Madison and Riley's First Birthday Party!

On Sunday, we celebrated Madison and Riley's first birthday with our extended family. I think a great time was had by all, especially the guests of honor! They totally loved all the attention!

We all gathered at our house in the afternoon for yummy snacks and, of course, birthday cake! (cupcakes in our case!) In lieu of gifts for Madison and Riley, we asked our guests to bring a donation of clothing or a nursing shawl for the Special Care Nursery that the kids where the kids spent their first 14 days of life. The care there was exceptional and the people we met will forever be imprinted in our minds and hearts. We just wanted to give something back. Everyone was SO generous! I can happily say we are bringing over 40 outfits as well as some nursing shawls to the hospital! YAHOO!

Of course, the shining moment of any child's first birthday is them having their first taste of cake. Ours was no exception! We did not know how they would react to this new, sugary food put in front of them. We got them each a mini cake to try! At first, they barely put their fingers in the frosting, but then they got a bit more adventurous. Madison took the sophisticated approach and grabbed clumps and took bites, Riley decided to just put his hands back and head face first right into the cake. What fun for both of them, and us!!!

It may or may not have been a "treat" for them, but it sure was for us!!! Too cute!

Again, I know I say this all the time, but this celebration was yet another reminder of how truly blessed we are to have such happy, healthy children. Each day with them is a gift.

Spending time with Grandma and Being Goofy!

My mother came over yesterday and brought more fun gifts for the kids! Silly, she already got them some great riding toys and a wagon! She brought the cutest frog that makes a kissing "smooch" noise and a Birthday book. Both were a hit, but M and R really love the book. ( I am lovin' that these kids are bookworms!) They both spent some time with Grandma reading their new story.

Later that afternoon, I took Riley and Madison out to the yard to chill on a blanket and wait for Bob to get home. It was fun! They played with toys and I blew bubbles. (They love bubbles!) If I put a blanket out in the grass, they will only stay on the blanket and not go into the grass! I think it must feel prickly on their skin. Silly!

Onto today....

We had so much fun! Liz, Joel and my mom came over. It is really nice to have L and J in town for a bit. We played with the kids, went for a walk and Liz baked a cake! MMMMMM......

After a long day of fun, these kids were ready for a bath. When I give the kids a bath, I have one in the tub in the kitchen, and the other spends some time chillin' in the swing on the edge of the next room. We all "chat" and laugh. It is usually a fun time (unless the fussy bug shows its face!) Today was no exception. Riley was having a blast in the water and Madison was totally enjoying watching him be goofy! These pictures explain it better than I can with words...

New Toys, New Joys!

Not like Madison and Riley do not have enough to play with...why not add more to the mix! How fun!!! Their Aunt Liz and Uncle Joel sent them a SUPER cute stuffed dog that sings and talks along with a walker push toy (a new house favorite!) It is so great that the kids have toys like that because they essentially allow them to walk on their own and feel successful. Serious screams and screeches of joy come from the both of them as they walk (and run) around the lower level and hallway! I also picked up a HUGE dump truck for them. I thought they would just push it around a little. Well, these kids are craftier than that! Riley loves to sit in it and Madison pushes him around!

Madison likes the toys, but continually gravitates to the book basket in any room she is in...

When these kiddos grow tired of walking around, they always "summon" each other to their "pillow mountain." They have the most fun jumping into the pillows and having fun together!

After I took this picture, I jumped in the pillow pile and joined in the fun. YAHOO!

Winding Down a Little...

Ahhhh, we needed a bit of an easy going day today and we actually got it! Our little family had so much fun being together today.

We began the day by feeding the kids eggs for the first time. I know, lame, but it is actually a big deal as they cannot have them before the ripe old age of one! I added a little butter and cheese to them and the kids really liked them! Yahoo! Good for them and an easy breakfast for me to make.

In the late morning, we went to a park near our house and took a walk on a "nature" trail there. It was very nice. There was a little breeze and the temperature was perfect. Before heading home, we stopped at the swings and pushed the kids for a bit. Wow, they LOVE to swing! Too cute!

