One Month Birthday!

Audrey: 10# 9oz (85%tile) 21 5/8"
Samantha: 10# (75%tile) 21 1/8" Peek a boo!

Our first official outing to one of our favorite places. . .the Botanical Garden. The twins (mostly) slept through it.

I love laying on the changing table!

Eyes wide open.

Look how we've grown!

Room with a view

One advantage to having the trees down next door is our new view from our bedroom window. This is sunrise over downtown. . .God's masterpiece.

Homecoming

Samantha's first bath.

Audrey's first bath - she wasn't happy.

Birthday cupcakes in honor of Samantha and Audrey. Annika and Lauren made them with Grandma's help.

Annika and Lauren were so excited to have their little sisters home. They rocked the car seats, sang and read stories.

Suddenly our minivan seems very "mini."

Lauren and Olivia are guarding the babies.

Audrey's praying hands.

Grandpa and Grandma with 3 of the girls.

All of Daddy's girls.

When we had one child, the homecoming photo shot was such a simple undertaking. This was a "hurry up and take the photo while everyone's in the picture and not crying (nevermind picking your nose, looking away from the camera, and being half in the shade)."

Snugglin' sisters.

Samantha's praying hands.

Aunt Cindy and Uncle Mark sent Big Sister t-shirts for Annika and Lauren. They wore them proudly.

Happy Birthday, Audrey and Samantha!

Grandpa, Grandma, Annika and Lauren wave good-bye as Mommy and Daddy head to the hospital.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above". . .Thank you Lord for 2 healthy, beautiful baby girls!

Audrey weighed in at 7#8oz, 21.5 inches. Samantha weighed in at 6#14oz, 20.5 inches.

Annika and Lauren are very proud big sisters.

February Happenings

Over the past 6 weeks I've spent 3 hours a week undergoing fetal monitoring. This involves me being hooked up to a machine that monitors the babies' heartrates (measuring 137 bpm and 124 bpm above) and the number of contractions I experience. Thankfully, every apptmt has gone well. Way to go, girls!

Sisterly love.

Don't mess with Lauren - especially after dress-up.

After 2 trips to the dentist where Annika never opened her mouth I took her to a pediatric dentist. I sat in the waiting room hearing Annika screaming "I want Momma" for about 20 minutes. . .an hour later she came out smiling with 5 stickers, dental floss, a new toothbrush AND clean teeth. Yeah!

More tree drama

A new tree company has taken over the job next door. Initially we thought we were in good hands until they hired a lumberjack to come in and down the sycamore. . .in our backyard. This is the way our backyard looked after the lumberjack (by himself) attempted to drag out the sycamore logs using a pick-up truck, trailer, and winch. He was unsuccessful at getting the logs out, but he did a pretty good job of tearing up our lawn.

As the tree fell, it took down our phone line which was connected to the phone box on our exterior wall. The phone box swung and hit our dining room window (upper right), sending broken glass all over the floor and into our kitchen.

At least the girls were able to have fun playing on the giant logs. . .

The sycamore was supposed to land near where the men at the top of the picture are standing. Instead, it twisted on the way down, landing directly across our backyard. The video footage is below - you can hear the dining room glass breaking at the end.

Celebrating the "Pollack 6" at Kingdom Group

Our small group from church blessed us with a diaper shower for the twins. The kiddos hanging out on the stairs.

Mandy getting the perfect photo op.

Yummy snacks - complete with diaper cake to be enjoyed by the twins.

Sage's expertise - chocolate cake with an impressive decorating job!

Baby snowman, Mama snowman, Daddy snowman!

It takes 5 to make Baby Snowman (or is it a Buddha statue?). . .

3 to make Mama Snowman. . .

and 2 to make Papa Snowman!

Okay, okay - I must tell the truth . . .the 2 were teenagers from the neighborhood not Annika and Lauren. The snowman is over 20' tall. The wreath laying on the ground used to be on his head and the giant stick used to be his nose. The perils of warm weather!

Snow in St. Louis - finally!

Annika and Olivia speeding down the hill by themselves.

The crash at the bottom.

Negotiating who sits in the front for round 2.

Lauren's attempt at a snow angel. She didn't quite understand the concept of letting her arms hit the snow.

Annika showed little sis' how it's done.

The "big" hill. Annika is running down to get the sled because she can't wait to go again.

Taking a break to eat some snow. In Annika's mind there's nothing better than the taste of snow.

January Happenings

Annika and Lauren disappeared upstairs and this is how I found Annika a half hour later. "Dressing up" is her new favorite activity (yes, that is a swim suit overtop of her tights and Sunday shoes).

This is Annika's drawing of Mommy's big belly with 2 babies inside. I'll leave the artistic interpretation to you.

Annika and Lauren's new favorite game - Sequence for Kids.

Hmmm. . .a tree on our fence. . .how could this have happened?!

Our neighbors hired a tree cutter to cut down the giant sycamore. This particular man/company was the lowest bidder. It soon became clear why they were the lowest bidder (see previous photo).

The new train table in use! No, we don't have any heat in the basement (hence, the jackets).