twin talk

I often wondered whether or not the boys would have their "own" language. Both boys are very verbal for which I am VERY grateful. However Justin tends to be more verbal than Ryan. Justin will often use sentences to say "I want..." or "where's...." Ryan isn't quite using the modified sentences but he does say "zoe-zoe" which Justin doesn't. What really amazes me is how they say the same word differently. Justin says "bunny" while Ryan says "bun-bun", Justin says "plane" while Ryan says "airplane" There are other differences in Ryan's "yesh--with a sign" and Justin's now "yeah" and Ryan's "Noooooooo"-with the little sheepish grin after wards and Justin's emphatic "Nopah" In general Ryan will still use his signs (please, thank you, yes and more/drink/milk) where Justin hasn't used them for quite some time--unless he happens to see Ryan using them. I know there are other differences that I'm just not coming up with right now, its just another little reminder that they are two very different and separate individuals.

Love hate relationship!!

So I have a LOVE/HATE relationship with potty training the boys. I NEVER thought that I would be doing this already and truthfully only Justin is ready. For about a month now Justin has been sitting on the potty and going. Not only will he go, he often tells me when he has to go and will go several times a day. Now while all of this is great and one step closer to buying less and less diapers....it's causing lots of frustration for Ryan and myself. Ryan gets easily frustrated when he can't or isn't doing something that Justin is and for now it's going on the potty. He too has gone on the potty but is not going regularly and he screams that he wants to go and then screams that he's done....it's all really too much!! You honestly can't imagine what bathroom time is like in our house unless you've seen it. Whenever anyone goes to the bathroom, Justin decides that he too needs to go (and usually does) and then Ryan decides that he needs to go too (and usually doesn't) , mind you neither of them is helping with pulling pants down or anything of the sort and Ryan usually screams for the whole process. This is really one of the few things I hate about having twins, but I'm sure I'll love it if we're potty trained at least for the most part, sooner rather than later and we're all done with diapers!!

Three and a Half, Really?!?!

Abigail has recently turned three and a half and I cannot believe it!! For those of you who have seen Little Einsteins, you'll recognize that phrase...it is a favorite in our house right now and all three of the kiddos are mesmerized by it, which is helpful at dinner time!!!

Abigail is full of energy and is going through a growth spurt, which means she is actually back to taking naps several times a week, which is a huge plus for everyone!! She enjoys preschool and has really enjoyed the past month when she's come home as Pirate Princess Abigail and a Leprechaun. She is also enjoying cooking and continues to love to sing and dance. She also has recently taken a liking to "reading" some of her brothers favorite books to them, including "Brown Bear Brown Bear" and "Goodnight Gorilla". However her favorite thing to do these days is go outside and play on her new playset. The actual day that she turned 3. 5 was a beautiful sunny day and while her brothers were napping we had a chance to go outside and play and snap a few pictures!! And while we don't get these beautiful smiles all the time, we try and get at least one everyday and remember all the funs times we're having as she's growing up into such a big girl!!

Weekend Review...

So this past weekend Guy and I FINALLY got away from the kiddos for a much needed break. A big thanks goes out to Nana and Pop-pop, b/c without them we could not have gone away, certainly not for 4 nights!! SO where did we go you ask, beautiful Seneca Lake and the Seneca Wine Trail...so this is my overview of the wineries and what wines I really liked, more for my own reference than anything else : )

We stayed at a WONDERFUL B&B that served some of the best waffles I've ever had, in addition to many other goodies.

We hit 6 wineries on Thursday, 7 on Friday and 9 or (11/12) depending on how you look at it since the last one was actually 3 plus a brewery.....We were able to get to so many since the weather was not quiet optimal for most and we were the only ones in many of the wineries the entire day.

My favorite winery was Heron Hill, I hope to return to the real winery on my next visit and not just the tasting room but I really enjoyed ALL of their wines.

Funny enough my favorite two wines I didn't even purchase, perhaps it was the price, mainly because I really liked other wines that were cheaper and when you're buying in lets say "bulk" sometimes cheaper is better?!?!? My favorite wine was Golden Pheasant Chardonnay from Belhurst Winery and my second favorite was Glenora Winery's Riesling...just the plain old Riesling...

I learned a lot this trip--we don't like Pinot Noir or a Rose, Guy really doesn't like a sweet red wine and I like more white then simply a sweeter Riesling, for example I DO like a steel fermented Chardonnay--but not ones that are fermented in oak barrels and I also like a red wine called Cabernet Franc--typical for a red up in the finger lake region.

Other wineries that I really enjoyed included Red Newt Winery and Bistro--the food there was wonderful, I also really liked Castel Grisch Winery


My next trip up there would be for a Thursday afternoon on the East side of Seneca Lake revisiting some favorite wineries (Leindenfrost--known for reds and their view, Penguin Bay and Wagner) and some that were missed, with dinner at Red Newt Bistro, Friday at Keuka Lake and Saturday on the West side of the lake revisiting some of our favorites ( Lakewood--known for it's Port, and Castel Grish) and again visiting some that got missed along the way on this trip.

I had a wonderful trip and the snow didn't stop us from going out and about, with the exception of one dinner. It was adventurous to say the least considering the B&B owners car slid into a snow bank and then slightly down the road, and many a times we used the snowshoes to get up and down the "mountain" to get in and out. Getting away was just what I needed, although we were ready to come home, especially Guy.

Returning home I only had one kiddo who was truly happy to see me.... Abigail!! The boys, and especially Justin did NOT welcome me home with open arms, but I have to believe that some of it also had to do with just weaning. By the next day life was certainly back to it's normal crazy self, with the exception that Ryan kept calling me Nana. I'm already ready to go away again and can't wait for my girls weekend cruise to the Bahamas!!

Snow Days!!

This past weekend we had a ton of snow, ok so more like 16 inches to be exact and we had a BLAST!! I can't tell you how much fun I had, probably as much if not more fun than the kiddos. We have a great sledding hill in the back yard that everyone enjoyed. We spent A LOT of time on Saturday sledding. Guy and I were out three times, once with Abigailin the morning, once with everyone including Pop-Pop in the afternoon, and once during the Superbowl halftime show at night with Trisha!! The hill got progressively faster as the day went on, but I think the trek back to the top felt longer and longer as well!! All the kiddos had fun, but after two times out, Abigail didn't want to go out a third time, staying in and watching Snow White sounded like more fun to her. The boys did ok, they liked the actual sledding but not the snow as much. We also made our snow angel family!! Thankfully the snow was fairly soft and when we did snow angels and dropped them down in it, they kinda just disappeared. Good Times had by ALL!!

Switching to sippy cups--an update!!

Well the switch to sippy cups at night has gone fantastically!! The boys now go to bed, almost every night around 7:40pm thanks to making the switch to sippy cups. They no longer have to wait for me to come home from work or anything else! Not only have they completely switched to sippy cups they no longer nurse at all at night. We made the switch around day 4 or 5 of starting sippy cups--I had been having horrible headaches and needed to be taking medication and be out an evening and they did fine so that was that. Now all we have to do is phase out the morning feeding...not sure when or how, but we'll get there. Today Ryan woke up so late that I just didn't offer it to him and he was fine, so we'll see where this leads us. I'm fine with weaning as long as they self wean, which is what Abigail did at 15 months so we're not that far behind... also even though Justin typically wakes up around 5, we're letting him cry and fall back asleep so with the hope that he can sleep long enough that it's a normal hour of the morning and he too can just eat and get a sippy cup in the morning, so we'll just have to wait and see!! This is all huge for us, because not only have the boys switched to sippy cups at night, they have been sleeping through the night as well, even with Justin cutting his two bottom molars--he's so far behind Ryan in teething but that's ok!! Good job boys!!

Brotherly Love

Most mornings, I get a chance to watch the boys on the video monitor before i go in to get them and start the day. Typically Justin is awake first and now that he generally has some stuffed animals in his crib with him, he plays quietly until Ryan wake up. Thankfully Justin is usually awake first, because if he's not, Ryan is not so kind and yells at Justin until he too is awake!! Two weeks ago, on a Sat morning Guy and I both were watching the monitor as we started to hear the boys shuffling. Justin was awake quietly playing as usual and when Ryan woke up he stood up and leaned over his crib and gave Justin a loud kiss that we not only saw but heard over the monitor. It was SOOOOO sweet and I was so glad that we both got to see this act of brotherly love...because most days Ryan is tackling Justin from behind trying to get whatever toy Justin has!!

Switching to sippy cups Night 1

I am trying to start weaning the boys, which is proving to be much more difficult with my two little boys than it was Abigail. So for now I'm still nursing in the morning and have started nursing between 4/5pm and then sippy cups at bedtime. Last night the boys cried for maybe 5 minutes and then fell asleep. It was really good that we had to put Abigail straight to bed afterward or I too may have cried with them for the five minutes...mind you I'm all about letting them cry when they don't need me or even in the middle of the night, but it was SO hard to walk out of their room and have them cry cause they didn't get their mommy time and what they are used to. But they then slept until Ryan woke up at 6:20 and Justin shortly there after. I can't tell you how happy they were to nurse in the morning!! Good job boys!! My hope is that once they are used to just getting the sippy at night I can then eliminate the evening nurse and then we'll be down to once a day?!?!?

