Stubborn

So, in March, I put this goal out to the internet of running 5 half marathons this year. So far, I've run two and my third is this weekend.

It's the 4th and 5th that are wreaking havoc on my life and turning me into an obsessed woman.

I've been planning on running a local half marathon in October, but the clincher is that it's the weekend after the Susan G. Komen 3-day walk. When I talked to my running coach about it, she said absolutely no way should I run it.

I have found two other half's that are nearby, they are both Sept. 18, and both look pretty hard. (One goes up a mountain, and the other is in the mountains/foothills of NC ~ described as "mainly flat, but remember that we are in the mountains.") Also, I'm debating if should I really run another one that close to the Virginia Beach half. Or, I can look at it that I'll still be in half marathon shape, and should just go for it!

Of course, I have no idea how I'll feel after the Komen walk, or what kind of blisters I could have, so I'm tempted to go with one of the September races so I can get #4 out of the way, but I like the idea of having a little more time in between races. I have found 2 choices in December that will work with my schedule, so hopefully that should take care of #5. What to do, what to do?

Anyone walked a 60 mile/3 day event before, then run a half marathon the next weekend? I don't want to get injured or do something stupid, but I've also realized that I'm more stubborn than I thought and really want to make this goal a reality this year.

Moving to the country, I'm gonna eat a lot of peaches

Peaches have been so good this season ... it really doesn't seem to matter where you buy them. Farm stand on the road, farmers market, Harris Teeter, or even (gasp) Wal*Mart.

I really love to eat them with my cereal, and my cousin gave me a handy-dandy peach pitter and slicer from Williams-Sonoma. This thing works like a charm unless you have an overly ripe peach, and then you get a big, squishy mess.

I think I may tend to like a little cereal with my peach as witnessed this morning.

Wednesday Ramblings

Oh, my posts just keep getting fewer and further between.

So, here are today's rambling thoughts ...

1. I surpassed my minimum fundraising goal for my upcoming Komen 3-Day walk. My latest donation pushed me over the $2300 mark! So excited that the "hard" part is done ... now to walk 60 miles!
2. I lost my third toenail of the year. It's always the same toenail that I lose and I just went up another half size on my shoes. I can't figure out what is causing it. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the toe"nail" underneath is a pinkish shade, so it almost matches the rest of my painted toes.
3. I started this blog almost 4 years ago! Can you believe it. Here's my very first post. Obviously, I had no idea what I was doing back then either. It's funny that some things remain the same ... Hubby's still cooking dinner, we're still running, Zeus and Zoe are still around, and I'm still volunteering with the Junior League.
4. My Mom cracked me up today. By the way, she is doing well ... she's done with chemo, is now halfway through radiation, and will continue to receive another anti-cancer drug every three weeks until April. I believe that she will do another scan after the radiation to check things out. Oh, and how she cracked me up ... She told me that her hair was coming back, but unfortunately her facial hair was coming back as well. Nice and coarse, Mom told me. She's always made me promise that I won't leave her in a retirement home with whiskers coming out of her chin.
5. I had my mammogram yesterday and talked with my OB about a lot of different things ... possibly having genetic testing to see if my Mom had the Braca gene and possibly passed it on. It is the gene for breast or ovarian cancer. That is something that I'm not even able to wrap my head around and think about right now.
6. Note to self: When you eat cake three nights in a row, and Feeney's twice in one weekend, and you hop on the scale on Monday morning, don't question where the extra 4 pounds came from. Apparently running 15 miles DOESN'T give you the ability to eat anything you want!
7. Oh, I found blue crayon marks on the sofa. Joy. Thank God for washable crayons and washable slipcovers. Too bad it's on the body of the sofa, so the whole big slipcover is going to have to come off.

15 miles and Feeney's

Well, I did it. My half marathon plan called for 13 miles on Saturday, but there were several people who were going up to 15 and I wanted to see if I could do it and I did it. 15 miles ... whoo-hoo!

