Cason's School Program

On Tuesday, Cason's class had an "Author's Hot Chocolate" and invited parents & grandparents in to listen to the kids sing some songs and read their Winter Snow Stories to us. Then, we had hot chocolate and treats with the kids. It was so fun & Cason was so proud to have his family there. He did a great job, and as you can tell by the pictures, I think we have a leader on our hands. Notice how he's right out in front performing! :)

Happy December!

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated our blog….

I hope you all had a very nice Thanksgiving. We sure did, and I found myself feeling so thankful and blessed this year. Not that I don’t every year, but this year just felt like we had so much to be happy about. We spent the weekend before Turkey day with Troy’s family in WI and Troy got his hunting time in, resulting in a nice size doe. The freezer now has venison again! Then, Thanksgiving Day we were with my family at mom and Pete’s and were lucky enough to have aunts, uncles and cousins there this year.

The Steffes babies are doing great… and I’m still feeling so much relief from the sickness I had in the beginning of the pregnancy. We are now 6 months!! Over half way… and only 3 months to go! I don’t feel so much anxiousness now to get this pregnancy over, but I am so excited to meet this wild little boys! They seem to sleep very little, but must sleep at night when mommy does, because during the day they are both pretty active all day long. It is fun now that Troy, the kids and family can feel some kicks when we are lucky enough to catch them just right.

Cason has started wrestling again this year… and we are two practices in and can see how great he could really be at this sport if it’s something he decides to stick with. He’s met two new buddies already, Cale and Ben, and is having a ball. I will get some pictures posted this weekend. Troy helps out with the HS wrestling practices so he feels right at home on the mat with the other coaches and loves helping out Cason and the other boys. I love watching both my guys out on the mat!!

We were so lucky last Monday to have the opportunity to go and visit my Great Grandma, Cason’s Great-Great Grandma, GG in South Dakota (my mom’s grandma). Mom, Cason, Amy, Diane and I loaded up in our van and spent the day driving and visiting extended family in SD. It was so wonderful and such a great day. My Great Grandma is 96 and still as beautiful and sharp as ever. She is what we would all want to be if God grants us the chance to live into our 90’s! The twin boys will be her 7th and 8th great-great grandchildren. How awesome is that! (Pictures below).

I will end with one cute story… I just read the other day that parents really need to make sure and take time to see the holidays through the eyes of their children. The other morning, we woke to snow, and Cason said, “mom, look at the snow…. it’s a MIRACLE!!” He was so excited and has enjoyed playing out in the snow. I, too, think it’s just beautiful and though I don’t enjoy the cold, after hearing his perception of the snow fall, I can’t help but fall even more into the spirit of the holidays!

16 Weeks- Babies are growing!!

We had an appointment today and everything looks great … we are 16 weeks, so 4 months! We had an ultrasound, and babies are GROWING… they are getting so big. Three weeks ago we’d see all of one baby plus some on the little screen in the exam room; today we couldn’t even see all of one baby on the monitor! And, we even got a little sneak peak into the sex of one of the babies, it was not a “for sure” so we’ll keep this our little secret until Monday, November 9th when we have our big ultrasound and we find out for sure what they both are!

I’m a little behind in weight gain & where they’d like me to be, something a woman doesn’t mind hearing, but the Dr. also said he has no hesitations that things would get better for me with how I’m feeling and I will “catch up” as he put it. Being 16 weeks, I am actually “truly” measuring about 20/ 21 weeks if it were a single baby … so everything in my body is “half way” which can create some of the light contractions and other mild side effects of pregnancy I’ve felt. And, also the reason the vomiting and nausea should get better and better. I have gone almost 4 days without throwing up… that’s the longest stretch in 8 to 9 weeks! That’s a huge step for me!

Both babies look great, everything else looks great… and all is on track. With the anticipation and expectation that we’ll be induced the week of March 18th, we only have 5 months to go until we are the proud parents of two bouncing babies!

