Keeping Busy!

Well, things have been a little busy recently, so we've got some catching up to do!

We are currently a mere 11 away from the Things' Birthday! I can't believe it! My babies will be turning ONE is just 13 days! It's totally crazy to think about, and it seems like the past year has gone by so quickly. Our pediatrician says the twin parents he knows have a dazed look and don't really remember the first year. That's not true for me. I remember the first year, and all the awesome stuff that has happened so far. Admittedly, the year has absolutely flown by, and I do find myself wondering where it went, but it has been filled with so much fun, and so many new experiences for all of us.

So much fun at the park!

Since the last update, we had a great visit with my family in Indianapolis. There were ball pit balls, swings, a visit to the park, and lots of family fun! The Things really enjoyed themselves, and we were excited to celebrate Aunt Sarah's birthday and their 11 month birthday over the weekend.


The next weekend, we celebrated Hubby's Grandma's 90th birthday. The kids got to really play with their (second) cousins for the first time, and it was awesome to watch! Thing 2 in particular fell in love with the big girls, and loved following them everywhere. She had so much fun that she actually slept an extra hour longer than usual the next morning!

And, what have the things been working on recently? Well, we have two essentially free-standing babies! They will both let go and stand on their own for a few seconds at a time. Thing 1 likes to do it while clapping. Clearly, he's very proud of himself! We're also working on our walking. They've both taken a few steps at a time on their own. It's so cool to watch them figure all of this out together. It's so amazing to see them interact and play together. They both like to give hugs now, and they're figuring out kisses. For Thing 2, it involves her 6 teeth, and tends to hurt! I'll be glad when she figures out the difference between kissing and biting, and I think

Oh, I also got Thing 2 her first tutu!

Thing 1 will too! These have to be the sweetest, most adorable babies in the world, and we're so lucky to have them both!

I'm keeping up with my training for the half marathon, and I'm so proud of myself! I haven't missed a single run yet! I'm almost halfway through the training, and still going strong. I honestly have no idea what my goal for the race is going to be. Part of me thinks I'm getting strong enough that I could set a new PR, but I'm not entirely sure. Today, in particular, was just a crappy run. It was my first 10-miler of the training, and it was BRUTAL! But, I survived. Sometimes, you just have to get through a run and move on to the next one. So, that's what I'm doing with this one: moving on, and trusting that the next will be better!

Our big plans for the long weekend include a party and hanging out together as a family. It will be a great way to end a fun summer!

Summer Fridays!

At my office, we have this wonderful thing called "Summer Fridays." It's that wonderful part of the year when we don't have any shows going on, and things get a little more quiet around the theatre. I've come to love Fridays over the summer here, because it means we get half days! It almost feels like being on summer break, when we get to start our weekends early!

This year, I spent so much time worrying about whether or not I'd have enough vacation time, (thanks, maternity leave, for putting a dent in my time!) that I was stingy when it came to taking days off. Without my realizing it, I've reached the end of my vacation year, and I'm faced with 2 days that I need to use by the end of the month! How did that happen?!? So, without intending to, my Summer Fridays have taken on a whole new meaning! Starting today, I'm working four days a week, and taking Fridays off. For the rest of the month.

Obviously, I'm very excited!

This year has gone by so fast--I still can't believe that the Things will be ONE next month! This time last year, I was roughly the size (and shape) of an elephant, spending most of my time in bed, since I couldn't do anything. Now, I have two beautiful, happy (almost) 11-month-olds, and there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I think we should. I'm planning on taking my long weekends this month, and getting back

Beautiful, smart, and very curious!

some of my time! Snuggle time, play time, running time, sleeping time... It's going to be great!

I'm starting things off right with a trip to see my family this. Hopefully, the weather will behave enough that we can take the babies to Holliday Park. My sister and I spend lots of time there when we were younger (I still remember going there the day the playground opened!), and I can't wait to see my kids playing there too! They love the swings, but we haven't tried any other playground equipment yet. I'm curious to see how that goes.

