Top 10

I have resorted to stealing from other websites. No, but really, I always find this kind of information interesting. When E and I chose the names Olivia and Ethan, we often were told how many other people they know with kids of the same name. So what? Kids have enough problems in life and throw in a terribly misspelled name because Mom wanted it to be ‘different’? No thanks, I refuse to be blamed. I always told E I wanted our kids to be able to find pens with their names on them because I could never find any “Colleen” embossed pencils. Alas, this is why we have an Olivia and Ethan and not a Peachy and Luigi. Roll your eyes all you want, it’s true.
Still early in the year, but here is a list of the Top 10 baby names so far in 2010.
GIRLS

1. Charlotte

2. Olivia

3. Elizabeth

4. Amelia

5. Emily

6. Ava

7. Ella

8. Claire

9. Emma

10. Violet



BOYS

1. Oliver

2. Owen

3. Henry

4. Liam

5. James

6. Jack

7. Alexander

8. Benjamin

9. William

10. Noah

courtesy of www.parentdish.com



And… the Top 10 baby names from the year I was born… (1979 for those wondering… I have no shame.)

GIRLS

1. Jennifer

2. Melissa

3. Amanda

4. Jessica

5. Amy

6. Sarah

7. Heather

8. Angela

9. Nicole

10. Michelle



BOYS

1. Michael

2. Christopher

3. Jason

4. David

5. James

6. Matthew

7. John

8. Robert

9. Joshua

10. Brian

Courtesy of www.ssa.gov

Dear Interwebs

I have been thinking that perhaps I will start a new segment on Mondays asking YOU, my readers for help with my kids. Because, we all know whatever you read on the internet is true, right?

Sooooo..

Dear Interwebs,

My kids hate to be on their tummies. Hate it. Olivia will, in fact, go on her tummy and then swiftly roll over onto her back. When she gets angry about that, she will lay on her side. Ethan, on the other hand, just flat out whines incessantly while on his stomach and has no interest of rolling over. The both enjoy sitting up on their own, but then get irritated when they lean forward and ultimately, end up on their stomachs (side notes- doesn't the word "stomachs" look weird?)

So how do I get Olivia and Ethan to enjoy tummy time until they realize that it is the gateway to mobility?

Leave me a comment and I appreciate the help!

And He's Back!

I do apologize for lack of updates, posts or even baby pictures. I won’t lie to you, I just haven’t felt like doing it.

First things first. Eric was released from the hospital on March 14th, six days after his surgery. He took it slow and made sure he was resting and not pushing his recovery. Everyday since then has been a bit better or easier for him. Unfortunately, the cabin fever mixed with unseasonable Northeast Ohio warm weather, he’s been itching to get out and about. Luckily, he’s been able to tag along with his dad or brother on daily errands, which is a big improvement to where he was three weeks ago.

Secondly, since many of you had asked, Eric will be undergoing a round of precautionary chemotherapy to ensure the cancer didn’t spread. But we will not dwell on that right now.

And finally, I want to take this time AGAIN to thank all the special people in our lives that have been there for us. It truly meant a lot to me, Eric and his parents that people took the time to make us meals, came in from out of state, offer to baby sit and offer their shoulders to cry upon. It is amazing to see our “community of people” join together to help us out. So thank you, you know who you are.

We continue to ask that you keep Eric and our family in your thoughts and prayers.
I hope to be back with some super updates about Olivia and Ethan. However, the interweb powers aren’t always on my side these days. Alas, you better believe me that Olivia and Ethan are growing and turning into “almost” mobile babies. Watch out!

He's OK

Eric’s surgery went well on Monday. There were no complications and the doctors were able to get everything out that they needed. It will be another waiting game to see if it spread though.


Eric is currently still in ICU, but that is really the best place for him to be.

Thank you all for your continued thoughts and prayers.

All You Need is Love

and a chew toy. 

