You've got to be kidding me!

I have a lot to say about this article but am going to keep my thoughts to myself at the moment.

Anyone else want to chime in?

Edited 8/18/11:

I've gotten several responses via e-mail, text and on Facebook about this.  Everyone I've talked to about it has been pissed off when they read the article.  I was as well.  It actually took me pretty much all day to read it because I would have to stop and take a break when it made me angry.

Ultimately, the remarks that I've received have been that if you don't want the babies don't get pregnant.  As far as I'm concerned, don't go through fertility treatments (where one of the first things they advise you of is the possibility of multiples!).  If you do go through IVF only transfer one egg.  There are ways to avoid multiples in most cases.

As the mother of twins I was really upset about the comment made saying that parents of twins can't give all of themselves to their children.  That their attention would always be divided.  I GIVE ALL OF MYSELF EVERY DAY TO MY CHILDREN.  I have three and I don't think any of them would say that they feel slighted by my having to take care of another child at any given time (that is, if they could talk at the moment =)).  They are all very happy kids and I plan on doing whatever I can to make sure they never feel forgotten or that I am half-assing it with them.  Do I feel guilty at times because I can't change a diaper right away or feed one because I'm dealing with another.  Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm not trying to give everything I have to them.  It's a logistical thing, not an emotional one.

As the friend of several people who have gone through fertility treatments I am pissed for them as well.  I have friends who would give anything to have kids and aren't able to even with fertility treatments, so to hear that people reduce their pregnancies for social reasons is just ridiculous.  These women in the article say that they don't want to say anything because they'll be judged.  Hell, yes, you'll be judged!  If you can't handle taking care of the children that you conceive then don't do it! 

Twins are tough.  Even with a very helpful and supportive partner it is difficult, but I do it.  I do it because I wanted kids and I got twins.  Am I exhausted and at times frustrated?  Absolutely.  Is it tough financially.  Yes!  But I still do it because this is what I chose and what I was given.  No, I didn't do fertility treatments but I don't think it matters.  I wasn't going to reduce because I may have only wanted one.

Ugh, I need to stop or I'm going to get all worked up again.

5 Months Old!

The boys have hit the 5 month mark and along with that milestone they have also gotten sick.  Multiple times.  It has really been nothing major.  Just colds - snotty noses (REALLY snotty, boogery noses), slight coughs.  Zach handles these things really well.  He'll still sleep really well, occasionally waking up in the middle of the night but generally sticking with his 10 hour night stretch.  Sure, he can't breathe through his nose but that doesn't stop him from sleeping!  Napping, however, can be a challenge.

Jake, on the other hand, is a whole different story.  You know that Dayquil (I think) commercial where the guy is sick on the couch and the remote control is on the table right next to him but just out of reach and he complains that he can't reach the remote?  That is so going to be Jake.  He is overdramatic in the best of times so being sick makes it that much worse.  He'll be up several times a night crying after losing his pacifier.  Most recently we had to bring him into bed with us and John had to hold the pacifier in his mouth so that we could get some sleep.  Luckily that was a day I worked from home so when I was up at 5:15 for good I just got right to work.  But it was the longest.night.ever.  Even worse than any of their newborn days.  We are finally back to normal with him but I really need to break him of that damn pacifier.

Here are their 5 month pictures:

Not a great pic of Jake but it'll do.  Check out his thighs!

Zach blowing yet another raspberry

Zach is rolling both front to back and back to front and is really wanting to crawl but he just hasn't quite figured out how to get all limbs working the right way at the same time in order to do it.  Jake just started rolling from front to back last week.  They are both loving the Exersaucer so I went out and bought a jumper so they both can enjoy time in them (at the same time) and give John and I a break.  It works really well in the morning when John is trying to get everyone ready to go by himself.

Both Jake and Zach are extremely vocal.  Zach has his little squeal/screech thing down and it is really cute.  Both are laughing and it is my favorite thing to get them both going.  They both love Olivia still and she can make them laugh just by standing in front of them and smiling.  I'm so glad I can use her to entertain them from time to time.  And luckily she still enjoys doing it!

One problem I have noticed, though, is that no matter how closely I keep their fingernails clipped they still manage to cut themselves.  Especially Jake.  He has this habit of scratching the back of his head and his forehead leaving scratches all over the place.  Poor kid cuts himself to the point of bleeding and scabbing.  Any advice on how to keep those nails shorter and/or avoid this?

We have started them on solids and Zach is doing particularly well but just this week Jake is finally figuring it out.  So far they have had sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, squash, green beans, applesauce and bananas.  Plus we've started them on the combo fruits like bananas with mixed berries and applesauce with strawberries and bananas.  Jake still has the tongue thrust habit but he seems to like everything I've given him except rice cereal.  He refuses to eat it so I've switched to the oatmeal cereal which he seems to like better.  Zach is eating solids like a champ and will yell if I take too long to get him another spoonful.  I guess its good he has a brother he has to share me with at dinner time so that he can learn some patience!  Too bad Olivia didn't have that.  =)

Jake's favorite thing to try to eat, however, is this:

Don't you wish you were this flexible?

I just thought this was a funny picture of Zach.  He wasn't happy about sitting there.

What can I say about Olivia?  That girl is pushing all my buttons right now.  She is asking why a lot less nowadays but no is still her favorite thing to say.  Of course she has her moments.  She loves to dance and spin for her brothers after dinner and insisted that we take her picture.

I do let her pick out her own clothes.  Some days are more successful than others.  This day was not one of them.

She is usually really good for us while we're putting the boys to bed.  She watches Ni-Hao Kai Lan while we're feeding them and the other night she told John that she wants to visit Kai Lan and stay at her house.  John told her it was in China, a long way away.  She said that we could drive the car there.  When John explained that there was water between us and China and that we'd have to fly or take a boat  she suggested that if we take a boat we should all get purple fishing poles and fish off the side of the boat.  She also concluded that, if we want to fly, we could just ask a bird if we could fly on their back.  Ahh, the toddler mind.

They DO Come in 3's!

Well, we got our third thing in Saturday's mail.

A letter from the IRS.

Turns out I had transposed some numbers on our 2009 tax return and instead of the $3,355 that I thought we got we should have only received $655.

Yes, we now owe them $2,700 and with interest it's actually $2,847.

Seriously, this has got to be the last thing, right?!