Life Exponential

Just some random pictures I like

2011-03-09T21:06:00.000-06:00

8 months...and 9. Whoops

2011-03-09T20:56:00.004-06:00

8 months. Hard to keep her still.

And 9 months. For the first time, these are of just Fiona. The big sisters were visiting Grandma on the 21st.

7 months

2011-01-01T20:57:00.004-06:00

Oh by the way....someone turned 7 months old just before Christmas. I tried hard to get photos without a finger in her mouth, but it was almost impossible. She thinks her sisters are hilarious these days, their dances and silly faces are one of the few things that get actual belly laughs out of her. She's also very ticklish. She's learning to eat solid foods, although she still seems a bit skeptical. So far, pumpkin has been her favorite food. Also sweet potato and applesauce, sometimes even mixed together. She sits on a blanket on the floor and plays with toys for longer than Rowan or Saoirse ever would as babies, we are always amazed. She remains a mama's girl, although she's pretty clearly madly in love with her sisters and her daddy as well. Unfortunately, as I write this she's sleeping pretty fitfully next to me, as she's struggling with her 7th or 8th cold in her short 7 months with us. Man, she gets colds often. Poor baby.

Just for fun, here's an outtake. This is what I get when I sit down and try to take good pictures of all three girls. Lots and lots of shots like this, with the occasional good one thrown in.

Merry Christmas, hope yours was lovely!

2010-12-28T19:13:00.000-06:00

Christmas tree shopping

2010-12-05T15:16:00.006-06:00

Can't believe 2010 is almost over. We're preparing for the holidays.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T09:54:00.002-05:00

We had dinner with our friends, then trick or treated together. It's so much better as a mob. Fiona stayed and handed out candy, Rowan and Saoirse were out for a half hour or so. Rowan loved the ghost costume, but it was really a disaster. She couldn't see well, it slipped all over. Chris was all...well, it worked in Charlie Brown. Yeah, maybe the fact that they were cartoons helped. I guess the fact that she liked it and got to be what she said she wanted is what counts.

This and that...

2010-10-31T12:46:00.008-05:00

Just another Sunday morning doing dishes for Chris:

We're covering the basic food groups around here:

This warms my heart. My girl, "reading" while she walks:

5 months old

2010-10-25T19:45:00.002-05:00

No one was terribly happy about this photo session, but I managed to at least document that it happened.

Yes, she's 5 months old.

Fall, take 2: That's more like it. :)

2010-10-13T19:51:00.002-05:00

Fall...even though it doesn't feel like it

2010-10-08T14:53:00.004-05:00

Fiona says, "What have we been up to?"

Well...we made a trip to the orchard with Rowan and Saoirse's preschool.

Which turned into an apple pie making adventure. Sorry, no photo of the finished product, in my rush to eat it I forgot. And it wasn't very pretty. But it did taste good, to everyone but Saoirse. She was disappointed, it turns out she doesn't like apple pie. Bummer.

Just enjoying fall. And some football. Go Blue!

Look who's 4 months old!!

2010-09-21T13:26:00.004-05:00

I know Fiona. It IS really exciting.

Do you think Rowan and Saoirse MIGHT be getting a little sick of getting their pictures taken? This is Day 3 of preschool.

School!!

2010-09-16T20:23:00.002-05:00

Well...preschool, two afternoons a week. But it's a big change for everyone. Here they all are on the first day.

Even Fiona is psyched. Yay! A little one on one time with Mommy.

3 months

2010-08-24T11:36:00.002-05:00

Fiona is three months old!!

And, as an aside, I am really feeling the limits of my skill with a camera. The only classes I've ever taken were focused on black and white film (which I LOVE). But for speed, instant gratification, and color, I can't really beat digital. So I'm working on it. But man, I am frustrated with the difference between what I see in my mind and what I can actually make the camera do lately.

With subjects like these, though...it's hard to go too far wrong.

Soaking up the last bits of summer

2010-08-12T20:43:00.003-05:00

Knowing that we were going to have a new baby this spring, I thought that we should just prepare ourselves for a summer of hell. I know, I'm such an optimist. But I didn't really remember the massive sleep deprivation from the first time around fondly. I don't do well with lack of sleep. Instead, the truth is...this summer has been awesome. And we're trying to enjoy every last minute.

So we've been spending time at the library, escaping the heat:

Eating lots of summer fruit:

Sleeping more than I remember from the first time around....

wearing pretty dresses to go to tea with fairies:

eating cupcakes:

and just generally loving our newest member as much as humanly possible:

Gorgeous girls :)

2010-06-30T16:49:00.000-05:00

Fiona's a month old!

2010-06-24T12:12:00.000-05:00

Be still my heart

2010-06-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

One week old

2010-05-28T16:39:00.003-05:00

It's been a good week. Weather in the 80's, so the big sisters have been in their kiddie pool every day, which I think you can see is a big hit. Daddy's getting very tan. Fiona gets cuter every day, even though I don't think it's possible.

Welcome to Fiona Josephine!!

2010-05-25T16:33:00.003-05:00

Born May 21, 2010 7:24 PM
7 lbs, 14 oz 19 inches long

We're all home and doing well, madly in love with our newest girl. :)

Easter weekend

2010-04-06T09:58:00.003-05:00

New big girl beds, sunny weather, Daddy home for an extra day on Monday, ice cream and candy, even dragging out the baby pool from last summer (no photos, we were too busy enjoying it). Good Easter weekend.

Saoirse's drawing

2010-03-29T11:08:00.004-05:00

Both of the girls draw a lot, almost every day through this long winter inside. But up until now it's really just been squiggles. Sometimes they will make a little line or dot and then say...oh, that's a turtle, or a shark, or whatever. But yesterday, for the first time, I walked by the table where Saoirse was drawing and asked, "What is that?"...and when she answered me I could actually see what she was saying.

She says the larger figure on the right is "Daddy, with some hair." And I'm on the left, also "with hair." It's hard to see on the scan, but there are even some facial features, and those sticks under Chris's giant head are legs.

It's just amazing seeing the leaps their brains take every now and then.

Three amigos

2010-03-08T09:34:00.001-06:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And a few more..

2010-03-07T15:53:00.001-06:00

Mexico!!

2010-03-07T14:53:00.004-06:00

We got home from our week in Mexico yesterday, and I wanted to share some photos of the vacation. It was sunny and hot all week, we had perfect weather. The villa we shared was fantastic, and life is a lot easier at 28 weeks pregnant with maids, a cook, and two nannies to help with the 6 children we had with us collectively. If only every week were like that. :)

Our Valentine's Day loves....

2010-02-15T10:33:00.002-06:00

Okay, so there's less romance around our house these days. But look what we DO have...:)
Lucky us.

Daddy's snowy morning off

2010-02-10T13:20:00.001-06:00

Some Christmas stuff...

2009-12-30T13:47:00.001-06:00

American Gothic toddlers...

2009-12-30T13:43:00.001-06:00

Lately the girls have been asking me to take pictures of them, then flip the camera around so they can look at it. This sounds great, but these are examples of the faces I get when I do it. It looks like I'm forcing them.

Time together

2009-12-30T13:29:00.003-06:00

I think my favorite thing about having two girls is watching them together. Yes, some days I feel like we don't go for more than two minutes without me being called on to referee. But it's not always like that. They play together a lot, more all the time, and it's so great.

So here's the thing...

2009-11-23T13:02:00.002-06:00

A new Papp baby will be joining us, expected around Memorial Day 2010. :)

Lately

2009-11-17T13:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T19:58:00.004-05:00

Happy (early) birthday to me. :)

2009-09-17T20:38:00.002-05:00

Today my best birthday present ever came in the mail. I don't say that lightly, because I've gotten some great birthday presents. But today I got a new camera. A very nice, digital SLR camera. I've been coveting one for a few years now, but they're not cheap, so it's been put off. But no more! :)I didn't get much of a chance to play with it today, but here are a few tries. I LOVE this camera.

more of what they do when I'm not looking

2009-09-06T21:23:00.001-05:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

GO BLUE!!!

2009-09-05T19:49:00.003-05:00

We're ready for a great season!

A peaceful moment

2009-09-04T13:02:00.002-05:00

There are so few quiet, peaceful minutes in the day with toddlers. But this was a sweet one. Seeing them getting along always makes me smile.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Chris's birthday

2009-09-04T10:22:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Chris's birthday, and the girls had fun helping me make a cake with sprinkles. They pretend to put sprinkles on almost everything, and get really excited when they really get to use some. They also really enjoyed helping Daddy eat the cake after dinner at Charlie's.

