May 30, 2007

Update your bookmarks...I'm moving

Almost 2 years ago I bought my own domain name, but was too busy/lazy to figure out how to do my own professional website. Well, I've finally figured out how to do a blog on it, so I am switching to a new location.

This "new" (not really new, just different address) is going to be viewed by a lot of folks in my real life (family, friends, clients, co-workers, etc), so I am currently doing A LOT of self-censoring right now...i.e., no more bitching about Mark. I think he is glad I am going to have a blog everyone we know can read. He said I acted secretive about this blog. I'm a bit sad to no longer have a forum to bitch openly about things I am feeling and experiencing, but oh well.

So here is the new address...follow me :)

Oh, and it goes without saying that this is a work-in-progress. I am still trying to figure stuff out and the damn thing won't let me import. Grr.

Attention Lurkers: This would be a great time to introduce yourself.

May 29, 2007

Baby Personality Quiz

I found this on The Twinkies blog. Interesting. I thought Carson's profile was right on the money, and Kate's was completely wrong. Of course, it's pretty silly to be assigning predictions on 3 1/2 month old babies!

Carson
He will be very intelligent. Although he is very bright, his shy nature [I can see the shyness already] may keep him from reaching his full potential. He is conservative and reserved [True, True]. You can anticipate a very organized person. In fact, his need for organization is borderline compulsive. He will be the type of person that can’t put things off until tomorrow because it will drive him crazy. In school, if he is given a group project he will slowly take over the project. He doesn’t like things to be done incorrectly and if he can’t have it done his way he will get frustrated. He doesn’t like to be criticized and he has a bit of a superiority complex. If he is angry with you, you will never know. He keeps things to himself but may be secretly vindictive. He will most likely go to college [This is not open for debate in our family.]. He will pursue a job that makes him feel important. He is a hard worker but he may be slow at getting his job done because of his need to check and recheck his work. He may choose a career in electronics, engineering, accounting, aviation, or pharmacology.

Kate
She will be very dependable and responsible; the type that likes to make her parents happy [This was surprising. I would have guessed "hell raiser."]. You can expect her to be able to handle stress and pressure well. She will not be the one you have to worry about. She is sensitive, friendly and caring. She doesn’t like to stand out or draw attention. She is not likely to take a leadership position [She is geneticly linked to me, therefore this won't be true]. She prefers to be the one that works in the background. In her attempt to be likable, she may cave in to peer pressure in her teens. However, she is not rebellious and cares about making her parents happy as much as she does her friends. As an adult, she will likely go to college and pursue a stable job. She is not the type that will flip flop around in her career choices. She will pick something she thinks she will do well at and stick with it. Possible careers are laboratory technician, computer programmer, physical therapist, paralegal, or dental hygienist.

Sickos


The entire household has a damn cold. Thanks day care! Let me tell ya, it's NOT fun dealing with two sick twins and a sick husband when you feel like you've been hit by a bus. The house is still largely unpacked and a total mess, and frankly I don't care anymore. I just wish the twins would sleep like adults sleep when they are sick. Ugh, misery!

May 22, 2007

Home Sweet Home

We are finally all moved into the new house. As I look around at the massive sea of boxes, I can't say we are settled in though. The move itself went pretty smoothly. My mom took the twins over to my aunt's house on the other side of town on move day. I thought the movers did a pretty good job until they left and I realized that they just dumped boxes anywhere. I had carefully marked all the boxes as to what room they would go to, and I told the mover that. We found "Kitchen - Pantry" box in my office, "Nursery - Baby Linens" in the kitchen, etc. Grr. Oh well. I'm glad it's over.

The kids will be at day care most of this week, so I can focus on getting us out of the sea of boxes. They are having a rough adjustment right now, and I feel bad for them. First of all, they are at day care now and that's a new experience for them. Now they are in a new house, yet another new experience. And finally, they are in their cribs and out of the Pack-n-Play. When they get home from day care, they both just cling to me. It makes me feel like the worst mama in the world. Of course, the other side of that coin is that because they are so clingy on me right now I can't get any unpacking done and so they have to go to day care. Poor babies. :(

Carson is eating like a pig now too. He went from 4 oz up to 6 oz overnight. He is 3 1/2 months old and actually wearing 3 month old clothes. I can't believe how big he is getting. No one would ever guess he is a preemie. He has a follow-up appointment tomorrow morning with the cardiologist. (Remember, he had a heart valve issue at birth that was corrected with drugs.) I hope all goes well with that. Oh, and everyday his eyes are turning a lighter shade of blue. They may end up lighter than mine (which is odd since Mark has brown eyes).

