You know they're six months old when...

You know they're six months old when...
1.  They grab the pacifier from your hand and put it in their mouth themselves.
2.  Father and son begin holding "fart sound" contests (and both laugh hysterically at this).
3.  They give you the stink eye (and know exactly what they're doing).
4.  They only want Mom.
5.  They get stuck in the Bumbo (maybe it's time to retire it and move onto sitting completely on their own!).
6.  They have "perma-booger."
7.  They manage to find and put into their mouths that one thing that you didn't see when you were cleaning the room.
8.  They "cry wolf" all of the time now, and you still fall for it.
9.  They disrupt mass--not because they're crying, but because they're smiling and shrieking with laughter and distracting half of the congregation.
10. They are crabby all day, but then Dad gets home and they are perfect angels. :)

Happy Six-Month Birthday, Audrey and Isaac! We love you!

Isaac laughing (Christmas season)

Isaac laughing (Christmas season)
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Because the twins always stop what they're doing the second they see the camera, it has been difficult to capture their smiles and laughs. However, I hid the camera during one of Isaac's good moods and videotaped him laughing (though he eventually noticed the camera and the fun ended!).

My Precious...

I just had to write about this! Audrey started doing this strange voice this morning and I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. Then it hit me--she sounds like Gollum! At first I thought she was just trying to get a burp out, but she's been talking like this all day. It's super funny. I figured Lord of the Rings fans would appreciate this. I think I'll call her Smeagol from now on....:)

What a Character!

Isaac has adopted a great sense of humor lately where he finds everything--and everyone--hysterical. Add to this an adorable, but absolutely obnoxious laugh (more like a screech than a squeal!), and you've got what my mom so politely calls "a character."
Audrey was the innocent victim of Isaac's sense of humor the other day. Let me explain: She was playing with a toy in front of him when he suddenly decided that this was hilarious and let out his screech--full volume and inches from her face. Startled, she dropped her toy, her lips quivered, and she started to cry, which Isaac found even more funny and made him laugh harder. What a sight!
The twins are doing so well and we're so proud of them. They've both picked up the "b" sound which they make repeatedly now, but they spit a lot when they say it, so we have to stay back or we get nailed. I've been working really hard to get them to say "ma," but it hasn't happened yet. Just my luck it'll be the last consonant they learn!
They also got their Craniocaps a few days ago, and have adjusted rather well (pictures above). I've also included some pictures where we've tested out the high chairs (not starting solids quite yet, but we're getting them ready!).

Isaac & Audrey Tummy Time

Isaac & Audrey Tummy Time
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Isaac is trying to crawl, but just can't quite get moving!

No No, I Won't Go!

We have a rebel on our hands! Audrey refuses to go to church (or, at least, to go into the church). We took the twins to mass today for the first time. After five minutes inside, Audrey started crying hysterically and decided she was much happier standing outside in 35 degree weather than inside the church. Every time I tried to take her back inside, she started crying! Every time we stepped back outside, she was happy. Hmmm...a sign of things to come???
Today was a big day of firsts! Isaac figured out that it is more fun to actually lift his head during tummy time than to lie there and lick the blanket. He officially made it to the 90 degree mark (new moms are familiar with this milestone). And Audrey rolled over for the first time! It's funny: After Isaac started catching up to Audrey on tummy time, I predicted he would be the first to roll over. Within two minutes of me saying that, Audrey rolled. Guess she didn't want her brother showing her up! Smart girl. :)
Pictures above: The twins reaching for toys (Audrey started reaching for toys on Nov. 5 and Isaac started reaching for toys on Nov. 11).

Laughed So Hard I Cried

Where do I begin? The twins are so funny...er, sweet!...lately that Ryan and I can't help but crack up every time we reminisce on the day's events. Today was an especially "goofball" day, as I like to call it. There was some rattle-shaking (in unison--pretty funny, but you had to be there!), Audrey smacking Isaac in the face (an accident, but we'll cut her some slack nonetheless because his cheeks are pretty hard to avoid), and even some hand-holding! And no, I didn't put their hands together--they have started hanging onto each other's clothes when next to each other (for comfort, maybe?) and hand-holding is an obvious natural progression. Oh, and we tried out the Halloween costumes tonight. They were a little tight, and you can see from the picture above that they didn't appreciate it! We're such mean parents! :) I spent last week in Hawaii without Ryan or the kiddos, but the twins sure let me know what I was missing while I was gone. Aunt Stacy came with us to the zoo and the library this week, so in addition to their antics we had some other laughs as well. Thanks, Stace! (And thanks to Grandma Macumber for watching them while I was away!)

Women Love to Talk!

It's what Ryan feared would happen: two women in his life love to talk. That's right! Audrey has started talking (well, making lots of baby sounds!) and since she discovered this new talent, she hasn't stopped. I think Ryan was hoping Audrey would be more on the quiet side like him, but it turns out she likes to talk as much as I do. Just wait until she's old enough to really talk...we're going to drive the boys nuts!
Other news? We added baths to our bedtime routine, which means Ryan and I now do the same thing every night: feed babies, try to cook/eat dinner ourselves, give the twins their baths, feed them again, then put them down. Ugh! If we're still wide awake, we might get about an hour or two to ourselves before we start all over again. I'm guessing this is a typical routine for most parents. I'm just waiting until we add bedtime stories to the routine, which will stretch it out even more. Luckily, they have grown to like their baths, so it's a fun time (though they hate it when we take them out!). The pictures above show them in their winter gear. You gotta love those big cheeks...:)

Who's that Other Baby in the Crib?

So much has happened in the last month! Isaac and Audrey have finally started to notice each other, and it's quite amusing! They went from staring at each other during feedings with this "Who are you???" look on their faces to actually smiling when they see each other. Yesterday, dad and Grandma Macumber sat them in front of one another, and apparently Isaac was smiling and laughing more than they have ever seen him do! My mom mentioned a set of boy/girl toddler twins at Step-by-Step who are two peas in a pod--the boy is apparently super protective of his sister and is constantly by her side. With how much Isaac is taken with Audrey, I wouldn't be surprised if he is the exact same way!
We started taking a Family Music for Babies class last week at Musikgarten of Minnehaha Falls. I took them by myself (never doing that again!), so it was a lot of work to bring them to class. Audrey slept through the entire thing (probably a good thing for me) and Isaac was awake but a little fussy. I think he was overwhelmed by the stimulation. However, he definitely paid attention to the other babies in the room, all of whom are a wee bit older (hey, who said you can't start learning at three months!). It will be fun to watch their engagement in the class over the next four months as they continue to develop their little minds!

Apples Don't Fall Far from the Tree...

Audrey and Isaac had their two-month doctor appt. today. I have to laugh because they are following in their dad's footsteps. Isaac is a short guy, only in the 1st percentile for height (Ryan claims he himself is 5'9, but we all know the truth!). Audrey has a condition called Torticollis (otherwise known as "wry neck") that may require her to wear a helmet with a neck brace for awhile. The running joke in the family is that Ryan needs a helmet for protective measures...we can all recall the "incident" down at the University of Iowa a few years back (too much alcohol = 20+ staples in the head). :) Anyhow, besides Audrey's neck problem (which will heal with some physical therapy) both babies are healthy. I was also given peace of mind that they are not overweight as I feared--they are right on target! Other good news? Both of them started smiling. It still takes a little effort on our part to get them to smile, but when it happens it is adorable! That's what those chubby cheeks are for...:)

Audrey Talking

Audrey Talking
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

not sure where she found the top hat....

Kid Geniuses

I would just like to point out that our kids are reading at the age of two months... :) j/k

Cute...or Just Plain Chubby???

I brought the twins in to work last week to show them off, and one of my co-workers pointed out (what others were probably thinking but too polite to say!) the massiveness of Isaac's cheeks and chin. I personally think it's adorable and kind of funny. What do you think ???

Isaac & Sydney

Isaac & Sydney
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Isaac & Sydney

Audrey 7.19.09 (1)

Audrey 7.19.09 (1)
Originally uploaded by rpm112003

Audrey in action

Sleep Deprived...

Since we brought the twins home in July, people have asked us a lot, "Is it hard taking care of two babies at once?" I have to admit that it is easier than we expected, but we definitely are not getting enough sleep! The first week they were home we alternated night-time feedings--Ryan would get up for one feeding and I would get up for the next. However, that didn't work out very well, as they were hungry just about every hour and we never got any consecutive hours of sleep! Our friends with twins down in Iowa recommended a sleep schedule and it has worked out much better for us: I take the 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. feeding shift and Ryan takes the 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. shift. This way, we each are guaranteed some sleep and if we get to sleep during our shift, it's an added bonus.

Since I've been home taking care of the twins by myself during the day, things have gone pretty smoothly. I had one bad day during my first week alone where everything seemed to go wrong. That afternoon, Audrey had a major blowout in her diaper that resulted in pooh everywhere--all over the couch, all over me, and even somehow in her hair (don't ask). Sydney had also gotten into a bottle of lotion that resulted in her puking and Isaac had some sort of a stomach bug and was projectile vomiting after every feeding. That was a BAD afternoon, and it was the first time I broke down in tears. Needless to say, things are going much more smoothly now. Sydney still adds trouble and Audrey still has impeccable timing and volume when it comes to filling her diapers (major incident at Target this afternoon!), but luckily crises seem to occur one at a time. And while Ryan and I walk around like zombies, the twins are getting plenty of beauty sleep. See these pics...

Audrey and Isaac's First Conversations....

Now a Family...

Isaac

Audrey

On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Ryan and I welcomed Isaac Ryan and Audrey Elizabeth into the world. Isaac was born by c-section at 9:48 p.m. weighing 5 lb. 2 oz. and Audrey was born at 9:49 p.m. weighing 6 lb. 3 oz. They arrived approximately four and a half weeks early (due date was August 2).

They were (and continue to be) beautiful babies! Isaac had a low birth weight and a slightly misshapen head due to his position in the womb, but was otherwise perfectly healthy. Audrey had fluid in her lungs, was jaundiced, and has a heart murmur, but these are all fairly common conditions for a newborn. We feel blessed and very lucky that these two were born so healthy for being preemies!

Audrey and Isaac spent two and a half weeks in the Special Care Nursery at Fairview Southdale Hospital as "feeders and growers." Looking back we consider this, as my mom would say, a "blessing in disguise," for during this time we learned so much from the nurses about caring for newborns that we otherwise wouldn't have known if they didn't spend this time in the nursery. We are so grateful toward the nursing staff at Fairview; the care and support they provided during that time made it so special and prepared us for life at home with our babies. On Thursday, July 16, we were finally able to bring them home and begin our life together as a family!

Twins!

Ryan and I found out I was pregnant on Monday, Nov. 24, 2008. I remember calling Ryan and telling him while he was standing in line at Lee Ann Chin. Talk about laying a big one on him when he wasn't in the best place to take the news! (I couldn't wait until he got home to tell him). We probably had typical reactions for first-time parents; Ryan's reaction was, "I'll believe it when I see it," and my reaction was, "I think I'm pregnant--all signs point to it, but what if it's all in my head???" On Tuesday, January 6, we received confirmation that there wasn't just one, but TWO babies in there! I remember that we couldn't stop laughing about it (we took the "laugh so we don't cry" approach) and we talked about how crazy it was that this happened to us, especially since our friends Mike and Naghme down in Iowa just had twins. We found out right away they were fraternal, so the next several weeks were spent wondering what they would be. Here are some pictures from our first ultrasound where you can see both babies.