Two Little Cuties and a Brother

Our 5-month Old

2012-02-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Brock turned 5 months old yesterday. We can't believe that he'll be 6 months old in just a month. It seemed to take forever for Samantha and Laura to hit 6 months, but, with Brock, the time has flown by.

Brock adores his sisters. He especially loves when they talk to him, and he likes watching them play. The other day he was laughing hysterically at Samantha and Laura pushing their hot wheels down the track.
Brock has still only rolled over that once. He can, however, rotate in a circle when he's on his back by rolling from his back to his side to his back again and repeating this numerous times.
Brock can almost sit on his own. Sometimes we can get him to balance for a few seconds. It would surprise me if he doesn't learn how to sit really well in the next month.
Brock loves music, and he especially likes any songs that involve Mom moving his arms around (i.e. "If You're Happy and You Know It"and "Pat-a-Cake").
Brock reaches for toys, but he prefers to put cloth (bibs, burp cloths, his sleeve) in his mouth than any plastic toy.
We think Brock is starting to recognize his name, but we aren't sure if he just knows when we are talking to him.
Unfortunately for Mom, Brock still wakes up 2-3 times a night, whereas Samantha and Laura were sleeping 10-11 hours straight by this age, but he'll sleep for longer amounts of time eventually.
Brock still loves baths, especially once Samantha and Laura get in the tub, and he likes diaper changes.

In general, Brock is still a happy, low-maintenance baby, but he's starting to learn from Samantha and Laura how to turn on the charm. We don't think it will be too long until he starts making messes and getting into trouble andthen showing us that huge smile to try to get away with it.

Snow Day

2012-01-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

After a few days of predicted snow, that never showed up, we woke up this morning to about 2 inches of snow. By the end of the day we had around 4 inches. Not quite the "record setting" storm that was predicted, but enough to shut down the shipyard and the schools, so that everyone could play in it. Since Michael didn't have to go to work, we put him to work shoveling. Samantha and Laura helped brush off the car. They were so excited for the snow.
Brock wasn't very impressed by the cold, white stuff.
Samantha was disappointed that the snow was too dry to make a snowman, but she had fun making tracks.
Laura liked throwing snowballs "like the kids" on A Charlie Brown Christmas.
As a side note, we wanted to move the Taurus out of the way, so it'd be easier to shovel, but it wouldn't start. We're thinking the starter is frozen. It survived two Rexburg winters, so we don't understand why it would have a problem now. Denise has theory that perhaps we always have to have a "problem car", and now that the Mercury is gone, the Taurus decided it doesn't have to be as reliable. That, or it can't handle humid cold.

Our Happy, Calm Observer

2012-01-14T19:59:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Brock turned four months old. He weighs 14lbs 8oz (25-50%), is 26 inches long (75-90%), and has a head circumference of 40.9 cm (10-25%). Everyone says he is huge, but he really is just long. Of course, I don’t mind the “he’s so big”, comments, and that’s probably half the reason why people make them. They must remember my defensive snarl, whenever anyone told me Samantha and Laura were so “cute and tiny” (which they were) when they were infants.

Brock is still a happy, calm baby. He is an observer. He loves staring at lights and windows, and he enjoys watching Samantha and Laura run around and be crazy. He absolutely loves Dad and always greets him home from work with a huge smile. Brock hasn’t rolled over again since the first time, but he enjoys being on his tummy for at least a little while, whereas, Samantha and Laura always detested tummy time. Since Brock is such an observer, my guess is that he learns to sit pretty quickly, and I have an inkling that he’ll be a late mover (rolling, scooting, crawling) like the girls were.

He is starting to “talk” a lot more, and he let’s us know when we’ve ignored him too long. It’s so fun to hear him babble, although, sometimes I think he is venting to his toys about how much Mom neglects him. Brock loves when you sing to him. His current favorite songs are “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “The Wise Man and the Foolish Man,” and the “ABCs” (especially when Samantha sings it). Bath-time is one of Brock’s favorite parts of the day. He loves having his shirt pulled off over his head. We aren’t sure if it’s because he likes playing peek-a-boo or because he wants to be naked. Only time will tell. Brock also enjoys having his diaper changed, which is a foreign concept to us. It’s wonderful to be able to change a diaper without playing a game of tag, participating in a wrestling match, and listening to ear piercing shrieks.

By the time Samantha and Laura were four months old, they were sleeping 9-10 hours straight at night. Brock isn’t quite such a champion sleeper, but he usually goes 5 hours between feedings at night, and sometimes he’ll even go 7 hours. Every once in a while, he still has an “I want to eat every 3 hours night.” On those nights I try to remember that I didn’t have to fight to get him on the growth charts, so I can’t complain too much about feeding him in the middle of the night. Besides, he always wakes up happy in the morning. We’ll see if he stays a morning person as he gets older.

We love Brock, and it’s fun to discover his personality.

Milestones

2012-01-06T12:28:00.000-08:00

All three kids have reached a few milestones in the last few days. Brock started reaching for toys on Wednesday, and he's now getting the hang of grabbing toys too. Then today, Brock rolled over (front to back) for the first time. Samantha would want me to make sure to say that she can roll over by herself and grab toys too, just in case you were worried.

I'm sure you can guess the big milestone for Samantha and Laura. I finally decided to take the plunge and start potty training. Samantha and Laura are still in diapers all of the time (I'm not quite ready to constantly clean the floor), but we make an attempt to pee on the toilet or potty seat every hour, and they've each had several successes. And they each told me when they had to go to the bathroom once today, so that's our victory for the day!

As a sidenote, we've changed our blog name again. Samantha and Laura inspired the name change. Towards the beginning of December we went to Michael's parents' ward Christmas Party. A little boy, pushed Laura. He apologized, but Laura was quite upset and pouting. Then just a few days before Christmas (so more than two weeks later), Laura started whining about the boy pushing her. She has an excellent memory, and, I guess, she holds a grudge. Then she said that "a boy pushed the two little cuties." Samantha chimed right in with, "he pushed the two little cuties." So now Samantha and Laura call themselves the "two little cuties." When we asked them if Brock was a cutie too, they said "no he's a brother."

Happy Brock

2011-12-19T05:42:00.001-08:00

Brock laughed for the first time the day after Thanksgiving while we were in California. I thought it was just a fluke, but He laughed a few times the following week whenever I took his shirt off to get ready for a bath. When we got 3 month pictures of him, the photographer tickled his feet to get a big smile after him and he laughed hard. She stopped taking pictures, because it was so much fun to tickle him and make him laugh.

I took some pictures of him on his actual three month birthday, and he started laughing again. Thankfully he kept laughing, so I could get it on video.

I love hearing him laugh. I think Samantha and Laura were four or five months old before they laughed at loud, so I was really surprised when Brock laughed before he was three months. He is definitely ticklish. Brock is a really happy boy, and he absolutely adores his sisters.

So Long Old Buddy...

2011-12-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

Hi all, Mike writing this time. Well, the Mercury is officially gone. It was a cool old car and I'm glad I had it for a while. I never got around to doing much with it and our home just doesn't have room for three cars. I found a great guy who was really pumped to find an old Merc like mine, so I am happy it is going to someone who will have some fun with it.

I'm sure I'll miss it every now and then, though Denise probably won't! It was the last car still around from when I was single. All my family's other cars from back then are sold/dead/crashed-into-a-tree-by-someone-who-shall-not-be-named-here. It was the car I drove when I met Denise and when we dated. I know, she still married me! Crazy huh? I'm glad I had it, but I'm also glad now it is gone. Especially because it went to someone who will actually work on it. So goodbye old pal. Thanks for the good times.

So here it is, my last picture of the old Mercury.

And here it is buried in the snow in Rexburg. Denise wanted this picture on here, because she dug it out. Good old Rexburg. I have to say I don't miss living in Idaho all that much.

Here is what the Merc is going to transform into. An ASUS Transformer Prime. I know, how awesome of a name it that? They totally went after my generation with the marketing. Anyhow, with the money from the Merc, I'm totally getting one of these when they come out.

New Dishwasher

2011-11-17T14:39:00.000-08:00

For our combined birthdays and Christmas, my parents gave Michael and I money for a new dishwasher, which was perfect. Our old dishwasher was really loud, and the silverware basket was in a dumb place. Our new dishwasher came yesterday. It can hold a lot more dishes than our old one could, and it is super quiet. Now we'll run our dishwasher when we run out of dishes, not when the dishwasher is full, and we'll be able to talk to each other in the kitchen while the dishwasher is running.

The old dishwasher

Our lovely new dishwasher

Laura woke up from her nap, right as the dishwasher installer rang our doorbell. She was really upset when he took our old one out the front door. When Samantha woke up, she was also unsure of having a new dishwasher. They don't like change. (I have no idea where they got that from.) Luckily, both of them become more receptive to the new dishwasher once we told them it was a lot quieter than the old one. They hate loud noises, so I guess change is good if it means less motor noise.

Now we just need to put up the baseboards and replace the counter and sink and the kitchen should be all updated.

He's 2 Months Already!

2011-11-12T13:42:00.000-08:00

Brock turned 2 months old last Wednesday. It feels like he is growing up a lot faster than the girls did. Part of that is because he actually is growing faster than Samantha and Laura. At his doctor's appointment he was 12 lbs 7oz and 24 inches tall. He's in the 75th percentile for weight and the 90th percentile for height. He has a relatively small head (25th percentile), but it's growing fine. It's weird to have a larger than average baby after fighting for each ounce that Samantha and Laura gained. Brock outgrew his 3 month clothes this week, which is also a new experience for me, since Samantha and Laura didn't move into 6 month clothing until 5 months, and that was mostly because I was sick of their 3 month clothing.

Brock is also reaching milestones earlier than the girls did. He started smiling about a month ago, and his smiling has just gotten more and more consistent this last month. He loves Samantha and Laura. Whenever he hears them laugh or talk, he smiles. He loves their crazy commotion. Brock also smiles regularly at Michael and I, which is wonderful.

Brock doesn't really like tummy time, but he doesn't detest it either, and he can hold his head up really well when he wants to.

He's still eating pretty frequently, but he does go 3-4 hours between feedings at night, so we're getting a little more sleep. Also, his eye color keeps changing. He doesn't have blue eyes, but they aren't brown either. They are kind of a mottled dark blue-brown gray. When he wears blue, they look more blue, and when he wears brown, they look more brown. We'll see if they decide to be just one color.

Brock is a happy, calm boy. We suspect, however, that it won't take him long to be us rambunctious as his sisters, since we've already seen a few of his mischievous smiles.

Halloween

2011-11-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

We know we have a lot of catching up to do on our blog (the corn maze, Brock's blessing, Michael's Birthday, Denise's Birthday, and random cute pictures of our kids). We hope topost a lot before we head to California for Thanksgiving, since that trip will need several posts. For now we are working backwards, so here's Halloween.

Michael and I wanted to do a family theme for our costumes this year, since we figured this was our last chance, because next year Samantha and Laura will want to choose their own costumes. During the summer we got a book from the library titled "The Legend of Ninja Cowboy Bear." We hadn't heard of it before, but it's a cute story, and the girls loved it. We bought the book and used it as inspiration for our Halloween costumes. At first, Brock was going to be the bear, but since the bear is big and strong, we decided Michael should bethe bear. Samantha was the cowboy, and Laura was the ninja. Brock and I were rabbits, because at one point in the book, the ninja and cowboy have a competition to see who can catch the most rabbits. Also in the book are competitions to build a large pile of rocks and pick raspberries, so we used those to decorate our car for Trunk-or-Treat. We figure an obscure literary reference fits are family perfectly.

Samantha and Laura enjoyed dressing up, although it took some convincing to get them to wear their costumes the first time. Neither of the girls wanted to wear their shoe covers, and Laura refused to wear her ninja hood, but at least they wore the rest of their costumes. Michael's mom made Laura's and Michael's costumes, which was wonderful, since I was stressed enough making the accessories for Samantha and Brock's PJ's.

Here is ninja Laura. When we bought Samantha's cowboy hat, Laura wanted one too (a pink one, of course).

