almost wordless wednesday

in honor of March Madness, let the games begin...

Q&A re: TWINS!!!

How are you?

Emotionally and physically I am finally getting better!! It has been 5 days since I have puked. YEAH! I am not dealing with extreme nausea. It's still there, but doable. Pregnant hormonal craziness, extreme shock or overwhelming joy aside - I haven't cried for 5 days either! Last week at our local church gathering everytime some would ask me, "How are you?" I would just start crying and laugh at myself while I was crying...LOONEY! Time and time and time again. I could NOT hold back the tears. I'm an emotional person, but not an big crier. Today at our church gathering, the same question came, "How are you?" And, I didn't cry! Pretty proud of myself actually.

Are you showing?

I will be 12 weeks tomorrow and I have a bump that is very noticeable. I just looked at my 1st (LA, now 3.5-yrs-old) and 2nd (Boatboy, now 22-mo-old) pregnancy 12-week pictures and they do NOT look the same. LA pregnancy I still had a very nice flat stomach. Boatboy pregnancy I had a little pooch. And now the twins pregnancy I have a full out BUMP! I am going to be HUGE! Last week I switched to all maternity pants. I was sick of having tight pants around my waist and not being able to MOVE on the floor with my boys. So, maternity stretchy pants: I am in love with you!

How are you with smells?

Everything smells awful! the other night I walked into the bathroom after Mr. Blonde put on his favorite eucalyptus mint lotion after an evening show and about LOST IT! I put my shirt over my face and starting yelling about how I strongly disliked that lotion. Seated back at the couch, I heard the shower come on. My very sweet and loving (and tolerant) husband took a second shower to wash off the lotion. He is the best!

What are you learning through this process?

My favorite question! In short, a LOT! God is really teaching me to trust and surrender to Him. A very wise woman said to me, "God has chosen you." I am honored! Here is the thing...I (we) are SO excited about the twins...holding them...nursing them. Having four children is going to be so fun. It's going to feel so full. And, rich. I struggle with the unknowns as I mentioned in my previous post. I am learning to give over control because I have none over this situation.I have become more peaceful and joyful. Even through the struggles. This is a journey and I am excited to be on it with amazing husband, kids, family and friends.

Thanks for all the support! Please leave comments. I love hearing from each of you. Oh, I am attending a multiples support group tomorrow. I am very excited! I will let you know how it goes!

Are you a model?

Yes. Yes you are a model. Maybe there's no beach scene or a runway. But, you're a model. A more important one than any centerfold anywhere too.

...So, what are you inspiring those looking up to you to do?

What do they see or think when they see or think of you?

It's scary to think about sometimes. But, here's the thing...you have models in your life too! You're aren't going this alone (and if you are, fix that immediately)! If you're concerned you aren't modeling things in the best way to those you have influence over, then ask some advice from someone you model yourself after. Leadership and loving influence over those around you does NOT, and will not ever, happen naturally. It happens intentionally and sacrificially.

This post was inspired by the photo you see here. Boatboy chasing after LA to do anything he was doing while at the park last weekend.

kiss the cook

Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max Giveaway

We have gone through some diapers in our home! And I have tried every brand out there! I'm all about saving a dollar or 2 when it doesn't require me worrying about pee and poop all over. I have always loved Pampers diapers and wipes. They are soft and very reliable!!

So I was excited to try Pampers NEW Cruisers with Dry Max. This is what Pampers says about their new Cruisers...

Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max is the brand's first high performance diaper and the biggest innovation for the Pampers brand in the last 25 years. Pampers has invented the Dry Max technology and applied it to the current Swaddlers and Cruisers core, which allows the diaper to be 20 percent thinner than current Pampers Cruisers without sacrificing any performance. This hard-working diaper locks wetness away and is Pampers' driest diaper ever. New Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max have game-changing benefits for mom, baby and the world.

I received a package of size 4 for little Boatboy. We used them for an entire week and had no leaks. The biggest difference to the size 4 diapers I had are: 1) they are so much thinner 2) much softer 3) larger in front and on the sides. Much more coverage!

