Third Times a Charm

This is a very long over due-post about our first-year picture taking experiences. Back in May, I wrote about our terrible experience at the Target Studio. What I've delayed in telling is about our second misadventure with Target and our final successful experience at Sears.

As I mentioned in my initial "we hate Target" post, I had forgotten our coupon and had to return the next day to bring it and choose our pictures. While reviewing them, the guy asked me if we'd be willing to take them again. He said he just wasn't "feeling it" with the pictures we were reviewing. I told him the whole story of our awful experience and said yes, we would come back and try again. I was excited because the guy was really nice and I thought he would do a great job. I'm not sure what happened but by the time we returned a few days later, he was just as un-excited and uninspiring as the first lady.

We did get a few shots, but honestly, I think I liked the first ones better. Unfortunately, he had already erased that session. But, we picked a few shots and at least got a couple of family pictures from the whole experience.

I still wasn't happy though. I wanted one-year old birthday pictures of the girls. I went through my coupon stash and as a last ditch effort, I made an appointment at the Sears Portrait Studio. Jackpot.

Our photographer, Jessica, was amazing. She did everything right and the pictures of the girls are amazing. She worked with us forever, let me loose on the editing computer, and I spent a large sum of money on pictures AND the CD. So, so, so sad for Target. I will only go to Sears in the future. I am saddened, however, to have learned a few days ago that our dear Jessica is moving to a store in Fayetteville. I am very sad. We will still try Sears again, but if the pictures aren't good, we just might drive to Fayetteville.

I was so happy to finally get good pictures of the girls. The pictures are now actually posted on the Phanfare site. You can look at them all and order or print at your leisure. For now, take a peak here:-)
(Nat is in the pink outfit and Abby in the pokadots)

New stuff

Waving: Abby has just decided to start waving. Natalie has been waving for a couple of weeks and even responds to the words "hi" and "bye-bye" by raising and waving her hands.

Standing: For the past few days, Abby has been accidentally letting go of things and standing for a second or two. Yesterday, she was "walking" with me holding her hands. We stopped, I let go, and she stood alone for at least 15 seconds!!! Okay, it doesn't sounds like long, but stop and count and you'll see that it is FOREVER! I don't think she's doing it on purpose or with control, but it's pretty amazing to watch:-)

Clapping: Natalie is also starting to clap. She used to just bring her hands together, then stick them in her mouth. But, a few times I have caught her bringing them back out again and back together. Neither Abby or Natalie do it very much, but they can, and I suspect we will see more clapping soon.

Eating: They are still hovering around 600mls of formula a day, but they are doing better with their solids. The last week or so, Abby especially has eaten very well. She's even finished a whole yogurt twice - all by herself. Natalie was doing very well, but has recently been distracted by her hands. She can't keep them out of her mouth. I'll put in a bite of yogurt and she immediately sticks her hands in. It causes the food to then dribble out her mouth. It's very annoying - and very messy.

Playing: Abby and Natalie love to play. I actually really love just sitting back and watching them sometimes. They have several "stations" and they make rounds. By the wall near the kitchen is a small wooden kids chair. They stand next to it and beat on it with their spoons, cups, letters and hands. They also like beating on the wall and trying desperately to figure out the (covered) electrical outlet. Speaking of outlets, the girls are fascinated by them. They are all properly covered, of course, but they are still intrigued. Their favorite place to bang on the wall in the hall is right beside the outlet. Right next to that is our wrought iron gate that blocks access to the kitchen. They like to stand against and shake it - or whine and beg for attention. I call it kiddie jail:-)

By the wall by the front door is their little kitchen. The beat on it as well and play with the cups and plates. Just beside that is the little bench and stool we use as a gate to the foyer. These are also popular standing/beating/cruising areas.

The couches and ottoman are also favorable spots for beating (see a pattern?) and cruising. An open PeaPod blocks the way to the sliding porch door. It is filled with toys and the girls sometimes climb in and play. A floor farm puzzle mat is often covered in toys as well and the little animals come out for chewing fun. Rolling on the floor is also time well spent.

It's amazing how quickly they can move form one activity to the other. What's really fun is when they are playing separately then one notices the other. She will stop what she is doing and crawl to join the other at whatever banging and beating is happening. It fills my heart with joy.

