This DDOB has been in process for a few days now, so I'll try to write something now as both boys are napping. Or at least I thought they were sleeping...Matt just said Thomas is stirring. Nathan came down with a cold on Friday and Thomas has a slightly drippy nose today. Wow, too graphic! Matt has had a cold all week and so we think he nicely shared with the boys. The last couple of days, we've been so lucky not to have to go out and the boys have had some great day time naps--the only benefit of their having colds!

Mom and Dad were here again this week so that I could get to the dentist for a cleaning. I am so glad they are free to come so often, we have lots of fun together AND they are such a huge help. Wednesday morning I was out for about 2 hours between the cleaning and running errands that are too ! difficult to do with the boys. The usual routine for the boys is to have their cereal around 8:30, get bathed, dressed and then back down for a nap around 9:30. I left at 8:15 so Mom and Dad were going to attempt the above. Mom's comment upon my return was...."Nathan had about 45 minutes worth of nap and Thomas is tear-stained, pale and trembly, but still the victor after three rounds with Grandma. On round 2, she walked into his bedroom and frowned at him. Thomas looked at his grandma and gave this hesitant smile in the hopes of appeasing his frowning Grandma which thoroughly impressed her. She said by round three, they just walked into his bedroom and he started hollering.

No crawling yet, just rolling from our boys! The first picture, our friend Kathe brought a few toys for the boys so they opened them while she was here. The next pictures of Nathan, Matt captured last Saturd! ay morning. The last picture....no they never actually sleep together although I do set them in the same crib if I'm busy. I arrange toys around both of them and 9 times out of 10 when I come back, Nathan has all the toys.

We are packing up to leave Monday to see both sets of Grandparents as well as my sister in Ontario. The trip should span a week all being well.

must run,
love to each,

These are all pictures my Mom has taken! She is very good at remembering to get the picture when she sees something cute. I'm glad because being in the midst of it every day, I think I take for granted the cuteness of the situation! As you can see, the boys are very sturdy at sitting up, reaching and grabbing for things, catching themselves if they start to tip. Just yesterday morning, Thomas sat up on the kitchen counter while I got my breakfast things together...granted I never took my hand off his leg! Tonight, while my Dad and I bought groceries, Thomas sat strapped into the front of the carriage. All along, I had been bringing the carseats into the store and setting one in the top of the carriage and one in the bin of the carriage. He looked like such a big boy! Nathan's turn is next.

The boys had another RSV shot. Their current weights are! 16 lb 7 oz and 18 lb 7 oz!

We are teaching the boys to lift their arms as in "so big" and to wave. Nathan is starting to creep. Nathan also is into tapping! He taps everything....the table, me, his toys. The boys are so much fun right now. I just love hanging out with them.

Must get to bed,
love to each,
Jennifer

ps. pay no attention to my wet hair in the one picture...meanwhile the clock says 12:40. Yes, showering still does not always happen in the morning.

Today, my old department at Raytheon had their potluck holiday luncheon to which the boys and I were invited. It was very nice to see my old friends and to show my cuties off! Nathan had a little problem with people getting to much in his face and so he hung out with me for quite a while. Thomas kept it together pretty good. They were both held and ogled over for over 2 hours so they were exhausted by the time we left. The fellow in the picture above holding the twins is Thomas Silvia whom I worked with for something like 7.5 of the almost 8 years at Raytheon. He was a good teacher and friend. He must also have a very interesting goatee!

We tried to capture tonight Nathan's silly smile. Yes, he is smiling in the above picture and not crying.

off to bed!
love,

Have I said lately how much fun I am having with my boys? Their personalities and sense of humor are starting to show. They both like to make silly faces and noises. Nathan will look at you and wrinkle his nose with a smirk. I'm trying to get this on camera. Thomas was gurgling in the back of his throat this morning. They know when they are being funny maybe because we laugh! I just enjoy them so much! I am so thankful I can be home with them to see all the stages.

Early Intervention came again on Tuesday. Julie was very happy with their progress and was lecturing politely about baby proofing the house. We were so happy to show off Thomas' new trick of rolling over and to show how steady they are sitting up. I was also able to tell her that Nathan is now babbling (as opposed to cooing). Both boys say "ma" when they are distress! ed. I am not certain they know I am Ma but this counts for babbling. Anyways, Julie and I have agreed to go from biweekly to once a month visits.

