Sacred Marriage Chapter 2

I really enjoyed this chapter as it starts to get into the meat of the book. I think my post will be short and sweet as I am already behind with posting with the rest of the group.

Here is what stood out most to me. We view marriage so much for its worldly purpose to make us happy and fulfill our needs. However this is not how God has intended it. Now don't get me wrong he does want marriage to do those things for us but above that our marriage should bring glory to God. I have never really view my marriage as a ministry or evangelism opportunity to others, but after reading this chapter I feel we are greatly failing by not making it one. Throughout the bible God compares his relationship to the church to that of a husband and wife. Wow if that is not pressure. We are to love our mate unconditionally and put them before ourselves. If we live our marriage to truly glorify God how can it not bring us anything more than great happiness? I have been challenged by this to show God more through my relationship with my spouse to the world, but I think even more importantly than that is to show God in my marriage to my children. If they don't see this model at home where can we expect them to see it. I know God has given me such a great blessing in my marriage and it is time that I use that to the betterment of his kingdom.

Wordless Wednesday

IF

I saw this on another blog and thought it looked like fun.

Fill in the blanks....

If I were to get pregnant again...I hope it is not at least for a year or so. We would love another baby just not yet. But as we learned wit the twins God is in control so if we were bestowed with another little blessing we would be beyond ecstatic at anytime.

If I could have any job in the world...I would be a SAHM. That is my dream right now, but I am content with our current situation. God is in control and is providing for our family in amazing ways. But if it was a professional job I think I would be a doctor-after having the twins I have such a respect for great doctors.

If I had a day to myself...I would go shopping and maybe get a pedicure. I love going places with the twins, but I have found it is very hard to maneuver a double stroller in many stores. And the pedicure, lets just say my feet have seen better days.

If I could get married all over again...I would change most things but the man. I loved my wedding and I had a wonderful day, but as I have matured so have my taste. I would have waited for the spring so I could have seersucker suits for the guys and pink dresses for the girls. I would have thought more about how my location would photograph and maybe even gone destination. But as with everything hindsight is 20/20. Our day was perfect because I married the man I love so dearly.

If I could live anywhere in the US...I would live right where I am. I love living in the upstate of South Carolina. It is affordable and great place to raise a family. We are close to Clemson one of our favorite places and we have a church we love and so many amazing friends.

If my girl would have been boy they would have been named...since we had boy/girl twins I guess Jackson would have been Riggs and Riggs would have been Jackson.

If I could have any talent in the world...I would be an artist. I am so jealous of those who can draw and paint so easily such a talent.

If you met me in real life...I hope you would like me. I think I am pretty easy to get along with and I am a good friend to have.

If I could go back to school and get a different degree...I am trying to figure this one out now. Maybe nursing but not sure.

If money was no object...I would give so much away. Especially since having the twins I have begun to realize the world around me a lot more. I am not sure that we would change too much maybe a little big bigger house and a maid. Oh yeah and I would be a SAHM.

If I could meet one celebrity, it would be...Julia Roberts. I have always loved her and she just seems so classy.

If I could shop at only one store the rest of my life...Target

If we were to get another pet it would be...nothing. I am not a big animal fan.

If I could go on a trip right now...HAWAII. Aaron and I were able to go 2 years ago on my hotel and airline points I earned from my work travels. It was amazing and is a place I hope we can go back someday.

If I had to choose between a house cleaner and a personal chef...House cleaner we can eat out but our house is in of some major TLC.

If I had the option of plastic surgery...tummy tuck. After having the twins lets just say the belly has some extra skin hanging around. But they were totally worth every stretch mark!

Praying for Strangers

Sunday we had our annual ladies breakfast during Bible Class time. This is really a neat day as ALL of the women of the church are able to attend and the men step up and cover the children's classes. What a great act of service this is to the ladies.

This year we had River Jordan as our guest speaker, she is the author of Praying for Strangers. I have to admit I went into this with many preconceived notions I thought this was going to be some kind of free spirit lady who played with crystals etc. OK maybe I am being a bit dramatic but I did think it would be weird. Well I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and I really enjoyed her talk. River explained how this idea started as a New Years Resolution and then told us of some of the stories in her book. How every day the Holy Spirit would guide her to her stranger that she would pray for. At first she did this privately and then she started to tell people that she would be praying for them that evening and many times they would tell her exactly why God had led her to them. My favorite was the the one about the Kentucky Lady at the bus station. River quickly told her that she would be praying for her and the lady then told her...you know I just finish praying for all these people and at the end I ask God is there anyone in this entire world praying for me? WOW!

I am still processing the morning and how God is going to use this in my life but I thought it was so amazing and such a great concept that I wanted to share. You can go here to see more of River's story and learn more about her book.

