Our First Christmas with Grace and Hope

Merry Christmas 2008

For those of you that read this blog often, I tried to do a whole 12 Days of Christmas thing sharing life lessons I've learned from being home with the girls. If I've learned one lesson being on "Daddy Leave," it is probably this- taking care of twins is a lot of fun and a lot of work and the girls come first. Unfortunately, my fun idea quickly went the way of the dodo.

However, I couldn't help but posting some pictures of family fun from our first Christmas. I think the joy and love in the pics and videos speaks for itself and showcases how blessed we are, as a family, to have one another this holiday season.

Mommy and Hope open up a a gift from Uncle Steve and Aunt Cindy on Christmas morning.

Gracie thought the wrapping paper was tasty.

Gracie enjoys her new turtle toy.

Hope enjoys being tickled by Mommy.


Gracie Unwraps a Gift

Deck the Halls...

Gracie enjoys her hat with Mommy.
Hope and Daddy hang an ornament.














More holiday fun is on its way...

Hope and Grace's First Thanksgiving!

The girls are all dressed for dinner

Grandpa Bob enjoys playing with Hope


Needless to say, we have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

Double Digit Girls!

At our doctor's appointment this week we found that Hope is now 12 pounds, 6 ounces and Gracie is a whopping 10 pounds 7 ounces. The girls are growing, and also beginning to teeth.

Enjoy some photos and videos!


Hope tries squash for the first time (top left), Daddy feeds Hope (top right), Gracie has squash on her chin (bottom left)

Daddy Leave- Week #1

I have been blessed with the opportunity to take paternity leave and stay at home with the girlies to help them continue to get big and stay healthy before they go to daycare in January. To say this has been an eye-opening experience for me is an understatement. First off, to anyone who is a stay-at-home parent reading this, you have my utmost admiration and respect- dealing with young children all day is a challenge. That being said, I don't think I've ever done something where I've felt more of a sense of fulfillment at the end of the day or something where I've been able to literally see growth each day. Here are a few fun and humorous observations I've made.

Will's "Daddy Leave" Observations (Week 1):

-Daytime TV is not for me: I'm not a tv guy to begin with, and let's face it, The Price is Right with Drew Carey just isn't the same. Jeni seems to be more of a tv person than me and would tape shows like Friends and Law and Order and watch them while feeding the twins. I have tried Paris Hilton is My New BFF and I think I lasted through about 10 minutes of that dribble. I am not without my guilty pleasure, however, and did tape WWE Monday Night Raw to watch while feeding the girls (I used to be a huge wrestling fan in middle school and college), so I guess I shouldn't criticize those who enjoy the Paris Hilton show or soaps, as wrestling is probably on the same level if not worse than those (and psst, I do like The Office and Seinfeld and, as ashamed as I am to admit it, kinda like The Hills too- although Jeni hates that show).

In an effort to pass time while feeding, I decided to watch The Godfather this week with the girls. I guess that + the wrestling seem sorta manly when feeding babies in boppies. Why aren't there baseball games on or March Madness college hoops???


-Despite Your Best Intentions, Your To-Do List Piles Up:
Monday I awoke with positive ambition. Jeni and I made a "honey-do" list Sunday evening and Jeni just smiled and said, "Good luck" when we wrapped it up. "I'll show her," I thought to myself, "I am Mr. Organized at school, I can take down a to-do list with the best of 'em."

Of the items on the "To-do" list, what has actually been accomplished is the following: write thank you notes for baptism gifts, call Eric, our contractor buddy, to check out the insulation in the attic, bring up my sweaters from the basement, and wash the car. Let's just say that the list is two pages long... needless to say, not much gets done. The reality is the girls need my attention first and foremost. They are up more than they sleep (although they are sleeping about 8+ hours a night now which is AWESOME). Feeding time, story time, tummy time, playroom time (see Gracie above enjoying her time in the "Exersaucer") and settle down time take up most of the day. The simple fact of how quickly the time flies taking care of them is amazing to me. My mom, who lives a mile away, and Jeni have been very supportive of me getting out of the house a bit. An hour and a half of "Daddy time" at the gym is much needed!

Getting the Girls Out is a Challenge:
Jeni got very good at this, but I'll admit, after four days, I'm a rookie. Today I made plans to take the girls to my mom's house for lunch. They were fussy, and it took me nearly an hour to get them settled, into their warm clothes and in their car seats, ready to go. I have been told that this gets easier. Tomorrow we have shots at the pediatrician's office at 10:00, so perhaps I should start the "getting ready to go" around 8:45 if it is anything like today. Daycare in January will be a big challenge, especially since neither Jeni nor I are "morning people" and prefer to stay up later getting stuff done rather than rising and shining before the sun comes up.

