Boos and Blankets

The Terrible—er, Terribly Fantastic—Twos

2010-01-08T12:53:00.000-08:00

The kids are two, and although we're surprised that we've all survived this long, it has absolutely flown by. The kids are pretty different, and although it should come as no surprise (different gender, no more alike than other siblings), it's interesting to note the distinctions in their personalities and development.

Communication: They both chatter quite a bit, but Tanner talks almost constantly. ("Moon. Moon. Moon. Daddy. Moon. Daddy. Daddy. Moon. Moon. Car. Car. Car." You get the idea.) Tanner gets stuck on words he likes to repeat (see parenthetical) and he knows most of his colors, but while Jane guesses most items are either "pinkie" or "blue" (or sometimes "pinkieblue") (we are now wondering, only slightly seriously, if she's colorblind), she comes out with random words we didn't even know she had (one day she pointed to my purse on the table and said "purse" out of nowhere). Tanner tends to remember things from day to day (if you put Eucerin on him one night before bed, he will ask for it by name ("you-ee") every night after that for the next two weeks), and Jane has recently started saying "yes" instead of "yeah." They are both getting the hang of manners ("pees" and "fank koo"), although they are still reluctant to talk to Target cashiers.

Playtime Preferences: As much as we still get agitated by all the ridiculous marketing schemes geared toward boys and girls (why are all the doll toys pink?), the twins' preferences do tend to run down the imaginary gender line. Tanner loves to play with the new train set, and he loves building stuff with his Duplo Legos. Jane loves to play with her dolls. Both kids love books and love to hear stories. Jane does get into Tanner's new raceway toy, and Tanner does play with Jane's new princess palace, so at least they're getting some diversity.

Clothes: Jane seems to enjoy wearing dresses (or maybe she just likes saying "dress" and getting her tights out of the drawer), but they both will wear anything we put on them. They both are wearing 2T and 3T sizes, depending on the brand and fit. Tanner's pants tend to be a bit short, so we are often asking him where the flood is even though he has no idea what this means or why we think this is funny. They tolerate winter hats and mittens fairly well, though we're still working on helping the thumb find its "special" spot in the mitten. They seem to like wearing coats (and Tanner likes to give the blow-by-blow on who is wearing a coat at any given time: "Tanner. Coat. Janie. Coat. Daddy. Coat.") and sometimes try to put them on themselves (often getting a hand in a pocket before asking for help).

Sicknesses: Jane seems more affected by colds, and Tanner seems more affected by stomach bugs. They have both had their share of coughs and runny noses so far this winter. We've used the nebulizer on Jane several times, to get rid of some wheezing and try to improve her cough. We are constantly finding random bruises and cuts on both of them, although more so on Tanner. The kids sure do like to stay active.

Attachments: Tanner is extremely attached to his blue puppy, and this has led Jane to be somewhat attached to her pink doggie and yellow duckie. Tanner loves to touch noses with his puppy, and he seems very comforted by the little guy. Jane likes her doggie and duckie okay, but she'd probably be happy with any stuffed animal we gave her. They both still like their pacifiers at naptime and bedtime, although we think it'll be harder for Tanner to give his up. Janie is going through a mommy phase right now, and Tanner is similarly going through a daddy phase. But they both tolerate the other parent pretty well.

So that's the rundown. Happy second birthday, kids!

Christmas Day Family Photo

2009-12-25T19:16:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Family Photo

2009-12-24T23:09:00.000-08:00

Tanner's First Sentence

2009-12-20T17:03:00.000-08:00

The kids can put two or three words together ("Daddy car" or "Janie bug Mommy"), but this is Tanner's first correctly conjugated sentence. It's so impressive that we made him say it twice.

P.S. A "mule bite" is something Grandpa T loves to give the kids -- it's when you squeeze the leg just above the knee, and it usually tickles like crazy.

Dance Fever

2009-12-06T10:56:00.000-08:00

This is how we entertain ourselves on cold December days.

Thanksgiving Family Photo

2009-11-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

Vocabulary Progress

2009-11-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

The kids are twenty-two months old today, and they've got about forty to fifty words each. Quite a turnaround from a few months ago, when we were worried about their vocabulary. There are too many words to list here, but we'd like to share our favorites.

