Santa's Elves: Week 45

42 Weeks Old or The End of Staged Photos

I hope you all enjoyed the weekly staged photos from weeks 1-41.  Because it's become perfectly clear that it's very unlikely I'll get both boys to sit still at the same time ever again.  Well, maybe when they're teenagers, they'll sit for a nice picture for me.  But until then?  Chaos.  It took me all day to get the photo you see on the left in this collage.  And just as soon as I snapped it, Bobby was out of the frame and Jack turned over to stand up.

Because that's what they do now.  They stand up whenever they can.  Walking, my friends, is just around the corner...

I bought these cute green sleep and plays a while ago, because it's the same one Jack wore the day we took him home from the hospital, and I just love it.  (Unfortunately the purple one can't be found in their current size, otherwise Bobby would be in the purple like he was before.)  And unfortunately they don't make this cute pattern in sizes bigger than 9 months.  Otherwise this comparison would have been made in January, when they turn one.

Shut up, right?  So cute.  Jack's on the left in both pictures.  I think it's amazing that he makes the same hand gestures now as he did back then.  Why does that amaze me?  I don't know...it just does.  Look at how much they've grown!  They were tiny babies...the pj's they were wearing in the picture on the left were newborn size...arms rolled up a few times, baggy.  We had to stop at the store one day to buy preemie clothes a few days later. 

My sweet boys.  I can't believe they'll be turning one soon.  ONE!  Time really does fly...

Halloween 2015

...sometimes I'm too tired to write a post...but I think these speak for themselves.

Trick or Treating on the docks

Pumpkin Patch Kids

We couldn't get a great picture of them together, but the individual pictures came out pretty good, I think!  It was too cold to go apple picking, but before the pumpkin patch, we all enjoyed hot apple cider donuts.  The babies told me to tell you all that fall is now their favorite time of year too. 

Because yum.  (Cute babies with cinnamon sugar coating their smiling lips...seriously awesome.)

Happy first fall babies!

Babies on a Plane

Last week Brian and I met my whole family in Orlando for a week-long, fun-in-the-sun vacation.  The babies did great.  They have once again proved to be laid back, go with the flow kind of kids, and for that, I am so grateful.  It's always a little nerve wracking taking twin infants anywhere new.  It takes a lot of planning and sometimes research to ensure that everything we need will be available to us.  And if not, it takes a little creativity to figure out how we'll manage. 

We've been traveling with the boys since they were a month old, so we know they are resilient.  But our travel has always been by car.  I've heard horror stories about flying with babies and the trouble they have with their little ears, sitting still or staying quiet, and rude, mean strangers on the flight treating parents badly because of a crying baby.  Multiply that by two, and I was kind of freaking out internally.  I read stories and know of some that made little gift bags, if you will, for fellow passengers, thanking them for their patience and debated making them for us.  But then I came to my senses.  These are 9 month old babies, who don't know any better.  They are, for the most part, very easy going, smiley babies who aren't any trouble.  If, for some reason, they were going to act up, I wasn't going to bribe our neighbors to be nice to us.  No, I was going to demand respect and kindness, should we have any trouble.  I had a few comebacks in my pocket, ready for anyone who was stupid enough to make comments about our crew.  Luckily, I never once had to even consider going to battle with our fellow travelers.

Because Jack and Bobby fly like seasoned veterans. 

They didn't even bat an eyelash during take off or landing.  If the change in cabin pressure hurt their ears, we didn't know it because they were either sleeping or laughing or flirting with people next to us.  It was amazing, and I'm so proud of them.  Even after being on the road (and in the air) for a very long stretch, they were gems.  It. Was. Amazing.

As for our neighbors, they were also amazing.  I boarded all planes (4 total) carrying both boys myself, as Brian was carrying our bags.  As I walked down the aisle, most people smiled and waved, said things like, "God bless you", or "You've got your hands full!".  And when I sat down with both boys, all but one person offered to hold one for me.  On this trip only, I threw away my "no stranger" rule and happily handed over a baby.  It was great!  That said, it was also very tiring.  We opted to bring our car seats and our stroller with us, because we had two layovers that were several hours long.  At every boarding, we had to pack them up in their covers and walk them down the ramp.  While also toting two babies and two pieces of carry on bags.  One passenger offered to help, but otherwise we were on our own.  (Which is why I carried the boys-Brian carried all 5 bags himself!)  It was a bit of a cluster you know what and we got a lot of attention and admiring stares.

