Anna & Emma

Chuck E. Cheese

2007-05-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Chuck E. Cheese on Monday. The girls had a blast. Chucky came out and danced with the kids and gave the girls a high five. He offered a hug, but I guess they didn't feel that was appropriate on their first encounter. I think Anna had second thoughts on denying Chucky the hug, because when he left, she screamed like a maniac and cried real tears.

Here they are dancing with the mouse.

Here's Emma riding in the car with Chuck.

Last but not least Anna. I'm so proud of her for getting on this ride. You can tell she's a little nervous, but she won't let the giant clock face ride get the best of her.

Emma is at it again...

2007-05-21T05:06:00.001-07:00

She's talking on my cell phone and using the lap top at the same time. What is she, a stock broker?

Water Fun

2007-04-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Anna (l) & Emma (r)

We finally had a pretty weekend so the girls could play in the water. Brandon bought them this really cool sprinkler. It's like a water hose with all these little water hoses that come off of it. When you turn it on, the little water hoses wiggle and spray water. They liked it a lot.

Mud and Heels

2007-04-22T20:05:00.000-07:00

Last night the babies' swimming pool collected some rain water in it. When they went out to play, Emma started stomping around in it. I would fix that, I thought, so I emptied the water out. However, I didn't realize that I had poured the water right in a spot where no grass was, making a mud puddle. Emma had lots of fun stomping around in it.

Brandon is always getting on to me for leaving my shoes in the living room, but Anna loves it!

Bath Balloons

2007-04-19T01:50:00.000-07:00

Anna and Emma's Nanna brought them these balloons today. You would think the kids had never seen a balloon before, they were so happy. They played and played with them and when it was time for their bath, wouldn't give them up. Crazy kids.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Anna (left) and Emma (right) modeling their bunny ears.

What is she doing??!!

2007-03-21T19:18:00.000-07:00

Checking her bank account?? Updating her blog?? Posting on her favorite twins message board??

This made me laugh so hard because she actually has her right hand on the mouse, like she knows exactly what she is doing.

Emma using the computer.

"Don't look, I'm entering my password."

Playing Outside

2007-03-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it was rainy outside today and Brandon sprayed weed killer on the grass yesterday, so the twins didn't get to play in the backyard this weekend. They did get to play at the park yesterday though. Here are a couple of pics of them playing in the back yard two weekends ago.

Anna says, "DIG! DIG!" whenever she sees a shovel.

Emma riding her rocking puppy.

Going Shopping

2007-02-28T17:10:00.000-08:00

I got this super cute picture of the girls a couple of days ago. They were pushing their shopping cart together around and around the couch, giggling the whole time. That's Anna on the left and Emma on the right.

Little Gamers

2007-02-15T12:20:00.000-08:00

Over the past month or so the girls (especially Emma) have really become interested in video games. Emma kept getting into the entertainment center and pulling out a controller. Then she would assume video game position (laying on the couch) and mess with the controller while staring at the tv! Its very funny. Brandon got this picture of her playing with me.

So Brandon bought them some Disney Princess video games from the toy department at WalMart. They love them!! Emma will get one and hand it to you while she plays the other. If you don't take it, she gets mad. If you take it but don't play with it, she gets mad.

Here we are playing a three-way Tetris battle :) They got distracted by the camera and I won.

Good As New

2007-02-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

Anna got her cast off and her pins out on Monday. They were supposed to take the cast off Friday, but when they turned on the loud cast-cutting machine, she flipped out and they decided that it would be much easier if they just took off the cast at the same time that they took the pins out.

So we had to be at the hospital at 6:45 Monday morning. They didn't have to do an IV, just gave her some gas in a mask. She was pretty mad when they finished, but a little apple juice and Cheerios got her spirits up pretty quickly. Her arm still is a little stiff and she has two cuts on each side of her elbow, but overall seems to be doing good. Even better, we haven't had any vomiting or diarrhea since coming home from the hospital.

Go Eagles!

2007-01-13T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of the twins in their Eagles clothes from last week. They got them for Christmas from their Nanna and Poppa. The picture also shows Anna in her bright pink cast. She got that last Thursday. She only has two weeks left in it!! Yay!

Bonus at the Hospital

2006-12-31T19:29:00.000-08:00

We saw the orthopedic surgeon Friday morning. He said that when the bone broke, it rotated a little. She would have to be put under a general anesthesia so that it could be rotated back into place and some pins put in. However, she had already had breakfast, so they couldn't do it until she hadn't had anything to eat or drink for 6 hours. Talk about a cranky 2 year old!!! They finally got to her at about 4:30. Everything went well.

That night after we got home she kept vomiting. Saturday morning she kept vomiting. We really weren't sure what the problem was until Saturday night when Emma started vomiting too. My guess is that Anna picked up a stomach virus either when we were at the ER on Thursday or at the hospital for day surgery on Friday. I swear these have been the longest 4 days of my life!

Christmas and a Broken Arm

2006-12-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas. We celebrated at our Grandparents' house on Christmas Eve and at the babies' Nanna and Poppa's house on Christmas day. They got way too many toys, but they love them all.

"Giddy-Up, horsey."

The big news today is Anna broke her arm. I was on my way to work when my phone rang and Brandon said to come home. It's her right humerus. She fell off of her little chair in her bedroom. Her arm was swollen. They put a splint on it and she has an appointment with the bone doctor tomorrow. She was very brave.

Santa Photos

2006-12-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

As soon as I think I know these kids, they pull a switcherooni on me. We took them to see Santa a few days ago. Emma sat on Santa's lap and just talked to him like she had known him her whole life. Anna on the other hand, screamed and cried. This is the exact opposite of what I was expecting.

