And he's off!

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a walker!

The boys turned one and things have been happening rapidly around here on the development front ever since. Most notably: the day they were officially one year and one day, Brady stood up in the middle of the room - without pulling himself on anything - and took his first tentative step. For that day, that was all. But every day since then he's increased the number of steps until this evening when he walked clear across the room. Several times. Great job, Brady!

He still looks like a little peanut who is too small to walk which makes it even more cute. What makes it hysterical, however, is the look on Aaron's face every time he spots Brady walking. It's a look that is a combination of "What the....?" and "How the....?" You'll do it soon too, buddy, don't worry.

There's no turning back now!

Party Pictures

Aaron and Brady celebrated their 1st birthday today.
It was hot but the kids stayed cool in the pool
and the sprinkler
Aaron has been feeling under the weather (new teeth and resulting fever) but managed to be a good sport.
Brady, as always, was happy to have everyone's attention.
Alaina was a super helpful big sister.
Mommy made her first attempt at cake decorating two "banana" cakes for her little monkeys.
Sure they could have looked nicer but they tasted delicious.
While the boys enjoyed cake, the party guests enjoyed ice cream sundaes
Post-cake sugar crash resulted in some good snuggles for Gammy and Brady...
Aaron and Caroline...
And Pepere and Alaina...
Happy Birthday little boys!!

Happy Birthday Brady!

Dear Brady,

Unlike your brother, I think you never wanted to leave my body! You spent 34 weeks trying to climb as far up into my rib cage as you possibly could. You only ventured down when you were trying to snuggle up against Aaron, leaving me quite lopsided and ridiculous looking! But one year ago from this minute, you made your entrance. Yours was a quiet entrance and for a moment, you made me very anxious. Thankfully after only a moment, I heard you give a quiet cry and I knew that you were alright.

Brady, my "Baby B"...I like to think the "B" is for "Bonus". In my wildest dreams when I took that first home pregnancy test, I never, ever imagined there would be two babies in there. My complete joy at finding out I was going to be getting double the pleasure is something I can never describe to you. I just know that you were a reward from God from something I must have done right at some point.

During your first few weeks, you reaped the benefit of Aaron's confinement in the NICU. Since you had no issues to speak of, you were held all the time. When we got you home, you seemed to enjoy getting a break from the constant attention but only for a little while! It wasn't long before you showed that you love to be held, you love to be cuddled, you love to be loved (and give love). While your two best friends are Aaron and Alaina, it is obvious that you will be friends with anyone who smiles in your direction.

At this moment you have two whole teeth which you love to use when you bite my toes. Why that amuses you, I have no idea, but it sure does. You seem to be much more interested in listening than speaking but you do love to say "Dada". You are also working on "up", "down" and signing "all done". You are ready to take off and walk at any second. You've taken a few steps but you always lower yourself to the ground when you realize no one is holding on to you. I give this a few more days and then there will be no stopping you.

Brady, my sensitive, sweet boy. I cherish every moment I have with you. I love watching you with your sister and of course, the way you interact with such awe with Aaron. I can't wait to watch you grow and find out all this world has to offer you.

I love you,
Mommy

Brady Then:



Brady Now:

Happy Birthday Aaron!

Dear Aaron,

You spent almost all of your time in the womb trying to claw and kick your way out and one year ago this very minute, you finally did it! You came screaming out and I felt an immediate sense of relief.

I had been waiting for you for much longer than just the 34 weeks you spent inside of me. I had been waiting for you for years. My first-born son, the boy I always longed for. You had been named in theory since I was in 7th grade and when I met Daddy, I was thrilled to know he also loved the name Aaron. I was thrilled to finally meet you after years of picturing you in my head.

You learned independence right from the beginning. In the NICU, it was you who was on CPAP and then under the lights, unable to be held for what seemed like the longest time. During your first few days at home you demanded that we make up for lost time and you wanted to be held quite often. But after just a few weeks, you regained your indepenence and you haven't lost it since. You play happily by yourself, you will comfort yourself to sleep, you were the first to refuse to be spoon-fed any longer - you must do everything yourself!

Right now, you have one and a half teeth and you are desperate - desperate! - to talk to us. You string together more sounds with more intonation...you must be saying something. If only I knew what. But Brady seems to know and that seems to make you very happy. You do say "Kayla", "Dog", "Dada" and you are working on signing "more" and "milk". I am still waiting for "Mama". Sure, you say "mamamamamamama" but it is not in reference to me. I know that you know I want you to say it by the way you laugh at me when I ask you to say it! It is the same look you give me right before you smack the TV screen with your hand or reach for an outlet.