I was a little nervous about how extremely skinny they were. But, they worked. They aren't bulky even when full of pee. I was pretty blown away by the new technology. They have to be comfortable for my little guy as he is climbing and jumping and crawling!

I look forward to these new diapers hitting the shelf on March 15th. If the price of these diapers are comparable or close too what I usually spend I will definitley conintue using the Pampers Crusiers Dry Max.

Win: One Blondes, Poop & Mascara reader will win a coupon for a FREE week's supply of the all-new Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max and a Liz Lange Diaper Clutch. To enter, go to www.Pampers.com then come back and let me know what you think you will like best about the new Cruisers.

Extra Entries:

1.Follow @PampersVillage on Twitter
2. Become a Facebook fan of Pampers

3. Follow my blog publicly through Google's easy reader tool.

4. Subscribe to my blog via email (and except the confirmation email).

5. Follow @mrsblonde1 on Twitter
6. Tweet about this giveaway like so "Hey! @mrsblonde1 is giving away a week's supply of the all-new @PampersVillage Cruisers. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/yalqjuo
Please RT."
7. Grab my button and post it to your cyber space.

8. Tell 4 friends via email and cc me.

9. Blog about this contest and leave the link in your comment.

I will select a winner March 14th. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck!

Pampers did provide me with a week of diapers to review for free. The thoughts are mine.

Happy Saturday!

The boys went to the park while Mrs. Blonde had a Beauty by Crystal gig with YSL...



It's the warmest day we've had in almost 5 months. Glorious!!



Coming to "getchoo!"



Take a break



Big thanks to Grandpa and Uncle O for lending us almost 3 hours of their Saturday morning to help with some yard projects as we get the house ready to sell again. And, to Papa for helping Mr. Blonde with three electric updates in the evening! Love you, guys!

wordless wednesday

aftershock!

Last night about a half hour after Mr. Blonde and I had gone to bed he whispers, "Are you asleep?" And of course, I respond, "NO! My mind is racing!" So was his. Mainly of crazy logistics like finances, our house, my very infected tooth that needs to be pulled, timing of when the twins will be born, what it will be like to bring home twins after having two very easy pregnancies and two babies sleeping on perfect schedules??? And, the list could continue. I am still SO shocked today. I thought for the last 10 weeks I had one baby making me VERY sick and very tired. It is crazy to think (and see yesterday) of two swimming babies in my belly!

I could allow fear to creep in almost...

every....

waking....

second....

...but instead I realize what two precious gifts we have been given to grow inside of me. I have surrendered to the fact that I am not in control of finances or our home or physically making these lives. In fact, I'm in control of so very little. I thank God for that! I always did think I wanted 4 kids anyway!!

Today as I was starring at my ultrasound pictures of Baby A and Baby B I wept of pure excitement and overwhelming joy. As I spent some time journaling my thoughts and I found much comfort in this...

"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous hand." -Isiah 41:10

As I read each sentence I thought, "YES you are with me, and YES you will strengthen me to be the best Mom for my family and YES you will help me with everything that comes my way." And I was extremely comforted.

This is an exciting time for our family! So many unknowns make things. But, we are very excited!

"Are there twins in your family?" we keep getting asked. YES! My dad's sisters, Aunt Debbie and Aunt Patty are twins. I have always known that there was a better chance for us than others. But that 3% chance was enough now wasn't it!?

Speaking of family - I am BEGGING my Mom to quit her job to be my (and the twins too) nanny! Anyone who sees her or knows her, please encourage her to QUIT her job!!! I NEED her!! We are very blessed to have great family and friends that are practically throwing themselves at us to help in every way possible. You guys are all amazing! But, yeah...drop my Momma some heavy hints please!!

