Turning 35…..Yowza!

I can’t believe it. I am 35 years old! The same age as my mom was when she had my youngest brother when I was 17. That is just crazy to me. I guess 35 is sort of a milestone. Definitely middle aged at this point. I love where I am at 35. I have a beautiful growing family which I live and would die for. What more could a girl want? My family went out of their way to make my day special and I love them for it (and many other things!).

As I was laying in bed the night before with the twins, I heard commotion downstairs. Being the paranoid worrier I am, I listened at the nursery door for a minute then crept over the banister and looked over just in time to see my parents in law walk out the door and Chip to yell at me to stay upstairs. I smiled knowing some sort of surprise awaited me in the morning. And I was right! When the kids and I went downstairs, we were greeted with balloons, cupcakes (dairy/gluten free!) and presents from my thoughtful in laws. My sweet mother in law later told me that she wanted to make sure my morning was special. So thoughtful.

I was excited to go online and order a few things from amazon with the gift my parents sent. I am anxiously awaiting a Travel Mug French Press for loose tea that I am super excited about! It will be perfect for my lactation tea! I also ordered silicone cupcake/muffin liners. I do a lot of baking and this will be perfect!

One of my favorite meals is Dungeness crab legs so Chip and I decided that since we have yet to try restaurant dining with three under two (kiddos) that it made sense to get some from the grocery store and steam them at home. We invited the Senior Parishes and the kids and I went to HEB to get 4 yummy pounds of crab. Snow crab happened to be on sale which is a close second favorite so that is what I bought.

After Elijah got up from him nap,  I propped open the back door (as I do on the beautiful days) so he could run in and out of the house as he pleases and I could easily keep an eye on him as I got things ready for dinner. Chip came home early that day as he was not feeling too good. I was sad he was sick but it was nice to have him home early for my birthday. He presented me with a personal gift I had requested (that I had stretched out while I was pregnant) and a surprise…….an awesome camera bag!!! My goodies had not arrived yet so I actually got pictures of them instead of the actual gifts but I am so excited about both! It was custom made just for me and since it has already been purchased, I can’t pull up a picture online but it is AWESOME!!!!

Another fun surprise arrived on my birthday.  I had ordered books of each of the babies birth stories and one of them combined. I was so excited to see them sitting on the porch when I walked out to get the mail. Happy birthday to me!

It was really an awesome day with lots of fun and surprises. Thanks to my sweet family for making it so special.

I walked down to see a kitchen table full of sweet surprises!!! (Notice the Sesame Street decals in the kitchen. We are celebrating Elijah’s birthMonth then the characters will move to the playroom and his bedroom)

As always, balloons were a big hit with this boy.

Yummy cupcakes and a “naked” one for Elijah

Flowers arrived special delivery from New Jersey. Thanks Papa John and Mimi!

Elijah’s gift to me was mowing the lawn. Heehee.

His real gift was the sweet moment I happen to catch of my boy and his dog. Best Friends. Except when Wrigley tries to steal Elijah’s food.

 

Two of my boys.

I love the chaos that has become my living room. Well, maybe I just wish the room was a little bigger.

The birth story books. LOVE how they turned out!

Cards from the men in my life and a special yummy treat from Chip!

The camera bag which is showing as SHIPPED!

Crabs on the stove getting nice and steamy!

A table set for the ultimate dining experience! The first  batch of crab legs is all ready to go!\

Elijah enjoyed the yummy cupcake

That’s actually his yummy face

Mmmmm cupcake……

Loved the card from my kiddos

I had a sweet moment at the end of the night where I picked up Patrick while he was sleeping and he grabbed onto my arm. I just love me sweet boys.

Chicken Stir Fry–Soy/Gluten/Dairy Free!

This is a big hit in our house and super easy!

Ingredients:

2 lbs bonesless skinless chicken breast

3/4 c coconut aminos

2 Tbsp ginger (I like using the frozen cubes of fresh ginger)

Veggies of your choice. Fresh works but I tend to use frozen bagged stir fry variety as long as it does not have sauce or seasoning

Directions:

Chop the chicken into bitsize chunks and pour 1/2 cup of aminos in the bag. Leave in fridge overnight. When ready to cook, heat oil of your choice ( I like coconut) in a large skillet (med to med/high) and cook chicken until it is cooked well throughout. Cook veggies in a separate skillet with more oil and aminos. When done combine and voila!

A Week of Sick Parish Littles

A couple of weeks ago, Elijah started to get sick. It had been coming on gradually, with a runny/stuffy nose and just continued until he was hit with a fever mild at first but then peaking at 102.6. Recognizing that this was not just allergies, I immediately treated him with elderberry extract and oregano oil (Doterra) for the day of and following his fever. The fever had hit on Friday night and by Saturday morning, Elijah was fever free and actually made it to swim class feeling pretty good. I don’t allow myself to stress too much about  cross contamination between me and the kids or between the kids and one another. Let’s face it. WE are going to get one another’s germs. I figured the twins has the benefit of breast milk antibodies and just kind of held my breath hoping they would not get sick….being too small for oregano oil or elderberry, that was about all I could do.