On our shopping trip the day before yesterday, both girls chose cards for Daddy. (Rowan chose one with two turtles, Saoirse chose a race car) While we stood in line to pay they talked to the woman behind us, telling her, "Daddy's birthday tomorrow!" For a minute, I wondered if it had been a bad idea to let them in on it, wondering if they would tell Chris when he got home about the cards they decorated, the cake we were making, the homemade breakfast scones. It's the first time they could have done that. Just recently they've started telling you what they did that day. They didn't tell, though, so we managed to surprise him.

My favorite part? They kids went to bed pretty early (and easily) and let Mom and Dad spend some time alone together for his birthday. Sweet.

now that's what I'm talking about...

2009-09-01T19:11:00.002-05:00

Tonight after dinner I let the girls have one cookie each for dessert, and told them they could eat in on the back patio. They sat in the couch out there and ate while I watched them from the window. No fighting, and when Saoirse moved to their little picnic table she said, "Rowan, join me!" And Rowan did. Super cute. Then they finished, I let them in, and they took off running for the stairs yelling "Bath time!"

Chris said, "Yeah, now this is the kind of parenting that I've been looking forward to. Maybe if we just stay here they'll give themselves a bath."

Rainy day

2009-08-26T10:54:00.004-05:00

I looked at the weather, and there are five days of rain forecast. That's roughly one hundred years of rain in my world. So far this morning, the house is even more trashed than usual, there have been approximately 50 time-outs for pushing, scratching, smacking a sister. The requests for lunch started at 10:30 am. We're all still alive, but barely.

However, they're still cute. At least there's still that.

Independence Lake

2009-08-25T14:38:00.004-05:00

The girls and I met Sarah, the babies, and her mom, and headed to the lake for a bit this afternoon. It's mid-80's and not raining, and this might be the last lake day this year. They've been few and far between, really.
Saoirse was pretty happy with herself for sitting in the water, in the waves, all by herself. She kept telling me she was "scooching" as she filled her diaper with sand.

While we had snacks, I was handing out grapes when I found a long blonde hair in the bowl. I pulled it out and just for a second wondered where in the heck we picked up a blonde hair before I realized that it came from one of my two blonde daughters. (!!??) During all the years of daydreaming and waiting for babies of my own, I did not picture them like this. Look at that hair!

Playdate at Sarah's

2009-08-20T20:29:00.003-05:00

Rowan and Saoirse had fun again today playing with William and Katherine. Here they are in the "little house." Between the playhouse and the 3 kitties, I don't think they really ever want to come home.

Today was a bit cloudy, and it sprinkled in the morning while we were talking about going out. (You can see it made an impression on the girls, they chose their own footwear). It also meant that all day long they sang variations on "It's raining, it's pouring! The old man is snoring!" As we drove over, I listened to Saoirse sing this, "Pouring..pouring...go to sleep...close your eyes...no wake up 'til morning."

We've been working on manners a bit lately, and today I got a little illustration of what they're grasping of it. While playing with a water table, Saoirse grabbed a measuring cup out of Rowan's hands.
Rowan: (whining dramatically) Please no take it! Sha-sha give it back to me!
Saoirse: (holding it out of Rowan's reach) Say please!
Rowan: I did say please.

The wee hours.

2009-08-17T14:11:00.002-05:00

This whole waking up at night thing is something I really underestimated before having kids. Obviously I knew that babies woke up at night, especially at the beginning. They need to eat every few hours. But I hadn't given it a lot of thought. And looking back, I seem to have just thought that after a few months (like 4) it just happened. They got bigger, and they slept. And that's that. I had images of putting them in their little cribs, tucking a blanket over them, one last kiss, then tiptoeing out the door. Then there's be time to eat, watch TV, talk over a glass of wine with my husband. And no more baby until morning.

Instead, no one slept through the night until 10 months old, and then it was just one of them. Saoirse insisted for more than 18 months on only sleeping in bed with us. And sleep deprivation was so constant, I was willing to sleep with an army of people in bed if it meant a few hours without getting up.

But even now, it's still an issue. Last night Saoirse woke up around 3 am. One minute I was in the middle of a dream, the next minute I'm stumbling down the hall to stop her screaming before she wakes up her sister. (another aspect of sleep that I never considered before having kids) She was screaming, "No leave me!! I go with you!" so I brought her back to bed rather than fight an all-out battle at that hour. For the next 3 hours, she wiggled around in our bed without falling asleep. She rolled, she kicked. She snuggled up to each of us until we got annoyed, then she'd switch parents. When I would tell her to stop moving around and kicking me, or else, she'd cry. Around 6 am, as the sun was coming up, she finally lay still long enough to fall asleep. Around a half hour later, Chris's alarm went off.

Now, I know I could have put her back in her room, screaming be damned. Of course, then there would have been two girls awake and crying. And Saoirse has proven in the past that she can keep up the screaming for longer than most would guess. But either way, it was clear that there was going to be no sleeping. And this is not a rare thing with her.

If someone had told me before having them that there would be, on average, one night a week with 3-4 hours of sleep...when they were TWO?!...I would have been horrified. Thank god I didn't know.

Do we order out too much?

2009-08-14T17:51:00.001-05:00

Playing this morning:

Saoirse: Backpack on! Going to work.

Me: You're going to work? Where do you work?

Saoirse: Chinese.

Me: What?

Saoirse: Chinese. Here, eat this. (handing me pretend food)

Toddler beds

2009-07-27T20:31:00.002-05:00

Guess whose beds got converted this weekend? No more cribs, since Daddy caught Saoirse with her leg over the railing.

Uncle Evan's home from Jamaica!!

2009-07-27T20:29:00.001-05:00

Yeah, Saoirse's shirt says Jamaica, too. But she doesn't want you to see it.

Playdates with Reema

2009-07-27T20:24:00.003-05:00

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago, but I left my camera at Reem's for a while, so I couldn't post it. We had a fun time listening to some music, sharing lunch, and playing with our friends. For ten years I've been waiting for these days, to see Reem's and my kids playing together. Life is good.

Getting ready for Sareena's wedding

2009-07-11T10:04:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, while I took a shower after my morning run, the girls were entertaining themselves in our bedroom/bathroom. Apparently while I was in there, they found a brown pen/marker that I use for journaling. Rowan drew all over both girls, and a book I left by the bed. I was impressed that they kept it so neat, to be honest, since they were sitting on my bed while they drew and there are only a couple tiny marks on the pillowcase. Taking their pictures before I scrubbed it off them, I was reminded of these old photos of Reema and me.

Apparently the girls are really excited for Sareena's big day. In about 20 years. Or maybe they're planning on an Indian wedding themselves? Milin and Rohin, I'm looking at you, don't try anything...;)

I have a blog?!

2009-07-10T11:31:00.004-05:00

Oh right. That's right. Posting. The girls. Preserving family memories, blah blah blah. I forgot.

We've been having the usual busy summer. We went to the lake for the 4th of July. Rowan had her first s'mores, which she loved as much as you would expect. Saoirse loved the fireworks, I can still hear see her grin, eyebrows raised, saying, "See dat?!" after every burst. Awesome. I've seen a lot of fireworks, but out on the pontoon in the middle of the lake, surrounded by other boats, and having fireworks going off from houses all around you had got to be the best.

We also made a trip up north, spending some time in Traverse City with great friends. The group is growing all the time, this time there were 8 adults and 9 children 5 and under. The girls had their first sailboat ride, which they loved. They spent a lot of time in the sand.

Then we hit Mt. Pleasant for a wedding. The girls had fun, and enjoyed the night in a hotel a lot too. We got an upgrade on our hotel room because the room we reserved wasn't ready yet, and our room had a huge jacuzzi tub right next to the beds. When we walked in, both girls ran to it yelling, "Bathroom!!"

And here are the girls, being cute with ponytails. Aren't they getting big?

Dads are different

2009-06-17T14:07:00.002-05:00

This is why it's good to have two parents. One might be the kind of parent(like me), who would never think that this would be a great game. :)

We love our table!

2009-06-17T14:06:00.001-05:00

And we like eating like big girls! Thank you Auntie Reema and Uncle Bav!!

Finally

2009-06-17T13:59:00.003-05:00

We finally had one day hot enough, on a weekend, to make it to the pool. Last year the girls were cautious. They liked it, but they were still a bit unsteady on their feet, and the water seemed deep to them. (2 ft. max) This year they were crazy about it. They can walk all through the kid pool without it being too deep. They're brave enough to not need us to hold their hands all the time. And this time, even when they fell in the water and got their faces wet, they just coughed for a minute and kept going. In the end, we had to drag them out of the water after 2 hours. They were purple and shivering, but they wanted to keep going. Let's hope the weather lets us get back there within the next month or so, huh?

