Fifteen Weeks

I skipped out on you for week 14, didn't I? Oh well. Not much difference between week 14 and 15 other than an increased amount of sleep (Yay!) and increased cuteness!

Beware! Photos below may blow out your Cute Sensors.

So here we are, cruising along as Parents of Twins. Emma is making it really easy by totally sleeping through the night. What I mean by that is that when she finally passes out between 10 pm and midnight, she will sleep until about 7 or 7:30 am. OMG! It is totally awesome.

Logan, however, has different plans. He will pass out around the same time frame and then wake up around 1 am. Sleep again until 6 am and then wake again around 8 am. He says he's trying to get more milk and plump up more than Emma, but he's apparently burning it off with all the smiling he does because he doesn't appear to be pulling ahead in the weight category.

Logan burning calories with his Full Body Smile Workout.

Logan works his Oblique Smile at Caitlin. Must give all smile muscles a workout!

We still haven't seen Emma officially roll over from tummy to back, but she objects to tummy time a lot less these days. I think it's because she can see better, since she's strong enough to push her head and chest off the floor. She is very good about reaching for things and likes to spin the toys attached to the swing in the dining room.

Emma studies the physics involved.

Both babies are chewing like puppies. If you put a finger anywhere within grabbing distance, grab it they will and pop it into their mouths where they will then masticate on said digit until they are satisfied, you are utterly covered in drool and squicked out, or your finger falls off. Whichever occurs first. There are no teeth in there, I've checked, but they do like to gnash on digits and things.

Emma tries to devour Eric's knuckle.

Graaar! Logan noshes on my knuckle.

They also have gained an appreciation for toys recently, so we've been pulling old toys out of the closet for them and letting them drool all over them. Fabric doughnuts and puppies are a big hit.

In a sea of toys, the twins do the backstroke.

My Precious!

Emma and her puppy.

Emma being mauled by her puppy. Oh noes!

Emma lights up the room with her smile.

Logan is just barely bigger than the stuffed hippo Caitlin received when she was born.

Life is good.

Wow!

We just finished watching the season premiere of Battlestar Gallactica.

And it was awesome!

Yeah, yeah. I know! Where have we been for the last 4 years?

What can I tell you, we just don't watch TV here at Chez Hatchet. However, now we can just go out and rent/borrow/purchase the entire series and watch the whole thing over the course of a month or two. Just like we did with Buffy, Firefly, 24 and Horatio Hornblower.

I must tell you that 24 doesn't hold up well under such treatment. There's only so many times you can hear Jack say "We're running out of time!" before you wanna just smack him. (Sorry Dan!) Thus we never completed the 3rd season before we burned out on it. And really! Why the hell did Jack's daughter never learn a bloody martial art and weapons training?! You'd think after the first time she was kidnapped she'd have learned something. Geez!

So yes, the excitement never stops around here as we discover characters everyone else has loved for the last several years. Whee!

Starbuck? Yes, she rocks. I like her!

Eric says...

Eric begins to exit the kitchen, intent on getting to his email before Emma wakes up.

"Wait!" I whisper urgently, trapped under Logan.

Eric responds dismissively, "I'll be right back!" and continues walking.

Desperate, I resort to Pssst! Pssssst! PSSSSSSST! Just so, you know, he realizes I mean it. He returns to me and I whisper to him about wanting my tea.

After fetching it for me, with a glimmer in his eye he says, "You know, you sound just like a pissed off peacock."

To which I respond sadly and quietly, "Honk!"

Ninja Illness

Have you ever noticed that during the times when you're sick enough to lose your voice and no one can hear you anymore that apparently they can't see you any more, either?

I am Ninja!

With laryngitis.

There you are, stuck with one crying child in your arms and another in a swing and you're waving your arms madly at your 6 year old as if you're trying to catch some air and she can't see you. Now, this is mitigated by the fact that she's reading and you know she can't hear anything while she's reading (apparently an inheritable trait from moi), including your desperate Psst! Psssst! Now you sound like a tire expiring upon the road, but you cannot be heard over the cries of twins.

Now what?

Now, of course, you pound on the table like you're trying to make a point in debate class. When that doesn't work, it's time to pound on the wall like an inmate trying to get out.

An inmate of the loony bin, of course.

Where else would you find such a sight? Wild eyed, wild haired, PJ-clad woman desperate to escape.

To the bathroom.

I think I might have to produce some paper signs to wave about.

I spent all night tap-tap-tapping Eric on the chest like that famous Raven, only there would be no croaking Nevermore! from my throat. Whispering just doesn't have that oomph, ya know?

Tap tap = Get the baby.
Tap tap tap = Take this baby.
Tap tap tap! = Get the other baby.
Tap tap tap tap = Take this one now.

Booting with feet didn't go over well, I noticed.

So here I sit, trapped in my own silent movie.

I am a game of charades gone entirely wrong.

You can call me Froggie

My voice, it is going...going...gone!

I am sick and have lost my voice and my will to blog.

OK, just temporarily!

The Story of Stuff

Now that the giant consumerist orgy that is Christmas is over, it's time to start cutting back on the buying. One blogger is even planning on cutting back to no new purchases for the year.

One site that kept getting mentioned was The Story of Stuff. I went, watched the movie and wanted to share it with you.

Go have a look at it and then tell me what you thought.

Presents

Beware cats that bring toys into your bed at 2 am.

Not only will their excited cat noises keep you awake, you won't like finding out that the toy is small, grey and alive.

You'll like it even less when the scenario is repeated at 6 am, with a new mouse.

Welcome to The Great Mouse Invasion, 2008.

The Trouble with Twins

is that all of your 6 year old girl friends are going to be more interested in playing with the 3 month old babies than they will be with you.

This will make you grumpy.

Wish You Were Here

But if you were, I don't know where we'd have put you!

My house is by no means a large house, but when you pack it full of friends and children it seems to shrink to Lilliputian proportions.

When it was just Eric, Caitlin and I, there was plenty of room. Then the twins came. Two of every sort of Baby Containment Device are scattered throughout the house because you must be prepared for when They Who Scream are tired of one sort of containment over another. Then Misty, Marlena, Oliver and Lee came and that was a good time (although sadly unphotographed). The house was full at that point and they weren't even sleeping over! Then Ed and Val came with their twins, Sebastian and Alexander who are only 1.5 inches shorter than Caitlin and possibly a pound or two heavier at three! Those boys are tall! My house was overflowing.

Steve and Sara came to visit and brought Audrey (Steve's mom), Hazel and Kate and then the house exploded. We all discovered just how much noise 7 children make.

Later, we swapped Steve, Sara and the girls for Scott and Sierra and the house shrank a little.

If you were here, it would have looked something like this:

Three women, three babies. Why are 2 out of 3 of them mine?

Ed plays with all of the big kids.

Audrey and Emma hang out.

Little Kate comes to visit.

Val and...Sebastian? Alexander? I am absolutely horrible at telling them apart unless I can really focus on who is who. I'm sure Val will let me know.

Boys like being hung from their ankles.

The whole gang. Three couples. Seven children. Clearly someone didn't get the message on baby-making. Here's the question: are we over achievers by having three or are Steve and Sara slackers for not having their own set of twins? Good question, eh?

Val bought Ed Guitar Hero III for Xmas and Ed inflicted it on us. Now I have Slow Ride stuck in my head forever. Many, many hours were spent playing and watching this game being played. Ed totally rocked it, too!

Scott the Elusive was tanking* the twins on and off all night. He's very good at it.

Eric working on dinner with Sierra assisting. I was busy nursing. As usual.

Eric works on the cherry port reduction for the pork tenderloin. Mmmmm! When we cook, we really cook.

Sierra goes all Martha on us with roasted green beans.

Caitlin had the best time with the twins. She went from complaining about being horribly bored the day before they arrived to being large and in charge! She loved telling them what to do and they loved doing what she said. It was great fun all around. She loved bossing them around so much that I think my twins will be in trouble in a few years.

Val snuggles Logan. At 13 lbs he was a feather weight to her compared to her boys at 50 lbs! She had to keep from chucking him at the ceiling when she picked him up. No, really!

Sierra discovers that Emma likes the taste of human flesh! Emma discovers that rosemary flavored fingers are extra yummy!

Ed shows us that there's nothing up his sleeves.
Actually, he is trying to ward off the camera here but fails his invisibility roll.
"This is not the Ed you are looking for."

Ed plays the guitar for us, even though "real guitars are for old people"**. It was awesome. It's been a long time, but he's still really good. Unfortunately he never got a chance to finish my favorite song. We did, however, get a really nice version of Old MacDonald. How things change once you add kids to the equation.

Then, after their twins passed out and my twins finally fell asleep (not before Emma through up on me one more time before 2007 ended!), we all turned on the computers that had been lurking quietly in the basement all day and played WOW until 2:15 am.

Well, OK, only Eric and I stayed up that late, everyone else wimped out earlier. Being short on sleep really does build character! Ba dum bum! Kssh!

All said and done, good friends, good food, good music, fun games and happy children rounded out the year. I hope 2008 is filled with more of the same.

What did you do?