The Girls Grow A Bit Each Day:
Out of everything I've witnessed over the past four days, this is by far the best part of "Daddy Leave" and the biggest blessing. Each day Hope is getting a bit better at sitting up. Gracie is enjoying the "Exersaucer" more and more as well. The little things you notice about how the girls are growing and developing make this whole experience one that I will never forget and something I will truly cherish.

Enjoy some more photos from the week!
Daddy gives Gracie a "fauxhawk" hairdo.
Hopester enjoys her "Jumparoo."
While we enjoy our time with Daddy, we all miss Mommy at home. Here Mommy and Hope play with her toy.
Grace is less than 10 pounds currently and is displaying signs of wanting to stand. She's one strong little girl!
Daddy is learning how to dress his daughters in cute, coordinating or matching outfits. It was only after our trip to Granny's house that I was informed that I put Hope's skirt on backwards!

Grace and Hope's Baptism Video

This is the video we're showing this afternoon at the reception after Grace and Hope's Baptism. It is such a blessing watching these girls grow!



FYI- Music "I'm Amazed" by My Morning Jacket and "Sons & Daughters" by The Decemberists

A year ago... the beginning of our adventure

I was supposed to participate in a web 2.0 study group on Skype with a group of my colleagues from my school who share the same passion for teaching with technology that I do. This fact, while seemingly mundane and perhaps a bit random, would prove somewhat critical in the events that happened one year ago.

It was a chilly November Wednesday in southeastern Wisconsin, and armed wearing my blue USM fleece, I left our home feeling a mixture of nervousness, excitement, giddiness, and skepticism all at the same time. Getting into my Pontiac Sunfire, I plugged in my iPod and selected my tunes for the morning. With my emotions scrambled like eggs in the skillet on a Sunday morning after church, I opted with an old stand-by for my "go-to-work-song," and turned up "What's the World Got in Store" by Wilco (one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands). As I passed the Residence Inn entering the 1-43 north ramp, I just knew something big was going to happen that day, and I couldn't wait to see how everything would play out.

I couldn't talk about it at all. That might jinx it, and worse yet, what if I wasn't right? I couldn't get my hopes up. Concentrate on driving. Listen to Wilco. Admire the gray on a chilly November morning. Park the car. Grab the travel coffee mug. Take a deep breath in and another one out and just settle as best you can. Yup, that was the way I'd have to go through the days, even though we both had determined earlier that morning that Jeni's schedule was, shall we say, "off by a bit." Can't get the hopes up, concentrate on work, teach about India, yes, that is what I needed to do.

As I entered school, my good friend Matt, who biked into work and was still in his biking garb, was excited to see me. "Pipes!" he yelled from the mutimedia lab as I ascended the stairs to the third floor, "Look forward to seeing you tonight on Skype. I'm totally psyched. This will be a great conversation about 21st century learning and using technology. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on all these cool new tools we can use, Pipes!"

Now, I must digress, I am a TERRIBLE liar. Jeni made me swear before I left the house that I was not to talk about the possibility of what might be with anyone, BUT, how could I lie to Matt after he was counting on me to be part of this dialog this evening. "Matt, I don't think I'll have time to go online tonight," I began, "I'm a bit swamped with grading before conferences and all."

"C'mon Pipes, we need you for this," Matt encouraged, and it was then that I knew I couldn't try to tell a fib at this point. I pulled Matt into his room and explained the situation, including the part about how Jeni told me not to talk to anyone about this, and swore Matt to secrecy.

That day went by ever so slowly. I taught my lesson on the British rule of India and showed portions of the Bollywood film Lagaan. I went about my day as usual, trying to keep my mind off of everything that could be going on. Jeni did likewise at her work. We decided that morning that we would "wait and see until Saturday," but I had a sneaking suspicion that this would not be the case. Not trying to get my hopes up, when the day concluded, I finished up my school stuff, planned my lessons, handled my dean's responsibilities and headed home around 5:30. I called Jeni to tell her that I was headed to the gym for a workout, when she asked if I could come home to eat dinner first, citing that she had a long day and was starving. "Ok," I thought, and to be honest, at that point, all thoughts of starting a family disappeared. "I bet she did decide to wait until the weekend, or else, perhaps our hunch was wrong, and I would be participating in that Skype chat later that evening."

