Birthday Party

Yay! Dan made it home safe and sound from Japan and the final birthday party preparations are complete. Yesterday Maumaw and Paupaw kept an eye on Luke, Olivia, and their friend Lilah while my good friend Meredith and I decorated the clubhouse with lots of bugs and butterflies...the theme for this year. We weren't able to get everything quite done, so my other good friend Sabrina was awesome enough to lend a hand once Luke and Olivia went to bed for the night. Yesterday I also picked up their special shirts my friend made. Luke's has an ant on it with a number "2" and his name and Olivia's has a butterfly on it with a number "2" and her name.

The cakes are made (a butterfly for Olivia and a caterpillar for Luke), the treat bags are stuffed, and the food is finished. It has been fun to have a bug and butterfly theme because it gave me lots of options to make some "homemade" decorations. I know once they get older, that won't be "cool" anymore so I'm enjoying it while I can!!!

Their party was from 4-5:30pm, which worked well for us because it was after their naptime but before dinner. Thankfully they both took an early nap and woke up just in time to get dressed for their party. A small victory because no nap=cranky kid=not a fun party. We were lucky enough to have lots of neighborhood kids join us, as well as family and some friends from Atlanta.

After some snacks, it was time to do some "party activities." I made coloring books with bugs and butterflies pages and pipe cleaners with pompoms to wrap around headbands for antennae. Then it was time for a "bug hunt." We filled a plastic pool with deer corn and buried lots of plastic bugs, butterflies, raisins and other treats. The kids had the BEST time digging in the corn and finding their prizes. Seeing the joy on their faces was priceless...

We decided it would be too much to open presents during the party, so we brought them back to our house and had family and a few close friends over for pizza and presents. Luke was a professional present opener pretty quickly, while Olivia preferred to keep her presents "closed." We opened a few presents and decided to save some for the next few days to open. I actually put a few presents away (once opened) for a rainy day in January. It was getting pretty late so it was time for baths and bed.

What an exciting day and quite humbling to see our babies turn two. Dan and I have become stronger as a couple, and we are proud of the two little people we are raising. There is nothing like a little two year old saying "wuv you mommy, wuv you daddy" to make us remember what is really important...family, good friends, health and happiness.

Can't wait to see what the next year holds!

2 Year Pics-Take two!

No surprise, we had to take Luke and Olivia's two year pics again. This time it went much better, although I still ended up taking them to Freedom Park on my own for a few more individual pictures. Thankfully Uncle Marc and Aunt B let us use their backyard and Marc provided his photography services once again. Good thing I can return the favor =)

We got some good family pics, which I hope to get edited and posted soon. Marc also got some great pics of them with their names, which normally hang over their cribs. I have been trying to get that particular pic for months and months and it just never worked out. Again, small victories!

Two year appointment

Today we took Luke and Olivia to their 2 yr appointment. Now that they are getting older, they are starting to remember trips to to doctor, and they remember they don't usually like it! Luckily they only had to get one shot each today, so it wasn't too bad. The nurse did the initial measurements and then it was time for Dr. Colyer to do her exam.

Let's just say thank goodness Dan was with me, because Olivia decided to have a full on 20 minute tantrum. While I was working with her, Dan was able to play with Luke and keep him entertained while Dr. Colyer tried to examine Olivia. Luke also got an exam, and as expected, they both are progressing well.

For the past month or so, I had been writing down questions I had for Dr. Colyer. I was hoping she had a magic "how to deal with 2 year old tantrums" wand, but no such luck! She said it is perfectly normal and this too shall pass. Time out usually works for Luke and ignoring Olivia seems to calm her down the fastest. We are also going to switch them from whole milk to 2% milk and start working on giving up the paci's at nighttime later this month (maybe!). She said it was ok to keep giving them a vitamin and keep trying different foods. Apparently it isn't just our kids that can be picky eaters! She said unless they get sick, she won't see them again until they are 3 years old. I remember the first year of their life it seemed like we were going in for checkups all of the time, so not having another check up for a whole year seems kinda weird. More milestones!

Luke and Olivia are both running and talking up a storm. So hard to believe they just had their 2 year check up. They are definitely toddlers now and while part of the transition from babyhood to toddlerhood makes me sad, it's also amazing to see how far they've come since birth. Tiny, helpless little babies to independent, "I'll do it myself" people.

