Bush's retirement party

We had a little last minute inauguration party to celebrate Obama's new job, and perhaps more importantly, George Bush's retirement.

Here's a picture of Julie and Erin holding Evelyn.

Bath Time

The girls have graduated to the big bath tub. They enjoy playing in the bath together so much. We have quite a few bath toys, but I'm discovering that one can never have too many bath toys. Their favorite is still the little blue plastic bowl the hospital used to give them their first bath.

The weather was so beautiful today that we just had to play outside. Its hard to believe that its suppose to be winter. All the neighbors and their kids were playing outside too. We live in such a great area for kids.

Andre went up to Dallas this weekend. My grandmother left me her player piano when she died and my cousin has been holding onto it for the better part of a decade. My uncle Russel was restoring it when he passed away and so its in pieces. But we're excited to have a piano and a family heirloom for the girls. I believe the player part has been removed, but I've seen places online where you can buy replacement parts. And you can still buy old player music rolls. It will still work as a piano even without the player, which is how my grandmother used to play.

I asked my dad when my grandmother bought it and he said he didn't know. He said it seemed like she had always had it. From a basic online search, I'm thinking its from the 1920s.

I loved that piano and wanted to take piano lessons so badly as a child. We didn't have a piano when I was a kid and couldn't afford the lessons even if we did. I used to convince my friends who were "forced" to take lessons to teach me songs they learned. I still remember 'The First Noel' and surprised Andre when I played it on the girls' Winnie the Pooh push car/piano. ha

Anyhow, it means a lot to me that my grandmother left me the piano. They didn't have many possessions and I know that piano meant a lot to her. She was a school teacher and won an award one year when her students scored the highest reading scores in the district. She realized that people learn best when they use as many of their senses as possible. And so she taught her students to read by singing out of song books as she played the piano.

It'll be great for the girls. Luckily we have a few years to put it together before they'll be ready to play.

Ro-ro, Micken and the joy of sleeping

The girls are doing really great. Their new sleep routine has worked out very well. The first couple of nights they woke up just once or twice and now they seem to be sleeping all the way through. They're ready to go to sleep earlier, but their naps are shorter during the day. Sleeping a full night is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I even managed to win two trials.

Rowan has been very silly lately. Tonight she was dancing to the ABC song from one of her toys. And yesterday she growled at Evelyn when she took something away from her. Here's a picture of her four teeth. She has two in the middle on the bottom, and then her vampire teeth on top.

She's so active and adventurous. The other day she was in the dinning room, I walked into the kitchen to pick up Evelyn...it took half a minute at most...and when I went to get Rowan she had crawled halfway up the stairs. Since then we have been very diligent on making sure the gate is closed leading to the stairs. But its just crazy.

Our house is in this constant state of rearrangement and baby proofing. I think the word "baby proofing" is misleading. "Baby" too often means "little," or "smaller" or "not as strong," as in "baby Tylenol" or "baby clothes," or even just "baby." Its just too easy to think, "what could a baaaaby do? an itty bitsy cutie pie like that? why, they couldn't do a thing." Which I am discovering is very far from true. So instead of "baby proof" what they should call it is "Nearly Impossible Proofing," or perhaps "Get Rid of Everything You Spent So Much Time and Money to Acquire Proofing," or the more simple and still effective "Fort Knox."

The girls are both growing so fast. Now that they are crawling they are looking more and more like little kids and less like little babies. They're both fitting into 12 month old outfits now.
Evey is something else too. I haven't seen her steal very many toys from Rowan, but if Rowan has a bottle--watch out. And it doesn't matter that Evey has her own, oh no, she want's Rowan's bottle too.

Her hair has been growing a lot. She has lots of curls. After a bath her curls will curl up really tight all over her head and she looks like I did when I was little. Then after playing a while her hair will get this wild, crazy, Albert Einstein look.

Sleep Deprivation

There are certain things in life that you can't possibly appreciate until they are gone. Like the memory of being full when you're starving. Sleep is one of those things and for the past nine months we haven't been getting nearly enough. With two babies waking up in the middle of the night, we're getting up four or five times every night. Some nights as soon as we get one baby back to sleep the other starts crying. Those are the rough nights, as are the times I'm getting up at 6am to get ready for court. I've been so tired lately that I feel nauseous all the time and I'm getting bad headaches and I'm nearing rock bottom with my Dr. Pepper addiction.

