The Wolff's Tale

Boston to Bermuda Cruise

2011-10-15T21:01:00.004-04:00

We took the girls on a cruise to Bermuda last week. The ship sailed from Boston and docked in Bermuda for 2 and a half days. We were at sea for a day and a half on the way there and the same on the way home. Cruising is a great way to vacation because your vacation starts the minute you board the ship. We had Uncle Johnny drop us at the terminal in South Boston and we were on our way in no time at all.

There are so many things to do on board the ship and A&E wanted to do it all. They are at a fun age now and are able to participate in many of the activities. We brought them to the shows at night and it was great to see their faces light up in amazement. They were clapping along to the music and loving the singing and dancing.

Mimi and Pa were on board with us, along with Christie's cousin and her husband. It was great to spend time together and the extra hands were helpful.

We've been to Bermuda a few times now and it's a beautiful island. Our favorite thing to do there is Horseshoe Bay. It's one of the best beaches in the world and we went there every day. The weather was perfect. Warm enough to enjoy the beach; but not too hot.

Here are some pictures and videos from our trip.

Three...

2011-05-28T07:49:00.004-04:00

years ago, we were doubly blessed. It has truly been amazing watching A&E grow and mature over the last few years. There are many great memories, so it's hard to pick a favorite. The greeting I receive when I get home from work is on the short list. The second I open the door, "Daddy!". Then they both come running for hugs and kisses. That's the best way to decompress from a long day.

Their birthday started off with presents, first thing in the morning. A&E have their very own Leapsters. Of course they will fight over the game that the other one is playing. They both seemed very happy with their gifts. I'm sure they will be great for long car rides.

We took them to their favorite restaurant for dinner on their birthday. Mimi and Pa joined us, so it was a party. Abby had her favorite, mac n' cheese with pickles and broccoli. Ellie had the old stand-by, chicken fingers and french fries. After dinner, we made a quick stop to the beach to play in the sand.

Finally, it was time for cupcakes! Mommy and the girls baked purple and blue cupcakes for dessert. Yummy!

It has been a while since...

2011-02-19T14:35:00.008-05:00

I've had a new "first" to post about. This week was the first time A&E where apart from each other for an extended period of time. In the middle of the night on this past Wednesday, Ellie woke up coughing, and could not stop. Christie brought her into our bed, and gave her a breathing treatment. It helped a little, but there was no sleeping for Ellie. She was in the big bed, watching late night cartoons, and would not go to sleep. She was in her glory! Christie gave her another treatment around 6 or 7 in the morning, and called the doctor's office when they opened. The appointment was for 3:45 in the afternoon. Christie dropped Abby off at Auntie Kimmy's house and off she went.

I got the call around 5. Christie sounded upset and said that she was on her way to the hospital with Ellie. The doctor gave her a couple of breathing treatments and an oral steroid. In her condition, Ellie couldn't tolerate the steroid and it came right back up. All over herself, and Mom. The doctors where monitoring her oxygen levels, and weren't seeing any improvement. They made the decision to send her to the hospital via ambulance to keep a close eye on her oxygen level.

I arrived at the hospital before Christie and Ellie and waited in the ER waiting room until they arrived. After what seemed like forever, I was finally allowed to go see her. It was a crazy scene in the pediatric triage. Christie was on the gurney, with Ellie clung to her. She looked as scared as I can remember ever seeing her. The ER staff ran a battery of tests and informed us that she'd be admitted.

I rode the gurney, holding Ellie, as we went through the halls and up the elevator to our new digs. A long night was ahead. Christie was up most of the night before with Ellie, so this would be a second restless night in a row. The respiratory specialist was in every 2 hours, with Ellie's nebulizer, and the nurse was in and out to take vitals in between.

After a long night, morning came and Ellie wasn't showing much improvement. The doctor came in and let us know that she'd likely be spending anther night in the hospital. He wanted to see her go 4 hours between breathing treatments, and maintain a satisfactory oxygen level.

Christie and I decided that she'd go visit with Abby, and put her down for her nap at Auntie's house, and I'd stay with Ellie. Shortly after Christie left, Ellie turned the corner. Her appetite returned and and she started acting more like herself. She ate a yogurt and started playing with the toys I had brought her.

After eating lunch, Ellie and I took a much needed nap. Just as I was waking up, Christie called and she was on her way back. Abby was very excited to see her, then quickly moved on to the thing. She was very curious about her sister, but having a blast with "the boys". When Christie returned to the hospital, I jumped in the shower to get ready for my dinner date with Abby.

I met up with Auntie as she was leaving a play date. Abby was very excited to see me and kept shouting, "My Daddy's here". I buckled her into her seat, and off we went. It was a gorgeous, spring-like day so I decided to go to the playground, then out to dinner.

We had fun at the playground, and were the last ones to leave. The sun had set and it was getting colder out. Time to head inside and grab some dinner. I took Abby to a local pizza place, that has TVs in every booth. They worked like a charm and when the popcorn arrived, she was in heaven.

I ordered 2 of her favorites; greek salad & cheese pizza. Abby did a great job with both the salad and her pizza. She had a bowl of salad and 3 small pieces of pizza. There was a bit of a scene when it was time to leave. Abby had made herself a drink (water with popcorn) and wasn't happy that I scooped her up before she had a chance to taste it. Back in the car and off to Auntie's house to get ready for bed. She kept telling me that her sister was sick and at the doctors office. It was the sweetest thing.

I returned to the hospital, and Ellie progress had continued. Great news. We were all ready to go home and return to our normal routines. That night was much more restful. I think we all slept better knowing that we were heading home in the morning. When we woke up, it was clear that Ellie needed to get out of the room. I took her for a walk down the hall and found a playroom. Ellie was happy to be out of bed and walking around. It was clear that she was all better.

After a quick stop in the gift shop, it was time to go home. Yahoo! We made one quick stop at Auntie's, to pick up Abby. They were genuinely happy to see each other, and hugged right away. It was the cutest thing, ever.

It was a crazy couple of days, but there was one positive. Ellie's speech has improved, dramatically. I think it was all of the one on on attention she was receiving. She has started putting words together and forming phrases. It's great to finally hear her sweet little voice.

Stay tuned for updates from the last 6 months, or so. I've got lots of pics and videos to tell the story.

Where have my babies gone?

2010-08-22T10:54:00.011-04:00

Abby & Ellie are not babies anymore, and have fully embraced their inner toddler. Abby has been talking up a storm for a while now. She's starting to put her words into sentences. We're always laughing at some of the things she comes out with. If Rosie is in her way, she says, "beep beep Ro Ro". At bed time, the last thing she says to us is "night night Mama, night night Dada" Melts my heart every time.

Ellie is starting to say more words and has a couple of short phrases. We noticed she was slightly behind Abby's speech and had her evaluated for early intervention, a couple of months ago. Ellie has made great progress in the last month, or so, and I'm sure she'll be speaking well before too long.

It's great to watch them learn to do things for themselves. They love opening and closing doors, climbing in and out of their car seats, brushing their teeth, getting dressed (and undressed), and feeding themselves. Some times they combine things:

We've had an extremely busy summer. It's been one thing after another and the time has gone by too quick. At the beginning of the summer, the circus was in town. I thought it would be great to bring the girls to their first circus.

It went much better than I thought it would. Abby and Ellie were fine with the loud noises and seemed to like all of the action. Once we were settled and I had a chance to look around, I realized we weren't going to last very long. It was probably over 95 degrees out that day, with high humidity. I think it was over 100 degrees in the tent. We were all wilting at the intermission and decided to make a move.

The workers at the circus were the show within the show.

After the circus, we went to the park, to watch Brady's last T-Ball game of the season. We grabbed burgers and fries for the girls and headed to the game.

After dinner, it was time for the playground!

We took a trip to Loon Mountain in New Hampshire for a long, getaway weekend. We saw the bear show & rode the Choo-Choo Train at Clark's Trading Post.

We also went to StoryLand, in Glen, NH.

There's been lots of playing in the backyard.

Ellie's been working on her golf game:

and dancing along with her favorite shows!

March of Dimes ~ March for Babies

2010-06-21T09:54:00.002-04:00

This weekend, Christie, the girls and I are participating in the March of Dimes, March for Babies. This will be our 2nd year and I must say, it's a great charity. Yesterday, while at breakfast with the girls, a lady asked us if they were twins. A question we are asked all the time. I answered and was surprised at her response. She had twins a week ago that are in the NICU. They were born premature at 33 weeks. They're doing well and will hopefully be going home around their original due date.

I told her that we're raising money for the March of Dimes, and she smiled immediately. She started telling us about all of the support she has received from the March of Dimes. They have helped her tremendously through this tough time, and you could tell she appreciated everything. In addition to the support they provide for patent's families, they also conduct medical research to prevent birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.

Our goal this year is to raise $500, and we're almost halfway there. Any and all support would be much appreciated. Please follow the link below to show your support:

http://www.marchforbabies.org/cwolff

Your gift will fund March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care. Please support this important work. You can make a donation with your credit card, or if you prefer, cash or a check is fine, too.

Birthday Central...

2010-06-16T20:32:00.009-04:00

It's been birthday party central around here lately. Including the girls, there have been 4 parties in the last month. Each one had a bouncy house...

but the last party was unique. Cinderella made an appearance.

Abby got her face painted

Ellie was more into all of the toys in the playroom than Cinderella. Nice seat, Ellie!

After Cinderella painted faces, told stories, sang to the kids and posed for pictures; it was time to dance...

Thanks to everyone that made the trip for the girls' party. They love all of their new stuff:

The best part of any birthday party:

Bieber Fever!!!

2010-05-23T22:06:00.003-04:00

Both Abby & Ellie love dancing along to the Justin Bieber song "Baby". Abby is constantly asking us to put "Baby O" on for her. Here they are in action:

A day at the zoo...

2010-05-19T20:45:00.009-04:00

We brought Abby and Ellie to the zoo a few weeks back. It was a gorgeous day and the girls had fun looking at all of the animals.

We attempted to get them to pose on the bench for a nice picture...not so much.

I had a little help pushing the stroller...

Ellie needed a break from all of the walking.

Here they are holding hands...

Abby & Ellie take flight!

2010-03-24T19:57:00.015-04:00

We brought the girls on their first airplane flight a few weeks ago. A family trip to Florida is where we were headed, so it wasn't a long flight. Both flights departed around lunchtime, so the plan was to feed them on the plane and hope they nap. We brought plenty of toys and books as backup. Since they are under 2, they can fly free as lap babies. We decided to buy one seat so we would have the row to ourselves.

Overall, I think I was more stressed about the flights than necessary. There were a few tense moments, but all in all it wasn't that hard. I was relieved when we got to Florida and got settled at the resort. A bunch of Christie's family were meeting us down there and we were the first to arrive. There were 14 in our group total, and we had 3 condo units. It was nice to have plenty of room and reinforcements to help with the girls.

We planned to take it easy and not try to visit a park each day. Christie and I have both been to the parks and seen everything there is to see. We ended up bringing the girls to Sea World and the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. It was also nice to relax at the resort. There was a play room that was loaded with toys, pools and a playground.

Here are some pictures and videos from the trip:

Abby & Ellie at the Magic Kingdom:

Abby fell asleep in the stroller, so Grammy & Pa walked her around while we took Ellie on a couple of rides.

They were amazed at "It's a Small World"...

Watching a late afternoon parade:

Sea World:

We were there a few days after the tragic death of one of killer whale trainers. Now the trainers aren't allowed in the pool with the whales, but the show must go on!

At McDonald's in Downtown Disney:

On the slides at the playground:

Our new toy...

2010-02-21T21:16:00.013-05:00

So the last time we went to use our camcorder, it wouldn't work. We looked into having it repaired and the cost was just about the cost of a new HD Video camera. We decided to get a new one, rather than having the old one fixed. Here are a couple of practice videos we took over the past couple of days.

