Catching up!!!

I hope everyone had happy and wonderful holidays!!! Our first Christmas with the girls was of course awesome. We had such a great time with the girls on Christmas morning at home, and then with both sides of the family throughout the day!!!

We spend New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with Jen and her family. We had some fun. And the girls were awake at midnight to celebrate their first New Year's Day! They had gone to sleep at their normal time, but around quarter til 12 they woke up. They were not about to miss out on any of the fun and excitement!!!

The girls are doing wonderful. Growing like crazy. They will be 6 months old on Thursday. It blows my mind that a half year ago they were just so small. They are doing all that they should be doing, scooting, grabbing, holding their toys. They love the bouncy that Grammy and Papaw got them for Christmas. They also love their veggies!!

Because of the ear infections they had around Thanksgiving and having to postpone their 4 month well-check, we won't go for the 6 month well-check until the middle of February. I'm going to go crazy waiting to see how much they've grown over the past 2 months.

Things have been pretty good around here. Of course I loved being out for the two-week break with my girls. I actually cried at work the first day back, which is something I didn't do when I returned from maternity leave. Although I did cry every day for the week before I returned then. But I wasn't expecting it. I was sad of course to have to leave the girls and not get to be around them all day, but I didn't expect to cry. A couple co-workers asked me how I was doing and I just got choked up. I really do like my job, but I hate working, I would so much rather be home with Jozie and Kealie everyday all day! But I guess if I gotta work, it's a good thing that I like what I do all day.

The day I went back to work, I returned home with the girls to find our back door kicked in half. It was pretty crazy. The thieves got our xbox, wii, games, video camera and camera. I think they knew exactly what they were coming in for. Nothing had been gone through, and there were several other things sitting around that I can't believe they didn't touch. But it's ok, the thing that hurts the most is that the video of the girls first Christmas was still in the video camera. That's a memory that we'll never get back. Luckily I had downloaded all the pictures onto the computer already. So while they got the memory card, I still have all those pictures. So because of this we are in search of a new house to rent, as well as a big dog. Zander is a wonderful dog, he's just small. They had locked him in the bathroom. Poor baby. We've also reverted the girls back to our room for now. They are sleeping in the pack n' play. I can't keep them in their own room for right now. But we are all safe, and no one was home or hurt and we are very thankful for that.

Other than that things are great. I'm planning on throwing a little 1/2 birthday party for the girls Thursday evening. You know just with the girls and me and Josh. Just maybe get them a small little gift, lots of pictures and try a new fruit or something for dinner!!! Anyway, I'll share again when I have time! For now, here are some pics from over the holidays!! Hope you all have a great week and are getting to enjoy a long weekend due to the holiday.

A post of pics to catch up!!!

WOW!!! Where does the time go?!?!?! It's been almost 2 months since I've made an entry. So much has happened since the last entry. Jozie and Kealie's first Halloween, the first roll over, the first taste of real food (mashed potatos on Thanksgiving) and the first giggle!!!

The girls turned 4 months on the 21st of November, but we had to reschedule their 4 month well-check up as they both had ear infections and were on antibiotics. We are taking them for their check up on the 11th. But we do know that Jozie was weighing in at 13'13 and Kealie is up to 11'10!!! They are both such big girls!

Since it has been such a long time since I have posted I am going to post some pictures of the girls over the past two months to show what's been going on around here!


At the pumpkin patch to pick out their first pumpkins!!!

With Daddy choosing pumpkins

Getting excited for their first Halloween

Having a chat with their Poppy

All set and ready to go trick or treating

Kealie was a zebra

Jozie was a giraffe

Showing the neighbors just how cute we really are!!

They are looking WAY to grown up in this picture!!

Kealie trying to suck her thumb, she has just about mastered it these days!

Jozie sad about something... Probably because a commercial came on the tv!!

My little Lollipops!!

So precious and sweet- One of my favorite pictures

Excited because momma is dancing and singing!! They love to dance and sing with me!

Helping me with all the laundry I had gotten backed up on! As you can see, Kealie isn't thrilled about it

My Little Angels!!!!!!!!!

Ready to cheer on their CARDS!!!!!

First Thanksgiving!!

Jozie loved trying out the bouncy chair

Kealie enjoyed it too!!

The girls with their Grammy

Jozie sleeping with her Papaw

Jozie lounging/napping with her arms behind her head!! TOO CUTE!!

