Appointment Date Changed!!!!

August 3rd, 2013 is when we will know the genders! Yay!!!!

14 Week Update!

I am now 14 weeks so it's time to play a little baby bump picture catch up. So here are weeks 11-14!

 

Here are sonogram pics from week 13 

BABY  A

BABY  B

 14 WEEKS UPDATE:

Baby Size: The twins are each the size of a peach

Total weight gain: 11 pounds. The baby books tell me to expect to gain 45-50 pounds with my frame and twins. HOLY COW! That seems like so much! Jason just today (who was reading one of his expecting twins books and two iphone apps) informed me that I should have gained 14-18 pounds by this point. I assured him that 11 pounds was plenty (I mean my Lord I'm only 14 weeks and feel as though 11 pounds is a LOT!)...he disagreed and immediately left for the grocery store. He returned with peanut butter crackers and two things of ice cream. He said the book said that ice cream was good for me to eat because it has a good amount of fat and is full of calcium and that the books say at 14 weeks 14-18 pounds is normal. So lets just say I took down a big bowl of ice cream tonight. I mean come one...twist my arm :)

Maternity clothes? Not yet. My skinny jeans still fit if I use an elastic hair tie through the button hole! But not sure how much longer this trick is gonna work. I swear every day I wake up the bump looks a little bit bigger so I'm afraid maternity clothes are in my very near future!

Sleep: The first trimester I swore these babies were sucking the life out of me. I tired to come home and take a little nap every day after work. But since I've gotten into the second trimester I have a little bit more energy and don't feel the need to nap like I did, 

Miss Anything? Actually the only thing I really miss is lunch meat! A hard salami sandwich or a Jimmy Johns Beach club. But no lunch meat when your prego so veggie subs it is. BORRRIIINGG.

Movement: Not yet but my doctor has said with twins you feel movement much sooner since they are so smashed inside there. So I'm hoping I feel them move soon! When we have ultrasounds they move around and kick and wave like crazy. Especially Baby B. I think Baby B is going to be our wild child. 

Food cravings: Not really. I kind of craved salty stuff for a while, like salt and vinegar chips. Now I kind of want sour stuff. I've been eating a lot of pink lemonade jolly rancher suckers. But I wouldn't really call any of this cravings because I swear I've always been the type to crave things, even when I wasn't pregnant.

Anything making you queasy or sick: I was extremely lucky to not have even one bit of morning sickness the first trimester. Not one day of nausea or sickness. I really lucked out there. The only pregnancy side effect (besides the fatigue and growing belly!) that I've had is terrible headaches. Like serious headaches. UGH. 

Gender: I wish we knew!! I'm hoping since we get ultrasounds a little more often since we've got two in there that we find out a little earlier. But that may be wishful thinking. 

Symptoms: Just the headaches :(

Mood: Wellll.....Jason said a few weeks ago that he thinks I've been more normal and calm pregnant than I was on all the hormone medications and fertility shots. But I'll be the first to admit that the week we finished up building the house and moving was a very, errrr, how should I say this....trying week for me. I am so ready to just be pregnant and not be pregnant while going to fertility appointments out of state once a week, planning bridal and bachelorette parties, picking out house stuff, calling contractors, and moving! But we are now officially moved and things have calmed down. 

Looking forward to: Feeling the little ones move! 

Daily Parenting Tip: Teaching Kids To Respect Other Religions

Even if you're raising a family rooted in one faith, show your children how to connect with and tolerate other religions.

By Jessica Steinberg 

I grew up in a strictly kosher home in Long Island, New York. We observed the Sabbath and lived a five-minute walk from the synagogue where my father was the pulpit rabbi. Although my life was spent observing Jewish traditions and customs, I was exposed to other religions. My family lived in an Italian-Catholic town, and my best friend and next-door neighbor was raised in an observant Catholic family. We helped trim our neighbors'Christmas trees and they helped decorate our sukkah, the temporary hut used during the fall holiday of Sukkot. They sat at our Passover seders and we painted their Easter eggs.

