Our Wonder Twins

We're 4!

2011-10-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Wondertwins united once again for their 4th birthday. We decided to forgo a big celebration and made plans to celebrate 4 years of fun at Disneyland instead. We ended up having a small celebration at home as well, inviting just the neighbors kids and my close friend Leanne. Paco jetisonned out once again for a long weekend to help in the celebrations.
This year Ben went with a Star Wars cake, surprising us all, as we were expecting a superhero. (But I guess you could say that Luke has some pretty cool super powers... and he was a twin as well!)
Audrey's latest kick is butterfly's. So she went with a butterfly cake. That, I thought, I could handle. So I decided to take on Audrey's cake and leave the Star Wars cake to the "proffessionals." - though after seeing the handwriting on the cake, I had second thoughts :( Not matter - cake is cake and everyone enjoyed the day and the sweets.

Ben, Audrey, Jagger, Ethan, Jack

Makin' Monsters

We're 4!!!!

Their birthday landed on a Sunday this year, so the home celebration was on their actual day. Disneyland was the next day. We got tickets for the Mickey's Halloween Party, where you dress up the kids, they have special spots where they hand out candy, have meet and greets with lots of characters, a cool parade and of course, the rides. Needless to say the kids had a blast. BTW - Disney doesn't spare anything on the candy - they were handing out shovel fulls of M&M's, snickers, milky way - not that sugar stick crap! :P
We ended up sticking around until 10:30 - not able to close the place down, but having plenty of good memories and leaving them wanting more. Which, given it's proximity, I would guess will be happening quite a bit in their lives!

Happy Birthday
Ben & Audrey!

Summer Daze

2011-09-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

The not-so-long summer is coming to a close. And with it comes more milestones. The biggest being Audrey's independence. By that I mean the official end to potty training and the official start of a diaper free household!!!! Huzzah!!!!!
If you are looking for an official day of infamy, as was the case with Ben, then you're outta luck. I'll give A&B one thing - they are truly individuals. By that I mean, they are staying the course in the "we do very little, if anything alike" category. Quite opposites if you ask me.
So it was with little fanfare and a bunch of fits and starts over the span of a year that Audrey's potty training finally clicked in her brain.
In previous posts I mentioned my will to get her out of diapers by her 3 1/2 year mark. That of course was foolish on my account. Where Ben molds easily, Audrey goes her own path. If she was to let go of her precious panties it would be on her schedule, thank you very much. I acknowledged our inability to "force" her to go in the porcelain god rather than her princess panties early on and probably ended up saving a few years of my life as a result.
So we waited patiently. Constantly encouraging her on her success stories, quietly crying when she digressed. For a while there I had visions of begging her to go on the potty two years from now as we brought her to kindergarten. ;(
It was a change of venue that finally helped her click - that and I think a maturity that seemed to emerge over the summer. So starting in August, on our summer vacation, she independently went to the powder room all on her own. Not only was she going to do it on her own schedule, but she didn't need any of our antiquated help either! And that was fine - I didn't care how she did it - as long as she did it! And she continued, despite my skepticism and doubt that it would last. It's been one month now and no set backs! Nicely done Audrey!

Audrey Multi-tasking

In addition to being the summer season, the last few months have brought a big change in the twins.
They are truly a joy to watch. And as they begin to interact and play better with other kids, I am forever grateful that they have each other to entertain and enjoy. It really is priceless watching them play, wrestle, converse and laugh endlessly together. They both have sprouted upward in height as well as expanded in their verbal communication. It's easy to have conversations with them now.
Ben can negotiate with the best of them. Whether it's how much more of his dinner he has to eat, how much TV he can watch, or how late he can stay up, he is constantly negotiating the terms. Lucky for him he's pretty cute and has a fairly good sense of humor, otherwise I think his days would be numbered.
Audrey's imagination has exploded. She is constantly coming up with new names and scenarios and discussing them like they were always a part of our lives. Recently we discovered that she has a sister Kayma who has the same birthday as Audrey, although is a year older. Kayma has pink hair and two dogs - (both pink) Carabesco (love that name - no idea how she thought of it!), who is big and has 5 pink puppies with red tails, and Alyna who is small. (Audrey made a point of telling me they are ALL girls by the way. Also that Kayma was with a "K" and Carabesco was with a "C".)
She goes into pretty elaborate stories about where Kayma lives and what she is doing: "At night Kayma sleeps in Ben's bed - that is why Ben ends up coming to Mom & Dad's room to sleep..."

They will be 4 years young in less than a month. I was told that though the two's and three's can be "terrible," that 4 is the "magic" year. We've had quite a bit of magic this past year, so I'm really looking forward to the next amazing feats that the Wonderwins astound us with!

Happy 3.5 Birthday!

2011-04-02T20:27:00.000-07:00

Sunflower Cupcakes

Before


After

Our Wondertwins are half way to 4! Does that make me an optimist?
I surely could have said they are halfway done their 3's.
Either way you think about it, Audrey continues to lead the height category by staying a solid half inch higher than her younger brother:

Audrey

Height: 38 1/4 in.

Weight: 31.4 lbs.

Ben

Height: 37 3/4 in.

Weight: 31.5 lb.

Since they were born I've been compiling a monthly picture of the two of them with the intention of putting them together for a slideshow. I finally got the chance to compile the pics for their 3 1/2 birthday celebration. It's fun to see the big changes in growth in just one month during their earlier years. The changes are certainly still happening albeit just a bit more subtle.
As I look through the slideshow myself, I'm reminded how especially difficult it was to get them together and sitting still for a picture from about 9 months on. (go figure!) The most difficult age I would say was around 20 months. They just had no reason to sit still for more than a second - let alone sit next to each other AND smile for the camera! I think that is reflected in the quality of pictures during what I call "the futile period." Recently it's become just a bit easier as they enjoy hugging each other and saying "cheese!" Of course this usually creates some very disturbing facial gestures. But at least they are sitting still!
I'll continue to snap for posterity. If only to amuse myself.

The Wondertwins Muses

2011-03-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

The Wondertwins are really becoming close friends and have a great time playing and interacting with each other. They constantly ask where the other is when they aren't in view. Since they were conceived I can count on my one hand the amount of times they've been apart for any significant time. I figured they could use some individual time to feel confident in an atmosphere without their other half. I was a little concerned as to how they would react on their own - breaking the cord they've shared this last 3 plus years.
As a response to my concerns and a need to encourage their interests, recently we decided to put Audrey into dance class. She loves to sing and dance and tickle the ivories. So what better way to encourage her passion than to enroll her into a ballet and tap "organized" class.
At first I wasn't sure if she would take direction, she certainly enjoys giving it and doing her own thing, but what would happen if you asked her to do specific things for 45 minutes straight? Now after a full 8 weeks of dancing her heart out, I have to say she is doing great. She absolutely loves the class and this week will be bumping up to the next level. Which is really not much of a jump, but hopefully she will be challenged a bit more and learn some cool dance moves in the process! In June she will be in her first dance recital. Given her love of the craft, I suspect we are in for a long and wondrous barrage of recitals in Audrey's dance career.

