Simply having a Wonderful Christmas Time

Christmas is supposed to be fun and exciting for kids right? Well let me just say that I think Matt and I were more excited to wake up on Christmas morning than the kids! We didn't get a lot of "stuff," but just a few neat things. A little table and chairs set, some play food and pots and pans, and some stocking stuffers. The table was a hit. The twins sat it in for at least an hour, and just played with their new food and pot and pans. Matt and I just sat back and relaxed. We video taped them opening presents, but didn't take any pictures. What in the world was I thinking? I never forget to take pictures!

After the twin's first nap (which they tried to skip), we left for Grandma and Grandpa A's. The twins opened presents when they got there. They got some neat things, including a ball popper, and a shopping cart. Jack like to stick his head over the hole where the air comes out, while Sophie presses the button to start the popping. Too funny! Uncle Rick and Kim were there also, and the twins had fun playing with them. Jack was especially fond of Kim. Rick got them some books, which my kids adore, alphabet blocks and a multicultural cd. Here a few pictures from the day. After that, Sophie gorged herself on food, mostly mashed potatoes, her favorite. She is becoming such a little piggy! I love it! Jack ate a little food, but really just wanted to play with his asparagus.




Next, we drove the hour to my parent's house in the car while the twins slept. We got there, and started opening presents again. I think the twins started to get the hang of opening things by this point, but they were just really very excited about the gifts inside! The kids got some really great things from Grandma and Grandpa P including a kitchen (No, I know for a fact my parents didn't pay that much!) and a water table. The twins also got stuffed animals and DVDs from Uncle Matt and Nikki, which Jack carried around all day, and books from Aunt Laurie. The twins ate on the go at my parent's house, and had ham, red beet eggs, veggies, cheese, and clementines. Oh yeah, and the occasional m&m that Grandpa P snuck them! HA! After dinner we set up the water table, and the twins covered themselves in water. Here a few pictures of this part of the day.




We left at bedtime, and let the kids play a little when we got home. Then we put the kids to bed. We sang a few songs like "Silent Night," "Jesus Loves Me," and "Happy Birthday" to Jesus of course! I talked with the kids about the true reasons for the holidays, and I know that even though they don't know everything that I am saying, that they are still understanding some of the things I tell them about God. Next year we are going to do a lot more things in this area, and I can't wait! I have ideas already! When the twins were all tucked in, Matt and I worked on constructing the play kitchen. Two hours later, and lots of sore muscles from Matt, we had a kitchen. I will say that Matt was extremely patient, even when I didn't help him in the best way! The kids got up today, and ransacked the house playing with each and every one of their new toys.


I would say that the kids were spoiled, but I then I would have to admit that Matt and I are too! But the very best part of the day was spending time with each other, and with our families. The twins have lots of "stuff," but they are mostly spoiled with love. It is very nice to see just how loved these two little peanuts are! Merry Christmas, and I hope your day was wonderful also! We are off to Buffalo for a few day to visit the Anderson and Keller Clans. Wish us luck, and two pleasant babies!

Silent Night...

Merry Christmas!!!

I've Been Tagged

Alicia Anderson tagged me with a few questions about Matt and I. so here goes. Maybe one day the kids can read this! ;)

1.How long have you been together? November 26, 2001, so seven years.

2.How long did we date? About 2 1/2 years

3. How old is he? Matt will be 27 in two weeks! Happy B-day!

4. Who eats more? Matt. But I have been known to eat more when it comes to things like ice cream or brownies.

5. Who said, "I love you," first? Matt. I remember EVERY detail to this day. It was the day before Valentine's Day.

6. Who is taller? Matt, I am a shorty.

7. Who does the laundry? Me. Laundry is my favorite chore.

8. Who does the dishes? Me.

9. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me. And no Matt, I am not giving it up. You picked your side when we got married, and that night made it final. ;)

10. Who pays the bills? I physically pay the bills, but without Matt and his million and one jobs they wouldn't get paid.

