Bad to The Bone!

Here are the girls in their Harley gear that Nana and Papa brought from Arizona. Don't they look like little tiny bad-asses? The urge to draw little tatoos on their pudgy arms was almost irresistable. (Lillian in cream, Naomi in black.)

Here are Nana and Lillian enjoying the swing and the sunshine in the backyard. Can we get a Hallelujah for summertime? The girls got to meet their friend Rowen this weekend when his parents brought him up from Virginia. It was amazing to watch this 18 month old truck around the house, talking and interacting and imagining that soon there will be two of those things in our house, all the time!

We've started our rice cereal adventure. Naomi was sincerely unimpressed the first time, but things have improved, especially once we let the soy formula work its magic. Here's her "Uck" face. Lillain? Much more inclined towards things that are edible. Or not. As soon as we were done scraping the cereal off of her face, she began eating the bib you see here.

Someday, soon, I promise, I will get video on here, because you all deserve to have the delight that is watching these girls in the doorway bouncer. Think Riverdance.

Week 28.39867240: She ain't heavy, she's my sister!

As of this point, the girls have been out as long as they were in. We've reached this milestone a little faster than your average bears, but so far, so good. (I don't actually know how long bears gestate. Anyone?)

We had our official 6 month appointment today, as our pediatrician was off on his honeymoon last week. The girls still get great marks, and are solidly in the growth charts for their full-term companions. Height and head circumference are right in there as well. Numbers say their heads are right in the 50th percentile, but you wouldn't guess it to look at them. Especially Lillian. She just looks like she has a giant head because she has tiny ears and no hair. Both girls measure with the exact same circumference. One place they are not even anymore is weight. Lillian's now the bruiser, tipping the scales at 15lb14oz. Naomi, once the perpetual leader in the weight race, is a puny 15lb4oz.

We've been given clearance to start rice cereal, so you'll be getting some interesting photos coming up here soon. After that, make way for veggies that stain! Before that, though, Naomi will be starting on soy. She's gonna be one of them vegan, tree-hugging babies. Do they make Birkenstocks this small? We're thinking it might help her catch up with Hulk Lillian, as she might be sensitive to dairy. Not that she's a twig, or anything. Sister's got the rubber-band wrists.

We had the girls out for a lovely adventure this weekend, walking the towpath trail in Peninsula with Nana and Papa. Lots of families out on bikes. Apparently the bicycle shop there rents those little seat trailers that attach to a bike so your kiddos can relax in style while you bust a hump down the trail Already looking forward to watching William tote them along!

Here are the girls, Nana, Papa and William sitting along one of the locks in the canal. (Naomi's on Nana's lap.)

Week 27 +/-

Eeep! How did this happen???

Lillian and Naomi are six months old today.

Think they've changed much?The rate at which they change is impossible to describe. I already look back at this blog in wonder--who are those tiny things??

Speaking of tiny things, Happies of Birthdays to the girls' newest friend. Nat and Amanda's baby girl was born today. I'm sure the three of them will team up in delighting us and torturting Jack in no time.

All sorts of exciting things have happened recently. Some things are not happening any more. Having demonstrated their mastery of rolling over, they have decided to forgo any futher exhibition of this skill. However, we have traded that in for laughing. Especially Lillian. I can't get this on video, because in order to make her laugh, I have to sit her on my lap and lift her up so that her forehead bonks against mine over and over again. It's totally worth it.

The girls are starting to figure out cause and effect. In their bouncer seats, we have toys that hang on the bar that goes over their heads. I hung a toy with a bell, tied a string to it and looped the string around her wrist. (Lillian first, then Naomi.) Within minutes, each girl discovered that if she flails her arm, the bell rings. Much flailing ensued. It's hysterical. This if-then thing also works in the bathtub. They have realized that if they do a whole body dance, lots of water splashes everywhere and that's fun. Bathtime has gotten a little messier for Mom and Dad. Nana helped out with baths last week and cheered Lillian on with shouts of "Make the bubbles, Lillian!" and she would kick and splash, frothing up the bubble bath.

Mother's Day is tomorrow. It's still odd to me that I am someone's mother. Two someones. As all the mothers out there already realize, it opens up a depth of feeling that I didn't even know existed. In all the stress and exhaustion, there is also calm. We worked so hard and waited so long for these little girls. There was so much anguish and worry and fear and agony. And I wouldn't give back a minute of it. It couldn't be any other way.

Thank you to all those mothers who have shown me how to do this, whether they meant to or not. And to those who are not yet at their goal to be mothers, have faith. Each moment of waiting makes each moment of joy that much sweeter.