Disneyland Sunday

After church on Sunday James and I decided to make our 2nd family trip up to Disneyland with Piper and Phoebe (even though we were both exhausted from a crazy busy day).   After getting all of the baby stuff in the car we were off.

It was a very warm night up in Anaheim and the babies did not need to wear their ears until the very end of the night.  We started our visit off by riding Pirates of the Caribbean with some of our awesome Rancho Capistrano friends, the McKinley's.  It was so nice to spend some time with them at Disneyland.  Even though the babies slept through most of the ride I think they enjoyed it. ;-)

At Dinner Piper was playing with mommy's Minnie ears

After our ride James was starving and so were the girls.  We stopped to feed daddy and give the girls their late night dinner.  Then it was off to Finding Nemo.  James and I were shocked that there was hardly a wait for this very popular ride.  We could not pass up this opportunity.  Phoebe slept through the whole entire ride.  Piper decided that she had to get in on the action.  She started fussing big time. No patting or shushing could get her to stop.  James finally took her out of the carrier and turned her around so she could see the ride.  As soon as she was free to see Piper stopped crying.  It was so awesome to see Piper enjoying the ride.  James and I both agree that Phoebe and Piper will like this ride a lot as they grow.

Piper waiting in a very short line for Nemo

After two rides and a long day mommy and daddy were ready to head home.  We did a little window shopping and then headed home.  It was another awesome night at the Happiest Place on Earth.  I have a feeling we will be back again real soon!

Happy Baby

Piper has found her little toes!!!  She loves performing a one handed "happy baby" pose.  I think she is getting ready to do yoga with her Auntie Hillie-Bear!

Also, Piper has started really belly laughing.  Hearing and watching her laugh makes my heart soar.  I seriously tear up each and every time I hear or see her laughing.

Phoebe and Piper are truly a blessing to our lives.  I look at them each day and am in awe that God trusted James and I to care for them.  I love my babies and I LOVE being a mommy!

USC Kick Study--Part 2

On Monday my dear friend Erin and I took Phoebe and Piper up to the USC Health Sciences Campus to participate in the 2nd part of a kick study being conducted by a PhD student there (the first part of the study was done when the girls were 1 month old, according to their gestational age).  She was measuring how much force babies exert when they kick.  The information she is gathering will hopefully help her to find ways to give early interventions for babies with Cerebral Palsy.

Both girls were so good during the study!  They didn't even mind all the straps and other things that were connected to them.  After the kick study the girls were weighed and measure (my favorite part because I like to see how BIG they are getting).  Piper is now 12 pounds 2.6 ounces and Phoebe is close behind her at 11 pounds 13 ounces.  Both girls were about 23 inches long.

Phoebe enjoying being weighed

After the girls were sized Barbara conducted a quick check on their developmental skills.  Both girls performed great!

I really enjoyed have Phoebe and Piper be a part of this study and was so excited to help out our favorite college, and Piper and Phoebe's future alma mater! 

Piper and Phoebe's 1st Trip to Disneyland

On Sunday night James and I decided to take an impromptu visit to Disneyland.  We have been wanting to take the babies for a long time now but felt it was just too hot and they we were also waiting for them to get a little bit bigger.  Well since the weather cooled down a bit and the babies are bigger we thought, why not go tonight!  We packed the car with all of our baby gear, including our new Ergo baby carriers, and hit the road.  James and I could not wait to get to Disneyland to see all of the Halloween decorations and enjoy an evening of fun together.

As soon as we parked the car and got out I made James take a picture of Phoebe and I near the Mickey parking sign.  Not only was this the girls first time at Disneyland but it was their first time riding in the baby carrier too.

Even the tram ride to the park was exciting.  Both girls were wide eyed, taking in all their surroundings.  I loved imagining what was going through their little heads as we traveled towards the Happiest Place on Earth.

Once inside the park James and I were on a mission to find Phoebe and Piper their very first pair of Minnie ears.  I was thrilled when I found these adorable pink ears.  I have a feeling we will get good use out of these this winter.  We also decided it would be a fun tradition to get the girls a new pair of ears each year at this time.

The night air was perfect, not too hot and not too cold.  James was thrilled that he did not even need to wear the jacket he brought.  After walking around Main Street for a bit we headed over to the Haunted Mansion (all done up in A Night Before Christmas for the holidays), Piper and Phoebe's very first ride at Disneyland.  The wait was shorter then we thought and before we knew it we were jumping aboard our "Doom Buggy".

After the Haunted Mansion we headed over to the Pooh Bear ride.  I knew this ride would not have a wait at all and I was right.  We hopped right on and Phoebe even woke up a little bit during the ride to look around at all the bright colors.

