One Year Portraits

The photo session was a bit of a fiasco. M wouldn't let me out of her grasp and, in fact, I'm in every photo that was taken of her. Unfortunately, because we were busy trying to figure a way to get M to calm down, we didn't get any of both of them together and only three of A on her own. By the end of the shoot, J, M and A had had enough and there was no way that I was going to be able to convince them to stick it out a little longer. The photos that we did get can be viewed here and, despite the drama, they did turn out quite exceptional, don't you think?

We interrupt your regularly scheduled program....

To let you know that I, Momma Bean, am addicted to Grey's Anatomy.

I know, I know, this seems unrelated in any way, shape or form to the Beans, but really it is. You see, I watched Season 1 on DVD while I was on maternity leave. By the time that I got around to loving it, Season 2 was five episodes deep. I tried accumulating all of them on my DVR, but as the weeks passed and my available hours dwindled, I found that I would never get all of them in time for Season 3. So, it was killing me for September 12th to get here.

Finally it did and I'm now on Episode 6 of Season 2. **Love it. Love it. But, I've gotta say...and this is going to get much hate from a lot of you out there that I know and love...I just can't get into McDreamy!

I'm sorry! I just can't get past the thought that he was Ronald Miller and Cindy paid him to date her and that he dumped his nerdy friends for a shot at being one of the "in crowd" when clearly he was still the same dork riding around in his lawn mower that he was before the dance! I can't do it! Whenever Dr. McDreamy is giving Meredith the eyes, I giggle to myself. Instead, I choose Dr. Burke. Yes, he's a bit arrogant and career driven. But when he crawled into Christina's hospital bed and held her as she cried, my heart melted! Maybe I'll be proven wrong as the season progresses, but this is where I stand. Go ahead, hate me.

So...back to the beans. Yes, that's it. Well, you see, in order for me to free up my evening so that I can immerse myself into G.A. I must do my chores when I get home from work. That means, Sesame Street. Bad Momma, right? Wrong! I challenge anyone out there that doesn't believe in letting their child watch a little television to prove me wrong! It's a win-win situation! I get the dishes done, the laundry washed and the dinner started and the beans get Elmo looking at books, the Count..well, counting and more versions of the ABC song than I could have ever imagined. Cookie Monster shows you how to put cookies in and out of the cookie jar and I put the dishes in and out of the dishwasher. See! It's real life here people, my beans are learning something!

And don't think that I leave my beans unattended while I'm running up and down the stairs with laundry. I've got two perfectly capable Shih Tzus on bean patrol. And when I'm done, when the food is in the oven (or the husband has been called to pick up a pizza), that's my time to grab a book (lately it's the Cookie Monster book....there again! More evidence! Cookie Monster = reading!) and wait for the girls to crawl into my lap and turn the pages as I begin the story. I can relax knowing that everything is done for the day and as soon as the girls are snoring peacefully in their nursery, J and I are on the couch, cold dinner in hand and G.A. on the television. Sigh. It's wonderful.

**Any mention of Season 3 on this site or in any conversation that you may have with me before I complete Season 2 will may result in a painful death for the offender.

Well, I survived my first 24 hours away from the Beans. Are you shocked that I was nervous about this?

Everyone said, “Go, have fun! Get romantical with your boy!” and assured me that they would not miss me, wouldn’t keep G&G awake pining for me, would not get lost, kidnapped, stolen, etc.

I am ashamed to say that I didn’t have time to miss them. I wanted to spend the morning with them having Cheerios and watching Sesame Street, but ever the procrastinator, I still had to pack, run to the ATM and find some Static Guard and Kleenex before 8:00 a.m. By the time I settled on the floor, amidst the Mega Bloks and pulled off socks, the doorbell was ringing. I quickly kissed them on the cheeks, ran through the schedule with J and was out the door before I could take one last look.

The whole day was a flurry of activity. Between getting beautified, getting to the golf course and making sure that the bride had everything she needed, I didn’t think twice about the girls. Yes, I shared a couple of anecdotes and showed off a photo or two, but I didn’t sit and dwell and long for them like I do everyday while I am at work. J only called me eleven a couple of times. They were fine. They didn’t need me.

The wedding was beautiful and just as I had imagined. The bride was radiant and I have never seen the groom happier. I make it a point, during weddings, to watch the groom while everyone else is watching the bride walk down the aisle. To see his reaction when he first glimpses the bride. There is something so pure and joyful in that initial response…when he catches his breath, when his eyes brim with tears that he didn’t expect and when he cracks the smile that is only for his bride. I live for that moment in every wedding ceremony. And this one was just as rewarding.

The reception afterwards was grand. I reconnected with my old cohorts and even J loosened up a bit and had four, count them, FOUR glasses of beer. That nutball! Still, no pangs. At one point in the evening, I was accosted by five little girls, all decked out in their best pink party dresses. I was feeling spiffy after more than three glasses of wine, so I proposed to the ladies that we spin in our dresses. What good is a pink party dress if you don’t twirl in it? They obliged and I’m sure that we looked darling and that I was the only one wobbling away from that circle. While we were dancing, J pointed out one of my new little pink friends and said that she reminded him of A and that he couldn’t wait to see them again. I immediately felt guilty because, while I was off being a bridesmaid, J was being the daddy who was missing his beans.

