joy times two

11 months

2012-01-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Little Señoritas

"Look Lyla, mom brought us back some maracas!"

"They make noises, like this."

"They taste pretty good too, try it out."

The girls are almost a year old... :( You can really tell they're not be little babies anymore. The big news is that the girls are officially weaned and have started drinking plain ol' milk! They really seem to enjoy the bottle now and they eat most foods pretty well- hopefully they start packing on the pounds... When they were first born my goal was to nurse for 5-6 months and quit as my birthday present, but I found by then it was just so easy. The easiest, cheapest, laziest, cleanest, healthiest way to feed them- it didn't make sense to quit. The Hagens planned a family trip to Hawaii in February and I decided I wanted to be done by then, they'd basically be a year old. I was planning on starting to wean end of January, then a fun trip to Cabo came up just before that mark. I pumped tons and by the time I got back I realized the girls were already 5 days adjusted to not nursing and that the transition would be much easier for them if I didn't reintroduce it only to take it away shortly after. So, I pumped until I felt like they could handle some regular milk and honestly the transition couldn't have gone smoother. Two babies obsessed with nursing, weaned like cake. Phew, that was a relief.

la niña Lyla

Miss Lyla,
You've been hilarious this month. You're obsessed with blueberries all of the sudden and will just shove as many in your mouth as you can. I give you big handfuls and they are gone in seconds sometimes. You love to dance and whenever we turn on music you head over to the speakers and climb up to the table they're on and just shake it, waving your arms and all. You're quite the little dancer- rocking your head, twisting your body, clapping...you sing sometimes too. You will take steps and like "walking" for a minute if we hold your arms up. You love to wave and say bye-bye and it's so cute. You also say dada, block, and probably a couple other things. :) Lately you've really been into tackling your sister, if I'm lucky you'll tackle/hug me sometimes too. You love being in the bath and if we lay you back in the water you get so relaxed, you could lay there all day. You also really love people's teeth, I guess its because you've now got so many of your own, 7 to be exact! You haven't been throwing those hilarious tantrums lately where you throw your arms up and then face plant into the floor. I miss it...I hope you do it a few more times so I can remember to get it on video, you'd be a youtube sensation. You're such a little sweetie. I love you!
mama

la niña June

Miss June,
You've had a great month, you're such a funny girl. You've gotten REALLY into bottles and if we let you you'd probably drink them all day long...eventually we have to stop you because you gotta eat some food! Near the end of last month you took one little step towards a book you wanted and you love to just stand from sitting position in the middle of the room. We could never get you to stay in your highchair no matter how good we strapped you in, but recently you've accepted the seat and will sit in there to eat your meals. You like dancing too and when you hear a melody you sway your body back and forth, if you're really feeling it you head bang. You've been loving whole bananas and eat them just like a little monkey. You're a lot lot me with food, you're picky and won't eat it if it isn't flavorful & seasoned properly. You love laughing and if I laugh you always do to, which normally results in a laughing fest with you, me, and your sister! They are my favorite. You also say dada, I think you've said mama, block (you and your sister LOVE knocking over towers of blocks!), maybe a couple other things too. Normally you talk in jibberish, but you speak in sentences and say things like "da! da! ya! ya! hah! hah!" over and over and over, it's cute. You've started sleeping a little better which we really appreciate. We love you & you just keep getting to be cuter & more fun!
love,
mama

I guess the girls love photo shoots en español because they could not stop laughing, all three of us basically just laughed till I put the camera down.

LO SIENTO there were way too many cute pics, I promise these are highlights...

Cabo

2012-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about Cabo. When you become a parent, at some point it becomes necessary to take a vacation away from the kiddos. Everyone kept telling me how hard it would be leaving the girls for the first time, and how sad I'd be. Apparently almost a year of those sleepless nights, busy days, and lack of "me time" in my crazy twin world added up to the point that I truly NEEDED this vacation, if nothing else to get a couple worry-free, cry-free nights waking up after the sun comes up.

Here we are taking that big step, leaving the girls...just the 2 of us.

We dropped the girls off to Brad's mom and I wondered what we were doing, I'd never been away from them for more than a few hours, why would we leave them, would everything be okay... I was sad, tears were shed, BUT as soon as we got to the airport and flew down to sunny Mexico I found myself easily distracted from the worries back home and we had a serious blast.

The Zinch founders wanted to celebrate the big sell last year by going on a fun trip with their wives, if it weren't for that I don't think me and Brad would have done it- it pushed us out the door and I'm so glad it did!

The Cabo crew

The hotel was nice:

We visited Pelican beach & lover's beach, really cool scenery and this is where we snorkeled a little.

We had the most perfect dinner, we went 2 nights in a row- the food was amazing, the ambiance was out of this world, and it wasn't even that expensive!

Even though we were all tired parents we went out for a night on the town, there's lot of love in the clubs of Cabo.

Not one, but 2 nights we woke up crazy early to go fishing.

The famous arch

We didn't have lots of luck with fish. The boys were after a marlin, but we only got a couple lil' ones. We fed most of our live bait to the seals.

Every night we skyped with the girls which was so fun. The one night we missed talking to them and that was a little hard, but it was fine, I knew they were fine and that I was awesome. I was laying on beaches, I was sleeping, I was taco eating.

Speaking of tacos... I'm pretty sure every taxi driver will recommend you eat here, it's not a mistake. My mouth is watering just thinking about the tacos al pastor and the shrimp tacos.

Sure it was a touristy place, but I was surprised to find a little local feel and we had fun around the town. Good husband, good tres leches, good mexi-trinkets. We also had a spa day which was completely amazing, so amazing that I didn't even think to take one picture.

I think a part of me thought nothing like this would ever happen to me again. Soaking in the sun, listening to my music, not a care in the world... I also never thought I'd remind myself so much of Michael J.

The founder boys. Thank you for creating Zinch, selling it, and deciding to celebrate by taking your wives on an awesome vacation, you all rock.

Adios for now Mexico, we are good amigos now, see you again soon. :)

happy new year!

2012-01-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yay, I'm caught up to blogging about the right year! ;) I have a confession, ever since I started using instagam I've been a bad blogger. I like blogs, I enjoy keeping a record of my life that way and it's fun to keep tabs on my friends and family...but, instagram is just SO much easier- I can snap a pic on my phone, post it with a quick thought and it's like micro-blogging. There are a few problems however..not everyone is on instagram, and since you just post one pic at a time I have no where to show off the other 10 pics I love from my little photo sessions. :) One of my goals for this year is to not perpetually be a month behind on my blog- if you're still following me you've really been a trooper, and you'll be rewarded with more consistent, concise posts. (once I finally catch up)

Besides my blog goal, I'm just hoping that this year in my second year as a mom I will be able to find better balance. The girls really threw things off balance and that's normal, but even though they're always priority #1 I'd still like to reincorporate more of my old life's loves. Including but not limited to: getting creative in the kitchen, sewing, going to zumba, scrapbooking, quilting, getting dressed everyday, reading scriptures more frequently, and keeping our house from looking like a tornado came through it every week. Lofty goals indeed- but what it's really all about is BALANCE.

Then we said bye to all our Christmas stuff, Brad came home from work and said "Huh, it looks so empty in here...that stuff really does make it homey." It's true, but you gotta clean up eventually.

And once all the Christmas sweets were gone I thought it seemed nice to limit them more this year- like not more than once a day, except on really hard days.

Happy New Year everyone, I can only imagine this year will be as wonderful as last!

Babies first Christmas

2012-01-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

I've always been a bit of a Christmas freak, but having your own kids really multiplies the magic and wonder of the holiday x100. It's almost hard to write about, and in fact I won't really because I bet my girls will know how to look through my blog when they're like 6 and I don't want to write anything I'll regret...
It was so fun helping Santa get ready for Christmas. When they woke up on Christmas morning we went in the nursery, changed diapers & nursed, then walked into the family room and waited for them to crawl in and find their Christmas morning surprise.

The look of awe

and excitement

We weren't sure if they'd really be that into it, but they immediately crawled over to the presents and went to town like they were born for it.

They were quick to figure out that if they tore paper, there was a surprise inside.

They got a couple of my favorite childhood toys including the classic record player.

Santa was good to them. :)

chatterbox oldschool phone

Daddy had to get them their first hoops of course.

It was so fun to watch them!

Playing with their loot.

Santa gave them each a box of wipes to rip out, because he knows what they REALLY love.

Then we got ready for church, why isn't Christmas always on a Sunday? It was nice after presents to be reminded of the true reason for the season, (and it's only an hour long!) :)

I wore my engagement dress & sang in the choir- so Brad was on his own sitting with the girls.

I'm a lucky girl to have such a wonderful family to celebrate Christmas with!

'Twas the night before Christmas

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

On Christmas eve we celebrated with my family and enjoyed prime rib, the nativity, the traditional Christmas pinata, and a special visit from Santa! Since baby Hank got sad during the nativity, June stepped in to play the role of baby Jesus- she loved being the center of attention and receiving gifts from her cousins of gold, frankincense, and mire.

Mrs. Clause comes on Christmas eve which is an extra special treat.

The girls first gift was their dolls from grandma, and Santa gave them some really cute Christmas board books that light up and play Christmas music.

Looking at grandma's beautiful tree.

We got home from the party and put the girls in bed, we were tired but the night was young for parents everywhere and it was our first time getting to coordinate with Santa to make the Christmas magic happen!

dollies.

gingerbread house.

cookies & milk.

meeting santa (we KNOW him!)

2012-01-21T21:10:00.000-08:00

Going to meet Santa. Such an epic event that every parent looks forward to. It's one of those parental moments you dream about, and it really was fun! :) As usual we made sure to err on the side of being over the top in order to ensure the girls had the best experience-they met Santa a total of 4 times. (In all fairness 3 were just coincidence.)

SANTA #1

A darling Santa at Disneyland, but this didn't count of course because it was in November.

They were totally intrigued by him though, they said they'd keep their eye out for him next month.

SANTA #2

We headed over to officially meet Santa in December near our house, Mr. real beard Santa was very nice.

But as soon as June saw who was holding her she was not a fan of old St. Nick.

Lyla was all like, "what's up with that?" She kept hugging him & staring at him.

But they got along before they met eyes.

SANTA #3

We just happened to run into this free Santa and let me tell you- third times the charm! This was the REAL Santa, I believe in him. Definitely not one of his helpers.

Would anyone but the real Santa sweetly quiet baby Lyla like that? Nope.

Or comfort terrified baby June so sweetly? I think not.

It was magical.

Totally worth the cold wait in line...

At least there was pretty views.

SANTA #4

And then at my family party on Christmas Eve Santa came again to give all the little ones their first Christmas gift.

June was beginning to warm back up to Mr. Clause by Christmas Eve, she could taste the presents.

And Lyla was as comfortable as ever.
It's fun seeing that magical little relationship of your kids with Santa begin to develop. They had so many chances to get to know him this year, hopefully they'll feel like old friends by next Christmas... ;)

Christmas memories

2012-01-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Christmas with babies was absolute magic, I'll share about Christmas morning later, but here are a few pictures after we decorated the tree.

They loved playing with Christmas bells.

And every morning the first place they'd go is to the Christmas tree. They'd climb up on the presents and look at all the adorned branches. It kinda makes me sad thinking about it...we should keep a fresh tree in the house year round. lol.

The Hagens were sending out a sports-themed Christmas card so these were a couple of pictures we took for that.

Daddy and his girls.

This is one of my favorites: June's adorable stare, Lyla's sweet yawn, and proud daddy's smile.

December from an iphone

2012-01-21T08:01:00.000-08:00

You will be bombarded with several pics from my iphone, once I upload them. Prepare yourself.

santa's little helpers

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

When you have twin babies, elf hats, and find some clearance elf onesies certain things have to happen.

10 months

2012-01-21T07:47:00.000-08:00

I really did write this a month ago...

I cannot believe the girls are 10 months old! Whenever I write these posts I'm reminded of a comedy skit we saw where the person was making fun of parents talking about there kids age and saying, can you believe it? She said, I'm tempted to write back, "She's in kindergarten, she was born a few years back, seems about right. yes i believe it. she's growing up and following the natural progression of life? seems about right, I believe it. if you told me she never grew up and was a tiny baby still after all these years, then i'd say, send more pictures, i don't believe it!
So I guess they are just following the normal pattern of growing, but watching your little baby change so fast is incredible, but sad too- and for some reason shocking! I like being the mother of twin babies. I'm not ready to be the mom of 2 adult children (ironic name, but it's how I see it in my head).