It was actually a very good run, with the exception of the last mile or so. Someone told me that your body wouldn't know how to react once you went past 13 (or whatever mileage is your highest) and that was true. I could feel myself slowing down and really had to think about what I was doing so I wouldn't get sloppy. But, I did it and felt pretty good.

I was surprised at how quickly the miles went by. We got to mile 7, then to 10, and it hit me that I was really going to do 15.

My Garmin froze at 11.66 miles, so that stunk, because I'm a little OCD about using the Garmin for miles/pace, etc. My time kept going, but no pace and no distance. The guy who I ran with had the same problem, but he was able to restart his so that made me happy.

Now, it's taper time and in 2 weeks, race day. Wow.

I also discovered another new love ... Feeney's frozen yogurt. A self serve froyo bar with lots of yummy fresh fruit, chocolate candies, gummy worms, sprinkles, sauces, etc,etc. So, so good. Great flavors and let's just say that I was worried my cup was going to cost $18 (you pay by the ounce), but luckily it didn't. Here's to hoping that $3.50 isn't bad. I am glad that it's not too close to my house, but I can definitely tell that this may be my new addiction. Yum.

ending with cake

Yesterday, I worked, came home and did Mom duties until 6:30, then went to a meeting at 7pm that lasted until after 11. So, I got home around 11:30, read for a few minutes and tried to go to sleep as quickly as possible.


I woke up about 5:15 to walk 5 miles with some teammates at 5:45, came home at 7am, showered and got ready for work. I worked, came home and did Mom duties, and did enjoy 30 minutes of light dozing while Hubby read books and played with Maddy and Libby.


I am exhausted and ready for bed. It's only 8:34 PM. Plus, I have to get up a little before 5 to meet my running girls for 6 miles at 5:30. This is the point in the training that I am over it ... especially these early morning runs 3 days a week.


But do you know one good thing? Both days ended with cake. Yummy cream cheese frosting, strawberry filled cake. Carb loading, right!?
More days should include cake.

Proud parent

I'm so proud of my girls and their different accomplishments ...

Maddy has gone to the bathroom on the potty for two nights in a row. Yeah, Maddy!

Libby has been counting to 10, usually missing the number 6, but she gets the rest. Yeah, Libby!

It's funny ... I don't think Maddy has any idea what she has done, even when we applaud and basically act like idiots over her achievement. However, Libby, while sitting on her potty tonight, pointed to the other potty and said "Sister potty." Then, she clapped.

A little look

After I get home from running on Saturday mornings, Maddy loves to put on my socks. Kind of gross, but it's so cute to see my ankle-length socks come up her calves. Yesterday, she put on both my socks and shoes. A future runner, perhaps?

When I'm lucky, Libby and Maddy will give kisses. I was just surprised to see that they would give one to each other. I guess it doesn't matter that 3 hours earlier, they were probably biting each other.

Growing up

I know I've said this a thousand times and you all are sick of hearing it, but some days, I just can't believe that my babies are growing up. I swear they change overnight.

For instance, Libby has counted to four recently. On her own, not with me badgering her. She had placed 4 bathtub rings on her arm and as she took them off, she counted "1-2-3-4." They can both count higher if you ask them to repeat, but I was surprised that she did it on her own. She counted "1-2-3" as she walked up 3 steps tonight.

Also hearing them put together little sentences just amazes me. "Libby, shoes, outside." or "Here Mama, shoes." Maybe my girls are still a little obsessed with shoes!

It's been fun to see them start to pretend play more. Lately, they have been blowing bubbles with their spoons, making dinner in their pots and pans and looking for someone to sample their creation, and mothering their baby dolls.

While they can be very sweet to each other, they can also be quite mean. The sweet things have been patting each other backs, bringing one another blankies, doll, etc. Some of the mean times have included biting and pinching, so both of them have been spending some minutes in the time out chair. Once when Libby was in the time out chair for biting, Maddy brought her a toy. Think she'll be our sensitive child?

Enough rambling and sorry for no photos ... I need to charge camera batteries and maybe I'll get around to posting on a regular basis soon!

You know you're training for a half-marathon & Komen 3 Day Walk for the Cure when ...