One a side note, they still sleep with their bums up in the air and Abigail did too but I don't remember when she stopped so I'm trying to keep note of it with the boys, b/c it is just so cute....

Our Little Chef

Abigail has recently really enjoyed helping us cook. She particularly likes helping Guy bake bread or any other meal that she can stand on her chair and assist with!! For Christmas she got a chef's dress up outfit and LOVES it, not only does she wear it down in her kitchen to pretend to make us soups and cake, but she loves to wear it when she helps us cook!! Here she was helping me make a Wacky Cake for a New Year's Eve Party.

snuggling and sharing!

Sometimes the camera just isn't handy for all the really cute moments you want to get recorded and you have to rely on "the memories" so in my Continuing effort to try and blog more I'm writing about it to help remember!! This morning after nursing Ryan was so wired and crawled over to Guy and then put his head on his shoulder and just went back to sleep!! It was SO precious and something I didn't expect to see at 15 months old. Guy let him cuddle for a few minutes and then returned him to his crib, had it been a weekend or a little later in the morning who knows how long they would have cuddled but it was quite a special moment just to see!!

Sharing is caring...we've been working on that a lot in our house with ALL the kiddos. So later in the morning during snack time Justin was not only sharing the raisins, but started feeding them one at a time to Ryan--it was another cute sight that I wish I had a chance to capture on video. That didn't happen b/c who knows where the camera is b/c Justin is constantly on and off the couch getting into ALL of my things so they get hidden in attempt to keep them safe. Mama was so proud of her boys sharing and her boys being so gentle and caring towards each other.

"Bye" Justin

This is Justin's new favorite hang out spot, especially when we're cooking in the kitchen!! He loves to talk, he's been saying bye bye for a while and just last week started saying HI. Ever since Christmas he also likes to say cheese when he sees a camera, but that's in a different video...

What's it like these days...and nights

I said to Guy a while back that I don't think the new year will ever feel like the "new year" for us, rather September will. For our family, September will always be birthday month, back to school and activities, and the preview to what is always a busy fall season. I LOVE the fall, but somehow again this year it has passed me by SO quickly I honestly think I blinked and missed it. We have been BEYOND busy this fall with birthday parties, my MoMs club fall clothing sale, our big trip to Florida, getting a new swing set, Halloween and now it's already December--we seemed to just have skipped November and where has the time gone. We've had some beautiful weekends to plant spring bulbs and play outside, but for the most part I've been so busy I feel like I rarely get a chance to catch my breath before we're into something else...literally these days for the boys. I am SO behind in blogging and it often begins to feel like a chore between it and trying to post all the thousands of pictures we take. So instead what ends up happening is I take less pictures, which still haven't been posted and do less blogging, which isn't really what I want.

But besides the craziness that our lives are we are doing well. Both boys are walking all around and Justin is in fact climbing, everywhere..including into his highchair where I found him this morning, I guess he was ready to eat before I was ready to feed. Abigail is growing like a weed and is my little chatterbox.

Last Christmas I saw a newborn onesie that said "All mommy wants for Christmas is a Silent Night" while cute and very appropriate last Christmas I passed on it. When I saw it this year again I thought how sad that this is STILL all Mommy really wants for Christmas...My boys are simply NOT CONSISTENT with sleeping making it very difficult to catch up on much needed sleep for both myself and Guy. I never thought we'd still be up during the night at 14 months. In their defense...it's NOT every night but it's often enough. The other night Justin and I had our worst night in a very long time, actually about a month-but then we were in Florida with lots of help. He and I were up for hours (3 at this point), the first few I listened to him cry, I changed diapers, I fed, I gave Tylenol all to no avail and then finally I brought him into bed with me around 3am...he slept so soundly, that I almost convinced myself that it was all worth it to cuddle with him like this and that it won't be very long that we have to do this. That is until he again woke up 50 min later and was up for another 45 minutes until he then screamed until I fed him again. So as you can imagine I was beyond frustrated and this is what eats at me and has been the hardest part of having twins is the sleeping issue and the lack their of. I don't understand why the boys are up, even when they are 99% of the time Guy deals with them and they are not fed, but they are still up. Some days we also don't take good naps, that ends up making for really long days, especially when I get NO down time. However on the other hand, then can sleep 12 hours at a time, yet again just adding to the frustration that they can and i don't know what makes one night a good night and one a lets say NOT so good night!!

