P.S.

Here is a video of J showing his excitement at the aquarium from our road trip.....

Road Trip

Happy Thanksgiving! We have lots to be thankful for! Thankful that we survived our first ever road trip with the boys and arrived home safe and sound. Not 100% healthy...but safe and sound! Thankful for the fun week we spent at Grandma and Papap's house and thankful we are all on the rebound (we hope) of the dreaded FLU.

Here are a lot of pictures from our trip...we got lots of fun ones.

The boys at the start of the trip being silly with their monkeys...



After a day full of surprises (peeing out of diapers and outfits x 4, bad directions x 2, 1 full container of milk poured on my lap in the car, getting separated from each other in Atlanta, not getting to the aquarium in time, and for the finale...dropping our entire pizza on the floor trying to get the boys off of the elevator)...we made it to our hotel - a very welcoming site after a long albeit exciting day....

J happy to be at the hotel:

The boys chasing each other around the hotel room....

W running on the bed.........

We are thankful the boys passed out almost immediately after we put them down...I cannot tell a lie....we were mentally drained after that first day...we both had blood-shot eyes and were ready to go to bed. W ended up in bed with us in the middle of the night but J slept ALL night long...in his pack 'n play no doubt-not a peep.

We decided to re-attack the aquarium plan the next morning before driving further. We made it...it was beautiful...we were very happy we went.

Getting to the aquarium....

Me and W in the tunnel...

J taking it all in...

The boys at the big wall....check out that whale shark

Dad and W checking out the fish....

After arriving, the boys wasted no time attacking the stairs and running into each and every room. They just don't like to sit still and they had a lot of energy to burn.

It really looked like Thanksgiving there. My parents have done lots of renovations on their home and it looked great. Some pictures from our fun week...

W and his new "scowl"...it made quite an appearance this past week..I think because he was seeing so many new things...

W with Papap after eating a big, yummy Thanksgiving feast prepared by Grandma...

Papap put my shoes on....oops!

Running around in the back yard...

W's scowl....again...so cute

J exploring....

W looking very animated here...almost as if he is saying "let me squash your face!"

J eyeing some pine straw...


I love that the sun popped out and you can really see W's features here...I love the curve of his nose, his little chin, his soft perfect cheeks, and the curls behind his ears...(even though he is not smiling)

Grandma and J in the back yard...

Brave cat....my parent's cat Lucy was quite the trooper...the boys were intrigued by her and she let them chase her around...then would just lay down. They just kept getting braver and braver....

And then Wednesday hit...we were on our way to the zoo...it was raining out...and W got sick...very sick to his stomach just before we made it to the zoo. And that started the chain reaction....he was sick....I got sick that whole night, Geoff started to feel sick in the middle of the night while still taking care of W, and thankfully Grandma and Papap took J to keep him for the night in their room. He wasn't sick when they went to bed but he got sick in his pack 'n play in the middle of the night...no fun. This was our first experience all being sick and feeling terrible within a 24-hour period. Rough. The boys were better Thanksgiving morning but Geoff and I still didn't feel so great. But we left mid-afternoon because we were afraid to be stuck in lots of traffic if we left the next day...luckily we had our Thanksgiving feast early in the week for various reasons and it was a good thing because all four of us hardly ate a thing on the actual Thanksgiving day! But we made it home....still not feeling back to normal..and W may need to be checked tomorrow...we think the flu may have caused him to have another ear infection...but otherwise...glad to be home and thankful to have the weekend to recover!
Here are the boys just before arriving home........

Stuff...

I love enough to tell you about!

OK random post today...I have been meaning to do this for awhile...just list some "stuff" I love...favorites...worth buying/trying, etc.

So here is some great stuff i love...a very random list........

Mint M&Ms....OK, someone told me the other day that they didn't even know they existed...well they do..they only come out at Christmas time and they are SO good! A big reason for any holiday weight gain for me...I like to eat the white ones first. =)

Organic Valley Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk...I had big cravings for chocolate milk when I was pregnant and this is the best out there...perfect...chocolate milk just seems to make everything better sometimes.

Ecover Stain Remover...my mom got this for me at Wild Oats in Nashville so you can probably only find it there or Whole Foods and places like that...let me tell you, this stuff is pure magic.
W fell into his handle hauler truck one morning. I saw him do it...it didn't look like a bad crash at all but he SCREAMED. I picked him up and he gave me his koala bear squeeze (this kid gives awesome hugs), and when he finally looked up, my entire shoulder-chest area was covered in blood. And I was wearing a white t-shirt. Geoff's white t-shirt. So I put this stuff on it, threw it in the washing machine by itself...and forgot about it. When I remembered, I was certain the shirt would be ruined...but all the blood was completely gone. It just sucked it up or something. AND it is even safe for the environment-bonus! BTW, W had bit his lip if you were wondering =)

Ecover Ultra Laundry Wash...smells fabulous...works fabulous..I could order it by the crate. If you ever wanted to try an ecological detergent that is safe for your family but you were afraid to waste your money on something...don't be afraid to try this stuff. Or their dishwashing soap...I am using their lemon aloe vera stuff now.

