First Christmas

Christmas went pretty darn good. The boys made out with a lot of new toys and they are eager to play! The boys did a great job at opening their presents. At the time they were more interested in tearing off the paper and eating it. This made it somewhat stressful on Joy and I at my family's gift exchange. It seemed there was a lot going on and hard to pay attention to everything, most importantly our boys not eating wrapping paper. But it was a major success.

The boys got to meet their 4 y/o cousin from out of state. He had been eager to meet them. He treated the boys with much respect and wanted to share his toys with them. At one point, Jacob was unhappy and so my dad took him into the other room to help him calm him down. Their cousin helped by rubbing his back. Later on he played on the floor with Jasper with his truck that he got. It was really cute to watch.

On Christmas morning, we moved the coffee table aside so we can set the boys on the rub to open their toys. Again, they really enjoyed opening the presents and trying to eat the paper. Joy and I took a bunch of pictures and video. After awhile the boys got a bit cranky so we quickly finished opening presents and then put the boys down for a nap.

Later on we had lunch and presents to open at Joy's mom house with her mom and brother. Joy's mom made apple sauce for the boys to eat. At first first they were none-too-happy because the apples were granny smith apples. However after a few more tries Jacob really enjoyed them as did Jasper. We opened presents and they got a whole bunch more toys and clothes.

After we got home around 6, we had enough of Christmas. Joy was ready to take the tree down. She started as I unpacked all the new presents we got from Joy's mom house. After words I helped and not long after all the Christmas decorations and tree were down. After that we rearranged the living room so that our rug was out from the coffee table. This is so we can let the boys play on the ground.

We noticed during the last few days that boys are really good at sitting up by themselves and they are still very determined to crawl especially since how there are toys they NEED to get to.

Up all day, Sleep all night

Not trying to beat the topic of sleep to death but this week has been fantastic! Last week Joy worked really hard at keeping the boys awake during. In return Joy got screamed at. However, it really paid off.

Last Sunday, the boys went down for a nap around 3pm. 6pm came and they were still sleeping, so fearing that they would be up all night. I tried to get them up at 6:30. This turned out to be impossible! So we just let them sleep. ....well they slept all night! I think they got up around 3am.

The next night, they went to bed around 6 and didn't get up till 3 to eat. Jacob wanted out of his crib so we went to couch. I put a music documentary on and our cat joined us. Then Jacob went back to sleep. Jacob and Jasper both slept till 6 before waking up for the day.

Last night Jasper went down at 7 and Jacob at 8. Aside from waking up to eat, they both slept till 7am. Needless to say, Joy and I got to sleep! Together! Yay!!

So we're not sure if the boys are really getting on a good schedule or they're sleeping more because they're growing. One day Jasper slept a ton and we both swear he got more hair. His hair looked darker too!

Well, tomorrow is Xmas eve! We are excited to spend our first Xmas with the boys!

On The Floor

We've been making an extra attempt to let the boys learn how to crawl, and they are getting close. We learned that the one disadvantage we have is our house has all hardwood floors, which we love but not the best for boys learning how to crawl. We would consistently make sure they don't fall and hit their heads on the hardwood floor.

We have several options. We put them in their cribs and put them in a crawl position. This works pretty good because if they fall over they land on a mattress. Also they have been doing a good job and rolling over in their cribs. The other night, Jacob went back to front.

Another option we tried was putting a blanket on the floor. This is a good idea because it gives the boys a lot of extra room to try to crawl and roll around. The bad side is they had a hard time moving because the blanket would crinkle up every time they kicked their feet. So they didn't really have a good leverage.

Finally, what works best is the rug. We have a rug in front of couch. The rug has a coffee table on it but when moved, it is just like carpet. We lined what coffee table was left on the rug with pillows.

The boys really enjoyed their time with all these options. They loved being on the floor with our dog and cat. I think our dog enjoyed the boys company just as much.

We put toys in front of the boys to try to get them to crawl to it. They also really wanted to get to our dog.

I think they will be crawling very soon! They are really determined.

Just trying to get around

Wow, what to write about. It seems that the boys are growing so big so fast! Since the last update, Jacob learned to run in his walker. I was sitting near the TV and trying to put Jasper to sleep. I was finding it difficult to put them both to sleep at the same time and Jacob had a lot of energy. So I put Jacob in his walker and worked on Jasper.

I started hearing a thumping noise. I looked to my left and saw Jacob with the biggest smile on his face trying to get over to us but couldn't because of the rug. Instead he was running in place.

So all week, he's been running around the house chasing us, the cat, and trying really hard to get our dog's attention. He gets so happy with himself. It is really the cutest thing. We had to bust out the video camera.

Jasper can move in his walker as he displayed last night while I was in the dining room and he came in the from the living room. However, he is more interested in playing with the buttons and toys in his jeep.

Last night, Jasper was so determined to crawl! I think it will be a matter of days before he does. I put him on the couch and he went right into crawl position. He got up on his legs briefly. I was getting prepared to wake up Joy to a crawling Jasper.

My sister-in-law gave us a bunch of toys and clothes that their kid has out-grown. One of the toys is a table with buttons and sounds. Wow, do the boys love it! I think we can return all their Christmas presents because this has won them over.

Joy put them in the walkers and set them up around the table. They just love it to pieces.

Thanksgiving part 3 plus Christmas decorating

Saturday, we celebrated Thanksgiving part 3 with Joy's mom and brother. I expected the boys to freak at Joy's brother since they freaked at my family. They have developed their stranger anxiety recently. So Joy's mom held Jacob and I held the Jasper at the table. They both stared at her brother but no real freak out.

After food, I caught up on the Walking Dead show on AMC while Jasper hung out with Joy's brother for a minute and then went into the kitchen with Joy and her mom. Jacob slept next to me.

When we got home, we put up our Christmas tree and decorations. The boys love the tree however no match to the tv and gummy bears song.

Poor Jacob is having a rough time with his teeth. I really hope they pop out in the next day or so. Jasper is doing much better now his front bottom two are sticking out. I think the top two are on their way.

Thanksgiving Part 2

This year I couldn't be more thankful of our two healthy boys and my lovely wife. Yay. Happy thanksgiving!

This is the boys' first thanksgiving and we spent it just the four of us, well six if you count our dog Ace and cat Tino. We got up around 3 or 4 this morning. Joy worked really hard in the kitchen making the turkey, my tofurky, pies, stuffing, etc. At 9, we all watched the Macy's Day parade. The boys enjoyed all the music and then got antsy during the interviews and commercials.

During food time, we had Jacob in his high chair while Jasper took a nap. Jacob enjoyed playing with his truck and throwing it on the floor while Joy and I enjoyed delicious food. Ace ate a pie that was a mishap. I think Tino may have been outside.

After lunch, we put on my favorite thanksgiving flick, Plains Trains and Automobiles. Then Joy went online to come up with a plan for Black Friday shopping.

Six Month vaccines

This time I had a whole new approach. I thought we were lucky last time after they got their shots. They quickly passed out for most of the day. I went ahead played around the house, thinking the boys are not affected by the vaccines. Then came bed time for Joy and the boys screamed! Apparently, the shots did affect them and they were none too pleased. I then wished I had napped or rested during the day.

So after we got the shots, they fell asleep on the ride home. So I headed off to bed shortly after we got home. Joy pumped and then joined me. Even though, I didn't fall asleep I was resting in case I don't get any sleep later.

Jasper work up shortly after Joy joined. He drank a bottle and fell back asleep. Joy tried to move him back to his crib but woke up. A little later Jacob woke up. He got a bottle and then fell back asleep. Jasper followed.

I got a couple hours asleep and then comforted Jacob till he fell back asleep. I then comforted Jasper till we both fell asleep on the couch watching The Last Man on Earth.

The main difference at the actual event of getting the shots was that I think they knew it was coming when they got the liquid part. The nurse gave it to them and they both freaked. They're weren't too happy about getting pricked. However, after they got their clothes on and we were checking out they were both falling asleep.

