We've Got A Rocker!

Abby may be crawling in no time at all. She has perfected moving around on her stomach and seems to be ready for more get up and go! She's been rocking for about a week now and is getting stronger with every coming day!

Check her out in this video from their playtime on Friday morning....

Teeth Who Needs Teeth?

At 9 1/2 months the girls still do not have any teeth, but that is not going to stop us. The girls are starting to eat finger foods such as pieces of bananas and avocado. We are going to be moving onto cheerios, sweet potato chunks and pasta next! The girls have not perfected the skill of getting the food to their own mouths yet so we've been helping but still encouraging them to at least play with the food on their tray. Meal times are very messy these days. Abigail loves to rub her meal allover, with her hair being her current favorite.

Something To Make You Smile On Friday!

Everytime I watch this video it makes me smile! Enjoy!

New Video is Here!

I've been so busy snapping pictures with my new camera (Is that an Elph?...that ones for you Laszlo) that I haven't posted any videos for a while. So stay tuned for a couple cute ones.

This video features Abby and Chloe playing in their exersaucers! Abby and Chloe like to take additional toys in their exersaucers and this particular video shows them with their Duckies. These ducks are super cute although our friend Todd swears they look more like a sea gall than a duck, ha ha. They were a gift from Linda (an extended family member) and they came with an adorable book all about Duckie Duck. The girls love to chew on them.

Memorial Day Fun...

Happy Memorial Day!

Today we remember those who lost there lives.

Fun at the Park!

Joe and I enjoy taking the girls for evening walks (weather permitting), so we haven't been able to get out this week. An adjoining neighborhood has a cute little park we took the girls to last week. They have a baby swing and we tried it out with both girls. They both really enjoyed the swing and Abby was smiling from ear to ear. Hope we get a chance to get back their soon!

Summer Fun at the Pool

Last Saturday we took the girls to our community pool. They absolutely loved it! We have really cute floats with canopies to keep them out of the sun!
Here is a picture of the Joe and his adorable daughters.

9 months old!

The girls turned 9 months on Monday! Where has the time gone:) On Tuesday they had their 9 month check up at the pediatrician's and everything went great. Their doctor said they are doing excellent. Abby weighed in at 18 lbs. 3 oz. and Chloe weighed in at 16 lbs. 14 oz. They both measured in at 27 1/2 inches. The doctor was very pleased with their progress! They only had to get two shots (opposed to the four we were used to) and they tested their iron (which was great too). I am officially starting the countdown to no more formula. Only about 3 months to go...YAHOO...it is making me go broke! We've started feeding them a bit more chunky foods. For example when I make their baby food I no longer strain out the skins from peas. Once they get some teeth we are good to start them on the chunky stage 3 foods. The doctor wants them to start having juice in the afternoon as a snack out of their sippy cups and water any other time. I started this out yesterday with not much luck. Both girls seem offended by the juice or the cup or maybe a combination of the two. We will try again today.

Rain, Rain and More Rain...

I'm not exaggerating when I say all I've seen for the past three days is rain. All this bad weather is brought to us by a nor'easter. While we needed it greatly, I am beginning to feel as if I should have built an ark. Monday began the rain. Tuesday was rain with very high winds. Today is heavy rain that just doesn't quit. Besides all this rain I have been digging the cooler temperatures. We haven't hit 70 degrees all week. Yesterday was cool about 63 degrees so I made delicous lentil and ham soup. Joe was very happy it's one of his favorites. It was really tasty if I do say so myself.

On a side note, have you ever weeded in the rain? I did on Monday and it was quite pleasant. No bugs, not so hot but instead refreshing and the sound on falling rain was peaceful. I highly recommend giving it a try. Not when it is pouring out like today but rather a nice soft rain! My garden looks much better...well except it might start looking like a lake soon.

Check out this picture of the standing water half way across our driveway and the big pool to the right of our driveway. If it would ever let up it would have a chance to soak in.

Living Green...

It seems like everyone says they are living green these days. I am trying to do my part too. We've changed our light bulbs, I only get plastic bags from the store when I need them (I use them for dirty diapers and bathroom trash cans), we have a vegetable garden, etc. I recently saw a show on TV where the couple was challenged to try some new things to be more green. They suggested using cloth diapers which I am just going to have to draw the line on that one, not only is that nasty in my book but it would also mean more laundry...so that one is a no for me. Plus with two I think I would be changing diapers constantly. They also suggested making your own household cleaners. I thought, I can do this. The participant on TV was reluctant not knowing how well the homemade cleaners would work, but in the end she loved them and gladly made the switch. I found several recipes for cleaners that I am going to try out. So far I used one and I loved it. It was an abrasive cleaner for tubs, showers, and sinks. I used it on my shower and tub and was very pleased how well it worked with a little elbow grease of course. It rinsed away completely leaving no grit behind just a sparkling tub and shower. I had the ingredients it called for and I even added lavendar essential oil for a pleasant scent. I plan on trying the creamy soft scrub, all purpose cleaner and the window cleaner soon. I'm not quite ready to give up all my harsh chemical cleaners ( i.e. toilet bowl cleaner, clorox cleanup)just yet but this is a step in the right direction for me.

