Here are some pictures of us just hanging out in the house...
Ethan worked on his indoor skating this week...
Teagan had her 3rd laser surgery a couple weeks ago...
Cal and Teagan finally mastered the sippy cup last week...
Soon, no more bottles!!!
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Cooped Up
The past two weeks of subzero weather has kept us cooped up inside and we're going stir crazy! Besides going to the gym to work out, we (Cal, Teagan and myself) seriously have not left the house. Nick, other moms and family members have been helping transport Ethan to and from school so I don't have to take the babies out in this nasty weather. But I'm bored! Luckily a warm-up is on the way and it should be above zero this week. Yippy!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Love Hate MN
This morning we woke up to the coldest day in the last 5 years on record in Minneapolis. It was a whopping -30 degrees before the wind chill factor. Nick tells me a "Tran-Siberian" cold front moved in this morning. What? Will the wind chill be musical? Too funny! His exaggerating is always hilarious!
Anyway, I don't foresee us stepping foot out of the house for the next 2-3 days. This is the time when I wonder why we live in Minnesota.
On the other hand, this weekend we took the gang sledding. It was our first time this year, besides sledding down our driveway a few times already, and it was Cal and Teagan's very first time on a sled. We had a blast! Cal is a little speed junkie and Ethan likes to bomb the hills and hit all the jumps. Do these two sound like anyone you know? (Nick) Shalene and I got on a sled together and got BIG air, touching ground again 5 feet after the jump. Ethan raced everyone down the hill and beat us all every time. Days like that remind me of why we live in Minnesota. At least I have good thoughts of the snowy outdoors in my mind to keep me sane over the next few days until we get back out there on the hill to enjoy our MN winter.
Anyway, I don't foresee us stepping foot out of the house for the next 2-3 days. This is the time when I wonder why we live in Minnesota.
On the other hand, this weekend we took the gang sledding. It was our first time this year, besides sledding down our driveway a few times already, and it was Cal and Teagan's very first time on a sled. We had a blast! Cal is a little speed junkie and Ethan likes to bomb the hills and hit all the jumps. Do these two sound like anyone you know? (Nick) Shalene and I got on a sled together and got BIG air, touching ground again 5 feet after the jump. Ethan raced everyone down the hill and beat us all every time. Days like that remind me of why we live in Minnesota. At least I have good thoughts of the snowy outdoors in my mind to keep me sane over the next few days until we get back out there on the hill to enjoy our MN winter.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Breaking 150
Almost 11 months have gone by since I gave birth to our wonderful twins. With the big FIRST Birthday(!) approaching in only 1 month I've been focusing a lot of my energy on one thing... exercising.
This blog entry is for all of you moms and especially moms pregnant with twins who are curious about what your body might look like post twin-pregnancy. When I was pregnant with the twins I wish would have known what I know now. Don't worry, I will definitely not be posting any pictures of my post-twin-pregnancy belly.
Eleven months ago I weighed in at 196 pounds just before giving birth to two 6.5lb babies. During my pregnancy I gained the recommended weight of 62 pounds to ensure Cal and Teagan were healthy and heavy upon arrival at only 35.5 weeks gestation. Instantly after their birth my weight was already down to 175lbs. At my 8-week postpartum check-up with my OB I weighed in at 165lbs. But, at the end of that visit my OB turned to me and said, "You know, your belly may never look the way it did before twins. It's called Twin Skin." I must have looked like a deer in headlights, because I was completely shocked and couldn't comprehend what she had just said. I don't remember saying another word to her before leaving. What did she say? Well, I ran home and googled "Twin Skin" to find some graphic pictures and pleads for help from tons of MOTs. Ever since that OB visit I've been determined to get my body back, although I have come to terms with the fact that I'll always carry around a bit of extra twin skin like a badge of honor.
So, I walked the lake over the summer as often as possible, but the weight wasn't coming off as fast as it did after Ethan was born. By the time Ethan was 7 months old I was almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Finally I decided it was time to get serious. A few months ago I joined the gym and started working out 2-3times per week. I've been able to lose a few more pounds, but I can't get below 150. Right now I have 15 lbs left to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My goal, of course, was to be within 5 lbs of my oringinal weight by their 1st birthday. It's not realistic to say I'll hit my goal with only 33 days to go, but I'd love to weigh in under 150lbs.
