One...Two...Nine...Ten!

Counting is the new thing, now. One of their favorite books is "Rainbow Fish Counting" - it was included in the free tote bags that CPMC gave out to all the babies born at their hospital. Attached to it was a flyer about reading early and often to your baby. The girls especially like it when Daddy reads this book because he likes to count and point to the sea-animals on the page really fast and loud - like it is a race. His erratic and exaggerated counting always gets them giggling.

Even when Daddy isn't home, the girls will pick up that book, open it and start counting like they were Daddy. You can tell they're counting because of their methodic, monotones and synchronized pointing. When they read, they're not in any race, but, like Daddy, they often count the same animal multiple times and miss other ones entirely!

We also count when we're waiting for the milk to warm in the microwave. Tina will stand at the foot of the microwave, her finger pointing and waving methodically up and down saying a combination of gibberish and numbers. I suppose this ritual gives her some comfort or distraction of how soon the milk will actually come to her. When the timer finally beeps, both girls throw their wiggling hands in the air and say, "Yea!" just like their sign language.

From their car seats, they have also starting counting. The more they practice, the better they get. They know that to start counting, they use the word "one." They also know that "two" comes after "one." However, after that, they get a bit lost and just make up a bunch of numbers. The funny thing is, though, that when they're getting done with their counting, they always end with "nine, ten!"

Christmas Morning

How many presents can one child (times 2) get for Christmas?? So many that we felt it would be best to open only a few a day...

Here's the beginning of the gifts on Christmas morning...the "big" gifts too big to wrap... their play kitchen, wagon and tricycles!! Watch them as they come out of their rooms Christmas morning.

Note how Bettina steals the phone from Ava straight away. Ava just stamps her feet in frustration and finds something else to play with. You can hear the sizzle sound when she puts the fry pan on the "stove." The pot makes a boiling water sound (so cool!).


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To view more pictures of the day and the following festivities, click here.

For Christmas, Why don't you Elf Yourself!

This is a pretty funny website...We sent our an email saying that these clips had unfortunately ended up on the floor of the editing room before "Elf," the movie was released, but these long-lost video clips are still pretty funny.....

Here's Tina's: click here

For Ava's, click here.

We even did one for Daddy!! (shh!) Look here.

Month 19 - Bettina Shows Real Preferance

Tina loves animals. She's quite clear about it. This little bunny was not allowed to leave Tina's lap without her screeching for it to return. Fortunately, this bunny is very special as he enjoys attention from people and was grateful for the opportunity to fall asleep on Tina's lap. She's in heaven as she watches him snuggle into her jacket while she ever-so-gently strokes his fluffy angora fur.


Tina and Ava both have also found new joy out of visiting the doctor as Dr. Maria has added a pot-bellied pig to the menagerie in her waiting room. Besides the pig, a chihuahua dog, a snake, guinea pig and fish populate the waiting room. My girls play with the animals more than they do the train table and toys. This week we visited the doctor and "Basil" the pig was running around the waiting room, not confined to his pen just now. Smiles spread across two little faces and 2 sets of feet go running down the hall toward the little pink snout and a new word, "pig," is exclaimed in stereo.

This is why I love this pediatrician - I'm not sure how I got to be so lucky to find her. Not only does she love animals and give kids an opportunity to forget their fears/hurts by touching and playing with them, but she also has twin children (B/G, now much older), gives out her home and cell phone numbers as well as excellent behavior advice. I'm usually discussing the later with her after we rule out any physical reason for powerful temper tantrums. The biting and low-frustration level and intense tantrums of Tina has us trying soy formula instead of milk (only thing we could point to was a grumbly tummy).

Month 18 Week 3 - Tots in Toyland

Today Tina, Ava and I hosted a holiday themed toddler party. Since we'd decided that regular ornaments (particularly glass ones) were out this year, we thought we'd make our own...and invited some friends who we thought might be in the same boat.

Here are some of the things we did:
Playing in the back yard: Tina and Ava teeter with Anna's tottering - Lauren & Will in the backround
















Gingerbread cookie decorating:
Matthew works on a couple of yummy masterpieces














Ornament Making, Stamping (with washable inks) and Crayons, and

Decorating Santa's Village (sort of like a less-strick version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey with contact paper and decorations):


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Just too cool!
So, does this mean that I've already got one of those kids who's got all "the" cool gadgets before she's 12 years old and has more people in her address book that I do? Will she insist on her Starbucks Grande hot chocolate before she is dropped off at school and prefer to get a Jamba Juice over a $1.25 scoop of ice cream?
Boy, we may be in trouble here soon....

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! 

