Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Update on Mommy and Daddy

Lisa:
I go back to see my thyroid doctor in a couple weeks. I wish I could give this amazing update that all symptoms have been relieved and I feel 100% again. That is not the case.

Granted, I don't feel as awful as I did before seeing Dr. Sokol back in February. I was placed on Synthroid 100mg once a day.

The one thing I was hoping this would help was my weight. I have been running or walking and watching what I am eating but still putting on weight. I have lost ONE pound! That. is. it.

I am still overly tired. My babies are not the cause of this. They sleep. I never wake up rested even after 7-8 hours.

My skin is getting better. It used to be so dry and either the medicine or the warmer weather and gallons of lotion are helping.

I am looking for a job. I should probably be panicked at this point that I haven't found anything. But I am not. Jeremy is. Ha! I put in my resignation at South Middle. I am looking for a job within education or able to use my education expertise in a non-classroom setting. I want to be able to spend more quality time with my family. I am also sick of being stressed out about work. I need a couple years to be able to be a better Mom. That is more important than being a stellar teacher at this point in my life. I am sure I will go back to teaching because I do feel like it is something I am good at. But who knows?

I have applied to a million different places. I haven't heard back from many of those. I am starting to doubt my gutsiness--(is that a word?) I know God will provide. He always does. I get paid through August. But I really would like to know what I am doing for a job after June 5.

Jeremy:

He loves his new job. He is happier. He spends more time with us. So therefore, I love his new job. I wish I could find something that made me as happy as he is. He is good at this job too. So proud of him.


I wouldn't leave a post without the babes. Here they are in their new outfits from their Nonnie and Grampa.







-Lisa-

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Same In As Out!

I have loved seeing other creative mommies do this Same In As Out photo op. I thought...what the heck?!

So, today we celebrate 36 Weeks, 5 Days Out...the same they were In! Crazy talk! Seriously!



-Lisa-

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

8 Months & New Life Chapters

Another month. They are a measly 4 months away from being ONE! I also have to admit that I have been searching Pinterest for ideas for their first birthday party. Our house is too small to have everyone here and the twins won't really be ready for the full out bouncy house birthday yet. So we are thinking at having it at nearby park. That way there are activities and it is large enough for everyone. Although I really don't want them to grow up so fast...I am excited about their very first birthday!

Max is a crazy person. Seriously. He is into everything that he shouldn't and will magically be across the room within seconds of looking away. He is obsessed with the foam that we put around the edges of our coffee table. He wants it off the table and in his mouth. We tell him no. He shakes his head no to us and giggles. How do you get mad at that? He is too funny. He loves to stand at the activity table and fight Harper for the best buttons to push. He babbles nonsense a lot. Lots of "Dada" "Mama" "RaRa" "Nana" and squeals.

He has been a little under the weather lately. Horrible diaper rash from cutting TOP teeth. (He has some large bumps on his top front gums.) He hasn't been sleeping well and is just overall not his happy self. Hopefully he will be over this fussy stage soon. It has only been a few days but I want my sweet, smiley boy back.

He loves food! His favorites are still fruit. Most recently he loves the mixed fruits. He also is getting pretty good at feeding himself. He likes the little puffs and has just learned how to make hand to mouth connection. Granted, our dog, Bella, still gets her fair share from him, but he is doing well. He wears 6-9 month clothing for the most part. The 9 month clothes are a little big and he still fits into most of his 6 month clothing. He wears size 3 diapers. I don't know exact weight but by just holding him and weighing on our scales...he is around 17.5 pounds.

Harper is the happiest baby. She is so smiley, snugly, and loving. She gives big open mouth kisses and melts my heart with her facial expressions. She is the sweetest girl. She is also a girl on the go but hasn't quite mastered crawling all of the way. She sometimes gets so excited that she is moving that she head butts the ground which isn't her favorite feeling. She can still get where she wants to go and has also developed an obsession with the foam on the coffee table. (Been watching Max too much!) She loves to play. She gets so excited that she flaps her arms and squeals when you do about anything. So cute! She also talks quite a bit and I swore the other day she said something that resembled "Max".

She has had a perpetual cough for a few weeks. Never a fever. She even seems to feel fine. It is slowly getting better which is good. I am just ready for winter to go away so they can stay healthy longer. She has her one and half (I say half because it is just barely peaking through) tooth on the bottom.

She is an eater. She can eat Max under the table highchair. She is more of a veggie and dinner fan. She loved the chicken and noodle puree and also a big fan of squash. But I don't think we have found a food she doesn't like yet. She is not as sure about feeding herself. It is like she doesn't want to get her hands dirty. She will pick up a puff and look at it in disgust before throwing it on the ground for Bella. However, she likes the puffs but wants me to feed it to her. Silly! She wears 6-9 month and 9 month clothing. She can sometimes fit into 6 month clothing but for the most part they are too small now. She wears size 3 diapers. Again, not a complete accurate weight on our scales but she is close to 18.5 pounds.
Helping "Grandma" Anne celebrate her 90th!

We kinda like bathing together!

"Harps"

Miss Harper is a happy girl!

Just hanging out



Max getting into everything!

He loves getting into the diaper stash

Unhappy?

What? It wasn't me!

8 month pictures

Outtakes tell it all

Babygate was installed!

Playing together

On a run with Mom













They both amaze me everyday. I just never knew this kind of love existed.

But I am tired. I think this stage is more difficult than the newborn stage. I don't have nearly the amount of time to keep up with housework and work-work. They definitely run us ragged but wouldn't have it any other way!

