One Step Up and Two Steps Back

We purchased several pre-owned baby articles a few months ago from friends including a walker. At that time we let Trey try it out and when his legs couldn’t touch the floor he did a header against the activity bar. We felt so awful about the accident that we put the toy away. This weekend we thought Trey might be tall enough to try again. This time his legs were more than long enough to touch the floor. We inserted rolled blankets around his waist to give him a snug fit and watched him go. He immediately used his hands to make sounds then began to walk…backwards. Maybe that’s why he was making the beeping sound.

Flip Flop Role Reversal Turnaround About Face

During her visit to Owensboro, Aunt Susan observed that the boys’ personalities were somewhat different than she had expected from reading about them on this blog. Benji was more animated and Davey was more reserved than she anticipated. Our babysitter Carol made the same observation this morning after Benji howled to be fed while Davey somewhat patiently waited his turn. Carol found as her twin boys (who are now in college) grew, they would exchange personalities from time to time. Certainly Sandy has noticed the same personality exchange in our twins. Perhaps these boys are born for public service as flip flopping is an essential qualification for politicians.

Am I Crawling Mama?

At almost five months old, Benji is not yet crawling, but does kind of swim across the bedspread. Most babies learn to crawl between the ages of 6 and 10 months after mastering sitting without assistance, which he is close to achieving. Then, he’ll gradually (over a couple of months) learn to move confidently from a sitting position to being on all fours, and he'll soon realize they can rock back and forth when his limbs are straight and his trunk is parallel to the floor. Somewhere around 9 or 10 months, he should figure out that pushing off with his knees gives him just the boost he needs to go mobile. Then we’re in trouble.

Caroline on my Mind

Our friend Dawn Beckgard visited Saturday with her niece Caroline Pollard. The Evansville pair hadn’t seen the boys in a long while and both were eager for a visit. Caroline is five and full of questions about the boys like “why do they wear diapers” and “why don’t they have teeth”? Sandy and the girls took the twins to the park and had a great time, and Caroline had more questions like “why don’t they walk with us” and “how come you don’t let them on the playground toys”? Anyone so curious who can ask so many thought provoking questions will surely become a prize winning newspaper reporter one day.

One good turn deserves a snorer

As we watch our twins develop individual characteristics, the debate about nature or nurture continues. Up until now, nurture has had little impact because they’ve been too young to be influenced by our efforts. One possible exception is how they sleep. In the wake of SIDS, researchers suggest babies under one year be placed on their “back to sleep”. Sandy is a back sleeper, so this may be a natural position for them. However, recently Trey has begun rolling on his side to sleep (which experts allow as a safe alternative). Daddy Dave is a side sleeper. Whether this is nature or nurture is unclear, but it sure is cute especially when his foot sticks outside the railing.

Some Spoon Fed People Still Don’t Get It.

These are not rabid dogs foaming at the mouth; it’s the boys’ reaction to their first solid food. We’ve been adding rice to their bottles for over a week now without incident, so we thought we might try spoon feeding it to the boys. They were ready, willing and confused by the process. Apparently their tongues have not developed the swallowing response yet. It won’t take these smart boys long to figure that out, and then watch out. They’ll be eating everything they can get their hands on.

Happy Birthday Granddaddy!

There’s a new light glowing in Hugh David Edds, Sr. Last year’s birthday was his first as a grandfather and this past year he fulfilled a long time goal of taking a grandson (Levi) to a Kentucky Wesleyan College Basketball Game. This birthday he has three grandsons, with the additions of Trey and Benji, and a whole new list of grandfatherly goals. Together they will watch and learn all about sports rules, history and techniques. He knows hundreds of songs that they can sing together. Granddaddy can teach them all about old cars and county music singers. He is a phenomenal storyteller who will captivate them with tales of the olden days. Happy Birthday Granddaddy, your work is just beginning.

Twins Dig Earth Day in a Big Way

Soon the boys will be crawling, then walking and running. Sandy mama doesn’t want the children inside watching TV when they can be outside playing in the sunshine. In preparation for that rapidly approaching time, Daddy Dave has been preparing the backyard for maximum childhood enjoyment. All the old nasty grass and small trees have been removed, dirt added and the backyard has been leveled and graded. We will sow a new thick lawn extra soft to help cushion any baby falls. Ironically this earth work occurred on Earth Day. We’ll need a fence around the backyard before they embrace Independence Day.

