Adventures in Parenting...and Just About Everything Else!

Fall Fun...

2011-11-20T10:50:00.001+09:00

It's November Already???

2011-11-20T10:33:00.001+09:00

So a lot has happened since the last time we posted....I deployed. Then came back. Jackson and Avery did some Trick or Treating (pictures didn't turn out, sorry!). We had a very nice 6.8 magnitude earthquake last week. The weather has changed (finally, thank God...).

We are moving. And there is more to the story than just us moving. We are moving into a new house on the 5th. You have to love renovations. Our new house is literally out the back door and up the hill. Sunny and Mike will still be our neighbors, so life on Okinawa will continue to remain not boring for adults on weekend nights.

The other part of the moving story is that we are moving back to the States. Not a lot of details, just know it will be Virginia and it will be in the summer. We are really looking forward to seeing family and shopping at Target and driving on the proper side of the road.

I could continue with the witty monologue, but that is slowing down my picture posting, which I know is what everyone wants anyways. So here come more pictures!

Catching Up...

2011-09-25T10:07:00.001+09:00

So we have been very very delinquent in posting new pictures this summer....between me being gone and both of us taking college classes, time has been at a premium lately. But here we are, trying to catch up the day before I head out on the big steaming duece (aka the USS Essex, LHD-2). Jackson and Avery started to really dig the pool this summer and they loved the life jackets that Grandma and Grandpa L sent. So much so that they would wear them around the house! Thanks so much G&G!

And here is Mr Jackson, trying desperately to prove the US Postal Service's claim of "if it fits, its ships!" in their flat rate mailing boxes. This is actually one of the first in a series of pictures that started with Jackson smiling - the final picture catches him in the act of falling out of the box while standing up in it. He was not impressed.

And here is Little Miss Smarty Pants with her mommy...

And this is obviously a preview of this year's Halloween costumes. It is turning into a zoo around this place I tell you! Two toddler-sized puppies will be terrorizing our housing area this year! I am just bummed that I won't be here to see it (again...).

Avery and Jackson have been pretty spoiled lately - first they got a little slide for the back yard, and then they got their very first car! A well-worn Cozy Coupe, year unknown. Avery firmly believes that the car is hers and hers alone, and will spend as much time as she possibly can just sitting in this thing! It is a hoot, they both love this little car! So much so that I bet we will have to get a second. We are in for a rough time when we move back to the States and get them PowerWheels!

The chalk monster was out and about yesterday. Sunny and Mike had a birthday party for Michael - much madness and screaming and trampoline action ensued, with most of the kids in their yard and the big canopy up in ours. Jackson decided to taste the chalk while coloring, and by the end of the afternoon had a rainbow of colors on his face, shirt and pants....

And finally on to this morning. Avery wanted to sit at the table like a big girl, and appeared to be very proud of herself while she did. She sat there while I made breakfast, looking about as cute as this picture during that entire time. They are big fans of breakfast and have no problem taking down some sausage links and buttermilk waffles. It is amazing how much these two little people eat!

We will certainly try to stay a bit more up-to-date on the blog here. I won't be able to post while I am on the ship, but Jackson and Avery are going to be doing some socializing at the CDC, so maybe Melissa will have a few more free seconds in her days. I will try to take some short video clips on the boat and post them when I get back, maybe it will give you an idea of what it is like being "haze grey and underway"!

Hope everyone is well!

Waaaay Too Long....

2011-08-29T11:38:00.004+09:00

I know, I know, we are seriously behind on our blogging....I am currently in Manila, Philippines for work and Melissa, Jackson and Avery are holding down the fort on Okinawa. They went to the zoo this week, and as you can see some had fun and some didn't!

Here is a video Melissa took during Typhoon Muifa, the storm that wouldn't end. We started experiencing tyhoon-force winds on Friday morning of that week and the storm didn't really let up until late Saturday afternoon. We were without power for about 18 hours, but all told it could have been worse. We had a lot of trees down around us and there was substantial flooding in our housing area, but our house was not affected.

Imagine having a jet engine parked outside of your house for 36 hours and that is what it sounded like. We had sustained winds of approximately 100mph for most of that time, gusts were up into the 130mph range. The wind was actually driving water in through the windows on the back of our house! We ended up getting about 16 inches of rain in a 72 hour period, pretty substantial even for Okinawa.

I will make it home on Friday to enjoy the holiday weekend with Melissa and the kids - don't know what we will do yet - whatever we do, I am just looking forward to being home. More pictures to follow, we promise it won't take a month this time!

This Weekend on Okinawa...

2011-07-17T09:02:00.003+09:00

There was a lot going on around our house this weekend....little girls had soccer balls stuffed under their shirts...

The trampoline was open for business - Jackson and Avery finally decided, after all kinds of watching the neighbor kids, that they wanted to check out the trampoline. And wouldn't you know it, they loved it! Avery just wanted to jump and jump and jump...

And Jackson was happy as a clam to crawl around with Emma. They both had an absolute fit when we had to take them off!

Somebody had his cute face on when we got up Saturday morning - he was begging to have his picture taken.

And then there was Avery, competing with her brother in the cuteness department. She decided she wanted to get IN the toybox. And hang out. So we felt obligated to take a bunch of pictures.

It has been a great weekend around here - fairly nice weather, some food on the grill, and not a whole lot to do but enjoy the days.

Guess Who Started Walking Yesterday?

2011-07-08T18:08:00.002+09:00

I got a phone call while I was at work yesterday saying "guess what? Jackson walked!" After being an incredible stinker for a couple of months - a time where he would furniture surf and walk while holding your hand just fine - Jackson finally decided it was time for him to start walking yesterday! We are pretty excited, and he is pretty proud of himself every time he makes it somewhere.

And not a day too soon - the kids had their 15-month checkup today. Both kids are happy and healthy AND the same height (32 whole inches). For the time being Avery is a pretty tall chick! She tipped the scales at almost 24 pounds and Jackson clocked in at just under 25. Both little monsters continue to eat just about anything we put in front of them (including crab legs tonight) and are set on drinking the island of Okinawa out of milk!!!

Melissa, Jackson and Avery Meet 12 Stones!

2011-07-06T20:04:00.004+09:00

So one of my favorite bands makes its way to Okinawa - and of course, I wasn't here to meet them or see them play! BUT...

Jackson, Avery and Melissa did get to the BX last weekend to meet 12 Stones. How cool is that? They are a pretty kick-ass rock band, and apparently Jackson had a good time hanging out some fellow rockers...

The band was here to play AmericaFest, the big Independence Day shindig that happens on Kadena. If my flight hadn't been delayed Melissa and I would have gone to see them play. Oh well....we got some really good pictures and an autographed poster out of the whole deal!

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-05T06:17:00.005+09:00

We hope everyone had as wonderful of a day as we did! We spent the day camped out in the back yard with both pools, the water table and even some games of washers going on.

Jackson and Avery really seemed to enjoy themselves - they had

a blast playing with Brendan, Emma and Michael.

We capped the day off with good old-fashioned burgers, dogs and baked beans. Was a pretty tasty way to end the day!

And what made it even better is the fact that I was able to be here for the 4th! I should be around all summer! How about that? Look out Tsunami Scuba, Melissa is going to be getting her PADI cert!

Pictures

2011-06-28T18:51:00.006+09:00

Fun in the bigger pool

Playing with the trikes. Thank you for the water shoes grandma and grandpa L. -it is so nice that Avery and Jackson can play in the grass or water and I do not have to worry about them stepping on the prickly things in the yard!

Fun in the small pool...thanks great-grandma B! They had fun figuring out the spouts.

Daddy, Jackson, and Avery last weekend.

Jackson in his guitar shirt...thanks grandma S!

Avery in a plaid dress, looking cute as always.

Time

2011-06-23T13:27:00.007+09:00

Wow! Has it really been about a month since our last post? Where has the time gone? In the past month Craig and I have been busy plugging away at school work. Yes, that is right, we are both enrolled in college and working towards our bachelor degrees! Earning our degrees has been something we both have thought about for years but never sat down to actually do. Not that now is the "perfect" time but we both realize there is never a "perfect" time for anything. So here we are working on assignments after the kids fall asleep for the night. Pretty exciting, huh? Currently we are both enrolled in one class and have another one starting early July. And lucky for us we both already have some college credits, and the college we are attending, American Military University, offers 8 or 16 week courses, which should help us earn our degrees a bit faster than usual.

Craig leaves again this Sunday. That time is coming up way too quickly! I am not ready to have him leave again. I know I can handle the kids, college assignments, errands, and house-hold chores on my own - over the last year I have had plenty of practice (well, except the college course work). Although I know I can do it, I don't want to! I want him home to enjoy the kids, I want his company, and would love his help. I want to have us all here, together, to enjoy our last year on island and experience as much as possible. BUT it is what it is, and I do appreciate all his hard work and sacrifices! I know it is harder on him being away than it is on me being home.

Yes, time is going by quickly. We will try to maintain our blog page a bit better - and get some more pictures posted. We hope everyone is doing well!

Typhoon Craziness

2011-05-30T08:22:00.006+09:00

The night of typhoon Songda turned out to be a bit crazy. Things were fine until around 10pm. Sure we had some rain, the winds were definitely picking up, and the power was on and off, but it was all expected. What was not expected is what happened between 10-12.

Around 10pm my neighbor and I were texting about the wind really getting her tarp. It was causing the tarp to make a lot of noise and flap. She ended up getting ahold of another neighbor and we all went out (yes, in the typhoon) and proceeded to take her tarp down. Luckily we did, when we did, because it ended up coming off in our hands - if we would have waited any longer the tarp (and hardware) could have 1. blown away or 2. broke her glass patio door. Okay, so we got that down and secured...back inside we all go. About 20 minutes later I hear a loud noise outside my bedroom window. Curious I took a look, and sure enough it was my tarp coming loose and waving in the wind. Oh crap, here we go again. I contacted the neighbors and we all go outside and take our tarp down. You would think since we just did this that things may go smoothly, but they didn't. As my one neighbor was on my roof detaching the tarp the wind picked up and caused a piece of hardware to cut open his hand. We proceeded to secure the tarp, and wrap up his hand. Alright that all was a bit crazy, can we call it a night? Not yet...while outside helping me with my tarp my immediate neighbor locks herself out of her house (with her three children inside). Oh boy! After banging on the doors trying to wake up the oldest kids (the youngest is at the patio door screaming for mommy to come inside but is too young to unlock the door), and before we result to breaking a window, I decided that maybe if I could get to the bedroom window the kids would hear me knocking. Sounds like a good idea, right? Here I go out my bedroom window (second story for all of you who don't know they layout), across the roof, over a gap, and onto her roof and to the window where I am banging and yelling for the kids! Another neighbor joins in the action and finds that one of the back windows is unlocked (thank goodness because the kids are NOT waking up), crawls through and unlocks the front door. I walk the roof tops and crawl back into my window. Our hearts were racing, tarps were coming down, doors were locked, people on roof tops and crawling through windows.....holy crap, did all that really just happen?!

Songda was the strongest typhoon I have been through since arriving on Oki. Luckily everyone was okay (the worst that happened is that one neighbor had to get two stitches and a splint for his hand, which granted kind of sucks but if that is the worst...). The clean up started yesterday morning and lasted almost all day. Songda came and conquered our little island and we all are very thankful that we didn't get directly hit (I think the eye of the storm was about 80 miles off coast), things could have been a lot worse. As for the neighborhood, we are just going to try to enjoy the rest of this Memorial Day weekend.

Oh, by the way, Craig arrives home today! YAY!!

