Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Christmas Slideshow

Ahhh...the holidays.

Glad they are over. Just kidding...well not really. Just kinda. OK, I'm serious. I had a good time but I am glad to get things back to normal around here.

My parents came to visit us a few days before Christmas. Then Tommy, Brayden, Hudson, Titus, and I drove to Knoxville to spend less than 24 hours with Tommy's family. It took us 5 hours to make it home Christmas night. Just for the recordit should only take 2 1/2 hours to make the trip. Fun...

I'm leaving out a lot of details for your benefit.

Anyways, on a lighter note, here are some photos from our Christmas holiday.



I do have a prayer request. Since returning from Knoxville Titus has become very sick. He hasn't eaten anything since Saturday, he has a very high temp, can't go up and down stairs very well, is very shaky when he stands, and his paws are starting to swell. Tommy brought him to the vet yesterday. They did x-rays and can't seem to figure out what's wrong. We think he might have eaten something he shouldn't have (Great Danes are known for this, and I have lots of interesting stories I could tell, but I won't) but nothing showed on the x-rays. He's on antibiotics and they gave him lots of fluids through an IV.

If he's not better later tonight or tomorrow morning, the vet wants us to bring him back so they can open him up to see what the problem is. Please pray he gets better before we have to resort to that.
Thanks all!

Funny animal video

I just had to post this. Too funny.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Christmas Sneak Peek

Brayden and Hudson had a great 2nd Christmas. They ate a lot. And when they eat...

they get messy...

and attentive...

and surprised ("oh no you did'nt")...

and irritated...

and silly...

and tired...

and drunk (on milk of course)...

and cranky...

and they get stuffed...

 and then they pass out.

That's how my boys roll. All in a day's work. E

P.S. More Christmas photos to come. Once Tommy finds the memory card he lost. :)

It was bound to happen...

Stitches. And since I have two boys, I know this won't be the first time.

Hudson got his first battle scar...well I hope it won't scar. He's just like his Uncle Adam (my older brother). He climbs EVERYTHING! They are both very active. Hudson rarely ever sits still.

Two days before Christmas both boys were playing in the playroom. Around 10:00 am I went into the kitchen to get their mid-morning snack. While I was filling their sippy cups with water I heard a thud. Then I heard Hudson start crying. It wasn't any different from his normal cry. I peeked up the stairs to see if he was OK and he was just sitting on the floor crying. He looked fine.

I went back to finish filling the cups then came back upstairs. I looked at him and his face was covered in blood. I panicked! I immediately picked him up to see where he was bleeding from. I checked his teeth and they were fine. Then...I saw a big gash on his upper lip. I just about passed out.

Side note: I'm not good with blood and cuts. I'm OK when it's my blood, but when someone else is bleeding, I get light-headed and dizzy.

While I was holding Hudson he grabbed the sippy cup out of my hand and starting drinking. He immediately stopped crying. I put him back on the floor and he started playing again like nothing happened. I was astonished.

While he played I went to our bedroom where Tommy was getting ready for work. We decided to call his pediatrician and they couldn't see him for 2 hours. So we decided to take him to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital (only after a quick trip to a walk-in clinic where they told us he needed stitches but he was too young for them to do it).

We spent about 2 hours at Vanderbilt. Here is a picture of him in his cute hospital gown. Sorry it's so blurry. Cell phone photos suck.


He kept trying to run down the hall. I let him once but stopped after he almost ran into another child's hospital room.

They put some numbing gel on his lip then sprayed some medicine up his nose to make him loopy so the doctor could stitch the cut without putting him to sleep. He looked so drunk! It was hilarious! He smiled with his eyes half open and couldn't hold his head up.

The nurse then wrapped him with a sheet like a burrito to keep him still. Then they put two stitches in this lip right in the room. Here is a pic of him after getting the stitches. He was still a little loopy.



So, where was Brayden while at Vanderbilt? He was playing in the hospital crib in our room.



Then we commemorated our wonderful trip to Vanderbilt by paying our $200 co-pay for ER visits. Just great! Hudson better get a job soon so he can pay next time! ;)

P.S. I'm working on a Christmas post. I tried uploading all the photos but ran out of room on my hard drive. Got to work on moving old photos to the external one first to make room. Stay tuned.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Happy 33rd Birthday Tommy!

Thomas Samuel Hitch, born on December 18, 1977 in Flemington, New Jersey.

Yeah...I married an older man. I also like to remind him I'm still in my twenties and he's in his early thirties. Bahahaha! OK...so I have less than a year left before I'm in my thirties too. But this post isn't about me--it's about him. So, don't forget I'm still 29!


Wasn't he the cutest! I still can't figure out if he looks more like Hudson or Brayden.

He's the best husband.





Greatest father.








Wonderful friend.


I couldn't have asked for a better man!

