Haven't posted in a while-Sorry

Well, I have been working at Grace Park the last three days editing photos. I love it. The girls come with and for the most part they are good. I love doing the editing, it lets me be creative and gives my mind something to concentrate on. The girls still have their colds, unfortunately. Tonight, we carved pumpkins with three of their cousins, aunts and uncle. It was a lot of fun, photos to come. We are hoping it is nice out so we can bring the girls to some of our favorite people's houses to trick or treat. We are all going as the Nguyen Family Pumpkin Patch. Even Minnie and Daisy are little doggie pumpkins, if I can get Daisy to wear her costume instead of chewing it up. Minnie is used to be dressed up, mommy has dressed her up since she got her. Yes, I know, dogs should be dogs. But Minnie is so cute dressed up and for the most part she likes it. As my family calls her, she is a princess dog. Photos of Halloween and Pumpkin carving to come.

All are still stuffy

Well, we have been spending a lot of time at home. The girls are not getting worse, they are still stuffy and running low grade temps. Daddy seems better with his antibiotics and cough syrup. Mommy had some time away from the home on Saturday morning. Mommy went to work at Grace Park Studio to edit photos. Mommy missed the girls terribly but it was a nice break. Daddy did ok with the girls but he was amazed on how he couldn't get anything else done except caring for the girls. He got to see what Mommy does every day and night. The girls are getting so big. They love to grasp your finger and not let go. They will also smile when talked to. Baylee actually has rolled almost completely over when on her back because she really likes to be on her belly. Mommy thinks it is because it feels better to be on her tummy because of the acid reflux. Another thing they are doing is responding to voices. Last night, at dinner with Auntie Janice, Brianna, Zoey, Auntie Joyce, Uncle Steve and Parker, Amelia was in Mommy's arms and heard Auntie Joyce talking, she looked all around until she found her. They are very curious and love to be talked to. Auntie Janice remembers Marissa was the same way as a baby. Daddy grabbed Davis' baby announcement off Grandma and Grandpa's fridge and compared Amelia's baby pictures with it. It is scary how much Amelia resembles Davis as a baby. His hair was lighter but with a hat on they look almost identical. The photos today are of the girls resting and something Auntie Julie really needs for her panda collection, Brianna and Zoey helped hold it up so Auntie Jill could take a picture.

Knock on wood mommy doesn't get sick

Well, Mommy is the only one not sick. Daddy is very sick. He developed a fever last night of 103.3 and he has a cough that sounds terrible. He has to go to the doctor because mommy thinks he might have bronchitis or something like that. Mommy is crossing her fingers she doesn't get sick. She is taking care of the babies because she won't let Daddy near them until he finds out what he has. Mommy has never heard Daddy so sick before. It really isn't in his nose like the girls, it is a cough that kept him and mommy up all night. He is miserable. Mommy just wishes everyone would get better soon!!!!!!!!! Please.

Stuffy noses suck

The girls are miserable. The nasal aspirator is a good thing. We went to the doc and so far it isn't in the lungs. They are both 8 pounds now, yeah!!! That is a good thing. I don't have much time both girls are winding up to scream to be held. Gotta go.

Your getting sleepy, your getting sleepier....

When the girls sleep, mom sleeps. Nap time at the Nguyens, mom is sound asleep on the couch, apparently daddy took a picture. We haven't got much sleep the last night or so because the girls seem to have caught their first cold. Baylee seems to have the most trouble, she is spitting up phlegm and this causes her to stop breathing. We are going to the doctor tomorrow to make sure it is not in her lungs. They both have been running low grade fevers and are just miserable. It is hard to watch little ones suffer. I wish they wouldn't have gotten the colds until they were older but everyone gets their first colds sometime. Because of their acid reflux the doctor ordered Dani-slings for them and they finally arrived today. We haven't had time to install them yet, they look a little complicated. Mommy is nervous to go back to work on Wednesday night at the MOA, now that the girls have colds. Daddy insists he will be fine but mommy was with them all day and let's just say they gave her, someone comfortable with kids, a big run for her money. If they are not sleeping, they are crying because they can't breathe well. Poor little things. Mommy is also suffering from a fever, but the source is unknown, she doesn't have a cold, just a pounding headache. The change of weather could be the source of our problems. One day it's nice and warm then cold the next. Oh, the pleasures of living in Minnesota. The girls are ready for attention again, back to the grind (with pleasure of course). The girls are begging for bottles. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!!!

