Identical or Fraternal???

So when the girls were in the womb, it appeared they were fraternal twins. They were Di/Di, which basically just means they had two separate sacks and two separate placentas. Most twins that present as di/di are fraternal, but there is still about a 20% chance they could be identical. It all just depends on when that magical embryo splits. And for all of you non-zygosity savvy folks out there, let me break it down.

Fraternal twins: two different eggs and two different sperm, thus two totally different embryos.

Identical twins: one egg and one sperm that splits into two embryos.

Are you with me so far? Because here's where it gets confusing.

It's all about WHEN the embryo splits!!!!

Most of the time with identical twins the embryo implants ...and then divides. Thus why most identicals are in the same sack. I'm not even going to go into all the craziness behind shared placentas so for now let's just stick to the sack. (I know, I know....'that's what she said').

If the embryo splits before it implants in the uterus, the two newly split embryos implant separately. Thus two separate Sacks.

Okay, I think that all made sense! Maybe?!?

So now that brings us to my girls.

They were di/di so we assumed they were fraternal, however they came out looking like this.

We definitely had our doubts once we saw they even had the same blood type. 

Because I NEEDED to know...Yes, it was a need!!!! We forked out the moola and had them DNA tested and........

My Mom was right...and I was wrong. 

THEY ARE IDENTICAL!

Even though sometimes, they look NOTHING alike

Book Lovers? and an Update :)

So ya'll know how I have so much time these days? How I post over here like...all the time? No?

Yeah its because I don't! HAHA!

However, what little time I do have I spend reading. I'm neglecting IFOA, I know, but mama needs to keep her sanity. And I do that with a nice LARGE glass of wine and a good book. Actually I have turned into a bit of a book-aholic. (pun intended :) )

So what did I do? I grabbed two of my best book buddies and started a new book blog! Thankfully, they are there to pick up my slack when things get crazy in my life.

Our Blog is called White Zin Bookends and we review and chat about Adult Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, New Adult, and Young Adult books. Just to give you an idea our tagline is:
 "Three girlfriends who drink way too much wine, while discussing sexy books in way too much detail"

If this sounds like your thing...you should come join us! We have alot of fun and will be giving away quite a few books over the next few months.

Actually right now we are hosting a "Welcome to White Zin Bookends" $25 Kindle/Nook/ or IBooks Gift Card Giveaway (winners choice). It's super easy to enter!

Just so you know, our blog is a bit racey sometimes, so it may not be for suitable for everyone. I added the "18 and over" blogger feature just so the kiddies don't stumble across our sexy chats hahaha! We aren't that bad, but how do you really discuss 50 Shades of Grey or The Black Dagger Brotherhood  in a PG way? You can't!

You might even recognize the temporary blog design, since it looks very familiar to this one. Did I mention, that Holden broke my conputer about 2 days after we arrived in Chicago? Grrrr.... Luckily I bought an Ipad, but there is no such thing as blog design on an ipad. My computer is in the shop and appears to be fixable. Thank the lord!

As for us...
We are still living in a hotel suite and house hunting in Chicago. The boys are driving me crazy becase they are pretty bored all the time. For little boys, Bored = Getting into trouble. And the girls have started crawling EVERYWHERE! Its hell because you can't baby proof a hotel, not to mention two crawling babies on a HOTEL FLOOR!! EWWW!! I've laid down a bunch of blankets but at some point you just have to let it go! Germs build immunities right? Thats what I keep telling myself anyway! Here is a little picture of the kiddos...they are getting so big so fast! Sorry its a little blurry, but you get the idea :)

Moving to Chicago!

Correction...we MOVED to Chicago! We got here on Saturday.

Back in March my husband was offered a job promotion IN CHICAGO!! WIth only 3 weeks notice before he had to start, we were scrambling to get the move together. As it turns out he left ahead of us, and 3 weeks later he came home to pick us up and meet the movers.

Keep in mind, I am a SOUTHERN GIRL! I was born and raised in Savannah Ga, and we were currently living in Columbia, South Carolina. Chicago might as well have been Croatia for all I knew.

Sure I had visited the Windy City before, but I've also visited Paris and Rome. That doesn't mean I want to move there either.

Okay, Okay, so MAYBE I'm over reacting. But Chicago is cold, and it SNOWS! This southern girls knows nothing about the snow!

