Monday, March 29, 2010

Dr. Seuss Birthday Theme - Thing One and Thing Two


I had so much fun with this "Thing One and Thing Two" theme for the twins' birthday party. In case you can't recall, Thing One and Thing Two are from Dr. Seuss' "Cat in the Hat" book, but we rounded the party out with all kinds of Seuss. Because we mostly had adults (they're the ones I owe big thanks to for help during the first year) I made tags with names of Dr. Seuss books to put on people's backs for them to ask 'yes or no' questions to guess what book was on their back. Many of us realized just how many Dr. Seuss books are that we forgot about. I also had pictures of the twins during their first year hanging from paper lanterns and the other game we had was to put the pictures in chronological order. My niece, Jackie, got six out of ten right and she won a goldfish (remember the fish in the bowl from "Cat in the Hat" - he was at the party too). I put together favors with a blank Dr. Seuss mini-book, bookmark, and mechanical pencil. I found a fun idea for centerpieces online that had Gerber Daisies and a brightly colored boa - very Seuss-like. Thanks to Tracy for making a fun Cat in the Hat cake - I can't believe I managed to miss taking a picture, I really meant to. She took the idea and ran with it and I loved her finished product. She also made individual "Thing One" and "Thing Two" cakes for each twin. The cake was Red Velvet Cake and went with the bright colors we had for the party. Joy and especially Grace very much enjoyed the cake - they started a little timid but we're very thrilled by the end, Grace even managed to get it in her hair. I also had Grandma Dori make special shirts for the girls out of Thing One and Thing Two fabric, very sweet. (Mom and Dad both had Cat in the Hat shirts too!) Oh, and I couldn't forget to thank Stephanie for her photography - it was such a beautiful day that everything looked so vibrant and beautiful. Her candid shots were excellent!





Happy 1st Birthday, Joy and Grace

One year ago today, our precious Joy and Grace arrived and changed our world. It was definitely challenging in the beginning, but I had so much support that I can't help but feel incredibly blessed. Grandma Dori has been so helpful with cooking among so many other things; Grandma Linda stayed with us for the first month (or so) after they were born - and would even sleep with a baby and help with night feedings. This year really has flown by and there have been many delightful points. Many people at my church were supportive with holding babies and giving me a break. The Thorsen Family have become especially dear to my heart for all the love and cuddles they've given to Joy and Grace (and all the breaks they've given me). I'm sure this first year would have been much more difficult without them.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

And isn't it just heavenly, when your little angels are sleeping? I admit, there is a tiny pang of guilt at just how much joy I feel when my girls are sleeping. We recently decided to toss out the vacant crib and toddler bed, and just go for one big bed for all the girls. I think it's working out well so far. I go in and out of the bed during the night to nurse the twins, who seem more interested in nursing in the night than during the day. They are seeming to nurse less and less during the day. I know it'd probably be good to work on night weaning - if anybody knows of a way to do this without causing a lot of turmoil - I'm open to suggestions.