Two reasons why my husband rocks!

Our five year anniversary is coming up next month. My husband---he's on top of things this year! He's already celebrating, which gives me the perfect opportunity to tell him (and you) that:



I could go in a million directions with this. I could tell you about what an amazing papa he is to the girls, or about how well he provides for our family. I could tell you about how he jumps in washing dishes, doing laundry and other household chores, or how he wakes up with the girls on the weekend, and gives me a few extra minutes of sleep. Because he is and does all of those things.

But today, today I want to tell you about how he pays attention.

I, offhandedly, make comments about things, and he tucks them away surprising me when I least expect it.

Case in point #1:

Isn't that a glorious sight?!

Okay, maybe not to you, but it is to me. I open the fridge, and I hear a choir of angels singing. 

For months I've talked about wanting to get rid of all my old, tired, stained, ugly, chemical-laden plastic storage containers, and replace them with all glass ones. 

My sweet husband remembered. And got me a great set for an early anniversary gift. 

I was jumping up and down squealing with glee while simultaneously hugging him and laughing at how "old" this makes me to get so excited about storage-ware. 

Case in point #2:

Since we have a contract on a house built in 1860, I thought it would only be fitting to convert our drinking glasses to Mason Jars. They just make me happy. I mean, just look:


art by Beth Meadows 

So, again, my sweet husband remembered. Just look what arrived in the mail yesterday:

Why yes, I am drinking my OJ out of a Mason jar wine glass this morning. Could you just die?!

Thank you, husband for loving me with glassware, and for knowing me so well, that you knew I'd delight in these things.

If you want to give a shout-out to your husband via blog post. You can do so here.

Mama Loves: Large Canvas Floor Totes

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Lots of great ideas, again this week! Thanks so much for linking up your ideas here, friends!

• Katie loves these splat mats to go under the space where kids eat. Aren't they super cute? They actually go with decor in your home! 

• Laura shared one of her favorite parenting books. There's a boy version of this too.

 

• Krista shares the joy of rotating toys, so that old toys become "new" again. 

• Mandy shows us this very cool geometry activity that she came up with for her girls. They were entertained for an entire hour with this! 

 

•  Along the same lines, Marcia's twins loved working on this activity. Geometry, and hand-eye coordination----love it! (isn't her photography beautiful?!)

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Before I get going, I wanted to take a second to thank all of you who stopped by with your prayers and well wishes for our family on Monday. I feel so blessed by this big, beautiful blogging community. Oh, and I realized that I forgot to say that we'll be expecting our little "Pat" sometime around 07 January 2013, or if my husband had his way, sometime before the end of 2012. We'll see, Husband, we'll see.

Anyway, without further ado....

When the girls were born we were given a $50 gift certificate to Pottery Barn Kids. It took me a really long time to decide how to spend it, I wanted to get something practical and useful, because if you've ever shopped Pottery Barn Kids----$50 doesn't go very far.

I decided on the Large Canvas Floor Tote. At the time, the girls' toys were being kept in the living room, so I was pleased that the brown polka dot design blended with our decor.

A bonus, if you're interested, I noticed that Pottery Barn Kids does have these totes on sale this week, so your $50 gift card will go a bit further than normal.



I have to tell you-----these things are HUGE! When we first got the tote, we didn't have that many toys, but now, it's full, and let me tell you----it holds a lot. The girls thought it was hilarious that their mama was making such a big mess. But it did serve a purpose. Here's a size comparison for you (the girls are about 37.5 inches tall:

Ah! I do love organizing the chaos just a little bit!

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Every Little Thing is Gonna Be Alright

I'd like to introduce you to the grace and blessing that is #1348.

(I've taken to calling the baby "Charlie" ---we aren't revealing the sex---my mom used to always call her babies "Charlie" before they were born; I'm adopting her little nickname).

So, I'd like to tell you a bit more about our little #1348. We found out last Tuesday that "Charlie" has a heart defect.

Maybe I should back up a bit.

It's been quite a journey for me these past 20 weeks.

I've battled the voices of fear and doubt in my head telling me that I'm not enough.

Fear is a big ole fat liar, by the way. Still, he's so convincing sometimes.


image credit

Anyway, it hasn't been pretty. My heart.

So, I took my ugliness to God. I've spent lots of time with God. I've yelled at him talked to him a lot. I've read a lot about what he says about life, about love, about who he is.

Here's the truth:

I am enough.


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Each moment of each day God gives me---gives you----the grace we need to be enough. Enough for our children. Enough for our spouses. Enough.

Even if you have three under the age of three----you are enough. Yeah, I know. Every day I need new grace to believe that too---especially when there's hair pulling or not-naps going on.

