I've been a bad, bad girl...

as Fiona Apple would say. Where have I been!? Life has been so busy, and it's been really hard to keep up with this blog, especially after a long day! It's hard to believe that one of the most amazing years of our lives is coming to an end, but I am so looking forward to what the coming year has to bring.

Ari and Noah have grown so much in the past few months! They've gone from being little balls of silly putty, to strong and curious little munchkins. Noah started crawling on Thanksgiving Day, and Ari just a couple of days after. Both boys are now pulling up on everything to stand, and cruising around! Walking, I'm sure, is right around the corner!

I hope that in the new year I will find the time to blog more. Life is quickly changing on a daily basis and there is so much that I don't want to forget. New pictures to come soon!

Happy New Year, everyone!

We're back!

So sorry for the one month hiatus! When it rains, it pours, and life has definitely been pouring around us. This past month has had its many ups and downs, but we're picking up the pieces and moving on. Yesterday we celebrated Ari and Noah's 8-month birthday! Can you believe it, 8 months!



My sweet, sweet grandma passed away on September 30th. This was the last picture that I took with her and Ari back in August.



The very next day after she passed away, Ari had surgery at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He was such a trooper! Everything went very smoothly, and healed very quickly!



The boys totally love each other! They play together all the time now, and have started fighting over toys! I'm so glad that they have each other.

Ari has a new-found love for taking off his socks...and eating them! It always seems to be the right sock that comes off.

The boys are so interested in everything now. They love to touch and feel objects, and explore. Of course, everything usually ends up in their mouth!

Ari and Noah both have their two bottom teeth! My sister took a bunch of these amazing pictures today. Ari was proud to show his pearly whites!

And if you look very closely, you can see Noah's too!

Ari has also learned to clap! He does it all the time. Of course, I totally dig it when I get a round of applause from a great singing performance! : ) Noah is still working on the clapping, but can totally wave bye-bye!

The boys also have a new-found love for Nixon, and he totally loves them! Our poors dogs have completely been shafted since the boys were born. It's been difficult to give them the attention that they deserve. Now that the boys are becoming more mobile, it's a totally different story!

It's crazy to think that a year has almost passed us by. The boys will be a year in just four more months! An entire year! They're learning so much everyday and growing so quickly! When Mark took the boys in for their second flu shot the other day, Noah weighed 20.8 lbs, and Ari was 20.3 lbs. We are so blessed to have such amazing little munchkins in our lives. I thank God each and every single day for them!

crazy week

Happy 7 months my sweet little angels! I can't believe that time has flown by so quickly! This week has totally been thrown off by the rain days, testing, and life. It's amazing to see how quickly you've grown, and you constantly impress me with all of the new things that you're able to do each day. We love you so much!

Another first!

Last night the boys had their first non-family babysitter, and they did great! Mark and I went out to dinner with my closest of kin to celebrate some birthday fun. My dear friend Lisa was kind enough to offer watching the boys for a couple of hours while we went out! She brought her daughters along for a few extra helping hands! I thought that I'd be a little nervous, but I was completely at ease. We got an excellent report, and the boys were asleep before we got home!

I couldn't be more grateful to have such amazing family and friends in my life! I love you guys!

So stinkin' cute!

Sippin' once, sippin' twice...

The boys tried out their new sippy cups for the first time yesterday! I put just a tad of water in them to let them practice. They seemed very interested!

We're so excited!

I'm not so sure how i feel about this whole television thing, but the boys love it. They're crazy for Moose on Noggin! Everytime they hear his voice, they're glued with their big gummy smiles!



This past weekend on our trip to Costco we put the boys in their car seat stroller frame. Ari usually sits behind Noah, but within a week somehow he grew (who would of thunk it)! His poor little legs had no room to stretch out and were on top of Noah's car seat. So the husband and I decided it was time for the bog boy car seats! Noah was very excited! We tried Ari out in his this evening...he wasn't as excited.