Monday, I pulled them around the yard in the sled. They seemed okay with it except when Doodle kept running up which sprayed a little snow on them and barking at the moving sled. It has been too cold the last couple of days so we've just been staying in. Monday, we did a little shopping....these boys are granny magnets!

I feel like I am coming down with a cold tonight and the boys seem a little out of sorts with gas, etc. I hope we aren't getting anything. must get to bed!
love to each,

Yesterday we went to visit Aunt Margie while we were in Westwood. It was so nice to see her. She and her daughter-in-law came to visit the boys while they were at Brigham and Women's hospital. This was the last time she saw the boys so it was so nice to show them off! They were very well behaved during the visit (it was Matt we worried about...crash! or maybe that was Jen...), in fact they both took part of their afternoon nap while we finished up eating! Aunt Margie was happy to see them eating so well--I fed them lunch soon after arriving. She was also glad to hear I was still nursing.

Our friend, Lisa gave us the johnny-jump-up which both boys seem to like. I feel so thankful for everything people have given us or loaned us! Last time we were at Babies R Us, I was amazed at the prices of things like swings and saucers! I don't know how I woul! d of gotten through these days without all these extras! So thank you to those of you who have helped in this way!

I must get going now. I have to get to Target today (there isn't a clean diaper left in the house) and I want to try pulling the boys around in the sled. Friday we got 14 inches of heavy snow. Our temporary shed for the tractor collapsed again so maybe we'll have to hire Howe and Company Associates to build us a real shed!

love to each,

We had a rolling good time today! Thomas is definitely rolling from back to front. He even demonstrated for his Dad and here I thought babies did not perform on command! Like Nathan, he seems unclear on how to get back off his belly. Nathan easily rolls back now, it just took time for him to learn he could. As I watched Thomas on his belly, all I could think of was when you see a beetle that has been overturned and all the legs are wiggling, but the beetle isn't getting any where! I guess eventually all that wiggling gets synchronized and we call it crawling.

Today was a really nice day and it was so fun to have something new to show Matt when he got home from work. We didn't go out except this evening for Bible study. Nathan is getting the idea of jumping in the Jumperoo. He seems to enjoy it now. It's hard to catch in a photo his enjoyment. The! last 2 days, I've played the piano for them. They love it. Thomas just stares at me with his big eyes and Nathan gives me his huge grin. They are perfectly quiet as I play.

must get to bed,
love,

We broke down and bought yet another thing to trip over as we traverse our livingroom. The boys tried out the Jumperoo at their cousin's house and Thomas especially seemed to figure it out after watching Noah use it. No toy is as fun as playing with their daddy though!

I am finding more and more that they just want to be in the same room with you and will loudly voice their opinion upon being left for even a minute. They are very aware of our presence even if they seem to be happily playing.

Over the last few days, Thomas has figured out that if he hollers in between bites, that I'll feed him faster. Meanwhile, Nathan quietly waits for his food. We are both sternly telling Thomas to knock it off and he understands our tone of voice to some degree. I must admit, it could be construed as brattiness....although, it seems to ! be alot worse when he is tired but it is still not acceptable.

We've been trying to get out every day. Last Friday we did not get out and it was an incredibly long day. A little stimulation can go a long way! I must admit, the boys both do a bucking routing upon being put into their car seats....I think Thanksgiving trip turned them against their seats!

On Monday, we parked in the library lot and took care of our errands in town by walking and using the stroller. Today, Matt and I received our flu shot from our primary care doctor who was very excited to meet the boys.

Off to bed!
love to each,

It was one of those days that we say "we survived!"

Enjoy the pictures.

love to each,

The cradle used in the first 2 pictures was used by Matt's dad. In the last picture, Thomas and I were swinging in Matt's sister's sunroom. It was absolutely lovely to sit in the sunshine.

