, and his ears in your prayers. And if you see a hearing test study guide, please send it on to me.

The Big Weigh-In

Four month doctor's appointment today. I can hardly believe that it has been 4 months since the little boys were born. Where has the time gone? I have been back at work for over a month and it isn't getting any easier. I moved the boys into 6 month size clothes last weekend (again with the tears) and realized that soon, they just won't be babies any more.

So to the doctor we went today. Everything is fine and normal. We go back for Wolf's follow up ear appointment next month but his ear drums still look good and he seems to respond well to people when they talk to him. Tyr's hernia is looking really good and he demonstrated to the doctor his crying skills, to which the doctor said that we probably needed a little more help in the evenings when he does this just for our sanity and and the well being of the other boys. (Tyr wails for about 2 hours a night, at the top of his lungs and can not be consoled, unless you work full time to entertain him. It is very stressful and usually by the time Dave gets home from work all three boys and me are crying because of this.)

So their size. Wolf, baby A, was 25 1/2 inches long which is the 75% and 12 pounds 9 ounces, the 10%. His head was 16 1/4 inches around. He is going to be built like his father. He is a little peanut right now and showed everyone his good nature and fun smile.

Tyr, Moon Pie, Chunk-a-Lunk, Baby B, 14 pounds 5 ounces the 40% for weight, and 27 inches long. The 99%. And his noggin was 161/2 inches around.

We tried formula last weekend for the first time and everyone gagged and spit it out (good looking and smart, they get that from their mother) We will try again this week. They definitely need more food.

The boys are growing well. Now if they can just slow down a little bit so they don't' outgrow their baptism outfits. Keep your fingers crossed.

Until the next adventure.

Little Man's Big Time

You know when you are two, you have pretty much done it all. So it is pretty rare that you would have three new expreiences in one week. And yet Thor has made the most of these opportunities.

June 22 Thor went to the Dentist for the first time. While I was getting my teeth cleaned he checked out all the equipment and even pushed the button on the xray machine to take "pictures" of my teeth. He thought it was all very neat, even taking a ride on the chair, UNTIL it was his turn. Thor hates having his teeth brushed, he hates people messing in his mouth. Dr. Lukan was able to count his teeth and they all looked good but that was pretty much it. He did get to pick a prize from the "good boy box" and selected a blue and pink bouncy ball. He showed it to his brothers that night by bouncing it off them. I am hanging on to the ball for him for now.

June 26th was a HUGE day in our house. Our friend Amy came and stayed with the little boys while Thor and Dave and I went to see Toy Story 3. Thor went dressed as Sheriff Woody, complete with hat, Woody Shirt, shorts, and cowboy boots. This was the first movie that he has been to for him (when he was an infant he slept through a movie in the theater). He loved it, the popcorn, the big screen, and of course, his favorite characters. For those of you who haven't seen it the premise is that Andy grows up and goes to college and what happens to his toys. I cried and cried and cried. Dave and Thor made sure there was a seat between me and them. Thor had a great time and we went to his favorite restaurant, Taco Johns, for lunch after.

And then finally last Friday, Scooter had a groomers appointment. Scooter gets groomed right next to Krispy Kreme. And so after dropping him off I picked up a box and brought Thor his very first Krispy Kreme. He at part of two and then the rest of them that evening. He has determined after much deliberation that donuts are "mmmm, good as cake Mommy." High praise.

Now on to the next adventure...

Doing the Math behind our family

I get asked a lot of math questions about our life. How many diapers? How much laundry? I thought I would break it down for you so get out our pencils and paper, fire up the calculator and the slide rule, and here we go.

Laundry 18 loads per week
· 1 load of whites daily = 7 loads of whites (we use a lot of raggies)
· A load of colors every other day = 4
· Towels and washcloths 2 wash clothes daily for me and the 4 little boys= 8 washcloths * 7 days=56 washcloths plus 4 Thor towels 6 little boy towels 5 Mommy/dad towels = 15 towels = 2 loads of towels
· We wear a lot of red= 1 load of reds and red tinted clothes a week
· Sunday = 1 extra load of whites + 1 load of jeans + 1 extra load of colors
· Plus 1 load of someone's sheets per week
· Plus 1 load of someone had an accident and all their stuff goes in by itself

*Dave doesn't generate very many washcloths. I have yet to figure out why.

