Holiday Honeys

Hi, everyone! The boys and I are having a wonderful winter break so far. We have been playing, being silly, and playing some more!

I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a beautiful holiday and enjoys time with family and friends.

The boys have been chosen as the homepage babies on our favorite twins website, Twinsights! Please take a look at http://www.twinsights.com/. It's a wonderful site with lots of useful and fun info about twins. Right now, there are tons of adorable pics of twin holiday honeys posted, so go take a look!

Merry Christmas!

Hannukah Continued

Tonight is the last night of Hannukah and the boys have had a wonderful holiday! I don't have much news to report, but I wanted to share some cute pics with all of you! Please don't forget to leave us a comment below the pics. Thanks!

The boys got a tunnel and they LOVE it!

Riley loves his Tickle Me Elmo

Sleepy Twins and their Elmos

Ross and Elmo

Reid on his Mommy's shoulders

Ross wanted a turn on his Aunt Lys' shoulders, too!

Riley wasn't too sure about the whole idea....

Adorable Reid opening his gift

Happy Hannukah and a Major Announcement!

Happy Twins at the Children's Museum

Hi, everyone! Happy Hannukah to all of our Jewish friends and family! We celebrated the first night of Hannukah at Grammy's house last night, and had a wonderful time. Ross was mesmerized by the candles on the menorah, and after we finished singing the blessings, he was still chanting and singing in his tiny little voice. Riley was much more ready to be finished with the candles and start eating. The boys both had their first potato latkes (pancakes) and thoroughly enjoyed them. Between the menorah, dinner, and exchanging gifts, we didn't have time to get any pictures, but I promise you that all three boys looked adorable!

We also had a great time this weekend at the Children's Museum. We went with Grammy, Reid, Aunt Lys and Uncle Marc, and Uncle Marc's parents, who were in town visiting for the weekend. All three boys played and explored until they were exhausted! It was so much fun to see them all have such a good time, and Uncle Marc managed to get lots of great pictures.

And now for the major announcement: Ross took his first independent steps today! (I am totally weepy and emotional about this....my 2lb 8oz miracle is WALKING!!!) He has been holding onto my hands and going for 8-10 steps before he wants to get down and crawl. His DAFO's (braces) really do seem to help him with his balance. Then, today he took a couple of steps on his own during his PT session. Unfortunately, I was not home to see the big event, but I will try to catch it on video to share with all of you over the next couple of days. He has also invented a new mode of transportation for himself! For the past few days, he has been waiting until Riley starts to commando crawl, and then he has been climbing up onto his back and "riding" Riley across the room. He giggles the whole time and is clearly quite proud of himself for coming up with the idea!

Riley seems to be in a bit of a holding pattern with his gross motor development right now and hasn't been making a lot of gains lately. He is still working on crawling with his belly up off the floor, rather than commando crawling. (I don't really think that carrying his brother on his back is going to help him get his belly up, so maybe I should start discouraging Ross from riding him, huh?) He has been having fun inventing some new games to play with me. He likes to "hide" against my shoulder when I am holding him, and when I say "Where's Riley?" he whips his little head around and smiles at me, like "Here I am!" If I ask him where his head is, he reaches up with both hands and grabs his head and beams at me. Very cute.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did! We spent the day playing at Grammy's house, with Grammy, Uncle Seth, Aunt Lys and Uncle Marc, and Reid! All three boys had a wonderful time and Riley learned how to feed Peppe, our dog, from his high chair. It was so cute, but I couldn't get to my camera to get a picture. I did get this good one of Ross and Reid playing together before dinner, though.




The rest of the weekend was just as much fun! On Saturday, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese to play. The boys watched the show for a few minutes, but spent most of the time running and crawling all over the place. Thank goodness everyone helped me chase the boys or I am sure I would have lost one of them! I wasn't able to get any pictures, but thankfully Uncle Marc and Aunt Lys got a coouple of good ones!



All three boys watching the show...














Ross about to go down the slide








Some of you have asked about how the boys are doing with their DAFO's (leg braces). Riley has been doing beautifully with his since the first day that he got them. He spent a few hours a little unsure of how to move with them on, but he quickly got used to them and is now doing all of the same things he was doing before. He is still not able to keep his ankles straight when he stands, but he is getting better and better. As soon as I pick them up to put them on him in the mornings, he very cooperatively holds out each foot and lays totally still until they are strapped on and his shoes are on and tied. He's so cute about it!


Ross had a much tougher adjustment and was fairly miserable for a couple of days. He seemed to feel like he couldn't move while wearing them, and he just sat completely still and cried. It was heartbreaking. Then, he finally learned how to move in them, and just as quickly, he learned how to pull them off...shoes and alll! So, we had to go back to the orthotist to have extra gripping pads put into the heels to help keep them on him. We had them adjusted Friday, and he immediately starting crawling, cruising, and playing perfectly well in them! On Saturday, at Chuck E. Cheese, he wore them and crawled and climbed all over the place. He has also taken quite a few steps holding onto my hands, or Grammy's hands, which is very exciting.

Here's a picture of both boys standing in their DAFO's. You can see how they really help Ross to stand nice and straight, and that Riley is getting straighter.






Thanks to all of you who have already given me such great feedback about this new site. Please don't forget to leave us a comment and to vote in the poll!

Welcome!

Welcome to Twincredible Twosome! This is a new blog where I can continue to share news and photos of the boys with everyone. I decided to close the Carepage website because it is time to move on. The Carepage was a wonderful way for me to get info out to everyone while the boys were in the NICU. All of your comments and heartfelt messages made the days a little easier, knowing that so many people were sending love, support, and prayers as the boys grew strong enough to come home.

Then, after the boys came home, so many of you wanted to know how they were doing, how big they were getting, and what they were up to. Also, lots of you asked me to post as many pics as I could, so the Carepage was a great way to share those. However, Carepages are really meant for families who are dealing a health crisis (premature birth, illness, etc.) and I feel like we're so far past that part of the boys ' lives. I am deeply grateful that they are healthy and strong, and I just want to focus on all of the "twincredible" things they are doing now.

I am doing my best to transition to the new site without losing any of the info on the Carepage. I really want the boys to be able to see it all when they are older! I copied all of the posts from the Carepage and archived them on this site. I also archived all of the messages on the message board. Finally, I created a group in my email so I can send out email notifications (just like the Carepage did automatically) when I post and/or add new pictures. There are also some fun, new things to check out, like the photo slideshow and the poll at the bottom.

So, please stop by and check on the boys whenever you'd like! I will post as often as I can, and share as many pics as possible. If you don't want me to send the notifcation emails to you, just reply and let me know and I will be happy to take you off the list.

Thanks for caring so much about the boys!

Thing One and Thing Two and Riley's Big News

Hi, everyone! The boys have been doing so many new and exciting things! I have been meaning to post for a few days, but we've been so busy that I just haven't had time. I just posted several new pics from the past couple of weeks, including some Halloween pictures. The boys dressed as "Thing One" and "Thing Two" from "The Cat in the Hat." My most adorable nephew was a Dragonfly, and I had to include a pic of him because he looked so gorgeous!

The most exciting announcement of the week is that Riley has started to take some steps holding onto a walker! He has been working very hard in physical therapy and it is paying off! Here is a very short video (37 seconds) of his first attempt!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U3tFmWFkm9MGhZUdJC3KoA

Both boys will be getting their DAFO's (leg braces) on November 12th and I am sure they will really take off with the added stability. I have a hunch we may have some independent walkers very soon!

Thanks for checking in with us! I hope you all had a great Halloween!

Trax Farms

Hi! I just posted some new pics from our trip to Trax Farms last weekend. The boys and Reid had a good time playing in the pumpkins. I also reposted a pic from last year's trip to the pumpkin patch, because the difference in the boys is incredible! Unfortunately, the boys' nanny fell last week and broke her arm, so she is not able to pick the boys up right now. Fortunately, that means that I got a few extra days at home with them until I worked out some childcare alternatives. The boys and I have made good use of our bonus vacation time and have been hanging out with Aunt Lys, Reid, and Grammy. Of course, we also spent some time at Starbucks! I am headed back to work tomorrow, which is good, and bad at the same time. I will miss the boys so much, but I can't stay home forever. Someone has to pay the bills around here and Ross and Riley are too busy playing and napping to go get jobs! Thanks for checking in!

Bye, Bye Magical Hat!

ROSS IS FINISHED WITH HIS HELMET!!!! Yeah!!! He had his last appointment today and he has made such great progress that he does not have to wear it any more! I posted a bunch of new pics, including two of his head so you can all see how great he looks. The boys also had their 15 month checkup today and they are totally healthy kiddos! Ross now weighs 23 lbs 14 oz and Riley is 24 lbs 13 oz. They are both 31 inches tall. The boys also had their legs casted today so their braces can be made. They should have them in early November. Riley's will be covered in a truck pattern and Ross will have fish all over his! Check out the pics!

Riley's Re-eval

Riley had his annual re-evaluation yesterday and he ROCKED! His tests showed average development in social skills and slightly above average development in cognitive skills, for his real (not adjusted for prematurity) age! Way to go, Riley! He has made excellent progress in OT and only showed minor delays in fine motor skills. Although he has made progress with his gross motor skills, he is still having more significant trouble in that area. He is going to be wearing DAFO's, similiar to the ones Ross will be wearing, to help stabilize him. Overall, the entire team was pleased with his progress and I am thrilled with how beautifully he is doing!

progress

Hi! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last few gorgeous days of summer. The boys are doing very well! We had a great weekend! On Saturday, we went to the Museum with Aunt Lys, Reid, and another friend and her two daughters. Then, Saturday night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Uncle Seth's birthday. Today, we went grocery shopping and then hung out at home, playing with every single toy we own. Our living room looked like a Toys R Us explosion by bedtime! Ross had a very exciting week! He took his first few steps forward holding onto my hands! I am so proud of him! Up until now, he has only been cruising sideways while holding onto furniture. He is still having some trouble with high muscle tone in his legs, and is walking very high up on his toes, so he is going to be wearing DAFO's (ankle/foot braces) for a while to help him get the balance he needs to walk on his own. He should have the braces in a few weeks. However, this was the first time he tried to take steps forward and is a huge accomplishment! On Friday, he had his yearly re-evaluation for his early intervention services and he ROCKED! He has made great progress in PT and OT for his fine and gross motor skills and he is catching up in both areas. In fact, he has made such great progress with the torticollis (the problem he had with his neck muscles) that he now only needs PT once a week instead of twice! The most exciting news, though, is that for cognitive and social skills, he is right on target for his real (not adjusted for prematurity) age! Yeah, Ross! Riley is also doing beautifully! He is cruising much more quickly now and has a lot more confidence with his movements. He has been using some special therapy shorts that have straps to help hold his legs together while he is standing. His low muscle tone makes it hard for him to keep his legs together and he tends to slide into a split and fall down after a few minutes. However, with these shorts, he is standing for over 30 minutes at a time! It's really amazing to see how quickly he is gaining strength from using them. His re-evaluation is next week, so I will post all the good news for him after the meeting. Please take a look at the new pics I posted. Some of them are from a few weeks ago when we went swimming at Reid's house and some are from the past couple of weeks. Thanks for checking in!

Ball

Hello! I know it has been a little while since I've posted, but things are always busy at the start of the new school year. The boys are doing some exciting and fun new things. They are both cruising (holding onto furniture and "walking"). Riley said "ball" today and and handed me a ball while he said it, so I am pretty sure he knew what he was saying. They are playing together more and more, which is so much fun to watch. They look for each other as soon as they wake up in the morning and burst into giggles as soon as they see each other. They are so much fun right now! I just posted some new pics, so please take a look! Thanks!

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a great summer. We did, other than that one very long week. The boys have grown and changed so much this summer and it has been such a blessing to be able to be home for so much time with them. I am going back to work tomorrow, which makes me so sad. I am sure we will all adjust and do fine, but it is still tough to think about going back. You all know that I love what I do, and I really enjoy my students, but nothing compares to being with my sons. We had an especially fun day yesterday! First Reid and Aunt Lys came over to play and visit for a little bit. Then, we went to the Center for Creative Play, with our friend Carol, who was Riley's nurse in the NICU. We also met another mom there, and her daughter, who was in the NICU at the same time as the boys. She was much smaller and more premature than the boys, and had a harder time with medical scares, so it was truly amazing to see how wonderfully she is doing! She is so healthy, and so big and strong. She's truly a miracle! Ross and Riley had a great time playing and exploring while we were there, and they wore themselves out so much that they took a long nap as soon as we got home. Can you believe that one year ago today, my boys came home from the hospital? I remember every second of that day...mostly because I was terrified. Of course, I was overjoyed to have them home and healthy, but I couldn't help but wonder who in the heck thought it was a good idea to leave me alone with two premature infants!! I was so worried that I wouldn't know what to do. Now, I realize, like every other mom in the world, that no one knows what to do! We just make it up as we go along and let our children lead the way. Every day with them reminds me of how lucky and blessed I am...doubly blessed! I added three new pics of the boys being cute, so please check them out. To all of my teacher friends and family....I hope you all have a great school year!

Week from h-e-double-hockeysticks

Hi, everyone! I know it has been a little while since I've posted, and I'd like to say that we've been so busy having fun that I haven't had time, but that is not the case! We are doing just fine, now, but we had a pretty rough week last week. Our entire family was on vacation in Florida, but we couldn't go along because Ross can't be in the heat or get wet because of his helmet, so it didn't make sense to spend the money for airfare, hotel, etc. this summer. We will all go next year, but it just didn't make sense for us this summer. I knew we would miss them terribly, but I had no idea just how hard it was going to get to be on our own. First, Riley got sick and we went to the pediatrician on Monday and he got an antiobiotic, which immediately gave him expolosive diarrhea. Then, on Tuesday night, Ross got sick. So on Wednesday, we went back to the pediatrician and he also got an antiobiotic and, of course, also got the awful diarrhea. Then, on Thursday, that horrible storm knocked out our power and it never came back on until 5 pm SUNDAY! It was so awful to have no air conditioning and no lights, and no fridge or microwave for four days. Of course, we lost all the food in fridge and freezer and I had to use a cooler and get bags of ice each day to keep the milk and their antibiotic cold. The poor little guys were back to eating baby food all week, since it doesn't spoil. To top it all off.....Ross woke up Friday morning covered in dark red spots from head to toe! Thankfully, it was just a reaction to his MMR shot from 10 days before and didn't itch or bother him at all. I posted a couple of pics of him with his spots, which are almost all gone now. You can see from his smile that they didn't make him uncomfortable! I nicknamed him "Sir Gotalotofspots" for the weekend. Needless to say, I was so thrilled to have my family home safely on Friday! They are the only reason we made it through the weekend until the power came back on. The great news is that both boys are doing so well right now! Ross is cruising holding onto to furniture and even got his first pair of shoes! (I posted a couple of pics of that, too.) Riley is trying so hard to pull himself up to stand and is getting stronger every day. He is even starting to climb up onto things. There is a cute pic of Riley laying on the coffee table (Katie, the nanny, is holding him!) and he is leaning over the edge checking out Ross' shoes. They are both getting more teeth, which they sometimes use to bite one another, but we are working on that! Yesterday, Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid gave them the most wonderful toy....The Incrediblock! The boys had so much fun and played so hard that they wore themselves out. Ross literally chewed his dinner with his eyes closed! So, we are going to use the rest of our summer to have fun and enjoy ourselves! Hopefully, I will get lots of great pics to share with you! Thanks for checking in!

Silly

Hi, everyone! I just posted some pics I took of the boys after dinner tonight. They were in a very fun mood, and we had a great time goofing around and being silly. Take a look!

B-day pics

The boys had a great birthday! Please check out the new pics of the boys covered in chocolate cake!

Happy Early Birthday

Happy (early) Birthday, Ross and Riley! The twins will be one tomorrow! Can you believe a year has gone by already? I wanted to post this tomorrow, but I am sure it will be a hectic day, so I decided to post it now. There are no words to express how much I love these little boys. Ross and Riley are my miracles, and I am in awe of them each and every day.

Their first year has been so amazing, and I made a photo montage to celebrate this milestone. If you would like to see it, I would be honored. Just click on the link below. If you do want to watch it, just be sure to turn your volume up!

Thank you for loving my boys and for sharing their first year!

Happy 1st Birthday, Ross and Riley!

Very special birthday

Yesterday was a very special day for us! June 14th has always been special because it is Grandma's birthday...but now it is doubly special because it is also Reid's birthday! We had a double celebration at Grandma's house last night. I just posted a picture of Grandma and the twins and one of the birthday boy and his cake! I can't believe my gorgeous nephew is already one.....he's amazing and incredible! Have a great weekend!

Videos

Hi, everyone! I just posted a couple of cute pics for you to check out. The boys and I had another great weekend, with tons of playing and being silly. Ross is trying so very, very hard to crawl, and he looks so cute! If you want to see a couple of brief videos of his efforts, here are the web addresses.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=343051507022474997
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7973991088540044501
I will get some cute video of Riley next time! He was more interested in playing quietly today, which is adorable, but doesn't make for exciting videos! I hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for checking in with the boys!

Riley and Mimi

Wow! We had a great weekend! On Saturday, we went out to lunch with Aunt Lys, Reid, and Grandma and then to Grandma's house to play for the afternoon. Then, on Sunday we went to our friends' confirmation and luncheon where both boys charmed all the pretty girls. Today, we had a Memorial Day party at Aunt Lys, Reid, and Uncle Marc's house. All three boys played on the swingset for a while and then we had a delicious dinner. Ross and Riley had their very first taste of Grandma's amazing chocolate cake and they are now official chocoholics. Riley had us all cracking up because he thought Mimi, their dog, was hilarious. He laughed harder than he ever had in whole life every time she barked. So cute! I hope you all had a good weekend, too! I posted three new pictures, so take a look!

Sunglass pics

Hi! I hope you all had a great weekend. The boys and I had a wonderful time! Yesterday, we went to our friend, Cade's, first birthday party. Ross was a total flirt and charmed everyone, while Riley just wanted to cuddle with Mommy until the end, when he started giggling with everyone. Today, we went to Target, out to lunch, and grocery shopping. When we got home, we played and Riley impressed me by sitting up all by himself for 18 minutes! Ross has been sitting on his own for a little while, and I guess Riley decided that he was ready, too. Both kiddos have two teeth on the bottom now, and Ross has one coming in on top. I keep trying to catch them in pictures, but we are talking about some tiny teeth and they just don't show up! I did get some new pictures of the boys playing this afternoon and I just posted them. They are playing with sunglasses they got as a party favor yesterday and they look pretty silly. I tried and tried to get a picture of them both wearing them at the same time, but neither one would leave them on for more than a couple of seconds, so I never got one. Thanks for checking in with us! Take care!

Riley's first tooth

Riley got his first tooth!! He has been working on it for a while now and it finally poked through today. I think sibling rivalry has kicked in and he wanted to catch up with Ross! I still can't get any good pics of those tiny teeth, but I'll post them when I do. Have a great weekend!

Sharing....not

I hope you are all having a great weekend! They boys and I had some fun this afternoon and I took a few cute pics, so please take a look. Ross' tooth has now become two teeth, which are just barely visible, but they're there! So far, Riley is still toothless. For the past couple of weeks, Ross has been taking away every toy that Riley tries to play with. Even if he has the exact same toy, he will put down what he has and take whatever Riley has. Then, once he has what Riley had, he will put that in his "pile" and take the next thing that Riley picks up. It's not very nice of him at all! Usually, Riley is very laid back and lets Ross take all of the toys, but sometimes he does get angry and take something back. (I cheer him on when he does that!) I got a couple of pictures of Ross taking a toy and then of him with his pile. As you'll see, Riley finally found one "toy" that Ross can't take from him!

Ross' first tooth

Just a very quick post to announce some very exciting news.....Ross just got his first tooth! I don't have any pics yet because it's so tiny you can barely see it, but it has officially poked through his gum and is very sharp! I'll get some pics as soon as I can. Have a great weekend!

Music to my ears

Hi, again! I don't usually post again so quickly, but I have some more cute pictures and one adorable video! I have been trying so hard to get the boys to learn to take a bath in the "big boy" tub, but since they are still learning to sit up on their own, it's been tough to find something that worked for them. They are way too big for the infant tub, but I have been folding them up and squishing them in there anyway! Today, though, we got an inflatable duck tub and the boys loved it! The duck's beak quacks which made them both laugh. I let them play in it in the living room for a while to get used to it before putting it in the bathtub. When we did get in the tub, Ross was thrilled immediately, and Riley took a couple of minutes to get used to it and then he loved it, too. I got some cute bath pics, so check them out. The video is pretty short, and very cute. Ross learned how to make a new sound today, and even though he doesn't know what it means, it's my favorite sound in the world. He is saying "mama" over and over again! I am positive that he doesn't know what it means, because he said it to the orange star on his birdbath toy, to Riley, and to a washcloth in the bathtub. He also said it up and down all the aisles at Target this afternoon. But, it still made me tear up and get all emotional! Here's the link if you want to check it out:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6534566554371864875
Thanks again for checking in with us!

9 month check up

Hi! The boys had their 9 month check-up today and we got lots of good news! Ross now weighs 20lbs and Riley weighs 20 lbs 7 oz. They are both 28 inches tall. That puts them both at the 50th percentile for their real age (not adjusted for prematurity) for both height and weight! That means that they have totally caught up and are growing beautifully! We had a wonderful afternoon after our appointment. We went to the Center for Creative Play with Grandma, Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc and Reid. All three boys had a wonderful time! Check out the new pics I posted of the three of them together. Then, this evening, we went to Grandma's house to celebrate Aunt Lys' birthday! The boys surprised all of us by doing very well, despite not having any good naps all day! We all had a lot of fun! Hope you all have a great weekend!

Helmet pic

I just posted a pic of Ross in his helmet. It's not a great picture, but it's the best I could get using my camera phone!

Flying baby food

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to post a quick update to let you all know that the boys are doing great! Unfortunately, my digital camera is broken, so I can't post any new pics. You'll just have to trust me that they are still totally adorable! Riley faked me out last weekend when he started to cut his first tooth, but so far, it hasn't really come through his gum. He was pretty miserable for a couple of days with typically teething stuff, but thankfully, he is not uncomfortable anymore. No tooth, but no more cranky Riley! He's back to his usually smiling, gorgeous self! He has also developed the cutest new skill....he loves to grab my cheeks, pull my face toward his, and give me "kisses". With his mouth wide open, he basically drools all over my face and then laughs. I looooove it! Ross is also doing very well! He has been conducting experiments to see which baby foods he can spit the farthest. So far, he has managed to get apricots all over my glasses, and squash all over the wall behind his high chair. That one took some maneuvering, but he was determined. He is also sitting up unsupported for close to 5 minutes at a time, which is so wonderful!

As some of you already know, Ross has torticollis and plagiocephaly. Torticollis basically means that one of the muscles in his neck is shorter and tighter than it should be, which causes his head to tilt to one side. He has been getting PT for a few months now and is slowly stretching that muscle and straightening out. As a result of the torticollis, he has been a little slower to roll over, sit up, etc., which has meant that he has spent more time laying on his back. The tilt in his neck, and the extra time laying on his back, have created a fairly significant flat and slanted shape to his head, which is called plagiocephaly. So, he is going to be wearing a Starband, or helmet, for several months to help his head grow into a more round shape. He started wearing the helmet this week and after a rough first few days, seems to be adjusting well. I just wanted to let you know so that when you see his pics, you'll know what he is wearing. We all went out to brunch today to celebrate Aunt Lys' birthday and all three babies were wonderful! Reid and Ross had a little talk but I guess their conversation was private, because none of us know what they said! Friday will be the boys' 9 month check-up. I cannot believe that they are that old already! Thanks for checking in with us!

More videos

Hi, everyone! Ross and Riley and I had a wonderful weekend! Yesterday, we went to the park for the very first time! We went with Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid. The boys went down the slide and rode on the swings. I will post some very cute pics of them on the swings. Later on, our friends Mike and Barbara came over to visit and play. Then, we went on a quick Starbucks run for Mommy! Then, today we went out to lunch with our whole family and grocery shopping. We bought tons and tons of baby food! Then, we came home and spent tons of time playing and rolling around. Ross is really getting better and better with rolling over! Riley has learned how to play peek-a-boo and is so adorable! He laughs every time he reappears! Turn your volume up a little to hear him laughing. Here is a link to a short video of him playing if you are interested: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1743319661260737313

I also took a video of Ross rolling over and trying hard to figure out how to crawl. At the beginning, he is giggling every time I say "hi" but you'll have to have your volume turned up a little to hear his laugh. He also makes rasberries while he's moving. Here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7483658116002194378

I just posted one cute pic of the boys in new rain coats that Grandma bought them. They look adorable, and they are both smiling! Have a great week!

I just added one new pic....the one on the main page. The boys and I went for a walk last evening and they looked too cute in their new stroller. Hope you are all doing well!

Another wild rolling baby!

Yeah!!!!!!!!!! Ross is finally a wild rolling baby! He has been working so hard roll from his back onto his belly and he has perfected it this weekend! He did it once for me yesterday, and this morning, he just rolled all the way across the living room. He is so proud of himself....the smile on his face is priceless. Riley is rolling right along with him, and when their paths intersect, they stop to chew on each other's arms for a second before they keep rolling. So cute. Enjoy the weekend!

Update

Hi, everyone! I just posted some new pics and wanted to give you the latest weights...you're not going to believe them! Riley is now 19lbs 7oz and Ross is 19lbs 6oz!! They are getting so big! We had a wonderful, busy weekend! We were out and about all weekend. We went out to lunch, shopping, and to Grandma's to play with Peppe! Both kiddos are doing well. Thanks for checking in with us!

Starbucks

Hi, everyone! I just posted some new pictures so you can all see how big the boys are getting! They are 7 1/2 months old now and getting sillier every day! We have been out and about all weekend, going to lunch, shopping, and for walks in all of this sunny weather! On Friday after work, the boys and I took a walk to Starbucks and I got to show the boys off to my "friends" who work there. It was the first time the boys were in their stroller without their car seats and they really loved to be able to sit up and look around at the world. Riley smiled at every person we passed. He's such a flirt! Ross was more content to relax and watch the world go by, until he perked up when he smelled the coffee at Starbucks and then he was all smiles. I wonder where he gets that from????? Yesterday, we we went out to lunch and shopping with Grandma, Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid. I bought a lighter, easier to maneuver double stroller so the boys and I can get and about in the nice weather more often. Today, we went to lunch with Grandma and planned to walk around for a while, but it was pretty chilly when the wind blew, so we came home to play. There is a funny picture of Riley with his hat over his eyes, a book over his face, sucking his thumb and taking a nap in his stroller while we were out today. I think he was hiding from the papparazzi! There is also a beautiful picture of Ross in his stroller today. As always, thanks so much for checking in with us! Take care.

Ross rolled over!

Hi, everyone! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, but we have been very busy! The boys are both doing beautifully and learning new things every day. They got their RSV shots again this week, and the new weights are: Ross - 18lbs 1oz and Riley - 18lbs 4oz. I can't get over how close they are! Ross is really catching up! We had a wonderful visit from Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid yesterday! All three of the boys played and were adorable. We only got one picture, but it's a cutie! I just posted it and it should appear at the top of this page! Ross made the visit even more exciting by rolling over for the first time! Thanks to Uncle Marc, we were able to catch him on video, so if you want to check it out, here's the URL:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1140354977755612184
The boys have also learned something new together. Right now, it's pretty funny, but I am sure that it will stop being cute soon. They love to spit their food at each other and at me! For the record, Riley started it, but Ross quickly joined in! Thanks for checking in with us!

More videos

Hi, all! I hope you all stayed warm during that frigid weather. School was cancelled on Monday and Tuesday, so the boys and I enjoyed our two bonus days at home. Riley is rolling all over the place and laughing as he goes. Ross had made great improvements in lifting his head while on his tummy, and he has started to try to crawl. He isn't quite up on all fours, but he is moving! Both boys are so much fun right now and are interacting with each other more and more each day. I have posted some new pics, so please take a look! I took a few more videos, but they aren't as funny as the other ones were. There is a pretty cute moment toward the end of the first one. I did try to get one of Riley actually rolling, but I missed it! I'll keep trying. Anyway, if you are interested, here are the URL's to cut and paste:
The boys playing. This is long but funny towards the end:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4817039556630280939
Just a short clip of the boys playing:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=140204747865659270
Thanks for checking in with us!

Wild Rolling Baby

Hi, everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that Riley is a wild roller! He has now learned how to roll from his tummy to his back, and then back onto his tummy! He spent most of yesterday rolling across the living room floor, accompanied by a very loud Tarzan yell. I will try to get it on video this weekend, if I can. It's very, very funny! He also woke up at 5am this morning and immediately rolled over in his crib and started to laugh. Ross is also making wonderful progress with his PT and can now lift his head nice and high while on his tummy. He is actually starting to look like he will roll over onto his back very soon. This week, the boys have also started to have conversations with each other. When I put them in seats near eachother, Riley usually reaches out to hold Ross' hand and then they "talk" to each other. It's absolutely precious and I will try to video tape that, also, if I can. Thanks for checking in with us!

All caught up!!

Hello, everyone! I just wanted to let you know that the boys' checkup was wonderful! Their new weights are fabulous! Ross is 16lbs 15 oz and 25 inches long. Riley is now 17lbs 8oz and 25.5 inches long. Those weights put them at the 48th and 50th percentile for their REAL age! That means that they have already caught up from their low birth weights and are right on track in terms of weight gain, which is so exciting! They are still a little shorter than most babies their age, but they will probably catch up in the next few months in terms of height, too. Ross does need a little PT to help with his head tilt, but it's not a big deal. He should be all straightened out(pun intended!) in a few months. Thanks for reading!

6 months

Happy Half-a Year Birthday, Ross and Riley! Can you believe that they are 6 months old today? I posted a couple of pics I took this morning, so please check them out.

Videos

If any of you are interested, you can check out these three short video clips of the boys.
Ross getting kisses: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3553503573510951403
Ross Talking: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3972422231842415256
Riley: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1242793846439501900

Finally!

The boys are finally big enough to play with the exersaucer! I just posted a couple of pics of them checking it out!

Update

Hi, everybody! The boys and I are having a wonderful weekend! Yesterday, we went shopping with Grandma, Aunt Lys, and Reid and today we went out to lunch and to Target with Uncle Seth, Grandma, Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid! The boys ate solid food out at a restaurant for the first time and they both did very well! They are doing so well with eating solids and are now able to eat a wide variety of foods. Luckily, their wonderful cousin, Reid, has already taste-tested most of the baby food out there and can give us suggestions on what the most delicious foods are! Tonight, the boys had macaroni and cheese for dinner and Hawaiian Delight for dessert. Reid was right! Both of my kiddos were thrilled! The Hawaiian Delight actually made Riley dance in his seat! Both boys are making more and more sounds and becoming more interested in reaching out and holding onto things. Riley has figured out how to make one of the toys on his bouncy seat play music and he pulls it constantly now! Ross figured it out and did it once, but he prefers to squeal and sing to make his own music. I posted a few new pics, but I haven't gotten any good ones of the boys together recently. I'll aim for that tomorrow! Thanks for checking in with us!

Weight gains!

Hi, everyone! I only have a couple of seconds to write, but since so many of you ask about the boys' weights, I wanted to let you know that Ross is catching up to Riley very quickly! We had to make a trip to the pediatrician today because Riley has been having a little more trouble with his reflux (he's fine...just needs a little more medicine) and while we were there, both kiddos got weighed. Riley is now 16lbs 11oz and Ross is at 16lbs 6oz! I can't believe that there is only a 5oz difference between them now. I will try to post some new pics and more news this weekend.