Marteney Love

Identical vs. Fraternal.... Now we know!

2012-02-02T10:13:00.000-08:00

I have always said from the beginning that my boys were fraternal. There are lots of reasons I felt this way including my Dr. I ovulated twice(2 eggs dropped), they had 2 sacs and 2 placentas, and they measured several days apart in our first ultrasound.

To me they are so different. In looks and personality. But, anytime we go out people ask or assume they are identical. To the point of people arguing with me when I say fraternal. Finally I decided to find out for sure. I wanted to be able to say without any reservation, Yes I am sure.

I got some Christmas money and ordered a test online from a site a friend used with her twins.
You can get it here... www.proactivegenetics.com

They send you some swabs. I collected 8 in total from each boy. They were not thrilled with the idea but I got it done. Then I shipped them off to wait for 2 weeks.

Yesterday I got the results by email. So what do you think? Identical or Fraternal?

I started reading the results to Matt : We are pleased to report to you the results of the twin zygosity test that you requested. Analysis of the DNA indicates that Micah John Marteney and Mason Russell Marteney are... as my eyes read ahead of what my mouth was saying it literally fell open.

monozygotic, or more commonly referred to as IDENTICAL TWINS.

I could not believe what I was reading. I know this sounds crazy like it shouldn't really matter, but I was shaken. Somehow everything I had thought was wrong. Of course nothing has really changed. They are still 2 very different (and very different looking to me) individuals. But now they are not just 2 siblings who happened to occupy my belly at the same time but TWINS! Yes I know they are twins either way. haha! But the same DNA. 1 egg split into 2 babies inside of me. Wow! So crazy. I started to wonder if somehow it would be different than I had thought when I look forward to what they might be like later in life. Will they start to look more alike? Will they have more of that "twin" connection somehow? Where they know how the other is feeling, or live together and work together, and have the same interests? Or will it be like I pictured with them looking less alike as they grow and having opposite interests but still having a connection because no matter what at some point they shared a space inside of me? No matter what that is pretty special.

Madison's response was kind of funny. She was in the room when I was reading it to Matt. She said, "No, I thought they were normal. They are different Mom! Micah has a circle face and Mason has an oval face. " haha! To her she never had any idea that they could be the same as twins like most people think. I had to explain that they are still different.

Overall it is just kind of surreal. I am going back through their newborn pictures looking at them kind of differently than before I guess. I can still tell them apart. Now I find myself looking more for the similarities than the differences though.

I am a mom to identical twin boys. I love them and cannot wait to see what God has in store for each of them.

Finally 8 months later... An update!

2012-01-31T22:33:00.000-08:00

Holy cow! How has 8 months gone by without a post. I will tell you how...5M Creations. Yep it has kind of taken over my computer blogging time. I have of course taken thousands of photos of my kids since May but unfortunately I will never catch up here. So instead I will just start from now. Here are a few fun pics of my kids from the last couple of weeks.

Here is Goofy Mason. He is always making silly faces. He gives the best sweetest hugs and kisses. Although lately he uses them to get out of trouble. Stinker!
The boys are now 2yrs and 8 months. WOW! How did that happen. They are registered for preschool for next fall. EEK! I will have 3 in school. They are mostly potty trained. FINALLY!

They are obsessed with anything Toy Story. It is a really good thing there are 3 movies. They got a collection of figurines for Christmas and they almost always have Buzz and Woody in hand.

I love that they are so verbal now. The talk to each other all the time. I love listening to their conversations. Seriously LOVE! They are so funny. That is the other fun thing about them right now. They are hysterical and they know it. They know how to make you laugh with faces or funny sayings. When did they get so big.

This would be Micah doing his Buzz Lightyear to the RESCUE pose. He is so funny and he knows it. Madison will tell you he is the funny brother.

Miss Madison is such the big kid now. She turned 5 in December and this girl cannot get enough schoolwork. She loves school, workbooks, and most of all her friends. It has been fun having a girly girl to do activities with. She loves to shop with me. This weekend we went with her 2 friends Sydney and Ella to see Beauty & the Beast in the theaters. They were giggling and chatting away. For a moment they were 16. I love this girl and cannot wait to see what God has planned for her.

My kiddos all got sick at once last week. One with a fever, one with a stomach flu, and one with a cold/cough. Poor things. They LOVE each other so much. They all snuggle up together all the time. Aren't they cute.

They randomly just stop running for a hug! I hope it lasts forever.

This picture cracks me up. (Sorry its fuzzy-from my phone) Madison was not happy that the boys got to ride in the cart. Sometimes being a big sister is not so fun!

Micah

Mason

Madison

And the latest news in our house... we got a new puppy. The kids are having lots of fun with Lily. She is a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel and such a cutie. We have downsized a bit in the dog department. We have a black lab(actually we have her til Saturday). A family member is super exited to take her. And we feel so blessed that they are giving her a great home. She is just to big for the kids. So Lily is here. She should only be 15-25lbs at most. So little.

Well there is my update. Maybe I will get back here sooner than 8 more months. If you want to see more regular updates you can find us on facebook. :) Thanks for coming by.

Happy 2nd Birthday Boys!

2011-05-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yes it is true. Micah and Mason are 2! I have two 2 yr olds. WOW! This year has flown by. I look back at pictures of my still crawling 1 yr olds and wonder how they could have been so little not that long ago. They are now full on runners and most of the time in the opposite direction of each other when loose. They are so full of joy and keep me on my toes every day.

Micah is the funny one in the family. He loves to make us laugh by making faces, or yelling no,no, no, no just because til someone reacts. We constantly laugh at him.

He loves....

his sissy. If he is in trouble he goes straight to her for a hug! He gives great hugs!!!
to snuggle and sit on my lap.
his binkies. He is what we call the binky connoisseur. If I take one away he will find a new one and if he finds even yet another one he will always trade it out.
Fresh Beat Band. Every day all day long he asks for Beat Band Go-Go(his favorite song on Fresh Beat). It is the one time he is sitting and quiet.
to color. I was giving him crayons at the table but they were migrating to furniture and walls. We have switched to a magnadoodle since he wants to sit on the couch and color. Any time he finds a crayon or pencil though he is all about finding paper.
to bounce, bounce bounce. He will pick he feet up and just drop.
Chips and fruit snacks.
Outside!

Micah is talking more and more every day. He still does not have as many words as Mason but I can understand what he wants most of the time. His favorite saying is Where go? with the cutest inflection. Then very excitedly "There is" or "Tada". He also makes adorable "ooh ooh ahh ahh" monkey sounds while scratching under his arms.
My biggest challenge with Micah are climbing up to the counters to find anything and everything he is not supposed to have. Also taking things from Mason and running laughing saying hahahaha! Little stinker.

Mason is also a little comic but mostly he is the curious leader of the two.

He loves..

climbing anything he can including in and out of his crib or into his brothers. Micah only tried once Mason did.
Dinosaurs and saying roar, trucks/cars, and choo choo trains. They actually both love trains since they got a train table last month from Nana and Poppi.
his binky. Although he is not quite as attached as Micah.
anything that has a function. Buckles, zippers, keys. locks, opening doors, etc.
fitting inside of anything he can. He tries to fit in Barbie cars, drawers, boxes.
Fresh Beat band, Mickey Mouse(foofy-Goofy), and Blue's Clues.
putting anything over his head but mostly Madison's clothes.
shoes. He wants shoes on all day long. He can get Madison's on by himself so you will see him wearing hers most days.
doing things himself. He does not want carried but to walk with a hand.
asking for hugs.
outside!

He is talking LOTS. He copies most things we say to him. He says "let go" and "Bubba give it", or "back!" when upset. He is great about saying Please and Thank you. Mason has lots of full sentences all day long. My favorite thing he says right now is "Okay" when I ask him to do something. Also, "I get it" or "I find it". If you ask where anyone is it is "upstairs". This last week he said "seriously". So funny.

They both are talking more words together like I got it, Love you Mom, etc. My cutest thing is when one of them coughs the other says You ok? And the answer yah! So sweet.

