We are not poppin' bottles

nope...but we are "proppin' " bottles like a blizzard.  I don't know if the girls feel fly like a G 6?  I don't really know what that means, you will have to ask them..HA!

Love, Mommy

Dear Santa

Dear Theo and Mayzie,

These are your Christmas letters to Santa.  Theo you wrote "Dear Santa"  all by yourself but you think it says "reindeer Santa". 

Mayzie, I just wrote your for you and asked do you want a baby, a baby highchair, a furreal friends kitty cat, etc?  Because I already got those for you.  But you did a great job coloring :)

Notice at the end of Theo's he told me to write Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday.    I also over heard him asking Santa for an Evil Dr. Porkchop, and when he finished he said "please, please, please...in Jesus' name amen". This is funny, but I can see how when we bring Santa into the Christmas mix, the reason for Christmas gets confusing for a 3 1/2 year old.  We are working on explaining Christmas to our kids and explaining Santa too. 

Anyway, I can't wait to spend Christmas as a family with 4 young kids!  What a blessing!
 There will be such excitement every year. 

I want to start a tradition with our family when the kids are older that will help them realize "its not JUST about the presents.  I know the presents are fun for kids and kids do deserve new things, but I want to do something a little more selfless around the holidays.  I am thinking about serving dinner on Christmas at a homeless shelter and then going to movie as a family or on a "winter" walk.  Just something to take their (and my own mind) minds off of "get, get, get, me, me, me".

We will see how it goes later on down the road.  But for now, they are too little to do much but stay home and play with toys and eachother and cuddle with their mom and dad...which is just fine with me!

Love,  Mommy

i yov u Eo.

...As heard from the mouth of Mayzie as Theo helped her open the container full of cookies this morning, before breakfast.

Love, Mom

Comparing Kids

Its so hard not to compare your kids...here they all are at 6 months.  I hope to upload some better ones of the twins. 

Georgia Kate

Tillie Chandler

Theodore Everett

Mayzie Emma

I promise not to do this your enitre life!!!

Love, Mommy

6 Months Ago

Dear Baby Girls,

Just 6 SHORT months ago you came out of my tummy and into this world.  Our lives have never been the same but has been twice as amazing ever since.

I won't lie, the past 6 months have been nothing short of a blur, like I swear I just checked into the hospital yesterday.  And it for sure  has been double the work.  My brain has been scattered, then nights have been long, the days have been crazy and the laundry never gets done.  But I would not trade either of you for anything in the world.

Georgia, you are spunky.  You love to belly laugh and I love to listen to it and you can pitch of fit when you get fed up.  You go from hot to cold within a second.  You are already keeping up with Theo and Mayzie in your own little way, and I am pretty sure you will be giving them a run for their money.  You love to talk, you still wake up in the night-just to be held sometimes.  You love your puppy, Duke.   You are a snacker.  I don't think you have ever finished an entire bottle.  You usually have a furrowed brow, and it has to be your idea or you aren't going to do it..i.e.  smiling when being talked to.

Tillie, you are quiet and content.  You love to observe.  You go with the flow in every sense of the term.  You are my cuddle buddy and your smile melts me each and every time I see it.  When I look in your eyes I feel like you know so much.  You are content to sit back and watch the world around you.  You smile at people no matter what.  You are a sleeper- thanks!  You still have very little hair, and the hair you do have looks red.  You are as sweet as they come.  Sometimes you get lost in the shuffle of the day, and I feel bad because I realize you have been playing in the exer-saucer for way too long.

Tillie, you always reach your arm over to Georgia and Georgia you always look back at Tillie.  I have loved watching each of you develop your own personalities while becoming the best of friends.  You really do have a special bond.  Although I can't say I would love to do the "twin" thing again (its a lot of work)  I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to experience this with both of you.  We are so glad  you are in our lives!

Love,

Mommy

Dear Mayzie,

I am not ready for this.  Last night I heard a thud.  I didn't think much of it and assumed you tossed a book out of your bed.  And soon after I saw your little blond curls peeking around the corner.  You climbed out of your crib.  Something I thought you would never do- fight bedtime and nap time-but you have been, especially more recently.  Screaming until you fall asleep, skipping naps, its been a nightmare.  I want my sweet little perfect sleeper back.

We tried you in the "big girl bed"  (toddler size),  you did fall asleep, then woke up in the middle of the night and somehow managed your way into my room, where I was startled out of my whits when I opened my eyes and saw you starting straight back at me (like within an inch of me.)  So I cuddled with you and you fell asleep in my bed.  Then I moved you back to your crib, where you did sleep peacefully, eventually.  Mind you, all of this around 2 am and feeding Georgia at 3:55, basically I went to sleep at 4:30 am and woke up at 5:30 am.  