Lyla,
You are officially an adult. I know you're only 10 months old, but you had a big tooth pop down up top and 3 followed right after, now you've got a mouth full of 6 teeth! I haven't been able to get a picture of it, in fact, I haven't really tried because it makes me sad thinking about how you are changing from a little baby into something else...like a child. You really want to walk also, per doctor's orders we set you down when you're standing and try not to encourage it. Next month we're gonna let you go though! You have been pretty hilarious. One of your new favorite things to do is bang your arms (and enrite body) incredibly hard on our big TV, like you're going to break it. We quickly whisk you away which makes you laugh your head off every time. You're a sweet little thing, I love you!
Mama

June,
One of your favorite tricks is clapping- if we clap you clap. If we wave, you clap. If we snap, you clap. :) If your standing you'll sit down to show off your trick. You've even tried to clap one handed while balancing on one hand sitting, which was hilarious to watch. Lyla fights back more from all your toy snatching, but you don't handle it as well, you cry like a baby (I wonder why?) whenever she steals a toy from you. You really love poking eyes with your little pointer finger, its the first thing you go after on everyone, including your new doll. You have your little fangs coming down up top which will make 4 total teeth for you. Even after all the new toys you got for Christmas your favorite "toy" is the container of nose drops I've been giving you and your sister, if I don't have two of them out you fight over it like mad. You can balance really good, I'm expecting you and your sister will be taking steps in January. You're as darling as ever.
Love,
Mama

call me mama & nursery pics

2011-12-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

So the girls both say "dada" all the time and I haven't been able to get them to attempt mama. Tonight I learned why they never say mama...they know me as Katie apparently.
Brad called for me upstairs and June looked right to the stairs and said "Ka". I came up and she looked at me and said "ka, ka". I laughed and said, "no, I'm mama." Are you going to call us dada & Katie?" And she looked at me and said da, ka. da ka. This is not a joke, really happened, just like that. So...uh...anyone got some advice on teaching babies manners & respect and not referring to their own mother by her first name?! ;)

PS- Lyla had a beaver tooth of sorts come out on top, we're talking an adult sized tooth, it's unreal. I can't imagine what she's going to look like when both of them come down, but shes going to have to start walking to the nickel store and eating lolly pops when it does... She isn't going to look like a baby at all in like 2 weeks- I need to go photo crazy, but it's in the midst of Christmas craziness...so basically baby Lyla is gone, prepare to see my adult-children with full sets of adult teeth shortly.

Hark the herald angels sing!

2011-12-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

So the place I order headband supplies from had wings for like $2, seemed like a sound investment for 2 daughters who will likely be angels for our family nativity every Christmas...
But then I got carried away, as usual.

Little angel Lyla, I love her little hand.

Little angel June

Angel peek-a-boo

Lyla was teething and so not in the mood for this shoot...

Of course the lighting is perfect and they somewhat pose for me when the background is the chaos of getting our house ready for Christmas! Realistic I guess.

So on my mac it doesn't seem to save anything I do on iphoto, the pictures I delete still show up and any edits that I do don't show up. These would look much better if they were at least cropped to show only the silver background...is there a simple solution? Oh well, the girls are still cute. :)

Normally they have a lot of fun when I'm taking pictures of them, but on this one they really seemed like they were just trying to escape me the whole time.

The girls should both be napping at this moment, but I heard them laughing in there while I uploaded these pics, now they're both crying- so I'm off to wrangle two ornery, tired babies! Sometimes they're not angels when they're supposed to be sleeping...

oh tannenbaum!

2011-12-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

I love the memories from growing up going to pick out a tree each Christmas. We went to the same lot and some years the tree was bigger or fuller than others, but I was always surprised how big it looked once we got it inside. It smelled so nice and I remember watching my mom string the lights as if it were an art form. We'd all help decorate and when I was little the corner behind the tree was my very favorite spot to play. I'd climb back there and play with different ornaments. Luckily the thing was tied to the ceiling ever since it fell on my brother one year! :0

Now days since all the kids are out of the house my mom has a big, lovely fake tree. I don't blame her, I probably will at that point in life too...but until then I always want to have a real tree! This is our 3rd Christmas as a little family and we've started our own tradition of going to our own little lot and picking our tree each year. Of course, it's more fun taking June & Lyla there!

Don't be surprised if one of these images ends up on your fridge. (well, maybe...I need to order our Christmas cards today, yikes!)

They were pretty interested in all the trees.

cuties.

me & my girls

Lyla wanted to get up close and personal with the tree, then realized it wasn't the best idea.

better to get up close and personal with daddy.

June was into that too.

Last year we got a deal on our tree using my huge belly full of babies, this year we got a deal showing off the adorable twins who needed their first pretty Christmas tree! ;)

We found the one. It took several days to get around to decorating the thing, but such is life with babies!

Christmas hits the nursery

2011-12-09T16:02:00.000-08:00

Ahh, it's December and here I am blogging about things happening in this very month, that feels right. First things first for the girls first Christmas, we got the girls a nativity to play with and a little tree for the nursery. I can't get over how much I love Christmas with babies!

I really like how the little tree turned out, nothing is breakable and everything is hard to pull off except their hairbows which make up half of the "ornaments". The girls have been pretty gentle with the tree so far so we've been able to leave it on the floor, they like to look on it and sometimes pull on it a little, just enough so that the bells jingle.

I am so happy with how much they love playing with the nativity. Lyla's favorite thing is to pull the angel off the top of the manger, June just loves biting the cow's head.

They like baby Jesus too. :)

Sometimes when they're playing together it's a good opportunity for me to get some things done, but whenever they're playing with their nativity I can't help but watch or join in!

Celebrating Zinch

2011-12-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

Zinch had a party here in Utah a few weeks back celebrating the big sale, and in a few weeks the founders are celebrating by going on a little 4 day vacation with their wives...and no babies. I know it will be nice, but I'm also nervous. It's a little tricky with the girls feedings and I've never been away from them for more than a few hours. I feel a little anxiety whenever I think about it, but I'm excited too...

Here's Lyla posing at the party:

Here's June posing:

I can't even tell you what's going on here:

Lyla is rockin' out to the band.

June actually fell asleep to the band, some very relaxing rap music.

"Uncle Al" helping out. :)

They're such little socialites.

Parties are always such fun.

phone pics

2011-12-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Ohh...how I love dressing the girls for church on Sunday, occasionally I have time to think about what I put on too. I normally take a picture on special occasions like that. :)

A target run!

We hang out all day every day, it's the best!

Babies make toys out of the most ordinary mundane things.

But real baby toys still entertain!

Lyla's pretty little teeth.

Bath time.

I feel pretty...

Everywhere should have such twin-friendly carts like Costco, my life would be so much easier!

It's so hilariously cute when Lyla zonks out.

June doesn't fall asleep so easily...

I can't wait to give them cookies!!! How long do I wait? A year? Just a couple months...!

Lyla is just more chill a lot of the time, see her trying to relax and play at the same time. lol!

June with some serious pea damage.

The girls watching some snow fall for the first time (since they were newborns and clueless anyways)

I wish I could get them to take naps at the same time everyday, I love when that happens!

Playing in the bookshelves

Dancing in the bookshelves :)

They love to climb, Gates have become very necessary & sadly have destroyed our wall.

They're worth every sleepless night and every dent and ding starting to appear in our home.

a little bit of this, a little bit of that.

2011-12-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

I've taken the girls into stores in many different styles.

June continues to get farther from the growth charts, so Dr. Jed sent her to get some blood work. She watched the guy put that needle in and just stared, not one tear...it was weird. She is doing fine, they're both just extra small for their age, but healthy. Here's June enjoying a book:

They always get excited when daddy comes home, sometimes they play ball

or read a book...

The girls attended their first wedding! One of Brad's best friends got married (I think it was in October...but here are some pics anyways!)

I love to see the temple...

I waited outside with the girls, then we all went to the luncheon and reception together. It almost reminded me of China a little because crowds of people gathered to see the twins, a few asked to take pictures. :)

It was a perfect day and the girls loved crawling around.

They also decided to try eating some delicious looking leaves.

By the end of it they were pooped.

Congrats to Josh and Katie!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-07T15:49:00.000-08:00

Phew, catching up the blog is proving difficult. Its so much better blogging about what is currently happening, but how can I not share some of these pictures? The girls have been sick and taking up all my time day and night, but I'm holding June while Lyla naps so you all get to learn about our fabulous Thanksgiving!

I figured I have two babies celebrating their first Thanksgiving, and the very first Thanksgiving was celebrated by Pilgrims & Indians, so it only seemed appropriate to dress the girls up as such...

They wore these outfits for a couple random meals, to their doctor's appointment, for my little photo shoot, and of course, on Thanksgiving! Here we are full of food and gratitude on that blessed day:

We were with the Hagens this year, we decided to dress up all the cousins, but Sammy wouldn't have it. ;)

Grandma Barbara has been such a help to me with these girls, sometimes she is my assistant photographer.

Pilgrim June

Sometimes it seems like the Indians didn't get a fair deal...

Aw, how cute is little Indian Lyla?

Sweet Juney

Just playin' away

humoring their crazy mother...

Taking in the holiday.

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving too!

California

2011-12-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

These photos are in a really weird order, I'm still trying to figure out how to use a mac, at least the computer works even if I don't know how to use it! You may have noticed the girls have had a totally spoiled first year of traveling, and that just wouldn't be complete without a trip to Disneyland! (we really just went because it was my family's trip this year) :)
The road trip down wasn't quite as easy as last time since the girls aren't nearly as fond of their carseats, but they still did pretty good!
The girls enjoyed a trip to the beach, where they ate sand, hated it, and tried to get it out of their mouth with sandy hands. It was one of those kinda sad, funny things that's a little hard to watch.

We had lovely weather and enjoyed walking down to the beach in the mornings.

My dad would come home every morning from golf ball hunting with clothes full of pro-V1s and looking like he'd fought a war.

We discovered that although the fashion island tree is "real" its a huge trunk with many trees limbs numbered and ordered to be placed on the trunk so that the tree is perfect, I had no idea!

The girls begged me for new anthro bedding, it was weird. (I didn't cave to their pleadings though)

It was fun seeing Christmas displays while we shopped.

This is a random picture aboard the USS something, the most famous fleet ship? in San Diego.

Nightmare before Christmas haunted mansion- babies can go on it!

Disneyland all decorated for Christmas!
My favorite ride pics: I look like I'm part of a horror movie on tower of terror, and Brad's space mountain photo was deemed "inappropriate" because he was competing with my nephews for the best pic & took his shirt off during the ride. lol!

Now we're back in San Diego, Lyla said "I don't always eat rice, but when I do, I choose Mexican."

The Mormon battalion historic site had been redone since we were there last- it was awesome!

And, we're back at disneyland!

Back on that ship...we really hopped around! ;)

San Diego babies

It's a Small World. My favorite part of this trip with the girls!!! It was all decorated for Christmas and so darling. My favorite. Love love love.

The family, minus the Franks who were busy with new little Autumn.

It's a small world, I know you didn't get enough!

9 months

2011-11-28T22:21:00.000-08:00

The girls are 9 months old! That is sounding pretty old for babies. They're going to have a real birthday soon! Ahh...I'm not ready for them to be so grown up. I'd like to rewind time and cuddle their little newborn selves for a few hours...seeing newborns makes me feel baby hungry! Lol, no worries, I'm pretty convinced these girls need to be potty trained before we add any more babies into our baby clan.
They're still such little babies even though they do so much, despite efforts to fatten them up they weigh 13.7 and 14.6, June is off the charts and Lyla is in the 1st percentile. They're bitty babies who laugh and babble and cruise and climb stairs and cut teeth and flail their arms in excitement when they see anything that looks fun to them. They fit into clothes, it's awesome. They're growing up before my eyes and they're not gonna stop or slow down. They're in such a fun stage right now, I think I always say that and I fear the future stage, but so far it just keeps getting to be more and more fun. :)

Miss June,

I know you & your sister will be walking before long, but mama's following doctor's orders and not pushing that one...I can barely keep up with you and your sister as you speed crawl all over the place. You're pretty sensitive and understand now if we tell you not to do something (like bite me or spit food in my face) we say "don't do that" and you burst into tears, everytime. You love blowing bubbles. You got your first tooth in California and you did pretty good with it too! You've had it a little rough, after that you got croup and then your first ear infection. Luckily, thanks to amoxicillin you're on the mend and have already returned to your spirited, happy self. After your second tooth cut, that is. You hated taking that yummy bubblegum medicine, you'd flail and scream as Lyla screamed because she wasn't the one getting it! Your flirty smiles always brighten my day. I love you so much.
Mama

Miss Lyla,
You have advanced a lot lately- we find June is the one following you around more and more often. You love climbing stairs, cruising, and can even balance standing on your own for a bit. You're such a happy baby and are always swinging your arms around, jumping up and down, and "dancing". You babble a ton and make the cutest noises. You belly laugh and have the sweetest smiles, new smiles with those two little teeth popping out now! You are normally our solid sleeper and for that we are grateful! Sometimes I don't even know you've woken up because you sit there & patiently wait for me to come get you, you get so excited when I finally come in the room! I love you so much.
Mama

pumpkin patch

2011-11-27T23:03:00.000-08:00

I've got to whip out a few old posts since I have a new computer now (yippy!) and I really just want to dedicate everything to Christmas for the rest of the year, so let's get this out of the way.
We had a perfect visit to the pumpkin patch last month- the weather was nice, Annabella came and helped photograph us and the girls, and we got some really darling pictures of the babes! They'll only be babies for so long so I'm getting oodles of pictures. I think I've got a complex because of so many newborn pictures we missed out on, now I'm not post-delivery crazy so it's much easier to be their photographer!

Halloween

2011-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

I'm still waiting to get a new computer, possibly a mac- I hope it will be worth it?! I've got to get this blog a little caught up in time for the holidays, so even though its incredibly frustrating every time I attempt to upload a picture, I'm going to do a few posts so the girls know they were still alive between sept-nov 2011. ;) There are so many other cute pictures...I may have to go back and add a few more of my favorites later.
At first I was going to go all homemade & low-cost with the girls costumes. Just some outfits I got on clearance last year fashioned into witch costumes w/ leggings & headbands I made.

