{double digits}

The boys turned 10 months yesterday! Landon marked the occasion by pulling himself up...such a big boy. Dan and I were both a little shocked as we watched him go from on his belly to sitting up, to standing up with the help of the exersaucer. I think I forgot to mention that Ben pulled himself up in his crib last week from a sitting position. The little guy still can't sit up from laying down yet, so we're still working on that one. It amazes me every day watching all of the changes and new things they can do. Yesterday I swear Landon gave me a hug...or at least it felt like it. Makes me heart melt into a gooey little pile.

Now that they are so mobile it is hard to get decent shots of them, but here are the ones I snapped last night right before their baths. Landon wasn't really in the mood as you can see from this first one...


Ben of course was his typical posing self...


In house news, we had our first open house on Sunday. The house looked great and we had one very interested couple. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!

{4 am}

I'm pretty gullible when I'm up at 4 in the morning, feeding a hungry baby a bottle full of sweet smelling sustenance. I turn on the TV for just enough light during said activity, and the usual slim pickings includes lots and lots of infomercials that promise a six pack and slimmer thighs in just a week. I, of course, am very interested in gaining back my pre-two-babies-stretching-out-my-stomach body, so I watch intently.

Last night, Mitch Gaylord, USA olympic gymnast, had my full attention. He promised me that I could lose 5 pounds, up to 2 ab inches and 1 size in only 3 days! Wha?! Count me in Mitch! All you have to do, according to the infomercial, is move around this 2lb special Mitch Gaylord basketball, and the pounds just melt away. Seriously...send it to me now. And for the special price of not $100 (that is what it retails for people), but the super, crazy low price of $14.99. And that includes the basketball. I'm floored, and about ready to order if I wasn't tied down with a baby that would be a little more than annoyed if I made him take a bottle break.

I'm seriously still contemplating ordering this thing...I guess if it doesn't work the boys will have another ball to play with.

{so big}

I'm sure many other parents out there do the "how big is my baby" game, where you say "how big is baby's name?", pull their arms up over their head and say "sooooo big!!" I love doing that with the boys, and it really is true...they are both getting soooo big!! We recently got them their first "big boy" shoes...Nikes for Ben and some Converse for Landon. L has some super wide feet, so it is going to be a challenge to find shoes for him. Did I mention that they will be 10 months old on Monday?! Where has the time gone?

Here are a few recent photos...








And on the new house front...it looks like we may close as early as a week from today! Still waiting to hear from the bank. I'm soooo ready to get settled and have the boys in their own rooms. It is getting harder and harder to keep them in the same room at night. They hear every little sound!

We have an open house on Sunday for our current house. Got our last big-ish project done for that...new ceiling fans in the living room. Like?

I wish we had put these in a long time ago, but they are a huge improvement over the 80's brass monstrosities that we have lived with for the past 5 years.

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you have a great weekend!

{finds}

Amid my hectic, stressful weekend, I was able to get away for a little bit with my mother-in-law, who was so sweet to take me to a local antique fair. After we had been there for a few minutes we realized that it wasn't quite our kind of antique fair...rather spendy...but I did come away with a few treasures/bargains that I absolutely love.

These blocks were $2 each and how perfect that the "o" has an owl on it! (if you are new to my blog, my boys' nursery is filled with owls.

But my favorite find for the day is this coat rack. The seller told me that it is made out of salvaged trim from an 1800's farmhouse and the paint is original. He had it priced at $20 but thanks to my mother-in-law's sneaky haggling, I scored it for $20! Now to find the perfect place in the new house to hang her! (yes, I have decided it is a she)



And speaking of owls...look what my friend Kelly made for the boys! His name is Bendon (get it...Ben and Landon). I love him and can't wait to meet him in person! I especially love the little heart on his booty.



And its the beginning of a new week. We have our first open house this coming Sunday so I'm already anxious about that. We are trying our best to keep the house in order but it is so hard with the boys. They are both sooo clingy right now and getting them to play by themselves has been a big challenge. I'm going to do my best to do a little bit here and there during the week so Sunday morning doesn't turn into panic mode.

Happy Monday everyone!

{there's no hope}

I can't stop polyvoring!

This is a mock-up of our bedroom in the new house. We currently have the rug in our living room, but it will find a new home in the bedroom, hopefully along with the dreamy IKEA tree print that I've been eying for a long time. It is a little spendy for me but it is large and will make such a peaceful addition to the room. We have two of the cute iron nightstands and the current brown curtains we have in the bungalow will make the move over quite nicely. The birdy pillow from Target is also on my wish list.


restful bedroom - by mandybeth01 on Polyvore.com

{officially addicted}

So I thought that polyvore was solely used to create fashion storyboards. Not so my friends! You can import photos from almost anywhere, so now I'm addicted to creating storyboards for the new house. This is a very simple one for the new living room.


living room - by mandybeth01 on Polyvore.com

{change}

I've never been the kind of person that has embraced change. Until a year or so ago I actually avoided it, big changes that is. The few times that I've moved in my life have been very hard on me, adjusting to new jobs, changes in relationships. Having the boys, I think, has been a turning point for me. I've learned in the past 9 months just how much I can handle, even when I feel like I'm hanging on by the thinnest of strings.