Since Audrey was going to dance, we didn't want Ben to feel left out. We won a 4 week coupon for a Gymnastic school here in town. I thought he would be hesitant to participate in anything with out his sister. But since he observed Audrey going it alone for a couple weeks and the fact that we framed it as Superhero school he was on board pretty quickly. He too is doing great and this week was recommended to advance in the next level.

They both exceeded my expectations are are having a great time in their new classes. I have to admit seeing them grow and experience new things on their own without any issues was a big relief and makes me feel calm and assured that they will enjoy anything that they put their mind to.

A Day of Infamy!

2011-01-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

January 9, 2001.
The day that will go down in Infamy!!!!!!
(At least in this Mom's books.)

That is the day that our Ben said no to diapers and went full force, head strong and all or nothing into wearing big boy underwear!!! Woot!!!!
And there was no looking back. It's been a long haul, I must admit. But even given that it took a full year of fits and starts, when he put his mind to it, he did it with ease and excitement.
For all you who say - "yawn - big deal." I tell you in my opinion, it is probably the single most biggest deal in their little lives since they started breathing on their own. It is that big for me, and made my year...
Now if only his sister would follow suit.
By everyone's account, Girls were supposed to be the easy one's. If you made me place a bet when they turned 2 of who be the first to be potty trained, I would have jumped at the odds and shouted Audrey! The girl of course! Ben, with his clingy, almost shy nature would never delve into uncharted ground without his sister paving the way. Audrey's head strong will to be independent would surely entice her to want to be free and clear of the baby hand cuffs called diapers.
Now given the results, I realize I would have lost the house - and all the diapers in it.
So I'm setting another goal for Audrey. April 2nd 2011. It is their 3 1/2 year birthday. I have faith she can do it. I just hope she is up to the task and uses some of her independence to embrace the big girl underwear. Because I fear the alternative, I have no choice but to bet she will break us free of diapers for yet another day of infamy!
What would the odds be this time around?

Holidaze 2010

2010-12-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

The lights are up, the cards are delivered, the first batches of cookies are made, the gifts are bought, wrapped and sent, and we're all settled in for a long rainy week before Christmas.
Despite all the planning it never fails: "the best laid plans... often go astray."

This year with the Wondertwins has enforced that statement more than ever.
We began our year starting in Daycare for the first time in their lives. It quickly became a nightmare as Ben caught pneumonia after the second week and Audrey followed with a severe cold and ear infection. Then Ben with another ear infection and Audrey with another severe cold and ear infection and then... well you get the idea. We literally spent all of Spring and the start of summer in the doctors office, medicating poor Audrey and Ben.
In June we pulled them out of Daycare for our sanity and their health.
Despite Audrey being the boss in day to day activity, Ben has taken the lead in most firsts this year.
The plan was to wait until their 3rd birthday to put them into big kid beds, but those plans were foiled when in February Ben, in a fit of "I'm not ready to go to bed yet" rage, promptly climbed (read:fell) out of his crib. The next day he was sleeping in his big boy bed and actually seemed to enjoy it. Audrey on the other hand LOVED her crib and loved sleeping in it. It was their hugely different sleeping patterns that forced us to separate them into different rooms in the first place.
But in June, prompted by Ben, Audrey began to want to sleep in her big bed and yet again forced upon us a change a bit earlier than planned. So a big girl bed for her was put in Ben's room and both were joined again, almost 3 years after their separation. Mommy and Daddy were the true winners as Ben started to sleep in. (His usual wake time was 6-6:30 AM) Now, with a companion to sleep with, he's working on Audrey time and sleeping in until 8! (JOY TO THE WORLD!)
Giving up binkies was another first this year. And I have to credit daycare for this one. We sent them to daycare sans binkies. And suprisingly they didn't miss it. So with a little persuasion and after about 15 minutes of whining, in March, Ben gave his binky up for good. Audrey followed in May. I honestly thought it would be very difficult for her as she, like her crib, absolutely LOVED that thing. But all that was said to her was that she didn't use it for her nap and she was a big girl now so she didn't need it at night either. She looked at me, looked at her pillow and laid down to sleep. The end of binkies!
In October, just after their 3rd birthday they both finally had a color breakthrough. For the longest time we thought they were color blind. We'd ask what color is that tree? Ben would say very confidently "pink!" - Audrey would look at my mouth to see what shape my lips where making and say: "rrrr - red?!" (Still getting it wrong while trying to cheat!) But after getting some puzzles - which Ben is a PRO at - it finally clicked for both of them. Now Audrey will offer the (correct) color of things, just to let you know. And Ben knows exactly what color superman, batman, robin, aquaman and yes, a tree is!
And finally what's writing about the end of the year without Santa?
We honestly didn't think we'd ever get a picture of the Wondertwins together on Santa's lap.
Audrey was deathly afraid of him. She would grab onto you like a leech and shake uncontrollably any time she even thought he was near. (Can't say I blame her though - forcing one on a complete stranger in a white beard and odd looking clothes IS scary!)
Ben on the other hand, like the previous firsts, took the lead and leaped into his lap, looking at us like, "what's the big deal - sure I'll sit with this big, hairy stranger, if it'll get me a Batcave!" Yes that is what he wants for Christmas. A Batcave.
So one kid on Santas lap. One kid won't go anywhere near him. Ho Hum.
Then what to our wondering eyes and amazement... we go to a party where Santa came to read a story and chat with all the kids. After an hour of playing with kids in a distant room away from the Big, Red, Hairy man, Audrey nonchalantly walks over to Santa, starts talking to him, and then sits on his lap with no hesitation. I was so shocked, I wasn't prepared to take a picture and didn't turn on the flash. waaa.waaaaaaaaaaaa...Ok - I give up. There really is no figuring out this parenthood thing. The best I can figure is, if you make plans, be prepared to have them change dramatically.
But most of all, just be happy to BE!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

We're 3!

2010-10-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

As a friend noted: Audrey & Ben have completed 3 times around the sun! When put in this fashion it feels like such a long journey, but in our world it has flown by in a blink of an eye.
And in speedy fashion, their special day flew by so quickly, I'm still in disbelief.
We ended up going to Chuck E. Cheese, as they requested, and Paco joined us for a last minute surprise weekend visit. They had a great time and came home to two cakes of their choosing.
Batman/Superman for Ben, Cinderella for Audrey.

We dutifully went to their yearly dentist checkup followed immediately by their 3 year doctor check up.
Both went great and with a sigh of relief had great marks for their teeth and their 3 year old abilities. They have taken to flossing like pros - especially surprising as their parents barely started flossing in their 30's. And given their sicknesses in the beginning of the year, they both were very familiar with going to see Dr. Stern, whom they love as she showers them with hugs and kisses. Hopefully all this medical pampering will help them in their later years.

