My New Years Resolution...

... Sort of.  I don't really love the idea of a New Years Resolution.  To me, it just seems kind of temporary and I think we all need to examine our lives, habits and relationships and commit to make changes for the better... regardless of the time of year.  It just so happens that this year, I was ready to start changing my eating habits, get more exercise and loose some of this "baby weight".  Truly it's not really fair to call it that, since most of it was here pre-pregnancy.  It's just shifted.  The timing was right, so on January 1st I (like millions of others), logged onto Weight Watchers online and had my first weigh-in.  It's not a good number, not even a poor number... it's BAD.  It's not going to be easy, but I can do it.  I ave lost weight before on weight watchers, 37lbs actually!  I know the plan works (for me) and I need the structure, the freedom to eat the foods I love and the accountability that WW provides.  I am scared and excited, disappointed and anxious.  I am dreading passing up Cheesecake on my Birthday, but I am also looking forward to seeing the number on the scale go down.  I am looking forward to feeling good, feeling healthy, going for walks with my kids, getting back to the gym, discovering new healthy foods, and fitting into the designer jeans (from Marshall's of course) that my mom bought me for Christmas 2 years ago that are hanging in my closet with the tags still on them.

So far I am down 5.5lbs, I lost 3 the first week and 2.5 the second.  Weigh-in is Monday morning and I promise to try my best to continue to post my progress.  I was a little bummed to see that I only lost a few lbs the first 2 weeks.  Of-course any loss it great and I am happy that I have been successful so far.  I just remember that last time I started WW and I think I lost like 7lbs my first week and 5 my second!  I was also working out then and this time around I started with the healthy eating and counting points first and have yet to join a new gym.  I LOVE the gym I was going to, but simply can not afford it and, I have not been very good at getting out for walks with the kids this winter.  I just don't feel like getting them all bundled up and getting my beast of a stroller out.  There is no excuse though, If I want to loose weight, I need to MOVE.  So I am going to join a cheaper gym that has a nice sitting room.  My super-fit sister and Marathoner girlfriend both belong to the same gym, so that will be both helpful and miserable at the same time!

My friends Mamma Joss and Goddess in Progress have been so inspiring and super successful, because of their dedication to their weight loss/get fit goals!  I need all of the help I can get, so I am hoping you will all support me.  Share your success stories, recipes, thoughts and tips.  Please don't be shy, lord knows I am not!

Tanya

Lots of new happenings!

I have been so bad about blogging lately and I have no excuse really!  We have had PLENTY going on and lots of blog worthy stuff too!  I am going to break it all down into a few different posts, so that I don't have to write (and you don't have to read) a 5 page post.  Also, this way I am sort of forced to follow up and post more often!

The holidays were amazing, Santa was good to all of us and Jackson is at such a great age for all of the parties, lights and presents of-course!  The Twincesses got tons of adorable new clothes, their very 1st dolls, lots of great little rattles and teethers and their first Tea Set!! Santa brought Jackson a rocket space station and a fire engine that he can take apart and put back together with a working drill!  The kids also got a hand-made book shelf from Dad and some great new books!!

New Years Eve was low-key, but lots of fun and Jackson made it to mid-night, which I NEVER thought would happen!   We celebrated with family and a few good friends, next door at my sister's house. The girls were asleep upstairs in the pack n' play by 6:30, so not much action for them!  We had lots of great food, Champagne and plenty of sweets.  We all played Wii Karaoke and watched the ball drop, it was so cute to watch the excitement (mixed with exhaustion) on Jackson's face when we all screamed Happy New Year and blew our noisemakers.  I will always remember that moment, a perfect start to the new year!!

Happy Belated 2010!!  Here are some pics form the Holidays.  Stay tuned to hear about the big milestones the Twincesses are reaching (and not reaching), plus hear all about Jackson's new preschool and my newest Weight-loss endeavors!!

Tanya

Merry Christmas to ALL.....

Tanya, Rick, Jackson Ava & Emma!!

Oh wait, I almost forgot...

... I have a BLOG!  I have been so bad lately and to be honest, I don't have a good excuse for not posting anything in the past few weeks.  Oh well, you forgive me right?  Good, then now for some updates! 

Action Jackson is doing great, we are spending lots of time working on recognizing letters and writing his name.  Rick is also working on teaching him to tie his shoes.  There is always some sort of construction going on here and Jackson can't get enough of all of the trucks and tools.  He loves to "go to work" with his dad and Nonno (my dad) and since they are building homes just outside our front door, it's perfect!  Jackson is also really into everything Christmas... especially Holiday movies, Nemo (our "Elf on the Shelf" pictured in the first pic below, sitting above the cabinet) and making anything gingerbread!

