An Unexpected Delivery

We had an unexpected delivery on January 20th...the twins were born! David and I are so excited to be an Auntie and an Uncle again. Ashton and Aiden made their entrance into the world two months early, which made us all very nervous. But, we are happy to report they are doing very well!

The boys are at the Children's Hospital in the cities in the NICU, they are off all IV's and oxygen. They call them the "big boys"...weighing it at - Ashton 4lb. 3oz., 18 inches long and Aiden 3lb. 11oz, 17.5 inches long (birth weight/length).

~Ashton Alan~

~Aiden James~

This weekend was a big weekend for the boys...and us, we got to hold them! It was the first time they have been held by anyone else beside mom/dad and nurses! The gramma's were eating it up!

It sure has been fun looking for boy clothing in pairs! We love spoiling the boys! We have been telling Elle all about her new cousins and she is so excited to meet them when they go home!

Now on to our baby...who is 6 months old! Where has the time gone? Elle had her six month appointment and all is well. She loved the paper on the bed while waiting for Dr. Stevenson, we didn't even need toys!

She is weighing in at 15.5lbs and is 25 inches long. She is in the 25% for weight and head circumference and just under 50% for length. We call her our little peanut!

What can our six month old do?

*Roll from front to back and back to front.
*She can sit unassisted.
*Rock on all fours.
*Loves to bounce in her jumperoo.
*Drink out of a sippy cup.

We are always thinking about camping and shopping for the latest and greatest accessories. Well, we found Elle's camping chair and she loves it.

Our Christmas celebration for the Rueber/Kiemel family was a little delayed this year, it was the first weekend that all four families could get together. And of course Grandma spoiled all of the grandchildren! Thanks for the wonderful afternoon Grandma Maureen and Papa Coach.

Jenna and Courtney enjoyed playing with Elle. Not the best picture of Elle, but she really did enjoy the girls!

I think we have a tummy sleeper. For the last week, I have found Elle on her tummy in the morning! She looks so tiny in her big girl crib and yes those are pacifiers. We keep about 6 of them in her crib so she can find one in the middle of the night! :)

Elle has moved from the infant tub to the sink! She loves bath time...but would rather play with the faucet, a Tupperware top than her bath toys! But they are fun to look at when they are all line up! ;)

This picture is too cute for words!

Claire pretend feeding Elle . They are going to be great friends as they grow!

Signs that our baby is getting bigger, she is using a sippy cup after meals! She kind of has the hang of it, but would still prefer a bottle!

The things you do to entertain your children while you are doing house work!

Elle would much rather find her own toy than you picking out a few toys for her to play with.

Elle and Daddy do funny things when they play.

Hope you enjoyed the RaNdOm pictures from the last two weeks!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

So I started this post two weeks ago...and haven't found the time until tonight to finish it! It is amazing how far behind on house work and daily life "stuff" you can get by being gone for ONE weekend! I still feel like I am playing catch up. So again sorry for not posting...and thank you for checking in to see if we have posted! :)

This blog dates back to my Christmas break (now 3 weeks ago). Adam and Amy gave David and I passes to go skiing at Afton Alps and then Elle got a "token" for a free day with Auntie and Uncle. I am not sure they were expecting us to redeem it within a day....

David and I have not spend a whole day alone since Elle was born, it was so nice! We went down just about every run about twice...we had a blast!

While mommy and daddy were skiing Elle got some quality time with her Auntie Amy and when Uncle Adam came home they had one serious conversation. (Sorry for the small pictures, any bloggers out there know how to make pictures bigger when they are sent via email and saved to your computer??)

It was only appropriate for Elle to wear the shirt she got from you Auntie - "My Auntie is Awesome!"

Elle finally got to meet Cindy and boy was she excited! Cindy was so hoping that during her visit this summer Elle would have made an early entrance...but we all know that didn't happen. So they finally got to meet!

Cindy, Alise and Kyra had a wedding to attend north of the cities, so Julie and I met the girls at Don Pablos (YUMMY!) It was a wonderful lunch as always and great company. Cindy we miss you and can't wait to see you this summer!

