Baby Yarnoz

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Twizz: 1 year old photo shoot

She looks sweet, but...

She threw up all over the DQ2.0 last night!

Yes ma'am!

Doggie breath!

We are the Twizz

Guest Blog from the DQ 2.0: Reflections on the Year of the Twizzles

There are no words to truly reflect what it felt like to learn that we were having twins. The Pizz was just a little shy of 11 months old at the time. Mike was in the corner of the room whispering expletives. I was shocked speechless – virtually nothing would come out of my mouth. I came home that night and cried… and maybe not tears of joy.

Unlike the constant new and mostly delightful experiences of a firstborn, the Twizz were a different story. The Pizz was born near-term, with no complications and went home at 2 days. The Twizz jeopardized my health and led to a medical delivery via c-section; they were born at 35 weeks, and though almost 6 pounds each, they both had their issues in the first days of life and spent 10 rocky days in the NICU. The Pizz latched on in the first hours and we shared the joys of breastfeeding for 6 months; the Twizz never latched on well and instead tortured me with an industrial-grade breastpump for 4 months. The Pizz slept at 9 weeks; Mike and I were still sleeping in the twin bed in the nursery 2.0 – together with both babies most nights – at this marker. June 8, at almost 4 months of age, they both slept all night long for the first time.

At four months of age, I went back to work. I have little to no memory of this time. I was still sleeping in short bursts – 1-3 hours at a time. We were getting up at 4 am religiously to feed them. I did 4, sometimes 5, hours of childcare before going in for my 10-12 hour shifts. We drank pots of coffee and ate whenever we could. I shed serious weight, and so did Mike. [I joked that my postpartum weight loss formula was (N + 1 cups of coffee qAM) + (N - 1 meals qDay) + (100 trips down the hall to plug N) + aerobic housekeeping, where N = # of children produced in 18 months.]

Time slowly crept by and things got easier. They held their bottles. They sat up well. They started on solids and took reliable naps (okay, well Court does.) They can play together for quite some time. We are still waiting for some milestones – Court doesn't seem inclined to crawl – but it really is getting easier. One day at a time. The anxiety levels when you have three children is just triple – the second you sit back and think that things are going smoothly, something pops up in the least expected child. The Pizz one day has another otitis; Mila starts cutting another tooth; Court may need more aggressive interventions to get him locomoting.

And it really has been amazing watching the Pizz's interactions with them – she pours love and attention on them and can hardly wait for them to be her playmates in everything she does. It's almost becoming impossible to get her out of the house in the mornings to go to day care without them. Luckily they will be going with her soon. Some days are becoming outright fun!

This morning, Mike sends me this text: "Sometimes I am amazed with the Pizz and the fact that she's ours. Same with the Twizzles. Mila was super cute this morning, just hours after vomiting her guts up."

Yep, that pretty much sums up my feelings too.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Help! I have too many sisters!!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day

So, Feb 14th is a day that has forever changed the BY Universe.

It has been a truly unique and amazing year here, one that really cannot be put in to words. One day I will try to put into words what this past year has been for us, individually and as a whole.

But for tonight, we should celebrate the amazing gifts that are the Twizzles!

My how we've some so far...

Monday, February 13, 2012

The Yarnoz Family, making it through winter!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Setting Up the Surprise

I don't know why I put this specific picture.

So, about a month ago, I realized that it was our 5th anniversary coming up (Editors note: I was actually playing with my ring, and saw that the inscribed date was 5 years ago! Nice). Wow! 5 years with one woman! Who would have thought it? 5 years and 3 babies? Impressive! (Even more so if you realize that it is 2 years and 3 babies!!!)

So, I had to come up with something good. What was I supposed to get? I looked it up... paper! Totally boring... I don't want to come home with some college rule notebook paper. Sheesh!

So I had to think! What could she use? What would both of us want? Oh! A night out and to sleep in!!!

So I plotted. Conveniently, the Twizzles birthday is always around our anniversary, so I have a built in cover. I asked around for ideas. But I needed babysitting. Seems that the aupair company is very strict in stating that we cannot leave our flock with the aupair overnight unsupervised! Sheesh!

So, next option, the grandparents. I emailed Ita and Wowo, and Lala. I even emailed Mo as well... Trying everything... chirp chirp chirp... no responses.

Uh oh... Looks like notebook paper it is!

Then Ita and Wowo said that the might be able to make it.... Woo hoo! Ideas churned. I picked out the hotel. But some atypical chest pain through that option out the window!

Back to square one.... chirp chirp chirp.

Finally last week, Lala texts me that she's coming! Hallelujah!!! We're saved. I hurriedly scramble to the Internet and book a room. (Editors note: I actually surveyed all the rooms at this B&B. I finally made the choice based off the pictures of the bathroom! Nice!)