18 Months, 1 Week - Vocabulary

The girls' vocabulary increases all the time. It seems that every week there's another couple of words and a sign or two. Here's what they're saying/signing now:

Signing:

1. Milk
2. Please
3. Thank you
4. Baby
5. Up
6. Help
7. Down
8. Dog
9. Horse
10. Cat
11. Hat
12. Cold
13. Hot
14. More
15. Done
16. Book
17. Hungry
18. Thirsty

Speaking:

1. Sister
2. Banana
3. Agua “water”
4. Kitty
5. Done
6. Hello
7. Mommy
8. Grandma
9. Grandpa
10. Nonna
11. Nonno
12. Daddy
13. Bye-bye
14. Night-night
15. Shoe
16. No
17. Yeah
18. Hot
19. Apple
20. Baby
21. Cracker
22. Moo
23. Quack
24. Neigh

18 Months - Thanksgiving

Let it Snow!

We traveled with Grandma and friends Scott & Nicole and their baby Victoria up to Tahoe for Thanksgiving this week. We rented a house just around the corner from my sister's house and spread out, letting the toddlers run. Little baby Victoria, 5 months old, just sat back and watched the girls run circles around her pointing and chanting, "Baby!"

It snowed 6-inches the first night we were there and the girls were fascinated by the change in topography. They stood on our bed that morning, pointing and chatting indistinguishably about the new blanket of snow.

Bundled up, we took them outside for short walks. They weren't very interested in walking far nor wearing the new mittens I'd purchased for them and they cried when their hands or feet got covered in the cold snow.

Inside, the girls enjoyed running circles around the living room, jumping on the giant "L"-shaped couch and singing The Wiggles songs they know. Soon, most of the family could sing along with them and grew very t ired of the tune. Tina also spent a lot of time cuddled up in Uncle Scott's lap captivated by the many books she'd brought him to read for her. Uncle Scott is also her God-father, so it was great bonding time.

Mid-way through our Turkey Day, we received word from Paul's mother that our house in the City had been burglarized and almost all of Paul's and the contractor's tools had been stolen along with all my jewelry. This shocking news gets Paul into my sister's car to drive home to deal with the paperwork and figure out what to do next. The rest of us plan to go home as scheduled the following day.

I am terribly thankful that they didn't find my Grandma's silver nor find value in the china or other heirlooms that are priceless to me. And, although I would gladly trade some nicer jewerly (kept with me instead of at home) for a few of the missing sentimental pieces (like my Grandma's necklace, my mom's pearl cocktail ring or other unique pieces given as gifts), I strangely am OK with the loss. Family has become more important to me, it seems. Despite the bad news, I'm not figiting to get back home to tally our losses. The most important things to me - all my blessings - were gathered around that Thanksgiving table. The rest is background - decorations the insurance company can help me rebuild. And, I can deal with that another day. For now, I'll just reflect on this week's memories and photos, which you can see here.

The Early Birds - Twins Book Club Review (finally!)

It's been months since I've said that I would read and then comment on "The Early Birds" by Jenny Minton, a book that her PR rep sent me to create some viral publicity. I started the book in July and got really into it as Jenny describes the pregnancy part of her story. However, once her babies were born, she spends so much time in the tiniest details, she lost me...and lost me hard. I remember exactly when it happened...she was describing what her mother did or did not order for lunch and how the waiter was handling it..."Ack!! Who cares! What does this have to do with a 'story of motherhood??'" I thought. I got angry at silly side-details like this and put down the book. I read 2 others before the guilt of not finishing it and of see it stare down unappreciatedly at me finally got me to take it down and dust it off to finish it again.

I have a feeling that the reason I didn't bond with the book after her boys were born is just simply that I was blessed with an uncomplicated birth; my kids didn't have to spend anytime in the NICU and I never really became familiar with the workings of the hospital as she did. I didn't feel guilty about my birthing experience and completely unlike Jenny, I was allowed to sprint out the the hospital doors days after the girls were born. Within 2-weeks of my girls' birth, I was challenging myself to go outside and navigate the world as a new mother. Jenny never got that chance and was stuck mitigating other details much more acute than the great outdoors.

Thinking this difference may have been the factor causing an interest "slow-down," I asked a friend, who I was visiting for a few days and who is the mother of very preemie twin boys who also spent months in the NICU, to take a quick read and let me know what she thought. BINGO! She said the book had her in tears and she loved it.

So, I suppose that this book would be a great gift for someone who perhaps has had to spend time with preemies in the NICU; who has perhaps some feeling of guilt for somehow contributing to them being there to begin with; who's going through a tough time with sick babies but wants to have hope for the future, even though the future seems so far away.