Here's the other truth mixed in with a couple miracles:

I have people praying for me to be amazed.

Are you ready for it?


image credit

As I sat in the ultrasound room teleconferencing with the perinatologist (that's a fancy title for a doctor who takes care of mamas and babies that are at a higher-than-normal risk for complications), I felt calm.

He explained "Charlie's"condition to me---all the degrees of severity, possible treatment options, and what the next steps would be.

So, here it was, that little miracle: I sat there completely calm. I even remember feeling amazed that I wasn't dissolving in a puddle of tears. A calm, pregnant lady being told that something is wrong with her baby.

The nurses kept giving me sideways glances, incredulous that I hadn't crumbled, expecting me to lose it at any moment.

Amazing. 

I believe that through all the time I've been hanging out with God, I was being prepared for this---all of this, and I don't even know yet, what this entails yet.

Something I keep coming back to from my time spent praying and reading and arguing with God is this verse:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. ~Lamentations 3:22-23

Or in other words:


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And if I know that to be true. If I believe that with my whole heart, then I am okay. I am always okay. And, "Charlie" is going to be okay too.

If you pray, please pray for our echocardiogram on September 11th that:

• we would have peace while we wait for the appointment
• that the hole in "Charlie's" heart will show signs of shrinking
• that "Charlie" won't need any surgery. 

Linking with Ann and Jen 

UPDATE** After I wrote this. Brad informed me that he didn't like calling our baby "Charlie"---no offense, Mom. Instead, he would like to call our baby "Pat". I can only hope someone out there watched Saturday Night Live back in the day, and knows what the heck I'm talking about, and finds this picture somewhat humorous:

 

Mama Loves: Lots of good stuff!

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Friends! Such great ideas shared here last week! Thank so much to all of you that link up and share here!

This week, I'm not actually going to share a "love", and I don't have a giveaway for you either. It's been a busy, exhausting week, and since you guys rocked it over this past week-----there's plenty of good stuff.

I totally get it if you want to stop reading now, but I hope you'll stick around, because I'm excited to talk about your ideas here!

Big congrats to Miss SarahFae for winning the Sweaty Band giveaway this past week! Krista, I haven't forgotten you----thanks for emailing me your address----the book should be there shortly!
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• Krista has some fantastic tomatoes growing in her garden! Check out how she uses them to give her family delicious things to eat! 

 

• Laura shared some really amazing facts about tears. Did you know that there are three different kinds of tears we shed? Fascinating, and yes, Laura, so encouraging! 

 

•  Make your own shampoo and conditioner. I'm really excited about this one, because I finally took the plunge and started doing this-----all because of this great post by SarahFae. Also---do check out the comment section, there's helpful stuff there too!

 

• SarahFae also made her own paper towels and paper towel holder. Super cute, super functional, and it saves money! She walks you through the process step by step. 

Can't wait to see what you're loving this week!

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Mama Loves: Clean Diapers and another {GIVEAWAY}

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.

Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Some fantastic ideas shared this past week! Check it out!

• Krista loves dry erase crayons. I guess I need to try these---everyone seems to rave about them!

 

• Ginger loves no-spill bubbles, which I have to agree are a pretty fabulous idea, especially after one of the girls spilled a bottle of colored bubbles all over herself at a playdate recently.Yellow goo everywhere! (good thing it was a bath night). 

• Melissa linked up with a great list of things to do with toilet paper rolls. You'll want to pin this, friends! Lots of great ideas here! 

• Affton tells us all about how much her kiddos love Kindermusik---she loves it so much she's becoming a teacher! Awesome! Good luck with your first up-coming class, Affton!

• Laura gives us a great list of on-line references to combat the cultural pressures of beauty and body image.

Thank you, thank you, everyone for sharing your great ideas here!
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It was a year ago this week that we kicked off Mama Loves. Thank you, everyone, for showing up and contributing ideas----such a great community here!

So, good morning afternoon. We've had company, and I didn't do a better time of planning ahead.

Anyway.

Awhile back I told you about how much I love our dryerballs from Nellie's Naturals. After I raved about them here, I contacted the company, just to let them know how much I liked their product. They then sent me some Nellie's Laundry Soda to try.

 

 Now, I've told you that I make my own laundry detergent, so it took me awhile to actually give this a whirl, but I'm glad I did.

I like that it is small, and doesn't take much to clean an entire load---the scoop needed, is really small.

 
I also love that it's completely dye and fragrance-free. Even people with the most sensitive skin can use it.

