Back to life...

Well, the summer is officially over. Actually, for me it has been for about a week - I went back to work on the 13th for "new (to the district) teacher" inservice days....and I feel like I've been running around like a chicken sans head ever since. School starts next Tuesday, and I think I'll be working all weekend to get myself ready for the kids.

It is hard to leave the summer and time with the girls. I'm so glad that I had the summer...but I wonder if it is harder to go back to work now that I've had the time off with them (I mean, harder than it would be if I worked all the time)...those with year-round jobs will probably say that it is hard no matter how you do it :-).

I realize that it has been quite a bit of time since the last time I posted any substantial news of my baby beauties....they have been growing, growing, growing! They are both crawling - full speed ahead! They are both pulling themselves up on anything and everything, and are both cruising around the furniture (Evaline is a bit better at this than her sister). I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again - I am constantly amazed at how different they are. For example: When Evaline started pulling herself up, she was so anxious to get to it that she stood up long before she knew how to get down. So she would cry and cry until we helped her down, or if she fell back down (on her bottom, she wasn't hurt) she would cry and cry some more. It took almost a week, and lots of cheering and encouragement, until she could get up and down without making a scene. Cora, on the other hand, waited to stand up until she could get down - very carefully.

Let's see, what else are they doing lately? Cora is dancing to music (video below), and when I was feeding her tonight Evaline took a mouthful of her mango/banana blend between her lips and forcefully spit it all over me...and then laughed and laughed. I wanted so badly to be mad...but the little stinker is just so darn cute. Try as I might, I couldn't help but laugh along with her (probably sealing my fate to encore presentations at every meal).

So, it has been awhile without pics...but boy have we taken a bunch. Here goes nothing:

We'll start with Cora:

First, a video: Cora LOVES music. Evaline likes music, but Cora LOVES it. And she has recently started "dancing" along with it...here's a sample of what I'm talking about here:


In addition to dancing, she likes anything musical - like playing the piano at Gramma Lynn and Grampa Bill's house:


This actually a pic of the very first time she pulled herself up - not to see Mom, not to see Dad...but to play with her musical table...


One more of just Cora - We've recently taken the pacifiers away except for naptime (they would spend too much time fighting over them...seriously, they'd be wrestling around on the floor stealing them back and forth), but before we did that Cora decided it was fun to suck on it upside down. What a goof!



And our Evaline:

I don't have any bows yet, but I can't let a little thing like keep me from playing with her hair...


mmmm....Zooey's Pizza...best served right off the floor! I hope Grandma Petersen vaccumed! (She swears she did...)


Evaline has found that her mouth is a good "third hand" for carrying things when she wants to move around and take her toy with her...


Bathtime is probably her favorite part of the day...she LOVES to watch me draw the bathwater (and the chance to dance around naked!). When she hears me getting started, she will stop whatever she's doing, squeal with glee and beat-feet it to the tub.


"The Pair"

They're standing up behind the armchair, and all we see are EYES...


They are much easier to take care of on busy days, or days when just one person can watch them now that they are both holding their own bottles...


And finally, proof that the girls are truly Ian's and mine and didn't get switched at the hospital (honestly, this wasn't a set-up...if they've been quiet for awhile, they can often be found here, just like this):

The story of "us"

The apparently on-going trend in the Ian-Merry relationship is to have something BIG happen every four months. Since we started dating, every four months something happens - it has always been good - but it has also always been somewhat life-changing, and it is always something unplanned. Here's what I'm talking about:

July 2006: We start dating. Four months later...

November 2006: I moved into Ian's condo - we had been planning to do this in December, but, a day or two before my Dec. rent was due, we decided to save that cash and spur-of-the-moment go ahead and move a month early. Four months later...

March 2007: Ian proposed. He had intended to propose on our mini-break to the quaint town of Galena, IL in mid-April, but once he had the ring in his hand, he couldn't wait. Four months later...