Cowboy Samantha

Bunny Brock on his first Halloween

Michael and I carved pumpkins. Next year we'll let Samantha and Laura be part of the process. This was the first time in several years that I drew my own face on the pumpkin, since usually we use one of the pictures in a carving kit, but we ran out of time to do that this year. Mine has the square teeth and eyebrows.

A friend of ours hosted a toddler Halloween party earlier in the day. It was a lot of fun, and there were a lot of toddlers.

One of the games was pin the nose on the pumpkin. Here is Samantha with her "nose". She didn't quite get the point of the game and kept looking up to try to see out of the blindfold. By this point, Laura had seen the crayons on the table and only wanted to color, not pin her nose on the pumpkin.

Here is Laura before she noticed the crayons.

Samantha and Laura had fun at the party, although there were multiple tantrums, (they are toddlers after-all).

On Halloween night, we went trunk-or-treating and then the girls went to our two next-door neighbors. They quickly caught on to the idea that saying "Trick or Treat" meant they got candy, but at least they also were good at saying "Thank you". We had about the right amount of candy for trunk-or-treat this year, but we ran out early at home, so we'll have to buy more candy next year. It was a fun Halloween, and it'll be fun next year when Brock can get a few pieces of candy too.

How Many Tracy's Does It Take To Make Zucchini Bread

2011-10-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura have done really well with Brock. They are bit bossy and want to decide when he wakes up and when he is done eating and so on. They now seem so big to us, and they are starting to be more independent.

For several days in a row, Samantha kept asking for zucchini bread, and we finally had time to make it. Denise was daring and asked Samantha and Laura if they wanted to help. She knew it could easily end in a huge mess, but took a chance. Of course they wanted to help, since baking involves measuring spoons, measuring cups and dumping things, all of which the girls enjoy.

It actually went really well. Samantha and Laura took turns adding ingredients, and everybody helped stir. They make adorable cooks.

"No Mommy, I do it!"

Samantha and Laura help Mom stir

Samantha loves baking

So does Laura

Cutest chefs ever!!

Hurray for a Baby Who Likes to Eat!

2011-09-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Michael has nicknamed Brock "Chomper", because his mouth is almost constantly chomping. When Brock wakes up hungry, his mouth starts working long before he even thinks about opening his eyes. I love it. It's wonderful to have a baby who roots, opens his mouth when you tickle his cheek, and dive bombs from mom's shoulder to her chest when he wants more food. With Samantha and Laura, the lactation consultants told me that babies did these things naturally, but I thought they were lying to me, because no matter how much I tickled their cheeks, Samantha and Laura just wanted to sleep. Eating was not (and still isn't) a high priority for them.

Brock is now a little over two weeks old,and he had his doctor's appointment last Friday. His love of eating shows. He is 8lb 10oz and 21 inches long. He is right at the 50th percentile in both. His head is in the 25th percentile. He is slightly bigger than Samantha and Laura were at 2 months. It's wonderful to not be constantly worried about keeping him on the growth charts.

They almost have the same look.

One day Brock's punch will actually hurt.

Laura decided to join us too. This was the closest I could get to all of them looking at the camera.

Samantha and Laura love holding Brock's hands.

17-day old Brock

(I started this post yesterday, but Blogger wouldn't let me load pictures. Last night was a rough night. Brock woke up every hour to hour and a half, so I guess having a baby who wants to eat has disadvantages too.)

One Week

2011-09-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Brock turned a week old on Friday. He is doing really well. He is eating well (Denise's number one concern), and he is still really content unless you are changing his diaper. We took some pictures of him in his crib, and of course, Samantha and Laura wanted to climb in too. We're sure Brock is really glad that he doesn't have to share a bed with his sisters. They are just a little crazy!

Sleepy Brock

"Oh my! Who are these people? Do I really have to live with them?"

"No I don't have teeth yet."

"We're so cute too!!!!!!!!"

Cute Brock

He's Here

2011-09-12T20:27:00.000-07:00

Brock Alexander Tracy arrived at 7:33 pm on September 9.

He weighed 7lb 9oz and was 19.5 inches tall.

Brock is a great eater, and really content.

Samantha and Laura love him and say that he is "so cute." We agree!

The Zoo

2011-09-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed to Tacoma to go to the zoo with Grandma, Grandpa, and Catharine. We had a lot of fun, as always, and Michael enjoyed trying out our new camera.

This pufferfish is Samantha's favorite animal in the whole zoo. She talks about him and prays for him almost daily.

This big, blue fish is another favorite.

These clouded leopard cubs were born just a few months ago. While Michael and I would like to watch them for a few minutes, Samantha and Laura look at the baby leopards for about 10 seconds, and then they're off to see the tigers.

The last three times we've gone to the zoo, we've been able to spot at least one red wolf. They are excellent hiders, but now we know a couple of their favorite hiding spots, so we know where to look.

Samantha and Mom

Laura

Laura and Samantha with Grandpa.

39 weeks

2011-09-06T20:13:00.001-07:00

I reached 39 weeks on Saturday. Here is the belly pic:

I had a doctor's appointment this morning. I haven't felt any contractions yet, but I am about 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, so at least there is a small sign that my body is ready to kick Brock out. My doctor stripped my membranes to try to encourage labor. She said that she's had good luck recently with her patients when she's stripped membranes, so there's a decent chance that I'll go into labor in the next 48 hours.

If Brock hasn't made an appearance by next Monday, I get to start non-stress tests. I have two doctor's appointments and two non-stress tests scheduled for next week. If he still isn't here by the end of next week, then I'll have an ultrasound to make sure there is sufficient fluid, and we'll schedule a C-section for Monday the 19th.

Everything still looks really good. Brock and my body seem comfortable with the status quo, so we're just playing the waiting game. Neither Michael nor I are good at waiting, but, at the same time, neither of us can quite believe that Brock could come any day now.

In non-pregnant news, we bought a new camera that takes hi-def video. We tried it out at the zoo on Saturday and really like it. We'll have to post those pictures soon. It'll be fun to use it some more when Brock is born.

An Explanation

2011-08-28T20:22:00.000-07:00

So our new blog title might seem odd at first. No, Denise is not that cranky... most of the time. But what happens is the girls do something frustrating, then Denise says "Grrr", then the girls both say "Mommy be a polar bear!" in a really excited/happy/cute way. Then we laugh. It also works for Dad, so "Daddy be a polar bear" happens too. Just not as often.

Also, with Brock coming soon, we figure we need a new blog title anyway. And after he comes the"polar bear" sightings are only going to increase.

Maternity Pics

2011-08-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we took some maternity photos. They came out pretty well for our amateur attempt. We even got some cute "blooper" photos of Samantha and Laura. Hopefully Brock enjoys lots of noise and craziness.

This is our "artsy" photo. We have a similar picture of our hands on my wedding bouquet.

The girls are listening to the baby's heartbeat.

Laura and Mommy

Samantha and Mommy

Some of the "bloopers."

Hugging or wrestling?

Laura was ready for her close-up

Just Peachy

2011-08-25T15:35:00.000-07:00

I am now about 37.5 weeks, and this pregnancy is still going great. It has been really nice to only have one doctor's appointment each week, instead of two non-stress tests, a doctor's appointment and an extra blood pressure check each week like I had with Samantha and Laura. Finally in pictures, I look smaller now than I was with the girls. My abdomen does still get in the way, and my back hurts when I do too much during the day (like take the girls to the zoo by myself), but I'm not nearly as uncomfortable as I was with Samantha and Laura.

With Brock

With Samantha and Laura

We've been getting things ready for Brock's arrival the this week. We put the crib up, washed his clothes, packed the hospital bag, and installed the car seat (although we still have to figure out seating arrangements in the van). We've also had several people offer to help with Samantha and Laura if we need them. I feel behind in getting ready for Brock, since we had everything ready to go at about 33 weeks with the girls. It's weird (and really nice) that everything looks "just peachy," as my doctor put it, instead of worrying about my blood pressure and deciding when the baby should be born.

The plan is to wait for Brock to decide when he wants to be born and try for a VBAC. If he still hasn't arrived by 41 weeks, then I'll have to have a C-section. So it's up to him.

I'm starting to get antsy for him to be born. Not so much so that I don't have to be pregnant anymore, but so that I can meet him. Although, this time I know to really enjoy my last few weeks of uninterrupted sleep!

The Wa-Wa Song

2011-08-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura have started singing a lot. Samantha is better at singing actual songs like "Old McDonald Had a Farm" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes." Laura prefers to make up her own songs, and then Samantha copies Laura. "The Bobby Song" has been around for awhile. I have no idea who Bobby is, but he (?) has been an inside joke between the two girls for probably close to a year. More recently, Laura created "The Wa-Wa Song," which was closely followed by "Fruit Snack".

Here's a high-energy performance of "The Wa-Wa Song" (aka the craziness before church).

Laura has orange bows, and Samantha's bows are blue.

Dinner Conversation

2011-07-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

While we were eating dinner, Laura rolled her milk sippee cup across the table and then screamed because we wouldn't immediately give it back to her. Michael, trying to get her to say "please," asked her what she should say. Then he said, "It starts with a 'p'." Samantha quickly piped in with "parasaurolophus," (we have a dinosaur alphabet book). Michael and I laughed. Then Laura repeated "parasaurolophus" and forgot about her milk.

Eventually, she did say "please" too.

Toddler Beds Day 2

2011-07-22T12:42:00.000-07:00

So after a seemingly seamless transition into toddler beds the first day, Michael and I both woke up to a cheerful "Daddy" at 1am. Laura had gotten out of bed and seemed to be fully awake and ready to go for the day. Luckily, Michael walked her back to her room, found her binkie, and convinced her to lay back down in her bed, and she was adorable the whole time. She cried for a little bit, but calmed down pretty quickly. She was up again and ready to go at 5:30am, but at least she only got up once during the middle of the night.

For their nap yesterday, Laura woke up an hour into the nap, but I easily convinced her to go back to bed. Then she woke up crying an hour after that, which woke up Samantha. I couldn't convince both of them to go back to sleep, so I only got a two-hour break instead of a three-hour one. (I know, poor me, right?)

Last night, Laura came into our room about 11:30 pm, but then stayed in her bed for the rest of the night. We'll see how their nap goes today. So far, they've stayed in their room.

Hopefully the middle of the night wanderings stick to just once a night and don't last too long. We do realize, however, that we are extremely lucky to have two toddlers who enjoy going to bed and taking naps.

Toddler Beds

2011-07-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura are sleeping in toddler beds! After dinner last night, Michael built Laura's toddler bed (her crib will be Brock's crib) and converted Samantha's crib into a toddler bed. Of course, the girls wanted to "help" him until it was bath-time.

Samantha and Laura were excited for their "big girl beds" and started jumping on them immediately after they were out of the tub. They were both a little apprehensive about sleeping in their new beds, especially Samantha, but they didn't cry for very long, and they stayed in their beds all night!

For their nap today, they were excited to sleep in their beds, and they took a long nap. Yes, I know we are the luckiest parents, since our kids enjoy sleeping.

Laura on Samantha's bed

Samantha on Laura's bed

It's cute to see their small differences in sleeping preferences. Laura HAS to have the sheet and the comforter on her legs, while Samantha kicks off all of her covers. We were worried it would take a couple of weeks for them to adjust to being in beds instead of cribs, but so far, it's been an easy adjustment.

Getting the toddler beds set up was also the last BIG thing we needed to do before Brock was born. Now we just have lots of little things to do, but I have been nesting pretty badly this week, so some of those little things got done too.

Speaking of Brock, last week at my doctor's appointment, I was measuring a little small, so my doctor wanted me to have an ultrasound this week to check on Brock's size. As most people know, I really, really don't want a small baby again, so I was a little worried. According to the ultrasound, Brock is 4 lbs 11 oz +- 10 oz, so as long as he gains the average half pound a week, he should be a good size when he is born. It was neat to have another ultrasound and see him again. He is head down right now too, which bodes well for a VBAC.