Now as far as I can tell, there are two main theories you'll see displayed in bookstores on parenting. One is "attachment parenting," and the other is the "parent centered" approach. There are two things you need to know about these styles: the first is that everyone has an opinion and the second is that you're better off discussing the benefits of communism to a room full of trust fund beneficiaries.

Each style has a specific method for getting a baby to sleep--and the spectrum is: letting the baby cry to sleep from birth to sleeping with your parents indefinitely. Most people fall somewhere in between, except for really annoying people who's babies sleep all through the night from the time they were brought home from the hospital--these people are imaginary and don't actually exist.

And so we have decided. Something had to be done. And although we have always been the attachment style type of parents we are now also "ferberizers."

We moved Evelyn's crib into the guest room. Moved her white noise machine (air fliter), gave her a nice nightlight. We gave the girls lavender scented aromatherapy baths, we feed them rice and grains to keep them full throughout the night and kept them on their routine. Andre took the first shift and everything went quite well. The girls only woke up once each and went back to sleep very quickly. He checked on them, then went in again at 5 minutes, then 10 and they fell asleep on their own.

It was awful to hear them cry, even for a moment. I wanted to pick them up and bring them into our bed and snuggle next to them. But this morning I felt really great. I felt like I had slept soundly for the first time--ever. And I felt like I could be a better parent too. Instead of struggling to stay awake as I fed them breakfast, I put on some podcasts, laughed with them, made myself breakfast too, and enjoyed my time with them. And they seemed fine this morning too.

so tonight is my turn and so far so good...both babies are sound asleep in their beds and I am off to mine.

Us as Babies

People are always asking us who the girls look like. I think they look a bit like both of us, a bit like various family members, and a bit that is uniquely just them. But just for laughs, I uploaded a few pictures of Andre as a kid and one of myself.

Happy New Year

This year we spent New Year's at Jaime and Beatriz's house (Andre's cousins). I can't say enough about how much fun we had. First of all, Jaime and Beatriz are awesome and we always have a great time with them. They are intelligent, kind, fun-loving people who have traveled and lived all over and always have interesting things to talk about.

So of course, people like this know other interesting, intelligent, fun-loving people. Several people were from South America so we practiced our Spanish a lot too. I enjoyed talking to everyone I met. There was amazing food as well.

As the night went on they moved furniture around and everyone started dancing--and I mean everyone. It didn't matter if you were four years old or seventy-four, you were dancing and probably knew the words to the song too. They played all types of music: Latin, rap, pop--we even danced to the YMCA.

Here's a clip of Andre dancing; it's pretty dark, but the video was from my digital camera:


New Years Eve from Leigh on Vimeo.


At midnight we drank champagne and ate grapes for good luck. Andre and I called it an early night and left before one. The party was just getting started, but my mom was watching the girls so I didn't want to stay out late.

It has been a great year for us--here's to many more.

Happy New Year everyone!

Xander and the Post Christmas Party

Christmas weekend we drove to Houston to meet up with Andre's dad and stepmom. They were surprised at how much the girls have changed since Thanksgiving. We put the girls on the floor next to each other and showed his parents how they can speed race (crawling). Its very funny.

We spent the night in a nice hotel which I love to do. One of my very first jobs as a teenager was working at the Sheraton so I always find it a treat to stay in a nice hotel. It was nice to see his parents again too even though our time went by fast.

Anyway, the next day we met up with the Houston family clan. Michele and Peter brought their new baby Xander. He is an absolutely gorgeous, good-natured, little boy. Here's a picture of Michele with Xander.

Andrea and Matthew also brought Avery who is the same age as Rowan and Evelyn. Here's a picture of Andre's stepmom Eileen holding her. She's super cute with her little dimples. I'm so glad that the girls have so many cousins. We had a really good visit.

Christmas!!

We celebrated our first Christmas with the girls this year.