Audrey is still taking the lead in the height, but Ben has taken her over in weight this time...
Audrey:
Height: 37 in.
Weight: 28.4 lbs.
50th percentile height 30 percentile weight - The doctor claims she'll be tall and lean. That would be fine I'm sure by Audrey!
Ben:
Height 36 3/4 in.
Weight: 29.2 lbs.
He's hovering around the 40th percentile for both height and weight - a big boost from past checkups.
We hit many milestones during their 3rd year on Earth and are, as always, looking forward to the next milestones...
As the holiday season draws near we are hoping the year ends with a big gift for Mom & Dad - a diaper free zone. So far Ben is making leaps and bounds while Audrey is barely sizzling. So keep your thoughts and prayers not only for a healthy season, but also a milestone in potty training!
(fingers crossed!!!)

Step by Step

2010-04-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Audrey & Ben have turned 2 1/2.
Funny how while you are young every month is counted, especially when 1/2 the year is up. You don't hear too many adults celebrating their half birthday. :)
This milestone was one I was particularly curious about as I had read at 2 1/2 years you should be able to double their height and get an estimate on how tall they will ultimately be.
We had no official doctors visit for this milestone, but unfortunately since we started daycare they've been consistently sick. (Ben got pneumonia two weeks into the new schedule of daycare and they both have had ear infections and colds to boot) :(
Given that, we have had updates on their weight and getting the height these days is fairly easy...
Here's the results:
Audrey
height: 35 1/2 in.
weight: 29.4 lbs.

Ben
height: 35 in
weight: 29 lbs.

If you double the height we are looking at a whopping
5'11" for Audrey
and
5'10" for Ben

Well have to wait a while to see if that comes to fruition!
At least it's documented and we can refer to the results in another 20 years...
In the meantime we are enjoying all that the wondertwins are throwing at us. Step by step we've been experiencing much more talking and conversing and of course the "terrible two" issues of sharing (or rather NOT sharing) and temper tantrums. It's great watching them interact with each other. They enjoy singing and dancing with each other, as well as chasing each other ad nausium.
New milestones include: Ben is officially out of his crib and into a "big boy bed" - something that happened a bit sooner than we expected due to him leaping out of his crib one evening and finding him sleeping on the floor. Most exciting for me is both are binky free!!!! Funny too how just the little steps are just as exiting to us as the big ones!
3 is just around the corner and I'm sure we'll experience much more as the years fly by!

Holidaze

2009-12-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

The New Year is closing in fast and the Wondertwins are getting their share of Holiday fun.
We've gone to a Christmas Ballet, the Burbank Chorale, endlessly watched and danced to The Nutcracker Ballet, saw Santa several places (they love to see him and will get close, but not sit on his lap), had cookies with Santa and the Mother of Twins Club, made tons of Christmas artwork, went to their first swim lesson, went to view Christmas lights with friends, helped Mom make cookies, and helped Paco make a festive Holiday feast.
I'm exhausted just writing this!
Just in the last month Audrey and Ben have made a big jump in their words and interaction. It's really cute watching them playing and laughing together and (YES!) sharing their toys.
Audrey is so attracted to anything musical. She sings, dances, plays drums and the piano whenever she can. Her repertoire of songs include the holiday favorites, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frost the Snowman and Jingle Bells along with the standards, A,B,C's, Ring Around the Rosey and Itsy Bitsy Spider.
Ben is still infatuated with Superman and loves anything art related; drawing, sculpting and building to his heart content. He'll use anything as his paintbrush or pencil including milk from his sippy cup - much to his parents dismay.
In 2010 we are considering putting them into daycare for the first time where I'm sure they will love interacting with the other kids and exploring new places.
The next year is sure to hold many other fun events for Our Wondertwins and we are looking forward to them all!

Wondertwins are 2!

2009-10-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

As noted before - in the blink of an eye -
Audrey and Ben are 2 years old!
We celebrated their day at the park above our home and the Grandparents once again flew out for the occasion. The party had an Elmo/Cars theme. Up until that day those two words were the first out of their mouth in the morning and the last before bed.
And just when we thought they would never get them out of their vocabulary and we would go mad watching Elmo and Cars - Ben throws us a curve ball. His new obsessions are Superman and Tinkerbell. It happened almost overnight and I sense a trend emerging.
"S!", "Superman FYYE" , " Superman Fye in Sky" "TinkerBewl" "Tinkerbewl Fyye" Ben repeats over and over until we validate him.
Audrey is just happy to sing songs and doesn't concern herself with the bantering of the same words over and over. That's Ben's realm!
We went for their 2 year checkup this week and both are still on a nice track of growth. Audrey is 1/2 inch taller and 5/10ths pound heavier than Ben, but I think he's gaining as we speak.
They each got two shots this time around - Hepatitis booster and the flu shot - Ben hardly flinched for both shots, completely shocking the nurse who is sadly the bearer of pain to unsuspecting children. He just gave her a look like: "what the hell?" I guess he's taking some lessons from superman?!
Audrey:
Height 34.25 in.
Weight 25.6 lbs.
Ben:
Height 33.75 in.
Weight 25.1 lbs.
Fall has peeked into our world this week with a cold spell and yes - actually rain! Both are welcome as far as I'm concerned as it helps prepare one for the holiday seasons...
And maybe the next obsession? Santa!
Wondertwin latest pics

Summertime

2009-07-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Summertime is in full swing and with it comes the traditional sand and sugar.
The months leading into summer brought out the Grandparents. Grandma C for Easter, Grandma H for Mother's Day and Paco for the Fourth of July.
During Paco's visit on the 4th of July and we the spent a day at the beach, followed by some partaking of ice cream. Both of which the twins love. (what a surprise!)
Here are some clips of them enjoying the perks of summer.
The first is us at the beach. It was our second trip this year and they both love the sand. Audrey in particular loves the water - and it was quite cold to boot - but she didn't care. Ben is more content playing in the sand and checking out the people - mostly girls!

The next is Audrey doing an ice cream dance. She couldn't stop dancing over the sweet stuff!
Ben enjoyed it as well, but took the more demure route and just sat with me and ate - so Audrey got the spotlight this time.

Our May and June and the start of July was pretty mild here until this past week when the heat monster finally reared it's head and brought the 100 degree weather. Our neighbors are away and asked us to take care of their pool - so we are taking advantage of that perk and dunking in each day to cool off.
Both Audrey and Ben are doing great with their letters and numbers. Audrey particularly likes singing the alphabet song and counting to 10. For a while there she was skipping number 7 (still don't know why?) but has finally included it in her repertoire. Ben enjoys pointing out letters on books and shirts and anything in his eyesight. He'll keep repeating the letter until you acknowledge him.
We will be traveling back east the end of August and can't wait to see family and friends again and show how much the babies have changed into little people.
In the meantime we are enjoying our summer as much as possible - goodness knows, in the blink of an eye summer will be gone and they will be 2!
click here for WonderTwins April-June Pics

Happy Spring!

2009-04-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung in the southland. We are enjoying some warm weather and the longer days are giving us just a little more daylight to enjoy it.

