Twinventures

Orock Obama!!

2008-11-11T11:12:00.001-05:00

Just listen.............

2008-10-21T15:15:00.002-04:00

Fall Fun!!!

2008-10-05T20:49:00.015-04:00

Hello, Mommy has been a really bad blogger, but we have more adventures to tell you about. GnG are sooo big now and taking in so much around them. We try to get them to experience something new every weekend. This weekend was full of fun. On Saturday we went to the Taste of Bethesda, a huge outdoor festival with lots of good food, activities for kids and entertainment. GnG enjoyed the African Drummers and the Irish dancers. Grant even got on stage and danced and Irish Jig. On Sunday we went to the Elioak Farm to pet the animals, enjoy a hayride and play in the various play areas. We had a ball and the weather was perfect. GnG were amazed they could get so close to the animals. Here are some pics from our weekend.

19 Months!!

2008-04-03T22:44:00.013-04:00

Dear GnG, Mommy has been really, really bad, I'm so sorry I haven't written to you in several months. Well, happy 19 months! The last few months have been truly amazing, you are so grown now and I just love to watch you grow. I don't even know where to start. You both have grown so much in so many ways.

Grant, people always say you're a happy baby, I agree, you have the best smile and you're so huggable and kissable :-). Where do I start with you, lets start with vocabulary, you say so much now and you even said your first sentence at 17-months. You said "share car" to Gabby, you like to tell her to share, but in your mind share means "I'm taking your toy, you've been warned." Your vocabulary is phenomenal...you're saying at least 20 words loud and clear and you even count from 1-12 with great clarity. Recently you've begun to say Gabby, you love to tell her to stop, and it's so cute. You're acting like a big brother already. We go to the playground several times a week and your favorite thing to do is to walk up the slide and slide back down. At the library you're a hit, the librarian has begged us to come back for story time just so they can see you dance in front of the class. You have no problem making friends and you get along with kids of all ages. I'm so surprised to see how well you play with older kids.

At your last appointment, you weighed in at 26 pounds and 34 inches. You look like such a big boy now. I'm just amazed at how fast you're growing. You love to dance and you love to run, run, run...it's so cute, your run is more of a skip sometimes, I don't know where you got that from, but I love it. You're lovable and huggable, but getting you to sit down and cuddle is really hard to do...Your daddy and I really cherish the moments you sit in our lap quiet and still. I love to feel the heat from your little head on my chest. It feels so good to hold you close for more than a minute.

We love you Granty G!!! You're an amazing boy.

My dear Gabba Gabba, my little lady, you are so loving, cuddly, beautiful and passionate. You have grown so much. Your vocabulary gets better every day; I would say you're saying a good 10 words with good clarity. Your absolute favorite word is Elmo. Upon awakening your first thought seems to be Elmo. Once you said Elmo 100 times in a row (okay, maybe not 100 times, but close to it). You're a VERY picky eater, it's frustrating because one day you absolutely LOVE something and the next day you hate it. You are still a featherweight, at your last visit to the pediatrician you only weighed in at 19 pounds and 31 inches.

Ever since your super bowl walk you haven't sat down. Your new found independence has really gone to your head :-). You hate to sit in the stroller and you hate to hold my hand when I let you walk. This my dear has made outings extremely difficult for us. You are very passionate; you throw a tantrum like nobody's business. Don't get me wrong, you're a doll 98% of the time, but you know how to let us know you're not happy. Well, I guess I don't blame you. Grant likes to take your toys all the time, so I think I'd be upset too. You LOVE the playground, especially the swings. I was so surprised to see how outgoing you are on the playground; initially you were more outgoing than Grant. You don't really like the library, but you love it when they blow bubbles. You are such a character...you have this face, we call it the "evil eye", basically you screw up your face and look at us as if you're saying "what is wrong with you!!!" It is sooooo funny! You also have this smile that is hilarious; I have a couple shots of you showing your pearly whites below.

You're a wonderful little girl, I love being your momma and I love it when we cuddle. Love, your momma :-)

Addicted...

2008-03-04T08:00:00.000-05:00

This past weekend I had a "girls weekend" with some old roomies from college. I had a great time, but I missed GnG so much. While enjoying a night out with my friends, I got a text from Chris with the above picture attached. My heart literally melted. I wanted to go home immediately to hug my babies. I'm so addicted to GnG.

