Teeth, Trouble, and Trucks

Isabel popped her second tooth, right next to her first one on the bottom of her mouth. I think it has been bugging her a little bit lately, since she has been slightly crabby. Neither of them have ever been crabby unless for a reason and I think that may be the reason now. Everett is still toothless, but it has to be close. He loves to smile for the camera, so once it comes in, you will all see it. They both have runny noses, which most people say is due to the teething process.

We had a little scare tonight around bedtime when the carbon monoxide alarm sounded. Sadie was working so I rounded up the kids and Molly and we went to the driveway. I called the fire department and they came over to check it out. Turns out the alarm was defective, but it was still scary enough for me. Isabel was not a fan of the chirping sound the alarm made either. Big thanks for the Howard Fire Department for checking things out for us. The kids were tired, but a little confused, so getting them to bed once it was over, was interesting.

Everett's new toys are some trucks he loves to drive around the house and while it's by total coincidence, he also makes a truck noise while pushing them around. It is so cool. He is totally a little man. Isabel will play with him, but she prefers books and her blanket. They both can walk with assistance and understand the concept of walking, but it will be a little while yet.

Last weekend, we all had a good time in Minneapolis with my parents and Grandma Johnsen. Their next trip is a long one to North Dakota over Memorial Day weekend. This weekend is a quiet one, which mom and dad are looking forward to.

A few new things have occurred since the last two weeks and they are some cool milestones. Isabel has gotten her first tooth!! On Friday, April 30th, Sadie was feeding the twins breakfast and she noticed the top of a tooth breaking through on the bottom of her gums. Very cool stuff! Isabel, of course, likes to feel it with her tongue and she is definitely proud of her new chomper. She also has learned to pull herself up to a standing position in her crib and on the couches. Only problem is, when she gets up, she doesn't yet know how to get back down, thus gets scared and cries a lot. It is making nap time and bedtime difficult. She will figure it out soon though.

Everett is in love with the camera and at 9 months, already has it down pat. Point the camera at him, say cheese, and he will stick his chin out and give a huge grin for you. He is so proud of himself.

This past weekend was a bit of a challenge as I threw my back out on Wednesday with a slipped disc and Sadie worked all weekend. Luckily, we found a sitter on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon to get me some relief, but I probably still overdid it as I golfed Wednesday and installed a new basketball hoop on Thursday morning. Just bending over to pick up the kids or try and chase after them is too much. I have been to the chiropractor four times in the last five days, with slight improvement. Guess these kids are getting too big, or I am getting too old, as I just leaned over to pick one up and felt it pop.

Thursday we are going back to Minneapolis for a Twins baseball game and to visit Nana, Papa, and Grandma Johnsen. The twins will have fun swimming, shopping, eating, and attending their first baseball game. It is also Mother's Day on Sunday, so whatever Sadie wants to do, me and the kids will do it. She is excited to have 'Her Day'. Enjoy the new photos of the kiddos.

The twins are 9 months old!

Isabel and Everett had their 9-month appointments today and all is good. Everett is exactly 20 pounds and 29 1/2 inches long. His weight is in the 45th percentile, but his height is in the 85th percentile....Tall and skinny!! Isabel is 18 pounds, 13 ounces and 28 1/4 inches long. She is in the 55th percentile for weight and 75th for height. The doctor said they are in great health and right on schedule for their development. She also said Everett is really close to getting some teeth on top and Isabel is close to teeth on the bottom of her mouth. They got their last Hepatitis B shot today and Isabel was a little crabby around bedtime from that.

Speaking of their development, they are busy bodies now. Everett starting crawling first, but Isabel picked it up a couple weeks ago and they are on the move. Right now, they follow each other around everywhere, easily finding trouble. Their favorite place is the kitchen pantry, where they love to play with Tupperware, the bag of potatoes, and Mom's plastic coffee containers. Why do we ever buy toys when they just play with this stuff?? Everett learned awhile back to pull himself up in his crib and now he does it on the couch, coffee table and our legs. He is either crawling somewhere or climbing on something now. He did have an accident however, due to his new found talent. He woke from a nap and pulled himself to stand in his crib and somehow bumped his chin on the railing, putting a nice slice in his tongue. Not sure how he did that without any teeth, but it scared me to see a bunch of blood in his mouth, so I called the neighbor (former nurse) over to check on him. He wasn't too crabby and the tongue healed quickly, but needless to say, his crib mattress has been lowered. Also, Isabel was in her crib laughing at him the whole time. What a nice sister! Isabel just started to pull herself up to her knees so it won't be long before she is standing against items too. She stills loves to play with Molly and watches her play fetch very intently.

