So long 2010!

Scott and I close 2010 with a massive amount of love for our children, hope for what the future will bring, complete exhaustion from almost 5 months of twin insanity and a huge desire that 2011 will be our best year yet!

In many ways, 2010 came and went in a blur. It was full of many highs and a few lows. I doubt many things in my life will top these events this year: the day that I found out we were having twins (and then had to tell my dear husband, over the phone, the news), the fact that we had an uneventful twin pregnancy which ended in me being induced at almost 38 weeks, the feeling of overwhelming love while looking into 2 sets of eyes while holding our infant newborns together in the hospital, the outpouring of support from family, friends and strangers, watching my husband hold two babies in his arms while caring to a need of one of the older boys & the closeness and love that Sam and Ben have developed as brothers in the past few months. I have never in my life felt such devotion and love for a handful of people. They are my EVERYTHING and I wouldn’t change a single moment that I’ve spent with each of them this year. We are the luckiest parents alive to be on this journey with four amazing and healthy children…and I cannot, cannot wait to see what the future holds for each of them.

But if I’m completely honest, I also think 2010 was our hardest year as a couple. I’m very proud that we’ve been able to hold our household and family together while we sometimes struggled to care for the needs of each of our children. Our relationship has definitely taken a backseat so that we could do what was best for our children. Some days our only conversations are in a whisper during 3am feedings. Rarely do we get through an adult dinner without an interruption from a child. But through it all, we’ve still been able to hold onto our deep love for each other. Scott is an amazing father (and people tell me that every day). I cannot imagine having four children without someone so devoted to his family. I never have to ask him to get a crying baby, kick a soccer ball for our older boys or take out the trash. He hasn’t had a true day off in 7+ months and you rarely hear him complain about it. He’s without question, the most amazing and encouraging person I have ever met! If I could have a purely selfish wish for 2011, it’s that Scott and I get a little alone time to reconnect as a couple, that we get a few days of sleeping through the night without interruption and that we get to eat a completely decadent meal that lasts for hours!

So, now I say goodbye to an emotional 2010. May 2011 bring many amazing memories and be The Sheehan Six’s BEST YEAR EVER!

A shared love of Toy Story 3

Question: How many kids can fit in a bathtub at once?

Answer: Four...but just barely!

Asleep in the Bed

Sam and Ben are truly enjoying being brothers right now.  Lately we’ve been letting them go to bed at the same time.  They play for a while and then end up crawling into Ben’s bed together to sleep (or Sam in Ben’s bed and Ben on the floor…as was the case last night).  It’s always a fun part of the night when we get to go in and see where they landed before their eyes shut for the night.

There's a new chunky monkey in town!

Scott and I took the babies to their 4 month appointment this morning. They are both growing nicely, and Graham has now surpassed Grace in both height and weight. Their stats are:

Grace
Height: 2’ 0.5” (50%)
Weight: 14lbs, 15oz (71%)
Head circumference: 16.1” (40%)

Graham
Height: 2’ 1.5” (64%)
Weight: 15lbs, 5oz (50%)
Head circumference: 16.5” (33%)

Hurricane Sheehan

Before

After

Make sure you look at the "after" picture closely.  There are many hilarious things, but my personal favorites are:

1.) Ben (the stormtrooper) hanging out next to Grace in the Bumbo.  It's hands down the best part of this picture and I can't help but laugh out loud when looking at him with that big mask on.
2.) Sam performing for his "audience" in the one clean portion of the floor.
3.) Grace trying hard to not make eye contact with her two insane older brothers.

Awww...holiday school breaks...this is how we make it through!

Merry Christmas x 4

Santa...We Caught You!

Sam and Ben were beyond excited for Santa to come tonight.  Before bed, they left homemade sugar cookies for Santa & lots of carrots for the reindeer.

Scott and I stayed up LATE to make sure we captured this photo of Santa for the kids.  Judging by the stack of presents...Sam, Ben, Grace & Graham must have been extra good this year.

Santa even left a hand written note.  We hope to see you next year, Santa!

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Scott always reads ‘Twas the night before Christmas (Texas style and regular) on Christmas Eve.  It was fun to share this tradition with so many kiddos this year. 

