Sayonara 2009

Good-bye 2009, hello 2010. I admit, I'm a little sad to see 2009 go. It's been a good year for us. We bought a house, had two babies, got a new (to us van) and saw our oldest kids turn 4. What a year! Can 2010 top that? Only time will tell. Here are a few favorite moments from 2009...

More Christmas

Here we are, at the end of all of our Christmas celebrations. This week my brother Eric came into town from Seattle. The boys absolutely love when all the cousins are together and they get to play. And we like to have adult time while that happens! :)

Every year I get all the cousins matching/coordinating pajamas and we take a cousin picture. It's so much fun! The first year the new baby was cousin Sawyer. Last year it was cousin Natalie. This year it was the girls. Who will be new next year? (DON'T LOOK AT US FOR THAT ONE!)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! What a fabulous holiday. A wonderful church service, family time galore, and children that are exhausted AND happy! What more can a girl ask for?! NOTHING!

We have been very busy the last couple of days. Christmas Eve we spend with my family. We had a great dinner and opened gifts. The boys have been playing with their Batmobiles nonstop. Dan and I love our new skillet and are excited to use it tomorrow morning! Following that celebration we had a great service at church. The boys did well (Thomas slept through most of Mass so that kept him quiet!), the girls did well (passed around between family members) and I had lots of time to focus on the reason for the season.

This morning we got up bright and early and opened our family gifts and stockings. Thomas ran out and after being read his letter from Santa, pranced around, "I was a good boy. Oh yeah. I was good!" We opened presents (the boys got a dinosaur castle and a digital camera, I got an IPOD, the girls got toys and Dan got an outdoor BBQ pit). We then jumped into the car and went up to the traditional Domrese breakfast. YUMMY! My favorite part? Cinnabons! Everything went swimmingly and we headed home for a nice rest time. Then we went back into the car for a Christmas gathering with the great grandparents. How fun! Another great time with family.

We are now home. I am blogging and then skipping all the pickup and getting one good nights sleep to catch up from the last few days. Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!

My Hilarious Children

My kids crack me up. After a crazy long day, we were finally eating dinner at IHOP with grandpa Bob and grandma Patti at 8:00 PM. Yes, so late. We NEVER do that! The boys were exhausted, starving, and delirious.

When given a paper menu at a restaurant, we have the boys circle what they want and then place their own order (helping them to gain independence). When asked what they wanted to drink, Joshua gave his typical "root beer" order. Thomas, on the other hand, realized it was IHOP and ordered coffee. :) So cute!!!

Thomas then placed his order. And generously placed an order for grandpa Bob as well. *Grandpa Bob changed his order. Apparently he didn't want a smiley face pancake?*

Joshua, apparently losing coordination when sleepy, fell out of his chair twice. Just sitting there and then toppled out falling into an unoccupied car seat. He definitely kept us laughing!

Katie slept the majority of the time. Molly decided to be a big girl and sat in her highchair and ate pancakes, broccoli, crackers, and cantalope. Anything put in front of her, that girl ate!

My children are hilarious.

*An exciting post and pictures to come tomorrow....

A Stranger to Blogging?

Have I been a stranger? Yes! It's been busy! Apparently having mobile children makes it less likely you get to sit on the computer. :)

Since I last wrote here are the updates:

Thomas and Joshua continue to do great in school. We have started learning sight words at home. The boys are ready to learn sounds and begin reading. So exciting! They are very excited for the snow and have been playing independently outside and inside recently. So great!

Katie can now officially crawl and pull herself to standing. There is no holding that girl back! She is saying 'mama' and loves her some food. But real people food, none of that baby food mush!

Molly is now competent at sitting and can scoot if she desires. She is so laid back, something has to be well worth her while to make the effort to move. She is most content just lying on the floor with her feet and arms in the air. She's going to have some mega-ab muscles if she keeps that up! She likes to say 'dada' more than anything else. :)

Here are a few pictures to tide you over!

Christmas Lists

I just posted the boys' Christmas lists on the blog. Hopefully this helps family and friends who are searching or wondering the boys' deepest desires. :) This list is, of course, narrowed down from the hundreds of items the boys cut out from newspaper ads. This might be the most fun Christmas yet!

Joshua

Just wanted to note some of the things Joshua (and the other kiddos) say...