7+4+2+1+1+1+1+1=18

Now if we have an extra blowout, Scooter/Bettina laundry, bath mats, special wash instructions, etc. that all is in addition to the 18 loads.

Diapers 1632 and counting
That is just for the little boys.
· 1632/102 days (the boys are 102 days old)= 16 diapers a day or 8 per twin. I am basing the 1632 on the total number of diaper boxes that we have emptied since bringing them home from the hospital.
Now Thor goes through about 7 a day.
· 1 first thing in the morning
· 1 mid morning
· 1 after lunch
· 1 after nap
· 1 right before he comes home from day car or about 4pm on the weekends
· 1 in the evening
· 1 special night time diaper before bed.
So we are changing 23-24 diapers a day.

Dishes
Aarrrgghhh, the bane of my existence. Why is it that plastic does not dry in the dish washer?!
Between bottles, sippy cups, pumping supplies, Rubbermaid pitchers that we mix stuff up in we do a load of plastics just about every day. Add regular dishes on to that, drying all the plastic and the pots and pans that must be hand washed and I am starting to feel like I live in front of the sink.

Count 8 loads of dishes per week.

And finally sleep.

Bedtime is at 8:30 for the boys. If we start at 8 o'clock getting everyone ready and through the tub and in jammies, and read to and rocked and one last feeding or cup of milk and it is 9:15-9:20 by the time everyone is tucked in.

Then there are dishes and laundry to fold and toys to pick up and work to get ready for the next day. I go to bed as early as midnight and as late as 1:10.

Wolf gets up at 4:30 like clock work to get something to eat. (he is always the first one down.
If I get to go back to sleep after nursing him, my alarm goes off at 5:30. Tyr usually gets up around 6 and I leave for work at 6:45.

So I get a minimum of 3 hours and 20 minutes of sleep and a max of 5.

What ever the numbers there are three big reasons why it's worth it.

Four Auk-del

That is how it comes out when you are 2. Thor is learning that he is more than just Thor. We are working in the car on saying our WHOLE name. IT is interesting what he thinks his name is, as he goes by many aliases:

Boogie
Boogieman
Baby Butt Baier (we like the alteration, he, as do all my boys, clearly has a Holst butt. But that is another entry.)
Hang Low Holst (only when the diaper is full)
Silly Boy

When the earthquake hit Haiti I started worrying about if Thor could tell a stranger his name, you know, in case a earthquake ever hit South Central Iowa. I realized that when asked his name he would give me a different answer each time. Mostly Boogie, as that is what I call him most often. (I know, only in the south can we refer to our children as Boogers and mean it as a term of endearment) So we started working on it.

So far, if he is ever lost he can clearly say with out any 2 year old gibberish:

Boogie
Baby Butt Baier
Silly Boy

That should help a police officer if he ever got lost.

So now when asked what is his name he clearly and loudly states:

Four Auk-del

That should definitely help anyone should there be an emergency.

This week we will work on adding Baier.

Something to Make You Smile

Haven't gotten a chance to update the picture site recently, so this have to tide you over.

Can You Hear Me Now

If you have been reading this a while, you know that when the twins were born Wolf didn't pass his hearing test in his left ear. How disheartening it is to have your new babies rolled into your room and one has the little card taped to the side of his crib that says I passed my hearing test and the other one has nothing. Wolf had passed in his right ear but not his left. He also has a skin tag on his right ear and since your kidneys and your ears develop simultaneously he had to have an ultrasound ran on his kidneys to make sure that they were functioning properly. They were.

But back to the ears...

I took Wolf back to the audiologist when he was 2 weeks old. He failed in his left ear again but when they ran a secondary test he passed it the second time 3/4 of the way through. The audiologist was please. I was not. Incidentally he passed in his right a second time when they did a base line.

The pediatrician suggested we see a specialist just to confirm, so Thursday that is what we did. They wanted to wait until he was three months old. He failed the test they gave him that was similar to the one in the hospital as well as every other test they gave him. There was no fluid in his ear. And just to be sure they did a base line in his right ear, and he failed it too. We go back in 2 months, should he fail again they will do a test in which they sedate him so that they can quantify the hearing loss and prepare him for hearing aids. Dave and I are terribly worried and there isn't a thing in the world that we can do. We feel confident that he can hear but to what degree we don't know. He smiles and he coos and reacts to noise. There is a chance that it can all be good and that when being tested his little ear drums are just collapsing as they can with preemies and twins.

