Two Babies

New Blog

2010-06-05T05:59:00.003-07:00

All of the posts from this blog have been moved to a new site; no new posts will be added here. Please visit http://threeweasels.com/.

The Outside World Can Be a Dirty Place

2010-05-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

Crawling around outside can lead to dirty knees...and feet...and toes...and of course dirty hands.

Splash! Splash!

2010-05-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

We bought a water table for the boys for their birthday and we finally have a nice weekend to enjoy it. Yesterday we assembled the pieces, filled it with water and dressed Ruslan and Wyatt in their bathing suits.

Wyatt immediately started spashing in the water while Ruslan focused on all of the new toys. Wyatt would occasionally get bored and crawl away to find Juliana and then come back and splash some more. Ruslan never left the water table even after Wyatt was done and in the house. I expect we will have many hours of fun playing with the pirate ship this summer.

Wild Boys

2010-05-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

Throwing toys and food, chasing each other, biting each other or me, climbing everything possible – the boys have fully entered toddlerhood. Juliana was never a biter and although she was a busy toddler she wasn’t like this – I don’t know if it’s because they are boys or twins or a combination of the two.

Climbing is the most dangerous activity and their favorite thing to do. As soon as Ruslan is on the floor he quickly crawls to the fireplace, climbs up on the hearth and starts banging on the wood burning stove. Then Wyatt realizes he is missing out on the fun and joins him. Wyatt will sometimes get down on his own if someone yells at him to get down. Ruslan thinks this is a really fun game and giggles when I pick him up. If we ignore him, he will eventually get bored and get down on his own. But it isn’t a safe place to play so we can’t leave him there – it is elevated and he can easily fall and get hurt and he had figured out how to open the stove which leads to pinched fingers and ingesting fireplace ash and all sorts of bad things.

They are starting to understand that they can stack larger toys and use them as steps to get things that are just out of reach. Of course they watch each other and learn by example.

They both bite on occasion – other than me and occasionally each other, they bite non-living objects. Wyatt likes to chew on the seams on the couches. We have foam around the coffee table so that they don’t hit their heads on the corners and Wyatt has started biting pieces off and chewing on them until I pry the pieces out his mouth getting my fingers bit in the process.

Having their diapers changed = being forced to remain in the same place for 10 seconds and that is unacceptable to boys who need to be on the go at all times. This torture is met with screams and wrestling them to hold still until they are clean and the new diaper is attached. Dressing them is a lengthy process trying to contain them and get clothes on, usually they escape at least once, happily crawling away half-dressed and laughing.
This past weekend, Wyatt realized that he can crawl from the fireplace hearth onto one of the couches. He scrambled up and then as I was running across the room to get him, he fell off the couch into the small space between the wall and the couch. No injuries and certainly not a deterrent to avoiding such a fun climbing adventure. If he had not fallen, his next move would have been to climb over the back of the couch into the play area.

Usually when we take them outside to play in the front yard, they happily play in the same area. Yesterday I went outside on my own with Juliana and the boys and they spent the entire time racing in opposite directions. Wyatt took off toward the street while Ruslan headed toward the drop-off from the lawn to the driveway. It was not the relaxing outside playtime I was anticipating.
And climbing the stairs, of course.

Sunny Days Make Me Smile

2010-05-21T11:09:00.000-07:00

No matter what else is going on - a warm, sunny day makes everything a little brighter. Cold, dark and rainy days only motivate me to want to crawl back into bad. I may not want to work when the sun is shining, but at least I am a little bit happier in the process. My mood is better and the daily stress of life doesn't bother me quite as much.

The best thing about nice days - we get to have some outside time in the evening after childcare pick-up.

Yesterday we arrived home and set the boys down in the front yard to play. Out came the various outside balls for them to throw and chase.

Wyatt found a stick and promptly tasted it.

They watched people and cars and turned toward all noises to see what was happening.

Wyatt is just as active outside as he is in the house. He crawls all over the yard and chases the balls. He can pick the giant ball up over his head and give it a two handed throw forward.

Ruslan doesn't like to crawl around the yard. He used the giant ball to stand and then held it for a while. This series of photos makes me smile.

Three

2010-05-14T18:47:00.000-07:00

Whenever I hear someone say, “She has 3 kids”, I look to see who that person is talking about. Even after a year, it seems weird to me that I have 3 children. We should be at the point now where things should be running smoothly, right? It’s been a year, Juliana is 4-1/2, all of the children sleep well on most nights and we are two relatively smart and capable people; we should be able to manage daily life.

I had been dreading April, it started with a long drive with the kids and the first night away from home for the boys. No one slept well that first night and then we drove home during the next night. I slept for 3 hours before the boys woke-up and then I was very sick the entire day. Monday I didn’t feel much better; by mid-afternoon I managed to eat some crackers but nothing else. At some point I started my presentations for my week of meetings and packed a suitcase.

Tuesday morning I was up early and went to the airport to fly to Chicago. I made it to my meeting and survived several days of meetings that started early in the morning and went through late dinners. I came home Friday afternoon and that weekend Scott had National Guard so I had solo parenting responsibilities. Did I forget to mention that my parents were out of town as well during this week and weekend?

That next Tuesday was Ruslan and Wyatt’s 1st birthday. Although we didn’t have a party that day – there were still some presents and pictures and other activities to make their birthday special. I spent every evening that week finalizing the plans for the party. I made quick shopping runs during my lunch time each day.

Thursday was the day we found out about my Grandmother’s accident and we had so little information about what was happening and we feared the worst. Friday I took the day off to clean the whole downstairs of the house for company and shop for the final food items. I rearranged furniture and made assignments for party day – cake pick-up, balloons, etc.

Party day was me running around to make food and decorate and keep the boys happy. Getting everyone ready for the party and then keeping the party moving along. When the house was put back together that night I felt so much relief that it was over. I had survived the several weeks of extraordinary activities. [I just realized I haven't posted anything about their birthday party and it's been almost a month at this point - and the cake smashing was amazing.]

The next week involved visiting potential assisted living facilities for my Grandmother which affected me more strongly than I expected. I was also getting ready for a launch a project at work that I was managing and that certainly added to the stress.

I don’t understand how it got to be halfway through May. This is supposed to be my favorite month of the year – spring and my birthday and Mother’s day and all sorts of good stuff like strawberries. And I am missing it. I am going through the routine each day from one task to the next. Trying my best to keep up with meals and laundry and work and there is no time for me. It’s at times like this that I usually check my camera and find weeks without any pictures – I know from experience that when I hit a low point I stop taking pictures. At least Project 365 guarantees that I have pictures and I can look at them and remind myself why I try so hard and put so much energy into my children. I know that there will come a day when I don’t have all three of them fighting to sit on my lap and I will have a house filled with teenagers who are busy with their own lives (let’s not think too much about that).

I love my three so much and I know how blessed I am to have them.

Real Life

2010-05-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

As I was catching up on photos from the past week, this one stopped me. There is so much happening in this picture - it captures a lot of what it is like to have 3 young children. The picture was taken in the evening after picking up the kids. The boys had finished eating dinner and were having their wild time before bedtime. Scott sat on the floor to play with them and was soon surrounded by all 3. The boys don't stay in one place for long - Wyatt was making his getaway, Ruslan had already escaped and was getting into trouble. I don't know why Juliana has 2 juice boxes in her hands. A basket of clean laundry in the background...yep, just another normal evening at our house.

Grandma Lois

2010-04-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is my Grandma Lois (my Dad's mom) with my brother and me. She is the reason that we packed up the kids and drove a long way for a day to attend my cousin Kim's wedding. I can't remember the last time I saw my cousin Kim - I would guess it's been 20 years. We made that long drive because my Grandmother was going to be there. She has lived on her own in Florida since my Grandfather died in 1998 - driving, cooking for herself, etc.

We see her once every few years when we are at Disney or when I was traveling on business a lot I would sometimes pass through for an afternoon. This was the second time Juliana got to meet her and obviously time that she met the boys. My grandmother had twins so she was especially excited when she found out about the boys. This is when she got her first look at them (the wedding was outside at a golf course). She just stared at them for the longest time and then she sat and held each one of them.

There isn't much family on my Dad's side. There is my Grandmother, his older sister and brother-in-law and their children Scott and Kim, his older brother and sister-in-law, and us. I have just the 2 cousins on that side of the family and my cousin Scott is engaged to someone named Jennifer - so we have 2 Scott and Jennifer couples in the family now. Here we are with my Grandmother - not the most photogenic person in the world and it had been a very long day for her at this point - they left shortly after this picture was taken.

Over the past few years she has started to lose a step - no surprise since she will be 88 years old in a few weeks - but she seemed to be able to manage and was in good health, plus she has friends in her community that checked in on her. Last week she took a bad fall - I don't think we will ever know exactly what happened, best we can tell she had been sick and not eating well and passed out and when she woke she was too weak to get up. That seems to have happened last Tuesday night. When her friends called to check on her in the morning, she told them that she had fallen, but not to worry she was all right (my Grandmother is too stubborn to ask for help). Thursday morning they decided they should check on her, and my Grandmother was still on the floor.

She spent the next few days in the hospital and was moved to a rehab center this past Monday. My aunt went to FL over the weekend and she has been staying close to her. My Grandmother keeps asking when she can go home, but she is weak and isn't working with the program to help improve herself. At this point she is probably not going home again.

Moving somewhere else in Florida doesn't make sense since there is no family. The best alternative seems to be for her to come to Pittsburgh. Scott and I visited an assisted living facility today with my parents. It is close to our house so we would get to see her and she would get to spend time with her Great-Grandchildren. It would be such a huge change for her - I had to fight back tears while we were sitting in the office talking about options. It seems so unfair to be talking about her and potentially making decisions about where she will spend the rest of her life while she is in a rehab center in Florida convinced that she is going home soon.

My Dad is flying there on Sunday; he is the one who will need to have the hard talk with her about the possible options. It's likely that when he returns home my Grandmother will be with him.

I love the idea of my children knowing their Great-Grandmother and I think it would be good for her as well.

12 Months Old

2010-04-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

At 12 months old, the boys have officially entered the wild stage. They bite, crawl really fast, chew on anything the can get near their mouths, enjoy dropping things just to watch them fall, love to chase the cats, and they have figured out that they can climb using smaller objects to reach higher. And if it isn't completely out of reach it will be on the floor - kleenex, place mats, coasters, and remotes are all favorites. Aside from babbling, Ruslan makes a growling sound now and Wyatt has a high-pitched scream.

Their one year check-up was today. Other than the shots that made them sad, it was a good check-up.
Ruslan
Weight - 21 lbs 3 oz (24th%)
Height - 28-1/2" (11th%) - How can any child of ours have such a low percentile for height?
Wyatt
Weight -20 lbs 14 oz (20th%)
Height - 30-1/2" (72nd%)

Ruslan eats whatever we put in front of him - he loves green beans and is willing to try new things. Wyatt has no interest in veggies. He spits them out and pushes them away on his tray. Their favorite foods are pancakes, waffles, blueberries and bananas.