I will post some pictures from today's appt soon... the changes are amazing!

Some pics of the Twins

Here are some pics of the twins at 13 weeks (a week and a half ago). Both twins are laying head to head, so you can tell A from B. Both have a shot with their hand up by their mouth and you can see feet in a couple of the pics too. Way too adorable! :) I am in love!

Babies Update- almost 14 weeks

I met with my OB Doc at Mayo yesterday (in OB) and he is the one who will take care of us and the babies now until they are born. My due date has been moved up… March 18th. If I don’t go on my own by 38 weeks, they will induce. The babies going 40 weeks doesn’t do much for them (that extra 2 weeks) and it’s riskier to the babies if we go over 38 weeks. So, babies will be here in time for Easter! :)

I really like our doctor… very down to Earth and very excited about caring for me and the twins. He told me it’s a good sign that the nausea/ vomiting has let up and that I can definitely plan on it continuing to get better and better as the weeks pass. Whew! Yesterday was a rough day again … so it was a GREAT day to hear that!

He was ok with me cancelling all the testing they were going to put me through this Thursday to see if I could “maybe” get the flu shot under observation. If someone in our family or someone I work/ live closely with tests positive for H1N1, they will treat me immediately with Tamiflu, to hopefully avoid me getting it at all. That is a much safer route (he and I agreed) that messing with the flu shot/ egg allergy/ etc.

We had another ultrasound, we will at every appointment to monitor the babes… and even the doctor said, “wow, are they growing?!” They now look like babies… little hands and feet were moving all about! They both look great. There is a membrane that runs between them giving them their own space, blood supply, etc which just confirms that we have the best possible scenario when it comes to twins. Nothing is shared! The one on the right is still a mover… moving all about, we got some really good photos. Baby on the left is still a little shy and doesn’t show off as much for the camera, but we did get a good little foot shot. :)

He also told me that with Cason’s size (8lbs) and the history with his birth, it’s very reasonable to assume I will be able to have a vaginal birth and not a C-Section as long as the twins cooperate and are positioned like they need to be when the time comes. He also said going a full 38 weeks would probably result in 6lb or so babies… smaller babies than Cason of course, but like he said, “that’s a lot of baby for you to carry!”

I go back again in 3 weeks to see my Dr. again… I will have frequent appointments with this pregnancy all the way through and then the first week of November will bring our BIG Ultrasound, and of course the news we are soooo anxious to find out, what are we having??!!!

Week 12- End of First Trimester!!

Things seem to be letting up a bit and I (knock on wood) am feeling better the last two days. Absolutely no puking yesterday (Tuesday) … made it all day!! And, this morning had a little episode, but I think it was brought on by brushing my teeth. Poor Cason was in the shower and he just gets so concerned when mom gets sick.  He rubbed my back a little and told me “it’s ok, mom” while I hovered over the toilet. Then, I reassure him that mommy and babies are totally ok, and that it’s a GOOD sign that mommy feels this way and gets an upset tummy because it means the baby are growing strong and healthy!

Thanks to my wonderful Sister-In-Law, Tara, who filled the back of my van with hand me down maternity clothes and some other goodies, I have been blessed with a wide assortment of books to read/ enjoy through this pregnancy. One is on Twins specifically and it stated that some moms can start to feel some movement as early as 14 weeks, which is only TWO weeks away. I can’t wait for these joys to begin! In a little over a month (end of October) we will be having our “big” ultrasound and will find out at that time the sexes of the babies. We’ll see if my gut leads me astray, but I was right on with Cason and this time I’d be willing to bet we have a little boy and a little girl.

One of my FAVORITE child hood books is “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. Tara sent one that is a special version to be read to babies In Utero. I read it twice last night… first time (out loud) to myself and the babes and the second time with Cason curled up beside me on the couch. LOVE IT! It will definitely be my new favorite gift to give at Baby Showers. I have enjoyed giving the other version to God Children and at Graduations thus far. Gotta love Dr. Seuss!

