Twins in Action

This is about the extent of their interaction right now. We cannot keep Sophie on her back. She is our little rolly polly (on a side note, even though she is perfectly capable, she refuses to roll back onto her back. When she is sick of her tummy, she just cries until we roll her back. Any suggestions on how to fix this?) Every once in awhile they'll catch each other's eye and give each other a big grin. Can't wait to see how their relationship develops!

I should also note that this was completely unstaged. Sophie actually did roll over onto CJ like this!

And my personal favorite. Sophie girl L-O-V-E-S bathtime. Well, we think she does at least. She rarely smiles in the bath, but kicks her legs like crazy when she's in there, and cries the second we take her out. I think she just gets so focused on kicking that she forgets to show us how much she likes it? Campbell enjoys the bath, too. But man does Sophie know how to get those legs going. This isn't even the full extent of it! We had to move the bath from the kitchen sink to the bathtub because she would make such a huge mess. I think we're about to get the little seats that they can sit in during the bath since they are getting so good at holding their heads up. Oh what fun that will be to see them splash around together!

And a video is soon to come of miss Campbell Jane and her new found noises she makes. Hilarious!

Tomorrow my girls turn 6 months old, so hopefully amidst the Easter madness I can find some time to give the monthly update! :)

Bib-a-licious

Well, I can't believe it, but S & C are only a few short weeks away from...baby food! It's still so hard to believe my little sweet peas will be eating sweet peas from a spoon by the end of the month. I know next to nothing about how this whole baby food thing works, BUT I am prepared in that I have found a few cute bibs for them to spit up pureed veges onto. Oh, and Kyle and I have thought about getting their highchairs out of the attic and unpacking them out of boxes. But cute bibs are most important, right? Why do I feel it is necessary to get cute bibs you ask? Well, all of the ones we were given as gifts would probably choke the girls they are so small, and many of them had what I refer to as "cheesy sayings" on them like Never Enough Glitter or Mommy thinks I'm cute. And I happen to believe that there is such a thing as too much glitter, and no one needs a bib to state the second obvious statement.  I'm still on the lookout for other cute ones. I did find just some plain, brightly colored ones at Wal-Mart this weekend. I'm tempted to get their little initials monogrammed on them. Well, maybe that's a bit much. With all of the pictures I have a feeling we will be taking of them making funny faces/spitting out all kinds of delicious goop, I figure we should have some cute food catchers, too. My early on goal is to attempt to make their baby food. It sounds like it's cheaper and better for them, but who's to say I will figure out that's way too much work and throw in the towel. We'll see. For now, I'm just super excited to see how they react to something other than milk.

Here are a few of the cute ones I ordered for them:

Bibs found here.

I also hear these types of bibs are supposed to be good? They are a plastic-y fabric that wipes down. And I love that it's called a "super bib" and looks like it covers most of their body. The bigger the better.

And oh how this looks like so much fun. Maybe if we buy this it will make me feel committed to the task of making baby food?

I know most of you probably think I'm NUTS for being excited about dealing with two little green bean slingers, but we are ready for this next big adventure. I'm sure it will test our patience, hand/eye coordination, and duck and cover reflexes.

Bring it on!

Five Months

Well, once again, I'm in utter disbelief that my little peaches are almost half a year old! Where has the time gone? In some ways, it feels like 5 minutes and in others, 5 years (we can't seem to shake this 4 am feeding). I must say, though, that I fall more and more in love with them every day. And if it's possible, they somehow get cuter and cuter everyday. Here are some things my little pretties have been up to:

Miss Sophie Kay:

Most often called: Soph, Sophaloaf, Sophielosha (Dad's preferred nickname)

I say this in a purely factual sense; this child is an angel baby. So much so, that when she cries, I'm desperately trying to figure out what is wrong because it happens so infrequently. I think she may have even forgotten how to cry. Which is good, because I'll move onto her feisty sister here in a minute. :) When she does cry, she squeels like a little pig which is so cute. The exception to when her crying happens, is a result of her most recent trick-rolling over from her back to tummy. Both girls started rolling over from tummy to back a little after 4 months, but Sophie is beating her sister in that she now does it both ways! She loves to do it so much, that she has started trying to do it in her sleep around 2:30 am the past several nights. That pesky arm sometimes gets in her way, resulting in a cry of frustration, and Mommy having to come to the rescue to turn her back over and keep her from rolling over again until she falls back asleep. Oy. Hopefully she'll get the hang of it soon and become a tummy sleeper?

She continues to babble and tries to suck on anything and everything in a 12 in. radius (hair, fingers, blankets, toys, sister's fingers). She also recently has become fascinated with her hands. I'll catch her holding them out in front of her, staring at them in amazement. It's hilarious.

And speaking of those hands, if you bend down close to her face, she will grab both of your cheeks with them. Melts my heart in a second.

She still gives us the most hysterical looks. If she gets scared, her eyes get HUGE. If she thinks you're doing something weird or stupid, she furrows her eyebrows (I'm thinking she will be the first to roll her eyes-not looking forward to that day), and she gives me the biggest grin and kicks her legs in excitement every morning when I come to get her out of her crib.

