Happy July 4th... a little late!!!

OK so I have twins... the old Emily would have had the July 4th blog posted on July 2nd... the new Emily has the July 4th blog posted on the 8th....oh well something has to give!!!

The boys are great... we had a busy July 4th weekend (Complete with 3 different 4th of July outfits... it is a good thing that we had boys and not girls!).  We spent Friday night at the Nohners....this was also Benjamin and Nathan's first over night!!!!  Benjamin did well.  Nathan did well until 2am when all the adults came back from the concert... then Nathan decided that it was time for him to be awake as well... needless to say mom and dad didn't get much sleep that night!!!!  The best part was that Uncle Rusty made a surprise visit to MN!!!  WE LOVE UNCLE RUSTY!!!  Saturday was spent at Gramma and Grumpy's with the HUNKLES!!!  The boys even got to bring their pool over so that they could have a "Pool Party!" Gramma also made some "baby" fireworks that the boys LOVED!!!! Sunday and Monday Daddy was home and Mommy went to work!  All in all it was  a great weekend and the boys did well. Our other new favorite thing...BUBBLES!  I'm still not sure which is funnier... the Boys and the bubbles or Berkeley and the bubbles??? I know what people really want are photos... I will work on getting July photos posted on Shutterfly!!!
Until next time...
Love Always,
The Utechs

Summer Keeps flying by...

It has been a busy yet stressful and emotional last couple of weeks in the Utech Household!  As many of you have been following, the MNA Nurses Union was slotted to begin an open ended strike on July 6th... leaving me looking/thinking about new jobs and career opportunities...emotions were high, resumes were being written and many meetings were attended...but most of all I was so sad that the place that I LOVED, the career that I LOVED and the place that holds such personal feelings (of the beginnings of Benjamin and Nathan's lives) would all come to such an abrupt end.  As I blog here tonight, it looks like the hospital and union have struck a deal and that we will avert a strike... we will stay in the hospital with our patients where we all belong.  I have bittersweet feelings and while I'm thrilled that I don't have to strike I know that myself and my co-workers have a lot of rebuilding to do, answers to find and decisions to make!  I'm looking forward to life returning to normal... because what Brent and I want most... is a little normalcy after a year of exceptions and diversions!!! 

As for the boys... summer is just flying by!  Last weekend was a busy one... Friends were in town for the St. Ben's reunion (can't believe I have been out 5 years!) and Benjamin and Nathan got to meet some friends of mine for the first time as well as some new little girlfriends!!!  Also last weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Utech were in town and the boys got some much needed time with Grandpa and grandma.... we brought them to the MN Zoo, had a cook out on the new charcoal grill and made a trip to the farmers market!  It was a great weekend.  The boys continue to amaze us each day, they make us smile every day and they keep us on our toes...always!  As you can see from the photos... our lives are slowly being over taken by baby equipment.  Over the last couple of weeks the boys have tried out the Exersauser, the johnny jump up, new "big boy" bottles (mama milk truck better keep pumping) and their little activity table.  The boys are fast approaching 6 months...WOW!!!  We are looking forward to  a trip up north, many more Gramma Days, new adventures, Benjamin's (hopefully final) hernia surgery and the boys' First 4th of July!
Love Always
The Utechs

Happy 1st Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!!!  We had a very fun weekend complete with BBQ, friends, family and our thank you party!!!  Brent had a surprise waiting for him on the deck Saturday morning... a new weber charcoal grill, an apron with his two favorite boys on it and a shutterfly book filled with photos  of him with Benjamin and Nathan.  We decided that he had to have the grill for the party on Saturday so we didn't wait for Sunday to give him is father's day gift!!!  He loved it!!!  Nathan and Benjamin are so lucky to have such a wonderful, caring, smart, interested, capable, funny, athletic father... I can only hope that Ben and Nathan are just like their daddy some day:)

Thank you to all of you who joined us for the "Thank you" party on Saturday!!!  It was so great to see everyone and to have the boys meet those of you who they had not met.  We appreciate your love and support more then you know and you will always have a special place in our hearts!
Enjoy the summer weather!!!
Love always,
The Utechs

5 Months Old

Monday the boys turned 5 Months... I simply can't believe it.  I always found that witnessing a baby being born was one of the most miraculous things, in fact it can make a non believer, BELIEVE!  What is maybe more miraculous is watching that small infant grow and develop and hit milestones, to interact and to learn. The last month, Brent and I have been witness as Nathan and Benjamin have developed into infants from their tiny premie baby selves.  In the last months the boys have started smiling on command, babbling, laughing, holding toys in their hands, chewing on their hands, pushing up, rolling over, sleeping longer stretches, sitting in pea pod chairs, Benjamin hit 10.5 pounds, playing in the exersaucer, wiggling to music, examining toys and cutest of all ... they have discovered each other!  For those of you that are parents, non of this will surprise you (in fact this may be the "good stuff" that takes the place of the painful, stressful moments of pregnancy and the early months of sleep deprivation and allows us to once again think that another baby would be "fun")... don't worry that is years out for us:)   In the mean time we will enjoy the HAPPY and HEALTHY children that we have.  

Reminder:  Our Thank You party is this Saturday!!!  We would love to see you all!!!  If you have questions let me know!

