Four Month Check-Up and First Trip

This past week was such a milestone, the twins took their first trip for Thanksgiving and it went beautifully! We left for Oklahoma last Wednesday evening when Vince got back from Houston (yup, still traveling for work). The drive to Hydro, OK took about five hours, and we didn't hear a peep from the babies. We took both of our cars: Vince had luggage and dogs, I had babies, stroller, misc. Somehow, we fit everything!

Vince's Dad built a home on his land in Hydro and recently moved in from his home in Norman, OK to enjoy his retirement. My family is in Norman, so we spent our Thanksgiving holiday driving back and forth. The drive is about an hour from Norman to Hydro and, again, not a peep from the kiddos! They also slept through the night each night we were there. I'm trying so hard not to brag, but we were so happy! I think Owen and Emmaline loved all of the attention from their aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents too!

I was terrible at taking pictures with my family, but got a few with Vince's. I promise to do better at Christmas!

Father/Son nap time!

Uncle Daniel (Vince's brother) and Owen.

Baby Emmaline


Aunt Dorinda (Vince's sister), cousin Shilo pose with Miss Emmers.

Cousins Shilo and Kyla were such a big help with the babies!

Owen and Emmaline's four month check-up was two weeks ago, complete with scream inducing booster shots. Our pediatrician cheered because not only are they off of the preemie growth charts (finally!), but they are ahead with their social and motor skills for being born at 35 weeks (brag brag brag :)). They won't have another check-up until six months, and I can't wait to see what their progress will be at that point.

Emmaline: 11 lbs, 10 oz (12th percentile), 23 1/2 inches (25th percentile)

Owen: 12 lbs, 2 oz (5th percentile), 24 inches (15th percentile)

Below are a few of my favorite pics we've taken since my last blog posting:

Emmaline sleeping after the doctor's appointment.

Owen taking a snooze after the doctor's appointment.

Belly laugh!

Working hard during tummy time.

October 2009

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All Smiles

I didn't realize until I had children just how hard they are to photograph! I've been so eager to take pictures of them smiling because they do it so much now, but the smile is so hard to actually capture on camera! But, I was successful this week and got a few.

I don't want to jinx it :), but Emmaline and Owen have been sleeping well for the past three weeks, and can sleep together, at the same time, for four to five hours each time. Owen had been religiously waking up every three hours to eat (growth spurt, I think), and we always had to wake poor Emmaline up to eat with him. It's a cruel twin rule, if one wakes up and is hungry, you have to wake the other up to feed as well. I've tried not waking Emmaline up, but each time I end up feeding her one hour after I've fed Owen, and so it feels like we're up all night (because, well, we ARE up all night!).

I've also discovered the beauty of naps (not for me, the babies. Me napping, or Vince napping...how funny!). Naps are magical, I wish I had discovered them earlier! I guess these are the discoveries that happen when you've never had a babysitting job in your life! :) The babies take about three naps a day. The trick now is getting them to take them at the same time so I can get a few things done. But, the positive side of one napping is that I get one-on-one time with the other, which we all appreciate. It's fun to just play and interact with one, I feel like I get to know them better.

This week we joined my friends Laura, her daughter Lola, and my friend Bianca for lunch at Corner Bakery. I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was too busy chatting! We also went to the Arboretum to enjoy our gorgeous weather. I am so glad we joined the Arboretum as members, it's a great way for us to get the babies outside, they really like it. They make the cutest faces when they feel a breeze!

Modeling the "tutu" from Aunt Lisa. Cheese!

Nap time. Hooray!

Owen's nap face.


"I'll bet Bianca wouldn't cheer when I take a nap, so rude! Sorry if I kicked you Baby Schiffman!"

Playing around VERY early in the morning in Mommy and Daddy's bed. "We're wide awake, who cares if it's still dark outside?"

"This toy on my bouncy seat is so funny! Has it been here the whole time?"

Show Us Your Spooky Face

Ahem...we present in pictures..."The Many Poses of Vince's Pumpkin."

Also pictured: A stand Vince constructed this morning from fallen tree limbs. Um...it's for the kids! :)

Vince's Pumpkin the object of two adoring babies.

Vince's Pumpkin in the dark with an oh-so-spooky strobe light craftily hidden inside.

Vince's Pumpkin in the light (in case you needed an idea of it solo in the daylight).


And finally...Vince's Pumpkin with the artiste and future pumpkin artistes.




HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

So Cute, it's Scary!

We joined the Dallas Arboretum this past weekend, and enjoyed the "Autumn at the Arboretum" pumpkin festival and fall flowers. I'm really looking forward to taking the babies during the week for fresh air and exercise (for me, anyway!).

I decided not to buy the babies costumes this year (but thank you Uncle Daniel for coming up with the idea to plunk pumpkins on their heads and call them the Headless Horsetwins :)), but instead they are wearing cute little Halloween outfits. We took pictures of them in their Halloween best at the Arboretum on Sunday and, though they were sleepy, it was a nice cool day and perfect for being outside.

The babies are waking up from their nap now, so I have to rush this posting! Enjoy the pics in the slide show below!

Make a Smilebox postcard

The Babies Busy Social Life

" If I'm gonna lie on a pink pillow, I may as well act silly!"

"I'm a model, you know what I mean, and I do a little turn on the catwalk..."

"Sheesh, you can't even stop taking pictures at the mall?"

"Like I was saying Aunt Lisa, sometimes a guy just needs to relax on the couch every now and then"

With cousin Charlotte after her Marathon Kids event.

Last week was so much fun, we had lots of visitors and Vince and I had our first date since the babies were born!

My mom drove in last Sunday and stayed until Tuesday so she could watch the kiddos while Vince and I went to the U2 concert at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas. The concert and stadium were amazing, I wish I had brought my camera with me! My mom stayed at our house and watched the kiddos until we returned late that night, and I think she deserves a medal since they were still a little cranky from their colds the week before!

Later that week, my sister Lisa came to visit the babies and came bearing gifts of ADORABLE clothes for the babies (so did my mom, thanks to both of you!). So, Lisa played fashion show with Owen and Emmaline while giving me a hand with them, so nice! We had a little adventure on Thursday night leaving the Galleria: my car battery decided 8:00 at night was the perfect time to conk out, and the babies were a half hour past their feeding time. Fantastic. Lisa said she's never heard my voice get that high! Vince was out of town, so my friend Bianca lives close by and came to our rescue. What a mess! We must have been a sight, Lisa and I each had a hungry baby in the Nordstrom parking garage!

Lisa left on Saturday during the incredibly disappointing OU vs. TX game, and my cousin Charlotte arrived later that day from Austin for a quick visit. It was her first time to meet the babies, so I was excited!

Nursery Pics

I finally got around to taking pictures of the nursery, and I am so happy with it! Vince did a great job with the crown molding and paint, and I took care of the rest. :)