Day At The Pool

We have a great neighborhood and very fancy I must say! There are lots of Americans here, it is gated and very safe, and the amenities are unbelievable. We have two pools, one inside and one outside that was just completed. There is an amazing gym that has every piece of workout equipment imaginable and a few that I've never seen before. We even have a two lane bowling ally! The indoor pool is huge with murals and completely mosaic tiled, which you'll see in the pictures. There is a hot and cold jacuzzi and steam room. We will definitely be visiting the pool more often.

This was M&M's first visit to the water of any sort. So, of course, I was a bit nervous for several reasons; I just saw a segment on "dry drowning"....thanks Laurie...didn't even know it existed, like I said the entire indoor pool area is mosaic and marble tiled so it is VERY slippery, and I wasn't sure if they would hate it or not...they just started really ENJOYING their baths. Well, they loved it! And I loved dressing them in their first bathing suits...I guess for the Mamas it's always about the outfits :-)

These first pictures are of them at home before we went to the pool. They are so funny how they interact with each other. Mary Ellen was just thrilled with seeing Michael in his brightly colored new hat. I could just hear her thinking "Michael you'll never believe how great you look...and the colors!"

Now Michael being all boy, had a completely different reaction to Mary Ellen. He stared at her for awhile too, but I know he was thinking something very different. This picture shows it! He was thinking, "Man, that hat is so bright...Mama really dressed you silly this time". And Mary Ellen looks so happy about her new bathing suit!

Finally a great shot of them smiling! Ready for a trip to the pool.

This is Andrew and Michael in the pool. Not a really clear shot, but a great one of the length of the pool. The ceiling is arched and made of glass, so it was bright but you are protected from the sun...which is important here when it's 115 degrees outside!

Here is Andrew and Michael, still looking a little hesitant. He warmed up to it quickly when Daddy started spinning him around and making motorboat sounds.

I always love to hold them both in pictures, but it's getting harder as they get bigger. Like I said earlier I was a bit nervous anyway, so I was trying to be extra careful. They were loving every minute of it by now. Michael especially loved doing his new yelling noise in the big open space. It made a great echo that he loved!

Mary Ellen lounging on one of the great chaise lounge chairs by the pool. Looking every bit the beach bunny in her very first bikini!

Picture of one of the amazing murals between the hot and cold jacuzzi areas. Really beautiful and as you can see in the pictures we were the only ones there most of the time.

Wrapped up and ready to go home. It was so much fun and I'm thrilled they enjoyed it. It's so important that they love and are comfortable in the water. Growing up in Florida, I never remember not being around the water and it was such a huge part of my growing up experience. Minus all the sun damage that I did to my skin, I want them to have the same experiences with the beach. I can't wait until we're able to take them to the beach and let them enjoy the sand and aqua-blue water of my hometown. The most beautiful and peaceful place on earth! But for now our neighborhood pool will have to do.

First Father's Day

We all enjoyed Andrew's first Father's Day. I enjoyed planning it, since it's been many years now that my Dad has been gone. He passed away in 1997. M&M enjoyed it, and did participate as much as they could at 8 months old. And even though Andrew had to work, I think he enjoyed it too.

I was thinking how different times are now than during my father and certainly my grandfather's generation. Andrew is great provider, but he is way more than that. He helps around the house and is a great help with M&M. Really with twins it's all hands on deck. No one gets out of helping. But I appreciate him and all he does for our family more than I can express. What a great holiday to let him know he's appreciated.

Ready to open gifts! M&M are wearing orange and purple in honor of Clemson for their Daddy. We made the wrapping paper with their hand and foot prints. A fun and messy project we did the week before. The work week here is from Sunday to Thursday. So Andrew had a full day of work on Father's day. We celebrated that evening.

Watching very intently as Daddy opens another gift. They really just wanted to get their hands on that ribbon.

M&M's favorite part of the celebration...chewing on the ribbon!

Daddy displays some of his gifts as M&M continue working on chewing the ribbon. Andrew also got a special meal after the babies went to bed and all-in-all it was a fun and memorable first Father's day.

For those of you wondering about my Mother's day...thanks to Andrew I spent the day at the Ritz Carlton Spa. I say my day definitely trumped his, but we just don't have any pictures. That's OK it was memorable just the same. An amazing day of relaxation, just what I needed. I have to confess, that I missed M&M so much. But Andrew took great care of them and I enjoyed a massage, body scrub, body wrap, facial, spa lunch, pedicure, and manicure. Over 5 hours of pampering...amazing!

Let's Play Catch-Up

For those of you we haven't seen in a while, we'd like to give you a quick picture journey of Michael and Mary Ellen to begin this blog. So here goes!


Michael and Mary Ellen were born on September 30th 2007. They were 32 weeks gestation and I had severe pre-eclampsia, so they were delivered by C-section at 2:01 pm and 2:03 pm respectively. Michael was 4 lbs. 3 oz. and Mary Ellen just 2 lbs. 6 oz! This was our first family picture.

This was my first visit to see Michael, almost 3 days after they were born. Because of the medication I was on, I was not able to get out of bed and down to the NICU. He was off the ventilator, but was under the blue lamp and was getting forced air. I am standing in this picture, but it wasn't for long. Andrew had wheeled me down in the wheelchair and I only stood for a few minutes so I could look at him.