Another new favorite trick of hers is pursing her lips together and making a (no other way to put it) tooting noise while blowing spit bubbles at the same time. She thinks that one is pretty cool.

She continues to be our big eater (see rolls). Can't wait to see her get ahold of some baby food in the next few months!

I can't get enough of her cheeks. I kiss them ALL day long and sometimes wish I could nibble on them. She is such a joy. We love you, Sophie!

Miss Campbell Jane:

Most often called: CJ, Cambie, Drama Queen (more on this)

Well, I guess it would have been too good to be true to have two perfectly behaved children, and while Campbell is still a lovable, smiley, little sweetie pie, if I were to pick which of the two were more high maintenance, she just might get the prize. I'll just say that she looooves attention in all forms, and if she's not getting enough of it, she will very dramatically let you know. While she does have what I would call a "real cry" that she uses when she is hungry, tired, etc, she also has what I would call her "dramatic cry" which is her way of saying, "Hey, quit what you're doing, and talk to ME!" I know this because I will hear it from the other room, walk over to her, talk to her, and she turns into all smiles. So really, I guess it's pretty darn sweet she loves her mommy so much she just needs me all the time. She also will 99% of the time cry the longest when being put down for a nap (I usually just have to put Sophie in her crib with her blanket and she's out).

Her dramatic ways continue in that she very frequently protests naps and/or wakes up early from them, and the little diva rarely finishes her bottles unless they are warmed up exactly to her liking. Whenever she throws one of her dramatic little tantrums, her sweet daddy usually says something like, "Just like her mama." I usually don't think it's as funny as he does.

Ok, so now that you think I favor Sophie, I really do love her just as much as her sister. She also, coincidentally, has become quite the little chatter box. She talks and coos and giggles all the time. We still call her our little kitty cat because her sweet little noises sound just like a kitty. She loves being read to and will smile and coo the whole time I'm reading (Sophie usually just listens contentedly or stares at me instead of the pages).

All in all, she truly is a joy, and we wouldn't change a thing about our little drama queen! :)

Are they not the cutest things you've ever seen? I seriously can't get enough of them. Sometimes I catch myself looking at pictures of them on my phone while they nap, and I actually start to miss them if their naps run long. I can't squeeze or kiss them enough. They both still have the biggest, most mesmerizing, gorgeous blue eyes that are undeniably their daddy's exact color. Gosh, I hope they stay for good! And although people continue to tell me they are looking more alike, I just can't see it. They are still as different as night and day to me.

I hear many a twin mom tell me, "It gets easier!" and I see that in some ways and don't see that in other ways. One way our life has gotten easier is that we are on a pretty consistent nap schedule now (my house is also a little cleaner due to this, I'd like to think!) and I can see a light at the end of the sleeping-more-than-six-hours-at-night tunnel. But I can also see as the girls get more and more active, I will not be getting as many breaks!

I continue to look forward to each day I have with them, and on the days when I'm extra tired and think I don't have the energy to get through the day, I remind myself how much they've grown already and that someday I won't get to hold them in my arms and see their sweet, toothless grins, and someday they will get annoyed when I try to kiss their cheeks every 5 seconds. I wish they could stay this cuddly forever.

Love you, S & C. Can't wait to see what we have in store this next month. :)

A few snapshots from March:

Hanging out with our friend, Charlotte.

Sophie and Papa

Storytime with Daddy

silly daddy

xoxo



Stella and Dot

I'm super excited to become a part of this insanely awesome line of jewelry!

My sister introduced me to this amazing company and all of the great things that are going on in it. As soon as I saw the jewelry, my thought process went something like this:
1. I want it. All of it.
2. Um, but I can't afford all of it.
3. How can I get as many of these pieces as possible?
4. "Oh my gosh, ___________ (fill in blank with friend) would LOVE this piece!"

And so began my new venture as a stylist with Stella and Dot. Before you roll your eyes and start screening my phone calls (no, I will not be pressuring you to purchase things you can't afford or host awkard parties that no one cares to come to), it's not like that. I truly just wanted to be a part of this great organization, get lots and lots of their free, gorgeous jewelry, and have a little business/income on the side. In fact, I wouldn't even call what I'm doing "selling", since the stuff pretty much sells itself. Oh, and celebs are NUTS about this stuff, too!

I'm having a trunk show this Thursday (many of you reading this have been invited), but just in case you're reading this and you were not invited, I would love for you to come, too! Once again, these shows are very laid back, and will involve appetizers, wine, and fun trying on jewelry (no awkward sales pitch). Buy or don't buy at your discretion! If you're interested in coming, email me ( stephanie.k.nevels@gmail.com )

Of course if you fall in love with more pieces than you can afford (like me), let me throw you a laid back party described above, and you'll get at least a few pieces for free and several more 50% off.

I'm thrilled about introducing more gals to this gorgeous stuff. Here are a few of my faves right now (is it even possible to pick just a few?)

