The Verdict is In

Our DNA tests came back and we're identical.
We suspected it. The doctors all said in their opinions and experience they would guess their identical.
Now we know they are right.

Aren't we the cutest Identical twins.

Reasons why I'm glad to finally know:

1. Now I can give people honest uncomplicated answers when asked if they are "identical or fraternal". Before when people asked I'd say "we think they're identical", then people would ask what that meant and I'd have to tell them the whole story. My mom kept telling to just say "they're identical" but I couldn't because identical means more than just looking alike. I can't be untruthful. But now I can be scientifically right, simple, truthful.
2. Now I can stop looking every little tiniest difference between them and wonder if its because they aren't identical. I can now look at those differences and be grateful they have differences so that I can tell them apart.

DNA testing

my DNA ring

Through one of those daily deal sites I found a deal to have individual DNA profiles created. I decided to buy one for each member of our little (or by some standards not so little) family. It was $29 per person for the deal. This company Connect my DNA, is trying to make DNA test affordable for the average person. Their test isn't a full DNA profile. Its only the 13 sites using STR (short random repeats) that are used for DNA forensic testing. This test won't tell you anything about your DNA (ie- cancer risk, Alzheimer risk, are you a carrier for anything). Instead it only looks at random sequences and tests the length of the random sequences found in all/most humans. Connect my DNA's test is normally $89.95 per person. I really wanted to know if my girls are identical. This test isn't designed to do it, but should be obvious enough to tell if the girls are identical or fraternal.  So I was able to get a great deal, but compare their $90 test to other DNA test out there it would cost me about $200 per person to get the girls tested. For the deal I got I was able to also test myself, my husband, and our son, in addition to our twin girls. Point being if you want to have your DNA profiled, this is an affordable way (even without the great deal I found) to get it done.
Just a word, ignore their "country connection" feature. They say my country connection is Malaysia. My family history is British and Danish. The only European country on my "country connection" was Hungary. I don't even have any family from there or any other countries on my list. It was pointless. It does remind you that your "country connection" isn't what your ancestry is, it is just a list of where you'd most likely fit in current populations. 

Hiding from Mama

Nellie had crawled down my parent's kitchen. I thought Rose was there too. But I went down the kitchen to retrieve them and there was only one baby. I then walked all around the house. I didn't know where she was I felt slightly panicked.  Then I saw here there, on the shelf with grandma's vhs tapes, under the fish tank. She was so quite, when she realized I found her she squealed loudly.  Al thought it was so funny he decided to join her under there. 

Mothers Nursing Lounge

In my own ward, I am the only nursing mother. I sit in the mother's lounge for all or almost all of Sunday School every Sunday. Its really lonely sitting there all by myself. The only time I have company in there is a visiting mother to our ward.

Last Sunday I was visiting my parent's ward. At one point there were four of us mothers in the nursing lounge. That is just awesome. We had four babies on the floor they kept stealing each other's toys. It was a party in there.

Congrats Aunt Kristy

My sister Kristy graduated!

Yeah for Kristy. 

 Friday was her ASU graduation.

 It was really crowded. All of us for Kristy were spread around 3 different areas.

 We ended up in the very top area. We had three babies up with us, all three were nursed and fed.My girls were being very clingy, it wasn't always enough to be held they were unhappy until they were being held by me.

I am so proud of my sister. She has been plugging along since she started college even before she was married. 7 years of marriage later and two children and she finally graduated. Way to stick with it!

Two in the Tub

Nellie was taking a nap, so it was just Al and Rose for the Wend. night bath. I love the look on Rose's face. She was having a blast in the tub. That look is just priceless.

Al's Train Birthday Party

 We did the train theme last year. But this year we had a chance to do a train party with an actual train at the party. We had it at the McCormick-Stillman railroad park. It was mostly just family. My family, my brother-in-law, and my friend Raianne.

 we had a Thomas train cake, just like last year (used the exact same toy train and idea). We got a Thomas the train balloon.

 All the kids had fun playing with their uncles and on the playground. 

 Al got some awesome gifts. He was in heaven. 

 Everyone got their fill of holding babies. 

 I'm so grateful that Raianne came, I rarely get to see her. She also gave Al these adorable books called "We are in a Book" and "I Broke My Trunk". I hadn't ever heard of them before but they are cool. Al now cracks up whenever we say the word "banana".

 We rode the train twice. I had bought 3 of their ticket books.

I think everyone enjoyed ridding the train and holding holding babies on the train.

Al had a GREAT time and LOVE the trains, LOVED the park, LOVED being the center of attention.

Happy Birthday little AL.

