Four Boys and a Lady

Happy Mother's Day (and Grandma's too!)

2006-05-16T11:06:00.001-07:00

Put some new photos from Mother's Day and Peter's visit in their galleries.

Puppet Show

2006-05-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

We had Jake cracking up at the puppet Click on the image below to watch

For a longer video, click here

Wigged Out

2006-05-07T12:49:00.001-07:00

We had a big night out on the town to help celebrate our friend Shannon's post-chemo victory party. It was at the Bubble Lounge in the City and we all wore wigs in solidarity. Age came ready to party in her new blonde look and I sported "The Bill Clinton" grey.

Play Ball

2006-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

The boys are ready for the baseball season in their new hats.

Five Months Old

2006-04-30T14:23:00.000-07:00

The boys turned five months old on Saturday and we marked the occasion by leaving them with the two Grandmas and going to Sonoma! This much-needed respite was planned when they were probably two weeks old as our first getaway from the boys. At the time, the carrot of having some peace from two crying babies five months away was sometimes all we needed to make it through the day (or hour!).

View more photos of our trip

When the time came for us to go though, the apprehension of leaving them grew and we began to second-guess this trip. Not because we didn’t want to leave them in the very capable hands of someone other than ourselves, but because this past month has been so much fun with them. This has been their most engaging month for sure and their little personalities are starting to come alive. That’s not to say after that first quiet glass of Cabernet that we didn’t enjoy ourselves on our two days away! (See photos of our trip) We even found time to have conversations with each other that didn’t involve when the last time Colin pooped or had Jake taken a good nap. It was a great weekend away and thank you to the Grandmas for watching them.

Adrianne went back to work at the beginning of this month and we’ve been very fortunate to find a great nanny. Jackie comes Monday through Thursday at 7:00 a.m. and leaves each day at noon. The tag-team child care follows with Colleen taking over duties at noon until Age gets home in the afternoon. The Friday schedule is the same with Grammie Spencer coming down to offer her services along with Grandma Scully. It’s been a great situation so far. It gives Colleen a chance to catch a breather during the morning and both of the boys have really taken to Jackie. They both give her big smiles each morning when she arrives.

Both of them have been "talking" for more than a month, but this past month they have really increased voicing everything from sing-song to their displeasure with something. As you can see from some of the quick videos we’ve posted earlier (like this one) they both can chat away and squeal with delight.

Age and I both had our teeth come in early and it looks like Jake and Colin will get their first tooth soon too. It has been causing Jake some displeasure toward the end of this past month and he gets really fussy quickly now. I would like to blame everything on the teeth, but that kid just can’t sit still! Jake has got about a 20-minute attention span before he’s ready to move onto the next thing to entertain him. Every book, article or expert I’m sure will tell us not to give in and move him as soon as he starts whining and - for the most part - we don’t. But after a while of his fussing, it’s time to move him to the next play mat, swing, bouncy seat or whatever new view we can give him.

When those teeth come in though, Jake is going to be the one who gives us that big, toothy laugh. When you make Jake laugh, it’s not a giggle or small smile, it’s an all-out guffaw laugh. He just gets going and you laugh at him laughing and that makes him laugh even more. It’s really funny to see and cracks us up all the time.

His brother on the other hand, would smile at the mailman. Colin has made the complete transformation from his early days of colic and is a very happy, content baby these days. He loves to be talked to and smiles right back at you. When he’s under his mobile or in the swing he’ll let out these loud, high-pitched squeals.

Colin is also on the verge of rolling over. When he’s on the mat and looking up, he’s trying so hard to wiggle his body over onto his stomach. If you follow along on the development chart, this will be the month that they start that process. For some more reading on what to expect this month, read here. (Note: After posting this last night, Colin did what he's been trying to do for a week now and rolled over. At about 4:30 in the morning when Age was putting the pacifier back in Jake's mouth, Colin was squirming away and the next thing you know, he's on his back!)

The first four months were incredible and there were moments where each of them made us so proud to be their parents. But this past month has been when everything clicked in and every day became a joy to be their parents. You can catch a glimpse of what the next month, year or even more holds for us and these two kids and it makes you so happy.

Couple of new photos in their galleries.

Family On Easter

2006-04-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

We finally had the chance to have everyone together to take a photo and we aren't wearing pajamas!

Couple of new photos in their galleries.

Colin and Jake Hanging Out Together

2006-04-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Can't get enough of this video posting now!Click on the image below to watch

The Crying Game

2006-04-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

Trying out another video...No infants or animals were injured in the making of this video. Click on the image below.

Colin on the mat

2006-04-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Trying out our first video post. Click on the image below to watch

Watching Their Videos

2006-04-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a movie together

Big smiles from the boys

Jake gives it a big thumbs up!

Some new photos at the front of each of their galleries.

