Starring Will

When Hugs Go Wrong

I've been terrible about taking photos lately because my memory card was full and I couldn't remember to transfer photos and clear it out. It's amazing the things I can't remember to do these days. So several weeks ago, the boys were wearing their boxer shorts to bed and looked especially cute. We decided to try to take some photos of them together and asked them to hug. Amazingly, they embraced almost instantly. But then in typical fashion it quickly spiraled into a WWF match. Will lost this round when Matt took him to the floor and pinned him for a three count. Being the super mom that I am, I was sure to photograph the entire episode. The best part is that we asked Will to reenact the incident and he obliged. I'll be sure to post the video reenactment asap. Will definitely has a future in movies.

Superstars!

Here's a proof from the boys' recent photo shoot. Will (in navy) was a total ham. He loved having his picture taken. Matt gave the camera man a run for his money. Mommy had to act like a loon throughout the whole process. It was an exhausting 10 minutes.

Boys

After another morning filled with fighting, crying and whining, I packed the boys up and headed for a local park. I explained to them that they would have to sit in the stroller while mommy walked and THEN we could go to the playground. We had a slight hiccup when Will saw the stroller, looked from it to me and exclaimed, "BACK!" As in "put that darn thing back in the car, we can walk." But all was well. We had a lovely walk and even managed to avoid crying fits when dogs passed us by.
After the walk I took the boys to the play area where they acted like kids in a candy store for all of 3 minutes. Apparently the playground cannot compare to the excitement of the nearby creek. So for the rest of the morning we threw "socks" (translation: rocks) into the water and played in the dirt. Who needs a playground when there's running water and a plethora of rocks?

Morning with Will

It's not too often that I get to spend quality time with one child, but this morning Will woke up at the usual time and Matt slept in. Poor Matt is coming down with a cold yet again.

So Will woke up and we snuggled in the chair for about 1.2 seconds before he insisted on picking out his outfit. He surprised me this morning when I didn't have to go through every option. He actually chose something from the front of the pack. He then insisted on picking out his diaper. Mind you, they are all the same. But he pilfered through every one before selecting one for himself and one for Matt. Lately he likes to stand up while I change his diaper. I guess he just needs something new and different in his life. I've at least taught him to help me a little by holding the sides, but perhaps someday I'll teach him how to change it all by himself. Then I can take a smoke break 8 times a day.

It was another hour before Matt woke up, so Will and I just hung out while he drank his milk. It's mornings like this that always make me wonder just how easy it would be to have one child. Guess I'll never know... and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Family Tradition

We took the boys to an annual festival late last week. It's the festival that Chris's family attends every year. This year marked 38 years in a row! Although it's a spaghetti dinner, Will preferred the homemade rolls and jelly.
The next day, we got to drive "daddy's new truck" and loaded Caleb's car seat so he could ride along with us. C's mom was quick to point out that the truck could easily accommodate triplets. Let's not even go there.

Naptime Ritual

After I changed Matt's diaper for naptime today, he started protesting as I tried to snap his outfit. He kept saying "no, no, duh taa!" I was clueless as to what he was saying until I caught a glimpse of our handy roll of duct tape. You see, some wise twin moms suggested I use duct tape to secure their diapers before putting them to bed. We've had some issues with the boys taking off their diapers in their cribs, but I won't go into the gruesome details. Let's just say it's now standard policy to use duct tape anytime they're not wearing a one piece outfit.

Apparently Matt can't sleep without knowing that the extra form of protection is securely in place. I guess he's trying to tell me that he definitely cannot be trusted.

Fashionistos

Oh where to begin. I can't even remember the last time I posted or what I wrote about. Matt has just recovered from yet another summer virus. It's no fun having 1 or 2 sick kids. With only Matt sick, Will suffers just as much because I have to give 90% of my attention to Matt. Unfortunately for Will, Matt still felt well enough to bite, kick and hit.

Will has become incredibly bossy over the last few weeks. He has an opinion about everything. Every morning he agonizes about what to wear. It's worse than having a teenager in the house. Each morning we go through all the shirts in the closet. He looks them over, ponders, and holds them before finally commanding, "NO! BACK!" For the most part, he does a pretty good job at picking outfits that somewhat go together. But he's had some misses. Like the Hawaiian outfit in the photo.