One thing is certain, Jenny has done a lot of research on IVF (her method of conception and common for families with twins). It was interesting to note all the science and lack-thereof behind the IVF methods. If you are thinking of IVF, there is a lot of interesting information that may play a part in your decision. From her perspective, IVF may be at fault for many of the problems with preterm labor, preemies and lifelong illnesses. Those to me were great tidbits of information.

Worth reading? If you're not engrossed in IVF and NICU details, perhaps not. However, if either of these arenas have crossed into your life, perhaps so. I don't think it's for all mothers of twins, but for the ones that it is, it may feel like you're reading your very own diary of thoughts and feelings. And, it does give hope for the future - Jenny's kids (along with a third one she has later) are all fine, healthy and happy kids.

17 Months 3 Weeks - "Apple, Apple, Apple!"

First of all, you have to admire this new view...

View from"New Home" in the Oakland Hills

While working on our remodel, we're staying at our friends' recent purchase in a little tear-down on the most gorgeous acre and a half lot in the world. Unlike us, they plan to not live here during the planning, demolition and construction of their future house. The opportunity this affords us is fabulous!

This week, my Baby Center email told me all about possible benchmarks for vocabulary and words that the girls may have at this time developmentally. The poll shows that most kids, 75% of boys and 58% of girls only use one word at a time when "talking." Neither of my twin girls often speaks more than a word at a time, but one of them will use their sign language to augment their message: one spoken word with another or more signs to punctuate or add additional detail to her comment or story.

It seems that the girls learn a new word - either spoken or signed - everyday. While picking apples outside in the orchard of our current home, the girls got very excited and were showing a lot of enthusiasm about the picking and then the putting the apple in the bag part of the process. After 2 or 3 rounds each of this task, Ava shouted out "Apple!". An extended chorus of "apple" followed hereafter like she was the lead soprano in an opera recounting the trials and tribulations of apple picking - lasting far longer than necessary or needed to acknowledge this seemingly minor event. Tina echoed the "apple," but clearly, Ava was the diva of this production.

This is the apple orchard behind the house that started Ava's lyric opera of sorts


"Baby" has also popped up while reading through some books. I thought they were just echoing what was being talked about in the books, but this week, while finding a box of diaper wipes with a picture of a baby on the sides, Ava walked over to the box, pointed to the picture and said, "Baby!" "She's got it," I think. She continued to floor me when, as she squatted down by the box, she pointed to the eyes of the baby and said, "Eyes," followed quickly by "Shoes". As enthusiastically as I can, I applaud and encourage her: "That's right, Ava! There's a baby with shoes on that box!"

At the barn this week, Ava and Tina both got very excited to talk about the dogs there. They ran around chasing them slapping their thighs signing the word for "dog" and saying "woof, woof." When I mentioned that there were also horses and reminded them of the sign, Ava quickly did a modified version of "horse", pointing to where the ears would be instead of making her fingers into horsey ears on her head. Testing her memory and also showing off for Daddy later when we were home, she showed Daddy that they saw horses and dogs at the barn that day.

New words like "banana", "cracker," and "night-night" just seem to spill out of their mouths nearly every day. They prove that all they are understanding the words and are really trying to tell stories about their day or requests what they'd like to do. Nostalgia kicks in as, more and more every day, they are becoming more like little people and not so much babies.

5-Point Car Seats - Good for the Long-Haul

There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on which forward-facing car seat to get your kid/s. I solicited much advice from many of my friends who already had kids. Much of it heeds on brand and long-term comfort for the child and durability for the seat. Some of it is about the bulk - some of these monster car seats, especially if you have more than one kid, demand you purchase an SUV or minivan!

I had one friend who told me there's no reason to get a car seat that allows for more than 40 lbs because, by the time they are that age, their self-awareness will demand that they get to sit in a booster "big kids' seat" like their older friends. So, why bother if they're just going to whine until you give up and move them to a booster.

We bought the seats that work up to 65 lbs. mostly to stave off having to buy another seat for another 25 lbs. After watching this, though, I think that after the girls are 65 lbs., we just may buy another 5-point harness car seat and leave the booster for someone else's choice.

If you have kids under 80 lbs., you should watch this very emotional, but educational video one family made to prove a point about safety and car seats:

17 Months 2 Weeks - Rain, Rain, Go Away

So, here's what the house looks like now:


October's House

It's been coming along nicely, although (as is par for the course), is about 2-weeks late.

