Welcome to winter?

It feels so wierd. This time last year we couldn't see for all of the fluffy snow flying around. This year we are having a brown Christmas, but I am not complaining!  I mean it is 40 degrees out and beautiful!

We have managed to get the tree up but only decorated the top half of the tree. The kids love the lights and love to shake them.  It has really helped them learn colors.  Along with that they have been doing some adorable twin things lately such as mimicking movements and sounds. Otherwise, off to enjoy Sunday!

Way over due!

So I am long overdue for a post. Life has just been a little, well fun! It isn't that anything grand has been happening it has just been a lot of playing with the kids and trying to get the whole house healthy.

For a while I was sick for about 7 weeks, then then kids had colds which turned into croup and now they are sick again!! it seems that illness is just lingering this winter and it stinks. During this time though I have managed to host Thanksgiving, get the tree up, and next on the list host Christmas. I did finish Christmas shopping by the day before thanksgiving. I cannot stand the bad drivers and crowds. I will add some fun pictures of the kids soon when I am on my computer.

I love Bar Keepers Friend!

No really I do! The back story is that in our new house we installed a new kitchen sink.  On the first day in our house something was left in the sink and it left a stain.  We tried everything to get it out.  In comes Bar Keepers friend.  First try cleaning the sink and it looks new.  That stuff works miracles on every pot and pan I own.

As for the kids they are learning a ton of new words.  Danyal loves to say Elmo,  my most dreaded word. In addition, both kids now say blue, green, and both sign for more, all done, and they understand good.  It is amazing how much they can change so fast!

The kids were able to go out for their second Halloween and they were awake for it this year!  Sara was a strawberry and Danyal was a Dragon.  They left their costumes on the whole time and loved walking around the yard and playing. Ah how they grow so fast.

Busy Busy

I love fall.  No really I love love love fall! The leaves changing (I think we got shorted this year), the smell. It is my favorite season. That being said we have been busy with the kids.  Let's see first molars for all (yikes), a trip to the Arboretum in Chaska, fall/15 month pictures, and grandma's all over!

The twin talk these days is hilarious. They have their own code and know when to start and stop. It begins each day at breakfast and goes all day.

Sara has now learned to sign more and is starting to use words more.  Her favorite word is up...aka pick me up.  Danyal has words galore! He loves ba-ba (milk) and go still seems to be a favorite.

Here are a few pictures of what has kept us so busy.

Lots of little things

to update on.

First off I have been busting my bum off at Steele Fitness.  If you really want a new way to work out this is it.  It is all personal training and mixes cardio with weights.  In the last 2 1/2 months they have helped me drop 10lbs and 15 inches!  I no longer care about what the scale says as the inches are coming off. I used to hate working out and would need a nap afterwards.  Now I have energy and it is great.

Second, have you ever had "those days".  Not the bad ones but the great ones.  Where you realize as you have gotten older life has just gotten better.  I am married to a great guy, I have two little balls of energy who love to play together, great friends and family.  It is just one of those great days.

The kids had their fall pictures/15 month pictures and they are so cute! On top of it all fall is in the air and Halloween is around the corner, my favorite holiday.

It has been a while

since I update the blog with anything but pictures.  We have made the move and are finally settling in.  We LOVE the new house.  Ramblers are such great houses for kids. They run from end to end and it must seem huge. I grew up in a rambler and it seemed huge at the time.

with great grandma and great grandpa

We have made some milestones lately.  Danyal has a lot of words such as: hi, bu-bye, up, door, big bird, num, uh-oh, and ouch.  It is so cute to seem him talk so much.  Somethings never change. When he was a baby he would babble on forever and "give a speech" we would say.  He still does now but we can understand more of what he is saying. Danyal also hates to see his "gaga" (grandma) go.  He will cry, go to the door and try and open it.  Most of all he loves to go to the window and say bu-bye.

Sara is starting to say hi, bu-bye, and has said thank you.  Sara can climb anything and everything! Stairs, into toy boxes, through wooden openings. We have to be careful with her.

We have finally started ECFE and it is helping to burn some energy along with the huge playroom that is built upstairs (not to great for adults over 5'8").  The kids are getting more teeth and I am ready for the teething to end.  Then again they won't be babies anymore, they will always be my babies.

So many days it is still unreal to me that I have these two amazing kids.  How did the last 7 years fly by so fast?

my climber sara

12 months ago...wow time flies!

Hats in MN..it's that time!

We have cute shoes!!

Wordless Wednesday.

Sleeping with Snuffy

New Playroom!!!! Notice the kids on the futon

Wordless Wednesday - Oh Canada

Wordless Wednesday

Finally!

It has been a long time but we finally were able to get the kids baptized. I think with two kids it is easier to do it when they are a little older and on a schedule. I feel happy now that this is done.

Bathroom when we bought the house

New Bathroom with a higher ceiling!

As for the house and moving...ugh!  We think we will finally be able to move in labor day weekend.

This is what I am reading on a Saturday night

Subinvolution of the placental site

I know it isn't exciting but I was reading one of my favorite blogs over at Moosh in Indy and it led me back to my issues with breastfeeding and all of the unwelcome and unwarranted comments. I still feel that until you are walking in someone else's shoes be quiet. No one else can really know what it is like to try and breastfeed when that is ALL you want to do and to fail, miserably.  I will always know that I tried for 6 weeks so hard but making 3-4 ounces a day wasn't enough for even one feeding.

Hence, back to the first article. This is the reason I couldn't breastfeed and there is finally some research on the topic! There was none back in October. At least now I feel that I have an understanding of why I couldn't breastfeed.  I will admit I still feel a twinge of jealousy when I see a mom Bf'ing.

1 year checkup

The kids had their 1 year shots and check up here are the stats
Sara
Head 46.4 cm (84%)
18.13 lbs (14%)
29 inches (45%)

Danyal
Head 44.7 cm (9%)
19.12 lbs (9%)
29 1/2 inches ( 39%)

I cannot believe neither of my babies are 20lbs yet! Sara eats a lot and she is still tiny! Oh how quickly they grow.

Need mom help!

My daughter now wants to eat all finger foods, she is done with that stuff called baby food. I am short on ideas. I am calling out for all mom help. We do a lot of avocado, carrot, apple, peaches, pears, turkey sticks, pasta, oatmeal, and puffs. I will be adding in cheese, yogurt, and milk slowly being that they have not had milk in a year.

The first year

How to even put into words the first year! The year overall has had a lot of ups and downs.  The excitement of the babies, the sadness with Gaga- Grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer, Sara with her awful reflux and helmet (tron baby), the happiness of watching all of the grandparents enjoy the babies. .

Sara - aka Monkey
You were the first to take steps and are a curious little monkey. You decided on your first birthday you had enough crawling and really started walking!
You have 6 teeth

Danyal - aka Dino's
You are happy to play alone and not have your hair pulled by your sister at times. You are introspective and like to figure out how things work.
You have 8 teeth

There are so many fun times that we have had and we have many more years to come! I love that the kids are so happy I guess we are doing something right!