I'm very proud of my boys! They did really great. I don't like getting pricked either but if I were their size and that size of a needle came at me, I would be scared too!

It's really cute when they're clingy and want to be held afterwords. It's kind of like they're saying "make it all better, daddy!"

Thanksgiving part 1

Thanksgiving with my side of the family went quite well. Joy and I held the boys at first till they got used to everyone there. After they got ready to be held by others, we didn't hold them again till it's just us and my parents.

My mom held Jacob most of the night. At first she thought he was scared of her. She held him away so that be wouldn't see her. I told her that he needs to get used to her. So she turned him around and held him inward. No issues. He eventually fell asleep on her. I actually dished out all her food because she didn't want to give him up to eat. One of my nieces held Jasper most of the night. He fell asleep on her at the table. He buried his head into her arm as if to block out of the light.

The boys eventually got to play with their toys together at the kitchen counter. My sister took a lot of pictures. It was neat seeing them go for the same toys and then work it out. What happened after they got the toys was they knocked them down on the ground.

One thing that was neat was, we were able to put the boys on the floor to practice curling. My parents have carpet, which we don't. I think it's decided we'll have to visit for "carpet time."

Next big thing this week: 6 month vaccines on Tuesday. Wish us luck!

Speak of six months, happy half birthday yesterday! Wow! Can't believe they're six months old already!

teething and the zoo

I started writing this blog Monday and then got distracted... Here is what I wrote:

--

We thought they were teething before and thought our doctor was lying because she didn't even check to see. Well, time has come by and no sign of teeth. Until last week. We've had extra grumpy babies. Joy felt around in Jasper's mouth and felt the bumps of teeth.

We were really hoping they would just pop out during the weekend but no luck. Both the boys have been extra clingy. Although, we haven't felt the bumps on Jacob's gums he's been waking up about every hour. Oral gel seems to work for the most part. We have been bringing them to bed with us.

On Saturday, we decided to take the boys to the zoo for the first time. We thought maybe being outside would help keep their minds off their teeth. Also we thought it would be fun.

They really loved the jelly fish exhibit. They were both putting their hands on the glass trying to touch the jellies also I think they really loved the moving colors. They tuckered out pretty quick afterwards. They both fell asleep in the stroller and slept on the ride home.

--

Today is Thursday and last night we noticed Jasper has a tooth poking out! He's been a totally trooper the last couple of days.

Jacob now has bumps on his gums! I think he is feeling the pain. They've both been night owls but around 5 in the morning he stated freaking the other day. I tried to hold him in bed but that was a no go. We ended up going to living room and I held him on the couch. I turned on the news and we both passed out.

This weekend, we're having thanksgiving at my parents' house. I'm hoping the boys feel well enough. Last time we were over everyone rushed to hold them. That freaked them out. This time Joy and I will make sure they are cool before handing them off.

Must Be Something in the Water

There must be something in the water where we live because it seems like everyone has twins. When Joy and I found out we were having twins, we marched ourselves straight to the book store to get every bit of information we could find. Much to our surprise, I think we only found like 2 or 3 books. I looked online to see if we could find a group. There was one but it was about 50 miles away. So naturally, we thought this is kind of uncommon.

Now that the boys are born and we take them places, it seems we keep running into people saying they have twins or we see twins. Last week, I went to the library. As I was in line, I noticed there was a set of twins in a stroller in front of me. Then as I was waking out, I noticed another set of twins in a stroller!

Over the weekend, we went Christmas shopping. We were looking at the toys when an employee stopped to see the boys. She told us she has twins too.

...one a side, she told us that the first two years are the easiest! Is this true?? I think things will get a lot easier at least for me when I get some sleep. Haha. I'm curious about this now.

Anyway back to my running into lots of twins story, I ran into another woman who said she has twin grandchildren about 5 minutes later in the same store.

So now, I'm really curious how many twins are out there in our town. Is it like this everywhere? Maybe our boys won't be the only set of twins when they go to school. Maybe it'll be weird for all the singletons being only one without a twin in class.

Flipping sleep schedule

Had a sweet four day weekend last weekend. During that time, we were determined to flip the boys sleeping schedule. At that point, they were staying up most of the night. Getting three hours of sleep was really wearing on me/us.

During the day, we kept them awake, delaying and limiting nap times. That wasn't always easy as they would reply very unhappily. By Monday, we went shopping and we were in the about three forty minute rides. During those rides they napped.

By the time I headed back to work, we were rewarded by the boys sleeping through the night only waking to feed or to be held for a few minutes. I went to work on Wednesday feeling so refreshed. Even today, I'm feeling alive and alert! What a great feeling!

In other news: the boys are starting to get hair!! 5 months later. It seems like every day I'm noticing they have more and more hair. Hopefully in time for winter, they will have a full head of hair.

Happy Halloween

Had a great Halloween weekend with the family. The boys and I got up early Saturday morning (4am) for a viewing up Night of the Living Dead, which is my favorite horror movie. The boys both fell asleep on me while we sat on the rocking chair.

Later on, we dressed Jacob up as crab and Jasper as an octopus. Joy and I wanted to dress up somewhat related to the boys' costumes so we dressed up as pirates. We took tons of pictures in the front yard and in the house. We got dressed up for Trick-or-Treaters. However, it didn't look like anyone was going to come. So by 5:30 we all got into our regular clothes. I was changing Jasper at 10 to 7 when I heard the door bell rang. I was so excited we had ONE trick-or-treater. That is a 100% increase from last year. At 8 we all sat around watched Scared Shrekless and Aliens Vs. Monsters halloween specials.

Next year, we plan on taking the boys to "Boo at the Zoo." It will be really exciting when the boys kind of understand Halloween. I'm really looking forward to when I can take the Trick-or-Treating. However in our neighborhood, it doesn't seem like anyone does that.

Up all night, awake all day.

The boys have their sleep schedule totally mixed up. Last night I was joking that that I was going to stay up and watch Elvira, which was on at 5am. Although I didn't watch it, the boys stayed up till 8am.

At 4:30am, I decided to take them for a car ride in hopes that they would fall asleep. Jasper screamed until I started singing. Then he started laughing then back to screaming. Eventually I put the Gummy Bears Song on from YouTube and played it through car speakers. That did the trick. They fell sleep and I carefully moved them into their room. A few minutes later they woke up. Joy took over and I went to sleep.

Today we took them to the park and made them stay up as a long as we could. We gave them showers and they went to sleep afterwards.

Joy and I went to bed at 7pm. However, an hour later we both realized both of us couldn't sleep! I have the Gummy Bears song in my head.

Staying awake!

Getting sleep can be tough. Here are some tips I use stay awake through the day:

1. Coffee. I am a bit of coffee fiend. I drink about a pot a day and keep my coffee pot with me in the car. This is partly because I'm not a fan of the battery acid they serve at work.

Since I've become somewhat of an addict, I think I developed somewhat a tolerance.  So usually I'll take breaks. When the weekend hits,  I'll only drink if  a) I'm really sleepy or b) if someone else wants coffee. Either way, I limit my coffee on the weekend so come Monday I'll feel the effects more. 

2. Music. Luckily, I have a job that let's me listen to my iPod.  Now, you have to be careful with this. You would think loud and fast would be the way to go.  But I've noticed, if I start off loud and fast I get worn out as day goes on. So I suggest this; start off with something mellow but upbeat and work yourself into the loud and heavy music as the day goes on.

3. Get up and walk around.  If you find yourself dosing off, it's time to get up and get the blood pumping.  Sometimes I will get up and walk to the kitchen for a drink even if I'm not thirsty.

4. This is probably most important: Stay Busy! The minute you start slowing down, the sleepies will catch up to you!

Some thoughts on vaccinating

I believe it is important to get your children vaccinated. I personally don't buy the theory that vaccines are linked to autism. Many studies have been done to prove that there is no link. With that evidence, I would not risk either of my children's health.

