2008: A year in review

January
Packer playoffs against the Seattle Seahawks

February
We're officially expecting!
The cake I made for Nate.

March
Surprise! It's twins!!

April
Apparently a very boring month.

May
I graduated with my master's degree.

Nate and I took a trip to Disney for our anniversary.

June
20 weeks pregnant

"Baby A's" face (otherwise known as Adalyn)

"Baby B's" face (otherwise known as Alivia)

July
Both babies' nuggets...oh yeah, and bedrest begins on July 29th.

August
Still on bedrest. Unofficial baby shower.

September
32 weeks pregnant

October
36 weeks (and 1 day!) pregnant. Taken off bedrest the day before.
Happy Birthday Girls!!
10 days old.
November
Almost 4 weeks old.
The girls got baptized.
December
All dressed and ready to go see Santa.
Our first Christmas.
Christmas hangover.

Christmas is here, Christmas is here!!

And we're all smiles!

I'm just so happy I can't contain myself!

I wonder what Santa is getting us for our first Christmas.

I hope he knows that we've been good little girls!

67 days and a visit with Santa!

The girls are 67 days old today. So what is the significance? Well, as you all know, I spent 67 days dating my living room couch. I just don't understand how the first 67 days dragged on forever and a day, and these past 67 days have absolutely flown by. Those first 67 days were filled with a lot of anxiety and fear that "the babies" were going to be very sick when they were born. The past 67 days have been filled with a lot of anxiety and fear that I have absolutely no clue what I am doing!! The first 67 days were filled with a lot of reading, playing Scrabble, and trying to sleep to pass the time. The past 67 days, as you can imagine, have been filled with none of the above!!

Anyway, I forgot to mention in the last post that the girls had their pictures taken with Santa last Saturday. Alivia slept right through the excitement. Adalyn was asleep, but popped her eyes wide open just in time for the picture! She is always afraid she is going to miss something. I wish our scanner worked, because I would post the professional photo. But I guess our candid pictures will have to make due.

Santa was taking a nap with the girls.

Then he realized he was sleeping on the job!

Weight update!

So the results are in. At their 2 month appointment today, Adalyn weighed 9 lbs 10oz and measured 23 inches in length. Alivia weighed 10 lbs 5 oz and was 22.5 inches. They continue to be looong, skinny little girls.

In fact, Adalyn's length is in the 82nd percentile for her age and her weight is only at the 21st percentile. When you compare her weight versus her length, she is at less than the 3rd percentile! She really is a tall, skinny girl.

Alivia is a little plumper and a little more proportioned. She is at the 67th percentile for length and the 38th percentile for weight for her age. When her weight is compared with her length, she is at about the 20th percentile. So she's still a long, skinny girl, but a little less so than Adalyn.

We have to do some physical therapy exercises with Adalyn's neck. Because of her position in the womb, she favors tilting her head toward her left shoulder. So during each diaper change, we have to work her head toward her right shoulder to stretch out the muscles on the left side of her neck. It shouldn't be a big deal in the long run. But if the tightness doesn't loosen up in the next few weeks, Dr K wants me to let them know, and they will get her into some formal physical therapy.

Oh, and they both got their shots today as well. Three shots for each little one. Not fun. They have both slept so well since they got the shots. And even when they are awake, they have been much more lethargic than normal. Poor little sweeties.

Otherwise, Dr K is very happy with their development - even though both of the girls appear to be string beans!!

8 weeks

The girls are 8 weeks old today. Everyone tells me that they have grown so much. I guess since I am around them every day, I don't really see how much they've changed. But you would think that I would know how much they're growing, because we have retired their newborn clothes, and I think we are getting extremely close to doing the same thing with the 0-3 month clothes. They are just getting too stinking long for their little toes to fit in the bottom of the sleepers! Weight-wise, they could probably wear them for a quite a while yet, but their little legs just don't have much room.

