Gotta laugh at these

Even though I didn't come up with these, I have heard all the following questions myself, except for #1. If you were thinking about saying one yourself, please refrain!

15 Dumbest Twin Comments (posted by Parents of Twins Journal)--
15. "I could never do it." (Oh, really. What would you do? Would you put them on the curb with signs around their necks that say, "Free to a good home. My mom can't do it."?)
14. "Do they have different personalities?" (No. They are the same human being divided into several parts.)
13. Said by a stranger, "They're identical, right?" Mom answers, "No. They're fraternal." Stranger response, "They are NOT!" (OK. You're right. I have no idea what I'm talking about. These are not my children. I thought it would be fun to borrow them from a mom down at Baby Gap. It's been more than an hour. I guess I should return them.)
12. "Are they 'paternal' twins?" (Yes. They have a father. There was only one virgin birth.)
11. "Just wait till they're older. It only gets harder." (Thank you. I woke up this morning hoping I'd receive a word of discouragement while pushing a cart of preschoolers down the cereal aisle.
10. "When one cries, does she wake the others?" (No. Multiples cannot hear each other's cries because they all communicate with their special telepathic language only.)
9. From a perfect stranger: "Were they in the same sac?" (Hello. Nice to meet you, too. Will you be sharing your gynecological history with me as well?)
8. "Are they developmentally behind?" (Well, let's see. They're 3 years old and thus far, all their graduate school applications have been denied. We'll get back with you on that.)
7. "How do you do it?" (Haven't you seen the Nike commercials?)
6. "Are they natural?" (Nope, their arms and legs are made of silicone.)
5. "You must be SO busy." (Are you volunteering to clean my house?)
4. "Did you take drugs?" (Well, there was this one time in college...)
3. "What do you do when they all cry at the same time?" (Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I go to Starbucks.)
2. Said to a mom of boy/girl twins: "Are they identical?" (Uh. Not exactly.)
1. Only one comment could be voted No. 1. Drum roll, please. After a stranger had been informed that the toddler boys were twins, she asked a simple question: "Are they brothers?" (Enough said.)

8 Months - Photo Shoot Recap

Tahoe Snow

The photo shoot for Adeza was actually quite interesting. It took place in a cozy warehouse-like studio just down the hill from our SF house and was well heated for the babies' comfort (most of whom were only clad in diapers). We got to see another mom and 5-month baby girl finish up their shoot before our girls went to work. There were about 10 people there, all with very specialized jobs: the stylist, art director, casting director, photographer, his assistant, etc.. And, even though our kids are nowhere near school aged, a state-approved teacher was there on the set to ensure that the girls weren't being over-worked or otherwise exposed to too much stimulus for their age. The stylist decided that plain cotton diapers and no t-shirts was the look they were going for. Bettina went first and then Ava, then the two together. Everyone made funny faces and sang to entertain the girls and get them to smile. They never did smile, but they were captivated by the camera and did a good job sitting up straight and gazing at Paolo, the photographer. When all was said and done, they showed us the photo they decided to use - one with the both of them. They got lots of compliments, again, and, again, I'm unsure if they mean it or if it's just part of the lip service/polite culture of the industry.

Regardless, it was fun and interesting and we left on time just after 10:30: 1.5 hours of work. The timing was great as the twins settled into their naps as we started our road trip up to Tahoe to visit my sister, her husband and our friends Scott & Nicole visiting from North Carolina. The weekend went by quickly and we enjoyed exposing the kids to their first snow, first snow suits, first gondola ride, etc., and took lots of photos, which you can see by clicking here. Monday morning, the phone rang and the caller ID told me it was the casting agent calling again. From the beginning of the conversation, it sounded as if the girls were to get another gig quite soon. She's asking when we're returning to San Francisco. When I tell her tomorrow, she's very excited and asks if we'd be able to come to another casting call for a different client. However, the call is not for the girls...it's for PAUL! They enjoyed meeting him over the weekend and think he'd be great for a shoot for Chase Bank. Well, Paul doesn't enjoy the limelight and refuses to go. He'll make extra money doing other things, he says, not photo shoots, though!

Well, too bad. We could have had quite the superstar family! As it is, only the twins will be making money off of any photographs.

8 Months - Stats and Habits

"Helga"

"Little Bird'

Well, it's hard to believe that these girls are already 8 months old. Many of the moms with which we have been spending "mommy group" and/or "play group" time are starting to plan their kid's first birthday party. Wow! I'm not ready yet - still have plenty of time, but it sure makes me realize that it's just around the corner.