Here I am at 32 weeks with Brock

as compared to 32 weeks with Samantha and Laura. I'm sticking out more in front this pregnancy instead of just getting big all over.

Rainy Day Ladybugs

2011-06-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura received these rain jackets with matching boots last Christmas. Both of them have been wearing the boots for awhile, but I couldn't convince either of them to wear the jackets until yesterday. Now, of course, they don't ever want to take them off. They are starting to want more of a say in what they wear. Yesterday they wanted to wear their Christmas hair bows, and they demanded to wear pajamas for their nap. We'll see what their clothing demands are today.

One is Less Than Two

2011-06-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Samantha and Laura, I had a lot of people ask me if I thought being pregnant with twins felt a lot different than being pregnant with just one baby. Then they would realize that I didn't know how it felt to just have one baby, so I couldn't tell them the differences. Now I can compare and contrast a bit, although I've realized that I really only remember the last two months of my pregnancy with the girls.

By the way, since I don't think we ever announced it to the online world, we are having a boy, and we are going to name him Brock Alexander.

I am one of those lucky women who have easy pregnancies. People keep asking me how I am feeling, and sometimes I think they think I am lying when I say I am doing great, but it's the truth. I didn't get sick with either pregnancy. In both pregnancies I was really tired in the first trimester, but the wonderful thing about this pregnancy is I got my energy back in the second trimester. With the girls, I took two naps a day for the entire pregnancy. Now that I am chasing two two-year-olds around, it has been really nice to have my energy back the last three months.

I feel like I am smaller in this pregnancy, although when I look at the pictures, I realize that I was only really huge for the last couple of months with Samantha and Laura.

25 weeks with Samantha and Laura

25 weeks with Brock

28 weeks with Samantha and Laura

26 weeks with Brock (and the pregnant belly stain on my shirt)

37.5 weeks with Samantha and Laura. I'm hoping not to get quite this big with Brock.

I do remember that by this time (27 weeks) with the girls, I had horrible round ligament pain, and I haven't had any with this pregnancy, which again, makes it a lot easier to keep up with Samantha and Laura.

My first pregnancy was by no means difficult (especially for twins), but this pregnancy has been even easier. Although I think a lot of that is because it is my second pregnancy, and Samantha and Laura distract me from the fact that I am pregnant. I don't feel Brock move as much as I felt the girls, but whenever I sit still, he moves like crazy. I just don't sit still very often. During my pregnancy with Samantha and Laura, being pregnant was the focus of my life. Now being the mom of twin toddlers is the focus of my life, and poor Brock gets at least partially ignored. I'm sure he won't allow us to ignore him when he's born.

We Love Our New Baby

2011-06-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

We've had our new baby home for an entire week. He's so wonderful. He already helps out a lot with the girls, and he hasn't made us lose any sleep yet. He's a little big for his age, but Denise didn't want a small baby. Here are a couple of pictures of him. Isn't he cute?

His name is 2007 Honda Odyssey EX Tracy. Maybe we'll change it. He doesn't have a birth certificate, so nothing is permanent.

So far, Samantha and Laura love him. They call him "new car," as opposed to the Taurus, who they call "gray car." The girls can now climb into their car-seats themselves, which is great! We are now a minivan family, and we love it. If your car doesn't have power sliding doors, you don't know what you are missing.

Since we know our siblings will yell at us for not posting pictures of our actual children, here are Samantha and Laura being super cute, as usual.

Samantha (one purple and one green bow) and Laura (two purple bows) holding hands

Samantha with her bubble-making Mater

Laura and Mater

Samantha

2011-04-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

My brother says that I am being unfair to Samantha, because Laura has more posts about her than Samantha does. So here's a post about Samantha.

She absolutely loves going down slides. She refuses to wear hair bows, and I'm sick of her hair in her face, so she gets pigtails now. It makes it easy to tell her apart from Laura for everyone else (and for us when we look at pictures). While we were Utah, Samantha starting putting adjectives with nouns. Now she says "purple ball" or "big truck" which is so much nicer than just "purple" and me having to guess which purple item she is talking about. She also just started saying, "Thank you Mommy" and "Thank you Daddy," so sentences are coming!

Guess the Mess

2011-04-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what made the mess on Laura's face?

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-14T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

This is Michael writing this time. I just wanted to tell everyone that I am totally crazy about Denise. She is the best, hands down, no competition, totally amazing wife I could ever dream of. She is an awesome mom, terrific woman, and my perfect partner. I know she will blush bright red reading this (it's super cute when she does that) but that's ok. Everyone should know I love her with all my heart and I always will. I LOVE YOU DENISE!!!

We Need a New Blog Name

2011-01-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

Three Many Tracys just doesn't sound good. Yes, we are having another baby. We're due September 10, and it is just one this time. We are super excited. Samantha and Laura are not quite two, so they haven't noticed. We're sure that will change as Denise's lap disappears. The girls like other people's babies at church. We'll see how they like living with one.

Snow!

2011-01-11T19:04:00.001-08:00

Back in November we had some very unseasonal snow. Not that snow is ever in season around here. Samantha and Laura loved it. And they loved Daddy's day off of work too. Yay government job! It was a good thing we already had Thanksgiving groceries done.

Snow!

"I'm off the drive way and not holding a hand."

"But maybe Mommy can't see because of the snow!"

Sledding with Daddy.

Pushing the strollers in the snow. The girls really like their strollers.

Who Needs Toys?

2011-01-04T20:17:00.000-08:00

Laura discovered she has a talent.

Yes, even with all her new Christmas toys, she wanted to show off her plunger skills. So remember, if your toilet is clogged, call Laura's Toilet Service. 1-800-ISOCUTE.

Home Improvements

2011-01-03T19:28:00.000-08:00

We meant to write this post back in September, when we reached our one-year anniversary of owning our home, but it obviously didn't happen.

In the last 16 months, we have painted most of the interior, replaced all of our blinds, reseeded the lawn, taken out multiple bushes/trees, refaced the kitchen cabinetry, re-tiled the fireplace, put up new kitchen light fixtures, and replaced the carpet and linoleum in the entryway, living room, dining room, and kitchen with laminate. We aren't nearly done with our plans, but we like what we've done so far. And for our new year's resolution, we don't want to start anymore new projects until we've finished the five or so we have in progress (i.e. baseboards).

Here's a quick look at what we've done.

The Kitchen:

When we moved in

After painting

With refaced cabinets and floor removed

Mostly done

The Living Room:

When we moved in

After painting

Demolished fireplace (yes we had to cut out the drywall)

New tile, old floor. Notice the bookcase? It was easy to build, but hard to anchor to the wall. Stupid wall anchors! It wasn't supposed to be a multi-day project.

Done

Done, except for baseboards.

The Girls' bedroom

When we moved in

Pink

Playroom

Red and blue

Our amazing Technicolor dream house

First Hair Cut

2010-12-10T15:25:00.001-08:00

On Veteran's Day (Michael had the day off, and there was no way I was going to do this on my own) we took the girls to get their first haircut. It was a traumatic experience for all five of us (the stylist included), but we like the outcome.

Here is Samantha before.

Laura before

Samantha after

Laura after

And here is our fashionista Samantha racing her car. What style!

Halloween

2010-11-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween. We went to our ward's Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday night. Samantha and Laura had a lot of fun. Michael's mom made their leopard costumes, and they were adorable. Michael and I dressed up as wildlife preserve employees, and herding our leopards wasn't too bad. They were well-behaved most of the night.

Here are the girls with their trick-or-treat buckets. Samantha has on the pink necklace, and Laura is holding the blue truck.

Leopard Samantha

A laughing Leopard Laura

Denise with Samantha

Michael with both girls (Laura is still holding onto that truck.)

Even as a leopard, Samantha enjoyed cleaning.

Laura with her treat bucket

Michael and I carved pumpkins on Friday night. Mine is the skull and crossbones, and Michael's is the bat on the gravestone.

We attempted to decorate our trunk as a spooky jungle.

Michael took the girls around, while I handed out candy. Samantha and Laura actually made it to all of the cars. By then, I had almost run out of candy, so we handed out about half of their candy. Luckily this year, they didn't know the difference. They actually only got to eat two pieces of candy. Michael and I either handed out or ate the rest. We definitely won't get away with that next year.

Denise's Birthday

2010-10-24T20:26:00.000-07:00

I had a great birthday on Tuesday. Michael surprised me by coming home early from work, and he bought me flowers and balloons too. The girls had a blast with the balloons.

I made a peanut butter cake, which turned out really well. We invited some friends over to help us eat it, since gaining an extra 5 pounds didn't sound like a great birthday present.

I was even able to coach Samantha in saying "Happy Birthday Mom." I have a short video, but unfortunately Blogger won't let me post it.

Samantha and Laura playing with the balloons.

Balloons, cake and flowers

Peanut butter cake

Laura

Samantha

Many Words

2010-10-14T14:34:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura are starting to talk a lot more, so on the right of the blog, I've added lists of what words they can say. They are somewhat in order. Yes, both girls' first word was "moo". We'll see if I keep up on new words better than I do on blog posts. As you can see, Samantha and Laura can make lots of animal sounds.

Laura still talks more in her own language, but Samantha is starting to repeat after us more and more. I LOVE that she finally says "Mom". Maybe Laura will catch on someday.

Happy Birthday Michael

2010-10-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 28th Birthday Michael! To a dad who is the best "tickle-monster"

and to a husband who enjoys cooking dinner (yes he will probably help make his own birthday dinner tonight).

Happy Birthday. We love you.

Forks

2010-09-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today Samantha and Laura proved yet again, that they are little girls and not babies anymore. They've been interested in forks for a little while now, so for the last few days, I've given each of them a fork while they eat. Today they actually fed themselves with a fork. Laura still needed some help getting her food on the fork, but Samantha stabbed her pears and hot dog with skill and gusto.

I also finally turned their car seats around so they are forward-facing. We'll see how the girls react the next time we get in the car.

Washington D.C.

2010-08-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

On July 31st we embarked upon our longest trip yet. Samantha and Laura took the cross country trip rather well. We left from Grandma's house at 3:45am and arrived at our hotel in D.C. about 7:30pm (4:30 our time). We stayed at the State Plaza Hotel, which isn't quite as snazzy as it sounds, but was quite nice. And it was only a few blocks from the mall! We enjoyed seeing the monuments. We met and talked with a police officer on horseback, which was the highlight of Samantha and Laura's morning. After lots of walking we ate lunch at the American History Museum. They had a neat exhibit about transportation. The first ladies' dress exhibit was also really cool. We met Denise's family and also a friend of Catharine's in the afternoon and spent some time in the Natural History Museum. On our second day Denise took the girls to her aunt and uncle's house to have fun with her cousins. Michael, Grandma, Grandpa, and Catharine toured the Air and Space Museum. Then it was time to head to Virginia Beach!

The Lincoln Memorial.

The Washington Monument.

Our family at the Lincoln Memorial.

Samantha is on the left and Laura is on the right.

Denise with Laura and Grandma with Samantha at the Korean War Memorial.

The Korean War Memorial Wall.

The World War II Memorial.

Our family at the White House.

Samantha and Laura with Denise's cousins.

18 Months

2010-08-23T12:27:00.001-07:00

Samantha and Laura turned 18 months old last Friday. We had their doctor's appointment today. Here are the stats:

Samantha:

Length: 32 in. 50th-75th percentile

Weight: 23 lbs. 25th-50th percentile

Head: 46.6 cm. 50th percentile

Laura:

Length: 32 in. 50th-75th percentile

Weight: 22 lbs 8 oz 25th percentile

Head: 46.4 cm. 50th percentile

They are doing great. They say "no" and "yep" and make lots of animal sounds. Samantha will even say "da-da" sometimes, but no "ma-ma" yet. I don't think they'll learn "Mom" for several months just to spite me.

They had their first official day of nursery at church yesterday. I had been going with them for 3 weeks. They liked nursery, but we weren't sure how they were going to handle it without me there with them. They did great. One of the nursery leaders brought Samantha to me, because she needed a diaper change, and as soon as I was done changing her diaper, Samantha went right back to nursery without any problem. It helps that our ward's nursery leaders are wonderful. They have a good balance of setting rules and having a routine, but also being flexible enough for 18-month olds.

