Tomorrows...

I remember finding out I was pregnant the same weekend that Janice, Blake's bosses amazingly, strong and courageous wife lost her battle with cancer. It was odd.....to celebrate the beginnings of life and mourn a life that was remarkable, but too short.
Thanksgiving this year was memorable for several reasons. The twins first Thanksgiving, Izaak their big cousin turned 3, their mama turned 30 and they got to meet their Grandpa Charlie for the first time. Kim and I struggled with trying to squeeze everything in in the short time we had in Duluth. Drive up, Thanksgiving with my mom, lunch or coffee with our step-dad Tom, prepare for Izaak's birthday party, H & H's nap schedule, Izaak's pool party, etc, etc, etc. But we did find time and are so thankful we did, to go to my grandmothers so that the newest grandbabies, Hudson and Harper could see their great grandma Tootie and meet grandpa Charlie.
My parents seperated when I was around 2 years old and divorced when I was 8 or 9. I was a mommy's girl....thru and thru. We had a relationship with our dad and spent every other weekend with him for years.....but over the years we grew apart.
I think both my dad, Charlie and I wish that we could have been closer. Life is tough, however and for reasons I won't go into....we just didn't have an extremely close relationship. I think in the backs of our minds we (and I'm speaking for him) thought that sooner or later things would change and we'd be close. That he'd be a bigger part in my life, that he'd have a bigger role in Hudson, Harper, Izaak, Landon and new baby girls life. There was time to get that all sorted out.
But as life is completely unpredictable.....time ran out for my dad this weekend.
He went to sleep on Saturday night and passed away peacefully.

Lots of emotions come to surface as I deal with the loss of my dad. I'm angry, sad, shocked, scared, at peace, etc.
My amazing husband, family and friends have been there in a way I am so thankful for and dealing with those emotions is a daily ordeal.
However the purpose of this post is to remind myself and anyone reading that life is sacred and extremely precious. Christmas is just days away......families gather to exchange gifts, eat together, honor traditions, laugh and share memories and togetherness. For so many of my close friends, this year is extra special because it's their child's first Christmas....Hudson and Harper have no idea how excited Blake and I are to begin to share the magic of Christmas with them.
Hug those loved ones a little tighter, take time to chat with a relative that you normally don't.....because they are family. And as I am guilty of....I count on the tomorrows instead of celebrating and living the todays.

"You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow"
~ Harriet Martieau

He's Back!

Mr Huddy McStud is back in business!

This little guy kicked the flu bug to the curb and is his smiley, happy little self. We had 6 months pics taken (6 months???? GULP)on Thursday by our favorite and extremely talented photographer friend, Stephanie and she gave me a sneak peek which literally caused me to lose my breath.

This is my boy.....the little guy who will always be my baby boy, my breath, my everything and he is getting BIG!

Just look at him!!!!!!!

And because I simply can't believe it either...here is his newborn picture. He is exactly .5 year old and brings more joy to my life than words can express.

Miss Harpy Rae will get her own post too when we get a little sneak peek at her 6 month pics too. But because I want to be fair....take a look at this blue-eyed beauty from her Christmas photo shoot:

Pearly Whites...

My baby girl has 2 teeth popping through!!!
We've been noticing it getting a little "raw" looking on her bottom gums and poor Steph and Katie...she was a fussbucket last week. Then this morning we wake up to two SHARP little teething peeking through!
Awww!!!!
She was all gummy smiles today so it appears she is quite proud of her pearly whites!

Another milestone for today, but not a good one...my baby boy seems to be sick for the first time ever. He's had a little cold here and there but he's got a stomach bug and you wouldn't know it because he's still his loving, laid-back self....but YIKES the diapers and poor daddy was projectile vomited on tonight. Say a prayer for our Huds....poor baby!!

Month 5 Recap....coming up for air

Life is busy right now. Not just busy at work, busy with the babies, busy with the holidays.....but amazingly busy!

I simply can NOT wrap my head around the simple fact that it is already the 8th of December. WHAT?

And I have 6 month old twins? What? And Christmas is 2 weeks away? What?

So......a bit shorter than usual because I've got a limited window of time and SO much to do.....here is month 5's recap:

Huddy McStud

You little charmer you! You are still my happy, go-lucky little baby boy...wake up smiling, laughint and charming us! You are VERY strong and becoming VERY curious when it comes to moving around. You want to move, roll, scoot around....I think you'll be crawling before we know it!

Here are a few stats on you big fella:

Size 3 Dipers

About 7-8oz at each bottle, 5 bottles a day

Take 3 naps (45mins to 1.5hrs) a day

You have eaten anything I put in front of you as far as solids go....and seem to like it all! You and your sister seem to both REALLY enjoy eating from a spoon......oh and drinking water from the sippy cup which you have mastered!