11. Who mows the lawn? Ahhh...the lawn. The tennent downstairs used to do it. Then Matt's dad did it for a little bit. Thank God it is winter, although Matt was thinking about paying a nice boy who lived down the street. ;)

12. Who cooks dinner? I do. I'm not sure Matt knows how to use the microwave! HAHA!

13. Who is more stubborn? That could go either way

14. Who kissed who first? Matt kissed me. I was very shy. Should I admit that I remember EVERY detail of that kiss too?

15. Who asked who out? Matt asked me to a Saves the Day Concert.

16. Who proposed? Matt, although I bugged him like crazy until he did it.

17. Who is more sensitive? Me. I am overly sensitive.

18. Who has more siblings? We have the same number. And our older and younger siblings are the same ages.

19. What were you doing ten years ago? I was in high school. Playing soccer, running, being a typical high schooler. Wonder what Matt was up to at his high school?

20. Five things on my to-do list: get ready for our Buffalo trip, finish Christmas presents for the Grandparents, get my hair cut, finish the laundry, pay some bills.

21.Things I would do if I was suddenly made a billionaire. Too funny! Matt should answer this one, because I am sure he has a detailed plan. Like down to the penny. ;) I have some places in mind that I would love to donate lots of money to!

22. Three of my bad habits: biting my finger nails, eating too many sweets, being anxious.

23. Five places I have lived: Birdsboro, PA; Shippensburg, PA; Harrisburg, PA; West York, PA; Wrightsville, PA. All in PA...I'm a homebody.

24. Five jobs I have had: Washing hair at a hair salon(ICK!), Working in an office with my mom, waitressing at Bob Evans...the tips were horrible!, Being a substitute teacher...too much stress!, Working as a preschool teacher. I loved it!

25. Things people don't know about me: When I was younger, my brother and sister said I sang like a dying cow. I have the nickname "Amy Bean Head" and other variations because I had to go to the hospital when I was little for sticking beans up my nose. Yeah, I was a wierd kid!

Don't we look young?

I tag Heather.

Snowy Day

We got an inch or two of snow the other day, and when Matt got home, we decided to take the kids outside to play. Who in the world came up with the idea for snow suits? My kids were just like the kids from "A Christmas Story." Jack refused to walk anywhere, and Sophie just sat on the ground. She took her glove off, and then got mad when her hand got wet. Matt put it back on, and then she was mad it was on again! We were lucky if we made it fifteen minutes outside, but it was fun (for Matt and I!), and long enough to snap a few pictures.

Tie-dye

When the twins were born, Uncle Rick bought them tie-dye shirts. If you look back at the blog, you can see pictures of them in their tiny little tie-dye shirts here. Here is a picture of the twins with their Uncle Rick this past weekend. My have they changed!

O Christmas Tree

We put the Christmas Tree up yesterday, with the lights and some garland. The kids were excited. Last night, after they went to bed, Matt and I put up ornanments. We decided not to risk the beautiful ornments that we have collected over five Christmases, and to put up unbreakable bulbs instead. I guess I should mention that (of course!) Jack found a way to break them! This morning when they woke up, we turned on the lights, and they were thrilled. Of course Jack has tried to take all the ornaments off of the tree several times, but their reaction was priceless. Now it feels a little more like Christmas around here.

Using Silverware

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I don't do mess. I HATE things like paint, or sloppy foods, and smeary, messy things that take forever to clean up. But, I realize this is a fact of life when you have kids. It is time to grin and bear it, and to let the kids start to use silverware. They probably should have been doing it for a long time now, but we tend to go with whats easiest in our house, due to the fact that we have twins. I started giving the kids silverwear a few weeks ago. Just forks to start. They did really well. We decided to move onto yogurt and spoons. Ugh, mess city. But the LOVED it. So I turned my back, and just listened to them having a good time. Then I asked Matt to clean it up this time. Did I mention how much I love him? HAHA! Here are the little munchkins covered in yogurt. Did any of it get in their mouths? I'm not sure.