I've only used it a couple of times, but I like the new camera. It's about the size of a Blackberry, and takes great quality videos. This camera interacts with the computer much easier, but I still need the right cable to hook it up to the TV.

We're taking the girls on vacation at the end of the week, so I'll have lots of time to get comfortable with the new camera. We're taking them to Florida for a family vacation. Both Christie and I are getting nervous about taking them on the plane. Luckily, it is a short flight and we have plenty of toys and books to keep the girls busy. I'll be relieved once we get to our hotel.

Busy busy busy...

2010-02-14T13:54:00.008-05:00

Abby and Ellie seem to be growing by leaps and bounds on a daily basis. They are becoming more independent and developing their identities. It's always been interesting to watch them interact with people other than Christie or me. They both take a while to warm up to others, but before long they come out of their shell. Abby is more outgoing and loves to act goofy. Ellie is more reserved and will observe the situation before opening up. Here's the face she makes during this process:

Although she looks angry, she's perfectly happy and will look like this when she is ready:

Here's Abby playing out in the snow:

Rosie had to join the fun:

Last year, the girls never got a chance to really play in the snow. Christie brought them out in the snow, but they weren't quite mobile enough to enjoy it. They got a little taste of it this year, and seemed to like it.

Here are a few pic of them around the house.

They love dancing while watching their favorite shows on TV. Sesame Street was their favorite for a while, but they have moved onto bigger and better things. The Wiggles & Mickey Mouse Clubhouse are ruling the airwaves at our house lately.

Bye Bye!

Where does the time go?

2009-12-27T20:43:00.014-05:00

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since my last update. We've been very busy with the usual holiday season activities. Abby and Ellie seem to be growing by leaps and bounds these days. They're starting to talk by repeating what is said around them. We are excited with the progress and can't wait for them to start talking in full sentences. They seem like little people now, which makes it easier in some ways and more difficult in others. Every stage they have been through has seems better than the last.

Here are the outtakes from this years holiday card. Christie decided to take the pictures about a half an hour before bedtime. I came home from work one day and the photo shoot was in full swing.

Here's the one we picked for the card of the girls...

and we can't forget Rosie.

Here are some videos I took hanging out on a Saturday morning.

I tried to get them both to pose wearing the sun glasses. Abby was into it;

Ellie wasn't.

We took them down to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the annual Chanukah party. For the second year in a row, a big snow storm was headed our way. We decided to make the drive on Saturday, and plan to leave late Sunday. It worked out well and we ended up making it home in a reasonable amount of time.

Although I didn't take too many pictures, we all had a fun time at the Chanukah party. It was nice to see the family and the girls had fun. The girls got a few sets of dolls,toys and some clothes. One of the sets of dolls were twins. They talk and sing together. One of the songs they sing is, "Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star". That's one of Ellie's favorite songs and she does a dance to go along with the words. She gets so excited when the dolls sing, and starts dancing to the music.

Here's the picture I took at the Chanukah party. Abby was having fun playing under the kitchen table. We were so busy catching up with everybody that we didn't think to take pictures.

We returned home to 2 feet of snow on Sunday night. I was due to leave on a business trip on Monday, so I had to shovel the driveway that night. The snow had stopped and it was so peaceful out there. I noticed the camera in my pocket as I was shoveling and decided to take a few pictures of the snow.

Here's the front of my house.

This is the side door, before I shoveled it out.

While I was away, Christie gave Abby & Ellie a whole apple each as a snack and they loved it. Apple is now one of the words that Abby repeats over and over again.

For Christmas, the plan was to stay local. We went to Christie's cousin's house for the annual Christmas Eve party. This year has gone by so quickly. I can clearly remember being at the party with the girls last year. They had to be held the entire time, then we put them to sleep in their car seats. Here's a video and pictures from this years party.

When we got home from the party, it was time to put together the play kitchen we got them for Christmas. It didn't take as long as I thought it would, and before long it was time for bed.

Abby & Ellie had been battling a stomach bug for the days leading up to the holiday, and woke up on Christmas morning to a messy crib. So before they could play with their new toys, they had a quick bath. We had to cover their eyes walking through the living room so they couldn't see the play kitchen and would cooperate in the tub.

Here are some pictures and videos of them playing with their kitchen

Almost 18 months old...

2009-11-19T20:11:00.009-05:00

It seems like Abby & Ellie are acting more and more grown up each day. Although we can't always understand what they're saying to us, they understand most things we say to them. One of my favorite things they started doing recently is moving the hair out of their eyes. They also climb on the furniture constantly. It was one of those things that was cute at first, but isn't so cute anymore. We've removed everything from the end tables, but that doesn't stop them from standing on the couch and reaching over to the tables. Although there have been a couple of bumps and bruises, there haven't been any major injuries.

Christie were lucky enough to take a quick vacation without the girls in October. Grammy took the Abby, Ellie and Rosie while we took a cruise to Bermuda. We are so lucky to be able to take a vacation and not have to worry about the girls. Although it was only 5 nights, it was a perfect break. This was our second time going to Bermuda. The last time we went happened to be on the same ship as this trip. This was the view from our balcony as we sailed out of Boston. Our timing was perfect to watch the sun set.

We went to Horseshoe Beach both days we were in Bermuda. It is the most popular beach and for good reason. It's paradise!

Here's the view from our balcony, right before we disembarked the ship. Our timing was good once again, as we caught the sunrise.

We tried to get some nice pictures of them in their Halloween costumes. It didn't go as planned. We tried to make them happy by giving them cell phones to play with, and that didn't work. They were overtired and seemed confused confused with all of the commotion so close to bedtime. We brought them around in their wagon to a few houses in the neighborhood, then it was off to bed.

The past few weeks, Christie has been going shopping on Sunday afternoons. I stay home with the girls and watch football. It has been working out great. Here are some pictures and videos I took this past week.

Here's a quick video of a very tired Ellie having dinner.

Lastly, a picture of the girls playing, taken before I got home from work tonight.

Pumkin picking

2009-10-14T21:06:00.005-04:00

We brought Abby & Ellie pumpkin picking, at a local farm, a couple of weeks ago. There was a quick hay ride to a pumpkin patch, corn maze and a small area with farm animals for petting. The weather was perfect and it was a wonderful family activity for a Sunday morning.

It seems like Ellie is more independent lately, while Abby is a daddy's girl. While waiting in line for the hay ride, Ellie was playing with the toys near the sand pile. We tried to get Abby to play also, but she wanted no part of it. She only wanted to be held, and I was the only one she wanted to hold her. It ended up working out great, since I had to hold our spot in line anyway.

The girls didn't know what to make of the hay ride. It seemed like they were having fun though!

We were watching the chickens, when one of them made a noise that Ellie didn't like too much. She started crying, and that was the end of that.

Here's a quick video from the pumpkin patch.

A brief hiatus

2009-09-30T20:46:00.005-04:00

I've been on an unintentional break from the blog. We've been busy every weekend with something different, and I haven't had the time to post. Here is a picture and video recap of the girls over the last few weeks.

I brought the girls to a football game that our friend's son, Will, was playing in. Marshfield took the loss, but it was a well played game.

Ellie wanted to be held the whole time, but Abby was walking all over the place. She didn't mind the field turf, either.

These were taken the night of the Patriots first game.

This was at a surprise 70th birthday party for Abby & Ellie's great Uncle George. They were having a blast running around!

An interesting business trip.

2009-09-06T10:50:00.005-04:00

My most recent business trip was not the usual conference or a sales meetings. This trip was a site visit to a wind farm located about 85 miles outside of Chicago. I flew into Chicago and drove out to the site. The scenery changed quickly, and before long I was in farm country. Corn fields lined the road for as far as the eye could see.

When I was about a mile away, I could see the wind turbines in the distance, amongst the acres and acres of corn fields.

Although we didn't have a chance to climb to the top of a turbine, here is the ladder that goes to the top. It is 285 rungs on a ladder, straight up. The lead technician told me he can make the climb in 5 or 6 minutes. He usually takes his time climbing because some repairs take upwards of 10 hours.

2009-08-30T21:23:00.009-04:00

Here are some pictures of A & E playing on the deck.

Here's a quick video of them playing nicely together.

Abby & Ellie have a playroom!

2009-08-27T20:28:00.008-04:00

We made the spare bedroom into a playroom this past weekend. I wish we had done this weeks ago. It only took a couple of hours, and I am so glad we did it.

Before:

After:

The girls really love having a playroom, and although we no longer have a spare room, we have reclaimed our living room. All of their toys fit nicely in the play room, and they now pretty much have the run of our lower floor of the house. It's nice to have a few different rooms for them to play in safely.

The girls seem to be doing something new every day. Here are some of Abby & Ellie's favorite things to do:

- Read books. Both Abby & Ellie will hand you a book and expect you to read to them. Usually, they will each climb on a knee and listen to the book.

- Babble. They are constantly babbling to each other. I am always wondering what they are saying.

- Watch Baby Einstein. I know it is probably not good for them to watch TV, but sometimes it's the only thing that calms them down. All you have to do is say, "Is it Baby Einstein time?". If they are in the living room, they turn toward the TV. If they are in another room, they will walk into the living room. Ellie likes to dance to the music, and her favorite song is Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. I was changing her diaper the other day when it came on and when she heard the song, she started wiggling to get off the table so she could go watch her song on the TV.

- Play outside. When the weather is nice, it is fun to let them run around on the deck and splash around in their pool and on their water table. They seem to have a fear of grass, so we have been trying to get them to play in the back yard. We're also trying to get them used to the feeling of sand. They have a sandbox on the patio, but don't like playing with the sand.

The weekend wrapped up with a swim in our friends' pool. They have lived there for 9 years and this was the first time I have been in their pool. Abby & Ellie have never been in a big pool. We tried to bring them in the ocean when we were on our cruise. They only lasted a couple minutes and were not into the water at all. It was a different story this time around. Christie and I each took one of them, and we walked them around in the shallow end. Once they realized we were not going to let go of them, they started having fun and giggling. We put them in their floats, and pulled them around. They were having a blast!

Here is a picture of Abby hanging out with her friend Aidan.

Abby walks!

2009-08-19T20:31:00.000-04:00

Abby is officially walking. She really started being steady on her feet on this past Friday (8-14-2009). For the last few weeks, she has been stumbling around and taking a four or five steps at a time. She isn't as steady on her feet as Ellie quite yet, but it won't be long now. Here is a video I took of them on the deck this past weekend.

We have baby proofed the kitchen, and given Abby & Ellie free reign. It seemed like they were getting bored with being in the living room. They love playing with their magnets on the refrigerator. I caught them playing, and for once, they didn't stop when they saw the camera.

Both Abby & Ellie have learned to climb the stairs. After brushing their teeth, all you have to do is say, "Let's go night-night". They both walk towards the stairs and start climbing. It's the cutest thing. They stop on each step, to turn around and smile. You can tell they are proud of themselves. Tonight, it was like they were racing each other up the stairs. Ellie won tonight.

July 3rd & Simone comes for a visit.

2009-07-14T21:59:00.004-04:00

We have been having a party on July 3rd for years. Last year, we didn't have a party because the girls were only 6 weeks old. This years party was a little more low-key since most of our friends have little ones that are not quite ready for fireworks. Here are the girls in their patriotic outfits.

My sister came up from Connecticut for the party, and the plan was for my niece to stay with us for a week to help out with the girls. She is 14 years old and seemed to enjoy hanging out with the girls. I took a few days off to have a nice long holiday break.

We went down to Plymouth harbor for lunch at our favorite summertime restaurant. Cabby Shack is the perfect place to bring kids because it is loud, so nobody cares if the kids are loud. We packed a lunch for the girls and they had a blast.

