The Bollinger Babes

Milan said the funniest thing today...

2010-03-31T14:17:00.000-07:00

Lately, the girls have been very curious and asking a lot about their body. What's this? What's that etc...? So I tell them that girls have this and boys have that. You get the picture, right? Anyways, this morning Milan says to me, "Mommy, boys have peanuts. " To which I replied, "Yes, boys have peanuts." So it's official, boys at our house have peanuts!!

A Bittersweet Day

2009-09-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Last night as I was labeling the girls lunch boxes, sippy cups and backpacks with their names, I was thinking of every excuse in the book as to why I shouldn't send them to their first day of preschool. They are just barely 2 years old is what I kept repeating in my head.

Morning came as usual and we took the obligatory first day of school photos and drove to school. When all was said and done the drop off wasn't all that bad. 2 years sure went by fast and I can't believe I officially have preschoolers. 3 hours goes by so quickly, can't preschool be 4 hours!?!?

Back To Blogging

2009-07-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

I took a long break from blogging ever since I discovered Facebook. Yes, I'm a bit of an addict but it's been so fun reconnecting with old friends. I decided it's time to get back into blogging because Myla and Milan have changed so much.

We recently went to a birthday party and my girlfriend snapped some fantastic photos of the girls. They turned out so good that I decided to have a series of them framed for John as a Father's Day gift. The series is now hanging in our home and I love walking by these photos. They put a smile on my face and I hope they put one on yours too!

Myla, 22 Months

Milan, 22 Months

The Amazing Life of Twins

2009-02-18T21:17:00.000-08:00

Life with Myla and Milan just seems to get crazier by the minute. Their mobility has added a whole new set of challenges for me but endless discoveries for them. Some of my daily challenges include not being able to load or unload dishes from the dishwasher. Inevitably, the babes will climb up on the dishwasher . The dog bowl of water can no longer stay on the floor and opening the fridge without two little ones in their with me is a thing of the past.

The most interesting of things has begun to happen between Myla and Milan. They now negotiate. It's amazing to watch! If Myla has something that Milan wants, then she will find another toy and give it to Myla to get what she wants in return. It amazes me that at such a young age they can figure out the power of negotiation. They have also began to soothe each other. If one baby cries the other will go to their cribs, pull out their beloved pacifier and pink dogie to bring to the crying baby. It's very sweet.

There are days that I feel like I'm losing my mind. But after all the blood, sweat and tears that goes into taking care of multiples, I always say the same thing when I put Myla and Milan down to sleep for the night. I say, it was a good day. And today was a good day.

5 Minutes Of Fame

2009-01-17T21:39:00.000-08:00

Friday afternoon as we were running errands on Chestnut, we were stopped by a news reporter for Channel 5 news. Me, the girls and even Max got our 5 minutes of fame on the evening news. Check us out on this video link: http://cbs5.com/politics/state.budget.poll.2.910704.html

I love being in front of the camera!

Christmas at Sundance

2009-01-14T14:35:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas at Sundance, it was a white Christmas (very white) and we literally were snowed in most of the week. So we ate a lot, watched movies and of course skiied.

Myla and Milan did great on their first airplane ride considering the circumstances. The short hour and a half flight turned into a five and a half hour ordeal when the SLC airport closed due to snow delays. When we finally made it to SLC, canyon roads to Sundance were closed. We checked into a hotel near the airport, snuck Max (our dog) into the hotel and tried again the next day to make it to Sundance. San Francisco winters are so easy compared to Utah's. As you can see from the photo below, Myla agrees and begs for warmer, drier grounds.

We had a great time with the whole Cutri gang and can't wait to go back to Sundance once all the snow melts.

Happiness is...

2009-01-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Happiness is...

Being together as a family on Thanksgiving with our perfect baby daughters.

Happiness is...

Having Aunt Joanna home for the Holidays and meeting the babes for the first time.

Happiness is...

Being in the snow (lots of snow) with our awesome counsins, Atticus and Tiare.

Happy 2009!

Cuter and Cuter

2008-12-10T21:37:00.000-08:00

I have no cute stories to tell (well I have tons but only people like Grandmas would appreciate) or major triumphs to tell other than Milan is a walking machine now. She even strolls Chestnut street and stops to pick up dirty and disgusting things off the sidewalk. The other day she even put something in her mouth and I totally freaked out and yelled at John instead of Milan.

Myla in her tutu looking out the window down into our garden.

Fresh and clean baby just out of the bath tub. Milan LOVES her pacifier and I could not get a photo with it and with out her crying. Clearly it was bedtime.