They are such good sleepers - in bed at around 7:00 pm and awake at 6:30 am. Wyatt generally wakes up crying while Ruslan is content in his crib when he first wakes up.

12 Months Together

2010-04-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

If you saw the cute pictures of the boys alone with their puppies, you were probably wondering where the picture of them togehter was. Let's just say it's going to be a while until we get one of those pictures again. The combination of wild, diving Ruslan and cranky, hold-me-all-of-the-time Wyatt while entertainng, not exactly what I was looking for.

Brothers, together, is this what I have to look forward to?

But entertaining...here is a collection of what I captured in the process. Scott was in charge of making sure no one ended up on the floor...

12 Months with Puppies

2010-04-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

The final photo shoot in the monthly series. We will revisit on occasion over the next few years. Ruslan was in a wild mood after daycare and Wyatt was very sad. So we got a good Ruslan picture and then after dinner had to try again with Wyatt. They look so grown up in their polo shirts and khakis.

Most of the pictures of Ruslan look like this - Hey look, there's a ceiling fan.

Juliana wanted in on the fun and there were two wild children in the chair.

And Wyatt stopped crying long enough to sit with them very briefly.

Sometimes You Really Don't Want Your Picture Taken

2010-04-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Wyatt!

2010-04-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

One year ago and today. And some of my favorites from each of the last 12 months.

Happy Birthday Ruslan!

2010-04-20T07:08:00.000-07:00

One year ago and today. And some of my favorites from each of the last 12 months.

One Year Later

2010-04-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

One year ago today I wrote the following:

"It is still hard for me to believe that I am going to be coming home from the hospital with 2 babies; I guess it won't be a reality until they put them in my arms. I wonder what they will look like - will they look the same, will I have trouble telling them apart? What type of temperment will they have - calm, good sleepers :) Will their personalities be similar or completely different? How big will they be - my guess between 7 and 7.5 lbs. How will we adapt to the change in our household? How will we survive the sleep deprivation? How much will our daily lives change as we transition from a family of 3 to a family of 5? Ready? I guess as much as we are going to get. I'm excited to finally see the boys and welcome them into our family!"

I was packed and ready to go to the hospital early the next morning for an amnio followed by a scheduled c-section later that day.

After a year...

I have no trouble telling them apart and their personalities are completely different.
Overall they are calm and easy-going. Everyone who spends time with them says they are such good babies, we are definitely blessed with babies who are quick to smile and easy to calm when they are upset.
My guess on weight 7 - 7.5 lbs: 6-8 and 7-7 - not too bad
The sleep deprivation - I still wake-up much earlier than I would like, but in general they sleep great. The first 3 months were really, really, really bad - there were days that I didn't think it would ever get better. But it did, sloooowly. Gradually they started sleeping and eating at the same time and went longer periods at night.
Daily life - what a change! Getting 3 kids ready in the morning, managing dinner, baths and bedtime...it's a challenge making it all work and we continue to make improvements and work togther to keep everyone in our home happy and healthy.
Adjustments - we have had plenty of those. Juliana had a very tough time with the change. She was mad a me for a long time and then eventually accepted it to a point. She still complains about sharing me and will ask me to put the boys in their play area and play with her. I do my best to spread my attention around and spend time with her after the boys have gone to bed at night having some special mommy time.

Ruslan woke up extra early this morning and fussed and just wouldn't go back to sleep. I picked him up and snuggled him for a while tyring to appreciate the fact that he is still small enough for me to hold in my arms. As all parents know they grow up so fast.

Roadtrip

2010-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

I was so nervous about our trip to Maryland - 350 miles in the van with 2 wild babies who don't like to stay still for long.

We timed the trip to leave right after the boys ate breakfast in the hope that they would take a good morning nap. We had the van packed, a movie on for Juliana and left the house at 9:40 am. And then Scott drove really fast while Juliana watched movies, the boys slept and I chilled. I don't sleep in the car and I can't read for more than a few minutes or I get car sick.

We made it all the way to Fredrick, MD without stopping - the boys woke-up shortly before that and were content with some small tpys. We went to Cracker Barrel for lunch and the boys were so excited to sit in the old-fashioned high chairs. They were entertained by all of the people and the people sitting near us were entertained by them. As we were finishing lunch, 3 different tables of people told us how well behaved our children were - proud mom momment.

Before leaving, the boys got clean diapers and we loaded them back in the car with little complaint. More small toys were handed out and after a half-hour they were back asleep. We drove the rest of the way to our hotel near Ocean City, MD without stopping. The last 45 minutes was a bit rough - the boys were getting tired of their car seats and hungry.

As soon as we checked in the boys had their afternoon bottle and then started to explore the room. There were plenty of new surfaces to cruise along and some toys from home provide a familar touch. Juliana was incredibly good for the entire drive and set-up a space for herself to color as soon as we arrived.

After getting settled and feeding the boys their dinner we drove to the boardwalk and went for a walk. Scott and I enjoyed fries from Thrashers; Juliana prefered to eat a soft pretzel. It was chilly and windy so we didn't stay long. Juliana and Scott ventured down to the water for a minute while we waited on the boardwalk. Juliana was able to run off some of her energy from the day.

We stopped for take-out stone crab for dinner and when we arrived at the hotel everyone was asleep. That was just the little nap they needed to be up late. It was 10:30 before everyone settled down for the night. And Wyatt got up at 5:00 and slept on me until Ruslan was up at 7:00.

We had decided to drive home after the wedding rather than deal with another night away from home and a day of driving to come home. That worked out great for the boys - they had their night time bottle at the reception and fell asleep within minutes of leaving. Juliana was awake until 11:00 and then dozed off only to wake-up 30 minutes later very upset and unconsolible. It was about time to stop so we made our gas and bathroom stop for the ride home. I got Juliana settled again in the back with a fresh movie and she stayed awake until 2:00 am - apparently she gets her anti-car sleeping from her mommy.

We arrived home at 3:00 am - very tired and happy to be home. Juliana work briefly and went right back to sleep and Ruslan as well. Wyatt had thrown-up in the car toward the end of our trip (we didn't know until we were home since he never cried). So I had to change him and then spend some time getting him settled. It was a short night for mommy.

11 Months Old

2010-04-16T17:47:00.000-07:00

Even though they will be 12 months next week, this post reflects their activities at 11 months.

Month 11 was the month of mobility and exploring lots of finger foods. They are a bit like puppies, crawling all over the place, chewing on everything, and making lots of noise. Sometimes they travel as a pack around the house seeking the same ball or other toy and on other occasions they are on their own traveling in opposite directions.

During month 11:

The gates were installed at both sides of the main living area and if they are not latched completely they can get them open and escape
We switched to bigger car seats
Ruslan continues to blow kisses and still sucks his left thumb and holds his right ear
Wyatt makes clicking noises and ear-splitting yells
Both pull themselves up to stand and cruise along the furniture and walls
Wyatt is especially interested in electrical outlets so we are extra careful to watch out for them when we are somewhere that they might not be covered
Ruslan's reflux finally started to end to the point where we no longer have to keep him in a bib all day for spit-up. We started the process of switching him from the reflux formula to the same brand that Wyatt eats.
They both love chasing balls
Ruslan started clapping and blowing razzberries
We bought their first pair of shoes, but we still keep them barefoot most of the time
We worked with Wyatt to get him to put himself back to sleep when he was continuing to wake-up at 2:00 am many nights - now everyone sleeps all night
New finger foods: egg yolk (scramble and hard boiled), blueberry waffles, toast, green beans and peas

We are starting to get to the point where they entertain each other and I can start to see the advantage of having a built in playmate as they grow-up.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

It takes some work, but generally I can get a decent picture of the 3 of them together when I want. Not today and if the boys stay as busy as they are now it might be a while until that happens. Here are 2 pictures from the many I took, hoping that the boys would stay put (this is after bribing Juliana).

Dress-up clothes for boys are not nearly as much fun to buy, but they looked very cute in their khakis and button down shirts.

We got up early so everyone could be ready to go in time to make it to 8:00 church.

I let them crawl all over to burn off some energy after sitting nice in church - notice they are headed in opposite directions.

And then I realized that they would sit still for a few minutes if I gave them a snack.

They did not stay still long enough for Juliana to walk across the room.

After church the boys took naps and Juliana played with her toys from her Easter basket - we do small toys instead of candy. One of her toys was a giant bubble wand and she waited by the door for my dad to come over so they could play outside. The boots were the fastest shoe she could get on her feet.

My parents and Scott's parents came over for dinner - yummy ham! We had a really nice day with family.

Outside with the Boys

2010-03-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Wyatt loves being outside and when he is in the house somtimes he sits and stares out the window. He will happily sit in the grass and look around. Ruslan does not like being outside or at least he doesn't like being put down outside - the second he is set down on the ground he bursts into tears.

Last Saturday was such a beautiful day so I washed the winter grime away from the swings in the backyard and we took the boys outside for their first time on the swings. They both loved it and had lots of fun - switching from laughing and kicking to relaxed.

After swing time we got out them in the stroller and went for a long walk. Ruslan loved watching the people and the cars. Wyatt just sat still and quiet and stared straight ahead. Eventually they both fell asleep and we left them in the stroller when we got home and they slept another hour - all of that fresh air made the boys very sleepy.

11 Months with Puppies

2010-03-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Usually I get the best results from Wyatt, he is normally quick to smile and be silly. He is sick this weekend -watery eyes, continual snot, and all around miserable (I am really hoping no ear infection). Ruslan is starting to get the same symptons so we are wiping lots of noses and snuggling away tears.

I think this is one of the best puppy pictures from Ruslan this year - he is smiling and looking at me!

Then he had to slouch for a few minutes and be serious.

Wyatt was very sad - the Princess snow globe quieted his tears for a few minutes.

At some point they decided to both start clapping.

And then Wyatt had to do his favorite thing - pull Ruslan's ear. And then Ruslan's ear and his own as well.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

But I'm Not Sleepy

2010-03-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Wyatt has never been a fan of nap time. And since he started crawling, as soon as I put him in his crib for a nap he pops up and does anything but sleep. At some point he just falls asleep - if he was sitting up when he falls asleep he ends up sleeping slumped down over his legs like this.

And he was playing with his crib aquarium or yelling for help through the crib bars, this happens.

Return of Bucket Baby

2010-03-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

If you asked my mom to list her favorite pictures of Juliana as a baby - this one would be near the top of her list.

The set of buckets recently came out of storage for the boys to play with and after lunch today I decided to try and capture some pictures of the boys with the same bucket. First up was Wyatt and he went about crawling around the room like nothing out of the ordinary was happening (just like the bunny ears).