Family Reunion

2009-07-14T21:08:00.006-04:00

About a month ago, we went to a family reunion for my side of the family. It was being held on Long Island, and we decided to take the ferry across the Long Island Sound, rather than driving around. The trip takes about 5 hours either way, but the time on the ship is a nice way to break up the ride. The girls napped for most of the car ride, and we packed lunch for them to eat on the ferry ride. The party was a short ride from ferry terminal on Long Island.

It was great to see members of my extended family that I don't get to see too often. Abby & Ellie got to meet some of their family for the first time. There have been 6 babies born in the last year or so, and my girls are the oldest of the babies. Here's a picture of the cousins and babies:

We stayed on Long Island overnight and took the ferry home the next day. It took a while for the girls to settle down and they didn't go to sleep until after 8:30. Their normal bedtime is 7. I don't think any of us got a good nights sleep that night, but it was worth it to see everybody. We stopped by my cousin's house the next morning for a quick visit before heading home. It was a quick visit, but nice because the babies got to play with each other without so much going on around them. My cousin, who is from Long Island but lives in New Hampshire, was on the ferry that morning with us and we had a chance to spend some time with her and her family. Their daughter is a couple months younger than our girls, so we all relate to each other very well.

I wish I had taken more pictures, but was busy watching the girls and trying to catch up with everybody. There was talk of doing this once a year, so there's always next year to get pictures.

As promised; Ellie walking.

2009-07-14T20:58:00.002-04:00

Here is a video of Ellie walking. She is of proud of herself, and can't stop laughing while she walks around. Abby is getting closer by the day and I am sure watching Ellie walk will motivate her.

Ellie walks!

2009-07-11T19:35:00.000-04:00

Christie and I were on the living room floor with the girls, and Ellie started walking right before our eyes. Before tonight, she would take a few steps, then start crawling to her destination. Tonight, she was took a few steps, stopped to see if we were watching, then would take more steps. She walked across our living room a few times, then took a break and laid her head down on the floor. It was as if walking had taken all of her energy.

I feel very lucky to have witnessed her taking her first steps and am glad that both Christie and I were there together. This is one of the biggest milestones for Ellie and I could not be more proud. I had the thought to get my camera, but realized she would stop instantly if I got up to retrieve it. I will make a point to catch her walking on tape and post it as soon as I can.

Abby is getting close to walking. She has mastered crawling and actually crawls faster than Ellie. She can get to her feet and stand from the sitting position. She has really progressed quickly and I think she will be walking very soon. One of her favorite toys is the baby stroller, and she pushes it all over the living room.

Happy Fathers Day!

2009-06-21T09:37:00.007-04:00

Happy Fathers Day to all of the Fathers out there! The last year (well since the girls have been born) has been the best year of my life. Watching the girls grow has been amazing. They seem to do something new every day and it is a lot of fun to watch.

The last few weeks have been extremely busy. It seems like we have been busy every weekend, which has made it tough to update my blog. I have some pictures from the last few weeks that I will be adding soon, so stay tuned.

Here are some updates:

- Abby has caught up to Ellie when it comes to crawling. Ellie is very good at cruising the furniture and has even taken as many as 5 steps unassisted. Abby cruises the furniture, also but has not taken her first steps, yet.

- Abby is leading in the tooth department. She has seven teeth, three on the bottom and four across the top. Ellie has four and they are all on the bottom.

- Both girls are great eaters and will keep shoveling food into their mouths until their trays are empty. Ellie seems to have the bigger appetite and is a fast eater. Abby takes her time, enjoying each different kind of food we give her.

- They continue to play together more and more each day. Yesterday, they were playing and making each other laugh. There was more laughter before we started taping, but what can you do:

- Here is a video of Ellie dancing. They got an Elmo toy that plays music and both girls love it. Abby enters the picture towards the end.

Happy Birthday Abby & Ellie!!!

2009-05-27T20:44:00.001-04:00

Abby & Ellie were born on Memorial Day last year. The last year has been interesting, to say the least. There have been some tough moments, but the great memories make it all worthwhile. Every once and a while, I will read through some of the older posts to remember a moment in time. I feel so lucky to be blessed with healthy babies and have thoroughly enjoyed watching them grow and learn over the last year.

We planned their party for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend this year. Christie made most of the arrangements, which included the invitations, ordering favors, the "Kingdom of Bounce" and the cake. I handled shopping for the the rest of the food and the grilling.

Since the party had a Princess theme, we dressed the girls in their Disney Princess dresses.

The guests started arriving and it was party time! We were expecting about 40 adults, 15 kids and 2 dogs (other than Rosie). The weather forecast called for passing showers, so we hoped for the best. They had the showers part right, and were off on the passing part. It didn't rain for the first hour or so, then the rains came and stuck around for most of the party.

We all went inside when it became clear that the rain was here to stay. Luckily, Christie had a craft planned for the kids and that kept them busy until it was time for cake. Christie made cupcakes for the girls and cupcakes in ice cream cones with Hoodsies for all of the kids. There was a cake from the bakery for the adults.

After dessert, Christie & the girls opened their gifts. I am amazed at how fortunate I am to have such great friends and family that are so thoughtful and generous. There were cards, clothes and toys everywhere, and I think the girls were having more fun with the wrapping paper.

Abby & Ellie share a birthday with our friend's son, Will. We brought the girls to his birthday party the next day and the weather was picture perfect.

The day after Will's party was the girls' actual birthday. Grammy bought them a doughnut for their birthday, so we stuck a candle in and sang them Happy Birthday. We got them gifts for their birthday gifts at the Black Dog store, when we were in Newport for our anniversary.

Smarter than the average dog.

2009-05-23T19:51:00.000-04:00

Rosie gave us a big scare today. Christie and I took her to the beach to play ball. We had some time to kill before the girls returned from Grammy's house and thought we would take Rosie for a walk on the beach. When we got to the beach, a guy was calling down to us from his back deck. He lives right on the beach and has concrete steps that go down to the sand from his deck. I remembered that he had let us use his stairs last year and mentioned it to him. He didn't recall, but invite us to use his stairs whenever we would like.

He brought his puppy down to the beach to play with Rosie, but she wasn't in the mood. I think Rosie likes people more than dogs and seemed bothered by the pup. We heard the sound of an engine and looked up towards the sky. This is what we saw:

Well, Rosie was completely spooked by these guys riding their parachute and took off, running down the beach. Christie took off after her and I was still speaking with my new friend. I turned around to check on Christie and she was still running down the beach and Rosie was not in sight. I took off running down the beach chasing after the dog. Christie said she ran up the ramp, which she has never done before, and into the street. I ran up the ramp and asked some people that were standing around id they saw a black dog. They pointed towards my road and said she ran up the sidewalk in that direction. Luckily there were people standing on my street and they said she ran up towards my house.

By this time I had stopped running and was walking towards my house, fearing the worst. It is crazy how quickly these things happen. As I was walking up the street, all I could think was that if something happened to Rosie, it would ruin the girls' birthday weekend. I finally made it to my house, and my neighbors were standing in the road speaking to each other. When they saw me they said Rosie had come running up the street and sat right on our front step. she had walked around to the side yard and was trying to get into the backyard.

We were relieved that she made it home safely. I had to go back to the beach to grab my shoes. I had dropped them on the sand, thinking that Rosie would never go up the ramp since she never has before.

A big milestone for Abby & Ellie!

2009-05-16T21:53:00.009-04:00

Abby has started crawling! Although crawling is not technically considered a milestone, we are very happy she has started to crawl. I wish we had caught the first time she did it on video, like we did with Ellie, but what can you do. She has been very close for a couple of weeks and finally put it all together. She actually started last night, at Grammy's house. The girls spent the night at Grammy & Grampy's house because we had to pick up our new (to us) minivan this morning. Ellie also took a few steps without holding on to anything. Crawling is still her preference, but I'm sure it won't be long before she is walking. Her is a quick video of Abby crawling.

Abby also said her first word, other than "Mama" or "Dada".

As I mentioned in previous posts, they have been interacting more and more each day. I finally caught them on video laughing at each other. That may be my favorite part of having twins, so far.

Happy Birthday Kate!

2009-05-09T22:34:00.000-04:00

Abby & Ellie put on their party dresses to celebrate their friend Kate's first birthday. The rain stayed away and it was a great party. The guest of honor spent most of the afternoon snoozing away in her stroller. I have to give credit to the proud father for making the cake for the birthday girl. The frosting looked amazing and I thought it was store bought.

There was a bounce house at the party for the older kids, but there were plenty of little ones to keep entertained. We brought the girls to Kate's playroom and they had a blast. Her playroom is loaded with all kinds of toys. We have some of the same ones, but there were plenty of new ones for our girls to play with.

After a while, the girls got tired of playing inside, so we brought them out onto the lawn to rejoin the party.

Abby went for a ride in the wagon with Cameron. He was loving the ride, but she was not too into it. It's too bad his eyes are closed in this picture because his smile is priceless.

March of Dimes ~ March for Babies

2009-05-03T21:13:00.007-04:00

We participated in the March of Dimes, March for Babies walk today. Christie is a member of a local Mothers of Multiples group, and they were putting a group together for the event. The closest chapter of March of Dimes was holding the walk along the Cape Cod Canal.

March of Dimes is a great charity and we were happy to get involved. Our girls have been very healthy since birth, but the Foundation is providing research and help for families affected by premature birth. The total amount of money that was raised at our event was over $100k. This is a national campaign for the March of Dimes and I am interested to see what the final amount of money raised will be. There was a lot going on at the starting point, which was also the ending point. They had food and drinks and activities for kids of all ages. Next year, we will bring Rosie and I am sure she will love it. We didn't realize dogs were welcome and thought it might be a bit much with the girls and the dog.

This dog looked like Rosie, but was a Lhasa Apso named Sophie.

The owner was this nice old lady. She asked a question that I haven't heard in a while. "Are they natural?" My response was "Yes, they are all natural, although Ellie is mostly organic."

I snapped this one right before we started walking. Ellie is really starting to pick up the gang signs I have been teaching her.

The weather forecast was pretty uncertain, but ended up being nice. We brought the girls and there were a few people from the Mothers group walking with us. Abby & Ellie rode in the stroller and slept the whole time we were walking. It was really nice walking along the canal with the girls. Here is what it looked like while pushing the stroller.

Abby & Ellie are at a really great stage right now and doing new things everyday. I love it when they interact with each other. They are always making noises back and forth to each other. I am sure they understand what the noises mean, but it sounds like normal baby talk. No real words quite yet. They both have a sense of humor and will sometimes make each other laugh. The last year has gone by quickly and it is hard to remember not having the girls. There have been plenty of tough times, but the great memories far outweigh the tough ones.

7 years of wedded bliss!

2009-04-22T07:08:00.000-04:00

Today is the 7th anniversary of my wedding day. The time has gone by quickly and I would say we have both changed quite a bit. The last year or so has certainly changed us the most. We are going to Newport for the weekend to celebrate for a few days. The weather is just starting to get nice and it will be a great getaway for us. Here is a picture of us on our wedding day:

On a completely separate note, I meant to thank the little boy that gave up his swing set for Abby & Ellie on Saturday. He was not very happy about the whole idea and was sobbing as Tom and I disassembled and carried it away. I felt bad for the little guy. The ironic thing is that the first owner of the swing set was a pair of twins. They are 4 1/2 years old now and will be getting a bigger one. I am sure the little boy will be very happy in the end.

Abby & Ellie's busy weekend.

2009-04-19T20:41:00.009-04:00

This was a particularly busy weekend for the girls. On Sunday, we had them Baptised. Although the service only lasted about an hour, many hours went into the planning and preparation for the event.

Grammy & Grampa took the girls for the day on Saturday, which gave us the opportunity to get the house ready for the after-party. On Thursday, Christie found a used swing set for our backyard, and arranged for me to pick it up on Saturday. My friend Tom and I went to pick up the swing set in his truck. The task became more difficult at every turn and ended up taking most of the day. Tom was supposed to be back home by 3:15 to take his son to a birthday party. To make a long story short, he was late, but it all worked out.

Christie and I attempted to but the swing set together in our backyard, but gave up when it started to rain. We knew Tom would be coming over on Sunday, and figured he probably wouldn't mind putting it together for us. He did put it together on Sunday, and it took him no time at all. maybe 30 minutes. It certainly would have taken me longer than that.

Christie did a great job preparing for Sunday. She had the house clean and the food prepared, so Sunday would be as smooth as possible. The only hiccup was my fault. I went to get the beer & wine on Saturday night. I planned on getting the beer warm, to save room in the fridge. The liquor store didn't have the beer I wanted warm, so I figured I would pick it up on the way back from the church on Sunday morning. When I got there on Sunday morning, I learned that I could not buy beer until noon. Oh well, people would have to wait. I ended up running back to the store, just after noon to grab the beer.

Here is a picture of the girls in their dresses and a video of them on their swing set.

Easter

2009-04-13T06:59:00.004-04:00

We took Abby & Ellie to meet the Easter Bunny and they did great. We got them all dolled up in their dresses and brought them to the mall. Just like when they went to meet Santa, there was hardly a line. After a few minutes, Ellie started to melt down. The picture we ended up printing she was actually crying in, but it looks like she was happy.

The Easter Bunny stopped by our house and brought baskets for the girls. Since they can't have candy yet, the most exciting things in the basket were the plastic eggs and new spoons.

Here is a quick video of them I shot on Saturday morning. They were laughing at each other, but stopped when they saw the camera.

A day at the park.

2009-04-10T07:07:00.005-04:00

Yesterday afternoon was one of the first real days of spring around here. It was over 60 degrees and sunny. A beautiful day to anything outside. Christie took the girls to the playground. They were joined by the Kim, the boys and Rosie.

As you can tell, Abby & Ellie had a great time. The girls are at a great stage right now. They seem to be happy all the time. It is very easy to get them to laugh and giggle, and they have been communicating with each other much more lately. I noticed it last night, while changing Ellie's diaper. She could hear Abby in the other room making noises, and she started making noises. When Abby heard, they started going back and forth.

Road trip!

2009-04-08T21:16:00.005-04:00

We took a quick trip down to my parents this past weekend. We haven't been down there since the holidays, so a visit was long overdue. Christie's parents took them overnight Friday night and the plan was to meet them in the in the morning to switch cars and grab the girls. We met them right on schedule at 9:00 or so. They normally start their morning nap around 9, so we were hoping they would sleep the whole ride.

Things went according to plan, and they napped most of the way, waking up when we were in my hometown. We made a stop at Wendy's to grab them some lunch (chicken nuggets & french fries, their new favorite), then headed to Grandma & Grandpa's.

As soon as we got there, we set up the high chairs and fed them lunch. They are getting better with finger foods and made quick work of lunch. After eating, we visited with Grandma & Grandpa & Uncle Randy for while. Both girls started getting cranky at the same time and it was time for a nap. I set up Abby's travel crib in my Mom's room and put her down. She immediately went ballistic. We decided to go for a ride to the mall, to give them a chance to get in a good nap in the car. It worked brilliantly and the girls slept for over an hour. I think this may have been the first time we have used the car to put them to sleep. It worked well, but not a habit I want to get into.

After their nap, it was back to Grandma's house. Auntie Monica and Cousin Simone & her friend were there ready to visit with the girls. Abby & Ellie seem to be over their stranger anxiety and did great with all of the faces they haven't seen in a while. My Mom made meatballs and got to witness the girls going to town on them. Abby could not get enough of them and even ate some pasta. Ellie was into the meatballs for about a second, then wanted no part of them. We brought jarred food, just in case they didn't want finger food, so that's what Ellie ate. Simone and her friend fed the girls, and it was nice to get a break.

We visited for a while after dinner and took a few pictures. It was getting close to the girls' bedtime, so I packed everything up and loaded the car. We spent the night at Randy & Ambily's house, and getting the girls to sleep was an adventure. I think it was around 10 by the time they both went to sleep. Once they fell asleep, we all played Rockstar. It was my first time playing and we had a great time.

We woke up, had breakfast, fed the girls and were on the road by about 9. They slept for most of the ride and were ready for lunch when we got home. After lunch, it was nap time again. While they were napping, I went to run a few errands and let Christie take a nap. We didn't get much sleep Friday or Saturday night and were both exhausted. When Abby & Ellie woke up, I decided to take them for a walk in the stroller. the weather was beautiful and I wanted to let Christie rest. We were stopped 3 times by people wanting to check out the girls. One lady made a comment I have never heard before. She said, " they look almost identical". She meant no harm, just didn't know there is no such thing as almost identical. You either are or you aren't.

One year in the books.

2009-04-03T15:40:00.002-04:00

My blog officially turns 1 tolday. I have not always posted as frequently as I would have liked, but will try to post more often going forward. Abby & Ellie are well on their way to their fi9rst birthday. It is only a couple of months away and will be here before we know it.

We are heading to Connecticut this weekend to visit with my family. We haven't been down there since December. The girls have changed quite a bit since then. They are sleeping less, eating more, and more interactive. Abby has her 2 bottom teeth and is working on one up top. Ellie has cut her first tooth on the bottom and will hopefully catch up to her sister.

Lately they have been paying more attention to each other. I think I probably have written that on every post for the last few months, but it is becoming more frequent. They babble to one another and are always looking to see where the other one is.

Abby is showing signs that she might start to crawl soon. She is rolling over on her own more often, and getting up on all fours. The funniest thing is that she is always spinning herself around on her belly. I think she will be crawling soon.

Ellie is of course crawling all over the place, and has moved onto standing. She pulls herself up and holds on for dear life. A few times she has let go and balanced for a few seconds. It won't be long before she is standing on her own and running around.

Ellie standing

2009-03-19T21:53:00.004-04:00

Ellie has reached another milestone. She is now standing. That is the good news. The not so good news is that she sometimes forgets how to sit down again. This causes her to scream for help.

Abby is not quite there yet. She can stand, if you stand her up and there is something to hold onto, but she cannot do it on her own. I think she is completely normal and that Ellie is a little ahead of the game. We try not to compare their progress to each other, but it is hard not to. It is only natural to think they would reach milestones together since they where born the same day.

Here are some pictures of Ellie standing in her "baby jail". The real name is a play yard and they are very helpful at this stage to keep them out of trouble.

Ellie also discovered the stairs the other day. Since that day, we have done a good job of keeping her in the play yard to protect her from her curiosity.

Spaghetti & meatballs!!!

2009-03-16T23:00:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday, we finally got to the grocery store after not going for 3 weeks. I am one of those odd people that actually enjoy going to the grocery store. We have been so busy over the past few weeks and had no time to shop.

Grammy & Grampa had the girls, so we had a chance to stock up.It was early in the day so we decided to make a nice Sunday dinner. I made meatballs and let them simmer for most of the day. We bought the girls some pasta that was small enough for them to eat , without us having to worry about them chocking.

Rosie was waiting patiently under the table, just in case anything fell from the girls high chairs. The girls didn't help Rosie out. I think they were enjoying their dinner so much that they did not want to share.

9 month check up.

2009-03-11T21:23:00.004-04:00

Abby & Ellie had their 9 month check up today. They were not due for any shots this time, so it was just a progress check and weigh in. Abby measured 27.25 inches and weighs 18 lbs 3.4 oz. She is in the 31st percentile for height and 32nd percentile for weight.

Ellie is the same height and weighs 15 lbs.13.4 oz. That puts her in the 4th percentile for weight and the 31st percentile for height.

The girls are very healthy and the doctor told us to start introducing more variety into their diet. We have been feeding them 3 meals a day, but were splitting a jar of baby food between them. Now they each get their own jar and we also give them Cheerios and fruit at each meal. We have also been giving them water in a sippy cup. They do well with the cups, but they start banging them on the high chair before too long. Ellie usually ends up throwing hers on the floor.

We have also been giving them yogurt, mixed with applesauce at lunch. They both really like the taste, but Ellie has started getting a rash from it. We are going to stop giving it to her for a while to see if that problem goes away.

What a strange sound to wake up to.

2009-03-10T20:28:00.006-04:00

This morning, I was woken up by my alarm clock for the first time in a long time. The girls are on a but of a new schedule since we "sprung" forward this past weekend. Their new wake up time is between 7:00 & 7:30. Well I had a meeting this morning that I could not be late for, so I set my alarm for 7:30. When I went to sleep, I figured Ellie would probably wake me up before the alarm, but I was mistaken. Both girls were sleeping when the alarm sounded. Lets hope this is a trend!

Ellie is now a pro at crawling. She started the day after my last post. Christie actually caught the very first time on video.It is the cutest thing to watch, but makes watching her exponentially harder.

Abby is very happy to sit in one spot. I am sure that once she realizes how much fun Ellie is having crawling all over the place, she will follow suit. For now, we are enjoying the fact that there is only one to keep track of. Here are a couple of videos of Ellie crawling up to Abby and giving her "kisses". It is truly heartwarming to see the girls interacting with each other more and more each day.

9 months old today.

2009-02-26T10:23:00.007-05:00

Nine months ago today, Christie & I were brand new parents. We had an idea of what we were in for, but no clue as to the enormity of it all. Although the first few months were tough, my worst fear never happened. I was most afraid of both girls going ballistic, uncontrollably, for an extended period of time. I really thought that at some point, they would be losing their mind at the same time. I don't remember this ever happening.

There have defiantly been tough times, but the good times have far outweighed the bad. What makes the first couple of months the hardest is that the babies don't give anything back. It felt like groundhog day, because you are constantly feeding them, changing them and putting them back to sleep. I remember when they started noticing Christie and me. It started with them following our movements with their eyes. Then they started smiling at us. Now, they get upset when we leave the room and will often start crying. It is the cutest thing. Eventually, they get distracted and are fine.

It's been a little while since my last post and there have been some changes in the mean time. Abby & Ellie have both stated talking. We are not having conversations quite yet, but Abby says "Dada" and Ellie "Mama". We haven't caught it on video quite yet, but I am sure we will soon. They got to play in the snow for the first time about a month ago. I was out in San Diego for work, and while I was gone there was a snow storm. Well Christie got them bundled up in their snow suits and put them in the snow. I guess they didn't last very long out there, but that's to be expected. I wish I was there to see them in the snow, but it was nice to see the pictures while I was away. Here are a few pictures.

Another big change is that they are now eating three meals a day. For breakfast, they have fruit, then some Cheerios to munch on. Lunch consists of yogurt mixed with applesauce (which is delicious). For dinner, they split a jar of baby food and have a piece of fruit. Ellie seemed to have a bigger appetite, but Abby has her moments. Abby is ahead in the tooth department. She has 2 and Ellie doesn't have any quite yet.

Ellie is very close to crawling. She gets on her hands and knees and rocks her body. She is not there just yet, but very close. We keep thinking it will be any day now, but have been saying that for about a month now. A downside to her trying to crawl is that she does it while in her crib. Her newest thing is kneeling in her crib. She gets into the kneeling position and grabs onto the rail of the crib. After a couple of minutes, she realizes that she does not know how to lay down again and she starts crying.

Abby does not seem the least bit it interested in crawling. She is very happy to sit on the floor and play with her toys. I suspect that when Ellie starts crawling, Abby will follow suit. But you never know. A co-worker that has twins told me hers didn't crawl at all, and started walking at 18 months. Time will tell.

This past Sunday, Abby & Ellie had their first bath in the big tub. We have been using the infant tub until now. That was working great and they seemed to like their baths, but that tub is designed for them to be laying back. Now that they sit up on their own, they are not really comfortable in the laying position. Here are a couple of videos of their first time in the big tub.

Our vacation (Part 3). Heading home.

2009-02-16T07:12:00.008-05:00

The last few days of the cruise were relaxing. We found the days at sea to be very relaxing because there is no rush to get off the ship or go here or there.

Here are a few videos I shot over the course of the trip. The first one is the girls interacting on the bed in our cabin. On this trip was when I really noticed them playing with one another. This video is kind of long, but it is worth it. It's precious.

Whenever I tell people about our cruise vacations, they always ask about the ship. It is hard to conceptualize just how big these ships are until you have been aboard one. I shot the next video with that in mind. It is just a video of me walking from our cabin to the pool deck. In hindsight, I wish I had shot a video of the whole ship in this manner.

This last video was taken as we were leaving Tortola. We sailed away from Tortola shortly after this Costa ship, as we headed back to New York City. The funny part is that the girls were napping in the cabin as we passed this ship. I can't remember if the horn woke the girls, but the perspective of these massive vessels passing each other is interesting.

Our vacation (Part 2).

2009-02-07T07:58:00.017-05:00

After two full days at sea, we arrived at our first port of call, St. Thomas. We have been to St. Thomas several times, but were going to visit a beach we have not been to before. More importantly, this would be the first beach day for the girls. We were very well prepared, thanks to Christie, with everything a 7 month old could possibly need for the beach. We had plenty of sun block, a cabana, floats for them to ride in, hats, bathing suits and swimming diapers.

Once the ship was docked, it was time to hit the island. Since we had a couple of days at sea, everyone was anxious to get off the ship and on to dry land. The line to exit the ship spiraled through the stairwells for 3 or 4 floors. Once they started letting people off the ship, the line moved pretty quickly and we were on our way.

We decided not to bring the stroller because it is rather bulky and there is not much room in the taxis. Most of the taxis on this island are open air, so we used the baby carriers instead. The taxi's are mostly heavy duty pick-up trucks that have been with seating replacing their beds. We knew what to expect and were hoping to get a spot in the front part that is all enclosed.

We found a taxi that had room for us, but the front part was occupied. I didn't realize there was somebody sitting in the front part and asked the driver if we could ride up there because of the babies. Well he opened the door and told the people sitting there they had to get in the back. We climbed in and away we went, headed to Sapphire Beach. It was quite a ride there, up and over the hills that make St. Thomas so beautiful. Ellie managed to catch a quick nap on the way to the beach and Abby played with Ellie's binky and a toy I had grabbed.

We finally got to the beach and found a spot with plenty of shade right under a tree. Christie got the girls changed into their swim suits and lathered them up with suntan lotion. I quickly went to work inflating their floats. Christie brought Ellie down and had Grammy there to help. I had Abby and the help of Grampy. Ellie seemed pretty close to getting in the water, but got splashed by a wave and changed her mind. Abby was against it from the very start. She wanted nothing to do with the ocean. I think it took us longer to get them ready for the water then they actually spent in the water, but at least we tried.

One of our concerns in bringing A & E on the cruise was that they would not yet be sitting up by themselves. It makes things much easier when they are because they can play with their toys independently. They seemed to reach that milestone as we were on the cruise and did a great job. We brought the girls back to our shady spot and laid out towels for them to play on. I think they realized we were not going to bring them back into the water and were happy as can be. Here is a picture of them sitting up on the beach and a couple of the view we had.

The next port we visited was Antigua. Probably the most relaxing part of the trip for Christie and me because Christie had gotten us a day pass to the Sandals resort. After breakfast, her parents took the girls for the day and we headed ashore.

The resort was absolutely beautiful.
We arrived at around 10:30 and had to report to the sales office at 11:30 for the tour. We quickly found a couple of chairs near the pool and got some frozen drinks.

Pina Coladas for both of us. I ordered mine with a floater and the bartender poured the rum down the straw. A technique I had not seen before, but very effective. After a few drinks and a dip in the pool, it was time for the tour. We walked through most of the property and toured a room in each of the categories. The tour lasted a while and when it was finished, we were ready for lunch. We ate at a restaurant was called "Barefoot" which was on the sand.

It was getting late in the day and almost time to meet the cab to head back to the ship. There was a bar right near our meeting place, so we grabbed a couple more drinks and hung out until the cab showed up.

The next port was St. Martin, one of our favorite islands in the Caribbean. We spent a week there for our honeymoon years ago and are very familiar with the island. The ship arrived around 11 a.m., which worked out well because it gave us a chance to give the girls their breakfast and a nap before heading to the beach. At around 11:30, we loaded up the stroller and headed off the ship. We thought the beach was a short walk down the pier, but were mistaken. Getting to the beach we wanted involved a long walk, in the heat, or a short water taxi ride. We opted for the water taxi. The challenge was that the stroller had to be collapsed, which means everything, including the girls had to be removed and carried by hand on and off the vessel. Not an easy task for two people, but we managed somehow. The water taxi brought us to the other side of the bay and we set up the cabana for the girls. Both of them were in desperate need of a nap at this point. I took Abby and she slept on my chest and Christie put Ellie in her stroller and wheeled her around.

It wasn't exactly ideal, but it worked.

After their naps, we put them in the cabana to play. This is where them sitting up on their own is huge.

They really seemed to like sitting in the cabana, playing with their toys. They were also playing with each other. Abby likes to steal the binky, right out of Ellie's mouth. The funny part is that Abby doesn't use the binky, she just likes to take it from Ellie. They also pass toys back and forth. It hasn't gotten ugly yet, but I am sure it will at some point soon.

Before too long, it was time to pack up and head back to the ship. There was time for a quick walk around town for some shopping before heading to the water taxi. I think Christie found a couple of T-shirts for the girls, and we were on our way.

The next port of call was Barbados. Christie wasn't feeling well that day, so we were in no rush to get off the ship. We were not in port very long that day, so we decided it was not worth the hassle to go to the beach. We ended up staying on the ship for most of the day. When Grammy and Grampy came back, they watched the girls and we went shopping at the pier.

The last stop of the cruise was Tortola. We were only there a short time, because it is a long sail back to New York City. I think we had to be back on the ship by 12:30 p.m, for a 1:00 departure. Grammy & Grampy were nice enough to take the girls and allow us to go the beach. The weather wasn't great, but it was nice to enjoy the beach one last time before heading back to the cold weather. We went to Cane Garden Bay, a beach we have been to a few times.

That's it for this part of the vacation review. I will post about the last part of our trip soon.

Our vacation. (Part 1)

2009-01-31T21:18:00.007-05:00

We took lots of pictures and videos on our cruise. I have posted them on my flickr page, since it is easier to label and group them there. Here is a link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/raywolff1/. Be sure to check back there from time to time, as I will be adding more in the next few days. I will put a few pictures from the trip here and there, where appropriate.

I guess I should start with our ride down there. The weather could not have been better for a car ride. It was cold out, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Christie did all of the packing ahead of time and had given her parents the big bags to bring down. They were taking a bus through the cruise line. There was no limit as to how much luggage they could check, and it would be brought onto the ship for them. We only had to bring the girls and 2 carry-ons. We left around 9 and had to stop for gas and coffee before getting on the highway. I think it was closer to 9:30 by the time we got on the highway. By that time, there was no traffic on the road and we made great time. We only stopped once to feed the girls and were at the pier around 1:30. I dropped Christie and the girls off at the cruise terminal and parked the car upstairs.

After a quick comfort break, we were ready to get into line. As I was rounding up our things, I look up and there are Christie's parents. They had just arrived. We all head towards the back of the line, when a nice lady directed us to the side of the line. Since we had the double stroller, we were able to use the handicap line and moved right through security. A great start to our vacation. I think we saved a couple hours of waiting in line with that move.

We found our cabin and were very happy. It was a nice room with lots of storage. Which was a good thing because we had a lot of stuff. We got settled and headed up to the buffet to grab a bite to eat for lunch. Grammy and Grampy watched the girls, and we grabbed our food and went right back down to the cabin. The buffet was packed, with everyone trying to be in the same place at once. A common theme that you come to expect on a cruise. I always get a kick out of people rushing to be first in line to eat. You never get the chance to be hungry on a cruise since there is food at every turn, yet people are still in a rush.

After eating, it was time for the muster drill. That is where they ask all of the passengers to report to a designated area and show everyone how to use your life vest. The meeting area is where you need to report in the event of an actual emergency. The timing wasn't the greatest because the girls were overdue for their bottles. We brought the bottles with us and headed to the drill. Our drill was held in the main dining room, so it was easy for us to feed the girls. Exiting the drill was a nightmare because everyone was leaving at once and we needed an elevator because of the stroller. I ended up taking the stairs and letting Christie take the girls in the elevator. We went back up to our room and it was nap time for the girls.

Here are a couple of pictures a we sailed down the Hudson. We didn't know it at the time, but the NY Waterways ferry boats would be critically important the very next day. A plane crash landed into the Hudson River and the ferry boats were there within minutes to bring the passengers to safety. It is amazing that there were no serious injuries.

The next couple of days were sea days, which were very relaxing. We walked around the ship to check everything out and hung out in our cabin. We got tons of attention from both the other passengers and the crew. Mostly the normal questions we have been used to. It seemed like some of the crew would throw out a weird one every now and then. A lot of the crew members are into the babies because they miss their own children. Most of them are on the ship for 10 months and home for 2. I felt bad for one guy that told me he had a 6 month old at home and would not see her until after her 1st birthday.

Wow, that was a long post. I will make another post soon with more details of our trip.

Be back soon,

2009-01-11T07:58:00.004-05:00

Christie & I are taking A & E on a cruise. We leave on Wednesday and will be gone for 10 nights. We have cruised many times and been on this itinerary a couple of times already. It should be interesting to have the girls with us.

The cruise leaves from New York City, so we don't have to take the girls on a plane. The best part about leaving out of NYC is all of the different types of personalities. I go out of my way to wear my Red Sox gear on board, and am always amazed at peoples comments. Unless I am provoked, I would never say something to someone wearing a Yankees shirt. But I have no problem replying with a witty response. I packed Red Sox hats for the girls and may try to find some t-shirts for them.

With another few inches of fresh snow, we are all very excited to get to warmer temperatures. I just saw the extended forecast for the week, and it looks like another blast of arctic air arrives just as we are leaving. Yahoo!

A few random things...

2009-01-10T08:41:00.007-05:00

The girls are getting cuter by the day. They are really starting to get more into their toys. Especially the ones that allow them to jump. We have three that give them that ability. The Jumperoo, Exersaucer and Jumper. The Jumper goes in the door jam and the others are stand alone. Here are a couple of videos of them jumping.

I was feeling silly the other day, while bathing A & E and decided to give them mohawks. It worked really well with Ellie's hair.

Abby, not so much.

Abby& Ellie got their first dolls for Christmas. They are not too into them right not, but I am sure they will be soon. I have a funny feeling that my house will be overtaken with dolls, dollhouses and everything that goes along with it. I could already picture Abby rolling around the neighborhood in a Barbie Jeep, in a couple of years. I bet Ellie would like a Pink Corvette.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-02T07:51:00.007-05:00

Abby & Ellie celebrated their first Christmas this year. It all started Christmas Eve, at Christie's cousin's annual party. When we got there, everyone could not believe how cute the girls were. We had them in their Santa outfits and they were adorable.

Ellie was as happy as can be when we got there and hamming it up for everybody.

Abby was a little cranky, and went straight to Grampy. It is amazing how they change roles when we leave the house. Abby recovered quickly and it was time to feed them and put them to sleep.
We put them to sleep in their car seats and got back to the party. I am always amazed that they can sleep when there is a party going on in the next room. I checked on them every now and then. They must have been tired, because they were out cold.

We left the party relatively early this year, because I had to wrap all of Christie's presents. We finally ended up getting to bed around 1:30. Christmas morning started just like any other day. The girls were by 7 and hungry for their bottles. Once they went down for their morning nap, we opened our presents. We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, like we do every year on Christmas. After A & E woke from their nap, it was time for them to open their gifts. They were not too into the actual gifts, but liked the paper. They got new toys from Mommy & Daddy. Grammy, Grampy & Uncle John came over in the afternoon with more presents. They got some new outfits, personalized ornaments from Grammy and Grampy. Uncle John brought them a few new DVDs.

Opening all of the presents was hard work and made Ellie really tired. She fell asleep on Christie's chest.

Both Abby & Ellie have been doing new things everyday. They can both roll over onto their tummy and back. Sometimes they forget how to and get mad. I would have to say the most adorable thing they do is smile and laugh at one another. I know they are communicating with each other, but it is in their own language. They will often "share" toys while playing on the floor. Many times it is not sharing, but one taking the toy out of the others hand. The funny part is the one that takes the toy usually ends up throwing it off to the side and moving on to another one.

Abby has grown 2 teeth on her bottom gum. They are in the middle. I think she may be getting more because she has been cranky the last day or so. Ellie has yet to show anything in the tooth department, but I am sure it won't be too long.

Chanukah 2008.

2008-12-28T08:20:00.004-05:00

We went to Connecticut for the annual Chanukah party at my Mom & Dad's house. The party was on Saturday and we planned to spend the night. There was a snow storm in the forecast for Friday and Sunday morning. Friday's storm was going to be the bigger of the two, supposedly ending in the early morning hours. The storm on Sunday was supposed to turn to rain in the afternoon. Well, things didn't go exactly as planned. It was still snowing when we hit the road at 9:00 on Saturday morning and it snowed for most of the day. We made it down there safe and sound, but what is normally a 2 1/2 hour ride took 4 hours. We decided to take an alternative route on Sunday,and drive along the shoreline . It is a longer distance, but the weather map showed that it was rain on the coast. the return trip was 5 hours, which included a couple of stops along the way.

The party was fun. The girls got to meet some of their extended family for the first time. We were a little nervous, because lately they have been having stranger anxiety. The week before the party, we were at our friend's house and the girls only wanted to be held by either Christie or me. Anyway, they did great at my Mom's house. They were happy as can be for most of the day. As I was packing up to leave, they started to melt. Completely understandable since it was a long day and they were thrown off their schedule. It was 8:00 by the time we got into our hotel room and gave them their last bottle of the day. We had a nice room with 2 pack & plays for the girls to sleep in. It was a tough night because they were not in their normal surroundings. Christie had some weird bug and was also up most of the night. Needless to say, it was a long night and all of us could not wait to get home.

We were so busy taking care of the girls and visiting that we didn't take too many pictures. Here is one of Grandma holding Abby.

And here is one of Rosie's long lost cousin, Milli. My cousin's wife, Ambily, fell in love with Rosie last time she came for a visit. After a lot of convincing, Randy broke down and got her a puppy. She is the same breed as Rosie (Cocker Spaniel - Shih Tzu) and looks just like her when she was that age.

One if the gifts the girls recieved was their first Menorah. Grandma & Grandpa got it for them and it has ballerina slippers on it. I took a picture of it on the last night of Chanukah.

Happy "Half Birthday", Abby & Ellie!

2008-12-08T06:34:00.006-05:00

I have been meaning to make a post about the girls turning 6 months old. Their "half birthday" was November 26, which was the day before Thanksgiving. I meant to take a picture of them that day, but it never happened. Here are a couple of pictures taken 6 months apart, almost to the day.

At the time, Christie and I didn't think they looked alike at all. In looking at the pictures now, I can see how people would think that. I think Ellie still looks like she did when she was first born, while Abby looks completely different. In case you can't tell, Abby is on the left and Ellie the right in the first picture, and the opposite is true in the second.

Both girls are doing great. They have learned to rollover on their own and are still working on sitting up. Abby has been fighting a nasty cough for a few days now. She is still acting like her normal goofy self, but has not been finishing her bottles and has been coughing. We decided not to bring her to the doctor's office, since she does not have a fever and is not acting sick. They have their 6 month check up on Wednesday, so we will mention it then.

First snow.

2008-12-07T11:41:00.000-05:00

The first snow flakes of the year flew today. It didn't amount to much, but was the first time A & E saw snow. They were definitely curious about what was coming from the sky.

Although it wasn't Rosie's first snow, she liked it just the same. She loves to run around in the snow.

Abby & Ellie meet Santa.

2008-12-06T17:50:00.006-05:00

We brought the girls to meet Santa this afternoon. Both Christie and I were expecting the worst. In fact, I think Christie may have been secretly hoping for a meltdown. She mentioned a few times that it is cute when kids are crying in their pictures with Santa. I agree, but after the fiasco last week I was hoping they would behave.

Last week they had pictures taken at Sears and it was not their finest moment. It didn't help that Sears was double booked all morning. The photographer was not very patient and was rushing us. All things considered, the pictures actually came out pretty nice. I chalked it up as a learning experience and expect it to get easier in the future. Here are a couple of pictures we took before the girls appointment.

Anyway, this afternoon, things were going great from the outset. Our timing could not have been better. There were only 2 people in line in front of us when we got to where they were taking the pictures. Since it was a Saturday afternoon, I was expecting the line to be around the corner. We sat the girls with Santa, one on each knee and got out of the way. The photographer was good and snapped a few shots. Of course, I was there with my trusty camera and took a few of my own. Santa's little helper informed me I could only take pictures using my camera if we bought one of theirs. As we were taking the pictures, a little crowd gathered around to see our girls. They were all dolled up in their Santa outfits. Complete with hats and shoes.

After we chose our picture, it was time for lunch. We headed down to Friendly's and there was no line again! We sat down a table and placed our order. It was time for the girls to nap, so we rocked them to sleep in their car seats. They both went right to sleep and left us to enjoy our meals in peace.

Since we didn't skip dessert, we decided to take a lap around the mall to burn off our ice cream. As we were leaving the eatery, Ellie woke up. She doesn't really like hanging out in her car seat, so I took her out and was carrying her. While walking around the mall, you most everybody that see s you with twins makes a comment. Most don't say anything to you directly, but you can hear them. I didn't hear any rude comments this trip. One lady approached me and said she is 75 years old and has a twin brother. She said they have never had an argument in their life and they share a special bond that cannot be described. Abby slept the entire time we were at the mall. She has had a cough and upset belly fro a couple of days now, so I think the extra rest served her well.

While the girls had their dress on, Christie wanted to get a few pictures to put on our Holiday cards. For those of you that have done this before, you know how hard it can be. We added an extra degree of difficulty by including Rosie in the shoot.

The original vision was of the girls and Rosie in their outfits, in front of a roaring fire. Here are some of the outtakes.

First Thanksgiving for A & E.

2008-11-30T09:11:00.005-05:00

The girls enjoyed their first Thanksgiving the other day. It was a lot like most Thursdays for them, except they got to hang out with Daddy, Grammy, Grampa & Uncle John. There was lots of turkey, with all the fixings. Here are some pictures of the outfits Mommy got them for this special day.

A couple of quick ones before bed.

2008-11-24T06:47:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pictures we took before bed on Sunday night. Ellie was in a very silly mood. Abby was her normal goofy self. You can really see the difference in size in these pictures. Hard to believe they were only 2 ounces different at birth. We are very interested to find out their weights at their next doctors appointment.

Impromptu playdate.

2008-11-24T06:31:00.006-05:00

Christie had friends over on Saturday night and it turned into a late one. I think we ended up going to sleep around 2:30, or so. The girls didn't realize we were up late and woke up at their normal hour. I took first shift and let Christie get some well deserved rest. She ended up sleeping until around noontime.

She relieved me, which gave me the chance to finish the fall clean up in the yard. She had made tentative plans to hang out with her friend, who has a little girl a few weeks older than ours. Kate is her name and she is cute as can be.

Well it quickly turned into a full blown play date.

There were 6 Mommies accompanied by 7 little ones. For a change, Abby and Ellie were not the youngest ones there. The ages ranged from 1 and a half to 2 months. Here they are, oldest to youngest:

Kate would go here, but I used the picture of her by herself above. Here she is checking out my girls.

First shift; Sunday morning.

2008-11-23T20:13:00.008-05:00

I woke up with the girls this morning and let Christie sleep in. After their bottles and a brief play session, I put them down for a nap. Ellie has been taking long naps in the morning, and did not disappoint this morning. I swaddled her and put her in her crib for an hour and a half nap. Abby, on the other hand, napped for an hour at most. She fell asleep in her bouncy seat, after finishing her bottle.

When Abby woke up, I decided to take some black and white pictures. Once Ellie woke up, I took some of her also. There are more pictures from this morning on my Flickr page. You can get there by clicking "My Pictures" on the right side of this page.

Rosie was catching the morning sun.

Here is a video I took of the girls. Rosie makes an appearance at the end.

Got peas?

2008-11-21T07:41:00.005-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the girls having their dinner. Christie ran some peas through the blender and made a few containers for the A & E. Making your own baby food is time consuming but a great way to save some money. The grocery store sells 2 containers for around $1. she made 5 containers of peas from a $1 bag of frozen peas. Not too bad. I am going to try to make some different veggies this weekend for the girls.

Here are the girls hanging out in their Bumbo seat. They don't stay in them for very long quite yet. I think it is a great way for them to get used to sitting upright. As their muscles get stronger, they will be spending more time in them. We have been teaching them to sit up on their own. They are both doing well with it, but it will be a while until they are sturdy. I think the Bumbo seats should help.

Raspberry turnover.

2008-11-18T07:36:00.006-05:00

Abby & Ellie each have new hobbies now. Abby has started rolling over onto her belly, unassisted. She hasn't quite figured out how to roll back, yet and usually doesn't last very long once on her tummy. I think it's a riot watching her try to rollover. It normally takes her a few tries, but eventually she gets there. She likes lying on her side and will sometimes fall asleep in that position. Since we have had them in their cribs, Ellie has been the more mobile one. Things have changed. Abby has taken the crown. When you put her in her crib, she rolls around, back and forth. She spins around and is normally in the exact opposite position she was left in.

Ellie recently started blowing raspberries. It is the cutest thing you will ever see. She does them all the time, for no reason in particular. For now, the only downside is that she is spraying down everything is in her path with spit. It's only a mater of time until she does this with a mouthful of peas, carrots or sweet potatoes.

They both really like belly time, now, and seem to be getting stronger by the day. Neither one of them have sprouted any teeth, yet, but they are both drooling a lot so it could be anytime now. We are also starting to get them to sit up on their own. They can both keep themselves up for a good amount of time. Abby seems to last longer sitting up, but I am sure Ellie will catch up soon. We try not to compare them when it comes to milestones, but it is hard not to. I think that Abby is physically bigger and stronger than Ellie, but Ellie is ahead when it comes to other things. They both are in the normal range for everything, and for that I am thankful.

Here are some pictures from the last week. I think Rosie managed to sneak her way into a couple few of them.

Role Reversal & Down Goes Ellie...

2008-11-10T07:05:00.007-05:00

We have noticed an odd trend when we bring the girls to someones house for a visit. They switch personalities. Abby turns very shy and only wants to be with Mommy or Dad, and Ellie is happy being with anybody. Christie first noticed this when she would bring the girls to Auntie Kimmy's house. Yesterday, we went to my visit Uncle John and Auntie April and the same thing happened. Abby only wanted one of us, while Ellie was happy with anyone around.

To prove that Abby is still as goofy as ever, Christie shot this video. She was changing her diaper and Abby was being silly.

We have been trying to make the girls do tummy time as much as possible. It helps them build up their upper body strength. Here is a video I took of them the other morning. Towards the end of the video, Ellie leans a little to far and goes down. We rolled her back over and she was fine.

After we put her back, we let her play with the remote. Could be the start of something bad.

Here is a picture of Rosie relaxing.

Christie took this video while she was feeding her cereal. She makes the funniest faces while eating her cereal.

A busy weekend and the return of the Podee.

2008-11-03T06:24:00.006-05:00

Ellie has always been a squirmy worm. She is always escaping from her swaddle and moving around in her crib at night. Well, she has a new pastime. She likes to wiggle her way out of her bouncy seat, to the point where her legs are hanging off the chair and only her upper body is in the seat. She then proceeds to put the parrot in her mouth. I can't imagine this being very comfortable for her, but she gets really mad when you try to move her back into the seat. Heaven forbid you buckle her in. Here are a couple of pictures of her in action.

We were on the go for most of the day on Saturday and Sunday this week. I had to drop my car off at the garage on Saturday, which somehow turned into a trip to the mall. At least 50% of the people you pass by at the mall will acknowledge that you have twins. Mostly just looks, but some people just have ask the same questions. Are they twins? Are they girls? How old are they? Then the comments start. Most people have nice things to say, but I can't tell you how many people say, "You have your hands full". That's not something I would ever say to someone, but no big deal. One person made the rudest comment to Christie we have heard yet. "Better you than me". The person that made that comment is lucky I was in the men's room when that comment was made. I'm not sure what I would have replied with, but there may have been some four letter words included. Clearly that person does not have a filter in their brain. Even if you were thinking that, why in the world would you ever say it. Some people are unbelievable.

After walking around the mall for a while, it was time for lunch. It was the first time we had brought the girls to a restaurant. They did great. They were due for a bottle when we sat down, so we each took one. After their bottles, Christie brought them to the bathroom for new diapers, and we were on our way.

Yesterday, Rosie had an appointment to go to the groomers. We dropped her off and went to pick up a changing table that Christie had found on Craigslist. It was about an hour away, but we had time to kill since the groomer always takes forever with Rosie. They slept most of the ride out there and started getting a little fussy when it was time for the bottle. Since we knew we would be on the go, we broke out the Podee bottles to make life a little easier. In case you don't remember, a Podee bottle has a tube coming out of the top that's attached to a nipple. It works great because you don't have to hold the bottle. After a quick diaper change, we were on our way.

We have been considering joining BJ's wholesale club for a while, and finally did it yesterday. It is quite an overwhelming store. Everything comes in huge containers, and seem like a good deal, but you really have to know what you pay for things to be sure. Diapers were about the same price, but formula is much cheaper. I think it will be worth it for the savings on formula. Ellie was happy as can be be in her car seat, but Abby was ready to get out of hers. Luckily, I had brought the carrier, so I strapped Abby to my chest. Once she was out of her car seat, she was fine.

Since Grammy and Grampa are on vacation, I am using Grampa's car while mine is being fixed. So it was one last stop to pick up his car, before we could head home. The girls had fallen asleep on the way to get the car, but woke up when Christie was on the way home. Abby screamed the whole way home and Christie fed them cereal upon returning home. I took Grampa's car to pick up Rosie and got home once they were done eating.

Here are a couple of pictures from Saturday, and a video of the girls with teething rings we picked up at the mall.

Happy Halloween!!!

2008-10-31T20:02:00.004-04:00

Here are some pictures of my little chickens on Halloween. They were not in their costumes very long before melting down.

Here is Christie holding Abby...

and Ellie (with a cameo from Rosie).

Here is a picture of me holding Abby..

and Ellie.

For Grammy & Grampy

2008-10-30T18:26:00.006-04:00

This is Christie. I'm taking over Ray's blog for a minute. Just an update for Grammy & Grampy. The girls miss you and can't wait for you to come home. I can't wait either. I miss Grammy's help. I took a video and a couple pics from tonight. Hope you are enjoying your cruise!!!

Tough one last night...

2008-10-30T07:28:00.009-04:00

The girls had a rough night last night. I think they were feeling alright, just restless. The last few nights they have been taking turns waking up throughout the night. Last night, they decided to work as a team. Ellie started fussing around 1:00 or so. I got up with her and put the binky in her mouth. She got up every half an hour, or so. Just enough time for me to fall back asleep. Abby slept through Ellie's cries, but woke up around 4:00. She was not crying, but laughing. For about an hour, she was in her crib having a great time. Christie took that shift and somehow managed to get her to go back to sleep.

Here are some pictures that Christie took this morning.

This picture was taken on Saturday morning, right after a bath.

Daddy duty!

2008-10-24T22:27:00.002-04:00

Christie went out with her friends to celebrate a birthday tonight, so I was on was on Daddy detail. I left work a little early, but due to traffic did not get home until around 6:30. I fed them their bottles at around 7:00 and they were in their cribs around 7:45. Ellie went right to sleep as soon as I put her down. Abby fought it for a little while, but gave in before too long.

Tonight was the first night Abby got to sleep with her arms out of the swaddle. We have been putting the girls to sleep swaddled in their miracle blankets, inside sleep sacks. The benefits of the sleep sacks are that they help to keep the girls warm and swaddled. Ellie has been a little escape artist for a while now and would always wake up when her arms and legs were free. The sleep sack solved that problem. Abby never really broke out of the swaddle, but she seemed to like being swaddled in the blanket inside the sleep sack. I decided to take Abby's arms out of the blanket tonight because she likes to suck her thumb, and can't if her arms are swaddled. She has been waking up a few times the last couple of nights, so I figured if she can find her thumb she could soothe herself back to sleep.

Hopefully it will work and she will sleep through the night.

A full nights sleep!

2008-10-21T10:09:00.002-04:00

Both Abby and Ellie slept through the night last night. Hooray! The last couple of nights have been tough for the girls, but last night they made it through. Well, almost. Abby woke up once around 4 o'clock. I gave her a binky and she went right back down. They woke up around 6:45 ready for a bottle.

Their personalities are devolving more and more with each passing day. Abby is laid back, but has a temper. She already knows what buttons to push when she wants something. She is not afraid to be heard. Ellie is high maintenance. She has had stomach issues from the beginning and requires special formula and cereal. She also has eczema, really bad. We have tried a few different types of lotion, and are now using one that her pediatrician recommended. When she is happy, she has one of the biggest smiles you will ever see. They both have smiling down pat, and are now starting to do belly laughs. The sound of them giggling makes dealing with the crankiness worth it.

That's all for now, feel free to leave a comment below to let me know you are still out there. You may do so by clicking where it says "comments".

It's been a while.

2008-10-11T08:39:00.007-04:00

I was out of town on business for most of last week, and haven't had a chance to post. The girls are doing great. They have been enjoying cereal at night for over a week now. We have added applesauce to the cereal and they seem to like it. Here is a video of Ellie having her cereal. She inhaled her first bowl, and this is her having her second helping. She really likes her cereal. We can't wait to start with some other foods.

Here is the aftermath of a cereal feeding.

While I was away, Christie established a new schedule. Their new bed time is 8:30. They have been sleeping until around 6:30 for the most part. Hooray!

The girls are starting to notice each other more and more each day. It is really cool to watch. Abby seems to pay more attention to Ellie than vice-versa, but I am sure that Ellie will catch on. Another new thing is belly laughs. At this point they are just starting, and I can't wait for them to really get it down.

It seems like they have found their voices. Ellie is using her voice more. She is changing her facial expressions and making different noises. Abby just seems to shriek. Either way, it is enough to melt your heart. Here is a video of the A & E on their mat. There is a small example of Ellie talking.

4 month check up

2008-10-01T21:43:00.009-04:00

On Monday, we brought the girls for their 4 month check up. Hard to believe they are that old. Abby tipped the scales at 14 pounds 12 ounces and Ellie weighed 12 ponds 3 ounces. Abby was in the 75th percentile for weight, height and head size. Elie was in the 18th percentile or weight and 75th for the other categories. The doctor thought Ellie's neck muscles had improved dramatically and that she is on the lower end of normal. Hooray!

We were also told to start giving the girls cereal. That is a big step that will hopefully lead to longer and deeper sleep at night. We have been very lucky in the sleep department until now. We have been putting them down between 9:30 and 10:00 at night and they normally wake up between 6:00 to 7:00. Can't complain about that but I think we will start putting them down earlier once they get used to having the cereal at night. Here is a video of the first time the girls tried cereal.

These pictures were taken the second time they had cereal.

A & E meet their younger cousin, Julia

2008-09-27T08:12:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday we headed up to New Hampshire to visit my cousin Deb and her new arrival, Julia. The timing of our visit is kind of ironic. Deb and her husband Scott came to visit the girls when they were 5 weeks old. Well, baby Julia was just 6 weeks old on the day of our visit. Deb and Scott were amazed at how much the girls have grown, while Christie and I couldn't get over how small Julia was. It's crazy how quickly you quickly forget just how small your babies once were.

Deb's Mom and Grandma were up visiting from Long Island. They were very excited to meet Abby and Ellie. We spent the afternoon out on the back deck. It was a beautiful afternoon. All of a sudden, clouds rolled in and the sky became gray. We all headed inside just in time to avoid the downpour.

It was time to head home after a nice visit. Once we were in the car, the girls fell asleep right away. We stopped for a coffee and when I got back into the car, Ellie was melting down. Christie was able to calm her down and we were on our way. We were about a half an hour from home when Ellie woke up and started crying again. We pretty much let her cry it out and fed her as soon as we got home.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2008-09-21T08:31:00.009-04:00

I was out of town on business for most of last week. It is amazing how much you miss your kids when you are not with them. It was the first time I have been away from them for more than 1 night. I actually used my blog to get a fix. I was able to use the computer in the hotel lobby to look at the pictures and watch videos of the girls.

Luckily for me, the girls didn't hit any major milestones in my absence. One new thing the girls seem to be developing is stranger anxiety. We started noticing last Saturday night, when we had a couple of Christie's friends over. They were really tired, but seemed to be extra cranky if anyone other than Mommy or Daddy was holding them. A couple of days later, Christie was over at Auntie Kimmy's, and the same thing happened. Hopefully just a phase.

Today we are heading up to New Hampshire to see my cousin Deb, and her family. There will be plenty of new faces around, including baby Julia. She is six weeks old today. It will be the first time A & E meet a younger cousin. Deb's Mom and Grandma will be there, too. It will be good for the girls to be in a new environment with different people around. I charged the battery for my camera, and plan on taking lots of pictures.

Speaking of pictures, here are some pictures and videos taken over the last week or so. Enjoy!

Ellie and I were cuddling on the couch and Rosie decided to join us.

Praying Mantis.

2008-09-14T10:11:00.004-04:00

Last night there was a praying mantis on our storm door. I grabbed my camera and started shooting. I didn't use a flash, to avoid a glare on the window, so the lighting is not the best. On the close up shot, you can see his eyes. He spent most of the night wandering around the glass door.

We've got a jumper!

2008-09-14T09:07:00.004-04:00

Abby tried out the jumper for the first time yesterday. She seemed to like it, but didn't really know what to do. She was just kind of hanging out (sorry for the bad pun!) and managed to spin around a few times. She liked the view of the kitchen her new toy gave her. The girls have not really spent much time in the kitchen, so all the stuff in there was very interesting to her.

While Abby was in her jumper, I had Ellie in the exersaucer. Her time in the saucer has been getting longer with each passing day. We attribute her new neck strength to the time she spends in the exersaucer. I think her new found stability makes it easier to care for her. She is not as delicate and doesn't throw herself around as much. We are very pleased with the progress she has made over the last week or so, and hope it continues. This week Ellie will be visited by an early interventionist for an evaluation. We made the appointment before she improved, but it never hurts to have a professional opinion. I think if Abby was not so strong, we would probably not think Ellie is behind. We should not compare the two of them, but it is hard not to.

First double header for A & E.

2008-09-13T13:11:00.005-04:00

Mommy headed out this morning for breakfast with the girls, which left me on daddy duty. Christie picked outfits for the girls before she left. Clearly she was thinking about the double header the Sox were due to play today.

This was Ellie's first time in her Bumbo seat. She was not too into it, but hopefully that will change. Her strength has greatly improved over the past week or so. I don't think she would have been able to sit upright a week ago. Abby seems to like her seat, and was very happy to be watching her favorite team so early in the day.