Well, we saw Dr. Cohen today for the 8 month check up. He was very happy with the boy's progress. They received their flu booster and the second hepatitis shot. They do seem to take their shots so much better now. They stop crying almost as soon as I pick them up. My mother came with me, thankfully and was a huge help. The doctor would like to see us get rid of the pacifiers within the next couple of months. He wants us to use sippy cups every meal to teach them drinking is part of the table experience. Nathan is up 1 lb, 11 oz to 15lb 9oz. Thomas is up exactly 2 lb to 17 lb 7 oz! The doctor said, obviously they are eating well. He want! s us to start attacking the cradle cap that both boys have. He suggested we rub some mineral oil on the scalp, use a soft brush to loosen up the flakes, wipe it clean and then wash it with stetson blue shampoo. He also wants us to use dove soap to help Nathan's small patches of dry skin. That is all I can remember.

love to each,

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving out in western New York. The trips were "interesting" but we all survived. We travelled during the daylight hours hoping not to disturb the boys night sleeping which basically worked. I also thought the motion of the car and the music would make for some sleepy babies while we travelled but no, I was wrong! They did a fine job of keeping each other awake.

Our boys thoroughly enjoyed playing with all of Noah's toys! They had this cool Jumperoo which was similar to a Johnny-Jump-up. Basically the seat is on springs allowing the baby to jump around.

Sunday night, Don Bixby, one of our ministers called. He and Mike DiChara were stuck in traffic very close to our house. They crashed here for the night. We were so h! appy to see them. What a treat!

Early Intervention came Tuesday at 1pm. Unfortunately the boys are changing their schedule and so they were very tired while Julie was here. They had been eating cereal, vegetable and meat at 3 pm every day but since they are eating more of what I eat (basically table scraps!) they end up begging the entire time I eat lunch. So now they eat a real meal when I eat: 8AM, ~12:30 and 6 with lots of nursing in between. I started this new schedule on Tuesday but they had been working on changing their nap times which now seem to be at 9AM and 1PM. One thing with babies...you have to be flexible! They don't always eat when you want or sleep when you want! Anyways, there really wasn't much new to show or tell Julie so it was just a quick visit.

My parents are here again this week and so I went out to do an errand which was when Thomas de! cided to roll over by himself. He likes to save his surprises for Grandma. She was the first one he smiled at and the first one he cooed to. So now, she can add rolling over to her list!

The boys have their 8 month check up tomorrow. I know for sure that they have a flu shot booster but not sure if there will be any other shots.

Must get to bed.
love to each,

You would think the flock of turkeys that live on Gates Pond Road would make themselves scarce this time of year, but no! Kind of interesting that the coyotes don't eat the turkeys. Maybe it has something to do with flying.

The boys had their second RSV shot on Monday. This was our first time to go to the doctors office without a second adult. We made it! Not easy especially because they got a shot. As it was just for a shot, it was considered a nurses visit. However, the nurse pulled a doctor in to look at Thomas' face. It looked about as bad as I had seen it. He really felt it was primarily chapped. He recommended 4x a day to mix Vaseline, 1% hydrocortizone ointment and diaper rash cream with Zinc and slather it on. I had been doing that but without the hydrocortizone ointment. I thought it looked better today using the docto! r's concoction.

I must admit, though, the boys were Fussy today. It made for slow going on the Thanksgiving preparations. I just told Matt that they come first and we would have to live without if I didn't get to it! That took the pressure off. I did pretty much finish things though. The boys just acted like they were tired but then wouldn't sleep for long at all.

We head to Brockport, NY tomorrow morning to enjoy Thanksgiving with Matt's family.

We hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving. I haven't written this in awhile, so here goes....I am so Thankful for my two beautiful boys and a sensible husband. Everyday I feel so glad to have them.

love to each,

It has been so long, I can't even remember when I sent out my last DDOB! I'm guessing it was Wednesday, so I'll start with Thursday's news. Sorry about this!

Early Intervention (EI) did not come Tuesday, but came Thursday afternoon. Nathan obediently performed his new trick of rolling over for Julie. Her concern with Thomas was the arching which has diminished quite a bit...not to say he never does it now. She is very happy with their progress and does not see a need to have the physical therapist back any time soon. I asked her recommendations for getting the boys toys and her 2 rules of thumb are: The toy can't do all the work and the toy should be able to be used for more than one thing. Her favorite are the stacking cups which we have and the boys do like them alot.