You do more laundry of running clothes than anything else.

You seriously analyze which Gu flavor tastes the best, and make sure you stock up on them.

You don't think twice about having conversations about blisters, icing, foam rollers, Body Glide, port-a-potties, chafing, or calf stretches.

6 miles doesn't seem like that long anymore.

Your favorite pre-long run dinner is something with pasta.

You give strangers your opinion of the hand held water bottles in REI, without them asking.

Your latest shoe purchase are running shoes, and not cute sandals.

You just spent $17 on socks, but if you don't get blisters, then it's all worth it.

I had no idea

Did you know that SPANX made t-shirts for men? I guess they need to feel sucked in and smooth, just like we do.

I think I need a full body SPANX suit today. I don't think I'm helping matters that during the week I've eaten fried dill pickles and tater tots. Two different meals, but still.

I will have to say that the dill pickles were so worth it, and I'm glad that I'm running 11 miles tomorrow. I can't believe that my 3rd half marathon of the year will be here in just a few weeks. These hot temperatures haven't made training any fun at all and who knows how hot it will be at Virginia Beach for the actual event.

I have been using the Frogg Togg chilly pad and they are pretty amazing. They come in a big square and I've cut them in smaller pieces to carry with me. I've also been filling my water bottle about halfway, then freezing it overnight. Then, I fill it the rest of the way in the morning. Too bad that it didn't last as long as I had imagined, but at least the water stayed cold and not lukewarm like it typically does.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Movin'

We're moving to NYC ... Ok, ok, not really, but we'll be living there for 5 days this fall. Does that count? Yeah, probably not, but I'm pretending.

Hubby is running the NYC marathon again this year and we decided to make a little vacation of it since it's also near the time of our five year anniversary.

We were looking at hotels, debating if we wanted to return to where we stayed last year, and on a whim, decided to look at vbro.com

We've used vbro in the past and have had good experiences. Once, we rented a neat architect's home in Key West, and another time we stayed in a condo at Wrightsville Beach. We found two apartments that we liked and found out yesterday that the one we really wanted was available.

It's kind of exciting to feel like you're actually living in that location and not just visiting. We'll have a doorman, a great city view, 2 blocks from Central Park, close to the museums, shopping, etc. Plus, who doesn't love drinking coffee at "home" each morning, as opposed to dropping $10 each morning at Starbucks. Maybe I'll be like the scrunchie girl from Sex in the City who thinks that Carrie and Berger actually believes she lives in NYC.

Random Monday Ramblings

• I've run 500 miles so far this year. My total for 2009 was a little over 500, so it feels pretty good to beat that already. Not sure if I'll make it to 1,000 ... I'll have to get in some serious miles in the next 5 months to do so.
  
• I was starving this morning when I got to the grocery, so I did the trick that I see parents do for their kids all the time. I found a snack (Luna Blueberry Bliss bar), opened her up, and inhaled it. I saved my wrapper and gave it to the check out person who looked at me a little oddly. I felt like she was going to tell me, "You know, you could have shoved that wrapper in your purse and we would have never known."
• When I was leaving the grocery, I had a man ask for 80 cents for the bus and he would unload my groceries for me. I had exactly no cash money on me, so I had to tell him no. Not that I would have let him unload my groceries for me, but I might have been willing to give him a little change. How sad is it that I didn't have 80 cents? Do you think bus fair is really 80 cents, or I wonder in the land of begging for money, if people are more likely to give you a dollar if you ask for less. I'm sure there is an art to the salesmanship of it.
  

Learning to deal with independent twin toddlers. Alternate title: Trying not to lose my sh*t.

Currently, Maddy and Libby go to preschool 3 mornings a week and they absolutely love it. For the past month, we have been walking to and from the car to the classroom instead of using their stroller. I know this may not sound like a big deal, but when you have two little ones to get out of the car, up the stairs, past the playground, into the church, down the hall, and into the classroom, it can sometimes be a challenge.

Mornings are usually a piece of cake. They will wait on the sidewalk for me, they don't pay attention to the playground, and they typically walk right to their room. OK, sometimes Maddy wants to push the stroller by the crib room, but typically we are OK.