When I arrived at home, I entered the house to our loving dog Maggie running towards me with her giant stuffed toy in mouth ready for her scratch behind the ears. Looking at the Lowe's portable kitchen island, I spied a blue bag with bright green tissue paper and a light blue card envelope protruding from the top. I think that my heart skipped a beat right then and there. I opened the card which read, "I can't wait to begin this journey with you. I love you with all my heart." and then looked in the bag. There was a positive pregnancy test and two pairs of socks, one green and one yellow. Jeni emerged from the living room with tears in her eyes, and we just simply hugged one another and cried. We later ate tortellini with French cut green beans, and unable to sit still after dinner, went to Starbucks for decaf coffee and then to Borders to purchase, "What to Expect When You're Expecting." Needless to say, I never made it to the gym, nor did I participate in the Skype conference with Matt.

Reflecting back on the events of that Wednesday night in November a year ago this week, I pause to smile. We never thought twins. I was convinced a year ago that in Jeni's tummy was a little boy (who would later become an All Star closer for the Brewers, of course). Was it foreshadowing, irony, or just a simple twist of fate that there were two pairs of socks in that blue bag, and now those very socks reside on the little feet of the greatest miracles I've ever seen.

Hope and her Badger Rattle (and growing Gracie)

Perhaps our daughter Hope is taking after her mom and dad and aspiring to attend UW-Madison when she grows up. She is now grasping at objects and seems particularly enthralled with her Wisconsin Badger rattle. Enjoy the show!



Not to be outdone by her slightly larger sister, we wanted to show off a new cute pic of our Gracie Girl as well :)

Celebrities!

When you think of celebrities, some may think of Hollywood superstars like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston (ok, perhaps they are a little dated, but bear with this less-than-TMZ and Extra! literate blog writing dad). Others, like myself for example, might think of my beloved Milwaukee Brewers players as local celebs... CC Sabathia, Ryan Braun, JJ Hardy, Prince Fielder... those dudes.

What I never really anticipated was that our daughters would become local celebs. As the girls continue to grow and develop, we are starting to take them out in public more and more. Last weekend we had the chance to take them to a fund raiser at my school, the Christmas and Holiday Show. As a family-related "extra," some kind parent volunteers organized a pancake breakfast, and since my Student Council students were helping out, Jeni and I thought this would be a perfect time to bring the girls in for the first time. Jeni, who has been out and about with the girls much more than I have, warned me, "We're never getting out of there in an hour." I could have listened to her, but what do I know, we've got a couple of sweet babies, but they aren't celebrities. I was wrong.

I ate about two bites of a pancake and had a sausage at the breakfast, as we were literally mobbed with happy parents and students who wanted to come and see our little lovelies. Jeni just smiled softly as Proud Dad answered questions about his girls. We then went into the Christmas and Holiday Show, and what we experienced at the pancake breakfast was multiplied by about ten. Jeni, who was on a mission to get special gifts for the grandparents, went about her shopping business and allowed me to dote over the girls. In so many ways this was so awesome! Everyone seemed to know the girls by name (in many ways thanks to this blog, which several people referenced), and just were so overjoyed to meet them. My mom and Jeni had gone to the Christmas and Holiday Show a day earlier, and even some of the vendors at the show left their booths to see the girls and ask about how they were doing.

Like any good celebrities, Grace and Hope ate up the attention. They cooed, gooed, made little noises, smiled and looked wide-eyed at all of their admirers. Like good celebs, they attracted paparazzi (well, in this case our paparazzi was our good friend who was lucky enough to borrow a camera from another friend and take this adorable photo).

Reflecting on this experience, I cannot begin to describe how truly blessed I feel, to have so many people delight in our girls. We believe in the power of positive thinking and prayer, and perhaps the girls' public performances are just their way of saying thank you for the support of their many admirers. Perhaps their mom's and dad's ear-to-ear grins tell the same story.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from Hope and Grace!

Our First Cereal

I don't think that I really need to introduce these videos of Grace and Hope's first cereal feeding:





Please excuse all of the crying. Our darling daughters, whether appearing hungry or not, upon smelling food enter panic mode, "Feed me, feed me NOW or I just might starve to death!" The girls did surprisingly well with the cereal, and I think that less than half of their feeding ended up on their face, so I'd consider that a definite success!