This was my first kangaroo hold of Mary Ellen about 4 days after their birth. She was still so small and couldn't maintain her body temperature, so this skin to skin hold helped her to stay warm. She was still under 3 lbs. but more healthy than Michael. She had no breathing support by this time.

I continued, by the grace of God, to get better and so did the babies. All in all I had to get 4 units of blood and one unit of plasma. My blood pressure stayed high and I left the hospital 10 days later still on blood pressure medication and iron supplements. Surprisingly my pain was very low. I felt like I was 100 years old and had NO energy, but hardly any pain. Michael and Mary Ellen stayed 24 and 23 days respectively in the NICU. They grew and grew and eventhough she was still under 4 lbs, Mary Ellen went home first!

Mary Ellen on the day I took her home from the NICU. Look how tiny she was in the car seat. I was terrified the whole way home. Eventhough she passed a "car seat challenge test" before we could take her home, car seats just aren't made for 3 lb babies. I was so happy to finally be taking her home and very sad that I had to leave that day without Michael. The NICU nurses were very understanding as I cried the whole way out.

This was Michael, the next day, when I took him home from the NICU. The Clemson blanket was for Daddy who was still overseas and not able to be there when they came home. Bless Michael's heart, this was a busy day for him. He came home from the hospital, had his first pediatrician appointment with his sister, and got circumcised all in the same day!

Andrew was finally able to come back the end of November, but only for 2 weeks. This was the first time he was able to see M&M outside of the hospital walls. We call this stroller "the Cadillac". Very smooth ride, but long as a bus! One thing I was not prepared for with having twins, is all the attention you get in public. I swear, I now know what celebrities go through. Every person who is a twin, has had twins, or knows anyone with twins has to come up and tell you their story. Andrew thought I was exaggerating, until we went out for the first time. Of course, Andrew instantly became baby patrol. No one, I mean no one, came close to M&M unless they were washed and sanitized. But I was thrilled to have him home and thrilled for the extra help.

My most favorite shot of Andrew with M&M from this trip at home. Oh, the days when they just slept most of the time! This was the sweet time before the GERD symptoms started and they just screamed in pain all the time. GERD has been thankfully under control with medication since about 4 months.

Andrew sadly left after two weeks and it was back to just the babies, me, and my Mother. We missed him a bunch but got in a quick routine of phone calls several times a day and sending pictures as fast as I could take them. I think these babies have the best documented first 6 months of life, of any baby alive.

Sweet Mary Ellen on Christmas Eve 2007.

Michael, my big boy, on Christmas Eve 2007. Bless his heart, it took forever for him to not look like a deer-in-the-head-lights in every picture. Michael was about 11 lbs here and Mary Ellen a petite 7 lbs. Christmas came and went and although we were sad that we weren't together as a family, we felt blessed that M&M were growing and healthy.

2008 began a new and wonderful year now that we had M&M. I often think of what tremendous miracles they are and how blessed Andrew and I are to be able to care for such wonderful little babies. They were starting to reach all those great milestones, like rolling over, smiling, and sleeping through the night (thank the Lord)! Mary Ellen always had, and still does, the most pleasing and sweet disposition. If she's crying, you know something is wrong. I just love this sweet picture of her. Looks like she's giving me a big hug right through the camera.

Michael has always been quick to smile. We call him "Mr. Personality"! He has also, always required the most attention. But he's so dang cute, he usually gets all the attention he wants.

Spring arrived and so did their first Easter! I had been saving these cute matching Pottery Barn Kids outfits for Easter. Thank you to those friends who gifted them to M&M...you know who you are! Contrasting this picture to the first they are so plump and healthy looking. But eventhough they are 6 months old the outfits are 0-3 month size. Still small but catching up fast!

Michael was such a pill during this photo shoot. But this one with the bunny ears is hysterical. Not Daddy's favorite...I guess the bunny ears aren't very manly!

My all-time favorite picture of Mary Ellen. We have this in black & white hanging in our house now. Just a timeless shot. She is so pretty in her flower hat!

We were finally able in April to be reunited again as a family. It had been over 4 months since Andrew had seen M&M and we were so excited to all be together again. They had grown and changed so much since he'd seen them last. We spent 2 weeks state-side preparing for the big move. And after months of sending formula and bouncy chairs through the mail, we finally were ready to make the move overseas to our new home, at least until December 2008.

We have settled into our new home and M&M continue to grow and be the absolute light of our lives. They are such sweet babies, so fun to watch all the new things they do and how they interact with each other. They definitely have their own funny twin communication. This is a picture of Michael on all fours just before he started crawling. He is all over the place now. Mary Ellen is not crawling yet but can get up on all fours and can sit up from a lying down position, which Michael can't do yet. She has always been better at sitting than him. I just don't think he has the patience to sit anywhere for long. He's all boy!

This is such a representative picture of Mary Ellen. So happy and in love with life. You can hardly make her get upset. Even when I get frustrated, she'll just look at me and then smile...how can I stay frustrated looking at that sweet face! She is our talker. She loves to coo and babble. Where Michael will just yell most of the time, she really sounds like she's talking to you, in her own funny baby language. She's all girl!

Hope this catches everyone up. We look forward to sharing more through this blog about our family. We love and appreciate you all and thank God for such wonderful family and friends!