Crib Problem

The girls are now 81/2 months. They are so cute. I keep debating if its time to put them in separate cribs

The sleep well together most of the night. They can also cry all they want and the other doesn't wake up. But they are now in the crawling phase and if one wakes up, she'll start crawling all over her sister waking her up and then I have two awake babies. Those of you out there who have twins- at what point did you make them sleep in different beds?
This last week we were at my parents. I put them in different play pens, each play pen seemed a little small to put both babies in. Every time they slept apart was miserable! By morning I was in the bed with two babies. I finally gave in and put them in the same bed and it was so much better. So which is the lesser of the two bads?- Having babies wake each other up by crawling on the other, OR having them not sleep well because they are by themselves? 
The other crib problem I've been having, is more of a bed time problem. Every night there is one baby who goes to bed with complete ease, while the other baby refuses to go to sleep and I have I can't get them to go to sleep for the life of me. Then eventually the awake baby will crash and I can put them into bed. Its not always the same baby. Its the same thing every night. 
How to solve this problems?

Nellie's Solid Food

Nellie loves solid food. When she gets to feed herself she grabs a whole handful of cereal at a time. The girls are so funny when you put the cereal in front of them, they start squealing and smiling so big.

Arizona Evening

The glow Sunday April 29th, behind the hill was beautiful.  I ran outside and snapped this photo. So regularly I'm reminded that I live in an absolutely beautiful place.

Post-Wide Yard Sale

My mom and sister (with her children) came down to visit this weekend. I completely forgot to take any photos the whole weekend. I'm totally bummed about that.
The reason they came down was the this weekend was the Post-Wide Yard Sale. What is a Post-Wide Yard sale? Once a year the local Military post has a Saturday that those who live on post in military housing to have a yard sale. Since Military families are restricted to weight limits when they PCS (are reassigned duty stations) they have to purge their belongs to just the essential. There is always a lot of great stuff. Especially a lot of baby and children's items- many of the families are young families with little children. We found all sorts of treasures and great clothes.
A funny story:
My son found this "Spencer" train at one of the yard sales and begged me for it. The owner knew what it was and had a lot of the train sets. Everything was priced individually. I paid them $2 for that train. Everywhere we went that morning he took it with him. Its easier to have your child carry their own toy at yard sales- they are less likely to get attached to a toy at the yard sale. I went to go feed the babies and my mom and sister kept going to yard sales. My mom didn't know I had already purchased the train. She offered and paid 25 cents. She said that the father at that yard sale turned to his wife and said "Was that one of Rusty's toys". Neither my mom or the father who sold the toy that wasn't his, had any idea what it was nor how expensive those little trains are new to purchase. We laughed all day at how my mom bought an item that we already owned.
A second funny story:
AL- "Spencer is a bad train"
Me- "Spencer isn't a bad train, he's just a misunderstood train"
AL- "no Spencer's a bad train"
Me- "I guess misunderstood might not be the best description, Spencer's just a really prideful train"
AL- "no Spencer's bad 

Chocolate Covered Rose

Rose found chocolate that AL left out. She really enjoyed it. It had washed it off of her arms when I realized that I should take a photo. So you only get a photo of the chocolate cover Rose face.

Pulling Weeds

 I had been waiting for it to rain to try pulling the vast number of weeds around my house. But the clouds came, rained on the Mountains, rained up in the Phoenix area, but no rain on us in Sierra Vista. So I brought my children, some gloves, and a rubbish bin outside.

This is about a quarter of the way done. The right side of the walk way was as bad as the left side. There were so many weeds to be pulled.

 I put the girls in the play pen while I worked. I didn't want them trying to eat a bug, a weed, or a rock. Al played with the girls and with his dump truck. 

I pulled about 3/4 of the area that needs to be pulled (in the front yard only). I worked out there for about an hour. I would have worked longer except my children had had enough of being outside. I feel good that I accomplished something.

Growing all Along

My girls are starting to pull themselves up. It makes them happy to be standing and looking at the whole world. Al loves his sisters, and they love Al. He loves to play and make them smile. Its so cute as he gets them laughing, it makes him laugh too. Too much silliness.

8 1/2 months old

Kermit "DRAGON"

I found this shirt in the clearance at Target. It was $2.40. I love the Muppets and I thought this was cute. When I checked out the tag after pulling it off the description on the tag read "DRAGON". Since when is Kermit a dragon. I look at this as a FAIL. 

Reindeer Poop

I am slowly learning that I need to be more careful about what I say in front of my son. On Christmas my son was given a PEZ reindeer in his stocking. When he started playing with it I said "Its reindeer poop". Now all he ever does is call it "poop". He is always asking for "more poop" to put in his reindeer. I guess that serves me right.