Afternoons are a whole other world. At first, they were OK. Then, they wanted on the playground, so I started going another way. Then, they wanted to check out other hallways. Then, they wanted to climb into the bye-bye buggies that were in the hallway. Then, they wanted to sit in the little chair outside the school director's door. Then, they would refuse to walk to the door and I would end up carrying screaming children (often with the help of a teacher, or school director) to the car.

Today, on the last day of school, 3 bye-bye buggies were parked outside of their classroom. I cringed. I brought the stroller today, because I knew we would have extra items to carry (leftover diapers, emergency clothes, etc), so I thought maybe I would be alright.

Of course, they both end up sitting in the buggies and whenever I would tell them that it was time to go, or actually pick them up, I was met with a screeching toddler, yelling "Nooooooo!" I finally just ignored the screaming, told them it was time to go, and had to force them into their stroller. Of course, they splayed their legs and arms out making this difficult so I really felt bad pushing them into their seats. Two other Moms tried to help out, but it was really just a nightmare.

I ended up carrying Libby, while pushing Maddy in the stroller, both were sniffing from crying, and I was hot and flustered from everything.

So, what is the solution? You want them to become independent and it's hard to tell them not to climb in the buggy when it's something they do every day. At 2, do they really know the difference? Or do they know the difference, and just know that they have the upper hand? We are usually on a schedule in the afternoons and I have to be back at work, so I don't have time just to let them play for a few minutes. Should I start looking for books on raising headstrong children, or how not to get pushed around by your toddler, invest in the back pack leashes, or just result to dragging them down the hallway?

We have a month to come up with a good solution since school is out until after Labor Day. So, readers ... get to work so I'm not known as "that Mom" at the preschool.

grilled cheese

I made grilled cheese sandwiches for Maddy and Libby tonight and all of a sudden, I was thinking about fall and everything that I love about it.


Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for dinners, cool fall days with enough sun to warm your face, pumpkins, fall festivals, glasses of red wine, leaves on the ground, my favorite Japanese maple tree turning fiery red in our backyard, sitting outside on patios during those perfect days where it's warm, but not too warm to sit outside, bonfires and sharing meals with friends, hayrides, scarves around your neck, the perfect long sleeve white tee shirt, those days where you can still wear shorts, opening the windows and letting fresh air in your home, running on a crisp fall morning, hiking in the mountains, cuddled up and reading a book under a blanket, hot apple cider, the anticipation of Halloween and hearing the laughter of children in the neighborhood, watching college campuses come to life, wearing your favorite boots for the first time, needing a sweatshirt on a cool morning, feeling the warmth of a coffee cup in between your hands.


Then I stepped outside and it was still hot and humid, so I calmly shut the door and went back into the air-conditioning.

Sigh.

I love fall, but as I re-read my list, everything is about food or clothes. Oh well.

Irony, or my karma is shot.

We aren't potty training Maddy and Libby yet, but I did pick up two potties and decided to keep them out in the bathroom. I thought we could ask them before going to bed, before a bath, if they'd like to try to go. Lately, both Maddy and Libby will remove their diapers and bring them to us. Sometimes wet, sometimes dry. I'm not sure if they are doing this because they have new babies whose diapers comes off, or if they just wanted a new one, or just want to drive us crazy.

So on Saturday, it was bath night and we asked them if they wanted to sit on the potty. Maddy sat on it for a few minutes, but nothing happened. We asked Libby and she immediately said "no." As soon as she stepped in the tub, she did go potty. Hubby and I just laughed. We went ahead and gave them a bath ... I figure it was probably mostly water anyway, right?

So, we were nearly through with their bath and all of a sudden, I hear Hubby say "Shit." Literally. Someone had pooped in the tub.

Who needs a potty when you have a big ol' bathtub?

Clean livin'

We've been trying to eat healthier, more local, and a bit cleaner/less processed here at the D. household. By no means are we perfect ... Goldfish crackers still invade on a weekly basis and I'm not sure who eats more of them. I love supporting the local farmers at our farmers market, plus the produce is so much better than what we can find at our grocery stores. I really don't think I can buy eggs at the grocery store ever again, because the quality of the local/farm-fresh is so much better.

