Twincredible Twosome

Snow in the kitchen!

2011-01-21T08:52:00.001-05:00

We have a snow day again and it's too cold to go play outside......so we brought the snow inside! Here are some pics of the boys playing in the snow in our kitchen! They are driving cars and trains through the snow and making me delicious snow soup!

Thanks to Quadmom Jen Murray at 4tunate for this fun idea!!

SNOW DAY!!!!

2011-01-12T17:14:00.000-05:00

Once again it has been forever since I have posted.....but life is just hectic these days!

We had a snow day today and the boys and I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We played out in the snow, went out to lunch with our family, and cuddled up and watched a movie at home. It was a perfect surprise vacation day!

In general, the boys are doing beautifully! They are making great progress in preschool and in all of their therapies. I am having a tough time wrapping my head around the fact that it is just about time to start planning for Kindergarten. How in the world can my two little babies be that old already??

Here are some pics from today, outside in the snow.

Riley decided that it was very important to shovel lots of snow into the wagon.

Ross decided that it was very important to throw lots of snow up in the air.

Yes, those are two bubble mowers that I neglected to bring into the garage for the winter. Wanna bet how well they will work in the spring??

Ross said he was going on a hike across the yard and would be back in a few years.....

Being cute

2010-10-03T18:55:00.000-04:00

Ross wearing monster jammies and frog boots.....a perfect combo!

Riley in his robot jammies, and in deep concentration.....watching a kid's documentary on how tractors work. This is serious business.

Just wanted to check in and let you know that the boys are doing great at their new school! They have settled into their new routine well, and are doing beautifully!

No major news, but a few people have emailed and asked for pictures, so I took these this weekend. They certainly aren't the greatest photos....but that's what we are up right now!

Thanks for checking in with us!

Reid's Rockstars!!

2010-09-07T22:26:00.001-04:00

I know that you have noticed that unbelieveably adorable curly haired cousin of ours that shows up in lots of our pictures, right? That's Reid - my most incredible and amazing nephew! He is our inspiration as we prepare for our second year of participating in the Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech. We are honored to walk as members of Reid's Rockstars! Please consider donating to support Reid's walk team in the 2010 Walk for Children with Apraxia of Speech! Or even better, consider walking with us on October 2nd!

Check out our website http://www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid for more general walk information...or to join the team and walk with us on October 2nd. If are not able to walk with us, please consider making a donation to support the cause (if you do so without joining the team, please donate in Reid's name so they'll call his name as a top fundraiser...he'd think that was cool!)

They loved it!!

2010-09-03T18:46:00.000-04:00

The boys loved their first day!

Ross walked in to the classroom this morning which was super crowded (20 kids, all of their parents, teachers, therapists, assorted extra staff....really crowded!) and announced, "Hi, everyone! Hello, everyone! Welcome to the Ross and Riley Show! I am so glad that you all came today!" It was hilarious and pure Ross. He is the embodiement of "all the world's a stage."

Riley promptly got out all of the toy trains and cars, and arranged them all right in the doorway where everyone was trying to walk. I was happy to see that they were both so relaxed and feeling comfortable and had to laugh.

They came home happy and tired, which is perfect for a first day of school! I am feeling really good about the classroom and hopeful that it is going to be a great year!

Excited about our first day!

Ready to leave for school!

At our new school!

The day before the First Day of School

2010-09-02T20:25:00.001-04:00

Tomorrow is the boys' first day of school, so tonight we had a Back to School party! They each decorated a "party hat" and wore it during dinner and then had ice cream afterwards! I had planned to do something more exciting and elaborate, but it was my first day with students and I got home late from work and barely even had time to get that together. It was still a little fun and silly way to get them excited about going to school tomorrow and it worked! Ross spent the rest of the evening talking about circle time and school and Riley was trying to decide if he was going to tell me everything fun when he gets home tomorrow or make me guess what happened.

I hope they have a wonderful day!

Back to School

2010-08-25T19:35:00.001-04:00

The Twincredible Twosome and I have had a wonderful summer! I have to go back to work tomorrow, so it feels like today is the end of our free and silly time for a while. As much as I adore my job, and I really, truly do, it is so wonderful to be able to be with my own kiddos all the time. I love waking up and lounging around with them and not having any schedule to follow. Oh well, everyone is getting back into the school routine...we'll be back in the swing of things soon! (Oh...and this fall, the boys are going to start playing SOCCER!! I know you all can't wait to see those pictures!)

Here are some pics from the past few weeks, so you can all see what fun we've had!

We went to Round Hill Farm and checked out the animals.

We went to Moraine State Park and played in the sun and sand and water!

We went to Kennywood, of course!

And we were just plain old silly at home! This is Riley deciding to see if he fit in a toy baby doll stroller....he did....

sort of......

And sometimes we had extra fun being silly when Reid came over to play with us!

What have you been up to this summer? Please leave us a comment and let us know!

The boys start school next week and I have all kinds of excitement and anxiety about that. They are going to a new school (although it is the same elementary school that my sister, brother and I all went to!!!) and will have a new teacher this year. I have heard absolutely fantastic things about the classroom and the teacher and am certain that the boys will do beautifully, but there I am always a bit nervous about any change. The boys had such an incredible experience with school last year, and I just hope that their success continues.

Last year, they were in a special ed. setting that was tailored to meet Ross' needs. Typical kids, including Riley, were included as peer models. (Even though Riley is considered "typical" he still receives PT and OT at school. He just doesn't receive specialized academic instruction.) This year, they are going to be in a regular early childhood classroom and some of Ross' academic instruction will be provided for him by a special ed. teacher who will come into the room. The entire room won't be tailored for his needs, although the teacher will certainly make accomodations for him. This time, he is being included, and last year, they were in a "reverse inclusion" program. He will also receive PT, OT, speech, and vision therapy during school, just like he did last year. I do think that he is ready and able to handle it, but I worry. I worry as an autistic support teacher who perhaps knows a bit too much, and of course, I worry as his mommy. Sigh......

It will be an adventure, that's for sure!

Even more partying......

2010-07-25T19:36:00.000-04:00

Today the Twincredible Twosome had their "real" birthday party with all of our family and friends! We had a cooking and playing party. First, the kids decorated their own chef's aprons, and then they made little pizzas, salad on a stick, and fruit scultpures with toothpicks. Then, I had planned to have all of the kids play in a wonderful enclosed, totally safe playground, so the parents could all relax and the kids could have a great time. However, it rained all throughout most of the day and all of the playground equipment was wet and super slippery and dangerous. So, we ended up having to play inside which wasn't as much fun, but I still hope that everyone had a good time!

Of course, we took lots of pictures!

Before the party even began, Riley grabbed a bagel and started enjoying himself!!

Ross was VERY serious about decorating his apron. If you look closely, you will see that he has written 1-2-3-4-5 on it, and drew some monsters!! He also wrote his name on the top of it. Riley decorated his in about 22 seconds, declared it "all done," and went back to eating that bagel.

Twin pizza chefs...

Singing some songs while we wait for our pizza to cook.

It looks like everyone still had fun playing inside.

This cake was really cool.....half was decorated with musical notes for Ross and half was Thomas the Train for Riley!

This picture absolutely illustrates my boys' personalities perfectly. We were singing "Happy Birthday" and Ross was lit up, smiling and excited about the music. Riley was intently planning the most effective approach to blowing out the candles. He's always thinking ahead.

Maybe it's a twin mom thing....but I can't get enough of seeing them blow out those candles together.

Happy 4th Birthday!!!!

2010-07-22T20:43:00.003-04:00

Ross and Riley are 4 years old! They had a wonderful birthday and our thoroughly enjoying the excitement! This was the first year that they actually asked for some specific gifts. The expressions on their faces and their excitement when they opened up something that they had requested was just so much fun!

Ross is still totally into everything musical and all musical instruments, and now he is also really interested in orchestras and conductors. So, one of his gifts was a real conductor's baton, which he was thrilled about:

Both boys asked for "Pillow Pets" and have been reciting the TV commercials that they have seen advertising them for the past month or so. They love them already!

The entire day was filled with smiles and two beautiful happy boys!

Ross in his new "Silly Scary Monster" Costume

Riley with his fire-breathing dinosaur

Ross loves his Pillow Pet!!

Bongo Drums!!!!

Riley checking out his new cement mixer

Rememember the piano in the movie Big?

And now.....for the most fun!!! Aunt Lyssie gave the boys a super cool microphone so that they can be the rock stars that they are. There is a button to push on the bottom that makes it sound like people are applauding for your performance! Check out these 3 super short videos of my rock stars!!

Ross rockin' out!

Riley shakin' his booty

The Twincredible Twosome singing a duet of "Kiss and A Hug" by Kelsey Friday and The Rest of The Week

Let the Festivities Begin....

2010-07-18T20:04:00.000-04:00

Even though their actual birthday isn't until Wednesday, the Twincredible Twosome began their celebration a little bit early this weekend with their first gifts. I got really lucky and found two Cozy Coupe cars on Craigslist for a great price. My most wonderful friend, "The Crazy B Lady" went to pick them up for me since she has a van, and brought them over on Saturday morning. Here is a picture of the boys' faces as they got their first glimpse of the cars...

They have spent most of our free time this weekend in their cars. They have already figured out that it's way too hard to drive on grass and not safe to drive down our super steep driveway. They have learned that the sidewalk in front of our house looks level, but actually slopes in one direction, so they make me push them when they are "driving" that way and then they coast the other way.

Riley has been driving the car that looks like a police car and he keeps trying to stop people who are driving "too fast" so he can give them a ticket. He can't figure out why people won't stop and listen to him. It's hilarious!

They love them!

I hope that the rest of their birthday celebration is just as much fun!!

The Crazy Lazy Days of Summer

2010-07-10T20:49:00.000-04:00

The boys and I have been enjoying every second of our summer vacation. Somehow, we have managed to strike just the right balance of jam packed full of fun and lazing around enjoying our new house. Our first leg of actual vacation with no schedule is coming to an end tomorrow. On Monday, the boys start day camp and I start back at work for summer school. I think the boys are going to love camp, and my summer program is a shorter day with a laid back schedule, so we will still have lots of fun ahead!

Here are a few pictures from the past couple of weeks:

This is how the boys watch TV together.....brotherly love.

Seriously.....they just lie there like that and watch TV.

Ross is a pirate, and Riley is just silly.

We're still here!!

2010-06-20T21:31:00.003-04:00

I am not exactly sure what to say about a six month blogging hiatus, except that life gets busy, Blogger gets annoying and stops working sometimes, and I just got out of the habit of posting. I apologize and I am touched that so many of you have emailed me and asked me to start posting blog updates again!! It means so much to me that so many people care about the boys and want to know how they are doing.

Before I share any updates, I have to make sure that you notice the beautiful new header that my friend Calliope made for our blog!! (If you are reading this in a reader, you'd better click through and take a look!!) I told her that Riley is into trains and trucks and cars and that Rossy is into all musical instruments....and check out the fonts that she used on our blog title! Is she amazing or what? If you ever need a blog header, just click on the button on my sidebar and she will hook you up!!

So, how are Ross and Riley doing? AWESOME!!!! They are both doing so, so well these days. They just finished their first year of preschool and they loved every single second of it. Unfortunately, their classroom is being closed and they will be going to a different room in a different building next year. While I am feeling confident about their new placement, and I am certain that they will do beautifully there, I am just devastated that their current classroom is being closed. This past year, the boys were in a LEAP classroom which was the absolute perfect setting for both of them. If you don't remember what that means, you can read what I wrote about it here. We will miss the friends they have made, and we will miss their teacher more than anything. She is a dear friend and I will be forever grateful for the start she gave both boys on their educational path. I only wish we could have had one more year with her. Here are a couple of pictures from their "graduation ceremony" from LEAP.

Ross receiving his "diploma" on his last day of preschool.

Riley getting his "diploma" on his last day of preschool.

You may have noticed one of the other big changes....Riley is now wearing glasses. Doesn't he look handsome? He has two pairs and he loves to alternate between his red ones (his favorite color) and his Diego glasses, which have cool frames that look and feel like safari vehicle tires! In the past few months, we have also learned that Ross has some vision needs and has a fairly significant vision loss in his left eye. It's not the type of vision problem that is correctable with glasses, but he is getting fantastic vision therapy and is already making terrific progress. Other than some issues with depth perception, you would never know that he has any vision problems because he compensates so well! He's truly amazing!

I can't possibly catch you up on everything that has happened since I last posted, so I will just share the biggest piece of news....we MOVED!! It was time for us to move to a bigger home, with more room to play and have fun! We went from a small two bedroom apartment to a 3 bedroom townhouse with a fenced in yard. Before the boys were born, our apartment was perfect for me as a single person and I always imagined that the second bedroom would make a beautiful nursery for the baby I dreamed of having. Well, I hit the jackpot and was doubly blessed and had two babies!! The apartment was still perfect, because I was always able to see and hear the boys and I felt that I was able to keep them safe in that small, contained environment when I was alone with two infants. Then, it ended up being a great thing that we lived in a apartment and didn't have any steps, while both of the boys struggled with their gross motor development. It was comfy and cozy, but now.......

Dinner in our house the first night we moved in.....amidst the boxes

Now, those two babies are big nearly 4 year old boys who like to run and jump and wrestle, and there was just not enough room anymore. So, it was time for us to move. The boys are still sharing a bedroom and we are using the 3rd bedroom as our playroom. We have steps, which both boys are maneuvering up and down quite well, although they have each fallen down them once already. They love the yard and as soon as I can figure out which neighbor is letting their dog use it as a restroom and get them to stop, I will love it, too. Actually, I already love the yard....we had a picnic dinner out there tonight on our new picnic table (thanks Melissa!!!) and it was so nice and relaxing.

So, that's our big news. Now, we are looking forward to summer and FUN!!! The boys will be going to camp while I am working at summer school and we will be doing tons of fun stuff with our family, of course. We started off the summer this weekend by visiting two different fountains/splash parks and the boys had a blast getting soaking wet! I will do my best to update much more frequently! Thank you so much for sticking around and caring about the boys!!

Riley soaking wet

Ross and Reid having fun in the fountain

Cosmic Bowling!