Oh, and while holding a 9 month old baby on your lap during a flight, you cannot participate in the in-flight beverage distribution.  Nope.  It doesn't work!  On the way home we bought our own bottles of water and shared them.  It worked so much better.

Here are a few observations about vacationing with twin infants:

1. Pay extra for the airport parking that is right there.  Do not try to save $100 by parking in the economy parking.  It adds an extra step to an already tiring process.  And also, you will almost miss your flight.

2.  Airport security with two babies is a nightmare.  Thankfully we were able to get into a faster line with less people each way, but we still managed to almost miss our first flight, and we lost a blanket.  We also got stared at.  A lot.

3. No matter how many people you are vacationing with, it will still not be relaxing.  Perhaps when they are teenagers?

4. Babies move.  Put your alcohol in sippy cups, or else they'll drop them.

5.  People on vacation don't care if you have a baby in a stroller.  They're still rude when they "have" to get to an attraction. 

6.  Having to wait in line for an attraction with a sleeping baby in 90 degree weather is pretty much like being in hell.  I never realized how not baby friendly Disney was until I went last week.

7.  Even though they might be too little to remember the vacation, it's still worth going.  We have the pictures and the memories.  And seeing their little faces examine new things was so cool.

The boys most enjoyed:

Playing in the pool (a complete surprise-he usually isn't thrilled!)
Eating french toast with syrup for breakfast every day
Playing with cousin Jameson
It's a Small World
Seeing the Penguins at Sea World

Overall, a great trip!

8 Months Old

Babies.  You're 8 months old already.  It's scary how time flies when you're having fun.  Or when you're exhausted.  And totally consumed with two cute little boys.

You're both so amazing.  You're silly and sweet, and oh so smart.  Everyone who meets you is amazed at how laid back you are, how good you are.  Your smiles charm everyone. Your giggles are contagious.  It's impossible to look at you without melting.

You both love:

When your Dada plays the guitar
The BINGO song
Applesauce, oatmeal, bananas, pancakes, chicken, Cheerios, salmon, garlic bread and pasta with bolognese sauce.
Pee-a-boo
When Mama sings you songs
Raspberries on your belly

Jack, you love:
Books.  You visibly get excited whenever Mama takes them out.  Your current favorite is "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and "Mr. Brown Can Moo"
Tags on blankets


Bobby, you love:
Bathtime-you splash and spalsh!
Climbing

Jack has 4 teeth, Bobby 3.  I forget that they exist sometimes and forget to brush them for you.  I'll try harder.  Today we brushed twice.

Both of you can crawl and sit up, though Bobby can sit up FROM a crawl on his own.  And Bobby can pull himself up to a standing position.  Jack is content with staying in the same place for a while.  We can't tell if he's a little lazy, or if he's just smart enough to realize that his crazy little brother will breeze by any minute dragging new toys in his wake...

Neither of you completely grasp the idea of waving "Hi" or clapping when we say "Yay!", but you're on the verge.  I feel like you're on the verge of so many things...and it's exciting.  And a little heartbreaking at the same time. 

Motherhood.  Who knew it was going to be so bipolar?  What a wonderful adventure you've brought us these last 8 months.  We love you sweet babies. 

...next up, your first plane ride!  Stay tuned.

AufTwins Wishlist

I often get asked if we need anything for the boys, or if there's anything in particular we want for them, especially with Christmas coming.  Since so many of the same people who ask about gifts are the same people who read this blog, I thought I'd just update the wish list we have to make it easier.

This is not a plea for gifts.  It's just a way to make it easier to keep track of what the boys need.  We currently have enough clothing for them for the fall and winter.  If you really want to purchase clothing for them, we need clothes for the SPRING/SUMMER in size 18 months.

The list can be found HERE or on the sidebar of this blog.  You can sort the list priority (highest=we want it the most) in case you're wondering what we want/need more.

Splish Splash

Last week we went to the beach again.  This time I was a little more prepared.  I had better toys.  I brought more blankets to help with feeding.  And I had my big beach umbrella.  And it really made the day much nicer than the first time we were there.

When we first arrived, they boys played with their toys on the blanket.  They are just on the verge of crawling, so I can still sit on the side and sort of watch them play without worrying they'll skitter away from me.  Actually, this might have been our last time at the beach alone...