He crawled toward Ruslan who seemed amused by the situation.

Then it was time for Ruslan to have a turn. He inspected the bucket handle and then decided to crawl closer to me.

And then Wyatt noticed what was happening and made a sudden attack.

I don't know if Wyatt wanted the bucket again or if he was just doing his normal trying to grab Ruslan's ear. Whatever the case, Ruslan was very upset...

A snuggle from Mommy and the lens cap made everything better.

Wyatt Needs a Fanny Pack

2010-03-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

Both boys are constantly on the go. And when Wyatt sets off across the room, he doesn't want to leave his toy behind so he transfers it from hand to mouth and off he goes.

Containment

2010-03-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Gates are great when there is a responsible adult in the room, but there are occasions when you need maximum containment - and that's when we use the play yard. This is left over from Juliana's baby time, I feel like we are finally getting our money's worth out of some of these larger purchases.

I rearranged the play area in our living room so all of Juliana's stuff is on one side and the play yard is on the other. In the process, I got rid of lots of junk and little pieces. Babyproofing when there is an older child in the house is so much more difficult than baby proofing for your first child.

The boys are generally happy in here for short time periods, so I try to only put them in there when necessary. We keep some of their favorite toys in that space so they are always excited to get a chance to play with those toys. Otherwise we try to give them lots of time to crawl across the room and back.

Crawling

2010-03-06T08:05:00.000-08:00

Once the boys figured out the forward motion of crawling, they started getting around really fast. They see something that they want on the other side of the room and race off to get it. They crawl over objects and each other to reach their destination. Whenever I want Wyatt to crawl to me, I put the remote on the floor and he rushes to my side - he loves the remote and is always looking for a way to reach it.

I took this video in our kitchen Tuesday evening - the boys had just eaten dinner and were having some playtime before bed. Enjoy the fish kisses from Ruslan.

Baby Gates are now in place at both entrances to the main living area - separating them from the kitchen, front hallway and both sets of stairs. Both of these gates are flush with the floor, while the ones we used for Juliana had a gap at the bottom that the cats could squeeze under. The cats are not happy about the latest change. The baby gate at the top of the stairs is still in place from Juliana's toddler days, so we are in good shape with gates now.

Wyatt Bunny

2010-03-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

This isn't the first time I've come into the room and found Wyatt like this. Juliana is always standing in the area smiling. I didn't notice his bib until I downloaded the photos - we have two holidays represented and neither is current. And the ears...Wyatt doesn't even mind them, he just keeps playing.

Car Seats

2010-03-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

We made the switch a few weeks ago - no more baby bucket car seats. Wyatt was over the height limit and with their winter coats, the straps were getting too tight. The seats were also getting very heavy, especially carrying both at the same time.

But I could manage both seats and the diaper bag if necessary. I could park next to the cart return, get the cart first and then load their seats in the cart. If they fell asleep in the car there was no need to wake them up when we reached our destination - just carry the seats in the house and let them keep sleeping.

Last week I took them out for the first time alone since we switched car seats. They had their ear check from our month of ear infections. I picked them up from daycare and:

1 - Get coats on both babies
2 - Carry Wyatt to the van, buckle into car seat. Lock van.
3 - Walk back into entrance where someone was waiting with Ruslan
4 - Buckle Ruslan into car seat
5 - Ruslan hadn't napped and immediately falls asleep
6 - Arrive at Drs office and unfold stroller
7 - Buckle Wyatt into stroller
8 - Get sleeping Ruslan out of carseat
9 - Buckle him into stroller while he cries
10 - Open building door and wrangle double-stroller through entrance, repeat with Drs office door as people in the waiting room just watch (answer questions in waiting room including are they twins?)
11 - Remove coats and leave them in stroller, try to keep them buckled and entertained while we wait and wait and wait
12 - Finally get back into room and they are both out of patience
13 - Hold both babies on my lap until Dr comes in the room and continue to hold them both while he checks their ears
14 - Put coats back on unhappy boys and buckle them in stroller
15 - Push screaming babies through the Drs office and again not one person in the waiting room gets up to help with the door
16 - Put Wyatt in car seat, walk around van and put Ruslan in car seat
17 - Unpack diaper bag, fold stroller and load in van
18 - Realize that their appt was so late that it is already time to pick up Juliana; call my mom to get her
19 - Both boys fall asleep and as much as I would have liked to leave the van out front with them sleeping, our road was so narrow from the snow that it wasn't safe (plus the whole leaving the babies alone in the van thing)
20 - Carry one sleeping baby in the house at a time and leave them both in the house crying while I park the van in the driveway
21 - Soothe babies and start the evening routine

Imagine if Juliana had been with us...

Toy Fight

2010-02-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

Sharing is a difficult concept at this age. They see a toy they want and take it. Usually whatever toy Wyatt has, Ruslan wants it and vice versa. Since Wyatt started crawling, apparently he has been busy using his new skill to take toys away from the other babies.

On this occasion, Wyatt was playing with a new toy and Ruslan wanted it. After taking the toy and then Wyatt taking it back, Ruslan resorted to pulling on Wyatt's ear and then knocking him over in the process.

Cookies...Sort of

2010-02-27T06:43:00.000-08:00

We start each meal with some sort of finger food - rice cakes and puffs have been the standard for several weeks. Recently we added "biter bars" which are bascially hard cookies. They both like them and have a different approach for eating them.

Ruslan takes little nibbles while Wyatt coats the cookie in drool until it dissolves...very messy. Wyatt really loves these, Ruslan would just as well eat a rice cake.

10 Months Old

2010-02-25T06:51:00.000-08:00

Month 10 was a busy one for Ruslan and Wyatt - so much changing and growing! The biggest development - crawling, After 2 months of only crawling backwards, Ruslan started forward motion about a week ago. And being perfectly happy to sit and play with toys and occasionally pull himself toward a toy, Wyatt suddenly started crawling 2 days later. Wyatt tends to sit back and watch Ruslan figure out how to do something and then he is ready to go a few days later.

During this past month:

Ruslan went on his second round of antibiotics for his left ear and Wyatt got his first ear infection also in his left ear.
They are sleeping well enough and mostly staying in one place in their cribs, so we started covering them up with a blanket.
They each got 3 new teeth and have a total of 6 each - 4 on top and 2 on the bottom. Ruslan's came in one a week over the past 3 weeks; Wyatt's all cut through on one day. And Wyatt - he likes to bite.
We stopped the mid-morning bottle so now they are down to wake-up, mid-afternoon and bedtime bottles.
They had their first night away from home - we stayed with Scott's parents one night while our power was out.
We survived (barely) 4 straight days of daycare being closed for snow while I had to work and take care of them as well.
They tried new finger foods with mixed results.
I packed up the 9-month clothes.

10 Months with Puppies

2010-02-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Let's sub-title the pictures for this month: When the boys learned they can escape and there are way more exciting things to do than look at the camera.

Wyatt had some very brief cooperative moments when he was alone in the chair.

This is his "stop making me sit back in the chair, I want to dive head-first on to the floor" expression.

He decided to lick the stuffed animal and was not thrilled with the taste. However that didn't stop him from trying again.

Ruslan had no interest in looking at me or smiling.

The ceiling fan, even turned off, is way more exciting than mommy and the camera.

This is my favorite one. I am singing and he is dancing back and forth - I love his head tip and straight smile when he "dances".

The two of them together.

Wyatt spent most of the time trying to escape from the chair.

Eventually Ruslan got tired of chasing after him.

Wyatt's Latest Trick

2010-02-19T18:20:00.000-08:00

It's been about a week now and I still laugh every time he does it - Wyatt claps! He is so pleased with this new skill. There is one song that the farm plays that will always start the clapping. He will often start to clap when he is excited to see someone walk in the room - and who doesn't like to be greeted with applause and a big smile.

Let's Play

2010-02-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

The boys are spending more time playing - alone with their toys, together with each other and they love when big sister decides to entertain them for a few minutes - their loudest laughs are heard when Juliana is playing with them. They have also reached the age where playing peak-a-boo is hysterical fun. If I hide behind the table while they are eating and pop-up, this is what I see.

If they are playing in the living room and I peak-out from the hallway, they are watching - ready to smile and giggle. So much fun.

Weathering The Storm

2010-02-06T07:26:00.000-08:00

Life goes on for the boys in this snow filled day. Ruslan has a new favorite face that I half caught in this picture - the super cute fish face - and sometimes that fish face ends with a kiss :)

Wyatt has joined the backwards crawling fun, but he prefers to be standing if possible.

And a few pictures of the snow...

9 Months Old

2010-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

9 months is such a fun age and my favorite part about the boys being 9 months old is definitely watching them interact. They sit next to each other and play, and I am hoping they learn to share soon. Generally Wyatt is happily playing with a toy and Ruslan decides he wants it and takes it away. Wyatt will get mad and either start to cry or lunge at Ruslan in an attempt to take the toy back - a tug of war over the toy may be involved.

We didn't buy lots of presents for the boys at Christmas. Their one big present was the Fisher-Price Learning Farm and they play with it everyday. Since it is double-sided they can each play on one side and watch each other through the doorway.

They also love to grab at each other - ears, mouth, feet - I don't know what they think they are going to do with their brother's ear once they get a good grip.

Ruslan's third tooth came in this month - top-left, middle and Wyatt has a third tooth on the top as well.

They continue to eat their way through all of the 2nd foods as well as puffs and rice cakes. And they still have 4 bottles each day.

Both boys had their first sick + fever episodes at the end of December / beginning of January. Wyatt is extermely miserable and needs to be held for hours (even at night) when he has a cough and sore throat. Ruslan developed the first ear infection at the begining of January and started a second round of antibiotics a few weeks later when his left ear was still infected. At their 9-mo appt Wyatt was diagnosed with his first ear infection (left ear) and started antibiotics. Ruslan was home for 2 days while Wyatt was at daycare - this was the first time they have been separated for more than a few hours. Wyatt was much fussier than normal on those days and so very excited when he came home and saw his brother.

They are both sitting well now and Ruslan continues his adventures in backwards crawling. He gets where he wants to go, it just takes a lot longer than going forward. Wyatt gets around as well, but not on all 4's quite yet.

They are having their nighttime bottle and going to bed for the night between 7:00 and 7:30. And at least one of them makes it until morning each night. Often times one of them wakes up and is sad enough to need to be comforted back to sleep. We are trying to give them time to fall back asleep on their own and the past few nights have been good. They wake up between 6:00 and 7:00, hoping that shifts closer to 7:00 everyday soon. And over the past month, they have finally started taking longer naps at daycare. Previously they would only nap for 30 mins at a time even though they napped for hours at home on the weekend. Now they are both getting at least one nap longer than an hour and usually two. That makes for much happier babies in the evening.

