Eli's cough

Eli has been seemingly sick for months and months. She gets a cold, most likely from Parker from day care. Miranda gets it too. But with Eli, it lasts forever and becomes this deep, deep cough. It keeps her up. It makes her miserable. She has trouble breathing. It's bad. We've tried many things from cough medication to a nebulizer to albutoral. Now we are on steriods and antibiotics to eliminate the possibility that she has an infection in her lungs. It seems to have improved somewhat but not entirely. The next step would be xrays.

I asked about the possibility it was allergies to food (since I wasn't being very good about introducing new foods slowly.) He said food allergies weren't likely, but pollen and animal allergies could be it. Then he asked whether there was a history of allergies. I said, "I'm not allergic and neither is Michael." But then I corrected myself and said, "Well...her genetic mom is allergic to cats and her grandpa is allergic to pollen and cats." The doctor said, "That is what I would call a history."

So, now I am all freaked out about the possibility that she is allergic to cats. I've written blogs, newspaper articles and even website content about how lame it is when people give up their cats when their new baby arrives. I've scolded people. I've shamed people. I've argued with people. To think that I may be one of the people now is horrible. It makes me anxious daily.

So, I hope and pray that little Eli feels better soon because I'm not sure if I know anyone (besides my family who are all, as noted above, allergic to them) who would take an old cranky cat or a middle age, punk-ass, tom cat mouse catcher.

Cross your fingers for all us.

Special Cheerios

Anyone reading this blog knows that we have been having a tough time with Parker in the middle of the night. But, since you are all (I hope) living your own lives, I'll recap.

A few months after the girls arrived, Parker started throwing tantrums at bedtime. One ended after 3 hours with him asleep on the hardwood floor. Luckily, we were able to figure that one out and now bedtime is not a problem.

But...just as we got that one beat, he started to wake up in the middle of the night demanding things (milk, mommy, daddy, orange juice, lemonade, books, marble game) and when we didn't give in, we got full-on screaming tantrums. At 2am. 3am. 4am. Whenever.

Our solution? I got into bed with him and slept with him the rest of the night. If we tried to leave after he was sleep, he woke back up 10 minutes later and started it all over again. We realized this was not a long term solution, but we were happy we were back to getting 6-8 hours of sleep a night and just kept doing it.

Until now. As you have seen, we put all the kids in one room. And since I can't sleep at all in the room with the girls (every grunt, move, squeek and sigh wakes me up), I couldn't go sleep with Parker anymore. The first night, he came to "sleep" with us after he woke up screaming. The second night, daddy went to lay down with him. The third night, daddy slept on the floor next to him on a mat, holding his hand.

And last night? The fourth night? Parker slept all night in his bed. No screaming. No crying. Mom and Dad both in their own bed. Amazing huh? Not really. I tried the old "bribery game" and it worked. You see, I bought some colored cheerios (the least sugared cereal, I could find.) We had it on Tuesday morning. Then Tuesday night, I said, "If Parker sleeps through the night in his own bed without mommy and daddy and there is no screaming or yelling, Parker can have special cheerios for breakfast tomorrow." I repeated it a lot to the point where I knew he understood. (We tried this before using a gummy bear, but since a gummy bear can really be eaten any time of the day, it didn't work since he demanded one at 3am and kept on screaming after he got it.) But since cereal is a breakfast thing, I had more hope.

When we heard him at 5:30 chattering to himself, we were so very pleased. I went upstairs and there he was sitting on his bed saying, "Time for special cheerios," with the biggest grin on his face you have ever seen. So, we marched downstairs and had all the special cheerios he could eat.

Yeah, yeah, we realize we have solved one problem and created another. Now we just have to figure out how to take special cereal out of the equation. But, as Michael always says, Sufficient unto the day.

And really how could you not love this kid...screaming tantrums and all?



And, by the way, Miranda, who has been sleeping through the night, woke up at 4:45. Bummer. Eli, of course, slept through the Miranda crying and Parker babbling about special cheerios. Yay Eli!

Monday afternoon in the kids room

Biscuits are delicious

Parker reads Chicka Chicka 123

He actually sings it, since he's watched the video version from the library about 114 times.

Pool Parties Rock

My fabulous friend Shari threw a party for her good friends twin neices. We, of course, went. It was cold at first, but then warmed up, so we gave the pool a try. It, unfortunately, was still freezing. But that didn't stop most kids and some crazy parents from going in. Lots of chattering teeth later, the kids had cake. Yum!

Twins meeting twins


Little Armando and Parker floating around.


More pool fun. Love the toddler zone.


Parker thinks birthdays = cake. I suppose he is correct.


Boy, did he crash hard on the trip home. Remember this was the day he got up at 3am.

Poor Ted

Boy, did we do it.