Please keep little Wolfie in your prayers as we move forward on this. I, like every mother, want only the best for him and for him to have every advantage in life. Including hearing.

A tale of Woe and the Best Lemon Bars ever (don't worry, there is a happy ending)

The absolute best lemon bars in the world, in fact, the best bars in the world, even surpassing my mother's buttermilk brownies are the lemon bars made by Methodists food services.  When I had Thor, the night I had him there was one on my tray. Before I could finish it they took it away and for years I sought to find one as good.  Never did and I became convinced that it wasn't really as good as I thought but had become magnified by time and the fact that I hadn't eaten it in 2 days when they brought it to me.  Well, when I had the little boys I ordered one and was shocked to discover that they were better than I remembered.  I ordered several at every meal and saved them and took them home.  They were that good.  But alas, they are long gone and Dave says that I can't have another baby just to get more lemon bars.  They were that good.  Have another baby good.

In recent weeks, knowing that having another baby was off the table I began contemplating what other things I could do to stay at the hospital so that I could get these Lemon Bars again.  They are not in the cafeteria.  That I have tried.  No, they are food service delivery only.

I tried calling the hospital for the recipe (yeah, try that sometime.  that will really trip them up) I visited the cafeteria.  I talked to other people who were pregnant about delivering at Methodist and scoring me some Lemon Bars only to come back crumb free each time.

They have a wonderful shortbread bottom and a brown baked top (not powdered sugary) and they are Lemony and tart.  They are a little piece of citrus heaven and worth every Weight Watcher point.

And then today, glorious today, like manna from heaven a friend who works in a different building but is part of the Methodist family found out, THEY COME FROM A MIX!!!  She is getting me an industrial size box.  Dave is off the hook, no more Lemon Bar babies.  I figure from the box I can figure out either what they are and make my own from scratch (reverse Sandra Lee it) or find a similar mix on the market, or find them on the web.

I am in Lemon Bar heaven.

Stay tuned for the arrival of the mix and if I can scale down the recipe for a normal pan size.

Huzzah!!

Back in the Saddle Again

 

Time is a funny thing.  There is so much of it and yet, so terribly little.

My Nana Thomas once said that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer you get to the end, the faster it goes.

Yep. It has been 12 weeks and my maternity leave has run out.  I am heading back to work and while I keep telling people that it will be great to talk to grown ups again, no one believes it.  Least of all me.  I will miss my mid day baby snuggles and having the little boys all to myself.  I will miss the afternoons running errands with them and singing with them in the car.  I will miss going to day care early and sitting on the deck, watching Thor play with the other kids.

I am instead getting conference calls and project plans and all too soon, airports and hotels away from my family.  I am not trading up here.

I will be OK and after a while will be glad that I am back.  After that first overnight away from the boys, it probably won't be so bad.

Until then I may pick up a lottery ticket or two.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Monday was Dave's Birthday so Thor helped make a cake. I don't think that Dave could have enjoyed it anymore than Thor enjoyed making it.

To celebrate, everyone slept in their own room.

Huzzah!!

Big Boy's Big Bed

The time had come. Thor is two and still in the crib. Never has there been a child who loves his crib as much as Thor loves his. He would play in there for ever. But alas, all good things must end and on occassion he had begun trying to get out. So finally I convenced Dave to make the conversion. I go back to work soon and I wanted him sleeping well in the toddler bed and me not sleeping on the floor before I go back. So Tuesday was the day. Thor helped Daddy convert his crib to a toddler bed and then took a bath and hopped in. He loved it. Until 3 AM when he woke up and didn't have a clue where he was.

It took Dave and I both an hour to get him calmed down. He was so distraught. Once we got him calmed down I took him back in his room, put him back in bed and laid on the floor. He was off. He didn't leave the room. I told him he couldn't but he ran laps in his room until after 6 AM, finally laying on the floor beside me and passing out. Dave came and got us up at 8 and I was ready to change the thing back to a crib.

Thor took a good 3 hour nap at daycare while I spent the day wrestling with the twins. Dave came home exhausted from the whole thing as well.

I am happy to report that since Tuesday night we have had no issues with the bed and Thor loves the independence but doesn't try getting out of his room.

The boys seem to have recovered well from the entire event and Thor is happy. I have long since come to accept that I will be perpetually tired the rest of my life.

Third Time is a Charm

Yep, Tyr made it a third night through the night. Over 8 hours.