Did I forget to mention that Wyatt says mama now - he said it on Christmas Eve for the first time - generally he says it for 10 minutes straight once he gets started :)

9-month stats
Ruslan - Weight - 19 lbs 3 oz (25%) - Height - 28-1/4" (47%)
Wyatt - Weight - 18 lbs 13 oz (20%) - Height - 29-1/2" (84%)

9 Months with Puppies

2010-01-20T16:57:00.000-08:00

Ruslan is not very interested in sitting still these days...

The Duck Tub Returns

2010-01-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

We used the baby tub in the sink well beyond the recommended weight guideline, but they were perfectly happy in it up until this point. This begins the sharing of the bathroom for Juliana and her brothers - a happy occasion today...check back when the teenage years begin.

The duck tub came out of storage and we will be using it until they are more stable sitting on their own and then they will be able to take a bath together.

Ruslan went first and was very happy with the new tub. He sat up, grabbed a toy and enjoyed the whole bath, even some washing from Juliana.

Wyatt was not quite as thrilled with the experience. He held one leg out of the water as long as possible. Then he realized he could recline and hold both of his legs in the air. He prefers the relaxing bath.

I need to work out the logistics between their room and the bathroom and what I need to have in each location to get both of them ready.

Snow Babies

2010-01-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

What's the point of having snowsuits if they can't spend a few minutes in the snow? I resisted the urge to bury them in snow because it is very cold, and they were only outside for a few minutes. Wyatt held still as the snowflakes fell on his face; perhaps hoping it would all go away if he didn't move. Ruslan made no secret of his dislike for this outing, but stop crying as soon as I picked him up.

8 Months Old

2010-01-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

At 8 months, the boys are changing so much. They both have their 2 bottom front teeth and more are on the way. Wyatt was very fussy when his teether were coming in; we didn't even know that Ruslan was teething until we could see the teeth.

We got the Jumperoo out of storage this month and they both love it. I have never seen a baby get as excited as Ruslan when he sees the Jumperoo. He wants to bounce all of the time - when he is being held, in the exersaucer, any time he is on his feet. He has this silly, closed mouth smile he makes when he is in the Jumperoo - that's the only time I ever see him make this face. This is his happiest place right now.

They are both capable of sitting up unassisted, but they still tip over easily. Ruslan is still crawling backwards only and Wyatt makes his way around on his belly. Occasionally Wyatt gets up and rocks on his knees, but then he slides back to the floor to get around.

They are interacting so much more with each other, toys and everything they see. Generally if one of them is in the exersaucer we put the other in the jumperoo and we keep them next to each other. They bounce and play and babble and squeal at each other. And they are happy to play on the floor with the toys and get practice moving around on their own.

They are down to 4 bottles of formula a day - wake-up, mid-morning, mid-afternoon and before bed (I stopped breastfeeding Ruslan at the end of Novermber as planned prior to vacation). They eat breakfast at 9:00, lunch at 1:00 and dinner at 5:30.

Ruslan eats everything, but reflux remains an issue. Sometimes an entire meal comes back up if he coughs or gags on a piece of food. He loves the sippy cup, he will drink half a cup of water if we let him...of course too much water with a full belly usually leads to reflux issues.

Wyatt is more cautious when it comes to food. He clamps his mouth shut tight if he isn't ready to eat and tries a tiny taste of the meal before deciding if he is going to eat today's selection. However if he is hungry, he screams from the moment he is in the high chair until he has 3 or 4 spoonfuls in his mouth.

Ruslan babbles constantly and at the end of November he said ma-ma as his first word. Wyatt just started babbling and said ma-ma just before Christmas.

Ruslan is now sleeping on his stomach; he started flipping over on his own a few weeks ago as soon as we put him in his crib.

Project 365 - A Picture a Day

2009-12-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

I started 2009 with Project 365 and I'm so glad I took on the challenge. Did I miss days? Yes. But I think overall I missed less than 20 days. I used a binder designed for this project that t includes slots to print – yes, actually print out the pictures so you can look at them without a computer – a 4 x 6 photo each day and a slot to write a quick note about what happened that day.

I am behind on the printing (photos are waiting in a folder) and I have lots and lots of empty slots where the journaling cards should be completed. I love looking back at the pages that are complete – such a wonderful summary of our lives during those weeks. I plan to have more completed journaling cards in 2010.

This project was especially important to me this year because I scrapbook and I knew that the addition of the boys in our lives would put a hold on that hobby for a little while. This project made me more conscious of the pictures I take. I take lots of pictures of Juliana and the boys – no surprise. I also made an effort to be in more pictures this year instead of always being behind the camera. And I took lots of pictures of the little things that happen in our lives. Food – pictures of the French toast Scott made for me for dinner when I was pregnant and nothing else sounded good to eat and the first meals made when our kitchen was “almost done”. And that watermelon - I really wish I could eat that today.

The kitchen remodel before, during and after.

Getting ready for the boys and their arrival.

Sports championships

An impromptu picnic in the front yard.

Snow angels at the beginning and the end of the year.

Capturing our lives throughout the year – good times and not so good, events and every day life – recording our family history. Today's picture - Juliana, Ruslan and Wyatt watching Handy Manny on my mom's iphone.

More Adventures in Backwards Crawling

2009-12-29T09:29:00.000-08:00

Not only is Ruslan still having fun with crawling backwards, he is getting really fast. Once he gets the hang of moving forward, he is going to be getting into everything. While I am sitting there playing with them, Ruslan hangs out and plays with the toys. As soon as I leave the room he is on the move. He crawled his way under the stroller and then along the back wheel until he was stuck against the wall - but he was smiling and incredibly pleased with himself at his accomplishment. I pulled him out, turned around for a minute and heard him crying. He was back under the couch, only the top of his head was sticking out this time and he was really mad that he was stuck (so no pictures that time).

Toy Fight

2009-12-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Ruslan and Wyatt both really like this new toy...it certainly won't be the last time they fight over a toy.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

We have had a great Christmas Holiday, I hope that your family did as well! Here's Juliana, Ruslan and Wyatt in their Christmas pjs this morning.

And here are the pictures we included on our Christmas card this year.

Merry Christmas!

8 Months with Puppies

2009-12-20T05:31:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure where the time goes, but these little boys keep growing and are 8 months old today!

"Hey - What is Big Sister doing?

The is the classic Wyatt expression when he is wearing a hood - he hates them. Ruslan wasn't thrilled about the idea either and in general there is a very short window for Ruslan to cooperate with picture taking.

Ruslan Crawling

2009-12-17T17:03:00.000-08:00

Ruslan is getting really good at crawling...unfortunately he only crawls backward. He crawls as far as he can until he gets stuck somewhere, like here when he crawled under the couch.

Bundled Up

2009-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

Since we walk to daycare, the boys are bundled in their stroller when it is cold. Here is what they look like for our short walk.

And under the blanket they are wearing their puffer coats.

Two Quick Pictures

2009-12-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

I will get back to somewhat regular posting again soon...two quick pictures from today.

7 Months with Puppies

2009-12-02T17:30:00.000-08:00

We took the pictures late this month. After a full week of Juliana being sick followed by a week of me being very sick, we are happy that the boys are healthy. They also got the H1N1 vaccine so they should stay clear of the ick that went through the rest of the family.

During the photo shoot this month, Ruslan was captivated by the ceiling fan and directed his attention there instead of the camera. Except when he was busy getting his toes, throwing the dog and diving forward....we are lucky that we have any picture at all.

The Morning Rush

2009-11-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

**Note: I wrote this post 3 weeks ago. The week before the time change provided us with a week of extra early mornings. This new level of exhaustion prevented me from getting a picture of the boys in the stroller in the morning until a few days ago.**

On those HGTV shows when people are looking for a new house, they often point out a nice patio or deck off the master bedroom and make the following comment – “That would be such a nice place to sit and enjoy our morning coffee and read the paper.” Really? Are there people waking up extra early in the morning to allow time for this? And are they reading by lantern, because it is still dark when I get up.

Mornings at our house definitely don’t allow such a calming start to the day. Although I set my alarm clock each night, it rarely has the opportunity to wake me in the morning. My day starts earlier than I want when I am jolted awake by 1 or more little people demanding attention.

Depending on the time, I may feed the baby who is awake and get them to go back to sleep, or at least chill in a bouncy seat, so I can hop in the shower before anyone else wakes up. Then the other baby needs to eat, all 3 children need to be dressed and Juliana have breakfast – she doesn’t like to eat right after she wakes up, so breakfast is a struggle. Juliana – brush hair and teeth. We pick out Juliana’s clothes at night and if she wakes up in a good mood, she will get herself dressed. If she is tired or otherwise uncooperative, she decides to debate the clothing choice she made and insist that I get her dressed.

Bottles, breakfast, and extra clothes and bibs for the boys are packed in their bag. Miscellaneous forms/ permissions slips collected. Shoes, jacket, backpack for Juliana. At this point hopefully neither baby has spit-up all over their clothes or filled their diaper requiring a return to the changing table. Jackets and hats on boys, put them in the stroller, cover them with blanket(s) depending on the temperature. Push the stroller around the block, get the boys settled in their room, stuff put away for the day, take Juliana to her room and hope there isn’t any goodbye drama that morning. Walk home and sit down at my computer to work.

All of this before 8:00 am.

My Morning Baby

2009-11-12T11:08:00.000-08:00

Ruslan is exceedingly happy when he wakes in the morning. I am awakened each morning by the sounds of him screeching, babbling, cooing and blowing bubbles. Although I prefer this to being jolted awake by crying, I wish it weren't so early. He would happily play in his crib if I left him there, but I don't because the happy sounds get loud and wake the other sleeping children. Wyatt and Juliana do not wake up in such a happy playful mood - they are both much more demanding first thing in the morning.

So most mornings I come downstairs with Ruslan and we have some quality time while the rest of the house is quiet, and I am allowed to slowly wake-up. His happiness is contagious especially since his babbling sounds a lot like ma-ma-ma-ma; even a very sleepy Mommy can't help but smile around this happy baby.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-06T04:08:00.000-08:00

Juliana went through many costume options during the week. She went to a Halloween party as Snow White. Most days she came home from school and was Tinkerbell for the rest of the evening. For the preschool party on Friday, she wore her Jasmine costume from last Halloween which fit perfectly this year. She ended up wearing the outfit we purchased for Halloween to trick-or-treat. It was a blue dress with fiber optic lights in the skirt (very cool at night) - she picked it out in the store and deemed it a Cinderella dress and wouldn't consider anything else.

