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New Blog

I am now over at wordpress. You can find me here. I'm still in the process of moving and I have got to get a less hideous layout (seriously, banana smoothies?) but I hope to have all my new posts up and my old ones transferred by the end of the week. In the meantime, you might want to check out my first and only post that I have over there. It's a great tip if you like freebies. :-)

Resolution

So, many of you who know me and have seen me since having the twins (in person or via photos) have probably noticed the additional chin, fat thigh chub-rub, sexy cankles, or a combination there of. Perhaps you've had the hankering to sing "fat girl in a little coat" in my presence. I know I have. About you. No, I'm kidding. Seriously though, I'm fat.
I have gone from a size 5 to an 11. An 11, kids. Seriously. It makes me want to travel back to my Sr. year in high school and bitch slap the taste out of my mouth for ever complaining about how "fat" I was. Dumb teenagers.
As much as I'd like to starve the unsexiness out of me, I'm breastfeeding and that means I actually have to eat. Just to make milk though. That's right...food is not just for the benefit of survival anymore. I am, however, trying to eat healthier (i.e. things with little to no taste). Making the task even tougher is the absence of my thyroid. What kind of cruel joke was that? Let's take the one major part of the body that controls my metabolism so that it virtually doesn't even exist any more.
Anywho, now that we're settled and not so transient, I get to finally start working on myself. After the holidays of course. You know it's stupid to make that kind of commitment to go into effect before New Year's.

Knock Knock....

Who's there?

Me.

I'm finally back after a slow shuffle through hell and we're finally unpacking in our new home. Why, you might ask, was this an especially craptastic trip through the seventh circle? Let me tell you.

We left Arizona on October 31st. Not only did Darby miss Halloween but the twins missed it, too. Huge deal? Not really I suppose since Darby's still a bit too young to care and the twins have no idea what time of day it is let alone what holiday we're surpassing, but I still like to be uber mommy and get pictures and play dress up. We drove all day, ended up passing through Sedona and other particulary and supposedly beautiful parts of Arizona after sunset and had to forgo seeing the Grand Canyon because we left a day later than we had intended. We made it to Albuquerque that first night and began the first of 5 nights of unloading three kids, three dogs, 6 suitcases, a travel swing, a co-sleeper, various expensive items, a large cooler, a hitch & haul, a huge rubbermaid container of Brad's work equipment, and our Sirius into the hotel room only to be followed by virtually nothing in the way of sleep, a free breakfast I wouldn't wish on someone I hated, and then a reverse de ja vu experience from the unloading experience the night before. Brad drove with the dogs and I had the kids. Both sets of kids did remarkably well in the cars and Darby even helped feed the babies at times when they were ready to stop and we weren't near a convenient location. To liven things up even more, Darby decided he was finally ready to quit unleashing his bodily fluids all over himself and wanted to become potty trained. I'm happy to say that he barely had any accidents on that road trip and has since become so sufficient at using the potty, that he's not even wearing pull-ups to bed anymore. Now, if I could just get him to quit randomly dropping trou in the middle of whatever room we're in at home whenever he gets the urge to pee, that would be great.
Anywho, back to Sarah's Inferno. Stick with me here, there will be more jumping around I'm sure, but I guess that's what you get when I haven't written in almost 2 months.
To make a longer story short, we stopped to see my great grandma, Brad's grandma, my mother-in-law for a few days, and then my parents for a week before we decided that our realtor was an idiot and might be legally retarded. We were supposed to close on our house by mid November and as our week winded down at my mom and dad's, we realized we would have to play Plan B; a rental cottage on Lake Erie. It sounded cozy and come to find out, it was an abomination. We got to live in a 3 bedroom fisherman's lair until we finally got the seller's bank's approval on our offer. They were gracious enough to appreciate our circumstances and allowed us to move in the first weekend after the approval. But Sarah! you might be thinking. It's three bedrooms! It's on the lake! What kind of two bit princess bitch are you? Let me tell you, sweetheart. You try living in a fishing cabin where two of the rooms get no heat whatsoever so you're forced to push three twin beds together for you, your husband, and your three year old, while your twins are latched onto a side with their co-sleeper and your three dogs occasionally sneak up for a midnight spooning session for extra warmth for three weeks. The words inhumane and torture come to my mind. How about you?
So now here I am, in my new bedroom and at my old friend, just pounding keys and enjoying life. Our town is cute and wonderful, Brad loves his new station, we've found a great pre-school for Darby, and I might go back to work part time at the hospital since Brad's got a set schedule. Ahhh...the best of both worlds; no daycare and a chance for the patient contact I miss so much. Life is good.
On a different note, sometime after the new year, I will have a new blog up and running that I've been working on for quite some time. I'm not content just writing about family and wish to reach a wider audience and do some more with my blogging. I've gotten too many offers for reviews and opportunities through some different media and marketing agencies that it's almost a necesity if I want to continue to get things like this handed to me.
Anywho, thanks for stopping by. More soon. Enjoy your holidays and may all of you be blessed this Christmas.

