28th Birthday!!

Last week I celebrated my 28th birthday! I have to say that year 27 was one of the best years yet. The weekend before my birthday we traveled to Waukesha for a birthday dinner with my family, my sister celebrated her 21st birthday the day before my birthday. Then on Saturday Tim and I had a night away at a bed and breakfast in Cedarburg, Wisconsin.  We enjoyed walking around Cedarburg and taking our time in little shops and the winery. In the morning it was really nice to eat breakfast and have a coffee while it was still hot. My Mom and sister watched the kids for us and it was really nice to get away for a night. We weren't gone too long since we were really excited to see the kids in the morning. 

Tim really went out of his way to make it a special day. On the day of my birthday he woke up early and made a big breakfast and let me sleep until 7! Sleeping until 7 is amazing when you have three kids 2 and under. When Sofia and I walked out into the kitchen she said, "Whoa" and ran to her seat at the table. Tim had to work on my birthday but I had a wonderful day with the kids. We went to the YMCA and I took Sofia swimming and worked on somersaults with her. Then we all went for a bike ride to the park. When Tim came home we took the family out to dinner and we successfully ate out as a family of five! We are learning that we can eat out with the kids as long as we time it right and are well prepared. We came home and put candles in the fruit tart that Tim got me. Tim sang "Happy Birthday" and our three beautiful children just watched and smiled. It was such a sweet moment with our little family. Sofia was so excited during the entire birthday cake/singing/blowing out candles ordeal. She likes to give play by play descriptions of what is happening. "Mama is eating birthday cake", "Mama blows out candles", etc. It's adorable. Then we gave the kids a bath, read books and put them to bed. Normally we clean like crazy after putting the kids to bed. But on my birthday Tim told me to sit down, put my feet up, and he brought me a glass of wine. It was so relaxing!! The only present I wanted was to have my road bike tuned up which Tim did. I also wanted a light so I could go on early morning rides with other members of the Ozaukee Triathlon club that I joined. The only thing I need to do is get one of my wheels trued and I should be ready to roll! The first triathlon I'll be doing this season is a team triathlon with two of my friends from MOPs.

The other great present Tim gave me was a day all to myself. On Friday I left the house around 8am and went out for a coffee, spent an hour in a bookshop and bought some new clothes. I have spent the last 3 years pregnant or in between pregnant so it was nice to buy some clothes that actually fit and aren't 10 years old. Normally I don't like going shopping because I'm not happy with the way things fit etc but I've been working out a lot and it was so fun to have to go down a size and like the way things fit. I managed to get 5 new tops and new pair of pants for $99.73. Just under my allotted budget of $100 that had been given to me by my parents as a birthday present. Tim's parents also gave me some birthday money and like the nerd I am I ordered some new parenting books. This past weekend one of my best friends that I've known since middle school came over with her fiance. They spent the night so we were able to hang out and play cards after putting the kids to bed. I'm also excited because I was asked to be in their wedding!! I can't wait. So all in all, I had an absolutely wonderful birthday week. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing little family.

The boys getting ready to sing "Happy Birthday"

My cake!

It was delicious!!

My friend Steph feeding Sully

Brad feeding Everett

They LOVE bath time!

Everett seriously does laps around the tub while Sullivan plays with whatever floats his way.

The itch

Lately, Tim and I have started to feel the "itch".  The itch to travel, move and explore new places. This itch becomes a little harder to scratch with three little ones. We are having a hard time deciphering if this is just an itch for a trip or to actually move and explore new places. I know people think we are crazy, we haven't even been in Wisconsin for a year yet. Besides the fact that Tim has to work every Saturday we are quite pleased with our current living situation. Although our families aren't as close as we'd like, we still see them fairly often. It is so beautiful to see the relationships develop between our children and their grandparents, aunts and uncles. And Tim and I have been blessed with so much help and support with our families during what has been a very challenging year with so many new variables thrown into the mix. Our families are constantly helping us with house projects and taking care of the kids so Tim and I can get out on our own.

I think weather is another big contributor to our "itch". We were lucky that Wisconsin had a really mild winter but spring has been really unpredictable so far.  But sometimes we both just yearn for warm weather year round, but not unbearably hot summers like what we had in Memphis. I like weather that allows you to run outside in shorts and a long sleeve shirt year round. Tim and I both love outdoor activities and sometimes it gets really frustrating not being able to enjoy the things we love most because of the weather. I think we would enjoy a climate like Northern California or parts of the Southwest. We've also thought it would be fun to pick up the family and live in another country for a year. This is a little more complicated because of Tim's optometry license and owning a house etc but it's fun to think about. If we didn't have kids we would've moved out west after Tim graduated but family has always been very important and a major priority for us.