Here's Anna making a fast getaway.

It may have just sounded like baby talk to the untrained ear, but Santa knew what she was asking for.

We're back in the car, but she's still traumatized.

Christmas Tree Antics

2006-12-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Wow. Its been a long time since I posted. Work has been really busy lately, which for those of you who are self-employed know, is definitely a good thing.

I got this picture of Anna (L) and Emma (R) standing in front of the Christmas tree. I opted to leave off the decorations which seems to have been a good decision. They both really like the tree. Anna more than Emma, but they both like it. I'm a little embarrassed to say what they like to do to the tree. I'm not really sure where they got it from, but they like to back up to the Christmas tree and rub their butts on it. They are so weird!! They smile and giggle, so I guess it tickles. Who knows with these crazy kids! Anna also keeps taking her little red toy frying pan and sticking it in the tree.

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well, our three day celebration is over. It all started Thursday. Brandon, the twins, and I had a small meal with just the four of us. Friday, we had a house full of people and a huge meal. My mom, Brandon's dad and Robin, her kids and niece, and Great Grandma and Great Grandpa were all over. Brandon deep fried a turkey and it was very good. Finally, today we went to Brandon's mom's house. Cyndi, Don, Heather and Ethan were all there. We had brisket, ham and turkey. I'm so full from all the eating, but now we have a ton of leftovers. I think I'll go make a plate :)

Here is a picture of the babies at our house on Friday. Their favorite was the cranberry salad.

Anna (l) & Emma (r)

Thanksgiving a Year Ago

2006-11-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

I love Thanksgiving. I've been busy getting all my recipes ready and grocery lists made. I looked back and noticed that I didn't post a picture of the babies eating their Thanksgiving dinner last year. This one is a little fuzzy and off center, but still very cute. That's Emma on the left and Anna on the right, by the way.

Emma's Idea of Sharing

2006-11-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

The babies played in the backyard on Saturday. They had a lot of fun. As you can see from the pictures below, Emma (in red) hasn't quite caught on to the concept of sharing.

Anna in the Drawer

2006-11-05T06:59:00.000-08:00

They usually just throw all the clothes out of the drawers, but while I was at work Friday, Brandon got this picture of Anna.

Halloween Carnival

2006-10-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

Me, Brandon, and the girls' Nanna and Poppa took them to a little Halloween carnival at the hospital yesterday. I'm never sure if things like that are going to turn out to be a total disaster or not, especially since they have been a little sick and had not had a nap.

They had so much fun! They played games like picking ducks out of the pond, but what they really wanted to do was get in the pond! They threw bean bags, but they most enjoyed the limbo game. They ran back and forth under it. Next was the haunted house. It was very tame, no one jumping out or anything. Anna loved it. Emma got a little scared when we got to a lighted bat and pumpkin. Anna wasn't scared at all, until we got to a gurney, I guess she didn't see the foot hanging off of it at first, because when she did she jerked back on my hand and gasped!!

Probably the most fun was the cake walk, which for my girls should be renamed the cake dance!! They giggled and bopped their way around until finally Emma won us a cinnamon apple bread!

Here is a picture of the four of us at the carnival. They took it and printed it for us there and had a table set up to make a frame. We passed on the frame.

Anna Eating a Rib

2006-10-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

I got home a little late from work today. The babies had already eaten, so I just went and picked me and Brandon up some ribs. Anna and Emma kept getting on my lap and picking off of my plate. Those of you with kids know - they never want to eat anything as badly as they want to eat what you have. Anna picked up one of my ribs and was helping herself when Brandon took this picture. Thank goodness for photo editors, or you would see me with BBQ sauce on my face!

Emma Loves Her Mittens!

2006-10-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess the title says it all. The girls' Nanna bought them some mittens and gloves. I tried to put a pair on Anna and she screamed and ran away. However, Emma loved hers! She kept walking around the house touching everything with her mittens on.

Momma and Daddy Time

2006-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

I know this is supposed to be the twins' blog, but I'm posting about us anyway. Brandon and I went to Philadelphia this past weekend for the Eagles/Cowboys game. Brandon has always been a big Eagles fan so he was super pumped about the game. I didn't know how much I was going to enjoy it, but it was so exciting! With a game like that, I think you would have to be dead to not have fun. This is a picture of us just outside the stadium. Right behind us is the stage for the Fox NFL pregame show.

It was nice to get away, but we really missed Anna and Emma and are glad to be home.

House Shoes

2006-09-30T17:13:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that September is over. It flew by so quickly. Brandon and I went to two different WalMarts last night looking for these Wiggles house shoes. It was well worth it. Anna and Emma love them so much that they cry when we take them off!

WEEE!!!

2006-09-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Somebody needs to tell these babies that they are still babies and to stop getting big so fast!! Their Grandpa Vic bought them this slide earlier in the summer and I have been putting them at the top and letting them slide down. This weekend they started climbing up all by themselves. I can't believe it!

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Markers!

2006-09-03T22:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Brandon bought Anna and Emma their first set of markers. They loved them! Anna colored her teeth too!

Thanks to Heather for the tip on the collage!!

Hugging!

2006-09-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

Anna and Emma have started hugging each other when the Barney theme song plays!! It is so cute. Here is a video clip of it.

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My girls are TWO!!

2006-08-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, August has come and gone (almost) and Anna and Emma are now two years old. It is hard to believe that it has already been two years but at the same time, it is hard to believe that it has only been two years. It is hard to remember when they weren't here.

Well, enough with the sap, and on with the pics!!