With A Little Help from Our Friends

Catherine Clark lives across the street. Her mother, Brenda, is a nurse and was a tremendous help to us when we needed assistance with administering prenatal medications. Brenda offered Catherine’s baby sitting assistance when we were ready, so we called them last week. We’d love an extra set of hands in the house to allow us to work in our home offices or in the yard. Infants are very demanding and twins are too much for many sitters. Brenda stayed with Catherine the first couple of baby sitting sessions to encourage her and provide support. As Sandy worked this weekend, we asked Catherine over to watch the boys while Dave worked in the yard before it rained. The boys love her and only once did she call us for assistance. We are very blessed to have her join our lives.

Dogwood & Azalea Trailing

Today was SO wonderful outside. The weather was clear with 80 degree temperatures. The sun was shining, the grass was lush and green, the dogwood trees are beginning to bloom beautiful red, pink and white blossoms, the azalea bushes are popping their vibrant blooms, the flowers are out and the neighborhood is a wash in color. It is our first spring and we strolled around to block and looked at all the beauty God has made for us. Afterwards, we kicked back in the afternoon shade and enjoyed the gentle breeze and peaceful city sounds.

Enjoying the Good Life

After a long hard day of bouncy seats and miles walked through the park, of country road drives and tummy time, of baths in the sink and exercising the stroller through every aisle of Target, of dancing on the activity mat and singing with Granddaddy, there’s nothing better than a 6 ounce bottle of formula (with a little rice added to give it weight) then kicking back on a lazy boy to recline and watch a Cubs baseball game while sucking on an after-dinner thumb.

Shots are always a bummer

Friday Dr. Neel’s office administrated the second round of vacination injections to the twins. We chose to postpone these shots a week so the boys would be in good spirits for the Roe family visit. This procedure was expected to make the babies uncomfortable for a couple of days. Daddy Dave was unable to attend the appointment because he was attempting to complete backyard grading work before the rains returned. In his absence Granddaddy Edds accompanied Mama Sandy and the boys to the doctor’s office. Once home, Mom returned to work while Granddad sang songs all afternoon to comfort the recovering Trey and Benji.

Strolling Through Family History

After years of procrastination, Daddy Dave is finally addressing family history research. Prompted by the twin’s birth, he purchased genealogy software, downloaded Granddaddy Roe’s extensive research and began adding all the Edds and Embry data he has accumulated over the last 25 years. Yesterday, the boys were fussy so we went for a minivan ride and found ourselves at Bethel Cemetery in McLean County, Kentucky. Here lies over 50 relatives dating over the last 150 years. While Daddy took photos of headstones, Mama and boys embraced the park-like setting to exercise the stroller.

Cereal Killers Strike without Incident

At our doctor visit Friday, Dr. Neel said we could begin feeding the boys iron-fortified rice cereal. To handle solid foods their digestive systems need to be developed and they need to be able to move food to the back of their mouths to swallow. Initially, starting solids is just for the practice of eating and swallowing very small amounts. Mama Sandy and Grandmother Karen heroically feed the boys their first cereal meals fully aware of the risk of a projected vomit rejection. Thankfully, our 19-week old boys digested the cereal easily without incident. Gradually the cereal-serving sizes will increase and pureed fruits and vegetables will be introduced. Yum!

A Day at the Park

The long lost sun came out today and called us boys outside to play. With Grandmother and Grandfather Roe we dressed for fun and got ready to go. Packed in our minivan seats, Daddy headed us all down the street to Legion Park for a springtime walk where we took the time to relax and talk. We saw squirrels, cardinals and dogs, talked about Florida gators, snakes and frogs. Daddy posed us at the playground with lots of kids playing all around and our Grands took us for the first time for a swing, a flight, and a slide. It was all so much fun, soon we will be big enough to sit up and climb and run. Then we’ll show you all how to have a playground ball.