So here's hoping for good nights ahead and more sleep, less frustration and more time to blog the here and now and hopefully back log all of the things that I don't want to forget and still blog about!!

Happy Thanksgiving

This year Thanksgiving seemed so easy...it was calm, wonderful, I did almost no work and there was plenty to give thanks for. The morning was great I FINALLY have someone who enjoyed watching the parade almost as much as I did. Abigail got so excited when she'd see a balloon of someone she knew and then of course even more so when Santa arrived!! Because Dad and Mom did all the cooking at our house the boys got two good naps in and we were able to stay put and have it be as close to a normal day as possible, which is always key. We also got in a good family picture, including Zoey which made it even more special. The meal itself was fantastic and Dad and Mom did a great job cooking as always. Abigail sat at the table for the first time and the table was full of food and surrounded by love. We shared the special day with Nana and Pop-pop and Grandma and Grandpa!! Abigail had a great time decorating turkey cupcakes with Grandma that came at just the right time as she was beginning to get bored and as always Hungry...

After dinner and deserts we started our new Elf on the Shelf Family tradition. It is this great book about an Elf, whom we've named Dani, comes to your house and magically every night flys to visit Santa and tell the happenings of the day--both good and bad. Then every morning when he/she comes back she's hidden in a different spot. I had a wonderful time reading the story to all the kiddos and look very much forward to this new holiday tradition.

Sitting wtih Santa

This is the first year we even tried to get all three kiddos picture taken with Santa. Last year Abigail had NO interest in Santa and so we didn't even bother. This year as we're getting in the car she tells me she's NOT sitting with Santa and that she doesn't care whether or not she gets any gifts or not but she's not sitting with him and then asks "is that ok mommy?" to which I reply, "we'll see..." So when we arrive at the mall and meet Guy she proceeds to tell him the same thing. He however took a different approach and decides to bribe her with Auntie Anne's Pretzels so she'll sit with Santa, sometimes I wonder, but it worked. When we arrived at Santa all three kids were wide eyed, when it was Abigail's turn to sit on Santa's lap she was very unsure but went up and talked to Santa and told him what she wanted while we sat next to him with the boys. When asked by Santa what she wanted she told him "a pillow, playdoh and FOOD" she wouldn't say anymore about what kind of food she wanted just food. Finally later in the day when asked again she said she wanted "bread, cheese and pickles" what child, who wants not for food, seriously asks Santa for food, is she THAT hungry?!?! Anyway we then handed the boys over to Santa and Abigail slid over for the picture. Abigail did great and was a great big sister, Ryan could have cared less, and then there was Justin, who to no one's surprise was NOT a fan of Santa. Needless to say we got a pretty decent picture and the memories were priceless!!

Two toddlers.....

We now have TWO toddlers and a preschooler on our hands!! Ryan is now able to get up to standing without using external support. This means that while walking he can fall down, get back up and keep right on going!! Ryan has been walking for almost a month, starting out slowly..taking a few steps here and there. More recently he has been taking more and more steps but always needed to crawl to something to get back up. When Ryan started walking he has been so proud of himself, which is so different from Justin who just got up walked and never looked back. So I now have TWO toddlers..for now they tend to go in the same direction and are generally in a gated area, the next step is waiting and hoping that they don't climb the gate. I'm sure it's only a matter or time : ( In the meantime we couldn't be more proud of Ryan!!

Here's to our boys turning ONE!!!

The boys turned one on a Tuesday and unlike with Abigail's 1st b-day we weren't in San Diego--so a trip to the famous San Diego Zoo was out... finding something fun for two one year olds and a three year old to do mid week was challenging. We decided that Romp n Roll would be the most fun for all three kiddos--so off we went!! As you can see Justin is my little monkey but all three kiddos had a really good time. It was great because being a Tuesday midday meant that there were very few other kids there and everyone had lots of space to go where they wanted and it was easy for two of us to keep an eye on all three kiddos!!

After a fun time out we did cake and presents. We made wacky cake for the boys since it doesn't have eggs or dairy in it!! We sang happy birthday only once, mainly because of the fact that we had two lit candles. Neither boy blew out their candle but Justin went at the cake first but didn't quite like getting dirty, while Ryan took a little bit longer to get into it, but once he did he thoroughly enjoyed it!! As you can see right after cake it was straight up to baths before presents.