After lunch with the ladies, we were off to Papa Bill's for Christmas. It is always fun trying to get pictures of young children...Take 1

Take 2

Take 100, we finally got a good one (they are looking at Auntie Sue's camera)

And then to get a nice picture with Papa Bill.... As always we were pampered with a delicious dinner and generous gifts! Thanks Papa Bill and Sue.

We spent New Year's Eve at the Sullivan's again this year. This is the second annual "family friendly" party, last year there were about 4-5 pregnant ladies, this year only 3, which means more babies next year! Elle and Maddie are getting so big, and both love to stand!

Elle is getting so good and sitting on her own, I am able to leave her with a few toys and run to the kitchen quickly. But don't worry I leave her with the babysitter...Paisley! :)

Finley is letting us use his jumperoo until his little brother/sister needs it and Elle L.O.V.E.S. it!!!! She really can get bouncing. She bounced so much that she broke a toe nail this week!

Go Badgers! We don't have any Bucky wear, so we did our best with a Mini Mouse Fleece.

Watching the Rose Bowl...what a sad game. :(

As you all know Elle has soooo much hair and is sporting it in a Pebbles style pony tail most days, but we have tried piggy tails too! They make her look so much older than six months, but are too cute.

The first weekend in January we mad the hike down to Kenosha to spoil the twins! Of course if we have plans to travel the weather will not cooperate, it snowed the entire ride - 4.5 hours! But, Elle did sleep the entire ride!

Once we arrived, we ordered pizza...not just any pizza, a 3 foot pizza! It was bigger than the coffee table in the hotel room! Needless to say we DID have left overs! :)

After a 4.5 hour nap in the car, we needed some excitement - Elle went swimming for the first time! The pool was quite chilly, so we hit the warm tub (it was the temperature of bath water).

She LOVED the water, but did look at us all funny - like, why are all of you in my bath tub!?!?!

The step was a perfect place for little girls to sit and splash! I am thinking we will be taking swimming lessons this summer - she loves the water!

A weekend getaway means special treats, like sleeping in bed with mommy and daddy. Elle decided she didn't want to sleep anymore at 4:30 in the morning, so I put her in bed with us and she was out like a light!

Saturday was a day for the twins! My cousin Jeff and wife Janel hosted a shower for the men and women. The ladies stayed upstairs to shower the babies and the boys went downstairs to belly up to their very own bar.

Taylor (left) and Brooke (Right) were very good helpers and played with Elle while the grown ups did "shower stuff".

Great Gramma got to feed Elle again. Taylor and Brooke were right there to watch.

Playing with the girls Chloe is in the pick. Taylor is going to make an excellent baby sitter some day!

This is a funny picture, we played a game where you have to draw a baby on a paper plate, while the plate is on top of your head! Some of the pictures didn't even look like babies!!!!

The twins were spoiled with necessities and TWO of everything! Very soon we will get to meet them and we can't wait!

After the "showering" was done, we headed down stairs by the boys to hang out.

I thought life was busy before, well I was wrong. Being a working mother is the hardest job that I have ever LOVED!!! It is so exhausting each and everyday, (I think I am sleeping before my head even hits the pillow) but I would NEVER change it for anything in the world! Thank you for being patient with my posts and I will do my best to update more regularly...

Elle's First Christmas

My apologies for such a last post...I have had many "followers" patiently waiting for the Christmas update! And while working on this post, my computer screen went black!! I called tech support they were going to charge me $50 bucks just for a diagnosis, I decided to do a little research on my phone and figured it out for myself! So enjoy this post!!!!! :)

Let's start with the week before Christmas, I had school Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and Elle had a special sitter...Grandma Maureen. Maureen didn't have school, so she was able to come over for the three days to watch Elle. No pictures (sorry), but I know that Elle and Grandma had a great three days together! Thanks Grandma Maureen for helping us out!

Elle was not as interested in the Christmas tree as I thought she would be, until this week. She noticed this one particular ornament that she wanted to touch! This look below is the look of are you watching mommy?

Even if you are watching I am going to touch anyway....