2009-12-31T08:06:00.000-05:00

We all went Cosmic Bowling yesterday and the Twincredible Twosome and Reid all loved it!! We were all amazed at how well they took turns, and how much fun they had! Of course, we had bumpers along our lane, and we used a ramp to help the kiddos roll the ball, but they all figured it out right away. Ross thought he was at a disco and danced in the lights whenever it wasn't his turn, and Riley appointed himself the manager and tried to lift and carry the ball for everyone whether it was his turn or not.

Riley taking his turn, and Ross dancing in the lights.

Ross taking his turn, and Riley overseeing his "brudder".

Gorgeous Reid taking his turn.

Bowling and dancing can wipe you out! Ross is exhausted.

Riley insisted on carrying the ball for himself and Ross, and wore himself out!

Reid relaxing with some water after a hard game of bowling!

It really was a lot of fun! Riley talked about it for the rest of the day, and I think listening to him and his new vocabulary was almost as much fun:

Riley: Mommy, we went "balling" today! It was so much fun!

Me: I know, Ry! It was fun! What was your favorite part?

Riley: Knocking down all of those "pens" with that heavy ball. My arms are tired.

Me: You are so strong! What else did you like?

Riley: I like watching the ball come back to me in the little tunnel. Why it do that?
Me: The balls come back so we can all keep bowling! What else was fun?

Riley: I found a little hairdryer when I was waiting for the ball to come back. I put it under my shirt to blow on my chest. That was nice.

Me: Oh.....(He loved the fan on the ball return, and he also loves hair dryers....go figure!)

Happy New Year! Ross, Riley and I wish you all a year filled with love, peace, health, and happiness!!

Our First Time Playing in the Snow!!

2009-12-19T19:14:00.000-05:00

For the past couple of winters, it has been enough of a challenge just maneuvering the two boys in and out of the car safely, let alone trying to figure out how to let them actually play in the snow. Neither of them were walking well enough, or with sufficient balance to handle slippery, uneven surfaces, and the whole activity seemed overwhelming and dangerous. This year, though, the boys are totally ready! Today was our first real snowfall and after making an emergency run to buy boots (talk about UNprepared!), the boys enjoyed their first taste of playing in the snow. We spent most of the day running errands and just played outside for a few minutes right before coming in for dinner, so these photos were taken at dusk.

Then, we came inside and Riley suggested that since it was already getting dark, we should just get into our jammies for the night and have a pajama party! Sounded like a great idea to me! So, we had a nice evening, all cuddled in warm jammies, relaxing before bedtime.

Preemie Profile and Halloween Pictures and a Video

2009-11-03T22:26:00.000-05:00

November is Prematurity Awareness Month and the Twincredible Twosome are being featured as part of a month long series on amazing preemies! They have been selected for the "Preemie Profile" for November 4th at http://www.growingyourbaby.com/. Please go check it out!

The boys had a terrific time on Halloween! Riley was Thomas the Train and Ross was an alarm clock! They had went Trick or Treating and had a party at school and went Trick or Treating again with their cousin, Reid. They both loved it this year!

Finally, Ross has never been interested in eating candy. He has issues with different foods and textures and candy has never been something he has liked. However, my sister is a chocoholic and desperately wants all children to love chocolate. So, here is a hilarious video of how she taught Ross to love chocolate on Halloween! Be sure to turn up your volume!

(I wish she could do this with a vegetable!!)

Our Very First Giveaway Contest!

2009-10-03T21:44:00.000-04:00

Have you ever noticed the super-cute curly haired kid in some of our pictures? That’s my nephew, Reid. He and his mom (my sister) have helped to put together my first blog contest. You have the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Godiva (yum!) OR a $25 gift certificate to restaurants.com (check the website to see all the places you can choose if you win this one).

Reid is a wonderfully fun, very loving little guy who has a pretty severe case of Childhood Apraxia of Speech. Apraxia is a relatively rare neurological disorder where the brain knows what it wants to say, but the message gets mixed up on its way to the mouth. It’s a motor-planning disorder that presents very similarly to what can happen after an older adult had a stroke. Reid works very hard at speech therapy 5 times each week to learn to talk. He is making great, albeit very slow, progress toward verbal speech.

Since Apraxia is so rare and because people often associate lack of verbal language with significant cognitive delays (which is not the case with Reid or with most Apraxics), it is important to Reid’s mom to spread the word about the disorder. The Childhood Apraxia of Speech Association of North America (CASANA) is having an event to do just that. The Walk for Children with Apraxia is a 1.5 mile family friendly walk that will take place on October 17th in Pittsburgh. There are 12 other similar walks occurring around the country as well. CASANA is a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about Apraxia and also supports the research necessary to better understand Apraxia and determine what therapy strategies are most effective.

My nephew’s walking team, Reid’s Rockstars, would like to raise as much money as possible to support this cause. That’s where this contest comes in.

To enter, please visit Reid’s team website (www.apraxia-kids.org/pittsburghwalk/reid ). You’ll see that the Twincredible Twosome and I are already signed up…we can’t wait! But, we wanted to do more. So, please click on “General Team Donation” and consider donating to support CASANA. You get one entry into the contest per $3 donation (since Reid is 3 years old). For each $3 increment you donate, please leave a separate comment on this post. (Example, donate $9, leave 3 comments, earn 3 entries)

Winners will be determined by random.org and I will contact winners via e-mail. Please leave a valid e-mail address when you make your comment. The first winner will receive the Godiva certificate and the second will receive the restaurants.com certificate. The contest will close on October 16th at midnight and the winners will be drawn whenever the Twincredible Twosome wake me up that following morning.

Feel free to send me an e-mail with any questions and pass on this site and this contest to your friends!

Let’s see how many people we can get to support this very worthwhile cause and help my nephew’s team to meet their fundraising goal. Thanks!

We LOVE Preschool!!

2009-09-28T11:22:00.011-04:00

Thank you so much to all of our wonderful friends who have been emailing and asking when I was going to do another blog update! I love that you are all so interested in what the Twincredible Twosome is up to and I apologize for taking so long to post something!

The boys have started preschool and they LOVE it! In fact, they love it so much that on weekend mornings, I am often faced with two tearful boys, standing at the front door in their pajamas, with their backpacks on, demanding that I take them to school! I am so grateful that they have adjusted so well to the new routine, and feel so confident and comfortable at school.

Of course, on the first day, I had to take lots of pictures!!

Getting ready to leave on the first day of school!

We're on our way!

(They refused to carry their back packs that day....they insisted that Mommy should do it!)

Look how excited!

As soon as they arrived, they were busy with lots of fun stuff to do. Ross found these pretend birthday cakes and immediately began to sing "Happy Birthday"

Riley took some time to wander around and check out the whole room.

(I actually took more pictures of them in the classroom, but I need to be careful about which ones I post because some of the other kids in the class appear in them. I don't feel that I have the right to post pictures of anyone else's child online without their permission.)

The preschool that the boys are attending is a LEAP preschool, which means that it is a special classroom designed for children with autism spectrum disorders and typical children to learn together. Most LEAP classrooms have 4 children on the autism and spectrum and 8 typical children. The classroom operates just like a regular preschool, except that the kids on the autism spectrum receive the additional support they need to be successful. This is the perfect setting for the Twincredible Twosome, because Ross and Riley can both attend together!

So, here is a quick summary of what they have been up to so far in school:

They are both learning so much already! They both come home and tell me new things about their day all the time. One of the most exciting things is that almost every day, Ross comes home singing a new song! After just one day, he is almost always able to sing the entire song and sings it over and over all evening. I can usually understand some of the words, but not always. We all know that music is the way his little brain learns best, and he is just soaking it all up. In fact, he is now singing in his sleep! Several times over the past couple of weeks, I have been awakened around 3am to hear him singing, loudly, and gone into his bedroom to find him sound asleep, with his pacifier in his mouth, singing at the top of his lungs!

They both made the most beautiful "All About Me" books! (Ok, so I might be a little biased....). It was so much fun to read through the books with the boys and let them tell me all about a project they made at school! On the last page, there were photos of all of the kids in their class, and Riley was able to name all of them, and Ross was able to name a few. They also love it when then bring home artwork and get to pick out a spot to hang it up! I love seeing how proud they are and especially enjoy if they are able to tell me a little bit about what they made.

Today, Ross actually blew me away by telling me how to spell his name! He was drawing a picture and when I went to write his name on it, he very specifically told me "R-O-S-S." I had no idea that he knew that! Then, just to make sure he really knew what he was doing, I asked him what it spelled and he said "Ross!" I am so proud of him!

The boys are starting to interact with the other kids at school, although Riley is clinging to Ross pretty tightly. The teacher and staff are so amazing and have already come up with great strategies to help them separate from each other. As one of therapists said, "They are like peanut butter and jelly, they just stick to each other!" So, at meals and circle time, they don't sit next to each other now and have to sit with a new friend. Ross is still not choosing to play with the other kids on his own yet, but Riley is starting to play with some of them. In fact, this weekend, Riley has been talking a lot about one of the boys in his class.

Riley has napped twice, but usually he just lays down to rest for a little bit. Ross, though, lays down at 1pm each day and falls into an immediate sleep for a full hour! He is the only kid in the entire class who naps! Some of you may remember that Ross is the child who has had MAJOR issues falling asleep at home. I spent $150.00 on a weighted blanket for him, to help him calm down at night, he still needs his pacifier to sleep in his own bed, and I had to remove all distractions from his bedroom!!! At school, though, he lays down in the middle of a busy, noisy classroom, without his pacifier and instantly falls asleep. Unbelievable!

Riley is trying lots of new foods and eating the school lunches many days. Ross has tasted a couple of new foods, but pretty much just eats what I pack for him. Not a whole lot of progress yet with him and new food textures.

All in all, they are just doing amazingly well! They are happy, enjoying school, and that makes for a happy and grateful mommy!

Since it has been so long since I have posted, I thought I would throw in a few more pictures of the boys just being silly together!

Random cuteness....Ross fell asleep in the car the other day. His TSS carried him into the house and he stayed asleep in this exact position sitting on the couch for about 10 minutes and then woke up giggling.

Funny Faces and a Song

2009-08-07T18:43:00.007-04:00

The Twincredible Twosome and I are continuing to enjoy our summer vacation! They did a wonderful job at "preschool" which was actually just a brief introduction to get them ready for their real preschool which begins in September. Although all three of us struggled a bit with separation at first, they quickly adjusted and had fun. The biggest challenge became getting them to let go of one another, literally, and finding ways for them to stop holding hands! Even though it is adorable, it is a bit tough to play on the playground, do art activities, and eat a snack while holding onto your brother's hand. The staff was great about finding ways to help them separate from each other for brief periods of time, but they understood that the boys have rarely been apart from each other and are each other's security.

Lately, the boys have been experimenting with making funny faces and tonight I managed to capture some of them, just because they look so cute!

ROSS

RILEY

Finally, I have been meaning to capture Riley singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on video for a while now. I tried to get Ross singing one of his many, many wonderful songs but he was not in the mood to sing on camera this evening. He did, however, make lots of monkey noises in the background while Riley was singing. Turn up your sound!

Happy 3rd Birthday!! (and our first day of school)

2009-07-22T19:34:00.016-04:00

How is it possible that the Twincredible Twosome are three years old already? Where has the time gone? Ross and Riley had a wonderful birthday! They partied with some friends at the Recreation Station over the weekend. Then, on their actual birthday on Tuesday, we checked out the trains and the laser show with our family at the Science Center and had cake and presents at home.

Riley filling up his car with gas at the birthday party.

Ross playing at the birthday party.

Two gorgeous three year old smiles!

Blowing out their candles!

The boys were showered with love and tons of beautiful gifts. We can't thank everyone enough for all of the wonderful things they gave the boys, and for sharing in our celebrations with us!

Ross is becoming quite the musician and is totally in love with his new guitar and drums. He has been playing non stop since he got them!

Riley has been driving his new Thomas playhut all over the house, only stopping to ride his new Thomas bike, play with one of his new Thomas trains on his new track, use his new Thomas flashlight, stick his Thomas stickers on things ............you get the idea. He finally exhausted himself and fell asleep under this beautiful train blanket that my dear friend Patti Lou made for him:

The day after their birthday was also a special day for Ross and Riley! It was their first day of school! They are going to a "playgroup" preschool this summer, one day a week, in preparation for starting preschool in the fall. It was a very exciting morning as we got ready:

Riley with his back pack.

Ross with his back pack.

Riley excited to go to school!

Ross with his backpack off, ready to stay home and play some more music!

Although the boys struggled a bit with separating from Mommy, they did have a great first day of school! Riley decided that he going to stick as close to Ross as possible and whenever anyone suggested that he play with the other kids, he very politely responded with, "No, thank you. Just Rossy, please." That's twins for ya, I guess! I think we'll need to work on that, though.

Let's see who is really paying attention. Take a close look at the pics of the boys on their first day of school. Do you see anything surprising? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

We're still here!

2009-05-31T22:19:00.012-04:00

I know that I am a terrible blogger and that it has been way too long since I have posted, and I have no real excuse, other than "we're always busy!" The boys are doing very well and we are all happily looking forward to the end of the school year and the start of my summer vacation! I can't wait until I can spend all of that wonderful time with my boys!

We have been trying to get out and enjoy the nice weather as much as possible. Last weekend, we hung out at Station Square. The boys rode the train and had a blast watching the fountains, listening to the music, and having some ice cream. Here are a few pictures from that day:

All three cousins listening to music and watching the fountains

Riley and Uncle Seth riding the train in Station Square

The train in Station Square

The boys have become Thomas the Train fanatics and are quickly accumulating trains and tracks and bridges. I was lucky enough to find a used train table at a great price! At first, Riley was using it more than Ross, but this evening, Ross spent a lot of time driving the trains all around the track and talking up a storm the whole time! I am sure they will have tons of fun with this table.

Finally, just because I think they are super cute (I know I am totally biased!), I took a bunch of pictures today before we went out to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and to splash in the fountain.

This is the first time both boys purposefully attempted to smile for the camera at the same time!

Brotherly love

It's almost time...