Aaron, my brave, sweet boy. Every day you amaze me more and more: by yourself, with your sister and especially with your brother. I can't wait to see what the next year of your life holds for you.

I love you,
Mommy

Aaron Then:

Aaron Now:

First Haircut!

After much hemming and hawing we finally decided to take the boys for a haircut. They had been rocking the mullet (bad) but with super cute curls (good) that we were afraid to lose. But once we had two different people refer to the boys as girls...we knew it was time for a little clean up. Unfortunately we went straight from daycare without stopping home first (aka DINNER time) so the boys were as tolerant as they could be at feeding time.

Aaron enjoyed watching himself in the mirror.


Brady preferred to cling with all his might to his Daddy for protection from the crazy lady with scissors.
And then the camera battery died so there is no "final product" shot. Just believe me when I say no one will mistake them for girls again - they are too handsome for that!

Teeth!

Before bed last night, Brady had his first tooth break the gum - bottom left. This morning Aaron woke up with his first - bottom right.

My father wanted to know: what are the odds that they would each get their first tooth on the same day? Well, Dad, since they are, in fact, identical twins, I think the odds were pretty good!

(I'll post a picture once the teeth grow enough to be visible!)

First Words! (sort of)

Brady is barely using "mama" in context, however, he makes my day (and night) with his correct use of the word "up". Yes, up. He crawls over, pulls himself up on my legs, puts his arms up and says "up". Okay, it's more like "uh" but still, it's the right sounds in the right context. I'll take it.

Aaron on the other hand, has chosen his favorite person in the household. He has still not even attempted "mama" but has full command of "Nay-na". That would be his word for "Alaina". It's about the cutest thing I've ever heard.

Until one of them starts calling for Mommy. Then THAT will be the cutest thing.

Aaron's Special "First"

Aaron had a big milestone yesterday - his first kiss!

The daycare staff was all abuzz when I arrived and couldn't wait to tell me. Apparently he crawled right over to one of the "waddlers" - an older woman of 18 months! - pulled himself up on her and planted a big wet one on her cheek. I asked which child she was and was quite impressed with his good taste. He definitely picked the best looking girl in the group. Way to go, buddy!

We Did It!

In yesterday's post over on HDYDI, I made big confession: I NEVER take the children anywhere alone.

I know, I know. The boys have been around for 10-months; how is that possible? Trust me, it just is. I've never been in the position to HAVE to go anywhere without another adult so I just haven't done it. Also, I'm terrified. And the work involved just packing everyone up and loading them into the car (while herding the dog off to her crate) is enough to deter anyone.

But that has all changed now my friends. I am happy to announce that for the first time last night, I successfully managed to be out of the house - alone - with all three children! We accepted a dinner invitation from Katie and her brood. Dinner time is about the worst time of day for my children. They are tired, they are hungry, they want their mommy and they will fight each other to get to their food/me. But, Katie and her kids are the only people I would feel comfortable accepting this invitation from - at least the first invitation. I knew that if the kids (or I) did lose it, she wouldn't be totally appalled and may, in fact, even invite us to do something else with them again. So, I decided it was time to just go for it.

I am happy to report that even though we all ate about a third of our normal dinner portions, we did ALL eat (myself included!). There were no meltdowns. In fact, there was laughter. My normally stranger-shy toddler was (gasp!) playing without keeping me within her direct line of vision. My sons allowed me to PUT THEM DOWN and WALK AWAY.

This was a great confidence boost. Now that the summer months are here, I am looking forward to finally getting out and about. So many things await: summer concerts on the town green, the park, the zoo. Now, if they'd only contribute to filling the gas tank, we'd be unstoppable.

MOOOOOOOOOO

It's official: we are off formula! Woo-hoo!

Aaron and Brady are drinking milk like nobody's business. This is so nice for Mommy's wallet. Although, I am a little bummed that, unlike with formula, I cannot buy milk by the case on Diapers.com and have it shipped directly to my doorstep. Oh well. I guess a little planning ahead never killed anyone.

The Race to Walk

Recently Brady has started pulling up to the standing position using…anything*. Couch, body parts of people nearby and especially, the toy chest. He will then cruise around, occasionally moving from one piece of furniture to another.

Aaron…not so much.

So, here's the question: will Brady – who is so clearly TRYING to be upright and walk – actually take off first? Or will Aaron repeat his earlier strategy of letting his brother take the trouble to figure out how it all works…only to get up and beat him to the punch?

Time will tell.

Side note: *Brady also likes to pull up using the sliding glass doors to the former-porch-now-family-room. Occasionally at dinner we close those so we can keep them contained (and quiet) while we attempt to have a meal and conversation with Alaina. They're glass doors, people, we can see the kids. Don't judge. Anyway, when he pulls up, he resembles a mime acting like he's pulling up on something. Hysterical.