I purchased the costumes for the boys last year on clearance when I knew we were having twins but didn't know boys/girls. I couldn't pass up $2 costumes and they ended up working out great for the chilly evening. Ruslan thought the costume was fun for a little while, I think that the bow tie and beak kept him entertained. Wyatt was not thrilled about the whole thing and Juliana dubbed him "the angry chicken". He didn't cry, he just wasn't happy.

We all walked on our street so the neighbors could see the boys - someone gave them peanut butter cups - Ruslan was very interested in his, Wyatt was checked out and ready for bed at this point. I took the boys home and Juliana teamed up with the little girl next door and they set off with their Daddies for the next block.

All Played Out

2009-10-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently playing in the tunnel is very tiring.

6 Months with Puppies

2009-10-23T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here they are. No picture with Juliana this month, she wasn't home. Wyatt isn't that much taller than Ruslan, he was just sitting nice and tall and Ruslan kept sliding down in the chair.

6-month Check-up

2009-10-22T13:13:00.000-07:00

Wyatt and Ruslan had their 6-month check-up today and they got a good report - healthy and well. Both of the boys have been coughing a lot and Ruslan has been spitting up more than usual today, but they both calmed down relatively quickly after all of their shots. In fact they are both still asleep in their car seats (in the house, not in the van...in case you were wondering, although it is a really nice day outside).

Wyatt is gaining on Ruslan in weight and continues to be taller.

Ruslan
Height - 26-1/4" (45%) - 2" growth since 4-mo
Weight - 16 lbs 8 oz (30%) - 1.75 lb increase since 4-mo

Wyatt
Height - 27-3/4" (91%) - 2" gowth since 4-mo
Weight - 16 lbs 5 oz (30%) - 2.5 lb increase since 4-mo

6 Months Old

2009-10-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

6 months old and becoming more fun each day. They seem to be learning a new "trick" every week.

Ruslan figured out how to blow bubbles and of course his favorite time to do that is while eating; he loves the sound of his voice (will all of my children have this trait); his feet have become his favorite toy; and he is showing some signs that he might be the first to crawl.

Wyatt is finally growing some hair; it looks like a tooth is going to be arriving soon; he is getting very stable sitting up, loves to be as upright as possible and is close to being able to stand holding onto something - he is almost chest high on Juliana already...guessing he will be at the top of the height chart.

It's amazing how different they are in temperment, overall traits, and varying development.

They are both such calm babies - almost every day one of the teachers or childcare workers and even the other moms stop to tell me how much they love our babies and how sweet and good they are. They greet everyone with a smile and generally only cry when they are very hungry or very tired. Even two very good babies require a lot of attention and work, I can't imagine if they were fussy all the time. I live an exhausted life on most days, but when I drag myself into their room in the morning and they catch the first glimpse of me over their cribs, both babies wave their arms and kick in great excitement, smile and shriek with joy that mommy has come to rescue them...and I feel a little less tired at that moment and smile back at my happy boys...I am blessed with wonderful children.

Some of the details of their lives at 6 months (need to record these details so whenever I do get to work on their first year scrapbooks, I will have the information to include).

Baths are 2 times a week and they are still in the baby tub in the kitchen sink. I have such a good system down for the kitchen bath, but I think we will need to move to the duck tub in the big bathtub very soon.

Eating - So far the boys have enjoyed the following foods - rice cereal (only for the first week), oatmeal baby cereal, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, green beans. And surprisingly green beans seem to be the favorite food so far. After a few weeks of one meal at dinner each day, they started having cereal with fruit for breakfast as well.

Sleep - They still aren't napping well at daycare. Most evenings they come home, eat dinner and fall asleep. At around 8:00, we get them changed for bed (if they aren't already in their sleepers) and then Wyatt gets a bottle, Ruslan nurses and into their cribs they go. We are still feeding them before we go to bed for the night to get them through until 6:30 most nights - they don't generally wake up for those feedings...just drink in their sleep. On the weekends, they take nice naps (Ruslan will nap 2-1/2 - 3 hours at a time) and they are so much happier and are awake to play in the evening.

Making Baby Food

2009-10-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

One of the gifts I received at the baby shower when I was pregnant with Juliana, was a small food mill designed for making baby food. When I opened it, I laughed and said - apparently I am going to have time to make baby food.

Once Juliana was born and we neared the time for solid food, I started to look into making her food and realized that it wasn't that difficult. So for her first few months, she had the standard boxed baby cereal and I made her fruits and veggies. Foods that I made in those early eating months included: acorn squash, applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, apricots, peaches, plums, carrots, mangos, papayas. And then the basic mush and feed - bananas and avocados.

I bought a kit that included a "cookbook" and covered ice cube trays for freezing the food. Cookbook may be stretching it - the book give basic instructions and ideas for combinations. I made notes in the book about when I first made a certain food and what Juliana liked and disliked. Her favorite food as marked in the book was yogurt mixed with peaches.

I don't think I will be making much of the food for the boys. In some cases it isn't cost-effective and some foods are more time consuming than others. I will be making some of the easy stuff and that includes items I can buy frozen to start since those items are already prepped (frozen sliced peaches, peas, green beans).

This week I made sweet potatoes and it was as quick and easy as I remembered. I spent $2.08 for the 3 sweet potatoes and made 32 oz of thick puree (about twice as thick as the Gerber first foods variety). I prefer to make the food thicker to freeze and then add water after it is defrosted so I can serve it with less water as they get used to each new food.

Here are the simple steps:
1 - Peel sweet potatoes and chop into equal size chunks

2 - Add 2 TBs water, cover and microwave 10 minutes, let stand 5 mins.
3 - Dump into food processor, add 1/4 water and puree
4 - Spoon puree into ice cube trays

5 - Freeze overnight, transfer cubes from trays to freezer bag, and return to freezer

6 - Defost 1oz cubes as needed

Both babies love them!

A Few of My Favorite Things by Ruslan

2009-10-09T17:45:00.000-07:00

#1 - My thumb - it is with me everywhere I go. I prefer my left thumb, but if Mommy has trapped that thumb in my shirt sleeve while trying to change my clothes, then I will use the right thumb. To get my thumb in my mouth, I press the palm of my hand against my face and slide my thumb along my mouth until it is there. Even if I am awake when Mommy puts me in my crib at night, I just suck on my thumb and get very sleepy. Sometimes I notice Wyatt sucking on his fingers, but not too often.

#2 - Rolling - I learned to roll over later than my baby brother, but now that I know how, I love to roll across the entire room. Mommy puts me on the left side of Wyatt so that I don't roll on him, like my thumb I prefer rolling to the left. Mommy always seems surprised when she leaves us on the floor to play and comes back a few minutes later and I have rolled as far as I can - it's a fun game. Some nights I have to cry for Mommy and Daddy to come help me. I love rolling so much that I do it in my crib at night and sometimes my left arm gets stuck and I can't get my thumb in my mouth. Daddy puts me on my back so I can get my thumb again and then I can fall back asleep.

#3 - Oatmeal Cereal - For the longest time all I got to eat was milk and now I get food from a spoon. The rice cereal was ok, I made a horrible face when Mommy tried to feed peaches to me, and now I have been eating oatmeal cereral - it is very yummy. I open my mouth wide every time I see the spoon and try not to let any come back out on my chin. Mommy says I need to wear my new bib to keep my shirt clean and I do like the bright colored pictures on it; but the bib causes a big problem - it traps my hands. When I try to get my thumb to my mouth I just end up pressing my bib against my face and then I can't see, I smoosh food on my nose and I still can't get my thumb. Fortunately I eat quickly and after Mommy washes my face and I can get out of my chair and roll.

One Year Ago

2009-10-03T17:38:00.000-07:00

One year ago we had a life changing event.

One year ago we had to change some plans.

One year ago we found out we were having twins.

I go through phases where I keep a journal and write in it every day. And then I miss a few days and the more I fall behind the less motivated I am to write. From June 2001 to November 2003, my life is very well documented including the weather for that day and the clothes that I wore. The last entry in each book (there are 4 from that time period) is my favorite – it includes a summary of the time covered in that book including everywhere that I traveled (I was traveling about 3 times a month back then mostly for work), my thoughts on my life and the direction it was headed.

I wanted to journal when I was pregnant with Juliana but it didn’t work out. Same with the boys – I had so much I thought I should be saying about what was happening and how a new baby (babies) would change our family. I started a journal last August and it has a total of 4 entries – the last one about how incredibly tired I was. We were at the beach having a wonderful family vacation and I was exhausted and miserable –looking back I barely remember being at the beach I felt like I was in a fog the entire time all I wanted to do was sleep and thankfully there were lots of other adults to keep Juliana busy. While we were at the beach, we told both sets of parents that we were expecting – I was 6-1/2 weeks pregnant. Since that was the last entry in my journal last year, I have no written account of the next few weeks.

One week later I had some bleeding and freaked out. It didn’t help that Scott was scheduled for a 30-day deployment to the other side of the world in just a few days; his orders were canceled before the weekend. On the advice of my Dr. I spent the next few days on bed rest – my mom barely left my side during those days helping me stay calm and try not to worry. The next Monday I called the Drs. Office at 7:00 am and after tracking down my Dr. they sent me for an ultrasound later that morning.

I vividly remember everything about that experience – chugging a bottle of water on the drive so my bladder would be full and give us the best possible images (at just 8 weeks, we were going to be looking at a very tiny baby), getting there and waiting, waiting and waiting until I was about to burst, lying on the table holding my breath as the ultrasound tech moved the wand across my belly – praying that we would see a beating heart, and then the image appeared on the screen – two distinct circles. The women’s voice sounded so far away as she said, “here is the first baby and here is the second, I don’t see any more babies, and I see both hearts beating.” I remember looking up at Scott who had a huge grin on his face and was clutching my left hand so tight.

Throughout the rest of the ultrasound I tried to process what was happening – two babies? I wasn’t prepared for that news, but I shouldn’t have been so surprised. Twins run in my family and in my first pregnancy I was hoping for twins, but not this time – complete shock.

We left there with pictures of our tiny babies and called our parents from the parking lot to tell them the news – they were so excited. We went to Panera to get some lunch. As we were walking through the parking lot Scott took my hand and said, “It’s going to be alright.” I replied, “When? In five years? As Scott ate his lunch I picked at a fruit cup in silence trying to rationalize what was happening. I told Scott we needed to stop at Barnes & Noble on the way home to buy a book about twins; reading calms me down. And I started to think about what we needed to do in the coming months.

After the first trimester when we started to tell people, everyone would say how wonderful it was that we were having twins. And I was thinking – wonderful? Do you know how much work twins are going to be? Will I ever get a good night’s sleep again? The financial implications? Mother of 3? Two boys? It seemed so odd to me that I was carrying two babies. Even after they were born sometimes I would look at them surprised that there were two.

We bought a minivan, changed the bedroom plan for the babies, refinanced our house and gutted the kitchen – all as a result of this news.