After great naps yesterday, the night was a nightmare. Parker woke up screaming at 3am. After realizing quickly he would not go back to sleep, we took him into our bed. Which did absolutely nothing. He stayed awake, flipping and flopping, talking and humming, futzing and turning until 5:30am when I gave up and brought him and the marble game to the living room. He was happy until 6 and then had a full-on massive tantrum about what breakfast ceral he was going to eat or not eat. He screamed for about 30 minutes until Dad ended it by cuddling with him.

Oh, I forgot, after the 3am nonsense, Mo (we are trying a new nickname) woke up crying and as soon as she was back asleep around 4, Eli woke up. Michael tried to pop the pacifier back in to quiet her down, but then realized she was peed-up and her jammies, sheets and blankets all needed changing. Eli did not like all that and let it be known. So, by the time she was back asleep, Parker's screaming had begun.

Good times.

Parker listening to music after a snack

Well, we did it.

We moved all the kids into one room. AND... we got them all to nap together today. Incredible. Michael did most of the moving of furniture and stuff, while I baby-sat. And since he was kinda beat when we were done with the bulk of it, he took a nap of his own.



He looks almost as sweet as Eli does during her snooze.

Red Blue Yellow Shoe

We've been enjoying some Tana Hoban books of late. Today before nap we read Red, Blue, Yellow Show. It is basically a picture book about colors. A red clock. A blue glove. A yellow shoe. Etc. The print is big and in all capitals so Parker reads all the letters of the colors printed at the bottom of rach page each time. He says, "One red clock. R - E -D " Recently I started to sound out the words after he spells them. Rhhh eeeeedddddddd. Red. Sort of like the old electric company thing (sh ip, ship. fo rk, fork...which we always did using swear words of course, but I digress.) So today, he says, One Red Clock. R, E, D. CLLLLLLOOOOOOCCCCCCCKKKKKKK with his finger carefully tracing the word RED.

These are the moments when I chuckle, amused at myself for thinking he is so advanced.

During the same reading session, I was singing him Chicka, Chicka Boom Boom. (Sometimes we read it, sometimes we sing it.). I got to Wheeee, said D to E, F, G and I got corrected. Parker said, NO! Wheeee said D to E, F, G, perfectly in pitch. You see, he wasn't correcting the words, just the tone and pitch of my song.

Man, that hurt.

Stay on Target...Almost There...

Breakfast from a Distance

Cloud Coocoo Land

Not sure what happened this morning, but Parker slept until 6:30am (an absolute miracle) and the girls were relatively quiet until 7am. Michael and I got to eat our breakfast sitting down together like civilized people. What a treat!

Fruit Sucks

When Parker was a baby, Michael's good friend Kevin gave us this baby feeding device. It is small coned shaped object made of mesh that has a handle. You put pieces of fruit in it. The baby sucks on it and gets the fruit out without any fear of choking. Parker never really dug it, but Elizabeth sure does.

Bad Hair Day

Parker woke up this morning with quite the hair. It was curly and wavy and all over the place. We never, ever brush his hair, but today I thought we really must. Dad, however, did not agree and so he went to daycare looking...well...interesting.

A montage

Bilingual orneriness

Parker brought me a book this morning that he didn't want me to read to him, which is a new little mind-game he's started playing. When I started to read it he snapped at me, "No quiero papa!"

Freakishly cute

Miranda is becoming quite the looker. Here are just a few examples.

First modeling her new responsible pet ownership look.


Then trying on her bathing suit in preparation for next weekends party at Shari's house. (I had to return this one as the 6-12 month was a bit small.)


And lastly, just hanging with dad, who is looking freakishly cute himself.

The amazing update

For those still keeping score, The amazing roll over baby has now reached 1000 views on YouTube. I continue to have no clue what the hell is going on with this.

Name that twin

Marble game

Parker has been an avid marble game player since he got a marble run for christmas, but only recently has he shown real skill and design savvy in building his own runs. Lately he has been contructing minimalist towers, which makes for an interesting aesthetic and a pretty quick marble run.



The other day he built one that he could only reach the top of by standing on his tiptoes. Eventually this one suffered structural integrity failure somewhere in the middle of the tower, and shortly after that he walked into the kitchen holding the top half of the tower and said to me, "I need help with the marble game."



He has always called it marble game, so that's what we all call it. That wheel in the middle of the tower below is known as the flower one, and features prominently in many builds. Parker likes to keep his hand on the flower one while the marbles build up above it, and then let them go all at once.

Twin Racism?

We ran out of milk and cat food today. No biggie right? Well...it can be a big deal to go shopping with twins when your doctor has told you not to carry them on your person (which is what I usually do when I shop...one in the bjorn, one in the cart). But then I remember, Costco, god bless them, has shopping carts with TWO seats for kids. I head down there, load them up and stroll on in. I didn't even get out of parking lot before I was accosted by people wanting to ooogle and ogle at the babies. This went on for the entire shopping trip. "Yes, they are twins." "Yes, they are girls." "Eight months" "Miranda and Elizabeth" "Thanks" "Yes, an toddler son." Blah, blah, blah.