Frequently Asked Questions and Odd Comments From a Mother of Twins Point of View

Being out and about with the girls, we attract a lot of attention. Maybe it's the enormous stroller that I push around and try to get through doors, maybe it's just having a baby out in public, but just about every single person that I encounter has something to say. When the girls first came home, Will and I would walk them around the neighborhood, dying for someone to come over and gawk at our beautiful daughters. Now, it's a regular part of my life.

Here are some of the questions/comments that I get and my reaction (and sometimes the answer that I'd like to have).

The Top Three

1. "Are those twins?"

"Yes." No, they're not twins. I just have two small babies that are the same age. I thought I'd take on the neighbor's kid and buy this giant stroller and push them around this store and dress the child in a similar outfit to my own child's.

2. Is it a boy and a girl?

"No, two girls." How many parents do you really know who dress their sons in pink and put bows in their hair?

3. How old are they?

My answer: Ok, I lie here. I tell everyone that they are 3 months. Which they are, adjusted. Honestly, it's just easier then telling the truth. I tried telling the truth to exactly two strangers, and here's how it went:

Them: How old are they?

Me: Five months

Them: Oh, wow. They're so little (pause to stare at me for a reaction).

Me:Yes, they're little. They were preemies.

Them: Oh, how early were they?

Me: Three months.

Them: Oh my gosh! That's REALLY early!!!

Me: Yep.

Them: How big were they?

Me: About two pounds. (aargh)

Them: That's SO small! But, they look so healthy.

Me: Yes, they are... thanks...

Them: Look quizically at me, then proceed to tell story about their sister's friend's cousin's girlfriend who had two-pound preemies.

Me: Smile and nod and try to pay for purchase.

Two instances of this was plenty to get me to start telling their adjusted age. Obviously, when we run into people we know from school, church or our neighbors we tell the actual age, as most of them all know our story anyway. So unless someone really wants to hear about the trials and tribulations of having babies in the NICU for 75 days, I would really rather not discuss this.

Other Common Questions and Comments

"Wow! Twins! You must have your hands full."

"Indeed." You think? Would you like to come over and help me change diapers and do some laundry? No? How about grabbing the door for me so I can push this battering ram of a stroller out the two sets of doors?

"Do they cry at the same time?"

"Yes, often they do." Yes, it's a challenge.

"Wow! You're so brave to get out of the house."

"Yes, well, you can't stay in the house all day every day." Seriously, it's not about bravery, it's about sanity. I cannot just sit in the living room all day every day and watch television while feeding my babies.

Also on the bravery front, "You're so brave to have twins."
Um, I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

"Aren't you supposed to be home sleeping?"

Um... no...

Questions and Comments from Strangers (sometimes acquaintances) that Usually Get Only Baffled Looks

"Are you nursing? How do you do it? Do you feed both babies at the same time?"

This one I got from a complete stranger and it had motions to go along with the question... I don't understand why everyone wants to know about what my babies are eating.

"It must be nice being on vacation."

Seriously? By the way, it was a single guy who said this to me. Obviously.

"How was the childbirth? Did you have a c-section?"

WHY would a stranger want to know that?!?

A follow-up to the c-section question: "Do you have trouble with gas?"

Huh? What kind of question is that?

One of my personal favorites came when the girls were in the NICU: "Wow! Look at those girls, they're little, but fully formed."
Thank heavens that I didn't give birth to kids that were missing limbs or major body parts!

Then, there's the overwhelming amount of unsolicited advice. Sorry folks, I'm not sure that I want advice from a woman whose sons are running around Subway screaming and hitting each other.

Some days when I'm just not in the mood, I try not to make eye contact with people (this is usually pretty ineffective in stopping questions anyway). However, on the days when I've been sitting in the living room and had no contact with the outside world and feeling bored and lonely, this is a great way to get "insta-friends" out on the street. Truth be told, I love having the girls out and about and sometimes look for excuses to get them out of the house.

Silly Times & Brown Eyes

October is a time when many kids (large and small) get excited and silly thinking about Halloween. As fifth grade teachers, Jeni and I can see this in the students that we work with every day during this time of year. As new parents, there must be something about the crisp, cool, autumn breeze that brings out the inner-goofball in all of us (including Hope and Gracie).

The girls are becoming increasingly social and silly. In the picture to the left they are dressed in another Halloween outfit, with these onesies reading, "Mommy's Under My Spell." I think that sentiment can be applied to both Mommy and Daddy. Hope and Gracie have become increasingly vocal. Hope will carry on for up to a half hour at a time with her coos, goos, and babbles. Gracie, too, is getting more vocal, although her latest thing that she likes to do is roll over during tummy time. While both girls first did this back in June, it is becoming much more regular these days. The girls are also sitting in their "Bumbo Chairs" and lifting their heads up more.

