Firsts

Last night I took the girls with me to a baby shower for our friend Jamie. It was a "spa shower" so we soaked our feet in warm water and then did our nails. Instead of doing my nails, I decided to do the girls'! It was quite fun! They are so incredibly tiny and now purple and cute! I don't have a picture, but my friend Kari took one, so hopefully she'll e-mail it to me and I can add it here. Instead, here's a picture of me and the girls and my friend Eve. We knew each other and worked together in college and have now gotten back together through our mom's group. Our girls are just 2 weeks apart!

Today the girls tried avocado! It's been about 2 weeks of eating every hour on the hour. I've been trying to hold off and let them get bigger, but it's seriously taking my whole day just nursing them. I tried rice cereal, but it seemed to upset their tummies even further than they already are. The avocado, however, went quite well. Molly, as you can see in the pictures, started off loving it, but with each bite made faces like I was trying to poison her. She continued to eat, but made the face every time. Joshua and I found it hilarious. Katilyn was so frustrated I wouldn't nurse her that I had to hold her to feed her. She screamed until the first bite and then realized it was food and screamed in between bites because I wasn't feeding her fast enough. Hopefully after a few days of this, it will help spread out feedings again. I can't complain though since they are sleeping at least 5 hours straight a night.

After all these years...

After all these years, I've decided it's time. I'm known by all as a picky eater. This, my friends, is an understatement. I eat noodles and bread. That's pretty much it. Well, that's going to change. I realized that as I'm nursing, and the girls are unhappy, that maybe it's my diet. I wouldn't let the girls eat as I eat, so I have to change...although it's a slow process for me. Here's the ultimate confession...

Most foods, I just haven't tried. It's not that I don't like it, it's that I don't like the smell, the idea, or just am too afraid to try it. I'm not a brave eater.

So, on the left side, I'll be adding foods that I've tried for the first time. I'll only add things to the list that I don't remember having ever tried. I'm trying to keep my new foods only to the healthy ones. After all, is there really any point to me trying cheesecake now? It will not help my diet, so why add it? :)

This week I tried cantalope. YUCK! I barely got it swallowed. EW! I'll be eating watermelon tomorrow (although I think I've had that sometime in the last 20 years...maybe?). I'll also be trying broccoli. Wish me luck! :)

My First Pony

Katie got her first ponytail today. It's not perfect, but darn cute!

The girls are now capable of holding things in their hands. It was a huge moment for Dan with the boys, so we photographed this moment as well. Here's a comparison. CUTE!

Here's a few more cute photos from the last couple days.

My Superhero is Batman

At our house we have superheroes. The choice superhero is currently Batman. This is mainly because I found Batman pajamas that have capes and the boys are in love. So in love that Thomas wore his to bed last night and then wore them all day today as well (as in even to a playdate). I also found Spiderman boots at Other Mother's, so the combination is pretty hilarious for the summertime. What superhero is at your house?

Saturday At Home

It doesn't happen very often. Our summers are so full, and we love it that way, but we don't get a lot done at home. This weekend we decided to stay home and catch up on household chores. Even with two adults, we don't usually get too much done, but at least one person at a time can do something. Dan has nearly finished my Mother's Day present (a raised garden bed). We also sprayed for bees and bugs since they are trying to build nests around the house. UGH! I cleaned the kitchen counters and made brownies. Not much on my end, but in my defense, I had the kids most of the day.

The girls were super cute today. They have informed me that despite the fact that I am not a fan of thumb-sucking, they fully intend to be thumb-suckers. We'll see who wins. :) They fell asleep on the floor multiple times, prompting me to take lots of pictures.

This week we started doing "school time." I bought some preschool workbooks and during the girls' afternoon naps I spend an hour or so doing schoolwork with them. This has provided them with me focusing on them alone, and they are loving it.

Dan also fixed their bikes. They were so happy.