After playing on the blanket for a bit, I brought them into the water.  Of course we were the talk of the beach.  People watched my every move and every time I looked up, someone was staring.  But you know what?  I don't care anymore.  What they could see was that my boys were have a ball.  An absolute ball.  Jack like sitting in his chair more than sitting in the water.  He loves kicking his little feet around and leaning over to scoop up the soft sand.  I had to stay on top of that because he also really love eating!  Bobby on the other hand love sitting between my legs with his little butt in the water.  He smacked his little hands on the water repeatedly and squealed with delight when the water would land on his face.

Afterward, we went back to the blanket and had some lunch.  I still can't get them to nap there, though, so we packed up and trudged home.  And I mean trudged.  Pushing a double stroller on the sand is HARD WORK!

 

While this last beach day was more of a success than the first day, it was really tiring.  It seems that the more fun my boys have during the day, the more tired I am at night!  Needless to say, our days at the beach might be over for the year...But just because my fun at the beach is over, it doesn't mean that I can't try to recreate the fun for the boys.

Enter the plastic storage bin.  Monday is typically a bath day, and I bathe them individually in a collapsible baby tub.  There's no play time.  It's just wash, wash, wash and dry, dry, dry, repeat.  But today was different.  About 30 minutes before bath time, I filled the bin up with water from the hose so that it would have time to warm up.  (Turns out it was already warm from the sun...but anyway.)  Then I plopped the boys into the warm water with a few toys and sat back (not really) and watched them play.  It was, to say the least, comical.  They had a blast!  For the most part they can sit up on their own (Bobby has a little trouble, but the close quarters and his big brother helped!) so they just sat in the water and splashed.

...until I surprised them with soap and started washing their hair.  But they didn't mind much because they still got to play.  They didn't even mind when I poured a whole mug full of water over their heads.  They just let it roll off their faces and kept on playing!

I'm pretty sure this is how we'll do bath time from now on.  At least until it starts getting cold.  Then maybe we'll recreate this fun inside, on our bathroom floor.  (We don't have a bathtub on the boat.)

Splish splash!

The Beach

Dear Babies,

Today you went to the beach for the very first time.  It was the first time your little feet touched the sand, the first time you splashed in fresh water and the first time you sat basking in the sun.

There's a lot that I could tell you about today.  But instead, I'll just say this-it was magical for me to watch your little faces change from confusion to excitement.  I loved seeing you dip your chubby little hands into the water again and again.  I loved seeing your adorable little feet kicking and splashing and I super loved hearing your squeals of delight when you realized that splashing is fun, and not scary.

You are my little troopers.  Always up for an adventure, always willing to try something new.  Always with smiles and laughter.

I hope you grow to love the beach as much as I do. 

Hard Days and Home

Sometimes, this all feels too hard, this lifestyle we've chosen. When we're all too tired but have to go out, and we run out of water or the diaper bag is deep inside the cabin, behind the laundry pile and a bin. Or when it's 95 degrees outside and it's low tide, and I have to walk 1/4 mile just to get to the car.

But then I remember what it was like when we lived in our huge 2 story apartment. And we had just as many frustrating days when we were both too tired but had to go out, and we had no hot water, or we couldn't get out of the apartment because of the snow. And there's always a laundry pile with all the things buried underneath it, let's be honest.

Frustrating, hard days happen.  No matter where you live.  And when you have 6 1/2 month old twins, everything is harder.  Everything.

Sometimes it feels like too many people are in the wings, just waiting for us to fail. Waiting to tell us, "I knew it wouldn't work" or "We knew you couldn't do it with the babies". And that sucks. And that makes the hard days even harder, because I know I can't tell anyone how frustrated I am at that moment. Because I told you so. Because you can't do this with babies. Because, because, because...

And it feels like we can't fail now because if we do, people will make us feel like failures. But the truth is, I think we would have been failures if we didn't even try.

Yesterday was a hard day.  It was raining and high tide wasn't until the late evening, so we stayed inside all day.  It was hard to remember those warm, salty days when it was just Brian, me and the wind.  It was hard to remember the sunsets and fireworks at anchor, and hard to imagine our boys scampering along the harbor islands, tan and sure of themselves on the water.  It was hard to imagine teaching them to appreciate the silence, the solitude.  The peace.