And now, have some pictures of my beautiful babies!

Daddy makes me laugh!

Daddy makes me FLY!

When I Grow Up...

I've officially made it through my first week of half marathon training! Yay! I'm sticking with the same 4-run-per-week schedule that I've used before. It worked well for me in the past, so I'm hoping for more of the same this time. I'll admit that I haven't been the best about fitting in cross training in with my running, so my goal this time is to do better about that. I'd like to be more well-rounded in my fitness approach this time around.

But, enough about that--let's move on to what I really want to talk about this time!

Yesterday's training run was a 2.5 mile run. That's a distance that I'm totally capable of running, even on a bad day. So, I was pushing myself a little, to get some speed out of the workout. I was feeling really good on the run, when I passed this little old couple walking down the sidewalk, holding hands. I said "Coming up on your left," and they scooted to the side for me, and they smiled at me as a blasted past, so I said "Enjoy your evening!" What I really wanted to do was go back and tell them that I want to be them when I grow up. I want us to be the little old couple who still goes on walks together and holds hands, even when we're old and gray. Better yet, I want us to be the little old couple that still runs races together. If I manage to beat Hubby in these races, that's okay too! :-)

Seeing that couple really made me smile, and helped keep me motivated for the rest of the run. It's nice to see such a simple act of love and companionship, when it seems so easy now for people to fly off the handle into anger at the little things. Hubby and I both have great examples in our parents and grandparents, so I'm not exactly worried about the status of our relationship, but I still love to see other people being so simply happy.

So, thank you, random couple I passed on the sidewalk last night! You gave me a moment of peace on my run, and gave me something to look forward to for when Hubby and I grow up. I'm looking forward to every step with this man!

I love reading with Nana!

In case you were wondering, the Things are doing very well. They've had 2 great weekends in a row: my parents and sister visited last weekend, and then lots of activities this past weekend. While my parents were visiting, we all went to lunch at a local restaurant (Hubby and I don't take the kids out to eat by ourselves very often, since it's a little stressful). Since we had the extra hands, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves more. The Things had a great time trying our food, and did really well. They also love the new water/sand table Nana and Grandad brought. These are two little waterbabies, so we've come home more than once over the past week to soaking wet babies! We haven't added sand to the mix yet, since we know they'll just end up eating it. That will have to be a fun new addition for later.

Just chattin'

July 20th was Moon Day (Hubby's family celebrates the Lunar landing as another holiday). For their first Moon Day, the babies got their very own swing set! They both loooooooooove to swing, so it's exciting for them to have one of their very own. Hubby and his dad set it up on Saturday, and we're all looking forward to lots and lots of fun on it!

Saturday was also the housewarming/engagement party of my sister-in-law and her fiancee. The Things were definitely a hit at the party! They were just the right mix of friendly and talkative, they explored everywhere without getting into too much trouble, and only committed minor acts of thievery. (Thing 2 was so taken with another guest's sunglasses that she attempted to, well, take them. We didn't let her.)

I'm so happy!

We encountered another fun aspect of live with twins this weekend: baby wrestling. Recently, Thing 1 has turned into a cuddler. He loves to come over and throw himself on your arm, or leg, or whatever part of you he can reach, and nuzzle you. Unfortunately, his nuzzling frequently involves him smashing his face into your nose--not too comfy, but it's so cute that I don't mind too much! He's also taken to cuddling Thing 2, but she doesn't like it as much. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he basically tackles her, knocks her flat, and then lays on top of her... Either way, it usually ends with her crying, but she's learning to fight back. She has teeth, and he doesn't...let's leave it at that....

So many snuggles!

Anyway, we're all keeping busy over here, enjoying the nice weather and trying lots of new things. I'm constantly amazed at how busy every day feels, when we don't really do all that much! I know as the Things get bigger and bigger, we'll be able to enjoy even more with them, and I'm really looking forward to all of the firsts we have coming up! In the meantime, I'm relishing every little hug and kiss and snuggle I get. These really are some special kids!