Both have started to eat table foods a lot. Pancakes, yogurt, and hot dogs are just some of their favorite foods, but they will eat anything. They get very balanced meals with fruits and vegetables. It is nice that they like all foods, unlike their dad.

Last weekend, they went on their first trip since Thanksgiving, to Minneapolis. We visited Nana, Papa, Kellie, and Steve. We ate good food, shopped, swam, and attended a Minnesota Twins game on Saturday. Nana and Papa watched the twins during the game. We will meet them again the first weekend in May for more baseball, along with Grandma Johnsen. The twins are looking forward to more swimming and maybe some baseball this trip. Their next trip after that is to North Dakota in late May and again in mid-June. My hunch is that Everett will be walking in late May, but Sadie doesn't agree....Guess we will see.

Isabel and Everett have spent a little time in the yard since the weather has been nice, but they are not sure what to think of it yet. We have also been on many walks since spring arrived and they love that. They will continue to grow and get into trouble areas around the house, but that is also the fun part of it. Each new stage poses difficulties, but it also a sign of their growth and development. Soon they will have teeth and will speak words like Dada and Mama. And yes, Everett is wondering where all the beer went!!

Isabel the thief

Here is a video from yesterday where Isabel is stealing a pacifier from Everett. She is so proud of herself, while he is not too happy. He doesn't give in the second time, however.
Everett is crawling around the house almost all the time. There are still times where he will play in one area, but those are getting less and less. He also loves to pull himself up on items like his crib and their toy bin. He moves pretty quick when he wants to.
Isabel is still rolling, but started army-crawling this week, so she is not far behind him. She talks a lot and will spin in a circle on the ground to change directions. She also is trying to push herself into a sitting position, like he did a few weeks ago. It is really funny.
Last weekend, Sadie's mom, Rebecca, and friend, Lexi, came to visit while I was in Milwaukee. I know they all had fun hanging with each other at the house and the water park on Sunday. This weekend, Sadie is going up north for a girls scrap booking weekend, so it's me and the twins. I hope they don't pick up any bad habits while watching basketball this weekend...
They both love to eat pancakes, yogurt, cheese (they are from WI), puffs, and oranges. They turned 8 months old, 10 days ago. It has now gone fast, where I thought the beginning was going slow. It must be because they do more things now.

Enjoy the video...

A Crawling Boy

Everett has started crawling a lot this week and loves to do it. Most times, he is even laughing while he's in mid-stride. This is just a quick post to show a video of him crawling. Enjoy.

March Madness

Since the last time, as you can imagine, Everett and Isabel have started to do more things, grown, and fought. Yes, it was bound to happen and when you only have one of a certain toy that they both like, it could get ugly. Fortunately, Everett is more laid-back than Isabel. If she steals his toy, he doesn't really care, however, if Everett takes Isabel's current toy, she is less than thrilled, and will tell him about it. They do share very well, for now, and they love to play with each other. They are starting to be more vocal and talk to each other when they play. We've heard stories from many people about twins having their own language and I sometimes wonder if that has already begun.

The things they have done in the last month are: swimming lessons, crawl backwards, sit up, spend a week with my parents, and enjoy the spring air with a walk. They started swimming lessons at the YMCA on February 23rd and they love it. The class is weekly and runs til April 13th. They will be expert swimmers by then, since we have also been taking them to an area hotel water park with their 13-month old friend, Carter, on Thursdays. They certainly enjoy the water and getting out of the house. Also, mom and dad like the long naps they take afterwards.

Everett is crawling backwards and will get where he needs to from that. He tries to go forward, but after 1-2 small steps, he face plants into the floor, but gets up and tries again. He really likes to crawl backwards into a sitting up position and is one proud boy when he does it. Each morning, he is sitting up in his crib. Isabel still rolls everywhere, but sits up to play. She is getting on all fours and thinking about moving, but for now, if she needs to get something, it is easier to roll there.

While we were on vacation, my parents stayed with the twins for a week. They said it was better than any vacation they could have planned. We missed the kids, but had a good time away. I know they had fun with Nana and Papa, as Isabel perfected sitting up with them. They will see them again in mid-April. Sadie's mom is coming here for 4 days next weekend and she is thrilled. It has been since New Year's that she has seen them. I will be in Milwaukee for NCAA basketball.

Not only have the kids gotten out to go swimming, but they have taken a walk with their new double-wide stroller. The weather has been beautiful lately and the snow should all be gone soon. I can't wait to be outside with them all summer. Upcoming events for them include a trip to Minneapolis in mid-April, a long weekend alone with dad, watching a lot of basketball, while Sadie is gone scrap booking in late-March, some quality time with Grandma James, and continued swimming sessions.

7 months old

The twins have been getting a lot of exercise lately, whether it be in the exersaucers or rolling on the floor. They are very active these days. They both love hanging out on the farm, which is what we call their exersaucers. I think they like the toys and the fact that they feel in charge by standing in them. Isabel will still roll herself to where she needs to be, wiggling her way into trouble areas with ease. Everett does not roll, but has mastered the art of sitting up, and he loves to play with his basketball hoop. He loves the slam dunk. He also is getting up on all fours a lot, but not quite crawling. Isabel would rather roll or stand than crawl. It won't be long though for new milestones for each.

One thing I know for sure is that they love each other, but are also getting jealous at times. It is so fun now to see them interact with each other. They make each other laugh and they always keep an eye on each other, especially when one is eating. If one has a bottle, the other has to have a bottle, regardless if they just ate. Isabel even stole Everett's bottle earlier this week. As mom says, she is definitely the boss of the two right now. When they play, they are always so nice to each other....wonder if that will last?

As usual, we are always introducing more foods to them and they both like just about everything we've given them. They really like snack time with dad in the afternoon! The are still sleeping all night, from 7pm - 5:30am, so mom and I are catching up on sleep and what's going on in each other's days.

Today is my last day of 'work' for awhile as we leave for vacation on Saturday morning. Sadie and I will be gone for one week and the kids will be with my parents, Nana and Papa. I know they are excited to spend some quality time with the kids. Everett and Isabel better behave!

Groundhog's Day

Not sure what the groundhog saw today, but I know the kids and I are ready for spring and summer. We have taken a few trips around town lately to get out of the house, but for the most part it is too cold and windy, so we stay home. They are great kids to travel with, whether it be a short or long drive. They each hold their own bottles, so if they get hungry we can give them a bottle while they stay in their stroller.

It will be so nice to get outside when the weather is nice. I'm sure a kiddy pool will be used a lot. As you can see from the video, Everett is always trying to get up on all fours. He gets there, but falls back down soon after, but he keeps trying while not getting too frustrated. Isabel continues to roll all over the place, whether it be on the floor or in her crib. Sadie and I are not sure how she maneuvers herself each night in her crib, but she always ends up sideways from where we lay her down. They both love to grab at items (i.e. remotes, Molly's tail, and any toys). Anything they can grab, goes straight to their mouths. Neither of them have any teeth yet, but they soak about 3-4 bibs per day with drool.

Dad and Mom get a much needed vacation, starting next Saturday, however, it will be hard to be away from the twins for that long. I have only spent one night away from them and Sadie has spent zero. Good thing we booked the trip while she was pregnant. They will be in good hands with my parents and I know they will enjoy spending the quality time with two very happy babies....it does help that they sleep now.

Watch how Molly gets her toy back that Everett and Isabel stole from her.

First Swimming Experience

Sunday was the twins' first time swimming and here are a few pictures. Everett was first in the water and he didn't seem to mind it at first. They both really like baths, so it seemed as if they would like the pool as well, however, this water was pretty cold.

Everett sat in the pool while I held him up and his lip quivered for awhile. He was okay with things until some kid ran by and splashed cold water on him and that was the end of fun for him in the kiddy pool. After trying one more time with him, I decided he might like to float on an inter tube with me, so we did that for awhile. He was much more relaxed!

Isabel had no trouble with the pool. She did most of her swimming with mom, but I took her by the water spouts for awhile and she seemed to like splashing water around. She was in the pool for about 30-40 minutes, just hanging around. She mostly seemed indifferent about it, but wasn't bothered at all.

All in all, it was a pretty good first experience for them. They start swimming lessons at the YMCA the last week of February and I'm sure Everett hopes the water is warmer there! Enjoy the photos.

6 months and on the move

A lot has changed since the last update and with pressure from all 5 of my fans, here is a new entry.

Isabel first rolled over from front to back in October and Everett did it two months later. Isabel then rolled over from back to front on Christmas Eve and Everett only took a week longer to accomplish that, perfecting it on New Year's Eve. It has now become their favorite thing to do. Once you put them on the floor or in their crib, they immediately roll to their tummy. Isabel is now rolling across rooms, while Everett just stays in one spot. He always has been more laid back. They also do this at night, which worries their mom about SIDS, but I think they are strong enough to roll themselves over if they need to. We had to remove the bumpers from their cribs, which means they are now banging their heads against the crib. I guess they will learn to avoid that after a few collisions.

Sleep has been the major item of discussion around here lately, since no one seemed to get any, but that is slowly changing. We have adopted the Ferber method with the kids. Our doctor said there is no reason for them to feed at night anymore, thus the kids cry and mom and dad are close to tears as well. It hasn't been that bed really. Once the kids go to bed, around 7pm, we let them cry for 5 minutes, then check on them, then wait another 5 minutes, etc. The longest it has taken anyone to fall asleep so far is 45 minutes for Isabel. Isabel is great, sleeping almost 12 hours each night and Everett is getting longer each night. Last night, Isabel woke at 1am, cried for a while, but was back asleep within 20 minutes (seemed a lot longer though). Everett woke up at 3:45am, which is getting better. Soon, they will be out from 7pm-7am....wishful thinking, but hey, why not?

As for other activities, they really enjoy their farm exersaucer, playing with toys in their highchairs, and playing with Molly. Both kids are very close to sitting up on their own and they almost insist on holding their own bottles. Trust me, that is a very big help. They have begun to eat more solid foods. Foods like bananas, cheerios, yogurt, pudding, etc. are all approved munchies for them. They will get used to it, but we are introducing it slowly. They also like to eat Biter Biscuits. It teaches them to hold foods and place them in their mouths. We started them on juice in sippy cups this week too. Everett has a better grasp of that so far.

Their growth continues to be good. On Tuesday, they had a routine check-up and Everett is 17 lbs., 1 ounce and Isabel is 15 lbs., 13 ounces. Both of those numbers are in the 50th percentile, which is great. Everett out stands her by 1 1/4 inches, both standing at 27 1/4 and 26 inches, respectively. Those are in the upper percentiles, which makes dad happy that Everett is still tall! They were troopers with their four shots on Tuesday, including their first flu and H1N1 shots.

It has been so fun these past six months to see their development. They each have started to get real personalities and they both laugh a lot. I used to think they'd never roll over, sleep, or sit-up, but they do. I suppose they will crawl and walk soon. The babyproofing has already begun.

Their next adventures include starting swimming lessons in February, a week with Nana and Papa in February while dad and mom get a needed vacation to the Dominican Republic, and more new foods. I will be better about updates in the future. Enjoy.

5 months old

The twins are five-months old today and while for some people, that seemed to go fast, for me, it has not. I do not mean that in a bad way, but it does seem to go faster for other parents/babies. The same can be said for pregnancy as well. It does not help either that I expect the kids to do things (i.e. rollover, sit-up, crawl, etc.) way ahead of a normal schedule. I guess I am just in a hurry, while people say I should enjoy them at this age. I love them as babies, but am more excited to have them sit up, grab items, and interact a lot more. I am most excited for them to walk and talk, but that won't be for some time. For now, I will just have to be along for the ride.

Speaking of that ride, Everett made another milestone yesterday, rolling over for the first time. He went from his tummy to his back about 3 or 4 times. (He must have been excited about another Packers win!) Isabel rolled over first on October 19th, so the boy was just taking his time. He is very content with achieving such milestones while both kids are so happy and calm. We hosted our Wii bowling league ten days ago and the twins got a lot of compliments about their calm demeanor. Trust me, it is not always that way, but mom and I are extremely pleased about their attitudes. Both of them are trying to rollover from back to front and they get close once in a while, but that last push of their leg is still defeating them. Everett has really developed a close bond with his puppy, Junkyard Dog, while Isabel likes to snuggle with any one of her three dolls. It is very cool!

Their first Christmas is coming soon, which means I have to stay away from Toys R Us. Anytime I enter that building, I forget about budgets or account balances. However, it will definitely be an enjoyable first Christmas with kids in the house. As you can see above, they went to meet Santa Claus over the weekend with mom. She said they were on his lap a long time, meaning their lists our quite extensive.

Happy Holidays from the Johnsen's

New Foods

Since I last wrote, the kids have flown to Atlanta, starting eating solid foods, and they continue to grow rapidly, whether in size or development.

We all flew to Atlanta to visit my sister's family and my parents on Tuesday, November 24th. Sadie and I did have seats together on the plane, but apparently you cannot have four people in two seats, because only three oxygen masks are available, so I was moved to the row behind. I sat with Everett and Mom sat with Isabel. She slept all the way, while Everett only slept about 20 minutes. Thankfully, he was just calm and relaxed the rest of the time. Flight time was only 2 hours. It went much better than we could have expected. In comparison, there was another baby in the row next to me, that cried the whole way. Nice work twins!! The flight back was similar. Once again, I sat with Everett and he slept about half the time, while Isabel slept with Mom the whole flight. The great part about the trip was having direct flights from Milwaukee to Atlanta, avoiding any connections, gate changes, etc. That was a huge help. We had a great time in Atlanta with family. Thanks to Candice for cooking great food and entertaining us for six days. We miss you all!

Over Thanksgiving break, the kids started eating solid foods. They had a doctor's appointment the day before we left, and the doctor said we could start with some solid veggies and fruits. Carrots were the first choice, followed by sweet potatoes, and now bananas. At first, they were not sure what to do, but they picked it up quickly and it is now a regular part of their day. They seem to have the process down pretty good. I was a little apprehensive to start since I thought bottle-feeding would be much easier, but feeding them solid foods and watching them learn how to do it, has been very rewarding. The twins are starting to develop a schedule of eating, playing, and sleeping, which really helps me and mom. Now, if they could just sleep all night!

They have not reached any significant milestones since last time, however, they do continue to grow in development. They both are very good at holding their heads while sitting up, watching people and following them with their eyes and head, and picking on each other (already!). They with turn 5-months old in a week and they have already learned how to irritate each other. This morning Everett was pulling on Isabel's left ear, thus making her quite upset. Usually, he is the bully, but he is also the only one that cries at certain toys when they make noise. She will learn quickly to fight back.

Isabel and Everett wish you and yours a Happy Holiday season!

4 months old

So the twins turned 4-months old on Saturday, the 14th, and there are definite times where they are two totally different people, but also times where they are the same. It is fun to watch their progress in different stages, although, I wish Everett would catch his sister in the sleep area.

We weighed the twins yesterday and Everett is 14 lbs., 2 ounces, while Isabel is 12 lbs, 6 ounces. Everett wears 3-6 month clothes, while Isabel still is in 0-3 months items. We ran out of newborn diapers or she would be wearing them too. We just put them both in Size 1 and she will have to grow into them. Everett usually sleeps a lot in the morning and then Isabel sleeps in the afternoon. That, of course, means dad only gets about a 10-minute nap on the overlap, but I've learned to adjust. The biggest difference of the two are the sleeping patterns. Each kid is getting rice with their milk each night, which helps, but Everett is still waking anywhere from 2:30am - 4am, and he's hungry. Isabel is pretty consistent with her sleeping 7-8 hours each night. It could be worse, they could both wake up!! He will catch on soon enough.

The things that they do the same are funny. They both like to suck on their fits, blankets, or stuffed toys. Sadie and I think it may be an early sign of teething, but drooling is the only other sign they have of teething. They are not refusing bottles and Isabel sleeps a lot, so we have not pursued that further. They both love to laugh a lot and smile. We are pretty lucky to have two calm, content, and laid-back babies. They continue to watch items around the room and focus on things, such as books, dad and mom's expressions, and even Molly.

All the Christmas items are displayed at the Johnsen's. Yesterday, I finished putting up the Packers Christmas tree downstairs and the outside garland while the twins played together. Next up is their first Thanksgiving and plane ride. We are spending Thanksgiving with my sister's family, Candice, her husband Marc, and their two kids, Jack and Addison. They live in Atlanta, so we are flying out of Milwaukee on Tuesday, directly to Atlanta, and returning Sunday. We are excited to see them again, as well as Nana and Papa. They are arriving Wednesday for lots of snuggle time and hopefully, midnight feedings help!! I hope the twins do well on the flight as it will help having direct flights (i.e. no switching planes, delays, etc.). We are really looking forward to some warmer weather, great company, and good food. Maybe the twins even sneak a piece of turkey.....

She rolls over

It is almost noon on Wednesday and while the twins did not sleep through the night, again, I was able to get a short snooze this morning from about 8:30am to 9:45am. Since I woke, I bathed and fed Isabel, vacuumed, took out the garbages, and ate a small breakfast. Everett has been tired and sleeping since about 9am and Isabel has been in and out of sleep. In fact, I am feeding her right now.

Isabel must have read my Monday blog about her and her brother not doing anything big in the last two weeks because she rolled over again yesterday, and this time I caught it on camera. You can see this video above. Not much else except smiles, giggles, and dirty diapers but I wanted get out the rolling over video. Enjoy.

Mom works 8am-4pm today and tomorrow and then it's a three-day weekend after that. I will get a break Thursday night to go play poker and then Sadie and I are going out with friends Saturday night. Our neighbor girls, Lily and Ruby, along with their mom, Joann, love to watch the twins, and will do so this weekend. We are very lucky to have them next door.

Happy Kids

It has been 12 days since my last posting, but don't worry, the kids have not grown up and left the house just yet. In fact, there have been few big moments for them since last time. They have slept through the night a couple of times, including last night, but are still waking up once around 3am or 4am. Isabel is much better at sleeping, but when Everett wakes in the middle of the night, he usually wakes his sister. They do sleep in separate cribs, but are only about 3-4 feet apart. It is good timing from myself or Sadie to get him out of the room before he wakes her. We even brought the bassinet back to our room in case we need to move him there to keep him from waking her and a few times, he has even slept with us. We would let him get himself back to sleep if he was alone, but most times, he makes enough noise to wake himself and Isabel, so we still get him up, even if only to move him to our room or settle him down with a small snack.

Our trip to Iowa went very well. We left here on Wednesday night around 9:15pm and drove to Platteville, Wisconsin for the night. We finally arrived in Des Moines on Thursday about 1:30pm and stayed until Sunday morning. I have been told that the kids were well behaved and slept pretty good. I say this because I think I only fed one baby one time the whole vacation. Uncle Dave and Auntie Jessie took care of them, along with Grandpa and Grandma James, who took the nighttime shifts for us. Three straight nights that Sadie and I were able to sleep was truly heaven! We had a good trip, which included games at home, the casino, and good food.

The only real new achievements for the kids is Everett is starting to smile a lot more and Isabel is making lots of laughing sounds. They are both really happy babies that never cry unless they really want something (i.e. food, tired, dad let Isabel face plant into the exersaucer that they are too small for yet...oops). Isabel seems to constantly have a smile on her face.

Halloween was fairly quiet at the Johnsen's. Mom had bought the twins their outfits a while back (two peas in a pod) but they outgrew them, so they just wore Halloween shirts. It was cool and windy here and we had a small amount of trick-or-treaters. Our neighbors, the Kaster's, brought over their 9-month old, Sully, to show off his costume and his advanced skills in standing and crawling. He will be walking in no time.

This week and the next three weeks are kind of calm. We have a babysitter for Saturday night to go out with friends and we are going to the Packers-Cowboys game on 11/15, but our big plan is flying to Atlanta with the twins for Thanksgiving. We are really looking forward to the trip to see my sister, Candice, and her family, along with my parents. Should be another nice vacation of good food, warmer weather, and yes...sleep.

Packing for Vacation

Last time I wrote that the twins had both slept through the night on Sunday and the news is not as good today. The last two nights they have been awake for a small feeding around 4am. I did not think it would be sleeping through the night every night, but hopefully we can get back on track for that.
Other things have happened however since Monday morning. On Monday, I was playing with Isabel on the floor, giving her some much needed tummy time and when I left the room to get some books for us, I returned to a surprise. She was on her back!! I could not believe she had rolled over...and I missed it. Just to be certain the dog didn't push her over, I put her on her tummy again and grabbed the camera. Sure enough, she rolled right onto her back and of course, I did not have the camera ready. Once I was finally ready with the camera, she has decided not to do it again...for two days. Sadie says I have no proof, therefore, is not sure of the validity of the story, but trust me, she did it! Everett still has not done it as he is pretty relaxed most of the time, just hanging out.
The other big news is that Everett has eaten some rice cereal. He has been eating large amounts of formula or breast milk, so we decided to get him started on rice cereal. Yesterday, mom made him a small amount to see if he knew what to do, and he does. She said he slowly figured out how to work it back into his mouth. I missed this milestone as I was with my 7th grade football team, preparing for our last game. We will continue to give him some cereal and I'm sure Isabel won't be far behind. The competition starts at an early age!
Today, I turned in my football coaching binder and keys. It was my first year coaching 7th graders and for most of them, it was their first year of tackle football. It was fun to see kids progress from Day One and know that you were a part of that progression. It was not fun, however, to go 0-5. I absolutely hate losing, but at this age, it is more about teaching the kids the correct way to play and to play hard. Did I mention I don't like to lose though? The family is heading to Des Moines, Iowa tonight after Sadie gets home from work. We are going to visit Sadie's brother, David, and his family, Jessie, Lucas, and Carter. It will be about a 7 hour drive, but we are going to break it up and stay somewhere tonight, getting to Des Moines tomorrow morning. It is a day-long, two-person event to pack for two 3-month old babies. All the items that two 12-pound humans require is amazing. I may not have a report until we return, but don't worry, the kids will be in good hands all weekend with aunts, uncles, grandmas, and grandpas. Maybe a break for mom and dad???

Long Weekend Gone Well

It is Monday morning at 8:15am and I have already had waffles and sausage for breakfast, fed Everett, and checked my fantasy football score. Yes, I am winning 79-74.
Last night was the best night the twins have slept (one is still sleeping), but I will get to that later. Friday night was pretty good as Everett and I watched baseball while Isabel slept a lot. Once again, they woke in the middle of the night for a feeding around 1:30am and both mom and I got up. Sadie went to work at 7:30am Saturday morning, starting my almost 14 hours alone with the kids. It actually went quicker than I thought. The kids did get heavy doses of college football all day, which I know they liked, but they also got lots of playtime and I read them books all day. They are continually starting to be alert and follow items, such as books, lights, and movement. Isabel is quite the laugher, while Everett is rather stingy with his grins. He is all business, just asking for food when he needs it. I loaded the kids up for one small road trip Saturday to go see mom at work and that went really well. I think they like the new, soft blankets in their carseats, that we put in for the winter. Everett slept the whole time, while Isabel was happy to see mom...and I'm pretty sure mom was happy too. The kids went to bed pretty early Saturday night, which I did not like, and woke again at 2:30am. I took care of both of them at that time to let Sadie sleep, and Everett was up for good at 6am, while Isabel slept til 8am. Better, but not good enough yet.
Sunday morning was a good start. Sadie arranged for a friend, Tammy, to watch the kids from about 11am til 4:30pm so I could watch the Packers game in peace. They were good kids for me until I dropped them off at 11. This house was so quiet during the game. I kept thinking I was hearing babies squeek, cry, moan, etc., but nothing. It was just me, Molly, and a Packers 26-0 win. It was also rather boring. Kind of makes you wonder what you did before you had kids at home.
I picked up the kids around 4:30pm and as soon as we got home, I had two very crabby and very hungry kids. The most difficult time staying home with these kids is when they are hungry at the same time. It happens more times than I would like, but you just adjust. It is very difficult to let one or two just cry while you are making bottles, but it must be done. They both ate at 5pm and then relaxed on the floor, playing with each other, waiting four more hours for mom to get home. It happened again around 8pm that both kids were hungry and I fed two at a time again. This time, we all chilled on the couch, watching more football of course until mom got home, after the meal.
Isabel needed a bath, which Sadie gave her once she got home and Everett went straight to bed about 9:30pm. Once Isabel had her bath and some snuggle time with mom, she went to bed at 10pm. Here is the big news!...she is still asleep (8:30am) and he slept until 7am. It was the best night yet for sleeping and I hope it is a sign of things to come. The trick may be that we put them to bed awake, but calm, last night. Most nights, we always snuggle them to sleep and then put them in their crib and maybe they don't like the abandonment. We will, of course, try the same routine tonight, hoping for the same result.
Last day for the babysitter while I'm at football practice as our last game is tomorrow night. Starting tomorrow, no more daily breaks for dad...except the occasional 10-minute nap.

Tuesday Morning

As some of you know, we got our first snow yesterday here in Northeast Wisconsin. It was kind of pretty to watch the huge flakes fall from the sky so slowly. I tried to show the kids, but they seemed rather disinterested. Might be the fact that they cannot see that far....not sure. Football practice was rather wet and cold for the kids and it was mildly disappointing that the snow stopped during practice. Who doesn't love to play football in the snow?
Last night, the twins slept pretty good. Everett did not wake up once from 10pm until 6am, while Isabel was awake at 2:30am and again at 6am. I purchased a new cd over the weekend that is supposed to make them sleeper longer and sounder. Guess what? It works!! It is a 60-minute cd with various sounds that we put on 'repeat' each night. Our electric bill may go up a little, but that is a small price to pay for some sleep at this point.
Isabel is napping in her glider chair and Everett is in the swing thinking about waking up, with some grunts and squawks. Isabel was just fed and is dressed for the day. It's hard dressing them in winter clothes, but it had to come sometime. Once again, I ate Lucky Charms in quiet and it seemed as if Isabel knew that. Once I was done, she was hungry and she let me know it. She also has developed an annoying habit while eating. She likes to stick both of her fists and her bib in her mouth while I am trying to get a bottle in there. Makes for a lot of fun trying to pin her arms down just to feed her. Everett on the other hand, is relaxed as can be during feedings. As long you have food ready, ALL DAY, he is okay. He seems to eat continuously, really.
Sadie is sleeping and I will get a nap once she wakes up. Football practice this afternoon again and the sun is shining this morning. Looks like a great day in Titletown.

Monday Morning

So far this week as started off pretty good. Sadie is in her fourth straight day off from work, which has allowed us to get a lot of things done around the house this weekend, before winter comes. Everett is relaxing in the new swing we purchased on Friday, while Isabel is sleeping in the original swing. My new bestfriend since staying at home as been the Fisher-Price Cradle-N-Swing, but we only had one. Since swinging is their favorite thing to do, and dad's biggest help, we got another one. Everett is in the blue swing and Isabel in the white one.

I let Sadie sleep in this morning and I took advantage of the relaxed kids. There is a third load of laundry going currently and the dishes have been cleaned. The kids are all dressed and fed, and I didn't have to shovel my food in like it was my last meal this morning. I could actually enjoy my Lucky Charms in peace. I did see a few flurries of snow while eating, which means the kids days outside are pretty numbered at this point.

Football practice this afternoon at 3pm and then another relaxing night at home with the family.

A new week

This is the first posting to my new blog. As the description of the blog says, I will be posting about being a stay-at-home dad with newborn twins. The twins, Everett and Isabel, were born July 14, 2009, thus making my last day of "work", July 13th. I did not go solo at home until September 21st, since Sadie (my wife) was off from work until then. We thought that time would allow us to get the kids into a schedule to make things easier once I was on my own. Needless to say, that did not happen.
An obvious quick recap of the past three weeks would be that some days are better than others, but I will say that each day is a blessing that I get to spend with the kids. They keep me busy with feedings, diapers, and playtime. I have also been coaching a local 7th grade middle school football team since late August in the afternoons, which gives me a nice break in the day, but that ends October 20th.
From now on, I will chronicle the daily activities and growth of Isabel and Everett, along with some photos and videos. I will also detail my day as a dad with two infants at home. I hope you enjoy the site.