Someday you won't want to sleep in your mommy's arms and I will wish you did.  It is always so backwards.  Maybe that is the secret to life... to enjoy it while you can.  Which is something I need to do.  You will sleep.  And I won't die any sooner if I wake up every morning with 4 kids in my bed.

Love, Mommy

Jeans Update

Thank God for Jeggings!!! 

Teeth Whitener

 Being in charge of keeping four kids alive and thriving everyday gives me very little time to sit down and eat a meal.  I actually never sit and eat a meal (for sure never sit).  I graze all day long- carrots here, handfuls of cereal there, I even finish up what is left on Theo and Mayzie's plates.  I decided I need to concentrate on eating meals, and healthy ones at that.  NO MORE GRAZING.  It never tastes good and I never feel full.

  I have been doing a pretty good job and I owe it all to my teeth whitener.  That's right.  To ensure that I don't snack throughout the day.  I put in my teeth whitening trays in between meals.  I know its says to do it over night, but I doubt it really matters.  I am down 1.5 pounds in the past week and half and my teeth are sparkling.  talk about getting a two-fer! I think I should market this idea.

My Day Has Been MADE!!!

Dear Theo,

I was looking for yoga pants on the Victoria's Secret website, and you were laying next to me.  As I was scrolling through the images you said, "Mom, stop...that's you!"  and pointed to the copied pictured posted above. 

First, I wanted to ask him if he was blind, but then I decided to soak it in.  I even clicked on the image to enlarge it and see if he was right...I can see the similarities, can't you?  Just kidding, there aren't any except hair color.  I mean, if anything I do always wear a sports bra!

By the way, Buddy, if you treat all girls  the way you treat me, you will have it made in the girl department, they will just have to get by me first :)

Love, Mommy


PS. Have I ever told you, you are my favorite???

Dear Tillie,

Your patience is a BLESSING!  There could have never been a more laid back and patient baby as you.  It is AMAZING!  

Please throw a fit every once in a while for something other than a bursting ear drum or a burning UTI or 3 lumbar punctures in a day and an infected Picc Line.

I don't think you have done more than a whimper when you are hungry in the past week!

You are making me feel guilty!

Love, 

Mama

Dear Mayzie,

I woke you up from your nap yesterday at 5:00.  I should have known that meant you were sick. Plus, with Michael out of town, it wouldn't be right for somebody not to get sick  You sure are sweet when you don't feel well.  We cuddled as much as we could, and you slept in my bed (along with Theo, who fell out of bed in the middle of the night and never did quite recover).  Its nice when your aren't so fiesty.  You are still sick today, but I think you are feeling better.

Love, Mommy

I am So Thankful...

...for Michael!  You are an amazing husband and father.

...for Theo! You are too smart for your own good.  I am blessed by your contagious smile everday.

...for Mayzie!  You are such a laid back little daddy's girl and can win anyone over with your piercing blue eyes. 

...for Georiga!  My littlest firecracker, I could listen to your belly laugh all day and enjoy our middle of the night feedings, (even though you are too old to be waking up at night) its a great time for us to bond.

...for Tillie! You have been through a lot, girlfriend, and are as tough as they come.  I am thankful for your calm and happy disposition and you are the best little cuddle bug!

...and I suppose for Duke!  You are a great friend to Theo, and Georgia sure gets a kick out of you.

and also for amazing family and friends!

Love, Mommy

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

PS.  I am also thankful for my DVR (watching 16 and Pregnant while blogging and all 4 kids are asleep!!!!)

I know you from somewhere...don't I???

Dear Georgia and Tillie,

I was wondering when this would finally happen. Georgia and Tillie, you have always been aware of one another and even comforted by each others' touch. But today, as you lay on the floor Georgia turned and looked at Tillie. You didn't just smile and squeal and continue to flap your arms and kick your legs, but rather you stared and waited for Tillie to look back at you. As if you could read her brainwaves and knew she was going to do just that. Which, she did. And nor did she just look at you, smile at you and continue to flap. She stared too. You both were just staring back at each other. It was as if you had just met, but had known each other for, well, forever. I sat in awe. It was a true "twin" moment. And it just got better. You both smiled, at the SAME TIME. If only I could have known what you both were thinking! I wanted so badly to go run and get the camera, but I didn't because I knew this was just one of those moments that wouldn't last for long and I didn't want to miss out.

Love, Mom

Baking

For some reason I seemed to have lost my only "domestic touch"...baking. I have tried a few holiday recipes lately and failed miserably. Maybe as the holidays approach my magic touch will reappear.  Or maybe I just don't have the time like I used to.

When I was pregnant with Mayzie I would bake up a storm. I had sweetest sweet tooth that I ever had in my life. Everything I baked was perfect and delicious. It must have been a hormonal thing...or maybe just a foreshadowing of who was brewin' in there!