2009-05-04T19:39:00.003-04:00

It is almost time for the 2009 March for Babies! This Saturday, we will be walking in honor of Ross and Riley, and we will celebrate the amazing progress they have made since their premature birth. We will also be walking in honor of all of the other premature babies that the March of Dimes strives to help and hope that our contribution will help make more miracles happen.

Thank you so very much to those of you who have already given so generously! It means the world to me to have your support for this cause which is so dear to my heart. In the next few days, I would love to get as close as possible to our goal, so if you would still like to donate in honor of Ross and Riley, please click on the badge below and it will take you directly to our personal walk page.

Thank you!

Another post of pictures....

2009-04-23T22:09:00.003-04:00

Today was "Take Your Child to Work Day," so I brought the boys in to visit my classroom for a couple of hours this afternoon. They both decided that "typing" on the computer and spinning on Mommy's chair was the most fun part of school!

They also had a great time climbing on the play equipment outside of the preschool classrooms down the hall. Riley was still talking about "driving the bus" as he fell asleep tonight at bedtime. In this picture, though, Ross actually got a turn to drive!

In other news.....Riley has been sleeping in a semi-standing position lately. I have found him like this several times, sound asleep. Does anyone else have a toddler who sleeps like this? I think that maybe he fell out of bed, and fell back to sleep in the middle of climbing back in! He looked so cute that I had to take a picture!

We went to the Carnegie Science Center recently and everyone had a great time! Ross LOVED the laser light and music show! He sat and watched the lasers and sang for nearly 45 minutes! Riley was actually bored during the show, but he was happy to cuddle with me and get a back rub. Both boys enjoyed the model train room and I got this adorable picture of them walking through it with my brother, Uncle Seth.

Thanks, as always, for checking in with us! Leave us a comment and let us know what's going on with you!

New pics to enjoy

2009-04-12T18:26:00.006-04:00

The boys and I are finishing up our spring break, and I am headed back to work tomorrow. This vacation wasn't anywhere near as much fun as I has hoped, because Ross and I both had strep throat and I had some other unexpected doctor's appointments that ate up most of the week. Thank goodness Katie was willing and able to come bail us out, so I could take care of the doctor stuff and know that the boys were in good hands!

We did manage to pack lots of fun into the last couple of days when we were all feeling better!

Last night, I took the boys to Bruster's for ice cream, which Ross has always refused to eat in the past. (He has some very specific sensory issues/preferences around foods.) This time, he very carefully touched it to his lips several times, then touched it to his tongue, then took a big lick, and then proudly announced, "Mmmm....it's good!" He then proceeded to eat almost the whole kid sized scoop of chocolate oreo ice cream, dividing it equally between what actually went into his mouth and what was smeared all over his face, his shirt, his hair, his ears, etc. It was so much fun to watch him explore a new "sensory" activity, and be a totally typical toddler covering himself in chocolate ice cream! I didn't have my camera with me, so you will just have to trust me that it was adorable!

Riley ate most of his scoop of cherry vanilla very neatly, wiping his face and fingers between each bite with a napkin. He also continually begged me to wipe Ross off and was flabbergasted that I was allowing Ross to sit there covered in ice cream. "Wipe Rossi, Mommy. He's sooooo dirty! Wipe him!" was pretty much the conversation from his side of the table. What can I say? Riley likes to be clean!

Today, we went out to brunch with our family and then over to Reid's house to play. It was so nice to be able to spend time relaxing with everyone together. Here are some pictures from today:

Our family!

Mommy and the boys.....and sunglasses!

"Mimi is so soft!" according to Riley.

Cousins on a couch

The Ugly R-Word

2009-04-02T06:12:00.002-04:00

Ross and Riley would like you to take a moment today to go visit www.r-word.org and pledge your support to end the use of the "r-word" in our everyday conversations.

The casual use of the word "retard" has become commonplace, and yet that word is painfully demeaning to people with disabilites. It is just as hurtful and ignorant as racial and ethnic slurs, and there is no acceptable time to use the word "retard" in everyday dialogue.

If each of you visit www.r-word.org and pledge to end the use of the "r-word" and then share the site with your own friends and family, perhaps we can truly begin to remove this ugly word from our language.

Ross and Riley say thanks!

Video Clips

2009-03-25T18:56:00.005-04:00

For the past few days, both of the boys have been singing "Happy Birthday". We haven't celebrated any birthdays lately, but they are both really into the song these days. Tonight, at dinner, Ross belted out his own version, and then did a little improv at the end, which I managed to capture on video. He doesn't say all of the words, (he skips "happy birth-") but he is clearly saying 'day to you".

Riley has learned the names of many dinosaurs, thanks to Katie! I love how he sounds when he says "stegosaurus," "triceratops," and "pterodactyl"! I took this video tonight of him naming most of the dinosaurs in one of his books.

Exhausted but adorable

2009-03-22T20:58:00.003-04:00

I just had to post a couple quick pics from this weekend. The first one is the boys in their "bunny glasses" that my Mom gave them yesterday. They both love wearing them and looking at themselves in the mirror.

The transition to the big boy beds has gone well for night time, although it does take Ross quite a while to settle down and actually stay in bed. Naps during the day, though, haven't gone well at all! Neither of them have napped at all this weekend and they were both completely exhausted by late afternoon today. This picture was taken right after their bath tonight. They both climbed onto the couch, Riley put his arm around Ross, and Ross reached up and held Riley's hand. They look like they are about to fall asleep right there!

Big Boy Beds

2009-03-20T19:10:00.003-04:00

At naptime today, Ross climbed out of his crib. Thank goodness, he didn't get hurt and Riley slept through his stunt work. However, I am sure that Ross will climb out again soon. I am just as certain that when Riley sees him do it, he will try to imitate him. I don't want either of them to fall and get hurt, and with Riley's balance issues, that's a real concern. So, in order to keep them both safe, I decided that we must take the huge leap and move to big boy beds. Thankfully, Uncle Marc, came over after work today and converted the boys' cribs into toddler beds.

Here are some pics of them all tucked in to their big boy beds.

Riley

Ross

Please Support March For Babies

2009-03-10T18:56:00.003-04:00

One day... all babies will be born healthy!

Today... too many moms and families know the heartbreak of having a baby born fighting to survive.

I've joined March for Babies because the March of Dimes champions the needs of moms and babies in our community and across the nation.

The money we raise for March for Babies will help:
- support all-important research offering preventions and solutions for babies born too soon or with birth defects
- educate women on things they can do to increase their chances of having a healthy baby
- provide comfort and information to families with a newborn in intensive care
- push for newborn screening and health insurance for all pregnant women and children

Please help by donating today!

It's easy, safe and secure - just click to make your donation.
The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

This year, Ross, Riley, and I will once again be participating in March for Babies (formerly WalkAmerica) to help raise donations for the March of Dimes. As you know, The Twincredible Twosome's miracle began at West Penn Hospital in the NICU, where they received amazing medical care. Much of the medical technology that was so critically important for my boys is a direct result of advances in research funded by the March of Dimes.

When I think back to how tiny and fragile they were....

And look at how healthy and strong they are now.....

I am overcome with gratitude! Please help support this organization which has done so much for so many babies!

There are two ways you can support March for Babies. First, you can join our team and walk with us! To join us, simply visit our walk webpage, join our team, do your own fundraising, and participate in the walk on May 9th. If you can't join us on the walk, please visit our walk webpage and make a donation in honor of Ross and Riley!

Either way, please click below to visit our personal page!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/rossandriley

A New Place to Play

2009-02-22T18:15:00.026-05:00

My sister, Mom, and I are always on the lookout for fun, new places to play in our area and we recently learned about E2 Toys to Try. We went to play for the first time this afternoon, and all three of the boys loved it! It is an indoor playspace with a huge variety of gross motor, sensory, and pretend play toys, along with a toy store to purchase unique and fun items! As promised in my last post, here are some pics from this afternoon:

Riley crawling through the house that he and I built together.

Ross playing with the toy train set. He said "choo choo"!

Riley is filling up his tow truck with gas. When he drove the truck over to the gas pump, he didn't quite drive close enough for the hose to reach the car. So, instead of driving the car closer, he got out and picked up the gas pump and carried it over to the car. I like his problem solving skills!

Cutie pie cousins!

Riley steering the pirate ship.

Ross steering the pirate ship.

Riley has become very interested in stuffed animals lately. He found this cat and carried it around for quite a while. In this photo, he is giving the cat a ride on a fire truck.

Ross driving the tow truck! He was actually able to make the truck move forward a little bit, which is a new skill for him! He hasn't been able to figure out ride on toys until now.

There is a wonderful vestibular tent swing in the middle of the playspace that is big enough for all kiddos to get into together. Ross loves all vestibular swings and zoned out in there for a while, but Reid and Riley just kept popping in and out to visit.

Ross had a great time with the pretend kitchen!

This is a picture of Riley walking up the ramp onto the pirate ship! This was really hard and I was impressed with how well he was able to walk up this ramp! He figured out how to use the ropes to help pull himself up and didn't need my help at all!

Brotherly love inside the vestibular swing.

Lots of words!

2009-02-18T18:35:00.006-05:00

I know that it has been nearly a month since I've posted and I apologize for that! The boys have been busy playing and learning and just generally doing beautifully! We did have a rough couple of weeks when they were both sick (croup!) but, thankfully, that is over now.

Riley is talking up a storm these days! He is combining 5 and 6 words all the time, and his vocabulary astounds me. Most recently, he has been talking about how much he misses me when I am at work and how he feels "so happy" when I come home. You know I love to hear that!! He describes and narrates everything he sees, and is full of curious questions about the world around him. It's so much fun to see his mind at work. He comes up with something hysterical every day and I love waiting to hear his latest revelations when I come home from work.

Ross' language, though, has truly been the greatest miracle lately! He is repeating a TON of words, and his spontaneous language has really taken off over the past couple of weeks! He is saying "all done" when he is finished eating or finished playing with a toy, without having to be prompted. He is saying the noises that various animals make, and the names of all of the letters and the numbers up to 10. He also says banana, but it sounds like "manana" which is just adorable! He says "up" when he wants to be picked up, and he says "hi" and "bye" like a champ! He has said lots of other words here and there, and it seems like each day he adds another word that he is suddenly able to say.

Ross recently had a check-up with the developmental pediatrician who diagnosed him PDD. A the time of his diagnosis, 6 months ago, she felt that his language skills were at the level of a 9 month old baby. Now, only six months later, she feels that his skills are at the level of a 15 month old. That's terrific progress! Of course, Ross is actually 31 months old, so we still have quite a way to go, but it's so encouraging to see him make such great strides!

I know that many of you really only check in because you want to see pictures or videos and I hate to disappoint you....but I just haven't taken many lately! I am so sorry! I will try to take some this weekend and post them soon.

The Effect of Birthday Cake

2009-01-25T14:43:00.003-05:00

I just had to post these quick pics of the boys enjoying some of my leftover birthday cake at home today.

Riley is attacking his cake with both a spoon AND a fork, for maximum delivery to his mouth.

Ross has already tried using a spoon, a fork, and his pacifier, He is now going full force with is fingers. His hairstyle is courtesy of about two tablespoons of icing that he has wiped into his hair!

I would like to send a special thanks to my amazing family and wonderful friends who helped to make my birthday so special! I love you guys!

Ross said his own name! And Riley ate what?

2009-01-14T20:24:00.004-05:00

I mentioned in the last post that Ross has been making huge progress with imitating sounds and words. Today, for the very first time, he said his own name! He isn't saying the "R" yet, so it sounds like "Ossi," but it is a huge accomplishment! I managed to capture it at the end of this video.

The start of this video is Riley trying to tell me what he is eating for dinner. For the record, he is eating carrot sticks. However, each time he says "sticks" it sounds like a word that starts with "S" that nice little boys don't say! It's hilarious! Of course, I had to keep asking him to say it over and over for my own entertainment. Then, I called my mom and my sister and made him tell them over the phone what he was eating so that they could laugh, too.

Happy New Year

2009-01-10T19:07:00.007-05:00

Happy New Year! The boys have begun 2009 by making some incredible progress, having fun, and being their usual amazing selves!

Ross has recently made huge leaps in his imitation of sounds and words, and has even said a few words spontaneously. He has also increased his interactions with all of us, which is so exciting! The other day as I was getting ready to leave for work, he came running over to me, said "mmmmwwah" and gave me a kiss. Then, he waved and said "bye." That was the first time he had ever given me a kiss, and it meant the world to me. I left for work with tears of happiness in my eyes. Isn't he incredible?

Riley's language skills are continuing to blossom. His name has been a bit tough for him to pronounce and he has said "Lee-lee" for a while now. The other day when I came home from work, he was suddenly was able to say Riley perfectly clearly! It seems like he learns 5 new words every day. He is also combining words more often and now uses 4 word sentences much more frequently. Riley is loving and cuddly, and his favorite question to ask is whether or not today is going to be a "Mommy day." He's amazing!

The best new progress, though, is how well the boys are playing together! They are chasing each other around the house, dancing together to the music on their favorite TV shows, and yesterday, they even made up a game where they were grabbing each other's noses and giggling like crazy. It is pure joy for me to watch them together. One night, after I put them to bed, I listened to them blow each other kisses back and forth in their cribs for about ten minutes. It was the most adorable thing. Riley kept calling "Rossi, mmmwwah" and then Ross was saying "Mmmwaah" right back at him. Then, Ross would clap and cheer. I loved it!

Today was a "Mommy Day, as Riley would say, and the boys and I had a fantastic time together. We started off with a special breakfast. I found this recipe on Rachael Ray's site and thought it was adorable! I made a couple of changes (raisins for the eyes and nose instead of chocolate chips and apple slices instead of a fruit roll up for the tongue) and served it to the boys for breakfast this morning! They loved it!

Poodle Pancakes! Riley was barking throughout breakfast! Ross ate every bite of his and then stole Riley's apple!

Then, we played all morning! In the afternoon, we went to the the Recreation Station to play. This was our first time visiting this playspace and the boys had a blast! Ross' TSS, Melissa, came with us, and was a huge help!

Ross LOVED the foam mat with the letters and numbers! He was able to repeat the name of every single letter! He even knew some of the letters before Melissa said them.