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

An Announcement

I have written this blog entry over and over again in the past week and each time, I end up deleting it. So I will just cut to the chase, as most of you know the news anyway. If you don’t know what I am talking about….Be prepared.

Eric has cancer.

Ugly, stupid cancer in his liver and he is undergoing a partial liver resection on Monday the 8th at the Cleveland Clinic that will hopefully get rid of his tumor. The past month has been a whirlwind of ER visits, doctor visits, testing and procedures—but we finally got the answers we feared. Now, we just need to fix it. In preparation of this surgery, Eric has undergone a procedure to beef up his left side of his liver so that his recovery is easier on him. He has been a trooper through all this. Eric Reed is my hero.

I actually debated whether or not to broadcast this on my blog about my beautiful twins, as it is a happy place. After talking with Eric, we decided that perhaps posting this will help me in some sort of way.

I feel broken. I am scared for my husband. I am scared for my children. Pretty safe to say I now get less sleep now than when we first brought Olivia and Ethan home. People ask questions I do not have answers for. My husband is thirty-two years old and has cancer. A type of cancer that seventy year-old men get. How f***ed up is that? A month ago, our biggest problem was who was on our guest list for our children’s baptism guest list and now… Well now, everything else seems so trivial.

Eric and I have often been categorized as competitive and stubborn. I firmly believe that those two attributes will get Eric through this time and we will, for lack of better words, kick cancer’s ass. A motto that has transpired over our years together has been “Reeds don’t Lose”. I hope and pray that this will hold true and perhaps one day, a t-shirt will be made in our honor.

I will be back to update Eric’s progress, with some twins updates as well. They are the real super stars on this blog anyway.

I would also like to take this time to thank our family and friends for the love and support they have given us while getting to this point. Olivia and Ethan are well-taken care of and continue to make each day better with their smiles.

Please keep Eric in your thoughts and prayers.

6 Months (ish)

As it turns out, Olivia and Ethan will only get to celebrate half birthdays every four years on leap day. I am not going to let that stop me from babbling on about our babies. No way!

Olivia

Our first born. Weighed a half a pound less than her brother at birth. Didn’t cry when she was born. Surprised me and most of my side of the family, with her light-colored hair and beautiful blue/green/gray eyes. Has the pinchiest cheeks ever. Has a temper. Loves Kori, our cat. Has always been a very good burper. Not a fan of carrots. Loves car rides, but gets upset if you go under 50 mph. Her middle name, Langley, is also my middle name after my fraternal grandmother’s maiden name. Loves her Daddy’s funny sounds. Never really took to a binkie. Rarely fights a nap or bedtime. Much rather sleep in her crib than cuddle with someone. Loves to watch Dora and Cash Cab. Doesn’t find the humor in many things like her brother does. Wants whatever toy Ethan has. Looks pretty darn cute in the color pink. Is really starting to form her own personality lately and we have a feeling she will be a handful.

Ethan

Younger than his sister by a minute. Was very angry when he was born. Has a slight ginger-tint to his hair making him look like his Daddy. Has these amazing brown puppy dog eyes, which will probably get him far in life. Loves his binkie and can almost get it in his mouth and actually let go of it. His first smile was at a 4:00 AM feeding when he was 6 weeks old. Is definitely the sensi of our family. His middle name, Roger, was the name of Eric’s grandfather. Is super ticklish under his armpits. He is nicknamed, “Mr. Half Hour” because his naps rarely go over thirty minutes. Will cry if Olivia is crying. Loves to snuggle. Lets Olivia play with all their toys first and then, he will start to play with them. Loves to jump! Is an early riser. He is perfectly content lying on the floor on his back, kicking his legs. Rubs his eyes when he is tired. Loves to talk to his sister during playtime and make her smile.

And finally, we will leave you with a tender moment.  Ethan trying to make Olivia laugh, unsuccessfully.  She's one tough cookie!

Here's to another amazing 6 months!