Probability

I've had some major school work to do these past few days. While I'm loving going back to school, I'm more than ready for this stupid statistics class to be done. I have a really hard time with math and this is turning out to be harder than I thought. I hate word problems and that's pretty much all it is. I'll take a nice easy formula/equation any day over this crap!
(Probability sucks. I don't know the probability of who is shirtless and is also male and is also at least 6ft and handsome. And will come bring me drinks. Probably not very good.)


I'm back on Metformin (or Fortamet, since I take the time-released version). I realized that I gained an ass-ton of weight in the last 2 months. I'm back in all my fat clothes. *sigh* But now that I've realized it, I'm making changes to help the situation. I called my OB clinic this morning and they are calling the Rx in for me. Should be ready later this afternoon. But I still had some left over from last year, so I started back this morning taking one pill a day. Within the next week I hope to be back to 1500mg/day. (3 pills.) Tomorrow I'm going to join a gym I found. It's $20/month and has child care. (You do pay an hourly charge for child care that's not included.) It's a pretty small gym, but frankly I don't need much. I'm mostly just using it for the treadmill and baby watchers.
My goal is an hour on the treadmill 5x a week. I'd like to build up to 4 miles a day. (That's what I was walking at my super skinniest time in high school. The last time I was truly very thin. I think I barely weighed 110lbs, soaking wet. But according to most indexes, that's what I should weigh with my height. Now I'm smart enough to know that I'll probably never weigh that again. Hopefully I'll get back down to 120/125 though- which I know will take time.) Sadly I wasn't so far off from that right after having twins. Which is just so depressing. I'm mean, that's supposed to be the worst time. But that was my thinnest in the last 8 years or so.


Anyway. Enough of that.


In baby news (because you know I can't go an entry without them!) we dropped a bottle! Yay! We're down to three a day.
And of course, since I'm me, I was really stressing over when and how to drop the fourth, "last" bottle. But Saturday they fought me on even taking the last two of the day. Then yesterday when they woke up from nap 2 I decided to just let them go. I gave them some puffs and Cheerios as a snack and gave them dinner a little early and then followed with the bottle about an hour before bed. So then they played a little while and had a bath and then off to bed. They did perfectly fine with it! And we've finally dropped the third nap. (Which had become more of a cat nap than anything else.)

Now I just need to work with the sippy cups over the next month or so and we'll be good to go. I really hope to have them weaned from the bottles soon after their birthday. But we'll see. So far with the things I've stressed over dropping, they've let me know when they were ready and just did it. Hopefully that will be case with the bottles.

Rea's pacifier will be our hardest battle, I think. But she will not be 2 and still have it. (Heck. She won't be 18 and still have it!) At least it's only in the bed or car now. She doesn't want them when she's just playing or even when we're out and about.


Okay, on that note, I'm off to relax and pack up the diaper bag. Kourtney and I are taking Daisy and Jake (and the kids) to the park and having a picnic later on.


Gina

Nine West They Are Not

Yikes.

We bought the kids their very first pair of shoes today.

(And okay, since people are freaking out about this...they've never had shoes before because when they were born it was cold and they lived in footed outfits/sleepers. Then it got hot. And they were barefoot. From every thing Dr. Bubba and all my books have said, barefoot is best, so I went with that. No. They have never worn shoes. I do not believe I've damaged them in any way. They still will not wear shoes in the house. I don't. I won't expect them to. Barefoot is not bad. K?!)


They are very cute. But I was not prepared for the expense. I got two $5 off coupons in the mail for Stride Rite. I knew that they were supposed to have great shoes for early walkers and babies. So off we (me and Kourtney) went. Well, actually first we went to Rack Room just in case they had decent baby shoes. I did have a hunch they might be cheaper. They did have some adorable walking Keds, but they didn't seem to fit the babies feet very well. The sales lady said we should go to Stride Rite and have them measured and all that. I mentioned the coupons, and she said I'd probably find something much better for them there. So then off we went.

I did some very dumb. Something I still can't believe I did. I didn't look at the price before we bought them. I know. Stupid. I was so shocked when she rang me up and the total was $90. For two pairs of shoes and some socks. (I had to buy socks since I forgot to pack some.)

But they were also some of the only shoes they had that actually fit the kids. Jay's really a 3 wide, but we got a 3.5 because he's foot is so wide we couldn't close the velcro on the 3 wide. Yeah. Short, very fat feet he has. Rea was good in the 3. She has room to grow too. But since she's not as close to walking as Jay the extra room won't bother her as much. (If at all.)