I found an interesting article on CNN regarding the studies and some history of the Wakefield studies:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/09/07/p.autism.vaccine.debate/index.html

Getting vaccines are no fun. It is really hard watching your child getting pricked with needles. A nurse at our last appointment informed us that one of the shot burns. I do wish there was a easy way for vaccines to be given. You would think that they could come up with some painless way to give vaccines. Luckily for us, the pains and crying only seemed to last about a day. I know some babies get fevers. We've been lucky so far, knock on wood! But still would never risk my children getting sick with polio or any of the other countless diseases if it can be prevented.

That being said, I found another interested article/radio story from
NPR. It talks about the newer vaccines added for chicken pox and whooping cough.

I was really surprised when Joy told me they have a vaccine for chicken pox. I remember hearing stories about parents sending their kids to play with other kids with chicken box in order to get it out of the way when they are young.

The article talks about how these new vaccines might not be as effective and even need booster shots:

http://m.npr.org/story/130433634

This article shows that the vaccines might not be flawless. I love the idea that my boys might not get chicken pox. Possibly more research needs to be done on this.

In the long run, I'm happy my boys are vaccinated. I'm happy they're safe.

The Power of Singing

I'm a very musical person, I've been playing in bands since I was 8 or so. It's odd for me to not have a song in my head. Even as I type this I'm listening to music. I'm really looking forward to the day I can show the boys how to play an instrument or beat on the drums. Even if it turns out to be something they're not interested in, I still think it's important to give them the opportunity to try it out.

Recently I've noticed a postive reaction to singing to the boys. Singing to them can turn a grumpy mood or freak out to either calm and flat out cracking up laughter. Granted this might not completely work if they just got a shot but I think it helps in a small way.i

Right now the hits of the household are "Rockabye Baby," "This old man," and "Camp Town Races.

I'm not a lyrical person. Lyrics are the last thing I pay attention to when listening to a song. So when it comes to singing these songs I tend to either make up my own lyrics or sing the melody. I enjoy incorporating the boys into the song such as "This Old Man" can be be varied with "little man," "Jasper Man" or "Jacob Dude."

I can't recommend enough singing to your children. It doesn't matter how well you sing, so don't self conscious. Remember if you can talk, you can sing. Your children will love it, at least while they're babies!

Jam packed weekend!

Our goal was to reverse the boys schedule so that they would sleep more at night rather than the day and be up all night. Getting barely any sleep had been catching up to Joy and I. So we had a jam packed weekend to keep them awake during the day.

Saturday, we had a get-together at my parents' house. The boys got to meet their 87 year old great grandmother for the first time. She was thrilled. My one aunt who is normally really quiet was the most bubbly that I've seen her. She took the boys and introduced them to everyone.

The boys got their shot at being held by everyone. Joy and I got a chance to chill and be fed. Eventually the Jasper fell asleep in Joy's arms and Jasper in my mom's arms.

After we left, we took the boys to Sam's Club to do some grocery shopping. I grabbed a large bag of coffee and started to sing "Daddy loves coffee" to the tune of "I want candy" which gave Jasper some good belly laughs.

Sunday, we continued our grocery shopping. Jacob was really mellow and Jasper was a little fussy. Joy ended up holding Jasper, which did the trick.

We were at Wal Mart and they had a flu shot station, so Joy got hers while I was in line and I got my mine after we checked out.

We went home and then took the boys for a walk in the park. I totally miss being able to take them out for a walk every night. Now that it is getting dark earlier, I'm unable to do so. I've been thinking about taking them to the mall to do some walking but that hasn't happened yet.

Joy brought our dog Ace with us, who hasn't been on a walk since right after they were born. Ace got really protective over the boys when other dogs walked by. He barked, which he didn't normally do. I think trying to take him on a walk with us is going to be a lost cause. It was way too difficult to both watch the boys and hold ace while he was freaking at other dogs. Good thing both Joy and I were there.

So I think our plan worked. The boys seem to be sleeping a lot better at night! Jasper has almost been sleeping through the whole night. Jacob has been getting up every few hours. I think because he wants to be held or cuddled.

The boys also tried banana over the weekend! The first was homemade mixed with soy formula which they ate but weren't very fond of. We got some baby food from the store which they liked a lot better. Joy noticed they mixed the banana with water. I think we will try that in the future.

I'm awake!

Sleep has come in little doses this week. The boys schedules seem to be somewhat reversed. Either one is sleeping through the night and the other isn't or they're both up.

This weekend we intend to keep them busy during the day, except for nap times, in hopes to get them to sleep during the night.

Today we are visiting my family, where the boys will get to meet their great grandmother as well as family from my dads side. The will hopefully take care of them staying awake during the day.

Sunday, we may do some shopping with the boys and maybe a hike in the park. Also the weekend is a good shot at hopefully Joy and I catching up on some sleep.

BOOK REVIEW : Daddy Does The Cha Cha Cha

Dads are just dancing and dancing in this story by David Bedford and Bridget Strevens-Marzo. This would be a fun book to read and somewhat act out while reading. I think kids would definitely enjoy this. Heck, if you can dance go ahead and do so along with the book and why not have the kids do it as well.

So Dougie, whose daddy does the Cha Cha Cha, put together a party. The problem? Dougie said "no dancing dads!" I'm guessing the dad's dancing can be somewhat embarrassing. Instead the kids enjoy a good a dance. However, you can't stop the dads from dancing! Let me tell you that! Because one dad started doing the swing and then it caused a chain effect and the dads were dancing. But when Dougie's daddy got involved all hell broke loose and everything when CRRRAASSHHH! And then the mum comes out and makes everyone clean it up.

This book shows that dads can be goofy as well as responsibility for actions. I would read this book again to boys when they get older.

Brandywine Falls Water Fall - Cuyahoga Valley - Mother of Twins

This last weekend we took a 5 mile bike ride down the bike and hike trail in the Cuyahoga Valley. I had no idea that such a natural treasure was only 20 minutes away from my house! I definitely can not wait to take my little boys here next summer! Do you think next summer would be to young? They will be 1 year olds in may.

BOOK REVIEW - Even Monsters Need Haircuts

When I was 17, I was lazy. In no way did I want to have a job. Yuck! I played in a band, that's what I wanted to do. I go to school and then work on my music when I'm not. It was great fun. Then one day it was decided that I needed a job. My dad woke up at 5am for work and there he was knocking my door, waking up me to look for a job. No fun. Luckily it was pretty easy for me to get a job. I turned in two applications and got a call and the job for the first one I put it. Lucky.

This is quite a different story in Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matthew McElligott. The boy in this story has a job and his dad doesn't even know about it! He sneaks out of the house, against his parents' (I assume) wishes, once a month to take on the same career his father does. His father is a barber. The only difference, he cuts the hair of monsters!

This book is pretty fun. I'm not quite sure of the message/moral (if it has one) but it is a sure fun read. The story takes a twist when a human walks in for a haircut. All the monsters and stunned and the boy is nervous. However, the "human" just wants a little of the top. You'll have to check the picture out to see what he means.

I recommend this book and I have read it several times to the boys and I enjoy the pictures.

Mother of Twins - Jeep liberty walkers and our dog

Our dog has taken it onto himself to watch over our boys. The boys have two jeep liberty walkers that they love to play in. Currently they mainly move backwards and beep the horn, but they love every minute in there walkers. I can only imagine the chaos that is going to ensue when Jasper and Jacob start chasing our dog Ace or our Cat Tino around the living room.

Every milestone is so exciting, but with each milestone my days seem to get stretched a little thiner. I can't wait until the milestones start making life a little simpler; sleeping through the night, holding their on bottle, eating real food, and when they can tell me what is wrong rather than scream until I figure it out. I will miss the all night cuddle sessions, but I think a few sweet dreams may ease my pain.

What milestones made your life a little easier and when did your baby reach the milestone?

BOOK REVIEW - The Halloween Kid

If you haven't noticed I'm a big fan of Halloween. Last year, Joy and I bought a house and you'd have no idea how excited I was to hand out of candy to Trick-or-Treaters that year. I got all dressed up as a zombie, thanks to Joy. Joy was going through the beginnings of pregnancy, so she opted to hang out mostly on the couch that night. We got a ton of candy from Sams Club. We had just bought more that day because we weren't sure how many kids would be coming to house.