Looking back, I think that we got along well with our Catholic neighbors because we were all accustomed to religious rituals and all they entail. Some of those rituals are similar, even if they're practiced differently -- fasting, feasting, and prayers are observed by all religions -- so more joins than separates those who observe different faiths. Of course, there are religious and observant families who don't feel comfortable reaching out to others of different faiths, or who have similar faiths but different points of view. My upbringing taught me that it's possible to lead an observant lifestyle in the secular world while remaining flexible and adapting to differences. It can be a struggle, but it can be enlightening as well.

There are no definitive guidelines for observant families to teach their kids about other religions, but the more positive and engaging parents can be when talking about another religion, the more likely kids will be interested and understand another person's religious experience. "A lot depends on the age and temperament of each individual child," says the Reverend Stuart Baskin, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tyler, Texas. "Parents, family friends, teachers, and religious leaders teach by their attitudes. If they talk in distrustful terms, children will learn the same attitudes."

Parents raising a family in a religious home can follow these strategies to help kids respect other faiths.

Understand Your Own Spiritual Values

Before talking about and comparing other religions, it's important that your child understand your family's religious background, and its ethical and spiritual values. "With different theologies leading to different practices and celebrations, it's an education for kids, as long as parents can approach it with a curious and respectful attitude instead of saying, 'Our way is right and their way is wrong,'" says Wendy Mogel, a psychologist with a background in Judaism and author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee.

Don't leave it to your kids to figure out religious leanings; initiate a conversation. "Your family's religion is part of the history of the family and is part of the fabric of the family," says Susan Bartell, Psy.D., a psychologist in New York. "But you also need to say to your child that all religions have things about them that are great, and we celebrate that because it's part of who we are and who other people are."

Incorporate Traditional Rituals Into New Ones

Religious rituals create a spiritual framework (and warm memories), so parents should observe traditional ones and then add a new twist that even others of different faiths can participate in together. Hang up a calendar that notes different religious holidays to guide families through a year of celebrations. This is an effective way to envision the year and give kids things to anticipate. "Kids love tradition because it's anchoring in a very unsettled world," Mogel says.

I have a Muslim friend who likes to break his daily fast during Ramadan with a falafel sandwich (instead of the traditional date) right after prayers, before heading home to an elaborate feast. It's his personal way of decompressing after a long day, and his kids love the informality. In my own family, we have an annual tradition my father created. On the eve of Passover, after burning the last crumbs of bread left in the house before switching to matzoh, we toast marshmallows. Our non-Jewish neighbors enjoyed being part of this ritual.

Discover an Area of Divine Connection

For some parents, the challenge is to find what one religious family has in common with other religious families. In homes where more than one religion is practiced, the sources and deities being observed may not be the same, but the concepts may be. Mogel believes that families should try "bending with grace in both directions," which balances following religious practices without dividing the family.

Yisrael Campbell (formerly known as Chris), a father of four and a comedian, converted to Judaism after being raised as a Catholic. "It's very important for me to remain in contact with my family, and that includes finding ways to make allowances within my belief system," Campbell says. "I changed so significantly that I have a greater responsibility to meet them somewhere; I have to find a way to participate in my family's life. I converted; they didn't."

Finding a common ground with his Catholic family can mean not making a fuss that his mother and sister still call him Chris, or arriving on Christmas day in the afternoon, to avoid some of the holiday hoopla. His mother, for her part, wraps her Jewish grandchildren's gifts in blue Hanukkah paper, while other gifts are wrapped in the traditional Christmas red and green.

As Presbyterian Christians, Rev. Baskin and his wife saw a universal hunger for God. Rev. Baskin remembers teaching his daughters -- now 20 and 17 -- to always set an extra place at the dinner table each night, complete with place mat, plate, knife, fork, spoon, and glassware, for the "sojourner" who might show up at our door. Rev. Baskin explains, "We would have friends drop by from time to time, and they would sit at that place, but we talked about the sojourner as the outsider who would also be our guest. We believe that all human beings are created in the image and likeness of God and that our common humanity marks us more powerfully than our differences."

xoxo, Alisa

Appointment is Set (!!!!!!)