But today?  Today is glorious. 

Today is the kind of day that I thank God we live where we do.  And I know how lucky we are to live here, right in downtown Boston, literally right in the harbor.  As I type this post, our boat is gently rocking, the boys are napping and I remember why I love it here.  I remember that this is home.

Our "back yard" today.  Top picture: Sailboat races and the Coast Guard.  Bottom pictures: Our fair city.  Sadly the collage cropped out my favorite view of the skyline, the Zakim Bridge, which is to the far right on the bottom right picture.

Forever

There is no way I could possibly begin to recap the crazy wonderfulness that has been happening over the last two months.

The boys were christened.  They rolled over, smiled, laughed, and begin interacting with each other.  They babble all of the time.  THEY SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT.  Their little feet were dipped in the fountains downtown.  They went to the Boston Aquarium.  They swam in a pool for the first time.  We went on our first family camping trip.  They can almost sit up on their own.

They love: bouncing in their new jump-a-roos, fart noises (makes 'em laugh every time!), hearing mama sing, hearing and watching dada play the guitar, cuddling, television, being tickled, Green Eggs and Ham and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, playing with their crinkle stars, walking in the slings, hanging out in the cockpit, and eating books.

They hate: tummy time (when we put them on their bellies, not when they roll over on their own), peas (Jack), being put in the slings (the process), hand dryers in public bathrooms, the vacuum (Bobby) and sitting still.

People often comment that our boys are so good-natured.  It's rare they fuss or cry and when they do, it's because they are hungry or tired (or scared-see hand dryers and vacuums, above).  They usually don't even cry when they have a dirty diaper.  We know it's early, and there are many phases coming which will probably change this (hello teething!), but for now, we'll take it.  We feel very, very lucky to have such happy babies.

Not a day goes by without us looking at our boys with wonder.  They fill us with such joy, such pride...love in its purest form.  We made them.  They are ours and we are theirs.  It's only been 6 months, and yet, it's been forever.

Peas and Oats and Pears, Oh My!

Pears, Peas & Squash

Maybe it's because I couldn't breast feed my boys. Or maybe it's because I want to keep their little bodies as clean and pure as I can for as long as I can. Or it could be about the money. It could be all of those reasons, and on some level, it is all of them. But mostly, it's about me loving to cook for the people I love. And feeding them. Man do I love to feed people. So it was pretty much a no-brainer that I was going to make all of our baby food when the boys reached that point.

As we rounded the corner on their 6 month birthday, my excitement started to grow. I can't explain it, really, why I was freakishly excited to steam fruits and vegetables. I mean, it's steaming. Not roasting or braising or searing. Not very sophisticated or even fun. And let's not even talk about the fact that it's unseasoned. But still, I was giddy with excitement. I went shopping for a new steaming basket, extra big ice cube trays and containers. I pulled out my handy dandy Cuisinart boat motor and lined all of the tools up in a row, making sure they were ready for the big day. And I researched which fruits and vegetables had the most calories vs. vitamins vs. fiber vs...everything.   And I waited.

And waited.  And waited...because everything I've been given says wait until they are 6 months old.

But really, what's a couple of weeks going to do?  Right?  So I stopped waiting.  And I fed my babies solid food.

And for the most part, they loved it!  Their first solid food was peas.  Bobby was a pea freak.  He loved them.  He demanded I keep feeding him and when I stopped to feed his brother, he protested by pounding his little hand on his tray.  Jack, on the other hand, would have happily let me feed his brother all of his peas.  While he didn't hate them, he certainly didn't love them like Bobby did.  But he tolerated them, and that was OK with me.

Bobby says, "Mama!  Stop taking our picture and FEED ME!"  Jack says, "I'll happily give you 1000 smiles if you just forget about those peas."

Over the past few weeks the boys have tried peas, squash, pears, green beans, bananas, sweet potatoes and apples.  They are about to try chicken, peaches and Brussels sprouts.  I really hope they like the sprouts.  We eat those a lot in this house.

They've done really well with all of the food so far.  Bobby had a small rash after eating the apples, but both the pediatrician and me think it was a heat rash and not an allergic reaction.  We're really hoping that neither boy is allergic to anything, especially because Bobby already has one allergy we have to worry about (milk).  I think Bobby's favorite food so far is actually the peas, and Jack's is apples.  They both love the banana and like the rest just fine.  Neither are psyched about the baby oatmeal I give them sometimes, but if I swirl in the fruit of the day, they gobble it up.