Thank you for all of the encouragement through email, facebook, twitter and phone calls. Please keep the prayers coming. We need them! Anyone you know who has had multiples (Jenni, Jami, Jen) please send any support my way...I am clueless! And, I would REALLY like to talk to anyone who has had mutiples after they've already had children. I would love to pick your brain!

discovery

When have you been really surprised in life?


Really truly surprised?


Go on...think about it.


How about the first time you fell in love? Or, out of love?


When you were proposed to? Or, how insanely nervous you were when you did the proposing?


Or, when you found out you were going to be parents together?


When that first little bundle came to be...how surprised were you how deeply your heart fluttered when he/she first looked at you?


And, what about the time you found out you were going to have another baby?


Or, how surprised you were that you could love that second baby as much as the first one, but in a different way as different as the siblings are themselves?


God, those were beautiful surprises! Some of them continue to surprise us every day...


Take January 26th for instance. One month and one day after Christmas. We had our first suspicion when Mrs. Blonde didn't spill just one cup of coffee in 10 minutes time. But, two. Mr. Blonde picked up a couple tests and within two seconds POSITIVE jumped off the little stick. Wow! THREE! Really? Yes. Yes! We're going to have a third beautiful baby! We were thrilled. And, scared. And, got really practical all of a sudden...housing logistics, money, crib thoughts, money, name options, money, etc. We also thought about money a bit.

TODAY (March 1): A few ticks over 30 days since we found out. Ultrasound day! By 10:30amET we got the news we so desired...a happy-perfectly-growing-170bpm-heart-of-a-peanut growing inside Mrs. Blonde's belly! Life! Baby little nubs and baby little swimming...

Then...it happened....

A moment that will work to define the rest of our lives as a family. It...our little peanut...has a neighbor. The same size. The same movements. The same size little sac home as its little friend. We have two already. And, we're getting two more. By October 2nd or sooner we're doubling down. Plenty more to come...

Tatutina: personalized and crafty

I love personalized items for the boys. Especially practical things that make my life easier. Tatutina is out of Massachusetts and run by a Mom and Daughter team. I love it! Their mission is to bring unquie products into this world that reflect a happy and fun lifestyle.

The first thing that stood out to me was the bold colors. They really do make you smile! I received 2 crayon caddies for my little guys. They love them! It is so fun for them to organize and pick up of their crayons for their very own caddy. It's light weight with a cord handle and sturdy enough to be used by our two crazy little men. Ours has been dropped a few times already and held up like a champ.

Tautina has several great gifts and ideas for your kiddos. I have my eye on this very cool dinosaur stool next!

Get yours! Crayon Caddy Sports for just $20. Head over to Tatutina to check it out!

Thank you Tatutina for allowing me to review your amazing products. I received no payment for writing this review.

snow day!

On Monday we got some time at home with Mr. Blonde for a little fun in the snow!



LA pushing his little brother down the hill!



LA getting so excited he didn't even need his sled!



Oh, well!



Wee!



Boatboy walked over underneath this massive spruce to take a breather.



(Click on this one to see how huge a grin Boatboy has. So cute!)



Momma teaching the boys how to build a snowman.



LA reminding his brother who's bigger and stronger (at least for now).



Dadda and Time Out reminding LA it's not alright to pummel his brother over in the snow.



"Mush!"



Thirsty?

my favorite blue crew

The Colts might have let me down, but these three never do!
-Mr. Blonde

Pampers Dry Max diapers giveaway

You can try these NEW Pampers for FREE. They're Pampers driest ever diapers and they're 20% thinner!

Starting tomorrow, January 29th, you need to visit Pampers.com to receive a free 3-pack of Pampers NEW diaper-cruiser with Dry Max!

To celebrate the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Pampers Diapers has partnered with Team USA to introduce new Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers specially-branded Team USA diapers with the Dry Max technology. The babies of Team USA athletes will be equipped with the new product(s). Although these limited-edition Team USA diapers will not be for sale, some of the stock is being used for promotional purposes!

If this sample you get includes a Team USA diaper you win a year's supply of Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max. These will go fast, so head over to Pampers.com to get your FREE sample pack.

