Winging It

Being a parent involves a lot of 'winging it' (plus, winging it was an excuse to post a photo of a sweet cardinal, freaking LOVE that bird). I don't know what I am doing half the time and simply try to be prayerful and thoughtful when making decisions about Asher and Soren.

Jamie and I will be packing for our week long trip to Utah and the greatest unknown is preparing for a day long flight with two nearly eight month old wee ones. I read that one couple with twins bought a bag of earplugs and handed them out to all the people in rows near them. I thought that was cute!

I think Asher will be ab fab on the flight because he is snuggly and prefers to be held so five hours straight? Heaven for Asher.

Soren not so much. He wants to move and groove and shimmy his strong little body. Being held for two flights just might equate to torture for him. Hopefully I can get up and walk around enough to keep him happy. Honestly, I am looking forward to this adventure with Asher and Soren! Life with those sweet little men is absolutely awesome!

Jamie and Asher

Jamie with his baby babe at 2.5 months and 7.5 months. I watched a video of Asher being a chatty 3 month old and he was so stinking small and cute that already the nostalgia for that time made me tear up.

Changing Grace

Can you believe this is the same baby? I love the contrast from Grace's newly new born face to her two month old face. What a cutie cutes! I love her dark hair and eyes AND that she looks like my mom.

My Dad and National Geographic

My dad submitted a photo to the National Geographic's 'Daily Dozen' photo installation and it was accepted! Each month two 'Daily Dozen' photographs are published in the magazine so he may end up in print! Super!

Cousin Attention

What is it with the fingers?

Whoa! We don't pick babies up from their neck...

Here is a series of photos highlighting the attention that Soren and Asher received from their cousins.

Asher and Ella

Ella, you are so funny girl!

Ella knew JUST how to make Asher laugh.

Sara was drawn to the good times...

This exchange between Asher and Ella could not have been any cuter. They were delighting in one another soo much. What cutie cutes!

Bristol

Apart from the trauma of sleepless babies, our trip to Bristol was wonderful. I am really happy that Chon wanted to come with us because watching her interact with Lisa's and Lori's children only confirmed that we are truly lucky to have her in our family. God knew how troubled I was about leaving my babies for that inevitable return to work so he blessed us with Chon. I never worry about them at home with her because she genuinely loves them and cares superbly for them.

Chon was ecstatic about all the kids and what impressed me the most was her affection for Zoe. She was immediately endeared to Zoe and they were instant BFFs. I often saw Chon pat Zoe on the pat or caress her arm. I saw in Chon a tenderness and sincerity that was effortless and beautiful. Lisa said she wanted to take Chon with her! Oh no you don't!

I told Chon that our family loved her and she said that she loved them. Isn't that sweet?

It was fun to watch Gage and Wyatt interact because I am reminded that in five years I will have like aged boys running around. They are adorable little guys and made me really excited for all the fun and creativity to come. I hope that Asher and Soren share the same affection that Gage and Wyatt have for each other. One of the sweetest moments from the weekend was watching Gage and Wyatt walk into the living room wrapped in towels from their bath. They sat on the couch together and Wyatt rested his head on Gage's shoulder and in that simple gesture was a lifetime of love and brotherhood. It was really beautiful.

It's a Match!

One of my favorite SNL sketches is Kristin Wiig as the Mid-Western Target Lady. Her enthusiasm for what her customers are purchasing is heelarious and her accent is also super amusing. Well, I had my own Target lady experience even though the lady was neither Kristin Wiig or Mid-Western and was actually South-East Asian with a hijab.

Anyways...

I found a set of four pink cereal bowls on sale for .48 cents and Target lady was LOVING them! She asked where I got them and I mentioned the clearance section upstairs. She wanted clarification on their exact location so I did my best to describe the shelves where I found them. She kept repeating that they were so cute and for such a great price! She even held them up and showed them to her co-worker! I was hoping she would tell me about some lovely scented candles but that didn't happen.

I wanted to say, "Do you want me to wait here while you run up and grab a set?"

Worst Nights of My Life

Well, my excitement for spending time with family in Bristol was eclipsed by strange and upsetting behavior in my babies. We rolled into Bristol super late and had to buy a second pac n play and set it up before we could put Asher and Soren to bed so it was around 2am when we finally crawled into bed. Soren really tried but could not fall asleep and eventually his busy chatter turned into wails of desperation. I could NOT console my baby and I felt miserable and so sad for him. Finally after sucking down a little water bottle Soren passed out on my chest and we shared a long, much needed snuggle. After Soren slept Asher woke up screaming his cute little face off. I had NEVER heard him cry with so much baby fierceness and frustration. I thought something was seriously wrong with him so I started to cry for fear that my baby was going to have a seizure and die. Just as I had those ridiculous thoughts Asher stopped crying, stuck his tongue out, and gave us the cutest smiles of his life. What the? I was absolutely relieved to see him acting in his usual 'i'm so freaking adorable' manner. But the torture of that evening was compounded by the fact that Chon was sharing a room with us and there were 12 other people in the house trying to sleep. Oh, and hoisting 16+ pound babies out of a pac n play was devastating to my back.