Here are some pictures from the past week, or so.

Abby suffered her first minor abrasion this week. She was laying on the floor, minding her own business, when Rosie decided to have a "puppy burst". A puppy burst is when Rosie does laps around the house at full speed. It is quite a sight to see. When going at full speed, Rosie gives up some of her handling ability, and caught Abby on the cheek with her paw. I wasn't home when it happened, but Christie said Abby screamed bloody murder. They have since made up, and the scratch is going away.

Play Time.

2008-09-06T09:02:00.006-04:00

It seems like the girls are doing new things everyday. The newest thing is the exersaucer. They first started using it on Labor Day, and are really getting the hang of it now. Check out this video below of Abby having a grand old time, with a cameo appearance by little Miss Rosie.

Here is Ellie in the exersaucer. She likes it more and more each day. She only spends a few minutes each time, but as she gets stronger she will be able to go longer.

Abby seems to have the strength of a six month old. Check out this video of Abby enjoying some tummy time. She has a short fuse with tummy time, but is very good at holding up her head. Ellie is getting stronger by the day, but still not as strong as Abby.

Happy Labor Day.

2008-09-01T19:38:00.001-04:00

As you can tell, we were all exhausted from the roadtrip, and spent most of the day lounging.

It was, however, the first time the girls played in their exersaucer. Abby was in it first, and really did well. I had gone to the store, and Christie put Ellie in. She shot this picture and these videos of them playing. I think this will be great for Ellie's neck muscles. She is still kind of floppy, but this should help.

The Girls First Roadtrip.

2008-09-01T19:24:00.015-04:00

We took the girls on their first getaway this weekend. Christie was in her friend's wedding, which was in Lake George, NY. The rehearsal dinner was on Friday night, so I took the day off and the plan was to get on the road around 9:00a.m. It is about 250 miles away from home, so no matter how we did it, we would end up with 1 feeding on the road.

After feeding the girls and packing up the car, we ended up being on the road at around 8:30. Probably the first time I have ever hit the road ahead of schedule. We made it about an hour away, and it was time for Ellie's medicine. She needs to take it a half hour before her bottle. Of course, after two cups of coffee, and a Bubba Keg, I was ready for a pit stop myself. The next rest area was 26 miles away, so we stopped there to change the girls and give them their bottles. The timing was perfect. While I was carrying the girls in their car seats, everyone I made eye contact with gave me a big smile. Some asked the normal questions, and others made the standard comments. Our next stop was towards the end of the Mass Pike, so Christie and I could get a bite to eat. We were amazed that they pretty much slept the entire car ride out there.

Once we arrived, I think everyone was excited to get out of the car. I think it took us a total of about 5 hours. We were greeted by Grammy and Grampa. They were nice enough to join us on the trip to help us with the girls.

It was the first time any of us had been to Lake George, and we were all impressed. The wedding was at the Fort William Henry Resort, and that is where we all stayed. Definitely the place to be in Lake George.

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner, and it was very nice. After dinner, we headed across the street to a local watering hole to hang out with the crowd. Christie and I made an early exit, as we were both tired from the car ride and knew Saturday would be a long day.

On Saturday, the day of the wedding, I was on my own with the girls until around 2:45. I spent most of the time walking around the area with the girls. I was pushing Ellie in an umbrella stroller, and had Abby in the baby carrier. Neither one of them fussed a bit, and were both asleep within minutes. I took a nice long walk around the area until it was time for their feeding. I returned to the room for their feeding, and they fell asleep right after their bottles. I had some reinforcements show up in the form of Auntie Kimmy and Uncle Billy Bad Bones. It was nice to have some help, but I must say that I had a pretty good handle on things.

Grammy and Grampa spent the day touring the area and even got out on a boat cruise of the lake. They returned around 2:30 to relieve me, so I could get ready for the wedding. I relaxed for a little while with her parents and had a couple of beers before getting cleaned up for the main event.

The big question of the day was if the weather was going to clear for the ceremony, which was to be outside. Christie's Mom hung her rosary beads in the window to send the rain away. Well, they did not fail us. The sun came out about an hour before the wedding started, and it was beautiful. The ceremony was great, highlighted by personal vows written by the bride and groom. The reception was a lot of fun, with a moving speech from the father of the bride, and a funny one from the best man. The maid of honor had a speech of her own that was a clever poem. Here are a few pictures I took at the wedding. Grammy and Grampa had the girls in their strollers, and brought them over to where we were.

This little cutie belongs to one of the other bridesmaids. She also brought her mother along to help with the baby.

It is funny how the camera can sometimes catch an expression. I was not angry at all when this picture was taken, but that is what the camera captured.

Uncle Billy is not really a drinker, so when he was double fisted at the cocktail hour, I couldn't resist.

The ride home was not as smooth as we hoped. We were on the Mass Pike, and Ellie started fussing. Luckily, the first rest area was not too far, so we were able to stop and feed them. We made it home in around 4 and a half hours, which isn't too bad considering that we stopped a couple of times.

Hand in hand...

2008-08-28T07:19:00.006-04:00

These are some pictures and videos taken of over the last few weeks. The girls have been enjoying laying on the living room floor, on receiving blankets. Whatever works, right?

This is Ellie, happy as can be. Must have been before or after a bottle.

This was taken the other night. After calming Ellie down, I thought we would relax on the couch. It is easy to fall asleep while holding a little one. Christie couldn't resist taking a quick picture. With all of these pictures of me sleeping, you would think that's all I do.

Here is Ellie, lounging in her bouncy seat. I love the way she us stretched out, with her hands behind her head.

Here is a video of each of the girls. Abby is now a pro at sucking her thumb. Ellie has a new best friend. It is the monkey that is attached to her bouncy seat. She will sit there forever, just watching in amazement.

Hawaiin Luau Party!

2008-08-28T07:08:00.011-04:00

Last weekend, we took A & E to a birthday party for a friends little girl. It was the first official social event for the girls. We dressed them in the closest thing we could find to a Hawaiian outfit, and off we went. The girls fussed a little bit in the car, and were ready for a bottle when we got there. Once they were fed and changed, they settled right down.

Since the girls were happy, that gave us a chance to relax and enjoy ourselves. I was really looking forward to the party, becuase the host is quite the gourmet. I am a huge fan of BBQs, and he did not dissapoint. He started out the feast with wings, three different types. I think he had teriyakki, BBQ and buffalo. The next course was simply burgers and dogs. Then came the kabobs; beef, chicken and shrimp. Since no luau would be complete without a pork product, the finale was pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce (which was out of this world!).

Desert was also excellent. There were brownies and cookies. But the best part of any birthday party is the cake. Since there was no pig to roast fo our luau, they got the next best thing.

After dessert, the birthday girl declared that it was time to open presents! As you could see, the birthday girl was excited, and so was her best friend, Uma.

I spent most of the party walking around with Abby. We were smart enough to bring our baby carrier, and put Abby in facing forward for the first time. She seemed to like it, although you can't tell from her expression in this picture.

Everyone kept saying how many kids there were at the party. Times certainly have changed. The party started at 3:00 and I think we were home by 9:00. Before any of us had kids, the party would have just been getting started around 9:00.

Third time is a charm.

2008-08-21T06:35:00.002-04:00

I think the girls have started a new trend. For the last three nights, the girls have slept from around 10 at night until about 6 in the morning, uninterrupted. We have been very lucky with the girls sleeping, but this takes it to a new level. It happened when they were 12 weeks, exactly. It is hard to believe they are 12 weeks already.

We have a couple of big weekends coming up. This Saturday, we have a 1st birthday party for a friend of ours little girl. It will be a Hawaiian theme, and the girls are very excited. I have been looking for grass skirts, but have not found any in their size. Oh well, I am sure Mommy will have some cute outfits for them.

Next weekend is our first getaway with the girls. Christie's friend is getting married up at Lake George. She is originally from Scituate, but now lives in Albany, NY, with her fiance. I am very interested to see how the girls do in a totally new environment. We are bringing reinforcements with us. Grammy and Grandpa are making the trip with us. They will be in an adjoining room to help out. We sent the girls to their house for the past couple of weekends, in an effort to get them used to new surroundings. Her parents have amazing, and I don't know how we would do it without them.

Welcome Noah!

2008-08-20T10:28:00.004-04:00

The girls had another cousin born this week. That makes two new cousins in the last week! The baby boom continues. Noah Thomas was born on 8-15-2008, weighed 7 lbs 9 oz, and measured 20 inches long. Check out the pictures and stories on his family's blog: eichenwaldfamily.blogspot.com.

Grandma & Grandpa visit

2008-08-19T09:23:00.002-04:00

My parents came up for a visit on Saturday. They brought my niece, Simone, as well. It was the first time my parents had seen them since they we came home from the hospital. My Mom had been down in Florida, helping my cousin with her baby for most of the summer. They were thrilled to see the girls and couldn't get over how big they are getting. Grandpa was holding Ellie first and thought she was strong. He was amazed at the difference when he held Abby. Ellie's strength has improved, but Abby is solid as a rock. Grandma came barring gifts for the girls; Rosie included. She brought the girls the jumpers that attach to the door jam, and gourmet cookies for Rosie. I can't wait for them to be big enough to try them out. I think Abby might be there already. Now we just have to find a door jam in our house solid enough.

It was such a beautiful day, we decided to put the girls in the stroller and take them for a walk. We just took a quick walk down to the beach and back. I think the girls are starting to get used to the stroller. They seemed to like the stroller. They didn't fuss at all on the way down to the beach, or while we where there. Ellie was a little cranky on the way back, but I used the binky to soothe her.

Simone held Abby for most of the visit. She fed her twice and changed her diaper. She handled it like an old pro, even getting burps out of her at the feedings. She did a great job with Abby and seemed sad to give her up as they were leaving.

Daddy Duty!

2008-08-14T09:38:00.002-04:00

Last night was the first time I have had both girls, by myself, with nobody around to assist. Christie was going shopping with a friend for the evening. Grammy was nice enough to stick around until I got home from work. When I arrived home, they were almost done with their bottles. Both girls were contently drinking away, which gave me a chance to throw my dinner in the microwave. Once they finished their bottles, there were a few tense moments where they were crying, simultaneously. I was able to calm them by rocking Ellie in my arms while Abby was in her bouncy seat. I set the rocking chair up next to the bouncy seat, and was using my foot to create bouncing action for Abby. She was fine in the seat, as long as it was bouncing. When Ellie feel asleep, I put her in the travel swing and turned it on. she was dreaming away. I then grabbed Abby and put her in the other swing we have. She was content there, but didn't fall asleep for a little while. Eventually, she gave in, and I was left to enjoy the Red Sox game.

All of a sudden, while watching the game, the lights started to dim. A couple seconds later, complete darkness. After a brief interruption, our generator kicked on. Yahoo! The generator was installed over the winter, and we haven't lost power since. I was practically laughing out loud when I saw the NSTAR truck drive by. Of course I had the lights on, inside and out, and the TV on. The outage lasted about 2 hours. When the NSTAR guy was leaving the area, a neighbor from down the street had stopped him in front of my house to speak to him. I headed out there to ask what happened. As I approached the truck, I heard the neighbor say something to the driver about my generator. I noticed the power was back on, but my machine was still running. I asked the technician what caused the outage. He said that one of the transformers at the end of the road had corroded, due to the salt air, but it is all set now. We then heard the transfer switch on my electric panel switch, and the generator shut down. The neighbor, clearly upset to have missed the last 2 hours of the Sox game, said to me, "Does that thing go on and off by itself?". I just smiled and nodded.

Update: Caught in the act!

2008-08-14T07:44:00.004-04:00

This is a follow up to the thumb sucking post. Christie caught Abby red handed (sorry for the pun). As you can see, she starts by trying to get whole hand in her mouth, then inserts the thumb. Quite a technique that has taken a few weeks to master.