July 2007: We go married! We had originally been planning a June '08 wedding, but decided we didn't particularly care for the planning process, and wanted to do something completely unconventional. Four months later...

November 2007: We closed on and moved into our house! First, we weren't really looking to move quite that early, then, we were supposed to close in December but changed the date to accomodate the sellers. Four months later...

March 2008: We found out we were having a baby! We had intended to plan the pregnancy to fit our "teacher" schedules - which would have been more the July/August timeframe. But, apparently, we are extremely fertile. Four months later...

July 2008: Twins! At the last minute, we opted against the 8 week ultrasound (we just didn't want to know the results of the tests performed at that time), which would have meant finding out in May. Four months later...

November 2008: Cora and Evaline! Born three weeks earlier than their December 4th due date. Four months later...

March 2009: (this one is a bit of a stretch...almost made us think that our streak was at an end) A surprisingly awesome tax return. For anyone planning minor (not HGTV "Spice Up My Kitchen"- style -- that's a little "pie-in-the-sky") home renovations, I recommend having twins towards the end of the calendar year. Of course, taking care of said twins will prohibit any renovations (or cooking, cleaning, reading, hobbies, real excerise, socializing, etc) from actually getting done. And now that leaves us...four months later...

July 2009: I got a new job! Not that my old one needed replacing, but...I will now be teaching social studies at Jefferson HS - the same school as Ian! This also happened unexpectedly - the job only became available through a unique turn of events that went down in July...and it happened just barely fitting the schedule as I found out at the very end of the month.

So, I guess the question now is....what more could possibly happen four months from now???



(and...I'll post more pics later - we've gone a little camera-crazy this summer, and I need to whittle down the recent ones...)

Picture pages...

Summer seems to be getting close to the "wind-down" stage, and I don't really want to think about that. Instead, I'll think about why I'm loving being home this summer:


I have these little boxes that you can nest inside each other, or stack up to make a tower. Here is Cora's reaction to Evaline knocking down the tower:


And here is Evaline's reaction to knocking down the tower:



The girls' favorite room (kitchen) and favorite toys (potato masher and wire whisk...weird):



Cora's begun to make a new face - usually when she's a little nervous or is around someone "new" or at least she doesn't see everyday and is still warming up. We call it her "cabbage patch kid" impression. (BTW...Cora has become quite the little wimp lately, some things she is terrified of: the vacuum, the hair dryer, men, and this cute little penguin that you knock over "Bobo-the-clown-style"....she will scream and then sit in my lap with her head buried for about 10-15 minutes...again...weird.)



Evaline has learned to pull herself up - and is learning all sorts of new tricks, like climbing stairs (with us right near by, of course). Now, if she could only learn to get herself down once standing...





"Look Mom! One-handed!" What a show-off...



Climbing all over their dad...



Just looking cute...



Another girl, just looking cute... (she's starting to smile for the camera!)


Getting ready to go for a walk - all shiny-ed up with sunscreen...


And finally, playing together, without even really knowing it. They are both having a good time, but are both stuck here (Evaline can't sit down, Cora can't crawl out!)...

Maybe the cutest thing about twins yet...

...might be the way that these girls travel in a pack. Cora officially began to crawl about two weeks ago (video below), just about a week/week and a half after Evaline. It took her about a week to accomplish the crawl-sit-crawl technique, but once she did - off she went! My prediction about their methods was pretty spot-on: Evaline is so anxious to move that she does so by any means possible - usually in the "kick-stand" position with her left leg straight and propelling her about; Cora likes to do things correctly, and she'll take her time to get the perfect crawl (which she has). Evaline crawls with her "little stinker" grin - Ian calls it "shit eatin'" - while Cora sticks out the tip of her tongue in apparent concentration. It's very funny how they can do the same thing so differently.

