Concentration, Fall 2009

More Baptism Photos

The wonderful families, aforementioned.

Baptism December 6, 2009

Godparents Kathleen Rash and Heather and Brad Curley, and our wonderful families joined us this morning to sanctify some foreheads and cause us great joy.

We are happily honored by our sponsors' commitment, example, wisdom, judgement and personalities. Likewise we are very proud of the kids today - they abide dousing well.

God bless you, Henry Lawrence and Audrey Kathryn.

Growth, December

This isn't the cutest or smiliest picture of these three, but I wanted to document how much all three have grown. Olivia I'll deal with elsewhere, but this really shows off Audrey and Henry in their general and specific maturing.

Both are definitely bigger - I have more and more trouble hauling the car seats in and out, lifting them from a place above my waist height. Sure that might be Dad's general aging, but that is belied by their length and Audrey's chunky calves.

Their faces have changed: Audrey's filling out and down, Henry's lengthening, and both getting more expressive.

Both remain very socially vocal, but rarely at the same time. Henry may be gabbling like a dolphin while Audrey is screaming or fast asleep, and vice versa. Each have been teething for a week or so now, and this has brought on much more hand chewing, drooling and even expressive moaning.

They don't sleep well. They cannot be fed simultaneously at night any longer, and have developed independent needs timing. It was bound to happen, but it has been a struggle. We're usually up 3-5 times a night, though sometimes only briefly. We don't bother to identify who is making their needs known any more, we just address the diaper, or bring the squaller in to Mom and let the other sleep. It is probably becoming conditioned, and we'd like to allow more crying, but are afraid of a dual meltdown and waking of Olivia too. Then again, they can clearly sleep through other kids crying as they seem to do this at daycare. Though they only sleep for less than an hour at daycare anymore too. It could all be teething and growth, but we're getting exhausted.

That said, they otherwise seem to be some of the most happy, contented, agreeable infants I've ever met. They thrive on facial attention and grin immediately and genuinely when you address them. They love tickling and laugh contagiously. Audrey will even break into a grin for you mid-cry in the middle of the night, causing us to believe that maybe she just wants some more face time with you, whoever you are. They are utterly delightful during most of the daylight hours and even much of the night.

Audrey grasps readily and moves her hand directly to an object, even if it is moving. Henry seems to swing more at objects. Audrey seems to have gas more easily and painfully, as if she's still unaccustomed to her food functions inside, and spits up sizeable amounts of milk even hours after a meal. This seems to bother her not at all, while the gas causes back-arching at various times. She had more trouble with her neck strength from early on, and this is much improved, though still not as accomplished as Henry. I wonder if this was from breach positioning? Audrey kicks so well when she is happy that it seems to be a part of her happiness that she can kick.

Henry is a very sweet guy. So much so that his teachers describe his laugh as "breaking their heart". He is a very active roller and seems to enjoy the act for it's own sake, rather than transportation. He sleeps on his stomach now, and puts himself there even when starting on his back or side, and loves spending time on his stomach during the day with good neck strength and stability.

This week I happened to have Henry in a sitting-up chair on the table and Audrey in a laying-back chair on the floor. She wasn't getting as much face-time though she did have toys she was playing with, and started making little comments about this. Henry would frequently locate her by her sounds and "check in" on her about every 2 minutes or so. As Audrey would seem to look past her toys to see what Henry was doing up on the table. Fascinating. We might need to put their two cribs side-by-side soon to see if they will interact more at night?

One of my favorite evening activities is to put them both on the floor next to each other and pretend to sneeze. This is high comedy for a 5 month old and they both crack up, which makes me lean over and nuzzle both of their necks, with even more laughter. They can go on like this repetitively for half an hour before wanting to put their own feet in their mouth. Wonderful, like a medication for me.

I think we'll be trying some rice cereal on them this coming week. Teething and poor sleeping and general age and curiosity. May also start signing to them soon too.

Nice Day in the Buggy

It was a nice day-after-Thanksgiving, and we headed out in the perambulator. This dual-car-seat stroller has saved us this year. We use it daily dropping kids off at school, it folds and pulls out of the back of the truck easily, and maneuvers...oh, just remember how cute the kids are and cozy they look.

Just another look at the Twins

November 7. Audrey finds tongue, Henry cheers her on.

Dis-Pleasure

Daddy was getting some raking done on November 1, and Henry and Audrey joined me outside.
Evidently against their will.

Mellon Hopper

Happy Halloween.

They almost seem to understand that this is supposed to be fun. That you're supposed to be something else for a day. Not that they've been themselves for very long.

Autumn

We quite like the cool weather and bright colors....and Mommy leaning over us grinning.

