Twins made easy

almost a year!

natalochka — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:59:02 +0000

I can’t believe the girls are almost a year old already! Kudos to us for surviving the first year with twins. I also have 1 more day of my summer semester. yay! The girls are not walkingyet, but I think Lana will be soon. They know what toes are, and where your nose is. They also both know what kisses are – actually today was the first day that Tati went in for a kiss after I asked for one! Lana will soemtimes lean in for a kiss, and othertimes smack you playfully when asked for a kiss! I am excited about them getting new toys to play with. They are going to have so much fun!
The yard is finally done (more or less). We are able to have company over! We have already had a play date here with our friend Monica and her two boys. We are also having a Wine tasting on Monday with friends from Josh’s work (Trader Joes!), and company over on Tuesday for dinner and wine. Its sooo nice to have a usable yard!
Turns out I do have a diastasis (of my abdominal muscles)so now I am seeing a physical therapist for it. Hopefully I can get it back into shape before another pregnancy!

at the lake

walking in Half Moon Bay

11months

natalochka — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:17:06 +0000

Wow – our little ladies are now 11 months. Nearly a year has gone by. Tati is working on her 3rd tooth, and Lana finally got her first in. They both stand so well, and I think that Lana will try to walk soon. Lana knows several words (ball, book, dada, doggy) although only ‘dada’ actually sounds right. She can also do sign language for milk, book, doggy…and tati does more,and book. So cute! Tati is our little bookworm. She frequently falls asleep while reading and just topples forward.
We just got new grass in the front, as well as a section in the backyard. In a week we can go and enjoy it with the girls! We are so excited. We are still expanding our veggie garden (which has been producing lots of great vegetables for us), and we are getting a soft mulch in the remainder of the backyard. Eventually we will build a few raised beds for some flowers. We have decided to put tile in the kitchen, since we have to fix the floor. Found a beautiful tile for it…
We have been doing well without Zeus. Of course we think of him often, but we know it was the right thing. Barnum gets to go out on walks at least twice a day now, which is good for me and him! I know this is sooo short, but I am soo tired – the girls have been waking up at 5:30am! And I have to function tomorrow so I can get some homework done. Already half way through the summer semester! YAY!

Tiny Tati!

Little Lana!

So many milestones, RIP Zeus

natalochka — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:20:19 +0000

Zeus the night before we had to put him down

Rest in peace my beautiful Zeus. June 4th, 2009 we had to put Zeus down at 10:45am. it was truly one of the most heartbreaking moments Josh and I have ever been through together. Zeus could no longer eat due to a growth (possible cancer) in his stomach. He only had a few days left, so we opted to put him down sooner than later – we didn’t want him to starve to death! We are so devastated, but know it is for the best. Now Barnum can get more attention and more walks. We will always miss him. Zeus was the perfect example of how great pit bulls can be. He was actually kind of a wuss…Even though he was 120lbs (before he got sick that is, he was below 100lbs when we put him down) he slept under the covers with us,and he had no idea how strong or powerful he was. OK, now I’m about to cry, so I will move on to happier thoughts.

I will always love you Zeus!

These last 2 weeks have been full of milestones. Lana is super mobile now. She can almost stand without holding on to anything. She started to clap on June 2nd or 3rd, and on the 4th she started to wave and say ‘ball’ (she already says ‘dada’). I’m still not sure she knows who ‘mama’ is, but oh well…Tati got her first tooth on the 3rd, and her second tooth popped through today. Yay! Now its just a matter of time for Lana’s teeth to come through. Lana has had some sleep/nap issues lately – which I am hoping are due to teething.

The girls are down to 3 bottles now, and have 3 meals and some snacks. Only 2 more months before they get regular milk!

I started school recently – it’s going well. I started just as Zeus got very sick, so that made it a little hard. But I am looking forward to next semester already! So far both classes are hard, but I am actually trying to learn the concepts, not just get by. Speaking of school, I should get back to my homework….One last thought – we may get our yard landscaped and I am beyond excited. It would change so many things for us. How nice would it be to have friends over, or playdates, or let the girls play on the grass!! Also, I have not been at the gym in toooo long, but I am trying to walk and jog, and have lost a few more pounds….

