The End of Summer

While I sit here at the computer, I've got the windows open and can feel a cool breeze. I need jeans and socks to keep warm. It is August 30th... and it already feels like fall. But did we really even have summer this year? Such strange weather lately although I have to admit, I sort of like it. Fall is my favorite season and I much prefer partly sunny and mid 60s over sunny and 90 (and 100% humidity!). So as the weather cools and I start to see more and more school buses every morning on my way to work, I realize that summer is definitely coming to an end. Time to think about putting the baby pool away and packing up a closet full of very cute baby girl clothes meant for hot and sticky summer days that were hardly worn. I've spent the last few days sorting through baby clothes, packing away what's already outgrown or will soon be out of season. Now as much as I hate doing laundry, it has been kind of fun to get out new outfits for fall and see all the cute tops and pants that have been in stored away the last several months. Of course a year ago we were in the middle of a heat wave and drought and maybe that's why I felt the need to have SO many sun dresses in the 6-9 month size. Regardless, most of that is now being packed up and sent to the basement (although I am keeping out a few of my favorites just in case we get a little heat in September or October). FYI - I have already bought several sale/clearance items for next summer so we can always hope for hotter days in 2010. :)

OK, enough about the clothing. You are probably wondering what we've been up to lately... Work and more work - unfortunately. Have you noticed a pattern where I find time to post at the very end of the month and/or the first week or two of the new month? And then nothing at all for that 3rd week? You can thank my job for that. Every 3rd week of the month is our "crunch week". I absolutely loathe ****** (insert name of large banking institution here) and the upper management for letting the pattern continue for so many years. My dept is bored silly the first week to 10 days of every month, trying to find ways to stay busy for 8 hours a day. Then bam - we all get slammed in the 3rd week. And overtime is REQUIRED. So last Saturday I worked for a few hours and then put in my overtime Monday thru Wednesday. I am typically pretty cranky by the end of "crunch week" and feeling way behind and overwhelmed in my chores at home. I've tried to take this past weekend to get caught up on a few things around the house (like laundry) and also reengerize so I'm ready to face next week.

We did squeeze in one fun family outing last weekend - the first trip to the zoo! Paul and I had a good time and decided to get a 1 year membership. Hopefully by next spring Amelia and Penelope will enjoy it just as much as we do. They seemed pretty unimpressed with it this first time around - and slept through about half of it. We took a few pictures, but I'm not sure they are all that great and since they have yet to be moved from the memory card to the computer, they may or may not make their way to the blog. :D

Speaking of cameras, our great little Nikon point and shoot is currently in the "shop" for repairs. We hope to have it back soon but in the mean time, all we have for picture taking is Paul's professional - and expensive - camera. I feel uncomfortable and awkward using it so I'm afraid we won't have too many pictures for the month of August. But considering just how busy and active the girls are, we are probably better off sticking with video right now. Oh, but we did have their 9 month pictures taken a few weeks ago and should have those prints any day now. Both girls did great and loved all the props we gave them - chairs, ladder, books, rocking horse....like I said, they are busy and active 9 month old girls!

In other big news, Penelope is finally cutting her first tooth! You can't really see it yet but you can definitely feel it. And Amelia is getting #4 and #5. And hers you can certainly see as she likes to show them off (just wait until you see the 9 month pictures!). We have been pretty fortunate so far with the teething. Neither seem to be too bothered by them and have yet to give us trouble during the night because of pain. Let's hope that continues as they get more and more teeth!

Hmmmm... I'm starting to hear some noises coming from the nursery so I guess that means nap time is about over. Time to sign off.