A Lively Holiday Lunch

We had the kind of lunch you always hear about with big families, loud and festive!  My brother and his family came over for the morning as did my grandmother, Aunt Deta, Uncle Mike, Aunt Delia and my parents.  We had 16 people in a very small space for close to an hour while we ate.  Afterwards, we quickly booted the kids outside to run off some steam.  It was great and exactly what the holiday is all about…being with family.  What a great start to an intense holiday weekend.

Nutcracker Time!

Sam attended his 1^st Nutcracker yesterday afternoon.  We went with some good friends and had a wonderful time.  Early on (about 20 minutes into the show), I thought we were going to have problems when Sam leaned over to me and said, “Mom, when we get home can I watch football?  I really like football.”  This comment was mostly because we had to leave our house during the middle of the Cowboys game.  But once I reassured him that he could indeed catch up on football after the completion of the Nutcracker, he watched every move across the stage (Of course, he asked me to email Scott for the score at the intermission).  He loved the first half with the battle scenes and luckily I decided to get binoculars at intermission as I don’t know if he would have lasted through the 2^nd part without the distraction of the lenses.  Overall, it was a great afternoon and definitely the start of a family tradition!

And for those of you that know me well, Sam does not like people dressed up in costumes anymore than I do.  Caroline talked him into getting his picture made with one of the rats (Ally refused) but he wasn’t happy about it.

Ben's Two Year Check-Up

My Type A personality has taken a backseat since the twins arrived. It’s mostly seen in being on time and remembering important appointments. TWICE I missed Ben’s 2-year-old appointment. FINALLY, the 3rd time was the charm and we made it on Tuesday...3 months after his original appointment was scheduled

Here are his stats:

Height: 3’ (75%)
Weight : 29 lbs (50%)
Head: 20.24” (95%)

Let the Games Begin!

I don't know if I should be encouraging competition already between the boys, but in hopes of surviving the next few weeks without MDO I bought a classic game for the boys to play - Hungry, Hungry Hippo.  They've had a blast playing all day.  Sam, of course, counts the balls at the end of each game with the hopes that he's chomped up the most balls but surprisingly gives Ben a high five whenever they tie.  So, as Sam says at the beginning of each game – Ready, Set, Go!

One Brave Santa

This picture cracks me up for a few reasons (I’ll go left to right):

1.) Sam – His face tells the whole story…this kid LOVES Christmas! He never forgets to update the advent calendar, he always knows exactly how many days until Christmas and he speaks to car (our elf on a shelf) as though he can relay any message to Santa. In case you wanted to know what he asked Santa for…Star Wars stuff (shocker!).

2.) Grace - Seriously, the poor girl always gets a raw deal during pictures. I was too worried about what to do with her dress, that I never realized that she was slouched so much on Santa’s lap. But I love Sam’s protective hand on her…that’s pretty true to form.

3.) Graham – That posture! I think it’s adorable that all the boys have on matching shirts and even as the 3rd boy, he still finds a way to stand out.

4.) Ben – The expression on his face is 100% Ben. That’s his “I’m not sure about this situation” face and we see it a lot. The only thing that kept him from completely freaking out is the candy cane in his hand. Thank goodness for candy!

5.) Santa – Sweet, sweet Santa. His eyes got wide when he saw us coming, but he was a trooper through it all.

6.) Sandra (our amazing nanny) – She’s not pictured but she’s the ONLY reason we got there dressed and with smiles on our faces.

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Stocking Fun

For as long as I can remember, the Lindsey side of my family has gotten together at the beginning of December to celebrate the holidays. There are so many of us (and we continue to grow) that we do stocking stuffers for everyone and then draw names of all the adults for a big gift exchange. It’s always a lot of fun. This year we had to miss out on the festivities.

With all four kiddos at home this week because of illnesses, I decided to let them open their stockings from the Lindsey gang. I don’t think there was a single item that they didn’t love. Thank you to the Lindsey and Rogillio families for starting this holiday season off with a bang.

Happy Holidays!

Exersaucer Fun

One of these kids doesn't belong in the exersaucer...but we're not going to tell him that.

Can Batman and Darth Vader be Friends?

Sam and Ben seem to think so!

Playtime!

The babies are becoming so animated!  They are starting to play with toys and engage their surroundings.  Grace is a little under the weather right now, but you can see Graham enjoying the exersaucer in the playroom.  He’s so alert these days and will flirt all day with Grace if she will tolerate him. 

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas!

