Raising Twins III

Bear in mind that Chris and I were technically still newlyweds when we had two babies. We were married exactly 9 months and two days when we brought home two babies. We had known each other 11 months when we brought home two babies. It is a good thing we had two first because we didn't know any different. We had nothing to compare it to. We just did what we needed to do. Diaper changes were done assembly line. When one woke up to eat, the other one would be awakened and fed. They were pretty easy babies once we figured them out.

I was stubborn at first and thought we would just do it all by ourselves. Poor Chris had started back to school and was working full-time. I didn't last long nursing and had to supplement when I did, so, I gave that up after about six weeks. Chris would wake up some nights long enough to put a bottle in a mouth and go back to sleep. I took care of the burping, changing, and back to bed. He would get up in the morning, get ready for work or class and I would have a day with babies. A lot of mornings, he would ask if I wanted my "bed bugs" before he left. They slept longer in the bed with me.

Our first New Year's together, we had two three-week-old babies. I was exhausted! Around 11:30 PM on New Year's Eve, I got both babies to sleep. Chris had been asleep for a while. On the STROKE of midnight, both babies started wailing! My "newlywed" husband didn't move. I truly think he believed if he didn't move, they would stop crying, like some dinosaurs whose vision was based on movement, the babies would stop if they thought nobody was there. I said, "HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!" Then, Chris moved. He slowly reached down, and pulled the covers over his head, afraid of what I was going to do next. Well, I got up, picked up two babies, handed him one, and we put them back to sleep. It was shortly after that I called in the "Grandma Cavalry" and we slept for ten hours straight :D

Some Cooking Thoughts

08/06/2010

First of all, I don't claim to be a master chef, nor the world's greatest cook. I just enjoy what I do and try my best to take care of my family. I have been cooking for a LONG time. I started bugging my mother when I was around nine years of age to teach me to cook. Because it wasn't her favorite thing to do, she started teaching me. Mama was a good cook, she was just very basic. Mama didn't make her own sauces or experiment much. That's what I like to do. My sister told me she isn't impressed with me because she does the same stuff all the time. But, she did point out that she doesn't do it with the passion that I do it with.

There are just a few things that I absolutely cannot do without when it comes to my cooking or baking. One thing that I MUST have is butter. REAL butter. I only use sweet cream butter and salted butter more often than not. Another thing that many of my main dishes, sauces, and marinades must have is garlic. Whether it is fresh or powdered, I loves my garlic. I even use it on burgers. It just always gives that little hint of somethign extra. In a lot of my baking, I prefer butter-flavored shortening. It has a lower smoke point than butter and adds a bit of extra moisture.

One of my FAVORITE ingredients, that I add whenever I get a chance, is bacon. I know it's bad for you, but, MAN I loves me some bacon! My youngest son loves it, too. when he smells it cooking, he yells, "Bacon!" It reminds me of the commercials for dog treats! When I was pregnant with him, I used to crave just the smell of bacon and onions cooking together!

I think it is essential to have different types of flour on hand. I use cake flour for cakes and cookies. It makes REALLY light cookies. I use bread flour when baking all my breads, including banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc. I use self-rising flour for biscuits, rolls, and homemade pancakes. I keep all purpose flour for everything else. I also always have at least three types of sugars on hand, granulated, brown, and confectioner's. I try to never run out of these things because I never know when a baking mood is going to hit me. If I don't have my ingredients on hand, it really becomes a pain to have to run out and get something.

I love come up with new recipes or improve recipes I have. My family and friends reap the benefits. I know I sound like an old Southern cook, but, that's pretty much what I am! My roots are deep in Southern soil, but, I like to branch out quite often. However, you will NEVER take my butter and bacon away!

The Preacher's Son III

08/05/2010

After taking a full three seconds to think about it, I said, "Yes" to Chris's proposal. We began making plans for a wedding shortly after that. In between, we worked, went to class, talked on the phone, and spent as much time together as possible.

