First Steps For Milo!

There was much excitement today during my lunch time visit with the kids at daycare when Milo decided to take his first unassisted steps. He has taken a couple steps before -- usually only one or two at the absolute most -- but today he put together about 5 steps. He repeated the feat later at home (this time about 3 or 4) for Mom.

17 Months (on time no less)!

For the first time in many months, I'm glad to have finally taken the bear photos on the 15th of the month. It seems like the photos and posts were getting pushed later and later. These days the pictures are not nearly as dramatic from month to month as they were in the first few months, but nonetheless it's good to finally get back on track with my dates. At some point, we'll probably stop doing the bear photos on a monthly basis -- that'll probably be sometime around M&M's second birthday (15 June 2010). Maddy will be happy about that. She can barely sit still for the photos anymore as showcased below.

Above: Maddy - 15 November 2009. This is as close to sitting up right as I good get the Pixie to agree to. I sit her up, she wiggles down... That's the way it goes.

Maddy wrecks the photo set.

Maddy on the rampage, towering over Mr. Bear. "I will not be posed!"

Surprisingly enough, Milo is usually pretty good about sitting still for the picture. By the way, Milo weighed in during a doctor's appointment about a week ago at 18 lbs. 12 ozs. He is still gaining weight, but at a much slower rate despite a voracious appetite. This is typical for pre-toddlers. Until Milo reaches the critical 20 lb mark, he has to remain in a rear facing car seat. That means that who ever sits in front of him will continue to have their knees pinned under their chin to accommodate the rear-facing seat. The little man is pretty tall, but still thin despite a voracious appetite. He's also got a relatively big head -- and occasionally resembles an orange on a toothpick (anyone name that movie?).

Now for some other more easily obtainable pictures.


Above: M&M play with a new bouncy horse gizmo from Grandpa. I wondered if it would be to advanced for them, but they knew exactly what to do. Notice both babies have a nice swath of saliva dripped all over their shirts. Yes, even yet still more teething, Maddy especially.

In other news, M&M are picking up some more words. Milo now says "poo poo" and "diapa" usually together. He also says "nigh nigh" when he gets tired and wants bed. Maddy seems to recognize all the same words as Milo (and even uses a couple signs he doesn't), but for now her words are pretty much just "ma ma," "da da," "hi," "up" and a few others. If they are anything like Mom and Dad, they will both have plenty to say eventually.

Mad Skills!

It brings a tear to my eye. The way the kids are coming along, they'll be able to push a lawn mower, a vacuum cleaner, or even a wheelbarrow in no time at all! Then we'll teach them to make shoes and weave rugs, and that's when the big bucks start rolling in. But seriously, the kids continue to make great progress with their walking and standing skills. Although Maddy was the first to figure out how to push the cart around, Milo has really taken off with it. Today was the first time we took them outside with the gizmo, and - not surprisingly - M&M were on a mission.

Maddy sprints down the sidewalk sporting her fashionable knee pads, which were designed from an old pair of Dad's socks. In her enthusiasm to go fast, Maddy ends up falling on her knees a lot. It doesn't seem to phase her in the least, but the knee pads are essential to keeping her smile and pants intact.

Maddy looking determined. Notice her hemangioma is almost completely gone.

Milo stops to look at the fountain. Both babies really enjoyed being able to walk around, and I was surprised to see that M&M would periodically stop and look at things rather than just trucking on by. It let me realize how frustrating it must be to get whisked around in a stroller without ever getting to stop and look at the things that interest you (and without ever being able to say "stop"). By the way, notice our cat Mouse in the background.

Milo practices good lawn mowing form. Yes, all in good time little man!

Above: Milo takes a stroll.

Exhibit 1. And speaking of heavy chores... As most of you who know us may know, Elaine and I generally keep a pretty clean house. Behold (above and below) what's become of us. Hopefully the Department of Social Services isn't monitoring this site. Yes, we do clean up after, and the floors get washed a few times a day. This is just a showcase of a particularly bad moment in the life of a kitchen where twin infants reside.

Exhibit 2. Nothing says neat freak like a trash can on the dishwasher and a recycling bin on the fridge. What's the alternative? Leave em' on the floor and it's a sure bet both babies will knock them over, crawl inside, and make a fort in the old coffee grounds and moldy breads.

Heading into snack time. Maddy examines her tray for any food that may be stuck underneath from lunch. Nope, none.

Snack time. Milo does what he does best, steal food from Maddy's tray. There's nothing so delicious stolen fig bar.

On the health front, both babies seem to be catching a series of colds. By my count, I think they've both caught about 5 or so since starting daycare back in August. The good news is that they've weathered it all very well. M&M remain in good spirits even when sick, though they have had some pretty rough coughs, and the lines of snot have at times resembled thick, greenish yellow shoe laces. Add the fact that they are both drooling machines due to the latest round of teething, and it makes for several wardrobe changes a day. That includes all of us, since the babies love to wipe their noses off on Mom and Dad whenever we pick them up.

We had a bit of a scare last week when I came down with some strain of the flu (probably not H1N1). It was enough for all of us to end up on Tamiflu. Luckily, it only appeared to hit me, and - other than some serious body aches - the virus passed uneventfully. Both babies have received flu shots and the H1N1 vaccine. Hopefully they'll get nothing worse than a cold this season. RSV is still a concern (see last year's posts), but the babies will not be immunized against it this season.

In other news, the kids were due for a visit to the Alta Bates follow-up clinic, but we rescheduled for next month due to concerns over their potential flu exposure. We should find out more about how the kids are progressing and developing then. For now, things look good.