A Day in the Life of a Vanderwal

I wanted to take a post to document what our days have been like lately because frankly some days are absolute chaos. Don't get me wrong--I completely love it but they are busy. A typical day goes something like this. Alarm clock goes off at 4:41 am....for some reason Kevin has convinced me that you cannot set an alarm for an even number so that's why 4:41 not 4:40. Before I had the girls, Kevin and I were really good about going to the gym before work. Well since then we have canceled our gym membership and I have been slacking. So the last couple of weeks I have been trying to get back into working out. So four out of the five days this week I got up early and did a workout in the basement or went for a jog around the neighborhood. By 5:20 I am in the shower and by 6 am I should be eating breakfast and getting dressed. At 6:15 we wake up the girls, get them dressed and out the door by 6:30. At 6:45 I drop them off at Kristi's and at 7 I am at work and ready for a huge cup of coffee. I then work from 7-4 which includes a one hour lunch which usually involves some kind of errand or grocery shopping. By 4:20 I am back at Kristi's to pick up the girls and we are home by 4:45. The girls get a little snack while I start their supper which they eat about 5:30. After that we play in the basement or go for a walk in the wagon. All the while Kevin has been at school from 7-3:15 and then volleyball practice until 6. He usually gets home just in time to quick eat supper, play with the girls for half an hour, and then give them their bottle before bed around 7:30. Usually we then let out a bunch of big sighs while I clean up the food the girls have thrown on the floor and make sandwiches for the next day while Kevin plans volleyball practice for the next day. Add a little laundry to the list and then bedtime by 10.

This week Miss Amelia got 4 teeth!!! We figured once they started coming in they would come in bunches. She now has two on the bottom and two back molars on top. I felt the top front teeth and they do not seem to be close to coming in.
The girls have been cracking us up so much lately. Tonight I gave the girls a "toddler muffin." They are very healthy muffins made from all kinds of vegetables that my mom made for them. Well the girls LOVE them and after Quinn's was gone, she went up to the fridge door and started knocking on it and doing the sign for please. How can you not give the girl another muffin after that. So funny!
Both girls have been very chatty the last couple weeks as well. Some frequent words are: ma-ma, da-da, uh oh, all done, Amen (they are very good at their prayers ;) ) and hot. I even had Amelia trying to copy words like grandpa, grandma, Amelia, and puppy. Quinn was also trying to say Ho ho ho, he he he, and ha ha ha....we listen to kids praise songs on the way to daycare and their favorite is "Ho-ho-ho-Hosanna". The girls have also gotten so much better about going to Kristi's. The first week was a little rough with major meltdowns when they got dropped off. But since then they willingly go to her when we arrive and there have been very few tears. They are always ready to have me pick them up though! Kinda crazy but next week will be their last week at Kristi's and then they will go back to Sharla's. I know Kristi and her daughters are going to miss them but we have already discussed how she can be our backup so that will be nice to have a familiar face in place for the girls if we need it.

Anyway, we are looking forward to a relaxing and long holiday weekend. We hope to hang out with some friends and family and relax. Hope everyone has a great weekend too!

Here are some pictures from the girls One Year Photo Shoot:

Summer

Yikes! I am falling behind again. I guess we have been a little busy since the beginning of July when the girls turned one so I will try to remember everything that has happened. We went on a weekend camping trip with my parents, had a surprise 30th birthday party for Kevin, and went on an international trip....to Canada! Not to mention lots and lots of walks, wagon rides, and park visits.

Our trip went really well. The girls traveled well and minus a few small meltdowns we arrived in one piece. It was so nice to see Kevin's parents, our siblings, and nieces and nephews....and the 13 bears were an added bonus. :) After just a couple of days the girls adjusted and started napping and sleeping through the night like they do at home. We had lots of relaxing time which included many floats down the river (just us, not the girls), got to see Grandpa and Grandma Vanderwal and some aunts and uncles, ate lots of good food, and a good time was had by all.

The first week back after vacation is always hard, but I feel like this week was a doozy. The girls and I both were a bit under the weather when we returned and I ended up having to miss work on Monday, something I would have preferred not to do coming off of vacation. I'm not sure if I wrote about this before but the girls also had to start a new daycare on Monday. Our regular provider, Sharla, had a baby on July 7 (the girls birthday - how cool is that!) so she is out for several weeks. We needed to find someone that was willing to watch the girls for about a month. Kevin and I have determined that searching for daycare is one of our least favorite activities. We found a very nice woman...the only problem is that she lives way on the eastside of town...we work on the west side. Just means lots of extra time on the road. The girls have done well there, once we leave that is. However, for the first five minutes or so they SCREAM. By the time evening rolls around, they have been pretty tired and feisty. Anyway, we are ready for Sharla to come back and get into our normal routine. School and volleyball start Monday so here we go!

Other than that the girls have been well. Quinn is getting two more teeth--some molars for a total of 8. Amelia is still toothless. Both girls love to play in our basement, watch their daddy to anything, and eat Cheerios and watermelon. Here are some of the latest pictures.

Amelia sitting with Grandpa while camping

Grandpa and Quinn having their morning Cheerios

When I asked the girls where their belly buttons were, Amelia showed me where Quinn's is. 