The wondertwins are a year and a half old. We went for their 18 month checkup this week. As in the past, they are both on schedule and developing right on track.
Audrey is in the 70th percentile for her height and 20th for weight - still long and lean. And Ben is keeping up by being right in the middle - 50th percentile for height and 10th percentile for weight.
Audrey
height: 32.5 in.
weight: 22.4 lbs.
Ben
height: 32.25 in.
weight: 22.3 lbs.
Audrey is spewing out new words by the minute. She still loves to jabber away and repeat any words - both Dave and I are realizing the need to edit ourselves and be aware of what we say!
Ben still loves to laugh out loud and test the boundaries as well as his Mom and Dad's patience. Where Audrey excels in vocabulary, Ben excels in engineering. Stacking blocks and making bubbles are two skills he's mastered quickly.
As Spring spreads it's wings we are looking forward to watching the next milestones evolve.
click here for latest Wondertwin pics

Mountain of Cute

2009-02-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

Audrey & Ben are on the verge of turning 17 months old.
They have hit so many milestones over the last 17 months it makes my head spin. They are now looking and acting like little people. Gone are the baby days. Dave was mentioning how he feels nostalgic when he sees people with infant babies. Those baby months go by so quickly. You wake up one day and they seem to have morphed into these little people overnight. They are a mountain of cuteness. Ben laughing uncontrollably over the simplest gesture that you may do, Audrey repeating every word you say in one form or another in her cute little toddler voice. Audrey is talking up a storm. One of Ben's favorite things to do is dance. So I'm posting some of these moments for all to witness.
The first is Audrey on a typical day... babbling away. She has full on conversations with herself and absolutely loves saying "Hi Paco!" It must tickle her mouth as she gets into a groove and doesn't stop...

This next one is Ben wearing his favorite shirt. If you even mention spiderman while he's wearing the shirt he stops what he's doing and points to it. On this occasion he spontaneously started dancing - something he enjoys doing - and does well I may add!
He still isn't pronouncing his words very well, but fully understands what you are saying to him. He likes getting into trouble by playing with the blinds and pulling open drawers. If you listen closely in this clip you can hear the endless babbling of Audrey in the background...

They have mastered walking, beginning to run and climbing whatever they can get their little legs on. At night all we have to say is "ready for bed?" and they run like rabbits to the stairs, climb them and play happily in their cribs until they fall asleep. Lucky us. I wonder how long that will last and they begin to rebel? Don't get me wrong, there are times when the whining is deafening and turning on Elmo seems the only respite. But despite the occasional outbursts, they remain a mountain of cute.

15 month checkup

2009-01-22T13:06:00.001-08:00

I seriously can't believe it is the end of January! And this month has 31 days!!! This new year is certainly starting off in warp speed...
Audrey and Ben went for their 15 month checkup yesterday. Everything checked out great.
Both got yet another heartbreaking round of immunizations. They are such troopers - it breaks your heart as you witness them go from smiling babies to all out whaling in pain from the shots. Three this time - one in each leg and one in the arm.
Audrey is in the 80th percentile for height and 20 percentile for weight. Tall and lean.
Ben, not to be under done, caught up in height with Audrey and came in at the exact same height and only a tenth of an ounce bigger. He's tall and lean as well - (in the 60th percentile for height and 10th for weight.)
Audrey: 31 1/2 in
21.10 lbs
Ben: 31 1/2 in
21.11 lbs
The doctor was impressed with both their social skills and their word knowledge.
Dave and I are so happy and relieved that maybe we are actually doing something right!! :)

The doctors and nurses were all curious about the Baby can read books and flashcards that we brought to the checkup. They hovered around and "oohed" and "awed" at the babies attentiveness with the cards. It's one of the only things (besides Elmo) that keeps their attention for any length of time. And with the doctors visit running at least an hour and a half, anything that works to keep them calm is used!
Audrey is reading about five or so words now. (words without pictures!) Eyes, baby, tongue, tiger and a couple others I can't remember... (I love the way she says "baby") And she and Ben know a ton of words with pictures. So they are both on the right track as far as language skills go. Audrey has a slight upper hand as she can pronounce the words better. Clock (cwock), Owl (Ow) and Baby (Beyyybeee) are Audrey's favorite to say these days. Ben is mostly grunting and making rough sounds; finishing his sounds with an up tone as if he's constantly asking a question of you!
Both are beyond cute.
We don't go back to the doctors again until April when they get yet another round of shots. Maybe they both will be reading books by then?!

A New Year begins...

2008-12-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

In a few days it will be 2009. Things are racing by at lightning speed and before we know it the twins will be graduating from college and starting a career of their own! (head spinning)
Thinking that way seems to put everything in perspective. It's very easy these days to get caught up in the minutia and loose track of months, let alone days! So making a conscious effort to enjoy every moment is a MUST as they change by the minute. It certainly is a joy to watch each discovery through their eyes. And I am already saddened as they let go of their baby traits and become little people.

Our Holidays were filled with visiting family and friends. Grandma H was here for Thanksgiving and we had a small gathering with the Lusk family. (small compared to our pre-twin standards of thanksgiving dinners!) Paco and Grandma C visited for the Christmas season and Audrey & Ben got to see their cousin David S as well. We visited Santa, Leila's family and Leanne's Family and enjoyed great holiday food and song. The twins did amazing throughout all the traveling and crowds of googling eyes.

Audrey's newest words are "Wow" and "Wheeeee!" Wheeeee! is used whenever she is having fun, whether it be her just spinning around in a circle or us swinging her in the swings. She just loves the Christmas tree. She says "Wow!" every morning upon seeing it. She also says "baa baa!" when she sees it as Aunt Annie gave her a sheep ornament that sings "baa baa..." to the "We wish you a merry Christmas" tune. It's become her favorite next to Elmo. I'm not looking forward to packing up the decorations. I will be heart broken when she discovers the tree gone.
Ben is taking the holidays in stride. He is very even tempered with just about everything. No real highs or lows - unless he's hungry or tired (who isn't cranky then?!) He just enjoys observing people and things and eating! His newest "thing" is climbing on everything. And he's pretty darn good at it, to his father's dismay. Both are still infatuated with books and have a library that would make the most noted scholar envious. :)

In a few days we'll be on our own again and looking forward to the discoveries of 2009...

check out these links for our past two months in pictures...
November pics
December pics

Giving Thanks

2008-11-26T20:02:00.000-08:00

Turkey Day is upon us once again. We certainly have plenty to be thankful for this year.
The twins are healthy and generally happy - (when their teeth aren't giving them issues!) And although times are certainly tough for the world in general, we are keeping our head above the fray and are thankful for all our blessings.
Last year at this time we were getting less than a few hours of sleep at a time. So I am certainly thankful for a full nights rest.
If you ask Dave, he will additionally be thankful for a new and improved government with a conscience awaiting us in the new year!
Despite my want to update this blog more often to keep up with our daily adventures, life just won't stand still long enough for me to do it. So once a month will have to suffice until I thankfully get some more free time. ha.
But aside all that, Ben and Audrey have not disappointed and both have had several new milestones this past month.
As I predicted in my last post, both are walking. Sort of... Ben has had a solid grasp of the concept for several weeks now. He can actually stop, start and travel fairly long distances at a good clip, barring any obstacles under foot. He still needs help pulling himself up to a standing position, though. Audrey took her first steps just this past week and is slowly learning how to put one foot in front of the other. But even given her inability to walk very far, she can easily stand up on her own. Her thigh muscles must be so strong as she gets a kick out of doing squats. It makes her smile and giggle.
Both love books, music and Elmo.
Ben is now playing peek a boo and clapping, something that Audrey has been doing for months now.
Ben has almost all his teeth and Audrey is just barely getting started.
Bottom line is, although they are brother and sister twins, they are far from similar.
We continue to be entertained by double the fun and worn down by double the need for attention. But we wouldn't want it any other way, thankfully.
Here's pics from our October

Wondertwins are One!