Riley asked a little girl for her ballon and she gave it to him! What a flirt!

Ross looking so happy with his letters!

Ross also knows all of his numbers......he put these here in order!

Riley had fun in the art room!

....and enjoyed going for a drive...

.....and loved shooting hoops.

This huge train is in the middle of the main room.

This is the inside of the train!

Riley is going to be a great Dad someday! He loves to take dolls for walks in strollers. Ross was still having fun with the letters! Look at all the great toys inside the train!

There is a sensory room which Ross also loved! He is playing with the fiber optic curtain in this picture.

Ross has always loved vestibular swings. This is a picture of him in the swing, smiling and happy, but the flash from my camera made him close his eyes.

That's what's new with the Twincredible Twosome! Please leave us a comment and let us know what is going on with you so far in 2009! Thanks for checking in with us!

2008-12-28T12:41:00.004-05:00

I hope you are all having a great holiday season! The boys and I are having a wonderful vacation and thoroughly enjoying all of our time together. As Riley would say, we are having lots of "Mommy Days"!

Ross is a pretty particular kid when it comes to his food. He definitely prefers certain textures and tastes and, until recently, he has not enjoyed dipping his food into anything. This weekend, though, he discovered that he likes ketchup on his french fries and chicken nuggets! He actually liked the ketchup so much that at one point he was dipping the paper wrapper from a straw into the ketchup and eating it by it itself!

So, since he is now such a master "dipper", I decided to try to have him dip his pancakes into a little bit of syrup at breakfast this morning. I have offered it to him in the past, but he has always been upset by it. Today, his reaction was so funny I had to capture it on video:

In other big news......Riley pooped on the potty this morning! He has been showing some very early signs of being ready to start potty training, so one of the boys' Hanukkah presents this year was a Lightning McQueen potty seat (Red Car Potty Seat!!). They got it last night and I thought we would just play with it and get used to it for a little while, but apparently Riley was ready to use it right away! This morning, he said, "Mommy poop" which he always says when he needs to have his diaper changed and I said, "Ok, sweetie, let's go change your diaper!" He said, "No! Red Car Potty!" and ran and started banging on the bathroom door. So, we went in, he sat down, and he pooped within two seconds! I am so proud of my big boy!! We've been doing the happy dance all morning!

That's whats new with us.....syrup love and a big boy potty! What's new with you? Leave us a comment and let us know how you're doing! Thanks for checking in with us!

Happy Hanukkah!

2008-12-21T11:03:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it has been almost a month since I've written a post! The boys are doing well and making great progess. Riley is talking up a storm these days, and even starting to try to make some jokes. Ross has started imitating sounds and gestures, which is a HUGE step in moving toward talking, so I am thrilled about that! They are both so much fun right now!

I want to wish all of our Jewish friends and family a very Happy Hanukkah! I am so looking forward to seeing the boys enjoy the holiday this year! It is going to be so much fun! I am also excited about our winter break, which starts in two days. Then, I get 12 wonderful days to be home with the Twincredible Twosome.

I can't do my first post in a month without including a couple of pictures, of course! Yesterday, we borrowed a Fisher Price Little People Garage from the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library and both boys have been having a blast with it. Riley has been feeding his red car obsession and vrooming the red car up and down the ramps all day. At the same time yesterday, the boys received a wonderful Elmo telephone from our Secret Santa yesterday and Ross has been extremely busy making phone calls since we opened it up. Both boys love it, but Ross has really been enjoying "talking" on the phone so far. Thanks, Todd and Stacy!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T13:13:00.005-05:00

I am thankful for my beautiful sons and for the joy they bring to me each and every day. I am also thankful for my family whom I love with all my heart! I am so blessed to be surrounded by two gorgeous sons, a mom, sister, brother, brother-in-law, and nephew who love me so much! During the holidays, it is easy to be overwhelmed with hectic preparations and rushing around. Please take a moment or two over the next couple of days to remember all of the ways in which you are blessed, and be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Twincredible Twosome!

My two little turkeys:

Ross and his gorgeous smile

Riley and his purple "at"

Progress for Preemies!

2008-11-14T13:49:00.013-05:00

November is Prematurity Awareness Month and if you are reading this, you are already aware of two very special preemies.

Ross and Riley were born 2 months early and have had significant developmental hurdles to overcome as a result. Other preemies have far greater challenges to face.

November is when we focus on the impact premature birth has on babies and families, and on the opportunities for prevention.

Today more than 1,400 babies in the U.S. will be born prematurely. Many will be too small and too sick to go home.

Instead, they face weeks or even months in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU). These babies face an increased risk of serious medical complication, and death; however, most eventually will go home.

The March of Dimes works tirelessly to find ways to prevent premature birth and to provide the best possible medical care to babies who are born too soon. Please take a quick moment and sign the Preemie Petition on the sidebar to the right. Help the March of Dimes urge the new president and Congress to make progress for preemies!

A Perfect Pair in Pajamas

2008-11-11T19:18:00.004-05:00

I am a firm believer in the fact that there are few things in this world cuter than toddlers in footed pajamas. Even cuter than one toddler in footed pajamas is a pair of twins in matching footed pajamas!

Last week, it was in the low 70's here and we were playing outside without even wearing our jackets! This week, it is in the 40's and we are breaking out our winter coats and warm pajamas. I took this picture this morning of the boys, a few minutes after they woke up, in their brand new super warm pajamas. They are both laughing at me because I was dancing around in my own pajamas, celebrating the fact that I had the day off and got to spend it with them!

On another note...it completely freaks me out that these pajamas are a size 4T and fit them both perfectly!!

Tagged (again!)

2008-11-04T19:38:00.013-05:00

I have been tagged (again!) by the lovely Erin at The Mom Buzz. If you have been reading for a while, you know that I was tagged a few months ago by Krista over at The Galli-Ringo Family. So, now I have the difficult task of coming up with 8 new and exciting things to share with all of you about myself that I haven't shared already. Yikes! I am just not that interesting.

The fun part is that after I divulge all of this top secret info about myself, then I get to choose 8 more fabulous bloggers "tag" to keep the game going. Hmmmm... who shall I chose????

Ok...so here goes:

1. I am a Carmex Mint Click Stick fiend. I keep one in my purse, one in my desk at work, one in my diaper bag, one on my nightstand, one in the kitchen, and at least 5 new ones stockpiled on my dresser at all times in case I run out. Target recently stopped selling these and I am a little bit panicked.

2. My cell phone ringer is "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me" by Billy Joel.

3. I am a Starbucks Coffee addict. I know I said that the last time I was tagged, but it is an integral part of my personality and it bears repeating. I was recently invited to become a Starbucks Gold Card member!

4. I cannot stand mayonnaise or ranch dressing. I hate the way ranch dressing smells and the way mayonnaise sounds. Yes, sounds. I hate the noise it makes when you put a knife in it. Ewww.

5. I love Post-It Flags. 'Nuff said.

6. Over the past year, I have stopped buying books. I have joined the Paperback Book Swap and have gotten TONS of books for free! For every book I mail to another member, I get a credit for a free book. I can choose from over a million titles, request the one I want, and another member sends it to me for free. All I have to pay for is postage (around $2.00) to mail the books I send out. The books I request are sent to me totally free. If you are a reader, you should check it out!

7. Sometimes I accidentally forget that I have a kid's music CD in the player in my car and listen to it almost all the way in to work in the mornings before I switch to "real" music.

8. I teach in a school that has floors that are numbered upside down. You come in on Level 6 and then go up to Level 1. Weird, huh?

And now for the next 8 bloggers to be tagged:

1. Leia at My Life as Mom to 2 Twin Boys

2. Cybill at The Double Dinks

3. Stephanie at 23 week twins

4. Sarah at Ohana Mama

5. Shannon at Miracles, Because They do Happen

6. Tina at The Adventures of a Working Mom

7. Sarah at Sarah Solitaire

8. Jacolyn at The Lieck Triplets

A Tale of Two Haircuts

2008-11-03T10:57:00.010-05:00

Once upon a time, two very cool dudes wore their brand new shades on a ride in the car to get their hair cut.

One of the very cool dudes watched as they other one got his hair cut first. His name was Ross and he sat with his Gigi and thought that it didn't really look like Riley was having very much fun at all.

Riley totally disagreed with Ross and loved getting his hair cut. He smiled and laughed and posed for pictures the whole time.

After a few mintues, Ross had enough of watching Riley, and decided to check out the cabinets to see what he could find. He found a very fun shampoo bottle to play with.

When Riley was finished, he checked himself out in the mirror and decided he liked what he saw.

Then, it was Ross' turn. Ross appeared to be a little shocked and surprised at this news. His face sort of said "You want me to do what?" He agreed, though, as long as he could hold his shampoo bottle, not wear a cape, and be held by his Mommy instead of sitting in the chair on his own. He is a good negotiator for a little guy who doesn't talk yet.

There aren't any pictures of Ross actually getting his hair cut, because he and Mommy were cuddling the whole time. When he was all finished, though, he helped brush the stray hairs off of himself, while Riley continued to admire his new look in the mirror behind him.

Then, for their grand finale, the two very cool dudes impressed everyone in the salon as Ross sang a solo into his "microphone" while Riley made Gigi run in circles around the salon chasing him until Mommy finished paying at the front desk.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-01T18:31:00.012-04:00

I hope you all had a fantastic Halloween! The Twincredible Twosome and Reid (aka Cookie Monster, Elmo, and the Green M&M) did a wonderful job Trick or Treating! They figured out the whole process of going to each house, getting a treat, and putting it in their bags. We were amazed at how much they enjoyed themselves! We were extra lucky to have a gorgeous evening here, with sunny skies and unseasonably warm weather.

Ross and Riley actually started their Halloween celebration a little early and came to visit my classroom for our Halloween party. My students were thrilled to see them, and of course, I was so proud to show them off!

Riley as Elmo, visiting Mommy at work.

Ross as Cookie Monster, in Mommy's classroom

After school, we went to my mom's house to play for a while, where she gave them treat bags full of tons of fun toys. Then, we headed over to Reid's house where we played and then went Trick of Treating.

Here are some pics of our fun:

What is the world is Riley doing with those balls?

Then, the boys woke up the next morning and they both immediately wanted to wear their costumes again! So, just because I think they look adorable, here are some cute pics of them wearing their costumes again, over their pajamas!

I hope I win..

2008-10-28T10:55:00.006-04:00

I have entered a contest to try to win a $25 Amazon gift card from the fantastic Confetti by: Katteedyd! It's her first giveaway and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on her blog and then post something on your own blog (like this!) about the contest with a link back to her. Simple and fun! Wish me luck!

So, how is Ross doing?

2008-10-17T11:23:00.010-04:00

Thank you all for the many beautiful emails and comments sharing in my joy over Riley's exciting evaluation results. Many of you naturally asked about Ross' evaulation, and about how he doing in terms of his delays. The overall answer is that he is making fantastic progress in some areas, and having some more substantial trouble in other areas.

His gross motor scores were thrilling and showed absolutely no delay! He is still wearing a DAFO on his right leg only, and he needs to keep practicing walking up and down steps, jumping, and general proprioceptive awareness. However, he is moving around and using all of his limbs just as he should be, which is a huge accomplishment for a kiddo who has CP and who use to have extremely severe torticollis.

His fine motor skills are coming along well, also. Actually, this week he had decided that he loves puzzles and has begun completing a ton of different puzzles on his own. He also feeds himself with a spoon very well, when he isn't using it to spread various foods in his hair.

Ross' evaluation was actually a couple of weeks ago, and I have held off on posting about it, because I have also been holding off on sharing something else that has been going on with him related to his evaluation results. Originally, I hadn't planned to post about this at all, because I was in an emotional tailspin and couldn't see or breathe each time I thought about it. However, I am much more "ok" with it all now, and ready to share. Your comments and emails have always been so supportive and kind, so I feel that I can post about what has been going on.

Ross has officially been diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) which is on the Autism Spectrum. He is having difficulties with both receptive and expressive language, auditory processing, social and interactional skills, appropriate play skills, and sensory issues. He was diagnosed in August, and started receiving wraparound therapy in September. He is also still receiving all of his Early Intervention therapies, so he has quite a lot of therapy each week. In addition, he has had three private evaluations at The Children's Institute for speech, auditory processing, and sensory issues. Each provided more information about what we can do to help Ross, and each reaffirmed that we have already done all of the right things to meet his needs.

As an Autistic Support teacher, I have spoken with many parents about their child's diagnosis of PDD, and helped them to understand what it means. I have helped them to process through the stages of being sad, confused, angry, and afraid for the future. I have stressed to them that this diagnosis simply means that their child will need more intense therapy to learn to speak and interact with others, and that it is not a limit or restriction on what they will accomplish. I have explained that they should always assume that their child will be able to do whatever they want to do, and that this diagnosis will not limit them in any way. Yes, that's what I always said as a professional.

As a mommy, this diagnosis was a blow to my heart, and to my soul. It was far easier for me to hear that both of my sons had CP, as a result of their premature births, than to hear that one of my boys had a disorder that might impair his ability to interact with the world. I spent several days crying, several nights drinking wine. I cried to my mom. I got super busy and preoccupied with setting up wraparound for Ross and focused on the practicalities of meetings and scheduling, so I didn't have to think about my emotions. Then, I cried some more. Finally, I went to the one person who could really answer my questions about what the future would bring:

Ross. That's when I realized that nothing is going to stop this little boy from doing whatever he wants to do in life. Ross is barely two years old and has already overcome so much, and with much aplomb. He survived a pregnancy that was threatened constantly, where his placenta wasn't working correctly from 9 weeks on. He was born 2 months prematurely, weighing only 2 lbs 8oz, and yet his lungs worked perfectly and he screamed for food and gained weight like a champ in the NICU. He had severe torticolllis and plagiocephaly, and had to wear a helmet for 7 long months, and yet has no residual effects. He has CP and was delayed in all gross motor areas, and is already completely caught up and walking independently, wearing just one DAFO.

This is just the next step for him, and he will climb up and over it and amaze us all.