The boys love each other. They give hugs, play well, and share things as long as there are 2. If they find 2 binkies they take one to brother. They fight too of course. :) Most of all they keep my busy and constantly guessing. They have challenged most of my parenting tools I thought worked so well. haha! Little did I know how different these 2 boys would be from their sister.

They started climbing out of their cribs a few months ago. If I put Mason in a sleep sack he would not climb out and Micah wouldn't try if Mason didn't. Well that ended this week. They climb out sleep sacks and all even with Mason's crib backwards. I have a feeling we will be doing twin beds much sooner than I wanted.

We are starting to potty train on Tuesday and binky(mimi) weaning will follow a month of so after. They are turning into little boys and not babies anymore.
I love you Micah & Mason. You have been so much fun to have as a part of our family. How boring our lives were before you. haha! I cannot wait to have a summer full of fun with you.

Happy 30th Birthday to my Bestie!

2011-03-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

   I have been blessed to have an amazing friend Dara for the past 17 years. When we first met Dara didn't really like me because I was younger and new. :) Little did we know that we would go through so many lifetime milestones, laughter, tears, fear, and joy. I have so many fun memories with Dara from Camp Crestview, late night sleep overs, a trip to Sunriver, to weddings, and now babies.
   I think our friendship has grown so much since our girls were born. Motherhood has a way of bringing people together. If someone had told us when we were 15 that we would have daughters who were best friends I think it would have fit perfectly into our little picture of what our lives would be. Preschool, ballet, dress up play dates, it could not be more perfect. Twins on the other hand, not so much. :) I think that may have freaked us out a bit. Dara has been such a huge blessing since I found out about the twins. She came all during my bed rest and through the first 6 months to fold my laundry, sweep my floors, hold babies, and pretty much anything I needed. She was a huge part of my survival during that time. She never hesitated to wear a baby while we were out running around attempting to get out of the house. She loves my kids so much and treats them as if they were her own. Crazy loud and all. Now we have 5 kids between us. haha! While it is not always easy to get in a phone conversation with 5 kids in the background somehow we manage to each day. We never run out of things to chat about.
   So all of that to say, I don't know what I would do without my bestie. Dara you are an amazing friend and I am so blessed to have you in my life. I cannot wait to celebrate with you today as you turn 30. Dara's husband Chris, her mom, and I have been planning a surprise birthday for the past few months. I am really hoping she doesn't have a clue. We should be there right as this is posting. I got the privilege of making the invites and centerpieces. We used photos of Dara through her life in them and figured I what a perfect way to celebrate Dara. Here is a look at her 30 years. I don't know the stories behind all of them but she was sure cute. Dara, I hope your day is full of fun and I hope your 30's are the best yet. Hugs from your LPNGP Masa!

Love you friend!

My Little Ballerina

2011-02-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? Finally a bog post. We have fought several weeks of colds (even pneumonia for madison). She missed 2 weeks of school and I have been working like crazy. January was my busiest month yet. So needless to say my personal blog got put on the back burner. To be honest I haven't even taken many pictures since Christmas.
We took November-January off from gymnastics due to schedules and the weather. Matt mentioned signing her back up for February and when I talked with Madison she was quite convinced that she wanted to take ballet with her bestie. We talked a lot about it and did a trial class last week. She LOVED it. We signed her up, bought her costume for the spring recital, and got her ballet and tap shoes. She has been tapping all around the house all day long. I grew up dancing so this has really taken me back to some fun memories of costumes, recitals, and leotards. Here are a few photos from class.

Blessed Mommy

2010-12-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

I am feeling very blessed today for healthy happy children. I want to cherish every moment of them in this coming year. I know "my" time will lessen as they grow. Even the rough moments of tears and fighting are mine and I am so thankful for even those. As I clean up their toys today I feel happy to have little ones to make the mess. Thank you Lord for allowing me to be a mommy to 3 amazing children. They are such an incredible gift. I don't feel some days like I am adequate to do the job but I know that you are. You chose me to do this job. I want to do it to the fullest that I can. My goal this year is to play more, laugh more, to give more hugs and kisses, and to be frustrated less.
I have tears running down my face right now and felt inspired to write this as encouragement for others and a reminder for myself to look back. I have been touched today by a few stories of others who have had family tragedy. My heart is broken for them, overjoyed, and overwhelmed at the the thought that God gave each of my children to us as a precious gift. I never want to forget that or take it for granted.
As you go into this coming year of 2011 purpose to find a way to love on your kids even more. I know I will.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

We hope that you are having a wonderful Christmas surrounded by your loved ones as we are.

If you have had the pleasure in the past of reading my dad's Christmas letters you will definitely enjoy this one. If you are new to his humor you should read along as well. This year was a group effort and lots of fun. Here in the link for the Green/Marteney family Christmas letter.
http://www.mypreciouskid.com/christmas2010.html

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Marteney Family!

Just in case you love Christmas letters and were curious about past letters here is a glace back at our family over the past few years. The letter style is a bit different every time. Amazing all of the fun announcements and changes in the family pictures we have had. Love it!
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003

Twin Trouble

2010-12-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

I think I will let the pictures speak for themselves. :)

A Month of Madison

2010-12-19T17:39:00.000-08:00

This month has been super busy with lots of fun events all for Madison. We started off with a big princess bash for her 4th birthday. You can see more pics on facebook and here.

We have a family tradition of going to dinner with my family and seeing Christmas lights. It has turned into Madison's family birthday celebration. She loves it! This year we went to Spaghetti Factory and then to the Winter Wonderland display at PIR. We had a wonderful time.

On Madison's actual birthday Daddy came home from work with flowers for his girl.

She chose to go bowling with our friends Tricia, Kaeden, Koleson, and Kelton. They kids all had a blast and definitely beat my score. :)

The following day Madison got to bring cupcakes and show and tell to school. They have a special birthday hat and song. It was lots of fun to get to be in the class room with her for that.

Then on Wednesday her class had their holiday program. Madison and Sydney were front and center and did a great job singing. Madison waved and smiled proudly! I loved it.

Thursday was her class holiday party. Dara and I both got to help this time and were in charge of the snack. Making gingerbread houses!

It has been a fun month already with lots more to do this week for Christmas. I love this time of year. I am not sure what Madison is going to think though when the month of presents ends. It has been non stop. I am going to have to have a major toy purge in January. :)

Shutterfly Review

2010-12-11T13:26:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share with you about a great company. I LOVE www.shutterfly.com. They have so many great products from Christmas cards to gifts.
We purchased our Christmas cards from them last year as well and I was so happy with the quality. I was originally planning on making my own cards this year but ran out of time. Thank goodness for Shutterfly. They are easy fast and have lots of fun holiday designs in their Holiday 2010 Christmas Cards.

They also have some great photo gifts. I love this mug filled with sweets. What a perfect gift for grandparents.

My other favorite item by Shutterfly is their photo books and photo calendars. They are a great quick way to document a special event in your life. What an easy way for the busy mom like me who wants to have adorable scrapbooks but doesn't have them time. Or another great grandparent gift.

The last item I came across was the mounted artwork. I am in love with the striped baby print on their site. Such a cute addition to a nursery. An easy way to have a professional piece without the hassle of framing it.

Definitely check out their site. You will love what you find.

Family Photos 2010

2010-12-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

When we had the kids pics done a few weeks ago we also had Green Family Photos with our latest addition Miss Emma Kate. Here are some more photos for you to enjoy.

Poppi & Nana

Haley and her nieces and nephews.

My little sisters Haley and Ally

Jordan, Katie, and Emma

Our first niece Emma Kate.

The girls.

Beautiful girl

And a couple more cute shots of Madison.

Hope you are having a great week. Thanksgiving, Madison's b-day party, and Christmas tree pics coming later this week.

18 months & 4 yrs old!

