18 Months Old!

It's hard for me to even believe that my babies are 18 months old! It just seems SO OLD! I have been helplessly looking back at pictures and just don't know where my babies went!!! Last year at this time they were so little! It was all snuggles, nursing, naps, and cute little sounds! Life is COMPLETELY different around our house now but still so much FUN! I can only describe our lives now as BUSY!!! We have two BUSY little 18 month olds that are learning and changing each day! We climb, run, dance and play our days away! They keep me on my TOES every morning and every evening!

We typically wake up around 7:00 and since I am still working part-time, I get to spend morning time at home with my loves! We usually have breakfast, some bible time, and either head out for a walk, play at the house, or go to the grocery store. We try and get out of the house, at least for a little bit each day! Around 11:00, I get ready to head to school and the twins eat lunch and get ready for nap. Nap-time is from 12:00-3:00 and I have REALLY missed this time since I started back to school. During the summer, it was my time to rest, get laundry done, cleaning, meal-prep, etc. Now I have to do all of those things during the morning hours with two little "helpers". After naps, the twins play and have a snack while they wait for Mommy to get home. Afternoons are usually spent trying to get dinner fixed and anxiously awaiting Daddy's arrival! Then supper, lots of playing and loving, and then bath and bedtime! We have had a little bit of issues with bed-time since Mommy has been back to work, but they typically are in bed by 8:00 each night and sleep well all night (YAY!).

Routines are what keep me sane as a Mommy and I have been a routine mom since day one. With twins, it saved my sanity during the first year! As they have gotten older, I can see how well they do when we are at home and used to our routines. However, it is hard when we get "out" of routine and are on the road or somewhere new. They are finally doing a little better staying up later for things like church and football games. But we do our best when we are in our comfort zone! I don't know how exactly that is going to work when Baby #3 comes around, but I'm sure we will figure it all out!

Here's a little bit about each one of my 18 MONTH olds! We haven't had our check up yet, so I'm not sure on weights, heights, etc.

Tucker Rope:
-Wears size 18 month-2T clothes, size 5 shoes, size 3 diapers
-Is LOUD! Loves to yell!
-Is my talkative one! Babbles all day long! Really acts like he is telling you something!
-Can say about 30 words! Is a repeater! Can name most of the family except for the hard ones!
-Is really strong and coordinated! Can climb on things without falling, carry things around, and is pretty helpful!
-Prefers to play with balls, cars, & sticks. Likes little people, play-cooking, pushing things, sweeping, and running. Still loves being outside and climbing on things!
-Is still pretty much a Mama's boy. I don't know see that changing anytime soon! Loves to play rough with Daddy and likes to play with others. But pretty much is attached to Mama. (I'm a little worried how this will translate when a new baby comes!)
-Is very loving to Mama and Sissy. Gives lots of kisses, hugs, snuggles, and pats
-Gets upset when he is in trouble. Usually cries or pokes out his lip
-Is my late sleeper and my short napper!
-Knows his body parts really well and most animal sounds!
-I still think he looks like the Freeman side, but I have heard from several people lately that he looks like Derek!
-Is the sweetest, cutest boy I know. He melts me! He touches a very special place in my heart that I know God made exactly for him! I love being his mama! And even though its hard sometimes, I love how much he needs me!

Heart-breaker!

Mama's Boy!

Adelyn Marie:
-Wears size 18 month clothes, size 4 shoes, size 3 diapers
-Is sassy and sweet! Walks with a little sway in her hips and is SO funny!
-Is a little more clumsy than brother (ok a lot!). She falls quite often, runs in to things, and has trouble climbing up on stuff. She is very determined though and will usually try to do whatever Bubba can do!
-Is softer and floppier (if that's a word) than Bubba! When you love on her, she melts into you. When you tickle her, she collapses! So sweet!
-Is generally happy, but has a touch of a temper flare up from time to time (yikes!).
-Is quieter than brother, except when she screams!
-Is not quite as talkative, but has started babbling more. Only says around 10 words, but usually will wait until she can fully say the word before she will attempt it.
-Nods her head for yes and no, and will say "ya" or "na" when you ask. Very good at communicating!
-Very good at following directions! Can find things if you direct her, loves to help, can help pick up
-LOVES puzzles! And is really pretty good at them! Will sit and work at them until she gets them right!
-Prefers to play with her baby doll, but also loves her picnic basket, make-up table, house, shopping cart, and little people
-Has certain people that she is very attached to including Daddy, Grumpy, Mimi, Uncle G, and Payton
-Has recently become a Mama's girl...occasionally! Before today, I would never call her a Mama's girl, but since I have gone back to work, she will have times where she ONLY wants me...which I LOVE! I feel like I had to spend so much time with Tucker in the beginning, that I am loving my girl time!
-Likes having her hair brushed and fixed!
-Is my early riser and long napper! The girl loves her naps!
-I personally think looks like Derek but I get told all the time that she looks like me! I will say that she definitely has my expressions (and eyebrows) but to me she is all Daddy!
-Is my precious, precious girl! She is my sunshine and makes my heart smile! Her love and kisses make me so excited to be a mama! I love watching the world through her eyes and seeing her funny personality!