Since their birthday was in the middle of the week, we celebrated by letting them open their present from Momma and Daddy. We put it together the night before and while they were eating breakfast put it in their room with a blanket covering it. They pulled the blanket off and found their kitchen!! Anna kept saying, "WOW!!"

The kitchen has been a hit! They play with it all the time.

Anna and Emma's birthday party was at the park. There is a big gazebo with picnic tables there. Me and Brandon put tableclothes and balloons on the tables. I spent a lot of time making these Sesame Street characters out of posterboard and there wasn't really any good places to hang them. For games/activities the kids made fruit loop necklaces and played an Oscar trash can toss game. Everyone had lots of fun and the babies got lots of fun presents. I think their favorite (ie, the one they fight over the most) is the little plastic shopping cart that they got from Regan, Riley and Reece.

I'm not going to post any pics from the party. Unfortunately, they all turned out really dark and only a few of them have my kids in them.

Summer Fun

2006-07-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since I've posted, sorry. I'll try to do better.

It has been a super fun summer with the babies. They love the water. They play in their baby pool, in the big indoor swimming pool at our local activity center, and in the sprinkler. They also love playing in the backyard in their club house and in the dirt. Their Daddy decided last month that they needed a trampoline!! I need to get some pics of them on it. They mostly run around, but Emma jumps a lot too.

Here they are playing in the sprinkler. Emma is on the left in the pink stripes and Anna is on the right in the purple stripes.

Here Anna is on the left in the pink stripes and Emma is on the right in the purple stripes. Are these the only shirts they own??

Let The Climbing Begin!

2006-06-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

When Brandon and I discussed moving the girls to toddler beds a few weeks ago, we both knew that they weren't ready. I had a feeling that bedtime would involve us putting them down, hearing noise from their room and going in to find that they were reading books or playing with toys. Or perhaps we would find that they had pulled all of their clothes out of the drawers. In any event, they aren't ready.

Then I cursed myself. "Besides, it really isn't an issue until they start climbing out of their cribs." Brandon called me at work yesterday. The babies had just woken up from their nap and he left Emma in the crib while he changed Anna's diaper. That's when she did it. Emma threw one little leg up on the side of the crib, got up on her tippy toes on the other foot, and started grunting!

They have both started climbing up in our recliners and on the couch. That scares us enough, (I know, we are a wee bit overprotective) but out of the crib!! That's how limbs get broken!

The plan for now is not to leave one baby in by herself. That seems to be what provoked it this time and we don't want her getting any more practice!

Baby Stonehenge

2006-05-24T14:47:00.000-07:00

I found this in their room a week or so ago and snapped a picture. What is it? What does it mean? These questions and others may never be answered...

Don't Fall Down!

2006-05-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

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I got the babies' swimming pool out this weekend. Forgive the obnoxiously high-pitched woman's voice in the video.

Talking

2006-05-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Anna and Emma are saying a few words now. Last night when I was putting their lotion on, I was telling them to rub it in and showing them how. Emma started rubbing her belly saying "WUB...WUB...WUB!" It was very cute! On Sunday, I was blowing bubbles for them and they both were saying "BUB, BUB" with an occasional "BUB-BUL!". They also say eyes, hungy (for hungry), Sissy and a few other words that I can't think of right now.

I've been taking a bunch of pictures, but just haven't had time or energy to post. I've been spending all my free computer time on eBay. I just sold a green Teletubbie for $31!!! We had been looking and looking for him and could never find him. The babies' Nana found him when she was on a trip out of town and bought two. Since they only had one each of the other color Teletubbies, I thought I would sell him. It's my first big sale, so I'm excited!!

Easter 2006

2006-04-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Easter was great! I really didn't know how they would do with egg hunting, but they LOVED it! Emma really went to town after those eggs. She would run and get an egg and put it in her basket. Then she would instantly run for another. Emma was a baby on a mission and that mission was hunting eggs!

Anna, on the other hand, was a little more meticulous. She would pick up an egg in her right hand, study it. Then she would pick up an egg in her left hand and study it. She would put an egg in the basket, then take it out. She was a hoot!

Anyway, here are some pictures. We had taken their pretty little dresses off before their naps and didn't take the time to put them back on.

Anna and Grammy, hunting eggs.

Look at Emma go!!

Enjoying their bounty.

Anna and Emma Update

2006-03-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my girls are 19 months old! We are on the downward slope to 2. I'm really excited about their birthday this summer. Me and their Daddy have already decided that we are getting them a kitchen this year!

They are talking a little more all the time. Just tonight, Anna was pointing to my belly button and when I said belly, she said "bebby". It was very cute. Their favorite thing in the world to do is read. They sit with their books and read and read. I read to them a lot too. I'll have to get some pics of them with their books.

Waking Up

2006-03-07T12:45:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of the twins waking up...

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Fun at the Park

2006-03-05T17:09:00.000-08:00

It was a beautiful day here today. The high was around 70, so we went to the park. Anna and Emma had a blast and so did Momma and Daddy.

PC Babes

2006-02-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

Brandon was putting together a computer for his brother Tim and adding some RAM to a computer for his dad's friend Friday night. He was having some problems, so he decided to call in some experts that he knows. HaHaHa

Lounging With My Sissy

2006-02-13T17:04:00.000-08:00

I took this picture today of the girls. Anna is in the pink pants and emma in the purple. I think they were watching the Wiggles. Emma needs a haircut, I know.

Piglet, Eeyore, and Daddy

2006-02-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Anna and Emma got these sweat suits from a family friend for Christmas and they are just TOO CUTE!!

Bad Blogging Mommy!!