These are Jay's new shoes:

And these are Rea's new shoes:

They are both from the Natural Motion line which is supposed to mimic walking barefoot pretty well. We'll see.

I was really surprised. They didn't seem to be bothered in the least by their shoes. We kept them on as we left the store and then went to dinner. Jay seems to stand and cruise very well in them so far.


And, before I forget, Jay is now standing alone. As in not holding on to anything. But then when he gets excited and starts to bounce, he usually ends up on his butt.


That's all for now. I'm off to read in bed.


Gina

From 10 to 1

It's nearly 2am. I've been up working on some school work, but right now just the words standard deviation make my brain twitch. So I stopped.

I stole this from Moo but never did it. So I'm doing it now...


Ten Things I Wish I Could Say to Ten Different People Right Now:
1. I wish you would get help. It's so hard for me to talk to you right now. I just come away aggravated and sad. I miss you in so many ways.
2. Sleeping is not a bad thing. One day you'll realize how amazing sleep is and I'll remind you of these days. Oh, yes I will. And I'll enjoy it.
3. I wish you could just move on already. He's just now decided to actually go through with the divorce. He's the last person you need to jump into a relationship with. Hanging on is only making things worse for you.
4. I'm sorry.
5. Things are not that bad. Remember that. You have the habit of being dramatic over the little things.
6. I think you are hilarious. Your stories have almost made me pee my pants.
7. Do you remember when you were a bush? *laughs* I remember you telling me that story. I still chuckle. The same about the comforter.
8. Thank you for my kids.
9. You have not changed at all. And I think that's a little sad. It's past time to grow up.
10. I love you. Always.

Nine Things About Myself:
1. I'm left handed when writing and eating. With most everything else I'm right handed. But I can bat either way.
2. I'm only 5ft.
3. I love the feel of damp hair on my back.
4. I love the smell of winter and my favorite winter day is a cold, rainy one.
5. I slept with one of John's shirts the entire time (or most of the time?) I was in the hospital last year. If I was having a bad day or was missing him a lot, I'd just lay there and sniff it.
6. I love to read.
7. I eat ice all the time. I love it. Sonic ice is the best. It's small and just perfect for eating.
8. I can't stand to sleep when facing someone. It's really the nose air that gets me. Ugh. It's just gross.
9. I daydream a lot.

Eight Ways to Win My Heart:
1. Embrace my insecurities.
2. Be aggressive. I can't stand wimps.
3. Let me see your inner bad-boy. I'm a sucker for those.
4. Hold my hand for no reason.
5. Let me hog the hot water when we shower together.
6. Remember the little things I do or say, and let me know you remember.
7. Tell me you love me.
8. Take the kids for a day.

Seven Things That Cross My Mind A Lot:
1. What school work is due and when?
2. When is nap time?
3. What do I need at the store?
4. I want to take a vacation.
5. Is Jay going to walk today?
6. I need a new book.
7. John

Six Things I Do Before I Fall Asleep:
1. Check on the kids and cover them up. Again.
2. Brush my hair.
3. Brush my teeth.
4. Take Daisy out.
5. Kiss John good-night.
6. Take off my pj shorts/pants. (Can't stand to sleep in anything but a shirt.)

Five People Who Mean A Lot:
1. John
2. Rea
3. Jay
4. Mom
5. Daddy

Four Things I'm Wearing Right Now:
1. PJ pants
2. t-shirt
3. underwear
4. .......

Three Songs That I Listen to Often (Currently):
1. Reckless- Papa Roach
2. Believe- Staind
3. The Day That Never Comes- Metallica

Two Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. Be married to John for 50+ years.
2. Visit every state.

One Confession:
1. I can be a very judgemental person. I hate that about myself.


And now I'm going to snuggle up to John and go to bed.
And to quote Jimmy, "Math Suks."


Gina

Ideas

I'm not at home right now. And I'm on a laptop. (I'm sure this will be riddled with typos.)

I'm at Kourtney's while she and John are at this new tattoo shop that John and Kyle (of Amanda and Kyle) are getting tattoos this weekend. John needed to go get his sketch done. And he has to put his deposit down.


I'm sitting here thinking about how much I really love this house. They found an awesome rental. The location is amazing and it's very nice. I want to live here.
And since we're probably about to put our house on the market, I'm trying to figure a way that we could. It would mean living with Kourtney and Kristen which could be good or bad. Or good and bad. But seriously, the rent would be like $450/month. And it's so nice. I know it can't and won't happen, but really I love this house. It would be an awesome kid house too. Very easy to child-proof. Anyway. It's a nice idea.