The boys have been spending some time at the local library. Our wonderful nanny takes them every week or so, and they play with puzzles, run through the aisles, knock over books and sit for story time. When our nanny was on vacation I decided to take them and check it out. We were late and didn't get to play with puzzles, but we sat in on the story time. By the time it was over, I felt like gouging my eyes out or going out for a stiff drink. The boys were fine; I just couldn't handle the suzy sunshine-sing songy-storyteller.

The picture of Will and Matt in the stroller is one taken in the parking deck of the library. Our nanny said they insisted on wearing their rain boots, so she let them. She's a smart gal; there are some battles that aren't worth fighting.

I'm constantly asked if the boys have different personalities. For the most part they are pretty similar, but there are some definite distinctions. For instance, Matt prefers to bite while Will likes to hit and shove. Will has to eat out of a blue bowl with a green utensil; Matt settles for the red bowl and red utensil. Will is quite territorial when it comes to his highchair, his car seat, and any toy that he is playing with. Matt for the most part is pretty easy going. But a new difference that I discovered last week was their puzzle building skills. Matt very precisely stacked the blocks in the right order and then disassembled them by putting each piece in a certain place. Will on the other hand was creative in his methods and ended up with an abstract version of the same puzzle. See the proof below.

The last photo is of Will and Jake. Lately Matt and Will have been fighting over who gets to take Jake to bed. This was taken after nap time. Notice that Will turned Jake on his stomach so he could sleep. Awwww!

Observations from the week

Matt and Will tend to mimic one another. Yesterday I put socks on Matt because he is nursing an in-grown toenail. (Don't worry, Dr. Chris is taking great care of him.) Much to my dismay, he insisted on wearing his crocs. I tried to explain that he would look like a Florida tourist, but he didn't care. When I tried to put Will's shoes on, he refused to wear them unless he had on socks too. Then later in the afternoon Matt decided to remove one shoe and sock, so Will had to do the same.

You'll see Will's birthmark in the 2nd photo. We don't even notice it anymore. Will doesn't notice it. In fact he can point out numerous boo boos on himself and Matt, but he has never pointed to his birthmark mistaking it for a boo boo. Two neighborhood kids asked about it today, and it reminded me that one day Will will take notice of it too. We met with a specialist last fall for a diagnosis and he mentioned the possibility of laser removal (though it probably wouldn't work that great on the ankle and foot, so what's the point). I'm going to feel bad when Will needs years of therapy as a result of us not having it removed and instead telling him it's what makes him special.

Chris was our hero for the day. This morning he awoke at 4:15 due to an odd smell. He discovered it was coming from the refrigerator but couldn't figure out exactly what it was. While I was googling "noxious odor from refrigerator" and only getting results about food smells, it actually started smoking. After returning to bed at 5:30, Chris kept reminding me that he saved our lives. It's a good thing I don't cook that much, because I was able to move the most important refrigerator items into our mini fridge that we keep in the garage for Chris's drink of choice- Mt. Dew. The best part (for Chris)- I was able to leave at least 6 cans of Dew in the fridge for him. It was the least I could do for him after he saved my life.

Discipline continues to be a problem for me. The problem is that you have to remain consistent. Sounds easy, but it is so much easier to just give up. Take the couch/counter/sink problem described in an earlier post. I spent all day telling them to sit on their bottoms, but they continued to stand, jump and crawl into the sink. By 7pm Chris and I had both had it, so we moved the couch away from the wall. When I told Chris they'd probably end up falling from the back of the couch onto the floor, he said, "well, I guess they'll only fall once." Let the games begin!

Two heads are better than one

My dear neighbor down the street has one child, a 3 year-old boy. She's never really had to childproof anything. Her home is filled with things that would not survive a day with Matt and Will- lots of ceramic figurines, glass, items on the coffee table, cabinets that aren't locked, a flat screen TV within arms reach of anyone over 18 inches tall. Sometimes when I'm over there with Matt and Will, I look around in astonishment at her orderly living space.
She has a water dispenser that her son doesn't touch! We had to move ours to the laundry room as soon as Matt and Will discovered they could flood our home with 3 gallons of spring water just by depressing a lever. And if one's finger got tired, the other could take over. How fabulous is that? That darn water cooler has been in the laundry room for well over a year now, but do you think they can resist messing with it EVERY time they walk by it on their way to the garage?
A few weeks ago they discovered the one door that was not childproofed in our bathroom- the door to the linen closet. While I frantically tried to put on make up and dry my hair each morning, Matt and Will would pull everything within reach out of the closet and dump it into the bathtub. As if that weren't enough of a mess, they would then turn on the water and shriek with delight. One morning they found a half-empty glass of water on Chris's nightstand. They emptied a nearby tote (thank goodness) and poured in the water. Then those smart boys refilled the cup two times at the bathtub- dumping one cup into a woven trash can (please note these don't hold water) and their final cup directly onto the floor. It took two trips to the bathtub for me to realize what was happening.
With the way our living room is arranged, I knew we'd have issues with the sink area. They've only recently begun crawling onto the couch, but it didn't take long for them to figure out they could find lots of interesting stuff in or near the kitchen sink. I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