Here are their measurements from today:
Luke:
26.8 pounds; 29%
33.75" long; 57%
Head circumference: 48.5cm 44%

Olivia:
22.6 pounds; 4%
33" long; 25%
Head circumference: 45.5cm 8%

Happy 2nd Birthday!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Luke! Happy 2nd Birthday, Olivia! We love you!!!

We had breakfast with daddy on the computer while he ate dinner, and it was nice to have that time together. Then we got dressed and played for a bit before heading over to Aunt B's house to play for awhile. We were going to play outside but it was kind of chilly and the slides were wet, so we played in their bonus room instead. You had such a fun time drawing on their chalk wall and playing with toys from her house. Then it was off to lunch at Shuffletown diner for a true "southern" lunch. After naps and more playtime, we met Meredith and Lilah for dinner at ChickFilA and a birthday cupcake for dessert.

It was a fun day filled with good friends, and now we are just hoping daddy gets home tomorrow safe and on time! We are looking forward to your party on Saturday.

You have been a part of our lives for 24 months now (and 8 months before that), and we are grateful for each and every day we've had so far. My goodness we love you so much!!! You have brought more joy, laughter and happiness to our lives than we ever thought possible, and life without you would be quiet and empty for sure! Raising twins can be tough at times (heck, raising children in general is tough), but we wouldn't have it any other way. Our days are filled with dirty diapers and mini tantrums, but also lots of hugs and kisses from our two favorite people in the world. Happy Birthday to our babies no more.

Happy Birthday Eve!

Wow...tomorrow Luke and Olivia turn TWO. Babies no more, we are officially entering toddlerhood. Our tiny, helpless infants are now independent, very opinionated little people. Say a little prayer for us, please!

Dan returns home from Japan on Friday, and we are looking forward to skyping with him tomorrow. Even though he can't be here in person, I'm so happy they'll be able to see each other for at least a little bit. If it works out, we are going to try to have breakfast together.

Another birthday means time to reflect on all that has happened over the past year. This time last year, Luke and Olivia were barely walking and now they are running and climbing all over the place. Their vocabulary has also come such a long way, and it's awesome to be able to have mini-conversations with them. They have gone from one/two syllable words (dada, mama, ball) to 3-4 word sentences. They are also starting to understand cause and effect a little bit (I do something wrong, I sit in time out), and they are starting to barter for toys. Olivia will "trade" a toy with Luke in exchange for one she wants, and vice versa. I absolutely love to see their little minds at work.

They also make us laugh lots. One day recently Olivia decided to color on the wall. I told her not to do that because it will give the wall a boo boo. After she sat in time out, she went back to the wall and said "sorry, wall." Seriously, how can you not laugh at that? And when we try to do something for Luke, he'll say "no, Guke does it." Ah, minds of their own!

They LOVE bath time, and I think they would sit in there and play for hours if they could. Luke will open the cabinet and get the bubbles out so they can take a bubble bath. They have also discovered the joy of bath crayons. Olivia will draw on the tub while Luke comes behind her and cleans it off. They are a perfect combination...Olivia loves to make a mess while Luke loves to clean up (except at mealtime; then all bets are off and they are both a mess!).

Mealtime...something else I could write a book about. Feeding them has become quite difficult actually since they can be a little picky. I feel like they eat the same stuff everyday, but they don't seem to mind. They have grits, cereal or oatmeal for breakfast (unless it's Sunday and daddy makes waffles). Lunch consists of fruit of some sort, applesauce, veggie chips/munchies, and maybe a sandwich (which Luke won't eat). I have tried ravioli, soup, all kinds of sandwiches, quesadillas, and pasta salad. Let's just say thank goodness they are great at taking their vitamin. Dinner is more fruit, yogurt with prunes, and an attempt at whatever we are eating for dinner. If all else fails, they will sometimes get chicken nuggets or a hot dog, but we try to encourage them to eat what we eat. If it comes off of our plate, they have a better shot at eating it. Go figure!

They are sleeping like champs now and I have to say, it's really nice. They usually wake up around 7am but play in their cribs until 7:30am or later. We try to play outside or do something fun until lunch around 12:30pm. Naps are from about 2/2:30pm-4:30/5pm (up before then but more playtime in their cribs) and playtime before dinner around 6:30pm. They get baths every night and are usually in bed around 8pm. They go to bed without a fight, and we are hoping that lasts!