In the meantime, we'll focus on what the girls are doing by the beginning of their 8th month. They both have reached the following benchmarks which are indicative of things kids can do at the end of the 7th and beginning of the 8th month:

• Razz (or motorboat sound) when being silly and coo, babble and laugh when happy
• Smile often when interacting with people
• Sit up without support and can even stand up without assistance (but certainly with a spotter)
• They object if you try to take away a toy (or the bottle) and look for it if they drop it
• Work to get an object that's out of their reach and can pick it up
• Play peek-a-boo (and they love it!)
• Pass toys from one hand to the next
• Tina can say "mama" indiscriminately and feed herself a cracker. She's also very interested in feeding herself and usually makes a mess of eating time by sneak-attacking the spoon or food dish. Mom has to become more alert!
• They are eating 3-meals a day now and continue to add new foods every 4-days or so, although neither have signs of teeth (other than unexplained fussiness!).

Tina has really started developing separation anxiety and demands my attention or piercing shrieking will ensue. She's also jealous of any attention her sister gets. If I choose to feed Ava first, Bettina will literally throw a shrieking hissy-fit. This surprised Dad as he witnessed it during our drive up to Tahoe.

New Nicknames:
Bettina is now known as "Helga" for her sheer stoutness, size and clumsy determination. We are terrified of her "Terrible Twos" a year and half in advance.

Ava has taken the mannerisms and name of "Little Bird," showing nearly all the opposite attributes as her twin sister plus a funny habit of flapping her arms around nearly all the time.

Stats:
Tina is 18 lbs now - almost a full pound more than last week!
Ava is 17.4 lbs
It's getting hard to carry them in their infant carseats now, they're so big!

Casting Call - They Got the Job!

Well, turns out that Ava and Bettina will be spending their 8th month anniversary posing for the camera, trying to help a company called Adeza promote more of their pre-term labor screening tests called a Fetal fibronectin test.

The funny thing is that I myself needed this test during my pregnancy with the twins. I wrote about it during my 30th week of pregnancy in this blog-journal here in the entries at the bottom called, "7 Weeks Left - Or So We Hope" and "And, the Verdict Is... Bed-rest."

Should be an interesting process. Both Paul and I will go together to the shoot, which should last only a couple of hours (they're guessing 2). What an interesting start to the kids' college funds. Afterwards, we will pack up the kids and head up toward Tahoe where we are supposed to meet Scott and Nicole at my sister's house. We will be there until Tuesday and hope to enjoy the snow and the time away. Since Nicole is pregnant, we will likely stick to less-potentially impacting sports such as cross-country, snow shoeing or just plain hiking in the snow.

7 Months 4 Weeks - Daddy Day Hike - Redwood Creek Loop

Paul's "big" present from the twins last Christmas was a book entitled, "Best Hikes with Children - San Francisco Bay Area" as well as a Kelty Wanderer backpack that matches the one gifted to us by my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Jack way back at our babies' shower. This gift was sort of also meant to reclaim Daddy away from all the work he does with the house, etc. so he could spend more time with the kidlets and his very lovely wife (me).

Before Christmas, the girls and I went through the calendar as well as the book and carefully selected one suggested hike per month, bookmarked it with a sticky and wrote the date on which we would hike with Daddy. The first hike was supposed to be January 2nd, but since there was a giant rain storm that weekend, we changed the date to today. The hike in store, according to the pink sticky with the January date, was Redwood Creek Headwaters Loop trail, a 3-hour nearly 3-mile hike off of Skyline Road in the Oakland Hills.

It is listed in the book as "moderate hike for children." Well, perhaps this is because they are tucked safely in their parents' Kelty backpacks... We found it very steep and caught ourselves huffing and puffing frequently. However, the exercise is very well rewarded. The entire trail is full of ferns and redwoods. Creeks and streams bubble by from all directions and the trail, for the most part, was fairly dry with good footing, even considering the recent relentless rains (which fell even as late as yesterday). It was fairly cool - so much so, in fact, that toward the beginning of our hike, before the Girls' Camp picnic area, there was thick frost on the ground - and it was nearly noon! With the forest as dense as it was, we were in the well-covered shade +90% of the time. I was glad we bundled up the kids very well with hats, etc., however I'd almost wished that I'd put them in their cozy snowsuits just in case.