2010-11-29T07:43:00.000-08:00

The boys turned 18months on the 8th. They are getting soo big so fast and lots more fun all the time. They are both adding words constantly. Mason has around 25words and Micah has around 10. Micah was 23lbs 10oz and 33inches and Mason was 24lbs 3oz and 33 1/2 inches. I am not convinced their heights were accurate as Mason is visibly taller than Micah now. They love balls, trucks, their sister, and the cat.
They are both horribly picky eaters! If it is not a hot dog, chicken nuggets, cracker, cheese, or fruit forget it. Veggies or any other meat form need not apply. :) We are working on it.

Micah is Mr. Independent playing on his own a lot of the time. He was more content making Uh-huh-huh noises than talking til the last 2 weeks. He is the ham of the group though. If you tell him no he looks away and then raises his eyebrows and peeks back at you to test your answer. He will just crack himself up over something with the cute fake laugh. He loves to get his brothers tummy and be tickled.

Mason is the social one. He yells Bubba to wake Micah up most mornings, or calls Sissy if she is not around. He talks and chatters all day long and says hi to people walking by in the stroller. He is a bit more of an observer if they actually come up to him though. He is also a bit more needy of my attention than Micah which is opposite of how they were as babies. He loves hugs! I love watching their personalities grow and change.

Madison will be 4 on the 13th. She is turning into such a fun little girl. She has just the right amount of sassiness. Although I am sure some days I may struggle with that same attitude. She loves all things girlie. Dress up and make up, Princess anything, Barbies, shopping, babies (real and dolls), her best friend Sydney, and her brothers. She is quite the social butterfly. She loves preschool and knew everyone's names in the first week. This month has been tough having so few school days. She is so excited to go back tomorrow. Little does she know Christmas break is coming. She is super excited for her Princess Birthday Party this weekend. The chance to be girlie and be with all her friends is the ultimate day for Madison. I think I am just as excited for her to experience all that I have planned though. I am looking forward to doing more "girl" things with Madison this year. It is nice that the babies are big enough for us to do that. One last thing about Madison- She is a DUCKS fan and will tell you! She tells Daddy that Beavers stink and wants to buy him a Duck shirt for Christmas. She is working with me on transforming him. :)

My kids are getting so fun. They all play well together most days and truly love each other. I am one lucky mommy.

Watch for more family pictures later in the week.

Halloween fun!

2010-11-13T09:31:00.000-08:00

If you read my last post you know that we had a very busy month. Here are the rest of our October photos.

Auntie Haley came over one evening. The kids all LOVE her.

This was my attempt at getting a picture of the boys and their friend Kelton at our Mommy 2 Mommy party.

I got to help with Madison's harvest party at school. It was so much fun to see what they do in the classroom. I got to hear several of their songs and get to know each of the kids.

I helped with the games. We had David and Goliath, a pumpkin bean bag toss,

and pin the nose on the jack o lantern.

Here is Transformer Micah.

Stories with Mrs. Umashankar after games.

Sydney was making a silly pose with her hand so Madison followed. They are so funny.

Sydney, Madison, and Eli (Bert)

It was so much fun to be in the classroom.

In line to trick or treat in the church office.

Mrs. Wilson's 3's Preschool Class Harvest Party

On Halloween we started the morning carving our pumpkins.

Then Haley came over to trick or treat with us. This was the best pic I could get. The boys are not being very cooperative with pics lately.

Mermaid Madi

Tiger Micah

Dinosaur Mason

How cute are those tails?

Yet again the best I could do.

And finally, My favorite picture of the month. Madison's 1st school photo.

I cannot believe we are already halfway through November. I am so excited for Thanksgiving. I love getting to see all of my family and the SHOPPING! We also will be getting out Christmas tree that weekend. I LOVE this time of year.

Harvest Happenings

2010-11-10T11:10:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy month of October. Matt and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary, I made a trip to Vegas with my mom for her store, we went to an apple orchard, I threw one of my besties Nicole a baby shower, Madison had her first school field trip to the pumpkin patch, school pictures, my birthday, Halloween, 2 rounds of colds already, and lots of fun play time at home. Here are some pics from our month. I am going to break this up into 2 posts.

Apple Orchard with the Ball Family

Mason

Micah

Our little family

The goats ignored everyone who came up. But the second they saw my boys they came right over. So funny. Apparently two babies even intrigues goats.

Tricia and her handsome boys. Koleson, Kelton, and Kaeden

My favorite Girl!

Las Vegas- ABC Kids expo trip

My mom and I went to the CSI Experience the first night we were there.

The Strip- we had dinner at hard Rock, stopped at the M&M store of course and visited MGM and New York New York. This was our only time for site seeing.

Statue of Liberty out of jelly beans

At the Expo

First Field to Pumpkin Patch

Dara & Sydney

The perfect pumpkin

Mommy and my girl

Besties!

Mrs. Wilson's 3yr old class

Love this picture!

More October Halloween pics to come.

Preschool

2010-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Madison started her 1st day of preschool on September 14th. She is loving it.
We started the week before school with an orientation to check out the classroom and meet her teacher. Madison and Sydney settled right in.

Madison's favorite place to play each day.

Her first day was so surreal. Hard to believe I have a kiddo in school. She looked so cute and grown up.

Ready for the big day.

Waiting to go in.

First ones in the door.

So big.

Each morning they have a question of the day to answer.

Back at the rice table.

4 buddies- Eli, Micah, Sydney, and Madison

Their first field trip and school pictures were both this week. So much fun.
Madison has been writing like crazy. She will spend hours with a pencil and note pad. She writes her name over and over. Her S was backwards then one day she did a whole page of just S and now it it correct. She loves to write and has me give her sheets with all of our family names to copy.

hair cuts and 16months

2010-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

My good friend Tricia came over a few weeks back to give the kids haircuts. It is amazing how fast their hair grows.

Micah before

after

Mason- before (already not happy)

after

And even sister got a new cut for school.

Micah & Mason 16months

Labor Day Camping

2010-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day weekend camping with family. It is has been our families tradition since I was little. I always look forward to this trip with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. This year was a bit smaller than normal but still lots of fun.

My cousins 2 1/2 yr old Kennice was there which was an automatic play mate all weekend long for Madison.

The boys had their first attempt at coloring. They loved it but we decided coloring was better done with binkies to avoid chewing.

It was much easier than 4th of July with the boys as they were walking. YAY! We spent lots of time walking around the camp grounds. They were a bit unstable still with the uneven ground.

We had our play area as well this time but the boys were not to happy. This was one of the few moments they actually played in it.

We spent lots of time watching everyone feed the squirrels peanuts. They would climb right up on you to get them. Madison even got brave enough to do it. She also fed the ducks at the lake from her hand until she got nibbled.

Madison and cousin Meriah

Madison and Kennice had a great time riding on the scooters to the lake with my grandparents. Unfortunately we did not get a picture of it.

Here is the beautiful lake. If you look at the log in the middle their are tons of seagulls lined up. It was a beautiful weekend with freezing cold nights. Such fun memories were made.

6 Monkey Kids at the zoo

2010-10-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

So a month has passed again since my last post. I am not going to even give any excuses this time. :) Instead since I cannot stand missing an event and being out of chronological order I am going to post the last of our summer September fun even though it is October.

The week before school started we made one last trip to the zoo with Tricia and her boys. Everyone in Portland had the same idea. We saw lots of the favorite animals but the best part of the day was getting to see a lion show right up close.

They squirted goat's milk into their mouths as a reward.

Tired Babies

It was a fun day as always.

Catch up- Part 3 Family Weekend

2010-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

2 weekends ago we had absolutely nothing on our calendar. So what did we do, plan a trip to the beach and to the zoo. It was a fun weekend.

We started by stopping at Matt's parents house to test some wiring on the truck then headed over to Newport where we played at the beach for a while. It was a big windy but it was a blast. This was the boys first time getting to walk in the sand. They just took off. Madison was content to sit and dig the whole time. I did get her to put her feet in the water with me this time though. She is normally scared of the ocean.

Micah

Mason

After we cleaned up Matt's parents headed home and we headed the outlets and to grab some dinner. Then we drove up the coast to the Cheese Factory for some ice cream.

We arrived home just in time to put everyone to bed.