We will start potty training soon, but for now we just ask them if they want to sit on the potty with diaper changes. They are good at going to them but have yet to figure out what to really do. All in good time. We are also in no rush to get them into a toddler bed so they will stay in their cribs until they decide to start climbing out. They still get their paci's for naptime/bedtime and while we were hoping to get rid of them by the time they were 2, we figured they don't have them that much so no real hurry. We are a little concerned because Olivia asks for her paci once in bed and they both reach for it immediately. They are getting more attached to them, and while we know it's harder to get rid of them the older they get, some battles just aren't worth dealing with right now!

They play pretty well together and seem to generally love having a playmate all of the time. Not surprisingly, there are some tantrums over toy sharing, but they don't seem to happen too often. They are rarely apart (other than sleeping) and they ask for the other sibling when they aren't around. It's really sweet. Soon Dan and I will start spending one on one time with each baby so they get used to being apart and spending time with just one parent. We are looking forward to our "dates."

Luke and Olivia love to be outside. We still go to the playground lots with other friends, and they have formed some true "friendships", especially with Lilah, Tyler and Sean. They ride their little 4 wheelers around in the driveway and feed the deer almost daily. Daddy also takes them for a wagon ride before dinner for their special time together, and it gives me time to get dinner ready. They can climb the stairs at the playground like the big kids, and they tackle the big slides like they are nothing. They still like to swing-the higher the better-and hunt for bugs in the grass.

Their personalities are really starting to emerge. Luke has a little grin that will melt your heart. He loves to be held and can be sensitive at times. He loves to play with cars and is such a rough and tumble boy. He is happiest at the end of the day, which surprises us. It's like he gets a second wind after dinner and he gets really full of himself playing. Olivia is always on the move and has the most infectious laugh. She is super stubborn and independent and likes to have things done a certain way. Dan says she is just like me and unfortunately I can't really disagree! She talks herself to sleep-literally-and wakes up ready to go.

They don't watch a lot of TV, and Olivia thinks it's a real treat. After about 10-15 minutes, Luke usually gets up and starts to play with his toys. Olivia will sit mesmerized, and we are convinced she would sit through an entire movie if we let her. They usually watch one 30 min. show in the morning and one before dinner and sometimes one in the middle of the day. They both love, love, love, Elmo. Olivia loves Icky and NeeNee (Mickey and Minnie) and WordWorld. Luke is more likely to watch shows with animals. Once the show if over, Olivia will say "bye bye show" and start playing.

Luke is definitely a "daddy's boy" and Olivia is certainly a "mommy's girl" although they have their times of wanting to be with the other parent, too. We are excited to see what the next year had in store for us, and we are hoping the "terrible twos" prove to not be so terrible. We feel like if we can survive having newborn twins and moving all within a span of 4 mths, we can handle 2 toddlers. Guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Japan bound

It's that time again...time for Dan to travel internationally. Unfortunately, the timing couldn't be worse as he is going to miss Luke and Olivia's 2nd birthday, but luckily he will be home just in time for their party.

This time Dan is leaving the Saturday after Thanksgiving and returning home Friday, Dec 2nd. We wished he didn't have to travel during a holiday weekend or miss their birthday, but that's what comes with his job sometimes. We get the benefits of him working from home coupled with travel at sometimes inopportune times. We will definitely skype and talk on the phone when we can. Olivia especially loves to talk on the phone and it's really cute. Luke usually puts the phone up to his ear and just listens.

Here's hoping for a fast and safe week!

2 Year Pics

Ah, professional picture time. Dan's favorite thing in the world to do, right after getting a root canal! With two precocious toddlers, we knew this was not going to be an easy task. Dan was leaving for Japan the next day, so today was our day.

Now that I have started my photography business, we don't have to hire anyone to take their pictures. Good thing, because we usually have to take them more than once. This time was no exception.

We wanted to get some family photos, which I can do with a tripod and remote control. However, with 2 moving subjects it was much easier to have our good friend Marc snap some photos instead. His camera is similar to mine and he could use my lenses so it made things much easier.

I have done several shoots at Freedom Park and thought it would be a great place to go. I didn't really account for the newness and distractions it would hold for L and O! We tried and tried to get a family picture and a few individual photos, but Luke and Olivia were having nothing of it, and after a few tantrums and tears (from them and me...haha), we decided to scrap it and try another day. Like I said, good thing we aren't paying anyone anymore and thank goodness for Marc! We'll try again once Dan gets home from Japan.

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving! It's so nice to be living in NC and not have to travel for the holidays. We are still getting used to it as we traveled for over the past 10 years, but we are not complaining!

