Hold the Pacis, Please

Big news at our house! After 3 weeks, 1 bedroom move, lots of tears and lots of TV, we are now 100% pacifier free. Woot woot! The kicker? Jared was out of town on a fishing trip during those first days and we did it cold turkey. I know....I'm insane.


I've always known that the pacis wouldn't be with us forever, but for the last year or so I've been anxious about the girls' attachment and ability to give up their beloved piece of rubber. I've read lots of articles on when and how the paci should go and I was confident that "when the time was right" the girls would naturally -and on their own- give up their beloved pacifier.

Oh...excuse me, I have a knock on the front door.............I'm back, it was Mr. Reality letting me know I was kidding myself.

Not only were the girls no where near giving up their paci on their own, but it seemed as if they were both becoming more and more attached to it as the days went by. We had started restricting the pacifiers to nap time, car time and bedtime. Well, it got to the point that Jillian was completely happy in her crib during the day just so she could have her paci. It wasn't nap time, she would just sit in their and suck on that paci until her heart was content.


So, at that point I knew it was time to intervene. Besides, if I wasn't constantly on the prowl for a lost pacifier, or crawling under a crib at 2am to find one that dropped, I was playing referee between two girls stealing each others pacifiers and making each other cry. The routine was becoming old enough to make me want to sacrifice my own sanity and sleep to help them kick their habits.

One of the last pictures of the girls with their pacis. They were snuggling together in Jenna's bed after nappy time. :)

So one night I just decided that "tonight was the night." Unfortunately, I was have a delusional moment of insanity...I decided to do it the night before Jared left home for a fishing trip to Canada.  Using the Paci Princess method (from Supernanny) I sat the girls down just before bed and showed them a picture of the Paci Princess and then a bunch more pictures of babies with pacifiers in their mouths. I told them how the Paci Princess takes the pacifiers that the big girls leave for her and gives them to the babies that need them. We had the pacis in a pile, the special gift bags, and magic sparkles. They willingly put their pacifiers in the bag and then put the magic sparkles (confetti) in the bags and we left them on the counter and I put them in their beds for the night.


Jenna's pacis ready for the Paci Princess

Jillian's pacis ready for the Paci Princess

Amazingly enough, Jenna only cried the first night for about 5 minutes. She talked for almost 2 and a half hours but eventually fell asleep on her own. In typical fashion, Jillian cried for over an hour and I was so happy when she was finally asleep 2 hours later. They actually slept really well, all through night, and the next morning both girls wanted to see if the Paci Princess took the pacis. Success! Not only had the Princess taken the pacis, but she left the girls gifts for being so brave.

The Paci Princess

The next several days were really rough. Nap times were hard and almost non-existant, night time was hard, in between time was hard. They were extremely emotional and sensitive, they asked about their pacifiers quite a bit. I would say within a day or two of Jared getting back home they were finally starting to get on track with normal nap and bedtimes. Of course, that was only after I permanently separated them. Up until now the girls shared a room. They've slept separately for nap time since about 6 months old, but at night they shared a room (they each had their own bed). Well, not anymore. Jenna's crib is now in the playroom and Jillian has their room to herself.

Prizes from the Paci Princess

At some point Jared and I would like them to go back to sharing a room. Not only because of space issues but we feel that sharing could bring them closer, as well as help them to learn how to share, get along, and learn boundary rules more easily. Since the move, they've had a growing attachment to babies. Lots of babies... the more the better. Each girl probably has about 4-6 babies in her bed on any given night. They aren't necesarrily the same babies tho which is fine by me. The less attachment the better in my book. The lovies are still in the forefront by the way, for those wondering. I can't figure out the baby obsession but I guess they just get lonely being in separate rooms now and need the company. :(

Jillian having fun in the pool and not missing her paci at all!

Jenna looks sad but she is just thinking...she is the thoughtful one. :)



Jenna & Jilly enjoying each other, the sun, and their pool

 Anyhoo, it has been three weeks and I haven't been asked in at least a week about a pacifier. It was really neat though. Every time one of the girls did ask me about a pacifier I would turn it around back to them. They were able to answer who took their paci (princess) and where she took it (babies) each time I asked. :) I will say the girls are much less cranky without pacis (now that they've adjusted that is). They sing a lot more now too which is really fun! Hopefully one of these days I can get a really good video of their singing talents. They are such hams that every time I turn on the camcorder all they want to do is say "cheese!"


More to Come....



PS: click HERE to see all the latest pictures











Fruit Salad...Yummy Yummy

So the girls sing now. :D Twinkle, Twinkle, Zacchaeus, and Ring Around the Rosies are some of their favs; however, one of our favorites for the girls to sing is a Wiggles song called Fruit Salad. I know, right? Like we don't get enough of those guys already? Seriously though, Jillian does an amazing job at part of the chorus of this song. Tell ya what....endure just a few minutes of the Wiggles Fuit Salad video here and judge for yourself. I've posted a video below of Jilly's version. :D

Remember to pause my songs below (at the very bottom) so they aren't blocking the sound of the videos. Our home video may be a bit quiet so increasing the volume once you start playing may be required.