Foods you've tried: Bananas, Apples, Squash, Pears, Peaches and Sweet Potatoes. I mix this in with a little oatmeal or cereal and formula.....and you gobble it down!

You have been a good sleeper....but have been going through a little phase of waking up. We thought it was teeth.....but now I think it's just this "mobile" personality of you wants to wiggle around in your sleep which is waking you up.

Toys you love: Sophie the Giraff, anything that blinks or lights up, your Jumperoo and rattles. You THINK that our cell phones are toys.....and are constantly grabbing for them.

Harper Rae Rae

You are quite a vocal little girl lately. Chatting, blowing bubbles, squeeling....talk, talk, talk. You have an adorable little voice...I can't wait to hear you talk when you're able to! You have started to have a little freak out when left in a room by yourself.....which is tough when I'm trying to get a few things done while you're playing with your brother in the living room......so I've started to make it a game of "peek a boo" where I leave the room to do something (grab laundry, go to the bathroom) but run/jump back into the room and say "Peek a boo".....makes you giggle almost everytime!

You wear size 3 dipers

You drink 5-7oz, 5 times a day

Take 3 naps (45mins to 1.5hrs) a day

LOVE LOVE the highchair and eating like a big girl. I think you'd eat anything.....as long as you got to sit at the table with us!

You like to sip from the sippy cup and then throw it at the floor as hard as you can....fun little game that we play everyday! :-/

Actually, you like to throw your toys around quite violently....it's amazing how far you can toss your little arms around! Ha

Foods you've tried: Bananas, Apples, Squash, Pears, Peaches, Sweet potatoes. We've had success with all options so far......just you wait for pea's and green beans.....we will see what you think then!?

You and Hudson are double teaming us in the sleep department. One of you has a GREAT night......the other has a not-so-great night. So...we have resorted to taking turns getting up at night with you guys so that the getting up at night is broken up. I am hoping this is just a little phase because you guys were SUCH amazing sleepers. You both still sleep from 7:30-7am but there are a few wake up calls in that 12 hour time frame.

Your favorite toys: The blue hand, Sophie the Giraff, the blue mushroom thing (no idea what it is), soft things like burp clothes, lovey's and clothes......you LOVE to throw them around.

There you have it babykins! You are 5 months and mama wants time to stop for a bit because it's just going way, way, way too fast! Here are a few pics from this month:

A Christmas Photo Shoot.....

Because the pictures turned out WAY too cute for words.....I don't want to share them until we finally get Christmas cards ordered and sent out.

But I do want to share.....because they are SO cute thanks to Steph, their nanny who happens to own her own photography company.

Soo.........because I simply can't stand it anymore.....a few to give you a taste!

These are my baby girls chunky little feet! They are SOOOO little, and thick!? Hahaha.....LOVE THEM!

A few Thanksgiving Snapshots

2 Thanksgiving dinners, 2 days full of family, laughter and lots -o-food!

We are SO thankful for the amazing family we have! Here are a few shots of H & H's first Thanksgiving (Elliott Tgiving first, Duluth celebration 2nd)

Hudson, Harper and Izaak with great grandma Tootie, playing on the organ that is over 50 years old!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I caught the tail end of the Oprah episode yesterday afternoon and it just happened to be "Oprah's Favorite Things 2010". Man, it'd be AWESOME to be in the audience for that episode.
Anyway...it got me thinking. I will probably have a "My Favorite Things, Part 1, 2, and 3" as things come to me......but in the spirit of Thanksgiving, Christmas which is JUST around the corner.....here are a few of my (recent) favorite things:

1. My two little miracles. What kind of mom would I be if I didn't put my little pumpkins at the tip top of the list? Life with these two is simply amazing lately. Ugh...here come the tears! Seriously though...they are happy, giggly, inquisitive, observant, constantly moving, grabbing, wiggling, snuggling and taking in the world around them. My heart hurts with how much I love them. Sooo...#1 of my favorite things: Hudson and Harper
2. My husband. This man gets more amazing by the day. He's the best father, provider and friend and makes my life so much more rich being able to live each day with with his smile and big bear hugs. He is SO happy to walk in the door after work....everyday. I can never tell if the day was tough, traffic was a beast or if he is just generally tired because he comes in with the biggest smile and love oozing from him while he rushes over to the babies and smothers him with kisses. 9 years with this guy and each year gets better than the last. Seriously.....we (H & H and I) are so lucky!

3. The best fam ever. Mom, dad, sister, nephews, mother/sister/brothers-in-law, aunts/uncles, cousins, grandma Tootie, and in this I include my dear friends b/c they are like family.........we're just so totally blessed beyond belief. I feel so very thankful for the completely wonderful people in our circle. Family that will willingly jump in the car to drive 1.5-2 hours just to visit for a few hours, friends that jump on a plane to visit for the weekend, sister who will pack up my adorable nephews and face the cold/ice/snow (while pregnant) to visit for a few hours....thank you, thank you, thank you!

