Happy New Year!!

Its hard to believe the year 2013 is just around the corner.  Its crazy to think another year went by and so much happened.

Right now we are coming up on 6 months with the girls and we are in awe of what happens each day.  Below you will see some pictures and videos but the girls continue to blow us away.  Quinn who we thought was our content girl is now all over the place.  She is not able to crawl but she has mastered the army crawl and gets everything in sight.  She is also getting more vocal and at times has us laughing.  Amelia who we thought was going to be our fussy girl is actually pretty content when she is well rested and well feed, if you can keep up with those two things she is happy as ever.

Another aspect with turning 6 months is their 6 month appointment which we are not looking forward to because last time we went in for shots both girls got sick and it went down hill from there for a week or so.  One aspect I am looking forward to is finding out how tall and how much the girls weigh.  Each time we go in its exciting to see what percentile the girls are in.  Now being competitive, the coach in me starts to come out when the Dr. starts saying where the girls are at.  I start to think of what sport they will play and what position they will play in that sport.  I've already had several talks with them about what sports they won't play so we will see what happens.  I've also had numerous talks with them about college majors to avoid as well as the male gender and how horrible they are and most importantly how a one piece is so much better then a two piece bathing suit.  Time will tell if my wisdom will set in.

Anyways, we were able to head to Rock Rapids for Christmas.  We left on Christmas Eve and spent the night and then hung out with Amber's family all Christmas day.  It was good time and we were able to catch up with family we had not seen in a while.  At the same time we have been able to Skype with my family back in B.C. and that was fun to see nieces and nephews that we continue to watch grow from a distance.  All in all we feel blessed during the Christmas season with everyone healthy and happy.

Here are some pictures of the girls:

 Amelia just waking up

Quinn and her big smile!

               Quinn could not help but to touch every present at Christmas so we added a bow for her!!

The day was filled with too much excitement because Amelia had to take a nap while opening gifts.
See if you can find her in the picture.

 Family picture after church

Playing together!

         Picture time in their Christmas sweaters.

5 months old!

I think for the past two weeks or so I have said "tonight I am going to update the blog." Well tonight I think I actually have a chance. The girls had a big day, had a big last bottle, and are already sleeping. Yay!  A lot has happened since my last post so I will try to remember most of the details.

We had a great Thanksgiving holiday and a great visit with Kevin's family. It was a full house but definately great to see everyone. We got to meet our niece Sydney for the first time and we were thankful for that as well. And before you get the wrong idea....No, I did not cook Thanksgiving dinner for everyone. Thanks to my mom for having us all over! And I was pretty spoiled in that everyone helped out on meals here too so I got to enjoy my vacation from work as well. Definately a lot to be thankful for!

The Sunday after Thanksgiving was the girls Baptism Day. Everything went pretty well and we had a nice service and lunch afterwards. Thank you to everyone who came and helped us celebrate and welcome the girls into the covenant of God's grace.

Since that time there hasn't been anything too major going on--which I find really nice. We have enjoyed a lot more family time now that volleyball is finished and are feeling like our evenings are a little longer. Not that we arent busy and living without chaotic moments as we definately are. We try to just remind ourselves to take everything for what it is and just enjoy it.

This weekend we were able to finish our Christmas shopping so now I just have some wrapping to do. I was just saying to Kevin that I love having the tree on in the house. It feels so cozy and relaxing....or maybe I am just thinking that since the girls are sleeping since I wouldnt consider most days around here to be relaxing ;)

Other than that, the girls are getting so big and learning lots of new things. They roll and roll and roll all over the place. Quinn is really good at getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth and is great at getting where she wants to go. Amelia will get on all fours and do kind of a plank but doesnt move around quite as much as Quinn as far as crawling goes. Both girls love to sit in the jumperoo and can really get that thing moving. They like to sit in their Bumbos but are now thinking its pretty fun to try to turn in them, which doesnt work very well. We are trying to have them eat one solid food a day in the evenings. We do oatmeal or squash and will be adding mroe veggies as the month goes on. Sometimes they do really well eating and sometimes I think more ends up on their bibs than in their mouths.
Did I already tell you that they are sleeping in seperate cribs now? We just started that a couple weeks ago and so far that is going well. I think they missed eachother the first couple nights but after that they realized they had the whole thing to themselves. Because of that and the fact that they can roll, we have started to unswaddle them. We leave their arms out but keep the rest of their bodies in their SwaddleMe sacks.They start out on their backs but within not too long they have turned over onto their tummies--and they sleep so hard this way. Amelia especially loves it and will sleep with her butt in the air. Quinn will stay on her back longer and put her arms way above her head. Its pretty cute.
They are both also still really smiley and are getting giggley--which I love to hear. They also are starting to realize they like to look at eachother. They will smile and touch eachothers heads and hands. Sometimes Quinn pulls Amelia's hair and then Amelia screams. Sometimes Amelia kicks Quinn in the stomach and then Quinn screams. Pretty funny.