Enjoy some fun family shots of our girls getting bigger.

Daddy enjoys hugging his girls after a long day at work.








Hope enjoys a game of peek-a-boo with Mommy as Gracie Girl watches on, mesmerized by the blanket







Contrary to popular belief, it was Mommy, not Daddy, who dressed Hope in the outfit to the left. Truth be told, Hope had a few too many spit ups, and with laundry in the dryer this was the best we could do. I couldn't help but showcase a baby "what-not-to-wear" moment, however, as I am often the one who has challenges matching the pants to the girls onesies.

Despite the outfit, one other thing in this picture stands out- and that is Hope's beautiful brown eyes. It looks like she has inherited some of her mommy's beautiful features, and one day will dance around at Badger games and Jimmy Buffett shows when "Brown Eyed Girl" is played!

Halloween is Coming

Gracie (left) and Hopester (right) are decked out in their Halloween sleepers. Enjoy the girls with the "pumpkins on their butts." As you can see- they keep getting bigger. Unofficially Hope is now 11 pounds and Grace 9 pounds.

Each day the girls continue to amaze us with their coos, squeals and overall jovial attitude towards life. When people say you learn a lot from your children, they aren't kidding. The simple pleasure of seeing the girls smile when I come into a room now is just about the most amazing thing I've ever experienced, and I've heard being a parent just gets better from here!

Good Morning Beautiful

Probably the highlight of my day these days is waking up and greeting my daughters. I always tell them how beautiful they are. Over the weekend I was able to shoot some video. Enjoy.

BREWERS WIN! And The Girls Celebrate

How fitting, in so many ways, that, on the last game of the season, the Milwaukee Brewers would defeat the Chicago Cubs to clinch their first post-season birth in 26 years. Being the die hard fan, this was clearly the most elctrifying sporting event I've attended (although the Packers/Carolina Panthers NFC Championship Game in 1996 came real close).

Being a Brewers Fan this year required a lot of patience and a lot of hope. For me, many an evening was spent with Hope and Grace curled up in my arms watching the games. This was great daddy time and a special way for us three to bond.

I was fortunate enough to be part of the celebration and discharged a cannon full of streamers. I videoed this below.

Perhaps the coolest thing about today for me, however, wasn't Braun's go ahead homer or CC's complete game masterpiece, but rather Jeni sending me a picture message on my phone of Hope holding up a sign reading, "Way to Go Brewers!"

Regardless of what happens from here on out, this season will go down as one chucked full of awesome memories,




View from the Upper Deck after I discharged a streamer cannon.













Grace (left) and Hope (right) say goodbye to Daddy before he heads to Miller Park for the game.








Me and my friend Keith with the giant streamer cannons

Hope and Grace have caught "Brewers Fever" from their Daddy.

Double Digit Hopester

Our girls got weighed today, and Hope is officially 10 pounds! Gracie is 8 pounds 4 ounces. The home nurse described both girls' progress as advanced given their adjusted-gestational age, as the girls are becoming increasingly interested in their hands and thumbs, and enjoy putting their hands together. Yeah! Enjoy the picture of the girls in their "Baby Elephants" (aka their elephant sleepers- fitting bedtime attire seeing that the girls are getting 'big').


Our baby elephants, Hope (background) and Grace (foreground)

Brewers Fan Dad's Baseball Thoughts

Throughout the existence of this blog, I've had lots of comments from friends, family, co-workers, and even quiet lurkers who read this site about how I bleed blue, gold and white as a Brewers fan. With plenty of people asking me about my thoughts about the recent September collapse (and even some requests for me to do a Brewers post), I thought I'd take a moment to reflect, share some thoughts, and perhaps for just this once, use the girls as a backdrop to the Brewers, rather than vice versa.

My friend Bryon from Pittsburgh (the guy who made the infamous "sweep broom") commented in a phone conversation this weekend about how watching the Brewers right now was like watching a family pet on its last legs. While I don't want to be that dramatic, I think there is a decent amount of merit to Bryon's analogy. Being a die-hard fan who can say that I've followed all 150 of the Brewers games up until this point, you grow attached to the team, the season and the prospect of post-season ball. You get excited when they win, disappointed when they lose, and, at times, default into the role of arm-chair (or, in my case rocker) manager, second guessing decisions made during the games. But, hey, that's all part of being a fan.

