Oh No, the Marbles are Watching Us

WHAT a day. EJ and Liesel kept the New Family Parent’s busy for four continuous hours. EJ was especially needy. He was the definition of colic.

Around 4 p.m., the Twins let Mom and Dad know it was time for feeding, holding, and/or playing. 90 minutes later, they were still at it, the twins were insatiate. However, while Liesel began to show signs of fatigue, EJ was winding up, not down. Mom held him. Dad held him. Mom fed him. Dad fed him. They put him down. They picked him up. They put him in a swing. They put him in his car seat. They burped him. They held him in the colic hold. They strapped them on their chests and went for a walk. They bounced and strode. They fed him anti-gas medicine.They worked every trick in the book, but nothing soothed him.

EJ would appear to fall asleep on occasion only to wake up and begin screaming all over again wearying them.

Around eight, he was overtired, but at least he was finally asleep. They collapsed on the couch basking in the silence. EJ lay in the bouncer on the floor between them. They apprehensively watched him expecting to have to jump up again and start the whole soothing routine over, but the minutes ticked by without him stirring.

Each minute brought greater assurance that he had finally gone down for the night.

After twenty minutes of quiet, the magical period when the Twins almost never begin another fussing episode, Mom snuck a peek at him and said, “Oh no, the marbles are watching us.”

He was awake and ready for more.

Gotta LOVE parenthood! 

The marbles are watching Daddy.

Time with Opa

OPA is German for grandpa. This is Heidi's Dad. Opa came for a visit and brought cake and beer. The New Family parents fed him chicken fried steak, boiled potatoes, and beef stew and provided the entertainment.

Tree and Apple Seed (see text below).

Happy Opa and baby girl.

Before she left to be with the Lord, Heidi's Mom would comment on the similarities between Heidi and her Dad by adapting the adage to, "There's the apple and there's the tree" whenever Opa and Heidi would say the same thing or act similarly. Recently, while commenting on the similarities between EJ and Opa, Dad made a similar comment, but Opa suggested that EJ was instead the apple's seed. So now when EJ mimics Opa, he is Apple Seed.

Daddy's Boy

EJ plays with Mommy.

The onesie says "Eat Nap Play (Repeat)"

The smile of a child makes it all worthwhile.

Wait for it...wait...

...there it is!

All that play makes him hungry. As does everything else.

Hidden Lake Outing

THE New Family took advantage of the cooler weather to venture out to Hidden Lake.

They have arrived!

It is nice enough to carry them without too much sweat.

Dad's ready to go!

Mom takes in the view.

Dad likes the bridge.

Pretty stream.

Dad and Son climbed down the embankment. Risk takers! It was pretty slippery.

Hidden Lake's namesake.

Crown in the trail. When the center is higher than the sides, it makes balance difficult.

Hidden Lake is not as large or as nice as Herrick Lake. One can go deep enough into the property of Herrick Lake to lose the noise of traffic. It is constant and loud at Hidden Lake. Herick is much more peaceful.

An Outing to the Forest Preserve

MOM and Dad have their favorite preserve areas to visit and look forward to taking the twins back when they are old enough to ride in the pack-a-kid back packs they own. That won't happen until they can hold their heads up though. But it'll be a blast when they do.

In the meantime, they are restricted to short strolls around the lake in the stroller.

When the New Family arrived, Mom spotted this injured turkey. They have not seen turkeys in the area for a few years and so were excited but saddened.

Mom and the twins pose on the boat rental dock. Anyone up for a canoe ride? Dad promises not to tip and spill everyone into the water!

One of the picnic shelters had these bird nests. This one was occupied. Notice the tail feathers on the right side nest.

Another bird nest in a different part of the shelter.

The picnic shelter. This looks like an awesome place to have a roaring fire.

Herrick Lake lake, the preserve they like to frequent.

Dad sent Mom and the kids around the bend to pose with the water in the foreground. Close up follows.

While she was getting there, Dad snapped this green on green shot. Some of the water is thick with algae. Lots of bugs, frogs, and other creepy crawlys in there for the kids to find when they are older.

There is Mom and the Twins, barely visible across the water.

Life Before Kids

 HERE is a selection of photos taken before the kids came.

Mom poses while prego.

She shows off her tongue (she cannot roll it, though Liesel can).

Goin' on a car trip.

The weekend before extraction, a.k.a. birth, at the mall. The New Family's last hurrah.

Dad in the Moby

EJ rides astride the bottom of the wrap facing Dad while Liesel relaxes sucking on a bottle.

HERE it is, as promised. The embarrassing photo of Dad wearing the Moby wrap. But whatever. It is useful to hold and quiet one child while doing other things, in this case feeding the other child.

The recent heat makes wearing it shirtless much more comfortable than over a shirt. And it covers more skin than Dad shows when he goes to the pool. Plus, unlike the Baby Bjorn or Snugli, the Moby is soft like a t-shirt and more comfortable against bare skin. The rough synthetics of the other two are too irritating to be worn with out a shirt. Anything helps, and these two little heat factories can have Dad's brow wet within a few minutes when just laying around, so the openness is welcome, if a little embarrassing in photos.

Another advantage of the Moby over the others is that it is much more intimate and closer to kangaroo care than the others. Dad believes the kids can her his heartbeat through the wrap, but not with the others.

Another Outing

Sittin' and waitin' with Daddy at the Costco food court. Too young to have a polish or pizza yet. Maybe next week. Let's take them home for a walk.

Family Outing

THE New Family Parents got word that Chick-fil-A customers decided to throw the restaurant chain an appreciation day. The Family planned on making an appearance, but even at 2:00 in afternoon, the crowds and wait times were too much for the soon to be 8-week-olds (not to mention Mom and Dads patience). So they had a late lunch there on the following day.

Dad needs to get that mop chopped. Kids soaked up a few minutes of sun.

Mom holds their heads up. They wouldn't cooperate.

A friendly stranger snapped this photo of the New Family. You meet the most pleasant people at the Chic Fillete.