Gender Differences...Innate or Learned? That Is The Question.

2008-02-26T23:00:00.008-05:00

I have a very unique opportunity to raise a boy and a girl at the same time, so I often wonder how much my beliefs of how girls should act versus boys impact how their personalities will develop. I try to treat them the same, but I find that Gabrielle is a lot clingier than Grant. Is she clingy because I treat her more gently because she is smaller and female? Is Grant more outgoing and active because I encourage him to be more independent? This is all food for thought.

An interesting thing happened recently that supports that gender differences are innate and biological. GnG recently participated in a research study looking at their ability to imitate behavior seen in a video. The video demonstrated how to put a rattle together and shake it. Grant didn't quite get it right, but he came very close. Gabrielle put it together perfectly and even shook it afterwards. The researchers said they weren't surprised, because the girls in their age group usually get it right. Who knew?!

So, gender differences are both innate and learned, I just need to make sure I do my best to provide them with a wide range of experiences so they can be well rounded children, at least that is my hope.

P.S. Photos courtesy of Aunty Colleen and her new camera.

Little People

2008-02-14T22:45:00.007-05:00

GnG, Happy Valentines day. You two have filled my heart with so much love. I can't believe how fast time flies. You are now little people with your own little personalities. It's so hard for me to believe that you just came into this world a little over a year ago. You're now 15 months old and you do so much already.

Grant you are amazing in so many ways. You've been walking for 5 months now and you just started to climb onto EVERYTHING. This is a little scary for me, but I know you're having a ball. You love to run and somehow you learned how to skip. I don't know who taught you to do this, but it's the cutest thing ever. You LOVE to dance, especially to the 5 little monkeys song. You also like to hum to your favorite songs, like twinkle, twinkle little star, the itsy bitsy spider and the 5 monkeys. You love to count, especially as we go up and down the stairs. You favorite number to say is TWO. You say it with such great enunciation. In addition to saying two, you love to say shoes, juice, cup, and car and make animal noises like moo and grrrrr for most other animals. You love to pretend to read and you are always bringing books to mommy and daddy to read to you. I love that you like books. You're still not into cuddling, but you've grown fond of your blanket. You hold that thing like it is your best friend. You love to play and you love to tackle your sister. You love her, even though you treat her rough. I catch you giving her kisses all the time, even though you have to tackle her to the floor to get the kiss. At your 15 month visit to the Pediatrician you weighed in at almost 24 pounds and you have approximately 11 or 12 teeth. I can't get a good count since you won't let me close to your mouth. I love you soooo much.

My dear Gabby, you are the most precious little girl ever. You're still very petite and so sweet. You're becoming quite a daddy's girl these days too. I see how you light up when you see him. You're also very fond of your brother, I see you look at him with adoration. You seem so thoughtful beyond your years. You've been walking for almost 2 weeks now; you made your big walk debut on Super bowl Sunday. I will forever remember that moment. I'm so glad we caught it on tape. You're walking very well and sometimes you try to run to keep up with your brother. You and Grant are so much alike, I guess that makes sense considering you are together ALL the time. You also love to dance and sing. You have the coolest dance that I’m still trying to get on tape. You spin around like a windmill on your knees. It looks painful to me but you do it with such ease. You also love to count as we go up and down the stairs; your favorite number to say is seven. You say by bye, Di da (thank you), mama, dada, ook (book) and juice. You love to talk; I think you just like making new sounds. At your last appointment you weighed in at 18 pounds 2 ounces and you now have 8 teeth and 3 molars coming in. You're not a happy teether by the way. I love you my Gabba Gab.

Walk, Climb, Pull, Tear, Destroy......

2008-02-10T23:09:00.000-05:00

These are the days I was warned would come, the days that their goal would be to seek and destroy. I can't take my eyes off them for one second. Now that Gabby is walking Grant has decided he has to do even more than the usual walk. He only runs now and he also climbs. Today I left them in their playroom for just one minute, when I returned I found Grant sitting on the bed. He pulled one of his toys close to the bed and used it as a stool. How clever for him and scary for me. What am I going to do?!! Please pray for us :-).

They both have mischeif written all over their face in this pic.