Kealie fell asleep in her chair. She was OUT!!!!!!!

It's been a while...

I can't believe I haven't posted for 2 weeks. I knew I would be busy getting back to work and then coming home to the girls, but I really never imagined how busy!!!

I am doing ok being back at work. It really helps that I was able to switch classes. I don't know if I would have made it with my class from last year. They are giving the guy a hell of a time. One ran away from him at the park the other day, one keeps licking him as he has been acting like a dog a lot again, and the other is just his old self with his bad attitude. I'm not saying that I don't miss those boys, I do, I just don't think I could have gone back to working in that kind of classroom. Once again I have to say that I have the best boss ever.

My class is awesome. I am teaching physically disabled students. They are the sweetest kids ever. They work and try so hard. And are always just so happy. It is stressful though, but in a different way. I have 2 students who have frequent seizures. One of them had one on Monday while sitting on the floor listening to a story and fell and bumped his head hard. He had a knot. Then on Friday he had another one and he fell out of his chair and hit the back of his head. No knot that time. The other child has several a day. Anywhere between 5 and 15 a day. Poor guy. Mom doesn't think it's anything to worry about, because she says that he never has them like that at home. It's so sad, she has even led me to believe she thinks he is faking them to get out of stuff. That's crazy. One, would you want to fall out of your chair or fall down when standing up 15 times a day on purpose. Second, once they are over he goes right back to work and completes everything. But like I said they are very sweet kids and always concerned for one another and doing anything they can do to help. The older students even get the younger ones out of the area for us and will start some kind of activity like a game or telling them a story. It's amazing the things adults can learn from kids!!!

The girls are doing great with my sisters. They seem to enjoy themselves throughout the day, and then sleep all evening when I get them home. That is really the worst part. I am ok during the day cause I'm so busy, but those nights that they end up sleeping when I get home with them makes me cry cause I feel as though I'm not spending enough time with them. But they are so sweet. Most mornings I either have to wake them up to feed them or when I go in their room they are just laying in there checking things out. They are of course, smiling like crazy. They are just so fun! I believe there will be giggles very soon in our household, Jozie is getting really really close to getting it to come out!

Jozie and Kealie will be 3 months old on Wednesday. I can't believe it!! Where did the time go? They are a quarter of a year old!!! Time is flying by and I really really need it to slow down just a bit. I'm enjoying my baby girls way too much for it all to go so fast.

With getting back to work, we have really just been hanging out around home in the evenings. We did however make it to Huber's, a pumpkin patch, last Saturday. We had a great time, until that evening, when Jozie seemed to be having trouble breathing. To make a long story short, We took her to the emergency room, and waited for 5 hours to be told that our baby was probably in breathing distress at the time, but she was breathing fine then and that we could leave now. All I'm going to say is that I will not be returning to that hospital's emergency room, but it's a long story and I may have to share it with you in another post at another time.

That's really about all for now. Getting excited for Halloween, although we really don't have any plans as of right now, and still don't have costumes for the girls. We've got several ideas in mind, it's just about getting to the store and seeing what they have at this point.
Of course I was going to leave you all with some pictures, but there keeps being errors in the downloading process, so I will get them posted next time. Have a great week!!!

So sad

Just so sad right now. Want to stop thinking about leaving Jozie and Kealie tomorrow and returning to work and just enjoy the evening, but I can't. I hate this... I wish I could stay home. Nothing in my body or mind wants to go back to work and not be with my girls for 8-9 hours of the day. That's just too long. It's the whole day. I just can't imagine this ever being easier. That's all I have for today

A whole weeks worth (warning: It's a long one!!)

Wow, I just don't know how this week got away from me... It went by so fast, which makes me very very very sad, because I have to go back to work on Monday :( Let's just say I've cried at least once every day this week thinking about Monday morning. I so do not want to go. I wish there was a way for me to get to stay home with Jozie and Kealie everyday. Every time I think about it I just get a lump in my throat. The only thing that makes it a bit, no a speck, easier is that my sisters will be watching them throughout the week, so I don't have to leave them at a daycare with people I don't know!