2006-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Goodness, it has been almost a month since I've made an entry! I'm terrible. I'm leaving my job next week and will be in a new office and am very nervous/excited about that. My birthday was yesterday and Brandon couldn't have been more thoughtful! The gifts he got me and everything he did was so sweet! I was very surprised.

Here's a picture of the twins I thought was cute.

They are doing good. A couple weeks ago Emma burned her little hands. We have an electric stove and they often play in the drawer under the oven (where the broiler would be on a gas stove). I didn't realize but that gets hot when the oven is on. She's fine now. Its all scabbed over and healing really good is what the doctor said. I'm positive that it hurt me and her Daddy worse than it hurt her. Now we have a giant baby gate blocking the kitchen. I can barely get in and out!

Christmas Pics

2006-01-01T15:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, folks...I've finally gotten around to posting some Christmas pictures. Click on the picture for a bigger version.

These pictures were taken at their Nanna and Poppa's house. Anna has a Santa hat on. We couldn't get Emma to wear it for more than half a second so we don't have a picture of her with it on. Next is Anna in the wrapping paper and then a picture of little girls trying to open a present.

Christmas morning they opened presents at home. I didn't get any good pictures of them ripping paper, because they didn't.

Finally, on Christmas Day in the evening we went to Great Grammy and Great Grandpa's house. We opened presents and played games. The babies had lots of fun, but got kinda grumpy towards the end. I didn't mind though since we kept them out way past their bedtime. I was actually surprised that they weren't more grumpy! They got these little couches from Grammy and really love them. They got Cabbage Patch dolls from Grandpa Vic. I was very excited about those!

Picture with Santa

2005-12-22T14:03:00.000-08:00

As you can tell, it didn't go too well. I think everybody at the bank could hear Emma screaming and she didn't stop. Well, she did after I gave her a cookie. Maybe I should have given her the cookie before she sat on Santa's lap. Anna didn't really cry. She just wanted down.

Buckethead

2005-12-17T09:31:00.000-08:00

And I'm not talking about the guitarist!! Emma has been doing this for a while and we laugh our booties off everytime. She just puts it on her head and starts walking around the living room like it is the most normal thing in the world!

Anna Knievel

2005-12-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure what Anna's deal is lately, but she has been a handful!! Brandon got these pictures of her today. I call her Anna Knievel, but Brandon says that she is Anna Houdini. That's because the belt was still buckled and she just wriggled her way out.

PLEASE NOTE: No babies were harmed or dangered when these photos were taken. Uncle Tim was standing a few feet away. Also, she got a firm, "NO! NO!" I'm sure she'll think about that before she tries something like this again.

Anna's Idea of Moisturizing

2005-12-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

This morning the girls were up watching tv and playing. I was busy trying to teach Emma how to get to a standing position from all fours instead of pulling up on something. She would get on all fours then do this funny little horse kick.

While this was happening Anna was being so sweet and quietly playing. NOT!! That is what I thought until she turned around and had a tub of Eucerin cream (this really thick lotion stuff). It was all over her face, hands and the carpet!!

November 2005

2005-11-28T20:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe the month is almost over! We all had a really great Thanksgiving. The babies had lots of turkey and ham. We got lots of video of them eating, but no stills. Brandon thinks that he can catch a few frames of them eating when he rips the video, so we'll see. I did get these really cute pics of them in their rocking chairs though.

Anna (left), Emma (right)

Anna is walking more and more everyday. They are both trying to use their spoons when they eat. They are getting so big so fast!

Since I didn't have a blog this time last year, I thought I would take a second to show you what Anna and Emma looked like this time last year. I hope you are ready for some stinkin' cute babies!

Emma (left), Anna (right)

It makes me want to cry! It also reminds me that we desperately need to get their pictures made again.

Baby Hats

2005-11-17T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was at Target yesterday and thought I would look for the twins' some hats and gloves since it is finally starting to get cold here. I saw some knit hats at the front of the store for adults for less than two dollars each. Then I go to the toddlers clothes department to look for some for the babies. I find some really cute hats with matching gloves. How much did they cost? $9.99 for the set!! I don't get it.

Twins Update

2005-11-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Emma is walking like crazy. She can walk all the way across a room and even turn corners. Anna will take a few steps at a time, so it won't be long for her. We have been practicing teaching them a few body parts. Well, face parts, really. If you ask Anna where your nose is she will point to it and Emma knows eye.

Emma has been giving kisses for a while now and Anna just started. It is so sweet! Every night when we put them to bed, we give them kisses, Brandon and I will give each other kisses and then we try to get Anna and Emma to give each other kisses. "Kissy Sissy!" They usually just lean their foreheads in towards each other. I can't wait until they actually give each other a big sugar!

Halloween

2005-11-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

I know what some of you are thinking. "Where are the Halloween pics of the girls?" The short answer: There aren't any.

The long answer: I made several (no less than 5, actually) trips to stores trying to find the girls some Halloween costumes and ended up with nothing. First they were too small. Then they were two different sizes. Then they were too big. I gave up. I thought that they could just wear their Eagle's cheerleader dresses, but Brandon wanted them to have costumes. It ended up being pretty cold out, so we all just stayed in.

Hair Twirler and Cloth Toucher

2005-10-30T13:20:00.000-08:00

Both of my girls suck their thumbs. The left thumb, that is. It started when they were about three or four months old. They would actually take their pacifiers out in favor of the thumb.

While they both suck their left thumb, they each have their own unique style of thumb sucking. Anna is the cloth toucher. She loves to have a piece of cloth (usually a blanket) right up next to her face when she is sucking her thumb. However she is not partial to her blanket, any cloth will do. Lately, if she is sleepy and wants to suck her thumb, she will grab a baby sock and hold it close to her face. We see her crawling all over the house with one or more socks in her little hands. Its very funny.