Super Walk

2008-02-06T20:37:00.000-05:00

Superbowl Sunday was more than just a game day, it was the day that Gabby took her longest walk ever. We had some friends and family over to watch the game and Gabby decided this was her moment to shine. Before this day she had taken no more than 5 to 6 steps; but on this day she pretty much walked across the room. She has been walking ever since. We are so excited...you can tell from all the howling and cheering in the video :-).

Jelly In The Belly? I Think Not!

2008-01-16T21:02:00.000-05:00

We've been testing new snacks lately and here are pictures from the day we had jellied crackers. GnG really enjoyed this treat, can't you tell by the mess?!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-05T22:22:00.001-05:00

New Years has always been bittersweet for me, I just don't like saying goodbye. But instead of looking back and feeling sad about saying goodbye to the year, I looked back on what a great year it has been, especially with GnG.

This year started off really tough with two newborns. There were many sleepless nights, lots of poopy diapers(we still have these), tons of bottles to sterilize, struggles with breast feeding and pumping, extra weight, and the list goes on..... While that time was very difficult, I have no regrets. Every sleepless night was worth it. My precious babies are growing so fast and I'm enjoying every minute. I look forward to the year ahead for all that GnG will learn to do, say, etc.

I have so many people to thank for all they did to help us make it through this year. You know who you are :-). Here are some of my favorite pics of the year.

We've Been Elfed!

2007-12-18T15:59:00.000-05:00

Click this link:
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1529272625

Boys Will Be Boys...

2007-12-05T22:53:00.000-05:00

Grant is all boy. He is rambunctious, strong, outgoing, curious, fearless and loving all at the same time. He loves to play rough, for example, he loves for us to give him a little push so he falls to the floor. Okay, that sounds really bad, but it's not :-). Just a little push and he will burst out in laughter and fall to the floor. Thank God he has a nice fluffy butt to fall on.

Recently he has started to engage Gabby in his roughhousing. He usually grabs her from behind and takes her to the floor. She used to cry, but I think she likes it now. Grant was caught in the act...here are some shots.

Coming Soon.....Another Walker!!!

2007-12-04T20:24:00.000-05:00

New flash!!! Last week Gabrielle took her first step. Yippeeeee!! She has been "pretend walking" on her knees for several weeks now and every once in a while she stands up for brief moments. Poor little princess is afraid of falling. Well tonight she took 3 steps!!!! She was so excited! I'm sure the weeks to come will be very interesting for Lil Miss Gabby.

Stay tuned....

Rock Star Babies

2007-12-04T19:26:00.000-05:00

GnG are huge fans of music, so several months ago my mom bought them a pretty nice electronic keyboard. Yes, I know...way too advanced for GnG, but we occasionally allow them to play with it….Supervised of course. If unsupervised I fear the keyboard would just be keys scattered around the room. Tonight they seemed bored, so we pulled it out and this is what transpired. The video is a little dark, but still cute..Enjoy!

Hump Day Cuties.....

2007-11-27T23:12:00.000-05:00

Gabby doesn't like it when I comb her hair..check out the look on her face below. She appears to be thinking "Why! mommy, why!?"

Grant, looks so relieved that he is no longer tortured by the big bad comb.

Black Friday Cuties...

2007-11-24T00:25:00.000-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday" because it marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Well, being the adventure seekers we are, we actually set out on a trip to the mall, not for the sales, but for a much needed hair cut for Grant. Today was the day that Grant got his very first hair cut. We have been debating how to go about this for several weeks, so we finally decided to let the professionals do the job. We went to Cartoon Cuts since they specialize in kids. Grant screamed bloody murder through the entire cut. It was very difficult to see. We intended to simply even out his fro, but it turned into a full blown cut. I must admit I miss the fro already, but I know it will grow back soon enough. Grant looks like such a big boy now. Here are some pics of his new coif. Also below watch a great video of GnG singing a tune :-). The cuteness factor is off the charts.

My Twoddlers

2007-11-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

Dear GnG -

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, my camera battery has been dead and I just found the charger. I know..bad momma :-). Well, you're adjusting to the twoddler phase very well.