We spent Christmas Eve at our friend's Kate and Kevin's house. They had a New Years Eve party for their family and friends. We have known so many of their family members that its always fun to see them. Myles and Bri came into town too.

Christmas morning we woke up early with the girls and went downstairs. We hadn't wrapped the girls' gifts yet, and thought, "they're so little, lets just give them the presents." So as the girls were eating breakfast Andre brought their gifts in from the garage. As soon as they saw them they became very excited, waving their hands around and babbling. We hadn't expected them to understand that they were for them. So we wrapped their gifts and let them open them one at a time. Of course, once wrapped, the paper became so much more interesting than the gift.

I don't think any of us really think about how old we are on a day to day basis. I still feel the way I have always felt. Yet there are moments when it hits you: when you think about the fact that you're paying two mortgages, or professionally responsible for other people, the first time you say, "my kids,"...well, Christmas morning was another such moment. As Andre and I were drinking our cup of tea in our pajamas, videotaping our girls opening presents, fishing wrapping paper out of their mouths, and assembling various toys it struck me just how "mature" we really are. Then Andre thew a wad of wrapping paper at me, hitting me on the side of the head and its all normal again.

The girls got a lot of toys, some new clothes, books...the whole works.They seemed to be interested in everything. Santa got them a little Winnie the Pooh push/ride toy that also has some piano keys. When the rider pushes the keys the little Winnie the Pooh figures dance around. The girls took turns riding their little toy around the living and honking at the dogs.

Rowan loves animals, especially dogs. Every time she sees a dog she gets really excited. Well, we bought the girls this little plastic pull along dog--the kind they've sold since I was a kid--and she was so excited to see it. Hilarious.


That afternoon we went over to my sister's house to celebrate with her and Scott and the kids, my grandmother and mom. The girls opened more great presents and we all played Boccie Ball on Forrest's Wii. It was nice just to be together laughing and playing.

Santa #2

The girls saw Santa again this weekend and were not impressed. Rowan is cutting another tooth and has been a bit cranky. She started saying "moma" tonight. It was sort of mixed in with complaints, but she said it over and over all night.

Evey has also started talking, she said "dada" a few days ago. It was really clear, but she only said it once and then laughed in a way that suggested she knew she had done something neat. She can crawl forwards now too and Rowan can stand if she holds onto something.

I haven't noticed any twin language between the girls. But I have seen Rowan push Evelyn out of the way to get a toy and Evelyn will start crying because of it. I've also seen Evelyn take a bottle right out of Rowan's mouth and put it in her own.

Two in a Tub

Mimi and Evey

Ro-ro

Rowan has a soft, material toy with cut out shapes and corresponding soft blocks, balls, etc., that fit through. Anyhow, she has become fascinated with looking through the holes to the other side. Its very funny. Here are a few pictures I got of her today.

McNugget

Santa

The girls saw Santa and Mrs. Claus for the first time this weekend. Their cousin Sydney's school had a Breakfast with Santa. I've seen better Santas, but I was glad the girls weren't scared. They're so happy with people. They wore their ultra-cute little Christmas outfits that their Aunt Ivette gave them. Everyone oooed and awed over them.

Peek-a-boo

We've been playing peek-a-boo with the girls for a while now and they always start laughing. Well, this morning I put the girls in their crib as I was getting ready for work in the bathroom a few steps away. When I stuck my head out the door to check on them Evey and Rowan had a blanket and were playing peek-a-boo. It was so funny I ran downstairs and grabbed the camcorder.


Peek-a-boo from Leigh on Vimeo.

I especially love it when Evey thinks she's hiding but you can still see her.

Babies First (and 2nd First) Turkey Day

We celebrated the girl's first Thanksgiving this past week. Andre had to work the night before and so the girls and I spent the morning together.

They woke up about 6:30am and we bundled up, started a fire in the fireplace (even though it was 75 degrees outside), made a soft play mat on the floor and waited for the parade to start on television. The girls crawled around while I finished baking and then we just played and watched the parade.

It was a simple, and awesome way to start the day. As cheesy and trite as it may sound, I teared up a few times thinking about how thankful I am to have our girls and Andre this year. They must have felt it too because they both wanted to sit in my lap and began to cry anytime I attempted to set them down. Its no easy task holding two big babies. You must hold them extra tight with lots of kisses.