First Drawings

We bought Wonder Markers for the twins, and the paper that goes with them. We gave them the markers and paper one night before dinner, and this is what they came up with. No, Sophie did not draw the face on the paper. That was Daddy, silly guy! It was fun, and I think I will try to work more artwork into our days. Jack's drawing is blue, and Sophie's is purple and pink.

Turkey Day

Last Thursday we drove up to my Aunt Angie's for the Perini Family Thanksgiving. Yum! We all ate like crazy and had a good time. The kids loved the food, but they couldn't get enough of their Great Uncle Dick's mashed potatoes. They have chedder cheese and french onion dip in them. They are pretty good if I do say so myself. The kids had the most fun chasing The Lesher's cat around, and barking at it. Yes, they said, "Woof, Woof" to the cat. That night we stayed at Aunt Marcy's house, and the kids did fabulous, and Matt and I got to rest too. The kids chased around the Perini Family cat also, and by the second day, Jack was saying, "kitty." We had a great couple of days, and lots of good food and family. We have so much to be thankful for. Our family, near and far, our health, Matt's secure job, and tons more things. It is so easy to see how much God has blessed us, and we are so thankful for this.

Yum! The twins enjoying dinner.

Grandma helping to feed the kids.

After dinner walk. The kids wanted to be outside the whole day. Matt took Jack sledding after the walk.

Jack wouldn't sit still for a picture, so there is only one of Sophie. What a cutie!

Family Portrait. Matt says I look "frazzled". But I think that's most days!

Sophie Walked!

Sophie decided it was finally time to try to take a few steps on her own. She has been standing independently for a few days now, and taking one small step between things. Today, I helped her stand in front of me, and then she walked to me. When Matt came home, she took four whole steps between us! I was cheering her on, and clapping. You wold think she would be thrilled. Not Sophie! She looked at me like, "Of course I can do it. It's really not that big of a deal." She is too funny. I'm guessing that it will be another couple of weeks until she is really independently walking, but we are getting there! YAY!

Thanksgiving

I never really bring up serious stuff on the blog, but with the holiday coming up, I have been feeling very thankful. I have so much to be thankful for this year that it is amazing to me that some days I can't see the forest through the trees so to speak. Most people close to Matt and I know that getting pregnant was not easy for us. We miscarried twins before getting pregnant with these twins. I had to wait nine months to get pregnant again after the miscarriage, and it was hard. I always wanted to be a mommy. When I was nineteen, I found out that it might not be as easy for me as some people. But at nineteen, it isn't something you really worry about. You just file that away for later. When Matt and I finally decided to try for kids, I was excited the first month that we did get pregnant. A close friend was also pregnant, so we were excited to share our pregnancies together. But it wasn't meant to be for me. She has a beautiful boy now, and it is funny to me that if I had stayed pregnant, I would also have a two year olds. It was hard all of those months. I seemed to see pregnant women and babies all around me. I felt defective. I kept hearing things like, "Oh it will happen eventually," "It just wasn't meant to be," and "Some people aren't meant to be mothers." It all stung. Even it was said with the purest of intentions. I clung to the fact that God had given me this desire, and he would fulfill it in his own time. While discussing this with a friend who had her own son, she told me, "there are people that God doesn't make mothers." I was upset, and shocked. I did realize though, that it might be true. So I fell back on just trusting him. I let it go. I know it is so cliche that the cycle you let it go you become pregnant, but that was the truth for me. I spent all this time counting days, taking my temperature, worrying. But I just stopped it all. We became pregnant that cycle, and I just trusted in the Lord like crazy. I held onto the knowledge that he was in control. I always liked Proverbs 3:5, and it seemed to fit. He was in control. Now we have two amazing children. And someday soon (I HOPE!) they will call me mommy. What an amazing answered prayer! That God decided to trust me with the care of these amazing children. So during this time of giving thanks, I am thanking the Lord for these two amazing children, and the knowledge that they have made me a mother.