Tanner:
"bon-yay" = Band-Aid
"nonny" = naughty

Jane:
"kee-ko" = here you go
"mon" = c'mon

Halloween Family Photos

2009-10-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Chatty Patties

2009-08-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

The kids had their 19-month appointment (disguised as their 18-month appointment) last week. The doctor is pleased with their builds (she proclaimed Tanner "all muscle"), their eyes and ears (though she called Tanner's ears "very hairy"), and their development (she said Jane's mobility appeared to be "great"). Though the average eighteen-month-old has about six words and our kids don't necessarily have that many (Tanner especially), she saw how talkative they were (in their own language) and said we shouldn't worry about their lack of vocabulary yet.

And now (drum roll, please) for their first words!

Both of them can roar like a lion, which they've been doing for months now (though they kind of whisper the roar) and which they learned from Elmo on Sesame Street. No, I'm not ashamed.

Tanner's first word was "car," which he says with a Boston accent ("cah"). We think he actually might mean truck.

Jane's first word (other than "Mommy," "no," and "no way" -- those aren't very fun, so we're not counting them, although Tanner has yet to say those) was either "baby" or "ball." We can't really remember. It's hard enough keeping track of the whereabouts of these chitlins, let alone what words are coming out of their mouths, you know?

We've realized that if Tanner's first word was "car" and Jane's first word was "baby," that follows right along stereotypical gender lines. These kids are pretty much offered the same stuff (they both play with the truck and dolly from GG & T, for example), so it's fascinating to see the inherent stuff come through (Tanner much prefers the truck and Jane much prefers the dolly, though Tanner is also obsessed with a friend's pink doll stroller at the park). We're curious to see what happens as they get older. For now, let's get some words down!

Very First Ice Cream Cones!

2009-07-24T20:11:00.000-07:00

Tanner's First Haircut

2009-05-28T22:08:00.000-07:00

Aunt Nat gave Tanner his first haircut tonight, and he did pretty well, thanks to the spray bottle she gave him (he sprayed Aunt Hootie the entire time and barely noticed Aunt Nat hacking away at his fauxhawk-mullet-rat tail). Handsome guy!

Mobility

2009-05-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, we officially have two walkers in the house.

Easter Family Photo

2009-04-12T15:35:00.001-07:00

Injury Report

2009-04-08T15:27:00.000-07:00

The kids are fifteen months old, and so far we've seen cut fingers, fat lips, a split lip, a faint black eye, one trip to the ER, RSV, the stomach flu, coughs and sniffles, numerous diaper rashes, and countless scrapes and bruises. Whew.

First Steps, Part Two

2009-03-28T15:26:00.000-07:00

Now Jane has taken a few steps herself!

First Steps

2009-02-25T06:19:00.000-08:00

We don't have any video (yet) to document the big event, but Tanner took a few steps by himself tonight. He was extremely proud of himself and did it several times (each time taking only a step or two or three). We'll try to capture it on video soon (if he ever does it again)!

The Big One

2009-01-08T20:46:00.000-08:00

It's hard to express ourselves on a day like today. On one hand, it seems as though it could have been yesterday that these guys came into the world. How has it been a full year? But on the other hand, we can't remember life without them. We can't even imagine what we did before they arrived. You know, when we had social lives and dinner parties and hours-long bookstore visits and happy hours that lasted all night (oh yeah, that's what we did...). But we gladly traded all that in for life with these twins, and we have no regrets. They've filled our lives in ways we never could have imagined. They're just incredible, and they teach us something new—about them, about us, about life—all the time. We know how lucky we are, and we're thankful every day.

We made wishes on the kids' candles tonight. Very obvious wishes, but that's all we need.

Happy birthday, Tanner and Jane. We can't wait to celebrate many more with you.

Splish Splash

2009-01-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

Tonight was the first night the kids took a bath together with toys and really got a chance to play around without our chasing them around with soap. They seemed to really enjoy themselves, splashing a ton and managing to soak Mom and Dad in the process. Here's to many more messy bath nights.

First Christmas Family Photo

2008-12-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Jane's First Haircut

2008-12-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

We thought Jane needed a haircut, and it seemed timely to do this right before the holiday, so we brought her to Jack & Jill, a place that specializes in kids' haircuts. It was the most expensive four minutes of her life (even more pricey than Fred Claus), but it was worth it. Jane got to sit in a cool car while the hairdresser "evened her hair out." Jane didn't particularly love it, but she pulled herself together by the end. And she looks dang pretty. We're not sure when Tanner will be ready for his first cut—at the rate he's going, kindergarten?