Four Months Old And A Visit To The Doctor

2006-03-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

The boys went in for their four month doctor visit today to get weighed, measured and a new round of shots. It turned out to be a very eventful morning and let's just say the shots didn't go over so well with them. The timing was a little off since we had to go in at 9:00 and by the time they did all the measurements and we talked with the doctor they were getting their shots around 10:30 a.m which is right in the middle of their normal nap time. We had to wait a while for the nurses to come back to us and both boys had fallen asleep while we waited. So both of them had to be woken up from their short cat naps and stuck with some needles. A little discomfort, but everything should have been back to normal…….

Halfway back to work I get a call from Age. She had taken the garage door opener on a walk the other day and forgot to put it back in her car. On the phone I hear two cranky babies crying and a panicked wife telling me I have to turn around and come open the house. So I make the U-turn, head back home, help feed Jake and we both try to settle Colin down. I made it back to work and Age got both boys down for a nap at 1:00. Nothing is ever easy, that’s for sure!!

As for the visit, everything went well. Both boys are healthy and growing like they should. Jake is gaining quickly on his brother and made a huge jump in weight over the past two months. He put on four pounds and went from 9 pounds/1 ounce to 13 pounds/1 ounce. Colin wasn’t as drastic, but now weighs in at 13 pounds/12 ounces which is up from 11 pounds/7 ounces. Although it isn’t a major concern, the doctor would like to see Colin gain a little more, so we are going to start adding rice cereal to two of his bottles. This also might help with the spit-up.

Their four-month birthday is tomorrow and as discussed in previous posts we have been seeing them notice each other more every day. It’s pretty cool to watch them smile and “talk” to each other. They a demonstrating all the characteristics they should at this age (see more reading here).

Their “tolerance level” is starting to rise as well. This past weekend saw them both in their side-by-side stroller without much of a fuss. We took a good 45-minute walk with them and Scout. Colin smiled and looked around the entire walk, while Jake was good for most of the walk and only started complaining for the last 10 minutes. After a brief protest he figured out he wasn’t getting out of that seat anytime soon, so he resigned to watching the world go by. Although this sounds like such a simple thing, it wasn’t something that we could have done a month ago. Neither of them has ever really taken a shine to their stroller or car seats, but this past month they both have gone on good walks or car rides without much of a fuss.

Both guys are fascinated with their hands. They can pick certain things up, bat toys on the play mat and are starting to explore things with their mouth. They both love to take their favorite stuffed animals (Colin has his lion and Jake has a puppy) and move them around and pull them up to their faces.

We’ve gotten into a good routine at night too and are starting to see better results in both how easily they go down at night and how long they stay down. Around 6:30 or so, we start to get them ready for bed. If you were to drive by our house around that time it would look like nobody was home! We turn down most of the lights, get them into their sleep swaddles, read a little Good Night Moon and then it’s into their room for a little music and rocking. Most nights they are asleep by 7:00. We rarely get complete peace, but the most we have to do as far as consoling goes is putting the pacifier back in Jakes’ mouth or giving Colin a re-swaddle and they are back to sleep. This un-restful period usually lasts between 7:00 and 9:30. Then we can usually count on quiet sleep time until anytime between 3:30 and 5:00 in the morning. This gives us a quality stretch of 5-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep before we have to give someone a bottle.

It’s been very subtle, but you can start to see some definite personalities developing.

Colin loves people and gives a smile to just about anyone that takes the time to talk to him. He can be fussy at times, but most of the time it’s just because he wants to be around people. Put him in his bouncy seat and talk to him and he’ll smile right back at you.

Jake rolls with the punches. The other day Adrianne accidentally got a little too close when cutting his nails and clipped a little skin. I think the parents were more traumatized than Jake! He was crying and while Age was trying to put a Band-Aid on his finger, I was trying to calm him down. In the middle of screams, Jake was smiling and he couldn’t decide if he was upset about his finger or thought the funny faces his Dad was making at him made him happy. So he went with both! A little crying and a little laughing.

All in all, these past few weeks have been a real joy to be these boys’ parents. The rough nights are (mostly!) behind us and watching them change so much from month three to now has been incredible. I know there is much more in store for us and these small, little milestones will seem so insignificant when they begin to meet those major benchmarks, but right now it feels like we have come so far in such a short time.

Some new photos at the front of each of their galleries.

O Brother, Where Art Thou?

2006-03-22T13:52:00.000-08:00

The boys are really beginning to recognize each other. For the most part, they don't pay much attention to each other. Even though we often put them side by side, they kind of do their own thing. The other day when I took this photo I put them face to face, and it was the first time I saw direct communication between the two of them. Their pure joy at looking at each other was amazing to watch. It was obviosuly the start of a beatiful friendship. They were smiling from ear to ear and "talking" to each other. I think the dialogue was something like this:

Colin: "Hey, I know you. You were sitting on my head for nine months."

Jake: "Yeah. I know you too. You're the guy who was eating all of the food."

Colin: "Let's put that behind us and be friends, okay?"

Jake: "Okay!"

That's all for now,

Adrianne

Some new photos at the front of each of their galleries.