Wolf made it 6 1/2 and probably would have made it through the night but he got interrupted in the middle of the nigh and I think it screwed him up.

I know they will both make it tonight. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it looks like a night light.

As soon as the extra cameras come in they are moving to their own room.

Huzzah!!

Big Boy's Big Day

Thor has had a great weekend.

Last night he got to stay late at Miss Pam's house for date night. His best friend Isaac stayed too, as did his buddy Kaleb. His little brothers joined them about 5. They played in the sandbox, got dirty, got cleaned up, but on jammies, ate supper, watched movies, ate popcorn and played and squealed and just generally were little boys. We picked the three boys up about 9:30 but didn't get out until 10 as the little boys were being cuddled and Thor and Isaac couldn't be separated.

This morning we got up and all 5 of us went to the kick off of West Des Moines EMS week. We parked at the swimming pool and got picked up and drove to the station house in an ambulance. Thor LOVED it.

Once we got there there was a fire truck to crawl all over, police cars and 2 helicopters. He didn't get a chance to sit in the helicopters as we were a little late and they took off but he did get to see them and watch them take off.

Then we got to take a tour of the station house and one of the dispatchers pulled up our house on the map and showed us a satellite image. We skipped the hot dogs but as a family then all went to Thor's favorite restaurant, Taco John's.

Once we got home he took a nap and when he got up he had a surprise visitor. Aunt Andrea was here! He had plenty to tell her and show off.

Pasta for supper, Thor loves Pasta, and a bath, Thor loves baths.

He collapsed into bed a happy little camper.

Wait until he finds out that police week is next month.

Until next time...

50% Success means someone is doing it right!

Second night report:

Tyr slept until 8 this morning had a snack and then slept until I woke him up.

Wolf was up at 4 for a little snack and then passed back out until I woke him.

If Tyr sleeps through the night tonight I am going to call it a trend.

We Are Sleeping Through the Night!!

Yes, it is true. The alarm went off this morning, Dave jumped out of bed and said, "write it down." That is when I realized. We put the boys down last night and here it is 6:45 and not a peep. I put Wolf down at 12:30 ish last night and when he heard Dave he stirred. I gave him 2 ounces and he is still sleeping at 9:30. 12:30-6:45.

And because we have worked so hard to keep the boys on the same schedule, just as I was finishing up feeding Wolf, Tyr stirred. Dave put him down about 12:40 last night and he roused up about 6:50. He took 1 ounce and fell back asleep until 9:15.

Sweet Sleep.

I have ordered the extra camera monitors and they should be in today or tomorrow. Once they are now that the little boys are sleeping through the night, they can start sleeping in their own room. Dave is a little reluctant to make that move, but I am ready. Dave says once we move them out of our room we will never have babies in our room again. Having recently shared a bed with Thor twice, I assured him that they will be back. Waking up cheek to cheek with Thor (my upper, his lower) I am ready to not have babies in our room.

Now, for our little whirlwind. Thor is moving to the big boy bed this weekend. I figure I will be sleeping on the floor in his room or the little boys room. Depending on who is having the rougher night in their new digs. But I have 2 weeks until I return to work and I have to get everyone sleeping in their new beds before I go back.

Thor had a rough morning this morning and screamed like he was being abused when I tried to dress him. It broke my heart. He ran to the corner in the little boys room and balled up with his head in the corner and sobbed and pleaded with me not to put clothes on him. I am extremely hormonal and all I could think of was there are little children in the world who cry like this for good reason. So I started sobbing. Dave got out of the shower thinking we would all be dressed and Thor would be ready to go and instead we are both on the floor crying.

I will be glad when the hormones are a little better under control.

Dave was able to get Thor's shirt on him (I had wrestled him down with the rest) and as they were leaving Thor ran backand gave me a hug and kiss and said "I love you Mommy." Which made things a lot better since recently he has taken to calling me Jennifer.

Miss Pam and her family are keeping all three of the boys tonight so Dave and I are going to go out to eat to celebrate sleeping through the night and the return of Mommy to Thor's vocabulary.

Until next time...

What's in a name (or a Tyr by any other name is still a Tyr.)

 

We keep getting asked about the names, how to pronounce them, what they mean, and where they came from.  So to answer your questions.

