Massanutten

 Dave's parents let us use a week at their Massanutten time share which made for a very affordable vacation.  Massanutten, which I didn't know much about before, is resort in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia that has skiing in the winter and golfing, hiking, mountain biking and water parks in the summer.  We were so excited to go and very much looking forward to having some time to relax with just the four of us.  

I had to take a picture because I knew if I gave just a description I wouldn't be believed - this was the jumbo jacuzzi that was in the 2 bed, 2 bath condo we stay in all week... 

can you believe how big it is?!  This helped with my relaxation throughout the week and also made for some fun bath times with the twins.  I have now added this as a must have item for any of our future houses.

There were some cooler days while we were there so we made the most of indoor activities.  First we headed to Luray Caverns to check out the awesome stalactite and stalagmite formations.  I thought it'd be a pretty cool temperature in the cave and having not packed any socks for Ian or Suzie (oops!) I decided footed fleece pajamas would work perfectly!

And then we found out it was not cool at all, but warm and humid.  We both ended up taking our jackets off and taking the twins out of the carriers to cool down.  Oh well, at least I tried to be prepared.  It seemed like Ian and Suzie liked looking around.  Suzie had fun making her squeals and hearing them echo and Ian kept making his low grunting sounds.  We started calling him our little cave monster.  There was a time when both of them were totally silent - when the stalacpipe organ was playing which was so cool to hear!

Our attempts at getting a family shot while in the cavern...

Everyone looking, but not everyone's face made it in the shot

A little better, but Ian is still out of the photo

And we did it!  Everyone in the shot, mostly ;-)

 We also enjoyed going to the indoor pool on the rainy days.  At the resort there are a ton of pools and an awesome looking water park.  We would've had to pay $60 to get into the water park so we opted for the free pools since at this age there really isn't too much of a difference for Ian and Suzette.

Believe it or not we had our first restaurant experience with the twins while on vacation.  When they were younger/smaller it was just logistically harder to find room for 2 car seats at a table or booth and now that they're old enough to be in high chairs it was something I would only attempt having another adult with me to help.  So Dave suggested Shoney's since he has fond memories of going there with his dad as a kid and it's a great family friendly place.  It was also fun to get Suzie and Ian different things to try from the breakfast buffet.  Peaches, yes.  Cottage cheese, no.  Cheerios, always!  And when we left the floor under and around our table didn't even look that bad.  The experience went so well we took them to Five Guys later in the week!

A little blurry and out of focus, but happy to document the twins first time at a restaurant.

 There were so many awesome things to do outdoors that during the sunny days with perfect temperatures we spent as much time outside as we could!  Our condo complex was right across from the driving range so during a few of the babies nap times Dave would walk over to practice his swing.

We had fun feeding the animals at the petting farm.

Suzie liked looking at the turkey and Ian liked watching the ducks.

Suzie was pretty excited after seeing all the animals!

 Massanutten is known for having some awesome mountain biking trails so after going to the petting farm in the morning we drove to the overlook at the top of the mountain (yes, I realize in Utah these would all be called foothills) in the afternoon to take in the beautiful scenery...

 drop Dave off at the trailhead...

 then meet up with him 30 minutes later at the bottom of the mountain.  

 It took just about exactly the same amount of time for him to ride down the trail as it did for me to drive around to the other side of the mountain and pick him up.  I loved driving along the back country roads and soaking up all the quaint sights of farm houses and rolling hills.  And as a bonus I had some pretty cute faces to keep me company along the way!

Ian's favorite new trick to do while in his carseat

Suzette was pretty happy to see daddy again!

 We also enjoyed going to the outdoor pool when it was warm and sunny.  Suzie and Ian were happy just floating around and people watching.

Mr. Ian and I taking a short break from being in the water.

 On the way home we decided to take Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park.  The views were unbelievable!  A place we will go back to for sure.

 When taking a wrong turn down a country road I saw this sign and thought it was the perfect way to sum up out trip...

Thanks for the wonderful memories Massanutten, we hope to see you again!

Memorial Day

Since we were staying local for this Memorial Day weekend Dave and I thought it'd be fun to get a blow-up pool and let the twins splash around.  So we did and got it set up in the front yard.  It was so nice to be able to take them inside when we needed to, not deal with crowds at a pool and have it be just us relaxing and hanging out together.

Suzie and Ian all geared up and ready to have some fun in the sun!

Family Photo

Silly Suzie and mommy

Funny Ian and daddy

The dolphin toys were a hit with Suzie, who loved to eat them.  The rings were Ian's favorite, but every time the camera came out that was the "toy" he really wanted.  Both had fun playing and splashing each other.  I was happy to give their bathing suits a trial run before our vacation next week.  Spending $10 on a blow-up pool was totally worth the hours of fun and entertainment it'll provide this summer!  The front yard provided a great spot to have some sun in the morning and help the water warm up a bit then be in the shade during all afternoon.  And of course being able to see the cars drive up and down the street was very exciting for Ian.  It was the perfect plan which made for the perfect day!