We also had our big trip to DC and Virginia at the beginning of August. Samantha and Laura did great. They handled the lack of routine much better than I did. We'll post more about that trip soon.

Cute Pictures of the Cuties

2010-06-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I've posted pictures of the girls. I'm sure great-grandparents and aunts and uncles are sick of checking the blog to find no pictures. So here are finally a few recent pics.

In each set, the top picture is Laura, and the bottom picture is Samantha. I don't like Laura better or anything. That's just where blogger put them.

Both Samantha and Laura started walking for real on June 7. Samantha walked first, but Laura was only 10 minutes behind her. Both of them also stood up in the middle of the floor that night too. Now, Samantha almost runs, and neither of them crawl very often.

They also have started shaking and nodding their heads. It's amazing how much easier it is to communicate with them now that they can "say" yes or no.

Michael and I have been busy with home improvements. We painted our kitchen cabinets over Memorial Day weekend. This week we've been working at replacing the tile around our fireplace. Get tile off is quite a task. We are planning on laying the new tile tonight, so that we can grout and seal it before we start work on replacing the downstairs floor with laminate next weekend. Yes, we now realize that we have bit off quite a big hunk, but our new cherry laminate will look so much better than the current blue/gray carpet and linoleum. We'll post before and after pictures soon.

Once the floor is in, we'll take a break from major home improvement projects so that we can enjoy the summer, if it ever really gets here.

15 Month Check-up

2010-05-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura had their 15-month check-up today. They clung to me the entire time, poor things. Having strange people poke and prod them is not one of their favorite activities, but all of us survived, and I'm hoping that all of the crying at the doctor's office wore them out and that they'll take a nice, long nap.

Here are their stats:

Samantha: Height: 31 in (50-75%)

Weight: 20 lb 9oz (10-25%)

Head: 46 cm (50%)

Laura: Height: 30.5 in (50%)

Weight: 19lb 12 oz (10%)

Head: 46.3cm (50-75%)

They are growing really well and even moved up on the charts a little bit. They are consistent at being tall for their weight.

Neither of them are saying words yet, but they babble a lot, and they are pretty good at letting us know what they want through whining and pointing. Today, Samantha starting signing "more" and "all done," which is exciting. Laura lets us know when she is done eating by ripping her bib off of her neck and throwing it on the ground. Subtlety doesn't appear to be her strength yet.

Ready for a Nap

2010-05-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura got to bed late last night, so they were a little tired and cranky this morning. I figured I wasn't going to have much trouble getting them to take a nap, but I wasn't expecting Samantha to stand up next to her crib and point inside. Obviously she knew it was nap time and wanted to make sure I knew it too.

A Couple of Milestones

2010-04-30T19:56:00.001-07:00

Samantha took her first step today. She and Laura were having fun showing me how they could stand on their own, and instead of just falling into my arms, Samantha actually took a step toward me. She did it a few more times this afternoon. Then this evening, she actually took four or five steps several times. We are so excited and proud of her.

Laura still prefers falling to moving her feet, but she balances on her feet as well as Samantha, so we think that a few days of watching Samantha walk, will be incentive enough for Laura too. Also, Laura scooted down the stairs for the first time today. I guess dragging both Samantha and Laura down the stairs on their tummies is finally paying off. We'll see how long it takes for Samantha to find on incentive to learn how to go down and not just up the stairs.

Pink Eye, Easter, Kermit, and the Zoo with G-Ma and G-Pa

2010-04-20T19:37:00.000-07:00

My brother keeps reminding me that it's been awhile since I've posted anything. March and April have been busy months, and the more I procrastinate blogging, the more updates I feel I need to post and the less motivated I am to post anything. But here are the highlights since the girls' birthday.

All four of us got sick in the middle of March. My ears were clogged, and it turned out that Michael had a bacterial sinus infection or possibly bronchitis. Both girls got pink eye, and administering anti-bacterial eye drops to two squirmy one-year-olds twice a day was not so easy. Nevertheless, we all got better by the end of March.

Easter was fun. Samantha and Laura had an Easter egg hunt on Easter morning. They liked finding the eggs, although they didn't quite get the hang of putting them in their baskets. Laura liked putting the real eggs in her mouth. At least she didn't bite down on them. We had Easter dinner in Tacoma with Michael's family, and it was a good day.

My parents just left today after staying with us over the weekend. We had a lot of fun going to Point Defiance Zoo and the Bremerton waterfront park. Plus it was really nice to have someone else to walk laps with Samantha.

The girls have accomplished a lot in the last two months. Neither of them is walking yet, but Laura finally learned to roll over from back to front and sit up on her own. She can also pull herself up to stand, cruise a little bit, and crawl up the stairs. She can crawl if she wants to, but she generally prefers to scoot on her tush. Once she decided that she wanted to be more mobile, she learned very quickly. Both Samantha and Laura are also pointing at everything, and they can stand on their own for a few seconds. They know where their hair and "piggies" are, although we are still working on teaching them where their nose is.

Their favorite show is "The Muppet Show" with Elton John as the guest-star. If we mention the "muppets," "Kermit," or "Elton John," they immediately look and point at the TV and the cabinet where we keep our DVD player. Then they sit perfectly still for 24 minutes while Kermit, Miss Piggy and Elton John sing and dance.

Their current favorite book is Madeline, and one day Samantha read it on her own in their play-room for almost 15 minutes. Both Michael and I were bookworms when we were little, and so far it looks like Samantha and Laura are following suit.

Here are a few pictures:

Laura sucking an Easter egg.

Daddy helping Laura reach some Easter eggs.

Samantha reaching for the eggs.

Yes, they know that the remotes work the TV and make Kermit appear.

They love playing near the dishwasher to unload it, but this was the first time they had actually climbed on top of it.

Laura at the zoo.

Feeding time at the zoo.

Samantha (with the cow) and Laura at Grandma's.

Happy Birthday

2010-02-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

Samantha and Laura's birthday was last Saturday. We had a great day. It was almost like Christmas all over again. The morning started with presents and waffles. The girls weren't too interested in either, but that'll change by next year, I'm sure.

Here are their stacks of presents. They're spoiled little girls aren't they?

Samantha eating her waffle.

Laura with her waffle.

We got them a stacking block train.

Here are more of their presents. The paper that Samantha is holding is a card from her Great-Grandma Brady. She really liked it and wouldn't let go of it for quite some time. Actually both of them liked the cards more than the toys. They love paper!

The girls with all of their loot. Samantha is on the left.

In the afternoon, Michael's parents and grandparents came over, as well as some of our friends from church. This shot is a total Denise's pride shot. The decorations came together a lot better than I thought they would.

Here is another pride shot. I didn't want to make two cakes, mostly because then Michael and I would have to eat all of the leftovers, so I made cupcakes and both Michael and I decorated them.

Laura's cupcake

Samantha's cupcake

The above picture was taken right after we sang "Happy Birthday." With so many people watching the girls aren't too sure about eating their cupcakes. Once they got a taste, they quickly warmed up though, especially Samantha. She decided that fingerfuls weren't getting her enough sugar fast enough. She needed to take bites. She liked the cupcake. After her bath, while I was eating my cupcake, she came over to me. I thought she just wanted to be held, but no, she wanted my cupcake.

Laura is a little more cautious with new food, but she liked the cupcake too.

Here is Samantha right before taking her up for a bath.

And here is Laura. They weren't too messy.

It was a fun day for all of us, and it's still weird to think that we have been parents for a whole year. They are definitely starting to look more like toddlers, and they are starting to communicate a little more through body language and grunts. They are still scared of the vacuum, the food processor, and the phone. They love playing in the laundry room and watching the clothes spin in the washer and dryer. They also really like taking cans out of my pantry. Tomato paste is a big hit, since the can is small enough for them to hold it in one hand. We are working at getting them to drink milk, and so far they are more interested in playing with the cup (or for Laura, spitting the milk out) than drinking the milk. Although that's an improvement over Laura screaming each time she took a sip of milk last weekend, because she wanted water. They keep us on our toes, that's for sure.

They had their doctor's appointment on Monday.

Samantha's stats:

Height: 29 1/4in. just over the 50th percentile

Weight: 18lb 4 oz 10th percentile

Head Circumference: 44.7 cm between the 25th and 50th percentiles

Laura's stats:

Height: 29 in. 50th percentile

Weight: 17 lb 13oz between the 5th and 10th percentiles

Head Circumference: 45.1 cm 50th percentile

First Fat Lip

2010-02-11T14:10:00.000-08:00

We almost made it a full year without any serious injuries, but Samantha ruined our streak yesterday with her first fat lip.

She was standing and whining while holding onto my leg while I was eating lunch. I sat her down to clean up my dishes, and as I was putting my plate in the dishwasher I heard a clunk and then a yowl. I ran around the corner of the counter and found Samantha face down next to the kitchen table leg. My guess is that she tried to stand herself up on the kitchen chair, and without me sitting there, it wasn't sturdy enough to support her. Poor thing. I quickly picked her up and saw that her mouth was full of blood, or at least blood tinted slobber. She was wailing, and of course, she wouldn't let me near her mouth with the washcloth to try to help her. I finally got the bleeding under control, and saw that she had a cut lip. Why do mouth wounds have to bleed so profusely. By this time, Laura was very upset too. They both calmed down enough to take a nap. Poor Samantha had a pretty big drool/blood stain on her sheet, as well as a fat lip, when she woke up, but she was much happier, and by the time I took the picture, her fat lip wasn't so fat anymore. The fall hasn't deterred her from standing herself up on everything. I still haven't gotten a good look at the top of her mouth, but it looks like she cut her bottom lip in a couple of places, and the gum between her top two teeth is purple and slightly swollen. Poor kid, but it won't be her last fall.

As for other updates. We got the girls an early birthday present. We finally got the playroom organized so that it can be a playroom. They like it, and I love not having to clean up the toys every day. It's Laura in the picture. Samantha was trying to grab the camera instead of posing for it.

Laura is still scooting on her tush, but both of them get where they want to go. Samantha can stand herself up, and she has started cruising. She can go up the stairs, and although I've tried to teach her how to go down them, she still hasn't made that connection yet. (Do I see another fat lip in the future?) Laura can't go up the stairs, but she is better at going down them, mostly because she can't stand up yet.

Here are both girls standing by the couch. Laura is closest to the camera. I had to stand her up, but she's good at staying standing.

We didn't watch the Superbowl, but the girls did a great first superbowl pose.

Here is just a cute picture of Laura,

and a picture of Samantha eating my carrots. She chomped on them pretty well.

The girls have learned how to open the cupboard where all of their dishes are. That's why we put them on the bottom. Now they can make the kitchen a mess too.

The girls love playing with each other. They'll play peek-a-boo around corners. They also like to play pat-a-cake with us, and they'll do some actions to "Once There Was a Snowman" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." They are still afraid of the vacuum, the food processor, and the phone. I don't know what is so spooky about the phone, but Samantha will just stare at it with a worried look on her face.

We are getting ready for their birthday in just over a week. We'll be sure to post pictures of their cake-covered faces and bodies.

Three Lug Nuts (Update)

2010-01-15T19:33:00.000-08:00

(Michael writing)

So I got off work and took the bus home to find my very distressed wife and, thankfully, not so distressed baby girls. I proceeded to examine the lug nut situation. I can say for certain that my wife is no wimp! I pried and yanked and tugged to no avail. Our lug wrench is little over 18" long and I know on a seated row I can pull 100 lbs no problem. That would be 150 ft-lbs without much trouble. I did finally succeed in getting the lug nuts off by placing one hand on the Taurus, one on my Mercury (parked next to the Taurus), and standing on the lug wrench (probably not in the owners guide). Even that wasn't quite enough! I actually had to bounce up and down a little to loosen the nuts!!! But after I found my solution the nuts did indeed come off and the spare was installed.