Naked and Invisible

Grandmother and Granddaddy Roe suggested we take the opportunity of their visit to go shopping this afternoon while they watched their grandsons. At first it was liberating. We could run in and out of stores freely without any fuss, but after about an hour Sandy commented that it felt funny without the boys, like we were naked. What struck me was that no one noticed us. With the twins, everywhere we go fascinated strangers will stop us to take a look and strike up a conversation, sharing their own twin stories. Alone we were naked and invisible. We’ve now transitioned from Dave and Sandy to Trey and Benji’s parents, and that's fine by us.

Teamwear Teamwork Pays Off

Apparently Daddy Dave has rustled some blog reader feathers by dressing the boys in University of Kentucky teamwear and talking about his favorite team UK too much. The first to crack was Aunt Kristin who mailed the boys University of Missouri socks and a Mizzou tiger tail with a note demanding equal time for Mama Sandy’s college. Now Cousin Christine shows up with Murray State University socks for the boys. This inadvertent collegiate gaffe, may turn into a baby wardrobe windfall if other family members demand equal twin time for their schools; Southern Methodist, Florida, UCLA, Brescia, Kentucky Wesleyan, Hanover, Colorado State, Louisville, and Vanderbilt, just to name a few. Go Team(s)!

Male Blonding Experience

Christine and Susan Cervenka held Trey and Benji for the first time this weekend. Susan flew in from San Diego to visit her daughter and see her compete in a rowing regatta. Christine is a freshman at Murray State University on a crewing scholarship. Also, Grandmother and Grandfather Roe drove up from Florida to Kentucky Lake for the event. After the race everyone drove up to Owensboro to celebrate Sandy’s birthday and visit the babies. Our boys are Christine’s first and only cousins and Susan’s first and only nephews. Both ladies had been following the blog daily and were overjoyed to finally have the opportunity to hold the twins. I think the gentlemen prefer blondes.

I’m going to pump you up!

At Uncle Steve’s last visit, grandmother commented on his notable shoulder muscles and asked if recent weight lifting had given him the impressive toned look. “Yes”, he said, “but I haven’t been to a gym, I’ve been carrying around a 30 lbs baby.” While Trey and Benji aren’t as big as Cousin Levi yet, they are growing and becoming quite a load to lift. We weighed them at Dr. Neel’s office today and Benji is catching up with his brother. He registered 15 lbs 1 oz on the scale and Trey tipped it at 15 lbs 13 oz. A few more months of workouts with his boys and nobody will be kicking sand in Daddy Dave's face.

Mama knows how to tame the Tiger

Benji fights sleep. When he gets tired he becomes exceedingly fussy. He spits out the bottle, fights attempts to hold him and screams bloody murder when you lay him down in the crib. He will quickly find Daddy Dave’s last nerve, and that is when Mama Sandy comes to the rescue. Her method involves inserting the pacifier gently, but forcibly, then securing it against her shoulder with a burp rag buffer. She holds his body lengthwise across hers and pats his butt comfortingly. At first he struggles before slowly surrendering to her soothing encouragement. The method doesn’t work for Daddy Dave, it’s a mommy thing.

Old Habits Die Hard

Trey is close to escaping his bouncy seat. His arms and legs are getting very strong and his pushing and stretching and wiggling is getting him very near the edge and falling on the floor. This prompted us to pull out the play pen today for the first time. The boys have grown so big, we wondered if a single pack-and-play could hold them both. We placed them in the unit and watched the action. They were tired and both soon fell asleep and scooted together into the same position they were in much of Sandy’s pregnancy. They even kicked each other in the head, just as they did on the ultrasounds.

Oh what a difference a year makes – Happy Birthday Sandy Mama

On Sandy’s last birthday she was pregnant, though she wouldn’t know it for several weeks. We received the glorious news just as she was finishing her master’s degree. Following her graduation was a long progression of painful medical injections and vitamins designed to aid baby development. She weathered a few scary overnight stays in the emergency room and endured three very uncomfortable months of extended bed rest. When our two beautiful baby boys were born five weeks early they were healthy because of their loving mother’s dedication and sacrifice. On this birthday, Sandy has her hands full with two active four month olds (and their father). Oh how her life has changed in just one year and she couldn’t be happier.