We woke up at 7:30 a.m. the next morning and giggled to each other. The girls were probably up and lively for my parents. Hah! They had to make heads or tails of a diaper while bleary eyed and without caffeine, while we were snuggled warm in bed! Didn’t miss that! We promptly dozed for another two hours.

At around 9:30 a.m. I awoke with a start. I fumbled with the blankets, stretched with a bit of exaggeration, but J wouldn’t budge. I flipped over, “accidentally” kicked him and coughed. Nothing. Finally, I sat up.

“Let’s get the girls.”
Mumble, mumble. I nudge him again.
“Let’s go!”
“Go back to sleep. They’re fine.”
“C’mon! We can call my parents and tell them to meet us for breakfast.”

I was starting to panic. I couldn’t get to them fast enough. I called my mom to make the arrangements. I pushed, shoved, threw J out the door. I had to get to them.

The drive to my parents’ house felt like it took hours. I jumped out of the car before J could get to a complete stop. When I walked in, M was sitting in the living room watching her beloved Sesame Street. She looked over at me for not more than five seconds and returned to her program.

A was upstairs with my mom. She wasn’t interested in my arrival either.

Apparently they didn’t miss me either!

They say that some addictions are genetic...

How's this for a birthday gift: M walks! On the night of my birthday, after a fiasco of a birthday dinner at Abuelo's, M made it up to me by walking! We were sitting on the floor, recovering from her recent illness (think prunes people), and I asked her to get me the Cookie Monster book. She took one look at it, stood from my lap and began walking towards it. When she got to it, she bent down to pick it up and we erupted in applause! Since then, she's been practicing her new moves, doing something halfway between a wobble and a leap, and slowly gaining confidence in her skills. Thanks to Her Royal Pieness, for a wonderful birthday surprise!

Erin & Andrew

September 22, 2006

May God be with you and bless you May you see your children's children May you be poor in misfortunes,Rich in blessings May you know nothing but happiness From this day forward

While I am away enjoying the wedding festivities and our FIRST NIGHT AWAY FROM THE BEANS, I've attached the following for your viewing pleasure: Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing Please ignore the obnoxious narrartor/coach and just enjoy M saying "Wow," proving that I'm not a liar, and the girls in their usual fight. Except, instead of Duckie and Cookie M., this time, Froggie gets the brunt of the brawl. By the way, like the originality in our naming of the stuffies??

Momma Bean Public Service Announcement of the Week:

It's all right to find different ways to use your baby products. I've used baby shampoo for shaving my legs and those little baby hangers are perfect for my camisole collection. But there are some things that just won't work.

Contrary to popular belief, Anbesol does not, in fact, make eye-brow tweezing any less painful. It can, however, make your face smell like bubble-gum flavored Bubbalicious, if you put just the right amount on.

Instead, may I suggest a bottle of wine?

Congratulations M&K! 

Introducing Eli James, born September 16, 2006

WINNER OF THE MOTHER OF THE WEEK AWARD NOT Momma Bean who, whilst gazing longingly at the new fall Carter's collection at her local BRU, failed to notice that her eldest Bean was standing upright in the seat of her shopping cart, facing backwards, with the "safety" straps wrapped firmly around her little feet, and doing this for her little sister (who, by the way, was safely in the arms of the clueless Momma Bean).

"You're... you're crazy man. I like you, but you're crazy. "

TO MY DEAR AND LOVING HUSBAND by: Anne Bradstreet (c.1612-1672) F ever two were one, then surely we. If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee. If ever wife was happy in a man, Compare with me, ye women, if you can. I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold Or all the riches that the East doth hold. My love is such that Rivers cannot quench, Nor ought but love from thee give recompetence. Thy love is such I can no way repay. The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray. Then while we live, in love let's so persever That when we live no more, we may live ever. Five years ago, we were married on a glorious day. In those five years, we have become pet owners and homeowners. We have endured three job changes, a shocking and still painful death in the family, the marriages of several of our closest friends and family, and the divorce of others. We have suffered the loss of our sisters as they moved to opposite ends of the country. We have witnessed the lives of our loved ones changed forever with the birth of their children. And we have been blessed with the birth of ours. In those five years, we have grown as individuals and as a couple. In those five years, I have learned more about myself and us as a team. In those five years, I have reflected daily upon my luck that you are mine. That we had found each other. That you love me. You are my best friend. The father of the joy of my life. My anchor, my biggest fan, my other half. If the girls are my joy, then you are my life. I love you with every bit of myself and I thank you for five wonderful years. Happy anniversary.

Wherein the doctor replied, "You're fat."

