Wednesday, June 27, 2012

16 Months & 15 Month Stats

Today the twins turn 16 months!  Really, where is the time going?  We're loving toddler hood and it's especially fun in the summer.  I look back to what life was like last summer at this time with 4 month twins...WOW, what a big difference!  Then we were living our life around an every 3 1/2 - 4 hour bottle feeding schedule, sleepless nights, and trying to juggle two little babies in our arms at the same time.  This summer both kids are on the move and ready to discover everything and anything!  We are able to play outside, go swimming, have picnic lunches, and do lots more.  I'm loving that they are mobile and they do so many adorable and funny things that just bring a smile to my face.  That smile just reminds my how I love being able to spend the days with them and soak in as many memories as I can.  (And remember how to keep my patience some days, too! :))
Here's what the twins have been up to this past month at 15 months old.

Katherine Ilene
(May 27th - June 27th)

* You're getting this 'walking' stuff figured out!  You can now bend down to pick up something and stand back up and continue walking.  You still do walk with you hands up like you're motioning to us "I surrender" or working on your basketball defense. :) 

* New words: "I stinky", "yucky', "please" - all important words, much more important than daddy or mommy! :)

* You can give kisses when we ask you for one.

* Lindsay and I took you swimming to your first public pool and you loved it.  Daddy and I then took you again on our anniversary.  You swam most of the time with Daddy who tossed you around in the water and you even tried blowing bubbles but you just ended up going at it with your mouth open and tongue out.  It was a good try (ha!) but we were so proud of you for trying to put your face in the water.

* You are now on a one nap a day schedule.  You've been sleeping in until 8 or 9 in the morning and then take a nap after lunch around 12:30.  On average you will take a nap for 3 to 4 hours.

* You had your first trip to the MN Zoo on Memorial Day with Grandpa and Grandma Willms.  They bought you a souvenir zoo t-shirt.  The four of us went to the zoo again later in the month as a work function for Daddy's work.

* You learned how to give high fives.  We say "high five" and you'll put your hand up to recieve a high five.  You will laugh like crazy and have the biggest smile while we do this.

* When we ask, "How big is Kate?", you will put your hands up and jabber something that sounds like "so big"!  It's adorable!

* You are such a fun little girl.  You have the most contagious, deep laugh.  We love to get you giggling by tickling you or chasing you around the house.  And you will still start to fake laugh when you hear or see someone else laughing.

* You've been a proud little girl this month showing off your walking skills.  You will keep yourself occupied walking around the livingroom or patio outside.  You have the biggest, most proud smile on while your're cruising around.  You do jabber to yourself like you're telling us a story while you walk.

Matthew Edward
(May 27th - June 27th)

* You had your first haircut, given by Daddy, on just the back of your hair.  You're 'Great-Grandpa Jim old man hair' was getting long and out of control!  You sat in Mommy's lap and watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to distract you while Daddy cut away.

* You can give us a high five when we ask.

* You'll raise your arms above your head to signal "so big" when we ask how big is Matthew.

* You will give us kisses when we ask.

* You don't say any works yet, but you are understanding what we tell you.  You go to the fridge to tell me your thirsty and stand by your high chair when I ask if you want to have breakfast, lunch, etc.  Our favorite is when you go and get your blanket when we tell you to find it because it's bedtime. 

* You have been moving to one nap a day this past month.  Somedays you still need to take two if you wake up early in the morning.  You been taking one nap after lunch around 12:30.  We are working on making the nap a longer one.  So far you sleep anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours.  A bit unpredicatable, but I know the lengthier naps come with time.

* You went to a public pool for the first time with Lindsay and Mommy.  You love just walking into the water until it comes to your ankles and then bend down and splash the water if your hands.  Daddy and Mommy also took you to the same pool on Sunday.  You hung onto Mommy the whole time not being too sure of being in deeper water.  You were loving the little blonde lifeguard though....flashing her your 'lady killer smile' and were trying to jabber something to her when she waved at you.

* You love to start the dishwasher for me.  Not helping me out though, but you love to push the buttons.

* You are really watching what we do and trying to imitate us a lot lately.  For xample, you help me out when I clean up the floors after you've finished eating.  You've watched me do it a lot and learned what to do.  As I am down on my hands and knees wiping the floor you will go and grab the kitchen towel and come next to me and move it around the floor.  So cute and smart!

* You love your new water table we got you.  You get very wet filling up plastic cups and then dupping it down your front!  That's your favorite activity.

* This month has been a bit of a switch between you and your sister.  You are the one who wants to be held all of the time.  You're constantly wanting me to pick you up, so I'm getting very good at doing chores around the house one handed.
* You now run around the house.  You can really move!

* You love to play with doors pushing them open and closed.

* We chase you around the house and you LOVE it!  You go hide and we will come and find you.

* Grandma and Grandpa Willms, along with Mommy and Daddy, took you and Katers to the MN Zoo on Memorial Day.  This was your first time at a zoo. 