5pm came and everything was ready for trick-or-treaters! I was on the pouch, dressed up with bowl of candy. You wouldn't believe how many kids came! None! Not a one! I walked down the street to see if kids were trick-or-treating down the street. Nope.

What does this have to do with the Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo? Well the Halloween Kid saves Halloween! He's a super hero! I could have used the Halloween Kid to encourage kids to go trick-or-treating and save Halloween! He saved Halloween for anyone who tried to ruin it and I feel the people in my neighbor ruined it for the kids and the neighborhood by either being to scared to go out (we live in a city), religious reasons, or just lame!

This book has a western feel to it, which makes it really fun. Allow me to quote some of the lines from the book:

"He wrassled pumpkin-suckin' vampires"

"Ye-ha-llowen!"

"...the Halloween kid loved him some Halloween...."

This book is great! The pictures look great too. When you read this book, though, you have to read it best southern accent you can do. If you can, put a cowboy hat on too. Why not? I think the boys will enjoy this book when they understand the words. I had a blast reading it and even though they didn't understand me they smiled at my enthusiasm.

Back to my story, my Halloween kid that night was putting a VHS of the Exorcist in and watching it with Joy.

Rice Cereal yum!

Last Saturday the boys had their first dose rice cereal. It seemed to go pretty well. Jacob seemed to get the hang of it pretty fast. I fed Jacob and Joy fed Jasper. Joy got the video camera out. I think we got some good shots of them eating. I got Joy holding Jasper and feeding and I put the camera on the highchair table when I fed Jacob.

Tuesday I got to spend some good play time with the boys after work. They were both awake. I put them in their jeeps and sat on the floor with them and our dog Ace. They have gotten really good at moving backwards. Jacob kept moving from the living room to down the hallway with the bedrooms. He was so excited. Jasper stood still playing with the buttons on the jeep. Eventually he started jumping and moving back. He kept running backwards into the dining room.

The next few nights, Jasper has been staying up late. Jacob has been doing really good about going to sleep around 10. Jasper has been staying up till about 3 or so.

I've tried to be more chill at night in hopes that he would get on s better sleep schedule. We'd hang out in the boys room, rock on the rocking chair, and watch movies.

31 days till Halloween!

31 days till Halloween! Let the fun begin! Feel free to share what your plans are this year. As for us, I'm not entirely sure. We do have one costume that we bought last year on clearance. That was before we found out we were having twins. Joy did order another one but they sent the wrong size in mail. We ended up having to return it and didn't bother replacing it because we noticed the quality of the costume wasn't that great.

BOOK REVIEW: Three Bears Halloween

In The Three Bears Halloween by Kathy Duval and illustrated by Paul Meisel, The Three Bears embark on a Trick-Or-Treating adventure. They come up to an old looking house. When the little bear says "trick or treat" the door creaks open up. After the door opens up, they hear a laugh and see a witch behind the tree. So, naturally they enter the house and start eating popcorn! After they hear more laughing from the witch they get chased around the house and turns out to Goldilocks in somewhat of a silly revenge tale to scare the Three Bears.

It's a pretty cute story. It's short. It's simple. But as I was thinking about this... should we teaching our kids to be running into some random person's house if they're being chased? I would think the first response would be run into the street and try to find other people. I guess if you were being chased and you do go into some random person's house, maybe you should get to the phone. Anyway, maybe I'm missing the point of this short children's story.

The story was okay. I don't know why but for some reason it bugged me that the little bear said "boo boo boo" instead of "trick or treat" in the beginning of the story. I don't think this a book I would purchase or get it out from library again but it was a nice read.

RECORD REVIEW- Cowboys and Clowns

There is nothing like a good old scratchy record to make a wonderful music experience. I recently got a spiffy new record player that has a USB connection on it to easily rip vinyl for CD or IPod. That's right! Most people love buying music from Itunes or ripping CDs. I now rip vinyl. Why? I love the sound. Even my vinyl rips even though downgraded to MP3 sound better than some CDs rips.

Anyway, after I got my spiffy new record player it was time to hit the thrift stores for old used records. The hunt can be overwhelming, shifting through old polka and I don't know how many Barry Manilow records. I mean, seriously. I have never gone to a thrift store and not seen a handful of Barry Manilow records. It made my mom happy once, there was one record that she loved but was hard to find on CD. So I found it at the thrift and burned her a copy, but that was a long time ago.

This time hunting records was somewhat of a different experience. It had been awhile since I went record shopping. So not only was I looking for sweet rock-type records for myself and Christmas records for Joy. Now, I added Children's records to list. And boy did I find a rare gem! Ladies and Gentlemen:

Cowboys & Clown by Mr. Mountain Dew

The record is scratchy as hell and I gotta say it adds so much to the atmosphere of the record. The record is narrated by Mr. Mountain Dew. Never heard of him? Neither have I and there's not much information on the web about it. The guy sounds like the guy who narrates the Big Lebowski. He tells the stories of the songs inbetween. The songs include: Home on the Range, Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to Cowboys, King of the Road, Daniel Boone, Billy the Kid among others.

If you ever come across this record it's a must buy! As far as I know this record was never released on CD. In fact, I looked up the record label, Peter Pan, and could not find any information on it. This is a record I have already ripped into the computer and ready for the Ipod.

The boys seemed to enjoy the record. I put on the record as one was in a walker and the other was in my lap. I sang along with Home on the Range and Davy Crocket. They were in a bit fussy because of their teething however singing to them really helped.

I am gonna go as far as to say this record would be great if you want to make a really weird mix tape for someone. Heck, I think I would even listen to this record on my own. I will say that One Top of Old Smokey is a track I would cut though. It is the only one that doesn't really fit in.

Four-month vaccines complete!

The boys have got their four-month vaccine shots. They were in good spirits while we waited for the doctor and then the nurse. I sat on the doctor's stool and moved back and forth with Jacob was in my lap. Jasper was in Joy's lap.

I think for one of the first times the boys really noticed each other. They were looking at each other and smiling big.

Jacob eventually fell asleep on my shoulder while we waited for the nurse to give shots. Since Jacob was sleeping on me, Jasper went first. The first shot he did great. Not a peep. Then the nurse informed us that the second shot burns. Sure enough, the second shot went in and Jasper screamed. Joy quickly took Jasper held him till he calmed down.

With Jasper crying and some nudging, Jacob woke up for his shots. He was not happy to receive either of them. I quickly grabbed him and tried to comfort. Jasper had calmed down so Joy put his clothes on and then gave me Jasper while she put on Jacob's clothes. Then I took him back to comfort.

While we were checking out, Jacob fell back asleep and Jasper fell asleep as well in our arms.

We asked the doctor about them teething and she said it was most likely they're not but they're just exploring. I'm not totally buying her story. For one she did not even check to see if they're teething. She did say we could introduce them to real food, see the previous post by Joy.

We had expected the day to be crazy because of screaming babies. We expected to go on a car ride for them to calm down, car rides usually help. However, we had two sleeping boys in the car. So Joy and I went on a car ride anyway to get ice cream.

We got home and were able to put boys in their cribs and Joy and I had a quiet afternoon.

Then Joy said she was hungry and wanted to go to bed after dinner. I started making spaghetti and by the time it was done Jasper woke up screaming. Joy came into the kitchen with him. Then I heard Jacob waking up. They were both not happy! Screaming!

We tried walking around, going outside. Eventually Joy and I had to divide and concur because I think they were both kind of enforcing each other to cry after we got one of them to calm down, like a sympathy cry. Eventually we got them both to calm down. They were both cuddly with us. Talking and singing to them helped calm them too.

The next day they slept must of the day.

