Baptism

The boys were baptized at Dauphin Way United Methodist Church on January 13.  Scott's dad and his friend Rosemary came down for the special event, as did my mom. 

The baptism took place during our regular Sunday church service.  The boys did great.  Neither one of them freaked out, screamed, or had any sort of diaper blowout - this despite the fact that they had wet heads, were passed around among two different pastors, and were walked up and down the aisles of the church by these "strangers."  I was so proud of my big boys! 

It was an incredibly special day and weekend.  We ate several great meals at home, including brunch after the service.  I couldn't eat most of what was served (Deuce was still controling my diet), but I did allow myself to eat eggs for the first time in a VERY long time.  Delicious! 

Here's a picture from before the service (gowns courtesy of their grandma, Gigi):

Roll Tide!!!!!!

OK, so a little late for this post (as per my usual MO).  But, you know, better late than never.

Alabama won the national championship again this year - second year in a row and third time in four years.  Nick Saban certainly knows what he's doing.  This time, we beat Notre Dame.  Having grown up in Chicago, which boasts an amazing number of obnoxious Notre Dame fans, I couldn't have been more thrilled with the result.  We embarrassed them, plain and simple.  Love it!

The boys passed out before the game started, so they missed most of it.  Well, Deuce missed all of it.  Tait woke up for the second half.  I suspect he only woke up b/c he knows that the only time TV is on at our house is for sports (which, for all intents & purposes, has meant college and professional football so far, though we're now getting into some hockey at their father's insistence . . . ).  Here are some pictures from the game, which we watched at home (very low key):

(Roll Tide.  And, yes, Tait is wearing camo in addition to an Alabama onesie.  Yikes.)

 

(Watching the game with daddy).

 

(Watching the game with mama.)

 

(Fell asleep; not enough excitement in the game.)

 

(Same.)

 

(Awake again for the end.  Roll tide!)

 

I ordered the boys official championship t-shirts (and, of course, the newspaper from the day after the game). I think that will be cool for them to have when they are my age - I'd love to have one from the 1977 college football season (I was born in 1978).  It was sort of interesting trying to guess what size the boys might be when they are all grown up.  We ultimately ordered two large t-shirts, even though we probably should have gotten at least one small or medium (Deuce, I'm NOT looking at you buddy . . . ).

Until next football season, Roll Tide!!!

Go U Northwestern!

On New Years Day, we ate black-eyed peas and collard greens - a Southern tradition thought to bring good luck & prosperity in the new year.  And good luck we got!  Northwestern ended its 60+ year bowl game winning drought by beating Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl.  The score was 34 to 20.  And, with that win, Northwestern beat TWO SEC teams in the same year (granted, they were Vandy and Miss State, not Alabama and LSU . . . ).  The boys were decked out and cheering for the Wildcats during the game:

 

Go 'Cats!!

(Belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Last year at Christmas, we told my parents and Scott's dad that I was pregnant with twins.  That seems like a lifetime ago!  It was so wonderful to have the boys here with us this year - they made the holiday very special. 

Typically, we spend Thanksgiving at my parents' house and go to Connecticut to visit Scott's family for Christmas (sometimes after Christmas, depending on Scott's work schedule).  We weren't able to make it to Connecticut this year because the boys are too small to travel that far, but we can't wait to head that direction this time next year - I want the boys to see snow, spend time with their grandpa/aunt/uncle/cousins, and (in the coming years) experience New York City at Christmastime. 

For this year, though, we stayed closer to home and headed to my parents' house in Wilcox County, AL.  It's about a two-hour drive.  We had to take two cars - scratch that, two SUVs - to get us, our stuff, and our dogs up there.  Crazy.  Especially considering that my mom has bought basically everything the boys could ever need anyway (cribs, jumpers, diapers, etc.).  We've got a trip to Colorado planned this March and I have no idea how we're going to get everything we need out there.  FedEx???

We were at my parents' house for almost a week to celebrate the holiday.  The boys were a little fussy all week (Deuce in particular), but I think it was just because they were totally off their schedule.  They were also held basically the entire time we were there, which made my life a little difficult for a day or two when we got home.  Fortunately, everyone seems to be back on track now. 

Aside from the fussiness, we had a great time at my parents' house.  We basically did nothing but lounge around.  But it was so special to see my brother Bo, who lives in Chicago, bond with the boys.  (Unfortunately, my other brother, Chip, got sick, so he didn't make it up to my parents' house.).  I routinely passed one of the boys off to Bo to hold for me while I tended to the other one.  He did great, though he flat refused to change diapers (as did my dad . . . ).  One of my favorite moments was when Bo, who is very into music, got super excited to hold Tait and listen to some of his favorite songs with him.  So, so sweet. 

Here are some pictures from Christmas week:

(Happy Tait; look at those sitting boys!)

(Happy Deuce)

 

(Deuce's post-nursing rosy cheeks)

(Best we could manage; Deuce was not in a good mood and had apparently lost his pants . . . )

(Big Daddy & Deuce)

(Uncle Bo & Tait)

(What do you think they are talking about??)

(Morningtime Tait)

(Playing Deuce)

(Playing (and a little wide-eyed!) Tait)

(Deuce; mohawk in front of the poinsettias)

 

 (Big Daddy, Uncle Bo, Scotty)

 

We did have a little unwanted excitement on Christmas Day.  Around 5pm, Scott & I both got several phone calls from friends in Mobile asking if we were ok.  "Yes, sure, we're ok," we responded, "why do you ask?"  "Because a tornado just slammed through Midtown Mobile."  Ugh, what?  Turns out, the dang thing devastated several streets approximately a block from our house.  I'm so glad we weren't there!  Our house wasn't damaged but it would have been terrifying to experience a tornado that close.  The same storm that went through Mobile rolled through Wilcox County a few hours later.  There was a tornado warning, so we hunkered down in the interior portion of my parents' house for nearly an hour.  Somehow, we (me, Scott, the boys & our dogs) ended up in a dusty closet while my parents took the wine cellar.  They definitely had the upper hand in that arrangement.  Things got a little tense when it started hailing, but the tornado missed us by several miles so all ended well.  I wish I could say the same for our neighbors in Mobile - the devastation is unbelievable.  They are saying $10 million alone to Murphy High School.  Seeing the destruction, it's amazing no one was killed.  A true Christmas miracle!  Here are some pictures from our "bunker:"

(Hanging out outside the closet b/c the storm wasn't too close yet.)

 

(In the closet after it started hailing!)

We were supposed to head to New Orleans for New Years Eve.  We were going to have a pajama party with several friends (and all our kids).  Unfortuntely, Scott found out he had to work on New Years Day at the very last minute so we didn't make it to New Orleans.  Instead, we had a very relaxing night at home.  I was feeding one of the boys (Deuce I think) when the clock struck midnight.

Happy New Year!!

Hair and other stuff.

It's been forever since my last post.  Sorry.  I've been using all my free time (after the boys go to bed) to either work out or address Christmas cards.  I'd promise to be better about updating in the future but we all know that's not going to happen.  So I'll continue along with these somewhat periodic posts as best I can.  And, with all that unnecessary ado, here's an update of what's been going on around here lately:

Hair is a big issue right now, mine in particular.  It has been falling out in clumps since the boys were 3 months old and it shows no sign of stopping anytime soon.  Boo!  Thankfully, I started off with a lot of it.  Hopefully I'll still have some left by the time summer rolls around.  In other hair news, Tait has a head full of red hair.  And I mean fire engine red.  Where'd he get it from??  No idea.  My mom claims her mom (my grandma, Mimi) has red hair, but I've never seen any red in it.  [And, full disclosure, my mom also claimed Tait had inherited "our" beautiful olive skin shortly after he was born; turns out he was just jaundiced.  So, though I love her to death, you sort of have to take what she says with a grain of salt.].  But, yea, red hair.  W/ red eyebrows and everything.  Crazy!  Deuce also has hair now, but his is blond.  Both boys also appear to have curly hair.  When I told Scott that it looked like their hair was going to be curly, he was disappointed (but come on, he had to know that was a possibility, right??).  Also on Deuce: his hair came in on top long before it came in on the sides, which caused Scott to nickname him Ponyboy for a while.  :)

In developmental news, both boys are doing well.  Each can sit so long as they are using their arms to support themselves and Tait is a rolling over machine.  Deuce has rolled over a few times on accident, but he doesn't seem much interested in doing it purposefully.  We've met with Deuce's physical therapist (she's fixing his mild torticollis) and I've got to meet w/ her again after Christmas.  Hopefully there will be some improvement.  I can tell you that he HATES the stretches she makes me do to his neck.  At the first appointment, she made Deuce do tummy time, which we do all the time at home (though, to be fair, he doesn't like it much and has never liked it much).  He did nothing but lay there and scream his head off - refused to lift his head an inch.  She looked at me like a degenerate mother and told me I needed to "increase his tummy time."  How do you explain to someone that doesn't know your child that, even though he's only five months old, he only does what he wants when he wants!  If he doesn't want to do tummy time on your schedule, then he doesn't do it.  That said, I've taken some pictures of him doing it at home so she knows he can do it.  (I'm ignoring that she's probably going to think I'm insane for taking tummy time pictures . . .)

The boys are also really developing personalities.  Tait is a bull in a china shop.  I put him in his activity center and he literally attacks all of the toys - slamming his face into them, eating them, yelling at them.  It's hilarious to watch.  (I was initially concerned when he kept slamming his head into the toys but he just laughs, so I've stopped worrying about it.)  Deuce is much more cautious - he plays, but he is much more purposeful about what he grabs when he plays.  And he gets uber, uber frustrated when he can't fit a toy in his mouth.  Screams his head off.