Oh, and for Reema: Saoirse wore those glasses in the pool. She wouldn't take them off.

More sister love...

2009-06-17T13:56:00.002-05:00

Lots of snuggling around here, it lasts a couple minutes before Rowan starts yelling, "Much!!" Poor Saoirse.

Our saving graces

2009-06-07T16:04:00.005-05:00

As they have been on so many other occasions, Grandma and Grandpa were a huge help this week. They took us in, and entertained Rowan while Saoirse got extra attention for being sick.

Saoirse and Rowan enjoyed seeing the lake, and riding on Grandpa's boat.

Back in G.R., here they are watching Nemo with Grandpa:

And here they are in their new big girl beds at Grandma's. Too cute.

Days 3-7

2009-06-06T19:28:00.002-05:00

Well...my early optimism was somewhat unwarranted. On the 2nd night Chris was home, both girls woke up around midnight and I took them back to bed. No one slept much after that. The next day was not fun. We were all very tired and cranky. I was hoping for a better night, since they were tired out, but no such luck. At some point during the night, I decided to take Saoirse to the dr. in the morning, because she felt hot.

So, Wednesday morning, we went to the pediatrician's office instead of the playdate at the petting farm we had planned. When the nurse got a look at her throat, she said it looked "terrible." She had strep throat. So we went home with a prescription. Although when I say "home," I mean Grandma and Grandpa's place, because it was time for some reinforcements. A day later, Saoirse was covered with a rash, and it turned out she was allergic to the antibiotics. So new meds got added.

This has been an extremely long week. Chris comes back tomorrow. In the 8 days he's been gone, we've had some major tantrums, fevers, kids piled into mom's bed, a dr's visit, strep throat, med allergies, and a rash. What we have had not nearly enough of is sleep.

Day 2

2009-06-01T21:12:00.003-05:00

Most of the day today went pretty smoothly. It rained all morning, which is pretty normal around here for the last month. So we were stuck inside again. After breakfast we read books, drove some cars around, diapered a dozen baby dolls or so, discussed where Daddy was several million times, and played with some Playdoh.

Then came Rowan's naptime, which is one-on-one time with Saoirse. We put together their new Elmo table from Auntie Reema and Uncle Bav (big hit). Then Saoirse got clingy and insisted on being held on the couch for the next 1.5 hours until Rowan got up. No sleep. Oh no. Just holding.

After Rowan woke up, we hit the mall. There were a couple things I needed, and we all needed to get out of the house. While we were there, we had dinner out. The girls were really good, actually. And Rowan ordered something in a restaurant for the first time. When the waitress came around at the beginning, she held out the sippy cup to her and asked for "lemon," which means lemonade. She's catching on to this restaurant thing.

Bedtime was not smooth. Rowan melted down screaming and asking for Daddy. No amount of explanation was working. Getting her in her bed seemed impossible. So both girls are sleeping in Mommy's bed right now, and it wasn't easy getting them to sleep there, even. Let's hope they sleep, at least. For now, we all miss Chris.

Daddy's away: Day 1

2009-05-31T19:44:00.004-05:00

Chris left for Chicago this afternoon, and won't see us for a week. He's taking an exam next Sunday, and we're all looking forward to it being over so he can stop studying so much and see us more.

This morning, before Chris left, the girls and I got up and went for a run while Chris mowed the lawn.

Then we all went together and watched Chris play soccer. Here the girls are eating a snack of pita bread on the sidelines.

Once he left, the girls and I played, ran errands, and started our dinner/bed/bath routine a little early. We miss Daddy already. :(

funny stuff they say

2009-05-17T18:20:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Chris went to study for hours. When he got home, Rowan was the first one to hear the garage door opening. She said, "Daddy!" I said, "No, baby, I think it was the laundry." A second later, I heard the garage door closing, and said, "Oh, I think actually it is Daddy." She ran for the door, yelling, "Told you!"

They're TWO!!

2009-05-11T20:31:00.003-05:00

Two years ago this morning, I arrived at the hospital around 4:30 am and found out, much to my chagrin, that you cannot actually get an epidural within minutes of walking in the door. Two years ago I pushed like crazy for more than an hour before finding out that it would be a c-section after all. I fought my teeth chattering for a couple of hours, until the epidural wore off and the morphine really kicked in. I stayed awake for over 40 hours, even after the girls were delivered and in the NICU, and I could have slept the day away, just from being wired.
And two years ago this evening, I actually got to meet my baby girls. The baby girls that I had waited my whole life for. And they're even better than I ever imagined.

Here are some pictures of them from today.

Rowan can read!! ;)

2009-05-08T16:56:00.000-05:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Sister stuff

2009-05-08T16:27:00.003-05:00

One of the common things that people talk about with twins is that they always have a playmate. They will entertain each other, keep each other company. A lot of times it has not worked out like that. But as they get older, it does more and more. They pretend to read to each other, both squeeze into the leather chair in the library at least once a day. Occasionally there are shoving matches because the books overlap, but more than not they figure out a way to both fit and still read. They "chase" each other, trade and share toys.

This is a sight I see about a dozen times a day.

The other day they were playing, and Saoirse was "getting" Rowan. In the first picture here, Rowan is still playing along. In the second, she's screaming, "Stop!" (I did save her right after I took the picture.) But a year ago she would have bitten Saoirse. Screaming takes the place of that most of the time now.

And here they are in my bed in the hotel when we spent Monday night in Clare for the funeral. The three of us shared a King sized bed. Out of a long several days, the time spent snuggling with Rowan on one side and Saoirse on my chest while they fell asleep was the sweetest part of the trip.

time with friends

2009-05-08T16:17:00.003-05:00

This last week the girls also got to spend some time with friends. It's fun seeing them get to the age where they can enjoy playing with other kids.

We went to a bounce party for our friends' Milin and Rohin's birthdays. It was a total madhouse, as you would expect with about 40 children between 0-4 playing on bouncy things and eating pizza and cake. The room heated up to about 80 degrees, I couldn't hear myself think. The girls enjoyed themselves, though. At first they weren't so sure about the bouncing. The first time in, Rowan was enthusiastic until we actually got in. Then she started shaking her head, saying, "Much. Much!" And we had to climb back out. They got used to it and started having fun soon, though.

Then we all hung out in Muskegon for an afternoon, visiting Tim and Lisa (and Ava and Abe). The get-together was in honor of Reg and Kerry's visit home with Ella. Very cute. The girls had a lot of fun playing with Ava in the backyard. They loved the playhouses. Rowan spent a long time "cooking" some bacon for Chris and then running over and taking it to him. Saoirse loved "washing" her little play baby in the sink.

their grandparents...

2009-05-07T14:20:00.002-05:00

And so it goes on. My last post reminds me all over again of how lucky Rowan and Saoirse are to have all of their grandparents, and to have such great relationships with them. Over this last week and a half, they've spent quite a bit of time with family. They especially loved their visit to Grandma Betty and Grandpa Brian.

They got a new tool set, and Grandpa rigged up a cardboard box and showed them how to "fix" it.

And although it's been chilly on and off, they got to spend lots of time outside. They love exploring in the woods behind the house, and they're really looking forward to getting fish in the pond this spring. It was hard to keep them away from the water.

And here they are just looking cute.

Hard to believe they'll be two in only a few days. This week both girls started pronouncing Rowan's name as "Wo-wan" rather than Wo-Wo. They learn new words every day, and constantly narrate our everyday activities. I've been taking them for runs in the morning after breakfast, and it sounds like this, "Squirrel!....Boodie (bird)! Boodie fly!....Truck! Big truck!....car driving. Lello (yellow) car! ...." I love their talking. Speaking of talking, as I was writing this, Saoirse crawled up on my lap, and this is her commentary on the picture above, "Wowan! Wowan there! No Sha-Sha. Wowan. Steps. Up steps, Wowan. Up steps." It's nonstop, it really is.

Miss you

2009-05-01T21:35:00.005-05:00

My grandma Hales died this afternoon. She was 78, and she outlived my grandpa by 5 years, which I'm sure surprised her as much as it did me. She'd been declining for years, so it didn't come as a shock. Still, I find it hard to imagine that I will never see her again. Never see them again. Somehow, it seems more final now that they're both gone.