~April

Babies Don't Keep - part 2

So did you see the poem I posted on Monday night??? All you other Moms (and Dads) out there already know this and everyone keeps telling me "they grow up fast" and boy oh boy, are you ever right. Babies don't keep... I just can't believe how fast our days and weeks and months are slipping by. It makes me a little sad at times. My memories from those early months are pretty foggy. I barely even remember taking time out to just hold them close and rock them and study their tiny and precious features. And now I really feel like I'm missing so much good stuff by working all day instead of being at home with my girls. They learn and discover so many new things all the time these day. In just the past couple of weeks, Amelia has started to cut her 3rd tooth, is"reading" books and turning the pages herself and clapping (I have yet to see this one for myself though). And Penelope, well, she has discovered her own laugh and giggles all the time (sometimes even at nothing at all :D), holds her own bottle for a feeding and most recently, figured out how to play "chase" with Mommy (she crawls and I follow and then she stops every couple of feet to make sure I'm still back there, smiling and laughing the whole time). This is such a great age - all the playing and smiles and new discoveries. I don't want them to grow up too fast. But... Babies don't keep... Some nights when I'm done nursing the 2nd baby and have a few quiet minutes, I just sit and rock them and wish for time to stand still. When they cuddle up against me and fall asleep, I find myself trying to memorize their little faces and realize I could stare at them for hours. They are so perfect. So the question is, is the the job worth it? is the extra money for all the "extras" in our life worth the price? Could I - strike that - Could WE give up some of that "stuff" so I could work part-time and be home more? I'd like to think so... But it doesn't feel like it's possible. I barely have the energy at night to check email and update this blog, let alone do a job search and resumes and applications. And then Paul suggests maybe a career change, but the thought of classes on top of work and babies brings me close to tears. I feel like I am "stuck" in my current spot and can't break free. But... Babies don't keep... And that is slowly becoming my mantra, my motivation to make a change for the better. I don't want to look back on this first year and be full of regret. The job just isn't worth it.

Babies Don't Keep

I found this poem online and it really hit home (especially lately) so I wanted to share...

Cleaning and scrubbing

can wait 'til tomorrow.

For babies grow up,

we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs,

dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby

and babies don't keep

(author Ruth Hulbert Hamilton)

9 Month Stats

We had our 9 month well-visit yesterday and I'm happy to report that all is well with the girls- not that I expected anything to be wrong... The weight gain is slowing down a little, but they are both still nearing the 20lb mark (yikes! almost time to think about bigger car seats!). Amelia weighed in at 18lbs 12.5oz (50th percentile) and was 27 inches long (25th percentile). Penelope weighed 19lbs 2oz (60th percentile) and was 27 1/4 inches long (45th percentile). Other than having to wait for what seemed like forever for our Dr to get to our room (at least that's the way it felt to us since we were trying to entertain two squirmy 9 month old babies) the appt went just fine. They had blood draws to check iron levels and neither even batted an eye at the finger prick. Of course they cried a little during the vaccination, but by that time, we were well past their regular nap time and both were getting cranky and fussy. I tried to talk to their Dr about transitioning from less milk and onto more solids but her answers seemed vague and have left me today with even more questions than yesterday. And the "there really is no one right way" answer just doesn't help this first time Mom. I need some solid direction. As we near the 1 year mark (is that even possible???) , I've been giving a lot of thought to weaning them and I want it to be a fairly smooth and easy transition for all 3 of us - and more or less done by mid-November. I'm just not totally sure where to start. Guess I'll have to keeping reading up on the subject and ask around a little and then put together my own plan... Anyway, it's getting late and while I have more to say, I need to get myself off to bed. I've included a cute picture that Paul took with my cell phone while we waited on the doctor... Check out the chunky bellies - gotta love 'em!!

