Ozzie and Harriet

I'm not quite sure how we got ourselves into this situation.  Jack was sick and we needed an air conditioned place without a bunch of kids where we could kill some time.  Silly me, suggested the pet store.  Jack and Jeremy actually sat in the car - Jack seemed content which equalled sucess and there was no reason to chance unsucess.  As Annabelle and I were going into the store, two girls were coming out with two puppies they just adopted.  I thought the puppies were sweet and the girls insane.  Little did I know... Once inside, Annabelle and I looked at kittens, fish, turtles, and guinea pigs.  I tried to steer clear of the mice and rats.  It was a great time killer.  We went outside to see the dogs.  There were quite a few and we loved on all of them, including Ozzie and Harriet.  They are "Leroy" dogs.  Basically, I fell in love.  I did not really think it through, when I asked Jeremy if we could have one, as I was sure Jeremy would say no.  Surprisingly, he said yes.  They are boy girl twins and we did not want to separate them.  Initially, we thought we would adopt one for ourselves and one for my mom (who has been saying she wants a dog).  But, now that we have them, I think we will have to keep them both together.  Because having boy girl thirteen month old twins isn't enough to keep me busy, I decided we should have dogs!?!?!?

We brought them home last night.  I was taking the kids in through the front and Jeremy was taking the dogs into the backyard.  We thought it might be nice to get the kids fed and a few things situated before bringing Ozzie and Harriet into their new home.  But, as I was on the front porch with one of the kids, I saw one of the dogs sprint by.  About a nano second later, I saw the other one.  They are both super fast!  Apparently they can fit through our fence - something that will have to be fixed immediately!  Luckily, they respond to their names and both came to me (in the neighbor's yard by this time) after a short sprint around the surrounding yards.  We were able to get them inside without any craziness.

The first night went well.  Harriet wanted to sleep in our bed, but after being kicked out a couple times, she finally settled into the dog pillow at the foot of our bed.  Leroy's old bed is big enough for Ozzie and Harriet to snuggle together.  Everyone was happy, except for me, who had anxiety all night long and thought this probably was not the best decision.  Oh well!  Unfortunately, the babies decided to start the morning around 5:00 AM.  By 6:15, we were all out for a family jog!

Overall, it is going to be a fun and wild ride.  The kids aren't sure what to think and neither are the dogs.  Annabelle loves animals and usually is happy to see them.  Jack has not felt well and would probably prefer to be left alone.  The dogs are still trying to figure out their new home.  Eventually, we will get it all worked out.  Welcome to our family Ozzie and Harriet!  We are excited to have you!

Shoes

Annabelle has discovered shoes!  She got a pair of Pink Sparkle Toms from a dear friend for her birthday and then Granjan bought her two more pairs while she was visiting.  Whenever Annabelle sees the shoes, she brings them to me, one at a time so she can shake her other hand, and says "eh, eh, eh, eh" which translated means, "put the shoes on now, please".  The "please" is actually my own addition, as her "eh, eh, eh, eh" is a demand.  She does not care if she has on footed pajams, is getting ready for a nap, or even has another pair of shoes on.  We had a three year old boy visiting and she, with some assistance, put his crocs on over her own shoes and was walking around the house.  Silly girl!  She will also bring me Jeremy's shoes and say the same, "eh, eh, eh, eh".  I put them on my feet and she seems satisfied enough.  She does not seem quite big enough to wear her shoes and his shoes.  A little more practice walking and I am sure she will be ready.  Jeremy is concerned about Annabelle's shoe obsession and is hoping it is just a phase and not something he has to fund for the next 17 years!

Just an update

I do not think I am writing nearly enough, but it is hard for me to come up with topics.  So, this will just be an update.  The kids are almost 13 months.  They are walking all over and practically running at times.  The steps are no match for them.  Jack will just walk in circles in his room.  Walking is his new favorite trick and he is just trying to make up for the months before he was able to walk.  Annabelle enjoys having stories read to her and continues to be very social, needing lots of attention.  She likes to play chase and hide-n-seek with her daddy and it is cute to watch her get so excited.  Jack continues to be laid back and entertains himself easily.  Both have 2 top teeth all the way in with another one or two on the way.  It is so hot, we have spent much more time indoors.  We do enjoy having our friends over to swim in the pool or play with our splash table.  But, I am excited for the weather to cool off, so we can get back to walking. 

GranJan was here until the 27th.  It was wonderful to have her and our bellies have been happy and full!  We went on playdates, went to the children's museum, went out to lunch, went shopping, and played on the playground.  We miss her already and are ready for her to come back in the fall!

Peter Pan

Jack has discovered his shadow!  He loves to play near the window where the sun is shining through.  He will make his version of shadow puppets on the ground and watch his hands and fingers on the tile or the carpet.  He will also give his shadow "high fives".  He has also discovered his shadow outside.  While at the splash pad, he likes to walk on the sidewalk and look at his shadow.  He thought my tall shadow was pretty neat too.  I'm glad he is so easily entertained!