Jane's First Purchase

2008-12-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

We have bought many items for the twins during the past eleven months. Some have been fun purchases (books, toys), and some have been not so fun (diapers, wipes). Although all of the stuff has been for the kids, they have not participated in the buying other than sometimes to be present at the store. But the other day, Jane made her very first purchase. All by herself. Using our money.

I gave her the cable remote to busy her while I went to change Tanner's diaper, and when I came back ninety seconds later, Jane was watching the movie Fred Claus (a holiday classic, to be sure) on OnDemand for the bargain price of $4.99. This required Jane to have gone through an entire series of clicks on the remote to get to the viewing of the actual movie: click the big OnDemand button, click on Top Picks, click on New Movies, click on the movie (maybe even scroll a few movies down first), click on the "buy now" button. I had to laugh when I came back into the room and found her seemingly enjoying her purchase (she had even fast-forwarded the movie to about twenty minutes in—I guess the opening credits were boring her), but as a mean mom, I didn't allow her to continue watching. When Mike came home that night, I asked him if he happened to want to watch Fred Claus. He looked at me strangely and said, "Is this a trick question? Because you know I don't want to watch that dumb movie." And I said, "Yeah, but what if we already own it for the next twenty-four hours?" Regardless, we didn't watch it. I hope Jane enjoyed flushing that fiver down the toilet.

[Before you tell us that we should take the batteries out of an old remote and give that to the kids instead, let me assure you we've tried that. They play with the old remote (or phone, or Palm Pilot, or whatever it may be) for about three seconds before they realize that it's not the real one, it's not the one Mom and Dad use, and it's just not as interesting. Smarties...]

One Month Shy

2008-12-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Gone are the days of cooperative photography and getting two smiling faces to look at the camera at the same time...

The kids' eleven-month birthday was a day of firsts. Tanner wanted to stand up a bunch (with lots of help) at Book Babies at the library, Jane took her first nap on her stomach, and they started the transition to whole milk (three bottles down, more than eighty to go). Their figurative steps are getting bigger by the day, and it's incredible to watch them grow.

Tanner's First Tooth

2008-11-29T15:25:00.000-08:00

Pardon Susan's finger, but Tanner has his first tooth! Jane has her third, fourth, fifth, and sixth teeth coming in (all up top), but Tanner's finally got his first!

First Thanksgiving Family Photo

2008-11-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ten and Ten

2008-11-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

The kids are ten months old today. Coincidentally, ten years ago today we had our first date. Dang.

Tanner hates to have his face and nose wiped.

Jane hates to have medical professionals stare at her and/or poke and prod at her.

It's been a rough month (think viral infections, multiple barf fests, and countless ruined onesies), but we're excited for the holiday season ahead!

First Halloween Family Photo

2008-10-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

First Trip to the ER

2008-10-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

Poor little Janie. It started out innocently enough; we just figured she was getting Tanner's cold. But when her breathing became extremely labored, her chest was concave, and she was moaning in misery, we made a four a.m. trip to the emergency room. Formal diagnosis: bronchiolitis, a viral lung infection that is just no fun at all. Jane spent three days in the hospital with Mom (taking lots of little naps on our chests) while Dad took care of Tanner at home (and visited the hospital twice, thanks to Aunt Ju Ju, Uncle Spencer, and our babysitter). Jane finally came home with oxygen and a nebulizer on Saturday evening. The girls were relieved to be back with the boys, and the boys were delighted the girls were finally home. Jane is on the mend, smiling and laughing and stealing Tanner's toys, and we're hopeful she continues to get better.

Three Quarters of a Year

2008-10-08T20:07:00.000-07:00

My, how they've grown.

Tanner loves books, hanging upside down, watching Mom and Dad dance, hairbrushes, blocks, swings, rolling around, shiny things, knocking down towers, being thrown up into the air, and belts.

Jane loves books, hanging upside down, watching Mom and Dad dance, hairbrushes, blocks, swings, the inside of closets, the squeaky frog smooching her on the nose, textures, and anything Tanner is holding.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-09-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

Big things are a-happening around our house. The twins are getting over their first case of the sickies (Tanner had a pretty bad runny nose and stuffy nose; Jane just had a little bit of a runny nose; we held a barf-o-rama here this past weekend). Tanner can move all over, and today he picked up a puff and put it into his mouth by himself for the first time (usually they just get stuck to his palm and end up on the floor). Jane has a second tooth coming in, and she babbles all the time. They're going to be headed for college before we know it! We just hope they're not still wearing diapers then...