So Long Swaddle

Well we have survived an event I was surely dreading. Riggs no longer sleeps in her miracle blanket swaddle. She is our active child and was breaking free and rolling over and then laying with her face in the free parts of the blanket. We knew we had to make a change for her safety. We did one night with one arm out and then went all off the next night and she has slept as well as ever. For two night she got up at 4 but she did the sometimes with the swaddle. Last night we had our first unswaddled full night of sleep. In this effort we have also removed her bumpers since she is a mover. We would find her head in the corner and this was just a bit unsettling. I do worry about he bumping into the wood in her crib but I guess a few bumps is better than her smushing her face into her bumpers.

This new arrangement has made some comical mornings when I go in to get her up. Yesterday she was hanging on to the spindles like monkey bars and this morning her arm was hanging out the side. I do miss going in and see the bumpers that I spent a lot of time and money on but her safety is more important than either of those.

We are still working on Jackson. He does not move much in his sleep and does not roll over yet so we do not have any safety concerns with him. We did start trying to ween him with Riggs but he loves to pull his paci out which wakes him up. The other night it took Aaron 1.5 hours to get him to sleep because of this. So for now he is still enjoying his little cocoon.

Baby Gear I Love

As the twins are getting older there are a few baby things I have come to love. I thought it would be great to share for those mommas-to-be out there. These are just my opinions so please take them as that.

Miracle Blanket

This has by far been one of my favorite items that has brought us many sleep filled nights. I had heard about them on other blogs before the twins and knew we had to try them. At first we didn't not use them properly since the twins were so small (make sure you read the directions) and they were ok, but as they got bigger and I read the directions we have learned to LOVE them. They fought the swaddle at first and could get out of velcro one but with this the arms are pinned and until recently they have not been able to free themselves. We are still using it for Jackson and have recently stopped for Riggs since she can escape and roll-but I truly feel this has brought us many nights of sleep.

Avent Bottles

We have had great luck with these. I was torn when registering if I wanted Dr. Browns or these but ultimately decided on Avent because it does not have the straws to deal with and I have heard the fatter bottles are easier for the babies to learn to hold. We recently got the addition of the handles and Jackson with a little burp rag propping can take his bottle mostly on his own. Riggs is working on it but normally can't sit still long enough to manage this. I also like that they can grow with the baby-you can get new attachments that turn them into sippy cups I believe and when you have made the investment we have in bottles this is great.

MAM Pacifiers

Originally we went with the standard Avent pacifiers and they worked well but seemed hard for the babies to keep in their mouth. One day I came upon a pack of these that my sister had passed along and thought I would try it out. Well we are converts now. The sucking part is bulb shaped so it seems easier for them to hang onto which means less of us putting it back in. Also I really like the style pictured above because as the twins have improved their motor skills they can easily grab on and have even been successful at putting it back in their mouth when it pops out.

Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Carrier

We debated long and hard on this item when we were registering. My sister actually gave me my niece and nephews old car seat as well as another one she had acquired. After some research we realized the second car seat had expired so we were going to have to buy at least one. We wanted to have two of the same brand so we could interchange which seat went on which side. We originally registered for a different brand but kept going back to the Chicco it just seemed so much more sturdy and well made. After some thought we felt this was one of the most important purchases we would make since it was for the safety of our babies and we had to go with what we felt was most substantial regardless if it cost more. We have been so happy with these and feel that the twins are safe and secure while in the car.

Strollers

Having twins made this an extremely hard decision. Did we want a side by side or a tandem stroller, how easy would it be to maneuver, what was the weight, how would it fit in our car?...the list went on and on as we tried to pick a stroller. We research and searched for months for the perfect stroller as we plan to use this for many years. We finally decided we need 2 different ones to meet our needs.

Double Snap 'n Go

 We almost decided against this and thought we could just transfer the twins from their car seats to their stroller on outings-man were we wrong. We would have had such a tough time without this. I can easily and quickly get them out of the car and snapped into this stroller without much effort. It drives fairly well and the best part I got it for $40 off of eBay. At first we had a hard time "snapping" the Chicco car seats in place but once we figured that out we have been nothing but happy with this purchase.

City Mini Jogger

 This is what we ultimately decided on for our "Big" stroller. As I said above we agonized over this decision for months. Double strollers are not cheap so we wanted to find one that would not break the bank but would also meet our long term needs. We picked this one and then I randomly found it on sale at BuyBuy Baby for a great price-we were able to pick it up for just under $300 (normally it runs about $450 I think). This stroller has been great. It is easy to steer and one of the best features is how it folds. There is a strap in each seat that you just pull and it literally folds in half. They say you can do the single one while holding your baby. My one complaint is the basket-it is pretty much impossible to get to. I can get blankets and baby b'journs in there but have not figured out how to get a bag in. Well I guess I have 2 complaints there is no caddy system in the handle bar so there is no where to put my phone, keys, drink etc. But overall we are extremely pleased with this purchase.