Meeting our two uncles, auntie angie and cousins

The last couple of days have just flown by. My dad was admitted to the hospital for an infection, he was released yesterday and is at home doing well. My mom left with my sister and her family to go to Vegas on friday evening. They are there having a wonderful time, wish I was there. Grandma tried to take Amelia and Baylee. I said only if she takes their mom with too. No such luck, so we are all here in MN still. I might be more bummed if it was 30 below zero here but the weather is nice. The girls are awake a lot lot more now. They like to lay on the floor for limited time and play on their mat. They also love to be on their tummies. There are not a lot of babies I have met or worked with, that liked their stomachs. I think it helps my girls release some gas. The formula they are currently on to gain weight with, fills them up with gas. Poor things. We spent the day with Janice the other day because she had too many kids so we helped out. We had to spend the next day out of our house again, because we were out of electricity again :( Our power didn't come back on again until 8pm. It is frustrating when you have to leave because you need the microwave to heat up water to heat the bottles. Also, the house was really warm. The girls are warm babies and don't like to be hot, much like their parents. I took a few snapshots the last couple of days.

On Saturday, we were out by Apple Valley and decided to stop in and visit with Grandma N. Grandpa N. is in Vietnam so we thought we would give grandma some company. It turned out that Uncle Mike, Uncle Vincent, Auntie Angie, Cousin Nicholas and Cousin Tawny were all coming there for BBQ. We stayed and the girls got to meet their other family. It was a lot of fun to see the family interact with the girls. The cousins were shy at first but they warmed up after awhile. No matter what happens in families it is great to see the reaction to a new family member or in this case TWO. Here are some photos.

A month of expenses for twins

Someone asked me how much it costs a month to raise twins...I kept track of diapers and formula used.
We used a total of 720 diapers (yes about 10-12 a day per child, they like to mess them) and 1440 ounces of formula. Pampers Newborn Swaddlers are .23 cents a piece. A 36 ounce bottle of Similac Neosure is 8 dollars. So the Diapers were $165 and formula was $320, totaling $485. I didn't include other things like prescriptions, clothes, wipes, bottles, nuks, and other things. These are the two big ones you always have to purchase.

A few very busy days

The girls had a doctor's appointment on Monday. Amelia weighed in at 7 lbs 4 ozs, 19.5 inches long and 14.5 head circumference. Baylee was almost exactly the same except weight she is at 7 lbs 2 ozs. Mommy was way off on her estimate. Their health is good, Baylee had a blood draw to check glucose levels, electrolytes, and white blood count. She is still very jittery and they want to rule out an infection. It came back clear. She will go in tomorrow again, to have a different blood draw. The girls are being set up with Dani slings for their cribs. Both girls have acid reflux and this will help them during their sleep by elevating them. We were happy everything is ok.

Daddy fell sick this week. He thought it was the flu but mommy thinks it was food poisoning from a chicken sandwich he had. Mommy was really tired taking care of everyone, but has survived. Auntie Alexis came over the last two days after college. She even brought mommy some really yummy duck from the House of Wu in Burnsville, the only duck mommy will eat. Daddy was thankfully feeling better last night so he got to eat the duck as well. The girls are even more alert during the day now. They smile when you talk to them. They also like to grab each other if they lay close enough together. Sibling rivalry already! Today, I went to Grace Park to learn about my job and to approve the girls birth announcement. I have to give props to Joyce again, the announcements and pictures are absolutely adorable. She really is creative and does a fantastic job. No wonder she is so busy and booked for the next few months. People are literally begging to get in. It's wonderful to see her business take off as it has. The girls and I spent the day with Parker, he didn't have school today. We went to Wal-Mart. Parker was the proud cousin pushing the girls in their stroller. Several older women commented to him that he was a good boy for helping out. I couldn't believe how busy Wal-Mart was in the middle of the day on a Wednesday. I finally remembered to splurge a little to buy our youngest dog, Daisy, a chew bone. We hope she will chew that instead of nuks, baby toys, baby clothes, baby blankets, and anything else she can get her paws on. The pics are snapshots of our days at home.

We are 1 month old today!!!

Hi, it's me, Amelia and Baylee too. Today, we are one month old. We have grown so much. Tomorrow, we are going to the doctor tomorrow so we will know exactly how much we've grown. I am sure our Mommy will post it tomorrow. We went to Carter's today, Mommy and Daddy bought us some cute dresses because they had a coupon. It is hard for mommy and daddy to shop because people like to stop them to look at us and talk about us. Mommy said she wants to put a sign on our car seat that says "Yes, they are twins...they are fraternal...Yes, they are girls (even if we are dressed all in pink people ask)...No, we aren't sleeping much...thank you!" Baylee and I think it is funny. Well, we heard mommy and daddy talking about the doctor so we know no shots tomorrow. A whole month old and mom and dad are still sane.

Happy Birthday Grandma!!!!

Today, was grandma I's 63rd birthday. The girls got to go to their first party, I took some pictures of the girls with Grandma yesterday when we spent the day with her at the MOA. Also, the girls are in their party dresses today for the party. The girls also have snapshots from Parker's football game, their first trip to Chuck E. Cheese's, and playing with Davis at G&G I's house.