"He No Longer Has Any Delays"

2008-10-16T08:06:00.006-04:00

Those were the words I was greeted with yesterday at Riley's annual Early Intervention evaluation. Riley no longer has any delays, in any area. That simple sentence literally took my breath away, as I realized that I have never been in a meeting about either of my boys and heard that they were developing completely "normally." Usually, these meetings are difficult for me, as I am forced to focus on the areas in which the boys are not progressing as they should be. Of course, we always talk about the gains they have made. However, the bulk of our discussions naturally center on their deficits and on the fact that, since birth, both of my boys have required intervention and therapy in order to learn what comes naturally for so many children. It can be grueling, and sad, and the meetings often leave me drained. Last night, though, I was absolutely elated and joyful! For the first time, Riley is meeting all of his developmental milestones exactly as he should be.

At his annual meeting last year, Riley was still commando crawling, and was not even able to crawl with his belly up off of the floor. I remember having a conversation with all of his therapists about whether or not he would be able to walk independently, and when they thought that might be. I burst into tears because I was so afraid that he was going to start to become aware that he was missing out on things when he saw Ross begin to walk, and I asked if he could try out using a walker. You may remember this post about the first time Riley used a walker in January and then there was this miracle in May. Now, in October, Riley walks completely indpendently, although he does have a slightly altered gait due to his CP. He still wears DAFO's and probably will for some time. His balance is still not great and he falls often. He has a ways to go with managing steps on his own, running, jumping, etc., but, he is a million miles away from the little boy who made me wonder if he would ever walk on his own.

Riley's language skills are right on target for his age. He says about 100 different words and he is now starting to use 2 and 3 words together once in a while. He is having a little bit of trouble pronouncing certain sounds and his speech therapist and I both believe that his CP is making it harder for him to move his mouth in certain ways, so he will still have speech therapy to address that. His fine motor skills are coming along beautifully, although he still has needs related to his CP that he will continue to address in OT.

This past year has truly been incredible for Riley, and while he does still have some challenges to face as a result of his CP, for today, I am basking in the glow of hearing "he no longer has any delays."

New Look....

2008-10-14T19:50:00.002-04:00

I made some major changes to our blog, as you can see. I thought we needed some new color and some excitement around here! I changed the background, moved the sidebar over to the right side, and changed the color and size of the font of most of the text, titles and links. So, what do you think? I really want your honest feedback. Is it easy to read? Are the colors distracting, enjoyable, annoying?

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Please, be truthful....I can take it!

Pumpkin Patch Pictures

2008-10-05T10:52:00.009-04:00

This weekend, we went to Triple B Farms for our annual trip to the pumpkin patch. This was our first time visiting this farm, and we loved it! The weather was absolutely gorgeous and it wasn't crowded at all, which is always a bonus when you are trying to maneuver a double stroller around. It was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday!

When we arrived, we were greeted by Shrek because it happened to be "Visit with the Green Ogre" day. All three boys were thrilled to see him! Reid ran right over to say hello, Ross laughed and squealed at him, and Riley gave him a shy smile.

Then, we headed into the playground area and the boys had fun climbing into a barn filled with hay, going down slides, running around old tractor tires, and pretending to drive a tractor.

After that, Ross and Riley each got to ride a pony for the very first time. They both loved it and looked so handsome sitting on "Missy" who was a very sweet pony.

I also snapped this picture of Riley's profile while he was riding on the pony. Doesn't he look like a cowboy, thinking some serious cowboys thoughts as he rides?

Then, we all headed up into the pumpkin patch to run around and take tons of super cute pictures of all three boys,

Then, we got to see some goats and ducks. All of the boys were pretty amazed by the animals, and all of the goats were pretty interested in eating the boys' shoes.

It was really a beautiful day! What have you been doing to celebrate fall? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Way Back Wednesday (EDITED....on Thursday)

2008-09-11T15:20:00.013-04:00

It's Way Back Wednesday! Super Twinmama Cheryl, over at Twinfatuation, has a tradition of posting a picture of her gorgeous twins from "Way Back" each Wednesday, along with a few descriptive words. She has asked all of us (twin mommies) to join in the fun! So here is our first Way Back Wednesday picture:

Babies' Age: 10 months
Dateline: Spring 2007

My mom bought the boys their very first raincoats and I wanted to try them on to make sure they fit. Neither one could sit up on their own yet, so I propped them on the couch. They both smiled at the same time and I actually managed to get a picture of it. I love this picture of the two of them!

EDITED TO ADD: *Blogger was having a rough day yesterday and not letting me post this, so unfortunately, our very first way back Wednesday didn't get posted until Thursday! Oh, well!*

Back to the grind....

2008-09-11T15:20:00.012-04:00

I am back at work and the Twincredible Twosome is officially back in to the routine of having mommy gone for most of the day. They had a couple of tough first days, and then made the transition surprisingly smoothly. They are busy, happy, and full of smiles almost every day when I come home.

We have had a couple of very funny two year old moments that I want to chronicle here, mostly so I can record them for myself, but also to share them with all of you!

* One night last week, Riley woke up screaming up in the middle of the night and I went running to see what was wrong. Ross often has a few days of not sleeping well, but Riley has only woken up twice during the night since he started to sleep through the night at 4 months old. So, I knew when I heard him that something was actually wrong. When I got there, I found him sitting up in bed, smacking his beloved stuffed dog "Mimi" on the nose and saying "No bite" over and over. His foot was caught in the bars of his crib, but in his two year old mind, he reasoned that his foot hurt and the only possible explanation was that his stuffed dog must be biting him! I managed to get his foot out from the bars and get him back to sleep pretty quickly, but it took me close to an hour to stop laughing about it. Here's a picture of a more typical night, with Riley cuddled up, sound asleep with Mimi. The flash on my camera made it look like it was daytime, but that was actually taken at night.

*Ross has also been pretty hilarious lately. He has been perfecting varying degrees of squeals and screams and insisting that we all repeat them. Every so often he turns to either myself or Katie, lets loose with a wild shriek and then gives us the most beautiful encouraging smile until we make the exact same noise. As soon as we scream back at him, he applauds and cheers for us!

*The boys also have a new game together that I love to watch. It started with Riley giving Ross a kiss, but it has now evolved into a whole series of kisses, giggles and cuddles between the boys. It usually starts with Riley kissing Ross, followed by Ross grabbing Riley's ears and holding his face close to his and the two of them sit like that, with their faces up against one another, and giggle. If there is anything more magical than that, I haven't seen it.....

*All three of the cousins have decided that the Red Robin character at the Red Robin restaurant is really fun to play with. We have had dinner there a couple of times in the past few weeks, and all three of the boys have really had fun playing with him. Last night, Reid even led all of us in a rousing game of "Ring Around the Rosie!" Just imagine Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, my Mom, all three boys, and myself dancing and singing in a circle with someone dressed up as a Red Robin in the front of the restaurant. Yep....it was that funny looking.

So, that's what's been going on with us. Leave us a comment and let us know what is going on with you!

What we've been up to...

2008-08-17T16:34:00.009-04:00

The boys and I have been out and about and very busy lately. Our family was out of town last week, and even though we missed them terribly, we managed to keep busy every day. Some of you may remember what an awful week we had last year when our family was out of town. Well, thankfully this year, our week was free from illness and major power outages! I am actually pretty proud of myself for thinking up fun things for us to do each day, that were safely manageable with a ratio of one (semi-sane) mommy to two two-year olds. Talk about out numbered!! We were also lucky enough to meet up with some friends for lunches and other fun outings.

The boys and I visited the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Carnegie Museum of Art. The boys were more interested than I thought they would be and we had a great afternoon wandering around. Of course, they were especially interested in the dinosaurs and the lifesized replicas of all of the animals.

We went to Giggle and Smiles, one of our favorite places to play, with our friend Kelly. The boys had a blast and Kelly and I managed to chat for little bit in between chasing the boys around. We went out to lunch with our friend Jen, and we roamed the aisles at Target. We went to the play area at Chick-Fil-A, which is enclosed and safe, twice! We even managed to go to a playground, which is quite a feat to accomplish without another grown-up to help out! I found one that was surrounded by enough grass in all directions so that I had enough time to catch each boy before they reached a street. It was exhausting, but fun!

This afternoon, we had an impromptu photo and video shoot, just for fun. Riley is wearing a straw hat that Katie (their nanny) bought them, as well as a bunch of bead necklaces. We started using the bead necklaces as part of their therapies, for PT and OT for both boys. Now, though, they both love them and often walk around the house wearing them. Please ignore the enormous chocolate stain from lunch on Ross' shorts.....the outfits were too darn cute and I didn't want to change him into something else just to play at home. Enjoy the pic and a couple very short videos!

What do you think they're plotting?

Yes, they do tackle each other constantly. Do all twins do that? Anyway, I love the end of this video.

Riley answers "yeah" to most questions these days.

So, that's what we've been up to! Unfortunately, we are now in the final countdown until I go back to work on Thursday. I plan to see how much fun I can pack into the next few days to make the most of the end of summer!

First Haircut and an exciting win!

2008-08-06T18:34:00.008-04:00

Today, the Twincredible Twosome finally got their very first haircut. Yes, I know they are already over two years old, but they just didn't have enough hair to cut until now! I think their gorgeous cousin Reid got the good hair!

Anway, here are a couple of pictures of the occasion:

Ross, clutching a pink curler and wearing a penguin cape, ready for his first haircut!

Three seconds later, Ross wanting the penguin cape OFF right now and starting to look a little panicked.

Ross after his haircut, handsome as always!

How do you manage getting 2 two year olds a hair cut at once?

Thank goodness for my mom!!

Riley and his Grover prepare for his haircut.

Riley thought the entire process was funny.

Riley after he was finished.

Riley and his beautiful Grandma after his haircut.

Then, later on we went to Target to pick up a couple of things and the boys just looked so cute that I had to snap a couple more pics:

I also want to send a huge thank you to MaryBeth at Foursillysisters! She had a fun contest and giveaway of a Chicco Trevi Twin Stroller on her blog and WE WON! We love our new stroller and have already taken it out for several outings. The boys are comfy in it, the baskets underneath the seats are much bigger than on our old stroller and the best part, as far as I am concerned, is the parent cup holder to hold my ever present cup of Starbucks Iced Coffee!

I have no clue what Riley is pointing at, but he sure does have Ross' attention doesn't he? He looks like a tour guide!

More Birthday Pics

2008-07-26T10:13:00.003-04:00

Here are some more pictures from the birthday celebration....

The totally adorable Elmo cakes our friend made for the boys.

Singing "Happy Birthday" with the family. (Uncle Marc is taking the picture!!)

Ross performing his first drum solo.

Ross opening a card.

Riley LOVES the train from Uncle Seth.

Ross and Reid and Aunt Lys playing with the Gears toy.

Riley "vrooming" the cars down the racetrack.

Happy 2nd Birthday!

2008-07-22T07:59:00.013-04:00

The Twincredible Twosome had a fantastic 2nd birthday! I can't believe they are two already! We actually partied and celebrated for three days straight! On Saturday, they had a party at the Pittsburgh Toy Lending Library, which was a blast! We played, had cupcakes, and spent time with our friends and family. Here are some pics of the boys and our friends and family:

Ross in the book corner.

Reid on the slide.

Our friend Jack.

Our friends Gracie and Maggie in the castle.

Ross and my mom.

Our friend Lainey in the red cone. She came up with lots of creative uses for that toy!

Our friend Angela on the trampoline.

Riley on the trampoline.

Uncle Seth pushing Riley in the car.

Our friends Denny and Cade creating works of art.

Katie and Riley

The boys looking at each other while we all sang "Happy Birthday".

Everyone enjoying cupcakes

Riley in his favorite car.

Ross with the toy shopping cart.

Our friend Jack pushing Riley on yet another car.

Ross inspecting the rocking horse.

Then, on Sunday, we spent the day with our family and went out to lunch and played in the fountains on the South Side again. We finished up the day with cake and ice cream at our house with our family. When we were growing up, my sister, brother and I always had a party with our friends and then another party with family at home, so we are just carrying on a family tradition! One of our close friends made a very special personalized Elmo cake for each of the boys. They were adorable and the boys loved them!

Finally, on Monday, which was their actual birthday, we spent the day at the Children's Museum with my mom, sister and Reid. All three of the boys had a fabulous time, especially in the water room on the 3rd floor. Ross and Riley had never been up to that room before, and they had a blast.

It was a fantastic birthday. I am still in complete and utter amazement that my little miracles are two already. I cannot thank my family enough for helping me to make the boys' special weekend as perfect as it was. My sons are so lucky to have the best Grandma, Aunt, Cousin, and two Uncles in the world! Thank you guys for everything! We love you!

Fun in a Fountain

2008-07-07T07:53:00.006-04:00

Summer fun!

2008-06-26T08:19:00.011-04:00

The boys and I have been having a fantastic summer so far!! In fact, my notoriously early risers are both still asleep and it is nearly 8:30 am. I think they are catching up on sleep and recuperating from all of the fun we have been having over the past couple of weeks! We have been hanging out with my mom, Reid, and Aunt Lys every day, and Uncle Marc and Uncle Seth when they don't have to work.

The boys started their gym class this week and it was even better than I thought it would be! There is only one other child in the class, so everyone gets lots of one on one attention from the teacher, who is an OT, and each kiddo gets to learn how to use all of the equipment. They both surprised me with how quickly they figured out what to do and by how much fun they had. I am so grateful that my mom is coming to our classes with us, obviously because I need help with one of the boys, but also because it is wonderful to have someone to share in all of the fun! Riley was completely exhausted by the end of class, but with his lower muscle tone, that's to be expected. Hopefully, the class will help him build up more strength and endurance. Ross, on the other hand, had enough energy left to do another hour! I will try to get some pics of them in class, but I'm not sure if I will be able to since both my mom and I have our hands full (literally) the whole time!

We also went to Kennywood this week with my mom, Reid, Aunt Lys, and Uncle Marc. For those of you who aren't familiar with our area, Kennywood is an amusement park and it holds lots of great memories for those of us who grew up here. My sister and I had a really fun time reminiscing about all our visits when we were younger as we walked around with the boys. Right before we left, I put sunscreen on the twins and since their hair is still pretty thin on top, I always have to spray some in their hair to protect their heads. I took the opportunity to see what they would look like with mohawks:

Excuse the pink pacifier.....in a pinch, you do what you have to do and Target is always out of the blue ones!

I think Riley has a future in rock-n-roll!

Anyway, our trip was Kennywood was absolutely perfect! The we got to go on a couple of easy rides, the boys had Potato Patch Fries for dinner (if you are from around these parts, you know all about those!) and they got to taste cotton candy. Riley thought it was strange, but delicious. Ross and Reid refused to eat it, silly boys! Here are some more pics from the trip:

The boys and I on the turtle in Kiddyland, with Uncle Marc (and hidden Reid) in the turtle behind us.

The twins on another ride in Kiddyland....that they never really went on. Ross kept standing up before it started and making all of us way too scared that he would stand up when it was moving, so I took them off. But, they looked really cute for a couple of second sitting there, didn't they?

The boys and I, with my mom, on the train through Kennywood. Reid, Aunt Lys, and Uncle Marc were sitting right across from us.

Cute twins in a stroller.....

Riley eating cotton candy.

As we were leaving, Uncle Marc and Aunt Lys bought the boys chocolate covered pretzels. Ross and Riley were too tired to eat theirs at that point, but Reid really seemed to be enjoying his:

Photos on a Friday

2008-06-13T21:31:00.005-04:00

At the Science Center, playing at the water table.

The twins helping Gigi open cards on Mother's Day.

All three cousins together....for one split second.

Ross, looking so grown up.

Ross and his beautiful Grandma at Reid's party!

Handsome Riley

Ross enjoying the scarves at Reid's party.

Ross getting stamps for a job well done!

Riley trying to decide whether or not to use the scooter.

The most adorable nephew and birthday boy, surrounded by friends and cousins on a parachute!

Check out all of the great activities in the gym!

What a fun party!

Almost Summer and a Quick Update

2008-06-12T13:55:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow is my last day of work before summer vacation! I can't wait to have all that free time to spend with the boys!

It's been a while since I've updated, so here's what's been going on: Riley has continued to make great progress with his walking and has not used his walker in over two weeks now. He is getting better and better with his balance, endurance, and speed and his PT is amazed at how well he is doing.

Ross has discovered a passion for playing "Ring Around the Rosie" and asks to play it several times a day. He has also started to ask me to chase him around the house and squeals as loudly as he can when I catch him, just before he falls on the floor in a fit of giggles. I love it.

We have a new pet. "Ish" the fish now lives in a bowl on our dining room table. Riley has inherited my love of fish (those of you who have been to our house know that their nursery was done in an aquarium theme) and learned the sign for fish in speech therapy. He can't make the "f" sound yet, though, so when he tries to say the word, it comes out "ish". That's where the fish got its name.

The boys both had an evil virus this week that gave them fevers and a slight cough. They were rude enough to share it with with Reid right before his birthday party, too, for which they have asked me to apologize. Luckily, none of the boys really started to feel sick until after the party, because it was so much fun! The party was at Gymkhana, where Reid has been taking toddler gym classes for several months. He showed us all of his amazing gym skills and all of the kids had a fabulous time. It was a perfect party and everyone had so much fun! All three boys are starting to feel better now and we are all hoping that they are all completely better by Saturday, which is a very important day in our family. It is Reid's actual birthday and it is also my Mom's birthday!

Ross and Riley are also going to be taking toddler gym classes this summer at Gymkhana, so Reid's party was a great opportunity to see the gym and get a glimpse of what they will be doing. The class they will be taking will be geared for kids with some sensory issues (Ross) and fine and gross motor skill issues (both boys). I think the added effort to address those needs will make the class especially helpful, but I also think that, after watching them at Reid's party, the boys would be able to participate in a "regular" toddler gym class with no adaptations. When I originally signed them up, Riley was still using his walker and Ross' sensory needs were a little more pronounced, so I was thinking that the special needs class was exactly what they needed. It feels really good to know that they would be fine in a regular class, too.

Here are a couple of pics from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

I came home to a miracle today....

2008-05-14T20:05:00.003-04:00

When I got home from work today, I found this waiting for me:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Yep, that's Riley walking completely on his own, without his walker! I burst into tears and gave him a zillion hugs and kisses! There are no words for how proud I am! He went back and forth from the couch to the table at least 20 times! Then, a few minutes later he did this:

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

How exciting is that?????

Thanks, Cali!

2008-05-14T10:33:00.004-04:00

Check out our cool new header art, courtesy of my friend Calliope! She is a fabulously creative woman who is designing header art for bloggers like myself, who are completely devoid of all creative computer graphic skills! All I told her was that I love all shades of blue, everything fishy, and sent her a pic of each boy. She changed the pics into drawings, added the fish and voila! Our new header! All of this happened in less than 2 days, by the way. Not only is she talented, but she is speedy!

So, if you want cool header art for your blog, go vist her and let her know I sent you! There is a handy button over there on the right hand side for you to click that will take you right to her. Bonus - if you purchase her design skills (which are super cheap, by the way!) you will be helping her raise money to realize her dream of becoming a single mom by choice. She is putting all profits toward her FET fund and I wish her all the success in the world! Thanks, Cali!

I've also changed our template to accentuate the beautiful new header. Leave us a comment and let me know what you think!

Fifths and Disappointment

2008-05-05T12:00:00.005-04:00

No, not fifths of liquor....Fifth's Disease. That's what has caused Riley to be covered in red spots all week. It's not dangerous, and it's not even making him uncomfortable, which it great. However, it is contagious and can be dangerous to people with compromised immune systems, people with lung problems, and pregnant women.

Hmmm.....compromised immune systems and lung problems.....that sounds an awful lot like many former preemies who might be at the March for Babies. Pregnant women? Lots of pregnant women participate in events that promote the health of all newborn babies. Yep. You got it. We weren't allowed to go to the March for Babies this weekend.

I was so disappointed, but I am trying to focus on the fact that, with all of your help, we did raise $655 for the March of Dimes, which is fantastic. Of course, the donations were the real point of the March, but I wanted to see Ross and Riley walking: strong, healthy and grateful for the incredible medical care they received when they were born prematurely. So, I did what any disappointed Mom would do - I took tons of pictures of them being silly at home this weekend!

Enjoy!

Our first time taking a bath together in the big tub!

What? Am I being rude?

The shirt says it all!

Twins in a laundry basket

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

2008-04-23T10:09:00.004-04:00

Thank you so much for all of your unbelievably generous donations to the March of Dimes! We have surpassed our goal and will be so honored to present all of your donations on walk day. Of course, we still have a little over a week until the walk, and we will continue to collect donations until that day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Love,
Melissa, Ross and Riley

Please help us reach our goal!

2008-04-23T10:09:00.002-04:00

Click here to help me reach my goal!

Our March for Babies is on May 4th and we still have a long way to go to reach our goal! If you have already contributed, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If not, please donate now to help all babies be born healthy!

I'm IT!

2008-04-07T08:51:00.008-04:00

Wow! I am so honored! I feel like a "real" blogger now that I've been tagged! Thanks to Krista at The Galli-Ringo Family for tagging me. Now I'm "IT."

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I'm a little worried that I won't be able to think of 7 things about myself that are interesting enough to share, but here goes:

1. I am completely and totally addicted to Starbucks. Seriously. If you go into the Starbucks down the street from our house and ask anyone who works there for a "Melissa" you will get my drink!

2. I am an avid reader. Before the boys were born, I used to read 5-6 books a week. I always read at least 4 books at once. I had them stashed in different rooms of the house, in my car, and in my purse. I never wanted to get caught without having something to read. In fact, I used to hate having free time to just sit and think and I always had to have something to read to distract myself. Since the boys arrived, I treasure a few minutes to just sit and think quietly.

3. I love to knit. I mentioned in a previous post that I was learning to knit, but it has really become quite a hobby. (Interestly, now that I knit so much, I am reading less and less.....) Last night, I finished matching sweaters for the boys. They are super cute, if I do say so myself. I will post some pics of the boys modeling them soon.

4. My Gram always amazed me by her ability to do the Sunday New York Times puzzle...in pen! That's talent! I'm nowhere near that good, but I am usually able to finish the Sunday puzzle after a few days of working on it and many, many erasures. When I was on bedrest during my pregnancy, Starbucks had a crossword puzzle challenge that kept me occupied for several weeks. My mom and sister brought me the new puzzles as soon as they came out each week. I hope Starbucks does something like that again....although, I won't really have enough time to do it now!

5. When I was in college, I worked at Blockbuster Video during one winter break and one summer. One night, my boss, (who was only about 6 months older than I was) thought it would be funny to have me climb inside the video return drop box, reach out and grab videos as people dropped them off, and say "Thank you very much". It was pretty hilarious, but I sure hope I didn't scare anyone too badly.

6. I've never had a cavity! I really hope Riley and Ross have inherited my teeth!

7. I'm happy. I don't mean annoyingly sappy, always smiling happy. I mean that I am content and satisfied with my life. Sometimes, I am surprised by how my life has turned out and how perfectly it suits me. I grew up assuming (silly me!) that I would be a teacher, get married, and have children. I always knew I would be a special ed. teacher and working with students with autism is a wonderfully fullfilling, challenging career. There's nothing surprising about that part of my life. However, if anyone had ever told me that I would choose not to get married and and that I would become a single mom of twins on my own, I would have laughed. But, that's exactly what I chose, and I am grateful for those choices every day. I can't imagine a better life than the one I have with the Twincredible Twosome.

OK, here are the people I'm tagging.

1. Billie at MicroPreemie Twins: The Story of Holland and Eden
2. Michele at I Got Two, Babe
3. Jen at 4tunate
4. Cheryl at Twinfatuation
5. Craftylissa at Adventures of a Twin Mommy
6. Carey at Uterus X2 (I am sure she doesn't have time for this right now, but we can hope!)
7. Erica at The Dunn Family

Thanks again, Krista!

While you're here...please click on the banner to the right and support March for Babies! Ross, Riley and I are working hard to reach our fundraising goal!

Does anyone know Oprah?

2008-03-27T09:28:00.011-04:00

This weekend, we got some sad news. The Center for Creative Play, which is one of our favorite places to take the boys to play is closing. The Center is a large, indoor playspace which is designed to allow all kids (typical kids and kids with special needs) to play with a huge variety of toys. They have tons of gross motor activities, art, music, and sensory rooms, ride on toys, tables with train tracks and cars, tunnels to crawl through, and so many other fun toys. For my boys, the best part about the Center was the huge open space that was safe for them to crawl and walk around in. We aren't really sure why the Center is closing, because the news didn't have too much info, but it is really a shame. It isn't clear if it is a financial problem or something else. However, if any of you know Oprah, please ask her to help!! We spend an afternoon there at least twice a month, if not more often, and we will miss it terribly.

Here are some recent pics of the boys at the Center:

The boys enjoying the bubble machine.

The bubble machine is always a hit!

Ross swimming in shredded paper.

Ross loves this wall!

Riley and his wheels!

Riley appears to be tasting the paper....

Ross loves the bubbles!

Riley trying to catch a bubble

Please support March for Babies

2008-03-27T09:28:00.010-04:00

This year, Ross, Riley, and I will be participating in March for Babies (formerly WalkAmerica) to help raise donations for the March of Dimes. As you know, The Twincredible Twosome's miracle began at West Penn Hospital in the NICU, where they received amazing medical care. Much of the medical technology that was so critically important for my boys is a direct result of advances in research funded by the March of Dimes.

When I think back to how tiny and fragile they were....

And look at how healthy and strong they are now.....

I am overcome with gratitude! Please help support this organization which has done so much for so many babies!

There are two ways you can support March for Babies. First, you can join our team and walk with us! To join us, simply visit our walk webpage, join our team, do your own fundraising, and participate in the walk on May 4th. If you can't join us on the walk, please visit our walk webpage and make a donation in honor of Ross and Riley! Either way, please click below to visit our page!

http://www.marchforbabies.org/twincredibletwosome

Double Giggles

2008-03-24T12:01:00.002-04:00

Too cute......

Some more pics and a very brief video....

2008-03-23T15:56:00.008-04:00

Here are some new pics of the boys......I love these jackets (they got them for their birthday - thanks to the Drexlers!) and had to get some pics of them looking so cute.

Ross

Riley loves to look out the window.

Ross giggling at Mommy being silly.

Riley

Ross

Riley

Here is a quick video to show you all how well Ross and Riley are both walking now! Ross is the one walking first, and Riley follows right behind using a ride on toy for support, instead of his walker.

Mommy is learning what???

2008-03-22T18:33:00.006-04:00

To knit! I now...most of you think I am totally nuts, but I am learning to knit and I really love it. I finished a scarf with a new pattern last night, and thought I would have the two cutest models I know show it off for me!

I think the pacifier/scarf combo is especially cute on Ross!

Riley's face says it all...."Why did my mother put this thing on me?"

Some more random pics from our photo shoot.....

Teasing and Seagulls and Sit Ups

2008-03-19T11:02:00.011-04:00

Ross and Riley are full of toddler silliness and fun antics these days! After yet another round of tummy bugs last week, they are back to playing and laughing now. It's hard to believe, but they will be 20 months old this Friday!

Ross singing and walking around Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid's house.

Riley....just looking cute.

Lately, both boys have decided that it is fun to feed me, and like to put pieces of their food into my mouth. The other night during dinner, though, both boys decided that it was tons of fun to tease Mommy. Riley started it by holding out a piece of food toward me, but when I leaned in to let him put it in my mouth, he quickly snatched it away and ate it himself! He cracked up laughing and did it over and over again. Ross was watching all of this, and then he held out a bite for me and did the same thing! The two of them took turns "tricking" me and laughed hysterically the whole time. The kept looking at each other, as if to say "I can't believe she keeps falling for it! Try to trick her again!". It was so much fun to see them team up together like that!

We have been spending lots of time at the Center for Creative Play lately. The boys always have fun and they especially like the bubble machine! Ross gets very excited when the bubbles start, and walks around making a noise that everyone agrees sound just like a seagull. It's loud enough for Aunt Lys to hear him when she is all the way across the Center playing with Reid! His whole face lights up and he wanders through the bubbles making his seagull noise. He's so adorable!

