WHAT A YEAR, am I right?!
January: Kate & Olivia joined our family
February: babies all day every day...I really don't remember much else
March: Legacy Conference with the Andersens
April: babies are blessed in church
May: moved in with the Beans
June: Bean family trip to California
July: moved in with the Simons
August: weaned off the pump, girls out as long as they were in (33.5 weeks), strep 3 times
September: Disneyland trip for our 2nd anniversary, moved into our new home, started book club
October: family pictures, first Halloween for the girls, Grass Roots Home business started with the women on the Simons side of the family
November: first time making Christmas cards, Thanksgiving with the Simons
December: tunnel of lights, Temple Square with the girls, Midway Crater with Todd, Lights On with Simons, Motab Christmas Concert, Christmas with Beans, Star Wars VII , Todd leaves for New Zealand
12.31.2015
10.13.2015
9 Months
The babies hit their 9 month mark last week and my mama heart is about to burst! What a blessing they are in our lives. I just laugh and smile and play with them all day long. They're the best little babies. We have our hard moments, that's for certain, but the happiness far outweighs the hard.
At 9 months, they're taking 2 naps, sometimes a third if their afternoon nap is short. They eat baby food 2x a day and take a bottle 4x a day. I grind up millet and make cereal that they eat every morning with fruit. They've proven to eat pretty much every veggie we've given them, as long as it has some banana mixed in with it. They're officially not being swaddled anymore, which makes putting them down a lot quicker and easier. They love sleeping in their sleep sacks.
We discovered Kate's first tooth last week (thanks to Grandma Simons who pointed it out for us!) and it made us giddy. We love watching them reach milestones. Kate's big into lifting her eyebrows, creating an O shape with her mouth, and making monkey noises. We call her our little monkey. Kate is our tummy sleeper, just like her dad. She still has proven to be our calm and chill baby, more on the serious side, but still as sweet as can be. She only cries when she's super tired or hungry. She gives the biggest smiles when Robbie lifts her in the air.
Olivia loves holding her bottle by herself and will often refuse to drink any milk unless I let her hold it. She's expressive and super silly. She gives the cheesiest smiles and loves to cock her head to the left at anyone or anything. She's still really vocal--she yells, moans, cries, and even screams. Her favorite toys are whichever ones Kate currently has. She's always taking Kate's toys, haha. She also loves touching Kate's eyes, much to Kate's dismay. I had my backed turned to them earlier today and Kate suddenly burst into tears. I turned around and Liv had Kate in her lap with her finger hooked in the corner of Kate's eye. Yikes!
We love them so!
At 9 months, they're taking 2 naps, sometimes a third if their afternoon nap is short. They eat baby food 2x a day and take a bottle 4x a day. I grind up millet and make cereal that they eat every morning with fruit. They've proven to eat pretty much every veggie we've given them, as long as it has some banana mixed in with it. They're officially not being swaddled anymore, which makes putting them down a lot quicker and easier. They love sleeping in their sleep sacks.
We discovered Kate's first tooth last week (thanks to Grandma Simons who pointed it out for us!) and it made us giddy. We love watching them reach milestones. Kate's big into lifting her eyebrows, creating an O shape with her mouth, and making monkey noises. We call her our little monkey. Kate is our tummy sleeper, just like her dad. She still has proven to be our calm and chill baby, more on the serious side, but still as sweet as can be. She only cries when she's super tired or hungry. She gives the biggest smiles when Robbie lifts her in the air.
Olivia loves holding her bottle by herself and will often refuse to drink any milk unless I let her hold it. She's expressive and super silly. She gives the cheesiest smiles and loves to cock her head to the left at anyone or anything. She's still really vocal--she yells, moans, cries, and even screams. Her favorite toys are whichever ones Kate currently has. She's always taking Kate's toys, haha. She also loves touching Kate's eyes, much to Kate's dismay. I had my backed turned to them earlier today and Kate suddenly burst into tears. I turned around and Liv had Kate in her lap with her finger hooked in the corner of Kate's eye. Yikes!
