Three Months Old :: Weather Frightful, Babies Delightful!

Snow, rain, mush... Grins, smiles, laughs... The weather is a sharp contrast to the warmth and joy inside... Both Sophia and Ethan are now sporting big, full, smiley ear-to-ear grins! :) They are both also a whopping 11.5 pounds now - almost triple their birthweights!

Sophia and Ethan were evaluated by the MA Early Intervention Program a couple weeks ago. The program provides evaluations and, if needed, ongoing services to ensure that the babies are on track developmentally. All preemies are referred to the program for evaluation. A Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, and Developmental Specialist came to our house to check the babies' progress. As it turns out, Sophia and Ethan are not only on par with their full term peers, but are even a bit advanced in their "expressive language" skills (e.g. randomly making different sounds), and their rolling skills - both babies can roll from their tummies to their backs when they first try it. It's not consistent yet but it seems like it will be soon - after that first time rolling over they seem to be too worn out to do it again! While it was reassuring to have the expert evaluation we didn't qualify for ongoing services.

I officially resigned my position as Managing Media Producer at Cengage Learning (educational publishing company). I'll be doing about 10 to 15 hours a week of consulting starting in mid-March when my maternity leave is over. It's very strange to be letting go of my career especially considering that I've been so work-identified for such a long time. Not that being a mom isn't work, but it is a very different pace and a big adjustment! The decision is definitely the right one for us and I am relaxing and enjoying my time at home in a new-mom, sleep-deprived, in-awe-of-Sophia-and-Ethan, oh-my-God-I-have-twins-how-cool-is-that, am-I-ever-going-to-get-the-hang-of-this kind of way...

We are still working our way through all of the yummy food that Papu and Yaya cooked for us. While they were visiting, they made several meals and we froze the leftovers. Among our favorites are the lentil chili, the ham and yams, and the pumpkin chicken soup. Thanks again Papu and Yaya!!! :)

During the past couple weeks we had a visit from Natalie and Susan. We had a good time catching up with them and on church news. They also brought us a wonderfully whimsical Victorian-style print of two steam-operated swan boats pulling a waterskiiing boy and girl on the pond at the public garden in Boston. It is extra-special considering that Steve and my first place together was near the public garden. Makes me smile to think about it.

Gram also came for a visit last weekend and brought us more food and goodies. She is such a great help to us when she's here!

We went mall walking this week with our friend Carol and her son Sam. Sam got his first pair of cruiser shoes! Too cute! We found out that the mall is about 1.2 miles around the perimeter. So with our 2 laps we walked about 2.5 miles. Yay for exercise and getting out of the house!!!

This weekend we went to dinner at my Aunt Jo-Ann's house with my cousins Cindy and David, and Aunt Jo-Ann's boyfriend, Guy. It was the first time Sophia and Ethan have been to another house and it went much more smoothly than we had thought! Both babies were so interested in looking around the house at all the new sights. We fed them when we arrived and they stayed awake until we fed them again two and a half hours later. It is rare for them to both stay awake that long. After we fed them the second time, they both fell asleep just in time for us to eat dinner. Actual uninterrupted grown-up dinner conversation was very welcome! Cindy has two new babies (kittens) also - Lilli and Lola. Both are extremely cute and were both curious about and gentle with Sophia and Ethan.

The cold winter view from the nursery window...

Gram dresses Ethan up as a Sheik...
Ethan plays with Daddy...

Natalie with Sophia...

Susan with Sophia...

Ethan falls asleep on Natalie - she's got the touch!

Aunt Jo-Ann with Ethan...

Cindy with Lilli...
AND NOW FOR THOSE SMILES!!!

Ethan...



Ethan...
Sophia...


Sophia says Yay!...

Ethan and Sophia...

...the first picture where they're both really smiling - next time I'll try to catch them in focus! :)

Visit with Papu and Yaya (Steph's Dad and Stepmom)

My Dad and Stepmom came to visit us from California this past week. While they were here we dubbed them Papu (Dad) and Yaya (Karen) to distinguish them from Grandma and Grandpa (Steve's parents) and Gram (my Mom).

One of the highlights of the week was getting out and going mall walking. For all of you Californians, the reason why we're going mall walking is not to go shopping, but to keep the babies warm while we walk - it snowed here yesterday and is way too cold out for our babies!!! Going mall walking requires a few things:

1. A really big mall like the Natick Mall - about a 20 minute drive from our house.


2. A focus on mall walking - not mall shopping. Sophia and Ethan like to go-go-go, so if you stop to shop you have to expect them to say something about it!


3. Good timing - Unless you want to feed the babies in the mall, you need to time your outing so that the babies eat right before you leave and plan that they'll eat right when you get home. Bring two bottles just in case (but hope you don't need use them).


4. Flexibility - Letting go, relaxing, and enjoying the experience for what it is. The goal of everything we do now is to focus on the babies and have fun. I've noticed that when my personal goals begin to compete with that (e.g. actually walking, sleeping, eating, etc.) instead of fitting into the babies' schedule, we all end up a little frustrated and cranky. It is hard at times to make it a win-win situation...

I went mall walking by myself for the first time before Papu and Yaya arrived. It went relatively well - Sophia woke up and wanted to be held but was easily soothed. I also used the double snap-n-go - the carseats just snap into the stroller base, and off you go. No transfer from car seat to stroller required. We walked for about an hour straight and then went home. I've been without exercise since August and it felt so great to really move!!!

Because we had 4 adults and 2 babies during our outing with Yaya and Papu, we decided to break out our fancier Peg Perego stroller and give it a whirl. After a quick stop at Sears to look at upright freezers, a diaper change for Sophia, a coffee break for the grown-ups, a diaper change for Ethan, and lunch for the babies we finally did get some good, uninteruppted walking in. Yay! :)

Yaya, Papu, Sophia, Ethan, and our mack truck of a stroller at the Natick Mall for Mall walking (and some mall shopping)!

Ethan, Papu, Yaya, and Sophia
Papu admires Ethan...

Sophia with Yaya

Sophia and Yaya giggle about Sophia's old-fashioned bonnet

Sophia stretches for the frog...

Playtime for Ethan...