Spoonin' it up

Joel and Henry are 11 months old today! One more month to the big 0-1. They are cute. And mischievous. They just crawled into the kitchen and I can hear them wrestling over an empty juice bottle.

The boys love their colorful plastic spoons. They aren't feeding themselves with utensils yet, but they like to eat off of them and play with them. I think Henry's method of spoon carrying is particularly adorable.

Two feet, and climbing

So, Monday:

I took the cushions off the couch to give the boys some new terrain to cover while I tried to bring some order to our refrigerator. I heard Joel's voice, and turned to see him scaling the back of the cushion-less couch.

Yikes!

I went and grabbed him before he could fall down. ...Which means I then promptly let him do it again so you all could see. He also tries to go head first down the stairs at my parents' house. Not sure when this fearless one will start learning boundaries.

Sleepy eater

Isla de Angeles

We took an outing to Angel Island on Saturday. Benjamin's professor sailed to the island with some of his research group, and we ferried over and met up with them for lunch.

The boys' first boat ride!

On the way to Angel Island

Henry wasn't actually as worried as he looks here

 

Ken's boat (center), loaded up and headed out

Benjamin, Henry, and Joel with Benjamin's co-worker Tatsuya and daughter Naomi

It must be tough to sit in a stroller while someone else pushes you around the island

Near the bell at the old US Immigration Station

What a handsome fellow!

 Our attempts at a family picture, while waiting for the ferry:

 

We sat near the boat engine on the ride home - it put the boys at attention!

 

Addendum to "Night moves"

Apparently I posted too soon, because the night following my "Night Moves" post, I went in to check on the babies and found...

...Joel with his head wedged between the side of the crib and Henry's rump.

We moved Joel.

Night moves

Many people have asked me if the twins have some special sort of connection; if they speak their own language, can read each other's thoughts, etc. I'm often amused by this, as the boys still ignore each other plenty (though sometimes they laugh back and forth to each other, and my heart melts into a puddle because their laughs are so pure and unaffected and adorable).

I went in to check on the boys some nights ago and saw this:

Yeah, that's what I said too: "Awwwww". Proof that they like each other! Proof that they have a "connection"! And proof that we don't need to buy a second crib. Not yet, anyway.

This has led to me taking a camera into the boys' room when I check on them at night (mamarazzi anyone?). Somehow I'm still surprised to see that the boys have moved from wherever we set them down, even though Henry is now crawling with gusto, and Joel goes every direction but forward. Here are some of my finds:

It's hard to tell, but Henry's legs are tucked under his rump, which is aimed at the back of Joel's head. Watch out, Joely.

How they end up when they've run out of wiggles

Getting Brother back for some offense during the day, no doubt

I LOVE this picture and those little baby biscuits SO much

This picture makes me think of talking into the wrong end of the phone

Whispering secrets

(Sorry about the levitating pachyderm, folks - he's part of the mobile)

Related topic: they have both been sleeping through the night for a month now. It is AMAZING.

Sweet dreams everyone!

Picnic

On the last Sunday in March, four years ago, Ben and I went on a picnic near Lafayette Reservoir. I remember the idea being initially floated (by me) as a group activity, but in the end, it was just Ben and me. It could be considered our first date*.

About four years (and exactly two babies) later, we went back for another picnic. It was a great afternoon.

It was a hike down and back, but we made it

The valley was SO green

Oh, how I love these boys

Joel kept sliding down the blanket, but had a good attitude anyway

All my favorite boys

Me and Big Red

Did I mention it was beautiful?

Henry had a good time chewing on the grass

We tried a few times - this was our best family shot

*The other contender for first date would be the one where he called me on a Thursday night at the beginning of April to ask me if I had any plans on Saturday eveningu; we went for Barney's Gourmet hamburgers and stargazing on the coast.

Hoppy Easter

Outfits by Rachelle

...and some other goodies:

Happy

As Cochelle would say, "it's the small things". Or maybe she says, "it's the little things" (apparently, I need to spend more time with her so I can remember what it is that she says). Anyway, here are some things that I am happy about today:

:)  Henry ate rice cereal this morning and this afternoon and liked it. He voluntarily opened his mouth to receive it instead of buttoning his lips and turning his head. This hasn't happened for at least a month. I'm really happy about this.

:)  For some reason, the email asking for musical numbers in Sacrament Meeting made me think about the harmonica. I just listened to Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" three times in a row; the harmonica is delightful. If I could play like that, I might ask to play in Sacrament Meeting.

:)  Joel coos at himself in the mirror and smiles at Henry. So cute.

:)  Tonight is drop-in volleyball at one of the local rec centers; Ben will watch the boys while I go play. I'm still a little rusty, but it feels really good to play again.

What has you smiling today?

I heart Valentine's Day.

I was going to try and count the ways that I love this day of red hearts and sugary delights, but I'll just relate some thoughts.

Thought: I love hearts and the color red; I think I inherited this from my mother. Almost half of my cookie cutters are heart-shaped. This may be influenced by my mother as well, because to me, Valentine's Day is inseparably connected with heart-shaped sugar cookies - particularly those I helped my mother decorate when I was a child. I would frost a cookie, center a smaller cookie on top, and repeat through tiers of cookies and candy hearts. Delicious. My mom has also drawn hearts on many of the notes she has given me through the years - on napkins in a lunch sack, on sticky notes, on the address line of an envelope. My dad has continued the mantra he started while I was in utero: "Sammy, this is your daddy. We love you". I feel blessed to know that I have parents who love me. I am also blessed with a mother-in-law who is quick to say "you are loved". 

Me and Momma Jones - April 2011

Momma Allred and one day old Henry - July 14, 2012

Thought: I have a valentine. He is more wonderful than any valentine I could have imagined. Handsome, kind, intelligent, fun, supportive, hard-working... this guy is the best.

Whiskeytown Lake - June 2011

Point Reyes - December 2012

San Francisco - January 2013

Thought: I love boys (though I don't have a crush on every boy like I used to). And good news: I have three awesome boys in my home! What a lucky girl I am.

January 2013

Thought: I was dancing with Joel to "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" this morning, and I thought about his heart. I thought about the paper hearts on the bulletin board outside of UCSF's Children's Cardiac ICU. I thought about the hearts seen by Dr. Azakie and the many other doctors, nurses, physician assistants, and specialists that worked so hard on our little boy. I thought about the hearts of family, friends, co-workers, ward members, temple-goers, and others turned to our Heavenly Father in prayer for Joel's heart. I am grateful that Joel is with us this Valentine's Day.

Post-surgery - July 25, 2012

7 months + 1 day - Valentine's Day 2013

Final thought: Valentine's Day reminds me of my BYU days: hanging out with roommates and friends at the Glenwood, watching Teen Girls Squad, and having a bonfire of paper hearts. Those days, just as these current ones, had their ups and downs, and I am grateful to all those who helped me to make it through and have fun along the way.

Happy Valentine's Day!