Sweet! The plan is all laid out. Lala is coming under the guise of the Twizzles BDay. It is all set. I causally drop the hint that we should go out to dinner. Ok, she replies. I try to play off that I don't realize that it is my anniversary. Then, on Wednesday night, she has a hospital meeting. Here's my chance. I grab a bag and try to figure out what should could wear Saturday morning. It was tough. Everything that I thought to pick, I figured she might need. I grabbed some black bra that I've never seen before, some nondescript black socks, a pair of jeans and a black shirt. Good. Shoes would be a problem. She would totally recognize that a set is missing. I was screwed. I made the resolve to try to just ferret ones away that evening, and sneak them into my ride. Now, makeup. Hmmm. I'm really hurting here. I am digging and find some baggie that is already packed with toiletries. Sweet. I see something that looks like a compact and throw it into the bag. Whew! Sweat drips down my brow. I rush the bag downstairs and throw it in the backseat.

Whew! Now we wait.

Friday arrives and Lala makes it. I actually had a busy day at work. I had planned to have DQ pick up the Pizz, which I had to do anyway. I went to the hotel and checked in. Swanky. I even got a suite! Not too shabby for my woman! There was even a free beverage bar downstairs. Hmmm.... I picked up a Diet Pepsi for the ride home. (Gots to have my soda for the roada!)

I pull up to the GM. I'm nervous now. I still don't think I can pull this off. But I'm ready. I walk inside. House was crazy, as usual. But the Twizzles were going down. Lala was manning up on the Pizz. I say hello. We exchange knowing glances! Game on!!! I go upstairs and see the DQ.

Hi babe! I'm going to go take a shower before dinner! Ok, she replies. Whew! Made it! I go shower, get out, and start drying off. I start looking for an outfit.

"Babe, I got you a present" "Awww... " then I tried to act surprised and that I forgot our anniversary. "You shouldn't have" It was a nice shirt. I start to get dressed.

She works on getting herself ready too. She dives into her drawer.... "Humpf" "Where is that black bra?" Seriously? Come on. She can't be looking for the one I grabbed. Was it even black? No way. Couldn't be. She has like a 100 bras in all shapes, sizes, functions (see DQ prior posts!) and colors. She cannot be looking for the only one that I have!!! She kept digging. "I have know idea where it is" "Do you really need that one?" "Yes. Now I have to wear something else." Great... Her spidey senses have to be picking up.

Finally we are ready. She is smoking, as usual. I am waiting in the closet for her to leave, which she finally does. Then I grab a pair of shoes and her toothbrush. I saunter downstairs and hear her in the kitchen. Now's my time! I mumble something about trying to find my phone and run outside. I throw the shoes and toothbrush in the backseat and cover it with a towel. More sweat! I'm ready

I go back inside, and say...oh, there's my phone! What an actor! Oscar worthy! I get the DQ and we say goodbye to KP and Lala. And we're off. She gets in the car and we drive off. It is a cold night, so I put on the heat.

"Oh, can you turn that off, it is drying my contacts!"

Oh no! I thought I had every angle covered. I didn't think of the DQ's 20:1000 vision! I didn't realize that she was putting on her contacts for maximum hotness! I didn't think to grab her glasses!!!! I was so screwed. I almost confessed right there about my plot. But I soldiered on.

We get to the restaurant and sit down. Order a bottle of wine. Then I slide the room key over the table. I said something stupid like, I have a confession... I didn't really forget... I don't remember... I was more nervous then when I proposed. She looks at the key... "What's this?!?!?" (Editors Note: This was her exact same reaction to when I proposed. When she gets blindsided, she looses it). "Did you buy a house?" No... it's a hotel room key!

"Oh...OOOOOHHH!!!"

Happy Anniversary

PS... Later during the meal, she realized that she was wearing contacts. We almost had to go home and get glasses. Luckily I suggested just buying some contact solution. Whew!

PPS... When we got to the hotel room, we realized that the toiletry bag was one that she takes to Haiti. Really? But I saw a compact! Its just eyeliner, silly. But that is makeup!!! Luckily she had makeup in her bag that sufficed.

PPPS... Yes, I did pack the damned black bra that she was looking for. Wow! What are the odds?

PPPPS... So what time did we sleep in to? 730! Damn those Kizzles!

Happy Anniversary!

Ah, yes, there we were... two kids, not a care in the world... 5 years ago... wow! Things seemed so easy and carefree!

Then you start spitting out kids, two at a time!

And you start looking like this.

and this!

But who else would I share it with? No one.

But HER!

Happy Anniversary

Thursday, February 09, 2012

Buns of steel!