I tried to bring this style of eating into my running fuel. I find myself needing a little boost on longer runs and I've always used Gu products before. Same with post-run, there's nothing like an ice-cold cup of Gatorade to quench your thirst.

I was at my local running store and picked up some Stingers. These are organic, made with honey, energy chews. I liked the taste and the texture, but they just didn't seem to give me the extra "boost" that the Gu Chomps do. I think I was missing the caffeine. I'll definitely try them again and see if maybe I need to eat more of them than I do with the Chomps.

I think my biggest fail was the natural sports drink I heard about from one of my running buddies. It's called Recharge and was available to Earth Fare, our "healthy" grocery store. She had actually found it for a $1/bottle at Big Lots so I stopped by to pick up a few. Yuck. Not good and I'm definitely not giving up my sugar laden Gatorade for this. Has anyone else tried it? Do you have any good sports drinks that you would recommend? I know that Gatorade is supposed to be the Kool-Aid of Sports drinks and while (I think) it tastes good, I don't know if it's doing anything to replenish me after a long run.

So, as I prepare for 10 miles tomorrow, I'm packing my bag with Gu Chomps and sticking a bottle of G2 Gatorade in the fridge.

Little Gym and discovering orifices

I decided to try out Little Gym today with Maddy and Libby. They had a good time even though they didn't come to the red mat and introduce themselves like all the other kiddies. Mine were too busy playing on all the equipment leaving me to sing "Twinkle Twinkle" by myself. They had a good time and I think they could really get into it after they learned the ropes a bit more. Some of the kids there were totally fearless and you could tell that they had been coming for a while.

It worked out that Hubby could meet us for lunch and we decided to get pizza at Cici's. Yep, it's cheap, but I will say that those people are working hard, the store had a 100.5 health code rating, and they are constantly asking if you need anything. Not too shabby even if the pizza is just OK. Maddy and Libby loved the pineapple, pasta, and breadsticks so everyone left happy.

While we were there, we looked over to see Maddy with a finger up her nose. Then, Libby stuck hers in her nose. While Hubby and I tried hard not to laugh, we just couldn't help it. Of course, they thought this was hilarious and refused to remove their fingers. I almost took a picture, but I decided against as I didn't want to encourage them anymore. Their interaction and "teamwork" always makes me laugh and scares me a little. I have a feeling I'll be doing whatever they demand in a few years when they tag-team me.

A few more questions

I have a few more questions to answer, but I wanted to take a break to ask if anyone else has seen the amazing looking strawberry layer cake in the current issue of Martha Stewart Living? I can't find the recipe online, but I may have to post this deliciousness.

If I can really get serious and make this sucker, that would be even better. Too bad Martha didn't include it in last month's magazine when our fresh strawberries were really at their best.

They also have a frozen peanut butter/banana/graham cracker recipe that looks wonderful, too.

Can you tell I'm entering higher mileage in my training and all I want to do is eat? I really can't believe that it's almost time for my 3rd half marathon of the year in about 7 weeks. How did that happen?

Answering ... high school, college, and how I ended up here

Emily asked what high school and college were like for me. This is feeling a little bit like therapy, but I guess I'll write it down anyway.

High School ... I had been attending a private school that was K-12 off and on since 1st grade. I attending 1st grade there, then switched to a public school for 3 years, and then went back to the private school in the 5th. I don't really remember how all of this transpired, or why, but that's what happened. I think my Mom personally knew my 2nd grade teacher and really wanted me to have her so we made the switch. So, I was in 9th grade and told my parents that I wanted to switch back to public. My thinking was that by attending a school where I had 20 in my class, I was never going to be able to cut it when I went to college and had classes with hundreds of people.

So, they let me switch, but sent me to the "good" high school that wasn't in our zone. Not that we were in a bad area, but there were plenty of people at my supposedly "good" high school that were doing the same things that everyone at the "not so good" high school were doing.