2008-10-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well a whole year has passed and the Wondertwins have turned One!
It's been a very exciting year for all of us to say the least. Watching them grow, discover and amuse is a continuous reminder of just how blessed we really are.
Their one year check up went well. Audrey continues to have a height advantage while Ben is packing in the pounds.

Audrey: 29 1/2 in. 20lbs. 2oz.
Ben: 29 in. 21 lbs.
The doctor was very impressed on their progress and mentioned that their pointing at objects is a major milestone in their development. Ben is obsessed with pointing at things he wants while Audrey can point - but she would rather say the words (or what sounds like words) than physically have to point for what she wants. She is also signing her first words: milk and ball.
Ben is still not walking but we are convinced he can and will just as soon as he gets over his fear of standing on his own.
Audrey still has a ways to go before she'll walk, but she's getting stronger day by day and I'm starting to believe she'll walk before Ben if she continues progressing at the rate she's going. Both love to walk while pushing their little toys around so maybe they'll both be walking by Thanksgiving?!
As we prepare for the Holiday season we are looking forward to the next milestones and enjoying each new discovery along with them.
Here's some links to our past month's events:

September Wondertwin pics

1st Birthday pics

Not so lazy days of summer

2008-09-05T13:22:00.000-07:00

Summer is gone and Fall is slowly gaining ground on us. I do love this time of year when the light at the end of the day is a little less harsh and the evenings are much cooler in anticipation of the next season.

We had a whirlwind summer with visiting family and family visits.
It started off with Grandma C. visiting once again in June, a visit from Brother Dan & the clan in July, and ended with our trip back East in August for the twins' christening and meeting just about everyone else in the family.
Needless to say we're all tired and have barely any time to catch our breath before the next big event: Their 1st birthday!!!
The questions are repeated over and over through out the ages...
Can you believe it - a year has passed!!? Where does the time go!!!?
The last few months Ben & Audrey have grown and developed in leaps and bounds. Ben is cruising around now and is hours away from taking his first official step. Audrey and Ben both like to pull themselves up and stand by the coffee table. Both are proficient at crawling (Ben is finally using his knees!) and both are jabberhaulics. Saying words like "cat" and "ball", mama"" and "dada" and of course "no!"
They are saying much more than that, as both can have entire conversations with themselves, but it's hard to decipher their language at this point! :P
Both are doing well with eating solids, although Ben with his eight teeth has double the advantage over Audrey with half as many teeth. Plus he definitely has more of an appetite when it comes to toast and crackers!
We're looking forward to their 1st birthday as all the grandparents will be back to celebrate, just as they did for their birth.
Then it's on to the next season and the next year and more exciting adventures!
Click here for wondertwin pics in July
Cick here for wondertwin pics in August

9 month checkup

2008-07-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday we went for the twins' 9 month checkup. Wasn't it last week we arrived home from the hospital?!! Man time is flying by, that surely never changes...
They both were getting over a cold - one that their mother got hit by like a freight train (ug.) - so we were unsure if they would have any issues with their shots. Turned out all was fine. They behaved beautifully (again) and Ben was even picked up by a nurse who just couldn't resist and both were cooed over by a Doctor who was passing by the checkup room.
I must admit, albeit quite biased, that the two of them are quite Adorable. (notice capital A!) You just want to squeeze them and their cute little chunky cheeks.
But I digress...
Audrey weighed in at 18lbs. 15 oz. and was in the 50th percentile for weight and height.
Ben weighed in at 19lbs. 15 oz. - a full pound bigger than Audrey, and was in the 50th percentile for weight and 60th for length. He's growing like a madman.
Some people have been confused about the percentile and what it means:
Percentiles rank the position of an individual by indicating what percent of the reference population the individual would equal or exceed. For example, on the weight-for-age growth charts, a 9 month old girl whose weight is at the 25th percentile, weighs the same or more than 25 percent of the reference population of 9 month old girls, and weighs less than 75 percent of the 9 month old girls in the reference population.
If you land on the 50% mark as ours do, you're pretty much right on target for what a healthy baby should be at their stage of development - 50% of population is bigger, 50% is smaller. Granted if they would be higher or lower, that really doesn't make much difference either, unless mentally they are lagging behind. Fortunately we are right on target all the way around!
As July marches on we are preparing for our travels back East and can't wait to see the faces of all the friends and family who will be meeting the twins for the first time...
Wondertwins June

First Father's Day

2008-06-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated our 1st Father's Day with the Twins.
Grandma C is back once again visiting for a couple weeks and was able to join us in the celebration.
Since it was his day, David decided to reprise our Mother's Day trip to the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena. When we went in May, both Audrey & Ben started singing and babbling aloud in the museum. And although it was cute to hear, most museum dwellers didn't appreciate the distraction, so we ended up cutting the visit a bit short. This time Audrey & Ben did much better and we were able to walk through the whole museum and the outdoor gardens before they started getting antsy. Pretty soon they'll know the difference between the Degas & Manets!
We are well into the month of June now and both babies are growing and exploring by leaps and bounds.
Audrey's favorite pastime now is peek-a-boo. She's mastered it quite quickly! She also loves to play music - xylophone, piano and cups being her instruments of choice. She's finally begun teething and has one whole tooth in (bottom) and at least one other peeking through. With the amount of drooling she does in a day, you would think all of them are coming in, but alas, she's taking her time...
Ben is forging ahead in everything. He has 6 teeth now, two bottom and 4 upper. He is literally spinning circles on his belly and bum and he is standing almost on his own - It's all he wants to do now and I fear it won't be long until he's strutting along. Then we're in for a world of fun, chasing little Benjamin all around!

Here's some of our memories of May...
click here for latest pics of WonderTwins

First Mother's Day

2008-05-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow will be my first Mother's day with the twins - outside the womb! It's been a year now since we first told everyone that we were having twins. It's hard to believe a year has passed already.

Audrey and Ben were just little peas this time last year and now they are easily close to 19 lbs.
Both are still eating and sleeping well. We really couldn't ask for better behaved

little ones.