A lot of work, sleep deprivation – yes and yes. But we also get double snuggles, smiles and giggles, and watching the two of them interact makes me so happy.

It's amazing how much the course of your life can change in a moment and how different our lives are just one year later.

Wyatt - Holdin On

2009-10-02T10:08:00.000-07:00

Wyatt prefers to have something in his hands at all times. His favorite of late are his feet and it's no surprise that he doesn't like to keep his socks on - 3 days of temperatures cold enough to require socks and we haven't lost one yet - I consider that a major accomplishment.

If he falls asleep with a toy in his hand, he continues to clutch it.

And apparently the bumps on the walk to and from daycare are an issue since he likes to hang on to the side of the stroller while we walk. Now that is is colder, he has a blanket to hold along the way instead.

First Bowl of Cereal

2009-09-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

After sleeping all night for weeks, over the past few weeks both boys had started to wake up almost every night. I checked one of the "is your baby ready for solid food" quizes...and the answer was yes for all 10 questions. So Tuesday evening they each had their first bowl of cereal.

Instead of full size highchairs, we purchased these compact chair-top versions. They still recline and will work much better for us and our available space. The boys were very excited when we put them in the seats - they were happy to kick and look around and be amused by Juliana.

Scott insisted that they both get their first bite of food at the exact same moment, thankfully we had another adult on hand so I could take pictures.

Juliana did get in on the fun as well. After feeding Ruslan 2 bites she was bored and wandered off to play.

Both of them did such a good job, kept most of the food in their mouths and seemed to get the hang of pushing the food to the back of their mouths quickly. Ruslan was fussy when we got home today, but as soon as I put him in his chair he sat back and smiled. I don't think that anyone is surprised that Ruslan is excited for more food. In between bites of food Wyatt was making little noises, asking for more.

When they were done eating Ruslan was happy to sit in his chair and kick and Wyatt was very chatty. (ignore my silly, mommy voice) Apparently blogger and facebook are not playing nice tonight - click here to view the video until it appears in this post.

10 minutes later, they were both passed out, sound asleep - happy, tired babies.

5 Months Old

2009-09-24T16:53:00.000-07:00

The boys reached 5 months old this week and they are changing so fast.

Both boys rolled from their backs to their stomachs this month. Ruslan cries when he realizes what has happened; Wyatt will keep rolling. If we leave them on the floor to play, they are still in the same general area when we get back but they are squirming their way around the floor – rolling and spinning and sliding.

They are playing with toys more and more – pulling on hanging toys, waving them around, squirming to reach something they want, and chewing on everything once it is in their hands.

We recently switched one of Ruslan’s daytime bottles to half formula as we start to slowly transition to all formula over the next few months. His reflux is definitely doing better, but we we are seeing an increase in spit-up after that bottle. We are hoping that the 6-month mark will be magical and the reflux will vanish.

We made the change to 6-9 months size sleepers, and Ruslan is wearing the summer clothes that I we have in that size. The remainder of their clothing is still 6 month, but we will soon be packing up the summer clothes and washing all of the 9 month fall clothes. These boys generate so much laundry – I have to do their wash every other day to keep up with the overflowing hamper. Plus when Ruslan has a few bad reflux days, we go through bibs in a hurry.

We are waiting until closer to 6 months to introduce solid foods. They are showing all of the readiness signs, but we don’t want to rush it. With the sensitivity Ruslan has had to any dairy I ingest, there is some concern that he may have a tendency toward food allergies.

Wyatt sleeps on his left side with his left arm cupped around his head. And all night long he spins around in his crib. Ruslan is always in the exact same spot where we left him the night before, flat on his back. His arms are either both stretched straight out to the sides, overhead or tucked up beneath his head.

5 Months with Puppies

2009-09-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

The boys were in a good mood for pictures this month and gave me lots of good options. Juliana was not quite as cooperative - generally all 3 of them were looking in different directions for each picture. The Christmas picture with just Juliana is always a challenge...getting nervous about capturing a good image with all 3.

Babies

2009-09-16T19:24:00.001-07:00

When Juliana was a baby we didn't know for sure that we would have more children, but we always thought it was a possibility so we saved everything. All of the general baby stuff - bouncy seats, swing, crib aquarium, etc. was gender neutral so we were able to use it again. We even had some newborn clothes that were white and yellow and green...that we were able to use this time around.

This time it's different, we know that we won't be having any more children. When I went to my 5-wk pregnancy confirmation appointment last September, I had them make 2 notes in my chart - #1 repeat c-section, #2 tubes tied. This was before we knew about the twins and once we did that only reinforced the decision that these would be our final babies. So as we outgrow baby equipment this time it will be leaving our home.

I think that I cherish the time with these babies more because I know they are my last and I have first-hand experience with how quickly they will grow out of each passing stage. I know that I won't be making bottles everyday forever and soon we won't have bouncy seats as tripping hazards in the living room. Knowing that all of these inconveniences will come to end (most sooner than I am ready) makes it easier to deal with them. And I am in less of a hurry to get to each developmental milestone and instead enjoy where they are today. That’s not to say that I am happy to be exhausted almost all of the time or that jolting out of bed at 4:45 am this morning to get a screaming Ruslan before he woke up Wyatt, puts a smile on my face…but it is somehow easier to deal with this time.

But baby clothes, they are a problem.
#1 – so cute
#2 – they hardly got to wear them since they grow so fast at this age
#3 – looking at some of my favorite outfits makes me wish that I could roll back time for another snuggle with those tiny babies who are already growing up way too fast.

As they outgrow clothes, I wash and fold and neatly stack them on the shelf in their closet. And the stack of clothes continues to grow and I haven’t given any of them away yet. I know it’s silly to be holding on to these clothes that we will never need again – we don’t have unlimited storage and they should be used by other babies. Why is it so hard to part with those little clothes? It will be time to pack away all of the summer outfits soon enough so I should just wait a few more weeks and do it all at once…

Sleeping Babies

2009-09-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's a dreary, wet day here in Pittsburgh today. A great day for a nap...if only I weren't busy with the boys and Juliana. I take a lot of pictures of the boys sleeping, here is an assortment from the last 2 months.

Laughing Babies

2009-09-04T19:18:00.000-07:00

This is part of our evening routine. As I get the boys changed into their sleepers, we have a little tickle-fest with lots of giggling. Usually they start laughing as soon as I start changing their clothes. The videos are posted on Facebook, but everyone should be able to view them here I think. (if not, try these links: Wyatt Laughing and Ruslan Laughing)

First Week of Daycare

2009-09-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

The boys have been in the new daycare for 1 full week now. It is a new infant program in the same school where Juliana has preschool; the first day for the program was last Wednesday. Although I shed a few tears on the first day, it wasn't too bad. I think it is a combination of the fact that the boys are together, Juliana is right down the hall and I am just around the block. The school is around the corner from our house, behind the houses across the street from us. In the picture below you can see the flag pole and corner/roof of the school building - this picture was taken from the sidewalk in front of our house.

The new routine is get everyone up, fed, and dressed and the boys ride in the stoller and Juliana walks along side. We leave the stroller at school for pick-up after work. First stop is the infant room for the boys and then down the hall to the preschool room to drop off Juliana and then back home to my office...the house is so much quieter when I return home each morning.

The first few days were a bit rocky - neither of the boys napped well at all. They had been taking 3 naps during the day - each one about 1-1/2 hours. The first 2 days, they both took several half hour naps instead. And then they were fussy and tired when they came home - after eating they both fell asleep for the night at 5:30 - we woke them up to eat at 8:00 and they both ate in their sleep. Scott held Wyatt for an hour while I held Ruslan - we were sure they would wake up to play with us for a little while, but no...much too sleepy. Ruslan finally took a good nap on Friday and yesterday Wyatt napped for over 2 hours. I think it was a matter of them adjusting to the new place and the daycare workers learning about them and their routine and habits.

We are so happy to have all of the children in one place - one drop-off and pick-up makes the process so much easier! And we know the childcare workers from the year that Juliana has been there so we aren't worried about them during the day. We did stop in the first day to make sure that they weren't desperately sad and crying...

The worst part of the first week - writing a huge check yesterday for the month of September...Juliana preschool + Juliana after school program + 2 infants in daycare =$$$$

Dilemmas and Decisions: Breastfeeding, the Pump and Formula

2009-08-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Juliana, I had these dreams of the two of us rocking peacefully with her happily nursing. Instead those attempts were meant with screaming baby and crying mommy. So I would pump milk for her and bottle feed, this included waking up during the night to feed her a bottle and then pump milk for later…in the middle of the night. After a month we started supplementing with formula and by 3 months I quit pumping and she was on formula for the rest of her first year. I felt incredibly guilty about the whole experience; I had failed at one of the first things a Mommy can do for her child. Was it because I didn’t nurse her in the first hours of her life (after being awake for 40 hours and undergoing major surgery) and she had more than one bottle of formula during those days in the hospital? Whatever the reason it didn’t work out for us, and she has always been incredibly healthy – one ear infection in nearly 4 years.

When I found out I was pregnant last year, I thought a lot about this experience with Juliana and decided that this time could be different. I would make a second attempt to breastfeed but if it didn’t work out I wasn’t going to pump and bottle-feed this time, instead we would go straight to formula and not feel guilty.

Then the announcement – twins- oh my….I couldn’t successfully nurse one baby, there is no way I could possibly deal with two. Throughout the remainder of my pregnancy, people would ask if I was going to breastfeed (it’s amazing to me that something so personal becomes a matter-a-fact topic during pregnancy and the early baby months), and my response was always I will try. The nurses preparing my hospital charts at my 3rd trimester appointments – I am going to try; the nurses checking me in for surgery – I am going to try…the answer was never yes.

In the recovery room, the post-op nurse asked if I wanted to try breastfeeding them, ok let’s give it a try. They both nursed for a few minutes. However their blood sugar was low so they had formula as well in the recovery room and later that night. I had already decided that they would have formula in the nursery at night, this second time around I resisted the night rooming in. It’s really an interesting concept – major surgery, still hooked up to all sorts of tubes, affects of spinal still wearing off, taking pain medication, completely exhausted and can’t get out of bed…yeah, leave a defenseless tiny human with me for the night. This time around I took full advantage of the nursery at night so I could start to recover from the long pregnancy and surgery.

That first night they both had formula and by morning their blood sugar had stabilized and we went back to the breast. All was well the first full day, second night and the next day. That third night, just as I was falling asleep at ~11:00, the night nurse came in and announced that Wyatt had already lost more than 10% of his weight (most babies lose 6-10% of their weight following birth) and they were going to bring him to me throughout the night to nurse and then give him a bottle – that nurse made me feel like a bad mom who had sent her babies away for the night and wasn’t doing everything possible to keep them healthy.

