I'm pouting...

It has really sunk in the last few weeks just how big the boys are getting. My little babies are disappearing right before my eyes! So, guess what?! They walk! They got tired of relying on me to get them around and decided it was high time they did so for themselves. They just get up and go wherever they want! Unless they're tired of course and then they just want some snuggles. I relish snuggles when I can get them. I'm so proud of them and yet so sad that my little men aren't just content to sit in my lap with their heads on my chest and be held anymore. **sniff, sniff...sigh** It is quite bittersweet indeed. I think more so because they are my first children. It may not be quite as shocking with the next ones (hopefully one at a time from now on...) because I'll need them to keep up with their siblings. :-p They started cruising in February, then walked in March, but fell down too many times so they went back to cruising, but now they have their guts back and these little guys are fearless. Look out world! Here they come!

30 More Days....

...until my family is here! I'm getting so anxious!

Looking Back...

For some reason the photos loaded completely out of order on this one so this may get a little interesting. Anyhoo, as I was realizing how close the twins' birthday was I started thinking about all of the milestones and such we've been through in the last few years. Our lives have changed a lot and just keep on changing. So, here are some old photos as I wax nostalgic:

Our little ones not so little anymore.

This is from our first apartment right after we got married. I was considerably smaller then. **sigh** I don't even remember what we were fighting about, but this was TK's apology. It was so sweet, literally. The roses are surrounded by a heart made of caramel kisses. As you can tell by my face, I couldn't stay mad. It was too cute.

This is a picture of us when we were dating. I believe it was Thanksgiving at his house. He popped the question just two months later. Disclaimer: we dated off and on for almost two years before the official proposal.

As you can see I said yes.

After living in the apartment for almost a year, we bought a house in Rexburg, Idaho. That was an ordeal and quite a move!!! (we are formerly from WA)

Sorry out of order. Our honeymoon was to whistler, BC Canada. It was so much fun!!! Good food, great landscapes and the weather was perfect. I highly recommend it as a fun vacation spot. Even for families. Beware the rocky mountain chocolate factory. I think they knew us on a first name basis by the time we left. They serve the BEST gelato (sp?) I've ever tasted and the chocolate delights in every nook and cranny of that place will satisfy any sweet tooth. I think we gained five pounds before our trip was over.

TK thought it was funny that there was snow in July on the mountain top. I almost remember having the kind of energy required to go hiking. I need to get back into shape!

More apartment life. I let TK do my hair and he wanted to take a picture. I do not miss that TINY kitchen! We were busting at the seems in that little place.

Again, out of order. This phase of our lives took place after living in Rexburg almost two years. We had a lot of drama trying to conceive and once we finally did (no fertility drugs or anything like that, just a surgery to remove a giant cyst) we got two! I was really lucky to have good health for almost my entire pregnancy, only needing bed rest a month before they were born (at 36 wks 4 dys)

They were big then and still are. Below is a (fuzzy) picture of our calendar to illustrate all of the appointments I had while on "bed rest" in April. The Dr. visits are in red.

The second to last ultrasound before the boys' arrival. I spent a LOT of time in this ultrasound room. Things got a little risky right near the end of pregnancy so the boys were looked at almost every day. Sometimes I would have appointments at two different clinics in one day. Talk about some serious medical bills. :-p

Our sweet angel babies. Cooper (the oldest by less than a minute) is on the left in this picture and Tucker (who has always been the bigger of the two) on the right. They couldn't be more different for being twins. They are nothing alike. They like different toys, different foods, they have different temperaments and they look like they have different parents. I'm often asked how I "got so lucky to have two so young." I had them at the same time! I think people assume I adopted one of them or that they are extremely close in age. They just don't realize how close. :o)

There hasn't been a lot of sleeping since then. Parenthood is not for sissies.

And now the little guys are almost a year old! I just can't believe how quickly it went. I'm sure there are more milestones to come and new adventures to be had. Thank you for indulging me on this trip down memory lane.

Easter Project!!!!

Isn't this just lovely?

I found a cheap project that I can do for Easter that will last for a long time and be easy to repair. I'll have to save up for the supplies (we're penny pinching right now), but that won't take long. Check it out HERE.

Falling Behind!