Dear Grant, you no longer walk with hesitation, you run with skill. You can even do mean side step. You are constantly talking and most of your words start with G.. a lot of times it sounds like this "Ga..Ga..GaGa..Ga..GaGa..Ga..Ga..Ga..." Your daddy and I have even made a song to it :-). You are super strong and honestly, I don't know how much longer I can change your diaper, it's truly like WWII when you see me approach you with wipes and a diaper in hand. I have to tackle you to the floor and put my leg across your torso just to keep you still. There is absolutely no way I can change you on the changing table anymore. By the way, your new nickname is Sir Poopalot, yes, you my son can put out quite a load and you are VERY regular. Okay, enough about poop and diapers. Developmentally I think you're doing great. You understand many concepts, such as "Up!" When I say "Up!" you know it's time to climb upstairs. When I say kiss, you know I want a kiss...when I say no, well, you know to stop, but you don't always stop. I know you understand far more than I can write about, but you are a super boy. One of my favorite things to do with you is sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider Song. You get so excited and you even try your best to do the hand movements. You are very independent, in fact, I don't get a chance to cuddle with you like I would like to. You always seem like you're on the clock, so hurried and busy...too busy for cuddling...Kisses you give, but they are short, but oh so sweet.

My dearest Gabrielle. You are the epitome of a little girl, you are like a gentle flower. Even amidst the craziness that Grant brings to the picture, you still seem to stay calm and gentle. Just recently you started giving us big, big smiles, it is so cute. You are quite the talker, I think your record for talking non-stop is 30 minutes :-). I love it! You have a reputation around town as the little girl with the big voice. Many have stopped us to comment on the explosiveness of your vocal ability. While you are the sweetest little thing, you sure do know how to let us know you're unhappy. You've developed a knack for saying no to food. It's absolutely impossible to get you to eat sometimes. As a matter of fact, at your 12 month appointment you only weighed 16.8 lbs. Your Pediatrician is not happy with those figures, so we are on a mission to plump you up. You now rank in the <3% for weight. You recently started to stand on your own, it's so cute because you know it's a major accomplishment and you look to us for applause when you stand. My favorite time with you is bath time. I just love to lotion and give you massages. You seem so happy and relaxed. And I feel like you gaze in my eyes as if to say "thanks mommy, I feel so fresh". You and your brother love music, he does squats and you do the head banger dance.

GnG, I'm so excited about this journey we are in, this love affair is just fabulous. We are blessed to have each other.

Below is a video of your everyday life...just play, play, play!

Happy Birthday To Ya! Happy Birthday to Ya...Happy Birthday......(Sung to Stevie Wonder's melody)

2007-11-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

Dear GnG -
Wow, I can’t believe an entire year has gone by; this year has been incredible. This year started out a little rough as we learned how to best care for you, but we eventually learned how to please you and make you happy. Today you’re happy babies and so much fun to be around. This day has been so bittersweet for me, while I am so happy to see you grow and learn at such a fast pace, I’m also sad when you can’t wait for me to let you go so you can run and play. For me to get a kiss I have to chase you down, but that’s always lots of fun too. People always comment on how tired I must be with having to care for twins, but they are wrong most of the time. Most days I awaken to a feeling of excitement to see you and be with you. You’re so addictive! I am so excited about the new year ahead. Here are some pictures from your very first birthday party.

Your first cake....

The gifts were great, but all the paper was even better!

Lots of family and friends came to celebrate.

So You Think You Can Dance?

2007-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

GnG are developing a love for music and a little rhythm as well. Check out this video and watch as they get their groove on.

Hide 'N Seek

2007-10-15T20:45:00.000-04:00

Over a month ago we bought GnG a hide 'n seek tent tunnel play zone.
(http://www.amazon.com/Hide-Seek-Tent-Tunnel-Combo/dp/images/B000KHH5H4).

Chris and I set it up the day it was bought and GnG had no interest, they just stared at it..I even demonstrated how it should be used. Yes! I actually squeezed my way through the tunnels. Well it wasn't until today they showed some interest...We are so excited!! They actually crawled through the tunnels and tents and played hide and seek with us, it was lots of fun. Hide and seek may seem like just a simple fun game, but it is also a developmental milestone.

Cuties 4 Life!

2007-10-14T11:58:00.000-04:00

A picture is such a wonderful thing, it can capture an emotion and tell a story. So this weekend we decided to dress up Grant and Gabrielle and take some pictures here at home. This is bittersweet, my babies are getting so big, so fast. But I will forever be able to look back on these photos to remember how they used to be..so they will be my "Cuties 4 Life".