***ON TO LIGHTER THINGS***

4. Starbucks/Caribou Holiday drinks. Simple pleasures like a nonfat peppermint mocha with a dash of whip cream.........YUM!
5. Heated seats in my car. Makes jumping in the car to run a few errands so much more tolerable!
6. Crock Pot. I feel like I am cleaning this beast of a thing daily......but that is only because I have been making tons o' meals in it lately and I love it. With (almost) 6 month old twins......dinner time is a bit chaotic. Soo- during the day, I can throw all of the ingredients in this wonderful apparatus, let it bubble and cook all day and then we can eat at a "normal" dinner time because we can quickly eat before we put the twins to bed vs. after. Love this thing.
7. Our nannies. We are so incredibly blessed to have our nanny Steph and Blake's younger sister, Katie watch the babies everyday week after week. There are a bgillion reasons why we love these 2 so much....they are great with the babies, they make it look easy juggling the two all day between snuggling, naps, feedings, entertaining them, teaching them new things, etc.....and it is also so wonderful to not have to pack up the babes every day and face the cold/slippery roads to bring them to daycare so we can both work. We're so fortunate!
8. Tuesday night-Biggest Loser night. Though I have missed quite a few Tuesday's recently....this little Tuesday tradition includes indulging in a sweet treat, a glass of wine and bundling up on Michelle's couches to watch these crazy, dedicated contestants sweat off the lb's while America cheers them on. It's so great to know the girls will be getting together every Tuesday and so the girl time, sweets, wine, and BL are definitely one of my fave things.
9. Amazon.com Books, Christmas gifts, baby gear, Birthday presents....I LOVE shopping on Amazon. Plus with all of the competition between Target, Walmart, Best Buy, etc.....Amazon is keeping with the competitive spirit and offering FREE shipping on almost everything. Sooo....Christmas shopping in my warm, cozy home in pj's, at any hour of the day? Yes, please!
10. Presents. Though it's fun to get, I mean presents in the context of wrapping and giving! I'm all stocked up on wrapping paper, bows, ribbons and can't wait to start wrapping gifts, storing them under our tree and then of course giving them to family/friends.

A few fun video's...time to start sharing the bgillion we've taken

This free photo collage created with Smilebox

Adventures in Eating...

These two have been busy taste testing some REAL food and they are loving it! First up, we went bananas...B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Ok, that was lame. But, you know we sang that as we tried them out.

Reluctant at first.........
But two VERY happy little eaters!

Each baby did a scrunchy face and a little shiver at their first taste of the food....but the next bite was less of a shock and much more pleasing. Ha!

Next up, butternut squash fresh from a local farm in Apple Valley. They get VERY excited now when they get into their high chairs and though they were a bit confused at the first bit.......they eventually loved it.

Who knew this would be so fun!

Month #4 Recap (just a little late)

Partners in crime....not sure where they're going, but they're getting ready to make a getaway!

Well.....the babies are already 5.5 months old (almost) and here I am recapping their 4 month. Whatevs....life is gloriously busy and so it's better late then never ;-)

Month number 4.......definitely the MOST fun one yet. It's like these little people replaced our little babies. They have personality, they are so much more engaged in their surroundings, they've gotten so strong.....there are so many milestones!

Much of the milestones, I noted below. Both love to stand, grab at things, pull just about anything into their mouths (toys, clothes, burp clothes, pacifiers....anything). They seem to "favor" certain toys and the blue "hand", teething ring and Sophie the giraff are a few favorites.

Mr. Hudson

At your 4 month appointment which was on September 27th, you were 16.3lbs and 26.25 inches tall. 75th-90th percentile for height and weight.

You are wearing size 3 diapers.

You take about 7-8oz at each feeding which is now pretty much all formula.

You are a very messy eater, but do love being fed. We have you on rice cereal and oatmeal- which end up in the ears, neck, tummy rolls.....but it's so much fun to watch you eat.

You love to stand and barely need much support at all.......so strong!

You love to be tickled on your sides and under your chin....you just SCREAM with laughter!

You talk, talk, talk nonstop.

You love the Jumperoo......you could spend all day in that thing if we let you .

You roll over from back to tummy, but haven't rolled from tummy to back yet.

You love bathtime...and love getting ready for bathtime because daddy gets you all hyped up and laughing uncontrollably.

You love your feet....you lay with your legs up in the air during naps, playtime, when you're on the changing table. You especially love to pull your little socks off.

Little socks? Scratch that....BIG socks. You have big feet and hands. You're gonna be a BIG boy!

You love your sister. You look at her, reach out to her and smile really big when she responds.