Similac Recalled! Mother of Twins

GO TO http://abbott.vo.llnwd.net/o18/similac/recall/default.htm?utm_source=ppc FOR MORE INFORMATION

My boys were born a little early and a little small and initially had a hard time latching and eating. I was scared they were not getting enough to eat and exhausted with the mandatory two - three hour feeding schedule our pediatrician started us on. I made the decision to breast pump, which has worked out wonderfully; my husband gets to feed the boys, I get to sleep through a feeding or two and I don't feel bad about the failed breast feeding attempt. Hopefully, if a single birth baby is in our future breast feeding will go more smoothly, but since so much can go wrong its disheartening that a major brand of baby food has been recalled.

In the passed week or two I have been toying with the idea of making the transition to formula, the boys are 4 months old now and are surpassing the average size for a boy their age and I am tired of being tethered to a machine. However with the recent recall I will indefinitely (well until the boys hit 10-12 months) be sticking with breast milk. If nothing else I can thank similac for giving me the motivation necessary to continue with the plan of "breast feeding" my boys for the majority of their first year.

The Baby Food Dilemma - Mother of Twins

The doctor gave my little baby boys the go ahead to start semi-solid food this week. While being overly excited about this big step in their development, I am undecided about their first meal. I am not sure if they are really ready to start eating solids or if it is healthy for them to start at such a young age. Right now our twins rely solely on breast milk and vitamin D drops for their nutritional needs. While I am excited about there first bites of solid food I know this decision should be about my boys nutrition and not my excitement about this milestone.

Generally rice or oat cereal mixed with breast milk or formula is the first solid food. However, mashed bananas, sweet potatoes or avocados are just as safe and in many ways more nutritious. These fruits and vegetables are used exclusively in many cultures throughout the world. The idea that my boys would start eating fruit or vegetables first is so appealing. I have read a few articles that suggest cereals could be a leading cause of obesity in american babies/toddlers, but I am not sure I want to risk straying away from the American Association of Pediatrics suggestion that babies should start on cereal.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

BOOK REVIEW: Aliens Are Coming!

Halloween is coming and it's my favorite holiday! So we're starting early with the Halloween books. Joy and I request way too many items from the library. It's been a habit to go to the library on Saturday and pick up tons of books, DVDs, and CDs that we ordered throughout the week. The first batch of Halloween books, which we started with haven't been all that great. I know the kids don't really understand what you're reading to them yet but it's good to start early. Plus what is cooler than a good Halloween book!

Last night, I read to the boys (as well and Joy and Grandma W) "Aliens are Coming!" by Meghan McCarthy. Joy ordered this book. It is the story of the 1938 radio broadcast of War of the Worlds by the Mercury Theatre. I'm a big fan of this broadcast and Orson Welles. The story about this broadcast always fascinated me. An evil part of me would love to see if something like this could happen today. If you don't know much about this broadcast, you owe it yourself to look it up.

I would love to expose my boys to this story when they get older. However, I'm not sure if I'd want to tell them story about the broadcast first or let me actually hear the broadcast. I believe I heard the story about the broadcast first in school. I once bought a cassette of the original broadcast and listened to it on a road trip I took by myself. My favorite part of the broadcast is when the aliens start attacking the radio cuts to complete silence. So creepy!

Anyway about the book; I liked it. The actual story tells the main points surrounding the broadcast and tells some of War of the Worlds. While it was fun to read, I think I would have enjoyed if Meghan McCarthy wrote a kids-style version of the War of the Worlds based on the broadcast. However, being that I'm such a fan of story of the broadcast, I did enjoy it quite a bit. At the end of the book, the author goes more in depth about the story in the author's notes. This part is more lengthy than the actual story, I enjoyed this part the most. However the first part is definitely more geared for kids and easier to read.

All-in-all, this book is definitely worth checking out. For more information on the book, please check out: http://www.aliensarecoming.com/.

Beep beep

The boys are loving their jeep walkers. I called home on my lunch break and Joy told me that Jasper was looking in his rearview mirror, which is actually just a sticker, and was backing up. They both love beeping the horn and pressing buttons. They look so proud of themselves that they can stand up on their own in the walker.

Last night, I just put Jacob in the walker. Sometimes his head falls a bit forward, so Joy has been putting something between him and the steering wheel, so he doesn't bump his head. Last night I put a pillow in between. He started punching the pillow. He put his hand into a fist and started going at it. He would then look at me and smile.

Teething continues. Jacob is now pulling on his ears and rubbing his tongue along his gums. He's also been wanting more attention. Not so much sitting down attention but he wants you to stand up and walk around. Luckily Jasper has been really content with this at least with me.

We avoided going to a family birthday party last week to avoid sickness that's going around. However, Joy caught a bug anyway. I've been trying to let her sleep a bit more at night. Luckily, this weekend her mom will be over. Hopefully she can get all the rest she needs to feel better before Monday hits. So far the boys and I are in the clear!

Successfully sleeping in cribs.

Another week of more successful crib sleeping. This week, it was discovered that I can sleep through almost anything. So Joy was able to keep the boys in their cribs and come back to bed with me. It was nice. Some mornings I would wake up to everyone sleeping in bed.

I spent most of my time with the boys trying to get them to sleep in their cribs. I read them stories, lots of stories. We just got some Halloween books from library that I'm excited to read to them.

Today we took the boys for a walk in the metro park. It was a lot of fun. Both of them had smiles on their faces as looked at the trees and the less interesting road along the path. It ended up putting them to sleep.

Joy put their cribs next to each other in the babies' room. Now the boys can sleep in their own cribs and still be able to see other.

Firsts, walker, crib, sleeping

Last Thursday, the boys experienced a lot of firsts. First long car trip (1 hour to and back). First time to a church (for a funeral). First time being in a room with a lot of people. First time doing a full grocery shop. And the boys did great!! I think they enjoyed all the new experiences. We did not go prepared to go grocery shopping so we ended up holding them and pushing the cart. I am proud of my boys.

Today, they went took turns playing in their walker. They both can now reach one foot to the ground and move backwards. It went so good we had to order them another walker so both of them would have their own. We took a lot of pictures and video'd.

The boys are becoming crib sleeping champs. With some help from grandma, who is staying over this labor day weekend, we've got them to sleep in their cribs each night. Granted they wake up every hour or so, I think they've gotten used to the crib.

Last night, or rather this morning it was cold so Joy and I had them both in bed with us. Jasper slept down my chest and Jacob slept between Joy and I. We all slept for at least 3 hours. Jacob slept much longer.

Rag with stuffed animal head.. Plus teeth and hammock

The boys are starting to respond to toys. We have these rags with stuffed animal heads attached to them. Joy had introduced the boys to them and they began feeling and putting them in their mouths. I came home from work to find the boys in their cribs, in just their diapers hugging them and sleeping/chilling. I wish I had a camera because it was a sight to see.

We also think the boys are in their beginning stages of teething. They have been slobbering a lot which is a sign also they have been freaking out a lot more often with not much of a warning sign. Joy noticed Jasper has rubbing the nipple of his bottle on his lower gums. During lunch one day I got a smaller teething ring from them at babies r us.

Today, we took the boys outside and went on the hammock as a family. They loved looking around our backyard and I was rocking the hammock with my foot on the ground. Eventually they fell asleep in our laps.

Reusable diapers yay

We are now being more green with the boys. They have officially transitioned to reusable diaper. We are using a type of reusable diapers called Kushies. They are a bit more expensive but we should get our moneys worth by not buying disposable diapers.

At first we had issues with them leaking through the legs but Joy went online and did some research. She found if you pull the front up high the legs will be a better fit. We've had a pretty good success rate since.

It makes me happy that we're not throwing huge garbage bags of diapers away. I'm not sure if you can be totally green as we do have to run the washing machine once a day (maybe two) but at least they are not going in some land fill.

The boys don't seem to notice a difference. One thing that will take some getting used to cleaning poop out of them.

Diapers aside... The boys are doing great.

I think they are starting to get into more a sleeping cycle. Lately they've been getting cranky around 12-1pm till they go down for a nap. They have been sleeping a lot lately.

Today, Jacob tried to grab his feet and put them in his mouth. He had a very concentrated look on his face then he would look up at me and smile.

