Growing Boys = One Time Event

Today we got official weights again at the pediatrician. I’m happy to say that the Dr. was very pleased with their progress. Calvin is 20 lbs. 14 oz. and Patrick is 24 lbs. 3 oz. We meet with Calvin’s surgeon next week and hopefully will get a surgery plan in place – we’ll keep you updated!

The boys have been extra tired this past week or so – perhaps their quick growing has something to do with that. We were made keenly aware of this fact when Calvin (the foody of the year) actually fell asleep mid-chew at the beginning of the meal. We didn’t even know this was possible for him. We rescued him and delivered him to his crib for a nap. :) I’ve included a few pictures of this momentous occasion.

Evening with Friends

We had 11 adults and 8 children Friday night - a gathering that has been traditional for several years now and is so much fun! This was the first year with kids and it added to the merriment. The girls almost won Trivial Pursuit (and were even outnumbered) - the boys were a little nervous, although I'm certain they would deny this. We are so glad you all could come. And now for a few pictures...

Calvin & Patrick's New Friends:

Kathryn

OliviaMeredith
Levi & Katie
Mark

Fun with Falks

Here are some pictures from Friday with the Falks - Uncle Peter was in town!

Our 1st Thanksgiving

Just a few pictures from Calvin & Patrick's 1st Thanksgiving.

We are so thankful to have them home!

This was a great Thanksgiving for Mommy and Daddy, too. Mommy showed the boys' how to use the whip cream can in their mouth...

Calvin LOVED it!!!!!

Patrick LOVED the concept but NOT the whip cream!

Illness

Well, after 3 ½ hours or so at an Immediate Care, Calvin was diagnosed with bronchitis. The good news is that he is not contagious.  He was fine this morning and through lunch but when he woke up from his nap he was coughing.  The coughing then began to include wheezing which worsened by about 7p.  After consulting with our friend (also a nurse), I decided he needed to be seen by a physician tonight.  He had 2 breathing treatments and a chest x-ray (it’s not pneumonia).  So we are taking good care of him and are glad we didn’t mess around with it.  He is prone to respiratory things in general, so this wasn’t too surprising.  I’m happy it wasn’t anything more serious.  The doctor was really great as was the staff.  I was very impressed.  Calvin did pretty well (really if you didn’t listen to his breathing you would think he was fine) – even though he missed his bedtime by 4 ½ hours.  He is asleep now with the baby monitor close to his crib and my head.  Hope he sleeps well and long! :)      

Skipping Winter

Sounds like a good plan to me.  Andrew was telling me about a new retirement “village” being built here in Indianapolis.  I told him that we would never buy there – when/if we retire, we will move someplace that is warm all year long. :)  He agrees.  One year in Florida spoiled us for life.  

I admittedly like the occasional snow on Christmas and I do like winter clothes but that’s pretty much it.  I’d rather turn down the air conditioning in my house to make it cold enough to wear sweaters. :)    

Still, fall remains my favorite season even though it signals the impending doom we like to call winter.  Bah Humbug!    
  

Plans: Past & Present

We had another full weekend. Our poor kiddos are exhausted and a little cranky. Patrick is sick with some virus – cold, bad diaper rash, and general ill temper. He isn’t running a fever which is good. We kept him home today from church and we all stayed home this evening. All of this hasn't stopped the boys from enjoying their favorite pasttime...bathtime.

Congratulations to Brian and Raendra! We went to their beautiful wedding on Saturday and are so happy to have Raendra as part of the family. It was wonderful to see so much of the family – the boys had a good time. They sat behind their cousin Katie (right in between the boys’ ages) during the ceremony and they all took turns talking and making noise. Very cute although not the best timing! :) Katie lives in Arizona with her parents and sister Maddie…we were glad to visit with them and wish they lived closer.