 

I have loved the name Wolfgang since I was a little girl and Dave has always liked it.  We call him Wolf. It is the reason I have taught Thor that doggies say Arf Arf and not Woof Woof.  Might be too confusing.  I finally realized the reason that I liked the name Wolfgang so much a few weeks ago.  Wolfgang Reitherman was one of Walt Disney's original 9 animators and was with Disney until his death. He would have been involved in all the Disney movies that I saw growing up. (Rescuers that I saw while my mom was having my brother, 101 Dalmatians, Aristicats, etc. etc)   I must have seen the name in the credits a million times and it stuck.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Reitherman for more information on him.  It is pretty cool.

 

Tyr is pronounced Tier.  It is Both Scandinavian and German.  Here is more information here on who Tyr was:

http://www.timelessmyths.com/norse/aesir.html#Tyr

He is both the younger brother of Thor and the keeper of the wolf.  Kinda ties all the names together. Tuesday was originally called Tyr's day as it was the day to worship Tyr just as Thursday's were originally called Thor's day.

 

That and he was a character in the last series that Gene Roddenberry's developed, Andromeda,  and I am a huge Roddenberry fan.  Dave hasn't put that part together yet.

 

Heinrich (Wolf's middle name) is my Great Grandpa Baier's middle name and Arnold (Tyr's middle name) was my Grandfather's brother, who was killed in WWII, and is my uncle Arnie, my Dad's brother.  It is a good family name to carry on.

 

 

 

It's Only a Scratch (or Do you Know the Words to the "I Told You So" Song)

I have a huge scratch on my passangers side door. Or shall we say a series of scratches about a foot tall and 8-10 inches long. There is no buffing this out. I have lost a lot of sleep over these scratches which is surprising as I knew I was going to get them for a full week before it happened.

Dave has a dump trailer. He bought it about a year or so ago on Craig's list because, in Dave's words, we needed a dump trailer. This thing was modified by it's previous owner and is old and beat up but from what I understand, "Was a great deal!"

Part of the modifications is that the back part instead of flipping up or down is now on a hinge and swings out. A big long hinge. About a foot long. It also sticks out from the trailer about 10 inches.

The trailer lives in Cedar Falls most of the time but has made a trip to our driveway so that Dave can work on it, find someone to "undo" the modifications and so we can use it for the long anticipated backyard-under-the-deck clean up that started 2 summers ago.

I told Dave when I saw it in the driveway it was just a matter of time. I can't see the hinge in my mirror backing out and when pulling in. He assured me that I knew it was there and wouldn't hit it.

And so a week later I have this giant scratch. Luckily no dent but there is no buffing this sucker out.

I am sick about it, but I knew it was only a matter of time before that sucker jumped out and got me. Sometimes doing the "I told you so dance" isn't very satisfying.

Little Lord Skid Mark (Happy Mother's Day)

Happy Mother's Day!

May all you Moms have a restful day with your families and all you non-Moms be working to make a restful day for a Mom.

My guys decided to take me out to Lupper today (Lunch/supper) at Ohana. You know how I do love Ohana. So all the boys are wearing what Dave calls, "pro Mom wear", shirts that say I love Mommy or some sort. Except Thor has out grown his and I have not gotten out stuff the next size up. So I dug through a box to find the least too small pro mom shirt that Thor has, luckly I had just cleaned out his drawers last week and could remember what I put in each box. Well Dave gets it on Thor and announces that hence forth and forever more he should be called Little Lord Skid Mark. Sure enough there was a small stain right above the diaper line that I didn't get out. Dave thought this was a hoot. Thor kept trying to see what was on his backside that Daddy was laughing at. I felt the need to interviene on my sons behalf and tell Dave that if thor was Little Lord that would make Dave Large Lord Skid Mark. After all I do all the laundry. Dave quickly informed me that was sweat from mowing the yard.

Make your own decisions.

Over all a good day. Lots of snuggles with the boys and Thor presented me with a pot he painted and purple flower he planted in it. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever owned.

I will post pictures from Mother's Day once I figure out how to post pictures here. Right now it is not a priority.

Take Care.

The Things Strangers Say (or "Pardon me, Do I know you?")

People are always asking me if twins run in my family. I tell them "no, they run in my doctor's office." Not many people get it.

I often then find myself having to explain genetics to complete strangers in line at the grocery store. The other mom's in my multiple club say hold on because it never stops and some people get adamant about stuff. Their advice is to smile and nod and keep moving. Something I need to do.