Miss Kate is loving day care. More so that Carson I think. It seems pretty obvious to me that she is a social butterfly. They tell me that her favorite thing to do at day care is sit in her bouncy seat and watch the older kids (toddlers) run around, scream, play, etc. She gets excited by it, and I am sure she is chomping at the bit to join the fun. She has mastered the tongue game...I stick out my tongue and then she does. She has taken it to the next level though. She can imitate the speed of which I stick out my tongue. If I do it fast, she will too. If I do it slow, she does it slow. If I wiggle my tongue, she will try to. Such a smart girl! I am a little concerned at her size. It seems like Carson is just passing her by now.

Well, I better get to work. I will post photos of the new pad once I get settled in, and once I unpack my own computer (I'm on Mark's right now).

May 17, 2007

The Twins Make Their Television Debut!

While closing on the new house, we were killing some time by walking around the Georgetown downtown square. A reporter was there do a piece on how the downtown has changed. He filmed the twins and it was aired last night. KXAN (NBC) for all the Austin folks who read this.

If you want to see the twins, email me and I will email you the link. (There isn't a directly link that I can post...or I am just too stupid to know how.) Be sure to include your email addy.

shannonp_1977 (at) yahoo (dot) com

May 16, 2007

Moving, Ugh

We are closing on our house today (finally!), and then the work begins. The big move is on Friday, but we are spending the next two days painting and having some work done, etc. Man I hate moving! Anyway, I will be away from the blogosphere for a little bit, but here's a ultra quick update...

  • The kiddos did okay at their first day of day care on Monday. They were there from 10 AM to 2:30 PM. Honestly, I hated it the entire time. I had Mark's assistant check on them frequently and email me updates. ("Carson was crying, but now he is fine....They are both sleeping...Kate ate 3 ounces, etc.") I am sure she finds this very annoying. I don't know what I think of all of this. The point of day care was so I could relax and get some stuff done. Instead, I worried and thought about them the whole time. They will be going back on Thursday so we can work on the new house.
  • Mom's coming back to town on Thursday evening to watch the twins during the big move. I wish she would just retire already. :)
  • The twins bought me (via my mother) a beautiful silver "mom" bracelet. Mark brought me white tulips (sentimental reasons behind that) and wrote me a sweet letter. The best Mother's Day gift, however, was my mom watching the twins while Mark and I went out to dinner Saturday night. Of course, we talked about the twins the entire time. I hope that changes one day. I miss non-twin conversation. Afterwards, we cuddled in bed and watched SNL together. Laying in bed and watching TV without having one ear on the baby monitor is my new definition of heaven.
  • The twins are loving their Baby Einstein playmat thingie. They are all about reaching, grabbing and knocking things over right now. I swear Kate is on her way to rolling over! She gets so incredibly mad if something is slightly out of her reach that she does anything to get to it. I wonder where she gets that from?! Hmm... :)
Did I mention that I hate moving?...

May 14, 2007

Mom-to-Mom: Smiles

I am starting to get a little concerned that Kate and Carson are not social smiling much -- well, really, any. Sure they smile in their sleep a lot, but they don't directly smile at me or anyone else. They are now 3 months old (and yes, preemie), and I wish I knew when to expect it. I am really looking forward to the smiles. I need those smiles!

May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day...to all of the moms out there...but especially to the new moms and the moms-of twins!

May 11, 2007

The house deal holds up

Whew! All is well with the house deal. The underwriter signed off on the new appraisal, so we are good to go. My mom and uncle are coming in from Houston to help us pack up tomorrow morning.

We are closing on Wednesday morning. We are much too exhausted to celebrate.

May 10, 2007

Carson @ 3 months

Birth
3 months

The twins will be 3 months old this weekend. Carson had a rocky start in life, but he is a completely different baby now!

Weight: About 10 1/2 lbs. He is wearing size 1 in diapers and 0-3 months in clothes.
Feedings: 4 oz every 3-4 hours. He is acting like he ready to move up to 4.5 or 5 oz soon.
Favorites: Bath time, his pacifier, bouncy seat, laying on my chest, having his chest rubbed
Least Favorites: Diaper changes, the swing
Issues: Tends to be gassy
Personality: Sweet, secure, passive. When he cries, you know there must be something really wrong.
Areas to Work On: I honestly can't think of anything other than sleeping through the night.
New Things: Loves looking out of the window. He has also discovered blocks...which he loves to grab at and knock down.
Comparison: He is more vocal than Kate. He is making new sounds all the time. He also likes to play with objects and she isn't into that yet. Overall, he seems more independent and laid back compared to his twin sister.
Randomness: He has the fastest growing fingernails in history! I have to cut them every other day or so. When he starts to cry, it sounds like a little motorboat starting up. It's beyond cute!