What the pictures don't show is the background commotion that was going on during the photo shoot. This so-called photo shoot was a workout for me. I was jumping jacks and doing all kinds of antics to get them to sit still and smile, we got some good shots, so the the workout was not in vain.

p.s. Thanks to daddy for his skillful picture taking :-)

More Pics From This Weekend

2007-10-09T08:04:00.000-04:00

I just have to post some more pics from our visit with my Great Aunt Ira and my grandmother Oricent, I just think it's wonderful to see the two together, the very young with the not so young :-).

Gabi wearing her Great-Grandmother's hat

We Love Holidays!

2007-10-08T20:21:00.000-04:00

Holiday weekends are great, it allows us to spend extra time together to do fun things. The weekend started out with a trip to Lifetime Fitness to participate in Tornado Toddlers, a class for kids to participate in sing alongs and other gross motor activities. GnG are still a little too young to enjoy all this class has to offer (i.e trampoline, arts and crafts) but it's definitely something they will enjoy in the future. One cool thing they did was create a tree using their painted hand, very cool. On Sunday Nana came for a visit and we watched our favorite team demolish the Detroit Lions...GO REDSKINS!

After the game we visited my cousin to meet the newest member of our family, Briana. She is tooo cute. On Monday, my grandmother and Great Aunt came to visit along with my mother. GnG put on quite a show for them. They were all smiles and up to all sorts of antics.

By the way, this weekend Gabi waved for the first time. Did I also mention that Grant is a full time walker now. He is rarely on his knees anymore, it's all about the foot action. Both GnG love to clap too, Grant claps for himself whenever he walks and Gabi claps for him as well. They are like sponges these days....I feel like I should take advantage of this sponginess (is this a word?) and teach them their alphabet, 1,2,3's and Spanish...but I'll start slow...Right now we just read to them and talk a lot, I think this is the best I can do for now...But, if it were up to me they'd be programming SAS code tomorrow to help pay the bills around here..LOL!!

Beautiful Baby Briana and her mommy, Sanny

Grant Walking

Strolling through the mall while Gabi chews on her socks...(don't ask)

My Great Aunt Ira (Left), My Grandmother Oricent (Right) with GnG

Birthday Party

2007-09-30T23:13:00.000-04:00

Last weekend my mom and I took GnG to their first birthday party. My friend Jennifer's son, Ethan invited us to celebrate his second birthday. We had a great time and GnG had a blast playing with the older kids, playing in Ethan's playroom and tasting his toys :-(they taste everything!!!). I can't wait for them to stop tasting every thing in sight. I'm a bit of a germaphobe so it drives me crazy trying to keep things out of their mouths. They enjoyed their first taste of vanilla ice cream and even took home goodie bags which I enjoyed eating :-). Here are some pics from our day.

Grant and Gabrielle, playing and tasting :-) and me feeding Grant

My friend Nse, her beautiful daughter Adiaha and handsome son Ajani

The Birthday boy, Ethan (he is such a cutie)!!

Puffs, Puffs Everywhere.....Uughh

2007-09-21T17:21:00.001-04:00

I guess this kind of thing happens...they look guilty don't they? Grant hurried to stuff his mouth with the spilled puffs while Gaby was going to town on the lid :-). What a waste of puffs, I had to throw all of that away, but it made for a great picture.

Look Who's Walking

2007-09-21T14:37:00.000-04:00

The Cuteness Never Ends!

2007-09-21T14:12:00.000-04:00

As Fall approaches the weather is cooling off and we've been taking daily walks. Below are pictures fron one of our walks this week. My sister Colleen even came over one day to take a stroll with us.

GnG love the getting out of the house and Grant will sometimes throw a mini-tantrum when we bring him back indoors. On our walks we either use the stroller of the radio flyer wagon and walk around the neighborhood, sometimes we just stay on our cul de sac and go around and around. GnG usually enjoy a little snack on the walks too.

Uncle Chris Look-a-Like

2007-09-19T11:25:00.000-04:00

I came across this picture of my brother Christopher and I'm just amazed at how much Grant looks like him. What do you think?

Babies in Motion

2007-09-17T16:34:00.000-04:00

GnG are quite mobile these days, here is video of them getting some exercise with daddy :-).

Subscribe to this blog

2007-09-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Are you tired of checking the blog only to find that I haven't made any updates? Well now you can receive email notificatications when this blog is updated. Simply enter your email address in the blogarithm box to the right.

Alicia Keys Jr.