In sleeping news, things are looking up.  Tait, who had been sleeping through the night since about week 8, started waking up twice a night over the last few weeks. (Deuce has always woken up every three hours or so.).  When Tait started waking up - always in between the times Deuce was waking up - they almost broke me.  I was desperate and needed some sleep (there were a few nights when I literally slept an hour total).  I almost started putting rice cereal in a bottle to get Tait through the night.  That's something I REALLY didn't want to do - something about feeding a kid empty carbs simply to fill them up really rubs me the wrong way.  When it came time to fill that bottle, I was never able to do it though.  And, fortunately, we're back on track with Tait - he's sleeping until almost 4am (which is close enough to all night to count) before waking up to eat.  Must have been a growth spurt or something.  And, in much bigger news, Deuce is down to just one nighttime feeding, usually around 2/3am.  I can't believe how much better I feel!  Unbelievable.  I missed sleep!

I think that's about it.  Here are some recent pictures. 

(Deuce on a recent cold night - headed out to walk the dogs with dad.)

 

(Tait in attack mode, about to play like a mad man.)

 

(Ponyboy, er Deuce; tummy time)

 

(Tait; tummy time)

 

(Goofy Deuce; chilling on daddy's lap)

 

(Tait; dodo time)

 

(Poor Matty.  Things aren't going to get better for you anytime soon.)

 

(Happy boys.)

 

(Typical #1)

 

(Typical #2)

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down.  I love being with my family without any gift giving/receiving pressure - just enjoying each other's company.  And I love the food.  LOVE. THE. FOOD.  My mom is an incredible cook and has always put together a great Thanksgiving spread - fried turkey (well, my dad does the turkey), cornbread dressing, mac&cheese, spinach gratin, seven-layer salad, chicken&dumplings, sweet potato casserole, cold corn salad, and on and on and on.  She also always goes all out for dessert - pumpkin pie, pecan pie, carrot cake, apple pie.  I am a pretty healthy eater all year long EXCEPT for Thanksgiving (and Christmas).  I give myself a break on those holidays and will literally eat myself into a coma.

But not this year.  Deuce's diet restrictions (and, therefore, my diet restrictions) kept me from eating a single thing that my parents put together for Thanksgiving.  And that was ok - Scott was working this year for Thanksgiving, so I stayed in Mobile w/ the boys instead of going to my parents' house.  That way, my mom didn't have to change her menu and I didn't have to feel miserable looking at all that good food but not being able to eat any of it.  Fortunately, Scott didn't have a single ship all day on Thanksgiving and we ate really well despite the dietary restrictions.  We had sweet potato hash with turkey sausage for breakfast then roast chicken with winter veggies for dinner.  We got the recipe for the roast chicken here and I would recommend it to anyone - super easy and super, super delicious:  http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2010/01/thomas_kellers.html  We will definitely be making this one again. 

Here are some pics from our first Thanksgiving with the boys - we have so much for which to be thankful this year!!

(Scott & Deuce)

 

(Me & Tait)

 

(Deuce)

 

(Tait)

 

(Twinks)

 

(Roast chicken)

Four Months!

The boys were four months old on November 12.  I continue to be amazed at how quickly time is moving!  They are going to be in college in no time.  Scary! 

The boys' four-month doctor appointment was last week.  At their appointment, Deuce weighed in at 13lbs, 1oz and was 24 inches long.  Tait was 14lbs, 8 oz and 25.25 inches long.  Those measurements put Deuce in the 10th percentile for height and the 15th percentile for weight.  Tait was in the 75th percentile for height and the 50th percentile for weight.  Our pediatrician said Deuce looked great and was back on track growth-wise - she said she wasn't concerned about his size at all.  That means this insane diet of mine (still dairy, soy, wheat, and nut free) is working!  Seeing Deuce so happy and healthy b/c of the diet makes it a little easier to forget about all the delicious food I won't be eating over Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

The only other notable news from the doc appointment is that Deuce has to start seeing a physical therapist to treat his torticollis (his head is tilted to one side b/c the muscle that connects his breastbone and collarbone to his skull is too tight due to the way he was positioned (wedged under my ribs!) in utero).  I've been trying to stretch his neck out at home but I haven't been very successful at fixing the problem because he screams bloody murder when you do the stretches.  I'm glad someone other than me will have to do those stretches from now on - listening to him scream (because of something I'm doing to him, no less) is heartbreaking!!

In other news, the boys have found their feet and Tait has gotten his into his mouth.  The boys have also rolled over a few times, but totally on accident - they haven't figured out how to do it purposefully yet.  Oh, and Deuce has started sucking his thumb (argh!!! how do I get him to stop?!?!).  Also, I've moved the boys from sleepers on the side of my bed to the cribs in their nursery.  It was a hard transition for me - I really liked being able to check on them all night long by just sticking my head over the side of my bed.  But they had to make the transition at some point, and I figured four months was as good a time as any.  So far, they are doing great in their cribs.

Here are some recent pictures:

My beautiful (sorry, handsome!) sons:

(Tait)

 

(Tait)

(Deuce)

 

(Deuce)

 

The first (and really only) cold day of the year:

(Tait)

(Deuce)

(Me and Deuce)

Sitting in their big boy chairs:

(Tait)

(Deuce)