I will add the zoo pics to another post since this one got VERY long. :)

Catch Up- Part 2 Bend in a day

2010-09-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

The last weekend in July is always Matt's family reunion. I didn't go last year since the boys were so little. This was the first time alot of him extended family had met them. It was fun to see everyone.

Madison & Aunt Betty

Cousins- Madi & Ireland

Madison's 1st french braid

While we were in Bend we got to attend a Birthday party for friends Delaney & Dakota. We only get to see them a few times a year so always love the time we get with them. Madison loves playing with all the girls.

Brandi throws amazing parties.

The boys thought the best part was getting to finally run around.
In opposite directions of course.

Love this one- both trying to stand up.

After the park we went to Brian and Brandi's house for pizza and play. Thanks for having us over guys. We miss getting to see you more often.

Catch up- Part 1 The County Fair

2010-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

The end of July we went to the County Fair with my parents and Haley. We had of course the obligatory HUGE corn dog, elephant ear, and snow cone. We saw lots of animals, watched a pig chase,and Madison even wanted to do rides this year. It was a fun evening.

They greased the boys hands up with soap and then tried to catch the pigs. So funny!

15 month update!- well almost 16months but who's counting

2010-08-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

The boys actually turn 16months in about 9 days but better late than never.
I am so behind on this blog as I have been working like crazy on my business lately as well as lots of showers for friends and family. We have been doing lots of fun things that I will have to update you on later. Or maybe just through facebook photos if I ever even get to that.

For now here is a quick update. The boys were 15months on the 8th. They are both about 21lbs now and walking in opposite directions everywhere. They are becoming more and more fun all the time. Such characters! They are starting to really understand how to make you laugh.

Micah LOVES peek a boo and will put his hands over his face all the time and just crack up laughing when you say boo. They both started saying boo this week. So cute!
Mason will put his hands up in the air and run around making a ahhh(I think it is supposed to be a growl).

They both say Mama, Nana, and Hi! (Micah as of yesterday kind of). Mason says All Done, Ball(yesterday), Bye, Daddy (and even bye daddy together), gentle(geda), Kitty, and Sissy(well as of yesterday).

They are such boys. Constantly trying to figure out how things work and go together. They love to climb. Micah is the master of getting to standing in his high chair or hands and knees on top of his tray. And this is while buckled. Not sure how he gets out of it. It was around his ankles yesterday and grinning ear to ear standing proudly. Ugh!
They are picky eaters unless it is McDonald's of course. Strawberries, bananas, and graham crackers are the only consistent thing they will eat. It is just hit and miss each day to see what it will be they will consume.
They fight over toys all the time but are also starting to share if they find 2 of something. They will take the other over to their brother.
As I am typing Mason is patting the cat saying gentle and Micah is pulling his tail. :) They are sooo much alike but different. Micah is much more likely to be down checking things out while Mason will as long as he can see me. He loves mommy! But I would say right now Mason is the crazy one when he is running around.
The best thing of all is that they LOVE their big sister. Madison is one of their favorite people. She comes downstairs in the morning and they grin ear to ear and run over to her with arms up for a hug. I love it!
It has been a fun summer and I cannot wait to do even more with them as they grow. It will be fun to have some time with just them when Madison goes to school in a few weeks. Although we will miss her terribly I am sure.
Here are a few pictures I took the week they turned 15months.

Micah

Mason-

with the favorite toy of choice. One of 8 pretend phones. A cause of most fights.

Multiples & More Question of the Week

2010-08-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

What are your tips and tricks for potty training?

I have not participated in the question of the week before but I thought I would give it a go. And such a perfect topic for me considering who my mom is. :) Those of you that know her know she has a system that has been used by many. And for those who don't know her check out her site My Precious Kid.com and this article.
This system is what we used with Madison and what I will do with the boys. Although I have to admit I am a bit nervous to train 2 at once. I remember a day when I had both Madison and Sydney(her BFF born 1 day before her) while they were both training and thought "I am glad I won't ever have to train twins". HA! Who would have guessed. :)

So for the QOTW:

What age did you begin with your child(ren)? 21months- I really believe that pre 2 is a great time to train.
How long did it take? 1 week for the hardest part then maybe a month to be really good and trained with hardly any accidents.
Did you use a "system", or just wing it? We did a lot of pre stuff before. Read potty books, had a potty dolly to practice with, potty movies, and potty time each day just to practice sitting. Then we had a Potty Party Day 1 and all paper diapers were gone for good no looking back. We got prizes from the dollar section for successes. A new sippy cup to encourage lots of drinking that day and a timer to go every hour when it went off. Helped keep us on track. Several accidents the first day but she got it really fast. She did not like to feel of wet panties.
Did you use specific rewards for incentive? How did that work for you? We had prizes from the dollar store for every success the first few days then just for poop successes after that. Those took a bit longer.
If you could change anything about the experience, what would you do differently? Nothing!
Did you use Pull-Ups? We only used Pull ups a few weeks in when she wasn't training at night. Not all kids GET night right away. You cannot really train that. We went to pull ups over panties so she would still feel the wet and wake but not have such a mess to clean every nap. After she had started holding it for a few weeks at a time at night around age 3 we got rid of them completely. We also used Pull Ups over panties only during long car rides in the beginning. I think that Pull Ups really extend the training time so we used them as little as possible. Cloth Cloth Cloth!
Do you think it's easier to potty train multiples at the same time, or separately? I don't know. Ask me in February. I am planning on doing both together though. I don't really want to go through the process twice.

If you stopped by my blog from the MOM link please leave me a comment and let me know you were here. Thanks for visiting.

Birds and Blossoms Part 2

2010-08-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

If you are starting here you should stop by my other blog 5M Creations to see the rest of the shower decor pictures. Here are a few of the mommy to be Katie opening gifts and friends and family.

A cute baby bump!

Madi loving on Baby Emma with Auntie Katie

Miss Bella

Family & Friends

Gifts

Lots of fun had by all to celebrate a very loved little baby on the way.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

Softball and Fireworks

2010-07-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

We got home from camping Monday the 5th all of us tired and ready to be home. The one bummer thing about camping was no fireworks. My parents bought some to do once they got home and invited us to come over Tuesday night. It just happened that my dad had a softball game that night as well. We had been trying to make it to one for weeks. It was either a late game or bad weather. It turned out to be at 6:30 and beautiful. We went to his game, then Madi went to dinner with my parents and the team while I went back home to get Matt. We put the boys to bed at my parents and once it got dark my Dad lit some fireworks for the girls. Just enough to make them happy. It was a fun evening.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

4th of July Camping

2010-07-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

We have an annual tradition of camping with my family every 4th of July. It has grown from just y dad's side to include my mom's side and my inlaws. We did not get to go last year since the babies were so tiny. It had been almost 2 years since our last trip. This was the babies first. There were about 20 of us throughout the weekend. There were some challenging parts with 2 not walking but active babies, but overall it was fun. Madison spent most of the weekend digging with a bucket and shovel playing in the dirt. She also went on her first fishing trip. She LOVED it. That's my girl. It was a great weekend. I am just hoping the boys are walking by Labor Day. {grin}

Riding with Grandma Roxie

Miss Ellie came to play.

Playing with Papa Chuck

Snuggles with Poppi

Bundled for bed. mid 30's at night.

The best part of camping. MMM! 3in marshmallows.

The grandma's

'Fishing with Daddy

Haley and Grandpa Doyle

Matt got in a few fishing trips. Including his first fly fishing.

The girls enjoyed an evening movie.

The kiddos!

Fun in the Sun

2010-07-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The kids have had lots of fun playing outside the last few weeks. Many trips to the park and playing in the backyard. He are some of my favorite pics so far.

Micah

Mason

No nap and extra sun resulted in crashing in the family room.

Micah

Mason

We have been enjoying lots of these.

Tuesday Market with Nana & Haley

Even the babies got swords.

Sydney came to play this week.
This is my favorite picture ever of the girls.

That has been our summer so far. Hope yours has been just as fun.