2007-09-05T14:25:00.000-04:00

One of GnG's favorite toy is this cow Xylophone. Here is a video of Gabrielle playing and singing a tune for us. At the end Grant puts an end to her singing...I guess she was too loud for him.

Alicia Keys...Watch Out!!

A Day at the Pool

2007-09-05T13:21:00.000-04:00

After our trip to the beach Chris and I took some additional time off to be with the kids. We went to the pool at Lifetime fitness. My sister and cousin Shanika came along for the fun. I think Gabrielle really like the water, whe was splashing immediately. It took Grant some time to like the water, but eventually he did. Here is a video and some pics of our day.

Pool Video

2007-09-05T13:07:00.000-04:00

First Vacation

2007-09-05T12:48:00.001-04:00

GnG, Your first vacation was to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. Hilton Head is a really nice place, but the drive was a little too long for you. We left Maryland at 6:30am on Wednesday 8/24 and arrived at our final destination at approximately 9pm that night. It was a long day but you two were troopers, you slept, looked through the window and played a little. We made 3 stops, first in Fredericksburg to meet the Valentines(my good friend from college, her husband and their two kids, Bryce and Bayleigh) then again in Emporia for your breakfast break then at the South of the Border for lunch. Occasionally I fed you in the car so we wouldn't have to stop too often. We stayed in a nice 2 bedroom apartment style time share condo, it was nice.

On Thursday we went to Savannah Georgia. We walked around downtown and along the waterfront, we then had dinner at Paula Deen's restaurant. This was the very first time you sat in a booster seat and you actually ate some of mommy and daddy's food. You both LOVED the Lima beans and the mac and cheese. You had a great time and daddy and I loved watching you eat at the table like big kids.

On Friday we went to the mall to find you swim suits for the beach and pool, that took a lot of time since most stores are now in their fall season, but we got lucky to find two great bathing suits for $3.99 each at the Carters store. After that we hit the beach and then the pool. You both put your feet in the water, but the pediatrician advised us to not immerse you in Ocean water. Below are several pics from the beach.

We left first thing Saturday morning at 5am to beat the traffic rush and travel while you slept, but this return trip home took all day, we only stopped twice and got home at 8pm that night....whew...next time we are going to Ocean City, MD.

Travel....not so easy.

2007-08-23T23:03:00.000-04:00

As the Europeans say "we are on holiday." Yep, we are vacationing with friends in not so sunny South Carolina on the beaches of Hilton Head Island. The 14 hour car ride was okay, but no fun. GnG were real troopers. Anyway, the road trip was okay, but we should've travelled by plane. Well, stay tuned for pics and stories from our first vacation as parents. Wooohooo!!!

What a Difference a Year Makes

2007-08-14T21:38:00.000-04:00

Wow, A year ago today I was huge, had just been placed on bedrest and was so anxious to meet my little babies. They are more precious than I could have ever imagined.

The Kiss

2007-08-14T21:33:00.000-04:00

See, I told you they kiss....here is a picture of GnG coming in for the kiss.

Fun Filled Weekend

2007-08-14T20:32:00.000-04:00

This weekend we went to two parties. On Saturday we attended a pool party at my friend Nse's house. We had lots of good food and fun. Grant even took a little dip in the pool. At first he seemed to like the water, but he quickly became upset. Gabrielle wasn't feeling well so I decided not to put her in the pool, she literally spent the entire time in my arms.
On Sunday we attended the Yellow Cab picnic, it was fun, but GnG were pretty tired and agitated most of the time. Below are some pics.

Grant Pulling Up!

2007-08-09T00:01:00.000-04:00

My little boy is always on the move, now he is pulling up and will probably walk before his first birthday. Not sure I'm ready for this.

P.S. Did you see the little dance at the end? Too cute!

as-Salamu alaikum from Gabrielle

2007-08-08T20:29:00.000-04:00

This traditional muslim greeting is all I could think about when I took this picture of Gaby. It means "peace be unto you". No, we are not muslim, but Gaby sure could pass for one in the get up below. See...I had on a sarong today, Gaby was really intrigued by the fringe of the sarong and we had a bit of a tug of war. She won of course and I made her wear it since she wanted it so bad:-). The cutest picture!