Freshly bathed and delicious Myla.

Halloween Fun

2008-11-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Halloween! The best part of this day was dressing the girls in University of Utah cheerleader outfits. They were proudly representing my alma mater, ok maybe I was more proud than they were. I can't wait for next year!

Photos By The Amazing Trish Reda

2008-10-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Trish Reda and I grew up together and she is now the most amazing photographer. When I was in So. Cal. this summer she took photos of me and the girls as a gift to me. Trish's work is priceless.

A Day At The Beach

2008-09-05T14:01:00.000-07:00

Summers in San Francisco don't surface until September or October. Summer is here and we are enjoying a pleasant 80-82 degree day and nice cool nights of 60 degrees. Our mini heat waves only last a week so you have to get in all the fun summer activities within this week time frame.

This week we hit the beach! And best of all, I can load both babies in the stroller and be there within minutes. I'm so lucky to live in the best area of SF. Myla and Milan weren't too sure about the sand but there in nothing they won't do for a couple of Cheerios. They sat on their towels, ate Cheerios and enjoyed the view.

Nothing Better

2008-09-04T21:33:00.000-07:00

It doesn't get better than this.

Myla and Milan are 1!

2008-09-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

I remember the day Myla and Milan were born like it was yesterday. It was by far one of the best and happiest days of my life. I love to replay their birth in my mind and wish so badly I could remember everything. How they smelled, the sound of their newborn cry, how tiny they felt in my arms. If I could only turn back time, I would do it all over again.

Myla and Milan's birthday started like all others with the exception of gifts and birthday cards on the breakfast table. A tradition my Mom held true for all four kids and one I've started for my own. It was such fun waking the morning of your birthday to find gifts.

Now that the girls are officially toddlers, our family activities are much more exciting. On their actual birthday, John and I took the girls to Golden Gate Park to ride a carousel and then to play on the swings at the playground. It was such a great day and yes I cried most of the day at the thought of no longer having newborns (yes, I'm insane).

Catching Up

2008-08-03T22:22:00.001-07:00

I feel like I'm playing catch up on most days, everyday is more like it. And yes, I've said it before, I'm the world's worst blogger. So this entry is all about getting caught up.

Happy 1st Father's Day to John!

His day started off with breakfast in bed. Even the girls joined in on the fun.

Soon after Father's Day, Myla and Milan's two bottom teeth were fully visible. On this particular day, they were more interested in my paper sign than posing for a picture.

Everyday the babes are becoming more and more mobile. I use to be able to leave them in one spot with toys and know they'd be in the same spot when I came back. Gone are those days! I had a good laugh and scare when on one day I came back to their room only to find just Myla. As I called Milan, she came out from under her crib. Luckily, I was able to catch a photo of what had transpired.

This post only catches me up to late June. I have so much more to report on but such little time and energy. More to come very soon!

First Finger Food

2008-06-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Technology has made it possible for me to document everything about Myla and Milan. So here are super cute photos of my cuties eating their first finger foods, zwieback toast.

I'm not sure why I had their tops off this day, maybe because I spend hours at the washing machine scrubbing out sweet potatoes, carrots and whatever other goodies they manage to get on themselves.

Myla liking her zwieback toast.

Milan liking her toast too!

First wine tasting and swim

2008-06-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we took the girls and Max, our dog to Sonoma. This was kind of a test vacation to see how the girls would do on the road. I'm proud to report that the girls and Max are stellar travelers. They slept the whole night through in pak n play cribs and sat through three 2 hour dinners!

The girls had a blast swimming in the pool and even got into the wine tasting experience. We can't wait to do it again!

Finally, A new post

2008-06-01T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I'm horrible at updating the blog. I've gotten so much slack from family and friends that as tired as I am this evening, I decided to post some thoughts and photos.

It's sounds cliche to say, but time has flown. Myla and Milan are 9 months now and it seems that putting away clothes that doesn't fit anymore is a weekly occurrence.

Everyday the girls do something new. As of late, Myla rolls over on her tummy, props herself up on her hands and manages to get her head high enough to see over the crib bumper. When I put her down for a nap, I literally have to crawl out of the room on my hands and knees so that she can't see me. If she does see me she cries.

Milan has discovered her voice and she loves to let out BIG screams. We try not to laugh but it's so hard when we look over and she is grinning from ear to ear. We are constantly telling her to use her nice voice but she'd much rather scream. I don't blame her.

Pictures Galore!

2008-03-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Myla and Milan are so much fun to photograph these days. There are so many moments that I want to document but I usually don't have enough hands or time to get to the camera. I must get better at always having the camera ready or just taking it with me wherever I go. This weekend I tried to make up for all the moments that I did not document and captured some great shots of the girls.

Here are photos of Myla:

Little does Max know that we use him to encourage the girls to do "Tummy Time"

And Milan:

Happy 6 Months!

2008-03-18T21:35:00.000-07:00

Myla and Milan are bursting with personality these days. They are full of laughter and smiles. On most mornings I wake to their little voices babbling away. They are the best! Here is their 6 month photo.

Feeling Melancholy

2008-02-19T14:50:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling particularly melancholoy today thinking about how my babes are half way done with their infancy. I can't believe how quickly time flies. Being a full-time Mom is the absolute best and more often than not I find myself thanking Myla and Milan for coming to me. They make my heart burst with love.

Bumbo

2008-02-01T22:48:00.000-08:00

Myla and Milan are now 5 months! Time flies especially when the last 4 months have been a sleepless daze. I sure miss my tiny 5 pound babies especially when I'm towing both babies in their car seats up and down the stairs. My arms are not yet showing any beneficial changes of all of the heavy lifting I do on a daily basis.

Lately, both babies have enjoyed sitting in these clever little chairs called Bumbo. Here is Myla's first go at the Bumbo.

Milan in her Bumbo watching Baby Einstein. Baby Einstein is a life saver!

Twice Blessed

2008-01-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

As 2007 closed and 2008 was rung in, I couldn't help but feel twice blessed. What an incredible year it has been for John and me. We started 2007 knowing we'd be welcoming twins into the world followed by an amazing pregnancy and we were even able to sneak in a couple of vacations in between.

We celebrated Christmas Eve with John's family at his brothers home with lots of good food and a visit from Santa. The babes gracefully posed for photos, were held by their Grandma, Aunts and Uncles and really didn't notice that this day was different from any other day. Next year I'm sure Santa will have more of an impact.

A quick update on the babes development...Myla and Milan are smiling a ton and Milan is laughing out loud. No chuckles from Myla yet. Both are kicking their legs with excitement and have recently discovered their hands. They are obsessed with their hands and you can find them with their fists in their mouths most the day. The most recent accomplishment is that both girls slept through the night last night!!!! I'm crossing my fingers that this continues and wasn't just a fluke.

Here are some photos of the babes wearing the first of many matching Christmas outfits.

Gone Walkin'

2007-12-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

Getting out of the house with one rambunctious dog and two 4 month olds is no easy feat. Imagine having 20 pounds in each hand to carry, a diaper bag for two slung over one shoulder, a dog on a leash and over a dozen stairs to go down just to get out the front door. That doesn't count getting the garage open, getting the stroller out and the girls snapped into the snap n go while controlling Max who is super excited to go for a walk. On the days when everything goes smoothly, no meltdowns occur once the babes are in their car seats, no diaper blowouts the minute I put them in their car seats and Max not making me chase him around the house to put on his leash, walks in our beautiful neighborhood are the best.

When we are out and about we stop traffic. Could it be the novelty of having twins or the length of my double stroller that causes all the fuss or maybe both? Some of my favorite anecdotes when we are out about are the people that ask if the girls are twins (duh!) or when I have them dressed in head to toe pink they'll ask me if they are boys or girls. People are funny!

On most stroller rides, both babies seem to daze into dream world but on this occasion I was lucky to catch Myla awake for some of the walk.

Milan on the other hand was having a cat nap.

To Blog Or Not To Blog

2007-12-16T16:30:00.000-08:00

After many months of being a chronic lurker of others blogs, I've decided to start my own. I have to admit I was a bit leery at first and even criticized the whole blogging craze. Then came Myla and Milan, my twin girls and life has never been busier. So this blog is the perfect way to get everyone caught up on what I've been up to as well as to update you on the Bollinger Babes, Myla and Milan. And occasionally John, my hubby; Max, my dog (A.K.A. the first baby) and Me.

Since photos are what makes a blog, here is a quick peek at the two babes that this blog is dedicated to and who have forever stollen my heart.

Myla, Baby 'A' as we called her before she was born is always pictured on the left and Milan, Baby 'B' is always on the right. This is the only way that John and I knew who was who when we brought the babes home from the hospital. The girls are still sharing a crib and we still put them in birth order otherwise John has no idea which baby is who. I can now tell who is who with no problem. What I'm trying to do now is recognize their cries, this has been a bit more challenging.

More to come on the Bollinger Babes...2 A.M. feedings creep up really quick if I'm not asleep by 10 P.M