We had a schedule worked out. He came to see me every day of the week except Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I went to see him and go to church with him on Wednesdays and Sundays. On Saturdays, I had to work both of my jobs and so, we just talked half the night away.

We decided to get married in March. There were several reasons we decided to get married in March (yes, it would only be two months after we met!). First, we would have money after getting our taxes done. Second, we were killing ourselves (and my grades!) trying to spend time together. There were many a night we fell asleep on my couch or Chris had to pull over on his way home to take a short nap because of sheer exhaustion! We also decided that my spring break would be a good time to have a wedding.

Chris did everything he could to help with the wedding. He helped plan, listened to all my ideas, and helped spend money :) He was also really good at trying to keep me happy. One day, I was having a particularly bad day at work. He showed up, driving over an hour, just to bring me a gorgeous arrangement of roses. I was a little spoiled.

March the 6th rolled around. I spent much of the night before sewing the last of the beads on my dress. I didn't sleep well. The morning dawned and it was rainy. As the day went on, I got more nervous. Finally, the hour before the wedding arrived. My ONE concern was, IS HE THERE? I kept asking my friends if they had seen him. Was he really going to show up? Someone saw him, so, I knew he was still hanging around out there.

FINALLY!! Time for the wedding. The music starts. I am waiting my turn. I see him standing there. I make my way with my daddy to this guy I have only known for two months. He looks so handsome. Am I really doing this? Too late not to now. The ceremony keeps going and then he sings. He sang, "Now and Forever" by Richard Marx. Suddenly, I am a married woman. :)

The Preacher's Son II

08/04/2010

The date is now January 5, 1998. Chris went to work and took a nap. I slept away my morning classes and went to my afternoon ones. When I got back, I paged him. Hey! It was 12.5 years ago! Anyway, he called me back. We talked for a couple of hours. Then, he said something about wishing he could see me. So, I gave him directions to my apartment in Cleveland. He drove over an hour to see me in person.

He looked better this time. Not quite so formal, albeit a bit messy. (I took care of that after we married, some of THOSE clothes disappeared, mysteriously) Well, we spent the evening talking. LATE into the evening we talked. I sat on the couch. He sat in a chair. Since it was right after Christmas, there were still decorations sitting around. He was playing with a piece of holly while we talked. He then said, "You know what I was thinking? I was wishing this was mistletoe." I played REALLY hard to get and said, "Who says you need mistletoe?" Our first kiss. The sweetest, most toe curling kiss I had ever had :)

Chris drove to Cleveland again the next day when he got off work. Once again, he stayed until the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't getting a lot of rest or a lot of school done. We just couldn't seem to STOP talking once we got started! It was almost as if we were making up for a lifetime of NOT being with each other.

On Wednesday, I had to work. Chris didn't drive to Cleveland because he had to help his Daddy with the church service. When he got out of church, he called me.We talked until two or three in the morning, once again. Trust me! You DON'T want to know about the phone bills!

On Thursday, January 8th, Chris came back to Cleveland to see me. We had gotten VERY comfortable with each other. We learned a lot in a very short amount of time. We still spent so much time talking! We couldn't get enough of each other or just spending time together. We had moved to sitting together on the couch when we talked. During the course of our conversations, we got to aggravating each other. I am a pretty ticklish person, and so is Chris. In the course of this teasing/wrestling, we managed to roll off of the couch. Chris broke my fall by landing on his back. I landed smack on top of him! How embarassing! He then looks at me and says, "I had a crazy thought." I waited. He said, "Do you wanna get married?"

The Preacher's Son

08/03/2010

Chris came along at a time in my life when I honestly wasn't looking for anyone. I had decided (after a really bad break up) that it was time for just me and God. I didn't need a guy, didn't want a guy, and was going to work and (finally) finish school. Who cared that both of my YOUNGER sisters had gotten married already?

