Little More Conversation

Lots to report over the last month. The little beans are beginning to repeat words very frequently. So far, we have the following being attempted…I’ll include the English translation as well. Silas is a little bit ahead of Grace in regards to speaking, but she is never more than a day or two behind.

Dyeba - Diaper

Mimi – Mickey

Muh – Milk

Baf – Bath

DugDug  - Dog

Cacka – Cracker

Boon – Spoon

Tus – Toes

Dew – Shoe

Noh – Nose

Tos – Toast (sounds very similar to Tus..luckily those are entirely different things)

Kkkkkkk – Kitty

Bo – Bowl

WuBu – Waterbug (one of the bath toys)

Mote - Remote (yes, this is Silas' favorite thing to carry around...it doesn't work but I think he feels like Dada when he holds it)

They both are officially running and don’t fall much at all anymore. They also are playing more with one another each day. There have even been a couple of moments where they will go to the other side of the room and sit together to “read” a book.

The twins two favorite things to do currently are; sit in our laps while we read a book, and stacking wooden blocks... although the big box Papa brought up last week has provided hours of fun as well.

They also discovered that Fat Sam (kitty) loves to chase ribbon. This apparently is the funniest thing they have ever seen, and they erupt into laughter when Sam chases them as they run with the ribbon. When Fat Sam becomes tired (which is common, I mean, he is fat) Grace will take the ribbon and shake it on his head, trying to tempt him to get it. It is neat to see them quickly putting two and two together.

On one of the last nice days toward the end of November we took the little ones to Celery Flats to play in the big leaf piles. They had a ball!

Finally, last weekend we took them downtown to Santa. What a nice setup Kalamazoo has; Santa has a village, a house, and a little craft room…this is definitely where we will go each year instead of facing the mall Santa. When we first approached the Big Man, Silas smiled and tried to touch his beard…and I felt Grace’s fingers grip my shoulder tighter and tighter. We took a couple of practice shots with Cory and I in the frame, then quickly moved for the one golden picture…see below.

Boo!

Our house was still plagued with “the sickness” on Halloween. I took a vacation day from work so that I could stay home and help Cory with the little ones. After nap time, they seemed the least congested, so we took them outside in the yard to take a few pictures. These costumes are in pristine condition, because about 20 minutes is all of the wear they experienced! Grace and Si kept looking at each other in the costumes and cracking up, how funny to see your best buddy in a crazy get up! Big Mama bought the sizes based on their age, and forgot they are only in the 10-20 percentiles…so they were swimming in them. Gracie’s belly should have came to just above her thighs, and you’ll notice it is actually around her ankles. Silas’ feet were actually where the knees of the kid should be, so when he walked (or tried to walk, the costumes were not conducive to moving in their oversized state) you could see the feet of the costume dragging behind.

As a side story, their Papa (my dad) asked about a month ago what his little grandchildren would be for Halloween. I responded proudly “A skunk and a sea otter!” Little did I know that this would rock Papa’s world! He was flabbergasted that his little ones wouldn’t be a cowboy and princess. He very sternly indicated from here on out, he would choose the Halloween costumes. So, looks like this was my last year to have complete control!

There is no Birthday like a First Birthday!

What a wonderful blessed day October 21, 2010 was! How excited I was to celebrate the one year anniversary of our two little beans birth on October 21, 2011! The day didn’t start like every other Friday. The day didn’t start with a scream from upstairs, a little voice desperately trying to tell Mama and Dada that they were ready to start the day. The day didn’t start with Mama frantically rushing around the house with a baby on her hip trying to put on liquid eyeliner and still coo words of encouragement to the other little bean pulling at her pant leg.

This special day started with the sound of a little voice quietly talking to make-believe friends. Silas' voice raised and lowered as he spoke to his buddies painted on his bedroom wall, most surely explaining to them the meaning of life. As I laid in bed listening to him, I replayed in my head what I was doing a year ago at that time…which was receiving a hefty dose of petocin, and how different it was from what I was doing at this moment, at that time I knew I loved the little babies, but I had no idea how deeply the love would grow once I could hold them.

Listening to Silas babble on is truly the best way to wake up in the morning. When his voice started to become louder, I knew it was time to go gather up our little boy and start the day. I softly climbed up our creaky wooden stairs, trying not to wake Grace. I slowly opened the door to find our little man sitting in the middle of his mattress holding his blankie with a big smile. I walked over to him and whispered “Happy Birthday my little love.” He snuggled in the way only babies can do, nestling in the crook of my neck and relaxing his body. I wish I could start every Friday this way.