So this is my challenge to you...try one or all of the recipes below and let me know what you think. What's the harm, if you don't like it you can switch back.

All-Purpose Cleaner

1/2 tsp washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups hot tap water
Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

Tip: If you're out of washing soda, use 2 1/2 tsp of borax, instead.

Window Cleaner

1/4-1/2 tsp liquid detergent
3 tbs vinegar
2 cups water
spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

Abrasive Scrubber

2 cups baking soda
1/2 cup white distilled vinegar
10-12 drops of essential oil of your choice (to offset vinegar smell)

Conbine all ingredients well. Put into large screw top jar.

Creamy Soft Scrubber

Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn't leave grit.

Tip: Add 1 tsp of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise, just make as much as you need at a time.

Oven Cleaner

1 cup or more baking soda
water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface it totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top, then let the mixture set overnight.

You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn't work for you it is probably because you didn't use enough baking soda and/or water.

Mold Killer

2 teaspoons tea tree oil
2 cups water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse.

Furniture Polish

1/2 tsp oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

Baby Mum Mum

You may be asking yourself what the heck is a Baby Mum Mum. Well our neighbor introduced us to these. Baby Mum Mums are a finger food designed to melt on baby's tongue to learn how to feed themselves. Our girls are growing up so fast and are definitely interested in feeding themselves. I've given them the spoon to hold but them seem a bit frustrated there is nothing on it once it reaches their mouth. These Mum Mums are great because they aren't a huge mess and the girls really love them. The only place I've seen them at is Walmart and they are super cheap (less than $2 a box and each box has 12 packs with 2 in each pack). We started giving them to the girls around 7 1/2 months.

New Favorite Toys

The girls were given these adorable set of blocks for Christmas from Grandpa and Grandma Knupke. I've gotten them out before but they just weren't that into them until now. Some of the blocks have hidden toys in the middle which makes for fun exploring for the girls. They love to investigate every inch of them and of course enjoy eating them too!
*Chloe
*Abigail

No fruit for Chloe...

I'm not exactly sure when it started, maybe a week or so ago, but my Chloe has turned into a picky eater. She will completely polish off her bottle, finish all or most of her veggies but come near her with fruit and she will meet you with closed lips not willing to open. She used to love apples, pears, bananas...you name the fruit and she loved it, but for a week or so she won't even touch them. I thought at first she was just full, so for several days I offered her the fruit first and with closed tight lips she refused until I offered her a veggie. I am persistant and keep trying with no luck thus far. I hope this is just a phase and I will wait and see.

Happy Monday!

So I haven't posted in a few days, but I'm definitely still here. On Friday (my 28th birthday) Joe and I took the girls to their first golf tournament, The Players Championship, out at Ponte Vedra Beach. I'm not a golf player nor is it really top on my list of sports to watch, but we were given great tickets FREE so we couldn't turn it down. Joe was excited that I actually said yes, considering it was my birthday. If I am going to watch golf this was the way to go...we had a pass to get into three chalets on holes 15, 17 and 18 with air conditioning and free food and drinks. The girls were great as always and a fun time was had by all. Saturday Joe did some yard work and I pretended to have only one baby as I just took Chloe to the store with me. It was great putting her in the cart (we've never been able to do that before) and shopping uninterrupted. You see I usually get stopped at least a few times by "Ahhhh, are they twins?" I certainly don't mind chatting with complete strangers about my beautiful girls but occasionally...okay more than occasionally...you just want to get in, get what you need and get out. I very much enjoyed my uninterrupted shopping trip with Chloe while Abby stayed home with Daddy. Grandma Nichols arrived in the afternoon to spend Mother's Day weekend with us and we spent the rest of the day hanging out around the house. Sunday after church, Joe took us out to Outback for lunch. To our surprise it wasn't too crowded and we had a very nice lunch. Later that day, we watched some golf, two movies and I even snuck in an afternoon nap. Grandma Nichols left for Gainesville today so we are back to our normal routine. Hope everyone had a great weekend too, and a Happy Mother's Day!

Morning Playtime

Just thought I'd share a few pictures from playtime this morning at the Nichols' house. Chloe has perfected her rolling our skill and enjoys rolling over multiple times in a row like a barrel. Abigail hasn't mastered this skill yet, but she sure is working on trying to crawl!

We're Back!

While taking a trip is always fun, there's nothing like your own bed! We had a fabulous weekend spent with family and friends and were sad to see it all come to an end. The girls attended their first rehearsal dinner on Friday night and first wedding on Saturday. Exhausted by all the fun that was had we spent Sunday afternoon relaxing and napping at my parents house.





*Aunt Sarah with Chloe







*Grandma with Abby

Best Wishes!

Congratulations to Kim and Roy on your beautiful wedding day!