Super Typhoon SONGDA

2011-05-27T14:28:00.005+09:00

Life on Okinawa continues to be ......interesting. While we are still suffering the loss of our beautiful Phaelan (BTW, thank you to everyone who gave us support and sympathy during this tough time, it means a lot) we were excited for daddy's return to the island. He was supposed to return today but typhoon Songda had a different idea.

The "super typhoon" is currently moving away from the Philippine Islands (good) and coming towards Okinawa (not so good). Here is what is predicted:

WINDS greater than 35KT (40 mph) Saturday, May 28 at 6 a.m.
WINDS greater than 50KT (57 mph) Saturday, May 28 at 12 noon.
WINDS SUSTAINED at greater than 50KT (57 mph) Saturday, May 28 at 1 p.m.
MAX WINDS EXPECTED at 115 KTS (132 mph) sometime Saturday afternoon.
The winds will then be decreasing during Saturday evening and the system should leave the area bySunday morning.

While it is really disappointing that Craig will not be coming home today, and (most likely) not at all this weekend, the twins and I will prepare and buckle down for yet another typhoon. Craig is safe, and I am sure Jackson, Avery, and I will be too.

Again thank you to all who gave support (with the loss of our beloved furry family member) and please keep us in your thoughts as Songda hits Oki.

All dogs go to heaven...

2011-05-17T10:29:00.005+09:00

We lost Phaelan yesterday...not much else to say, except that she was such as good girl and we loved her very much. We miss her terribly already, but we know she is chasing a tennis ball somewhere. She was our first "kid" and a huge part of our family

Avery and Jackson go to the zoo...

2011-05-14T08:15:00.004+09:00

It was a bit on the warm side once we got there last weekend, but Jackson and Avery appeared to enjoy their first trip to the zoo! It was fun watching them watch the animals, especially the monkeys that we could get relatively close to. Here is Mr Jackson, looking serious as he usually does on his stroller/wagon rides...

...and then there is Avery, taking everything in! We were all happy to get out of the house for a couple of hours and enjoy the sun, something that has not been around a lot over the last two weeks. Rain, rain, rain, tropical storm, rain, rain, sun, rain is about how the weather has been here.

Here is Jackson and his mommy on Mother's Day, clowning for the camera. Happy Mother's Day Mommy!

And there is Avery with her daddy - we had stopped to check out the kangaroos here before heading to the air conditioned car! It was a warm one.

We hope that all of the moms in our lives had a wonderful Mother's Day!

More Birthday Fun...

2011-04-26T17:39:00.003+09:00

Jackson and Avery's Second 1st Birthday!

2011-04-24T18:19:00.001+09:00

How many people are luckier than little kids? I mean, who gets two birthdays for the price of one? We had a bunch of friends over yesterday to help us celebrate Jackson and Avery's 1st birthday and help eat the large number of cupcakes we made! The kids seemed to enjoy themselves (in between bouts of grumpiness) and the weather even cooperated enough to let all of the kids play outside...

This Week on Okinawa...

2011-04-20T13:52:00.004+09:00

There was plenty of press on hand when the Essex pulled pier-side at White Beach on the 12th. Lucky for us, I was one of the first Marines off the boat - so me saying hello to Melissa and the kids attracted a lot of attention from the photographers. Here is the cover of a small magazine that comes out every week here - with all of us plastered on the cover! How about that?

And on to more paparazzi pics - here are Jackson and Avery test-driving their new wagon. They seemed to enjoy it and will get lots and lots of use out of it!

Pictures for the sake of pictures...

2011-04-17T13:01:00.003+09:00

Jackson's First Haircut...

2011-04-17T12:53:00.003+09:00

So...you would think that this might involve some screaming, crying and carrying on. Well, that's what we thought anyways. But Jackson had other ideas. We took him into the barber shop on Kadena the other day, plopped him in my lap and he proceeded to sit there and get his hair cut like a pro!
He didn't seem phased at all and only started to give us a hard time once he got bored. How about that?

He was pretty scruffy looking - it was definitely time for a trim - but looks like a new man now! Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the next time will be so easy!

Finally Home!

2011-04-17T12:43:00.002+09:00

And a week early to boot! My floating, temporary home pulled into White Beach on 12 April and I made it my mission to get off as soon as possible...finally got down the ramp at around 1230 - and after a minor altercation with a mighty GS-6 US customs employee, Melissa, the kids and I got as far away from Essex as we could! It feels so good to be home - even if home is Okinawa. Jackson and Avery have all kinds of new tricks for me - like eating everything in sight. And motoring all over the house! Not much else to say besides the obvious - I missed Melissa and the kids like crazy and am happy to be home!

March of Dimes

2011-04-09T12:57:00.009+09:00

Today Avery, Jackson, and I participated in the first overseas March of Dimes walk. It was held here, on the little island of Okinawa, on Kadena AB and was 3k. Many people came out to support the cause and I am so glad we had beautiful weather - sunny and mid 70s. If I heard correctly (the crowd was large and loud, so it was a bit difficult to hear) the participant's donated over $15k, which for military members and other govt employees whose income was questionable this week, is amazing! I had a nice time visiting with some friends and the twins enjoyed the stroller ride and seeing all the little kids. We saw many cameras during the walk and I know our picture was taken a few times. It will be interesting to see where or if the pictures will be posted. Here are some that I took.

Avery and Jackson sporting their hats, which actually stayed on the majority of the walk :)

Some participants before the walk getting registered and mingling.

The line of supporters during the walk.

1 year appointments

2011-04-07T08:48:00.007+09:00

Avery and Jackson went in for their one year baby well appointment last week. Besides a few moments after receiving shots, they both did a great job! The only concern that the pediatrician had was that Jackson is a bit anemic so she prescribed an iron supplement. Avery weighed in at 21.5 pounds (which is the 55th percentile for her) and measured 30.12 inches (77%). Jackson was 22.7 pounds (44th percentile for him and maybe he was having a "light" day - being so solid he feels heavier than this) and measured 29.53 inches (35%).

They are growing up so fast and seem to be learning and/or improving new skills every day. Last week Avery even took a few steps on her own!!! She won't do it every day but I think she wants to, she just does not have enough confidence yet. She still is doing great with her walker or if I hold her hands. She also enjoys helping mommy with laundry, watching the older neighbor kids play, and picking on her borther. Jackson LOVES standing and walking with my support, "driving" his toy car, and reading.

We are busy planning their birthday party which will be held on 23 April. The Dr Seuss decorations have arrived, invites were sent, and the bouncy house reserved. I just hope the weather is good so we can enjoy the celebration outside.

Craig will be back soon and we are definitely counting the days (although at this point we don't know the exact day so it is hard to have an accurate count)! The ship he is on may be back to Oki sooner than expected (and that is, of course, what we are hoping for) but at the most we have 12 days. YAY!! We are all ready for daddy to be home!

Jackson & Avery's 1st Birthday

2011-03-29T19:27:00.019+09:00

Avery and Jackson turned one last weekend and I can not believe it! My babies (although they will always be my "babies") are no longer considered babies as they have entered their toddler years. Where did the time go? Was it not just yesterday that Craig and I brought them home from the hospital? I am pretty sure it was, but somehow here we are a year later. The twins had a nice, relatively quiet birthday. They celebrated by enjoying time outside, going for a stroller and car ride, eating some of their favorite foods, and opening presents all day long. Instead of having a birthday cake (they are waiting for their birthday party to enjoy cake) they had chocolate pudding and cookies, which went over fairly well. Thank you to everyone who sent gifts! It was fun watching Avery and Jackson open wrapping paper, ribbons, and tissue paper to discover the gift(s) inside. They did, however, have more fun with the cards. (Maybe the cards reminded them of books, which they so much enjoy - who knows.) Everything they received is wonderful. Thank you for thinking of them and helping us celebrate! We are looking forward to having their birthday party once Craig gets back, and will be sure to post more pictures then, but for now here are some from this past weekend.

Greetings from the Mighty USS Essex!

2011-03-18T17:53:00.004+09:00

SO....a lot has gone on in the last week. We attempted to get some liberty in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, but that was short-lived. After about 4 hours off the ship, we received word that the entire crew was being recalled and spent a number of hours herding people back to the ship. We got underway the following morning and headed directly for mainland Japan.

Essentially we are "on-station" and prepared to assist in what is being called "Operation Tomodachi" (I do believe Tomodachi is friends in Japanese). All I can tell you is we are somewhere near Japan (look at the interactive maps on CNN or Fox News and you can see where we are). It is COLD!! It was snowing pretty hard yesterday, temps were well into the single-digits with windchill. I am sitting in the space where I work wearing a sweatshirt, fleece and winter hat. C-O-L-D!

I am sure a lot of you are wondering about the radiation from the incidents at Fukushima Daiichi...where we are currently located puts us well outside of the affected area. If and when we go ashore to assist with humanitarian relief operations, every possible measure is being taken to ensure that we are safe. Military personnel who specialize in radiological detection and decontamination are being utilized and we all have/will wear the proper PPE. We will even have access to potassium iodide and all personnel coming and going are swept for contamination.

It is important that everyone understands the kind of radiation we may be exposed to - Alpha and Beta radiation is what we are up against. Long-sleeved shirts/pants, gloves and a dust mask would protect us from this type of contamination. If something is detected on you, you lose that article of clothing/piece of gear and wash with soap and water. And then you are all set.

Just wanted to give everyone an update, keep you all as informed as possible. The CO of the ship keeps talking about the ship's Facebook site (the MEU has one too) and the fact that the sites are updated twice a day. The leadership here is doing everything it can to keep the families well informed, so check the sites out.

Update

2011-03-17T19:40:00.002+09:00

There has been so much in the news about the earthquakes, tsunami, and now the nuclear plants that I just wanted to post a quick update....

The twins and I are still doing well. The weather has not affected Okinawa, and the wind has not brought any of the nuclear plant contamination here (as a concerned friend of mine was worried about). I feel we have been really lucky and can only imagine what the victims are going through. Since we are so close, living on Okinawa, and knowing some people that are helping in the relief efforts, this has really "hit home" for me. The twins and I are doing what we can to help by donating a lot of used baby clothes and some money. We can only hope more survivors are found and the spirit of the people stays strong.

Also we hear from Craig often and I want to assure you that he is doing well. I can not say where he is at or what he is doing, but he tells me that he is safe and looks forward to coming back asap.

I hope this helps relieve some of your concerns. Again, thank you for keeping us in your thoughts!

My birthday

2011-03-17T09:55:00.007+09:00

I celebrated my birthday last weekend with some friends. Saturday I got together with some other wives and their children for a chaotic afternoon of play. There were three other ladies and five other children (besides me and the twins), so you might imagine how crazy being stuck indoors may have been. It was nice to see everyone and we had a great pot luck dinner and "better than sex" cake for dessert....yummy yum!

Sunday was a bit more relaxing. My good friend, Noelle, took me to lunch at Transit Cafe. Neither of us had been there before and we were both excited to try it. The cafe is located on the seawall (kind of near American Village). The weather was decent so we sat outdoors overlooking the China Sea. I got a spaghetti lunch special and a hot carmel mocchiato. We spent a couple hours sharing stories, and enjoying the view. Lunch was great, the company was (and always is)wonderful, and it was such a nice break. Thank you again Noelle!!

Knowing I would not bake myself a cake, Sunny and Mike decided to surprise me with Okinawan desserts and chocolates. There were three desserts in the box and I wasn't sure if I should actually eat them or just admire them as art. ;) I could tell the designer gave each special thought. But I quickly got over that and enjoyed every bite!

I also want to thank you all for the beautiful cards I received in the mail. I plan on pampering myself with my birthday money. I have booked an appointment to get my hair cut, and receive a hot stone massage. I also plan on going to Cocock's nail salon to get a pedicure. Thank you everyone for thinking of me!

Oki gets hit??