Plus I have 4 kids under 4 with no friends or help in sight. I can barely even leave the house with all 4 kiddos much less make friends.

I'm trying to stay positive though. Things really are not that bad. The promotion is great for Mike, and I'm sure I'll make new friends .Ones who are willing to hang out with the crazy lady with too many kids. :) Eventually!

In the mean time, we are staying out near the Airport (Midway) in corporate housing while we try to find a house.

Anyone in the area want to be my friend? Pretty please? I promise to be really nice and provide you with classy boxed wine ;) HAHAHA!

Family Pictures.

So we finally got around to family pictures. It only took us 4 months after the girls were born. Don't worry it's not we are lazy or anything. We still don't even have pictures of Holden (16 months) up in frames yet....oh wait....maybe we are lazy.

My favorite!

Holden got bored with picture taking and ran away! 

Greysen on top and Harper on the bottom. 

**Peeks head in**

Hi, my name is Aly and I am a total blog failure. It has been aproximately 2 months since my last post.

Seriously people why can't I get my act together?

What is going on with us? Where do I even start?

The other day I had a total emotional meltdown. Ok that seems like a great start! 

You wanna know why I never blog anymore? 

Its because I am a freaking crazy woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me walk you through a day in my life. 

6:30 am: One of the girls wake up and I RUSH out of bed to get her and nurse her so she doesn't wake the other one. 

7:00 am: Holden wakes up and starts babbling through the monitor, thus waking up the other baby. 

7:15 am: I stand in my kitchen leaning over my sink and CHUG a coke hoping it gives me the energy to go upstairs to get Holden before he starts crying. 

7:30 am: Feed Holden breakfast, while juggling Greysen and Harper. Holding whoever is crying at the moment. 

8:00 am: London wanders down stairs and demands a juice cup while I'm holding a baby in one hand, nursing a baby in the other hand, and bouncing Holden on my feet. I roll my eyes and tell him to "WAIT!" 

8:00 - 11:00 am: Listen to Holden scream about one thing or another, while the girls snooze in their swings and CHUG 2 cups of coffee, praying for patience and energy. 

11:30 am: Finally remember to get London his juice cup, and say "Crap, London do you want some breakfast?"

12:00 noon: Halleluja!! 

ALL THREE KIDS LITTLE KIDS GO TO SLEEP AT THE SAME TIME!

12:01 pm: Park London in front of the computer to watch Minecraft videos for some MUCH needed quiet time.

From 12:02 -6:29 pm: Juggle the girls, guard them from Holden, BEG London to be gentler while playing with Holden, console Holden when London fails, dig dog food out of Holden's mouth, blow alternating raspberries on Greysen and Harper's stomachs. Breastfeed two babies while helplessly watching Holden dump out a bag of goldfish, then snatch London's cheese, and feed it to the dog. Console London because Holden fed his snack to the dog. Count down the seconds until 6:30 pm (Bed time for the three little ones) and lust over the bottle of the wine in the fridge.

6:31 pm: Pour the worlds biggest glass of wine.

Ok so now....back to my total emotional breakdown.

A few weeks ago, I had this bright idea to take all 4 kids to the zoo. My two friends were going with me, so I wasn't all that out numbered. I mean the 3 of us could juggle our 8 kids right?

WRONG!!! 

During this trip, I lost Holden! Ok so I didn't actually lose him, but I did forgot about him. And if it wasn't for my friend, I would have left him behind at the giraffe exhibit. I completely walked away, and was moving right along to the zebras, when I heard her 20 feet behind me say "Um, Aly...are you going to get Holden?"

Total Mommy failure, it scared the crap out of me that I could have forgotten him so easily. I vowed never to leave the house again with all 4 kids. If Mike was with me it would be different.We can divide and conquer. Alone...I can't keep up!

So I had a total emotional melt down that I was now essentially sequestered to my house with 4 small children!

My dear husband came to my rescue and WE HIRED HELP!!!

Where is Carlton again?


Yes that is right...every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9-12 I have the most amazing women EVER who helps me. She takes care of the kids AND cleans my house. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can not tell you how amazing it is to have some freedom back. I can go to the grocery store...ALONE! Run errands...ALONE! Take a shower...ALONE!!!

Notice a trend?

I feel like a new woman.

Maybe now I will have more time to blog? 