Last month we saw a ton of relatives as my Aunt Shirley, Uncle Jack, cousin Jackie, her two little ones, cousin Joe, wife Aida, their newest addition Aneesa, and Aida's Cousin all visited while Paco was in town. It was a great visit and the twins really did well with such a big group of people googling and cooing at them.

The twins are usually cooped up in and around the house during the week, so we try to get out as much as possible on the weekends. Three weekends ago we went to the Cowboy Music Festival here in Santa Clarita. We used the baby bjorns to schlep them around and they really seemed to like being strapped to our chests watching all the horses and cowboys walk about. Last week we finally got ourselves a new jogging stroller and quickly used it to go to the L.A. Zoo. They both had a great time observing all the people. (I don't think they had a clue as to the fact that there were live animals there!) Some day...

We've got some more firsts this past week as well. Ben has gotten his two upper teeth - just peeking through. He hasn't even shown signs of it bothering him. He now has four teeth altogether. No teeth yet for Audrey. But she did say "cat" this morning! And no wonder, as our two cats are always walking by them. And as they do, we say over and over and over C...A...T, caT, CAT, CAT... Both Audrey and Ben are fascinated by them. (sorry Aunt Annie!)

And finally, we've scheduled their christening for August 16th in Pittsburgh. They'll be 10 months at the time and hopefully just as well behaved, well adjusted and happy as they are now. We can't wait to see more relatives and show off all their new skills.
...now, the 5 hour flight to get there... that is not really something I'm looking forward to! :P
click here for the latest pics of the wondertwins

6 month checkup

2008-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

We went for the twins' 6 month checkup on friday. All went GREAT - so well I was actually pleasantly surprised. Audrey has had precedent with having a meltdown at the doctors office. Also, in weeks past she had taken to crying when strangers popped into her view. So I was prepared for the worst. Not only was she happy and playful the whole time, when it was time to get her shots (they had two each this time) she only cried for a brief moment. Huzzah! Maybe we have turned a corner? It goes without saying that Ben was delightful as well. :P

Audrey weighed in at 16 lbs. 12 oz. and 26" long which puts her in the 50th percentile for her age. Her head actually bumped up from 40 percent at four months into the 80th percentile! - she's a brainiac!!!

Ben weighed in at 17lbs. 2oz. and 26 1/2 inches long. That put him in the 50th percentile as well. He is continually moving up the charts! Double Huzzah!!

I want to thank everyone who sent happy thoughts our way. It has paid off and Audrey has gotten a few firsts for herself. First off, she is sleeping through the night!!! (You have no idea how happy this makes us!) Not only is she sleeping through the night, but they BOTH have dropped their 9:30 pm feeding and are now going from 7:30pm - 6:30am sans food.

This past week Audrey decided that she would hold the bottle herself, thank you very much... Audrey has also rolled over on her own several times now. Last night she woke up at 1am crying and when I went in to see what was wrong, she had rolled onto her belly and couldn't roll back. She did this again at 6am. Hopefully she'll figure out how to roll from her belly to her back soon!

All in all it was a great checkup and they are both doing amazingly well. On to the next milestones...

Month of Firsts

2008-03-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Another month has past and this one marks many firsts for the twins.

It began with Ben leaving his beloved swing behind for sleeping solely in his crib...

He protested a bit at first, but with a little training he grew quite accustomed to his very own crib, and as a result it was followed by Ben's first sleeping through the night!
Did you hear the cries of elation??!!
(A feat his sister still has yet to master, much to her parents lament. wa.)

By mid month they were both sitting up on their own for the first time. They really enjoy this and have taken to leaning forward if they are placed in the reclining bouncy seats so they can sit up.

We began feeding them solids for the first time, and although they got a slow start, they both seem to be doing well and getting most of the food in their belly instead of their lap.

We started with rice cereal and are adding vegetables a little at a time. Audrey had some "issues" with peas, so we skipped over that veggie and went to carrots for her. Ben in typical fashion has no problem with anything, he just goes with the flow.

Almost simultaneously upon starting solids, Ben got his first tooth! Followed immediately by his first second tooth! He handled both of them well and only occasionally wakes up and whines at night. Again, Audrey is letting her brother take hold of that first and she doesn't seem like she'll be teething soon, although she does have a handle on the whining, so when the teeth do come, she will be a pro at complaining! ug.

Another first came in the form of me leaving them for more than 2 hours since their conception and starting back to work. It's a difficult transition for me, but I'm trying not to let it bother me and enjoy the time I do have with them in the morning and weekends.

And finally, starting this Monday, Leila our nanny will be home alone with the twins for the first time. I think she has gotten a real good handle on caring for them, so hopefully it won't be too difficult a transition. ...And Yes! This also means Dave and I will be on our own for the first time since the twins were born, a fact I must admit I'm a little nervous about. Dave has admitted it too. It's been a dream having the grandparents take care of them at night and pick up the slack around the house. We are so grateful for all their help. So we're not looking forward to having no "backup" for the duration - now it's down to business!

Please keep us in your thoughts as we try to get Audrey to obtain some extra firsts of her own - especially sleeping through the night!
In the meantime, here's the latest round of pictures for March...
WonderTwins March

Busy February

2008-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

This has been a VERY busy month for the Wonder Twins. The grandparents did another tag team hand off. We started off with Paco helping us out January and into February and Grandma H came in for the last 3 weeks of February.

The twins had their 4 month check up the beginning of the month, but because Ben was starting to get sick and had a slight fever their shots were postponed two weeks. Then Miss Audrey caught her brothers cold and we postponed their shots another week. Everyone ended up getting sick, but for some reason the Cold Gods were good to me and I was able to dodge the cough, stuffy nose, aches and fever!

(click on pic to enlarge)

In the meantime I took them to the polls for the history making primaries. I held Audrey as I voted, being very proud as a registered voter, woman and mother. We also celebrated their first Valentine's day and more importantly, prepared ourselves for their nanny.(click on pic to enlarge)

I go back to work in a week and we decided to go the nanny route instead of daycare. Leila, who is Persian and lives the next town over, started this week. The babies love her already, which makes my going back to work a little less stressful knowing they are in such good hands.

The twins are more and more active. They are both on the verge of rolling over, they babble - (especially Miss Audrey, who I'm afraid will take after her father with the gift of gab!), they are intentionally grabbing objects and tracking everything in their sight. Ben raises his right arm for high five at every opportunity. In a week or two we'll introduce solids - can't wait for that fun :P!

We are now getting ready for another Grandparent hand off for the month of March as Grandma C gets her second tour of duty!

Here's some more pics from the month:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/90777815@N00/QNq8N2

4 months and a year

2008-02-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

The twins went for their 4 month checkup this past Friday.
Audrey weighed in at 13 lbs. 9 oz. and is 24 inches long. This put her in the 45th percentile for 4 month old girls. Good job Audrey!
Ben weighed in at 13 lbs. 15 oz. and is 24 inches as well. And although he weighs more than his sister, he's at the 25th percentile for 4 month boys. Still, his growth chart looks great as he wasn't even on the chart when he was born!
It was a year ago at this time that these babies were conceived and we found out I was pregnant. What a year it's been!
A friend commented that our lives have changed more than anyone she knows this past year. That is true TWO fold!