I'm sure this is going to be a long post but when do I do a short post??? :)

Last Friday was the girls 2 month check up... Can you believe they are already 2 months? I can't believe it. The girls are doing great, Doc said they look great. Jozie is up to 10 lbs 13 ozs (25-50%), and Kealie is 8 lbs 10 ozs (5-10%). Meaning that they have both doubled in size since they were born. Jozie is now 20 and 1/2 inches(3%) and Kealie is 20 inches long(below 3%). The one thing we are working on is getting the girls to look and lay on their left side of their head. They both have a tendency to lay on their right side. While both have started doing better on their own moving their heads to the other side, we are still having to work it for them. Sometimes this consists of just turning their heads and holding it with our hand, and other times when they are sitting or laying down, we put a blanket rolled up so that they have to lay on that side. If it doesn't get better in a month I am to have the girls see doc again and we will start thinking about physical therapy. But the girls have made progress in that from 1-2 months and I've already seen them doing better turning their heads to that side on their own over the past week, so we will just have to watch and see how it goes!

Friday night, my mom took me shopping for some new pants for work!!! THANKS MOM!!! It was fun. My dad, and sister Erika and her family came along too. We had a good evening at the mall!!!

Saturday we headed out to a cabin with Josh's parents and his sister and her family. I have to admit I wasn't feeling very up to it. It had rained the whole week before and they were calling for lots of rain that Saturday. But we got packed up and headed out. AND it didn't rain at all until about 9:30 that night. That was a bit of a bummer though cause there no smore's:( or campfire. But it was beautiful again Sunday. So it turned out to be a great weekend. And the cabin we stayed in was BEAUTIFUL!! Oh and Jozie and Kealie started smiling at me!!! It was so great and such an awesome feeling. And they haven't stopped since!!! It makes my heart melt everytime I see those smiles!!! It's the greatest feeling.



Sunday when we got home, the Steeler's lost their second game in a row. This time they lost to the Bengals... It was not cool. Our boys need to get it together and fast, they are now 1-2 for the season. And then the Amazing Race came on!!! I'm so glad it's back already. I love that show, I want to be on that show so bad!!! How awesome would it be to get to go on a trip around the world and have a chance to win a million dollars??? One of these days!!!

The rest of the week the girls and me just hung out at the house. I just really wanted to enjoy my time with the girls and at home. And I have to say I did, I always enjoy being at home with them. I never want it to end. I'm just so so sad about it. Ok, I know I've already said that, but I can't help it.

On Tuesday night I got a call from my boss, the principal. Well let me give you a quick catch up for those of you who are new to my blog...
I am the Learning Disabled Self Contained teacher at my school. This is my sixth year teaching and I have been teaching in the same class since I started. The first several years were good. I actually had students with learning disabilities. Maybe one a year that had some behavioral issues as well. Well as time has gone by, it seems as though my class is becoming a behavioral disorder classroom instead. Last year out of the 8 boys I had, three of them were behavior issues, but had never been labeled that. Anyway, after 5 years and the year I had last year, I had talked with my boss, saying that I think it was time for me to move to a resource position. She whole heartedly agreed that this would be best for me as I would now have two babies to go home to and the stress that she knew I would bring home wouldn't be fair to me or my family. With both of our resource teachers putting in for transfers we figured that it was a done deal.

Well come to find out neither of the resource teachers got their transfers so I would be returning from my maternity leave to the self-contained room. I finally made peace with this idea, and had been working on getting ready to return to my classroom. SO far this year, one of the students has been suspended for peeing on someone, one was in a hospital for throwing a knife at his mother, and another was suspended for throwing something at and spitting on the counselor. In other words, I would be walking into the same type of classroom if not worse than I was in last year.

So back to the phone call from my boss. She said she had a suggestion for me to think about. The suggestion was to move me to the PDOHI (physically disabled other health imparied) classroom. She said she just knows what it is like to be a new mom of one child and wanting to be able to come home from work and leave the work behind. She said she could only imagine having two babies and doing the same. She said she just knows how physically, mentally and emotionally drained that the ld class can and has made me over the past several years. And that it wouldn't be fair to me, Josh or my babies to have me in that classroom. She told me to think about it for a day or two and discuss it with Josh and let her know by Thursday. After talking to Josh about it, I knew it was the best thing for me and our family. Josh agreed, I think he agreed with Pennix before I did. He has been the one that sees me after a days work. The only thing that I was having a hard time is those other students in the class whom I absolutely love. But after thinking about it I have decided to move to the PDOHI room. The teacher from that room will be moving to mine. It is a male, which I also believe will help the boys in my class. This will give them a positive male role model that so many of them don't have at home.

