Happy 30th Birthday BESTIE Mama!!!

Today I just want to give a very, very special birthday shout out to my very best friend in the whole world, Bridget Marie Wheeler! On this very special day, Bridget turns the big 3-0 and what's even more special about today....it's her very first birthday as a mama!
Welcome to the world Turner Thomas Wheeler, xoxo! You are so loved already!
Dear Bridget,
Happy day of birth to you...my bestest friend in the whole wide world. I hope you have the best day ever...I can't tell you enough how much I love you and how special you are to me...I value our friendship more than words could ever tell you...you are my best friend, my "soul sista!" The one I laugh with, cry with...the one I tell everything to...the one I call when I need a good laugh or need someone to just listen with no judgements. I can trust you with anything and everything and I would honestly be lost without you. We've been through so, so much during the 17+ years that we've been besties...we've laughed a lot, cried a lot and raised a lot of hell ;) I have the most amazing, hilarious memories because of you and our friendship and I can't wait to make many, many more.

We have graduated high school together, college together, we've lived together for years, you watched me become a mommy and stood by me as I said "I do" to my other bestest best, the absolute love of my life...and then you repaid me that honor as I got to stand by you as you married your bestest best and now...just two short days ago, I got to share with you as you became a mama for the first time!

I am so proud of you Bridget and just so honored to be your best friend...I could literally go on forever but I just want you to always know, that no matter how many sad, lonely (boo hoo!) miles that seperate us, you are always in my heart as my best friend, my sister and you mean the world to me (can we just go back to the good ole' days of living two blocks away from each other...how fun would that be for us and our kiddos?!)

Thank you for always supporting me, for standing by my side, for being so loyal and honest and trustworthy...thank you for loving me and Chris and for loving our three little ladybugs as if they were your own. I promise to do the same with Turner and any future little Wheeler's that come along!!! Today...and everyday, I hope all of your wishes come true...I love you!

Happy Birthday B...you beautiful mama you!!! Xoxoxo.
Love always,
Amanda

In just 2 short weeks...

I have to go back to work after 6 months of being home with my little ladybugs *tears* It has been an amazing gift to be able to be home with our babies for 6 months versus the standard 12 weeks of maternity leave. I knew when we found out that we were having twins this time around, I not only wanted to have extra time...but I was going to NEED the extra time to adjust to taking care of two babies versus one! It has gone by so fast yet some days I felt like I wouldn't be able to last the full 6 months (with the craziness of having two little babies at home, tandem feeds, no sleep, etc...it's seriously going to be less work to be back to work, lol!) It's weird because sometimes when I think back to the very beginning of my leave and the sleepless nights...wait, what am I talking about...we're still sleepless in the Fordham household but these little beauties are worth it! But in the beginning we were on a strict feeding schedule and we literally couldn't go anywhere in fear of messing with their schedule so when I think back to that...it feels like forever ago yet also feels like it was just yesterday! I just can't even believe that our two little beauties are going to be SIX MONTHS old next week and that our little Rylee Jane will be THREE in August...to all the new mama's out there...it really is true what they say..."don't blink" because before you know it, they're all grown up *tears...AGAIN, sigh*
Anyways, I hope you all had an amazing Mother's Day weekend...I sure did. My hubby and baby girls make me feel so special every single day but even more special this past weekend...I was showered with gifts, snuggles and lots of wet, sloppy smoochies! (From the girls not my hubby, hehe!) I am truly so blessed to have such an amazing and beautiful family who I love with every inch of my being...God is so, so good!

To document this very special Mother's Day as a mom to three, we wanted to take some photos...I have realized in the last 6 months that taking photos of all the ladybugs has become a "science" if you will, because there's almost always going to be one of us that blinks, makes a silly face, isn't smiling, etc.

Take ONE:



 First attempt...thanks for cutting my head off babe ;)

Take TWO:

 Maysen and Parker...less than enthused by our photo shoot!

Take THREE:

 Rylee is now less than enthused as well!

Take FOUR:

 Mommy looks like she's high, lol!

Take FIVE:

 Babies have finally "given in" to photo shoot and are being content...mommy still looks high! *sigh*

Take SIX

 It's a keeper...seriously love these little girls with all of my heart!

Take SEVEN:

A blooper requested by daddy...hahaha! I can't even believe I'm showing you this...Still makes me giggle! Oh what you won't do for a good laugh, lol :)

Well, now I'm off to love up on my little sugar pie's who are being so silly right now! I'm not going to take a second of this next two weeks for granted...and thank GOD it's finally nice outside so I can get out and do some major walkin' with them...fresh air during the day = more peaceful nights (I hope!)

xoxo,

Amanda



Let's Try This Again!