Tatiana nakie! Don't worry - Josh was right there so she couldn't fall

Lana nakie! Josh was right here also...

And we have gone fishing a few times now! Its so great to be out there. We got great pictures of a hawk, and did some wine tasting last time – can’t wait to go back!

Josh's mom, brother and the girls at Del Valle when they came to visit

hawk at Del Valle

Anniversary

natalochka — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:26:52 +0000

Once again, it has been a while. I have so much to say! it was our 2 year anniversary (although 7.5 years together)on the 22nd of May. We took the girls to the lake to hang out, swim and fish. Then we went wine tasting. We had a really great day and can’t wait to go back. It has been great going fishing again, although we have been skunked everytime so far. A guy named George gave us some of his trout so he could stay longer when we were at Sandy Wool. We smoked it for the first time and it came out really well. Of course our fishinf trips are short for now – we can only go in between naps so that everybody stays happy. But at least we are getting out there!
Lana is now officially crawling. She is also pulling herslef up to stand. Tati is not any closer to crawling. I am not worried though. They also still do not have teeth – but I am pretty sure they are coming. I think I can see them, and first Tati was very cranky/needy for about a week, and now Lana is getting there.We think that Lana will be the more athletic one, and that Tati will be the thinker. She enjoys playing with the balls, and putting them in the right spot on this silly giraffe toy that she has. Lana doesn’t get it yet.
Our garden is doing really well for the most part. The bell peppers are barely growing, but everything else is flourishing. We even had our first radish the other day.
School starts on Monday! Yikes!!
Our old roommate Micah died right before our anniversary. Although we had left off on bad terms, we ran into him a few months ago, and we all apologized. He apparently comitted suicide. I’m so sad for him – he had many people who cared. So Micah, I hope that you can rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and friends through this difficult time.

my ladies

9 months already!

natalochka — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:49:51 +0000

So the little ladies are now 9 months old. We had a great dr.’s visit the other day. Lana is 27.5 inches and 19lbs10oz. Tati is 26.5 inches and 16lbs10oz. Lana is getting better and better at trying to crawl, and Tati is still working on it. Still no teeth – but they have been doing really well at finger foods.
Josh and I are going to finally go fishing on Tuesday with the girls. We bought a big sun shelter (looks like a tent, its 7x5ft) so the girls will have plenty of room to play in htere out of the sun. Josh is the only one with a fishing license, but he got a second rod stamp. I will have to be with the girls most of the time anyway. I am so excited to be out by the lake. Nothing beats spending time out there. Josh had heard that the biggest reason for divorce after kids was b/c the parents could no longer do the things they enjoyed pre-kids. So we have decided that we better get going and do the things we love but include the girls.
The girls are on a new schedule that seems to be working great for us:

6.30-7 wake, 7oz bottle
7.30-8 breakfast
9.30 nap
11 5oz bottle
12 lunch
1.30 nap
3 5oz bottle
5 dinner
6.15-6.30 7oz bottle
7 bed

School starts in 2 or 3 weeks – and I am getting a little anxious. I am having such a great time with everything right now – I hope I don’t get overwhelmed. Of course, it is sooo important for me to finish my degree finally. I just need to finish…then maybe we can think about another baby(or two)!

Ladies at the park

Tati and Lana

Kisses

natalochka — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 23:35:23 +0000

So, I think that I have now gotten kisses from both of the girls. I am pretty sure that Tati has been giving me kisses for a little while now. Often times when she sits on the floor in front of me, she turns around towards me, grabs me and pulls me towards her, and then gives me an open mouth, tongue sticking out ‘kiss’. Lana on the other hand has only kissed me twice I think. Both times it was open mouth but not slobbery. They both sort of look like they are going to take a bit of my cheek – bit its oh so cute!
Tati has done really well catching up with Lana as far as trying to crawl and rolling around. We have spent a lot of time at the park lately, since there is a lot more space on the grass for them to move around, than here in their small bedroom. I bought sunscreen, but I need to go get one specifically for their faces. After our walk today, I noticed they both had a little more color – and I am terrified of them burning! I am also going to get hats with bigger brims. OK, off to Target…..