14 months

2010-07-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

The boys turned 14mo old yesterday. They are getting so big. They are both adding new sounds all the time and taking 2-3 steps here and there. Never when you want them to of course. They love to stand and walk on handed along the couch. I think they could do it if they wanted to. We went on their first camping trip last weekend. Pictures to come. And they are loving playing outside. They are such fun babies.

Micah is quite the ham and loves to laugh. He is fairly content to play and even by himself if he has snacks. Mason is silly as well. He loves to dance and make funny sounds. He chatters sentences of buzja, buzja, buzja, and daba, daba, daba. It is so funny. He has become quite the mama's boy recently. He can go from sweet and loving to a full thrown arching fit in 2 seconds. They have totally flipped in neediness the last few months. They both love to give open mouth slobbery kisses. The kind where they grab your face and plant it on you. But watch out or you may pull back a bitten lip. They just keep going. haha!

These are last months pics I never posted. I will post this months after they hopefully get their haircut this weekend.

Micah

Mason

Memorial Day Weekend in June

2010-07-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Yes I am playing catch up! but at least I am posting. {grin}

Every year for Memorial Day weekend we visit some of Matt's family in Seattle. This year the kids had all just finished horrible colds and I ended up getting it 2 days before we were supposed to leave. We rescheduled our trip for another weekend in June. We always have lots of fun.

We started the trip with lunch on the way at Rain Forest Cafe. Matt loves it and so did the kids.

There is an outdoor theater that we see a play at every year. This year was Sound of Music. It was the boys first ferry ride on the trip over.

We thought the boys might nap in the ergos but no such luck. They all crashed as soon as we got back in the car.

At my request we also made a trip to Pike Street market. I love seeing everything downtown but it proved to be challenging with a double stroller. We were not the only set if twins in one though.

I love all the produce and flowers. We had to get some yummy raspberries to share.

And of course we stopped to see the fish throwing.

Madison was intrigued by all the musicians.

We tried to go down to the waterfront. Molly and I walked down while Matt, his dad, and Madison went to move the cars. While we were waiting(they never found parking so we left) Molly and I spotted a celebrity.

The best part of the trip of course was spending time with Aunt Betty & Uncle Bob.

And Papa John & Grandma Dolly

Our last stop of the weekend was Cabella's for Matt. He LOVES that place.

Don't we look thrilled. :)

It was a fun weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Savannah Love

2010-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

My bestie Dara is currently pregnant with a baby girl. Miss Savannah Faith. I am so excited to meet her. She will be such a fun addition to our group. I was thrilled to get to throw Dara a baby shower this last weekend. We had a joint shower for the girls so this was the first time I have thrown her one. We plan all of our parties together so it was hard to not call her and discuss plans throughout the last month. In the end it was fun to surprise her with it all. Enjoy the photos.

Dara and Big Sister Sydney

Kathy, Carolyn, Grandma, and Brianna

Nana Kay, Haley, and baby Ava

Alisa planned the game.

It was a fun game of Scattegories.

Lots of sleeping babies.

Nathaniel

Brandy

Ava

Lots of wonderful gifts.

Besties!

Dara I am so excited to meet your little girl. And finally get to visit you in the hospital. :) Thanks for letting me celebrate Savannah with you.

For pictures of the rest of the shower decor and food check out my other blog: www.5mcreations.blogspot.com

I know...

2010-06-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

it has been forever. I am so behind. I had been doing well keeping up but the many projects on my to so list are taking over my blogging time. I promise I will be back soon.
I have pics of our rescheduled Memorial Day weekend, gymnastics, and park fun from today.

I also will be updating my business page with the wedding programs I did a few weeks ago and Dara's shower coming up next weekend.

For now, I need to mop. :)

1year old Birthday Photos

2010-06-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Last night I finally took the boys to get their 1 year pictures done. We have been fighting weeks of illness in our family so it was the first opportunity to get them done almost a month late. Nana and Haley came along to help and I was sooo glad they did. The boys did great but a 6pm appt is a bad idea. :)
Here are some of the pics. Micah is in the blue, Mason in the brown.

One Year Stats & Photo Progression

2010-05-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a lengthy post mostly for me to update their baby books later on. A year progression of pictures is at the bottom.

One week ago the boys turned one. Holy cow how did that happen? This year has gone so fast and was really a blur. The first 3 months especially. I look back at how tiny they were and am taken back to the days of nursing around the clock, pumping, changing 20 diapers a day, no sleep, a messy house (ok maybe some things haven't gotten much better), and snuggling 2 tiny little crying bundles at the same time. As rough as some days were I wouldn't trade them for anything. It was a once in a life time opportunity to have 2 tiny little babies. One I never expected to be blessed with. The boys have grown so much and are such fun. They have bright smiley personalities and contagious laughs. There is nothing better than 2 babies laughing together. My other favorite thing is watching all 3 of my kids play. Such a special relationship I hope will continue to grow.

Micah finally started hands and knees crawling the week of their birthday. He had the army crawl down and at a a very fast pace. I think he just didn't feel the need to. One day he just popped up and crawled across the room. When he really wants to get to something fast he will still drop to his belly. He has 7 teeth and his hair has grown like crazy this last month. He is walking around furniture and even stood when I let go the other day for 5 seconds or so. He isn't talking yet but jabbers all day long. He is trying to say Uh- Oh this week. He is the social smiley one of the two. Smiles for almost anyone who will talk to him. He has this cheesy toothy grin that cracks me up. He has his snuggle moments too but mostly is just on the go looking for fun to get into.

Mason has been hands and knees crawling for a bit longer and has it pretty mastered. He has 8 teeth and is working on some molars. He is also walking around furniture and will try to climb things if possible. Up the front of toys, across the arms of their new chairs, etc. He is talking and adding new words and sounds all the time. He says: Hi, Bye, Mama, Dada, Doggy, Sissy, Aa-Da(all done), Uh-Uh-Oh. Nana is working on her name next. He loves Sadie the dog and Milo our cat and is surprisingly gentle. He is much more tentative in new situations and of a mommy's boy. He will snuggle any time of the day. He is also very giggly and fun especially with Madison.

They are great eaters. They both love bananas and have an addiction to Ritz crackers. They seriously freak out if they see the package. Micah loves melon and Mason loves strawberries. Although they will both eat any fruit. They like their sister are not fan of veggies. I am still doing purees a few times a week to get them in.
Several people have asked, yes we are still nursing. I am amazed that I made it this far with twins. I don't have a great supply so whatever they got I was happy with. They are both still happy nursing so we will continue for a while longer. They have a milk allergy so we can't do cheese or yogurt and they are on Soy milk.

I am so excited to see what this next year brings. It will be so much fun to watch them learn to walk and explore the world around them this summer. I am excited to get to be outside with them and for our upcoming camping trips. I have a feeling it will be a very dirty summer with 2 boys into everything. haha!!!

And as promised here is a quick progression of the last year.
If anyone knows how to upload a power point presentation Matt made one for their party we didn't get to use. I wold love to share it with you. There are some great photos.

Micah left, Mason right

2/3 days old

1 month

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

Micah top, Mason bottom
9 months

10 months

11 months

1 year old!!!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

Boys just know what to do.

3 Little Monkeys at the Zoo

2010-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday was Matt's birthday. He took the day off so we decided to take the kids to the zoo and enjoy the sunshine. The boys got some Paul Frank t shirts from my sister and another set from the Johns. We decided to put them all in them for a picture.

Then we headed out with 2 babies and no morning nap unsure what the day would be like. We started with the lions since we had missed them at our last trip. We got to see 1 female up close and the other at a distance. The male was nowhere to be seen though. Bummer.

The new predator exhibit was really neat with lots of stuff to see and do.

Next we headed to Africa. Madison's favorite.

After some lunch we saw the elephants, got an elephant ear, and headed out.

The boys crashed along the way. Good to know for future no nap trips. {grin}

So we took our time on the way out to see the farm animals and a few others.

It was a fun day with blizzards on the way home and dinner with friends later that nigh.
Thanks babe for taking off your birthday to hang out with us.

Anywhere Chair

2010-05-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

We got the kids Pottery Barn Anywhere chairs for the boys birthday. Of course we had to get big sister one as well. They have had lots of fun climbing all over them and making a little fort to play in with piles of toys.