Grandma asked to go home, as she got less coherent and closer to the end. Two days before she died, when her sister reminded her that the dr had said she had to stay, she said, "Get Ray! Damn it, he can come and take me home." As sad as it made me, knowing that she had slipped far enough to forget that my grandpa was gone, I couldn't help but laugh. That was my grandma.
I remember, and will for the rest of my life, spending the night with my grandma and wearing her "silky nightgowns" to bed, even though they dragged the floor. And I'm so glad I remembered a few years ago to ask her for her recipe for Spanish rice. Although she was confused by the request, because there was no recipe. Instead, she made it for me and let me write down what she did as she did it. Looking at old photos, I remember her smile, and her throwing her head back and laughing. It breaks my heart that I don't remember the last time I saw that in person. Years ago. But there was another time, back when I was a kid, when my memories of her and my grandpa revolve around camping up North, summers in their pool, ice cream from the scary basement freezer, Grandma making us spend all day outside so we didn't waste the day in front of the TV. Happier days with her.

Not to say that they were easy days. My grandpa told me when I was around 14 that the reason my grandma and I "butted heads" so much was that we were alike. And oh, I was even madder then. She was not an easy woman. But I loved her. And I am so, so grateful for the time we had.

My grandma and me

"Looky me!!"

2009-04-25T17:59:00.002-05:00

That's what Saoirse said to me this morning, running up to me with little plastic sunglasses on her face, upside down. That's the first time I've heard her say that sentence, but not the last, I feel certain.
I asked Rowan to pause in their game to let me take this picture of her:

Saoirse ran over, said "Sha-Sha turn!" This is how she wanted her picture taken:

We got to spend some time on the playground again today, before the thunderstorm hit.

The Arb

2009-04-24T20:10:00.003-05:00

So today was the first really hot day of spring '09. It was above 80 degrees and sunny. Chris has been studying full-time lately, anticipating starting work on May
4th. But who could sit in a library all afternoon on a day like today? So he left early and we did our best to wear the kids out. (I mean, we spent an afternoon sharing quality time...)

We went to the park across the street for a while. But we do that every single day that the weather allows, we wanted to get out of our neighborhood. Saoirse wasn't as thrilled with that, because she was really enjoying pushing the whole family on the merry-go-round. If Chris tried to put his foot down to help, she'd run over and shove it up, saying, "NO! On there!" She liked showing us how "stong" she is.

When we convinced her, we headed to the Arb. Of course, Piggy had to go too.

We headed down by the river, and the girls even got to wade a little.

The girls also spent some time picking up pinecones (or "combs" as they call them) and stuffing them through the slats of a bench.

Next time we go to the Arb, I hope the trees have gotten leaves, because it was HOT today and Mommy could have used some shade.

Even hotter tomorrow, we hear. :)

Big outing

2009-04-24T20:03:00.003-05:00

I've been looking forward to Reema and I getting our kids together for years. Although the logistics of getting two sets of twins out of the house for a morning concert at the library can be daunting, today we did it!! It was the first time that Reem brought them out alone to something like this, and she was (of course) a rock star. There were no meltdowns, no screaming, no disasters. The kids all seemed to enjoy themselves, Saoirse and Rowan were fascinated by Sahil and Sareena. Rowan gave each of them kisses, even. So much fun!

Really really belated Easter Egg hunt..

2009-04-22T16:05:00.003-05:00

The twin club we belong to had their Easter Egg hunt last weekend, a full week after Easter. It didn't matter to Rowan and Saoirse, since they don't know when Easter is anyway. But it did make it harder to get in the mood. The girls both got the hang of looking for eggs and putting them in their baskets right away. Unlucky for them, by the time we hit this party I was already fed up with candy, so they didn't eat a single piece of the Easter candy that was in the eggs. Oh well.

Here's Saoirse playing at the playdough table with some other little twins.

After the party I tried to change Rowan, and she insisted on adding pants but not taking off her dress. Here she is chilling a little with Daddy before dinner.

Big sister

2009-04-22T16:03:00.002-05:00

Last weekend when it was warm, we had ice cream on State St. Saoirse didn't really want any of the ice cream, but she was very vigilant about making sure Rowan got cleaned up when she spilled.

a hotel trip...

2009-04-16T15:50:00.003-05:00

A couple weeks ago, when the April snow hit here in Ann Arbor (and what the hell is up with that, by the way?), we lost power. It was out for more than 24 hours, and since it was snowing it got really cold pretty quickly in the house. So we went and spent the night in a hotel. One on hand, not living close enough to family to just go to someone else's house when our power is out is a pain. (mostly financially) The good thing is that we get a little mini-vacation, which we all enjoy.

We spent some quality time in the pool while we were there. The girls are getting braver all the time about the water. Rowan wanted me to hold her hands on the side of the pool and let her "jump" in, dipping her about chest deep. Then she'd say "Out!" and I'd lift her back up. We did this for about a half hour, until my poor back protested too much, and we had to quit. Then she went to Chris in the water.

The last picture is the next day, when we were back in our house. I just thought Rowan looked too cute in her pigtails. :)

Cookie Mouse at story time

2009-04-03T20:28:00.003-05:00

There's a whole series of books that the girls love. If you give a mouse a cookie. If you give a pig a pancake. Etc..I bought a collection of them while we were in California last fall, and Rowan claimed that book as her own. She cries if Saoirse touches it. She calls the book "mouse cookie." Last weekend they read it at story time at the Barnes and Noble by us, and Cookie Mouse came to the story-time and brought the kids a cookie. I figured we had to be there. It was like if the cast of Lost showed up at the movie store down the street, Chris and I would need to be there, you know? So we went. The girls loved it. Rowan wanted to touch the mouse a million times, she didn't really care for the story part, she just wanted to get to the mouse. They loved the drawing and the cookie, too.

Look at Saoirse sit so quietly and follow along in her book. :)

Here they are both listening. Don't they look teeny? Notice the other set of twins to their right. Isn't this generation strange? Is being a twin even going to seem unusual to them?

Jack hasn't gone to the farm yet

2009-04-03T20:12:00.003-05:00

So the pre-Easter bunny is still hanging on. Saoirse is getting braver every day, both girls "home-um" whenever they can. (That's "hold him" in Rowan-speak) It looks like this bunny may actually make it to Easter in our house.
The last photo is Saoirse playing in Jack's cage while I clean the bottom part. She climbed in the door, lay down to "sleep" and is asking us to close the door. She loves this and runs for it as soon as we take the cage apart.

I forgot how to do this...

2009-04-02T22:08:00.003-05:00

Today Chris left the house early in the morning and only came back for dinner. Now that most of the job hunting stuff is wrapping up, he's spending the days studying for oral boards. So today I was totally alone with the girls for a whole day, without him in the house at all. That hasn't happened much in the last few months. I forgot how long the last few hours are. I forgot how much energy it takes to entertain toddlers without a break, completely alone for so long.

We did, though, have a good day. It was really warm, so we got outside for a run/walk. (I walked, they slept in the stroller) We ran some errands and had lunch together on campus.

Here's the saving grace of staying home with almost two year olds compared to last spring. I was folding some laundry and the girls were in the other room. I went to look for them, and here's what I found:

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Thanks

2009-03-23T13:38:00.004-05:00

Dad here. Just realized its been a really long time since I posted, so I thought I'd write a few words.
Its been a weird few months for me. I've been off work now for 4 months. I think I will be signing a contract soon, so everything should be fine, but I have been stressed out worrying about my family. Just like Gwen feels the pressure to be "mom" and do everything for the kids, I feel the pressure to be "dad" and provide for them. When that ability is challenged by whatever circumstances occur, a man can start to question himself. Luckily, I have a wonderful support group.

First, I have to thank Gwen. I have totally destroyed her routine (and anyone with children knows how important routine is) by being home. The kids are constantly asking for me and acting badly because I let them get away with too much. It makes a hard job even harder on Gwen. Through it all though, she has been very supportive and helps me keep going.

Second, I have to thank my parents, grandpa John and grandma Donna. They have been there for me and my family everytime I have ever asked for their help. In the beginning, they came to our apartment every weekend. And even now they go way out of their way to help. They have been going to Cleveland most weekends to renovate a house and even though it is out of their way, they come by our house a lot to see the kids and help out. Just two weeks ago my mom took a week off of work to come take care of Rowan and Saoirse by herself so that Gwen and I could go to an interview in Wisconsin. I don't let them know often enough just how much I appreciate their support. Those are a couple pictures of my mom with the kids. They really love their grandma. Grandpa too, but I have to get some more pictures of them together. My bad.

Finally, thanks go to my in-laws. Grandpa Brian and grandma Betty have been wonderful. We stay at their house frequently and have left Rowan and Saoirse with them many times and I've never worried about them.