Baby B'jorn

We were so lucky to get two of these handed down to us by my sister and one of my best friends. We have loved the flexibility that they give us when we are out and about with the twins. I have a few other baby wearing apparatuses but nothing has the ease of use as these do. We can quickly get them off and on and the babies feel very secure when they are in them. That has been one of my concerns with other ones where you have to twist and tie to secure it-with this I know if everything is snapped together correctly they are safe. When we are out we try and always keep one if not both in the stroller for when we have an unhappy rider. The twins love to be in the b'jorn especially since we have turned them front facing.

Fisher Price Cradle Swing

We got a hand me down from my sister and at first I was against putting it up, I did not want my babies to be those that had to be in their swing to go to sleep. Well around 10 weeks I got to the point where I just needed somewhere to put at least one baby. So I climb through the storage room found all of the pieces and put it together myself. Let me tell you that was one of the best decisions I have made. They both really liked it but Jackson loved it so much in fact that we ended up buying a matching one so Riggs could have a chance to swing every now and then. I think the best features of this on is that it swings side to side and you can turn the seat and it will swing front to back. The seat can recline in a cradle position or it can be adjusted to sit up. Jackson became quite vain staring at himself in the dome mirror that is above the seat with the mobile attached. This became his sanctuary and in many ways mine as well. Invest in a swing it is worth every penny!

Jump-A-Roo

As the twins have become more active we have needed to be able to provide them more stimulation-this has been our answer. For the first few weeks they would just sit in it and maybe bounce a little but now they are full blown jumpers. I really like this because it helps them build neck and body strength. We knew Riggs would love this since she is never still but were not so sure about Jackson. It was comical the first few times we would put him in one he would just sit there and stare at the swing wishing he could be laid back watching himself in the mirror. Recently he has become a crazy jumper and loves this toy. It is especially great for him as we continue therapy for his neck.

Medela Breast Pump

Last but definitely not least is my Medela pump. We have become very close over these last few months. As you should now know my twins were preemies and were in the NICU for just over two weeks. I had fully intended to breastfeed them or at least try my hardest to. With their prematurity came the need for me to pump from day one so they could get milk while they were still growing and learning how to suck. I pumped 8 times a day for many weeks. Once they were home we tried for a while to breastfeed but we had gotten in such a rhythm with the pumping and bottle feeding we continued on this route-it was just so much more efficient and with me returning to work seemed like the best option. Well 5 months later I am still pumping 3 times a day. The twins are getting a mix of milk and formula and this works well for us. Also I work for a great company that has a mother's room where I can go to pump in private. If you plan to pump at all make sure you invest in a good pump you won't regret it.

Well as I said these are the items I have found that we truly love. I hope they were of some help to you. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Wordless Wednesday

 

Twin Speak

A few months ago the video was going around the web of adorable twins boys who where caught having a full conversation in there own language-I a sure most of you have seen this but if not I have posted it here.

Many people sent this to me since I was pregnant with my twins at the time. I have often wondered will Jackson and Riggs have their own language? I think this would be really next but frustrating for us at the same time.

While they are not talking to each other yet, they have definitely started talking. I think it is so adorable, they babble and coo and scream and laugh. It all is adorable and brings a big smile to their momma's face.

Yesterday Aaron took me to work and I was sitting in the back so they could finish their bottles, was able to catch these videos of each.

Monthly Comparison

Everyone is telling me my babies are huge now. I thought it would be fun to look back and see how much they have grown each month. I think they are still below average for their agebut from where they started they are a bit bigger

Jackson

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

Riggs

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

How 'bout them Tigers!

WooHooWooHooHooHoo C-L-E-M-S-O-N

Saturday Aaron and I got to go to the Clemson game without the babies. My parents came in Friday night and kept Jackson and Riggs so we would enjoy the game. We started out early to head to my sister's since it was a noon game. Once we parked we went tailgate hopping. We had 3 groups; Aaron's grad school friends, our neighbors and Staci's brother; all within 3 rows and a few spots of one another-what are the chances of that with the thousands of people that come to watch the Tigers play. We hung out there until around 11 an then headed to the stadium to find our seats. We were in the West End Zone sitting in my sisters seats-with about 25 minutes left in warm up Siri was able to acquire to pregame field passes for us so we were able to spend the rest of pregame on the sidelines. It was exciting to experience the 25 most exciting seconds from that vantage point as the Tigers rubbed the rock and ran down the infamous hill into Death Valley.