On our way to the airport...4:30 am.

Hanging out in the Calgary Airport

Taking a bath in Bep's sink.

The girls sleeping arrangements in our trailer. They loved it!

Swinging!

Quinn going for a bike ride with dad.

Amelia's turn for a bike ride.

Brother Bear

Amelia checking out the cows with Auntie Kristen

Beach time...Quinn was not a fan.

Amelia liked the water once she got used to it. 

Our view for 10 days...and from the river during our floats.

Amelia snuggling with Bep

Quinn and Amelia having some Cheerios with their cousin Sydney.

Quinn got into our lazy Susan and pulled out the spaghetti box. 

Hard to tell who this is from the back eh? Its Quinn. Her new thing is to carry around my lunch bag like a purse wherever she goes. 

Have a good weekend everyone!

Amelia & Quinn Turn One!

On July 7 Amelia and Quinn celebrated their 1st Birthday. They say time flies when you are having fun and I couldn't agree more. What a year! We went from a family of two to a family of four in one day. I found myself being really reflective of what we did every day last year leading up to the day the girls were born. The Fourth of July was a Wednesday last year and we went to a couple from church's house who had triplets the year before to get their best "multiples" advice. The following day (Thursday) would be my last day of work for 12 weeks. That Friday I went in for my appointment/centering group just like I normally would. However before I left I had a little meeting with my doctor and she told me to go home and get my bags and my husband and come back. So exciting! I remember it all so well and said so many times over the last couple weeks "last year at this time we were doing this or that."

This was a picture taken before we left for the hospital...37 weeks and 1 day. Pardon my puffiness.

And these are the girls just a few minutes old (Q on the left, Amelia on the right)

And here are the girls today...playing in a swimming pool in the backyard.

We had a great little party with some family and friends. The girls got to have cake for the first time. They didn't really know what to think of it but I think they liked it! Here are some birthday party pictures.

Thought I would give everyone a quick update on each of the girls. Amelia is a little sweetheart, gives great hugs, and loves to cuddle with her bears or animals. Her latest thing to do when they are all lined up is to stand in front of them with a giddy smile on her face and contemplate which one she wants to choose. She chooses very carefully and then gives that animal a big hug....plays with it for a few minutes and then chooses another. Amelia is such a good eater, there isn't anything we have found yet that she doesn't like, but she still doesn't have any teeth! For being a little more laid back than her sister, she is definitely not timid to try to new things...such as the tunnel they got for their birthday from Grandpa and Grandma VV. She will cruise back and forth in that thing while Quinn is scared to death of it. Amelia likes to be held so we are working on that--its so hard not to always pick her up! She is really taking off with her walking too.

Quinn is a little go getter and loves to play. She wants to play with whatever Amelia is playing with and will usually just take it from her (again, something we are working on :)) She is also starting to take more steps but usually ends up deciding that she is faster with crawling. For as much of a go getter that she is, she really is a sweetie too and quite sensitive. Sometimes if we tell her "no" she will just burst out into tears and pout her lip...and that lip gets us every time...and like I said, she tries to act so brave but yet she won't go in the tunnel. Quinn is also a really good eater, maybe just a little more picky than her sister. She has 5 teeth which makes eating a little easier and her smiles are adorable and she is almost always smiling. She also likes to cuddle with her dolls and animals and will "talk" to us all day long.

Both girls continue to be great sleepers. They still do a morning and afternoon nap for about 2 hours each. They go to bed about 7:30 and will sleep until 6 am on the dot...like clockwork. 

The girls have also become quite the little teasers. They will hold something out to us like they want to give it to us, and then quick pull it back and smile. Or they will pretend to pick something up off the ground and put it in their mouth and when we look to see what it is, there is nothing. And then they smile and do it like 5 more times. 

The girls received a wagon for their birthday from Aunt Lori so we go on wagon rides at least once a day...quite often times more. Thanks Auntie Lori!!

Happy Birthday Amelia and Happy Birthday Quinn! You have blessed us more than you will ever know this past year. XOXO

Also wanted to shout out birthday wishes to my dad (July 10) and Kevin (July 12). Kevin had a special birthday--his 30th! Can't wait to see what this decade holds for us.

Many, Lord my God,

    are the wonders you have done,

    the things you planned for us.

None can compare with you;

    were I to speak and tell of your deeds,

    they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5

11 Months

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to quick update the blog with some new pictures. Kinda dropped the ball again on getting their 11 month pictures up so thought I should do that before they are ONE!!

Miss Quinn-

Miss Amelia

BFF's:

We had a busy weekend in West Point, NE celebrating Aunt Lori and John's wedding. When we got home we thought it would be fun to take the girls to the park that is just a block or two away from our house. The girls absolutely loved the swings. I have a feeling we will be doing this more often.

I hope to get a copy of some of the candid pictures of the wedding soon, so I will post those once I do. 

 Here is a good one of the bride and groom at the reception. So happy for you two! Congratulations again!

And here's a sneak peak at the girls in their fancy dresses...stay tuned for the adorable ones of them riding into the sanctuary in a wagon :)