In the afternoon, there was an unexpected thunderstorm. Well, that axed our plan of Bob mowing the lawn while the kids and I ran out and did a couple errands. So, we all hung out in Madison and Riley's room, listened to the rain and PLAYED! We took the mattress out of one of their cribs and put it on the floor. M and R were thrilled! They jumped on it, rolled on it and laughed and laughed. Bob and I laughed a lot too! I think we all had fun!

It is amazing to me how each day I see something new in each child. Some days it is a personality change, some days it is a physical change, and some days they utter something new or do something for the first time. Today, Riley looked a bit different to me. His cheeks have filled out and his hair is growing longer.

Madison is uttering more sounds and words by the day. She is also doing much better associating the sound she makes with the thing she is "talking" about. She is also getting a little bit sneaky. It is kinda cute. If you "bust" her doing something, she crinkles up her nose like in this photo...

What will tomorrow bring?

1 year Doctor Appt!

Today I took the kids to their one year doctor appointment. At their 9 month appointment, I told myself I would never take the tow of them to the doctor alone again. Well, I broke that promise. Bob was called out of town and the Grandma's had their hands full.

I brought the jogger stroller b/c they love to just sit and chill in there. My thinking was while one was getting their shots, being looked at etc, the other could chill. It actually worked out ok! There were the squirmy moments, times when I was holding one and stopping the other from climbing the stroller, but all in all, ok! Thank goodness for Gerber puffs and yogurt bites! They love them and having them eat them one by one bought me some precious time!

The visit was positive all around! Madison and Riley are growing at a perfect rate, and meeting and exceeding all developmental milestones for a 12 month old. Yahoo! The doctor said because of their status, they are no longer looked at as preemies. (Mom is smiling!)

Now we can tackle having M and R drink whole milk, eat eggs and wean from their bottles. I am all about weaning them very soon as one year of bottle feeding two babies at once feels like enough!

Riley is only one pound lighter than his sister. He is 1/2 inch longer and they have the same head size. Madison used to have the much larger head and a 2 lb weight advantage, but I guess Riley hit a spurt.

I walked away thinking about how lucky I am to have happy, healthy babies. Given all the risks with preemies, multiples, being out on bedrest...it has not been the easiest year of our lives, but surely one of the happiest!

I think we will all sleep well tonight after our day! We went to the doctor, then to Target and took a nice walk in the afternoon. In between, some hard - core playtime!! The kids fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow, I am sure I will do the same (after savoring some ice cream of course! he..he!)

So silly!

So, over the last couple of days, Riley and Madison have been bit by the silly bug! They just keep giggling and it is totally cute! Hangin out in Madison's crib together is one of their new favorite activities. They jump up and them bounce on the mattress, fall on each other and giggle and play "peek a boo" through the crib rails. I do not know who giggles more, me or them!



Funny story...Madison loves to look out her bedroom window in the morning. The other day, the window was open, she was hanging out by it and our sprinkler system went on. She got totally sprayed in the face though the window. No tears from her though, only pure laughter!!! She just stayed there and got spritzed! Brewsky even got into the action!


Riley continues to love playing inside the toy box. Maybe he feels he can reach all the toys he needs or something? HA! It is too cute! He can finally get himself in and out instead of crying for help. Increasingly, he really gets into playing with his toys. He especially likes blocks, stacking toys and things that shake and rattle!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY RILEY AND MADISON!!!

Wow. one year ago today, 2 amazing little human beings came into our lives. We were blessed with two healthy children who are growing and thriving. What else could a parent ask for?

One year ago, at this time, we were all in the hospital, all with a different sense of joy and wonder. Such amazing things have happened in our world since then. Some say "oh, the time goes so fast." In some moments, I must agree. Like today, looking at Riley standing on his own and hearing Madison "talk" I am baffled at how far they have come. On the other hand, it is hard to remember life without these beautiful twins!

Today the kids and I took some time out with their aunt and cousins at the park. A relaxing, perfect afternoon. They also got a visit from their Grandpa and many phone calls that included singing!!! We will have a big birthday blowout celebration in a couple of weeks when life settles for our family a bit.

I thought it might be neat to see how far these babies have come...

Here is Riley then and now...

Madison then and now...