Well Patrick was hit with it first. The runny  nose came and sneezing and eventually coughs and congestion. Rory was soon to follow. Neither developed a fever nor did it seem to slow them down, though it did get worse at night and effect sleep for the three of us. It was a bit of a roller coaster. First Patrick would seem like he was getting better, and Rory was worse off. Then they would switch. I had bulb syringes from our planned home birth that I was using. I tend not to use those because they are a haven for mold but though I could just throw it away when it was no longer needed. I didn’t think of my nose frida. I’m not sure why. Well they both seemed to be better last Friday morning when we headed to San Antonio to see my folks and then about halfway there, Rory just started coughing and sneezing and crying. It was awful. I got to the point where we stopped at a gas station and I grabbed a straw and napkin thinking I would fashion my own sort of Nose Frida if he really needed me to get the stuff from his nose. Fortunately, nurisng seemed to ease his discomfort and I didn’t have to resort to that. (big gross factor).

When we got to San Antonio it eased up a little but then that night, the stuffiness just got so bad. My babies needed relief! What ended up working was a combination of saline, Nose Frida (which Chip picked up at a local baby store in San Antonio that I LOVE called Go Baby Go…similar to my local Nurtured Family store). Once we got home on Sunday night I added the vaporizer in the mix and I have to say, the combination seemed to do the trick! They are both still a little stuffy and sneeze stuff out on occasion but it is definitely manageable.

The Nose Frida (pictured above) is AWESOME! I used with with Elijah but not much. He really didn’t get sick until he was about eight months old and then it wasn’t so much of a mucus issue. Mama’s: this is something you want in your arsenal for sure! So I survived the first bout of sickness in the Parish household since the twins came into our lives.  I have to say, it was mild thanks to God and (I believe) the natural remedies I have come to rely on for my family. Unfortunately Chip woke up today feeling like he is getting it. My darling husband is crunchy tolerant but still prefers good ol’ antibiotics. Though he did text me and ask for ear candles.

Rory & Patrick Are Two Months Old

My sweet twin boys are two months old today! Was it really two months ago when I was laboring with these sweet boys trying so hard to bring them into the world? And just like Elijah, I cannot imagine life without them though they have only been earthside for two short months. Life with twin babies is incredible. Daily, you just never know what you are going to get. I do not have the luxury of dedicating all my time to a child the way you can with your first born so every day I have to catch minutes with each one when I can. Patrick likes those minutes to be spent snuggling. And although Rory loves to snuggle too, he likes to interact more during his one on one time with lots of sweet cooing and giggles. Every day is different. There are days when it feels as easy as if I’ve had “three under two” for years. Then there are days like today when both babies take turns crying when I am lucky and otherwise are demanding me at the same time. Right now, I am listening to Elijah wake up from his nap and is singing to himself as I sit downstairs grateful for these few moments when the twins will be soothed with their pacifier so I can steal some minutes to record some thoughts on their second month of life. This may end up being a very short update.

RORY: Rory, like his big brother, is an extremely social baby. He coos and talks and smiles and is even starting to laugh a little. He LOVES to be worn and would stay close to Mama 24/7 if he could. He would have been an excellent candidate for first born child!

As of Monday, Rory was ten pounds, six ounces which three pounds one ounce above his birth weight! All that chowing down on Mama’s milk really is paying off! Rory would eat all day if I let him. He continues to struggle with reflux.  I have a pretty active let down and Rory will sometimes choke a little as he tries to keep up which is rough on his little tummy but after a few little cries and breaths, he is right back on the breast, chugging away. I am finding that he is sensitive to the common culprits such as dairy and wheat as I can see a big difference in his discomfort level (and poop color!) on days when I slip up on my diet.  I am suspicious there is another unidentified sensitivity based on his symptoms and am working on uncovering that mystery.  Pacifiers. I hate them but they are sometimes the lesser of the two evils…aka screaming baby that you can’t get to because you are taking care of two others. So we use a soothie. Rory chokes on the standard pacifier and even chokes on the soothie at times. He is not a huge fan of pacifiers which is just fine with me and I would love to wean him (and me) from them before we lean on that crutch too much.  Especially if it is not something he really wants, I don’t want to push it. But there are times……

Rory is very vocal. As I said, lots of sweet coos. He also will protest. And I tell you, if I didn’t know better, I would think those squeals were coming from a baby girl. It makes me giggle because he really is “so boy” that to hear these girly sounds coming from him makes me laugh. It just shows that each child sounds so different.