Last night in the car with Dan, Joshua explained that he knows he has been angry lately. He said that it is because he 'wasn't ready to come out of mommy's tummy, but he got pulled out anyway.'

This is very true. Joshua was not ready to be born. Thomas was. Thomas pushed the issue. Joshua was breech and hung on to my ribs for dear life. They had a very VERY difficult time pulling him out by his feet and we've always said that the poor kid was not ready yet. Apparently we were right.

Joshua has always been my sensitive child. Remember this? http://domrese.blogspot.com/2008/12/joshuas-insight.html

Happy Thanksgiving

Yummy yummy turkey. Yummy yummy pies. Life just can't get any better than spending the day with the ones you love and enjoying good food all at the same time.

The boys were so excited for Thanksgiving that Joshua called Uncle Adam and asked if Adam would come pick them up early (he did). The boys absolutely love playing with their cousins and we love adult conversation. :)

Molly and Katie had a quick outfit change so I could take their first Thanksgiving pictures as well as their 7-month pictures. Can you blieve they are 7-months already?!!! Here's what they are up to:

Katie is scooting and army crawling. She gets on her hands and knees but doesn't go much further. She can now sit up and if she happens to fall over she compensates enough I don't have to worry anymore. She jabbers a lot and loves to talk. Still a mama's girl, but I don't mind! :)

Molly is the most content baby ever...unless unhappy. That girl goes from zero to temper in no time flat. She is happy to lay on the floor. Happy to watch football. But don't wash her face off or wipe her nose. If she's tired, she lets you know. She is so easy, we just walk in, cover her with a blanket and she rolls over and goes to sleep. Love it! She is a total daddy's girl and is so happy daddy is finally home.

Welcome Home Daddy!

I've been rather quiet on the blog front for a while. I didn't feel the need to broadcast that Dan has been gone for 8 weeks. 8 long weeks of military training in Biloxi. We are happy to say that daddy is home now and we couldn't be happier.

It's the longest that Dan and I have been apart since the day we met over 10 years ago.

We made signs for daddy and did crafts this morning to help time pass by. We got to the airport with perfect timing and managed to get situated and wait only minutes before Dan walked through the gate. The boys were so happy it brought tears to my eyes.

I think the person happiest to see Dan was Molly. We kind of knew this to be the case. As soon as she got into his arms she got a huge goofy grin and repeatedly stroked his cheek and face and pulled him close. I could've watched it forever.

Katie is even surprisingly very happy to see him. She woke up an hour ago and snuggled in the living room with me. She kept looking at him and looking at me and smiling, like she knows that things are now right again.

I cannot put into words how it feels to have him home. I had apparently adjusted to being incomplete. My soul is full now. My world is perfect. The boys are in hog heaven. The girls are on cloud nine. And I am with my best friend, my husband and I am happy.

My Choice

It's my choice what to remember, right?

From this day I have many things I choose to remember. I choose to remember the loves from Katie. She loves to grab (see PINCH) my cheeks, pull me close, and open mouth suck my cheek. Her form of a kiss. Totally adorable, and totally something I want to remember.

I choose to remember Molly's giggles as Thomas tickled her and played with her when he and she were both suppose to be sleeping.

I choose to remember watching the Veteran's Day special with music with the boys and discussing the different branches of the military and daddy's part in it. I choose to remember the story that followed where Thomas was on a boat and some mean guys came. But those sailors saved him. He knew I wanted to see him another day, so he didn't die. I choose to remember his little voice and the way he told the story.

I choose to remember Joshua's jokes of the day. "Knock knock. Who's there? Molly the interrupting cow...Molly the inter....MOO!"

I choose to remember those moments. Etch them slowly into my brain.

I do not choose to remember some of the other moments. Such as Thomas peeing out the back door on to the steps and thus creating a huge wet pee mess on the back patio (thankfully it's cement and will get washed away with rain). I choose not to remember the crying fit that Joshua had because he couldn't use the dump truck and he wanted to use the dump truck and yes Thomas had it first but he WANTED to use it so why can't he use it right now he wants it so bad right now. I choose not to remember that. I choose not to remember the mess in the playroom that took us an hour to clean up (or took me). I choose not to remember that Thomas and Joshua enjoyed a can of shaving cream, a roll of toilet paper and a running sink all at the same time upstairs while I dealt with the girls downstairs. I choose NOT to remember those moments.