Birds of Paradise necklace. If I were going to a beach this summer (sigh), I would fo sho have to have this to wear with a sundress!

Celeb fan example. Love the Colette necklace.

Adore these pretty stackables.

I'm nuts about pearls in case you couldn't tell. :)

These might be the two items at the top of my list right now (and apparently People's, too). I have this cuff in black and wear it nearly everyday.

I absolutely need to have these for summer!

If you've never bought Stella and Dot before, I would of course love for you to purchase it from me. My personal S & D website is here.

I hope you love these gems as much as I do. :)

xoxo

Shoe Love

Well, consider this my form of therapy/coping with the fact that it would be insanely, ridiculously, proposterously impractical for me to purchase the below $30-a-pop gems for the girls' Easter outfits. I, of course, stumbled upon them on etsy while looking for the final piece of the girls' outfits. You may find it crazy that the girls do not have a (gasp) single pair of shoes. Once again, I fail to see the practicality of purchasing things that will be kicked off in a matter of seconds. Baby shoes are yet another one of those things that fall into the category of "If I only didn't have to buy TWO of them..." But, I'm just dying to find a pair they can wear with their Easter outfits and the gazillions of pictures we will take of them in it. So, here's to dreaming that I could rationalize spending more on the girls' shoes than my own...

These might be my absolute favorite.

So cute I could eat them.

LOVE the ruffle.

Aaaah the houndstooth!

By the way, don't even think about asking me for the link. I'll be entirely too jealous if I see your little one wearing any of these this Easter (just sign me up for Toddlers and Tiaras now).

Ok, I feel much better. See ya on the clearance aisle at Target.

xoxo



March Forth

I do believe that the month of March will forever be a special month for me. Every year, as March approaches, we begin to bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. For me, this month in 2010 was the month that I bid farewell to infertility and welcomed a long-awaited new chapter in my life. Sophie and Campbell were conceived at the beginning of this month (weird that I actually do know the exact day?), and Kyle and I found out on Sunday, March 21st that we would finally get the chance to become parents (which was quickly followed with the question, "but how many?!") I know this may be odd that I hold so much sentiment for a seemingly meaningless month, but it was such perfect timing in that the "winter" of our journey was over, and I will always remember that time with such joy as my heart was overflowing with it. Although coaching golf and teaching in the first trimester with twins was a challenge to say the least, I will never forget that spring that I finally had the chance to carry babies in my belly.

And for an extra fun fact, we found out on April Fool's Day that we would be expecting twins, no joke!  Wouldn't that have been the perfect opportunity to tell our friends and family it was quadruplets? :)

This year, the month of March continues to hold special meaning as several of my friends just welcomed babies into the world, and in the last few weeks I have found out that a whole new group of friends is expecting babies this fall! It's so amazing to me to see how all of these new little lives are so perfectly orchestrated.

"To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under Heaven."  -Ecclesiastes 3:1

Although our journey through infertility had some definite low points, and we most definitely went through a season of doubt, fear, and sadness, it made our season of joy so much sweeter, and made us stronger as a couple in ways I believe nothing else could have. I never thought a year later that I could look back at last winter and be thankful for what we endured, but that's exactly what I am. God proved himself faithful and showed us, even at our lowest points, that He was there and orchestrating something far more magnificent than we had hoped for.

People always ask me "how I do it" with twins, and express their thoughts of bewilderment at how I am able to cope with two babies. The truth is, it's not easy; but on the days that are extra tough and challenging, I'm reminded of the dozens of nights that I spent crying in fear and hopelessness, and that always puts whatever craziness I'm dealing with into perspective.

So as we bid farewell to the cold for good, I hope that all of you are eagerly welcoming the warmth and joy in your life this March.

Happy spring! :)

Having a Monday on a Tuesday

Yep. It's just one of those days. I'm thinking my girls must have sensed the gloomy weather and decided to act a bit gloomy themselves. They are usually so bright, cheery, and perky in the mornings and fall asleep almost on cue for their morning nap without the slightest bit of a struggle. Not this morning. So after I reached near melt-down proportions, and the girls decided to quit protesting their nap, I decided it was time for some coffee. And apparently also time to spill half of the coffe grounds all over the counter, stove, and floor. Perfect. Just one of those mornings. Then, I came across this blog post on my blog roll this morning. How did she know this was just what I needed to read today? I felt such relief reading this that I stole her blog heading. And allow me to re-post this wonderful quote:

"But then I remind myself that perfection has no place in parenting, and 'for life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.'" -Kahlil Gibran

She also shared this wonderful article, which was a great reminder on what we should all seek as parents. I desperately hope that one day when I ask the girls what they remember most about their childhood, it's not that I was always cranky, always made them clean their rooms, or always worried about everything being perfect. I hope and pray with everything in me that the answer falls somewhere along the lines of how much fun we had. And believe me when I say it's a struggle for me to not act like the prior example most days.

If I could, I would raise my coffee mug this morning in a toast to you on celebrating being a non-perfect parent and focusing on the fun (important) stuff.

Cheers! :)

xoxo