Meet my new puppies!

Okay, that's misleading. There are no new puppies here. Just babies who seem to think they're puppies.

Now that the things are getting more mobile, I've been noticing how many similarities there are between babies and puppies. Sure, there's the obvious stuff: they sleep a lot, they poop and pee a lot, they drool a lot. But there's so much more!

What's that you got there, mom? Looks tasty...

Recently, the babies have been really interested in people food. Sure, their own food is just fine, and they'll eat it when you give it to them. But, obviously, it can't compare to what mommy and daddy are eating, right? That has to be the best food, ever! Hubby and I usually eat breakfast in the living/dining room, with the babies playing around us. I used to eat on the floor with them, but I soon realized that's a bad idea. I'd end up with two puppies babies looking at me with a mix of longing and judgement, while Mischa waited on the sidelines, ready to step in on a moment's notice.

Things have gotten even worse, now that they're both pulling themselves to stand! I was eating breakfast on the couch the other morning, when both babies crawled over, stood right in front of me, and proceeded to engage in some of the most shameless begging I've ever seen. Thing 1 actually reached up and grabbed at my bowl, and would have pulled it out of my hands if I'd given him the chance! Apparently, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cheerios are way more interesting than all the baby toys scattered around the room. Lesson learned.

Mmmmmmm....cereal!

We're getting close to letting the babies eat real food--Thing 2 has 6 (yes, 6) teeth already, and Thing 1 is working on his first (I think he's getting 2 at once, but we'll see). Thing 2 is already a good gnasher, so I'm excited to start letting her try more things. Given the teeth marks all over her crib, I'm thinking she'll be a natural with corn on the cob!

Even though they're both showing interest in food, there's still a lot of mess involved in feeding them. Mischa comes running as soon as she hears the sound of the highchair tray snapping into place--she sets up camp under the highchairs, and just waits for the fun to start. Inevitably, the babies drop (or throw) food overboard, and Mischa is right there, ready to clean up after them. Who needs a vacuum cleaner? I'll admit, we don't always completely wipe the Things down after they finish eating. Sometimes, we just plop them on the floor and let Mischa clean up for us. Dogs are so useful!

The 4th of July has come and gone, which means that I have officially finished the Runner's World Run Streak! Yay! I'm not gonna lie: I got kinda lazy at the end, and didn't write down each run as soon as it happened, so I don't remember each of the runs. I have distances and times for each one, and I figure that's all that matters. The important thing is that I proved to myself that I can do it! And now, I don't have to do it again. I actually got sick during the last week of the challenge, so the last few runs were a bit of a struggle. It's really hard to get out and go for a run when you're really congested--breathing is an important part of running! Anyway, here's the breakdown of my last 9 runs:

32.Thursday, June 26th: 3.1 miles, 28:24, average pace: 9:09/mile

33. Friday, June 27th: 1.14 miles, 10:40, average pace: 10:40/mile

34. Saturday, June 28th: 6 miles, 1:01:06, average pace: 10:11/mile Felt sluggish and almost called to be rescued, but managed to do the whole run--despite getting rained on and some wardrobe issues. Finished my run to an awesome rainbow in the sky!

35. Sunday, June 29th: 1.1 miles, 10:39, average pace: 9:40/mile

36. Monday, June 30th: 1.11 miles, 9:52, average pace: 8:53/mile

37. Tuesday, July 1st: 1.5 miles, 14:42, average pace: 9:47/mile

38. Wednesday, July 2nd: 1.6 miles, 17:00, average pace: 10:34/mile

39. Thursday, July 3rd: 1 mile, 8:40, average pace: 8:40/mile A nice shake-out run with the hubby after a long day in the car. Had to explain to him what a shake-out run was (he thought it meant something much grosser).