Hi friends :) It's me again...the not-so-good-at-this-blogging-thing-but-still-really-like-it-so-plan-to-stick-with-it kinda gal, lol! I know I've said this in previous posts but my oh my has my life changed since Miss Maysen and Princess Parker joined our family! There's no way...and no one that could have ever prepared me and my hubby for how much life would change with having twins! When I look at my three little girls, my heart feels like it could literally explode because I have SO MUCH love for them and I love being their mommy more than anything in the world...but being a mom is a full-time job...and then some! I still have 7weeks left of my maternity leave and I am just now finally settling into a routine (it only took us 4.5 months, lol!) A routine in which I might add could be completely thrown off by a sickness, growth spurt, etc so I say that while knocking on wood! We finally got the girls to sleep in their cribs at night which is a HUGE victory for us...they just absolutely hated their cribs but after a week of really rough nights that included some "crying it out," I am happy to report that I think they finally understand that their cribs are safe and comforting and they don't just rely on mommy and her "milk makers" for comfort ;) Yes, I'm proud to report that nursing TWO babies is still going pretty darn good!
My heart is aching a little thinking about how fast I know the next 7weeks will go but I'm also counting my blessings that I have been lucky enough to spend the first 6months of their lives at home kissing and cuddling them! I'm also looking forward to getting back to work and having some adult interaction during the days! It's hard to even have time in the evenings with Chris because once he gets home, it's all about getting dinner done and eaten, then bath time for the girls and then bedtime routine...which usually gets us to about 8-9pm by which time we are both so exhausted we usually just zone out to the 9o'clock news and before we know it, we are sound asleep...sounds romantic, ey?! Haha!
Anyways, just when I think it's safe to sit down and pay attention to my little blog-love (you know that schedule/routine thing I mentioned above...), I hear babies crying...and they sound hungry! *sigh*
I have a lot to catch up on and so much to share so stay tuned and I promise to be better...schedule permitting, lol ;)
My bonus mom and aunts and cousin had a "Pinterest Party" this weekend...it was a blast!!! I'll post more this week on that and include all the fun projects we created. Also, I'll be busy this week planning last little touches for my bestie's baby shower...it's this Saturday and I can't FREAKIN' wait to see her and that adorable baby bump! Can't wait to shower her with an amazing party and lots of cute gifts for baby W! I can't wait to share pics of her party decor and all the sweet little baby gifts that I've made for her! (I got a sewing machine for my birthday and I'm seriously having SEW MUCH FUN (hahaha...dorky I know but it made me laugh...see, it doesn't take much for me lately!) teaching myself to sew...so many projects I'd love to do but so little time...oh well, maybe some day when life slows down a bit...yeah right, who am I kidding?! And you know what...I really wouldn't want it any other way...because I'm LOVIN' LIFE AS MOMMY AND WIFE...it's what God wanted me to do...and I'm so grateful and so blessed for my beautiful family!
I hope you all have a great week!
xoxo,
Amanda

A BIG.FAT.REALITY CHECK!