We were hosting Thanksgiving at our house with Dan's parents and my mom. Dan was in charge of deep frying the turkey and I was making a spiral ham to go with it. Everyone was contributing with sides, and we were definitely not going to go hungry! We decided to try to eat when Luke and Olivia were napping so we could actually eat a meal, and then have dinner with them when they woke up. The timing worked out almost perfectly as dinner was ready just after they fell asleep.

Luke and Olivia aren't big meat eaters, but Olivia did enjoy a little ham for dinner. They both liked the sweet potato casserole and homemade mac and cheese, along with a dinner roll. No surprise, they didn't touch the green bean casserole or cranberry sauce!

It was a nice, relaxing day filled with family, football and full bellies!

Last trip to Asheville for the year

Since Dan has to travel next week, he decided to take a few days off before Thanksgiving so we could spend some time together and celebrate Luke and Olivia's birthday a little early. Since our passes to the Biltmore House expire in two weeks, we wanted to make one last trip for the year to see the house decorated for Christmas.

Thankfully we had already spent a lot of time outdoors touring the grounds, because today it rained and rained. Our intent was to just see the inside of the house and then have dinner before heading home. We headed out just after lunch and arrived early afternoon. We took the backpacks instead of the stroller thinking that would be the best way to contain L and O and they could still see the house. This plan would have worked out well except for the fact that Olivia can't sit still for longer than 2 minutes! It wasn't long before she started saying "down, down" so we abandoned the backpack plan and let her walk around. Soon Luke joined her. It's definitely different touring the house with almost 2 year old twins vs just by ourselves.

They actually did really well and didn't try to touch everything in sight. Thankfully there were lots of stairs for them to climb (one of their absolute favorite activities) so we just kept telling them there were stairs ahead to keep them moving. Some folks commented on how cute they were and how well they were doing, and they were gracious enough to allow them time to climb/walk by themselves, even though they we were holding up the crowd a little.

After our tour (we survived and nothing got broken...success!) we went to the courtyard to warm up with a cup of coffee and snack for Luke and Olivia. It was good for them to be able to run around for a bit, although keeping Olivia under the cover and out of the rain proved to be a mini workout for us! It was late afternoon, and we thought it would be good to walk around the local mall for a bit and let them play before dinner and drive home.

We found a little play area by the food courts and they had SO much fun playing in a new place. They are typically really good playing with other kids, and wait their turn to go down slides, etc. I am so proud of how well they are doing and they are truly the sweetest little 2 year olds I know. Ok, I know I'm partial, but still....

We had originally planned to go to a local restaurant for dinner, but it was getting late and we were already at the mall, so food court dinner it was. After we ate, we put their pajamas on and got them settled into their carseats for the drive home.

Luke has been coughing for the past week, which has been sticking around even though his croup is getting better. On the drive home, he started coughing so badly he threw up. We had to pull over and change his clothes and started driving home again. About 30 minutes later, the same thing and another outfit change. I told Dan I was out of outfits and I hoped it didn't happen again. No suck luck! Before we got home, he got sick again and I had to put him in one of Olivia's too small onesies. Thankfully we made it home before another incident, put Luke in clean pajamas, and put both of them to bed. Dan and I soon followed as we were worn out from our fun but not quite planned day!

Happy Halloween!

Time for Halloween already?!?! Man, where has the year gone? Dan was in Japan last year for Halloween, so we were excited to have the entire family together and make some wonderful memories.

We had a busy few days leading up to Monday. On Saturday, we took Luke and Olivia to my Oma and Opa's church for their fall festival. It was L and O's first time wearing their costumes that I made-Pebbles and BamBam. They fit perfectly (whew!) and seemed happy wearing them. Thankfully Luke LOVES, LOVES, LOVES to wear hats (I know-go figure) so it was a perfect costume for him. And Olivia loves wearing bows so the bone in her hair was a great addition.

We arrived at the festival around 5pm and spent some time playing games and coloring treat bags. Olivia had fun dunking the ducks in the water tub while Luke was enjoyed throwing balls at cans. Then it was time for a quick dinner with Oma and Opa before heading for home. Dan and I had a Halloween party to attend in our neighborhood, so we wanted to get Luke and Olivia bathed and ready for bed before we left.