Emma on the other hand, is a hair twirler. When she wants to comfort herself, she will suck her thumb and twirl hair. She prefers other people's hair, but will twirl her own if she has to. It is funny to watch her and her Daddy because she will push his face to the side so that she can reach his hair. She has recently realized that Anna's hair is good for twirling too. Last night they were both pulled up to the toy box, then Emma grabs Anna's shoulder with one hand and starts twirling her hair with the other. Anna wasn't too thrilled about this since Emma had most of her weight on her. This morning, I heard a baby yelling and I went into their room. I found that Emma had Anna trapped against the railing of the baby bed, twirling her hair.

Anna Marie

2005-10-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

I thought this picture of Anna was so cute! I took it a couple of nights ago. They have just realized that the lid to their toy box opens and that there are a ton of toys inside.

I was so glad to get home today. I had a bad day and even managed to lose my phone. Hopefully it will turn up. Maybe the weekend won't go by too quickly because the next couple of weeks are going to be so busy for me.

Mommy and the Twins

2005-10-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Brandon took this picture earlier in the month, but I just got it off of the camera. I can't remember where we were going, but I know we were going somewhere because Anna (l) and Emma (r) have clothes on. :)

Today was a rough day at work. We do all of our new client interviews on Tuesdays. I was so excited to get home to the girls. Me and another one of the attorneys at the office are going to a training class at my old law school tomorrow. It will be neat. I haven't been there since I graduated and I was pregnant with the babies.

My "New" Blog

2005-10-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, folks. I am fed up with ModBlog. I am moving Anna and Emma's blog over here. The next few days I will be trying to recreate most of my posts from the old blog.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Amanda Harris. I'm 26 and married to Brandon. I am a legal aid attorney and Brandon is a stay-at-home dad to our 14 month old twin daughters, Anna and Emma. This blog will mostly be devoted to them, though I try to include some non-twin info from time to time.

Getting Big

2005-09-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

"Oh Sissy, you are so soft to lay on!"

Anna and Emma are getting so grown up. They will take a few steps and then dive at whoever they are walking to. Emma gives kisses to us and even to her stuffed frog doll, Lilly. When we pucker up and ask for "sugar" from Anna, she puts her forehead on our mouth and rubs it back and forth. Its funny. They are both waiving. They have started to put food on each others' high chair trays, which is hilarious. I'm not sure if they are sharing or trying to get the other to eat what she doesn't want.

The Sweetest Fans!

2005-09-16T17:41:00.000-07:00

Anna and Emma got these Eagles cheerleader dresses for their birthday from a family friend. (Philadelphia is Brandon's favorite) Monday night we made Philly Cheesesteak sandwhiches and watched football. Their Daddy got a real kick out of seeing them in their outfits. There are a couple more pics in the gallery.

Almost Walking!

2005-09-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

Anna and Emma will be walking any minute. They have a little walking toy that they get behind and push all over the living room. They will take one or two steps here or there, so I don't think it will be much longer!

Donating Baby Stuff

2005-09-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

I took a bunch of baby stuff to the Salvation Army this morning. It was a bunch of barely worn clothes and their infant car seats. I had mixed emotions about it. Part of me felt that I could keep it since we know that we want more children. Another part felt that I should sell it all and use the money to buy more baby stuff. Especially since it is all in really great condition. Then I felt guilty for being so selfish. Those people on the coast definately need those things more than we do. And of course I feel sad because it means that my babies are growing up. Brandon is thrilled. He has wanted it gone since they out grew it.

Last night when I was loading it in the car I tripped over one of the car seats and fell in the driveway. Hit my head on the pavement and now I have a nice bump on my forehead. I'll live though.

As for Anna and Emma, they had their one year old check up on Friday. They got shots and the doctor said they are doing good. They aren't walking yet, but they are thinking about it. They wave and kiss. It is so cute. Anna has 6 teeth now and Emma still has 4.

Birthday Party

2005-09-01T09:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been almost two weeks since the girls' birthday party. The birthday party was a hit. We probably had close to thirty people there. The babies opened a ton of presents. I kept reminding myself that it was for two kids, because it all seemed so excessive. They had their own little cakes with their names on them. Anna chowed down on hers, but Emma wouldn't touch hers. When I tried to give her a little icing on my finger, she stuck out her tongue and turned her head. Maybe she just didn't want it with everyone watching.

Here are the babies' birthday cakes.

Here is me and Anna opening presents and Brandon and Emma opening presents.

Here is Anna (L) and Emma (R) with their cakes...Emma wasn't in the mood for cake I guess.

Happy Birthday!

2005-08-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

One year ago today at 3:07 and 3:17 pm, my daughters, Anna Marie and Emma Renee were born. I can't believe it. I stayed home from work. We did a ton of running around today and a little pre-party celebration with some cupcakes. Their Uncle Tim brought over their wagon that he got them and their Grandpa Vic brought them little wooden rocking chairs. Their party isn't until Saturday, so I'll post pictures then. I'm also gonna tell my birth story, but I haven't had much time to blog.

Finally Home

2005-08-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally home from my trip to Dallas. It was good. I learned alot of stuff and the networking opportunities were really great. I took my laptop from work and had planned on working on my blog and posting at Twinteresting all week, but it turned out that they wanted $9.95 for 24 hours of high speed internet access. I said no thank you to that! I really missed the girls and am so glad to be home with them again. I can't believe they will be one year old on Tuesday. Isn't there anyone I can talk to about that?? Surely someone can stop time and keep them little forever...