I occasionally thought about how I should be "doing something," cooking or cleaning or...something to prepare for the holiday. But then I remembered how ridiculous that is, how all I wanted to do was hold my babies and enjoy our time together, how it was our first Thanksgiving together and all I really needed to do was be with them. So that's what a did. And it was great.

We picked up Andre from work that afternoon and headed up to my mom's for Thanksgiving dinner--which starts so early it should really be called lunch, or at least linner. When we arrived my uncle was moving an exercise bike to the neighbor's house. My ever practical mother never misses an opportunity for free labor. "Welcome to Thanksgiving," I said to Andre who had come prepared with some sort of hole digging tool.

Two sets of aunts and uncles were there along with a couple of cousins, my grandmother, my sister and her kids, and my uncles super smart standard poodle...it was great. The girls were passed around so much they never touched the floor. Even my uncle's dog liked them.

The next day we woke up early and headed up to have Thanksgiving again with Andre's family. You'd think we were already fat enough and couldn't possibly eat anything else, but you'd be wrong. We managed to find the space to eat more delicious food while enjoying our time with Andre's family (I'd list them all, but there were quite a few people there and as the night went on, people kept coming). We always have the best time. I love it and all the people there.

His sister and her kids were there too. The kids are growing up so fast, its kind of surreal. I remember my first Thanksgiving with them and how her little boy was just starting to walk. It was good to see them. She also gave the girls the adorable dresses they are wearing above.

The girls had such a good time they didn't want to miss a thing by doing silly things like sleeping. They eventually lost the battle and fell asleep in our arms, thus ending their 2nd First Thanksgiving. We stayed up late singing Elton John and old blues songs while Mitch played the piano. Well, I had the decency (and the sobriety) to mostly listen along this year. All in all it was a very good day.

Grandparents!!

Evey and Ro got to meet more grandparents today. Andre's dad and step-mom flew in for the holidays. The girls adored them both so much and they adored the girls too.

Rowan laid her head on her grandfather's shoulder as soon as he picked her up. And Evelyn just loved Eileen. She laughed and tried to hug her in her baby way. Its like the girls knew they are their grandparents without anyone having to tell them. I guess there are some ties we have that don't need an introduction for.

Seeing the girls with their grandparents really makes me miss my own Papa. I think of him so often. I really wish he had been able to meet the girls. I know he would have been head over heels for them. My grandparents were so important in my life. It makes me happy to see the girls spending time with theirs.

Git along little pony

Christmas came early at our house this year. I just couldn't resist getting the girls this adorable radio flyer pony. Both of the girls love it. They can't quite make it bounce back and forth, but they kick their feet and make the pony jump.

Halloween

This is us at Halloween this year. I was Little Bo Peep, Andre was the big bad wolf, and then of course, we had our two little sheep. My mom made my costume--which was awesome. It had a hat too, but it didn't stay on very well with the babies pulling on it.

We started out the night trick-or-treating with our neighbors. They have two little boys and a daughter who is just a few months older than our girls. The boys were so funny: they really made it a fun night. All the kids in the neighborhood were out and we saw a few people we knew. People's houses were done up so well and lots of people just set up lawn chairs in their yards and handed out candy, chatted, and had a good time.

Later on in the evening we took the girls to a firefighter party. We brought their pack-n-play so they could go to sleep when they got tired. They even had extra cute Halloween pajamas to change into. Of course, everyone ooo-ed and ahhh-ed over how cute the girls were.

Everyone was dressed up and people really go all out. You'd think with all those people in costumes that the girls might be a bit freaked out, but the only costume that scared Rowan was our friend who was dressed as a doctor. He was wearing green scrubs, the hospital kind; and Rowan who had been in a good mood looked at him and suddenly started crying. Poor baby. Maybe she was remembering her birth--which was certainly traumatic for the both of us. My doctor was wearing scrubs just like that too. Who knows...

The only costume that frightened me was our friend Lyzz's who was dressed as Sarah Palin. She could even do the voice perfectly. She kept saying, "You betcha" and winking. Very scary.