Another funny thing about their new developments is that before they could crawl, they would see each other and squeal and babble (or, rather, Evaline would babble and Cora would spit and squeal). Now, when they see each other it is like they show no visible signs of recognizing that the other one exists. But, they always travel as a pair. They are almost always right next to one another and following each other around...but at the same time don't pay any attention to each other. So bizarre. Here's a bit of video of this...and of perhaps the cutest thing about twins yet: if Ian or I leave the room to go into the kitchen, no matter what the girls are doing, or even if they actually see us leave, they will follow us. To hear their panting, and then turn around and see this just melts my heart. In this particular clip they are both crying/whining because I had to try about three times to get a good video and they were quite sick of the game :-).

Here are the vids and pics from the past couple of weeks:

Cora's first real attempts at crawling:

Traveling together:

Their mom left the room and the girls had to go hunt her down:

Wrestling already...although I'm pretty sure they aren't aware they're doing it...

People always ask if we can tell a difference in their personalities. The answer is a resounding absolutely! My dad calls them "The Stinker" and "The Thinker". I'll let you make the call on which title goes with which girl. The following pics are very representative of how they like to play:

We'll start with Cora:

and Evaline:

A week of "firsts"

What a week! It all started with Evaline crawling (for her first "creeps" see video in earlier post) she is now full-fledged "big girl" crawling with both knees on the ground; and boy is she quick (I'll get to that part of the story in a bit). Here are some other "firsts" that we've encountered:

Getaway

For the first time, Ian and I went on a little get-away. Ian's parents watched the girls for three days (THANK YOU!!) while we went to a little bed and breakfast in Hermann, MO. Hermann, MO is kind of a poor-man's Napa Valley. We visited several wineries, a brewery, and came home with more bottles of wine than we could drink in a year. It was a lot of fun, and - as much as I love the girls - it was nice to get away. By the end of the long mid-week-weekend, I was ready to come back: the weather was roasting hot and sticky, and I was ready to get back home with the gals. But, again, it was nice to get away.

Here's a picture of the view from our room. Hermann borders the Missouri River about 50 (I'm guessing here) miles west of St. Louis; it is surprisingly hilly in this area. Our hotel was on the outskirts of the small town, on a bluff overlooking both the town and the river. A very pretty view.

Independence

For the first time, Evaline fed herself an entire bottle - completely hands-free from me. I had them both alone over feeding time and decided to give it a try (instead of feeding one, then the other). For quite some time Evaline has been holding on to her bottle when we feed her, so I thought I'd let her try it out while I fed Cora. I rested her in her boppy, gave her the bottle and fed Cora (who prefers that I do most things for her). Sure enough...all-gone!

For the first time, Cora made some initiative towards feeding herself. The girls were munching on their biter biscuits, and Cora would hold on to hers in her mouth....if I first put it in her mouth, and then wrapped her hand around it. A minor improvement, but (while Evaline takes adventurous leaps) Cora only takes cautious baby steps.

Emergencies and Medical Care

For the first time, we had a fever in the house. Evaline woke up Tuesday with a fever. We're not quite sure why, but it was a little unsettling at first. I'm sure that as time goes on we will encounter many, many fevers, but since this was the first one, I think that I have every right to be slightly unsettled about it. We checked for teeth, and no swelling or sharp ridges are to be found. I wouldn't be surprised if they show up soon, but no evidence as yet. I could tell that Evaline wasn't feeling well yesterday, though...our normally go-go-go-girl just wanted to snuggle and cuddle. Is it bad to wish she had fevers more often?