Ross enjoying the bubbles...(not sure why his belly is hanging out, but that's cute, too!)

Riley watching the bubbles...

As I've mentioned before, Riley has low tone/weakness in his trunk muscles, which is what is causing him to need his walker for now. Much of the focus of his PT is on strengthening his trunk and teaching him to use those muscles more effectively. Our PT is wonderful about thinking of fun games and activities which make him use his trunk, without feeling like he is doing therapy or exercising. Well, aparently, Riley doesn't really need us to hide his therapy in fun games and he's quite willing to just do exercises! Yesterday, when I got home from work, Katie (the boys' nanny) told me that Riley had a new favorite activity. She got out a large pillow we have and Riley immediately climbed onto it, layed on his back, and started doing sit ups! He loves them! Honestly, who loves to do sit ups? It's wonderful exercise for his trunk and I am thrilled that he has "invented" such a great game for himself! I'll try to get some pictures of him working out to post soon!

That's it for now.....thanks for checking in with us! Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate and Happy Spring to everyone!

Coughing, coughing, and more coughing

2008-02-27T13:38:00.003-05:00

Once again, I apologize for taking so long in between posts. We are all recovering from another round of yucky coughs and colds. Riley got it first and developed a nasty cough at the end of last week. We stayed in all weekend while he coughed and coughed and coughed. Our whole apartment reeks of Vicks baby rub! Then, just as he started to get a little better, Ross woke up Sunday morning with the exact same symptoms. So, now Riley is on the mend and Ross is still in the midst of the worst of it. Thankfully, neither of them is running a fever and they are both still happy and playful for the most part. Also, since they love me so very much, they shared their germs with me and I am also sick right now.

Even in the midst of coughs and cold, we are managing to spend some time each day being purely silly. I caught the boys playing Hide and Seek...toddler style.

Riley is looking for Ross. Ross believes we cannot see his feet sticking out from under the curtains...he's at that "If I can't see you, you can't see me" stage.

Riley is turning away, pretending to look somewhere else. At least....I assume he is pretending. Do you think he really doesn't know where Ross is? Keep in mind that Ross is giggling the entire time.

Ross reveals himself! Riley looks at me in shock! "Oh! He was behind the curtain! Who knew???"

Ross' smile says it all...he is so proud of himself for being such a clever hider!

This is just a random shot of Riley in his ongoing quest to make sure every single toy we have is out and on the floor at all times. Seriously, though, look how nice and straight he is standing. He is holding onto the shelves for support, but his posture is much improved as a result of using his walker. He has only been using it for a month, but his body positioning in many different circumstances has improved greatly!

So, that's a quick wrap up of what we've been up to. Not much new....just two incredibly cute kids that I love with all my heart!

It's all good...

2008-02-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! I had to share this pic with all of you because it's so cute, and the story behind it is even cuter. That blue toy bin holds some of Ross' favorite toys, and he empties it and throws all of the toys all over our living room every day. Each evening, I have been having him "help clean up" by putting one or two of the toys back in the bin. Usually, that lasts about 10 seconds, and he takes them all out again. Well, on Saturday, Riley somehow crawled into that empty toy bin and got himself wedged in pretty tight. Ross looked over at him, smiled, and picked that moment to decide to help clean up! He picked up all the toys and tried to stack them in the bin on top of Riley. Riley's face says it all!

I know that many of you have been waiting for a post with news about the boys' appointments with the developmental pediatrician. Overall, both of their appointments went very well, and the doctor said that we should have very high hopes and expectations for both kiddos because she expects them to do beautifully! She did formally diagnose Riley with mild hypotonic cerebral palsy and Ross with extremely mild spastic cerebral palsy. Although it was a little hard to hear the formal diagnosis for each boy, in my heart, I already knew that was the answer. She does not feel that, for either boy, their CP will hold them back in any way, which is all that I truly care about. Also, she reassured me that we are already doing all the right things in terms of therapy, and that the fact that they have been getting Early Intervention since they were 2 months old is fantastic. Finally, she also formally declared them both super cute, which, of course, I completely agree with!

In other news, the boys and I had a great weekend! Today, we went out to lunch and to the Center for Creative Play with Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, Reid, and Gigi (have I mentioned before that Ross and Riley somehow started calling my mom, Gigi?). All three boys had a fantastic time! Riley must have put a zillion miles on his walker, because he never stopped moving. Ross did a great job with walking, too.

Speaking of Ross walking, here is the long awaited video. I'm sorry it's so dark, but it was taken after he was supposed to be in bed. He hasn't been sleeping well, and seems to need much less sleep than Riley. So, on nights when he seems wide awake at bedtime, I have been putting Riley to bed and letting Ross stay up later to play off some of his energy. I try to keep it low key, with less lights, no TV, etc. After a while (sometimes a loooong while!) he calms down, we have a good cuddle, and he finally goes to sleep. As you can see in this video...he is nowhere near ready for bed yet and is moving full steam ahead! He is wearing his PJ's, and so he doesn't have his DAFO's and shoes on, but he is still walking very well!

Thanks for checking in!

Riley's First Day with his Walker

2008-01-25T18:38:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! Once again, I apologize for taking so long between postings, but the boys and I got hit with another wave of tummy bugs and colds. The picture above was taken last weekend when we all felt pretty blah......but the boys still looked adorable in their pj's! We are all getting much better now and I hope we can get out and have some fun this weekend!

As many of you know, Riley's low muscle tone has caused him to have some delays in his gross motor development. He has been working on crawling up on all fours, instead of on his belly, for nearly 8 months now, and is still having a tough time. He has been able to pull to stand and cruise for a while, but he always leans his trunk against something for support. This low tone in his trunk means that, for right now, he can't support himself while standing, and therefore can't walk on his own. However, the boys are now 18 months old and he is developmentally ready to explore the world in an upright position. So, our fabulous physical therapist suggested that we let him try to use a walker for support, to see if he is able to move around with it. She arranged to borrow one to try, and said that if he is able to use it, we can pursue getting him one of his own through our insurance.

During his therapy session today, she introduced the walker. It is a reverse walker, which means that he needs to stand upright and pull it along behind him. He needs this type because a traditional walker, which he would push in front of him, would allow him to lean his trunk against it and avoid using his trunk muscles. I called home after his session, and heard that he didn't do very well. Apparently, he kept flopping to the ground and resting his armpits on the handles. I was a little disappointed, but figured we would keep practicing and see if he could do it.

Then, I came home from work and stood him up in front of the walker and .....he took off! For some reason, he "got it" at that moment. It was so exciting to see him walk and be so independent. Over the next hour, he made a continuous lap from the front door, across our living room, to the end of hall and back. He never stopped, and seriously must have made at least 50 trips across the room. Initially, he was a little frustrated when he reached a wall, and we helped him to turn around. After only about 15 minutes, though, he figured out how to turn around with just a tiny tap on the walker to remind him to go backwards and then turn. He executed three point turns perfectly!

I took these videos at the very start of the hour, so they don't even show how well he was moving after just a little more practice! Amazing! (That's Katie, the boys' nanny, helping him get started.)

I am just so thrilled! Of course, the twin mommy in me is feeling all sorts of guilt because I don't have a video of Ross walking yet. He is making great progress, too, and is now taking 6-8 steps on his own many, many times each day. I tried to get a video of him walking this evening, but he was just too darn tired. I think it may have something to do with his total refusal to sleep through the night anymore. But that's another post....

Afterschool Fun EDITED

2008-01-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry it has been so long since I've posted! There really isn't too much new to report, but I wanted to share Riley's trick of the day with all of you! While I was at work today, he learned how to crawl up on to the coffee table all by himself. As you can see, he is quite proud of himself! (I'm proud of him, too, but I think I just sprouted ANOTHER gray hair!)

****EDITED**** Ross is never one to let his twin outdo him! He woke up early this morning, at 6am, and the very first thing he did was crawl up onto the coffee table by himself. So, now I have two kiddos who can get up there (and fall off) all on their own!

One of the best things about having twins (there are SO many!) is watching them interact with each other. Yesterday, Ross kept pulling Riley onto his lap, pulling up his shirt, and trying desperately to stick his finger into Riley's bellybutton. It was amazing to watch and see just how long it took Riley to get annoyed. He was surprisingly patient about it!

Lately, Riley has been suddenly saying "Head! Head!" and then tackling Ross and rubbing his head with both hands. Again, it's amazing to see how many times Ross will allow him to do that before he gets tired of it.

They got these cute new chairs from Grammy and they love to hang out in them to watch Sesame Street. In this pic, Riley looks totally relaxed and completely unaware that Ross is scheming and planning a way to steal the toy he is holding right out of his hand. I didn't get any pics of what happened next because I was referreeing. You can use your imaginations!

And then, of course, there are my favorite times, like this one:

Happy New Year 2008

2008-01-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I wish you all a year filled with health, happiness and peace! The boys and I had a wonderful winter vacation, and I am so sad about going back to work tomorrow. It has been so nice to have all of this time to cuddle and play.

Riley has been doing so much better with crawling up on all fours, rather than commando style! That is great news and means that he is gaining important strength in his trunk. He has also been extremely cuddly lately. Every few minutes, he crawls or cruises over to me, smiles, and says "Mama, bup, bup" (his version of "up, up"). It's so cute! He has also perfected this move:

He does this whenever he is proud of something he has done and fully expects applause each time. He does it a zillion times a day, and of course, I applaud each time.

Ross is making slow but steady progress with learning to walk. He takes 4-5 steps on his own now, and he does it many times each day. He still prefers to crawl because he gets where he wants to go so much faster. He has been organizing and sorting his toys lately. I am not sure what system he is using, but he is quite serious about it. He gathers a huge collection of toys and picks up each toy, one at a time, tastes it, turns it over in his hands a few times, and very thoughtfully places it into one of two piles. He focuses on this intently until the entire collection is sorted into two distinct piles and then he shines this gorgeous smile:

Both boys have been working on learning to use cups instead of bottles, but it has been hard for both of them so far. They have been practicing during occupational therapy and are slowly getting better. It's especially hard for Riley because his lower tone in his trunk makes it hard for him to sit up without using one hand to support himself. He tends to fall over when he lifts both arms up to use a cup. He can use a straw cup when he is in his high chair, but otherwise its much easier for him to drink from a bottle. It's been hard for Ross, too, although I admit that I have been letting him still use a bottle because he sees Riley with one and wants the same thing. However, Ross has now learned a new "trick" and I am thinking that bottles need to be a thing of the past for him. Check out this video to see what I mean. Look closely to see what he is doing. In this clip he is drinking a bottle of water....imagine what happens when he has milk!

Holiday Honeys

2007-12-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! The boys and I are having a wonderful winter break so far. We have been playing, being silly, and playing some more!

I wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has a beautiful holiday and enjoys time with family and friends.

The boys have been chosen as the homepage babies on our favorite twins website, Twinsights! Please take a look at http://www.twinsights.com/. It's a wonderful site with lots of useful and fun info about twins. Right now, there are tons of adorable pics of twin holiday honeys posted, so go take a look!

Merry Christmas!

Hannukah Continued

2007-12-11T07:56:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the last night of Hannukah and the boys have had a wonderful holiday! I don't have much news to report, but I wanted to share some cute pics with all of you! Please don't forget to leave us a comment below the pics. Thanks!

The boys got a tunnel and they LOVE it!

Riley loves his Tickle Me Elmo

Sleepy Twins and their Elmos

Ross and Elmo

Reid on his Mommy's shoulders

Ross wanted a turn on his Aunt Lys' shoulders, too!

Riley wasn't too sure about the whole idea....

Adorable Reid opening his gift

Happy Hannukah and a Major Announcement!

2007-12-05T07:56:00.000-05:00

Happy Twins at the Children's Museum

Hi, everyone! Happy Hannukah to all of our Jewish friends and family! We celebrated the first night of Hannukah at Grammy's house last night, and had a wonderful time. Ross was mesmerized by the candles on the menorah, and after we finished singing the blessings, he was still chanting and singing in his tiny little voice. Riley was much more ready to be finished with the candles and start eating. The boys both had their first potato latkes (pancakes) and thoroughly enjoyed them. Between the menorah, dinner, and exchanging gifts, we didn't have time to get any pictures, but I promise you that all three boys looked adorable!

We also had a great time this weekend at the Children's Museum. We went with Grammy, Reid, Aunt Lys and Uncle Marc, and Uncle Marc's parents, who were in town visiting for the weekend. All three boys played and explored until they were exhausted! It was so much fun to see them all have such a good time, and Uncle Marc managed to get lots of great pictures.

And now for the major announcement: Ross took his first independent steps today! (I am totally weepy and emotional about this....my 2lb 8oz miracle is WALKING!!!) He has been holding onto my hands and going for 8-10 steps before he wants to get down and crawl. His DAFO's (braces) really do seem to help him with his balance. Then, today he took a couple of steps on his own during his PT session. Unfortunately, I was not home to see the big event, but I will try to catch it on video to share with all of you over the next couple of days. He has also invented a new mode of transportation for himself! For the past few days, he has been waiting until Riley starts to commando crawl, and then he has been climbing up onto his back and "riding" Riley across the room. He giggles the whole time and is clearly quite proud of himself for coming up with the idea!

Riley seems to be in a bit of a holding pattern with his gross motor development right now and hasn't been making a lot of gains lately. He is still working on crawling with his belly up off the floor, rather than commando crawling. (I don't really think that carrying his brother on his back is going to help him get his belly up, so maybe I should start discouraging Ross from riding him, huh?) He has been having fun inventing some new games to play with me. He likes to "hide" against my shoulder when I am holding him, and when I say "Where's Riley?" he whips his little head around and smiles at me, like "Here I am!" If I ask him where his head is, he reaches up with both hands and grabs his head and beams at me. Very cute.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-25T18:52:00.000-05:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We sure did! We spent the day playing at Grammy's house, with Grammy, Uncle Seth, Aunt Lys and Uncle Marc, and Reid! All three boys had a wonderful time and Riley learned how to feed Peppe, our dog, from his high chair. It was so cute, but I couldn't get to my camera to get a picture. I did get this good one of Ross and Reid playing together before dinner, though.