Enter my mother. She and my dad started going to a new church. She loved the church, loved the pastor, and loved the pastor's son. She KEPT telling me I needed to meet him. I needed to talk to him. I would like him. He led worship, he sang in church, he played the trumpet, he was single, he was my age, he wasn't dating anyone, blah, blah, blah! I was happy the way I was! Leave me alone! MOTHER! He is TWENTY-FIVE years old, lives with his parents, and works at Bi-Lo! I DON'T think so! Little did I know she was harassing him, too. Showing him my picture, telling him I was in college, blah, blah blah.

So, one Sunday, I showed up at church (drove an hour to do it) so she would shut up and leave me alone. I walk in, she is thrilled. Chris comes out of the back. I am not impressed. He was ok. I didn't like his hairstyle. It was too old for him. Mama calls him over and introduces us. He shakes my hand, says, "nice to meet you," talks to Mama a minute and walks away. I'm going, "wow, jerk." I drove an hour to be here. Oh well, your loss.

THEN, we see the girl. Oh, yes. He had a girl at church with him that Sunday. My mother is incensed. "He told me he wasn't dating anyone!" I'm going, "YAY!! Now she will leave me alone!" After church, we go to my car because Mama wants to ride to the house with me. Well, I have a cup leaking and pouring soda all in my car (my purple baby!). I told Mama I was going to take it inside the church to throw it away, I couldn't just throw it out. I'm not a litterbug! Anyway, I wanted to give the pastor's son one last chance to see what he was missing...(keep in mind, I was young, cute, and skinny, then). So, then, I took Mama home.

I went back to Cleveland that night because I had to work. After work, I tried to call Mama. I couldn't get her. I tried, and tried. Daddy was at work and hadn't heard from her. I finally got in touch with my grandmother. She told me Mama had been in an accident. I got in touch with her at the hospital. She asked me to call her pastor and tell him what had happened. UGH! Ok, Mama.

So, I called Pastor Lumley. I let him know she had been in an accident. She had blacked out driving, but was ok. He told me, "Chris is just kicking himself. He knew she wasn't feeling well at church tonight and feels like maybe he should have followed her home or something." I told him to tell him not to do that and asked if he were there to make sure he would get the message. So, he says, "Yeah, hold on. I'll get him." UGH!! I didn't want to TALK to the guy, just give him the message!

So, Chris gets on the phone. It is nearly midnight. I have classes the next day and he has to work, so, I try to make it short and sweet. I mean, he had to be at work at 6:00 AM. We got off the phone at 5:30 AM because he needed a shower. I went to bed and missed classes that day. The date was January 4-5 1998...

My Baby Boy

Benjamin is the baby of the family, and well does he know it! He is probably the most precocious six-year-old you will EVER meet. This kid has done things that he knew was funny since he was a toddler. He waits for his audience to look and lets it fly. He has an extremely quick wit!

When I got pregnant with Benjamin, I thought I wanted another girl (little did I realize at the time that his sister would NEVER have stood for another girl having a place in HER daddy's heart!). Well, that 20-week point comes along, and we find out, it's a boy. I was a little disappointed. At least I was until Chris pointed out that he was perfectly healthy and I should be thankful. So, I got thankful, but, I did put in ONE request. The first three were as blond and blue-eyed as could be when they were born. So, I told Chris I might not have gotten a second girl, but, I was HOLDING OUT for dark hair! I needed at least ONE child I could lay claim to!

My pregnancy with Benjamin was pretty uneventful until about 32 weeks. We were coming back to TN from GA after spending Christmas with the Lumley side of the family. I started having pains. They started coming five minutes apart. Well, when Chris found out, it was straight to the hospital. Labor stopped, I got to go home and rest. Well, Benjamin wasn't very patient and I had to go back a couple more times. Finally, at 36 weeks, after being in labor AGAIN, the doctor did an amnio, checked his lungs and we did a C-section. He was GORGEOUS! 6 lb 8 oz and 19 1/2 inches long (imagine if he had cooked four more weeks!) AND he had a HEAD FULL of black hair! It stood up everywhere! Chris blamed it on the fact that all I ever wanted to eat the whole time I was pregnant was Italian or Mexican food LOL!