2011-03-11T21:34:00.003+09:00

Okay, it is about 9:30pm and supposedly Okinawa got hit with several very small tsunamis (under 3 ft). Needless to say we did not have any damage and are all okay. I even was outside for a bit with the neighbors and we did not see any water nor anything floating away, it seemed like any other nice evening. Bottom line, no need to worry about us...we are fine. I appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts!

Earthquakes and Tsunami

2011-03-11T19:10:00.005+09:00

Unless you do not watch TV, listen to the radio, or spend anytime on the Internet, mainland Japan got hit with an 8.9 magnitude earthquake earlier today, which was followed by 25+ after shocks ranging from 5.2-7.1 magnitude (for further details view USGS Asia-Region Earthquake List listed on our links). Japan also got hit with a huge tsunami that, as you can imagine, did a lot of damage, and so far has taken 32 lives (however the death tolls have just begun).

Okinawa has not been effected yet but is under a tsunami warning, which should hit soon. It is estimated that Oki will receive a wave between 3-8 feet - a much smaller tsunami that hit mainland. The base we live on is on higher elevation than most of the island and is not on the coast, so we (Jackson, Avery, Phaelan, and I) should be okay. (And for you who do not know the layout of our home, the bedrooms are on the second floor. Jackson and Avery are already asleep and I feel more at ease knowing they are in the safest part of the house.)

I will post an update once the wave hits and we are "all clear". Along with us, please keep Craig in your thoughts, as he is onboard a ship and could be much more effected than we will be.

Jess returns home

2011-02-24T11:31:00.006+09:00

Yesterday my sister's visit came to an end. Mid-morning we got her luggage packed, and loaded the kids into the car for the trip to the airport. It was a nice drive on a beautiful day. We talked about all the fun things we did while she was here, and what things lay ahead for each of us.

While Jess was here I had the opportunity to show her many sites on island. Not only did we attend the Montgomery Gentry USO concert, and go to Nago's cherry blossom festival, we also visited Cape Manzamo, bought fresh veggies at JA farmer's market, shopped at American Village/Depot Island, one of the many 100 yen stores, and Jusco, spent an afternoon at the Yomitan Pottery Village, collected souvenirs at Sunset Beach, watched the waves at Kadena Marina and the seawall, went to the aquarium, and visited Kokusai Street. There were also some lazy days at home, walks around base, and many trips to the BX and commissary. We even made it to a couple Japanese restaurants where Jess tried local cuisine (which overall, was not a big hit with her but she was a great sport to try it). I can not believe how fast the month went. The twins and I are so glad that she was able to come visit. We really enjoyed having her company and are SO grateful for all her help!! Thank you so much Jess!!! We love you!!

Avery walks!

2011-02-09T13:59:00.011+09:00

February 2nd proved to be a very exciting day. Not only was it my mother-in-law's birthday (happy birthday Cathy) it was also the day Avery decided to take her first steps! While playing in the living room Avery crawled over to her walker, arranged it so it was not up against the table, stood up, and (while holding onto the handle) started walking! It took Jess and I by complete surprise, and it seemed Avery knew exactly what she was doing. There was no falling, just one step then another and another until she was across the room.....a natural pro! After her first trip Jess and I both grabbed for any type of recorder (phone, bloggie) and captured her making several more trips across the living room, a total of six that day. It was so amazing and Avery was so proud of herself. I wish Craig was here to witness it in person. (I did, however, send him a video clip - which he watches over and over.) Since she has started walking there is no stopping her. Each and every day she makes more progress and is also standing (unassisted) for approximately 30 seconds at a time. We are so proud! :)

Jess arrives...

2011-02-09T13:11:00.014+09:00

On January 26th my sister arrived on Okinawa. It was wonderful to pick her up and finally see her again, its been 1 1/2 years. All her flights were on-time and, besides Tokyo, her travels went smoothly. (I will let her explain how much fun Tokyo was.) The morning after her arrival is when she met Jackson and Avery. The introductions went well. Jess even commented on how different it was seeing me not only as a sister but also as a mother. The twins seemed to take to her well, but will see what they can get away with if I am not around, which is kind of funny - atleast to me (probably not Jess).
Since her arrival we have been staying busy! The first full day she was here we went to the Montgomery Gentry meet and greet. After packing up the kiddos, running through the rain, and waiting in line for about an hour, it was our turn to meet the men. (Yup, that's right, we met MG -eat your heart out country fans.) They were both so nice and thanked us for our service and sacrifices, which is always so nice to hear, and (in my opinion) is not said enough. Later that night we attended the Montogomery Gentry concert sponsored by the USO. It was held in a hanger on Kadena AFB, and do to the fact it was still raininig the crowd was not huge, which gave us the opportunity to get rather close to the stage. It was a great show and I am so glad that we were able to attend!
This time of year is when the Cherry Blossoms bloom here on Oki, so on the 6th we headed up to Nago for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Despite the weather (windy, chance of rain) we enjoyed seeing all the venders and tasting some local cuisine. I can not say too much about the blossoms though. It seems they were a bit delayed in blooming this year. The hillside at the festival, where most of the trees are, was not as colorfull as it was last year when Craig and I went. I think Jess and I have seen more Cherry Blossoms driving around than we did at the festival itself. Still I had a good time showing my sister a Japanese festival -which is pretty similar to any in the States, lots of food, venders, games, and people all over the place. More to come soon....

Busy beginning to 2011

2011-01-26T09:49:00.010+09:00

First off, happy new year! It has been a month since we posted anything, not that we have not wanted to but that we just did not make the time. We hope 2011 is (so far) treating you well.Since the beginning of the year we have been quite busy. The year started with me taking Avery into the ER, and after five hours she was diagnosed with fluid in her ears (not quite an infection but basically treated the same). We felt lucky that we noticed her symptoms right away and was able to treat her before it became worse. With the help of her medicine she recovered fairly quickly and is back to being herself. Both babies are doing well and are now ten months old! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing them home from the hospital and soon they will celebrate their first birthday. I can not believe how fast the time has gone.

Over the last few weeks we have been enjoying time spent as a family, and the company of friends. Craig and I even set some time aside to go on a couple dates, which was great to spend time as husband and wife, not mom and dad. All the time together came to an end Sunday when we took Craig to the airport. It was hard seeing him leave (again), and as soon as the kids and I exited the airport doors the water works began.....I really do not like saying "bye" to him. But just like last time the kids and I will settle into our own routine, and hopefully the time will go fast.

I am excited for my sister's visit, which will be wonderful. She arrives on island tomorrow. It will be great to catch up, introduce her to her niece and nephew, and show her some of the island. There are a few things we know we want to do or see while she is here, and I have a pretty long list of other ideas. It is nice that we will not have to rush around, having her here for a month will allow us time to explore, and relax.

Well that is about it for now. Like I said the month has been busy. Maybe things will slow down a little so I can make time for more posts....no promises though ;)

Just a few more...

2010-12-26T11:50:00.003+09:00

More Christmas Fun....

2010-12-26T11:42:00.002+09:00

Christmas Shenanigans...

2010-12-26T07:58:00.001+09:00

Merry Christmas!!!

2010-12-25T13:42:00.002+09:00

So Jackson and Avery had their first Christmas this morning...what an adventure that was! After more than a week of getting after Avery - she was making a b-line for the presents whenever she could - we gave her the green light and she was more amused by empty boxes! To be expected I suppose...

The whole ordeal lasted about 4 hours - open presents, eat, open more presents, nap, open more presents, eat again! It was a hoot watching them, Jackson was really getting the hang of tearing off wrapping paper.

Well, we are aff to honey bake a ham and make some cornbread casserole - hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!!

December pictures

2010-12-20T20:29:00.004+09:00

Blogging Delinquencies.....

2010-12-19T14:30:00.001+09:00

So we just realized that we haven't posted anything in like a month....oops!

Things are same old same old here on Okinawa. Jackson and Avery are starting to get over their first colds - wow, has that been fun. They just had their 9 month appointment....apparently they are normal, happy, healthy kids who definitely do not like having blood taken!

Avery continues to motor around this place like nobody's business - she even stood herself up twice yesterday! We have been telling Phaelan to watch out, because Avery is gonna be chasing after her by New Years!

Well, just wanted to get some pictures posted. We are going to make a couple of more posts with just pictures (our outstanding internet connection makes posting these big files a serious pain!), so check back soon!

Jet-Lag, Fried Turkey and a Fake Christmas Tree...

2010-11-27T14:08:00.001+09:00

...all things I have experienced in the last week! So I have FINALLY returned to Okinawa after what seemed like an eternity in the states. Good training, but LOOOOOONG....

Very happy to be back at home, things have become "normal" again here. Had a nice Thanksgiving with friends here at the house - good food, good company, even good weather!

Got the tree out and set up on Friday and there are plenty of presents to go under it! Now we just need to get the rest of the house a little more "Christmas-y" and we will be all set...

Just wanted to post some pictures of some shenanigans from the last three months, back to the regularly scheduled kid-related posts next!

Update and accomplishments

2010-11-20T13:29:00.005+09:00

Since the last post the babies and I have been keeping busy with play-dates, mommy lunches, get togethers and meetings, shopping, and more. Jackson and Avery are now (just about) eight months old and here are some milestones they have reached. Both Avery and Jackson are expanding their "vocabulary" and enjoy having conversations. Avery is now crawling and is all over the place! (Baby gates and baby proofing the house is a must!) Jackson is doing well at tummy time, will belly surf, and scoots backwards but is not yet crawling. He, however, does a great job supporting himself sitting. Avery still only has two teeth, Jackson does not have any yet. Jackson does have a full head of hair, while Avery is still working on hers. They both enjoy "outings", which happen just about every day, and will get excited when I get their car seats out. All very exciting and I wonder what they will accomplish in the next month.

The time has gone fast and I am very glad to report that Crag will be back in just a couple days! I can not tell you how very excited we are for his return! The past three months have shown me a lot, some good, some not-so-good. Overall it reminded me how strong I am and that I can handle life's lazy rivers as well as its bumpy roads. As far as Craig, he has done an amazing job with school and now is really looking forward to getting back to his family. (I will let him fill you in with details).

Besides all that news, Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and Christmas is just around the corner. Where has this year gone?

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T13:59:00.014+09:00

Here are the twins in their costumes and Halloween outfits.....and apparently are not too happy about either one. Well, atleast Jackson is not.

He doesn't make a very scary monster...keep working on it bud, maybe next year.This image is blurry but I couldn't resist posting it....a too funny teeth shot (both Avery and her shirt). Butterfly and Eeyore

"I have wings!"
"You have got to be kidding me!"

Have a safe and happy Halloween!

After Chaba

2010-10-29T08:48:00.002+09:00

Although it is windy (wind 39 km/h (24 mp/h), wind gust 48 km/h (29.8 mp/h)), the typhoon has passed. We did not loose power or have any damage to our house. We have not left the house yet (it is only 9am) so I do not know what the island looks like, but looking out my windows the only mess I see are leaves blown everywhere.
Since the most wind noise was in the back of the house (which is where the nursery is located) the twins had a hard time sleeping last night. After they each woke up several times I brought them in my room where they slept rather peacefully. They needed more comfort and less noise, and it comforted me too knowing they were sleeping better. We are all doing well. Jackson and Avery are taking a nap so I better get myself ready for the day. Thanks for keeping us in mind!

Chaba

2010-10-28T11:46:00.008+09:00

Over the last couple days Okinawa has been experiencing some interesting weather. It started Tuesday with strong winds, Wednesday brought rain and wind, and today (Thursday) Typhoon Chaba is visiting the island. We are currently in TCCOR 1C, which means that all non-essential personnel, and all family members must remain at their residence, all base shops (BX/PX, commissary, gas stations, etc) are closed, and only emergency vehicles are allowed on the roads. It also means we are currently experiencing winds between 34-49 knots (approx 40-57mph), although it seems much worse than that! Needless to say the babies, dog, and I are happy to be inside and have plenty of supplies. For more information and/or to view the storm's path go to our blog links and click "Active Storm Watch".