We have always thought that we need to be more permanently settled by the time Sofia turns 4 so she can start school with the kids she will grow up with. If we end up staying where we currently are I know we would be in excellent shape. We live in one of the most gorgeous areas of the state that is known for being a wonderful place to raise a family. Tim has a good job and when I decide to go back to work I know hope I'll be able to find a good job in the area. There are so many family friendly opportunities and activities for kids. We like being within reach of Milwaukee and a major airport yet we get to enjoy the perks of living in a small town. Wisconsin is our home, Tim and I were raised here and for the most part we agree with what the state has stood for. If you follow politics you'll know that Wisconsin has faced some major changes in the past year. Anyways, it's hard to know which way to go. Staying in Wisconsin would be great, very comfortable and close to family. But Tim and I love to stretch and challenge ourselves and we actually really enjoy getting to know new cities. Although it can be tough not being able to keep the same set of friends when you move around a lot. We'll see what the next year brings for our family.

The boys are 9 months old!

As a runner I relate a lot of things in life to running. I feel like I've just completed the third lap of one of the most challenging and enjoyable mile races of my life. Everyone says the first year with twins is the toughest and I believe it. The boys turned 9 months old a week ago but they just had their 9 month well child visit this past Friday. The boys are still a bit behind where Sofia was at 9 months but we are very happy with their growth considering they are twins and were born early. The boys each had one shot and a finger prick to test for anemia. They both whimpered for their shot but didn't cry at all during the finger prick and while the nurse was squeezing their fingers for blood. Tim had to take Sofia out of the room during the physical exam because Sofia was so worried that the doctor was hurting her brothers.

Everett- Height- 29.5" tall (84th percentile) Weight- 20 lbs 11oz (50th percentile)
At 9 months old you are on the move. You crawl forward, backward, and you even plank (hold yourself up on your arms and legs). It looks like you're going to start doing push ups. This past month you started clapping, drumming, and copying me when I make sounds like hi, mama, dada, gaga, etc. You love exploring different areas of the house and toys. You never seem to mind when Sully takes toys from you, sometimes you take them back but you mainly seem to just watch him and find a different toy. You are such a good brother to him. You have seven teeth and I can see two more spots that are slightly raised. I can't believe how many teeth you have already! It definitely helps you eat but every now and then you still go back to gagging, I think it's because you get too excited about the food on your tray and you tend to put too much in your mouth. You are definitely improving though, you haven't had any issues in the last week.


Sullivan- Height- 29.25" tall (79th percentile) Weight- 20 lbs 4 oz (43rd percentile)
You are also on the move but you are much more content to stay in one place and focus on a task. Although this week I turned away for a second to change your brother and you had crawled under Sofia's art table and were stuck in a corner. When I pulled you out you had a huge smile and green crayon all over your face. You are such an interesting guy, I feel like you still have so much of your personality to reveal to us. For whatever reason your brother and sister seem to really look out for you. When you fuss or cry Everett or Sofia usually make their way over to you to talk to you or offer a toy. You definitely know you are the baby of the family. You have 6 teeth and you are a great eater and you do great with finger foods. Even if your tray is full of food you still like to take things off of your brother's tray. It cracks me up.

Together you both eat 3 meals a day. For breakfast you normally have cereal or oatmeal with fruit. At lunch you usually have one pureed food and then small pieces of whatever Sofia and I are eating. Dinner is the same routine, one or two purees plus whatever we are eating. You guys really love pears, apples, and bagels. Your pediatrician convinced me to introduce more meats to you. You both can drink from a cup if I hold it for you. We've been biking a little more lately. At first you guys weren't sure about the bike trailer but I figured out if I don't put the cover over you guys do great. At some point I hope you guys can get used to the cover so I can block out bugs and sun. Your sister usually sits behind me in a bike seat and I pull you guys in the trailer. I get quite a few looks when I go out biking with all three of you and it is definitely an awesome workout pulling 75 pounds of babies.

You both still take 3 naps per day. You usually take a 30 minute nap around 9:30 or 10, an hour nap around 1, and another 30 minute nap around 4:30. I definitely don't have a rigid nap schedule because I take you guys out a lot during the day. Mama just wasn't made to stay in the house all day and neither were you guys. All three of you seem to like getting out for walks and outings just as much as I do.

Here are the 9 month pictures!

Everett prefers the side pose.

My handsome boys!!

Sully on the left and Everett on the right

Life with a two year old

I'm in the beginning stages of life with a two year old, overall it is a ton of fun. Today she started her first class without a parent, Tumbling Tots. Sofia has participated in swimming lessons with Tim and I. She also goes to church Sunday School, library story time, Kid Watch at the Y, and MOPS so she definitely has time with other kids and adults but I wanted her to try an actual class. The teacher called off all of the students names and as soon as Sofia's name was called she looked up at me, smiled and ran into the gymnastics studio area. I couldn't believe it, no tears or anything. I was really happy to see her so excited for the class but it made me a little sad because I could already envision her running off to her first kindergarten class. The area where the class is has all glass walls so I watched from up above so she wouldn't be distracted by me. The kids all had so much fun. A few kids had to leave early because their parents stood at the door and watched and naturally the kids wanted to be with their parents. The kids worked on basic tumbling skills but overall just seemed to have a lot of fun playing with other two year olds and their instructor.