So I will be going into a whole new class upon my return. Luckily Monday is a Gold day, where we do pd and meetings all day and kids are not there, and Tuesday is parent/teacher conferences which will give me an opportunity to meet the parents of these students. I know most of the kids fairly well already from previous years and working close with the other self-contained classrooms. It's nice to have a chance to go in and get things ready and talk to my 3 assistants and the teacher I am switching with to share notes and get things organized before the kids are there.


Tuesday night we also transitioned the girls from the pack-n-play in our room to their own cribs in their room to see how they would do with the different sleeping arrangments and get them used to it before I had to go back to work in case they had any problems. Jozie and Kealie have been sleeping through the night for about 3 weeks now, and the change did not change that. They have done excellent in their beds all week long!!!


Last night, Thursday Tyler had a cross country meet. So I got the girls all bundled up (it's been chilly here this week) in their sweatsuits
and went and had lunch with Jen and back to her house to hang out. I'm going to miss our weekly (or sometimes more) afternoons together as well! We then headed to the cross country meet where Tyler came in 6th!!!!! I'm so proud of that boy!!! Then we went and had dinner at Applebee's. Then I headed home and watched Project Runway and went to bed. The girls seemed to love being outdoors. Kealie especially was just wide awake and enjoying the breeze!



That's it for now, I know so long, I've got to start posting more often so they aren't so long. But you know, I'm just loving being a momma!!! And I'd rather be playing and cuddling with the girls!!!

An Up and Down kind of week

As I mentioned in my last post, we headed to Lexington to celebrate Kate's birthday! Josh even got off early enough for us to pick him up from work on the way!!!! The drive was pretty good, until we entered Lexington and it started pouring rain. I mean raining so hard that we couldn't see in front of us. Of course at 5:30 the traffic was kind of heavy too. It was a bit stressful for a couple minutes, but when we got off at our exit, the rain let up and traffic seemed to a bit as well! The girls did great. That was their first road trip! They just slept the whole way up there. My girls do great in the car, it puts them to sleep pretty quickly, so it is nice to know that they are comfortable when we are out driving around and things!

We went to a Mellow Mushroom, a pizza place for dinner. It was pretty good pizza, but I like just about any pizza I eat so I'm not sure I'm the one to ask!! Josh said it was great too! After we got done eating we went back to Kate's and hung out for a while.

Arleta and Kealie

Kate and Jozie

My buddy Chloe!!!

We hung out until about 11, and then had to head home because, well it was Monday night and everyone but myself had to work the next morning. So we packed the girls back up and headed back to Louisville. As soon as we hit the expressway Josh was asleep. I can't blame him, he had worked all day... BUT I have driven that drive many many many times, and on Monday night it was the worst I have ever had. Not only did it seem like it took forever to get home, I was so tired. I didn't know if I were going to make it home or not. I don't know if it was because Josh was in the car and I was listening to him snore that was making me sleepy, or if it's the fact that my baby girls wear me out, and I am going to soon be one of those people that have to go to bed at 10 in order to make it through the day. Anyway we made it home fine, Josh woke up to help me feed the girls before they went down for the night, and then we both hit the sack. We really did have a great night, but it would just be so much easier if they moved here!!!! I did suggest it to Kate again because she has more reason to move here. Her sister lives here, I live here, and our friend Andy lives here. Plus as a teacher, she would get paid more in Louisville, I'm going to keep fighting for it to happen. Arleta would be a bit harder, her family is in Lexington, so me and Andy just isn't enough reason for her to come. Plus she works for her family's company, so she would have to find a whole new job. BUT maybe if I can persuade Kate, then we could all work together to get Arleta here!! Here's a few fun pictures of us from Kate's Birthday last year, just cause I love my girlfriends!!!


On to Tuesday...
Since I picked Josh up from work on Monday and we headed to Lexington and he was sleeping on our way home, me and the girls had to get up and take Josh to work on Tuesday morning. Not a big deal, I really need to be getting up and staying up anyway so I can get used to getting up and lasting throughout the day. Anyway, Josh and I fed them around 5 when they woke up, and Josh and I actually had a breakfast together. Sure it was just cereal, but it was nice to sit that early in the morning and talk with him. We also realized that our cat Rudy was doing really bad that morning. She had been losing weight for a couple of weeks, and was starting to have trouble walking. That morning she was just lying on the floor in the laundry room, struggling just to move her head when we walked in. When we got home from taking Josh to work the girls were still sleeping, so I let them go until they woke up. I got Rudy up on the desk in the laundry room so that she was a little more comfortable.