The other day in line at the store was a time when I should have heeded that advice. An older couple behind me in line where quiet taken with the boys as was the cashier and asked lots of questions.

"How can you tell them apart?"

"Well, I look at them. They don't look alike."

"Are they identical?"

"No, because they don't look alike."

"Do twins run in your family or your husbands?"

And here is when the wheels fell off.

Identical twins are not genetic. They are a fluke of nature. There is no gene that can make an embryo split.

Fraternal twins can happen for a number of reasons:

The older the mother the higher the likelihood
The more pregnancies the better the chances
If you have had multiples before you are more likely to have them again.
If there are fraternal twins that run through the maternal line of the family (Dad has nothing to do with it, He produces the same amount no matter what, you need a the mom to produce 2 eggs at a time)
And, as is our case, certain medications or procedures will increase your chances.

And so the lady said, "If they don't run in your family, it's not fair if you get them."

So I said as kindly as I could when told I don't deserve my children, "Nor is it fair the amount of money that my husband and I had to spend, the amount of drugs I had to take that long term will do God only knows to my body, or the procedures that we both had to go through to get pregnant."

"After all that, we deserved a little 'gift with purchase'"

She didn't agree but the cashier about wet her pants laughing.

I just keep praying for grace.

I will keep you posted on how that is going and the other fun questions I get asked.

Babies 2 Months

May 4, 2010 (Originally sent )

We went for our two month check up today and everything went well.

Wolf came in at 9 lbs and 11 oz and 22 ¼ inches long. Very healthy and growing like a weed.

Tyr weighed in at an even 11 lbs and 23 inches long. The doctor agreed with Dave that he is a little chunk-a-lunk.

Neither tipping the scales or measurement chart like Thor did but they were preemies and they are doing a great job catching up. Tyr has grown 3 inches and Wolf almost 4.

They are sleeping about 6 hours straight at night. Both are starting to enjoy the bath and because they are taking their milk with such gusto are needing them a lot more often. We have also been enjoying long walks in the afternoon which they love. Cooing and chattering until they fall asleep.

Thor is still loving being a big brother and we have to watch closely as he has started trying to pick them up. He drags his little stool all over to peek in their cribs and help on the changing table. He loves pushing the stroller and fetching and holding bottles, but has announced that the dirty diapers are “icky”. We talk about it a lot and he and I have gone shopping for pull-ups and big boy underwear. He is getting more interested and asking and sitting on the potty more. Dave and I will make the big push in June/July. He will also be moving to the big boy bed this month. I have been pushing for a while and Dave is finally on board. Then the only challenge left will be the paci. That may take a bit more work. Thor loves his paci.

Dave and I are hanging in there. Dave had a bug this weekend but is finally on the mend. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t at least a little bit tired. Someday I will get a nap in. We are still looking for a nanny for June and July. Thanks to everyone who has thought of someone and please keep those names coming. We will start interviewing Friday if everything goes well.

Babies week 7

April 22, 2010 ( Originally Sent)

Just checking in to let everyone know we are here and still doing OK. We are getting into a routine and I can now get everyone clean, fed, changed and downstairs by 2 pm every day if I start the process at 8:30-9 am. Weekly we are averaging 18 loads of laundry, and the 2 little boys alone can go through an easy 16 diapers a day. Thor who is interested in the potty, is still contributing to the diaper genie and as he said the other day when he saw me empty it, “Ewwww, Gross!!!”

WE have hired a nanny who starts August 1^st. She is a good friend of ours that went to drake and babysat for us while in college. She has been in China the last year and will get back mid July. We are still looking for someone for June and July if anyone knows someone looking for a temp gig this summer.

Weights are up and at the surgeon today Tyr weighed in at 10 lbs 3 oz. and 22 inches long. We didn’t get a chance to check Wolf as he wasn’t the patient.

Yes we were at the surgeon to get Tyr’s hernia checked out. It is what it is and they said it isn’t causing him pain and if it doesn’t heal itself in a year to come back. So we are starting to think that the nightly post feeding crying is colic. Joy.

Wolf passed his second hearing test. Actually it was his third that measured the brain waves. We are still a little concerned about it taking three tries so he is going to an audiologist in a couple weeks.