On Tuesday, I took the girls for their 12 month appointment. I knew that it was going to be a rough one, since they were to get four shots each, so I brought along Auntie K. to help me with the writhing, screaming beans that I knew would emerge from the sweet little things. Sure enough, as soon as A Squared was placed upon the scale, the hollering began. I was still in the waiting room with HRP, but when she heard her sister's wails, she dropped her Blue, clenched my arm fiercely and peered warily over my shoulder into the hallway where her sister was being tortured.

A measured in at 16 lbs. 8 oz. That is only five ounces more than she weighed at 9 months. She has now dropped from the 5th percentile to the 3rd. She was measured at 28 1/2 inches, but the doctor admitted that she was squirming and when I measured again later, she was 27 1/2 inches - 25th percentile - she was on pace. Her head circumference was in the 50th percentile, but that didn't surprise me at all, as I'm known for my incredibly large cranium. The shots were devastating, but even more so because our doctor has us place the girls on their backs on the examining table and hold their arms down as she administers the shots. What is so upsetting about this is that my little bean is staring right into my eyes during the whole procedure and I am watching her as her eyes widen in pain and the tears spring from her eyes. All she knows is that I am looking at her and holding her down while someone is injuring her and I am doing NOTHING about it. It's quite miserable.

Do any other doctors have this sort of procedure for your babies' immunization?

Next up was Her Royal Pieness. Already in a tizzy from listening to her sister, M began her sobbing immediately upon entry of the examination room. Her measurements: 17 lbs. 2 oz. (3%) and 28 1/2 in. (25%). And yes, yes, she has a big head too. She didn't fare as well with the shots as A did, which only means that she screamed even louder and longer.

After examining the girls and asking the standard questions, my doctor had only one concern - the girls' weights. I emphasized how much the girls loved food and ate a lot, in my opinion, and I informed her that we had begun feeding the girls whole milk. She peppered me with additional questions about their diet and instructed me to replace their juice/water combination with even more milk to add calories. Then she asked me what J looked like. At this point, I was unsure what she was getting at. I told her that he was about 6'1" 1/2 and had a slender to normal build.

"Ohhhh...that must be it," she said, nodding her head.

"You see, I may have been a little more concerned, but now it seems that they are just small children...they are taking after their father and have great metabolisms!"

Blink.

Um...

Insert awkward silence.

Where, I wanted to say, "Oh, thank God they don't have my metabolism! I mean, who'd want to be destined to resemble an overgrown Weeble Wobble?" or, "No, really. I do have a great metabolism too! I'm just short and you can't tell! If I was about six inches taller, I'd have a smoking body!" instead, I graciously responded with a smile, "Yes, they must have gotten that from their father."

That night, I pulled out my yoga DVD's. And...doing yoga with two toddlers clinging to you...well that's a story for another day.

OH BABY! News from my two BFFs....there's something in the water! M is preggo with her THIRD baby in three years....you know, the one with the minivan (hehehehehehe)...Well, I guess she'll really need it now! I couldn't be happier. Miss E. just discovered that she is the aunt to a precious little BOY!! Congratulations to both families. These children could not ask for two better women in their lives. They are simply amazing and I am lucky to have them in mine.

What happens when Momma Bean throws a huge birthday bash,

plans a birthday day trip and

participates in a bachelorette party all in one week.

NO laundry. Sorry girls. Love the socks. Go State.

We shall never forget

We shall keep this day

We shall keep the events and the tears

In our minds, our memory and our hearts

And take them with us as we carry on.

Toddlers in the hiz-ouse!

She's got teeth!

It was a great party. The girls were spoiled by wonderful family and friends. Aunt Deb made their cakes (A's was the eggless one) and it took them a few minutes to warm up to the idea, but soon enough, they were digging away. As far as the gifts were concerned, they weren't interested in opening one. In fact, I think that was the worst part of the day for the girls. They didn't get the hang of it and became frustrated quickly. I thought that they might get a kick out of tearing the paper, but I ended up doing most of the tearing.

M was a bit anxious about all of the people around her and seemed a bit tense throughout the day. After everyone left though, and it was just her, her sister and the boys, she dived right into the new toys with gusto. Here are more photos of the day's festivities.

Today, their actual "birthdate", J and I played hooky from work and took the Beans on a daytrip to Frankenmuth, Michigan. We had lunch at Zendher's, did a little shopping at The Riverwalk and Birch Run and the girls fell in love with Bronner's. We topped it off with dinner at Uno's before we drove home, exhausted from our day. I hope the girls enjoyed themselves for their first birthday...we couldn't get enough of them, as they were in rare form. It was almost as if they knew it was their day, because they flirted with and entertained everyone who stopped to see them.

The aftermath....The party was a success and the four of us spent a relaxing afternoon playing with their new toys. Well, relaxing if you don't count J's fit while assembling the wagon. Of course, he goes into a rage assembling anything, even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. More to come...stay tuned. 

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing The girls love JT, what can I say? Here's A Squared. She's always been a bit more...demure...than her big sister. I guess it goes for dancing too. Sorry for the lighting!