I had friends, but I was also a bit of an outsider. I was in my punk rocker/bad poetry/hair in my face phase and just didn't know exactly where I fit in. I enjoyed English and Art, tolerated History, and struggled through Algebra and Chemistry. I ended up being friends with the cheerleaders and the popular girls even though I'm sure I didn't look like them or listen to the same music that they liked. I always liked school, teachers liked me, I stayed out of trouble even though I do remember forging late notes from my Mom in the parking lot when I was late for school. I did Sub Debs, went through Presentation and all of that. I ended up meeting a guy and having my first real boyfriend when I was a Junior. He went to a different school and was a year younger, so when I graduated he was still finishing up his Senior Year. Yes, I went to Prom as a college freshman. Say it with me, La-0-ser. But, I did have a great dress because I was so much older and wiser than all of those college seniors.

High School seems so far away now, but I have good friends and memories that I still cherish. I remember being nominated for our "Friendliest" superlative, but lost out by a few votes to a girl named Brandi. Sigh.

Onto college. All my friends were going away to to the larger schools in TN or in Kentucky and I was planning to go away to college in KY with one of my good friends, Beth. At decision time, I decided to stay and attend college in my hometown, where my Dad had graduated from. Not to mention, I had the boyfriend.

Freshman year was probably no different than my senior year of high school. I lived at home, dated the boyfriend, worked part time, and that summed up my life. Sophomore year rolled around and I decided to go through Sorority Rush, my friends that went away to college in other cities all came home, I ditched the boyfriend, and moved in with my oldest friend and now sorority sisters.

This was a little more what college should be like. It was still a bit of a mixed experience. I didn't live at home, but we didn't live on campus. My friend that I lived with had a condo that her Dad owned (and it was AWESOME). I was a good student, but probably not as serious as I should have been. Looking back, I cringe when I think about some of the grades I made when I could have done better, but sometimes wine and cheese mixers at the Pike house took precedent. I majored in Communications, with a minor in English and really loved my classes and professors. My sorority/women's fraternity (Chi Omega) was definitely a big part of my life and I served in several leadership capacities, including Chapter President. Some of those ladies are still my closest friends today and I am glad I made the decision to join.

Do I regret not going away to school? Sometimes. Do I regret not doing things like studying abroad? Definitely. I had a good experience, but there are definitely things I would do differently if given the chance.

Laura C. asked how I got to Greensboro.

After college, I attended graduate school in Chattanooga, TN with one of my best friends. We had always said that we wanted to attend college together, but it just wasn't feasible, so grad school seemed like the next best idea. During our 2nd year, she got married and moved to Alabama. I had taken the first semester off to travel, so I finished out the second semester and started applying for jobs. My thought was that I would get a job and go to school part time. I really felt like I wasn't ready for grad school since I had no real world work experience. I interviewed for a job in High Point, NC, got the position, and moved to Greensboro in May 2008 sight unseen. My other plan was to go to work in Yellowstone National Park again for the summer and enroll in the Masters of Corporate Communication program at my alma mater. Yellowstone is a whole other part of my life that I should really write down. As cheesy as it sounds, it was pretty life changing for me and was my first time living on my own. I probably grew up more in those two summers than I did all of college.

Greensboro has been a great city for me and for our family and it's hard to believe that I've been here for over 10 years. I left briefly when I was transferred with my first company, but returned after about 6 months. Hubby likes to call it the biggest smallest town you will find. We have plenty to do, Raleigh and Charlotte are nearby if you need a "big" city, plus the beach and mountains a few hours away too. I'm involved in my community, we know our neighbors, we have good friends, it's a great area for our family, plus I honestly like the area.

Answering ... must have baby registry items

Sweet Sarah who is expecting a BOY asked about must have baby registry items.

Well, my experience may be slightly different because I had two, but I'm sure that a lot of the items would translate well for anyone.

Items that I couldn't have lived without ...