Winter Clothes are so Cute!

A Typical Day

Here a few things that might see on an average day in our house:

• The twins get up between six and seven in the morning. (I won't mention the 4:00 wake ups that Jack has occasionally, because I am trying to black them out so that the twins have an opportunity for a sibling.) They nap at nine and two for an hour and a half each time.
• When the twins are not napping, they are ransacking the house. From one end to the next. We let them out of the living room about a month ago, and now they run everywhere and get into everything. Jack loves to run. Sophie is more content with letting people carry her around. We have seen tons of crusing from her, and pushing all the push toys, but no walking. When Matt and I try to get her to walk between us, she lifts her legs so that they stick straight out from her body! One time Matt and I tricked her into taking a few steps, but after that...NOPE...she wasn't going to do it!
• We don't hear a whole lot of words yet, (I feel terribly guitly, because I didn't talk to them enough in the first sleep deprived six months!) but they are making tons of sound, and sounds that are specific to things. If Sophie wants something, she says "Yeh, yeh". If she sees something exciting its "uh, uh". And sometimes she gets really excited and says things over and over.
• We go through about three gallons of milk a week. I'll give you a hint as to who drinks it...Matt and I don't.
• The twins are remarkably picky eaters. I wonder if my mom wished on me to have a picky eater when I gave her trouble about eating? One day they like something, and the next day they throw it on the floor as if to say, "Are you crazy? I'm not eating that." This morning they each ate a waffle, and half of a pear. Who knows, I just feed them as much as I can. I should buy stock in Yogurt Puffs(freeze dried yougurt) with amount my kids eat.
• Jack had always been aggressive with Sophie. If she finds a really cool toy that he likes, he tries to take it. We correct him everytime we see it. I also will offer them different toys to diffuse the situation. Sophie has picked up on this, and now she offers Jack a different toy, so that he doesn't take hers. It is too cute! She is such a smart little cookie! HA! And let me tell you, sometimes it works, and he doesn't take her toy.
• The twins are GREAT at helping me clean. Well, no not really. They walk behind me like tornados and make everything messy again. The other day while cleaning the bathroom, Jack tried to stick his hand in the toilet, he unrolled the toilet paper, tried to climb in the tub, pulled over the laundry basket. You get the picture. Sophie is content to watch him wreak havoc.
• We had friends over Saturday night, and the twins were so funny! Sophie convinced more people to carry her around the house and name the things she pointed to. (I think she is getting a little bit of a princess complex.) And Jack flirted away! It was too funny! The twins are stingy with their kisses, and don't give them out a whole lot. Jack kissed Lindsey many times, played with her hair, and climbed all over her. It was so darn cute to watch! He was just smitten with her!

We still love these kids like crazy. Same as always. Matt and I remark everyday how much fun they have become. The more their personalities creep through, the more fun they are! Sophie is the strong willed, loving, gentle baby. Jack is the wild, inquistive, loyal baby. We love them both so much!

I caught the kids in the corner, in the semi-dark, taking turns kissing the duck.

The twin's favorite thing to do it look at the window. They like to be held, but will settle for looking over the chair.

Praise God for Answered Prayers!

Thank you for everyone who prayed for Sophie all of these long months. God answered our prayers! Sophie is a healthy little baby! I didn't realize how much I wanted to hear that she was healthy, and that we could put these problems behind us, until the Dr. said she was. I immediately started crying and kissing her little face! We had an ultrasound and VCGU on Monday, and the poor little baby started crying as soon as she saw the ultrasound tech. One of the nurses at the VCGU did say that she didn't cry as hard as normal kids, but I can't imagine that! I really don't know what I am looking at on the X-rays, but I do know it looked different from the VCGU that she had at four months. This time, her bladder was one big black circle, and when she urinated, all of the dye moved out of her system, and her bladder got smaller. No reflux! Yay! Which means no antibiotics! Double Yay! I threw the bottle out, and celebrated because I don't have to give her that stuff anymore! Yay! There was a small amount of leftover hydrophrenosis, so maybe if you could just spare a few more prayers that that completely goes away. We have a check again in April, and we pray to see that everything is normal at that point. PRAISE GOD! Jack spent the hour hanging out with Dad in hospital, and running the halls. Here are a few pictures Matt took on his phone.