40. Friday, July 4th: 1.5 miles, 15:18, average pace: 10:09/mile An easy evening run with hubby on Madeline Island. Beautiful way to close the challenge!

After finishing the challenge, I celebrated by taking a week off from running! It was totally necessary for recuperation, and it was nice to not have to worry about finding time for a run for the rest of our vacation. I'm back in action now, though, and had an awesome run Tuesday, and a decent one last night. Training for my half starts next week--wahoo!

Since I mentioned vacation, I'll close with a few pictures of the Things from their first trip to Madeline Island. It also happened to be their longest car ride to date. It was a good and bad experience. Vacation while sick just stinks, and a 10 hour car ride with 2 babies and a dog who hates car rides doesn't make my list of favorites either, but we managed to have fun, too. The babies did a great job on the ferry ride (no sea sickness, yay!), and they loved exploring a new place. They also learned how to climb stairs, so that's a new, exciting thing we get to deal with!

Vacation fun!

 

The Home Stretch

I've now been running at least a mile every day for over 30 days! I'm really proud of myself for keeping it up this far. There have definitely been days when I wanted to quit, when I felt like I was too tired to even think about getting a run in, but thanks to Hubby's encouragement and my own stubbornness, I've managed to keep the streak alive! I've started to notice over the past few days that my knees and shins are complaining a little bit on my runs, so I'm trying to be careful and not over-do it. I haven't gotten in my "long" runs the past couple of weekends, because life got in the way, but I'm okay with that (and I think my knees are, too).

Here's what I've been up to since my last post:

19. Friday, June 13th: 1 mile, 8:29, average pace: 8:29/mile My fastest mile so far, just to prove I can!

20. Saturday, June 14th: 2.08 miles, 19:38, average pace: 9:24/mile A great run with Hubby and Dad (I totally kicked their butts)!

21. Sunday, June 15th: 2.03 miles, 20:08, average pace: 9:52/mile A Father’s Day run with my Dad.

22. Monday, June 16th: 1.06 miles, 11:19, average pace: 10:38/mile A little jog with Mischa.

23. Tuesday, June 17th: 3.1 miles, 30:35, average pace: 9:52/mile An easy evening run in humid weather.

24. Wednesday, June 18th: 1.1 miles, 9:36, average pace: 8:42/mile A zippy evening mile.

25. Thursday, June 19th: 3.5 miles, 34:09, average pace: 9:45/mile Negative splits on my evening run.

26. Friday, June 20th: 2 miles, 18:30, average pace: 9:15/mile A quick run to my neighborhood running store to donate old running shoes!

27. Saturday, June 21st: 1.14 miles, 9:14, average pace: 8:05/mile My new fastest mile ever! All is takes to beat your previous PR is a mad dash in a thunderstorm/torrential downpour!

28. Sunday, June 22nd: 2.68 miles, 25:07, average pace: 9:22/mile A gentle loop around the neighborhood--my legs are definitely getting tired.

29. Monday, June 23rd: 1.3 miles, 12:56, average pace: 9:56/mile Met some new neighbors expecting their first baby in August!

30. Tuesday, June 24th: 3.1 miles, 30:14, average pace: 9:45/mile Another run that felt like a swim, trying to take it easy on my knees and shins.

31. Wednesday, June 25th: 1.15 miles, 10:02, average pace: 8:43/mile Felt pretty strong tonight, striding and gliding along.

It's a huge relief to be able to see the finish line of this challenge. Only 9 runs to go! I can do that, no problem! Right? Right?

Bath time!

