Blog for a cure!

Hi everyone...just wanted to let you all know my bloggy friend Lani is doing her 2nd annual Blog for the Cure!.

You may remember I blogged about this last year. I was amazed that she was training for a marathon, raising money...all while raising triplets!!!. Well, this was before I had my boys. If I was amazed then that a mom of multiples could do all that while keeping her sanity....well, now I'm beyond amazed because now I actually know the craziness of having multiples...and I "only" have two!!!!!!!!.

So head on over to her blog! She's raising $1,750 for a GREAT cause...she's training with Team in training and has some awesome giveaways lined up!.

Donating $1, earns you an entry into EACH giveaway. That's right...just $1!!!!!!!!!. If you can donate more, then you can use your extra dollars as extra entries in your favorite giveaways!. Give $30 or more and you automatically win some prizes!.

Here is what Lani had to say, in her own words:

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society supports life-saving cancer research, as well as directly supporting families that are dealing with blood cancers. Cancer survival rates have steadily risen over the last few decades, but that is not enough. There is work to be done, and I need your help.

In January 2011, I will run a half marathon as a part of the Team In Training program with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The race is symbolic. It's going to be a challenge and a lot of fun but really, it's the least I can do to show my support. If you or someone you know has been touched by cancer, I know that you understand why this is important, and you understand why every dollar donated DOES make a difference.

So head on over to her blog and participate to win great prizes while you donate for such an important cause :)

What? You've been gone?

{insert wailing noise here}

Lately I spend a lot of time hiding. I hide in the kitchen, I hide in my office. I hide. From my boys.

You see, they've developed what we like to call "mamitis" in Spanish. They love mommy, so if mommy is around, everyone must be on top of her....which I happen to love...I mean, have you see their faces?. For some reason, mommy also makes them whinny. They can be playing happily, then they see me and it's all over!....here is how hiding helps!.

Usually it takes an awesome couple of toys (aka: empty water bottles, for example) to distract the prey. Once they bite, I sneak out behind them and make my great escape. Mommy gets alone time, they laugh and play happily...it's a win-win situation.

I come out of hiding a few minutes later, they see me and it's over. It's like they realize I was gone and the whining starts....what mommy? you weren't actually here??? you mean we were playing happily alone? Where have you been?....baaaaaa, baaa, baaaa.

And thus the great escape and successful hiding skills were born!

...and then they turned 2!

Really...when did THAT happen?

This morning I woke up to cranky, loud, temper-tantrum throwing toddlers. I'm not kidding....overly dramatic displays from being so EXTREMELY upset. Because you know, being a baby is just not that easy.

I mean, you only have someone (that mean person known as 'mama') doing everything possible so that you sleep, relax, play, eat and enjoy the day. It has got to be tough.

What is up with that folks? Don't I have at least another few months before the temper tantrums start?. By that I mean, flailing legs, throwing toys, arching back and crying like I'm sticking acupuncture needles in their eye balls.

They weren't fooling me either...they would go from crying to laughing hysterically in seconds. They would be wailing (mouths open, of course) then Alex would stick his finger in Lucas's mouth (both still crying)...and then, they would both start cracking up (with tears in their faces) and laugh until they realized they weren't supposed to be laughing, they were supposed to be very upset!. Let crying resume until someone else does something silly.

So yeah, not a good day today here at casa de locos. Hoping they just woke up on the wrong side of the crib (is that possible?...hmm).

Tomorrow I want my happier BABIES back. Please.

Please.

Please.

Please.

Oh and I also want Starbucks to deliver my Pumpkin Spiced Latte over here.

Please.

Thank you.

***

Edited because I wanted to add a couple of pictures. This are the faces I saw today, all day long...the pictures are not from today (believe me, grabbing a camera was the last thing in my mind today!)...but just so you get the idea of the cute misery I had to endure!

And this is a picture from their 10 month "photo shoot" and the faces we're hoping to see tomorrow (I said Please!!!!!!)

10 months!

Super late...and I haven't even taken their "monthly shot" (*gasp!*)...but I don't want to forget a thing and having a little something for them for each month of their first birthday is important to me...so here we go!

And then there were teeth.....

Took a while for those little white pearls to come in...but we went from zero to 8 teeth in one month!. Alex got the first one...but he got ONE. Lucas followed with two back to back and then two on the top. Alex followed by one on the top, then one on the bottom..and now we are seeing the second one on the top. I like his staggered approach ;)

Lucas

Alex

And we're off!

They are EVERYWHERE. Sometimes I wonder if I have quadruplets. They really do move so fast!. They are pro-crawlers and Lucas pulls himself up on everything!. Alex is quickly following though and will be pulling up more consistently before we know it!. The family room has been blocked off with gates, just so we have at least one *safe* space for them...because you know, mama's gotta pee sometimes!

