Laughter Is Best Shared

It’s been too long since I put a post up, and the boys have continued to learn and explore their world. Let’s start with a little joy:

Now the update:

A Twin-Daddy Weekend

The Twin-Daddy took the nightshift Friday and Saturday, and he enjoyed spending Saturday and Sunday with Dom and Alex while Mom worked on her dissertation. He challenged them to practice all sorts of skills. He also found new ways to make Dom and Alex laugh – like using some of the toys to make funny noises and letting one boy ride on the lion toy while he pushed it toward his brother. He took them to the park too on a bright, sunny day so they could swing and play in the grass.

Playzone Joy

Dom and Alex like playing in the Playzone and with the toys on some of its panels. It didn’t come a day to soon as Alex had started trying to explore ever more territory. It’s been a great relief to us when watching them because you don’t have to worry quite so much. I still spend a good bit of the time in the Playzone with them, though sometimes I’ll be sitting just outside it where I can keep an eye on them. They have been enjoying exploring the area, and we trade out the toys to keep them entertained. Dom and Alex have started using the walls to pull themselves up to stand too!

Alex loves to stand and play.

Dom is having fun.

Mommy Time

I’ve been playing games with the boys where I hide items while they watch, and then they retrieve them. So far, Dom has been more interested in finding the hidden treasures. I have also been tempting the boys to crawl by placing items of interest across the Playzone from them. Dom tends to get frustrated because he has trouble moving forward, so after he makes a few attempts, I’ll help him walk or crawl. Over the last few days, Alex has started crawling a few steps and then lunging and wiggling while he kicks his legs to propel himself forward. Some of the best items to tempt them with? Musical toys, their favorite stuffies, books (especially Mom’s books, but they love their books too), the keyboard, the iPhone and the diaper bag.

Little Triumphs

• March 7: Dom stood up (from sitting on our lap) and took a step on his own – though still a bit wobbly and experimenting with standing overall.
• This Past Week: Alex continues to practice standing every time he goes down for a nap and while playing, and he’s becoming ever more stable. He’s started balancing himself with just one hand.
• March 9: Dom used the Playzone walls to pull himself up to stand for the first time! (I tried to get a photo of him standing there, but he fell right as the camera came online.)
• March 9: Alex achieved very short bursts of crawling combined with some scooting and wiggling to propel himself forward and reach the object of his desire – the Great Dane stuffies. He later repeated his feat of forward movement to reach a Winnie the Pooh book, but he used his more traditional sit-and-sprawl technique most of the way. Still, he’s now able to set a goal and reach it – as long as he’s motivated enough.

A happy Alex!

Play Date

Tuesday night we headed off to visit our friends Laura and Andrew and their 5-month-old boy Teddie. Even though it was past the twins’ bedtime, they had a good time playing with Teddie. When the boys went to sleep, we ate a yummy dinner followed by some delicious cookies and muffins while we grown-ups played. Fun for all!

Dom: Happy! Happy!

Alex: Joy! Joy!