Practicing using the crib

Since the boys were born, we've had a hard time getting them to sleep anywhere that's not on our couch or in our arms. We got a basinet that's barely been used. Luckily, we got one that is also a playpen. That will be useful in the future.

Now that the boys are approaching three months old. We decided try out the crib. We have two cribs, one has been used as a changing station. The other has not been used except for a place house stuffed animals.

Turns out for some reason being in the crib for sleep wakes them up. We have had very little success. We let them pass out on the couch and then carry them to crib. During the whole process they remain asleep. We can even get them in the crib but once they open their eyes a tiny bit its over.

Joy had been practicing during the day time. She's gotten them to sleep some. However, one night I had tried for a while trying to get them to sleep but it back fired later on when they got too tired but we're fighting it. That lead to we're trying to hard. The next day Joy let them sleep back on the couch so they don't begin to hate the crib.

We're now taking a more casual approach. If they seem like they're dozing off after I get home, we'll put them in the crib. We give them some time and if it doesn't work, I just have awake boys to take on a walk.

Laughing and smiling

I was trying to get Jasper to go sleep. It was getting late and he's been up for awhile. Jacob had been sleeping for a while and I want to get them to sleep together and passed out by the time Joy takes over so she get some more sleep.

Jasper was hungry so I put him on my legs with my feet on the coffee table so I can have him face me and feed him. I didn't want to give him any attention that would keep him awake.

I was playing with my phone while he was on my legs. At this point, he was done eating and I was just hoping he'd fall asleep on my legs. I look up and he is looking at me with the biggest smile on his face. When he saw he had my attention, he just starting cracking up. This continued for the rest of the night.

It was really hard to not respond to him because I did want him to get to sleep. It turned out, I didn't have to do anything to get him to laugh. Just had to look at him. Otherwise, he'd just keep smiling.

This pretty much continued for the rest of the weekend.

Last night, I was trying to a get a very tired but very awake Jacob to sleep. He was hungry, so I was feeding him like I did with Jasper and sure enough, same thing. He just started finding me so funny.

He would be looking at me, smiling, laughing, and talking! He would stop laughing for a second and say "who!" and start laughing again.

The thing is though, he was tired and doing everything he could to fight it. So eventually, he started getting cranky.

Joy had gotten up and witnessed all of this. I told her, he's been up for awhile and as soon as he goes down, he'll be out for awhile. Jasper had already been sleeping but woke up to feed. I thought he would head to sleep. Joy took over and I went to bed.

I got up after seven and her and boys were passed out on the couch. I got ready for work. Dropped off some bottles on the coffee table. Joy had heard me. I asked her how the night was and she said "they laughed at me all night and then screamed." They had went to sleep at 5am.

Four years and a stolen car

Joy and I celebrated our four-year dating anniversary last weekend. We dropped the boys off at her mom's house for some Grandma and Uncle John time while we had some alone time.

We had originally planned on going to the park for a picnic but we had a heat advisory. The weather channel actually advised to stay in air condition. So we got ice cream, did a little bit of fun shopping and got take out food to take home from Pad Tai. It was really great to spend time together.

Sunday we stayed home with the boys. It was awesome to hang out as a family. Sometimes it's difficult with sleeping, work, and extended family stopping by to just spend some good quality together.

One of the ways I like to bond with the boys is go on a walk before it gets dark. However, with heat and rain it's been difficult. I think we only got out maybe twice this week. It looks like it's cooling outside though so hope we can get back on a walking routine. I miss it.

On Wednesday, Joy and I weren't feeling well so I stayed home from work. We thought it would be good to relax and get well. We decided to head out and pick up some food, so we got the boys all ready for the car ride. When we got outside, the car was missing. Someone stole our car!

So the day of relaxing turned into a day of having the police come out and getting in touch with the insurance company.

We got a call a couple hours later that the police have found the car. They picked me up, I got to ride in the back like a bad person (haha). The car was surprisingly in good condition.

They smoked in car but used the ash tray, the car seat bases were missing but I found them in the trunk. I was relieved. We just need to air out the car before we have the boys in there.

This weekend looks uneventful, which is really nice.

Two month vaccines

This week I got to witness the boys getting their two-month vaccine shots. All I have to say is "poor guys." They took it like champs, though. Im proud of them. But seeing their faces go from happy/content to pain and crying was hard to watch.

I held Jasper afterwards. He was not happy. But one thing that was really cute is that when he calmed down, I was patting him on butt and he had his hand patting my side! Joy held Jacob afterwords. They were both held until they calmed down a bit then we put their clothes back on.

They both feel asleep on the ride home and slept for 3 hours. Joy and I had lasagna she made earlier. She figured if the night would be rough after their shots, we'll at least get good food. Joy and I ate and watched a movie.

When the boys woke up, they were not happy. They were crying hysterically. There wasn't much we could do to calm them down besides hold them and try to comfort. We ended up taking a car ride again. Which worked a little bit.

When we got home they calmed down enough for Joy to get to bed. However that did not last for the boys. I tried to comfort them but wasn't having much luck.

Worried that Joy wasn't getting any sleep and to try to calm the boys down, I went on my first solo car ride with them. I turned on music and by the time I turned on the main road they were out.

Then I made a mistake... I stopped and got gas, which woke up Jasper which then woke up Jacob. I tried driving on the highway. Then went back to side roads.

I don't know what the problem is but every now and then Jacob falls forward to the side of his car seat, which didn't help him go to sleep. I kept pulling over to fix him. Then just as I was giving up to get them to sleep, I pulled over and fixed Jacob right by our house and by the time I got home, he fell asleep.

When we got home, I was able to devote one on one attention to Jasper. I fed him and then he eventually went to sleep by the time Jacob got up. So I was able to him Jacob one on one attention.

The next day, they seemed fine. When I got home from work they were happy. So I'm not sure if the freak-outs were all shot related or also over stimulated and tired. Jasper had a freak-out that I had trouble containing but I think he was fighting going to sleep.

All-in-all the boys did great and they don't have to go back till they're four months old.

Freak out

I hope I don't jinx this but I think we've been very lucky with our boys and their temperament. They don't cry much without a reason. It's usually easy to figure out: they're hungry, trying to poop, or just bored. The freak-outs have been limited and that is usually because they're tired and fighting it.

Last week they had a major freak-out around 2am. It was hard to figure out what the problem was. I thought maybe because one was crying and the other one wanted to cry too. That could have been the case, but it's still a mystery. I went into the other room with Jasper while Joy stayed with Jacob. That didn't seem to solve anything so Joy joined me in the bedroom. I'm guessing they were just too tired and fighting going to sleep. Eventually, they calmed down enough to eat. So Joy fed them and I went back to sleep and they did soon after.

Another instance was on Sunday. Jacob was asleep and Jasper was freaking-out. He had been up for a long time and I could tell he was fighting going to sleep. However, there was nothing I could do to calm him down. He had the bottle in his mouth but wasn't drinking and falling asleep but when I'd take it out, he would freak. So I tried the pacifer but no luck, he would spit it out and cry. Also me holding him didn't help.

So finally I remembered Jacob freaking out when I put him in the stroller but calmed right down as soon as he got out of the garage and he could see the sky. So I put Jasper in the carrier that attaches to the stroller and boy he was not happy. I put him in the stroller in the garage and went back inside to get Jacob. By the time I got Jacob in the sling and went into the garage with Jasper was calm! No crying or freaking-out. We got to the park and almost instantly he asleep.

Now if only we could take on a walk in the middle of the night. But all-and-all not too bad! At least not as bad as most people make it out to be. Again, hope this doesn't jinx it.

The number one question I get from anyone when they find out I have twins is: are you getting any sleep? The answer is yes. Granted we don't get the 8 hours of sleep that we used to get but the five hours has been working fine. Joy and I have been taking shifts. I get to sleep somewhere between 1 and 2am and some occasions 3am. Joy goes to bed usually after dinner till anywhere between 12 and 2am.

So I think the key to getting sleep when you have a baby or babies is to work with your partner. Granted we don't see each other as much as we used to and I think we slept together once in the last two weeks when her mom watched the boys. Sleeping in shifts has been a working for us.