I am sure what most of you are wanting to see are the pictures so here ya go. Check out these bright eyes.

 

Five month pics did not go too well so here are the best :)

 

 

 Playing together in our Christmas Jammers

 

 

 

Quinn sitting with Bep and Sydney (looks a bit like Amelia dont you think?)

 

 Reading a book with Grandpa

 

Messy and Delicious Oatmeal

 

Before baptism meal...quickly trying to give them a few ounces to tide them over.

 

After the service:

 

In the Fireside room for lunch afterwards

 

That's it for now. Time for bed. Have a great week everyone!!

 

Multiple Blessings

Sunday, November 11:
I know I had a previous post titled "Life with Twins" but at that time I had no idea what "life with twins" really was. I wouldn't say it's hard necessarily...because for the most part the girls really are really good babies.What I have found is that our organization skills have improved and we are constantly planning ahead for all of the scenarios that might happen. But life with twins does bring about some challenges. I try to see these challenges as blessings because they are when you think about it, but in the moment it doesn't always seem easy.

One thing in particular that I am thinking about is favoritism.I don't ever want the girls to think I favor one over the other. This week the girls both had colds and got their 4 month shots on top of it. I even took Amelia to Urgent Care on Tuesday. Both have had fevers of 101 to 102 and have been very cuddly. In general Quinn is a little more layed back while Amelia makes sure you know she's upset. When I go to pick up Amelia, I feel so badly for Quinn who stares at me picking up her sister instead of her. I can just see it in her eyes that she's thinking she would have loved to have been picked up too. And this happens the other way around too. As I am typing this, I am holding Quinn while Amelia is sitting in the bouncy seat just staring at me wondering why it's not her instead.
I know I'm over thinking this but I am sure you can see my point too, right?

Another challenge is all of the stuff two girls can own. I realize this is the case with one child as well. However, as I look around our living room I see the following: 2 bouncy seats, 2 bumbos, 2 boppys, 2 Sophie the giraffes, 2 giraffe blankets, a playmat thing, 4 pacifiers...and the list goes on. The problem isn't so much the stuff but the feeling that your home is messy. Even if it's clean it feels cluttered. And we have found its really not worth it to put all this stuff away after each use because we just end up getting it right back out. The other aspect about having so much stuff is that it's hard to feel organized, which as I mentioned earlier is crucial to our sanity. I know that this too is something I have to get over as I am often reminded by my husband that a house is made to be lived in. Lets just say I think it's time to finish the basement. And again, we are blessed to even be able to own all of this stuff.

Friday, November 16: So I stopped writing after the last paragraph to take a nap and didnt get to start up again. Sunday night the girls, Quinn in particular, were really not feeling well. Since Kevin had Monday off for Veteran's Day, we decided we should take the girls in to the clinic. Between going to Urgent Care the previous week, going in for the 4 month shots last week Fiday, and now again for this, we are becoming quite the regulars. Anyway, the doctor did not like the way Quinn's lungs sounded, ran some tests, and determined that she had RSV and needed to be admitted to the hospital to be monitored. So I left work, we dropped Amelia off at Auntie Heather's, and headed to the hospital. Poor Baby!! She was dehydrated and the nurses could not get the iv in her hand or foot so they had to put it in her head. Definately not fun to see your little girl like that. She just was not herself. They ran a bunch of fluids through her and watched her oxygen levels all night and we did get to go home the next day. But it sure made for an interesting week. Especially since Kevin left for state volleyball on Wednesday morning. I stayed home with the girls Tuesday and Wednesday but went back to work on Thursday. My parents are amazing and came up each night to help with the girls. Just another one of the challenges turned blessings. I am so glad that it wasn't more serious and that it was only for one night. Definatley a lot to be thankful for and I think they are both getting better slowly but surely.

We are also looking forward to the upcoming week as Kevin's parents and sister and brother-in-law are coming to visit over Thanksgiving. Next Sunday, the 25th, the girls will also be baptized so we are glad that family will be around to attend that as well.