Eight Months Young

2008-09-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Dang, how the time flies. The kids are both sitting up, and pretty much everything goes into their mouths these days. Jane's got a tooth coming in, and they're back to being pretty good sleepers. Now we've got to invest in some new car seats to hold the little fatty boombalatties.

Jane's First Ice Pack

2008-08-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Jane fell out of her bouncy seat yesterday (I neglected to strap her in, and yes, I felt very guilty) and was given her first ice pack. She and Tanner were both more interested in eating the ice pack than applying it to her head, but Ashley (the babysitter) got Jane to sit for a few minutes and take it like a toughie.

Sibling Rivalry: It Has Begun.

2008-08-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here are the kids wrestling over a book at bedtime. No tears were shed, no limbs were lost, but we're sure this is just the beginning...

Sitters

2008-08-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

Look, Ma! No hands! And no supports! And nobody propping us up!

"Cool" Seven-Month-Old "Studs"

2008-08-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Remember when these stuffed animals were practically the same size as the kids? And the kids looked like aliens? Yes, that seems so long ago now... The babes have really grown into themselves (and then some, as they both weigh more than eighteen pounds each), and they are learning new things every day. Tanner can roll from back to stomach very easily (and does so at very inopportune times at night) and can pick up puffs (although he has yet to figure out how to put them into his mouth). Jane can sit up for an extended period of time and jumps like a champ in the jumper. We're working on getting Jane used to people (we see her lower lip a lot when she is startled by a new face) and Tanner sleeping through the night again (he loves to wake up either because he's on his stomach and can't go back to sleep or because two o'clock in the morning is a great time to play). They are such great boos and we're still struck every day by how lucky we are.

Six months old??

2008-07-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

Holy twins, Batman! Happy half birthday to Tanner and Jane!

Busy, Busy

2008-06-30T14:47:00.000-07:00

June was a pretty busy month for us. The babies transitioned out of their Miracle Blankets and swaddles, got baptized, celebrated their first Father's Day, started "eating" rice cereal, and went to the zoo to see the animals and their cousin Creeper. We're sure July will be just as busy, and we're ready for it.

Five Months of Personality

2008-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's June, and there were some dark days in February where we weren't even sure if we would get to this month. But here we are. The kids are five months old, and they are an absolute delight. Sure, Jane gets a little pesky during her naps, and Tanner likes to squawk really early in the morning, and don't even get us started on transitioning them out of their swaddles, but really, things are going fairly swimmingly. I mean, look at those faces. We can't complain.

Their personalities are starting to emerge more and more, and it's interesting to note the characteristics each has from their parents. Jane is always warm and sports sweaty hair quite a bit, like her dad, whereas Tanner's body temp is a little cooler, like his mom's. Tanner is mellow most of the time, like his dad, and Jane is really jumpy and pretty loud, like her mom (she likes to shriek in the middle of Babies R Us) (Jane, not Mom) (okay, both). Tanner is what Mike calls an "attention hound"—pay attention to him, smile a little, and he will usually smile right back, delighted to be the center of attention (like Mom, as if we need to specify). Jane is a little more guarded, like her dad—she needs to feel out the situation, check out the person or room at hand, before she gives in and gets personal with smiles and emotions. They're both as cute as the dickens, like their dad.

We're looking forward to a fun summer with these rapscallions.

Four Months and Counting

2008-05-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

Oh, but they are growing up so fast. Our new favorite thing is that they love to grip and grab (our clothes, their clothes, burp cloths, etc.). They still won't touch their rattles, but we're getting there.

A Weekend of Firsts

2008-04-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

We flew to Florida this past weekend for Julie and Spencer's wedding. It was such a wonderful time with family and close friends (the babies met lots of new family members, including their great-grandparents), and we couldn't be happier for the newlyweds. The twins had their first flights (they did pretty well, with only a five-minute meltdown on the way down), their first long car drive (two hours, and Jane loved to cry for the first twenty minutes or last ninety), their first boat ride (they seemed to enjoy the wind, despite evidence to the contrary in this shot taken afterward), and their first babysitter to put them down for the night (they slept until 8 a.m. every morning!). I wish we had taken our camera out more often, but click here for some photos from the weekend.