I would be lying if I would come on here and say that I haven't been disappointed about the recent slide, as any good fan would probably agree. But, at the same time, let's think big picture about the whole thing. Can I not say that I have ever experienced a more fun and exciting baseball season (aside from the '82 season when I was 4 and barely remember much aside from my father letting me stay up and adjusting my nap schedule in order to watch the games against St. Louis)? The answer to that is emphatically, no!

The '92 season comes close. That was the last season I remember attending over 20 games. However, at that time, all 20+ games were with my dad. I remember, on the last day of the season, sitting in the lower level of County Stadium and watching the last outs as the season came to a close, and, as an 8th grader, looking at my dad and saying with a tear in my eye, "I'm sad- I didn't want this season to end." Incidentally, that was the last season that my dad and I would attend that many games together and the last season that I would collect baseball cards. When I got into high school, dating, playing sports, student government, friends, social outings and rock concerts usurped America's Pastime as my preferable leisure activities. While I followed the team throughout the mid and late '90's, I would maybe go to 2-4 games a year. There was not a whole lot of excitement surrounding the team, and the Packers and my college home team, the Wisconsin Badgers would soon provide me with my sports fix.

My resurgence into baseball came when I left college. That is a transition time for so many young people, including myself, and with the building of Miller Park, I found myself back into a routine of attending multiple games each year. Like in the '92 season and the years before it, baseball helped me connect with my father during a time in my life when I was trying to develop into my own person and he and I didn't always share the same interests. Aside from my dad, few friends would even venture with me to a game during those lean times. My bobble head collection had started, however, and it was during those games in 2002, 2o03, and 2004 that baseball really started making a comeback.

Fast-forwarding to this season, baseball has once again taken a preeminent role in my friend group. When Yost got fired yesterday, I received at least 10 emails and 10 text messages regarding it, not including a slew of phone calls. During tonight's game I got some text messages that read "stick a fork in 'em," and "I'll CC you next year." I certainly don't fault my friends for sending them, but, at the same time, I responded consistently with "keep the faith."

Win, lose, or draw, this baseball season has meant more to me than perhaps any other I can remember. This was the season that the Brewers so often served as my source of distraction at a time when the girls were in the NICU and the early, scarier days when they were at home on constant watch with apnea monitors. Now, the girls are growing bigger, cooing, smiling, and squawking up a storm when hey want to eat. They are acting like babies of their same adjusted-gestational age. When Gracie, Hope and I watch the Brewers' games together at home, it is a special time when I get to hold my girls, play with them and talk to them about the game (they are great fans too, as they never disagree with Dad's positive attitude... no "26 years and counting" text messages from the Snuggle Sisters- frankly, they just like the time with their Dad, and I love the time with them).

So, if this post ever reaches the Brewers players, the message I want to send is this... thank you for an exiting season. Thank you for working hard. Thank you for hustling on the base paths and for providing me and 3 million+ fans who have entered Miller Park this season with exciting baseball. Thank you for providing Brewer Nation with meaningful baseball in September. And, for me, on a personal level, thank you for being Will's Pastime, and for always being there throughout this journey from learning that our girls were twins until now, and thank you for being there next season (regardless of what happens in the next 11 games) so that I can take my daughters to a game and introduce them to the joys of baseball. While I wish you the best of luck and want, more than just about any fan, for you to reach the post-season, please know that I will cheer for you just as loud if you are playoff bound or not when I attend the last game of the season on September 28th. Like at the end of the '92 season, I will look at Steve, my season-ticket buddy and newly married man, and say, "I don't want this season to end."

School, Smiles, and Away Over Night

This week marked Jeni's first week of her "Mommy Leave," and also marked the first week that the girls began smiling A LOT. Gracie and Hope are thinking that everything is funny these days (especially when they spit up on Mommy or Daddy or when they need their diapers changed). We've had reports from grandparents that they, too, have noticed the Snuggle Sisters smiling and giggling when changed. Perhaps they are learning very early to be merry pranksters like their dad :).

As a teacher, the beginning of the school year brings with it a plethora of perennial traditions. Among them are "Open House Night" which we call "Back to School Night" at my school and picture day (which occurs tomorrow, in fact). I've caught myself, almost daily, reflecting on being a parent and what that means. During my "Back to School Night" presentations, I referenced the picture of Hope and Grace that I proudly display on my desk and talked about how watching children grow has always been something I delight in professionally, but now is something I'm blessed to delight in personally as well. I can empathize more with parents who are transitioning from their children being in self-contained elementary school classrooms to rotating classes in a middle school model. If packing up the preemie clothes can get me a bit reminiscent I can hardly fathom what it will be like when the girls are 10 and moving from Lower to Middle School. We've got a ways to go before then, however.