Three Months Old

2006-03-06T11:37:00.000-08:00

We're a little late on the posting of this, since they "turned" three months on March 1. They certainly have been keeping us on our toes lately! The bad days of the past are not quite gone, but have gotten farther and farther apart over the past two weeks.

Many people have asked if they are sleeping through the night yet. Not quite, but we are starting to get some big stretches between those night feedings. Each guy has had different nights where they have slept for good, solid eight-hour periods. We are slowly, but surely, getting a "routine" down for the most part and getting them into bed between 6:30 and 7:30. This means sometimes that we join them anytime between 8:00 and 9:30!

As we've noted in past posts, the past few weeks have had some great moments where they smile and talk in their jabbering way. Jake is definitely the talker of the two. How do I put this lightly....He has inherited his Mom's and Grandma's gift of gab! Sorry ladies! :) Colin is quick with the smiles and loves to be talked to (and doesn't mind having Dad put props on his head for the sake of a blog photo!). For a little extended reading, check out what babycenter.com says about three months development.

This past week has also brought on a new development and both boys have really started to grab and punch at things when they are on the play mat or bouncy seat. The other night Jake grabbed at one of the stuffed animals hanging above him on the play mat and held on. I think the first try was an accident, but then he grabbed again and pulled the thing off the hook.

When we were in the thick of things two months ago and friends and family (and anyone else offering up an opinion!) said "don't worry, things get easier after three months," it was hard to believe that day would come. But we are here and things have gotten better each day with these little guys. In the midst of meltdowns for some unknown reason or when they don't go back to sleep after a 3:00 a.m. feeding, it's good to know that the next day is going to bring something new to make you smile with them.....or at the very least, you get to use them as your own personal prop for funny photos for the rest of their lives!

Some new photos at the front of each of their galleries.

One last note, Grandpa Peter is coming back into town next week and Scout thinks that he can't come soon enough! He's still waiting by the window for his morning walk!

12 Weeks

2006-02-22T11:35:00.001-08:00

The boys hit the 12-week mark yesterday and it was marked with....nothing really. This is saying something for these guys considering these first 12 weeks of their life. As you can see by the photo above, Colin has become a quiet, serene little boy. Alright, that may be stretching it a bit, but the fact remains that both of them are becoming able to handle the "curve balls of life" a little easier as each day goes by.

Each of them have their moments of being upset for various reasons, but counter that with a smile here or there to keep you in their good graces. They certainly react to their environment more and more and can give you big stretches where they coo, smile and grab at you when you sit with them.

Check out some new photos of each of them over the past week when their Grandpa Peter was in town. Their was no shortage of photos being taken of these guys, so we added a bunch of new ones to their galleries. The big three month birthday is coming up on Tuesday, so we'll add some more next week.

A Photo Frenzy

2006-02-11T10:09:00.000-08:00

Click on each of the boys pictures for new photos of each of them or the two of them together for some new shots of them on "the mat".

Two Months Old

2006-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

It's amazing that we can say the boys are two months old as of yesterday. They - and us! - have come so far in the past two months. We were talking the other day about those first few days of their life and what each of them went through. Those first few weeks were such a blur and although if you read some of our posts it may sound like we are barely getting by, but day-by-day things are getting more manageable.

On Sunday we met with a "Twins Consultant". There truly is a job for everything! She was great and gave us a lot of good ideas that we can do to make our lives easier now and in the long run with these two. A lot of it is based around scheduling. Not only does it help maximize your time, but also helps the boys get a sense of “what is coming next”. It certainly isn’t a cure all for their fussiness and isn’t going to magically stop the colic times, but it can help for sure. If you know me, I’m ready to start the schedule now with the perfect timetable and charts down to the minute. And if you know Age, then scheduling and organizing are about as much fun as getting your teeth cleaned!

Between the two of us though, we’ll find a nice balance between real life and the “perfect schedule”. The thing is that these boys have their own schedule and some of the things she talked to us about we can start now, but it may not necessarily happen perfectly. A lot of it is just laying the groundwork for when they are little older in the coming two months. Although they are eight weeks old, we still have to work off gestational age as well. They were born four weeks early, so in some ways they still are only four weeks old in a lot of their mannerisms and how they deal with life.

I don’t want to say Colin has turned a corner and jinx us, but over the past few nights his “witching hour” from 9-12 at night has gotten easier to manage. He still has his moments, but calming him and keeping him calm has got better. We upped his medication for the reflux last week and that really seems to be helping him stay asleep during the night between feedings. It seemed like in the past, we could get him to sleep after a night feeding, but the reflux and gas would wake him up halfway through.

As for Jake, he is putting on the pounds and is actually eating just as much as his brother on a daily basis. He is up and alert much more than his brother and enjoys checking out the world. He loves a good nap though and doesn’t have much of a problem staying down once he settles in.

We have definitely slowed down on the picture taking, but there are some new shots in each of their galleries.