Amazing, huh? At only 2 years old people!! :D

Stay tuned for another post from me sometime later this week (I hope! Fingers crossed!). I've gone cold turkey on weaning the girls from their pacifiers and I will give you an update on how it's going...or isn't. ;)





Jenna enjoying nice grass and the warm sun



Jilly and her piggies enjoying some one-on-one time with the grass :)

Love,

Weighing In...

Yes, I know the blog is about the babies....and I am sure most of you will yawn at this post. BUT...I am the author so :P  

I am officially weighing in on the style of THE DRESS. I honestly don't know why I feel compelled to do so but this way I can say "I told you so!" and be backed up by it. Yes, I will be watching the Royal Wedding a week from today on TV (mostly because I'm off work on Fridays so it is awfully convenient to tune in); but, and let me make this clear, by no means do I have more than a casual interest regarding the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (I will admit that I am fascinated in general by Royals & their lifestyles). Actually, most of it is WAY overblown and I honestly feel sorry for the couple and especially Middleton. I mean....what bride will have the least control of wedding decisions ever besides her? The invitations should say "Please Come to the Queen's Wedding" in BIG BOLD FONT and then in teeeny print say "oh...the wedding is for wills and kate by the way."

Anyhoo, the only reason I can think of regarding my compulsion to write this post, is that I surprisingly have an idea of what I think the all important dress will look like and I find myself annoyed by all of the fashion columns and their (in my opinion) way off base guesses of what the dress will look like. Yes....THE DRESS, the dress that is likely to cost thousands and thousands of dollars, worn for the ceremony and formal brunch thing after, and then put on display in a museum several years from now but never worn again.

Again, I am surprised I have an opinion at all....my own wedding dress was lovely but very simple. Jared and I wanted our marriage to be center stage, not our clothes, flowers, food, or anything else. So...without further ado, here it goes:

1. The dress will have some sort of sleeve. She is marrying a royal after all and this particular royal family is extremely old fashioned and traditional and perhaps even a bit modest. The dress will fit the traditional ceremony as well as the historic opulence of the Abbey the big shindig is taking place in. My guess is that the sleeve (which is a compromise for her, see #5) will either be cap sleeve or 3/4 length and perhaps more sheer than anything.

2. The train will be long....not anywhere near the length of Princess Di's train, but it will be appropriate for the looooooong walk to the front of the church.

3. The dress silhouette will be more traditional (no figure hugging, slinky material...) but I do think the details and fabric will have more modern touches....dare I say even more fashion forward elements. I am leaning more towards details that are simple but statement making. It won't be a gaudy dress. I do think there will be a mix of lace and satin.

4. She's a hat lady. Let me back that up....she wears architectural hats...very modern, almost...art...on her head. I think the veil will incorporate some sort of artistic "hat." Clarification: the hat won't look like the Queen Mum's hat. 

5. It won't be the dress she would pick if she were marrying a common person. The dress will have touches of her style but will be a compromise with what is acceptable by the royal family. 

Obviously the dress will be an original...and none of these pictures have all the elements I described, but it was as close as I could find. Of course I could be TOTALLY off base with all of these assumptions and if that is the case then this post will be promptly deleted and I can claim ignorance that any such post was ever made. :)

Hat, Fashion Forward Dress Elements (ruffles, waist, bling...)

Sleeves (the silhouette isn't something you will see)

Cap Sleeves, Layered Ruffles combined with Lace, Neckline

The Sheer Wrap, Dress Details

PS: I SWEAR I am not a royal stalker...this really is just a casual interest. :)

Zzzzzz.....

The girls are so busy that they wear themselves out these days. I haven't felt the need to have an 8:00 bedtime for myself since they were wee babies. :)

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Crazy Busy

I can't even describe how insanely busy we've been lately. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that the girls and I did NOTHING on my day off. That's right...nothing, zilch, not a thing...didn't even take a shower! Shh!!! Don't tell. :)

So what have we been up to...besides being fabulous and seriously sassy? Well, my dad has been visiting from S.Korea. He got here in early March and is leaving next Thursday. It has been a wonderful visit and unfortunately Thursday is already creeping up faster than I would prefer.  We've also been very busy enjoying the B-E-A-utiful spring weather (alright, prelude to summer weather....I am trying to be optimistic Texas people...). Teddy Bear Parades and Library time have filled up our calendar; as well as birthdays, zoo trips and BBQs. :)

Here are a few pictures to enjoy until I can get back on track with routines and normalcy....

Love,



Jillian, Momma and Jenna planting seeds     



Jenna, "Papa Marnie," and Jilly enjoying grapes after nap (all 3 napped for a good 2 hours!)