We love them so!
9.22.2015
2 Year Anniversary - Disneyland!
Robbie and I celebrated 2 years of marriage on the 13th! What a happy day. We both feel so blessed to have each other!
A few months ago, Robbie surprised me by telling me we were going to Disneyland for our anniversary this year. I burst into tears because, first, I had had a really bad day and this was THE happiest news and, second, he promised me a year ago when we went with his family that he'd take me back because I couldn't ride any of the rides (pregnant) and it was kind of depressing.Okay, really depressing. I didn't expect it at ALL and it was the best having it to look forward to all summer long.
We left the girls with Robbie's parents, which worked out perfectly because we've been living with them for the past couple of months. All the girls' stuff is here and we had some good opportunities to train them and feel comfortable leaving them and not worrying while we were gone. His parents are rockstars and I didn't worry one bit the whole time we were gone. They did such a great job and the girls loved it. But let me tell you, leaving your babies for the first time as a new mom is tough!! You get so excited thinking about leaving and getting a break, and then you miss them the second you're gone. I guess it means we love those little chunkers.
We left on Monday afternoon and came back Wednesday night. It was the perfect little getaway. After almost 9 months of sticking to a demanding schedule every day with babies, we enjoyed just relaxing. We ate at some delicious restaurants, watched movies, and crammed Disneyland/California Adventure all into one day (Tuesday). We tore it up and made a plan beforehand of which rides we were going to hit and at which times. We walked crazy fast and it was fun to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It rained for about an hour while we were at the park, but cleared and actually may have helped as far as crowds went. We went at a perfect time in the year and didn't have to wait longer than 30-40 min for a ride. We rode a lot in the single rider line and used fast passes as often as we could. We were exhausted by the end of the day, but had a total blast.
A few months ago, Robbie surprised me by telling me we were going to Disneyland for our anniversary this year. I burst into tears because, first, I had had a really bad day and this was THE happiest news and, second, he promised me a year ago when we went with his family that he'd take me back because I couldn't ride any of the rides (pregnant) and it was kind of depressing.Okay, really depressing. I didn't expect it at ALL and it was the best having it to look forward to all summer long.
We left the girls with Robbie's parents, which worked out perfectly because we've been living with them for the past couple of months. All the girls' stuff is here and we had some good opportunities to train them and feel comfortable leaving them and not worrying while we were gone. His parents are rockstars and I didn't worry one bit the whole time we were gone. They did such a great job and the girls loved it. But let me tell you, leaving your babies for the first time as a new mom is tough!! You get so excited thinking about leaving and getting a break, and then you miss them the second you're gone. I guess it means we love those little chunkers.
We left on Monday afternoon and came back Wednesday night. It was the perfect little getaway. After almost 9 months of sticking to a demanding schedule every day with babies, we enjoyed just relaxing. We ate at some delicious restaurants, watched movies, and crammed Disneyland/California Adventure all into one day (Tuesday). We tore it up and made a plan beforehand of which rides we were going to hit and at which times. We walked crazy fast and it was fun to do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted. It rained for about an hour while we were at the park, but cleared and actually may have helped as far as crowds went. We went at a perfect time in the year and didn't have to wait longer than 30-40 min for a ride. We rode a lot in the single rider line and used fast passes as often as we could. We were exhausted by the end of the day, but had a total blast.
On the plane about to take off!
Cute husband with our cute little rental car.
We took a selfie on almost all the rides we went on. Robbie's poor hair suffered from the morning rain, haha! Still such a handsome guy.
Dayna occasionally sent us pictures of the girls. Gah we love them!!
My only regret from the trip is that I didn't get to go on California Screamin, but it ended up being a blessing in disguise. I got cut in line and was just about to get on the ride when they shut it down because it got STUCK. This is a picture of the people that cut in front of me stuck on the ride. I'm so grateful it wasn't me. Tender mercy right there.
We're currently watching all of the Star Wars movies right now before #7 comes out in December (currently on #5). Love my Star Wars nerd.