The view from our room is divine: you see the whole Bay Bridge all the way down to Hunter's Point. Here's a view from the girls' room:


The View from the girls' room

However, it has started to rain - just small showers - and our place is getting flooded. The tarps the contractors have placed are suppossed to keep the rain out, but they aren't working properly yet. Much of Paul's work from before, mostly in the front living room, is being ruined and we'll have to re-do the front and back rooms now as well. So much for being able to move back in to the "finished" areas of the house.

I'm glad that we're not living there now. The kids would be falling all the time on the wet hard-wood floors. We get the windows delivered tomorrow and, hopefully, that will help them be able to further close up the front and back of the house and get a better seal on the place. The future grandeur is damped slightly by this step backwards, but we know it will all eventually will be a really nice place to live.

17 Months, 1 Week - Gone Without Girls

For the very first time in over 2-years, Paul and I went away for the weekend...by ourselves!!

My Aunt Kathy, who is actually a professional nanny/childcare provider, had offered her "expertise" when the girls were first born for such an occasion. 17-months later, we finally took her up on it.

This allowed Paul and I a chance to run up to the wine country for a modest but well-deserved birthday/anniversary celebration. Without the stresses of the house remodel or the girls, we got to take naps, watch 10-thousand movies in our room and hold hands while walking to dinner.

Most people warned me: "You'll be gone, but you'll be constantly worrying about the girls and will be calling home all the time." Didn't happen to us; we were talking about them often, but only once did we call to make sure everything was alright.

After an intimate Saturday, we woke up Sunday and visited Domaine Chandon, one of the more popular Champagne cellars in the area. We did a small reserve tasting, but most just took in the beautiful grounds. We got married just 10 miles up the road in St. Helena 4 years prior. I always love seeing the wine country decorated in reds and yellows.

After our tasting, we met up with some colleagues of Paul's from work for a "business" lunch; really just an excuse to entertain and treat themselves to a very fancy lunch. We met at The French Laundry in Yountville - very hoity-toity. People fly from all around the world to eat here - it's one of the most famous restaurants in the country and certainly the most famous in Northern California. Ridiculous prices, but an experience that you'll remember for the rest of your life. Too bad the image of the bill sears itself stronger into the memory than the 4-hours of luscious food and pampering waitstaff.

Anyhow, all was quiet and good as we pulled up Sunday night, proving that the girls can survive 36-hours with someone besides ourselves caring for all their needs. Good to remember for next year's anniversary!!

17 Months - What's the Buzz?

The Little Bug-gers ready for Treats

Ava and Bettina are now 17 months old! They shared the event with Mommy who had her birthday on the same day as their "month-day!"

So, what are they up to now? Here's a quick update:

Ava says, "Boo!"
Ava:

• Loves to play hide-and-seek mostly by curling herself into curtains or throwing a blanket over her head. When there are no props, she simply covers her eyes with her hands. When you say, "Where's Ava?" and walk around the room like you're trying to find her, she giggles and jumps out saying, "Boo!" You can distract her from nearly everything with this simple game.
• Is going through a tough bat of separation anxiety. Mommy is the focal point of her life right now.
• Measures in the upper levels of coordination, especially when it comes to dancing and jumping, which she takes with the upmost seriousness. You should see her face when she's concentrating on her feet to make sure they both leave the floor at the same time when she jumps.
• Loves to be tickled under her chin and on her belly.
• Uses "No" to answer most questions and to tell you what to do. She has other words such as "Mommy," "Boo," "bye, bye," but she prefers to use her sign language. She's up to about 10 signs including "hat," "up," "down," "milk," "please," "hungry," "thirsty" (although she incorrectly uses the same sign for hungry for this), and "help".
  
  
  Tina says, "Boo!"

Tina:

• Has been caught singing along with The Wiggles from her carseat to the song "Kneading Some Dough". She, of course, likes to sing the chorus: "Dough, dough, dough, dough, dough, dough....."
• Is much more aggressive than Ava, often pushing her completely out the way to play with a toy or go down the slide first.
• Has become more independant, but has also started her tantrums, which are difficult to distract her from.
• Hasn't embraced her sign language as much as Ava with the exception of the word "hat." She loves to wear the silly Ariel crown that came in the McDonald's Happy Meal. She will search for the hat and then come to me signing "hat" until I produce it. It's really cute!

Both are doing well and looking forward to Halloween! BOO!

Going on a Pumpkin Hunt...

The Pumpkin Patch

While Uncle Patrick and Aunt Ainsley were in town, we decided to go a visit the pumpkin patch. And, while we're at it, let's go to the biggest one around!