Work Trip

2005-08-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm leaving today for a work trip. Going to Dallas for Advanced Family Law Course. I'm very excited and think that I will learn a lot. It is at this really fancy hotel, the Hyatt Regency. Of course I will miss Anna and Emma very much. I'm taking my computer from work and to keep myself entertained in the evenings.

My Pregnancy

2005-08-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

I didn't have this blog last year when I was pregnant. I wish now that I had. I did have a pregnancy journal though that I wrote in from time to time. Since the twins are turning one in a couple of weeks, I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you all a little about my pregnancy.

We decided that December would be a good month to start trying for a family. I would graduate in May and take the bar in July. It takes until November to find out whether or not you passed so it would be perfect timing to have a baby. We were so fortunate that we got pregnant the first month that we tried!

I didn't have my first real doctor's appointment until I was 12 weeks along or the end of February. The doctor got out the little doppler thingy to listen to the baby's heart beat, but she couldn't find it. She said that we would do a quick ultrasound just to make sure that there wasn't any problems. I was nervous! Just a couple of minutes later, we saw a little baby moving around up on the monitor. The nurse got really quiet. She said, "I don't want to freak you guys out." I asked if anything was wrong, but then saw that she was smiling. I asked if she could already tell theh sex of the baby and she just held up two fingers. All I could do was squeal and laugh. Brandon was squeezing my hand very tightly, but I couldn't take my eyes off of the screen to look at him.

Here is the picture we got of the babies that day. I carried it to work and school with me for the next week so that everyone could see my twins.

It is kinda hard to tell, but one baby's head is on the right and the other baby's head is on the left.

I was referred to a specialist, but didn't have my first appointment until 16 weeks, or almost a month later. It was at the first appointment that we found out that we were having two girls and that it appeared that they shared a placenta, which means that they are identical.

A shared placenta made my pregnancy a little higher risk. Twins who share a placenta can develope Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This is where the blood and nutrients are shared unevenly between the twins. It can be very dangerous for the twin who is not getting enough nutrition. My doctor decided that I would have an ultrasound every two weeks in order to watch for this condition in my babies. He was very hopeful that we would not have this problem because of the umbilical cord placement in the placenta.

It was about this time that I started getting very sick. I vomitted most mornings and sometimes during the day too. If I didn't vomit during the day, I still was nauseous. Sometimes in the morning there would be traces of blood in the vomit. The doctor said this was because some capilaries in my throat were probably broken due to all the vomitting. They prescribed me some medicine. Unfortunately, I stayed sick until I was six months or so along.

I don't really have much more to report about my pregnancy. It went really well. All my doctors were really impressed. No gestational diabetes, no high blood pressure. I did have a couple of bouts of preterm labor, but that is normal with a twin pregnancy. I think I went to the hospital twice, where they would give me fluids and Terbutaline, a drug that stops contractions. Then they would send me home.

Here I am at about 32 weeks along.

I was so busy studying for the bar. Looking back, I'm not quite sure how I did it. A twin pregnancy is a big deal. Taking the bar exam is also a very big deal. I did them simultaneouly. Whew! I get tired just thinking about it. There at the end, I was going to the doctor's office three times per week for Non Stress Tests. These are where they hook you up to monitors and watch the babies. They are for multiple and other high risk pregnancies.

Just like any pregnancy toward the end I got very uncomfortable. I can't say that it was worse than a singleton pregnancy, because I've never carried just one baby! I just know that it was very uncomfortable. If I stood for more than about 15-20 minutes I could barely stand the next day, because I would be so sore. Sleeping was bad too. It was so difficult to roll from one side to the other because my belly was so heavy and hard to move. I'm not sure about the very end, but I know that at 36 weeks, my uterus measured the size of a woman who was 3 weeks overdue!

Stay tuned for an entry about the day the babies were born!

More On Weaning

2005-08-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

This was posted by one of the moms at Twinteresting.com.

Wean Me Gently

by Cathy Cardall

I know I look so big to you,

Maybe I seem too big for the needs I have.

But no matter how big we get,

We still have needs that are important to us.

I know that our relationship is growing and changing,

But I still need you. I need your warmth and closeness,

Especially at the end of the day,
When we snuggle up in bed.

Please don't get too busy for us to nurse.

I know you think I can be patient,

Or find something to take the place of a nursing;

A book, a glass of something,

But nothing can take your place when I need you.

Sometimes just cuddling with you,

Having you near me is enough.

I guess I am growing and becoming independent,

But please be there.

This bond we have is so strong and so important to me,

Please don't break it abruptly.

Wean me gently,

Because I am your mother,

And my heart is tender.

Quick Vacation

2005-07-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

We went on a trip this past weekend. Actually we left on Thursday. We went to San Antonio. For anyone who hasn't been there its a great place to visit. Friday we went to Schlitterbaun which is a water park. Saturday the zoo and also to the river walk. This was the first time we had been away from the babies. It was hard, we missed them a lot. We met up with a friend of mine from school and her husband and kids. It was nice to see her. She has a little girl that is just a few months older than the twins and it made me miss them more. I was so happy to see them when we got home.

We went to the Hard Rock Cafe on Saturday. That chick from last year's Big Brother works there. My husband and his sister had me take their picture with her. I bet she gets sick of that, but she was a good sport.
Here is a picture of me and Brandon at the zoo. We took some at the water park too, but used a disposable camera so we will be waiting for those to get developed.

Weaning

2005-07-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Women have different feelings about breast feeding. It isn't for everyone. I always knew that I wanted to do it, or at least to try, since I had heard it can be incredibly difficult. "Breast is the best" is what they say. Then when I found out I was having twins, I was disapointed at the prospect that it might not work out, but I knew I had to give it a try. It was incredibly difficult in the beginning, but we overcame the obstacles and I have been nursing the twins for eleven months now.