We finished up the evening by opening gifts. The boys opened them with help but really enjoyed climbing on the boxes and on the chairs. The boys got Tonka ride on trucks, Ryan got a ball and books and Justin got snap beads and books and lastly they both got their Anywhere Chairs. And although Justin's sitting on the chair makes it seem like he had a really rough long day, but mostly it's how he likes to lounge on the chair!! At the end of the day it was another long tiring day, made a little bit easier by the fact that Guy was home to help and have fun with us. After all the hoopla and the kiddos were in bed we also a bottle of Asti to celebrate and toast the boys birthday, how far we've come in a year and to the year ahead!! Happy Birthday Justin and Ryan!! We ALL LOVE you both VERY MUCH!!!

First Haircuts

On Tuesday we took ALL three kiddos for their first haircuts--we went to the Mane Street Hair Studio in Limerick. Although Guy was very willing to cut the boys hair I was not so willing to let him. The boys really needed one, the hair was covering Justin's eyes and Ryan's sideburns were starting to feather like a girl. Plus it was just a good time for Abigail to get a trim. Abigail had the choice of going first or last and she chose last, so that meant Justin went first, he sat on my lap and did really well. Ryan went next and sat on Guy's lap and he actually leaned in as the hair dresser did his hair. Abigail went last and sat on my lap and did so well sitting still and being a good girl!! I couldn't believe we got in and out in very little time, no tears and no drama!! I was even pleased with all of the haircuts!! We also got cute little certificates with locks of hair for all the kiddos!!

Yeah I'm still doing this....

Life has been beyond hectic here on our end and the blog has certainly felt the brunt of it. So although the living room is a mess, and there's always more wash to be done, I have a few minutes to myself and I thought I'd get things started again. So much has been happening here in our lives, Abigail turned THREE, the boys turned ONE, so we've had lots of b-day parties. In addition to all our parties my MoMs club has started back up and this year I've taken on a leadership role for planning playdates and outings for the kiddos up to age two. Plus our big fall sale is oh so time consuming. But now all of that is behind us and we only have to plan, pack, get to and ENJOY the florida sun, and of course DISNEY!! Hopefully the upcoming holiday season will actually be a little more calm for us than the past couple of months have been, one can hope right?!!?

NO more helmet!!

Justin got the free and clear for his helmet and is officially done!! He's still in PT once a week, for various reasons, but overall is doing very well!!

ONE YEAR STATS!!!

The boys are ONE and I'm not really sure how I feel about that.... I simply can not believe they are already a year--thankfully I feel like I only have two toddlers and still one baby, since Justin is now toddling Everywhere, at least Ryan is my little baby boy. I have lots of emotions surrounding their first birthday and in many respects I thought things would be easier than they are, and perhaps I'd be a little bit less frustrated on such a regular basis--not that I ever imagined that having twin boys and Abigail would be easy. I'm happy they are one, I'm relieved that we "survived", as so many MoMs put it, the first year with twins. I don't have many sad feelings or teary eyed emotions yet but it's possible that it just hasn't hit me yet as we've been so busy with parties and other events with the MoMs club.

Justin's stats:
weight- 21.08 lbs (30%)
height- 31.5 inches (90%)
head-17 3/4 inches (20%)

Ryan's stats:
weight-21.12 lbs (30%)
height- 31 inches (85%)
head 18 (25%)

Milestone Updates: Justin-- is WALKING ALL over the place, as of the 18th of September he really started being able to get up to standing by himself, walks and hasn't looked back since. He's officially a toddler.....

Ryan continues to cruise and hasn't really shown an interest in walking on his own. He walks with walking toys and has stood independently for a few seconds if you let go of him, but not if he has to let go of something on his own. SO he is still primarily crawling everywhere, but he sure has gotten fast at it--then again he has to to keep up with Justin and Abigail. Ryan still has 8 teeth and Justin now has has a total of 8 teeth while Justin is starting to catch up with 5.

Nursing/Feeding: The boys are still nursing and I'm trying to cut back to 3 times a day, although that really varies depending on whether or not we're up in the middle of the night, in which case it's 4 times a day. Justin continues to wake up most nights but thankfully most nights Ryan continues to sleep through it. I'm not sure what new foods we have tried, but Justin is primarily eating some of our dinner and then lots of fruit and other things including his rice/oatmeal cereal in something. Ryan can't eat most of what we're eating so we're trying our best to come up with some new recipes and try some vegan options for him. Justin has also started drinking whole milk from a sippy cup and Ryan is drinking soy milk--which they both really like.