And then we went home the next day. Ruslan continued to nurse well and Wyatt didn’t eat quite as energetically. They were up constantly at night during those first few weeks. Scott would give each of them a bottle during the first part of the night and then I would sleep in their room the rest of the night, feeding them every few hours. We went for weight checks every few days; we were told to give Wyatt more formula since he wasn’t gaining fast enough. I was exhausted. Ruslan gained his weight back quickly and was excused from weight checks, and as we approached one-month Wyatt passed as well.

Ruslan developed reflux and formula made it worse, so we quit the one nightly bottle at about one-month and he has been exclusively on breast milk since. That means I have had to get up with him each night – no letting Scott get up with Ruslan, although he still gave Wyatt a bottle. As the reflux was getting worse I started searching for answers – and eventually I cut dairy out of my diet. Within a week, the massive amounts of spit-up were reduced to a dribble. I’m not a milk drinker, but I sure do miss cheese and ice cream and an occasional bowl of cereal.

At 6-weeks Wyatt was still having several bottles a day and breastfeeding the remainder of the time. I was so tired and he ate so slowly while Ruslan was done in 10 minutes. I made the decision to switch Wyatt to formula. I didn’t feel guilty this time, I knew that he would be healthy and I could do better for both babies by making this change. I’m so glad that I was firm in my decision because most people could not understand why I would do this, as if I was mistreating Wyatt when instead I was making sure that he was getting enough food. At his 2-mo check-up his weight had improved and I felt even better about my decision. Everyone was happy to get to feed Wyatt and it gave me a break in the evenings.

Since the boys have been in daycare, Ruslan is now getting pumped breast milk in a bottle during the day and he doesn’t care…that little one is just happy to eat. And now the next decision, when to stop? I am going away for a week at the beginning of December so we have that as an end date – I think I feel better having a target date (and knowing when I can eat cheese again). So by mid-November I plan to stop breastfeeding Ruslan and he will be on formula for the last 5 months of his first year. Hopefully by that point the reflux will be gone so the formula won’t bother him. So this begins the final stretch of this part of motherhood.

Breast milk or formula, both are healthy options for babies and no one should make mothers feel guilty for making the decision that is right for them and their babies. I am happy that I was able to provide breast milk for all 3 of my babies for their first 6 weeks and that Ruslan has become the happy little nursing baby that I thought I would have all along. Do I feel guilty that I am stopping during the first year, maybe a little…but stopping before the teeth arrive sounds like another good reason…and I know that Ruslan will continue to thrive.

Wyatt the Strong

2009-08-27T07:48:00.001-07:00

The boys can now pick up toys and hold them. Wyatt is fond of these little rattles and it looks like he is lifting weights. After a busy play session he was so tired, he fell asleep right where he was.

Four Months Old

2009-08-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

4 months old with the puppies.

4 Months

2009-08-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

4 months old - hard to believe that they are that old, yet difficult to remember what it was like before they arrived (although I think that I had a little bit more spare time, more sleep, and a lot less laundry). This first picture - they are both watching Juliana run toward them...there is a bit of fear in Ruslan's eyes as he knows she is about to bounce down on the ground just a little too close to them.
Last night was their 4-month check-up.
Ruslan - Weight: 14 lbs 12 oz - 50th% (2-mo was 12-6 70th%)
Height: 24-1/4" - 25th% (2-mo was 22-1/2 45%)

Wyatt - Weight: 13 lbs 12 oz - 25th% (2-mo was 10-14 25%)
Height: 25-1/4 - 65th% (2-mo was 22-3/4 50%)

At 4 months Juliana was the same height as Wyatt, but weighed a full pound less.

The boys are starting to interact more with each other - they are getting interested in each other - Ruslan will spot Wyatt and just smile at him in the hopes Wyatt will look his way. They are also able to pick-up toys and get them close to their mouth - the best place for anything at this age. And best of all they can both get a hand, some fingers or sometimes even a thumb in their mouth which makes them quite happy.

Ruslan

2009-08-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ruslan has figured out how to get his hand in his mouth whenever he wants, so he spends a good bit of the day doing just that. In the last picture, the one where he is looking away from me...watching tv. He is fascinated with the tv whenever it is on - in this case he was watching football with great intent.

Matching

2009-08-08T07:25:00.001-07:00

Are they twins? I can't walk through a store without several people asking that question. And then they think they can get very close to them and offer their comparison of the two. When I say that they are twins, while moving the stroller or cart out of their reach, I often get this response - "I thought so, but I wasn't sure since they weren't dressed the same". Really? The fact that they are both babies in matching baby carriers out with one women - that wasn't a clue. And people that are friends of the family and of course know that they are twins sometimes express their disappointment when they see the boys and they are not dressed the same and ask us why not.

Scott feels strongly about them not being dressed the same. I am in the middle on this issue, but primarily I dress them alike, but not the same. The same outfit in different color, the same cargo shorts with a different shirt, etc. And once Ruslan wears the brown plaid and Wyatt wears the blue - I always dress them in that combination, at that point the brown belongs to Ruslan even though Wyatt could just as easily wear it.

If someone has bought the same outfit for them, then I will dress them the same on that day. And I have bought the same things for them when I found something I loved and there wasn't a coordinating option, or the other option wasn't nearly as cute. When we went to Idlewild last week, it was one of those occasions when the boys were dressed the same. And all day long, I heard - "Look at those twins", not once did anyone ask them if they are twins.

15 Weeks

2009-08-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

The boys are doing really well, overall they are very happy contented babies.

Wyatt remains our spirited baby - there is no doubt when he wants to eat. If he wakes up hungry and doesn't have a bottle in his mouth within 2 minutes, when you do try to feed him he keeps screaming because he is mad that it took 3.5 minutes from waking up to food.

Wyatt is also the more active baby. We have to put him at the bottom of his crib at night because he pushes his way up to the top of the crib during the night until his head is pressed sideways against the end of the crib. On more than one occasion he has spun around in his crib and kicked the aquarium music on. He is also very strong, he can push himself up on his arms and hold his head up looking from side to side for several minutes.

Wyatt is also quite the drool monster. If he is laying on his stomach, he gets a couple of fingers in his mouth and leaves a puddle of drool when we pick him up.

Ruslan is getting close to rolling over, because of his reflux he has had significantly less tummy time than Wyatt. But he is just as strong holding his head up, and if we put him in a sitting position he can remain upright for a short time. Both of them are sitting well when propped.

Ruslan is so happy, even when he is fussy, you can coax him into a smile and then a coo and a laugh and he forgets that he was unhappy. He falls asleep easily, even if he is in the bouncy seat with the lights flashing, if he is tired he just closes his eyes and goes to sleep and we can move him to his crib where he will happily sleep.

Last Thursday Ruslan was a little fussy when he was eating in the evening and Friday it was apparent he was getting a cold. He has a stuffed up nose, his eyes are crusty when he wakes up, and he has the saddest little cough, his little giggles sound a bit hoarse as well. But so far he has slept through the coughing at night. Wyatt has a little congestion as well, but not nearly as bad. Hopefully these little summer colds will pass quickly.
>

5 Years and Our Family of 5

2009-07-30T04:32:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today I became Mrs. Scott Connelly. We started dating in October 2003 after being fixed up by our friend Natalae. Scott proposed in March 2004. We closed on our house in June and focused on making it move-in ready. Everyone kept asking for a wedding date so on July 12th, we announced we would be getting married 2-1/2 weeks later on July 30th. We wanted a simple ceremony and on a lovely Friday evening we were joined by 30 of our closest friends and family for our wedding.

It was so simple back then, just the two of us in a house that seemed so big. We went to Italy for on our honeymoon that October and just one year later we welcomed Juliana Grace into our lives. And so began our journey as mommy and daddy.

We debated for years whether or not we would have another child. I talked to friends who are only children or only have one child and tried to convince myself that one chld was enough. Then last summer we made a snap decision to have another baby and before we knew it we were expecting. On Monday, September 29th we received the surprising news that we were going to have twins and in December we found out that they were both boys.

The boys were born in April and it has definitely taken me a while to get used to the idea that I am a mother of 3 children and 2 of them are boys. When I was growing up I thought that I would have 3 children, but then I got older and realized kids take a lot of work and money to raise so 1 or maybe 2 became the goal. Turns out my childhood dreams caught up with me afterall and we are so incredibly blessed to have 3 healthy, happy children.

I consider our anniversary the start date for our family. So each year during the week before or after July 30th, we take a family picture - casual in the front yard (our wedding picture and 1-yr pictures are in Scott's parent's front yard since that's where we were married). We haven't taken this year's photo yet, so I am including a picture from June. In last year's picture, I wasn't even pregnant and this year there are 2 more children in our picture.

Scott and I were both previously married and I think that we have learned from our mistakes. Sometimes marriage means compromise and other times you need to fight for what you think is best, and I think that we find that balance the majority of the time. Above all we love and respect each other and I wake up each day knowing that we will spend the rest of lives together. Even when we are incredibly sleep deprived and trying to coordinate schedules and figure out how we are going to make everything work...if I take a deep breath, I know that this is where we were meant to be.

Your Backyard Friends

2009-07-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Do you really need a reason for costumes? Especially when we are dressing up baby dolls and babies. On this occasion, Juliana had decided that it was Bitty Babies birthday and that Bitty and the Bitty Twins (Michael and Missy Missy Rose) should all dress-up in Halloween costumes. Then we remembered the Backyardigans costumes. Juliana was going through major Backyardigans love this spring. My mom was shopping online and found these Pablo and Tyrone costumes on clearance and they have been waiting for some dress-up fun every since. Wyatt is dressed as Pablo who is a penguin and Ruslan is dressed as Tyrone the moose.

Three Months Old

2009-07-21T12:54:00.001-07:00

3 months old - time is passing so quickly. These are the babies who would not smile. Maybe it's because their sister was throwing a major fit at the time, or maybe they just didn't want to cooperate yesterday...all I know is we didn't get any smiles for the pictures this month. With Juliana's bear pictures and now with the boys' puppy pictures, I use what I get that day - no do-overs for them since they are designed to be one-month apart for the entire year. Ruslan was especially grumpy for some reason and I can usually always get a smile out of him. Anyway, here they are at 3 months old.

Hats

2009-07-18T06:32:00.000-07:00

We went to a picnic last weekend and the boys were so cute in their hats, especially Ruslan with his round face :) Wyatt is very sceptical of the camera - generally has the same expression for pictures. Ruslan is good for some smiles, sticking out his tongue and other entertaining expressions. I love the pictures of Ruslan glaring at Wyatt - he seems to be thinking - who is that other baby and why is mommy talking to him... When I take pictures of them together on the floor like this, the tend to end up grabbing at each other's hand - they can't hold on yet, but they rest one on top of the other - it is really cute.