Eight Months Old

Are Suzette and Ian really eight months old already?!  While pregnant you hear it from everyone, but until you live it there is no way to truly understand how fast it all goes.  It is hard for me to believe they were once teeny tiny babies.  Suzie and Ian are full of personality and growing ever more aware of all the things in their environment.  

They are very interested anytime we eat around them.  Dave decided to share his apple with them one day after coming home from work.  They loved it because it was something nice and cold for them to gnaw on which helps when teeth are coming in.  Of course in the process the apple was covered in slobber by the end.

It's always fun to get loved on by aunts, uncles, cousins and GGpa!  This past month there was lots of that happening.

Group hug with Auntie Anne, cousin Chase and cousin Caroline

Relaxing with GGpa

The uncles holding their nieces

 For now Ian and Suzie are doing a great job of sharing toys.  We'll see how long this lasts!

While rolling over is a skill each do well crawling is still in the works.  When Ian figures it out I'm in big trouble, just check out the videos below...

did you see how fast those limbs are moving?!  I have a feeling he'll be from point A to point B once crawling in no time.  Suzie can scoot backwards while on her tummy and turn in a 360 degree circle as well.  I think she may be the first one to figure out crawling, but we'll just have to wait and see.  I certainly am in no rush for the learning process to happen any faster than it needs to as massive baby proofing will need to take place.

Ian now has 6 teeth, 2 on the bottom and 4 on the top.  Suzie FINALLY had 1 break through on the bottom.  Each of them are eating well and growing stronger and bigger.  Ian still is doing a bit better with table food, but with more exposure I think Suzie will get a better hang of it in the coming months.  

Ian has started to experiment more with talking making consonant sounds and melting his daddy's heart everytime he says da-da.  One day Dave come home from work and walked into the room while I was holding Ian.  Ian turned his head and saw Dave then with a big smile said da-da.  Super cute.  Most other times he just says it while playing or having his diaper changed, but it's fun to see him start to associate the word with Dave.

Suzie isn't making quite the same sounds as Ian yet, but that's not to say she isn't vocal.  She will actually make some pretty high pitch squeals and squeeks to express herself.  Most of the time it's while she is playing and just having fun.  I have a feeling she is going to be quite the talker.

Both Suzette and Ian have the cutest smiles that make me turn to mush.  It's been a tricky task to try to capture them with the camera, but sometimes it actually happens and when it does I feel a sense of relief.  As if the baby magic has been bottled and captured and can be looked at and enjoyed during the years to come.  I love these little cutie pies so much and consider myself extremely lucky to be the one with them all day, every day.  

 

With the weather being so nice I've tried to make sure Suzie and Ian get plenty of outdoor time.  Just sitting on the grass is a whole new adventure and one they are all to eager to explore.  It has been so fun to see the world through their eyes as they discover new things each day.  The Traxler Tribe is looking forward to all the summer adventures ahead!

That Person

There is this funny thing about having kids.  It has made me realize I've already become "that person" in so many ways.  I am now that person who...

*stays in "yoga" pants 6 out of the 7 days of the week and only 25% of the time will actually have make-up on
*will linger a little longer during a church service to hear the speaker in hopes I myself will be uplifted even though my babies are starting to make louder and louder noises
*arrives late to events because my estimation oh how long it'll take me to get out the door has still not caught up with the reality of how long it actually takes
*tries to navigate a double stroller in the narrow aisles of stores while bumping into clothing racks and just saying, "Sorry...oops, sorry...oh yeah, um sorry about knocking that over" then just keeps going
*makes a weight loss goal public who should've just kept their mouth shut because instead of using this...

I now have to use this...

I'm that person who struggles for YEARS with infertility then after finally having a baby (in my case babies) gets pregnant naturally right away.  Yup, that gets added to the list now too.  Ahhhh, I am now "that person" in so many ways.  Let's just establish that babies are a blessing and there is no denying that, but I have to admit getting pregnant so soon after having twins has really devastated my body image.  I seriously was so pumped to "get my body back" and now it'll be 2013 before I even start thinking about that again, blah.  And for those of you who are super human and gain like 10 pounds during pregnancies and work out the entire time so within 2 weeks of delivery you're back to your pre-pregnant body I don't want to hear any advice you have to give.  I think its generous of me to say we can still be friends at all ;-)

*** I know that the majority of my readers are women, but there is one who is not - so this is where you may want to stop reading, Grandpa***

So now onto the details.  When my cycle came back after having the twins everything was back to clock work.  I've always been super regular in that department (which is why it was uber frustrating dealing with unexplained infertility).  Then one month I was late.  Dave and I talked about it and decided to wait another week or so since it was still so close after I had the babies before we tested anything and we were both in denial that we'd really be pregnant.  Still nothing.  Then the following week Dave came home one night with a pregnancy test and early on a Sunday morning he woke me up and said, "So are you going to take the test?"  I was still so groggy that I replied, "I don't have a test, I'm not in school anymore."  He laughed and said, "No, the pregnancy test."  Oh yeah.  So I grabbed one of the sticks and headed off to the bathroom.  No joke in 2 seconds flat it had changed, but Dave got a test I was not familiar with (which is pretty funny since I have peed on many, many pregnancy test before) and I had to shout to him, "Look at the box and tell me what it means if there is one negative sign and one plus sign."  He came running in and said, "It means you're pregnant!"  SHOCK.  Complete and total shock.  I couldn't even bring myself to pee on the second stick because I didn't want it confirmed so fast.  

