Tonight Grace and Kate to a startling realization and we just happened to catch it on video.
This would have to be in the top five parenting moments so far. They realized there was another baby!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awYattjBW3M&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Check out the link. I can't post the video from my phone.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Video Blog!
Hello everyone,
I have come to the decision to make this blog more into a video blog of the girls. I have found that I consider it a successful day if I can get the dishwasher loaded and unloaded, so needless to say there isn't much time for blogging. So, here it is for your enjoyment. The Grace and Kate show :)
I have come to the decision to make this blog more into a video blog of the girls. I have found that I consider it a successful day if I can get the dishwasher loaded and unloaded, so needless to say there isn't much time for blogging. So, here it is for your enjoyment. The Grace and Kate show :)
Monday, May 7, 2012
Our Biggest Adventure Yet.
Hello everyone.
Man, do we have a lot to catch you up on. I'm going to see if I can write this blog before the girls wake up to eat (we have roughly 15 minutes). As I type Kate is lounging in my arms and her butt keeps hitting the mouse on my computer, so this will make the blog just a little more interesting :)
Well, first things first. We moved back to Chicago last week. What?!? Are you crazy? You have two little babies. Move to Chicago, when all your family is in KC? I know that is probably what you are thinking. But this is a God sized moved and He has made his presence known in every step of the way. We had to keep this low key the last few months.The reason we moved back to Chicago was because Austin got his dream youth pastor job at our old Church , Park Community Church. We are friends with a lot of the students in the youth ministry and it wasn't announced to them until this past week, and we didn't want to be the spoilers of the surprise. Nobody likes the surprise spoilers :)
This adventure started before the girls were even born. Austin was working full time at Applebee's corporate headquarters and part time as a youth pastor and putting in over 90 hours a week.We knew that this wasn't something that could be continued with the girls on the way. We made a big decision that Austin would pursue a full time ministry position. We didn't know how it was all going to work, but in the end it did! We ended up back in Chicago with Austin working at Park.
The girls have been fabulous with all of the changes. We are finally trying to get them on a schedule. As you can imagine, we went back and forth to Chicago to look for apartments and interviews and there was no such thing as a schedule for the girls. While we miss our sweet family in Kansas City we know this is where God has placed us and we are excited to be back in the city!
Man, do we have a lot to catch you up on. I'm going to see if I can write this blog before the girls wake up to eat (we have roughly 15 minutes). As I type Kate is lounging in my arms and her butt keeps hitting the mouse on my computer, so this will make the blog just a little more interesting :)
Well, first things first. We moved back to Chicago last week. What?!? Are you crazy? You have two little babies. Move to Chicago, when all your family is in KC? I know that is probably what you are thinking. But this is a God sized moved and He has made his presence known in every step of the way. We had to keep this low key the last few months.The reason we moved back to Chicago was because Austin got his dream youth pastor job at our old Church , Park Community Church. We are friends with a lot of the students in the youth ministry and it wasn't announced to them until this past week, and we didn't want to be the spoilers of the surprise. Nobody likes the surprise spoilers :)
This adventure started before the girls were even born. Austin was working full time at Applebee's corporate headquarters and part time as a youth pastor and putting in over 90 hours a week.We knew that this wasn't something that could be continued with the girls on the way. We made a big decision that Austin would pursue a full time ministry position. We didn't know how it was all going to work, but in the end it did! We ended up back in Chicago with Austin working at Park.
The girls have been fabulous with all of the changes. We are finally trying to get them on a schedule. As you can imagine, we went back and forth to Chicago to look for apartments and interviews and there was no such thing as a schedule for the girls. While we miss our sweet family in Kansas City we know this is where God has placed us and we are excited to be back in the city!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Are they Identical?
Sorry that we haven't been posting much the last few weeks. We have been very busy with both our sweet girls, and haven't had much time to blog. But I (Austin) wanted to take a few minutes to let you know how Grace and Kate were doing.
Overall both Grace and Kate are doing great! They are nearly double their birth weight (around 8 pounds now)! They are very good eaters! They don't always sleep through the night, but we are getting on a better schedule with them. Typically they eat around every 3 hours and generally sleep in between.
Car rides have definitely been the best trick we have found to get the girls to sleep when they are fussy. But we can't just drive down the street; they need a good 15-20 minute ride to really get them to sleep.
One of the most common questions we get when new people meet them is "Are they identical?" The answer we give is that while we aren't sure, neither Sara or I can tell them apart. Both girls look so similar that the only real way we can tell them apart is that Grace has her toes painted red. In addition to this, however, we have started to notice some differences in their personalities. Grace is becoming more of the drama queen and fusses with the slightest little thing. Kate prides herself is always giving Sara and myself goofy facial expressions. We are trying to capture some of these expression with a camera, and will soon post pictures to give you a glimpse of her funny faces.
We will be back later this week with some more updates. Thanks for your continued prayer and support of our beautiful girls!