Have you ever slept with your eyes open...yes...with a baby drinking a bottle in your arms...yes! Sometimes I think I sleep a little as I am wide awake, because I can not remember what happened while I was sitting there surrounded by others. People have asked me a lot if I even sleep. I do. I get a couple of hours between feedings at night and I also nap sometimes with the girls during the day (if they choose to be sleeping at the same time). The girls have been really good the last couple of nights, they have sleep 3-4 hours before waking for a feeding the last two nights. They also have been taking more ounces at each feedings, which is fabulous. They are getting bigger we had to lengthen the straps on their car seats. Baylee is really not a big fan of her car seat, but momma says she has to get over that it is the law. She will usually wear herself out and then fall asleep. It is hard to listen to her, but I know she is fine and that is all that counts. I really hope she outgrows it. I have been working on getting our lives back to some form of organization. The girls stuff and lives seem to be organized however our lives are up in the air still. Tony's second job cut hours, so he isn't even on next week's schedule but will be on the next. The holidays should also add hours for him. I am trying to get the stuff together for Tastefully Simple so I can try and convince someone to have a party or a book party. I am going to start next week at Grace Park editing photos. I also have 16 leads to take in one family for daycare. It may seem like a lot for a mom of twins, but really it isn't. I have always been a hard worker and I like to stay busy. Yes, the girls keep me busy but I also like to do things that make me feel like I am contributing to our lives. Tomorrow is a big organization day and errands to run. Hopefully, the girls will like their car seats tomorrow on the errand run.

Outing with Grandma today

Today, the girls and I are going on an outing to the Mall with Grandma I. We are hoping to steal little Zoey too. We took some pictures of the girls playing in their play pen last night instead of sleeping. We seem to have worked out a night schedule. Mommy goes to bed early and daddy is with the girls, then at around 1 am mom takes over and daddy sleeps. We do help each other with feedings on the other's shift. The girls eat at the same time and it is just easier when there is two people to have each feed one. The girls went to their first football game last night. Cousin Parker had a playoff game to see if they could make it to the finals. Unfortunately, they lost. However, throughout the whole season the team they played only had one other team score on them. Well, Parker's team, the Cougars, did get a touchdown last night against the really good team. I say that is something to celebrate. Way to go Parks!!! He will play one more game on Saturday to see if they place 3rd. Good Luck! Tomorrow, is Grandma I's birthday, so the girls will be going to the party. We hope Grandma likes her present. More photos today.

Daddy is the bomb

Mommy got some sleep last night because daddy took the first half of the night with the girls. We agreed mommy would do the second shift. The bonus was the girls slept throughout mommy's shift only waking once to be fed. Mommy feels so much better today. It is great because at 10 my Tastefully Simple head consultant is coming over to start my training. I am excited yet nervous. I need to do 3 parties in the first month to make the ultimate goal. I don't know if I will be able to do that. I am thankful my sister Joyce is willing to have a party for me, that's one down. I am hopeful everything will work out. The girls are getting so big, they are getting too long for newborn clothes so we are moving to some 0-3. They have started losing some of their hair. We started letting them, when they are wake, lay on their stomach. They both will lift their heads and look around. Last night, we went to grandma and grandpa Irish's house for yummy dinner of pork chops, sauerkraut, potatoes and squash(mommy's fav). Baylee was very alert and sat in Auntie and Uncles arms and watch all the commotion. Like Auntie Julie said to Baylee last night, our family is loud and the girls will definitely get used to it. The family may be loud but we have lots of fun together. Oh, no, my time is up the girls are AWAKE and very hungry.

It's Uncle Todd's Birthday

Happy Birthday, Uncle Todd!!! Well, nothing new in our household, besides sleepless nights. We are trying to get the girls to drink more so they won't get up every hour at night to drink an ounce and 1/2. We switched nipples again, so they have a faster flow. We noticed they will drink more because they don't get pooped out. We hope eventually they will take 3 ounces every 3-4 hours. They are liking their baths a lot more. As long as they are warm, they are ok. It is definitely fun being a mom, but challenging. The girls pretty much eat at the same time, which can lead to some screaming fits when mom has to burp the other one. I have been laying them in their cribs during the day and they seem to like them. They are getting too long to lay the short way across the bassinet of the pack and play. They will soon have to graduate to their own cribs in their room. I think it will be harder on mom than the kids to move them into their room but maybe they will sleep better in there. Minnie and Daisy bark sometimes at night which wakes the girls sometimes, so if they are a room away they shouldn't hear it as well. Auntie Alexis visited yesterday, she says she needed a baby fix. Mom just hands her a baby and puts her to work feeding and comforting. This week we are laying low and hanging out at home. Saturday we will be going to Grandma's birthday party. Of course, no cake for the girls. :) No new pics but I am sure we will be having some real soon. Note: Anyone who would like to have a Tastefully Simple party in the next month please email me. I have to do three in the first 30 days. I don't know if I will be able to make that goal but I will try.