Tigers running down the hill

This game was especially huge since we were playing Auburn the reigning national champions, who were still riding their undefeated streak from last season. The game began in typical Clemson fashion with Auburn scoring two unanswered touchdown. The first quarter seemed to drag on forever with little excitement, but by the end of the half the tigers were able to tie the game at 21-21.

Sea of Orange!

We left the stadium at half for a quick run to the car. Upon our return we almost got run over by an ADA golf cart as we were crossing the street in a crosswalk. I am tempted to call IPTAY on Monday and report this driver. The same one almost ran us over earlier in the day. As we were walking back to the stadium we hear the glorious sound of the cannon and the Clemson Tigers pulled ahead for the first time. The second half was much more exciting than the first and the Clemson Tigers were able to pull off a 34-24 VICTORY!!!

Final play of the game!

Meet at the paw post game.

Aaron and I had a fun day with enjoying all of the festivities in Tiger Town! It was exciting to see the tigers play and win as everyone knew they could. Can't wait until next weekend when we take on FSU-we are not sure if we will make it out to the game but no matter what we will be cheering on the Tigers.

5 Months-September 13th 2011

How can my little babies be 5 months already? Time is going by so fast. I am always excited for the next stage but I can't believe how fast we are getting to each, I wish I could slow time down so I could savor each day and memory to the fullest.

Since we don't go to the doctor again until next month we don't have any official stats but you both are growing so big and healthy-everyone comments on how big you have gotten.

Jackson
Your personality has come out so much this month you love to smile and giggle. Daddy is the best at making you laugh those big deep belly laughs-it is so adorable and you can always make me smile. You are still pretty laid back but when you get mad or upset watch out-you can out cry the best of them. You have started to startle easily especially by sneezes-you have freaked out on me and Staci when we sneezed around you. This month you got your cranial helmet and you are doing so good with it. It really does not seem to bother you at all which I am so thankful for. We can already see an improvement in your head shape, it is amazing how quickly it is working. You are wearing size 1-2 diapers but should really be in size 2 now, I think I will have to move you up this week. In clothes you are wearing a wide range from 0-3, 3 months and 3-6 months. In sleepers you are definitely out of 0-3 due to your length. You have started to enjoy the jump-a-roo and really jump around when you are in there. You are not rolling yet but I can see that is not far away. You continue to do amazing at physical therapy each week, however this was our last week with Amanda she is now on maternity leave so next week you will start with a new therapist. Unfortunately you got your first sun burn this month right under your eyes (there goes our parent of the year award) daddy and I felt so terrible but you seemed to just take it in stride. You are still eating 6 ounces every 3-4 hours with a few snacks needed in between some days. You are sleeping through the night, praise the Lord. Naps are still spotting but because of the previous statement we let that slide. I guess the big news for you this month is that we can see the white tips of you 2 front bottom teeth-no biting your sister big boy!

 

Riggs
You are such a princess and sometimes a bit of a drama queen-but we love it. You have so much personality you love to give big smiles. You can cry and laugh at the same time. I am not sure how you accomplish that but it brings comic relief to your melt downs. You love to make noise and talk, sometimes in the morning after you eat and I put you back in your crib I can hear you down stairs-you have not found your inside voice yet! You are our big roller now-you first rolled over on August 26th. For a few days after that you flipped from your back to your stomach immediately when you were laid down-then you decided you were kind of over it and now you are rolling both ways multiple times. You are never still. I will be feeding you a bottle and you will be flipped over with you head craned back-I must say it is an interesting way for you to eat. You love the jump-a-roo and are quite the good jumper. You love your brother and try to interact with him-he is still trying to figure you out. You are a droll machine, your clothes are never dry. You have not cut any teeth but I know they are coming soon. You are still in a size 1 diaper but are in your last days of this size and need to move completely to 1/2 diapers. You are predominately wearing size 0-3 and 3 month clothes but are quickly out growing your sleepers in length. We still love our hairbows-you look so pretty in them and very seldom pull them off-this makes a momma happy! You sleep through the night 90% of the time. You just went through a stretch where you woke up around 3 or 4 but I think/hope that is over. You have become the houdini and are out of your swaddle most mornings-I don't know what to do about this. You sleep so well in it but I am afraid it is no longer the answer.

 

We love you babies more and more everyday. I always knew I wanted to be a mommy but I never imagined how truly great it would be. You make our lives such much better and so much more purposeful. There is not anything we wouldn't do for you kids. We love you to the moon and back.

Outtakes

You can quickly see Jackson is my more compliant subject as I have many more outtakes from Riggs.

J trying to figure out what the giant pink think on R's head is.