Micah & Mason's 1st Birthday!

2010-05-12T20:13:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the twins first birthday last Saturday with an m&m party. 75 of our friends and family joined in the fun. The boys looked cute in their m&m t shirts and dug right into their cakes. We were blessed with an overwhelming amount of gifts. I am still sorting through them.
I will be posting more of the party decor pictures over on my crafting blog www.5mcreations.blogspot.com .

Happy Birthday Micah & Mason! I cannot believe you are already ONE!

Check out my other blog later in the week for more pictures of the cupcakes and wall, photo, and high chair banners. And go to my facebook page for lots more of everything else. I got lots of fun pics of our guests.

One Year Ago...

2010-05-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

...I got to experience an amazing moment viewing the sweet faces of my twin little boys for the first time.

These two little boys have changed my world forever. They are such a joy and blessing to our family. While I had my moments of exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed I have had 10 times more moments of pure love, joy, and awe. I am so happy that God chose me to be the mommy to Micah & Mason. I could never have guessed that raising twins could be so fun. I cannot wait to see what this next year brings.
Happy Birthday Micah & Mason. I love you more than you will ever know.
Hugs and Kisses
Love,
Mommy

Party pictures and One Year stats coming soon. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us today!

Spa Day!

2010-05-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of taking my two best friends and my mom to lunch and a spa day as a thank you. They were all a huge help over the last year. Dara organized all of my bed rest meals and help, while coming herself for the first 6 months and folding laundry or doing whatever I needed. Nicole was here many evenings to hang out with us at bedtime and lets just say she could probably have my kids dressed and in bed faster than I can. She is always willing to help wherever needed. My mom, well that should be enough said, but she took Madison several days a week while I was on bed rest and has been incredibly supportive and generous. I am so blessed and thankful to have such amazing support.

This day was my opportunity to say thank you! We got to enjoy Massages, facials, manicures, and pedicures. It was such a fun and relaxing day. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of us all in our comfy white robes, but here are a few from nails.

Thank you again to Dara, Nicole, and my Mom for being such a huge part of this last year. I couldn't have done it without you.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

The babies are taking over.

Spring Picture fun with Madison!

2010-05-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

We were headed out the door one morning with Madison dressed particularly cute. I grabbed my camera and Madison was a willing subject.

One Year ago...

2010-04-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

I looked like this.

In just one week the little babies in that belly will be 1year old.I cannot believe it has gone so fast.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

We got to enjoy a play date last week with our friend Macey! And of course they had to be princesses for the day.

Beach fun with friends!

2010-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we spent 4 days at the beach with our friends Jason & Nicole. It was lots of fun and yet so exhausting. We had a wonderful time. The house we rented was awesome and so was the weather. The kids all had tons of fun in the sand. Matt even brough out the kite and ran until he couldn't run anymore. We packed our car full of Outlet Mall purchases, went to a Science Aquarium Museum, and enjoyed our time as a family.

Science Museum

Breakfast at the house

Beach Fun

Madi & Daddy

Sleepy Mason

Nap time for Micah

Checking out the sand.

Mommy & the boys

Mommy with my favorite girl!

Daddy making Madi's kite fly.

Mason with Auntie Cole & Uncle Jason

The beautiful house we stayed in.

The house was in a neighborhood with a park and even had a double jogger. We enjoyed a fun walk one evening.

We cannot wait for our next trip.

Birthdays Birthdays

2010-04-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

We have gotten to attend a few birthday parties for friends this month. We actually missed 2 more due to illness earlier on. They have both been at parks which has been great for the kids to play. Here are so pics from our fun.

Peyton turning 3!
Click the collages to make larger.

Happy Birthday to Eli & Lucas!

Micah & Mason's party is less than 2 weeks away! I cannot wait for that post.

11months

2010-04-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

The boys are 11 months today. I cannot believe they will be a year old in one month! Micah has taken off with new skills this month. He is pulling up and starting to hands and knees crawl. Mason is mostly hands and knees crawling now. They both jabber constantly. Mason makes all kinds of sounds. They are both so fun.

Mason left, Micah right

Micah left, Mason right

If anyone has any suggestions, I am having trouble with my new DSLR camera taking fuzzy shots if I set it on no flash.

Easter Family Photo Re-enactment

2010-04-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

I was very sad Monday as I realized we did not get a family picture on the boy's first Easter. So sad that I dressed my family all back up Monday night and had my mom take one. I know I know, but you cannot get these moments back. Here is our Monday Easter photo.

Easter 2010

2010-04-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

Haley came over Saturday to die Easter eggs. The girls had fun decorating them with stickers.

We spent woke up Easter morning at home and let the kids open Easter baskets and watched Alvin and the Chipmunks. We had gone to church the night before.

After morning naps we went to my parents house with our extended family joining us. I had not seen them since Christmas. They were all happy to see how much the boys had grown. We had a yummy ham lunch and an Easter egg hunt just as it started to sprinkle. Here are some pics from our day.

Cousin Cassidy and the boys.

Cousin Kennice and Madison- Great Grandma Roxie bought their dresses.

Haley and Cassidy

Micah

Mason

We hope you had a blessed Easter with your loved ones.

A spring day at the park

2010-03-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last week (when we thought we were on the mend from our colds the first time) we got out with my friend Tricia and her boys to the park. The boys got their first experience in the swings. They LOVED them. Mason was pretty laid back at first but they were both giggling in no time. Mason thought it was particularly funny when Madison pushed him. Madison had lots of fun running all over with Kaeden and Koleson as well. Fun was had by all!

Baby Chicks

2010-03-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Papa John and Grandma Dolly came up for a visit. Last year at this time while I was on bed rest they came and took Matt and Madison to Coastal Farms to see the baby chicks. They decided we should all go again this year. They boys were quite drawn to the moving little yellow fluff balls. Madison when asked to pet a baby duck got very shy. She eventually did but she was much more interested in seeing them in their pens.

Sadie

2010-03-19T08:14:00.000-07:00

This last week we got to have my parents dog Sadie stay with us for 5 nights. She is such a great dog and was so mellow and easy. The kids all loved having her here. Especially Madison. The first words out of her mouth each morning and after nap was, "Can I go get Sadie?". Even the morning after she left she asked forgetting she was gone. We are thinking we may have to work out a joint custody agreement with my parents. :) I am not ready for a dog but I would take Sadie any day.

This is what Sadie was watching. We had kept our cat outside while Sadie was here, but during a nice day we let Sadie play outside for a while and the cat in. Once she spotted the cat she didn't move from the screen door. The babies were entertained.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-03-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

10 months and lots of new skills

2010-03-16T09:55:00.000-07:00

The boys turned 10 months old on the 8th. They are both 19 1/2 lbs. Micah is 28in and Mason is 29 1/2 in. I had noticed he seemed to be sitting taller in the high chair recently. His pants fit fine though so it must be core height. They are both starting to jabber alot more in the last week. They both make Ba, Da, sounds, sometimes Ma, and Mason has started Yaya. No real words yet though. My mom asked Micah where Mama was the other day and he turned around to me reached his had out and smiled. I was totally shocked that he knew. It made Mommy's day.

Micah is still rocking back and forth on hands and knees. He will every once in while pick up a hand and start to move it forward but he figured out the army crawl so he just takes of that way. He does push his core totally off the ground balancing on fingers and toes. It is so funny. He has also started doing the pincher finger grab when picking up cheerios. I think he is more skilled in fine motor where Mason is large motor.

Mason started hands and knees crawling a few weeks ago. He will do hands and knees for a minute and then also sets off army crawling to get to his desired location. He is much faster at it still. He has also mastered pulling up. It started by climbing up either me or toys onto his knees and slowly he figured out how to pull onto his feet after many falls. He stands at the couch many times a day. He hasn't figured out how to step along it yet though. This usually lands him back on his rear end or a full body plop. He has also figured out how to go from belly/hands & knees to sitting up on his own. This is very nice. His newest challenge though is standing up in the crib and getting stuck. Once I lowered the crib I think he decided it is just to far of a drop to let go. It is making for some interesting nap times.
Here are some pics from the last few weeks.