I also wanted to mention a couple of fun things that you may want to know about the girls. They both smile ALL THE TIME! They can be quite the comedians and love to be talked to. Amelia gets excited and her eyes sparkle and her tongue and lips kind of bounce when she gets excited. Quinn's eyes get so big and her dimples really show through. Amelia would love to be held all day if she could while Quinn would probably rather be playing on the ground. Both girls have had some oatmeal before bed and while its messy they actually eat it pretty well. I am hoping it helps them sleep better as they are starting to wake up hungry about 3 or 4 in the morning. Both girls can roll over. Sometimes they just keep rolling and if I leave the room for a bit and come back, I will find them across the room. Uh oh--gonna be time to baby proof soon.

Since I mentioned Kevin being at state volleyball I thought I should point out a couple of things regarding that. His team made it to the state championship so they will be playing Saturday night against a rival Sioux Falls school. Should be a great match! Good luck Riders!!
Second, last year during  state volleyball was when I found out I was pregnant. So these little peanuts have been with us for a year now! So crazy to think about!

Lastly, I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for our two beautiful girls and their wonderful daddy. I am thankful for our family and our friends, our home, our jobs, and that the Lord's blessings are new every morning.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

-Lamentations 3:22-24

 

Thanks for sticking through my very random post. Not sure I totally got across what I was wanting to say but I think you can get the point. 

Here are some of the latest pictures of the girlies:

Smiling at their daddy!

Amelia not so sure daddy is funny anymore but Quinn thinks so!

4 month pictures. Quinn gets so distracted by the camera that a lot of her pictures end up with this deer in the headlight look :)



Amelia showing off some 4 month sassiness/

Since both girls are rolling constantly, this scene is not uncommon. Someone is usually kicking the other....that or eating someones elbow, foot, or forehead.

Happy babes!

 

Aaah Life...

Hello family and friends,

As requested by Amber I'm going to be posting this time around. Some of you may be checking out now but for those of you sticking around hope you enjoy what you read.

Its crazy to think its almost 4 months.  I know people say that a lot but truly its hard to think of what has happened since the girls arrived.  Our lives are truly different and even though we are tired at times we wouldn't change a thing.

I'm not sure if you all know this but Canadian Thanksgiving happened in October and since this house hold now has two more Canadians in it we did celebrate.  We were lucky enough to have my Aunt Karen and Uncle Sid from Blackfalds, Alberta around for supper.  They have children in Wisconsin and Michigan and were visiting them for a couple weeks.  On their way back to God's Country it worked out we could have Thanksgiving together.  I don't get to see my Uncle and Aunts often so that was truly a enjoyable time to see them and find out what's been going on in their lives as well as my cousins.

Along with that fun event its finally time to say good bye to volleyball for another season.  My sophomore team finished a week ago with a sweet record of 15-2.  I'm not sure you can call it a sophomore team since 2 of my players were sophomores (Grade 10 for Canadians) and the other were freshman (Grade 9).  My time will now be focused on our Sr. team (Varsity for Americans).  Their season is going well and if our emotional, teenage, social media addicted team can play to their potential we should do well at our final State tournament (Provincials).  Who knew I'd have to explain so much with sports between two countries.  All in all Amber is pumped to have me home more to help with the girls and to actually spend some time together and I must say so am I.

Since life has slowed down somewhat we went to a fun auction in Rock Rapids this past weekend and as Amber sang in the house today "One man's trash is another man's treasure." WOW is all I have to say. We looked at some of what was going for sale and I had my eye on a few things. Example:  Old school lawn darts, the ones with the metal ends. The ones that are pretty much unsafe but when you see them you kind of want to play so I thought, "I'll bid up to about $10 for them" well they went for $40. Then there was these cool old oil signs that would look cool in the garage. I thought "maybe $30 for them." Well one went for $250 and the other one for a hundred. I felt like American Pickers was letting me down because when you watch the show you expect to get deals and all I was getting was outbid. Then there were some other things but as explained we got out bid!!!