Well we have an appointment set to find out the genders! On August 15, 2013 at 10:00 am, we will finally find out the genders of the Rimini twins! I'm so excited!

The Twins (Last Name is Rimini) 12 Weeks (Today!!!): Baby Bump

Updates will start at 14 weeks! 2 weeks to go!

Daily Parenting Tip: Avoid Over scheduling Busy Weekends

Having fun, getting things done, and doing nothing -- packing all that into one weekend is tough, and it was stressing me out. If you know the feeling, then my journey will help you get your mojo back.

By Francesca Castagnoli Photographs by Thayer Allyson Gowdy from Parents Magazine

My 6-year-old son, Dashiell, climbs into my bed every morning and asks, "Is it a school day?" On Saturdays, I get to tell him no. He cheers, but my heart is racing. The truth is, Saturdays make me tense. They are supposed to be relaxed, easygoing, "who wants more pancakes?" days. But instead, by 11:30 the boys have been to both tae kwan do and soccer practice; I've bought and wrapped presents for back-to-back birthdays; Dash is begging for TV time; Conrad, our 8-year-old, is pouting because no one wants to play Pok?mon with him; and my husband, David, and I have given each other the stink eye over who is going to Home Depot and who has to manage the birthday-party car pool (guess how that turned out).

It's not Saturday. It's Sadderday, the day when all of our personal agendas crash like trains arriving at the same time on the same platform. How does something that's supposed to be so good go so bad? "The day is loaded with expectations. Everything -- from chores to sports tournaments to time to unwind -- is on the schedule," says Scott Haltzman, M.D., clinical assistant professor of human behavior at Brown University and author of The Secrets of Happy Families. There had to be a better way. So to nip the whole Sadderday Syndrome in the bud, I decided to explore the predicament for my own family's well-being -- and maybe for your family's as well.

It's Friday! Friday! Got to Get Down on Friday!

Can you guess my favorite night of the weekend? Around nine o'clock, when the boys are tucked in and the free time seems to stretch out before us like a view of the ocean, David and I snuggle on the couch with beer and popcorn and catch up on missed episodes of Grimm. The later it gets, the guiltier we feel, but we simply can't stop. We'll look at each other sheepishly as the credits roll, wondering how tired we'll be if we watch just one more. The show takes place in Portland, Oregon, but we are transported back to San Francisco, where we first met and our weekends allowed us all the time we wanted to sleep, eat brunch, and make love.

Our Friday dates are romantic, but suddenly it's 5:30 Saturday morning, and Dash is crawling into our bed, asking for pancakes. I try to buy time, but within a half hour I'm awake, mad at myself for thinking I can be both a night owl and an early bird. I find myself scolding more than I do on a rushed weekday morning, and I feel guilty when my patience wears thin after Dash insists on breaking eggs and misses the bowl. "It's natural for you to long to have your old life back when your kids finally show some signs of independence," says Peter Schaeffer, a clinical psychologist with a private practice in New York City. But as long as our kids are still getting up at dawn, we need to strike a compromise between the parents we want to be in the morning and the fun-loving grown-ups we long to be at night.

So, I cooked up the Two Bad for Us rule: We would make sure the boys went to bed at 8:30 and we'd watch just two episodes, have two drinks, and then turn in. When the next Friday rolled around, our party was over at 11 but it was just as much fun. True, Dash woke me up with the sunrise asking to break some eggs, and yes, I was still sleepy, but I was ready to start cooking.

Think Before You Click "RSVP"

I was at a soccer game one Saturday, and my friend Sheldon and I were comparing how many times we'd drive across town that day. I was going to make 11 trips shuttling the boys to their events. He beat me with 16, but he has three kids. "Why don't we just say no?" he asked. "Because nobody wants to be left out," I said, but something inside me said that wasn't the whole story.

