(I saw on a fellow blogger's site a new year's letter with photos and monthly highlights and thought it'd be a great idea to do one of my own, since I didn't have time to do a "real" Christmas letter as I usually do! So here it is now, just a little late...)
2010 started with a hint of hope and possibilities for Nick and I, our little family of two. Little did we know what was in store as 2010 ended full of blessings and miracles, for our new family of four!
JANUARY
This month was all about IVF and didn’t leave much time for anything other than trips back and forth from Mayo for doctor appointments, blood tests, ultrasounds, an egg retrieval surgery, 10 fertilized embryos, and an embryo transfer! Did I forget to mention shots, shots, and more shots?
We had a lot of snow! And here's a photo to prove it.
What else is there to do when it's freezing cold? Ice skate!!
FEBRUARY
The most beautiful words we’ve ever heard occurred when Mayo called after my blood test, “You’re pregnant!” The second most beautiful words happened just 24 days later at our ultrasound when we looked and saw not one...but TWO placentas, “It’s TWINS!”
My OB appropriately labeled it "Two heads are better than one!"
This is TWINS territory!!
MARCH
We traveled to Tucson, Arizona for one final relaxing vacation as just “Nick & Amy.” Wasn't as relaxing as we thought, as I could barely eat, walk, or stay awake. I also celebrated 2 years of my own business, Vincelli Designs & Decor, where I sell crafts that I make! Check it out at: www.vincellidesigns.com
APRIL
Dr. Nick celebrated 1 year at Horizon Eye Care. He really enjoys it there and loves working in town. I celebrated 1 year of my online blog! It follows our infertility, pregnancy, and is now all about the twins! Nick attended the first MN Twins game ever at the new outdoor stadium, Target Field!
MAY
Nick and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary! Nick was elected President of SEMOS (South Eastern Minnesota Optometric Society)! We went on a trip to the Wisconsin Dells with the Hess family for waterpark fun and also to Madison to see "The Lion King" on stage (for the third time! Seriously - it's THAT good!).
At the end of the month, we found out Baby A was a BOY and Baby B was a BOY! Nick started planning future golf lessons for the boys and I started thinking about trading in barbies for balls and dresses for dirt!
Nick finally took me along to the new stadium for a Twins game.
JUNE
Nick turns 31! I spoke at the LWML (Lutheran Women's Missionary League) MN South District Convention (about my experience as a Young Woman Representative to the National Convention in Oregon last year) to a crowd of over 500! Also, I was appointed to serve as a Committee on Young Women Co-Chair for the MN South District Board.
I played in the Owatonna Community Band for my 6th summer! I also serve on the Band Board.
JULY
I headed up my annual team for the “Relay for Life” in support of the American Cancer Society.
Later in the month, we broke down and traded in the Trailblazer for a Toyota Sienna. No worries, we make minivans COOL. Ours is appropriately named "Swaggerwagon."
AUGUST
I celebrated my 30th birthday by getting maternity photos taken by my sister, Erin! Here are just a few when I was 30 weeks pregnant.
We had a wonderful opportunity to get pampered from the “Champion’s Club” at Target Field behind home plate! I had fun making our special sign but unfortunately, we didn't get circled by Bert.
And of course we traveled to Detroit Lakes for the annual Vincelli golf vacation. I couldn't caddy for Nick like usual, so instead I sat around like a beached whale!
On, August 16th, Nick's brother, Ryan and his wife Emily had their second child, a baby boy. Our newest nephew, Max John Vincelli was welcomed into the world.
SEPTEMBER
The twins were born 4 weeks early on September 13th via c-section. (On Amy's dad's birthday!!)
Elijah Kingsley Vincelli
September 13, 2010 ~ 6:21pm
5 pounds 8 ounces ~ 19 inches
Will Clarence Vincelli
September 13, 2010 ~ 6:22pm
5 pounds 3 ounces ~ 18.75 inches
A proud daddy...
A proud mommy...
Together in the same hospital bassinet.
Wombmates...
Baby A - Elijah
Baby B - Will
Both baby's glucose levels dropped dramatically on day 3 in the hospital and we ended up staying for 5 days until they were healthy enough to go home. Here's Jesse with Elijah all hooked up to monitors in the hospital nursery. Eli weighed 4 pounds 15 ounces the day we left the hospital.
Here's Nick with Eli.
And here I am with Will. He weighed 4 pounds 11 ounces the day we left the hospital.
This is what having twins will do you to...this photo was taken when I was at just 35 weeks pregnant, a few days before the babies were born. Yes, I was big. And no, I'm not sure I could have stretched any further if I carried the babies four more weeks to full term!
I grow twins. What's YOUR superpower?
Sleeping in the pack-n-play together our first day home from the hospital. Just 6 days old...
The boys barely took up any space in their car seats!
Here they are at their first doctor's appointment. They looked a lot alike that first month!
Photo Shoot..just 13 days old...
OCTOBER
Elijah & Will were baptized on October 3rd. Welcome to God's family precious babies! Both of our pastors at Good Shepherd each baptized a baby for this beautiful double baptism!
As you can see the babies are drowning in their outfits. We couldn't find anything small enough for them to wear as "newborn" size was even too big!
Here is the Cox Family celebrating the baptism...
And the Vincelli Family celebrating the baptism...
We took some time to cheer on the Vikings, but of course it didn't help them win. At least we were fashionable doing it!
Couldn't resist this great photo...
We borrowed costumes to take a photo of the twins for their first Halloween. They wore these all of 10 minutes!
NOVEMBER
Everywhere we go, strangers stop to talk to us and see the babies. Well, how can they resist? They are sooo adorable!!
And even more strangers just stare. But I guess we have to realize when they see this "train" coming toward them, how could they not look? They gawk and we can only imagine all the things they are thinking...
People often ask us how we feed two babies at once. Well, we get creative...
DECEMBER
We celebrated our first Christmas as a family.
We've learned that taking embarrassing photos of the boys is fun and will serve as great blackmail photos in the future...
Sometimes you just don't want your photo taken...(Poor Eli!)
But sometimes you love it!! (Cute Will!)
It's just so hard to get that perfect photo. :)
This is a little better...
(If you notice, they are wearing the same sweaters they wore at their baptism, except now they finally fit!)
This one is pretty good too, but try to ignore Eli's pee pants...
People are always curious and want to know how the twins are doing. Well, they are fabulous...perfect and healthy in every way! Their favorites include eating, sleeping, peeing, and pooping. Oh and spitting up too...they do quite a lot of that. Their newest hobbies are smiling and cooing. We are also happy to report they have seemed to grow out of the "peeing on us when we change their diapers" stage, but unfortunately they have not grown out of the "blowing out of their diapers, through their clothes, onto mommy and daddy" stage!
Nick and I are great. Extremely sleep deprived, but great nonetheless. We are so thankful and gracious for these precious miracles. Even at this exact time last year, they were still just a glimpse of hope. So we give thanks in all that one year can change! We think we've adjusted to parenthood well and are pretty sure that having one baby would just be WAY TOO EASY. :) :)
Hard to believe our teeny tiny preemies grew from this...(photo taken October 1st)
to this...in just 3 short months!!!!! (photo taken December 31st)
So that was our 2010...
As our family has doubled fast from 2 to 4, we have quickly learned that two babies are WAY MORE than twice the work, but WAY MORE than twice the blessings. We hear a lot of "You sure do have your hands full!" comments. Well...if you think our hands are full, you should see our hearts.
Elijah Kingsley
Will Clarence
We are so blessed.
We pray you believe in miracles this year and always!
Happy New Year!
Sometimes when you pray for a miracle, you get two...
