The boys are getting so big... so fast!

On one hand it doesn't seem like it has been over a year since the boys were born... but at the same time (at times) it seems like time has stood still. I do not miss the Q2 hour feedings for the first 2-3 months. But I do miss them being small enough to hold like babies.

Carter and Cooper are now a little over 13 months old and are doing wonderful! They have been walking for almost 2 months, they can say "duh" for "dog." They can understand what you say and comply with requests (sometimes). Used to when I would get up in the mornings and come around the corner they would run to me saying "da-da" but now they run to me saying "duh." They know our dog sleeps in the back of the house and that when I come to the front, so does he. They want to see him now more than they want to see me. That's ok. I think its great that they are trying to get me to act proud of them by showing me they know what a dog is.

Oh to be a child again...

Folks, I know it can be hard being a parent, especially of twins or more, but if you'll just sit back for a second and try your best to put yourself into a toddler's shoes and think about the fact that they do not know hardly anything about the world and that they are pure hearted...you'll quickly be humbled by the gifts you've been given and chances are you will understand them better. Get down on their level. Play. Laugh. Love like there's no tomorrow. You never know... there just may not be one.

Reflect...

Jeni's Ice Cream Review

The generous folks over at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams sent me a package of ten flavors of their hand-crafted ice creams for my family to review.

There are few things in life that do not disappoint. These all-natural ice creams are some of those things. Folks, I tried my hardest to find something wrong with these little pints of goodness but I never did. The more I ate, the more I just gave up trying to find fault. Please read the reviews of each flavor I received below.

Salty Caramel

"Initial notes of burnt sugar give way to mouth-watering saltiness. A perfect salty sweet balance"

This flavor was one of my favorites. Very smooth and as the description says... perfectly balanced.

Dark Chocolate

"Mouth-filling, palate-gripping, intense chocolate flavor with a fudge-like texture. Pleasingly dry finish."

Very rich chocolate flavor. Satisfies a chocolate craving in just a few bites. Very good flavor.

Ugandan Vanilla Bean

"Vanilla ice cream like none other. Fairly-traded, 100-percent natural African beans bought directly from Ndali Estate, steeped for 48 hours in Snowville cream. Rich, full, fantastic vanilla flavor with notes of jasmine, honey, tobacco and leather."

You can really taste the authentic vanilla bean on this flavor. Amazing cream, vanilla and the slightest hint of jasmine really work well together. You've NEVER had vanilla ice cream like this. Be prepared to be blow away.

Queen City Cayenne

"Rich chocolate reveals back-of-the-throat spice. Finish is tingly and complex."

Ever wondered what chocolate ice cream and cayenne pepper would taste like together? No?

Well let me tell you... it's actually pretty good. For those of us that like spicy foods this dessert is a welcome addition. It starts out smooth and chocolatey, melts quickly and finishes with a pretty spicy kick in your throat. 

Meyer Lemon Yogurt

"Fresh Meyer Lemons, sweeter than true lemons, pleasantly tart, blended with organic yogurt. Aromatic. Creamy. Delicious. Jeni’s time-honored favorite. Serve with Blackstrap praline!"

Time-honored favorite is a very good description. This was my 2nd favorite flavor. Very aromatic! The Meyer lemons are extremely flavorful. If you let it melt in your mouth you can actually taste the yogurt. Most frozen yogurts have so much stuff in them that it masks the yogurt flavor... not this one. Very, very good!

Cherry Lambic Sorbet

"Tart and real cherry flavor, sweet lambic on the mid palate with almost bubbly texture. Finish is clean and exhilarating."

Very tart. The cherry flavor is really prominent. A classic brought into the 21st century!

Blackstrap Praline

Blackstrap molasses and pralines. What more needs to be said? Unbelievable flavor! And there was an extra shot of molasses in the bottom of the pint. Mmmm!!

Honey Butter Cake

"Ridiculously delicious, divinely buttery Ohio-honeyed ice cream, layered with chunks of honey butterscotch-soaked vanilla sponge cake made fresh in our kitchen. The delicate and light yet sturdy cake perfectly balances a sweet and hearty ice cream."

Description says it all. Ohhh sooo good!!!