Here is an article on Chaba.....
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-27/typhoon-chaba-strengthens-on-path-to-okinawa-japan.html

-Update @ 2:30pm-
We have reached TCCOR-1E, which means we are experiencing winds 50 knots (57.6mph) or greater (and I am sure we are well above 50 knots), and is the highest level of readiness. It is extremely windy out and we are still getting plenty of rain. The windows rattle from time to time, which Avery does not like! Poor girl is having a hard time napping because of this.

-Update @ 6:50pm-
We are getting directly hit, and hit hard by Typhoon Chaba. This storm is much worse than previous ones I have experienced. It is still extremely windy and raining. Thank goodness these buildings were made for this weather! The twins are currently sleeping in their beds but I would not be surprised if both end up in bed with me before the night is over. But so far so good, we are all okay.

Grandma S visits

2010-10-26T17:57:00.039+09:00

After passport troubles, scheduling animal care, and a very long plane ride, Grandma S made it to Oki to meet Jackson and Avery. She arrived the evening of the 15th and was very happy that her flights went smoothly, and to finally be here. Once everyone was awake the next morning introductions began. Avery is a little cautious of new people so I was a bit worried but, along with Jackson, she liked grandma from the moment they met.

During her visit (and between meal and diaper messes) we were able to do some sight-seeing. To sum it up we went to a couple beaches (Sunset and Man za), saw both the Pacific Ocean and China Sea, did plenty of shopping, toured the Yomitan Pottery Village and American Village, tried a couple Japanese dishes (which went over rather well), and gave grandma an animal "fix" with the help of Phaelan and the local "zoo". Jackson and Avery provided us with plenty of entertainment: singing, dancing, rolling, laughing, and telling stories.

It was a great visit and we had such a good time. Thank you grandma for coming, helping, and spoiling us! We were sad to see you leave but enjoyed having you here!

-The farmer, his daughter, M&P ;)

New Tricks

2010-10-10T17:27:00.011+09:00

Over the last few days Avery and Jackson have been working on new tricks and improving old ones. While busy doing plenty of tummy time, Jackson gets a kick out of rolling from his stomach to his back. (Here I got him mid-roll.) Today he rolled more than usual, which makes both Jackson and I very happy. When he finishes his roll he either smiles or laughs (I think he is amazed that he can maneuver so well). I am glad he is enjoying himself and making more progress. Avery has been all over the place! She will wiggle herself backwards to get from one end of the room to the other. I find myself rescuing her a lot from being half way under chairs, tangled in the swing, against the wall ....well you name it. She also has been busy attempting to get up on all fours and yesterday accomplished it. Today she has been perfecting her new trick. Their developments have been amazing to witness and I wonder what tomorrow will bring!

Stroller rides and a pool party

2010-10-02T09:31:00.017+09:00

Over the last week or so the twins enjoyed a few stroller rides around the neighborhood. Its still too hot and humid here to go very far (most days it is in the upper 80s) but we were able to enjoy the flowers that are along our route. Azalea bushes are all over the base and are in bloom right now. It is so nice to be able to enjoy their beautiful colors. Jackson and Avery also did plenty of tummy time, story time, and enjoyed adding to their diet. After the peas they tried sweet potato and then pears. So far so good. They had their SIX month check up! (I can't believe they are six months old already). They both are really tall for their age, measuring in at 27.75 inches! That's right, get out your measuring tapes. The doctor couldn't believe it either and remeasured, but sure enough the miracle grow is working. ;)
Phaelan enjoyed her week too. Along with coming on the walks/jogs, she went swimming. At the end of each summer one of the pools puts on "Dog Days", which opens the pool up to dogs and their owners for swimming, games, and contests. Although she did not participate in any of the contests, she did enjoy fetching her ball and swimming along side me. It was great getting her out and she enjoyed all the extra attention.

Craig is doing well. He is

staying extremely busy with school and wishes he was able to enjoy life with us. We really miss him too and can not wait for his return!

Introducing solids

2010-09-18T14:09:00.008+09:00

I have been thinking about introducing the twins to solids/baby food (other than cereal) for awhile so when my neighbor dropped off a few jars of food I decided today was the day. Since they were already introduced to fruit (I sometimes mix banana into their cereal) I thought a veggie was in order, peas it was. I broke out the high chairs and got started. Jackson handled it like a pro barely making any sort of mess and asked for more whenever I took the spoon away. Avery wasn't so graceful, she wants to feed herself (as shown in her first picture), which, as you can imagine, typically leads to a big mess. She eventually gave the spoon back to me so I could feed her, but it wasn't without her grabbing the peas, and spoon. Both enjoyed it and washed the meal down with milk. Overall we created a huge mess but it was oh so funny! I only wish Craig were here to see it! It was a good laugh, which was needed. Good thing their outfits were already dirty and baths were next!

Jogging?? Stroller

2010-09-17T10:40:00.005+09:00

Wow. We just got back from trying out our jogging stroller. And you may have noticed I put question marks after "jogging".... I have realized that I am really out of shape since I have not ran or jogged in over a year and can only go for short distances right now. I bought the used stroller on Okinawa yard sales, and although it is not exactly what I was looking for (and I had to rig the shade from coming up -I will have to take a closer look at it, there has to be a way to secure the shade), it works and was the right price. Now I just have to dodge the weather and get the kids out running, and eventually get myself in decent shape.

Time for me to hit the shower and the twins to take a nap. Hopefully all the fresh air will help them sleep.

Baby Sichak

2010-09-17T09:11:00.008+09:00

CONGRATULATIONS SICHAK FAMILY!!

Congratulations goes out to my best friend, Terrie, her husband, and daughter as they welcome the newest addition to their family. Baby girl, Ella, was born Thursday morning, September 16th. The whole family is doing well. We can't wait to see pictures and one day meet her!

Thank you D!

2010-09-17T09:02:00.003+09:00

Jackson and Avery got a very pleasant surprise in the mail the other day. My dear friend, Denise, sent them some new toys. Here they are playing with the bucket and shapes. They also received two play remote controls. Mommy even got a necklace! This was such a wonderful surprise and very unexpected. Thank you so much for brightening our day! We love you!

Giggles

2010-09-03T19:41:00.005+09:00

Okay, something other than weather updates..

While playing today I was able to catch images of our laugh-a-thons. The twins giggle everyday but I rarely stop and grab the camera (too busy enjoying the moment). Today I was able to get a few pictures. And even though they were taken with my iphone, which doesn't produce the best quality images, you can clearly see everyone was having a good time. Enjoy!

Here we go again...

2010-09-03T14:02:00.004+09:00

First off let me remind everyone that 'tis the season in Oki for typhoons. The season starts in June and runs through the end of November. And as you already know Okinawa was visited by Typhoon Kompasu earlier this week. Well, we are expected to get hit by another one this weekend. Right now it is only a tropical depression but who knows if, when, or how fast it will change into tropical storm and then into a typhoon. I guess it is a good thing that most of my outdoor items are still stored, and we still have plenty of supplies. Our neighborhood BBQ may have to be postponed though.
Here is a link for Tropical Storm Ten (with a projected timeline)
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp201010.html
Also here is a link to view all active storms
http://www.hurricanezone.net/
The kids, dog, and I were fine last time and I don't think this one will be as strong so I am not too worried. I will however take all the precautions just in case.

Kompasu hits Okinawa

2010-09-01T07:46:00.005+09:00

Typhoon Kompasu visited Okinawa yesterday afternoon into the night. Although I am not sure what the official numbers are, we did receive rain and strong winds reaching atleast 58mph (I know they were greater than this). The military bases were in Tropical Cyclone Condition of Readiness (TCCOR) 1-E (emergency). Bases were shut down and all outdoor activity was prohibited. (Although, besides one of my neighbors, I am not sure who would want to play in this rain and wind.) We did not loose power or water. The twins, Phaelan, and I enjoyed playing inside and watching the weather pass. Well "pass" may be too strong of a word as we are still getting on/off rain and wind from the typhon. We are, however, not on restriction anymore. Schools are in session, the BX/PXs and commisaries are open.
Avery, Jackson, Phaelan, and I are all doing well. Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts!

Typhoon Kompasu

2010-08-31T07:55:00.008+09:00

It has almost been two weeks since Craig left for school. Jackson, Avery, Phaelan, and I are all doing well. We are settling into routines and have nightly rituals. The latest thing the twins are doing is that while they eat (if both are fed in their chairs at the same time) they will prop their leg up on my arm. They both do it and normally both will prop their right leg up. Who knows why they started doing this, but it is rather cute. We are bummed that we can not celebrate Daddy's birthday with him, which is today in the States (30 Aug). HAPPY BIRTHDAY CRAIG! We love you and miss you much!

KOMPASU

We are expected to get hit by typhoon Kompasu today. Okinawa should get heavy rain and strong winds. Here is a link to AccuWeather to get the details... http://www.accuweather.com/blogs/news/story/36343/typhoon-kompasu-aimed-for-okin.asp
Also here is an article from Stars and Stripes
http://www.stripes.com/blogs/pacific-storm-tracker/pacific-storm-tracker-1.106563/typhoon-08w-kompasu-8-1.116379
I have prepared the best I can. We have plenty of water, formula, diapers, wipes, dog food, flashlights, food, etc. And everything outside is stored. I would not be surprised if we loose power. I do not think we will loose water, but am prepared for that too. My neighbors have been wonderful and have helped me prepare and offered to have the kids and I stay with them (although for the convenience I think we will stay home with Phaelan). It is wonderful to know good people are just a few steps away in case we need anything. Keep us in mind as we wait for, and get hit by Kompasu. Hopefully the storm won't be too strong or cause much damage. I will follow up once the weather passes.

Bottles, cups, and spoons

2010-08-27T10:24:00.008+09:00

As the twins get older they want to do more and more on their own, and try new things. Both are eating cereal and prefer a little banana mixed in, and both try holding their bottles during meals, and depending on how much formula or breast milk there is, are quite successful. Since they have reached this level of independence I decided to introduce sippy cups. I was very curious what they would think of this new object and if they would figure out what it is for. To my surprise (well not really, they both are very smart little people) the cups went over rather well, as shown in the pictures. They are both also grabbing for the spoon during cereal feedings. Soon enough both Avery and Jackson will be feeding themselves...wouldn't that make life easier! :)

American Fighter

2010-08-21T18:18:00.008+09:00

Navy Entertainment presented American Fighter today. Rich Franklin, Joe Stevenson, and Dustin Hazelett came to teach some moves, and boost morale. They had two sessions at our little old fitness center on Shields, one for the children, and one for adults. I, of course, went with Jackson and Avery to the kids' session. The fighters were very friendly and seemed to really enjoy teaching the children techniques. They made the atmosphere fun and ensured every child had a turn wrestling one of them. Here Joe and Dustin demonstrate, while Rich looks on.
All you UFC fans would have really enjoyed this. I had a good time watching and who knows maybe I learned a move or two ;) .... More to come on this at another time.

Daddy goes to school

2010-08-20T10:16:00.008+09:00

Yeah, I know it's been awhile since our last post. We have been enjoying time together as a family before Craig had to leave for school. Jackson, Avery, and I dropped him off at the airport yesterday. Although we knew this time was coming it was hard to see him go, and I know it was hard for him to go as well.

Here are a few pictures taken over the last couple days...
Avery tries to go with her daddy....

Jackson when he finished rolling from his stomach to his back

The house seems empty without you here. We all miss you very much already Daddy!!