Overall both Grace and Kate are doing great! They are nearly double their birth weight (around 8 pounds now)! They are very good eaters! They don't always sleep through the night, but we are getting on a better schedule with them. Typically they eat around every 3 hours and generally sleep in between.
Car rides have definitely been the best trick we have found to get the girls to sleep when they are fussy. But we can't just drive down the street; they need a good 15-20 minute ride to really get them to sleep.
One of the most common questions we get when new people meet them is "Are they identical?" The answer we give is that while we aren't sure, neither Sara or I can tell them apart. Both girls look so similar that the only real way we can tell them apart is that Grace has her toes painted red. In addition to this, however, we have started to notice some differences in their personalities. Grace is becoming more of the drama queen and fusses with the slightest little thing. Kate prides herself is always giving Sara and myself goofy facial expressions. We are trying to capture some of these expression with a camera, and will soon post pictures to give you a glimpse of her funny faces.
We will be back later this week with some more updates. Thanks for your continued prayer and support of our beautiful girls!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Kate and Grace Meet Annalise!
It's quite in our house right now (knock on wood) so I actually have time to blog :)
My bother got married last July. Not only did I get an amazing sister in law but I got a fabulous niece as well. This is blog is about how Annalise finally got to meet her cousins :)
When I first found out I was pregnant, Annalise told me that there were two babies in my belly. I said no way girl, but low and behold there were two babies in my belly. When I had my first ultrasound and found out that we were in fact expecting twins Vanessa (my sister in law) told Annalise and she simply replied with "I already knew". Seriously, she is the baby whisper. We told Annalise she could meet the babies after Christmas, not thinking much about it due to the fact that March was in fact after Christmas. As Christmas approached Annalise became more and more excited. Unfortunately, she thought she would get to meet the babies the day after Christmas. After the girls were born Annalise didn't get to meet the babies due to the fact they were in the NICU and they couldn't have visitors under 16.
With confidence we told Annalise she could meet the babies on Easter. Unfortunately, Kate was admitted at Children's Mercy and we were not able to get to introduce Annalise to her cousins.
Annalise was finally able to meet Kate and Grace on Tuesday. She was so excited to meet them. Before, she wanted to hold them she wanted to check out the car seats and rock and plays to make sure they were safe for the babies.
We are so blessed to have Vanessa and Annalise as part of our family and it was such a joy to see Annalise finally meet her cousins!
My bother got married last July. Not only did I get an amazing sister in law but I got a fabulous niece as well. This is blog is about how Annalise finally got to meet her cousins :)
When I first found out I was pregnant, Annalise told me that there were two babies in my belly. I said no way girl, but low and behold there were two babies in my belly. When I had my first ultrasound and found out that we were in fact expecting twins Vanessa (my sister in law) told Annalise and she simply replied with "I already knew". Seriously, she is the baby whisper. We told Annalise she could meet the babies after Christmas, not thinking much about it due to the fact that March was in fact after Christmas. As Christmas approached Annalise became more and more excited. Unfortunately, she thought she would get to meet the babies the day after Christmas. After the girls were born Annalise didn't get to meet the babies due to the fact they were in the NICU and they couldn't have visitors under 16.
With confidence we told Annalise she could meet the babies on Easter. Unfortunately, Kate was admitted at Children's Mercy and we were not able to get to introduce Annalise to her cousins.
Annalise was finally able to meet Kate and Grace on Tuesday. She was so excited to meet them. Before, she wanted to hold them she wanted to check out the car seats and rock and plays to make sure they were safe for the babies.
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| Annalise and Grace |
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| Annalise and Kate |
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
We're Home!
We are finally all home from the hospital!
For those of you who don't know, Kate and Grace were born premature and spent the first 4 weeks of life in the NICU at Centerpoint Hospital. (This is standard procedure for preemie babies.) Fortunately there were no major health issues with either Grace or Kate, so after they both had gained enough weight, maintained their body temperatures, and were eating well, they were allowed to come home (Grace on March 27 and Kate on March 29.)
After the girls came home we spent about 36 hours together at home, just the four of us, before we discovered that Grace had developed a fever of over 100. On Saturday (March 31) around 5 AM we took Grace up to the ER and they quickly transferred her to Children's Mercy South where she was admitted for the weekend. All the tests came back negative and on Monday morning Grace was discharged; we thought we were in the clear.
Then Monday afternoon came around, and the same thing happened to Kate. She had a high fever and was also admitted to Children's Mercy. It took her a little longer to fight off whatever bug had made her sick, but we were finally able to discharge her from the hospital yesterday.
Everyone is home again; all four of us under one roof! Both girls are really healthy and doing great. They are over 7 pounds now! Thank you to everyone who was praying for them; we can't tell you how much we appreciate your love and support!
For those of you who don't know, Kate and Grace were born premature and spent the first 4 weeks of life in the NICU at Centerpoint Hospital. (This is standard procedure for preemie babies.) Fortunately there were no major health issues with either Grace or Kate, so after they both had gained enough weight, maintained their body temperatures, and were eating well, they were allowed to come home (Grace on March 27 and Kate on March 29.)