The next night was even worse because both babies got up twice (at different times, of course) and again were crying incessantly and could not get comfortable. I felt like a failure for not being able to fix whatever was agonizing my babies. Asher again did his scream like he's going to die then instantly start smiling and laughing number. Soren was just miserable. We wondered if it was the new location, strange smells, the pac n play, teething, or a combination of all that were the culprits. Eventually we found rest by putting the wee ones in bed with us. We all slept in until 7am, which is truly 'sleeping in' for us.

During the day Asher and Soren was absolutely charming and maintained their cute-ittude with grace. They were really fun to be with and I loved seeing them interact (read: be mauled lovingly) with their cousins. They were angels on the trip home and either slept or busily played with their toys or toes and sometimes both at the same time.

I have to report that last night they resumed their usual fabulous baby status by going to bed without a squeak and neither of them woke up crying hysterically. Yay for resilient and loving baby babes.

My SIL Lisa remarked that they have a list of 'Top Ten Worst Nights' as parents and said we would soon have our own list. Well, we now have TWO nights to add to that list.

Now we have a trip to Utah on Thursday and I am trying to not be entirely freaked out by the potential travel discord and disrupted sleep. I don't want to add any more nights to my list.

Weekend in Bristol

We took a super quick trip to Bristol this weekend. Chon came with us and let me just say that we are enormously blessed to have her in our family--more on her later.

A quick synopsis: 17 people sleeping in Sally's three bedroom house, picnic at Sugar Hollow park, thunderstorms, cousin fest, and the two worst nights of my life as a mom.

Baby Shower Advice

It's general practice that baby shower attendants are asked to offer advice on behalf of the new mom. I was asked to do this recently and since it was my first time answering as a ridiculously happy and proud mom, I thought I would share my advice.

It is stunning how quickly babies grow and change. Make an effort to capture all the details you love about your little baby in whatever way is easiest for you--through photos, a baby book, a journal, or anything else. You'll be happy you documented the details because it is in the details that we fall so greatly in love with our children.

I recently bought a journal so that at the end of each day I could document everything I love about Asher and Soren--I look forward to that quiet moment each evening and I feel less anguish about potentially forgetting all the details that I so dearly love about my baby babes.

Soren has a tooth!

As soon as I got home last night Chon announced that Soren had a tooth! I held him and wrestled my finger in his mouth to discover a little tooth nubby! I was absolutely thrilled for him. I was ridiculously excited and congratulated him and hugged and kissed him and as a result HE got really excited and gave me a tight neck hug. Ahhh, such a wondrous moment.

I did feel sad that I was not the one to discover his first tooth. Realizing that this was just the first of many 'firsts' that I would have to be told about and not experience definitely made my heart ache but I'm committed to celebrating them with full enthusiasm when they happen.

On an Asher note he is rolling onto his stomach! Yay for Asher.

An Essentials that was a NON-Essential in Utah

Umbrella.

I never had an umbrella in Utah. Sure it rained but never enough to really warrant the purchase of an umbrella. I adored rainy days so it was always with enthusiasm that I walked or ran through the rain without protection. Besides, I never had to worry about ruining my hair or makeup because I didn't bother with either.

It has been rainy rain fest here in the DC area. Yesterday was one of those blissfully rainy and brooding days where the darkness makes everything inside seem cozier and everything outside more colorful. An umbrella is a must here! Trying to get two babies out of the rain and into church during the heaviest of rainfall was such a comedy of errors. Basically we all ended up soaking wet but it was fun.

Oatmeal, Take TWO

I love it and I am SO happy!

Get that oatmeal out of my face!


Asher still wont eat oatmeal. I sprinkled a little cinnamon pursuant to Amanda's recommendation. As for me, I had a delicious salad of brown rice, black beans, mango, salsa, and crumbled extra sharp cheddar.

My Own Cherry Blossoms

Lavender mingled with pink!

Our front yard cherry tree wowed us again with it's abundant blossoms. They were pink this year and I am convinced they were white last year...is that possible? The pink was exceptionally radiant and seeing our little front yard painted in delicate pink blossoms was such a delight!

Seven Months Old!

Hello blue eyes!

I want to hold the camera!

Asher and Soren's first exposure to grass...they loved it! They didn't flinch at all when their bare feet touched grass and they sat up so perfectly and with great interest. Those are my boys!