Grace was up within minutes, hollering at either Cory or I to attend to her. Even she knew it was a special day, because she just whooped out for us a little high pitched noise, not a frantic “Hey, come and get me guys!” yell. As Cory brought her downstairs her eyes settled on a Mickey mouse helium balloon and she could not look away. She kept pointing, willing her little arms to reach higher and farther so she could touch this unusual floating picture of her dear friend. “Happy Birthday little love!” I exclaimed to her, and she clapped her hands. For the second time in an hour, my heart melted and I reflected back on the momentous anniversary we would be celebrating today.

Around 1:30, Grandma Helen came and helped me prepare the rest of the decorations…which consisted primarily of us spending 20 minutes deciding how the happy birthday banner should be hung. We then waited for the little ones to wake up from their nap. Around 2:30 the rest of the crew showed up, Aunt Bitty, Nana and Papa. The little beans were very excited to see their loved ones all in one place at one time! We opened presents (or rather, I opened presents and convinced them to tip over a couple of bags) and they couldn’t decide what to play with first. I think most of the time after they were opened was spent by Grace and Silas walking around in circles debating what to look at or touch first/next. Smiles and giggles were in abundance, and the babies kept trying to practice their new skill (climbing and standing on anything they can) on most of the toys/boxes the toys came in.

After presents, we moved upstairs to eat cake. Cory made the babies a vanilla cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting, and made espresso cupcakes for the adults. Grace had the most fun with the frosting and just kept smacking her hands in it. The cake was dense as the recipe used yogurt and minimal sugar, so when you picked up the cake it didn’t crumble. Grace picked up hers after about a minute and threw it across the room, to where the dogs were eagerly waiting. We had to quickly scramble and give her smaller left over pieces, because we didn’t have nearly enough mess on her face yet nor enough pictures. Silas was straight down to business and systematically ate all of the frosting off first, then picked the cake brick up and took bite after bite. After one or two glances at Cory and I as if to say “really? You are letting this happen” they were giggling and munching.

All in all, it was a practically perfect birthday, I wish Uncle Jay, Aunt Mandy, Reese & Ronin could have been there, but I am sure there will be many more occasions soon for everyone to be a part of. Thank you all for the love and support you have given over the past year to all four of us, it has been appreciated and never taken for granted. I cannot wait to see what is in store for our little beans in the coming year!

In the jungle, the mighty jungle..the lion may be sleeping but the babies are not...

Friday will be the twins first birthday! Hard to believe, it will most surely be a bittersweet day. Another big day is tomorrow…on October 18^th it will officially be one year since I have slept for more than 4 hours straight. Don’t be surprised that I remember my last full night of sleep…at almost 9 months pregnant with twins I cherished this unusual peaceful evening! Most nights they wake up twice a night each at varying times. With one baby that might not seem too bad, but with two little ones that is four times a night for 365 days...I was going to grab the calculator but I am too sleepy to reach for it. 

I like to find humor in all situations, so I sat down and thought about some of the “tips and tricks” Cory and I have tried over the past year to get the twins to sleep through the night. Enjoy!

1.      Leaving a bottle of water in the crib

2.      Noise machine set on loud waves crashing/birds chirping/rainforest rainfall

3.      Noise machine set on soft waves crashing/birds chirping/rainforest rainfall

4.      Sleeping on the floor next to the cribs (you can guess who did that one)

5.      Rubbing backs when the babies start to wake up

6.      Singing

7.      Crying it out (yes, we have tried this. Just for a few nights. This is the most common suggestion given to us by folks far and wide, unfortunately this has been the most detrimental to try. This may work with one baby, but after about 5 minutes of one “crying it out,” the other baby – who was previously sleeping peacefully – is awaken and then a cry contest ensues)

8.      Putting our shirts in the crib with the heartbeat sound machine under the crib

9.      Nightlight

10.    Complete darkness

11.    Rice in the bottles

12.    Big 2^nd dinner right before bed

13.    Not feeding them when they wake up in the middle of the night

14.    Playing the “sleepy lady shuffle” – putting a chair next to the crib and moving it towards the door a little farther every night