Then it started and here it goes
- Jozie woke up screaming as if she hadn't eaten for 6 hours (it had only been 3, the amount she always goes). I started feeding her and about 3 minutes later Kealie begins screaming as loud, if not louder as Jozie had been. At this point, I continue feeding Jozie and get Kealies bottle ready and start warming it up so that it is ready to go when Jozie is done.

- After Jozie is done, I go to change her diaper. I get the diaper off and she begins peeing, as well as kicking her legs all over the place so that she not only pees all over herself but everything on the changing table and myself!! When she stops peeing she immediately starts pooping. It was just lovely. When I got her all cleaned up and changed and myself cleaned up I set her in the crib and went and fed Kealie.

- Kealie ate, and burped very quickly. And then came the spit up, all over herself! So it was on to changing her clothes and her diaper, that was completely filled with poop!!! Then I laid her down in the crib next to Jozie

-As I was winding the mobile Kealie once again spit up, all over her outfit that I had just changed her into. So we changed into her third outfit of the day and laid her back down.

- I came in the living room and was checking my facebook, and I heard Jozie cough. I went in to check on them and Jozie had spit up all over herself AND Kealie. So it was now Jozie's 3rd outfit for the day and Kealie's 4th. I decided that these girls were out to get momma today, so I dressed them in the same onsie... Here it is:
After I changed them into their daddy's little angel's outfit they settled down.

The rest of the morning and early afternoon was uneventful. The girls slept, played on the floor and did their tummy time. Oh and I finally got a decent picture of me and each of the girls:




I went to get my hair done that night. It needed it so bad, I have so much grey, and apparently much more than I thought after Julie (hair dresser) was combing it. I just went back as natural as possible. And it looks so great. I feel better now to that it looks so good.

When I got home we made dinner and I was in bed at 10:30. The day had drained me. But I woke up at 6:30 ready to Wednesday morning and got so much done around the house. Today has just been a lazy day for all of us. Tomorrow is the 2-month check up and I am getting a little nervous about the shots that have to get. I'm hoping it won't affect them to bad, cause we are going to a cabin in some park with Josh's parents and sister on Saturday and Sunday. I don't want them to be feeling all crappy and horrible the whole time. We will have to wait and see I suppose.


I wanted to leave this til the end cause Rudy was very special to me. She passed away Tuesday around 4pm.


I was very sad but know that she is no longer in pain or suffering anymore. It was a very weird thing. A couple of months ago she began chewing on her legs to where she had chewed all the hair off of both back legs. With vets being so expensive I looked online to see what could be causing it. The information I got online said that it was more than likely an allergy or stress causing her to do this. She eventually chewed the hair off of her stomach as well. But she never seemed to be in pain or sick. She was her normal social self up until a couple weeks ago. She all of a sudden began losing weight. She was eating because when I fed them she would be right there with her sister (Nelly). As the end came, she was have trouble walking. It all happened so fast, and we knew that if we took her to the vet, they would either say there was nothing they could do or the treatment she would need would be to expensive for us.
Throughout the day I checked on Rudy and she was still just lying on the desk. She wasn't trying to get up anymore, and she would only move her eyes to try and look at me. I went and checked on her around 3:50 and she was still breathing. I stood with her and pet her for a couple minutes. Then came back in with the girls. Kealie got hungry and when I went to fix her bottle, I checked on Rudy and she was gone


I miss my girl Rudy. My mom gave her and Nelly to me on Valentine's 2003. I had just moved to my first apartment and so mom gave me the cute little kittens. From the beginning Rudy loved being held and petted. She did some crazy things in her life, like get in the refrigerator and stay there all night long as I didn't realize she had snuck in there. She loved pestering Zander (the dog). Acting as if she hated him, yet when Josh and I would walk into the room you would find those two all cuddled up together. She was an awesome cat. She loved people, which you don't find to often. She loved people so much that when anyone entered the house, she would be right there next to them putting her paw up to them trying to get their attention. She was a great cat and will always be remembered.