The little doodle-bugs are totally getting a kick out of being able to sit up! They love playing together. I am so glad that they have each other! They are adorable to watch. I missed the moments where Noah was petting Ari's head! : )



Life is so good.

Teeth, they really do double!

Noah is now a member of the "toofus" club! You've caught up to your big brother, little man! You now have your two bottom teeth, and you're drooling up a storm!

A series of firsts...

Yes. This would be Ari's first shiner. I got the whole story today. Apparently little dear one was on his tummy reaching for a toy. When he finally got it he rolled from tummy to back (another first that somehow passed me by), and wacked himself with it in the eye. Poor little trooper!




And yes, our little munchkins can now sit for an extended period of time! Both of the boys sat on our bed for a little while yesterday before bed time. They were so proud of themselves! I can only imagine how exciting it is to have a whole new way to look at the world!

A whole lot of everything, continued...

The boys are growing faster and faster each day! I hate that I'm missing out on picture opportunities while I'm away at work, but I snap away every second I can when I'm at home.

Ari's two bottom teeth have now cut through. He is a drooley mess, and seems to be quite uncomfortable at times. Thank goodness for teething rings! He is still so curious about everything, and pays such close attention to minute details. We think he's going to be a neuro-surgeon! The past two mornings Ari has woken up on his belly. This scares the crap out of me because he doesn't yet know how to roll over back on to his back. Last night I went into his room and flipped him back over because he was sleeping with his face smothered into his mattress!

Noah has been very curious as well lately! He reaches for everything in sight, including the camera! He can now roll over both ways when he chooses to. He usually goes from back to tummy, but then forgets that he know how to roll over back onto his back.

He's also taken up a love for pilates! I'm am totally amazed by his flexibility!

Dear Noah, however, has given us quite a few sleepless nights. Last night was pretty stinkin terrible. He'll go to sleep just fine, but wakes up several times a night screaming his head off. He had two awesome nights over the weekend, but that pattern quickly changed. There was something different about last night, though. Mark and I think that he may have a little tooth cutting through. So instead of sleeping through the night, the little munchkin falls asleep during breakfast because he's so wiped out!

The boys have definitely taken on a love for television! Nogin is the channel of choice. It's amazing how captivated they are by the sounds and colors! Here they are watching Yo Gabba Gabba...a very strange, but entertaining show.

Thanfully the boys also like books! I make sure to read to them at least once every day. Ari loves his Oliva book! Yesterday Mark and I went to Barnes and Noble and bought the boys Where the Wild Things Are, one of my all time favorites! I can only hope that the boys have a true love for books as they grow up!

So that is where we are now. The boys had their 6 month checkup two weeks ago. Ari weighed 18 lbs, 1 oz. and Noah came in at 18 lbs, 10 oz. Both have probably made it to 19 lbs by now! They love to eat and don't miss a meal! We are so lucky to have such awesome babies!

A whole lot of everything!

Oh, I feel so horrible for not being an avid updater! I've been going to bed pretty much right after the boys every night. There's nothing easy about having two full-time jobs! This will be my weekend to update, so check back soon!

A tooth and a sitter!

Holy cow, how time flies! Ari has been a bit fussy lately, and we knew that a tooth was on its way. Well tonight before I gave Ari his bath I took a peek and saw a little white chiclet popping through his gum! Mark and I were do excited that we danced around and cheered! Ari was so proud of himself!

After bath time Mark gave Noah his bottle. When he finished it he wasn't quite tired yet so Mark put him in a sitting position on our bed...and he sat! Still a little wobbly, but he was totally using his muscles to try and keep himself upright!

Our little twinkies are now six months old. Six months! Wow.

I'll make sure to have several kodak moments tomorrow!

Noah's big day!

Yay! So yesterday our little guy (Noah) finally rolled over! Now here's the interesting part, he rolled from tummy to back! Ari's been doing it from back to tummy. I wonder if one will be left handed and the other right, maybe? Here's a picture right after the moment!