Some sort of baby chair/bouncer seat. Not only is this a good spot for napping when they are little, it provides a safe space where they can sit and look at toys around them, and you can use it to sit and feed them when they are starting rice cereal, solid foods, etc, but can't sit in a high chair. We had a Boppy brand and one that was Fisher Price papasan style that we borrowed from a friend. I liked them both.

Swing. I know that some Pediatrician's are against the swing, but there were some days that this was the only thing that made my babies happy. We had the Fisher Price papasan style ... both a new one and one that we borrowed. Loved, loved, loved them both.

Dr. Brown's Formula Mixer Pitcher. This rocked. I nursed/pumped for eight months, but we also had to supplement with formula. Since I had two, this pitcher came in handy because I could make up a larger quantity, the mixer really took care of any clumps, and then the formula was in the fridge, ready to go. We used all Dr. Brown's bottles and had good success with them so I never tried any others.

Medela Breast Pump. It ain't a pretty sight, but if you need to pump, Medela's are the best and you can find the hospital grade models easily too.

Halo Sleep Sacks. My daughters still sleep in a sleep sack. Yes, they do go up to an XL that goes up to 36 pounds so I figure that we still have a little more time for these. They liked being swaddled when they were small, but once they got too big for the swaddle blanket, they would never keep a blanket on them and I was always freaked out about suffocation. This way, they stay safe and comfortable at the same time.

BOB stroller. I can't say enough good things about this stroller. We bought it when Maddy and Libby were 6 months old so I never used it with the car seat adaptor. It's good in neighborhoods with lots of curbs and for long runs, too.

Snap & Go stroller. I loved this when the girls were little and still in infant car seats. Like the names says, you could just snap them in and go.

Cloth Diapers. While I didn't do cloth diapers for little bums, we used cloth diapers for burp cloths, to clean up spills, and Maddy and Libby actually sleep with one of their cloth diapers as a blankie each night. I actually prefer the larger, thinner ones over the thick ones. They have adorable lovies, but what they always want is their blankie. You can also tie it around their shoulders and play superbaby, or around their head and play baby with a do'rag!

Sound machine. We didn't use anything fancy, but actually a clock radio of Hubby's that has a "wind" setting on it. It definitely helped to mask noises during nap time and night time.

Board books. Books have been a favorite of Maddy and Libby for as long as I can remember. We made reading stories to them part of our nap and nighttime rituals. Board books are great because they will take more abuse (chewing, drool, etc) than the regular books.

If you want to make your own baby food, and as tempting as the Williams-Sonoma model may be, all you need is a stick immersion blender and silicone ice cube trays. Then just visit wholesome baby food and you'll be all set.

Good car seats. We had Graco's as infants and now we have Britax. Love the Britax.

Baby Jail. Ok, this may not be politically correct, but once Maddy and Libby were mobile (crawling), this thing saved me. I was working from home at the time and it was the only way that I could keep an eye on them while I tried to do a little work. It's huge and if you can get over looking at primary colors all day, then it can save your life!

We've had a few things that were trial and error. I thought I had to have Baby Bjorns, but I really didn't use them all that much, but I had friends wore their babies all the time. Also the Bumbo seat was kind of a bust for us. They seemed to be too small/too unsteady at first and then the next thing I knew, they had outgrown it. However, other people that I know loved theirs. Same for the Diaper Genie. We use a Diaper Champ that just uses grocery store bags and it seems to be so much easier than using something that requires a special refill.

Other must haves that I think were vital to our sanity:

A schedule for meals/sleeping and sticking to it. If it was nap time, then I was at home ... not out trying to get my babies to sleep in a stroller. Not judging those Mom's that can do this, but a schedule was sacred at our house.

A non-quiet house. Huh, you ask. I vacuumed when they slept, flushed the toilet, dogs barked, phones rang, music was on and everyone turned out OK. Granted, I didn't have a party while they slept, but they got used to household noises and now can typically sleep through one another waking up, dogs barking, storms, etc.

Please feel free to leave any more "must have" baby items in the comments and we can all share ideas. I can remember doing our baby registry over several visits because I would just get overwhelmed with all of the stuff. Plus the fluorescent lighting and concrete floors in most of those stores are no fun!