Sofia basically wants to do whatever I do lately. She helps me cook, take care of the babies, she likes to help dust, garden, anything. Her love of books has not diminished at all, it has just grown. She has a gorgeous book shelf that her grandparents made and she spends a lot of her free time in front of her bookshelf reading books. It's so fun to listen to her "read". She even reads to her brothers at times. They adore her and just watch her every move hoping she'll smile at them.

I've definitely encountered some two year old moments since she turned two. Lately, getting dressed in the morning has turned into a battle. Sofia loves her pajamas and she doesn't like any of her pants or shirts lately. I can't really complain though, overall Sofia has been an absolute delight as a two year old. It's so fun being able to do art projects with her and have her read books to me. Besides reading she also loves to dance and ride on my bike. If the weather is nice enough Tim or I (or both of us plus the boys) bike her to the park to play after dinner. After that we have a big family dance off and really wear everyone out before stories and bedtime.

Here are some pictures I snapped tonight of the four loves of my life.

Play time

Just a quick post with a video. Tomorrow the boys turn one of my favorite ages, 9 months old. They are so pudgy and cute. Although twins are seriously twice the work that Sofia was, there are definitely benefits. They always have a playmate. I have to be really sneaky to get the best videos of them and most times I just watch and forget to record them. They make each other laugh and smile so much, it really warms my heart. They also have started to squabble over toys, it's funny because although Everett is bigger, Sullivan stands his ground and usually ends up with whatever toy he wants. Everett just moves away and finds something else. Here is a fun video of them playing.

Projects projects...

We have been very busy working on the house and our garden. Tim and I planted our seeds early last week and we plan to keep them inside under a plant lamp until late May/early June depending on the weather. Then I will likely give the seedlings a week in the garage before we transplant them to our raised bed garden.

The start of our new garden!

This weekend Tim, his brother Jon, and his Dad built a fence around our backyard. This will be so helpful to our family with Frodo and letting the kids play outside without worrying about someone wandering around to the front yard and street. Friday was spent digging holes and sinking posts with cement. Saturday was spent putting up the fence panels. We can't stain the fence for 8 months because it is treated wood and it needs to be exposed to the elements for a while.

Sofia hunting for eggs in our backyard.

Hiking at Harrington Beach State Park

Easter Baskets!

Check out Sofia's nasty goose egg.

She still didn't quite understand how to dye eggs this year ;)

This weekend we are planning to rip out every inch of carpet in the house and install hand scraped birch hardwood floors from Lumber Liquidators. We are so excited about it, it will help with everyone's allergies (mainly Tim and Sully) and just give the house a more modern look and feel. We will definitely still have area rugs around but I feel so much better about the cleanliness of things with solid surface floors.

On Sunday we enjoyed a wonderful Easter service at church. I did miss the big service we always had at our Memphis church. Our church in Wisconsin is much smaller but still great. We just don't have the same music and artwork that we had at First Congregational Church in Memphis, First Congo was just a one of a kind church. We were so lucky to spend four years there while we were in Memphis. I'm very sad to say that I didn't get a picture of our family all dolled up for the Easter service. The boys and Sofia looked so handsome and pretty. After church we skipped the traditional Easter brunch for a Brewers game. Tim thought of this idea late last week since we would have family in town. Unfortunately, Sofia took her first big spill as a toddler. On our walk from the parking lot to the stadium Tim and I were holding her hands and occasionally saying, "1, 2, 3 weee" like we have done a million times. For some reason Sofia let go on 2 and took a direct face plant into the concrete. I scooped her up and took her to first aid for ice. She handled it all pretty well, the sound of her head hitting the concrete really scared Tim and I. She now has the biggest goose egg I've ever seen. When she was brushing her teeth this morning she kept pointing to it and saying, "Mama, off please". Overall though, the game was a great time. Baseball games are perfect for all of our kids, Sofia loves all of the cheers, songs and dancing. The boys were totally enthralled with their surroundings, this was actually their second Brewers game. They went to a game last fall. After the game we stopped by my parents' house for an Easter dinner and then had a relaxing evening at home. All in all, a very busy but very fun weekend. Next weekend will be really interesting considering we have to move all of our furniture and kids out of the house for two days.

Our Garden!

I am so excited!! Last night Tim picked up the materials for our first raised bed vegetable garden. This was his second trip to Menards in the last week because we are building a fence next weekend so Tim has been trekking back and forth with all of the fencing materials. The garden was another item on my birthday wish list. We plan to start seedlings in the house this weekend. Our planting schedule is much different in Wisconsin than what we used for the little planting we did in Memphis. I thought about buying a plot at the community garden that is just a 5 minute walk down our bike/jogging path but I want to be able to work on the garden when the kids are napping. We are building a 4'x8' garden. We got our supply list from this article after I pinned a bunch of ideas on Pinterest. I will post pictures after we get our seedlings started and the garden structure built. One major cost of the garden is dirt and fortunately we have a ton of dirt left over from a regrading project we had to do on the house before we were able to move in. I think Sofia is going to love helping me with the garden and seeing things grow.

This is what we hope our garden will look like!