One Fish, Two Fish

Today I finally hit the 14-week mark and this morning felt better than I have felt in months! I knew it wouldn't last long, so we took advantage of new swimsuits and morning sunshine and hit the swimming pool.


All I had to do was say the word and I got my two little girls decked out completely in their pool gear and pleading, "COME ON, mom!" Just apply the sunscreen and we were ready to roll.


We had the whole pool to ourselves! Our little fishes could hardly contain their joy. Luckily, a little shallow section for the kiddies.


We let L & M pick out their swimsuits and unlike last year, the suits provide full coverage! This is also our first year with NO swim diapers!


Pink fish.


Blue fish.



See ya later mom!
The girls played for a solid two hours, not even stopping to notice they were so cold their little chins were quivering! The whole sky had clouded over. Luckily our little adventure combined with a warm bath made for the second longest nap of the week.

Spring Break

This week was my sister Jocelyn's spring break, and of course, she couldn't think of any better place to spend it than with us! Which was convenient because the twins have been asking for grandparents on an airplane for months. The visit really couldn't have been better timing because I have been sooo sick and needing a spring break myself. What I also got was spring cleaning, spring sleep, spring peace and quiet, and spring rejuvenation. Here are some other highlights.

1. Mt. Bonnell

The highest point in Austin, which doesn't say much, because it's just 99 stairs to the top. However, the twins couldn't be more ecstatic to see 99 steps to climb.

The view is gorgeous and overlooks Lake Austin.

We took the scenic route on the way down. Somewhat of a romantic little moment.

2. Zilker Park


Zilker Park is where the Austin City Limits is held every year. With 351 acres to explore, we could have stayed all day. Luckily, we at least located the pigeons, Barton Springs, and the Zilker Zepher train ride.


The train ride was the highlight of the twins' life for sure. Maddie kept turning around and having this conversation with her sister, "London, are you having fun?" "Yes!" "Give me five!"

3. Friendship Park at Granger Lake

As the activities committee co-chair, I knew I couldn't miss the ward campout. Luckily, Jocelyn and my parents were good sports and jumped on board. It turned out to be a great night and the lake was gorgeous.


L & M try their hand at S'mores....



Grandpa gives everyone harmonica lessons.


4. Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum

My dad is such a history buff, we knew we couldn't miss this one. The library is located on the UT campus and is huge! My favorite was the 'guest speaker,' Lyndon B. Johnson of course! This library is considered one of Austin's top ten.

Trying to be flapper girls!

5. Food and friends

As we've been told, you can't really experience Texas without some good BBQ! We made sure to show our guests all of our favorites, while still working around my strange cravings! We were also invited to dinner at Aunt Tricia and Uncle Alan's, whom my parents have known for years starting back when we were all in the same ward! Small world, I know. We had a wonderful time catching up, and I think my parents feel better about having us in Austin after talking to them. :)


We of course had a hard time saying goodbye and the twins cried for a solid hour. The only consolation is that we will be seeing Ryan's parents in less than a month! So stay tuned for spring break: part 2! (I realize this post is a marathon...anyone made it to the end?)

And Baby Makes Three

What is it with widespread fallacies about the origin, the genetics, the likelihood of having twins? It seems everyone we meet is an expert. In the last three years, we have heard strange biology lectures from the unlikeliest of folks, mostly strangers, upon noticing our dynamic duo. And repeats, too. Some of my personal favorites:

"Did you know that (identical/fraternal) twins run on the (mom's/dad's mother's father's/father's mother's) side?"
"Did you know that twins on the (father's/mother's mother's father's/father's mother's) side skip a generation?"
And lately:
"Did you know that if you've already had twins, you are more likely to have them again?"

We can conclude that all of the above information, true or untrue, comes with the territory. The only solid information we could weasel out of experts is that 1-there does seem to be a genetic component to twins and 2-There is 1% chance of conceiving twins naturally. The rest is can be summed up with my handy dictionary:

urban legend
noun
a humorous or horrific story or piece of information circulated as though true, esp. one purporting to involve someone vaguely related or known to the teller

But one rainy day last month when I suddenly decided I could not tolerate the color orange and everything I ate came right back up, I knew we would see two lines but would we see two babies? More than two babies? What if all of these urban legends combined and we suddenly became parents to eight children in just two pregnancies? I will spare the next few miles of that train of thought, except that to say we would like to announce our new addition, currently and appropriately named "singleton." And even though the only thing we know about singleton is that he/she loves peaches, hates waffles, and doesn't feel the need to come equipped with a built-in best friend, we couldn't be more ecstatic to welcome this little one to our family. Because as it turns out, they don't know it yet, but we've got a couple of little best friends waiting for you here.

Flashbacks

I am always baffled at how, of all the places to choose from, these two choose squished together. Time and time again this is how I find them, today in particular scrunched in a chair. Yes, we do have two of these chairs, but I guess it's more convenient to watch your morning program with your toothbrush and your sister handy.




This shot reminds me of the way they were curled up together in the womb; one kicking my heart and the other kicking my bladder. Even before they were born they had quiet moments like this, and always, always the not-so-quiet cat fights that continue to this day.



Speaking of toothbrushes, we had to upgrade to these lovely Hello Kitty models. It involved an incident last week when I came into the bathroom and both girls were dipping their toothbrushes in the toilet! They didn't even bat an eyelash at me, just said "We fishing mommy!" It occurred to me that they might have been simultaneously fishing AND brushing their teeth, but let's not go there! Before I could even think, I panicked and dumped the toothbrushes in the trash. I have been informed several times since that I could have spared the toothbrushes by boiling them. I guess I had always kept my fingers crossed I wouldn't have to learn firsthand the multiple mishaps that could lead to the boiling of a toothbrush!

iToddler

iPod, appealing to an even younger generation

Look at me, I'm ________________

Daddy



Grandma



A mud monster

the kingdom of barlow

A story I love to share with many others is the kingdom of Barlow. We never wanted to have a theme when it came to the naming of our children. Coincidentally, after the fact, a theme was discovered. Leslie means grey fortress. London means fortress of the moon, and Madelyn means high tower. They are all edifices. The best part is that Ryan means...little king.

I present our kingdom.









Only the Barlows have this much fun after Burger King.