15.    Separating the babies into different rooms

16.    Keeping the babies in one room

17.    Blankets

18.    No Blankets

19.    Warm Room

20.    Colder Room

21.    Moving the actual cribs to different locations in their rooms

22.    Having a “lovey” (stuffed animal or familiar blanket for security)

23.    Early bedtime

24.    Late bedtime

25.    Wearing them out during the day (i.e. day at the pumpkin barn)

26.    Bedtime routine

27.    Quiet time before bed

28.    Leaving pacifiers in the crib (although they don’t like pacifiers)

29.    Laying heavy hands on their backs while they are restless

30.    Socks

31.    No socks

Ah well, our quest will continue. Nightime may be rough, but man do the day hours make up for it :-)

Amazing Day at Amazing Acres

The little one's experienced Papa and Nana's farm for the first time Sunday. I truly think it was the best day of their lives so far, because they were free to run (or more, trot) around anywhere they wanted to go, there were flowers to see, animals to yell at, and lots of family/friends to dote on them. Seeing the farm through their eyes was a truly wonderful experience.

Grandma and little Gracie

  



"Wow that is a tall pile of hay"





Oh she is going to be champion quality at Corn Hole (that's "Bean Bag Toss" for you non-Elkhartians)!



A Letter to Our Babies

Dear Silas and Grace,

The past year of my life has been the best yet. I have three people to thank; both of you and your Dada. As I sit back and reflect on all of the changes that Dada and I have gone through since October 21, 2010, they pale in comparison to the thrilling, scary, and miraculous journey you have endured. I have witnessed you enter the world from the warm, dark, and predictable place where you grew so quickly. You have figured out gravity, light, sounds, and security. You have adapted to changing weather, changing schedules, and changing levels of understanding. You have went from a sedentary little peanut to a vertically moving ball of energy. You have learned from one another new tricks, and started to learn what it means to have a built-in friend for life, your sibling. You have shared inside jokes with one another, giggling and smiling for reasons far from our realm of comprehension. And while you don’t know what the word is for it yet, you have learned about love…pure and profound love.

As I sit in amazement of the little people you have turned out to be in one short year, I marvel in the sheer amount of knowledge that you will learn you as you grow older. There are so many, many things that will expand your mind and open your soul. Dada and I will teach you as many lessons as we can, carefully trying to show you all you need to learn to be a happy adult. Your Papa, Nana, Grandma Helen, Aunts and Uncle will surely teach you all sorts of neat things that are best taught by extended family members, like how to catch bugs, how to slide down the stairs in sleeping bags, and how to drive me crazy. Strangers will teach you how the world works, both for the bad and good. Dada and I will do our best to protect you from as much pain as possible, but surely some wayward boy or girl will break your heart a time or two. Rest assured, we will be here waiting with open arms to envelope you in a bear hug when someone commits such an offense.

So much to learn…a lifetime to learn it. When you are grown and you look back at what we have taught you, I hope you have three guiding principles you hold strong in your heart.

Honesty: noun /änistē/ Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright; True; fair; unbiased; In good faith; without malice

Your word is sometimes all you have. Most people will believe you until you give them reason not to, and once you break trust it is so difficult to regain. While your word is easy to give, be careful how freely you give it, for it is sometimes difficult to keep. You will find out that not everyone tells the truth or acts with good intention, but it does not give you the pass to do the same. You were born innately honest, you were born innately good hearted…do not let the temptation to lie or cheat get the better of you. You deserve the wonderful sensation of calmness that comes from living a honest life. You will someday encounter situations when it is easier to be dishonest, to stretch the truth, to stay out of trouble…but let your Mama reassure you…that is only in the short term. Dishonesty is never the easiest, nor the right option, long term. Stand strong, stand by your words, and stand true to your actions. I want you to be able to hold your head high, and also rest it peacefully on your pillow at night.

Strength: noun /streNG(k)TH/  The capacity of an object, substance, or person to withstand great force or pressure

May you never question where you came from, the love that created you, and the strength that you have within. It pains me to know that life will not always be easy for you, not a peaceful walk through flowers, but more an unpredictable path of hills and valleys. May the hills help bolster what we will try so hard to instill in you…inner strength. May the valleys not seem so deep because of this invaluable trait. There will be times when you think you cannot make it through a hardship, but you will. I promise, you will. God will not give you anything you cannot handle. Every obstacle you overcome will add a little piece of inner strength to your armor. The more you build this armor up, the more you will be able to endure the next time you are in battle. But do not fear, dear love, for life will mostly be made up of beautiful experiences, as long as you look for them. You will not always have to wear your inner strength armor to protect yourself, but you can always lend it to someone else who is not so strong. Build up your inner strength so you have some to spare, some to share with another person who seems like they need it. Be strong in your convictions and your beliefs. Know you have a mother and father behind you every step of the way, even if we are not within your sight as you spread your wings and grow older. We love you, we support you, we believe in you. Trust in your own inner strength.