I am also doing a review and giveaway linked to this promo very soon. Stay tuned!

Berry messy!

Today I was making lunch and realized I was completely out of fruit. Then, I remembered I had frozen fruit in the freezer for smoothies. Note to self (and you): Never feed your children frozen fruit. It was out of control messy, but they LOVED it. LA and Boatboy ate the entire bag and wanted more. LA, of course did not get messy, but my little Boatboy sure knows how to get messy. At first I was like "This is going to be a disaster!" Then, it got so bad I just laughed out loud thinking "You're only a kid once."

This was a picture from the beginning. I forgot to take a picture when they were done because I was so distracted with the mess. We headed straight for the bath! Mr.Blonde would have died. Our eldest gets his cleanliness from his father. "Everything has its place," is his famous line. Don't get me wrong, I am blessed to have a very clean man. But messes like this make me laugh out loud because he would have been freaking out during lunch today...so this picture is for you Honey!!

Wordless BLUE Wednesday

Mrs. Blonde / LA / Mr. Blonde
Three years ago Superbowl Sunday

brotherly love hurts

Our oldest son, LA, is 3 1/2 now. His younger brother, Boatboy, is 19 months. The past 5 months have been my hardest yet as a Mom. I think it all really started when LA turned 3 and we gave his paci away and Boatboy started becoming very mobile. Those two world-wrecking things happened to him within a period of a month or so. He turned into a child we didn't even recognize. He was so unkind to his brother. He would push and say, "I don't like you brother!" So sad. I wanted to cry almost every time he said it! We had already introduced spanking into his life, but it was so seldom used. It turned into part of the daily routine when timeouts just didn't work. I thought I would never have a child that I would have to spank. I thought, "I am too good of a Mom to have a disobedient child." Oh, how wrong I was! I have been very humbled the last few months with not being in complete control. I have dug very deep for extreme patience and the ability to be very consistent. One thing that really kept me going when the boys were not getting along was knowing that relationships take time to form. God gifted me with these two boys to help form a relationship and to mold me more into the woman He created me to be...I am learning.

LA and Boatboy are very different and it is exciting for me to figure how they each need to be loved differently. LA and I could sit and read 20 (no exaggeration) books together, do crafts and just hang out. Boatboy sits through maybe 2 pages of a book. He loves to dance, sing very loud, do puzzles, chase, talk to complete strangers and be super goofy! They are such beautiful and unique gifts to me. I want to be a Mom that embraces the differences and supports them. The thing is, sometimes I have no idea what I'm doing! I pray every day that God would show me how each of my children need to be loved. I am also very thankful each day I am still able to receive such selfless love from parents. I hope to love my children the way they have always loved me!

Just prior to Christmas-time, a light came on for LA and he started enjoying his brother. At first I was thinking, "Wow! We are having a great day!" Then, the next day was good. And, the next day. After a lot of work, prayer, a VERY supportive and involved hubby and a 5'o clock glass of wine or beer a few days a week - I have finally seen the fruits of brotherly love! LA loves to teach and include Boatboy in almost everything he does these days. And, Boatboy loves to laugh and bother his older brother with everything. I love watching them grow and learn together.

It is a reminder to me of how much God loves me.

And believe me when I say we still have our bad days...but those bad days are nothing compared to the recent valley we muttled through. I would love to hear any of your fun boy stories!

Embedded below is a video that reminds me that the fun we have together will sometimes have its pains. :)

Go COLTS!

[Editor's Note: 1/18/10] - No, we did not go the Baltimore game. This photo was taken on 12/27/09 when we lost to the New York Jets. I guess we'll get to rectify that come this Sunday!

Skin MD sheilding lotion giveaway

Happy New Year! Yes, I know it's half way through January and I'm just getting that out to you. I know it's been a long time since the last post when several friends and family are writing to see "if you're alright." Makes me feel loved! It has been a nice break to just be with my family, recap our past year and set goals for 2010. We had an amazing, but challenging past year. We are excited for 2010! I feel very blessed to have this blog to share our family with yours. And to be able to review and giveaway so many amazing products. I love trying out new products and giving great products away! I have some great stuff coming up!