Hi friends! It's once again been forever since I've blogged about life at the Fordham Household but my oh my have I had one giant dose of reality since bringing M & P home...Here I thought that I was going to have all this time to get little projects done and really get into creating my blog but I have been sadly mistaken! For those of you that really know me, I am a bit OCD when it comes to organization and keeping our house clean and in order so to not even really be able to do those small, daily "chores" if you will, is making this mama a bit crazy...there are days that I don't even have time to shower let alone clean or get a blog entry done! I know there are so many people that would say "they are only little once and it goes so very fast so enjoy this time," and although I know that from experience (someone pinch me...my Rylee Jane is already 2.5 years old...how did that happen?!!) but I can't really relax when the house is totally out of order! So I'm really trying to let some of that go and find a balance...it's hard but we're getting there! This is what a typical day looks like at the Fordham house....
7am: wake up, nurse M & P all the while trying to multi-task getting buggy up and ready for the day. She's a bit of a bear in the morning so that's challenging to get her moving!
8am: call my neighbor Chuck (nicest neighbors everrrrrrrrrr...Chuck and Mary; they're just fabulous...like a bonus set of grandparents for our girls!) Anyways, Chuck is retired and they have twin grandkids, boy/girl, who are Rylee's age and they live in Missouri so it's nice for them to have little ones next door...they get their 'fix' that way, lol ;) He sits with the girls while I run Rylee to daycare so I don't have to bring them out in the cold!
9am: M & P are usually getting fussy around this time...they want to eat all.the.time.......I'm trying so very hard to stay committing to nursing because I nursed Rylee for the first year and it was so good for both of us! It's much.much.much different with two...did I mention it's MUCH different, lol :) I still don't feel like my body is producing enough to keep them satisfied so I usually have to top them off with a little formula a couple times a day.
10am: M & P need to be fed a little again and then they usually nap around 10ish...I have tried really hard to follow babywise with the girls too because it worked well with Rylee but not so much this time around...I'm finally at the point that I'm saying...the hell with a schedule...it's purely survival mode with two babies!! True story.
This nap I try really hard to have them in their cribs and if they fuss, I try to let them just fuss it out. Once they are resting peacefully, I try to run a quick vaccuum (I do this daily because as much as I love our pup, Bella...I cannot stand the dog hair...see, OCD kickin' in again!! Then I try to do a quick Jillian workout, I LOVE her! I got rid of my gym membership because I figured with 3 little ones, I would rarely get there which is proving to be true and I love to run outside when it's nice out so to get me through the winter months, I workout with my girl Jillian...I am feeling very out of shape because I wasn't supposed to do much physical activity being pregnant with twins this time around...it's probably a good thing buggy is at daycare during my workouts because there tends to be a lot of not so nice words coming out of my mouth! I'm really committed to being in shape...I always have and hope that I always will be and right now, I'm just so unhappy with my post-baby bod but they are only 2months old and I'll just keep working at it! Okay, sidetracked again. Anyways, after my workout, I try to get a shower in as well. It should be noted that if all of this happens during their morning nap, this is a very, VERY good day! Typically, I'm lucky if I get a workout in, let alone a shower. I did tell my hubby recently though that when he gets home from work, if I still haven't had a workout/shower, he NEEDS to take over for me so I can get those things in...otherwise I feel like I'm going to go crazy...just keepin' it real.
Noon: Girls are usually up and ready to eat again...feed them and try to feed myself. Then they usually hang out in their swings/bouncers or they are just so fussy that I have to just hold and snuggle them while watching smutty series on Netflix (remember, we don't have cable!) So far I've watched Gossip Girl (4 seasons), Pretty Little Liars (3 seasons) and Chris and I have watched Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad and were currently watching Mad Men...I know, it seams like a lot but I've logged many, many hours of feeding these two little lovies! They are fussy because they have really bad gas pains...I've tried switching many things in my diet and finally have come to the conclusion that it's not mama's milk that is giving them gas, it's just their little tummy's trying to get used to digestion. Their pediatrician said they'd just outgrow it...so while we wait for them to outgrow it, we just deal with their painful cries and try to soothe them the best we can...it's so sad to hear them in pain :( Then they pass adult size gas and feel much better!
2pm: Feed again; this feeding I usually lay down with them and nurse them belly to belly...I set up pillow all around us and we snuggle in and nap together.
4pm: wake up, feed again.
5pm: the 4pm feeding usually doesn't satisfy them...starting time of the clusster feedings/witching hours so I have to usually give them a few ounces of formula. Then daddy and buggy get home and we all have family time...eat supper, play, etc.
7pm: feed M&P again.
8pm: bedtime with Rylee...and ohhh mmm gee...lately, this has been hell. She just doesn't want to go to sleep and will cry and cry and try everything to get out of bedtime. So...we not only have two tiny babies crying, we have our sweet little Rylee Jane adding to the fun too! *sigh*
9pm: usually feed the girls again and top off with bottle if needed...Chris and I try to lay them in their cribs but that only lasts a short time before at least one of them is crying...they just have to be together...either with one another or with mommy/daddy...makes sense since they've been together since the beginning of time! So sweet but doesn't really give us any good rest. They almost always end up in bed with us or we would not get any sleep. They usually wake up once or twice to feed in the middle of the night...more at times...
So there you have it...in all it's glory! One big fat reality check for this mama. I still have until May/June until I have to be back to work so I'm hoping that I can start getting them on more of a schedule and really try to get them sleeping in their cribs so that I can get more restful sleep and start getting more things done. I have so many things I'd like to get done while I'm home...for now, I'm letting go of some of my expectations because it's just giving me anxiety...I'll still hold out for some hope that I get to some of my to-do's before I return to work but for now, it's just surviving day to day.
I still really hope to make a go of this because it's so fun and I love to write...I need an outlet during this crazy beautiful time in our lives!
xoxo,
Amanda
P.S. I had a birthday this last week and I turned the big 2-9...last year in my twenties! I hear that 30's are the new 20's anyways! I made a list of 30 things I want to do before turning 30...I'll be back soon to share that with you along with posts about the babes...I have so many pics to share with you!