Uh-Oh! The pretty ornament fell....next year the tree will be decorated a little differently. The ornaments may only be on the top half of the tree! :)

Tuesday, Elle and I went to a gathering with some of my co-workers. Gail (a 1st grade teacher) hosted a nice little Holiday party. They have a gorgeous A-frame house, which is perfect for their 29 foot tree....yes 29 foot tree, that is not a typo!

Gail showed Elle the train that they have going around the base of their 29 foot tree. She loved it! Thanks for the fun ladies, it was a nice evening!

Thursday night, we celebrated Christmas at home before we left for gramma and grampa's house Christmas Eve morning. Good thing we did, because we would NOT had room in the car for the presents!

Elle opening her first present, she was interested in the colorful paper!

Checking out her first gift, a "fill and spill" cookie jar that of course sings songs (every toy these days sing!). Elle doesn't quite get the whole put things in and take them out, but she loves the shapes and the top to the cookie jar!

Oh boy, this present is bigger than Elle! We tried not to spoil her....but it was hard not too!

Yummy paper, Elle was more interested in eating the paper than her gifts...maybe next year!

"Books for Christmas, what the heck!" (quoted from that little boy on the news) Elle actually loves books and she got some Christmas classics - Frosty, Twas the Night before Christmas and A Snowy Day. Again, she is more interested in eating the books...

This is Elle's "big" gift from us this year, again we tried not to go too crazy and she doesn't really get Christmas. Elle got a music table and she LOVES it, the girl only wants to stand and will pound on the table for as long as you are willing to sit behind her (to catch her if she falls).

Elle is enjoying all of her gifts from mommy and daddy, can't you see the excitement!

Trying out the new music table with daddy. (not the best pic of David, he just woke up for work!)

Look at that big girl standing at her music table. That is all she wants to do is stand, she will arch her back when sitting on the floor just so you stand her up!

We headed east Christmas Eve morning and went to church at Calvary (where David and I got married). Our little family in front of Gramma and Grampa's Living room tree.

Gramma and Grampa with Elle in front of the tree on Christmas Eve.

Thanks for the adorable dress Grandma Maureen, I got lots of compliments on it at Church!

David's work schedule is so hard normally and extra hard around the holidays. He got done with work Christmas Eve morning, then drove to my parents house, took a nap, woke up for church, took a nap, woke up for dinner, and finally went to bed! But he did manage to get some snuggles in during one of his naps.

Have you ever seen a more adorable reindeer?

Grampa always makes a TON of food for Christmas day and all we do is eat ALL day long! It was only appropriate for Elle to have special food too, she tried sweet potatoes for the first time and LOVED them! We have since tried peas too and again she LOVES them!

Elle is sitting in a high chair that is 100 years old, it is the high chair that Adam and I used as well! No straps in this high chair, so we put a belt around her - it kept her in! :)

This picture does not do justice to the amount of presents this year, some are hiding behind the chairs on the left and right, some are in the front hallway. Lets just say we did our best to support the economy again this year! :)

Elle stayed awake for most of the gift opening, it only took us about three hours! We do take breaks to eat, but we let everyone open one gift at a time. Next years gift opening may look a little different...Elle will be opening everyone's gifts!

Of course Elle was not spoiled at all....
Auntie Amy gave Elle and outfit and the shirt says "My Auntie is the best"!

Last year Grampa gave the boys a bucket - you can always use a five gallon bucket. Well when Uncle Adam saw these craftsman buckets he had to get them! Elle sure thought they were great!

Elle is very excited about her BIG present. Gramma and Grampa gave her a wagon for summer walks. She asked if we could take it around the house, but we decided that wouldn't be the best thing for the hardwood floors :)

I am missing one picture, Grampa investing in a train to go around the tree and each morning Elle and Gramma would sit and look at the tree for about 15-20 minutes! She loved it, but the picture must be on Gramma's camera. Maybe for the next post, I will have it.

We had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the time with family! Thank you to everyone for making the holidays so special! We are very excited for next year when Elle will have two cousins to open presents with!

Happy New Year!