Then he started having trouble breathing. He had "wet lung". He had aspirated amniotic fluid right before his birth. So, they took my baby away. They had to take him to a hospital 30 miles away with a NICU. Well, we had LOTS of folks praying. By the time they got him to the other hospital, he was off the CPAP machine. The next morning, he didn't even need oxygen. I made the doctor release me from the hospital (idiot that I am) a day and a half after having a C-Section. I wanted my baby!

So, we left the hospital to go to the other hospital. The nurses were already in love with Benjamin. He was such a good baby! When I saw this child, I was flooded with love, emotion, and tears (AND milk! Can you say painful? Oh my gosh! My milk had REFUSED to come in and the second I saw him, that changed! I nearly drowned the poor kid the first time he tried to nurse!). Anyway, he was ready to go home and I was ready to have him there.

Well, the dark hair stayed dark, the eyes got even darker. He now has these chocolate eyes he uses on everyone with these huge long eyelashes that make them even more lethal! I will leave this with an example of his wit. Last night, he crawled into our bed after the puppies had been settled down. Chris rolled over to his side and said, "Goodnight, Irene." I said, "Who is Irene? Benjamin, do you know who Irene is?" He said, "No." I said, "Do you think it's Daddy's girlfriend?" He said, "Maybe..." I said, "Maybe?" He said, "Maybe he's cheatin' on you!" Which, of course, brought him a round of tickles from Daddy. Precocious, I say, precocious...

My Daughter

My daughter is a joy, an angel, a diva, and a terror! She is such a loving child. She sat with me in church this morning with her head on my shoulder, holding my hand, fingers interlocked. She is absolutely the sweetest child...when she wants to be. We had the two boys when I got pregnant with her. Chris informed me, "Alright. You've got your two little boys to spoil, I WANT my little girl!" Of course he knew, that was totally up to him, I just had to get her here.

My pregnancy with Abbi was so easy! I had very little morning sickness, worked a full-time, on my feet job, had no health problems. I DID have some cravings, though! I would go on my lunch break to different restaurants to get food. I would go to one for a BBQ sandwich and another for cheese tater tots and a hot fudge sundae. Or go get a fish meal at one and to another for a hot fudge sundae. Or, I would get a salad at one and get a hot fudge sundae at another...seeing a pattern here? Also, EVERY night I ate either a bowl of Lucky Charms or Count Chocula before bed. How much weight did I gain you ask? 12 pounds. I know, sick, right?

Anyway, 37 weeks later, here comes Miss Priss. You may not know that "Abigail" means "a father's joy". Let me tell you how she proved this. The doctor was concerned because she was three weeks early. I kept going into labor and finally at 37 weeks, he decided to take her. Nathan and Matt were so big, we did a C-section and had decided to do one for Abbi, too. Anyway, the doctor was concerned about her lungs. He was afraid they might be a bit under-developed. Well, start the surgery. He makes the incision, and gets her head out. She starts screaming. Most babies don't scream this soon. Abbi decided to let everyone know she was here.

She continued to scream. One shoulder out, screaming, two shoulders out, screaming, belly, butt, legs, more screaming. They take her to clean her up, she screams. They take her to weigh her, she screams. By now, EVERYONE is laughing. Someone said, "Nothing wrong with THOSE lungs!" She weighed 6 lb 12 oz, was 19 1/2 inches long and THREE weeks early. AND, she continued to scream.

Chris walks over to check on her. She is laying in the bassinette, still screaming. Chris tells her, "It's ok, Daddy's here." He put his right hand down beside her. She reaches out with her left hand, grasps his pinky, and STOPS screaming. It was instant. That was the second I lost my husband to another woman :)