Here are pictures from their first day playing with the water table.












Monday, June 25, 2012

Picnic

Yay for summer picnics in the backyard!  My friend Lindsay and I thought it would be fun for Kate and Matt to enjoy their supper outside.  The twins LOVE to eat off of plates!  I guess they feel like 'big' kids!  And occasionally, we would catch the other one stealing food off of their sibling's plate.  I guess the food tastes better on someone elses' dish.






Lindsay and Katers

Mommy and the kiddos

The twins LOVE strawberries!  A perfect treat on a summer's day!


I think we'll definitely have to have more picnics this summer. 
Plus, Mommy loves the easy clean-up!

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Busy weekends!

We've had a lot of visitors for the month of May and June.  We enjoy having our families visit us, and I know the twins especially love having the extra attention!

Memorial Day Weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Willms came to visit us for the long weekend.  One of the activities I wanted to do was take Kate and Matt to the MN Zoo for the first time.  That weekend was a hot one, so we decided Memorial Day's temperature looked the best for being outside.  This was a first MN Zoo adventure for all of us (I'm not going to count when I took my 3rd grade class a couple of years ago.  Not a sight-seeing trip for myself, ha!)

Here are some of the pictures from our trip.

Playing in the fun sprinklers!  Trying to stay cool.


Um, so I guess the guys planned on doing a "father/son matching zoo day"?!  Ha!


Another goofy face picture with Daddy.

Loved Matty in his backwards baseball cap.  This summer is a challenge to keep hats on.  Both kids take them off right away and both need the sun protection since they don't have much hair! ;)

Checking out the fish with Grandma.


Grandma Joyce and Miss Kate - who also decided to dress the same. ;)

Had to take some shots of him walking around the zoo. Can't get enough of him walking from behind, his walk is so cute!



All tuckered out.  Time for a nap!

He's a monkey climbing at the zoo, too!

I told Kevin to take my picture so there was evidence I was also at the zoo and this is the shot he took.  Afterwards he told me he didn't get Matt in that picture at all.  Really?!  I don't need a picture of just myself looking at the exhibits. :)

Take 2

Zoo family picture.


Had to get a picture of the twins!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for taking the trip to the zoo with us.  The twins were spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa who got them each a MN Zoo t-shirt! 

The next weekend we had Kevin's Aunt Jan and Uncle Bill come and visit Thursday-Sunday.  They came to the cities for their God-daughter's high school graduation party.  Jan and I enjoyed going for walks every morning with the twins or just the two of us.  While on their trip here, Jan and Bill wanted to take Kevin and I out for a nice supper.  Friday evening we had our friend Lindsay babysit so the four of us could go out to eat.  We enjoyed our evening out in downtown St. Paul.  I especially enjoyed my peaceful meal all to myself.  No sharing with little ones who are begging at my feet to sit on my lap and mooch.  We even were treated to wine and dessert!  Thanks Jan and Bill for a great weekend!  Oh yeah, and Jan, thanks for helping me organize and get rid of things in our basement!  And Bill, you did a great job babysitting Kate while we were on our cleaning mission!  Kate loved reading books with Bill!  (I'm bummed that I forgot to take any pictures of Jan and Bill with the twins!)

This past weekend, Mary, another one of Kevin's aunts, and a family friend, Heimy, came to visit.  It was a nice relaxing weekend!  We spent a lot of time outside playing and swimming in the backyard.

This weekend was also Father's Day weekend.  For Kevin's gift I surprised him with a game of golf.  Our friend Kelly and I made a tee time reservation at Troy Burne, a golf course in Hudson, WI, for our husbands.  Both Kevin and her husband, Matt, were surprised and excited to get to golf together.  Finally, a good gift I knew my husband would love!  So on Saturday afternoon, while the guys golfed, Kelly came over with their son, Joe, and joined in on our backyard pool party.  Us ladies and kiddos had a great evening, too!

Heimy works at NDSU so she gave Kate and Matt shirts for the 1st birthday.  We have to make sure our household is also showing Bison pride!  As a surprise, the twins wore their matching shirts for her!


Trying to get a shot with both kiddos and Great Aunt B



Playing around with Great Aunt Mary

Got to love that grin!!!

Mary showed up with a surprise gift from Great-Grandma Ilene...bouncy balls for outside!  Kate and Matt had a lot of fun with their new gift.  Now we can work on their kicking, throwing, and catching skills!

Miss Katherine


What'd you know...Matthew stole the ball away from Kate.  Nothing new.  Poor Katers!


Had to take some shots with Mary before she left on Sunday.  We had another great weekend!


Giving kisses...Muuuah!

Something must be funny.

Tried getting a family shot on Father's Day.
Matt wasn't happy here.

And tried to escape this picture.  Oh well, it makes it more interesting showing his busy personality!

Please let me know if you'd like to book a reservation at Hotel Willms.  We are happy to accommodate...for the right price. :)