Ramblings of a Stay At Home Mom...: Happy New Year!!!

What a year 2010 has been...It has come and gone in somewhat of a blur and literally feels like the blink of an eye.

Last year on December 23rd we brought home our 4 pound preemie twins, and so began "The Year of the Babies". The entire year was literally focused around these 2 tiny little beings that needed love, nurturing, food, and constant tending to. We ate, slept (barely!) and breathed babies pretty much the whole year. Even little Alyssa's whole world was centered around feeding and napping schedules, and being told "Not now"...

Its hard to properly describe this year, partially because it really does seem like a blur, and partly because it was so exhausting and tiring, yet at the same time so comfortable and exactly where we wanted to be. I found myself many times through the year, and even over the past 2 weeks tearing up just standing in the kitchen and watching these 3 little people who have taken over our house...What a great place to be!! It is so very different than my New Years Post from last year (click here to read The Crazy Adventures of 2009)

January and February were the foggiest for sure, 3 hour feedings around the clock. 2 Babies with pretty bad reflux who would take 45 minutes each to eat, just to barf it all up when they were done...Pumping all the milk they drank was also an exhausting and full time job, but well worth the hassle...Bottle washing, diapers and laundry...oh the endless piles of laundry...I don't even remember anything else about those months...just the 24/7 job of taking care of the twins...I can't even say how we properly took care of Alyssa...I do know that we had A LOT of help from our parents, BOTH sets who clearly helped us survive...

Feb/March, I know we hired some help...She eased the load a bit with laundry, dishes and bottle washing...there was still a whole lot of diapers, barfing, laundry and pumping that was even more than just she could do.

March we took the family to Roblin, Manitoba to see Kirks dying grandmother...BEST decision we could have ever made...and I'm proud that we bit the bullet and flew with 2 newborns and a 3 year old, then drove 3 hours in a rental car, stopping to breastfeed both babies in a parking lot...Grandma Rose was so happy to meet her grandchildren and hold those babies, it was absolutely worth it. Alyssa still talks about Grandma Rose and will always cherish the little Bride/Groom ornament that Rose gave her...

April our help quit, which was fine I was happy to try and do it myself...the fog started to clear a bit and I can't recall the specifics but I remember being pretty happy to be home loving on my kids...

May/June, still pretty busy with pumping, laundry, feedings, although the barfing started to improve and things started looking up, the weather was better and we were able to get out for walks and I could at least take Alyssa to the backyard to play while the babies napped inside.

June we had company at our house, I very clearly recall the babies being VERY difflicult. They still needed 5 or 6 bottles a day Plus now we had to add in Baby food...YUCK...I hate that stage...literally all I did all day was feed bottles and feed baby food, not to mention Alyssa's food, oh and sometimes I'd throw in some food for me and Kirk

Sadly in June we lost Grandma Rose...she took a trip up to the Rainbows as Alyssa would say...

July/August we had Peggy come and help us out...what a Godsend she was. She came everyday and helped with breakfast, dishes, laundry and babysitting so Alyssa and I could get out of the house...We were able to go to the Zoo, Calaway Park, and spend some nice sunny days jumping through the sprinkler and doing yard work...Kirk spent A LOT of the summer doing renovations in our backyard, and I'm excited this coming summer to be able to enjoy our hard work as soon as spring arrives!

August we took Alyssa on her Mini camping trip to Calaway park...

August was probably the BEST milestone the babies hit, holding their own bottles...Hallelujah!!! What a time saver that was!!

September was a month of firsts for Alyssa. She started preschool, which she has totally rocked since! She took skating lessons for the first time with Papa Murray, she loved it and can't wait to start again in the new year. She also started her Ballet classes which she LOVES...

October, Blake started crawling and Leah was a rolling fool, and these 2 little people finally became easier, busier but easier...I finally packed away the pump and stopped nursing...I am super proud to have done that for them for 11.5 months...I swore every single day I was going to quit...but I stuck with it...Holy time saver though when I was finally done. Peggy had been with us since July, and sadly at the end of October our time together ended.

Novemer Kirks parents arrived back for the winter...Yahooo!! November 4th we celebrated the Babies 1st precious year of life. November 7th, we had them Baptized and celebrated the Little Miracles that they are...we thank God everyday for our babies.

December 6th Alyssa turned 4 years old, and we celebrated with a Puppy Party!

Leah is crawling and Blake is cruising all over the place...

We spent the past 12 days at home the 5 of us, just relaxing and spending quality family time together...

We also just this week we were blessed with another little Niece Maja...

We have had an amazingly crazy, busy, tiring, exhausting and completey rewarding year...We are so blessed to be surrounded by our families...My parents who are 5 minutes away and always willing and eager to help out. Kirks parents who come for the winter and give themselves to us fully the entire time they are here...Our siblings and nieces and nephews whom we never tire of and can't wait to see...THANK YOU for helping us survive the Year of the Babies!!

This New Years we had Kris, Jane, Sophie and Gabe come for a sleep over...

We ordered Pizza and had lots food...

We had fun just hanging out and playing with the kids

They all seemed to be having a GREAT time...

Gabe liked Alyssa's new vanity and kept saying he was "Bewteeful"...

and of course he is a very "Bewteeful" boy!!

Auntie and Uncle are always so fun and good with the kids...

See Leahs giant goosehed and bruise? Yeah temper tantrum and head banging on the floor...

The "Boys"

Please Dad!!

Our family of 6, best we could do...the babies only wanted to pull Oscars hair...

The house guests

The girls had their very first sleep over, it was pretty priceless...I'm not sure who was more excited...the girls or Jane and I watching the girls...They were eager to put on their princess jammies and share a seat and have their bedtime snack...as poor Gabe watched on...Don't worry Gabe next year Blake will be big enough for you to play with more...