Disneyland in the fall is a dream!
It was the perfect trip at the happiest place as the happiest couple. I love my Robbie! And the reunion with our girls? It was the happiest thing ever. Can't wait to take them with us someday. Thanks to Robbie for an incredible trip.
9.08.2015
8 Months
Kate & Olivia turned 8 months last week! They're just over 6 months developmentally and we look forward to the day (hopefully around 1 year) where we don't have to adjust their age!
The girls are sitting up more and more on their own, which is so fun. They still have the occasional crash landing, but they're gaining strength quickly. It's amazing watching their bodies learn to do new things. They have always been happiest upright, so it's nice that they can do it on their own now.
They are doing well with baby food and I really get a kick out of feeding them. We're all a mess by the end (Olivia likes to spit her food all over whoever's feeding her), but they love food. I've been making all of their baby food and it's nice to know exactly what's going into their bodies. Their favorite combination is avocados and bananas. Kate will eat anything, but Olivia has shown a preference to sweet foods. Like father, like daughter! If she doesn't like it, she'll stick her tongue out and the food will just sit there. She'll often gag as well. Silly girl.
They take a bottle 4 times a day and baby food twice (after morning nap and at dinner time). They take 3 naps, a long one in the afternoon and short ones in the morning and late afternoon. They take a bottle at 7:30 pm and then sleep until 7:30 or 8:00. I've been weaning off the pump and they've transitioned great to formula. I'm very thankful it's gone so smoothly. It's such a bittersweet process.
Olivia has so much personality in her little body. She loves to suck her thumb whenever she's going down to sleep or to self soothe. She spits a lot to let us know she's sick of waiting for her milk, or any other time she's frustrated. She loves wrastling with Robbie and being really close to people's faces. She's ticklish on her feet and tummy and lets out the cutest giggles. She loves moving around and has especially loved walking around in the the little walker Robbie's parents have. She kicks her legs whenever you lift her up in the air. She loves getting her diaper changed and loves her stuffed elephant.
Kate is a very easy going baby. She loves sucking on her toes and can keep herself entertained with toys for a long time. She is amazing at focusing and loves to just stare, especially at people. She notices small details and will play with the pattern on her sleeve for 5 minutes. She won't let anything pass her by without grabbing it with both hands and bringing it straight to her mouth (including Liv's head). Kate likes to mimic the faces we make. She's also ticklish on her toes and loves being surprised by noises or actions, but she does get startled really easily. It's pretty easy to make Kate belly laugh. She has the saddest, most tragic face when she cries.
I love the stage they're in so much. These girls are our world and we love how much good they bring into our home!
Olivia in floral, Kate in polka dots.
The girls are sitting up more and more on their own, which is so fun. They still have the occasional crash landing, but they're gaining strength quickly. It's amazing watching their bodies learn to do new things. They have always been happiest upright, so it's nice that they can do it on their own now.
They are doing well with baby food and I really get a kick out of feeding them. We're all a mess by the end (Olivia likes to spit her food all over whoever's feeding her), but they love food. I've been making all of their baby food and it's nice to know exactly what's going into their bodies. Their favorite combination is avocados and bananas. Kate will eat anything, but Olivia has shown a preference to sweet foods. Like father, like daughter! If she doesn't like it, she'll stick her tongue out and the food will just sit there. She'll often gag as well. Silly girl.
They take a bottle 4 times a day and baby food twice (after morning nap and at dinner time). They take 3 naps, a long one in the afternoon and short ones in the morning and late afternoon. They take a bottle at 7:30 pm and then sleep until 7:30 or 8:00. I've been weaning off the pump and they've transitioned great to formula. I'm very thankful it's gone so smoothly. It's such a bittersweet process.