For fun I checked the repair guide to my Mercury and it says to torque the lug nuts to 85-105 ft pounds. I figure with my weight (185+) times a little over a foot (my position on the wrench) and then the bouncing, I was putting at least 200 ft-lbs on those nuts! Also for fun I used my new torque wrench (Thanks Grandpa T!) to torque the nuts to 90 ft/lbs, which I was able to do one handed! After all that mess I got cleaned up, I informed Denise that she is not a wimpy sissy girl (her greatest fear), and went to get new tires. All is now well again and the car has new tires a day earlier than planned!

Three Lug Nuts

2010-01-15T13:40:00.001-08:00

While we were in San Francisco, Michael's dad noticed that one of our tires had a leak. He took it to be patched, and the guy said that the tires should be replaced soon.

Well, Michael and I didn't replace the tires immediately (not so smart), but we were planning on getting new tires tomorrow morning. I went to go grocery shopping this morning. I loaded the girls in the car, and backed out of the driveway. As I started to drive forward, I realized it didn't feel right, so I pulled back into our driveway and got out of the car to take a look. Sure enough, the front passenger tire was flat. After getting the girls in the house and situated with toys, I called Michael. My idea was to put the spare on and still pick Michael up from work this afternoon, and then he could go get new tires tonight. I just wanted to make sure it was safe to drive to the shipyard and back with the spare. Michael said it was.

Luckily I had organized part of the garage last week, so without moving too much stuff around, I was able to park our car in the garage (Michael's idea), so that I wouldn't have to change the tire in the pouring rain. I think I've only changed a flat tire once in my life, and that was as a requirement for driver's ed, but I had confidence in my ability.

I pulled out the owner's manual, and while Samantha and Laura were finishing their lunch of bananas and Cheerios, I read the part about changing a tire. Then I plopped the girls down in front of "The Muppet Show" episode guest starring Elton John (yes, I was completely using the TV as a babysitter) and went out into the garage, keeping the door to the garage open so that I could still hear Samantha and Laura.

I pulled out the spare tire and the jack. It took me awhile to figure out that the lug nut wrench was inside a cover, which was frustrating, but I finally got that out too. Then I went to loosen the lug nuts. They wouldn't budge. I pulled upward and pushed downward. I stood with my legs bent. I kneeled next to the tire. I even tried laying on the ground. Nothing.

So of course I called Michael again to see if there was some trick to loosening lug nuts. He said no, and then he suggested that I try using his new torque wrench. He could tell I was frustrated, and he reassured me that I didn't have to worry about it if I didn't have to. What a sweet husband right? But it was a matter of pride, and I didn't want to let the dumb tire beat me.

Nevertheless, I knew that because I was so frustrated, it was probably best to take a break. Plus the girls needed some to have someone besides Kermit and Miss Piggy entertain them.

I watched more episodes of "The Muppet Show" with Samantha and Laura until it was time for their nap. After putting them in their cribs, I went back into the garage. Making a few more failed attempts to loosen the lug nuts, I had the idea that since the tire was flat, maybe the weight of the car was pushing down on the lug nuts at a slight angle, therefore putting more pressure on them and making them harder to loosen. I decided I'd try to jack up the car.

At least I was able to do that without too much difficulty. I then tried loosening the lug nuts again. I was able to get two loose (I might not have tried those ones before), but the other three were just as stubborn. I was actually turning the wheel a bit, so I lowered the jack some and tried again and again and again. Three stupid lug nuts prevent me from claiming that being a girl is no excuse for not knowing how to change a flat.

By this time I pretty much hate all men, because I know that it is some big, tough, burly, car guy who tightened the lugs nuts as tight as he could get them just so no non-body-building woman could change her own flat tire. Ok, maybe that wasn't his reason, but the lug nuts are on tighter than they need to be. I know I'm not the strongest woman out there by long shot, but if I'm making the wheel turn and causing the car to creak and move slightly, then I can't be that weak.

Michael is taking an hour of leave, so that he can come home a bit early and change the flat tire. If he loosens those three lug nuts without any effort, I'm going to start doing push-ups daily. When he gets the new tires, he will also ask the guy about how tight the lug nuts really need to be. I realize having a tire come off while I'm driving is much more dangerous than not being able to change a flat tire, but I'm hoping the right torque for the lug nuts will accomplish both.

I am incredibly grateful that the tire lost air in our driveway and not in the Safeway parking lot or while I was driving. Can't you just imagine me on the side of the road, as a damsel in distress with tears of humiliation streaming down my face, all because of three lug nuts?

The morals of this story:

Don't procrastinate

Practice changing a flat tire before you get one

Be grateful for a garage

Keep said garage organized

Have a strong, understanding husband

Do lots and lots and lots of push-ups

Christmas and San Francisco

2010-01-11T12:18:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and were spoiled by everyone. Samantha and Laura gave Michael and I a great Christmas present by sleeping in for about 45 minutes. We couldn't have asked for anything better.

Samantha and Laura had fun playing with all of the wrapping paper and ribbons. They were also excited to get lots of new toys, even though they didn't understand why they were getting them.

Here's Laura surrounded by Christmas fun.

Here is Samantha with Michael.After we opened presents, the girls took a nap, and Michael and I finished packing for our trip to San Francisco. After lunch, we went to Tacoma to Michael's parents' and had our second Christmas. By this time, Samantha and Laura were starting to get a bit over-stimulated, but they were still really happy and enjoyed their new toys. The outfits they are wearing are from their great-grandparents, and they were great for the flight to San Fran.Our flight to San Francisco was fine, and the girls did really well. They got fussy when we landed, but it was over 2 hours past their bed-time by that point, and it had been a very eventful day.

By the next morning though, they were smiling again, and we had our third Christmas. Michael and I were glad that we did it in stages, because we think it would've been a LONG Christmas morning if we had opened all of the presents in one shot.

We had a lot of fun in San Francisco. It was great to see my parents and brothers and meet my brothers' girlfriend. My parents' new house (in the east bay area) is really nice, and surprisingly, all of us fit in it without feeling too overcrowded.

On Monday, we left the girls with my parents, and the rest of us went into San Francisco for the afternoon. We went to the cable car museum where they house the mechanics that run all of the cable cars. It was really neat. Then we walked through part of China-town. It'll be fun to go back when the girls are a little older and spend more time sight-seeing.

Samantha and Laura are doing great. My parents have hardwood floors, so Samantha got lots of practice crawling on a slippery surface. When she got back to carpeted floors, she was super-speedy. Laura has also started scooting (FINALLY), although it's hard to catch her in the act. She scoots more when nobody is looking. Both girls clap, play Pat-A-Cake, and signal "Touchdown". Their teeth are coming in like crazy. Samantha has two bottom teeth, a top tooth, and two more top teeth coming. Laura has two bottom teeth, a top tooth and three more top teeth coming. This translates to more drool and poop. I almost feel like they have reverted back to 3 month olds. But they aren't extra fussy, so we shouldn't complain.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T13:11:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We are flying to San Francisco Christmas Day to spend some time with my parents in their new home, so we definitely won't be blogging for several days (not that we're that we blog that frequently anyway). We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas.

Samantha and Laura are 10 months old now, and Samantha is crawling! She figured it out when we took pictures of them on Sunday. Guess what she crawled for? Cheerios! She still isn't too speedy, but she gets better and faster each day, so Santa better bring us some baby-proofing items for Christmas.

Here are the girls on their 10-month birthday (last Sunday). Laura is holding the two bowls.

This is Samantha with a fountain of snot running out of her nose.

Here's cutie Laura, and yes she knows she is adorable.

Here are the girls eating an after-dinner snack with the Hanukkah candles lit. It took until the 7th day of Hanukkah for me to remember to get a picture with them and the candles.
A couple of weeks ago, we went to Zoolight at the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. They have lights everywhere. It was pretty cold, but, thankfully, not as cold as it had been earlier in the week. I know the lights are all blurry, but they have a model of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which I love. The cars are even going the right direction.

All of us bundled up at Zoolights.

Laura and Samantha in their beautiful Christmas dresses that Michael's mom made. The girls get big smiles on their faces when they see the dresses. They know they look extra cute in them.

We are excited for the girls' first Christmas! I'm sure they will love the wrapping paper. Merry Christmas!

The Big Change

2009-12-10T19:46:00.001-08:00

Before

After

I haven't had my hair this short since I was a toddler, when it was straight, and there was a lot less of it. It was a bit sad to cut off all of that hair, but I wanted a change, and now the girls won't be able to pull it so easily. I'm really happy with the cut. It's not a triangle! Plus, the stylist didn't look like a deer caught in the headlights when she saw me. Of course, we'll see how long it takes before I want to grow it back out again.

The girls are growing up

2009-12-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

Here's just a quick update on the girls.

Samantha is almost crawling! She figured out how to sit herself up on Tuesday. She can get up on all fours and crawl backwards, but she still hasn't quite figured out how to move her knees forward. I think Laura is noticing that Samantha can move around a bit, and sometimes she is jealous, but so far she is still mostly content to just sit. Laura, however, now can feed herself. It took her about two weeks longer than Samantha to figure out how to put Cheerios in her mouth, but it took her less than a day to then become as proficient as Samantha, so Michael and I are waiting for Laura to skip the scooting and rocking back and forth on her knees and just crawl one day. Laura is so good at feeding herself that she didn't want me to spoon feed her at lunch today. She would only eat finger food. What an independent 9-month old. I didn't think that was supposed to happen until she was 15-18 months. I can only imagine what she's going to be like at 2 or 13!

Laura has also figured out how to cross her ankles while she is sitting. I don't think it looks too comfortable, especially without leaning back on your hands, but she has done it several times.

Samantha and Laura love when I take their high chair trays off.

Here is Samantha with beets all over her face and a Cheerio in her mouth. Both of her bottom teeth have broken through.

We are also preparing for a BIG change today. We're not sure how any of us will react. Stayed tuned.

Thanksgiving (Part II)

2009-11-26T08:21:00.001-08:00

Denise said I forgot some stuff:

Doors wide enough for the double stroller, a food processor, the microwave, disposable diapers, grandparents that buy/make almost all the girls' clothing, car seats that you don't have to install every time you get in the car, indoor plumbing, washer and dryer (with steam!), a new thermostat, comfy couches, twin boppy pillow, pants that fit (for now, 'til she loses more weight), Living 5 minutes from grocery stores, Costco carts that both girls can sit in, chocolate (duh, how could I forget that!), water in the refrigerator door, warm showers, babies that sleep through the night (most nights), The Muppet Show (the twins love Kermit!), a husband who makes me have fun.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

PS Oh, and the 52" TV, that's nice too (especially now that we finally threw away the box!).

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:14:00.001-08:00

Beautiful baby girls, a home, Michael's job, Denise can stay home, safety and security, loving family, the gospel, our friends and neighbors, freedom to do so many things, health, stability, happiness, our Savior, each other.

These are just a few of the things we are thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

2009-11-25T20:25:00.000-08:00

Hopefully this will be a video of the girls playing with buttons on each others bibs!

The girls had their nine month doctor visit today and here are the results:

Samantha: 15lbs 15oz (5th percentile), 27.25" tall (25-50th percentile)

Laura: 15lbs 10oz, (5th percentile), 27.25" tall (25-50th percentile)

2009-11-12T10:05:00.000-08:00

I know it's been almost a month since I posted, so here a pictures.

The Brady and Gill sides are coming out a little bit in Laura.

I think Samantha looks like Michael's mom in this picture of her in her car seat.

It's amazing to think that we put them in these car seats when they were only 5 lbs.

Samantha in her Halloween bib from G-ma

I love this picture of Laura.

They both like taking things out of bowls or buckets.

The girls were princesses for Halloween. We enjoyed handing out candy at our trunk-or-treat. Here's Michael with Laura,

and me with Samantha.

These other two babies are just a bit older than the girls. The poor babies, camera flashes (and not just those from the babies' parents) were going off everywhere.

Michael and my pumpkins. Can you tell whose is which?

Yesterday Laura was having a slightly off day, and we got a preview of her pubescent mood swings. 12 years from now may not be so much fun. This first picture was taken at 10:35 am.