He's in a relationship, eventhough he's listed as single. I sent him a message. Just a "Hey, how are you" kind of the thing.


The babies are actually napping right now in Kourtney's room. (Pack-n-play.) When Kourtney and John get back we're going to take the dogs and the kids to a park. It's so nice outside today.




Gina

What Might Have Been

I'm in such a weird mood right now. A question was asked recently and it's just made think of things I hadn't thought about in a long time.

I guess we all have our "What If" of "What Might Have Been" scenario. I just hadn't thought about mine in a very, very long time.


So these thoughts have been fluttering around in my head for days. And then last night I found Him on Myspace. He looks the same. The time has not changed him. His face is the same. His smile is the same.
He is listed as single, yet when I saw pictures of him with various different girls I couldn't help the stab of jealousy I felt. (And how crazy is that?) But the other part of me knows that's just one more thing that hasn't changed. Girls and women alike have always loved him.


My memories of us together have been flooding my mind. They are so faded now and that makes me so sad. I wish had more.


And then there are the What Might Have Been scenarios. What if it had been him? What would I be? Where would we be? Would we have lasted? Or was I right? Was I right to run when I did?



I know I'm where I'm supposed to be. I love my husband with all my heart, there's no doubt to that. But in our parallel universe, the one where I stayed, what happened? Would we have been as happy as we were then? Would he just have broken my heart instead of the other way around? Would we have stayed together? Gotten married? Had kids?


Does he ever think of me? Does he wonder? Does he think of what might have been?


Will I always wonder?



Gina

Cooper Young

Yesterday started out a bit rocky (see previous entry) but ended up really good.


Midtown is the 'artsy' area of the city and that's where Kourtney and Kristen live. Well, every year there's an arts festival in the area called the Cooper/Young Festival. There's a marathon one day and the next day they close all the streets and have vendors and food. We decided it'd be fun to go, so after their first nap I loaded the kids up and off we went.


They did get pretty fussy after about half an hour. It was nap time and they had to nap in the stroller which is always touch and go. I pulled the sun canopy down over them to shield them from light and their view. (If J can see anything remotely interesting, he will not sleep.) He cried and pitched a fit for a bit, but he finally fell asleep. We got some vendor food. (Funnel cake! And a gyro! I drew the line at fish-on-a-stick.) We walked around and I bought Rea the cutest effing tutu!!! Only $15 too. I'll take pictures.

I also scored on some homemade incense. 100 sticks for $5. Kourtney got a different scent and so now I have 50 sticks of one scent and 50 of the other.

We walked around a little longer and decided to walk back to their house. (They live right in the area where the festival was. There were tents and such set up right in front of their house.) The weather was great so we decided to put a blanket on the grass out front and let the babies play. They loved it too.

They smelled pot for the first time. (Thanks to the neighbors.)


They did much better than I thought they would. J did bleed from his mouth though. He was chewing on a burp rag (he loves chewing on cloth) and I looked down at it and it was slightly bloody. I can't feel any more teeth though. I don't know what's going on with that more kid's mouth.

Of course, I forgot my camera. I did get a video on my phone, so if I figure out how to get it off, I'll share it. (The sound is bad though because it was very windy.)


Gina

For Sale or Will Trade

Have I got a deal for you!

I've got two, slightly used, babies. They crawl! They babble! They hold their own bottle! They eat puffs! They love bananas! (Some restrictions apply.*)

If you place your order in the next 5 minutes, you can get both for a one time low price of $19.99*. That's over a $10,000 dollar value! All for just $19.99**.


BUT WAIT!!!!


Don't want to spend any money? That's fine! I've still got a deal for you! The first person to place their order can trade QUIET TIME*** for these two of kind babies. That's right! Quiet time.


Just call 1-800-MY-BABIES-ARE-DRIVING-ME CRAZY or log onto mybabiesaredrivingmecrazy.com now!


*Happiness of babies can not be guaranteed. No exchanges until babies are potty-trained and no longer teething. No exceptions. Not liable for amount of poop or vomit from babies.

**Price includes all toys and on-hand diapers. Price does not include Zoloft, Lexapro, or similar drugs.

***Babies should be several thousand miles away for proper Quiet Time. Quiet time should be a poop/vomit/teething free area.



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Apparently J is getting a molar. Or twelve. He's miserable. I'm miserable.
And as if that weren't fun enough, The Drama Queen is getting her third tooth.