Oh Christmas Tree

This morning we loaded up the gang and headed out to get our live Christmas tree at a nursery near our house. This is one of our favorite holiday traditions! All the kids were amazingly calm and we spent almost an hour finding the perfect tree. As the kiddos nap this afternoon, we’ll put the lights on so it will be ready for little hands to decorate it tonight. Happy Holidays!

On a separate note, these pictures made me smile as it captures how insane it is to photograph others when you have a child strapped to your stomach.

Growing Babies!

Living A Child's Christmas Dream

There was a time in my life that having a 12’ blow-up of Santa and Frosty in our front yard would have seemed unimaginable. But with four children in the household, we’re quickly learning that bringing a smile to one of our kiddos faces is more important than being embarrassed by a decoration in our yard. As Christmas approaches, the boys continue to get a little more wound up each day. We continue to talk about how the day is more about celebrating the birth of Jesus than what Santa is bringing. Sometimes I feel like we’re getting through (when Ben randomly sings Happy Birthday to Jesus or Sam sets up the nativity scene) and sometimes I know I’m not (when both children are talking to our Elf on Shelf requesting gift after gift).

Tonight the boys were especially wild in their room. Each and every time that I went in there, they were peering out the window at the blow-up of Santa and Frosty. It wasn’t until I unplugged them (and they dropped sadly to the ground) did the boys decide to go to bed themselves.

But regardless of all this exhausting insanity, this is a wonderful and exciting time of year. 



Pajama Day

Today is pajama day at St. Luke’s Day School.  Sam decided he wanted to wear his new Christmas pjs, and Ben followed suit.  What a festive way to start the day!

Winter Hats

Kyra Bowman’s (a wonderful woman at SLDS) mom made these fabulous hats for the twins.  I’ve loved them from the moment I pulled them out of the gift bag.  But in true Texas form, it’s been too hot to wear them.  Fortunately, we’ve been able to put them to good use over the past few days.  Adorable! 

Thanksgiving Day in Houston

We have so much to be thankful for this year: four healthy children, amazing family and wonderful friends.  Because of the twins, we opted to purchase our dinner this year and I think it might be a new tradition.  Instead of slaving away in the kitchen, we spent our time enjoying each other.  Special thanks to my mom, dad and Aunt D for all your help with the kiddos and for making this a wonderful (and relaxed) 1^st Thanksgiving for the twins.  

Pre-K Thanksgiving Day Feast

On Tuesday, Scott and I were lucky enough to have lunch with Sam and the rest of the Pre-K students at St. Luke’s Day School.  We dined on delicious, homemade turkey day dishes while laughing at hilarious conversations with Sam and his classmates.  It was a wonderful time.

The G Babies

Our sweet friend Allison (who also has a G Baby…Garrett) gave the twins these adorable his and her "G" shirts.  We love them!

VIDEO: Grace and Graham Have Serious Head Control!

We're having a blast with Grace and Graham.  Each day we work on head control.  They can only last a few minutes in the Bumbo seat but it's a good break from hour on hours of tummy time. It's amazing how far they've come in 3 short months!

All in the Family

We love it when family comes to visit!  Last night Lou came to meet the babies.  She was in Houston the weekend before they were born but they were stubborn and refused to come out and meet her.  After hanging out with the kiddos for a bit, Lou, Deta & Mike treated me (minus the kiddos…a rare and quiet experience) to a Mexican dinner.  It was a wonderful night with family!

Constant Entertainment

The twins are so fun to be around right now.  They are laughing, smiling and trying their best to talk.  Sam & Ben love this and hop around singing and dancing in hopes of getting as many smiles as possible out of each one.  As expected, Grace & Graham don’t miss a single beat as their eyes follow every move.  It’s wonderful to watch this interaction as a mother.   

Sleepy Times

When you are one of four children, you learn quickly how to sleep whenever and wherever you can.  It’s amazing what these two sweet babies can sleep through!

Sam's Drawings

As I mentioned in a previous post, the boys are very interested in art right now. Here are two pictures that Sam created yesterday. The first is one he made for Ben’s teacher, Ms. Faruolo. Ben and Sam see each other on the playground everyday. According to Sam, this is Ben’s favorite thing to play with/on. The second is my self portrait. I love that he still sees me with two babies in my belly. But the best part is that he made sure to point out to me that the baby with the larger head is Grace. Sorry Grace but sometimes the truth hurts!