2 months with 2-year-olds

Someday I'll regret not being better about blogging. After all, this is as close to a baby book as I'll ever get. Two has been a tough age so far, and we're only 58 days into it, but who's counting. To experience this age with two kiddos, you're assured of having at least one child doing one or more of the following at any given moment: crying, hitting, biting, whining, falling, spending time in time-out. The list could go on and on.

I guess I've always been a "glass is half empty" kind of gal, even though I like to think that I'm a realist. This has just been a tough stage. But the good thing, is that for every moment that makes me want to break dishes (apparently I'm a toddler at heart), there are just as many moments that make me laugh with joy. Here are some highlights from the past couple of months:

• Word explosion- they will try to repeat just about anything you ask them to and are beginning to string words together. Some favorites include "daddy bike" and "daddy truck" along with "Emma, NO!"
  
• Will has regressed to the koala bear phase. When I pick him up, he'll wrap his legs around my waist and hug my neck as tight as can be. He'll also give kisses out of the blue. I'll be holding him and then all of a sudden he'll grab my face and plant one on me.
  
• Matt needs my complete attention at times. If we're reading a story and I look away from the book, he'll stop and whine "no, no" and push my face back to the book. I guess he's not going to be skilled at multitasking.
  
• The other day Matt was playing and I starting belting out the lyrics to a Captain and Tennille song. He stopped what he was doing, looked at me and said, "no, no, no, no." When I kept singing, he tried to squeeze my cheeks together to make it stop. I now sing the song just to see what his reaction is. Sometimes he can handle it and other times he doesn't appreciate it so much.
  
• The boys have always been scared of dogs, even though we have two of our own. Now we can add flies to list of animals that freak them out. It's going to be a long summer. I just don't get this one. They both will happily pick up earthworms, but scream in terror if they see a fly.
  

Enjoy the photos of some recent activities- toddler time at the local library, their fist bowling experience, and their new soccer goal.

Mommy Milestone

Chris and I did something crazy and selfish and took a trip BY OURSELVES to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We spent 4 nights in Sedona and had a really nice time, though it was 1 night too long in my opinion. The boys stayed with Gran and Papa and had loads of fun. We figured after the first night they assumed their old parents were gone and they had new ones. No skin off their backs!

We took a day trip to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. If you have not been, you must go. It truly is awesome, majestic and grand. I don't know all 7 wonders of the world, but I've been to 2 that I know of and both of them have been breathtaking. Whoever came up with the 7 wonders truly knew what they were talking about.

We also took a hot air balloon ride and an off road jeep tour in Sedona. It wasn't until after I made the non-refundable reservations for the balloon ride, that I questioned my sanity for sending both Chris and I 1000 feet above the ground in a woven basket with an open flame. You have to think about these things when you become a parent. I actually took a video of our "blast off" and was yelling, "Matt and Will, if mommy doesn't come back I love you. Wooo Hooo!" That's just not right.

Happy anniversary Chris! Thanks for getting me the watch that I discovered in a magazine ad a year ago. The ad I tore out, handed to you and said, "get this for me for our anniversary next year." Yeah, that one. I must admit, I do have good taste and you sure do follow instructions well.

They Got the Memo

For the most part we've been cruising along, basking in the delight of fitful sleep for nearly a year. When your point of reference is one year of hell, everything else is roses. No matter how bad a day we have, I can always count on a 7:45pm bedtime. Usually the favorite time of day in our house.

I'd like to make it perfectly clear that Matt and Will have officially turned two. Apparently someone let them in on the "terrible two's" rite of passage, and they have been speeding down the checklist for the past 12 days.

- Excessive use of "NO!" Check!
- Public displays of disruption Check!
- Hitting, slapping, biting Check!
- Tantrums Check!
- Lots of quality time-outs Check!