Adalyn rolled over while we were at Nate's parents' house for Thanksgiving. And both girls are really starting to smile a lot...probably Adalyn more than Alivia at this point. We try not to compare who does what earlier or more than the other, but it is really hard! Alivia rolled over a week and a half before Adalyn. But Adalyn is the one who tracks things more with her eyes and smiles more. We jokingly say that Adalyn is our "brains" child and Alivia is our "brawn."

Here are a few pictures of sisterly love......it's a love/hate relationship. ;)






They have their 2 month appointment next Monday. I am excited to see how much they weigh now, but I am NOT excited for all of the shots! I get to watch one of my little peanuts get her shots, only to hand over my other little peanut to watch it all over again. Yuck.

So much to do, so little time

The title pretty much sums up everything. I know I've been neglecting the blog...and I apologize. There are so many things I want to write about, but there's just not enough time in the day to do it!

Anyway, the girls got baptized on Sunday. It was so beautiful. Adalyn was shockingly quiet when she was dunked in the water. Alivia, on the other hand, was not all that happy about getting wet!

Don't mind Alivia's crossed eyes! ;)

Apparently Adalyn has something to say!

With their goofy hats on.....

.....and without
I hope everyone has (or had) a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am so incredibly thankful for our two healthy girls. And I am so thankful for everyone who said a few prayers to ensure that they arrived as healthy as can be!

Alivia rolled over!!

Yes, apparently my children are advanced. Just kidding. But Alivia did roll over today...not once...not twice...but three times! I finally got the last one on video. I can't believe it. The girls are just over 5 weeks old. From everything I have read, babies don't typically roll over from tummy to back until about 2-3 months, sometimes later! We thought the first time she did it that it was a fluke. So we put her back on her belly, and she did it again! Then I decided to get the video camera, we put her on her tummy again, and she did it for the 3rd time in 10 minutes!

Here is the visual evidence that I'm not over-exagerrating/lying and that we did not help her to roll over.

Alivia rolling over

I'm having a hard time getting the video to download to the blog. So just click on the link above and it will take you right to it! The video is about 2 minutes long, so just be patient.

No nuk? No problem!

Just use your sister's head!

Adalyn: "So Alivia, I'm not so sure about this idea"

Alivia: "Oh you'll be fine. Just let me try one more time"

Alivia finally got the latch she was looking for!

4 weeks old

Today the girls are 4 weeks old. In some ways, it seems like they have been here forever. For instance, I really can't remember what I did before they were born. But in other ways, it seems like it was just last week that we were in the hospital. And we're quickly getting to the point where we will need to retire their newborn clothes. How sad!

They had their final weight check on Wednesday, and both girls are now officially above their birth weights. Adalyn weighed in at 6lbs 12oz. And Alivia weighed in at 7lbs 5oz. We don't have to go back to the doctor until their two month well-baby visit now!

And just for fun...here are before and after photos of me!! Gosh, I really WAS big. We never did get a 37 week picture, so the 36 week picture will have to suffice. Though I know I definitely grew more in that last week. I still have a little ways to go before I am back to my "old" self, but I think I'm doing alright...if I were to toot my own horn!

36 weeks

4 weeks after delivery

Another attempt at a family picture. Maybe next time we'll leave Brett out. Ha!

Just pictures!!

The girls are staring at each other on the floor right now, so I have a few minutes to post a few pictures. There's not much to report. The girls are typical babies...they eat, sleep and poop. Though Adalyn has taken an interest in her mobile lately. Alivia doesn't keep her head straight long enough to notice much of anything - she is always turning it to the side. And of course, they do smile. But as much as we would like to think they are smiling at us, we pretty much know they're happy because they just passed gas. Apparently gas is funny. Who would've thought?

Alivia just looking cute.

Such a BIG yawn! (Alivia)

Adalyn loves to suck on her fingers...not her thumb.

Alivia in her Halloween outfit.

Adalyn in her Halloween outfit.

Halloween is not all it's cracked up to be!!!

Soooo sleepy.

HOORAY for wearing Halloween oufits 2 days after Halloween was over!