Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone had a great time with family and friends! We had a wonderful time with family eating large meals and catching up! It's really nice to have time off of work and for us to be a family. We spent Thanksgiving Day with family in Waupun, Wisconsin and had a second immediate family only Thanksgiving in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. The boys found a new interest in matchbox cars, race cars, and trucks that make noises and can push across the floor.
With the help of our nanny, Cheri, the boys made cute turkeys that decorate their bedroom doors for Thanksgiving. They used their foot prints to make feathers on cut-out paper and used finger paints to spread paint across a paper plate acting as the belly of the bird. We were told that they had to use their feet because they refused to get their hands dirty! Oh too funny! She also works with them on...signing! Yes, they are able to do a few words in sign language. We add words all the time--book, sleep, blanket, more, food, milk, please, thank you. It's so sweet to see them do this! As speech development comes a little later for twins due to their "twin talk", this counts as words for them and helps them to communicate with us. They enjoy "partying" in their cribs at nap time babbling back and forth with one another and throwing their blankets along with jumping up and down and giggling....
As you can see, the boys have been busy getting into everything! Their abilities continue to increase with climbing on couches, in baskets, bins, chairs.. you get the point. If you came to our house, you would think we were minimalists as most of the furniture has been removed due to their climbing and exploration. Their favorite spots continue to be little hiding places and of course behind the couch and under the kitchen table. If you hear that the house is quiet...you better go check because 9.5 times out of 10 they are into something!!!
Grandma Susan and Nathan!
Nathan playing with his train.
Ryan pulling one of his toys..
We also received a visit from Aunt Joy and her new fiance, Paul. Kris, Joy, and Paul spent a day together with the boys as they were home for the holiday from Kansas.
As the year is coming to an end, it seems things aren't quite slowing down just yet. I made a very tough decision recently to leave the Department of Veterans Affairs as a Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and have accepted a position with the University of Wisconsin Hospital. I will be working as a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner for the inpatient and outpatient setting. This is a brand new position in which I will be helping with system design, hiring, and.... public speaking--Yikes! I'm sad to be leaving my patients behind at the VA, but between the 45 minute drive to work and inability to further my professional growth, I've made the decision to move forward with an exciting new opportunity. Because I made this decision, we decided we've had enough with renting and want to buy a house! So, yes, we will be moving again!! This means the boys will have moved 3x by their second birthday. But, exciting for us in that we will have a home and are permanent to the Madison area! So... to add just a little more stress to our lives, I will be starting a new job at the end of January and we have to close and move into a new house by the end of March! If you happen to have nothing better to do at the end of March--we could use some help or babysitters :). Anything is much appreciated!!
So, in closing, I hope this update finds you well and FULL after the Thanksgiving holiday!!