The Twincesses are getting so BIG and they are so much fun!  We started solids just a few weeks ago and it's going well.  They really didn't love any of it at first, but after some time they adjusted just fine.  Funny... Ava seems to prefers fruits, like apples and pears and Emma prefers veggies like  zucchini, squash and carrots!  They have also been spending a lot of time "playing".  They love their exersaucers and have started reaching for the attached toys, they love Sesame Street and mostly they LOVE each other!  They sleep close to one another, they hold hands and rub each others heads, they blow raspberries and laugh together!  They are just so sweet!

Oh and I can't forget about Lucy!  NO, we haven't adopted a 4th child... we are dog sitting!  Lucy is a sweet Beagle and she's staying with us while her mom and dad (our friends Heidi and Chris) are visiting family and doing some deer hunting.  Jackson and Lucy spent all morning outside enjoying our first true snow-fall of the year!  She's really a great dog and I am not a big dog person.  I do love animals, but I am just not in love with idea of caring for one full-time.  Rick, on the other hand very much wants a dog.  Lucy is quiet, especially for a Beagle.  She's well behaved, great with kids and Jackson is over-the-moon that we're watching her.  Still, having a dog is a lot of work and I think we'll wait a few years before we re-visit the idea of bringing one into our home permanently!

That's pretty much it for new and exciting news with us.  We've got lot's of Birthdays threw out the Holiday Season and we're looking forward to celebrating with family and friends and enjoying the Twincesses First Christmas!

Join in and share some pics of your little ones enjoying the Holiday season and the snow (if you have snow of-course) and check out Mamma Joss's adorable little munchkins enjoying their first "snow-day" too! 

Tanya

Fight For Preemies

Today is National Prematurity Awareness Day and all over the blogosphere, you're sure to find lots of mom's and dad's posting about their story, all in an effort to help raise awareness.  

We are so blessed to have benefited from the decades of work done by organizations like March Of Dimes.  For us... knowing that we were expecting multiples, also meant that we were a bit more prepared for welcoming premature babies and life in the NICU and at home!  

Luckily our girls were born healthy at just past 35 weeks.  Ava was diagnosed with IUGR at almost 18 weeks and we were followed closely with Ultrasounds, dopplers to check their cords and cord flow and fluid checks.  They took them a week before my scheduled C-Section, due to Ava's slow growth... she was in the 2nd%.  Emma spent just a few short hours (seemed like forever) in the NICU for rapid breathing and both girls had some issues with body temperature, and feeding.  Overall, they were just fine and we came home with them just 5 days after I delivered.

Still there are thousands of babies born too early and born sick every year.  In Massachusetts we get a passing grade, but many states do not!  To find out more about what you can do to raise awareness and support the organizations that are fighting for our babies, click here.
 

Tanya

Halloween Part #2... Dino-Boy

This is embarrassing, it's been almost a week since Halloween and I still haven't posted any pics of Dino-Boy!  Jax really had fun with Halloween this year, last year he was too afraid to really enjoy any of the festivities.  This year, I was able to coax him into my sister's annual haunted house, which was NOT easy, but he was fine once we were in.  It's actually pretty scary, so I was surprised that we didn't have any tears.  He loved Trick-or Treating too. We did have to explain that there was not time to start up a Q&A session with every person that answered the door!  He asked people where their costumes were, why they didn't have any Halloween decorations up, told them he didn't like their candy selection, explained that he wasn't allowed to have gum, etc, etc, etc.  It was cute at first and then it was just bad manners and we had to have a little talk with him.  "Just say Trick-or Treat, thank you and move along Jackson".  It (half-way) worked.

Anyways, here are some pictures of Dino-Boy in action!

Tanya

Halloween Part #1... The Twincesses First Halloween!!

Ava and Emma seemed to really enjoy their first Halloween... as much as 5 month can!  They were quiet for the most part, taking in all the sights and sounds.  They HATE the wind, so things got a little "scary" for a little bit!  We went Trick-or-Treating with Allison and Junior (older sister and brother -in-law, aka Batman and Elvira) and their kids.  I am embarrassed to admit that for some reason I failed to get pictures of my nephews Orlando and Justin, but I did manage to get a few of my niece, Vittoria and our little friend Rocco, who was also celebrating his 1st Halloween!  The babies were all in bed by 7pm (late for them) and slept late this morning even with the time change!

Check out my little flowers and some of our fellow Trick-or-Treaters and be sure to stay tuned for Part #2 featuring Dino-Boy...

Tanya