"Today" finally came..... =(

2010-07-27T15:41:00.003+09:00

We had to say goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa this morning, and all of us - including Phaelan - were sad to see them go. Melissa said it pretty well after I got back from the airport...you never realize how much you miss someone until they are here and then gone.

It feels like yesterday was the 7th and we were excited to go pick them up from the airport. When you are a kid time never goes by fast enough, and as you get older time always goes way too fast.

Thank you so much for coming to visit us Mom and Dad - we had a great time with you here. And thank you for spoiling both us and the kids, it certainly was not necessary. Hopefully we get to see you again before our time on Okinawa is done! We love you!

Cape Manzamo

2010-07-27T15:34:00.003+09:00

On Sunday we went for a.....well, a Sunday drive! Thought we would get out and see what we could see, no real plan aside from see something nice. A need for a "right g-damn now" feeding arose, so we said what the heck, lets turn here.

And we accidentally ended up at a scenic overlook on Cape Manzamo, complete with a flea-market and a bunch of French tourists! As we walked out on the path leading you to the overlook we were quite suprised to see we were on the top of a volcanic cliff that dropped about 150 feet down to the East China Sea. Really neat view, what a great accidental find for us!

What are we feeding these kids?..

2010-07-27T15:27:00.003+09:00

...Miracle Grow??? Jackson and Avery went in for their 16 week check-up on the 21st - and boy have our little weeds grown! Avery weighed in at 15lbs2oz and was 24 1/2 inches long while Jackson clocked in at 16lbs 2oz and 25 inches long! They've come a long ways from that first week of being under 6lbs...

All went well at the doctor's office, even the shots weren't too too bad. Until the day after, when we think Jackson was feeling not-so-great and was being oh-so-pleasant.

We have started giving them cereal along with their bottles at night, hoping to get them sleeping through sometime this fiscal year. We shall see. But feeding them the cereal is a hoot!

Family Pictures

2010-07-27T15:14:00.003+09:00

It only took two weeks of talking about it before we finally got around to taking them...

Yomitan Pottery Village

2010-07-27T15:05:00.004+09:00

On the 17th we decided to see what it would feel like to go walking and adventuring when it is HOT out in Okinawa...this day was by far the hottest we had during Gram and Gramp's visit, and we went strolling around the Yomitan Pottery Village...

One of the hand-made products here is pottery, and it is some pretty nice stuff. Melissa and I found this little village of pottery shops and one glass-making shop last year and have already been back several times.

We enjoyed our time at "Yomitan No Sato", but we cut it short before the kiddos melted in their stroller...

Kokusai Street

2010-07-27T14:39:00.004+09:00

On the 16th the six of us put our walking shoes back on and headed to Naha to visit Kokusai Street. Kokusai Street is touristy section of street that is almost a mile and a half long and has every kind of souvenir shop or Japanese restaurant you could want.

We sampled some fruit-based liqouer, bought some yummy snacks (including an assortment of different Okinawa donuts) and sweated our behinds off.

Despite all the sweating and tourist traps, we had a nice time and got to sample some of the culture.

And by the time this adventure was over, we knew what famous people must feel like when they go out in public. Apparently twins are a rare sight around here and EVERYONE wants to 1) ask if they are twins 2) ask if they are boys or girls (as if the pink and blue outfits weren't a dead giveaway) and 3) tell us how "kawaii" our kids are.....Kawaii is Japanese for cute BTW...

Chiraumi Aquarium

2010-07-27T14:10:00.004+09:00

On the 14th we made the trek up north to Chiraumi Aquarium - the largest of its kind in Asia and the second largest in the world.

When we arrived, we were quite impressed with the interactive display, a tank where you could actually handle starfish and sea cucumbers. Pretty neat!

As we moved in the the different aquarium sections, we were amazed to be level with the bottom with this awesomely-large habitat for everything from little clown fish to 30 foot whale sharks and giant manta rays!

After an emergency pit stop for new drawers on someone's tush, the kids were wide-eyed looking at all of the brightly colored tropical fish. Jackson particularly liked the aquarium, you could really see how captivated he was!

JA........aka The Farmers Market

2010-07-27T13:53:00.003+09:00

So Grandma and Grandpa were introduced to the fine art of shopping for produce without really knowing what the heck you are buying...

A quick trip to the local Japan Agriculture Cooperative (JA) was a fun time, learing about strange things such as the goya, purple sweet taters, Okinawan donuts, and octopus balls.

Yes, that's right, octopus balls. I don't think anyone tried them, but they are doughy little fried balls with, yup, octopus in them. Yummy!

Gram and Gramp did try some fresh-squeezed passion fruit juice, complete with 5,000,000 seeds. Good stuff, but lots o seeds.

Shuri Castle

2010-07-19T14:33:00.004+09:00

Our next big adventure with Gram and Gramp was a trek to Shuri Castle. We had another beautiful (and hot) Okinawa day to check out what is probably the most significant landmark on the entire island.

Miscellaneous Cuteness...

2010-07-19T13:11:00.002+09:00

Words not necessary...

American Village

2010-07-19T11:19:00.003+09:00

Our first big adventure with Gram and Gramp was the short trip to American Village...where everyone was dazzled by touristy junk, Starbucks, Yogurtland and A&W

...we had a nice morning of walking around and sweating our butts off in the hot Okinawa summer.

Grandma and Grandpa L Arrive!

2010-07-19T10:36:00.003+09:00

After many hours of flying, several time zones and one crossing of the international date line, Gram and Gramp L finally arrived in Okinawa!

Despite the jet lag and late arrival to our house courtesy of a wreck on 58 in Naha, everyone was up early to meet Jackson and Avery!

Independence Day!

2010-07-19T10:27:00.004+09:00

We have been EXTREMELY tardy with our posting here...so let's get right to it!

Independence Day weekend was a very nice time for all of us, we went to White Beach and stayed in cabins with Josh, Anna and Collin. We had nice (but a tad hot) weather, ate some good food and even got Avery and Jackson to the beach for the first time.

AND......the kiddos slept through the night for the first time! How about that? Hasn't been repeated since, but one can hope, right?

WubbaNub you're the one....

2010-06-10T07:44:00.003+09:00

It's amazing the products that are out there for little ones. While searching Amazon for what we need and/or want for the kids, we came across what are called "WubbaNubs". WubbaNubs are a combination of a stuffed animal and a pacifier. They come in many different animals - you can get a monkey, giraffe, lion, pony, puppy, bull, frog, kitten, bear, well just about any animal you can think of. They are very cute, so if you have little ones who like their pacis I would highly suggest the cuddly kind. Although Avery and Jackson are finding their fingers they still enjoy their pacifiers, and now their WubbaNubs.
Avery loving her pink pony WubbaNub.

Jackson sleeping with his bull WubbaNub.

It is hard to get Avery's smiles captured on camera (I really do think she knows when it's picture time, and she is a little shy yet). Luckily I was able to get this one. Although it is blurry you can see her beautiful grin.

Are you ready to get up close and personal with our boy? Here Jackson was looking over my shoulder at something. I like this picture because you can really see how blue his eyes are. (And you may notice Avery catching beauty sleep in the background.)

Images of Jackson & Avery

2010-06-04T13:07:00.005+09:00

There was not much going on this week. The weather has been crappy. We were lucky to have one nice day this week so Craig could mow and weed-wack before the lawn Nazi comes by. (Apparently we are the only house on this base that does a good job with the lawn so we need to keep up our image.) Poor Phaelan has been stuck inside due to the swamp we call our back yard. Oh yes, the rainy season has begun here on Oki!
Like I said, there wasn't much happening this week. I really just wanted to share some more pictures of our little ones. I hope you enjoy!
Avery looking cute as can be sticking out her tongue....great trick Daddy!

Jackson being entertained by his bouncy chair's mobile.

And I wanted to share one of the professional pictures we had taken when they were 10 days old. Obviously this is a picture (taken with my iphone) of the picture, so the quality isnt the greatest. The professional pictures turned out great and we are very happy with the quality of the images. Crista you did an amazing job!

We hope you all are doing well and are enjoying the beginning of summer.

Memorial Day, Plus a Bit More!

2010-06-01T11:15:00.002+09:00

So, Memorial Day Weekend has turned out to be pretty decent for us - not weather-wise, as the Okinawa rainy season continues to live up to its name. Today is actually beautiful, but where was this weather Friday-Monday?

So last week Wednesday Jacskon got to experience his first earthquake (Avery did too, she just didn't feel it). We were just finishing up beating everyone at Jeopardy when we got a nice 10 seconds or so of 6.5 magnitude shaking. No big deal, but we certainly felt it.

Josh, Anna and Collin came over on Saturday - with an entire meal for us! All we had to do was make a salad - how about that? Was some dee-lish pasta and homemade bread, plus a couple of adult beverages. Not a bad way to spend your Saturday.

Monday we braved the crappy weather to head over to Crystal's house for a BBQ that was hampered by said crappy weather. BUT...a good time was still had and tons of food was there to be shoved into Craig's face!

Today will just be getting some odds and ends done - watching the Blackhawks whoop up on the Flyers, lawn mowing, getting Melissa into a PADI certification class...and then we are back to the daily grind.

I took these pictures on Monday morning, Avery wasn't too happy about being up with Dad at 0500, but Jackson was all smiles. Like father like son - we both like our mornings!

Pool side fun

2010-05-24T14:11:00.006+09:00

Yesterday was really warm and Phaelan needed a way to cool off, so we finally got the pool out for her. She absolutely loves the water and we thought this would be a good way for her to have some fun. While it's not Loon Lake or Grandpa Bongard's pond, Phaelan really enjoyed splashing around with Dad, playing ball, and cooling off.
Actually we all enjoyed this weekend's weather. Saturday we went to the botanical garden (which you may have read about already) and did tummy time outside in the afternoon. Sunday while Phaelan was enjoying the pool, Jackson and Avery again did tummy time and took a short nap outside.

This morning I caught Jackson and Dad having a conversation and Avery enjoying the comforts of Dad's lap. I thought it was pretty cute and I must admit I was a little jealous that I wasn't snuggling with them.

Things in Okinawa NOT Involving Infants...

2010-05-23T09:57:00.005+09:00

Yes, such things apparently do exist! So Melissa and I have realized that #1 our blogging has dropped off, and we need to make a better effort to keep this thing updated. And #2 that we need to keep doing what we used to, you know - B.C. (Before Children)...like post stuff about our Oki adventures. In yesterday's post we talked about going to the botanical gardens - something that I admit doesn't really excite me all that much, but I have to say it was quite nice! Smelled great, nice and green with the odd flower here and there! A bit on the humid side, but something to definitely do again...

So here are a couple of pictures from our walk around. Not too shabby - taken with my iPhone!

And remember all those posts about baking? Well, I haven't had the time to bake as much as I was B.C., BUT.....
I have done a LITTLE baking....take these for instance - those are indeed bagels waiting to be boiled and baked! Did you kow that bagels get boiled before baking? I didn't either until I found this recipe. Making the dough was rather simple as was forming the bagels - you just divide your dough into 12 pieces (yup, my recipe made 1 dozen), then form those pieces into balls. You let them rise a bit then punch your thumb through the center and form the bagel. Grandma and Grampa LaPine sent me some diastatic and non-diastatic malt powder, which really helped the recipe.
The finished product turned out quite well. Heck, who are we kidding - they were awesome! Did some plain, some salt, some garlic and a couple of cinnamon. Quite tastey, looking forward to making them again...

I had the baking bug yesterday, so I thought I would try a new bread recipe. This one was called "Rustic Bread", quite simple but a bit different in the rising/resting area. I made these round loaves, which worked pretty well for me. Again, the finished product was uber-yummy, went well with our BBQ chicken.