Vans Original Waffles and Belgian waffles...I only found these because I was looking for something the boys could have that didn't have eggs in it. Well, these are dairy free, gluten free, wheat free, egg free, cholesterol-free, and SO GOOD. I have to buy extra so I can have some too. And the belgian waffles (I will say, they aren't cheap) are amazing and are high in fiber and protein. So if any of you need something different that is quick and easy...try these...I just microwave them.

Amy's Margherita pizza...yummy and perfect size for me and the kids if Geoff is not home for dinner.

Dr. Oetker Organics Vanilla icing mix...I don't like frosting very much...or cake..I would prefer ice cream on my birthday over cake. But Geoff made me a cake and used this box mix icing that we didn't use for the boys' birthday. It was really good. It didn't have that "fake" taste that I think canned icing has. So if you don't like canned icing either, try this stuff.

Newman's Own...Sockarooni Pasta Sauce and Champion Chip Cookies

Baby's Quiet Sounds™ Day and Night Handheld Color Video Monitor by Summer...nothing more to say...great product

Pottery Barn Kids Chamois sheets...my sister-in-law Amy got us these sheets for the boys' cribs and I have used them to death...washed them to death...and they are still soft. The BEST sheets.
Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel or lotion...I haven't found anything else I like better.

Fisher-Price space-saver high chairs

Shutterfly products and customer service...I ordered Christmas cards one morning last week and they were on our door (no kidding) the next afternoon. And I didn't pay for express shipping.

Board books...whoever invented these were a genius. The boys love books...their favorites: Usborne Look and Say Farm book and the Usborne Look and Say First Words

Little Tykes Handle Hauler Trucks...

And since I never really participated in the "recipe exchange" e-mails, here is one of my favorite fall recipes from Cooking Light:
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=833355

I think that is all I can think of now. Please send me your favorites...I'd love hearing about something you can't live without...use all the time....best purchase ever...etc.

Let me change gears...the boys are doing much better...the doc did their 15-month well baby check at their follow-up appointment minus the shots. He didn't want to give them shots since they still aren't feeling 100% yet. They are weighing around 23 lbs and J is just a little taller. Our doc did prescribe us our own nebulizer machine for the future. Hopefully we won't have to use it. I was sad at the appointment when I realized it was probably our last visit with our pediatrician before we move. He has been so wonderful and has seen the boys since they were born. I am very sad we are moving and he won't be our doctor anymore. We were very blessed being here during my entire pregnancy. I LOVED my OB and midwife and couldn't have asked for a better team for my pregnancy or for our little guys' first 15 months.

Update

The boys are still recuperating but doing much better. The doctor saw J right away Friday morning and said he was breathing better. He was happy to see him moving around and not just lying on the exam table. He did say that if he hadn't seen improvement, he would have admitted him to the hospital! I guess he was pretty concerned.
We are continuing breathing treatments every six hours and trying to give him oral steroids to reduce the inflammation in his lungs. Unfortunately he threw up both doses we tried to give him on Friday. Between antibiotics, cough medicine, steroids, and breathing treatments, it is hard to keep track of everything!

Here is J last Tuesday at the drool-and-runny nose-phase of the cold...check out that shirt! I think we went through 3-4 shirts for both boys that day:

"I caan't breathe through me nose!" (OK, he didn't ACTUALLY say that, but it looks like that is what W would say if he could)

Still playing with their trucks:

My brother came for a visit this past weekend and he was a big help with the boys. Here he is with J during a treatment:

We needed some fresh air on Thursday so we walked through the woods behind our house. Here is J pointing at an airplane, or a tree, or the air...he just likes to point.

At sunset:

Katy and Bear running toward the boys...can you see W trying to brace himself? They get knocked down often by our 65+ lb dogs!

W in his favorite pose....he is watching and cheering on the dogs here:

Uncle PJ with his nephews:

Here is PJ walking back home with the boys at sunset:

Drinking their milk with their daddy:

The guys on football Sunday. TOUCHDOWN!!!

