Perfecting Imperfection

I installed a new commenting program (IntenseDebate) that Mama M installed over at My Little Life.

I thought I'd give it a try. 

First, I really want to be able to personally respond to some of the comments I am getting.  I know that, if they are anything like me, people rarely go back to see if someone wrote a response to their comment.  With this program I can send a comment back to you through an email!  I thought that was pretty cool.  I would like if someone emailed me concerning a comment I made on their blog - it would show that they actually read the comment and cared enough to say something back to me.

The second reason I did it was because I wanted to tick my husband off...just a little bit.  :)

You see - I was reading some posts in my Google Reader and came across Mama M's post about IntenseDebate - so I went to check it out.  He saw what I was doing and rolled his eyes at me. 

"Good reason to stay up and be exhausted tomorrow.  I'm going to bed"

This from the guy who spent the last ... like HOUR playing some game called something like Zombies versus Plants or Plants versus Zombies on his laptop?!?

Oh - okay...

Anyway, if you get a minute leave me a comment so I can see how it works and play with it a little bit!  :)

Side note - If you use a blog reader, which one do you use?  I like Google Reader - but mine is getting VERY cluttered and tough to manage...anyone have anything they like better?  If you do use Google Reader, have you installed the "Next" button up on your Bookmark Toolbar?  Do you like it?  I think I do...but it seems very random.  Wait...I sound very random...Maybe hubby had a point - maybe I SHOULD go to bed now!

Thought I'd participate in the question of the week over at Multiples...and More!






Here's the "question":


If you could go back in time (think: Marty McFly) and have a chat with your pregnant self, what would you say?
For this week's question of the week, write a letter to yourself- your newly expecting, have-no-clue-what-you-were-in-for self.

Funny thing is - I didn't find out I was pregnant with multiples until I was 18 weeks pregnant!  Which was a good and bad thing.  Good because it gave me less time to worry - bad because I had less time to get ready!

Here it goes:

Dear Pregnant Janene,

     First of all, relax.  I know that you weren't planning on having another baby - let alone two more - but you will be okay.  In fact, you will be better than okay and so will the babies!  Jerry will be okay, too.  He doesn't hate you...he loves you and he is totally in love with both those little guys you are growing.  Give him time and he will come around.  You married him because he is a wonderful man - which is why he is a little extra stressed.  He's worried about the same things you are and even more.  He loves you all so much he doesn't want to let you down.  He won't let you down!

   You are going "full-term" so don't get all excited when you start feeling those contractions around 35 weeks...you still have a full 3 weeks to go.  Don't worry too much about how Nate and Danika are going to react when you bring the babies home - they are going to LOVE them.  They will truly be the best "big" brother and sister to them.

     You are right to assume you won't get any sleep for the first 3 months or so...but you will sleep again.  It won't be a full night but it will be just enough to keep you sane.  You are going to have your hands full - like you haven't heard that one a million times! - but you are also going to have more reasons to smile and laugh (and cry - both happy and fearful tears).  Remember, you were blessed with these babies for a reason - you CAN handle it.

     Don't stress out about nursing too much either.  You will do great for about 6 weeks - then your body will just quit on you.  6 weeks is great - considering how busy/tired/crazy you are these days.  You can give your babies formula - it will help your sanity...but you will feel guilt about it.  You'll feel guilt when you first quit and then again every once in a while when you realize you will never nurse another baby...but that is something you have to stop doing.  Focus on the NOW and enjoy the NOW - don't be sad about change.  I know that you are making a conscious effort to pay extra close attention to the details because this is your last go around at being pregnant.  Keep doing it - you'll look back fondly at all those memories.

In closing - chill out, Janene.  Enjoy the ride.  It isn't going to slow down and before you know it you will be where I am...mother of 4 - wishing I could go back 6 months to the day those little guys were born!

I have twins. I have twin boys that will be 6 months old in 5 days (I think it's 5...yeah, it's 5).  It's not easy having twins, but I don't really dwell on it much.  If I sit and think about how difficult having twins is it will just be harder - better to shut up and do what I have to do than sit around and whine about it.  The funny thing is, though, having twins doesn't really feel any different that having 2 babies.  That sounds stupid...let me see if I can explain a little more.

Our twins are fraternal twins.  Which means that they are NOT identical.  In fact, if you could have polar opposite twins we would have those.  Dean (who was the first one born and has always been about 2 pounds bigger than his brother) has a lovely olive complexion, dark eyes and fuzzy dark hair.  David (who was the second one born and my tiniest baby) is very fair skinned, blond hair and blue eyes.  Their builds are completely different.  They just look NOTHING alike!

The difference in appearance makes it easy to tell them apart (wow - truly am Mrs. Obvious today).  So...we don't have that "how do you tell them apart" problem people often have with twins.  Although, I've had people ask me that and tell me they wouldn't be able to tell them apart.  To which I respond, "Really - LOOK AT THEM!!!"  Ugh.

We also had our first two children very close together.  They were 14 months apart.  While that isn't the same thing as having twins, it is taking care of two "babies" at the same time.  I think that prepared us for the twins' arrival and all the work involved.  Seriously, it isn't that difficult...okay, sometimes it is - but day-to-day it isn't that bad and I think that is because we had Nate and Danika so close together.  It got us use to all the craziness.

Shortly after the boys were born Jerry and I had a conversation about how different they looked.  He commented, "Geeze, we can't even get twins right.  They aren't REALLY twins.  They are just like brothers."  Umm...NOOOO.  Trust me they ARE twins.  I should know.  But I get his point.  When we go places, once they are older and it's harder to tell, I bet people won't know they are twins...unless we tell them.

I have mixed emotions about this.  On one hand I'm happy because it will be so much easier for them to develop and maintain their own identity.  On the other hand I feel like they are missing out somehow.  I mean they have a twin brother, but they won't be able to play tricks on people like the girls in The Parent Trap did!  Oh, wait...maybe that is a blessing.  Hmmm...

I was going to move these pictures around to fit neatly in my post - but I'm being summoned to the living room to play yet another round of The Ladybug Game....so here are some pics for you to look at!

David and Nate playing on the floor

Dean - happy after his bath with Nate and Danika

Pretty soon we are moving them to their own cribs - I hope they do okay...I think I'll probably cry a little.  *sniff*sniff*

Al Bundy - Seriously, why does he do this?

Just had to take a picture...

They don't do windows...I asked.  :)

They didn't start playing with that stuff until I started having a cleaning lady come to the house twice a month.

Yes, I have a cleaning lady.

No, I do not have money to "waste" on something like that.

To be honest - it's really NOT that expensive...it's only twice a month...and it's actually and investment to my peace of mind.

I only have her do the kitchen and the bathroom.  She comes in and does the tub/toilet/sink/floor upstairs and then totally rocks out on my stove/sink/fridge/counter tops/floor in my kitchen.

That's it.  2 hours and $40 bucks later I can give my kiddos a bath in a clean tub and not cringe when they pick up some random piece of food off the kitchen floor and stick it in their mouth.

I'm NOT a neat freak.  I do spot clean in-between visits from the cleaning lady.  I often feel like I'm wasting her time when she is here - not that she makes me feel that way...just my thinking that she could probably be doing a bigger house and spending more time and making more money.

You know what the biggest bonus is?  Promise not to tell him, but I scheduled her to come on Tuesdays while I am at work so that my husband has to have stuff picked up so she can clean.  :)  Plus, that way I come home twice a month to a clean house!