Brambleberry Crisp

"Blackberries and black raspberries comprise a striking, rich-colored "Brambleberry" jam that's mixed with black currants and oven-toasted oat streusel and layered throughout honey vanilla bean ice cream."

Did you read that? Two different berries (real berries, not artificial flavored), oven-toasted oat streusel mixed with their vanilla ice cream. It was absolutely worth typing again! A must try!!

Every flavor was delicious. I am so glad they agreed to a review. And I am sooo glad to post it for them.

My only hope is that I can do another review for them soon. But first I've got to lose this 5 pounds I added from this review. :)

Go check out Jeni's Ice Creams and grab yourself a few flavors. All orders come double-boxed with dry ice and are extremely frozen upon delivery. There is no chance of your package arriving melted.

Disclaimer: I received this product for free for review. 

Vote for Cooper & Carter! It only takes a split second! We're so close!!

UPDATE 4/14/11

We've gained another 20 spots!! PLEASE take a second and go vote for the boys.

We're ranked 128th out of over 2300. We're doing awesome but we need votes!!!

Carter and Cooper have been chosen by Parent's Magazine for a possible cover photo shoot in New York City!! It is a contest so I NEEED you to go vote for them. It only takes a second and I'd really very much appreciate it if you shared the link to their voting page on Facebook. It'll give you that opportunity after you have voted.

Please vote ONCE A DAY for the next week and share on Facebook and Twitter as often as possible. This would be a huge blessing and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them (and us).

Here is the picture that Parent's Magazine chose for the voting:

Please help them win!! They are just beautiful boys and this would be such an honor! Don't forget, PLEASE vote once a day and share this link every way you can think of for the next week!! We'd be SOOO grateful!!

Thanks a lot,

David :)

Vote for Cooper and Carter for a Parent's Magazine Cover Shoot

UPDATE 4/13/11

The boys jumped 30 places overnight. How exciting! Please vote and vote once a day through Sunday 4/17! Also, PLEASE share with everyone on Facebook. We need all the help we can get!

Carter and Cooper have been chosen by Parent's Magazine for a possible cover photo shoot in New York City!! It is a contest so I NEEED you to go vote for them. It only takes a second and I'd really very much appreciate it if you shared the link to their voting page on Facebook. It'll give you that opportunity after you have voted.

Please vote ONCE A DAY for the next week and share on Facebook and Twitter as often as possible. This would be a huge blessing and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them (and us).

Here is the picture that Parent's Magazine chose for the voting:

Please help them win!! They are just beautiful boys and this would be such an honor! Don't forget, PLEASE vote once a day and share this link every way you can think of for the next week!! We'd be SOOO grateful!!

Thanks a lot,

David :)

Vote for Carter & Cooper for a Parent's Magazine Cover Photo Shoot!!

Carter and Cooper have been chosen by Parent's Magazine for a possible cover photo shoot in New York City!! It is a contest so I NEEED you to go vote for them. It only takes a second and I'd really very much appreciate it if you shared the link to their voting page on Facebook. It'll give you that opportunity after you have voted.

Please vote ONCE A DAY for the next week and share on Facebook and Twitter as often as possible. This would be a huge blessing and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for them (and us).

Here is the picture that Parent's Magazine chose for the voting:

Please help them win!! They are just beautiful boys and this would be such an honor! Don't forget, PLEASE vote once a day and share this link every way you can think of for the next week!! We'd be SOOO grateful!!

Thanks a lot,

David :)

Cooper and Carter's 6 Months Pics are Here!

No unnecessary babble in this post... I'm going to let the pictures do the talking... :)

Tshirtprinting.net Review

The folks over at www.tshirtprinting.net graciously sent me a sample T-shirt to review for them. They sent a cheeky monkey t-shirt. See below...

I've got to say that I didn't really expect the quality to be as good as it was. But it is really a great shirt. The monkey design isn't something I'm used to. But it's kinda cool. I've gotten a lot of questions about it and I've pointed them all to the website. If all their screen printing work is as good as the one on this shirt then they'll be in business for a long time.

Thanks for allowing this review. I had a lot of fun with it and will continue to wear it and direct people your way.