* WOW reference. Roughly translated, it means he watched over them.
** South Park reference.

Updated to add: Eric objects to my definition of tanking and said that it's really the throwing of oneself onto dangerous critters to save the rest of the party. Which is what Scott did.

The Beringed Hand

In early March of last year I removed my wedding rings.

Today, 10 months later, I was finally able to put them back on.

Guess I'll have to stop hitting on the cute boys now that I look all married again!

Caitlin says...

"I'm really lucky." Caitlin says matter of factly at the dinner table.
"Why?"
"You guys are really good cooks (referring to the pork tenderloin with cherry port reduction sauce, mashed potatoes with Gruyère cheese and roasted green beans we had for New Year's Eve dinner), good parents and nice people. I'm glad you're my parents." Calmly continues eating dinner.
Stunned silence. "Caitlin...that was so sweet. Thank you. We're really glad you're our daughter." Hugs all around.

2008 is starting off well!

How's your year going?

The Night Before New Year's

And all through the house,
there were piles of people and even my spouse!
There was Val and Ed and twins, times two.
(There are so many people here it's really a zoo!)
Sebastian and Alexander, Emma and Logan.
"Twins Everywhere!" really should be our slogan.
Caitlin, Eric, Sierra and Scott,
Our house is full, but quiet it's not!
Happiness spills from every room.
Evildoers (in World of Warcraft) will soon meet their doom!
If only we could get my twins to sleep,
I would then be able to sheep.
Away Logan! Away Emma! Away to your beds!
I can tell that you're sleepy by the way you rub your heads!
The year is almost over, it's coming to a close.
It has been a pretty good one for us, as everyone knows,
but you must close your eyes and rest
(it really is for the best).
Then I can retire to the basement and act my age,
playing with my friends, my level 70 mage.

So goodnight, sweet children, goodnight!
I am off to fight the good fight.

Happy New Year, everybody!

A Very Mellow Christmas

We had a very mellow Christmas here at Chez Hatchet. Just a pair of gifts from Santa came for Caitlin, but she was pleased with what she got. First was a CD clock radio to replace the old one that went kaput one fine day. We tested it out with a CD of rock Xmas songs we received from Eric's ex-stepfather. They were pretty cool!

The other gift from Santa was this:
A castle block set. They are handmade in the US by The Village Blocksmith. I got the idea from Chris at Notes from the Trenches when she was reviewing toys. I must admit to really enjoying playing with them myself. I may have to buy additional pieces.

You know, I think Eric needs a catapult....
Emma bought Caitlin a prince, princess and unicorn set and they went nicely with the blocks. What timing Emma has!
You know what else I discovered?

Caitlin doesn't care for Mommy-zilla coming through and wreaking havoc on her tiny kingdom.

And...

Mommy-zilla really likes wreaking havoc.

ROOOOOOOAAAAAAR!

Three Months*

Three whole months have passed since the twins were born. Things change quickly at this stage, not least of which is the sudden jump in sleep we seem to be getting. It may just be a fluke, or a short term improvement, but I'll take it.

In the last two nights, both Emma and Logan have slept through the night. Emma is the sleeping champion with last night being her best one yet. While it took us until midnight to get them to go down for the night, once they went down Emma slept until 8:30 am. Unfortunately Logan only slept until 5:30 am, so we didn't get near as much sleep as we might have if they had been in synch. Oh well. I am holding out hope that one day he will sleep longer. I suspect he's just trying to get more feedings in so that he can surge ahead of Emma on the weight gain.

On Monday I had Eric take the twins in to the doctor because of a skin issue I'd noticed on Sunday. (I don't know about you, but I always seem to notice something wrong with my children on a Saturday or Sunday, long past business hours.) Upon returning, Eric gave me the lowdown: lucky us it's eczema, cradle cap is no worse even though the back of Logan's head is creeping me out, the vomiting isn't a milk allergy (so my love of ice cream is safe) but it does appear to be gastroesophageal reflux so we have to sit them up for at least 20 minutes after nursing to keep it under control. Regardless of how bad the cradle cap and eczema looked to me, the doctor was completely unconcerned and suggested cortisone for each. While in some ways it was reassuring that he'd clearly seen far worse cases than ours, I didn't feel reassured that these skin issues would be going away any time soon. Poor little things! Their lovely soft baby skin now feels like something you'd find on a crocodile.

We also found out that they now both weigh 13 pounds each. The two of them together are still about one pound short of Oliver's current weight. They're trying to catch up. We saw Oliver (and Misty, Lee and Marlena) on Saturday and marveled at the difference in their sizes. Yes, Oliver is 5 months older than the twins, however he is clearly built on a different scale than my children. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures since I thought I'd have a second visit with Misty but the weather interfered. Le sigh!