Self-Sufficiency

2007-08-07T11:42:00.000-04:00

A note to GnG. The day I've been waiting for has come. You have begun to feed yourselves!! Yippee!!! Don't get me wrong, mommy loves the closeness we share when I get a chance to cuddlle and feed you, but mommy also needs a break and free hands to do other things around the house, so it is so nice to see you feed yourself. Gosh, you're growing and learning so fast:-).

New Wheels

2007-08-07T11:34:00.000-04:00

GnG got a new set of wheels from Grandma last week. This Dora the explorer toy plays music and even came with a cell phone :-O!! They really liked it. Grant took the wheel as Gaby rode shotgun. We pushed them around the house and they even knew to pull their little legs from the floor. Last week, Nana also came for a visit.

Daddy's Little Girl

2007-08-01T15:45:00.001-04:00

In this picture Gaby is thinking what?________ (You fill in the blank). I think she's thinking "this is my daddy! Step away!" I just love this pic of Gaby and her daddy. Being a daddy's little girl is such a great thing. I know first hand....I'm a self-confessed daddy's little girl :-).

Library Play Group

2007-08-01T13:09:00.000-04:00

At least once a week we go to the library for a story, play time, music, dancing and bubbles. This is a great opportunity for GnG to interact with other infants/toddlers and for mommy to meet other moms. We really enjoy this little outing.

You should see Grant in action! He is so outgoing and not shy at all. During the play group he often times wanders off to chat with other babies and their moms. He even rested his arm on another mothers lap...as if to say "How you doing?"!!! The other day he crawled to the front of the room and proceeded to do a dance for everyone...it was so cute...the leader was quite enamored with his antics. He really thinks he is a big boy. My dear little Gaby prefers to stay close to mommy or grandma, she loves to snuggle and pays close attention to the story. As you can see, my little GnG are developing their own individual personalities.

They Love Each Other.....

2007-07-23T14:51:00.000-04:00

The sweetest thing happened yesterday, GnG kissed each other. Unfortunately, this beautiful event was not captured on camera, but I assure you it was wonderful. It's so nice they are finally acknowledging each other. For the longest time Grant would just run over Gaby as if she were not there and take her toys away, but now that she is more mobile and aggressive, she doesn't stand for that.

Back to the kisses....GnG are constantly kissed, so they like to give kisses in return. It is the cutest thing. Gaby, in particular opens her mouth wide and plants her little lips on your cheek, she can't pucker yet, so her little mouth is wide open on your face, it's so cute...Baby kisses are the BEST!!!

Our Day At The Lake And Park.....

2007-07-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Today was a gorgeous day. We had sunny blue skies and the temperature was just right. We met with our dear friends Cathy, Scott and Sophia for a picnic lunch/dinner, play time on the playground and a mile long walk around the lake. This was your very first picnic and the very first time on a swing. Gabrielle, you really liked the swinging and Grant, you enjoyed it, but not as much as I thought you would. Perhaps you had a little motion sickness and or maybe you were just tired. But we had a great time and can't wait to do it again. Here are some pics from our day.

A New Do!

2007-07-19T08:57:00.000-04:00

Okay, for some reason I'm not "allowed" to cut your hair until you're over the age of one. I think there is some weird superstition behind this rule. Well, this week I decided to braid your hair in hopes of making you look more tidy. You both have a lot of hair, so I knew this task would not be an easy one. Fortunately, it worked out fine, but I had to give you both my cell phone to keep you preoccupied. Gabrielle, your hair was pretty easy to braid, but Grant, yours was a bit curlier and more difficult to manage. Well, the new do was tidy for a about 5 minutes, but quickly unraveled as you played ... oh well. But at least I got a couple cute photos out of it :-).

BEFORE SHOTS: UNHAPPY :-(
AFTER SHOTS: ALL SMILES :-)

Today is a new day!

2007-07-17T09:04:00.000-04:00

Today I will start writing about the daily adventures I have with my beautiful babies. I should have started this a long time ago (apx. 8 months 2 weeks ago), but better late than never. I'm not good at documenting things, so I figured this is the best way since I'm always on the computer.

Today is a new day. Today is the first day that you, Grant and Gabrielle...aka GnG ate a full solid meal for breakfast. You usually drink a bottle with a little cereal in it, but today we decided to ditch the bottle for real food. You really enjoyed it. Grant Mmmmmm'd every bite of his barley cereal followed by a little peach yogurt. Gabrielle, you seemed to enjoy it too, but I think it was a little too early for you to get excited. Now on to the adventures of the day.