Daddy Games: The favorite game to play with daddy is what I call "Daddy-Weeee". It involves Daddy tossing the girls on the couch or, more recently, his big recliner. The girls LOVE it. They laugh and giggle and beg for more. They get so excited and it is so fun to watch.

Books: The girls do love books. When they aren't banging on the walls and benches, their favorite new game is to go into their room and pull all the books off the shelf. I believe Natalie is sporting a lovely bump/scratch from this pastime as I write. They also love to look at books, by theirselves and with Mommy and Daddy. Yesterday, when I went in after their nap, Natalie was happily looking at a book in her crib. Usually the girls are standing smiling and begging for me to get them out. After I took out Abby, I went for Natalie. She was still sitting with her back to me, "reading" her book.

Independent play time: If you spend any time with the girls, you will learn that they are very busy and play very well by themselves. This is partly by design, although I'm sure temperament has a little something to do with it, as well as having a twin to play with. My nanny/parenting philosophy has always been that children should learn to play independently as soon as possible. Not that they should be never be played with, they need that interaction and introduction to new toys, concepts and activities, but my experience is that babies who can't entertain themselves become toddlers that can't entertain themselves who become preschoolers who can't entertain themselves who ultimately become teenagers who can only entertain themselves with a TV. Children who must be constantly entertained have mothers who cook, clean, and use the bathroom with a child attached to them. No thank you.

Sleepy time: When the girls get tired, they do a very funny thing. First they start rolling around on the floor or lay on their sides playing with a toy. Abby then has a really cute move. She puts her head on the floor as if she's going to do a head stand. She then straightens out her legs and forms her body into a little V. It's really cute. I'll try to catch a picture.

There are other fun things the girls love to do: chewing on spoons, banging blocks, sucking on their plastic letters, chasing the cats...the list goes on and on. Watching them really is a delight. You just can't help but smile.

Speaking of sleepy time, the rolling has begun and Abby looks posed for a headstand any minute. Off to feed the babies....

OOOOOOO-hi-O

Oh - wait, that's the opening for Oklahoma...

We are back from our family reunion vacation in Ohio. It was a whirlwind trip - arriving after midnight on Thursday/Friday morning, and having to be at the airport at 8am Sunday morning. The girls were amazing though. They were perfect fliers - they either looked around and laughed and played or slept. They couldn't have been more perfect. Almost everyone was very kind too. People offered to help with our stroller and our stuff and the flight attendants were wonderful. There were two customers that complained a little because they had to change seats because of us. Parents with lap children have to sit on a certain side because only one side has 3 oxygen masks per row. We also had to sit separately - same reason. If we sat together, there would be 4 pairs of lungs for only 3 masks.

In any case, the girls were wonderful, and I feel good about future plane trips...

Friday, we had planned on visiting the Cleveland Zoo. I had been especially excited about this. But, after getting to bed so late (after 2 by the time we fed the girls), we decided it was just too much for everyone. The girls really needed to eat well and catch up on their sleep. And eat and sleep they did! They each had 3 full 150mls bottles plus 2 or 3 other martial bottles. We weren't keeping track, but I'm sure they each had at least 700mls. They were probably making up for the day before, but had that trend continued, I was ready to pack and move to Ohio. I have to admit we were tired too. Long naps were taken by all. So instead of the Zoo, we just hung out at the hotel and visited with Grandma, and all our aunts, uncles, and cousins. We also introduced the girls to the pool!



The "hot" tub wasn't actually working. It bubbled, but was cold. Unfortunately, this meant the babies could only stay about 10 minutes before they started getting too cold. They seemed to like it though. Well, at least they didn't cry:-)


We spent Saturday at Cousin Jackie's house near Vermillion, OH. Vermillion is a really cute, quaint little town on Lake Erie and about 30 minutes from Cleveland. She and Dan were kind enough to host over 30 people for an afternoon of food, games, cards, and general good fun. The weather was beautiful and everyone seemed to have a great time. Natalie and Abigail were well entertained by doting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Mommy took advantage of this to read a little of a book and most importantly, take a nap. In the late afternoon, a storm rolled in and I snoozed in a reclining chair on a screened porch enjoying the winds from the storm and the sound of the rain. It was blissful.