Both boy’s personalities are starting to develop. Tyr is a mommy’s boy and says all his smiles for me. He is very chatty this week as he seems to have figured out he can make sounds. His favorite is Oooh and O. He is a snuggler, who usually convinces daddy in the middle of the night that he should be sleeping in the bed. I wake up every morning with him on top of me. He is a sensitive little guy and will cry with Wolf, Thor, Bettina or Scooter.

Wolf is Mr. Observant and notices everything. He will look at you intently as you talk to him and is always looking around studying his environment. His hair has not settled down and still stands on end. He has yet to smile or do much cooing. He is too busy studying everything. He is very expressive though and I know a smile will be coming any moment. Last week he was tipping the scales at 8 lb 4 ounces so by now I am sure he is in the 9 lb range.

Wolf is looking more like Thor every day. Tyr looks exactly like a baby picture I have of Dave. It is crazy how much their appearance has changed. Wolf started out looking like Dave and Tyr like Thor.

Dave, in a stroke of bravery (or foolishness), loaded up all three boys and took them to Menards last night. He survived and brought all three back so I would call it a success.

Thor loves being a big brother and is very protective of his brothers. He loves to help and give them bottles and help change them and get them dressed. He does still try and nurse them and doesn’t understand why only mommies can do that. He has a little stool that he drags around and peeks into their cribs and stand by the changing station and rubs their head while I change them and dress them. He is great help. We are being causal about the potty and takes him when he ask but I am not forcing the issue. Right now. My plan is by July 1 to have him potty trained and in a toddler bed. He has had a lot of changes in the last 4 months and we have cut him some slack. That is coming to a quick end.

All three boys spent Saturday at Pam’s house(day care/preschool teacher) Thor loves her and has spent the night there a couple of times. Dave and I were able to get yard work done. We should have napped. Sunday was a long day sun burnt and sore, but we were away from the boys for the first time and they had a blast. I have the pictures to prove it.

I could get used to being a stay at home mommy. Unfortunately it would take a lottery win to make that happen so I will go back to work on May 27^th. I did finally succumb to the mommy haircut 2 weeks ago so I can now get a brush through my hair again. The doctor released me to go back to full activity last week. He was pleased that there was no additional signs of the tumor. He did have to make a comment about my age and how much weight I have to lose. He didn’t understand my comment about also talking about my hair color until the nurse explained to him that there are three things you don’t discuss with a woman and he just blurted out 2 of them. And although the weight I need to lose is coming off quickly there isn’t a thing in the world I can do about my age.

If you are in the area stop by. There are plenty of babies to go around and I would love adult conversation. The house is a disaster. I will clean when the boys go to college.

Babies update Week 1 (the fun begins)

March 11, 2010 (Originally Sent)

Forgive me for sporadic updates. The last week has been crazy so I thought I would send out updates to everyone all at once. Sorry it is so long.

For those of you I might have missed the boys made their debuted last Thursday morning at 5:02 and 6:01. I was able to deliver everyone safe and sound and in just a few pushes with a nice hour of rest in between so that Daddy could run around taking pictures and video and generally gushing over how beautiful little Wolf is before Tyr (pronounced tier)arrived.

I also delivered (ok, it was removed, but we were in the delivery room) a cyst about the size of a golf ball. It came back as benign but not what the doctor originally thought it was. For those who were aware of this, thank you for the extra prayers. We will have some follow up checks and will need to watch in the future but it isn’t cancer.

Thor wasn’t too interested in the babies at the hospital but loved the truck that Grammy gave him and the hospital has wood floors so he was a happy boy. He did check out the babies a couple time and announced “Mommy’s babies” but they were not his. Friday we had a little party for Thor at the hospital to celebrate his second birthday. I believe Grammy even got the nurses to sing.

Dave got food poisoning at the hospital on Friday so he and Thor went home Friday night so Thor could sleep in his own bed and Dave could be home and sick instead of at the hospital. So the boys and I were on our own through the night and we had some mommy baby bonding time. The boys passed their car seat test and although their Billi Ruben numbers were high we were allowed to go home. They had lost the typical 8% of their body weight and no one was concerned. Tyr passed his hearing test however, Wolf only passed in his right ear. We go back next Thursday to retest. The doctor assured us that this was typical and not to be concerned. 37 weeks cramped and crowded and in fluid will tend to get gunk built up in your ears.

So home we went.

Bedstemore and Aunt Andrea and Uncle Paul came to visit right away and signed off on everyone, so they have the seal of approval from the Holst side of the family.

