Here Comes Trouble!!!! x 2

Addyson and Braden are into absolutely everything these days! They are getting so good at pulling up and getting down. So they keep us very, very busy chasing after them. It feels like all I say is Braden - NO!!! And they still don't really seem to understand what I'm saying. Braden is much more into stuff than Addyson but she does her share too. And naps seem to be getting shorter and shorter. So I don't have much time to catch my breath - much less blog!

They are also teething - yuck! Not fun for any of us. I don't think we're ever NOT teething. When one kid takes a break it seems like the other one is working hard at a tooth. Addyson's front top teeth are poking through and Braden is working on #5 and #6 on the bottom I think. They're not unimaginably cranky during the day, but they do have a hard time going to sleep and staying asleep. For naps and at night - and I have always been able to count on Addyon being such a good sleeper so that is making things tough. Braden decided that he needs to get up early . . . and earlier each morning. They had been on a schedule of waking up around 7:45-8:15. Braden has moved himself up to a very early 5:30 a.m. Ryan and I are NOT morning people so this is proving to be quite a challenge. Addyson still sleeps until around 8 - she has just been waking up during the night screaming. Oh well - they're totally worth it - I just have to remind myself of that some nights at 1, and 4, and 4:30 a.m. We're just feeling pretty tired these days. Oh how I long to strap them in a bouncy seat some days!! But they are starting to play games and just catch on to so much more that they really are a lot of fun.

Now for something else not fun - Braden has not been circumcised - there were so many things going on with him when he was born that the doctors thought it would be wise to wait. Once you are past the first little while babies don't have the pain tolerance and the procedure must be done differently requiring general anesthesia. So since there was really no rush to do it our pediatrician suggested that we wait until he was around a year, mostly because of the anesthesia. So Braden is scheduled for his circ on Feb. 3. We go to Wichita in the morning. His procedure is set for 9:30 a.m. and we come home the same day. They say he'll be really uncomfortable for a day and should be totally healed in a week. So fun times ahead for him. You can remember us in your prayers. I'm not looking forward to sending him into surgery - or the cranky recovery afterward.

Amidst all the chaos we have managed to have some fun -

The way that our destructive little boy plays

And how our precious little girl plays Braden showing off his favorite new face - he is starting to feed himself puffs!!

Addyson showing off those big beautiful eyes

Braden playing during bath time with daddy

Naptime - ha ha!!

My helpers

One year ago today . . .

on January 14, 2009 we sat in a doctor's office with my increasingly big belly and learned that our little Addyson was not only small but really tiny. This was the day we learned that we were most likely going to deliver very early. Looking back I remember how scared and overwhelmed we were at processing what that meant. Over the next few weeks I spent teary eyed moments staring at our new cribs and the few little girl clothes we had started to accumulate and praying that our little girl would get a chance to use them. I remember saying over and over, the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. We were so happy that God had given us two babies but now we wondered if we would ever get to hold them both. We didn't know how Braden would handle early delivery either. Had we known all the things we know now about preemies we would have been completely terrified - I don't think I had any idea of what we could have faced and I'm so thankful that I didn't.

In my younger days I used to wish that God would just give me a glimpse of what life would look like down the road. I would wonder who my husband would be, what career I would choose, and just what my life would look like in general. Over the years God has shown me that I would never be able to handle facing those things all at once - tomorrow is more than I can handle today. Sometimes today seems more than I can handle today - and it would be without God's help!! If I would have known what all would take place over the past year I would have been SO overwhelmed. But God has given us the strength and peace to face each day and trial. And to enjoy the laughter, messes, and craziness along the way. There's a reason we didn't know all the scary stuff preemies face and what horrible chances our babies would have had if Addyson's umbilical cord would have had the problems she had at 24 or 25 weeks instead of 29 and 30 and how that would have affected Braden. They were born at just the time God had planned and he took care of all of us and has blessed us WAY beyond what we deserve.

So over the next weeks and months as I think back to a year ago I get to hug and kiss my healthy babies and thank God for his faithfulness and how much He's taught us in the last year. These verses have been running through my mind lately.

"But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteousness, of your salvation all day long, though I know not its measure. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, O Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteousness, yours alone. Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God, you who have done great things, Who, O God, is like you?" from Psalm 71

May I always remember to share with others all the wonderful things that God has done for me and continue to proclaim his righteousness through good times and bad.

Here is what I get to enjoy every day!!!

Look what we've been up to . . .

Addyson and Braden are busy, busy, busy these days . . which means so are we!!! They are pulling up to everything they can find and getting very fast at it!!! The problem is sometimes they can't get down! I have found Braden crying countless times because he just doesn't know what to do after he's tired of standing somewhere. But in the last day they have started figuring out how to get down on their own.

They were weighed last week and Addyson weighed 12 pounds 6 ounces. Braden weighed 21 pounds 12 ounces. Weight gain is slowing down - because they are speeding up and moving around all day long!! And trying table foods instead of as much formula and baby food. They're doing pretty well some days.
Braden has found his little boy voice - it is super cute!!! And Addyson just yells and babbles loudly. They are loving to play together - they giggle and giggle at each other and at themselves. It is so hilarious to watch them interact - we wonder how bored they would have been with only boring old mommy and daddy to play with if they didn't have each other!!!

Addyson waking up standing up in her crib

Braden in his OWN cowboy hat - he LOVES itPlaying in their cribs - who wants to take a nap???"No one will feed me around here - I'm starving! Guess I'll find something myself!!!"Addyson playing piano with mommy

Sorry this is sideways, but you just have to hear her!

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Today is Ryan's 29th birthday! Happy Birthday to the best husband I could ever have hoped for and the best daddy (and jungle gym) that Addyson and Braden could ever want. We love you!

10 Months Old!

Today Addyson and Braden turn 10 months old!!!


Life is crazy!! They are both crawling . . and getting very fast!! They like to go everywhere together and search out whatever trouble they can find!! They are both trying to pull up to everything - and are successful most of the time. The dishwasher is of course a favorite; and they both love playing around the stairs. Boy are we glad we had the builders make a sturdy gate! It is one of their favorite things to pull up to and play around. So most of my day is spent chasing them around and trying to keep them from hurting themselves too bad!! These are the images that flashed through my head when we first learned we were having twins - 2 babies crawling in opposite directions in all kinds of trouble. It is definitely exhausting at times - but they are so cute and it is so much fun just to watch them play together. They absolutely love each other - I'm so glad that they'll have each other and hope they'll continue being the best of friends throughout life.


The last couple of weeks have been insane with Christmas get togethers. The kids actually did better than I expected they would - Addyson is starting to get over her extreme fear of strangers (anyone that's not mommy) so that helped some. We made our first trip to Oklahoma with the kids. They did better on the way down than coming back but still did better than we thought they might. I can't blame them - after days of life that is "not normal" you get strapped into a car seat for 5 hours when all they want to do is crawl around and play with toys!! Needless to say they were glad to be home to play with all their new toys and sleep in their own cribs.


Braden got his top 2 teeth the day after Christmas - he looks like such a big boy now!!


I realized that we didn't get that many pictures from their first Christmas - we were spending our time corralling 2 kids and trying to "help" them open gifts. They got a buch of great stuff and were enjoying them even before I could get them out of the boxes. So sorry to some of the family - we didn't get pictures of them with all of you.


Here are some pictures -

Playing in only our diapers, our favorite way to play!!

"Are these all for us?? Maybe it's more cottage cheese containers, spatulas, or spoons!!"

Braden loves bathtime with daddy - he's outgrowing the kitchen sink.

Braden playing with Aunt Beth, Uncle Craig, and Bella (yes, naked again)

Addyson with her beautiful blue eyes!!

Braden trying on Grandpa Dyck's cowboy hat

Saying bye-bye to Bella. They both loved her.

Braden snuggling with mommy

Addyson pulling up to talk to Braden

Braden getting tired of opening presents, and his new favorite thing - sticking his tongue out

Braden sporting cousin Kylee's cowboy hat - we have got to get this boy his own hat!!

Addyson playing with toys with Grandpa Vogt (proof she's not as scared!!)

Playing in the mirror - I was thinking "What would I do with 2 sets of identical twins!!!!"

Playing in the mirror - Addyson discovered it and LOVES that fun little girl.

"Boy, I wish mom would let us play with our toys. Look at all this fun stuff!"