Little Ol' Baldy

2008-04-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

What happens when you give The Shake-Off (see Collected Words of the Day) a little too often...

Bathtime for the Buckheits

2008-04-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoy their baths now (they hate being changed afterward, but that's a story for another post), but it always takes them a second to get used to being submerged. And then they usually spend the entire bath with their hands clenched in fists. It's better than crying, but still. (P.S. Tanner's on top, Jane's on the bottom.)

A Note to the Boos

2008-04-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

You guys are three months old today, and it's really hard to believe. You've been (pretty much) sleeping through the night for a few weeks now, and we're finding a good schedule for your days. It was touch and go for a while there, but we are out of survival mode (not to say we don't still have bad days and bad nights sometimes). You guys are becoming more alert and awake during your "play" times, and it's fun to try to get you both to smile. We've had a few babysitters so far, and you've charmed them with your cuteness. We're hoping they come back.

Tanner, you give us lots of smiles (especially when you're in your crib getting ready for a nap, as if your sweetness will make us let you stay up a little longer). Sometimes, for no reason, you get totally worked up and cry as if you're on fire (you know the cry I mean: red scrunched-up face, real tears, halted breathing), but you are usually easily soothed. You sometimes get so anxious before a feeding that you pump your legs and arms and then latch on as if the nipple is a chew toy. You sometimes turn your arm into a slot machine lever when being burped. We call you a "licky" when you lick your lips a bunch, and you love to burrow in your daddy's chest (while grabbing chest hair) and suck furiously on your fist. And speaking of fists, you tend to clench them when eating or taking a bath, and it's all we can do to get you to relax.

Jane, you are getting quite silly with your pacifier. Sometimes you slurp on it so much that you make a ton of racket, and you love to suck suck suck and then let it dangle out of your mouth for a half second before sucking it back in (we call this "lollipopping" and often beg for you to lollipop for us). You seem to be trying to hold your pacifier in your mouth with your arm and/or hand, and you've even started sucking on your fist a little à la Tanner. You're working on tracking things with your eyes, but sometimes you go out of your way not to look at what we're trying to get you to look at (if we try to get in your line of vision, you will do anything you can to avoid eye contact with us). You're smiley when you want to be, and sometimes you would prefer to be in your bouncy seat or just sitting than in someone's arms (you hate to be manhandled). You've got the fist thing going just like your brother when eating and bathing, and you hate to be changed after a bath (also just like your brother). You've had a voracious appetite lately, and you drool like crazy.

We love you both tons. The past three months have been quite a trip, and we can't wait to see what the next three months hold for us.

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2008-04-07T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mike turned 34 today and enjoyed an evening of cheesesteaks and basketball with his kids, his dad, and his wife. As you can see from their shirts, the babies love their daddy.

These Are a Few of Our Favorite Things...

2008-03-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Click here to view it in a larger size.

First Easter Family Photo

2008-03-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

First Tears

2008-03-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

We don't know when, but somewhere along the way, the twins started producing real tears. It's a lot harder to ignore their cries when they look so darn sad with those crocodile tears.

More Smiles

2008-03-10T07:54:00.001-07:00

We got a smile out of Jane yesterday, but of course she wouldn't perform for the camera, so there is no evidence. Trust me, though, it was really cute.

ETA: I got a blurry photo!

Two Months Old!

2008-03-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

See how much the babies are enjoying their two-month-old photo shoot?

They got their vaccinations done and measurements taken, and Jane is finally on the charts! She is in the 5th percentile for weight, 10th percentile for height, and 20th percentile for head circumference. Tanner is in the 10th percentile for weight, 20th percentile for height, and 25th percentile for head circumference. These percentiles don't account for the fact that they were five weeks premature, so the kids basically have twelve to eighteen months to "catch up." We're still thinking they'll be pretty big and long kids based on our sizes, but I guess you never know.

Baby Fish Mouth

2008-03-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

Remember that scene in When Harry Met Sally when they're playing Pictionary (or Win, Lose, or Draw or something)? Sally (Meg Ryan) is trying to draw the saying "baby talk," and Jess (Bruno Kirby) guesses "baby fish mouth." It ends like this:
Sally: It was "baby talk."
Jess: "Baby talk"? What's that? That's not a saying!
Harry: Oh, but "baby fish mouth" is sweeping the nation.
It's way better if you have fifty-four seconds to watch the clip.