Here's some video of Audrey chatting and Ben Smiling...

Another month older

2007-12-27T08:33:00.000-08:00

In a few days the twins will be 3 months old. They are continually growing by the minute and starting to really recognize voices and take notice of their surroundings.
Ben is continually smiling and cooing and has learned to grab things while Audrey is more serious and would rather let you do the work while she soaks in all the sights and sounds around her. It's amazing the differences in them at this young an age. Ben is solid, a true boy through and through. He moves with conviction and squirms like mad when you hold him. Audrey is light and dainty to the touch and will gladly let you cuddle without any struggle. Both must be closing in on 12 lbs. by now.
We dressed them up for Christmas and had a little fun - something that I'm sure we won't get away with in years to come! Here are the latest pics:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/90777815@N00/8DBXB2

Two Months Old

2007-11-28T12:50:00.000-08:00

We went for their two month check up today. Can't believe it's been two months!
I'm happy to tell they are both healthy and growing fast.

Ben surpassed his sister weighing in at 8 lbs. 12 oz and 21 3/4 inches long! He doubled his weight, while his sister Audrey is pacing herself and weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 oz and 21 1/4 inches long. They got their first round of shots - seeing them poked and prodded and the ensuing crys were heartbreaking. But we got through it.

Many of you haven't seen the twins in action - so I uploaded some video to show their talents... which at this point consists of burping, crying, pooping and squirming... enjoy!

The many faces of Audrey:

Audrey and Ben at Thanksgiving. You can really see their personalities in this one - Ben: calm and collected, Audrey: active and boisterous!

Two week Checkup

2007-10-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

Went for our two week checkup on Tuesday.
I'd like to say time is flying by, but the fact is, with very little sleep and so much to do, the days are dragging out and blending into one another. Personally I will sigh a bit of relief when they finally get out of primi status and can fit into newborn clothes. Maybe then they will be able to sleep more than two hours at a stretch.

But a good portion of relief came as their two week checkup went great. They surpassed their birthweight by leaps and bounds. Audrey weighing in at 5lb. 15 oz. ( almost 6lbs!) and growing a whole inch to 19".
Ben weighed in at 5lb. 4 oz and keeping up with Sis growing an inch as well to 18 1/2 inches.
Phew! Stuffing their faces paid off! Now if we can just figure out this sleep thing!
:)

Here's some pics from their first week:
http://www.flickr.com/gp/90777815@N00/2n1061

I'll try to post more, but can't promise anything as I have to give up my precious nap time to do anything other than feed, change and comfort them back to sleep.

JOY!

Welcome Wonder Twins!

2007-10-07T12:08:00.000-07:00

They have finally arrived!
And their secret identities are now revealed:

Baby A: Audrey Inez
Born 10/02/07 at 1:27 pm
5lb. 12 oz

Baby B: Benjamin Joseph
Born 10/02/07 at 1:28 pm
4lb. 11 oz.

The doctors said that Benjamin was a gentleman in the womb and let his sister have more of the nutrients, ergo the one pound difference. They were identical weights all through the pregnancy, but it seems the last two weeks took it's toll. After an initial scare of low blood sugar on his part, he recovered quickly and both were able to come home with us.

We can't be more thrilled and excited on this next adventure!

...And away we go!

2007-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

The date has been set!
I had two more blood tests taken this past week and both came back with some abnormal levels indicating preeclampsia. Even though my blood pressure has remained normal, the Doctor doesn't want to take any chances and these guys are coming out tomorrow at 37 weeks.
I'm scheduled for Tuesday October 2nd at 12:30 pm PST.
In less than 24 hours Our Wonder Twins will be here!
Can't wait!!!

Stay of C-Section

2007-09-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Went to the OB yesterday. I thought I'd get an official date for the birth, but no such luck. Shows how much I know!
My blood pressure was high again at the office - 145/75, but at home it stays normal as long as I lie down and rest. They took a stress test again and the babies are doing well, considering the cramped quarters. So the OB wants to evaluate me again in a week and we'll go from there. Hopefully, I'll get a firm date at the next appt.?
At this point, I just want to make it to week 37 (Tuesday the 2nd) and I'll be happy!

One might wonder what the weight gain of pregnant women of twins entails...here's some statistics I found interesting...

Babies - 12 lbs. (currently)
Amniotic Fluid - 4 lbs.
Placentas - 3 lbs.
Uterus - 3 lbs.
Breasts - 2 lbs.
Body Fluids - 4 lbs.
Blood - 4 lbs.
Maternal Stores
of Fat, Protein &
Other Nutrients - 10 lbs.

Total: 42 lbs.

36 weeks

2007-09-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Went to the specialist last Thursday and all was well. My Dad and Dave both went to witness the detailed ultrasound. It was a great relief to hear that both babies are hanging in there and doing well. They are pretty much on track for twins, with Baby A - the girl still a bit ahead of the boy in weight. She is really stuck down low and a bit behind the boy, it's difficult to get a proper measurement of her head, so her weight may be a bit off.
I've been on complete bed rest for a little over a week now, and I'm grateful that it won't be much longer. Lying on your butt all day is tiring! :(
Fortunately I've been waited on hand and foot by Dave and Paco. Don't know how I'd manage without!
I should find out when these little guys are going to come out at my OB appt. this Wednesday Sept. 26. I'm sure he will perform a C-section given my condition and the fact that Baby B has turned a bit and no longer is head down. Odds are it will be at 37 weeks, which is next Tuesday.
Stay tuned...

Baby A - 5lb. 11oz.
Baby B - 5 lb. 3oz.
Weight gain to date: 45 lbs.

Slammer Time

2007-09-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

At my Doctor appt. on Friday I ended up having slightly elevated blood pressure reading and was admitted into the hospital for overnight evaluation. The doctors wanted to make sure I didn't have pre-eclampsia and had me stay overnight where they tested my blood pressure every half hour. (oooo fun)
Fortunately my bp came down quickly and stayed down for the duration and I was allowed to go home the next day.
But, as a result I'm on complete bedrest until these guys come out. According to the OB, they are going to keep a close eye on me and deliver at the first sign of distress. Looks like the longest they are willing to push it is week 37 which is in 2 weeks. We are all hoping that I can last that long!
The good news is that they did a stress test on the babies on Friday and again in the hospital and they both were doing great - hearts beating in synch so much that it mystified the nurses.
We'll keep you all posted!

Through the looking glass...

2007-09-05T17:28:00.000-07:00

We hit another milestone this past week. Friday was my last day at work and from now on I'm home preparing for the next big chapter in our lives. It still seems a bit surreal. Seeing my stomach move in waves and feeling the kicks and punches, it's hard to believe that in six weeks there will be 2 little ones for us to hold.
On Friday I also went for a stress test. They put monitors on your belly and have you lie for 20 minutes to test the heartbeats and contractions. They also gave me a button to press every time I felt them move. All came out normal and apparently we all are stress free! I'll need to take the test every Friday from this day out.
Yesterday I went for my 33 week ultrasound. They are both healthy and on track for their gestation - the girl getting a little leg up this time. Again, no good pics to post - they are so packed in there it seems impossible to get a clear view. We'll have to wait until they join us to get the real deal!