It's true that most kids don't want to be on the sidelines of socializing, but as parents we don't seem to teach them that saying "yes" to every party and activity has a downside. I had learned this the hard way the previous Saturday at 3:45 when Dash was playing with the kids on our block and I called him in to get ready for a party. To my surprise, he pitched a fit right in the middle of our driveway. He yelled that he didn't want to go, he was tired, and he didn't like the birthday boy anyway. I asked him if he was hungry. He said no and stomped off, only to come back and say to me, "Mommy, I am just hungry for home."

Two More Ways to Improve Saturdays

I realized there was no use in dragging him to the Little Gym, so I did the only polite thing I could think to do: I texted an excuse to the hostess. "Lying to get out of a commitment is a wake-up call that you're overbooked," says Parents advisor William Doherty, Ph.D., director of the Marriage and Family Program at the University of Minnesota. His advice to me: Stop treating your kids like customers. You want to provide them with endless events to make them happy. Instead, choose what is most important and what you (and the kids) truly want to do. "How do I do that?" I ask. "You just ask them which parties and activities they really want to be a part of," says Dr. Doherty, author of Take Back Your Kids.

That weekend, we talked to the boys about how they wanted to spend the next few Saturdays. We discovered that we were able to cut a few events off our list in favor of things they'd prefer to do, like play Pok?mon. I made sure Dash understood his options (birthday party No. 2 vs. time with Dad at the park) so he knew that he had to choose. I realized that I'd underestimated how much he cared about having time to himself; he picked thoughtfully and didn't second-guess his choices. Turning down invites wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, either. Maybe having fewer kids at your party induces as much of a sigh of relief for parents as having fewer parties to go to.

Crazy-Busy versus Bored and Lonely

Overscheduled Saturdays feel like a time grind yet, paradoxically, my family has seemed to be just as stressed on the rare occasions when we've had nothing to do. While catching up on laundry and listening to the boys start to provoke each other, I always get a panicked thought: "It's noon and we don't have any plans." The next thing I know, I'm texting another family to come over for a "casual get-together" that pushes our family right back into the cycle of running errands, tidying the house, and negotiating sleepovers. Everyone is suddenly busy and overwhelmed. It's as if we're all addicted to being overscheduled.

We probably are. "The brain gets used to a lot of stimulation, and when you are faced with having nothing to do, you get anxious. The panic you feel is the fear of withdrawal from your overscheduled lifestyle, and a kid's brain is even more susceptible to this than an adult's," says Dr. Doherty. That explains my boys' frantic provoking of squabbles and sudden neediness that seems to get turned on like a switch when we have nothing but free play.

Families like ours need unstructured time to deprogram our addiction to the "what's next?" weekend mode. So Dr. Doherty suggests creating small chunks of unscheduled time during the weekend to help us detox. The hard part: You don't have to commit to the do-nothing time as much as you would to a party or a soccer game. Seeing our weekend mapped out with both full and empty time pockets helped us relax. In fact, it was like the Saturday of my dreams: The kids were in the backyard with a neighbor, David was puttering in the garage, and I was reading on a chaise in the garden. The boys found a kite and tried to fly it for a while, when the wind finally picked up. Suddenly, Saturday felt like a breeze.

Do More Heavy Lifting During the Week

Weekdays have their own hectic pace. They start with hustling your kids to the bus and end with a lightning round of dinner, homework, bath, and, finally, bedtime. But expectations are a lot lower; merely getting through the day can leave everyone feeling good about themselves. Therefore, why not add another chore to an already overloaded Tuesday rather than sullying a precious weekend with a trip to the big-box store. Consider doing a grocery run while the kids are asleep, or tackling a cleaning project that you might normally put aside for Saturday.

In addition to getting some chores off your plate, make an effort to spend time together throughout the week to take the pressure off having all your quality time on the weekend. Having a family dinner more than once or twice a week becomes your connective tissue. "If you get home late, try having a family snack or a group storytime. The goal is for everyone to come together on a regular basis," says Dr. Doherty.