This and That!

So I know I said I would be better about posting, and apparently I lied! For any of you Dane Cook Fan's..."I DID MY BEST....I did my best" (If you are not a Dane Cook fan you tube it).

A quick run down of our holidays.

Way way too many presents for our kids. London laughed, Holden terrorized, and Greysen and Harper ate and slept.

and New Years Eve? Well that is a-whole-nother story, best saved for another day when I have time to type more. Maybe 10 years from now?

 The girls are getting so stinking big! And have really started sleeping at night (6-7 hour stretches). Now if I could just get them to start going to bed before 1AM I would be golden!

Some pictures they look NOTHING alike.

And then

Some pictures they look EXACTLY alike. 

Harper on the left and Greysen on the right in both pictures. 

But then again, Holden looks like Mario sometimes. 

(Holden with our friend Jacob)

and London oddly resembles an attitude filled teenager. 

SO WHO KNOWS!!

This is the face he makes ANYTIME you try to take his picture these days. 

I promise he is not always disgruntled though. 

 His school picture from this year. 

Happy New Years to all of you! 

Survival!!!!!

Phew! It feels so good to be back! To say things have been a little crazy over the last 7 weeks would be a TOTAL understatement. Having 4 kids is CRAZY!!! 

So I have alot to catch you up on so lets go back a few weeks. 

On Oct 19th our beautiful twin girls were born. 

Here is my last belly picture before they were born! 

36w2d with Twins 

I can not believe I was ever that big!

Since Greysen was born vaginally and Harper was born via emergency c-section, I had one hell of a recovery. Thankfully all of my family and friends were AMAZING and provided us with meals for 2 weeks! 

This is where I spent most of those first 2 weeks (before Mike had to go back to work) 

The boys have done REALLY well with adjusting to the girls. 

Sweet Holden LOVES them and kisses them every chance he gets. That kiss is usually preceded by a headbutt and followed up with a slap in the face. 

But hey, A KISS IS A KISS!!

London is a little less enthusiastic. Sure he loves his baby sisters but he has only held them once. 

When the girls were born they looked EXACTLY alike. To the point that when we left the hospital, we painted Greysen's nails so we wouldn't mix them up. We even thought about having them tested to see if they are identical, however as time passes they look less and less alike.  They were Di/Di twins so more then likely they are fraternal, but there is still about a 25% chance they could be identical. 

Greysen Elizabeth

Harper Elliot

Harper and Greysen

More Recent , this was last week when they were 6 weeks old. 

OK, so now to the GOOD STUFF!

Having four children this close in age is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 

 HARD! No I didn't just fall asleep on the "o" key (I needed to clarify that because I am so tired these days,  that there is always that possibility). I am in 100% survival mode. Let me tell you a little something about having kids. When you have one you think.."Omg, this is so hard. I can't imagine having two kids". Then when you have two kids you think..."Omg, how did I ever think one kid was hard. This is freaking impossible" Then 11 months later when you end up with baby number 3 and 4 you think..."Omg, Screw it! Is it time to drink yet?"

Simple things like taking that adorable one month picture, become such a task that you end up doing it 10 days late. And then instead of the 75 pictures you take in hopes of getting that perfect shot like you did with the first two kids...you take this picture while screaming "Holden stop eating those cheerios you just found under the couch cushion...oh hell, never mind you're quiet, keep eating." Look down check the picture and say "GOOD E-DAMN-NOUGH"

You eventually learn that it is really a successful day as long as all 4 children are alive and unharmed at bedtime. So what if London's diet consisted of 4 nurtigrain bars and a hotdog. He ate right. So what if I started crying when all four kids were crying for almost 2 hours straight. The day eventually ended, right about the time Mike got home and I chugged a glass of boxed wine out of a red solo cup. We survived RIGHT! So-freaking-what if I bribed Holden with a ring pop to quietly sit in his high chair for 30 mins so I could change and nurse the girls without fear of flying toys nailing them in the head. SO WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!

At the end of the day we are all happy, healthy, and in my case....slightly buzzed. 

(Yeah and I give the girls a nightly bottle of formula....SO WHAT!!!)

It's these moments that make it all worth it. 

This is our CRAZY life now and we are surviving and LOVING every minute of it!

And I don't even have time to proof read this post...

SO WHAT!