So go away crazy moments of raising four kids. Stay you moments of sweetness, happiness, and just plain well-being. It is MY choice, right? :)

A Reminder To Myself

I just wanted to remind myself: You have it easy!

Today I caved and finally got my tires changed and an alignment done. This meant entertaining all four kids for an hour and a half while the car was worked on (during the boys' and girls' nap/rest time). Katie was a champ and slept the whole time (thanks Katie). The rest of us did well. I took the kids on foot to a somewhat nearby Dollar Store and allowed them a few dollars of free will. The boys were in hog heaven and picked out a sword, an activity book, and some dice. We then took another short walk to Safeway and picked out a doughnut and drink and sat for 45 minutes at a table snacking and doing the activity books. Man, so thankful for good behavior! We then went back to Les Schwab, got some popcorn and picked up the van. Today was hard. Doing it was difficult, but we managed.

And then I need to remind myself. Doing this next year will be way more difficult. Katie slept. Molly was content chewing on things. The boys were entertained by dollar items. Next year the girls will be walking and not as content in the stroller. Looking back, this time will seem like a cinch!

Halloween Traditions

Today was a day of Halloween traditions. The good thing is that sometimes we have to shove it all in one day, but because Halloween is on Saturday, we got to spread it out this year!

Every year we visit grandma Patti's office at the Health District. I don't generally get a picture, but this time I did! It was a visit filled with tantrums and humiliating crying sessions, but we left on a good note.

We then go to Ba's office (Aunt Kim). We meet up with Cousin Kierra (who is a caterpillar this year). How tough is it to get a picture of 5 kids age 4 and under? Impossible!

After lunch and a napping session, we hit the road again. What happens next is my favorite Halloween tradition. We first stopped by greatma's. She lives in a retirement/apartment facility. We've gone every year since the boys were born. It's so fun to hear the oooohs and aaahhhs when we walk in and the boys say trick-or-treat. The people we so excited to see them and sad they didn't have candy that they boys were being given money! :) Here is a progression of photos from our years with greatma.

Next we grabbed dinner and went to great grandma Alice and great grandpa Lyle's house. We've also done this every year since the boys were born. We don't generally do the dinner part but because of timing and the babes needing out it was a perfect fit! Thanks great grandparents! Here is another progression of photos from those visits (except the first year when grandpa forgot he didn't have a memory card in...oops!).

All in all, a VERY busy day with VERY tired children. Some parts were hilarious, some awful, and some just downright devastating. But, memories were made and issues conquered. We'll live to do it again!

Just Because We Did It, Didn't Make It Fun

I usually look forward to picture day. Seeing those smiling faces and those great photos that are captured by someone other than me. That is, until I had four kids to get pictures of. We don't do anything fancy, just the general Sears photo studio. We've been going there since the boys were first born and have always had the same photographer. This time, she was training five new people so our experience was just not the same. Didn't help that Katie hates anyone but me, the girls were tired, and the boys were rowdy. Sounds like fun, right?! It wasn't horrible...believe me, I've had sessions with the boys where I just walked out and rescheduled for another day without getting any photos. These are not my favorite photos, but they'll do. They show the personalities of the kids at this stage in their lives. I'm sending them in the mail to Dan, so I can post them here, but not my Facebook as I want him to be surprised by his mail delivery. :) Here's the best we could get (sorry if grainy, I stole from the website just to show you!).

My Little Pumpkins

Tonight was pumpkin night at our house. We do this every year. We carve the pumpkins, dig out goo, all the traditional stuff. For a fun twist, we put the girls INSIDE their pumpkins. It turned out soooooo cute!

1/2 Year Birthday!

The girls are now 6 months old! Crazy how fast time flies. Here's the new developments:

Katie- Katie can scoot and nearly army crawl across the floor. She gets very frustrated that she can't move faster. When we are outside, now, she will fuss until put on the ground. Katie enjoyed her first real food, pancakes, yesterday. She was very proud of herself that she got to eat what the boys were eating. This girl is nonstop action.

Molly- Molly is my one and only mellow child. She is so easy. When happy, she talks and giggles and is very easy going. However, she quickly goes to angry and there is no consoling her; it's bedtime. Put her in a crib, give her a binky, and that girl is out. She is a daddy's girl through and through (even though daddy is gone right now).