Annabelle and Jack's first year

A year ago at this time, I had no idea how my world would change.  I knew the beginning would be difficult, but I had not idea how difficult and even now, I think I have blocked it out and it does not really seem like it was that tough.  The first 3 months were really challenging, the second three months were better but still rough, and the last six months have been a blast!

Dear Annabelle,
You have quite a personality!  In the beginning, you were the "easy" baby.  You slept 7-7 very early on and have always been a good napper.  However, as you have gotten older, you like to be the center of attention and usually demand it.  You do not like to share.  If Jack is playing with mommy or daddy, you quickly slide in and steal the show.  You are also quick to take his toys - they are always more insteresting.  Although, he is now on to your game and will sometimes take them back.  You are a ham for the camera and are happy to clap, stomp your feet, wave, play peek-a-boo, and put your hands over your head to say "hooray".  You have been taking steps for quite a while now, and it finally seems like you are walking.  You can and do walk from one side of the room to the other.  You love animals.  We have been to the zoo in Austin and the Science Center in Greensboro, NC.  Both places, you were facinated by the animals.  You think it is fun to see dogs and cats on our walks in the neighborhood.  You are a fairly good eater.  There have been a few times, okay many times, where you have wiped the table off with your arm, resulting in you whole dinner landing on the floor.  Other times, you will eat the insides and spit out the peel (ie: blueberries, cherry tomatoes, grapes, etc).  You nursed up until your first birthday - quite an accomplishment for mommy with her lower than low supply!  At the end, you were nursing twice a day, but would also get a bottle after you finished.  Now you are in a phase where you are a mommy's girl and very clingy.  I try to remind myself to enjoy it because someday you will not want to be anywhere near me.  You are typically a happy baby who enjoys social interaction and we try to have lots of playdates and outings to keep you entertained.  We also keep cool in the pool.  I am so excited to watch you grow and share fun and exciting adventures with you!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy

Dear Jack,
You are a laid back guy!  You are usually happy and just "chillin".  You had a rough beginning.  It started the night we came home from the hospital and you cried all night long.  That was how we learned my milk supply was too low and you were really hungry.  We quickly resolved the hunger, though sadly not the milk supply.  You also had colic for close to three months.  Before having you, I did not believe in colic.  But, you cried and cried and cried and there was nothing anyone could do to make you happy.  You and I spent many nights asleep in the rocking chair.  However, after we got through the colic, you became a very happy and relaxed baby.  You have been a great sleeper since then and will often take long naps.  Just in the past few weeks, you have not been as excited to go down for your nap - I think you may be ready to switch to one instead of two.  You are happy to play with others, but also able to entertain yourself.  You usually let your sister steal your toys, but occassionally will take them back.  You have recently started clapping your hands.  You are not nearly as concerned with performing "tricks" as your sister is.  You really enjoy sounds and music.  We have been to a few music classes and you like to play the guitar at the end of class.  You also like to play with toys that make music and figure out how to make them work.  You love swimming and kick your feet like you are ready to swim on your own.  You have been taking steps for a couple months and are walking now.  Lately, you have been practicing and will just walk in circles in your room.  You are a good eater.  Tomatoes and watermelon seem to be your favorite things these days.  You stopped nursing a few months ago when you got your second tooth.  Now, you are a go with the flow kind of guy who can keep himself happy almost anywhere we go.  I look forward to watching you grow and sharing fun and exciting adventures with you!
Love,
Mommy and Daddy 

Happy 1st birthday party Jack and Annabelle!

Two days ago was the babies first birthday and yesterday we had a birthday bash to celebrate!!!  Gpa, GranJan, and Grandpa all came into town for the occassion.  I decided to find my inner Martha Stewart and enlisted GranJan's help.  The party was a pool party (invitations were on small beach balls) and we had a luau theme.  We made blue jello with sweedish fish floating inside and the cutest cupcakes you have ever seen.  We took Teddy Grahms and used a "candy writer" to draw bikinis and swim trunks and a face.  All of the cupcakes were frosted with blue icing and some had smashed grahm crackers on part to represent sand.  We took the Teddy Grahms and put them on a fruit roll up under an umbrella in the sand, floating in a gummi ring, laying on a fruit roll-up in the "water", or just "swimming".  They turned out very cute!  Jeremy made polynesian pulled pork sliders and we had a watermelon basket with fruit.  It all went well with the margarita machine!  Outside, we put grass skirts around the bar and used leis and pinneapples to decorate the bar. We also had sand pails filled with goldfish crackers.  Gpa and Grandpa strung up tons of balloons, which were very cute until they started popping one by one due to the heat.  It looked great outside!  GranJan and Grandpa gave the babies a water table and a slide for their birthday.  We had them set up in the yard and also had a tunnel, a ball pit, and a pool.  Granna painted 3 people riding a dolphin and there were holes to put your face and take a picture.  It was very cute and we got a few good pics! 

Jack and Annabelle each had their own cake.  Jack carefully at the blue dots off his cake and was very cautious.  Annabelle was a little more eager to get into her cake.  The result was two messy babies and some great pictures!