Thursday night, we attended a dinn! er put on Raytheon for their employees who have received honors. Matthew was one of 5 in our 70+ department elected by his fellow geeks (did I type that out lout??) to receive honors. It's very impressive. It's not just his colleagues, it's the mangers too that rank and grant the honors. He is well thought of at Raytheon. The dinner was very nice and I really enjoyed seeing people I used to work with. I had people saying....so that's why you didn't return my email! Nobody it seems believes I am going to stay home for long. My parents took care of the boys. Their only hiccup was when they offered Nathan a TV dinner (formula) after he already had what I had pumped for him. He threw up most of the TV dinner and they weren't sure why. I know babies will throw up if their bellies get too full which I bet was the case. I usually nurse Nathan to sleep so I was sorry to miss out on that.

Friday was a fairly uneventful day other than Mom and Dad sadly left in the morning. We went to Derby's to get apples, cider and squash. The boys have apple sauce at night made from Derby apples so we go there every couple of weeks!

Saturday morning bright and early, Heather Pratt came to pick up Moose. She had breakfast with us and trailered Moose to his new home in southern NH. I was very sorry to see Moose go, but it seemed like the right decision to simply life for now and give up the donkeys. So, that's it, they are all gone. In the afternoon, our new mattress was delivered.

Sunday, Steve, Debbie, Lindsey, Hannah, Zach and Jeremy Berwaldt came for lunch and the afternoon. That is Lindsey and Hannah in picture 3356. Thomas really got into the tissue paper while opening some baby gifts from the Berwaldts. He is suc! h a goof. Really, Matthew Junior.

Nathan has figured out with a vengeance this week the power of the fake cough which in turn has made Thomas start again. They sure can be silly.

That's all I can think of for now!
love to each,

We tried a new play area today! On the couch. I sat in front of them on the floor so we were pretty much eye to eye. They really enjoy sitting up but need support for when they lose their balance. They both still tip over if they reach to far. The couch worked out very well.

Just a quiet day today. Moose was supposed to go to his new home, but it didn't work out. She may be by on Saturday if she get can get the trailer. This is our last donkey to go and I am sad! He was the one I was most attached to. He is going to a family with 5 kids in Southern NH. They took the cart too so hopefully they will continue carting with him. He will be with 2 other geldings. I hope they all will get along.

Must get to Bed, I am going cross eyed.

I've attached a picture from last Wednesday night Bible study. The Irish family that used to meet with has moved to NH. Isabel (on the right) and Jane (holding Thomas)Martyn were down in the area visiting an old friend so they came by the study. We were so glad to see them!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of Nathan napping today. He just looked so adorable all tucked in.

This afternoon we went to visit Annie Anderson who turns 101 years old tomorrow! She was thrilled to see the twins. One of her nurses was there and so helped hold Nathan. She put Nathan into Annie's arms and had Annie hold Nathan while she continued to support him. Nathan was very good natured about all this. He even put his arms around Annie while Annie hugged him. I really wished I had brought my camera. Thomas on the other ! hand took one look at Annie and burst into tears. He cried a few more times. It was his "this is strange" cry. I just held him.

Oh, and the other breaking news....Nathan likes dill pickles. Sorry Grandpa Howe!

Must get to Bed.
love to each,

I forgot to mention two things last night so here goes...


Thomas' face is looking better. We were at the vitamin store on Saturday and the owner suggested putting diaper rash cream on it in case there was "thrush". Now, I thought only horses got thrush but I'm guessing she meant a yeast infection like diaper rash. Anyways, it started looking better within a couple hours of the first application. I am now alternating between diaper rash cream and Vaseline. Really, he just looks very dry now, none of that bright red stuff. It certainly doesn't seem to be brothering him.

The other major event that I forgot to mention is that on Sunday we had a group of visitors over from our Sunday morning meeting. There was 8 adults and it was the first meal we put on without my Mom and Dad here to help. It was very nice and went very smoothly! . Matt was a huge help, setting the table, slicing the meat, whipping the potatoes and generally being there for me. I peeled all the potatoes and cut up all the vegetables the night before so it all came together at a decent hour!