But they were so dang cute and we had at least 3 parties to dress them up for, so I decided last minute that I would fulfill my dream of dressing them as pandas and found a good deal on some panda outfits. Equally adorable.

This is a really sad/funny picture of Lyla realizing you can't crawl backwards on a ramp...

We also could have dressed them in the little Chinese outfits we got them in August, but again, I really just wanted them to be pandas...
We had fun up at my mom's with the other cousins. See how cute my new niece Autumn is?

And here we have the quadruplets, two by two. ;)

I'm hoping by the time they're old enough to get messed up by it, I'll have outgrown this stage mom-like quality I have where I want perfect pictures of them all the time. I wish they were baby gap models, is that weird? It probably happens naturally since the more mobile they get the more impossible it is to get them both to pose at the same time!

8 months

2011-10-29T08:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I haven't been able to blog for a bit because my computer won't let me upload pictures, and really, what are my blog posts w/o pics of Lyla & June? Nada. But, the girls are 8 months old and I want to get a post up this MONTH so I'm doing from my phone & will upload pics when I'm able. :)
P.S. Anyone know how to put a picture back up on their header after blogger says you've maxed out on your limit? The top of my blog is naked and it won't let me change that...
Anyways...

Life has been pretty awesome lately with the girls. We had fun at a pumpkin patch a couple weeks ago (hope to post pics when I can), we had a fun wedding of brad's friend wubai. (hope to post a couple pics of that too) And we've had some fun trunk-or-treating & halloween partying w/ our neighbors. No pictures...you're SO missing out. :)

Miss Lyla,
You've had a big month! You got your first tooth, which we felt for the first time when we took you to the pumpkin patch. Then all of the sudden a couple days ago your SECOND tooth popped through! You mastered crawling perfectly and no longer do your speedy "army" crawl. You also can pull yourself up now so you and June always like to be in the same place playing w/ the same thing. You like to smile at your sister and play with her. You are also quite the little gabber girl. You love to say "bababa" and even though daddy says you're saying "daddy" in Chinese, we've been trying to get you to say dada, and when we do you'll say "daba". So cute! You haven't really been that fussy considering the teething this month. You're such a sweetheart and we love you so much.
Love,
Mama

Miss June,
You continue to be such a little cutie. Lately when you're really happy you like to throw your head back like you're laughing uncontrollably. You are also cruising (which you were actually doing last month, I just didn't know the name of it!) when you and Lyla are playing with the same toy you tend to crowd her out and you like to try to steal things from her. So we'll have to work on your sharing skills a little. :) You are definitely a mama's girl and don't like to be left alone, ever. You're also really into blowing bubbles and are starting to make a lot of funny noises like your sister. You're such a little cutie & we love you so much!
Love,
Mama

lately at our house...

2011-10-10T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a few posts in one, I'm playing blog catch up! We've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly over the past few weeks in our little family.

Today my sister Julie had her little baby girl and I can't wait to meet her! :) Unfortunately me, Brad, June, and Lyla have been sick all weekend so I don't know when I'll be able to go hold little baby girl. I've decided being sick is one of the hardest parts about being a mom- even if you feel terrible you just have to keep taking care of babies and missing out on sleep, who takes care of mommy? I'm such a youngest child/mama's girl. And I feel so bad for the babies because they feel terrible and probably have no clue why, they just wonder why I'm relentlessly suctioning out their sad little noses.

We still managed to have a nice weekend up in Midway, a delicious lunch at La Jolla Groves, and a little trip to Bountiful just to watch the BYU game. I risked contaminating the ward and went to young womens because it was my last week. I'm going to teach in relief society now, I'll miss young womens, but change is always good and this calling isn't so demanding.

A couple weeks ago I wet up big cottonwood with my mom to check out the old cabin at Solitude, (they want to sell it, anyone want a cabin?) it was BEAUTIFUL up there and we had a yummy lunch at Silverfork.

Conference weekend was nice, but far from relaxing. We had family pictures taken at our house, which meant all in one day I had to have the house clean, outfits for everyone, and I probably needed to shower and maybe even blow-dry my hair.

We also reached a climax of craziness with our new tenant, who is out of her mind. She's been living in our apartment for over a month now and her and the sketchy guys that stay with her have been smoking from day one and seem to enjoy being a general pain in the rear-end. I've tried to talk reasonably with her about how it's violating the contract and I don't want my babies exposed to any more second hand smoke, but she just lies to our faces and I keep finding cigarettes outside and smelling smoke. Over conference weekend her parents came and said they were going to move her out because she couldn't pay rent and was in jail. We changed the locks, but then she made bail and came back with fury and the police came to our house during priesthood session and all craziness broke loose. We are now in the process of evicting her which seems to be what she wanted all along (she won't pay rent and the court system can take months to work out) It is crazy how few rights landlords have... I pretty much break out in anger hives just thinking about our tenant. Once she's gone I think my landlord days may be over. I guess we'll have to open up the studio apartment into an amazing master bedroom. It could be worse, sigh. ;) We'll see about the whole master bedroom thing, Brad's still dead set on not re-doing more of our icky bathroom...

Back to a big positive- a few weeks ago Zinch (Brad, Mick, and Sid's company) sold to Chegg- so exciting! It's pretty amazing that something that was just an idea grew into a profitable international company that did exactly what Brad always dreamed it would! I'm happy for Brad. Being an entrepreneur is a crazy thing, you have to risk so much. Brad put a lot of his time and money into this idea, hoping it would work, fighting past the speed bumps- I wasn't around for all of it, but I know the story and what it means to Brad. I love hearing all the radom business ideas he comes up with every couple days. He has a room of whiteboards in our house where he writes stuff out, it's like a beautiful mind. I seriously think he should be an idea man for a huge company just like that Norman character from the hudsucker proxy. The sale was kinda a big deal, so I decided to use a groupon thingy we had for la caille and made a reservation. Brad was in the mood to see a movie so instead we celebrated by watching a hot, skinny girl kill everyone. (Columbiana) Brad really seemed like he just wanted to celebrate with his Zinch peeps, but it's not MY fault I wasn't around from the beginning of it!

With the big sale, Brad's current job, BYU football, and side projects he's been a busy man. I've sorta been unnerved as of late. I feel like I'm turning into one of those frazzled loose cannon type moms. Times are getting wild. The girls are my favorite, it's awesome they're doing so much and so curious about the world...BUT it's getting hard with all the mobility. For example, on separate days they've both gotten stuck under their cribs, they find and eat very random things (like post-it notes) if they're out of my view for a split-second. They get way jealous of each other and are mad if they aren't the one being held or fed. They also play together more and amaze me daily that they keep getting cuter & more fun!

Oh, and I worked-out for the first time in like a year and a half, it was pretty fun! I was intimidated heading to a new place to try out a zumba class- I was happy to discover after so long I blended right it and it wasn't the embarrassing situation I'd imagined.

can you hear me now?

2011-09-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Soooo- after a little experience reminding me why sometimes you don't want everyone knowing all the intimate details of your life- I decided to try private blogging. So I clicked "private" thereby making it incredibly private- like only I can read the blog. Brad pointed out it was a silly use of the internet so please provide me with your email if you'd like because I will likely go private again, but this time I will invite you with me when I do. :)
My reasoning:
Blogging, facebooking, tweeting and the likes have been pretty important to me post-babies. Those first few months I quarantined us at home and my online "social" interactions helped keep me sane. However, as of late I've really had a desire to veer back to real life and get a little distance from the bloggosphere. It can be a little hard because honestly I don't have friends who I'm hanging out with all the time, but I've literally *made* my own friends and they are taking up almost all of my time these days! I can't blog while I'm feeding babies anymore, instead I'm trying to save a sister from chocking etc while I feed the other. They both want my attention all the time (or need my attention as they are about to get into something potentially dangerous), and they pretty much never nap at the same time.
Along with my trend back to real life I'm hoping to get tangible baby books underway and focus more on them than the blog. I love tangible things and I'm realizing they will be more special to the girls. I forgot how much I enjoy scrapbooking! Even if I've only finished the outside of the books so far...
I love being a mom. Lyla and June are my favorite people in the world. I like sharing that with others, but like I said, people who don't really know me don't need to know the intimate details of my life. I also don't want to make my blog so impersonal and have to leave out the details I want to remember. So, my little blog will likely be going private soon, if I have your email and you'd like to keep tabs on the thrilling parties in the life of a twin mama, feel free to do so. :)

7 months

2011-09-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

It seems like the girls have grown up so much in the past few days. They are little aware people now, which makes me feel so bad when I leave them and the want to be with me. (and I'm talking like leave to brush my teeth, not on a vacation!) They are aware of each other and play together so much more now which is my favorite thing to see, it's so cute! Now that all our favorite TV series are starting again I often find myself watching them instead of the show, babies are much better entertainment than any of the top producers could come up with! What is it about watching your own baby that is so enthralling? Sometimes its because they're discovering something new- pulling wipes from the container, shaking a diaper, trying to get in the small crack between the TV and DVD case, mesmerized watching their own hand move. The little faces they make are priceless. Other times they really aren't doing anything but sitting there being a baby and I just can't get enough of it. They are so beautiful, curious, and fun. They are small for their age and advanced at the same time, so whenever I take them out I get starry-eyed strangers exclaiming how amazing it is that they sit up so well, are so alert, interact with them etc. Everyone thinks the girls love them because they'll smile and giggle and play with anyone. I don't ever tell them that's just how the girls are, why not let everyone feel special? ;)

Lyla,
You little gerber baby you. Your little baby chub is coming in so cute and you have the sweetest little smile to match your perfect baby cheeks. You love food with a passion, a little lady after your mama's heart. We hardly knew you moved till we started feeding you little rice puffs- it took you less than a day to basically master hand-eye coordination to get as many of those little babies into your mouth as quickly as possible. We'll put a line of them out in a room and you're from one side of the room to the other in a flash. If we left a trail you'd probably make it around the block. I love watching how fast you grab them and shove them in your mouth. You seriously love food! Lately you love to pound your right arm up and down, when you're excited but mostly when you want something. If you want me to hold you or if you want food- your little mini-tantrums have begun! ;) You love it when I hold you up in the air above me and move you back and forth. You're still a big talker and make the funnest noises. I wouldn't be surprised if you started learning words early. You're still my little cuddly koala baby and I love to hold you in my arms. You get around where you want to go and do it fairly quick, I'd say you're crawling, but you haven't quite got the R/L back and forth thing down, what you do is like the best arm crawl ever invented. You were playing with the DVDs a couple days ago and I saw a big plastic sticker off one of them stuck to your cheek, before I had a chance to get it off you had swallowed it. It gave me such a scare because you kept coughing and struggling with it in your throat and I couldn't get it out. I rushed you over to Dr. Jed's, but by then it was no where to be found. I guess DVD cases don't make good baby toys. You are such a darling, chubby, lovable baby- so glad you're mine!
love, mama

June,
You never run out of energy, I've never seen a baby like you and it amazes me. By 6 months you were already crawling, sitting, and pulling yourself up! At 6 months you also weighed a grand total of 12.0 lbs- it's not everyday you see such a young baby performing such skills, but a baby of your size is unheard of! It is seriously so funny to watch- you are so cute. You pretty much amaze everyone who sees you. It is going to be hilarious when you're walking, which I have a feeling won't be too far off... I am sorry to report sleep is not in your repituar of skills- you can fall asleep almost exclusively being held. 9 out of 10 times when I put you in your crib you wake right back up and it takes several tries to get you to sleep. You wake up in the middle of the night and pop right up with your head over the crib edge, begging to get out. Me and daddy have both slept with you a time or two- but when we do we think you're asleep right next to us, and if we look at you you're wide-eyed in the dark staring at us! I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it's a little creepy at night going in to check on you and seeing you standing straight up in your crib, with wide eyes waiting for me to come to you. I've put you down dead asleep and in a flash you're standing there crying to get out, it's so fast I feel like you apparate from one position to the next. You just never want to miss out on anything and want to make sure you're in the action- which pretty much means being with me to you. Even though I'm losing out on sleep because of you, you're a joy in the daylight hours! Yobabyproofing the house better. You also love me to carry you around and you cling onto me like a little monkey, since you're so light I can still get a lot done around the house. :) You're such a tenacious, funny, and sweet little baby- you are so loved!
love, mama

Tasteful & Truthful Taiwan

2011-09-21T16:32:00.000-07:00

At the airport on our way to Taiwan it again took FOREVER to figure out the baby tickets etc- I guess they didn't have a lot of experience with baby twin travellers or something, we had problems everytime. June had the most massive blow out of her life right on one of our bags as we were going to check it. Clean up was a mess to say the least, I'm glad it happened before the plane though! Our hotel was surprisingly nice (you can really get your money's worth in Taiwan!). They even had an exersize machine just like the one in blast from the past:

We had yummy dumplings and took a train to Taipei. This super nice couple drove us all over Taipei, we saw the Taipei 101 "tallest green building in the world." We also saw the grand hotel.

I really wanted to go to the famous bridal street and take fake engagment pictures like they did on the bachelorette this season. Brad would have rocked Ames' blue sequined suit! There was just no stinking time, so yeah, if you were wondering these pics are doctored. I'm really good at editing pictures.

