VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!!

This past year we were fortunate to have help from the Jackson Pay It Forward Foundation. We are so blessed to have this foundation in our community. They have been nominated for a national Pay It Forward contest through Charity Net USA and they have made it to the top 15 finalists. Lets all pay it forward and VOTE for this foundation!!!

Here is the link below.

http://www.charitynetusa.com/pif-contestfinalist.php

Howlandween

I know Halloween was over a week ago but it has been hard to find time to update the blog these days.
We spent the boys first Halloween at the house passing out candy to over 500 kids!!!!! The boys wore their costumes and took turns helping pass out candy. They both really enjoyed seeing all of the little kids and some not so little kids all dressed up. Yes, there were even adults, without children, out trick-or-treating and one lady who I think may have been dressed as a prostitute almost busted her tushy on our stairs. Anyways, yes, we had a very fun first Halloween.
Grammy M, Papa DD, Uncie, Paige, Uncle Angus, Uncle Izzy, G-G, and Charlie came down and we all enjoyed pizza, sugar cookies, and of course Halloween candy.
After all the candy had been passed out Bryan, Cody, Paige, and I went up to the corn maze. It was haunted this time. I hate it when things jump out at me and so I wasn't too thrilled about this but Bryan said, "Come on! Live a little!". It was sooo cold and sooo muddy since it had rained, no poured, the whole day before. I have to admit it was fun but I was so afraid something was going to jump out at me and I was going to slip in the mud and land right on my behind.
Here are some pictures of the boys in their costumes.

Kadensaurus

Braylonsaurus

Sleepysauruses

Kaden
Braylon
Braylon and Kaden

We won't eat carrots, applesauce, or bananas but we will eat pumpkin guts

As most twin parents quickly learn, everything must now be done in stages and here is the perfect example why.

Exhibit A:

Kaden having a complete and utter meltdown

while Braylon enjoys watching Mommy

A close up in case the picture above isn't enough

This all occurred while Bryan and I were trying to carve pumpkins with the boys the other night. After lots of playing and rough housing on their play mat we thought the boys would enjoy watching us gut and carve their pumpkins. Man were we wrong. He waited until the perfect time. When Mom's hands were covered in pumpkin guts and slim and he let it rip. The screaming tantrum began. Thankfully Bryan hadn't dug in yet so he was able to console our little monster while I finished gutting the pumpkins.

We thought the boys might enjoy playing in the pumpkin guts so we let them stick their hands in the bowl. They loved it and the crying ceased for the moment. And like most everything that touches the boys hands the pumpkin guts went straight to their mouths. I thought they would gag and spit it out like they do their baby food but nope, they would have kept shoveling it in if we wouldn't have stopped them.

Here are some pictures of our half done pumpkins. We are hoping to finish carving them by Halloween, tomorrow if we are lucky.

Mommy gutting pumpkins

Kaden digging in

Kaden taking a little taste

Braylon enjoying squishing the pumking guts

Yummy!

I think I would like some more

Busy Bees

Wow! Have we been busy lately. The boys are so busy trying to crawl that it's difficult to get anything done around the house or get on the computer. Although they are not actually crawling they are able to move from point A to point B by either rolling or scooting on their bellies. It doesn't take long before they are frustrated and start crying or someone rolls into someone else or kicks the other in the head, etc. They almost need constant supervision. I have to put them in their play pin or swings so I can take a shower which is usually to the soundtrack of crying babies because they don't like being confined to one place.

Braylon has decided that he is going to be a wrestler. No matter how far I try and separate him from Kaden he will manage to get over to Kaden, roll on top of him, and pin him to the ground so he can suck on the side of his head or face. Kaden gets sooooo upset.

The boys have also taken up binky stealing. They look at one another's binky and pull it right out of their mouth and then slip it into theirs. I can hear it already "Mom....I had it first!"

We are still working on introducing solids but it has been hit and miss. One day they like baby food and do really well and the next day they don't.

On top of the boys being little busy bodies we have been keeping a pretty busy schedule too. We have tried to make the most of what was left of the nice weather and take in some of the fall traditions.

I have also decided to go back to work a little bit (as a nurse you are required to work a certain amount of hours to keep your license current). I fill in at St. Joes when they need extra help. I have worked a total of 12 hours over the past week so far and it has been great. It also works out nicely because I can work on days there is someone to watch the boys rather than try and find child care on the days I have to work. It has been nice to get back out into the real world some and the extra money doesn't hurt either.

Here are some pictures from our busy past couple of weeks. By the way, Braylon is sitting on my lap at this very moment.