Snaps

It's like we had a photobooth dropped off at our house.

Olivia had helped Audrey with the bandage in the car on the way home from Fort Dodge. She seems to kind of like it.

They are growing personalities with their long bones, and they are distinctly different. Henry may be less demanding or persistent, or maybe mellow, but Audrey is also more quick to smile, even if she hasn't had her demands met just yet.

They are both starting to verbalize back to us when we talk to them, and they seem to now recognize that we can show our affection for them by presenting our teeth in addition to picking them up and holding them close. So they are responding in kind.

Henry is ticklish when you give light squeezes on the sides of his knees, and even giggles; Audrey isn't. Audrey kicks the bed or changing table vehemently with one leg when she's mad, as though she's stomping punctuation to her argument. Henry says "Gkee" when he's hungry and "Waah" when merely tired or rarely upset. Audrey goes directly to throat-centered, growling yells for food, wet pants, gas, cold, overstimulation, and it is effective for her. We're imagining she will be as verbal as her sister was and is, in addition to looking nearly identical to Olivia at the same age. Speaking of and by Olivia, they each now crane their necks around to look for her when they hear her voice around. They might be afraid of her affection, but also are captivated by her in general. Their gas brings tears to our eyes at times, unfortunately often to theirs as well, with Audrey sometimes rigidly arching her back in response to some GI upset. She got her first blocked tear duct today, but so far nothing infectious for either of them - not even a runny nose after 5 days of daycare under their diaper straps. I attribute that to Mom's diligent breastmilking.

They are an utter joy, even when enraged, and i miss them hourly while away at work.

Perhaps it is the same effect of the run back seeming shorter than the run out, but they seem to be growing much more quickly to me than Olivia did. I hear no admonishments to enjoy these days while they last, because I feel the brevity of their separate and together infancy in my skull, skin, hands, shoulders, fingertips, eyes. Such that even taking the time to think about how short my time is with them, is a time lost from noticing their Audrey and Henry-ness.

I wonder if this is also because i have twice as much to notice, in addition to their sister and mother? I look forward to finding out.

Happy Nearly 3 Months Old, Littlests.

VandeGrandkids, at Cousin Hannah's Baptism Sept 20

Mommy and Great Mommy, September 19 2009

Great Grandma and Great Aunt Bev, September 20

Neither Great Grandma nor Henry should take their companions' responses personally. But they probably will. We're just glad they could all be together.

Asleep and Awake, August 24

Holding Up For Inspection

Audrey seems dubious about where breastmilk actually comes from.

Olivia helps Henry show which end he really wants Dad to kiss.

Family Picture

Fairly recent, but it seems the twins have grown even since the last week in July when this was taken. Which is suppose is their job.

More Alert

Their eating and sleeping has brought them more often opened eyes.

They're seeing and hearing and tasting their environment a little more.

And I suppose this also makes them a bit more photographable.

But they are still cute when sleeping too. Especially when they nestle.

Practical Babyness

Part of Babyness is what a baby does. This little movie is mostly what these two do.

Oath, from "Listening"

Listening
by David Ignatow

You wept in your mother's arms
and I knew that from then on
I was to forget myself.

Listening to your sobs,
I was resolved against my will
to do well by us
and so I said, without thinking,
in great panic, To do wrong
in one's own judgment,
though others thrive by it,
is the right road to blessedness.
Not to submit to error
is in itself wrong
and pride.

Standing beside you,
I took an oath
to make your life simpler
by complicating mine
and what I always thought
would happen did:
I was lifted up in joy.

Receiving

The closeup is of Audrey.

Melissa will probably cringe at herself in the other photo, but I love the view of Olivia about to receive Henry to her lap.

Grandparents

Some pictures of the reaction of the twins' grandparents.

Apparently there was no disappointment.

Interviews

Well, they are pretty one-sided. Dad tells them what they are, the kids stare back.
Still, not bad for 18 hours old.
Happy Birthday, little ones.

Announcing...

The arrival of Henry and Audrey O'Donnell Vande Berg (more middle names to come).

Born at 02:17 and 02:19 on o7/08/09.

Henry weighs 8 lbs and .5 oz, and stretches to 21 inches long.

Audrey tips the scales at 6 lbs .5 oz and is 19.25 inches long.

Both were taken out of Mommy Melissa without further ado (further than 18 hours labor) due to fever in Mom and high pulses in twins.

Welcome to the outside, little 38.2 week gestaters.
Mom and Kids are doing fine now: fevers reduced, fluids suctioned, sleep being caught up upon.

In the photos, that's Audrey at the top, followed by Henry, then the two together, alphabetic left to right.