Sunday, February 05, 2012

DaddyDaycare: Pre-Party!!!

DaddyDaycare Part 2: The Kizzles Strike Back!

Saturday, February 04, 2012

DaddyDaycare: Salvation!!!

Story time!!!

DaddyDaycare Hour 7

DaddyDaycare Hour 4: the gym!

DaddyDaycare, hour 2 (Twizzle nap time)

Daddy Daycare, hour 1

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Starting Early!!!

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Steppin' Out

So I have been waiting for a story to bring me back to blogging. A sort of "Hello 2012" blog entry to knock the socks off the year...

I've got one.

A black-tie affair for the Yarnoz'!!!

Woo hoo

Somehow a month ago, the DQ got an invite to go to this "Founder's Gala", which is essentially a black tie shin-dizig put on by the hospital to raise money for something. All the high-folutin peeps of Wilmington go.

So naturally we decided to roll out.

For the past 2 weeks, the DQ has been fretting what to wear. A trip shopping with Mo (who now is official shopper/wardrobe selector for the DQ!!!) came up with a smokin' hot ensemble.

Exhibit A

So we rolled out to the part-izay. Our friends even rented a limo... Man it was like prom!!! That is, if I went to prom or rented a limo, maybe this is what it would be like. So I've been told. I was soooo excited to get gussied up and have some arm candy!

The party was a blast. Seems the arm candy was the hottest woman there! By far! I secretly watched everyone's eyes as we sauntered by. I think she even got hit on a couple of times! Not too shabby! So we partook (partaken? partaked?) in the festivities. There was an open bar, of course... and the Editor hit it hard. And there were buffet-style serving stations. (Editor's Note: so you all by now know my problem with free stuff. Essentially I have to have refills and try everything. This shindig was like a kid in a candy store. I couldn't handle my glee, and essentially started running around the hanger and grabbed everything. Even sampled different booze drinks... DQ too, she settled on a Lemondrop!) There were stations from all the top restaurants in town. Some nice fish joints, Ruth's Chris... yum yum. Also, to my utter astonishment, there was a Moe's station!!!! Unbelievable. The DQ didn't allow me to go to Moe's, until the end of the night. (Seems none of the high-folutin folks wanted burritos either) But when we were all tipsy, oh I ate the hell out of that station!!!

My head was on a swivel the whole night. The mayor was there (didn't vote...). The CEO of the hospital (DQ's boss, and probably mine soon). Wow! The bathrooms were amazing too! (The place was in an airplane hanger, so they had this flatbed truck of "luxury port-o-lets!"...) I was in heaven!

I never wanted the night to end.

I even got to cut a rug with the DQ (a small one, I only saunter in my defined space of 1 square tile, surrounded my the masses!)

Did I mention that she was smokin!?!

Then we had to leave. I had to say goodbye to how the 1% live. But on the way out the door, I grabbed one more burrito to go!!! We got our limo back home and promptly passed out.

....

Well, if last night was heaven, today was pure hell!!!

We woke up at 730 (thankfully the kizzles slept in) to monster hangovers. The kind where you have a rip-roaring headache and feel like vomiting the whole day. Yup! Both of us. Our dreams of luxury living came crashing to a resounding thud with the wails of Mila. Cokes got in on the action. KP was sort of fussy too. (I think they all had a little chat and wanted us to come back down to reality).

I think today was the longest day of our lives (minus the NICU stay). Changing poopy diapers was an adventure in epigastric restraint. Tylenol and ibuprofen was consumed in mass quantities. I even grasped some zantac, tums, and vitamins. We busted out DQ's secret stash of Zofran around noon!

Man we were in pain. We barely left the house to try our hands at some greasy food at Chili's (the DQ's old remedy to cure a hangover). We showed up at 1130. We're soooo old!

Thankfully the afternoon naptime became a family nap, allowing us to settle some.

But we were zombies!

Alas, no more partying for us. We are officially old. Also, I think I have blisters on my feet (cannot imagine the DQ's) and I think I tweaked my knee cutting a rug!

I think I should just stick to blogging!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Party Dress!!!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

It's a party!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Creating a New Look!

Well, to mark the beginning of 2012, we here in BY Universe have decided to revamp the 'Do.

Using the "Dynamic" feature of Blogger, you can see everything that we've posted in the past months. Since we have sort of converted to a picture display site, this is more interesting.

I have yet to figure out how to add links for the YouTube service... Plus my Twitter is not blowing up like I had envisioned.

Also, my humor seems to have left me pretty quickly. Just as quick as something funny pops into my head, it leaves. I was hoping the iPhone and Siri would rekindle the abilities....

alas..

Enjoy 2012

More Posts to follow