Brandon and I are going on a short trip next week and I have battled with the decision on whether or not to wean the babies all week. We haven't nursed since Friday and I'm in tears just thinking about it. I never thought that I would be so emotional over it, but nursing creates a very special bond and I am missing it terribly.

Ok, enough blubbering. For anyone who is interested in breastfeeding, here is the link to La Leche League for more information.

Texas Protective Orders

2005-07-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

In my description of my blog, I promise some non-twin related information from time to time. I realized that I have failed miserably and am trying to fix that with this entry.

A protective order in Texas is a civil order that prohibits further acts of family violence. What makes it unique from other civil order is that it is criminally enforceable. In other words, when other civil orders are violated, the remedy is to carry the offender back to court for contempt. However, when a protective order is violated, the police can be called and the violation is a criminal offense. Some victims of domestic violence have a tough time getting the legal help that they need. Attorneys are expensive. Legal Aid offices and Prosecutors offices are there to help, but are over worked and sometimes move slowly. For one reason or another these offices may not be able to help at all.

That is where the Pro Se Protective Order Kit comes in. This is information and legal documents that aid a victim of domestic violence in getting her/his own protective order. Here is the link to the Texas Attorney General's website and the Pro Se Protective Order Kit as well as more information about protective orders. Pro Se Protective Order KitFor more information about the legal options for victims of domestic violence in Texas visit:The Women's Advocacy Project

Baby Car

2005-07-10T11:13:00.000-07:00

"Hey, Baby! You need a ride?"

Fourth of July Weekend

2005-07-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I've been such a terrible blogger!!! I have a lot to write about. Saturday Brandon and I went out on a date. We went to Amarillo to see Land of the Dead and to IHOP because they have their funnel cakes right now. They were really good, but the service was horrible. Anna and Emma stayed at their Grammy's house. It was the first day that the babies didn't nurse in the morning, but they are still nursing in the evening. I didn't think I would be one one of those sappy mommies who gets all emotional when she weans, but I am!! They are just getting so big so fast.

Sunday we had a birthday party for the babies' Great Grammy and then went to her and Grandpa's house to light some fireworks. It was really nice. Then we finished the weekend with a bang by going to Lake Greenbelt. It is near Clarendon. It was busy, but fun.Here are some pics from the lake.

Ethan, Brandon and Emma

Emma's ready to go home!

Anna playing quietly.

Slow Blogging

2005-06-27T21:22:00.000-07:00

I just realized that it has been over a week since I have made a blog entry. Not much is really going on with the twins. They swam in their kiddie pool on Saturday. I took a bunch of pictures, but haven't gotten them on my computer yet. They are both crawling all over the house. Anna is starting to pull up some. Emma is pulling up all the time. They have both been a little cranky lately and I think that they will be getting those top teeth soon.

Twins Wrestlemania

2005-06-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I came into the babies' bedroom yesterday morning and found Anna on her sister. It was hillarious!

Ducky Tub

2005-06-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

I got this ducky tub from some family friends of ours at my baby shower last year. I decided to get it out last night. It really isn't big enough for both of them to take a bath in, but it sure made a cute picture!!

Camera Phone Pics

2005-06-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent camera phone pics that Brandon took.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

2005-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party on Saturday for Buddy, the babies' Great Grandpa. It was really nice. We had a special cake made for him with his picture on it.

HAIL STORM!

2005-06-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

We had one hail of a storm last night (har har). Two of the windows in the house got broken and both of our cars got it pretty bad.

Anniversary

2005-06-05T06:50:00.000-07:00

Today is me and Brandon's sixth anniversary. We celebrated last night by making and extra special dinner here at home. We had glazed salmon, stuffed mushrooms, onion mashed potatoes, and apple spice cake for desert. It was delicious!! Last year on our anniversary we went to Cagles in Lubbock. I was pregnant with the twins and studying for the bar. It was a very stressful time. We have had a lot going on the past year and I am so glad things have calmed down.

Beauties

2005-06-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Can someone please stop these babies from being so precious??

Emma Renee

Anna Marie

Check Up

2005-06-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

We went for Anna and Emma's nine month check up yesterday, Even though they are almost ten months old already. Emma weighs 18 lbs 9 oz and Anna weighs 18 lbs even. They are both 28 1/2 inches long. They are in the 90th percentile for their height and 30th (Anna) and 45th (Emma) percentiles for their weight. The doctor said not to be worried that they are just tall and thin. She gave us the go ahead on all grown-up food except for peanut butter. I'm so excited about all the different foods they get to eat now, and we will save a killing on baby food!!

Backyard Fun

2005-05-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

Brandon bought the babies their first baby swimming pool yesterday. They had a lot of fun. I didn't think that they would crawl around in the water like they did.

Here is Anna with her ducky

Emma making a big splash

Here they are togetherEmma - L, Anna - R

Since they both did so well in the swimming pool, we decided it was time to let them try the big bath tub. No more baby bath tubs for these two!They really liked it!! Anna - L, Emma - R

Babies Playing

2005-05-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

I got these really cute pictures of the girls playing with each other in the super yard. We are going to set up their baby pool in the back yard today, so I should have some good pics of that.