I am not sure if its true that you need a village to raise a child, but having the kind of support I do, makes raising twins so much better. Thanks.
Love,
Dad

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T20:09:00.002-05:00

Luckily, Rowan was feeling better today, so we could have some fun. It was gorgeous, around 70 degrees. We went to music class in the morning, then after nap took a walk to campus. We had some ice cream at Stucci's, hung out on the Diag, and checked out all the fun student silliness for the holiday. Lots of green, lots of beer, music on the Diag, even an Irish step dancer. I totally want the girls to take Irish dance lessons, and I pointed out the girl to Chris and told him that's going to be our daughters someday. Irish step dancing on a bar somewhere for shots. I'll be so proud...;0. Chris says it's ok with him, as long as they can hold their whiskey and tell the jerk buying the shots to get lost at the end of the night.

Sleeping it off

2009-03-17T20:06:00.002-05:00

Rowan got a bug this week, and spent most of Monday morning sleeping on the couch. Poor baby.

But Grandma, Easter is still a month away....

2009-03-17T20:03:00.005-05:00

The girls got an early Easter present from G and G Haack.

His name is Jack. (Rabbit, get it?) They love him. I think he's cute, but am not as thrilled about pine shavings on the floor and cleaning up even more poop than I already did. For now, though, they have their first pet.

Guitar hero

2009-03-12T08:50:00.005-05:00

Rowan and Saoirse really love Daddy's new hobby. Chris has been taking guitar lessons, he learned to play a song this last week for the first time. First song: Good Riddance.

2009-03-01T10:27:00.003-06:00

I feel like time is flying, and I don't even know where to start. I could write a book each day describing the girls, and the funny or cute or new stuff they're doing. And the next day I'd have to do it all over again.

Their relationship with each other is evolving. Yesterday Saoirse wanted Rowan to play with her, and she came over to where Rowan was standing and grabbed her hand. She pulled her along, saying "Walky! Walky!", which is what they say to us when they want us to follow them. They are so used to sharing and taking turns that they have started enforcing that themselves. They initiate trades with each other if they want something the other has. If I had one of them a cracker, they hold out their hands for another one for their sister. Their high chairs sit near each other, and they routinely trade food or cups throughout their meals. It's amazing to me how well they have worked out what belongs to which girl, even when I think they both own it together. We have stuffed kittens, and each girl knows that the ginger colored one is Saoirse's and the Siamese one is Rowan's. The "mouse cookie" book belongs to Rowan. Apparently my mom's cat Maggie belongs to Rowan, because she loves her more. Froggie is Rowan's. They know which rocking horse goes with which girl. Funny to see their preferences becoming clearer.

The girls learned about tools this week at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and now they go around "fixing" everything. Yesterday they spent about 20 minutes taking turns putting plastic coins in a play cash register at Rita and Noah's house. It's always fun to take them to new environments like that, to see what they gravitate towards. It's easy to forget how fast they're changing when we stay home too much.

Saoirse loves puzzles:

I love it when Rowan walks like this, with her hands behind her back.

Here's an example of them taking turns, in this case riding Daddy's guitar case and using it for a Hotwheels ramp:

Waiting for Grandma and Grandpa to bring home pizza:

Sleeping arrangements

2009-02-20T23:04:00.003-06:00

See where Saoirse is sleeping in this supercute photo? My bed. Guess where she has been sleeping for the last four nights, though?

Drumroll please....HER OWN CRIB!! That's right, in her own room, with Rowan across from her in her own crib.

It only took 21 months to get our twins to share a room. And if it were up to me, it would still not be done, this one was all Chris. Apparently he's a baby whisperer.

If looks could kill...

2009-02-20T22:55:00.003-06:00

Rowan has a hot temper. With a name like Rowan Scarlet (Rowan means "little red one") I guess she was bound to be fiery. But this is a classic case of be careful what you wish for. This was because I asked if she was ready to get out of the bath.

First haircuts

2009-02-13T20:24:00.003-06:00

Here's the before picture, earlier in the day. I don't know what the caption of this pic should be, but I love it. They look all cool to me, hanging out downtown.

Here is Saoirse during her haircut, looking decidedly less cool and chill. I was amazed that she didn't fight or try to get out. She just wailed. Luckily, since she doesn't have much hair, it was over pretty quickly.

Rowan, on the other hand, took to it like a pro. And once Saoirse was the one watching, she loved it too.

Here they are getting their "prize" for being good girls while they were in the chair:

And here's one the next day, you can see Rowan's little bob.

Coopoo

2009-02-07T09:41:00.004-06:00

A couple mornings ago, Saoirse was waking up in her slow, groggy way. Before she opened her eyes, she said in this little, dreamy voice, "Coopoo..." So either she was dreaming about Cooper, or asking for him as she woke up. Either way, very sweet.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Waterbabies

2009-02-07T09:20:00.004-06:00

Before Chris and I had kids, we used to visit our friends Rita and Noah and get a glimpse of what being parents was like. Milin is 2 years older than Saoirse and Rowan. One of the parts of their routine that we got to share a few times, and seemed like a ton of fun, was bathtime. Playing, splashing, lots of giggling, and then a sweet, clean-smelling, happy baby to cuddle when it's done.

When the girls were babies, I struggled with the clash between what I thought having kids would be like and the reality pretty often. Bathtime was one of those times. For months, both girls cried like crazy in the water. Drying them off was like torturing them. By the time the routine was over, I was sweaty and tired, felt like I had run 3 miles, and was just dying for them to go to sleep. Part of it was a twin thing. Two wet, tired babies is a bit more complicated than one. Part of it was just the illusion that is always there when you see parenting from the outside.

But in the last six months or so, I think we've finally gotten it down. Bathtime is a whole-family routine, and one of our favorite times of the day. Who wouldn't love this?

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Back to reality

2009-02-03T16:46:00.006-06:00

Mexico was awesome. Chris and I just kept saying to each other..."Why haven't we done this before?" We rented a villa on the Caribbean with our great friends Kate and John (from NYC) and their son Cooper. Cooper's the same age as the girls, and blonde. They looked like triplets. Ever since we left, the girls have been asking for "Coo-poo" (Saoirse) and "Coop" (Rowan). They sing, "Coopoo bye-bye" in the backseat when we drive.
Rowan and Saoirse were not so sure about the sand when we first arrived, they didn't like it sticking on them. They got over it fast, and spent the rest of the week begging and clamoring to go outside. Mostly we left just screen doors closed, which the kids could open, and let them run around freely. Whichever adult was around watched them. "Uncle John's fun time" was pretty popular. Thank the lord that the daddies have so much energy. We had dinner at some fun restaurants on the beach, so the kids could run around to their heart's content while we ate. We had "ice cream time," which was 11:00 AM when the ice cream shop in town opened. We had tons of fresh fruit from the farm market in town. Kate and I had a Super-Scrabble battle after the kids went to bed. I went to yoga with Kate. If there were such a thing as kicking ass in yoga, she kicked my ass, and she's 7 months pregnant. And I got a very relaxing massage from a guy wearing a sweatband.
The flight home was...well, the less said the better. But the trip was worth it. Seeing the girls run around naked in the sunshine (with lots of sunscreen on) with their little blond heads all curly from the saltwater was so awesome. Oh, and Chris went snorkeling and saw a huge sea turtle, they live in the water where we were staying. Very cool.

Enjoy the million photos :)

This was our villa, taken from the shore out front:

This was a little French girl Saoirse made friends with. Since they mostly babble, the language barrier didn't really cause a problem. :)

And we're off!...

2009-01-23T18:42:00.003-06:00

So we're leaving for Mexico in the morning, all four of us. And I use morning loosely, because frankly I consider it the middle of the night. The alarm is going off for Chris and I at 3 am. We'll be gone for a week, I'll post some pics of our fun in the sun when I get back. For now, here are a few odds and ends:

Here are the girls having a tea party:

Climbing in the laundry basket (Rowan chose her own outfit):

Wearing mixing bowls:

Apparently it wasn't silly enough for Saoirse:

And hanging with their new best friend, Sareena:

Snowbound

2009-01-18T19:26:00.003-06:00

We have gotten more snow this year than I can remember since I was a kid. Maybe I just think that because we're homeowners this year, because shoveling definitely highlights the frequency of the snow. Today Chris had to do some serious shoveling, and the girls and I bundled up and went out with him. It was the first time the girls had been out for days, because the temperatures have been so low here lately that they've been warning of frostbite danger. Today it warmed up into the teens. Rowan experimented a little, seeing if the piles of snow along the path to the door would support her weight. It was mostly powder, so the answer was no. Her hands plunged into the snow, followed by her head. She took it pretty well. They ran around until I was concerned about how red their cheeks were, then we went inside and warmed up with their first cocoa. They've been obsessed lately with cocoa, because we have this book about snowmen at night, and in it the snowmen drink "ice cold cocoa made by snowman mothers." They had never had cocoa, but they apparently liked the sound of it, because for days now, they run around asking for "cocoa, cocoa!" So, sippy cups of cocoa it was.