Compassion: noun /kum-paSH-on/ Sympathetic concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others

Not everyone is as fortunate as everyone else. Some people find themselves in situations caused by their own actions, while others have misfortune cast upon them through no fault of their own. The challenge you will face is to acknowledge the difference, but treat them the same. When you see another being in peril, it is your duty to care. God has blessed you with a strong mind and heart, use them to the benefit of others. However while you are busy caring for others, make sure you are teaching them to care for themselves. You never want to become a permanent crutch for them, but more a temporary cast that heals their wounds and eventually can be taken away so they can stand by themselves. Compassion is a truly beautiful quality however do not let others mistake your compassion for weakness or naiveté, for it is quite the opposite. Understand that people are genuinely good deep down, and give them the benefit of the doubt, but don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Understand that you cannot solve the world’s problems, but never stop trying to fix them.

Thank you, my little beans, for giving me a whole new perspective on life, and for making my heart grow bigger than I ever thought possible. I thank God every single moment of every single day for blessing us with you.

With endless and enduring love,

Mama

I Walk the Line...

Okay, maybe not a straight line, but there is a lot of walking going on in our house! Gracie’s first steps were at 9 ½ months, and she is now an old pro at 10 ½ months. She even picks up speed when she sees kitty nearby. Grace enjoys this new found vertical freedom so much that she spends hours just walking the play room in the basement…just walking around in circles, picking up some things along the way. You ask her what she is doing, she just pivots a little, smiles a big smile, and continues walking around aimlessly. Silas took his first steps the day after Grace, but took a little longer to translate a few unsteady lunges forward to actual walking. Last week was the big “ah ha” moment for him, and now he can walk for about ten feet before swaying back and forth to eventually plop on his bum. It is quite the show to see two short little goobers toddling around, sometimes bumping into walls, sometimes colliding with each other. They have Cory and I in stitches most of the time.

Si had a rough week, battling a fever for the better part of 5 days. Cutting teeth is hard work, especially when 3 break through at once! He now has a pretty toothy smile…2 front top, 2 front bottom, 1 1/2 top canines and we have a lateral incisor coming in. Ok, don’t be too impressed, I had to google that one. It is a tooth next to his bottom front teeth. We don’t know if it was the teeth or the fever, but our little fella was just not himself. Very fussy, clingy, not sleeping well, and uncomfortable…not our typical Si guy! Grace is taking a slower teeth pace, ever the pensive little girl, and has 2 top front, 2 bottom, and one more coming in.

The babies also seem to have started the “twin talk” stage. They babble back and forth at meal time, and whoop/holler the same noises from across the house if they hear the other make a noise. I bet we would really hear some interesting conversations if they were still in the same bedroom. We separated them about 3 months ago because they would wake up one another in the middle of the night, and we needed all the help we could get with sleeping through the night. Since then, Grace has been sleeping in a boring room (previously the guest room), certainly not fitting for a wee little girl. I had been postponing decorating it just in case we sold the house. It looks like we may be here for awhile, so I went ahead and ordered some wall decals…I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

When One Blog Closes, Another One Opens...

When our twins were born, my husband started a Blog called "Mr. Mom," chronicling his new journey as a stay at home dad. He would stay up after the little ones went to bed to write about experiences and amusing antics from past days, and put some of us to shame by posting pictures of freshly baked goodies (made during nap time, what an overachiever!) ...then along came college. Cory enrolled in school to work on his business degree and quickly found every spare second focused on homework. As he became entrenched in reading chapter after chapter, the time to blog grew less and less....until finally, nada, zip, zilch! Exit "Mr. Mom" and enter "Two Blessings"

Cory and I will take turns posting about life with twins, although I will probably be the main contributor. After all, what else am I going to do when he is knee deep in gospel literature? The option was either create a blog or watch reruns of Jersey Shore. To make sure I still had enough brain cells left to teach the kiddos important life lessons, like tying shoes and whatnot, I decided more trash reality TV was probably not the best choice.

So here we go, continuing our journey as a new mama and dada, simply enjoying everything our two little ones bring us each day.