Asher and Soren are seven months old! It's so cliche but every month I think, "This is such a cute age" and never has that been more true than now.

There are so many aspects of their lives to delight in--such as their daily increasing cuteness, their ever developing abilities for sitting up, rolling over, eating solid foods, playing with toys and books, and above all, their capacity for endearment. I was smitten with Asher and Soren from the time they were little guys in my womb but I truly feel my love for them expand on a daily, if not hourly basis. Leaving them at home for work has gotten more difficult-- not easier as so many people promised would happen. I miss them terribly during the day and wish I were the one feeding them cereal, monitoring their play, holding them, and taking them on walks. 

Anyway...this post isn't about ME it's about Asher and Soren.

Seven months brings easy bedtimes, mostly sleeping through the night, lots of laughter, increasing awareness of each other, and a growing sense of attachment to ME!!

I love Asher for how excited he gets when Jamie gets home from work. I love how he will so easily squeal with joy when we hold him or nuzzle our faces against his. I love that he still snuggles and enjoys being as close to our bodies as is possible. I love Asher for his drama. I love it when people say that Asher looks like me or that he has my eyes. I love that each morning begins with happy Asher chirps and happy Asher smiles.

I love Soren for his absolute joy. Jamie remarked that bedtime isn't 'bedtime, it is disco time. The lights and mirror ball go up for Soren.' When we put him in his crib he first curls his feet to his face and then kicks them against the mattress with so much happiness and force that we could all explode from the joy in the room. I love Soren for the intensity of his play and for his quickness to explore the space around him. I love his whimpers that interrupt the quiet of the night because I know he will be snuggly when I go into his room to check on him. I love Soren's fuzzy red hair and red eye brows--he increasingly looks more and more like Jamie.

Asher: 16 lbs.

Soren: 19 lbs.

Chatty Patty on the Treadmill

I went to the gym yesterday and was minding my own jiggly business on the treadmill when a woman three treadmills over felt prompted to tell me that walking on an incline was a better work out than jogging. Clearly she was trying to turn her treadmill into Everest based on her incline and just as the crazies who choose to risk their lives to climb Everest have an air of pretentiousness about them, she was not impressed with my paltry zero incline walk/jog effort. I then felt it necessary to point out that I was a newish mother of seven month old twins and it was only my fourth time exercising since having them.

Chatty Patty: "Twins?! You had twin boys? I wanted twin boys. What did you do to get them???"

Me: Huh? "Well, I got pregnant."

Chatty Patty: "That's it, you didn't go to a doctor?"

Me: "No, I just got REALLY lucky."

Chatt Patty: "Yeah, you are lucky. I only have one son. Do you want more kids?"

Me: "Yes, I LOVE babies and children"

Chatty Patty: "What if you have twins again?"

Me: "I would love it! But I think that having one baby would be so easy..."

With great conviction and expertise Chatty Patty exclaimed, "No! Two babies are better than one."

Fortunately my workout ended shortly after this sentence and so did our labored conversation.

Sad Morning

I know JUST how you feel buddy.


This morning I felt REALLY sorry for myself and for my babies. I usually don't feel so wretched about my situation but this morning was difficult. Asher woke up SUPER early (like 4:30 am) but he was just hanging out (read: chatting loudly and rolling around) so I left him alone and went back to sleep. When my alarm went off at 6am I noticed that he was STILL awake. I rescued him from the crib and we snuggled. He was a little testy because clearly he was hungry. His cries escalated and my sadness increased.

I felt sorrow that I couldn't just hold my baby, nurse him, and gently ease him back to sleep. Instead, I could hold him for maybe five minutes then it was back to getting ready for work business. I had to shower, get dressed, prepare bottles for the day, and find food for my lunch. All tedium compared to what I could have been doing--soothing my baby and comforting him with the assurance that he does have a mother who would love nothing more than to devote her entire morning to him and his brother. Asher's cries only intensified and I slowly started to suffocate from the ache in my chest.

I was sad that Asher and Soren, at only seven months, are asked to hold their hunger until it is convenient for us, that is, until Chon starts work at 7:30. What a sacrifice for them! I left the house with a sad baby trying to soothe himself in his crib (Asher) and a happy baby playing with his toes next to Dad. I was sad that Jamie was OKAY leaving Asher to cry in his crib while he played with the happy baby. I just don't operate that way and it bothers me.

I know that when I get home Asher and Soren will be happy and the trials of the morning will be forgotten but I still ache because of all the lost time with them.

Little Peeps at Play

I could watch them play for hours and hours. My favorite is when they have toys in both hands but they continue to grab for more. They have also started to show interest in whatever toy their brother has, which is always amusing. My career as a referee has already begun.