Making Easter Eggs

Eli and I colored Easter Eggs today. This was the first time we have done this project. He did a really good job dunking the eggs and was very patient waiting for the color to take. Here are some pics from the project. If you look closesly you will see that the egg dye was placed inside Thanksgiving cups and Eli is wearing a Halloween shirt. What can I say...we really love our holidays around here!

Eli Making a Red Egg

Making a Blue Egg

Getting Ready to Dunk an Egg

Relaxing While Waiting for the Eggs to Dry

The Finished Product!

I hope the Easter Bunny likes the eggs as much as I do. I can't wait for him to run around the house looking for them Sunday morning!

First Week on the New Job

I just had my first week home with all three kids. Nothing all that special happened but it was a very busy, exhausting week. Eli has preschool on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I was pretty impressed I got him there on time both days. We had two play dates, to the Riche playground with Ramona on Monday and a trip Eddie's house on Friday. By the end of each day, each child had been fed and had napped. Overall, it was a very successful week. Eli keeps me on my toes!

I never saw myself in this role as a stay-at-home mom. I have never been really good at staying home. I easily get stir crazy. However, if 14 weeks of bedrest taught me anything it was how to be still. It has been nice to be able to get my house organized. To take care of my home and take care of my children and frankly take care of myself. When I was working full time I was constantly stressed for time. I was always looking for time. Looking for time to work, looking for time to be home. I had a very hard time striking that work/home balance.

That is not to say that I don't miss working, because I do. I haven't worked outside my home since September. I will return to some work very soon, but after giving it long thought, I may not return to my profession (at least not full-time) for awhile. While I do miss my law practice considerably, I do not miss the stress that comes with trying to balance being a full-time attorney with being a mom. Besides, right now I really want to and really need to focus on being a mother. I have a lifetime to build a law practice. I have only a few years before my kids start school.

Happily Average

This past Thursday was the girls three month birthday. My how much has changed in just three months. Esme and Iris were born 6 weeks early. While they were pretty good sized babies for their gestational age at birth, they were still much smaller than the average size full term baby. Esme (baby A) was 5 lbs 6 oz and Iris (baby B) was 5 lbs 14 oz.

Esme and Iris - 2 1/2 weeks old

On their three month birthday both girls had doubled their birth weights. Esme now weighs in at 11 lbs 7.5 oz and Iris is 11 lbs 14 ounces. But it is more than just how much they weigh. The girls have caught up with their age group. Both girls are now in the 50th percentile on the growth charts, which means they are both average size compared to other babies of the same age. Despite being born 6 weeks premature, it took these beautiful girls only 3 months to completely catch up. They are not only caught up in weights but are also right on track developmentally as well.

Check out these chunky monkeys......

Esme and Iris - 3 months old

Both girls have started smiling. I see the smiles come and go throughout the day. However, each is so fleeting I have yet to catch one of these illusive smiles on camera. They are holding their heads up well. They are cooing at us. Each day it seems they are doing something new. Also, both girls are sleeping much better now. Typically, their bed time is around 8:00 p.m. They sleep until 11:30 - 1:00, get up for a bottle, and then go down again until 4:30-6:00 a.m. This schedule has been greatly appreciated by Jesse and I. We are still pretty tired, but at least we are all getting some longer stretches of sleep.

A Trip to the Promenade

Yesterday was an absolutely beautiful day here in Southern Maine. The sun was shining. The wind was minimal. It was about 50 degrees. Feeling a bit vitamin D deficient, we packed up all three kiddos and went into Portland to the Eastern Promenade. Portland has a great trails program and there are a number of really great walking paths all over town. This bike/walking trail runs along the eastern side of the Portland peninsula. Along the path is the harbor, the East End Beach, and the Narrow Gage Rail Way. Eli has been crazy about trains lately, so we thought this would be the perfect path for a walk as the train comes by regularly.

Eli

Eli and Mom (me)

Esme all snuggled in the stroller

Iris all snuggled into the stroller

Eli waving to the train conductor

Eli and Dad (Jesse) looking out at the East End Beach

Mom (me) pointing out a Ferry in the Harbor

It was a short trip but well worth it. Winter is finally coming to a close here. Maine is starting to come back to life as its inhabitants are starting to come back out of their houses. There were tons of people out and about. A lot of parents out with strollers and little kids. Most days are still pretty chilly and we are sure to get at least one or two more storms, but after being cooped up inside all winter (and for me, the fall too) it has been wonderful to start spending some time outside again.