Sleep Training: Night #3

Night #3 went pretty well.

We only got up to comfort them about 6 times. And again, they went right back to sleep. The only thing I didn't like about this night was the fact that Miranda had to really comfort Carter for him to initially go to sleep. He screamed bloody murder for the longest. But once he went down, he went down for six hours. Neither one of them woke up until around 1:30am. 

The only reason they are waking up and crying now is because they are rolling over from back to front and they get very upset because they can't roll back over. For some reason they HATE laying on their bellies. And here I was thinking that babies liked to be on their bellies. Either I was really wrong or they'll like it later. Hopefully they'll like it later because daddy can't go years constantly waking up in the middle of the night to roll a child over onto their back.

Any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated!!

Feel free to comment.

On to night #4...

Sleep Training: Night #2

Night #2 went a lot better than the first night. We only had to go into their room to comfort them about 10 times. But, unlike night #1, every time we went in and comforted them they stayed asleep for a while. They are learning pretty quickly. I was actually very proud of them.

On to night #3...

Sleep Training: Night #1

We have started sleep training the boys. They are 6 months old now and the doctor says that there's no reason for them to need a bottle in the middle of the night now. So with that in mind, I moved their cribs from our bedside to their own room (right next door to ours), put up a blackout curtain to keep out the light, placed a white noise maker in the room, installed a night light and a smoke/carbon monoxide detector and called it a day...until that night.

Oh GOD!

Night one was terrible. Although I know it could have been much, much worse. We were still up at least 20 times, if not 30 or more. We lost count at 10. We started out putting them to bed as usual - with their pacifiers. We laid them down, patted them on the chest for a few seconds, said goodnight and walked out. The first three hours were great. Not a peep. Then the poop hit the fan.

I can't remember who woke up first seeing as how that whole night was a blur. But he started crying. We gave him 2-3 minutes and went in, replaced the paci in his mouth, patted him and walked out. Five minutes later... same thing. We gradually increased the time they cried before we went in. 

Extremely long, drawn out story short... I got about three hours of very broken sleep that night. Mommy got about 6.

But, at 7am the next morning we woke them up and they were just as happy as they could be. Little turds.

On to night #2...

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Cooper & Carter!

You know how sometimes in life you think time is passing by SOO slowly and then when a milestone arrives you look back and think "where did the time go?" That's exactly how I'm feeling right now.

Cooper and Carter are officially 6 months old (as of yesterday)(I was too tired to post this then).

They have been sick almost four months out of the six and it has really been a rough road - not to mention an expensive one with all the doctor visits and meds. But, alas, we've made it to six months. As of this writing they are seemingly getting over their bout with constant bronchiolitis. The poor guys have had a rough time of it. They've endured occasional fevers, massive amounts of mucus in their little lungs which makes it very hard to take breaths in and out (not to mention it sounds horrible to say the least), sore throats from coughing, hoarseness from coughing, body aches which made them almost completely limp while moaning in pain, and severe (read: SEVERE) coughing. They have suffered in the sleep department because of all of this as well - as have Miranda and I. For those of you who know what bronchiolitis is, you know how scary it can be for both baby and parents alike - especially first-time parents like us. Cooper even had to be hospitalized once because of it. See pic below...

But a friend recommended a good allergy/asthma doctor in Birmingham and he immediately placed both boys on 5 different meds each. And now, a little over a week later, both boys are almost back to normal. Carter still has a little cough only because he started his meds about 3 days later then Cooper. Please pause to say a quick prayer asking God to let them stay healthy from here on out. :)

Accomplishments Reached at 6 Months:

The boys can roll over from their front to their back.

They can aaalllmost roll from back to front. 

They smile when we walk into the room. 

They are putting everything (read: EVERYTHING) in their little mouths. 

They are eating cereal and stage 1 baby foods. 

They are loving their walkers and exersaucers. 

They can almost sit up without support.

They are just starting to make funny faces.

They still do not sleep through the night. But they do go all night without eating if they take a full 8 ounces before bed. The only reason they wake up is either because they lost their pacifier or because they've rolled from back to front and their little arm is caught underneath them. Sometimes they don't want to go right back down to sleep so we either get up with them for a few minutes until their heads start bobbling or we put them in the bed with us. (I know, both are bad. We're working on it.)