Today will be something a little different - we are going to make Bavarian Pretzel Rolls...the thought of having a bunch of turkey piled onto one of these things is making me hungry just thinking about it! We will take a picture or two and let you know how those turn out...

In case anyone is curious - I am getting the bulk of my baking ideas from "The Fresh Loaf" and "How to Cook Like Your Grandmother"....

Well, I think that will be all for now. I am off to weed-wack again - we got about 8 inches (yes, 8 inches) of rain last weekend, resulting in a lot of yard work for the two of us. Yay...

Guess Who Is Two Months Old???

2010-05-22T16:21:00.003+09:00

Who, me?????????
That's right, Jackson and Avery turned 2 months old on Friday and had a very exciting trip to the doctor's office. So, after much screaming and wriggling around and general unhappiness, we determined that we have two healthy and sometimes happy kids.

After starting out a bit on the lighter side, Jackson has passed by his sister on his way to weighing in a 11lbs3oz and 22 1/2 inches long. Avery clocked in just a hair shorter at 22 inches and weighed 10lbs9oz. Pretty good growing for a couple of squirts who lost so much weight after they were born...In all actuality, the doctor's visit was pretty smooth - they even did pretty well with the shots. We had more crying and whining to deal with when Jackson was getting his height and weight done. Goof...

So today we met up with Josh, Anna and Collin at the botanical gardens near our house. Nice (sort-of) morning here, wasn't too too humid. Got out of the house for a bit, kids got some fresh air, was nice. We are looking forward to doing more and more "normal" stuff with the kids here in the near future.

And while we are on the topic of kids...someone should have put out a list of things you wish you would have known BEFORE your kids were born. Take this for example - can't teach kids under 3 months bad habits my ass. The tongue thing is courtesy of yours truly. So here it is. Incomplete, but a start. Things Craig and Melissa woulda like to have known BEFORE March 26th...

1 - You never have enough bottles. Never. After our initial purchase and getting some as gifts, we have ordered bottles 3 more times.

2 - You never have enough burp rags. See #1.

3 - You never have enough receiving blankets. See #s 1 & 2.

4 - Babies are born with an extensive knowledge of jiu-jitsu. Like Gracie Masters. They can deftly combat the diaper change, the onesie swap or the paci insert like a pro. All at less than a month old.

5 - In the same vein as #4, babies have special psychic powers. How else do you explain the fact that every time they spit up you have a) just changed them into new clothes and b) just moved the burp rag. And the peeing thing (especially for boys)...they know when you aren't looking.

6 - Something that plays sounds like surf, rain, dryer, heartbeat, etc is worth its weight in gold.
7 - Infants can be jealous...ours already know when the other is being fed...and know how to voice their displeasure.

8 - Sticking with feeding - kids have super-smell powers. If you want them to stay asleep, tell Mom to pump elsewhere. Or else.

9 - Kids also know when YOU are eating. And will do everything within their power to ensure you eat a cold meal. Often.

10 - Don't expect any cooperation when trying to leave the house. If it used to take 45 minutes to get ready, and you have know allotted an hour and a half - give yourself an hour on top of that. Make sure your friends are understanding.

11 - If you want to nap, put the kid on you or do it in a different room. A different building would actually be your best bet.

12 - Play lots of music - you would be amazed how entertained your kids will be listening to Dierks Bentley.

13 - Buy stock in Enfamil and/or Similac. It is incredible a) how expensive that crap is and b) how fast you go through it. A 12.9oz can lasts 1.5 days in our house. And that is feeding them formula only at night. I am currently waiting to see their stock split due to our kids...

There are many, many more things - I just can't think of them because of the IQ points I have lost in the last 8 weeks. We will continue to post babyisms as they come to us. Off to finish my "rustic bread"...yummy.

Mother's Day and a little more

2010-05-14T07:18:00.011+09:00

Okay, so its been awhile since our last post. With two adorable babies, who do not seem to nap at the same time, its been hard to get on the computer. Actually this is the first time in two weeks or so that I have been on the desktop. Everything I do seems to be on my iphone in between feedings, diaper changes, and burps.

I had a nice Mother's Day. We went out for brunch with Josh, Anna, and Collin. To our surprise Jackson and Avery actually allowed us to eat without being interupted every few seconds (which has been the norm around the LaPine house, and let me tell you its hard to enjoy dinner while you are shoveling food in.) They also gave me a beautiful heart string necklace with their names engraved on it. Its amazing at not even two months old they already have good taste in jewelry. :) - Thanks Daddy!
Here is a picture of Jackson on Mother's Day smiling. Its hard capturing all the facial expressions on camera but I am so glad I got this picture!
Above is a picture of both babies on Mother's Day, and a picture of my necklace. The pictures are not the best quality as they were taken with my iphone. As you can see, by their chubby little cheeks, both Avery and Jackson are putting on weight.Avery's favorite spot is laying on either my chest or Craig's. Most of the time when she is fussy, and has already ate and been changed, all she wants is to snuggle.And here is Jackson in his bouncy seat. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa LaPine!! Both babies are very much enjoying them.

4 weeks, 3 days, & 2 exhausted parents

2010-04-26T15:44:00.015+09:00

The twins are over a month old already-four weeks and 3 days to be exact. I can not believe how fast the time has gone -and yes I realize I will probably be saying that for the rest of their lives. This week should be interesting as Craig goes back to work on Wednesday, so I will be left alone to feed, burp, change, cuddle, entertain, etc the two amazing little people in our lives. I am sure it will be a lot of work (it is with Craig here) but I will eventually get into my own routine with them. And at the end of the day no matter how hard it may be, its all worth it!

Jackson and Avery are both doing well. They are gaining weight and already out-growing some of their clothes. It will be interesting to find out how much they weigh at their 2 month check-up at the end of May. They both make funny little noises when they eat, sleep, sneeze- well pretty much all of the time, it is so cute! As far as eye color the verdict won't be in until they are 6 months, but for now Jackson is still sporting his baby blues while Avery's eyes are already brown.

Craig and I both try to catch Zzzzs when we can, of course once the babies are settled there is still laundry, dishes, and our furry kid to take care of. We are both basically running on fumes, (and I don't want to speak too soon) but things are getting a bit better. Jackson has actually given us about 2 1/2-3 hours of sleep between feedings at night, Avery can sleep 4 hours at a time. As long as he allows me to sleep a few hours I am happy, for awhile we had to feed him every 1 1/2 hours, and that didn't leave us with much time to sleep. Keep your fingers crossed for me as I want to tend to both babies on my own (for the most part) during the night when Craig returns to work. Oh, and as far as my surgery...although I am reminded every once in awhile, by some discomfort if I move wrong, I am feeling pretty well.

Well that is about it for now. It was nice to get on the computer for a bit, its been about a month since I have really sat down to check accounts or to post a blog (atleast Craig has been posting and keeping you informed)....And I almost got through this without tending to one of the babies....

Twenty-twenty-twentyfour.....

2010-04-19T11:54:00.004+09:00

Days old! And you thought these were gonna be the lyrics from an old Ramone's song. Yes, even in our exhausted state, we are still able to come up with pop-culture references for the blog...

Not much to report on this week, just wanted to get a few new pictures up. Mom and Jackson are out shopping right now - largely due to the fact that we are still averaging 16 diapers a day! They are most definitely eating-sleeping-pooping machines!

Jackson and Avery are doing quite well, just not letting Mom and Dad sleep enough at night.

Jackson just finished with his bath and Dad was teaching him to stick his tongue out in this picture...

Avery is taking a break from tummy-time in this one.

And we just wanted to say thank you one more time to everyone who has sent us gifts for that kids - it is much appreciated!!!

Two Weeks Notice...

2010-04-11T07:17:00.002+09:00

Avery and Jackson had their two-week appointment on Friday and got a clean bill of health! They are both up over their birth weight, Avery was something like 7lbs3oz and Jackson was around 6lbs13oz. Still not the biggest kids, but we can sure feel the difference in them!

Both kiddos have started "tummy time" now that their umbillical stumps have fallen off, here is Avery trying to figure it out on Friday.

We caught this pretty good one of Jackson snoozing on Saturday. Let's just all say a big "thank you" for the Miracle Blanket. Both are little Houdinis, no matter how well you swaddle them they fight until they get both their hands and feet free...leading to short naps, many re-swaddlings and very tired parents. Jackson is the master at getting loose and the Miracle Blanket is the best solution we have found. And speaking of tired parents...someone (who may or may not be pictured above) has decided that he doesn't care to sleep at night. At least not without a significant amount of cuddling, feeding, shushing, rocking, swaying, singing, humming, etc etc etc...at 0300. There is a break in the action now as both kids are sleeping soundly and Mom's baby monitor is turned off so she can get some rest. Hopefully we can get this resolved so Mom is able to catch up on more sleep!

And last but not least - Dad and Jackson. We are trying to get a few more pictures of Dad with the kids, because as of right now there aren't too many! The little boy was in a food coma on Dad's chest Saturday night.

Well, I guess that wasn't the last thing. Both Avery and Jackson had their first "real" bath on Saturday. By real we mean actually in the water vice just getting a sponge bath. It worked out quite well, both enjoyed it much more than their previous bathing adventures! Our guess is that they were actually warm this time around. We survived with only 1 of 2 peeing in the water (bonus, only had to re-do the water once!) and very little crabbiness!

Another week is in the books...we can't believe how fast time is going with them. Such amazing little people...

Perspective

2010-04-08T06:41:00.004+09:00

We thought these pictures showed a little of it - perspective, that is...

Our little man, while he is growing, is still pretty tiny. Especially when compared to Dad's hands!

And he is quite the hand-holder. If he is fussy, 99% of the time giving him a finger to hold will put him down in seconds...

From the looks of this one Jackson is tired of the paparazzi. "Damn you...Not while I'm eating!
Read that to yourself with a Brit accent. That is how I imagine his internal monologue - our own little Stewie...

And finally, Avery wanted to #1 thank Aunt Anna and Uncle Josh for the uber-cute onesie and #2 show off her uber-cute onesie!

Well, that will about do it from the other side of the world for today...

Jackson and Avery's First Easter

2010-04-07T07:40:00.005+09:00

There was not much doing around the LaPine house on Easter Sunday this year - some feeding was done, along with changing, burping, cleaning, etc...the exciting life of new parents! We had some low points (Melissa and I watched the movie "Brothers", what a piece of crap) and some high points (the pictures say it all).This week has been a bit busy for all four of us - we had our newborn photography session on Monday. Talk about being suprised - Jackson is usually testy about being undressed and Avery could care less. WELL...those roles were reversed while we were at the photographer's house. Jackson could not have been more content especially when he a) peed on my Okinawa Sniperz jersey and b) peed directly on me. Avery, on the other hand, was none too pleased with her first professional photo shoot. Several hours/diapers/bottles/costumes later, we finished up and should have some pretty good pictures to show for our troubles. You can check out our photographer's site on the left side of our blog (Crista Austin Photography) - we were both very impressed with the color and contrast in her photos, there are quite striking. She even posted a blurb about us on her blog, here is the link: http://cristaaustinphotography.com/journal/

Tuesday was passport picture day. That went without a hitch, both Jackson and Avery were knocked out on the way to, while there and on the way home. That was a pretty easy outing.

Well, not much more new this morning. I see the sun - which is a nice change - hopefully the puddles in our yard will dry up so the doggy can romp outside...

The First Week...

2010-04-04T09:36:00.003+09:00

We hope everyone enjoys the story of our last 9 days, as seen through the lens of my camera...

In the words of the Barenaked Ladies...

2010-04-03T09:04:00.004+09:00

..."It's been - one week since you looked at me!" Jackson and Avery turned one week old on Friday and celebrated in style, heading back to yet another doctor's appointment. All went well, both kids had healthy temperatures and are busy packing the pounds back on - Jackson is back up to 5lbs13oz and Avery to 6lbs6oz. We wouldn't be suprised one bit to see them back at their birth weights by their two-week check-up this coming Friday.