Snow Day!!!

Hey Friends :) I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!! The Fordham Five had a wonderful holiday...lots of stops along the way and very busy but so worth it. It's always such a blessing to be able to spend time with friends and family during the holidays! I'm not gonna lie, I was a little worried about the babies with all the germs and flu bugs that seem to be going around but so far, so good! We took lots of pictures of all the Christmas gatherings and I will share them later this week...Santa was very good to miss Rylee and her Christmas spirit was absolutely adorable this year...it was magical to see the innocence of Christmas through a child's eyes and I look forward to many more years of Christmas magic to come!
Anyways, we got some fresh snow a couple of days ago in the Rochester area and I wanted to share some daddy and Rylee pictures from their fun snow day! They were outside for an hour or two and I heard lots of giggling coming from outside so I got a little break from the babies and snuck upstairs to check on Chris and buggy and they were SO CUTE...laughing and playing together and having so much fun so of course I had to sneak some pics of my loves!

The sound of Rylee's giggles and the smile on her face during the sledding was priceless! I'm so thankful to be home on maternity leave during this cold, snowy winter...I love being snuggled inside with my girls and I love that Chris has gotten to be home with us for the last few weeks. He goes back to work tomorrow morning...I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous to do it all on my own but I had a "test drive" the week before Christmas...it was hard at times but I just need to figure out a schedule and settle into a routine...I feel confident that I'll find a rhythm and it will all be just fine but I am nervous! Deep breaths, deep breaths! Rylee's home with me for Monday and Tuesday and will be back at daycare with her friends on Wednesday...if I don't get to more posts until Wednesday it's because I have my hands full with three little ones all by myself ;) I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a happy holiday! Oh yeah, and I have a happy update about the twins...Maysen and Parker are finally up to 7pounds...YAY ladybugs!!!! Our pediatrician told me this last Friday that I finally get to be a 'normal mom' with 'normal babies' which means nursing them on demand and no longer having to supplement them with bottles...I'm hoping this will free up some of my time during the day because that's pretty much all I do is nurse them and then pump/bottle feed them. It was a very happy, very proud moment for Chris and me because it's hard not to second guess things with one newborn let alone two and now we know that we were doing everything right! They are healthy and happy and absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

xoxo,

Amanda



DRUMROLL Please!!! Now Introducing...

Maysen Rae & Parker LeAnn

Our little angels!!!

Maysen Rae and Parker LeAnn joined our family on Friday, November 23rd, 2012 at 37 weeks pregnant and we are so in love with our new little lovies...they are absolutely perfect...so beautiful and so very sweet...just like their big sister, Rylee Jane! Maysen arrived at 3:17pm and Parker followed, arriving at 3:19pm. They both weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces...talk about identical!!! Maysen was 18 1/2 inches long and Parker was 18 3/4 inches long. I have to dedicate a separate post for their birth story because it is just way too crazy not to have it's own spotlight...I'm still in shock about how fast they arrived that sometimes it doesn't even feel real!

{Parker on the left and Maysen on the right}

Words cannot express how much I love my little girls...they are the greatest, most beautiful gifts from God and I honestly could never put into words how much my heart belongs to them...I feel like I was put on this earth to be their mommy...it's the best feeling ever. I often wonder...is this really my life?! How did I get so lucky to marry my soulmate, my best friend...and then be blessed with these beautiful angels?! Okay. someone pinch me!!!

{Our three angels...I am so, so in love with them! Parker on bottom, Maysen hugging on top!}

I have so many updates to share with you guys...SO many! I haven't blogged for a few months because I was just so caught up in spending every spare moment with Rylee as I knew when her baby sisters joined our family, life was never going to be the same for her...for any of us! We wanted to make sure we did as many fun, one-on-one things with Rylee and we were so busy finishing up on house projects that my crazy, hormonal self NEEDED to be done before the babies came home with us! Sometimes I look back to how hormonal I got at the end...just being so un-Godly uncomfortable that it's still amazing to me that my husband still loves me as much as he does, lol! Anyways, like I have mentioned before, I really do love writing...it's such an escape for me and I need something to call my own! I love sharing with others our fun ideas about home DIY projects and house updates and mostly, all the amazing trials and tribulations that come with raising children! I want to share this journey of being a mommy to three little girls (the good, the bad...and the best!), I want to tell you all about my pregnancy with twins (what differed being preggo with one versus two buggies and answer any questions you may have), I want to gush to you about my amazing husband...my very best friend and what an amazing daddy he is...I want to share with you all about the last year with house updates...Chris and I have worked so hard to make changes and updates and now our home is a place that we love even more than we could have ever imagined and we still have so many more projects on our to-do list! So...with all of that being said, I promise to be better and stick with this blog and hope that people will follow along and enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them. I have lots of plans in place and so much to tell you....so follow along with me and enjoy the ride.