at the farmers market

beautiful babies

natalochka — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 04:50:37 +0000

Lana

I didn’t really know what to title this post, and I think my babies are beautiful, so why not…So, I am still waiting on teeth. Tati started to do this funny thing with her tongue and lower gums the last few days, so maybe, just maybe, we will see a tooth soon. They are both doing well with some small finger foods, although I am super paranoid about them choking. Lana sits there and concentrates on the puff (these really are like baby crack…mid-tantrum the sight of puffs will calm them down) and picks it up with her thumb and forefinger. She really focuses and does this well. Tatiana on the other hand will see the puffs, and grab at any/all of them, and try to get whatever she might have in her hand to her mouth – which actually makes it in about half the time. I am just trying to let them practice everyday. It sure is fun to watch, and at least the puffs aren’t messy.

I met with another twin mom at the park by my house the other day. It was really fun! The girls were on the swing for a bit, and then played on the grass. She brought a ball, and some other toys for them to play with. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a ball, and went out there today with them and some toys and books. Its so nice to get outside. Just as I finished telling her that Lana would sleep anywhere, Karina, her nanny, point4ed out that lana fell asleep in the swing! I got a picture of it, but haven’t transfered it to the computer yet. I will definitely post it though!

As far as me stuff, I saw an old friend from high school today at Target. It was really odd b/c I was just thinking about her the other day and thought I would look her up….funny how things turn out. I am super excited about school, although I am still working on my summer classes with my advisor. Turns out they havbe a prereq. for acct. that I may not have completed. Well, that class is already full for the summer…That would really put me behind – that would mean that I would only be able to start acct. in the spring. There are a few classes with acct. as a prereq. Also, I need to remain a full time student for the grants and financial aid. oh well…I may find out by tomorrow. The garden is really great. Although some of the plants we tried to sprout from seeds have not grown well, while others are doing great. We might just have to go and buy them. OK, Josh is in bed, and I am going to join him. Tomorrow he starts at 3am, and its his 6th day working so that he can have my easter off. Gotta Love him!!

Tatiana

Change of plans

natalochka — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 02:54:47 +0000

Once again,my plans for school have changed. My class was supposed to start in 6 days. I did the orientation, got my books, etc. Then I got an email from a state school, saying that my financial aid award letter was complete, and I could log in and see. So I decided to check it out, and I couldn’t believe how much I was getting! FHSU is about half the price of Indiana Tech to begin with, but they have regular semesters (not accelerated), and osme of the tests may need to be proctored. For those reasons, I decided against going there. But when I say that I was getting over 4 times the pell grant through FHSU, I quickly had to reconsider. That means that I would only have to borrow about $1,000-$1500 a semester, instead of $3500. I never felt right about putting us into debt that much. Because I want to move so bad to Livermore, I think that this is the responsible decision. Even aside from moving, this will save us atleast $10,000 in student loans. I am looking forward to having some student loans because it will really help me with my credit. So now I am disappointed that I will have to wait to start class until hopefully June 1 (as long as my official transcripts get there asap and I can still register for classes), but I feel really good about not putting us into so much debt.
The girls are great. There really is such a big difference between the two of them. If I mentioned the bruise-like marks on Tati’s leg, they are all gone now. Tati can sit up really well, but Lana isn’t even close. We think that Lana will start to crawl soon. She just rolls around everywhere, and I can’t leave her for more than a moment. This si going to be hard…..we really need to baby proof. Even so, with the dogs, the babies have limited space to roll around. Tati will get on her tummy, and after a little while, lift her arms and legs so she is just on her belly, and scream. For some reason, she does not roll back over. Don’t know if I should really worry about this or not…I am just trying to make sure she gets tummy time everyday.
They just started eating puffs! Its so cute! tati is not very good at grabbing the puffs – so she usually will grab my hand with both of hers, and bring it to her mouth. When she does manage to pick it up, she’ll forget its there and drop it, or wont be able to get it in her mouth. Lana can sometimes pick up the puffs and get them to her mouth – but she finds it easier to just open wide for mommy to feed her. i’m still looking for teeth, and hoping that in the next month or two we will hear a ‘mam’ or ‘dada’ or ‘papa’ – which ever they prefer. Lana will definitely be first to speak.
I am super excited about our garden this year. We started clearing out the garden area (totally overgrown with weeds). We decided to use all 5 garden beds this year, plus the two spots for tomatoes, and make a spot for some artichokes. We’ve never grown artichokes before, but we enjoy eating them so why not! There are going to be several things that we have never grown before – like radishes, turnips, bell peppers and herbs. Can’t wait to start planting and watching everything grow. The girls will only be able to understand a little later in the summer, but next year we will have out own little helpers!
I have been really bad about going to the gym, but really good about taking walks. Today I walked for 2 miles with the girls, and the day before, I walked 4.8 miles! I bought some baby shoes from someone, and googled their location and thought that walking there would be great! Now if only my jelly-belly would start to melt away………