Olivia has so much personality in her little body. She loves to suck her thumb whenever she's going down to sleep or to self soothe. She spits a lot to let us know she's sick of waiting for her milk, or any other time she's frustrated. She loves wrastling with Robbie and being really close to people's faces. She's ticklish on her feet and tummy and lets out the cutest giggles. She loves moving around and has especially loved walking around in the the little walker Robbie's parents have. She kicks her legs whenever you lift her up in the air. She loves getting her diaper changed and loves her stuffed elephant.
Kate is a very easy going baby. She loves sucking on her toes and can keep herself entertained with toys for a long time. She is amazing at focusing and loves to just stare, especially at people. She notices small details and will play with the pattern on her sleeve for 5 minutes. She won't let anything pass her by without grabbing it with both hands and bringing it straight to her mouth (including Liv's head). Kate likes to mimic the faces we make. She's also ticklish on her toes and loves being surprised by noises or actions, but she does get startled really easily. It's pretty easy to make Kate belly laugh. She has the saddest, most tragic face when she cries.
I love the stage they're in so much. These girls are our world and we love how much good they bring into our home!
Olivia in floral, Kate in polka dots.
9.01.2015
Banana Bread and Blow Outs
Ya know those short pockets of time in your day where everything is complete chaos and you have to make a thousand small decisions and by the time it’s over you’ve used all of your energy for the day and are ready to jump in bed for the night?
I was making banana bread downstairs and had to watch the loaves closely because I hadn’t set a timer. I had both girls in bumbos on the counter and picked up Kate to put her in the walker on the ground. I quickly discovered she needed a diaper change stat (didn’t even need to see the poop leaking out of her diaper, you can smell that girl from a mile away) and I knew I had to go fast because the bread would be done in just a few minutes. But then I looked at Olivia and knew I couldn’t trust her on the counter in her bumbo all alone because she’s sneaky and can practically bend her way out of them. So I’m holding Kate in a manner where I don’t get poop on my shirt and have to use my other arm to get Liv out of her bumbo. Not easy, but successfully got her out without pulling her arm out of her socket. I went up two flights of stairs as fast as you can while holding two babies and I put Olivia on the floor in the playroom with some toys while I changed Kate’s diaper on the floor in the nursery. It’s basically choosing between breathing and passing out at this point. I finish and put Kate next to Olivia (they babysit each other, naturally) and ran back downstairs to pull the bread out of the oven just in time. I came back upstairs and the whole nursery smelled like poop because, once again, daaaang that Kate is a stinky girl. I hurry and make bottles because it’s lunch time and run in to check on the girls, who aren’t as fussy as I thought they’d be. Kate is sucking on Liv’s head and Liv is sucking her thumb. Typical story. They’re such good little girls.
This life is a beautiful one. Am I right?
I was making banana bread downstairs and had to watch the loaves closely because I hadn’t set a timer. I had both girls in bumbos on the counter and picked up Kate to put her in the walker on the ground. I quickly discovered she needed a diaper change stat (didn’t even need to see the poop leaking out of her diaper, you can smell that girl from a mile away) and I knew I had to go fast because the bread would be done in just a few minutes. But then I looked at Olivia and knew I couldn’t trust her on the counter in her bumbo all alone because she’s sneaky and can practically bend her way out of them. So I’m holding Kate in a manner where I don’t get poop on my shirt and have to use my other arm to get Liv out of her bumbo. Not easy, but successfully got her out without pulling her arm out of her socket. I went up two flights of stairs as fast as you can while holding two babies and I put Olivia on the floor in the playroom with some toys while I changed Kate’s diaper on the floor in the nursery. It’s basically choosing between breathing and passing out at this point. I finish and put Kate next to Olivia (they babysit each other, naturally) and ran back downstairs to pull the bread out of the oven just in time. I came back upstairs and the whole nursery smelled like poop because, once again, daaaang that Kate is a stinky girl. I hurry and make bottles because it’s lunch time and run in to check on the girls, who aren’t as fussy as I thought they’d be. Kate is sucking on Liv’s head and Liv is sucking her thumb. Typical story. They’re such good little girls.
This life is a beautiful one. Am I right?