Their little appetites are pciking up, some feedings they are chowing down just like their dad! And as they say, what goes in must come out...the nurses in the Ped's clinic say it is a good thing, that they are getting the nutrition they need...but then again, they aren't the ones changing an average of 20 diapers a day! Yup, Dad is going to buy more diapers this morning...

And speaking of diapers, we have both been christened...several times. Jackson apparently likes to suprise Melissa as soon as she opens his diaper! And Avery was kind enough to poop on my hand at 4am this morning...

Well, we are about to be off preparing for Josh, Anna and Collin to visit. We are going to grill some steaks for a bit of an early Easter celebration. And maybe have a whiskey to celebrate these two incredibly cute kids! Happy Easter to everyone, enjoy your weekend!

Day 6...

2010-04-01T07:03:00.007+09:00

Jackson says hello to everyone this morning! Since there is a lull in the diaper changing/feeding/bottle washing/bottle filling/laundry/pumping/cooking, we figured we would share some more pictures...

Here the munchkins are sucking away on pacifiers (much to Mom's dismay)...this was taken while we were still in the hospital. Turned out pretty well, dontcha think?

This is an absolutely great picture of Mom and Avery...I keep the camera handy and take a lot of random shots just hoping to get one or two that turn out like this.

Or this....Jackson was snoozing away, so he didn't know he was posing for an almost perfect picture!

And now for a more recent picture...here is Avery at our 3rd doctor's appointment in 3 days, looking cuter than cute. As of Monday she had lost 15.5% of her body weight - not sure of the exact number, but it was just over a pound...the doctors and nurses (the RNs in the Peds clinic at Lester are awesome by the way!) were not too happy with this, especially due to the fact that the weight loss was making it hard for her to maintain a healthy body temp...both Monday and Tuesday were 4-5 hour ordeals trying to get her temp up. Was better on Tuesday, she had also gained .23lbs from Monday to Tuesday! As of Wednesday she had gained back almost half of the weight she had lost and was a healthy 98.something or other!

Jackson had lost some weight too, but much less. He is putting his right back on, just not as fast as sis. Both of their appetites are growing, there have been several emergency runs to the fridge to get another bottle!

Thier personalities are becoming more and more obvious every day. Avery still like being read to (I would read her the game summaries from Red Wings games while in the womb, which would really get her going) and will actually stay up for quite a while after she eats to check out Mommy or Daddy. Jackson has the most adorable facial expressions and absolute hates having his diaper changed...get those legs going, making it hard to get a new diaper on. When we get them up to eat, they will get in a big stretch and usually a yawn on the way from the crib to the changing table - wish I could catch that with the camera...

And let's not forget about Mom!!! Melissa is doing really well - since we have gotten into a pretty decent routine the last 3 days she is trying to sleep when the kids sleep. She makes it around pretty good, a bit slow, but that is to be expected. Looking forward to when she feels well enough to tuck the kids in the stroller and take the doggy around the block!

Speaking of Phaelan - she has done really well with her new brother and sister. I have let her get close and sniff both Avery and Jackson a number of times already, she is nice and gentle! She seems to be very concerned when they cry and likes to look into the nursery while we are feeding/changing. So far so good!

Okey doke - now to some phone calls...more to celebrate 1 week tomorrow!

"D-Day" + 1

2010-03-27T18:21:00.002+09:00

Jackson Daniel announced his arrival on 26 March 2010 at 1150am by attempting to bite the surgeon...after he was done hosing off the corpsmen, we found out that he weighed in at 6lbs3oz and was 19 1/2 inches long...

Avery Madison showed off her rather strong pipes 3 minutes later at 1153am. She weighed in at 6lbs14oz and was 18 1/2 inches long...not to be outdone by her brother, she promptly peed on her corpsman too.

Mom and babies are doing great! Resting comfortably, feeding, pooping and sleeping the days away. Melissa was a pro throughout the whole ordeal and is up and walking around today. Don't know when we can come home yet, but it will be either Sunday or Monday.

Here are Jackson and Avery today - I took them for about 50 laps around the Couplet Care ward so Mom could get some rest. They apparently like being wheeled about in their bassinet!

The only word that really comes to mind is "amazing"! This is sooooo cool, being a parent. Thank you so much for the emails, we hope to get a bunch more phone calls in tonight and tomorrow morning now that there isn't someone checking vitals every two seconds....

Birthdays 'n Babies...

2010-03-13T08:57:00.004+09:00

Well Friday was Melissa's birthday...some scamming out of work was done, a doctor was seen and dinner was made!

First things first - we went to our 35 week appointment on Friday and got to see the kiddos for a little bit. Identified (we think) some mystery body parts that are ALWAYS sticking out in the same spot. It would seem that our boy, while a bit smaller than his sister (he was 5lbs6oz and she was 6lbs even) he is nicely strethed out, using his feet to move his sister's head out of the way. Caught him practicing sucking on the ultrasound too, was funny. Finally got a decent look at him on the 3D as well, he has himself some chubby little cheeks! Baby girl LaPine was being shy yesterday, she was face-down so we couldn't get any good pictures of her. Bottom line is both babies are doing well and are quite big for twins - Dr T told us to expect them to gain about 1/3 of a lb per week from this point on, so if we make it to the end of the month we might have a pair of 7lb babies on our hands!

And on to the birthday girl...somebody requested grilled bison steak, garlic mashed and sauteed mushrooms along with some frozen yogurt yesterday, so that is what we had. Today Melissa wants "Carrabbas", which means I will be relegating myself to the kitchen here shortly to make some Italian bread, dipping sauce, Pollo Rosa Maria and a red velvet cake (I know the cake doesn't really fit with the Italian theme, but that is what the birthday girl wanted). I am even going to try my hand at making a cream-cheese frosting (amazingly enough I was able to find mascarpone cheese for the frosting too!).. So, this is going to be a day filled with baking in the LaPine house...can't wait to taste the final results!

Earthquakes....

2010-03-06T07:18:00.003+09:00

Has anyone besides me noticed that we kind of started a trend last week? We have the first earthquake of the day, then everyone from Chile to Taiwan to the Philippines to Indonesia wants to get in on the fun. It was really kind of suprising to see how many earthquakes there have been in the last week...

4.8
2010/03/02 09:39:38
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.8
2010/03/02 09:35:19
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.1
2010/03/02 08:21:44
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.9
2010/03/01 10:02:11
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.2
2010/03/01 03:15:57
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.6
2010/02/28 10:32:24
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.6
2010/02/28 06:54:05
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.2
2010/02/28 03:33:49
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.1
2010/02/28 02:51:47
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.3
2010/02/28 01:20:35
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.2
2010/02/27 12:19:51
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.8
2010/02/27 05:37:29
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

4.9
2010/02/27 01:33:21
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

5.1
2010/02/27 00:48:46
RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN

...and all of those were in addition to our 7.0 wakeup call last Saturday! The USGS only lists earthquakes 4.5 magnitude or larger on the website I am using, so it doesn't list the quick little one we had yesterday afternoon - shook me around on the couch for a few seconds! But anyways, I will put a link to both the Asia-region earthquake map and list on our blog page so you can check it out for yourself!

Pregnancy update....IT'S MARCH!!!

2010-03-01T11:33:00.005+09:00

It is officially March and I don't have any pictures to post with this entry....how do I capture all the feelings I am having in one image? I am nervous, anxious, happy, but most of all Craig and I are both very excited that our little ones will finally meet us within the next few weeks!!
I am still amazed how fast the time went and how lucky I have been to have an "easy" pregnancy. The last few days I have had more swelling in my feet and hands, am feeling more tired, and a little more uncomfortable as the kiddos are running out of room. And for all your inquiring minds (and because I get asked here often) I have gained a total of 35lbs, which is great for a singleton-let alone for having twins, but don't get me wrong I feel the weight as most of it is in my belly. (Thank goodness for the belly band support, its been a life saver. Thank you Kelly!)
I want to thank everyone again for all the baby items we have received, we feel prepared for Jax and Avery's arrival. I have, however, been asked by a few people what else we want and/or need. There are a few items, that would make our lives as new parents easier, that are listed on our online baby registry (there is a link on the left side or our blog). We did update the registry this past weekend after the baby shower and also have listed the priority of the items...obviously the higher the priority the more useful we feel the item would be.
We hope everyone is doing well and we will give you another baby (or should I say babies) update soon!

Baby Shower Shenanigans...

2010-02-28T09:17:00.012+09:00

Baby shower #1... On February 21st the Bongards held a baby shower for me. While my aunts, cousins, Dad, and Grandma were all able to get together to enjoy dinner and cake, Craig and I were able to "attend" via Skype (thank goodness the Internet connection was good that day). We played some games - during one they had to guess how big my belly was, and I have to admit I am happy that I am smaller in diameter than what everyone guessed. :) We chatted a bit and they watched as we opened the gifts they sent a couple weeks prior to the shower. For being half way around the world, the online shower worked out pretty well - still not like being there in person for the festivities, but at least we were all able to see each other and enjoy their company!

After the Skype shower we also video chatted with my sister, Jess, and brother-in-law, Jason. They too sent us a present and watched us open it. I am still shocked and amazed she learned how, and took the time to make each child a blanket! Baby shower #2... Yesterday Anna threw me a baby shower here. She came to my house early and (along with Crystal and Craig's help) had the decorations, food, and drinks set up before the other guests arrived. For snacks we had a great cracker dip (yummy Anna- I will have to get the recipe from you), meatballs, queso & chips, veggies, fruit, and pigs-in-a-blanket. Craig baked chocolate cupcakes with a mousse filling...so good!! (Yes, yet another Kitchenaid success.) Once all the guests arrived and everyone had full bellies, we played several games, chatted, and I opened baby gifts. I had such a nice time - thank you Anna and Crystal!!

Overall Jackson and Avery have received so many wonderful baby gifts. I cannot believe how loved they already are, not only by us, but by everyone that has given us baby items. I feel truly lucky to have such wonderful friends and family to share this experience with. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!

Here is just some of what we have received.

Not your average wake-up call...

2010-02-27T14:46:00.004+09:00

My first thought when my eyes snapped open at 5:30 this morning was "are we having an earthquake?" Of course I dismissed that thought and was about to tell the dog to stop, thinking she was leaning against the bed while scratching. Melissa must have had the same thought because she started to yell at poor Phaelan, who was standing next to me with a fairly concerned look. It was a good one this morning, registered a 7.0 on the Richter Scale. Epicenter of the quake was only about 50 miles off the coast and was "fairly shallow", occurring 18 miles below sea level (apparently this is shallow for an earthquake?). It lasted about 30 seconds, shaking the house pretty good. Nothing broken, no one hurt, all is well. Since I was wide awake at that point, I turned on Fox News in time to see Shep Smith talking about the quake. A tsunami warning was issued, from talking to people here there was a bit of a surge on the south-west end of the island, but not really a big deal. Just figured we would share this morning's excitement. Big deal here, the biggest earthquake on Okinawa since the early 1900s! More to follow on the Baby Shower I am currently avoiding...

**Sunday Morning Update** Rumor has it that there were aftershocks yesterday morning, but we didn't feel anything here. Interesting to see the "Rim of Fire" all active, first us, then Chile and now Argentina. We are under a Tsunami Warning here from the earthquake in Chile, they are predicting the wave to hit us at 3:10 this afternoon. Not much concern on our part, we are a couple of miles inland. Oh yeah, wanted to put the quake into context for you - what we felt yesterday morning was a 7.0. The quake in Haiti was a 7.3...

Hits and Misses...