The Things are now 41 weeks old, and we're seeing fun new changes with them. Up until very recently, as soon as 5:30 rolled around, it was time to get ready for bed, or you'd have a huge meltdown from an over-tired Thing 1. But all of a sudden, they're both becoming more social at night. They want to stay awake longer and visit more, instead of just passing out as soon as they've finished their bottle. There are still some nights where it's lights out right away, but Hubby and I are enjoying having a little more time with them in the evenings. They're starting to develop real personalities (really funny personalities), and it's so much fun to see them in action! I can't get over how cute and silly they are, and it's so much fun to watch them learn new things together. One of my favorite things right now is when they both decide they need to climb on Mommy right away. It's usually in the mornings when we're playing downstairs; they'll both crawl over as fast as they can, and climb into my lap. Sometimes there are tears, when one gets jealous of the other, but there's nothing warm and fuzzier than having two little people who can't wait to snuggle with you!

Four generations!

The Things had a great first Father's Day visiting with my family. We got to visit with Nana, Grandad and Gigi, and the babies had lots of cuddles and play time! They also had their first trip to the pool! Thing 2 had a fantastic time--she was totally happy, as long as she was getting wet (I had to keep splashing her in the lazy river, otherwise she'd fidget). I think we've got a little water bug on our hands! I'm pretty sure Thing 1 would have been just as happy, had he not decided that he desperately needed a nap right then. We didn't get to spend as long at the pool as Thing 2 would have liked, but it's great to know that these two like more than just splashing in the tub!

As we head into summer, I know we're going to have lots of adventures together, and I'm really looking forward to them. The things are very excited to sleep through their first fireworks next week!

 

Papa Bear and his Baby Bears

You're HOW old now?!?!

Tuesday marked the Things' 9 month/39 week birthday! I can't believe they've been in our lives for so long already--it feels like it was only yesterday that I was still enormously pregnant with them! (And, I mean enormously pregnant: talk about cankles!)

Good morning!

The Things decided we needed a present for their special day, and greeted us first thing in the morning like this:

Talk about a surprise! We knew Thing 1 could do it, as he demonstrated the other day (I promise, he has more than one pair of pajamas), but Thing 2 hadn't really shown any interest. She'd pull herself up if she was sitting in your lap and could use you as leverage, but that was about it. So, to walk in on this was quite a surprise!

In other Thing developments, Thing 2 now has two teeth! We're still waiting for Thing 1 to cut his first, but we've been expecting it any day, with all the drooling he does!

Yesterday was their 9 month check-in with the doctor, and they passed with flying colors! They're both huge (he's slightly above 50%, and she's slightly below 50% in weight), and they haven't been on an adjusted scale for a while. We've seen the evidence of their development every day, but it's really nice to have the doctor agree with what we've been seeing! Two health, happy babies, who are growing just right!

I'm proud to say, that today is day 18 of the Runner's World Run Streak, and I'm still going strong! Okay, maybe not strong (at least, not this morning), but I know I'm developing good stamina for my big race this fall. This morning in particular was a challenge, since I was just so tired (thanks, kids), but I knew I had to get out there and get my run in, and I did it! This week is pretty busy for us, so I have to fit in three morning runs in a row, which is really rough for me. But, I've already knocked out two of them, so I feel like tomorrow should be a piece of cake! The runs may not always be my fastest or best, but I'm still running smart and feeling good about my effort. Plus, just think about how well I'll be able to power through feeling tired in a race when I'm done with this!

Without further ado, here's the current tally:

10. Wednesday, June 4th: 1.05 miles, 10:30, average pace: 9:56/mile Mischa had a great time running with me--finally some nice weather for her to run in!

11. Thursday, June 5th: 3.5 miles, 34:42, average pace: 9:54/mile Too hungry to make it a speed workout or anything, but another beautiful evening for a run!

12. Friday, June 6th: 1.25 miles, 12:50, average pace: 10:14/mile Mischa’s longest run in a while, and aside from some issues with sharing the sidewalk, she did pretty well!

13. Saturday, June 7th: 5.5 miles, 57:55, average pace: 10:32/mile A slow, hot run, but it felt pretty good. I think I ran a lot smarter than I did last week, so I’m pleased with that.