I never ever seem to have time to post on this blog! It seems I am a once a month blogger. I have so many great ideas and plans for this blog and then life gets in the way. Well, I just wanted to give a shout out to a new website that my friends brought to my attention. Definitely go check out www.allthingsthrifty.com , but be warned, you might spend a lot of time there. This site helps people with little money decorate their homes INEXPENSIVELY!! I love all of the cute ideas and the fact that they are do-it-yourself projects that I think I can actually do. Their sponsors also have wonderful links to their sites and there is just so much exploring and so many ideas (that they WANT you to copy!) for making your home a little more "you." While you're surfing, you should check out www.sisterswithflair.blogspot.com for some fun ideas as well. A friend from church and her sisters are always putting up some really fun stuff for all occasions. I think I may go there now...

Update: Oh my! I can't believe that I neglected to mention my friend Sarah's blog www.forcedtocook.blogspot.com that she has created as a collaborative effort with her sisters and others. Awesome, simple recipes!

"Pinky and the Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain!!!!"

It has come to my attention in the last few days that I have given birth to Pinky and the Brain in the flesh. For those of you who did not watch the "Animaniacs" cartoon on the WB in the 90's, I'll let you in on the plot. Every episode (about a 10 minute short in the regular cartoon line up) opens on a darkened research lab, focusing on a cage with two white lab rats in it. Brain is small in stature with an enormous cranium and intense facial features. Pinky, his loyal companion/sidekick, is tall and thin and unassuming with sort of "Dopey the dwarf" facial features. At the beginning of every show Pinky always asks, "What are we going to do tonight, Brain?" To which Brain's sinister response is, "The same thing we do every night, Pinky. TRY TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!!!!" Their master plans are always foiled or thwarted by something or someone bigger than them or out of their control (with a little help from Pinky's lack of sidekick abilities) and thus the premise for the next episode.

Okay, back to reality. A special relationship has developed between the twins (Cooper and Tucker) lately. Cooper has decided that toys are for "babies" and will make an almost immediate dash for the DVD player, sound equipment, outlets, furniture, purse (you get the idea) that is nearest to him after being placed on the living room floor after his nap. Tucker adores his big (older) brother and giggles with delight at the sight of him. He likes to climb on him, follow him around, play with his face and just do whatever he is doing. Whenever Cooper gets caught doing something he knows he shouldn't, he has this delightfully mischievous grin as he tries to get away from the grown up about to thwart his inner evil genius. Well, as you can imagine where Cooper is, Tucker is not far. They are truly "partners in crime." I have a feeling I'm in for a lot of trouble with these two. Of course the person they most want to be like is their Daddy. And the stories he can tell about his childhood.....would make you laugh yourself silly and then silently pray that your kids NEVER attempt anything remotely close. :-p Better brush up on my first aid skills and learn to laugh a little more.

Long time no post.

Cooper nibbles on a piece of "choo choo."

I just love this face. He has three teeth now!

Traffic Jam in the kitchen.

He's so squeezable.

Gotta love that grin!

It has been such a long time since I actually had the time to post anything on here. I don't really have time now, but am letting the boys fuss for just a second. They're not hurt or hungry (just fed) and they don't need a diaper change. They just want their "mama" and they aren't shy about letting me know it. I have managed to distract them for the moment letting them run amok in the kitchen. From their walkers they can open drawers and pull on cabinet doors without getting them all the way open. They think it's heaven! I enjoy watching them too. I enjoy most things about motherhood, though I do have my days. Today I had a complete meltdown after being shrieked at by the boys, "tinkled" on after Cooper fought a diaper change like crazy and burned the cookies I was making as comfort food. All of these things culminated in the perfect storm in a matter of about four minutes. After hours of hearing nothing but whining I had reached my limit. That's why I was making the cookies. :-p
I'd have to say my least favorite things about mother hood would be constantly having "puffs" (snack food) stuck to my socks, unbelievably stinky diapers as we try new foods, TEETHING (this one really is no fun at all with twins), and.....drool/slobber. I have been covered in spit for a while now. Other than that, it's not too bad I guess. Sometimes (like today) I have a good cry and "let it all out" and then put my "big girl panties (as my mom would say)" back on and take care of my kids. I often find myself chanting a line from Finding Nemo: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
Well, that's all I really have time to post for now. I will try to find time this weekend to recap our winter. 'Til then!