Love Always,

The Utechs

PS For those of you that know a nurse... thank them! If you have questions about what is happening ask them and get informed. This is not just a nursing issue... the outcome of these negotiations will affect your future healthcare!

Summer Time!

Sorry for not updating sooner... life here is BUSY!!!
We have had a very fun couple of weeks full of new experiences for Nathan and Benjamin!

Benjamin and Nathan went to the MN Zoo for the first time (we bought a season pass so if anyone wants to join us... let me know!).  We went to the MN zoo with some of my nurse friends... we had 8 kids and 7 adults!  The kids were all great and we had so much fun walking through all the indoor exhibits.  The boys also got to go to the St. Paul farmers market... in true Farmers Market style... we babies enjoyed the market from their Baby Bjorns!!!  Also, we finally broke out the new stroller and went for a stroller ride with Auntie Hannah in MPLS by the Stone Arch bridge and St. Anthony Main.. we had dinner on the patio too!

The most exciting part of the start to summer was the purchase of the CRAB POOL!!!  It is the cutest stinkin thing!!!!:)  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!!  The boys loved it too!!!  We had nice warm water, the pea pod chairs and some super cute sun hats..."we threw ourselves a pool party!"  
Over memorial day weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy the nice warm weather from our friends pontoon!!  We had a blast... Berkeley got to come too!!! There is nothing more fun to watch then the excitement in the eyes of a 1 year old labs as she sprints across the sand and into open water!!!  The HUGE stick was a hit too:)  The boys got to put their toes in the river for the first time... they actually really liked it:)   Mom and dad had fun too.. hanging out with friends and BBQing.  
We are looking forward to graduation parties, our thank you party, more pool parties, trips to the lake, BBQs, stroller rides (with the new really cool jogging stroller), playdates, trips to the zoo and so much more!
Love Always,
The Utechs
PS Check out the shutterfly site for new photos... the boys are getting so BIG!!!

4 Months old

Wow, the time just keeps on flying by!!!:)  The boys were 4 months old on the 14th... I can't even believe it!  The boys continue to change and mature every day.  Over the last week we have learned a few new tricks.... Benjamin held a rattle to his mouth, Nathan has been sleeping in 6-7 hour chucks at night, and both boys found that they LOVE the Pea Pod Chairs as well as continuing to be obsessed with their Balloons!!!!  The boys also had their 1st trip to the MN Zoo! We had four month MD appointments last week.  Both boys are doing well!  Everyone got their shots, showed the doctor their tricks and both boys continue to grow. Nathan is now toping the charts at 11 pounds... he is now on the big boy charts at 3%!!!  Benjamin continues to grow well and is now 9 pounds... he is also on the 3% but on the Premie chart (he has also graduated out of the newborn clothes)!  Dr. Strong actually thought that Benjamin was stronger with his head control then Nathan:)  She is happy with their progress and told me to keep doing what we are doing:)  

Last week was also my first day back at work.  Work went well and it was good to see everyone.  Gramma  did well with the boys on Monday and Tuesday... she was a little tired at the end of the day....Welcome to our world!!!:)  Daddy also had is first weekend home alone with the boys... he did great and had some good bonding time with the boys... Daddy and the boys made mom a video while she was at work... the funniest thing ever:)
I feel like we are no longer "pregnant," "On bedrest," "In Special Care," or "on maternity leave,"  we are finally just living our lives, enjoying our kids  (and puppy dog) and looking forward to a summer filled with friends, family and new adventures with our new little family!  CHEERS!
Love 
The Utech's
PS Reminder to all of our favorite family and friends.  We will be having a Thank You Open house and BBQ June 19th noon -???? at our house.  All are welcome... we are trying to get a rough count for food... if you are planing on joining us please shoot me an email ... Thanks:)  Can't wait to see everyone then!

1st Mother's Day... the adventure continues!!!

Happy mother's day to all the moms out there... this is the hardest, most rewarding thing that I have ever done.  The last 4 months have taught me so much and brought me such joy!!!  We spent Saturday with Brent's parents up in St. Joseph MN at St. Ben's and St. John's!!!!  We walked around, had lunch and spent time with Grandma Utech to celebrate her 1st Mother's Day as a Grandma!!!  The boys did well on there first road trip (2 hours in the car both there and back), we brought them to the St. John's football field and took photos at the spot where Brent proposed 4 years ago and ate lunch at Bo Dids (where mom worked in college).  Sunday we spent with Gramma and Grumpy... we had brunch and went for a walk....life is good!!!  
Tomorrow brings another big change... I'm back to work after almost 7 months off!  Gramma will be watching the boys Mondays and Tuesdays and I will rejoin the work force.  It will be sad to leave the boys but they are in great hands and it will be nice to get back into a "normal" (if you can call life with twins normal) routine and I look forward to returning to a job that I love and some of the most FANTASTIC co-workers anyone can ask for!!!  
Update on the boys...
Nathan: rolled over, smiles all the time, talks up a storm and LOVES his balloons and has slept 6 hour twice now!!!

Benjamin: has become and expert bottler (he even out bottles Nathan on occasion), loves to talk, smile and goo and is also in love with his balloons, he has slept 5 hours a couple of different times!!!
Hug your kids today and enjoy the time you have with them... I can tell already... Time flies when you are having fun!!!!
Love Always,
The Utechs