Anna (L) and Emma (R)

Anna - L, Emma - R

Doctor Appointment Cancelled

2005-05-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I was hoping that I would be able to post today and give you all the babies' weights and lengths and how the doctor said they are both so intelligent and beautiful, but the doctor's appointment got cancelled. I guess she realized it was Friday before the long weekend and wanted to go out of town. It has been rescheduled for next Friday, June 3, so I'll give you an update then.Emma has been pulling up to her knees for a while, but last night she pulled up to her feet for the first time! After work, I got into the superyard with them and she crawled over to me, grabbed my shirt and pulled up! It was cool. Not to be out done, Anna got herself into a sitting position! She has been trying for a while, but kept on leaning over on one hand. So we had two firsts last night within about 15 minutes of each other.

Some Pictures

2005-05-23T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone...just thought I would post some pictures of Anna and Emma. They both have two teeth on the bottom. I'm so glad they finally came in, because they were not very happy. They have a check up at the doctor's office on Friday, so I'll definately post then and let everyone know how it goes.

This was took May 14, 2005. (Anna-L, Emma-R) We took the girls to Ethan's soccer game. Ethan is Brandon's sister's little boy, by the way.

This one was taken May 20, 2005. (Anna-top, Emma-bottom) They like to snuggle...

May 20, 2005 (Emma-L, Anna-R) I tried about five times to get a picture of them sitting up next to each other, but they kept crawling towards me before I could take the picture.

Nine Months Old

2005-05-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our girls are already nine months old!! We lowered their crib mattress to the lowest setting yesterday. Here is what they are doing at nine months.Anna - she is crawling on all fours and sits on her own. She can almost get to a sitting position on her own. When she tries she usually leans over on one hand.Emma - she crawls on all fours and gets to a sitting position by herself.Both - The twins go through about 6-8 jars of baby food per day and nurse twice a day. Neither have teeth yet, but I am expecting them any second. They both have big bumps on their gums and are pretty cranky here lately. They love to play and sit in their highchairs and eat biter biscuits.

OKC Trip

2005-05-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to Oklahoma City with some friends of ours that we went to high school with, Brad and Mandy. He is on his leave from Iraq and OKC is about halfway for all of us. Some of Brad's siblings and mother came to visit too. We took the kids to the zoo and went to this place called Bricktown. It is a canal that they built in this area of OKC that has all these really big brick warehouses. The warehouses are now clubs, restaurants, stores and they have a boat ride through the canal. There is a baseball park and they are currently building all these bronze statues dedicated to the Oklahoma land rush. Here is a link if you want to find out more about Bricktown.

Here is me and the babies (Emma-L, Anna-R) at the zoo. The wind was cool and it acted like it might rain, so they had sweaters and blankets on all day.

Here is Brandon with Anna. We were watching an animal show.

We went to eat at an Italian food restaurant. It was really good. Anna and Emma had the creamed spinach (har har). Here is Daddy with Anna and me with Emma. Emma really liked that paper.

Here is me, Brandon and the twins, Emma (L) and Anna (R) and our friends Brad and Mandy and their daughter, Regan, and two boys, Reece (L) and Riley (R).

Meeting Uncle Jerry & Aunt Dedria

2005-05-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

I'm so embarassed that I haven't been blogging more, but we have been terribly busy. Two weekends ago (the weekend of 4/30/05), my brother, Jerry and his family, Dedria, Jordan, and Jaci, came down from Alaska. My nephew, Jason, was leaving for Iraq. We all saw him off in Wichita. Then, they all went to Woodward, OK, to visit Dedria's parents. Brandon and I drove over there with the twins so that they would get a chance to meet them. We had a really great visit. I'm so glad that they came down.

Here is Anna (L) and Emma (R) with their Uncle Jerry and Aunt Dedria. We were at the hotel, by the pool.

Aunt Dedria and Emma

Here is me and the babies swimming.

The picture on the right also has Jordan and Jaci, Jerry and Dedria's daughters

Super Yard

2005-04-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Now that the babies are crawling, we got this Super Yard. It is great for keeping them contained. I just hope that they don't escape all the time like the babies on Rugrats! We had the rash on Emma's face all cleared up, but its back, ugh. Poor baby, but she doesn't act like it bothers her.

Baby Punch

2005-04-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

This might be my favorite picture of the girls! It was taken December of '04. They were about four months old. Emma is on the left doing the punching and Anna is on the right, taking it like a pro. I was just snapping some pictures of them and didn't realize how cute this picture was until I saw it later. It makes me smile everytime I look at it.

YAY....Friday

2005-04-24T21:48:00.000-07:00

I was sitting at work and Brandon emailed me some pictures of the babies to try to coerce me into coming home early. We are gonna take them out to eat tonight. Here is one of the pictures he sent.

Sippy Wars

2005-04-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today Anna and Emma kept stealing each other's sippy cups. In this picture Anna has successfully taken Emma's cup, and Emma wants it back!

Emma started crawling Friday and Anna started on Saturday. They only take a few "steps" at a time, but it won't be long until they are tearing through the house.

Momma and Babies

2005-04-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted an entry in a few days because I have been "working" on the design of my blog. It is driving me insane. I'm not so computer illiterate that I can't fill out a simple form to make changes to the design. I think I may have found a bug or something. (Remember: This was when I was at ModBlog) Enough about that. Here is a picture of me holding Anna and Emma. When I get home from work, I miss them so much I just want to snuggle with them all night. Sometimes it is hard because they both want my attention at the same time.

Swimming Babies

2005-04-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

We took the twins swimming this afternoon. They kicked their little feet and had a lot of fun.

First Entry

2005-04-17T15:15:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I have my own blog. My name is Amanda "Mandy" Harris. Or Mandy Wedel as I was known back before I got married. I'm 26 years old, married to Brandon, and have 8 month old identical twin girls named Emma and Anna. I'm a newly licensed attorney and have been working for Legal Aid since December of 2004. This blog is mostly gonna be about my babies, but I imagine I will add other stuff too.