Pure Sass!

My beauty!

The girl loves cake!

I cannot even remember what life was like before these two arrived! We have been so blessed these past 18 months to get to know them so intimately and fall in love with them more everyday! I am so blessed to be their mama! And so thankful that I get a chance to do this all again in 6 short months! As much as I love the stage that they are at and how much they are learning and growing, I find myself wishing for just one more chance to hug and snuggle them as little babies! Thankfully God has answered this prayer and will fill my arms with another baby to cherish and love!

Half cakes for the half birthday!

Why are you singing to us???

We really get to eat them???

Sissy went all in!

"He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb..." Deuteronomy 7:13

Bring on the Second Trimester!

I usually start my blogs out apologizing for how much time has passed since my last blog. I wish I could stay on top of this thing more, but it seems like I can never find the time!!! Mainly because:

A) The twins are crazy active and busy all the time
B) I am pregnant
C) A & B make me EXHAUSTED!!!

Please forgive me for the lack of updates! I thought I would update today on the pregnancy and next week with an update on how my two crazies are getting along! Next week they will be 18 months!!! They are changing and growing so much and are SO FUN!!! But more on that next week!

So...how has pregnancy been going??? Well we are officially through with our first trimester which is extremely exciting! I have been fairly nauseous and tired these first three months, but am hoping to be on the uphill swing. Pregnancy the second time around is a WHOLE new ball-game! It makes me feel like I need to go back and apologize for how self-absorbed I was last time!!! I seemed to only be thinking about myself and my pregnancy and let everything else go by the wayside!!! This time around that is NOT an option! I have to still be MAMA to be two littles and they keep me on my toes! So exhaustion has been fairly common the past few weeks and most of the time, pregnancy is on the back-burner...which is OK! I think it has actually made time FLY by and I can't believe the first trimester is already done!

We had our last appointment with Dr. Sutliff yesterday. He is no longer delivering babies so we will be switching to a new doctor. I have to say I am a little heart-broken by the whole thing because we have been through SO much together to get to this point. And I can't even get in to how much I will miss his nurse, Katy, without breaking down in tears. I was in tears all during the appointment yesterday! But I am thankful for all they have done for us and know that they will always be there for us if we need them! They can't get rid of us that easy!!!

My appointment yesterday was good! Everything seems to be right on track. We actually got to have  a little sonogram and see the baby which was neat. He/she was sucking on his/her fingers and sleeping. We kinda woke him/her up and he/she turned their back on us!!! So sweet! I love getting to see visual confirmation of this sweet miracle!!!

I will say that this pregnancy has been SO different with it only being a single pregnancy and natural conception. I was SO SPOILED last time with twins because I had SO MANY appointments and had sonograms every time! Now I am just an ordinary pregnant lady which is kinda HARD sometimes! I didn't realize how nice it was to be so cared for before! But it is also pretty neat to have a "normal" pregnancy after having SO many years being "abnormal".

Another thing that will be different this pregnancy is that Derek and I have decided not to find out the sex of the baby. Which we are SO EXCITED about! Since we already have one of each and have clothes and car-seats for both, we figured it would be fun to let it be a SURPRISE! I mean, it was a surprise pregnancy to start with, so why not have an even bigger surprise to look forward to! We both have our guesses, but I'm sure we may change as we go!

So overall, this pregnancy is completely different that last time, but still as AMAZING and MIRACULOUS as before! We are still in awe that God decided to bless us in such a surprising way with another child. We are thankful for His grace that pours out day after day as we strive to raise our children to follow Him. We are beyond thankful for all of you who partner in prayer with us daily as we struggle through this journey of parenthood! We are continuing to pray for a healthy pregnancy and we pray daily that our baby is growing and developing on track. We will have another check-up next month with our new doctor to see how our little one is doing!