The boys with their pumpkins and their special trick-or-treat bags

Bundled up for an afternoon stroll

Bundled up for another stroll

We Found Our Way Home!!!

Yesterday was absolutely beautiful and perfect weather for a stroll. We decided to take a little trip up to Sunset Park just above our house. The boys enjoyed looking around at the trees and the sky and took a little nap in their stroller while I read a few pages of my book. Kaden the "Cat Napper" woke up after a quick recharge so I got him out and let him play in the grass a little. He loved to run his hands through it until he got a fistful in his mouth. I had to pick as much of it out as I could but I am pretty sure he swallowed a few pieces.

We met my brother and Paige up at the play area and the boys had fun sitting on our laps and swinging. Braylon squealed with delight. Cody and Paige had gotten pumpkin milkshakes from Sharps and Braylon was obsessed with Paige's cup and straw. I think he wanted to try a taste. We have been letting him and Kaden have little sips when we go out to eat and they think it is fun. He was able to try the milkshake though since babies are not suppose to try cows milk/dairy products until they are a year old.

I thought that since Braylon enjoyed the swings so much he might like the slide. I am sure I looked ridiculous but with Braylon on my lap we went down one of the the slides. He didn't even care.

After we were finished with our fun at the park we walked back down the hill and headed for home where we met Daddy to go to the Clearwater Corn Maze. It is only open Fridays and Saturdays from 6-10 so you have to do it in the dark. I told Bryan I would go only if it weren't a haunted corn maze.

It was really cold but we enjoyed finding our way through the maze. We were even brave enough to go map-less.

Here are some pictures from the park and the corn maze.

Cody and Braylon

Paige and Kaden

Mommy and her boys

Perfect playmates

Dad and Braylon at the Corn Maze

Mom and sleeping Kaden after walking through the corn maze

Picky Eaters

I think we may have some picky eaters on our hands. I don't know where they got this from because Bryan and I are not picky eaters but these boys do not care for "real" food. The doctor told me to "broaden their horizons" by introducing new foods and it has been a bit of a challenge.

Braylon gags on absolutely everything and Kaden swishes it around a bit and then manages to spit it back out. I don't know if some of this has to do with the tubes they had in their mouths while in the NICU but even the nurse at Dr. Ambroson's office was surprised at how gaggy Braylon was considering he had no trouble taking his Prevacid in the past.

The boys absolutely hate cereal. Rice, oatmeal, they want nothing to do with it. I think it is because it has such a strong iron taste from being fortified. I even tried hiding it in their baby food and I swear they can sniff it out.

The very first food besides the cereals they have tried was smashed bananas but after trying to sneak cereal in there they have decided they don't care for bananas anymore. I waited a week to see if they would forget and tried some green beans, nope! Waited another week and tried applesauce, nope! So I waited another week and tried carrots. Surprisingly they have tolerated the carrots without a whole lot of fuss but what a mess.

Instead of doing the usual routine of placing them in their booster chairs and putting bibs on them I decided to put them in their bumbos and go without bibs (since they needed a bath and I was doing laundry anyways) hoping they wouldn't remember our failed attempts from before. It actually kind of worked and I think they enjoyed it a little, or at least for a little while.

Here are some pictures of our picky eaters.

Kaden wearing his carrots

Braylon's carrot beard

Braylon letting me know he has had ENOUGH!

Kaden kept looking at Braylon like he didn't know what all the fuss was about.

A Trip to Elk River

The weather has been absolutely beautiful and we have been trying to take advantage of it and spend as much time outside before the bad weather hits.

Monday we took a day trip to Elk River to hike into the falls. Before visiting the falls we decided to take the boys to see the largest cedar tree in the Rocky Mountains, 18 feet in diameter. It is approximately 3000 years old.

After visiting the Giant Cedar we headed for the falls. First we hiked to to the lower falls 1/4 of a mile down hill and then 1/4 mile back up with babies in tote. They rode in their front packs and loved it. Bryan took Braylon since he is about 2lbs heavier than Kaden. After hiking back up from the lower falls we continued up the trail to the middle falls and back and then to the upper falls and back. We figure by the time we got down hiking around and back to the pickup we hiked about 5 miles and the majority of it up hill.

Although our legs were tired it was a great hike. The falls were beautiful. I have lived in Idaho my whole life and had never seen the Elk River Falls. Well worth the work.

Mommy, Braylon, and Kaden in front of the Giant Cedar

Daddy and Braylon in front of the Giant Cedar

Howlands at the lower falls

Lower Falls

Daddy and Braylon at the upper falls

Mommy and Kaden at the upper falls

A photo Mommy took for her photography class