Happy birthday Tommy!
Love,
Elizabeth, Hudson, Brayden, Bella, Batman, and Titus

P.S. Tommy doesn't like his photo taken...so I hope he doesn't kill me for posting these. :)

Friday, December 17, 2010

The Difference Between Hudson & Brayden

Most twins are pretty similar. Well not in my case. Hudson and Brayden couldn't be more differentI guess it's a good thing they are fraternal twins. Yes they are similar in a few ways but they are mostly  different (I think I already said that).

When I'm out and about people always ask me if they are twins. I always want to say "no, they are similar looking strangers" or "I don't know. I stole them from a woman in the parking lot."

Yes, Hudson is quite bigger than Brayden so it makes him look older, but seriously people, I couldn't have given birth to two kids this close together. It's physically impossible! One woman actually asked me if I was their nanny. I just laughed at her.

So, just how different are they? I'll tell you.

Let's start with their physical differences:
Hudson: blond hair | Brayden: brown hair
Hudson: blue eyes | Brayden: brown eyes
Hudson: fair skin (sorry little dude. You got that from momma) | Brayden: more olive skin (lucky punk!)
Hudson: tall for a 1-year-old | Brayden: short for a 1-year old (however the doc said he'll most likely catch up)
Hudson: weighs 2 lbs. more | Brayden: weighs 2 lbs. less (duh!)
Hudson: right-handed | Brayden: left-handed

Non-physical differences:
Hudson: picky eater | Brayden: usually eats anything you give him
Hudson: reserved | Brayden: outgoing
Hudson: a thinker | Brayden: jumps right in without thinking
Hudson: analytical | Brayden: illogical
Hudson: cautious | Brayden: not as cautious
Hudson: energetic | Brayden: calm and laid-back
Hudson: serious | Brayden: comedian

Now why did I just tell you why they are so different? Because it's so darn COOL! I love that they are so unalike. That way I can never treat them as the same individual, which I've heard can be a problem with having multiples. I never refer to them as "the twins" and I rarely ever dress them alike. They will never be able to play tricks on people making them think they are their brother. That would be funny if they tried though. I could see it now...  

ha ha ha ha!

I'm so happy God gave me two completely different kids. I always say that they are just brothers born at the same time!

For girls only...or men looking for a christmas gift idea

I LOVE makeup! Although if you saw me on a daily basis you probably wouldn't know thatI rarely wear makeup anymore. I don't give myself time in the morning to put it on. To be honest, I usually don't have time for a shower, but that's another story.

With that said, it still doesn't stop me from buying new colors and shades of lip glosses, eye shadows, and blushes. I seem to buy mostly lip gloss and eye shadow though. I'm always in search for the best color/shade for my "fair" skin tone (I said "fair" instead of "ghostly white" to make myself feel better).

Well...hell froze over yesterday, cause I finally found the best lip gloss and blush shade for me!!

If you are like me, and you love makeup, then you've probably heard about NARS's Orgasm blush. I've heard about it for years. They say it's a great shade for people with fair skin and hair and it's been on the Sephora "best seller" list for years. I've always wanted to buy it but never willing to spend $26 for it.

Well while searching Sephora's website last weekend, they were offering a NARS's Lust Lip and Cheek Set for only $30. It includes their famous blush in Orgasm, bronzer in Laguna, and lip gloss in Super Orgasm. That's three things! That's a really good price so I purchased it. Plus...I got free shipping! Here is a picture and link if interested.
It arrived yesterday and the blush is perfect! I love it! AND...the lip gloss in Super Orgasm is also perfect for my skin tone! I also love it! My new favorites! Not sure if I'll be using the bronzer though. They tend to look fake on me.

I'm not sure why I just blogged about makeup. But I know I'm not alone when I say I've been on a hunt for the right shades for me. So, if you're a women with fair skin and hair, I highly recommend NARS blush and lip gloss in Orgasm.

And sorry for using the word "orgasm" five times in this post (now six times). How inappropriate of me.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

I know it's "Wordless Wednesday" but I feel this photo needs to be explained.



This photo has not be retouched. It was taken one year ago today. The boys were five days old. This is what a mother of twins looks like after just five days (and I had help). If I remember correctly, the smile was a little forced.

I was exhausted, moody, stressed, down, hormone driven...

Those first few weeks were hard. But one year later, I couldn't be any happier and less stressed. Sure I'm still hormone driven and tired but having those boys has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. They were worth all the late nights, round the clock pumping and feeding, dirty diapers, and spit-up'ed on clothes.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Let it Snow!

It's snowing for the first time this winter. It's beautiful! Bitter cold, but beautiful!

Here's a picture of the snow out my door to the back porch.


View of the backyard.


View of the frontyard.


I <3 snow!