The moral of the story is...
Once again, having twins is much different than a singleton in every way, even the postpartum weight loss. Exercise and be patient. The weight should come off, but the extra skin will not.
This blog entry is for all of you moms and especially moms pregnant with twins who are curious about what your body might look like post twin-pregnancy. When I was pregnant with the twins I wish would have known what I know now. Don't worry, I will definitely not be posting any pictures of my post-twin-pregnancy belly.
Eleven months ago I weighed in at 196 pounds just before giving birth to two 6.5lb babies. During my pregnancy I gained the recommended weight of 62 pounds to ensure Cal and Teagan were healthy and heavy upon arrival at only 35.5 weeks gestation. Instantly after their birth my weight was already down to 175lbs. At my 8-week postpartum check-up with my OB I weighed in at 165lbs. But, at the end of that visit my OB turned to me and said, "You know, your belly may never look the way it did before twins. It's called Twin Skin." I must have looked like a deer in headlights, because I was completely shocked and couldn't comprehend what she had just said. I don't remember saying another word to her before leaving. What did she say? Well, I ran home and googled "Twin Skin" to find some graphic pictures and pleads for help from tons of MOTs. Ever since that OB visit I've been determined to get my body back, although I have come to terms with the fact that I'll always carry around a bit of extra twin skin like a badge of honor.
So, I walked the lake over the summer as often as possible, but the weight wasn't coming off as fast as it did after Ethan was born. By the time Ethan was 7 months old I was almost back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Finally I decided it was time to get serious. A few months ago I joined the gym and started working out 2-3times per week. I've been able to lose a few more pounds, but I can't get below 150. Right now I have 15 lbs left to lose to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My goal, of course, was to be within 5 lbs of my oringinal weight by their 1st birthday. It's not realistic to say I'll hit my goal with only 33 days to go, but I'd love to weigh in under 150lbs.
The moral of the story is...
Once again, having twins is much different than a singleton in every way, even the postpartum weight loss. Exercise and be patient. The weight should come off, but the extra skin will not.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
2008 in Review
2008 flew by in a blur- babies everywhere, lots of coffee, countless sleepless nights, running a couple businesses. Good thing we took a ton of pictures, because it was the busiest year of our lives and I don't think we'd remember the details of this crazy, but extremely memorable year.
Here is a slideshow of 2008...
We brought two healthy babies into the world this year, but we also lost two loved ones- My Grandma Rooney, and our Solomon. We are thinking of you and miss you dearly.
Here is a slideshow of 2008...
We brought two healthy babies into the world this year, but we also lost two loved ones- My Grandma Rooney, and our Solomon. We are thinking of you and miss you dearly.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Macy's 8th Floor
Every year just before Christmas we head downtown Minneapolis to Macy's Santaland. I've been going to Macy's 8th floor for about 15 years. Bright and early this morning my mom and I packed the kids in the car and headed downtown. This was the 46th annual show and this year's theme was "A Day in the Life of an Elf," telling the story of Santa's elves at the North Pole as they prepare for Christmas. We enjoyed seeing what happens in an elf's life from waking up and getting Santa's mail to teaching the reindeer how to fly, learning about Christmas traditions and making toys.
At the end the kids got to see Santa and sit on his lap...
It's a surprisingly good picture! Nobody is crying or scrambling to get away from Santa. :)
Cal and Teagan were happy to get out of their stroller and crawl around while the rest of us munched on treats made by Mrs. Claus. 
For all of you who've grown up with and loved Macy's 8th floor (which used to be Dayton's 8th floor) here's a list of my favorites over the years:
1989- Cinderella
1990- Peter Pan
1991- Pinocchio
1993- Beauty and the Beast
1994- The Wizard of Oz
2006- Mary Poppins
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Day in the Life
What does a typical day look like? Hold on tight...
6am: Nick is up and gone to work before the rest of us get up
6:30-7am: First Bottles of the day
7:30-8am: Get 3 kids changed, dressed and teeth brushed
8-8:30am: Breakfast
8:40am: Everyone bundled up to take Ethan to preschool
9:20am: Back from dropping Ethan off
10am: Bottles
10-11:30ish: Twins nap. While they nap I clean the house.