I slowly began to implement all these changes and stopped pinning all my hopes and dreams on just one day. It was better to spread the imperfection and share the joy instead of shooting for an idealized vision of that 24-hour period each week when my family could shine. My once Sadderdays were getting happier by the minute. Now it's on to tackling Sundays!

Originally published in the September 2012 issue of Parents magazine.

Let Me Just Say That...

Ok so if the family has been telling you this it is true. WE ARE MOVING!!! Well to Corpus Christi, Texas for my job and because it is gonna be so hard to give birth while we're on vacation there, so we cancelled it after I found out I got a job.

I'm gonna be a nurse at the Shoreline Hospital.

My Little Angels, What will you call the grandparents?

Well the names were due today and the grandparents decided on what name they wanted to be called by the twins. Here were their final decisions...

~ Nana and Grampy (my parents)
~ Grams and Gramps (his parents)

Yeah! I know that the grandpas' are almost exactly alike. Good enough though! It's what they want to be called. Hope that the kids will be able to pronounce them! =)

Daily Parenting Tip: 7 Discipline Mistakes That All Moms Make

 By Katy Rank Lev from Parents Magazine

I haven't been to the post office since "the incident." I was that wild-eyed woman with a screaming child, slowly working my way up the line as one customer after another let me go ahead. Turns out my desperate attempts to comfort my kid were the result of a rookie error. The tantrum came from an oversight I made earlier that day: failing to notice the signals (eye-rubbing and crankiness) that he was tired. No wonder he had a meltdown.

I'm hardly alone in missing my child's cues, says Parents advisor Michele Borba, Ed.D., author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions. According to her, there are patterns to behavior. Kids do the same things when they're tired, hungry, or getting fed up; it's up to adults to take note and adjust accordingly. My son's moodiness should have told me to let him nap, then run errands when he was ready.

Ignoring a kid's signs is one of many discipline mistakes parents make all the time, but fixing them can make a huge difference in the parenting experience. We asked the experts to reveal the most common missteps.

We're too negative.

"Don't hit your sister!" "Stop pulling the dog's tail!" The number of things you tell your toddler or preschooler not to do is endless.

THE FIX Ask for the behavior you want to see. Nobody wants to raise a child who doesn't understand limits, but "parents say 'no' so frequently that kids become deaf to it -- and the word loses its power," Dr. Borba explains. Moreover, "we often tell kids not to do something without letting them know what they should be doing," notes Linda Sonna, Ph.D., author of The Everything Toddler Book. So save the naysaying for truly dangerous situations (think: fork in the electrical socket or your child eating the spider plant), and focus on telling kids how you would like them to behave. For example, instead of, "No standing in the bathtub!" try, "We sit down in the bathtub because it's slippery." Later, when you notice your kid splashing away in a seated position, offer some praise ("I like how you're sitting!") to reinforce her good behavior.

We expect too much from our kids.

You're sitting in church when your toddler shouts. As soon as you shush him, he does it again. Mortifying! Why doesn't he listen?

THE FIX Play teacher. Very young children still haven't developed impulse control or learned the social graces required in public places like stores and restaurants. "Parents assume kids know more than they do," Dr. Sonna says.

When your child breaks a norm, remind yourself that he isn't trying to be a pain -- he just doesn't know how to act in the situation, so snapping isn't effective (or fair). Focus on showing your child how you want him to behave, softly saying things like, "I'm being quiet because I'm in church, but if I need something from Dad I lean in close to whisper." Also point out what others are doing ("Look how Charlie is coloring while he waits for his meal to arrive"). Kids are born mimics, so modeling or drawing attention to something we want them to do goes a long way.

"It takes time and repetition for kids to learn to handle themselves," Dr. Sonna says, which means you should expect to give your kid a lot of reminders -- and remove him when he doesn't get the message. Over time, he'll learn how to act.

We model behavior we don't want to see.

When you drop something, you yell. A man cuts you off and you call him a rude name. But then you get mad if your kid reacts the same way when things don't go her way.