Some highlights of the past 12 days...
Favorite quote- "Emma, NO!"
Will's favorite quote- "MA, NO!" translation "Matt, NO!"
Favorite place to yell at top of lungs- local restaurants
Newest recipient of slaps- Mama
Latest fear- caterpillars

I'm taking it all in stride but am fearing the next two years. A twin mom recently came up to Chris and I proclaiming, "I have some of those." She proceeded to tell us that when those twins were 3 years old she wanted to kill herself. Apparently I have a lot to look forward to.

Gimpy

Will's x-rays were clear last week, so I can't log the first broken bone milestone in the nonexistent baby book. He has begun to walk again but looks so pitiful. I'm just glad I don't have to carry him around everywhere. I picked up Matt a few times last week and whined, "why can't YOU have the injury?" The two pound weight difference is definitely noticeable when you have the heavier one attached to you for a week.

Lately Matt has become obsessed with an itty bitty mole on the fourth toe of his right foot. I pointed it out one night as I was trying to "redirect" his attention from flipping off the changing pad to staying still for a diaper. Worked like a charm. Now he'll point out the mole to me any chance he gets while saying "MOHHHH!"

They turn 2 in 10 days. The second year has flown by. That's a good thing considering the first year felt like an eternity

Beware of Books

Matt and Will have been loving their Dr. Suess books lately. They're not so much into reading them, but Matt especially likes to find the mouse on every page of "Green Eggs and Ham." He gets so excited everytime he sees it and says, "Ooh! Mah! Mah! Mah!" which loosely translates to "Look Mom there's a MOUSE! A MOUSE! Did you hear me, there's a MOUSE!" Yesterday we learned that he can pick out mice in other non-Suess books too. It kept him entertained for about 3 minutes during a 2 hour doctor's visit.
Will's most recent experience with books has been much more physical. Thursday night just before bath time, Will slipped on a pesky paperback and fell a harrowing six inches to the wood floor below. Yes, I saw that his leg was somewhat twisted. Yes, I saw that he couldn't get up. Yes, I heard his crying. But did I think it was anything to worry about? No. We bathed him, gave him Tylenol and put him to bed. He slept like a baby that sleeps through the night, and I figured he'd forget about his fall by morning.
Friday morning I discover that he cannot stand, crawl or walk. Chris takes him to the doctor and he gets x-rays that show there is nothing abnormal. But the doctor does discover that he has severe infections in both ears. Great!
All weekend I lugged him around from room to room. By Sunday he was crawling but still would not stand or walk. Monday we had a well-child visit and his dr. felt he should have been putting weight on the leg by then. So we did another set of x-rays and are patiently awaiting the results. We have two trains of thought on the whole is-it-broken-or-not situation. 1. Our child may have been crawling around with a broken leg for almost a week. That definitely is baby-book material! 2. How lame is it that Will's first broken bone may be the result of slipping on a book? This would be a much better story had it been the result of a flying leap off the top of the refrigerator.
The moral of the story. Books are dangerous. Kids should just watch TV.

Must be a boy thing

New 'Do

Matt and Will got some major haircuts a couple of weeks ago, and these are the "after" photos. Matt doesn't have as much hair as Will, so it tends to get a little crazy sometimes. This is what it looked like following a nap, and I just didn't have the heart to fix it. His hair kind of matches his personality sometimes.

Future Trash Talkers

Making Dad Proud

Looking Back

March has become an emotional month for me. It will always remind me of the roller coaster ride that led up to Matt and Will's birth. The end of March 2006 brought my first hospital stay for pre-term labor, steroid shots for the babies' lung development, weeks of IV mag and bedrest. The boys' birthday is bittersweet. It is a joyous occasion; we are incredibly blessed that Matt and Will are perfectly healthy now. But I will always remember the circumstances surrounding their birth. I will always remember that it was 12 hours before I visited them. Five days before I held Will. Ten days before I held Matt.
Today I picked out a white button down shirt to wear to work. It was one of many white button down shirts my mom purchased to make kangaroo care with the boys more modest. I can't look at those shirts without remembering hours, days, weeks visiting the boys in the NICU. The half hour kangaroo care sessions we had. The feel of their skin against mine. Knowing that my body had the power to help regulate their temperature.
Matt and Will take my breath away. They make me laugh. They turn me into a baby talking, uber-affectionate, swelling with pride mama. It amazes me every day how far we've come.











Will above, Matt below















Will above, Matt below