And I told Brad before the trip, I pretty much considered him my tour guide and did very little of my own research, just trusted in his expertise. Especially in Taiwan- I told him I would follow him around, eat what he ate, say hello to who he said ne-how to, and not complain. I knew we were there in the land of his mission for 2 reasons: people and food. And I was okay with that.
We went by the temple and met up with one of Brad's old companion's and his family. There was a big, beautiful stake center right next to the temple. The church has grown a lot there!

After a quick glance of a few of Taipei's sights we headed to the night market. I hoped for good food from what Brad had said, but really had no clue what to expect. Brad also started to wonder if he'd talked it up too much and was hoping I'd like it. I assured him I'm no food snob, I can find yumminess anywhere and was excited to try Taiwanese street food!

There were tons of people and it was pretty hot. Not ideal baby conditions, but they seemed to be happily sleeping so we dove into the crowds.

My first Taiwanese delicacy....fried chicken. Um...I thought this is Taiwanese food? I wasn't super excited because I don't even like fried chicken. But after a wait in a crazy long line I expected something decent (similar fried chicken stands had no wait). One bite and...OH MY WORD. I shouldn't even write about it because it's impossible to understand, I know you're just thinking of KFC right now, but this wasn't just fried chicken. It was phenomenal, lots of delicious white meat that was easy to eat, but one end had bones that added to the moistness and the rich flavor. It was seasoned perfectly with some asian spices. Couldn't tell you what, but my tastebuds were dancing. The coating was perfect- crisp, light, and savory. It wasn't made with regular old flour- maybe rice flour or tapioca starch? The outside was sprinkled with something black, like pepper, but it wasn't pepper. Anyways, my first taste of Taiwan blew me away if you couldn't tell. We had some good fruit drinks, yummy sweet/salty fried sweet potatoes, and fried mystery thing that was also tasty. It was a little wild getting around the crowds with the babes, but the food was worth it. :)

On Sunday we got breakfast...wait for it...a Taiwanese breakfast hamburger! Now you're thinking McDonalds. I know the food isn't sounding that special, but it seriously was awesome! It was a thin, fried pork patty with yummy seasonings, a fried egg, some sweet/tangy sauce, and kind of picked cucumbers all on a soft bun. Everything is so fresh from little neighborhood breakfast stores there- it doesn't even resemble the fast food chain cardboard stuff you might be imagining. We also ate dan bing, it was yummy. Brad had raved about taiwanese breakfasts for a long time, and it totally didn't dissapoint! We drank it with soy milk, but Asian soy milk is different too- it's yummy!

I also visited a bread shop and it was so hard to pick out what to get since I was just guessing what things might taste like and what I might find inside!

As we hurried through the streets to get food and catch trains we made an effort to appreciate at least one of the many temples we saw.

We took a train to Taichung, on the train rides we got some views of rice feilds and the coutryside.

In Taichung we got to the chapel in time to see some people getting out of church, Brad saw some people he knew and visited with them while I fed babies.

We ran over to an outdoor market and got naiyou bings, which were like Taiwanese Aebelskievers, and you know that can't be wrong! We also got fried chicken again, which was very good, but not as good as our first night's chicken. That was special.

Next we took a taxi to Chi Hu which is a smaller city/country area where Brad and Cam both served. Brad was there for a long time and had a lot of great experiences with a lot of neat people, so I know it was really special for him to visit them and show off our babies to them. Most of the people didn't speak any English so I smiled at them a lot and kept my eyes on the girls as they were passed around.

We met in a HUGE chapel they built there recently, Brad was blown away.

We gave out some pictures of the temple and of our girls to people and then we ate dinner at some ward members house who lived outside the city.

After a long day we called it a night. I was again impressed by how nice the hotel was since this was supposedly out in "the sticks"

Brad went around with Cam on a scooter that night to relive some mission memories. (not that they were ever on scooters!) :) In the morning Brad got us breakfast, it was awesome. I wanted to see some of the kid's clothing stores and learned that since we were in Taiwan (where pretty much everything is made) and we weren't in a touristy area that the shopping was AWESOME. They seriously had the CUTEST kids clothes for so stinking cheap. I had fun very quickly picking outfits for the girls. A lady in the ward took us around and roumor quickly spread through the ward that I'd purchased over 20 items at a store (it sounds like a lot, but just one outfit for the girls is 4 pieces) :)
We got ice cream at this place Brad used to go on the misison and another ward member mentioned she'd heard I bought 20 pieces of clothes. haha... they all think Brad married a manic shopping addict! We ate some yummy fruit including mangos and Chirimoya!!! My favorite fruit from MY mission days in Chile. That was a nice treat.

Then we headed to the airport and on our way home. Even though we hardly did any sight seeing in Taiwan I loved it. I thought the people seemed really cool- they seemed more religious and more into families that in China, and not just the members who Brad knew. Everyone was friendly and cool. It wasn't as touristy and seemed more authentic than the places we visited in China. From the little taste I got I thought Taiwan had a very intriguing culture, delicious food, and great people. I'd love to go back and see more of the sights- the beautiful landscapes I've heard about...

I also never got to see the floating lanterns, I told Brad I wanted to see those because it blew my mind when I learned they were a real thing. The first time I'd ever heard of them was on Enchanted and I thought they were a magical made-up thing just like her glow-in-the-dark hair. They're real people! (of course, everyone on pinterest already knows that)

So we've got some good reasons to go back to Taiwan one day!

Although I'm sure the girls will get harder and harder to travel with...(well, till they get easier & easier when they're like 8) We were already pushing it putting them in the baby bassinet on the flights. In fact, at one point on the flight home me and Brad were zonked, I had Lyla on me in the baby bjorn and a flight attendant woke us up because June was awake and looked like she was going to crawl out of the bassinett! Luckily there were no falls.

High-rising Hong Kong

2011-09-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that day 2 in Hong Kong made up for the mishaps of the previous day. Well, it started out with an odd breakfast- I grabbed a "chocolate bun" at the 7-eleven by our hotel. It turned out to be an actual, gross processed hamburger bun with very lightly flavored chocolate inside! Silly Hong Kong. Luckily everything else about the day was awesome. We took a ferry to a little island called Cheung Chau, it was a quaint little boating/fishing town with a pretty nice beach. We rented little bike carts and Brad rode me and the girls around the town.

After lunch we headed back to the big city.

Brad and I wanted to sit around so we took a bus tour of the city and went around the city twice before we got off. Which was probably smart because for some reason after we got off we ended up having to wait for over an hour for the next bus! It ended up being a great way to relax and see the city though.

The girls loved having so much to look at all the time.

As usual, feeding and changing diapers on the go.

We were going to take a tram up the the famous peak, but the line for the tram was over a 1 1/2 hour wait, so we took a taxi. The whole trip there was always just SO many people EVERYWHERE. You start to wonder where they all came from, why they were there, and where they were going. Kinda makes you want to teach lesson 3, doesn't it?
Anyways, we made it up there. First we went to the lookout on the city side. It is incredible how they've packed in all of the buildings and skyscrapers into such a tiny amount of land between steep mountains and ocean. The view was incredible.

I was starting to look a little mangy. It was a sweaty day...it just never shows for Brad, Lyla, or June- I keep it real.

Next we went to the lookout of the back side of the island, which was such a contrasting beauty. It was like we had just seen NYC on steroids, then hopped over to Hawaii. We were there just in time for the sun setting and it was so pretty.

We grabbed some dinner with a cool atmosphere before getting a view of the city at night:

Not a bad view. I didn't even edit these pictures, and it was even more amazing in real life!

We ate the yummy BBQ pork again before going to bed and saying goodbye to Hong Kong. I can't believe we did all that in one day! (kinda the motto of the whole trip) Our stay in Hong Kong was just like the city itself- tiny, but packed tightly with awesomeness.

the throw away day

2011-09-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

And now I'm gonna get real with you. Our last day in Shanghai the days events quickly spiraled into a downfall that lead up to the one not-so-awesome day of the trip. The throwaway day. I didn't want one of those, but just one was okay I guess, like paying tithing for the rest of the awesome days we were given.

The last day in Shanghai after our cool river town excursion, for an unknown reason, Brittney and I decided to drop off our Mandarin speakers to pick up their suits. (BTW- imagine this w/ NO car seats: 2 adults, 3 babies. It sounds so irresponsible to admit here. Like social services are going to knock on my door tomorrow…but car seats are scarce if non-existent in China. The 4 of us wouldn’t have been able to travel together with them, and most taxis don’t have seat belts anyway.)
Our driver didn't speak English and we ended up getting lost as babies screamed and we desperately tried to figure out where their apartment complex was, we eventually found it and the boys returned home shortly after. Brad left again for a quick "10 min" pant hemming adventure. I was tired and stayed home with the girls to make it easier, although tired there was constantly something not allowing me to sleep. I was also hungry (bad combo) so after hours I decided to quit waiting for brad to eat dinner. I ate with a man I don't know who asked me strange questions. I was probably pretty irritable by this point. I wanted to go to bed, but there was laundry to be done and one would have to cross our mattress to do it, we needed clean clothes anyways. We'd been planning to go out for full body massages, but plans changed and we still got some nice foot massages. Late in the night we discovered no plane tickets were ever booked for the next leg of our trip. Last minute tickets to Hong Kong for the afternoon were purchased. No big deal, we arrived in Hong Kong. It looked awesome from the plane and it appeared we'd gotten out of our mini funk.

The taxi ride was pretty breathtaking, then we arrived at the nice, personal bathroom type hostel. They insisted we had cancelled our room reservation. None of their nicer rooms were available, so a guy took me to see a budget room that was open- a dump of an alternative room which was, in it's entirety, the size of a queen mattress. I'm certain our luggage wouldn't have fit in the the room. There were 2 tiny, dirty looking cots and a toilet with a small divider between it and the beds. I felt like I'd taken my babies to jail in a third world country. And that's when I started loosing it. The girls were poopy and had been for who knows how long. It was hot, they needed to eat and be changed.

{insert image of a landfill squished into a box HERE}

I was sweaty, my back was aching, I needed to sit down and get backpacks and babies off of me. Brad talked with the hostel folks for a long time as I waited with our luggage out the door, eventually they helped him book another nearby hostel with an open room. We wandered up and down the street till we finally found it. BTW- the sun was going down and the road we were wandering down with all our babies and luggage looked like this:

I think it was this road anyways, I didn't take the pic. I didn't think of it and we drew too much attention to begin with- everyone had to get out of our way with the big bags we were dragging, the babies were sad and my arms were full so I couldn't even wipe away the tears that I could no longer control from streaming down my face. It makes me laugh thinking what a funny sight it already was and would have been if I dropped everything, grabed my camera like a tourist should and started snapping pictures through my blurred, watery eyes.
We waited in another line with all our stuff for another elevator to another hostel. This one was more like a real hostel- we had to walk through all this hanging laundry to get to our room and everything was old, dirty, and gross. I was crying, more that crying, borderline hysterical. Brad didn't seem to know whether to hug me or laugh at me cause I'd really lost it at this point. He started making fun of me once I'd cooled down a little, but I quickly let him know it was too soon. He left while I changed and fed babies and he found us a nice hotel on the not-so-touristy, not-so-red-light-districty side of the island. Off we went in a taxi (after a long discussion with the hostel owner who refused to refund us any of our money and both sides threatening to call the police...oh, Brad).
By the time we'd paid for 2 hotels (one rather expensive) and taxi rides, we really had some unnecessary expenses which also made me feel bad. The hotel was nice and clean though, the room was cool and they brought up 2 little cribs for the girls which meant they didn't have to sleep with us for once (awesome). It was night time by this point and we were exhausted. Brad went hunting for our dinner and brought back some awesome BBQ pork, the highlight of the day.

We just woke up all the more determined to enjoy our (now) only day in Hong Kong. I still felt like I was recovering a little from the preivous day's trauma, but tried to suppress it so we could have an enjoyable experience in such an amazing city. It was quickly forgotten. :)

Spectacular Shanghai

2011-09-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of leaving for Shanghai is...vomit. Not mine luckily, but poor little McKennas. We took a 5 hour train ride to Shanghai and it seemed we hadn't gotten too far when McKenna started throwing a fit, she was screaming and crying so Brad turned around then said, "Oh my gosh, she threw up all over Cam...all over their Computer!...Oh, it's all over Brittny. It's all over the floor, it's everywhere." As he said this a distinct smell of stomach juices mixed with partially digested food began to fill the entire cart. Somehow they managed to get cleaned up and Mckenna calmed down, and after some train attendants sprayed down the cart with air freshener all was well. Well, we had our little contribution too- the girls had poopy diapers and cried a bit, I'm pretty sure everyone on that train hated our group.

We got to their HUGE apartment complex where a lot of Americans live, had some expensive pizza, and headed to see the city. First up was the fabric market which was very cool. We bought ties and Brad had a custom tailored suit, shirt, and jacket made. I wanted to have a custom dress made for myself, but time was short and I can be a little picky so now I have a good reason to make it back to Shanghai one day. :)

We walked down this cool old street, it was interesting to see the huge, modern skyscrapers in the background. It was also incredibly hot, hottest day of our trip. Despite the heat, even when we were all dripping with sweat, everyone kept telling us throughout the entire trip that our girls were too cold, too little to be taken outside, and that their headbands were too tight. People would rub their feet like they were cold, then pull on the headband and ask Brad, "why this?"

We headed over for a boat ride around the city. I'm pretty sure we were the only Americans on the boat, everyone was crowded inside and looking out dirty windows, then I noticed a "VIP" section was roped off out front... there were cushy seats outside and they gave you free bottled water. What did it take to get there? Turns out like $2. We did that. We would have done that all day long.

Our boat wasn't as fancy as some of the others, but we paid less and got cooler views of their awesome boats.

The skyline was incredible. What an amazing city. It's weird how I was just recently in all of these cool places and suddenly I'm bumming around Utah again, going to Costco...like the whole thing was just a dream. Seriously though, check out this city- pretty phenomenal huh?

As usual, I fed on the go.

On our way home we stopped to get some famous Shanghai noodles. This guy kept twisting up dough, hitting it on the counter, and all of the sudden it was a bunch of perfectly thin noodles- like magic! They threw them in a pot of boiling water, mixed them with some magic sauce and I was too hungry to remember to take a picture of the finished product, but they looked and tasted delicious. Trust me.

We did a video, but we kinda missed the part where they turned into noodles... :)

Their apartment complex has people who you can, yet again, pay almost nothing to for a long, lovely foot massage. They were super nice and Brad had fun talking with them.

Ahh...spoiled suites me well.

And prepares me for this:

Day two we planned to visit a little river city called Zhu Jia Jiao. It was pouring rain by the time we made it to the subway station, we almost backed down, but Brad and I decided it was worth a try. The subways were PACKED- I actually had to feed the babies in this packed crowd because it was a long trip and they were hungry. I've had more pleasant feeding experiences... At some point I begin to get used to having a hundred Chinese people shamelessly stare at me while I got situated feeding a baby with my nursing cover, or while I changed a dirty diaper. Sometimes I'd stare back at the onlooker, but they could care less, just kept starin' away. Every time.

Someone's personal driver picked us up and took us to the quaint little city. It was touristy, but with good reason, kind of like a little Chinese Venice. We took a boat ride around to see the sights.

Lunch was rough, Lyla had been struggling on and off all day- exhaustion, teething, who knows. I was glad we went though and that the rain died down for us. I also got to try my new favorite magnum flavor- light chocolate inside with a chocolate coating that had little chocolate cookie crunch pieces in it! yum. China is awesome.

Bustling Beijing

2011-08-29T16:08:00.000-07:00

So many people thought we were crazy for taking the girls on such a long flight, (you should have known already that me and Brad ARE crazy). For some reason I wasn't really worried about the flights and they turned out just fine- the girls liked being held pretty much the whole time, sometimes they hung out in the bassinet and it was all rather uneventful. (in a good way)
Brad thought this flight to China would be different for him since it wasn't him and his guy friends flirting with Asian stewardesses and getting hooked up with goodies on the flight (I can only imagine, I did see Brad once mildly "flirt" with a nordstrom rack employee who proceeded to give me her employee discount on my shoes! Who negotiates deals in US department stores?!) We were pleasantly surprised to discover they liked June and Lyla even more than him and his friends. They were going gaga over the girls and kept offering to babysit for us. :)

P.S. Is it just me or does the American working woman always dress like a janitor? (nurses, flight attendants...) I think we had it right in the 60's and the rest of the world has it right now- how darling are the Chinese flight attendants? Professional & feminine, love that.
Anyways...The flight was pretty much like this:

And arriving in china was kind of like this:

After landing we took a short taxi ride to the Beijing Hotel, even though we were going budget on this trip I was so happy to discover it was really, really nice. We fed the girls then took to the streets. It was a pretty cool first night in China. We weren't sure how the girls would be received since they aren't the foreigner's favorite blond & blue eyed Americans, but they were a huge hit. Crowds of people swarmed round the babies to take pictures, it didn't bother me, it was pretty fun to hold the little Asian rock stars. :)

We got noodles and dumplings off the street. I dropped my chopsticks and tried to eat noodles with a spoon and with a baby strapped to me. Yup, I was that ridiculous American tourist. Maybe some of the people snapping pictures of the girls were also trying to get pictures of how ridiculous I looked eating noodles with a teeny tiny spoon. I definitely had to work on my chops skills since the only time I ever saw forks was on the plane.

The girls were up by 3 ready for the day and we took off at 4:30 AM to visit the great wall. Yes, the great wall. It was cool seeing some of the country as we drove. For breakfast we got some fried bread off the street that you dip in warm sweet soy milk- it was yummy.

The gondola opened a little later than we'd thought so we decided to hike it so we could still beat the crowds. I wanted to die, I don't think I've exercised since I hiked Timp last year and also wanted to die. The steps just kept going and going...although I was only carrying one baby for my annual hike, she was bigger than a peanut this time. :) By the time we got to the top we were dripping with sweat, so much for a great family photo I thought... After sitting down and cooling off I was finally able to enjoy the view. (and dry off a bit) It was so beautiful and a bit foggy which made it look mystical and enchanting, just how I'd imagine it. It was truly amazing. I have no idea how they carried all those stones up there, I had a new appreciation for the work it must have took to build!

It is seriously a GREAT wall, it lived up to and exceeded my expectations, definitely a highlight of the trip! For the last half of a year I haven't thought too much beyond my little world of taking care of babies, it was so refreshing to remember there is a whole world out there, so much bigger than me and my little family, and it's full of other great people and great things. Even a great wall! Inside my house I forgot how great walls can be. :)

I fed the girls and we took some adorable pictures of them. We took some family pictures, by then the girls were getting a little tired. We rode the gondola back down which was so much easier than walking. :) Brad and I headed to a huge, outdoor "dirt" market (we took an electric rick-shaw- big no no!) where people come with goods from all over china to sell to vendors, obviously tourists can buy there too! There were rows and rows of wood carvings, jewelry, jade, silver, everything really. It was overwhelming, but we bought a couple little things before the girls started freaking out too much.

After another feeding we headed to yet another gigantic shopping center. This one full of knock-off clothes, shoes, purses, make-up, etc. It was almost too overwhelming to shop, so we got some 30 min foot massages for 5 bucks while I fed the girls. It was fun, Brad spoke in Chinese with the ladies and they loved playing with our girls. We were completely exhausted by the time we got the girls back on the metro, to the hotel, and got everyone cleaned up and ready for bed. The whole trip the girls woke up for the day around 4-5 AM because they were going to sleep around 5-6 PM, somehow they quickly adjusted to Hawaii time and stuck with it.

Brad went out and got us some yummy breakfast including baozas (sp?), they were these little bread dumplings with a delicious, sweet pork filling. I could have ate them all day long. Instead, we headed over to the forbidden city and Tienanmen square, after all, we were in China and these historical landmarks were a short walk away from our hotel. There were TONS of people there, almost entirely Chinese people. It was very cool, but we ended up not going all the way through the forbidden city because we were already so tired and knew we had a full day of shopping ahead of us. Back to the market we went for jeans and pearls and more foot massages. I'm so glad I had Brad speaking the language and not taking no for an answer- the negotiations were tough. I'm used to negotiating in NYC for a knock-off purse from $40 down to $30. In Beijing they were much more ambitious, trying to start around $200, and acting like you're crazy offering $20. At first I thought we'd never buy anything, but eventually we'd get things down to affordable prices. :)
Most of the trip's shopping was accomplished (or so we thought...) so we treated ourselves to another feeding/foot massage and a taxi ride home.

The Forbidden City

Tienanmen Square

We wandered down a little ally behind the hotel that Brad was fond of before calling it a night. It started to rain so we bought an umbrella, it was a magical Chinese evening wandering the streets under our little umbrella marvelling over the oddities of scorpions on a stick, eating far more normal street food, and enjoying the quaint scenery.

We visited a big candy store, a delicious bread store, and Brad was disappointed to learn Dairy Queen had closed right before we headed over to grab some ice cream. With that, we headed to bed and said good bye to Beijing, after one more yummy baoza breakfast of course.

P.S. 6 months old

2011-08-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

BTW the girls also just turned 6 months old! Just thought I'd throw that out there before I get deep into the heart of China posts. It's been a busy month, I hope June and Lyla aren't offended if I write them a combined note just this once?

Dear Lyla and June,
You are already 6 months old, it was half a year ago that you were born! That is crazy to me. You aren't the tiny babies you once were, and are quickly catching back up it the size department. You've both been pretty advanced in all the new skills you're learning. Before our trip to China this month miss June, you started dragging/army crawling all over the place, I'll have to post a video. On the trip you started getting high up on her hands and feet and almost doing the real-deal crawling. Lyla, you are always just a short step away, now rolling with ease all over the place and beginning to get the dragging of the body thing going. Even though you don't move quite as much as June, you still figure out some way to get what you want, even if it's aross the room- you roll and turn and get what you want eventually! All this mobility made sleeping arrangements on the trip pretty difficult! Only one place we stayed had little cribs for the two of you. Can you believe we took you to such a far away land when you were so tiny? You girls did great on the trip, the people there couldn't get enough of you. We weren't sure how you'd go over there since you aren't blond & blue eyed, but your extreme cuteness and doubleness made you mega-celebrities. Everyone had to touch you and take pictures of you. Don't be surprised if you're traveling through Asia one day and see a picture of you as a baby in some random person's house there.
You both have turned into such movers, you aren't sitting up on your own yet and I can't really imagine you willing to because you don't like to be in the same place for a minute. (unless you're being held) It really was so fun traveling with you. It's also kind of nice to be home where you can move all over relativly clean carpet to your heart's content and I have no fear of over heating or dehydration. You both make the cutest faces and noises all the time. You like to babble and blow bubbles. I'm not much of a morning person, and don't like being woken up, but you are irresistably cute in the morning. You smile at me so sweetly and grab at my face (in a cute way). You've tried a lot of new foods now and pretty much love all of them. It is so funny when I feed you both because after you've had a bite and I go to give your sister one you both will kind of yell and get very impatient that you have to take turns. It's a good lesson to learn though. :) By necessity you both have to be good at taking turns and sharing. You are both really happy babies and you love to look at people. You are little mama's girls, but you love your daddy too and give him big smiles when he comes home from work. People always comment how happy you are! In church today we almost had to take you out of sacrament because a little girl was making you laugh so hard- it was so loud the entire congregation was turning around to see what was going on. I'm the luckiest mommy in the world, I'm so glad you're mine.
love,
mama

here is a video that again, is probably more enjoyable if you put it on mute and save yourself from my annoying baby voice!

here is a little video (from last month) that isn't the most impressive demonstration of june's crawling skills, but I love it because when she goes all crazy with her legs it looks just like when bambi was learning to walk.

for some reason the unsuccessful videos are funny to me. Lyla is such a talker- she makes so many noises. Of course, when I try to video this, she just moves her mouth in silence as if the video is on mute. :)

China?!

2011-08-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Ancient culture in a modern world. Shopping paradise. Seas of people. Breathtaking skylines. Majestic scenery. Delicious food. Incredible skyscrapers. Wonders of the world seen first hand. Crying babies. Poop. Breastfeeding. Lots of breastfeeding.
At first you might not see the beauty of a trip to china with infant twins, but a closer view reveals a beautiful harmony. A sort of harmony...

Sure it would have been about a thousand times easier to do before the girls and we probably could have done and seen even more, but it really doesn't make up for the incredible experience it turned out to be. Plus, Lyla and June would never be asking to see pictures of just Brad and I in China over and over again. I know they're going to love seeing these pictures one day. It's comparable to how getting married automatically made everything in life fuller and better, having kids makes everything more complete and in turn gave us an even better vacation. :)

We travelled with Brad's longtime friend Cam, wife Brittny, and baby McKenna. We had good times and also a few trying times. Their family would probably like to not see me or the babies for a couple years ;), but we were able to laugh through it all- pretending we were the parents on home alone or national lampoons, creating the memories and dealing with the chaos of the new concept of "family vacation".

One could see the whole thing as a cruel way to torture our babies- dragging them all over a hot, humid land to see things they could care less about. But on the other hand, our girls were kind of treated like infant royalty- carried everywhere, constantly being entertained and stimulated by new sights and sounds- views from taxi windows and hundreds of Asians cooing and snapping pictures of them. They were fed on demand at anytime (they could dehydrate so easily in the humidity and it didn't seem fair since their schedules were so thrown off). In a sense the vacation was a baby paradise of sorts, they really seemed to enjoy it and I think they're going to be pretty bored here at home with me from now on. Wondering where their hundreds of new fans have gone, and their other parent to hold them all day... Sorry girls, it's just me again, bummer for you.
On the trip there may have been a minor bump or two, a mother's hysterical breakdown along the way, but all in all the trip was a huge success. We did basically everything we set out to do on our ambitious itinerary, we had fun doing it, and we all live to tell the tale. Success!