xoxo,

Amanda

 



Life Changes

Happy Hump Day Friends :)
Today I thought I'd tell you all a little about all the changes that the Fordham Fam has made since finding out we were expecting.............TWINS!
First and foremost, we've done A LOT of laughing because during stressful times (ie. like re-working our budget a million times to make sure that we are going to be financially okay once these two little love bugs arrive...after all that stress, you pretty much feel like you just want to curl up and cry with all the uncertainties and unanswered questions! *sigh*) Daddy says..."no cryin' mama...just laughing!" That hubby of mine, let me tell you, he is my rock...my soul-mate...my very best friend! I'm the "stressor, the do-er, the planner" of the family and he's a lot more laid back and just knows in his heart that everything will just work out like it's supposed to...like he always says, God would not have blessed us with two babies at once if we were not going to be able to handle it...Amen honey!
We literally laugh about everything now...we just have to...it keeps us sane! We have made sure to spend every extra second we have spending quality time with our first love, Rylee Jane because we know how big of a change this will be for her too! She is always rubbing my belly and kissing her baby "siksters" and although I anticipate some jealous bugs from her, I think she's going to be the best big sister in the world...she is just so gentle and kind and LOVES to share! Hopefully she will stay like that when her baby sisters are actually home with us...time will tell!
One of the biggest changes that we've had to make is....................we had to get a..............are you ready for it................................a MINI-VAN (cue the laughter...it's okay...I still can barely even say the words MINI-VAN out loud without a smirk on my face! haha!) I was always that girl that said...no matter what, under no circumstances...will I ever drive a mini-van!!!!! And that of course was before I ever thought, in a million years, that we would be having two babies at the same time! Before the new wheels, I had a Hyundai Sonata that I absolutely ADORED! It was such a nice car...we purchased it shortly before Rylee arrived as we knew we needed something bigger than my little Saturn car and something much more reliable...that beauty had such a nice ride...so smooth and comfy! But we knew immediately that the Sonata was not going to fit THREE car seats so we began the search for a new "family vehicle." We got a pretty big reality check almost immediately that there was no way we were going to be able to afford a nice, SUV that would comfortably fit all of us and furthermore, the gas prices for an SUV would be outrageous...so sadly, my hopes for a cool mom vehicle dwindled and we narrowed our search to mini-vans! Chris was tickled pink about this...thought having a van would be so cool because they are just so roomy and comfortable and his humor quickly pulled me out of my "feel sorry for myself funk!" We lucked out and found a very nice, 2010 Chrysler Town and Country (the Touring edition!) This baby is fully loaded with leather seats that are heated none-the-less, two drop-down DVD players for the munchkins and a touch screen navigation system, back up camera, memory for thousands of songs, etc...you name it, this baby had it, lol :) It's still not what I ever imagined myself driving as a 28 year old but it's not about me anymore...that changed the second Rylee Jane came into this world! It really is nice...and we are very fortunate to have found it for such a good deal. It's a beautiful dark-gray color and the interior is all light gray...really pretty! Picture this...me and the hubs drop the buggy off at daycare, run through a coffee drive-thru and jam out to old-school Snoop Dog while crusin' around in the MINI-VAN...yep...we went there :) And we laughed the entire time!
Other changes we've had to make are down-grading our cellphone plans to save money as well as turning our cable off...poor Chris...right around football/hockey season but for $80.00 a month just for basic cable (damn you CHARTER! Rochester only has one cable company and they are not willing to wheel and deal at all...boo to the hoo!) we just couldn't keep it around! We are trying to cut back in every area that we feel is not a necessity...at least until these little bundles arrive so we know where we're at financially and then if we're doing okay, we will slowly start bringing some of the luxury items back into our lives...but for now, it's games and music and having tea parties with our lady bug...and I'm LOVING every second of it! It's a very humbling feeling to know that you can live with less and it just feels good to be in control of our finances...it makes me feel more in control of everything and right now, I need that! One more thing that I wanted to share with you guys is this HILARIOUS video that my aunt sent me...said it reminds her of what our lives will be like with three kids...and because Chris and I have gotten so good at having a great sense of humor...I could totally see us bustin' out in a rap someday...haha!!!
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

http://www.dump.com/parentsrap/

xoxo,

Amanda