11:45am: Ethan back from preschool, usually dropped off by Nick or carpool
12:15pm: Lunch
1-3pm: Play time
3pm: Bottles
3:45-5pm: Twins nap again
5:15: Nick gets home
5:30pm: Dinner
7pm: Bath x3
7:30pm: Ethan to bed first
8pm: Last Bottles, then bed for twins
8:15pm: Wash and prepare 10 bottles for the next day, and pick up toys
9pm: Peace and Quiet! = Couch/TV time, usually while folding laundry
10pm: Shut-eye, hope to get a full 8 hours of sleep in order to start all over again.
Wait...did I manage to shower today, or at all this week? Maybe tomorrow.
We're tired!
We are really looking forward to the holidays for a much needed break in the daily routine.
6am: Nick is up and gone to work before the rest of us get up
6:30-7am: First Bottles of the day
7:30-8am: Get 3 kids changed, dressed and teeth brushed
8-8:30am: Breakfast
8:40am: Everyone bundled up to take Ethan to preschool
9:20am: Back from dropping Ethan off
10am: Bottles
10-11:30ish: Twins nap. While they nap I clean the house.
11:45am: Ethan back from preschool, usually dropped off by Nick or carpool
12:15pm: Lunch
1-3pm: Play time
3pm: Bottles
3:45-5pm: Twins nap again
5:15: Nick gets home
5:30pm: Dinner
7pm: Bath x3
7:30pm: Ethan to bed first
8pm: Last Bottles, then bed for twins
8:15pm: Wash and prepare 10 bottles for the next day, and pick up toys
9pm: Peace and Quiet! = Couch/TV time, usually while folding laundry
10pm: Shut-eye, hope to get a full 8 hours of sleep in order to start all over again.
Wait...did I manage to shower today, or at all this week? Maybe tomorrow.
We're tired!
We are really looking forward to the holidays for a much needed break in the daily routine.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Firsts
We have been treasuring a lot of "firsts" in the past few months. I'm not talking about firsts with the twins. I'm talking about our leader of the pack- Ethan. Ethan, the lucky first-born, will always pave the way for us as parents, and prepare us for the future x2. Here are some of the most exciting "firsts" we've celebrated recently:
-Last month Ethan started writing his own name! He signs in each day for preschool...
-Ethan is swimming very well, with his head under water! A few months ago he was somewhat fearful of the water and would never put his face in the water, but now he's a confident swimmer and loves going to swim class.
-Last weekend Ethan went skiing for the first time! A few weeks ago he and Nick went sledding and afterward announced that he thought it would be fun to try skiing. Last Saturday Ethan had a ton of fun taking a ski lession and then skiing with Nick. They both had a blast and Ethan keeps asking when he can go again.
Here he is rock'n down the slope. Pretty soon it'll be time for a family trip back to the Rocky Mountains!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thankful Weekend
We have so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Just look back over the last year of our lives on this blog and it's apparent that last year was a life test for us. So, we couldn't be more thankful this year.
This is what we are most thankful for...
-Family (Grandmas, grandpas, and the greats-, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, and twins), and we spent time with each of them this weekend.
-Health- need I say more? We will never take our health for granted again.
-Kids- We are blessed with 3 healthy, happy kids. We love you Ethan, Cal & Teagan.
-Friends- Congrats to our friends Helena & Daniel who celebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital with their new baby boy!
-Laughter- keeps the soul healthy.
Bob & DonnaRae have been in Mexico for one month now and have been missing the kids. This is a little slide show of our weekend dedicated to you guys.
This is what we are most thankful for...
-Family (Grandmas, grandpas, and the greats-, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, and twins), and we spent time with each of them this weekend.
-Health- need I say more? We will never take our health for granted again.
-Kids- We are blessed with 3 healthy, happy kids. We love you Ethan, Cal & Teagan.
-Friends- Congrats to our friends Helena & Daniel who celebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital with their new baby boy!
-Laughter- keeps the soul healthy.
Bob & DonnaRae have been in Mexico for one month now and have been missing the kids. This is a little slide show of our weekend dedicated to you guys.
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