8.25.2015
Better Than That
Today was long. As I was putting the girls down, complacency crept in and I thought about how I had to do it all over again tomorrow--the feeding, burping, changing. Over and over again. I put the girls down with a half-hearted song and laid on my bed and started fiddling around on my phone.
I felt so ashamed. What kind of mom was I? I rushed back into their rooms and they'd already drifted off to sleep. I kissed their sweet cheeks and told them I was sorry. A few minutes later, I heard Olivia crying. I usually let them cry themselves back to sleep for a few minutes before I intervene, but this time I picked her right up and thanked Heavenly Father for an opportunity to put my baby to bed the right way. I rocked her and couldn't take my eyes off of her. I snuggled her close and took in her baby scent. These babies are perfect, ya know. Right then and there I felt such honor to be their mother. I remembered the countless times today where all I did was look at Olivia and she burst into a laugh...or when I got Kate from her nap and the smile on her face stretched from ear to ear. I promised Heavenly Father I'd be better. I promised that, as hard or as long as the day was, my reverence for motherhood wouldn't fade. That my love for these babies would trump any negative feeling. Gosh it's easy to be negative. But I'm better than that. We're all better than that.
Goodnight, sweet ones. Tomorrow will be better. I promise.
8.05.2015
Remember When...
Robbie and I have so many memories of the first few months of the girls' lives. It is pretty amazing we remember so much, seeing as though we hardly ever slept. A true miracle, I'd say.
I remember...
-on average, the girls would wake up 3 times every night
-Robbie would send me to be at 8 so I could get a headstart on sleeping before I got up at 11 to pump and feed
-I'd wake up in the middle of the night to feed the girls, spend 45 minutes feeding one, and then wake up the other one and do it all over again (finally switched to feeding them at the same time when they were 2 months old--lifesaver!)
-I'd often nap on and off all day until 2 or 3 in the afternoon and still feel like a zombie
-5 hours of sleep was considered a good night
-Kate would drink her bottle and then I'd burp her and she'd spit up half of it
-finishing feeding the girls in the middle of the night and wanting so badly to jump back in bed, but knowing I had to pump for 20 minutes before I could
-putting the girls down at night and feeling relieved to finally have a few minutes with just Robbie...and then we'd hear a baby crying 15 minutes later
-feeling completely overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious
BUT I also remember...
-holding sleeping babies a lot because they slept all day and they were too stinking cute to put down
-crying when they first smiled because it reminded me they were human and actually might love me after all (sounds like of pathetic, but it was oh so true at the time)
-living in my pajamas and robe (super comfy!!)
-my mom showing up sometimes as early as 6:30 a.m. to take a feeding so I could sleep
-Aunt Robbie showing up with a huge box of groceries from Costco for us
-countless dinners from family and friends
-my mother-in-law driving all the way from Draper to watch the girls just so I could leave the house for a bit
-only getting ready half of the days in a given week (kind of nice to just hang out all day not caring what you look like)
-our first FHE with the girls where Robbie talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus to the girls, probably one of the sweetest things I've ever experienced
I remember...
-on average, the girls would wake up 3 times every night
-Robbie would send me to be at 8 so I could get a headstart on sleeping before I got up at 11 to pump and feed
-I'd wake up in the middle of the night to feed the girls, spend 45 minutes feeding one, and then wake up the other one and do it all over again (finally switched to feeding them at the same time when they were 2 months old--lifesaver!)
-I'd often nap on and off all day until 2 or 3 in the afternoon and still feel like a zombie
-5 hours of sleep was considered a good night
-Kate would drink her bottle and then I'd burp her and she'd spit up half of it
-finishing feeding the girls in the middle of the night and wanting so badly to jump back in bed, but knowing I had to pump for 20 minutes before I could
-putting the girls down at night and feeling relieved to finally have a few minutes with just Robbie...and then we'd hear a baby crying 15 minutes later
-feeling completely overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious
BUT I also remember...