On the move.

Triangle stand

1st time pulling up.

Sharing? Maybe

No personal space needed as a twin.

Proud boy standing.

His new look. His tongue is always out.

Loving the new sippies all by themselves. Thanks Nana!

Micah

Mason- It took forever to get him to sit still. Forget a smile.

Tickles

& Giggles.

Getting harder and harder to keep them both sitting long enough to snap a pic. Not to bad.

Night at the Oscars

2010-03-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we hosted our annual Oscar party. It was lots of fun. Good friends and good food. The kids had a great time playing. I wish I had taken a picture of the aftermath. We had a ballot contest that Kristin won for the second year.
Thanks to everyone who joined us.
You can click on the images to make them larger. Check out our Marteney Oscar Party sign.

Random February Photos

2010-03-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

I have been taking lots of photos since getting my new camera. These are all from the last week or so.

Micah eating Biter Biscuits. Such a mess.

A little cleaner

Sleeping boys

Micah

Mason

Mason is becoming a Mommy's boy

What it looks like to be a mommy to 3.

Mason with Saralyn

Micah & Sara sharing toys

Cheesy grin Micah

Mason's new favorite toy. He has figured out how to

crawl while carrying it.

Silly faces

Bath babies

Micah

Mason

The beauty of spring.

2010-03-02T22:07:00.000-08:00

I got a new camera last week and have been having fun taking lots of photos of the blooming plants in our yard.

And of course enjoying taking pics of the adorable little girl

who likes to play in our yard.

Pretty Princesses

2010-03-01T18:50:00.000-08:00

Today Sydney came to play for a couple of hours while Dara was working. Madison decided to get out her dress up clothes to play. She doesn't get to dress up with other kids very often. When Syd heard about the Sleeping Beauty dress she got very excited. Of course this made for some fun pictures of the girls. I couldn't resist. They were too cute. Lots of accessories and tapping of high heels.

Besties

Rockin Out!

Funny Faces

Sleeping Beauty

& Cinderella

Gotta love litte girls in heels

February weekend fun!

2010-02-22T16:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a fun filled day with a mid day trip to the zoo and an evening bowling with friends. Everyone was tired by the time we got home, but it was worth it.

Spring cuties!

2010-02-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

I took the boys for their 9 month pictures this week. Madison decided that she wanted to have a picture in her Easter dress as well. Of course I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity for a cute pic of my 3 kids with Easter baskets and bunny ears.

Costco firsts

2010-02-19T09:11:00.000-08:00

The boys got to have their first shopping cart experience this week. It is the only place I have found with a double cart. And of course we have a double shopping cart cover for the frequent trips we make. They loved it and enjoyed being able to people watch. And of course be watched. Hehe. Comes with having 2.
The fun part of the evening was that we ran into Chris, Dara, & Syndey, and Jason & Nicole while we were eating dinner. We all got to eat and visit for quite a while.

Sister even joined in the cart fun while daddy was looking at a display.

Madison had fun dancing to the music videos.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

2 ways to play in an excersaucer.

Valentine's fun

2010-02-16T09:00:00.000-08:00

Madison and I had fun on Friday making sugar cookies. She loves cutting them out but I think her favorite part of this baking day was the flour.

Matt and Madison were gone Saturday and Sunday in Hermiston for a family funeral. The boys and I spent the weekend with my mom at the NW Family and Kids Festival at the fairgrounds. Last night after they got home we all had a Valentine's dinner family style with Nana, Poppi, and Haley at Red Robin. It was a very popular spot. We are planning a date night in a few weeks. It is funny how priorities change once you have kids. :) While we definitely love getting time together on our own somehow yesterday was more about family than ever before.

Not Me Monday

2010-02-15T09:05:00.000-08:00

A couple of my friends have posted some hilarious not me Monday moments on their blogs. Here is mine.

The weekend before last Matt was running to the store for some groceries and items for breakfast. Madison decided she wanted to go with him. So of course I looked at him with questioning eyes and he said yes she could go.

Of course I got her dressed to the nines with her hair done and an adorable outfit. I did not send her in her Christmas pajamas with her hair not even brushed, rubber boots, and random jacket. I was not that parent. And of course I did not take a picture to post on my blog. Not me!

9 months

2010-02-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

The boys are 9 months old this week and 19 1/2 lbs.
Here are a few cute pictures to enjoy! Their personalities are really becoming so much fun. I love all their cheesy grins.

Mason is climbing on everything lately. Including Micah.

Micah is more into chewing on Mason.

They are so funny interacting with each more all the time.

Receive updates from us

2010-02-11T17:00:00.000-08:00

So after posting about becoming a follower I had some great feedback. Being a follower allows me to see who is reading but does not tell you when I post. If you are on blogspot you can add us to a link list on your blog and when I update it will tell you.
If you are not on blogspot I have just added a subscribe feature. It allows you to be updated through other sources. It is at the very top. You can select Google, Yahoo, Atom(Microsoft Outlook) and a few others.
I hope that helps some of you keep up a little easier. Check it out and let me know if it works.

Loving the outdoors

2010-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying some of the beautiful days as much as we can. Matt and I did some much needed yard work and this week we went on a walk after Matt got home from work. Even the boys loved being out. The green of my daffodils and tulips coming up through the ground are making me ready for spring. We have one small plant with cute little orange blossoms that make me smile. This summer will be so much fun getting out with all the kids. The boys will be so much fun. I am looking forward to many camping trips and zoo days.

Happy Birthday...

2010-02-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

...to Papa John and Grandma Dolly.
We got to celebrate birthdays with Matt's parents and Uncle Michael and Aunt Tawny Saturday night. It was fun to see them all. We got some fun pics with the kids.

Do you follow our blog?

2010-02-04T21:47:00.000-08:00

I know that there are many people who follow our blog on a regular basis. Every time I see family they mention pictures etc and I had know idea they were keeping up with us. If that is you, please click on the right hand side to follow our blog. I would love to know who is reading along. I can't wait to see who has been lurking! :)

Do the same on my new craft blog as well. The link is at the very top right.

Big Boy Car Seats

2010-02-03T12:42:00.001-08:00

This week the boys officially out grew their infant car seats. This makes getting in and out of the car much more of an ordeal. I am quickly learning what works and what doesn't. They like being able to see sister better in the car and she can reach their binkies now to help when needed. They look so big!

Micah

Mason

3 across

Freebie for New Mommies!

2010-02-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

If you are a new or pregnant mom or know one check out my mom's blog over at My Precious Kid for a free gift.

While you are there take a look at all of her awesome Child Safety and Baby Gear items. We are a full fledged MPK household and have tried most of her inventory. She carries items in several categories like: baby feeding, baby gear, baby sleep, other baby products, child id kits, child safety, home safety, potty training, personalized products, safety education, and wearable ID. Take a look.

Here is a 10% off coupon code if you place an order: 10JFM10 exp 3/31/10
If you are local select local pick up to save shipping Just stop by the store in Hillsboro to get your items.
She has many popular items such as the Ergo carrier, Radian Car Seat, Safe Sippies, Bumpy Name Bands, Melissa and Doug, Happiest Baby on the Block, Snug N Tug swaddles, and so much more!

New Blog

2010-02-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

Come check out my new blog Paper Stamps & Bows Oh My! I will be posting my ongoing craft projects. There are many coming soon. On the right hand side is a place to become a follower. I would love to know if you reading along.

Note: Many of you may have checked it out yesterday. The name was changed due to an already existing business. Thanks to my friend Nicole for coming up with another cute name!

January Update

2010-01-30T13:12:00.000-08:00

Well an entire month has gotten by me once again and left me behind on picture updates. Someday I will be able to keep up with this blog.
The boys are growing fast. Mason is army crawling everywhere and into everything. Micah rocks back and forth on his knees still wanting to follow so badly. It won't be long.
They are starting to fight over toys pulling it back and forth. And even some tears. I cannot help but laugh.
We are doing lots more finger foods. Mason is up to trying and even eating several bites of most things. After the first bite of anything new Micah clamps his mouth shut and scrunches his face up. He is not as in love with them. They can go through a box of cheerios or graham crackers in nothing flat though.
They both got their 5th tooth this week and are working on number 6. Madison only had 2 until 10months so they are way ahead.

Madison is loving her brothers. She is such a good play mate and truly loves to play with them and help. She has been so funny lately with things she will say. Is she 3 or 13?
She told me she is going to go to High School and it will have a TV like Haley's school. I told her she has to go to Preschool first. She asked for a Pink phone in her bedroom this week. Seriously! And she told me she is going to drive when I get little and she gets big. Ummm! Am I shrinking? Most days she has on a Disney princess costume, jewelry, and or heels. She is very much a girl.
I am happy to report that the brown dog (You may remember the mention of this imaginary creature that lived under daddy's chair) has been vacuumed up. Last night while vacuuming Daddy decided to tell her this as he went around his chair. At first she said no you didn't but when he said it again she just looked puzzled and walked away like Ok he is gone! To fuuny!

Thanks to everyone who left fun responses to my name question. I loved hearing how you picked your names!

And if you haven't already, please vote on a blog name on the right hand side of the page. I know I can barely keep up with one blog, but I want a place separate to share my crafts. I have several photos ready to post.

Well here is a month worth of fun pics to see. Enjoy!

Blog Name Poll

2010-01-28T22:48:00.000-08:00

So a while back I posted a contest trying to find a name for a craft blog I would like to start. I got lots of great responses. So many in fact that I am not sure what to choose. On the side bar is a poll. Please place your vote. There is a very important Starbuck's card up for grabs.

I have to admit I am not in love yet with a name. I am still open to other suggestions. Something cute and creative. Post any suggestions in the comments.
PLEASE VOTE!

Top 100

2010-01-28T08:40:00.001-08:00

Well all 3 of my children officially have top 100 kids names in 2010. This was definitely not why we chose or even how we came across them. I always knew that Madison (#6) was on the list but did not care. We loved it and used it despite that. 2001 was the height of its popularity with 16,000 per million babies named and number 1 on the list. Babycenter.com shows it on the top 100 list since at least 1995. WOW!
Mason (#28) I had a feeling was pretty popular just from hearing it lots but mostly with older kids. It has also been on the list since 1995 or ealier.
Micah actually surprised me. It barely made the list though at # 95 for boys. And just joined the top 100 in 2008.
So much for being unique. I guess all of our M's and our fun last name can be our unique quality.

Here are some fun questions for you: Why did you choose your kids names? Was the top 100 list where you got them? Did you choose them for the meaning or just because you liked them?
I love comments so bring them on.

A January post is coming soon. As well as a blog name poll. I got lots of great responses to my search. So many in fact that I need some help narrowing it down.
Hopefully I will be back tonight.

8 month stats

2010-01-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Micah & Mason are 8 months old today. Some of you are probably thinking it has been a while since I have posted a stat update. That is because I didn't ever get to their 7month post. So here is what has been going on with the boys.

Stats: Both are 18 1/2 lbs with 2 bottom and 1 top tooth (Mason's just cut through this week). They both started sitting well during our Christmas celebrations. It has been a nice change of scenery for them to be upright. Mason started putting his head down and pulling his knees underneath him several weeks ago. Micah was showing no signs towards crawling at all. All of a sudden about a week ago he popped up fully on hands and knees and now rocks back and forth. It won't be long before he is on the move. I am hoping this is a good thing and he will be able to get to what he wants. Mason got on hands on knees and stayed their longer than 1 second today.

Sleep: Somewhere around a month ago or so the boys dropped their evening nap. Unless we are in the car. They are now doing a 10:30 and 2ish nap which works well. My goal has been for several months to get them sleeping fully in their cribs for naps. Thanksgiving weekend while we were in Eugene Micah decided that he did not want to go to sleep in any of our normal ways. We weren't at home so the swing wasn't an option. He screamed when I swaddled him and screamed when I held him. So I let him cry it out. A few weeks later he is know going to sleep totally on his own in his crib with minor fussing. YAY! I never thought I would do CIO this little but it worked.
Mason was still content to be swaddled and not rolling over in it. Until about 3 weeks ago. So I stopped swaddling him as well. He did not transition quite as well. He freaked out if I laid him down awake. He had been doing it swaddled fine. He started going to sleep in his swing since Micah was in the nursery already sleeping. This week we tried it again and he is going down on his own for the most part. As of New Years day both babies took a nap put down awake for over 1 1/2 hours both in the nursery. And since then have fallen asleep to each other crying and not been woken if the other wakes(most of the time). It is still a work in progress, not perfect each day, but this is huge!!! I am a very happy mommy.

Food: The boys are becoming pro solid eaters. They have discovered crakers, bagels, french fries, and this week chicken. They love anything they can hold onto and eat. Although they have not conquered feeding themselves anything small like cheerios. They get locked in their palm and are unsure how to get it out. Unless it is to drop it on the floor. You should see my kitchen after a meal. WOW! Those two can make a mess.

That is pretty much everything I can think of for now. They are the happiest babies ever. Their smiles are contagious. We are having so much fun with them.
Here are a few collages of each of them from the last month.

Micah

Mason

7months

8 month pic
...coming soon.

New Years Eve

2010-01-04T16:00:00.001-08:00

We celebrated the New Year with our annual Marteney party. Unfortunately we were minus a few people this year due to illness, work schedules, and Disneyland.
We had lots of fun with the Ball family, Jason & Nicole, and Nana and Haley. We had a yummy meal of asian foods, fruits, and cookies. The kids had tons of fun playing Hiho Cheerio and taking over the playroom while the babies all watched the commotion around them. The daddies got out the Wii later in the evening. Kyle taught Matt some new tricks in Super Mario Brothers.
We decided to celbrate the dropping of the ball with the Eastern part of the US at 9pm so the kids could take part. It was lots of fun. Everyone but Jason and Nicole left around 10. I got Madison to bed and then we played Wii for a while longer waiting to ring in the New Year officially. It was a fun night with wonderful company. Welcome 2010! I cannot wait to see what this year brings. Nothing quite as exciting as 2 babies I hope. :)

To see this collage larger just click on the images.

Christmas Recap

2009-12-29T14:50:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas celebrations started the weekend before Christmas in Springfield with my extended family. We spent the day with both sets of grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was alot of fun but a very full day. We drove there and back the same day. Home around midnight.

Great Grandpa Doyle with boys

Cousin Preston & Madi

Bows & Boxes are more fun than gifts.

Lots of stockings

Uncle Bubba helping Madi

Aunt Ally

Cousin Kennice & Madi

For Christmas Eve we went to Matt's parents for lunch and gifts with his brother and sister in law.

Photo by Madison
Grandma Dolly

Papa John

Christmas Day we started out at home to open our gifts to each other and then went to my parents for the rest of the day. Matt and my siblings spent most of the afternoon playing Wii.

Princessed out! She got lots of dress up stuff from us.

Micah is sitting Big...

and so is Mason.

Haley, Nana, & Poppi with the kids.

And finally a family photo.

It was a wonderful holiday spent with all the important people in our lives.
We hope you had a wonderful one as well.

Blog name contest- I need your help!

2009-12-28T10:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas photos are coming soon, but first I have a little contest for you. As many of you know I have started collecting many crafting supplies over the last few months. I got my cricut and since then have quite a supply of paper, stamps, etc. My plan is to start card making and many other projects I am sure. I would like to have a blog dedicated just to my crafts. Here is where your help comes in. I would like to have a contest for the blog name. The winner will get a $5 Starbucks card.

So get your creative juices flowing and leave a comment with your idea. It could have something to do with any of the following: crafts, M's (all of our M names/M&M's), craft mom, Marteney, Stamping, Paper, Etc. There are some really cute blog names out there but this is sooo not my strength. Help me out!

I cannot wait to see what you come up with.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:42:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! May you have a blessed holiday and New Year.