What I love most is that it does a great job of cleaning cloth diapers, while leaving no residue behind. Yay! Definitely a product I can get behind!
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Okay, first thing's first.

A winner!

The winner of one of our most favorite books, The Pout-Pout Fish is Krista D. from Life on the Gravelly Road. Yay! Congrats, Krista! Could you email me the address you'd like it mailed to, please? (pontifications@hotmail.com)

And---now on to our next giveaway!

This gal loves a good workout, and I really, really love hair bands that don't slide out of my hair while I'm working up a good sweat! Sweaty Bands hold the hair out of my face, don't slip out of my hair, and they come in lots of great styles.

Just so happens that I have an extra one of these to giveaway to one of you! It's white with a bit of sparkle. Here's a picture:

To win this cute Sweaty Band:

• Please leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to get sweaty.

For additional entries, it would be an honor if you'd consider doing any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each entry below):

• Link-up this week! Blog about something you've been loving, and share it below! (You can link up a post you originally did for something else too---if it qualifies, share it!)
• Like Pontifications of  a Twin Mom on facebook (or leave a comment letting me know you're already a follower).
• Follow Pontifications of a Twin Mom via Google Friend Connect (or leave a comment letting me know you're already a follower). 

Each comment is worth one entry.
Entries can be made until Friday, August 17th at 5PM.
Winner will be announced August 18th during our weekly Mama Loves post.

Do check back next week---there just might be another Mama Loves giveaway!

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A laugh for your Tuesday morning

So.

This is how I found Brynne's baby this morning:

Apparently, Baby enjoyed a little too much wine.

Please don't forget to enter the giveaway of one of our favorite books! 

Mama Loves: InfantRisk Center {Giveaway}

Welcome to another week of Mama Loves! I'm so thrilled that you stopped by!

Not sure what Mama Loves is? Check out the Mama Loves page for the scoop on what Mama Loves is all about.


Also---to see all the amazing ideas that have been shared here, check out the Mama Loves Pinterest page. So many crazy-good ideas there!
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Check out these mama-approved ideas from this past week!

MandyE's girls love these scissors. Friends, she tried to cut her hand and her hair, and could not, so they are mama-tested, and mama-approved for safety. 



 We love the book Little Blue Truck around here! Krista's son enjoys acting the story out---what a clever way to combine books and imaginary play!



This sidewalk paint from Laura looks like so much fun! I can't wait to whip up a batch!



Katie has been walking through the alphabet this summer with her 2.5 year olds---there are some awesome ideas there---you should check that too! She incorporates dot markers with letter-learning. I need to get my dot markers out, and get over my fear that it will be a gigantic mess!


Ginger re-lived her childhood love of traveling carnivals with her kids. It looks like her whole family LOVES traveling carnivals now!



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A friend of mine recently has been having some health concerns. While in the ER, her doctor prescribed some medication that wasn't safe for her to take while breastfeeding her baby. I urged her to call the InfantRisk Center, an organization that's current on the latest medications and doses, and how it affects nursing and pregnant mothers.

Each year, more than 4.3 million women give birth in the U.S. Virtually all of these women will use at least one medication during pregnancy or during breastfeeding.

The new InfantRisk Center provides information on the use of medications while women are pregnant and while breastfeeding.

Truthfully, we know about the safety and hazards of using medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding, its just that many healthcare professionals are not current on all these new drugs. This is all we do. We are here to provide you with real evidence-based medicine about the use of drugs during these important periods of your life.

Their service is completely free of charge! My friend said when she called they were super-helpful, and she quickly learned that she would be able to resume breastfeeding again, much quicker than the ER doctors had told her.

Not everyone is going to need this organization, but it's super-handy to remember for your friends, or for yourself.
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Okay---now, for the fun part! Our first Mama Loves giveaway!

Back in November, I told you guys about one of the girls' favorite books, The Pout-Pout Fish.

 

We still really love that book around here, and we'd love to share the love with someone. So---if you'd like to win a hardcover copy of this book check out the rules below:

• Leave a comment below telling me what children's book is a favorite around your house right now. 

For additional entries, it would be an honor if you'd consider doing any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each entry below):

• Link-up this week! Blog about something you've been loving, and share it below! (You can link up a post you originally did for something else too---if it qualifies, share it!)
• Like Pontifications of  a Twin Mom on facebook (or leave a comment letting me know you're already a follower).
• Follow Pontifications of a Twin Mom via Google Friend Connect (or leave a comment letting me know you're already a follower). 

Each comment is worth one entry.
Entries can be made until Friday, August 10th at 5PM.
Winner will be announced August 11th during our weekly Mama Loves post.

Do check back next week for another Mama Loves giveaway!

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