The girls are more fun every day. They chatter nonstop, repeat everything they hear, and are turning into little girls before our eyes. They are really into being twins right now, they definitely see themselves as a unit. For instance, when I gave Rowan her cup of cocoa this afternoon, she reached and pointed for the other cup, pointing to "sha-sha". Rowan didn't start drinking hers until Saoirse had one too. When I put one in the highchairs, she points to the other chair. When they sit on their potties, they point to the other one. This evening when I came upstairs with Rowan she found their babies in baskets. She picked up both, then held one out to me, saying "sha-sha." I had to call Saoirse up to join us from downstairs, because Rowan would not chill out and play until Saoirse got that baby. They want their highchairs close enough to touch, so that they can hand each other food that they think the other one needs, or get what they want. They know what they like best and what the other one likes best. Saoirse passes Rowan toast, for example, and Rowan passes Saoirse eggs. Of course, don't get me wrong. They have also learned the word "Mine" recently, and they use it a lot. This morning Rowan wanted some of Saoirse's eggs, and was reaching for them. Saoirse moved her pile of scrambled eggs to the other side of her tray, out of Rowan's reach, covered them up with her hands, and repeated Mine!" gleefully while Rowan whined. But overall, I think they're getting along a little better lately. More negotiation, and a little better delayed gratification.

We're getting excited about our first family vacation together. We leave next Saturday for Mexico, and we'll be gone for a week. We're renting a villa with two other families. I think some time on the beach (and in the pool) sounds like just what we all need. I can't wait to see the girls in Mexico! :) The fact that they have passports at age 1 is so funny to me, I didn't get my first one until I was 16.

I'll post some pics later, my camera battery is charging.

What can I say?

2009-01-02T13:54:00.003-06:00

I know, I'm becoming a very bad blogger. I would say that it's my New Year's Resolution to be better, but really that would doom the blog. We all know how well we keep N.Y. resolutions.

Christmas was veru busy. The girls loved it, and I realized why people have always said that Christmas is for kids. It is so much more fun to see your kids enjoy Christmas than to enjoy it yourself. For the first time in my life, I actually meant it when I said that I really didn't need anything for myself. Actually, I don't think I've ever even said it before, let alone meant it. :)

The girls got to hang out with all of their grandparents, see their great-grandparents, enjoy the chaos of extended family and play with cousins. They enjoyed opening presents this year. Saoirse would open one, then just want to play with whatever it was for a while. She'd turn down other gifts for a while. Rowan wanted to tear open every package she got, and some that belonged to other people.

Since we came home after Christmas, we've been struggling with sicknesses. Both the girls got colds, then Saoirse came down with the croup. Yes, my mom's biggest phobia, the dreaded croup. It's pretty miserable, she's on steroids and exhausted. I've never seen her look more pathetic. Her new nickname is "sickie."

I know Rowan has her eyes closed in this picture, but I had to post it to illustrate a point. This year the girls got a lot of gifts that were the same, so they wouldn't fight over them. So, two dolls, two letter toys, two puzzles, you get the idea. They love the baby dolls, but the funniest thing to me is that they often carry two of them. Like...how else do babies come but in a set of two?

Here are Chris and the girls on the couch on New Year's Day. It wasn't very festive, although he did enjoy the cuddling.

Hope everybody else had fun over the holidays. Hopefully you're all healthier than us.

12 days 'til Christmas....

2008-12-13T20:44:00.004-06:00

First. as promised, a photo of the tree. I set it up in the library so that people can see it from the road:

Then, a funny picture from the "Saoirse is silly" collection. Here we are making meatballs for our spaghetti the other night. The girls actually both wear this piece of Tupperware around, Saoirse just happened to be wearing it this time. What I love about this pic, though, is that it captures how nonchalant it all is. Like it's a normal hat, not a really silly thing to be wearing on your head.

Chris and I took the girls out the other night to finish up some Christmas shopping. It is awesome to be able to shop for them without even trying to keep things a secret, since they don't understand what's going on anyway. While we were shopping, we stopped at My Urban Toddler, a place I've mentioned before. Usually we just shop there, I've never been brave enough to take the girls to the playspace alone. This time, Chris was along, so we tried it out. It was awesome, and now I feel guilty for not having tried it out before. It's set up like a little town, with an open space in the middle, a "road" running around it, and little stalls all around the outer ring that are different stations. There's a market, a library, a theater, a house, etc...each one filled with toys and stuff that go along with the theme. Here are the girls playing in the fire station:

Chris went to Cleveland yesterday to help his parents with some stuff, and I didn't feel like being cooped up in the house for over 24 hours with the girls, so we drove over to visit my parents last night. This afternoon we took the girls out sledding for their first time. Saoirse kind of liked it. Rowan loved it at first, until she tipped over rounding a corner and faceplanted into the snow.

And while we were in G.R., I saw a sign last night advertising that Kate Gosselin (of Jon & Kate plus 8) was signing books at the nearby Barnes and Noble. I already owned the book, and I thought it sounded like fun. So we stayed an extra night, and Chris drove over here this afternoon to join us. I was a bit nervous about going to the booksigning, because I had a bad experience at one in NYC. I know, dorky, right? Most people have bad experience stories about bars, or one-night stands, or vodka (well, I have one of those too, actually). But I have a "bad experience" story about a book signing. But I used to like the author Jodi Picoult. She wrote a couple books I really enjoyed, and I was reading most of her stuff for a while. It's nothing that's going to win any awards, you know, but it's enjoyable. Then she came to the B&N by our place in Manhattan, and I dragged Chris there with me. We sat through a reading, for her new (and pretty weak) novel. Then we stood in line for ages. And you know how when you're standing there in line, you're kind of thinking...what am I going to say when I get to the front? Well, the guy right before me told her while he got his book signed that he lives in Hanover, NH, went to Dartmouth, his mom sees her around town. (Apparently that's where she lives). I hadn't known that before. So I get up next, like 10 seconds after he says this, and I say, "Well, I didn't go to Dartmouth, but my freshman year roommate at Michigan was from Hanover." Kind of in a "what a small world" kind of way. Hanover isn't a very big place, I thought it was an interesting coincidence. She doesn't even look at me, says, "You don't have to try to impress me." Seriously. I thought I might punch her. I said, "Uhh...I wasn't trying to impress you. I went to Michigan, and I'm proud of it. I was just making conversation." Then she handed me the book she signed, and I left. And I have never bought, or even read, another one of her books. Was I being too sensitive? Chris laughed about me being so pissed, said he'd hate to get on my bad side. And he would. ;) But seriously, what a bitchy thing to say. So...I'm wary of meeting people that I like from afar.

But Kate was nicer, I had no trauma. I told her that I have twin girls from IUI ( as she does) and that because of her my husband is terrified of my "just one more." She laughed, said, "As he should be! Maybe he can learn something." And that was it. Okay, we won't be best friends, but I still like her. Here's a cheesy picture of me talking to her to prove that I'm not making it up out of some stalkerish psychosis. :)

the Christmas spirit

2008-12-08T08:40:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the lack of posting. Adjusting to having Chris at home, and job searching, is throwing everyone off a little. The girls had colds this last week, which seem to be getting better. We're starting to settle into a new routine. We're keeping our fingers crossed that an opthalmology job turns up soon. And we're getting ready for Christmas.
If it were just Chris and I, I'm pretty sure we would be going the Scrooge route this year. We're feeling pretty Grinchy. But...we have kids. Yet another way that having kids changes your life (and you). So I hung the Advent calendar, put up stockings, wrapped some gifts, and we ventured out in the snow to get a tree. The first tree, actually, that Chris and I have ever had. Our apartment in NYC wasn't a great place for a tree (small, a long trip up on a small elevator...plus we would have had to walk a tree home like that scene in When Harry Met Sally). Last Christmas the kids were still so small...I could barely breathe, let alone get a Christmas tree. So this year it is.
Here are Chris and the girls all bundled up for the trip:

Here the girls are taking a ride in the cart meant for the tree:

Something I learned while at the tree farm: the girls know what to do if you say "smile" for a picture. Here's Rowan, and then a before and after set of Saoirse.

I'll post pics of the tree later. It's not fancy, but it smells so good. And having the decorations up does make us all feel more in the spirit.