A new career for Mommy

Well, I have decided to try and be a Tastefully Simple Consultant. I need to supplement income by having a job but putting twins in daycare is expensive and not worth it unless you make that and more in your paycheck. So I decided to try something I can do on my schedule where Daddy will be at home to watch the twins. My kit will come this week and then I will train for the weekend then I will be jumping right in. I am hoping I will be able to get a few friends and family to have some parties just to get me started. I will also be having a website where people can buy products from me without having to have a party of their own. I also will be working at Children's Place at the MOA one night a week and every Sunday for 4 hours. Tony will be watching the girls. I am hoping this will help the budget crunch as well as my need to be doing something. I have worked all my adult life and need to have that to feel like I am contributing to our lives. I don't think it is fair to just have Daddy working two jobs. He will continue at Best Buy but he only works there one day a week, so it is not as stressful. I can't wait to get everything set up this weekend for my new business. I will post the link to my website when it is up and running. I will also be editing photos for Grace Park Photography. In 2009, I will also add every Wednesday to my schedule watching a couple of kids to help out at Grace Park. I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to be able to have jobs that I can either bring the girls with or daddy can watch them. I have been worried about working since I was hospitalized in May. As God worked for us with the girls, maybe now life will come together and go back to some kind of normalcy. I never thought it would be possible to recover from this but slowly it is coming back and it feels good. I just hope I am good at selling the awesome products available through Tastefully Simple.

I just knew they were up to something...

Latest intel from Project Insomnia confirms an alliance between Agent A and Agent B of The Nguyen Twins. Surveillance caught this at 2200 hours last night as the parental units were preparing for evac to the sleeping quarters.

And here Mommy and Daddy though you two were just so cute and innocent...LOL

Auntie Joyce's Open House

On Saturday, the girls and I went to Grace Park Photography's Open House. It was a lot of fun and the girls of course had a lot of women to hold them. Two of them tried to take one of them home. Amelia had been renamed by one of the women who only has boys and wanted a girl and thought Amelia would fit right into her home. Mom didn't agree of course. Joyce's photography studio celebrated her 4th year in the business. She is currently selling purses and jewelry with pictures in them, they are gorgeous. I had to give Tony a list of things I liked, hint hint, Christmas is coming honey!!! Joyce had several other vendors there, like pampered chef, tastefully simple, and partylite. We took some pictures of the girls after the party hanging out with the family.

I also promised some pictures from our shower. I have a few but I forgot to get the camera out after the first part of the party. I only have a few. If anyone has any pics, I would appreciate them. The first pic is Baylee with her Great Aunt Joann (mommy's godmother). Amelia is with her second cousin Sharon in the second pic. The bear cakes in the third pic were lovingly made by Auntie Julie, they turned out great, the whole party was beautiful. The last pic is what my living room looked like after showing daddy all the great presents, happy to report we have finally put everything away.


Sunday, mommy and daddy tried catching up with housework. We managed a few loads of laundry between feedings and changings. Mommy was actually able to cook a nice meal for daddy. The girls slept the evening away and then mom and dad tried to go to bed. The girls decided then it was time to be awake. We take moments to capture some pics at home. The girls have been now using the swing, generously loaned to us by Auntie Julie and Uncle Craig (Davis too!!!) They have also been liking the play mat we received from my cousin Julie and her family. They also like to have their glow seahorses in the bed or on the floor to stare at as it lights up. We have been trying to read to the girls every night. We have read all of the Brown Brown Bear series, Auntie Jeni gave us, several times. Daddy and Mommy are competing to see who has them memorized. The first three pics are the girls hanging out at home. The pink and purple outfits were given to the girls by Auntie Julie, Uncle Craig and Cousin Davis when the girls were born, "Look Auntie Julie they fit now." The girls have grown so much that now their newborn clothes are starting to fit. Daddy is a little tired, Amelia is giving him a run for his money in the next pic. The girls love to be next to each other, they both tend to roll towards the other so they can get as close as possible, but then one of them will hit the other or kick and then the peace is over, Is this a small preview of what is to come??? Minnie and Daisy take over the blankets Grandma I. made for the girls



The girls met their Auntie Alexis (Phoung-Nhu) this week. She was so happy to meet them, but was very nervous when Mommy just handed her a baby. Mommy didn't know Auntie Alexis had never held a newborn baby before. Auntie Alexis was very nervous but did a good job holding them. Daddy didn't help the situation he kept making remarks about the way she was holding them just to see her freak out. Daddy thought he was funny, Auntie Alexis did not. We snapped a few shots of them. I think the girls resemble Alexis.


Other photos this week. Minnie and Daisy got haircuts, the girl's first visit to the MOA and hanging out before bed.