You can tell they are twins. Not just because of the obvious... but because of the things they do. Check out this pic taken this week at daycare...

They're already getting a little mischievous. They tell secrets to each other. God only knows what they're saying...

And here's one last random pic of them laughing and having fun. The amazing ladies at daycare snap pics for us pretty often and send them via pix messages to our phones so we can see something cute or new...

It has been the greatest 6 months of my life so far and I look forward to every minute in the future with these two little turkeys. They are our reasons for being. Just to see them smile brightens even the darkest days. When they were really sick they would still smile through the pain and it brought tears to my eyes. If they can smile being as sick as they were, we all can. 

We love you, boys!

Daddy and Mommy

Does Vicks VapoRub on a Baby's Feet Really Help with Coughing?

Ok all you moms, aunts, sisters, grandmas, etc, etc... I've got a question for you. It is a serious question that I'd really like you to comment (seriously) on. 
Does Vicks VapoRub on the bottom of a child's feet really keep them from coughing?
I've read in MANY different places and I've had several people tell me that this really works. We've got two little cough machines right now and it is getting really bad. The doctor says all we can do is apply Vicks to their chests and vaporize some into the air and keep them hydrated. I'm a Respiratory Therapist and I'm truly at a loss on what to do. I know I can't suction them and they are really too small for me to do chest percussion therapy on them to loosen up the mucus.  So, does Vicks on the feet followed by putting sock on them really work?  PLEASE weigh in. I'd really like to know what you think and what you've experienced!
I'll read every comment and chime in when I need to.
Thanks!D

Summer Infant Sleek and Secure Baby Monitor For Sale

Hey everyone. I've got a Summer Infant Sleek and Secure Baby Monitor for sale. It is NOT the recently recalled item from Summer Infant. It was opened but NEVER used. It still has the plastic screen protector on the monitor.
I've got this item listed on eBay right now for $135 with free shipping.Click Here to go to my eBay auction and Buy It NowIt sells for $179 at Target.
  If you aren't interested, please pass it along to someone you think may need it!Thanks for looking. :)

 Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

SkinIt.com Review

 

  I recently received a skin from SkinIt.com to review and I'm really happy with the way it turned out.Sadly, I can't take a picture of it because it is on my phone and I can't take a pic of my phone WITH my phone. But... This picture was taken directly from their website.It is the skin I received and it looks exactly like this on my phone - which is the same also, the Motorola Droid.  

 
The skins are very easy to apply to your phone. Just be sure to do it carefully or you'll wind up applying it off center or a little crooked. Thankfully, I applied mine perfectly.
  If you are looking for high quality, very reasonably priced skins for your phone or laptop then please give SkinIt.com a try. It will definitely be worth your time.
Special thanks to SkinIt.com for supplying me with a sample skin.

 Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

New Blog Just for Men (well, kinda)

Hey everyone.. Just wanted to let you know that I've started a new blog. It is basically a blog for men but females are more than welcome to participate. It is not as family-friendly as this one and there may be a few choice words, phrases and/or pictures/videos every so often...  Let's just say it is rated

(DLSV)Click Here (if you must) to learn what this code means

 I will be doing reviews and giveaways there as well when time permits. Even though I've got a new blog, I've still got infant twin boys. They take up most of my time.
So...
Please get your tails on over there and become a follower. And since most of my followers here are women I'll say this... follow my new blog and win stuff for your man. If he is online as well and needs a place to talk man stuff then get his rear to follow me too.  Ohh, the link...
Click here to check it outOhh, Daddy Likey

Peace........... Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

Purely Products Heatlhy Night Light Review

The awesome folks over at Purely Products have done it again...
Introducing the Healthy Night Light