One-year Appointment

The twins had their one-year appointment on the 17th. It took me this long to write about it, because it wasn't the greatest appointment. I guess I was sort of feeling like a bad mommy. :( I got lots of pep talks from loved ones and friends, so I am going to stop beating myself up and move on! There were a couple of big things to worry about...ahem, I mean work on. Sophie was 15 lbs. 4.1 oz. And Jack was 19 lbs. 5.4 oz. Sophie is not on the charts at all, but the problem is that she is not keeping her curve. Her weight gain has slipped in the past few months. Jack has also slipped a few percentiles, but he started walking, running, and getting into everything, so some babies slip a few percentiles at this time, and then pick up thier gain again later. Both babies also were borderline anemic. I should have had them on vitamins, but the Dr. didn't mention this at nine months. We have been making a few adjustments to thier diet, so hopefully we will see some major changes. Moslty, I add butter to everything! Even thier prunes! HAHA! They have finally started drinking milk (we now go through about 2 1/2 gallons a week!), and I now make everything a little more fatty than before. And lots of that butter! I now forcefeed them the grossest vitamin I have ever smelled. Jack gags everytime he eats it. I don't know why we couldn't just feed them Flinstones vitamins? The Dr. told me to keep the vitamins out of thier reach, which we do, but in the world would possess a child to eat that stuff by choice? We have an appointment on the 20th to do a little wieght checkup, so hopefully they are packing on the pounds! I think they are, as thier bellies are starting to stick out a little more each day! I don't think either one will ever be really chubby, but if they start gaining, I'm sure the Dr. will be happy! On a side note, Sophie's stats for 9 mths, and 12 mths were both within four ozs of what I weighed at those appointments. Also, her height was the same...hmmm...maybe genetics does play in a little bit here. ;)

The Big Day!

Jack and Sophie must have known it was thier birthday last Friday, because they woke up bright-eyed and bushey-tailed at 5:30 am, sharp. Matt and I were too excited to be tired, so we rushed into the nursery and sang "Happy Birthday." Then we let the twins open the presents we got them. Matt picked out little stuffed dolls called "Blahblahs." Jack loves his, but Sophie only has room in her arms for her lovey right now. We also gave them this little toy with gears on it, that they had played with at a friends house before. After that, we ate breakfast, hung out and played with our new toys, and then took a nap. When the twins got up we went to the mall. We picked out some clothes, and walked around. We had lunch at T.G.I.Fridays. Jack and Sophie had pizza, broccoli, and manarin oranges. They did really well for thier first time out at a resturaunt. I however have never eaten a meal so fast! After lunch, we let Jack run around the mall a little. Matt was following him, and he kept walking up to strangers and cheesing at them. Of course they smile back, which only encourages him! We came home, took another nap, and then woke up and went to the park to enjoy the nice weather for a little bit. We got home just in time for both sets of Grandmas and Grandpas to get here. The twins opened presents, and got things like dolls, a stroller, a playhut, little people toys, books, and of course clothing. After that we had pizza from dominos, which the twins love (silly me, I was supposed to order something else for lunch and got confused!). Then we had cupcakes, which Sophie ate a few bites of, and then smashed all over her face. Jack wasn't too crazy about the getting messy part! Of course after this they had a bath, and then to bed! It was a great day, and I really can't believe they are a year old. What a year it has been. All I can say, is thank God for the amazing, wonderful, special, babies that we have been blessed with. I thank him everyday that he made me a mom to these two little people.