From the Holy Land to the Promise Land

Granddaddy and grandmother Edds were reunited Sunday with the twins after returning from a 10 day mission trip to Israel. First Baptist Church took 44 souls on this Holy Land pilgrimage to walk in Christ’s footsteps. Their interest in the region was ignited after hearing about Granddaddy and Grandmother Roe’s Israel trip last year. Mama Sandy also visited Israel in 2002. The boys will be reunited with Granddaddy and Grandmother Roe this weekend when they will be here for Sandy’s birthday. Additionally, the boys will have the opportunity to meet Aunt Susan and their cousin Christine who will also be visiting on Sunday.

These days long ways; sideways wrong way

Our little babies are growing up. They have been so small that we could lay them side by side sideways across the crib, but recent growth spurts have required a literal turn around in their sleeping arrangements. Trey, in particular, when sleeping with his arms above his head can almost touch both railings. Each twin seems to sleep more comfortably near the other, so we are currently resting them side by side length wise with their heads at opposite ends. A second crib waits downstairs to join the nursery when the time comes, but for now we’ll enjoy the boys sharing something without a fight.

Promises, Promises

Daddy, would you consider buying us an airplane? We want to go visit all of our faraway family. Pleeeease! We promise to be extra good. I won’t poop during bath time anymore, and Davey promises to hold his fountain until you’ve finished changing him. We promise to sleep all night and cry quieter until you’ve had your first cup of morning coffee. You won’t have to worry about any more restaurant meltdowns, and we promise not to spit up on anybody’s GOOD clothes anymore if you just buy us a jet airplane. Granddaddy Roe says prop planes are for chumps. Buy us a jet airplane Daddy, please, please, please, please.

Birthday Benchmark Photo – 4 months old

Today marks a couple of anniversaries. Five years ago today Sandy and Dave had their first date and four months ago today their twin baby boys were born. We photograph the little guys monthly to benchmark their rapid changes. Flip back on this blog to the fifth day of each month and check out their amazing growth. Clearly, they grow longer and heavier by the day. Our four month baby doctor visit is Friday and it will be interesting to see how much the boys have officially grown since their two month checkup.

It had to start somewhere

Everyone agrees that car rides settle fussy children, and it seems like it has always been that way. This was certainly true in the 1960’s when our parents would lay us across the bench seat and cruise around on 30 cent gasoline, but where did this child quieting technique begin? Did our grandparents use car rides during the great depression to comfort their children? Before automobiles were carriage rides used at the turn of the century? Were hay wagons used by pioneering farm families? Did our first Kentucky forefathers calm their children with conestoga wagon rides around the settlement? In ancient times, did Ben Hur tool his screaming kids around town in his chariot? Whoever discovered this deserves a metal.

New Reader’s Poll: Classic Saturday Morning Cartoons

The twins’ eyesight is sharpening and they are discovering the television. While we want to limit their dependency on TV viewing to prevent the kind of addiction Daddy Dave has, we understand that cartoons are going to be watched and enjoyed. Until I researched this poll, I had no idea how many cartoons programs there are including many old ones I’d never heard of and newer ones I’d never seen. For this poll we chose my favorite Saturday Morning cartoons in the late 1960s and early 1970’s. Pick a favorite from this list in the right hand column.

Bedtime is the right time for a story

Truth be told, I was pretty unfamiliar with children’s bedtime stories, even the classic ones. So in order to vote on last month’s poll I needed to review the material. With babies in place, we systematically worked our way through the list reading the stories. Like the poll voters, I most liked the story of “The Ugly Duckling" who was ostracized by his fellow ducklings because of his unconventional appearance. To his delight (and to the surprise of others), he matures into a graceful swan, the most beautiful bird of all. The story was written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen and first published November 11, 1843.

An unbelievable story

Apparently we have no idea how many people are reading this blog, whose address has been forwarded around the country giving it quite a following. It seems fans at the local newspaper shared it with a former co-worker, Heather Howard, who by coincidence, used to rent my apartment upstairs. She left seven years ago to attend film school and recently worked as an assistant director on a reality show in Los Angeles. Currently she is casting for a new family sitcom. Labor laws limit the hours children may work, so Hollywood commonly hires twins to play a single child’s roll. Heather called me yesterday and said she loved the blog stories and the wholesome Midwestern look of our boys. She asked if we would consider moving to California so the boys could join the TV show’s cast, and if I would join the project as a writer. The new show will be called April Fools.