Hope you all are well and surviving back to school! The past three weeks have been super crazy with in-services, tournaments, and school starting! The twins (and I) are adjusting to the schedule of Mommy working again, even though it's a little hard to be apart! Another adjustment we made this month was buying a mini-van!!! I am now officially a mini-van mom and couldn't be more happy...ha! How awesome is a God that can take a barren woman with no need for extra room to a Mama that now needs a bigger vehicle for all her blessings!!! Our God is SO good!

I promise to update next week with info on our two big one year olds! They are SO FUN! Enjoy the pictures! This is another area that I have been super lacking in because I literally never have time (or take the time) to stop! May God bless you all!

"O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress." Isaiah 33:2

My mom-mobile!

9 weeks

12 weeks

Hello 2nd Trimester!

Sarah laughed...

Ok... confession time.

Last blog, I promised that we had some exciting news on the horizon. And I promised a blog with the details coming soon. I REALLY meant that promise too! In fact, the same day I posted the last blog, I typed another blog detailing our exciting news! I wrote that we were about to start the process of implanting our two frozen embryos. That we had gone to San Antonio for a consult and were going through all of the testing and procedures to get started. That even though some people would think we were crazy, we were anxious and excited to see what God was going to do with our family. It really was a great blog. Well written. Detailed. I was pretty proud of it.

But...you won't be getting to read it.

I didn't post it. I don't really know why. Something told me to wait. So I waited. And waited. And waited. Until I realized something. God had something COMPLETELY different in store for us.

San Antonio was 100% ready to move forward with the transfer and sent us home with instructions to call back when my next cycle started so we could move forward with medicine and testing. So I decided that I wouldn't post my blog until my cycle started and we were OFFICIALLY starting the process. As we were waiting...our exciting news CHANGED to something totally different. We waited for a cycle that never came...

So instead of exciting news about starting the next round of in-vitro...I am now excited to share completely DIFFERENT exciting news!!!

SCHOEN BABY #3 IS ALREADY ON BOARD!!!

As much as I would call this an "unplanned" pregnancy, I know that it completely the opposite. This baby may not have followed OUR plan, but it was made 100% according to God's plan for our lives and family. We started praying at the beginning of the summer that God would prepare our hearts, minds, and family for whatever children He had planned for us. Little did we know that He was busy knitting together this perfect little baby in my womb in HIS TIMING and HIS WAY. Our plans are nothing compared to the dreams and desires He has for our lives. This has literally been the best surprise of our lives!

Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.” Genesis 21:6

I know this verse seems a little funny to post here, but I completely understand how Sarah must have felt at that time. Even though I spent 6 years waiting, not near as long as Sarah, there is something so amazing about God blessing your body with the ability to conceive and carry a child. We literally did not think that my body would be able to create a baby in this way and it is SO AMAZING to see God's plan unfold! When I came out of the bedroom with the positive test to show Derek, I just started laughing. Full of joy. Full of excitement. Full of wonderment. Full of thanksgiving for our God who is SO great! I pray that you laugh with me as we go through this process!

We are so excited to share this news with you! We ask that you will join us right now in praying for this precious child that is growing inside of me! We know that Tucker and Adelyn were covered in prayer before they were even conceived, and we want this baby to feel the same out-pouring of love! We ask that you join us in prayer daily as God continues to grow this little baby inside my tummy!

So ready or not...here we go again! Right now, I am about 7 weeks along and extremely sick! I ask that you will pray for health for my body and the baby's each day as we grow together. It looks like the due date is around March 4th (2 days before the twins turn 2!!!) which means we could possibly have 3 kids under the age of TWO for a short time! WE already are coveting your prayers as our family grows and the craziness that this year will bring! Even though we know that there will be unique struggles and situations to be handled, we would MUCH rather face them with the three BEAUTIFUL children God has created, then facing the darkness of infertility. Even the hardest day before the twins is still 100 times better than the best day before them. We love our family and are so thankful that God is increasing it!

Thank you for loving us and keeping up with us! Hoping to update as often as I can!

"The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9

***HUGE THANKS to the wonderful Miss Ashley Doss for taking our pics! She is AMAZING!***

The month of June...

This month has seriously been one of the CRAZIEST starts to summer we have ever had! I feel like it has been a whirlwind since school got out and we have not had time to breathe! We have some super exciting things on the horizon, but I want to update you on all the things going on with our crew this past month. Here it is in a nutshell...