Barkley The Bunny Hunter

Since I've always considered Barkley a member of the family, I figured I'd share his latest adventure. For the past few years, there has been a serious overpopulation of rabbits in our neighborhood. I used to get annoyed with the holes they'd dig in the backyard and around the fence line - actually I still do, but I've got bigger things to focus on these days... :) Now as some of you may remember, last summer one silly rabbit decided to build her nest and have a litter of bunnies in our backyard. Barkley discovered that nest but luckily no babies were harmed and we spent the next 2-3 weeks taking him out on leash, not mowing the backyard and in general, being very protective of the rabbits. Eventually they "moved out" and that was that. They were fluffy and cute when they finally left and we were happy that we were able to keep the dog away from them for so long. When we saw signs again earlier this summer that rabbits were hanging out in the backyard, I told Paul we just don't have the time to watch out again this year for bunnies, that they have to learn that a fenced yard where an 80lb dog lives is not the place for them. Oh, if only they would have listened... I took Barkley for a walk on Friday evening and he was still pretty hyper when we got home so I put him out in the backyard to burn off a little more energy. When he didn't come back after about 10 minutes, I called to him. Nothing... I walked out on the deck and saw him nosing around in the yard. He looked at me, I called for him again and again, no response. So, I got my shoes on and went out to see what he was doing. You know where this is going don't you??? I found lots of grass clippings and fluffy fur clumps (the nest materials) laying all around. It was getting dark so I took Barkley back in the house and Paul got the flashlight. Sure enough, he found another nest. Unfortunately, one little bunny didn't make it. :( Paul's theory is that Barkley started digging pretty hard in the nest and probably got the little guy with his paws (since the rabbit was a good foot or two away from the actual nest). I feel so bad and hope that the rest of the litter managed to get away and find their mommy. I know Barkley didn't intend to hurt it, he was just curious and being playful. I mean seriously, look at this face....

On the up-side, it is 1 less rabbit to roam the neighborhood.....

Assorted Pics - part 4

Just some of my favorites from the past few weeks. Most of these - and more - should be on SmugMug soon enough (in the 8th and 9th month galleries)

1st time Amelia pulled herself up - she's so excited! (and if you look closely, you can see her 2 teeth)

Check out the hands behind the head and crossed ankles - seriously relaxed

The beloved Wii trunk - I guess it is the perfect size for them...

Dinner time...

I suppose I am a tiny bit biased, but I don't think our girls could be any cuter...

Side note - the quality of these pictures isn't the greatest and that's my fault and the way I uploaded them (I was in a hurry to just get them out here). Anyway, I'm currently in the process of learning lots of new things about how we store and organize and share our family photos and also how to do more creative things on the blog. My hope is that going forward, the pictures will look better and I'll stay more up-to-date with this in general. Stay tuned... :D

Assorted Pics - part 3 (Swimming)

A few swimming pictures (mohawks courtesy of Daddy)

LOVE this one!!

Sharing the water toys

Something caught their attention (a barking dog I think...)

This is how the first time in the pool went - Amelia chewing the toys and Penelope trying to climb out

good times....

Assorted Pics - part 2 (Vacation)

July 4th - Holland, Michigan

Sisterly love?!? I guess Penelope wants Amelia out of the chair!

What a precious face

Happy that she's now got the chair all to herself

With Grandpa and Grandma Reinke

Taking a walk around Waukazoo Woods

Checking out the local Farmer's Market (and who would have thought we'd need socks on July 4th??)

Enjoying playing with spoons and Cheerios :D

Assorted Pics

Amelia looking awfully cute at bath time

Babies are so flexible...

Penelope also looking super cute at bathtime

For more of these older pictures (eating their first solids, rolling over, etc), check out the 6th and 7th month galleries on our SmugMug site.

9 months already?!?

It's so hard to believe - my little baby girls are going to be 9 months old tomorrow! And it's almost been a year since I went on bed rest. I've been thinking a lot lately about August 15th, 2008. It was the day after we came home from a great Reinke family vacation in Lancaster, PA, and I went to a Dr's appt, thinking it would be a routine check-up and 2 or 3 hours later, I'm in the hospital being monitored for pre-term labor. That set off a crazy chain of events and our life hasn't been the same since. Really, though, just where has the time gone??? The last 12 weeks of the pregnacy seemed to drag on and on (see my posts from September and October if you want to re-live those days :D), but now that Amelia and Penelope are here, I can't keep up... They are growing so darn fast, I'm afraid to even blink. Everyone warned us how quickly the months go by and they are SO right. And now it feels like it has been forever and a day since I updated the blog, I don't even know where to begin. I'm thinking I should just do a quick re-cap of the past 6 weeks, post a few of my favorite pictures and then start fresh. I want to really try to post once every week or two (don't laugh at me! we all have goals right?).