Ben on firetruck at St. Luke's Day School

Mom with the twins in her tummy

Go Horned Frogs!

We absolutely love watching our Horned Frogs play football this year.  And now that the boys have Andy Dalton jerseys (thanks Mimi & Pop), Sam & Ben can cheer them on in style.  Now the only problem that we have is trying to keep the jerseys clean so they can be worn multiple times throughout the week.  Ra Ra TCU! 

Art Time

Sometime over the past month, Ben became obsessed with coloring and drawing.  It is fun to see what he creates (Sam too) and I never grow tired of hearing the boys’ descriptions of their drawings.      

Tummy Time

While Scott was putting Ben to bed after baths, Sam helped me entertain the twins.  The babies did tummy time in their cribs while Sam sang songs and made funny faces.  As you can see, they thoroughly enjoyed the show.  What a great big brother.

Happy Halloween

The Sheehan Family had a wonderful Halloween!

We had dinner and trick or treated with the Anthony and Faulk Family. It was A LOT of kids to keep track of but even the little ones enjoyed going door to door for candy.

Scott will receive his Father of the Year award later today for dressing as Buzz Lightyear. He decided to not wear it for the trip around the neighborhood but the excitement on two little boys faces when he put it on earlier in the day made a little personal embarrassment all worth it.

Grace & Graham hung out in the Baby Bjorns most of the night and were SO exhausted from the night’s festivities that they slept 11 ½ and 10 hours, respectively.

What a great way to kick of the year’s festivities!

Playroom Fun

Scott or I say at least once a week how thankful we are for our playroom.  99.9% of the older boys’ toys live in this gated room.  So, you can imagine that many hours are spent here each day.  As the babies continue to wake up more for playtime, we’re enjoying time with them in there as well.  The playroom is a fun place to be!

Four on Four

It’s amazing how easy four on four feels!  Jim and Greg came to visit this weekend and constantly had one child or another with them.  We got to enjoy Sam’s soccer game on Saturday, LOTS of queso, trips around the neighborhood and plenty of family time.  We had perfect weather and a wonderful time.  The boys can’t wait for you guys to come back!

The Ben & Maggie Show

My friend Betsy has been SO good to us since I found out I was pregnant with the twins.  She’s fed us, took the kiddos for play dates, brought over endless bags of girl clothes, etc.  I finally got to repay a little bit of that back on Thursday when I took Maggie to gymnastics (she’s in class with Ben) and then brought Maggie & Ben back to our house for Chick Fil A and some outdoor craziness.  I loved that they wanted to hold hands every time we got out of the car and were amazingly great at sharing toys.   Ben’s already asking for Maggie to come back.  What a wonderful way to spend a Thursday! 

A HOT October Night

Only in Texas would you realize that your AC was broken the last week of October.  But with temperatures in the 90s, we quickly discovered last night that the unit wasn’t working.  After two inspections, the unit will need to be replaced (sometime tomorrow afternoon).  In the meantime, we’re hanging out at friends' houses during the day and sleeping in front of fans at night.  Here’s Sam enjoying the cool breeze while sleeping!

Parade Day at St. Luke's Day School

What a fun filled morning! St. Luke’s Day School held their annual Halloween Parade where all the older kids parade through the hallways in their costumes while the younger kids and parents snap their pictures. We had a little drama this morning when Sam (an older kid at school) got to put on his Batman costume for school, but it quickly passed when I told Ben (a younger kid) he got to wear the pumpkin & black cat shirt he paintd at school. They both looked so festive that I put the babies in their Halloween onesies for a quick photoshoot.

Once at school, I strapped Graham to me, placed Grace in the stroller & we squeezed our way into a spot in the very packed hallway. With Ghostbusters playing in the background, Sam gave me a huge smile and wave as he passed by. Ben was a few feet away and I watched as Ben noticed Sam and started waving. Being the great big brother that he is, Sam stepped out of line and gave Ben a high five. Moments like that just warm my heart.

Let the Halloween celebrations begin!

Energy!

I wish you boys could pass along just a tiny bit of your energy!

Sam and Ben are finally starting to enjoy playing together and we love watching them interact.  We're so glad they have each other to run around with while Scott and I are tending to the babies.  Nothing is better than hanging out with your brother!

Love, love