Sleeping/Napping: Like I said Justin is up most nights, although it is now more like 3am-4am... but I really have to believe that it's his teeth and that this will get better....because if it doesn't I'm really going to go crazy. I think this, I KNOW this has a lot to do with my frustration levels and I just really thought that at a YEAR I'd be sleeping through the night on a regular basis instead of as the rare occasion. Naps continue to be twice daily, usually one long nap and one 45-60 minute nap. Ryan continues to be a better napper. They seem to be getting more consistent with getting up between 5:30 and 6:00am, which is fine b/c they eat and go back to sleep on most days, and then wake up around 8:00-8:30am for the day.

Likes/Dislikes: Both boys still really like dancing when we put the kiddos music on the TV, which we try and do every night after dinner!! The boys really like "pow" a ride on car--they like everything about it--opening the seat and putting things in, pushing the buttons, moving it and having Abigail push them for rides, they even like climbing on it to get to the couch or the end table....Ryan also really enjoys looking at Touch and Feel books. Ryan is a great cuddler and loves to be held and read to. Both boys also really like Zoey, but Ryan in particular is so fond of her and loves to pet and sometimes pull her hair.

Neither of the boys like when I leave the room and this month Justin seems to be more shy than Ryan.

Sounds/Gestures: Justin--- continues to make all sorts of sounds. He says mama, dada, done/down ---for everything even when he doesn't mean it, dat and another d word that means dog. He also says "boo" and boom--when he falls and goes boom.....

Ryan--also makes lots of sounds and when "talking" the boys are starting to sound more and more alike. He also says mama, dada. He tends to use more gestures, like blowing kisses, touchdown/so big, and "where's Ryan" (peek a boo)

There is so much more to say, about their birthday, eating their cake and their party, so I will save all of that for another post, when the boys are back asleep.....

Roasting Marshmallows and Smores

Guy got me a fire pit for our anniversary. Last weekend we had a chance to enjoy it and roast marshmallows and make smores. We were planning on doing a camp out with Abigail but decided the time wasn't quite right, but that a good marshmallow roast would be just right. We all had a great time. It was the first time Abigail has "roasted" marshmallows and she barely put the marshmallow in the fire before she decided it was done. The weather was perfect, it was a cool summer evening but not cold, just right for roasting marshmallows and having a few smores!!

I DID IT!!

I took ALL THREE kids to Giant to go grocery shopping!! I have gone out with all three before to go to the mall or to go for pictures, but never grocery shopping. So after 11.5 months I decided it was time and that we could do it!! It was a total success--at least at the store and getting home. As I'm writing the boys are awake and crying from a very short nap and Abigail wants to eat lunch but our outing itself was a success!! Who knows when I'll try it again, but at least we know it can be done!!

Abigail's first day of Preschool

Abigail started PRESCHOOL today at Wonder Years Preschool and Learning Center... ok so it was just orientation and I went with her but STILL!! Her first day alone is on Thursday. She is going Tue and Thur mornings from 9-11:30. Where has the time and my baby girl gone?!?! She had a great time today and said that her favorite part was circle time and the playground. She did a great job and coming home and telling Nana and Daddy what she did at school and what her favorite part was. I know she'll do great!! Hopefully Thur. too will go well--in the past she has told me that "I'm not going to like that" when I'm not there, but after school today she told me that she is excited to go back on Thursday--we'll see!! She also told me that I can't come on Thursday becuase it's "just for little people" I hope that she will learn many good skills that will carry her through to her school years. She loved all the toys and didn't want to leave one to go to the next, everything was so new and exciting, just what she needs!! We're all looking forward to this school year, here hoping for a good one!!

My first night away

Guy and I celebrated our 6th wedding on Monday Aug. 31st. While he was away on one of his trips to Virginia Beach and was rubbing it in that he was on the beach-- I got to thinking that hey maybe we could go to the beach for our anniversary, and so the seed was planted. Guy and I decided that Mom and Dad could handle one night with the boys and no matter what they'd survive. So without asking, Guy booked a room and we asked later, knowing we still had time to cancel, but also knowing that Mom and Dad would do anything so we could get away!! I wasn't worried about leaving the boys per say, I was MORE than ready, but I WAS worried because they have NOT been sleeping through the night. So Sunday morning came and we got everyone ready for all of their outings, not only were Mom and Dad watching the kiddos they decided to take on a trip to the Philly Zoo--and we're happy to report all went very well. Then Abigail spent the night with Grandma and Grandpa, who were also all too happy to help so Guy and I could celebrate our anniversary. I called to check in on everyone and although Ryan was none to thrilled about a bottle and didn't quite want to go to bed on time, all seemed to be going well.