14. Sunday, June 8th: 1.12 miles, 11:01, average pace: 9:48/mile A run with the whole family! Babies, Mischa and hubby all out together!

15. Monday, June 9th: 3.1 miles, 28:50, average pace, 9:18/mile Some cooler weather came in, so I had a nice, quick run.

16. Tuesday, June 10th: 1.12 miles, 10:40, average pace: 9:31/mile Yup, Mischa still hates running in the rain.

17. Wednesday, June 11th: 1.12 miles, 9:57, average pace: 8:50/mile Just a quick dash in the morning rain before taking the Things in for their 9 month check-up!!!!

18. Thursday, June 12th: 3.1 miles, 30:05, average pace: 9:42/mile Not a hot day, but really humid.

I'm at 42.31 miles for the challenge, and it's a lot of fun to see the miles rack up! I've got 22 days to go, so I'm almost at the halfway point! Wahoo! Then, I get a little break, and it's on to half marathon training... Yikes!

Soooooooooo big!

We're heading to Nana and Grandad's tomorrow for Father's Day weekend--I'm really excited to finally get to take the babies to the pool, I think they'll love it! We tried to go to the pool when we visited last, but that's when we were all struck by the dreaded stomach bug...shudder... This visit should be lots more fun! I should have cute pictures to share next week, but to tide you over, here's the Things' 9 month picture.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! Have a great weekend!

Streaking!

Well, I've completed 9 days of the Runner's World Run Streak, and after tonight it will be 10 straight days of running! I passed the "most days I've run in a row" mark around day 3 or 4, so every day beyond that is an adventure. I'm not sure if I'll be able to make it through the whole challenge, but I'm sure going to try. I've had issues with shin splints before, and I don't want to go into half marathon training with an injury, so I want to be careful while I do this crazy thing. So far, it's going well! I've been feeling good during my runs, and I'm not sore, so I don't feel like I'm pushing myself too hard. Hopefully I'm able to maintain that feeling for the next month!

Here's an update on my runs for the past week: 

3. Wednesday, May 28th: 1.1 miles, 10:56, average pace: 9:55/mile. Mischa likes running much better when it’s not raining.

4. Thursday, May 29th: 3.5 miles, 34:50, average pace: 9:57/mile. A cloudy morning run, with a little hill work thrown in.

5. Friday, May 30th: 2.3 miles, 21:00, average pace: 9:03/mile. A fast, hard run with hubby.

6. Saturday, May 31st: 5 miles, 52:32, average pace: 10:30/mile. Maybe, just maybe doing a long run at noon in 80+ degree weather wasn’t my best idea ever, but I did it! My farthest run since before the babies were born!

7. Sunday, June 1st: 1.12 miles, 9:39, average pace: 8:34/mile. So that’s what a mile feels like when you don’t drag your dog along with you…

8. Monday, June 2nd: 1.12 miles, 10:10, average pace: 9:02/mile. Not as fast as Sunday, but I was paying more attention to my stride (I was trying new shoes).

9. Tuesday, June 3rd: 3.1 miles, 29:40, average pace: 9:34/mile. Beautiful, balmy weather, and an easy run through our nearby forest preserve. Didn’t see any deer like hubby did a few minutes before me, but it was great!

So far, I've run 16.45 miles during the challenge. It feels great to be over a week into it, but I know I still have a month to go, so I'm not getting too excited yet. I'll just keep plugging away for now.

And, in Thing news: Thing 1 has decided that he's ready to stand up! We went in to get them Friday morning, and he greeted us like this:

"Hey mommy! Let's play!"

We'd heard some extra giggles before we went in, but had no idea what was waiting for us. Obviously, he's very proud of himself, and uses every opportunity to practice his new trick. Thing 2 isn't far behind, but she's not quite there yet. Hubby decided she was jealous this morning, and gave her a little help, so we got this precious moment:

Let us out!

 I am sooooooooooooo not ready for this!