11.5

Just pictures and captions this time...

I'm not sure why I like pictures of babies with messy faces. Maybe its because Ian has such a difficult time dealing with the messiness...but I think that there can't be much that is cuter...
(Evaline)


(Cora)


Posing for the pic!


I've said in previous posts that the girls love to play together...but rarely do this for the camera. I did happen to capture a couple instances, though. Recently Evaline has been very affectionate towards her sister, giving her all sorts of hugs and kisses (this usually just annoys Cora as the kisses are usually accompanied by some sort of eye-gouging). This is especially adorable when Evaline will go and hug and kiss Cora to comfort her when she's crying...I'm so glad they are friends!


As a gesture of love (or ornery-ness) Evaline is in the process of shutting Cora in the cupboard.


Cora is now walking - I've got a bit of footage at the end. She's also VERY protective of the book you see here...she LOVES this thing, and will sit for a good half hour pouring over the pages. She is, after all, her mother's daughter.


I just thought she looked cute :-)

After escaping the cupboard, Cora sees the camera and gives a MONSTER grin...along with a high-pitched, but super-sweet-sounding, screech. (her usual "I'm happy and/or excited right now" display)

And now for some video...

A few of Cora's favorite things:

Cora (again) this time walking!

And finally...a bit of the girls playing...

Just one more month until one year...

Holy smokes how time flies on by! I cannot believe that these little girls were born almost an entire year ago...and yet...how can it only have been (almost) one year? More than once this thought has brought tears to my eyes. Ian usually laughs as, through sobs, I complain that the girls will be graduating high school and college sooner than we can imagine.

But they are fun...oh-so-much-fun. Ian and I are really enjoying this age - Evaline is a real, actual toddler now (according to the weekly emails I get from St. Luke's - the hospital where I delivered - a baby becomes a toddler once (s)he walks, or should I say...toddle). Cora took her first, few timid steps on Sunday...or so her father says. No one else was there and I have a difficult time believing that she would accomplish such a big feat without her mommy around to see it. On Tuesday when I picked her up from my parents she took a few steps right into my arms, so, as far I'm concerned, those were her first. :-) Both of the girls will walk quite a distance when holding on to a helping hand...I can't believe how quickly they are growing!

It's becoming clear that they understand more of what we say and they are finding ways to communicate with us. They both wave (Evaline likes to wave "Hi" more than "Bye"...and, acutally, "Hi" was her first -- and for right now, only -- word!!) and LOVE to play patty-cake. But, like with everything else, they do it differently. Cora loves to - with a very serious look and lots of concentration - clap her hands (or to help us clap our hands), and Evaline waits with a huge grin and bated breath to "throw it in the oven" tossing her hands high above her head. When we ask how big they are, they show us "SO BIG" by stretching out hands and feet as far as they will go. They play - even initiate - peek-a-boo, both with us and with each other. They wrestle and play and are so very excited when they see one another after getting up from a nap or being separated in some other way.

In other news...well, there really isn't any. Work has been keeping us busy, particularly the past couple of weeks (conferences, papers and tests to grade, etc). As I think I've posted before, this new job is requiring more from me...there's more work and less time to do it in...this isn't a complaint, because I really like my job...just a statement that it takes a bit more.

I finally have some photos to post, too. A combination of the girls just not taking very good pics lately (below I have an example of what almost every picture of Cora looks like), and me just not taking the time to get them off the camera and re-size them to go on the website has left this blog a little lonely for images. But...here we go, hopefully this will make up a bit for lost time.

This is what Cora looks like when her dad dresses her...oh my...


Evaline - just relaxing after a hard day of playing, playing, playing...


Eating snacks like big girls while watching Baby Mozart...probably breeding bad habits...


Super-cute jogging suits (although not quite jogging yet - thank goodness!)

Cora found out how to crawl onto the shelf under the TV (and so it begins...)

Ah yes, Evaline figured out the shelf thing, too...

We're thinking that Cora might be a dentist...she LOVES to examine teeth! (what a weird-o!)

Evaline took a tumble into the toy-basket...

but found her bunny in the process, so all was good!

Cora REALLY wants the camera...

Eating...

More eating...

The next two pics are of what we USUALLY get when we break out the camera...kinda cute, but you can only want so many of these...

Evaline is our "nook and cranny" girls...every little crack she want to try and squeeze through!

Just playing...

Here are some of Evaline's first steps...which were actually about a month ago...she's much better at it now...

I promised Ian that I wouldn't post this one - he feels he is too much of a featured player in it...but I don't that it is fair to have the video of Evaline and not one of Cora. So, sorry Ian....here are some of Cora's latest tricks...

Baby steps...

I logged on today and realized that it has been exactly one month since I last posted. I imagine most of my loyal followers have given up on me...but I'll continue this post, anyway. And, like most of my other recent (and I use this word with full awareness of its irony) posts, I'll begin with an apology for not keeping my family and friends abreast of the goings-on in the Petersen household.

I have to officially start with a short note of praise for the transional seasons. It seems not that long ago that I was singing the praises of springtime, and here it is - fall. I love the crisp air (this week has been a little on the warm side - a whopping 75 degrees most days - but the mornings and evenings have that hint of fall), the changing leaves, even the football on Saturdays (college football only, please, not a lot of interest in pro). I cannot wait until the girls are old enough (will it be next year???) to go to appling in Gays Mills, WI, or walking around Effigy Mounds on the banks/bluffs of the Mississippi.

Of course fall also means back to the grind-stone of school...and my year is going very well so far. Life moves, for me, anyway, at a much faster pace over on the West Side - I'm teaching five classes now, instead of just one or two. But I am adjusting, and adjusting well. I like seeing and working with many more students everyday, and everyday affirms for me that this has been a good decision.

The girls are growing so quickly! In another month and half they will be an entire year old! I'll admit, there has been a time or two when that thought has brought tears to my eyes. My little babies are growing up. They are showing real personalities more and more each day, and they are able to do more and more each day.

They have truly begun to play with each other - something that I have tried, unsuccessfully, to catch on tape numerous times. They are always so happy to see one another, shrieking and babbling to each other as though they are creating their own little twin language. They chase one another around the living room, we have a chair in front of our fireplace that they circle, shrieking and chasing. When they catch each other they break into peals of laughter and roll around, wrestling on the floor. Today when they finished their morning bottles, Cora stood on one side of the chair and Evaline on the other and they played peek-a-bo with each other, hiding and then shreaking with laughter when they saw one another again. And sometimes, when one is crying the other will go and put a hand on the sad ones leg, as though to say "it's OK". I'm sure that's not exactly what is going on...but, I think it is the beginning stages of love and compassion for one another. I think this is why people have twins. Or, at least, one of the reasons why I'm glad that I do.

The past month has brought us many other changes as well. They both have cut their first tooth (bottom left) and act as though #2 is on its way. Cora waves bye-bye, feeds herself - with perfect precision (Cora typically sees no point in doing anything until she can do it perfectly), plays patty-cake and claps her hands, and has just begun to stand by herself. Evaline has been working on some other things. She has finally begun to take a decent nap, and can get herself to go back to sleep when she wakes halfway through, (or early in the morning). Hooray! Additionally, the past several weeks she's been standing by herself for longer and longer periods, and yesterday she took her first real steps! Since then she's been doing it frequently -never more than four at a time, but she's beginning to walk! Watch out world - here comes Evaline!

Pics to come... we've only taken a few good ones recently (and they are still on the camera)...the girls are too interested in the camera to let us take tons of pictures without them lunging for the "black box in front of mommy's face".

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: