Fairytale Town

On Mother’s Day weekend, I had the boys all to myself on Saturday because the Twin-Daddy had some fencing obligations that took him out of town. We were in the midst of a new round of teething, so the boys’ sleep patterns were all a bit wonky. We started the day off fairly well, but both boys were a bit clingy, tired and quick to cry. After a rather pitiful little nap, I debated whether to pack us up for the adventure I had planned. However, knowing our little guys are usually much happier when out and about still, it seemed like a good idea to brave a little crying in the short term to give them a new experience. I put in the Baby Mozart DVD to keep them entertained while I restocked the diaper bag and added a banana and cheerios for our little guys’ lunch. They were completely enthralled by the colors, animals and music. They especially like it when there are kittens that meow, dogs that bark and some ducks that quack.

Dom (left) & Alex at the Jack & Jill Well

With the car finally packed and diapers changed one last time, we headed off on our new adventure – Fairytale Town. I had been there once before with my niece Brenna, but this was the first time for Dom and Alex. They’re still a bit small for a lot of the play areas, but there was still plenty to see and do. Plus, the boys really enjoyed watching all the children running around and playing. In fact, they were two sweet, wonderful little boys who smiled at strangers and were much admired.

Alex

Alex and Dom got to see some real animals – 2 sheep, a cow, a donkey, bunnies, ducks, and 3 little pigs. They went down their first slide twice (with Mommy holding onto them), and they seemed to like it. They enjoyed playing with the handle of the water pump at the Jack and Jill well, and they crawled through a hole in a great big piece slice of yellow cheese. They even got to meet a giant tortoise statue. They also both decided to taste grass while we were sitting down for their little lunch (cheerios, banana and haffle), and it was all I could do to keep (almost all of) it out of their mouths. I ended up putting them back in their stroller to finish the meal.

Dom

I look forward to going back when the boys are walking on their own. Maybe next time I can get photos of them steering the pirate ship or by Jack’s beanstalk.

Mother’s Day

We had a quiet day with the whole family together for Mother’s Day. Dom and Alex helped Dad decorate the presents for Mom, and I got a book from each of my fellas. Yes, we love books in our household; though our books are the bane of all who help us move. Alex learned to climb on top of a tub, and he did it over and over again. He even stood up on the blue tub later. Fortunately, the Twin-Daddy was close by to make sure he was safe. Alex and Dom are both getting really good at standing, and they’ve started helping Mommy turn the lights off and on and open doors when I carry them both from room to room.

Alex (left) & Dom with Mom

It’s amazing how much a person’s life can change in a year. Last year at this time, we had found a new place to live, and we were getting ready for the big move. I was already in the full-moon pregnancy stage and struggling to keep my ankles from swelling up like grapefruit.

Dom with Mom

Now, I have two sweet little boys who continually amaze me. I love playing and snuggling with them and watching them learn new skills. Motherhood is so much more than I ever expected. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Guy Time: Alex (left) and Dom with Dad

From the Twin-Daddy:

With respectful apologies to William Shakespeare we present this short bit of theatre dedicated to mothers.

The play begins in a home with two screaming children.

Our hero is the frazzled and sleep-deprived Mary, a mother.

 

GERTRUDE: Where is the mother?

BETTY: She has stopped to check in on the twins.

GWEN: Of messy diapers, cries,
and tricks they have full three score thousand.

EMILY: It’s two to one; besides,
they never sleep
and she is awake with them the long night.

SALLY: May God help her! It is fearful odds.
God be with them, twin-parents all.
It’s quite possible these kids will be the death of her.

GWEN: Oh that she now had here
but one of those relatives that do no work today!

MARY RETURNS COVERED IN BABY VOMIT

MARY: Who is she that wishes so? Gwen?
No, my friend: If I am to lose my sleep,
I am troubled little by the night’s loss,
and if I maintain watch over these two lads,
the greater my share of love and memories.
God’s will! I tell you I wish for nothing more.
By Jove, I do not covet money,
Nor do I mind feeding them from my own body;
I think not of fancy garments to wear;
Such things are far beyond my own desires:
But if it be a sin to love my children,
I am the most offending soul alive.
No, in faith, my friends, I wish not for sleep.
God’s peace! I would not lose a single moment
that one night of sleep more might take from me.
These two are the best love I have.

 

I do not wish for one nap more!
Rather proclaim it, Gwen, to all my friends,
That she who cannot bear tough times,
Let her depart, with our blessing
and I’ll put a bus ticket into her purse:
We would not cry in that woman’s company
That fears her fellowship to cry with us.
This day is called the Mother’s day.
She that rocked her children and raised them
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse herself as she is called “mother.”
She that had children, when they age,
will yearly on the day be visited by them,
And they will say, “Today is Mother’s Day”
And she will open her babybook and show her photos
And say “These children I still love on my mother’s day.”
Old age might forget and perhaps everyone shall be forgotten,
But she will remember her children with their antics
What feats they did: then shall their names,
Familiar in her mouth as cherished words
my sons, my daughters, my babies,
Be in her glowing heart freshly remember’d.
So many things shall the good mom teach her children,
And a mother’s day shall never go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few, we band of mothers;
For she today that loses sleep with me
Shall be my sister; be she covered in vomit, babyfood, or poo,
This work makes her great:
And relatives where-so-ever they are who are now in bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their lives cheap whiles any mother speaks
That saw their baby’s smile on mother’s day.

 

We had another round of firsts yesterday (Thursday, May 5). Here are some of their new achievements:

• Dom took three steps on his own! Then, just shortly after he took 2 steps.
• Alex climbed on top of a box while holding onto the rocker in their nursery. He wasn’t so sure about his perch after he got there though.
• Dom pulled open the bottom drawer of our chest-of-drawers. He was very proud of himself too!
• Alex also managed to climb onto the plastic push-riding horse today on his own.
• Alex’s third tooth on the bottom is starting to come in. That puts him at 7 teeth – almost catching up to his brother’s 8.

9 Month Check-up

The boys were excited to see their doctor on Wednesday, and all went well – even taking their blood went much better this time. Both boys are around 25% in weight and 75% in height, and their growth curves are looking good. Both were 2 ft. 4 1/2 in. (73 cm) tall. Alex weighed 19 pounds (8.64 kg) and Dom 18 pounds 12 ounces (8.5 kg). Both of our boys tried to “help” the doctor by grabbing her stethoscope and shaking it for her, and they gave her some big, sweet smiles. We should hear back on lead and iron levels soon (common tests for 9 months).

Food

The last few days the boys have been feeding themselves more – with cheese for a couple of meals. Then, they really went crazy for their bowls of pears two days ago. Yesterday, I chopped up pears and bananas for them and threw in a few cheerios. It was a hit too. Of course, with the bowls they typically grab fistfuls of food (instead of delicately picking up individually pieces), and they get bits of food on themselves (sometimes even down their onesies), their high chairs, and the floor plus pear juice all up and down their arms. Alex usually manages to get juice in the back of his hair too, but they have lots of fun.

Sleep

Last week was a very good one for sleep, with the boys going down fairly easily and mostly sleeping through the night. Starting this past weekend, the boys have had a harder time – taking longer to go to sleep and waking multiple times in the night. There were a few nights of 4 hours of sleep for Mommy plus a short nap while the Twin-Dad watched the boys in the morning before he headed off to work. Those naps can sure help! The boys’ napping has varied a great deal this week too. I don’t doubt that Alex’s new tooth (possibly teeth, though the second one hasn’t started showing through yet) has definitely contributed to his troubles sleeping.

ODE Day

April 28th was Out-of-Diaper Experience Day in the Curtis household. The poo managed to breach containment a total of 7 times in one day (yikes!), with Dom going through the most outfits. Dom had been sick the morning before – not being able to hold down Mama’s milk, so I believe the two were related. It was a long and stinky day! Alex was still dealing with a few ODEs the next day, but things have finally calmed down on the diaper front!

Talking and Toys

Dom’s favorite sound to make right now is still “Dadada,” and he still seems to say “Dada” and “Ah-yah” in context at times for Dad and Alex. He’s been chatting away and seems to say, “Hi” sometimes. Alex is more fond of “G” sounds. Both boys are waving and clapping more.

The Twin-Daddy made the boys some new toys out of big tubs with a smaller tub inside each to rattle. Alex and Dom enjoy lifting, chewing on and beating them. Plus, they are a good size to use to stand up. Go, Twin-Daddy! He also arranged a huge pile of pillows across the middle of the Playzone this past weekend, and the boys got to practice climbing up and down the pile. They absolutely loved being dropped on the pillows.

Both our boys often fall asleep with one of their stuffies cuddled in their arms, often their dogs though sometimes Dom curls up with MoMo the Monkey and Alex with GiGi the Giraffe. Alex is especially fond of sleeping with his dog stuffie though, and he often chews on its behind as he falls asleep. Needless to say, his doggie often needs a good “bath.” They are such sweet little boys – and not just when they’re sleeping.

They have started fussing at each other sometimes when they steal each other’s toys. Alex has a plastic book he loves right now, and he’ll really fuss at Dom when Dom tries to take it. Alex will steal Dom’s toys at times, though he’s more interested in his brother’s cheerios. They still play well together and usually gravitate to the same toys or general area of the Playzone.

Today Alex took his first solo steps! He took 2 steps all on his own in an effort to get from Mom to the Playzone wall. After plopping down, he stood back up, tried again and took another 2 steps. Wow! It was wonderful to have both the Twin-Daddy and me there for this first! While we’re not in any hurry for the boys to start walking, it’s still very exciting to see them learning new skills.

While Dom didn’t solo-walk today, he did push some of his toys around and walk with them as he pushed them.

Peek-a-boo!

While playing peek-a-boo using a blanket this afternoon, Dom helped Mommy by pulling the blanket off her head a couple times (a first!). Then, he used the blanket to play peek-a-boo. Go, Dom!

Reading

Grandma Myrtle asked what the boys have been reading lately. Our boys already love their books. Of course, right now they love to chew on them whenever they get the chance, but seriously, they really seem to enjoy story time. Plus, they think books are worth crawling for. We typically read at least 7 books a day, sometimes more – with three or more before each nap and “Goodnight, Moon” followed by 3 songs before bedtime.

Right now, I end the pre-nap reading sessions with the same books and rotate the other books. The final book for our morning nap is “Caterpillar Spring, Butterfly Summer.” The boys light up when we read it, and they have huge smiles at the end when they try to grab the butterfly that pops out. Our final afternoon nap book is “Friends for Calico” with accompanying dog, cat and duck sounds courtesy of their mom. We often read “Big and Little” (our boys usually smile at the twin boys on the last page) and “Peek-a-who?” (our boys especially like peek-a-choo-choo and the mirror for peek-a-you). Plus, we read our Winnie-the-Pooh board books, our books with various animals, and on days when the boys aren’t too tired, we sometimes read longer books like “The Mitten” or “Corduroy.” On a weekend, I’ll see if we can get some video of the boys during story time.

On Easter Sunday while the Twin-Daddy was watching them, our Mr. Grabby (Alex) managed to reach the bookshelves and pull a number of children’s books down. He then found one he wanted to look at. It just happened to be “Good Morning, Chick!” – an Easter story – and one of the books Grandma Myrtle would read to the boys when they were just tiny little monkeys.

We’ll have more Easter photos of the boys to share tomorrow, but for now:

Dom (left) & Alex

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