School got out! Yay!
Derek had a three day basketball camp
We left for Temple for Derek to have ear surgery (boo!)
Came home to recover...took a good week to get back on his feet!
Dad had back surgery (boo!)
Went to Brownwood for Jordan's dance recital
Celebrated Father's Day
Went to Temple for a post-op
Twins had their 15 month check-up
Twins went to Mimi and Papa's for a weekend while Derek and I went to Coaches Outreach
Finally had a couple days at home
Went to San Antonio for a dr.'s appointment
Home for a few more days
Off to Abilene for Jaxson's 3rd birthday party and to spend the night at the Elegante

Throw in a few summer league volleyball games, basketball games, cousin sleepovers, and trips to the pool and you can see why this mama is EXHAUSTED! I am looking forward to a July with much less on the schedule!

Derek's Surgery
Derek had to have ear surgery to repair a cholesteatoma in his left ear. Basically his ear drum had been sucking back into his head forming a pocket that allowed infection and other junk to build up. We had the surgery at Scott and White and came home with a brand new ear drum! We were super pleased with the process and still have 2 follow-ups before he is 100% cleared, but things are looking good!

The twins are 15 months!
Which somehow doesn't even seem possible! They are moving and changing so much and have really started talking and forming words which is AWESOME! Tucker is my chatty-boy! He loves to repeat what you say and will babble constantly! Adelyn is not as talkative but is very definitive in what she wants or does not want. She will say "ya" and "na" when you ask her a question and knows what you are saying! Here's more of what they are into, doing...

Tucker-
Weighs 22 lbs (35th percentile) and is 31.5 inches tall (56th percentile).
Runs EVERYWHERE! Rarely walks anymore!
Has an impressive vocabulary! Some of his words: Jesus, God, Dog, Shoes, Jo-Jo, Bumpa (for Grumpy), Soft, Sissy, Puzzle, Bible, Mama, Dada, Ball
Loves Balls! Loves to throw and play
Loves anything with wheels!
Doesn't really like to sit and read much
Is a CLIMBER!!! Climbs everything! Is a little crazy!
Rarely gives kisses...leans his forehead to you when you ask for a kiss
Has decided that Daddy is ok...most of the time!
Loves to eat and drink milk
Takes everything in...watches people and the busy-ness of whatever is going on
Is seriously the cutest little boy in the entire world. Seriously. Adorable

Adelyn-
Weighs 19 lbs 4 oz (21st percentile) and is 30 inches tall (26th percentile).
Has a prissy little walk where she moves her hips and holds one arm out like she's holding a purse
Is hilarious. Seriously funny. Makes us laugh all the time
Is the cutest thing ever. Seriously. Has the best grin and smile.
LOVES to love and cuddle. And hold hands. And be held. Would sleep on us every nap and night if we let her!
Loves books and the shape-sorter. Will sit and play much longer than Tucker. Likes to build with blocks
Likes to eat most of the time. Sometimes has to be talked into the idea of liking something. Loves carbs, chocolate, cheese, and gravy...like her mama!
Says very few words but communicates well. Listens and follows directions well!
Tries to climb and do what Tucker does, but can't quite get up onto as much as he can
Loves to sleep!
Loves giving kisses!
Is hands-down the cutest girl ever. I adore her. She melts me.

So that is what my two are up to these days! Life is BUSY BUSY with these two but SO MUCH FUN! I love watching them discover their world! I love seeing the new things they do and say! I love them fiercely! Intensely. Unconditionally. They are amazing! (Oh and by the way...taking pictures of them is seriously one of the hardest things ever! Enjoy the few that I managed to snag!)

Father's Day morning

Happy 2nd Father's Day!

She takes my breath away!

Always on the move!

My girl!

My love bug!

My handsome boys!

Exploring!

SO BIG!

We have some exciting things happening in our world that I can't wait to share! I will be posting another blog soon with the details! Can't wait to share! Love you all and hope you are well!

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13

A little bit behind...

The last time I blogged, was a re-cap of the twins' first birthday. That was 2 months ago!!! Ooops!!! It seems like this spring has literally been a WHIRLWIND and while I am SO THANKFUL that we are about to start our summer, I feel like we all need a little time to catch our breath!!! I hate how fast time has been flying because I want to enjoy EVERY MINUTE of these two little ones! They are growing and changing SO FAST and have seriously just blossomed in the past two months. Which is probably another reason why I have had ZERO time to sit down and blog.

So what has happened in the past two months??? Let's see...Easter, Family Retreat, I turned 30 (gasp!), Mother's Day, and plenty of other activities to keep us busy....

Derek had a great spring of sports and activities, complete with trips to the state golf tournament and state track meet. He has been SUPER blessed this past year at Miles and we are so thankful to be part of such a great school and community. It is ALWAYS a blessing to have nice, LONG seasons of sports, especially when it is happening across the board in all areas! We have enjoyed this first year, and can't wait to have many more years as Bulldogs!

