8 (and a half) Months!

The basket is getting a little too small for these guys.

May have to start using the armchair for pix instead of the basket.

This post is two weeks late - which just goes to show you what a tornado we live in. It is a good tornado - not like the kind that destroys everything you have, but the kind that spins the hands of the clock faster than you can embrace. 

In milestones this month, Sam sits on his own like a champion - but August is still a little wobbly. Both babies have said their first words  - "Dada" (of course...) and they said it one day apart. It was very cute. They love to hold hands when they can, especially during mealtimes. 

Sam reaching out to hold August's hand during lunch.

Miss August has really developed a cult following with her flirty little crescent moon-eyed smile. She is so close to crawling - I don't realize how you can be that close and not actually move. Personally, I think she's just milking it because we watch her every move when she is on the ground just waiting with bated breath for her to enter this next phase of her infancy. She has four teeth - a little too grown-up for my liking, and she eats like a horse. She is still a little thing- dainty and fairly-like, but man can she CHOW! She eats easily two to three times as much as her very robust brother. It doesn't make much sense, but it's fun to watch. She is very alert and looks around with her tiny little neck and perfectly round head - Matt calls her "Periscope Head."

Mr. Sam has learned to love splashing in the water. He likes his baths and is still tolerating his helmet really well. He will have it off pretty soon and is right on track with the progress the doctor expected. My favorite new trait of his are his "inspections." He takes an object (might be a princess doll shoe, a blanket, a spoon) and he holds it closely, slowly turning it to view every angle. You'd think he was a gemologist appraising the Hope Diamond. It is absolutely adorable.  

  

Sam isn't crazy about eating his solid foods (though you couldn't tell by looking at him,) but one of his favorite snacks are his socks. We simply can't keep them out of his mouth. Sam also really likes to dance, alone or with a partner - he doesn't seem to have a preference. He's really good at doing "the worm."

I got brave and decided to let the twins paint for the first time - of course I knew it would be messy, so they painted in the buff. This also lets you see Sam's Rubenesque form in its full glory.

Hard at work.

While August appears to feel a great sense of accomplishment, her brother is in need of a bra.

The babies had their first family vacation this month - a trip to St. George with our friends. They were so good in the car, and went on their first hike! It was cold and their little cheeks got windburned which made them look even more like dolls but I felt bad for their chappy skin. We hiked down into the lava tubes in Snow Canyon and August eventually fell asleep on my back in the backpack.

Mr. Sammy ready for a hike.

Looking up out of the lava tubes at the fam.

Poor August, passed out.

On the "Claire front" she continues to struggle with her age. She's not sure if she's still a preschooler who wants a blankie and a stuffie, or if she wants to be grown-up, dressed to the nines, and ready for action. It's kind of like living with a schizophrenic - super fascinating. Here is a photographic depiction to illustrate her internal struggle.

Happy Birthday Grandpa Judd

One of the beauties of being home is that we can celebrate our family members' birthdays in person once again! My sister and I had so much fun putting together a teeny tiny birthday celebration for our not - so - teeny - tiny dad :) (for those of you who know him and know me... I did not inherit his height).  

Erin and I put up a few decorations reminiscent of those he always put up for us as kids, and I made Dad's favorite dinner. Because one of our favorite evil pastimes is teasing dear old Dad, we made a ridiculous party hat and forced him to wear it the whole evening. If we caught him without it, we told him he had to either pay $1.00 to whomever caught him sans chapeau, or he had to say one of his favorite things about himself. He was a total trooper, and didn't take the hat off for several hours. We finally let him remove it when we could see the beads of sweat running down and decided he'd been tortured long enough.

Erin made one of her famous cakes - growing up she made many of the birthday cakes in the family because she has a talent for making all things sweet. She insisted that we actually put 59 candles on the cake, instead of getting the number shaped candles that said "59." It took a good five minutes to light the whole cake, and the smoke from the candles added a certain interesting aroma to the cake that we didn't expect. Here is a picture of us standing in the cloud of smoke after Judd blew out all the candles... well done, Pops!!

The best part of the evening was Claire's toast to grandpa:

"You're here,

you're strong,

you're tall.

Thanks for the sleepovers.

Happy Birthday."

Couldn't have said it better myself, Claire. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

Seventh Heaven

Some readers (namely my sister) will tease me for the name of this entry, but I can't help it. The twinnies are 7 months old and every month gets better and better. 

(Quick aside: I am writing this blog with a Sparkle Eyes Barbie hanging out of my shirt, because Claire wanted to be sure that her heavily eye-shadowed, over-coiffed, plastic friend could watch while I work on the computer. This is a new one...)


Back to the story.... to be quite honest, I am enjoying this phase of motherhood more than I ever expected. When I found out I was having twins, I was terrified. When I decided to leave my job to raise them I felt floating in the universe, unattached to the persona I had carefully crafted over the past decade. My successes were measured by who I knew, what I could do on paper, what I could produce and how I could present and sell - or at least I thought that was the extent of how they were measured. I wouldn't trade the time I worked like crazy for anything in the world. I loved it and I believe I will go back to it in the near future. I also wholeheartedly believe it made me incredibly capable -- capable of getting things done... things that I was afraid of.... doing them quickly... and well. It gave me a new level of confidence that has stayed with me long after the job titles are gone. All of this has absolutely benefited me as a mother, running my own little civilization.

So, back to the story - all roads lead to twinnies these days. August proudly sports two bottom teeth. She wasn't a fan of growing them, but she is a fan of biting with them. Sam is still gummy with no chompers yet. Both babies are showing signs of beginning to crawl - August holds a mean plank pose and rocks back and forth on her tiptoes. Sammy loves to stand up and dance, especially with his big sister.

This past month, the babies have attended mass - TWICE! That should cover us for awhile, right? We attended a Presbyterian mass on Christmas Eve at Claire's school / church. We were also invited to a friend's baptism at a Catholic church. The services were night and day different, but August was equally irreverent at each one. During Presbyterian mass, after the Pastor extolled the miracle of the Savior's birth, August spat as loud as she could. During Catholic Mass, she had a fit and we had our very own little exorcism in the basement of the church as far away from the angelic service as possible, until she calmed down. Sammy slept like an angel through both services when he wasn't busy making eyes at people (he remains quite the flirt).

Other big news this month: Sammy got a helmet! He has a flatness on one side of his head that needed rounding out, so his doctor suggested helmet therapy. He should only have to have it for 2-3 months - pretty short because of his young age and the rate of development. He has tolerated it very well, and, of course, it was just one more piece of real estate for us to demonstrate our allegiance to the U.

In other news, both twins received their driving licenses this month. They are great little drivers, very courteous on the road but do like high speeds and sharp turns.  Good thing they always insist on buckling up... safety first!

"Mom... I can't put my arms down!"

Claire Bear: Five and "Fab-Li-ous"

Of course you have to hold up your age in fingers... she's a whole hand now!

Is it just me, or does age five really sound like a departure from the toddler / preschool days? Five is official entry into personhood. One might argue that Claire entered her own brand of personhood the second she came barreling into our family, but this is a new phase that I'm on the edge of my seat to watch. 

She has such a strong personality - never shy, outspoken, incredibly curious and doesn't forget a thing. She asks incredible questions, often ones that we can't answer. We find ourselves trying to be one step ahead of her little brain so that we can give her as much information as she wants (but not too much) on big subjects that she brings up: death, heaven, families, feelings, nature, growing up and age...

Claire has changed more this year than any other year because she has now learned what it is to love a sibling -- and she got a double dose. She is so gentle with her precious baby brother and feisty little sister it melts my heart. I sit and listen to the way she speaks to them, the terms of endearment she uses, the way she gently strokes their hair and tries to make them smile and laugh. I'd like to think she is mirroring the way we have talked to her and how we talk to the babies and it is the greatest reward you can imagine. 

Whole family ready to sing and celebrate with chocolate cupcakes, chocolate frosting and rainbow sprinkles. Strict orders.

The day we finally had both babies home from the hospital, and began our life together as a family of 5.

Funny things she said today, on the arrival of this momentous occasion:

Looking in the mirror at herself, "Have I lost any teeth yet?"

To her school teacher this morning, "Miss Keri! Guess what happened to me?! I turned FIVE!" (like it was an affliction or like she was the victim of something...)

At the dinner table when I asked her what she was grateful for today: "..that I can have a birthday any year I need to."

The best part about being 5 years old: "Presents." Duh.. wasn't shocked at that one. 

I can't believe we've come five years from the ridiculous bi-state 1st birthday Finding Nemo birthday party --- nay --- gala, that I so carefully planned years ago. Now here we are, and she is dictating her own guestlist to the party and playing a role in planning it. A dream come true for me (the party planning mom), and her, the self-important five year old child.

Delicately preparing to massacre her first birthday cake.

Five years later, surrounded by a group of darling friends (Left to right: Taylor, Dina, Asia, Claire, Adalyn and Harper) at Claire's Build-A-Bear Princess Party.

Matt and I have been reliving the highlights of her speech over the years and remembering some of our favorite phrases and words that she used. Each of these acted as rungs in the ladder of her vocabulary progression and, consequently, her development. They are as precious and hilarious to me now as they were then and I hope I NEVER forget them. We purposely never corrected her because she would figure it out on her own so quickly, and then they would be gone forever. Here is a walk down memory lane, Claire-style:

Teeps: Teeth.

Use in a sentence: Brush ma teeps. 

Que-mies: Excuse me.

Use in a sentence: Que-mies, Santa (at the dinner table during the holidays when she didn't know where Santa was or was not -- this powerful new omnipresent, yet ever invisible being that held all the cards...better excuse yourself to him if you want to be remembered on Christmas morning.)

Dane it: Dang it.

Uppie: Airplane

Sum, sum dis: some of this
Use in a sentence: You want sum sum dis?

Babana: Banana

Bow-tay-ven: Beethoven

Tuto: Toto (as from the Wizard of Oz)

In a One Whore Open Sleigh: In a One Horse Open Sleigh

Joy to the world, the savior brains: Joy to the world, the savior reigns. 

Friend girl: Girlfriend.
Use in a sentence: Is that Unka Cam's friendgirl?

Fab-lee-ous: Fabulous

Use in a sentence: I want to marry Uncle Elliott, because I saw a picture of him and he is FABLIOUS!

Cock-a-little-do: Cock a doodle do

Such a lady: Sexy Lady

Foot Wrist: Ankle
Use in a sentence: Mom, I burned my foot wrist in the tub, it's too hot.

See Type: Sleep Tight.

Puffs: Breasts

Maples: Nipples or moles, fully interchangeable to her. 

Now a few photos to share our memories with you:

WEEE! Check me out, I have a cute little baby girl!!!!!!!!!

Comfy in daddy's arms.

Always in love with daddy, making each other laugh.

First trip to the beach.

First time sledding.

First Haircut.

Second Birthday

Crazy maniac chef.

Ballerina.

Her alter-ego "Pa-Jahwn"... it was short lived, but hilarious.

Completely unsupervised with mommy's makeup bag for an hour. Oops!

Flash back, flash forward.

Her first day of Pre-K.

I am so grateful to have children in such different stages of development. The babies' infancy proves a constant reminder of what Claire used to be, and a perpetual contrast to Claire's "adulthood" right now. It only gets better every day. Matt and I relish every conversation we have with her that actually makes sense and makes us think. We can enjoy some of the same entertainment, laugh at many of the same things, play some of the same games. Unfortunately, however, we do not eat many of the same foods, as she remains on an unwavering diet of Mac & Cheese (thanks to Daddy's genetic wiring there...) and occasionally nuggies. Strawberries are also a favorite, and chocolate milk will never go to waste around her. 

I love this child, I'm thrilled she made me a mom. At the risk of sounding cliche, I will admit that parenthood is as rewarding as it is difficult, but the most important part of my life.

I love you, little miss thing...Claire Bear, Beauty, Bear, Honey Pie, Miss Claire, Miscellaneous, Pumpkin, Peanut Butta, DeClare, Byuddah (derivative of beauty), Monk, Monk-a-loon... the list goes on and on...

A New Kind of Holiday: Handmade and Homebound

For only the second time since we were married, Matt and I got to spend Christmas in our own home this year (the other time being the year that I was extremely pregnant with Claire and couldn't travel).  Every wish I had for my own family came true, but not without a lot of hard work and preparation.

I organized and orchestrated;

I prepped and planned; 

I baked and bundled;

I caroled and cradled;

I hosted and hand made;

I sewed and soloed;

I dined and designed;

I toasted and tested;

I invited and attended;

Finally, I wrapped and wrapped....and wrapped.... and wrapped...

(counted a total of 83 gifts that were packaged by yours truly). 

At Claire's Christmas Program: Mt. Olympus Presbyterian Preschool

After months of preparing and performing Christmas programs, working on creating gifts for family members and trying to choose things that would bring joy to my three little babies and my sweet husband, everything came to that monumental apex on Christmas morning. Matt and I had so much fun setting the stage for our little theater that day. Two of our three children experienced their first Christmas.... they were too young to fully embrace it, but they were certainly curious enough to try to rip paper and pull on ribbons. They loved all of it... and, of course, since Claire is their favorite person, anything she did was fabulous to them. This was Claire's fifth Christmas, but it was, in many ways, her first. She is now an older sibling, she woke up in her own home on Christmas morning where Santa came to visit, and she celebrated with just us: mom, dad and twinnies. Perfection... having that time together and seeing her excitement and what Matt and I have built for ourselves brings indescribable joy to me. 

Getting to meet Santa at a neighborhood party.

Christmas Jammies

Trying to restrain the wild beasts before we let them loose under the Christmas tree.

Twinnies' First Stockings

All I need for Christmas.

Funny moments on Christmas morning were when the twins tried to open presents bigger than their own bodies, and when Claire received a gift about which she was not enthused... ski goggles. "Noooooooooo, not these! I don't want to go skiing today!"  She did, however, adore her big present from Santa Claus: an adorable tiny kitchen with all the modern appliances she could want.

Beyond the gifts, Christmas was special to me because it was just one more arena in which I could watch my young children experience something new; an opportunity for us to build memories as a family and strengthen what we are together.  

We visited the Ice Castles in Midway, Utah (www.icecastles.com) and they were utterly breathtaking. August was miserably cold until Daddy Matty put her in his jacket. Miss Claire was freezing and said she didn't like Ice Castles, but then after she warmed back up, she changed her mind. We went out for a family dinner afterward, with Grandparents Mike & Becky and Matt's Brother, Dan, and his adorable girlfriend Leylen. I thought it would be a great idea to give the twins their first bite of solid food in a restaurant... not so much. After trying to chew and swallow an impossibly small, soft piece of biscuit, August began to throw up, then Sam followed suit. I had two twins vomiting, one in my  hands, all at the dinner table of a nice restaurant. Additionally, my food had just been served, and my hot fish and chips were calling my name (but not as loudly as my glass of wine). Collectively we handled the myriad of bodily explosions, posthumously dubbed "Chernobyl" by Cam, the funniest of the uncles. Poor Leylen (originally from Argentina, a resident of the states for just the past 5 years)... her adequate and accurate response was very simple: "That was... intense." (in her gorgeous Argentine accent). 

The Ice Castles in Midway are man-made, from 20 million pounds of ice. One of only three places in the US you can see this. It was breathtaking, and not just because of the freezing temperatures.

We made fudge, over and over and over... Matt was the main fudge chef this year, and I have to publicly admit that his fudge was the best we've ever had. We use the same super secret recipe that my mom made for years... it is divine and I look forward to this tradition every year and I think now my children may begin to view it as tradition to them as well. 

We played games; Claire was Millionaire Tycoon at the end of a long game of Life... I was so proud. She's getting old enough to play games with and really enjoy it. Sam and August are good sports and along for the ride all of the time. They rarely complain (although August has been just a touch fussy these days, but I think it's related to teething). 

Claire winning Life! Uncle Cam is to her right, and sweet Sammy in his helmet to Cam's right.

The holidays had one component that must not go without recognition. We, unfortunately, had to say goodbye to Matt's sweet grandma, Jolene Catmull (on his dad's side).  She was a lover of mankind, someone who adored nature, and took people in... no matter their status. We were crushed to see her go so unexpectedly, just days before Christmas, but grateful that she went peacefully in her sleep.  

Jolene meeting August (left) and Sam (right).

This laced the holidays with planning a service to honor her in a way that would match the respect and admiration all of us have for her. I ended up performing prelude and postlude music from a wide variety of classical and romantic composers. We had a request to honor Jolene's wishes that the music remained secular, so I had to revise my standard funeral repertoire somewhat, and it lead to a beautiful rediscovery of some old music that I hadn't played for years.  I also performed a piano solo: "Lullaby" by Billy Joel.  

Uncle Dan, hanging with Sammy and Daddy Matt after the service

Left to Right: Leylen, Dan, Me, Matt, Cam, Sam and Bree. Taken after the services at Uncle Jeff's house.

After that, my dad and I performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." If you haven't heard my dad sing, you don't know how chilling and sacred this performance can be. I'll maintain to my dying day that he has a voice unlike any I have ever heard. It is an honor to perform at his side, and accompany his instrument... I have been doing it since I was just 12 years old, and I hope to be doing it as long as he is singing.

This holiday season was filled with a wider variety of emotions than I planned to embrace, but I'm thrilled to say that the family weathered it all very well. I am looking forward to every day of this next year. As my mom always says, "These are the good times, and we're smart enough to enjoy them."