Thanksgiving

Too much to really sit down and report as of yet. No house, no news, eating turkey at my parents with my family, and that sums of life right about now. I hope to be writing you soon from the comfort of my own space but until that day, here's something to warm your spirits!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, it has to be the largest RickRoll ever. YES!

A little Hi, Hello.

Another wretchedly hot fall/summer day in Arizona. (Oh mid-west, hang on for me, I'm coming home!) When it cooled down last evening, Brad and Darby decided to tool around on Darby's Gator. I didn't think I'd come outside to find this, but alas, my husband fits in that car about as well as Darby does.

Brad's currently house hunting and we'll be purchasing our first home by the end of the month. I am crazy excited! I can't wait to finally be able to decorate and to do what I damn well please! I can't wait to have a backyard that the boys and the dogs can run around in! More importantly, I can wait for all this to happen out of Arizona! YAY! I've already got so many ideas for the boys' rooms and I'm anxious to get started. Speaking of the boys:

Daniel with a rare smile. Creighton, chunk-a-monk.

Hangin' on the boppy. Daniel wasn't particularly enjoying tummy time but is waving to the camera in the 2nd shot.

Mr. Bright Eyes, Creighton. Daniel, our little Monkey.

They are getting so damn big! I can barely stand it. What happened to these tiny little 4 lb. babes? Now they're pushing up and rolling over and giggling and smiling, not to mention constantly cooing. *sigh*

Brad called me a few minutes ago about houses and it seems he might have found "the one." The basement needs finished and I would definitely want to put new cabinets in because, holy crap, I don't do the retro look in the kitchen, but it's got everything we want with room to spare. We'll see though. Two more days of hunting left and I don't want to jump on anything the first day.

Granola Mommy

So I'm being a hippy again.

I've decided to go back to cloth diapering like I did with Darby. I don't like it and I really love the idea of taking a poopy diaper off of a bum and chucking it in the Diaper Champ, but the boys' diaper areas are constantly red and I think they've got sensitive skin like their big brother and Daddy. I just don't see another alternative that makes a lot of sense. Thank God I kept all of Darby's cloth diapers. Kissaluvs and Fuzzi Bunz are expensive! Now if I can just find the handful of Snappi's I bought for the pre-folds. Hmm...

In other news, I'm trying desperately to build my milk supply up. It's ridiculous, really. I knew I'd have problems with supply after having my thyroid ablated but I'm starting to get pretty upset by it. I nursed Darby for 15 months (when he was FINALLY ready to wean) and I feel like a failure not being able to solely breastfeed them both without relying on formula part of the time. I haven't tried Goat's Rue yet but I've started taking blessed thistle and fenugreek and drinking mother's milk tea like crazy. If time would allow, I might be able to get some extra pumping sessions in, too. Thank God we're moving back in a few weeks and it won't be a big deal to go to my mother-in-law's and have her help me get the boys back on track. Do you know what a blessing it is to have your mother-in-law employed as a maternity nurse and a certified lactation consultant? It's even nicer that my own mother is a nurse at a family practice. When I finally get my degree, we'll be the trifecta! HA!Anyway, bed is calling my name and I am dreading getting up 5 1/2 hours from now. Sir Darby is getting his molar worked on tomorrow as it cracked due to a malformation. A 3 yr. old on valium and nitrous oxide should be a blast. I'll let you know.

30 Days....

until we move. Can you believe it? In preparation for this insane little adventure we're taking, I've begun mapping out our route (yeah, we're driving. Psycho much?) and getting a list together of things I should probably purchase before the great escape out of Arizona. This is going to be the last road trip we take for awhile I would assume, since you'd have to be nuts to do this for fun with 3 children, so we're definitely going up to the Canyon and definitely taking Route 66 back. I'm so excited despite the daunting task of minding 3 little guys on the road! Route 66 is so historic and has the cutest little towns and shops and diners along it. Even though I despise Rachael Ray, I do get her magazine every month and there was actually a road trip article about Rte. 66 a few issues ago. I'll have to check it out.

So, I'm thinking I'm going to need to buy one of those nifty backseat organizers, a 2nd carrier like our Graco one since that it just so much easier to put on than a Moby wrap, some glass bottles, a car charger for my pump, some travel toys to keep everyone (especially los bebes) engaged, and a few other really random but really-awesome-oh-my-God-I-have-to-have-it necessary.

For instance; Oopsy Daisy No-Rinse Shampoo and Bubble Bath and the Slurp 'n Burp!

The Oopsy Daisy stuff is plant based so you just squirt it on, rub it in, wipe it off, and voila! Clean baby! I figure it will be especially useful for when we're out and about and have to stop somewhere for lunch or whatever and the kids decide to decorate with sweet potatoes and such. I know Darby always thought baby food belonged everywhere except his mouth. The Slurp 'n Burp is especially crazy-cool. I have a Hooter Hider and it's a gorgeous print and has a built in burp rag and yadda yadda but everyone knows what you're doing under it. I don't so much mind people knowing that I'm breastfeeding, but I do like the idea of being a little more discreet. The blatant gawkers that look like they're trying to figure out what's going on under the big tent at the boob circus gets a little old. This travel spoon from One Step Ahead is also pretty wicked. How handy is that?

Advice to new moms

As I peruse other blogs I notice more and more moms buying their brand new babies outfits that are insanely expensive. Why?! Why are you doing that?!?! With our first, we stuck to Carter's and even a few inexpensive Target and Wal-Mart buys here and there because they were what we could afford at the time. Now that Brad's got a great paying job and we make more than enough for me to stay at home, I still rarely buy the boys expensive clothing (save for what they might where for our family pics or something that's too much of a deal to pass up). Besides the spit up factor, there is a much more important reason for doing this. It's called poop, and that fantastically cute and expensive garment you just threw onto your child for the day is going to get sloshed in it by sun down.

Case in point: I have a few cute sleepers that I bought from Old Navy a few weeks ago. Normally, I wouldn't have done it because a.) we turned Darby into such a clothes whore when he was a baby that we have more than enough for quads if we wanted and b.) they're about $5 more expensive than I like to spend. The arm twister was that they were 40% off, adorable, and cheaper than the sleepers I had planned on buying. Now, three of them are still in really good shape. But the lightest colored one (not to mention the cutest one by default since it's covered in monkeys) has since become a baby wipe as of it's very first wearing. Daniel had it on for all of 10 minutes before he pooped up to his neck and doused his brand new jammies. Damn it! There is no getting the mustard yellow breast milk poop stain out of those and thus they are pushed to the back of the drawer and I'm just glad I didn't pay full price for them. RIP cute little monkey jammies. RIP.

Moving!

*sigh*

I knew this would happen. First twins, now moving, and my blog has fallen to the way side. I'm trying! I really am!

Our family has been anxiously awaiting the ok for a transfer back closer to home from this wretched state and we FINALLY got our wish. Unfortunately, we are expected to pack up and move all three children and all three puppy friends in a cross country move in 1 month. Also included in this task is having to find a house to buy and ready to move into by the first of November. Possible? Doubtful. But we're going to try anyway. Ohio, here we come. Ready or not.

Baby Craze

I'm in big trouble.

I, Sarah, have become obsessed. I've become a web stalker.

Why oh why oh why did I have to become aware of Baby Steals, Mama Bargains, and Tottlers?!?!?!?! It's driving me mad!!!!!!

All 3 of these sites bring high quality and fairly expensive products to the table at anywhere from 20% to 80% off! SERIOUSLY. Right now, Mama Bargains has $380 BabyStar crib bedding (flat sheet, crib skirt, and bumper) for $90. This afternoon, they had $30 Miyim organic stuffed animals for $10. Are you doing the "I'm emptying my savings as I read" jig yet? They've also had Timmy and Leslie and Fleurville diaper bags, Red Castle Whizzes, and Sonoma Lavendar sets for Mama's only. I'm wiping away drool daily with this stuff but have yet to make a purchase. I'm waiting for the OMG I HAVE TO HAVE IT product.

Tottlers hasn't impressed me thus far, but I've only seen two of the products they've had to offer. They were mediocre at best (i.e. Dr. Seuss onesies) and for not that much of a price change but I'm hopeful I'll find something on there soon.

Baby Steals, however, got their first order from me this morning after I freaked over the Bumble bags they had up for grabs. I bought this gorgeous set after reading up on it and realizing that I was getting it cheaper by $130 anywhere else on the web. With shipping, it cost me $79and now I can replace my kinda drab Vera bag. Cute and comfy,don't get me wrong, but I've got it in the classic black (before it retired in January) and it just doesn't pop for me. This pretty blue is girly enough for me but not too femme so that it's good for toting around boy stuff. Oh! So cute! Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, it comes with the stroller straps and two snack bags usually sold seperately that are DISHWASHER safe. Mmm Hmm..you heard me. I wish everything was dishwasher safe.

Coffee Obsession and Fall

It's fall which means there is coffee deliciousness all around me. Yeah, we're in Arizona but that doesn't mean I won't enjoy all the flavors of the season in 110 degree weather! It's once again time for pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks! Let the stampede commence! Fall also means delicious new creamer flavors in the grocery. So far, I've collected the pumpkin spice (for those mornings where I just can't get myself out of bed for the Bux) and chocolate mint truffle (to die for, by the way). I'm pretty sure this is why I love fall and winter so much....Or it could be the smell, the caramel apples at the Conner Prairie Apple Store, or the fact is that it always makes me feel goopy and lovey since this is right around the time I met Brad. I am practically beside myself that we're moving back east in time to go to the pumpkin patch and pick apples and enjoy a change in seasons!

Reviews

I signed up for a lot of these networking sites that give you opportunities to try products for free as long as you promise to blog about them, pass along coupons, tell your friends and family, etc. I decided to finally set up a blog exclusively for review purposes as it's getting to the point where if I don't start blogging about the things I'm trying, I'm never going to catch up!
Only one post so far because it's late and I've got a house to exorcise but one review that I can mark off the list nonetheless.
Nothing major to report on my end, however, I will share with you that if you are at a loss of what to make for dinner one night, visit my friend Laura. She's a great girl and I've had the pleasure of eating at her house a number of times while both of our families were stationed in Alaska. Needless to say, I wouldn't bother recommending her food if she wasn't a wonderful cook!

Down with the sickness.

So in lieu of a fun mini vacay, my hubby and I enjoyed our weekend on the couch and La-Z-boy sick as dogs. Brad was fighting a lovely sinus infection, which I also decided to partake in since we share EVERYTHING (blah) and, never to be out done, I also have mastitis in my other breast now. HA! Just when I thought I was on the road to recovery, my previous affliction comes back with a vengence. How's that for some T&A?

Lucky for Old Navy and Target, I was not miserable enough to forget about shopping. I got the 2 high chairs I'd been eye balling on sale at Target and enough cute clothing for the boys at Old Navy to dress a set of quads for a week! The only things I didn't buy that I considered were Bumbo seats for each of them. There's a good chance I still will, but it's something I want to really mull over.

Aside from the Bumbos, I've been slowly checking off things from my Twins Wishlist that I want but don't necessarily need. The latest item to possibly be checked of the list: The

MaxiMom Baby Carrier. Yes, that is two babies that she's toting around. I find myself wanting one so badly and wondering what kind of crap people would say about the weird lady with the babies strapped to her at the same time. Those of you that know me pretty well know that I'm a "slightly crunchy" parent. I nurse on demand, I wear my kids (usually in a moby wrap or sling), and we do a family bed until we can't stand it anymore. Other birkenstock wearing hippie baby hobbies include: making my own baby food, cloth diapering on occasion (much more with D than with these two), and going to "green baby" rallies.

I'm so kidding about the rallies. I'm a conservative republican. I don't believe in global warming or going green. In fact, I want a hummer just to drive to my mail box every day. Take that, Earth!

Anyway, so I'm kind of granola-y when it comes to raising kids and this seems like it would be perfect. I can't really carry them both in the cradle hold in my moby wrap anymore so this would be awesome. AND you can put a baby up to 30 lbs. in each side! HELLO! Anyway, enough of that noise. It's past midnight, the babies are asleep and for some unknown reason, I'm not. Pictures tomorrow and congratulations to an old friend, Ms. Amber, from high school! Cooper's gorgeous and I'm so happy for you that he's finally here!

Buggy Boards, Wicked Sales, and Weekends

Yesterday, D's buggy board finally got here from One Step Ahead and I excitedly opened the box and assembled it so that we could go on a walk first thing this morning before it got too hot. Upon hooking it up to the frame and having D try it out, I came to the conclusion that this "amazing" device that is compatible with every stroller is NOT compatible with ours. Freakin' frustration!! AHHH! I seriously think I might have to buy a side-by-side to have on hand along with our tandem so that the buggy board actually works.. I've got to figure out something because without my morning walks, I'm going to be a wreck. I can't go much longer!
I am super psyched that all of my favorite stores are having sales right now. Old Navy, Target, and Kohl's are all having kick ass baby sales and I'm going to go nuts this week. The high chair I've been wanting to buy the twins for future use is $20 cheaper than usual right now, so I'm thinking I should jump on it while I can. I also need to pick up some sleepers and a bunch of other crap I've been meaning to buy. Old Navy has the cutest onesies right now and Creighton and Daniel would look so adorable in them!! Then again, I think they look adorable in everything.
Speaking of the boys, they had a weigh in and a quick check-up at the pediatrician yesterday and they are becoming little bruisers! Creighton is 12 lbs. 9 oz. and Daniel is 12 lbs. 1 oz. Can you even believe it?! Three months ago, they were 1/3 of that! Why do I always have these huge monstrosities for kids? It's like I make liquid lard instead of breastmilk. Yikes.
Our weekend starts tonight (since Brad usually works most traditional weekends) and I think I'm going to plan a little impromptu trip to the Grand Canyon for a couple days. We've lived here for a year and a half and still have not seen it! It might take some coaxing, but it'll be fun. Besides, who wouldn't want to take a road trip with 3 small children?

Why I hate Windows Vista

You've got to be kidding me. I just spent 40 minutes writing a blog that Windows Vista shut down due to issues that it refuses to tell me about. UGH! In short, I wrote a top 10 as to why this week has been so great. I'm not going to really get into it again unless I feel like coming back on here later when there aren't dishes to do and floors to clean, but I will give a brief run down without rhyme or reason:
1. E.L.F. make-up
2. Gossip Girl premiere
3. My birthday!
4. Pumpkin Spice Lattes
5. Canon House Party
6. My stroller arrived.
7. Spaghetti Cat made an appearance on The Soup.
8. The Republican Nat'l Convention
9. Vocal Point and She Speaks
10. The Bride Stripped Bare

Spaghetti Cat

Have you seen this?!

I don't care who you are, that's hilarious. I feel a cultural phenonmenon coming on!

Sweeney Sarah: The Demon Mom of Arizona

Judging by the title, I'm sure you can tell that today was a not-so-great day. I feel like I'm just losing it with my little guys sometimes. With Brad working on "hell shift" as I like to call it, it's pretty much me and the kids and the dogs 24/7 without a break or back-up. I know I really should not be complaining because we went through so much before we were actually blessed with children, but sometimes it's all just a bit too overwhelming. I've got a 3 yr. old that either doesn't understand or refuses to understand me, twins that refuse to get on any kind of schedule, a husband who, hello? hello?? oh yeah, he's at work.....again, and dogs that are so stir crazy from having to stay off of the "desert landscaping" that surrounds this hell hole that they've brought wrestle mania to my living room. I've been losing my temper pretty quick so I spend a lot of time forcing fake smiles and biting my tongue.
How am I to keep up with laundry and the house in this kind of 3 ring circus? AHHH!
Here's hoping we get this transfer that Brad has put in for. I can't take another summer of avoiding the outdoors because it's dangerously hot out. Maybe I can talk my hubby into whisking us away to San Diego for one last weekend before the Pacific becomes unbearably cold again.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Someday I'm going to get on the ball and update this thing like I should. Until then, sporadic is what I'll do best. These three boys have me run so ragged that I barely know which way is up anymore. If it's not trying to entertain the oldest and keep him in check, it's feeding the little ones, changing the little ones, pleading with the oldest to TRY and use the potty like a big boy, and of course, my achilles heel, attempting to keep up with the house. To top off the extreme exhaustion and overwhelming chores that are stacking up, our roof has sprung a leak (awesome!) and I've got mastitis (jealous?). Ever had mastitis? If you love flu-like symptoms, pain, and cold sweats, then you'll flip over this ailment! And to think if I'd just quit nursing I wouldn't even have to deal with it. *sigh* The things we suffer for the sake of what's best for our families.
In non bitching/moaning news, the fall tv schedule is quickly approaching and I'm psyched to be in the throes of another season of Grey's Anatomy and The Office. Best of all, my guilty pleasure starts tomorrow. :-) Here's hoping for a quiet night!

I'm ba-ack!

Life is good. Busy and pull-your-hair-out exhausting, but good none the less. We've had the twins home for almost 2 months now and I'm proud to report that they are getting chubbier by the day and eating and sleeping like little champs.

My boys, Creighton and Daniel.

They are most definitely a far cry from the little 4 lb. bundles on C-PAP and NG tubes sleeping so far away from us every night. Even on the bad days, it's comforting knowing that every night all I have to do is reach my arm out and I can touch either one of their sweet baby faces and smell their sweet baby heads in the co-sleeper next to me. Have you ever noticed that the top of a baby's head smells so.....I don't know, like love? It's the perfect mix of baby shampoo and brand new-ness and Dreft and I'm pretty sure that's what love smells like. Unless, of course, you're this kid:

Then love smells like Lucky Charms, apple juice, and play-dough. :-) I love my little guy!

Like the mess on our couch? I live on that thing with the twins. As you can see, we've got a naked Boppy, my tokidoki purse, my diaper bag, and other assorted "must haves" that I needed that day. It's in a perpetual state of disarray but at least our house looks lived in, right? Sure.