The aftermath is another story. The girls are used to being held all the time, sleeping in bed with us, and think it's night-night time in the middle of the day. I wrote this post at 4 AM night before last, why not when I'm stuck with wide awake babies when I'd like to be sleeping? May as well make use of the time!
I think I'll do a post for each leg of the trip (if the babies allow it, they really call the shots around here). Our trip can easily be divided into 4 mini vacations combined in one- Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The posts will most likely be overly wordy and adorned with way too many pictures- be warned & enjoy if you're into that sort of thing. :)

yearly parties

2011-08-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

China is also kind of a big party, we celebrated my birthday this week and are having our second anniversary. Yes, second. Two years ago I was a single girl getting ready to be married. I never would have guessed 2 years later I'd have TWO kids! Phew, I think we'll be slowing down our kid producing pace in the years to come. :) Life has changed SO much, but it is SO much better. I'm so glad to be married to Brad, he's given me 2 of my favorite years!

This year I turned 26, which I realized wasn't a big deal since it is so easily rounded down to 25. Very prime years. Next year will be another story though...27. Why does that sound so much older than 26? It's practically 30 and makes me glad I already have a couple kids under my belt. :) Seriously though, is there any better way to spend your birthday than having your sweet little babies share it with you? I think not.

I had lunch with the Lewis girls, Brad did some thoughtful things, and we ate a delicious dinner- just the two of us. What more could a girl ask for? (A trip to China? Check!) ;) I am pretty spoiled.

It was a perfect birthday. And the best part is...we can use the candles again when I turn 62!

our little china dolls

2011-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday you take twin babies to china, but for us, that day is Friday. Whoa.
It is Wednesday which means tomorrow is our last day to get ready and pack, commence hyperventilation. Although lists have been made, not one thing has been gathered or placed in a bag. There's a lot to do today, babies + other countries ≠ last minute packing. So excited, so nervous. This trip would have been easier w/o the babies, but the incredible opportunity arose and the adventures must go on! Luckily Brad is our guide who knows his way around and speaks the language, I can't wait to visit where he served his mission. Traveling to china won't get any easier anytime soon- wait till the girls are mobile? Till we have to pay airfare for four? Till we have >2 kids? Who knows if and when we'll ever make it back there.
I am a little paranoid with the girls anyways (I feel like people want to steal them when I visit the state health department in SLC), I think my paranoia will help keep them safe in China. Of course I worry, but we've made every preparation possible to ensure their health and safety. Once I finish packing and we're on that plane I must sit back, roll with the punches, laugh through the baby cries, and make my best effort to muster up energy for this trip. I want to enjoy it, turns out it costs a small fortune to visit china, so it will be enjoyed- the trip of a lifetime!

*If you are the praying type, I'd appreciate all the well wishes for June and Lyla's success on this trip. :) Gracias. (I don't even know how to say thanks in Chinese...brad has only taught me "that's too expensive") I will be the master shopper-negotiator!

All that being said- goodbye car seats, goodbye chocolate, goodbye breast pump, goodbye cribs, goodbye fridge, goodbye mom...

5 months of fun

2011-07-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

The Hagen family of four has survived yet another month! (officially on Friday) When I think of how completely crazy I felt that first month I can definitely say it's gotten easier. However, not necessarily because of the girls. In the beginning doing my job was simply making sure they were clean and fed, they didn't require much and were pretty compliant. These days babies are rolling all over the house, sometimes demanding to be held and at other times demanding to be sprawled out on the floor. They want to play and interact, which is soo fun and also much more demanding of my time. I feel a great responsibility to teach them coordination in preparation for grabbing, eating, crawling, talking, sitting, sleeping habits...the list goes on and on. Down to the point: I'm raising 2 human beings who are starting to learn and develop- the pressure is on. However, it really is easier because I've been more adjusted these past couple months.
Currently we are in the middle of a cry-out because the girls digressed to old sleeping habits with multiple night feedings. After too many nights getting <5 hrs of sleep I started to go crazy. I was exhausted returning from a baseball game last night (after a day at the pool), and I announced to the girls that we were going to sleep for 10 hours. I was joking, but after they finally fell asleep crying it actually ended up being 10 hours between their feedings! I felt bad hearing them cry, I'm only aiming for some healthy sleep for all of us...
We also decided to introduce the girls to food for the first time yesterday! It was fun to watch them try to figure it out.

June wasn't crazy about the whole experience. June's response: "What is this...what's the word again...SPOON...doing in my mouth? Get it away from me, I prefer human milk, plain."

As expected, Lyla was a natural. She ate like a pro and sucked on that spoon like there was no tomorrow. Lyla's response: "I've been waiting so long for a spoonful of iron-fortified rice cereal, thank you! Now, what else have you got in the cupboard? I'm still hungry."

Dear little Juney-June,
You are such a little cutie and we love you so much. You are quite the little go-getter, and you're finally able to move yourself around, which makes you happy. You love to roll all over the place and grab at everything. There is a vibrating toy hanging from your car seat and you figured out how to pull it and haven't stopped since, I was a little startled when I heard you pulling it the first time as I drove. I can't put you in the same crib as Lyla because you roll over to her and take her binkie or whatever toy she is playing with. You love to grab plastic chains, and your favorite toy is a soft book that makes lots of crinkly noises. You are really into your feet these days and grab them all the time. I really have to watch out for you, I had you in your bouncy seat while I washed dishes, I turned around and you were on the tile floor a few feet away looking slightly dejected. Another time I was cleaning in the kitchen and left you playing on a blanket in the front room. I heard a thud, and came in to find you all the way across the room on the hardwood floor, running into your car seat! You have been mimicking my laugh which is adorable. I laugh, you laugh. You even did it when you had fallen asleep eating, I laughed about something and you kept mimicking me. That smile and laugh of yours is so sweet and adorable. You also make lots of faces, just like your mom. You are an energetic little thing and we can't get enough of you! I am so grateful for your sweet little spirit and love you so much!
love,
Mama

Dearest Little Lyla Bean,
You're such a sweetheart, we love you so much! You are a funny girl, you always know exactly what you want and won't stop till you get it. You like to relax too- sometimes while being held, hanging out in the crib or on a blanket, even in the pool, you loved hanging out in the water! Anything you grab goes right into your mouth, you suck on your hands and sometimes put both of them in your mouth and almost seem frustrated you can't fit anything else in there. You are a little talker. You laugh, make noises, coo, babble, blow bubbles, and make happy noises all day long. You do these big, open mouth smiles that are so cute. I can't help but open my mouth right along with you every time you do it. When I take you to Young Women's, you watch everyone who talks or sings, and sometimes make loud noises like you're talking back at them. Everyone turns around and watches you during lessons because you're so funny and cute. You continue to be such a good little baby- you're a great eater and sleeper. We assumed you'd probably like trying rice cereal and beginning to expand your taste buds, we were right! You're a little foodie like your mom, a good meal makes you happy. You're such a sweet baby, I love you and am so grateful to have you in my life now.
love,
Mama

P.S. To both of you- looks arent' everything, but you're the cutest babies in the world. Everyone says that too. I've even had people say they mean it counting their own children, cutest babies ever seen! You really are the sweetest, most precious little things there ever were.

mom cut?

2011-07-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

After months of contemplating, I cut my hair. Despite many slightly irritating comments like "Oh, you got the predictable mom cut", I am happy with it! I needed a change, it's easier for me and it doesn't look like I obviously didn't do my hair everyday (it doesn't even fit in a ponytail anymore). For me it isn't a mom cut because I've had short hair on and off from elementary school through college. So there you have it, short hair is for everyone. (especially moms I suppose) :)

Harry Potter!

2011-07-20T20:56:00.001-07:00

Harry Potter...(to be said slowly with the best British accent your mind can muster up) I just got back from seeing HP 7, part 2. So, I'm no longer one of the 5 remaining people in America who hadn't seen the movie... I can't believe I've been able to wait this many days, I always do the midnight thing dressed as a witch for book releases and movie premiers, but, ya know, I have a couple more important things in my life these days!
I was radiating way too much Harry Potter energy for a Wednesday evening showing. I was the only one who clapped at the end, and I had to pinch my own legs to keep me from dancing my way out of the theatre, seriously. It was very well done- emotional, powerful, and light when it needed to be. I'm such a HP nerd and I love it.
I felt a little emotional thinking of my great memories with "the boy who lived" all coming to an end. I remember dressing as a witch for the first movie premier at the Villa theatre, the high school boys I was with were embarrassed to be with me..(not cause of my age, I was in highschool too!) :) I still remember from the moment the theme song began as it showed the WB, I was in awe how they captured the magic and feeling from the books.
I love that instead of feeling sad about it all coming to an end I now look forward to sharing the magic with my girls one day! (probably when they're about 11 before they get their letters, we're not muggles, giggle giggle!)

Florida babes

2011-07-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

Our trip to Orlando was nice. The girls were awesome on all the flights and caused no problems, which was my biggest worry. Brad had to work a ton though, which left me on my own with the girls a lot. It was harder than California because it was humid and hot, and I had no snap-n-go stroller for ease and convenience. A couple days it was frustrating to not get out and see the fun things all around us, but we still had some fun. (hey, it sure beat waiting around at home for Brad to get back to us!)

My sister and her family had their Orlando trip overlap a bit so I hung out at the pool with them one day. It was so fun!

Brad got to hang out with us one day for a bit so we headed over to the Epcot center and gave the girls their first disney experience. At first it was stressful trying to figure out how to keep the girls cool and happy. I said to Brad "Maybe we should just leave and try to get a refund, I think the girls might be too young for this..." Brad responded, "I know the girls are too young for this (duh), this is all for you.". Well, kind of. I am a disney girl, if there is one thing I regret from my single life it's never auditioning to be a Disney princess for Disneyland. Ha. Still, I think the girls will enjoy the pictures one day...so it's not just for me. And the weather ended up being overcast and perfect for our infant day at a disney theme park. We had fun!

We pretended to travel world! EPCOT is pretty much the only theme park with good food, each "country" had something that smelled good and made you want to eat..
The girls and I in Mexico:

I think this was Germany:

I thought this might be a good preview for China (except Brad informed me they were speaking Japanese..)

We had to get a little family pic, just in case we never look this composed on our real deal adventure.

Denmark, or something like that:

Now here I really wanted to place the girls like they were walking down the street, giant babies!!! (I didn't do it cause we weren't ready to get kicked out of the park yet.)

A trip to Japan with daddy!

And that fabulous trip to Italy with mom:

Of course, we had to take the girls back to the land where this family first started out. A taste of our Moroccan honeymoon!

Compare epcot version to the real deal: (it obviously doesn't really compare, but it sure would be hard to visit all these places with infants) :)

I love Paris in the spring time. :)

Somewhere I could actually live with the girls in real life: England.

We also visited Canada blah, blah...and got some pictures with the giant ball, and watched Captian EO. Some pics with disney characters would have been adorable, but not 50 min wait in line adorable.

The girls, clearly thrilled with Disney, just like their mom.

We went to Coco beach our last day which I LOVED. It wasn't all that relaxing with the girls, but it was perfect conditions for a happy beach day. A shady umbrella for the girls. Soft sand. Warm weather with a nice breeze- enough to cool you down without blowing sand in your face. Tiny waves for ocean wimps. Shallow, warm ocean water- perfect temperature. How lovely was that...I wish I could go there every week! What I'd give to be sitting on that beach right now...

I had all these plans to take pictures of the girls at sea world, universal studios, make a trip to the Kennedy Space Center, maybe even take an alligator tour...but you can only do so much when you're just one person with two little babies. I thought it was a very fun place, hopefully when the girls are a little older we'll make it back and we can experience Orlando more intensely. :)

California girls

2011-07-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Our little roadtrip to Newport Beach a few weeks ago was a huge success! The girls were awesome on the drive. I had fun having little shopping companions to bum around with me. We had some good times.

I ate my most favorite nachos and pina colada with a view of the beach. The girls saw the ocean for the first time.

Then we got up close and personal with the sea. I like to imagine the girls enjoyed it. :) We took a ton of pictures, the girls were so stinking cute in all of them, but for your sake I won't share them all. (here are a few more I posted a while back)

I love vacations, even if Brad didn't get to spend the entire time with us. After all, we did go down there for his work!

