Go, Go, Gavin!

Gavin is not content to push the Bumbo seat around anymore. He has moved on to kitchen chairs, which he can push all the way around the first floor. Here he is, with Auntie Di making sure the chair doesn't start sliding too fast for him:




He also loves to push the musical table and take his show on the road. You can see Evie going towards the kitchen chairs in the background:


When Daddy comes home and finds everything in a different spot, he always asks Gavin if he decided to rearrange the furniture:


Gavin doesn't just want to open this cabinet, now he wants to climb in:


Monkey see, monkey do!

Would You Call This Crawling?

She has her own unique way of getting from Point A to Point B, but Evie is mobile! It's hard to describe how she does it - you just have to see for yourself:








"Well, Grandpa, I just wasn't going to scoot anywhere until I was ready!"



"It's hard work, moving around the room like that!"


"Did you all see what I can do now?"



"I'm pretty pleased with myself!"

Mischievous Lunch

Last week Gavin advised Evie on her video game-grabbing technique, and the kids got to have extra fun with Daddy at lunchtime one day!

"Now, these games here are the ones you want to grab first, Evie."


"Good, just like that. Grab 'em fast and throw 'em on the floor before Mom realizes what you're doing!"


"Wow, Dad, you have so many teeth! Will I ever have that many?"


Francis got to have a rare lunch at home last week. The twins were very happy to climb into his arms!


Evie was very interested in his sandwich:

Evie's New Tricks

Evie has been trying to pull herself up this week. Below she is working on it by the sofa - she gets into that position and then is hesitant to pick up her right knee:




Evie learned how to clap this week!




She also started making a clicking sound with her tongue. She especially likes to do it when she wakes up from a nap. Still no teeth yet!



Everything is fine as long as brother Gavin is nearby.

Gavin's First Barf

Last night Gavin had his first "big barf" in his crib. He is not one to throw up or spit up much at all (Evie takes the prize in that department). I had just fed him and put him down at 6 pm when it happened. The poor little guy was soaked, and when I picked him up I got soaked, and he had barfed on the floor and all over the crib.

After a quick call for clean-up advice to godparents Mark & Robin, Francis cleaned up the room and I cleaned up Gavin. Then we just hung out with him so he could calm down. He got back to normal pretty quickly and I was able to feed him again and put him back down at 7:45. (Needless to say, I did not make it to aerobics class.) We don't know why he barfed; he didn't have a temperature and he had been acting normal and happy all day. I guess it was just a fluke.

Here are the pictures I was planning to post today. This series of pictures is from last week... this is a typical morning:

First they look all nice and cute...


Then Gavin climbs over Evie:


Then tries to sit on her:


And usually kicks her:


He may try to give her a "kiss"


Or tug on her bib or shirt:


All in all, it's good fun and Evie doesn't mind (unless Gavin actually bites her, which he is able to do now that he has one tooth)!

Old & New Tricks

There is always something going on at our house:

Gavin isn't content to just push the Bumbo seat around the house anymore; now he likes to turn it on its side and smack it:

He loves to stand up under the kitchen table and move from chair to chair, holding on to the seats. Sometimes he pushes a chair away from the table and across the kitchen floor!

You won't be able to stand up under this table for much longer, Gavin! Your head already touches the top!


Gavin has taught Evie another one of his tricks:

"Hmm, not this one, and not that one... where's Daddy hiding Halo 3?"

"Daddy, I can't find a game that I want to play. You need to buy some more!"

"Just think of all the tricks I can teach you, Evie. We have lots of mischief to get ourselves into!"

Sugar Magnolia

Francis bought this onesie at a Grateful Dead concert many years ago; I don't know if we were even dating yet! (Nope! Soldier Field, June 19, 1993, Sting opened. - Francis) Now we finally have a baby that fits into it! Evie is in a new onesie, too, with a cute rocking horse on it. We have several other baby clothing items that he bought before we were married (those of you who know him well will not be surprised at this at all.) You'll see them in future posts!











Daddy and Evie read The Very Hungry Caterpillar:

A Visit with Mary

This weekend we had a visit from Mary, one of Francis' colleagues. Evie was happy to cuddle with her and play with her ocean toys. Gavin acted just like his usual self: wild! He wanted to climb all over Mary and pull her hair.







Mary quickly learned just how strong Gavin is!





Mary reads Barnyard Dance with Evie; one of the two books she brought over for the twins. Evie's aggressive page turning tended to interrupt the rhyme!

Just Playing Around

Early morning Evie with her still-sleepy eyes:



Yum - teething toys straight from the fridge!




"Let me show you my karate kick, Evie. Kung Pow!"




Playing footsie:




Evie is kicking Gavin with all her strength, and he just thinks it's funny! But don't get used to it Gavin, because one day Evie's kicks will pack quite a wallop:

Ready, Set.....

Evie is so close to crawling! It seems like she is doing everything leading up to it, but she just has to take that last step. I can't wait! When she finally does it, I'll call the whole family, and then I am going to call her cardiologist. Her doctors are so impressed with how well she is doing that they plan to wait 6 months before her next surgery. They keep telling us she has "exceeded their expectations!" (and that's a direct quote!)

Evie decides to stretch out with some lunges first:

She likes to push herself up on her little piano:


"I think I can, I think I can!"


One thing she loves to do is pivot in circles while she's sitting:

(Sorry for the shaky cam on this video - that is what happens when I am holding one twin and recording the other!)

She also loves to lay down and sit back up:

"That's my favorite sister getting ready to crawl! I know you can do it, Evie. Pretty soon we can have crawling races around the house!"