And I'd like to run away. Somewhere warm and tropical. With a tall, dark, well-muscled man for me to look at and to bring me drinks. There needs to be free-flowing alcohol.


That is all.


Gina

Baby Swap

It's almost 2am. I should be going to bed, but I'm not.


We had the twins' 9 month check-up today. They are both 27.5 inches and both around 19lbs. And, of course, practically perfect in every way! After the appointment we went to lunch at Chili's where the babies dazzled and delighted many. (Of course!) They ate puffs with gusto, they smiled, they cooed. They were little bitty angels.


Then we went to the outdoor mall. John's been looking for replacement sunglasses for a few months and wanted to go to Sunglass Hut. The babies napped on the way. And then returned to the sweet angels of the afternoon. They squealed with delights. Laughed at each other. Said, "Dada" to everyone who passed by.

After Sunglass Hut we stepped over to Barnes & Noble. I looked at a few board books for the kids. J started rubbing his eyes, so I knew we needed to skeedadle on out.

They napped on the way home and were once again happy, playful babies.


I don't know who did it, but I think someone swapped my babies! I don't remember a time when we spent almost all day out with numerous errands and stops and they stayed that happy! Seriously. I want to know who swapped them because I don't want them to come back with the demon babies!


It's been a really good day. After the kids went to bed John and I watched a movie together. We bought an On Demand movie so we didn't even have to go out for it. (We ordered 21 by the way. We loved it. I love Kevin Spacey.) It was fun to lay next to him on the couch and snuggle and just enjoy the time together. Sometimes I think we forget to do that now.

For now I think I should go to bed. There is something more than a snuggle on my mind!



Gina

Seriously? 9 Months?!

My babies are 9 months old today. WTF?! Wasn't I just pregnant?

Jeez. It just seems crazy that I need to start planning the blow-out first birthday party soon. (Because I procrastinate, so I really should have started 'planning' 6 months ago...) And when I say 'Blow Out' party I mean we'll probably hang streamers or something.

And in a moment of non-mommy panic, I let my now 9 month old babies eat a Gerber puff without breaking it into a thousand little pieces first! Woot! Go me! (Yes. I've been crushing puffs into small balls of crumbs and then placing it in their mouth. Because, you know, I'm not really crazy or anything.)


Today Rea sat and giggled to herself for at least 10 minutes. She had a little bear and they were having quite the conversation. And it hit me. One day she'll cry for real. Not because she bumped her head or doesn't want to take a nap. She'll cry because someone hurts her. And I came to the conclusion that I'll just have to kill that person. She's my happy princess. I never want her to not be happy.


Tomorrow is Kourtney's birthday so I invited her and Kristen over for dinner. Kourtney couldn't think of what she wanted me to make her so I decided on a balsamic roasted pork tenderloin, garlic green beans, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. I then made fudge brownies for dessert. (With ice cream, of course.) It was all very good, if I do say so myself.
I love pork tenderloin because you can pretend to be the fancy cook, but really it's just rubbing in some spices and whatnot and throwing it in the oven for 30 minutes. (And all I added to the potatoes was butter and a can of roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup. Very yummy.)


I still need to post pictures of my new tattoo don't I? I'll try to remember and do that tomorrow.

Alrighty then. I'm off to go veg and sneak another brownie.

Gina

Reading Again

Well, after a week of being buried in books of some sort, I'm joining the real world again. I was doing really good with my school books and trying to stay ahead with my reading, but then I got sucked into the Twilight Saga. I read all four books in about 4.5 days. I haven't done that in a very long time. (But it was fun! And the books were really good.)


The kids are napping right now and I'm just catching up here and my twin site. I feel like I've been under a rock for a long time!

I've also sort of gotten sucked into some of the politics going on. I haven't watched many of the speeches, but have been somewhat keeping up. During much of the primaries, I was very confused and leaning towards not voting at all because I really didn't like my choices. I'm still not 100% thrilled with either side, but am getting more excited and leaning heavily towards Obama right now. (I really don't like Palin. Or I should say, what I've read, I don't like where she stands on a lot of issues.) I just can't say I see myself voting conservative for a very long time. On a shallow note- are they handing out free cowboy hats at the RNC?! Seriously.


Those books were really good. They're young adult, so to me they were a very fast read too. I'm actually excited about the movie coming out in November. I hope the movie does the book justice. (But you know how those things go.)There was more I wanted to say but I can't think right now.

Gina