2010-02-21T09:49:00.008+09:00

Obviously the kids names on the walls of the nursery are a hit...Melissa and I got them all painted last weekend, then attached the ribbon and away we went! So nice to have something on the walls in the nursery - our options are a bit limited with what we can buy here.

The nursery is coming along nicely. It has been cleaned and scrubbed and vacuumed, decorated and well stocked. Once the glider and ottoman get here we should be all set!

We have more bibs, blankets and burp cloths than - I don't know, insert your own cliche here - basically we have a lot! Many many many thanks to everyone who has sent us baby gifts!!! Just please....no more bibs, blankets and burp cloths!!

We had a great time at our Skype Baby Shower today, got all kinds of stuff for the kiddos. About 3 loads of laundry worth! Once we get it all dried I will see about getting a picture of Melissa with all the loot...

Another hit were the garlic bread sticks I made from scratch the other day. That and the pie I made for Melissa's Bunco party.

Where the misses started was the BBQ sauce. Made pulled pork in the slow-cooker, was great. Made my first attempt at BBQ sauce and disappointed myself. So back to the drawing board on that one.

Now we are off to grill some steaks and roast some potatos. And rumor has it I am going to make chocolate biscotti too! =)

Whale Watching in the China Sea

2010-02-16T12:10:00.003+09:00

So Melissa and I decided we wanted to go whale watching for Valentine's Day...We were a day late (Monday), but it is the thought, right? We headed over to Kadena at about 0715, got on a bus and fought rush-hour traffic down to the new port in Naha. Got onto the boat and off we went! The weather wasn't all that great - we had overcast skies and a stiff wind in our face, but it could have been worse.

After cruising out for 15 minutes or so to the Keramas, an island chain off the west coast of Okinawa, we got right into the whale watching! Humpback Whales migrate down from the waters around Alaska and breed in the warm waters around the Keramas every year from about January to March. According to our tour guide, whale experts have identified at least 15 females that continue to return to the same area off the coast of Okinawa for breeding (they can tell whales apart by the colors on their "fluke", which is the fancy name for the fin on their tail).

We immediately got right on to this pair and followed them for the better part of 2 hours! This guy right above the paragraph was "spouting", or exhaling through his blowhole. At some points they would swim in fairly close to the boat, but for the most part they were about 100 meters out in front of us.

Every couple of times they would surface, the whales would be nice enough to give us a good view of their fluke as they would dive...

And then there was this - the mating activity that we all had hoped to see. A Humpback Whale breaching! We had only been following these guys for about 20 minutes when this whale came straight up out of the water and posed for us! I was lucky to be ready with the camera, and lucky to get a couple of good shots. Wish I would have had the drive motor set to "high" so I could have gotten a couple of extra frames, but wow...how cool was that to see, and what a cool picture, huh?

Our Valentine's fun was a success. Saw plenty of whales on Monday and Melissa got cheese-stuffed manicotti, fresh-baked italian bread and molten chocolate cake for dinner! Told her she wouldn't be complaining about that Kitchenaid...

Painting and Baking...

2010-02-13T17:33:00.002+09:00

So yesterday I finally talked Melissa into letting me get a Kitchenaid!!! And today I was itchin to try it out, so Bake-a-palooza has started in the LaPine house....

I made naan bread today - it is one of my favorite things about the middle east. The naan they make in places like Iraq and Israel and Saudi is just awesome. So I figured I would give it a shot.

Naan is kind of like pita -it is relatively flat and puffy, not too much to the inside of it. I didn't really hit the nail on the head with the recipe I used, but it was pretty tasty! We had it with some roasted red pepper hummus...talk about a dee-lish snack! Our neighbors came over while we were baking the naan, asking Melissa if she wanted to go for a walk - and if I was baking bread! She just got back from sneaking a couple of pieces over to them. Now that I have a trial run out of the way, tomorrow will be italian bread and molten chocolate cake! Yes, I have ramekins for the molten chocolate cake....I know what a ramekin is, do you???

And our other big project for the day was painting! Grandma and Grandpa LaPine sent us some letters a couple of weeks ago and Melissa and I figured we should finally get cracking on them!

We are pretty happy with the way they turned out...finally going to have some decorations up on the walls in the kiddos room! Once we get them put up we will make sure to take some more pictures. Oh yeah, and the picture of Melissa should give you a pretty good idea of how big our munchkins are getting!

Is that a head or a foot???

2010-02-12T16:14:00.003+09:00

So yeah...last time we checked we had 2 kids that were head down. Someone, apparently, didn't like that arrangement and decided to turn herself around! Yup. we had a baby appointment today and got to see our little boy and little girl for a while. Little Boy LaPine (the top picture)was still head down and weighed in at 3lbs 11oz while Little Girl LaPine (below) weighed in at 4lbs even - and head up of course...

So we have almost 8lbs of baby hanging out right now! Pretty exciting for both of us to see how much they have grown in the month since their last measurement. They were 2lbs 7oz and 2lbs 8oz last month, so they have put on about a pound and a half a piece...the clock is definately ticking on us. I need to get onto iTunes and see if they have a "contraction tracker" so Melissa can keep track of the Braxton-Hicks contractions and the real ones when they start!

30 weeks...and the count down begins

2010-02-03T09:08:00.005+09:00

I am currently 30 weeks into the pregnancy and, for the most part, am still doing well. I am only experiencing a few symptoms - some backache, difficulty sleeping (which isn't anything new for me), and stronger fetal activity. Overall I still consider myself lucky as I have had a pretty easy pregnancy. However, yesterday I realized that I HAVE to slow down - which is a hard concept for me to grasp. After running some errands and coming home with groceries I started feeling tired. Which, you are probably thinking isn't a big deal...well, I only put away the refrigerated items before laying down. I have never not finished putting away the groceries but at that time my body was aching and I could really feel the weight of my belly. When Craig came home 2 hours later the groceries were still waiting to be put away, the clean dishes were still in the dishwasher, dirty dishes were in the sink, the kitchen table was stacked with miscellaneous items, etc. (and trust me I could go on). Luckily Craig didn't care and began putting the groceries away and cooking dinner. He even took care of all the dishes and the mess that was on the table. For the past few weeks Craig has been telling me to slow down and relax more, well I guess it's time for me to start listening! The babies are doing well and should be about 3lbs each now. I feel them move often and with more force. I can even feel when they have hiccups, which our boy gets often. Normally all the movement is reassuring and entertaining, except of course, the occasional kick to the ribs.

We are continuing to prepare for their arrival, which according to the doctors, will probably be between March 1st - 15th (its common for twins to arrive between weeks 34 & 36). I have been "nesting" (cleaning & organizing the nursery, and everything relating to the babies) and Craig has already installed the car seats! Within the next week or so we will pack a hospital bag - making sure we have all paperwork, baby needs, clothing, and comfort items ready to go.

Until our next appointment that's all the baby news I have to share. The pictures are of my 30 week prego belly, some stuffed animals the children have received, and the dresser with diaper changing essentials.

More on the 2010 Nago Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-01-31T15:26:00.003+09:00

2010 Nago Cherry Blossom Festival

2010-01-31T14:55:00.004+09:00

So Melissa and I made our first trek up north on Saturday - we went to the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival!

The cherry blossoms, or "sakura" as they are referred to in Japanese, were beautiful. I think they needed a couple more days before they were totally in bloom, but we weren't disappointed at all.

The catch to the whole thing was "some walking involved". Which means we parked at the Nago Fishing Pier (free BTW, good to know for next year), walked a couple blocks to the festival area, and then hiked up 700 steps to the Nago Castle site. Yes, I said 700! The entire path is lined with cherry trees and stone lanterns - I would imagine the place looks very cool right around sundown. All those pink blossoms, the setting sun and the soft light from the lanterns would make for a very neat "Japan moment".

Melissa made it up and down pretty well, even at 7+ months! We took a couple of rest breaks on the way up and down, but she was definitely ready to go! Once we got back down off the hill we had to partake in some of the traditional Japanese food being sold all over the place - nothing like some yakisoba and yakitori to put some gas in the tank after a hike like that. Y-U-M-M-Y! Yakisoba is a noodle-based dish (soba is a type of Japanese noodle) with some veggies and, strangely enough, yakisoba sauce (don't know what it is but need to find us some, I'm gonna make my own yakisoba!). Yakitori is basically meat (in this case chicken) on a stick. With some sort of sauce on it - probably made from soy sauce. Don't know, just a wild guess on my part.

The day turned out great for us - perfect weather (somebody got a little sun burn!), pretty sights, tastey food. Another check in the box for us too!

Babies, Earthquakes and.....Baking?

2010-01-23T15:41:00.004+09:00

So, we had yet another baby appointment on Friday...all is well, Little Girl LaPine is in the 67th percentile and Little Boy LaPine is in the 62nd. So, we have "big" kids for twins and (knock on wood) have had smooth sailing so far. Now if we could just get over the statement that was made "expect them between 34 and 36 weeks"...I mean come on, that is only 6 weeks away! We don't know if we are ready yet! I guess ready or not they are gonna show up whenever they damn well feel like.

An update for you on our first earthquake (you can Google "earthquake Okinawa January 15 2010" so you know I'm not pulling your leg) - the epicenter was approximately 90 miles northwest of Oki and it registered a 5.3 on the Richter scale. Pretty neat, just need them to stay like that and not give us too much of a shake.

And yes, baking. Craig has been on a role lately - I have baked my own french bread, italian bread, dinner roles, 2 different coffee cakes, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies (see a pattern here?), foccacia bread, scones and I made my own pizza last night - dough and sauce were all mine. All of this has taught me 2 things....1 - I can bake pretty well. 2 - I need a Kitchenaid. So make sure you let us know if you see any good deals on the good-ole Kitchenaid stand mixer. Once I get one of those I am going on a bread baking spree - the italian bread is quite tastey, especially when paired with the Carrabba's dipping sauce recipe I found. Yum.

No pictures this weekend, unless you want to see what we look like laying around being lazy. Melissa is off to a baby shower (no, not hers...) and I am headed over to have some of Josh's curry. Yumsky.

As they say in Oki - sayonara!

Babies and Earthquakes...

2010-01-16T11:21:00.005+09:00

What diversity in blog topics, huh? Well, we had our 27 week appointment yesterday and were able to get a couple of neat ultrasound pictures of the kids...

A pretty good profile of our little boy (he was the only cooperative one of the pair yesterday)...

And a cute shot of their heads together...

So they are both about 15 inches long, little girl LaPine is 2lbs8oz and little boy LaPine is 2lbs7oz. Both are still the size a singleton would be at this point! How about that?? They continue to furiously kick away, not letting Melissa get much sleep. They probably aren't getting much themselves - real estate is at a premium right now, limbs are all akimbo with feet and arms and legs all tangled up. Great shot of the boy kicking the girl in the head. Yes, it has already started.

Melissa and I are scheduled for all of the typical "new parents" classes here in the next month or so - we will be going to "Bundles for Babies" (free stuff!!), "Baby Boot Camp", birthing classes, etc etc etc...should be fun!

The stockpiling of diapers and wipes has begun in our house, and yes we are those dorky parents standing in the diaper isle with a calculator figuring out the cost per diaper to find which is the best deal! On that note - SEND US DIAPER COUPONS! If you have em, please send em! We have found some manufacturers who offer discount programs for parents of multiples, so we are signing up for every last one. Hey, coupons are our new best friends!

And last but not least...earthquakes. Not the one in Haiti, but the one we felt here on Okinawa last night! Melissa was out at Bunco and didn't feel it, but the neighbor and I got shaken around for between 5-10 seconds. Kinda neat! Hazards of living here, Okinawa is on the "Pacific Rim of Fire" - the most active areas in the world for seismic activity. Yay us!