Thankful For Great Friends

Our lawn is a wreck. It will be until we can grow grass this fall and then really fertilize and grow it in the spring. It's basically a dirt/weed filled backyard at this point. This makes playing outside no fun at all. It's extremely difficult and not what I envisioned for my summer at all. :(

Luckily, we have some great friends who let us come over to play two days in a row this week. They have an AMAZING back yard and an above ground pool that the boys adore. Suzy also is extremely gracious and holds a baby (or two) the entire time I'm there along with orchestrating activities and managing her own three children. The pool is perfect for the boys, where they can just touch but feel like they are really swimming. Their little swim shirts that are floaty make it super easy to let them swim away and not worry too much. They also did water balloons which the boys thought was very exciting. Yesterday Joshua had his first set back when he went to pick a raspberry (yes they have a garden that is to die for) and got stung by a bee. Nothing a Sonic Apple Juice Slush couldn't fix though! :)

Thanks again Suzy for having us over two days in a row!

And here are a few pictures of the girls to tide you over!

Happy Belated 8th Anniversary!

Dan and I were married on July 21, 2001. 4 kids, over 200 injections, 3 apartments, and 1 house later and here we are. From our first date in 1998 to the movie Titanic (hehehehehehe) to our date to Luigi's this week, the feelings remain the same and we are so happily married. Happy anniversary dear husband, I can't wait to see what comes in the next 8 years and those that come after that!

Katie's New Friend

Katie has a new friend...ok so I had a little extra time on my hands this weekend. :)

Happy Wedding Day!

Dan's cousin, Corey, got married this weekend just outside of Leavenworth. Dan's always viewed Corey as more of a brother than a cousin, and was a groomsman in the wedding. He left on Thursday to do boy stuff and left on Friday with the kids. I tried to plan every detail possible so the 4 hour car ride was manageable.

The trip over was easier than I had expected. We left early and stopped in Moses Lake around lunch time to stretch legs and do a baby feeding. We met up with a college friend, Heidi, and all the kids played and had a fantastic time. Can you believe we have 7 kids between the 2 of us?!

The only hairy part of the drive was Katie's hour long crying jag from Wenatchee on. Once we arrived to the wedding destination, we picked up Dan and ran to our cabin to shower, change, and stretch. This cabin was fantastic! We could've shared it with Dan's parents and sister and had plenty of room. We found it at: bluegrouse.com in case you are wondering! :) The boys had a blast at the rehearsal dinner and spent most of their time playing pool. I got some baby free time and even socialized with other adults a bit!!!

The wedding wasn't until 5:00 Saturday, so we spent the morning as a family. I took the boys down to the beach in front of our cabin. The water was chilly, but we had fun throwing rocks. The boys then enjoyed hot tubbing with Dan, and I put the girls in their swimsuits for a full 5 minutes and a hot tub shot! :) Dan went to a tea and did pictures while I stayed behind. The girls and boys decided to then vcry for the next 3 hours...ugh. I finally dressed them in their nice clothes and drove for an hour and then did my makeup and hair in the car while they all slept. The great things we do as moms. The wedding itself was beautiful. The boys got to play with cousins (Dan's cousins kids really, but we just say cousins to keep it easy). The girls did fantastic and we got some great shots!

This morning, we got up early and went to brunch with the wedding party and then headed back home. After a brief nursing stop at a gas station in Wenatchee (I'm sure everyone else filling up with gas wasn't too impressed), and a longer stop in Moses Lake, we made it home in only 5 hours! :) Everyone is exhausted and happy to be home. The girls have had a bath and are currently crashed (Molly on my chest and Katie in the swing). The boys are picking raspberries at grandmas and will be home shortly and be off to bed.

All in all, a fun weekend with some great pictures. In two weeks, we're off to Nate's wedding (my gradeschool chum) in Yakima sans Dan. Good thing I've got this under my wing as a trial run!

Naughty, Naughty, Naughty

We're in a naughty streak at our house. It's a bit painful to say the least. Yesterday both boys had a rough day. Thomas was quiet for a while, which I appreciated, however I soon found out it was because he was doing a stamping project. A project where he stepped on the ink pad, and then inked his hands as well. That way when he put handprints all over the kitchen walls, he also left footprints. I sent him to his room after putting socks on him and wiping down his hands. While in his room he took a book and tore out the pages. ARG!