She works hard the the money, so hard for it honey!

Which is why I have NO time to post these days! I feel horrible, but it's been so hard for me to stay up and do anything once the munchkins are in bed. I need to teach the grandmas how to use the camera during the day so I can continue my daily kodak moments! I love what I do, but first and foremost I am a mommy to the most amazing twinkies, ever! It's exhausting, but maybe one day we'll win the lottery and I can stick to doing what I love the most...being with my babies!!! We've all been a little exhausted around here lately.

Ari and Noah are still loving their solids! So far we've tried peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Next I think we'll try squash, and then applesauce. I am so thankful that they are such good eaters. Sleeping has been wonderful lately, too!

Noah still isn't rolling over, and Ari isn't as interested in it as he used to be. This afternoon we practiced sitting up. Ari was able to do it for a couple of seconds on his own! Noah is still practicing, but something tells me that he'll be sitting up before he rolls over! They're growing up way too fast!

TGIF!

I can't believe it's been nearly a week since I've blogged. It's been one heck of a week! I got a new group of first graders this past week, which I'm excited about, but lord knows how much I miss my boys!! This week I missed out on the first feeding of sweet potatoes, and I was lucky enough to catch the end of the first carrot feeding today. The boys are loving their veggies, but paparazzi mama isn't around to shot all the action! I'll make sure to get some new pictures this weekend.

I can't wait to spend the weekend with my sweet, delicious babies!Hope you've enjoyed a few from the archives.

Peas, please?

This past Saturday Ari and Noah had their first taste of peas! Noah has taken to them a little better than Ari. Ari, well the picture tells it all! He still makes the same face, but seems to tolerate them. Tomorrow will be sweet potatoes, yum!

Keep smiling, keep shining...

knowing you can always count on me, for sure. Oh, how mommy missed you today! Just remember that I'm thinking about you, wondering about what you're doing, and missing you every second that I'm gone. I love you, sweet babies!

and this is how we roll!

It's Playtime!

The exersaucer has been the new "it" thing here at our house! The boys absolutely love it! They are so interested in all of the toys that are attached to it, and they are so proud of themselves when they press that right button to make the music play! Ari has even been successful at turning himself around, just once though. It's entertainment for me too because it's so fun to watch them play in it. Wish they made one for double!

Thank you!

Dear Ari, Noah, and Mark,

Thank you so much for my wonderful day of indulgence at Spa Sydell yesterday! It was definitely an awesome and much needed treat! I love you boys!

sniff. sniff.

My heart is aching right now knowing that I only have a few more days left with my handsome little fellas. It's that time of year again, where I must go and teach other peoples' children. I'm sad because I feel like I'm going to miss out on all the important moments. I want to be the first one to see my Noah roll over, and to watch Ari explore new things. I want to be the first to see the expression on their face when they try a new vegetable that they love, or a fruit that they don't care for. I'll miss out on the first sitting experience, the first standing experience, and probably the first walking experience. Hopefully they'll save all of these things for when I get home in the afternoon.

I LOVE hearing a great big burpie, and cleaning stinky butts. I love it when we read a story together after their second nap. There's nothing that I love more than seeing the two of them first thing in the morning...they give you the best gummy smiles and are so excited to see you.

Most mornings, I'll probably be gone before they wake up, and when I get home I'll only have a couple of hours with them before bath and bedtime. I can only hope that they get the same daily enriching activities that we've been able to have together over the past five months. I hope they don't forget me. : (

You are the "Dancing Kings!"

And on day four...

they ate a little more!




I'm still trying to get the hang of feeding the boys from a spoon, at the same time. Today was a little frustrating for me. I see how they eat a lot better when I consistently feed them one spoonful after another, so instead of doing one spoonful at a time, each got five at a time. It seemed to work a little better, and I know that eventually we'll get the hang of it. They are such good babies, and I thank them every day for being so patient with me!