Since it's so cold outside I'm letting the boys wear their pj's all day. The three of us are relaxing in the playroom watching "The Holiday" and playing in the plastic toy bin—well, the boys are, not me. I don't think I could fit in the bin. And they probably wouldn't share anyways. ;)



Time to get ready for a Christmas party tonight. I better get the boys into something else besides their over-sized pj's.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

A Visit With Santa

Tommy was off today so we took the boys to the mall to sit on Santa's lap. The mall was surprising quiet at 2:00 pm. We were third in line to meet Santa (we only waited 5 minutes). Here is the photo.


Neither boy was scared of him. I don't even think Brayden looked at him twice. Hudson stared at him a few times but didn't mind sitting on his lap. Proud of them! I think they were more interested in looking at all the Christmas lights and trees (hence Hudson's expression).

After meeting Santa we shopped around to get them some new shoes. I rarely put shoes on them for a few reasons. One, they keep coming off. Two, I don't think I have the right sized shoes. And lastly, they don't really like wearing shoes. But since they are both walking/running they really needed a good pair of shoes.

The shoes I have been putting on them were a size 2 1/2. Well, after getting them both sized, I found out Hudson is a size 4 1/2 and Brayden is a 4. No wonder the old shoes fell off and they didn't like wearing them!!

As soon as we put the new shoes on them they both ran out of the store and into the mall crowd! I think they like their new shoes! And plus, they are "running" shoes so they already put them into use!

Monday, December 6, 2010

How is the family room coming along?

Just great. Thanks for asking. NOT!

Tommy and I finished all the sanding last week and we tore up the carpet last night. Then...we found a surprise. I'll tell you about that later. Let me first show you photos of the room when we first saw the house before be made an offer. Now remember, this was a "short sale" house. It had been empty for about a yearhowever the owners left a few things behind.


  
Oh...and here is the nasty carpet.


Here are two photos of the room during the boys 1st birthday party.



WOW! What a difference! I should be an interior decorator!

*sarcastic smile and eye roll*

As of today the room is finally ready to paint. The ceiling has been scrapped, mudded, and sanded (twice). The walls have been mudded and sanded as well. Tommy and I were going to paint last night but the paint was left in the garage so it was too cold.

The carpet has been ripped up as well. Here are a few photos showing the state of the room as of today.


Nice smooth ceiling!


No more nasty carpet!


And Titus!

So, what's the surprise? You may have already noticed from the two photos above, but in case you didn't, here it is...



We assume the fireplace has been leaking. If you put about 10-15 pounds of weight on the wood in front of the fireplace, you'd fall through the floor.

So we'll be replacing that piece of wood but only after we figure out where the fireplace is leaking and fix it. Kind of a setback but it's OKwe haven't purchased the wood flooring yet so we have time. I just want to get the room finished enough so it's kid-safe.

Stay tuned for more photos as the room progresses. We should be painting tonightthe paint should be thawed now. ;)

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pacifiers

I’m starting to wean the boys off pacifiers (all 11 of them). Well…mainly Brayden. That boy was born with a pacifier in his mouth. Hudson likes them but doesn’t love them. Neither of them sucks their thumb so I hope this will be easy to break.
What made me decide it was time was when I noticed Brayden not using them as much during the day. The five pacifiers we keep in the playroom were all at the bottom of the toy chest and he seemed fine with that. He wasn’t searching them out. He used to be able to find one like a needle in a haystack. If he were crying, I would search the playroom for 10 minutes trying to find one. Then I’d give up and tell Brayden to get his paci—and sure enough, he’d walk around and find one in 15 seconds or less. So the other day I straightened up the playroom and took all five pacifiers out.
Now I’m still allowing them to have a pacifier during naptime and at night (they each have two in their crib). I don’t think Brayden would be able to fall asleep without one. Hudson, he doesn’t care one way or the other. He’ll take one though.
I still have a pacifier attached to each of their car seats for when we go out in public and they start to cry. They both like to suck on them and people watch. It’s kind of funny. I’ll be getting rid of these pacifiers next. Wish me luck!

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Writing Thank You Cards

Today the boys "wrote" thank you cards to all the people who got them presents for their 1st birthday. It was a lot of fun. Teaching 1-year-olds how to hold a crayon is super fun! ;)

Here is the card.


Teaching Brayden how to hold a crayon. Oops...I forgot he is left-handed.


Hudson "writing." Yep...he's opposite...he's right-handed.


Brayden "writing" left-handed.


Hudson is proud of himself.


Now Brayden is pretty proud of himself too.


Here is each of their cards (Hudson in red, Brayden in blue).



Then they switch so they write on every thank you card. Now red and blue are together.


 Then mommy translates what they wrote. Here is the card they "wrote" to my brother Eric.


I hope we got everyone covered. I didn't write down what everyone got the boys during the party...so I had to do this from memory. Forgive me if you get a card thanking you for the wrong present. If you gave the boys a gift and you don't receive a thank you card please email me at elizabeth.hitch@gmail.com. I don't want to leave anyone out! E