You LOVE the pups! You crane your neck, body, arms in the direction of them and pet them and tug on their ears whenever they are close enough. They LOVE the attention...I see a great little bond forming!

Hudson, you are amazing. You are the happiest, funnest, most jolly little soul and it's the greatest gift to be your mom and dad. You wake up with the sweetest smile and squeel of delight.....you're all around an extremely happy baby!

Miss Harper Rae

At your 4 month appointment on Sept 27th, you weighed 13.2lbs and were 24inches tall. This is the 50th percentile for height and weight.

You were size 2 diapers, though I sometimes put you in size 3 which are more like a "diaper suit" but hey- it's kind of nice to not have to buy 2 different sizes.

You usually eat about 6oz per feeding....and it's pretty much all formula.

You started out an extremely messy eater.....but have gotten quite skilled and "neat". You love eating by spoon.....but the timing for this feeding session has to be timed right. If you're overly tired....forget it. No food will distract you from your tiredness.

You started standing just before you turned 5 months. Your feet are exceptionally tiny (as are your hands) so it's funny to see this tiny little body and feet standing so perfectly straight in our laps.

You love to be tickled in your neck and on your tummy.

You love to talk and squeeeeel! You actually SCREAM but it is followed by more jabber and then giggles.....not tears so it's a happy scream not a freaking out scream. It's extremely dramatic.....it scares me actually for what lies ahead.

You roll from back to tummy, but haven't yet rolled from tummy to back.

Bathtime is the highlight of your day. You are seriously the happiest, jolliest little child in the tub. You constantly grab the washclothe and try to suck the water from it...?

Come to mention it, you just love to be naked. You love diaper changes, getting dressed/undressed and the tub. Uh oh.

You love grabbing at faces....especially the puppies and your brothers. You stick your little hands in Hudson's mouth (while he smiles away) and I've caught you grabbing and pulling at Koko's ears and face (while she snores away).

Harper, this month has been especially huge for you. While you started the month just sort of getting out of the fussy stage, as soon as you started "talking" it's like you changed into the happiest, most jolly (we use that word a lot when describing you) baby. You just seem to have really been developing before our eye's it's been the most amazing thing to experience. I LOVE hearing you talk to yourself in the morning....then you talk, talk, talk after your bottle as if you're telling me about your dreams. You are beautiful, inside and out and it is the most precious gift to wake up to you everday.

Blake and I are more than fortunate to have such wonderful, beautiful and healthy children. I bet he says about 5 times a day how blessed we are. Seriously! We feel like life keeps getting richer and I'm just in awe of words often because I feel so lucky that this is our life.

Happy Halloweeeeeen!!!!

Babies first Halloween...complete with a hayride/kids party at church this afternoon and take a look at our "twin" pumpkin! What a great first halloween for these two little bugs!

Blogtober...

I can't believe October is already over and I've got 1 measly blog...if you can even count it as a "post" since it was just a video and no update on our favorite H's.
Boo!
I have a great excuse however.....my 4 month (almost 5 month) old babies who have been changing , developing and growing by the minute. Seriously....this month has been a biggie! I'll update in the next day or two with my usual in-depth account of what's taken place....but here are just a few things these two have been up to.
Standing: Hudson stands constantly. He can stand with almost no help, just a finger to grab onto and that boy is standing on his own. His legs are SO strong!
Grasping and Chewing: Both babies are not only experts at grabbing things with their hands, but everything goes into their mouths. They know how to move around objects so that they fit into their tiny mouths...kinda cute seeing them put their own paci in their mouths!
Sit Ups: Haha....not literally. But these guys are constantly giving their abs a work out while laying on their backs. No more laying and relaxing..they lift their heads way off the blanket or floor and do V-ups.
Talking: the jabber is non-stop in this house. They wake up from a long night sleep "talking", go down for naps "talking", wake up from naps "talking" and "talk, talk, talk" between. They are giggling, laughing, squeeling, jabbering fools. It's music to our ears!
Rolling: Hudson is a roller...Harper is not far behind. This little one needs just the tinyest little tip of her legs one direction and she rolls her body from back to tummy. Anyday now she'll be a roly poly fool!
Feeding: Both babies not only recognize and get really excited when they see their bottles.....but they reach out for them and can grab them. They try (which is so cute) to pull their bottle up to their mouth and feed themselves but aim is usually off and they end up with it up their nose! Haha....a little directional help and they are eating happily away....holding their own bottles! It's not like I can give them a bottle now and they will take the whole thing down by themselves...but we're getting close and that makes me kinda sad! They are getting to be independent!
There are more updates on 4 month heights, weights, places we've gone and whatnot. I'll update in the next day or two.
Here are a few pics of the babies modeling a few of their hats as they get ready to bundle up for winter.

Harper: Scary Lion....GRRRRR

Hudson: Happy/Content Lion