Here's the stats:

Katie-
Weight- 16#13 (60%)---Katie weighed 17#4 last week, swine flu really hurt her weight!
Height- 27 1/4 (95%)
Head circumference- 16 3/4 (50%)

Molly-
Weight- 15#6 (50%)
Height- 28 1/2 (Above the 95%)
Head Circumference- 17 1/4 (80%)

*Pictures to come!

Happy 4th Birthday T&J

Happy 4th Birthday boys! It is definitely the birthday that never ends. :) On Monday (their actual birthday) we went to Red Robin for dinner. Despite the fact that the boys had not had a rest time and it was a later dinner, they did extremely well. The boys (especially Thomas) was totally thrilled that they sang happy birthday. It was so neat to watch.

On Wednesday, the boys had their birthday party with all their friends. It was suppose to be at our house, but since we're just ending all this sickness and lacking in cleaning energy, the party was moved to Chuck E Cheese. This made the boys extremely happy. The party in itself was the easiest party ever. No clean up, lots of hands to hold babies so I could focus on boys. The boys proclaimed it to be one of the best days ever!

October 19, 2005

October 19th, 2005---

We'd been in the hospital for 3 days. I was tired of the drugs that were doing nothing to stop my labor. I was miserable and HUGE!

My doctor came on rounds and decided today was the day. At 8 AM he broke my water and by noon we were ready to go. A fast trip to the OR (as is protocol with twins), a couple hours of pushing, and alas...

Thomas Bruce Domrese, 2:07 PM, 5#11. My beautiful baby boy. The oldest.

Joshua Stephen Domrese, 2:08 PM, 6#3. The stubborn breech baby that caused all the worry at birth.

Boys at 3 weeks.

Boys at 1 year.

Boys at 2 years.

Boys at 3 years.

Today is it. The boys are four years old. Joshua walked around yesterday saying, "It's my last day to be three." Totally cute.

Thomas- My crazy, energetic little boy. Always ready to toss a ball or play a game. Constantly moving. Either completely sweet and lovable or totally mischievious. The schemer. A leader. The little boy who can melt my heart with those big eyes

Joshua- The charming second born who NEVER STOPS TALKING. Always performing. Loves attention. Independent and adorable. My youngest boy that snuggles and gives me loves every day.

Just When You Think It's All Over...

Just when you think it's all over, something else pops up. Is this life with four kids? Katie woke up this morning very very congested. Because I've seen it before, I immediately called the doctor and made an appointment. What followed was a morning full of worry and an afternoon appointment which confirmed what I thought. Katie is wheezing. And something I didn't know. Molly is worse. Both girls have now started nebulizer treatments. The doctor said it's just another side-effect from the Swine Flu that we are experiencing. Luckily the boys have been cleared to go to school tomorrow so they'll get some much needed interaction with other people.

PHEW!

The week of misery has ended. We are 48 hours fever free. PHEW! The road to recovery appears long, but we just keep trudging along hoping everyday is better. We now deal with the residual cough and pray that this portion goes quickly and easily and does not turn into a secondary infection (such as pneumonia). Katie and Molly are really the only ones I'm worried about, although we all have the cough.

It's been a crazy week of being shut indoors. Finally the weather started to perk up and we got outside for a while every day. And today we got to go to a friends house for a cookie making playdate. Really I took the girls and put them to sleep while she made cookies with the 5 other kids. Thanks Beth! I was a much better mama after some adult conversation. After a little rest time, Ba (Aunt Kim) came over for dinner and conversation. This time the conversation was not adult but the boys talking and performing for Kim. They've obviously felt the affects of not seeing anyone for a week! Thanks Ba!

Molly Misses Daddy

It became very clear a few nights ago how much Molly misses daddy. I was wearing one of his shirts to bed (as I do when he's gone so that I can smell him when I'm sleeping and therefore sleep easier) and she woke up to nurse. She suckled for merely moments before taking a handful of my (Dan's) shirt, rubbing her face in it,looking at me with complete adoration and then falling asleep clutching the shirt. So sweet! Then and there I decided that every night I would pull out one of Dan's shirts and give it to her to snuggle with. Works like a charm! Last night she woke up once at 2 AM and slept from 9:30 PM- 9:30 AM. Too bad Joshua woke up at 2 AM for the day! ARG!