my little ladies

Oh my gosh!

natalochka — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 06:12:36 +0000

Ok, so I just wrote a long update on everything, added a picture, and before I hit ‘publish’, I foolishly clicked on another link and lost everything. So now, this is going to be short and sweet.
The girls are great – 7 months already. I am so excited about them reaching new milestones, but sad also. It really does go so quickly. No teeth. Tati can sit up, Lana can’t yet. I do feel as if they have just grown up a lot recently – as in developmentally. I feel like they understand so much more than a week or 2 ago. We are on a 2 nap schedule now, and the transition was very easy, thankfully. I am down to 1 or 2 pumps a day – which makes me sad. But at least I managed to freeze 40 oz. I plan to give them each an ounce a day after I stop pumping. It will be like a shot of antibodies!

I have not been good about the gym over the past 2 weeks. I need to get back into it or just quite and save the money. Haven’t decided yet. At least I have been taking many walks…better than nothing.

The twins club had a sale – we sold a bunch of stuff and also bought some cute clothes for the girls as well as a used jogging stroller. Its great!

I am really hoping to work for Monica’s husband from home. Josh wants me to worry about school, and not try to take on too much at once. And he is right – its better that I do not work out of the house yet. I don’t want to- I just want the extra money for our ‘moving to Livermore’ fund. I am so thankful that Josh wants me to stay home with the girls. I know that I am very lucky. And I can’t wait to move to Livermore. 3 or 4 years – that way we can get ready by saving money and working on our credit, but the girls will not be in K yet. I was side-tracked by Windsor, and then I remembered how perfect Livermore is for us. We just love it – lots of fishing nearby, wine country, and lots of Trader Joe’s. Everything that we need. And I would love to raise kids there.

Ok, off to making my baby food…i’ll try to publish it this time…

Lana and Tatiana

Back to School

natalochka — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 18:37:44 +0000

Well, all I have left to do is fill out the FAFSA and see what happens. That will help determine which of the 3 schools I end up going to. It is either Franklin University, Colorado Technical University or University of Phoenix. Even though UoP is the most expensive, the advisor told me that I would have nearly everything paid for. How does he know that? I have no clue. I’ll need to geteverything in writing – I don’t want to get myself and Josh into debt somehow…I’m nervous, anxious and excited about the whole thing. I think I finaly figured out the right concentration for me – Human Resources. I feel really good about this decision. Hopefully it will eventually lead me to a good job. The advisor from UoP said it would take me 2 years-which means the girls will be 2.5 when I finish. That would be great.
We are actually getting a tax return this year (well, we did last year, but it was hardly anything at all). I suppose we do have 2 cute little tax write offs!
Speaking of the girls, Lana is great at rolling over now. She started on feb 4th. Tati finally rolled over on Valentines Day. Josh was off, so that was nice. And my birthday was a few days ago…we didn’t do much. Josh had to work anyway. Maybe next year. I’m really anticipating some teeth soon. We bought a camcorder to tape our little ladies! Can’t wait to post on youtube!