You would think that having two humans to take care of and support would prevent us from making huge life changes. Nope! This is Jeremy's last week at his job of nearly 11 years. He is going to be a sales manager for a local sock company. Yep, socks! He is going to help grow the business and hopefully make a lot more money. He has always carried the insurance for the babies so now we are figuring that out. The sock company is fairly new and he will be their ONLY paid employee.

On top of that uncertainty...I turned in my resignation to my school that I have taught at for 8 years! Am I crazy? Possibly. I will still need to work but am looking for a job still using my education degrees but in a capacity that doesn't involve the stresses and grading of a regular teacher. I am hoping to find something and the pressure is on now.

So onto new life challenges. It never stops. Jeremy is really excited and to be honest...just turning in my resignation felt good.

-Lisa-

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Prayers Please

I have a request. One of our dearest friends' baby boy is in need of prayers. He is only a couple weeks older than the twins. He has a hernia that should have been detected on ultrasound...but wasn't. It wasn't caught until nearly 6 months after his birth. It requires surgery. However, with his lung capacity being 50% because of the hernia...he is struggling with respiratory problems. He has been in and out of hospital. He is no intubated. I know that his parents are stressed and worried. I can't imagine the pain they feel for their sweet baby.

Please pray for Baby Walker! He needs to be well for 4 weeks before surgery is an option but he needs to get well first. 



-Lisa-

Monday, March 3, 2014

Stop to Smell the...

I was going to title the post "Stop to Smell the Poopy Diapers" but was afraid no one would want to read that! The whole purpose of this rambling post is to cherish the time that we have.

Last weekend, our church had a baby dedication for all of the new babies in the last year. The dedication is for us to publicly announce that we will raise Max and Harper in a Christian home to know Jesus. In return, it is a place for our church members to publicly announce that they will support us in raising them this way. It was a great day. My parents, sister and brother-in-law, and my niece and nephew all came to witness the dedication. These two babies are truly loved.


















































One thing that was truly special about the ceremony was the presentation of a jar of marbles.

Engraved with Harper and 7-11-13

Engraved with Maxwell 7-11-13











Each marble represents a week of Max and Harper's life. There are 940 weeks (approximately) from the time they are born until they graduate high school and start their adult life. So these tiny marbles represent our time with our precious, miracle babies.

We were given the marble containers and inside was a bag filled with the 32 marbles that have already been taken out. On Thursday, I took out the 33rd marble. It was sad but it is a visual reminder that their life is flying by. Which means that our time is flying by too.

So...we stop and smell the poopy diapers. Because before we know it...there are no more diapers (although that doesn't sound so bad!) and they are grown adults. So we kiss a little more and stress a little less. Each day is a gift. A gift of time and I am going to enjoy it more and more.


PS-Max and Harper will be 8 months old next week. So a post on them will be coming soon.

Enjoy your time!
-Lisa-

Friday, February 21, 2014

Answers to my Big Neck, Large Thyroid, Wacky Hormone Problems

I had my BIG thyroid specialist doctor appointment last Friday. I wasn't nervous. I knew of the issues based on blood work and ultrasounds that my other doctor had already completed. 

I wrote about my initial symptoms and thyroid issues in this post. To break it down: I have put on a TON of weight in a short time since babies, I am tired all the time, I am always cold, I have extremely dry skin, and I  just don't feel like myself. Oh, and I have a GIANT neck!

Dr. Sokol is amazing! I have never had a doctor take that much time to really dig deep into my medical history. He spent an hour going over all of my past tests, charts, biopsies, ultrasounds, and listening to my stories. He explained everything as he went and made me feel extremely confident and comfortable with his expertise.

Yes, I have hypothyroidism. I will now be on Synthroid medicine the rest of my life. I will need it to regulate the thyroid gland. He made it clear that my thyroid glands were both so large he wasn't sure that the meds will actually shrink the size of them. But the meds will help with all of the other above mentioned symptoms. I already am starting to feel more like myself. I feel like I am in a better mood after only a week of taking the medication. 

I do have to get another biopsy done this spring. My thyroid gland has grown 60% in 18 months so he is a "tiny bit" concerned about thyroid lymphoma. Of course, this sucks and is scary to think about. Dr. Sokol followed this statement up with that he is nearly certain this is not the case but wants to rule it out entirely. 

One of our conversations involved Dr. Sokol mentioning that he wished I had seen him back when I was 21 and the goiter was first noticed. (I was never referred to a specialist since my TSH levels were always fine.) He said that I may have never had infertility issues and I definitely wouldn't be in the position that I am now. 

Yes, it ticks me off that this entire 4 year infertility battle could've been avoided. However, I would NEVER in a million years wish it away. Jeremy and I would not have Max and Harper without those four years of struggle. It was meant to be. I wouldn't change it. 

Now I just take my lovely, yellow pill every morning (FOR...EV...ER-imagine this in the voice from The Sandlot movie) and hope that my symptoms continue to improve. I am hoping they do. I am ready to be back!

-Lisa-

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am getting ready to go to my thyroid doctor appointment. I am hoping to get those much needed answers that I wrote about earlier.

Last week, I did my first craft with Max and Harper. Here are the Valentines that we made their friends:



And here are my sweet Valentines. I never thought I could love as much as I love these two!





It will be a quiet Valentine's Day for us. Just perfect though!

Have a great day!

-Lisa-