-holding sleeping babies a lot because they slept all day and they were too stinking cute to put down
-crying when they first smiled because it reminded me they were human and actually might love me after all (sounds like of pathetic, but it was oh so true at the time)
-living in my pajamas and robe (super comfy!!)
-my mom showing up sometimes as early as 6:30 a.m. to take a feeding so I could sleep
-Aunt Robbie showing up with a huge box of groceries from Costco for us
-countless dinners from family and friends
-my mother-in-law driving all the way from Draper to watch the girls just so I could leave the house for a bit
-only getting ready half of the days in a given week (kind of nice to just hang out all day not caring what you look like)
-our first FHE with the girls where Robbie talked about Heavenly Father and Jesus to the girls, probably one of the sweetest things I've ever experienced
7.08.2015
Getting to Know Kate and Olivia
Two of the most commonly asked questions we get are:
-How do you tell them apart?
-Can you already see a difference in their personalities?
Well...Kate looks more like me and has a personality more like mine. She has a longer face and has my ears. Olivia looks more like Robbie, especially her eyes. She has more of a bulldog face. Another easy way to tell them apart is Kate is heavier and longer.
They both give huge smiles on the changing pad, sit up so well in their bumbos, love standing, love being sung to and read to, hate sitting to be burped (so we often burp them standing up), and are both incredibly loved and adored.
-How do you tell them apart?
-Can you already see a difference in their personalities?
Well...Kate looks more like me and has a personality more like mine. She has a longer face and has my ears. Olivia looks more like Robbie, especially her eyes. She has more of a bulldog face. Another easy way to tell them apart is Kate is heavier and longer.
Kate, Olivia
Olivia, Kate
Kate, Olivia
Kate, Olivia
Olivia, Kate
Kate, Olivia
KATE is such a sweet, patient, calm, giggly, observant baby. She loves to stare at anyone and everyone. She is a connector! When I talk to her, she looks right at me and smiles. She gives away smiles so freely. She makes lots of cooing noises and laughs more frequently than her sister. She has the saddest little cry, but she don’t use it that often. Every time she wakes up, she's happy! She loves studying her hands and anything we put in her hands. She's getting really good at holding on to things. Her favorite toy is her pink ball. She's a snuggler. She spits up a couple times a day and is big into drooling. She constantly has her hands in her mouth (both of them). The second we unswaddle her, her hands go straight to her mouth. We call her our little sweetheart. Her eyes get really big whenever she gets startled or excited, and often those big eyes are accompanied by kicking her legs. During tummy time, she likes to just lay there and relax. She loves being rubbed! When she eats, she strokes her head with her right hand. It’s the cutest thing in the world. She weighs more and is longer than her sister. She's our little chunker. When Olivia cries (which is pretty often), Kate will just stare at her and reach over to try and touch her.
OLIVIA is such a happy, funny, expressive, vocal baby. She's more small and petite, but her dynamic personality makes up for that. When she smiles, it’s the cheesiest little smile and her whole face gets involved. She smiles very easily. Her eyes get squinty and it’s the cutest thing. When she's uncomfortable or hungry, she lets us know! Her cry is super loud and she uses it pretty frequently. Sometimes she gets so worked up that she does this growling cry that is pretty crazy. But taking her outside calms her down because there’s so much to see. She LOVES to look around and take everything in. She get distracted easily. When people try to get her to look at them, she looks everywhere but at them. Recently, she's been sticking her tongue out all the time and mouth breathing. She often fights being swaddled and put down for a nap or bedtime, but after a minute of fighting, she's out like a light. She makes the funniest faces. When she wakes up, she quickly realizes she's hungry or alone and immediately starts crying. She likes having one or two fingers in her mouth. She likes it when we rub her face, and often gets really calm and relaxed. She is a mover and constantly knocks her bottle out of her mouth. She loves to push her feet up against things and try to move.
They both give huge smiles on the changing pad, sit up so well in their bumbos, love standing, love being sung to and read to, hate sitting to be burped (so we often burp them standing up), and are both incredibly loved and adored.
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