Teething is no joke

2008-11-29T21:57:00.004-06:00

I never really took it all that seriously before I had kids when people said their children were teething. I guess just because I took it for granted. Every person in the world gets teeth, after all. It just seemed so routine, how bad could it be?
Rowan never really has had all that much trouble, but Saoirse does drool and chew and sometimes get cranky. But today really topped it all. She was acting strange on Thanksgiving, but then when she passed out at the table I chalked it all up to exhaustion. But today she just wasn't herself right from the beginning, and by early afternoon she was in full meltdown phase. Screaming and sobbing until she hoarse, throwing herself on the floor, drooling by the gallon, totally inconsolable. When I managed to get my finger in her mouth, there were three molars breaking through the surface. So almost her whole mouth is swollen, no wonder she's in such pain. I lay down with her and finally got her to fall asleep, but she woke up screaming again after only about 45 minutes of fitful sleep. It was awful. Her pediatrician's office is totally closed on weekends, so it's pretty handy that Daddy is a dr. Once she started on some Tylenol-3 late this afternoon, life has been quieter. She even goofed around a little, and we were able to go to Toledo to meet some friends of ours. As Chris said, "Wow, that codeine really works!" Yes. And I have a new respect for teething.

Here's a picture of Saoirse once she got dosed enough to be calm:

And here she is getting ready to go visit our friends. Isn't she cute in that hat?

I'm an auntie....:)

2008-11-29T21:54:00.001-06:00

Okay, so they were born like 6 weeks ago, but yesterday I got to see them. These are at least the second cutest set of twins I know. :)

Newborns smell so good!

If I do say so myself

2008-11-27T20:41:00.002-06:00

I consider my first turn as a hostess of Thanksgiving dinner a success. I know I'm bragging, but since this blog also serves as a family journal/baby book of sorts, indulge me for a minute.

Menu:

Turkey (brined for 36 hrs in a buttermilk/spice/apple brine)

Gravy

Mashed potatoes with brown butter and scallions

Roasted squash and root vegetables with a maple syrup glaze

Green beans with roasted mushrooms/garlic/carmelized shallots/toasted hazelnuts

Baked beans

Cornbread stuffing with chestnuts, bacon, and dried apples

Cranberry relish

Buttermilk biscuits

Cornbread

But here's the part I'm really proud of. I made everything from scratch except the cranberry dressing. I spent two days cooking and baking. And it was worth it, because I think everything was so good.

For dessert there was pumpkin pie, apple pie, and some fantastic Christmas cookies that my mom made.

Saoirse has been refusing naps this week, probably because of the novelty of having Chris home with us, so she was exhausted most of the day. It was unlike her, she was as quiet as I've ever seen her, we thought she might even be getting sick. Then we all sat down to dinner, and it was the first time she'd been still all day. Before we even took a bite, she fell asleep in her high chair.

She woke up about the time we were finishing, and then decided she'd eat after all. After she took a few minutes to wake up, she was back to being herself. It's amazing how little sleep she needs to keep going. She shared her drink with Rowan. They're getting better every day at sharing with each other.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

After dinner the girls just enjoyed hanging out, and they helped us put stuff away in the fridge.

Watching them run around squealing, getting grandparents to "chase" them, Saoirse wandering around the basement wearing her white silk scarf on her head like a ghost, seeing Rowan actually come into the other room to get Saoirse and seeing Saoirse follow her back out and play with her...these kids get better every day. So much to be thankful for.

We're thankful...but...

2008-11-26T20:46:00.004-06:00

I've put off writing this post for a few days, because I wasn't sure what I was going to say. Most of this blog is pretty lighthearted, regardless of the stresses of raising two high-energy kids, working, maintaining a marriage...you know, life. But this is a tough one to spin.
We we were told on Monday that, "due to the economic downturn," Chris is being let go from the practice he's been at since April. They will pay him through April 1st, because he's under contract, but he has been "relieved of clinical duties" in order to look for another position. Yeah. The practice that recruited us, that we moved to a new state for, that encouraged us to buy a home in Toledo (thank God we didn't) because they wanted someone who planned on having a long-term commitment to the area and the community...that practice has now let Chris go. So now we have until April for Chris to find another job in the area that will allow us to keep this house. Unless that happens, we're going to be one of those news stories of people who bought a house and now can't sell it for what they owe. (Everyone please keep your fingers crossed that the new government really does pass some kind of foreclosure relief package, just in case) It has come as a pretty big shock, medicine tends to be sort of recession-proof. Apparently not this time.
So...thankful. This is probably one of those times that it's even more important to count your blessings, right? That's what Oprah would say, I'm sure. :) So here goes:
I'm thankful:
1. For our health, of course. It's obvious, but still important.
2. That we are lucky enough to have people who love us, enough of a safety net that even if the worst case scenario happens, we won't starve or be homeless.
3. That if this was going to happen, it happened when Chris and I are still young enough to recover, and the girls are young enough that they won't even remember it.
4. That this means that for the next 4 months, Chris is home with us. The girls are totally thrilled already. The last two days have been great for them, it's like a perpetual weekend.
5. That Rowan is such a great sleeper. It took like 9 months for her to get there, but it makes life much easier now that she sleeps consistently through the night, about 12 hours a night, and takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoon.
6. That Saoirse is such a sweet kid, and so good at entertaining herself, during the day. She's agreeable so much of the time, it makes it easier to deal with Rowan's need for more attention during the waking hours.
7. That Rowan and Saoirse, more every day, are developing a great relationship with each other. I love getting to watch that. They share with each other, even when I don't tell them to, sometimes. They play little games with each other now, I totally love to just be able to sit back and watch them laugh with each other. I love it when they hug and kiss spontaneously.
8. That Chris and I are solid enough that this latest setback isn't something that threatens us at all. It's a lucky thing to be married to someone that you're so happy with, that you're totally sure is the right person for you, that you can honestly be grateful for. It's easy to say that no matter what happens, as long as you've got each other, it's okay. But it's amazing to be able to mean it.
9. I'm grateful for public libraries. Honestly, given my totally out-of-control addiction to reading, right now I'd be freaking out at how I was going to get my fix on the budget we're obviously adopting for the foreseeable future. But no....I can just go check out some books for FREE! (I know, I know, we pay taxes so it's not exactly free. But we'd be paying the taxes whether the library existed or not) Honestly, the idea that libraries are a thing worth using some of the tax money on was a pretty damn genius one.
10. I'm grateful for the chance to host my first Thanksgiving tomorrow in my own home. I've been really looking forward to it, and it's going to be great. I really hope it's the first of many in this house, and that it's not the only one. But even if it's the only one here, I'm going to really enjoy it.

Here are some photos of the girls helping Mommy make buttermilk biscuits for tomorrow:

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T20:27:00.004-06:00

Rowan and Saoirse have decided to get up about 2 hours earlier than usual the last couple of mornings. And Saoirse has skipped naps entirely three times in the last week. That makes for long days. What does it say about you when you need more sleep than your 18 month olds?

We've spent some of that extra time starting our Christmas shopping, getting stocked up on some warm weather clothes, and preparing for Thanksgiving. Rowan and Saoirse are totally psyched for Christmas this year:

Here's Rowan wearing a new hat to play in the car, and then one of both of them. It was pretty chilly, even in the garage.

Saoirse wore one of her new t-shirts today, and she looked so retro it cracked me up. Burnt orange cords, a retro Batman tee. She looked like she could have been Chris or I, back in the 70's. Or, looking at this photo, her Uncle Blake.

And this, because although she doesn't sleep as much as I would like her to, when she does sleep I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

Random things

2008-11-16T12:36:00.004-06:00

I don't have much a point to this post, other than to post some photos I like, so it's more of a jumble than a coherent post. The girls and I had a good week, but wow are toddlers tiring. (not news to most of the people reading this, I know) The weather turned this week, it's snowing outside right now. The one good thing about this is that Chris did not go to his soccer game that was scheduled for today, so we have him home with us all day. This is good news for the girls, they're all about daddy time. (I know it looks like Rowan is scowling in the second photo, but she's actually squinting because she doesn't like the flash going off).

Rowan and Saoirse and I did some shopping for Christmas this week. Normally I ignore the fact that Christmas is coming until about a week before the big day. But being a mom is changing that. The girls enjoy seeing the trees, and decorations, in the stores. And I'm enjoying planning ahead for the surprises waiting. We're even going to cut down our own tree this year. :)
The stuff the girls are doing amazes me more every day. I know, I sound like they invented this stuff, and it's just the normal process of growing up. But it's so astounding when they come up with something new. Yesterday while we were playing in their room before bed, Rowan found a broken off cap from a lotion bottle. She said "lid", crossed the room to the diaper changing basket and picked the correct lotion bottle and tried to put it back on! I just sat there with my mouth open. It's a cliche, I know. But to think of this little person being the same one that I sat next to while she slept in an incubator, unable to breathe without help, it blows me away. 18 months and 7 days ago, I only knew this little girl from her constant squirming inside my belly. And now look at her. :)

(she put that headband on herself, too)

18 months old!