Would you look at those thighs? They look like tubes of cookie dough were stuffed in them! Its almost painful!  I wouldn't trade a baby like that for the world!  Chubby babies are the BEST... I dont think the twins will come close.

 

A couple of days ago Theo said, "Mom, I love Daddy so much.  I wish there were Michaels everywhere!"  It was so cute.

There is only one Michael...and lucky for Theo, he gets him!

Love these shoes and accessories...

Check out this cute website.  The shoes look so adorable and so very comfy...and so do the accesories!  I might just need to break down and buy some! For some reason the pictures of the shoes would not upload, so you will just need to check them out yourself.

https://www.zuzii.com/

Awkward!

Some of these are just WAY TOO MUCH! They are all from awkwardfamilyphotos.com! There are tons!

My favorite is the watermelon photo, the caption on the website says "its not just a fruit, its a lifestyle." Apparently so! Also, all I want to know is how they got all those 6 babies to sleep at the same time, and when they did why did that mom not shut her eyes too!?

I Look Nice Today

I stood in my closet and debated what to wear for the day. I knew we had to leave the house for Mayzie's dance class and later for Georgia's physical therapy session at the hospital. So, I tried to let that influence my decision, thinking to myself that I should probably look decent and half-way put together. That meant jeans, I have been having jean issues lately and these issues have been getting worse and worse. I don't know if its because I don't have to wear them or if I really have some weird body type that doesn't tolerate them. Either way, I don't want to look like that mom, especially in public so I pulled out my dark jeans and put them on.


I continued on with the morning and did a few things around the house. It was bad news from the get-go. I started to get hot and felt constricted. But, I kept them on and continued to go about my routine chores hoping I would somehow, someway get used to this discomfort. ( I mean come on, they are jeans, Hayley, they ARE COMFORTABLE.)


I used to wear jeans everyday, no questions asked. That's just what you wear. I knew that sweatpants are for vegging on the couch and going to the gym. Then I had Theo, and I wore sweats on the weekend. Which, I feel is still pretty acceptable, right? After Mayzie was born the sweat pants wearing got more frequent, but I still put a pair of jeans on every time I left the house. Since the twins have been around I have been a so-called "sweat-pant offender". On a totally related note, the same is true about how often I wash my hair...I'm up to 3 whole days in between washes. (Suddenly my hair just got feeling a little bit itchy).


Back to the story. I was having no luck, the discomfort just kept getting worse. I was constantly having to yank them up. (Why is it that every single pair of jeans I own manages to slip down and sit miserably on my c-section scar so that my left over baby belly flab bulges over the top?!)


By now all kids are awake and I am scurrying to get hair done, teeth brushed, babies fed, shoes on and my jeans just feel gross. Eventually we got the diaper bag packed, babies loaded in their carriers and everyone buckled into the van.


I could have just gotten in the driver seat and backed away with my jeans and cute top on, but I didn't. I rushed inside and grabbed my matching sweatpants and hoodie and put them on. Don't you worry, not the grungy sweats. I put on the sweats that are more tailored and have pockets on the back, plus the hoodie matches...so I look nice right? The sad part is, I have done this multiple times lately. I think in the near future, I am going to set a goal to only wear yoga/sweat pants once full day a week. I will let you know how it goes!

A Quick and Cute Mayzie Story

Dear Mayzie,


Your Dad took Theo and Mayzie to eat breakfast at Dahl's one morning last week.


Some strangers came up to Dad during breakfast and told him this story about the two of you, apparently it had them giggling...


As you waited in the booth while Dad waited in line to pay for the food you both had doughnuts to eat to keep you occupied. Theo kept peaking at Daddy and every time he turned away Mayzie would sneak a bite of Theo's doughnut without him knowing.


This story, surprised me in no way at all. Mayzie, you get sneakier and more mischievous by the minute! I know your dad loves it!


Love, Mommy

Its About Time to Blog

Dear Theo, Mayzie, Georgia and Tillie,

I titled this blog "Hungry, Hungry Hippos"-like the game. My life couldn't be summed up any better: no matter what I do everything happens at once. You all get hungry at the same time, wake up at the same time, poop at the same time, and throw fits at the same time.


You are 3, 2, and 5 months old and the blogging thing is way past due. This is going to be my way of "remembering". I should have started it a long time ago because there is so much that I have already forgotten but starting now I want to be sure to record all the little things that go on in your every day life...things that are cute, things that are messy, things that make me laugh, and cry, things that make me proud and things that make me want to pull my hair out.


I know these days are long, but I am told the years are short. Someday I will look back and I will miss these days of all things little and I won't be able to remember just how crazy it was. I hope we can someday look back on this blog and be reminded of so many memories, and of course how gosh darn cute all 4 of you are!


Love, Mommy