Today was just more of the same. The boys constantly intentionally woke up their sisters. Meaning no girl in the house was happy. I had pulled out a bunch of dresses for the girls for the wedding this weekend. The boys decided to take them off the hangers, and then throw them around the room. I've been searching and matching up outfits and bloomers all evening. At rest time I put baskets of books in their beds so they can read quietly. Apparently they found a coloring book and decided it needed color. Joshua snuck a couple markers into the bedroom where they not only colored the pages, but also the floor, themselves, their beds, etc. My parents are reading this and rolling on the floor laughing. Ugh. :) I took them outside and handed them a rag, and then hosed them off. This did not thrill them, but it saved me the time of wiping them down for hours trying to get marker off them so they didn't leave footprints and marks throughout the house. I then explained they could not leave their room until the books were picked up. This resulted in tons of tears and crying. Both boys fell asleep in their room crying. Of course, they had to tear up a few more books first. Luckily they both got a good nap in, so we could all be happy.

On another note, the girls turned 12 weeks this week. Took a few pictures. Molly is definitely a daddy's girl. She smiles for him, looks for him, you can see the adoration in her eyes. She is still having bowel issues and crying a ton, but we are finding more what works for her, so life is slowly improving. Kaitlyn is a mommy's girl. She likes to be held by other people, but will quickly need to come back to me. Luckily, I can soothe her pretty easily. She is loving her exersaucer and figured out just today how to turn one particular part on it. She was shaking it took so much effort and concentration! CUTE! She is extremely close to rolling over and has done it a few times already. Both girls are becoming thumb suckers and are getting better at finding their hands. They are both holding their head up well.

All American Memories

Tonight was the girls' first baseball game. We joined our friends Beth and Don, with their kids Claire, Kyle, and Jake and watched an Indians game. I spent all day in preparation with clothing changes, fans (it was 86 degrees today), etc. The planning paid off and luckily the seating around us was very open and in the shade so everything went very very smoothly. Dan and I decided we want to go again! You game Beth and Don?!

The Summer is Flying By!!!

Wow! Mid-July already?! Where is this summer going? My last summer with little babies and I can't seem to soak in every moment. They just pass me by!

What a great week we've had!

We FINALLY made it back to breakfast on Monday with my dad. The boys have SO missed this special time of meeting dad and grandma every Monday, but we haven't been able to get out of the house by 8:00 since the girls were born. We're finally getting back on track! :)

We spent a day at Riverfront Park. Those passes are one of our best investments. The kids can run and play and get all that energy run out while I get some time in the sun and get to watch the boys happy. This was the first time they've ever done bumper cars. They don't quite meet the height requirement, but I convinced the kid to let them ride. It was so funny I had tears streaming down my face...the kid didn't find it as amusing. Thomas continually ran into the walls, but eventually got the hang of it. Joshua, I had neglected to explain the purpose of bumper cars to. He spent the entire time screaming and crying, "Don't hit me. Stop hitting my car." It was hilarious.

Friday I had some help in the form of Maliya. Maliya is our best friends from college's little girl. She was the flower girl in our wedding 8 years ago and is now old enough to be my helper! She needed somewhere to go for the day, and I gladly accepted. Of course, it's an ethical fine line between child labor and her getting to hold babies and play with boys, but she had fun so that's all that counts, right?!

This weekend was absolutely fantastic (aside from the fact that Dan had Guard and we missed him all weekend). My brother from Seattle was in town, so we spent the weekend at the lake with the family. The boys had an absolute blast. When searching for life jackets for them I came up empty handed (poor timing, I know), but I DID find these tops that snap to their swim trunks that have floaties in them. It was enough for the boys! They would swim out to the dock with uncle Adam and take turns jumping off. Mind you the water is about 200 feet deep right there, so floaties are essential, especially for jumping boys. In the end, they'd say, "Don't help me, I can do it myself." They would jump off the dock, swim to the ladder, climb up and do it again. It was so much fun to watch! They also enjoyed slip and sliding with the cousins. That was fun to watch too. Most people go for speed and distance when doing this. The boys go for speed and height. It's painful to watch. Joshua went for a tube right. Luckily I did not catch the boat going out, so I missed this adventure. I love that the boys tube, but it makes my heart beat just a little bit faster in fear they will fall. Which Joshua did. That's right, he took his first tube spill at the ripe age of 3. Apparently he handled it well and they went back and picked him up and he was perfectly fine. I would've jumped out of the boat and totally overreacted, so I'm glad I wasn't there.

We are home now and have a busy week ahead of us before we take off next weekend for Corey and Priscilla's wedding/family vacation.