On the topic of picture day, I had the pleasure of sharing the pictures below with my students as a way to show them how a great smile can really light up a photo. Below, Enjoy smiling happy girls decked out in their Badger game day gear from this past Saturday!

On a final note, this past weekend was the wedding of Steven and Cindy, two very dear friends of ours, and this marked the first time Jeni and I spent a night away from home without the girls since their arrival at home on June 24th. We opted to stay in a hotel rather than driving back in an effort to get a good night sleep. This, however, was not in the cards. The hotel room was blazing hot. Being someone who tries to be environmentally conscious, I hated the idea of cranking the air conditioner on full blast, when the temperature outside was in the low 60's, but it was so stuffy in the hotel. On top of that, all I could think about was the girls. By 10:30 the next morning we were at home, and greeted Jeni's mom and dad, who were all smiles... so were our girls and Maggie too! Speaking of smiles, the wedding was just fantastic, and I've never seen Steven and Cindy smile more than they did that night. I'm jealous the two of them are enjoying a honeymoon in Hawaii right now.


Hope and Grace enjoy getting ready for the Badger game, decked out in the colors of their mom and dad's alma matter. Grandad Don enjoyed this picture too, as he too, was a UW grad,

Does life get any better than hanging out with Mommy and Daddy? I don't think so, laughs Gracie!

A Late Night Feeding Debacle And More!

At school I like to think of myself as a person who metaphorically wears a lot of different hats. First and foremost, I have my advisor hat- I enjoy being an advisor to my homeroom students, and, especially at the beginning of the year, helping guide my young advisees through middle school. Then I have my social studies teacher hat, my dean of students hat, my flag football coach hat, and my student council advisor hat. This year, however, there is one hat that I feel most proud to wear (and no, I'm not talking about my retro Brewers cap)! I feel like I am developing a whole new identity as Hope and Grace's father. Each day I am asked countless times by other teachers, staff members, kids and parents how the girls are doing, and it gives me such joy to smile and tell them the truth- the girls are doing great!

With our crazy schedules and school in full swing, it has become harder to break away and take time to write and post photos, so I am hoping to take somewhat of a retrospective approach, highlighting some marvelous moments, and, in this case a rather funny story, from the past week.

Gracie Wants Seconds! (Or does she????)

Last Thursday morning, I awoke at 3:30 a.m. to the shrill cries of my ravenous daughters. Jeni and I try to take turns doing the "graveyard shift" and this was my night. Groggily, I left the warm confines of our bed, stumbled into the nursery and found the girls screaming with their eyes shut and their mouths open as wide as can be. Once I got there though and they heard my voice, their shrieks died down a bit. I changed Hope and Grace, put them in their Boppy pillows, attached bibs around their sets of chins and proceeded to feed them their bottles. Hope is up to 4 ounces these days and Gracie is at 3 and a half. Grace in particular acted like she was starving and took down her entire bottle in about five minutes. Now, to give some back story here, Grace is traditionally our pokier eater, who will sometimes take 30-45 minutes to finish a bottle, so for her to throw the bottle down that quickly meant one thing and one thing only (at least as far as I could tell). Gracie was signaling to me that she wanted me to go tell the chef that she wanted seconds. I went to the fridge, retrieved another bottle, and happily obliged. Wow, I thought to myself, Gracie is really starting to take off with her growth. She's eating like a champ! By the time that Hope had finished her meal, Gracie seemed to slow with her feeding as well. All in all she took down 4.75 ounces. A new record for Gracie.

I couldn't have been more proud of my daughter at that point, although, when she was finished, she really looked stuffed (not unlike John Candy's character in the movie The Great Outdoors after he took down the 'Old '96er). Could I have overfed Gracie, I thought to myself briefly? Nah, how could I, she only ate 4.75 ounces, that's not that much. I went to burp Gracie, and almost immediately her mouth opened and at least half of her feeding came flying back out all over my face, chest, lap and our couch. At this point there was only one thing I could do, and that was to yell, "JENI!" as loud as I could, waking my wife from her slumber, exactly what I didn't want to do given that I was doing the "graveyard shift."