This pictures was at 10:37 am.

And she is happy again at 10:39 am.

Samantha was happy playing on the floor.

Neither of them are crawling yet, but Samantha scoots a bit when she is sitting. They are both just content to sit. They'll reach for a toy for a bit, but if they can't get to it soon, they just play with another toy, or if all of the toys are out of their reach, they'll play with their feet and the carpet. At least they know how to entertain themselves. Hopefully they'll keep that up after they turn 2 (and can no longer fly free), because that will make road trips easier.

Halloween Preview

2009-10-20T14:03:00.001-07:00

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the cutest baby princess of them all?

"No need to answer, we all know it's me."

"No it's me."

Tough decision. What do you think?

8-month cuties

2009-10-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

The girls are 8 months old today! They are both getting so big and acquiring more and more of a personality. A couple of weeks ago both of them absolutely loved solid food, especially fruit, of course. After eating a ton, Samantha would still throw a fit when she finished her fruit. I figure it's foreshadowing of when she isn't allowed to have another cookie. Recently Laura has been completely indifferent when it comes to solid food. She'll eat about four bites (if we are lucky), and then she is just done. She doesn't throw a fit; she just refuses to open her mouth.

Here is Samantha yesterday.

And Laura

Samantha has finally learned how to roll over back to front. She first did it when she was swaddled in her crib, but she has learned how to roll over unswaddled too. It just takes some effort to get that arm out of the way.

On of the most exciting things that the girls have learned, is that they have each other. They've looked at one another for several months, but about a month ago they both realized that their sister isn't just a toy, but a human being. Now they'll talk with and laugh at each other, and they like playing with one another's feet. It's adorable to watch. I've tried video taping it a couple of times, but they stop laughing and just stare at the camera. What little stinkers.

On Columbus Day, Michael and I worked out in the yard for a bit, so here are the girls bundled up. It's a cute picture, plus I figure our Rexburg friends would think our version of bundling up our kids hilarious, since they only have on about half as much clothing as they'd need in southeast Idaho.

Another close-up of Laura

Samantha's cute turtle smile

Happy 8-month Birthday girls!

Laura's apology

2009-10-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Daddy,

I am sorry that I stuck my finger in your nose and made you bleed. I am also sorry that I screamed as if I were being tortured while Mommy was at Lowes, and that I screamed again while you were putting up blinds.

Love,

Laura

Prepping, Painting, Packing, Playing

2009-09-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Here is what has been going on in our lives in the part four weeks (i.e. our excuses for not blogging).

We closed on our house on August 31, and we were originally going to take possession on September 1, but our sellers needed a few extra days to pack and clean, so we got keys on September 3. Of course we wanted to paint most of the house, including our two story living room, before we moved in. So Denise spent two days removing light switch and power socket plates and washing walls in 1-2 hour segments while the girls slept.

Saturday Michael's parents came up to help, and we were able to get finish prepping everything and make sure that we really wanted bright yellow walls. We did.

Monday we painted most of the main living areas. Poor Michael had paint the living room in three go-arounds with the ladder: once to cut in, once to roll the really high part, and once to roll the fairly high part. Luckily we had Michael's parents' help again on Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday was another yellow day, and we got the girls' room painted pink. On Wednesday it was time to paint the playroom red and blue. Yes we have brightly colored home, and we love it. It's Denise and Michael's Amazing Technicolor House.

Thursday was clean-up day, and Friday was full of packing so that we could move on Saturday. The next Monday, Denise cleaned the old apartment, and we turned in keys. Then we went to start Michael's car, and of course it wouldn't start even with a jump. So Tuesday we spent the afternoon having it towed to our house. At least now it is in our garage, and Michael can tinker with it a little bit each week and when we are able to get it started great, but there is no rush.

We've now lived in our new home for 2 weeks, and we are at least unpacked enough to not have to search in boxes for everything. There are still boxes everywhere, but at least we have a garage in which to store unpacked boxes until we get to them. Hopefully by Thanksgiving we'll be 95% moved in.

Samantha and Laura have been amazing during this whole process. Poor girls, I think we've tortured them enough. Luckily they learned to sit up the weekend we were painting, so they were able to entertain themselves more while we painted, packed and moved. We also got a lot of help from a lot of people which made this process a lot less stressful than it could have been. Thank you.

We also went to the Puyallup Fair, bought blinds (which still need to be put up), filled out paperwork for rebates and the tax credit, and of course played with babies. So there are our Mormon excuses for not getting around to blogging.

Of course I haven't taken many pictures of the home after we finished painting it, but Michael was good at taking pictures when we still had 16-year-old white paint on the walls.

Here's Michael painting the living room. This is his third time around on the ladder.

The fireplace in our living room.

The living room from the upstairs hallway.
The dining room from the living room.

The kitchen from the dining room. I love that it is a u-shaped kitchen, because the girls can see me from their highchairs while I am in the kitchen.

Here's some pictures of Samantha and Laura too. Oh and they are finally over 14 lbs. They reached 13 lbs when they were between 4 and 5 months old, and it felt like they were going to be 13 lbs forever.

Samantha after lunch yesterday.

Lara after lunch. If you couldn't tell, they had yummy peas for lunch.

I love this picture of Samantha.
Michael tickling Laura.
The three girls after a Sunday afternoon nap, and amazingly Samantha isn't pulling Denise's hair which has been upgraded to her second favorite toy after her pacifier.

We Have a House with a Yard

2009-08-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

We closed on a house today! We've been waiting for the final underwriting for over a month, but it's hard to believe that as soon as the county records the transaction, we will be official homeowners. I'm meeting our realtor at our new home tomorrow morning. The next two weeks will be crazy, with painting, packing and moving. Our goal is to not completely stress out the girls or each other. The nice thing with moving from an apartment to a house is we don't have to move all in one day. We can stay in the apartment for the next couple of weeks and paint without furniture in the house, but it will still be quite an adventure with twin 6-month olds. At least they aren't mobile yet.

I'll post pictures of our house in the next couple of days. We want to take lots of before and after pictures. We are really excited, but it definitely hasn't sunk in yet. That will happen, when I run a load of laundry at 6am, mow our lawn or nurse the girls with the blinds open. Also the girls will finally be in their own room (we've been too lazy to move around furniture to put them in their own room in the apartment) and in two separate cribs (also too lazy to put together the second crib). We are so excited!

6 months old

2009-08-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Laura and Samantha turned 6-months old. They are growing up so quickly. They are both doing great. We started feeding them rice cereal last Saturday, and Samantha abolutely loves it. As soon as she sees the spoon, she opens her mouth really wide. Of course, that could also be because the spoon fits in her mouth and none of her toys do. Laura is still a little uncertain about the cereal. Neither of them likes being in the high chair for longer than about 15 minutes. Hopefully that will change as they get bigger and can reach more things on the tray.

They are looking more and more alike. Now Michael and I look more at their mannerisms and expressions to tell them apart. Laura likes to suck her thumb, and she puts her right foot in her mouth, while Samantha puts left foot in her mouth (at least usually). Laura still has a more pronounced dimple when she smiles, but I have to look really closely at the pictures to tell who is who. Their hair is becoming a bit thicker, and it's a little lighter than it used to be. Maybe they will be red-haids or blondes afterall. Thankfully they are taking longer naps, and they love going for walks. They've also gotten to the age where they are trying to figure out their toys, and when they can't, they get very frustrated. I have no idea where they got that from. Michael and I never get frustrated when we can't figure something out. It is kind of cute when they take their toy alligator or caterpillar and look at it in the eyes while screaming at it trying to make it behave and do whatever it is they want it to do.

Samantha is on the left, and Laura is on the right.

Laura

Samantha

Reaching for those toes

Laura is on the right, and Samantha is on the left.

Samantha's first feeding of cereal

Laura's first feeding of cereal.

Friends of ours had a baby girl about two weeks ago, and they dropped by. (I definitely was not visiting people when Samantha and Laura were two-weeks old. I barely made it to the doctor's office with them.) Their baby was 6 lb 12 oz. It's amazing how much the girls have grown, because their daughter was so tiny, but she was still 2 lbs heavier than Laura was at her lightest. No wonder everyone kept telling me how tiny they were, (something I was, and still sometiems am, defensive about) even when they were 8 lbs at around 2 months. They were tiny, and they are still small for their age, but it's amazing to see how much they have grown.
Neither Samantha nor Laura are sitting, crawling or rolling from their back to their front, but they want to sit up, and if you get Samantha balanced, she can sit without support for about 2 seconds. I know the next month or two will be full of milestones. It's amazing how quickly they learn new things and develop.

Finally another post

2009-08-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

So I am finally writing another post. I have no good excuse for not posting anything in over a month. I've just been lazy.

Samantha and Laura are doing great. They look even more alike, so much so, in fact, that I've been paranoid that I'm going to mix them up. Their hair has filled in, and Samantha's face has rounded out a bit, while Laura's face has lengthened. Samantha used to have a longer face, nad Laura's was more round, but now I have to find different traits to tell them apart. Their expressions are still different, thank goodness.

Both of them are mesmorized by Michael and I eating or drinking anything. They are so ready for solid food, which we will start in a week. I know it will be super messy, but I'm so excited for this milestone.

Here are a few pictures.

Samantha on her tummy.LauraThey have both discovered their feet. Laura is touching her toes after rolling over, and Samantha is biting Laura's head. They are obviously into putting EVERYTHING in their mouths.Five months old. Samantha is on the left. (She still had more hair than Laura on July 20.)

I know that this picture is off-center, but I love their expressions. Laura is giving me her "You know you are crazy, right?" look that she has had since she was born. We can hardly wait until she gives us that look when she is a teenager.

In non-baby news, we are almost through purchasing a house. We are just waiting for final approval, and then we can close. We are really excited to own our own home and to not move for several years. It will also be great to have a yard next spring and summer when the girls are toddlers.

New Summer Outfits

2009-07-08T10:20:00.001-07:00

With our trip to Salt Lake,the Fourth of July, and Samantha and Laura growing out of 3-month clothing, the girls have gotten a bunch of new summer outfits. Of course, in Washington, you never know how often you will be able to wear your summer clothes. It was in the mid-80's for the Fourth of July, but it was only in the upper 60's yesterday. Whatever the temperature, the girls look adorable in their new outfits, and with long-sleeved white onesies, those summer outfits work on even the cooler days.

My grandmother gave Samantha and Laura these outfits, and they fit perfectly. We had the TV on while I was taking these pictures, leading to the stares upwards and backwards. Who can resist brightly colored pictures moving across a 52" screen?

SamanthaI love this picture of Laura. I even got her to look away from the TV for a second.

Michael's mom made these dresses. She is so talented, and makes such cute baby clothes. Samantha and Laura (and me of course) are lucky to have her close by.

Here is Samantha with Grandma on the Fourth of July.

And here is Laura with Grandpa.

My mom bought the girls these onesies. They say "Daddy's Little Sparkler," and they were perfect for the hot Fourth.

Here are Daddy's Little Sparklers with Daddy. Laura is staring at a fountain in my in-laws' fish pond.

Besides wearing cute new clothes, Samantha and Laura are doing wonderfully. They sleep 10 hours at night. I know, we are the luckiest parents ever. Both are sitting with support really well, and at times they even try to sit up further and do little baby crunches. They are getting to be good talkers, and they love when Michael makes funny, only-dads-can-make noises.

Salt Lake Trip

2009-07-01T07:00:00.001-07:00

We had a great trip to Salt Lake last weekend. Both Samantha and Laura were great. We were afraid they might freak out with being in a new place and meeting so many new people, but they were happy almost the entire time and loved looking at everything and trying to figure it all out.

We stayed at my parents' house. Both of my brothers were able to be there too, and Michael's brother and sister-in-law drove in from Colorado to see the girls. Both sets of my grandparents also live in Utah, so now Samantha and Laura have met all of their aunts and uncles and great-grandparents. All eight of the girls' great-grandparents are still alive, which, even with people living longer, is still unique. Lucky girls. Here is a four-generation picture for my side of the family.
I barely got to hold Samantha and Laura at all. While it was great to have so much help and not have to worry about being fair in holding each girl an equal amount of time, I missed having them to myself. Yesterday it was nice to play with them on the floor by myself.