On our end we had a great day-we spent time on a sunny beach in Avalon, NJ. The water was warm enough for a quick dip, but was rough so we didn't stay in long and then I took a nap on the beach. The hotel had an outdoor bar, with happy hour specials and a band--life was good!! We had a late dinner take out seafood dinner that we ate in the room and then a walk for Ice Cream!! I wish I could say that I slept great that night and although I wasn't worried at all...I still got a lousy night's sleep, but it was still so worth it for the stress free aspect!! I called home the next morning to find out that the boys SLEPT through the night--Good Job Boys!!

On Monday, Guy and I went out to a leisurely breakfast and a walk on the beach. We then headed home and stopped at Heritage Winery, where we got some wine and cheese for the evening. We then drove the rest of the way home, went out to eat at Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, which is one of my new favorite places to eat and appropriate since the anniversary is Iron and Candy. We got home had a fairly normal nightly routine, except we still had help from Mom and Dad and then we did gifts, a light dinner and wine and went to bed--unfortunately the boys weren't as kind to me as they were Nana and Pop-pop and we had another rough night, but they did a great job when they needed to.

All in all we had a wonderful quick getaway for the two of us. I can honestly say I didn't miss the kids, but was very happy to see all of them when we got home. I don't know that I would have enjoyed any more nights away at this time, but for now it was just right.

The Third Tooth

Justin FINALLY got his third tooth today. His top middle right tooth finally cut through the tiniest bit today. Ryan grinds his teeth which drives me crazy, but today I heard Justin doing it to, which led me to believe there must be another tooth up top for his to do so and sure enough there was. Yay Justin--I'm glad you finally got another tooth and I hope this means all of our nights will be a little more restful!!

11 months!!

The boys are now 11 months old and it doesn't seem possible that in one month they will already be a YEAR old. This month the boys went to the beach for the first time and went in the Atlantic Ocean. Ryan loved sitting in the sand and playing and Justin crawled all over the place, although both were content when contained in the octagon gate. They also took a trip to Sesame Place, but couldn't go on any of the rides. They met Elmo but when he went up to Ryan, he wasn't so sure about Elmo.

Milestone Updates: Justin-- is cruising ALL over the place and has taken his first STEPS!! He will let go and take about 4 steps towards his desired destination. He also got up to standing all my himself a couple of times but this is not something he does consistently.

Ryan--is also cruising all over the place, but he primarily crawls. However he is finally crawling fast on hands and knees and can keep up with Justin if he wants to. Ryan has a total of 8 teeth while Justin still only has 2.

Nursing/Feeding: The boys are still nursing every 4-5 hours during the day. Justin continued to wake up most nights this month!! Thankfully most nights Ryan has slept through it, but towards the end of the month once Justin started sleeping better Ryan decided it seemed like a good idea to wake up and eat. This month the boys have started eating some pureed chicken, they have had edamame bean (soy beans) and Justin has had Pop-pop's French Toast!! Due to Ryan's allergies we have had to look for some new recipes and I found and Guy has made some really good vegan pancakes that everyone can eat for breakfast.

Sleeping/Napping: Like I said Justin is up most nights between 1:30 and 2am... : ( Naps continue to be twice daily, usually one long nap and one 45-60 minute nap. Ryan continues to be a better napper. They seem to be getting more consistent with getting up between 5:30 and 6:00am, which is fine b/c they eat and go back to sleep on most days, although not so much when we were at the shore. On those days Justin spent a lot of time with Guy in the stroller walking the beach and the streets of Sea Isle City, NJ.

Likes/Dislikes: Both boys still really like dancing when we put the kiddos music on the TV, which we try and do every night after dinner!! The boys also both like Abigail's Elmo "doll" but Ryan tends to be a little scared of it, but very curious at the same time. The boys also like clapping to the music and waving "HI" The boys also both like to and are very good at climbing, I DON'T like that they enjoy climbing!! Ryan also really enjoys looking at Touch and Feel books.

Neither of the boys like when I leave the room or even Nana for that matter!! Sounds: Justin--- continues to make all sorts of sounds. He also says mama with meaning although won't do so if asked to do so. Ryan--also makes lots of sounds and when "talking" the boys are starting to sound more and more alike. He also really uses mama and dada appropriately!!

We have started planning their first birthday party and the theme is based off of a song "rocket ship run" that both boys really enjoy listening to. Guy designed the cards and they are going out in the mail. I can't believe that you will be one so soon, where has this year gone. In many ways things are easier, but with you waking at night and eating and being on the move I sometimes feel that this month has been as difficult as the first few. I look forward to the new things you'll do this coming month all before you turn one and wonder what lies ahead!!

More teeth

Ryan got his 8th tooth today and I think that's it or a while but you never can tell!! He now has 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom. He has such a silly grin a small mouth full of big teeth. Too cute!!