Sunday required that we arrive at the airport at 8am. Most of the day was spent getting home, which was trickier than it seemed. We had the brilliant plan of sending most our bags to and from Ohio with Ben's parents and brother. That way we only had to carry a few things on the plane. It was really brilliant, until we approached our truck in the parking deck at RDU and realized Ben had packed the keys (to car and house) in his computer book bag. Said book bag was presently cruising down the interstate with brother Jeff and SIL Reagan. Oops. So, a cab ride and a break-in later, we were happily in our house once again. Everyone took a long nap in the afternoon. The girls were happy to be in their cribs and we were happy to be in our beds.

We had a lovely time in Ohio. Our many thanks to Aunt Susie and Cousin Jackie for organizing the whole thing. We especially thank Jackie for borrowing car seats and bringing over toys. It was so helpful to not have to lug car seats through the airport.

Most of Ben's relatives live in Michigan or Ohio with some in Virginia and Tennessee. Who knows when we will see them all again - there are rumors of a 90th birthday party in 3 years for Grandma, so maybe we will all get together then!

A few more pics from our weekend

Abby and Cousin Mary Beth
Nat and Aunt Susie

Waiting at the airport
Swimming in the Cold Hot tub

Vacation spot

I'm packing for our trip to Ohio, and I've decided what we really need to do is take a trip somewhere cold. We have all these really beautiful long-sleeved or fuzzy outfits that the girls have never had a chance to wear. They are mostly 3-6 months (which the girls are just now wearing), but of course, it's been 100 degrees outside.

It actually makes me feel really bad. So many people were so generous and we've never had a chance to wear all the clothes. And some of them are really just beautiful. I feel very guilty.

So, to alleviate my guilt, we must go on vacation. Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland? Hmm, I could just crank up the AC in the house. I wonder which would be cheaper....

Calling All Giant Babies

Seriously, who decides the sizes on baby clothes?



The picture above shows two onesies. The smaller one on top is labeled 3-6 months. The giant one underneath is labeled 3 months.



There are two pj's in this picture. If you look closely you can see the different patterns. The back one is 9 months (taller than my girls BTW). The one on top is labeled 0-3 months.

Seriously, who decides the sizes on baby clothes? Giants? People who have never seen a baby? It's crazy. Granted, my girls are small and still wearing mostly 3-6 months, but there's no way two outfits of the same size can be for a 3 month old OR a 9 month old.

Here's my solution: Baby clothes for the first year (at least) should be sized in inches. For onesies, the size should be the # inches from neck to crotch. Pants should also be measured in inches. Single shirts (not as an outfit) are a little tricky - maybe neck to waist.

One day, when I'm queen of the world....this is the way it will be done. So there.

We're baaaack....

Check out the view from my mom and mema's deck!



Sorry for the absence folks. I took the girls to my mom's on Thursday and returned Saturday. My mom's birthday was Sunday. Of course, it was also Father's Day so we returned early.

We had a great trip thanks in part to my little friend Elianna. If you remember, Abby is named after her - Abigail Elianna. My sister started babysitting for her family just before she was born, and then I picked it up when Kimberly moved to DC. That was over 11 years ago. Elianna and her family have been very special to us through all these years.

It was Elianna's first trip with me to the mountains, and we had a great time. We had a great time. She was an AMAZING help. She could sit in the backseat between the girls and distract them when they were crying. She could also sit in the car with them when I stopped to go to the bathroom which was FANTASTIC. (That's probably the hardest thing about traveling alone with the girls. Every time I have to go (which is a lot), I have to haul both car seats out. It's really a pain.) She learned how to change a diaper and had nearly miraculous success feeding them. In fact, we made amazing time on the way back because she figured out how to feed them in the car - while they were in their car seats. Even more amazing - they both ate about 130mls that way!

She was so helpful with watching the girls, but I did let her have a little fun:-) After a nice dinner for my mom's birthday, we stayed at the Fun Factory and played putt-putt, rode go-carts, and played tons of video games - including "Deal or No Deal". We also went Ruby Mining Saturday morning. We had fun, but didn't really find anything. We still have a huge bag of "gravel" to look through. My cousin used to have a ruby mine and my mom is going to see if he can come over and look through the rocks to see if we missed anything.

Elianna and Natalie
Fun on the Putt-putt course
Trying to strike it rich!

Elianna and her feeding magic! The girls ate so well for her!

The girls had fun too. Grammy bought a little pool and the girls had there first swimming lesson! It was so cute. They splashed and splashed. We put a few toys in the pool too, but Abby kept trying to drink water from them (and chocking herself), so we had to take those away. In addition to playing in the pool, the girls played with Mema and Grammy. We met Grammy for lunch one day and then went to dinner to celebrate her birthday. Natalie and Abby also went for their first Merry-Go-Round ride at the Fun Factory. My mom and I each held them on a horse. They actually did very well. I was afraid they might get upset but they did great. They didn't appear stressed or tense at all. Hopefully, they liked it!





All in all it was a good trip. It's just very tiring to travel. The girls are good fro the first few hours in the car. After that it gets tough. I can't blame them. I wouldn't want to be strapped in a car seat either! Later this week the traveling continues...our first airplane ride to a family reunion in Ohio!

(cue music) "I've been everywhere man, I've been everywhere..."

Happy Fathers Day!!

I know I don't post here much, but I wanted to give a quick shout-out to my father, Richard, and Johelen's dad, Eddie. Happy Fathers Day! You both are great examples of what being a father truly means and it makes me want to be a better father and husband myself. Thank-you for being you.
I'm a very lucky man to be the father of such wonderful babies. This morning I read a story of a man who has been through the same things Johelen and I have been through with our girls. By the end I was in tears (although it doesn't take much for me anymore). I really recommend reading his story.
I also got two wonderful gifts from Natalie and Abigail, although I think Mommy helped out a little. It's their footprints with a poem underneath which I also got last year from the nurses in the ICN. This time the footprints from last year are superimposed on the footprints from this year...it is amazing how much they've grown. Anyways, the poem reads:

I've come so far in just a year, when I had such tiny feet.
Since then I've learned to crawl and stand, and even how to eat!
I've followed you so far this year, and you've always led the way.
I couldn't ask for a better Daddy, to guide me every day.
I'm learning and I'm growing as each day goes past.
Keep walking up ahead of me, but still, please don't go too fast.
I love you Daddy!

I have such a wonderful wife and two awesome kids! I must admit both of my girls have excellent handwriting and they have that poetic-rhyming thing going on as well. Perhaps a couple poet laureates in our future?

Simple Pleasures

Right now, I am in my office, quickly checking email (and posting, obviously). The girls are clamoring around the foot of my chair and they are just so funny. Moments ago, after knocking over a cup and spilling old Pepsi on the floor, they were into the paper recycle spot. They each had fists-full of paper and were just shaking it and shaking it. It's was just so cute. Also, right now Abby is trying to eat an envelope. I guess I should stop that. She really loves paper. It's too bad they don't make paper-flavored baby food.

oh - the babies are bored with the paper and headed down the hall...off to the races!

A little weigh-in

I was getting curious, and decided to give the girls a quick weigh-in after their bath this morning.

Natalie weighed 14lbs 11.5oz and Abby 15lb 10.5 oz! This is great. We last weighed at the doctor's office on May 20 - exactly weeks ago. Natalie then weighed 14.1 lbs and Abby 15.1 lbs. If our scales are close to theirs, this is really great progress.

When I look back at our last home scale readings, they are still pretty good. We last weighed them at home on April 29 - 6 weeks ago. Natalie was 13 lbs 11.5 oz and Abby 14 lbs 13.5oz. So Nat has gained exactly a pound in 6 weeks, and Abby just under a pound.

I'm actually kind of surprised to see Natalie gaining faster. It always seems like she eats less. I'd be thrilled, however, if she caught up to Abby a little more. For some reason, I always feel bad that she's a little smaller - especially because she's older (by a whole minute!). My younger sister is at least 3 inches taller than me, and it's never seemed fair.

Their weight gain isn't the 8 oz a week "they" want, but it's consistent with their 4oz gain so this is very good. They really are growing up.

Sex in the City

Don't worry - this isn't about me and Ben...


I just saw the Sex and the City movie this afternoon. I went all by myself, and that in itself was a treat. But, the movie was just wonderful. Okay, it probably won't win an Oscar, but it honestly had everything a movie should have: I cried because it was sad; I cried when it was happy; I laughed when it funny and laughed even more when it was hysterical. There were surprises and plot twists and all the drama any movie should have. And, there were a lot of really expensive shoes - and, in my opinion, some just horrible outfits. But, then again, everyone knows I don't get the women and shoe thing (I think I have exactly 3 pairs of shoes), and I have no sense of fashion, so what do I know.

If you ever watched the show, you really have to see the movie. It's everything the series was, but better - and longer. It's a fun, entertaining and overall great movie. If you need a few laughs, check it out.

Stepping It Up

We've really been working on walking and taking steps. In hindsight, I'm not sure I'm ready for teetering toddlers. Fortunately, I think actual walking is still a few months away, but we have been making great strides.

Both Natalie and Abigail are old pros at pulling up - on anything and everything: furniture, their little kitchen, toys, mommy and daddy... pretty much anything slightly taller than they are. They are also quickly mastering the art of cruising. As I write, Abby just slide the whole length of the couch. They are also very good at holding on with one hand while they bend down and grab something from the floor. Abby is especially good at this.

The other thing we are working on is walking while holding mommy or daddy's hands. Natalie is doing really, really well at this. She really lifts her legs and bends her knees and a great marching motion. Abby will move her legs forward, but doesn't bend her legs as well as Natalie.

It's only a matter of time before someone lets go of a couch or chair and tests the waters of balancing. Then, walking is just around the corner.

Nat and Abby have it - Hands Down!

Abby: After a couple of days of teasing, I think we can safely say that Abby is clapping. At first she would bring her hands together in a clap, then stuff them in her mouth - usually laughing. She had not quite grasped the idea of repeating the action. Today, however, she had several instances of actual clapping. She finds it pretty funny and laughs while she does it. Than again, she could be laughing at Mommy and Daddy who squeal and clap like crazy people every time she does it. Natalie is still stuck on just pulling her hands together once. Stay tuned though, she never lets Abby is ahead of her for long.

Natalie: Natalie is mastering the art of waving. We really haven't worked much on waving bye-bye, but somehow she has picked it up. She's been doing it for a short time, but I wasn't really sure if it was a random movement or a deliberate attempt to wave. Today, however, when Grandpa and Ya-yai were leaving, Natalie just kept doing it. And when they would wave at her, she would wave back. I'm pretty sure it was on purpose. She will also wave at you from across a room - just to say hi. Again, she seems to look right at you and do it, so I think it's on purpose. Abby occasionally waves her arm around, but it still seems more random to me than purposeful. I'm not quite ready to check off the waving box for her.


It's amazing to watch how they learn new things every day. Stay tuned...I'm sure there is more to come.

Babies Get Domesticated AKA Let the Training Begin!

Everyone knows the only reason to have kids is so they can do all the chores the parents don't want to do. My sister and I are convinced this is why we were born - to do laundry and clean the kitchen.

Ben and I have started the training early with Natalie and Abby. In a few more years, they will be able to perform their chores unsupervised:-)

Natalie washing dishes.






Abby folding laundry.






Abby (L) and Natalie learning how to diaper.

Ahhh, someone bring the palms and strawberry dacaris. Mommy and Daddy are kicking back!

The Family that camps together...

Finally - the long awaited saga of our first camping trip - May 9 - May 12, 2008
Prelude

Friday, we went to pick up our new/used camper. I spent the day getting ready and had high hopes to leave around 3 when Ben came home. Of course, that meant we left closer to 5. The camper was a little over an hour away, and by then time we hooked it up, got the papers in order and started home, it was nearly 7:30pm. The babies needed to eat, it was a 4 hour drive to my uncle's cabin and we weren't sure the lights were working correctly. So, we headed home and decided to head out the next day. The up side was that we took the extra time to clean up the house so it was spiffy when when we came home.

The First 24 hours
All loaded up and ready to go! (Nat in foreground)

Saturday we had a great early start (about 8:30am) and we were eager to get on the road. The babies were fed and we were hoping they would sleep most of the way there. We must have forgotten to tell them.

Our first (mis)adventure occurred when we were trying to find a place to pull over and feed the girls - or at least take them out and give them a break. We went up a dead in road which ended in a field. Unfortunately, the turning radius was rather small and backing up and turning with a camper is not easy. Let's just say it didn't bring out the best in us. I finally had the idea to just unhook the camper, turn it around manually, and hook it back to the truck. While we were doing this, the owners of the property actually came and asked us what we were doing. Where they came from - who knows?? Ben explained our camper was stuck, our babies were crying and we were losing our minds. They kindly said we could hang out, picnic, and feed the girls.
Stopping to give the girls (and Mommy and Daddy) a break.

We finally arrived in West Jefferson and were very glad we had waited a day to come. We got very, very lost. Google maps failed us miserably. We ended up down a dead end road that ended in a person's YARD which involved yet another turning around fiasco. Thank goodness for cell phones. We were able to call Uncle Wayne and get the right directions - which is what we should have done in the first place.

By the time we arrived, the girls were pretty fussy and we were hungry. Just to give the girls a break - and get food - we stopped at the grocery store before we went out to the cabin. The little break was good for us - and meant we could have sandwiches as soon as we arrived.

Our Campsite
My aunt and uncle's cabin is in a beautiful spot in the West Jefferson mountains. There is a wonderful little cabin situated on a beautiful piece of property. We parked our camper on a flat section down a small hill and just out of sight of the creek and made camp. After feeding ourselves and the girls, setting up revealed a few "must-haves" that sent Ben on a trip to Walmart. The girls played in their pack-n-play while I made a campfire ring. That night, we cooked rib-eyes on an open fire and had baked potatoes cooked in the coals. Yum, yum, yum.

The night was actually quite cool. Thanks to the heavy duty, really, really long extension cord Ben got at Walmart, we had electricity in the camper which included a heater. We layered the girls and bundled them in their warmest pajamas and tucked them into their brand new PeaPods.



*** We pause for this commercial interruption and product placement. PeaPods by Kidco are my latest and greatest find. Our biggest challenge in camping was where the girls would sleep and how to keep them from crawling out of the beds. We only have one pack-n-play and even if we did have two, there was no where to put them. I did a little research and discovered PeaPods. They are basically little personal tents that zip up and contain the child while giving a comfy, safe place to sleep (or play). Genius. I found them for about $50 each and I think they are probably one of the smartest purchases we have ever made. We can take them to hotels, grandma's and even the beach. They are big enough for the girls to use a good 2 or 3 more years. If you have small children - you must check them out! http://www.kidco.com/main.taf?p=4,5 *** We now resume our regularly scheduled blogging.

Once they settled down, the girls actually slept very well in their little tents. Ben and I settled into our side of the camper and fell asleep to the sounds of the creek beside us and the great outdoors.

Our nighttime slumber was disrupted, however, in the middle of the night, with a loud crash right outside our window. Ben and I both sat up, grabbed each other, and said a few choice words. My first thought was, "BEAR!". I was certain there was a bear right below us. Ben was sure the camper was collapsing. Fortunately, we were both wrong and it was just the screen tent that had been blown over by the wind.

Sunday
On Sunday we were very grateful for the cabin for shelter, warmth, and the restroom. It was really the best of both worlds. We had our cozy little camper and our own personal bathhouse with fridge, stove, wood stove, bathroom, and beds. Sunday's weather left much to be desired. It was rainy, cold, and windy. Somehow the day passed by and we finally decided we should at least try to hit the parkway. The "Scenic Lookouts" looked something like this:

We traveled down the parkway a few miles and finally found a spot where the clouds were clear. Our first official family vacation photo overlooking Mount Jefferson.

It was a very short excursion on the parkway. It was apparent that the fog was settled in fairly well. So, we headed back to the cabin. With the cold, wind, and rain, we were very grateful for the warmth of the cabin. We stayed in it Sunday night and were cozy and warm. Despite the fact that it sounded like a tornado roaring down the mountain, shaking the cabin, knocking things off the porch and blowing open doors, we slept fairly well.

Oh - Sunday was also Mother's Day - my first. I blogged about it already. You can find it in the older posts.

MONDAY
Monday we decided to pack up and head home. Oh...if only it were that easy. Remember all that rain I mentioned? Remember the small hill I mentioned? Well, let me also mention that Ben's truck is not a 4-wheel drive. Can you see where this is going? Oh dear. We couldn't get the camper up the hill. To be clear, by hill I mean a VERY small incline that only barely missed qualifying as flat. But, the rain made it slippery and we were most assuredly stuck. Needless to say, this was less than ideal. Sure we could leave the camper, but my dad and step-mom were planning on staying in it that weekend during the party celebrations. Plus, coming back to get it meant an 8-hour round-trip and $100 in gas. But, after several futile attempts, we were resigned to Ben returning on Thursday to fetch the camper. As we prepared to leave, I called my Uncle to check on the procedures for closing the cabin and mentioned our predicament. He suggested we "go down the road" to ask his neighbor for help. If you know Ben, you know he would rather have teeth pulled than talk to strangers. But I encouraged him to go. The man he talked to didn't seem to know who Uncle Wayne was, so we gave up on the idea and prepared to leave. We were literally getting in the truck ready to leave when the neighbor's son came up the drive with his 4-wheel drive truck. We were saved!! At least out camper was. Ten minutes later, our camper was up the puny little hill. The neighbor kindly pulled it to the end of the very long bumpy, gravel driveway least we get stuck again. Soon we were on our way home - camper in tow. He was just wonderful and really saved us a ton of trouble. Thank goodness for good neighbors.

The trip home was uneventful. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for dinner and the girls enjoyed some mashed potatoes and gravy. The family at the table next to us had a little boy who was also turning one the day after Natalie and Abby. Of course, he came in walking and was twice as big as the girls.

Summary

Overall, our trip was great. It wasn't exactly how we'd planned or imagined, but it was fun all the same. We loved our new camper and are excited about using it more this summer. The girls did well in their PeaPods. The only problem was they got a little bored just playing in the pack-n-play. They would rather crawl around. But, it was a positive experience and a good first vacation. It was nice to do "normal" family things.

We are definately looking forward to more vacations and more camping. I would personally love to hit the road and travel across the country visiting national parks. We might need a bigger camper for that:-)

A few more pics: Cooking on the fire

Playing in the cabin

Just a quick "milestone" update

I know... I have so much to blog. I'm trying to get things done now so I can blog tonight... but I wanted to get this down before I forgot.

Abby did some neat things yesterday. We've been working really hard on showing the girls how to drop things INTO a container. They are great at taking things out, but had not quite grasped the letting go and dropping motion. Yesterday (June 2), Abby dropped several things into a container - several separate times! It was pretty neat to see her finally "get" it. I'm sure Natalie will be doing the same in just a few days.

We've also been trying the sippy cup and the straw. Figuring those things out is much harder than you'd think. It's nearly impossible to show a baby how to suck. It's like trying to teach a toddler how to blow their nose. It's something we all do as second nature. We don't realize how my technique there is to it until you try to teach someone. In any case, we've been offering the sippy cup and straw at very irregular intervals. They mostly just try to chew on it. But, yesterday, Abby managed to suck enough to get a little water through the straw into her mouth! I was pretty excited since I know how hard it is, and since I have no idea how to help her learn it.

I'm going to make a real effort to offer the straw and sippy cup every now. I think trial and error is the only way to learn. It's a little sad though, watching them trying to figure out the sippy cup. They were trying and trying and trying today - turning all which way trying so hard to get to the juice** - and mostly failing. Poor babies. Hopefully they will catch on soon.

If anyone has any brilliant suggestions on teaching straw and sippy cup use - feel free to leave a comment:-)


**A word about juice...it's so true. Never say never. I don't think I said I would NEVER give my babies juice, but I definately was against the idea in general. It's mostly sugar (even the organic stuff) and as no significant nutritional value that they aren't getting somewhere else. I just never saw the point of juice. But, here I am - offering juice. My defeat is two-fold: one: I thought it would entice them more to try to straw and sippy cup, and two: juice has more calories than water, and at this point every calorie counts. So, I offer juice. The better not get too used to it though...once I'm not afraid they are wasting away it water and sugar-free lemonade for Natalie and Abigail!