Here is Michael holding Samantha as she tries to figure out the camera. My brothers were both great with Laura and Samantha. Rob was almost more possessive of them than either me or my mom. It was the first time Dave got to meet the girls, and Samantha instantly felt very comfortable with him. While being held by him for the first time, she blew-out onto his shorts. It was her way of saying, "Nice to meet you, Uncle Dave."

Here is Samantha with my mom.

Michael's mom wasn't sure how his brother Christopher was going to react to being around babies, but he was great.

Christopher's wife Mandy couldn't wait to meet the girls. Laura loved her, and luckily for Mandy, she showed her joy with a smile instead of poop.

Here is Samantha laughing with Grandpa.

Samantha enjoyed posing for the camera with Great-Grandma.

Laura also had a great time with the great-grandparents.

We also found out that we have a reader in the making. Laura is sitting on Dave's lap reading

the newspaper. I was hoping it might be the sports section, but no, it is the opinion section, so already the opinionated gene from both sides of the family is suffacing.
It was a great trip. My parents are moving to San Francisco in the next few months, so it was the last time we will all be together in that house. It was a little sad, but I've become a Washingtonian. Utah was too hot, and I missed the trees. My parents' house was my parents' house, not my home. Home is now our apartment in Silverdale. I guess I really am growing up.

4-Month Check-Up

2009-06-24T09:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was the Samantha and Laura's four-month check-up. They are doing great. Both of them are 23 3/4 inches tall. Samantha is 12lb 3 oz, and Laura is 11lb 5oz. Both have already more than doubled their birth weight, (not that they weighed very much at birth), and they are doing fine developmentally too. Shots weren't nearly as bad this time, since I knew more what to expect, and because they kick their legs a lot more than they did when they were only 2 months old. They are always kicking their legs. I should start following their example, and then I would have abs of steel:)

We are flying to Salt Lake tomorrow. Michael and I are both really excited. I don't think either Laura or Samantha will have too much trouble. They're too young to get bored at the airport, and they'll like looking at the new surroundings. Plus we're planning on using their cuteness to make friends with the gate and flight attendants. It should be a fun adventure.

Sorry no pics this week. I promise to have some fun ones from our Salt Lake trip next week.

We are over-protective, possessive parents

2009-06-17T07:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was proof that Michael and I have really gotten used to being parents. We had a first-time home-buyers class last night, so we asked a couple in our ward to watch the girls for a few hours. It was really hard to leave Samantha and Laura. We both felt like we were missing/forgetting something (which we were). We knew they would be fine, but it definitely felt weird to get in the car without the carseats.

Here are a few pictures from the last week. It was an exciting week for babies. Samantha rolled over, and both Samantha and Laura giggled. This week, Samantha has been talking more than Laura.

Samantha on her tummy

Laura smiling at Dad

Laura

Both girls right after a bath

Samantha

Laura as Kung-Fu Baby

Laura on her tummy

More tummy time with Samantha. Look at that drool!

More tummy time

In non-baby news, we are looking for a house. We've been able to visit some houses, and after getting depressed and feeling like the only thing we could afford was a double-wide in the boonies, we have gotten our second-round of optimism and are excited again. We aren't in a big hurry to buy, although we would definitely like to close before December 1, so that we can get the tax credit.

Also, we are headed to Salt Lake next week. We are flying, so it will be quite an adventure. We are really excited. Although I know that our excitement pales in comparison to our family's excitement to see Samantha and Laura. I've been told that the only thing I get to do is feed them, and then I have to pass them off. This week, the biggest challenge is figuring out what we need to pack without taking our entire apartment with us.

Baby pics of the week

2009-06-10T07:50:00.000-07:00

Here a few pictures from the last week. Both Samantha and Laura are doing really well. Samantha still has zero interest in rolling over, and even though Laura can roll over, she forgets that she knows how to roll over. Laura has become the more dominant one. She "talks" up a storm and almost always seems to have a story to tell us, and when Laura is mad, watch out. Who knew that 3 1/2 month olds can be drama queens. I can only imagine what it's going to be like when she is a teenager. Samantha is learning how to imitate Laura when she is screaming. Laura will be crying for real, and Samantha will scream just to get my attention and then smile. It's kind of cute.

Laura can now keep her pacifier (the orange one) in her mouth while smiling, whining, and sometimes even talking. We are trying our best to make them little sports fans. The Illinois onesies are from my brother Dave, and the Carleton booties are from my brother Rob. Their feet are blurry in the picture, because they are constantly moving them. We have U of Utah hats and now BYU-Idaho bibs, so we just need clothes from U of Washington and University of Puget Sound.

Laura is getting good at holding her head up when she is on her tummy, and her hair almost looks red in this picture.

Samantha can hold her head up almost as well as Laura, but yesterday she decided that it was too much work, so she chewed on her fist instead.

Baby pics

2009-06-03T08:45:00.000-07:00

I am finally posting a few more pics of Samantha and Laura. (Rob, opefully this will satisfy you for a bit.) They are both doing great. They are all smiles, although as soon as we take the camera out, the smiles fade, and they just stare at the camera trying to figure it out. They smile more for Michael and I than for anybody else. It's kind of neat to know that they recognize us. Laura rolled over from front to back on May 22. Samantha has been figuring out her hands together, and Laura just started putting two or three fingers in her mouth, instead of her whole fist. They both can also hold a rattle, if I put the rattle in their hand.

Enjoy the pics.

I took this one on their 3 month birthday, to compare it to a picture of them in the stroller when they were a month old. They have grown a lot.

Laura holding her head up.

Samantha

Laura

Samantha

Michael's mom made the overalls for them, and they are adorable.

Samantha trying to stuff a double fist into her mouth.

Laura putting fingers, not a fist, into her mouth.

Three Wonderful Years

2009-05-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Michael's and my third anniversary. It's crazy to think that we have been married that long, but at the same time, it feels like we have always been married. Michael is a wonderful husband, and I am so grateful that we are married. It's been a wonderful three years. Happy Anniversary Michael. I love you.

Happy Birthday Girls!

2009-05-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today is Samantha and Laura's 3-month birthday. I can't believe they are already that old. They are getting so big. When Michael and I look at pictures of them when they were a week or two old, we can't believe that they were that small. It's incredible how much they have grown.

Currently they are looking a lot alike. Some weeks they look more different and other weeks they look more similiar. Laura has developed a crooked smile, and Samantha loves putting her right hand in her mouth. Both of them will now tolerate being on their tummies for about 2 minutes before they start crying. Both of them enjoy taking a bath, especially getting their hair washed, but they both absolutely hate getting out of the tub.

Here are a few pictures. Happy 3-month birthday Samantha and Laura!

Samantha and her cow

Laura talking to her pigTummy time with SamanthaLaura on her tummy

Twin pics

2009-05-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from this past week. Both Samantha and Laura are doing great. We are at least half-way unpacked in our new apartment. The girls are now in 3-month clothing, and I'm enjoying having new and different outfits for them. Also super exciting for me. They went 6 hours between feedings last night. Hurray for a little extra sleep.

Laura Staring at Dad
Samantha

Samantha pouting, even if she doesn't know what pouting is yet.

Laura isn't sure about the camera.

Both of them laughing (without sound still). I can't believe I got this picture

2 months

2009-04-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

Samantha and Laura had their two week checkup yesterday. Samantha is 21 1/4 inches long and 8lbs 7oz. Laura is 21 inches long and 8lbs 3 oz. They are both in the 10th percentile for height. Laura is in the third percentile for weight (we're excited she's on the graph, even is just barely), and Samantha is in the 5th percentile for weight. Since they were below the third percentile in everything at their 2 week check-up, we are really excited about their growth.

They've also figured out breastfeeding, so now I don't have to wake them up every 3 hours to feed them. There is at least the possibility of more sleep for me, and I can spend more time with them, and less time at the pump. The medical assistant that gave the girls their shots congratulated on me for still breastfeeing twins. I'm so excited to be just breastfeeding. It's 10 times easier than let them hang out at the breast for 15 minutes so they get used to it, but knowing they aren't getting much, then bottle feeding each one, and then pumping to increase my milk supply and have milk for the next feeding.

Their shots weren't too bad. Michael's mom came with me, so we could each comfort ome twin.

Both of the girls are smiling, drooling and have a few real tears. They are growing up. Here's a few pictures from Easter and last weekend.

Easter- Laura in purple Samantha in green

Day after Easter- Laura in green Samantha in pink.

Laura got her hand caught in Samantha's onesie. It looks like she is trying to pull Samantha backwards. Someday she really will be trying to pull Samantha back. Samantha smilingLaura smiling

Size 1 Diapers

2009-04-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

I know most people don't shout hurray when they're babies use size 1 diapers, but this is a big milestone for the girls. Samantha is a bit over 8 lbs, and Laura is around 7.5 lbs, so size 1 diapers no longer drown them. We're excited that they are finally this big (they are 7.5 weeks old), and we are excited that we can buy cases of diapers now. The cost is a bit lower, and one case will last us over a week versus a package of newborn diapers that would only last us 3-4 days.

The other big news is that we ate moving next week. Our new apartment is just a couple of miles away, and we get keys this Saturday, so we can take our time moving, but moving with babies is going to be an adventure.

Finally some more baby pics

2009-03-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here a few more pictures of the girls. We've stayed super busy feeding them and playing with them. They are finally starting to let us know when they are hungry instead of us telling them that they need to eat every few hours. They are also gaining weight and focusing with their eyes a lot more. There is also a video of them on their tummies. Samantha is qutie the scooter when she gets mad. Enjoy the pictures.

March 27 (5 weeks old) Laura on the left and Samantha on the right

March 17 (3 weeks) Our first trip outside in the stroller. Samantha on left. Laura on right.

Samantha at two weeks

Laura at two weeks

Babies Are One Week Old / Pics Finally!

2009-02-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here are the babies, Denise and Michael are too tired to think of anything really to say. Samantha has darker hair and is a little bigger than Laura, whose hair is a little red. Enjoy the pics.

Michael with Laura - Denise with Samantha

Laura - Samantha

Here is how they were arranged in the womb! (Laura - Samantha)

Samantha - Laura

Michael with Samantha

Samantha - Laura

Babies are Coming on Friday

2009-02-19T00:28:00.000-08:00

The twins will be arriving Friday, February 20. I have a C-section scheduled for 7:30 am. It's not what I was planning on deciding to do, but it was an eventful doctor's appointment today.

Going to the doctor's today, and I knew we were planning on talking about induction dates. My doctor then said that since both twins are doing fine, and I'm still doing well (my blood pressure has gone down with bed rest), that she would be willing to either induce me or let me go longer and wait for me to go into labor naturally. She checked my cervix, and it was only dilated to 1 cm, so I was leaning towards waiting for my body to go into labor or at least progress a little further. I'm not that uncomfortable, and an induced labor would be longer and harder.

Then we did a quick ultrasound to double check the babies' position. That changed everything. Laura (Baby B) flipped since my last ultrasound on Feb. 9. She is now breech. My doctor said that she would be willing to deliver me vaginally. She received medical training on doing a breech presentation of twins. The first twin stretches everything out, so then delivering the second twin breech isn't as traumatic. There is still the chance that the second twin's head will get caught, but it's possible to deliver both vaginally. The other doctors at the clinic, however, aren't very comfortable with delivering a breech presentation twin. My doctor is going out of town this weekend, so if I went into labor this weekend, I'd have a C-section.

I decided to have a planned C-section with my doctor instead. It's kind of nice to have it scheduled, and I think it'll almost be easier to have a C-section than an induced labor with twins. So the girls will be arriving fairly early Friday morning, and we are very excited.

My doctor and the nurses can't believe I've made it this far (38 weeks). Everytime they see me, they can't believe that I haven't delivered yet. Today one told me I should do laps around the building instead of staying in the waiting room.