The Twins Club has had a lot of email traffic about the pumpkin patch out in Livermore called G & M Farms. It's a little far to drive, but is right off the freeway exit, so it's easy once you get there. G & M Farms boasts of everything that you'd look for in a pumpkin patch: farm animals, pony rides, pumpkins, a 6-acre corn maze and a little hay-bale maze for the tinier tots. There's a little bit of a haunted house - more like a display - and of course, little red wagons to help you carry all your loot!

We had a nice time and did just about everything there was to do (the corn maze didn't open until 4pm on weekdays and the ponies only come out on the weekends) and took lots of photos. It's a really nice thing to do for fun and to make memories. You should definitely take the time to try it for yourselves!

Here are the pictures: click here!

16 Months Week 3 - Fun at the Park

To The Moon!!

We're again in another new temporary housing location... while more family members enjoy some vacation time, we get to enjoy stable housing. We explored today another park nearby the house. It's really meant for older kids, but the girls found things to do. They particularly enjoyed this double wobble-ride.

Shortly after this, Tina wandered off toward the play structure behind them and a very nice little girl (of about 4 years old) gave Tina her fushia colored Care Bear teddy. Tina looked up at the little girl with such appreciation and a giant smile. She immediately turned and hugged the bear like I've never seen her do to a stuffed toy. She didn't put it down for a good 15 minutes. When she did, the little girl came back, dusted the tanbark off the bear and lent it to Ava, who was equally thrilled by the generosity. When it was time for the little girl to leave, I thanked the her for her grace and thoughtfulness and told her she was the nicest friend to the girls in the whole park. She just looked at me like she does and hears this stuff every day, smiled and skipped away. I hope my girls can do that someday.

16 Months 2 Weeks - The "Boo" House

The "Boo" House

Paul had an opportunity to finish his work on the house a bit early this weekend. We decided it would be fun to go to what Ava and Tina call "the Boo House;" a festive pumpkin walk created by stacks of baled hay, a little red bridge covered in corn stalks and a web of neoprene curtains where the girls like to hide and then run out calling "Boo!" Grandma and I had so much fun earlier in the week watching them invent this game, we just had to bring Daddy there to experience it for himself.

After doing many laps of the "Boo House" and visiting the farm animals, we found another special treat: a tomato tasting. Tomatos are one of the girls' absolute favorites! Here's some video of Ava asking (with her sign language) for more tomato (this is like her 4th different variety - she seemed to like them all!).



Tina was asking earlier, but by the time Mommy got ready with her camera, she was tired of repeating herself.

16 Weeks 1 Week - A Quick Road Trip

Rub-A-Dub Dub - Three Kids in a Tub

Well, since our latest temporary housing fix doesn't allow dogs (didn't find that out until the night before), I decided to go up with the girls and dog to visit my long-time friend who recently moved to Reno, NV until our next temp housing (that is dog-friendly) is ready for us. My friend's husband was out of town on business, so we strangely thought that this would be a great opportunity for a girls' weekend: 2 of us; 4 of them! The "them" is all four of our daughters. The oldest just turned four, so that would be 4 kids aged 4 and under. Not to mention the 2 black Labradors!

We actually had a ball - rather intensely, but fun none-the-less. We visited a great pumpkin patch complete with pony rides, a corn maze, little wagons/cart big enough to pull all three toddlers, a hay ride behind a real tractor and lemonade sold by little kids. We also got to visit Virginia City which I thought was a sell-out to cheap figurines and t-shirts that cater to the Harley Davidson crowd.

We did manage an adult dinner at the neighbors and a nice lunch at Baja Fresh (only the best and most luxurient meals for busy moms).

Driving back down on the way home, the girls, having not yet napped that day, slept all the way to Davis (more than 2 hours!). When the did wake up, they were starving. We made a quick stop into McDonald's where in their Happy Meals they have apples instead of fries, milk instead of soda and yogurt and fruit parfaits that the girls just love. Each of the girls got different toys in their happy meals, but after Ava started a fight over Tina's Little Mermaid crown, we decided just to go and see if we could trade to get two. Surprisingly enough, days later they are still carrying them around the house and ask people to assist in coronating themselves. They love them - can't you tell?


Mermaid Queens, gratis a McDonald's

Playing House with Dean

Playing house
Well, at least it's not "doctor"...yet!

This is a cute photo that was actually taken a couple of weeks ago when we had a play date over at the girls' friend Dean's house. Everyone was in the "Storybook Cottage" playing with the pretend food. They had fun opening and closing all the doors and windows multiple times. Then, instead of throwing the food at them, Dean shows a "softer side" and offers Tina a bite of corn on the cob. Oh, yeah! He'll be a heartbreaker!