 I've got to tell you folks... this is a great invention.I've reviewed Purely Products' Healthy CFLs and I loved them. Still use them, still love them.I wanted something more though...
We've got 4 month old twin boys and we want to provide the safest environment possible for them to live in, even at night. What I wanted was a night light with the same air cleansing power as their CFL bulbs. Well they heard the people and they produced for the people.
They sent me a Healthy Night Light to review and it was opened and put into a socket immediately!! The soft illumination it provides is just right. Some night lights are too bright, others are too dim. The large, opaque facing filters the LED light just perfectly.
And, as always, the built in ionizer does the job as advertised. Every time we add a new Purely ionizer somewhere in our home our air just gets cleaner and cleaner. I think this company deserves a Presidential award for two reasons... #1. Because the lights they produce are ALL CFL or LED which complies with new Federal regulations.#2. They are good for our environment. Not just in terms of global green-ness, but insode our homes as well.
Here is more information about this new, nifty little invention taken directly from the Purely Products website:

Health Benefits

• Built-in ionizer emits refreshing negative ions
• Cleans the air, controlling pet dander, pollen, dust mites, mold spores, smoke & other allergens
• Negative ions have been shown to increase levels of serotonin, delivering more oxygen to the brain
• Great for people with asthma, allergies & pet dander issues

Household Benefits

• Cleans the air 24/7 even when the light is off
• Great for the nursery & children’s bedrooms
• Great for senior citizens’ living spaces
• Also perfect for hallways, kitchens, bathrooms, garages –anywhere low-level light at night is needed
• Automatic on-off light. Cool to the touch
• Offers more safety for moving around at night in the home for all ages
• Effective in a room up to 12’ x 12’
• Long life LED 35,000 hours
• 1-Watt Very low energy consumption. Pennies per year to operate
• Available in cream, pink or blue
• 100% Happy 2 Year Warranty - unconditionally guaranteed for 2 Years

 An Amazing Calculation I personally whipped out my calculator and broke it down.  The Healthy Night Light's LED is rated for over 35,000 hours of use. Night Light Illumination = 8 hours/night (avg) 35,000 hours divided by 8 hours/night = 4375 nights of use4375 nights divided by 365 days/year =  12 YEARS OF LIFE!!!
I'm not finished yet...
These cost $19.95 each or you can purchase a 2-pack for $29.95
For the sake of saving money I used the $29.95 price...
If you spent $29.95 and purchased a 2-pack of these healthy night lights you wouldonly be spending $0.006 per day on clean, fresh, ionized air for your family!That is LESS THAN A PENNY A DAY!!!

How To Purchase
Simply click here to go to Purely Products' Healthy Night Light order page(it is not an affiliate link, I get paid nothing for you to click and go)And in the month of January (2011), shipping is FREE when you buy 2 items totaling more than $35!!!

As always, a portion of all Purely Products sales goes to diaperLove!Changing Diapers. Changing Lives!  Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

KID ROCK Tickets (with VIP Access) For Sale!!!!!!!

SOLD!

Kid Rock
2 Tickets (with VIP ACCESS)
Birmingham, Alabama
2/19/2011
2nd Row from Stage in the CONT (floor) section.
(This means up close and personal)
Tickets include VIP ACCESS!!!!!!!!!!

My loss is your gain! I'd love it if you took pictures and e-mailed them to me after the show. :) Just a thought. lol

ITEM DESCRIPTION:  This auction is for 2 tickets to see Kid Rock on his Born Free Tour at the BJCC Arena in Birmingham, Alabama

on February 19, 2011 at 7:00 pm. 

The 2 tickets are located in Section CONT of the Floor Level, Row 2, Seats 5 & 6.

These great seats are located in the 2ND ROW from the stage.

These tickets also allow access to private VIP bar and private VIP (CLEAN) bathrooms in the BJCC Arena Club area starting at 5:00 pm.

You are sure to enjoy the concert from the great view that these seats will provide.

This will be the show of a lifetime!

PAYMENT INFORMATION:  Payment must be received within 4 days of end of auction (although I do prefer immediate payment) or tickets will be re-listed and Unpaid Item Dispute will be filed with eBay. Due to eBay's Accepted Payments Policy, the only method of payment for this auction is PayPal.  

SHIPPING INFORMATION: Tickets are hard back tickets (meaning they are actual tickets as you would buy them at the ticket office). I have them in-hand and they will be shipped immediately upon receipt of Paypal payment. They are NOT internet tickets that can be copied and reproduced. FREE shipping and handling which includes USPS Priority shipping with Signature Confirmation.  