To the barber we go...

Ok, not really the barber, but they got their very first hair cut!. They look so handsome....and SO grown up! Don't even want to think about it too much because it makes me so nostalgic. I can't believe it...not long ago they were bald (yes, bald! I had to post a few pictures on another site for the non-believers...but just check out month 1 and 2 on the pictures on the side)

Alex

Lucas

Beach Bums!

We took them to the beach twice this month and they LOVED it. They played and played...at the end they looked like they were breaded with sand (yumm, like crispy little chickens!). They loved the water and most of all they loved napping in the shade!

(Lucas left, Alex right)

Family ties...

We also got a short visit from the g'parents :) ...how I wish all my family was close by. I miss them all so much and I know the boys do too!

***

Alex,

You are such a sweet little guy. So smart and so sweet. You have become more social and love to smile at everyone. You love to talk and you love to study things. You love being close to your brother and I love how you look at him. He's truly your best friend.

You recently started sleeping on your tummy, like Lucas does!. You love to snuggle with your little bunny when it's time for bed and when you can't fall sleep, you sit there hugging your bunny waiting for one of us to come get you. If you wake up in the middle of the night you think it's time to party....so with your teeth have come some long nights and you've come to bed to snuggle a bit with us!.

***

Lucas,

How do you have the cutest dimples in the world?. I swear those dimples and that smile will get you whatever you want. You are a little "monster". You get into everything!...the house is quickly being dismantled just to make it safe for you...because nothing is safe from you (not even Chepe!). You love to take toys from your brother and you love to hug him and kiss him. You also love to pull his hair (and mommy's!) so we're working on that...

You are such a funny little guy...you pull up on everything and love to use mommy as a jungle gym. You love to be with people and you love Chepe too (he's not so sure about you and your hair pulling!)

***

Alex and Lucas, you're growing up so fast!. I couldn't help but tear up when I saw all the back to school pictures my friends shared. Just thinking about you going to school one day makes me so proud, nervous, happy and sad!. Time is flying!.

It hasn't been an "easy" ten months...but they have been the best 10 months of my life and I don't want to miss a thing. Now you cuddle back with mommy and daddy and I truly feel like my heart is going to explode. You guys hug me and love to just lay with me....in those moments I always hold you tight...I pray...I imagine all the good things I want for you, the values you have, the life I want for you. I pray and I say thank you. A lot.

Win some...not others!

Bad news first...I didn't meet my goal. As a matter of fact, I only ran once last week....gasp! :-O

Now on to the good news (yep, notice how I quickly change the topic so that I don't have to reflect on my failures! haha!). I ran my longest distance EVER!. 8 miles!. That's right! 8 whole miles...without ANY walk breaks and a pretty decent average pace of 9:51.

I don't have much time to post. My sitter is not able to come for a couple of weeks so needless to say it's been crazy around here. Work + mobile babies + house duties...well, it's just a bit much!.

A few quick things....

• New goal: 50 miles again, since i didn't meet the goal last time.

• Notice the little countdown on the top?........I signed up for my first Half Marathon!!!!!!!. Time to look for a training schedule. I'll keep you guys updated on progress!

• Down 9 lbs! Only 4 lbs to be a pre-pregnancy weight!!!!!!!!....Of course not in the same shape as some tightening up is in order (as described in the movie "Knocked up")

• Did my first interval/speedwork ever and it's a miracle I didn't leave my lungs on the side of the road!

17.36 miles....

Is what I would have to run this week in order to meet my goal.....yikes!

This week has been tough. Lucas mastered how to pull himself to a standing position...yay! But at the same time this has meant BEDTIME TROUBLE!.

Goes like this:

We put them down at their normal time (6:30pm or so). They are exhausted (rubbing eyes, yawning, etc). Two seconds later they start laughing, we peek in and we see Lucas standing up, leaning over to see Alex. Alex sitting down cracking up.

This goes on for a while until it turns into crying (he hasn't mastered how to go from standing to laying back down!). They get frustrated, we go in, put them back down, now they are mad, crying begins. We go in, realize that if we leave them there they will just keep getting worked up and cry more and more. Bring them out, let them calm down and hang out with us. They calm down, get very sleepy again, we try again.

Rinse and repeat.

Eventually they pass out!.

So anyway, back to my goal. 17.36 miles. If I ran 4.34 miles 4 times, then I would be ok...I just don't know that I can manage to run 4 nights this week, given how these two are doing!.

Plan B is 4.5 miles, 4.5 miles and 8 miles.

What to do, what to do....I feel like I could do 8 miles. So maybe that's the way to go.