Baby A: 4lbs. 12oz.
Baby B: 4lbs. 10oz.
Weight Gain to date: approx. 50 lbs.

31 Week checkup

2007-08-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Had my 31 week checkup and ultrasound on Tuesday. All went real well. The babies are still right on track and weighing in at nearly the same weight.
I'm on the verge of hitting my 8th month in less than a week and starting to feel a bit more drained. Carrying around the extra weight takes it's toll to say the least.
This coming week will be my last week at work and then it's on to rest and nesting for the remainder of the pregnancy. We're hoping that I'll go 39 weeks, but more likely it'll be 37 or 38. Time will tell.
Baby A - the Girl is still head down on my left and lying very low so they were once again unable to get a good look at her face, Baby B - the Boy is head down as well, on my right, but up a little higher. The Dr. was able to get his mug shot this go around. No idea what the bits and bobs are surrounding him, but the Doc managed to get a cute profile.
Here he is...

6 1/4 pounds o' baby

2007-08-12T18:48:00.000-07:00

Went for my 29 week checkup last Tuesday. Everything is progressing nicely. Both babies came in at almost exactly the same weight. Also, they each weighed more than the average singleton. The doctor was very impressed and happy with everything he saw. Phew... although, the Dr. quipped that I'm gonna be miserable come October. (because of the size of them) - Not something I wanted to hear! Couldn't get any good pics this time. They are getting too big to fit the ultrasound image to see anything clearly. bummer.
I'm going to try to work until the end of August. That's 3 weeks away and will give me about 6 weeks (I'm guessing) of sitting around the house - and when I say sitting AROUND the house... hardy har...
Yesterday we went to an all day Childcare class where we learned the phases of birth, what to expect during the hospital stay and how to care for the babies. They gave us two baby dolls to hold for the entire 7 hour class. Dave changed his first diapers ever and learned how to swaddle!

Baby A: 3lb. 2oz.
Baby B: 3lb. 2oz.
Weight Gain to date: 40 lbs.

What Talent!

2007-08-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

No, not me - or the twins for that matter...
My good friend, carpool buddy and cube mate, Beth Sleven made us these adorable onsies for the Wondertwins.
The text says: Wonder Twins UNITE! ...So Cute!

If you'd like to check out more of her talent, check out her blog...
http://www.themagnificentsleven.blogspot.com/
You'll have to bypass the infested mutant zombie giraffe to see some more cute though!

I missed my ultrasound this past Thursday - very long story, basically a stupid mix up. But I rescheduled for this Tuesday August 7th, so hopefully next weekend I'll get a chance to post some new images.

This coming Saturday we'll be spending the whole day in baby care classes. Hopefully we'll be better prepared for the upcoming onslaught of feedings and diaper changes!

Heartbeats

2007-07-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Quick post... finally got this editted, although I thought I recorded more than I actually ended up getting. So basically the clip is of each babies heartbeat and a little bit of them during the ultrasound I had the beginning of July at 24 weeks. (has audio)

Nursery - Done!

2007-07-29T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well... almost. We still need to get a couple of cribs and some misc. items...
But Paco was in town last week and he helped immensly by finishing a dresser that was given to us by our friends. It was unfinished, plain wood when we got it, and Dad transformed it into this.
He also helped with the painting of the room.
This pic shows the colors we chose and the finished dresser...

24 week check up

2007-07-07T20:29:00.000-07:00

Went for my 24 week checkup on Thursday and all is progressing nicely.
Got some pics and video of the ultrasound. I'll post the video as soon as I can edit it. In the meantime here are some pictures.
This time Baby A - the Girl (top) was hiding behind a membrane so it's not a real clear picture. Baby B - the Boy (bottom) was out in the open and we got a good view of him.
Both were punching and kicking away all during the procedure.

Baby A: 1lb. 10oz
Baby B: 1lb. 11oz
Weight Gain to date: 30 lbs.

Happy 4th!

2007-07-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hold on to your britches - this is an EXCITING post...
We finally got the closets done and they look pretty good - If I do say so myself!
This is the finished Baby's room closet. Plenty of room for all the stuff we have to load up on in the next few months.
I go for my 24 week ultrasound tomorrow. Hope to have some pictures to show you.
Stay tuned...

Wheels in Motion

2007-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

I figured out how to post video content to the blog - Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?!
So I've added a couple things below for all to peruse. Check out the A Day post and the Gopher Dance at the bottom.
Dave and I are forging ahead, trying to organize the guest room and baby's room. We're both super busy at work so it's been a bit difficult. But we're making progress...
As soon as we get something finished we'll post some pictures.
My next Dr. appointment is July 5th - So I'll have more to fill in and show then.
Thanks for all the well wishes to date. It's been a tremendous boost to know you're all sending us your love!

Week 20

2007-06-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

I've hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy!
As of week 14 we've known that the baby's are healthy and we are expecting a Boy and a Girl!
Dave and I are still in a dreamland and can't believe our good fortune and blessings.

We've told all of our family and still have a few friends to break the news to.
I went for my 20th week ultrasound on June 5th and here are the 4D pics of their faces.
Dave thinks Baby A (Girl on top) looks like me and Baby B (Boy on Bottom) looks like him. The jury is still out though!

Baby A: 12 oz.
Baby B: 12 oz.
Weight gain to date : 20lbs.

Click on the images for a larger view.

Gettin' BIG!

2007-06-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

OK - So I've had some requests for pictures of me and my BELLY.
I really don't know why, but I'm going against my instincts and I'm posting a couple I took on June 5th - the mark of my 20th week.
If you leave comments... please be kind - there are TWO in there remember! oy vei!

A Day has arrived!

2007-05-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

My Dad, being the first to find out about our pregnancy, has been keeping the secret for a month now. We wanted to wait until Mother's Day to announce the Wonder Twins to our family. David's Mother is out here in L.A. and David wanted to tell her in person.
So my Dad has labeled the official day as "A DAY" Short for Announcement Day.
I decided to use our ultrasound that we got at our 10 week visit in April and make a little movie to show our family. So I created a dvd and sent it off to my Mom and David's Aunt and Uncle for them to watch on A Day. Yes - they were more than surprised!
So here's a shorter version of what we showed them...

In the beginning

2007-04-29T18:31:00.000-07:00

So here is a view of the Wonder Twins at 8 weeks... I gave this picture to my Dad when he visited us in April to break the news to him. We didn't know the sexes of them yet.
The doctor called them Baby A and Baby B. Dave and I watched the ultrasound as Baby A (right) was calm and serene and Baby B (left) was doing the jiggy. Dave said that the way Baby B was moving reminded him of the Gopher in Caddy Shack. He couldn't shake the song outta his mind afterwards and to this day claims that "I'm Alright..." by Kenny Loggins is now his favorite song!