I went to a Sara Evans concert this weekend and it was SO good (great idea Tracy)! Sara Evans can sing her tail off. I knew almost every song she sang (I didn't even own any of her CDs before the show). Her two sisters are the back-up singers, her brother is on guitar and she has another sister in the crew...

With my friends Tracy and Kendre before the show:

We showed our house again yesterday (cross your fingers we seal the deal) and just relaxed today...we needed the long weekend.

Poor Little Guys

We have two sick guys right now...they have had colds all week but J woke this morning feeling much worse. He was struggling to breathe and our pediatrician said he has pneumonia!! W has an ear infection and a bad cold. W was still acting mostly like himself this morning but J was lethargic and just laying around. If we picked him up he would just lay against us and not hold his head up.

So he had a breathing treatment and an injection of antibiotics this morning and we have to continue the breathing treatments every 4 hours (even through the night) until he sees the doctor again tomorrow.

Hopefully they will be feeling better very soon......

Happy Halloween

J on Halloween night

We took the boys to a party at a friend's house on Halloween...they loved it because the house was a virtual playhouse. Lots of toys...in fact, J must have made a mental note of the toys when we walked in the door because he remembered exactly where they were. We got them dinner in the kitchen, walked through a big screened-in porch to a big backyard with a pool and a giant playhouse, and he immediately walked to the screen door, opened it and made a beeline for the front of the house. No stopping him! W sat with me and ate some grapes and chicken nuggets (his first time). We had to leave before the hayride or the trunk or treating. We didn't get to the party until late so we had to go back home to get them in bed by eight. This is late considering their bedtime is 7-ish. It was fun...we got there right as it turned dark; luckily we managed to get a couple of pictures of the lil' scarecrows! *Did you know that you can click on any photos for a closer view....?

W all dressed up for the Halloween party:

Under a pretty moss tree downtown

You know how sometimes you just don't notice something until you see it in a picture? Well, I had that moment when I looked at W in the following pictures. He looks so much like a BOY. Where is my BABY? And where did all that hair come from?


I took the next pictures on Halloween morning after we returned from an early morning walk. Hence the crazy pajamas! We couldn't find matching pajamas pieces the night before so J is wearing the result of whatever we could find.
Wyatt acting silly...

Practicing stepping up and down on the mat...

J figured out how to get in and out of the wagon...click the pic to get a better view of his face. He has quite the determined look on his face.

Hmmmm....

Playing at the front door....

So Happy Halloween everyone! I can't wait to see all of your kiddos costumes!

Pumpkins in the pumpkins....

We went to our church's pumpkin patch today and we had to get some pictures of the boys in all those pumpkins!




All right, change gears, from the pumpkins to the beach! We loved having our dear Indiana friends come for a visit.

This is me and Claudia. My wonderful friend and my roommate all four years at Purdue. Love that girl! Well Claudia, her husband and their kiddos came into town for a visit....for the third annual visit in fact. I guess it isn't fair that they have made all three trips to visit us so we told them that we will plan a trip to Indiana next fall...just wanted to put that out there. It seems more official when it is written down. =)

We had so much fun. We went to the beach, went for walks, visited, and played cards. They kept us up late playing cards twice. Midnight. VERY late when we have to get up at 5-ish. But totally worth it. Thank goodness for Jim and I (we were partners) that they had to leave just when Claudia got really good at the card game 500. Thanks for coming to see us guys!

Here we are with our boys!

Claudia with the twins who are wrestling over the sunscreen bottle:

J enjoying the beach and his shadow...

J is sooo tired here after the beach getting changed before going home.. he has the "sleepy stare" going on

Jim playing with the kids

Hey big guy!

And for the boys...isn't it a rule that a baby officially becomes a BOY when they skin their knee? Congrats J on your first skinned knee.

In fact, I think he had four pretty decent head boo boos within a two-hour time span today. He fell and scratched his cheek at the pumpkin patch. Then he had three more spills (one will leave a good bruise on his forehead). He is more curious and becoming more of an explorer everyday. I heard him starting to yell the other day and he was standing in our coffee table/toy chest (they just learned to open it) and W was trying to shut the lid on him!

Speaking of W, here he is looking at a book. He is so funny...he makes some great truck sounds and still adores his Handle Hauler trucks. He is quite the walker and just as curious as J...maybe a little more cautious though..he hasn't had quite the number of spills so far.

We are rapidly approaching the "terrific twos"...they are both wanting to throw everything and throw big fits in their high chairs and launch all the food all over the room. I know this is normal (at least I read this is normal) but if anyone has any tips for getting through this joyous phase...please let us know!

All right. Two blog posts today. Check back with us on Tuesday or Wednesday.