THE FIX Apologize and take a do-over. There's a boomerang effect to behavior: If we yell, our kids probably will too, says Devra Renner, coauthor of Mommy Guilt. Yes, it's hard to be on perfect behavior around the clock, so apologize when you do slip up. "Emotions are powerful and difficult to control, even for grown-ups," Renner notes, but saying "sorry" demonstrates that we're accountable for our actions nonetheless.

It also creates the chance to talk about why you reacted the way you did and offers appropriate ways to respond when you're feeling frustrated. That's what Deena Blumenfeld, of Pittsburgh, did when her son Owen, 5, protested so much about getting dressed that she snapped, "Just shut up and get dressed!" Realizing this was not how she'd want her son to react in a similar situation, she knelt down, apologized, then talked about how important it is to be on time for school. It worked: Owen got ready for school calmly after that.

We intervene when our kids simply annoy us.

You hear your children chasing each other around the house and immediately shout.

THE FIX Ignore selectively. Often, parents feel the need to step in every time kids do something, well, kid-like. But always being the bad guy is exhausting, Dr. Borba notes. Keep in mind that children sometimes do things that are irksome because they're exploring new skills. (So your toddler could be dumping juice into his cereal because he's learning about liquids.) Other times, they're seeking attention. When it comes to reacting, Dr. Borba's rule of thumb is: When safety isn't an issue, try watchful waiting. If your 6-year-old is playing his recorder with his nose, try not to shout. See what happens if you just continue with what you're doing as if nothing is happening. Most likely, if you don't respond, he will eventually stop -- and you'll feel calmer, having avoided a shouting match.

We're all talk and no action.

"Turn off the TV... I'm serious this time... Really!" Your kids continue bad behavior when warnings are vague for the same reason you run yellow lights -- there aren't consequences.

THE FIX Set limits and follow through. Nagging, second chances, and negotiation all convey that cooperation is optional, says Robert MacKenzie, Ph.D., author of Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Child. To teach kids to follow rules, make expectations clear, then take action when they're broken. If you want your kid to, say, get off the couch and do homework, start with respectful directives ("Please turn off the TV now and do your work"). If she follows through, thank her. If not, give a consequence: "I'm turning off the TV now. Until your work is finished, your TV privileges are suspended."

We use time-out ineffectively.

When you send your 3-year-old to his room after he hits his brother, he starts banging his head on the floor in rage.

THE FIX Consider a time-in. A time-out is meant to be a chance for a child to calm down, not a punishment. Some kids respond well to the suggestion that they go to a quiet room until they're chill. But others view it as a rejection, and it riles them up. Plus, it doesn't teach kids how you want them to behave. As an alternative, Dr. Sonna suggests taking a "time-in," where you sit quietly with your kid. If he's very upset, hold him to get him settled down, Dr. Sonna adds. Once he's relaxed, calmly explain why the behavior wasn't okay. Too angry to comfort him? Put yourself in time-out; once you've relaxed, discuss what you would like your child to do differently. You might start by saying: "What can you do instead of hitting when Milo grabs your train?"

We assume what works for one kid will work for another.

The best way to deal with your son's whining is to get down at eye level and explain how his actions need to change. But your daughter is more aggressive and refuses to listen.

THE FIX Develop a diverse toolbox. It's easy to blame your kid when a discipline technique fails. But "you may have to go about getting the behavior you want in different ways with each kid," notes Avivia Pflock, coauthor of Mommy Guilt. While one might respond to a verbal reminder about what is acceptable, the other might need a consequence when she acts up -- like having her Wii unplugged. Being firm with one child and touchy-feely with another isn't being inconsistent; it's tuning in to different needs and learning styles, Pflock assures. "The punishment should fit the crime -- and the kid."

Originally published in the August 2011 issue of Parents magazine.

Weekly Recipe: Strawberry Lemonade

Yum, yum, yum! What's better than strawberry lemonade on a hot day? This recipe is the best strawberry lemonade recipe and yummy!

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
Ice
Mint sprigs, garnish
Whole strawberries, garnish


Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.

In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.

Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/strawberry-lemonade-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback