Lots of "Firsts!"

Wow, have we been busy lately! Ever since their first roll-overs we've been adding to the list of "Firsts" left and right! We just got back from Aruba yesterday. We all went there for Matt's sister, Julie's wedding. It was so much fun! The boys did really well there and on the plane too. They were both a little fussy on the last leg of the flight last night, but overall they did really well.

So, let's recap the past week:

It was their first trip on a plane, first time out of the country, (alas, 1st use of a passport), first time at the beach, and first time at a wedding!

Thanks to Melissa and Melanie for letting us borrow the extra Baby Bjorn. Where would we be without those things??? We carried them everywhere in Aruba in them! They must have liked it because they almost always fell asleep in them when we put them on.

Today we added a few more milestones to the list as well. They both ate from a spoon today! Ben did very well. Eli, not so much. We'll keep trying though.

They also played in their exersaucers for the first time today too. They both loved them!!! Thanks to Jenn & Robert for the hand-me-down and to Jenn Whitacre for the gift. We'll get tons of use out of them, I'm sure!!

Pictures in order, from top to bottom:

(You can click on some of them to enlarge)

1. Ben & Eli at the airport

2. Eli in a towel

3. Daddy & Ben at the beach

4. Ben & Eli on the chair

5. Ben & Eli being silly in their crib

6. Mommy carrying one of the boys. We wore the Bijorn's everywhere!

7. Eli's first time in the exersaucer!

8. Ben's first time in the exersaucer!

Ciao for now!

UPDATE...

They both rolled over!!! Both did it for the first time on the same day (7-9-2007). Imagine that?! Ben was the first to go. He did it several times and Matt caught it all on video. I didn't think Eli was quite ready, even though he was 90% there but couldn't figure out what to do with his other arm that was tucked underneath him. I had him on his tummy and looked away for a second and Matt yelled, "Holle, look at Eli!" Sure enough, he had rolled over too! I'm still eerily amazed at how alike they are!!!

Mommy got a new camera--FINALLY! Let's see, what have the boys been up to? Well, making "Noises" is a new thing for both of them. They rarely cry anymore when they wake up in the morning. Instead, Matt and I get a kick out of listening to them "Talk" to each other and their crib mobiles each morning when they wake up. They also love to lay on their play mat and babble at the toys hanging above them. They're grabbing at their toys a little now. They can really grab onto cloth things.

They're holding their heads up very steadily now and are almost ready to start eating solid foods. We're heading to Aruba next week so we'll probably wait until we get back from our trip to start them on baby cereal.

They've also started letting out a few belly laughs here and there. It's so incredibly cute!!

Here's another picture of Eli in his frog towel. You'll have to scroll back to some of the older posts to see him when he was much smaller! I need to get one of Ben wrapped in his towel. I call him "Ben Burrito!" We got lots of pictures of Ben & his dimples though that I'll gladly share. Enjoy!

Go Indians!

Just wanted to say thanks to Aunt Jenn & Uncle Bobby for continuing to send the hand-me-downs our way. Lovin' every bit of it!! I'm also trying to make use of this fancy Adobe software that daddy bought me for Christmas...

4 months old!

The boys had their big 4-month checkup yesterday. Doc says they're doing great! They weigh 12 1/2 pounds now and are catching up nicely to the other term 4-month-olds. Doc says that by 1 year they will definitely be caught up.

Both boys are getting SO close to rolling over. We worked on it this weekend and they're both about to get it. I had Ben on his belly at the doctor's office and I was trying to see how far he held his head up. (Doc wanted to know for developmental purposes.) I looked away for a second to finish filling out a sheet she gave me and when I turned back Ben had FLIPPED OVER!!! Since I didn't see it happen I'm not counting it as an actual roll-over. I'm sure the next real thing will happen at home soon.

Daddy and I played a rousing game of Monopoly last night. It's amazing how our evening entertainment has changed since we had kids! Dad won, of course. I still think Eli was helping him snatch a few bills from the bank or something! Just look at that innocent face!

Ok, had to share this one too. I remember getting these robes as a shower gift and thinking, "They'll never grow into these!" Man, they've grown up so fast!!

Happy Father's Day!!!

This weekend we celebrated Matt's first Father's Day! We christened the occasion by getting daddy his first official necktie from the boys. He also got a "Wedding Crashers" DVD...Daddy's favorite movie!

PS. If anyone reading this has pictures from the weekend, please send them my way. My camera is still broken so I'm relying on everyone else to take pictures these days. Grandma and Grandpa Psota were in town again this weekend. They had so much fun playing with the boys and enjoying their new little laughs. We spent the day on Saturday at the lake and Sunday we just hung around the house by the pool. The boys really like swimming in the water now!

The pictures above are what they "Made" for daddy at day care. Even I thought they looked alike in these pictures! The one on the left is Ben and Eli is on the right. Click on them to get a close up view of their pictures and to read the cute little poem. Aren't they adorable!!

Picture this!

The boys are getting cuter and cuter by the minute. Of course, I'm a little biased too! I made a snap decision to go to Sears for some quickie photos tonight since my mom was in town to help me. I'll try to post one of their shots. I was surprised, they turned out so cute!



Let's see...what's new this week? Grabbing onto things a little more now and definitely kicking and moving their arms a lot more. I guess that means that they're getting ready to want to start playing with toys. Yippee!! If they can entertain themselves for a few minutes it would help me out a ton!! I also got some great video the other night of them playing together. I think it was the first time they really "Noticed" each other. It was darling! They grabbed each other's hands and smiled at one another. I hope they're always such good friends!

Grandma & Grandpa Psota are visiting again this weekend. The boys are so excited!! It will be the last chance we get to see them before we head off to Aruba for Aunt Julie's wedding next month. We can't wait!!!

Ready for Summer!

Here's a cute picture that Daddy took of the boys tonight. They're smiling so much now and starting to laugh a little. I was washing all of their little bottle parts tonight and holding Eli at the same time. I had all the little parts spread out on a towel so I held Eli down close to them so he could put his hands in them. He loved it! He started grabbing all of the little pieces and spreading them all around. I'm so excited that they're starting to want to play with toys and stuff now!

First week of school! (Mom's back to work)

Well, it wasn't so bad. I thought going back to work was going to be the most miserable thing ever. I hate to admit it, but when I dropped the boys off at daycare for the first time on Tuesday morning I actually drove away with a sense of "Freedom!" Of course, about an hour later I was dying to call and see how they were doing. Picking them up in the afternoon is still the best part of my day though. I miss them so much & wonder what they're doing (and what I'm missing!) all day long. Having time to myself is a nice balance though.

My camera battery was dead on the first day of school, so I didn't get a picture with it but they did take one of them at daycare when we got there. If they give me a digital copy then I'll share it. Otherwise it will definitely go in their baby books.

We took them in the pool and in the lake for the first time last week. Eli loved the pool. Ben, not so much. I didn't get any pictures of Eli in the pool, but for some reason got several of my "Crabby" little Ben. They both enjoyed the lake water. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of that either!

I also had to put a picture of their friend Ross on here. He has the most adorable eyes you've ever seen on a kid. Isn't he cute! I just loved his "Billy Bob teeth" pacifier too!!

Matt took some pictures of them early in the morning yesterday. They're always so smiley and cute in the morning! I think they look different (ie. Non-identical) in this picture. What do you think?

Enjoy your week!

Happy Memorial Day!!

<---- Ben

The weather actually ended up being quite nice this weekend. We spent our first night out at the lake on Friday and the boys did very well. I think they like the fresh air and everything out there. On Saturday we had a huge picnic at the lake house and today we had a family picnic & watched the race and stuff. Continuing with tradition, we all drew race car driver's names for $1 apiece today & Ben picked the winner!! We added his winnings to his new piggy bank. Good job Ben!

Eli & Ben ----->

<----Eli

So I guess the "New" thing is still the smiles. They're getting bigger and more regular now...and are still so cute!! Ben has all the sudden started sucking his fists. They used to do that when they were hungry, but now he just does it to pacify himself. It's kind of cute. I don't know if he'll eventually start sucking his thumb or not. Eli is getting close to rolling over, I think. It will be interesting to see who does it first. They both are kicking & moving their arms a lot more now too. They're also starting to get some little bald spots on their heads from rubbing and turning their heads more now. It looks so funny. I just hope their hair grows back soon!!

Here are some cute shots from the weekend. My camera is sort of broken, so it's hard to take many pictures anymore. I really wanted to get a new photo printer, but now it looks like we're going to need to buy a whole new camera instead. Oh well....here's a few that I got anyway.

Look alike?

Matt calls this one "Tickle me Eli!" He thinks he looks like Elmo.

3 months old!

We made our first trip to Cleveland this past weekend. It was also the boys' first overnight trip as well. They were great on both the ride up and back! We bought a new Odyssey Minivan (I know, "Welcome to the club!") last week and that made the trip so easy. They slept through both trips!

I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked. This one is from Monday morning. I went to take a shower and when I came back into our room Daddy was sound asleep and so were the boys. Playing sure wears you out sometimes! Daddy also caught them holding hands one night after we put them to "Bed" in the pack-n-play. They're not used to sleeping in the same bed, but they did very well at Grandma's house. Obviously they liked it!

I also got pictures of Great-Grandma Psota & Great-Grandma Scicchitano with the boys. It was their first time meeting them!

They're starting to suck on their fists and grab onto things this week. Smiles are also getting better, bigger and more frequent every day. Ben has started making lots of voice sounds too. Eli does a few, but Ben can really entertain himself now with all of his "Ooh's and Aahh's!"

Tonight we're going to the lake. If we take the boys for their first big boat ride I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

Baptism--11 weeks old!

What a big weekend! We weigh 10 pounds now and are smiling all the time. Mommy's heart melts every time!!! They're so much more alert now too. They love sitting in their new Bumbo chairs & are starting to grab at toys. I also pushed them in their stroller this week without their carseats. (The car seats snap into the stroller). They're getting to be such big boys!

I had the best Mother's Day ever!! Okay, so it was my first one, but it was still so special. They boys "bought" me some new pretty plants for our front porch and garden. They also got me a sweet little card. (Thanks, Daddy!) My favorite present was the huge smiles they were giving me that morning. Okay, so they're not very happy in the picture...trust me, they were smiling at one point!

Sunday was also their Baptism. We shared it with another couple who also had twins. Pastor Bloomenberg said it was the first time he'd ever Baptized two sets of twins. I think he was a little nervous! He did a great job though. We had lots of family and friends there to help us celebrate. The boys were so good. Actually, they were too good---they slept through the whole thing, and the after-party! The weather this weekend was perfect, too. We thank all of our family that came into town to see us. We hope you had a good time!

We've doubled our weight!

It's hard to believe that they're now twice as big as they were when they were born. They're getting so chunky around the cheeks and legs. I love it!!!

We're patiently waiting for smiles to start cracking. Eli stared at me the entire time he was taking his bottle this morning and smiled really big towards the end of it. I think he meant it too! They smile a lot in their sleep and stuff, just not when you're looking right at them. I know it will happen any day now and by their baptism next weekend they'll probably be grinning at everyone!

They're holding their heads up really well now, which makes it so much easier to carry them around. We also love the Baby Bjorn! Without that little thing I think I'd go crazy!

I'm going back to work :( on May 29th. We have an appointment today with their Daycare sitters. It's going to be the hardest day of my life leaving them there on my first day of work, but I've listened to so many of my friends who have done the same thing and I know I'll make it.

The boys got their first round of shots last week. They were a little fussy for awhile, but overall it went well. I think it was harder on me then on them!

Not much else to share. I'll have more pictures after the baptism!

Getting SOOO big!!

<------Grabbing onto a toy for the first time!!!

Well, the boys are now 8 weeks, and I'm officially past my due date! I was afraid they'd be 7 weeks behind a normal baby's schedule, but I think they're catching up fast. All the books say that they'll be a little behind developmentally, since they were preemies, but I think they'll be caught up soon. They're starting to hold their heads up and smile on cue. They also weigh over 8 1/2 pounds!!!

Watching "Baby Einstein" --------->

<---- Sharing a pillow Aunt Julie was here this week too, which was so awesome! Matt and I got so much accomplished. We even ventured out to look at some new minivans. I can't believe we're getting one! Anyway, she was such a huge help. Thanks, Jules!!

<--- Julie Multi-tasking!

Last night Matt and I had a breakthrough with them sleeping at night. I read a little more of my "Baby Wise" book and learned how to properly let them cry themselves to sleep. It seems that maybe we were holding them too much before. It was hard to do, but we let them cry in their cribs after each feeding and they both, miraculously went to sleep on their own. They also slept for 4.5-5 hours between feedings. Woo hoo!!!!

I also had to share this picture of my hot, "Spanish pool boy!" Actually, Matt was carrying one of the boys while sweeping the pool & trying to keep the sun out of his face. I just had to get a picture!! Matt keeps telling me to get a big hat to shade them while I'm carrying them outside. I jokingly remembered the sombrrero we had with the Halloween stuff & brought it out to him. If you can tell, he is holding a baby too. So funny & so cute!! (Click on any of the pictures to enlarge)

7 weeks old!

<----Ben

Hey! I finally found the charger for my digital camera, so I was finally Eli----> able to take a few more pictures. The boys are getting so big! I weighed them 2 days ago and they each were a little over 7 1/2 pounds. That's nearly 3 pounds they've each gained since birth!!

(Ben, below. Eli, lower right) Overall, things are going really well. Matt and I were talking the other night and we both commented on how much easier this all is compared to what we had really expected. The boys are sticking to a schedule very well. They eat every 3 hours during the day and every 4 at night. They're usually pretty good about falling asleep in their beds on their own too, which absolutely amazes me!

Ben had a little trouble with reflux last week, which in turn made him quite an unhappy baby. His pediatrician prescribed some Prilosec for him though and it has made a world of difference. Both boys love to lay and stare at the toys hanging over them in their little play

mat. Eli is even starting to grab onto them a little now. He loves holding onto my finger when he's eating too. It's so sweet!

I'm loving soaking up every minute of all of this. I get so excited when they gain even an ounce, yet I tear up every time I "Retire" one of their preemie outfits to a storage box. Let the "Hellos & Goodbyes" emotional rollercoaster of being a mom begin!

Photo shoot!

The boys are 5 weeks old now! What better way to celebrate than with a professional photo shoot. I wanted to capture some "Newborn" pictures before all the little wrinkles went away and turned to chub. Although, chub is cute too...we'll probably go back for a 3-month shoot too!

Check out my photographer's blog for a sample of some shots. I can't wait to see the rest!
http://regruthimagery.blogspot.com/ They are pictured under her April 1st post entitled, "A Happy Ending."

One Month Old!!!

Well, the boys turned the big 1-month last Sunday. It's so hard to believe...it's all gone so fast! We think they made a little mistake at the doctor last week when they said they weighed 6 pounds each. We took them back in this week and they were 5.11 and 5.14. The doctor said that was actually more like what they should weigh for being 4-weeks old, so we're throwing out their old weights. Yesterday they weighed 5.15 each, so I'm hopeful that they'll finally be over the 6 pound mark by Monday. I can tell they're gaining weight in their faces and legs. They're getting much chubbier now--& cuter too, might I add! (If that's even possible!)

When they're asleep they look so much alike! When they're awake though, they look totally different. What do you think??

(The first two pictures are of Ben. Then we have Eli & (Screaming) Ben and B&amp;W Eli & Ben. The last picture is of Eli.)