I have no idea how I could love them more, but each day, I do.

The bright spots on our day!

Riley and Madison continue to bring true joy to our hearts every moment of the day. They have been so happy and smiley lately! They are really having fun playing together, it is a hoot to watch! Riley often follows Madison around and checks out what she is up to! Today, they were playing with some beach balls we have and were literally racing down the hall to them and laughing the entire way!

Riley continues to be the "monkey" of the house, getting into everything, literally!

Madison continues to be quite the bookworm! She loves "reading" on her own or listening to someone read to her!

Tomorrow is their first birthday. I cannot believe it. What a blessing these children are and continue to be!

In remembrance...

Today was a sad day for our family. We lost our dear Grandpa Bob, a rock of the family. We were so blessed that our children were able to share some time with him and experience the joy he brought to the world.

When I found out Grandpa had had a serious stroke yesterday, I was about to take the kids for a walk. While walking, I often "talk" with the kids and sing. We had just had a big thunderstorm, so I was telling them we might see a rainbow. Then I said "let's send our rainbow to Grandpa" and proceeded to sing a song about the colors of a rainbow. Well, today, when we returned from the hospital where we said goodbye to him, we had another thunderstorm. After it had passed, we looked out our 2 story picture window, and stretching across the entire thing was a full rainbow. Grandpa.

Park City Part 2

Well, the adventure continues. One of the days we were there the gang trekked over to Liz and Joel's house. It is SOOOOO nice! They have done a great job decorating and their yard is great! After getting the grand tour (the kids jumped on Liz's bed for a while) we took a neighborhood stroll. They live next to a great park! The kids were lovin' it!

Liz and Joel have a great cat named Ralphie. Ralphie came to stay with us at our condo. Madison and Riley LOVED him. Madison, however, took a special liking to him. She began saying "cat, cat" and would follow him around! It was the cutest!

The "Silly Market" was a family favorite destination! It is kind of a combo of a street fair and a Farmer's Market. It was kind of eye candy for us all. I bought Riley a great t-shirt with a guitar (for Daddy) and an adorable handmade bubble suit for Madison. M and R loved checking out all the interesting things to see. They love their jogger stroller. They are so comfy in there and can see everything very well!

On our last day in Park City, we took a tour of all the new construction at Trail's End (the condos we were at and that Joel is the GM!!!) We put the kids in the hiking backpacks and checked it all out. WOW! Some cool changes are taking place. After that, we decided to take a little stroll at the base of Deer Valley Resort. Only 2 more years until the kids can slap on a pair of skis and hit the slopes!

We are back! (part 1)

So, yes, there has been a little gap in posts on the blog, but with good reason! The kids, my mom and I just returned from an awesome trip to Park City, Utah to visit my sister and her hubbie! We went out there while Bob went on a fishing trip to Northern Canada.

Traveling by air with two 11 1/2 month olds is no picnic. Wow, my mom deserves a medal of honor for taking on this task with me! The flights were during the kids nap times, so ideally, they should have slept. Well, guess what, no zzzz's from the Dovenberg Duo! We were pulling out every toy, snack and activity we could. I will just end this by saying, we survived, you can picture the rest.

Once we were in Park City, the mountain air helped us relax a little. M and R had a little trouble adjusting to their new surroundings and sleeping arrangements, but Liz and Joel did such an amazing job getting us all the baby gear we needed and we were able to stay in an amazing condo on the mountain in Deer Valley. Yahoo!

One morning, we went for a little walk and took the kids to the park. They really love to go on the swings!

Park City is really the place to be on the 4th. They have a parade like no other I have seen! It is fun and goofy for sure! We put the kids in their hiking backpacks and stood on the sidelines to watch all the action! Riley had a constant smile on his face and as teasing Liz by pulling her hair. Madison was waving at all the people on the floats and giggling!

Later that evening, we went to a 4th of July party! It was great! We hung out, met new people and the kids chowed on fresh watermelon. Very festive! Once the kids were "fading" I took them back to the condo and my mom, sis and her husband stayed for the fireworks. I was able to hear the symphony playing at Deer Valley on the balcony of our condo, a treat for me!

More info about the trip tomorrow!!!! :)