Getting the girls in on chores early... :) Just teasing, they like to play with bubbles

Dancing Queens

The girls are dancing to a Wiggles song..."Can You Point Your Fingers and Do the Twist." They love to sing and dance right now. You may have to turn your volume waaaay up to hear the music. :)

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For Grandpa Marty

Jenna (L) and Jillian Praying Before Breakfast. Jenna Looks Serious Because She is the One Praying. They Initiated This All On Their Own By Their Way. I Was Just Fortunate Enough to Have My Phone Nearby to Snap a Picture.

Jillian (L) and Jenna. They Were Caught Sitting on the Table, Which is a "No, No." :)

Jillian Enjoying Some Strawberry Limeaid Ice Cream :)



Jenna Doing EXACTLY the Same Thing!

There are days when I sit back and stare at Jillian and Jenna thinking, "Good Gravy!! There really are two of them!" The fact that I have twins can still blow my mind even to this day. A lot of strangers we meet think they have unique wit when they label my girls "double trouble." The response in my head (the one I would like to give but withhold due to manners) involves lots of eye rolling and letting them know just how many times I've heard that...which is to say I've heard it A LOT! P.S: It gets more annoying each time people say that. No, the response I give them is merely a polite correction, "No, not double trouble. Double blessings, " and we move along encouraging the girls to wave "Bye Bye" as we go.

These days we truly are in a phase of double blessings. Now that Jillian and Jenna (and depending upon the day, Shelby) are BFFs (best friends forever), everything is truly in twos. Seriously, if I read Brown Bear, Brown Bear to Jillian, I also read it to Jenna. If Jenna gets a horsey ride, Jillian does, too. If Jillian gets tickled, Jenna is right there as well. If Jenna is upset, so is Jillian. It seems like all of these twinkee-isms happened overnight. The girls have always played near each other but up until recently they played side by side but separately. Not engaging each other but rather observing one another. Now, they play together all the time, very rarely playing on their own. Which brings me to something I've been longing to brag about....for the first time ever in my child rearing days I can safely say that there are times (which is to say about 5-10 minutes here and there) when having twins is sooo much easier than having a single baby.



Jillian Sitting in Her Baby Doll's Stroller



Jenna Sitting in Her Baby Doll's Stroller, Too

So now that the girls can entertain each other, I am left to simply observe and oversee. Acting as a referee, if will, of "who had that toy first." Anyhoo, now that I have all of this extra time on my hands (enter sarcasm here) I've made one other observation I feel obligated to share. It isn't just any observation either, I find it somewhat frightening and disgusting all at the same time.... I am noticing more and more how teething toddlers can sometimes be compared to puppies.

Here me out now: In my home I have a husband, two toddlers, an overly excitable dog, and myself. I am quite certain that Jared and I aren't the culprits of what I am about to reveal; and while I do admit Shelby is a dog with "issues" she is far beyond her puppy hood days of chewing things up and destroying household items (with her teeth, not her fur and slobber, Jared). After all, Shelby did turn 6 this year so we are safely in the adulthood phase of her life. So riddle me this: Why then, am I finding household items, like books and remote controls, with gooey teeth marks all over them? I'm just sayin'....all other culprits have been ruled out.



The Evidence: You Can Clearly See the Bite Marks on the Bottom Controller on the Left Side. The Top Controller Hasn't Been Eaten Yet. The Controllers are Exactly the Same, Except the Rubber Overlay Has Been Stripped Off the Bottom Remote After a Little Some One's Teeth Shredded it to Pieces. That is Why the Bottom Remote is so Much More Shiny.



Another Angle of the Damage

Anyhoo, I will leave you to make your own judgement on the puppy comparison. I did want to post the below video for my Dad though (taken tonight during bath time). One of the things I remember most about my Dad was being tickled by him all the time. I smile looking back on those times. My sister and I would pester my Dad until he started his tickling shenanigans, we would keep coming back for more and more until we were both in tears looking for Mom to report Dad's harassment to. Dad's classic response to us while we were ratting him out? "If you mess with the bulls you get the horns!" Tee Hee...I am laughing just thinking of it. Anyhoo, there was always a certain "way" Dad tickled and a lot of times it was the "Roly Poly Way." If I am not mistaken, my Grandma (Dad's Momma) did Roly Poly to Dad, Dad did it to Teri and me, and now, I do it to the girls (even Jared gets in on the fun!). Roly Poly tickle was a simple rhyme but with a menacing finger spiraling above your head and making a slow decent throughout the rhyme towards the middle of your ribs or back:

Roly Poly Shot a Bear

Where'd She Get Her?

RIGHT IN THERE!!!

You knew the closer Dad got to "Right in There!!" the sooner the tickles would be upon you. Crazy fun and good times. It would be neat for the pattern to continue. Clearly in the video the girls already Roly Poly each other...I wonder if perhaps in many, many years to come when Jilly and Jenna have their own kids if they will carry on the Roly Poly tradition?

Until Then....

P.S: I love you Dad. Sometimes Korea is too far. XOXO