Right now, not only am I still dealing with the challenges of being a full-time working mom of twins, but I also have a husband that works the night shift, I'm buying a house, selling a house, and now to add to the list, dealing with some heavy family drama. Like not speaking to a close family member drama. Things have been said and feelings have been poured out and now I'm hanging on and hoping it will all work out. I don't regret one single word. Sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better, right?

Anyhow...please say a little prayer for me and my heart. It is hurting right now.

{mod cloth}

I interrupt the usual scheduled programming of house buying and baby updates to bring you an online store that I'm now obsessed with...mod cloth. Here is a sampling of items that I'm itching to buy...

Urban Sophisticate Dress

LOVE this! Its my favorite neutral color, flattering waistline for that post baby middle and would be great for work.

Emma Dress

This beauty is sold out and for obvious reasons.

Rebellious Beauty Queen Skirt

Another sold out item...I guess lots of women like the idea of being a rebellious beauty queen.

Perfect Perception Purse

Way out of my price range but the name is very fitting.

Eddystone Wool Gloves

I'd almost be willing to go back to winter weather just to be able to sport these beauties.

And these dish towels are too cute...one with a good reminder and one that pretty much sums up my morning drink of choice.

{too much}

My boys are just too much. The minute you think you have them figured out they start to do something new. Ben learned how to shake his head like he's saying no the other day and it was the cutest thing. I guess only parents understand how mesmerizing these things can be. The thing that amazes and entertains me endlessly about Landon is the fact that in almost every picture I get a different facial expression out of him. The boy cracks me up! Here is a recent sampling...

Enjoying a bite...


crazy after bath hair...


I picture him just like this in college with a beer in his hand instead of a toy...


So contamplative...


And just plain sweet.


And who new toys make such great hats?

I am one lucky mama.

{surreal}

The for sale sign is in the yard! Holy. Crap. It still seems so surreal that this is all happening. Most days I don't feel like I'm old enough to be an adult, but here I am, a mom of twins, working full time and buying/selling houses. When did all of this happen?!

I scurried around the house last night to get the listing pics taken. It should be up later today. Yikes!!!

To top it all off, Mr. Ben is not sleeping well. Wait, let me rephrase that. He sleeps great when I'm holding him. Not so much in his own bed. Two nights this week I'm committed one of the worst parenting sins. I've let him sleep with me. With Dan at work and the boys in the same room, I can't let either of them cry or they will wake the other up. It is not a good situation. I don't want to spoil either of them but I also need to keep my sanity. I will be so glad when we are in the new house and the boys will each have their own room. Hopefully that will help the situation greatly. I can always hope...

{before and after}

I was thinking yesterday about how I want to pack the house, especially all of the decor items. It occurred to me that I probably won't hang the majority of stuff in the same location. Like I have two canvases in our dining room over the buffet with botanical prints on them and chances are they probably won't end up in our new dining room. I may actually put them in our master bedroom. So all of the decor is going together...living room with kitchen with office etc. I'm going to force them to mingle and see what new arrangements I can come up with. Should be fun!

We are meeting with our realtor tonight to get our house listed! Yikes! Time to take room photos asap!

And just for fun, I thought I would post some before and afters from what the house looked like when we bought it to today.

*some of these pics are cut off but if you click on them you can see the full photo.

Outside before:


Outside now:


Downstairs bath before:




And now:



Kitchen before:



After 1st facelift:



And now:


Master bath before:


And now (this is an older photo without accessories but you get the idea):


Our little bungalow has come a long way!

{secret club}

In the short almost 5 years that we have occupied our cute little bungalow, I have grown very connected to it. There is an almost secret club for people that live in bungalows. You come to learn about it as you settle into your home with its quirky architecture, sweet built-ins and sturdy moldings. It becomes a part of your identity. At least for me it has.



So it is very bittersweet for me to be leaving our bungalow, replacing it with a 1960's split level. Big change. Of course your priorities change as you become parents. The layout that I once loved has become my biggest annoyance. I thought it would be great for the nursery to be right off of our bedroom, with no hallway between. Convenient, maybe. But hurrying up the creaky stairs, holding my breath as I open their squeaky door and tiptoe through their room and sneak into our bedroom, shutting the door as quietly as possible and then fumbling through the dark to turn on the TV for some source of light has become a ritual I do not look forward to every night.

In the new house the boys will be able to each have their own room! What a heavenly prospect. And once they are in bed there will be no going into their rooms at night until they wake up at whatever time they decide for a mid-night diaper change and bottle. As much as I dread moving, I can't wait for things to be easier. It is amazing how a house can dictate your life.

Lately I have been standing in different rooms of the house almost saying my goodbyes. I'm getting teary just thinking about it. Despite the frustrations, I love our house. I hope whoever the next owner is loves it as much as I do and becomes a member of the secret bungalow club as well.

{no more filth}

Last night was bath night for the boys (don't worry...there is more than one per week :), and we always try to make it as fun as possible, even when we are dragging. We have a set of foam alphabet letters that stick to the tub when they are wet, so we've started putting fun phrases on the tub for them. We only have one of each letter, so we have to get creative.

This was last night's...



They stick to baby backs too!



And mohawks all around..
.




Naked baby butt warning....

In 3..


2...


1...


The End.