I still can't believe it.  And to be honest after trying so hard to have the twins and all the anticipation and work that led up to it, this was a bit anti-climatic.  I thought - so this is how it is for everyone else.  Just pee on a stick after being a little late then boom yup, pregnant.  I waited to call the OB for a little bit, again still trying to wrap my head around it all.  Don't worry, I did start taking pre-natal vitamins right away though.  So finally I made it in for the blood test, results - positive.  At the first ultrasound we saw the baby was measuring right around what the estimated due date is - 

It was really fun sharing the news with our parents.  We told mine on my mom's birthday and I totally wished I'd had our flip set up to record her reaction because it was awesome!  I gave her a gift of a framed family photo of us with wording on it that said - Printed Picture $2, Frame $15, Gift Bag $3.50, the look on your face when you realize there are five of us in this photo, priceless!  Priceless indeed.

We told my MIL early on Mother's Day by asking about my SIL who is due in a month with their third boy.  We asked, "Now what number will this make for how many grandchildren you'll have?"  Nineteen!  Then Dave said, "Gosh mom, who do you think will have number 20?"  She laughed and thought about it and said, "Oh, I don't know." Then Dave said, "Well, I do - it's us!  We're pregnant."  She was shocked as well and it was so fun sharing the news with her too.

As my mother so lovingly pointed out, "Well you had the twins sleeping through the night by 4 months old, then you add 9 months of pregnancy so they'll be 13 months apart.  Can't help but wonder if you didn't so such a good job with sleep training if this baby wouldn't have come for a little longer."  Yeah, yeah, yeah. 

There you have it - the details of Traxler baby #3.  Well, I guess I should share this detail as well -- we are not finding out the gender until the day I deliver.  We figure why not keep with the trend and let this baby be a surprise all the way around?!  As far as being prepared, we already have baby things for a boy AND girl so we're covered...I think.

Mother's Day 2012

Today started out with a wonderful breakfast of crepes, made by Dave, served with all the toppings.  Yumm-o!  I think this will make it onto our family tradition list.  Dave presented me with my very first Mother's Day gift of a necklace with two charms that have Ian and Suzette's name on them and a mother of pearl dangling from the chain.  I love it!  After stuffing myself with three filled to the brim with an assortment of fillings (peanut butter & banana, nutella w/ berries and lemon juice & sugar) we got Ian and Suzette up and ready for church. 

 I LOVED the program our ward did for Mother's Day.  The Young Women and their leaders organized it with a variety of beautiful musical numbers, short talks spot lighting women of faith from the scriptures and brief testimonies of motherhood all done by the girls themselves.  The Spirit was so strong and I almost lost it every time one of the girls would get choked up sharing just how much their mom meant to them.  As a mother of my own daughter now that just takes on a whole new meaning.  I hope and pray that if I do my job right Suzette could be standing at the podium professing those same words of love and adoration for me one day - a mother can dream! 

For me this day has not always been the easiest.  I've become more open with sharing this part about our lives recently, but at the time only a handful of friends and family members knew (but I'm sure many other assumed).  After our second year of marriage a diagnosis of unexplained infertility was confirmed, meaning after a reproductive endocrinologist ran every test possible on me and Dave - twice! - there was no medical reason we were not conceiving.  The next three years we were forced onto the infertility roller coaster as we tried to get pregnant.  The details of our journey including procedures done, number of attempts and methods tried will remain something I choose only to share in person with close friends and those whom I feel could benefit from knowing our story.  I will say this, with out questions it was the single hardest trial in my life that not only rocked me to the core of my foundation, but chipped away at it piece by piece until I gathered the strength to build it back up, which was a long, long process.  I felt betrayed by my body since it could not do the divine purpose it was created for.  There were many other feelings and emotions I experienced during those years and I know I could not have married a better person to be by my side and endure that trial with me.  Mother's Day to me during that time was like squeezing lemon juice on an open wound.  It stung and made me wince.  And each year without fail my heart would hurt. 

So for my first Mother's Day as an actual mother today was glorious!  I relished every moment of being with my two beautiful children and amazing husband.  Today my heart was beyond full of joy and hope and love.  Today I looked into my children's eyes and saw a beautiful future of promise.  Today was a good day - right up there with the top 5 of my life.  

 And knowing come November Suzette and Ian will have a little brother or sister makes today even sweeter.  That's right, the Traxler Tribe will soon be a family of five!

Traxler baby #3 waving hello!

More pregnancy details coming soon...

... and just an FYI only family members heard about this from us in person.  ALL friends are finding out about it for the first time via blog/facebook today.