Thanks, MauMaw and PauPaw for staying at the house while Dan and I went out for a few hours dressed at Dorothy and Bad Banana. It was nice to have some time out with just the two of us. On Sunday, we pretty much took it easy and spent lots of time playing together. I also did a photo shoot for my sister and her family, which was lots of fun. I truly can't believe how quickly my nephews and niece are growing!

On Monday, we had a Halloween parade in our neighborhood that started at 4:30pm. I attended the parade last year but didn't know too many neighbors at that point. This year was extra fun as we have met lots of great people over the past year and Luke and Olivia have their friends to play with. We got to see the Mount Holly Fire Truck and all of the kids looked fantastic in their costumes. Dan and I even got into the spirit and dressed up as Wilma and Fred-we were the Flintstone Family! We then had a mini parade through the neighborhood. Dan and I took turns pulling Luke and Olivia in their wagon while we followed behind the fire truck. Afterwards, we all met back at the clubhouse for a bit before heading home for a quick dinner. Then it was time to trick or treat for our first time.

We met up with our friends Meredith, Dave, little Lilah, Anna, Rich and little Ava to go trick or treating around 6:15pm. My mom also joined us as I was having my tonsils out the next morning. More on that later... It took Luke and Olivia just a house or two to figure out the candy thing! They loved holding out their bucket and saying "treat please". They were real troopers and we walked around for almost an hour and a half going from house to house of neighbors we knew. It was nice to have the wagon with us, too, so they could take a break when they needed. At one point, Luke opened a reese's peanut butter cup and was eating it, black wrapper and all. He looked so proud of himself! Olivia preferred the suckers and held onto the same two for much of the evening. By the time we got them home and settled, it was almost 8:30pm and we had two tired but happy little trick or treaters in our home! Now what to do with all of this candy!

So long tonsils

After months and months of constant sore throats and tonsillitis, it was inevitable that my tonsils would have to come out. I used to have sore throats as a kid, but they seemed to subside over time. They seemed to return over the past year, but especially over the past 6 months (pregnancy induced?). It was beginning to be a nuisance to be on antibiotics all of the time, and I couldn't take care of Luke and Olivia at my 100%.

I had a consultation with an ENT recently and we decided I was a perfect candidate for surgery, which I was luckily able to schedule pretty quickly. He warned me it would be painful and require a 2 week recovery, so it was time for my independent self to reach out to family and friends-all of whom I can't thank enough!

Tonsillectomies are outpatient procedures now and we had to be at the surgery center early-6:15am. We decided it would be best if my mom took me to the procedure while Dan stayed home with Luke and Olivia. By 7:30am, I had my IV in place and it was off to surgery. The next thing I remember is waking up around 9:15am in a daze and in pain. It took me a little time to get my bearings, so mom was able to get my prescriptions filled while I was waking up. We were able to be home by late morning, and it was so nice to get hugs from my babies. It's so different having surgery once you become a parent-the worries are much greater and the hugs and kisses so much sweeter. Of course, they had no idea that I was in a fog and I tried to spend a few minutes with them. Thankfully MauMaw and PauPaw were here to help as well so mom could help me get settled. Dan was also a great nurse as well, changing his travel plans so he could be here with me for the week and making sure things are taken care of at home.

I ended up sleeping a good bit of the afternoon. Anyone who knows me understands how hard it is for me to sit still, but it was honestly all I could do to take my meds on time. I knew the recovery would be tough, but dare I say it has been harder than my c-section.

My mom left Tuesday afternoon and Oma and Opa came over on Wednesday. Dad was leaving for FL for business, but Oma offered to stay and help for a few days as needed. What a life saver! I can sit and do things stationary ok, but trying to keep 2 almost 2 year old entertained all day was a bit much for me this week. She was great at letting them play outside and having play dates with their friends. She left yesterday afternoon.  My neighbors have been awesome at bringing food (none of which would stay down for 24 hrs) and I'm slowing starting to be able to eat some soft things again. I can think of a less painful diet than the tonsillectomy diet!

I hope to be getting back to my normal self soon and can't wait to be able to eat like everyone else.Pizza sure does sounds yummy =) Hopefully this will be my last time ever having a sore throat again!

Two jobs

Being a stay at home mom of twins and trying to start a photography business has proven to be a lot of work; good thing I don't like to sit still! I have really enjoyed embarking on my new career, and I'm staying busier than I thought I would. I have been lucky to have already had some photo shoots, and I have a couple of more scheduled in November/December. I am also excited (and anxious!) to have my first wedding on my calendar-January 21st, 2012. Sleep is so overrated, right?