I am not a morning person, but Jeni is even less so, so seeing her rub her eyes and stumble into the room was not a pretty site. Jeni looked dumbfounded, after being woken up suddenly only to see her husband covered with spit up, along with her daughter, who, incidentally thought this whole thing was funny and smiling. Hope just grunted in the Boppy pillow beside her sister. It was her only defense. This clearly was a sight for sore eyes, and not the way anyone, least of all Jeni, would want to to see in the wee hours of the morning after just being startled from her sleep.

Needless to say, I learned a lesson here. Sometimes babies need their nook to suck on after their feeding and not be given a whole other bottle! For an adult, 4.75 ounces is not much, but for Gracie, it was as if she ate a robust steak. While spit-up-covered dad didn't take any pictures of this charade, I found a video of the John Candy scene from The Great Outdoors that can give you the general picture of this story.



In other, non-spit-up related news...
Here are some super-cute photos of "The Hopester" from this past week. The girls are starting to smile a lot. On top of that, we are now taking them to a park near our house for picnics on Saturdays. The family picnic is especially fun as Maggie is getting more used to the girls and enjoys smelling their feet while we enjoy our sandwiches and "tummy time" on the blanket.

Labor Dabor

As these two pictures can show you, this summer has included the best of times... and, well, the best of times when our darling daughters might not have been having the best of times (as evidenced to the left with Hope being very hungry in her cute pink polo).

Labor Day Weekend has always been a bitter-sweet time for us as teachers. It marks the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall. While traditionally this weekend has come with its share of sadness, this year it proved a reason to rejoice. We were able to take our girls out to a couple of barbecues and show them off to our friends and family. Granted, we arrived, hand-sanitizer in hand, and kept our mantra of making sure no one who was even the least bit under-the-weather go near the girls. People, however, were most respectful and just grateful to see our girls.

Taking the girls out a bit really made us feel like a whole family. The girls keep growing, smiling, and giggling. With all this in mind, this year Labor Day doesn't feel so much like the end of the season, but rather the beginning of a multitude of experiences we're looking forward to.

• Maternity Leave: Jeni made arrangements to start her school year this forthcoming week for four days and then go on maternity leave afterwards. That will be great for her students, as well as for the girls. I am jealous that she will be able to be at home with them until the middle of November, but, at the same time, realize what a true blessing it is for the girls to get some quality time with their wonderful Mommy.
  
  
• Daddy Time: My school year started last Wednesday with my new class arriving, and I've found a dramatic change in my overall rapport since last year. I am running on a lot less sleep, but will trade hours of shut eye any day for the more relaxed attitude I have, knowing that Hope and Grace are healthy and ok. Come mid-November, Jeni and I will trade off, and I'll be able to be home for a month and a half with the girls. While part of me is nervous about this, most of me rejoices in the opportunity to help out and hopefully keep the girls healthy as they continue to grow.
  
  
• A Season of Firsts Awaits Us: Yes, the school year is starting, but yes, fall is coming, and that means all sorts of neat things. Our first family walk on a crisp, cool fall day... the girls watching Daddy rake the leaves... the girls first Halloween... the girls first Thanksgiving and Christmas... these are awesome events that are on the horizon
  
  
• Could a Brewers playoff season in October really happen? : For those of you who have been following this blog since its conception can attest, the Milwaukee Brewers are by far my favorite sports team. On top of that, it has been 26 years since the Brewers were last involved in post-season play (I was 4 years old at the time). I don't want to get my hopes up, as I've resigned myself that this baseball season will be the most memorable I've ever experienced for the sole reason that the games have helped me relax and keep sane during both dark and light-hearted times, but, just for a second, don't you think it would be absolutely poetic if this was the year?!?!
  
  
  
• Being a family rocks: Today was an awesome day for many different reasons. I got to visit with my cousin Erin, her husband Andy, and their newborn son Henry. Henry is a cutie, and this picture below marks the first (of what I hope will be a future series of pictures) with Hope, Grace and their second cousin. It was so nice to see Erin, Andy, Henry and Uncle Dennis and Aunt Teri today. With that same theme of family in mind, we went to our friends Chris and Amanda's Labor Day party this afternoon and enjoyed just hanging out as a family. Simply being able to be at one place with many of our close friends and our two daughters and dog was such a blessing for us all.
  

Jeni, Hope, Will, Grace, Erin & Henry 8-31-08












We had fun at Chris and Amanda's party. Will holds Hope and Jeni hold Gracie as they enjoy the beautiful Lake Michigan water on a glorious afternoon. Maggie also enjoys her time sun bathing in the sand.