Brady wins!

I heard "Ma-Ma" for the first time today! Granted it was not in context, and he's promptly moved on to "na-na", but after months of hearing only "da-da" from both of my sons, this was music to my ears.

Brady Moves!

Yes! We have a fully-mobile Brady!

Wait...is that a good thing?

They never go in the same direction. Aaron is after the dog bowls, the dog bones, the dog. Brady is busy with...everything else. Good thing the play yard has been ordered so we can keep them contained for the summer. Let the baby-proofing begin!

Brady's First Boo-Boo

Aaron discovered Brady's face is just as fun as a toy. Maybe even MORE fun. Eyes, ears, nose, lips, cheek. Yes, this is a photo of where Aaron pinched Brady's face. Happy Easter, Brady! Thankfully, once seperated into their own chairs (and out of each other's reach) they had fun playing again.

Horton Hears a "What that say, Daddy?"

Daddy took Alaina to her first big-screen movie today, “Horton Hears a Who”. The outting started off on the right note with the purchase of popcorn. Daddy probably could have just stopped right there and Alaina would have come home satisfied. But, he ventured on. Into the theater!

She sat through the movie, asking only 50 times "What that say, Daddy?" during the opening credits. Surprisingly the movie did not evoke the usual 1000 "Why"s that normally come. I think she must have just been awestruck.

When I came home from work I got a full report. On the popcorn, the seats, the screen, the stairs. Pretty much everything except the movie itself. When I asked her about the movie she said "Um...I don't really 'member the movie." Ah...money well spent!

Creeping (but not crawling)

For weeks now Brady has been up on all fours, working hard to crawl.

He's mastered going backwards. He's even managed to get into the downward dog yoga position.

Well, this weekend, we've achieved forward movement!

Except...it's not Brady. It's Aaron. Yes, Aaron who has pushed up on all fours MAYBE three times, ever. He has fully mastered the forward, commando-army creep. That kid is going places. And not only is he going, but he's on a mission. And that mission is to take whatever Brady has away from him. To add insult to injury, Aaron doesn't even play with the toy after he's taken it from his brother. He just scoots across the room, grabs it and moves it just out of Brady's reach. This leaves Brady to get back up onto all fours and rock - backwards, away from the toy.

So, is Aaron being mean? Funny? Or is he just trying super-hard to motivate his brother to go forward? I guess time will tell.

Milestone! Week of 2/13/07

Sleeping Apart, Take 3.

By George, I think we've got it!

I am happy (and a little sad) to report that we have successfully seperated the twins into their own cribs. I will miss seeing them cuddle. But, I am glad we were able to get through it now rather than when they are 2-years old and they really know that they miss each other.

Milestones! Week of Jan 28

Three biggies this week…

Attempts to crawl: Both boys have begun to show some interest in crawling. But Brady seems to be the most determined. He pushes up on all fours and rocks back and forth. Sometimes he back-crawls. Occasionally he is able to lunge forward, usually landing on his chin. But mostly he just rocks….and screams in frustration. That kid is determined to go places. Aaron seems more content to watch Brady or roll to his destination. Although, I’ve seem him push up a few times as well.

Fruit and “meals”: It seems like just yesterday we were giving the boys a few spoonfuls of cereal to try it out. As of this morning, they are taking 3 “meals” a day! This week it’s been cereal twice and fruit once (bananas). Today will mark the first time they’ll have cereal for breakfast, fruit for lunch, and veggies for dinner. Big stuff.

AND (saving the best for last)...

Bye-bye pull-ups: As I type this, I have my fingers (and toes) crossed but, it appears that we have a potty-trained toddler! YIPEE!! Alaina has gone all week with no accidents – even at night! She is even managing to get into the bathroom, get her pants down and GO with no assistance. The best part: when she is finished, she (correctly) empties her little potty into the big toilet and flushes WOW! She has been wearing pull-ups to bed at night, but since she has gone every night this week without any accidents, we are going to let her start wearing her big-girl underwear to bed this weekend. PHEW!

Milestone! Week of 1/26/08

We sit!

Okay, we need to work on our posture a bit. But, we officially have unassisted sitting happening for minutes at a time. Usually until the dog comes and knocks them over.


(I will add a picture of Aaron sitting just as soon as I remember to take one!)

Milestone! 12/28/07

Today Aaron had his first crack at cereal. Since he is sick he only tried a few bites. But he seemed like he would like to try it again some time soon, maybe when he is feeling a little better.