Picnic at Girls' Camp

When we got to the Girls' Camp (about 20 minutes into the hike), we stopped at a couple of stumps around a fire ring and fed the babies their squash and peaches in an impromptu picnic. Daddy marveled at how well Tina is opening her mouth and how often! She would have eaten the 2 jars by herself if she didn't have to share with her sister! She is interested in using the spoon herself and Mommy has even started her with finger-food because her interest seems so high. Ava used to be the more determined eater; now she has a legitimate rival.

We continued down the trail until we hit the floor of the loop where a nice bench by the creekside waterfall invited people to take a break. We found some people there doing just that and had them take our picture. Signs point out that natural rainbow trout live and spawn in the creeks and that they are common to see. They also (strangely) remind us that they are dangerous for pet dogs to eat raw. (Where did that come from??) We are also told by our friendly photo-taker friends that thousands of ladybugs congregate in the trees in late winter. Quite a site, they say and also the reason for their visit. From there we started a significant and long ascent taking us over 700 vertical feet through more redwoods and eucalyptus forests. Tina decided that she didn't want to be in the backpack any longer and started to wail terribly. She didn't stop until Mommy took her out and carried her in the front with Ava sitting quietly behind in the backpack. After a few dips and hills, we gained more altitude, found drier oak and pine forests, and finally the ridge trail, which completed our loop back to the parking area. We tried another time to get Tina to stay in the backpack, but she'd have none of it. The hike really did take us about 3 hours, but that did include a kidlet picnic. It was beautiful and very uncrowded. We like this particular hike immensely and look forward to next month's, which is in the same relative area, slated for February 11th to Huckleberry Path.

Casting Call - Update

They called us back! We're in the top running!! The clients need another day to decide, but we've been asked to keep next Tuesday free for the photo shoot.

The casting director was cute, though. She complimented the kids and told me to make sure to keep our entertainment permits updated (which you have to do every 6 months). "I think we're going to find some work for your girls - they're really cute!" Well, I think they're cute, but to hear it from someone who sees a lot of kids, it makes you blush with pride....even if she may only be saying it as part of her business diplomacy.

7 Months 3 Weeks - Casting Call!

The girls have had their own set of dramatics - we took a "movie" this week with Tina's stealing the spotlight and the Podee right out of Ava's mouth. So, why not take it to the next level?

We received an invitation to participate in a twins casting call for some infant and pregnancy products. The casting manager (who advertises often in the twins club) is looking for twins that appear of Italian decent - something like a mix of Caucasian and Mediterranean. I thought we fit that bill, seeing the girls are half Italian and half mix of much of Europe. Assisted by our very wonderful nanny, Rocio, we ventured into the City to the photography studio where they photograph all candidates for review. Tina and Ava did great and even sat up on their own unassisted for a number of shots and smiled on cue. We won't hear if they're interested in using us until later on in the week, but the process was interesting and fun.

We were also told that we'd need to get the girls "entertainment permits" so they would be eligible to work within California. The permit is good for 6 months and the casting manager said that, even if we're not called on for this shoot, they may call us back for something different for which we are right. I have to go downtown to government offices tomorrow with either their birth certificates or their baptism certificates and their applications to get the permits.

7 Months 2 Weeks - Two Wardrobes

Well, it's official. Tina can no longer fit in the 3-6 month clothes and needs to go up to the 6-9 month size. Ava, however, is not ready for this transition, so this means we need to have 2 different wardrobes in the drawers: one for Ava and one for Tina. Ava's clothes are the 4 drawers on the left and Tina's are the 4 drawers on the right.

With this new development, I've found I really look forward to dressing Tina as she's the one with the new clothes that we haven't used yet. The newer clothes are more interesting than the also cute clothes that Ava wears, but are too familiar with the last 3 months of dressing. Who would have guessed that the older sister would get the hand-me-down clothes!!

Tina is now nearly 17 lbs and Ava is still a pound behind at nearly 16 lbs. Both are sitting up on their own, albeit still rather shakily. Can't keep them unattended that way, but they can now sit in grocery cart seats and restaurant high chairs - one reason I decided it was time to shop eBay for a grocery seat cover that would fit both places. Now, I can go grocery shopping without the stroller - provided I have either the Bjiorn or the backpack - which means I can purchase more items and am not limited to just the amount of stuff that will safely balance on the top of the stroller sunshade. Of course, if I don't feel like going out to juggle two kids (who, by the way are starting to grab anything within their reach), there's always Safeway.com.