2008-11-11T21:01:00.003-06:00

I can't believe that the girls are this old. 18 months sounds like a kid, not a baby, to me. I struggle with that lately. I still call them my babies a lot, then realize every now and then that they are not really babies anymore.

Saoirse is still a bad sleeper. She's still cosleeping, despite numerous attempts to wean her of that. She's more stubborn than Chris and I, apparently, and that can only terrify us for the future. (It's good, right? I wanted strong girls, I named her "freedom" for God's sake) But as time has gone on, I've settled into an ok routine with her at night, lying in bed cuddling while she falls asleep. I didn't expect to spend this many evenings in bed at 8 pm, but I know I'll miss it when she finally grows out of it. When she's awake, she's a really sweet kid. She adores her sister, and is very affectionate. She hugs and kisses and cuddles all of us a lot, more than Rowan really wants usually. She loves books, and organizing her toys. She loves taking things apart, then putting them together. She loves putting things in, then taking things out. Or transferring things from one pile to another. If I had a dollar for every time someone has suggested she's going to be an engineer, I could start her MIT college fund. (Just kidding, she's going to U of M, of course) She loves music, dancing any time she hears music. In music class, she observed from my lap for weeks, but now has really warmed up and follows along with the movements, she's learned most of the elements of class that are repeated. She's not quick to get upset, but when she does, look out. Lately she's been doing a full body flail when she throws a tantrum, followed by her classic move, throwing herself on the floor. She also looks away from you, sometimes just her head, sometimes she turns her back on you, these days if you upset her. She chatters a lot, uses about 50 words. Her latest new words are "coat" and "ear." It seems like she's adding new words almost every day now. Also, probably the most characteristic thing about Saoirse is her sense of humor. She loves being silly. She is a little slow to warm up to people she's unfamiliar with. But when she's comfortable, she's a clown. She will do just about anything to get people to laugh, and once she's found something that works, she'll do it endlessly. She gets more and more wound up. She's silly.

Rowan has been a great sleeper for the last 8 months, and the last couple weeks she's been regressing, crying again when we leave the room. (she does sleep in her crib) We're hoping it's a phase, and a short one. Rowan, at 18 months, is our social butterfly. Everywhere we go, she makes friends. She flirts with people at the grocery store, at the dr's office, bookstores, libraries. Honestly, she just loves people. She'll go to people and raise her arms to be picked up immediately, within minutes of meeting them. Chris and I joke that she's like a golden retriever puppy, that she'd go home with anyone. She's also very interested in being independent, and mimicking us. She wants to eat with silverware, drink out of our cups. She "brushes" her hair, tries to put on her own clothes, tries to open the car door for herself. She pays a lot of attention to what we do, even when we don't realize it. She only has to see us do something once and she'll try it out. She uses about 50 words too, although a few less than Saoirse. Her favorite word these days is "No." She usually drags it out so it sounds more like..."Noooo.." She's got quite a temper. She's frustrated easily, and will scream, flail, and scratch to get her point across. She also is more likely to mind, though, even though you can see it on her face that she's not happy about it. She's pretty sophisticated, socially, for her age. And she gives me this dirty look, chin lowered, eyebrows furrowed that I totally recognize as my own. She loves reading, her stuffed animals, especially froggie, and blankets. She loves wrapping things around herself like a cloak and cuddling in it. She loves Saoirse, and will wake her up if Rowan wakes up first. But she needs her space, and gets very frustrated that Saoirse has to share her books, her toys, her mommy. Although I keep telling them that Mommy can hold two babies, there's room for two, both girls seem convinced that whoever's closest to my head wins. It makes for some interesting wrestling matches.

So that's pretty much them. Rowan's a smart little charmer with a fiery temper, Saoirse's a sweet, funny girl who's a bit of a drama queen. The first 6 months were rough with these two, but the last year (especially the last 6 months) have more than made up for it. They are so fun at this age. I laugh more than I have in my life. (I sleep less, unfortunately)

18 month picture tomorrow, my camera battery died. Yay Rowan and Saoirse for a great 18 months!!

Daddy's working late

2008-11-10T20:31:00.002-06:00

Chris had a staff meeting to go to after work today, so he didn't get home until around 9 pm, after Rowan was already in bed. Normally I'd be putting Saoirse down then too, but I've made that mistake before. If she's almost asleep and then hears the garage door open all is lost, so we just hung out in bed together reading and doing our nails. When Chris called in the afternoon to check in, he said he wanted to know if the girls were being monsters, so he could decide if he could go to the meeting. I told him..."Hmm. I guess I should say they're being horrible, huh?" I didn't, though. Honestly, the days are long when I have them from wake-up until bedtime, but I did have to at least be thankful today that it's not like it was a year ago. A year ago now, we had every Monday evening without Chris, he worked until about 8:30 pm. It was about this time of year that we started having Ashley (the girls' first babysitter) a few afternoons a week, including Monday evening. She was a lifesaver. A full day alone inevitably involved tears from Mommy, not just the babies. It seemed impossible. It felt like I would never be able to take care of my own kids, like other people seemed to so effortlessly. So, even though I don't exactly look forward to whole days as the only parent on duty, it is a whole other world compared to a year ago.

I know this video is long, but it's just too cute.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Busy week

2008-11-08T10:56:00.004-06:00

I took the girls with me to vote on Tuesday. I was afraid of long lines, so I packed a bag full of snacks, toys, books, and sippy cups. Fortunately, we only spent 20 minutes there, although the girls did manage to go through several snacks in that time once they figured out that I had some. Mostly they tried to climb up to the top of their stroller and checked out the other people in line. They were obsessed for the rest of the day with my "I Voted" sticker, so I had to find some stickers to put on their shirts. All I had were some stuff I pulled off new clothes from the Gap. Luckily, they can't read, so they accepted the substitution. I know you can't really see Rowan's sticker, but it says "3 for $15." If only, right?

Wednesday Rowan, Saoirse, and I drove to Chicago to visit Grandma and Grandpa and see Saoirse's orthopedist. The appointment with Dr. Brown went well. He says her foot looks great, and the nurses were amazed at how much the girls had grown since they last saw them a few months ago.

After the appointment, we had an afternoon to kill while everyone was at work, so the girls and I headed to the outlet mall. Their favorite part was the little corral where there were cars that they could ride. Even after I ran out of quarters, they loved them. Actually, Saoirse liked them more when they weren't moving.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Later that night, Uncle Blake came out to the burbs for a visit. The girls were hilarious, running around and playing "boo" with him, giggling madly. Saoirse pretended to give him a stuffed dog of hers, then jerked it back and ran around squealing like she was the first person to ever think up that trick. I wish we lived closer to him so they could see him more often. Unfortunately, my camera died during that visit, so I have to wait for Blake to email me some from his camera, I'll post them later.

Now we're back in A2, back with Chris. Ready for a quiet weekend.

Another Halloween...

2008-11-03T19:00:00.003-06:00

Sorry this post is late, we went out of town for the weekend. The girls got to help hand out candy for trick-or-treating at Grandma and Grandpa's place. They loved it. I dressed them as ballerinas, they wore the costumes all day, mostly for me. It was just too adorable to only wear them at night.

They loved helping sort the candy and put it into the bowl by the door. (They didn't mind eating some of it too)

They loved hanging out with Grandpa waiting for the kids to come and ring the doorbell.

They loved going to the door and seeing what was waiting. Towards the end, Saoirse was even trying to hand out candy. She'd stand a few feet back from the door and throw candy towards the kids.

They wore themselves out and fell asleep about a half hour after the last kids left, and Rowan was so tired she couldn't even finish her bottle. The next day Bri mentioned some kids coming by, and both girls grabbed candy and ran for the door. So Halloween was a hit. Look at Rowan's face when the doorbell rang:

Chris and I went to a party in Muskegon, so we have Halloween pics too this year. Check us out. :) (as a Roman goddess and a gladiator)

Not to be outdone..

2008-10-29T21:14:00.002-05:00

This definitely falls in the category of "stuff the girls will be totally embarrassed by someday" but I'm going to share it anyway. Tonight before baths, the girls were spending their playtime on their potties, which has become their new routine. And Saoirse christened hers...and she didn't pee, ifyouknowwhatImean. (and I think you do) Maybe the Japanese have the right idea. (I've heard that they start potty training at like 12 months)