Anyway, my point (yes, I do have one) is that the kids have Soothie pacifiers, so their mouths totally look like baby fish mouths when they're sucking. So cute.

Tanner's First Smile

2008-03-05T11:21:00.001-08:00

Ignoring how washed out this picture is (another one here), Tanner's got a pretty cute smile (finally, at eight weeks and one day!). Now we'll just wait for Jane to show us hers.

Look, Ma! No Hands!

2008-02-22T06:53:00.000-08:00

We've discovered the Baby Bjorn, and it's amazing how fast it (usually) works. Both kids, once snuggled in there, get really quiet and pensive, looking around with wide eyes before finally falling asleep on our chests. It's a great way to get things done around the house while still tending to a baby. And there's nothing cuter than their little feet sticking out the bottom, as evidenced in the picture above.

We're Trying....

2008-02-17T17:42:00.000-08:00

We’ve gotten a lot of advice since the birth of the twins: keep the babies on the same schedule, sleep when they sleep, etc. But the most useful and most practical piece of advice came from Kim, a mother of four-year-old twin boys: “try not to die.”

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T11:12:00.001-08:00

You can't really tell from the picture, but Jane's outfit has hearts on it and little sayings such as "Daddy is my valentine" and "I am loved." Awww. Oh, and this is the first time they're wearing shoes!

The Darnedest Things

2008-02-11T05:19:00.000-08:00

Today is my actual due date, which seems pretty hard to believe, given everything that has happened in the past five weeks. Although I enjoy all the comments we get from family members, friends, and strangers about Tanner and Jane, by far my favorite has been from the kids' Aunt Ju: "They're like little human beings!"

One Month with the Boos

2008-02-08T04:27:00.000-08:00

The twins are one month old today, and their personalities are starting to emerge. Here's what we've learned about them so far:
- Tanner has proved to be a projectile pooper when his diaper is off.
- Jane is prone to laryngitis when she screams for three hours straight.
- Both have recently discovered their hands (and the fact that they control them).
- Both make squeaky noises when asleep.
- Jane prefers a pacifier before eating, whereas Tanner prefers his after eating (or really anytime).
- Both love to get their hands free of a swaddle.
- Both have a blatant disregard for each other.

Time to vote!

2008-02-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

Tanner has such old man knees, and Jane has such old woman knees. We can't get enough of those wrinkles. But whose knees are whose? Check out the poll to the right to cast your ballot.

ETA: Poll closed! The majority was correct: Jane is on the left, Tanner on the right. Jane's skin is pretty pink and Tanner's is more yellow, so that's a dead giveaway for those in the know. And Tanner's a bit beefier, too, if I can call my five-pounds-at-birth son "beefy." Thanks to those who voted!

Super Bowl Letdown

2008-02-04T12:57:00.001-08:00

There is a gloom in the house today—both kids were rooting for the Patriots—but we're hanging in there and managing to get by.

First Bath

2008-01-26T12:42:00.000-08:00

The kids had their first bath today. Both squawked quite a bit at the beginning, only to find they liked being immersed in the warm water. They didn't even mind getting their hair washed. They must love as much as their parents how fluffy their hair turns out.

After a Three-Day Standoff...

2008-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Jane finally poops again.

Chubs

2008-01-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

We found out today at the doctor's office that both kids have passed their birth weights (Tanner weighs 5 lbs., 11 oz., and Jane weighs 4 lbs., 10 oz.). Jane didn't have a meltdown until the very end of the appointment. Always a bright side, right?

Welcome Home

2008-01-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

After spending seven days (Tanner) and ten days (Jane) in the intensive care nursery, the babies have finally been discharged from the hospital. We are spending one night in the Sherman house before we move into the temporary rental condo for three months (to get away from the construction dust and noise). We're paranoid about the kids' body temperatures and weights and feedings and diapers, but we're just so relieved they are finally home.

The Official Arrival

2008-01-08T21:08:00.000-08:00

The twins have arrived! I went into the hospital on Sunday night, was induced on Monday night, and gave birth on Tuesday afternoon. Tanner Tate entered this world (albeit reluctantly) at 4:56 p.m. on January 8, 2008, and Jane Robinson followed (rather easily, once she and the doc got her face turned around) at 5:07 p.m. Mike cut the umbilical cords, and both of us got a quick cuddle before the babies went to the nursery. They are just perfect.