The rest of the weekend was just as much fun! On Saturday, we all went to Chuck E. Cheese to play. The boys watched the show for a few minutes, but spent most of the time running and crawling all over the place. Thank goodness everyone helped me chase the boys or I am sure I would have lost one of them! I wasn't able to get any pictures, but thankfully Uncle Marc and Aunt Lys got a coouple of good ones!

All three boys watching the show...

Ross about to go down the slide

Some of you have asked about how the boys are doing with their DAFO's (leg braces). Riley has been doing beautifully with his since the first day that he got them. He spent a few hours a little unsure of how to move with them on, but he quickly got used to them and is now doing all of the same things he was doing before. He is still not able to keep his ankles straight when he stands, but he is getting better and better. As soon as I pick them up to put them on him in the mornings, he very cooperatively holds out each foot and lays totally still until they are strapped on and his shoes are on and tied. He's so cute about it!

Ross had a much tougher adjustment and was fairly miserable for a couple of days. He seemed to feel like he couldn't move while wearing them, and he just sat completely still and cried. It was heartbreaking. Then, he finally learned how to move in them, and just as quickly, he learned how to pull them off...shoes and alll! So, we had to go back to the orthotist to have extra gripping pads put into the heels to help keep them on him. We had them adjusted Friday, and he immediately starting crawling, cruising, and playing perfectly well in them! On Saturday, at Chuck E. Cheese, he wore them and crawled and climbed all over the place. He has also taken quite a few steps holding onto my hands, or Grammy's hands, which is very exciting.

Here's a picture of both boys standing in their DAFO's. You can see how they really help Ross to stand nice and straight, and that Riley is getting straighter.

Thanks to all of you who have already given me such great feedback about this new site. Please don't forget to leave us a comment and to vote in the poll!

Welcome!

2007-11-17T07:45:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Twincredible Twosome! This is a new blog where I can continue to share news and photos of the boys with everyone. I decided to close the Carepage website because it is time to move on. The Carepage was a wonderful way for me to get info out to everyone while the boys were in the NICU. All of your comments and heartfelt messages made the days a little easier, knowing that so many people were sending love, support, and prayers as the boys grew strong enough to come home.

Then, after the boys came home, so many of you wanted to know how they were doing, how big they were getting, and what they were up to. Also, lots of you asked me to post as many pics as I could, so the Carepage was a great way to share those. However, Carepages are really meant for families who are dealing a health crisis (premature birth, illness, etc.) and I feel like we're so far past that part of the boys ' lives. I am deeply grateful that they are healthy and strong, and I just want to focus on all of the "twincredible" things they are doing now.

I am doing my best to transition to the new site without losing any of the info on the Carepage. I really want the boys to be able to see it all when they are older! I copied all of the posts from the Carepage and archived them on this site. I also archived all of the messages on the message board. Finally, I created a group in my email so I can send out email notifications (just like the Carepage did automatically) when I post and/or add new pictures. There are also some fun, new things to check out, like the photo slideshow and the poll at the bottom.

So, please stop by and check on the boys whenever you'd like! I will post as often as I can, and share as many pics as possible. If you don't want me to send the notifcation emails to you, just reply and let me know and I will be happy to take you off the list.

Thanks for caring so much about the boys!

Thing One and Thing Two and Riley's Big News

2007-11-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! The boys have been doing so many new and exciting things! I have been meaning to post for a few days, but we've been so busy that I just haven't had time. I just posted several new pics from the past couple of weeks, including some Halloween pictures. The boys dressed as "Thing One" and "Thing Two" from "The Cat in the Hat." My most adorable nephew was a Dragonfly, and I had to include a pic of him because he looked so gorgeous!

The most exciting announcement of the week is that Riley has started to take some steps holding onto a walker! He has been working very hard in physical therapy and it is paying off! Here is a very short video (37 seconds) of his first attempt!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/U3tFmWFkm9MGhZUdJC3KoA

Both boys will be getting their DAFO's (leg braces) on November 12th and I am sure they will really take off with the added stability. I have a hunch we may have some independent walkers very soon!

Thanks for checking in with us! I hope you all had a great Halloween!

Trax Farms

2007-10-17T07:03:00.000-04:00

Hi! I just posted some new pics from our trip to Trax Farms last weekend. The boys and Reid had a good time playing in the pumpkins. I also reposted a pic from last year's trip to the pumpkin patch, because the difference in the boys is incredible! Unfortunately, the boys' nanny fell last week and broke her arm, so she is not able to pick the boys up right now. Fortunately, that means that I got a few extra days at home with them until I worked out some childcare alternatives. The boys and I have made good use of our bonus vacation time and have been hanging out with Aunt Lys, Reid, and Grammy. Of course, we also spent some time at Starbucks! I am headed back to work tomorrow, which is good, and bad at the same time. I will miss the boys so much, but I can't stay home forever. Someone has to pay the bills around here and Ross and Riley are too busy playing and napping to go get jobs! Thanks for checking in!

Bye, Bye Magical Hat!

2007-10-12T07:02:00.000-04:00

ROSS IS FINISHED WITH HIS HELMET!!!! Yeah!!! He had his last appointment today and he has made such great progress that he does not have to wear it any more! I posted a bunch of new pics, including two of his head so you can all see how great he looks. The boys also had their 15 month checkup today and they are totally healthy kiddos! Ross now weighs 23 lbs 14 oz and Riley is 24 lbs 13 oz. They are both 31 inches tall. The boys also had their legs casted today so their braces can be made. They should have them in early November. Riley's will be covered in a truck pattern and Ross will have fish all over his! Check out the pics!

Riley's Re-eval

2007-10-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

Riley had his annual re-evaluation yesterday and he ROCKED! His tests showed average development in social skills and slightly above average development in cognitive skills, for his real (not adjusted for prematurity) age! Way to go, Riley! He has made excellent progress in OT and only showed minor delays in fine motor skills. Although he has made progress with his gross motor skills, he is still having more significant trouble in that area. He is going to be wearing DAFO's, similiar to the ones Ross will be wearing, to help stabilize him. Overall, the entire team was pleased with his progress and I am thrilled with how beautifully he is doing!

progress

2007-09-30T19:40:00.000-04:00

Hi! I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the last few gorgeous days of summer. The boys are doing very well! We had a great weekend! On Saturday, we went to the Museum with Aunt Lys, Reid, and another friend and her two daughters. Then, Saturday night, we went out to dinner to celebrate Uncle Seth's birthday. Today, we went grocery shopping and then hung out at home, playing with every single toy we own. Our living room looked like a Toys R Us explosion by bedtime! Ross had a very exciting week! He took his first few steps forward holding onto my hands! I am so proud of him! Up until now, he has only been cruising sideways while holding onto furniture. He is still having some trouble with high muscle tone in his legs, and is walking very high up on his toes, so he is going to be wearing DAFO's (ankle/foot braces) for a while to help him get the balance he needs to walk on his own. He should have the braces in a few weeks. However, this was the first time he tried to take steps forward and is a huge accomplishment! On Friday, he had his yearly re-evaluation for his early intervention services and he ROCKED! He has made great progress in PT and OT for his fine and gross motor skills and he is catching up in both areas. In fact, he has made such great progress with the torticollis (the problem he had with his neck muscles) that he now only needs PT once a week instead of twice! The most exciting news, though, is that for cognitive and social skills, he is right on target for his real (not adjusted for prematurity) age! Yeah, Ross! Riley is also doing beautifully! He is cruising much more quickly now and has a lot more confidence with his movements. He has been using some special therapy shorts that have straps to help hold his legs together while he is standing. His low muscle tone makes it hard for him to keep his legs together and he tends to slide into a split and fall down after a few minutes. However, with these shorts, he is standing for over 30 minutes at a time! It's really amazing to see how quickly he is gaining strength from using them. His re-evaluation is next week, so I will post all the good news for him after the meeting. Please take a look at the new pics I posted. Some of them are from a few weeks ago when we went swimming at Reid's house and some are from the past couple of weeks. Thanks for checking in!

Ball

2007-09-15T19:17:00.000-04:00

Hello! I know it has been a little while since I've posted, but things are always busy at the start of the new school year. The boys are doing some exciting and fun new things. They are both cruising (holding onto furniture and "walking"). Riley said "ball" today and and handed me a ball while he said it, so I am pretty sure he knew what he was saying. They are playing together more and more, which is so much fun to watch. They look for each other as soon as they wake up in the morning and burst into giggles as soon as they see each other. They are so much fun right now! I just posted some new pics, so please take a look! Thanks!

2007-08-22T15:55:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a great summer. We did, other than that one very long week. The boys have grown and changed so much this summer and it has been such a blessing to be able to be home for so much time with them. I am going back to work tomorrow, which makes me so sad. I am sure we will all adjust and do fine, but it is still tough to think about going back. You all know that I love what I do, and I really enjoy my students, but nothing compares to being with my sons. We had an especially fun day yesterday! First Reid and Aunt Lys came over to play and visit for a little bit. Then, we went to the Center for Creative Play, with our friend Carol, who was Riley's nurse in the NICU. We also met another mom there, and her daughter, who was in the NICU at the same time as the boys. She was much smaller and more premature than the boys, and had a harder time with medical scares, so it was truly amazing to see how wonderfully she is doing! She is so healthy, and so big and strong. She's truly a miracle! Ross and Riley had a great time playing and exploring while we were there, and they wore themselves out so much that they took a long nap as soon as we got home. Can you believe that one year ago today, my boys came home from the hospital? I remember every second of that day...mostly because I was terrified. Of course, I was overjoyed to have them home and healthy, but I couldn't help but wonder who in the heck thought it was a good idea to leave me alone with two premature infants!! I was so worried that I wouldn't know what to do. Now, I realize, like every other mom in the world, that no one knows what to do! We just make it up as we go along and let our children lead the way. Every day with them reminds me of how lucky and blessed I am...doubly blessed! I added three new pics of the boys being cute, so please check them out. To all of my teacher friends and family....I hope you all have a great school year!

Week from h-e-double-hockeysticks

2007-08-14T19:58:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! I know it has been a little while since I've posted, and I'd like to say that we've been so busy having fun that I haven't had time, but that is not the case! We are doing just fine, now, but we had a pretty rough week last week. Our entire family was on vacation in Florida, but we couldn't go along because Ross can't be in the heat or get wet because of his helmet, so it didn't make sense to spend the money for airfare, hotel, etc. this summer. We will all go next year, but it just didn't make sense for us this summer. I knew we would miss them terribly, but I had no idea just how hard it was going to get to be on our own. First, Riley got sick and we went to the pediatrician on Monday and he got an antiobiotic, which immediately gave him expolosive diarrhea. Then, on Tuesday night, Ross got sick. So on Wednesday, we went back to the pediatrician and he also got an antiobiotic and, of course, also got the awful diarrhea. Then, on Thursday, that horrible storm knocked out our power and it never came back on until 5 pm SUNDAY! It was so awful to have no air conditioning and no lights, and no fridge or microwave for four days. Of course, we lost all the food in fridge and freezer and I had to use a cooler and get bags of ice each day to keep the milk and their antibiotic cold. The poor little guys were back to eating baby food all week, since it doesn't spoil. To top it all off.....Ross woke up Friday morning covered in dark red spots from head to toe! Thankfully, it was just a reaction to his MMR shot from 10 days before and didn't itch or bother him at all. I posted a couple of pics of him with his spots, which are almost all gone now. You can see from his smile that they didn't make him uncomfortable! I nicknamed him "Sir Gotalotofspots" for the weekend. Needless to say, I was so thrilled to have my family home safely on Friday! They are the only reason we made it through the weekend until the power came back on. The great news is that both boys are doing so well right now! Ross is cruising holding onto to furniture and even got his first pair of shoes! (I posted a couple of pics of that, too.) Riley is trying so hard to pull himself up to stand and is getting stronger every day. He is even starting to climb up onto things. There is a cute pic of Riley laying on the coffee table (Katie, the nanny, is holding him!) and he is leaning over the edge checking out Ross' shoes. They are both getting more teeth, which they sometimes use to bite one another, but we are working on that! Yesterday, Aunt Lys, Uncle Marc, and Reid gave them the most wonderful toy....The Incrediblock! The boys had so much fun and played so hard that they wore themselves out. Ross literally chewed his dinner with his eyes closed! So, we are going to use the rest of our summer to have fun and enjoy ourselves! Hopefully, I will get lots of great pics to share with you! Thanks for checking in!

Silly

2007-07-30T18:37:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! I just posted some pics I took of the boys after dinner tonight. They were in a very fun mood, and we had a great time goofing around and being silly. Take a look!

B-day pics

2007-07-23T11:33:00.000-04:00

The boys had a great birthday! Please check out the new pics of the boys covered in chocolate cake!

Happy Early Birthday

2007-07-20T19:18:00.000-04:00

Happy (early) Birthday, Ross and Riley! The twins will be one tomorrow! Can you believe a year has gone by already? I wanted to post this tomorrow, but I am sure it will be a hectic day, so I decided to post it now. There are no words to express how much I love these little boys. Ross and Riley are my miracles, and I am in awe of them each and every day.

Their first year has been so amazing, and I made a photo montage to celebrate this milestone. If you would like to see it, I would be honored. Just click on the link below. If you do want to watch it, just be sure to turn your volume up!

Thank you for loving my boys and for sharing their first year!

Happy 1st Birthday, Ross and Riley!

Very special birthday

2007-06-15T06:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a very special day for us! June 14th has always been special because it is Grandma's birthday...but now it is doubly special because it is also Reid's birthday! We had a double celebration at Grandma's house last night. I just posted a picture of Grandma and the twins and one of the birthday boy and his cake! I can't believe my gorgeous nephew is already one.....he's amazing and incredible! Have a great weekend!

Videos

2007-06-10T19:07:00.000-04:00

Hi, everyone! I just posted a couple of cute pics for you to check out. The boys and I had another great weekend, with tons of playing and being silly. Ross is trying so very, very hard to crawl, and he looks so cute! If you want to see a couple of brief videos of his efforts, here are the web addresses.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=343051507022474997
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7973991088540044501
I will get some cute video of Riley next time! He was more interested in playing quietly today, which is adorable, but doesn't make for exciting videos! I hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for checking in with the boys!