Want to Play?

Birthday and Christmas came a little early to our house this week...the boys got their very own swing set.  I have been researching and looking at them for about a year now and we finally got them one.  We went with a company called Tree Frogs {based in Houston, so we were able to see them in person and try them out} who came up and installed it all on Tuesday.  I love it and the boys have had a blast playing on it.

Allie and Emmie have already been over to play with the boys...I'm thinking we are going to be spending pretty much every day on it, especially when the weather starts to get cooler.

My two favorites...the rock wall and the tire swing.

A view from the back.

Driving the ship wheel.

I am looking forward to many many years of fun playing with the boys on our swing set!

Rainbow Rice

On Wednesday my kitchen looked like this...

So that yesterday we could have some fun with this...

Rainbow Rice...the boys absolutely LOVED it!  Who knew that five dollars worth of rice with a little added food coloring could bring so much joy and entertainment.

I added our stacking cups, shovels and rake and the boys went to town scooping and pouring and running their little fingers through it.

We of course made a huge mess {so glad I remembered to put some towels under the tub}.  I'm thinking it would not have been as fun though if we hadn't made a mess!

The boys thought we also needed cars in the rice along with all of our cups and scoopers...really, we can't do anything unless cars are somehow involved.

We will be getting this tub of rice out quite often...I think it will be fun to get some more scoops, funnels, bottles etc. to use.  I am so glad they had fun...I think Evan would have gotten in the tub had it been bigger!

Vacuuming and Mixing Bowls

Since we have all been feeling like poop around here recently the little ole house has been a tad neglected.  I attempted to do some cleaning today but decided it was much more fun to take pictures of my child trying to use the vacuum than actually using it myself. 

Both boys LOVE to help me vacuum.  They try to hold on and push and pull...not a lot of cleaning actually happens when they try to help but they sure do have a lot of fun {which is the important thing right?}

When vacuuming is no longer exciting we always have mama's mixing bowls.  They think these are the greatest thing ever.  They pretend to mix stuff and spoon "food" out to eat.  They also love to bang on them like drums and drop them to hear the sound of the metal hitting the floor.

The most fun part about these bowls...wearing them like hats.  Too cute!

A little side note on these mixing bowls...

When I was pregnant with the boys I had horrible nausea at night and threw up a lot during the first four months.  When I went to bed every night I took the largest of my three mixing bowls and put it on my nightstand...just in case I couldn't make it to the bathroom fast enough.  My trusty mixing bowl was my best friend and got used more times than one would think.  The problem with all this is now I can't quite look at these mixing bowls the same anymore.  The largest one NEVER gets used, I just can't bring myself to use it and the other two remind me too much of the large bowl.  Luckily I have some others I can use {which are glass and have no resemblance to these at all}.  I think being used as the boys' kitchen entertainment is a much better use of them anyway!

Operation "Bye-Bye Paci"

This week was the dreaded week...the one I have not been looking forward to for quite some time...it was the week we started sleeping WITHOUT OUR PACIS!  I knew it had to happen soon {I wanted it done before the boys turned 2}.  The boys are super attached so I have been putting it off for some time now with November being my absolute latest time to give them up.  The one thing I didn't realize through all of the paci madness was how attached I actually was to them...and how sad it is for me to give them up too.  I liked the fact that if the boys were cranky or if we were out somewhere and they were a mess we had the paci...our miracle worker at calming them down.  When they turned one we went to only using them during naps and bedtime but I ALWAYS took them with me in public just in case we needed them...and boy were there some times when we NEEDED them!

If it were up to Ethan and Evan they would have them in their mouths 24/7...play time...sleep time...eating time {because you can always put your paci in after each bite :)}...but the time finally came and Tuesday night they had to give them up.  I explained to them while we were getting ready for bed that the pacis were going bye-bye and that they were big boys and not babies anymore.  Who knows how much they actually understood...Evan said "bye-bye" to his paci but once he got in bed and realized what was going on he was hysterical...as was Ethan.  They both cried for quite a while and Evan was so mad he threw his blanket and bear out of the crib...which made him even more mad and hysterical.  It makes me a little sad to see them so upset but we had to give them up at some point.  Knowing how attached they were I knew it wouldn't be any different now or a month from now.