Moving on...

Emma has good control of her hands now and is working on determining if she likes her whole fist in her mouth or just the first two fingers of her right hand. Caitlin liked the middle two fingers of her right hand, so it will be interesting to see if that preference repeats. Logan doesn't show much interest in putting his fingers in his mouth, but is showing good control when he reaches out and plays with assorted toys on the swing, vibrating chair or playmat.

The twins have decided to become polar opposites on the bath issue. Emma loves taking a bath and hates being removed, having lotion applied and getting dressed. Logan hates being washed but doesn't mind being in the water and loves getting lotioned up and dressed. Either way there's crying in the bathroom. Thankfully Emma is no longer doing her brain melting scream, so it has become a bearable level of screaming.

My bathing beauty.

Feet!

They coo at one another a lot more now and are fascinated by Caitlin. She's the coolest thing ever and can interrupt a crying jag by singing to them. She's not always excited to be pressed into service as a baby calming device but enjoys being the one that can get them to calm down. We heap on the praise when this happens. Anytime she does anything related to the twins voluntarily we lay it on thick. Sometimes the things she sings or talks to the twins about are a little weird or heartbreaking. She was telling a crying Emma that she needed to stop crying while I was nursing Logan because it wasn't Emma's turn to get attention and that as long as Emma cried Caitlin wouldn't be able to get attention. Ooof! Have I mentioned that I'm really looking forward to the twins getting bigger and more interactive with Caitlin?

She really needs attention and now Emma knows it, too.

I tossed the twins into a pair of outfits my mom gave me and learned a little something: infant boys really don't like button down shirts. It took way more effort to get him in and out of that shirt than it will ever be worth. He objected to the business casual wear. Loudly. Emma, on the other hand, tried to eat her dress. Does that mean she likes it?

Surrounded.
Dogs from Caitlin. Bears from Great-Aunt Lenore. Bugs with links from Nana Sue.

Logan smiling at Caitlin.

Emma, captured in a rare moment not trying to eat the dress.

In some ways, it feels like a lot more time has passed than three months, while in other ways it seems like time has just whipped past. I suspect it has a lot to do with sleep deprivation: it does funny things to your sense of time. After seeing how mature Oliver looked at eight months, I'm really looking forward to seeing how the twins will develop and change over the coming months.

* I've been trying to write this post all night, but in between cluster feeds and a vomiting-while-sleeping issue (resulting in an immediate bath and a strip down of bedding), it has taken until 12:30 am to get started.

Christmas Wishes

For Christmas, I got part of two of my wishes:

No one threw up on me on Christmas and the twins slept through the night.

When I say "slept through the night" what I mean is that we put them down at 11:40 pm and they didn't wake up until 6:15 am (Logan) and 7:15 am (Emma).

This would have been perfect if Eric and I had actually gone to bed at 11:40 pm, too. Instead, being addicted to the written word we stayed awake while I had a late night snack and read parts of my new book: The New Best Recipe from Cook's Illustrated and Eric read about bacon.

No, I didn't just make that up.


Everything is funnier with a decided lack of sleep.

Tonight? Tonight I'm going to sleep right after they do. I want my 6-7 hours!

Happy Birthday Natasha Jane!

I just got a niece for Christmas!

Well, OK, the day after, but when you are born that close (imagine me holding my fingers a squintilla apart) to Christmas and your name means "born on Christmas day" it's not much of a stretch to say she was a Christmas present.

She is also impatient, since her scheduled c-section was set for tomorrow, the 27th.

Congratulations to Cindy and Jason!

And to all, a good night!

moar funny pictures

Scream a little scream of me

I sure hope Santa's bringing me a decided lack of vomit tomorrow because I've just been thrown up on by both babes within 15 minutes of on another.

Logan just screamed his way through a bath.

Good times. Good times!

On the bright sides, my cards will all be finished tonight and one person received it before Xmas. Hand delivered!

I must now go and refuel abruptly emptied infant tanks with milk.

Happy Christmas! Merry Festivus!

Next best thing to a flying car

This is the Aptera (which means wingless). They say it will get 300 mpg, 120 mile range, 90 mph max speed, 0-60 in 10 seconds and is a plug-in electric vehicle. A good question is whether it will be classified as a motor bike or a car.

Either way, I think I'd like one in silver.

Go read the whole article in Popular Mechanics.

Eric is just like this

If it's a random piece of trivia, it's rattling around inside his brain. Why? Who knows! But since he's so entertaining, I think I'll keep him.

This comic is called Candorville. One of my favorites.