As far as the house, Paul's working with a friend on it this weekend. We went shopping for recessed lighting at HomeDepot and Paul hopes to install them with his friend's help this weekend. I'm researching housecleaners so we can attempt to eradicate the more or less 10 months of dust from the living areas. After this, I hope to start setting up the cribs and the toys so we can live there more often.

Food Schedules

It's been about a month since we've started solid foods and about every 4 days, we add a new food to the potential menu. They are to have between 2-3 servings of food a day. I serve 2 servings in the morning, usually, a familiar food served mixed in with their rice cereal, the 2nd serving. The "new" food, serving #3, is for their lunch, served at about noon. To date, their familiar foods are:

• rice cereal
• bananas
• pears
• sweet potatoes/yams
• yogurt
• peaches
• apple sauce
• green beans, and now,
• white potatoes

We tried carrots and zucchini, but Ava didn't like the carrots and Tina hated the zucchini, so we stopped those and will try again next month. The rest of the month, we're scheduled to try:

• prunes
• squash
• peas
• egg yolk, and
• avocado

Then, we'll go back and try the "rejects" (like carrots and zucchini) again.

Tina opens her mouth wide now and even lounges for the spoon for the foods she likes. Her favorites are white potatoes and bananas. When she's finished, though, or when she doesn't like something, you couldn't get a wedge between her lips, much less a spoon, if you tried. She clamps down pretty good. Ava's pretty good about everything, which goes along with her generally accommodating and happy personality. She's a little bird for pretty much everything.

7 Months 1 Week - 2006, Here We Come!

Happy New Year!

So, the girls did pretty good New Years Eve, especially taking into account the chaos of the day. For one thing, the biggest storm of the year (2005) hit just before followed by a couple other smaller storms. Northern California was a mess! My sister, who works in Reno, couldn't get home to Tahoe as I-80 was closed down for 2 days due to rock and mud slides.

As I stood changing Tina's diaper, I heard a large crash from outside. Turns out the entire fence to the street behind us fell down with a giant wind gust. This unnerves my mother as now everyone passing by on their way to BART can not only look in, but stroll in, if they desired. What a mess! We got a call from my sister-in-law advising that the NYE party planned at her house was still on despite the fact that the storm had taken their power.

We got there just after 7 (1.5 hours after the girls' bedtime) and arrived at the still-darkened house lit up by an inviting fire and a dozen or so candles. The champagne wasn't so cold and all in the freezer was beginning to thaw (what a shame they visited Costco just a day before!!) We set up the Pack N' Play in the dark upstairs but enjoyed the cozy fire and I silently relished the fact that football and other distractions couldn't intrude on this "family time." The kidlets slept undisturbed upstairs for the most part.

PG&E called every 2 hours or so with postponed estimates on when the power would be restored. At one time, we were hopeful as not just one, but five different PG&E trucks loitered outside the house trying to fix the problem. After about 2 hours, they went home - or elsewhere. We joked we wouldn't know when midnight came because we had no clocks, but of course, everyone with a cell phone helped us solve that problem. The power finally came on just as we were leaving --- at 12:45 am!

New Years Resolutions?? Well, January 1st, Lullaby Lane is having a clearance sale. Time to start setting up our house as though we're going to live there. On the list: crib mattresses and car seats - the next size. And, although I'd planned on getting the smaller Britax Roundabout seats, the Marathons were on sale for the same price (about a $80 savings each!) and Paul thought the larger weight limit (40 lbs vs. 65 lbs) would be better for us. He also reassured me that my concern about having 2 Marathons not fitting in my backseat would be short-lived as he hoped to replace my '93 truck with nearly 200,000 miles with something more updated (I've never had a new car, so this would be nice).

The cribs, which we ordered back in September, should arrive and be ready for pick-up on Jan. 4th. Then, we'll have cribs, mattresses, handmade bumpers & quilts. If the babies can sleep well, perhaps I can, too! They are almost too big to share the Pack N' Play. Paul's almost ready to start painting the back of the house (we decided on Butter Yellow for the back 2 rooms). I resolve to do everything in my power to get this darned house ready for a family - and ready for me to entertain kidlets all day long. Let's hope it's a good year. May 2006 prove to be more settling that the year before it.