I am seeing so many smiles in this baby lately and his first big belly laugh was today when we were singing If Your Happy And You Know It and You Are My Sunshine. He just has the sweetest smile and loves to show it! He still sleeps pretty well through the night but does enjoy time with Mama when he wakes up to eat. He likes to visit for a few minutes before going back to sleep. I think he is pretty close to rolling over. Both he and Patrick have done it a couple times (both back to front and front to back) on the couch and the bed but I don’t count those since the soft surface gives the benefit of gravity. I give them lots of tummy time on the floor, though, so imagine this milestone is not far off.

Rory is very aware of the world around him and seems eager to interact with Elijah and Wrigley. He prefers to sit up, partially because of the reflux but I think also because he feels more a part of things. It is such a joy to be his Mama and watch him quickly grown and develop! But oh how I already miss those sweet newborn days though each stage of babyhood and childhood so far is precious and special.

TWO MONTH PHOTOS OF RORY

Patrick: I call Patrick our “brave boy”.  The whole time I had to give him shots and take him to the doctor where he was basically tortured for blood (at least that is how it seemed), he never lost his trust. He never flinched when touched. He never cried when laid on the changing table where I did his shot. That, to me, is amazing and truly a miracle. Now, our Patrick has found the normal rhythm of babyhood. He continues to develop his nursing skills. He loves being nuzzled up next to Mama and often wants to nurse to soothe. And though he is quite skilled at nursing when he is hungry, when he just wants to nurse to cuddle or because he has a tummy ache, he can’t seem to latch on properly. But it is always after he has already eaten his fill and just wants comfort. I think maybe he would prefer if he could turn the milk off at this time, like a faucet. Patrick does enjoy the pacifier but when he wants the breast, he will protest the pacifier angrily. Already, my babies know what they want!

As of Monday, Patrick weighed 8 pounds 8 ounces, up two pounds two ounces from his birth weight. Patrick has gained weight a little slower than Rory and last week there was only a little gain so I believe we could be coming up on a growth spurt. But who knows. Like I said, they are just so different from one another. But Patrick eats well and poops/pees often so I know we are dealing with a healthy little boy. Patrick also suffers a bit from reflux and sensitivities but it doesn’t seem to be as bad as his twin.  Right now he is going through an extremely fussy and needy phase but I believe that has more to do with a developmental leap (wonder week 8!) and that we should have our happy boy back in a few days to a week. Patrick is very quietly alert.  I see him just looking at things taking it all in. He loves eye contact.  He has such a sweet smile. No belly laughs yet but lots of sweet smiles with those big beautiful bright eyes. I can’t figure out what color his eyes are. In pictures they look dark, like brown but in person they are more of an olive green. He has such sweet eyes.

Patrick mostly sleeps through the night and some nights does not even wake to nurse though on those nights he is very hungry in the morning and ready for a feast. He is (normally) an excellent napper and does not wake easily. He loves his baths with Mama still and as the weather gets warmer (and babies get sweatier) he and his brother will get them more often. He is just such an amazing little boy and it is incredible to see how well he has developed and how easily he takes all these challenges that have come his way. You would never guess this baby has been through anything out of the ordinary.

PATRICK’S TWO MONTH PHOTOS

 

So how’s Mama doing? Well month two of twin babies….three kids….and my last month of three kiddos under the age of two. (Elijah turns two this month). I’d have to say I love it.  I love my children. I love all three of my babies. There are days when I want to lock myself in the closet with my fingers in my ear, yes, but not as many of those as you might think. What I have found the best thing for me when I start to feel like I can’t this is I go and do something I CAN do that most people don’t. Like, I’ll take my three to the store for something and, if it goes smoothly, then I get my maternal confidence back. If it doesn’t, I call my husband and beg him to come home early or my mother in law to come visit. Heehee. But I am finding that the most important thing is to enjoy my children both together and individually. The dishes can wait. The children cannot. And I wouldn’t want them to.  It is cliché but time goes by so fast. It is the most true with babies. I can’t believe they are no longer newborns. And they never will be again. Each stage is adorable. But seriously, where did the tiny babies go?

BROTHERS

 

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SECOND MONTH

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo–DF GF Cashew Version

This is another yummy vegan gluten free alfredo recipe. This one actually was creamier and more alfredo like than the cauliflower version and Chip liked it a lot better. Next time I might add some grilled chicken and broccoli for a more well rounded meal.

Ingredients

• 1lb fettuccine noodles (cooked according to package instructions)
• 1 1/2 cups of non dairy  un sweetened milk. I use a coconut/almond mix 
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

Step 1
Cook and drain fettuccine noodles according to package instructions. I usually add a tiny bit of olive oil to the noodles as they cook to prevent them from sticking together. Of course, most of it drains off of them. Return drained noodles to a pot or large skillet and set aside away from the stove.
Step 2
In a blender, combine remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth.
Step 3
Pour blender contents over fettuccine noodles in the pot or skillet and place on medium heat.
Step 4
Cook until sauce begins to thicken slightly--this usually only takes about 2-5 minutes. Be careful not to let your sauce boil for too long, as this results in a clumpy sauce. This sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.
Step 5
Serve hot and enjoy!