Another Year Gone...

Like I mentioned before, time flies when your life is filled with babies. I remember Christmas 2006 like it was yesterday. I made a shirt for Hunter to wear stating that he was going to be a big brother. I had him wear it on Christmas Eve when we were with Tom's family and on Christmas Day at my mom's to reveal our big news. It was four more months before we knew that our family would increase by two.(Although Hunter had insisted he was getting two babies from the moment we told him he was going to be a brother!) A year has passed and we have two happy healthy babies that have brought such joy to our lives. Hunter absolutely adores them and smothers them with love and kisses.
Our lives are a little more chaotic, messy and loud, but they are also more fullfilling, rewarding and loving. We wouldn't have it any other way. If Tom had his way, we would have one more child before our family is complete but we'll see how he feels about that at the end of 2008 when he's chasing around two one-year-olds!
Olivia and Gryffin are almost too big to fit in the co-sleeper that's attached to our bed. It will make me sad to move them to an actual crib. When I got into bed the other night and looked into the co-sleeper to check on my sleeping angels, Gryffin had a tight squeeze on Olivia's hand. They were sleeping so peacefully that way I had to fight back the urge to grab my camera and snap a picture.
I will always cherish this photograph of Hunter. It's every avid reader's dream to have their child love to receive a book as a gift. You can imagine my delight when Hunter opened this present on Christmas and flashed the biggest smile of the morning. Granted, it was a Where's Waldo type book with Super heroes but it's a start. Note the Candyland box in the background. I wonder what Tom and I will be playing for the next few months...

He did it!

This past weekend, Hunter finally agreed to have a visit with Santa Claus. The mall set-ups are a little too intimidating so luckily Santa is right in Sewickley at Wolcott park every Saturday in December. There's no line so he didn't have any time to back out of it. He was very brave and sat on his lap for a picture after about five minutes of chatting with him. The best part of the whole thing according to Hunter was the large candy cane he received from Santa when we left. Hunter loves loves loves candy canes and I only give him the mini size ones because even though I have been a mom for over four years now, I still hate sticky messes.


Gryffin has reached a key developmental milestone. He has learned to pout. Here's a ray of hope to newer parents: pouting is only effective for the first two years of a childs life. After this time, the pout no longer makes you bend over backwards to comfort your precious baby. It does, however, spark the disciplinarian in you which is important for the two-year-old pouter. The pout still remains the cutest and most effective manipulation move used by humans of all ages. The cute antlers on Gryffins head in combination with that cute pout on his face made me unstrap him from his torturous carseat even faster.Hunter has to get on Daddy's shoulders to decorate the tree because we have to put our tree on a table because of the dog and cats. It's also less tempting for Hunter who would have eaten all the candy canes the first night if he could have reached them. The night we decorated the tree was cold and snowy, perfect to get us in the mood for Christmas. Today is 52 degrees and quite balmy and I had to brave the Saturday before Christmas shopping crowd to purchase a new dryer. Ours broke last week and with two infants a four-year-old,and three adults(Tom's brother is home from college on break)the normally under control laundy pile has grown to quite the heap. It wasn't too busy at Lowe's and the dryer is to be delivered the day after Christmas and I can't wait! I will never again take for granted my household appliances.I recently tried solid foods with the twins. Rice cereal mixed with a little breastmilk looks and smells strikingly like paper mache paste. Olivia gobbled it up and laughed between bites and took the spoon from my hand after a couple bites. Apparently she believed she was ready to feed herself but really she was ready for her first eye exam. Gryffin's response was rather less enthusiastic. He made an awful face, gagged, spit it out and cried. I think he thinks I'm trying to poison him because he's done the same thing at every subsequent feeding. I think he's just waiting for bigger and better. Maybe I'll try to give him some mashed potatoes at Christmas dinner. Who can cry at mashed potatoes?

Fall Flew by in a Flurry

Autumn is by far my favorite season. I love everything about it. The vibrant array of colors, that sound the leaves make when you crunch them with your feet, pumpkins and Halloween. The only disappointment is how quickly it's all over and we're thrust feet first into the bitter cold that is Pittsburgh winter.
Needless to say, we spent as much time outdoors that was possible given the fact that it takes significantly longer to get three kids ready to take a walk outside than just one. Luckily, I live right around the corner from an elementary school with a playground, so most of our time was spent there where we could easily return home if Gryffin or Olivia needed to be fed.

There were a few times when Hunter and I snuck away on our own for some much needed time together. All in all he has taken really well to Olivia and Gryffin. He loves them dearly and his presence and help has been invaluable especially on those nights when Tom is working and I feel as though the day will never end. I'm lucky to have such a sweet and compassionate child.
Olivia and Gryffin have just passed the four month mark and surprise me everyday with their incredible adaptability to this world. Their personalities are slightly different but they both have a sweet disposition. Olivia has just begun physical therapy for torticollis, a condition she was born with due to her position in the womb and lack of space to move around. It is defined by tight neck muscles and causes her head to have a slight tilt. With PT once a week and a lot of work at home, she should fully recover from the somewhat common condition. She's a little trooper and tolerates the treatment well. She's so smart she has already mimicked the sound to say Hi! Gryffin is my first chubby baby. Hunter was on the scrawny side and I call Olivia my little peanut because she is quite petite. Gryffin, however, is round and rolly and the jolliest little guy you'd ever meet. His smile is huge and lights up his whole face. He's also my singer. He coos and oohs and has the sweetest voice that melts the heart.
So far life with these little angel babies has been delightful. I don't take for granted that I am so lucky to have had three easy going babies. Don't get me wrong, twins are a lot of work. There are days where I just want to sit down and cry my eyes out and there have been a couple of times when I have. It does get easier and has. Tom and I make a great team and can get things running pretty smoothly. I'll start nursing a baby and Tom will get the other one changed and ready to eat next. If the first baby happens to take a bit long, than he'll entertain the baby in line. Occasionally, I'll nurse them at the same time with a special pillow I have. They look across and smile at each other while having their meal. It's quite amazing to watch the bond form that is only to grow stronger with each passing day.
This is the first year where Hunter is actually aware of Christmas before the actual day. He knows about Santa Clause and has been obsessively watching all the old Christmas classic movies. He received them in a box set last year for Christmas. He watched Rudolf The Red-Nosed-Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and Santa is Coming to Town a few times today. He asks everyday if tomorrow is Chistmas even though we do the Advent calender together and he knows perfectly well that it's not. I can remember being that excited as a kid. We've revised his letter to the big man in red several times. Maybe he'll be ready to go see Santa this Saturday in Sewickley. This is also the first year he is not deathly afraid of Santa. Although, he is still a bit apprehensive about going to see him. I think this is the reasoning behind the revisions of the letter, to postpone the actual visit. It will be worth it just to see the look on his face when he finally does it.

I hope to do this at more regular intervals because the first year of a baby's life goes by so rapidly. I mean to say that time seems to go by more rapidly after having kids. Weeks escape me and days are a blur. I'm going to try for one more blog this year after Christmas, try being the operative word. Happy Holidays!