Christmas 2010 - unwrapping presents

Here is a quick video of the babies opening their presents on Christmas morning.  I (Tim) tried to consolidate 5 minutes of video into about a minute and half, so I played with more advanced video editing.  I kept the most "exciting" parts and sped up the video 2X.  (Although, its probably too fast...) 

Christmas 2010

Kennedy and Graham's first Christmas!  We've been looking forward to this since before they were even born, so this was a highly anticpated time of year for our family.  It was a busy few days, but we all had so much fun!  Here are a few pictures of the babies enjoying their first Christmas! 

First on the list of celerations was Christmas Eve service with Granmda and Grandpa Short and Great Grandpa Bill.  Happy Birthday Jesus!  Graham and Kennedy really enjoyed the music.

Kennedy and Graham ready for church on Christmas Eve

Aren't we cuties?

On Christmas morning we all woke up to lots of presents under the tree.

Oh my Goodness!  Yesterday we were waiting for Santa, and he brought us lots of presents!

We must have been very good this year!

Wow, this toy is awesome, we want to play with it now!

Later Christmas morning Grandpa Don, Grandma Kim, Great Grandpa Short, Uncle Chris, Aunt Megan (and Amelia Bug!) came over to celebrate and help us open more presents.  Santa stopped at their houses, too!

Woohoo!  Watch out, we've got wheels now!

Later on Christmas we went to Grandma and Grandpa Horstmann's house to eat dinner and open even MORE presents!  We got to spend time with Grandpa Glenn, Grandma Diane, Great Grandma Dorothy and Great Grandpa Len, Sister Mary Loran, Aunt Becca, Uncle Chris and baby Abigail, Aunt Theresa, Uncle Steve and Jacob! 

Family picture at Grandma and Grandpa Horstmann's house-

it's been a long day!

the little cuties with Great Grandpa and Great Grandma Aubuchon

Ready for more presents!

Whew!  It was a couple of days packed with family and fun, but that's just the way we like it.  Now we can't wait to play with all of our toys!  Merry Christmas!

Waiting for Santa

We're being very patient!  Do you see his reindeer and sleigh?

Oh Santa, we've been very good this year.  Please don't forget our house!

Visit with Santa

Here is a picture of our first visit with Santa.  No crying this year.  : )

Pump... And Dump

Today I stood at the sink and watched lots of hard agonizing work being swept down the drain.  We had a freezer full of breast milk from march and April- these were from the days I felt tied to the pump, the days I felt like all I did was pump and feed the babies.  Looking back, those days are all a blur now. I don't remember details, but I do remember those first weeks being hard.  There may have been other ways for us to do it... I could have tried breastfeeding them both a little longer.  But we felt it would be too hard, and Tim wanted (bless him) to help feed them when he was home.  I could have just not given them breast milk at all, but I wanted to try.  I remember hooking myself up to the machine at 1:00 in the morning while I was simultaneously feeding one of the babies with a bottle of milk I had pumped earlier, trying to keep my eyes open because I was so exhausted.  I remember sitting on the couch, in between both infants in boppy pillows, pumping just before I took turns feeding them both because I was home by myself while Tim was at work.  I remember the hardest day ever, when Graham screamed all day long and I decided it was time to try a day of only formula to see if that would help.  I remember how grateful I was that the next day Graham seemed better, and being so thankful that Kennedy was so patient with both of us.  The bittersweet feeling when we decided to go to all formula (I wouldn't have to pump anymore!  but I wouldn't get to feed them breast milk anymore either)  I'd fed them with my milk for 7 weeks. So while I weaned myself off the pump, we saved all of the milk and stored it, hoping once Graham's stomach issues were better we could start incorporating my milk into their food again.

I felt like I was letting them down since I couldn't feed them with my own milk anymore, but I kept telling myself it was best for them AND me.  And they'd gotten the benefits of 7 weeks, after all!  But I was torn- freedom and feeling like a bad mom.  Anyway, into the freezer it all went.  When they started eating veggies and fruits, we added some of the frozen milk to their food, and it was good... until November 24.  That was the day before Thanksgiving when I went with Graham to the Urgent Care Center.  We don't know where he got the bug that laid him low for over 48 hours, but a few weeks later Kennedy came down with the same symptoms.  By this time, the milk in the freezer was over 6 months old and could have been the underlying cause of them getting sick, so we made a decision to dump it. 

I had tears in my eyes and I dumped over 135 ounces of milk down the drain.  The babies eat about 25 ounces of formula a day, so that is more than 2 DAYS WORTH OF MILK!  Not only that, they are no longer true infant babies- they are so independent and don't need me anymore!  Well, at least not for my milk anyway. 

But there's no use in crying over spilled dumped milk.

9 months!

Can you believe the babies are nine months old already? 

So what have they been up to lately?  Well, so glad you asked!  Kennedy is developing quite a vocabulary for a 9 month old... she says "hi dat," "mamama," "bah-bye," and "hi Kah" (hi K?).  And lots of other sounds that we enjoy hearing.  She has such a sweet voice!  She's also started pulling up on stuff- like the entertainment center!  She's taking after Graham for sure.  She pulls herself along the floor-it looks like she's doing the breast stroke.  We may have a little swimmer on our hands! 

Graham is getting closer and closer to walking.  He cruises around the coffee table like a pro, and has been caught standing by himself a time or two.  He's started saying "bah-bye" and does a little sideways-wave along with it.  And then he claps when you sing "If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!"  He also claps any time he is proud of himself!

What have WE been up to lately?  Why, running around after them, of course. :)

Guess Who?

Can you guess which one is mommy and which one is Kennedy?  : )

Eatin' Puffs

A couple of months ago, we had the babies try puffs for the first time.  Lets just say that experience didn't go to well.  Graham kept gagging on them.  Then a few weeks ago, we decided to try again.  It took them a few days, but now they are pros at feeding themselves.