Baby Stuff

2009-07-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

We have been to Natalae's house each of the past 2 weekends. That's a lot considering we really don't take all 3 kids many places without extra adults. Baby Sidney is just a few weeks younger than the boys and there are some very cool things about going to visit someone who a baby the same age as ours.

They don't mind when your baby starts crying because they are used to it
When a baby is crying, it isn't always your baby - that's really cool
They have all of the standard baby stuff at their house already so you can pack lite - when Wyatt got fussy the last time we were there, we could just put in the swing to fall asleep
When we were there on the 3rd, Ruslan was completely captivated by Sidney's bouncy seat. He was so intrigued that I searched for it online that night. After finding it was only available online, I ordered it that night.

The Rain forest bouncy seat arrived just a few days later and it has not disappointed. It is good for at least 15 minutes of busy baby when we need to be getting something else done. Ruslan loves it and Wyatt is becoming more of a fan each day. I try to only use it in small doses. The best part is the monkey and lizard at the top - the monkey swings side-to-side and the lizard bounces up and down. Ruslan stares, smiles and talks to them and his arms and legs are in constant motion - he gets so excited.

Updates

2009-07-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hips - Since the boys were both breach for most of my pregnancy, the Dr sent us to have ultrasounds on their hips. Ruslan's results were normal, while there was a slight concern with Wyatt. The main angle for the hips should be 60 degrees or higher, Wyatt's was at 56 degrees. So we went to a specialist in early June for follow-up. He recommended a second ultrasound at 11 weeks. Yesterday we had the ultrasound and follow-up appointment and the hip is correcting itself - up to 60 degrees now so we don't expect to have any problems with it. We don't go back unil he is 18-months now, just to make sure everything is still developing normally.

Tear Ducts - Ruslan was born with the tear ducts on both eyes clogged. His eyes were glued shut when he would wake-up and we were constantly wiping both eyes so he could open them and see easily. The 2nd week of June we noticed that his right eye was suddenly better and this week the left eye cleared up! Now the skin around his eyes won't be red and irritated and everyone will stop rubbing his eyes.

Reflux - removing dairy from my diet has made a huge difference in the quantity of spit-up after Ruslan easts. He is still taking zantac 3 times/day and after a dosage increase last month, he is much less fussy after eating.

I was taking pictures of the boys together (a regular occurance) and caught Wyatt in the act of rolling over for the second time.

Little Men

2009-07-08T15:38:00.000-07:00

Clothes for baby girls are the cutest...I still find myself looking at the new baby girl clothes when I am shopping for the boys. Basic baby clothes are primarily the same - same soft fabrics, t-shirts with or without snaps, sweat pants, one piece sleep-n-plays, etc. The difference is the patterns and colors and occasionally some extra darts in the clothes designed for girls.

But beyond the basics, there is a big difference. Baby girl clothes have their own styles - ruffles and other cuteness unique to the little outfits - how often do you see a size 6-month outfit that looks the same as something from the women's department? On the other hand, baby boy clothes are often miniature versions of men's clothing - polo shirts, button downs, cargo shorts... That's what I was thinking today when I dressed the boys and took their pictures and then Scott came home wearing a very similar outfit...

11 Weeks

2009-07-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

At 11 weeks, the boys are:

Going through ~9 diapers a day each (~125 total diapers each week)
Eating 8 times a day
Ruslan's reflux continues to improve as long as I avoid dairy.
Still not sleeping through the night...but I keep hoping. Wyatt went 7 hours once weeks ago and then back to every 4 hours; Ruslan hasn't made it more than 5 hours yet.
Starting to take better daytime naps, although one prefers to nap while the other one is awake.
Spending lots of time on the floor stretching out, staring at toys, kicking and having tummy time.
Listening to mommy read books and sing - Ruslan loves Old MacDonald and smiles, giggles and trys to sing along; Wyatt stares at me and his eyes get bigger and bigger the whole time.
Wyatt still startles quite a bit, even if you do the same thing 3 times in a row - he startles each time.
Ruslan is much quicker to smile and is really happy if you stick out your tongue when he does.
Wyatt stares up at me when I am in his sight and is really excited when I look his direction and smile.
Ruslan is wearing 3-6 month clothes (and some brands are getting tight); Wyatt is still comfortable in 0-3 month.
Mostly happy babies, smiley and more giggles each day - they are growing up so fast.

Wyatt on the Move

2009-07-04T14:32:00.001-07:00

This is the happy face of the little guy who had just rolled over for the first time! Obviously he was very pleased with himself.

Happy Independence Day

2009-07-04T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Aunt Natalae's Annual 3rd of July party. It is a huge party complete with a live band and fireworks. I think that this was my 7th year of the party. For those of you who don't know, Natalae is the person who introduced Scott and I and she is Juliana's godmother.

Juliana always has a new red, white and blue outfit for the party and this year the boys had coordinating outfits. I thought it was a bit cold for their little shorts outfits so I added a long-sleeve onesie and socks (the hats didn't make it out of the house since it was starting to warm up when we left).

The baby girl in the picture is Natalae's 7-wk old. Her name is Sydney Jordan - yeah, she had to name her baby after 2 Penguins instead of just one like us...

When Wyatt Sleeps

2009-06-29T19:45:00.001-07:00

I have so many pictures of both babies sleeping - is there anything more beautiful than a sleeping baby? When Wyatt is sound asleep, he leans his head to his right and tips it slightly upward. There's something about this sleeping position that always makes me smile. And then I remembered a picture of Juliana with her head tipped up to her right (last picture) - we are finding so many similarities between Wyatt and Juliana as a baby.

2-Month Check-up

2009-06-23T17:10:00.000-07:00

2-month check-up today, the first of the immunization visits. The rotovirus vaccine is new to us (it was introduced after Juliana passed that phase) - it is an oral vaccine in a tube. Wyatt was up first and the nurse slowly squeezed it into his mouth. When it was Ruslan turn, she put in his mouth and within seconds it was gone - the boy loves anything that might be food.

Wyatt had his 3 shots first and screamed through Ruslan's shots, getting packed in the car seat, carried out of the office and to the van and then calmed down when he was forced to slumber by the moving vehicle. Ruslan screamed as well but calmed down more quickly. When we got home they got their first dose of Tylenol - they both ate and Ruslan went to sleep, Wyatt was very fussy. So I decided to pick-up Juliana and go for a drive to calm him down and give the meds time to work. After a trip through the McDonald's drive-through, all of the children were calm.

Ruslan's fussy time kicked in later in the evening when I was trying to give Juliana a bath and get her to bed.

The rest of the appointment went well. Ruslan's reflux medication dosage was increased to match his weight change. The medication is helping him be less fussy after eating. I cut dairy products out of my diet 2 weeks ago and it is making a huge difference in the quantity of his spit-up. I really miss cheese...

Ruslan
Weight: 12 lbs. 6 oz - 70th percentile (gain of 3.5 lbs in 5 weeks - 25th to 70th percentile change)
Height: 22-1/2" - 45th percentile

Wyatt
Weight: 10 lbs. 14 oz - 25th percentile (gain of 3 lbs - 5th to 25th percentile change)
Height: 22-3/4" - 50th percentile

Two Months Old

2009-06-22T10:21:00.000-07:00

The boys are getting better at sitting up, but its still difficult to get a picture of them sitting and looking in the general direction of the camera. There was lots of tipping over, crying, and spitting up during this very quick photo shoot.

8 Weeks

2009-06-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

I was planning to write a bit about the boys at 8 weeks, but I squadered the boys nap time doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen and paying hospital bills...so just pictures today. There are 2 pictures of the boys in their stroller - one from Kennywood this week and one from Julaina's preschool room. Although the stoller is really big, I don't know how we would be managing these early months without it.

Life Changes Fast

2009-06-09T09:57:00.000-07:00

Just over one year ago, the week before my birthday, I made a comment to Scott about turning 35 and he quickly replied that I was already 35 and I would be 36 that weekend. I felt like I had lost a year of my life...not quite as dramatic as it sounds. At this point I realized that if we needed to decide quickly if we were going to have another baby. We thought about it for a few weeks and decided that we would try. And one year later, here we are, a family of 5 with our 7 week old twins.

6 Weeks

2009-06-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

Where does the time go? I can't believe that they are 6 weeks old already and my maternity leave is halfway over.

It is much easier to tell the boys apart in pictures now, because Ruslan is always wearing a bib. He has reflux and spits up huge amounts of his food - we are doing lots of laundry. After having a child who never spit up, this is quite an adjustment. We go through a stack of burp clothes and bibs every day and do our best to keep our own clothes and the furniture spit-up free. He is on medication when has made him much less fussy, unfortunately the medication doesn't stop the spit-up.

After 5 weeks of nursing both of them, we made a change. Wyatt wasn't nursing as well as he needed to get enough food and we were already supplementing, so we made the change to switch him to all formula. Ruslan is still nursing with the exception of one night time bottle.

They are still eating twice during the night, hopefully this will be ending in the next few weeks. Scott is generally up working at night so he handles the 2:00 am bottle and then I feed them closer to morning. That gives me a few hours of sleep in one block so I can make it through the days. And when they wake up at night, most of the time, they eat and go back to sleep quickly so the process doesn't take as long as it did in those first few weeks.

Ruslan is still at least a pound heavier than Wyatt and close to outgrowing 0-3 month clothes. He has rolls on his legs and a growing belly. Wyatt no longer has chicken legs, but hasn't quite caught up.

Ruslan is very grumbly all of the time - the sounds most babies make when they are filling their diapers - Ruslan makes noises like that all day - grunts and grumbles...and now Wyatt is joining in on the habit - I fear that their twin speak will be more of a cave man language.

Both of them have flashed us a few smiles...laughter can't be far behind :) They are both fascinated with the birdies that fly around them in the swing.

In the pictures of the two of them in their overalls - Ruslan is on the right-side. They did not enjoy being next to each other, especially when their arms became intertwined.

Boys with their Puppies - 1 Month Old

2009-05-23T18:33:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from Wednesday, May 20 - 1 Month old. Wyatt has the blank/tan puppy. Ruslan was having a fussy afternoon so we didn't have much luck with the picture of the two of them until I gave him his binky.

One Month Old

2009-05-20T07:12:00.001-07:00

The boys had their one-month check-up bright and early this morning - getting all of us dressed, ready and out the door by 8:15 was a challenge. That early morning time period is usually a good sleep time for me and the boys - so I missed out on some valuable sleep.

Ruslan
Weight: 8 lbs 15 oz (25%)
Height: 21" (45%)

Wyatt
Weight: 7 lbs 8 oz (5%)
Height: 20-3/4" (25%)

Although Wyatt is 1.5 lbs less than Ruslan he is gaining weight steadily - 11 oz in the last 10 days.

Some pictures from the past week. My brother came to visit so the boys got to meet their Uncle Nick.