On another note, school is in full swing for both Cason & Katilyn and both are having a great time and loving being back. I will post a picture of their first day of school soon. They are both getting so grown up!

Babies Update- Week 11

Lucky #3?? I’m now on a new drug, our third shot at trying to bring some relief to the constant nausea and 4 to 5 times a day vomiting. So, we’ll see if this does the trick… and hopefully in the next week to two weeks I will naturally begin to feel better as I enter the 2nd trimester!

We got to take a quick look today at our babes in our first OB Full work up appt, and we have a WILD one on our hands, I think. One baby was lying so nicely and moved ever so gently around, and the other was a moving, shaking, flailing arms & legs as if to say, “Hey, mom & dad, look what I can do!!”

We want to wish you all a Happy & Safe Holiday weekend!! Sounds like some beautiful weather… so Troy and I are headed to the lake to hang with Mom & Pete at the camper and it sounds like a great weekend ahead to be doing so!

Handsome little man

Cason and I were at the mall today... as I was standing at the Alltel counter, Cason was eyeing up the huge display of candy machines to our left. A college age girl carrying a camera came over to me. She said, "Without sounding too weird, I think your son is adorable. Would you mind if I gave him a quarter and took his picutre while he looks at the candy? I am working on a photography project about commercial selling and how many options and how overwhelming it can be in America.Most countries would have one gum ball machine, we have rows of them for kids to choose from." So, Cason and I went over to the candy (I gave him a couple quarters) and she snapped almost a full roll of film of him looking all bright eyed and excited at the candy options. She was so sweet... and when the roll was done and winding back into the camera, she asked Cason if he wanted to see how her camera worked. She sat right down on the floor with him and let him push buttons, work with the zoom, and look through her camera. She has my email and will be emailing me the shots... I can't wait to see them. I just happened to have my camera in my purse (if you know me, I usually do) and snapped a couple shots of she and Cason. It was a fun experience... and how great that my cutie pie caught a photographer's eye?! :)

A few more Snoball Pics...

Snoball

Troy and the boys played in the Rochester's Winterfest Snoball Tournament again this winter. We had a GREAT weekend for it, and of course, as always a RIOT! Here are some of the MANY pics I took. The guys took 1st place in their bracket.

A Special Gift

A good friend of ours, Chuck Siefert, is retiring as the head of the athletic department at RCTC and was the head wrestling coach there for years (was Troy’s college wrestling coach). We were there visiting him at the college over the weekend, and as he’s cleaning out his office, he decided to give a very special piece of him to Cason…. It’s a wrestler that was carved out of wood with a chainsaw (I’m sure you’ve all seen the guys that do this… it’s unreal). Cason has named him “Mr. Wrestler” and was caught a couple times over the weekend sitting in his room talking to his new “wrestler.” He’s pretty proud of him… and it will be a gift we will cherish for years to come!

Cason's New Doo

Cason has explained for awhile now that he wanted this certain “hair style” and would hold his two hands up on his forehead spreading his fingers out. “Like shark teeth” he’d say. I wasn’t quite catching his drift, but the stylist last night did and he was VERY pleased when she was done. (Sorry about the red eyes, when I showed him his picture, he said “mom, usually I have blue eyes.”)...New picture posted... thanks Grandpa Haskin for the photo editing and removing the red eye!! :)

More Wrestling Pics

I wanted to post a few more pictures of Cason from wrestling practice last night. He’s loving it and really doing well…. There are a few tournaments coming up that we may look at registering him for. We have so much fun going and watching him and I think Troy is pretty proud of our little wrestler!

Our Newest Addition

We celebrated Christmas with Troy’s family this past weekend in WI, and Katilyn received a very “special” present from “Santa”. This is Kobon, our newest addition to our family. Katilyn was very creative with naming him and it hasn’t taken long for all of us to fall in love with him. He is an Alaskan Sled Dog and will be a mid-sized dog. He’s very playful… and sleeps a lot, and LOVES to cuddle while resting.