Must run, Thomas is already awake from his morning nap and I'm not even dressed yet.

For those of you who don't know football (like their mother).....

(From MerriamWebster.com)
Main Entry: line·man
Pronunciation: 'lIn-m&n
Function: noun
1 : one who sets up or repairs electric wire communication or power lines -- called also linesman
2 : a player in the forward line of a team; specifically : a football player in the line

At our 3PM feeding (which is their big meal of the day), Nathan was crying up a storm and Thomas who was also sitting in his seat waiting, was laughing and laughing at him. The harder Nathan cried, the more Thomas giggled and Thomas was looking right at Nathan. In fact he was cranked around in his seat so that he could see Nathan. I must admit that, when I turned Nathan around, he had large bubbles of snot coming out his nose. That may have been what set Thomas off. Please don't think I let Nathan cry....I was hurrying along to get their meal together. I have gotten good at feeding them at the same time. It's better than making one wait.

After supper, we needed to let the dogs out to do their business. We have been aware that the pack of coyotes that live on the 50 acres of town land next to us are getting bold. So, we've been very careful about letting the dogs loose outside. In fact, we almost always use leashes now. Anyways, Matt went out and swept the yard with our powerful flashlight and sure enough, he followed a coyote along the entire back length of our property. He called me out and we heard him in the woods and again saw him as he came down the back stretch of our fence. How scary! They have no qualms with eating cats, small dogs, etc....Our cats are in every night before it gets dark and the dogs are never unattended! Yesterday, as I walked our dogs on our road, I saw a coyote in the woods. Our dogs never smelled him but he watched us. Creepy.

Thomas is at the rolling over stage that Nathan was 2 weeks ago so hopefully we'll see him rolling soon. I'm looking forward to seeing Nathan enjoy rolling over. For now, he still seems a little agitated at the event. For as quickly as he does it when we lay him down, you would think he liked it!

EI comes tomorrow.

all for now,

I meant to write this last night, but all I could think about was Bed. Thomas wakes up now at 6 AM (that's 12 hours of sleep so what can I say) so I am pretty mushy at night. Just some cute pictures of my boys from this past week. They just seem to grow and develop before my eyes. We went to a large furniture store yesterday, Jordan's, to buy a new mattress. This store is not only huge but has a New Orlean's theme where they but on a "Blues Brothers" show with lots of lights, noise and motion. We stayed for 20 minutes of it to let the boys try it out. They did really well. I held Nathan as he was fussing before it. Thomas sat in his stroller. We watched for signs of over stimulation like jerky movements with hands and we saw none at all. They intently watched all of the carrying on. They slept wonderfully on the way, the way home and by 6PM that night!

We also tried mushy peas (again) at the 3pm feeding and they both ate them with gusto. We have been giving the boys a litle of this and a little of that anyways while they sit at the dinner table with us. For example, Thomas had some sweet pickles! His first little bit got a fleeting grimace but that was it. It is really fun to let them try things! We have a few things to stay away from, so I try to keep these in mind: egg, fish, dairy, honey and peanuts.

must run, I hear my precious babies stirring.
love to each,

Well, we had a rolling good time today! Both boys were laying on their backs on the living room floor and next thing I knew, Nathan was on his belly! That takes work on his part so we know it was no accident! He has had no problem for quite some time rolling from his belly to his back but gravity seems to help in that direction.

Also today, Thomas has learned he can bounce in his saucer. The saucer contraption has springs in it to allow the baby to use his feet to jump up and down. He has enough weight and coordination to really get it going. very cute!

Both boys are very entertained with the dogs. Annie is heat so the dogs play much of the day. The boys are happy to sit and watch our TD (two dog) entertainment system. Yes, yes, I know you aren't supposed to use it as a babysitter but what can I say. The boys are reaching out to the dogs any time they can. The dogs are very tolerant and Annie is more than happy to wash their hands for them! gross! The dogs now lay strategically under them in the kitchen. My sister used to call our first dog Yankee "radar" while she fed her kids at my parents house as he could hear a cheerio drop from across the house. This has come to mind a few times.

Speaking of food, the boys tried corn casserole (baby food version) tonight and loved it. That and the arrowroot cookies they munched while we quick ate dinner wired them. Typically they have unsweetened applesauce with their cereal and then breastmilk. We never have a problem with them falling fast asleep at night but tonight they just didn't want to stop socializing. I think we'll stick with the unsweetened version of dinner!

all for now,
love to each,

We are enjoying quiet days! The boys seem to be doing better again napping during the day which makes them happier.

Yesterday, we went to the library. Nathan fell asleep in the 1 mile drive to the library. I put them in the stroller for our library perousing. Thomas who was wide awake and sitting straight up in his stroller insisted several times to reach over and play with Nathan's face who was still attempting to snooze. It really cracked me up....I just wonder who will be the little bug as they grow up together. I was in the pharmacy the other day and the pharmasist was a twin. I asked her if they were friends and she said not until they move away from each other. That made me so sad. I do hope that my boys will be friends. Not to say they won't ever beat each other up.

Thomas' diaper rash is all better but his facial cheeks seem to be getting worse. I've been putting Eucerin's Aquafor on it. This is what they used in the NICU. His cheeks look like a cross between dry skin, slobber rash and a little acne. I can't seem to pinpoint what affects it. The day before last, it actually looked a little better but then today it was worse.

all for now,
love to each one,

Two of our ministers, Pat Inniss and Barbara Ballantine came for Friday night supper and the night. We just enjoyed our visit with them so much. We hadn't seen Pat in 7 years as she has gone back to her home country of Barbados to labor. She just came for 3 weeks to help Barbara while Eun Hui is in California nursing her ill mother. Anyways, it was so nice for Pat to meet our boys.

This afternoon, both boys were in saucers in the kitchen while I cleaned up. I noticed for the first time that they were really interacting. Thomas was entertaining Nathan to the fullest doing raspberries. It definitely sounded like Nathan was trying to do raspberries too. This was the first time that I realized that even if one boy does something first, the other will soon catch on just watching or listening. It was really neat. They really seemed to be having fun together.

all for now,
love to each

I would have to say that the boys are finally better.
Their noses run when they cry and Nathan still wheezes at night but other than that they are back to normal.
My parents are here right now and that takes some of the pressure off caring for them. Both parents spent the day in Westwood today but things don't seem to fall apart until around 4pm which they made it back in time to help. Their last meal for the day starts at 6pm and then they get to nurse or have a bottle.
Thomas was in bed asleep by 6:15 and Nathan by 7:30.
It was Matt's idea to start the bed routine earlier....it made good sense as the boys were giving us all sorts of signs that they really needed to get to bed.

This is the last picture from this weekend. The boys were ready to go out Sunday morning and Matt hates hats so he wrapped blankets around their heads. It's cool enough for hats now! We've been getting out almost every day to walk our road. It's lovely.

Thomas has an awful case of diaper rash. In fact, the skin looks blistered. I am using the more powerful cream that was administered by the hospital when they were there. I feel awful for him. I tried several times during the day for him to get a little airing as the nurses taught us that helps big time.

must get to BED.
love to each,

Nothing to report, tonight, but, thought you might like these...

love to all,

At long last, a new DDOB comes! Sorry, rough week and it doesn't seem easier yet. Thomas and I are still snuffly and cranky (just ask Matt, oh wait, don't ask Matt) while Nathan continues to wease away. His weasing (is this how you spell wease?) seems worse at night. They both just want to be held and snuggled ALL the time. Thankfully my mother will be here tomorrow. I am able at this point to cry over anything...I even cry about crying!

Some really cute pictures taken recently. Hard to choose! I had a cute bumble bee costume for Nathan, but the sleeve was stiched in twisted so he couldn't get his hand through it. The flower costume or at least that is what I think it is was a hand me down....he wasn't thrilled in the least to be a flower. We walked up to the neigbors house to show off our cuties last night. As usual, we didn't get any trick or treaters.

As you will notice in the other photo, the little boys are trying ritz crackers. These went over pretty well. I tried cheerios today and those weren't such a hit.

Both boys are reaching for and grabbing toys while on their belly--this is new! Thomas is now putting his feet in his mouth while I try to change his diaper. Nathan has rjust ecently found (grabbing) his feet but hasn't quite gotten them all the way to his mouth.

love,