I believe it was during one of these "photo shoots" that one of the girls started fussing a little and Brad said, "leave them alone, they aren't your dolls." But the thing is, they are my dolls! I worked pretty hard for these 2 dollies and it's not everyday you get 2 sweet little dolls to play with, so I'll play dress-up with them all I want! :)

my canine issues

2011-07-02T10:27:00.001-07:00

I haven't been on my computer all week, I actually have blog posts written from our vacations etc that I've been waiting to post once I add a few pics- prepare to be bombarded with all the exciting tales! (wink, wink) for now I will share a thought that requires no picture...
I think I might have some unusual issues when it comes to "man's best friend". I can admit this. People keep underestimating how much I hate dogs. I've visited several people who have dogs while Brad has been traveling so much. Some of these people read my blog. No offense, it's not you...it's them. I guess some people see a dog and look into it's puppdog eyes and fall in love with it's wagging tail. Or something. I look at a dog and my eyes zoom into it's dirty, sharp little teeth. I don't really care how "small" or "friendly" the dog is, I don't want those teeth anywhere near my baby's sweet little hands. I next observe the dog nose. Wet. Dog snot, what could be worse? I imagine that nose all over the ground and sniffing other dogs bums. I don't want that nose anywhere near my baby's face. Next I observe the hair, not just on the dog, but how it inevitably ends up on everything around it. I mentally start thinking of everything I brought with me so I can make sure to throw it in the wash when I'm home. I won't even mention dogs claws, self explanatory right? Claws.
When someone's dog walks up toward my baby seat I might flip just a little. I just can't help it, I see a dog and I think of stories I've heard from fellow nurses... A baby getting defaced because a dog thought the baby was a toy. A woman getting a chunk ripped out of her bum because she jogged past her neighbors "friendly" dog. These are the things that pop into my mind when your dog gets anywhere near my babies.
My view of dogs may be just a little unhealthy, a little OCD. I may act like a frightened child when a dog runs toward me. I just don't care, I would be perfectly happy if my children had a little fear of dogs, keep them cautious. Protect them from our four legged friends.
I don't want to make anyone feel bad.. I'm fine with other people liking dogs, I just can't get myself to join the party. It may surprise you, but if I had to choose I would actually say I was a "dog person", even though I don't want dogs anywhere near me or my little people. I say that because most people are either dog people or cat people, and if I had to choose between a dog calendar and a cat one I'd pick the dogs. So dog people, can we still be friends? :)

4 months & firsts

2011-06-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

It is amazes me that the girls are four months old today. They are really growing up fast! They do so much more than they used to- rolling over, laughing, grabbing for things, interacting with us and each other- they are having fun! June started rolling last week and now she can basically roll across a room. Lyla must have decided she wanted us to be able to say they both were rolling over by 4 months because she just rolled over for the first time today.
This fourth month they had a lot of firsts (besides hitting some milestones). Some might say they were a little young for a couple of these things, but to them we say, "what the heck!" We want them experiencing life from the beginning of it. :)

1st roadtrip

1st train ride

1st trip to the beach

First shopping trip with mom

1st plane ride

1st time "in" the pool & ocean

1st disney experience

Sweet little June and Lyla, we hope you girls are having fun with us because I'm sure having fun with you! Thanks for letting me be your mommy, it really is the best job in the world. :)

June rolls!

2011-06-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

June is a little roller! Last Sunday she finally made it all the way over, and lately whenever I set her down she pops right onto that tummy. After a minute it makes her pretty mad because she is stuck there. Lyla isn't too far behind, she's rolling from side to side and getting pretty close! :)

I guess it's not that surprising since she's been doing almost yoga-like poses like this during tummy time since before she was even 2 months old.

Happy Padres Day!

2011-06-19T19:29:00.000-07:00

Dearest Daddy,
We love you so. We know you don't read mommy's blog much, but we had to get creative since we got home late last night and you left early this morning. We're hip little babies and decided to use the world wide web to show our love. We're sad we don't get to spend our first father's day with you. You're better at holding us sideways on your arm than mommy. We like when you try to make us laugh. It's nice when you overcome your fear of changing our diapers and get us nice and clean. Thanks for taking us with you across the country, we would have missed you too much! We want to celebrate Brad style when you're back- whatever you want. Burgers, ESPN, it's your call. You're the best daddy.
xoxo,
Lyla & June
Ps- We miss you. Hearing the young women tell why they loved their dads today got us a little teary eyed...maybe that was mom.

Unless you're our daddy I'd just ignore this video or listen to it muted. He's stuck w/ our mom so it doesn't matter how ultra lame she acts sometimes.

flying to florida

2011-06-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

Well, here we are in Florida! It is WARM and MOIST, which is very confusing to all of us. (I think I get why people use baby powder now!) Brad is working a lot and I forgot to bring my mom. :( The hotel is...um, adequate..but I don't want to spend my whole time here. I haven't been to Orlando since I was 4. I'm going to figure out everything that is free to do with the girls, then take pictures by the signs to everything else so the girls feel like they've been there. :) (hello, I'm not about to drop $80 on activities they will sleep through/not care about.)

I never even blogged about our roadtrip to Cali. Maybe doubling up on nursing more contriutes to less blogging, I normally write posts while feeding. Sometimes I think I'm about done w/ the whole blogging thing, but it really is an easy journal (with pictures!) that I like to look back on sometimes and I think the girls will enjoy reading one day.
I may backtrack to our previous trip a little sometime, but I can say the girls have been excellent travel companions! (besides being naughty sleepers last night...) Their first roadtrip couldn't have gone better and their first flight was excellent! It didn't seem like their ears bothered them at all, and there was almost no crying. knock on wood.
We were pretty late getting to the gate on a full flight to Denver, people were nice and let us sit together, but then the airline was all twinist and said we couldn't be on the same row since they only have 4 O2 masks. I was sad Brad wasn't around because June was laughing up a storm on the flight, probably her first real laughing. Luckily on the second flight there was an extra seat so we got to be together and set babies down, which was nice. They girls were even officially saluted with a certificate signed by the pilot for their first flight. So cute.

you can cry if you want to

2011-06-06T13:16:00.000-07:00

Today we got all ready for a little trip to the doctor. They need some vaccines to protect them from strange diseases while we visit foreign lands. As suspected, we also discovered that Lyla's superb eating skills have made her a full pound bigger than June.

Poor things, lookin' all cute and bright-eyed. No clue what's about to hit them. They were so sad this time they couldn't even remember how to cry, they just squeaked for a minute with the saddest little faces in the world. Then their lungs remembered what they were made for. Since the tylenol and car ride, they are both sleeping soundly. They've probably already forgotten about the doctor visit...wouldn't it be nice to be a baby sometimes?

like father, like daughter

2011-06-05T12:28:00.000-07:00

We've always known that Lyla is little Brad, but now even June is looking like him. They are darling and perfect...but it just isn't fair. I bore them. Is there no little me? I'm still convinced that at least June has some of me that will come through...

June

Lyla

rockin' the bjorns

2011-06-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

Just another one of my many wise KSL purchases. The girls are actually big enough to enjoy the baby bjorns now! It was perfect for the beach, and I have a feeling we'll get a lot of use out of them on our upcoming family trips this summer. I think life was meant to be spent traveling with your family.

let's all sleep

2011-06-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

We had the funnest little roadtrip down to Newport Beach. I took hundreds of *adorable* pictures of the girls and have looked forward to sharing a few on la blog, but the girls had different plans and have been little stinkers ever since we got back. I have got next to no sleep the past 3 nights, so it's about all I can do to just upload pictures to my computer. (and try not to loose my mind) The only time they are both sleeping is when I'm driving in the car. I guess I should be glad they were little angels for the trip and made perfect traveling companions.
There was this one time today when we all got to rest for a couple minutes. Ya know, until Lyla started freaking out and kicked me in the face. True story.

PS- just noticed...completely unplanned, it looks like all of us like to cuddle w/ our right hand. :)

Sweetest mom video

2011-05-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

We are driving to California on our first family vacation! The girls have slept ALL day, which is great since it made for an easy drive- I just hope they aren't up all night... We hardly got any sleep last night getting ready to go, vacations with kids are a lot of work, I'm already worn out! Oh well, you can't have it all, right? And I'm just so excited to not feel stuck at home. The girls are getting bigger, the weathers getting warmer, it's time to travel! :)
While driving I saw this video (yeah, aren't iPhones amazing? I'm watching videos and blogging all the while.) I wish I'd seen it earlier to share for mother's day, it is so sweet. It will make you cry. I'm really into stuff about moms lately (wonder why?) and I always love Elder Holland, he has the most beautiful way of saying things.

rockstar status

2011-05-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

I remember when I came home from the hospital, I thought I couldn't do anything without Brad at my side. I cried and cried his first day back at work. How was I going to do this? I was constantly feeding one baby, then the next, then getting started on their next round. A part of me, a large part didn't want them to latch on, aah the pain. My toes would curl and I'd pinch my leg till things started to feel a little numb. Everything was new, and slow...and just took so long. My life was over, I was sure of it. Then all of the sudden one day I'm tandem nursing both babies, writing about it on my iPhone, and clipping the girls nails intermittently. I'm not a rockstar, (shocked?) but I feel like one on random occasions like these. Even if there are only 2 adoring fans. :)

I get asked a lot by moms if I nurse them at the same time. I'm doing it more and more. It probably saves me 1/3 the time, but it's at least twice as hard. The math just doesn't quite add up unless they are both starving, I'm in a hurry for something, or I'm leaving them with someone and don't want them to get hungry too soon. That said, it does make for some tender moments.

Both cuddled up on me to burp after dinner last night.

They both get all cozy and cuddly at the same time, and it's just too cute.

Honestly, it's not really that hard, but it makes me feel like a rockstar. :) The End.

3 months?!

2011-05-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

What the what?! Our little babes are already 3 months old. They aren't newborns at all anymore. They interact with each other a lot now and smile so much, I love it! Unfortnately the camera distracts them from these activities and it's so hard to capture! I love how fun they're getting, but also miss their newborn-ness that I can't get back.
Time is an enigma. For months I've known no days, instead I've known 2-4 hour blocks of feeding times. Maybe that has something to do with why it makes no sense to me that the girls are 3 months old. It seems like they've always been with us and it also really seems like yesterday that we were taking their itty bitty selves home from the hospital.
These last 3 months have been the most important and wonderful months of my life, I truly love being a mom to Lyla and June. What a lucky girl I am.

Ahh...my little June bug.
You are such a beautiful, sweet little baby. At 3 months old you are every bit as curious as the day you were born, you love to look around. You have recently found your hands and love to suck on your fists. You give us smiles and make cute little noises. Some of your noises sound like real words to me. When you cry is sounds like "mama..ma..ma" and you often respond to questions with a noise that sounds like "yeah". :) You are so good at tummy time and can lift up your head and shoulders. You're the sweetest little baby- we love you so so much!
love, mommy

Ohh...my little Lyla bean.
You are such a darling little baby! You love to smile and sometimes I wake up to find you smiling at me. You're a big talker and make all kinds of coos and fun, loud squeals. You've got the eating and sleeping thing down pretty good which makes mommy so happy. You saw your own hand a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop staring at it in awe, then you kind of forgot about it. :) You love bath time and get so relaxed when we let the water run over your head. You have such a fun, sweet personality- we love you so much!
love, mommy

The traditional post-photo shoot nap, looking cute isn't all fun and games. These little athletes really earn their sleep. :)

wanted: babies

2011-05-20T03:28:00.000-07:00

I've got a good PR guy "up there" who must have made up this flyer to lure the girls here:

Charming home in Holladay, UT. Loving and adventurous husband and wife desiring parenthood. Space for 1, but preferably 2.
Picture a rainy day, you can gently rock in your bouncy seat or be held on demand at any time. A woman with red-rimmed eyes will tend to your every need, and when she doesn't a man with red rimmed eyes is there for backup.
*High-end nursery suite with ample noise makers and swaddling blankets to make you feel warm and cozy, very wombescent.
*Free, live entertainment. Besides the nightly shows available, you will simply need to look at the woman, who seconds as a court jest, with your doe eyes and she will make all attempts to entertain. Singing, dancing, tickling, crazy baby talk- it won't stop till you stop smiling.
*Heated indoor sink baths, at least 2x weekly
*Meals include: continental breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, late supper, and a midnight snack. All meals include fresh, warm milk for two.
*Fast, efficient, and sanitary diaper changes made frequently throughout the day.
*Same day laundry service specializing in hydroflourescent orange stains.
*Clothing optional. Numerous adorable, coordinated outfits will be provided for the fasionista baby-on-the-go.
*Intense gym training with a personal trainer including tummy time and the popular kicks and wiggles program.
*Follow your workout with a relaxing massage, nested in cuddling arms that rub your back and pat those tired muscles.
*Several exotic day trips are available. Visit local grocers, grandmas house, and more!
All services are free and included in the package. Just show up and give us a try.

P.S. There is an eternal contract, once you join us we'll never let you go.

engaged we were!

2011-05-19T09:46:00.000-07:00

I was flipping through my travel journal and realized it was 2 years ago that brad and I were engaged. I had no idea he was even going to propose so I really would have been shocked to know a short 2 years later I'd be a married mother of 2! It was so fun remembering all the little details. My parents didn't want me to go so close to starting nursing school (I missed orientation), Brad was adamant that I leave on good terms with my dad, I had no idea why...
Before he proposed I spent the day on my own exploring NYC. I was anxious to meet up with him, then he got stuck on the subway almost 2 hrs. I talked to my sister Melinda and complained "I wanted to see wicked tonight, but Brad wants to go walk across the Brooklyn bridge, ugh...oh well." haha. We got pedicures, ate pastries, and had a perfect stroll across the bridge, the sun was setting over the city skyline and it was romantic. I realized it wasn't such a bad idea after all, little did I know how great of an idea it really was! We ate yummy pizza then walked around a little park. Brad was being a little funny trying to find a private place so he could give me a kiss. Finally we found a perfect spot on some rocks by the water, we had a beautiful view of the bridge and the city all reflected in the water.

I suspected nothing because we'd never even had a serious relationship conversation let alone discussed marriage. Suddenly the conversation turned serious and brad began to get down on one knee. My initial thought was that it was some cruel joke, but then he reached into his pocket and I realized it was the real thing! It was so perfect and romantic, it was like a fairy tale. It felt so right, it was an easy yes. We both said, "What do we do now? We've never made it this far..." I asked when, he said we'll figure that out later, but I knew it'd be everyone's first question. So we took a few pictures and called our parents and a few others, everyone was shocked! Brad's dad welcomed me to the family and said we were a good fit. My dad said we were both fun and adventurous and needed to make sure not to do too many wild and crazy things. (we had just got back from sneaking into Cuba) My parents were anxious to find out if I'd even said yes. I was impressed Brad picked out a ring I like, I was more impressed he was so brave to propose when he wasn't certain of the answer. It was old fashioned and I loved it.

