Nathan Goes Vertical

This is the first DDOB without pictures but I didn't take any today just did alot of video taping.

Nathan is walking! He is still taking it slow but all day long, he practiced! He doesn't take usually more than 6 steps and he still crawls when he is racing his brother. I wonder how long it will take for Thomas to notice Nathan walking. Nathan did not cruise around the furniture much or walk between our legs but he did practice standing alot.

Matt arrived home safely early this afternoon. The boys (and me!) were very happy to see him.

love,

The boys made themselves a slide...I'm not sure what was more fun for them, the slippery climb up or the slide back down. I did hear a lot of giggles though! Can you see they crushed the closer diaper box? Anyways, it was their own creation.

Nathan is still very much crawling, but especially when he enters a room, he gets up on one knee and slides across the floor for several feet. That is what he is doing in the picture of him in the doorway. I don't know why he is doing it other than a different perspective on life. He did take more steps today. He took 2, stopped and took another 3! I noticed that when he walks pushing his car, that his legs are pretty stiff but I've never noticed him walking on his tip toes which Thomas does some.

I was at the changing table which is now if front of window and that's when I noticed the hawk in the tree. We've seen as many as 3 at a time around here but this is the closest I've seen one. Sorry the picture isn't great as it's through a screen and it flew off after I only got 2 pictures so the selection wasn't great. We really have a lot of wild life around here for being such a populated area. We see several (mostly mallard) ducks in the swampy area. We have a large snapping turtle that we see every summer that again lives in the swampy area. I did see a coyote again the other day for the first time in several months. It was right in our back yard at supper time. It spooked and ran right off as soon as it saw me in the door.

all for now,
love,

Just a quick email while the boys are napping. These pictures are from this past weekend. Matt was out grilling which is near some pansies in window boxes....I had just picked off several of the older buds and Matt came in with them tucked behind each ear. So, Matt dressed Thomas up in pansies. No comments, please!

I looked up to see Nathan taking a few steps on his own yesterday! My guess is that he probably took 3 steps. I'm just glad I looked up! I haven't been able to get a repeat performance.

Have I said lately how much fun it is to raise two little boys?! I love it! I'm so glad to have them and also be able to stay home with them.

We went outside to enjoy the beautiful afternoon again today. Thomas is enthralled with our stone staircases. He has no problem going up them. I haven't taught him how to get down yet. Although, I did notice him climbing down the small (4 steps) stairs. He did fine.

all for now,
love,

Just a couple of pictures from last week. Dad and I had help raking out our raised beds! The boys love being outside on these glorious days

Last week we saw my cousin again, Bruce VanStelton for the funeral of Cameron VanBuskirk. Bruce is a minister out in Iowa and was just here for a visit. It was the first time to meet him.

Must run, the boys are into trouble. I have the hardest time when I tell them "no" in a very stern voice only to have them look at me with a large smirky grin. I try so hard not to smile but some days I can't resist!

love,

I tried to capture Thomas on the move. That boy climbs any thing he can! I looked over to see him standing on the stove earlier this week. Then yesterday he stood on the seat of his Thomas mobile. Nathan is just starting to climb up on things like his "Learning House". I'm not sure he knows how to get down though. I try to let them think about how to get down instead of just hurrying over and lifting them off.

Thomas loves to point at people, things on a page, food on the table, etc... He also loves to push buttons. His "Learning House" has a small radio with 4 buttons that play songs. He barely lets it finish playing and he is leaning over to push another button. He uses his index finger rather than the palm of his hand....another developmental detail. Both boys are doing very well at putting a loaded fork into their mouth. I was out grilling the other day (a good 25 feet from the door) and saw Nathan at the back door. I waved and he waved back with a big grin. It's just cool when they do things like that. Nathan is still our tapper. We have a new toy of a farmer on his tractor and you have to tap the farmer on the head for him to start his engine. Nathan loves it!

They have really started to look at their board books on their own. It's nice to find them doing that.

Matt is in Texas again for the week. We are on our own this week and are trying to do a little visiting with folks around here. Today we drove over to Lexington after lunch to see Muriel Pratt. We just stayed a hour but the boys held up well and were quite friendly with her.

all for now,
love,

Matt went to Texas all last week and is gone again this week on business. Mom Howe spent the entire last week and both parents are thankfully here again this week (Tuesday night to Thursday morn). I feel very grateful for retired parents! The boys caught a stomach bug starting last Friday. Nathan threw up his breakfast (my first to clean up) and Thomas spent the day burping. We were expecting and looking forward to the arrival Friday night of Matt's parents. We were all glad that they decided to come even though the boys were peaky. We had a wonderful weekend which was over far to quickly. We didn't do any thing special; we just ate, visited and played with the boys. It was a little disappointing that Nathan seemed to have a hard time warming up to his grandparents. Thomas (as you can see from the picture) thoroughly enjoyed his walk outside with grandpa within the first half hour of their arrival. We found that the boys did all right with their grandparents if Matt or I were out of sight. We would walk into the room and Nathan would start bawling. It was hard to ignore his crying yet we didn't want to encourage it. It was nice to get advice too. I have been using too many words when I talk to the boys, and Mom Rider suggested I just stick to a single word, like "open" when I want them to eat something instead of "Lets eat up, open your mouth and try it". The boys had presents to open from relatives on Matt's side of the family which we had been saving for this weekend. It was also Matt and Mom Rider's birthday so we had lots of cards and presents to get through! We had wonderful weather, so spent time sitting out in the yard.

The boys are still not 100%. Their appetite has been on and off. Some meals, it seems like they eat like birds and then the next meal they do just a little better. They have had diarrhea, so we were sticking to the BRAT diet but talking to the doctor today, he said that was a little out-dated. I guess research shows that a child needs more protein then what that diet gives to replace what has been lost. So, they still get their meatballs and we started whole milk again on Monday.