 

RETURN POLICY: No returns, no refunds, no hassles.  

GENERAL INFORMATION: Please view my PERFECT 100% positive feedback rating and buy with confidence. Delivery of tickets is 100% guaranteed. Thank you for looking and good luck bidding.

New Website with Amazing Modern Furniture

I've been curious lately about the new styles of furniture that's out there. The furniture in our home is very dated and every room is in dire need of a furniture overhaul. 
The other day when surfing the web for new and different furniture I came across an amazing modern furniture website. Since our bedroom set is the most outdated set in our entire home I looked at most of their bed sets. I was amazed at the selection and even more amazed at the prices. While not the cheapest overall prices out there, they are the cheapest for the styles and what you get. They have many modern designers that create furniture for them and they are all outstanding. 

 
 One thing is for sure, if we get a good enough refund on our taxes this year, this site may get a piece of it. I've bookmarked their beds and bed sets sections. 
 Please take a minute to go check them out. If you are in need of updated furniture for your entire home, hot just your bedroom, this place should be your starting point.    Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

Proper Swaddling Technique - Must Read for New Parents

Here is a list of helpful hints to remember when swaddling your children.I've read a lot about this subject and this list is by far the best one I've found. PLEASE NOTE: You will have to click on the picture below for it to load in another page. If you do not do so, you probably will not be able to read it very well. :)

   Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

"Super" Petit Jean Meats Review/Giveaway Later This Week

Stay tuned folks. I've got a review/giveaway opportunity from Petit Jean Meats coming later this week. Tell everyone you know!This will be a "Super" giveaway!What do I mean? Let's just say you'll need something 'super' to fill your 'bowl' soon. Catch my drift?! :)

Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!

Why is it So Hard?!?!

I've been thinking about this a lot lately...
Miranda and I both have full-time jobs. We work very hard to try and make money to be able to support and raise our sons. We do this without complaint, without question and without thinking about it.
Why is it so hard to make ends meet? We don't blow our money. We only go out to eat on rare occasion now instead of 2-3 times a week like we did before Cooper and Carter were born. We do not rent movies or pay-per-views anymore. Every dime we earn is saved and spent on bills and for necessities for the boys. It's just not working...

  Daycare costs are killing us. It is our largest monthly bill by far.We're no martyrs. We don't want or expect special treatment.  What I do want is an explanation...  How can our state government justify giving lazy, no good crack addicts money to support their habit in the name of child welfare when hard working parents who have only the best interest of their children at heart?? How is this possible? Shouldn't the #1 pre-requisite of assistance be "You must have a job" Shouldn't the #2 pre-requisite of assistance be "You must pass a drug screen" And shouldn't the #3 pre-requisite of assistance be "You must provide proof of employment and pass a drug screen monthly to keep receiving assistance"  Apparently, even with all of our bills, we make too much money to warrant assistance. How the hell do we make too much money?
 Shouldn't they take our income and subtract all of our bills before they come to that conclusion?I mean good grief health insurance costs us $399 a month. And I'm not even covered by it for God's sake! Add our mortgage and child care expenses and we're freakin' POOR! LITERALLY!!!And I've forgotten the way to our grocery stores. Can't tell you the last time we shopped for groceries.   

   I mean I earn tips from delivering pizzas but that goes towards gas and to buy formula and diapers.  My actual wages go towards HELPING to pay daycare costs.  I'm just SO fed up with the system! Why not give assistance to hard working families who DESERVE it instead of blindly doling out money to those who spend 90% of it on scratch-off's, alcohol, drugs and/or  God knows what. In case you haven't been able to deduce, this rant was born out of despair.  My family is my world! My wife and kids deserve better.  Please take a moment to say a prayer (or to make a quick phone call to your nearest philanthropist) for us.We're both working so hard and the ends are just not meeting. If you know of any organization that helps hard working families, please let me know.   Thanks for reading. Sorry for the content. After paying the bills tonight I was just in a bad mood - a justified bad mood...   Comments Are Always Welcome! Click Below to Do So!!