It's still a bit crazy to think that I'll really be a mom the day after tomorrow, but it's so exciting. And yes, I'm as curious as everyone else to see if they'll have red hair.

Here's a picture of me from a couple of days ago. It's hard to imagine how two 6lb babies could be in there, and it takes even more imagination to figure out how one of them flipped herself around.

Still Waiting

2009-02-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

So after getting all hyped up about having two little girls this weekend, my blood pressure went down. It is a good thing, but Michael and I had worked ourselves up to become parents this weekend, so we were a little disappointed. The emotional roller coaster has definitely begun, and the girls aren't born yet.

My doctor doesn't want me to go beyond 39 weeks, so at my appointment with her this week, we'll talk about an induction date, assuming of course that I haven't gone into labor by then. But since my body has shown no signs of wanting to go into labor, I don't think it's likely that I'll just wake up one morning and have my water break. I'm 39 weeks on Feb. 25, so it looks like the girls will be born sometime between Feb 18 and Feb 25. Michael says I'm just too competitive and want to make it full term with twins, and that's why Samantha and Laura aren't here yet. Either that, or they really like being squished.

The Dry Run

2009-02-09T15:58:00.001-08:00

I had a doctor's appt. last Wednesday and didn't think anything of it, until the nurse took my blood pressure and it was high. My doctor came in and told me that she wanted me to check into the hospital for the night to due a 12-hour urine collection and blood work to see if I had preeclampsia. Then I freaked just a bit. Luckily, Michael is on swing shift right now, and he hadn't left for work yet. I came home to get him and my hospital bag. (Since we knew I could go into labor early, at least it was packed.) Then we headed for the hospital. I wasn't freaked out so much about going to the hospital as about the fact that I could potentially be induced the next day, and I wasn't ready to be a mom yet. 8 months of preparation just wasn't enough.

All of my labs came back fine, and my blood pressure dropped back to a normal range with me laying down. I was discharged Thursday morning and put on bed rest for the weekend. My doctor also told me that she almost hoped that my blood pressure would still be high this week, because she was looking for any excuse to get these babies out of me.

While in the hospital, I found out that the monitors said I was having contractions, but I couldn't feel them. The girls stretch and push so much, I can't tell the difference between them moving and my uterus contracting. Since I didn't feel any pain my doctor wasn't worried about the contractions, and on Wednesday my cervix was still sealed shut.

Bed rest hasn't been too bad. I don't sleep well at night, so taking a couple of naps during the day isn't hard. Plus we recently broke down and got cable, so I have multiple channels to flip through instead of just Fox.

I had an ultrasound today. Samantha is about 5lbs 10 oz, and Laura is about 5 lbs 13 oz. Even with the margin of error, they should both be over 5 lbs, which is great. I also had a non-stress test today. Their heartrates were fine. My blood pressure is still a little high, but it went down with reclining in the chair for the NST. I get to go in tomorrow or Wednesday to have my blood pressure taken again. Then I have a doctor's appointment and another NST on Thursday. I'm pretty much expecting to be induced either Thursday or Friday, unless my blood pressure suddenly stabilizes or I go into labor before then. So this Friday the 13th may get to be a really lucky day for Michael and I.

I'm doing fine. I just have to force myself to take it really easy. Michael and I are really excited that we will probably get to meet our girls this week, although we still can't believe it. We'll try to keep our blog updated, but between bed rest and two new babies I'm not going to make any promises.

35 weeks

2009-01-28T15:46:00.000-08:00

We are down to one more week of telling the twins that they can't come yet. A week from today I will be 36 weeks, and if I go into labor after that, then my doctor won't try to stop it, and the risks of our girls having to be in the NICU will be a lot less. Since we knew that there was a decent chance of the twins coming early, we are all set for them to come (or at least as ready as you can be) with the crib and car seats and so forth, so now we are really excited and impatient to meet them.

The pregnancy is still going really well. I haven't had contractions, and both babies' heart rates have been great at the weekly non-stress tests. It doesn't look like they are coming any time soon. Watch, I'll beat the odds and actually make it to full term with twins, not that that's a bad thing except for my discomfort for a few more weeks.

For fun Michael and I were looking at pictures of me in my first trimester to see how much I've grown. We were both shocked at how skinny I used to be. People keep saying that it doesn't look like I've gained enough weight to have twins, but here's at least some proof that I have.

The first picture is of me at the end of September when I was 17.5 weeks. I had gained 15 pounds by then, and I swore I had a baby bump (it's just a very obvious one). The next picture is of me last week at 34 weeks. I'm just a little bigger.

Almost 33 Weeks

2009-01-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

I had another ultrasound yesterday, and the results were really good. Baby A (Samantha) who has been breech for the last two-three months, has flipped herself over, so now both babies are head down. That means no automatic Cesarean. Also, both girls are a little over 4 lbs each. They are a little small, but not much, and they've been steadily growing, so everything looks great. I haven't been having contractions yet, thank goodness. Now the goal is to just keep the twins inside until February, preferably mid-February, but we'll just see what happens.

It is crazy to think that I have over 8lbs of baby in me. No wonder I look full-term and have been more and more uncomfortable. Michael and I are really excited to see our girls, but we no the longer it takes for them to come, the healthier they will be. The picture is from last week at 32 weeks.

I also had a baby shower on Saturday, and everyone was really, really generous. One woman made me a diaper cake. It is beautiful. It'll be a shame when we have to dismantle it.

Christmas, Crib, and Even More Snow

2008-12-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a great Christmas with Michael's family. We even had a white Christmas which never happens in western Washington.

The weather the last two weeks has been crazy, but we realized another benefit for working for the government. Since the roads were so bad, the shipyard opperated on a two-hour delay for most of the week, so when Michael went to work he got paid for 8 hours for only working 6 hours. Plus on Monday, the shipyard told everyone who wasn't emergency personnel to stay at home. Compare that attitude with my retail job last year of you better being dying in the hospital before you don't come into work the week before Christmas.

Church was cancelled on Sunday, so we made a snowwoman, and we made her pregnant, of course.

At least I'm not as big as she is.

Can you guess which picture of Michael's car is in Rexburg and which one is in Silverdale, WA?

The snow did look really pretty on the trees.

Since the shipyard gave Michael Monday off, I put him to work building the crib. Yes I am nesting.

Here is the crib all put together. Now we just need to get a mattress and make it look pretty.

And for all of you who keep wanting more pregnancy pics, here you go. The one on the left is me on Dec. 18 at 29 weeks. The one on the right is on Christmas Day at 30 weeks.

More Snow

2008-12-18T13:22:00.001-08:00

We were supposed to get a lot of snow yesterday, so I had planned not to go out anywhere, and of course we didn't get any snow...until today. It's been snowing all morning. We've probably only received an inch or so, but all of the roads are treacherous. Our little loop has been plowed once or twice, which impressed me, but plowing doesn't do much good without salt. I miss Salt Lake snow removal. I know salt corrodes the undercarriage of your car, but a monthly car wash is a lot cheaper than an accident.

The good news is that Michael gets to come home early. The shipyard commander told everyone to go home at 2pm, because he wants everyone gone before it starts to get dark and icier.

My biggest dilemma is that I forgot to buy Chanukkah candles last week, and it starts on Sunday. Way to go procrastination. It's not supposed to snow the next couple of days, but it's also not supposed to get above freezing, which means icy roads all week. So we might have to fake it on the first night of Chanukkah.

The snow doess look really pretty on all of the evergreens, and we might even get a white Christmas which would be fun. I like the snow, just not when I have shopping to do and errands to run.

Snow in Silverdale

2008-12-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

This is what we woke up to Sunday morning. It was only an inch or less, but it's still unseasonal for western Washington. Luckily it was warm enough that it didn't stick to the roads much; it just made the trees look really pretty. That is the best kind of snow.

It is supposed to be below freezing all week, which didn't mean much in Rexburg, but now I consider that cold. We might get more snow Wednesday. As long as I don't have to drive in it, I'm all for it.

We also have a bit of sad news. Michael's parents had to put their cat down yesterday evening. We were over there for dinner, so Michael was able to go with his parents to the vet and pet there cat as he received the injection. He was an old cat, almost 17 years, and he stopped being responsive and eating last Friday, so it was time to say goodbye, but it was a little rough, since he had been around since Michael was 9 or 10. Goodbye Fuzz-Face.

Pregnancy pics

2008-12-11T08:20:00.001-08:00

Here are more pregnancy photos. The first one is from Nov. 20 when I was 25 weeks. The next two are from yesterday at 28 weeks. The babies keep growing. Hurray! The middle photo is of Baby A, she's on my left side, and the bottom photo is of Baby B on my right side.

Thanksgiving in SLC

2008-12-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

We went to Salt Lake to see my family for Thanksgiving this year. It was fun to see them, and it was nice for Michael to have a couple of days off from work. On Friday, we went and saw the lights at Temple Square, and for once, it wasn't too cold, although I was exhausted by the end. The twins sure take all of my energy, and I know they'll require more energy once they are born.

Here's Michael's "General Conference" picture.

This is the side of the Assembly Hall. I love the stained-glass windows on it, and it's even more beautiful with all of the lights.

Look at that pregnant/Christmas light glow!

Here are my two brothers and I.

Now add Michael.

They had a navtivity scene with Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus on the reflecting pond.

There were also nativity scenes from different cultures on the plaza by the church office building. These are my favorites. And the last ones were even Seahawks fans. They were still smiling despite only a two-win season so far.

It was a fun trip, and I'm excited to have a house to decorate for Christmas. I am also very grateful that I didn't have to work the day after Thanksgiving this year. Hurray for not being at work before 4 am.

2008-11-10T14:32:00.001-08:00

So I've been tagged (awhile ago) and I'm finally responding.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago
1. Playing on my Jr. High Basketball team
2. Reading Dracula in 9th grade English
3. Stressing because my grades counted for real this year
4. Delivering newspapers every afternoon
5. Already acting like I was 30

5 things on my to-do list today
1. Go visiting teaching
2. Pay the internet bil
3. Put my feet up
4. Renew our internet security software
5. Respond to this tag

5 snacks I enjoy
1. Bananas with peanut butter (Thank you Mr. Rogers)
2. Mint chocolate chip ice cream
3. Cheese and crackers
4. Chocolate
5. Cheesecake

5 things I'd do if I were a millionaire
1. Buy a house
2. Pay off student loans
3. Go to New York with Michael
4. Pay for Michael to restore his 1970 Mercury Marquis
5. Travel

5 places I've lived
1. Salt Lake City, UT
2. Tacoma, WA
3. Santiago, Chile
4. Rexburg, ID
5. Silverdale, WA

5 jobs I've had
1. Day Care Group Leader
2. Wendy's cashier
3. Barista at my college's cafe (this was my favorite)
4. Customer service associate at JC Penney (I'm definitely excited not to work the day after Thanksgiving this year)
5. Checker at Broulim's (local grocery store in Idaho)

2008-11-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

We had a happy Halloween. We carved pumpkins, and they turned out fairly well. Mike's is the spider web, and my pumpkin is the ghost barbershop quartet. We live in a loop, so we weren't expecting too many trick-or-treaters, but I had a lot of candy just in case. We had all of three kids ring our doorbell, so they got a good amount of candy from us. Plus, being pregnant is a good excuse to eat all of the extras.

More Updates

2008-10-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

I think I am already spending way too much time on the internet, but I guess I might as well take advantage of it before our girls are born. Here are more pictures. The first one is Baby A on my left side, and then Baby B on my right side. At least that is where they were for the ultrasound last Thursday.

We have also tried stimulating the economy recently. For the past year or so Michael has been planning on a big, flat-panel TV after graduation, so we got one a few weeks ago. When Michael said big, he meant it.

Our old 19" TV.

Our new 52" TV. Just a slight difference.

Now we can focus on baby furniture.

We finally have a blog

2008-10-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

We decided with several (okay, just two) babies on the way that it was time to start a blog. Our apparent lack of ability to keep anyone informed of anything via e-mail also influenced our decision. We'll see if this turns out better. Obviously the big news right now is the twin girls coming next year (February-March). Here are pics of what they look like now!