Making the food is ridiculously easy.  It takes less than an hour for me to make 3 trays of food, which right now lasts a little over a week.  And knowing that what I'm giving them is clean, preservative free, natural food makes it even easier for me to justify the effort.  And truthfully, making the food is actually cheaper than buying the small containers of store bought baby food.  Even when compared to buying organic.  (I think the exception to this is going to be the chicken.  That was really expensive today when I bought it, but I don't think I could feed the boys jarred chicken anyway, just because of my own ick meter.) 

Home made baby food for the win!

3 Months

My babies are 3 months old... How did that happen already?

As I sit here, tired and beaten down, hoping-no, praying-they fall asleep together just this once I am in awe of how time flies.  It really does seem like just yesterday that Brian and I were sitting in the hospital room, waiting for the doctor to wheel me down to surgery.  Or when we were in the recovery room for what seemed like days, waiting for the privacy we thought we'd get once we had our own room.

And then I remember that first night.  Oh how scared we were.  We didn't have to talk about it.  It was in our eyes.  In our very tired, wide eyes, whenever our babies cried and we couldn't console them.  And then I remember the way it felt that very first time we could, and I feel a little better.  Because every step of this wild, amazing journey has been just like that.  Crazy, I don't know what I'm doing, please make it stop/get better/easier moments that turn into wonderfully triumphant bonding moments with our little family.

And I know that this too, shall pass.  Our babies will learn to fall asleep on their own.  Eventually.  And once they do, I'll feel a sense of accomplishment like never before, because I'll know that I had a hand in helping them find their way to rest, to dreamland...

I'm likely to cry a billion tears during my tenure as their Mama.  If a billion are shed while I'm helping them learn and grow, it'll be worth it.  I just have to remember that while the tears are falling.  Their sweet little faces, even when twisted up in angst, help.

I love you way more than a billion tears my little boys.  Way more...

Middle picture: The day they were born.  Top left, 1 week, moving right along the top, weeks 2-12.  So tiny then, and so big now.

Easter 2015

This weekend we made our way down to Connecticut to visit my family for Easter. We drove down after Brian got out of work on Friday so that we'd miss the rush hour/Easter traffic.  While we did accomplish that, we got there very late, throwing me off of my 9:30/10pm bedtime schedule.  Needless to say, I was very tired on Saturday!

Saturday a few members of my New York family came up to CT to meet our boys for the first time.  While I missed those who couldn't make it (due to rescheduling) I was very happy that my dear Nana was able to come.  She is one of my most favorite people and it meant a lot to me to see her holding my sons.  Especially because my Papa (her husband), whom Jack, our first born is named after, is no longer with us.

Here's a picture of the 5 of us on Saturday:

It was lovely to see everyone.  I missed going to NY this year for Christmas because I was on modified bed rest (really, just had to stay close to home and take it easy), so I haven't seen them in a really long time.  We used to see each other regularly, but life has just gotten in the way of that.

Saturday night my sister Christina (Auntie CC to the boys), niece Mariah and nephew Dominic babysat for Brian and I so we could have our very first date night away from the boys.  It was so nice to get away and reconnect.  While we share a very small space daily, it's become rare when we can actually slow down and have "us" time.  We went to the casino and had dinner, played some slots and had a couple of drinks while listening to live music. 

 

While we were away, the boys had a fun time.  Here is our sweet nephew Dommy playing with his cousin Bobby:

And our sweet niece Mariah cuddling with Bobby (they played with Jack too, he just fell asleep earlier.)

On Easter Sunday, I woke up with the cold that Brian and the boys had the previous week.  Luckily for me, there were lots of people to help Brian hold, feed and love the boys, so I was able to take a nap.  Before that, we ate lots of good food, played with all the kids and watched a very competitive egg hunt between my niece and my sister Lauren.  (My niece won this year!)

Here are some pictures of the boys all dressed up for Easter.  Sadly these outfits didn't last very long, and I didn't get a great picture of them together.  One of them always seems to be crying during group pictures!  I also have to do better at remembering to get a family picture...next time! 

Overall, a very busy and fun weekend with family.  I hope your Easter weekend was just as lovely as ours was!

March Pictures

Here are some pictures we took last month: