Randomness

This post is a bunch of random stories and pictures from this week... It's actually pretty realistic to my mindset these days. :o)

Monday I had to get pictures of these sleepy babies. On Mondays I try to stick around the house to let them get extra good naps to make up for our busy weekends. Look at these sweet sleepy babies.

Paisley woke up with crazy hair on Tuesday. I laughed at her and sent pictures saying "cock a doodle doo!"

Even a bow didn't hide the fun hair :o) Paisley said her prayers at nap.

Paisley's teeth have rubbed a blister on her tongue. It doesn't bother her most of the time, but if the spoon rubs the blister, she cries. :o( This was the worst day of the blister. It's healing now and looks much better.

Wednesday we had a play date with Heidi and Ryley (4 weeks old) and Mary and Emory. I failed at getting pictures (agh!), but I did get a cute video of Em and Mac "talking". Whatever Emory was saying, Mac was cracking up.

Today we had our weekly play date with Casey and Mary, and we walked around the north shore. I love our city.
I had to get a picture of Mac and Paisley in their outfits today because these are the first outfits I bought after we found out we were having a boy and a girl.

It's a Wrap... WW

WW... What I'll call our "Weekend Wrap" to share what we did during our weekend.. and because it's easier than coming up with a post title for each weekend. 

Saturday we got to meet Miss Stella and visit with the new family of 3!

We went to church Sunday, and Mac and Paisley's Mimi and GeeP came to visit that afternoon. Mac and Paisley were loved on while I cooked lunch. Mimi fed them their sweet potatoes while Jordan and GeeP went to Home Depot to get shelves for the garage.

I learned that Paisley is NOT a fan of cinnamon, which I put in the large batch of sweet potatoes I made last week. She actually gags and vomits. If I add a bunch of applesauce, she will eat the mixture. Good thing I have several jars of applesauce. Mama doesn't like to waste food. 

Mac and Paisley had fun playing with the tissue paper that came in my Mother's Day gift from Mimi. (It's a new cook book from Taste of Home... I'm super excited about trying these new recipes!)

It's my fault Paisley isn't wearing her bubble in the next picture. I had blackberries on my hands and picked her up so her outfit went in the sink with our friend, Oxyclean.

 Thanks for visiting, Mimi and GeeP! 

-ashley

For MOMs by MOMs- Introductions!

I follow a blog of a mom who delivered boy/girl twins the same day Mac and Paisley were born, August 19, 2011. (I've posted about her blog before, and you can click here to follow yourself.) Megan and other MOMs (moms of multiples) are starting a blog link up where we will all discuss the same topic once a week. This week is introductions! 

My name is Ashley, and my husband is Jordan. We have been married almost 5 years, together almost 10 years. Woah. 

I always get anxious when sharing our story, because it's emotional, and I don't want our journey to define me, us, or our family. I don't like labeling myself due to a condition we may or may not have or an obstacle we've faced. So in spite of my bundle of nerves, Jordan encourages me to share because we could help and encourage someone else. In this isolating journey, it's important to not feel alone. So here we go...

We learned in 2009 that starting a family wouldn't be as easy as we thought. It had been over a year, and we met with my OB in December 2010. I am a planner, and I didn't handle this "plan" not coming to fruition well. I went on Clomid in January, doubled the Clomid in April, had hcG shots, underwent 2 IUIs, a pelvic laparoscopy, the dye test to look for any blockages, tried acupuncture, and lots and LOTS of hot flashes and emotional roller coasters. 

In August 2009 we met with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). We found a large cyst in my ovary, and he recommended us come off all meds until this healed. We actually got pregnant that month, found out weeks later that it was an identical twin pregnancy, and that the pregnancy stopped developing. I had a D&C October 1, 2010. It was a devastating time for me, but it also grounded and shaped my faith in our Creator and His plan. 

After a cycle, I went on Letrazole and we did and IUI. I actually didn't test because I hated putting all of my energy into a "stupid stick". So I just pessimistically waited for my cycle to start. It rarely did because my cycles are all over the place so I took a medicine to induce a new beginning for the following cycle. 

I asked that we try something more invasive for the next cycle, for I knew that the best way for me to overcome the incredible loss we had experienced was to have renewed hope in a new pregnancy. Like a gambler, we were all in. I have always said that in an infertility journey, you hit a wall... the wall where you'll do whatever it takes, spend whatever amount, anything to have a baby. 

In December 2010, I began the cycle with increased Letrazole and began giving myself the follicle stimulating hormone shot, Bravelle. We did an IUI on December 31, 2010....

January brought us a positive test, two heart beats, and an incredible journey that we still live today. :o) We have boy/girl twins! Read here about our January 2011. 

After a 23 day hospital stay from preterm labor, I was discharged and on bed rest another 3 weeks. (A post on the pregnancy is next's week topic!) My water broke on August 18, 2011, and McKinney (Mac) Graham and Paisley Grace were born on August 19, 2011. 

Mac joined us later that afternoon, and Paisley was in the NICU for the first 24 hours.

 Their first time together since birth :o)

 The day we came home from the hospital- "Allen, party of 4!" :o)

I am a SAHM and love every minute.. okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. It's hard, super hard, and I don't know how I do it sometimes, but we make it! I have such fun learning M and P's personalities and we are incredibly goofy. I dance daily, and they have learned which songs (like the ABCs) make me dance the most. I laugh and think I'm the puppet here, haha! 

I love running (actually I 'love' the feeling after I run), E!, shopping, and meeting new friends :o)

-ashley

C25K Race Day!

It's here: our couch to 5K race day! It is actually a relief to be running a 5K and not having to mentally prepare for a half marathon or sprint triathlon. I still want to continue doing those types of races, but we're starting small. 

We got Mac and Paisley up at 6 am in time to change and eat, then we left at 6:40 for the race in Dalton, GA. (Jordan's goal was to leave at 6:30, but if you know me, you know all times are an 'ish'.) It was fun meeting with Jordan's co workers who came out to represent Shaw and cheer or participate. Here's a pic we got before the race:

Group Shot! Ben (in the yellow) actually pushed the stroller for us so we could focus on getting me across the finish line, haha! It really wasn't terrible. The weather was humid, but we finished! I actually sprinted at the end and passed the 5 people who were in front of me. That's right. I'm coming back. ;o) Hardly.

My dear friend Mary- Our first post baby race!

 Mac and Paisley's friend, Emory, and his dad Zack

M and P were worn out after the race.

 We celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Mary and Zack and Emory this evening. Real party animals we've become... dinner at 4, haha. 

Mac and Paisley sat in the high chairs.. I asked Jordan when our kids became old enough to sit in restaurant high chairs..? They were so intrigued they wouldn't look at me for a picture. Stinkers.

 They have grown up so much just this week!! Paisley has started scooting all over the place, she now says "Dada" (not sure why "mama" got skipped..?), and the two teeth still shock me! Sweet Mac has outgrown his closet! His belly is in a 12 month, but his length is a 9 month... so basically he wears capris (should be jon jons) or bubbles. Both babies are handling the milk formula well! No signs of reaction yet! (Read here for the info on their protein intolerance and here for our experiment this week.)

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all!!

-ashley