My dad gets soo excited about big news and just can't keep a secret, if I'd listened to my voicemail it would have ruined the surprise. My sister called them and he said "have you heard the big news? My mom wanted me to tell her so she grabbed the phone and said "oh, don't listen to anything dad says, he's being SO weird today." my sister bought it. Haha...
It was such a special time, I wish I could go back and relive it.
I wrote about the whole thing on my plane ride home and as I wrote I felt overwhelmed with a strong confirmation that this was the right thing for me and Brad was who Heavenly Father intended me to be with all along. Other heartaches I'd experienced suddenly meant nothing, I wish I could have seen into the future and saved myself some pain. I began to cry with joy and probably confused my fellow passengers.
Anyways, I love trying to plan out my life even though it never goes as planned. The surprises keep it exciting! Saying yes was definitely one of the best decisions I've ever made.

mamas deserve it

2011-05-17T16:05:00.000-07:00

I meant to post something for mother's day, but I just didn't get around to it. Moms are pretty special though so I think it's still appropriate to keep dedicating all sorts of things to them, including little blog posts.
My first mother's day was pretty nice, we stayed up in Midway with the Hagens. My favorite part of the day (besides being a mom to June and Lyla of course) was the Hagen boys making us yummy savory and sweet crepes for dinner and doing the dishes! Mother's day should be everyday! It kind of is if you're a mom, its just more like a special job than a celebration on lots of those days.
My mom is fabulous. She is such a good person, she's way nicer than me. In fact, she's not rude to anyone ever. She likes everyone and everyone likes her. She is down to earth and knows whats important in life. Shes been through a lot of hard things as a mom, things that I think would make me crumble, but shes so strong. Speaking of that, shes freakishly strong. She can carry the heaviest things...it's weird, and cool. She raised 6 kids, at one point 5 kids under 6, 3 in diapers, 2 newborn twins... I have no idea how she did it. And now as a grandma of almost 15- she works, has a demanding church calling, helps with 4 new grandbabies born within a week of each other, and still gives my babies baths more often than I do. Some of the grandkids have called her Grandma Pancake, but I think my girls may call her Grandma Bath. And they love her for it. And I love her for it, for all of it. She raised us all and helps us with raising our own kids now. I appreciate her even more now being a mom myself.

(see how she can have 6 kids, including twins, and make it look like it was nothin'?)
My mother-in-law is also a great mom, she raised 4 boys and had to wait for them to get married to have daughters. All those years... and daughters are the best. :) She is a child play specialist and professionally helps kids from being messed up, what better qualifications could a grandma have? I wish she could play with the girls everyday to ensure their success. She has been incredibly helpful with the twins as well. Couldn't ask for a better mother-in-law.
My cousin said something to me after I had the babies that really rang true to me: "welcome to the world's biggest, most secret club--motherhood! strange how the amazing amount of work and the transformative psychology (emotions, biology, etc) of mothering is such a mystery until you actually experience it, no? the men and childless women will never quite know."
It's so true. You wonder why no one warned you, then realize they did, you just didn't understand. You try to imagine wonderful things and hard things before children come into your life, but it is more wonderful and hard than one could imagine. I feel a special connection to moms of twins, but I feel a connection now to all moms. I appreciate these women more and what they do. I know they understand the things I'm going through so I feel like we're all good friends now. I love blog stalking other's joys and struggles of motherhood. Being a mom really is amazing, I'm so glad I got to join the exclusive club!

the birds and the bees

2011-05-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Don't be a pervert. I never even understood that metaphor, and I'm actually just talking bees here. Just bees.

If you follow me on facebook or twitter you may have heard about the evil little creature that stung me night before last. It was a little traumatic for me. At first I thought it was a needle, and before brad turned on the light I really thought (and hoped) it wasn't some crazy spider or bug and that I just had a random nerve misfire of sorts. When I saw this huge (relative to there being nothing) moving thing in bed I flipped. My skin crawled. There was some gasping and maybe even a little screaming. I told brad I felt like the universe had turned on me or something. He didn't get that. (what besides the spider? Nothing.)
But you get it right? I'd fed babies and got them to sleep, I was tired and relaxed, about to lay down for a peaceful rest....when all of the sudden I'm stung, for the first time in my life, by a bee who happens to be in my bed, who happens to be right where I lay my hand down to get in bed. It caused me pain, but worse it messed with my chi. That bee was where I lay the babies swaddling blankets, where I normally lay the babies to swaddle them on every other night but this one. What if it had got one of them? The possibilities horrified me and I was certain that bee ruined my whole night's rest and I'd have crazy dreams of animals crawling into babies cribs. How could the wild kingdom intrude my private space like that? My BED! The special place where I sleep, which is my new favorite hobby. Why? My bed of all places should be a safe place. Brad finally convinced me the bee's friends weren't around and I got back in bed. Then he said something beautiful after another bout of my rambling discontent, "There is no peace anywhere!" Yes! He got it. I felt so validated and understood. "Exactly!" I shouted with glee, "There is no peace anywhere!" to which he replied, "No, there's no bees anywhere." He was just being factual.
There's something you must know about Brad to kind of understand how funny this was. In almost 2 years of marriage I haven't been able to get him to even just try and come up with the "right" responses that a girl would like to hear. He says what he thinks, which is often no response at all. I try to tell him, why don't you just say "yes that lady was rude, how frustrating, I can't believe he would say that, that's exciting, how awful the bee stung you, etc, etc". But he'll have none of it. I can't even get him to say "yea" sometimes, just so I know he's listening. I love him so. He had no sisters you see, so I cut him some slack. But I thought he finally understood, or at least understood to pretend to understand. When I realized the one time he said a "right" response that I'd actually just misheard him, we both erupted in laughter. Even while praying I kept getting the giggles. I laugh every time I think of how enthusiastically I shouted "exactly!" with such relief that he finally decided to humor me with a correct response. (and a semi-dramatic one at that)
I suppose instead of trying to teach him how to make me happy with his responses I should just fantasize/hallucinate the correct response right out of his mouth. He'll thank me later. Now that's healthy marital communication, problems solved. I am a champion of world peace. (even if sometimes there is no peace anywhere.)

Names and Blessings

2011-05-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

The girls blessing day was really quite perfect. I always want everything just so on special days and tend to stress out a little. I had to turn a blind eye on my wedding day from everything that wasn't the way I wanted it. (that's one time you just really can't do it yourself).
I was able to get our house cleaned up during the week, make lots of food on Saturday, and give out assignments for even more food from our family. The blessing day was so wonderful. The girls looked adorable and were perfect little angels all day. Brad did such a nice job with the blessings. It was so interesting to hear some of the same wonderful blessings that they both recieved, as well as things that were unique to their own individual personalities. Having the girls looking good, me looking decent, food and the house ready for a celebration afterwards was a bit of an undertaking. It all worked out and really was such a special, happy day. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and there was plenty of yummy food for all to eat. Even though the girls slept through most of their special day, I'm sure they happily dreamt about all their new friends and family who were celebrating for them. :)

they like me.

2011-05-03T11:39:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice blessing weekend, I'll probably do a little post about it when I upload pictures. Just thought I'd share how cute the girls were this morning. They are so happy and alert after their early morning feeding (somewhere around 7-8 AM), but I'm normally dead tired so I just swaddle them and make futile attempts to get them back to sleep. Yesterday I finally decided not to fight it and play with them. You can tell they just want to play. They look like this every morning, like they're saying, "Mom, why are you trying to sleep, just look at how cute we are and how much we want to play."

I even did a video, it's kinda cute if you can see past my obnoxious baby voice..

I haven't been able to pin point when the girls started smiling. They've both had a couple random ones with me, but most of their smiles have been while sleeping or eating. I worried they are just happy dreaming about when they were in heaven, then feel sorely disappointed when they must return back to reality with me. It's hard to know if a baby really likes you if they don't smile at you. On more than one occasion when I was at my whit's end I've told Brad they were trying to kill me. (you know, if insufficient sleep and surplus feeding could kill someone..) What I'm getting at with all of this is that this morning they both intentionally gave me big smiles multiple times, definitely no accident. Subsequently, I think they like me.

YW

2011-04-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

The girls had a shower this week from our cute young women. I've been lucky enough to be a laurel advisor, and even though I've hardly done a thing they've allowed me to stay and have done so much for me! We seriously have the most amazing girls in our ward.

It was a storybook shower so now I have all these adorable books to read the girls.

I hadn't even heard of most of them so it was fun to have new books to introduce them to.

I'm already thrilled with the books, and I'm sure the girls and all of our children will enjoy them for years to come!

Sick babes

2011-04-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that one of the princesses got sick at the Hagen kingdom. Our little June got sick this week and I'm just hoping Lyla doesn't get it too. It's gonna be tough cause they share eating utensils... I've been so paranoid and careful with them, then last weekend I start to let my guard down and look what happened, I feel so bad for her.
They had their 2 month appointment on Monday and got some vaccines. So sad to watch them cry. (don't get me wrong, I love vaccines- if everyone were smart there wouldn't have been a big mealses outbreak in our area..) So sad just looking at band-aids on their little legs.

Way more sad watching June feel miserable with red eyes, coughing, sneezing, low-grade fever and struggled breathing through her stuffy nose. I know a little cold is minor, but I can't help thinking how hard it must be for parents to watch their kids suffer when they have more serious illness. Now that I have my own little ones I feel for them even more. Poor little June, I just hope and pray she starts to feel better soon.

little princesses

2011-04-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

This royal wedding stuff is kind of a big deal. There may not have been any paparazzi at our wedding and I didn't become a princess, but I've already gotten 2 little princesses out of this marriage. It may sound cliche, but it doesn't make it any less true!

Try to beat that royal fam, I dare you.

I love when they link arms.

Oh, how I love them.

It's a good think we've got aunties and grandmas who like to play dress-ups as much as we do! :)

2 months!

2011-04-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Lyla and June are 2 months old. I've had some of the longest nights of my life, but time is also flying by. The girls have basically doubled their weight from when we brought them home from the hospital at 4 lbs 6 oz and 4 lbs 3 oz. They have graduated 2 diaper sizes. (preemie, newborn, 1!) They aren't the shockingly tiny babes we brought home, they're like normal babies now! (and darling as can be) I can't get over their cuteness. Or their new fatness. I held 5 lb baby twins earlier this week and was in shock that our babies were ever so tiny. They really do grow so fast! I went shopping after with the idea that we now had "big" babies and got some cute sandals for the girls, I thought the 3 month size would be great, I took it home and it was 4 times the size of their feet. I got newborn ones and they drown them too, I guess the girls still aren't that big.
But once upon a time they were tiny. Head the size of your fist tiny.

June came out so skinny, look at her little skin rolls:

Not anymore! See how June has chubbed up her cheeks?
before:

At 2 months:

Lyla started with chubby cheeks, but it was deceptive. She still had a tiny little body.
cute, chubby birth cheeks:

2 months old:

priorities

2011-04-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

They won't let me sleep, so I'll blog while I keep sticking binkies back in little mouths...

You may read about different hierarchy of needs in textbooks, but mine go like this:
1. feed babies/change babies/swaddle babies
2. sleep
3. eat
4. play with babies
5. do one thing for the house: groceries, Landry, make dinner, straighten up a room, etc.
6. something more for babies: go for a stroll, tummy time, etc.
7. something for me: a shower, get dressed, etc.
8. something fun to make me feel human: go out to dinner, go shopping, a little break. I'm not sure what else goes here...we don't make it this far down the list all that often.
I'm wishing the babies could understand that when they don't let me sleep it makes a crappy day for everyone. I go into survival mode and only take care of priority #1 and make desperate attempts to make it to priority #2. I feel like such a bad mom after a night of no sleep, its hard to talk or interact with the babies because I just want them to sleep so that I can too. Then I worry I'm delaying their development for my own selfish needs. I already can hold my head up and make noises and smile so I'm fine, even if I don't sleep... I'm just no fun when I don't get any rest. No one wants an ornery, boring mom, but that's what you get when you don't let her sleep. I just don't know how to reason with infants.

Still love the little stinkers. (and remind myself they are often little angels- as pictured above)

whose who

2011-04-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Per request I'm going to show anyone who is curious how to tell June and Lyla apart. They look so different to me I forget it can be hard to tell in pictures, probably impossible if you've never met them before...
When they were first born it was easy because Lyla was the one with the receding hairline, but then her hair started to fill in and June started loosing her hair, but it's already growing back again...so I wouldn't go off of hairlines. :)
LYLA- "little brad" (in cute, girly form) she has longer hair (about 1" long). Her eyes are more almond shaped like Brads and darker. She has bigger lips and a rounder face.

JUNE- "little me" Her hair is shorter. (about 1 cm long) She recently lost her hair in front, but it's already beginning to fill in again. Her eyes are lighter and often open very wide. :) Even though she caught up to her sister in weight and is starting to get some chub, her face is narrower and more heart shaped.

Now you can tell them apart even w/o seeing their hair, right?

If all else fails, they are often seen with their binkies- Lyla has the grey elephant and June has the brown monkey. :)