about the boys....

Since they're 9 months already, I've decided it's about time to tell you a little about Cash and Graham.

Both of them:

• still love their baths
• can sleep through the night, but usually not the same night
• never refuse food...ever...I am afraid to cut them off because they can take me down I'm sure
• love their sister so much and think she's the greatest thing ever
• are soo much better in their carseats, thank goodness
• have their two bottom teeth
• make this sound like "goy, goy, goy" when they laugh with their binkies in

Graham:

• is always moving his hands and feet in little circles
• loves his binky, and Cash's too so he takes it right out of his mouth
• makes "mmm" sounds the whole time he's eating and yells if I don't feed him fast enough
• holds his own bottle, but he's so proud about it he yaps instead of eating and gets it everywhere
• can pull himself around on his belly but is happy in one place

Cash:

• still has his birthmark on his thigh
• smiles at everybody, even people on tv and in magazines
• is obsessed with his daddy and thinks I'm chopped liver if he's in the room
• uses both arms and one leg to scoot around at lightning speed
• loves cords, shoes and rugs...generally anything he should stay out of

my peeps

love them so much. and the cupcakes weren't bad, either.

What are you fighting for?

Last weekend we went to La Jolla to the Children's pool to see the seals. Now, if you didn't know, the Children's Pool is the center of a big debate. Years ago, a walkway was built into the water, forming a cove and making a safe place for children to swim. Well the seals thought it was just perfect and now they hang out there and have their pups and everything.

So now it's roped off and unsafe for swimming, and activists filed a lawsuit to keep the beach for seals. People now go there to see the seals instead of swim, and for the most part, stay off the beach.

I personally think children enjoy seeing the seals and are fine with visiting the other 70 miles of San Diego county coastline.

In the photo of Marlo, you can see the walkway behind her. She and I went almost to the end, where we were right above the seals. Across from us, about 50 feet away on the beach were two men and a boy.

A guy right next to us started yelling at the men on the beach, telling them to get out. He called them names, threatened violence, questioned their parenting skills, and told them to go back to Jersey.

The men on the beach acted like they didn't even hear him. The seals and the children definitely could though.








Graham


Cash



I like the lady in leopard print right at the water.

Happy Birthday Daddy

Look at him with his littles...isn't he the sweetest?

I love this picture (even if Marlo's foot is on Graham's head) because it is just them being together.

He is he greatest.

To me...and to them. Truly.

Happy birthday darling.

blurry, but...

Cash wants you to know that it's hard to be him.



and I think they look so alike here:

so now I know

they can get the lid off.

Cash


Graham

My girl

Marlo has been asking for a pet. Actually acting heartbroken about it. She pretends she's a dog/cat/koala/red-eyed-tree frog/whatever all the time. She made a leash out of pipe cleaner (aka "the thing that you bend with fuzzies on it") and routinely requests an owner and a walk. I will walk her, but I will not get her a pet and the reasons are as follows:

• They die. I can't handle that (ask Amy about the time our heater broke on our fishtank).
• They have hair. And it sticks to everything but their bodies.
• I think I have enough poop to deal with.
• Mark's very allergic to cats and most dogs. This is the main excuse I give to Marlo.

So today she tells me that her dad isn't allergic to cats. I tell her that he most certainly is. And she says, "No he's not. The other day I was a cat and he didn't even sneeze once."

I remember when they were first born and so tiny, looking at the skin sagging around their skinny knees, wondering if it would ever fill out. I was so afraid of them being sick and small.

At 8 months old, they weigh 22 pounds and are wearing 12-18 month clothes. I think I can quit worrying.

Don't you think they could easily be fat little old men?

And who's who?

most of the time

this is how pictures go. Cash (on the right) gets so excited at the camera. He opens his mouth really wide and shakes his hands. Or his mouth is a litte "o" and he's huffing and puffing so hard that he actually whistles a little. I think that scratch on his head happened in the tub. But he always has some kind of mark because he's such a wild man.

Graham, on the other hand...he's seen it all before and he'll gives us autographs later. Unless the vacuum is on, (which they both love) then he squeals and screams because he wants to be the loudest.

I love them so much.

a conversation

Marlo: Mommy, I want the brothers to be my babies.

Me: No way. You guys are my babies.

Marlo: But I want to be the mommy so I can say what to do!

Me: When you grow up, you can be the mommy and have your own kids to boss around.

Marlo: Yay!

sometimes

they are just such twins.

update

Well so far so good.

The boys' surgery went well. I really like their ENT doctor. He was so pleased just to see improvement in Graham, because last week his culture showed strep/pneumonia. So he consulted the pediatric infectious disease specialist, and Graham ended up getting 5 shots of antibiotics over 5 days.

Don't worry, Graham is VERY tough. After his last shot, he pulled off the Band Aid and tried to eat it.

So anyway, the seriousness of all that hit me today when the doctor came in after their surgery and told us how it went great, so he was relieved because he was afraid that if the shots didn't work Graham would have been on IV antibiotics in the hospital. He never conveyed that to me last week, and I'm kind of glad he did that, because I'm such a big worrier.

Graham woke up from anesthesia totally mellow, and poor Cash was inconsolable for awhile. I think his pain medication just hadn't kicked in yet. But once we got home, they were just fine...playing and eating more than normal even.

bathtime

I just started bathing them together. They have so much fun splashing and yelling and they cry when I take them out.

So tomorrow they go in for surgery to have ear tubes placed. They have had ear infections and been on antibiotics for more than a month and it's just not clearing. The doctor says it's a really simple, short procedure. They'll be under general anesthesia but just with a mask, no IVs or breathing assistance needed.

I am typing all these things like I'm totally okay with it, but I don't think I'll wrap my mind around it until it's right in front of me.

I just know that it's what we've got to do, and it's the best thing for them in the long run. Then hopefully next time they get a cold, that's all it will be, and they can get on with their frogs and snails and puppy dog tails.