To kick off 2010...Skin MD shielding lotion
You all know I heart anything natutral and organic. When contacted to review a moisturizer that is over 90% all natural with all food-grade ingredients AND on the FDA's most safe list I was pretty excited. There are no fragrances, parabens and colorants. Making it hypoallergenic.

I found the shielding lotion to be quite unique. Most artificial moisturizers only add moisture to the surface of the skin, but do little to repair the skin's natural barrier. Skin MD breaks the dry skin cycle by bonding to the outer layer of skin, strengthening skins natural barrier against toxins that dry your skin, while locking in the skin's natural oils. It makes a great base for makeup with its protective abilities alone but it is also light weight, fast absorbing and non greasy.

I have very dry skin (especially in these Indiana winters) and I always fell like I need more moisture in my moisturizer. So this product made a GREAT day moisturizer/make-up primer. I feel my skin is protected while wearing my shielding lotion.

This is a very safe moisturizer for the great price of $25.

Win a bottle:
Skin MD is giving away one bottle of shielding lotion to a lucky Blondes, Poop & Mascara reader. Please leave me comment telling one thing you like about this moisturizer and why you need it.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow my blog publicly through Google's easy reader tool.
2. Subscribe to my blog via email (and except the confirmation email).
3. Follow @mrsblonde1 on Twitter
4. Tweet about this giveaway like so "Hey! @mrsblonde1 is giving away a bottle of all-natural @Skinmdnatural shielding lotion. Enter here: http://tinyurl.com/ybalw38 Please RT."
5. Follow @Skinmdnatural on Twitter.
6. Grab my button and post it to your cyber space.
7. Tell 4 friends via email and cc me.
8. Blog about this contest and leave the link in your comment.

I will select a winner Wednesday, January 20. Thanks for entering!

ELEVEN kids shoes winter collection GIVEAWAY

I love to dress my little LA (oldest son - 3.5-yr-old) in Eleven shoes! I'm excited as always to share with you their new line. The Winter Collection. They have designed yet another amazing line for boys and girls.

Eleven shoes are very functional. I love a pair of shoes that can be dressed up with a sweater or worn with a t-shirt. Their shoes are made of all soft leather and very durable soles for superior traction. The soles are super cushioned and easy to slip on and off with velcro or zipper closures. Eleven shoes are available in sizes 9-3. Perfect for children ages 3-8.

I was thrilled to receive the Josef in size 10. We are on our 3rd pair of Eleven shoes and LOVE them even more. I chose the Josef for our winter casual shoes. They are a vintage-inspired navy and gray trainer all about comfort and style.

Buy a pair: Go get your very own Eleven shoes. Buy two pair right now and receive FREE shipping!

(LA is wearing his Josef shoes with Dadda and Boatboy in front of lovely Christmas tree adorned atop our very COOL minivan!)

Win a pair: Eleven is giving one Blondes, Poop & Mascara reader a pair of shoes. Your choice. Leave me a comment on which pair you like most and for whom.

Extra Entries:
1. Follow my blog publicly through Google's easy reader tool.
2. Subscribe to my blog via email (and except the confirmation email).
3. Follow @mrsblonde1 on Twitter
4. Tweet about this giveaway like so "Hey! @mrsblonde1 is giving away a pair of @ElevenShoes to all those who enter here: http://tinyurl.com/y9kbvyy Please RT"
5. Grab my button and post it to your cyber space.
6. Tell 4 friends via email and cc me.
7. Blog about this contest and leave the link in your comment.
8. Follow @ElevenShoes on Twitter.
9. Join Eleven's mailing list.

I will select a random winner on Monday, January 4.

there's just something magical about bounceparks

...isn't there? And, yes, Mrs. Blonde took the boys down the slide too. re: All the BPM boys photo here.