Strollin' and up in the air

The boys have found two things they love besides eating and sleeping. Last weekend, I took them on a walk. They're too small to fit inside the double stroller, so I put Jasper in the the single stroller and Jacob in the carrier sling. Jacob loved looking around. His eyes got so big, looking at the sky and trees in the park by our house. Jasper promptly fell asleep. The next night, we went on another walk they were both very attentive.

The other thing they love now is being held in the air. Jacob kicks his feet as if he is trying to jump back in the air when I bring him back down. Jasper leans his head to tell me he wants back in the air, they also let me know by crying.

We had a very good fourth of July weekend. One day, we dressed them up in baseball clothes and took a ton of pictures. After that, Joy gave the boys a bath and I took pictures. We then let the boys play in the patio. Joy brought out the pack n play mat and put it on the ground. The boys got plenty of "belly time" and work on being held up to stand.

Aware of surroundings

The boys are now a month and half old and boy are these boys growing. They are becoming more and more aware of their surroundings. They've been into looking and feeling things. The other night, I was holding Jacob and he was looking at my hair so I put my head down and he put his hand out to feel my hair. Jasper had been really into grabbing Joy's necklace. Jasper is also starting to become ticklish.

We had some nice help over last week. Our friends Heather and Kit flew up from Colorado to visit. They are thinking about kids and they used the trip for a crash course. It was fun and helpful having them over. Joy and I got to spend some alone time together while they watched the boys.

The fourth of July weekend is approaching and can't wait to be home. Today, Joy's mom is over and we're gonna have a cook-out. I'm hoping to take the boys out for a stroller ride in the park.

First fathers day

Had my first father's day and it was great. I have to say that I'm so happy being a father. Joy got me a picture frame that says "I love daddy" on it. I picked out a picture and Joy cut it to fit the frame. I'm looking forward to adding it to my desk at work tomorrow. Joy had also made me a cake and yummy tacos for lunch.

Joy put a blanket down on the ground to give the boys some "belly time." We put them on the ground on their belly to help them excersise muscles in order to help crawl later on. They are able to pick up their heads pretty good, which is weird because the books say they aren't supposed to do that yet.

Later in the afternoon, we gave the boys a bath. This was my first experience giving the boys a bath. Joy had bathed them a couple times before by herself. The boys loved the water. After the bath, they fell asleep for a good while. Jacob slept four and half hours before I woke him up to feed.

Dates and growing

Last weekend, Joy's mom came to visit. This gave Joy and I some time to ourselves while her mom babysat. Joy and I haven't been spending a whole lot of time together. I get home from work and we have dinner and then she goes to bed till around midnight and then I get to bed shortly after that.

So Saturday, we went on an afternoon date to the park. We took our bikes and food. We rode up the towpath in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We stopped by the river to eat. We then continued ride. We rode about 4 miles total. We then walked to the query. It was pretty neat, we took some pictures and then got caught in the rain on the walk back. Very fun date.

I'm looking forward to next weekend. I think we're gonna stay in and watch some movies. I hope the weather is nice a little bit so we can take the boys on a stroll in the park next to our house.

The boys are growing so fast! I can't believe, they're a month old! It really proves how fast time passes. Having kids still seems very new. I can tell they're starting to be aware their surroundings. I love talking to them like grown ups and seeing their looks of concern on their faces and in eyes. Lately, they've been demanding more attention, not just for food. Before I could put them down and they would go to sleep. The last couple nights, they wanted to be held till they fell asleep.

Three weeks old already!

The boys are now three weeks old! I still can't believe how fast time passes. They're been eating a ton. We used to have to wake them up every three hours to feed them and try to get them to eat a half an ounce. That is a thing of the past. Now they eat two to four ounces at time. They are also growing into their clothes very fast. We're starting to find some differences in the boys. I'm pretty sure they're not identical but they still look very alike.

This week I headed back to work. Luckily work has been so busy that the week has went somewhat fast. I really miss being home with the boys and staying up late. Joy and I have a bit of schedule now. I come from work, we have dinner and then Joy gets a few hours of sleep till midnight. Then I get to bed around 1am. Joy has tried to sneak back in bed a few times with the boys either in their bassinet or carrier but it's been mostly unsuccessful. For some reason, they boys like to talk in their sleep.

Last night, I had some good father-sons bonding. I read to them the Lorax and a couple of Doctor Sesus stories. Jacob fell asleep first and then Jasper soon followed. We also listened to some music. I turned the kids on to A Day's Night album by Beatles followed by the Safe as Milk by Captain Beefheart. They seemed to like the rhythm and blues of Captain Beefheart the best, which made me happy.

Today, Joy gave them their first bath today and then dressed up in corduroys. Joy sent me pictures while I was at work. She left them on, even though they were too big till I got home. They looked really cute.

This weekend, Joy's mom is coming to visit. So, Joy and I are gonna go out for a date. We're planning on going for a bike ride in the park. It's supposed to rain but I don't think that's going to stop us. We love the rain. We also plan on sleeping together for a few hours.

At home with the twins

We have been home for over a week now. I was so scared to leave to the hospital. No nurses to help out. No nursery to put the kids in so we could get a couple hours of sleep. I was silly for being scared. It really is much better being home. Joy and I have been taking shifts in sleeping. Right now, she is sleeping till 2:30 and then I will get some sleep. Also one nice perk is we're not woken up by nurses in the middle of the night for vitals.

I've been staying up with the boys and watching really bad horror movies on Netflix streaming. I finally got a chance to watch that Hellraiser DVD I got back a couple years. I'm sure eventually this will have to stop when the boys get a little older but for now I'm taking advantage.

One of the biggest fears I had when we came home is that our dog would freak out and hurt the babies. I had been worrying about this for weeks. I had not come up with a good plan to introduce them to our dog, Ace. Joy came up with the idea of putting them in the crib where they would be safe and trying to introduce them to him

Much to our surprise, Ace was great! He treated them like one of his own. His first response was to smell them and try to lick them. We stopped the licking. After the introduction, he would check up on them about every hour. As soon as he heard a cry, he would come from where ever he was in the house to check up on them. At one point, I was burping one of the boys and Ace looked at Joy with a look in his eye that said "Are you gonna let him do that to him?" After about a day or two Ace finally need some sleep. Joy's mom is staying with us, so he went upstairs to sleep with her. His eyes looked bloodshot. Ace has defiantly been a good dog. What a major relief.

The Birth of the Twins

Last Thursday marks the birth of our twins. It's been a week now and it's been amazing. I've never been so happy. I've had barely any sleep and could hardly notice. Although Joy says I get a little negative in the middle of the night.

So, it all started last Thursday very early in the morning. I thought Joy was sleeping next to me when I heard someone walking in the house. As I heard them in the hallway, I panicked. I screamed and grabbed the flashlight aimed it at a screaming Joy walking in from the bathroom. I swear I saw her jump back 2 steps. I felt really bad about scaring her but fell back asleep.

Joy woke me up a couple hours later and said "I think you scared the boys out if me." Her contractions had started. By the time she woke me up, they were 8 minutes apart. Right before I would have left for work, they were at 7 minutes. I finally decided by the look of Joy's face that I should stay home that day. I called off sick explaining that my wife has contractions.

About a half hour later. I called our doctor to see what we should do. She told us to head to the hospital.

I forgot to match that we had a doctor's appointment the day before. Our doctor said she was surprised we hadn't had them yet. They had Joy put on a fetal baby monitor, I think it was a stress test. I was kind of hoping the doctor would send us to the hospital and then was slightly bummed when she did not.

Back to last Thursday; I had had raced to get everything in order for he hospital. In the process I broke Joy's key chain. Filled the trunk with our bag, laptop, and camera bag then put our a dog in his cage. As we walked out the door I said to Joy "we might be coming home with two babies."

We parked in the parking lot and walked into the hospital. There was no dramatic entrance, like in the movies. It was almost funny how causal it was.