After the girls came home we spent about 36 hours together at home, just the four of us, before we discovered that Grace had developed a fever of over 100. On Saturday (March 31) around 5 AM we took Grace up to the ER and they quickly transferred her to Children's Mercy South where she was admitted for the weekend. All the tests came back negative and on Monday morning Grace was discharged; we thought we were in the clear.
Then Monday afternoon came around, and the same thing happened to Kate. She had a high fever and was also admitted to Children's Mercy. It took her a little longer to fight off whatever bug had made her sick, but we were finally able to discharge her from the hospital yesterday.
Everyone is home again; all four of us under one roof! Both girls are really healthy and doing great. They are over 7 pounds now! Thank you to everyone who was praying for them; we can't tell you how much we appreciate your love and support!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Being A Daddy
This post took about 4 hours to write.
As I was writing I (Austin) was feeding Grace. Every time I thought she was finished eating, I'd burp her, snuggle a bit, and then go back to writing. Of course, no more than a few minutes of writing, she would wake up and we'd do the routine over again. As soon as I finally got her to sleep, Kate woke up and we went through the same thing. Now all my girls (Sara included) are sleeping soundly and I can finish writing.
I have been a daddy for just over a month now! To say it simply, it has been the most nerve-racking, fun, sleepless, invigorating, stressful, and enjoyable month of my entire life.
For this post I thought I would share with you a few thoughts I've had over the past month and what I've been learning from my new role of a daddy. Then I'd like to close with a brief letter to my two beautiful girls.
1. Being a daddy reminds me of the important things in life.
2. Being a daddy has helped me understand better the character of God as my Heavenly Father.
3. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest joys in my life
4. Being a daddy has given me a greater appreciation for my parents.
5. Being a good daddy is a legacy I hope to leave to my daughters, that one day they would also marry Godly men who are also good husbands and daddies.
6. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest responsibilities God has entrusted to me, but is also one of the greatest blessings He's given to me.
I absolutely love being a daddy. I love my daughters; getting to hold their hand, getting to cuddle with them, and getting to see them learn and grow even over this short amount of time. I'm excited to take them on daddy/daughter dates, to see them walk for the first time, and to hear them say their first words (which will be 'daddy,' of course). I can't wait for them to grow up, yet I absolutely treasure the moments we have right now.
Grace and Kate, your daddy loves you, and I hope you always know that to be true. But even more importantly, I want you to know that you have a daddy in Heaven who loves you more than I ever could, enough to send Jesus to save you so that you could be with Him forever. As your daddy here on Earth, my prayer for you both is that you love God, your heavenly daddy more than anything else. He's entrusted me with the job of caring for you, spoiling you, and teaching you about Him, and I'm going to do my best. I'll always love you; I'll always cherish you; and I'll always be your daddy.
Love,
Dad
As I was writing I (Austin) was feeding Grace. Every time I thought she was finished eating, I'd burp her, snuggle a bit, and then go back to writing. Of course, no more than a few minutes of writing, she would wake up and we'd do the routine over again. As soon as I finally got her to sleep, Kate woke up and we went through the same thing. Now all my girls (Sara included) are sleeping soundly and I can finish writing.
I have been a daddy for just over a month now! To say it simply, it has been the most nerve-racking, fun, sleepless, invigorating, stressful, and enjoyable month of my entire life.
For this post I thought I would share with you a few thoughts I've had over the past month and what I've been learning from my new role of a daddy. Then I'd like to close with a brief letter to my two beautiful girls.
1. Being a daddy reminds me of the important things in life.
2. Being a daddy has helped me understand better the character of God as my Heavenly Father.
3. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest joys in my life
4. Being a daddy has given me a greater appreciation for my parents.
5. Being a good daddy is a legacy I hope to leave to my daughters, that one day they would also marry Godly men who are also good husbands and daddies.
6. Being a daddy has been one of the greatest responsibilities God has entrusted to me, but is also one of the greatest blessings He's given to me.
I absolutely love being a daddy. I love my daughters; getting to hold their hand, getting to cuddle with them, and getting to see them learn and grow even over this short amount of time. I'm excited to take them on daddy/daughter dates, to see them walk for the first time, and to hear them say their first words (which will be 'daddy,' of course). I can't wait for them to grow up, yet I absolutely treasure the moments we have right now.
Grace and Kate, your daddy loves you, and I hope you always know that to be true. But even more importantly, I want you to know that you have a daddy in Heaven who loves you more than I ever could, enough to send Jesus to save you so that you could be with Him forever. As your daddy here on Earth, my prayer for you both is that you love God, your heavenly daddy more than anything else. He's entrusted me with the job of caring for you, spoiling you, and teaching you about Him, and I'm going to do my best. I'll always love you; I'll always cherish you; and I'll always be your daddy.
Love,
Dad
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