Apparently the sucking reflex is developed in week 37 and 38 and us being right at 37 weeks didn’t have it down real well. We started having issues as neither boy seemed real interested in eating. Dave and I struggled to get them to eat and did everything we could think of including bottle feeding breast milk, formula, massaging cheeks and feet and Daddy offered to buy them a car.

Grammy and Grampy came on Sunday to help for a few hours and Nana Sorenson came Monday.

Monday afternoon we had a follow up check at the doctor and the Billi Ruben (jaundice) numbers were VERY high. 13.4 Wolf and 12.6 Tyr and weights were down again. The doctor recommend not trying to get them to breast feed but give everything from a bottle so they didn’t have to work so hard. We talked about different ways babies burn calories and what we can do to keep them from burning any more. (no crying, no baths, extra bundled up, change clothes as little as possible) Dave and I went home and kept working with them to get them to put the weight back on.

Meanwhile Thor has become mega big brother. He runs and gets everything that he thinks they need, including his pacis for them. He sits between them and kisses them in the evening and worries about “my brothers” and what they need and what they are doing. He comes and peeks over the top of the bassinet at the babies in the morning. He has even started mimicking what he sees Dave and I do with the babies with his dinosaur stuffed animal he got for Christmas. It is too cute to see each of the boys in their little bouncy seat and Thor drag the car seat over and wrap up the dinosaur and put him in the seat so that all three are side by side by side. We also rock the dino and put him in the cradle when it is his turn to nap.

So Tuesday back to the doctor. Billi numbers are going down. The boys aren’t AS yellow but the weights are down more. At this point Dave and I are worried they are going back to the hospital and they would have to go to the general pediatrics wing not NICU or nursery. General pediatrics is full right now with RSV patients so we are worried that if they go we will be contracting that as well. The doctor gives us even more strict instruction on feeding and tells us to come back on Thursday to check again. Both boy’s feet are bruised from the amount of blood that has been taken in the last week.

Dave and I have been in lock down mode since Tuesday. Babies eating at least every 3 hours and it could take up to an hour to feed as Wolf just will not eat. We have been syringe feeding him 6 ML at a time special high calorie formula. Tyr on the regular formula and breast milk will at least take from the bottle. Thor was such a hearty eater right away we just measured everything in ounces. We have literally been feeding the boys out of the bottles that I carry my cream for my coffee to work in. It can take us all night to get Wolf to drink 2.5 ounces which is about the size of a Tupperware midget if you remember those. Tyr it could take 3 hours. But they are taking it and growing.

Grammy came and got Thor last night as pre-school started spring break this afternoon and we decided we needed to concentrate on eating. Grammy and Aunt Melisa have all sorts of things planned for today and tomorrow and Grampy has been reading to Thor out of his tractor magazines.

So back to the doctor we went this morning. Holding our breath at weigh in Wolf was up 4 oz and Tyr 6 oz. Tyr has started eating like there is no tomorrow in the last 12 hours and the doctor has OK’ed him starting to feed from the breast. Wolf decided he liked eating too and has been gobbling up both the high calorie formula and breast milk which he got by accident but seemed to kick in his taste buds and got him eating. Tyr has decided no formula for him. The doctor also OKed them getting baths this weekend. Their color was so good we didn’t even run the billi test today. They go back next week for their regular 2 week check up and we are praying that by then we are all back to birth weight although the doctor said as long as we are close she is happy with the progress we are making.

So we will finally celebrate Thor’s birthday this weekend and celebrate everyone being home and healthy and happy. Daddy even thinks he will go back to work next week. (Grammy and Kaitlan will be here during spring break.) Tonight we will sit down and figure out what other days we will need help and start taking people up on offers so I will be bugging you soon.

I am attaching a couple pictures of the boys. So you know Wolf is baby A and a complete Daddy’s boy (and looks just like Daddy) Tyr is baby B and the spitting image of big brother Thor. Thor’s is streaking at the doctor’s office. He loves taking his clothes off and running around yelling “I am naked!!” He got loose at the doctor and surprised everyone. (Thor got a glowing report from the doctor for his 2 year check up, by the way. Great iron levels and exceptional verbal skills. Boy likes to talk. Wonder where that came from.)

I am also attaching a link to some information on Tyr’s name as we have had a lot of questions about where it came from. It is one of the oldest Scandinavia gods and he even transcends into German mythology. http://www.timelessmyths.com/norse/aesir.html#Tyr