Over the 4th of July, we went on our first big road trip to Holland, Michigan. The girls did great in the car (only getting fussy the last hour of trip) and while it took us 7 hours to drive up, we managed to get home in just 6. Hooray! I'm not too sure we'll do a drive like that very soon, but at least now we know it's possible (with lots of planning and packing!). I think I'd like to wait until the girls are weaned a little bit more as pumping in the car (while going 70mph down the highway) wasn't the greatest... While in Holland, we visited Grandma and Grandpa Reinke, Aunt Brooke and Uncle Todd and cousins Kendall and Braden. We took the girls to the Farmers Market, a neighborhood picnic and on a couple walks in Waukazoo Woods. Paul and I even got a little time to ourselves to wander around downtown Holland. I really love West Michigan in the summer. There's just something about being so close to the lake...I think it's in the air. :) Anyway, we had a fun weekend with the family. I wish we lived closer so we could visit more often (especially now that B and T have a new boat - can't wait to see it!).

The following weekend, the weather finally warmed up some and we had our first "swim" in the kiddie pool. That was fun, but a little hard for me since I was home alone that day. Penelope spent the majority of the time trying to lean over and climb out the side. Thankfully, Amelia just relaxed and chewed on the water toys and I tried my best to take a few pictures and some video. I don't know what I would have done had they both tried to crawl out. I don't think I thought that idea out very well. 2 wet and slippery babies probably requires 2 pairs of adults hands. :) We went swimming again yesterday (and yes, Paul was home this time) and they seemed to enjoy it more. Amelia really got into splashing with her hands and kicking her legs around. Penelope splashed a little and played with the toys, but after about 10 minutes, started to make her exit. Oh well, maybe swimming just isn't her favorite thing (at least for this summer)...

Last weekend, we took another road trip to Indiana to attend my cousin Megan's wedding reception and visit more family. It was really neat to see all my Hasler cousins and their families. The number of kids everyone has really grew over this past year. Paul and I went from 0 to 2 kids and my cousins Melissa, 3 to 4, and Brad, 1 to 4. There were babies and toddlers and tweens all over the place. It was quite a family reunion!

This weekend we stayed in town but still kept busy - at least on Saturday. We decided to head to Marysville to check out the Union County Fair and some farm animals. I must admit - Amelia and Penelope both seemed quite unimpressed with the whole thing. :D Well, except for the sheep barn - when a curious little guy stuck his head out close to the stroller and let out a loud "baaa". At first I thought Amelia was laughing, but then quickly realized those were scared cries and then that set off Penelope... So there we are in the sheep and goat barn with 2 crying babies. Gotta love it! :) I was hesitant to show them too many more animals fearing what might happen when a cow "moos" or a pig "oinks" but they were fine the rest of the time. They both even took a little catnap in their awesome new City Mini stroller. Maybe next year will be a better age to show them the farm animals at the county fair. Although next weekend we might try to go the Ohio State Fair, but I have low expectations - and know to stay away from the sheep! :D

So while June seemed to be Penelope's month to get moving, July has been all about Amelia. By the first of July, Penelope was getting really good (and fast) at crawling and Amelia has spent the month catching up. Early in July, she started to "creep" on her belly and a couple weeks after that, she figured out how to get herself from laying on her belly to sitting up and also how to pull herself. After practicing in the crib for a few days, she had it down pat and has been pulling up on anything she can get her hands on. I must say she's pretty brave too - she's quick to let go with both hands if something - or someone - distracts her. There have been a few falls and bumps to the head, but I think that comes with the territory. Lately, her crawling has been a mix between an army crawl on her belly and on her hands and knees. I think when she gets tired, she prefers to creep on belly. She's good at that though and I have a hard time when her and Penelope go off in separate directions! Most of the time though, they go after the same things - TV remote, bumbo seat (they really like climbing on it and pulling up on it), the couch. a small trunk with all the Wii accessories and of course, the TV and entertainment center. I keep saying we need to get on the ball with baby-proofing because there will come time when the extra large pack-n-play can no longer hold both of them (happily anyway!) and instead we need to use an entire room to contain and entertain without fear of them getting hurt.

So I think that's about it...at least as far as activities and milestones go... I will work on finding some pictures to post later this evening.