Our trip ended with mommy and daddy buying themselves some yummy treats and then we were back on the tram and headed home.  Even though our trip was brief it was SO much fun!  I can hardly wait to tell Piper and Phoebe all about their very first trip to Disneyland and show them pictures when they are older.

Piper checking things out with Daddy

Trunk or Treat

James and I have been looking forward to Trunk or Treat for a year now.  Last year at this time James and I had just found out we were pregnant.  We were SO excited and could hardly wait to tell everyone our good news!

Mickey and Minnie 2011
(Piper and Phoebe were still growing in Minnie's Tummy)

As soon as we found out we were pregnant James started planning our costumes for this years Trunk or Treat event.  I loved how excited he was to get our growing family all dressed up for this super fun event.  Since we are HUGE USC fans James thought it would be fun if he dressed like a USC football player, me as a USC cheerleader and if we had a boy and a girl the boy would be a football and the girl would be a pom pom.  Well as you all know the boy and girl thing did not work out but I think things it worked out even better because mommy got two pom pom's and everyone knows a cheerleader needs two pom pom's and not just one! :-)

Since I am not a crafty person I enlisted the help of my super talented mom AKA Grammie to make the girls pom pom outfits.  They turned out even better then I could have imagined.  I wonder what Grammie can do next year?!?

I even got my parents in on our costume theme.  They wore their USC gear to be "fans"!

We had a great time this year even though the babies could only make it a short time.  I can hardly wait for next year when we can stay longer and really enjoy our church family and this super fun event!!

5 Months Old

Time sure does fly by when you are a busy mommy of twins!  I can hardly believe that Piper and Phoebe turn 5 months old today.  It seems like it was SO long ago when I was living in the hospital and it seems even longer ago when James and I were going back and forth to CHOC each day to visit our precious little miracles.

To look at Phoebe and Piper today I would never ever think that these two girls were only 3 pounds when they were born.  To me they are SO, SO, SO big!  Both girls love to have their play time in the morning.  They wake up smiling and don't stop all morning long.  They have also discovered their "softies", special blankets that their Grammie bought them.  Phoebe especially loves to give her softie a full body hug.  Both girls are pretty much over their passies, which is fine with me. Piper sucks her thumb once in awhile and Phoebe likes to suck on her fingers occasionally.  

I also have to add a picture to this blog post of Phoebe and Piper's new little bestie Katie Reese.  Katie arrived yesterday (October 16th, almost exactly 5 months after Piper and Phoebe) to her wonderful parents and our dear friends Dave and Theresa Goldenberg.  I can hardly wait to watch these three little girls grow up together!

Katie Reese Goldenberg 

Cousin Time

This weekend Piper, Phoebe, Grammie, and I went to hang out with some of our extended family (Aunite Margie, Auntie Laurie, my cousins Melissa, Kristen, her baby Cash, Katie and her baby Jayden).  We had a blast!!!  It is crazy to have all of the babies together and to see my mom and her sisters as grandma's.  They are the youngest, best looking Grannies I have ever seen. :-)

Auntie Margie holding Cash, Grammie holding Phoebe & Piper, Auntie Laurie holding Jayden

My cousin Melissa and her BBQ talented hubby Scott made us a delicious lunch.  Thank you VERY much!  They were also more than happy to help hold Piper and Phoebe.  Scott was a good sport even during the football game.

During our visit together we of course had to take a ton of pictures.  When my cousins and I were little and gathered for the holidays our mom's always made us take a million pictures.  Well now that they are grandma's nothing has changed.  My mom is too cute!!  She bought special outfits for Piper and Phoebe to wear, she made them headbands and she bought some fabric to use as the back drop for picture taking.  Here are just some of the pictures she took during the babies photo shoot.

Baby Cash & Baby Jayden

I love my family and can't wait to get together with everyone again soon!

Rolling Over

Our little Piper is officially rolling over!!!  This little girl is no longer content on her back.  She loves, loves, loves to be on her tummy.  When she is being changed, she tries to roll over, in her swing she tries to roll over.  There is seriously no longer a time when she is not trying to roll over.  This morning I was SO excited that I captured one of her little rolling adventures on my phone camera.

Our little Phoebe has rolled over from her tummy to her back a few times.  But she is really content to just lay on her back.  I hope to get a video of her soon in action. :-)

Baby Jayden

Today Grammie, Piper, Phoebe and I went to visit my sweet cousin Katie and her precious little son Jayden.  We had such a great time!  Jayden is such a good baby.  We were all amazed at how big his little feet and hands were.  I think he is going to be tall like his daddy.  I also LOVED seeing Katie as a mommy.  She and her husband Phil are a great team and make parenthood look easy.  

I look forward to watching our babies grow up together (including my cousin Clayton's baby Cash).  :-)