Food From the Heart

I think that food has got to be the best gift to parents of a new baby, or in our case babies. We have received so many great food gifts since bringing the twins home. This has made our lives so much easier as there is so much to do that it is nice to have a healthy yummy ready to go meal. The food we have received is so much yummier than anything we can get delivered! Also it is so wonderful to try all these new dishes that we have never made for ourselves.

Our friends Dawn Weirs and Hayley Roberts (the Butler sisters) brought us two delicious Zucchini Casseroles and an American Lasagna. They also stayed overnight and gave us a night off, sleeping with the girls and handling all the night shifts. Seriously, girls, you can come back anytime!!!!!

Saul and Carolyn (my brother in law and his wife) gave us a gift certificate for Make Thyme for Dinner in South Portland, for 8 prepared meals. So far we have had a fantastic Tuscan Beef Stew, a Vegetarian Tamale Pie, and Cranberry Pomegranate Pork Medallions. We have 5 more delicious meals still in the freezer we cannot wait to try.

Our friends and neighbors, John and Elisha made us one of the best Sheppard's Pies I have ever had. I am not sure what their secret is but it was really good.

Our friends Amanda and Ed came to visit one night and brought dinner with them, a pot roast with carrots and potatoes. This is the best kind of dinner guests!

Our friends Lisa and Erik, who also have twin baby boys a bit older than our girls and a daughter the same age as our son, brought us a Chicken Tagine with Couscous and Green Salad with Carrots and Mushrooms. I loved this one so much, I just had to include the recipe. Thanks for providing me with it Lisa!

Chicken Tagine in a Slow Cooker (serves 4 over rice, pasta, or couscous)

4 boneless chicken breast (about 1.25 lbs)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 medium red onion thinly sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large garlic clove minced
1 cup chicken or veggie stock
2 tbsp of honey
1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tbsp of corn starch whisked into 2 tbsp of cold water

In slow cooker combine chicken, salt, spices, onion, carrots and garlic. In a small bowl whisk together broth, honey, lemon juice, and tomato paste then pour into slow cooker. Sprinkle with raisins and apricots. Cook for 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low. At the end of the time, whisk together the corn starch and water and add to the pot. Cook until the juices are thickened slightly. Pull chicken apart with a fork (optional). Stir and then Serve.

Garnish suggestions - chopped cilantro, almonds, sliced green olives.

I have no idea who this recipe originally belongs to, but it is delicious! I hope that you also enjoy it.

Thanks so much to everyone who has brought us food and if I have forgotten anyone in this note, I apologize, as you can imagine I am very tired! We are so appreciative.

All Bundled Up

Esme and Iris

Yesterday it was finally warm enough to take the girls outside for awhile. I got them all bundled up to go for a walk with myself, Jesse, and my mom. They looked so cute in their snowsuits! I put them in the suits and within minutes both girls were fast asleep. They slept through the whole walk.

"Minnie" and Esme

Mommy and Iris

Starting to Get the Hang of This

So being the mom of a three year old is pretty hard work. Add twin newborns to that and you have the equivalent of three full time jobs! But I am starting to get the hang of this. This past week, I have started to see some patterns develop and some routines begin to be established. This is very encouraging.

We have actually taken the whole family on two trips now, both about 1.5 - 2 hours from our house. Our first trip was to Etna to visit with my parents, sister, brother, and all of the cousins. It was a fun trip, but a mad house. Esme and Iris are grandchildren seven and eight. Four boys, four girls, the oldest being my niece Kaylee, age 5. It is so much fun to watch all of the older kids play together. Our second trip was yesterday to Candia, NH, to Jesse's parents house. Another success. The girls did great in the car and Eli sang us songs all the way down.


We have, of course, become a minivan family. There are very few vehicles out there that will fit three car seats. I never saw myself in a minivan, but I must tell you, I LOVE it! Nothing fancy, an old Dodge Caravan, but it has so much room. We have always driven small compact cars, so the minivan feels like traveling in first class.

Eli is really adjusting well to the additions to our family. He really seems to love his sisters, or at least the idea of them. Most of the time, he doesn't seem to notice them. But when he talks about them or asks about them, he lights right up. His eyes get wide and a smile comes across his face. He has only once asked for them to go back to the hospital, and, I think that was because he actually misses trips to the hospital. I guess Maine Med is a pretty exciting place to visit when you are three. Especially when dad lets you push all of the buttons in the elevator!

There have definitely been some bumps and unexpected curves in the road but we are definitely starting to function as a family again. This has been a long time in coming, given the length of separation we had during the pregnancy. It is so wonderful to wake up every morning and find myself surrounded by my husband and children. I feel so blessed.