And finally, for the first time, we had to visit the emergency room. Remember earlier when I said that Evaline was quick? In our spare room that I we use as an office/playroom/Ian's closet we have (had) a full-length mirror propped against the wall, slightly behind the door. Mere seconds after I looked at the mirror and thought to myself, "nah, she couldn't knock that over" Evaline crawled over to see the "other" baby and knocked the mirror over - over right onto her innocent, bystanding (bysitting?) sister's head. There was broken glass, screaming, a little bit of blood, bruising, and a near-miss on a heart attack (that part was me). I had no idea how to check if she was OK, how to check how bad it was, it looked like there might be glass still in the cut, so of course we called the doctor who sent us the emergency room. As it turns out, it was a medium-sized bruise and a very minor cut. No glass removal, no stitches, nothing serious. If I wasn't a brand-new parent, and she wasn't seven months old, it probably wouldn't have necessitated an ER trip. I think I'll have to have their aunt Katie (the nurse) give me some emergency response pointers. Here Cora is, showing off her "wound":

and...being silly (see....she's OK!!)

Oh the places she'll go...

Well, once she got started, it hasn't taken long. Evaline is learning that she can get almost anywhere she wants to go. Oh my! Here's the proof:

School's out for the summer...

This past Tuesday was my last day of school until mid-August. Ian worked through Thursday, but is now off until mid-August as well (he goes back a week later than I do, actually). So now...summer. Ahhhhh. It feels so good to be home for awhile. Not just home, I suppose, but home with the girls. So far, I'm loving it. But...it has only been a few days.

My first day off I met Ian and his co-workers for lunch, it was the first time that several of them met the girls and I'm happy to report that there were no tears. (Lately they have been a bit wary of strangers, when they met my sister's bf they burst into tears and once calmed down proceeded to stare at him for an hour - I'm pretty sure they didn't even blink - particularly Evaline.) After lunch I took the girls to pick up diapers at Target (and after today I will have made three trips to Target in the five days I've been home). But, let me say this again, I took the girls to Target. Just me. This was a big step - the first solo trip with the girls to somewhere beyond Gramma's (and Grampa's) house. And it went swimmingly. I straped Evaline (she's lighter) into the Baby Bjorn (thanks Gretchen! - we will be missing it when we have to give it back in a couple weeks), and plopped Cora in the cart and off we went.

On Thursday I went shopping with the girls again, to the baby consignment shop - we're looking for a new baby carrier (see above perenthesized comment). These girls are so good! Who knew twins would be so easy (just kidding - but, if you are going to have twins, these would be the ones to have)!

In the past almost-month (I can't believe its been so long since I've posted), the girls have grown up so! They are sometimes eating semi-solids - those little baby puff things: our doctor says to start them on these instead of Cheerios as they disolve a bit quicker and are better for learning, and little pieces of cut-up banana, and an occasional Nilla wafer. Evaline does better at feeding herself, she's even started to drink some water out of a sippy (and LOVES it). Cora likes all of these things, and can eat them, but prefers (demands?) to be fed she has no interest in attempting to do it herself.

They are on the verge of crawling. Evaline is quite mobile, getting where she needs to go (or, going where she needs to to get what she wants). They both get up on their hands and knees and rock and rock. Cora only goes backwards, which frustrates the heck out of her; but today Evaline went forward for the first time. This time next month, they will definately be keeping us on our toes.

Finally, they are really starting to notice one another. They have been more and more over the past several months, but it is really starting to take off. And whats more, I think they like each other - hooray! - I hope they keep that up!

When Ian was at work on Wednesday I decided to have a photo shoot with the ladies, here are the highlights (plus a couple other random ones, just for fun).

Evaline - feeding herself something kinda sugary - pure bliss...


Cora - I love this picture!


I didn't know it was possible for 7-month-olds to have a favorite toy, but these girls love their animals...or at least they love trying to eat them...


Evaline also likes to try and eat her sister, alas, Cora doesn't cooperate nearly as well as the bunny


Cora takes her revenge - I'm so sad this one came out blurry, but I still had to share


Cora, making her usual "why is that little black box with the flashing light covering Mommy's face again; I don't like it" face


Ian isn't a huge fan of the headbands, but I don't think the girls could possibly get any cuter

This is one of my new favorites

This one, too...(and the hug is only semi-staged)