When I got my giant boxes of milk, cat food, and the unplanned diapers, wipes and formula (yes, Elizabeth is almost all the way weaned), I headed to the line, where more ooohing and ahhhing took place. Then I noticed there was a Latina mom in front of me with two kids in her basket too. They look very similar, about the same age, etc, but no one was ooohing and aahhing at her babies. So I asked, "Twins?" realizing that I had just become what I hate. "Yes, she said." "How old?" I asked disgusted by the sound of my own voice. 12 months. It was obvious they were a boy and a girl so I didn't ask. More people had started smiling and pointing at my girls, but no one was looking at hers. Sure they were a bit older, but not much and still very, very cute. Was it because mine were both in (different) light pink sleepers? Or was it because they had no hair? Or because they had blue eyes? Or maybe they were just light years cuter than any other babies ever were?

Whatever it was, it was odd and made me feel weird.

Snow Cones

A while back (when I was pregnant), I bought a snow cone machine. I never made any snow cones and my purchase was the butt of many jokes from Michael. Recently, I decided to give it a whirl and boy are they good. I make them regularly now and Parker says, "Snow Cones are delicious." He is right, you know.

Grandma Judy

My back decided that I was doing too much carrying babies around and stopped working last week. After a day of agony and being unable to move, I called my mommy who was on a plane just hours later to help take care of one of her babies and three of her grandbabies. She just left today and I couldn't thank her enough for all she did. She picked them up, carried them around, sang them songs, changed their poop, and fed them homemade food that she made them. And most appreciated was how early she had to get up to help out in the mornings. She didn't bring any books for Parker this time, but he liked her anyway.

Here she is doing one of her favorite activities with them...looking out the window.

Adventures in babysitting

Aunt Lori came to visit the kids this weekend, and they all had a swell time with her. Parker was giddy to have her here, most likely because she plays with him nonstop and finds whatever he does charming and delightful. The girls are generally happy with anyone willing to make faces at them, and Aunt Lori did not disappoint.



On Saturday night Rachel and I went out for dinner and a movie, and left Lori with the kids. We'd put the girls to bed, and they're always champion sleepers, so Lori just had to get Parker to bed. We were frankly nervous this arrangement, but Lori assured us that she had 100% confidence in her ability to deal.

Rachel and I grabbed a quick dinner at Barney's and then saw The Year of the Dog, with Molly Shannon, who gave a solid performance in an odd little movie. After that we sat in a hot tub, and then headed home. It was about 9:45 when we got home, and you couldn't hear any screaming from the street, which we thought was a good sign.

Lori was sitting at the dining room table when we got in, and she looked a little haggard. Apparently it had only been about 15 minutes since she'd gotten the last kid to sleep, and she was still just catching her breath. Rachel and I sat down to hear the harrowing tale.

Apparently Miranda had woken up crying shortly after we left, who proceeded to wake up Elizabeth, and Lori made a couple of trips into the room to put pacifiers back in their mouths (our recommendation) and get them calmed down. But by the third trip in, Lori was somehow lured into making a cardinal error of bedtime: she got Miranda out of bed and brought her into the living room.

To be honest, I couldn't follow all the intricacies of what happened next, I think because I was so mortified listening to it. I think she let Parker stay up past his bedtime in the hopes that she'd be able to get Miranda back to sleep, but Miranda was apparently alert and happy and delightful, and showed no signs of being tired. And neither did Parker. When Lori finally gave in and started Parker's bedtime routine, Miranda was still awake, and so Aunt Lori read books and sang songs to both kids at once. And then when the routine was over Parker threw an unfortunately fairly common bedtime tantrum, and proceeded to scream at the top of his lungs from his bed for half an hour, while Lori sat in the living room trying to coax Miranda into showing the slightest sign of sleepiness, which apparently took a good long while still.

So by the time we walked in the door, Parker had been asleep about 45 minutes and Miranda had been asleep for about 15 minutes, and Lori looked like she'd just gone twelve rounds.

Elizabeth, of course, had been asleep for hours.

We aren't alone.

Today, Liz and Ebba came over to hang out. They each brought their twins Sydney, Courtney, Fiona and Allison as well as their older child, Samatha and Lincoln, respectively. We had a grand time as the twins sat and lay on the blankets while the other kids ran around eating snow cones, playing on the slide, in the ball pit, with the tracks, and generally acting like little monkeys. Lincoln, being 4 1/2, was slightly bored with all the toddler and baby nonsense, but Samantha and Parker hit it off. All 9 of them did great until about an hour past nap time when Parker lost it completely.