We are looking forward to Thanksgiving. Uncle Peter will be here and will meet his nephews for the first time. We will also have the chance to spend time with lots of family and friends. Our week of company and visiting starts on Tuesday night and is booked solid through Saturday. Hopefully the boys will be up for it :)

Banana Breakfast

Well, it’s 7:57. I’ve been up for two and a half hours with Calvin. Pippi is awake, but Mommy and Patrick are still sleeping. Yes, I’m jealous.

We’re eating breakfast now. Actually, we’re almost done. Calvin is polishing off his second half of a banana and the last of his milk. He thinks it’s a good idea to feed Pippi small pieces of his banana. Daddy disagrees, and tells Calvin so. Calvin obeys: the piece of banana goes into Calvin’s mouth. Calvin is chewing before the banana even gets in there. He loves banana. He has a very intense look on his face. Evidently eating his banana is an important task deserving of his complete and utter concentration.

Pippi’s not happy with Calvin or Daddy. Apparently she also likes banana. She has gone back upstairs now, perhaps concluding there’s no more chance of banana-breakfast.

It’s no surprise this morning the boys like banana. When I bring them both down for breakfast, it’s the first thing I give them: they each get a half a banana to keep them busy while I fix their oatmeal. But it’s not just “keeping them busy.” When they see Daddy pealing their banana, they become euphoric. Both start giggling with glee, their little faces totally animated with joy. And when they get their little hands on that banana – watch out! The banana disappears in a flash. Boy, is that good!

Back to the present. Calvin is still drinking his milk – at least when I put the bottle in his mouth. In between times, he’s turning it upside down on his highchair tray and spilling it. Then he’s finger painting with it. Palm-painting, really. I can’t tell if his art is abstract or realistic. The milk doesn’t have much contrast with the cream-colored tray.

The milk is gone. The banana is gone. Calvin wants out. It’s diaper time. This blog post has reached its end.

Complaint

I have a complaint. I don't like flip-cap toothpaste tubes. After having several, I think they are awful. My current tube gets clogged with dried toothpaste even though I close the lid and keep it clean. I cant stand it. It's disgusting. This article is about the same toothpaste I use but disagrees with my assessment of the flip-cap.

What do you think? Flip-cap or removable cap? Do you squeeze from the middle or bottom? Do you drive your spouse or roommates crazy with your toothbrushing habits? Yeah, I'm a hygienist and I'm actually interested.

Riley

Today was long. We had a late night last night with Aunt Liz’s senior art show opening – it was fantastic!

The boys’ had their Riley appointments at the adoption clinic today. Exams, tb tests, 8 or so vials of blood each, and an x-ray later, we came home. Unfortunately, the appointments were right at nap time so we missed those. They both did pretty well except for the tb and blood – they cried so hard. Mommy and Daddy almost cried too – we felt so bad and wished that we could take away the pain. The whole thing took about 3 hours which was about an hour longer than we thought it would.

The long and short of it is…we don’t know much yet. :) The Dr. was really great and said both boys are doing well. There are some possible health concerns with Calvin so we will wait to hear…we are not surprised. Calvin weighed in over 20 pounds today and Patrick was 25 pounds so they continue to gain weight rapidly!

We are so blessed with Calvin and Patrick! No matter what health concerns may arise, we wouldn’t trade them for the world. They are our children and we love them unconditionally. The picture is not related to the post but we thought this was so cute!

Calvin & the Washcloth

Here are a few pictures of Calvin. He is quite the clown and his eyes are super expressive!

Okay...Please Don't Laugh

All right, I'll share the humiliating pictures...

Here is Patrick before The Haircut with his gorgeous, thick hair.
Here is Mommy trying to hide the damage - he's smiling and keeping the hat on!
Here is what Mommy was hiding - AAAHHH!
Here is Damage Control - military style
Still as handsome as ever despite Mommy's mistake!

The Haircut

My poor son will have to wear a hat for awhile. Um, yeah, probably shoulda taken him somewhere to get his hair cut. It really was just operator error but that doesn’t really change the fact that my little boy has a bad haircut. What to do, what to do. Let me explain.

I decided that Patrick really needed a haircut (he still had the baby house cut - various lengths all over) and I decided that it wouldn’t be a big deal to just use the clippers – I use them on Andrew all the time. I picked out the clipper attachment that would be a good length and started to trim. His hair was pretty long in some parts. All of sudden I realized that there were a couple of nearly bald spots. To my horror, I realized I had chosen the tapered trim attachment. What?!!! I quickly changed the attachment but really the damage was done. I attempted to fix it but the final result…he needs to wear a hat. Poor guy – he doesn’t really like hats as much as Calvin. :)

Side Note: Andrew was at work when I cut his hair and they were in bed before he was home. He laughed for about 5 minutes this morning when he saw my handiwork. I’m shaking my head in shame. :) So far, Patrick is keeping the hat on – maybe he suspects something? :)

The Update: His hair is somewhat repaired. Nana clipped while I held him – it’s much better but very short. I really wasn’t intending to cut so much off. Oh well, it grows back, right?! The boys really look like twins now with nearly identical haircuts. I’ve taken picture of the before and after but I’m not sure I should post them…it’s quite bad.

Don't Eat the Crayons

Today we colored for the first time.  Calvin was really into it and his eyes were bugging out of his head with concentration and pleasure – he was so proud of himself.  He used all the colors all over his paper and was a little overzealous and also decorated the table a bit. :)  Patrick also thought this was a great activity…for a snack!  He was so mad at me because I wouldn’t let him eat all the crayons – every color.  He also colored a little bit on his page but mostly just cried. Oh well, he’ll live and learn. :)  

Patrick is in a very dramatic stage these past few days.  Everything is either happy or mad – nothing in between.  That means lots of tears and furled brows then smiles and laughs.  Nap time is a good thing for him.  He is definitely testing us daily.  (Both actually look for confirmation at whoever is here when we tell them “no.”)  Patrick is really enjoying milk and does what I call a happy dance when he sees me pouring some for him – so cute!  He really can’t help himself when we turn music on – he just has to dance or at least move his hand.  Maybe I will put a video clip of his dancing on sometime – it is too funny.  

Calvin is chattering away saying who knows what. :)  He is playing with their Weeble castle (from the Sawyers) which he loves!  He is really into toys in general.  Great-Grandma Judd gave them a play cell phone and keys which they both think are great.  Calvin tries to talk on the phone regularly – play or real.  He is currently climbing on top of his block cart, I think he trying to figure our why it won’t move (may have something to do with all the toys spread around :).

I have been working with boys for a couple of weeks on recognizing nose, eyes, mouth, and ears…focusing on nose.  They refuse to learn.  The only thing I have been able to successfully teach them is how to give 5 – how sad is that. :)  We’ll keep working on other important skills.  It is really fun to see them learn.

Big Weekend

**I tried to post this on Monday but had some trouble so this is a day late.**

Yesterday was a big day! The boys went to our morning church service, had lunch at Nana & Papa's where they met Great-Grandparents Judd, and then went to evening service. We were really impressed with how well they did! We don't know if we will able to go to both services every week but Daddy was doing a Psalm Meditation for the service. The only real problem we had was that Papa Judd opened the service and when Calvin realized who was standing up there, he started reaching out his arms and screeching for him (all from the back row). Oh well. :)

Calvin is still working on walking and it's so fun to watch. He is very determined and even walking with just a popper some. It's such a gift to watch him develop.

Patrick cried tears for the first time today which is good! I know, I sound like a mean Mommy but we haven't seen any tears since we met the little guy- only mad crying. He just loves to be tickled and chased.

Both boys are getting heavier and looking healthier every day. I'm including just a few pictures from the weekend. They enjoyed getting together with their cousins who are sadly moving out of state tomorrow. They also had fun with Grandpa and Grandma Falk on Saturday!

One Down

So, I’ve completed my first election as precinct committeeperson. I’m happy to report that all of our numbers added up and the poll closed on time. The poll workers were all wonderful and did a great job. I was mainly responsible for the polling place (confirming, opening, and closing), workers, food, and any problems that need addressed before the next election. It wasn’t bad at all- the only thing I didn't like was getting up extra early to be at the election site by 5:15. I used Panera for almost all the food and it worked out very well. I must admit, I’m quite glad not to live in Delaware County today. What a mess!

All in all, I can’t complain and I’m not dreading the next election which is a good sign. The church we use for a polling place gave away free coffee, bagels, and pastries all day which was so nice. What a great idea and witness. I was impressed with all the members of the congregation that we met and they make wonderful coffee! I must say that being back in “politics” after a several year break really makes me want to be more involved. Next election, I plan to be more informed. Hope you all voted! Happy Election Day!

Bible Study

This evening was fun! We had the Bible Study kids over for a game night.  We played games, ate snacks, bantered, and just generally enjoyed hanging out with them.  They have blessed our lives so much.  The boys were cooperative and went to bed at 8 and stayed down.  It was one of the first things we’ve done that felt like our B.C. (before children) days. :)  I didn’t win my game of Ticket to Ride Europe (Andrew did) but enjoyed it anyway.  We are looking forward to getting back to our normal Bible Study schedule and having everyone around again.  We missed it!  

Of Bath Time and Jerseys

After we fed the boys supper this evening, Alaina took off for a Moms’ Night Out with some of her friends from church, and I had responsibility for the boys. They played contentedly downstairs for a while and I read the WSJ. Then it was bath time.

As you will recall, bath time is one of the boys’ favorite times of the day, next to meal times. At least that’s how it appears to me. But first things first. The CD that was on was becoming rather tiresome to Daddy’s ears, so we had to change that. Both boys watched as I removed a couple CDs and inserted a few new ones. Then we headed to our bedroom so I could get out of my work (dress) clothes and into board shorts and a tee-shirt (knowing full well I would likely become almost as wet as the boys, despite my place beside, not in, the tub!)

It was rather comical to watch the parade as I hung up my clothes. Of course, Pippi was the first one into our closet/bathroom. Then Patrick toddled in. Just as I was asking Patrick where his brother was, I heard the sound of four limbs pounding the carpet, and Calvin charged (crawling at a high rate of speed) into the bathroom. They each had their own method of getting there, and it brought a big smile to watch each of their arrivals! :)

As I changed, I heard the music become softer. I noticed that Patrick had disappeared, and marveled – could he really have watched me adjust the volume and then do it himself? But when I went to investigate I discovered what had really happened – he had slowly closed the door to our room, gently “turning down the volume”!

Alaina reported recently that Calvin had discovered the delight of putting his face into the bath water. Tonight, he discovered a new “trick” – putting his head (especially his face) into the falling water from the tub facet! It’s so funny to watch him do it: he tentatively pushes his face in, then pulls out – blinking furiously, sputtering a little, looking for all the world like he hates it, but then, as the water drains away, becoming more and more proud of himself for his bravery and daring. And of course a little praise and encouragement from Daddy is all he needs to immediately do it again!

Patrick likes to do many of the things his brother does, but so far Calvin’s bathtub daring-do hasn’t been one of them. He continues to develop his friendship with Pippi, though, and tonight was trying to put her leash on her! Later, one of the boys almost “lost” the leash entirely; Daddy had to look all over before finding it. I can only imagine one of us frantically looking for it sometime when Pippi really needs to go outside, realizing that one of the boys has “hidden” it from us!

Yesterday the boys wore their new Colts jerseys for the first time! Unfortunately we didn’t get a great picture of them, but you can get the idea from the ones below :)

Did we mention that Calvin is an acrobat in training? :)

In this shot, it looks like Patrick is mid-way through attempting a field goal!

Here, it only looks like Patrick is punching his brother :)

Happy boys, happy Daddy. (Some of us pose better than others :) Go Colts!