They hooked up Joy to the same equipment as the day before and we waited. Joy turned me to said "is it bad to say I'm bored?" Finally, we heard from our doctor that it's time to deliver. We got the c-section scheduled for 12:30pm. I ran outside to call our parents while they tried to put an IV in Joy.

They had a really hard time putting a an IV in Joy. Two nurses couldn't do it. They had to call in an Anesthesiologist. Even he had
trouble. I had to look the other way. One of the nurses told me to leave if I felt like fainting. I told her I was fine an the Anesthesiologist said "that's what they all say."

Joy's mom and brother came in to visit. They talked about her brother going back to school. That was good because it took Joy's mind off the nerves.

Then around 12:25, Joy walked off to get prepared for surgery and I waited in the recovery room till I could be with Joy for the birth if our children. They said it would be 10 or 15 minute. It went to about a half an hour. A nurse gave me graham crackers and apple juice so I wouldn't pass out during the delivery. I walked back and forth in the room.

The nurse finally came and got me and I gotta say it was the scariest and most amazing moment of my life.

I saw Joy laying down on the hospital bed with a curtain cutting off her head from the rest of her body. She had not taken to the drugs they gave her well. She was throwing up. I put the camera down and held a puke cup next to her mouth. I rubbed her hair but felt helpless to comfort her. She turned to the nurse behind her said "it's getting hard to breathe." The nurse said it was just because she couldn't feel her chest.

1:02pm came and Jasper was born. They quickly rushed him into the other room. I wasn't sure if this was standard procedure or if something was wrong. I didn't have time to think. Joy was throwing up and had hard breathing.

1:03 came and the curtain came down and they asked me if I wanted to see baby B (Jacob.) I watched him be born. I wasn't given the option to cut his cord. He looked good but I quickly went back to try to comfort Joy.

Eventually, they called me over to Jacob. It was just amazing to see my son. I watched as they weighed and tested him.

I worried about Jasper. He was in another room. I heard crying so that was a good sign.

They finally called me in to Jasper. Looked like they were wrapping up doing tests on him. The nurse told me that it's standard procedure to do extra tests because they are premature. He looked good to me. It wasn't until much later that I learned that he has trouble taking his first breathes.

My mind was in a million places. It was with Jasper, Jacob, and with Joy. It wad hard to concentrate. A nurse handed me my camera and told me I should take pictures. I had been so overwhelmed I had forgot. I quickly took pictures of the boys.

I went back to Joy to show her our boys since she wasn't given the opportunity to see them. I tried to show her pictures while they were putting her back together but could tell she was out of it.

I was then told by a nurse to go to recovery room and then tell the family how everything went. I showed the fam the pictures I had taken.

Joy was then wheeled to the recovery room. She still hasn't seen the boys. I had no idea what was going on. It was scary. Joy was still throwing up and no one could figure out why. The nurse ordered a prescription IV that helped her stop.

About an hour and half later, the boys were finally brought in. That was the first time I was able to hold them. What a fantastic feeling! And finally, Joy was able to see and hold them.

The boys are here!

The boys were born Thursday, May 20th. Jasper was born at
1:02 pm and Jacob at 1:03pm.

They are good and healthy and need a I say ubber cute!

We currently waitng to be dischanged from hospital.

More info coming soon.

I think soon! Plus anniversary.

I got a feeling that the twins are gonna be born next week. It is just a theory. Joy said average is 37, which would be start on the 23rd.

Last night, Joy had some pains when we got back from the library. She said her mom said "if you take a hot bath and they don't go away, you're in labor." I plugged the bath tub and proceeded with taking out the garbage while she read her new book and took a bath.

While outside; I got an overwhelming feeling that she was going into labor. I quickly filled the trash can and then backed in the car to the garage for easy access and so we could zoom out like as if we were in the batcave.

I came and her tummy was feeling better. Not sure if she had a contraction or a what she calls a "fake contraction" (Braxton hicks contraction). I got a large tote bag from upstairs and we finished packing for the hospital. We picked out some cute clothes for the boys.

It's a good feeling that we are pretty much ready to go when she goes into labor.

Our anniversary weekend was a lot of fun. We didn't know what to do. We visited Joy's mom and then we just hit the road. We had no idea what to do. Joy kept saying "we're not boring!" I agreed and was determined. We drove past the new stadium at the University of Akron and looked how much things have changed. We used to live across the street in a dumpy apartment, which is now gone.

We got on the highway and I suggested the rain forest at the Cleveland Zoo. Joy suggested Dave and Buster. Which is much better because d and b'a doesn't smell and not much walking involved. Plus, we had our reception there. It also seemed to fit because we got married in Vegas. We went there, had lunch and played games. I really dug the Rambo game because it was pretty ridiculous.

On the ride home, we stopped at Starbucks for their happy hour then drove home through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was a lot of fun. Then we found parks that we didn't know existed.

The next day, we took another drive through the park, this time with our dog Ace. He enjoyed the goats we saw along the road.

Time moves quickly

It is really crazy to think that the boys could be here very soon. It could happen in the next couple weeks. These nine months went by so fast. With time going by so fast, I need to make sure I make the best of each moment of our children's lives.

I hear a lot of parenting advice in books, podcast, birthing class etc that no one's the perfect parent. "You WILL make mistakes," they all start off with. I understand, I'll make mistakes. But why does it feel they set you up to fail? Maybe that's just my take. I really want to be the best parent I can be. I think starting parenting advice by saying "you'll make mistakes" is the wrong approach. Everyone makes mistakes, how do I be a good parent? I want to be the best parent I can be and make the most of the time.

This coming weekend (well, actually Monday) marks Joy and I's first wedding anniversary. Not to gush too much but what a year! Within a year, we bought house, got married, and went on one amazing honeymoon across the US and now we're having children! Couldn't have been a better first year of marriage and my love for her grows bigger and bigger each day.

In other news: the c-section has been scheduled for June 7th if they don't come out sooner!

The preparations continue. On Monday, we installed the car seats. Joy brought out stuffed animals to test the works. We had some issues because the car seats are also baby carriers that latch into a base and handle is so large that we kind of need to pull the driver and passenger seats up. It's not bad but it will take a little bit to get used to because Joy and I are tall people. Next we need to finish packing our hospital bag.

Birthing classes complete!

Birthing classes are now complete and we are one step closer to the birth of the boys. I'm still amazed at how fast time has past and thinking about how much life is going to change.

In the last birthing class, we learned about breastfeeding and then SIDS. During the breast feeding part, it would have been funny or nice when she was showing various positions to show what's like with two babies.

SIDS are interesting. They don't know what causes it. But I did learn something in class and that is; you can't have anything in the crib with the baby and they must sleep on their back. Joy was talking to me later in the night that it's weird they have all things to avoid SIDS even though they don't know really what it is or what causes it but they can't tell you if you should or shouldn't circumcise.

We also got to work with baby dolls during class. I thought it was really funny that the other couple having twins took two dolls per person. Joy and I both took one. Although, when Joy was holding the doll I tried to give her mine. Just to see what it's like with her with two babies. It didn't happen though. Probably because we were in the middle of class and my nonverbal skills aren't the best.

I did pretty darn good at changing the diaper. Joy and I both had boy dolls, so we got practice with the whole covering aspect. I'm sure it'll be more difficult to work with a moving baby and I'm pretty sure more messy and smelly. Although, the teacher said the smell isn't as bad when the baby is being breastfed. Whoop!

We then proceeded to take doll's clothes off. I didn't have a problem with that but after we were all done, I couldn't get the shirt back on. I understand that babies aren't as stiff as dolls but I was slightly worried about it. The teacher said that you don't want to get the fingers stuck and then broke in the sleeve. So I was worried about breaking the babies fingers. Thankfully, Joy reassured me that it won't be as difficult with a real baby.

After the class portion, we had a tour of the hospital. It's a really nice hospital. It was really cool going by the nursery. Our teacher rolled up a baby. The baby looked really cute! It made me think about how much I can't wait for the boys to be here, see what they look like, and be able to hold them.

I'm really not sure what options are with c-sections but given the opportunity, I think I decided I want to cut the cords.