So..why a random Tuesday night all of a sudden??  Evan was down to zero pacis.  We had lost two of them and he chewed a hole in the third.  We had two of Ethan's left and Evan was using one of them since his were all gone.  So...we were down to our two final pacis and mama was not buying any new ones.  Both had them in the car on Tuesday and before we got home Ethan threw his somewhere.  I looked for it everywhere but it disappeared somewhere and I was too tired to look all night.  I figured it was as good a time as any to start "no paci nighttime" since I couldn't find it.

The week really hasn't been too bad...Tuesday was terrible {which I 100% expected}, Wednesday was not as difficult and it is slowly getting better and better with each day.  We have had less crying and protesting with each nap time and bed time.  Hopefully by next week at this time we'll be going to sleep peacefully.

In honor of Operation "Bye-Bye Paci" here are a few of my favorite paci pics...

My sweet one month olds with their huge "hospital pacis"

We always had them while snoozin'...

and while riding in our stroller out shopping...

and while sleeping by the pool...

They helped make us look extra handsome in our Chargers gear...

and helped us survive the heat while watching our first BU football game...

We always had them in the car...

and pretty much any time we were just chillin'.

Adios pacis...you have been good to us and gotten us through many a day these last two years.  We will try not to miss you too much!

LABOR Day Memories

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So...technically it's the day after Labor Day but after reading my friend Meg's post and knowing that our friends Michael and Emily are at the hospital tonight having their precious miracle...I'm in a reminiscing mood.  Plus...there's not a whole lot going on around here that is worth writing about...besides the fact that NO ONE is feeling great in the Burchfield house, we have led a pretty boring life recently.  Jeff has horrible allergy issues, both kiddos are snotty, and two weeks ago we had Evan in the ER in the middle of the night because he was crazy wheezy {three breathing treatments finally got him better and a chest x-ray revealed it was probably croup and because he is more than likely asthmatic it made it all worse}.  To top it all off I got a call today from the ER saying that there were some things on his x-ray that showed he might possibly have pneumonia {why it couldn't be determined 2 weeks ago and why they waited so long to call is beyond me}...so back to the doctor we will be going to make sure everything is OK.  Good times!  So...enough about our sickliness and on to some Labor Day Memories...

How Long Were You in Labor?
I was induced around 7:00 in the morning...Ethan was born at 4:37 and Evan at 4:48.  So, 8 1/2 almost 9 hours...not too bad for my first time giving birth and it being twins.  I expected it to be way longer and was shocked when my doctor told me I was dilated to an 8 by lunch time.  I fully thought it would take forever and they would be born late that night.

How Did You Know You Were in Labor?
Sadly my body never went into labor on it's own...the closer I got to 38 weeks I was convinced it was going to happen at any minute but the boys were completely happy to stay put.  At 37 1/2 weeks I had a day when I couldn't feel Evan move all day so we went to Labor and Delivery, had him checked out {all was ok} and my doctor kept me and induced the next day.

Did You Receive Any Pain Medication?
YES!!  I was already dilated to a 4 when I went in so I was told I could have an epidural whenever I wanted.  I waited a little bit but quickly got one and IT. MADE. MY. DAY!  It was the best epidural {I told my anesthesiologist I loved him} and made my delivery so much easier.  I say I had the perfect labor and delivery it was just the aftermath that was not so enjoyable.

C-Sections?
No...my worst fear going into labor {besides the epidural not working} was that I would deliver Ethan and then Evan would flip and I would need to have a c-section.  Fortunately all went well and no c-sections!

Where Did You Deliver?
At Hillcrest Hospital here in Waco.  The new hospital opened in April and the boys were born in November so we got to experience the new awesome hospital.

Who Delivered Your Babies?
My OB Dr. Rister...LOVE him!  I would get pregnant again just so I could go see him once a month {and don't call me crazy because I know many other Waco girls who feel the exact same way}.  He was always so calm and never worried about anything which made this crazy, worried pregnant girl of twins so much more at ease.

November 9, 2009...the day I became a mommy.
All of the trouble and pain we went through to get to that day made it all the more special and perfect.  Ethan and Evan are our two miracles...it was the best day ever!

Our two little Baylor Bears!