While the spring was crazy busy for Derek, it was equally busy for me at home. I am used to being a coach's wife...but being one with two little ones at home is a whole other ball-game! We survived many nights at home by ourselves, did a little traveling to see daddy at school or events, and made it through a couple of doctor's appointments, sicknesses, and trips without daddy. I can definitely say I am in AWE of all of these other coaches' wives who do this year round!!! We especially excited to enjoy a nice summer with more of daddy at home! And even more blessed to have a daddy who works SO hard to provide for us, do God's work, and views his school as a mission field. God is good and provides in all things!!!

So what has been going on with our two littles? Well...they are CRAZY!!! They have grown and developed SO MUCH since turning one!!! The first few wobbly steps have been replaced by CONSTANT motion!!! All the time! They are climbing, running, laughing, playing, loving, and hugging ALL THE TIME!!! Most everyday is centered around going OUTSIDE to play on the swing-set, play with the dogs, run and climb, play in the water and dig in the sand-pit. We have had a busted lip, a fall off the play-set, a collision with a curb, and a few other minor injuries...but they LOVE it!!! Outside is definitely their happy place and they really love to play with each other.

Teeth are also in abundance!!! Both babies have cut all 16 of their teeth so we should be good until 2-year molars! Tucker has had some bad luck with fevers, eye infection, and a sinus infection, and tends to get sick with the changing seasons. But hopefully he is on the mend and will do better with warmer weather.

Here's a little bit about what each one is doing now:

Tucker
-has decided that Daddy is alright, maybe not quite as good as Mommy, but better than before
-LOVES to run with his chest out and squints his eyes
-LOVES to growl and make noise
-pretends he's an elephant
-Favorite toy is still a ball...loves to throw them and go "BOOM"
-can climb up the ladder to the slide by himself...and fall off
-will swing for a little bit, but would rather play in the dirt or water
-not much of a napper, unless he is sick
-would rather sleep in until around 8:00 if Sissy lets him
-eats EVERYTHING except eggs
-LOVES milk
-about 21 lbs, 12-18 month clothes, 4-5 shoe, size 3 diaper
-super duper sweet! Hates getting in trouble and cries when Sissy does
-loves puzzles, books, and toys. LOVES to play!!!

Adelyn
-still loves most people, but has gotten a little more picky. Cries now when someone she likes leaves
-LOVES her baby Lulu and Minnie, kisses and hugs and pats them
-LOVES to LOVE...will tackle Tucker in order to give him kisses
-is the girl of MANY expressions...especially with her eyebrows!!!
-will sit and play by herself well...still likes to be held and cuddled
-can swing for HOURS...will literally stay in the swing the whole time we are outside
-loves to hug and kiss the dogs (yuck!)
-LOVES naps...is extremely serious about having two naps a DAY
-wakes up at 6:30 every morning. Ready to party. And snuggle
-is much more picky about her eating. Will eat stuff one day and refuse the next. Has to be forced to taste something so she remembers she likes it
-not a fan of milk. At all.
-about 19 lbs, 12 month clothes (although still wears 0-3 month shorts), 3 shoe, size 3 diaper
-super duper sweet but also a little sassy. Her red-hair shines through on some days : )
-loves puzzles, books, and toys. LOVES to play!!!

These two are pretty much my favorite people in the world. Being their mom is seriously the best job in the entire world. I love them SO much more than I ever thought possible. I'm in AWE of them daily. Even when it is the hardest day ever, I still sneak in their room at night to look at them. Sometimes I pick them up just to cuddle one more time. Hands-down, our God is AMAZING!!! He so knew what He was doing making me wait SO LONG for them because they are INCREDIBLE!!! Life with them is so much better than I could ever ask or imagine!!! I cannot WAIT to spend the next 10 weeks of summer just being their MOM!!! Can't wait!!!

We have lots of other things going on this summer that I want to share, but for now, I better go get lunch ready for my monkeys! Hope you are all well!!! Love! Enjoy some pictures from the last two months!

Easter at G&G's

Everybody with their Easter basket

Hunting eggs with the cousins

First time at Family Retreat

Why does mom always have a camera???

Many hands make light work...

Easter morning at our house

For once...Sissy did not like the camera

Handsome boy!!!

SURPRISE 30th Birthday Party!!!

Yes...I finally turned 30! SO BLESSED!

Mother's Day 2014

Best Blessings Ever

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17