Sarah Tagged Me

So, I guess I have to tell you seven weird or random things about me? Ok.

1. I can't stand dry things touching dry things. Flour on a rolling pin, naked feet on dusty cement...things like that majorly make me cringe.

2. Growing up, I had such a bad memory that I told my friends that my birthday was on Dec. 28 (it's really the 29th). To this day, my best friend growing up still can't remember which it is.

3. I can't stand common grammar errors in writing. Sorry if you can't stand people like me!
Ending a sentence with a preposition (at, to, from...)
Misusing words like; there and their or then and than
Putting "a lot" or "really" in every other line

4. I like to have someone stand in front of me and hold my ankles while I sit. I have to be in a comfy, tall chair and the "holder" has to cup my ankles really gently or else it doesn't count.

5. I smashed a T.V. in the driveway a couple of years ago. It was out of rage.

6. I may try to conceal it, but I always want to win.

7. I love to have a party. I (almost) always like company.

So, now I tag seven other people who post seven things about themselves. Don't be shy. I look forward to reading...

Jenna
Tamara (facebook)
April (facebook)
Melissa T.
Melissa L. (facebook)
Stephanie K. (facebook)
Stephanie H. (facebook)


Sorry, I can't make a link to your page. I'll just check later.

A Time To Decide

When life changes I suppose we all have a choice. What our life circumstances become will not always be in our control. "Life" seems to have a direction of its own, not bothering to check with me about the flow or timetable.

While a senior in high school, I helped select the following quote for our senior motto: "We are exactly where we have chosen to be." I no longer remember the author, and yet I have often thought about that message. Yes, we are, in a sense, where we have chosen, but life is not a bank account, which yeilds exactly what we have deposited. I suppose it's more like the stock market. We deposit and hope that the market will improve. We research and find the most promising financial future, but even the most experienced broker cannot assure you of immediate, or even eventual gain. You watch and wait, hoping to someday be exactly where you have chosen to be.

So in the midst of being "not" exactly where I have chosen to be, I have a choice to make. How will I respond to the life that is mine - not that life which I thought I chose? Will I find the strengths of my situation? The strengths of my spouse? The beauty of my children? The sweetness of the unpredicted? Or will I become bitter? Will I cast off God and refuse to forgive because "I have that right"? Will I shrivel? Or will I choose abundant life?

Elise, Silas, Emmitt & Amelia: we love it when Amelia and her mommy come to play!

The three little squishy ones.


Dad, Elise, Mom, Emmitt, Me, Barry & Silas at Thanksgiving

The Thanksgiving crew including JD, Kara, Kylen, Evie, & Lydia. We are really missing Angie and her family.

MORE TWINS!

Auntie Rosie from WA D.C. had a set of twins in Aug. and they are in Spokane for a while. I can't imagine taking care of all four together. You can really tell the difference in temperment when they are all lined up. Michael and Emmitt are hungry, laid back little guys and Elise and James are a little high strung and active. I think Silas feels a bit concerned about all the babies!

Two chubby boys.

They seem like they're leaning on each other to keep from having to work too hard to sit up.

Michael is on the left and Emmitt on the right.

Michael, Emmitt, Elise & James. The angle makes the first two look a lot bigger than the others, but I think (left to right) Michael is about 13+ lb, Emmitt is 14lbs. 2 oz., Elise is 12lbs. 11oz., and James is about 12lbs.

To be fair to Elise, it was her nap time and we were keeping her up for photos! :)

Silas, Owen & New Hair

Silas and a buddy, Owen look a little like twins sometimes. I made them hug for the picture. Owen was trying to get out the entire time. :)

So, I have a new do...It was definitely time. I feel like a real person who likes to have fun again. Amazing what a haircut will do for you!

Where's Silas?

You've heard of Where's Waldo, have you ever played Where's Silas?

Oh, there's that handsome dude.

Recent Trip to Africa

We wanted to promote our "Water for Africa" fund by showing you the water quality there.

Just kidding. Although Africa does desperately need good water, we apparently do too. This is what periodically happens to our public water source. Yuck, huh? We never drink this water.

Sleepyhead and Cutie Pie

When a friend gave us these shirts, no one knew how appropriate they'd be...

Grandpa Pat, the pumpkin and a bunny:

Grandpa Jerry (Boppa) and the little cherubs:

Babies are Smiling

Emmitt is such a stud.

Oh yeah, I know who's da man.
And my pretty girl is so subtle. She wouldn't want to let her face give it all away.
I am darling though? Don't you think?

I've Learned that Babies Actually do Sleep

Well, we've begun a journey in learning how to "schedule" a baby's eating and sleeping patterns. As you've seen on a previous post, the babies have been characterized by crankiness. We are beginning to see that turn around however.

I am not a person who feels comfortable just trying something out with my babies. I want facts, a well written book to describe a detailed plan and some positive testimonies attributing credence to the theory.

Diving into "Babywise" was a little drastic for me, but I needed to do something. The babies were tired and fussy, and required being held constantly. What I've found in the week and a half that we've been keeping the schedule is that my babies can be content and well rested.

I know that as an infant, Silas never slept as much as these two. I'm sure that's because I just let him decide how and when he wanted to eat and sleep. If he wasn't in a front pack, then he was in my arms sleeping. And there was never a chance that he'd fall asleep on his own in his own crib. It wasn't until he was six months old that I finally decided something needed to be done to make him a more independent sleeper. His colic had passed and he was "old enough", I thought to learn a few new tricks. The following six months were not easy. A co-sleeping six month old has his own ideas about what should or should not be happening. Finally at a year he could resettle himself after he woke up from a 20 min. power nap (the only kind he took before).

I'm sure I would have walked that same path with these two, had they not been too much for me to handle. Severe lack of sleep and growing psychosis forced me to be the parent in this case. Anyway, it seems to be working...for all involved.

Mommy and Silas playing!

L to R: Elise, Emmitt, & Lydia
Auntie Mim has both of them!
Silas loves Josiah. They are playing at Chewelah park.
Lilly and Silas are very concerned about the dangers in the park...

At Priest Lake

Our most common view of the babies lately:

We're not sure why God gave us twins and then chose them to be fuss buckets, but this seems to be the case...they love to eat (Emmitt recently had to go through some blood tests because his liver wasn't processing the huge amount of food he was eating!), and then want to be bounced and held at all times after that.

Auntie Angie, Lilly, and Emmitt. Auntie Angie seems to be able to always calm Emmitt down when he's crying.
Si and the Big Bike.
Grandparents and their offspring (minus Silas).
On he left is Lydia, born to JD & Kara on the same night as the twins! On the right is Elise.

Kalispell for a Spell

My lovely grandma...she finally got to see the babies.

In just a couple days we have sufficiently worn out all the Kalispell family members. It was great to visit!

Here is a four generation shot- Grandma, Dad, Me, and the kids.
Silas likes to hold his siblings.
He is very confidently climbing the steep slide back in Hunters.
Suddenly he's at the top of the very steep slide and realizes that there is no more hand holds.

Double Time

Here is a "out of the womb" picture that we've seen before in the womb. Elise is sucking and licking Emmitt's head! During one of our last few ultrasounds, we saw Emmitt licking Elise's head, and now she seems to be excited that the roles have reversed. She was quite certain that she could get at least a little milk from that round head.

Back in the hospital.

Everyone seems to wonder if you can nurse two at the same time. Sure. Just attach like so.

Emmitt Gunnar

Elise Claire

Babies, Babies, Babies

The Warren family is a trifle indisposed at the moment, so I'll be stepping in to provide some pics and stats about the incredible new additions to the family.

First things first. Everyone is doing really well. Mama Tif was able to hold out against a barrage of C-section fantatical medical professionals and delivered both of her babies the good old-fashioned way late last night.

Meet Emmitt Gunnar (aka Baby "A")

This little guy weighed in at 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 21 inches long. He was born at 9:57 pm. He is either narcoleptic or a night owl, because in the entirety of my hour-long visit, Emmitt did not once open his eyes.

Meet Elise Claire (aka Baby "B")

Elise was born a mere 9 minutes after her brother. A bit daintier than Emmitt, she weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces and 19 inches in length. As you can tell, she was quite alert for the duration of my stay (she was still very well behaved; both of these kids appear to be extremely mellow).

Silas is holding up well. Mama Tif says he is everything a big brother should be, giving kisses and patting heads as a demonstration of his love. He was even able to differentiate between the baby's cries, claiming, "That's my sister," when little Elise gave a short wail. Like his parents, though, he was a bit tired.

Congrats to the entire Warren-Claridge clan! This is one beautiful family.

Silas has been having lots of fun lately!

Silas, Daddy and Boppa went fishing on Saturday at my parent's neighbor's pond. No bites, but you know what they say about a bad day of fishing.

Si has also been swimming at Aunt Mimi's pool lately. He LOVES to just kick and play by himself with no one holding on to him. I'm glad that not touching doesn't seem to be a problem. He is occasionally put in the shallow water without his life jacket on so that he knows that you don't always float. :)

Here Daddy and Silas are playing in his cousin Kylen's creek. All the boys and men made a dam to create a pool, but it eventually had to break and when it did the little guys liked that part the best.