And then there were 7...

Ryan cut his 7th tooth today--the top left, next to the middle!! He now has 4 on top and 3 on the bottom..tooth number 8 is not far behind. Lucky for me this boy has been a CHAMP so far about cutting teeth!! Keep up the good work Ryan, it's no wonder that he likes finger food, thankfully he still likes baby puree too!!

More TEETH

Ryan today cut his 6th tooth, yes you read that right. They have been coming in left and right, top and bottom. Today he got the bottom right tooth, next to middle...i guess I should look up all the names but who has time for that...A few days after he turned 10months old he cut his 5th tooth the right top tooth next to the middle. Teeth 7 and 8 are not far behind.....and well Justin he complains SO much more about his teeth and he still only has 2!!

10 Months!!!

Ok so this isn't our normal chair picture, but it's how the boys spent most of the 10 month "birthday"...driving home in the car from Maine. The boys were very good, but don't t let them fool you, they didn't sleep like angels the whole time!! When we got home we did take some traditional chair pics.

Milestone Updates: Justin-- is cruising ALL over the place. he will also occasionally let go of what he is holding onto and try and stand. He's also trying to take off his shirts and bibs.....

Ryan--is still primarily commando/belly crawling but he has started crawling on hands and knees more often, especially on the hardwood or harder surfaces like the kitchen floor. He is also pulling up on everything and cruising around. Ryan has also gotten TWO top teeth, first he got the one to the right of the middle and then the left top middle tooth!! Ryan has also started occasionally signing "more". Both boys give 'HI Fives" and wave when and if they want to!!

Nursing/Feeding: The boys are still nursing every 4-5 hours during the day. HOWEVER...JUSTIN has restarted waking up in the middle of the night and has been for at least the past two weeks around 2am, so needless to say I'm NOT thrilled. They are also eating 3 meals a day. I can't remember what new foods we have tried this month--I'm pretty sure cheerios are new this month, bagels and apricots. Ryan tested positive for dairy, egg and peanut allergy so that has some cause for concern--due to this we also had sweet potato pancakes--Ryan really liked them and Justin wasn't so sure, but as long as Ryan did that is all that matters--no eggs or milk!! We have continued with some of the foods they've had before but now as finger foods.

Silly face Justin makes..it doesn't mean he doesn't like what he's eating--just a silly face Nana taught him--scrunchy face!!!

Sleeping/Napping: Like I said Justin is up most nights between 1:30 and 2am... : ( Naps continue to be twice daily, usually one long nap and one 45-60 minute nap. Ryan continues to be a better napper. They seem to be getting more consistent with getting up between 5:15 and 6:15am, which is fine b/c they eat and go back to sleep on most days, although not so much when we were in Maine on vacation....but Guy was great and dealt with them early in the mornings!!

Likes/Dislikes: Both boys really like dancing when we put the kiddos music on the TV!!

Justin--loves splashing in water be it the tub, a pool or the lake. Oh and he likes my cell phone too!! Ryan--really likes playing with all kinds of balls and will crawl as fast as he can to get to one on the floor. He also really likes toys that shake and make noise--a Santa wrist rattle, kept him very occupied on our long trip to Maine. Both boys also really like puffs and cheerios!!! Neither of the boys like when I leave the room and Justin still doesn't like to wait to eat when he's hungry. I'm not sure if the boys like or dislike the gate--but the big gate made it's first appearance this month, in hopes of keeping the boys in one room and not on the stairs!!

Sounds: Justin--- continues to make all sorts of sound..."doh" and "dat" is what we hear most often although he still says things like dadadada and nananana ..but he still has no real words that mean anything. but really likes to try and imitate what you're saying.
Ryan-- Ryan has started making more sounds like his brother but still "talks" less..he has more sing songy sounds. The rolling of his tongue when he cries has started when he's Happy too and it's too cute. His "Indian" sounds continue as do everything else he was doing, like making noises into an empty container and then listening!! Ryan also LOVES to imitate Justin and Abigail. In Maine Abigail was in a time out and and throwing a fit and Ryan was right there with the exact same tone but happy and imitating her, it was one of the funniest things I've seen in a while and I'm so glad that Guy saw it too--such a shame we didn't catch it on video.

Other things that happened this month was your first fourth of July. We had a picnic and both of you liked "biting" on the beer bottles.... Guy also celebrated a big birthday--30, and you guys got to spend the day with Nana and Grandma. But our biggest adventure this month was our LONG road trip to Maine for a family reunion. You traveled through many new states and did very well. You swam in a lake and met all sorts of new family members including your great grandparents!!