So that's kind of what's been going on with our lives and now I'll talk about the girls because that's why 99% of you are reading this for. The girls are growing fast, I mean crazy fast. Quinn has now figured out how to roll from her back to her stomach while Amelia is doing it every once in a while. We have hauled out our Bumbo's now and their getting better at sitting in them but they still have a bobble head kind of movement to them. Also, question to everyone out there, when was it decided to name every baby thing with a letter B. Bumbo, Boppy, Bouncer I know it maybe only three things but it gets confusing when you have 2 of everything in your living room and your talking about them. It becomes a tongue twister. The girls are sleeping well but have started to move around more in the crib. Amelia will sleep great and through the night but her sister on the other hand is quite a girl. No matter where we lay them Quinn will snuggle up to Amelia. We have watched them on the monitor move to snuggle up to each other. Its cute but getting to be a struggle since they break out of their swaddle and wake each other up. The day of using two cribs is coming soon but we are trying to hold back as much as we can. I guess that would be accepting their growing up.
Another thing we have learned is what in the world did we used to do without kids? We find our selves at night rushing around to get everything completed all while focused on the feeding schedule and making life work around that. We now sit and look at each other and ask "what did we used to do with our nights before these girls?" We have started a schedule where we take turns at night getting up with the girls. I'll tell you what, you really pay attention to that last feeding to make sure they get as many ounces down to make sure they sleep that extra hour especially if its your night!!!!

All in all we are blessed and doing well. Of course there are sleepless nights and periods of chaos in the house but overall we can't complain. There is another P.E. teacher in my school district who has twin boys who are 18 months and he told me the first year is a blur which I kind of chuckled at till my mom said this week as well that this first year will fly by. Well then I guess we have 4 months down, 8 to go! Let the good times roll.

If we don't see you all have a great Remembrance day (for the Canadians) and Veterans day ( for the Americans).

Your truly,

Kevin

P.S. Go Duke!!!!! (season starts soon for those who care)

 

Q & A hanging out together

 

 

 

Quinn was more fascinated by the camera!!

 

 

                                        Amelia loves it as you can tell by her bright eyes!!!

 

Taking a nap together!!

3 months!!!

First of all, I apologize for the large gap between my posts. Life has gotten just a tad busy! :)
Here is a little bit about what we have been up to.

Work
I am back at work full time and it is going as well as I could have hoped. I went back on Thursday, September 27 and then since I just do half days on Fridays, I had a nice short week. Then last week and this week were full weeks but they went fast. I am working on getting caught up  and working on a few new things as well.
Kevin is still busy with school and volleyball. His sophomore team is doing so well. With the help of my parents, the girls and I have made it to most of the games in town. Once his team is finished, he will help out varsity for the remainder of the season. The nice part about that is he won't have to plan his own practices which means a few more evenings will be free.

Here is a picture of the girls at daddy's volleyball game. Q happens to be outcold here while Miss A is wide awake. Usually they are pretty alert at these games as there is so much to look at! And their carseats fit perfectly between the bleachers.

 

Daycare

Daycare is going pretty well so far too. Sharla (the provider) is great with them and the girls are happy when I get there so we are glad about that. Definately a huge point of anxiety this summer that is working well. 

Sleep
For the most part we are all getting a good amount of sleep. We try to have the girls in bed around 9:30 so that we can wash dishes, get lunches ready, get the daycare bag ready, etc. for the next day and then be in bed by 10 ourselves. The girls will usually sleep until around 5 am at which point I get up and start to feed them while Kevin gets ready and eats breakfast. Once Kevin is ready, he finishes feeding the girls and gets them dressed while I shower and get ready. We feel like we have a good little stystem going. If the girls happen to wake up before 5, we take turns getting up. And if we are lucky on the weekends like we were today, the girls will sleep even longer. Today they slept until 6:45 which was perfect for us to make it to the early service at church at 8:30.

Fun
Last week Saturday my mom and I took the girls to get their 3 month pictures taken. They did so well and were awake and happy! So hard to believe they are 3 months old already! Each day we look at eachother and say we cant believe we have TWO babies. Crazy but so much fun. We are definately blessed!!!

These are the outfits they girls wore for their 3 month pictures. Pretty cute eh?!?

 

Little Husker cheerleaders!! Go Big Red!!!

 

Q-Bear's 3 month pose

 

Miss A's 3 month pose

 

 

Things went downhill from there for the group shot.

 

First time in the Bumbo seat:

 

 

 

We went to the pumpkin patch today with Heather, Elliot, and Mason. Besides a little wind, the weather was nice so we thought the girls would enjoy some fresh air.

 

 

Thanks for everyone's prayers and support as we transition back to both of us working and having two children. Our lives our definately different than at this time last year and we are so thankful!

Have a great week everyone!