We had lots of friends at our party:
Chris, Courtney, and Charolette
Helen, Ryan, and Steven
Traci, Greg, and Mason
Angela, Nick, and Elli
Ryan, Nicky, Holden, Wesley, and Wren
Susan, Dirk, and Hannah
Moe
Natalie, Scott, and Matthew
Andrea, Jason, Anson, Madilyn, and Reagan
Jan
Leah and Patrick
Alex and Marianne
Kelly, Xavier, Luke, and Joshua
Ryan and Jackson 
Becky, TJ, and Pearl

Thank you so much for coming to celebrate our special day!  Very exciting the babies turned one and even more exciting that mommy and daddy survived the first year!!!

Babies on Board

We just returned from the babies' first trip on an airplane.  It was an adventure!  It began when we arrived at the airport the first time (you can already see where this is going) to find out our plane was delayed.  Not a huge deal, as it was not that significant of a delay.  We hung out at the airport and Jeremy and I took turns walking from one end of the airport to the other with the babies.  The Austin airport is not very big.  We boarded the plane with the "pre-boarding" group since we clearly need extra time with two babies.  We got settled in, got out the various snacks, baby beverages, and toys.  After some time, I realized no one else was getting on the plane.  I have never boarded with the "pre-boarders", so I was not sure exactly how much "extra time" was allotted, but at this point it seemed excessive.  Around that time, the flight attendant said the plane was grounded due to weather in Atlanta and no one else would be boarding at this time.  We were welcome to sit on the plane or go back into the airport.  We decided to sit tight for a little while since we had just unpacked all kinds of stuff.  After about 10 minutes, we were assured we could leave our belongings and go back into the airport so the kids could crawl around.  So, we did.  After checking in with the gate agent, it became apparent we would most likely miss our connection in Atlanta and be stuck overnight in the airport.  We decided to go home and try again the next morning.  It was not as easy as it sounds.  Jeremy had to re-board the plane and pack up all our baby supplies.  Then we waited at baggage claim for about 45 minutes for our check baggage.  I was ready to leave it there overnight, but Jeremy pointed out the office might not be open for our 6:00 AM flight.  Thankfully, my brother was in town and able to return to the airport to pick us up.  We went home, fed babies, and all went to bed. 

The next morning, we left the house at 4:30 AM - even before the babies typical wake up time.  Our travel day was fairly uneventful and we even made it into Raleigh 30 minutes early.  The babies were well behaved on the flight.  Jeremy and I are not able to sit next to each other with the babies because there are not enough oxygen masks.  I was a row behind him on the first flight and across the plane.  At one point, I looked over and he had on his headphones and sunglasses.  It looked like he and Jack were both taking a nap.  I was not nearly as fortunate.  Annabelle decided to start practicing for her future career on Dancing with the Stars.  She wiggled and moved non-stop during both flights.  Jeremy's sister, Lauren, picked us up in Raleigh and we began our drive to the beach house on the Outerbanks.  I had been under the false impression it was a 3 hour drive.  4 1/2 hours later we arrived at the house.  We were all hungry and exhausted.  Thankfully, Grandjan put the pack-n-plays in the bedroom next to hers and Jeremy and I got to sleep downstairs!  The babies did not go with the plan of staying on Central time even on the East coast.  They were up at 6:00 AM Eastern time, and we were very happy they were upstairs and we were downstairs.

The beach was a lot of fun.  The babies seemed to enjoy it.  They thought the sand tasted delicious time and time again.  They splashed in the water and dug in the sand - perfect beach activities!  Jeremy build sand castles and Annabelle enjoyed smashing them.  Jack liked to walk and walk and walk (with some assistance, of course).  Jeremy also enjoyed the beach as he had 2 days of fishing.  The first day he went with me, Lauren, and his father.  We caught a few, but not nearly as many as he had hoped.  The second day, he went on an off-shore fishing trip (thanks to a wonderful father's day present from his lovely wife, children, and mother).  He was with 4 other guys he had never met before.  They caught their limit in Mahi and ran out of bait.  He said they caught 90 fish and he came home with 20 pounds of Mahi.  That was a fun trip!

After the beach, we headed to Reidsville, where Jeremy's parents live.  Jeremy, the babies, and I stopped in Raleigh on the way.  We had lunch with Jeremy's good friends, Jim and Kate.  Then we spent some time getting out our wiggles at their house.  We made it to Reidsville in time to feed the babies dinner and put them to bed.  Once again, Grandjan set the pack-n-plays up in the room next to hers and Jeremy and I slept downstairs.  Great vacation for us!  The next day, Jeremy's parents' friends came over to meet the babies.  Fortunately, the babies were well behaved and good sports.  Later that evening, Jeremy's aunt and cousins came over.  It was fun for them to meet the babies and we took a family photo.  After the babies went to bed, we played cornhole.  I must mention at the end of the night, Jeremy and I were the champions!  The rest of our time in North Carolina was spent just hanging out with family and playing in the pool.

The trip home was fairly easy.  On the flight from Atlanta to Austin, Annabelle and I had an empty seat next to us.  It was amazing and made the flight so much better!  Annabelle was still practicing her dance moves and Jack seemed to be relaxed, but we shed very few tears and did not get any dirty looks, which equals sucess in my book. 

We had a wonderful trip and look forward to another one next year!