The Best Pumpkin Carving.......

...Is the pumpkin carving where my only role is as the photographer.

I admitted to being a Halloween Dead-Beat Mom last week.  

I give you further proof in pictures and words:

I don't like carving pumpkins.  And never really have.

Good thing my husband doesn't mind because we had A LOT of pumpkins!

(Somehow I only got a photo of 3 of the 6 carved pumpkins.)

For more Photo Story Friday photos, be sure to visit Cecily at My Chaos My Bliss.

Photostory Friday-Momo Twin Meeting

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
A few months ago I had the chance to meet a long-time friend and her twins. She and I "met" in a forum for parents of monoamniotic twins. Momo twins are really rare, so having a connection with someone that had experienced what I had was really special......vital, really.We decide a few years ago that our twins would be PERFECT for each other. You know, long term. As in marriage. I was so excited for my boys to meet their future brides.Although I didn't see any signs of budding romances, they did play together. When we bribed them.

And I got to finally meet Jenny in real life, which was such a treat. It's a good thing I adore her. Since she'll be my sons mother-in-law and all.

You can read about monoamniotic twins here.

Photo Story Friday-Garrett

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

What more can I say about Garrett than he is just about the easiest going kid around? Well, actually, quite a lot. He prepared me for the twins. I think if I hadn't stressed and worried about him, I would have been a basket case with his brothers.

He had a 2 vessel cord in utero; he was missing one of the arteries in his umbilical cord. He was closely watched for growth and abnormalities and I had the opportunity to see him regularly on ultrasound before he was born. Then, this perfect little boy was born (with the cord around his neck twice) and I thought all the worry was over. That is, until he spiked a fever of 102 as a 9 day old. To the hospital we went where he was poked (two spinal taps) and proded and then hooked up to an IV and admitted to the hospital. In the end, it was only a virus, but the threat of meningitis was very real. We survived that hospital stay and a few days later I received a phone call from his pediatrican. He was flagged for having Cystic Fibrosis and needed further testing. After the sweat test (definitive test for CF) we were relieved to find out he was only a carrier of the mutated gene. All of these problems ended well, but served an important purpose as they emotionally prepared me for a pregnancy and babies that aren't text perfect from the get go.

Garrett was an incredibly easy infant, baby, toddler and continues to be as a little boy. He is so patient and self sufficient that many times I have to look around to make sure he is even in the room. He has always been a daddies boy and that was a real blessing when I went inpatient and then when the twins came home. I didn't have a fight for 3 on my lap, and he just cruised along, going with the flow, making my life oh so much easier. He was never very affectionate with me though. He didn't need or want to be cuddled by me (he wanted daddy) and to be honest, if I hadn't been so busy it would have really hurt me. I think he just seemed to know though that everyone needed something and he was patiently waiting his turn. Only recently has he become really affectionate with me, and I couldn't be more thankful. I notice and treasure the times that he comes up to me for a hug or to sit on my lap. I'm blessed to have a child that is just so good. My heart aches with the love I feel for my middle child.

Photo Story Friday-Jacob

Do you see where this is headed? A glimpse of my kids each friday until they are all used up. Translation: 3 weeks to go. I'm original. I know. So, this Friday is ALL Jacob.

Jacob was my constant when I was in the hospital being monitored before he was born. For 10 straight weeks 24 hours a day, his heart rate was steady and variable and beautiful. Unlike his brothers'. He measured bigger than John via ultrasound and so I had this false sense of security before he was born. I thought he'd be bigger, stronger, healthier. But he wasn't. Well, he was a little bigger, but he was anemic, so pale and sickly looking. He also had breathing problems in the beginning. Once in the NICU he was put on CPAP but then had to go on the ventilator which almost broke my heart. I would go visit my little peanuts in the NICU and Jacob just didn't seem well. Not that NICU babies ever are, right? I worried about both of my 33 weekers, but Jacob really scared me.

One day though, he just turned the corner and made leaps and bounds. He went from being a few weeks behind his brother in progress to being even. Now they mostly do things together.

Jacob is my snuggler, my observer, my explorer. He only pushes one of my buttons, and for that I'll always be eternally grateful. He decided he was done with diapers and somehow got John on the potty training band wagon as well. I owe this kid alot. For so many reasons. And like all of my kids, he owns my heart.

Photo Story Friday-John

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

This is John. My last born baby and beloved stinker. In the womb, he was definitely the trouble maker. He liked to move around his living space and was NEVER in the same place from one ultrasound to the next. I'm pretty sure Jacob hung out where John kicked him and was thankful for the times when John slept. He's also my baby that had cord compression issues and his umbilical cord around his neck twice when he was born.

As a newborn he was feisty. His lungs were more mature than his brothers, and he seemed all around healthier. I was sure that I had pegged his personality inutero as busy. And then he turned into this really great laid back baby. And I was sure I had mislabeled him. Although he got into lots of trouble, he wasn't appreciably busier or feistier than his mirror image. But then he turned 2 and figured out how to push every button that I have. I LOVE this kid to pieces, but some days he drives me to the brink of distraction. Then right before I lose it, he shoots me this killer smile and I can't help but be grateful for my little firecracker. My lovable, squeezable, always in motion, fiercely independent, never quiet, baby.