The boys were at the doctor today for a well-child check-up. Dr. Cohen says we have lost our preemie status! Nathan still doesn't get on the "normal" charts for weight and his length is only in the fifth percentile but nobody is concerned. The boys received their second hepetitas B shot today. They both have temperatures tonight. Thomas' is 103 and Nathan's is at least 101. They got tylenol but just before bed, they still seemed warm upon going to bed so when the 6 hours is up, I'll try to check them again. Poor guys! They really didn't seem to feel bad...they ate dinner just fine and were happy to play.

I have had the great joy of finding Thomas rather wet and having quite a time playing in the toilet. My only consolation is that the last person did remember to flush, but the consolation ends there. Of course, we won't name the several hundred miles away guilty party. Tuesday we were outside doing yardwork and I looked over to see Nathan bobbing for something in the garbage can lid. He looked up at me with a huge grin on his face, he had mud on his forehead, nose and chin. Very cute, but still quite gross. Course he was squeezing a great big fat beetle just minutes before the garbage can kissing. I need to get used to things like this!

all for now,
love,

The boys can now reach the piano keys without my help so we get solos and even duets at least once a day.

My sister, Laura, gave us a Thomas the Trainmobile which is a Big hit. They don't even need us any more to have fun! It was very cute to see Thomas pushing Nathan around Sunday afternoon.

Matt left for McKinney, Texas Sunday night and will be back Friday night. Thankfully, my mother is here helping. Monday was an extremely hard day because of the amount of disciplining that had to be done. We have major ordeals getting diapers changed if the kids are the least bit hungry or tired. All they want to do is turn over and get up. I have managed to put a diaper on a standing child which is no small feat. We had a standoff at breakfast. I made some hot cereal and asked them to try a couple of bites. I was really excited when I explained this to Thomas and he then actually took half a dozen bites. But Nathan was not going to have any of it. All I wanted him to do was try it! I also have them back in the same bedroom again now that their colds are pretty much over. We had some very short naps due to one waking up the other. Anyways, we were Very glad to see Mom and Dad late in the afternoon.

Last Saturday, we had a small get together to celebrate the boy's birthday with some neighbors and with a few folks from Raytheon. It was very low-key and thoroughly enjoyable. It's wonderful to show of two happy, healthy babies!

all for now,
love to each,

On Sunday afternoon, the boys were having a good time at the front door talking to their aunt Shelly and hanging out with their cousin Rebecca. Before we knew it, Thomas had his arms around Rebecca and was smooching her. This didn't just happen once, it went on for a good couple of minutes! Very cute! I tried to get a picture of it, but by the time I got the camera, he was getting done. The scary thing is that it seems like yesterday that Rebecca was that size and now she is almost a teenager.

The boys are giving me a run for my money in the food department. Every day their tastes change! What they liked yesterday is out today! They love to feed themselves and will take less than a handful of bites fed to them. I suppose, part of this is their colds. I feel like I'm running out of ideas of what to try. Their latest likes are meatballs, saltines, avocados, and toast.

all for tonight,

Happy Birthday!

I am not sure where to start. Some of this is old news of which a few of you have already heard but I'll mention it here anyways.

Starting Thursday night, I tried Nathan sleeping in his big crib as he was doing so well with his daytime naps. It worked! He is now sleeping in his own crib in the same bedroom with Thomas and the pack-n-play is a thing of the past...well sort of. Sunday night, Nathan started with the sniffles which has developed into a yucky cold which means that he wakes up hollering several times a night. Guess, what? He's back in the pack-n-play in the guest room! We'll get back to our little project when everyone is better. (Thomas and I also have the same lovely cold we just didn't start with it till Monday)

Next big news is that the boys started with cows milk Friday morning. Wow! I get to stop pumping for their breakfast and supper bottles. I really felt funny giving it to them for two reasons. First, it's depressing this year is already over and second I want them to get the antibodies still from me! I had a stern talk with myself that first, this has to happen sometime and second they have their own solid little immune systems in place now. They had no problem taking the milk nor did they act like it tasted any different.

Friday, I had over three of my "mom" friends and their kids for lunch and cupcakes. These were the people that have been interested in my boys and helpful during this past year. Patti and Joey Demoura, Sara and Isabelle Mercer and Crystal and Brady Cheyne all came. We had mini pizzas and carrot cupcakes. The weather was so wonderful that everyone was outside until it was time to eat (and today it was snowing!). Just a side note, in the picture attached here, Nathan has frosting on his face....

Saturday morning, we packed up and brought a party over to my parents house in Albany. I made a big pot of spaghetti sauce, some rolls and a salad along with a delicious chocolate cake to feed my entire family. My sister and her family from Ontario as well as my brother and his fiance from Rochester all were down for the weekend. My other two siblings live very close to my parents. What a fun weekend! I was really happy with how well my boys handled all the people and excitement. We spent the night at David and Shelly's house so that we could enjoy Sunday with my family as well. I know that I am becoming quite the old lady when I play wiffle ball for 20 minutes and then hurt for 2 days! Whatever!

The last 2 days and nights have been pretty tough with the boys colds but some new things:

Thomas likes scrambled eggs.
We received 4 little bikes/push carts for the boys birthday. Thomas is hiking around the house at top speed with the one from D and S. He's wild with that thing! He is also really getting the hang of walking with me holding my hands. Nathan doesn't seem to be as interested, but that doesn't mean he won't be tomorrow!

I think I'll send pictures out of this weekend in following emails as I see a few that are good.

all for now,
love,